The Quebec train crash has sparked a flurry of emergency directives to increase railway safety, but there is no sign of shipments of oil by rail slowing as a result, Burgess writes. Indeed, the oil-by-rail industry is set to grow despite the catastrophic derailment, and amid a criminal investigation that has resulted in a raid on the offices of the train?s operator.
By James Burgess,?Guest blogger / July 29, 2013
Firefighters water railway cars the day after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil in Lac Megantic, Quebec.
Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press/AP/File
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Canada?s heavy oil producers are reveling in a price rebound, but its spurred by increased rail shipments, shadowed by the tragic Quebec train crash that killed an estimated 47 people.
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On July 6, a runaway train jumped the tracks in Lac-M?gantic, causing a series of explosions that leveled the downtown core. This tragedy has sparked a flurry of emergency directives to increase railway safety, but there is no sign of shipments of oil by rail slowing as a result.
Indeed, the oil-by-rail industry is set to grow despite the catastrophic derailment, and amid a criminal investigation that has resulted in a?raid?on the offices of Montreal, Maine & Atlantic (MM&A), the train?s operator, on 25 July.
The Quebec disaster comes as Canadian heavy oil prices undergo a reprieve from the dark days of January, when it was trading at only 50% of the World Brent Crude price. For July, Canadian heavy oil has reached around 83% of World Brent crude prices, where it traded at over?$91 per barrel.?
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) ? Vietnamese police say they have seized 53 king cobras from a car in Hanoi and arrested the driver.
Officer Dang Van Hanh said Monday the live snakes were taken to a wildlife rescue center near the capital where they treated before being released into the wild.
King cobras are the world's longest venomous snake, and grow up to 5.5 meters (18) feet.
The meat of the king cobras is considered a delicacy by some in Vietnam, where hunting and trading the snakes is banned. The snakes are also sometimes preserved in traditional medicines.
The snakes, which were kept in green sacks, were seized Friday.
Hanh said the car driver told officers he was paid to transport them. Local media reported he was paid under $50.
BOSTON (AP) ? A defiant David Ortiz stood on the Fenway Park infield and told the crowd to "stay strong," bringing a rousing cheer from Bostonians weary from a week of bombings, stay-at-home orders and a manhunt that locked down the city for a day.
Playing at home for the first time since two explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line killed three people and wounded more than 180 others, the Red Sox honored the victims and the survivors with a pregame ceremony and an emotional video of scenes from Monday's race.
"This past week, I don't think there's one human being who wasn't affected by what was going on down here," Ortiz said after the Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals. "I was emotional, very angry about the whole situation. ... Everybody was hurting. I know it's going to take some time to heal up, but the one thing everybody's got to remember is that everybody supports each other."
Starting with a video, alternating between celebratory and somber and accompanied by Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah," the tributes continued with a first-pitch ceremony that honored a first responder, a victim of the blast, and a marathon institution: Dick and Rick Hoyt, who have participated in the race for more than 20 years.
Then Ortiz took the microphone and, in what he later said was an unplanned outburst, let loose with an expletive that drew a huge cheer from the 35,152 who managed to make it through the beefed-up security and into their seats on time.
"This is our (expletive) city, and nobody is going to dictate our freedom," he said. "Stay strong."
Neil Diamond, who flew into town on his own and asked if he could sing, gave a live performance in the eighth inning of "Sweet Caroline," the Fenway staple that has been adopted by opposing ballclubs to show their support for the city.
As Diamond, a New York native who wore a Red Sox cap, left the field, fans chanted "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" In the bottom half of the inning, Daniel Nava hit a three-run homer to give the Red Sox the lead, and they held on to win 4-3.
"You give people hope," Ortiz said. "We wanted to let them know we're here for them."
Across town, the Bruins also returned to the ice after postponing their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, when a manhunt for the bombing suspects led to a "shelter-in-place" order that locked down the city. One suspect died and the other was captured, hiding in a dry-docked boat in a Watertown backyard.
"At least we could all breathe a little easier and sleep a little easier," coach Claude Julien said after the Bruins lost 3-2. "And now it's, hopefully, time to work ourselves into trying to get things back to normal again. But it will always leave a scar somewhere."
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma met with reporters before the game wearing a black T-shirt with words "Boston Strong" over his shirt and tie.
"I feel like we're playing with the Bruins today, not against them," Bylsma said before the game. "I know I share their pride yesterday in their city and their people and certainly their law enforcement yesterday. I'm certainly not a Bostonian, but I certainly share in that pride and hope to today with them as well."
The Bruins took the ice for their pregame warmup wearing baseball caps for the Boston and state police, along with one for the police in Watertown featuring the Bruins' "Spoked B" logo and the word "Strong" on the back.
Security was tight at both games, as it was when the Bruins made their emotional return after the bombing on Thursday night.
A SWAT team member with a German shepherd stood guard at the doorway to the tunnel leading to Royals dugout about 2? hours before game time. A man in military fatigues checked all of the players' lockers and the many cracks in the ceiling tiles with a flashlight.
Outside, fans milled around, waiting for the gates to open. Several of them were wearing Boston Marathon jackets dating back as long as a decade. Long lines of fans waited to be scanned by metal-detecting wands; many were still waiting to get in when the Red Sox and Royals lined up along the base-lines for the pregame ceremony.
With Boston Athletic Association volunteers in their yellow and blue jackets lined up in front of the Green Monster and police and public officials encircling the mound, ballpark organist Josh Kantor played The Star-Spangled Banner, with the crowd singing along. A giant U.S. flag was draped over the 37-foot-high Green Monster left-field wall, temporarily covering the "B Strong" logo newly painted in left-center field.
Pictures of the victims, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier, were shown on the scoreboard, along with pictures from the marathon and the aftermath. Some of the biggest cheers were for the police who tracked down the suspects.
Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, along with other law enforcement officials and rank-and-file, circled the mound for the ceremonial first pitches from firefighter Matt Patterson, who rushed to the site of the bombings; from Steven Byrne, who was injured in the explosions, and from Dick Hoyt, accompanied by his son Rick, who has cerebral palsy.
Ortiz, who had been on the disabled list all season, took the microphone and showed fans the specially designed uniforms saying "Boston" on the front instead of the "Red Sox" they have worn for decades. Both teams wore patches with the "B Strong" logo.
The Red Sox said their uniforms would be autographed and auctioned off to raise money for the One Fund Boston, the charity established to help the victims. The Boston Celtics, who opened their playoff series against the Knicks with a loss in New York on Saturday, said they would donate $100,000 to the charity, with another $100,000 to come from fundraisers.
The team said fans would be given the option to donate their refund from the canceled April 16 game against Indiana to One Fund Boston.
If you've been meaning to get your act together, you've likely waded through a sea of organizer apps, perhaps landing on the likes of Remember The Milk, Evernote and Wunderlist. The latter has focused on the ubiquitous to-do lists, and has just announced that it'll launch Wunderlist Pro next week with new teamwork options aimed at businesses and other groups. Maker 6Wunderkinder said it brought the "most requested" feature of Wunderlist -- assigning -- which will let each user delegate and view the responsibilities of the entire team. You'll be able to see your own chores through an "assigned to me" smart list with unlimited subtasks and "new and exclusive backgrounds." The company's mum on the rest of the details, but said it'll launch the app sometime next week for $5 per month or $45 a year. That might help keep your cats in the herd, but blog editors? Impossible. Check the video after the break to see how they made it.
Between the Lumia Tablet and a Windows Phone device with properPureView technology, the list of mythical Nokia devices is pretty short. The Financial Times, however, thinks that the company might be wading into the middle ground with a 5- or 6-inch device that'll rival the Galaxy Note. The paper's coterie of sources also reiterated the rumor that we'd see a Lumia flagship with the 41-megapixel sensor we'd seen on the 808, as well as a skinnier Lumia 920 arriving through the year. We'd love to believe it, but the story's appearance just before the company's first-quarter financial results makes us wonder if this isn't a distraction., 41 megapixel
Tired of accidentally downloading apps to your Android tablet that look best on a smartphone? If so, it appears that Google has heard your cries. The company recently updated its developer console to accept app screenshots that are specific to 7-inch and 10-inch tablets. While it's not the most monumental change, once developers fulfill their end of the bargain, you'll be treated to UI images that best suit your device. Until then, you'll still have to endure a few more games of app roulette.
SHOOTS AND LADDERS, 12:04 p.m. WrestleMania is upon us. Before an SUV transports AJ Lee and her closest confidants from the frenetic atmosphere of Axxess to the impending grandeur of The Showcase of the Immortals at nearby MetLife Stadium, a Money in the Bank photo op exhibit catches the trio?s eye.
The attraction, inviting WWE fans to participate in a ladder-ascending duel with a life-sized cardboard Showoff, is an all-too-appropriate pre-WrestleMania pit stop for ?Ziggy,? Big E and Ms. Lee. Ziggler?s show-stealing victory at Money in the Bank 2012 still grants him a World Heavyweight Championship at the time and place of his choosing, and AJ capped off her 2012 by shoving then?pseudo boyfriend John Cena off a ladder. For Langston, the connection is more symbolic: With a WWE Tag Team Championship victory tonight, Big E?s climb to WWE?s highest rungs truly begins.
Before joining the rest of his tight-knit triumvirate, Ziggler grabs his battle-damaged briefcase, its contents all the more potent as the eyes of the world turn to The Grandest Stage of Them All.
YEAR IN REVIEW, 12:17 p.m. It?s a cool 48 degrees as AJ Lee arrives at MetLife Stadium, where WWE Universe members are already arriving ? and grilling ? in a nearby parking lot. Although skies are blue, the brisk temperature is yet another factor that further distances the Jersey native?s hometown WrestleMania from her Show of Shows debut in Miami last year.
?This has been the longest week ever, yet somehow this has been the shortest year of my life,? AJ remarks, lugging bags through the backstage area to the Divas locker room. ?I feel like it was just yesterday that I was kissing [Daniel Bryan?s] ?goat face? at WrestleMania, so I?m excited and hoping tonight goes a lot better than that. I mean, there?s no ?goat face? I?ll be kissing, so it?s already better.? ?
JOHANNESBURG -- Former President Nelson Mandela was discharged from a hospital on Saturday after an improvement in his health following treatment for pneumonia, the South African presidency said.
The statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma said there had been "a sustained and gradual improvement" in the condition of 94-year-old Mandela, who was admitted to a hospital on the night of March 27.
"The former President will now receive home-based high care," the statement said. Mandela had received similar treatment at his home in Johannesburg after a hospital stay in December.
During Mandela's hospitalization, doctors drained fluid from his lung area, making it easier for him to breathe.
It was his third trip to a hospital since December, when he was treated during a three-week stay for a lung infection and had a procedure to remove gallstones. Earlier in March, the anti-apartheid leader was hospitalized overnight for what authorities said was a successful scheduled medical test.
Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after elections were held, bringing an end to the system of white racist rule known as apartheid. After his release from prison in 1990, Mandela was widely credited with averting even greater bloodshed by helping the country in the transition to democratic rule.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year imprisonment for fighting white racist rule in his country.
The elderly are especially vulnerable to pneumonia, which can be fatal. Its symptoms include fever, chills, a cough, chest pain and shortness of breath. Many germs cause pneumonia.
South African officials have said doctors were acting with extreme caution because of Mandela's advanced age.
In Saturday's statement, Zuma thanked the medical team and hospital staff that looked after Mandela and expressed gratitude for South Africans and people around the world who had shown support for Mandela.
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Blake Shelton has been everywhere this week, and we're totally okay with it. The Voice returned to NBC on Monday, his new album, Based on a True Story..., hit store shelves on Tuesday, and he's just been generally charming and adorable every day. He was even cute when it came to shooting down rumors that he and wife Miranda Lambert are having marriage problems, which is no small feat for a celebrity.
Here at T-Mobile's "UnCarrier" press conference, we've heard loads of pricing and availability details for the company's new LTE-enabled handsets. Well, here's one more tidbit: the Galaxy S4 is expected to hit T-Mo on May 1st. If that sounds like soft, tentative language on our part, it's because the carrier said the phone will arrive "about May 1st," so it's possible it could arrive, you know, on May 3rd instead. That said, it's coming, and soon. As for pricing, nothing's been confirmed, but we already know T-Mobile's other LTE phones (the iPhone 5, HTC One, etc.) will go for $100 plus monthly payments of $20 for two years, so we wouldn't be surprised if the same were true here.
A flight display sign fell over at the Birmingham, Ala., airport, striking a family and killing a child. WVTM's Paris Jackson reports.
By Verna Gates, Reuters
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama ? Alabama authorities are investigating what caused an airport sign in a recently renovated space to fall and kill a 10-year old boy and leave his mother in serious condition.
Heather Bresette of Overland Park, Kansas, and several of her children were pinned under a flight display sign weighing 300 to 400 pounds that fell inside the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport as they traveled home on Friday from a spring break vacation in Florida.
Luke Bresette, 10, was killed. His brother Sam, 8, was in good condition on Monday at the Children's of Alabama hospital, and 5-year-old brother Tyler had been released, said hospital spokeswoman Kathy Bowers.
Heather Bresette suffered a crushed pelvis and two broken ankles, said the family's priest, Father Don Farnan of St. Thomas More parish in Kansas City, Missouri.
"It is horrible. They are trying to pick up the pieces and go on with life. Ryan has four other children to take care of," Farnan said of Ryan Bresette, Luke's father.
Airport officials said they would not speculate on the cause of the incident, which remained under investigation.
The probe will include talks with contractors and subcontractors who recently updated the part of the airport where the sign was hung, airport officials said in a statement. The renovated area opened on March 13, said spokeswoman Toni Bast.
Birmingham Mayor William Bell called for a swift review of the "horrible accident."
"No parent should have to endure the death of their child," he said. "I have met with the father, and he is heartbroken and wants and deserves answers. I want a full report on my desk as quickly as possible."
Ryan Bresette remembered his son on Facebook over the weekend, asking friends and family to wear their favorite sports jerseys to church in honor of his sports-loving child.
"He was spunky and energetic and very bright. Ornery on occasions," Farnan said on Monday. "He had one of those faces, that when in trouble, you had a tough time holding him to it once he gave you that smile."
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
NCAA March Madness Live? to Offer Fans an Unprecedented Multi-Screen Viewing Experience for the 2013 NCAA? Division I Men's Basketball Championship
NCAA March Madness Live? App Available in App Store and Google Play in March
NCAA March Madness Live? will provide college basketball fans with unparalleled multi-screen digital access to the 2013 NCAA? Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Produced by Turner Sports, NCAA March Madness Live? will offer free streaming across all devices to pay TV subscribers throughout the tournament and is designed to be either a primary or companion viewing experience available to fans across a collection of screens including online, mobile and tablet. NCAA March Madness Live? will feature social and interactive components to provide portable access to the tournament and ? in partnership between the NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports ? will launch from www.ncaa.com/marchmadness, www.CBSSports.com and www.bleacherreport.com, along with Google Play and the App Store beginning in March.
NCAA March Madness Live? will provide an unlimited viewing experience throughout Turner Sports and CBS Sports' coverage of the entire tournament. Fans will have access to all games on TNT, TBS and truTV on the digital device of their choice, by logging in with their TV service provider information, and all games broadcast on CBS with no registration required. As an added feature, NCAA March Madness Live? will offer a preview option that allows up to four hours of live game streaming that does not require viewer registration.
For the third consecutive year, all 67 games of the tournament will again be available live on TV in their entirety across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
"Whether viewing on a big-screen TV or a computer, tablet, or smart phone, fans can enjoy the incomparable excitement of March Madness anywhere they are and however they choose," said Matthew Hong, senior vice president and general manager of operations, for Turner Sports. "With Turner's commitment to TV Everywhere, passionate fans can use NCAA March Madness Live? as either a first- or second-screen interactive experience to enjoy all 67 tournament games."
"NCAA March Madness Live? provides our membership and fan bases with the most up to date coverage of the Division I Men's Basketball Championship so everyone can catch all of the action at any time and from any place," said Keith Martin, managing director of championships and alliances. "We're in an age now where fans want access to games simultaneously and they want to chat about what they've seen. NCAA March Madness Live? is a great resource for fans who want to keep up with the games while they are at an arena, at home or from any location."
This year's NCAA March Madness Live? product offers several enhancements including:
Redesigned for optimization across platforms ? With improved navigation, NCAA March Madness Live? will have a completely new look and feel while also providing users with the same levels of access and a consistent user experience across all devices Available on new devices ? NCAA March Madness Live? will be available on more devices than ever before including smart phones and tablets with the Android 4.0+ operating system, the iPhone 5 and iPad mini Capital One NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge ? The official bracket game of March Madness includes new designs and feature enhancements on smart phones and tablets, along with expanded social functionality across all devices allowing fans to join groups, share brackets and chat with friends and other passionate fans via Facebook Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena ? A forum to extend the conversation surrounding all of the games within NCAA March Madness Live? products, fans can follow game and tournament tweets, participate in fan chats, watch the games and keep a pulse on all the key moments of every game via the Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena. Fans can participate in the social commentary by using the hashtag #marchmadness Additionally, NCAA March Madness Live? will once again provide video highlights, full game replays and real-time game alerts, as well as fan-favorite features, including live game scoring, real-time tournament brackets, personal channel lineup features, live stats, live social companion views and the return of the "Boss Button." Fans will have direct access to live radio broadcasts, courtesy of Westwood One/Dial Global Radio Network, for all 67 games across the collection of digital products. Co-presenting sponsors for NCAA March Madness Live? are NCAA Corporate Champions AT&T, Capital One and Coke Zero. Additionally, Buick, Capital One and Coke Zero will sponsor the NCAA March Madness Live? iOS app, while AT&T, Infiniti and LG Electronics USA will sponsor the Android app.
About the NCAA The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions-AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola-and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners-Allstate, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG Electronics USA, Lowe's, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's (Hershey's), Unilever and UPS.
NCAA, March Madness, Final Four and Final Four Friday are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
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With so many types of cellular and mobile devices capable of GPS tracking?and the network service that accompanies each one?it?s sometimes hard to decide which one really is the best for you (or the best in general), especially if you may or may not have done your research. What?s the difference between these companies, and why are some devices (say, off the web) cheaper than the ?name-brand? or in-store ones?
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Carrier-certified vs. Non-carrier-certified GPS Equipment
There is a distinction. Carrier-certified GPS devices, for instance cellular, mobile, and GPS tracking equipment, undergo an enormous and difficult examination period before they are approved for release onto wireless networks, and many of those not one but three stages of testing. Every carrier-certified GPS enabled device must meet the standards of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a United States federal subdivision founded in 1934 that makes in-US and international contact by satellite, radio, and wire, among others, conform to certain criteria that will ensure the most efficient use and provide the highest national security of America?s communications structure.
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Exclusively cellular and mobile equipment go through even more testing under the worldwide PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB), not connected with any one specific wireless company, government or country. Its function is to provide a way of standardizing the assessment and verification of each proposed GPS enabled device; the equipment will only be certified if it meets the PTCRB?s requirements of being sufficiently compatible with the UMTS and/or GSM wireless networks. The last stage of testing is within each carrier itself to make sure each device is compatible within its own wireless network and measures up to the carrier?s basic performance criteria, which differs among companies.
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Why all the fuss? Each carrier company markets its benefits and reliability of wireless network (fastest data transfer, least amount of dropped calls, ability to get service or signal strength anywhere) to the public. To uphold their promise of customer satisfaction, carriers are dedicated to rigorously testing the devices that will access their wireless network so that as few breakdowns and network failures as possible occur.
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Does Purchasing One Device Over the Other Make a Difference?
It does if you?re spending quite a bit of money to ensure that your device will be properly compatible with the carrier network you choose. Non-carrier-certified GPS devices may be just as reliable and fully compatible as the verified ones, but you won?t have the guarantee.
Disturbing documents recently obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal that the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is operating drones in the United States that are capable of intercepting electronic communications along with recognizing and a person on the ground.
CBP, a child agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which is itself quite fascinated with drones, is just one of many public entities in the United States operating drones domestically.
While we know the number is quite large and growing, it is impossible to know how many entities are authorized to fly drones over the US or if the Obama administration claims the authority to kill Americans on US soil without charge or trial as has been done abroad since they refuse to answer that question.
Others flying drones over the U.S. include National Guard units (more listed here), the military in concert with law enforcement agencies around the country, the Marshals Service and so many others that universities and colleges are expanding drone piloting programs to keep up with the domestic drone boom.
While we already knew that the domestic drone program was massive beyond comprehension, EPIC most recently revealed that CBP is ?operating drones in the United States capable of intercepting electronic communications,? evidenced in?a document from 2010.
Another document from 2005 shows that ?the ten Predator B drones operated by the agency have the capacity to recognize and identify a person on the ground.?
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this is that ?Approximately, 2/3 of the US population is subject to surveillance by the CBP drones.?
Indeed, this is due to what the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls a ?Constitution-Free Zone? which essentially means little to no constitutional protection for the majority of persons living in the United States.
One of the documents obtained by EPIC reveals that the drone sensors are capable of ?identifying a standing human? and ?recognizing a backpack? but, according to The New York Times Bits blog, a CBP ?spokesman said they cannot identify a particular individual. They can only tell if it is a person or something else.?
It?s hard to know all that much about the CBP?s claims and their truthfulness since large portions of the document have been redacted.
Furthermore, the documents at issue are from 2005 and 2010, it is impossible to know what technology has been acquired since then.
Perhaps most important of all, we now know that the former press secretary for the Obama White House was told to deny the existence of the government?s drone program. In other words, he was told to lie.
If the White House spokesman was told to lie through his teeth, why would we think other agencies and their spokespersons suddenly have some kind of devotion to truth?
The 2010 document also states under section 3.1.2 that, ?To readily acquire state-of-the-art technology upgrades and improvements to the commercial products and services, CBP OAM may solicit or the contractor may independently propose changes, upgrades or enhancements to the aircraft, equipment, components, or other requirements to reduce costs, improve performance, save energy or improve safety.?
Put simply, if CBP or the contractor thinks technology capable of directly identifying someone may ?improve performance? ? which it arguably would ? then it could be implemented.
In a statement to the Huffington Post, the CBP spokesman claimed that signal interception capable of eavesdropping on cell phone calls and reading text messages hasn?t been deployed yet.
?Any potential deployment of such [drone] technology in the future would be implemented in full consideration of civil rights/civil liberties and privacy interests and in a manner consistent with the law and long-standing law enforcement practices,? said spokesman Michael Friel.
One must wonder why, in 2005, the CBP said that the initial payloads should include signals interception if they truly had no interest in deploying it for at least seven years.
?The agency has said that they?re not using the signals intercept technology, but that doesn?t mean they?re not capable of doing it, said Ginger McCall, director of EPIC?s Open Government Program.
If they did use the signals intercept technology, ?It seems like it would be in violation of federal privacy laws and potentially the Fourth Amendment ? and we haven?t seen any sort of privacy regulations come out from the Department of Homeland Security or any other agency about the drones.?
?Notably, she added, the agency has also left open the possibility that it could one day use facial recognition technology, which would raise additional privacy concerns,? according to the Huffington Post.
All we can be comforted by is a CBP spokesman claiming they don?t engage in communications surveillance along with the following reassuring statement given to the Bits blog.
?This is not an aircraft that?s looking through windows,? the spokesman said.
Read the documents linked below for a troubling look into what one Department of Homeland Security ? which claims jurisdiction over a disturbingly high number of Americans ? agency has been up to with their drone program.
2010 CBP document (original here)
2005 CBP document (original here)
Did I forget anything or miss any errors? Would you like to make me aware of a story or subject to cover? Or perhaps you want to bring your writing to a wider audience? Feel free to contact me at [email?protected] with your concerns, tips, questions, original writings, insults or just about anything that may strike your fancy. Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store.
This article first appeared at End the Lie.
- See more at: http://www.activistpost.com/2013/03/records-reveal-drones-used-in-us-can.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ActivistPost+%28Activist+Post%29#sthash.HwFnbjNg.dpuf
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Vista RTM games on XP? Anyone have them working or is there no hope?Rate Topic:
#1 ? bizzybody?
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Posted Today, 03:21 AM
All I want from Vista on XP, aside from the Sidebar, is the RTM version of Solitaire. I installed Alky 1.1, copied the Solitaire.exe over from my Vista Ultimate laptop then rightclicked, used the patch and run option and... nothing. Not even an error message.
The beta version works... but it's a *beta version* with an out of position circle under the card pile.
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On Feb. 10, Indiana media reported that LGBT students in Sullivan, Ind., a small town near the Illinois/Indiana border, asked the school administration if they could attend their high school prom. The school clearly supported the students in attending. Yet the focus of the media story was on the fact that some teachers, parents and students did not want LGBT couples to attend the prom. They held a meeting at a local church to discuss holding a "traditional prom" outside the school that would ban the LGBT students. Local media covering the meeting broadcast an on-camera interview with Diana Medley, a special-ed teacher at North Central Jr./Sr. High School. When asked if she believed that gay people have a purpose in life, she said, "No, I honestly don't."
This statement sent an emotional shockwave across the country. LGBT organizations and allies around the state sent emails and discussed what action to take. Among these were the three of us: Rev. Marie Siroky, President of ICON (Interfaith Coalition on Nondiscrimination); Annette Gross, State Coordinator of Indiana PFLAG; and Jean Capler, President of FairTalk, an organization working for full relationship equality in Indiana.
Marie considered writing a press release:
I was thinking about how the kids felt hearing that from a teacher, and my actions were aimed at the statement that was made. Then my friend Michelle, a parent and teacher, asked what ICON was doing and said that she wanted to be a part of it. Something switched inside me. I realized that I had lost my focus and had wanted action toward something, when, as a minister, I needed to have action with someone, in this case the LGBT youth. I used a play on words and tweeted "GLBT You Have A Purpose." I thought that a video would make a stronger statement.
So we began to brainstorm: How do we best reach the kids?
Jean knew it was best to strike while the iron is hot: "My work as a psychotherapist with LGBT youth and adults allows me to see firsthand the pain caused by hurtful words. I was determined to do something to support the young people affected." As president of FairTalk, her focus is on fostering respectful and honest conversations between people to promote equality for all. It was crucial that the youth affected by these words be supported with a positive message. This emphasis on positive messages would be a fundamental part of the emerging project.
Annette is the only one among us who has a gay child, and her fierceness and protectiveness makes her the queen of PR. Annette explained:
People were asking me what I, as Indiana PFLAG State Coordinator, was going to do. My focus was not on the teacher or what happens to her but on the LGBT kids. When a parent hears someone say that their child and others like him don't have any value, that triggers some very intense feelings. The message is that your child doesn't count in this world, that he or she shouldn't even be here. These are very hurtful and damaging words. So I was very happy to work with Marie and Jean to get the message out that we care about these kids and that they do indeed have a purpose!
By the following Friday, the Facebook page "You Have a Purpose Project" went up with two videos. Then the "likes" started, and messages and videos followed. Watching them is emotional. You can see the pain that these kids experienced when they came out, but what shines through is their strength and passion. And the statements of support were inspiring!
The focus of the "You Have a Purpose Project" is to let LGBT kids know that they do have a purpose and that we care. We ideally want more video messages and fewer comments. There is something visceral about seeing someone's expression and hearing another person's voice when they tell you that you matter. It is affirming to hear from LGBT people and their allies in the UK, Portugal or southern Indiana as they share their happiness when they tell us their personal stories and thank us for caring about them.
So please go to our page and "like" it and share it with your friends. Watch the videos that are posted, and consider making one yourself. Let's show our LGBT kids that they do matter and that they do have a purpose!
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The U.N. mission in Afghanistan says airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition killed 126 civilians last year, a nearly 50 percent drop from the year before.
Tuesday's report comes a day after President Hamid Karzai banned Afghan forces from asking for air support amid anger over the killing of five children, four women and a man in a strike last week.
The report says the overall civilian death toll in 2012 dropped 12 percent to 2,754. But it expressed concern about a spike in targeted killings and human rights abuses, a worrisome trend as the U.S. and allies prepare to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2014.
The report also says the Taliban and other insurgents increasingly targeted civilians and were responsible for 81 percent of civilian casualties last year.
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a surprise return from Cuba on Monday more than two months after surgery for cancer that has jeopardized his 14-year rule of the South American OPEC member.
The 58-year-old socialist leader's homecoming will fuel supporters' hopes he could return to active rule but there was no new information on his medical state and Chavez might be simply hoping to smooth a transition.
After a six-hour operation in Cuba on December 11, Chavez had not been seen or heard in public until photos were published of him on Friday.
"We have arrived back in the Venezuelan fatherland. Thanks, my God! Thanks, my beloved people! Here we will continue the treatment," Chavez said via Twitter after flying in.
There had been speculation Chavez was not well enough to travel despite wanting to return for continued treatment for the disease he was first diagnosed with in mid-2011.
But Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Chavez flew in at about 2:30 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) from Havana and was in a military hospital in Caracas, where a crowd was gathering.
"I remain attached to Christ and trusting in my nurses and doctors," Chavez also tweeted. "Onwards to victory forever! We will live and we will conquer!"
He added his thanks to Cuban leaders Raul and Fidel Castro for his treatment there.
FIREWORKS MARK RETURN
Chavez's arrival thrilled supporters in the nation of 29 million people, where his common touch and welfare policies have made him an idol to the poor.
"It's fabulous news, the best thing possible," Chavez's cousin, Guillermo Frias, told Reuters from the president's rural birthplace in Barinas state. "Venezuela was waiting for him, everyone wants to see him. Welcome home! Thank God he's back!"
Fireworks could be heard going off in some Caracas neighborhoods as news spread and celebrations began among "Chavistas."
Government ministers were jubilant with one singing "He's back, he's back!" live on state TV. They asked Chavez's euphoric supporters to respect the peace of patients at the military hospital.
Chavez's arrival implied some improvement in his condition, at least enough to handle a flight of several hours.
But aides have emphasized in recent days his state remains delicate. "It's a complex, difficult situation, but Chavez is battling and fighting for his life," Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said during the weekend as he described a recent visit to Chavez.
The December operation in Havana was his fourth for the cancer first detected in his pelvic area in June 2011.
USING TUBE
On Friday, the government published photos showing Chavez lying in a hospital. Officials said he was breathing through a tracheal tube and struggling to speak.
Chavez's pre-dawn return was a typical surprise move for the former soldier whose rule has combined constant political theatrics with thundering anti-U.S. rhetoric, tough treatment of opponents and lavish spending of oil revenues on the poor.
Opponents have been decrying government secrecy over Chavez's condition, and some have called for a formal declaration that he is unfit to rule. That would trigger a new presidential election within 30 days, probably between Maduro and opposition leader Henrique Capriles.
Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver, is Chavez's preferred successor and would be favorite to win a close vote in such a scenario.
"Uncertainty over a possible presidential election remains intact, despite the president's return," Venezuelan political analyst Luis Vicente Leon said.
After winning re-election in October last year, and wrongly declaring himself cured, Chavez was unable to attend his own swearing-in ceremony in January. To the fury of his foes, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that he remained president and could be sworn in later.
That could now happen at the military hospital.
"Now the president is back, there can be no doubt about the democratic institutions working in Venezuela," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said.
"There were some who dream of unseating Chavez and the revolution, but here we always said Chavez is the president elected and re-elected by will of the Venezuelan people."
Chavez's return will eclipse national debate over a recent devaluation of the local currency. It has proved highly popular among Venezuelans but opposition parties see it as evidence of economic incompetence by the government.
Unlike previous returns to Venezuela after treatment, state media showed no images of Chavez this time.
His lengthy absence in Cuba had fuelled a long-held opposition accusation that Venezuela's government was being manipulated and directed from Havana. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is a political mentor and father figure to Chavez and Castro visited him regularly in the hospital.
Some 20 Venezuelan students have spent the past four days chained up close to the Cuban Embassy in Caracas in protest of what they see as interference from Havana in internal affairs.
Capriles welcomed Chavez back but pointedly said he hoped it would mean a return to order in government and attention to Venezuelans' daily problems.
(Additional reporting by Mario Naranjo; Editing by Angus MacSwan, James Dalgleish and Bill Trott)
ABOVE: Speidi reveal all about their marriage in the documentary
ABOVE: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt talk their new found fame in the UK
IT'S going to be a jaw-dropping show.
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt make their Channel 5 debut tonight in their new real-life documentary, 'Speidi: Scandal, Secrets and Surgery'. With an OK! Magazine?Twitter timeline full of posts about their upcoming UK show, it's obvious these two are VERY excited about it.
Not only has Heidi been posting a daily countdown, she's also been revelling in her fans' excitement.
She retweeted: "SO looking Forward To Watching The Speidi Scandal On Monday Channel 5 @heidimontag @spencerpratt #CantGetEnough Tons Of Love For #Speidi x
We can't wait either.
Spencer also tweeted: "So excited for our special on Channel 5 UK on Monday! What Speidi secrets do you guys hope will be revealed?"
What DON'T we want to be revealed?
The show takes a look back at the couple's rise to fame, their time on Celebrity Big Brother and their new-found career in the UK, as The Hills stars promise we'll get to see the 'real' them.
So, will you be watching this dynamic duo on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight? Join us on @OK_Magazine as we hope to be even more stunned by Speidi.
SHOOTS AND LADDERS, 12:04 p.m.
YEAR IN REVIEW, 12:17 p.m. 
Carrier-certified vs. Non-carrier-certified GPS Equipment
? 
