A good look at “soverign citizens,” and the non-lethal threat they pose.

According to the FBI, soverign citizens are a group of American residents who are not subject to the laws of the United States:

...Today, we look at a third threat—the “sovereign citizen” extremist movement. Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. As a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement.

This causes all kinds of problems—and crimes. For example, Many sovereign citizens don’t pay their taxes. They hold illegal courts that issue warrants for judges and police officers. They clog up the court system with frivolous lawsuits and liens against public officials to harass them. And they use fake money orders, personal checks, and the like at government agencies, banks, and businesses.

While most of these people are little more than anoyances, a sizable piece are extremely violent. In 2016, a soverign citizen murdered three officers in Baton Rouge, LA, and two officers in Arkansas in 2010. If an officer of mine pulls one of these people over, we end backup immediately.

Last year PoliceOne looked at these common actions of these people. A quick summary of this enlightening article.

5 common crimes committed by sovereign citizens

Law enforcement must understand the sovereign citizen movement, and be able to identify specific components that make up the movement, in order to protect themselves.

By Chris Meyer, PoliceOne Contributor

In a study conducted by The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) in 2014, law enforcement agencies identified the sovereign citizen movement as the greatest threat to their communities. To put it in perspective, the same study in 2006 identified Islamic extremists as the greatest threat...

...The most common fraud crimes of sovereign citizens

1. Income tax evasion

A commonly described “benefit” of sovereignty is the nonessential need to pay federal or state taxes. According to the Redemption Theory, a sovereign citizen is not responsible for tax debts because they denounced the identity assigned to them by their so-called strawman birth certificate. Thus, taxes are the responsibility of the strawman and not the sovereign citizen.

And while income tax evasion itself may not directly endanger the safety of our communities, bringing the criminals to justice can lead to dangerous situations. One such instance occurred when Elaine and Edward Brown refused to show up in court for income tax evasion and stockpiled weapons while barricading themselves inside their home.

2. The redemption scheme

Proponents of this scheme claim that the U.S. government control bank accounts—often referred to as “U.S. Treasury Direct Accounts” — for all U.S. citizens. Sovereign citizens claim these accounts can be accessed by submitting paperwork with state and federal authorities.

This scheme predominately uses fraudulent financial documents that appear to be legitimate. These documents are frequently referred to as “bills of exchange,” “promissory bonds,” “indemnity bonds,” “offset bonds,” or “sight drafts.” Other official documents frequently used include IRS forms 1099, 1099-OID, and 8300.

Although it's most common for sovereign citizens to propagate their schemes, other scammers may only be looking for a quick profit. The redemption scheme promises its victims the ability to pay down their debts—mortgages, credit cards, student loans, and more, using government funds. When the process fails, the scammer blames the victim for missing a deadline or filing the wrong forms.

3. Selling fraudulent documents

Sovereign citizens commit financial crimes with the assistance of a wide range of fake documents. They forge financial documents to establish lines of credit, create fake businesses, and more.

According to the FBI, sovereign citizens forge and sell drivers’ licenses, passports, diplomatic identification, vehicle registrations, concealed firearms permits, law enforcement credentials, and insurance forms. In Kansas City, sovereign citizens were convicted of forging diplomatic immunity cards and selling them for up to $2000.

The number of fraudulent documents associated with sovereign citizens can be an investigative challenge, too. At traffic stops, law enforcement officers need to be aware of fraudulent documentation like birth certificates, drivers’ licenses or vehicle tags. When asked to provide a name, it’s common for a sovereign citizen to respond that they don’t have a name or they may identify themselves as “the representative of…(their legal name).” If you do receive a name, it may be a sovereign name, compounded with “El” or “Bey” and intended to denounce their association with the name provided them by a government entity.

Be sure to document all known aliases.

4. Financial fraud schemes

Sovereign citizens commit many types of fraud—mail, bank, insurance, mortgage, and wire fraud – and try to justify their actions through their beliefs.

Just a few months ago, a man was convicted of attempting to make the government of Denver pay his personal debts.

In 2009, two men involved in the sovereign-citizen movement in Las Vegas, Nevada were arrested and charged with laundering $1.3 million for undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen.

In 2010, two sovereign citizens in Sacramento, California were convicted of running a fraudulent insurance scheme. They were operating a company completely outside of state insurance regulatory authorities. The men sold “lifetime memberships” to customers and promised to pay any accident claims against members. The company collected millions of dollars, but paid only small auto insurance claims and ignored large ones.

5. Intimidation and obstruction of law enforcement

Sovereign citizens use their fraudulent methods to target officers. They often try to intimidate law enforcement officers and prevent them from fulfilling their duty.

Sovereign citizens use counterfeit entities to make themselves appear to be members of the Constitution Rangers, Republic of Texas Rangers, U.S. Marshals, Civil Rights Task Force, and more. Sovereigns who purport to represent such agencies often have identification cards, badges, and sometimes even accessories such as police raid jackets.

Using these props, sovereign citizens have attempted to get past courtroom security, issue warrants and indictments, extricate themselves from encounters with police, and even to intimidate or “interrogate” others.

Additionally, sovereign citizens may request an oath of office, proof of jurisdiction, film interactions with officers, and more. Sovereign citizens can also use legitimate federal documents, such as suspicious activity reports to target law enforcement officers’ reputations.

The belief that strawman birth certificates are used to create separate legal entities for every U.S. citizen serves as a gateway for a multitude of crimes. All levels of government, including law enforcement officers, are prime targets for sovereign citizens. If you educate yourself and stay aware of the warning signs, you can spot these schemes and protect yourself and your community.

I’m not really worried about this as them deciding other issues. Yes, some can be very dangerous. But these people are not stupid, they know how to use technology and will harass cops and their families. Good to know what type of threat they are, and how to handle them.

Another case of technology that doesn’t give me a warm and fuzzy...

Towards the end of the epic Patton, the general is asked about future arms:

Correspondent: General, we're told of wonder weapons the Germans were working on: Long-range rockets, push-button bombing weapons that don't need soldiers. What's your take on that?

Patton: "Wonder weapons?" My God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics. Nothing is glorified? Nothing is reaffirmed? No heroes, no cowards, no troops, no generals. Only those who are left alive and those who are left... dead. I won't live to see it.

I thought of this after reading this article last week in the Houston Chronicle. But my concern is they actually find this rational.

Pentagon may win race over self-driving vehicles

The Pentagon may soon be competing with Tesla and its Model S P90D on self-driving vehicles.

Forget Uber, Waymo and Tesla: The next big name in self-driving vehicles could be the Pentagon.

“We’re going to have self-driving vehicles in theater for the Army before we’ll have self-driving cars on the streets,” Michael Griffin, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, told lawmakers this month at a hearing on Capitol Hill. “But the core technologies will be the same.”

The stakes for the military are high. Fifty-two percent of casualties in combat zones can been attributed to military personnel delivering food, fuel and other logistics, Griffin said. Removing people from that equation with systems run on artificial intelligence could reduce injuries and deaths significantly.

“You’re in a very vulnerable position when you’re doing that kind of activity,” Griffin said. “If that can be done by an automated unmanned vehicle with a relatively simple AI driving algorithm where I don’t have to worry about pedestrians and road signs and all of that, why wouldn’t I do that?”

The Pentagon has a long history of support that helped to develop or refine key technologies that become widespread later, including space flight and the internet.

With an annual budget of almost $700 billion, the Pentagon can afford to aggressively pursue autonomous vehicle technology well beyond fuel and food delivery trucks. The Army, for instance, is pushing forward with efforts to develop unmanned tanks and smarter vehicles for bomb disarmament, though many of those technologies will be remote-controlled, not autonomous.

Maj. Alan L. Stephens, an officer at the Mounted Requirements Division of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence in Georgia, said in December that the Army wants to start testing light, fast remote-controlled tanks with the same firepower as the current 70-plus-ton manned M1 Abrams tank within the next five years.

Among critics’ concerns is the potential development of autonomous weapons that make their own life-and-death targeting decisions. Ash Carter, who was defense secretary under President Barack Obama, told a Silicon Valley audience in 2016 that “in the matter of the use of lethal force, there will always be — at least speaking for the United States — a human being involved in decision-making...”

The rest of the article has some comments on the legality of using this technology in combat. I question the wisdom of using it on a widespread basis, period. While using a form of this for logistics is very plausible, I have serious issue with the thought of AI replacing man in something as fast moving and complicated as battle. No form of artificial intelligence will replace the intellect, knowledge base, initiative, and intuition of a man on the battlefield. Can I see something like a “suicide submersible” being used to attach itself on a ship and detonate, yes. But a computer guided ship having to make a decision on planting an explosive on a hull, when it may be compromised, absolutely not. Also, the potential for compromised computers or communications would be a literal “war stopper.”

I am not a fantasy believer in automated cars. The technology is still decades away, man driven autos are going nowhere. And I will never see the end manned aircraft, armored vehicles, etc.

Officer Down

Reserve Officer Christopher Michael Lawton
Zachary Police Department, Louisiana
End of Watch Monday, March 12, 2018
Age 41
Tour 10 years
Badge Z-72

Reserve Officer Chris Lawton was killed after being intentionally struck by a vehicle as he attempted to serve a narcotics-related felony warrant.

He and another officer had spotted the wanted subject inside a U-Haul truck parked at the Walmart on Plank Road, in Baker, Louisiana. After observing the subject for several minutes the officers parked their patrol car behind the truck and began to approach it on foot. The subject saw them walking alongside the truck and started to drive away, pinning Officer Lawton between the truck and a shopping cart corral.

Officer Lawton's partner was able to broadcast a description of the vehicle, which was located approximately 20 minutes later. The driver was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, hit and run, and being a fugitive from justice. A second occupant of the vehicle was charged with obstruction of justice.

Officer Lawton served as a part-time, unpaid reserve officer with Zachary Police Department for 10 years and also served as a full-time firefighter with the Zachary Fire Department.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

It's the end of the week as we know it....

I feel fine!

I was searching for a video on YouTube and found this by accident. Often in life, when you don't look, you find. The first television appearance of R.E.M., on David Letterman.

Michael Stipe actually had hair!


Have a great weekend!

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff David Lee'Sean Manning
Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch Sunday, March 11, 2018
Age 24
Tour 4 months
Badge 839

Deputy Sheriff David Manning was killed in a vehicle crash as he pursued a car on Highway 111 halfway between Tarboro and Pinetops, at approximately 6:15 pm.

His patrol car collided with a pickup truck traveling the opposite direction. The vehicle he was pursuing crashed in a roadside ditch a short distance away. The driver fled on foot but was later apprehended. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and hit & run, ( property damage), and released after posting bond. The occupants of the truck, a man and his wife, sustained non-life threatening injuries.

On March 21, 2018, the 33-year-old driver was charged with DWI, after officials discovered that he drank several malt beverages at a local bar before the accident.

Deputy Manning had served with the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office for four months. He is survived by his daughter, fiance, parents, three brothers, two grandmothers, and a grandfather.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

What's going on in the World Today 180502

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA

Trump Administration relaxes policy on armed UAV exports

The Trump Administration loosened restrictions on the marketing and sale of armed unmanned air vehicles by US aerospace manufacturers to foreign nations on 19 April.

The new export rules allow US companies to sell and market armed military drones to US allies and partner under the direct commercial sales process, eliminating the need to go through the State Department via the foreign military sales system.

The change was billed by the State Department as a means to speed up the sale and delivery of US drones to foreign countries, many of which are also considering drones manufactured by Chinese and Russian companies.

“Providing our allies and partners with greater access to American arms will also reduce their reliance not just on Chinese knockoffs, but also on Russian systems, consistent with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act,” says Peter Navarro, assistant to the president for trade and manufacturing policy. “For too long we have hamstrung ourselves and limited our ability to provide our allies and partners with the defensive capabilities they require, even when in the US interest...”

Chinese smartphones cited by intelligence as security risk sold on US bases

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Chinese-made smartphones that the heads of U.S. intelligence have urged Americans not to buy are being sold to servicemembers across Germany at on-base exchange facilities.

The Huawei phones, which are being sold by TKS, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service concessionary and subsidiary of Vodaphone, could be used to gather sensitive information, according to U.S. intelligence agencies. They are banned for official government use in most cases.

The Defense Department asked whether Huawei mobile phones were being sold at exchange facilities but has not offered any other direction, said AAFES senior spokesman Chris Ward.

“We responded ‘yes’ and have had no other inquiries,” Ward said in an email response. “Should there be an official determination made by law enforcement officials that these phones present a security risk, the Exchange will instruct its vendors to remove impacted products from their assortment...”

AFRICA

Why the GCC States Think Africa Is Worth Fighting Over

Highlights

-Growing economic ties will remain the primary connection between the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and countries across Africa.

-Turkey's attempts to nurture its economic and political links with Africa, part of a campaign to broaden its global influence, will compete with those of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in some areas.

-Rivalries among GCC members and with other regional powers will play out throughout Africa, complicating the Gulf bloc's efforts to forge deeper security ties with states on the continent.

ASIA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

EUROPE

Europe Accelerates Studies On Reusable Launchers

Apr 23, 2018 Thierry Dubois | Aviation Week & Space Technology
It is 5:00 p.m. local time on July 15, 2030, in Kourou, French Guiana, and the final countdown is underway for Ariane Next, Europe’s first reusable launcher. The last decade has brought an accelerated evolution of the launchers built by ArianeGroup under the leadership of the European Space Agency (ESA). Ariane 6 had a relatively brief career—almost three times shorter than its predecessor.

Rewind to 2018. The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, although it was of limited significance on the satellite launch market, was the watershed event. Before it, European players were content with reusability demonstration programs, just as any other research and technology activity. After it, the debate moved to “when” from “if.” For the second time in four years, ArianeGroup, ESA and state agencies made a move in reaction to SpaceX’s prowess in reusable launchers.

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

AFGHANISTAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CHINA

China: The Dominican Republic Abandons Its Allegiance to Taiwan

China has plucked out another country from among Taiwan's steadily dwindling pool of diplomatic partners. The Dominican Republic announced May 1 that it had severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and will establish them with China instead. This statement is the culmination of a long process; reports of Beijing reaching out to the Dominican Republic go back to late 2016. But the switch comes at a time when the U.S. administration appears intent on disrupting the status quo in cross-strait relations by expanding its official diplomatic interactions with Taiwan. In that sense, Taipei and Beijing's contest for diplomatic partners is just one small piece of the mounting great power competition between the United States and China...

What Beijing is Building in the South China Sea

Since China began its extensive land reclamation program in the South China Sea in 2013, Beijing has focused on improving its presence and infrastructure at seven locations in the Spratly Island chain: Cuarteron Reef, Fiery Cross, Gaven, Hughes, Johnson, Mischief and Subi reefs. Of the seven locations, the Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi reefs received particular attention in the form of large-scale airfields built there. Over time, China has also added harbors, barracks, radar and other sensors. This is in addition to communications equipment, storage bunkers and general infrastructure installed across all seven islands. Stratfor partners at AllSource Analysis have provided imagery that confirms mobile electronic warfare (EW) equipment was recently deployed to Mischief Reef...

IRAN

Iran Deals With the JCPOA

There are just 18 days left until Washington’s May 12 deadline for the United States and the European Union to reach an agreement about how to counter Iran’s regional activity and whether to tighten the straightjacket on its nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has spent much of the last week in the United States on a media blitz, trying to push back against the United States, while French President Emmanuel Macron had Iran at the top of his agenda during his April 24 meeting with Trump. During the meeting, Macron presented the possibility of a new deal to complement — not replace — the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He outlined four main concerns to address when countering Iran, which included the JCPOA’s short-term concerns but also long-term concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile program and its regional activities in places such as Syria...

Iran Arrests Members of London-Backed Spying Cell

"Recently, members of a network affiliated to Britain have been arrested", who sought to launch espionage operations in Iran and had contacts with some main members of the group who led the 2009 unrests and other anti-Iran groups, the source told FNA.

Abbas Edalat was also among those arrested in Iran.

British sources said last night that Edalat is a British-Iranian citizen and a professor of computer sciences and mathematics at Imperial College in London.

Imperial College plays a special role in training spies in different disguises to launch espionage operations inside Iran.
IRAQ

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ISRAEL

Is the Syrian Stalemate Between Iran and Israel About to End?

Highlights

-As uncertainty about future U.S. action against Iran increases, Iran and Israel will seek to deter each other along Israel's northern border.

-Iran will aim to prevent a direct Israeli attack against the Islamic republic by building up bases in Syria and Lebanon, while
Israel will seek to undermine this threat by pushing the United States to take action against Tehran.

-Israel will accept the dangers of a regional war so long as the United States provides direct cooperation against Iran.
Hundreds of kilometers of Syria and Iraq separate Israel and Iran, but the civil war in Syria has brought the two foes nose to nose.

Early on April 9, Israel struck the Tiyas (T4) air base northeast of Damascus. To some, it appeared that Israel was acting on behalf of the United States in retaliating against the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons. In reality, Israel was in pursuit of other quarry: Iran and Hezbollah, which have redoubled their efforts to challenge Israel along its northern border...

Why Israel is Keeping Its Warplanes Close to Home

Instead of participating in a high-profile U.S. military air combat exercise in Alaska that starts April 30, the Israeli Defense Forces ordered a squadron of its fighter jets — likely the 69th Squadron, equipped with F-15I Ra'am strike fighters — to remain in Israel, while other of its air force assets have been allowed to proceed. Given that the U.S. Red Flag exercises require substantial preparation and confer valuable experience, Israel would not have made the decision to keep its fighters home lightly. The withdrawal, announced April 17, indicates a heightened probability that a cycle of escalation and confrontation between Iran (and, by extension, Hezbollah) and Israel lies ahead...

Israel Conferred With U.S. on Strike in Syria to Target Iranian War Gear

Israeli leaders have kept silent about the attack, but intelligence officials offered new details on the specific target, Israel’s goals and the discussions with Washington

WASHINGTON—With tacit American support, the Israeli military targeted an advanced Iranian air-defense system at a Syrian base last week, said intelligence officials and others briefed on the matter, the latest sign the Trump administration is working with Israel to blunt Tehran’s expanding influence in the Middle East...

Did Israel Just Kill the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Highlights

-Israel claims that Tehran held onto research related to Iran's nuclear weapons program and has lied to the international community about its intentions.

-The announcement was timed to influence the United States and the European Union just days before the White House reaches a May 12 deadline to issue sanctions waivers in accordance with the terms of the Iran nuclear deal.

-Israel seeks stronger U.S. backing for its bold military moves against Iran in Syria by characterizing Tehran as unreliable and ill-intentioned...

KOREAN PENNSULEA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

RUSSIA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CYBER ISSUES

North Korean Destructive Malware Is Back, Says DHS Report

Malware not seen since the 2014 attack on Sony has returned, raising the possibility of future destructive attacks.

American intelligence analysts have discovered a destructive strain of North Korean malware not seen since the 2014 attack on Sony that crippled the company’s computer systems, according to Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by Foreign Policy.

On Dec. 17, 2017, “advanced persistent threat actors” deployed “newly discovered destructive malware that shares a number of similarities to the destructive malware” used in the Sony attack, according to a restricted report issued late last year. “This is the the first known instance since 2014 that North Korea-tied destructive malware has been seen,” says the report, marked “For Official Use Only.”

The report does not state whether the malware, called “SMASHINGCOCONUT,” was deployed by North Korean hackers, but argues that the technical similarities “make it very likely” that it was developed by Pyongyang...

TERRORISM

Why It Does -- yet Doesn't -- Matter That the Toronto Attacker Is a Terrorist
By Scott Stewart

VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Highlights

-Because the recent Toronto vehicular attack was driven by a misogynistic ideology, it can be classified as an act of terrorism.

-Terrorist tactics transcend group or ideology and can be adopted by anyone, including nonterrorists.

-Because of this fact, mass public attacks will remain a persistent but limited threat, and people must be prepared to face them.

On April 23 in Toronto, Canada, 25-year-old Alek Minassian stomped on the gas pedal of a rented Ryder van, jumped a curb and steered the vehicle down a wide sidewalk running along Yonge Street. He charged down the sidewalk for over a mile, swerving to hit as many pedestrians as he could. He struck 24 of them, 10 fatally, before he turned the van down Poyntz Avenue, parked and exited it. When he was confronted by an armed police officer, Minassian repeatedly mimicked that he had a gun, eventually screaming for the officer to shoot him. Instead, the officer took him to the ground and handcuffed him, bringing an end to his bloody rampage...

...How to Prepare

Because of this reality, people need to be prepared to protect themselves against the simple tactics used in most mass public attacks. Protecting oneself begins with understanding the necessity, or as security experts like to say, by adopting the proper mindset. The next step is practicing the appropriate level of situational awareness and engaging all of one's senses. For example, it may be difficult to hear a vehicle speeding down the sidewalk behind you if you have headphones in your ears. Acknowledging the possibility of a threat and remaining aware can help anyone quickly recognize an unfolding attack and take immediate action to avoid becoming a victim.

People in attacks should also attempt to warn others, by screaming or otherwise signaling the danger. They should also be prepared to help the injured by attending first aid training classes and by carrying simple lifesaving items such as tourniquets, pressure bandages and chest seals.



MISC

Metal Tool 3D-Printed in Zero Gravity

The challenges of using additive manufacturing in space to print a wrench.

3D printed spanner in zero gravity

A spanner has been produced in zero gravity using 3D-printing of metal powder in a first for additive manufacturing. Parts are being printed in space, on the International Space Station, but using polymer materials. Printing high-strength parts in zero gravity using metal powers presents unique challenges.

"We used a completely new technology to print a wrench for the first time under zero gravity in our latest parabolic flight campaign in March," says Jens Günster, project manager and head of BAM’s Ceramic Processing and Biomaterials division.

To additively manufacture metal parts, metallic powder is laid down on a bed and locally melted by laser to build the part layer by layer. But metallic powders pose a challenge in zero gravity because they are potentially flammable and explosive.

To enable the process to work in space, the research group has developed a method that enables processing of metallic powders under a protective gas atmosphere. A process gas--in this case nitrogen--is drawn through the powder layers to stabilize the powder bed in the absence of gravity.

The technology has been developed by Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung (BAM), a research institute of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It has been tested in two parabolic flight campaigns in cooperation with Clausthal University of Technology and German aerospace center DLR’s Institute for Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems in Braunschweig.

Nuclear Power Plants Have a 'Blind Spot' for Hackers. Here's How to Fix That.

Malware hunters, regulators, and plant employees are hunting further down the supply chain for vulnerabilities as hackers continue to target critical infrastructure.

Billy Rios likes to hack the machines that make modern society function. Take the Morpho Itemiser 3, a prototype of the device the Transportation Security Administration uses to screen airport travelers for explosives and narcotics.

Rios, a security researcher, decided one day in 2013 to probe the Itemiser 3, which TSA had tested in the lab but never deployed. He bought the device online, took it apart, and found that a password was hardcoded into the equipment. This shortcut allowed technicians easy access to the machine, but also potentially left it prey to hackers who could remotely commandeer it.

In August 2014, at the annual Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, Rios presented his findings to the public. “Once someone else discovers the technician password, it [becomes] a backdoor,” Rios said at the time, calling the shortcut “dangerous” for the access it allows a hacker.

These days, companies in charge of some of the United States’ most critical infrastructure hire WhiteScope, Rios’s cybersecurity firm, to breach systems and then explain how they did it, all to prepare for the real thing. He and his team of researchers have picked apart the communication systems used by airplanes and cars. But sometimes Rios’s tests stray into unforeseen territory. It was only shortly after he presented his Itemiser findings four years ago, for example, that he learned how the device was used in the nuclear sector.

For all of the hardcore services WhiteScope offers, Rios, a veteran of the Iraq War and a former incident response leader at Google, has only begun scraping the surface of the complex supply chain that feeds the thousands of digital components that go into a nuclear facility.

A nuclear power plant’s critical systems are well fortified from run-of-the mill cyberattacks launched from outside a plant. That makes the supply chain, with its often far-flung production sites, a logical target for well-resourced hackers looking for a foothold into a facility. As a result, meticulous regulators, seasoned nuclear plant employees, and cunning penetration, or “pen” testers like Rios are all playing their part in the ceaseless effort to make the supply chain more cyber-secure.

The supply chain is “a huge blind spot right now,” Rios told me. “We can test the security of someone’s environment and we can test the security of someone’s devices in these environments. But testing an actual supply chain attack is really hard because it involves coordination between a lot of different players...”

On Hump Day, a really radical idea....

Officer Down

Police Officer Greggory Casillas
Pomona Police Department, California
End of Watch Friday, March 9, 2018
Age 30
Tour 6 months
Badge 16

Police Officer Gregg Casillas was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest a man in the 1400 block of South Palomares Street following a vehicle pursuit.

The vehicle fled after officers attempted to stop it for reckless driving. The driver crashed into another vehicle before fleeing on foot and entering an apartment. As Officer Casillas and another officer attempted to make contact with the man he fired through the apartment door, striking both officers.

The officers were both transported to a local hospital where Officer Casillas succumbed to his wounds. The man surrendered after remaining barricaded inside his home for more than 15 hours. He was charged with Officer Casillas' murder as well as several counts of attempted murder of a peace officer.

Officer Casillas had served with the Pomona Police Department for six months and was still in field training at the time of the incident. He had been employed as a civilian with the agency for three years before entering the police academy. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Damned good shooting.....

Most cops never use their firearms during their careers. The stats are less than five percent of police officers use their weapons over a twenty year career. But you must be ready for it when ever that day comes. And it will not be as easy as the department range, as this video shows:

Louisville officer shoots through patrol car windshield, killing suspect

A police spokesman said that officers responded to a reported store robbery in the Portland neighborhood on April 24. A suspect matching the description of the store robber fled when police made contact with him. Police said that the suspect was “brandishing” a handgun and shot the suspect, who died shortly after being taken to hospital by emergency services. Police said that no officers were struck by gunfire...

Ion recalling Clint Eastwood’s immortal advise from Heartbreak Ridge, “Improvise, adapt, overcome!” This officer did, and handled the armed felon. But for some reason that wasn’t good enough for this TV reporter.

“...The former police chief for Madison, Wisconsin, David Couper, was quoted by The Courier Journal as saying the move seemed “reckless,” and that the bullet’s trajectory could have been changed when going through the windshield.”

OK, this is a shooting in Kentucky, why do you have to get an opinion from a former chief three states away? I am recalling the accepted (by the 4th Estate) definition of an “expert:” Anyone fifty miles away.

Sorry Chief Dave, the man handled the situation. Excellent work officer.

Officer Down

Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton
Clinton Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Age 30
Tour 3 years
Badge 319
Military Veteran

Police Officer Christopher Morton was shot and killed when he and two other officers responded to an unknown situation as the result of a 911 call at approximately 9:20 pm.

The call taker could hear screaming in the background on the call, but the caller did not otherwise communicate and hung up before officers arrived on scene. As the officers arrived at the home in the 300 Block of West Grand River Street a male subject opened fire on them with a semi-automatic rifle. The officers returned fire and entered the home in an attempt to take the man into custody. The man continued firing, wounding all three officers.

Officer Morton remained in a bedroom for approximately 15 minutes before being rescued by the other responding officers. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

The subject then barricaded himself inside the home for several hours. A SWAT team entered the home shortly after midnight and located the subject deceased.

The ensuing investigation revealed that the original 911 call had been made from a home approximately 15 miles away and officers were dispatched to the wrong location when the call was traced to a different address. The male subject who opened fire on the officers was out on bail for weapons and methamphetamine charges and was under investigation for a rape. The female at the home was charged with distribution of methamphetamine following Officer Morton's murder.

Officer Morton had served as both a reserve officer and full-time officer with the Clinton Police Department for three years. He had recently returned to full-time status following the line of duty death of Police Officer Gary Michael on August 6th, 2017. He was a veteran of the Army National Guard and is survived by his parents and siblings.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Sage advise from one of the greatest rock bands ever....

As a child I remember the reports of the crash of a flight carrying the bank Lynard Skynyrd, and the loss of two of the original band members, Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, as well as backup singer Cassie Gaines. I wasn't much into their music at the time, but I've learned to love their songs, such as Free Bird, Saturday Night Special, That Smell, What's Your Name, and this absolute classic, Simple Man. I danced with my mother to this at my wedding, and the wisdom shows the talent of Ronnie Van Zant's writing. Speaking to "my only son" (actuall Van Zant was one of three sons she had), and the enlightenment she wants to pass to her child.

This is an awesome live version of the song. Enjoy. And have a great weekend.

Officer Down

Police Officer Rodney Scott Smith
Hickman Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch Friday, March 2, 2018
Age 45
Tour Not available
Badge 511

Police Officer Rodney Smith drowned when his patrol car was washed into a flooded field off of Bernal Avenue.

The area had become flooded as a result of the overflowing Bayou de Chien. He was checking the area when he went missing at approximately 9:15 pm. Multiple agencies responded to the area and began a massive search. His body and patrol were located separately in a flooded field off of Bernal Avenue the following morning.

Officer Smith is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and mother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

May be an option for active shooters...

Fact of life is the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. But this may be an option to buy time for the innocent people in the target.


A cure all, no, but something to look at.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Jacob M. Pickett
Boone County Sheriff's Office, Indiana
End of Watch Friday, March 2, 2018
Age 34
Tour 8 years

Deputy Sheriff Jake Pickett succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained while attempting to apprehend a wanted subject.

The man had fled from Lebanon police officers who had gone to his home to serve a warrant on a different person. The officers recognized the man as also having warrants but he fled in a vehicle with two other people when the officers tried to take him into custody. Deputy Pickett, a canine handler, joined the pursuit until it came to a stop on Indian Springs Road.

The wanted man fled on foot with Deputy Pickett and his canine in pursuit. Deputy Pickett was shot in the head as he rounded the corner of a building. The subject was shot and wounded by another officer before being taken into custody. The second subject continued to flee in the vehicle but was taken into custody following another pursuit that ended on I-65.

Deputy Pickett was transported to Witham Hospital before being flown to St. Vincent Hospital, in Indianapolis, where he succumbed to his injuries. He was kept on life support until the evening of March 4th, 2018, so that his organs could be donated.

Deputy Pickett had served with the Boone County Sheriff's Office for three years. He had previously served with the Tipton County Sheriff's Office for two years and the Marion County Sheriff's Office for three years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

A K9....

With a real personality!

This is too cool to not share!

A sign of liberty in the Rocky Mountain High state....

I lived in Colorado from 1989 to 1992, and like California, the state's physical beauty is breathtaking. I took the family there this last summer and they were astonished at the Rocky Mountains, Pike's Peak, and Garden of the Gods, among other things.

However, over the last 25 years Colorado has been invaded by libtards from states like California, and unfortunately they are bringing their crazed ideas with them. And Boulder is known for it's crazy ideas, and now they've passed another one. They want to ban "assault rifles," whatever the hell that is.

I found this article oner the weekend and it's interesting:

To Boulder’s anti-gun bigots, I will not comply with your hate law

My home town of Boulder is about to define me as a criminal if I do not disarm or move.

Let this column serve as a public notice, I will not comply.

I was raised in Colorado and moved to Boulder in 1984, graduated from CU there and stayed. I proudly represented Boulder on the RTD Board of Directors. My late daughter rests in a Boulder cemetery. I plan to be laid to rest beside her when my time comes. All that to say my roots are deep in my hometown.

But to be who I am, to be true to my values I hold dear, I must choose to leave or go to jail.

Boulder prides itself on promoting inclusion, diversity and tolerance. And there was a time it lived up to those now-empty words — a time when Boulder was diverse enough to welcome such opposites as the beatnik, Buddhist Naropa Institute and Soldier of Fortune magazine.

But it’s getting very clear Boulder doesn’t want my type in their lily-white, homogeneous town...

Remember, it's inclusive and tolerant for their kind of people, not for others.

Boulder City Council is on the verge of passing a sweeping anti-gun ordinance, laughably called an assault weapons ban. So loosely written, this ordinance would ban the first gun I ever owned, a simple .22 caliber rifle, the same type most farm boys get on their twelfth birthday. Its sin? It can be fitted with a pistol-grip or a folding stock...

...The Anti-Defamation League and The Gay and Lesbian Fund sponsors a program plastered throughout Boulder schools call “No Place For Hate.” They ask students to make a resolution of respect: “I will seek to gain understanding of those who are different from myself.”

But Boulder’s council has done nothing to understand the culture and values of gun owners and little to understand much more than the cosmetic aspects of guns.

Boulder has become a place for hate.

Should this ordinance pass, it will require me to permanently move my guns out of Boulder. What a spectacularly privileged, Boulderesque idea. Only in Boulder and Aspen is there an assumption that you’re wealthy enough to have a second home or storage in another city.

You can’t keep your soon-to-be-illegal guns at a friend’s house in another city either. The new 2013 anti-gun state laws say you can only do that for three days before you’ll both be criminals.

If I can’t afford to move my guns out, which I can’t, I am to destroy them or surrender them. There is a possibility council might take pity and let me keep my own property by creating the state’s first database of people whose values they do not understand or respect...

...Jon Caldara, a Denver Post columnist, is president of the Independence Institute, a libertarian-conservative think tank in Denver.

The rest of the article is worth reading, but I'm drawn to the part where a city is requiring a citizen to turn in a legal item, a firearm, or destroy them. They are denying a citizen his personal property without compensation. Granted, I have not read the full text of the proposed legislation, but this seems like a serious violation of the Constitution's "takings" clause. Per Amendment V, "...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Then again, when has the Constitution been a hindrance to liberals.

Now for something classy.....

Last week I posted on 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it's stunning opening music, Also sprach Zarathustra. Well I was looking around and found this incredible version of the song:



And while I was there, found this version of Ride of the Valkyries:



And The Empire's March, also know as Darth Vader's theme:



And can you review classical music without this!


Happy Friday the 13th and have a great weekend!

What's going on in the World Today 180412

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA
U.S. Naval Update Map: April 12, 2018

U.S. Air Force To Kick Off Competition For New A-10 Wings

Mar 27, 2018 Lara Seligman | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
President Donald Trump’s signature on the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill last week gave the U.S. Air Force the green light to move forward with re-winging the A-10 Warthog so the venerable attack aircraft can fly into the 2030s.

The fiscal 2018 appropriations act includes $103 million for the Air Force to restart production of A-10 wings—a necessary step to keep the aging fleet flying for at least the next decade. Out of a fleet of about 280 A-10s that need new wings, Boeing has re-winged about 170, but the remaining 109 aircraft are still flying with their original wings from the 1970s...



Secretive X-37B Military Space Plane Wings Past 200 Days in Orbit
By Leonard David, Space.com's Space Insider Columnist

That mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle-5 (OTV-5), began Sept. 7, 2017, when the robotic spacecraft launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

According to Air Force officials, one payload flying on OTV-5 is the Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader, or ASETS-11, of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). This cargo is testing experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipes for long durations in the space environment. [The X-37B Space Plane: 6 Surprising Facts]

The X-37B space plane has a payload bay about the size of a pickup-truck bed, which can be outfitted with a robotic arm.
The X-37B space plane has a payload bay about the size of a pickup-truck bed, which can be outfitted with a robotic arm.
Credit: Boeing





AFRICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ASIA

New Version Of Turkish Anka UAV Emerges

LONDON—Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has developed and flown a heavily modified version of its Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system equipped with a signals or communications intelligence payload.

Images of the platform, believed to be called the Anka-I, were uploaded to social media sites by Turkey’s defense procurement agency SSM on March 24 and quickly deleted, but not before several users had saved the images and re-uploaded them.

The Anka-I is believed to be a development of TAI’s Anka-B, introducing additional performance and endurance over the Anka-A development aircraft. But it can only be operated through line-of-sight operation because it lacks the beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications system of the Anka-S model currently entering service with the Turkish air force.

The Anka-I is believed to be using a sub-suite of Aselsan’s Multi-Int intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor suite developed for multimission aircraft, replacing the standard electro-optical camera and side-looking airborne radar of other versions. The aircraft carries 14 different aerials around the fuselage as well as large cheek fairings containing four sensor apertures. It is unclear whether the cheek fairings are on both sides of the aircraft, as the images online only show the aircraft on the starboard side...

Vietnam: A Coast Guard Counter in the South China Sea

As China continues to steadily ramp up its quasi-military forces, countries around the South China Sea are responding by strengthening their own maritime enforcement capabilities in the competition for sea lanes, natural resources and disputed territory. On April 11, Vietnam's National Assembly released a draft bill outlining potential changes to the authority, functions and structure of the country's coast guard. Significantly, the proposal would empower the coast guard with greater flexibility on when to open fire at sea, raising the risk of skirmishes in waters where the undefined boundaries already lead to fishing conflicts and other disputes...


EUROPE

Merkel’s Military Revival

Germany is poised to become Europe’s first line of defense, but facing down a revanchist Russia will require more spending and better coordination among NATO allies.

For months after Germany’s September 2017 election, it was unclear whether Chancellor Angela Merkel could form a viable new government. The widespread anxiety over the outcome of the coalition talks finally dissipated after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) decided on March 4 to join the government, cementing Merkel’s continued leadership. With political instability and populism rising across Europe, the formation of a new coalition government in Germany led to universal expressions of relief.

But if Germany wishes to achieve its ambitious regional and global leadership goals, it will need to enhance the ability of its armed forces, the Bundeswehr, to act abroad. And this will require a substantial increase in national defense spending. Germany has long lagged in defense spending despite being Europe’s largest economy.Germany has long lagged in defense spending despite being Europe’s largest economy. Among NATO allies — all of whom are treaty-bound to meet a mandated annual defense target of 2 percent of GDP — Germany ranks 17th in the EU at 1.2 percent and is nowhere close to meeting this target at present. Over the past two decades, German defense spending has gradually decreased to the current level of $45.9 billion, which renders Germany largely unable to project force abroad...

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA

Mexico: Revised NAFTA Details Likely In May

Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo said there is an 80 percent chance that NAFTA parties could reach an agreement in principle by the first week of May, adding that progress was made when the United States backed down from its 50 percent domestic content requirement and 85 percent regional content requirement for automobiles, Inside U.S. Trade reported April 9. Guajardo also noted the urgency for the United States to present a plan for a revised trade agreement to the U.S. Congress, before midterm elections in the fall. Though U.S. President Donald Trump hoped to present a revised NAFTA deal at the Summit of the Americas from April 13 to April 14 in Lima, it is more likely that a preliminary deal could be revealed.


AFGHANISTAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CHINA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

IRAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

IRAQ

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ISRAEL

Everyone Loves Israel Now

There's much more to the Arab world's newfound friendship with Israel than ganging up on Iran.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Arab world today is how relatively uncontroversial Israel has become. During 11 days of travel through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, we heard the Israeli-Palestinian conflict mentioned only once. This is a dramatic shift from decades during which hostility to Israel served as perhaps the most important unifier of often fractious Arab governments.

But if the change is real, it’s also very easily misunderstood. At a conference held at Brandeis University’s Crown Center for Middle East Studies last year, an Arab colleague was asked, “When will Arab states finally accept Israel?” His concise, and accurate, response: “When they realize that they are better off with Israel there than had Israel not been there...”

KOREAN PENNSULEA

The US-DPRK Summit: Assessing Chinese Anxieties

The visit by the mysterious North Korean visitor on Monday raises wide speculation about what China and North Korea are jointly planning ahead of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s summits with South Korean President Moon in April and with US President Trump in May. Information about the meeting is scarce. And the visit is probably best characterized as the convergence of Chinese desire to remain relevant and North Korean desire to manipulate US and China against each other. It is a direct result of the announcement of a Trump-Kim Summit earlier this month and reflects the Chinese maneuver to address the potential exclusion of China in a deal that could impact the future of not only the Korean Peninsula, but also the region.

When news broke on March 8 that President Trump had agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the whole world was taken by surprise. In China, the announcement evoked two different reactions. Among Chinese foreign policy wonks, there was palpable anxiety over the perception that the Chinese government had been reduced to the role of an interested bystander and that its strategic interests would be sacrificed in the US-DPRK bilateral negotiations. Officially, China’s reaction appears to be much more positive. In President Xi Jinping’s phone conversation with President Trump on March 10, he hoped that “US and North Korea will initiate their engagement and dialogue as early as possible and strive for a positive result.” The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a positive statement...

Bad History Makes for Flawed Policy

“North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the United States,” President-elect Donald Trump tweeted a day after Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s Day speech last year. “It won’t happen.”

Now the North Korean leader has made Trump’s pledge possible. He has stopped testing just short of demonstrating a reliable thermonuclear weapon and an ICBM with a reentry vehicle capable of delivering it. If President Trump is prepared to negotiate in earnest and live up to his commitments, he might make his wish come true—but not if he heeds advice to confront Kim at the summit with an ultimatum to disarm or else. John Bolton may offer that advice in the mistaken belief that brandishing sanctions and threatening war gives Trump leverage, but Kim retains far greater leverage by resuming tests.,,

RUSSIA

Syria: What to Make of Russian Threats Against a U.S.-Led Strike

Russia's explicit threat issued on April 11 to shoot down missiles and target deployment sites in the event of a U.S.-led military strike on Syria has caused a great deal of consternation. The statement fits with a Russian pattern of threats against U.S. assets in the war-torn country, and it is not likely to change U.S. intentions to punish the Syrian government for its purported use of chemical weapons against a rebel-held area. The latest developments appear to be just another chapter in the continuing back-and-forth between the countries over Syria; they include Russian moves to cut communication avenues with the United States, the United States responding to ameliorate the issue, then the two sides eventually returning to talks over deconfliction, where the two sides coordinate military action to avoid incidents between them. Those talks are where Moscow has routinely tried to steer the dialogue away from battlefield tactics and toward the overarching strategic issues between it and Washington...

...At this point, we are not seeing signs of U.S. carriers surging into the region. Of the carrier groups currently deployed, the USS John C. Stennis is training in the Pacific Ocean and the USS Theodore Roosevelt is conducting a port visit in Manila, Philippines. The USS Harry S. Truman, which left April 11 from its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, cannot realistically be in position to participate in a Syrian strike for an additional four or five days. The present force structure implies that any U.S. response will remain a punitive strike with a limited range of targets. Delay of the strike to allow more assets such as the Truman to move into place could portend an intent to expand the target set or conduct a more sustained strike over time for greater effect.”

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

The Signs, Options and Risks of a U.S. Strike on Syria

- The United States is building a military coalition to deter Syria's use of chemical weapons.

- This coalition may conduct a broader operation with a bigger target list than the U.S. strikes conducted in April 2017, but it would not be intended to change the civil war's frontlines.

- Like 2017's strikes, any potential operation will try to avoid Russian casualties and mitigate risk of further political escalation for the coalition.

The United States is building a coalition against Syria to respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack on April 7 against civilians and rebel forces in Douma, near Damascus. The primary objective of an operation against Syria will be to deter the further use of chemical weapons, something that a punitive missile strike launched last April by the United States did only temporarily...


Saudi Arabia shoots down missiles from Yemen; one dead from debris

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi air defenses shot down seven ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Sunday, with debris killing a man in what was the first death in the capital during the Saudi-led coalition’s three-year military campaign in Yemen.

Saudi forces destroyed three missiles over northeastern Riyadh shortly before midnight, as well as others fired at the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

Debris from the missiles fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians, said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki, according to SPA.

Reuters reporters in Riyadh heard several booms and saw smoke in the air. Another witness said he saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions....

CYBER ISSUES

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

TERRORISM

Motive Matters: Why the Austin Bomber Wasn't a Terrorist

By Scott Stewart
VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Although the wave of fear caused by Austin bomber Mark Anthony Conditt subsided after he took his life with one of his own bombs as police closed in on him, a great deal of debate continues over whether he should be labeled a terrorist. Unfortunately, this is a controversy that arises nearly every time there is a case of mass violence in which the perpetrator did not have an affiliation with, or act in support of, a terrorist organization.

In the Austin case, Conditt left a lengthy recording in which he reportedly confessed to the bombing spree and even outlined how he constructed each of the devices he deployed. However, what he did not provide in that message was any indication of motive based on ideology, hate or politics. In fact, according to an account of the recording published by the Austin American-Statesman, authorities have noted that Conditt felt no remorse for the killings, describing himself as a psychopath.
MISC
Battlefield Biotech: The Rising Competition Between China and the U.S.

Biotechnologies, especially gene-editing techniques, are evolving at a rapid pace. China's domestic sector is catching up with the West most rapidly in the area of health care.

China's compulsion to overcome environmental and demographic constraints will ensure it continues to give priority to developing its domestic biotechnology sector.

The West, in turn, will watch for shifts in Chinese policy that would allow for foreign participation in the country, while moving to protect its intellectual property there..
MISC
Boeing, Rolls-Royce Back Reaction Hypersonic Engine Developer

LOS ANGELES—Boeing and Rolls-Royce have joined BAE Systems as key investors in UK-based hypersonic engine developer Reaction Engines.

The emergence of Boeing and Rolls-Royce as new backers in the latest round of strategic fundraising represents a significant endorsement for Reaction, which is designing and testing an air-breathing, combined-cycle rocket engine concept. Dubbed Sabre, the rocket burns liquid hydrogen with oxygen it extracts from the atmosphere rather than from onboard tanks, enabling long-range hypersonic cruise as well as, potentially, cheaper access to space.

Reaction says the £26.5 million ($37.5 million) in new funding also includes additional investment from BAE Systems, which injected £20.6 million into the company in 2015. Other investors in this round include Baillie Gifford Asset Management and Woodford Investment Management. Reaction says the funding, which will take the form of a subscription for new shares, is still subject to the approval of existing shareholders...

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Alexis "Thunder" Eagle Locklear
Scotland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, March 1, 2018
Age: 24
Tour: 9 months
Badge: 143

Deputy Sheriff Alexis Locklear was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Old Wire Road, near Arch Mclean Road in Wagram, just after 7:00 pm.

He was responding to assist another officer who was involved in vehicle pursuit when his vehicle left the road into a wooded area.

Deputy Locklear had served with the Scotland County Sheriff's Office for nine months. He is survived by a 4-year-old child.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

America 2018.....

God help us all!!!!

As a patrol sergeant, a common event in my day is going by with a unit because someone wants to "Speak with a supervisor..." Hey, I got the stripes, it comes with the job, got it.

But you know it's gonna be a headache when I speak with the man on the scene by phone, and he says, "Sarge, we arrested this dude for criminal trespass, and his mother wants to talk to you...." I know I'm going to regret this, but, I'll ask, "How old is the suspect?"

My officer responds, with a slight tone of amusement in his voice, "The dude's forty...."

After arriving and seeing the suspect in the back seat, I explain to Mom that it's not up to her, or him, or the man who called on his. The district attorney's office has accepted charges and we have to book him. She seems to understand, and I keep my comments to myself about a forty year told needing mom to handle his business.

Well, after he started screaming, "I'm mental, I gotta go to the hospital! I've not taken my meds! I'm bi-polar, schizophrenic, I'm ready to kill myself!," and starts to slam his head against the divider in the patrol SUV. I notice he likely doesn't know how to balance a checkbook, but he knows the right words to trigger a mental health evaluation before he goes to jail. And as much as I really don't care if his overacting will result in his splitting headache or other injury to himself, he might damage the vehicle, and that we can't afford right now. Also, if he bust his head, not much will flow out, but I will likely be writing a lot of paperwork.

So the officers and I have to pull him out, he keeps kicking and screaming, and after his next piece of Shatner like overacting, he screams at the top of his lungs, "I can't breath!" He ain't that bright, because if he had any knowledge of the human body, he would know you can't scream when you can't breath. After reminding him that the act has already been done by Eric Gardner, and I then mentioned (screamed actually) he was on camera. I find that calms a lot of suspects down, knowing they can't lie about what's happening.

After the medics check him out, he goes to get evaluated at the psych center, and I get to write another report because of an idiot. If he had just cooperated he would be out in a day, now he's gotta sit in a hospital for a day or two, then get goes to jail for trial, etc.

I am annoyed at this stupidity, but I remind myself. If it wasn't for stupid people, I would be out of a job!

Here's to a better week!

Officer Down

Sergeant Mark J. Baserman
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Pennsylvania
End of Watch Monday, February 26, 2018
Age 60
Tour 11 years
Incident Date Thursday, February 15, 2018

Sergeant Mark Baserman succumbed to injuries sustained when he was attacked by an inmate at State Correctional Institute-Somerset on February 15th, 2018.

The inmate, who was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, attacked Sergeant Baserman as he sat the officer's desk in a housing unit's day room. Earlier in the day, Sergeant Baserman had confiscated a towel being used by the inmate to obscure his bunk. The inmate punched Sergeant Baserman in the head numerous times then continued to kick him in the head after he fell to the ground.

Another officer who came to Sergeant Baserman's aid was also attacked before the inmate was subdued.

Sergeant Baserman was transported to a local hospital where he remained until succumbing to his injuries.

Sergeant Baserman was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, stepdaughter, step-grandchildren, and brother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Time for some Also sprach Zarathustra...

More commonly known as the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that.

I've watched this movie countless times and it's always great to me, a true classic. Orders of magnitude better than the 1984 sequel, 2010: The Year We Made Contact. Damn good book, but they destroyed the story in the movie.

This week was the 50th anniversary of the movie premiering, and it broke many of the stereotypes of science fiction. It was not a "B movie," didn't have a shoe string budget, the plot line and script were excellent, up and coming actors (if not "A list") were cast in the roles. They had to spend a fortune on models as computer generated special effects were not even a pipe dream at that time. But if you watch this short interview with the actors, there are many items we take for granted today that this movie, in the late 1960s, forecast, like tablet computers and Skype.



There is no doubt this movie inspired other movie makers, such as a young George Lucas, who would write a movie for a generation growing up without heroes.

If you want a few more stills of the movie, this article from SF Gate is great.

Have a great weekend!

This is what we call fake news....

In the days after Hurricane Harvey hit last August, we had serious problems with looting. Personally, I will cut people some slack if they are lifting food, water, baby supplies, even some cloths. We were in a disaster area and food and water were in short supply in some areas.

Now this is interesting. The local ABC affiliate is reporting on a looter who was caught in the days after Harvey hit. Now take a look at the headline, which, for many people, will be the only part of the story they look at:

Looter gets 20 years for stealing cigarettes and TVs during Hurricane Harvey

OK, a man is stealing cigarettes right after a Cat 5 hurricane hits the Houston area. Now some of the details left out, unless you real the full article:

The Harris County District Attorney's Office said Gamelin was caught stealing televisions and cigarettes from a store on Silber Road during the height of the storm.

Gamelin was on parole for a drug conviction when he took more than $5,000 worth of loot.

Police said Gamelin used a Ford van to smash open the cart doorway. He then climbed through the hole and removed a television and tobacco products from the store...

OK, first the man is on parole, so I think a felony of burglary will will be enough to violate that. Or the fact he has likely committed felony level of criminal mischief. Or it's likely (assumption on my part) he has been convicted of theft twice before, and the third time is a state jail felony.
Perhaps our news readers should get a better knowledge of the law before they read about it.

Officer Down

Sergeant Mujahid Ramzziddin
Prince George's County Police Department, Maryland
End of Watch Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Age 51
Tour 19 years
Badge 2770

Sergeant Mujahid Ramzziddin was shot and killed at approximately 10:15 am while attempting to protect a female subject who was being attacked in a domestic violence incident in a neighborhood near the intersection of Chadds Ford Drive and Chadsey Lane.

Sergeant Ramzziddin, who was off duty and lived nearby, attempted to protect the female and confronted the man who was armed with a shotgun. The subject, who had a protective order issued against him, fatally shot Sergeant Ramzziddin before stealing his service weapon and fleeing in a vehicle.

Responding officers pursued the man approximately 10 miles before he stopped and attempted to flee into a nearby wooded area. The man was shot and killed by pursuing officers after shooting at them.

Sergeant Ramzziddin had served with the Prince George's County Police Department for 14 years and had previously served with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, for five years. He was awarded the county’s Medal of Valor in 2006 for his courage while engaging an armed suspect. He was a veteran of the District of Columbia Air National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps.

Sergeant Ramzziddin is survived by his wife and four children.

He was posthumously promoted from the rank of Corporal to the rank of Sergeant.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Why do I have a real bad feeling about this...

Oh, yea, it's from California.

All my life I've heard a saying, "You want to see America in 20 years, look at California today...." Well, in twenty years, I'll be retired from law enforcement. Thank God!

The latest from the Cereal State, the land of fruits, flakes and nuts:

Proposal would limit when Calif. police can shoot

‘Necessary’ force suggested; cops wary of change

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Several lawmakers and the family of a 22-year-old unarmed black man who was fatally shot by police proposed Tuesday that California become the first state to significantly restrict when officers can open fire.

The legislation would change the standard from using “reasonable force” to “necessary force.”

That means officers would be allowed to shoot only if “there were no other reasonable alternatives to the use of deadly force” to prevent imminent serious injury or death,said Lizzie Buchen, legislative advocate for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is among the groups behind the measure...

So a cop hate group is pushing this with the largest cop hate group, the Democratic party. No, no issue with this.

...“We need to ensure that our state policy governing the use of deadly force stresses the sanctity of human life and is only used when necessary,” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, a San Diego Democrat who introduced the bill. “Deadly force can be used, but only when it is completely necessary.”

The goal is to encourage officers to try to defuse confrontations or use less deadly weapons, said Democratic Assemblyman Kevin McCarty of Sacramento, who is co-authoring the legislation.

“We should no longer be the target practice or victims of a shoot first, ask questions later police force,” said Assemblyman Chris Holden, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus.

I am recalling the great quote of Al Pacino in Scent of a Women, "What a crock of s^&t!" The goal is not to defuse confrontations, the goal is to stop cops from using firearms, and letting crooks go. The people ain't stupid, they know if a cop is worried about being fired if he is doing his job, he will not do his job. He will "Go Galt," answer calls for service, but otherwise not stick their neck out. They have lives, families to support, mortgages to pay. If they do nothing but the bare minimum, they will make it to retirement.

But some in law enforcement called the proposal irresponsible and unworkable.

Officers already use deadly force only when necessary and are taught to try to defuse dangerous situations first when possible, said Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County sheriff’s deputy and special prosecutor who trains officers and testifies in court on police use of force.

Tinkering with legal protections for police could make it more difficult to hire officers and be dangerous because they may hesitate when confronting an armed suspect, threatening themselves and bystanders, Obayashi said...

And that is the purpose sir.

Now I find this interesting:

Two Sacramento officers chased Clark, who was suspected of breaking into cars, into his grandparents’ darkened backyard and opened fire within seconds and without identifying themselves as police because they said they thought he had a gun. Investigators found only a cellphone...

Mr. Clark didn't know two men, in police uniforms, with badges, flashlights, pistol belts, etc were not cops. Got it. Please, give me a break. The investigation will show what it will, but implying Clark didn't know they were cops is another "...crock of s^&t!" Oh, I repeat myself, this is AP.

Now here's another great legal mind giving a YouTube/Facebook training opinion on use of deadly force:

Changing the legal standard might mean that more people confronted by police “could go home. They may be able to wake up” the next day, said Clark’s uncle, family spokesman Curtis Gordon.

“A life may be saved in that blink” of time before officers open fire, he said. “If you feel some sort of repercussion, you may act a little more cautiously.”

Mr Gordon, you are somewhat right, but not for the reason you think. A "blink" is all the time a cop often has to make a decision to fire or not. And your nephew put them into that position. If he had simply show the officers his hands, not run, put both in the mindset that they were pursuing a guilty man, this could have been averted. But if you get what you want, you can live with it. The cops won't pay for it. The politicians, living in their gated communities won't pay for it. The police will simply pull back, and the wolves will move back into the neighborhoods to prey on you and your family. Congratulations, you got what you wanted.

Again, "What a crock of s^&t!"