BillMarble-CopBlockCop Block – by Tom Rotta 

Late on January 14, 2014, a retired teacher, a community involved, beloved man who spent over 35 years of his life teaching kids in the Custer, Michigan area, was shot in the chest by a state trooper and summarily died. The original news reports, which did not surface until about 10 hours later, were sometimes conflicting of what happened.

After these initial reports, which included neighbors and professionals he worked with telling us what a friendly and professional person he had been throughout his career, the public waited for some official word from the Michigan State Police, who were investigating the case concerning their own state trooper. The trooper’s name, James Luttrull, was withheld until the Prosecutor’s report came out over three weeks later, which found the trooper’s killing of Bill Marble justified. During this time, FOIA requests were ignored to get information to the public, the video provided cost over $100 and took over a month to procure.   Continue reading “Michigan State Trooper Shoots Retired Teacher in His Own Home”

7 Mistakes That Would Get Somebody Killed in a Real Zombie ApocalypseThe Organic Prepper

(Warning: Spoiler Alert!)

I don’t watch much TV, but my guilty pleasure is AMC’s The Walking Dead. Lots of the preppers I know love watching this show and shouting out advice and criticism – it’s like our version of watching “the big game”.

I have to tell you, watching from a prepper/survival point of view, it seems like this season that the main characters are just muddling along, tempting the writers to kill them off. They definitely aren’t surviving based on any real skills or planning.   Continue reading “The Walking Dead: 7 Mistakes That Would Get Somebody Killed in a Real Zombie Apocalypse”

High flyers: A team of Hungarian scientists have managed to engineer the first 'flock' of drones that can fly as a coordinated group (pictured). The collection of 10 copters can fly in formation, follow a leader and change flight patterns without human inputDaily Mail – by SARAH GRIFFITHS

Flying robots that can ‘think’ for themselves are already being developed, which some people fear will be able to snoop on and attack people living below.

And now a team of Hungarian scientists have managed to engineer the first ‘flock’ of drones that can fly as a coordinated group.   Continue reading “The drones that flock like BIRDS: Robots fly in formation and navigate without being remotely controlled”

Mail.com

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews rallied Sunday in the streets of Jerusalem, blocking roads and paralyzing the city in a massive show of force against plans to require them to serve in the Israeli military.

The widespread opposition to the draft poses a challenge to the country, which is grappling with a cultural war over the place of the ultra-Orthodox in Israeli society. The issue of army service is at the core of that struggle. Since Israel’s founding in 1948, the ultra-Orthodox, who make up about 8 percent of Israel’s 8 million citizens, largely have been allowed to avoid military service, compulsory for most Jewish men, to pursue their religious studies. Older men often don’t work and collect welfare stipends while continuing to study full time.   Continue reading “Ultra-Orthodox rally in Israel against draft bill”

Mail.com

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A freshwater channel that separates Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas is a premier Midwestern tourist attraction and a photographer’s delight, offering spectacular vistas of two Great Lakes, several islands and one of the world’s longest suspension bridges.

But nowadays the Straits of Mackinac is drawing attention for something that is out of sight and usually out of mind, and which some consider a symbol of the dangers lurking in the nation’s sprawling web of buried oil and natural gas pipelines.   Continue reading “Sunken Great Lakes oil pipeline raises spill fears”

lapel cameraThe Free Thought Project

A picture is worth 1000 words, but a video is worth millions, and could even be worth lives. On-officer cameras are not some new space-age technology, but cops using them is very new.

Cops in Rialto, California have implemented this technology and have had some heartening results. They’ve seen a 60% reduction in use of force instances and an 88% reduction in officer complaints!   Continue reading “LAPD to Be Equipped with Lapel Cameras by the Summer”

USA Today – by NINA MANDELL

Steve Keeley, a veteran reporter for Philadelphia’s Fox 29, was braving the elements to cover the latest snowstorm to hit the area on Monday when he was blindsided by a snowplow.

From Keeley’s report on MyFoxPhilly:

This is the 15th snowstorm Keeley has reported on this winter. Clearly he is a pro at it now. He didn’t even miss a beat!   Continue reading “TV reporter introduces the sport of snowplow surfing, of which he is a champion”

Officer Elias Montoya opens fire on the minivan filled with a woman and 5 children suspected of speeding. (Source: New Mexico State Police)Police State USA

TAOS, NM — A Tennessee family on vacation in New Mexico ended up being shot at by by state troopers after a vehicular moving violation went awry.  What’s more, the trooper who opened fire on them is facing no charges, and has many supporters demanding he be put back on the streets with a badge and a gun.   Continue reading “Trooper opens fire on minivan full of kids; faces no charges”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Minutes after Russia denied it had issued an ultimatum to the Ukraine navy, Ukraine’s acting president has just denied the denial.

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Just released from Vedomosti, google translated for most linguistic impact:

Russian Defense Ministry denies reports appeared that the Ukrainian military in Crimea delivered an ultimatum .   Continue reading “Russia Denies It Has Given Ukraine An Ultimatum, Calls It “Utter Nonsense””

Fox News

Ukraine says Russian forces controlling the disputed peninsula of Crimea are demanding that the crew of two Ukrainian warships must surrender – or face capture.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Maksim Prauta said four Russian navy ships were blocking Ukraine’s anti-submarine warship Ternopil and the command ship Slavutych in Sevastopol’s harbor.   Continue reading “Russia sets deadlines for Ukrainian warships, forces to surrender in disputed Crimea region”

An environmental activist sings and cheers as she and others are detained as they hold a rally in opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline on the sidewalk in front of the White House at the White House in Washington March 2, 2014. REUTERS-Jonathan ErnstReuters – by EMILY STEPHENSON

Police arrested hundreds of young people protesting the Keystone XL project on Sunday, as demonstrators fastened themselves with plastic ties to the White House fences and called for U.S. President Barack Obama to reject the controversial oil pipeline.

Participants, who mostly appeared to be college-aged, held signs reading: “There is no planet B” and “Columbia says no to fossil fuels,” referring to the university in New York City.   Continue reading “Hundreds of Keystone protesters arrested at White House”

Boston University BU, Andrew Bacevich, military spending decrease, smaller military defense budgetDissident Voice – by Brian J. Trautman

The Pentagon’s budget proposal for next year was announced last week by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. In an interview with the New York Times, Hagel argued that to meet today’s national security needs, the Department of Defense (DoD) must shift its focus and capabilities away from “fighting grinding ground conflicts” and towards “new arenas of combat.” To achieve these ends, the budget calls for a realignment of the military that would reduce the total number of ground troops to its lowest level since 1940 and discontinue some military equipment deemed obsolete or unnecessary. According to Hagel, current levels of both assets are “larger than we can afford to modernize and keep ready.” The proposed budget also includes reductions in personnel benefits and base services, as well as base closings. The targeted cuts, however, are only one aspect of the budget. The other involves the new sources of priority spending.   Continue reading “Budget Realignment Reflects Pentagon’s Vision of Covert and Endless War”

Boris JohnsonCryptogon

Via: BBC:

Muslim children who risk radicalisation by their parents should be taken into care, Boris Johnson has said.

Writing in his weekly Daily Telegraph column, the London mayor said such children were victims of child abuse.   Continue reading “Mayor of London: The State Should Abduct Children of Thought Criminals”