From the Trenches World Report

Techlicious – by Fox Van Allen

Childnet International, a non-profit working to keep kids safe on the Internet, has issued a stern warning to computer owners today: Hackers can take over webcams without your knowledge, so keep them covered up when not in use.

Once your computer is infected by a Trojan virus – often acquired by visiting the wrong website or by opening malicious email attachments – criminals can control your webcam without your knowledge. These types of hackings are rapidly becoming big business: The BBC has uncovered an entire industry centering on the buying and selling of access to compromised webcams, especially those owned by women.   Continue reading “Warning: Cover Up Your Webcam When Not in Use”

Common Dreams – by Abbey Zimet

In response to protests against test drilling for a controversial proposed $1.5 billion open-pit iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin by Gogebic Taconite, the mining company has hired masked, camouflaged, assault-rifle-toting guards from a self-described “no compromise” security force that boasts of “rigorous tactical firearms training” and “professional operators” who combine “logistics with tactical support” to “instinctively and smoothly manage surrounding threats.”  Thanks to the mindless Rambo-ing up, the “surrounding threats” are now mostly the once-peaceable, now-pissed residents who, in a letter from Democratic legislators, blast the company’s “confrontational and incendiary step that will clearly do more to intimidate local citizens and increase local tensions than it will to make you, your staff, or your equipment any safer.”   Continue reading “Bulletproof Security: Mining Company Hires Paramilitary Commandos to Guard Their Precious Equipment, Wisconsin Is Unhappy”

Washington’s Blog

A Real Court Needs to Hear Both Sides

We’ve noted that there is no real oversight by the courts or Congress on the NSA’s spying programs.

The New York Times reports that the court overseeing the government’s spying programs only hears one side of the case:   Continue reading “Even FISA Court Judge Says It’s a Kangaroo Court”

Freedom Outpost – by Tim Brown

As Barack Obama has made it known, the Obamacare employer mandate will be pushed back a year. Just like he did in regards to immigration laws and DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) he has picked and chosen what he will uphold and enforce as law. Now he’s doing it with his own healthcare law and it’s all political, make no mistake about it, but none of this is surprise to his administration. They’ve known they wouldn’t be able to fully implement the Obamacare Beast for months. Now people are losing their jobs because of it and more.   Continue reading “Obama Administration Has Known For Months Obamacare Implementation Would Collapse”

McClatchy – by Jonathan S. Landay and Marisa Taylor

CNN -by Eliott C. McLaughlin. Ben Brumfield. Paula Newton and Joe Sterling

Lac-Megantic, Quebec (CNN) — Canadian authorities have found evidence that a train that crashed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, was tampered with, provincial police Capt. Michel Forget said Tuesday.

There have been many questions about the train explosion that wiped out a swath of Lac-Megantic’s downtown, killing at least 15 people. As of Tuesday evening, 35 people were still missing, Forget said.   Continue reading “Police say there’s evidence Canada train was tampered with”

Max Velocity Tactical

I wrote a post back in May on ‘Combat Rifle – Solid Basics to Keep You Alive’ and it would be worthwhile you reading that post in conjunction with this one. The purpose of this post is to really drill down on the procedures for your initial reaction to enemy contact.

Reaction to enemy fire is what I first concentrate on on my Combat Rifle / Contact Drills weekend classes. I work on this at an individual level and then combine into buddy pairs and then four man teams for both offensive and break contact battle drills. However, at every level the reaction to contact is still a very individual drill, which you conduct whether on your own or surrounded by a team. It forms that initial reaction and the building block from which the rest of your individual and team drills will flow.   Continue reading “React to Contact – Solid Drills to Keep You Alive”

Wall Street Journal – by Michael McConnell

President Obama’s decision last week to suspend the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act may be welcome relief to businesses affected by this provision, but it raises grave concerns about his understanding of the role of the executive in our system of government.

Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution states that the president “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” This is a duty, not a discretionary power. While the president does have substantial discretion about how to enforce a law, he has no discretion about whether to do so.   Continue reading “Obama Suspends the Law”

Oath Keepers – by Shorty Dawkins

Sheriff John D’Agostini has prohibited US Forest Service agents from enforcing State Laws within El Dorado County, which includes El Dorado National Forest. This article, would have you believe it is only about the right to carry guns in the El Dorado Forest, but there appears to be even more involved.

As the article states:   Continue reading “El Dorado Sheriff’s Fight With Feds Likely Over Residents Carrying Guns”

USA Today – by Bobby Carmichael

A BP (BP) refinery in Indiana will be allowed to continue to dump mercury into Lake Michigan under a permit issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

The permit exempts the BP plant at Whiting, Ind., 3 miles southeast of Chicago, from a 1995 federal regulation limiting mercury discharges into the Great Lakes to 1.3 ounces per year.

The BP plant reported releasing 3 pounds of mercury through surface water discharges each year from 2002 to 2005, according to the Toxics Release Inventory, a database on pollution emissions kept by the Environmental Protection Agency that is based on information reported by companies.   Continue reading “BP gets OK to dump mercury into Lake Michigan”

Journal Sentinel – by John Diedrich

The ATF has settled a claim from the landlord of the building where the agency ran a troubled undercover sting in Milwaukee last year, leaving behind broken doors and walls, unpaid utility bills and damaged carpeting from an overflowing toilet.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives closed its phony store, called Fearless Distributing, in October after an agent’s guns, including an automatic machine gun, were stolen from his vehicle. Then, the storefront was burglarized of $40,000 in merchandise. The stolen machine gun remains missing.

The landlord, David Salkin, asked the ATF to pay to cover damage to the building and unpaid utility bills. ATF supervisors in Milwaukee and regional headquarters in St. Paul refused.   Continue reading “ATF settles with landlord after flawed sting”

Infowars – by Kurt Nimmo

So hasty were Florida lawmakers, they managed to outlaw all computers in the Sunshine State.

The absurd instance of mindless over reach by government appeared in a Florida Senate bill prohibiting electronic gambling devices and internet cafes.   Continue reading “Florida Outlaws All Computers”