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Sherlock

Best of the Web: Sabotage? Subsea cable CUT in Shetland, major incident declared

Severin Carrell
The Guardian
Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:21 UTC
ship laying subsea cable
© SSEN/PAFILE: A ship laying subsea cable off the coast of Caithness in Scotland in July.
Islanders on Shetland face being without landline telephones, mobile and internet services until Saturday after a crucial subsea cable link with the mainland was cut.

Police on Shetland declared a major incident and were patrolling the island to reassure residents after the cable link failed on Thursday morning. It is thought the line was dredged up by a trawler. Engineers are working to reroute some services using other networks.

Maggie Sandison, the chief executive of Shetland Islands council, said the emergency was likely to last until Saturday, although some landlines and internet services - running via a Faroe Islands link - were still working.

The council's landline services were down; flights from Sumburgh airport in the far south of Shetland's main island were still operating on Thursday but all its network and mobile links at the airport had failed.

Comment: Despite this happening at the island before, all things considered, it's reasonable enough to be a little suspect about these incidents. Because, in addition, over the last decade, there have been a number of unexplained incidents involving the severing of undersea cables:

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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: Temperature extremes: Tens of millions of people under frost and freeze alerts as cold temperatures hit US Deep South

Teddy Grant
abcnews.go.com
Wed, 19 Oct 2022 12:38 UTC
Chris Dugan, from Santa Fe, plays with his dogs at the Ski Santa Fe, on Oct. 17, 2022, in Sante Fe, N.M.
© Eddie Moore/Albuquerque JournalChris Dugan, from Santa Fe, plays with his dogs at the Ski Santa Fe, on Oct. 17, 2022, in Sante Fe, N.M.
The cold air that's led to snow and sub-freezing temperatures across the Midwest and Great Lakes in the last few days is spreading across the southern United States.

Over 75 million Americans are under frost or freeze alerts as the cold weather moves south.

The temperature in Jacksonville, Florida, reached 42 degrees on Wednesday, with a wind chill that brought the temperature down to 37 degrees Wednesday morning, which marks the earliest recorded wind chill value in the 30s in Jacksonville's fall season.

On Wednesday morning, dozens of records were tied or broken.

Austin, Texas, hit 38 degrees; Jackson, Mississippi, reached 30 degrees; Charlotte, North Carolina, tied its record low of 30 degrees; Kansas City, Missouri, dipped to 25 degrees; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hit a low of 16 degrees.

In the Great Lakes region, heavy snowfall combined with leaves still on trees caused many branches to fall on power lines leaving thousands of customers without electricity.

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Snowflake

Best of the Web: Up to 16 inches of early snow, fierce gales, pounding surf slap northern Wisconsin, Michigan

Paul Huttner
mprnews.org
Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:39 UTC
Photos and video footage taken overnight show the first snowfall in Michigan. The snowfall seen there, normally not expected for another few weeks, was largely fueled by the mild waters of the nearby lakes, creating a localized snow
Photos and video footage taken overnight show the first snowfall in Michigan. The snowfall seen there, normally not expected for another few weeks, was largely fueled by the mild waters of the nearby lakes, creating a localized snow
Severe wintry October storms dumps more than a foot of lake-effect snow

The season's first major lake-effect snow event has dumped more than a foot of snow on Lake Superior's leeward shores.

And up to another foot of snow could fall in some spots.

Parts of northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula picked up more than a foot of snow so far. Marquette set a new daily snowfall record Monday.

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Biohazard

Best of the Web: Mad scientists: New Covid strain with 80% kill rate CREATED by Boston University

Caitlin Tilley
Daily Mail
Mon, 17 Oct 2022 21:11 UTC
covid boston
In the new research , which has not been peer-reviewed, a team of researchers from Boston and Florida extracted Omicron's spike protein — the unique structure that binds to and invades human cells. It has always been present but it has become more evolved over time. Omicron has dozens of mutations in its spike protein that made it so infectious. Researchers attached Omicron's spike protein to the original wildtype strain that first emerged in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The researchers looked at how mice fared under the new hybrid strain compared to the original Omicron variant
US researchers have developed a new lethal Covid strain in a laboratory - echoing the type of experiments many fear started the pandemic.

The mutant variant — which is a hybrid of Omicron and the original Wuhan virus — killed 80 percent of mice infected with it at Boston University.


Comment: Indeed experiments on mice and in a laboratory do not necessarily reflect the possibility virulence and mortality of a virus on humans in a real world situation, however what's more concerning is why scientists are being funded to pursue such experiments.


When a similar group of rodents were exposed to the standard Omicron strain, however, they all survived and only experienced 'mild' symptoms.

The scientists also infected human cells with the hybrid variant and found it was five times more infectious than Omicron.

This suggests the man-made virus might be the most contagious form yet.

It will no doubt surprise many Americans that such experiments continue to go on in the US despite concerns similar studies may have led to the global Covid outbreak.


Comment: Americans might be surprised, but the US has the largest bioweapons research program of any country, with laboratories in vassal states across the planet.


Comment: See also: Bill Gates renews warnings over 'small pox terror' threat, FDA approved drug in May for disease that was 'eradicated' in 1980

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Bullseye

Best of the Web: A war Russia is set to win: The Europeans have been nicely played by the Americans - Former ambassador for India

MK Bhadrakumar
The Tribune India
Mon, 17 Oct 2022 06:39 UTC
Bridge
© Vera Katkova/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesKerch Bridge explosion October 8, 2022: Breached: With the attack on the Crimean Bridge, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has crossed a red line that Moscow had warned him against.
Two massive terrorist strikes misfired spectacularly and a terrible beauty is born in the Ukraine war. These two carefully planned attacks in quick succession — on Nord Stream gas pipelines and Crimean Bridge — were intended as a knockout blow to Russia. According to President Vladimir Putin, people 'who want to finally sever ties between Russia and the EU, weaken Europe' are behind the Nord Stream blasts. He named the US, Ukraine and Poland as 'beneficiaries'.

Last Wednesday, Russia's domestic intelligence service FSB identified Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, as the mastermind behind the Crimean attack. The New York Times and Washington Post also pointed fingers at Kiev, quoting 'sources'. While Nord Stream-1 has been crippled, one of the strings of Nord Stream-2 remains intact. Putin said last week that the pipeline could be restored and Russia could deliver about 27 billion cubic metres of gas. 'The ball is on the side of the European Union, if they want — let's turn on the tap,' he said.

Comment: See also: Global finance vs global energy: who will come out on top?

And check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: Nuclear Armageddon?! Nah, But Likely Expansion of War Beyond Ukraine



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Bad Guys

Best of the Web: Global finance vs global energy: who will come out on top?

Karin Kneissl
The Cradle
Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:00 UTC
opec russia saudi biden von der leyen
© The CradleThere is more to the current struggle between the oil-consuming west and the oil-producing nations than meets the eye and it runs far deeper than the war in Ukraine. In the war between global finance and energy, one fact remains clear: You can print money but you can’t print oil.
On 6 October, when the European Union (EU) agreed to impose a Russian oil price cap as part of a new package of sanctions against Moscow, 23 oil ministers from the OPEC+ group of oil-producing countries spoke out in favor of a sharp cut in their joint production quota.

Their collective decision to decrease output by about two million barrels of oil per day elicited strong reactions in the US in particular, and there was even talk of "declarations of war." The EU feels duped, as the OPEC+ production cuts could drive up fuel prices and dampen their eight sanctions packages. Despite the narrative of the world edging toward a "post-oil era," it seems there's life in the old dog yet, as OPEC remains the talk of the town.

OPEC is as relevant as ever
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War Whore

Best of the Web: Tulsi Gabbard dares to challenge Washington's war machine


RT
Thu, 13 Oct 2022 19:41 UTC
tulsi gabbard
© AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallTulsi Gabbard.
The former presidential candidate has shown that opposing regime-change policies is the one taboo that the ruling class won't tolerate.

Tulsi Gabbard's rapid transformation from rising Democratic star to demonized outcast - culminating this week with her decision to leave the party - has exposed the one thing on which every powerful person in Washington can agree: war is good.

It's the one thing, in fact, that everyone must agree on, if they expect to attain any power and have a long and prosperous career in American politics. Those who don't will be kept on the fringes, at best. If they speak out too effectively, they'll be branded a traitor. As former congressman Ron Paul and his son, Senator Rand Paul, have proved, they'll never be taken seriously as a presidential candidate and won't be allowed to contest, regardless of how many debates they win.

Comment: See also:

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Stormtrooper

Best of the Web: Europe's descent into totalitarianism

John Laughland
Ron Paul Institute
Wed, 12 Oct 2022 00:00 UTC
Laughland
© UnknownJohn Laughland
On 7 October 2022, late in the evening, at around 11.30 pm, I was detained at Gatwick Airport in London by anti-terrorism police. I was not released until shortly before 1 A.M. and my computer was taken from me. It has not yet been returned.

My passport and all my personal belongings - my wallet, my phone, my keys, everything - were removed. I was taken to a room where I was questioned for an hour by two anti-terrorism police officers, acting under powers given to the police (as I learned for the first time) by Schedule 3 of the 2019 Counter-terrorism and Border Security Act.

The Act is supposedly designed to allow the police to detain 'hostile actors' who are traveling to the country to 'plan, prepare or carry out their hostile acts' (according to the leaflet the officers gave me). But the Act itself says:
'An examining officer may exercise the powers under this paragraph whether or not there are grounds for suspecting that a person is or has been engaged in hostile activity'.
So an Act ostensibly designed to allow hostile actors to be stopped in fact applies indiscriminately to everyone, according to its own explicit terms.

Comment: More on the author's background:
John Laughland was the European director of the Eurosceptic think tank (European Foundation) and a fierce opponent of NATO, a director for a Russian-funded think tank in Paris, a regular guest in Moscow and a continuing commentator on RT and Cross Talk - a debate program. He claims the EU is an invention of the CIA to subjugate Europe and promote Nazis to commonplace. Pro-Russian, Laughland says he has never worked directly for the Russian government but is a supporter of the invasion of Ukraine. He speaks fluent Russian and has a Russian wife.
This effectively makes him a member of the political opposition in 'Greater NATO-stan', a 'legitimate target' in the eyes of the Western Controllers, who have spent the last three decades building up their police state precisely for targeting and silencing such political opposition.

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Dollars

Best of the Web: Nothing but welfare queens: American aid to Zelensky and Tsai Ing-wen

Patrick Macfarlan
The Libertarian Institute
Thu, 13 Oct 2022 17:03 UTC
Zelensky
© AFP/Ukrainian Presidential Press-ServiceFILE PHOTO: The Ukrainian president has ordered the blocking of a news site which often takes a critical view of his policies
As it pertains to the American public, Ukraine's response to the Russian invasion can be summed up with two words: "Zelensky demands."

To date, Washington elites and their politicians have been happy to provide — at public expense — lining their own pockets in the process.

As of this writing, U.S. aid for Ukraine has reached approximately $67.5 billion, a figure greater than Russia's entire 2021 military budget. According to the State Department, this support includes $15.2 billion in direct military assistance. The support comes although 60-70% of lethal aid never reaches the front lines, according to a now-redacted CBS interview with on-the-ground activists.
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Alarm Clock

Best of the Web: "The spike in heart attacks has coincided with the vaccinations": An emergency department doctor on what's behind the NHS crisis


HART Group
Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:18 UTC
emergency room patient
An account from the frontlines of the NHS

As Emergency Department doctors, we were always going to be on the frontline. In spring 2020, we were taken to one side and it was suggested we might have to say goodbye to our relatives for the foreseeable future. Few realise the fear generated in hospitals in 2020. As Emergency Department consultants we were put on 24/7 emergency shift rotas and provided with vacant hotel rooms to live away from our families for their protection. Many of our colleagues left us to it and, soon after, patients arrived showing us signs that had been put up on their GP's door saying "closed due to the pandemic".

Spring 2020 saw a combination of assessing and treating sick patients who had unusual and characteristic presentations of Covid in an otherwise quiet Emergency Department. The less-sick patients queued in their cars for assessment in the rapidly delivered 'Covid-pod'. Huge hospital Covid signage was hastily erected. Doctors were redeployed to work in the Emergency Department from other specialties that were literally cancelled or scaled back hugely. I had one come to me at midnight asking why there were twice as many doctors in the place as patients; that he was bored and hadn't seen a patient for three hours. Pre-lockdowns we were seeing over 300 patients each day. During the lockdown madness this dropped to less than 100 on some days. Many patients were petrified at the idea of coming to hospital. Others were instructed to stay away from the hospital unless extremely ill. This went on for months. Then the patients gradually came back, some with essentially no other access to healthcare. The department has not been quiet for some time now.
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