Society's ChildS

Eye 1

Nanny state: Wikipedia pages, social media among internet sites blocked at Northern Illinois University

Image
"Finally, I can do whatever I want!" thought every incoming college freshman ever. But for some unlucky students arriving on campus this fall, that sought-after right of passage applies to just about everything except internet usage.

Northern Illinois University enacted an Acceptable Use Policy that goes further than banning torrents, also denying students access to social media sites and other content the university considers "unethical" or "obscene."

A discussion on the ban was brought to Reddit by user darkf who discovered the new policy while trying to access the Wikipedia page for the Westboro Baptist Church from his personal computer in his dorm room. The student received a filter message categorizing the page as "illegal or unethical." It seems possible to continue to the webpage, but the message warns that all violations will be reviewed.

Comment: The PTB in the US has been systematically dumbing-down the population to make the masses more easily controllable. Notice that political content has now been censored because they obviously do not want an educated informed populace able to counter their machinations.

The dumbing down of America - By design
Society cannot be dumbed down any further say experts - human intelligence on downward trajectory


Eye 2

Researchers discover ease of concealing weapons in Rapiscan full-body scanners

rapiscan
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesTeflon tape, molded plastic explosives and concealed handguns are all concealment tricks that a group of researchers were able to pull off on the Rapiscan Secure 1000 machines previously used at TSA checkpoints and currently used at courthouses, prisons and other government security stops.
Teflon tape, molded plastic explosives and handguns are all concealment tricks that a group of researchers were able to pull off on the Rapiscan Secure 1000 machines previously used at TSA checkpoints and currently used at courthouses, prisons and other government security stops.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University maneuvered weapons past the full-body X-ray scanners that were deployed at U.S. airports between 2009 and 2013 - at a cost of more than $1 billion.

"Frankly, we were shocked by what we found," said J. Alex Halderman, a professor of computer science at the University of Michigan, in a statement. "A clever attacker can smuggle contraband past the machines using surprisingly low-tech techniques."

Comment: These ridiculous government toys are both a health hazard and a huge invasion of privacy. Now we find that they are also useless as a security measure. It was never about security, but trying to herd the masses into accepting higher levels of control.

Security Theater: Engineer Shows TSA Nude Scanners are Useless, Sues TSA
Body Scanners Scrapped from German Airports After Error-Filled Trial
More proof the Department of Homeland Security and TSA are actively destroying America


Arrow Down

Tragic: Majority of teens U.K. think porn makes life harder to handle

Image
© Reuters/Marko DjuricaApproximately 80 percent of 18 year olds said that pornography was too easy to access, while 60 percent said its pervasiveness had complicated the process of growing up
The majority of British teens believe internet porn is "addictive" and has a "damaging effect" on society, pressuring them to behave and acts in ways not experienced by previous generations, a new report has revealed.

The report produced by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) on Tuesday also says that nearly half of young Brits are "regularly exposed" to explicit images before the age of 14, while the vast majority say it has become "part of everyday life".

The study suggests that easier access to pornography had a negative effect on the sexual expectations of young people ; 77 percent of young women said that "pornography has led to pressure on girls and young women to look a certain way", while 46 percent of young people said sending explicit images and videos of themselves via social media was "part of everyday life".

Comment: It might be equally risky to allow a generation of young people to be raised on a diet of sex education, the way it is taught in schools. Child abuse and the hypersexualisation of our children is on the rise.
For more information, please see:

Ran Gavrieli: Why I stopped watching porn
Mommy, why is Daddy wearing a dress. Daddy, why does mommy have a moustache?


Light Saber

Russia amends blacklist of agricultural products, removing nutritional supplements and special dietary products

russia sanctions
© RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kondratuk
The Russian government has amended its list of banned agricultural products, by removing lactose-free milk, young salmon and trout, as well as some vegetables and nutritional supplements from the list of restricted imports.

Seed potatoes, onions, and hybrid sweet corn can now be imported from Western countries after falling under Russia's food ban in early August.

The exceptions to the list also include dietary supplements that come from plants and vegetables like vitamins, protein powders, and others.

The government decree was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday.

On August 7 Medvedev instigated the ban on imported beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, and fruit vegetables from Australia, Canada, the EU, the US and Norway.

Laptop

Hackers stole MH370-related documents from Malaysian officials

Image
© Reuters
A targeted phishing attack on a handful of Malaysian officials involved in investigating the disappearance of flight MH370 in March reportedly gave the perpetrators, presumably of Chinese origin, access to a trove of classified material.

The successful hacking attack affected some 30 computers belonging to officials in the Malaysia Airlines, the Civil Aviation Department and the National Security Council, Malaysian newspaper the Star reported on Wednesday.

The malware was posing as a PDF attachment to a new article emailed to the senior officials on March 9, a day after the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Red Flag

What constitutional rights? Police raid homes and prevent journalists from reporting in Ferguson


According to journalists' firsthand accounts found in the live streaming video from Tim Pool of Vice News (posted above, but may not be currently live), police or National Guard troops are now sweeping houses door to door in Ferguson, MO.

This is a blatant violation of the constitution under the 4th amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
These door to door searches are presumably in response to shots being fired at authorities, which were supposedly also witnessed by journalists in the area.

Freedom of speech, protected by the 1st amendment, has also been suspended in Ferguson. According to Argus Radio's live stream, peaceful protesters were being mass arrested and hauled away on camera.

Freedom of the press has now basically been revoked in Ferguson as well. A "free speech area" was set up by police where press "were allowed" to report from. However, this area has now been closed and all journalists have been forced to leave the area or face arrest. Most live streaming journalists are in the process of relocating as I write this article.

Comment: Take notice! As more riots begin to appear across America because of food shortages, economic disparity, police brutality, etc., this is how the police and National Guard are going to respond. Forewarned is forearmed!


Yoda

Protesting Ferguson - "I've been doing this since I was a teenager. I didn't think I would have to do it when I was 90."

Hedy Epstein Ferguson
© Steven HsiehSt. Louis Metropolitan Police officers escort Hedy Epstein, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor, after arresting her for failure to disperse.
In the second week of protests over the shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer, St. Louis Metropolitan police on Monday arrested nine protesters for blocking the entrance of a state office building.

Among those arrested was Hedy Epstein, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who lives in St. Louis.

Epstein told The Nation, as two officers walked her to a police van. "We need to stand up today so that people won't have to do this when they're 90."

Roughly 125 protesters marched to the entrance of the historic Wainwright Building, which houses Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's downtown office. They demanded Nixon withdraw National Guard troops from Ferguson municipality, where peaceful protests throughout the week were disrupted by late night riots. The protesters also called for a special prosecutor to lead the investigation of Brown's death, as well as an expansion of the Department of Justice's existing investigation to look into patterns of civil rights violations across North St. Louis County.

The crowd kicked off the two-block march singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round." Participants took turns addressing the crowd, using a megaphone. The demonstrators chanted "Hey hey! Ho ho! National Guard has got to go!" and "Hands up! Don't shoot!"

Smoking

Turbulent situation in the Middle East blamed for drop in Imperial Tobacco sales

Image
© AFP Photo / Ahmad Al-Rubaye
The rise of Islamic extremism in the Middle East has disrupted sales growth at Imperial Tobacco, known around the world for its Davidoff and Gauloises cigarettes.

The world's fourth-largest cigarette company blamed the "turbulent situation in the Middle East" for falling cigarette and tobacco sales in Iraq, one of its key growth markets.

"It is difficult for distributors to get the product on the shelves. Roads are closed, some retailers can't get to their shop to open it," said Simon Evans, press officer at Imperial Tobacco.

"Security concerns are the main problem and affect the logistics of getting the product on the market there," he added. He confirmed that the current conflict in Iraq has had an impact on sales and stressed that they will continue to monitor the situation. Evans did not elaborate which areas have seen significant decreases in sales, as suppliers struggle to deliver cigarettes.

The firm's net tobacco revenue decreased by 1 percent to ยฃ4.75bn ($7.95 bn) in the nine months to 30 June.

"In several Middle Eastern markets, sales have been disrupted by the deteriorating security situation," Imperial Tobacco said in a statement.

The rise of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, also known as ISIS and ISIL, caused disruption to supply in the region. Road closures and damage to retail outlets are making it harder for Imperial's distributors to operate in affected areas, especially northern Iraq.

Lemon

U.S. hysteria: Elderly woman kicked off flight after another passenger reported her for 'looking ill'

Image
If you look sick, sweaty, nervous, worried, or anxious... in short if you look human, you can now be barred from flying, like Suzanne Hays, age 72.
Suzanne Hays, 72, is soft spoken but don't be fooled by her demeanor. On August 5 Hays was traveling from Akron, Ohio to Orlando.

Hays had a flight change in Detroit and that change has become an experience she would like to forget.

"I was begging them not to throw me off the plane," said Hays.

Before Flight 19 would depart from Detroit to Orlando there was a problem. Hays said a passenger who was next to her decided to talk to the airline crew about her looking tired and drowsy.

"Then she came back and said they've moved us because I might be contagious," said Hays. "Contagious with what?" she wondered.

Shortly after that Hays said she was asked to leave the airplane. She said she was devastated.


Comment: For more information, see also:

Disabled man Baraka Kanaan 'forced to crawl off Delta Airlines flight'


Apple Green

Semantic aphasia: Fighting continues during 'truce' in Gaza, IDF kills 5-year-old girl

Hamas rockets
© AFP Photo / David BuimovitchAssuming these are really Hamas rocket launches (photo taken 19 August), it shows the fraudulence of the videos of Iron Dome shooting non-existent 'rockets' out of the air.
Israeli-Palestinian rocket fire resumed on Tuesday after Gaza truce talks broke down. A 5-year-old girl and a woman became the first victims of renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Hamas launched around 50 rockets at Israel, hitting as far as Tel Aviv.


Comment: 50 rockets? According to whom? The notoriously mendacious Israeli government? Should we trust their numbers, especially when we know that Iron Dome is a total fraud?


Israel launched at least 35 airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. One of the strikes hit a house in Gaza City, killing a woman and a 5-year-old child, according to Palestinian Health Ministry.

Reportedly, one of Israel's targets was Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, Israeli Channel 10 said.

The three people killed during the Israeli airstrikes included a wife and a child of the Hamas military wing's leader Mohammed Deif, AP cited senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk as saying.


Comment: Chances are, Deif's wife and child were the intended targets.