Picture of the Day - Where's the Global Warming, Al Gore?

In honor of all the people on the East Coast who are under two (2) feet of snow this weekend.

Where's the global warming?

FLASHBACK: Tracking GhostNet (gh0st RAT): Investigating a Chinese Cyber Espionage Network

Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network

Quite an interesting read. If you don't want to read the above report about GhostNet and China's alleged surveillance of the Internet networks, then you can click the summary link below on the gh0st RAT in the machine.

A vast electronic spying operation has infiltrated computers and has stolen documents from hundreds of government and private offices around the world, including those of the Dalai Lama, Canadian researchers have concluded...reporting on the spying operation dubbed GhostNet...

[T]he researchers said that the system was being controlled from computers based almost exclusively in China, but that they could not say conclusively that the Chinese government was involved...

Their sleuthing opened a window into a broader operation that, in less than two years, has infiltrated at least 1,295 computers in 103 countries, including many belonging to embassies, foreign ministries and other government offices, as well as the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan exile centers in India, Brussels, London and New York.

Source: New York Times

Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Says Toyota Prius Accelerator Problems Caused By Software Failure

This Toyota recall issue concerning Prius accelerators has become much more than a simple and minor defect. I believe that this matter will permanently damage the Toyota brand and it could continue to get worse for the company, because Toyota may be misdiagnosing the true cause of the problem. Toyota believes that the problem is the result of a defect in the "fly-by-wire" / "drive-by-wire" electronic throttle control system. However, the co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak does not believe it is a hardware issue. No, Wozniak believes that Toyota's problems are caused by a software failure.

Wozniak was speaking at Discovery Forum 2010 when he went off topic for a few minutes and spoke about problems with his 2010 Toyota Prius.

"I don't get upset and teed off at things in life, except computers that don't work right," was his segue into the Toyota comments. Then he said he had been trying to get through to Toyota and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) for three months but could not get anyone to explore an alleged software-related acceleration problem--as described below.

"Toyota has this accelerator problem we've all heard about," Wozniak said. "Well, I have many models of Prius that got recalled, but I have a new model that didn't get recalled. This new model has an accelerator that goes wild, but only under certain conditions of cruise control. And I can repeat it over and over and over again--safely."

"This is software. It's not a bad accelerator pedal. It's very scary, but luckily for me, I can hit the brakes," he said.

Source: CNET

FDIC Friday Night Feast (Failed Bank List as of February 5, 2010 - 1 Bank Closed Today - $3.1 Million Total Insurance Charge)

The FDIC only closed one (1) bank on February 5, 2010 -- First American State Bank of Minnesota in Hancock, Minnesota.

• First American State Bank of Minnesota will cost $3.1 million against the FDIC insurance fund.

The total amount charged against the FDIC insurance fund today is $3,100,000 (or $3.1 million). At this point, sixteen (16) banks have closed this year.

California Bans Berkey Water Filter Systems?

As a fan of the Berkey water filter systems, it is ridiculous for California's new law to effectively ban these wonderful water filter devices. However, the State is broke, so it is doing anything it can do to increase the monies coming into the State's coffers - including requiring expensive certification tests that are not applicable to the Berkey filter devices.

###

Suspension of Berkey Products To California Residents Begining January 1, 2010

California, has adopted AB 1953 / SB 1334 & 1395 / HSC Section 116875. This revised “no lead law” as it’s commonly known, goes into effect January 1, 2010. The law stipulates that any “end-use device intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption through drinking or cooking,” as well as each of their individual components, materials and “pipe, pipe or plumbing fittings, or fixtures,” or flux, must be “lead free” as defined by California law. Under SB 1334, certification MUST be performed by an “independent ANSI-approved third party testing organization.” It appears that even if a product and each component of that product has no metal alloys and if a purification system actually reduces lead, under Section 116875, it must be be certified. An example of this is the Berkey sport water purification bottle; each of its components as well as raw materials utilized will have to be certified.

Research indicates that there are at least two different certification standards available, but there seems to be disagreement as to which standards will be acceptable to the state of California’s review Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the agency in charge of reviewing products and their certification. There is further confusion regarding testing protocols. While DTSC has issued an outline, it appears that the final protocols have yet to be settled upon. Throughout Berkey Systems ongoing research on this issue, they were unable to get clarification on the above requirements, instead it was suggested that “lawyers review the wording of the law to determine” how “they interpret the scope of the mandatory certification...” in what already appears to be a muddy mess. Unfortunately, many questions being asked simply can’t be answered by the January 1st deadline and as such, “strict compliance with the law” is recommended. In addition, should Berkey Systems desire to change any of their suppliers after certification, it appears that permission must be obtained by the certifying organization and that re-certification is mandatory, all at their own expense. At the end of this letter are just a few of the requirements needed to be certified, under this revised law.

Berkey Systems will continue to monitor the situation and as they get clarification on the issues for which they currently are unable to obtain answers, they will be able to make a further determination as to whether it will be in their best interest to pursue the matter further.

If you are in California, or have friends or family in California, please be sure to pickup an set of Black Berkey elements to have in reserve, for the just in case.

Sincerely:

The Berkey Guy


A SAMPLING OF CERTIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

…Applicant agrees to furnish all necessary drawings, test data, laboratory reports and product samples required by the Certification Company (CC). The CC is not responsible for loss or damage to any materials submitted…

…Listee shall promptly furnish to CC, in writing, the street address, hours of operation, anticipated dates when plants will be temporarily closed or shut down, anticipated dates when plants will temporarily cease production and all local or state holidays of each plant where the listed product is being manufactured or to be manufactured by or on behalf of Listee, and each location where the listed product is warehoused or stored by or on behalf of Listee. Listee shall also provide the name and telephone number of a contact person for each such plant or storage location, both at the time of application for evaluation and in the event of any changes in this information. Listee shall provide such information for all plants and storage locations, whether foreign or domestic. If the product is imported or to be imported, Listee shall also provide the name, street address, telephone number and contact person of the importer and the consignee…

…Listee shall maintain the product design, quality and workmanship in accordance with the current applicable standards recognized by CC, or as such standards may be changed, and as incorporated in the samples and documents submitted for evaluation and inspection by the CC. In addition, Listee shall make no substantial change in material, manufacturing process, marking or design of the product without prior written approval of the CC. Listee acknowledges and agrees that (a) new drawings, tests and product samples may be required as a result of any such substantial changes; (b) any substantial change in the original product after acceptance and listing by CC which is not authorized by CC will automatically result in delisting of the product until such written approval is received; and (c) a new application, additional fees and test reports may be required in the event of any such delisting…

…Listee consents to the review of listee’s products by CC or its subcontractor and Listee shall permit CC or its subcontractor to make up to four (4) announced or unannounced continuous compliance inspections of; (a) each of Listee’s domestic and foreign manufacturing or storage facilities; (b) Listee’s records relating to quality control, production, quantity of inventory and shipping of listed products (collectively, “Records”); and (c) Listee’s products themselves during each listing year; provided, however, that in the event CC reasonably believes in good faith that Listee is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of this Listing Agreement, CC may make a reasonable number of additional announced or unannounced inspections of such facilities, records and products as it shall deem necessary or appropriate to protect its rights hereunder and to the Certification Marks. CC maintains the right to make inspections to any domestic or foreign manufacturing or storage facilities, which are owned or operated by Listee..

…At the time of each inspection, the inspector shall have the right of immediate entry to all manufacturing and other areas, the right to require appropriate personnel to accompany the inspector, full access to all records, production and products, the right to take random samples, and the right to any other service the inspector reasonably deems to be necessary or appropriate to the proper completion of the inspection. Such inspections may be made at any time during normal business hours….

…Listee shall pay to CC an inspection fee for any inspection conducted under the provisions of agreement. All costs of inspection, including laboratory fees if outside laboratory testing is required by CC, shall be borne by Listee…

Georgia Senate Passes SB 235 That Bans Forced Microchips in People (Microchip Consent Act of 2010)

It is always up to the States to fight federal tyranny, encroachment and corruption especially if the federal government ever imposes martial law during a biological pandemic and requires forced chipping of the population. If you live in the Peach State of Georgia, then you may have some protection if such an unconstitutional mandatory microchip order is ever imposed by the federal government or world agencies. The Georgia Senate has passed SB 235 which would ban mandatory chipping. The bill may be viewed HERE or below after the quoted text.

“By passing this bill, we are sending the message that Georgia is committed to upholding its citizens’ constitutional rights and protection of their person,” the bill's author, Sen. Chip Pearson (R-Dawsonville), said in a written statement. He said technology is moving fast and “we must be careful that it doesn’t come at the harm of citizens. The benefits of a microchip that can be internally implanted are also available in many external forms.”

The Senate voted 47-2 in favor of the bill.

Hopefully, the bill passes into law. Unfortunately, the punishment for this crime is only a misdemeanor which is hardly a punishment for someone injected with a chip. The punishment should be a 1st degree felony.

###

10 LC 29 4070S (SCS)
Senate Bill 235
By: Senators Pearson of the 51st, Rogers of the 21st, Smith of the 52nd and Tolleson of the 20th

AS PASSED SENATE

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To provide for a short title; to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, so as to prohibit requiring a person to be implanted with a microchip; to provide for definitions; to provide for penalties; to provide for regulation by the Georgia Composite Medical Board; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known as the "Microchip Consent Act of 2010."

SECTION 2.
Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"16-5-23.2.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Implant' includes any means intended to introduce a microchip internally, beneath the skin, or applied to the skin of a person.
(2) 'Microchip' means any microdevice, sensor, transmitter, mechanism, electronically readable marking, or nanotechnology that is passively or actively capable of transmitting or receiving information. Such term shall not include pacemakers.
(3) 'Person' means any individual, irrespective of age, legal status, or legal capacity.
(4) 'Require' includes physical violence; threat; intimidation; retaliation; the conditioning of any private or public benefit or care on consent to implantation, including employment, promotion, or other benefit; or any means that causes a person to acquiesce to implantation when he or she otherwise would not.
(b) No person shall be required to be implanted with a microchip.
(c) Any person who implants a microchip in violation of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(d) Any person required to have a microchip implanted in violation of this Code section may file a civil action for damages.
(e) The voluntary implantation of any microchip may only be performed by a physician and shall be regulated under the authority of the Georgia Composite Medical Board."

SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2010.

SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

Source: Georgia General Assembly ; Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Japanese Physicist Discovers How to Teleport Energy!

Energy teleportation could be one of man's greatest discoveries EVER if the science is perfected. Click the following link to read Masahiro Hotta-Sama's research paper Energy-Entanglement Relation for Quantum Energy Teleportation. The implication of this discovery means that people can then truly travel to the stars and beyond to where no man has ever gone. Basically, people can physically live in areas where either energy is scarce or otherwise too expensive to exploit. Energy can be acquired in the areas where it is the most abundant, cheap and clean to produce, and once acquired at the site, the energy can be teleported instantly to the population centers for use.

Today, building on a number of papers published in the last year, Hotta outlines his idea and its implications. The process of teleportation involves making a measurement on each one an entangled pair of particles. He points out that the measurement on the first particle injects quantum energy into the system. He then shows that by carefully choosing the measurement to do on the second particle, it is possible to extract the original energy.

All this is possible because there are always quantum fluctuations in the energy of any particle. The teleportation process allows you to inject quantum energy at one point in the universe and then exploit quantum energy fluctuations to extract it from another point. Of course, the energy of the system as whole is unchanged.

Source: Technology Review

Mathematically Impossible to Pay Off United States of America's Debts!

I was a great math student in the primary grades and in college, so I am confident in my abilities to understand some figures and numbers. Even without that analytical education, it is not difficult to see that America's monetary system may not survive in its current form, because paying off the country's existing debts may be an impossibility under the Federal Reserve banking system.

Why? Short answer --> The current Federal Reserve system is really nothing more than an old-fashioned pyramid scheme where only the top players make any profits.

Congress assigns monetary rights to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve lends money to the Treasury. The Federal Reserve also charges interest on the money it prints and lends to the Treasury, but these interest costs are NOT included in the Fed's loan money.

For example, if the Federal Reserve charges someone 10% on a loan and lends them $1, this $1 will be printed up by the Federal Reserve and added to the existing monetary supply by the Treasury. When the Fed is paid back the $1, there is no net difference in the monetary supply because the $1 printed by the Fed and placed into monetary circulation is equalized when the Treasury pays back the $1 to the Fed.

However, the additional 10 cents (10% interest) must also be paid to Federal Reserve and the Fed's $1 loan does not include this 10% interest. Because the Fed did not print up this 10% with the loan, this 10% interest must be paid from or taken from the existing monetary supply (or other assets) by the Treasury to satisfy the loan interest repayment obligations to the Fed

As more and more interest is charged, the more money that must be paid from the existing supply in circulation -- until eventually, there will be no money left and the Federal Reserve will hold all the money in the world!

So why doesn't the U.S. government just fire up the printing presses and print a bunch of money to pay off the debt?

Well, for one very simple reason.

That is not the way our system works.

You see, for more dollars to enter the system, the U.S. government has to go into more debt.

The U.S. government does not issue U.S. currency - the Federal Reserve does.

The Federal Reserve is a private bank owned and operated for profit by a very powerful group of elite international bankers.

If you will pull a dollar bill out and take a look at it, you will notice that it says "Federal Reserve Note" at the top.

It belongs to the Federal Reserve.

The U.S. government cannot simply go out and create new money whenever it wants under our current system.

Instead, it must get it from the Federal Reserve.

So, when the U.S. government needs to borrow more money (which happens a lot these days) it goes over to the Federal Reserve and asks them for some more green pieces of paper called Federal Reserve Notes.

The Federal Reserve swaps these green pieces of paper for pink pieces of paper called U.S. Treasury bonds. The Federal Reserve either sells these U.S. Treasury bonds or they keep the bonds for themselves (which happens a lot these days).

So that is how the U.S. government gets more green pieces of paper called "U.S. dollars" to put into circulation. But by doing so, they get themselves into even more debt which they will owe even more interest on.

So every time the U.S. government does this, the national debt gets even bigger and the interest on that debt gets even bigger.

Source: The Economic Collapse

Air Force Opens $154,000 G5 LaserWash at Patrick AFB with Space Command Non-Appropriated Fund Grant

Car Wash Grand Opening

by Chris Kraus
Air Force Support Squadron

1/29/2010 - Jan. 12, 2010 -- Col. Charles Beck, commander, 45th Mission Support Group, presided over the grand opening of the new Base Car Wash at a ribbon cutting ceremony last Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m.

The totally new touch-free car washing system ­ a G5 LaserWash, is made possible by a $154,000 Air Force Space Command Non-Appropriated Fund Grant.

The new system is able to wash every type of vehicle, as it does not require a floor treadle to activate the wash cycle and there are no side rails.

New signage is customer friendly and eliminates confusion, making the system much easier to use.

"Patrons will be able to use their MasterCard or VISA credit and debit cards at the upgraded facility," said Ms. Nancy Wilberg, 45th Force Support Squadron's Arts & Crafts Director, who is responsible for the car wash facility.

"Even if you do not have any cash on hand, you can still get a great wash for your privately owned, government or NAF vehicle. GSA vehicle operators can use the WEX card on the G5 LaserWash side."

The cost to use the G5 LaserWash is very reasonable. Patrons can opt for a $5, $6 or a $7 top of the line wash ­ prices that are substantially lower than comparable off-base car wash facilities. For details about the upgraded facility, call Ms. Wilberg at 494-4270.

Freeway Ricky Ross: CIA Supplies, Controls & Operates Drug Business Game (Interview w/Alex Jones on February 3, 2010)

The below information about the Freeway Ricky Ross interview conducted on February 3, 2010 is taken from the Alex Jones Infowars radio show and YouTube channel.

Ricky Donnell Ross (aka Freeway Ricky Ross), the convicted drug dealer who was featured in a Gary Webb expose on CIA involvement in the drug business.

http://freewayenterprise.ning.com/
http://www.myspace.com/freewayenterprise910

In the follow-up to his ground-breaking documentary 'American Drug War,' filmmaker Kevin Booth traces the fight against Federal drug regulation in the State of California. A public majority has spoken and said yes to states rights, allowing for the use of medicinal marijuana and opening up a new front in controversial medicinal 'dispensaries.'

While users herald the freedom of legally-licensed "weed," powerful forces at the DEA and law enforcement haven't given up their federal enforcement power yet. Many dispensaries have been raided, targeting their distribution of marijuana and challenging their authority to rise into legitimate business.

Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass Predicts United States of America’s Decline as Superpower at Herzliya Conference

When the President of the powerful North American regional steering committee is saying that America is headed for a decline, then you better believe he has information supporting this theory OR he will be using the resources of his organization to ensure that this statement comes true. Otherwise, it means that Dr. Haass was wrong in his prediction.

At a panel discussion titled “Primus inter Pares? The US and the global order” at the Herzliya Conference, a major policy conference in Israel, [Dr. Richard] Haass [President of the Council on Foreign Relations] said many factors suggest a relative decline in American influence, including an overstretched military, energy dependence, indebtedness and a dysfunctional political process...

When asked by the moderator whether one should “buy short on the U.S.,” he answered: “In the next few years, yes.”

Nevertheless, he said the U.S. likely will remain the world’s leading power, and expressed optimism that the trends might change. All the problems he discussed are “very fixable challenges,” he said.

You can watch the video by clicking the picture above or this link. Once you reach the page, click the tab for February 1, 2010 and scroll down to the Primus Inter Pares link.

Source: The Daily Caller

Hubble Telescope Detects Mysterious Spaceship-Shaped Object Traveling at 11,000 Miles Per Hour!

NASA "believes" that this is an asteroid collision, but if you read the press release, you will see that NASA cannot completely verify the identity of this X-shaped object speeding along at 11,000 miles per hour.

Is it Luke Skywalker in an X-wing fighter? Or is it the theorized Planet X bound for a 2012 rendezvous with the Earth? Or is it just the remnants of an asteroid collision as speculated by NASA?

###

Suspected Asteroid Collision Leaves Odd X-Pattern of Trailing Debris
02.02.10

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids. Astronomers have long thought the asteroid belt is being ground down through collisions, but such a smashup has never been seen before.

Asteroid collisions are energetic, with an average impact speed of more than 11,000 miles per hour, or five times faster than a rifle bullet. The comet-like object imaged by Hubble, called P/2010 A2, was first discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research, or LINEAR, program sky survey on Jan. 6. New Hubble images taken on Jan. 25 and 29 show a complex X-pattern of filamentary structures near the nucleus.

"This is quite different from the smooth dust envelopes of normal comets," said principal investigator David Jewitt of the University of California at Los Angeles. "The filaments are made of dust and gravel, presumably recently thrown out of the nucleus. Some are swept back by radiation pressure from sunlight to create straight dust streaks. Embedded in the filaments are co-moving blobs of dust that likely originated from tiny unseen parent bodies."

Hubble shows the main nucleus of P/2010 A2 lies outside its own halo of dust. This has never been seen before in a comet-like object. The nucleus is estimated to be 460 feet in diameter.

Normal comets fall into the inner regions of the solar system from icy reservoirs in the Kuiper belt and Oort cloud. As comets near the sun and warm up, ice near the surface vaporizes and ejects material from the solid comet nucleus via jets. But P/2010 A2 may have a different origin. It orbits in the warm, inner regions of the asteroid belt where its nearest neighbors are dry rocky bodies lacking volatile materials.

This leaves open the possibility that the complex debris tail is the result of an impact between two bodies, rather than ice simply melting from a parent body.

"If this interpretation is correct, two small and previously unknown asteroids recently collided, creating a shower of debris that is being swept back into a tail from the collision site by the pressure of sunlight," Jewitt said.

The main nucleus of P/2010 A2 would be the surviving remnant of this so-called hypervelocity collision.

"The filamentary appearance of P/2010 A2 is different from anything seen in Hubble images of normal comets, consistent with the action of a different process," Jewitt said. An impact origin also would be consistent with the absence of gas in spectra recorded using ground-based telescopes.

The asteroid belt contains abundant evidence of ancient collisions that have shattered precursor bodies into fragments. The orbit of P/2010 A2 is consistent with membership in the Flora asteroid family, produced by collisional shattering more than 100 million years ago. One fragment of that ancient smashup may have struck Earth 65 million years ago, triggering a mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. But, until now, no such asteroid-asteroid collision has been caught "in the act."

At the time of the Hubble observations, the object was approximately 180 million miles from the sun and 90 million miles from Earth. The Hubble images were recorded with the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute conducts Hubble science operations. The institute is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

U.S. and Hillary Clinton Agree to Timetable to Gun Ban Under U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Resolution?

***(UPDATE - May 21, 2010) See the following Reuters article from October 14, 2009 for additional information - U.S. reverses stance on treaty to regulate arms trade.

***

I will be keeping my eyes on this potential development to see if this press release from the National Association for Gun Rights is indeed true. I certainly believe the meat of these allegations, because the current administration seems determined to restrict the gun rights of Americans.

###

U.S. agrees to timetable for UN Gun Ban

The United Nations and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are moving forward with their plan to confiscate your guns.

The United States joined 152 other countries in support of the Arms Trade Treaty Resolution, which establishes the dates for the 2012 UN conference intended to attack American sovereignty by stripping Americans of the right to keep and bear arms.

Working groups of anti-gun countries will begin scripting language for the conference this year, creating a blueprint for other countries when they meet at the full conference.

The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Former United Nation’s ambassador John Bolton has cautioned gun owners about the Arms Trade Treaty and says the UN “is trying to act as though this is really just a treaty about international arms trade between nation states, but there’s no doubt that the real agenda here is domestic firearms control.”

Establishing the dates for the Arms Trade Treaty Conference is just the first step toward their plans for total gun confiscation.

The worldwide gun control mob will ensure the passage of an egregious, anti-gun treaty…

. . .and that’s where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton steps in.

Once the UN Gun Ban is passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations it must be ratified by each nation, including the United States.

As an arch enemy of gun owners, Clinton has pledged to push the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty. She will push for passage of this outrageous treaty designed to register, ban and CONFISCATE firearms owned by private citizens like YOU.

That’s why it’s vital you sign the special petition I’ve made up for your signature that DEMANDS your U.S. Senators vote AGAINST ratification of the UN’s “Small Arms Treaty.”

So far, the gun-grabbers have successfully kept the exact wording of their new scheme under wraps.

But looking at previous versions of the UN “Small Arms Treaty,” you and I can get a good idea of what’s likely in the works.

Don’t let any of the “experts” lull you to sleep by saying “Oh, we have it handled” or “Until you know exactly what’s in the treaty you can’t fight against it.”

Judging by Ambassador Bolton’s comments — who certainly knows what to expect from the American-freedom-hating international crowd that infests the U.N. — we are certain the treaty’s going to address the private ownership of firearms.

If passed by the UN and ratified by the U.S. Senate (which is where we must ultimately make our stand), the UN “Small Arms Treaty” would almost certainly FORCE national governments to:

*** Enact tougher licensing requirements, making law-abiding citizens cut through even more bureaucratic red tape just to own a firearm legally;

*** CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL “unauthorized” civilian firearms (all firearms owned by the government are excluded, of course);

*** BAN the trade, sale and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons;

*** Create an INTERNATIONAL gun registry, setting the stage for full-scale gun CONFISCATION. So please click here to sign the petition to your U.S. Senators before it’s too late!

You see, this is NOT a fight we can afford to lose.

Joe Ford Sr. Changes Mind on 2010 Shelby County Mayor's Race and Will Run

Phoenix City Council Approves Two Percent (2%) Sales Tax on Food and Grocery Items

Now that the local governments have spent all the monies in the respective treasury departments, these same local governments will need to squeeze additional monies from the people in order to keep the bloated governments afloat. Case in point, the city council in Phoenix, Arizona recently approved a 2% sales tax hike on all foods. In a recession/depression, poor people will be affected the most by this tax increase. Every household will be required to increase its food budget by 2% and in these times, that is not possible for many families. Why can't the government ever retract instead of further milking people with taxes?

Desperate to save police, fire and other city jobs, a divided Phoenix City Council on Tuesday approved a sales tax on grocery items that will generate tens of millions of dollars a year.

The 2 percent food tax will take effect April 1 and expire after five years, though Mayor Phil Gordon said the council has the option of reversing its decision after it hears from the public during 15 budget hearings planned for this month.

The tax on milk, meat, vegetables and other food purchased by shoppers will generate an estimated $12.5 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30. It will raise another $50 million for fiscal 2011. Food purchased with food stamps will not be taxed.

Source: AZcentral.com

NORAD to Conduct Exercise Flights Over Toledo, Youngstown & Canton Ohio on February 4, 2010 (Operation Noble Eagle)

NORAD to Conduct Exercise Flights Over Ohio Feb 4

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise flights Feb. 4 in the skies in the vicinity of the Toledo, Youngstown and Canton areas of Ohio. The flights will take place in the late afternoon, and people can expect to hear and see NORAD fighter aircraft in close proximity with general aviation aircraft as they practice their intercept and identification procedures. The exercise has been carefully planned and will be closely controlled to ensure NORAD’s rapid response capability.

NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Each exercise flight utilizes a scenario to test NORAD’s response, systems and equipment. Scenarios could include counter-drug operations, aircraft in distress, aircraft defecting, hijacking, unknown aircraft, Dangerous Military Activity, Temporary Flight Restriction violation or airborne terrorist.

For more information about NORAD intercept procedures, please refer to this Federal Aviation Administration link: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap5/aim0506.html

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 3,300 possible air threats in Canada and the United States.

For more information visit NORAD Web sites at www.norad.mil or www.northcom.mil or follow NORAD on Facebook and Twitter at: http://www.facebook.com/noradnorthcom and http://twitter.com/noradnorthcom.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Declares State of Emergency in Central South Dakota Due to Severe Ice Storms and Freezing Temperatures

CRST 2010 Disaster Relief

For Immediate Release

Eagle Butte, SD (January 30, 2010) - The Cheyenne River Reservation located in the State of South Dakota, homeland of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is currently facing an emergency situation due to an ice storm that crippled the electrical and water infrastructure. Though the ice storm has passed, the water and power system remains challenged and several Reservation communities have been without power for over ten (10) days. Moreover, a bitterly cold weather system is expected to come in by Sunday evening.

Therefore, the Tribe continues to operate an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate communications, relief efforts, and resource distribution. The phone numbers for the EOC have been changed to (605) 964-1313 and (605) 964-1314 and the location has moved to the Cheyenne River Sioux Cable Television office on Main St. in Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

Though some communities have a water supply, please be advised to boil all water before drinking. The Tribe has organized an emergency water distribution to the East End of the Reservation today. Tomorrow, an emergency water distribution will be coming into the West End communities. More information will be forthcoming regarding emergency water distribution to the communities outside of Eagle Butte over the next week. Any resulting sewage or pipe damage from the breakdown in the water system should be reported to the Emergency Operations Center.

Emergency shelters in Eagle Butte, Cherry Creek, La Plant, Swiftbird, Red Scaffold, Takini, Bear Creek, Timber Lake, and Whitehorse have been converted into Emergency Shelter/Distribution Centers. These Centers will distribute goods and supplies that are essential to surviving the winter and the impending cold front. A large amount of supplies will be delivered to these Centers tomorrow.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has been opened up for business for all qualifying residents of the Reservation. Please call the office directly to address your energy needs.

As of Sunday, January 31, 2010, the (605) 964-7711 and (605) 964-7712 telephone numbers will revert to their regular use for the Indian Health Service Ambulance Service and will direct callers to the new phone number for the EOC. For all other emergencies such as medical or law enforcement emergencies, please call 911.

Contact:
Natalie Stites
Information Officer
Incident Command
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
(605) 964-1313
(715) 896-0158 (c)

Anita Thompson
LIHEAP Director
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
(605) 964-8384 office

For Immediate Release:

Eagle Butte, SD- The Cheyenne River Reservation located in the State of South Dakota, homeland of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is currently facing an emergency situation due to an ice storm that has crippled the electrical and water infrastructure. The Tribe is coordinating with state and federal agencies to address the needs of individuals on the reservation being impacted by this crisis. Emergency shelters have been established at Eagle Butte, Cherry Creek, La Plant, Swiftbird, Red Scaffold, Takini, Timber Lake, and Whitehorse . Due to the possibility of prolonged power outages and bitterly cold temperatures, all people in need of warmth, food, and water should move to their nearest shelter. Although the reservation water delivery has been damaged, the water left in the system is still safe to drink and use. Tribal Chairman Joe Brings Plenty has imposed an 8 PM curfew. In order to best coordinate communications, relief efforts, and resource distribution, the Tribe has established an Emergency Operations Center. If you are in need of assistance or have important information please call (605) 964-7711 or (605) 964-7712. For all other emergencies such as medical or law enforcement emergencies please call 911.

XXX

Press Release - January 27, 2010

DISASTER DECLARED ON THE CHEYENNE RIVER SIOUX INDIAN RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Severe Ice Storms and Freezing Temperatures Have Knocked Down 3,000 Utility Poles - Tribal Residents Have Been without Electricity, Heat, and Running Water for Six Days The Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has declared a state of emergency in central South Dakota, an Indian reservation approximately the size of Connecticut with nearly 15,000 Tribal members. The Tribe is still awaiting a Presidential disaster declaration. Days of ice storms and strong winds have downed over 3,000 utility poles across the reservation. Thousands of already impoverished tribal residents have been without electricity or heat for five days, with wind chill factors well below zero. Experts estimate it may be as long as a month before all areas have electricity restored. "Making matters much worse" said Tribal Chairman Joe Brings Plenty, "the loss of electricity has also knocked out the Reservation's aging water system. We have no running water on the entire Reservation, it is also affecting off Reservation communities such Faith, whose water is supplied from pipes running through the Reservation." The Tribe is working hard to bring families in out of the cold into shelters. The South Dakota National Guard, the State's Department of Public Safety as well as the Army Corps of Engineers have come to the reservation and supplied some emergency generators. The Tribe would especially like to thank Wal-Mart for providing emergency food and supplies, and the Navajo Nation for sending up a tribal utility crew to help with the downed electrical lines. However, much more assistance is still needed. No one facility can host a shelter large enough for all the Tribal residents; additional generators are needed to set up additional shelters. The Tribe's one and only grocery store has lost all its perishables, additional food is needed. And dialysis patients have had to be evacuated to Rapid City. As electricity is restored and immediate safety and survival needs are met, the Chairman worries perhaps the most about the long term effects of having lost their water system in this crisis. The water intake and distribution system has already been at capacity for decades. In addition to the severe health and safety issues the Tribe now faces, it remains one of the biggest impediments to economic development on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. "For years we have had a complete ban on any new housing or business building because we don't have the water infrastructure to support it. This crisis has exacerbated an already impossible situation."
The Chairman further stated "We have been trying to get this water system replaced for decades. It is a public shame for any community in America to be without safe drinking water. I hope our friends in Washington, DC are listening; this is a life and death situation here. Help us protect our families, and help us create jobs and open up our stifled economy for tomorrow." For further information: Joe Brings Plenty, Tribal Chairman (605) 964-4155 Leo Fischer, Tri-County/Mni Waste Water System (605) 365-6940

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

For Immediate Release
Contact: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Incident Command System Public Information Officer: Natalie Stites
(715) 896-0158 cell
natalie.stites@gmail.com

CHEYENNE RIVER SIOUX TRIBE EMERGENCY WATER DISTRIBUTION ON JANUARY 28, 2010

Eagle Butte, South Dakota (January 27, 2010)

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is coordinating an emergency water distribution system throughout the entire Cheyenne River Reservation on January 28, 2010. Each household is advised to bring their own sanitary water containers to the water distribution sites, and larger containers are recommended but not required. The following communities will have emergency water distribution according to the following schedule (approximate times):

West End East End
Lantry 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Green Grass 9:00 - 9:45 a.m.
Bear Creek 9:45 - 10:30 a.m. On the Tree Church 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Thunder Butte 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. White Horse 11:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Iron Lightening 1:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Promise Day School 2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Red Scaffold 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Blackfoot 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Takini 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Swift Bird 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Bridger 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Ridgeview 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Currently, there are water tanks available in Eagle Butte. Additional water tanks will be placed in the communities of Cherry Creek, La Plant and Isabel. The town of Dupree has secured water supply through the state and is water secure. Though the water system is expected to be restored by the evening of January 28th, the water is not suitable for drinking and should be boiled, according to the Tri-County Water Association/Mni Waste', which is local water supply system for the Reservation.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has set up an online account on Piryx.com and all monetary donations can be made there. THANK YOU!
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/0oFFsK8c/Cheyenn-River-Sioux-Tribe/

Utah State-Made Firearms Protection Act - Senate Bill 11 (Video)

Utah has joined the dance that Tennessee and Montana started last year with the codification of respective State Firearms Protection Acts. Obviously, the Feds disagree with these States' positions, but if more and more States pass similar laws, it will eventually require a Supreme Court ruling on the issue. I give Utah props and hope that this bill is signed into law.

You can read the full text of Utah State-Made Firearms Protection Act (Senate Bill 11) by clicking this sentence.

Senator Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, introduced her bill, S.B. 11, on the Senate floor this morning. The bill is titled "Utah State-Made Firearms Protection Act", but Sen. Dayton clarified that the bill is not about guns, but is about bringing the governing power back to the states.

Source: The Senate Site

Young Canadian Mother Diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome After Getting H1N1 "Swine Flu" Vaccine Shot

It has been a few weeks since I last reported about an alleged H1N1 "swine flu" vaccine side effect. There were so many incidents from the vaccinations that it became obvious that the vaccines were having an adverse effect on numerous people. In Canada, there is a new report of two (2) people who were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome soon after receiving the H1N1 "swine flu" vaccine.

Until five weeks ago, she was a perfectly healthy woman spending Christmas with her family in Nova Scotia. And then on Dec. 29 she was rushed to an emergency room in Halifax, suddenly unable to stand on feet.

The doctors diagnosed her with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological condition characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis. And while no one seems willing to discuss the likely cause, the 39-year-old knows exactly where the fault lies.

She blames the H1N1 flu shot she received on Dec. 13 - two weeks before her symptoms suddenly appeared.

Source: Toronto Sun

Canadian Climate Research Calls for Aerosol Chemtrails to Reflect Sun's Rays!

Once again, some egghead scientists are bent on destroying the world. While this article discusses spraying aerosol chemicals to block sunlight as being a proposed solution for the future, anyone who ever looks up in the sky knows that someone is already spraying the skies with something (probably barium salts and various forms of aluminum). Spraying the sky with aerosols is ridiculous and will more likely than not have negative effects where it is implemented. In a worse case, it could create a "nuclear winter" that kills billions who starve from the lack of sufficient sunlight.

Blocking out some of the sun's rays is a faster and cheaper method of controlling the Earth's temperature than cutting greenhouse gas emissions, says a research paper authored by University of Calgary researcher David Keith...

Keith preferred to speak Wednesday about how solar radiation could be reflected back into space by releasing megatonnes of light-scattering aerosol particles, or how low-altitude clouds could be created with sea salts.

Source: Edmonton Journal

Nancy Pelosi's Use of Air Force Aircraft for Congressional Delegations Costs Over $2.1 Million for Expenses, Food and Alcohol!

Here's hoping that Nancy Pelosi's $2.1M travel bill on the taxpayer dime will be her "let them eat cake" moment, but ol' Nancy has been quite Teflonic over the years, so this may roll off of her hide like all other negative accusations.

Nancy Pelosi’s use of US Air Force..cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.

•Speaker Pelosi used Air Force aircraft to travel back to her district at an average cost of $28,210.51 per flight. The average cost of an international CODEL is $228,563.33. Of the 103 Pelosi-led congressional delegations (CODEL), 31 trips included members of the House Speaker’s family.

•One CODEL traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008...cost $17,931 per hour in aircraft alone. Purchases for the CODEL included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.

Source: The US Report

Navy Establishes U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (FCC) and Recommissions U.S. 10th Fleet for First Time Since 1945

First, it was the Air Force establishing its cyber command. Next, it was the Marines discussing the possibility. Not to be outdone, the Navy has established its own cyber command - the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (or FCC). The press release is below:

###

Navy Stands Up Fleet Cyber Command, Reestablishes U.S. 10th Fleet
Story Number: NNS100129-24
Release Date: 1/29/2010 6:48:00 PM

From Fleet Cyber Command/10 Fleet Public Affairs

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (NNS) -- The chief of naval operations (CNO) officially established U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (FCC) and recommissioned U.S. 10th Fleet during a ceremony at Fort George G. Meade, Md., Jan. 29.

At the ceremony, Adm. Gary Roughead, CNO, also named Vice Adm. Bernard J. McCullough III the commander of both FCC and 10th Fleet.

The new FCC and 10th Fleet are headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, taking advantage of existing Naval Network Warfare Command infrastructure, communications support and personnel already in place.

FCC and 10th Fleet have been created as part of the CNO's vision to achieve the integration and innovation necessary for warfighting superiority across the full spectrum of military operations in the maritime, cyberspace and information domains. This initiative will help raise information to the forefront of the Navy's 21st century arsenal.

U.S. 10th Fleet was first established in 1941 as the lead for anti-submarine warfare. During World War II, the United States needed a command in charge of protecting Allied merchant vessels and military convoys and against German U-Boats in the Atlantic, and 10th Fleet successfully fulfilled that mission until it was disestablished in 1945.

Roughead compared the global responsibility of today's 10th Fleet to that of its predecessor, which protected American forces through the use of intelligence and information.

"[Tenth Fleet] had a global responsibility to protect American forces and American trade. It was a command who success depended less on manned and massed fire power than on intelligence and information," he said. "Today, we recommission this fleet to confront a new challenge to our nation's security in cyberspace. It is a mission for which, even more so than before, victory will be predicated on intelligence and information rather than fire power."

Roughead emphasized that the information we use and must protect is markedly different from what we have protected in our past. "The cyber domain is a domain all its own - one of great opportunity, new discoveries and vexing challenges. It is one into which Fleet Cyber Command must forge boldly ahead," Roughead said.

FCC is responsible for global Navy cyberspace operations designed to deter and defeat aggression and to ensure freedom of action to achieve military objectives in and through cyberspace. McCullough is also tasked with organizing and directing Navy cryptologic operations worldwide, supporting information operations and space planning and operations.

As 10th Fleet commander, McCullough maintains operational control of Navy cyber forces to execute the full spectrum of computer network operations, cyber warfare, electronic warfare, information operations and signal intelligence capabilities and missions across the cyber, electromagnetic and space domains. U.S. 10th Fleet will partner with and support other fleet commanders to provide guidance and direction to ensure coordinated, synchronized and effective preventative and response capability in cyberspace.

"To execute our defined mission we must be able to exercise command and control over our networks with dynamic, real time defense and information assurance enabled by intelligence collection. When called upon, we must be able to provide non kinetic effects in support of regional combatant commanders' assigned missions," McCullough said. "To do this, and do it well, we must work with our sister services, academia, agencies, industry, allies and partners, for the challenge is so large, to go it alone is not possible."

McCullough said we face a situation similar to the early Battle of the Atlantic where we are engaged in a domain under stress, a domain where the potential exists for devastating consequences if the challenge is not addressed.

"Cyberspace is a unique domain with a totally different set of challenges. To operate successfully in this newly defined domain the Navy must first think differently about cyberspace operations," McCullough said. "This world travels at the speed of light and requires real time command and control. We must ensure seamless alignment and integration with fleet operations."

In the same fashion that the historic 10th Fleet enabled the prosecution of the German U-Boat threat and ensured access to the shipping lanes of the Atlantic, FCC and the modern 10th Fleet will enable the prosecution of threats in cyberspace and ensure the Navy has access to it.

For more news from Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/fcc10/.

China Suspends Military Exchanges with United States Over Planned Arms Sales to Taiwan?

Let's hope that this military exchange suspension by China is not a harbinger of a greater military exchange between China and the United States. China has repeatedly said that it is willing to go to war over Taiwan. Considering the level of American debt that China currently holds, I cannot imagine China going to war with the United States unless it prefers to claim American assets militarily as opposed to getting paid by the U.S. taxpayers for a very long time.

China on Saturday decided to suspend scheduled visits between the Chinese and U.S. armed forces, in response to Washington's plan to sell a package of arms worth about 6.4 billion U.S. dollars to Taiwan.

"We made the decision out of considerations on the severe harm of the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan," said Defense Ministry spokesman Huang Xueping in a statement.

Please note that this is coming from a Chinese news agency, so there is likely some propaganda embedded within the text, words and margins. Take the information for what it is.

Source: Xinhuanet (English)

Ongoing Gun Confiscation in Canada Under Project Safe City

Gun confiscation is not a topic limited to the shores of the United States. There is an on-going gun confiscation/registration program happening in Canada called Project Safe City. The below quote is from a newspaper columnist who was recently visited by officers in connection with this gun confiscation/registration program.

Officers Firth and Kozar in attendance. "What's up, boys?" My preference was to talk to them through the plate glass door. They wanted to come inside.

Officer K. said, "Are you aware of Project Safe City?" I hate it when a guy answers a question with a question...

Officer K. reminded me that my firearms licence had expired. He said I could turn the gun over to them for storage, or they could take the gun and destroy it.

Source: Toronto Star

U.S. Air Force to Purchase 1,700 Playstation 3 Systems to Build Supercomputer

Jeru Da Damaja said it best on the Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers '95 when he said that "chips that power nuclear bombs, power my Sega." The converse of that statement will soon be true in that the chips that rock your video game system will soon rock military supercomputers. Check out this new proposal by the U.S. Air Force to purchase 1,700 PS3s.

The U.S. Air Force recently issued a request for proposals to purchase 2,200 (note: the request was reduced to 1,700 systems) Sony PlayStation 3 video game consoles. Does the Air Force plan to play lots of Grand Theft Auto?

No -- rather, the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y., is interested in the chip technology inside the PS3, specifically the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture, according a blog post by Gartner Inc. analyst Andrea DiMaio . The Air Force is studying whether the PS3 chips could be a cost-effective technology for modernizing the military's high-performance computing systems.

Supercomputer experts at the Air Force already have 336 PS3 consoles hooked together in an experimental Linux-based cluster. Now they want 2,200 more to expand the research project. The laboratory evaluated chips from other vendors, such as IBM and Intel Corp., but found the PS3 chips to be much cheaper.

Source: The Industry Standard

Deadly Hemorrhagic "Fish Flu" Virus Found for First Time in Lake Superior

Here are some of the different types of flu we have seen pop up over the last century:

1. H1N1 "Swine" Flu
2. H2N2 1957 Flu
3. Hong Kong Flu of 1968
4. Swine Flu of 1976
5. H3N8 Canine Flu
6. Goat Flu
7. H5N1 "Bird" Flu

Next up on the agenda is the virulent fish virus (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus or VHSV) OR as I'm going to call it, the "fish flu."

###

Virulent Fish Virus Identified for First Time in Lake Superior:
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus poses threats to fisheries and aquaculture
Released: 1/28/2010 4:21:01 PM

Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communication 119 National Center Reston, VA 20192

Jim Winton Phone: 206-526-6587 Catherine Puckett Phone: 352-264-3532

For the first time, the presence of an exceptionally virulent fish virus (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus or VHSV) has been identified in fish from Lake Superior by researchers at the Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and confirmed by scientists at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle.

The disease (VHS) caused by the virus can result in significant losses in populations of wild fish as well as in stocks of fish reared by aquaculture. It is of sufficient global concern to be one of only nine fish diseases that must be reported to the World Organization for Animal Health.

The virus was first identified in the Great Lakes in 2005 when it was recovered from fish experiencing massive die-offs. Over the last 5 years, one die-off in Lake Ontario resulted in the death of 40,000 freshwater drum in 4 days. The virus had been found in fish from all of the Great Lakes except Superior, as well as in the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, and inland lakes in New York, Michigan and Wisconsin. The disease causes internal bleeding in fish, and although in the family of viruses that includes rabies, is not harmful to humans.

Cornell investigators tested 874 fish collected last summer from seven sites in Lake Superior. Using a new genetic test developed at Cornell, fish from four of seven sites tested positive for the virus: Paradise, Mich., Skanee, Mich., St. Louis, Bay, Wisc., and Superior Bay, Wisc. The VHSV-positive species included yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass and bluegill. To confirm these findings, tissues from fish at one of the sites (Paradise) were sent to the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center where VHSV experts Drs. Gael Kurath and James Winton provided independent confirmation of the Cornell findings.

“VHS is one of the most important diseases of finfish,” said Winton. “It not only affects the health and well-being of populations of several important native fish species, but it can also impact trade, and, should it spread into the U.S. aquaculture industry, could do substantial damage as happened in Europe and parts of Japan.”

Previous genetic research at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center and by colleagues from Canada showed that this strain of the virus was probably introduced into the Great Lakes in the last 5 to 10 years, and that the fish die-offs occurring among different species and in different lakes should be considered as one large ongoing epidemic. Experts fear the disease could potentially spread from the

Great Lakes into new populations of native fish in the 31 states of the Mississippi River basin.

Federal and State agencies had previously placed restrictions on movement of fish or fish products to slow the spread of the virus; however, the presence of a reportable pathogen in the Great Lakes States, large mortalities among wild species, potential impacts on commercial aquaculture and disruption of interstate and international trade have caused substantial concern among management agencies.

For more information, visit the USGS VHSV Web site.

---

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United States Seizes Unapproved Ozone Generators from Applied Ozone Systems

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Jan. 29, 2010

Media Inquiries: Tom Gasparoli, 301-796-4737
thomas.gasparoli@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

United States Seizes Unapproved Ozone Generators

FDA inspection shows devices produced under poor manufacturing condition; pose public health risk

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals today seized 77 ozone generators, models AOS-1M and AOS-1MD, from Applied Ozone Systems of Auburn, Calif. The seized goods, which are medical devices, are valued at $75,900.

The FDA advises health care professionals and consumers to discontinue use of these devices, which Applied Ozone Systems claims can treat cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, herpes, and a number of other diseases and conditions. The FDA has not determined that the seized products are safe and effective in treating the diseases or conditions, and officials at Applied Ozone Systems never responded to a Dec. 21, 2009 FDA request for a voluntary recall of these ozone generators.

In addition, the agency is concerned that patients who use these AOS ozone devices as directed by the manufacturer may believe that ozone therapy serves as an appropriate treatment and as a result delay or stop conventional or prescribed effective treatment. There is also a risk of infection from potential contamination of the applicator or catheter.

The FDA inspected Applied Ozone Systems in October 2009 after obtaining an inspection warrant when the owner of the company refused to allow agency staff to inspect the facility. The agency’s inspection revealed significant deviations from the FDA’s current good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements for medical devices, and confirmed that the company has not obtained FDA marketing approval or clearance for these devices. The unapproved status of these devices and the conditions under which they were manufactured cause them to be adulterated and misbranded.

Ozone generators are devices that produce ozone from oxygen. Ozone is present in low levels throughout the earth’s atmosphere and has many industrial and consumer applications. It also is an air pollutant that has harmful effects on the respiratory system.

Ozone administration methods suggested by the manufacturer of the AOS-1M Medical Ozone Generator and the AOS-1MD Ozone Generator include blowing ozonized air into the rectal and vaginal areas.

"The seized devices are potentially harmful to public health," said Michael Chappell, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "The agency will take action to protect the public from FDA-regulated products that are in violation of the law."

Today’s seizure action was jointly conducted by the FDA and the State of California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch as part of ongoing to efforts to ensure that unapproved medical devices that have not been found to be safe and effective do not enter the marketplace.

Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

* Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
* Regular Mail: use postage-paid, pre-addressed Form FDA 3500 available at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm. Mail to address on the pre-addressed form.
* Fax: 1-800-FDA-0178
* Phone: 1-800-332-1088