NATO Eyes Air Defenses Over Fears Putin Will Target Baltics - NBC News.com:
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Life takes us in many strange directions and wonderful discoveries. It never turns out the way we thought it would.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sensual full body Massage Part 4 in FULL HD - YouTube
Sensual full body Massage Part 4 in FULL HD - YouTube: "http://youtu.be/XgFaiw9f9gE"
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: War of Terror: "Disappeared in Chicago"; Illegal Detention by Chicago Police Without Charges; Beatings and Death
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Barry Minkow Does It Again!
I
was watching American Greed. There was a long segment on Barry Minkow. They
talked about his history with the ZZZZZBest fraud. (James C. Lewis felt sorry
for him for his 25 year sentence.) He had gone straight after his release in
1995. I even used to communicate with him by email. He was pastor in a San Diego Church and ran a
fraud prevention company. Now he is back in prison for 5 years for securities
fraud with $584 million is restitution because of some actions of his fraud
prevention company with a big home builder. He also got an additional 5 years
for embezzling $3.2 million from his church congregation. His release date is
June, 2019. I am sad for his family and for his victims
Monday, February 23, 2015
I Had Two Diverse Dreams Last Night!
I had two dreams last night. In the first dream I was working in an oil exploration camp. Suddenly ISIS attacked and started killing workers at random. Luckily I survived until I awakened. In the second dream I was in a luxurious homeless shelter at Christmas. Former President Bill Clinton came to visit me and talked to me for a long time. He was kind and a lot of fun. He seemed to have a genuine interest in me.
Yellen's Problem With US Felons
February 22, 2015 7:38 pm
Edward Luce
Some 13m Americans with a criminal record weigh on unemployment rate
W
hen we think of crowded US prisons, we do not usually turn to economists — still less central bankers. Yet America’s steep rate of incarceration must be high on the list of what keeps Janet Yellen up at night.
Markets will be waiting to pounce on the US Federal Reserve chair’s slightest nuance in her congressional testimony this week. Will the central bank lift rates in June or September? The key to her thinking lies in the US labour force participation rate. If it improves, the Fed can keep rates at zero without fear of wage inflation. If it stays put, Ms Yellen may have to end the party far sooner.
ON THIS TOPIC
- Yellen faces interest rates language test
- Yellen testimony may hold policy clues
- Fed underlines cautious rates stance
- Expected US rate rise hurts utilities
EDWARD LUCE
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Much has been made of the sharp fall in US unemployment in the past few months; it is now at just 5.7 per cent. But if the same number of Americans were active in the labour force today as at the start of the recession in 2007, the jobless rate would be almost 10 per cent. The labour force participation rate — the basis for calculating joblessness — has fallen to 62.8 per cent of adults today from a peak of 67.3 per in 2000.
Some of this fall is the result of changing demographics. The baby boomers are starting to retire. Some of it comes from the expansion of the US disability benefit, which pays millions more people to stay out of work than it used to.
What is often overlooked, however, is the starring role of the US criminal justice system. Critics of America’s willingness to hand out criminal records think of it as a social blight. It is also a crime against the economy. The numbers are staggering. At 2.3m, the US prison population is the highest in the world — close to the combined numbers of people locked up by China and Russia, and more than 10 times those of France, Germany and the UK combined. Think of it as a democratic gulag. It is almost double where it was in 1991. That means the US has millions more ex-convicts than it used to, the large majority of whom are routinely screened out by employers.
But the taint of a criminal past affects a far larger pool of people than felons, who number about 13m. Almost one in three adult Americans, about 75m people, are included on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s criminal database. Details for roughly half those names are incomplete. To enter the FBI’s list, you need not have been convicted in a court — merely arrested at one time or another.
Most employers carry out background searches on job applicants and screen out those with criminal records. Among those whose applications would instantly be deleted is Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, because of a 1977 arrest for a traffic violation. So too would that of George Clooney. He was arrested in 2012 for demonstrating outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington.
During the 1990s the US achieved close to full employment. This coincided with a shift to zero tolerance policing. About half of US states still have a “three strikes and you’re out” automatic jailing rule. But for most employers one strike is enough — and there is a good chance it was misreported. Persuading the FBI to expurgate your record, or amend it, is virtually impossible. That bouncing cheque that you wrote to your landlord in 1997 will probably show up as a “misdemeanour” until your dying day. Names are kept on the FBI’s database for 110 years. Among the
millions defined by labour statistics as “discouraged”, or who have stopped looking for work altogether, a high share had their discouragement thrust upon them.
millions defined by labour statistics as “discouraged”, or who have stopped looking for work altogether, a high share had their discouragement thrust upon them.
What can Ms Yellen do about it? Not much directly. A year ago she tried to highlight the stigma of long-term unemployment — employers’ reluctance to hire people who had been out of work a long time. Two of those she cited had criminal records. She was pilloried for having failed to disclose that detail — yet her examples were on the money. She could also demand that questions about criminal records be included in the monthly labour force survey, and in surveys of employer attitudes. The US government gathers a lot of detail about households. It should add criminal records to its questionnaires.
She ought also to give a pat on the back to the Ban the Box movement, which persuades employers to remove questions about criminal records from screening forms. The information is disclosed at a later stage in the interview process, by which time companies are likelier to see your plus points. Ban the Box has been adopted by a few big companies, including Walmart, the retailer, which last week announced it would raise hourly wages. Ms Yellen should also give a thumbs up to the Redeem Act — a bill sponsored by Cory Booker, the Democratic senator, and Rand Paul, the Republican senator. The law would allow Americans to expunge non-violent crimes from the records. She might also try to shame the FBI into maintaining accurate data.
None of these steps alone would expand the US labour market in time to alter the Fed’s calculations. But together they would help lower a big structural barrier to US growth. Ending the three strikes rule would have a more lasting impact. It would also make America fairer. Ms Yellen has the biggest economic bully pulpit in the world. She should spell out the hidden costs of America’s tendency to criminalise.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Jack's South America: Loan Scandal Clouds Chile President Michelle Bache...
Jack's South America: Loan Scandal Clouds Chile President Michelle Bache...: ft.com > world > latinamerica&caribbean > Politics & Policy Search Sign out ohome...
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
An Afternoon Phone Call From Comcast
After walking almost 8 miles yesterday I took a nap.My sleep was interrupted by a call from Comcast. The call came in on our Comcast land line that had been dead for several days. A senior technical person was on the phone. He was polite and apologetic. He told me that a "back office issue" had been resolved and now our land line worked. What's that old saying: "A day late and a dollar short."
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Jack's Africa: Sanctions Hit Russian Company Wins $ Billion Ugand...
Jack's Africa: Sanctions Hit Russian Company Wins $ Billion Ugand...: February 17, 2015 5:52 pm Sanctions-hit Russian group wins $4bn Uganda refinery deal Katrina Manson, east Africa correspondent A...
Russia Computer Security Company Discovers Massive Spyware Infestation Worldwide
February 17, 2015 6:47 am
Researchers in Russia said they have found a series of sophisticated hacking tools within the hard drives of personal computers built by some of the world’s biggest manufacturers.
Kaspersky Labs, a Moscow-based cyber security company, said it had uncovered the spying software in computers that were used in 30 countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Russia and China, which have long been priorities for US intelligence agencies.
ON THIS STORY
- Report warns of $1bn cyber attack
- Cyber world like ‘Wild West’, says Obama
- Obama’s cyber push spurs privacy fears
- Obama accuses Europe of tech protectionism
- ‘Blackmail’ and ‘fraud’ used to draw cyber experts
ON THIS TOPIC
- China hackers attack blue-chips via Forbes
- Cyber risks too big, says Lloyd’s insurer
- Inside Business Three hackers walk into a bank ...
- Bank of England warns on cyber attacks
IN US POLITICS & POLICY
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Without accusing the National Security Agency of being the source of the malware, Kaspersky researchers indirectly suggested that the tools were devised by the US.
Some of the surveillance tools had been hidden deep inside the hard drives of computers made by companies such as Toshiba, Western Digital, Seagateand IBM, the Russian company said.
If a US role in developing the new cyber-tools is confirmed, it could further tarnish the reputation of US technology companies after the damaging revelations about the NSA leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013.
Publishing the technical details of the spyware on Monday, Kaspersky said that they were introduced by a group “that surpasses anything known in terms of complexity and sophistication of techniques”.
Avoiding any direct reference to the NSA, Kaspersky said the spying software had been developed by an entity it called the Equation Group, which it said had been operating for 20 years.
It said, however, that the Equation Group had “solid links” to the creators of Stuxnet — the virus that attacked an Iranian nuclear facility and that wasdeveloped by the US, in co-operation with Israel.
In depth
As online threats race up national security agendas and governments look at ways of protecting their national infrastructures a cyber arms race is causing concern to the developed world
Read more
Read more
According to Kaspersky, one of the surveillance tools is embedded in the computer “firmware”, code that sends messages to the rest of a computer when it is switched on — a development the Russian researchers described as “an astonishing technical accomplishment” because it was so hard to detect and extract.
“To put it simply: for most hard drives there are functions to write into the hardware firmware area, but there are no functions to read it back,” said Costin Raiu, director of the global research and analysis team at Kaspersky Lab. “It means that we are practically blind, and cannot detect hard drives that have been infected by this malware.”
The report said that the Equation Group used the resultant capability to eavesdrop selectively. The targets had included banks, governments, nuclear researchers, military facilities and Islamic activists, it said.
The Kaspersky report also discussed the attempts by the Equation Group to map “air-gapped” networks that are not connected to the internet — as was the case for Iran’s nuclear facilities. It described a “unique USB-based command and control mechanism which allowed the attackers to pass data back and forth from air-gapped networks”.
Western Digital, Seagate and Micron said they had no knowledge of these spying programs. Toshiba and Samsung declined to comment. IBM did not respond to requests for comment.
Additional reporting by Kana Inagaki, Simon Mundy and agencies.
Monday, February 16, 2015
More Heartaches From Comcast
Comcast came out Saturday afternoon and installed an entire new internet system in Luah's room. As far as internet and television goes, it works just fine.But we have a huge problem. Our land line no longer works. Comcast did all sorts of trouble shooting over the phone and we had no joy.Now a very senior tech must step in and call me during the evening. Comcast is always having technical problems and causing us heart aches.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The Incredible Doctor Al Globus
Elena, Djenane Santos and Bianca,and I went over to have dinner with Dr. Al Globus and his wife Liz. We had an incredible meal. Al gave us an autographed copy of his new book "From Minefield To Mind Field Loving And Becoming Yourself." Please find a copy on www.xlibris.com. AL and Liz raised six children of their own and then went out and adopted three children in Rwanda after the genocide. They have wonderful hearts and very generous spirits.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Jack's South America: Sao Paulo Drought Compounds Brasil's Problems
Jack's South America: Sao Paulo Drought Compounds Brasil's Problems: Home World Africa Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America & Caribbean Middle East & North Africa UK US & Canada The Worl...
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
HSBC Bank Involved In Major Money Laundering And Tax Evasion Scandal
Last updated: February 9, 2015 11:07 pm
HSBC faces the possibility of fresh legal action in the UK and US after the bank was hit by detailed allegations that it colluded in tax-dodging by clients of its Swiss operation.
ON THIS STORY
- Video HSBC Swiss tax avoidance revealed
- FT View An invitation to prosecute
- Timeline History of HSBC controversies
- Philip Augar HSBC’s travails
- Leaked HSBC files veil on bank secrecy
ON THIS TOPIC
- Political storm over HSBC intensifies
- Politicians press for HSBC clampdown
- Slideshow HSBC’s private bank furore
- HSBC in Swiss tax avoidance storm
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Europe’s biggest bank by assets could face criminal investigation in Britain after it was forced to admit its Swiss private bank may have held accounts for tax-evading customers after details of more than 100,000 of its clients were leaked to news organisations.
David Gauke, the UK Treasury minister responsible for tax matters, said the data were handed to HMRC, the UK tax authority, in 2010 by the French authorities “under very strict conditions” preventing the Revenue from sharing the data with other law enforcement agencies; that had now changed.
“Under these restrictions, HMRC has not been able to seek prosecution for other potential offences, such as money laundering,” Mr Gauke told MPs. “However, the French authorities have today confirmed that they will provide all assistance necessary to allow HMRC to exploit the data to its fullest.”
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice could re-examine a deal that shields HSBC from prosecution for earlier infractions over money-laundering allegations.
In 2012, HSBC agreed to pay $1.9bn and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement over money-laundering allegations related to countries under US sanctions, such as Iran, and Latin American drug cartels. The tax disclosures could prompt officials to reopen the DPA and possibly scrap it.
UK government insiders said no decision to launch a criminal investigation had been taken. Any such move would be complicated by the fact that HSBC’s Swiss subsidiary was subject to Swiss jurisdiction.
HSBC declined to comment on potential UK action beyond repeating its assurance that it would work with all relevant authorities.
The bank rejected any suggestion that the US DPA could be reopened. “The DPA is a signed agreement that can only be ‘scrapped’ if HSBC breached it,” the bank said. “Conduct from 2005 to 2006 or indeed any conduct before December 2012 cannot be a breach of the DPA.”
The revelations to emerge this week included claims that HSBC’s Swiss unit handed large, untraceable bricks of cash in foreign currencies to clients and colluded with them to conceal “black” accounts from tax authorities, have provoked a political storm in several countries.
HSBC is one of about a dozen banks being investigated by the DoJ as part of a broad probe into banks in Switzerland that allegedly helped their clients avoid US taxes.Credit Suisse pleaded guilty in the case last year and paid a $2.6bn fine.
But HSBC could be in more trouble because of its multiple run-ins with the US authorities.
The DoJ is still investigating whether HSBC helped clients avoid US taxes, and, separately, whether the bankmanipulated foreign exchange markets.
In relation to those probes, officials could reopen the DPA, choose to impose other penalties, or none at all, people familiar with the case said. The agreement did not limit the DoJ in the tax probe.
The revelations could put additional pressure on the DoJ to be tough on HSBC in the pending probes.
“The recent revelations about HSBC’s efforts to shield individuals from the laws of the US and other nations are just the latest in a long list of troubling misdeeds by the bank,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the senior Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee.
“While HSBC has paid billions in fines to the United States and other nations, it outrages me that not a single individual has been prosecuted or held accountable.”
The Labour opposition focused its attack on the appointment by David Cameron of Lord Green, former HSBC chief executive and chairman, as a trade minister in 2011 — after details of the Swiss tax evasion scandal became known.
Mr Gauke said: “Lord Green was a successful trade minister. There is no evidence to suggest he was involved or complicit in tax evasion activities.”
But the role of Lord Green in the affair will come under scrutiny from the powerful Commons public accounts committee, which is investigating tax avoidance and is due to question Lin Homer, the head of HMRC, on Wednesday.
“Either he [Lord Green] didn’t know and he was asleep at the wheel, or he did know and he was therefore involved in dodgy tax practices,” said Margaret Hodge, the committee’s chairman.
Lord Green declined to comment.
HSBC said in a statement: “We acknowledge and are accountable for past compliance and control failures.” It added: “We have taken significant steps over the past several years to implement reforms and exit clients who do not meet strict new HSBC standards.”
An international group of news outlets received leaked client bank account files that were stolen in 2007 by Hervé Falciani, an IT expert at HSBC’s Swiss operation, who later fled to France and handed the files to the French government.
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