Sunday, 23 January 2011
Ad break #8
All you fans of SLR cameras and photography fanatics will be amazed by this powerful mini camera called the ChobiCam One. It measures 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.6 cm ( inches) but can still capture video at 640 x 480 and at 30 FPS in an AVI format for 30 mins continuous run time. It can also take snap shot pictures a 1600 x 1200 jpg format. The camera is powered via a USB cable or a through an AC power adapter and is so much like the larger SLR that you can even swap out a lens for a different to extend it's abilities ("conversion lens" is sold seperately). Captures video and photos on a microSD, microSDHC card to a maximum of 32 Gb. Requires Windows XP/Vista/7 OS and a USB 2.0 connection. When completely charged, battery lasts for 1 hour. The pack comes with the body of the camera, standard lense, USB cable, keychain, strap and reset pin.
This is a preorder that's scheduled for release in mid - late February 2011.
HERE
Amnesty International on Bradley Manning
BY FAX AND MAIL
Ref: AMR 51/2011/004
AI index: AMR 51/006/2011
The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301
USA
19 January 2011
Dear Secretary of Defense
I am writing to express concern about the conditions under which Private First Class (PFC) Bradley
Manning is detained at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia.
We are informed that, since July 2010, PFC Manning has been confined for 23 hours a day to a single
cell, measuring around 72 square feet (6.7 square metres) and equipped only with a bed, toilet and
sink. There is no window to the outside, the only view being on to a corridor through the barred doors
of his cell. All meals are taken in his cell, which we are told has no chair or table. He has no
association or contact with other pre-trial detainees and he is allowed to exercise, alone, for just one
hour a day, in a day-room or outside. He has access to a television which is placed in the corridor for
limited periods of the day. However, he is reportedly not permitted to keep personal possessions in his
cell, apart from one book and magazine at a time. Although he may write and receive correspondence,
writing is allowed only at an allotted time during the day and he is not allowed to keep such materials
in his cell.
We understand that PFC Manning’s restrictive conditions of confinement are due to his classification as
a maximum custody detainee. This classification also means that – unlike medium security detainees
–- he is shackled at the hands and legs during approved social and family visits, despite all such visits
at the facility being non-contact. He is also shackled during attorney visits at the facility. We further
understand that PFC Manning, as a maximum custody detainee, is denied the opportunity for a work
assignment which would allow him to be out of his cell for most of the day. The United Nations (UN)
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMR), which are internationally recognized
guiding principles, provide inter alia that “Untried prisoners shall always be offered opportunity to
work” should they wish to undertake such activity (SMR Section C, rule 89).
PFC Manning is also being held under a Prevention of Injury (POI) assignment, which means that he is
subjected to further restrictions. These include checks by guards every five minutes and a bar on his
sleeping during the day. He is required to remain visible at all times, including during night checks.
His POI status has resulted in his being deprived of sheets and a separate pillow, causing
uncomfortable sleeping conditions; his discomfort is reportedly exacerbated by the fact that he is
required to sleep only in boxer shorts and has suffered chafing of his bare skin from the blankets.
We are concerned that no formal reasons have been provided to PFC Manning for either his maximum
security classification or the POI assignment and that efforts by his counsel to challenge these
assignments through administrative procedures have thus far failed to elicit a response. We are further
concerned that he reportedly remains under POI despite a recommendation by the military psychiatrist
overseeing his treatment that such an assignment is no longer necessary.
Amnesty International recognizes that it may sometimes be necessary to segregate prisoners for
disciplinary or security purposes. However, the restrictions imposed in PFC Manning’s case appear to
be unnecessarily harsh and punitive, in view of the fact that he has no history of violence or disciplinary
infractions and that he is a pre-trial detainee not yet convicted of any offence.
The conditions under which PFC Manning is held appear to breach the USA’s obligations under
international standards and treaties, including Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) which the USA ratified in 1992 and which states that “all persons deprived of
their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human
person”. The UN Human Rights Committee, the ICCPR monitoring body, has noted in its General
Comment on Article 10 that persons deprived of their liberty may not be “subjected to any hardship or
constraint other than that resulting from the deprivation of liberty; respect for the dignity of such
persons must be guaranteed under the same conditions as for that of free persons …”.
The harsh conditions imposed on PFC Manning also undermine the principle of the presumption of
innocence, which should be taken into account in the treatment of any person under arrest or awaiting
trial. We are concerned that the effects of isolation and prolonged cellular confinement – which
evidence suggests can cause psychological impairment, including depression, anxiety and loss of
concentration – may, further, undermine his ability to assist in his defence and thus his right to a fair
trial.
In view of the concerns raised, we urge you to review the conditions under which PFC Manning is
confined at the Quantico naval brig and take effective measures to ensure that he is no longer held in
23 hour cellular confinement or subjected to other undue restrictions.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Lee
Program Director
Americas Regional Program
Cc COL Carl R. Coffman Jr., Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Myer, VA
COL Daniel J. Choike, Base Commander, MCB, Quantico
HERE
Ref: AMR 51/2011/004
AI index: AMR 51/006/2011
The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301
USA
19 January 2011
Dear Secretary of Defense
I am writing to express concern about the conditions under which Private First Class (PFC) Bradley
Manning is detained at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia.
We are informed that, since July 2010, PFC Manning has been confined for 23 hours a day to a single
cell, measuring around 72 square feet (6.7 square metres) and equipped only with a bed, toilet and
sink. There is no window to the outside, the only view being on to a corridor through the barred doors
of his cell. All meals are taken in his cell, which we are told has no chair or table. He has no
association or contact with other pre-trial detainees and he is allowed to exercise, alone, for just one
hour a day, in a day-room or outside. He has access to a television which is placed in the corridor for
limited periods of the day. However, he is reportedly not permitted to keep personal possessions in his
cell, apart from one book and magazine at a time. Although he may write and receive correspondence,
writing is allowed only at an allotted time during the day and he is not allowed to keep such materials
in his cell.
We understand that PFC Manning’s restrictive conditions of confinement are due to his classification as
a maximum custody detainee. This classification also means that – unlike medium security detainees
–- he is shackled at the hands and legs during approved social and family visits, despite all such visits
at the facility being non-contact. He is also shackled during attorney visits at the facility. We further
understand that PFC Manning, as a maximum custody detainee, is denied the opportunity for a work
assignment which would allow him to be out of his cell for most of the day. The United Nations (UN)
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMR), which are internationally recognized
guiding principles, provide inter alia that “Untried prisoners shall always be offered opportunity to
work” should they wish to undertake such activity (SMR Section C, rule 89).
PFC Manning is also being held under a Prevention of Injury (POI) assignment, which means that he is
subjected to further restrictions. These include checks by guards every five minutes and a bar on his
sleeping during the day. He is required to remain visible at all times, including during night checks.
His POI status has resulted in his being deprived of sheets and a separate pillow, causing
uncomfortable sleeping conditions; his discomfort is reportedly exacerbated by the fact that he is
required to sleep only in boxer shorts and has suffered chafing of his bare skin from the blankets.
We are concerned that no formal reasons have been provided to PFC Manning for either his maximum
security classification or the POI assignment and that efforts by his counsel to challenge these
assignments through administrative procedures have thus far failed to elicit a response. We are further
concerned that he reportedly remains under POI despite a recommendation by the military psychiatrist
overseeing his treatment that such an assignment is no longer necessary.
Amnesty International recognizes that it may sometimes be necessary to segregate prisoners for
disciplinary or security purposes. However, the restrictions imposed in PFC Manning’s case appear to
be unnecessarily harsh and punitive, in view of the fact that he has no history of violence or disciplinary
infractions and that he is a pre-trial detainee not yet convicted of any offence.
The conditions under which PFC Manning is held appear to breach the USA’s obligations under
international standards and treaties, including Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) which the USA ratified in 1992 and which states that “all persons deprived of
their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human
person”. The UN Human Rights Committee, the ICCPR monitoring body, has noted in its General
Comment on Article 10 that persons deprived of their liberty may not be “subjected to any hardship or
constraint other than that resulting from the deprivation of liberty; respect for the dignity of such
persons must be guaranteed under the same conditions as for that of free persons …”.
The harsh conditions imposed on PFC Manning also undermine the principle of the presumption of
innocence, which should be taken into account in the treatment of any person under arrest or awaiting
trial. We are concerned that the effects of isolation and prolonged cellular confinement – which
evidence suggests can cause psychological impairment, including depression, anxiety and loss of
concentration – may, further, undermine his ability to assist in his defence and thus his right to a fair
trial.
In view of the concerns raised, we urge you to review the conditions under which PFC Manning is
confined at the Quantico naval brig and take effective measures to ensure that he is no longer held in
23 hour cellular confinement or subjected to other undue restrictions.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Lee
Program Director
Americas Regional Program
Cc COL Carl R. Coffman Jr., Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Myer, VA
COL Daniel J. Choike, Base Commander, MCB, Quantico
HERE
The Ships of Poison Cover-Up - An Ecological Bomb in the Mediterranean
While the global and Italian national media focuses on allegations of Berlusconi's latest sexual exploits including reports of hedonistic orgies with teenage prostitutes at his luxurious villas, the much more devastating story of the intentional sinking of ships laden with radioactive and toxic materials into the Mediterranean Sea has quietly developed some new twists and turns in another of Italy's notorious and grand cover-ups. Surely Berlusconi's sexcapades make Bill Clinton's impeachable blow job pale in comparison, but the the tabloid headlines could be replaced by the indignation of the Italian Media at least, with the intentional contamination of the beloved blue waters of the Mediterranean and the dismantling of the Italy's social democracy rather than dedicating the entirety of their attention to prostitutes being paid to entertain one of our most sick and twisted world leaders.
We pick up this story in June of 2010 with the revelations that there is indeed what Italian state prosecutor Bruno Giordano called an "ecological bomb" in the valley of the Oliva river that flows down the mountains and past the towns of Aiello Calabro and Amantea on its way to the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is where it is believed that the cargo of the Jolly Rosso was intentionally dumped and buried. State agencies found the valley to be contaminated with thousands of cubic meters of industrial mud laced with very high levels of cobalt, nickel, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals. They found the presence of cesium 137, and they found more contaminated locations than previously anticipated, leading investigators to believe that not only was the cargo of the Jolly Rosso dumped here but that the area was then used as an illegal dumping grounds for years. There are no industries in this area that produce these materials so it is clear that they were produced and shipped in from other places. A formal request has been made to the minister of the environment Stefania Prestigiacomo to declare this zone an environmental disaster area and to begin cleaning it up. More than six months later there has been NO response.
State secrets still cloak the investigation into the case of what the Italian's call the Navi dei Veleni Ships of Poison. State secrets still mask the murders of key investigators into the network of international business men, the Italian military, SISMI (the Italian secret service), NATO and state governments as they worked together to create and hide a network of waste and arms trafficking traversing the high Seas from the major Italian port of La Spezia to Alessandria, Egypt, Beruit, Lebanon and onward to Africa and Mogadishu in Somalia. Key investigators into the story of the Ships of Poison, Naval Captain Natale de Grazia, journalist Ilaria Alpi and cameraman Miran Hrovatin lost their lives for what many believe was their discovering of key truths that could expose an international network involving the Italian government that traded military weapons for the disposal of hazardous industrial wastes. Alpi and Hrovatin were gunned down in Mogadishu on the 20th of March 1994 by a Somali commando unit. Captain Natale de Grazia died of sudden cardiac arrest on the 13th of December 1995 only days before he was to deliver his report on his investigation into the Ships of Poison...
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Michael Leonardi @'Counterpunch'
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Satellite launch California 20/01
Via
Friday, 21 January 2011
Damn! I want this...
Every show will include its own liner notes by top Dead scholars (including David Gans, Steve Silberman, Blair Jackson and Nicholas Meriwether) and concert-goers, as well as many never-before-seen photos. This magnificent, unprecedented collection will also feature memorabilia and ephemera from the tour, and a coffee table-worthy book with a comprehensive tour essay by Blair Jackson and hundreds of never-before-seen photos - all housed in a groovy replica steamer trunk.
As a special bonus, the first 3,000 boxed sets issued will be personalized editions. This unprecedented release will be limited to orders placed, with a maximum of 7,200 boxes produced.
Additionally, to reward those loyal fans who have to wait until September to receive the final box set, Dead.net will offer several exclusive goodies over the coming months.
GRATEFUL DEAD EUROPE 1972 TOUR DATES
All shows included in their entirety
April 7 Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley
April 8 Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley
April 11 Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle
April 14 Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen
April 16 Aarhus University, Aarhus
April 17 Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen
April 21 Beat Club, Bremen
April 24 Rheinhalle, Dusseldorf
April 26 Jahrhundert Halle, Frankfurt
April 29 Musikhalle, Hamburg
May 3 Olympia Theatre, Paris
May 4 Olympia Theatre, Paris
May 7 Bickershaw Festival, Wigan
May 10 Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
May 11 Rotterdam Civic Hall, Rotterdam
May 13 Lille Fairgrounds, Lille
May 16 Theatre Hall, Luxembourg
May 18 Kongressaal - Deutsches Museum, Munich
May 23 Strand Lyceum, London
May 24 Strand Lyceum, London
May 25 Strand Lyceum, London
May 26 Strand Lyceum, London
Europe 72
Gold v. Water
Last August 7 in his inaugural speech as President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos said: “We are a nation with one of the largest biological diversities in the world, and with a great supply of water. Therefore we are called upon to care for them for our own benefit and that of mankind...We will create the National Agency for Water Resources, in order to guarantee greater protection of our natural resources”. In another segment of his speech President Santos emphasized the need to create jobs in order to reduce the highest unemployment rate in Latin America and he specifically pointed out focus areas which are indispensable if Colombia is to move forward, naming agricultural development, infra-structure construction, build additional housing, mining development and technological innovation.
Based upon President Santos’ speech, the challenges he must meet include protecting bio-diversity, guaranteeing sources of potable water, and creating employment for Colombia’s millions of unemployed, while overseeing an increase in mining operations such as those planned for the Santurban area.
Deep in the eastern mountain range of the Colombian Andes there is a collection of mountains known as Santurban. This is a territory of “paramos”, a Spanish term that in pre-Roman times meant “desolation”. And the lands of the paramos are desolate, because they are found at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. Their vegetation and grasses are appropriate for such heights. They are in permanent action, retaining water vapor from the ever-present fog and transforming it into liquid water. The secret of this process is in the nature of their soils, which are of volcanic origin and contain organic material and aluminum. The organic material accumulates, due to the low temperature in the paramos, which slows the activity of microbes. Upon combining with the aluminum, particles are formed which are resistant to decomposition. It is in this way that the soil retains water for long periods of time. Water is freed slowly and continuously. The paramos do not produce water. It comes from rain, fog and snow from higher altitudes, which are above 5,000 meters and are snow-covered mountains. They collect water and regulate it. For this reason the Andean paramos are considered natural “factories” of potable water. In addition, because of the very nature of their soil, the Andean paramos store carbon from the atmosphere and thus help to control global warming. These mountains may be able to offer a response to global warming and to the shortage of water.
In the specific case of Santurban, its ecosystem shelters a high biodiversity, in addition to providing water to rivers and ponds. Santurban has 85 ponds, which give origin to a number of rivers and streams that sustain agricultural production and cattle-raising in the low zones, as well as supplying water for the 2.2 million inhabitants of the cities of Bucaramanga and Cucuta and 20 nearby municipalities...
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Cecilia Zarate-Laun @'Counterpunch'
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