Monday, October 17, 2016

Investigative Journalism - Hillary Clinton - Haiti

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/us/hillary-clinton-cheryl-mills.html

https://ellinjimmersonblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/break-the-silence-hillary-clintons-role-in-the-2009-military-coup-in-honduras/

The following link is about Haiti but not Clinton.  I believed the 2% just because I had heard it so often.  A tree is a tree.  A real unique countable thing.  Just count them.  They don't move.  Establishing the truth or a better estimate of it is not difficult!  What is the agenda of the 2% estimate that is not the truth or even near it? 

https://news.vice.com/story/one-of-the-most-repeated-facts-about-deforestation-in-haiti-is-a-lie

The links are two examples of investigative journalism that deliver some facts, some fact based conclusions worthy of consideration that they might relate to some degree of truth through revealing analysis.  Good stuff.  Truth shall set us free....free from the veil of hiding the agenda and actions from public scrutiny or comprehension.

Hillary is an expert at private and public policy, especially when they are in conflict.  In the case of conflict private policy dominates?  Because we do not want to know how the sausage is made?  Exactly who benefits and to what extent from all that sausage making? 

It is all about the money and power related to the money.

Our global monetary system must be restructured to be totally transparent revealing by virtue of direct relationship of units of money to the registered beneficial owners of the money and all monetary exchange transactions in a comprehensive blockchain system applied to the the fundamental structure of the monetary system as well as ownership of specific owned or invested assets involved in the function of the monetary system as a medium of exchange.

What kind of a system is that?  The system I propose that is the thread that runs through entries in  this blog.

Every single unit of the monetary system must be directly related to an owner through an account.  All transactions are traceable to both the specifically identified units of money and accounts in a block chain as well as the specifically identified real or conceptual things that are designated to be subject to ownership identification.

Everything involving money as well as the money involved must be totally traceable in a transparent system in which the need to know is subject to legal investigatory control and oversight.
http://edgardunn.com/2016/09/can-blockchain-prevent-money-laundering/

We need a fair game on a level playing field!

Much of what I bog about derives from my favorite best website: NakedCapitalism.com.
Yves not only does investigative journalism but links to sites and specific reports that do investigative journalism!  The truth will set us free!  Media technology works both ways.  To confuse with complexity and mis-direction or to clarify with facts and presenting facts and reasoning based on reason and reality to dispel special interest self serving myth and spin and agendas contrary to the common good and welfare.
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/10/the-mainstream-medias-phony-war.html

Finally a shout out to an Investigative Report!
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/10/perfect-hindsight-on-breder-suasso-of-nz-and-elsewhere-global-transaction-services-of-hong-kong-georgia-us-and-london-mbank-and-pekao-bank-sa-of-poland-and-ceska-sportilevna-as-of-the-czech-re.html

No, it does not address the specific focus of this blog title.  It is an excellent example of investigative reporting that researched information that is available on the World Wide Web and public records to through light on corrupt financial practices.

Most Excellent!

What official action will result from the evidence provided?  Action to enforce laws, regulations and controls that should prevent this corruption?   That requires a higher level control of the monetary system in which it operates.  A control that establishes as a matter of record through blockchain accounting systems the transactions involved, the accounts involved, the entities related to those transactions and the beneficial owner of the account and transacting entities.

Transparency and truth!

This is related to the title of this blog entry:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/10/17/hillary-clinton-foundation-donors-lobbyists-state-department/92285652/

Investigative reporting at its finest:  If facts on criminal corruption can't be found then steal them.  It is called spying on the crooks using a corrupt system.  Stealing operations information from crooks, investigating it and releasing investigative information to the public for scrutiny is not a crime.  It is a public service.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/10/27/panama-the-hidden-trillions/

https://www.propublica.org/article/corrupt-foreign-officials-find-refuge-in-united-states


Saturday, October 15, 2016

Veteran Intelligence Professionals For Sanity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veteran_Intelligence_Professionals_for_Sanity

They should start a branch for the FBI!

http://nypost.com/2016/10/06/fbi-agents-are-ready-to-revolt-over-the-cozy-clinton-probe/

Model the nature and structural relationship and member composition of the organization  AUSA with the mix of active and retired membership.  Of course it would not have an agenda of more money and political support associated with its objectives.  It would have a different agenda in support of what it believes to be objectives beneficial to our nation.

What would really be the difference between the two quasi military/governmental/political influence agenda entities?

Friday, October 14, 2016

Eastern Airlines

https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/ed-wegel-out-as-eastern-air-lines-ceo/

Office address of Eastern Airlines; 1221 Brickell Avenue Suite 2660 Miami, FL 33133
Google search on this address: Delaware companies: http://us-companies.info/de/1839062_105_capital_llc:

John Sicilian: http://us-companies.info/search/principals/sicilian_john

1221 Partners:  http://us-companies.info/fl/3050962_1221_partners_llc
http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/1848-Capital-Partners/Miami-Florida-33131/1848-Capital-Partners-Eastern-Airlines-Joseph-Dagrosa-John-Sicilian-David-Neithhardt-1170200

1848 Capital Partners: http://www.1848capital.com


Eastern Airlines:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-03/soon-this-is-how-you-ll-get-to-cuba
"A smaller player, Miami-based startup Eastern Airlines, is using charter flights as a way to help bolster its finances and gain operating experience ahead of its debut of regular scheduled service. Eastern announced last month that it would operate 65 new charter flights per month from Miami to three cities in Cuba, including two daily runs to Havana. American tourists, of course, have sneaked into Cuba for decades via Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, or other nations unaffected by the U.S. embargo. For those Americans allowed to travel directly to Cuba, round-trip charter fares start at about $400 from South Florida for what is a very brief flight.”

The Eastern Airlines flying to Cuba uses the IATA code of EA

https://airwaysmag.com/traveler/trip-report-flying-the-new-eastern-air-lines-to-cuba/

Note that the airline code EA applies to the following at this site:
IATA-Code:    EA
ICAO-Code:   
Airline:    East Horizon Airlines
Country:    Afghanistan
Callsign:


European Air Express also has the IATA code of EA
http://airlinecodes.info/ea/which-airline-code-is-ea?
European Air Express is out of business
http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/EA

This cached websiteT lists EA (*EA) 12 Oct 2016 which is very much in business
(CCN) Chaghcharan
(EA*) East Horizon Airlines
106
8:00 AM
Scheduled
flight-search-results-arrow-right.png
(KBL) Kabul
FG.gif
251
11:10 AM
Scheduled
flight-search-results-arrow-right.png
(ZAJ) Zaranj
(EA*) East Horizon Airlines
118
12:15 PM
Scheduled
flight-search-results-arrow-right.png

East Horizon Airlines (Afghanistan) flight schedule:
http://flyeasthorizon.com/flight-schedule/

An East Horizon Airlines (Afghanistan) flight EA105
http://kvikr.com/flight/ea105_east_horizon_airlines
Eastern Airlines (sans Horizon)  is here
Eastern Horizon Airlines (Miami-Cuba) flight EA4138
https://www.flightpedia.org/flight-status/ea3148.html
East Horizon Airlines flight 3148 flight status. The latest information about status, airline, aircraft, departure and arrival times. EA 3148 flight from Havana Airport, Havana to Miami International Airport, Miami. The flight is operated by East Horizon Airlines (IATA code: EA, ICAO code: ). EA3148 flight distance is about 379 kms and the flight time is 1 minutes Today is Thursday, Oct 13 2016
Eastern Airlines (sans Horizon)  is here: http://easternairlines.aero
The airline is named Eastern Airlines but there is no IATA code for Eastern Airlines.  It is East Horizon Airlines operating under the name of Eastern Airlines

Eastern Airlines:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-03/soon-this-is-how-you-ll-get-to-cuba
"A smaller player, Miami-based startup Eastern Airlines, is using charter flights as a way to help bolster its finances and gain operating experience ahead of its debut of regular scheduled service. Eastern announced last month that it would operate 65 new charter flights per month from Miami to three cities in Cuba, including two daily runs to Havana. American tourists, of course, have sneaked into Cuba for decades via Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, or other nations unaffected by the U.S. embargo. For those Americans allowed to travel directly to Cuba, round-trip charter fares start at about $400 from South Florida for what is a very brief flight.”

The Eastern Airlines flying to Cuba uses the IATA code of EA

https://airwaysmag.com/traveler/trip-report-flying-the-new-eastern-air-lines-to-cuba/

Note that the airline code EA applies to the following at this site:
IATA-Code:    EA
ICAO-Code:   
Airline:    East Horizon Airlines
Country:    Afghanistan
Callsign:


European Air Express also has the IATA code of EA
http://airlinecodes.info/ea/which-airline-code-is-ea?
European Air Express is out of business
http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/EA

This cached websiteT lists EA (*EA) 12 Oct 2016 which is very much in business
(CCN) Chaghcharan
(EA*) East Horizon Airlines
106
8:00 AM
Scheduled

(KBL) Kabul

251
11:10 AM
Scheduled

(ZAJ) Zaranj
(EA*) East Horizon Airlines
118
12:15 PM
Scheduled


East Horizon Airlines (Afghanistan) flight schedule:
http://flyeasthorizon.com/flight-schedule/

An East Horizon Airlines (Afghanistan) flight EA105
http://kvikr.com/flight/ea105_east_horizon_airlines
Eastern Airlines (sans Horizon)  is here
Eastern Horizon Airlines (Miami-Cuba) flight EA4138
https://www.flightpedia.org/flight-status/ea3148.html
East Horizon Airlines flight 3148 flight status. The latest information about status, airline, aircraft, departure and arrival times. EA 3148 flight from Havana Airport, Havana to Miami International Airport, Miami. The flight is operated by East Horizon Airlines (IATA code: EA, ICAO code: ). EA3148 flight distance is about 379 kms and the flight time is 1 minutes Today is Thursday, Oct 13 2016
Eastern Airlines (sans Horizon)  is here: http://easternairlines.aero
The airline is named Eastern Airlines but there is no IATA code for Eastern Airlines.  It is East Horizon Airlines operating under the name of Eastern Airlines




Plane Spotting -- Dictator's Planes

I like this:

https://twitter.com/GVA_Watcher

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Tyler Technologies City of Bend




The following Investment Summary details the software, products, and services to be delivered by Tyler Technologies, Inc. to the City of Bend under City’s License and Services Agreement. This Investment Summary is effective as of the Effective Date. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined will have the meaning assigned to such terms in the License and Services Agreement.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

AUSA - Association of the United States Army

http://original.antiwar.com/David_Stockman/2016/10/10/truth-war-aleppo/

This is a google search on General Milley

AUSA website:  https://www.ausa.org/ausa2016 A non-governmental entity composed of military members beating the drums of war.

The last two links go off on a tangent from the focus of this post but are related.  While our forces in the Middle East are the tip of the spear, those teeth are business end supported by a long tail.  A tail of logistics that is more than just hardware support.  It is political support of the mission in tune with the political party of the day.  We have just one party really.  A war party, a big business party, a big money party, a capitalist party.  It puts the top 1% at the top of the supporting tail.

A top ranking military officer speaking in uniform at a non-military function, I will not even give it the description of quasi-military.  Mercenaries are quasi-military.  The audience is or was composed of top ranking members of the US Military (plus lower ranks of wannabes and probably their  counterparts in the Military/Industrial complex.  This does not pass the smell test of honor and integrity beyond reproach consistent with the standard of a higher level of professional performance.

Look at General Dunford, USMC, Chairman, JCS speaking at an AUSA function:  https://www.ausa.org/news/dunford-challenges-require-more-%E2%80%98buying-new-hardware%E2%80%99.
What he says treads on the domain of political speech.  A boundary that is being push in the same manner as the boundary between the military and industrial complex.  Perhaps  a search on the term: Military/Political Complex might be revealing?  It certainly exists except as an indirect relationship.  More money to be made going through the industrial revolving door than the political one.

AUSA images search: ausa association of the united states army https://www.google.com
It even has its own credit card!

This is in my opinion, everything written here is that, an excellent statement on the Military-Political relationship evolving to a role of greater Military power and performance in the Political domain that has sifted the dominant role:  https://www.thenation.com/article/the-case-for-demilitarizing-the-military/

Perhaps the last several paragraphs looking at this situation is worthy of a new blog entry.

AUSA Young Professional deserves a critical look. A non-profit.






Monday, October 10, 2016

Direcorate of Digital Information - CIA

Update 15 November:  http://motherboard.vice.com/read/your-government-wants-to-militarize-social-media-to-influence-your-beliefs

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/24221-local-police-using-cia-funded-software-to-track-all-citizens-social-media-posts

http://mygaming.co.za/news/business/107557-the-cia-is-now-using-ai-to-predict-future-crimes.html

https://geofeedia.com/

http://www.manta.com/c/mmss2v6/next-level-automotive-dba-autouplinkusa-pa-nj-de

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&ved=0ahUKEwjL7dLnwNDPAhUD0WMKHfAaCos4ChAWCCIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aclunc.org%2Fdocs%2F20160921-pra_geofeedia_ferguson_situation_r.pdf.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFE7_FoKVpMs90TvEcRKPf6I23jAw&sig2=Ml4DArveLMLkswCYUl--EA&bvm=bv.135258522,d.cGc

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2824286/Various-docs-between-San-Jose-PD-and-Geofeedia.txt

https://www.aclunc.org/blog/facebook-instagram-and-twitter-provided-data-access-surveillance-product-marketed-target

"Geofeedia is a patented (12 patents issued) location-based social media discovery platform available for
law enforcement. The algorithms necessary to search and aggregate Social media data in this manner are
intellectual property and not available in other softWare packages. Unlike keyword?centric platforms,
Geofeedia takes a ?geo~first? approach and only provides social media data that has been gee?coded with
precise latitude and longitude coordinates from GPS enabled devices, therefore allowing law enforcement
agencies to extraCt actionable intelligence from vast volumes of social media content in the locations most

important to them.

The following patents support the overall Geofeedia technology and various features and functions of our
platform: 8655873, 8612533, 8639767, 8595317, 2827184, 9055074, 8655983, 8990346, 8862589,
8484224, 8850531, 8849935.

Sole Source Vendor Justi?cation Con?dential"
 
"In addition, Geofeedia offers a number-of features not available with any other vendor:

Data from eight sources (Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Yik Yak, Seno?
Weibo)

The Geofeedia Streamer, which allows users to stream the real?time social content coming from
multiple locations simultaneously

Real-time alerts, automatically notifying users Via email of new content from de?ned users or

containing de?ned keywords

Data archiving, enabling users to easily store all social data from a de?ned location in a secure,
cloud?based data center for future access and analysis

Network analysis to describe social media relationships once a subject has been identi?ed.

An aggregate collage view of search results, displaying data in an organized'timeline with all
sources displayed together or individually

Ability to consolidate and aggregate content coming from multiple locations into one single feed.
Simple and elegant creation of collections for workflow and curating processes.

Work?ow capabilities to integrate and push discovered posts on Geofeedia to popular 
platform.

Create curated and embeddable lnstagram maps to display content within other websites or
intelligence platforms.

Direct import of shape files for any customer location.

Integrated mobile application that enables mobile use of the Geofeedia platform, including data

and feeds created on the desktop platform.

Location-based social media intelligence vs. keyword monitoring tools

While hundreds of social media monitoring tools are available to help organizatiOns search for and monitor

social conversations surrounding speci?c keywords or hashtags, none of them have the hyper-local, geo?

social capabilities of Geofeedia?s platform.

Unlike traditional monitoring platforms that start with a keyword, Geofeedia starts with a location, and rich

social media intelligence can be gathered from any speci?c location in the world regardless of what words

Sole Source Vendor Justi?cation Con?dential

Geoteetiia, inc. 6 444 hHJVells St, Suite 532 Chicago ll. 5"


 

Who's On First In Yemen ???

13 Oct 2016:  This by Juan Cole.  I regard him as a trustworthy in depth expert on this complex situational mix of politics, religion, ethnic groups and the nation state and various factions and agendas involved.  http://www.juancole.com/2016/10/houthis-yemen-openly.html  Good advice on a difficult problem:
" My advice to the Obama administration would be to dissociate itself from the Saudi war and to open its own lines of communication to the Houthis. Seeing the latter as Iranian proxies is a form of geopolitical paranoia, and failing to recognize that Wahhabi proselytizing is a cause of a lot of the problems in the Muslim world is shortsighted on the part of the US."

Has Hillary Clinton or Obama ever been asked:  "What is a Wahabi?" What could or would they say? I just read the Wikipedia link as well as the Juan Cole link.  What could I say now to explain it to someone?  Beats me!  Good guys wear white hats, bad guys wear black.  What hat does a wahabi wear.  The simplicity of binary thinking!  Wahabi is either for me or against me!  TINA.  Yes there is.

What is a Wahabi?  What and where is the official .gov website equal to explain this as an official definition and policy toward the problem?

You couldn't handle the explanation!  Trust us. We know what is best.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-yousaf-butt-/saudi-wahhabism-islam-terrorism_b_6501916.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html

13 October 2016:  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/13/us-enters-yemen-war-bombing-houthis-who-launched-missiles-at-navy-ship

The title of this bog entry references the comedy routine:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_on_First%3F.
A popular toast at formal navy functions is: "Confusion To Our Enemies" generally attributed in origin to the British Navy.  Another meme that was sometimes used in my navy career:  "We have met the enemy and they are us".

This appears to be maybe the best explanation by an expert:

http://eaworldview.com/2016/10/yemen-feature-a-guide-to-the-civil-war/

Darned if I can figure it out!

What ever happened to good old binary war.  Good guys vs. Bad Guys?  That however never was the case, merely the simply minded perception.  It is and always was complicated at the micro and macro analysis level.  White and black hats are only for the movies.

Yemen was not mentioned in the 2nd presidential debate.  (keyword search of the transcript).  The next day an attack on a US Navy ship was reported.  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-usa-ship-idUSKCN12A082


This was an interesting find, for what it is worth: Should the U.S. provide military aid to Saudi Arabia during its conflict with Yemen?
https://www.isidewith.com/poll/2533295991
Not the general consistency of response among various sectors favoring to a high degree the reply:  Stay out of it!

"As the US meddles in another Middle East war, candidates must address it"."The US is helping Yemen fight a conflict that its ongoing support of Saudi Arabia helped cause. Yet there’s little public disclosure or debate" Read the link.  Who is on first and why?  Who knows?  Ask What!  What is where?  On second! Who's on second?  ....What!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/09/yemen-saudia-arabia-us-military-trump-clinton
"The Pentagon quietly announced on Friday that US military troops are on the ground in yet another Middle Eastern country – this time in Yemen – and have been there for the last two weeks. That’s how US wars get started these days: no public debate, no congressional authorization, no presidential address; just an after-the-fact pre-weekend news dump.
This time, instead of Isis, the US military “advisers” (don’t call them “boots on the ground”!) are supposedly assisting Yemeni forces fighting a resurgent al-Qaida organization, the same terrorist group that the US has helped strengthen over the past year by giving Saudi Arabia all sorts of support for their appalling and destructive war against Yemen."

It is a big quagmire and the Big Fool says to push on! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist_Deep_in_the_Big_Muddy

Why?  Where is Why?  What is That you ask?

That is the big question!  Or is it Who?

Who, What or Why is driving this train wreck?

Don't ask.

Don't tell.

You can't handle the truth!

I can't even begin to find it.  Maybe I should read this link again:
http://eaworldview.com/2016/10/yemen-feature-a-guide-to-the-civil-war/

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/yemen
"The Republic of Yemen is one of the driest, poorest and least developed countries in the world. It ranks 140 out of 182 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index (2009). An estimated 42 percent of the people are poor, and one Yemeni in five is malnourished. Poverty is endemic, particularly in more remote and less accessible areas."

http://www.juancole.com/2016/10/airstrikes-hundreds-civilians.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-yemen_us_57fc1d20e4b0b6a4303504d3?section=&

https://theintercept.com/2016/10/10/photos-show-fragments-of-u-s-bombs-at-site-of-yemen-funeral-masssacre/

A funeral is bombed in Yemen.  A wedding party is bombed in Iraq.  Aleppo is bombed by Coalition Forces, (Saudi Arbia?) Which one is a war crime?

All the fighting in the Mid-East is done in cities.  Civilians live there.  It isn't WWI trench warfare of two opposing sides.  Basra is (was) a city not the name of some battlefield where wheat or corn was grown.  City fighting is what US Forces are trained for in base training mock ups.  That is where wars are fought.  War crimes committed.  Civilians flee or die.

How many US troops or agents or government employed civilians are in Yemen and what are they doing.  With and for whom?

May 6 2016:  http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/06/us-reveals-boots-ground-yemen/84024498/   What about now?  Was there ever a war where we did not escalate as the level of fighting escalated?

Two days ago:  http://news.antiwar.com/2016/10/09/more-us-troops-arriving-in-iraq-ahead-of-mosul-invasion/
 The official US Command release says the number is 600 troops: http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/News-Article-View/Article/958881/carter-600-troops-to-deploy-to-enable-iraqis-to-retake-mosul-from-isil/

Oct 5, 2016:  http://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/964518/us-strike-in-yemen-kills-1-terrorist-wounds-another

The title of this blog entry is "Who's on First in Yemen?".  Then it expanded geographically to the other nations in the Mid-East. Why are we there at all?  Perhaps this is the best statement on the entire history and pathetic situation in the Mid-East.

http://original.antiwar.com/David_Stockman/2016/10/10/truth-war-aleppo/

and this also:

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=16547THE BATTLE OF ALEPPO, THE BATTLE OF DRESDEN, THE BATTLE OF MASADA AND THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH FIELD — WHO LIES, LIES LONGEST

The war in Syria: http://warontherocks.com/2016/10/the-misadventures-of-russia-and-the-united-states-in-syria-complete-strategy-implosion-edition/

I have the highest regard for Ray McGoverns intelligence and dedication:  I think that we are heading for trouble fast and like Bush, those that want it are going to get it.  What are their goals?  Agenda?  Self interest? http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/10/12/russian-throws-down-the-gauntlet-fly-at-your-own-risk/
 

This is a google search on General Milley

AUSA website:  https://www.ausa.org/ausa2016 A non-governmental entity composed of military members beating the drums of war.

The last two links go off on a tangent from the focus of this post but are related.  While our forces in the Middle East are the tip of the spear, those teeth are business end supported by a long tail.  A tail of logistics that is more than just hardware support.  It is political support of the mission in tune with the political party of the day.  We have just one party really.  A war party, a big business party, a big money party, a capitalist party.  It puts the top 1% at the top of the supporting tail.

A top ranking military officer speaking in uniform at a non-military function, I will not even give it the description of quasi-military.  Mercenaries are quasi-military.  The audience is or was composed of top ranking members of the US Military (plus lower ranks of wannabes and probably their  counterparts in the Military/Industrial complex.  This does not pass the smell test of honor and integrity beyond reproach consistent with the standard of a higher level of professional performance.

Look at General Dunford, USMC, Chairman, JCS speaking at an AUSA function:  https://www.ausa.org/news/dunford-challenges-require-more-%E2%80%98buying-new-hardware%E2%80%99.
What he says treads on the domain of political speech.  A boundary that is being push in the same manner as the boundary between the military and industrial complex.  Perhaps  a search on the term: Military/Political Complex might be revealing?  It certainly exists except as an indirect relationship.  More money to be made going through the industrial revolving door than the political one.

AUSA images search: ausa association of the united states army https://www.google.com
It even has its own credit card!

This is in my opinion, everything written here is that, an excellent statement on the Military-Political relationship evolving to a role of greater Military power and performance in the Political domain that has sifted the dominant role:  https://www.thenation.com/article/the-case-for-demilitarizing-the-military/

Perhaps the last several paragraphs looking at this situation is worthy of a new blog entry.

AUSA Young Professional deserves a critical look. A non-profit.


Sunday, October 9, 2016

Fear Based Voting - Lesser of Two Evils - TINA? Yes There Is! Especially in Some States That Do Not Matter

Update 16 Oct:  Freedom from fear of voting third party in protest!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-clinton-heavily-favored-to-win-electoral-college-reuters-ipsos/ar-AAiZStb

Update 15 Oct:
Hope for a more meaningful alternative to TINA!  Reported at Russian Television!
https://www.rt.com/usa/362848-sanders-win-write-in-ballots/
 Oregon!  Hope! Game not over: Bernie Sanders could slip ‘write-in’ to presidential election victory 

I protest Bernie's statement that now is not the time for a protest vote (for Bernie)!  It's Oregon, its my vote and I will not be fear driven! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/16/bernie-sanders-this-is-not-the-time-for-a-protest-vote/

In general it seems that fear based social motivators have been on a long term trending increase.  Like turning up the heat to boil a frog.  At some point the frog wakes up and exclaims: "This is really getting hot".  The increase is insidious.  Insidious is a word I have rarely used.  Maybe twice in ten years?  It is appropriate.  A creeping trend of cumulative change of an adverse nature.  Stealth change driven by.....what?......dark forces?  Forces that are a function of planned design or human sub-conscience expression by those that find it an excellent tool of control on the micro (wife beating) or macro (war ) level.

Enough of the big picture thinking about "Fear Based Motivators" They are in play at both increasing and decreasing rates depending on the object of examination and its effect on all of us as the the receiving subject receiving and reacting to their power.

Do people in general fear God less now than before?  Do we have a fear factor that is constant that is simply redistributed as new things to fear displace old things to fear?  On the flip side:  Seems like we used to hate the Devil more.  Sorry, devil.  You have become a small "d" thing.  Something else is eating your lunch?  Perhaps more directly worldly than cycling through the mystical.

Cutting out the otherworldly middle man (or woman) of good and bad?

But I stray.

From what do I stray?

I stray from saying that there is an upside to Trump's self demolition foot in mouth death spiral.  The upside, at least one of the upsides is that he is going down in flames so gloriously that there is little fear of not voting for Hillary is not the serious problem of that it once was if a protest vote is cast for a third party that has as much of a chance of winning as Trump has now.

Where is the fear?   If the Clinton camp sees the fear of protest voting for a third party slipping away,  essentially gone by election day what are they going to do to stem the logic of a third party vote simply because voters don't like her, her past and her probable bait and switch to a champion of Wall Street and big business global corporatism as well as continuation of perpetual war.

Clinton camp strategy:  Beat the fear drums louder.  How loud do they have to be before voters realize that fear of not voting for Clinton is not an effective vote for Trump but a clear statement that a third party vote is a clear referendum on confidence in Hillary as the best we can do for a president?

Anybody that says this gets my protest vote.  Not anybody but anybody but Trump who will say anything.
http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2016/10/stein-endless-war-led-to-failed-states.html
That is a rock bottom statement about how she stands on the most important issue today.  For those that do not get it:  Saying war led to failed states means we should not be doing it and something must be done about it.  If a third party vote is free from fear that it is a vote for Trump I vote it as a protest vote.  If Hillary said this I would vote for her.

Big problem for Hillary if the general perception is that a protest vote for a third party does not have any chance of being, in effect, a vote for Trump.  There is no downside for protest voting for a third party.  The spin machine must go into overtime generating fear that Trump would win, the race is close.  Keep in mind that some states do not even matter in the electoral college selection negating a protest third party vote a de facto vote for Trump.  That is a fear free fact for people that would want to vote their conscientious objection to the bipartisan war parties.

Do all states really matter?  I think not.  Some are safer from fear from the lesser of two evils and TINA.

Jill Stein:  I would support this with my protest vote:

Instead of continuing to pour gasoline on this fire, we need to take a stand on behalf of a weapons embargo to all parties, since our weapons are getting into the hands of all parties. We need to impose a freeze on the bank accounts of our allies that are continuing to fund terrorist enterprises, and to work with the Turks, who are our ally—in name, at least—to close down their border to the flow of terrorist militias across their border. That is the contribution that we need to make.

"What have we achieved with this endless war? Failed states, mass refugee migrations and worse terrorist threats. They are not getting better, whether you look at the Taliban, who are stronger, have more territory now than they did when we began fighting them some 16 years ago, whether you look at al-Qaeda, which has become a global movement, or ISIS. This doesn’t work, yet it’s costing us half of our discretionary budget and almost half of your income taxes. So, it’s very important that we have a new offensive in the Middle East. We call it a peace offensive. And it begins with a weapons embargo and with a freeze on the bank accounts of our allies, like Saudi Arabia, if they continue to insist on funding terrorist enterprises around the world.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/10/12/jill_stein_hillary_clintons_declared_syria_policy_could_start_a_nuclear_war.html 



Friday, October 7, 2016

Truth, Trust, Honesty and Blockchain

I'm entering my annual window of creative thought.  A general period of time from September through December.  Something that I have written about several times in this blog that started in my 20's and has continued through my life.  An annual spike in entries to this blog demonstrates the rise in creative thought at this time of year.

Maybe it is only because it is getting colder and the days are shorter?  Who knows.  Fact is that it happens.

Issues of truth, trust and honesty are becoming increasingly defined in our society by more evident divisions and polarizations and at the same time are becoming more difficult to deal with.  The old standards and methods no longer apply.  The old standards and methods to a great extent probably just covered over and hid from view the same existing problems better.  The advancement of technology has given us new media and information technology tools that are power in the controlling hands of those that understand and use them.

We see the results of this new found power in finance, politics, media and all other aspects of society.  Opportunists are the first to seize these opportunities for the associated gains.  The rest of society and our environment is the source where they derive gains, measured in whatever fashion from the technological tools.  The 1% is not only strictly a financial category.  Everything has a connection to money but power is not in money alone but how it is used to for power purposes.

Technology produces new tools to subvert, pervert (or in softer more skillful terms spin ore manage) truth, trust and honesty for gain.  The same technology is a two edge sword to slay the dragons with truth, trust and honesty.

What is truth, trust and honesty?  Something I think about. write about.  Scientific fact?  Whatever we choose to call truth?  It runs the entire continuum.  Beyond the range of scientific fact (some think our existence is a simulation) truth becomes whatever we hold to be self evident for reasons that are self evident.

Truth, trust and honesty are elusive as Shadows on the Wall to grasp as much as levels  and degrees beyond those shadows.  Some may see beyond the shadows.  Hard to induce the same levels of sight to those that don't, can't or won't.

Money is a Shadow on the Wall Allegory of the Cave.  The real object "Money" casting that shadow and its nature outside the cave is hard to see and comprehend what it is and what it does to cast the shadow.  That real object casting the shadow is merely another shadow cast by everything and everything that is an objective of object management for which money is merely a medium of exchange.

Perhaps it takes a "Medium" to clearly see into that twice removed shadow on the wall of a cave to see the source of levels of shadow casting!

The sun is the source of our shadows on earth.  Perhaps that is a model for thought.  Few people can or do look directly at the sun or they would go blind yet we are all (including plants, animals and inanimate objects also) aware of the presence of the sun.

I look at things from an Object Oriented view.  Objects rule, Actions of Objects implement their attributes.  All objects are things.  All things are child of a higher level parent thing.  All things share some degree of attributes with all other things.  Things that emerge as thoughts from our minds are things and have a relationship order structure to them.  They are not necessarily related to the natural order of the physical world structure.  They may be and are purely conceptual.

So I enter this window of time to look beyond the shadows to structural levels of things, real and conceptual that cast a succession of shadows.  Building on what I think I have seen in the past on my journey to climb a tree to get to the moon.

A good dose of Truth, Honesty and Trust seems to be the cure to the problem domain called the situation of our world today.  What applications of technology, reason and logic can be created from the parent conceptual Objects of Truth, Honesty and Trust.

Truth = the subject
Honesty = the object
Trust = the implementing verb joining the subject and object to create a conceptual sentence.

My thought turn to Blockchain again as they have so often in the past entries of this blog.

The state and being of an object today is a time line function of change to whatever its attributes and methods and messages were in its prior blockchain state.

Time itself is the ultimate blockchain.  The rock of truth creating a foundation upon which to build.....whatever is to be built in time.....real or conceptual.

New views of the Problem Domain emerge as it is examined.  Prior views of Blockchain application to solve problems of a monetary system were from how it would improve it.  A new view is to look at it from the standpoint of what it would expose as dysfunctional, false and dis-honest.  A strategy in examining the problem is choosing the lowest hanging fruit for its application which is not necessarily the financial system but the successive ownership of objects related to the medium of exchange transaction.  Blockchain that first, such as the ownership and transfer of ownership of real property.

An old paradigm of ownership is single entity ownership.  The new paradigm is the slicing and dicing of beneficial ownership among many owners in whatever terms that beneficial ownership is defined.  Leading to many owners claims of full ownership of the same under laying asset?

Blockchain reveals truth as well as documents the truth.

Yippee!  Another first bragging right:   "Blockchain reveals truth" and "Blockchain reveals the truth" are both my own originally expressed creative thought sentences entered into the World Wide Web subject to a google search.  I therefore claim bragging rights as first to express these fundamental concepts that to me are words written on the wall.

Amended and withdrawn some bragging rights:  I must credit 4 sites on a google search that used the phrase "blockchain is truth".  An elegant statement.  However blockchain actively revealing the truth (true or false) is conceptually a different idea than simply stating a fact that blockchain is truth.  Mine is a statement about a functional result of blockchain.

I coined these original conceptual specific sentences, others are free to use it without attribution.

They are the new view I will take in thoughts about the nature of Blockchain.  Blockchain is a better system but by its nature exposes the failings of the old system.  That however is not a good thing to some with vested interest in the established system but a danger.

While I am positive oriented and avoid fear based thinking or use of fear as a tool for application of agenda.  The fear aspect of Blockchain is a feature to be considered and applied to those that fear loss of power to obscure truth and honesty.

Wonderful how Blockchain will cut so many ways with two edges.

Bain reports how much banks will lose if they do not implement Blockchain.
http://www.pymnts.com/news/b2b-payments/2016/bain-bank-blockchain-revenue-opportunity-trade-finance-cross-border-payments/

How much will banks gain in comparison if they continue as long as possible with the current legacy system that works so well for them?  Probably more for a certain period of time until the cost/benefit curves cross or the winds of political change and law induce a broader cost/benefit/penalty decision?

It is all about the timing and what banks and financial entities can get away with to maximize return.  They are certainly making their estimates and placing their bets.  They will change to blockchain but of their own fenced garden design to have their cake and eat it too.

Monday, October 3, 2016

NAI Non-Profit

This is a follow on to my prior post about COCC, NAI and Bill Smith plans for campus development.

If this research develops I may start a separate blog or take it off line.

http://www2.naicapital.com/expertise/non-profit.aspx

The above link details the expertise of NAI Global in the Non-Profit sector.


"NAI Capital Non-Profit delivers uncompromising results for its clients. With over 15-years experience and over 100 transactions completed, the NAI Capital Non-Profit team is proud to service the needs of its clients with
  • Relocation, remodel and Expansion
  • Cost Analysis
  • Secure Local Governmental Approvals
  • Land Development"
 Who and what exactly is the Non-Profit team that provides all these services?

NAI Cascades?  If so how are these services delivered?  NAI Cascades is local broker agency.  Is the "team" a brokerage function to form an ad hoc team to service the needs of the client?  If so, then that would make William Smith Properties the Land Development entity.

To what extent is NAI Capital Non-Profit team staffing or function above the local NAI Cascades brokerage?

From this link from 2010 that presents details of the total plan at that time: http://www.bendbulletin.com/news/1921154-151/cocc-inks-deal-with-developer


"Central Oregon Community College has inked a deal with William Smith Properties to develop much of its unused land on Bend’s west side over the next decade.
The agreement, slated to last from five to 50 years, will allow Bill Smith, whose company developed the Old Mill District, to work with COCC to develop the 40-acre mixed-use parcel at the northeast corner of Mt. Washington Drive and Shevlin Park Road and the 15-acre parcel to the south of that intersection. On Wednesday, COCC’s board unanimously approved the agreement."

At what time did NAI Cascade enter the picture? (Previously NAI Aris) http://bendchamber.org/chamber-weekly/local-firm-changes-name-to-nai-cascade-to-reflect-their-increased-business-scope/


Sunday, October 2, 2016

Federal Taxes Do Not Fund Federal Spending

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/05/randy-wray-taxes-mmt-approach.html

http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=9281

The subject line is a different but more accurate way of viewing taxes and federal spending.

True at the Federal level in a debt based monetary system.  The direct result of Federal Tax is to extinguish debt based dollars from the monetary system.  That is an independent function.

Extinguishing debt based dollars through tax collection.

Created new dollars to spend by selling government bonds.

The Total National Debt is equal to debt based currency in circulation.

Collect  more money in Federal Tax, take it out of the total Debt based currency amount than is created by new debt bonds to replace money extinguished by Federal Taxes and the Federal National Debt decreases.  Less Federal Tax than is created by new debt bonds sales and the National Debt increases with more money in circulation.

Is that how it all works?

Looks like it to me.

One way of running a monetary system.

The other way is Asset Based Federal Currency system.

Federal Debt Free Currency created with a unique identifying attribute and value (like a paper dollar bill but digital) as an asset with no counter balance of debt creation on a balance sheet (debt free)  once created never goes out of existence.  It can only be withdrawn from circulation by Federal taxation and held in reserve as required to maintain the monetary base.  Uniquely identified Federal Currency in the debt free monetary system retains its dollar unit value and identity while in reserve.  It may re-enter currency in circulation by government spending to move it from reserve to circulation.

In the debt free system new currency would be created when reserves were insufficient to meet currency in circulation requirements.

Federal Taxes in a debt free currency system would not fund Federal Spending.  However for currency accounting control purposes the actual debt free dollars could be directly linked to their tax that took them out of circulation and government spending that put them back into circulation.

Sounds like an idea to me.

Fixed the currency system for ya!!

Some good thoughts on a debt free monetary system here:
http://www.financialwarhighway.com/federal-reserve/507.html









Saturday, October 1, 2016

Patrol Services International Bend Oregon

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/4691711-151/its-the-cops-or-maybe-its-not?referrer=popular


http://patrolservices.org/ 
541-617-9999



http://oregon.cevo.us/company/system-associates-llc.html shares PSI tel. 541-617-9999 old tel #?
System Associates LLC zip code and address to send letters and correspondence: 97641 . Business email: mdoherty@sdao.com. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code: 861102. Official website: sdao.com






Bend Oregon, NAI Cascade, William Smith Properties and COCC

Development plans for COCC property have been in progress for some time in Bend.

The latest link brings in a new player: http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/4700363-151/local-real-estate-firm-named-for-cocc-project

"Earlier this week, Central Oregon Community College hired a local commercial real estate firm to help the college develop a vacant lot on its main campus into a mixed-use district."

NAI Cascade. 

"A local commercial real estate firm"?  Technically true but a local entity of NAI Global. 
Go to the web link and you will see that NAI Global is in many places including the Cayman Islands.  No financial guilt by association with off shore entity operations intended. 

It is also technically true that Wells Fargo is a local bank and Safeway is a local grocery store (but not exactly like the local Farmers Market).

From the Bulletin link:

"To move the project forward, NAI Cascade, the local branch of New Jersey-based commercial real estate group NAI Global, was selected to work with companies and developers interested in securing a space at the new development, which is being called COCC’s Campus Village."  

William Smith Properties Inc. is a well known name in Bend.  Mostly associated with Brooks Resources.

William Smith Properties Inc.  does not have its own website under that name.  It is only associated with http://www.theoldmill.com/.  Bill is a well known person in Bend.

The purpose of this link is to examine the development proposed for COCC and gather information about it.  There are several players, public and private as well as several objectives for each entity involved. That alone makes it complicated with beneficial players and associated financial benefits.

Who benefits, by how much and to what degree of equal sharing in a this joint effort.  There is of course another stakeholder entity that has no website and that is the the general community of Bend.

My intent is to follow the money.  A global player indicates a high degree of financial sophistication and resources entering the community via a local entity presence.  Not a new thing.  Bend used to be more local.  I am a 25 year resident.  Things have changed.  Traditions of trust in local business persists but Bend has transformed to a more non-local business environment as it became more attractive to outside financial interests for investment.

So, what is this development all about in terms of cost and benefit to all the parties involved?

http://www.ktvz.com/news/cocc-developer-pick-firm-to-lease-32-acre-campus-village/100208618 

COCC Budget Info here:  https://www.cocc.edu/cfo/budget/

Follow the money.

A substantial investment is required by this project.  Private equity probably involved.  General and Limited Partners perhaps.  Initial investment, debt and stream of revenue.  Contractual arrangements.  Property Management.  Fees to be paid and collected.  This is complex stuff.  Big money and all the various players aim to maximize their share with various methods and strategies.  All working happily in harmony for a common goal ....."to create an endowment-type income stream for COCC’s future"

Here's the rest of the NAI Cascade news release:
"The vision for the development is to foster and encompass COCC’s mission, which is open access, achievement of student success & community enrichment while providing quality, accessible, lifelong educational opportunities. The Campus Village will consist of the vacant land south and east of the existing Culinary Institute. It will be designated for the commercial activity within the village, as well as businesses and housing that benefit COCC and the surrounding community."

That vision appears to rest solely on a stream of revenue to COCC from commercial operations on leased land that will benefit COCC with a source of income from the lease.  The extent to which businesses and housing benefit COCC other than a stream of revenue from leased land and the extent to which all this commercial activity on leased land benefit the surrounding community is not yet clear.  How will the community be better off after development than before.  The developers always  proclaim benefits to the community.  There is another side to development which is not planned as well as the side that produces profit to the developers.  Where will be the planning document that contends with the adverse effects and costs?  How much is the Community going to benefit and at what cost?

The community did not want it when developers planned for the other side of the street. That plan was reported withdrawn on 20 Sept.  The developers plan B to move to the other side of the street with a bigger development came days later.  Did the community that objected to Plan A suddenly become agreeable to plan B?  Perhaps across the street is far enough out of their backyard?

No plan has yet been submitted to the city.  Wait and see what the community thinks.

NAI Parent Company and Affiliates:  http://www.naiglobal.com/capital-markets/company-overview/parent-company-affiliates

"NAI professionals work with entrepreneurial investors, 1031 investors, institutional investors and private equity funds seeking to maximize their real estate position and portfolio strategy. NAI firms complete more than $10 billion in investment property sales annually. These transactions range from portfolios of owned real estate and non-performing loans, to single-tenant net leases, office properties, retail properties, industrial properties, multi-family properties, hotels and land. "

http://www.globest.com/sites/globest/2011/06/29/the-c-iiinai-global-deal-more-than-consolidation/?slreturn=20160903105129

NAI Non-Profit Team:  http://www2.naicapital.com/expertise/non-profit



 




 

The Real Scandal Behind the Panama Papers -- It is the USA!

Stiglitz and Pieth write about the Panama Papers.  The "Real Scandal" is that nothing will change.  The consortium of government and business in Panama will not let things change.  Business as usual.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/the-real-scandal-behind-the-panama-papers

They write about the blatant lip service given to change and the efforts to stop real change.

Business as usual.  Panama blatantly participated in financial corruption and tax evasion.  No wonder that efforts to stop and change were equally blatant.  No subtlety, no finesse.  No sweeping it all under the rug and making it look like anything effective was done.  The government could have done that if they followed the lead of more sophisticated countries and made a silk purse out of a sows ear.  Turned being caught red handed in a crime into a "Born Again" sham spectacle of crime fighting.

Panama learned that they should not hire a Bill Black to make things right.  Panama should have adopted the US model of dealing with financial corruption:  What is that?  Do nothing but skillfully hid the failure to do anything.

The link is a sad story that could have been predicted.  Unfortunate that there is not a futures market on the outcome of such a situation.  Betting that nothing would be done.  That is a sure bet.  Who would bet against it.  Probably only at extremely long odds.  As extreme as credit default swaps being any value other than bail out.

One good link contained in the link.  This one: https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0451.aspx

It was issued in May 2016.  Pay attention Panama.  Learn how a master of the art performs the magic of maintaining business as usual in the face of demand for change in the financial business model!  Presto!  It is called laundering crime into acceptable practice without changing its substance?

Is that cynical?  Treasury says in a press release that some big change is coming.  That was May 2016.

What will really change?

The bigger scandal behind the Panama Papers is perhaps what the US government will really do to change the same situation in the US?

Keep an eye on the shell game to be played out by finance and government in the USA.

"Treasury Announces Key Regulations and Legislation to Counter Money Laundering and Corruption, Combat Tax Evasion"

President Obama Announces Get Tough Proposals https://panamapapers.icij.org/20160505-obama-admin-announces-reform-bid.html

I can announce that the cow jumped over the moon.

Jack Lew's letter to Congress:  This link to that letter is the most transparent document that I have ever seen!  https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2824376-US-transparency-announcement-Secretary-Lew.html  This link however does link to the PDF letter.  It is the only way I could find to link to the PDF.  The PDF is a skillfully worded document.  All text referencing wonderful things.

The initial sentence sets the tone and intent:  I would like to copy and paste that sentence from the PDF but my Mac laptop Preview viewer does not provide me the ability to do that. Maybe there is a better viewer that would allow me to cut and paste.

PDFs which are commonly used in government documents are an excellent vehicle to launder what they contain because their contents are not hyperlinked to text references that not only serve to substantiate was is referenced but are an aid to research that otherwise requires a search.  Not exactly a dead end when I want to go to whatever is referenced like this text from Sec Treasury's letter:

"Treasury finalized customer due diligence regulations"   What is the link to that????  I would like to know more about it without having to pass the letter to my non-existent research staff to find out what document did that and what it was all about!!!

Ironic!  The PDF has no links to its factual documentation content.  No transparency?  Not exactly, research could find it.  Just like research could probably find beneficial ownership of any company.  It is just not easy to connect the relational dots.  The point is that it should be structured so that the transparency connections are actually in the document as direct links!

There is a site on the World Wide Web that provides for anyone to add a hyperlink  to anything on the WWW.  Unfortunately it is a web app that works only through the app site. 

Beneficial Ownership as a solution will never be transparent.  It might be confidential info for investigators but if there is no funding for investigation then what is the point?

The point is to launder financial crime and tax evasion and perpetuate the established system.  The same objective that Panama had but made in the USA with such greater quality by skilled workers. 

The USA outsourced hard manufacturing dominance but we sure have excelled in the software of smoke and mirror production.  Especially in the financial sector but that is where all the money is.

Panama didn't do anything that we are not doing.  It just was not as skilled in hiding it and maintaining business as usual.