Mumbai officials demolish 39K shanties; 200K homeless

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:23 am, May 21, 2018.

December 25, 2004

Officials in Mumbai, India, demolished over 6,000 shanties today in a push to eradicate the capital city’s slums. In total, 39,000 shanties have been flattened, displacing over 200,000 people, in the city’s biggest-ever demolition drive, which began in early December.

When complete, over 2 million people are expected to be displaced. After wiping out the least desirable shanties, next in line for demolition are the illegal ‘well-off’ shanties and neighborhoods, according to the legal and bureaucratic motions that have been executed toward cleaning up Mumbai’s appearance by lowering the dominance of shanties, which make up 62 percent of Mumbai’s housing.

“As far as eye can see, there are mounds of wood, tin and tarpaulin, the remains of 6,200 illegal homes, flattened by a heavy excavator running on tank-like tracks and giant motorised claws,” the Indian Express reported about today’s destruction. [1]

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said that citizens would see a change within six months. “Every chief minister likes to be remembered, and I’m no exception,” said Deshmukh, who despite having an empty exchequer, also announced that Rs 31,000 crore will be spent on new roads, sea links and rail lines. [2]

Home-invaders pose as NYC police

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:07 am, .

Monday, July 16, 2007

In two separate incidents, men posing as members of the New York Police Department (NYPD), have invaded homes in the New York City area. In both cases, they robbed the residents, but in the most recent, they sexually assaulted a woman.

On Saturday, July 14, at 1:09 a.m. EDT (UTC-4), four men knocked on the door of a Yonkers, New York, apartment. The 33-year-old male that lives there opened the door, as the men outside wore NYPD hats and t-shirts, and had badges hanging around their necks.

The men promptly ordered the male victim to the floor. “When this guy pushed me, he had a gun in my face,” the victim said. “I could see the other guy. He motioned to the others, come on, let’s go, let’s go.” The intruders shouted “Where are the drugs?” as they ransacked the apartment.

Two of the men entered the bedroom and sexually assaulted the 30-year-old female. The couple has a five-year-old child, who was sleeping in another bedroom. “The more I resisted, the more he began to hit me,” the woman said. She said she was sexually assaulted by two of the men while her boyfriend was bound and guarded.

Frightened. Make you think twice before you want to open the door, you know

Police said the men then left with a cell phone, a laptop computer, a diamond ring and a gold chain. Police do not believe that they were real officers. As of this afternoon, no arrests have been made.

On Thursday, July 5, shortly after six p.m. in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn five men knocked on the door claiming to be “the police.” When the victims opened the door, they pushed their way in demanding the family give them drugs and money.

When police responded to a call reporting a robbery, they found the family, husband, wife and their daughter, tied up. The man suffered a head injury when he was pistol-whipped. Police say the robbers got away with a camera, jewelry, and US$5,000 in currency.

Neighbors told NY1 that they were stunned. “Frightened. Make you think twice before you want to open the door, you know,” said one of the neighbors. “Now you be asking for all this ID and stuff and even still you’re going to wonder, are they for real? So it’s kind of scary.”

There is no word about whether the two cases are connected. Yonkers is on the border of New York City, but is outside the jurisdiction of the NYPD.

Seven policemen killed in Afghanistan after bomb explosion

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:33 am, May 20, 2018.

Monday, May 31, 2010

At least seven policemen were killed in northeastern Afghanistan yesterday, according to reports, after a bomb went off near a police patrol vehicle.

The incident occurred in the Darayim district within the province of Badakhshan, considered to be the least violent province in the country.

Another policeman was injured, and subsequently evacuated to a provincial hospital; deputy provincial governor Shams-Ul Rahman Shams said his condition is apparently critical. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, an Afghan army convoy full of soldiers struck upon another roadside bomb in Nangarhar, killing a further three people.

Dr Michael Wolf And The Gateway Treatment To Summon Aliens

Filed under: Public Relations — @ 1:22 am, .

By Bill Knell

It’s impossible to define or even try and explain the late Dr. Michael Wolf. I knew this less than five minutes after I first spoke with him on the phone almost twenty years ago. If I had to define Wolf in one statement, I would say that he was one of the most well-connected U.S. Government Insiders that I ever met.

My association with Wolf began after my friend and fellow paranormal researcher, Dick Criswell, told me about him and offered an introduction by phone in the late 1980s. Although I was initially skeptical of Wolf’s claims regarding UFOs and his government insider status, those concerns vanished after our first conversation. I found him to be intelligent, knowledgeable and easily able to answer most any question that I threw his way.

If anything about Wolf frustrated me, it was trying to understand exactly what he did for the government. As the son of a retired Air Force Officer, I knew people that worked on the shady side of the government tree. These weren’t black-ops types, but Something Else. Wolf easily qualified as Something Else. Trying to decode who he was and what he did for the government is like trying to explain the modern British Monarchy to someone who hasn’t studied English History. It’s there and it works, but no one knows how or why.

Michael Wolf had the ability to put you at ease. A phone conversation with him was always enjoyable and never boring. After a number long distance calls, I resigned myself to the fact that obtaining and understanding the information he offered was far more important than understanding him or where his information came from. That was something that tended to stop most UFO Researchers right in their tracks if they had a chance to speak with him. I wasn’t going to let it stop me. As long as I could find other ways to verify his information, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

My biggest concern as a was passing on disinformation to the public. There were enough alleged UFO Researchers out there doing that already. With Wolf’s permission, I recorded our calls and carefully dissected everything he told me as time permitted. Not being one for small talk, Wolf tended to compress what he said and present volumes of information every time we spoke. One of the most interesting things he told me about was JFK’s UFO Sighting.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opPXBUiWGOI[/youtube]

Wolf’s late wife, Sara, was related to the Kennedy’s. As a result, the couple occasionally stayed at the Kennedy Compound which covered six acres of waterfront property along Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts. During one of these visits, JFK and others on his boat (including Mrs. Wolf) saw a classic disc-shaped UFO which threw his Secret Service detail into a tizzy. Michael was in bed at the time with a cold or the flu. Although Kennedy asked his guests not to talk about the incident, Sara told Wolf about it as soon as she got back to the house.

I was told the Kennedy UFO story in the early 1990s. Knowing it wouldn’t be easy to verify, I contacted a family friend. Her name is Beth Monahan. Beth and I attended the same School from Kindergarten to 6th Grade. Her parents and mine were close friends and we lived just a few blocks from each other in those days. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and she has proved to be an invaluable source of information when it comes to matters involving the Government.

Beth is an expert researcher on almost any subject, but her specialty is getting the goods on things that happen inside the U.S. Government. When it came to obtaining information about the Kennedy UFO Sighting, I really lucked out. Beth actually worked for Pierre Salinger, the former Kennedy White House Press Secretary, a few times over the years. I asked her if she might provide me with a way to contact him. I didn’t want to place her in the delicate position of asking about the Kennedy UFO sighting.

Beth managed a mailing address for Salinger, so I wrote him a short, but very specific letter asking about the JFK UFO incident. Sometime later I received a reply which surprised me. Salinger wrote back and said that he was aware of the story, but had never actually had time to discuss it with the late President before he was assassinated. It was a polite way of saying he knew about it, but had no way to verify it. Plausible denial at its best!

Salinger indicated that even if it were true, that wasn’t the kind of information that would have been made public if Kennedy had lived to serve out his term. He concluded by asking me how I knew Dr Wolf. I wrote back, answered his question and wondered if he knew anyone within the Kennedy Family that had personally discussed the sighting with JFK or had any knowledge about it. I received a polite, but very brief reply indicating that he had no more information about the matter in question and would not be able to obtain any. He suggested I go back to Wolf if I wanted more information. That situation, alone, easily represents the enigma that is Dr Michael Wolf.

As part of his work with the Government, Dr. Wolf pioneered an amazing mental technique known as THE GATEWAY TREATMENT. This technique had two purposes:

1. In Wolf’s own words: “It opens up the brain. Gateway is a way to stimulate the neurons allowing billions of synapses to form and, therefore, allows the person that masters it to have use of a vastly increased mind.”

2. To telepathically communicate with and summon positive Alien Entities.

As a person who prefers proof to proxy, I can say that listening to Wolf teach the gateway Treatment is one of the most amazing things that I have ever experienced. Not only does he teach it well and make it a snap to learn, but the difference in your ability to think, remember things and process information is almost instant.

Thanks to Dick Criswell, we have a perfect copy of Dr Wolf’s Gateway Method on Audio CD. Prior to his death, this was a method reserved for a few very close and trusted friends and government insiders that used it with special permission. If you listen to Wolf teaching Gateway, you will quickly understand why. Visit http://wolf.UFOguy.com for more about Dr Michael Wolf and the Gateway Treatment. Gateway is now available on two audio CDs which can be ordered online.

Dr Wolf worked with the late Carl Sagan, served as a Scientific Consultant to Presidents, was a member of the Satellite Government, helped develop Zero Point Energy, served in the Air Force and was a member of the Alphacom Team. This was the amazing life of the late Dr Michael Wolf who continues to inspire, inform and teach us.

About the Author: Bill Knell –

ufoguy.com

Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print with the addition of a link to

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or that URL printed with the article. Bill Knell is a veteran UFO and Paranormal Researcher, Speaker and Author. Featured in OMNI, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times; Seen on CNN, Fox News, A Current Affair,

Inside Edition, Hard Copy; Heard as a guest on Mancow, Howard Stern and top rated radio programs worldwide; Consultant to films like Independence Day, Men in Black, The Fifth Element, World of the Worlds, The X-Files Movie and many other major film and television productions.

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US president Obama, Congress call for blocking of executive bonuses at AIG insurance company

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:08 am, .

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

United States President Barack Obama stated Monday that insurance giant AIG is in financial trouble due to “recklessness and greed,” and called for legal action to stop the company from giving out millions of dollars in bonuses to its executives.

“It’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay,” Obama said. “How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat.”

Obama’s statement comes after reports surfaced last weekend saying the insurance agency, which is in deep financial trouble, had paid US$165 million to executives in bonuses, after receiving $170 billion as part of a government bailout plan.

AIG has said that the bonuses have to be given out, as the company is legally required by contract to do so. A representative with the National Economic Council, Lawrence H. Summers, also said that the bonuses were required to be given out. If AIG had refused to give out the bonuses, employees could file a lawsuit against the company for the money.

“We cannot attract and retain the best and the brightest talent to lead and staff the A.I.G. businesses — which are now being operated principally on behalf of American taxpayers — if employees believe their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury,” AIG CEO Edward M. Liddy said in a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner on Saturday.

Liddy said that he asked Geithner “to use that leverage and pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole.”

“I want everybody to be clear that Secretary Geithner’s been on the case,” Obama said. “He’s working to resolve this matter with the new CEO, Edward Liddy, who, by the way, everybody needs to understand, came on board after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year.”

If the bonuses cannot be stopped, the U.S. Congress says they want AIG to reimburse the government. Congress is looking to impose stiff new taxes on the pay, or ordering the company to return the money which was originally granted from a government bailout. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, senator Richard Shelby promised that the treasury will recover all of the money. Several U.S. senators along with Liddy have sent letters to AIG asking for the bonuses to be renegotiated, something AIG agreed to and says they will reduce future bonuses by 30%. Senators state that if Libby does not respond by renegotiating the bonuses, the Senate Finance Committee will propose an excise tax. Not only will an excise tax be proposed on AIG, but all companies receiving bailout money and their employees who receive bonuses.

What is the highest excise tax we can impose that will stand up in court? Let’s find out.

Numerous House Democrats have introduced legislation which would place a 100% tax on any bonuses of over $100,000 from companies that are receiving government bailout funds. Meanwhile in the Senate, a bipartisan proposal by Max Baucus (D-Montana) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) would levy a special 90% excise tax on AIG’s bonuses. Asked Senator Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee: “What is the highest excise tax we can impose that will stand up in court? Let’s find out.”

US government files lawsuit against BP Exploration in Alaska

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:02 am, .

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The United States government has filed a civil lawsuit against BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BPXA) alleging that the company “violated federal clean air and water laws” by “illegally discharging” more than 200,000 gallons crude oil during two oil spills in 2006 on Alaska’s North Slope in Prudhoe Bay.

BPXA previously pleaded guilty to one count of criminal negligence in illegally discharging the oil and paid US$20 million in damages. As a result of the plea, the lawsuit was filed saying that they “failed” to prepare for such a disaster by implementing “certain [sic] spill prevention measures” as the law requires.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the [DOT]-Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), alleges that BPXA “illegally discharged more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil from its pipelines” and “violated the Clean Air Act by improperly removing asbestos-containing materials from its pipelines” It also says that they “failed to comply in a timely manner with a corrective action order that the [DOT]-Pipeline and PHMSA issued to BPXA pursuant to federal pipeline safety laws.”

According to the Associated Press (AP), BPXA spokespeople state that the company has taken certain measures, making sure daily operations are safe.

“We have taken significant steps to ensure that our operations are safe and reliable, and protect the environment. Those include building a new $500 million system of oil transit lines at Prudhoe Bay,” said spokesman Steve Rinehart to the AP.

The spills were discovered on March 2, 2006 and covered nearly two acres. It was initially estimated that nearly 270,000 gallons had spilled. The official loss was put at 212,252 gallons.

BPXA, a subsidiary of BP America, specializes in exploring and finding locations to drill for oil, as well as drilling for it.

Care Homes Will Britain Once Again Follow The American Trend?}

Filed under: Real Estate — @ 1:26 am, May 19, 2018.

Care Homes – Will Britain once again follow the American trend?

by

Rupert Finlay

In the 1960s care homes were few and far between, and going to one was then seen as a luxury. Sadly that opinion has died off of late, care homes are now seen as more of an expensive inevitability than any real gratification. With a care home or nursing home on every nearly street, the market has squeezed to fit our ageing population. Sadly, so has the competitive nature of the industry. Smaller family run care businesses seem to be now a thing of the past, as larger, modern luxurious facilities take the glimmer off smaller family run care homes that cannot compete. The term care village was labelled on the larger care facilities by American care providers in the late 40s.

America now offers over 300 care villages to its population, in comparison to Britains 20 or so.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNEuuVEWsVc[/youtube]

Smaller homes local to these large care villages have recently seen at least a dip in profit and in many cases closure. The American care industry is made up largely of care villages that appear to offer everything a senior adult would wish for.

The crippling fact is that Britain seems to going to the same way, lowering choice and taking smaller care homes out of business. However, can these care villages change the standard negative view of moving into full time care? The villages are often referred to as hotels, and generally this label is not far from the truth. They have a large range of activities and facilities, as well as 100s of people to associate with at any time. The sad fact of business is that only the strong survive, and in this case if the market demands larger, newer quality homes or villages then that is what will be supplied.

New larger villages offer more jobs, security to residents and more activities than the now dying out private homes. These villages can cater to all spectrums of care needs from basic retirement to full on nursing24 hour care. With this in mind, residents no longer have to move from their settled environment once their care needs worsen in time. This can often alter their mental state of mind therefore affecting their physical state.

Although standards of care may not differ hugely between the larger care villages and the smaller family run care facilities. The opinion of which facility offers the higher standard of care is hugely different. With power of eternity going to close loved ones, the decision to move mum into the new luxurious home over the small 10 bed home at the end of the road is made, adding to the already steep decline of the small traditional care home.

I think anyone in the industry would welcome a new change and a fresh face and opportunity to potential clients, of course care villages are not for everyone but then neither are smaller old fashioned homes. Watch this space.

About the AuthorRupert Finlay is the directors of Care Homes Today, which is the UK’s leading private care advice service.http://www.carehomestoday.co.uk(For usage of the above article, both the text and link above must be used)

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Care Homes – Will Britain once again follow the American trend?}

Charles Lazarus, founder of US-based toy retail giant Toys ‘R’ Us, dies at 94

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:14 am, .

Saturday, March 24, 2018

On Thursday, Charles Lazarus, the founder of United States toy retailer Toys “R” Us, died in Manhattan, New York, New York of respiratory failure. He was 94. His death came a week after Toys “R” Us announced that all of the stores were closing.

Toys “R” Us issued a statement in which they said, “There have been many sad moments for Toys “R” Us in recent weeks, and none more heartbreaking than today’s news about the passing of our beloved founder, Charles Lazarus. He visited us in New Jersey just last year and we will forever be grateful for his positive energy, passion for the customer and love for children everywhere. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charles’ family and loved ones.”

Michael Goldstein, who was a close friend and former Toys “R” Us chairman, said: “He was the father of the toy business. He knew the toys and loved the toys and loved the kids who would shop in the stores. His face lit up when he watched kids playing with toys.” In a phone interview Goldstein said that Charles Lazarus died in Manhattan.

Lazarus no longer held a stake in the chain, CNN reported. Lazarus took over his father’s bicycle repair shop in 1948 at the age of 25 and changed it to baby furniture. He opened the first Toys “R” Us store in 1957. Lazarus had remained its CEO until 1994.

UK inflation rate increases to 4%

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:08 am, .

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have made a statement saying the inflation rate of the United Kingdom measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to 4% in January 2011. In December 2010, this figure was 3.7%. According to BBC News Online, 4% is the highest CPI that the UK has experienced since November 2008.

There are various reasons for the raised British inflation rate, including value added tax (VAT) increasing from 17.5% to 20% on January 4 and the value of crude oil rising. The inflation rate of the Retail Price Index in the country has increased to 5.1%; previously, the value was 4.8%. The CPI has now been a minimum of a percentage point higher than the intended 2% target for one year and two months.

The ONS revealed that the price of petrol per litre, which the CPI measured at £1.27 (US$2.04, €1.51) (£5.77/ Imperial gallon), was a record peak. The rising values of tobacco, alcohol, hotels, restaurants, transport and furniture are also said to have caused the increase in VAT. Between December 2010 and January 2011, the rate of the CPI increased by 0.1%, the first time that inflation rose during these two months since records commenced in 1997. The ONS have stated that “[t]wo of the main factors that had an impact on the January data are the increase in the standard rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) to 20% and the continued increase in the price of crude oil”.

Mervyn King, the current Governor of the Bank of England, has written a letter and sent it to George Osborne, the present Chancellor of the Exchequer of the British government. The letter provides an explanation for the inflation outlook and what can be done to overcome it. Within the letter, King states that the inflation is anticipated to increase to 5% within the next few months.

“The MPC’s central judgement, under the assumption that Bank rate increases in line with market expectations, remains that inflation will fall back so that it is about as likely to be above the target as below it two to three years ahead,” Mervyn King stated in the letter. “The MPC judges that attempting to bring inflation back to the target quickly risks generating undesirable volatility in output and would increase the chances of undershooting the target in the medium term.”

During the last week, the UK interest rates remained at 0.5%. The Bank of England has kept this figure at half a percent for twenty-three consecutive months.

Barcelona defeat Manchester United in 2009 Champions League Final

Filed under: Uncategorized — @ 1:06 am, .

Friday, May 29, 2009

May 27, 200920:45(UTC+1)
FC Barcelona 2 – 0 Manchester United F.C. Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 62,467 Referee: Massimo Busacca
10′ Samuel Eto’o 16′ Gerard Piqué 70′ Lionel Messi 72′ Thierry Henry 72′ Seydou Keita 90+2′ Andrés Iniesta 90+2′ Pedro Rodríguez Match Report 46′ Anderson 46′ Carlos Tévez 66′ Ji-Sung Park 66′ Dimitar Berbatov 75′ Ryan Giggs 75′ Paul Scholes 78′ Cristiano Ronaldo 80′ Paul Scholes 90+3′ Nemanja Vidi?

Claiming their major trophy of the season, FC Barcelona dominated reigning champions Manchester United F.C. at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome Wednesday to win the 2009 Champions League Final 2 – 0.

After a shaky start, Samuel Eto’o shot the ball past Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in the tenth minute, the only goal Barcelona would need.

Manchester had several great chances in the opening ten minutes, with Christiano Ronaldo forcing a save from Barca keeper Víctor Valdés in the second minute. However it was Eto’o who capitalized on his teams first real chance striking a low ball that van der Sar could get hands to.

After the goal, Barcelona settled into a smooth passing game dominating long stretches in the remainder of the first half.

At the start of the second half, United looked to be on the offensive substituting Argentinian Carlos Tévez for the Brazilian Anderson and the Red Devils looked to have gained a boost for the first ten minutes of the half, but again Barcelona settled into a passing rhythm United could not break. In the 53rd minute, Xavi Hernández’s free kick hit the crossbar, which proved to be Barca’s best chance early in the half.

Halfway into the second half, Dimitar Berbatov came on for Ji-Sung Park, but Berbatov proved no better and in the 70th minute Lionel Messi headed in a cross from Hernández, giving Barca an insurance goal. Four minutes later, Barca captain Carles Puyol has a great chance on goal, but van der Saar in the United goal is equal to the task. In the next minute, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, makes his third and final change, subbing in Paul Scholes for Ryan Giggs.

Scholes scored the lone goal in last season’s semi-final to put United into the final, but could not do so and as the minutes ticked off, United got increasingly desperate, earning three yellow cards in the final 12 minutes, but could not score and Barcelona took their second Champions League title since the 2005–06.

Barcelona also earned two domestic trophies, earning both the La Liga and the Copa del Rey titles.

Manchester United also earned three major trophies, earning the Premier League title, the League Cup title and the Community shield. In addition United defeated the best international club teams in 2008 Club World Cup.

Both teams will be eligible for the Champions League 2009–10, with Barcelona as title holders and winners of La Liga and Manchester United as the winners of the Premier League.

Other domestic club champions qualifying for the group state of next season’s competition include Italy’s Internazionale, France’s Bordeaux, Germany’s Wolfsburg, Russia’s Rubin Kazan, Portugal’s Porto, the Netherlands’ Alkmaar Zaanstreek, Scotland’s Rangers, the Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv, and Belgium’s Standard Liège. Champions of Romania and Turkey have yet to be determined and will join the group stage.

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