Gadgets

Submitted by T. Forsyth
On April 22, 2013, I interviewed Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the organization Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He will be going to Syracuse, NY on April 26-28th for the “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence. (See the FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/540569232649914/?ref=22.)

In this interview, Bruce talks about a component of drone warfare that
happens hundreds of miles above the Earth and all over the globe without much fanfare--namely the satellites and down link stations that give remote pilots real time control over drones. He calls this satellite technology "the trigger." Bruce also talked about the dangers of a nuclear space, capitalism's march toward "opening new markets" in space, the United States Space Command's vision for the future called "Visions for 2020" (a real work of dystopian, global hegemony), among other topics.

Drones are apart of US space warfare, essentially. I call the satellites the triggers on the drones because without the satellites, you essentially aren't able to shoot them; you're not able to really fly them; you're not able to see the pictures back at Creech [Air Force Base] and other places around the country where they are flying these drones from. The satellites are crucial links in the whole program.

On April 19^th, 2013, I interviewed Kathy Kelly—a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, which is a campaign to end United States military and economic warfare. The website is VCNC dot org. Kathy has lived in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen and one of the roles she will play at the convergence is to relay those experiences and give a human voice to the lived reality of people over seas who deal with drone surveillance and are murdered by drone attacks on a daily basis. Kathy, and many others, will be attending “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence, April 26 - 28 in Syracuse, NY. (See the FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/540569232649914/?ref=22.)

Monday, February 25, 2013

original article can be found at: http://jalilmuntaqim-behindthewalls.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-19-targeted-killing.html

My name is Brian Terrell. I'm co-coordinator of a group called Voices for Creative Nonviolence. We support the petition to ban drones organized by RootsAction. http://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6180

On November 30th I report for six months in a federal prison in Yankton, S.D., as a result of protesting drones.

The appearance of war being made easy by drones is resulting in more war. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and in places we don't know about, in places where we are not at war, we're sending these unmanned pilotless airplanes into foreign air space to hunt down people who've been accused of crimes only in the private court of the administration. They're hunted down and killed along with anybody who might be in the immediate vicinity.

Drones are creating new wars rather than scaling down old ones. Drone pilots in Afghanistan have been targeted and killed. Drone pilots in the United States suffer PTSD at higher rates than real pilots.

Drone victims are 98% innocent civilians according to the recent Stanford/NYU study. The other 2% are targeted victims of murder without charge, trial, due process, or in many cases even knowing the target's name.

Drones buzzing over houses traumatize children before they kill them. That those children are (in most cases) not American hardly diminishes the immorality.

Drones are rapidly being developed and deployed by other nations. Would you support the equal right of other nations to kill with drones in this country? And if not, why not? And how can that thinking not apply to U.S. policy as well?

By Matt Stroud and Joseph L. Flatley from THE VERGE

In every direction, Jersey barriers: heavy concrete walls used for deflecting cars and, in this case, slowing down human mobs. Just shy of three feet tall and chipped uneven from having been hauled back and forth to various worksites over the years, they’re now being used to establish a perimeter, within which one might choose to legally go and protest the Republican National Convention. In contrast to the rest of the city, which has been swept clean and done up in red, white, and blue in anticipation of the cash influx this event is supposed to provide, the lot we’re in now is a dusty, hot, and muggy mess, a good twenty minutes’ march from anyone of importance. There is no shade, and we’re feeling it — but not nearly as much as the sixty cops in riot gear who just marched into the box. There are also a half dozen protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church. Their signs bear legends like: “Too Late To Pray,” “Ye are of your father the devil,” and of course “God Hates Fags.” One sign features a picture of an Anonymous / Guy Fawkes mask in crosshairs.

We are in a tucked-away industrial expanse, sweating our asses off, while a couple hundred Anarchist and Occupy protesters dance provocatively and scream at the “God Hates Fags” creeps, to no real effect. This is definitely not the tightly scripted and “on message” Republican National Convention that we expected when we flew to Tampa.

MBN Independent Media Saboteur
It was NOT actually Bug Spray. A counter protester tries to sabotage the generator being used by independent media at the first campsite of the march. Several independent reports from those on the scene said it smelled like Starter Fluid. Irregardless, the best thing that could have happened if I had allowed this man to continue would have been the destruction of the generator. The worst thing that could have happened is that he blew up himself, the generator, gas can, and potentially the Media Bus full of people and equipment. mo'fo' marchonblairmountain.org sorrow, sorry, let's stop this shit together http From: FluxRostrum Views: 16590 60 ratings Time: 02:52 More in News & Politics

Puerta Del Sol Update Saturday May 26th Madrid Spain direct democracy
Via www.facebook.com Vlad Teichberg's Puerta del Sol Update (Saturday, May 28) by Omar Ruiz-Diaz (videos) 5:07 More : youtube.com From: HongPong Views: 77 4 ratings Time: 05:08 More in News & Politics

Puerta Del Sol Occupation General Assembly Skype with Barcelona after police attack
From: glassbeadian Views: 67 1 ratings Time: 00:59 More in Entertainment

Trabantimino, completed just one hour before its October 7 opening at Salon 94, welds three aspects of car culture, says photographer Liz Cohen, who spent 8 years building the hybrid: ownership, fabrication and marketing. Aiming to combine design features of two defunct models, representing different cultures-- the East German Trabant and the Chevy El Camino truck--Cohen learned mechanical engineering from several mentors at World Wide Customs, Oakland; Elwood Body Works, Scottsdale, and Kustom Creations in Detroit. In a parody of automotive marketing protocol, Cohen also posed as a pin-up. The show, at Salon 94's reopened gallery, 243 Bowery, includes a wall of 150 b&w prints of tools borrowed from Bill Cherry, Cohen's first mechanic mentor, to make the hybrid, as well as Cohen's pin-up prints and ephemera. For more details, email info@salon94.com. Filmed by Liza Béar, on October 7 and 8. http://squaringoff.blip.tv

There's a hole in the coolant hose that heats the the veggie oil. It is in that impossible place to get at where the hose in hose (oil line running inside the coolant line) goes through the firewall (not a computer term). I'm surprised that the unprotected sharp piece of metal pressed tightly up against it had not cut a hole in it sooner.

This morning I was awoken by the police (again) while parked in the RV side of a Flying J parking lot. They "mildly" threatened to arrest me or fine me 1,000 dollars an ounce for the coolant that leaked out over night. I was able to convince them to give me an hour to fix it and leave... that i knew where the hole was and was capable of fixing it ( I did know, but I am not capable of fixing it in an hour ) I've blown about 80 unexpected bucks on coolant, stop leak and "special" rescue tape. There is no way to fix the hole without removing the entire veggie fuel line and coolant heat system. It will take a lot of time.

I was told by a flying J employee to just move it back to the big rig lot and work on it there, that way when the cops came back I'd be gone. I did that but within an hour an unmarked car with a uniformed cop cruised by.

As I rolled around under the bus frantically trying to put tape on wet hose with one hand (because that's all that would fit it the space) a trucker pulls up next to me hops out and leans down to warn me of the swarm of bees he saw behind my bus... I thanked him even though those bees and the ones I was laying on were all dead from the coolant that covered my entire body as well.

There's a hole in the coolant hose that heats the the veggie oil. It is in that impossible place to get at where the hose in hose (oil line running inside the coolant line) goes through the firewall (not a computer term). I'm surprised that the unprotected sharp piece of metal pressed tightly up against it had not cut a hole in it sooner.

This morning I was awoken by the police (again) while parked in the RV side of a Flying J parking lot. They "mildly" threatened to arrest me or fine me 1,000 dollars an ounce for the coolant that leaked out over night. I was able to convince them to give me an hour to fix it and leave... that i knew where the hole was and was capable of fixing it ( I did know, but I am not capable of fixing it in an hour ) I've blown about 80 unexpected bucks on coolant, stop leak and "special" rescue tape. There is no way to fix the hole without removing the entire veggie fuel line and coolant heat system. It will take a lot of time.

I was told by a flying J employee to just move it back to the big rig lot and work on it there, that way when the cops came back I'd be gone. I did that but within an hour an unmarked car with a uniformed cop cruised by.

As I rolled around under the bus frantically trying to put tape on wet hose with one hand (because that's all that would fit it the space) a trucker pulls up next to me hops out and leans down to warn me of the swarm of bees he saw behind my bus... I thanked him even though those bees and the ones I was laying on were all dead from the coolant that covered my entire body as well.

I cut an extra piece of hose and tried to cover the hole and protect the hose from the sharp metal it had been rubbing against for 25,000 miles. I called in for reinforcements from my Texas comrades, ideas for where i could limp the bus to for safety.. Thank you all, just knowing someone was helping me think it through was quite comforting. Also, Much thanks to Topher who I bugged 'til the wee hours last night trying to find a solution. You Topher, are my "real" favorite veggie mechanic; the title of this post however is a reference that that other guy will only get.

Long story long... Bus not fixed. bus not in Austin. maybe bus in Austin tonight. Bus limping into Austin for the 3rd fucking time. I'm able to drive about 10-15 miles on each radiator fill up of water. Must drive real slow on the highway while assholes honk angerly at me every minute or 2. I'm almost within range of a AAA tow job but those of you who have followed my saga will know that I can probably drive there in 10 mile spurts faster than they will come tow me.

I don't know what "normal life" is; but I know that this is NOT normal or joyous and that has become the norm for bus travel and I'm sick-n-fuckin' tired of it.

90% home . . . 90% over it.