unit731

As I have stated before. I sometimes live in a very small very rural town in rural hill and mountain country. About 4,00 follks spread out over 70 miles or rural roads. We have access to the state police SWAT team. But the local chief - and other chiefs - all rural - decided that the time it takes for the state police SWAT team to show up - is too long. So the local Barny Fife towns gathered together to form a "regional" SWAT team. Special training, special gear - all "free" from the US taxpayer. This or any SWAT team rarely has been used in my quiet town. But rest assured, this local regional SWAT team is "waiting" for the call to come - and get all of that gear up and running. We had one old drunk who one day spoke to a neighbor and stated that he was going to kill himself. I was at the local variety store when the call came in for a dozen pizza. The SWAT team had been called. And they surrounded the drunks mobile home/trailer. And of course, the SWAT team needed to be fed. Since each officer has different tastes for pizza - this local store had to cook a variety of pizza. Pepperoni, saugage, vegitarian, and on and on.

Granted. Teachers in the USA are way underpaid for what they do. And what they have to deal with. Firefighters. Yes, Can be dangerous. But with overtime. They make good money. Yes, they do put their lives on the line at times. Police. Again, these guys potentially times can be dangerous. And they do deal with the dregs of society. Domestic disputes being a tough call. But with massive overtime and/or "details" - they make well over 100 grand per year. Many have poor personal lives. High divorce rate. But there is no excuse for poor leadership. Poor training. And lack of any form of common sense. The US culture has militarized the police force. There is no need for comoflauge civilian police force. I blame the chiefs, management, training, and lack of civilian oversight.

In the old West they used to just shoot horse theives. What happened to that concept? latimes.com Ten San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies were placed on paid administrative leave Friday after TV news video showed them beating and kicking a suspect. Sheriff John McMahon announced the move to place the deputies -- including a sergeant and a detective -- on leave during a news conference Friday afternoon. He said some of the actions on the tape appeared "excessive." https://youtu.be/TyLfHuPZQQY Seriously, didn't the officers on the ground hear the news helicopter in the air? I mean, how stupid can they get? Don't any police officers read a newspaper or watch the news on the tele? There seems to be some sort of malfunction in the hiring and training of police officers in the US of A. With a serious lack of management and leadership.

We all make mistakes. Rand Paul's Campaign Website Misspelled 'Education' By Igor Bobic Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) newly launched presidential campaign website, RandPaul.com, featured an unfortunate typo on its "education" issue page. "I believe that education is the great equalizer, but too often our one-size-fits-all system leaves most kids behind. The Federal Government should not dictate what happens in our local classrooms. I believe we must abolish Common Core and give control back to the states, localities and parents," Paul says on the issue page.

One would think that after such publicized cases as Fergeson MIssouri and others that all police departments would review their use of force policies and also provide some added training. Yes, this could be a rogue cop. But I think officers such as this one are more then a few. All is leadership and command. The chief sets the training and policies. The chief reviews all.

Well . . . we have another one . . . where the police officer goes bonkers ! The deceased in question was pulled over for a traffic violation - broken tail light. Some state that suspect ran because of back payments due for child support. Both are crimes. But is death the correct punishment? WASHINGTON — A white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., was charged with murder on Tuesday after a videosurfaced showing him shooting in the back and killing an apparently unarmed black man while the man ran away. The officer, Michael T. Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because the man had taken his stun gun in a scuffle after a traffic stop on Saturday. A video, however, shows the officer firing eight times as the man, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled. The North Charleston mayor announced the state charges at a news conference Tuesday evening. LINK https://youtu.be/kdQwKNfuSiM Youtube is pulling down this video for copyright. Not sure if anything will show up.

32.41 on computer today. But there is "buy" and "sell" and I don't have a clue how all impacts such.

I have some new old watches in drawer. Citizen and Casio. Never used. And the batteries are all dead. What do I do with these watches?

Gotta love those college kids ! Some day they may have go out into the real world and get . . . . wait for it . . . a job ! But then there is graduate school !

The ASUCI Executive Cabinet overturned the American flag ban on Saturday by vetoing the resolution passed by the Associated Students of the University of California at Irvine (ASUCI) Legislative Council (ASUCI) on March 5, according to the SF Gate. The ASUCI Constitution grants the Executive Cabinet the power to veto any resolutions or bills passed by the government body within six days. www.inquisitr.com

Gotta "love" those inocent college kids ! http://youtu.be/dG-wq6SJqjU University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. The insideous remnants of racism are alive and well in middle America.

“Half a million low-wage workers will get a raise in April, when Walmart lifts hourly wages at its stores in the United States to at least $9. The raise, announced this week, appears to be an attempt to stem employee turnover and to respond to pressure for higher wages from politicians, labor groups and employees. Walmart also pledged to raise its wage floor in 2016 to $10 an hour. There is also little doubt that Walmart (and other employers) would pay more if low wages were not, in effect, subsidized by taxpayers, who pay for the food stamps and other public assistance that low-wage workers rely on to get by. This argues for improved labor standards that would shift the burden back to employers.â€

Same happened to one of my neighbors. Except the conclusion was a tad different. HE was arrested by the police. He spent the night in the county jail. SHE had called the police. She complained a domestic dispute. The police here always believe the woman. He was arrested. In his white boxers. With blood all over them. Both had consumed a tad too much alcohol. She dropped charges the next day and took him home from jail.

HM Revenue & Customs (service@refund.co.uk) Wed 2/18/15 5:01 PM Dear Applicant After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of 418.33 GBP Your TRN (TAX REFUND NUMBER): UK52/288194HMRC29/158, complete the tax return form attached to this message. After completing the form, submit the form by clicking the SUBMIT button on form and allow us 5-9 business days in order to process it. All equals CND $804.00.

Always amazes me when I hear people state that "unions" are running this country. Nay, must be laziness or just plain lack of knowledge. Only 11% of US workers are members of unions. And THEY are "running" this country? Huh? What about George Soros or the Koch Brothers? They are both union members, right?

Obviously, one doesn't understand nor comprehend what the term Collective Bargaining Agreement means.

What kind of statement does this interview make about Saudi men? So if a woman is driving an automobile - all Saudi men are going to rape her? This logic is beyond rational comprehension.

Without her, most people would not know where Burma is, let alone Myanmar !

Got a new router. And somehow my temperature/weather widget stopped connecting. All of my other widgets still work. Yes, Microsoft discontinued all of this. But they still worked up until installation of new router. Found another one - so all is fine. I am now contemplating joining the local Luddite Society.

As a tourist. A few years ago. Arrived at Saigon Airport coming from Phnom Penh. Going to hotel in District 1. Some tout angled me toward a taxi. I should have known up front that there was going to be some sort of scam as all other taxi were in queue. Got to hotel in District 1. Fortunately, someone at the Flaming's Hotel in Phnom Penh had been to Saigon recently and provided me with a conversion chart - and an estimate of taxi cost to District 1 from airport. The taxi driver attempted to charge me 100 times the rate for an average taxi ride from airport to District 1. We had an interesting conversation - as his English was not that good and my Vietnamese was rusty. The conversion rate from Dong to Dollar can get confusing with such big numbers - in VN Dong. There might have been some cursing involved. I gave the taxi driver what I thought was appropriate - and he drove off.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The results of the latest elections in Greece may make it more likely that the country will eventually leave the eurozone. But such an exit would probably be more orderly than Greece's default, experts said. Over the weekend, Greece was unable to pull together a cohesive government, as voters signaled their displeasure with the spate of harsh austerity measures thrust upon them. That has increased the odds of a Greek exit from the eurozone. According to Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) analysts, the probability of a Greek exit, which they dubbed a "Grexit," is now as high as 75%. LINK

Apparently, there are a lot of Asians in the armour and metallurgy business.

BECOMING AN IRISHMAN 8 year old Mohammad entered his classroom on the first day of school. "What's your name?", asked the teacher. "Mohammad," he replied. "You're in Ireland now," replied the teacher, "So from now on you will be known as Mike. " Mohammad returned home after school. "How was your day, Mohammad?", his mother asked. "My name is not Mohammad. I'm in Ireland and now my name is Mike?. "Are you ashamed of your name? Are you trying to dishonor your parents, your heritage, your religion? Shame on you!" And his mother beat him. Then she called his father, who beat him again. The next day Mohammad returned to school. The teacher saw all of his bruises. "What happened to you, Mike?", she asked. "Well shortly after becoming an Irishman, I was attacked by two fucking Ar*bs. This is an old one !

Former Defense Department Employee Sentenced To 40 Months in Prison for $2.5 Million Health Care Fraud -Veteran Admits Submitting Fraudulent Claims for Medical Expenses- WASHINGTON – Jonathan M. Hargett, a former civilian employee of the Department of Defense, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison on a charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which he collected over $2.2 million after submitting fraudulent claims for federal health care benefits. The sentencing was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Robert E. Craig, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); Gregg Hirstein, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office of Investigations; and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. Hargett, 42, formerly of Germany, pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was indicted in October 2013, extradited from Germany, and returned to the United States in July 2014. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman. Upon completion of his prison term, Hargett will be placed on three years of supervised release. The plea agreement also calls for Hargett to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to the United States. He also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the same amount. The government has seized more than $704,000 from Hargett’s bank accounts, and German authorities have seized or frozen over $500,000. “Jonathan Hargett is headed to prison because he ripped off more than $2 million from the American taxpayer,†said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His bogus medical claims drained resources from a program designed to serve wounded veterans. Defending the integrity of federal health care programs is a top priority because it protects the funds needed to provide medical services to our veterans and other deserving citizens.†“Protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense's programs and resources, to include health care funding, is of critical importance to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),†said Special Agent in Charge Craig. “When government personnel display a blatant disregard for the law and intentionally divert taxpayer money to enrich themselves, DCIS and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate, work to ensure prosecution to the fullest extent possible, and seek to recover all available funds so they may be returned to proper use.†“The purpose of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is to provide for the health and well-being of Federal employees, retirees, and their families,†said Inspector General McFarland of the OPM. “Through his unscrupulous actions, Mr. Hargett not only stole from enrollees and the American taxpayers, he also violated their trust. We are all gratified to see that he will be held accountable.†“The VA's Foreign Medical Program is extremely important to veterans who need medical care while residing or traveling abroad,†said Special Agent in Charge Hirstein. “Today's sentencing reaffirms the VA Office of Inspector General's commitment to bring to justice those who steal from such programs which promote the health and well-being of our nation's deserving veterans.†We applaud Mr. Hargett's sentencing and are pleased that he has been brought to justice for fraud and stealing from the American taxpayer,†said Director Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “We cannot emphasize enough that if you attempt to steal and commit fraud against the DOD and U.S. Army, you will be caught and brought to justice. Mr. Hargett is a prime example.†According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court at the time of the guilty plea, Hargett worked from 1996 through 2012 in various positions as a civilian employee for the Department of Defense in Germany. From January 2011 through May 2012, he was an intelligence analyst stationed in Heidelberg. Previously, he had served in the U.S. Army from 1992 to 1996. As a federal employee stationed overseas, Hargett was enrolled since 2002 in the Foreign Service Benefit Plan (FSBP), a health care benefit program. Because of his service in the Army, he also was eligible for health care coverage from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For veterans working or residing abroad, the VA provides this coverage through its Foreign Medical Program (VA-FMP). From January 2007 through April 2012, according to the statement of offense, Hargett carried out a scheme to submit fraudulent claims and invoices to the FSBP and the VA-FMP. The claims falsely represented that Hargett bought prescription medications and other pharmaceutical items from a pharmacy in Germany. They also falsely represented that he had received and paid for various health care items and services from a doctor in Germany. Hargett also created and submitted forged invoices and other fraudulent paperwork, and admitted creating many of the false invoices on his government computer at the U.S. Army base in Heidelberg, Germany. All told, Hargett submitted more than $2.5 million in false claims to the two government health care programs, for items and services Hargett never received and never paid for. As a result, Hargett wrongfully obtained more than $2.2 million, including about $943,519 from the FSBP and $1,261,512 from the VA-FMP. This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of the Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistance was provided by the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; the Department of Defense; U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Legal Office; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski; Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, and former Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Radway and Peter Lallas, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. LINK

http://youtu.be/-g92VWIu8NQ