Revealed: al-Qaeda's 22 tips for dodging drones -

Revealed: al-Qaeda's 22 tips for dodging drones - 


Al-Qaeda's list of 22 tips for dodging drone attacks - including at least one believed to originate with Osama bin Laden - has been found hidden inside a manila envelope in a building abandoned by Islamists in Mali.

The document includes advice such as "hide under thick trees" (believed to be bin Laden's contribution), and instructions for setting up a "fake gathering" using dolls to "mislead the enemy".
Found by the Associated Press in a building in Timbuktu, the ancient city occupied by Islamists last year, the document is believed to have been abandoned as extremists fled a French military intervention last month. It is a Xeroxed copy of a tipsheet authored by a Yemeni extremist that has been published on some jihadi forums, but that has made little appearance in English.
The list reflects how al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghbreb anticipated a military intervention that would make use of drones, as the war on terror shifts from the ground to the air.
The document also shows the coordination between al-Qaeda chapters, which security experts have called a source of increasing concern.

1 – It is possible to know the intention and the mission of the drone by using the Russianmade “sky grabber” device to infiltrate the drone’s waves and the frequencies. The device 
is available in the market for $2,595 and the one who operates it should be a computerknow-how.    
2 – Using devices that broadcast frequencies or pack of frequencies to disconnect the 
contacts and confuse the frequencies used to control the drone. The Mujahideen have had 
successful experiments using the Russian-made “Racal.” 
3 – Spreading the reflective pieces of glass on a car or on the roof of the building.
4 – Placing a group of skilled snipers to hunt the drone, especially the reconnaissance 
ones because they fly low, about six kilometers or less.
5 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using the ordinary water-lifting 
dynamo fitted with a 30-meter copper pole.
6 – Jamming of and confusing of electronic communication using old equipment and 
keeping them 24-hour running because of their strong frequencies and it is possible using 
simple ideas of deception of equipment to attract the electronic waves devices similar to 
that used by the Yugoslav army when they used the microwave (oven) in attracting and 
confusing the NATO missiles fitted with electromagnetic searching devices.      
7 – Using general confusion methods and not to use permanent headquarters.
8 – Discovering the presence of a drone through well-placed reconnaissance networks and 
to warn all the formations to halt any movement in the area.
9 – To hide from being directly or indirectly spotted, especially at night.
10 – To hide under thick trees because they are the best cover against the planes.
11 – To stay in places unlit by the sun such as the shadows of the buildings or the trees.
12 – Maintain complete silence of all wireless contacts.
13 – Disembark of vehicles and keep away from them especially when being chased or 
during combat.
14 – To deceive the drone by entering places of multiple entrances and exits.
15 – Using underground shelters because the missiles fired by these planes are usually of 
the fragmented anti-personnel and not anti-buildings type.
16 – To avoid gathering in open areas and in urgent cases, use building of multiple doors 
or exits.
17 – Forming anti-spies groups to look for spies and agents.
18 – Formation of fake gatherings such as using dolls and statutes to be placed outside 
false ditches to mislead the enemy.
19 – When discovering that a drone is after a car, leave the car immediately and everyone 
should go in different direction because the planes are unable to get after everyone.
20 – Using natural barricades like forests and caves when there is an urgent need for 
training or gathering.


Read more - 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/9886637/Revealed-al-Qaedas-22-tips-for-dodging-drones.html

NBC Falls To 5th Place In Sweeps Ratings... Behind Univision -

NBC Falls To 5th Place In Sweeps Ratings... Behind Univision - 


More bad news for NBC: The one-time No. 1 network has fallen to fifth place in the Nielsen TV ratings during the important February sweeps period, according to Deadline.com.

Sweeps occurs three times for four-week periods each year, when networks inundate TV audiences with hairpin plot turns, tear-inducing weddings, jaw-dropping deaths and more major moments all in the hopes of giving their ratings a vital boost during the critical periods when Nielsen surveys the country's TV viewing habits.

The Peacock network started the TV season off strong with hits like "Revolution" and "The Voice" and even won November sweeps. But once those shows went into hiatus in November and December respectively, NBC's numbers quickly crumbled. Deadline reports that during the February sweeps period, NBC has averaged a 1.2 rating in the key 18-49 advertising demographic, while Univision has brought in a 1.5 rating. It's a far cry from NBC's reign at the top in November, which was the network's first time in the lead since 2003.

Read more -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/nbc-sweeps-fifth-place-ratings-univision_n_2735466.html

Flu shot not even 50% effective - provided little protection to people 65 and older -

Flu shot not even 50% effective -  provided little protection to people 65 and older - 


This year's flu vaccine provided little protection to people 65 and older who got a shot, new data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reveal.

The study estimates how well the vaccine did at preventing people from becoming sick enough to need to see a doctor, preventing "medically attended flu" in influenza science parlance. And the data suggest this year the vaccine didn't perform very well for older adults.

It found that a flu shot cut an older adult's risk of contracting a case of influenza A H3N2 that needed medical care by only nine per cent.

When the scientists calculated the overall effectiveness, the vaccine's ability to prevent medically attended flu caused by both flu A and B viruses, the estimate was 27 per cent for older adults.

The findings are disappointing given the H3N2 component in this year's vaccine is well matched to the viruses circulating. Paradoxically, the B component of the vaccine isn't as closely matched to circulating viruses, yet it is performing better, according to the study.

Read more - 

http://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/87723/Flu-shot-not-even-50-effective

20 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Heading For Big Trouble In The Months Ahead -

20 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Heading For Big Trouble In The Months Ahead - 


Is the U.S. economy about to experience a major downturn? Unfortunately, there are a whole bunch of signs that economic activity in the United States is really slowing down right now. Freight volumes and freight expenditures are way down, consumer confidence has declined sharply, major retail chains all over America are closing hundreds of stores, and the "sequester" threatens to give the American people their first significant opportunity to experience what "austerity" tastes like. Gas prices are going up rapidly, corporate insiders are dumping massive amounts of stock and there are high profile corporate bankruptcies in the news almost every single day now. In many ways, what we are going through right now feels very similar to 2008 before the crash happened. Back then the warning signs of economic trouble were very obvious, but our politicians and the mainstream media insisted that everything was just fine, and the stock market was very much detached from reality. When the stock market did finally catch up with reality, it happened very, very rapidly. Sadly, most people do not appear to have learned any lessons from the crisis of 2008. Americans continue to rack up staggering amounts of debt, and Wall Street is more reckless than ever. As a society, we seem to have concluded that 2008 was just a temporary malfunction rather than an indication that our entire system was fundamentally flawed. In the end, we will pay a great price for our overconfidence and our recklessness.

So what will the rest of 2013 bring?

Hopefully the economy will remain stable for as long as possible, but right now things do not look particularly promising.

The following are 20 signs that the U.S. economy is heading for big trouble in the months ahead...

#1 Freight shipment volumes have hit their lowest level in two years, and freight expenditures have gone negative for the first time since the last recession.

#2 The average price of a gallon of gasoline has risen by more than 50 cents over the past two months. This is making things tougher on our economy, because nearly every form of economic activity involves moving people or goods around.

#3 Reader's Digest, once one of the most popular magazines in the world, has filed for bankruptcy.

#4 Atlantic City's newest casino, Revel, has just filed for bankruptcy. It had been hoped that Revel would help lead a turnaround for Atlantic City.

#5 A state-appointed review board has determined that there is "no satisfactory plan" to solve Detroit's financial emergency, and many believe that bankruptcy is imminent. If Detroit does declare bankruptcy, it will be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

#6 David Gallagher, the CEO of Town Sports International, recently said that his company is struggling right now because consumers simply do not have as much disposable income anymore...

"As we moved into January membership trends were tracking to expectations in the first half of the month, but fell off track and did not meet our expectations in the second half of the month. We believe the driver of this was the rapid decline in consumer sentiment that has been reported and is connected to the reduction in net pay consumers earn given the changes in tax rates that went into effect in January."

#7 According to the Conference Board, consumer confidence in the U.S. has hit its lowest level in more than a year.

#8 Sales of the Apple iPhone have been slower than projected, and as a result Chinese manufacturing giant FoxConn has instituted a hiring freeze. The following is from a CNET report that was posted on Wednesday...

The Financial Times noted that it was the first time since a 2009 downturn that the company opted to halt hiring in all of its facilities across the country. The publication talked to multiple recruiters.

The actions taken by Foxconn fuel the concern over the perceived weakened demand for the iPhone 5 and slumping sentiment around Apple in general, with production activity a leading indicator of interest in the product.

#9 In 2012, global cell phone sales posted their first decline since the end of the last recession.

#10 We appear to be in the midst of a "retail apocalypse". It is being projected that Sears, J.C. Penney, Best Buy and RadioShack will also close hundreds of stores by the end of 2013.

#11 An internal memo authored by a Wal-Mart executive that was recently leaked to the press said that February sales were a "total disaster" and that the beginning of February was the "worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the company."

#12 If Congress does not do anything and "sequestration" goes into effect on March 1st, the Pentagon says that approximately 800,000 civilian employees will be facing mandatory furloughs.

#13 Barack Obama is admitting that the "sequester" could have a crippling impact on the U.S. economy. The following is from a recent CNBC article...

Obama cautioned that if the $85 billion in immediate cuts -- known as the sequester -- occur, the full range of government would feel the effects. Among those he listed: furloughed FBI agents, reductions in spending for communities to pay police and fire personnel and teachers, and decreased ability to respond to threats around the world.

He said the consequences would be felt across the economy.

"People will lose their jobs," he said. "The unemployment rate might tick up again."

#14 If the "sequester" is allowed to go into effect, the CBO is projecting that it will cause U.S. GDP growth to go down by at least 0.6 percent and that it will "reduce job growth by 750,000 jobs".

#15 According to a recent Gallup survey, 65 percent of all Americans believe that 2013 will be a year of "economic difficulty", and 50 percent of all Americans believe that the "best days" of America are now in the past.

#16 U.S. GDP actually contracted at an annual rate of 0.1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012. This was the first GDP contraction that the official numbers have shown in more than three years.

#17 For the entire year of 2012, U.S. GDP growth was only about 1.5 percent. According to Art Cashin, every time GDP growth has fallen this low for an entire year, the U.S. economy has always ended up going into a recession.

#18 The global economy overall is really starting to slow down...

The world's richest countries saw their economies contract for the first time in almost four years during the final three months of 2012, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said.

The Paris-based thinktank said gross domestic product across its 34 member states fell by 0.2% – breaking a period of rising activity stretching back to a 2.3% slump in output in the first quarter of 2009.

All the major economies of the OECD – the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the UK – have already reported falls in output at the end of 2012, with the thinktank noting that the steepest declines had been seen in the European Union, where GDP fell by 0.5%. Canada is the only member of the G7 currently on course to register an increase in national output.

#19 Corporate insiders are dumping enormous amounts of stock right now. Do they know something that we don't?

#20 Even some of the biggest names on Wall Street are warning that we are heading for an economic collapse. For example, Seth Klarman, one of the most respected investors on Wall Street, said in his year-end letter that the collapse of the U.S. financial system could happen at any time...

"Investing today may well be harder than it has been at any time in our three decades of existence," writes Seth Klarman in his year-end letter. The Fed's "relentless interventions and manipulations" have left few purchase targets for Baupost, he laments. "(The) underpinnings of our economy and financial system are so precarious that the un-abating risks of collapse dwarf all other factors."

So what do you think is going to happen to the U.S. economy in the months ahead?

Please feel free to express your opinion by leaving a comment below...

Read more - 
http://www.blacklistednews.com/20_Signs_That_The_U.S._Economy_Is_Heading_For_Big_Trouble_In_The_Months_Ahead/24357/0/0/0/Y/M.html

Let ‘Em Rip: Study Finds Passengers Passing Gas Mid-Flight Healthy -

Let ‘Em Rip: Study Finds Passengers Passing Gas Mid-Flight Healthy - 


Hopefully the TSA will now allow passengers to bring gas masks on board flights.

A new study finds that breaking wind while one is flying is healthy and recommended.

AFP reports that Danish gastroenterologist Jacob Rosenberg got the idea for the study after dealing with flatulence from several passengers during a flight from Copenhagen to Tokyo.

“(Holding back) holds significant drawbacks for the individual, such as discomfort and even pain, bloating, dyspepsia (indigestion), pyrosis (heartburn) just to name but a few resulting abdominal symptoms,” the study stated.

Despite giving the all-clear for passengers to “just let it go,” researchers warned that pilots shouldn’t let one rip while in the cockpit.

“On the one hand, if the pilot restrains a fart, all the drawbacks previously mentioned, including impaired concentration, may affect his abilities to control the plane,” researchers said in the study, according to AFP. “On the other hand, if he lets go of the fart, his co-pilot may be affected by its odor, which again reduces safety onboard the flight.”

The study suggests that to deal with the smell of a passenger passing gas mid-flight, airlines should use charcoal to deal with the air up there.

“We humbly propose that active charcoal should be embedded in the seat cushion, since this material is able to neutralize the odor,” researchers stated.

The study also found that the average person passes gas up to 10 times a day and that a woman’s fart smells worse than a man’s.

The study was published in the New Zealand Medical Journal last Friday.

Read more -