Bird populations being poisoned

Ok, now this one will piss you off!

(NaturalNews) Not all the mysterious bird die-offs that have been witnessed around the globe recently are due to unexplained causes. A recent mass die-off event witnessed in Yankton, South Dakota was traced back to the USDA which admitted to carrying out a mass poisoning of the birds.

After hundreds of starlings were found dead in the Yankton Riverside Park, concerned citizens began to investigate. Before long, a USDA official called the local police and admitted they had poisoned the birds. "They say that they had poisoned the birds about ten miles south of Yankton and they were surprised they came to Yankton like they did and died in our park," says Yankton Animal Control Officer Lisa Brasel, as reported by KTIV (http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13865540).

The USDA then confirmed the story and explained it was all "part of a large killing" in Nebraska. Some of the birds that ate the poison apparently flew all the way to Yankton before succumbing to the poison.

Watch the video yourself, as reported from KTIV:
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=191572F79E8B2C64705B4AB182AF54F9

USDA mass-murders birds on a regular basis

So why was the USDA poisoning birds in the first place? A Nebraska farmer was apparently complaining that the starlings were defecating in his feed meal. The answer to this conundrum apparently isn't to cover your feed meal but rather call the USDA and ask them to poison thousands of birds.

The USDA complied, apparently agreeing this was a brilliant idea. So they put out a poison called DRC-1339 and allowed thousands of birds to feed on that poison.

Carol Bannerman from USDA Wildlife Services ridiculously claimed the bird kill was also to protect "human health."

"We're doing it to address, in this case, agricultural damage as well as the potential for human health and safety issues," she said. That's just a lie, of course. In what universe do starlings pose a threat to human health and safety?

The USDA Wildlife Services website, by the way, is http://www.aphis.usda.gov

The USDA even has a name for this mass poisoning program: Bye Bye Blackbird. Through the use of poisons such as DRC-1339, the USDA has killed more than four million birds over the last several years, reports Truthout (http://www.truth-out.org/bye-bye-blackbird-usda-acknowledges-a-hand-o...).

They even proudly publish an online spreadsheet showing just how many they've murdered with poison: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/prog_data/2009_prog_data/PD...

Remember, these are mass bird killings that are funded with your tax dollars. It all makes you wonder whether the government is, in fact, responsible for many of the other mysterious animal deaths that have been reported across the country (and around the globe).

It also makes you wonder: If the federal government thinks nothing of murdering 4 million living, breathing birds, then what else might they be capable of doing out of a total lack of respect for wildlife?

And if the USDA poisons birds because certain groups become too populous, what do you suppose is planned for when human population grows too large?

Be sure to check out the video at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=191572F79E8B2C64705B4AB182AF54F9

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031076_USDA_bird_deaths.html#ixzz2JhESh600

 

Debt Collectors Are Infiltrating Facebook

Debt collectors have time and again proven to be ruthless in tracking down delinquent borrowers, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before social media became their go-to hunting grounds.
In a report on the government's attempt to tighten laws on collection practices, attorney Billy Howard tells Bloomberg's Carl Dougherty about his client's run-in with social media loan sharks:

"Howard said he’s seen more aggressive use of social media by debt collectors, including rude postings on a person’s “wall,” the part of a Facebook account that a person’s friends can see. Some collectors masquerade as friendly personalities to catch an alleged debtor’s attention.

“You get a friend request from some chick in a bikini,” said Howard, a lawyer with Morgan & Morgan P.A. in Tampa, Florida. “You say yes, and then somebody says ‘‘by the way, I’m a debt collector.’"

While consumers are protected by abusive collections practices under The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, the law took effect more than 30 years ago –– well before anyone could have dreamed up a world with Facebook stalking.
That's why regulators have been calling for new regulations that could add social media protections explicitly to the list. As of January, most large debt collectors were officially herded under the regulatory umbrella of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In tangent with the Federal Trade Commission, the CFPB's already issued rules that would force collectors to streamline consumer complaint practices, keep borrowers informed of any legal actions from start to finish, and tone down aggressive language. It might also restrict them from contacting borrowers on sites like Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
But chances are that the debt industry won't take kindly to its young new Sheriff. The CFPB estimates as many as 30 million consumers are being pursued by collectors today, accounting for more than $12 billion in revenue per year.
It's a lucrative business, and since many forms of debt –– including medical bills and student loans –– can be sold off multiple times to different collectors, persistent collectors can easily chase borrowers well into their retirement years.
"In just a few months I'm going to turn 62 years old," said a former Psychology student in a debt story posted on studentdebtcrisis.org. "I've been attempting to pay back my [$44,000 in private] student loan debt for 22 years."
Word to the wise: If you're being hounded by debt collectors the old fashioned way (by phone) or otherwise, the best way to report aggressive tactics is to either alert the FTC or submit a complaint to the CFPB. And don't forget you have rights, too.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/debt-collectors-pose-as-facebook-friends-student-debt-cfpb-2013-1#ixzz2JhB8Cob2

 

Chemtrails-Eve Of Destruction

Marine Writes Letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein: ‘I will not be disarmed’ (VIDEO)

A letter written by an 8-year Marine veteran to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the architect of the comprehensive 2013 Assault Weapons Ban, has gone viral.

The author of the letter, Cpl. Joshua Boston who was deployed to Afghanistan between 2004-05, told CNN that he opposes gun registration because it will lead to confiscation.  Moreover, that passing more gun control laws will only serve to disarm law-abiding citizens, leaving them defenseless.
“I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind’s shortcomings instead of pretending like they don’t exist. There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family,” Boston said.
Here is the letter Boston wrote, courtesy of CNN’s iReport:

Senator Dianne Feinstein,
I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime.
You ma’am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.
I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.
I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.
I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.
We, the people, deserve better than you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Joshua Boston
Cpl, United States Marine Corps
2004-2012

Very well said.  Particularly the point about “We deserve better than you.”  It’s not clear as to whether Sen. Feinstein has actually seen this letter.
Nevertheless, it stands to reason that the majority of the 5.1 million Post 9/11 veterans, many returning from combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, feel the way Cpl. Boston does.  In fact, it stands to reason that the majority of all veterans identify with Cpl. Boston’s letter.
We often hear politicians, on both sides of the aisle, say we need to “support the troops” – well, the question needs to be asked, how does stripping our veterans of their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms via an AWB fit within that popular meme?
Brave men and women put their lives on the line to protect and defend this country and its founding principles yet politicians are going to repay these heroes by gutting their Second Amendment rights?
Any logical person would admit that that’s not supporting the troops; that’s spurning the troops and the sacrifices they made for this country.
Though, given Sen. Feinstein’s past remarks about guns, it’s clear we’re not dealing with a logical individual (see video).
Here is a brief recap of Sen. Feinstein’s 2013 AWB (for a more detailed version, click here).

• Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:
o 120 specifically-named firearms;
o Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics; and
o Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.
• Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:
o Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test;
o Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test; and
o Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans.
• Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
• Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:
o Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment;
o Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes; and
o Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons.
• Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:
o Background check of owner and any transferee;
o Type and serial number of the firearm;
o Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint;
o Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law; and
o Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration.
Video Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=blXkl9YVoHo

 

Testosterone Partly to Blame for Washington Dysfunction.

Today the Senate will make history, swearing in a record-breaking 20 female senators -- four Republicans and 16 Democrats -- in office.
As the 113th Congress is sworn in today on Capitol Hill, ABC "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer has an exclusive joint interview with the historic class of female senators.
Diane Sawyer's complete interview will air on "World News" and "Nightline" tonight.
"I can't tell you the joy that I feel in my heart to look at these 20 gifted and talented women from two different parties, different zip codes to fill this room," Sen. Barbara Mikulksi, D-Md., said while surrounded by the group of women senators. "In all of American history only 16 women had served. Now there are 20 of us."

Senator-elect Deb Fischer, R-Neb., today becomes the first women to be elected as a senator in Nebraska.
"It was an historic election," Fischer said, "But what was really fun about it were the number of mothers and fathers who brought their daughters up to me during the campaign and said, "Can we get a picture? Can we get a picture?' Because people realize it and -- things do change, things do change."

Martin H. Simon/ABC

When the 113th Congress is sworn in it will... View Full Size

Claire McCaskill Wins Missouri Senate Race Watch Video

Tammy Baldwin Becomes First Openly Gay Senator Watch Video

Elizabeth Warren Wins Massachusetts Senate Race Watch Video

The women senators all agree that women will be getting things done in this new Congress, a sign of optimism felt for the new Congress, after the bruising battles of the 112th Congress.
"We're in force and we're in leadership positions, but it's not just the position that we hold. I can tell you this is a can-do crowd," Mikulski said of both Democrats and Republican senators in the room. "We are today ready to be a force in American politics."
And while the number of women in the Senate today makes history, many of the women agreed that they want to keep fighting to boost those numbers.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said that women are still "underrepresented" in the Senate.
"I think that until we get to 50, we still have to fight because it's still a problem," Boxer said. "I think this class as you look around, Republicans and Democrats. ... I think that because of this new class and the caliber of the people coming and the quality of the people coming, I think that hopefully in my lifetime -- and I really do hope and pray this is the case -- we will see 50 percent. "
No Sorority Here, Even With the Will to Work Together
The cooperation does not make them a "sorority," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says. There are real differences in ideology and personality and they don't want their gender to define them as senators.
But the women also admit that they believe having more women in the room would help in fierce negotiations, compromise and legislating on Capitol Hill, traits they say do not come as naturally to their male colleagues in the Senate. That sentiment enjoys bipartisan support among the women of the Senate.
"What I find is with all due deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said by nature women are "less confrontational." Sen-elect Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, says that women are "problem solvers."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., says that women have a camaraderie which helps in relationships that are key to negotiations on Capitol Hill, something she says comes natural to women more than men.
"I think there's just a lot of collaboration between the women senators and... advice and really standing up for each other that you don't always see with the men," she said.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-class-senate-swears-historic-20-female-senators/story?id=18113363#.UOYJBXd52Sq

Smokers set to be taxed out of habit

NA/TOBACCO taxes are set to be repeatedly increased over the next five years, potentially raising billions of dollars in extra revenue for the commonwealth and pushing the price of a packet of cigarettes above $20.

The proposal is contained in the latest National Tobacco Strategy, which for the first time lists as its top priority the battle to "protect public health policy, including tobacco control policies, from tobacco industry interference".
This is in Australia.

South Reno Home Explodes: Explosion Update #34

Please Like and Subscribe to our Explosion Updates.

Happy NeW Years!!