Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Eight

CNN ^ | 5-17-04 | Various

[JustPiper]

Picture credit: TheCabal

Picture Credit:Calpernia

I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat"

LINK TO THREAD SEVEN

BREAKING NEWS

Iraqi governing council leader among those killed by Baghdad car bomb, Iraqi officials say. Details soon.

Breaking News Alert BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) U.S. military colonel says four Iraqis killed, two U.S. soldiers injured, in car bomb at entrance to coalition headquarters in Baghdad.

[Quix]

In . . . a certain Asian land . . . we learned to carry our backpacks at all times. We never knew when we would be where and from thence where we would be taken.

We had the usual TP, water, snacks, soap, music,

In Taipei, I also started carrying my cell phone with 2 extra charged phone batteries after the big quake down island.

I would carry my back pack even if I was at a suit and tie affair. Survival issues take priority. Pride was never an issue anyway. I didn't care that much what other people thought.

I suppose someone in authority could question on in some USA situations. But any reasonable person would understand. And the not so reasonable ones--rain on them and find another job.

I also have compact binoculars; a magnifying glass; needle & thread; paper first aid tape; lotion; Leatherman tool; Swiss Army knife; various meds; BandAids though the 3M kind seem best, to me; a small roll of stout string; a rerolled smallish roll of duct tape; Scotch transparent tape; stick glue; dried fruit (I like dried mango and papaya); mirror for signaling and looking around corners; cheat sheet for morse code since I don't practice it much any more; sign language hand signs cheat sheet; A card pack about edible and poisonous plants; paper; notebook; Chinese chess set with half game board; Hard to think of the rest of the stuff. In some contexts, an air pillow and a foil type space blanket that is folded in a fist sized pkg. In some contexts, a dozen or so paper towels folded tightly. Basic legal papers including my will; DD214 copy; durable power of atny and living will; In some contexts a string saw cable with rings attached to the ends. In some contexts a small container of Bag Balm; A candle or two; 2-3 varieties of smallish flashlights with backup batteries[ once speaking at a men's Christian breakfast, the lights went out on a deeply inner room at the restaurant in Taipei. The first two batteries failed rather quickly. My third one went on fine and on producing it, the men stood and applauded--I had kept right on speaking all the while digging out the flashlights from the back pack I'd had nearby];

Specially made shirt pockets carry a package or two of wet towels; tissues; Bible that would fit in an inside suit pocket fits in one of my inside specially made shirt pockets; passport;

I like a small side of medium backpack with as many pockets as I can find but which will still fit under an airplane seat.

I have more items in special fanny pack pockets I carry in front as well as in my shirt pockets and backpack. But I don't have a list written down--I suppose I should.

[Quix]

I have learned over and over to always have my backpack with me. Take it in from the car. Take it to every situation at all times.

For one, people got used to asking me:

"Quix, do you have ____________."

Almost invariably, I'd have a/an _______________

and I was thrilled to be of service to those around me.

It was & is also handy to have what I wanted and needed regardless of wherever I am.

[texasbluebell]

you are right of course - tomorrow will buy some stuff - water, batteries, and pet food and food for me for a couple of weeks.

Don't forget the dinty moore stew! (NW_az_granny the other day mentioned how good it is, and even your pets will love it.) I happened to buy a bunch of it last fall for my emergency supplies, still stored away. Have never even tried a can of it, but now I'm tempted...

I bought lots of cans and bags of cat food, too, for my cats.

[Cindy]

July 4th - Independence Day

[Myrddin]

The OnStar box will be interfaced to the J1850 vehicle bus. The controller has a set of "canned" commands that allow honking the horn, flashing headlights and unlocking doors. The same bus has access to the OBD II bus used by the smog management and repair services. Many kinds of information can be read remotely. The ability to do remote diagnostics on the engine is sold as a feature as well. This stuff is READ ONLY to prevent hacking. There is good cryptographic protection of the packets in both directions. The potential hacker would need to break in to the OnStar database to get the crypto key before anything significant could be initiated.

I haven't had my hands on the current hardware under development or the current state of the specs, so there are gaps in my knowledge of the current state of OnStar hardware. The move to CDMA cellphones forced a change from the simple 103 type FSK modem to a more sophisticated device. The EVRC vocoder will dump the pure tones of a 103 type FSK modem. The new device uses modulation schemes that allow a relatively slow bitstream just over 200 bits/second to send and receive commands in the voice channel.

The infrared engine kill can be defeated with a piece of electrical tape over the sensor. Not much of "feature".

The antennas are going to be a GPS patch antenna and an 800 MHz CDMA cellular band antenna. If the radios support PCS band cellular as well, then a slightly different antenna would be selected. Common stuff.

I don't buy the claim of being "pinged" by a roadside transponder. The inband modem was selected to provide circuit switched coverage in analog and CDMA digital coverage areas. To "ping" on the fly, you would need an 802.11b or Bluetooth radio on board. A 1XRTT or (GPRS on GSM systems) would allow a "ping" over the internet when inside a coverage area. My coal cars use 1XRTT connections to the net. Coverage is spotty. It is worse if GPRS is selected.

The guys at Network Car have a device that talks over Mobitex and connects to the OBD II connector. The California Air Resources Board was on the brink of requiring the Los Angeles taxi cabs run by the Russian mob to be equipped with the devices because their rate of compliance with smog check laws was so bad. That deal fell through and Network Car floundered financially.

[Quix]

HOW MANY TM threaddys routinely see Moslems in their daily lives?

It seems to me it's past time for us to compile a list--even via FREEPMAIL if necessary--JP or Indie might be able to keep it privately--and report out to us non specific numbers--something like:

out of 25 Moslems routinely seen by our TM folks:

This morning:

5 ar in their usual places behaving normally;
7 are no where to be seen with no Moslem replacements;
8 are replaced by non-Moslems or caucasions of unknown persuasion
5 are in their usual place but looking very stern, harsh, worried.

If we had such statistics and graphed them over time, I think it would be a very valuable alert signal.

WHAT Y'ALL THINK?

[Rushmore Rocks]

A great list.....but add some baby wipes.

If worse comes to worst....we shall shelter in place.

Plenty of turkeys, deer, antelope, our own deep well (and generator to run it + plus some stored gas) if we run out of gas to run the generator, we have a bucket to dip into the well.

We will do what we must. As will most Americans.

Also have guns and lots of ammo.....and we know how to use them.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

FYI What a surprise this will be.

Police Have Power to Halt G8 Protests



Savannah, GA (AP) -- A new city law in Brunswick gives police the
power to halt protests during the G8 summit now that the governor has
declared a pre-emptive state of emergency in coastal Georgia through
June 20th.

Activists said the change allows authorities to squelch lawful dissent
without reason when President Bush meets with world leaders June
8th-through-10th on Sea Island. Brunswick's mayor and Governor
Perdue's top lawyer denied any such intent.

Perdue signed an order May 7th declaring a state of emergency in six
coastal counties beginning today, citing "potential danger ...from
unlawful assemblages or threats of violence.

The governor's order places no limitations on demonstrations. However,
the Brunswick City Council amended its laws last week to give police
authority to terminate protests if a "state of emergency or disaster
is lawfully declared."

Brunswick is the nearest mainland city to Sea Island, 80 miles south
of Savannah.

Created: 5/24/2004 9:27:35 PM
Updated: 5/24/2004 9:37:05 PM
Edited by Gary Detman, Nightside EP
© 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=19108

[WestCoastGal]

Let's remember our discussion that there is no one in DC in August......so this will probably happen between now and the end of July.

This weekend is Fleet Week in NY
This weekend is the WW2 Memorial Dedication DC
G8 is June 8-10/04 Georgia
NATO Istanbul June 28 & 29
Transfer of sovereignty to Iraq June 30
Fourth of July
DemocRAT Convention July 26-29 Boston
My birthday (they wouldn't dare)
Summer Olympics begins August 13 Athens
Republican Convention is August 30-Sept 2 NY

What else?? Thanks for the additions

[Rushmore Rocks]

I've seen many Muslims in my travels.....but none here in small town South Dakota. A good thing, I think.

[Quix]

I carry wetwipes in one of my two long [inside suit pocket type long] inside shirt pockets which are accessible behind the normal front left and right shirt pockets. I also carry some individual packed ones with my tissues in my left shoulder shirt pocket.

[Quix]

We have free gas that came with the homestead from a well on the property. Am trying to get dad to get a generator that will run off of it. We have a water well.

[Oorang]

I think that is an excellent idea Quix. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be of much help. I live in a very rural area. The only time I've seem muslims, that are obviously muslim, is when I go to the "big city" which is about 100 miles away.

[Rushmore Rocks]

Attaboy.....they are indispensible!

Come to think of it....dispensible, also.

[Quix]

We don't seem to have more than a handful in this smallish NM town, either. But I understand Gallup has tons.

[Lucy Lake]

'Night all.

[Cindy]

Good night grizzfan.

[Rushmore Rocks]

A few weeks ago, Mr. RR and I were in Argentina. I was on "terrorist watch" as usual. I pointed out to him several women covered from head to toe in blue garments. "Look, there are some Muslim women!" I said.

"Chill, honey" he said. "They are nuns from the convent next door."

I'm still trying to live that one down. LOL!

[drymans wife]

I think that would be a good idea. Here were I am in
Southwest Missouri there aren't many locals that are
mu slim but we do get tourist that are. But back in the
Dallas area were I am from, Muslims run and own most
of the Gas Stations and Convenient Stores. Plus they
have alot of Jewelry wholesale outfits all over Dallas.
I use to do business with some but I always went to the
same few. The morning on September I went up to my local
convenience store just to see what was going on and there
were probably FBI there. They hung around and watched a
few hours then left. The couple that owned the store had
been there a long time and well liked by most. The next
day they had American flags hanging all over the place.

So it would be a good idea. You see alot just by being
observant.

[Quix]

tHANKS FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.

But if my experience on FR is any clue, it will take some constant 'talking it up' even on the TM thread to make anything happen. And it's not something one or even 2-5 people can do. We need more than a dozen.