Most of us here can easily connect the dots, but you’d be surprised at how many around you cannot….  It is for them, the cattle cars seem to be an option.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With Californians tasked to cut back water during a four-year drought, the sound of water run-off has become a call to action.
California’s Placer County Water Agency has two new smart phone apps, launched last October.
One app is a shower timer, which converts time in shower to gallons of water used.  The second, sure to be more discussed, allows people to report water wasters.

“Customers can take pictures of water wasters, send it to us. It’ll include two GPS locations so we can follow up,” said Ross Branch of the Placer County Water Agency, whose district is the Sierra Nevada foothills that extends to Lake Tahoe.

(more…)

Over 4,000,000 (four million) federal employees identified in massive cyber hack, potentially by Chinese Government, affecting every agency within the entire Federal Government workforce.  All of them; Every one.

(Via NBC) The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration is scrambling to assess the impact of a massive data breach involving the agency that handles security clearances and employee records.
Federal officials suspect that Chinese hackers are behind the data breach, Dow Jones reported, citing sources.
“The FBI is working with our interagency partners to investigate this matter. We take all potential threats to public and private sector systems seriously, and will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace,” an FBI spokesman told CNBC. (more…)

Several media outlets have noted a press conference given today by Baltimore Police Chief Anthony Batts where he asked for “federal agents”, and “federal prosecutors” to assist Baltimore with the skyrocketing violence and murders.

[…]  In a press conference Wednesday, flanked by representatives of multiple state and federal agencies, Batts said he is asking for federal prosecutors and agents to help, calling the renewed effort an “all hands on deck.”
Batts’ comments follow unrest in the city of Baltimore after the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, and the indictment of six Baltimore police officers involved. Since then, local prosecutors and Batts have come under fire by the police officers’ labor union, and theres been suspicion the rise in crime may be linked to a work “slowdown” organized by police officers. (link)

The short version is Chief Batts admitting he’s lost control.  Ironic considering how quickly the police chief and mayor wanted the national guard to withdraw.  (more…)

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.  ~ VI amendment ~

Remember, according to Waco PD -numerous times- every person arrested was a member of an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. According to Waco PD Spokesperson W. Patrick Swanton (in four different interviews where he justified the mass arrest, incarceration and million dollar bonds) each of the arrested “gang bikers” represented a similar risk profile and danger to the public if they were allowed to be released.

Yet somehow, the Waco PD is now allowing 25 “heavily armed” and “notoriously dangerous gang members” to have bond reductions. Also, important note, the article states the prosecutor’s office has reviewed all of the video evidence.
WACO TEXAS – Twenty-five bikers arrested in the May 17 shootout at Twin Peaks have been released from jail since Thursday, when prosecutors and defense attorneys started negotiating the reduction of bonds. (more…)

Sure would have been nice for those National Archives leaders to have expressed their concerns publically while she was still in office…

WASHINGTON DC – Over a five-year span, senior officials at the National Archives and Records Administrations (NARA) voiced growing alarm about Hillary Clinton’s record-keeping practices as secretary of state, according to internal documents obtained by Fox News.
During Clinton’s final days in office, Paul Wester, the director of Modern Records Programs at NARA – essentially the agency’s chief records custodian – privately emailed five NARA colleagues to confide his fear that Clinton would take her official records with her when she left office, in violation of federal statutes.
(more…)

Splendid, just splendid. Go Louie !!
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) told two federal land officials, “I come bearing good news. I think if your employees keep up the arrogance, keep denying access to the land then very soon we’ll be able to dramatically cut your employees back and start turning those powers over to the states.”

We already knew the FBI was using Stingray cell data technology via drones and planes, however it appears the surveillance program is considerably more extensive.

WASHINGTON DC – The FBI is operating a small air force with scores of low-flying planes across the country carrying video and, at times, cellphone surveillance technology — all hidden behind fictitious companies that are fronts for the government, The Associated Press has learned.
The planes’ surveillance equipment is generally used without a judge’s approval, and the FBI said the flights are used for specific, ongoing investigations. In a recent 30-day period, the agency flew above more than 30 cities in 11 states across the country, an AP review found. (more…)

Previously the DOJ was only going so far as to call the Tea-Party right-wing extremists so they could be easily targeted by the IRS. Now the DOJ intends to push the envelope further by attaching the “right-wing” label to Islamic Jihad. The truth is fundamentally opposite. Totalitarian regimes are on the far left of the political and governmental continuum. But lets not allow facts to mess up a good propaganda campaign.
(Washington Free Beacon) The Department of Justice is concentrating on “far-right” groups in a new study of social media usage aimed at combatting violent extremism.
The Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) awarded Michigan State University $585,719 for the study, which was praised by Eric Holder, the former attorney general, earlier this year.
“There is currently limited knowledge of the role of technology and computer mediated communications (CMCs), such as Facebook and Twitter, in the dissemination of messages that promote extremist agendas and radicalize individuals to violence,” according to the NIJ grant. “The proposed study will address this gap through a series of qualitative and quantitative analyses of posts from various forms of CMC used by members of both the far-right and Islamic extremist movements.” (more…)

The debate is being carried on CSPAN2 – CLICK HERE However, Mitch McConnell is doing everything in his power to stop discussion of the matter.

Senate votes to limit debate on Patriot Act extension.

— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) May 31, 2015

…Annnnnd now you see the ideology behind “Net Neutrality”, government funded internet access – to insure equality in access distribution.  It’s another form of redistribution and spreading the wealth.  Bottom line = Government Control.
♦ 16% of your current phone bill is a fee (tax) applied to redistribute your income to those in greater need, and provide free -to them- cell phones.  Soon, very soon, this same methodology will be applied to your home mortgage and a 10% financing fee will be applied to do a similar program for subsidized home ownership, watch.
(CNSNews.com) – Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler announced on Thursday that he intends to expand Lifeline, popularly known as the “Obama Phone” program, to the Internet.
“I am circulating new proposals to “reboot” Lifeline for the Internet age,” Wheeler wrote in a blog post on the FCC’s Website. He said the reboot would include “establishing minimum standards of service for voice and broadband,” in addition to subsidies for low-income consumers.
Lifeline is a government benefit program that provides a monthly subsidy of $9.95 on telephone service for those at or below 135 percent of the poverty line so they can connect to the nation’s communications networks, find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and their children’s schools, and call for help in an emergency. (more…)