All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

He dressed up as ‘antifa’ for Capitol riot and got arrested – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

He dressed up as ‘antifa’ for Capitol riot and got arrested During the course of the text conversation, a family member confronted Norwood about his claims, and hypocrisy.

“Robbie literally bragged about pretending to be this mysterious Antifa y’all go on and on about, and then you say no no REAL antifa did this,” a family member respond, according to the FBI affidavit. “You admitted to going and being something you’re accusing other people of being. And then got mad and blamed others for the same thing you did. What the actual f–k is wrong with you?”

Norwood responded saying in part that, “the one cop who deserved it, got it.”

“I’m anti s–tty cop,” he explained, according to the affidavit. “The cops who acted s–tty, got exactly what they deserved. The ones who were cool got help.”

Except that when Norwood was interviewed by the FBI on January 22, the affidavit indicates that his story appeared to change drastically.

When asked about his claims of assaulting police officers, FBI investigators write in the affidavit that Norwood, “denied assaulting law enforcement officers, and claimed that any statements he made in text messages were meant to make NORWOOD sound tough.”

He repeated his claims that he helped protect police officers from being assaulted, according to the affidavit. FBI investigators also said that Norwood admitted he took some a police helmet and vest, “from a pile of equipment.” Norwood told investigators he left the equipment in the hotel room of an Ohio couple they met outside the Capitol building.

FBI investigators say he admitted to entering the Capitol after two US Capitol Police officers were, “waving people inside” and that he wanted to leave, but was prevented because of the crowd.

Source: He dressed up as ‘antifa’ for Capitol riot and got arrested – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Martisor or Trinket

Silvia Writes

Martisor, Hello March, Martenica

Martisor is an old Romanian tradition celebrated on March 1st.  The name is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian).

The tradition, as the tale goes, started with a red and white string. The person who wore the string, attached to a trinket, would enjoy a healthy and prosperous year. Not to mention the decorative look. I’d wear it for the beauty of it alone. It can be worn in a variety of ways, but most wear it as a brooch.

Mărţişor | Reading After Midnight | Reading After Midnight

According to archeological research, Martisor traces its history some 8000 years ago. Long time, isn’t it? Some researchers believe it has Roman origins, others think it’s an old Dacian tradition (Dacians are the ancestors of modern Romanians).

In old times, Martisors were made of river pebbles, painted in red and white. Good luck, good weather, good health and everything good came to those who wore them…

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Keep wearing your mask, health officials say after Gov. Greg Abbott lifts mask mandate

Keep wearing your mask and taking COVID-19 safety precautions, local health experts said Tuesday, after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was lifting the statewide mask mandate and restrictions on businesses.

“Despite the impending removal of the state mask mandate, we must continue our vigilance with masking, distancing, and hand washing,” said Dr. Mark Escott, Travis County Interim Health Authority. “These remain critical in our ongoing fight against COVID-19.”

Expressing concerns about highly contagious variants of the virus and the need for local health officials to maintain some authority over their local situations — which vary widely from county to county — doctors and health officials cautioned that Texans should not take Abbott’s announcement as a signal to relax the behavior that has lead to a recent decrease in coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations.
Austin residents take photos on Congress Avenue bridge in Austin on May 13, 2020.

Austin residents take photos on Congress Avenue bridge in Austin on May 13, 2020.

Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

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Keep wearing your mask and taking COVID-19 safety precautions, local health experts said Tuesday, after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was lifting the statewide mask mandate and restrictions on businesses.

“Despite the impending removal of the state mask mandate, we must continue our vigilance with masking, distancing, and hand washing,” said Dr. Mark Escott, Travis County Interim Health Authority. “These remain critical in our ongoing fight against COVID-19.”

Expressing concerns about highly contagious variants of the virus and the need for local health officials to maintain some authority over their local situations — which vary widely from county to county — doctors and health officials cautioned that Texans should not take Abbott’s announcement as a signal to relax the behavior that has lead to a recent decrease in coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations.

That means continuing to stay home when possible, avoid large gatherings, stay separate from vulnerable family members, wash hands frequently, and wear masks in public or around others who don’t live in the same household.

Their advice mirrors that of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which still recommends that people wear masks, even as more people get vaccinated. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease, has also recently said that double-masking makes sense in light of highly contagious variants.

In a jubilant press conference, Abbott said the mask mandate and any business restrictions that limited customers would sunset next Wednesday. He added that people should still take the same precautions they have been taking for the past year.

“Removing state mandates does not end personal responsibility, or the importance of caring for your family members and caring for your friends and caring for others in your community,” he said. “Personal vigilance to follow the same standards is still needed to contain COVID. It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed to stay safe.”

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Dr. Ivan Melendez, Hidalgo County Health Authority, said it’s premature to abandon safety precautions and hopes Texans can stay patient even in the absence of statewide rules.

“I think that people have a lot more common sense than we give them credit for, but … it’s very hard for human beings not to start socializing and to stop wearing masks,” he said.”I understand they are looking for any sign they can go back to the old ways, but I would just remind them that we’re in the bottom of the ninth, two runs out, and we’re almost there. This isn’t the time to put the bench in. This is the time to continue with the A-Team. Very soon, we’ll be there.”

Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas and a member of the state medical association’s COVID-19 task force, agreed it was too soon for Texans to relax their safety practices, adding he is especially concerned about the increasing spread of the U.K. variant of COVID-19, which is thought to be more contagious and perhaps more deadly.

Researchers also say it’s possible that people who already got COVID-19 could be reinfected, and that while the vaccines appear to be effective enough against the variants, new ones that show up as the pandemic stretches on could be more resistant.

Carlo said allowing the variants to spread could undo all the progress that has been made by Texans’ careful behavior in recent months.

A recent study showed that all the variants that have been identified have been recorded in Houston, the first city in the nation where that has happened.

Although the effects of the vaccination effort on COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations vary in different regions of the state and in different populations, only about 6% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against the disease. Experts have said that between 70% and 90% of the community should be vaccinated before the state achieves herd immunity.

Health experts say that continued caution is vital, particularly at a critical time when Texas is still vaccinating its most vulnerable residents first.

“Whatever the governor has recommended, it should not change what people do in terms of wearing masks or not,” Carlo said. “It’s very clear that we need to continue to wear masks in public places, period. Regardless of whether there’s an order from the governor or not. The bottom line is the individual decision making that has to take place that ultimately makes the outcomes.”

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Vernon Jordan, Civil Rights Leader and Power Broker, Dead at 85 — 3CHICSPOLITICO

I loved his deep booming voice. His sharp wit. Vernon Jordan, Civil Rights Leader and D.C. Power Broker, Dies at 85 Mr. Jordan, who was selected to head the National Urban League while still in his 30s, counseled presidents and business leaders. By Neil A. Lewis March 2, 2021Updated 2:34 p.m. ET Vernon E. Jordan […]

Vernon Jordan, Civil Rights Leader and Power Broker, Dead at 85 — 3CHICSPOLITICO

Saudi Twitter campaign targeted U.S. findings about MBS role in Khashoggi killing – The Washington Post

The day of the U.S. report’s publication on Friday, thousands of accounts used two different misspellings of Khashoggi’s name to push pro-Saudi messages critical of the United States, getting the misspellings to trend on Twitter within the kingdom, according to Marc Owen Jones. He said the misspellings likely were an attempt to evade attempts by Twitter to block disinformation on the subjec  Source: Saudi Twitter campaign targeted U.S. findings about MBS role in Khashoggi killing – The Washington Post