This is a strange case.

Quote:Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, was sentenced today to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Ma was arrested in August 2020, after admitting to an undercover FBI employee that he had facilitated the provision of classified information to intelligence officers employed by the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).

According to court documents, Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989. His blood relative (identified as co-conspirator #1 or CC #1 in court documents), who is deceased, also worked for the CIA from 1967 until 1983. As CIA officers, both men held Top Secret security clearances that granted them access to sensitive and classified CIA information, and both signed nondisclosure agreements.

As Ma admitted in the plea agreement, in March 2001, over a decade after he resigned from the CIA, Ma was contacted by SSSB intelligence officers, who asked Ma to arrange a meeting between CC #1 and the SSSB. Ma convinced CC #1 to agree, and both Ma and CC #1 met with SSSB intelligence officers in a Hong Kong hotel room for three days. During the meetings, CC #1 provided the SSSB with a large volume of classified U.S. national defense information in return for $50,000 in cash. Ma and CC #1 also agreed to continue to assist the SSSB.

In March 2003, while living in Hawaii, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist in the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office. The FBI, aware of Ma’s ties to PRC intelligence, hired Ma as part of a ruse to monitor and investigate his activities and contacts with the SSSB. Ma worked part time at an offsite location for the FBI from August 2004 until October 2012.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in February 2006, Ma was tasked by the SSSB with asking CC #1 to identify four individuals of interest to the SSSB from photographs. Ma convinced CC #1 to provide the identities of at least two of the individuals, whose identities were and remain classified U.S. national defense information.

Ma confessed that he knowingly and willfully conspired with CC #1 and SSSB intelligence officers to communicate and transmit information that he knew would be used to injure the United States or to advantage the PRC.

In court documents and at today’s sentencing hearing, the government noted that Ma was convicted of a years-long conspiracy to commit espionage, a serious breach of national security that caused the government to expend substantial investigative resources. The government also noted that Ma’s role in the conspiracy was to facilitate the exchange of information between CC #1 and the SSSB, which consisted of classified CIA information that CC #1 had obtained between 1967 and 1983.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ma must cooperate with the United States for the rest of his life, including by submitting to debriefings by U.S. government agencies. At the sentencing hearing, government counsel told the court that Ma has been cooperative and has taken part in multiple interview sessions with government agents.

Ma has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement.

The FBI’s Honolulu and Los Angeles Field Offices investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson and Craig Nolan for the District of Hawaii, and Trial Attorneys Scott Claffee and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

Well articulated presentation.

Quote:Are you starting to see it, what is in play here? Do you want to see it?

The more interesting question: Why?

The hard question: What to do about it?

The numbers tell the story:

Quote:No Russian-owned ship has been attacked by Houthis while transiting the Red Sea for 10 months, with only one incident involving a Chinese-owned ship, according to an analysis of 83 attacks.

According to data from the UN’s trade and shipping agency, of the 83 ships targeted between December and September 2, 56 had ownership links to the UK, US or Europe, including 24 from Greece. All but one of the 24 Greek-owned ships were either bulk carriers or tankers. The world’s largest ship-owning country accounted for 30% of all ships attacked, according to the analysis, yet makes up 17% by tonnage.

Even for first rate naval powers, good intel and ship tracking can be an imperfect science. I’m surprised that only one PRC and Russian ship have been hit.

You don’t need to be a paranoid N2 to see that signal. It’s also important to note that the US Navy and its allied ships are not intercepting all of the missiles and drones:

Quote:Four sailors have been killed, two ships have been sunk and a third, the Greek-flagged suezmax tanker Sounion, is in danger.

Next I want you to ponder this little statistic:

Quote:The Houthis launched attacks in the Red Sea in November, protesting Israel’s war on Gaza, with overall transits down 62% as ships divert around the Cape of Good Hope.

If something is bucking that trend and matches up with other I&W, the pattern really starts to break out from the ambient noise. [China-affiliated ships running Red Sea gauntlet more frequently]

Quote:Growing confidence in the safety of China-owned ships is encouraging some shipowners to undertake Red Sea voyages and others to expand on existing services. 

This has been the worst kept secret since late spring - mostly because it forces a lot of uncomfortable questions.

From May:

Quote:…the safest place to transit the Red Sea is now onboard Chinese-owned ships.

The combination of the Houthi’s public agreement with China to not target their shipping and the likely private reprimand after striking the M/V Huang Pu sets up a scenario whereby Chinese shipping will be getting a free pass through the Red Sea. That provides China a significant competitive advantage at the precise moment its economy is starting to falter. There is a way, however, to both remove that advantage and force China to abide by its international obligations.

The linked article above has a nice passive-aggressive “Panda Express” idea, but I’m really not sure there is anything that can be done but to give a nod of respect to the diplomatic and foreign policy community of the People’s Republic of China.

Since we wandered into the exact swamp that Osama bin Laden wanted us to 23 years ago, with a weak hand and no historical legacy advantage to build off of, the People’s Republic of China has done an exceptional job establishing herself on the world stage. In a slow, steady progress, she has earned the respect, cooperation, and yes—fear—that is due a power people have confidence is not easily or cheaply disrespected.

The question really shouldn’t be, “Why is China being given a pass” as much as, “Why are 4th-rate non-state actors comfortable in challenging the free world on the high seas?”

Exploring that will bring wisdom.

This is for my dad. 

I've been spending a lot of time with my son, his girlfriend, and all thier friends. I've also been living with my two nieces, and a friend of theirs, plus their friends come over. Needless to say, I've been surrounded by a bunch of young adults in their early twenties (21-25). Well, there's this word I have heard, over, and over, and over, and over again...

"Bruh"

(Lol)

I caught myself laughing my ass off, to myself because I wanted to tell them the other day, "Quit saying, bruh."

Because I realized something. 

When I was young, and me and my buddies would be hanging out, and back then we called each other, "dude."

My dad would get so sick of this word that he'd belt out, "quit saying, dude." 

This was a constant. I heard it so much growing up. We'd always say, (under our breaths, of course) "Whatever, old man."

Now, I'm the old man....

Hey, you young whipper snappers, quit saying, bruh! And stay off my damn lawn!.""

I got a kick out of this thought. For a moment there, I was my old man.

Love ya, dad. I get it now haha R.I.P.

I hadn't planned on writing anything about this, but screw it. I'm sure it's on a lot of our minds today.

Something a little odd happened this morning, and it has me reflecting on that day, and now the 23 years that have followed. 


This morning I woke up at exactly the same time I did that fateful day. 

I woke up and looked at my clock and it was 8:56am. That was the exact time I was awakened that morning on 9/11/2001.

I was working at a restaurant as a server back then. I shared an apartment with a buddy of mine, and we lived your typical bachelor lifestyle. We both worked nights, and we were always up till the wee hours over the morning. Typically we didn't stir up till close to noon. We had been up late the night before, smoking buds watching the boob tube all night; as was our norm.

My phone rang at 8:56am, which it never went off that early. I knew as soon as the phone rang, that something was wrong. When I saw it was my little sister, I knew something bad had happened. 

I answered, and all she said was, "Turn on the TV. I gotta go." Click

I turn on the TV and see the first building smoking.

I immediately wake my buddy.

As we were watching and we're trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and thinking, Was this an accident, or what? It's felt like Almost immediately after this initial thought, the second plane hit.

We were in shock, as was every one else. We kept saying, "Is this real?"

The rest of the day is a fog.


When I look back at what's happened since all of that, it does seem that there was more to that than we'll ever truly know.

I posted this, so that anyone who wishes to reflect on that day, this thread is an open door to any and all thoughts about that day, and the 23 years since then. 


I know this. Even after all the hike in security, and all the "monitoring of terrorists," and the patriot act, and all that, I don't feel one stitch safer than I did before those towers fell.

R.I.P. to all that lost their lives that day.

I chose this forum for a reason. We all know who's pulling the strings.

Not a dependable power source for transportation IMO as to hot or to cold and you are walking. An EMP or a big CME and you walk, bicycle, or ride an animal. The video talks about the pitfalls of owning an E.V.

Quote:Recently, the Sichuan Meteorological Observatory has issued several high-temperature warnings, with temperatures exceeding 40°C across the province. The extreme heat has caused tight electricity supplies, leading to power restrictions in cities like Chengdu and Chongqing. This has affected industrial and commercial sectors, including the use of electric vehicle charging stations. As a result, 750,000 new energy vehicle owners are facing difficulties charging their cars.

About a month ago I moved in with my sister and brother in law, as I've stated before here. Well, they have a German Shepherd named "Hades."

He's a long hair "Leerburg" Shepherd, and boy let me tell you, he will eat your face off with a smile on his. He is an excellent guard dog, but unfortunately hasn't had much time with outsiders. He's really protective of my brother and doesn't let any one near him, really. This dog is fierce, as his name suggests. 

I had been here about a week and he had been in his cage the whole time, and had been listening to my bro-n-law and myself laugh it up, and have a good ol time as we caught up. Him and I had been friends since junior high; so him and I had a tight bond.

He decided to try and introduce me to Hades, even though my bro n law was really nervous about it. He's tried before, but Hades just never took to anyone, but him.

Then we met.

Let's just say this magnificent killing machine jumped on me like he was a puppy, and loved all over me like we'd been best friends since forever.

Now, since we keep such weird, and different hours here I sleep with Hades by my side. I've never had a dog this big, or this capable before. Hades comes from a long line of pure bread German Shepherds, and is a trained gaurd dog. If I get up in the middle of the night Hades is close by, watching, and listening for me. 
If anything goes bump in the night, this dog is right on it. If anyone has ever owned a Shepherd they know these are amazingly smart dogs, and he knows his noises well.

Needless to say, I feel pretty safe with this big ol teddy bear at my feet.

It's been an awesome experience getting to know this loyal and loving animal. Not sure what made him accept me the way he did, but I'm stoked at my new little friendship here, none the less. 

It still amazes my brother in law, sister and nieces when they walk into a room and Hades is sleeping across my lap like a giant werewolf baby.

These Leerburg Shepherd's are amazing dogs if you've ever thought of owning one. I highly recommend them.

Thanks, again, Rogue-Nation. For listening to this ol boy ramble.

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we've been watching the skies for years, especially after WWII, and what have we found?  
crazy stories and a few shaky videos and all sorts of sightings of some kind of lights.

no evidence.  no footprints, no landing tracks, no entities, no crashed material (presuming the Roswell thing was just a balloon, and I'm not aware of any REAL evidence otherwise).  
no alien visitations.  no close saucer flybys.

media portrayals have led people into interpreting aerial sightings as saucers etc.

I don't think they're real.  I think the whole thing is a psyop, maybe from our subconsciouses, maybe some government shenanigans.

maybe, dare I say, demonic.  many people of faith accept there there are spirit beings (angels, demons) and many of them hostile.

I'm sure we all realize that Australia had huge empty areas that make it difficult to transport stuff.

last few years they've been using 'truck trains', large trucks with multiple trailers, on certain long, empty runs.

now, as thread title indicates, they're using AI trucks, on special AI only highways.

https://safetowork.com.au/world-first-au...e-pilbara/

The autonomous fleet represents another win for safety in the mining industry. Removing operators from behind the wheel eliminates the risks associated with fatigue.
Critically, grade separation will ensure that there is no interaction between the road trains on the haul road and vehicles using public roads.

well if we can have separate rail roads no reason we can't have separate AI roads.  I certainly don't want any AI vehicles on my roads.