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Some disturbing news from NSA wiretapping:

Rep. Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department to reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel organization in Washington.

Harman was recorded saying she would “waddle into” the AIPAC case “if you think it’ll make a difference,” according to two former senior national security officials familiar with the NSA transcript.

In exchange for Harman’s help, the sources said, the suspected Israeli agent pledged to help lobby Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., then-House minority leader, to appoint Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee after the 2006 elections, which the Democrats were heavily favored to win.

Seemingly wary of what she had just agreed to, according to an official who read the NSA transcript, Harman hung up after saying, “This conversation doesn’t exist.”

Are we OK with wiretapping people to use for political gain? I thought it was to track terrorist activity?

It was at a carnival, and it cost me upwards of $100 bucks. As a math major, I was embarrassed and it actually still kinda stings.. Here's what happened.

Fiancee and I were "drawn" to a street fair in search for food, when I was approached by a gentlemen who gave us a "free" carnival ticket and asked to play a game. The dealer explained the rules, which have been summed up here:

The Razzle board is a flat playing surface with 120 holes numbered 1 to 6. Players roll eight marbles onto the board. After each of them settles into a hole, an agent adds the total score. The agent then points to a laminated card with a confusing grid of points. This card lists all the potential payouts. The best score (instant 100pts) is acheived if the ball lands on all sixes (total of 48) or all 1s (total of 8). The game ends when you (a) reach 100 points or (b) quit.

After a free roll or two to get the game started, the agent begins charging, starting with $2 and increasing with each roll. There  "special numbers" 26,28, and 30 that will raise the jackpot (but also the required entry fee to 5, then 10, then 20, then 40, then so on) to keep the game going. 

Sure, enough early on in the game I got a 40 and a 10, and a 15 to quickly get to 65. After a few rolls, I got to 80, then 90, then 95.

True payouts were scored only on very improbable totals. You have to get in the 40s or low teens to get real points, because there are very few sixes and fives on the board, getting there4 would be next to impossible.  I got up to "95" points and then for some reason could not get to 100. I put the game on hold. He wanted $80 to roll  for an $1100 jackpot.  I didn't have it and I was to return the next day after he gave me a "hold" card with my game position. I was to return the next day.

Then, after we cooled off and used, the power of the internet, I found out dude most likely intentionally miscounted my score early on. He would point to the bals and tally my score (fraudulently). Not only that, there were far more threes and fours than 1/2/5/6's, putting the expected value at..you guessed it..the "special number" of 28 (requiring a doubling of your bet and the roll fee). Furthermore:

Once the player is close to 100 points, the agent stops miscounting and subsequent rolls produce zero or a harmless free roll. Meanwhile, the agent tries to keep the victim betting by offering substantial amounts of money once the score hits 100--if it ever does.

I felt like I was kicked in the shins. Lesson learned.

reason, you may want to read this .

It seems Obama is also seeking $100B in loans for the IMF, which suggests we will be seeing an expanded role for the IMF, and of course in typical Obama fashion - we don't have any time to think about it, it has to happen now .

Good news for post American era, trans-nationalist advocates like Koh , bad news for America IMO.