The Town of Berlin Connecticut continues to raise property taxes in the face of a never-ending recession. The Berlin Property Owners Association has been speaking out against these increases in property taxes. Recorded herein are four speeches by residents of the Town of Berlin at the first Town Council meeting subsequent to the Town Council's approval of an increase in property taxes, resulting from giving raises to virtually all town employees, who are already very well compensated. Continue reading →

William Brighenti, who founded the Berlin Property Owners Association, argued that the town can’t afford a new police headquarters, and police should look to clear space in their current building. He thinks one way to accomplish this is to get rid of tactical gear. Continue reading →

The Berlin police department is looking to build a new facility, but some residents don't think spending $21 million should even be considered. Continue reading →

Are you as an employer having trouble paying online your unemployment compensationtaxes with the Connecticut Department of Labor? SNAFU. Continue reading →

The response of Senator Richard Blumenthal to my letter in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Ask yourselves how American labor can compete against Vietnamese workers earning on average $0.56 per hour. Continue reading →

The Senate considered H.R. 1314, the legislative vehicle for trade promotion authority reauthorization.?It would give the president broad fast-track authority when negotiating trade agreements and require Congress to consider treaties without an amendment process. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks out against this bill before the Senate on May 12, 2015. Continue reading →

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY MUST MAKE A VERY FUNDAMENTAL DECISION, AND THAT DECISION IS DO WE CONTINUE THE STATUS QUO WHICH INCLUDES A 40-YEAR DECLINE OF OUR MIDDLE CLASS AND A HUGE AND GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE VERY, VERY RICH AND EVERYONE ELSE, OR DO WE FIGHT FOR A BOLD AND MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC AGENDA THAT CREATES JOBS, RAISES WAGES, PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDES HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY AMERICAN Continue reading →

Even though Corporate America has anointed Hillary Clinton as its next President, Senator Bernie Sanders' populist message is already in a week's time raising individual contributions totaling millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of people! Continue reading →

SANDERS: ... there is more coverage about the political gossip of a campaign, about raising money, about polling, about somebody saying something dumb, or some kid works for a campaign sends out something stupid on Facebook, right? We can expect that to be a major story. But what your job is, what the media's job is, is to say, look, these are the major issues facing the country. We're a democracy. People have different points of view. Let's argue it. Continue reading →

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warns not to underestimate him in the 2016 Democratic race for the White House. Sanders, who is formally launching his campaign Tuesday, said he has a strong message. Continue reading →

Have you ever observed the mating dance of the birds of paradise? The male moves dramatically, and in response, the female inches away, but ultimately the male conquers the female, and achieves the purpose of this ritualistic, instinctive dance. Well, … Continue reading →

“Thank you all very much for being here and for all the support that you have given me over the years: as the mayor of this great city, as Vermont’s only congressman and now as a U.S. senator. Thanks also … Continue reading →

Chuck Todd tells Andrea Mitchell that Hillary Clinton will win the African-American and Hispanic vote in spite of the intellectual appeal of Bernie Sanders to liberal white voters Continue reading →

Bernie Sanders calls out Hillary Clinton to announce her position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement; however, Hillary Clinton refuses to reveal her position, hoping that the agreement will be passed and she won't have to take a position. Continue reading →

Berlin needs an independent candidate on its Town Council to counter and prevent the dominance of a major political party from unilaterally imposing its agenda and will on the citizens of Berlin. Our Town Council has been voting along strict party lines on key issues even though members pledged to reach across the aisle. It has dismissed or circumvented the results of referendums, reducing them to mere dog-and-pony shows. Berlin has more unaffiliated voters than those of the two major parties. Let's petition, nominate, and place on the ballot an independent candidate to represent these citizens and prevent the control of our Town by the dominant party on the Town Council. If interested, please contact us: berlinctpropertyownersassn@gmail.com. Continue reading →

Eyewitness News has learned that the Berlin High School football recruiting scandal may have cost Berlin taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Continue reading →

With the Republican establishment attempting to stop real estate mogul Donald Trump from receiving the GOP nomination, a new anti-Trump ad produced by the Emergency Committee for Israel alleges that Trump supports dictators. But what about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s record on dictators? Earlier this week, Clinton addressed the annual AIPAC conference, seeking to cast herself as a stronger ally to Israel than Donald Trump. We examine her record on Israel and U.S. foreign relations at large with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald, co-founder of The Intercept. Continue reading →

Bernie Sanders would have already won this nominating contest if we had received an accurate accounting of the vote. It is deeply troubling the Senator would be sending out surrogates to talk about his allegiance to the Democratic party and Clinton in general in the face of the Party instituting theft against its own constituents. It is no mystery HOW to win. Count the votes and contest fraud. A tough Sane Progressive call out. Continue reading →

Bill Curry:  “In some ways, you would be [surprised that the polls in Connecticut are busy today]. Last week, on the Democratic side, every story said that it’s all over for Bernie; it’s so difficult to put this nomination together. … Continue reading →

Ralph Nader on Campaign 2016 Ralph Nader talked about his upcoming book, Breaking Through Power: It’s Easier Than We Think, as well as the latest developments in the 2016 presidential election. Continue reading →

Chris Hedges speaks the truth about American politics while Robert Reich shows that he is still an establishment Democrat after all, like Bernie Sanders. Continue reading →

we know how politics works in the United States. Whoever—whatever political party gets into government is going to merge with the bureaucracy pretty damn fast. It will be in a position where it has some levers in its hand. And so, as a result, corporate lobbyists will move in to help control those levers. So it doesn’t make much difference in the end. What does make a difference is political accountability, a general deterrence set to stop political organizations behaving in a corrupt manner. Continue reading →

Bernie Sanders and Jane Sanders are mere actors serving as pressure valves which release from time to time all excess heat emanating from failed policies, scandals, and the worsening economic conditions, so that a catastrophic systems’ collapse can be prevented. They are sheepdogs for Hillary Clinton, preventing progressives from supporting a third party progressive candidate and to herd them back into the corral of the Democratic Party. Continue reading →

"Well, reducing the election to personalities is kind of infantile at this point. The fact is, we live in a system that Sheldon Wolin calls inverted totalitarianism. It’s a system where corporate power has seized all of the levers of control. There is no way to vote against the interests of Goldman Sachs or ExxonMobil or Raytheon." Continue reading →

"And you know, we have to stop looking beyond this election cycle and see that this corporate driven ideology, you know, this commodification of the culture, this constant extracting of blood from us as citizens to pay what in essence were private debts of the banks which engaged in casino capitalism, has political consequences. History has taught us that. And Hillary Clinton is only going to further that process." Continue reading →

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Jill Stein would not continue to expand our military budget and presence in the world but would curtail both, saving American taxpayers trillions of dollars and saving the world millions, if not billions, of lives. Listen to her present a rational, humane foreign policy in this interview on The Young Turks Town Hall meeting held October 21, 2016. Continue reading →

The middle class needs to vote for Donald Trump in order to oppose the elites, Corporate America, Wall Street, the career politicians, and the media, who have all conspired to destroy the middle class. Donald Trump is the Molotov cocktail, the human hand grenade, that every beaten-down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle class can legally throw into the system that stole their lives from them. Continue reading →

In an interview with Cenk Uygur on The Young Turks TYT show on October, 21, 2016, Jill Stein was asked what would she do to ensure the protection of Estonia from an invasion from Russia. I found her response to … Continue reading →

"Trump didn’t hijack the populism, the Democratic Party made a gift of it to him. And he simply accepted it. … that elite … made a decision that in the midst of a global insurrection against political corruption and economic oligarchy that Hillary Clinton’s 'pay to play' politics in global finance capitalism would somehow play better than Bernie Sanders Democratic Socialism. … they ignored every poll they had, all the data they had, and even all the anecdotes they could possibly have accumulated in order to reach the conclusion that Hillary was a stronger candidate than Bernie. … And I remain certain that if anyone other than Clinton - and certainly if you accept for just one moment that when all the polls said the right things by such wide margins for so long they might be right - Bernie Sanders could have won this had he been the nominee, like Roosevelt took out Landon." Continue reading →

This is the natural progression, this is the natural endgame of the Bill Clinton Democratic Party when he decided to change the Democratic Party from a party of workers and blue-collar people to a party of Silicon Valley and Wall Street. And Democrats have to acknowledge that. And if they don't, they ain't going nowhere. Continue reading →

The Democratic National Committee is controlled by its big corporate donors. Tom Perez was recruited to defeat progressive Keith Ellison to keep the Democratic Party in the coffers of its corporate donors. Ellison's defeat as head of the DNC was a hit job by the corporate machine within the DNC. Continue reading →

The DNC is a one big capitalistic gangbang of Democrats and corporate donors and lobbyists. Guess who is getting screwed? Continue reading →

The sweetheart deal that Governor Malloy and his fellow Democrats in the General Assembly cut with state employee unions, the so-called SEBAC agreement, is protected by contract for a full decade —leaving meaningful reforms waaay down the road. The contract is the mother of all can-kicks. Continue reading →

Connecticut General Assembly Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz speaking at the 2014 CEUI Convention. Joe Aresimowicz, in speaking to a governmental employee union group in 2014, assured governmental union employees that he would be looking out for them: "You guys have one of your own that sits in the caucus room of the General Assembly. You cannot replicate that." "I will never allow an anti-collective bargaining bill to be called to the House floor. I'm the majority leader. I can make that guarantee." "Please, stand together, stand as brothers and sisters, and be a family. And make sure we are looking out for our own." Continue reading →

NEWS 8 IS YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS…. AND TONIGHT…VOODOO ECONOMICS! CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT MARK DAVIS TELLING US HOW REPEALING THE STATE INCOME TAX IS THE LATEST HEATED TOPIC BETWEEN THE CANIDATES FOR GOVERNOR.   DEMOCRAT NED LAMONT IS OPENING A … Continue reading →

I remember reading somewhere that if the earth was shrunk to the size of a pool ball, or a pool ball expanded to the size of the earth, the earth would be the smoother of the two.

Барабанщик METALLICA Lars Ulrich считает, что его родная страна отлично справляется с мировой пандемией COVID-19.

Дания недавно начала медленно снимать ограничения для сдерживания распространения нового коронавируса. Вновь открылись школы для детей до 11 лет, а также малые предприятия, такие как парикмахерские и тату-салоны. Этот шаг был предпринят спустя чуть более месяца после того, как в Копенгагене были закрыты детские сады, начальные и средние школы, а также кафе, рестораны, бары, тренажёрные залы и парикмахерские. Кроме того, Дания расширила тестирование на коронавирус, включив в него людей со слабыми симптомами. Ранее тестировались только те, у кого симптомы были умеренными или тяжёлыми. Другие ограничения остаются в силе по крайней мере до 10 мая. Границы закрыты, а собрания ограничены 10 людьми.

Ulrich, родившийся в Дании и живший там до 16 лет, а затем переехавший в Лос-Анджелес, обсуждал пандемию коронавируса 28 апреля во разговора с Marc'ом Benioff'ом:

«Дания была одним из первых государств в мире, которое действительно пошло на полное закрытие страны, и там зарегистрировали самые низкие показатели заболеваемости во всей Западной Европе. Всего полторы недели назад они начали открывать детские сады и школы. И пока всё идёт хорошо. Но пока ещё рано говорить о полном успехе.

Я думаю, что мы все должны понимать, где бы мы ни были, по мере того, как мир снова открывается, это не произойдёт за один-два дня, как он был закрыт. Так что это будет очень постепенно. Как мы видим, даже в США есть места, которые начинают открываться, — есть они и в Европе, в Азии и так далее. У каждой страны будет свой набор средств и свои способы возвращения к новой жизни. Но Дания, за которой я ежедневно слежу, ведь я читаю датские газеты и общаюсь с моими друзьями в Дании, уже начала этот процесс. И я думаю, что они показывают весьма впечатляющий старт. Цифры, статистика и всё то, что не претерпело радикальных изменений, на самом деле, показатели продолжают снижаться. Как вы знаете, тут совсем не так, как было в некоторых азиатских странах, когда было дано небольшое послабление, и цифры вновь поползли вверх. Но в Дании пока это выглядит многообещающе.

Когда я думаю о Дании, я думаю только о слове "мы". В Дании всё всегда "мы" и "нас", и куда меньше про "я" и "меня". И поэтому, когда я думаю о том, что Дания пережила этот кризис, я очень горжусь тем, что называю себя датчанином. И я думаю, что прогресс, который там достигается, безусловно, воодушевляет и вдохновляет всех нас».

Когда ведущий спросил у Lars'a, не захочет ли он вернуться в Данию, если коронавирусный кризис в США усугубится, тот ответил, что у него всё ещё есть датский паспорт, и пошутил, что он спит, положив его под подушку:

«Мой датский паспорт находится рядом, если он вдруг понадобится!» #Metallica #ModernRock #Modern_Rock #AvantgardeRock #Avantgarde_Rock #HeavyMetal #Heavy_Metal #SymphonicMetal #Symphonic_Metal #ThrashMetal #Thrash_Metal

В новом пятиминутном ролике вокалист METALLICA James Hetfield рассказывает о своей коллекции кастом-каров, часть которой он пожертвовал Petersen Automotive Museum в Лос-Анджелесе.. #Metallica #ModernRock #Modern_Rock #AvantgardeRock #Avantgarde_Rock #HeavyMetal #Heavy_Metal #SymphonicMetal #Symphonic_Metal #ThrashMetal #Thrash_Metal

В рамках интервью для Rolling Stone барабанщик METALLICA Lars Ulrich ответил на вопрос о том, какая музыка его зацепила за последнее время:

«Я бы назвал Fiona Apple — её пластинка ["Fetch the Bolt Cutters"] просто сногсшибательна. В тот день, когда альбом только вышел, я его слушал часа три-четыре подряд и читал тексты. Честно говоря, я был поражён тем, насколько это необычно и гениально, потому что это так нестандартно. Каждые несколько лет выходит пластинка с другим звучанием. Я думаю, что последние ARCTIC MONKEYS, выпущенные года два назад ["Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino"], также имели схожий эффект, когда ты получаешь совсем не то, что ожидаешь, потом слушаешь это и просто говоришь: "Вау, это всё ещё возможно — сделать что-то музыкальное и не так, как у всех, ты ощущаешь уникальность, свежесть и неожиданность". Так что я бы сказал, что альбом Fiona Apple определённо из этой категории. Мне также нравится альбом Ed'a O'Brien'а. И его выступление на "Kimmel" — мы смотрели его достаточно часто.

В остальном, я думаю, вы заметили, что я больше обращаюсь ко многим своим старым друзьям [в музыкальном плане]. Пожалуй, музыка, которую я слушал больше всего за последние два-три месяца, — это RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Неужели я единственный, кто думает, что их музыка с каждым днём становится всё более и более актуальной? Она всё больше и больше ассоциируется с тем, что происходит в мире. Просто такое ощущение, что все четыре этих альбома были записаны на прошлой неделе. И когда я делаю свои жалкие слабенькие упражнения, надеваю наушники и начинаю заниматься, я выдаю что-то типа: "Охренеть", когда просто слышу что-то в "Calm Like A Bomb", "Sleep Now In The Fire" или "Bombtrack", и думаю: "Не, ну правда, что ли? Какого хрена? Откуда это вообще взялось?" Так что RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE никогда не подведут!»

Ulrich также рассказал, что слушают члены его семьи:

«В доме довольно часто можно услышать Radiohead. Radiohead начали делать что-то вроде того, что делает Metallica, — они транслируют концерты, так что у нас дом фанатов Radiohead».

На вопрос о том, чем он заполняет своё время в период самоизоляции, Lars ответил:

«Я пытаюсь оставаться здоровым и здравомыслящим и быть как можно более продуктивным. Я пытаюсь быть более физически активным, чем несколько месяцев назад, занимаясь тренировками и играя, вместо того, чтобы валяться на диване. Это помогает чувствовать себя лучше в психологическом плане». #Metallica #ModernRock #Modern_Rock #AvantgardeRock #Avantgarde_Rock #HeavyMetal #Heavy_Metal #SymphonicMetal #Symphonic_Metal #ThrashMetal #Thrash_Metal

Gentle Readers, here is another treat for us while we are confined to our homes. We may even be able to lure Dorothy away from her garret for this one. Streaming Musicals will present a free streaming event of Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice on Friday, April 10, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.…

IBM Research today opened its second research location on the African continent and announced several new project collaborations in the areas of data driven healthcare, digital urban ecosystems and astronomy.

IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge program (@CitiesChallenge) will be sending teams of company experts to five municipalities through 2018 to provide pro bono consultative advice on issues such as affordable housing, economic development, immigration, and public safety.

Plus more ways to support comics creators and new authors launching their books worldwide while social distancing!

The post Social Distancing Roundup: JOHN WICK Livestream, Neil Gaiman reads CORALINE, and an X-MEN ’92 watchalong appeared first on The Beat.

IBM today announced its Health Cloud and Watson cognitive computing capabilities will support health data entered by customers in iOS apps using Apple's ResearchKit and HealthKit frameworks. The move, which complements IBM’s new Watson Health business unit, will arm medical researchers with a secure, open data storage solution, as well as access to IBM’s most sophisticated data analytics capabilities.

IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge program (@CitiesChallenge) will be sending teams of company experts to 16 municipalities around the world through 2016 to help cities with critical issues ranging from jobs creation, transportation, and public safety, to healthcare, revenue, social services, and public works.

PSA Peugeot Citroën and IBM today announced a partnership to help various industries within the Internet of Things economy to analyze data to deliver new services from connected vehicles.

As the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season gets underway, communities in severe weather-prone regions are anxiously tracking pending storms and working to create effective disaster response plans. IBM, through its strategic alliance with The Weather Company and its global B2B division WSI, today announced a new emergency management solution that features sophisticated analytics and the use of real-time weather data to help communities predict and plan for natural disasters far more accurately and deploy the right resources in advance.

Microsoft recently experienced a significant interruption of their Azure cloud service. Since a decent amount of data was available for this incident, I decided to do a partial root cause analysis. All of my source data came from Microsoft's official Azure blog post on 2014-Nov-24. I did this primarily to create a sample analysis that […]

IBM announced today that it has been recognized as the winner in the Business Analytics category and the Enterprise Network Storage sub-category in CRN’s 2017 Annual Report Card (ARC) awards program. The Annual Report Card summarizes results from a comprehensive survey that details solution provider satisfaction across product innovation, support and partnership for the hardware, services and software vendors they team up with. The vendors with the highest ratings are named to the prestigious Annual Report Card list of winners and celebrated as best-in-class by their partners. The results also provide the IT vendor community with valuable feedback—directly from their solution providers—that can be used to refine product offerings, enhance support offerings and improve communication with partners.

IBM Security today announced the launch of two new security testing practice areas focused on automotive security and the Internet of Things (IoT). The new services will be delivered via an elite team of IBM X-Force Red researchers focused on testing backend processes, apps and physical hardware used to control access and management of smart systems.