Tuesday, May 22, 2018

No Fingerprints! Joel Zamel

We've now all heard of Cambridge Analytica, their parent SCL Group, and reported improper use of Facebook data. Cambridge Analytica claimed wide effectiveness and impact on elections and world affairs in their marketing, but were unprepared to be spotlighted.

Cambridge Analytica has now closed down / gone underground.

Parallel operations being investigated surround Joel Zamel.



https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-who-is-joel-zamel-australian-israeli-linked-to-mueller-s-trump-probe-1.6104963

Three interesting articles have looked at Mr. Zamel's work with PSY-Group, Wikistrat and WhiteKnight. The above analytic Haaretz article is best (seems behind a firewall already, but perhaps cached here)

Earlier, the New York Times painted a portrait of mystery:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/19/us/politics/trump-jr-saudi-uae-nader-prince-zamel.html

The Wall Street Journal worried about a "secretive private intelligence firm" deeply linked to Israel promising to "shape reality." Foreign interference in the American domestic political process, even by friendly Israel, raises huge questions & concerns.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mueller-probe-expands-to-israeli-entrepreneur-with-u-a-e-ties-1526763816

The WSJ downloaded Psygroup.com marketing materials and now host a helpful link where PSY themselves describe "covert and legal techniques and tactics" (including "honey traps"):
http://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/psygroup.pdf?mod=article_inline
(direct web presence has now disappeared at psygroup.com)

Maybe Mr. Joel Zamel is being treated unreasonably. Zamel is professionally represented by attorney Marc L. Mukasey, chairman of white collar defense at the law firm Greenberg Traurig. Yet even the lawyer is under the spotlight for family ties and being a close buddy to Rudy Giuliani (link).

---------------------

Now another article in Haaretz clarifies the story, but so sinister!
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-trump-russia-mueller-probe-the-israel-connections-1.6116639
(or cached version here)
Too deep for me. Wanna know more? You research & blog yourself...


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This leads to my headline above. I was wholly ready to move-on from shadowy Joel Zamel to the most recent Red Sox box score. But let's have a look at the guy...

A search on 21st May 2018 turned up no certain images of Joel Zamel.

I searched for יואל זמל (Joel Zamel in Hebrew; or ג'ואל זמל ?) and got article links but no photos.

PSY promises to "sway opinion and emphasize (or de-emphasize) issues of relevance to our clients." CEO Joel Zamel has a very low profile. UNNATURAL

from http://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/psygroup.pdf
Cleanup can be too perfect. Should we see professionalism in the fact we cannot find traces of Joel Zamel?

No fingerprints at all --- signals careful work & cleanup.

P.S. - (early October 2018) After months of quiet, Psy is Back in World News (links - first two in Hebrew)
---------------------------
P.P.S. - Joel Zamel photo, released late 22 May via sbs.com.au, notes:
"Publicity-shy" Zamel "cultivated an air of discretion" & "low profile"...

 >> Belated single selected image release is more odd than nothing at all << 

Joel Zamel     photo released on sbs.com.au





Monday, May 21, 2018

Fire Dance, Namaste

Our world seems increasingly nonsensical... or counter-intuitive. Bipartisan bailout of big finance and industries with public funds was corrupt, but we're already warped from capture of the U.S. economy by militarism. Democracy offers endless war and force-fed corporate media. "Just Say No" ain't working. Outside now I see morning sun, and hear birdsong.

😄











PS: the strongest stimulant I've had in the last 24 hours was lassi (yoghurt drink)... but I did help squelch the flames of a guy on fire (he should be OK)

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Payoffs, Bribery, Hush Money are COSTLY

Lawyer-to-the-Stars, Michael Cohen, reportedly paid a lady the amount of $130,000 to say nothing about his client's unadmitted sexual encounter.

Client Donald Trump reportedly was oblivious to the transaction. Lawyer paid with his personal funds, and secured a signed contract promising future silence.

Trump denies ever schtupping Ms. Stormy Daniels.
Trump denies managing the hush-money payoff.
Trump has now belatedly admitted compensating Cohen for the payoff.

UNBELIEVABLE     ...     sleazy

Welcome to the United States of America






Monday, May 14, 2018

Wednesday, May 09, 2018

Haiku until lame
















 
Haiku until lame
Occupied Territories
White House, Pentagon.



So Cute!

Our leaders spewed $5 trillion on Iraq: US$5,000,000,000,000. to poor result ... taken from schools, seniors, communities, and our next generation -- corroding America's health. 

Iran's cleavage promises to cost more. 


Tuesday, May 08, 2018

Skip the Gold Star

It's a Beautiful Day

 - except we hear martial music & drums to WAR

Why's America messing with that part of the world?

Work w/ other major powers... or we're rogue 


JUST SAY NO!

Friday, April 27, 2018

Peace Today at Panmunjom...




Border from inside hut (gravel S.Korea; sand DPRK North Korea)


Panmunjom Peace Summit

Historic meeting in Panmunjom, Korea!

After many decades of Japanese colonialism, and 'protective' military occupation of South Korea by the USA since 1945, perhaps the Korean people can begin to make their own, more peaceful future.


Thursday, April 26, 2018

Constructing Peace - A Great Challenge

Protest over pudding, as Japan shoves divided Korea's leaders closer together.

Former colonial ruler Japan is not invited to tomorrow's intra-Korean summit in the Demilitarized Zone, but photos of dessert depicting Korean islets contested by Japan now sour relations with Tokyo (link).

Dokdo / Takeshima are just 0.2km² - twice the size of Yankee Stadium, but disproportionately controversial.  PEACE is more important!




Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Grubbing for Wealth?

                                                                                                                                                 photo:  In-seok

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Kissing Earth: Execution pit prep

The US Department of Homeland Security seeks to compile databases and possible blacklists of "media influencers" - Bad News!
(link: Forbes)   (link: The Japan Times)   (link: PEN)

DHS press secretary Tyler Houlton (link) asserts that categorizing and assessing media people is "nothing more than the standard practice of monitoring current events... Any suggestion otherwise is for tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists"...

But in fact analyzing (and penalizing) media "sentiment" is a process familiar to the Gestapo. 

According to the Statement of Work, the private-sector contractor must have "Ability to analyze the media coverage in terms of content, volume, sentiment, ... reach, ... influencers, ... momentum, circulation." No detailed rubric is publicly provided by Government to how "sentiment" is determined.

Former government officials in South Korea have been convicted and are now in prison for compiling and operating similar "blacklists" of their enemies (link). That Jan. 2018 court ruling was clear: "... once the government discriminates against those who think differently, it leads to totalitarianism."

The Korean government had 9473 people on their known "blacklist" (문화예술계 블랙리스트 - link) and also a "whitelist" ("화이트리스트") of favored media actively funded & supported. Creepy!

Classifying media sentiment & Enemies List creation is far more dangerous than "monitoring current events"






Friday, April 20, 2018

Lance Armstrong Swindle "settled"?

Payoffs keep Lance wealthy & out of jail.
Bad News for anti-corruption:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/sports/cycling/lance-armstrong-postal-service.html

Americans are overly cocooned from the World
For sheltering an admitted criminal and never even trying to send this rich swindler to jail, our society enables further crimes. America's youth sees cheating rewarded. People outside the nation see: sports, money, cheating, doping, USA USA

Lance Armstrong's a permanent SHIT stain on the American flag. 

Cheating and Doping = East Germany and Old Glory USA

This swindler disgraces every American.

Armstrong - shit stain on our flag. Expel the Bum.

Sports, Money, Cheating, Doping, USA USA