this day in the yesteryear: “Umbrella Assassin” Strikes (1978)

A diagram of a possible umbrella gun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Umbrella Assassin” Strikes (1978)

Georgi Markov began his career as a writer in his native Bulgaria. After defecting to the West in 1969, he continued his criticisms of the Bulgarian regime. On September 7, 1978, Markov was waiting at a London bus stop when he felt a sting on his leg and turned to see a man pick up an umbrella. Markov’s death days later was attributed to the tiny, ricin-laced pellet that had been fired into his leg—likely from the umbrella. The “Umbrella Assassin” was never caught. Who is the prime suspect? More… Discuss

Saint of the Day for Saturday, April 26th, 2014

Saint of the Day

St. Cletus

St. Cletus was the third bishop of Rome, and succeeded St. Linus, which circumstance alone shows his eminent virtue among the first disciples of St. Peter in the West. He sat twelve years, from 76 to … continue reading

St. CletusSt. AldoSt. Anacletus IISt. BasileusSt. ExuperantiaSt. Franca Visalta

St. Lucidius of VeronaSt. Paschasius RadbertusSt. Peter of RatesSt. RiquierSt. Trudpert

ARTICLE: YOGA

Yoga

Yoga dates to at least the 2nd century BCE—and likely much earlier—as an orthodox school of Hindu philosophy, but it has become known outside of India as a means of physical and mental exercise. The popular form in the West is hatha yoga, which emphasizes specific postures combined with controlled breathing to bring about mental calm. Hatha yoga’s more than 1,000 positions are intended to make the spine supple and promote circulation throughout the body. What does yoga mean in Sanskrit? More… Discuss

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NEWS: CONTROVERSIAL CRIMEA REFERENDUM DRAWS SANCTIONS

Controversial Crimea Referendum Draws Sanctions

Despite opposition from Kiev and the West, Crimeamoved forward with a referendum in which voters overwhelmingly backed seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia. Given the buildup of Russian troops in the region and the hurried nature of the referendum, many question the legitimacy of the vote. Nevertheless, Crimean officials—whose authority is also contested—lost little time in formally applying to join Russia. The US and EU responses were swift, though not as far-reaching as some had hoped; sanctions were imposed on a number of individuals in Russia and Crimea who pushed for or helped carry out the referendum. More… Discuss

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• Crimea gets independence
• Putin approves draft bill to annex Crimea
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• Russia supporters celebrate referendum in Crimea
• Crimea Parliament declares independence after vote

 

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: SVETLANA ALLILUYEVA (1926)

Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926)

The youngest child of Joseph Stalin, and his only daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva caused a furor when she defected to the West in the 1960s, leaving behind her two grown children in the process. After becoming a naturalized US citizen, she published two successful memoirs, married, took the name Lana Peters, had a daughter, and divorced. In 1984, she returned to the USSR and renounced her defection, but her resolve soon wavered. How long was it before she left again for the West? More… Discuss

 

ProPublica: What Went Wrong in West, Texas – and Where Were the Regulators?

ProPublica_ What Went Wrong in West, Texas– and Where Were the Regulators?

 

April 25: This post has been corrected.

A week after a blast at a Texas fertilizer plantkilled at least 15 people and hurt more than 200, authorities still don’t know exactly why the West Chemical and Fertilizer Company plant exploded.

 

 

Here’s what we do know: The fertilizer plant hadn’t been inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 1985. Its owners do not seem to have told the Department of Homeland Security that they were storing large quantities of potentially explosive fertilizer, as regulations require. And the most recent partial safety inspectionof the facility in 2011 led to $5,250 in fines.

We’ve laid out which agencies were in charge of regulating the plant and who’s investigating the explosion now.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>more HERE