How to spot a terrorist, according to US airport security
By Oliver Smith
11:50AM BST 30 Mar 2015
Leaked document suggests that whistling and excessive laughter could see you singled out for additional screening
Excessive yawning, strong body odour and arrogance are among the suspicious signs that US airport staff are trained to associate with potential terrorists, a leaked document has revealed.
A confidential security checklist used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the organisation in charge of airport screening in the US, was published by The Intercept last week.
Other warning signs, according to the document, include protruding or throbbing neck arteries, whistling, excessive laughter, and “verbally expressing contempt for the screening process”.
Its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) guidance, used by staff to root out potential terrorists, lists a total of 17 “stress factors”, each of which are worth one point, 15 “fear factors”, worth two points, and six “deception factors”, worth three. If a traveller scores four or more points, they should be referred for selective screening, according to the instructions.
Shooting at NSA headquarters leaves one dead
By Dana Hedgpeth, Sari Horwitz and Ellen Nakashima March 30 at 4:20 PM
One person was killed and another was injured Monday morning when police with the National Security Agency opened fire on a vehicle whose driver refused commands to stop at a security gate, according to a statement from the agency.
The vehicle slammed into a police cruiser after shots were fired. The brief statement says one person was pronounced dead at the scene and another was taken to an area hospital. Authorities did not describe how the two were injured. An NSA police officer also was hurt in the incident.
Law enforcement officials familiar with the case said the two men in the vehicle were dressed as women and that they had earlier robbed another man of the SUV from a motel on Route 1 in Howard County.
One of the officials, who spoke on the condition they not be named to discuss a pending case, said the incident began in Baltimore City on Sunday when the three met. The exact circumstances were still being sorted out by police. Several law enforcement officials said the trio spent the night at a Howard County motel.
Gen. Flynn: Obama’s Middle East Policy One of ‘Willful Ignorance’
Sunday, 29 Mar 2015 01:16 PM
By Sandy Fitzgerald
President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy is one of “willful ignorance,” retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency said Sunday, and he is concerned the pending deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons capabilities will worsen the situation.
“Right now, we have almost a complete breakdown of order in the Middle East,” Flynn told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace. “A new Middle East is essentially struggling to be born.”
Also , he pointed out that Iran is “clearly on the march,” and will influence the growing regional sectarian wars
Bergen utilities converting sewage into valuable energy source
MARCH 29, 2015, 11:33 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015, 11:40 PM
BY JAMES M. O’NEILL
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The bright orange flame that routinely danced from a pipe on the roof of Ridgewood’s sewage treatment plant did not exactly serve as a welcome beacon for Christopher Rutishauser, Ridgewood’s public works director. Instead, it became a nagging reminder of lost opportunity.
The facility was flaring off methane, a greenhouse gas created when bacteria break down sewage.
“I’m cheap,” Rutishauser said. “I saw the flame and saw money being wasted. I thought there had to be a way to reuse the methane.”
Rutishauser and Bob Gillow, the plant supervisor, researched the issue and came up with a plan to capture the methane and use it as fuel for a generator that produces electricity. The facility covers its own energy needs and has excess electricity to sell to the grid.
At wastewater treatment plants in New Jersey and across the country, the methane once flared off as waste is being used to produce electricity. Sewage has become a money-making resource. And following the success of these pioneers, other agencies are starting to take a look as well.
Reader suggests Roberts Rules of Order a good read for the Village Council
Hey there Mr. Mayor you chair the meetings. Surely you are well-versed in Roberts Rules of Order. As such, you know that part of Roberts Rules reads as follows: “Avoid all personalities. Never allude to another person by name or to motives.” Under points of order it reads, ” Infraction of the rules or decorum in speaking must be raised immediately after the error is made.”
So do you mind telling the citizens of Ridgewood why you allowed TWO of your elected comrades to speak so nastily and dismissively to Councilwoman Knudsen? Why didn’t you rein them in, or at least reprimand them immediately and publicly ? Some leader you are. You certainly have no regard for civility.
Al and Gwenn were completely uncivil to Susan, in different ways. Al, by not being able to control himself and say to Susan, “it’s not all about you, don’t flatter yourself”. Gwenn was uncivil by gushing over the data that Tom had provided and inferring it was a waste of his time. Wasn’t he just doing his job? Isn’t that data important so the council members can vote having actual facts? Susan always delves further to get the whole picture before voting. I may not always agree with her, but I am confident she never votes without having the facts.
MARCH 29, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY MARC FISHER
THE RECORD
GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz is a lightning rod for controversy, a stickler for process, an evangelist for conservative principle, a constitutional wonk in ostrich-skin cowboy boots.
Marc Fisher writes for The Washington Post.
TED CRUZ looked out over a sprawling audience of Iowa farmers and agri-business leaders, people who rely on federal subsidies of ethanol, and the man who would be president stuck it to them.
“I know you’d like me to say I’m for the renewable fuel standard” — that’s the subsidy of their product — “that’d be the easy thing to do,” he said. “But I’m going to tell you the truth.” He’d take away their subsidy, he said with a big smile.
The farmers sat on their hands.
A week earlier, in a vast ballroom at Maryland’s National Harbor, where blood-red conservatives gathered to evaluate a showcase of Republican presidential wannabes, Cruz was again the steely man of principle. He railed against Washington, slammed his opponents (“Hillary Clinton embodies the corruption of Washington”) and asked the true believers to demand of their candidates, “When have you been willing to stand up against Republicans?” The son of a Cuban man who saw what happens when freedom is stripped away swore that “I’ll die before I let it happen again.”
This time, the crowd stood as one, roaring with admiration and hope.
A ‘modern Jeremiah’
His father describes Cruz as a “modern Jeremiah,” delivering the final warning before the collapse, sending an unpopular but vital message. His Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, calls him “off-the-charts brilliant.” Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican and unsuccessful presidential candidate, once dubbed Cruz a “wacko bird.” His own wife says Cruz’s supreme certainty had a way of being “irksome.”
It is Cruz’s ramrod devotion to principle — or, its flip side, an unyielding insistence on getting his way — that could propel him to the front ranks of Republican contenders for president or render him unelectable.
Cruz, 44, was a marvel in high school, a kid who memorized the Constitution and wowed audiences with his speaking skills. In college, he was a prodigy and a pest; the same people who avoided having dinner with him went out of their way to watch him debate. As a politician, the senator from Texas is what he’s always been — a lightning rod for controversy, a stickler for process, an evangelist for conservative principle, a constitutional wonk in ostrich-skin cowboy boots.
Those who find his newly announced presidential campaign thrilling and those who find the notion of Cruz in the White House disturbing agree that his devotion to principle reminds them of that of Barry Goldwater, the movement conservative and 1964 Republican presidential nominee who famously said “I’d rather be right than president” and got his wish.
Uncertainty
Beneath Cruz’s mesmerizing speaking style — midnight-smooth delivery, never ruffled, even as he drops lacerating lines about the evils of Obamacare (although he acknowleged he signed his family up for Obamacare last week) — and his unthreatening appearance — suits, slicked-back black hair, baby-faced complexion — how the senator would govern remains unclear. Is he a rigidly uncompromising originalist or, as Cruz argues, more like Ronald Reagan, who preached conservative populism but governed as a dealmaker?
Although his father often proudly introduces his son guaranteeing that “Ted will not compromise,” Cruz says he follows Reagan’s approach: Push for limited government, but take what you can get. Despite the popular caricature of him as inflexible, Cruz says, “If they offer you half a loaf, you take it — and then come back for more.”
Sat, April 04, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, East Ridgewood Ave
Meet the Easter bunny under the tent and have fun in Ridgewood!
9am-11am – Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
at The Office Beer Bar & Grill
reservation required 201-652-1070.
In Memorial Park at Van Neste Square
11am-2pm
-Easter Bunny arrives at 11am-weather permitting
-Families will be able to take pictures with the Easter Bunny.
-Activities for the children in the Park* and maps available for location of the in-store activities.
FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
*Ben & Jerry’s sponsoring an “Egg Extravaganza” for ages 2-7 years.
To reserve your spot and details call
201-689-1122, www.njbenjerry.com, or stop by
104 Franklin Ave, Ridgewood, location.
March 29 at 3PM at West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe St., Ridgewood. Matthew Polenzani, the Met’s leading lyric tenor will join forces with the esteemed collaborative pianist Ken Noda Ina unique collection of art songs. Their far ranging program will include favorite songs of Beethoven and Ravel, rarely performed songs by Liszt… and classical lyrical works by Samuel Barber. Tickets: Purchase at the door
Matthew Polenzani was the recipient of the 2004 Richard Tucker Award and Metropolitan Opera’s 2008 Beverly Sills Artist Award. An avid golfer, he makes his home in suburban New York with his wife, mezzo-soprano Rosa Maria Pascarella and their three sons.
Matthew Polenzani is one of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation, Matthew Polenzani has been praised for the artistic versatility and fresh lyricism that he brings to concert and operatic appearances on leading international stages.
Ken Noda studied with renowned pianist/conductor DANIEL BARENBOIM and made his concert debut in London in 1979 with the maestro conducting the English Chamber Orchestra. He has since performed as soloist with the great orchestras of the world: the Philharmonic Orchestras of Berlin, Vienna, New York, Israel, and Los Angeles; the Symphony Orchestras of London, Boston, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and San Francisco; the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London – under such famed conductors as Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, Rafael Kubelik, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa and Andre Previn.
MARCH 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015, 8:27 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print
New tests are not good for children
To the editor:
The Common Core State Standards and PARCC testing are expensive: lots of new technology, increased bandwidth, lots more technical support personnel, more administrators – and we the taxpayers are footing the bill.
That would be fine if all this were good for our children, but it’s not. Our children are learning less: they’re reading less classic literature because they’re reading more informational texts; they’re doing less math because they’re writing essays about math; they’re doing way less social studies and science because they’re spending endless hours practicing for the PARCC.
Younger children are on keyboards practicing their typing skills instead of using paper and pencil which research shows leads to enhanced cognitive development.
They’re also watching lots of movies. Presumably their teachers are too busy to teach as much as they used to.
During the testing season, libraries resemble test prep centers more than they do traditional libraries. And now the giant publishing firm Pearson, the makers of the test, is employing a company in Utah, Caveon, to spy on children’s social media sites to see what the kids are saying about the PARCC test they’ve just taken.
Teachers are stressed, passing the stress onto the children. Teachers are afraid to say what they really think about all this for fear of losing their jobs. The teaching profession has been degraded and will continue to be degraded as long as this regimen prevails.
Turmoil is the word I most frequently hear. Is this the tradition of excellence in education that we brag about here in Ridgewood?
Interestingly, the people who most vociferously support the Common Core State Standards and PARCC testing do not send their kids to schools that use either the Common Core State Standards or PARCC testing, yet they want the rest of us to do so. How does that make any sense in a democracy? In an oligarchy, yes, a system of government in which the monied elite dictate to the masses what to do for the financial benefit of the monied elite.
The children of Silicon Valley executives go to schools which not only do not use the Common Core State Standards or PARCC testing, but also use NO technology – that’s right – NONE – and why? Their tech-free teaching methods are designed to foster a lifelong love of learning and to teach students how to concentrate deeply and master human interaction, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Isn’t that what we are trying to do? How did we get it so wrong?
Increasingly, we parents and grandparents in Ridgewood want the Board of Education to figure a way out of this mess. It’s unsustainable. In the short-term we want the Board of Education to provide our children a “technology-lite” alternative to the heavy duty technology path it has charted.
We have done all this for all the wrong reasons. It is time to think about the children. Let’s eradicate the stench of corporate greed from our fine Ridgewood schools.
No Copies of Clinton Emails on Server, Lawyer Says
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDTMARCH 27, 2015
WASHINGTON — An examination of the server that housed the personal email account that Hillary Rodham Clinton used exclusively when she was secretary of state showed that there are no copies of any emails she sent during her time in office, her lawyer told a congressional committee on Friday.
After her representatives determined which emails were government-related and which were private, a setting on the account was changed to retain only emails sent in the previous 60 days, her lawyer, David Kendall, said. He said the setting was altered after she gave the records to the government.
“Thus, there are no [email protected] emails from Secretary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state on the server for any review, even if such review were appropriate or legally authorized,” Mr. Kendall said in a letter to the House select committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya.
The committee subpoenaed the server this month, asking Mrs. Clinton to hand it over to a third party so it could determine which emails were personal and which were government records.
At a news conference this month, Mrs. Clinton appeared to provide two answers about whether she still had copies of her emails. First, she said that she “chose not to keep” her private personal emails after her lawyers had examined the account and determined on their own which ones were personal and which were State Department records. But later, she said that the server, which contained personal communication by her and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, “will remain private.” The server was kept at their home in Chappaqua, N.Y., which is protected around the clock by the Secret Service.
Mrs. Clinton’s disclosure on Friday only heightened suspicions by the committee’s chairman, Representative Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, about how she handled her emails, and it is likely to lead to more tension between her and the committee.
Mr. Gowdy said in a written statement that it appeared that Mrs. Clinton deleted the emails after Oct. 28, when the State Department first asked her to turn over emails that were government records.
Another payment alleged for Democrat Party Boss Ferriero
MARCH 27, 2015, 1:17 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015, 11:58 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A federal prosecutor on Friday alleged that Joseph A. Ferriero, the former Bergen County Democratic chief, was paid more than $100,000 by a criminal defense attorney after a Teaneck dermatologist was approved for a program that allowed him to sidestep prosecution on charges of groping female patients.
The money was in addition to the $100,000 federal authorities previously said Ferriero received from a Teaneck law firm that represented the doctor, Gangaram Ragi, in his successful attempt to retain his medical license.
Ferriero, on trial in federal court in Newark, is accused of using his influence as party chairman in a series of kickback, bribery and extortion schemes. The prosecution has rested, and the defense has begun calling witnesses.
After the jury was excused on Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig told the judge that the government has a right to bring up instances — not included in the indictment, such as the alleged payments — in which Ferriero allegedly used his political influence for profit.
PARCCRefuseniks : Mounting refusals to take state tests could hurt N.J.’s federal aid
MARCH 27, 2015, 10:53 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015, 10:56 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A tally kept by the state’s largest teachers union shows that the number of students refusing to take new state tests may top 46,000 — meaning too few students are taking the exam to meet a federal mandate, which officials say could put education funding to the state in jeopardy.
Refusals grew from week to week as tests were conducted in March, numbering hundreds in some North Jersey school districts, including 1,100 in Ridgewood alone, or one-fourth of all eligible students.
The union, one of the leading opponents of the tests, has collected numbers from teachers, media reports and parents. Although the numbers are unconfirmed, the union’s tallies from local districts are similar to figures The Record has received by talking to a limited number of school superintendents.
Steve Wollmer, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, said that the 46,000 figure represents 5 percent of all students in the state. “We know at least that many opted out and that [list] doesn’t even include every district in the state,” he said.
State education officials declined on Friday to say how many have refused the test known as PARCC, or whether the participation rate was below 95 percent. A spokesman said results won’t be known until after testing ends on Thursday.
The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood | 10 Chestnut Street | Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Phone: 201-447-2204 | Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00AM – 5:30PM and Thursday Night 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Tutor Doctor, One of the Top Math Tutoring Programs in NJ, Announces New Custom-Designed Programs
March 26, 2015
The New Programs were Developed in Response to the College Board’s Decision to Update the Scholastic Aptitude Test
HAWTHORNE, NJ, Tutor Doctor of North Jersey, a company that offers some of the best tutors in a variety of academic subjects, has just launched new learning programs that will help prepare students for the updated Scholastic Aptitude Test.
For the first time in almost a decade, noted a company spokesperson for Tutor Doctor, the College Board is updating the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to better represent and track what students have actually learned in high school and to assess a student’s college and career readiness. After the number of students who took the ACT surpassed those who took the SAT in 2012, the College Board came to realize that the SAT had become disconnected from the skills learned in high school and needed to undergo major changes to better meet the needs of students across the nation. The new version of the SAT will debut in the spring of 2016.
As the spokesperson for Tutor Doctor explained, the College Board is on a new mission to best serve higher education by propelling students toward success in college and work. With a similar philosophy, Tutor Doctor’s “at-home” approach is dedicated to student success by providing each student with the tools they need to meet and exceed expectations. Tutor Doctor of North Jersey prepares students for college by offering custom-designed programs that meet each student’s specific educational needs, objectives, and learning styles by working with teachers and current coursework to help each student master current academic requirements, while also maximizing his/her potential.
“We are very pleased the SAT will be more aligned with students’ curriculum and have a deeper focus on the important academic skills they’ve learned in school,” said Jessica Bush, business owner of Tutor Doctor of North Jersey.
“At Tutor Doctor, our tutors support teachers by working collaboratively with the school structure to help students learn new material while excelling at the topics they’re learning in school. This collaborative approach helps students succeed during their high school studies while preparing them for college.”
The new SAT format will reinforce the skills and evidence-based thinking that students should be learning in high school. Some of the drastic changes include eliminating the guessing penalty, replacing complex vocabulary words with those used more commonly in the college setting, and making the essay optional. Those who pursue the writing section will have 50 minutes to read and analyze a document and build an argument based on the author’s use of evidence and reasoning. Furthermore, the time will be reduced to three hours and the overall scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale, based on a top score of 800 in reading and math, with a separate score for the essay.
For more information on Tutor Doctor of North Jersey, which is known for having one of the top math tutoring programs in the state as well as tutoring for kids with special needs, please visit www.NorthJerseyTutorDoctor.com.
About Tutor Doctor:
For over 5 years in the local North Jersey area from Glen Rock and Ridgewood, NJ, Tutor Doctor has been dedicated to matching students of all ages, grades and subjects with dedicated, highly experienced tutors. All of their one-on-one tutoring takes place in the privacy of the student’s home. They take the time to match each student to a tutor whose skills and schedule matches his or her needs, and they will customize an academic game plan and set goals for every student’s success. For more information, please visit https://www.northjerseytutordoctor.com/
