Monday Madness
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 10th, 2014
Good morning!
Zaria: Speaking of showers, and privacy…and Mike, TM…speaking of computers and cell phones being hacked…
…a write From Think Progress:
Russian Officials Defend Decrepit Facilities By Citing Surveillance Footage Inside Hotel Showers
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak
Journalists, spectators, and athletes in town for the Sochi Olympics (which start today) have been reacting to their unfinished hotel rooms, dirty water, andunfamiliar lavatory setups with a mix of amusement and frustration on social media. Less genial are the Russian officials tasked with running the games, who have begun accusing their detractors of deliberately sabotaging the Olympic village in an effort to embarrass Russia. And they can prove it too, thanks to the surveillance cameras installed in visitors’ showers.
At least that seemed to be the admission from Dmitry Kozak, a deputy Prime Minister who is responsible for overseeing the Sochi Olympics. He spoke with theWall Street Journal about the endless stream of criticism, and was eager to offer his evidence that much of it is fabricated.
“We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day,” he told the paper. Before the Journal could inquire as to how Russian officials were able to see inside the showers of hotel guests, an aide stepped in and pulled the reporter away from Kozak.
Whether or not the claim by Kozak is true, Russia’s Olympic games are already rife with privacy concerns. NBC News reporter Richard Engel filed a report from Sochi on Tuesday documenting how hackers in Russia were able to gain access to both of his computers and his cell phone in a matter of minutes, and the U.S. State Department has issued a warning to anyone traveling to the games that they should have “no expectation of privacy, even in their hotel rooms.”
Not every Olympic venue is a disaster area. Most of the facilities being used by the athletes — both their accommodations and the event facilities themselves — were completed ahead of schedule and without missing doorknobs, ceilings or hot water. But the overall lack of preparedness has many wondering what became of the $51 billion that was spent on the Sochi games, more than every other winter Olympics combined.
Readers: Now…time to get off of my computer, which I am HOPEful it hasn’t been hacked, and off to go jump in the shower myself, which to my knowledge is sans cameras. Blog me.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 10th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
As two Japanese anti-nuclear groups successfully filed last month the “Reactor Suppliers Lawsuit” against Toshiba Corp., Hitachi Ltd., and General Electric Co., in order to make the manufacturers of the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant take responsibility for the nuclear disaster on a par with the government and power plant operator, Seungkoo Choi, Secretary General of the Reactor Suppliers Lawsuit Plaintiff Team, told in an interview to the Voice of Russia why he believes the tech giants must be held accountable and what will happen in case the plaintiffs win the case.
What is the aim of the lawsuit? Do you think this could really make the parties responsible for the accident finally tackle the problem? What do you expect from this move?
Let me explain the background of our lawsuit. First of all, in Japan or Taiwan, or Korea, anywhere they don’t know the Act on Compensation for the Nuclear Damage. This law is only paying attention to the operator in Japan that provides electrical power. So, according to this law the makers are not responsible, they are not liable. Anywhere, in the whole world they have the same laws. In spite of the accident they can export as they want because of the law.
So, who is responsible if not the makers?
They are not responsible, but we think they are responsible. First of all, this law is against the constitution. Secondly, we can testify that they are responsible for the accident. We have many tools. For example, the GE (General Electric), they made the first NPPs (nuclear power plants) in Japan. But in the States the engineers oppose to exploit them, because it is dangerous. And they witnessed that it is dangerous in the US AEC in 1976. So, the makers or the Japanese Government, or the Tokyo Electric Power they know it is dangerous.
Secondly, the tsunami or the earthquake, they expected that such kind of big earthquake will happen. They know it and we understand it, because of the Japanese referral to the AEC committee. We have proofs and we can say that they are responsible for the accident.
What will the consequences be if you win this lawsuit?
Once we make it clear that they are responsible, they have to pay money for the sufferers. Now only the Tokyo Electric Power, the operator can pay money back to the sufferers, but this money come from the city’s fee. And also the Japanese Government supports this company. But this money comes from the tax. You see, both of them are public money. So, we think the makers should be responsible to pay back to the sufferers.
The situation at Fukushima, how dangerous is it? I mean, the radiation level is around 7.8 millisieverts or…
It is extremely high. The Government will not make it clear. And also the contaminated water is all flowing out into the Pacific Ocean. But the Government said it is safe. Prime Minister Abe said it is perfectly under control. But it is a lie and everybody in Japan knows it.
Do you think there will be some kind of reaction from the companies involved to this lawsuit? And what kind of reaction are you expecting?
Not yet, since we only started it. But these companies are not only the Japanese issue. They can export all over the world, because every country has this act, you know, compensation for nuclear damage. Because of the law they are free, they are not responsible in any country. So, they will not admit it and in the court we will prove that they are responsible, this is our purpose to make it clear.
Best of luck to them.
February 10th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
IN MEMORIAM: The first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force was laid to rest yesterday afternoon in Arlington National Cemetery. Ruth Alice Lucas was born in Stamford, CT, in Nov. of 1920. A 1942 graduate of what is now Tuskegee University in Alabama, she went on to receive a master’s degree in educational psychology from Columbia University in 1957. Among the things she’s credited with, Colonel Lucas organized and implemented literacy programs aimed at increasing the education levels of service personnel. She was 92 at the time of her passing. RIP
February 10th, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Because in Russia, you don’t take showers, showers take you.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Old/fat visitors have an expectation of privacy in the bathroom; young hot- looking athletes do not.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Surveillance cameras in the showers? homie really did just snitch on himself
February 10th, 2014 at 10:08 pm
if any regular russian did this they would be jailed. but when the putin kgb regime does its legal smh. the spy industry needs to die off. i hope the winter olympics fails. the kgb poured billions into the spy tech
February 10th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Russia pulling an okie doke with them billions lmao.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:20 pm
Fear not all. Snowden is in Russia now. He will protect you and convince Dear leader Putin to put a stop to such things.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:22 pm
It is lots more cost effective than using satellites to do it. Besides anyone who has seen Psycho knows terrorist can lurk in showers, especially those of women. We in the US are probably vigilant about that too with all of our Homeland Security..
February 10th, 2014 at 10:24 pm
Unbelievable is RIGHT. I hope the next time an Olympic venue is chosen, the committee picks one whose living conditions are in the 21st century.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:25 pm
The poor athletes, how can they perform at an optimum level AND enjoy their (for many) once in a lifetime experience with all this krap going on? Pun intended.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:25 pm
Yeah, I’m really wondering what the Olympic Committee was thinking when they chose this venue. Didn’t anybody do some thorough research before Sochi was chosen?
February 10th, 2014 at 10:26 pm
Maybe some of these running showers were people trying to “flush” their water system. Well, it didn’t flush the water, but it flused out some “bugs”. We can’t make them look bad …. they have already done it themselves.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:27 pm
The fact that Russian officials are watching what is done in the bathroom is mindblowing.
Whatever were they thinking? They’re so cavalier about letting the world know, too. The parents of young women must be having a fit over this… the parents of the young men, too.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:28 pm
I have to wonder about the Olympics Committee that decides these venues– was it Russia’s turn to host a winter olympics??
February 10th, 2014 at 10:28 pm
I feel badly for the olympic players and the journalists who must do their assignments in deplorable conditions. Sounds like there is some corruption going on there too because Russia claims there was money budgeted to upgrade the area to accommodate the Olympians.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Debbie#13;
My husband and I just had this conversation. I wonder if someone has a big fat off-shore back account now.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Zoey#16, I’m sure there was plenty of money at the start of the project, but every news report has mentioned the corruption in that country, so I’m sure that has a lot to do with it. In fact,
I wouldn’t put it past them to pay off members of the Olympic Committee to guarantee that they were chosen in the first place. They might be shooting themselves in the foot, because it will most likely be a cold day you-know-where before Russia is chosen again.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:32 pm
I would have bought a prepaid cell and cheapy computer with nothing on it. I would have always kept underwear/bra on and cover myself on the commode. Also, only write things on paper, limit speaking. Brought a whole bunch of DEPENDS in my luggage!
February 10th, 2014 at 10:33 pm
Just heard a TV news anchor from Portland reported that the Russians covered the ceiling of a public bathroom in Shayba Arena IN MIRRORS.
If one looks up, they get a complete view of what everyone else is doing in their stalls.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:34 pm
I guess that is their idea of tight security. I would be screaming for my child to get out of there ASAP if they went.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:35 pm
Worse than “Hotel California” – mirrors on the ceiling….pink champagne on ice…
February 10th, 2014 at 10:35 pm
I just have to ask, who the he– would ever want to go to Russia … anyhow … period?
February 10th, 2014 at 10:36 pm
Hang on everyone. Somebody will be posting soon how our country is just as bad….wait for it. …..
February 10th, 2014 at 10:37 pm
NS#20, Are they all pervs in that country or something? Haven’t enough Russian officials traveled to the west to know what standards the rest of the modern world lives in? What the heck are they thinking?