World News

The International News: Pakistan conducts another successful ballistic missile.

Pakistan today conducted another successful launch of short range surface to surface ballistic missile “Nasr” as part of Army Strategic Forces Command training exercise which included quad salvo on 24 January and single shots on 28 & 31 January 2019[.]

Watch the video at the link.
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BBC: Record fentanyl drug bust at U.S. Mexico border.

Agents on Saturday found 254 lbs (114kg) of fentanyl, as well as 395 lbs of methamphetamine in a lorry at an official US-Mexico border crossing.

A "false floor" was found in the produce truck, said Michael Humphries[.]
[.]
...the cargo of fentanyl had an approximate black market value of $3.5m (£2.6m) and is considered so deadly that even a few salt-sized grains of it could kill a person.

- - -
SMH: Maker of "Happy Birthday"-playing candles fined. Some catch fire, some explode.

Consumer Affairs Victoria took Mr Xu, 59, from Clayton, to court for selling the permanently banned "combustible" candles whose batteries are also at risk of exploding in its smouldering ruins and a range of other products after warnings they did not meet Australian safety standards.

Watch the video at the link. Not to miss!
- - -
EURO News: OPEC cuts back production, price increases.

The 14-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 30.98 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, a Reuters survey showed, down 890,000 bpd from December and the largest month-on-month drop since January 2017.

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Newsy: Toxic Smog in Bangkok.

Hit the link, watch the video. Breath in, breath out.
- - -
The Star: Snakes seeking refuge in toilets due to Australia's heatwave.

Last week, [Luke Huntley, a snake catcher in Queensland]  removed a seven-foot python that had slithered into an open door and climbed into the shower not only to escape the heat but also to find water. Days earlier, he pulled a small tree snake that had coiled in another homeowner’s toilet bowl.

- - -
From snakes in toilets to, sort of, the Royal Family. What a perfect segue.

The Irish Times: Stockpiles of Magnums in case of no-deal Brexit. (Magnums the vanilla chocolate ice cream bars, not the condoms). 

Unilever is stockpiling ice creams in Britain and deodorants in continental Europe to guard against potential supply disruptions in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Anglo-Dutch consumer giant, which is the world’s largest ice cream seller, makes British favourites like Magnum bars in Italy and Germany, and is building up a few weeks of extra inventory in Britain in case of any border delays.

Likewise, several of its European deodorants, including Axe, Dove and Rexona, are made in Britain.

New American Spirit Red Cigarettes

Available at all fine tobacco retailers.

Give these pilots Bonus Pay

Check it out. All the wind gusts and they make it look easy. Landings and takeoffs at Newcastle Airport. You Tube.

No Wall? How about a "Palisade"?

Instead, we could call the 'wall' a curb.

Or, Palisade...that sounds nice and friendly.

H/T: The War on Guns - By Any Other Name. Read the link at the link.

I noticed, that at least in June 2013, The Taliban Office in Doha, Qatar (image below and link from Stars and Stripes) appears to have both barriers protectionary concrete deterrents and a wall fence barricade barrier blockade nice palisade.

The Taliban office in Doha, Qatar, is seen on June 18, 2013.
Via Stars and Stripes; Image: OSAMA FAISAL/AP

Minnesota Govt Remains Open during the Big Chill. One elected Rep whines it's too cold. Surprise, it wasn't a Dem!

FOX 9 KMSP: Minnesota officials defend keeping government open during Big Chill.

Most of Minnesota state government remained open Wednesday despite the extreme cold, drawing concerns from one Republican state lawmaker that Minnesotans were being needlessly put in danger.

Gov. Tim Walz’s administration decided to keep state offices open, even as Wisconsin’s governor shuttered many state buildings, businesses closed, and the U.S. Postal Services suspended service for the day.
[.]
“Why would we put those workers at risk? Why would we put the troopers that have to respond if they have an accident, the tow truck drivers that have to respond if they have an accident, why are we putting them at risk unnecessarily?” state Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, said in an interview. “We can shut down for one day. The world won’t end.”

Walz defended his decision to keep the government open, saying that he directed state agencies to decide what work would be unsafe because of the weather.

Rep. Marion O'Neill (R) District: 29B

Not a fan of MN Gov. Timmy Walz, but I agree with him here.

Marion, everything in life has risk. You were elected to do a job. Do it. I'm guessing she can't identify the letter "D" from the letter "R".  

For a part-time job lasting about six months, Minnesota elected legislators earn $45,000/year. Plus per diem.

The BIG ISSUE legislators have been wrestling over the past two days - an issue that apparently outranks all others - is naming an official "state" dog.

Pick a dog. Pick a breed. There are so many tough issues to tackle, choosing the "state dog" should take no more than fifteen minutes. A Labrador. A Husky. A Beagle. A Frikkin Poodle. Pick one, pick one fast and be done with it.  This is the debate the state legislators are having and one of them thinks they should have the day off because of the Big Chill?

Huawei Conspired to steal T Mobile's trade secrets from Tappy the Robot.

Corporate espionage? This is a great Tech story.

NPR: DOJ case claims Huawei hi-jinx with Tappy the T Mobile Robot.

The Justice Department unsealed two separate indictments of Chinese telecom device maker Huawei on Monday. But only one of them reads like the script of a slapstick caper movie.

That would be the one that describes the U.S. government's case alleging that Huawei stole trade secrets from T-Mobile, the wireless service company.

In the indictment, the government says that between June 2012 and September 2014, Huawei repeatedly made efforts to steal information about the design of a T-Mobile robot. The robot's name, adorably, is "Tappy."

We would like to include a photo here of Tappy, but photographing the robot is expressly prohibited by T-Mobile, and Tappy is kept under very tight security in a lab at T-Mobile headquarters in Bellevue, Wash.
[.]
Meanwhile, Huawei China was reportedly trying to build its own device-testing robot — named, less cutely, "xDeviceRobot" — and it was not finding much success. And Huawei's devices weren't faring well on T-Mobile's Tappy tests, failing more often than devices made by competitors.

In May 2012, Huawei USA asked if Huawei China could license the Tappy technology, and T-Mobile said no.

That's when Huawei began attempting to steal the design secrets of Tappy, according to the indictment.

"xDeviceRobot" ??

One area where China falls woefully behind the rest of the world is in naming their Tech-AI-Robo devices. Honestly...the best they could think of is "xDeviceRobot"? That's not much of a creative leap since the days of Johnny Sokko.

"Flying Robot" and not Tappy

Where IS Ruth? #wheresruth

Here's a Reddit thread asking if RBG is alive.

BlindGuyMcSqueeezy 10 points · 20 days ago

    Is there any way to check?

You try calling her?

ODUrugger 5 points ·19 days ago

     No but I sent her a few snapchats and no response

And then there's this. Sandra Rose:

...on Monday, Jan. 21, Fox News' daytime talk show Fox & Friends briefly mentioned Ginsburg's passing by airing the above graphic bearing the dates of the justice's birth and death. About 20 minutes later Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt apologized for accidentally airing the graphic.

"We need to apologize," Doocy told viewers. "A technical error in the control room triggered a graphic of Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a date on it. We don't want to make it seem anything other than that was a mistake. That was an accident."

#wheresruth

Found...well, some of her...

Make sure others are okay.

With this wicked chill in the central mid-west, check with those maybe "not so young" family members, friends and others that we all should all make a point to contact more often. But especially with this cold weather. Some folks might be indoors for the next two days and not leave. Even if you think you know they're all right, call them anyway. They'll be glad to hear from you.

UK flooded with fake cigarettes containing human fecal matter and other contaminants.

Daily Mail: Millions of illegal and fake cigarettes 'containing human excrement, arsenic and dead flies' are flooding the UK.

Millions of cheap, illegal cigarettes containing lethal substances are flooding the UK and undermining efforts to reduce smoking rates, councils have warned.

Many of the fake fags contain asbestos, arsenic, rat droppings, mould, dead flies and human excrement.
[.]
Cigarettes are sold at 'pocket money prices' - making them readily available to children. The cigarettes have a dark history as they are often linked to serious organised crime.

Stick with Brand-Name Cigarettes folks. Brand-Name only.

(The) Answer to SPOT the Blooper - Continuity error.

First, from the comments on the original post, some folks out there with really keen eyes!

Her slacks change colors? - Zack

The champagne is very bubbly when poured , but totally flat when they clink glasses ? - jerseygirlangie

He's got his cane in his left hand in the long shot and magically is holding the champagne glass in the next close shot. - RJ

He is originally holding the glass with the left palm facing to the viewer. At the clinking of the glasses, the viewer sees the back of his right hand now holding the glass. - Anonymous

 Here's the clip:

The Continuity error I noticed, the reason for the original posting on this, comes 26 - 29 seconds (+/- a second) into the clip.

As the champagne is being poured (at 26 seconds), Steed is holding his glass in his LEFT hand. In the next shot, fading-in from "black", as Anonymous noted, Steed is holding the glass in his RIGHT hand. And, he's wearing a glove, which he wasn't wearing in the previous shot. Mrs. Peele looks like she might be wearing a glove, or, her hand is deliberately unlit.

RJ's comment on the umbrella (or cane) is something I never would have noticed. There may be more. If you see one, leave a comment. Thanks.

It's Cold, but it's a Dry Cold

Composite map, images via KTSP

Record-breaking windchill expected.

On the positive side, the seven-day outlook for mosquitoes looks good.

"Learn to Code" is "hate speech"?

Twitter panics over phrase "Learn to Code".

Breitbart: "Telling fired journalists to 'learn to code' is targeted harassment."

Twitter has ruled that telling journalists to learn to code is “targeted harassment.” A Twitter spokesperson stated that the situation was “nuanced” but that telling laid-off journalists to “learn to code” could be considered “targeted harassment.”
[.]
Twitter does not consider the repeated calls of violence against the students of Covington Catholic High School to be targeted harassment. Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan’s referral to Jewish people as “termites” also did not violate the sites targeted harassment rules. Tweets about the Covington school kids such as “LOCK THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL AND BURN THAT B*TCH TO THE GROUND,” were allowed on Twitter’s platform[.]

More at The Independent Sentinel.

And more at Bounding Into Comics.

We have such sensitive journalists.

Last Call for SPOT The Blooper, or find others that no one has seen.

Last call to anyone who wants to take a shot and spot the continuity error in the short video clip at this post.

There have been some really sharp eyes out there from people who left comments at that post pointing out continuity errors that I never noticed. But they aren't the one that I mean.
 
Take a guess and leave a comment. I'll publish the answer this evening.

Quirky Adult-Themed City Names

BestPlaces: Quirky-named cities.

Weed is a slang term for marijuana and stoners everywhere enjoy posting pictures of the "Weed Next 3 Exits" sign off Interstate 5 in Northern California.

Hit the link, read the others. Nothing all that explicit. Just fun.

HERE COMES the POLAR VORTEX

Image: NASA

CBS Denver: Polar Vortex to invade Midwest.

Invade? Should we build a wall?

Mercury News: 'Life-threatening cold'.

"Life-threatening". I'm scared. Time for the Zombie Knives and other, self-defensive measures? Pepper spray, that kind 'o stuff.

A duly noted tragedy, already a victim to the cold. This is not fake news...I think.

Free Bacon Tuesday at McDonalds

FOX 4 KC, for details: Free Bacon.

What more is there to say? Um, McDonald's is bringing us cheesy-bacon fries nationwide. Okay, that's it.

Bloomberg Whines over Indie Run of Starbuck's Howard Schultz

It's entertaining to hear a Billionaire like Mikey Bloomberg whine. He dislikes the idea of former Starbuck's CEO Howard Schultz running as in Independent for president in 2020.

The most bestest line from Mikey is...

"I have never been a partisan guy[.]"

Ha! He's a lifelong, hardcore Lib who changed to Indie because he knew he'd never get an endorsement from the Dems in his NY mayoral runs.

Now he's whining about Schultz running as an Indie when he, Bloom-a-berg, is thinking about running for prez in 2020. Mikey thinks if he got the nod as the Dem prez candidate, why...an Indie run by someone like Schultz would drain votes away from him! Why, how DARE Schutlz!

Oh. That's. So. Sad. Widdle Mikey Bloomberg has a champagne problem with Schultz considering an Indie run for prez. If only we all had Bloomberg's "problems".

Considering how often Dems express their loathing the rich, especially the really rich rich, they sure manage to attract a beloved share of millionaires they're willing to support in presidential elections. Bloomberg's presidential run would fool no one except those who desire being fooled. Bloomberg...another old rich white guy. No hypocrisy here...move along.

Ich bin ein Siberia

Sky News: We are all Siberians.

States including Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota are forecast to get Siberian-like temperatures.
[.]
Wind chills will help some cities reach their lowest temperatures in decades.

Waterloo in Iowa is one of the places that could set an all-time low, and -36.6C (-34F) is forecast on Wednesday.

Chicago is already blanketed in snow but is set to hit -29C (-20F) the same day. The last time it reached that temperature was 1994.

But with high winds in the Windy City, it could feel like -42.8C (-45F).

When it gets this cold, I never get tired of taking a pot of hot boiling water, going outside, and tossing it up into the air and watching the water instantly turn into little micro-flakes. It's fun. Be careful if you try this.

This is the reason for the snow and sub-zero temps in the Upper Mid West and the weather heading east.

Tech News

Bright Hub: Insurers Fear Autonomous vehicles.

According to research by Accenture and the Stevens Institute of Technology, as many as 23 million fully automated vehicles will cruise on U.S. streets by 2035. As a result, insurers could see losses as great as $25 billion. Even worse, a report by KPMG puts expected losses by 2050 at $137 billion.
[.]
According to a survey by AAA, 63 percent of U.S. drivers are afraid to ride in a self-driving vehicle. The rate of fearful drivers was 78 percent last year.

- - -
Ars Technia: Internet watchdog group Citizen Lab in a real-life Spy vs Spy.

Researchers at Internet watchdog group Citizen Lab orchestrated the sting after they grew suspicious of a man calling himself Michael Lambert who contacted Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton to request a lunch meeting at a New York hotel. The suspicions were fueled by an earlier meeting in December, in which a man masquerading as a socially conscious investor named Gary Bowman grilled a different Citizen Lab researcher about work the watchdog did exposing NSO Group, the Israeli exploit seller.

The Spy Cam. Image: AntanO / Wikimedia

 - - -

BGR: Russian fighter pilots to fly with AI wingmen.

[Russian] military forces have also been testing the feasibility of having AI-powered wingmen fly alongside Russian fighter pilots, executing commands issued by the human pilot an inaugurating a scary new chapter in aerial military combat.

- - -
Computer World: Linux's hyperledger Grid.

The Hyperledger Grid project, as it's called, will initially offer businesses modular software and smart contract components to address problems such as tracking and tracing shipped goods, electronic certifications and bill of lading exchange.

"Supply chain is one of the most promising areas for blockchain use cases, and implementation of many of these use cases can benefit from capabilities which can be provided by a shared platform," the Linux Foundation said earlier this week.

- - -
Extreme Tech: New pics of Ultima Thule.

Object called 2014 MU69 or “Ultima Thule.” Image: NASA

- - -
WIRED: Uber wants self-driving scooters.

Oh, hell yes. Transportation isn't dangerous enough. Keep driving and texting...while on that scooter!
- - -
This deserves a sole post. I'll do that soon. ZD Net: Artificial intelligence will become the next human right.

If the predictions of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff prove to be true, [AI] will one day become a new human right.
[.]
According to Benioff, AI is going to become a service which everyone will need. Countries and companies alike will be "smarter," "healthier," and "richer" if they have AI, whereas those without will be "weaker and poorer, less educated and sicker," the publication reports.

In addition, those with artificial intelligence capabilities will have the most advanced warfare capabilities, the executive says, and as we know, military power is often linked to resource gain.

- - -
TechCrunch: Is Huawei a national security threat?

Despite the fact that the company’s founder and president is a former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army and the company remains heavily funded by the Chinese government, there’s also no public, direct evidence that Huawei is using its equipment to spy on network traffic inside the U.S. or any other country. In any case, Huawei can’t prove a negative, so all it can do is allow governments to assess its devices — which has so far found some issues but nothing conclusive to tie it to Chinese espionage actors.

That’s the crux of the argument: nobody thinks Huawei is spying now. To get caught would be too dangerous. But nobody knows that it won’t spy in the future.

- - -
Tech wants to confiscate your car. Technocracy:  Green Tech "Expert": "Car ownership is nonsense."

The UN’s Agenda 21 and 2030 Agenda are personified by this propaganda: “walking comes first, bicycles and scooters second and public transport third. Cars should only come in fourth place.” That’s right, you can walk wherever you need to go. ⁃ TN Editor
[.]
[W]e will see a transition to the shared economy. In the future, we will not own cars. Judged by efficiency, it is nonsense. Up to ten people can share one vehicle.
[.]
Are consumers ready to accept that car ownership doesn’t make sense?
[.]
In the future, car ownership could end up being only reserved for super-luxury vehicles and super-rich people. But considering efficiency, it is definitely not the way to go. Transport networks will be optimised, emissions will be cut down.

Can YOU Spot The Continuity Error?

Up late, awake? If you have insomnia or a hard time sleeping, (me too), well, here's something to take a shot at. Spot the Continuity Error.

I remember on TV The Avengers. I ran across The Avengers on some local channel recently, only they were black and white episodes. I don't remember any of those. The ones I watched were in color. We'd return from Sunday Mass just in time to watch it on some local TV channel, it started at 11AM. I had to be....7, 8 years old? I thought it was a great show.

So I looked it up on YTube. Spotted a continuity error in the opening. There might be more, I dunno. But there's one that really sticks out.

Can YOU spot it? Leave a comment. I'll give the answer later.

Wheels Up on Personal Drone

Check out the Personal Drove. Saw it while reading @RealJamesWoods.

Turn the volume on for the clip. It says it requires no skill in flying or navigating. You enter your destination into a GPS, and off ya go.

Finally...the George Jetson travel is upon us.

Why is Prince Phil still driving?

Maybe...maybe...there are 97-year olds who are more adept and alert at driving than people half that age. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

It's difficult for me to understand why Prince Phil continues driving. Vanity Fair:

As if being in a car accident that left him seriously shaken wasn’t enough, the Duke of Edinburgh is now at the center of a public relations storm, and Buckingham Palace courtiers can’t seem to keep a lid on it. The 97-year-old royal hit a small Kia sedan with his Land Rover while leaving the Sandringham estate last Thursday. The incident has provided tabloid fodder for days, and continued to do so Monday when one of the passengers involved made an appearance on national television on Monday. She criticized the treatment she has received by the police and what she called disappointing behavior on the part of the royal family.

Emma Fairweather, a passenger in the car, said she feels the royal should have reached out to her personally after the accident, which involved another woman and a nine-month old-baby. Fairweather suffered a broken wrist while the rest of those involved escaped the crash uninjured. According to a witness, Philip said at the scene that he was “dazzled” by bright sunlight when he pulled out onto the busy road and smashed into the Kia. Philip’s Land Rover flipped across the motorway, and the sedan was badly damaged when it crashed into the shoulder.
[.]
Land Rover scored some good publicity when they delivered a new vehicle to the Palace the next day. But outrage ensued when the Daily Mail published photographs of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh—back in the driving seat less than 48 hours after the crash—on the road apparently without their seatbelts. There have been calls for the 97-year-old Duke to give up his drivers license, prompting a debate about whether a man of his age should still legally be allowed to drive.

ET Online: Prince Philip driving two days after car crash.  

Sky News: In 2016, Obama says Phil's driving "very smooth riding." 

The duke drove former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle during their state visit in 2016.

Mr Obama said later: "I can report that it was very smooth riding. 

 Image: Sky News

Okay-dokey, let's look at the above pic. To me, just sayin', appears Michelle has the usual backseat-driver look on her face and is saying something similar.

The Queen? She's ready to make an escape in a moment's notice if needed.

Barry? You know he's thinking, "Is this old fuck going to kill us all?"

And Prince Phil? He's everyone's Uncle that "ate-waaaaay-too-much Thanksgiving dinner" and is about to fall asleep, mid-sentence, in a comfy chair. Just before telling you where he has all his money hidden. And when you jar him out of his momentary slumber he won't remember what he was going to tell you anyway, so you let him drift off.

From the same Sky News link:

The incident is bound to raise questions about whether Prince Philip, who retired from public engagements in 2017 and had a hip replacement in May last year, is still able to drive safely.

Yeah...we've had our share of (now departed) family members who've had hip replacement, at ages younger than 97. Mid-70's and early 80's. Recovery was slow but successful. I remember Docs advising "don't drive for at least 3 months." So, for someone at 97, driving six or seven months after hip surgery? That seems risky to me; a risk to himself and others - both of which he, unfortunately, succeeded.

Your thoughts? OH - AND WITHOUT LOOKING BACK AT THE IMAGE...DO THE OBAMAS AND THE ROYALS APPEAR TO BE WEARING THEIR SEAT-BELTS, AS REQUIRED BY...LAW? No peeking back now!

One more thing: Land Rover...Okay, nice of them to give the Royals a new one, but how about doing the same for Emma Fairweather and others injured? Where is KIA? Unless I missed it, they didn't pony up a new vehicle for the victims either. How can a business MISS a chance for a great PR opportunity like that? I'm available for PR consulting. Seriously. The first thing I would have done is advised both KIA and Land Rover to give Ms. Fairweather a free, new vehicle. Both companies would have benefited by being part in every, single local, national and international television and radio news cast across the world -  and the internet - for a minimum of a solid 24-hour news cycle. The free, positive feedback from social media they would have received? Its value = Incalculable. How could they miss? WTF? (And I am for hire. Freelance/Indie Contract basis. We'll talk.)

It's Sunday. Drive carefully and Be Nice to others. Because I know where you live.

UPDATE, The NYT: Phil says he's, "deeply sorry" about car crash.

The Duke of Edinburgh sent an apology letter to Emma Fairweather, who sustained a broken wrist when his Land Rover hit the Kia minivan in which she was traveling near the royal estate of Sandringham on Jan. 17.

In the note, written on Sandringham stationery and dated Jan. 21, the duke said he was “deeply sorry” and wished Ms. Fairweather a “speedy recovery.” He also acknowledged that the accident had left him “somewhat shaken,” a rare admission from a member of the royal family.

And then...Phil was off in his new Land Rover, to run over more commoners. Nah, just kidding.

NHL All Star Games 2019

That was some damn fine hockey.

NHL; A Long, Boring Mid-Season Hockey Post

No NHL games today or tomorrow. The NHL All-Star game plays tonight in San Jose. Devan Dubnyk of the Wild is playing. I'll tune some in.

This makes today is a good day in taking a snapshot of where the NHL teams are at, since games won't resume until Monday. I've added to the Win-Loss score each team point totals.

References to team performances are made using the most current team rankings, today, Jan. 26th - the first team standings image in this post (below). I make reference of current standings throughout, so sorry for any scrolling up and down from snapshot to snapshot. If there are two kindred NHL souls out there reading this, Thank you dearly.

AT: TBay jumps off the screen. They're playing great hockey. TBay and Calgary (Pacific) are the only two teams with points over 70.

The mid-tier teams in the AT division, barring injuries - the caveat of caveats - have heavy battling to do. And they will all face TBay, who continues to crush their opponents' ice. That said, note the point difference of TBay, 76, to the second-placed Maple Leafs with 62. Fourteen is a huge spread. Montreal, Buffalo and Boston will each have to ramp-up their games.

It's rare that I "write-off" any team - too early for that. We're still five months away til The Cup. We'll see if the Panthers, Red Wings and Sens gear up and change their game.

MET: The top four teams from today's snapshot are the same four top four teams from the December snapshot (below). In slightly different order. I'm not saying they've remained unchanged, just snapshot to snapshot. 

The Islander's are strong, same for the Caps, Columbus, the Pens and Carolina. Philly, I don't know why they can't get their game together. Any Philly fans reading this want to add a comment?

The Rangers and Devils have struggled this season. Each team has occasionally beaten better ranking and better-playing teams, but consistency hasn't been kind to NYR or NJ.

Looking at points, the Central and Pacific divisions are up for grabs by any of the top five teams.

CENT: Minnesota, despite losing some games they should have won, and with 90 EDIT: 40+ days without Matt Dumba, and recently injured Eric Fehr, has found some center of balance. Can they keep it and keep winning are the questions. I sure as heck hope so. Their competitors, the Jets, Preds, Stars and Avalanche are all solid and strong. St. Louis and Chicago...? These are good teams. They've played far better in the past than currently. I haven't seen enough of their games to figure out what needs fixing.

PAC: The top five teams have been playing tough all season. What I'm wondering, is Arizona silently sneaking up? They haven't played well so far, but they were the fourth-ranked team in September pre-season (below image). 

Here comes (top image) Ari, just one and two points behind the Ducks and Vancouver. Hmmmm....I'd like Ari to keep winning and make the top five look over their shoulders. Add more mix into the competition. 

Edmonton and L.A.? Boy, who knows. Edmonton was the number one team in September (below), while L.A. was number two in October (above image). Currently, well, refer to first image above; Edmonton #7 and L.A. #8.

Roll dice on freshly Zambonied ice. Anything can happen.

 September 30, 2018

NHL/hockey comments & thoughts always welcome and encouraged. 

Happy Hockey, eh!

Breast-ironing. It's a cultural thing.

India Today: Girls subjected to breast-ironing in UK to protect them from sexual harassment, rape.

An African practice of "ironing" a girl's chest with a hot stone to delay breast formation is spreading in the UK to "protect" young girls from unwanted male attention, sexual harassment and rape, the media reported on Saturday (January 26).

The Guardian reported that community workers in London, Yorkshire, Essex and the West Midlands informed the newspaper about cases in which pre-teen girls from the diaspora of several African countries were subjected to the painful, abusive and futile practice.

The United Nations (UN) has described the practice as one of five global under-reported crimes relating to gender-based violence.

The perpetrators, usually mothers, consider it a traditional measure which protects girls from unwanted male attention, sexual harassment and rape. Medical experts and victims, however, call it child abuse which could lead to physical and psychological scars, infections, inability to breastfeed, deformities and breast cancer.
[.]
...mothers, aunties or grandmothers use a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to "break the tissue" and slow the growth of chest.
[.]
The British government said it was "absolutely committed" to stamping out the practice, but according to activists and social workers, little had been done so far.

 A stone and stick used for breast ironing. Image: REUTERS

 This practice is appalling. I am lost for words. Anyone...comments?

4Chan trolls laid off workers of HuffPo and BuzzFeed?

NBC News: Laid off HuffPo and BuzzFeed targeted by 4Chan?

The threats are part of a coordinated campaign organized on the far-right message board [4Chan].  Shortly after he tweeted the news of his own layoff, Nick Wing checked his inbox at HuffPost[.]
[.]
Wing was one of many journalists who were let go by BuzzFeed and HuffPost this week and were sent death threats from trolls organizing their efforts on the far-right message board 4chan. Many of those targeted by the harassment campaign did not cover the far-right, including Wing, whose beat focused on inequality and guns.

I've been on Al Gore, Junior's Super Info Highway for a long time. Too long. I've never heard anyone describe 4Chan as a "far-right message board." To be fair and clear, I've never heard anyone refer to 4Chan having any political identity other than representing "all political voices". Is 4Chan "far-right"? Did I miss this all these years? Did you?

Mueller's FBI raid-Overkill on Stone Arrest

FOX News: 29 FBI Agents, 17 Vehicles and lots of guns.

“At the crack of dawn, 29 FBI agents arrived at my home with 17 vehicles, with lights flashing, when they could have contacted my lawyer,” [Roger] Stone explained after a court appearance Friday.
[.]
“A SWAT team, searching the house, scaring his wife, scaring his dogs—it was completely unnecessary,” Stone’s attorney said. “A telephone call would have done the job, and he would have appeared. Mr. Stone has nothing to hide.”

MSN: FBI's ridiculous riot gear, pre-dawn raid.

Watching the FBI’s pre-dawn arrest of infamous political fixer Roger Stone was like watching a particularly hackneyed Hollywood dud: Twenty-nine officers or agents, armed as heavily as B-actors with Navy-SEAL envy, approached Stone’s house as if on a dangerous commando mission. One would have thought they were trying to apprehend a murderous drug lord or a suspected terrorist.
[.]
In the specific case of FBI raids, ... section 4.1.1 E, which requires that agents “employ the least intrusive means that do not otherwise compromise FBI operations.” This requirement is often repeated in other subsections of the guide.

America is not a police state, and its law enforcement agencies should make every effort to avoid looking like one.

We've seen the Police State in America before.

Elian Gonzalez, on April 22, 2000:

  
Branch Davidian Massacre, Waco, TX on April 19, 1993:

Were Mueller's FBI Forces expecting Roger Stone answering the door with, "Say hello to my little friend,"?

CBS: Video of pre-dawn raid on home of Roger Stone.

CNN says they weren't tipped off ahead of time, just had reporters staking out Stone's house.

This whole Brought-To-You-By-The-Bob-Mueller-Family-Circus, this overt show of force on someone who never indicated in any way, ever, that he would pose any threat to anyone, sure is a differently-perceived Military/Domestic Law Enforcement performance from how The Left used to feel about Military-Excessive Force-Domestic Law Enforcement.

Media would be providing continuous, 48/14 critical coverage, interviewing every Liberal camera hog (that would be all of them) breathlessly opining their outrage at the over-the-top FBI tactics used this morning at the Stone residence.

This was a performance art stunt by Mueller.

Calling all Trump-hating women...Ilhan Omar, Alyssa Milano, Joy Behar, Rashida Tlaib, Maxine Waters, Rosie O'Moo and others...take your protests to Saudi Arabia.

The Independent: Women detainees being 'sexually assaulted and flogged' in secret Saudi prisons.

Female rights activists in Saudi Arabia have been sexually assaulted, tortured with electric shocks and flogged so hard they cannot stand, Amnesty has reported, as British MPs ratcheted up pressure on Riyadh to grant them access to the detainees.

At least 10 rights defenders have been tortured, including being made to kiss each other while interrogators watched, Amnesty said in a report released on Friday.
[.]
Others held in the secret prisons were tortured with electric shocks, flogged so hard they could not stand, or waterboarded[.]
[.]
None have been officially charged or referred to trial, most have no legal representation.
[.]
The Saudi government has repeatedly denied the claims of mistreatment of the detainees.

Will the women (and others) mentioned in the title of the post be lighting up their social media accounts expressing their same screeching outrage that they express over the  "deplorable" treatment of women in the U.S. by President Donald Trump?

Let us know, ladies. Let us know. Because something tells me these loud-mouthed women will be notably silent on this story. After all, who cares about abused women in Saudi Arabia?

Alyssa Milano statement on Covington Red Caps leads to new IQ category, says science.

Sorry, not sorry, Alyssa Milano, an irrelevant actress who declares (FOX News): 

"...that everyone who proudly wears the red hat identifies with an ideology of white supremacy and misogyny,” she stated. “Everyone who proudly wears those hats gives a tacit endorsement for the hatred and the violence we’ve seen these past few years.”
[.]
See, I’m not apologizing to the Red Hats. I’m apologizing for them.”

Again, just as the kneejerk reaction to how the Covington Catholic High School  students looked in the initial viral video, we are lectured by a self-proclaimed Uber Lib, whose past, life-long preached mantra, that was drilled into the collective soul of society is:

 " DO NOT JUDGE US ESPECIALLY BY HOW WE LOOK. "

And what does Milano do, in the face of a whole new understanding of the viral video and the new information on the accurate, full story behind it? She "Bird Boxes" and sprints off the cliff by judging the student only on their appearance. Well, someone once said there's nothing like a Self-Righteous Liberal.

This is what happens when Milano has no script-written-by-other(s) from which to read:

Washington Times: Milano not sorry. "Red Hats are the new White Hoods."

More evidence of no discernible brain wave activity in Milano. (The Wrap): 

"I sent out a tweet that read, “The red MAGA hat is the new white hood.” Right-wing pundits and anonymous trolls alike screamed for my head–literally and figuratively. My husband received death threats on his cell phone. Many demanded an apology.

Here’s the thing: I was right.

So, I won’t apologize to these boys. Or anyone who wears that hat. But I will thank them. I will thank them for lighting a fire underneath the conversation about systemic racism and misogyny in this country and the role President Donald Trump has had in cultivating it and making it acceptable.

Trump comes by his white nationalism honestly. Maybe even genetically. In 1927 his father Fred Trump was arrested along with six other men after a Klan parade in Jamaica, New York, aimed at keeping Catholic immigrants out of America. While the younger Trump denies his father was ever there, arrest records are clear, and a news report of the time reported that all seven men arrested were “berobed.” It appears irrefutable that the father of the President of the United States was in the Ku Klux Klan."

Is she aware that people like Albert Gore, Senior (racist father of Albert Gore, Junior - the global warming alarmist) is one of many Dems who voted AGAINST Civil Rights?

Milano can't even abide by the most basic rules of etiquette. Daily Mail:

Alyssa Milano was caught filming during Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

While photography is permitted, only accredited journalists may record video.

Milano had to be told by a security guard to stop filming Kavanaugh's testimony.

More of teh stupid here,

Milano's 2017 attempt to "go viral" and get Trump ousted? EPIC Failure.

I wonder if Milano feels she plays a role in instigating the numerous death and bomb threats made against the students, parents and others who are members of, or associated with, the Covington Catholic Students?

It's also quite strange (not really) I haven't heard Milano say or tweet one word about Democrat Kink Sex Perv Ed Buck.

Just tackle the popular, divisive issues, Alyssa. Hop on any bandwagon that started long ago in desperate attempts to make yourself relevant.

The New England Journal of Medicine, in association with the American Medical Association, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Mayo Clinic Organization, the University of Oxford and the American Veterinary Medical Association issued a new IQ entry and classification. 

World News

Brisbane Times: Police hunting arsonist: "This is for Fu-king my wife."

An arsonist broke into the homeowner's ute before 8am, reversed it into the side of the Belah Street home in Ashmore, set the vehicle alight and the fire spread to the house.

The 46-year-old male resident was not home at the time.

 Image: 7 News Gold Coast/Queensland Police Service

I believe there is a Commandment that tells us, "thou shalt not noodle around with women whose spouse is an arsonist or can do things that blow-up real good."

- - -

World News: California officials find PG&E NOT responsible for Tubbs fire.

 A 2017 fire in California that killed 22 people and destroyed more than 5,600 structures was caused by a private electrical system adjacent to a home, California fire officials said Thursday, CNN reported.
[.]
The Tubbs Fire started in Sonoma County on Oct. 8, 2017, burning 36,807 acres and destroying 5,636 structures, Cal Fire said.

- - -
CNS News: AOC invokes the Bible.

Ocasio-Cortez did not indicate which translation of the Bible she was using or provide links to the passages she cited.

No...no she didn't. We couldn't expect her to accurately quote the Bible, should we? The Memes...oh how we'll be treated to the Memes!
- - -
Mint Press: Kamela Harris wants Clinton-donor money.

In addition to having employed numerous Clinton and Obama staffers, Harris has also been busy privately courting their old donors. Notably, while she has been courting Clinton’s biggest and most influential donors during a series of private luncheons and meetings in the Hamptons, Harris’ fledgling campaign has been eager to portray her as a “crowd-funded” candidate. Indeed, when one visits Harris’ campaign website, a banner immediately appears that reads “Alert! Kamala refuses to accept donations from corporate PACS! Add your donation here.”

- - -
BBC: Doomsday clock remains at 2 minutes til midnight.

Does the Doomsday clock get set ahead and behind an hour, during Daylight Saving Time?
- - -
France 24: Davos elite want cake and to eat it too.

[Carl] Cederstrom, who is also the author of the book "The Happiness Fantasy", warned that the focus by employers on their staff's wellbeing allows them to "achieve more control over employees".

"Now even in work places where people work for the minimum wage they are expected to be happy," he said.

He said that many elites harbour a "naive illusion" that poverty can be resolved through personal fulfilment [sic] schemes.

"Happiness is such a vague idea that it is easily exploited."

Happiness was, for eight years, also known as Hope and Change.
- - -

- - -
Canada Free Press: NY Gov Andrew Cuomo "wears" Devil Pink.

The shade Cuomo chose was a putrid pink that could be called Luciferian pink, a color that comes with an acrid odor of sulphur [sic].

- - -
Courthouse News Service: Judge says he is not fit to say what's best for gorilla.

Despite warnings that a 37-year-old ape might die if transferred to an Ohio zoo, a federal judge said Thursday he can only settle matters of law, not what’s best for the well-being of the late Koko the gorilla’s longtime friend Ndume.

“I’m not the sterling professor of gorilla care,” U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg said in court Thursday. “I’m a judge. I have to look at the contractual terms and see if the risks are so great as to defeat the contractual purpose.”

 Another reason we need gorillas as judges.

Soros Warns China of "Mortal Danger" over AI.

It doesn't get deeper than this.

SMH: Soros unloads on China.

Billionaire George Soros warned of the "mortal danger" of China's use of artificial intelligence to repress its citizens under the leadership of Xi Jinping, who he called the most dangerous opponent of democracies.

(This has to be parody/statire, right?)

“I want to call attention to the mortal danger facing open societies from the instruments of control that machine learning and artificial intelligence can put in the hands of repressive regimes,” the 88-year-old said on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"China is not the only authoritarian regime in the world but it's undoubtedly the wealthiest, strongest and most developed in machine learning and artificial intelligence."

"This makes Xi Jinping the most dangerous opponent of open societies," he said.

So at age 88 is this the latter stages of dementia for this corrupt, menacing, evil force? Has he looked at himself in a mirror lately? Do his words sound familiar to anyone else...words spoken about him?

The Atlantic via WIRED says Mark Twain never said this, but I'll paraphrase it for myself. "I don't wish for George Soros to die, but reading his obituary will bring me no grief."

World News

Barnes_Law: Attorney will represent Covington Catholic High for free.

Good for him!
- - -
Saipan Tribune: Tourists are pooping all over.

Tourists allegedly continue to leave their fecal remnants near popular tourist sites up north, according to the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality.
[.]
...one of the reasons that tourists continue to defecate up north is because of the lack of comfort rooms in the area.

Dear Saipan, you are Saipan. Have you ever heard of these things?

- - -

Yonhap News: Kimmy Junior looks forward to meeting Trump.

"Kim Jong-un said that we will believe in the positive way of thinking of President Trump, wait with patience and in good faith and, together with the U.S., advance step by step toward the goal to be reached by the two countries of the DPRK and the U.S.[.]"

- - -
Argentina News Net: Search for missing plane resumes.

Police on the British island of Guernsey resumed the search on Wednesday for a missing plane carrying Premier League player Emiliano Sala, who is presumed dead after debris was found in the water.

Argentina News Net:  Sala: "Dad, "I'm so scared."

"I'm on a plane that looks like it's going to fall apart, and I'm leaving for Cardiff," Sala said in a WhatsApp audio message carried by Argentine media.

"If in an hour and a half you have no news from me, I don't know if they will send people to look for me, because they will not find me, you know. Dad, I'm so scared," [said Emiliano].

- - -
Warsaw Business Journal: Taxi driver's protest Uber, Lyft; block streets in Barcelona.

The protest follows new regulations for online ride-hailing services adopted by the Catalan government on Friday.

- - -
San Mateo County Journal: 25-cent fee approved on disposable cups by Berkeley.

Berkeley's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the fee on single-use cups, which will take effect January 2020. [Patrons of restaurants and coffee shops in Berkeley, California, who don't bring a reusable cup for their beverage will have to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup].

- - -
Beatrice Daily Sun: Increasing taxes on higher incomes opposed by legislature.

Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, sponsor of the bill (LB50), said the measure is needed not only to establish more tax fairness, but also to replenish a state revenue stream that is needed to fund essential state programs and services.
[.]
The bill would adversely impact small businesses, LIBA President Coby Mach said, warning that people have "a broad choice as to where to live and work" and suggesting that higher taxes might prompt higher-income Nebraskans to move out of the state.

You already know his party affiliation, but if you need to see it...
- - -
Grand Forks Herld: Grizzlies football player found dead.

Andrew Harris, a football player at Montana, was found dead in his home Tuesday. He was 22.

His death was being investigated as a suicide, Sgt. Travis Welch of the Missoula Police confirmed to the Montana Standard.

- - -
And in the "This Just Can't Be a Coincidence" Department; Switzerland-based news organization The Local touts survey results naming Switzerland as the "Best Country in The World".

For the third year running, Switzerland has come out top in the annual Best Countries rankings which looks at people's perceptions of 80 countries around the world.

It's time the other 79 countries stop trying. Give up. Clearly, none of us will beat Switzerland.

Theresa May: Nine-month Brexit Delay?

Daily Mail: Article 50 extension means 9 month delay.

Downing Street has refused to say whether the Government would be duty bound to accept a cross-party bid led by Yvette Cooper to delay Brexit for up to nine months – while International Development Secretary Liam Fox said the backbenchers’ plot was ‘impossible’.

The Guardian: More on Article 50.

Rarely have 250 words been so important – five short, obscure paragraphs in a European treaty that have suddenly become valuable political currency in the aftermath of Britain’s decision to leave the EU.

The Irish Examiner: Brexit's Smoke and Mirrors.

It is worthy of the principal British Brexiteers who foresee a glorious future for the UK once it leaves the union. They ignore the fact that many British businesses are extremely concerned about the implications of Brexit, exemplified by the exodus of a number of multinationals from the UK.

Evening Standard: Dyson moves head office from UK to Singapore (but, of course, not due to Brexit):

Billionaire businessman Sir James Dyson is relocating his company's head office from the UK to Singapore in a blow to Brexit Britain.

The move, announced on Tuesday, means Dyson is no longer a British registered company, with Singapore now becoming its main tax base.

But the 71-year-old vacuum cleaner tycoon has been heavily criticised for the move after he publicly backed Brexit during the 2016 referendum.

U.S. Congressman Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), confronted by "conclusion-jumping" passenger.

Another BRAVE, unidentified SJW airline passenger asks a question and doesn't get a response. What does the passenger do? Because he DIDN'T receive a reply, he therefore assumes the answer to his UNANSWERED question is true. Then, the unidentified BRAVE SJW passenger makes sure that the video clip gets to the HuffPoPoo.

Story link: GOP Congressman "flies first class".

"Congressman, do you think it’s appropriate to fly first class while 57 TSA agents aren’t being paid?” the person says to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), in an apparent reference to the Transportation Security Administration’s 57,000 employees, who are being required to work without pay.

A tipster who asked to remain anonymous shared the video with HuffPost, which hasn’t been able to identify the person who approached Davis.

Davis remained silent, prompting the person to say, “Taking that as a yes.”

“Taxpayers paid for this flight? Fair enough,” he added.
[.]

Davis did not use his taxpayer-provided budget to purchase a first-class ticket and has never done so, his spokeswoman Ashley Phelps told HuffPost in an email.

His office bought a regular coach ticket, but he was upgraded automatically because of his frequent flyer status, she added. “There was no additional cost to taxpayers.”

Unless proven differently, there is no reason to suspect Rep. Davis used taxpayer money in upgrading to first-lass. I'm sure if he did, and his office is lying, all the good little LiberTards out there will do their very best to unearth the truth. The truth? Their "truth".

Dear Unidentified BRAVE SJW passenger who can operate video on cell phone: STFU unless you have the facts.

Smiling MAGA Hat Wearing Teen Nick Sandmann explains his actions; standing before Nathan Phillips.

From NBC News:

"As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I'd like to talk to him," [Nick] Sandmann said.

Tech News

Mobile Syrup: Google records Canadian customer phone calls using dummy number.

..the tech giant confirmed when a customer uses Google Local Services to call and connect with a business, the number listed is not the business’ contact but rather a dummy Google number that routes callers to the business.

Before customers are connected with business, they are informed that all calls are recorded.

You consented to this. This was likely all spelled out in your brief, clear, concise User Agreement, which of course, you read. Right?
- - -
Mobile Syrup: U.S. makes formal demand for Huawei extradition.

China demanded the U.S. drop the [extradition] request and blamed Washington for damaging its relationship with Canada.

- - -
WIRED: The many woes of Huawei.

The UK, Canada, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Japan are all reportedly reconsidering their relationships with Huawei as well.
[.]
"These Huawei problems have been bubbling under the surface for quite a few years," telecom industry analyst Jeff Kagan says. "Now they are at a rapid boil, and there is no hiding from it. And this rapid boil is only going to get worse."
[.]
In a rare press conference Tuesday, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said the company doesn't spy on behalf of the Chinese government. "I support the Communist Party of China, but I will never do anything to harm any other nation," Ren said[.]

He added, "if you like your doctor, you can keep him." Nah, just jokin' there.
- - -
Beta News: Most-clicked phising lines of 2018.

2019 will probably be a bunch of variations of last years. Take a moment to read the story.
- - -
ZD Net: Online casino dumps massive data.

An online casino group has leaked information on over 108 million bets, including details about customers' personal information, deposits, and withdrawals[.]
[.]
The data leaked from an ElasticSearch server that was left exposed online without a password[.]

Oh-oh-ooooooh...did you hear the "snap" of wedded bliss ("No honey, I told you I quit online gambling long ago."), and the New Hiring announcement for IT at ElasticSearch?
- - -
Geek: Watch the Moose chase the snowboarders.

No, not this moose...

- - -

Technocracy: Grocery chain rolling out Robots.

“Marty” is a limited-purpose robot but will still replace a number of entry-level jobs that are so important for teenagers just entering the workforce[.]

Welcome to the Avoided Mandated $15/hour Liberal Technocralypse.
- - -
Tech Crunch: PD's license plate readers still exposing data on internet.

Security researchers have been warning for years that ALPR devices are exposed and all too often accessible from the internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation found in 2015 dozens of exposed devices in its own investigation not long after Boston’s entire ALPR network was found exposed, thanks to a server security lapse.

But in the three years past, little has changed.

The story notes that, no big surprise here, police departments are failing to change the manufacturer's default password that comes with the product. WTF? Change the DEFAULT PASSWORD! What are the paid IT employess who work in law enforcement doing with their time?
- - -
Tech Spot: Oh....this is hot! Watch the making of a graphics card.

Most consumers are oblivious to the herculean efforts that go into hardware production. Robots and humans must work in perfect harmony to get the job done on time while minimizing mistakes. If you've never seen a production line in action, it's quite fascinating.