Monday, August 14, 2017

Oysters by Vending Machine in France; 100 year old fruitcake from Antarctica

Average reading time: 40s (excluding video)

No worries about what to have for dinner tonight.

Bon Appétit!

Buying oysters from a vending machine? Sure, why not: Simplemost:
In France’s Île de Ré, an island off the country’s west coast, oyster lovers can indulge in the shellfish 24/7 thanks to [a] vending machine[.]
For desert? That would be an edible [(?)] 100 year old fruitcake from Antarctica. Antarctic Heritage Trust:
...the fruit cake is still wrapped in paper and encased in the remains of a tin-plated iron alloy tin. [sic]
The cake probably dates to the Cape Adare-based Northern Party of [Robert Falcon] Scott’s Terra Nova expedition (1910 – 1913) as it has been documented that Scott took this particular brand of cake with him at that time.
[.] Although the tin was in poor condition, the cake itself looked and smelt (almost) [sic] edible.
Define, "(almost)"?


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08/14/2017: Link repair
08/16/2017: Spelling errors fixed (as far as I can tell)

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Micro-chipped employees can pay for snacks at the vending machine with a "swipe" of their finger!

Average reading time: 2m 30s

The recent micro-chipping of employees at a Wisconsin company  isn't anything all that new. The Ladders.com:
...employees can get chips faster from the vending machine. With the microchip implanted in their hands, employees can wave their hands and get chips from the company vending machine[.]
Yah, yah, yah...they can also open doors within the company and log onto their computer without signing in. Well, if their corporate office is using any version of Windows - sorry - that micro-chip isn't going to do a thing to make MS boot any faster.

What more could we ask from technology? Technology ends here, Mister Musk We can go no further in technology than micro-chipping us for vending machines. "Stop all the research, somebody call CERN and tell 'em 'shut her down', we've gone as far as we'll ever go. We've reached the zenith of technology with this vending machine thing."

The earliest news story about employee chip implants that I found is from The Daily Mail, from January 2015 :
A Swedish company has implanted microchips in its staff which allows them to use the photocopier, open security doors and even pay for their lunch.
I don't believe the type of chipping above is The Mark of The Beast, and I base this opinion on someone I know who knows the Bible inside and out, backwards and forwards, and left to right, upside down and in reverse. And he said, there will be no mistaking the mark of the beast as The Mark of The Beast. There will be no question about it. People will clearly know they are accepting the Mark of the Beast, as opposed to chipping for vending machine access and opening office doors, or a credit card or your means of digital payment.

I think this was just a PR stunt by the Wisconsin company that had voluntary employees be chipped. After all, this company makes and produces vending machines. Do you think there was some vested interest in their publicizing the chipping?

Candy bars, soda, M&M's, gum, granola bars, those small cheese and cracker plastic containers with barely nothing in them, Ho-Ho's, Skittles, all of which are ludicrously overpriced...and you can PAY with your FINGER?!?!? What a huge step in the advancement of technology.

Anyway, here's what it comes down to. (If I were to say that properly, without ending with a preposition, it would be, "to here is what it comes down").

Does anyone, anywhere, really think that the line at the vending machines will move more quickly just because their co-worker ahead of them can pay by waving their finger?

No. The entire thesis of more efficiently advancing the line at the snack machines because your co-worker is chipped has no legs.

Why? Because the same people micro-chipped are still going to be the same ones standing at the vending machine pondering, "Hmmmm, chips or a Twix?  Cheetos or trail mix. The trail mix is more healthy but I kinda want some Cheetos. Oh, Oreos too???!"

And then, as they're about to make their selection on the A,B,C,D,E,F and 1,2,3,4,5,6 vending buttons, their finger freezes. Again, they're mulling over, "salt or chocolate."

No, I'm afraid nothing will speed up the selection process of the undecided minds of people who - well...how can you not be relatively 90% certain of what you want long before you even enter the break room?

Propaganda film maker Michael Moore ponders vending machine snack choices.

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Averaging Reading Time

Approximate reading time: 1m 15s

I've noticed sites are more and more adding a blurb including an "Average Reading Time," and I like that idea.

I'm going to be doing that from time to time, especially on the more wordy posts, which, to be honest I hate writing, let alone publishing and expecting others to read it.

What metrics am I basing the Average Reading Time I'll be using?

Well, I read the post aloud and allot 20-30 seconds to click on a link, read the headline, and return to the blog.

I understand that the order of words and their sequence can be written so as scanning across a sentence, or multiple words at one time, you'll grasp what I'm  conveying.

You could go down a Rabbit Hole following a link in a post and become lost on Albert Gore Jr.'s SuperDuper Information Highway...but I can't be held accountable for that.

So, copy (i.e. text), images and checking the links within the post will be the criteria I use. Please, by all means, take a stopwatch - there's probably one your computer or cell phone - and time yourself reading it and let me know if your ART is within the same timeframe.

Thanks.
- - -
Typos corrected 8/12/2017

Harry Truman, only president to drop Two Atomic Bombs killing thousands...and he was a DEMOCRAT! (GASP)!

Average reading time: 3m, 45s.

I've had this one in the "hopper" for a while. There's not a lot of details here, just a lot of words. It's really not even about Harry Truman.

This is about how The Left will never, ever, ever let Richard Nixon rest in peace. When the Libs get desperate, they will eventually make a reference to Republican President Richard. It's the Liberal equivalent of Godwin's Law .
"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches —‌that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough - sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or his deeds."
I searched for it, and couldn't find any similar "law" applicable to Nixon or Watergate.

I probably won't be ambitious enough to make my own Wiki Entry officially christening what we'll call "Drake's Law", but let's call it that. At least informally.

Richard Nixon, 1913-1994, 37th President: Jan. 1969-Aug. 1974

Drake's Law. "The longer a Liberal talks, or the more desperate and unhinged they become, sooner or later, they will reference Nixon."

Hillary Clinton did just that, in May, 2017, in her Wellesley College Commencement The NYT:
[Clinton] referred to an "assault on truth and reason," criticized Mr. Trump’s proposed budget, and drew parallels to Richard Nixon and his ultimate fate[.]
And because some pages eventually become replaced, expire or "story not found" - meaning the linked story; here are a few additional sources of the same story of Clinton referencing Nixon at Wellesley. You don't have to click on them or read them, they are there as additional references of the same story.

The HuPoPoo : "Hillary Clinton compare[s] Trump to Nixon."

The N.Y. Daily News: "Clinton hints at Trump impeachment as she invokes Nixon."

CNN: "Clinton compares Trump to Nixon in fiery speech at alma mater ..."

NDTV: "Hillary [brings up Nixon] at Commencement Speech."

Okay, we know the drill. Libs bringing up Nixon (or Watergate) increases in  proportion to the decreasing level of their political clout and/or how desperate that Liberal becomes.

We need to counter this unending reference about Nixon made by Liberals and throw it back at them; diplomatically of course, but one can be diplomatic and sarcastic at the same time. You know that!

Enter: Harry "Give 'em hell, Harry!" Truman.


I propose this:

Every non-Liberal politician or candidate, or any of us who engage in conversation with our snowflake friends, needs to work into every statement the following words, "Well, you know, the only president to drop two atomic bombs was Harry Truman, and he was a DEMOCRAT!

And I cannot stress this enough; over-emphasize the word "Democrat", thereby conveying that delightful little thing called sarcasm.

Conversations can vary; improvise from the templates below:

Reporter: "[INSERT NAME OF NON-LIBERAL POLITICIAN OR CANDIDATE HERE], what is your position on global climate change?"

Non-Liberal Politician or Candidate: "That's a very serious issue, but first, let me say that Harry Truman, a DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT, was the only president, the only leader, who has ever dropped atomic bombs killing thousands of innocent lives. Now, about that global climate change..."

Or:

Interviewer: "[INSERT NAME OF NON-LIBERAL POLITICIAN OR CANDIDATE HERE], what is your position for LGBT serving in the military?"

Non-Liberal Politician or Candidate: "That certainly has been a hot topic in the news, hasn't it? But, did you know that the only president or world leader to drop two atomic bombs was Harry Truman and he was a DEMOCRAT? Didja know that? It's true. Now, about the LGBT, military issue..."

See, see how easy it is? I encourage all non-Liberal minded people to use this phrase in discussions with Liberals. And don't bother to wait any length of time before you bring it up, unlike Godwin's Law. Bring it up right away and mention if often.

Or:

Your Liberal (brother, sister, friend, etc): "Hi, how are you?"

You: (clear throat), "Well, you know, the only president or world leader who dropped two atomic bombs was Harry Truman and he was a DEMOCRAT. And I'm fine. How 'bout you, want a beer?"

(Caution advised/suggestion; you many not want to use the above example with your mother andor father in-law because they probably hate you already, and have hated you since the moment you became part of their family).

Or, during family celebrations, holidays or dinners:

Anyone at the table to you: "Would you please pass me the bread."

You: "I'd be happy to, along with the fact that Harry Truman was a DEMOCRAT and the only president to drop two, count 'em two, atomic bombs."

I don't need to complete this sentence; "if Harry Truman had been a Republican, the Liberals would never forget to remind us that he..."
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Punctuation revision(s) 8/12/2017 12.55am

Friday, August 11, 2017

Putney Bridge Jogger-Push(er) Arrested

The police have arrested the jogger suspected of pushing a woman in front of a bus. BBC:
A man has been arrested by police after footage emerged of a jogger appearing to push a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge.

The 50-year-old was held at a residential address in Chelsea on Thursday morning on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

He was later released while inquiries continue, police said.

The CCTV footage showed the woman, 33, narrowly avoiding serious injury due to the bus driver's quick reactions.
This lady is very lucky to be alive. And so is he, that she went virtually unharmed. But did she contribute to her fall?

The video is below:


Watch as the man approaches the jogger and where the man is positioned. Then watch how much more inward, towards the jogger, her path is.

I'm not defending the jogger's actions, but he had plenty of room as the man passed by. There was plenty of room for both of them.

Then watch the woman approach the jogger; she seems defiant in not wanting to allow room for him. Clearly she sees the jogger, but she makes no attempt to move out of his way. And it almost looks like she is going to kick the jogger in the groin.

In the third frame below, her right leg is raised, she is only standing on her left leg. Watching the video, do you think she is considering to, or in the act of, tripping the jogger?

Click to enlarge.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Oregon Bicycle Tax...I Want To Ride My Bicycle...Bicycle...Bicycle!

Advisory: Video contains some (inoffensive) glimpses of (slight) nudity.


This is as good as it gets. This is the kind of story for which I live. This is a story about Full Circle Liberalism, because it's funny when Liberals are TAXED and assessed FEES!

In the past, it was those who engaged in "vices" that were hit hard with taxes. Mostly, users of tobacco and those who enjoy a cocktail took the hit.

Could it be that because so many people quit smoking that Oregon state revenue also dropped and now the time has come to tax the bikers? Full Circle Liberalism...how can you not just love this type of story?

Oregon will tax bicyclists.  The Washington Times:
...the state Legislature’s approval of the first statewide bike tax in the nation has fallen flat with riders.
Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the sweeping $5.3 billion transportation package, which includes a $15 excise tax on the sale of bicycles costing more than $200 with a wheel diameter of at least 26 inches.
Even though the funding has been earmarked for improvements that will benefit cyclists, the tax has managed to irk both anti-tax Republicans and environmentally conscious bikers.
Ahhhhhh, da poor widdle environmentally (un)conscious bikers and the sound of their communal Liberal Whining. (Sniff, sniff..) it's just...so movingly touching.

Dear Whining Oregon Bicyclists, if you can pay over $200 for  a bike, you can afford another $15 for "the state".

Continued from the same linked story above:
BikePortland publisher Jonathan Maus called it “an unprecedented step in the wrong direction.”
“We are taxing the healthiest, most inexpensive, most environmentally friendly, most efficient and most economically sustainable form of transportation ever devised by the human species,” Mr. Maus said.
Wrong, Mr. Maus. The most inexpensive, most environmentally friendly, most efficient and most economical sustainable form of transportation EVER - is WALKING. Besides, what adult makes a statement that will be published, saying, "[INSERT TOPIC] is the best thing EVER"?  Are you in middle school, Mr. Maus?

It might take you a few hours or more to walk the 5 or 25 miles to work, but don't you feel better about not using a bicycle, which takes natural resources, steel, labor, rubber, plastic and a bunch of other stuff. Plus the retail mark-up; 'ho, we can't forget the greedy, money and soul-sucking, bastard corporatistsThey're making a profit...how dare they!

And let's not forget, the bike is not going to drive itself to your local bike shop. No, it will probably get there by being transported in a large semi-truck. And if your precious bike is made in overseas, then it spent some time on a cargo ship. My God, think of the carbon footprint. How dare you own a bicycle, you aristocratic elite bastards!

But it takes natural resources and stuff to make shoes and hiking boots too! Yeah, but still not as much as a bicycle.


More from the same story:
Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier blasted what he described as Ms. Brown’s “endless obsession with finding new and innovative ways to take money out of the pockets of Oregon taxpayers.”
This Libertarian (that would be me) is MORE than joyous to see a Democrat governor in a deeply imbued Blue state, find "new and innovative ways to take money [from taxpayers]." Especially the taxpayer tri  bicycle riders.

More, from the same story:
The Street Trust, a Portland pro-bike group, praised the overall transportation package while saying that the bike tax “sends the wrong message to those trying to help.”
“Let’s be frank: This bike tax is very disappointing,” said The Street Trust’s Romain Bonilla.
Oh, Romain, that's so sad. Yes, it is so very disappointing, eh Romain?

Liberal Whining...The Best Ever. EVER!

And this nugget, from the same story.
Bikers cheered last year when Portland passed a four-year, 10-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline aimed at improving roads[.]
Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh...typical Liberal refrain; "tax thee but not me."

On a different issue, Gov. Brown has decreed "free abortions for all."  The Washington Times:
“The ability to control our bodies and make informed decisions about health are critical to providing all Oregonians the opportunity to achieve our full potential and live productive, thriving lives,” the Democratic chief executive said in an email. “Attempts to deny access to contraceptives and family planning are an attack on all Oregonians, particularly women of color, low-income and young women.”
Yes, I guess in order to achieve full potential, living productive and BEST EVER  THRIVING lives, a free abortion is an inalienable right. And so is a bicycle. Maybe?
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Spelling/Punctuation correction(s) 8/10/2017

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

World News Links

Breaking News, 12:35AM Mountain Standard Time: Deadly Quake Hits China:
A strong earthquake shook a mountainous region in southwestern China, killing 13 people, injuring 175 others and knocking out power and phone networks[.]

At least five of the dead were tourists, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. The government in Aba prefecture in Sichuan province said 13 people were killed, and 28 of those hurt were seriously injured.
[.]
The magnitude-6.5 quake struck a region bordered by the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu at a depth of just 9 kilometers[.]

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The Sydney Morning Herald: Ten year old dental brace lodged in a woman's intestines.
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Sky News: "Crazy Uncle" Kimmy Jong Un planning missile hit(s) on Guam?
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Worldpress.org: British model Chloe Ayling escapes kidnapping after being sold for sex in the Middle East.
[She] was in Italy for a photoshoot, was allegedly taken captive for six days by a group calling itself "Black Death"[.]

The young model was attacked by two men, drugged and abducted to be sold in an online auction, Italian police said, with reports suggesting a sum of £230,000.

She was told she would be "sold to somebody in the Middle East for sex", her lawyer Francesco Peschi said.
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Eurasianet.orgPutin visits breakaway republic of Abkhazia and pledged to support its “stability and independence”.(Keep a look-out for John McCain. If he travels to Abkhazia, he'll fcuk it up bad. Real bad).
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NewsAsia: Disney pulling all movies from Netflix. Will use their own streaming service. (Yeah, this move never made any business sense. Why didn't Disney do this in the first place?)
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The Middle East Eye: Christians in Syria fighting in Raqqa: "We must defend ourselves."
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The Hockey Stix Gallery! Yay! Viva Le Hockey...eh? View from the Hubble.
Courthouse News Service:

The Hockey Stix Gallery. Image: NASA
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ZD Net: Starmind co-founder,"True AI does not yet exist, and it won't until companies stop comparing the human brain with computers and look into understanding the principles of the brain through[.]"
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Bitcoin sets new record; over $3,500. Beta News
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Doc's in New Zealand want to ban alcohol sales in supermarkets. The New Zealand Star
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The Scotsman: Scottish Conservative Ruth Davidson breaking with Theresa May’s policy on foreign students and questioning the government’s 100,000 net migration target.
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The Daily Telegraph: Police arrest multi-millionaires' Ibrahim brothers and others as they disembark multi-million luxury yacht. $ 2 Million is a suitcase.
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Zimbabwe Men: Juju responsible for man menstruating? Another man has full female reproductive system.

These are two strange stories, both from Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Man Menstruating. Zimbabwe News Online:
In a case of suspected juju, a 40-year-old Chitungwiza man claims he is experiencing menstruation periods for the past two weeks.

Joseph Mwale showed H-Metro how he is experiencing pains during urination and discharging blood accusing his wife Sheilah Kahari of bewitching him.

“I am in pain brother, to be honest with you I have been cheating on my wife and I strongly suspect that my wife used juju on me,” said Joseph.
FYI: Juju.
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Doctors discovered that another Zimbabwe man with a full, female reproductive system. izimbabwe.co.zw / Kuzeya Nyaya News:
A 44-year-old man went to the doctor complaining of a stomach ache only to discover that he has a full female reproductive system.

The married man, Mr Chen from Zhejiang province, was shocked when doctors told him that his stomach ache and the blood in his urine was actually because he was experiencing his menstrual cycle and had been a woman all along.
[.]
He also has a penis [and a]  CT scan taken at the hospital showed that he had ovaries and a uterus in addition to male genitals.

Monday, August 7, 2017

The Pay Telephone. The WHAT Phone?

Your friendly and helpful switchboard Operator. Via:
http://heartwhispersfindinghope.net/tag/phone/

The Doc's Waiting Room - a travel backwards in excavating magazine fossils.

While waiting, I ran across a November, 2015 Popular Mechanics magazine. Hey, in a doctor's office anything dated 2015 is like having that day's newspaper.  I was pleased my reading options weren't limited to a 1973 issue of  The New Yorker, or a 1985 Better Homes and Gardens, or any 1999 magazine with stories "looking back on the 90's" or on how the world will end because of Y2K.

The Pop Mech article examined the reliable and humble, yet rapidly vanishing, pay phone. They were the technological cell phone of their era.


And below, the pay phone's sometime-companion, the Telephone booth, approximately 1,370 luxurious square inches inside a four walled, "plexi-plastic glass" container...all to yourself.

US/UK telephone booths. US image via
pinterest.com; UK image via photo.elsoar.com

A few excerpts from Pop Mech's pay phone story:
Model: Protel XP1230
Produced: Lakeland, FL

Number of Parts: 453

Time to Disassemble: 4 hours, 45 minutes

For years,if you were away from home and wanted to make a phone call, pay phones were your only option.
[.]
They're also basically bullet-proof, devised to withstand all manner of vandalism and theft. (Maybe the pay phone designers and technicians should be in charge of the NSA? - DD)
[.]
The coin box, with a capacity of up to $195, is a target for theft.
[.]
Two mechanisms must be unlocked to remove it. One is built into the coin-box lid, and the other is a four-armed locking mechanism behind the vault door. Until turned by a T-key, the arms fit into slots in the body of the phone, keeping the door shut.
Do check out the Pop Mech link, the design and construction of the coin box is nothing short of a miniature bank vault.

What does it look like inside? The pay phone, disassembled, all 453 parts:

Photo: Popular Mechanics

The Pop Mech link has a larger image of the above. Don't not check it out, Now...where's that one wire?

The lowly pay phone, far more intricate in its construction than I knew or would have ever imagined, invented in 1889 by William Gray:
It was first installed in the Hartford Bank, Hartford, Connecticut, by the Southern New England Telephone Company in 1889. In 1891, William Gray formed the Gray Telephone Pay Station to rent out coin-operated telephones to store owners.

Making a secure and reliable pay phone turned out to be tough to do, and in 1889 William Gray got a patent for an innovative coin payment mechanism he was able to defend for decades.
Does anyone remember the last time they used a pay phone?

Early cell phones (left), from WiseGeek. Smallest cell phone (right)

We've gone from carrying a suitcase to, "where's my cell phone...oh, there -  under that book of matches."

From Compare my Mobile:
The first commercially available mobile phone was the Motorola DynaTAC, which must take the prize for the largest mainstream mobile phone available ever. It went on sale on 6th March 1983, offered 30 minutes of talk time or 8 hours of standby per charge and was incredibly popular.
[.]
The phone revolutionised [sic] the way in which people communicate, even if it was incredibly bulky and unwieldy – and has become an iconic piece of technology. With a price of $3,995 at the time of release, in addition to its cumbersome design, you may be forgiven for thinking that the phone wasn’t too much of a commercial success. However, sales were enormous and retailers had waiting lists thousands of people long. Despite its size, the DynaTAC was incredibly successful.
Via Flicker.

Without the pay phone telephone booth, neither Superman nor Shoeshine Boy would have been able to change into their superhero garb.

I wonder if the popularity of pay phones and booths will ever return? Going retro as vinyl  did, which appears to be still going strong.

World News Links

"Something ate his legs." Australian teenager's legs bloodied after being chewed by flesh eating lice. The Sydney Morning Herald. (Video Image warning advised, bloody content per SMH).
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Help Wanted: Planetary Protection Officer. USAJobs.
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The New Bitcoin Cash price skyrockets. From The Street.:
Bitcoin cash, with similar bottom technology to bitcoin but with larger block sizes, can process about 30 transactions per second, four times more than bitcoin, though still a far cry from the thousands of transactions handled by Visa every second.
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TechCrunch: Apple. A One Trillion Dollar company? Absolutely.
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Does the name Marcus Hutchins or his aka MalwareTech, ring a bell? He's the guy who stopped the WannaCry ransomware by registering the domain name. Well, the US detained him and accused him of some serious charges. Extreme Tech:
WannaCry began infecting critical infrastructure across Europe and in the United States, rising to 230,000 infected machines in 150 countries within a day of its release.
[.]
[Hutchins] was arrested on Thursday by the FBI. (Initially it was reported he was held by the US Marshals, but this appears to have been inaccurate.) The FBI has filed a formal indictment against Hutchins, alleging that he and an unnamed co-conspirator (whose name has been redacted from the filing) “knowingly conspired and agreed with each other to commit an offense against the United States.
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Large, multi-ship military training exercise off the coast of Saipan. Saipan Tribune.
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From The Deparment of "I thought We Already Did This.": $ 2 Billion allocated for broadband in rural areas. NextGov.
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Horrifying - Woman stalked, kidnapping attempt also? The Hindustan Times.
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"Knife-wielding" Danukul Mokmool's Facebook profile says “nice and friendly”; but shot dead by police. A truly sad story. Daily Telegraph.
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In Denmark, performance artist Julian Toldam Juhlin on display as "Virgin in a Glass Cage." The Copenhagen Post. (And No, I'm not making this up).
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Is this because of North Korea? Public schools in Hawaii urged to conduct nuclear drills. Hawaii Tribune Herald.
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So THIS is how you go viral. I wish someone would have told me this sooner. The Evening Telegraph.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

朋友; 伙伴; 同志 (Comrade) Cooks helps China Gov Censor Citizens


Apple  友; 伙伴; 同志 CEO Tim Cook  makes no apologies for promoting and buckling under to the Chinese government in censoring its internet. Quartz:
Apple removed dozens of virtual private network (VPN) apps from its Chinese app store, depriving many users of tools that are critical to jumping the country’s Great Firewall. The move marked a major capitulation to China’s censorship regime, and follows similar requests to block various apps and content in the country.
[.]
Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, has defended his company’s compliance with censorship requests in countries like Pakistan and Thailand by arguing that it serves citizens’ best interests to “continue operating” rather than risk getting shut down for not blocking content.
Is this part of the reason they own $52.6 Billion in U.S. Treasuries?

And with Zuckerberg and Pakistan and Thailand, this is nothing new.

Remember Google, the "Do No Evil" company and how they promised, in 2007, to fight global internet censorship?

Then, January 2010, Google threatened to yank their business out of China if they couldn't resolve their censorship restrictions with the Chinese Government.

Come March 2010, Google shut down their China service, redirecting to its server in Hong Kong.

Eventually, Google gave up in January, 2013.

Even CNN  couldn't put a positive spin on Google in January, 2015. Same link, Google also kowtowed to censorship by the Turkish government.

By December of 2014, the Chinese Government pulled the plug  on Google Gmail, Google Drive and many other Google services.

Besides, Google is not evil, are they?

Or are they?

Well, they dropped the "Don't be Evil" motto, so maybe they are?

Dotcom companies certainly aren't the only industries that play ball with repressive governments.

Then again, dotcom companies, especially the search engine and social media platforms, are companies that exist in a special area, unlike companies in manufacturing or other industries that work within the confines of a country like China or Turkey who control unfiltered information available in their country.

Email and social media companies are specifically in the business of communication(s), speech and information. Ideally, yes, everyone om earth would have the freedom to have unfiltered access to the information available on the web. What are the ethical obligations, if any, of communication companies agreeing with governments who censor the information available to its citizens?

I'm not sure I have any answers right now. Do you?

Friday, August 4, 2017

Death Wish Redux, with Bruce Willis

Oh...I can't wait for this. This is going to be so goooooooooooooood.......

Thursday, August 3, 2017

World News Links

Freedom to Tinker - LinkedIn reveals your email to all connections.
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Sidney Morning Herald - Man jumps off plane in San Fran as plane waits to taxi to gate.
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Red Orbitrecall on coffee marketed as a "male enhancement product." 
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Courthouse News Service - Air France passenger jet flies over Sea of Japan moments before North Korea ICBM launch.
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Geek.com201 GB crammed into a one inch square of tape.
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Geek.com - I did not know that August 2 is National Coloring Book Day.  Happy (belated) Coloring!
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Singapore Star - two in three Singaporeans not getting enough mobile data.
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The Scotsman - former First Minister of Scotland calls Trump an "utter nincompoop."
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The Herald - will editing of human embryo gene eradicate inherited diseases?
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Idaho Press Tribune - jogger fights attacking bear by kicking.
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Sky NewsOxford Uni employee is suspect in murder of Chicago man.
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CNS News - is Calexit exporting the Middle Class?
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CBC News - large number illegal border crossing in Quebec by asylum seekers.
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West Central Tribune - Minnesota mom accidentally runs over 2 year old daughter killing her.
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Evening Telegraph - angry mob targets man accused of being a child predator.
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Der Spiegel - German car makers accused of "cartel collusion."
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The Jerusalem Post - Poland excludes Russia from Sobibor Museum project.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis fire and collapse

7:55 PM CST >>> UPDATE: TwinCities.com: One dead, one missing in gas explosion/collapse at Minnehaha Academy.

UPDATE 2:04PM CST - Ruptured gas line likely cause of explosion; Two people still missing, nine hospitalized, death unconfirmed, CNN:
Two people were unaccounted for and nine were hospitalized [on] Wednesday after a natural gas explosion shook Minnehaha Academy[.]
[.]
One witness said two men yelled "gas!" shortly before the blast.
[.]
The Minneapolis Fire Department initially said one person was killed. But it later tweeted the death was not confirmed.
Authorities said early indications are the blast may have been caused by a ruptured gas line.
Breaking news Wednesday morning...

Photo: KSTP.com
Minnehaha Academy on fire, collapses. KMSP Fox 9:
There are reports of a building explosion and collapse at the Minnehaha Academy Upper School.
[.]
The Minneapolis fire Department confirms one person is dead and other people are trapped beneath the collapse. Crews are extinguishing the fire, searching for victims and performing extrications

“There was a gas leak and explosion at the Upper School,” Minnehaha Academy confirmed. “Emergency responders are on the scene. This only affects the Upper School.”
More, from KSTP.com :
Originally, the Minneapolis Fire Department reported one fatality. However, the department then said that fatality had not been confirmed. People were also trapped in the building, according to authorities.

Minnehaha Academy issued the following statement:

"There was a gas leak and explosion at the Upper School. Emergency responders are on the scene. This only affects the Upper School."
Other news sources are reporting three people unaccounted for.

Report of death now unconfirmed.  KARE News 11:
Emergency responders are on scene at a building explosion and fire that authorities say reportedly killed at least one person at Minnehaha Academy Wednesday morning.
Photo: KSTP
Loud boom preceding fire, explosion. KARE News 11:
Residents near the area say they could feel the explosion.

"It was just a really loud boom," said one resident. "You felt it in your chest."

Authorities are on the scene extinguishing the fire and searching for victims.
Photo: KARE News 11



Five people were transported to the hospital; one person was evaluated and released, according to the department.

Bryan Tyner, assistant chief of administration for the Minneapolis Fire Department, said the explosion was the result of a suspected ruptured gas line, which then caught on fire.
Two people now missing. WCCO:
According to police, there are now two victims unaccounted for (a third was found uninjured), five victims taken to the hospital — one critical — and one victim evaluated and released.
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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

MTV Moonman is now Moon Person

Why Moon Person? How do we know, for sure, that it's a person? Presuming it's a person is rather insensitive and it certainly disenfranchises life forms that are not a person.

MTV's renaming Moon Man is the most stupid story I've read in the past...hell - I'm hard pressed to remember the last time a story so utterly ridiculous received media coverage.

From The Washington Times:
“Why should it be a man? It could be a man, it could be a woman, it could be transgender, it could be nonconformist.” [said MTV President Chris McCarthy].
How does he know "it" doesn't object to being called an "it" ?

New Emasculated MTV Icon

I'm surprised they didn't choose to give "it" a hyphenated last name.

Moon Person-Gallagher-Adamson-Wyniki-Marsh-Jones-Phillips-Rogers, maybe?

MTV is still owned by Viacom .

From the same Washington Times story, McCarthy noting that part of the reason for the name change of Moon Man is to reverse a five-year "downward trajectory" (i.e. huge ratings drop). He continues that by "amplyfying young people's voices," may help attract the sexual identifications that we now are told exceed the two classifications of 'male' and 'female'.

And changing Moon Man to Moon Person is going to help that five year exodus of MTV viewers. Yup, you betcha!

And isn't MTV showing another form of bias and discrimination by being "other- celestial-bodies"-exclusive?  Why the Moon? Why not a planet? Saturn Person. Neptune Person. What bigotry does MTV exhibit by singling out the moon?

MTV was fantastic in its prime. I'm surprised they're still operating, considering their programming now contains almost no music videos. 

You may not notice the immediate, wonderful impact that MTV's decision will have on your life, but know that ALL of OUR LIVES are far better off for re-naming Moon Man. Don't you feel better already? No? Give it some time.

Monday, July 31, 2017

Real ID Act a Step to the New World Order? Part 3: Test Tube Experiences in Venezuela, Greece, India. U.S. Chaos in less than 6 hours.

This post has been sitting in my "Draft" folder since January.

The recent developments in Venezuela prompted me to wrap up and publish this part in what, I guess, has become a continuing series.

The REAL ID Act, the economies of Venezuela, Greece and India, to name but three countries among others, all diverge and converge into this currency-less New World Order and One Global Government controlled by the likes of the Rothschild Family who are the new owners of Greece.

Venezuela is in the midst of an economic and political downfall. CNN:
Venezuela was a powerhouse of South America in the 1990s. Former President Bill Clinton made it his first stop on a trip to the region in 1997.

But inequality grew extreme. A small elite class controlled everything while the increasingly impoverished masses fumed.
Read that last sentence again. And again.

A "small elite class" like...the Rothschilds? The Rockefellers? The oligarchs. You think that a small elite group wouldn't want to run the global economy from the thrones of a One World Government?

What's an oligarch to do if not control global financial domination? Political domination? Spending every day hunting humans with Queen Beatrix would eventually get boring. Abdicating the throne for your son makes a good cover story rather than doing the perp walk..

Human hunting by the ultra-rich could become an acceptable sport. The Mirror:
[Daniel Wright, senior lecturer in tourism at the University of Central Lancashire in a paper for the scientific journal Futures], outlined a world ravaged by economic and ecological disasters , leading to overpopulation and a huge gap between rich and poor.
[.]
Hunting humans as an underground sport
could happen as early as 2100, the report suggests, but becoming an authentic tourism experience by 2200.

Of course the world will have to take a turn for the worse to reach a situation where rich people can hunt poor people for sport.
[.]
Ecological disasters mean not enough food or land to support the population and megarich tourists hunting the poor to keep the numbers down but as sport too.

Wright, outlining his future vision, added: "During these activities the oppressive mega-rich carry out vacations to purposely slaughter humans, with the 'claimed' aim to reduce population size, but an element of perverse thrill and excitement was said to be fuelling [sic] the demand."
And I thought that "Hostel" was just a movie.

Yeah...man's inhumanity to man...that's never happened before.
Viet Cong execution
Let's back up a bit and return to Venezuela. Their financial and political roller coaster has had more media coverage than Greece. Rothschild banks are in both Venezuela and Greece. 

The streets of Venezuela are a war zone.

Venezuelan political candidate José Félix Pineda was assassinated prior to the election.

And Venezuela has been in the grip of food shortages for quite some time.

And for a "cashless" system, well, not working out so great in India.

India's Central Rothschild Bank is now reaching blockchain main street. And for all the hoopla over blockchain...it IS NOT 100% safe, secure and immune from hacking. Nothing is.

"None of this can happen here is the U.S., Dave. Enough with the conspiracy theories." Just because a theory is conspiratorial in nature doesn't negate the fact that there may be truth behind it. Ten years ago I would have laughed at all the items in a post like this and assign it to the Tin Foil Hat Brigade. No more.


Six hours, or less. That's all it would take. Six hours or less of coast-to-coast rolling blackouts. Not even that---if the grid(s) that maintain energy for the majority of eastern states, along with NYC meaning Wall Street especially, crashed and burned...no ATM's, no access to banks and limited ability in communications (no landline or cell service available, no internet access, maybe no access to television or radio)...the U.S. would become unstable in less than three hours. Those "dry run" tests of the Emergency Broadcast System aren't there to advance preparedness and our awareness. They are done to program us for the day the broadcast is no longer a "test". The Government Red Panic Button.

As power outages continue westward, across the country - again in the span of 3-6 hours - say hello to empty supermarket shelves, gasoline rationing, food rationing, freeways being parking lots, the Martial Law, the looting, the rioting, travel restrictions - - - take the state the country was in the weeks after September 11 and amplify it nationally - - - - and the U.S. would be national mayhem.

One need look no further than how society behaves on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when people will run over other people to save $100 on a HD TV. Mass panic.

"This is only a test."
In Part 2 of the Real ID Act, my focus was on the actual ID card itself, a so-called "Enhanced Driver's License" that really is a Federal National ID.  I can't believe that the entire USA population isn't raising hell with this and voiced so little opposition to it. The Real ID Act is the camel's nose under the tent. From there, folks, it's just a short walk into the New World Order (NWO).

As I asked in Part 2, "what if I refuse one?"  Further, will a newborn baby be issued a National ID the minute they are born, just as they are issued a Social Security Number?

A baby or child who IS NOT OF DRIVING AGE can't really be issued an "Enhanced Driver's License," so by default, the ID they are issued becomes a "FEDERAL NATIONAL ID CARD."  To quote President Trump, "This is Nazi Germany."

What would you be able to do if you refused a REAL ID? Pretty much, nothing. The ACLU: 
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in charge of administering the law, has boasted about the potential of Real IDs to regulate voting, gun ownership, immigration, and Social Security and other federal benefit programs.
[.]
People would need them to function normally, making Real IDs America's first-ever national ID cards.
"People would need them to function...NORMALLY."  Do you want DHS regulating our voting system? Where are the fucking Liberal politicians, you know - the ones who advocate so much for individual rights to privacy - when you need them? Oh, they say the want to protect out privacy but we know it's nothing but their political propaganda.

Will we have to look to the illegal drug cartels for advocacy in lobbying against a "currency-less" society? I hardly think drug cartels want to be fucking around with cryptocurreny when, once again, there is no 100% guarantee in the complete safety of only digital currency. Do you think the Global Elitists will limit their method of financial transactions to only one manner?

All of these issues tie together. I call this the Economic Test Tube Experiment. This consists of initiating a manufactured and severe financial, political and economic crisis on a country.  It observes how the public reacts and to what degree (panic, hysteria, etc).  And some solution is offered, but usually to the detriment of the country (financially) or its people (financial, health care, human rights, you name it).

The Test Tube experiments will continue in smaller countries until The Wanna-Be-Ruling Globalists unleash their plan for co-opting the U.S. economy.

2008 Black Friday Trample

Greece  

The downturn of the economic condition of Greece started in the autumn of 2009. 

Greece was heavily laden with debt, years of unrestrained spending, dropped to new lows as the global community financial condition fell in virtually every country and had its credit rating downgraded.

Banks in Greece closed, some for weeks, and the amount of what a person could withdraw from the bank was capped.

Do these conditions sound familiar or remind you of any other country?

Venezuela

The global decrease in oil prices hit hard.  U.S. companies with business interests with Venezuela, such a General Motors and Merck Co. had billions of dollars of losses. So did Ford. And Pepsi.

Food became extinct, local stores and supermarket shelves empty with a growing riots from the people.

According to Mauro Roca, senior economist at Goldman Sachs:
“The temporary relief in PDVSA (Venezuela’s state-owned oil company ) external debt payments becomes even less relevant when considering total external debt payments faced by both Venezuela and PDVSA
[.]
...[the] sovereign [debt] and PDVSA still jointly face an average yearly debt service commitment of $8.7bn until 2020.”
Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro's economic policies have been mostly consistent with those of previous El Presidente Hugo Chavez. When crude oil was much more expensive, it gave the illusion of a more economic solvent Venezuela than reality.  The falling price of oil devastated their economy, or, more accurately, the rest of the economy that wasn't propped up by the high oil prices.

From a January 26, 2015 NY Times Op/Ed:
On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund that Venezuela’s economy would contract 7 percent in 2015, which could force Mr. Maduro’s government to default on its loans or significantly curtail the subsidized oil his country provides to allies in the Caribbean, including Cuba.
In 2014, General Motors and Ford combined wrote off $710 million.

Now, maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult to believe there won't be some type of reciprocation from the governments of these countries back to the corporations for their compassionate "debt forgiveness." When was the last time Citi, or Uncle IRS Sam, forgave your debt? What are these countries giving up in exchange for the "debt forgiveness"? 

On December 15, 2016 CNN reported that Venezuela's new currency still had not arrived. As a point of interest, in the preceding link, reporter Paula Newton refers to Venezuela's economic crisis as "years in the making [for] this SOCIALIST government."  (A CNN reporter actually calling a country "Socialist"? Impressive. CNN's probably fired her by now.)

And a December 13, 2016 notes The Wall Street Journal:
Anyone wanting to exchange the worthless bills after that will have 10 days to submit them at the central bank after being questioned by the secret police, Mr. Maduro said in an unexpected announcement on Sunday.
The economic problems in Venezuela, Greece, India and with The UK Brexit, are all enhanced experiments within various test tubes.  The ultimate goal is to crash the U.S. economy, which wouldn't take much. The next step is to make digital currency the law of the land, eliminating cash.

Cash brings with it anonymity. And our Federal Government can't handle this, they want to know where every dime of our money goes.

And consider how much simpler it will be for the government - any government - to freeze all assets of someone when all money transactions are only made only with digital currency.

Once the U.S. experiences a man-made catastrophic economic crash, we'll be told, "digital money is so much more secure. You have until [INSERT DATE HERE] to redeem your currency for the new, U.S. Digital Dollar."

This is all coming to America.  A cashless society and a giant step to a NWO and One-World Global Government.

To be continued at a future point.
Image: Gallery Hip
- - -
Revised minor punctuation 7/31/2017

Saturday, July 29, 2017

McCain Shoots Own Party...Again. Kills OCARE Repeal

Who didn't see this coming from Pretend Republican John McCain? The L.A. Times:
Sen. John McCain is usually happy to spar with reporters, but he ducked into an elevator ahead of the Senate healthcare vote late Thursday without saying a word about how he would vote.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, though, already knew the answer.
[.]
The [voting] moment stunned the Senate when McCain stepped up to cast his vote — a single down-turned finger — dooming the healthcare bill. Audible gasps filled the galleries, which were packed with onlookers.
Oh, of course the intellectual Liberal Schumer is a clairvoyant. Can you just picture it; his glasses on the tip of his nose, squinting devilish eyes, head cocked downward with that "we just crucified Christ" sneer, saying, "I knew how he'd vote." Schumer's Svengali hold over McCain for so many years is truly an enigmatic mystery. Or maybe McCain is channeling Ted Kennedy?

And McCain taking refuge in an elevator to avoid the press? This must me a "first".

Also joining McCain in voting against their own party was Maine's Pretend Republican Susan Collins and Alaska's Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, of which her vote - I think - is a bit surprising. I thought so, did you?

Pretend Republican and McCain lapdog Lindsey Graham...do I have to finish the sentence? YES - I do...he voted FOR repeal. But, the devil in the details tells me he voted this way knowing ahead of time of how the final vote would come down.

McCain did what he did because he's a petty and vindictive individual. His vote and cajoling of fellow Pretend Republicans is no surprise. McCain is jealous and envious that Donald Trump is the President and McCain hasn't healed, nor will he, in knowing he will never be president.

Still, being Emperor of The North Pole has to be rewarding, doesn't it?


I intended to end the post after the above image. But then I thought - what has Schumer accomplished in all his many years in the Senate.

Well, besides being strongly Alt-Left and always the first person in D.C. to find an MSM microphone and a camera to convey his drivel, he's voted with his party line at the expense of being a total hypocrite. And being a hypocrite never bothers Liberals.

In January 2017, prior to the Trump Inauguration, Schumer said infrastructure tax cuts aren't worth considering.

He did vote for OCare, which can be considered the largest tax hike ever. Why did he vote this way? Because at that time, the president was a Democrat Socialist and Schumer goose-steps along with his fellow Marxists.

In 2014, Schumer called OCare a mistake. His comrades came down on him hard. 

In 2011, Schumer supported tax credits for Higher Education.

May, 2015, saw Schumer supporting corporate tax credits for "clean energy."

July, 2014, Schumer supports tax credits for bio-gas.

August, 2015, Schumer supports tax credits for solar power.

December, 2013, Schumer supports rail tax credits.

March, 2016, Schumer asked Republicans to join the Dems in their support of Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

March, 2013,  2017 *, Schumer wanted to filibuster Neil Gorsuch, Trump nominee for the Supreme Court.

In 2007, Schumer threatened to block all Supreme Court nominees of then-President George W. Bush.

Enough. Schumer does whatever is politically and personally expedient. Nothing that anyone paying attention doesn't already know.


Groucho, left; Karl, right. No, they were not related.
---
* Corrected year

Friday, July 28, 2017

Different Look...maybe

I will be playing around with the design and theme, and colors, fonts, etc from time to time, so there may or may not be some permanent differences - or I may just resort back to the way it was. If you see something that is out of whack, and I don't - let me know. Thanks.