Tuesday, August 22, 2017

World News Links

Image credit: picture-alliance/dpa/Polizei Osnabruk
From Deutsche Welle: "Make Partying Great Again." German Police drug raid nets thousands of Ecstasy pills...in the shape of Donald Trumps' head.
- - -
Middle East Eye: Yemenis flock to view public executions.
...Muhammad al-Maghribi, a man in his 40s, was led from a prison van by armed police, hands tied behind his back, and moved to a clearing in Sanaa's Tahrir square.

[He] was led to a carpet, held face down, and shot several times in the back with an automatic rifle. His public execution was the first in what the Houthi movement says is a new crackdown on hardened criminals.
- - -
Turkish security kill three terrorists planning a vehicle bomb attack.  Turkey World Bulletin:
Security forces also seized weapons and ammunition and destroyed two shelters and 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, an ingredient in bomb making.
- - -
Der Spiegel Op/Ed: The Unforgivable Disgrace of President Trump.
- - -
Sky News: The U.S. "Fire and Fury" plane. (Can't miss video).

"Fire and Fury."

- - -
Cannabis News:
 * In the U.S.; From The Republic: Denver eyes opening legal marijuana clubs.
 * In the U.K.; From Sky News: Liberal Dems seek "common sense" to "regulate and control" marijuana.
- - -
News Asia: Dumped dye in Mumbai turning dogs blue.

- - -
RTT News: Survey says...Parents are a bad role model when it comes to texting while driving.
- - -
Gaming; from Engadget: State of Decay 2; who will be Zombie food?

State of Decay 2 screenshot.
- - -
The N.Y. Post: WILD Cape Cod party leads to two Kennedys' arrested.(Only two???)

Tech News

Average reading time (excluding links): 2m 



Another instance of technology out-pacing law. Biometrics Law Suit Courthouse News Service:
[A] federal lawsuit claims that Alvarado Manufacturing’s “intelligent admission control” turnstile system violates Illinois law by collecting fingerprints and other biometric identifiers without consent.
The 13-page class action suit is HERE, and worth the time if you like the subject matter. And a 13-page suit is not a long read.
- - -
Those Billionaires like having their beaches private.  Courthouse News Service:
...a picturesque stretch of the California coastline remains closed with No Trespassing signs clearly posted – despite a court order to open the gate so people can access the nearby beach.
- - -
I've taken a few light jabs at Elon Musk on this blog (but I admire the guy), but I agree with him; there needs to be an outright, and immediate, ban on killer robots. The Guardian:
 “Once developed, lethal autonomous weapons will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend. "
- - -
PC World: Build your own Jurassic World. Or...something.
- - -
BGR: ...coming down the homestretch it's Galaxy but here comes Samsung on the outside...
- - -
No, Barclays isn't tracking how often employees are at their desk or workspace. Nextgov:
Studying how workers use their physical space is not a bad way to save money. But if the finance industry is really interested in reducing unnecessary costs, they might also figure out how to stop activities that led to $321 billion in fines.
- - -
TechCrunchSnapChat will host a CNN news program.
- - -
Beta News:  Here's a memory moment that will jog you. It was year 2000 and version 4.75 of......Netscape was released!
- - -
MS Did WHAT...?!? MS' cloud app security automatically logs off suspicious users.  (I'm sure MS will release a patch to fix this.)
- - -
But is this tech news? Sure. Razorology? That's it - Razorology. Red Orbit: Results from an online survey saying 1/4th of all Americans...have injured themselves when...trimming body hair.   Down there...

Monday, August 21, 2017

Rest in peace, Jerry Lewis.

Jerry Lewis has died at the age of 91.

March 16, 1926 - August 20, 2017

The typewriter scene from "Who's Minding The Store?" 


First Lady Melania Trump accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama. Lest we forget The King of Plagiarism, Joe Biden.

Average reading time (excluding links): 3m 30s

Oh - Hypocrisy...Thy name is Liberal.

First Lady Melania Trump is accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama, again?!? MSN.com:
First Lady Melania Trump came under criticism[.]

Soon after the violence at the rally in Charlotesville, Virginia, Melania tweeted August 12, "our country encourages freedom of speech, but let's communicate w/o hate in our hearts. No good comes from violence." #Charlottesville.
[.]
[No sooner had her tweet been published were accusations that she had copied a comment from first lady Michelle Obama last year.]
Ah, The Left and Their Selective Memory. How soon they pretend to forget.


In 2008, Barack Obama plagiarized from a speech by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. CBS News:
Obama's speech Saturday sounded similar to a speech given by Patrick in his 2006 campaign for governor, according to the video.
[.]
[Obama used many of the same phrases as used by Patrick].
And I would be egregiously remiss if I did not mention the King of plagiarism, Joe Biden. From Slate (hardly a right-wing publication):
Biden's misdeeds encompassed numerous self-aggrandizing thefts, misstatements, and exaggerations that seemed to point to a serious character defect.
[.]
[Biden adapted, for his own speech, a previous speech given by British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.] (Heh- "adapted." Sounds better than "stolen" or "plagiarized". - DD)
[.]
Over the next days, it emerged that Biden had lifted significant portions of speeches from Robert Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. From Kennedy, he took four long sentences in one case and two memorable sentences in another.
[.]
If that wasn't bad enough, Biden admitted the next day that while in law school he had received an F for a course because he had plagiarized five pages from a published article in a term paper that he submitted.
[.]
And Biden conceded that he had exaggerated in another matter by stating in a speech some years earlier that he had joined sit-ins to desegregate restaurants and movie theaters, and was thus actively involved in the civil rights movement.
[.]
Newsweek soon reported on a C-SPAN videotape from the previous April that showed Biden berating a heckler at a campaign stop. While lashing out at the audience member, Biden defended his academic credentials by inflating them, in a fashion that was notably unbecoming and petty for a presidential candidate.

"I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do, I suspect," Biden sniped at the voter. "I went to law school on a full academic scholarship." That claim was false, as was another claim, made in the same rant, that he graduated in the top half of his law-school class. Biden wrongly stated, too, that he had earned three undergraduate degrees, when in fact he had earned one[.]

"I graduated summa cum laude with 17 and 11 Phd's in Lying."

I also must mention Biden's five military deferments, for asthma. Five is also the number of deferments of Dick Cheney.

It's a bit puzzling that someone with asthma played college football. Because doesn't dirt and dust and sand - and those sometime damp, wet and humid football Friday Night Lights' games - act as an irritant to asthma?

But oh, wait - Joe was lying about his college football career too.

I wonder if THIS SONG  was written with Biden in mind?

Well, nobody messes with Joe. Nobody.

Saturday, August 19, 2017

WTF is wrong with people? Moroccan boys rape donkey; get rabies. No, this is not fiction.

I can't believe I run across a story that is similar to this one, in the same day. Or even a week.

(sigh) From The Middle East Monitor:
At least 15 [Moroccan] boys, aged seven to 15, have contracted rabies after gang-raping a donkey[.]
Same story, different source.  The Times, Sri Lanka:
The family members of the youngsters are very disappointed and shocked.
[.]
Local authorities are now trying to find out who else had approached the donkey to "admire" it to limit the further possibility of the disease spreading.
I don't think that the word "admire" is the most accurate term to use.

Same story, another source;  stating what others have not: Defence Forum India:
15 Muslim teens treated for rabies after raping donkey.
- - -
8/18/2017: Fixed bad link

Tech News

Average reading time, excluding links: 1m 30s

BBC: Islamic State recruiting European teens; training them for terrorism.
Recruiting child soldiers is a war crime. But few have refined the process so efficiently as the Islamic State group.
- - -

ArsTechnia: Google bans GAB App citing "violating Google's ban on hate speech."
- - -
C|Net: Electronic Frontier Foundation criticizes tech companies for banning neo-Nazi website.
"...any tactic used now to silence neo-Nazis will soon be used against others, including people whose opinions we agree with."
- - -
WiredDriverless truck designed to crash.

Driverless "crash truck."
- - -
Beta News: BitCoin surpasses $4,500.
- - -
BGR: Worldwide map for real-time lightning strikes.
- - -
ZD NetYour car's safety features can be hacked and disabled.
- - -
Shortlist: Retro: Popular website design, original vs current look.
- - -
GizmodoApple function prevents cops from accessing your phone.
Apple has added a hidden trick that could help keep cops out.
[.]
...allows users to press the home button five times to initiate an emergency SOS call. And as a part of the process, iOS 11 also disables Touch ID.
[.]
In 2014, a judge in Virginia Circuit Court ruled that police can force users to unlock a phone using their fingerprint. However, a passcode or password is a different story, as that would fall under the Fifth Amendment, which gives people the right to avoid self-incrimination.
- - -
TechnocracyMissouri citizens block massive wind power project.
 
Staggering size of turbine blade.
- - -
Freedom To Tinker: When cookies meet the blockchain.
... if you shop online and pay with Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, how much privacy do you have? In a new paper, we show just how little.
- - -
MIT Technology Review: Cancer atlas developed to help patient survival.
- - -
IFL Science: How watching the eclipse without proper eyeware will ruin your sight.
- - -
PM Live: Google; moving into the healthcare industry?
[W]hen asked whether [Google] could become a big healthcare company that conducts its own large-scale trials, [Alphabet's Eric Schmidt] answers “maybe in the future”.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Mark Hook

I can't bring myself to provide a description from the story.

READ IT HERE.

Mark Hook

Steve Bannon...He Go Now

Steve Bannon...

... He Go Now.

Finland Police shoot knife-weilding man who stabbed several people. Witnesses say he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before stabbing.

No update, had to delete broken link and add new link (CNN) of same story.

From CNN: 
At least two people were killed and six others hospitalized Friday in a stabbing attack at two markets in the Finnish city of Turku, police said.

Officers took a suspect into custody after shooting him in the leg after the attack, police said, and they were searching for other possible perpetrators. Police in Finland have shot a man who reportedly stabbed a number of people in the south-western city of Turku.
From Reuters :
Police said they arrested one person after a shootout and had launched a manhunt for other possible attackers. 
- - -
08/18/2017: Changed broken link and story; (link #1) 

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Barcelona; five suspects shot and killed by police; Cambrils terrorists killed

Several shot by police. Sky News:
Police confirm several attackers have been killed in a shoot-out as raids are carried out following the Barcelona attack.
[.]
19:09 - According to La Vanguardia, five suspects were shot dead in Cambrils in an operation that began about nine hours after the attack in Barcelona city centre.
19:01 - Police in Catalonia have confirmed they have killed the perpetrators of a "terrorist attack" in Cambrils.
19:00 - Spanish media: Several attacker [sic] have been killed in a shoot-out south of Barcelona after police announced an operation in Cambrils.
- - -
Sky News is now reporting the Cambrils incident may have been a second, attempted terrorist attack. 
Four suspected terrorists have been killed in a shoot-out with police in a second possible terror attack in Spain.

Police warned agents had been deployed to the coastal town of Cambrils, while Catalan authorities urged local residents in a Twitter post to "stay home" and "stay safe".

Obama's Barcelona Tweet

Because he did SO MUCH in EIGHT YEARS fighting Islamic Terrorism.

Barack Obama: All talk, no action. See PUSSY. (SFW)

Man in background from #Barcelona Twitter

Watch the man who walks across the screen; notice his shirt. 

From Twitter, #Barcelona.

Barcelona Terror Attack - breaking news 10:41AM MST

The Guardian: Barcelona van driver still on the run.

Continuing Barcelona updates and coverage located at Jihad Watch.

4:15PM MST - Fox News on YouTube and The Independent reporting van driver NOT IN CUSTODY.

Reddit Barcelona "False Flag" accusations with no supporting evidence.

A handout photo made available by Spanish National Police shows Maghrebi Driss Oukabir


3:49 PM MST - UDPATE: Suspect or Not? Fox News:
The first suspect named by police in connection to the Barcelona terror attack was identified as Driss Oukabir, a Moroccan citizen.

However, later in the day, Spanish media agency La Vanguardia reported a man with that name approached police to say he was not the suspect. Police so far have not clarified whether they released the right name.

Updates: #Barcelona @Twitter

3:42 PM MST - UPDATE:  Fox News' Shepard Smith is reporting that the driver of the van is NOT in custody. This, from Fox News television coverage at YouTube. 


3:30 PM MST - UPDATE: The Telegraph is reporting Police say earlier house explosion is connected to van attack. 

Other news sources have not confirmed the above.
- - -
The van believed to have been used in the attack. - The Telegraph

3:22 PM MST - UPDATE: Death toll at 13.  The Telegraph:
"We can confirm there are 13 dead and more than 50 injured," regional interior minister Joaquim Forn said in a tweet.

Catalan police said they had arrested one suspect, and denied earlier reports that the perpetrator was holed up in a bar near the scene.
The Sidney Morning Herald: People started running, screaming.

Live coverage here. 

UPDATE: Hostages said to be taken. The Sun:
HOSTAGE TERROR Barcelona attack – Two ‘gunmen’ storm Turkish restaurant and takes hostages after Las Ramblas terror van rampage leaves ’13 dead’ and 20 injured.
MoreSpain News 12 lists the timeline of events.
- - -

Barcelona, Spain terrorist attack. Sky News:
Police say a "massive crash" in Barcelona city centre in which several people are feared to have been killed is a terrorist attack.

A white van mounted the pavement of Las Ramblas, the main tourist area in the city, and struck several people, police said.
[.]
Several newspapers have reported two people have died and at least 20 have been wounded, and officials have confirmed there are dead.
More coverage at:

The Independent.  

The Telegraph. 

The Daily Star. 

Steve Bannon, Should he stay or should he go now?

Average reading time (excluding links and video):  1m 30s

An almost unlimited number of stories on Steve Bannon.

The most recent story; Bannon's venting in a phone call that he made to the American Prospect. BoingBoing:
Bannon described his efforts [to] "neutralize his rivals at the Departments of Defense, State, and Treasury" and said that (in Bannon's words), "They’re wetting themselves."

Bannon also contradicted Trump on North Korea: "There’s no military solution [to North Korea’s nuclear threats], forget it."
"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." - Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Or maybe, Roosevelt didn't say that. (I'm not sure who, or what group, decided that MetaBunk is the final authority on anything. I tend to always be skeptical regarding sites like MetaBunk or Snopes).

Either way, it isn't all that hard to believe that the Roosevelt "quote" is likely to be more accurate than not in the political arena.

You can throw a dart at any search engine and find news stories and Op/Ed pieces on Bannon, both pro and con.

I don't know if the Trump Admin is in chaos and disarray or not. If it isn't, and a carefully cultivated plan is to make it appear the Trump Admin is in chaos, then that plan certainly seems to be a successful perception by the public and - of course - the MSM.

I don't know if President Donald Trump selected Bannon without forethought of how controversial Bannon is, and would be, especially in how The Left views Bannon.

So was Bannon's phone call actually spontaneous and off the cuff, or was it a carefully planned strategy?

I haven't decided if Bannon should stay or if he should go.

What are your thoughts?


No matter how the Bannon issue concludes, I thank God every single day that our president is NOT Hillary Clinton.
- - -
8/18/2017: Fixed embedded video code (several times).

Brain Break Games

Let's take a moment and step back from politics, current events, global climate warming change, and exercise our brains in a different manner.

A search on Optical Illusions, (something I've always enjoyed) turns up a lot of different sites. There's tons of them at which to play around.

I found some interesting ones at Illusions.org. Especially the one below:

Look at the chart below above and say the COLOR
 of the word, not the word itself.

Why is it so difficult?  Because the right half of your brain
is trying to say the color, while the left side of your brain
is trying to say the word.

I started out "okay" because I knew what I was supposed to do. But I stumbled on the third row on the Blue colored word Yellow. And I had to concentrate on the rest and definitely felt that "left side/right side" conflict of the involuntary reflex of wanting to say the word, not the color.

And THIS ONE explains why I am not a good proofreader of my own material.

And THIS ONE is fantastic. 
 
Put the world on "hold" for a few moments, and have some fun with optical illusions.
- - -
Grammar error fixed: 8/16/2017

Now is the time to start worrying over Y3K !

I love it when prophecy fails to materialize. The inability of Man attempting to accurately predict future events is folly.

Matthew; 24-36:
The Day and Hour Unknown
36)  “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
So I was not surprised when an earth axis shift did NOT occur on August 15, 2017:
This telepathic message was received on August 15, 2017 at 3:09 am Mountain Time at the Star Lodge healing Center in Lake George, Colorado USA[.]
[.]
[The message was] sent from RaTesh, the Pleiadian [sic] Cosmonaut[.]
[.]
[The] planetary Axis Shift of Earth, will cause your planet’s oceans to “slosh” greatly – ON A MUCH BIGGER SCALE than this recent “minor”, approximately 13 degree Axis Shift – which just occurred a few days ago, of your Earth time.
Yeah, RaTesh...not a good batting average. (Is Al Gore, Jr. impersonating RaTesh?)

But we really should start worrying about Y3K right now. Shouldn't we?

U.S. Blackhawk down near Hawaii

Pray people...pray.

From The Telegraph:
Officials at Wheeler Army Airfield, near Honolulu, reported losing communications with the crew of a UH-60 Black Hawk at around 10pm local time on Tuesday (9am BST).

Is this the New Glock?

Is this the new Glock 17M : The Firearm Blog:
... someone finally got their new Glock 17M duty gun in from Glock! I am inclined to believe that it is a genuine photo because our source is an officer with the Indianapolis Metro Police Department, one of the first agencies to receive the new guns. The officer that this 17M belongs to is one of the first to get the new Glock[.]
 Hit the link for the details.

Additional info, Soldier Systems.

Check out more leaked 17M photos HERE,  at Guns.com. Definitely worth the time.


Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Man accidentally shoots himself in heart with Nail Gun

Image:Scripps Media

Man accidentally shooting himself in the heart with a nail gun drives himself to the hospital.  WCPO.com:
... [Doug Bergeson] was working on framing in a fireplace at his house near Peshtigo in northeast Wisconsin when his nail gun accidentally fired, sending a nail ricocheting off some wood and into his chest.
[.]
As he tugged at his sweatshirt, Bergeson, 52, said he realized only about 1 inch of the 3 1/2-inch nail was sticking out of his chest.

"I could see the nail moving with my heartbeat. It was kind of twitching with every heartbeat," Bergeson said.
- - -
Note to Scripps Media advisory: "Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

I have every right under Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code to reproduce your material. If you don't like it, sue me. I can use the publicity.

Tech News

Average reading time, excluding linked material:  45s


Human DNA embedded with malware. Beta News:
Security researchers have managed to infect a computer with malware embedded in a strand of human DNA.
[.]
Once the malware-infected synthetic DNA strand was sequenced, the machine got infeced [sic] and essentially granted unlimited access of the system to the hacker.
- - -
C|Net.  A must read for Daryl fans. An interview with Norman Reedus, of "The Walking Dead."
- - -
Wired: Would you be creeped-out by an insect-like six-legged, crawling robot?
- - -
Do you use a password manager? Is it secure? From Security Week:
A password recovery firm has claimed that the overall security of password managers is debatable. "Are password managers more secure than keeping a list of passwords in a single Excel spreadsheet?" it asks. "Not necessarily," it concludes.
- - -
BackReaction: It's not the universe that makes you look fat.
- - -
ArsTechnia: Here's a Tab trick for you Chrome users.
- - -
BGR: How Cox upped their monthly fee $50 and no one noticed:
Make no mistake about it: Cox has gone sideways to end up at a point where, to get the same plan that you enjoyed a year ago, you have to pay $50 more.
- - -
Security Week: Public clouds more secure than private and hybrids.
- - -
Computer World: MicroSoft is having a hard time figuring out how to support Windows 10. (Doesn't that sound exactly like a headline from "The Onion"?)
- - -
Information Week: The Future of Data and Analytics.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Toppled Confederate soldier, tells Workers World Party, Durham Branch, "you didn't hurt me at all."

Average reading time, including video: 2m 15s

A group of the Workers World Party Durham Branch tied a rope around a metal statue of a Confederate Soldier and pulled it to the ground. Then they kicked at the statue. They sure showed him, huh? WXYZ.com:
The statue has stood outside the courthouse since 1924.

According to a Facebook event page, the protest was organized by the Workers World Party Durham Branch. The protest was organized to demand the removal of all Confederate symbols.
[.]
"Charlottesville and racist monuments across the country are the result of centuries of white supremacy,” Alissa Ellis, a member of Workers World Party Durham branch, told the News Observer. "But we cannot ignore the fact that the current Trump administration has emboldened more Nazis, KKK, and white supremacists to target, brutalize, and kill our communities"[.]
I'm surprised - no, SHOCKED! - that Alissa doesn't have a hyphenated-last-name. Usually-especially-women-who-are-in-groups-like-this-have-hyphenated-last-names. Alissa is an iconoclast.

Here's their Facebook page, if you were considering "liking" them.

And good for Alissa for invoking Godwin's law. Nazis, the KKK, Hitler, etc can never be mentioned enough when pointless organizations like the WWP have no point.
 
Workers World Party Durham Beach displaying their intelligence.

Memo to the WWP: You did not hurt the soldier.

For the sake of argument, let's pretend this disrespect of property is removed from any political nuances. These people are out of their minds. They are the mob that is the mob they so abhor.

They are suffering severe Cognitive Dissonance.

Let's just get a basic understanding and definition of the WWP from Wikipedia.

The Wiki entry for the Workers World Party describes them as:
...a communist party in the United States, founded in 1959[.]
[.]
WWP describes itself as a party that has, since its founding, "supported the struggles of all oppressed peoples".
[.]
The WWP has maintained a position of support for the government of North Korea.
They are a Communist party, supporting the struggles of oppressed people...and they support the government of North Korea ruled by Kimmy Jong Un, an oppressive and ruthless tyrant?

Here they are below, proudly displaying their evolved prefrontal cortex:


My guess? They all have severe amygdala damage and trama.

Monday, August 14, 2017

World News Links

Average Reading Time (allowing for video but not how much time you spend at the linked stories): 4m 45s 

The Telegraph - Over 300 dead in Sierra Leone mudslide in city of Freetown:
An estimated 2,000 people have also been made homeless[.]
[.]
Speaking at the scene, Sierra Leone's Vice President, Victor Foh, said: "It is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble."
Mudslide video. Pray for these people:

- - -
Sky News: "A smooth and orderly Brexit."
- - -
Another bank, another crisis - Azerbaijan. Eurasianet:
...loan sharks are an increasingly popular way for Azerbaijanis to get money, amid a banking crisis that has rocked the country’s legitimate financial sector.Azerbaijan.
[.]
...the government sharply devalued the local currency which ultimately led to the closure of 13 banks[.]
- - -
N.Y. Daily News: Info Wars creator and host Alex Jones blames the violence in Charlottesville, Va. on "Jewish Actors."
- - -
Canoe.com: Chewbacca charged with attacking ski resort employee.
- - -
Mutant Ant













Red Orbit: Mutant Ants!
- - -
Goldfish are alcoholics? Courthouse News Service
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Technocracy: The United Nations new, supercharged, Urban Agenda. ("Entering New World Order, please form a single line.").
- - -
New Atlas: You've probably heard of Tiny Houses? Well, welcome to the Micro-Cabin. And they seem pretty darn neat!
- - -
- - -
Corriere Della Sera: Singer Morrissey claims "terrorized by Rome policeman."

Link fix 8/14/2017

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 ÃŽle 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)"?


- - -
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..."
- - -
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?
- - -
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[.]

- - -
The Sydney Morning Herald: Ten year old dental brace lodged in a woman's intestines.
- - -
Sky News: "Crazy Uncle" Kimmy Jong Un planning missile hit(s) on Guam?
- - -
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.
- - -
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).
- - -
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?)
- - -
The Middle East Eye: Christians in Syria fighting in Raqqa: "We must defend ourselves."
- - -
The Hockey Stix Gallery! Yay! Viva Le Hockey...eh? View from the Hubble.
Courthouse News Service:

The Hockey Stix Gallery. Image: NASA
- - -
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[.]"
- - - 
Bitcoin sets new record; over $3,500. Beta News
- - -
Doc's in New Zealand want to ban alcohol sales in supermarkets. The New Zealand Star
- - -
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.
- - -
The Daily Telegraph: Police arrest multi-millionaires' Ibrahim brothers and others as they disembark multi-million luxury yacht. $ 2 Million is a suitcase.
- - -

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.
- - -
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.