Average U.S. Hourly Wages

Trading Economics: $23.05.

Wages in the United States...reach[ed] an all time high of 23.05 USD/Hour in December of 2018.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau Statistics: Total (average) private industry: $27.48.

AP News: The typical federal employee makes $37 an hour.

The Daily Star says Dwayne Johnson rages at snowflakes but Johnson says, "never happened."

The Daily Star: The Rock hits out at snowflakes.

[The Daily Star] By Jack Andrews, Exclusive / Published 11th January 2019.

He "laid the smackdown" on PC softies in an exclusive chat with the Daily Star.

“So many good people fought for freedom and equality - but this generation are looking for a reason to be offended, [said Dwayne Johnson].

“If you are not agreeing with them then they are offended - and that is not what so many great men and women fought for,” [he said].

The superstar thinks that while the world has become a more tolerant and better place, whining snowflakes are draining positive change through their constant moaning.

MSN: Johnson slams "fabricated quotes".

"Earlier today online, an interview dropped ... where I was [apparently] insulting and criticizing millennials. The interview never took place, never happened, never said any of those words. Completely untrue. 100 percent fabricated," he said in the video, adding that he "quite baffled" [sic] by the story.

Guess we'll see if this escalates and IF The Daily Star has proof of what Johnson allegedly said. Fake News? Or a PR Stunt? Or...?

Enhanced Interrogation non-Geneva Convention Style

Within twenty seconds, I'd spill my guts and tell you everything.

Detroit's Disasterous DUMB Dangerous Democrat Debbie Dingell. (Making Alliteration fun!)

Dumb Debbie Dingell

Michigan's U.S. Congresswohman Debbie Dingell, who has lived a life of wealth and privilege, will introduce legislation requiring installation of breathalyzer-ignition interlock devices in EVERY vehicle. Washington Free Beacon: 

Before starting a car, drivers would have to self-submit to a breathalyzer test. If a driver's blood alcohol content is above the legal limit, the car will not start.

Dingell suggested in a speech on the House floor that her measure would be successful if it prevented a single death resulting from a drunk driver.
[.]
"I know some will say this is too much of a burden. ‘It won’t work. Why should we have to do that?'" Dingell said. "I’m going to look them in the eye and tell them why no community should ever have to feel what our community is feeling this week."

Fine Debs, and I'll look you in the eye and tell you breathalyzer-ignition interlock systems are easily defeated by having someone sober breath into the device. So - then what?

I know what I'd like to see. A breathalyzer test deployed, that every elected politician must pass, before they are permitted to cast a vote. ANY vote. And they should all be drug tested as well, holding them the same standard that U.S. employers drug screen job candidates.

However, Debs isn't on the same page of her sophistic "if it prevents a single death" on building a border wall. Debs also gets the highest Baby Killer rating a politician can receive from NARAL. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

Too bad Rose Kennedy's 1967 Oldsmobile lacked a ignition-interlock device on July 18, 1969.

Rose Kennedy's 1967 Olds. Failed as a boat.

Back to DUMB Debbie Dingell's draft decree demanding mandatory ignition-interlock systems in all vehicles. This bill will never see the light of day. Besides the financial burden, passed onto consumers by the auto makers, of adding this to every single vehicle, how does she plan to retrofit all the existing, operating vehicles currently in use? And I guess every police car, fire truck, ambulance and other government vehicles will also have this device if she were to have her way. We can't just assume those drivers will be sober, can we? Not if it will save one life.

Her idea is DUMB. I'd say the exact same thing if she was a Republican. Or any other political affiliation. People like Dingell are dangerous because their ideology seeks to make everyone a criminal where there is no due and reasonable cause.

Who dis Cortez? AOC plays "big people" job.

AOC provides an endless amount of material to ridicule. Daily Mail:

Freshman lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dropped a hammer on Joe Lieberman on Thursday, after the onetime Democratic vice presidential candidate said he feared her brand of high-tax socialism could doom the party's chances for long-term dominance in Congress.
[.]
The 29-year-old Ocasio-Cortez retweeted the 76-year-old's sentiment with a four-word rejoinder: 'New party, who dis?'

But hey - AOC gets to play "big people" job.

Jake Thomas Patterson is Suspect ID'ed in Closs kidnapping

Jake Thomas Patterson

Chicago Tribune: Sheriff IDs suspect in abduction of Wisconsin teen Jayme Closs and killing of her parents.

Douglas County Sheriff Thomas Dalbec said at a news conference Friday that Jake Thomas Patterson was arrested Thursday after Jayme Closs was found near Gordon, where Patterson lives.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says investigators believe Patterson killed Jayme's parents because he wanted to abduct her, and that Patterson "took many steps to hide his identity."

A live television news conference ended a short while ago. The expressions of joy and relief among all family, friends and others concerned with this case was overwhelming.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, who has been working so hard and so long on this case, was almost moved to tears during the news conference. This guy is a model sheriff. God Bless him and his department.

Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald during the news conference.

Boy recovering from surgery reunited with his dog; from 2,300 miles away.

We need more stories like this.

Good News Network: Long-haul driver logs 2,300 miles to reunite boy with dog.

8-year-old Perryn Miller and his parents had been visiting family members in Utah for Christmas when the youngster started having headaches. His parents brought him to the emergency room only to hear that their son had a brain tumor as a result of stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.

The very next day, Perryn underwent a 7-hour surgery to have the tumor removed.
[.]
The Millers are originally from Wilmington, North Carolina. Since their home was destroyed by Hurricane Florence last year, they have been living with local family members while they rebuild.
[.]
...while the Millers are staying in Utah for Perryn’s recovery, the boy expressed how much he missed his dog: an 8-month-old German shepherd named Frank.

News reports of Perryn’s longing for his canine companion traveled across social media until it caught the eye of former long-haul trucker Bob Reynolds.

Reynolds was so moved by the tale, he volunteered to drive Frank all the way from North Carolina to Utah. The trucker then traveled 2,300 miles across the country in just 52 hours so he could deliver the joyous pup into Perryn’s awaiting arms.

People like Bob Reynolds? There's more folks out there like him that we'll never hear about. And there's more folks out there like him than not like him. It just seems sometimes the opposite.

420 Mile Post signs being stolen

U.S. News: People Can't Stop Stealing 420 signs.

Stoners and other pranksters have been stealing the mileposts for years, and that has forced states to get creative with their signage.
[.]
The Seattle Times [says] the state has over 8,000 mile markers. Of those, she said the department has had to replace 608 signs since 2012, and almost 200 mile markers are currently missing.
[.]
It's not just milepost 420. Robbers with a juvenile sense of humor are notorious for stealing markers for mile 69, a number with an overt sexual connotation. States have tackled the issue in a similar way, creating posts for mile 68.9 or 68.5 instead[.]

Below left, an unknown 420 mile marker. Top right, Bong Recreational Area in Wisconsin. Bottom right, Bong Bridge, which connects Minnesota and Wisconsin. I've visited Bong Rec and driven over Bong Bridge many times. Everyone seems to enjoy the Bong experience.

Friday Morning Music Video

Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones, from their album, Ramones.

Flying Cars Coming Soon!

Because we all are such attentive and considerate drivers on freeways and roads, why not bring it air-bound?

NBC News: Flying cars by 2023?

...a partner in the Uber Elevate flying car initiative, showed off its new air taxi concept called the Nexus.

While it may fly, make no mistake, the Nexus looks more like a car than an airplane.
[.]
...the adoption of flying cars still faces major regulatory roadblocks.

“The legal hurdles related to small flying machines are arguably a bigger challenge than mastering the technology. These issues will make it hard for personal or compact commercial aircraft to take flight, and even harder for a substantial number to offset ground traffic,” [said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Cox Automotive].

Missing Wisconsin Teen Jayme Closs found alive.

Breaking news.

Chicago Tribune: A 13-year-old northwestern Wisconsin girl who went missing in October after her parents were killed has been found alive, authorities said Thursday.

The Barron County Sheriff's Department said on its Facebook page that Jayme Closs has been located and that a suspect was taken into custody.

Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said the sheriff's office in Douglas County, about 70 miles north of Barron County, located the girl. A suspect was apprehended a short time later. The statement did not say where Jayme was found or give any further information about the suspect.
[.]
Jayme Closs has been missing since her parents, James and Denise Closs, were found shot to death Oct. 15 in the family's home near Barron.

Star Tribune: Jayme Closs found in Northern Wisconsin.

[Jayme’s grandfather, Robert Naiberg, said late Thursday], “All I know is that they got her and that they’re checking her out at a hospital. She’ll be reunited with some family members after that.

“I’m going to hug her. Squeeze her,” Naiberg said, his voice cracking.

"There were days when it was hard to hold onto hope. I’ve been in the dumpster for three months,” he said.

Full details have not yet been released. Local news is saying Miss Closs was running alone down a road or street and saw a lady and asked her for help. Miss Closs reportedly told the lady she had "been kidnapped after they killed my parents."

FOX 9 News: Found in Gordon, missing from Barron.

A suspect was taken into custody at 4:54 p.m., also in Gordon. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald told FOX 9 he believes more people may be involved. The Closs family was told the name of the suspect, but they did not know them.

Muslim Group Sues Maryland over "No Boycott of Israel" Executive Order

Arab News: Maryland’s ban on contracting with businesses that boycott Israel tramples on the First Amendment rights of a software engineer who advocates for Palestinians, a Muslim civil rights group claims.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ federal lawsuit seeks to block the state from enforcing an executive order that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed in October 2017.

The order requires contractors to certify in writing that they don’t boycott Israel. The group’s suit claims the order has an unconstitutional chilling effect on First Amendment-protected political advocacy supporting Palestine.

CAIR says 25 other states have enacted measures similar to Maryland’s, through legislation or executive orders. CAIR attorney Gadeir Abbas said other federal lawsuits have challenged measures in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas.
[.]
In December, the Arkansas Times weekly newspaper sued to block a similar measure. That state law, which took effect in August 2017, requires contractors to reduce their fees by 20 percent if they don’t sign a pledge not to boycott Israel.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office argued that boycotting Israel is not activity protected by the First Amendment.

“It is neither speech, nor is it conduct that is inherently expressive, nor associational activity that is afforded constitutional protection,” wrote attorneys representing Rutledge’s office.

These suits filed by CAIR (which I refer to as standing for "Can't Antagonize Islamic Radicals") will be interesting to monitor.

I don't have a lot of knowledge of how government-private business contracting works. I do know a government institution can require certain conditions be met for certain employers, like minority and women-owned companies. And, believe it or not, I understand the essence of CAIR's lawsuit. But to claim some type of disadvantage, or discrimination by using the First Amendment to support their basis? I'm not an attorney or a judge, but this issue seems to fall under contractual law. If you dislike the terms of a contract, don't sign it. I don't see the slightest foundation for CAIR's argument based under Freedom of Speech. Governments discriminate every day against every one. CAIR needs to learn this.

Wisconsin Judge Blows .129 Alcohol Breath Test; not charged. Legal limit: 0.08

KSTP News: Wisconsin judge not arrested; driving under the influence.

A Wisconsin judge, who had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol, was not arrested for drinking and driving late last year despite failing a field sobriety test and blowing well over the legal limit, according to police video and records obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Judge Eric Lundell can be heard on police dash and body cameras asking for special treatment during the traffic stop in Hudson, Wisconsin.

"Where's the ol' police courtesy," he asked one of the officers.
[.]
...Lundell again asked for special treatment.

"Just give me one police courtesy one time in my whole career. If you want to ride with me home, fine. C'mon, Brad," he said, again addressing the sergeant by his first name.

Officer Luke Radke explained why the judge's request was problematic.

"I'm going to handle this like I would for anyone else," Radke said. "I understand you want some police courtesy right now, but if I get caught, or it gets released to the media that I didn't do my job because of who you are, my career is over."

The 71-year-old judge declined to perform at least one of the field sobriety tests, citing his age, but eventually agreed to stand on one leg – a test he failed.

At that point, Radke and Kusmirek agreed not to arrest Lundell.
[.]
However, the officers did ask the judge to take a breathalyzer with the understanding he would be allowed to drive home if he blew under a .04.

"Well, if you're not going to arrest me, then sure," Lundell said.

The judge then blew a .129. The officers allowed him to call for a ride home.
[.]
Hudson Police Chief Geoff Willems defended his officers' handling of the traffic stop, and said the judge was not given the police courtesy he requested.
[.]
"Anytime you have different officers, different experience levels, different training, you have a potential for a different outcome," he added.

WHAT?  "Anytime you have different officers, different experience levels, different training, you have a potential for a different outcome." 

The judge blew a .129.

Wisconsin's BAC definitions:

"Per Se" BAC Limit     0.08 Percent
Zero Tolerance (Underage) BAC Limit     0.02 Percent
Enhanced Penalty (Aggravated) BAC Limit     0.15 Percent
Implied Consent to Submit to BAC Test?     Yes

0.08 versus .129. Yeah, the judge was granted special favor. The Police Chief and the officer need to be fired.

"Where's the ol' police courtesy" - Eric Lundell.

Man Shot By Dog

I'm not poking fun at this story, even though I kind of am with the image. If this happened to me, I'd have no problem with anyone doing a similar image. The man lived, although one of his legs was amputated. I truly feel for the guy. If I could, I would've taken the bullet for him. I'd do that for anyone. I would.

Stuff NZ: Man lucky to be alive after hunting accident.

An American hunter has lost a leg after being shot by a dog while on a hunting trip. That's according to a close friend and hunting companion of Matt Branch who warned others to be "the utmost careful when it comes to gun safety."
[.]
Branch was struck by a shotgun blast when a dog who was with his group jumped into the back of their Ford Ranger and stepped on the weapon's safety, setting it to fire mode, while also managing to pull the trigger.

The story contains a GoFundMe link to help with medical expenses. If you can help, please consider doing so.

Yeah, "the utmost care when it comes to gun safety." Wonder why they ignored that? You can't ignore it, not even for one second. And when you're hunting and have a dog or dogs with you, the intensity of "utmost gun safety" becomes magnified even more. There always exists the unpredictability of what could happen with a person handling a loaded weapon. Deer hunters have suffered heart attacks and fallen from their stands. Their rifle has sometimes fallen along with them and discharged, other times, not. The unpredictability factor of what dogs might do during hunting is a complete "unknown". Even the best trained hunting dog can do something unexpected and unanticipated.

There are only two places where a loaded gun can be when it comes to utmost gun safety. A loaded gun is either being held or holstered by the person in possession of it. OR, it is inside a locked gun safe. That's it. Some may argue the second option I listed is inappropriate. My reply would be, yes, you make a STRONG ARGUMENT to unload the gun before placing it the safe.

The primary, never-ever-EVER rule to overlook, not even for a split second, is leaving a loaded gun unattended. You can't do it. I've hunted, shot at the range, sat around with other experienced gun handlers and every time, without fail, if a gun is being passed around for others to look at, every single person does the same thing: they check to make sure it is NOT LOADED. Even though they know it's unloaded and was checked by the person before them. And the really smart ones check it twice and three times. THAT is what you must do. One cannot check an unloaded gun too frequently.

Many of us, including myself, have been hunting and ya gotta take a whizz. Yes, I've set my rifle or shotgun down, usually as close to the ground as possible - depending on if the ground is leaves, wet or snow. Yes, I've left it loaded but with the safety on. Did I violate the number one primary rule I stated above? Technically, yep, I sure did. And I'm lucky, in retrospect, that no freak accident occurred. One could have, and I would have been pissed that I'd not adhered to the primary rule.

I hope Mr. Branch recovers fully. The loss of his leg is so tragic. His life is forever changed. The aftermath, a result of a split-second moment in thinking a loaded gun could be left unattended. Responsible gun owners know not to do this. From the story, Mr. Branch and his hunting party certainly seem to be just that; responsible gun owners. But that one, momentary lapse - that one "it's only for X time" - of leaving a loaded gun unattended, is a momentary lapse that we can't ever allow happen.

Never leave a loaded gun in the pick-up bed, or car trunk, or back seat even if you're driving six feet down the road. Make sure you've emptied it. If you're out in the boonies, and feel like leaving it out of the case for that six-foot trip, I'm not going to harsh on that - just make sure it's not loaded.

I, and those I've hunted and shot with, have been 1) exceedingly careful and 2) very fortunate, as none of us have experienced an errant shot, an unintended discharge, a shot fired in error. I attribute that to being well-schooled with guns. Gun safety was part of Boy Scouts. I hunted with my dad, brothers, uncles and cousins. Every single one had gun safety strongly and indelibly drilled into our heads. Instead of "hands-on" gun safety starting at an early age, and continuing it into teens and young adulthood, has society changed into a "fear guns" mentality? Is this why there seems to be an uptick in reports of "accidental shootings"? Readers, gun owners...please pitch in an leave a comment.

Small Boat vs Huge Crusie Ship

BBC: Watch below or hit this link for a video clip of an inflatable boat that came way too close for comfort with a cruise liner.

Mystery radio waves from far outside galaxy.

VOA News: Astronomers in Canada have detected a mysterious volley of radio waves from far outside our galaxy.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) flash only for a micro-instant, but can emit as much energy as the sun does in 10,000 years.

Exactly what causes these high-energy surges of long waves at the far end of the electromagnetic spectrum remains the subject of intense debate.
[.]
“FRBs, it seems, are likely generated in dense, turbulent regions of host galaxies,” [said] Shriharsh Tendulkar, a corresponding author for both studies and an astronomer at McGill University.

Maybe in space, your screams are heard.

World News

SMH: Girl sneaks 394 MDMA pills into music festival.

Tina Phan, 18, plead guilty on Thursday at Burwood Local Court to internally secreting hundreds of pills to sneak into the Knockout Games of Destiny Festival in Homebush in December.
[.]
Phan was attending the all-night dance party when a friend of a friend offered her money to internally secrete the hundreds of MDMA pills into the festival[.]

- - -
ABC Net: Saudi teen girl hoping for asylum in Australia.

The United Nations refugee agency has referred Rahaf Alqunun's case to Australia for consideration.

But it comes as Thai immigration officials have spoken on behalf of the 18-year-old's father who says he wants his daughter back.

- - -
World News:  Debris found of French Air Force fighter jet.

...local residents reported hearing a large explosion and reported that some debris, including a map and a parachute, have been found on a tree. The report is yet to be confirmed by French officials.

- - -
News NY 1: Video of police officers beating man with batons in Manhattan.

"What the video doesn't show is that these perps — one of whom has been previously arrested for assaulting a police officer — threw a haymaker at the cops once they got above ground, necessitating the use of force to bring them into custody," said Pat Lynch, the president of the union, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

- - -
NY Daily News: Almost 100,000 people watched Stormy Daniels fold laundry during Trump speech.

Stormy Daniels folded clothes on Instagram Live Tuesday night while President Trump went on live television[.]
[.]
Daniels, who [streamed] the skit in her underwear, played Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall" while doing her chores. She said she attracted 100,000 viewers.

Well, from now on when I hear "Another Brick in The Wall" my visual imagery will be different from what it was.
- - -
Canoe: Death threats to Canadian cop who ran over deer.

A Lethbridge police officer who allegedly used a truck to euthanize a deer has received death threats[.]
[.]
“The police officer responded and killed the deer in an incident that was partially recorded by a bystander on cellphone video,” the news release states.

The video shows a police truck repeatedly running over a wounded deer on a city street.

I can't imagine anyone driving over an injured animal in order to euthanize it. I'll keep an eye out for future news on this story. The compassionate thing to do, as terrible as some may find this, is shooting the injured animal in its head.
- - -
Courthouse News Service: Appeals Court tosses climate change suit.

Oregon has no duty to protect natural resources as part of a public trust, according to a state appeals court Wednesday, tossing claims that the state hasn’t done enough to stop climate change.

Two teenage girls sued the state in 2011, in one of the first of flush of suits using a novel legal approach to challenge government inaction over climate change[.]

GOOD! Hope to see a lot more rulings like it.
- - -
Red Orbit (...AHEM...): What to do, ladies, when you have an ingrown hair... (you know. There).

Ingrown pubic hair is among the most common problems a woman can experience. Usually, it is completely harmless, though it can be painful and hard to get rid of in some cases.

Okay, then.

How many Dems will condemn Tim Cook's earnings?

Answer to post title: None.

This Is Money: Apple boss Tim Cook's BIGGEST BONUS EVER.

Apple boss Tim Cook collected his biggest ever bonus just weeks before the iPhone maker cut production due to poor sales.

The 58-year-old trousered £12.3million in 2018, including a £2.4million salary and a £9.4million bonus.

It was a 22 per cent pay rise for a year that saw Apple post record revenue and profit.

But it came just weeks before it dropped a bombshell, saying demand for its latest iPhones failed to meet expectations.

I have no problem with any CEO making a ton of money. I do have a problem with corporations with business ties in countries that exploit and use forced child labor for mining cobalt and lithium and any other resource. Don't tell me these companies "don't know". Years ago, Apple had to install suicide nets in their China manufacturing facilities because workers preferred leaping to their deaths rather than work at their job.

Green Tech Media: The Hidden Risks of Batteries: Child Labor, Modern Slavery.

Shockingly, 40,000 children are estimated to be employed in artisanal mines in southern DR Congo, including in cobalt extraction. Verisk Maplecroft’s cobalt risk assessment -- part of its commodity risk service -- reveals that human rights abuses are widespread in the sector and can occur within both industrial and artisanal mines.

Bloomberg: 2018: Apple negotiating to buy cobalt direct from miners in DR Congo.

The price of cobalt has more than tripled in the past 18 months to trade above $80,000 a metric ton. Two-thirds of supplies come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there has never been a peaceful transition of power and child labor is still used in parts of the mining industry.

Apple isn't the only maker of electronics that obtains cobalt and lithium from countries and sources that use forced child labor. Conducting business with countries and companies that deliberately look the other way on all types of child labor is appalling and must be stopped. What is Tim Cook going to do about it? What are you/we going to do about it? Yes, there's lithium and cobalt in your, and my, lap top, desk top, IPad, phone and everything else. What degree of responsibility belongs to those of us who use these devices?

While all activity or work contains some degree of risk, (simply being alive carries with it the inherent risk of death), and while we can each rationalize what we do in life and assess various degrees of risk we are willing to take, profit should never come at the expense of human life and health. This is mantra to every reasonable, free-thinking individual. But it is held in absolute holy righteousness by The Left. So, why am I not surprised that The Left maintains a silent vigil on this issue when it comes to Tech?

One could correctly call the cobalt and lithium industry the "new" Exxon or Standard Oil. But The Left never will.

MN Gov Proclaims Diversity Exec Order

KSTP News: MN Gov Tim Walz Canned Ham's Executive Order, Council of Diversity.

Gov. Tim Walz signed his first executive order Wednesday.

The order established the One Minnesota Council on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.

It reportedly expands upon a council formed by former governor Mark Dayton in an effort to include individuals from different backgrounds throughout the state.

According to a release from Walz's office, the order he has signed is expected to further the council's mission, "expanding its scope to address geographic diversity as well as important considerations around equity in Minnesota."

Gee. Gov. Canned Ham expanded a program begun by his predecessor Richie Rich Mark Dayton. Walz is just another in a long line of Minnesota Big, Expansive, Government politicians. The elected Dems can't wait to start spending. Canned Ham begins his term with a $ 1.5 BILLION SURPLUS. "Surplus" is a misnomer. The state overcharged everyone again. And they act like it's a surplus. If this were a business or company overcharging customers, the state AG would file suit the moment of hearing one, lonely outcry of unjust financial enrichment.

Below are results from a basic image on Tim Walz. See if you can spot all the diversity among his supporters and friends.

I generally and deliberately blur faces of kids under the adult legal age of 18, so that's why some of the pics are that way. Other than that, the pics are, like I said, from a general image search on Tim(my) Walz. The Liberal Illusion of Diversity is what matters.

Dark Over Lord Hackers release more 9/11 documents.

As part of the recent hack relating to Germany, a second drop of info was released regarding September 11. RT:

The Dark Overlord hacker group has released decryption keys for a second batch of 9/11 documents, totalling [sic] over 7,500 files. Additional document leaks containing “more secrets” and “more truth” have been promised, for a price.
[.]
...the documents build up a picture of insurance litigators brainstorming to see who they could sue for damages in the wake of the attacks. In emails, the lawyers discuss targeting the airlines, airplane manufacturers, the Federal Aviation Authority, the terrorists themselves, and foreign entities.
[.]
Along the way, the litigators discuss whether then-President George W. Bush had advance knowledge of the attacks, or whether the Saudi Royal family was responsible, but this discussion is speculative and no damning new information is revealed.

While the encryption key for the first batch of documents has been scrubbed from Reddit, Pastebin and Twitter, it remained available for several days on Steemit. Dark Overlord’s account was banned from the platform on Wednesday, however, but the documents can be accessed on Busy.org, a website that runs on the same blockchain as Steemit.

Cyberscoop: Dark Over Lord was seeking new hires.

“Do YOU want to get Rich? Come work for us!,” The Dark Overlord wrote in a Nov. 14, 2018, thread on KickAss Forum, a cybercriminal marketplace on the dark web that charges for entry.

See. The economy under President Trump is even good for hiring, hacking and extortion!

Cluck and Nancy Propose Secure Border Red Velvet Rope

Encounters with Ed Buck, White Wealthy Dem Donor

Ed Buckmelter

Daily Mail: Man reveals encounters with Ed Buck.

Jermaine Gagnon, 28, told DailyMailTV how he narrowly escaped death when Edward Buck injected him with crystal meth at his sex-toy filled apartment .
[.]
Buck offered him $200 to spend the evening with him at his apartment, he said.
[.]
Buck is now under investigation over the deaths of a black man in his 50s at his apartment in the early hours of Monday morning this week, and a second investigation into the death of Gemmel Moore 18 months ago has been reopened, after being closed for lack of evidence.

Previous incidents of deaths at home of Ed Buck.

Why, at the very least, hasn't Buck been officially designated as a person of interest?

Freeway sign falls on car during traffic in Australia.

ABC Action News: Freeway sign falls, hits car in Melbourne.

The story reports the driver suffered only minor injuries.

Ex-Mrs. Bezos Just Became the Richest Woman in World. (Unless there's a Prenup).

BBC: Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie to divorce.

"After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends," the couple said in the statement.

The news even made it into the Jeff Bezos Peoples' Republic.

Bezos: Successful Alien-Human Hybrid

Ten Men Accused of sexually abusing two 14-year old girls

DESIblitz: Ten men appeared at Bradford Crown Court accused of sexually abusing two vulnerable girls when they were in care and both 14 years old.

The prosecutor, Kama Melly QC, told the court that the men accused all used the girls for their “sexual fulfilment” with the sexual abuse and exploitation allegedly starting about 10 years ago when the girls were 14 years old.

The ten men, nine of which are Asian and of Pakistani descent, used “cynical and manipulative behaviour” to exploit the girls and some of them used violence, force and threatening behaviour against the girls. Others gave the teenage girls alcohol and drugs for sex.
[,]
As reported by the Telegraph and Argus, the men standing trial are as follows.

Basharat Khaliq, aged 38, from Allerton, is charged with five counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

Saeed Akhtar, aged 55, from Girlington, is accused of two counts of causing/inciting child prostitution and one of rape.

Izar Hussain, aged 32, from Girlington, faces three counts of rape and one of attempted rape.

Naveed Akhtar, aged 43, from Manningham, is accused of three counts of rape.

Parvaze Ahmed, aged 36, from Heaton, is charged with three counts of rape.

Kieran Harris, aged 28, from Dewsbury, is charged with two counts of rape.

Mohammed Usman, aged 31, from Bradford, is accused of two charges of rape.

Yasar Majid, aged 37, from Milton Keynes, is charged with one count of rape.

Zeeshan Ali, 3aged 2, from Girlington, is accused of one charge of sexual assault.

Fahim Iqbal, aged 27, is accused of a charge of aiding and abetting rape.

All of the men deny the charges against them.

Man Spends 3 hours licking doorbells.

Image: ring.com/Sylvia Dungan - Sky News

Police are looking for man who licked doorbells for three hours then urinated in a garden. This occurred in...

...wait for it...

...

...

...yeah you knew. 

California. Sky News:

Roberto Daniel Arroyo, 33, was captured taking part in the bizarre act on the Dungan's home CCTV in Salinas, California, on Saturday morning.

The clear footage shows the man leaning his head against the intercom outside their front door and licking the doorbell from several different angles.

He carried on licking for three hours.
[.]
...he appeared to "relieve himself" in the Dungan's garden and entered several other neighbours' yards.

For a moment, Flakka crossed my mind. But the doorbell licker is too...composed...for Flakka effects. Well...ya know...hobbies?

"Alexa, flush." Alexa: "Flushing process begun." Flushing is hard.

CNBC: The Kohler $7 Grand Toilet:

Kohler unveiled an "intelligent toilet" called the Numi 2.0 at the Consumer Electronic Show[.]
[.]
It also has Amazon Alexa voice controls built in so you can check the weather, listen to news and order more toilet paper all while sitting on the loo.

Technology provides us, if we choose it, to bypass the physically strenuous act of dialing a phone to order a pizza. Instead, if we choose, we can order said pizza by a few keystrokes on an app. When the pizza arrives, we can if we choose to engage technology, answer and open the door for said pizza, thereby avoiding having to get up off our ass to obtain said pizza. Payment and tip concluded long ago via the app.

Then the task of actually having to feed ourselves is upon us. Will someone break out in a sweat lifting those slices? Pull a humerus or ulna muscle? The act of chewing? Strenuous, pain-inducing torture. Anyone wanna wager that future members of The Seated App Generation will see increases in heart and circulatory-related health problems?

Go ahead, Have a slice. You know you want it!

The Cluck and Nancy Show

What a crock of pure manure.

More Cluck and Nancy Show Bullshittery...

...at CNN, the story being updated every few minutes.

...at BBC, a synopsis of the issue, President Trump's address and Cluck and Nancy's Bullshittery.

...at CNBC, you can view (maybe a second time, but why would you do that?) the Cluck and Nancy Show. Or not.

And a bit strange, considering how sanctimonious Cluck and Nancy sounded in tonight's rebuttal, that in such a spirit of bipartisanship, the Dems filibustered bipartisan foreign policy yesterday, instead, demanding a vote to reopen the government.

These two. Who votes for them? I don't understand it. I really don't.

France Surrenders Gets Tough on Yellow Vests

Evening Standard: New legislation to punish Yellow Vests.

France plans to introduce new legislation to punish protesters after seven weeks of violent “yellow vest” demonstrations.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe spoke after rioters torched motorbikes and set barricades on fire on Paris's upmarket Boulevard Saint-Germain on Saturday.

Morning Star: Wearing masks will be banned.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who compared the protesters to “football hooligans,” said new legislation would ban so-called troublemakers from demonstrations and ban the wearing of masks.
[.]
[The Yellow Vests] are demanding the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron whose hard-line response to the protest movement appears to have backfired with no sign of the demonstrations ending.

Concessions offered by Mr Macron, including pausing the unpopular fuel tax, have been rejected as anger grows over poverty and unemployment.

Last week saw the arrest of prominent gilets jaunes activist Eric Drouet, a truck driver from Paris, who was charged with “organising an undeclared demonstration.”

And former professional boxer Christophe Dettinger was arrested yesterday after video footage in which he appeared to be punching a police riot officer went viral.

Heh...Hooligans. Such a great, yet underused, word. BTW, 'Ze vee-dee-o ov ze box-ar paan-ching ze po-leez ovvizer iz here.

Banning the wearing of masks obviously brings the question of how will they specifically define what is, and isn't, a mask? Clown masks? Crazy Clown masks? What about a Head-Face ski mask for warmth? A Neck-scarf? I suppose these will be outlawed. What about Purdahs?

More importantly...what about Mort from Bazooka Joe? Would France deny entry to Mort for refusing to lower his turtle neck shirt?

Mort

New Tech at the Consumer Electronics Show

The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is under way.

What's new at the CES?

Journal Sentinel: Five Cool Tech Items.

Air Bags for cyclists: A French company called Helite makes air bags for motorcyclists and horse riders. And now it has produced air bags for those of you on bicycles. This "smart" bag, selling for $650 when it comes out in March, has built-in sensors that promise to detect when to inflate the bag – meaning, not when you ride over over bumps, but rather when you are in an actual accident.

Hit the link for the other four items.

The Walking Car. AutoExpress:

Hyundai has announced its plan for a robotic concept car at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Called the “Elevate,” it would be capable of walking over rough terrain, spanning gaps up to five-feet across and scaling obstacles up to five feet tall; all while maintaining a perfectly level passenger compartment.

Hyundai's Walking Car

More on the walking car from Hyundai:

Wheels with robotic legs allow users to drive, walk or even climb over the most treacherous terrain.
[.]
The legs also fold up into a stowed drive-mode, where power to the joints is cut, and the use of an integrated passive suspension system maximizes battery efficiency. This allows Elevate to drive at highway speeds just like any other vehicle. But no other can climb a five foot wall, step over a five foot gap, walk over diverse terrain, and achieve a 15 foot wide track width, all while keeping its body and passengers completely level.

Watch the Elevate here.

More gadgets at IFL Science, including: Intelligent Toilets, the LG ExoSuit, Foldable Smartphones.

A self-driving Tesla ran over and "killed" an autonomous robot. Daily Mail:

In what many are speculating was an over-the-top PR stunt, Promobot revealed one of its model v4 robots was ‘killed’ by a Tesla Model S on a Las Vegas street ahead of CES.

Rosie The Robot; unharmed at CES

Design Boom: LG's rollable OLED TV.

Clean Technia: Harey-Davidson's Electric Motorcycle.

Digital Trends: The latest Mobile Accessories at CES.

PC Mag: Rokit's high-tech cell and smart phones.

The Biden Buzz. Hey Joe, what's the website number?

Joe "The Great, Legendary, Acclaimed Plagiarist" Biden and his possible run for the White House is generating buzz.

WTVR - Biden will announce 2020 presidential run "soon."

Biden’s silence has raised questions among some Democratic donors and activists about whether he is ambivalent about running and uncertain about plunging his family into a bruising campaign, despite friends saying Biden has repeatedly argued he is the party’s strongest candidate to defeat President Donald Trump.
[.]
[Said Biden], “I wouldn’t announce even if I were going to run that early. It’d be too early to get started.” [Timing] “would depend on the circumstances in the field and a whole lot of things.”

Ohhh...Ahhh...."circumstances in the field and a whole lot of things." He sounds so scientific and impressive. A deep thinker. He inspires confidence, doesn't he?

The Jeff Bezos Peoples' Republic examines what they call "a problem with Biden's rationale" for a 2020 run:

Other possible contenders and their supporters naturally would take issue with Biden’s assessment, citing his age, his goofiness and his identity as a Washington insider as liabilities. They’d argue that he’s too moderate to satisfy the progressive base. In addition, it’s far from clear that the Democratic Party wants a 70-something white guy as its standard-bearer.

Hey, hey, hey - stop right there. Let's not be slacky on the "70-something" age of Biden. The Left made John McCain's age an issue on his presidential run. Biden will be turning 78 on November 20, 2020. We're safe in rounding that up to 80.

Let's not forget Biden's "A-Game" Classic Moment in February 2009, when he asked, "Do you know the website number?"  LA Times Blogs:

While discussing Recovery.gov, the taxpayer's stimulus guide The Ticket wrote about this morning, on the CBS Early Show today, Biden was asked what the address for the website was.

His clueless response undoubtedly put a smile on the faces of tech savvy viewers.

"You know, I'm embarrassed," Biden said. Turning to someone off screen, he asked, "Do you know the website number?"

Bloggers and Twitter users scoffed at the phrase "website number" over the course of the day. Such a misnomer wouldn't be a shock coming from most 66-year-olds, but the Obama administration has emitted an air of tech savvy up until now. "Website number" sounds like something we'd hear from Sen. John McCain.

Joe considers himself the best Dem candidate. MSN:

In one of his calls over the holidays, Mr. Biden repeated a variation of a line he has used publicly: “If you can persuade me there is somebody better who can win, I’m happy not to do it,” he said[.]
[.]
But then Mr. Biden said something he has not stated so bluntly in public: “But I don’t see the candidate who can clearly do what has to be done to win.”

The Week: "Joe doesn't 'get it'."  Most of us concluded this a long time ago.

We know Biden thinks dividing up geographical areas - like countries - is a great solution for intra-geographical - like countries - problems.

Iraq? NBC News:  Joe says, split it up into three.

Israel? VOA News: Joe says, split it in two.

Maybe Joe is the One who, if elected president, could successfully split the USA into two entities; Red State - Blue State. We'd all be happy with that, right? We should probably give another look at supporting Joe, for this reason alone. 'Ya think?

Run, Joe, run! You too Hillary! And Bernie, God love him; run Bernie, run! I'm looking forward to the Clown Show.

Scientists Lament Unable To Contribute To Climate Change

Thousands of scientists unable to attend the "Super Bowl of Astronomy" due to government shut down. Phys.org:

The world's largest airborne observatory was supposed to be parked in Seattle this week, so thousands of scientists attending the "Super Bowl of Astronomy" could behold this marvel: a Boeing 747 outfitted with a massive telescope used to study the fundamental mysteries of the universe.

But conference-goers will not be able to see NASA's space-exploring plane. Its visit to the 233rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society was canceled, one of a growing list of scientific casualties of the partial government shutdown now stretching into its third week.
[.]
...the shutdown's impact on science stretches well beyond the empty chairs at this week's conferences, said Keith Seitter, executive director of the American Meteorological Society. It means some of the nation's smartest scientific minds are sitting at home, not doing science, for weeks, with no clear end in sight.

"That's difficult to recover from," said Seitter. "We'll be seeing ripple effects from this for a long time."

Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

"...sitting at home, not doing science..." and yadda, yadda, yadda. Tragic.

"...rippling effects from this for a long time." Oh! Teh Fucking Draa-mah!

They "can't see the NASA plane." Yes, the world awaits the invention of Virtual Reality or some kind of device that allows you to view places, people and things without having to be physically present.

It's a shame they have no viable methods to communicate with each other during the government shut down. Alone, sitting in silence, with Chester Cheetah Cheetos. All those equations and algorithms popping in their heads and no one to bounce it off of. Somebody should really do something about this. Clearly, the government shut down must end.

In a related issue, president of the World Bank resigns early. 9 News:

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has unexpectedly resigned, more than three years before his term ends in 2022, amid differences with the Trump administration over climate change and the need for more development resources.

Kim, nominated by former US President Barack Obama for two five-year terms, had pushed financing for green energy projects and largely dropped support for coal power investments, but had avoided public clashes with the Trump administration, which has made reviving the US coal sector a priority.

Unseen Terror of The Bird Box Unveiled

Daily Mail - Bird Box nightmare creature unveiled.

Fans who have seen Netflix's hit horror film Birdbox will be aware that you never actually see the nightmare creature which has plunged Earth into apocalyptic times.

But now the special effects sculptor tasked with crafting the nightmarish creature has finally revealed it, sharing pictures of the models he created for the movie.

Andy Bergholtz posted the images of the creature, which was used in a scene later cut from the movie, to Instagram.

"Bird Box" Terror. Image: Andy Bergholtz

I watched "Bird Box". It was okay. Better than the usual fare. A novel idea and concept. But if I experienced a "vision" of the above, no, it wouldn't cause me to kill myself as it did with the characters in the film. "Bird Box" runs about two hours. It could have easily been clipped to ninety minutes and not lost anything. John Malkovich is in it and he always puts in a good performance.

The Daily Mail link has more images of the "creature".

Anyone else watch it? Like? Dislike? Other? Drop a note.

Another Black Man Found Dead in home of Wealthy White Dem Donor Ed Buck

KTLA: Death Reported at West Hollywood Home of Wealthy Political Donor Ed Buck — For the 2nd Time.

For the second time within 18 months, a man has died at the West Hollywood home of wealthy Democratic donor Edward Buck, authorities said Monday.

Paramedics responded to Buck's home in the 1200 block of Laurel Avenue shortly after 1 a.m., where they discovered a victim described only as a black male in his 50s unresponsive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
[.]
His death comes more than a year after 26-year-old Gemmel Moore was found dead from an apparent overdose at the same home on July 27, 2017. Officials confirmed Buck was present during both incidents and Moore's case is now facing another review.

"It is suspicious that this has happened twice now," L.A. County Sheriff's Lt. Derrick Alfred told KTLA.

Buck is currently not considered a suspect and not in custody, officials said.
[.]
[Gemmel's mother], Latisha Nixon, has accused 65-year-old Buck of having young black men like her son ingest dangerous amounts of drugs for his own pleasure. She has said other escorts have confirmed the allegations.

"Ed Buck has been soliciting young gay black men," Nixon said weeks after her son's death.

"He has them wear these long white ‘under-johns.’ He takes pictures of them," she said. "He hits them up with meth. The more meth that they smoke and inject, the more money that he gives them."

More: Who Is Ed Buck?, at WEHOville.

Edward Buckmelter

The Advocate:

The name of the person who died in Buck's home in the early hours of Monday has not been released. Wehoville described him as a young African-American man and featured a picture of a body being removed on a gurney.

Community activists like Jasmyne Cannick have accused Los Angeles officials of declining to prosecute Buck in 2017 thanks to his contributions to powerful politicians such as Hillary Clinton, California Gov. Jerry Brown, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, and numerous West Hollywood City Council members. Cannick is organizing a vigil and rally for tonight in front of Buck's home, at 1234 Laurel Ave.

Open Secrets: Buck's political donations. Lots of $$$ to lots of Dems.

Another story to watch play out. How much MSM coverage will this story get? Are Al Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson on their way to Laurel Avenue? Will Jim Acosta ask [fill in the name of any Dem/Lib pol or pundit] about their association with, or political contributions from, Ed Buck?