Tech News

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

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

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

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

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

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WIRED: The many woes of Huawei.

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

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

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

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

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

No, not this moose...

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Technocracy: Grocery chain rolling out Robots.

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

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

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

But in the three years past, little has changed.

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

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

Nathan Phillips, Vietnam Vet or Stolen Valor?

The sorting out whether or not Nathan Phillips, the Native American beating his drum, served in the U.S. Military or if he's guilty of Stolen Valor.

This Ain't Hell: Vietnam "Times" Veteran.

It has been reported several times in the media that Nathan Phillips is 63-64 years old.  That would have put him at 18 years old in 1973, so he would have graduated high school in either 1972 or 1973.  It would have been an extremely tight timeline to have him in the country of Vietnam during the War.  This alone has some people raising questions.

CDN: Nathan Phillips IS Stolen Valor.

...the Washington Post very quietly retracted the claim that Nathan Phillips served in Vietnam. Of course, they had to [sic]. Nathan Phillips claimed he served in Vietnam in 1976 when talking to reporters The Toledo Blade, but as you probably know the war ended in 1973. He said he was a marine veteran but the last marine unit left in 1971 when he was 16 years old.

Quod Verum: Nathan Phillips, Fake Marine.

The man is a liar. He lied about his service in Vietnam, and he lied about what the young Trump supporters did.

It took me exactly three minutes to expose Nathan Phillips as a liar. I appear to be the only person who made the effort.

Clover Chronicle: Numerous links and stories regarding Phillips' service, or lack of it.

Other sources say marines were still stationed at the U.S. embassy when the liberation of Saigon occurred on April 30, 1975.

Pacific Pundit pulls no punched: Nathan Phillips never deployed to Vietnam.

...another epic media fuck up. I’ve lost count how many stories the media has blown in just the first two plus weeks of the new year.

Catholic News Agency: Nathan Phillips attempted to disrupt Basilica Mass.

...a group of Native American rights activists reportedly led by Nathan Phillips attempted Jan. 19 to enter Washington, D.C.’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception during a Saturday evening Mass.

The group of 20 demonstrators was stopped by shrine security as it tried to enter the church during its 5:15 pm Vigil Mass, according to a shrine security guard on duty during the Mass.

“It was really upsetting,” the guard told CNA.

“There were about twenty people trying to get in, we had to lock the doors and everything.”

Vietnam Vet or Stolen Valor? The trending accuracy so far is: Stolen Valor. That is just shameful. It's like claiming Native Ancestry when you have none.

On the issue of attempting to disrupt the religious ceremony of others? I have nothing but contempt for those who do this. If Phillips IS the "activist" who led a demonstration at the Basilica, he should be ashamed. IF it is him.

Dennis The Toxic Masculinity Menace

(NSFW / Adult Language)

You pretty much know where I'm going with this. If not, and you proceed, then future posts like this will either offend you (you'll get over it) or not (I won't lose any sleep over that one).

If you have any doubt, or prefer not to find out, or think you might be offended, then Click here now.
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World News

CBS Local NY: Newark Liberty Airport Shutdown over drones.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were temporarily delayed after a pair of drones were spotted nearby, Federal Aviation Administration sources tell CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave.

The sources say the drones were were seen flying at 3,500 feet over Teterboro Airport, less than 20 miles from Newark Airport.

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Japan Times: Karaoke bar shooting tied to Yakuza.

The karaoke bar is located in the center of the Kabukicho district and is about 500 meters northeast of JR Shinjuku Station. A number of yakuza are based in the area, which has become increasingly popular as the number of foreign tourists in Tokyo has increased.

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SMH: Concerns over whereabouts of writer who vanishes in China.

There are growing fears for the safety of a prominent Chinese-Australian writer who appears to have disappeared in China, with friends and family worried he may have been detained by authorities.

The writer and dissident Yang Hengjun left Sydney for Guangzhou on January 18 despite his friends warning him it was too dangerous for the Australian citizen to travel to China.
[.]
He is incommunicado and has not posted anything on social media including popular Chinese platform wechat since Friday.

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Stuff: Iraqi admits in helping Islamic State make toxins.

Help us make chemical weapons, the Islamic State's emissaries said.
[.]
 "Do I regret it? I don't know if I'd use that word," said [Iraqi scientist Suleiman al-] Afari, who was captured by US and Kurdish soldiers in 2016 and is now a prisoner in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region[.]

"They had become the government, and we now worked for them," he said. "We wanted to work so we could get paid."

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9 News: Some of the "Royals" staff is on strike. Cake price an issue.

...[staffers]’ "disappointment turned to fury" when they were made aware HRP had commissioned several elaborate and very expensive cakes from a company called Choccywoccydoodah[.]

 Royal Staffers on strike. Image: Getty

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9 News: China demands extradition charges be dropped.

China has demanded that the US drops an extradition request for a top Huawei executive, as the tech giant’s chief launched an unprecedented public relations blitz.

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, 46, was arrested on December 1 in Vancouver, Canada at the request of the US.

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Business Insider: Supreme Court hears a gun gase, first time in nine years.

...a challenge to New York City's prohibition on carrying a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun outside the city limits.

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CNN: John Kerry says "Trump should resign".

Former Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that if he could speak to President Donald Trump directly, he would tell him to "resign."

Syria's Assad and Kerry; 2005

Covington Catholic High School - Indigenous Peoples March - Black Hebrew Israelites: Social Media Judgment in Nanoseconds.

Nathan Phillips, Native American or Agent Provocateur?

In a previous post I noted that in the Liberal manufactured non-altercation altercation, American Native, Nathan Phillips, deftly executed de-escalation between the law-abiding MAGA-cap wearing students of Covington Catholic High School and the Black Hebrew Israelites. Maybe the motives of Mr. Phillips weren't entirely the altruistic intentions to de-escalate a potential and  explosive confrontation. Maybe some, part, or all of his agenda was pure Liberal activism. He has a history of activism.

Mr. Phillips served our country in Viet Nam. I Thank Mr. Phillips for his service to our country. He is the only one who knows his true intentions. Did he make his move to de-escalate based on sincere motives in attempts to prevent physical mayhem or was it a political calculation? He's the only one who holds the true answer. Does it matter, really, either way?

It was the Black Hebrew Israelites instigating the Covington, Kentucky students. Some of the students had the gall to wear MAGA hats in public. Should we line them up before a firing squad? Remove their MAGA hats, blindfold them, let them smoke a final cigarette?

Why would anyone expect anything based from social media to be true or even near accurate, without first making efforts to verify? And even then, we don't know the true story. Look how long it took before it was discovered that the Homeless Vet-GoFundMe story was a scam. The U of Virginia fake rape story is another example of many.

Those of us holding dissimilar political ideology from The Deranged Left are asked to be tolerant of Trump-haters wearing vagina hats, representations of "art" depicting the slicing President Trump's throat, calls to lock the Trump children in cages, elected officials referring to Trump saying "we're going to impeach the motherfucker", countless hours devoted to fake news about Trump and is administration and a list as long as the Great Wall of China of one, negative, slanted story after another about Trump and his admin.

I hate to even mention them, (you can search for them), but spend some time reading at Raw Story or Vox. They're a joke. Fiction. Their stories read all the same:

"[Insert any imaginable impeachable offense] IF TRUE, could pose big problems for Trump."

"An anonymous former White House insider confides that [insert horrible thing about Trump]. IF TRUE, this is the end of Trump."

And people believe this.

Here's the perfect example. The fake front page of the Washington Post from last Thursday saying "Trump Leaves Office."

Liberal activist group Code Pink posted a video on Facebook of the organization's founder, Madea Benjamin, passing out copies of the paper at what appears to be a Capitol Hill office building.

In the video, Benjamin tells people, "The crisis is over - Trump has left the White House." Later, she adds, "You gotta believe in the Washington Post."

Benjamin reads a headline, without hesitating concludes "you gotta believe in the Washington Post", and proceeds to disseminate inaccurate information. Genius! Liberals now "Question Nothing" as opposed to not so long ago where they encouraged everyone to "Question Everything."

Technology provides us the luxury of an amazing amount of online information and resources on all subjects and stories. We have ample opportunity to look at multiple sides of any story, and then assessing - with as much information as we can learn from all sides - a conclusion based on what our searches gathered. Instead, technology as hastened knee-jerk reaction to an all-time high with no one looking beyond the first three search results, let alone pages two or three.

Read something from one source (especially the one that reinforces your preformed "beliefs"). Assume it's true. Immediately publish a comment on social media, throw up a clip on YoutTube, text someone dis/misinformation, mass email the news to your Antifa members. All within seconds.

Your character, of lack of it? Assessed in nanoseconds based on your skin color, gender and if you're wearing a MAGA hat. This, from the Liberal mindset that prides itself on "how can you KNOW ME based on my appearance?"

Don't expect the MSM or social media, in future similar instances like the above, to take time and research the backstory. "Instant News", verified or not, will continue. Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, I'm guessing it will get increasingly ugly and more disgusting than we can imagine. Intolerant behavior from The Left will reach heights exceeding our wildest imagination.

World News

The Independent: Ten UN Peacekeepers killed in Mali.

Jihadists have killed 10 UN peacekeepers and wounded at least 25 in northern Mali.

All of the peacekeepers killed in the assault on their camp in Aguelhoc were from Chad.

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SMH: "Elite Hacker" of dark web drugs arrested.

[Arrested was] Dov Tenenboim, a self-described "elite hacker" who allegedly masterminded a scheme to import a huge volume of drugs from the dark web worth millions of dollars to addresses across Sydney's eastern suburbs.

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Manchester Evening News: Under-cooked chicken burgers served to school children.

Parents at a secondary school in Wythenshawe have been told to 'seek medical advice' if their child falls ill after concerns about a batch of chicken burgers.
[.]
The principal confirmed there were concerns about the chicken being undercooked, after a parent [said] her daughter was served pink meat.

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Sacramento Bee: Sacramento DA seeks to ban items used during protests.

The measure, recommended by Deputy Chief of Police Dave Peletta, would ban knives, firearms, glass bottles, baseball bats, projectile launchers, pepper spray, bricks, rocks, pieces of asphalt, and other items.

So...currently these items are allowed?
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The Herald: Here comes the meat tax. Global red meat revolution.

...hailed by vegans - and feared by farmers...
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[Barbara Bolton, co-founder and volunteer with Go Vegan Scotland said], "They should shift subsidies away from meat, dairy and eggs, tax those products, and use the funds to support plant-based agriculture[.]"

A Socialist concept designed for taxing meat and dairy and redistributing that money for the vegans. Yeah...When they take the steak and bacon from my cold, dead hands.
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Zimbabwe News: Man ridiculed, called a "sissy" for carrying baby on his back.

A majority of people, in the country’s patriarchal society, say the man is a “sissy” and should not stand up when men are being counted.
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“I was touched by the love displayed in this video, and the gesture of responsibility and care demonstrated by this father carrying his baby; despite the abuse he received,” [posted a Facebook user].
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The boos continued unabated on social media. “This guy is now a full-time woman in UK I think . . . "].

Man carrying baby on back; called "sissy." Image: Zimbabwe News

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Saudi Gazette: Uniform code for women on the job.

...providing women with suitable areas and distances to practice their work or separate counters, ensuring privacy and independence in the women’s sections of office working environments not assigned to receive customers, not employing women in cleaning facilities or rooms and carrying bags in relation to the tourist accommodation sector, except those for women only.

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The Belize Guardian: The cost of gasoline drops...to under ten dollars a gallon. 

The Ministry of Finance is pleased to announce that at midnight on January 17th, the price for premium gasoline will decrease by a further 52 cents, from $10.47 down to $9.95 per gallon.

Standing and Smiling is now Menacing.

FOX 5 San Diego: Teens "viral" standoff with Native American man.

Videos of the confrontation show a smiling young man in a red Make America Great Again hat standing directly in front of the man, who was playing a drum and chanting. Other kids can be seen mimicking the chant, laughing and jumping around.

Yes, that's what the video shows.

I see a young man, smiling, looking rather content and unoffensive. Kind of like the facial expression one would have attending a live concert, listening to a band or singer. But that's not the narrative chosen by the MSM.

The story behind the skewed MSM narrative.

Nathan Phillips, the Native American, executed de-escalation deftly of what could have been a huge brawl. And a kid stands there virtually motionless, quietly smiling, and the Media paints him as an antagonist?

Way more info on the Real Narrative here. Spectator UK:

Take this MAGA-hat wearing teen. He is presented as taunting the Indian Elder. Just look at the video. But wait. A classmate has written to a local television station to give his side of the story, which is sharply at odds with the white-boy-bad version burning up the internet. And another video, as Daniel McCarthy points out, shows the activists taunting the kids.

It's funny; the angry, profane, filth-laden protesting of the Bitchdom March is portrayed by the MSM as so positive, such a wonderful gathering of peace-promoting, equality-seeking women Bitches. But a white teen in a MAGA cap smiling? Pure evil.

More at Sondrakistan (Knowledge is Power).

Tech News

Extreme Tech: Don't Miss tonight's Super Blood Moon eclipse.

WIRED: What IS a "Super Blood Wolf Moon"?
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Ars Technia: Facebook facing record-setting financial penalty by FTC.
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Ars Technia: Dr. Richard Sackler family blamed for Oxy addiction?

Members of the Sackler family, particularly Richard Sackler, aggressively pushed for extreme sales figures—and profits—which they accomplished in part by bullying their sales representatives; targeting vulnerable patients, such as the elderly and veterans; suggesting that the addictive opioid was an alternative to safe medications like Tylenol; and encouraging doctors to write longer and higher dose prescriptions, according to the lawsuit.

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UberGizmo: World's first 5G remote surgery conducted in China.

The test involved a doctor in the southeastern province of Fujian removing the liver of a laboratory test animal at a remote location. The doctor performed the surgery by controlling robotic surgical arms over a 5G connection.

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Tech News World: Cops can't compel unlocking of phone with body or physical parts.

"The Government may not compel or otherwise utilize fingers, thumbs, facial recognition, optical/iris, or any other biometric feature to unlock electronic devices," Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore wrote in an opinion for the U.S. District Court for Northern California.
[.]
Passcodes used to unlock devices already are protected by the Fifth Amendment, which prevents the government from forcing people to testify against themselves, she explained.
[.]
"The judge rightly recognized that traditional constitutional principles must be adapted as technology changes in order to preserve privacy and other rights ensured by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments," [said Alan Butler, senior counsel with the Electronic Privacy Information Center].

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Tech Crunch: Building a Chevy Silverado out of Legos. Or watch below.

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TechSpot: Ford's F-150 electric pickup truck.

Increased customer demand and rising competition have finally pushed Ford to announce the development of an electric version of the world and America’s best-selling truck: the F-150 pickup.

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C|Net: Facebook adding "Petitions" to your news feed.

The social network will start rolling "Community Actions" out to its US users on Monday.

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Beta News: Win 10 built-in screen recorder you might not know about.

You didn't know that Windows 10 could record videos of on-screen activity? You're not alone. The screen recorder is built into the Game bar and you may well not have seen it.

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Security Week: Bulgaria extradites Russian hacker to U.S.

Alexander Zhukov had been extradited on January 18 and was being held in a jail in Brooklyn, New York.
[.]
Zhukov is one of eight people, most of them Russian, indicted in November for creating fake advertising schemes through remote data centres and malware-infected computer networks.

 Well-known Russian "bad actor." Hacker status unconfirmed.

Toxic Feminism: Welcome to Bitchdom

Gillette needs to produce a new commercial about Toxic Feminism. Or, as the Women's March refers to themselves: Bitchdom. And women get upset when they're called "bitches"? Why?

Breitbart: Woman's March photo essay.

Some placards read "Cage Trump's Children." Others say "Pussy is God."

Ladies of the Women's March, you're deranged and need behavioral mental health therapy and FAST.

"I wish my uterus shot bullets so the government wouldn't regulate it."

Stellar brilliance from the gentler gender.

Images: All photos by Justin Caruso/Breitbart News.
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Added Bonus: Dr.Phil: How to handle Bitches (Conan O'Brien TBS)

George Will rants over Trump: "shabbiest president ever."

George Will ranting on POTUS at The Jeff Bezos Peoples' Republic: "The shabbiest U.S. president ever[.]"

For most Americans, President Trump’s expostulations are audible wallpaper, always there but not really noticed. Still, the ubiquity of his outpourings in the media’s outpourings gives American life its current claustrophobic feel.
[.]
He is an almost inexpressibly sad specimen. It must be misery to awaken to another day of being Donald Trump.

Apparently George is noticing the "expostulations" because he's writing about it.  I think the Dems are noticing, considering their loud, hateful, buffoonish reactions to every single thing Trump does and says.

Blogger Comment Verification

Blogger (Gooble) comment verification.

Fun! Varietous! No?

Tired of selecting fire hydrants, crosswalks, bicycles, street lights, parking meters, motorcycles, buses, store fronts, road signs, bridges? Yeah, me too.

I humbly propose, well...one idea:

Minnesota Students Nazi Salute goes viral. NCAA Final Four Consumes Big Taxpayer $$$ and remains non-viral.

FOX 9 News: School leaders condemn Nazi salute photo.

Minnetonka school leaders are condemning a social media photo of two students doing the Nazi salute while holding a poster referencing Adolph Hitler.

The photo, which appeared online Thursday, showed two students giving the Nazi salute while holding a sign which said, "Sweethearts would be a Hit(ler) w/ you, and I could Nazi myself going w/ anyone else. Be Mein? Yes or Nein".

The story goes on to name school personnel and their condemnation of the image. It's good they go on record, but did anyone expect that someone in the school administration might say, "I think that photo is great. Hoo-ray for the students individuality and initiative"?

The viral image:

A small, SMALL fraction of our youth, (and gen pop), are going to do stupid things like this from time to time. Those offended have ample forums, especially with social media, and rightfully express their side. All the "viral shit" that goes around - - - I often go out of my way to avoid it.

Here's other people doing stupid things that, so far, hasn't gone "viral".

KSTP: The Minnesota Sport Facilities Authority likes to spend taxpayer money.

The Minnesota Sport Facilities Authority Friday approved an increase of $186,870 to a $1,257,425 contract with Chicago Flyhouse, the company providing some of the blackout curtains required at U.S. Bank Stadium to host this season's NCAA men's basketball Final Four.

NCAA officials have said the drapes are necessary to ensure consistent lighting for teams. Authority members say the increase to the Chicago Flyhouse contract will allow for the addition of two "acoustical curtains" to improve sound quality in the stadium.
[.]
The MSFA argues the window coverings should not be counted as part of the cost of hosting the Final Four because the improvements will also be used during future events.

Mangers also dismissed public criticism that the $6.9 million operating cost for the Final Four is significantly more than the MSFA's cost to host the Super Bowl in 2018. For that event, the NFL offset many of the costs, leaving the Authority with a tab of just $627,000.

"The stadium is built for football, so doing a football game is pretty easy for us," said SMG general manager Patrick Talty. "We're putting a basketball game inside of a football stadium which takes a lot more coordination, a lot more build."
[.]
A study commissioned by the Minnesota Local Operating Committee estimates the Final Four could have an economic impact on the region worth $142 million.

Would anyone expect a study, commissioned by the MN Local Operating Committee to reach a conclusion other than a rosy forecast that "could" have a positive economic impact worth millions? Why, I bet the dividend check is already in my mail box.

Gotta have all those stadium windows covered too because no basketball player anywhere, ever played the game under any type of natural light, or combination of natural and artificial light.

I guess it's a good idea the MSFA and NCAA decided not to host the Final Four on one of our local frozen lakes. Gee, what a concept - the Final Four on Ice. Then again, by early April, substantial ice is usually off the lakes. That could be fixed simply by spending more taxpayer money by keeping the ice frozen artificially with cooling machines. In April! I should stop before I give the Brain Trust that is the MSFA "ideas". I wonder in which seats MSFA members will be watching the Final Four from?

You know, we have this lamp we've been wanting to get rid of. While we're asking kind of a high price, if you buy it and "rub" it, a Genie "could" pop out of it and grant you three wishes. The study we commissioned concluded it would be a good decision for you to buy the lamp. Anyone?

More on this Final Four Fiasco, at taxpayer expense, at CBS Local News.

Polygamists setting up shop in Northern Minnesota?

KBJR6.com: Grand Marais reacts to polygamist group leader buying North Shore property.

There’s growing unrest in Grand Marais as people learn that a known polygamist with ties to a religious group that promotes marriages involving children is a key player in a land purchase near the North Shore town.

Seth Jeffs was recently served with a lawsuit in Bloomington, Minnesota, after allegations surfaced that he was a witness and participant in the sexual abuse of a young girl while in Utah.

Records show that Seth Jeffs is listed as the managing member for a company that purchased 40 acres of land in this remote area west of Grand Marais… near the Superior National Forest.
[.]
The plans have neighbors concerned.

Uh, Extensive Background checks? Oh, that's just for law-abiding people with no criminal history who pose no threat to anyone, desiring to legally purchase and own a gun.

Maybe we need some type of anonymous snitch program Red Flag Order for "suspicious property developers".

Lunch lady and husband accused of selling marijuana.

Grand Forks Herald: St. Paul lunch lady and husband accused of selling marijuana.

A St. Paul lunch lady and her husband are suspected of growing marijuana in California and having it shipped back home for sale.

...police at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport intercepted a UPS package containing 18.3 pounds of marijuana addressed to the East Side home of Vang Xiong and his wife, May Yang.
[.]
Local and federal agents delivered the package that day and then searched the house. They found small marijuana plants, 13 guns, a money counter, multiple cellphones, documentation of a California marijuana grow operation, bank records of purchases from hydroponic stores in California, a drug ledger notebook and $30,839 in cash in a safe, which also contained 10 of the guns.

Ehhh, people, people, people...one: don't be shipping nuggs by UPS. Two, only 13 guns? Come on, they were small business. (And credit to them for having ten of the guns in a safe. Gun safety matters.) Three, don't keep a drug ledger; or if you do, write it all in code. Four, learn how to properly launder your cash. Sheesh. I learned these things in Business 101 and watching "The Sopranos".

Nothing in the linked story, or others, mentions their product being sold to "school kids". Heh - their customer base was probably a lot of teachers. 

Lunch Lady Doris and "Chef". Not representational of the suspects.

Pelosi to fly solo.

NY Post: President Trump cancels Pelosi's Military flight.

The battle over the record-long government shutdown has turned into a political chess match between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump, who at the last minute Thursday called off her military flight to visit troops in Afghanistan, a day after she suggested he postpone his State of the Union Address.

“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed. We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over,” Trump wrote in a snarky letter that also suggested she fly commercial to the war zone.

Heh - snarky. I like snarky. Big fan of the snarky.

Pelosi decided she'll now fly solo.

Tech News

Beta News: Big data breach.

#1 database leak exposes 773 million email addresses and 21 million passwords[.]

Yep. Everyone should update their current password of 'password' to something like 'qwerty123' or 'aDmin_678'.

ZD Net: Oklahoma govt breached big time.

An Oklahoma Department of Securities server allowed anyone to download government files[.]

"The data was exposed via an unsecured rsync service at an IP address registered to the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), allowing any user from any IP address to download all the files stored on the server," the researchers say. 

Gizmodo: How to stop worrying about data breaches.

[A] rundown of the three most important pieces of crafting a healthy security routine and never sweating another password leak[.]

Nextgov: ID card manufacturer and service provider used by federal agencies have vulnerabilities.

...the system used by IDenticard, called PremiSys, which if exploited could allow an unauthorized person to gain access to secure buildings and disable locks, as well as exfiltrate user data or otherwise modify accounts using administrator privileges.

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TechCrunch: Coming soon via the govt shutdown - Expiring HTTPS federal web sites.

Depending on the security level, most websites will kick back browser errors. Some won’t let you in at all until the expired certificate is renewed.
[.]
Eric Mill, a security expert [said] that fears over expired certificates have been overblown.

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Fanbyte: Overwatch game charcter Soldier 76 gayness causing controversy.

...with the addition of Soldier: 76, the total number of queer characters is two out of a roster of 29. Making Soldier gay, more so than even Tracer[.]
[.]
But both characters suffer from the aforementioned Blizzard ethos of “experiences” over “story.”

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How to make global warming climate change Alarmist's heads explode (like in "Scanners"). Tell them that Apple may scrap plans for their self-driving cars. Ubergizmo:

Apple is working on developing technology for self-driving cars.
[.]
However it seems like those plans could be scrapped[.]

Did you hear the collective heads pop? Messy! Clean-up crews being dispatched. This may take a while, folks. Your patience is appreciated.
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New Atlas: The 2019 Detroit Auto Show. Lots of images to look at. Some nice, others, well - I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.
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New Atlas: A DIY Tiny-House for around $10 Grand.
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Tech Dirt: Irish Supermacs bitch-slaps "Big-Mac" in EU.

McDonald's Corp has lost its rights to the trademark "Big Mac" in a landmark European Union (EU) case ruling in favour of Ireland-based fast-food chain Supermac's, according to a decision by European regulators.

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The below video at Digg, so yeah, it's Tech. Go "full screen" or watch at the link. Bet ya watch it more than once. Yep, their Best Friends! So darn cute.

Millennial Binge Drinking EPIDEMIC !!!!!!!!!!!!

Another entry in the continuing series of An Epidemic of Epidemics.

KMSP FOX 9: Peak binge-drinking age shifting to later-20's.

People are graduating from college, but not graduating from their college binge drinking habits, according to new research from the University of Minnesota.
[.]
...this recent study found binge drinking habits stretching to age 30.
[.]
Women reported significantly higher binge drinking prevalence than in previous cohorts, from ages 21 through 30[.]

The clear, knee-jerk, yet solution to this EPIDEMIC, as with so many other EPIDEMICS like this, is raising the legal drinking age to thirty-five. If doing so saves just one binge-drinker...

Video link.

Anne Arundel County Police involved shooting serving an “emergency risk protective order,” aka "Red Flag Order".

This is recently-breaking news and, so far, appears to be legit.

FOX 5 News Baltimore: Man shot being served Red Flag Order.

When officers began to serve [ Gary J.] Willis with the order, he became irate, opened the door to the residence and grabbed the gun according to police. They say, an attempt was made by an officer to take the gun away from Willis when Willis fired the gun.

A second officer fired their service weapon, striking Willis, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.
[.]
The 'red flag' legislation is already law in five states- including California, Connecticut, Indiana, Oregon, and Washington. It has been introduced in 18 states and D.C.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at [deleted - D.D.]. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are asked to call the Tip Line at [deleted - D.D.]

This "Red Flag" issue is already getting coverage, Standing By, Zack, and I'm guessing, (among many others), these folks will weigh in on this issue in the days ahead: 90 Miles, Phil, Irish, the GBBL and other fine writers at the Blogroll; see right-hand sidebar.
- - -
Typos fixed; 01/17/2019.

Change your diet for the good of the planet.

And here we go again. Shanghai Daily: Diet to save you and the planet.

If the world followed the “Planetary Health” diet, the researchers said, more than 11 million premature deaths could be prevented each year, while greenhouse gas emissions would be cut and more land, water and biodiversity would be preserved.
[.]
...global average consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar should be cut by 50 percent, while consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes should double.

Good luck with that global diet plan. Let us know when Al Gore, Junior, Xi Jinping, leaders of the EU and all the other Eastern countries and other Alarmists embrace the diet for a sustained period of time, setting an example.

BTW - the "changing your diet for the good of the planet and to save you" propaganda...You know they don't really GAF about you, right? They're just being polite. For now.

Meanwhile...(and grab two bags of Reese's Peanut Butter cups and other sugary good stuff)...

Image: Golb Salt

Will there be backlash? 'I select on penis length,' says female coach of German men's team.

AFP: BV Cloppenburg female coach Imke Wuebbenhorst replied that she's a "professional" and bases her selections on "penis length".

When German newspaper Welt jokingly asked whether she sounds an alarm on entering the dressing room, to ensure her players cover themselves up, the tough-talking blonde gave a cutting answer.
"Of course not, I am a professional -- I base my selections on penis lengths," the 30-year-old replied sarcastically.
[.]
"The only fear I have is that a relegation would be blamed on the fact that I am a woman," [she said].

Oh...if it had been a male coach of an all-female team responding he bases his selection "on tits", everyone would accept his reply in the worldly, civil, patient, unoffended, understanding, forgiving, good-humored, worldly peoples we is, huh?

Pelosi cites "security concerns" for delaying POTUS SOTU Address

USA MacPaper: Nancy Pelosi cites "security concerns" as reason to postpone State of The Union.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked President Donald Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address...
[.]
"Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th," Pelosi wrote in a letter to Trump on Wednesday.
[.]
"The point is security," [said Pelosi].

CBS News: Pelosi adamantly opposes Border Wall:

"I'm not for a wall," Pelosi said repeatedly at the press conference [...]. "Insistence on the wall is a luxury the country can no longer afford."

Think I'm safe in saying Nanny Pelosi is completely unfamiliar with the definition of "security."

Fake editions of Washington Post Circulated in DC; claim Trump resigned.

Chicago Tribune: Fake Editions of The Washington Post handed out in D.C.

Fake editions of The Washington Post claiming that President Donald Trump was leaving office were handed out Wednesday morning at multiple locations in Washington, D.C.
[.]
...the fake newspaper's lead story said that Trump had left a resignation message on a napkin in the Oval Office and left Washington for Yalta, the famous Crimean resort as the site of a meeting of Allied heads of state during World War II.
[.]
Liberal activist group Code Pink posted a video on Facebook of the organization's founder, Madea Benjamin, passing out copies of the paper at what appears to be a Capitol Hill office building.

In the video, Benjamin tells people, "The crisis is over - Trump has left the White House." Later, she adds, "You gotta believe in the Washington Post."

Thursday's real front page of the Jeff Bezos Peoples' Republic is below.

Contributing author: Anthony Curtis

The 1963 Jeep Wagoneer

A little peek into the past; a brief diversion from all the headlines. This is a scan from a newspaper I ran across. I've always loved Jeeps. Drove many, none of them ever let me down. Made the change to Dodge Ram years ago and love them as well.

The '63 Wagoneer was hot. Anyone own one? Anyone still have one?

From the ad: 

The first Jeep Wagoneer was brought out in 1962, as a 1963 model. Jeep advertised it as having the biggest cargo area and largest tailgate opening of any wagon in its wheelbase class; it could handle seven foot long ladders, lying flat. It also has the lowest tailgate of any four wheel drive wagon for easy loading.

White the old Jeep Utility had started with a base four cylinder, Wagoneer launched with a single "Tornado" six cylinder engine, complete with still-new tech 35-amp alternators. Oil changes were advertised only at 6,000 mile intervals, with major lubrications spaced at 30,000 miles, a substantial savings over many vehicles of the time.

Both rear wheel drive and four wheel drive models were sold; they were marketed not as trucks or utility vehicles, but as station wagons (well into the 1970s) with room for six, or 1,200 pounds of cargo. Narrow windshield pillars aided forward and side vision, as did high seats. All but the rear quarter windows rolled down, including the tailgate window - for which an electric window was also available. The doors opened wide, a full 82 degrees, for easier access; and the openings were straight, without doglegs. Finally, all the 4x4 controls were consolidated into a single lever, with a clear set of indicator lights to tell drivers where they were.

The Tornado overhead-cam six was standard on Wagoneers; the only overhead cam engine made in America, it had domed pistons and closed crankcase ventilation. Power from the 3.8 liter (230.5 cid) engine was 140 hp at 4,000 rpm and a 210 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm, similar to the 225 cubic inch slant sixes.

Both a manual transmission and an automatic were available; the manual was a three-speed, with overdrive optional on rear-drive models. One unique feature for a family-appropriate wagon was a Power Take-Off unit -- the snow plow and pushplate options may have been unique as well.

Theresa May survives!

BBC: May survives no-confidence vote.

Theresa May has seen off a bid to remove her government from power, winning a no confidence vote by 325 to 306.
[.]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that Mrs May's "zombie" administration had lost the right to govern.

"Zombie" administration. I get a kick out of Corbyn...he's a character.

And the vote 325 to 306? She's gotta be thinking that's too close for comfort; at least in the short term.

May? For at least today, I think she's celebrating.

Clemson players seemed to enjoy Trump's White House fast-food dinner.

TMZ: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence Loved Trump's Fast Food.

Clemson's star QB Trevor Lawrence tells TMZ Sports he LOVED the President's McDonald's spread at the White House and can't wait to do it again!

CNBC: Successful people who like fast food.

Trump's getting trolled for Clemson fast food dinner, but Warren Buffett and others are big fans of junk food too.
[.]
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett eats McDonald's every day. Despite his billionaire status, Buffett never spends more than $3.17 on breakfast, he explains in his HBO documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett."

Notice how CNBC made a decision to include "junk". 

This guy, too...I suspect, likes food:

Famous Doughnut icon

May's Brexit Takes Hard Hit. Corbyn seeks to topple.

"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."
- Otto von Bismarck

Or, in the case of Brexit, another episode of government, (any government), doing usually what they do best. Making newer sausages to fix badly made, past sausages.

BBC: May suffers historic defeat. Read the story, but you MUST hit the link and view the first video. The gray-haired guy, reciting the vote tally. At the 24-25 second mark when he calls out, "OoorrrrrrDER!"  Wanna bet he's a lifer Monty Python fan? The video will start auto-playing for a moment, then stop, then just click on "play video". It's a short clip. "OoorrrrrrDER!"

BBC: What happens next? As all politicians do, plenty 'o room to CY(their)A.

Unless...The Independent...Jeremy Corbyn topples May in 24 hours.

Daily Mail: Theresa May set to SURVIVE no-confidence vote. Well, good for her for looking on the bright side of life.

And you know you want see it, so fast-forward in to the 9 minute and 30 second mark for the fun! (The guy knows what he's doing).

 

Patrick Leahy - William Barr, "What about emminent domain?"

William Barr spars with Vermont's U.S. Senator Pat Leahy, who, turns 79 in March. And, do you realize he's been in the Senate since 1975? Think it's time, there Pat, to hang it up? 

Great responses from Barr.

Leahy is the same guy who asks this question.

Gillette's Toxic Masculinity Ad...Redux

Gillette's "Is This the Best Men Can Be?" ad at You Tube.

Market Watch: P&G said it has no plans to pull the spot in the face of some negative reaction.

Boston.com: Gillette ad gets mixed responses.

Yeah. Mixed.

Taco Bell Vegetarian Menu "reaches out to more health-conscious diners."

WTVY: Watch the video clip.

The clip mentions "five-percent of Americans identify as vegetarians."

Taco Bell's "We're going more Vegan"  Press Release.

Now if they'd just tell us, what exactly IS their source of meat?

Explosion and gun fire at luxury Kenya Hotel

Breaking news...

Sky News: 'Scores' hurt in Nairobi hotel.

Witnesses have reported an explosion and heavy gunfire at a hotel complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The suspected terror attack is unfolding at the complex, which houses a large hotel known as DusitD2, along with several banks and offices.

Police are said to be exchanging gunfire with the attackers in the operation.

More at: U.S. News.

The Independent: "We are under attack."

Somali Islamist militant group claims responsibility, spokesman says.

Columbus Blue Jackets Fans rescue microphone-less national anthem singer.

How 'bout those Blue Jacket fans?

NHL.com: Jackets Fan Join in Anthem.

The crowd at Nationwide Arena did a great job with the anthem and Welsh tweeted his appreciation for the fans afterward.
[.]
The scene was reminiscent of country music singer Brett Kissel's mic malfunction before Game 3 of the Edmonton Oilers 2017 Western Conference Second Round against the Anaheim Ducks. 

Video at Sports Illustrated.

Welsh tweeted a thank you to the fans after the game.

    Thank you #5thLine. Really needed you there and you came through. #CBJ
    — Leo Welsh (@LeoWelsh) January 13, 2019

This. Is. Hockey.

Brexit Tuesday? It's Tuesday across the Pond.

The Telegraph (via Yahoo): What time is Brexit?

Bloomberg: Theresa May faces worst gov defeat in 95 years.

BBC: Welsh MPs to vote down EU deal.

BBC: Scottish MPs ready.

Market Watch: Why investors outside the UK should care.

The Independent: This mess belongs to May.

The Independent: Corbyn plots May's downfall.

World News

BBC: Polish mayor dies after being stabbed.

The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk has died in hospital, a day after being stabbed at a charity event.

- - -
BBC: Ground Zero artwork with Saudi flag removed.

Following the complaints, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that it is moving all 20 sculptures from its current site in the World Trade Center complex.

- - -
SMH: Australian woman texts "Help me"; detained by Thai government.

A week after she was due back in Sydney, Claire Johnson messaged a friend saying she was "so scared" and asked her to contact the consulate.

- - -
Daily Star: A no-deal Brexit would force over 1 million Brits to retake driving test.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has warned overseas motorists they need to exchange their UK licences for a European one before March 29.

On Tuesday British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a crunch vote to get her Brexit deal through Commons.

BBC: Theresa May says Brexit opponents not acting in the interests of the people.

She said her "absolute conviction" was that the UK and EU would be able to finalise their future relationship by the end of 2020, meaning the backstop would never be needed.

- - -
People's Daily: Detained Canadians in China and diplomatic immunity.

China on Monday said Canada's criticism on China's detention of two Canadian citizens is groundless, noting one of them has no "diplomatic immunity."

Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed earlier that coercive measures have been taken against two Canadians suspected of jeopardizing China's national security.

- - -
BBC: China sentences Canadian man to death for drug smuggling.

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was originally given a 15-year jail term in 2018 but after an appeal the court said the sentence was too lenient.

Monday's ruling comes weeks after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a top official at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, on a request from the US.

- - -
NPR: Gays purged in Chechnya.

Around 40 people have been detained and another two killed in the latest crackdown on Chechnya's LGBT community, Russian activists say.

The "new wave of persecution" started at the end of December, the Russian LGBT Network say in a statement on Monday.

- - -
Tech entry - Ars Technia: Get paid to Hack this Tesla.

Now in its 13th year, [Pwn2Own has been the foremost hacking competition] ... is adding a new category—a Tesla Model 3, with more than $900,000 worth of prizes available for attacks that subvert a variety of its onboard systems.
[.]
The biggest prize will be $250,000 for hacks that execute code on the car’s gateway, autopilot, or VCSEC. A gateway is the central hub that interconnects the car’s powertrain, chassis, and other components and processes the data they send.