The Roboback of Notre Dame

20 Saturday Apr 2019

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I refuse to call this thing a robot because: 1) it’s pretty cool, and 2) I still hate robots.

Colossus is a firefighting tool, and it helped save the day at Notre Dame.

But Jean-Claude Gallet, the commander, had a backup plan: Colossus, a 1,100-pound tank-like robot with the ability to venture into danger zones where conditions would quickly kill a person.

Using a motorised water cannon capable of firing more than 660 gallons per minute, Colossus took aim at the stone walls of the ancient cathedral and began spraying.

In an interview with The Times, Mr Gallet credited the fire-fighting robot with lowering temperatures inside the glass-filled nave and saving the lives of its human counterparts as an even greater disaster loomed.

Screenshot 2019-04-20 at 7.44.39 PM

It’s more of a mechanical fire dog than a mechanical hound.

Social Media is Not Your Friend

20 Saturday Apr 2019

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Just last weekend, someone told me that I really, really, really need to get on the Gram, Instagram. I never entertained the thought, even before I found out that Facebook owns Insta. And, surprise! they’re pulling the usual Farceberg tricks on the Gram too.

Given the terrible run of form it’s been on over the last year, it probably shouldn’t be that surprising that Facebook waited until the highly anticipated report on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election to deliver some bad news.

While just about every reporter was poring over the document, Facebook updated a blog post from March indicating that passwords had been exposed, stored as readable text (as opposed to securely encrypted), for hundreds of millions of Facebook users and thousands of Instagram users. It added a new paragraph to the middle of the post today indicating that a lot more Instagram users were affected than it originally thought:

(Update on April 18, 2019 at 7AM PT: Since this post was published, we discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users. We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed).

Just a small update from “thousands” to “millions,” then.

Facebook said it would notify the impacted users and that there’s no evidence that anyone within or outside Facebook had access to the passwords. But still, those users, and perhaps anyone else, might want to change their password or enable two-factor authenticationjust to make sure. That’s never a bad idea anyway.

Now that I know what Instagram is and who runs it, there is no way in hell I’d have anything to do with it. If you’re okay with all of this, and most users are, then enjoy your post-literate pictures and videos and the loss of even the pretense of privacy.

Lindsey Raises a Red Flag

20 Saturday Apr 2019

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It’s good to see that Graham has completely recovered from his fit of manliness during the Kavanaugh hearing. And, it’s good to see RepubliCONS like Graham progressing. Instead of waiting, posturing, and then caving to the Dems, they’re now actively proving their uselessness.

Graham is hoping to get bipartisan support for the bill, which he said will provide grants to states that implement “red flag laws.”

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham told BuzzFeed News he will start crafting legislation next week to expand police powers to preemptively seize firearms from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.

Graham is angling to get bipartisan support for his bill, and has been in discussions with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Neither would outline specifics Thursday beyond saying it will be an original piece of legislation. Graham said work on hammering out the contents of the bill will begin next week.

…

“The benefits are enormous. If you just stop one, that’s enormous. And there has to be due process, we all get that,” Graham said last week at the end of a Judiciary Committee meeting studying red flag laws.

Democrats widely welcomed ERPO legislation, while also saying more reforms are needed.

“I think that Republicans know they can’t do nothing any longer. Republicans know they can’t go into 2020 exposed on the issue of guns like they were in 2018,” said Sen. Chris Murphy. “I don’t think red flags law are sufficient from a policy perspective or a political perspective. They’re diversionary.”

Other Democrats were surprised that a powerful Republican like Graham would be willing to try to pass any kind of red flag law legislation.

Preemptive stupidity to surprise even the Democrats. Yay! And, no, Mr. and Mrs. Libertarian, there’s no need for any of this nor any legal authority for this (or any other gun control).

Now, if “dangerous people” applies to the police and the military, then maybe there’s something there. Of course, we all know who’s dangerous to Washington. We all know that they are dangerous to us, especially the swishy, ultra-leftwing “conservative” types.

More on the Mueller Matter

19 Friday Apr 2019

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MB McCart’s good take on the report:

By MB McCart, Editor 

NATIONAL

Well, folks, it finally got released. The redacted version of the Mueller report. As several others commented, I cannot begin to say how impressed I was that several media outlets had already read, disseminated & published their findings on the almost 500-page document literally within an hour or so of it being released. Wow!

As for myself, I’ve scanned most all of it & have seriously read, so far, about a 1/5th of it.

In many ways this just confirmed what you were already believing. If a Trump fan – total vindication; a Trump hater, on the other hand, is going to think this proves there were improper things going on. Who’s right? Really, who cares…

Image result for trump punk rock
NY Post

It is what it is but as is often the case, the truth is somewhere in between the two extremes, though I believe it’s fairly apparent that the whole concept of a “Nothing Burger” was a pretty apt description. And all those folks who’ve been convicted? It was all for non-Russia stuff with the exception of Flynn, who basically just made an honest mistake but then got crucified for it.

And let’s not forget, all of this was built on a lie – the infamous Steele dossier that was paid for by the DNC & the Clinton campaign, and let’s also not forget that it was helped along by those in the intelligence community looking for an “insurance policy.”

But, before all of that, let’s also not forget that all of this purportedly started with Russian groupscreating Facebook pages & groups while spending approx. $100K & that Clinton campaign Chair John Podesta was an idiot & had his email hacked. 

The nerve of Russia, right? If they’re going to do stuff like that, they should do it like the good ole US of A, CIA-style – actually do it in person. Get some boots on the ground. Maybe kill some folks.

My added comment:

Perrin Lovett April 19, 2019 at 12:06 PM

‘Tis as I wrote on March 27th: “Everyone knew this story was complete bullsh!t from start to finish. Now, it’s official.” Trump is not “f*cked” as he originally feared; he’s no longer bogged down and is free to get to work on at least a few major campaign items. Sadly, I predict the invasion will continue and the swamp will remain stagnant and stinking. I’ll also call, officially, Trump’s re-election next year – with or without substantive redress of the rot. Excellent article, Mr. Editor. PS: local (and state) anti-speech laws are routinely stricken by courts. It’s the social media itself that presents the 21st Century, SJW problem.

D4dOMmDXsAASxEp

Ha…

UPDATE: nice to see someone agrees with me:

Screenshot 2019-04-19 at 7.48.00 PM

 

Investigate Zuckerberg for Privacy Piracy, Whatever

19 Friday Apr 2019

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Ha! Here we go:

Screenshot 2019-04-19 at 8.07.29 AM

From the Washington Post’s Tech Page.

Federal regulators investigating Facebook for mishandling its users’ personal information have set their sights on the company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, exploring his past statements on privacy and weighing whether to seek new, heightened oversight of his leadership.

The discussions about how to hold Zuckerberg accountable for Facebook’s data lapses have come in the context of wide-ranging talks between the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook that could settle the government’s more than year-old probe, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Both requested anonymity because the FTC’s inquiry is confidential under law.

If there’s to be no prison, then how about this: each individual account compromise amounts to a single regulatory violation, max fine for each violation, and the problem is $olved.

Investigate Facebook and Zuck for Theft

19 Friday Apr 2019

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Inadvertent? Right. Here’s the Farceberg outrage of the day minute: 1.5 million accounts robbed of email contacts.

Facebook harvested the email contacts of 1.5 million users without their knowledge or consent when they opened their accounts.

Since May 2016, the social-networking company has collected the contact lists of 1.5 million users new to the social network, Business Insider can reveal. The Silicon Valley company said the contact data was “unintentionally uploaded to Facebook,” and it is now deleting them.

The revelation comes after pseudononymous security researcher e-sushi noticed that Facebook was asking some users to enter their email passwords when they signed up for new accounts to verify their identities, a move widely condemned by security experts. Business Insider then discovered that if you entered your email password, a message popped up saying it was “importing” your contacts without asking for permission first.

At the time, it wasn’t clear what was happening – but on Wednesday, Facebook disclosed to Business Insider that 1.5 million people’s contacts were collected this way and fed into Facebook’s systems, where they were used to improve Facebook’s ad targeting, build Facebook’s web of social connections, and recommend friends to add.

Why do the police always take Zuck’s word about these “inadvertent” mistakes? Smells kind of like theft to me. 1.5 million consecutive 1-year prisons sentences should do as punishment.

Anyhow, I’ll bet it was more than 1.5 million and it was more than just email contacts. If, for some strange, low-IQ reason, you’re still on FB, do at least check your “secret” file to find out exactly what they admit they have on you.

Strike that… If you’re still on the Zuckbook, then just keep looking at those pics and “reading” all those worthy Russian trolling attempts. You don’t need privacy nor need you be worried about anyone invading it; small minds aren’t worth reading.

The Red Badge of Merit

18 Thursday Apr 2019

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Again, with the Vox Day business, here. Vox pointed out a disturbing (but fitting) trend in the new and worsening Amerika:

‘There are really two opposing schools, I guess you could say that there’s one that’s on the side of progressive ideology, whereas the other one is more in line with the way business was always run,’ Jeremy Zogby, a partner in Zogby Strategies, told DailyMail.com. ‘There is definitely a progressive slant in Millennials and Gen Z.’

Among all Americans, 47 percent prioritized diversity in workplace hiring, while 37 percent said merit should matter most.

Just as identity politics trump ideology politics, mediocrity trumps merit in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society. Welcome to life as the Third World has always known it.

This, however, is a trend that you need not accept. Pursue excellence even as you embrace your identity.

It’s going to be a rough (possibly utility and food deprived) ride, folks. But, he’s right as usual – don’t be a part of the slide.

The Mueller Report

18 Thursday Apr 2019

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Here, at last, is the great disappointment of the Democrats:

MUELLER’S “RUSSIA” REPORT

Read through ALL of that…

It was the 448-page version of what Barr released last month in his substantially shorter summary.

My summary (with future extrapolation):

  • Russians attempted interference in the US 2016 election (as the US attempts the same worldwide in numerous countries and their affairs)
  • There was no collusion between Trump and Russia
  • There probably was a collusion between Team Hillary and someone Russian
  • There was definitely collusion by and among the Deep State to rig the election and defeat (later, frame or bog down) Trump
  • There was no Obstruction of Justice by Trump
  • This whole case was BS from the start and now it’s over
  • The Deep State is desperate
  • They need not be … no sealed indictments, no GITMO, no treason trials
  • Little if anything will be accomplished for Americans – On with the More of the Same Show!
  • Trump will be reelected in 2020
  • More of the same … for maybe a decade or so longer. Then…

Screenshot 2019-04-18 at 3.07.08 PM

Debanking: The Banksters are the Mortal Enemies of the Free People

18 Thursday Apr 2019

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“Chase is not involved with any like, you know, alt right people or anything.” – Chase Bank SJW1234

Since Vox Day left a few years ago, and since Pat Buchanan is available elsewhere, I really haven’t paid much attention lately to WND. But, this story on a horrific trend in US banking is worth the read.

Chase Bank is shutting down accounts of people and organizations with controversial political views, according to an undercover investigation by James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas.

O’Keefe’s latest probe found that Chase, without explanation, abruptly closed the account of a political activist that had existed for 15 years in good standing.

…

“First we get silenced on social media, which is a new public square. Then PayPal. And then I get debanked,” he said.

“It’s a very dangerous trend.”

Too big to fail? I’d say just about right for breaking up. The associated video:

I’d say boycott – and we should – but we may run out of businesses. You know, there should be an alternative to the banking stranglehold monopoly. That would involve an alternative to the Satanic Federal Reserve. I think I have a plan that should do the trick. All we need is an honest Congress and a President with a set of … nevermind.