Monday, December 25, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
TSA Data Spying
The Transportation Security Agency, operating under the auspices of Homeland Security, had publicly pledged two years ago--in official notices describing the Secure Flight program--that it "will not receive" or have access to dossiers on American travelers compiled by a Beltway contractor.
That promise turned out to be untrue, according to a report published Friday by DHS' privacy office. The commercial data "made its way directly to TSA, contrary to the express statements in the fall privacy notices about the Secure Flight program," the report says.
...
In an interview with CNET News.com earlier this year, Peter Pietra, TSA's director of privacy policy, downplayed those concerns. Pietra said the agency disagrees with GAO's interpretation of the law.
The TSA government agency disagrees with a law, so they disregard the law.
That promise turned out to be untrue, according to a report published Friday by DHS' privacy office. The commercial data "made its way directly to TSA, contrary to the express statements in the fall privacy notices about the Secure Flight program," the report says.
...
In an interview with CNET News.com earlier this year, Peter Pietra, TSA's director of privacy policy, downplayed those concerns. Pietra said the agency disagrees with GAO's interpretation of the law.
The TSA government agency disagrees with a law, so they disregard the law.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Cops Shot Man In Back
New Orleans police disarmed law-abiding citizens. After the citizens were disarmed, the police could more easily shoot unarmed citizens.
Witness: New Orleans cops shot man in back as he ran away
POSTED: 7:19 p.m. EST, December 18, 2006
By Drew Griffin, James Polk and Kate Albright-Hanna
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN.
It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day.
...
Witness: New Orleans cops shot man in back as he ran away
POSTED: 7:19 p.m. EST, December 18, 2006
By Drew Griffin, James Polk and Kate Albright-Hanna
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN.
It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day.
...
Friday, December 08, 2006
Moo, Crazy Cow
Japan Finds 31st Case Of Mad Cow Disease Found - Ministry
Japan's Health Ministry said Friday it has confirmed the country's 31st case of mad cow disease in an animal.
Japan's Health Ministry said Friday it has confirmed the country's 31st case of mad cow disease in an animal.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Mostly Non-Lethal
Like rubber bullets, pepper spray, and the taser - coming to a domestic town near you.
You've just been hit with a new nonlethal weapon that has been certified for use in Iraq -- even though critics argue there may be unforeseen effects.
You've just been hit with a new nonlethal weapon that has been certified for use in Iraq -- even though critics argue there may be unforeseen effects.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Success Book
This book is more about the efficient exercise of responsibility than it is about gaining the visible marks of success, i.e., success indicators. Gaining success indicators is the easy part. Maintaining them without passing by success is the difficult part.
Monday, November 13, 2006
China sub stalked U.S. fleet
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published November 13, 2006
A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, The Washington Times has learned.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published November 13, 2006
A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, The Washington Times has learned.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Viking Ship
Viking ship to ply North Sea; no invasion planned
POSTED: 10:15 a.m. EST, November 10, 2006
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Dozens of volunteer sailors will follow in the wake of the Vikings next summer, crossing the North Sea to Ireland in a 100-foot (30-meter) replica of a Norse warship, museum officials said Friday.
POSTED: 10:15 a.m. EST, November 10, 2006
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Dozens of volunteer sailors will follow in the wake of the Vikings next summer, crossing the North Sea to Ireland in a 100-foot (30-meter) replica of a Norse warship, museum officials said Friday.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Nuclear Codes Found In Drug Raid
Nov 3, 2006 8:10 pm US/Eastern
Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be 'Devastating'
Data Found In Drug Raid Contains Weapons-Design Secrets
(CBS News) The recent security breach at Los Alamos National Laboratory was very serious, with sensitive materials being taken out of the facility -- possibly including information on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons, officials tell CBS News.
...
The woman had top secret "Q-clearance" with access to all the U.S. underground nuclear test data. Additionally, she had "Sigma 15" clearance, which allows her access to info on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons.
For example, if a terrorist steals an American nuclear weapon, he could not detonate it due to the special access controls. This woman is authorized to read the reports that tell how to get around those safety controls.
...
Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be 'Devastating'
Data Found In Drug Raid Contains Weapons-Design Secrets
(CBS News) The recent security breach at Los Alamos National Laboratory was very serious, with sensitive materials being taken out of the facility -- possibly including information on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons, officials tell CBS News.
...
The woman had top secret "Q-clearance" with access to all the U.S. underground nuclear test data. Additionally, she had "Sigma 15" clearance, which allows her access to info on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons.
For example, if a terrorist steals an American nuclear weapon, he could not detonate it due to the special access controls. This woman is authorized to read the reports that tell how to get around those safety controls.
...
Monday, November 06, 2006
Americans To Need Permission To Leave
We're All Prisoners, Now: US Citizens to be Required ''Clearance'' to Leave USA
International Politics October 26, 2006
Forget no-fly lists. If Uncle Sam gets its way, beginning on Jan. 14,
2007, we'll all be on no-fly lists, unless the government gives us
permission to leave-or re-enter-the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSA) has proposed that all
airlines, cruise lines-even fishing boats-be required to obtain
clearance for each passenger they propose taking into or out of the
United States.
It doesn't matter if you have a U.S. Passport - a "travel document"
that now, absent a court order to the contrary, gives you a virtually
unqualified right to enter or leave the United States, any time you
want. When the DHS system comes into effect next January, if the
agency says "no" to a clearance request, or doesn't answer the
request at all, you won't be permitted to enter-or leave-the United
States.
Consider what might happen if you're a U.S. passport holder on
assignment in a country like Saudi Arabia. Your visa is about to
expire, so you board your flight back to the United States. But wait!
You can't get on, because you don't have permission from the HSA.
Saudi immigration officials are on hand to escort you to a squalid
detention center, where you and others who are now effectively
"stateless persons" are detained, potentially indefinitely, until
their immigration status is sorted out.
...
International Politics October 26, 2006
Forget no-fly lists. If Uncle Sam gets its way, beginning on Jan. 14,
2007, we'll all be on no-fly lists, unless the government gives us
permission to leave-or re-enter-the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSA) has proposed that all
airlines, cruise lines-even fishing boats-be required to obtain
clearance for each passenger they propose taking into or out of the
United States.
It doesn't matter if you have a U.S. Passport - a "travel document"
that now, absent a court order to the contrary, gives you a virtually
unqualified right to enter or leave the United States, any time you
want. When the DHS system comes into effect next January, if the
agency says "no" to a clearance request, or doesn't answer the
request at all, you won't be permitted to enter-or leave-the United
States.
Consider what might happen if you're a U.S. passport holder on
assignment in a country like Saudi Arabia. Your visa is about to
expire, so you board your flight back to the United States. But wait!
You can't get on, because you don't have permission from the HSA.
Saudi immigration officials are on hand to escort you to a squalid
detention center, where you and others who are now effectively
"stateless persons" are detained, potentially indefinitely, until
their immigration status is sorted out.
...
Friday, October 27, 2006
TSA Security Theater
Christopher created a Northwest Airlines boarding pass generator that would allow creation of a boarding pass. With or without identification, a boarding pass is needed to pass the TSA security checkpoint.
This demonstrates by focusing on people (and their identification), the TSA is creating a false sense of security - a security theater that gives the appearance of security.
Some politicians have called for Christopher's arrest.
The recent 60 Minutes story revealed that the really bad terrorists are kept off the no-fly list, so that they would not be able to discover they are under surveillance.
If you can make your own boarding pass, refuse to show identification, and some terrorists are kept off the TSA no-fly list, what is the purpose of the no-fly list and the demand to present identification at the checkpoint?
This demonstrates by focusing on people (and their identification), the TSA is creating a false sense of security - a security theater that gives the appearance of security.
Some politicians have called for Christopher's arrest.
The recent 60 Minutes story revealed that the really bad terrorists are kept off the no-fly list, so that they would not be able to discover they are under surveillance.
If you can make your own boarding pass, refuse to show identification, and some terrorists are kept off the TSA no-fly list, what is the purpose of the no-fly list and the demand to present identification at the checkpoint?
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Finger Printing Beer Drinkers
Beer fingerprints to go UK-wide
By Mark Ballard
Published Friday 20th October 2006 17:45 GMT
The government is is funding the roll out of fingerprint security at the doors of pubs and clubs in major English cities.
By Mark Ballard
Published Friday 20th October 2006 17:45 GMT
The government is is funding the roll out of fingerprint security at the doors of pubs and clubs in major English cities.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Cloaking
Scientists create cloak of invisibility
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Thu Oct 19, 9:49 AM ET
WASHINGTON - A team of American and British researchers has made a Cloak of Invisibility. Well, OK, it's not perfect. Yet. But it's a start, and it did a pretty good job of hiding a copper cylinder.
...
"The cloak reduces both an object's reflection and its shadow, either of which would enable its detection," said Smith.
In effect the device, made of metamaterials — engineered mixtures of metal and circuit board materials, which could include ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite materials — channels the microwaves around the object being hidden.
When water flows around a rock, Smith explained, the water recombines after it passes the rock and people looking at the water downstream would never know it had passed a rock.
The cloaking has to be designed for specific bandwidths of radiation.
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Thu Oct 19, 9:49 AM ET
WASHINGTON - A team of American and British researchers has made a Cloak of Invisibility. Well, OK, it's not perfect. Yet. But it's a start, and it did a pretty good job of hiding a copper cylinder.
...
"The cloak reduces both an object's reflection and its shadow, either of which would enable its detection," said Smith.
In effect the device, made of metamaterials — engineered mixtures of metal and circuit board materials, which could include ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite materials — channels the microwaves around the object being hidden.
When water flows around a rock, Smith explained, the water recombines after it passes the rock and people looking at the water downstream would never know it had passed a rock.
The cloaking has to be designed for specific bandwidths of radiation.
Drink Coke, Lose Weight
Sparkling Green Tea Creates a Brand New Category That Combines Great Taste and Negative Calories
Atlanta, October 11, 2006 - The drink proven to burn calories – Enviga – hits the U.S. market in the Northeast in November and will roll out nationally in January 2007. A delicious sparkling green tea containing green tea extracts, calcium, and caffeine, Enviga was conceived by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) – a joint venture of Nestlé S.A. and The Coca-Cola Company.
Atlanta, October 11, 2006 - The drink proven to burn calories – Enviga – hits the U.S. market in the Northeast in November and will roll out nationally in January 2007. A delicious sparkling green tea containing green tea extracts, calcium, and caffeine, Enviga was conceived by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) – a joint venture of Nestlé S.A. and The Coca-Cola Company.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
No Tag
ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (AP) -- Tag, you're out!
Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.
Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Electric Jeep Cherokee
This site is all about the conversion of my 1988 Jeep Cherokee to a 100% Battery Electric Vehicle (EV).
Couch Bike
... what made our bike so special, and also what seemed to be Constable Demeau's chief concern, was the couch. It was an old leatherette loveseat. Our frame was built around it, and Eivind and I were perched on top of it.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Floating Nuclear Power Plant
The Russian nuclear-energy company Rosenergoatom is planning a mobile plant to deliver electricity to hard-to-reach northern territories near the White Sea, where harsh weather makes regular coal and oil fuel deliveries unreliable and expensive. The $200-million floating plant—slated for construction next year—could provide relatively inexpensive, reliable electricity to 200,000 people.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Cottage On The Moon
Not content with having them dotted all over the countryside, Sweden is now considering putting a little red cottage on the moon.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Chief Ethics Officer
Now, HP is a criminal case
California files charges against ex-chairman Dunn, others involved in leak probe; CEO Hurd not named.
By Grace Wong, CNNMoney.com staff writer
October 4 2006: 8:13 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Former Hewlett-Packard chairman Patricia Dunn was named in a criminal complaint filed by the California attorney general Wednesday, but chief executive Mark Hurd dodged legal action for now.
Dunn, along with Kevin Hunsaker, HP's former chief ethics officer and senior counsel, were named in a felony complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
Ronald DeLia, managing director of Security Outsourcing Services, the investigative firm hired by HP, was also named, as were two other outside investigators.
California files charges against ex-chairman Dunn, others involved in leak probe; CEO Hurd not named.
By Grace Wong, CNNMoney.com staff writer
October 4 2006: 8:13 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Former Hewlett-Packard chairman Patricia Dunn was named in a criminal complaint filed by the California attorney general Wednesday, but chief executive Mark Hurd dodged legal action for now.
Dunn, along with Kevin Hunsaker, HP's former chief ethics officer and senior counsel, were named in a felony complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
Ronald DeLia, managing director of Security Outsourcing Services, the investigative firm hired by HP, was also named, as were two other outside investigators.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Talk Like A Pirate Day
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday invented in 1995 by two Americans, John Baur ("Ol' Chum Bucket") and Mark Summers ("Cap'n Slappy"), who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like pirates. For example, instead of "hello," an observer of this holiday would greet his mates with "Ahoy, me hearty!"
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs
Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Fingers of Instability
There is a long and interesting arictle on safehaven.com about critical states and how system changes can produce non-deterministic effects at these states.
The term critical state can mean the point at which water would go to ice or steam, or the moment that critical mass induces a nuclear reaction, etc. It is the point at which something triggers a change in the basic nature or character of the object or group. Thus, (and very casually for all you physicists) we refer to something being in a critical state (or the term critical mass) when there is the opportunity for significant change.
The term critical state can mean the point at which water would go to ice or steam, or the moment that critical mass induces a nuclear reaction, etc. It is the point at which something triggers a change in the basic nature or character of the object or group. Thus, (and very casually for all you physicists) we refer to something being in a critical state (or the term critical mass) when there is the opportunity for significant change.
Personal Info Thrown In Trash - 2.6M Credit Card Accounts
DJ Chase Card Services: Client Data Tapes Mistakenly Trashed
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)--Chase Card Services, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), on Thursday said it is notifying 2.6 million Circuit City (CC) credit card holders that computer tapes containing their personal information were mistakenly thrown in the trash.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)--Chase Card Services, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), on Thursday said it is notifying 2.6 million Circuit City (CC) credit card holders that computer tapes containing their personal information were mistakenly thrown in the trash.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Scanning Children's Finger Prints
It may be optional to have finger print scans now, but that will change in a year or two.
Kids Buy Lunches With Scans of Fingers
School children in Ga. town pay for their lunches with scans of their fingers
ROME, Ga., Sep. 5, 2006
(AP) The never-ending march of technology now means school children here can pay for their cafeteria sloppy joes with their fingers.
Rome City Schools is switching to a scanning system that lets students use their fingerprints to access their accounts.
...
"It may be perfectly secure, but my daughter is a minor and I understand that supposedly the kids have the option to not have their prints scanned, but that's not being articulated to my daughter," said Hal Storey, who's daughter is a 10th grader at Rome High.
Kids Buy Lunches With Scans of Fingers
School children in Ga. town pay for their lunches with scans of their fingers
ROME, Ga., Sep. 5, 2006
(AP) The never-ending march of technology now means school children here can pay for their cafeteria sloppy joes with their fingers.
Rome City Schools is switching to a scanning system that lets students use their fingerprints to access their accounts.
...
"It may be perfectly secure, but my daughter is a minor and I understand that supposedly the kids have the option to not have their prints scanned, but that's not being articulated to my daughter," said Hal Storey, who's daughter is a 10th grader at Rome High.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Radio Shack Email Firing
RadioShack uses e-mail to fire 400 employees as part of planned job cuts
Associated Press
Published on: 08/30/06
FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts.
Associated Press
Published on: 08/30/06
FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts.
Senator who put 'secret hold' on bill to open federal records is a secret, too
Aug. 23, 2006, 11:46PM
Senator who put 'secret hold' on bill to open federal records is a secret, too
By REBECCA CARR
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON — In an ironic twist, legislation that would open up the murky world of government contracting to public scrutiny has been derailed by a secret parliamentary maneuver.
An unidentified senator placed a "secret hold" on legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., that would create a searchable database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans and financial assistance, worth $2.5 trillion last year. The database would bring transparency to federal spending and be as simple to use as conducting a Google search.
Senator who put 'secret hold' on bill to open federal records is a secret, too
By REBECCA CARR
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON — In an ironic twist, legislation that would open up the murky world of government contracting to public scrutiny has been derailed by a secret parliamentary maneuver.
An unidentified senator placed a "secret hold" on legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., that would create a searchable database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans and financial assistance, worth $2.5 trillion last year. The database would bring transparency to federal spending and be as simple to use as conducting a Google search.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Playing Pirates
Gunfight wounds political campaign worker
MIDTOWN: Volunteer for Murkowski hit as vehicles trade shots.
By RICHARD MAUER and MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News
Published: August 23, 2006
Last Modified: August 23, 2006 at 03:00 PM
.. across from The Mall at Sears as the occupants of two vehicles blasted away at each other.
...
Another man, who also had nothing to do with the original shooting, was issued a citation for disorderly conduct for pointing a plastic musket from the window of a car as it drove amid the chaos. He and others in the car, which had an "I brake for hallucinations" bumper sticker, said they were
playing pirates.
...
With the shooting long over but the traffic jam still building, Ryan Rochon looked out his pickup window into the barrel of a musket pointed in his direction from a red SUV on Northern Lights. He knew the gun was plastic, but it seemed like such a bizarre act under the circumstances that he yelled to a cop. Three squad cars sped after the SUV. The car quickly responded to the officers. Three young occupants were handcuffed and brought back to the Sears mall parking lot, where they were questioned. Their car was brought back there too, a small skull dangling from its rearview mirror.
The first of the three to be released, Trystal Hodge, 19, said she and her friends have been playing pirate since middle school. Wearing goggles against the rain, she said she had stuck her head out of the SUV and yelled pirate lines like, "Avast ye mates" to other cars on Northern Lights. Her friend waved the musket.
MIDTOWN: Volunteer for Murkowski hit as vehicles trade shots.
By RICHARD MAUER and MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News
Published: August 23, 2006
Last Modified: August 23, 2006 at 03:00 PM
.. across from The Mall at Sears as the occupants of two vehicles blasted away at each other.
...
Another man, who also had nothing to do with the original shooting, was issued a citation for disorderly conduct for pointing a plastic musket from the window of a car as it drove amid the chaos. He and others in the car, which had an "I brake for hallucinations" bumper sticker, said they were
playing pirates.
...
With the shooting long over but the traffic jam still building, Ryan Rochon looked out his pickup window into the barrel of a musket pointed in his direction from a red SUV on Northern Lights. He knew the gun was plastic, but it seemed like such a bizarre act under the circumstances that he yelled to a cop. Three squad cars sped after the SUV. The car quickly responded to the officers. Three young occupants were handcuffed and brought back to the Sears mall parking lot, where they were questioned. Their car was brought back there too, a small skull dangling from its rearview mirror.
The first of the three to be released, Trystal Hodge, 19, said she and her friends have been playing pirate since middle school. Wearing goggles against the rain, she said she had stuck her head out of the SUV and yelled pirate lines like, "Avast ye mates" to other cars on Northern Lights. Her friend waved the musket.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Most Widely Read
The catalog, with a print run of 175 million copies in 27 languages and distributed in 35 countries, is thought to have the highest circulation of any publication worldwide – surpassing even the Bible.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
RFID Passport Has Arrived
US offers RFID passports to the public
8/14/2006 3:09:58 PM, by Jon Hannibal Stokes
Today marks the official full-scale, public rollout of the United States' controversial electronic passport initiative. The first, limited round of RFID-based passports went out last month, but now the new passports are available to everyone.
It's been a tough road for RFID passports, fraught with criticism, delays, unsupportable claims for the devices' security, backtracking on said claims, and some genuine listening on the part of State Department officials who appear to want to really get this right.
The new passports, with their metal linings and shared-key encryption, address most of the concerns that have been raised by privacy advocates and security professionals. Specifically, the lining prevents the RFID chips from being read while the passport is closed, and the encryption makes attempts to clone the RFID chips less attractive, since the data that's being copied is encrypted and can't be altered by the cloner.
As it turns out though, these security measures undermine the rationales given by the government for opting for contactless RFID instead of plain old smart cards in the new passports. Originally, the attraction of RFID is that it could be read at a distance with the passport closed, thereby speeding the ID checking process. Now that users not only will have to present and open passport, but they'll also have to have the passport's public encryption key read by an optical scanner, they might as well just be swiped through a contact-based scanner.
8/14/2006 3:09:58 PM, by Jon Hannibal Stokes
Today marks the official full-scale, public rollout of the United States' controversial electronic passport initiative. The first, limited round of RFID-based passports went out last month, but now the new passports are available to everyone.
It's been a tough road for RFID passports, fraught with criticism, delays, unsupportable claims for the devices' security, backtracking on said claims, and some genuine listening on the part of State Department officials who appear to want to really get this right.
The new passports, with their metal linings and shared-key encryption, address most of the concerns that have been raised by privacy advocates and security professionals. Specifically, the lining prevents the RFID chips from being read while the passport is closed, and the encryption makes attempts to clone the RFID chips less attractive, since the data that's being copied is encrypted and can't be altered by the cloner.
As it turns out though, these security measures undermine the rationales given by the government for opting for contactless RFID instead of plain old smart cards in the new passports. Originally, the attraction of RFID is that it could be read at a distance with the passport closed, thereby speeding the ID checking process. Now that users not only will have to present and open passport, but they'll also have to have the passport's public encryption key read by an optical scanner, they might as well just be swiped through a contact-based scanner.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Jumping Sturgeon
Wednesday, August 9, 2006; Posted: 1:37 p.m. EDT (17:37 GMT)
WILDWOOD, Florida (AP) -- A man riding a personal watercraft was injured after a 4-foot-long sturgeon jumped out of the water and hit him, wildlife officials said.
Blake Nicholas Fessenden, 23, was heading north on the Suwannee River on Sunday when he was hit and fell off the craft, according to a statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fessenden was knocked unconscious.
WILDWOOD, Florida (AP) -- A man riding a personal watercraft was injured after a 4-foot-long sturgeon jumped out of the water and hit him, wildlife officials said.
Blake Nicholas Fessenden, 23, was heading north on the Suwannee River on Sunday when he was hit and fell off the craft, according to a statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fessenden was knocked unconscious.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Happy Slapping
French pranksters held for traffic stunts in Spain
Tue Aug 8, 11:19 AM ET
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police have arrested four Frenchmen for jumping in front of cars on a busy road so that they could film them and post the footage on the Internet, the newspaper El Pais said on Tuesday.
The four jokers took turns to leap in front of cars, forcing the drivers to swerve or brake sharply and putting themselves and other vehicles in danger, town hall officials in Alicante were quoted as saying on the El Pais Web site.
Their intention was to film the reaction of drivers, on the road between Benidorm to La Nucia, and post them on the Web, the officials said.
Relatively rare in Spain, a youth craze known as "happy slapping" took off in Britain last year, in which groups of teenagers slapped or mugged strangers while filming the victims' reaction on camera phones. The images were then sent to friends or posted on Web sites.
Spanish police and local government officials were unavailable for comment.
Tue Aug 8, 11:19 AM ET
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police have arrested four Frenchmen for jumping in front of cars on a busy road so that they could film them and post the footage on the Internet, the newspaper El Pais said on Tuesday.
The four jokers took turns to leap in front of cars, forcing the drivers to swerve or brake sharply and putting themselves and other vehicles in danger, town hall officials in Alicante were quoted as saying on the El Pais Web site.
Their intention was to film the reaction of drivers, on the road between Benidorm to La Nucia, and post them on the Web, the officials said.
Relatively rare in Spain, a youth craze known as "happy slapping" took off in Britain last year, in which groups of teenagers slapped or mugged strangers while filming the victims' reaction on camera phones. The images were then sent to friends or posted on Web sites.
Spanish police and local government officials were unavailable for comment.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Journalist Creates His Own War Picture For Reuters
Reuters Pulls Doctored Photo
Photo from Beirut freelancer represents "a serious breach of Reuters standards."
By Miki Johnson
August 7, 2006
Reuters Pulls Doctored Photo
Reuters issued a "picture kill" advisory immediately after being notified of the manipulation.
Reuters pulled a photograph of burning buildings in Beirut yesterday after a post on the Little Green Footballs blog outed it as digitally manipulated.
The photo, filed on Saturday by freelance photographer Adnan Hajj, ran with the caption "Smoke billows from burning buildings destroyed during an overnight Israeli air raid on Beirut's suburbs."
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Freedom To Fascism
Neither left- nor right-wing, this startling examination exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America. Through interviews with US Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (becoming law in May 2008) and the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. A striking case about the evolving police state in America.
A message from Aaron Russo
Friday, 02 June 2006
Dear Lovers of Liberty,
I am currently in Munich, Germany and receiving treatment at a cutting- edge cancer clinic.
A message from Aaron Russo
Friday, 02 June 2006
Dear Lovers of Liberty,
I am currently in Munich, Germany and receiving treatment at a cutting- edge cancer clinic.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Children arrested, DNA tested, interrogated and locked up... for playing in a tree
Children arrested, DNA tested, interrogated and locked up... for playing in a tree
By KHUSHWANT SACHDAVE, Daily Mail 22:27pm 23rd July 2006
Kids locked up for playing in a tree
Locked up in custody for two hours: Tree-climbing friends Katy Smith, left, Sam Cannon and Amy Higgins
To the 12-year-old friends planning to build themselves a den, the cherry tree seemed an inviting source of material.
But the afternoon adventure turned into a frightening ordeal for Sam Cannon, Amy Higgins and Katy Smith after they climbed into the 20ft tree - then found themselves hauled into a police station and locked in cells for up to two hours.
Their shoes were removed and mugshots, DNA samples and mouth swabs were taken.
By KHUSHWANT SACHDAVE, Daily Mail 22:27pm 23rd July 2006
Kids locked up for playing in a tree
Locked up in custody for two hours: Tree-climbing friends Katy Smith, left, Sam Cannon and Amy Higgins
To the 12-year-old friends planning to build themselves a den, the cherry tree seemed an inviting source of material.
But the afternoon adventure turned into a frightening ordeal for Sam Cannon, Amy Higgins and Katy Smith after they climbed into the 20ft tree - then found themselves hauled into a police station and locked in cells for up to two hours.
Their shoes were removed and mugshots, DNA samples and mouth swabs were taken.
Monday, July 31, 2006
China County Kills 50,000 Dogs
Dow Jones News
China County Kills 50,000 Dogs In Campaign Against Rabies
SHANGHAI (AP)--A county in southwestern China has killed as many as 50,000 dogs in a government-ordered campaign following the deaths of three local people from rabies, official media reported on Tuesday.
The five-day massacre in Yunnan province's Mouding county spared only military guard dogs and police canine units, the Shanghai Daily reported, citing local media.
China County Kills 50,000 Dogs In Campaign Against Rabies
SHANGHAI (AP)--A county in southwestern China has killed as many as 50,000 dogs in a government-ordered campaign following the deaths of three local people from rabies, official media reported on Tuesday.
The five-day massacre in Yunnan province's Mouding county spared only military guard dogs and police canine units, the Shanghai Daily reported, citing local media.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Electrical Healing
... though the phenomenon was reported 150 years ago by the German physiologist Emil Du Bois-Reymond, it has been ignored ever since.
Now Josef Penninger of the Austrian Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna and Min Zhao of the University of Aberdeen, UK, have demonstrated that natural electric fields and currents in tissue play a vital role in orchestrating the wound-healing process by attracting repair cells to damaged areas.
Now Josef Penninger of the Austrian Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna and Min Zhao of the University of Aberdeen, UK, have demonstrated that natural electric fields and currents in tissue play a vital role in orchestrating the wound-healing process by attracting repair cells to damaged areas.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Car Towed For Outstanding Library Fines
Arlington, VA Uses Bootfinder Camera to Tow for Overdue Library Books
Arlington, VA and New Haven, CT are using a new camera technology to tow cars with unpaid parking tickets or overdue library fees.
Towed awayArlington, Virginia has taken the next step in automated camera enforcement. Next month, it will expand its use of "BootFinder," a camera device that scans license plates of parked cars and compares it against a database of unpaid fines. If the car's owner is listed as delinquent, the car can be towed -- and if the owner doesn't pay within 10 days the car is auctioned.
It may be time to create a non-profit shell corporation that owns our vehicles.
Arlington, VA and New Haven, CT are using a new camera technology to tow cars with unpaid parking tickets or overdue library fees.
Towed awayArlington, Virginia has taken the next step in automated camera enforcement. Next month, it will expand its use of "BootFinder," a camera device that scans license plates of parked cars and compares it against a database of unpaid fines. If the car's owner is listed as delinquent, the car can be towed -- and if the owner doesn't pay within 10 days the car is auctioned.
It may be time to create a non-profit shell corporation that owns our vehicles.
Marshals Must File One Surveillance Detection Report Per Month
Marshals: Innocent People Placed On 'Watch List' To Meet Quota
Marshals Say They Must File One Surveillance Detection Report, Or SDR, Per Month
POSTED: 9:49 pm MDT July 21, 2006
UPDATED: 10:56 pm MDT July 21, 2006
DENVER -- You could be on a secret government database or watch list for simply taking a picture on an airplane. Some federal air marshals say they're reporting your actions to meet a quota, even though some top officials deny it.
The air marshals, whose identities are being concealed, told 7NEWS that they're required to submit at least one report a month. If they don't, there's no raise, no bonus, no awards and no special assignments.
"Innocent passengers are being entered into an international intelligence database as suspicious persons, acting in a suspicious manner on an aircraft ... and they did nothing wrong," said one federal air marshal.
These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR. Air marshals told 7NEWS that managers in Las Vegas created and continue to maintain this potentially dangerous quota system.
...
What kind of impact would it have for a flying individual to be named in an SDR?
"That could have serious impact ... They could be placed on a watch list. They could wind up on databases that identify them as potential terrorists or a threat to an aircraft. It could be very serious," said Don Strange, a former agent in charge of air marshals in Atlanta. He lost his job attempting to change policies inside the agency.
Story on video.
Marshals Say They Must File One Surveillance Detection Report, Or SDR, Per Month
POSTED: 9:49 pm MDT July 21, 2006
UPDATED: 10:56 pm MDT July 21, 2006
DENVER -- You could be on a secret government database or watch list for simply taking a picture on an airplane. Some federal air marshals say they're reporting your actions to meet a quota, even though some top officials deny it.
The air marshals, whose identities are being concealed, told 7NEWS that they're required to submit at least one report a month. If they don't, there's no raise, no bonus, no awards and no special assignments.
"Innocent passengers are being entered into an international intelligence database as suspicious persons, acting in a suspicious manner on an aircraft ... and they did nothing wrong," said one federal air marshal.
These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR. Air marshals told 7NEWS that managers in Las Vegas created and continue to maintain this potentially dangerous quota system.
...
What kind of impact would it have for a flying individual to be named in an SDR?
"That could have serious impact ... They could be placed on a watch list. They could wind up on databases that identify them as potential terrorists or a threat to an aircraft. It could be very serious," said Don Strange, a former agent in charge of air marshals in Atlanta. He lost his job attempting to change policies inside the agency.
Story on video.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
PV Payback Calculator
Solar cell payback calculator for any zip code. Can take into account obstructions.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Stirling Engine
Sometimes called the "external combustion engine", it uses temperature differentials.
Will sell systems.
Designed for kitchen installation in Europe.
... combined heat and power ...
STM PowerUnits have been designed to achieve 30% net electrical efficiency and 80% total system efficiency in a combined heat and power (CHP) mode.
Will sell systems.
Designed for kitchen installation in Europe.
... combined heat and power ...
STM PowerUnits have been designed to achieve 30% net electrical efficiency and 80% total system efficiency in a combined heat and power (CHP) mode.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Bridge Troll
he allegedly insisted he was a troll and claimed the bridge as his own, reports state.
Several witnesses noted that Hibbs and companion Bradley Boville, 19, were confronting joggers and bikers attempting to cross the bridge, demanding a dollar.
Several witnesses noted that Hibbs and companion Bradley Boville, 19, were confronting joggers and bikers attempting to cross the bridge, demanding a dollar.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
House For A Paper Clip
From paper-clip to house, in 14 trades
CBC News
A 26-year-old Montreal man appears to have succeeded in his quest to barter a single, red paper-clip all the way up to a house.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Your Tax Dollars
Police will be sniff your network, with their training and equipment funded by your tax dollars.
Authorities warn of wireless cyber pirates
written by: Ward Lucas I-Team Reporter
posted by: Jeffrey Wolf Web Producer
Created: 6/28/2006 8:50 PM MST - Updated: 6/28/2006 10:28 PM MST
DOUGLAS COUNTY - The Sheriff's Department says it's going to start warning computer users that their networks may be vulnerable to hackers.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office warns wireless Internet users about hackers that can tap into the connection while sitting outside your home. 9NEWS at 10 p.m. June 28, 2006.
It may be one of the first law enforcement agencies in the country to do so.
Authorities warn of wireless cyber pirates
written by: Ward Lucas I-Team Reporter
posted by: Jeffrey Wolf Web Producer
Created: 6/28/2006 8:50 PM MST - Updated: 6/28/2006 10:28 PM MST
DOUGLAS COUNTY - The Sheriff's Department says it's going to start warning computer users that their networks may be vulnerable to hackers.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office warns wireless Internet users about hackers that can tap into the connection while sitting outside your home. 9NEWS at 10 p.m. June 28, 2006.
It may be one of the first law enforcement agencies in the country to do so.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Super Highway To Securely Split USA
Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway
by Jerome R. Corsi
June 12, 2006
Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.
Texas Segment of NAFTA Super Highway Nears Construction
Southern border blurs for global trade
... proposed multi-use, statewide network of transportation routes
...
Friday, June 23, 2006
Balloon Dance
Teachers dance naked for pupils
Published: 22nd June 2006 09:28 CET
Students wrapping up school in the southwestern Swedish town of Vänersborg were in for a surprise last week when two of their teachers stripped off their clothes and danced with balloons over their nether regions.
The two male teachers, during an end-of-the-year celebration, performed what Swedes call the “Balloon Dance,” for 140 ninth grade students.
Published: 22nd June 2006 09:28 CET
Students wrapping up school in the southwestern Swedish town of Vänersborg were in for a surprise last week when two of their teachers stripped off their clothes and danced with balloons over their nether regions.
The two male teachers, during an end-of-the-year celebration, performed what Swedes call the “Balloon Dance,” for 140 ninth grade students.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Every Channel
DirectTV is offering an package with everything and 10 DVRs.
Membership is reserved for a select few. Titanium is available for one yearly payment of $7,500. Available 6/28/06.
Membership is reserved for a select few. Titanium is available for one yearly payment of $7,500. Available 6/28/06.
Friday, June 16, 2006
How Many Widgets Can 98,000 Employees Create?
Question: How many widgets can a company of 98,000 create?
Answer: None, as the focus is taking -- not making.
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Twenty-four Internal Revenue Service workers were found guilty of criminal activities ranging from unauthorized tax return snooping to stealing money in the six months to March 2006, a new report said Thursday.
The Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration, in its semiannual report to Congress, also said 26 cases of employee criminal misconduct were accepted for prosecution between Oct. 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006.
The Inspector General report summarizes its investigations and activities during this period. The misconduct arose from a broad workforce of about 98,000 workers in dozens of facilities across the country.
The report also found the IRS terminated 41 workers during the six-month period for various violations of taxpayer rights.
...
Answer: None, as the focus is taking -- not making.
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Twenty-four Internal Revenue Service workers were found guilty of criminal activities ranging from unauthorized tax return snooping to stealing money in the six months to March 2006, a new report said Thursday.
The Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration, in its semiannual report to Congress, also said 26 cases of employee criminal misconduct were accepted for prosecution between Oct. 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006.
The Inspector General report summarizes its investigations and activities during this period. The misconduct arose from a broad workforce of about 98,000 workers in dozens of facilities across the country.
The report also found the IRS terminated 41 workers during the six-month period for various violations of taxpayer rights.
...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Cheap Clean Water
A water desalination system using carbon nanotube-based membranes could significantly reduce the cost of purifying water from the ocean.
The membranes, which sort molecules by size and with electrostatic forces, could also separate various gases, perhaps leading to economical ways to capture carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, to prevent it from entering the atmosphere.
The membranes, which sort molecules by size and with electrostatic forces, could also separate various gases, perhaps leading to economical ways to capture carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, to prevent it from entering the atmosphere.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Riverfront Eviction
Conn. City Evicts Residents With Eminent Domain
New London, Conn. city officials voted to evict two residents whose refusal to give up their riverfront houses helped lead to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling that governments may seize property for private development projects.
The City Council voted 5-2 in favor of eviction Monday. An attorney for the residents said they are considering continuing to fight.
"You are a disgrace to the city, the state and the nation," one of the residents, Michael Cristofaro, told council members who voted to evict.
New London, Conn. city officials voted to evict two residents whose refusal to give up their riverfront houses helped lead to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling that governments may seize property for private development projects.
The City Council voted 5-2 in favor of eviction Monday. An attorney for the residents said they are considering continuing to fight.
"You are a disgrace to the city, the state and the nation," one of the residents, Michael Cristofaro, told council members who voted to evict.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Personal Air Sail
WingResembling a 6ft-wide pair of aircraft wings, the devices should allow a parachutist to glide up to 120miles, carrying 200lb of equipment, the manufacturers claim.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Built Not To Last
Engineering Mistakes
3. Vasa, 1628
Three hundred years before the Titanic, the Vasa was the biggest sailing vessel of its day. The overloaded ship ruled the seas for all of a mile before she took on water through her too-low gun ports and promptly capsized.
7. Purity Distilling Company tank, 1919
You gotta keep your molasses somewhere – how about a rickety tank 50 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter in the middle of Boston? The structure was painted brown to hide the leaks. Eventually it burst (possibly exploding from fermentation), sending waves of molasses up to 15 feet high into the city and killing 21.
3. Vasa, 1628
Three hundred years before the Titanic, the Vasa was the biggest sailing vessel of its day. The overloaded ship ruled the seas for all of a mile before she took on water through her too-low gun ports and promptly capsized.
7. Purity Distilling Company tank, 1919
You gotta keep your molasses somewhere – how about a rickety tank 50 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter in the middle of Boston? The structure was painted brown to hide the leaks. Eventually it burst (possibly exploding from fermentation), sending waves of molasses up to 15 feet high into the city and killing 21.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Show Us Your (Hen's) Papers
Across the country, every person with even one horse, cow, chicken, pig, goat, sheep, exotic animal or virtually any other livestock animal on their premises will be required to register their homes and property into a database and subject their property and animals to government surveillance.
Given that NAIS will do little or nothing to address disease problems, one has to look for the true reasons for this program. In searching for the truth, it is helpful to look at who is advocating the program.
Given that NAIS will do little or nothing to address disease problems, one has to look for the true reasons for this program. In searching for the truth, it is helpful to look at who is advocating the program.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Iran test-fires long-range missile
Iran conducted a test launch Tuesday night of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and US targets in the region, Israel Radio reported. The test came hours before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with US President George W Bush in Washington to discuss the Iranian threat.
Monday, May 22, 2006
ATT Spy Rooms
ATT secret room records internet traffic for government.
Another Cut-In and Test Procedure document dated January 24, 2003, provides diagrams of how AT&T Core Network circuits were to be run through the "splitter" cabinet. One page lists the circuit IDs of key Peering Links which were "cut-in" in February 2003, including ConXion, Verio, XO, Genuity, Qwest, PAIX, Allegiance, AboveNet, Global Crossing, C&W, UUNET, Level 3, Sprint, Telia, PSINet and Mae West. By the way, Mae West is one of two key internet nodal points in the United States (the other, Mae East, is in Vienna, Virginia). It's not just WorldNet customers who are being spied on -- it's the entire internet.
Another Cut-In and Test Procedure document dated January 24, 2003, provides diagrams of how AT&T Core Network circuits were to be run through the "splitter" cabinet. One page lists the circuit IDs of key Peering Links which were "cut-in" in February 2003, including ConXion, Verio, XO, Genuity, Qwest, PAIX, Allegiance, AboveNet, Global Crossing, C&W, UUNET, Level 3, Sprint, Telia, PSINet and Mae West. By the way, Mae West is one of two key internet nodal points in the United States (the other, Mae East, is in Vienna, Virginia). It's not just WorldNet customers who are being spied on -- it's the entire internet.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Iran Asks President Bush To Convert
I understand the Koran teaches that an offer to convert to Muslim is a precondition for attacking a person/country.
Translation of the letter La lettre de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad à George W. Bush to President Bush.
"Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?"
Translation of the letter La lettre de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad à George W. Bush to President Bush.
"Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?"
Friday, May 12, 2006
Buddhist Economics
Life planners remind clients that they are free to increase their money supply, decrease their demand, find a way to enjoy making money--or all three.
...
I tell my college students that all they need to be wealthy is to save $1 a day from age 20 to age 70--a daily sacrifice of a cup of coffee or a candy bar. If they invest this $365 a year in the broader market, they will have invested $18,250 over 50 years. I ask them what this investment will be worth when they retire and they usually guess rather small amounts. The reality is they lost a $2 million plus nest egg by frittering away $1 a day. That's a good lesson for college students and for clients alike.
...
I tell my college students that all they need to be wealthy is to save $1 a day from age 20 to age 70--a daily sacrifice of a cup of coffee or a candy bar. If they invest this $365 a year in the broader market, they will have invested $18,250 over 50 years. I ask them what this investment will be worth when they retire and they usually guess rather small amounts. The reality is they lost a $2 million plus nest egg by frittering away $1 a day. That's a good lesson for college students and for clients alike.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls
By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Stockholm Syndrome Robber Applies For Pension
"When I came to the police on Tuesday, there was cop who said, 'Take off Janne. You're wanted,'" Olsson said, according to Dagens Nyheter's website.
No charges will be filed against Olsson, who travelled from Thailand to turn himself in. While in town, Olsson also visited the Swedish tax authorities, where he ordered a new passport and set up an account to receive his pension.
"I turn 65 this year", Olsson said.
No charges will be filed against Olsson, who travelled from Thailand to turn himself in. While in town, Olsson also visited the Swedish tax authorities, where he ordered a new passport and set up an account to receive his pension.
"I turn 65 this year", Olsson said.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
FBI buys illegally acquired phone records for investigations
A congressional investigation into the distribution of illegally obtained mobile phone records has revealed that government law enforcement agencies purchased private phone data from web-based vendors.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
European Pyramid
A pyramid has been found outside Sarajevo.
Osmanagic said Wednesday's discovery significantly bolsters his theory that the 2,120-foot hill rising above the small town of Visoko is actually a step pyramid — the first found in Europe.
Osmanagic said Wednesday's discovery significantly bolsters his theory that the 2,120-foot hill rising above the small town of Visoko is actually a step pyramid — the first found in Europe.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
NASA To Launch Defective Shuttle
There are known problems that caused one shuttle to fail. They will launch in July without necessary fixes.
By MARK CARREAU
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
NASA plans to launch the shuttle Discovery in July without further changes to the foam-covered external fuel tank — despite the concerns of some engineers that more safety improvements are needed, top agency officials said Friday.
The modifications will be considered for flights beyond July's.
By MARK CARREAU
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
NASA plans to launch the shuttle Discovery in July without further changes to the foam-covered external fuel tank — despite the concerns of some engineers that more safety improvements are needed, top agency officials said Friday.
The modifications will be considered for flights beyond July's.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
RFID Implant Required For Employment
Security Focus has an article about a company in Cincinnati that requires RFID for data center employees.
A proposed Wisconsin bill would ban implants as a condition of employment.
A proposed Wisconsin bill would ban implants as a condition of employment.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
AT&T Forwards ALL Internet Traffic Into NSA
San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Wednesday filed the legal briefs and evidence supporting its motion for a preliminary injunction in its class-action lawsuit against AT&T. After asking EFF to hold back the documents so that it could review them, the Department of Justice consented to EFF's filing them under seal — a well-established procedure that prohibits public access and permits only the judge and the litigants to see the evidence. While not a party to the case, the government was concerned that even this procedure would not provide sufficient security and has represented to the Court that it is "presently considering whether and, if so, how it will participate in this case."
The ACLU also filed a lawsuit.
The ACLU also filed a lawsuit.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Healthy Bacon
Geneticists have mixed DNA from the roundworm C. elegans and pigs to produce swine with significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids -- the kind believed to stave off heart disease.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Gary North's Reality Check
From: "Gary North's Reality Check"
Subject: Reality Check - Don't ImitateThe Faceless Kid With The Guitar
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:33:44 -0500
Gary North's REALITY CHECK
question@kbot.com
If you want me to consider answering your
question, you must follow the format:
1. Your age
2. Your occupation
3. Your location
4. Your annual income
5. Your net worth, including 401(k)
6. Your question in 24 words or fewer
Issue 535 March 21, 2006
DON'T IMITATE THE FACELESS KID WITH THE GUITAR
Most people under-price themselves. They don't know
just how valuable their services are to their employers.
Their employers have no incentive to tell them.
Most people don't think about additional income
streams that their services can generate. Amazingly, this
is also true of most small businessmen.
I saw this in action over the weekend. I watched
someone walk away from probably $100,000 -- and maybe a lot
more. Why? Because he forgot to set up a website with a
mailing list option. He was just playing around --
literally. He did not foresee what was about to happen.
But, then again, nobody could have foreseen it.
Nobody really understands just how revolutionary the Web
is.
BECOMING A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON IN 34 HOURS
A friend sent me a link to a document on Friday, March
17. I clicked. I did not find the document. Instead, I
found a bunch of home videos.
It was about 7:40 p.m.
One of the videos caught my attention. It had just
been posted. It had been viewed by fewer than 200 people.
I clicked the link. I watched the video. I sat there,
stunned.
I sent out my first e-mail with a link to that video
at 8:03. I had sent ten more by 8:15.
As it turned out, I was not alone.
The video was made by a teenager. He sits in front of
a camcorder in his bedroom. He is holding an electric
guitar. He has a baseball cap on. He is looking down at
his guitar. You can't see his face at any point in the
video: just a faceless, nameless kid.
Then he begins to play, accompanied by an invisible
back-up band. For the next five minutes, he performs
Pachelbel's Canon in a way that Pachelbel would hardly
believe, were he alive today. Maybe the performance would
kill him.
I posted an article about this video on Friday
evening, where I discussed free Web sites that post
people's home videos. Little did I suspect what was about
to happen.
When I checked back to watch that video again on
Sunday morning, March 19, at 6:45 a.m., the number of views
was approaching one million.
One million! In 34 hours!!
All over the Web on Saturday, people were receiving e-
mail letters with links to that video in their mailboxes.
They watched. Then they sent out that link to their
friends.
I call this word of mouse.
But this was word of mouse on a scale that I had never
personally seen it before, although I have written about
this phenomenon for years. I wrote about what the kid had
done on-screen before I knew what the kid was about to
become: a worldwide phenomenon. See for yourself:
http://snipurl.com/guitarkid
NO WEBSITE
The video does not identify the kid. It doesn't
direct viewers to a Web page or site.
Meanwhile, the comments posted on the video went from
about four when I first spotted the video on Friday to over
2,100 by Sunday morning. The kid had painlessly recruited
a small army of fans in the original sense -- fanatics.
What if he had posted a Web site that offered a free
newsletter for updates? What if his video had put the
address at the bottom of the screen? Can you imagine how
many kids would have signed up? It would be in the tens of
thousands.
The kid would then have a mailing list for his first
home-made CD, at $20 per CD. How many would he have sold?
A thousand? Probably more like 5,000. I'm speaking of his
first CD. He could then produce more.
Then would come the offers from record companies (who
the kid would not need) and impresarios to set up concerts.
More CD sales.
He did not think about any of this. He's just a kid.
Are you thinking about any of this? Probably not.
You can't play the guitar.
But you can do something. You get paid for doing
something. Why not get paid twice?
THE GOLD MINE IN BETWEEN YOUR EARS
People think that the best way to make money is to
write a check, buy an investment, let it rise, and sell it.
This is indeed a way to make money. It is also a way to
lose money.
If you can get a raise, the upside is great. It's
semi-permanent.
What is the downside? As long as you stay with the
company, probably zero, at least until your company merges
with a large firm that plans to make its money by firing
half the people at your company. This just happened to my
28-year-old son, who ran a company's computer network.
The problem is, old dogs resist learning new tricks.
They hate learning new tricks. They like the good old ways
of the good old days. They don't see that the old ways are
constantly being replaced. "It won't happen to me," they
think. They're wrong.
They also don't see the money floating down the gutter
in front of their feet. The gutters relate to their
existing skills. You probably have one of those gutters in
front of you.
The kid with the guitar surely had one. It was more
like a flash flood of money than a gutter. Maybe some
record company executive will see the video and sign the
kid. But if he had a web site and 20,000 people on an
email list, he could drive a harder bargain -- anyway, his
parents could. He is not old enough to sign a contract.
You should be thinking day and night about how to
convert your existing skills into new streams of income: a
raise, a small business on the side, a new career.
For every dollar that your employer spends on you, he
is making two dollars, minimum. Why else would he employ
you? Look at your pre-tax W-2 form. Double this figure.
Somewhere in between what your employer pays you and
this doubled figure is an opportunity.
If you are not thinking about this gap on a regular
basis, then you are like that kid with the guitar and the
camcorder. You are giving away a lot of money.
A PRACTICAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR YOUR CAREER
Here is what you should do before this day is over.
Sit down with a pencil and paper and make a list of your
day's assignments. If you do other tasks on other days,
jot these down.
If you were training a replacement because you are
about to get a promotion -- if there is no replacement, you
won't get a promotion -- what would you tell your
replacement about your job?
Create a manual describing how to do your job. I am
not kidding. Do this. Create a list of tasks. Then
describe briefly what it takes to get these tasks done.
This is a technique advocated by Michael Gerber in his
great book, "The E-Myth." Every start-up business
entrepreneur should do this. So should every mid-level
employee.
The longer it takes you to do make that list, the more
your job is worth to your employer.
The more it is worth to your employer, the more likely
that you are under-pricing your services by mistake.
The longer your job-replacement manual, the more
difficult it would be for your employer to replace you.
The more difficult it is to replace you, the more
likely you will not get a promotion.
There are two main strategies to get a promotion:
1. Make your immediate superior more
productive, so that he gets a promotion, and
he is forced to take you with him.
2. Make the person below you capable of
replacing you, so that it will be
easier for your boss's boss to promote
you.
Most workers are more willing to do the first than the
second. But, pride being what it is, most workers want
credit for everything they do. Maybe they think that they
will get a promotion over their immediate superior's head
if they can show senior management that they are hot-shots.
This is unlikely, unless it's a lateral promotion: out of
the department or even the entire division. The cost of
promoting hot shots is resentment and backbiting by those
passed up, not just the one guy who was passed over but all
of them, who -- being paranoids -- now see a pattern
developing, even if it isn't.
As for helping the guy below you to replace you,
hardly anyone ever does this. Most people are insecure.
They suspect that they are overpaid, not underpaid. They
are afraid of sending a message to their superiors: "You
can now fire me; I have trained my replacement."
If your bosses are that blind, then you had better
find a new employer. Soon.
If the company makes twice what it pays you, it has an
incentive to move you up the hierarchy into a higher-paying
position, so the company can make even more money off of
you. But how many employees ever understand this? Hardly
any.
Senior management wants to promote anyone who can
handle more responsibility, bring in more money, and make
senior management look good to the shareholders. The less
expensive it is for senior management to promote you is for
you to train a replacement. Better yet, train two.
By holding onto whatever you know as a would-be
monopolist, you lock yourself into your present position
and income level.
TARGET YOUR NEW POSITION
It is wise to have a specific target for your next
move. The more specific your target, the more you can
prepare yourself to qualify.
This target may be in another company.
It may even be in another industry.
When you know what it is that you want to do for at
least the next five years, start reading everything you can
on the field. Subscribe to magazines. Sign up for Google
Alerts to mail you daily articles.
www.google.com/alerts
Create a blog of Web sites dealing with this topic.
Use a program like AutoResponse Plus ($200) to create
multiple mailing lists. Spend $10/month to host your site
and AutoResponse Plus (www.siteshack.com).
If your reaction is, "I just can't do all this," then
why do you think you are sufficiently creative enough to
move up to a better position? If you can't spend a few
bucks on the new digital technology, plus devote an hour a
day to reading in the field, why would any prospective
employer hire you?
People dream about the big score or the big career
move. The difference between big dreams and big
achievement is specific action steps.
The best case study of this career-enhancing process
that I know of is the career of coach John Wooden of UCLA.
He labored in relative obscurity at UCLA from 1948 to 1961.
Then, overnight, his career went to the next plateau: the
semifinals of the NCAA. Then, two years later, his team
won the NCAA in basketball. His teams won this 10 times in
12 seasons: 1964-1975.
He did this through personal self-discipline and what
he calls the pyramid of success. The man almost single-
handedly created March Madness. I tell the story here:
http://snipurl.com/wooden
After each season, he would begin studying some aspect
of the game all over again. He prepared for the next
season by training himself, not by recruiting. He never
personally recruited out-of-state high school players, and
rarely did so in-state.
He was named Coach of the Century in 2000 by the NCAA.
Because so few people systematically prepare
themselves for the next level ofperformance, they get
stuck in lifetime career ruts, unless they get fired. They
don't move up because they don't train to work up. They
don't adopt a plan for moving up.
I hope you are not "most people."
----------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
During These 3 Shocking Events of 2006...
Join The World's Most Elite Investors
This year millions of average American investors will be
wiped out... but not this elite circle of potential investors.
Introducing TWO very simple investments that will
protect you, creating a fortress of "wealth insurance"
around your portfolio...
Become part of the world's most intelligent and elite investment
circle today!
http://www1.youreletters.com/t/345239/10885690/784632/0/
----------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
Founders of companies work 12 hours a day 6 days a
week. Employees work 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
Owners hire employees at wages half of what the
company earns from the labor of the employees.
Owners get rich by having lots of employees who are
content with this arrangement.
You can advance your career by taking advantage of
this system. You can play the game by improving your
productivity and moving up, making your company money every
step of your way up. Or you can start your own company on
the side and hire people who are content with the
arrangement that you are content with today.
Don't do what the kid with the guitar did. Don't give
away your product without have a plan for back-end sales.
The kid has an excuse; he's just a kid. You don't have
that excuse.
----------------------------------------------------------
-- Been to the Daily Reckoning Marketplace Yet? --
If not, you ought to see what you've been missing.
Want to read more from our regular contributors? This
is the place to find it.
We've collected some of the best financial advice and
commentary available anywhere and presented it to you
all in one place. Take a look:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/MarketPlace/Newsletters.html
-------------
If you enjoy Reality Check and would like to read more
of Gary's writing please visit his website:
http://www.garynorth.com
-------------
If you'd like to suggest Reality Check to a friend,
please forward this letter to them or point them to:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/sub/GetReality.cfm
------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Reckoning is a free, daily e-mail service
brought to you by the authors of the NY Times Business
Bestseller "Financial Reckoning Day".
To learn more or subscribe, see:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com
------------------------------------------------------
Our writers and contributors also welcome your questions and
comments. Simply reply to this e-mail with the word 'Question'
or 'Comment' in the Subject of your reply
------------------------------------------------------
Are you having trouble receiving your Daily Reckoning?
You can ensure its arrival in your mailbox here:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/Vitals/Whitelist.html
------------------------------------------------------
Please note: We sent this e-mail to:
jb_i@hotmail.com
because you subscribed to this service.
To manage your subscription, go here:
http://www.youreletters.com/subscribe/profile?f=98&id=10885690J
To cancel by mail or for any other subscription issues,
write us at:
Order Processing Center
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 925
Frederick, MD 21705 USA
DR/RC
Subject: Reality Check - Don't ImitateThe Faceless Kid With The Guitar
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:33:44 -0500
Gary North's REALITY CHECK
question@kbot.com
If you want me to consider answering your
question, you must follow the format:
1. Your age
2. Your occupation
3. Your location
4. Your annual income
5. Your net worth, including 401(k)
6. Your question in 24 words or fewer
Issue 535 March 21, 2006
DON'T IMITATE THE FACELESS KID WITH THE GUITAR
Most people under-price themselves. They don't know
just how valuable their services are to their employers.
Their employers have no incentive to tell them.
Most people don't think about additional income
streams that their services can generate. Amazingly, this
is also true of most small businessmen.
I saw this in action over the weekend. I watched
someone walk away from probably $100,000 -- and maybe a lot
more. Why? Because he forgot to set up a website with a
mailing list option. He was just playing around --
literally. He did not foresee what was about to happen.
But, then again, nobody could have foreseen it.
Nobody really understands just how revolutionary the Web
is.
BECOMING A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON IN 34 HOURS
A friend sent me a link to a document on Friday, March
17. I clicked. I did not find the document. Instead, I
found a bunch of home videos.
It was about 7:40 p.m.
One of the videos caught my attention. It had just
been posted. It had been viewed by fewer than 200 people.
I clicked the link. I watched the video. I sat there,
stunned.
I sent out my first e-mail with a link to that video
at 8:03. I had sent ten more by 8:15.
As it turned out, I was not alone.
The video was made by a teenager. He sits in front of
a camcorder in his bedroom. He is holding an electric
guitar. He has a baseball cap on. He is looking down at
his guitar. You can't see his face at any point in the
video: just a faceless, nameless kid.
Then he begins to play, accompanied by an invisible
back-up band. For the next five minutes, he performs
Pachelbel's Canon in a way that Pachelbel would hardly
believe, were he alive today. Maybe the performance would
kill him.
I posted an article about this video on Friday
evening, where I discussed free Web sites that post
people's home videos. Little did I suspect what was about
to happen.
When I checked back to watch that video again on
Sunday morning, March 19, at 6:45 a.m., the number of views
was approaching one million.
One million! In 34 hours!!
All over the Web on Saturday, people were receiving e-
mail letters with links to that video in their mailboxes.
They watched. Then they sent out that link to their
friends.
I call this word of mouse.
But this was word of mouse on a scale that I had never
personally seen it before, although I have written about
this phenomenon for years. I wrote about what the kid had
done on-screen before I knew what the kid was about to
become: a worldwide phenomenon. See for yourself:
http://snipurl.com/guitarkid
NO WEBSITE
The video does not identify the kid. It doesn't
direct viewers to a Web page or site.
Meanwhile, the comments posted on the video went from
about four when I first spotted the video on Friday to over
2,100 by Sunday morning. The kid had painlessly recruited
a small army of fans in the original sense -- fanatics.
What if he had posted a Web site that offered a free
newsletter for updates? What if his video had put the
address at the bottom of the screen? Can you imagine how
many kids would have signed up? It would be in the tens of
thousands.
The kid would then have a mailing list for his first
home-made CD, at $20 per CD. How many would he have sold?
A thousand? Probably more like 5,000. I'm speaking of his
first CD. He could then produce more.
Then would come the offers from record companies (who
the kid would not need) and impresarios to set up concerts.
More CD sales.
He did not think about any of this. He's just a kid.
Are you thinking about any of this? Probably not.
You can't play the guitar.
But you can do something. You get paid for doing
something. Why not get paid twice?
THE GOLD MINE IN BETWEEN YOUR EARS
People think that the best way to make money is to
write a check, buy an investment, let it rise, and sell it.
This is indeed a way to make money. It is also a way to
lose money.
If you can get a raise, the upside is great. It's
semi-permanent.
What is the downside? As long as you stay with the
company, probably zero, at least until your company merges
with a large firm that plans to make its money by firing
half the people at your company. This just happened to my
28-year-old son, who ran a company's computer network.
The problem is, old dogs resist learning new tricks.
They hate learning new tricks. They like the good old ways
of the good old days. They don't see that the old ways are
constantly being replaced. "It won't happen to me," they
think. They're wrong.
They also don't see the money floating down the gutter
in front of their feet. The gutters relate to their
existing skills. You probably have one of those gutters in
front of you.
The kid with the guitar surely had one. It was more
like a flash flood of money than a gutter. Maybe some
record company executive will see the video and sign the
kid. But if he had a web site and 20,000 people on an
email list, he could drive a harder bargain -- anyway, his
parents could. He is not old enough to sign a contract.
You should be thinking day and night about how to
convert your existing skills into new streams of income: a
raise, a small business on the side, a new career.
For every dollar that your employer spends on you, he
is making two dollars, minimum. Why else would he employ
you? Look at your pre-tax W-2 form. Double this figure.
Somewhere in between what your employer pays you and
this doubled figure is an opportunity.
If you are not thinking about this gap on a regular
basis, then you are like that kid with the guitar and the
camcorder. You are giving away a lot of money.
A PRACTICAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR YOUR CAREER
Here is what you should do before this day is over.
Sit down with a pencil and paper and make a list of your
day's assignments. If you do other tasks on other days,
jot these down.
If you were training a replacement because you are
about to get a promotion -- if there is no replacement, you
won't get a promotion -- what would you tell your
replacement about your job?
Create a manual describing how to do your job. I am
not kidding. Do this. Create a list of tasks. Then
describe briefly what it takes to get these tasks done.
This is a technique advocated by Michael Gerber in his
great book, "The E-Myth." Every start-up business
entrepreneur should do this. So should every mid-level
employee.
The longer it takes you to do make that list, the more
your job is worth to your employer.
The more it is worth to your employer, the more likely
that you are under-pricing your services by mistake.
The longer your job-replacement manual, the more
difficult it would be for your employer to replace you.
The more difficult it is to replace you, the more
likely you will not get a promotion.
There are two main strategies to get a promotion:
1. Make your immediate superior more
productive, so that he gets a promotion, and
he is forced to take you with him.
2. Make the person below you capable of
replacing you, so that it will be
easier for your boss's boss to promote
you.
Most workers are more willing to do the first than the
second. But, pride being what it is, most workers want
credit for everything they do. Maybe they think that they
will get a promotion over their immediate superior's head
if they can show senior management that they are hot-shots.
This is unlikely, unless it's a lateral promotion: out of
the department or even the entire division. The cost of
promoting hot shots is resentment and backbiting by those
passed up, not just the one guy who was passed over but all
of them, who -- being paranoids -- now see a pattern
developing, even if it isn't.
As for helping the guy below you to replace you,
hardly anyone ever does this. Most people are insecure.
They suspect that they are overpaid, not underpaid. They
are afraid of sending a message to their superiors: "You
can now fire me; I have trained my replacement."
If your bosses are that blind, then you had better
find a new employer. Soon.
If the company makes twice what it pays you, it has an
incentive to move you up the hierarchy into a higher-paying
position, so the company can make even more money off of
you. But how many employees ever understand this? Hardly
any.
Senior management wants to promote anyone who can
handle more responsibility, bring in more money, and make
senior management look good to the shareholders. The less
expensive it is for senior management to promote you is for
you to train a replacement. Better yet, train two.
By holding onto whatever you know as a would-be
monopolist, you lock yourself into your present position
and income level.
TARGET YOUR NEW POSITION
It is wise to have a specific target for your next
move. The more specific your target, the more you can
prepare yourself to qualify.
This target may be in another company.
It may even be in another industry.
When you know what it is that you want to do for at
least the next five years, start reading everything you can
on the field. Subscribe to magazines. Sign up for Google
Alerts to mail you daily articles.
www.google.com/alerts
Create a blog of Web sites dealing with this topic.
Use a program like AutoResponse Plus ($200) to create
multiple mailing lists. Spend $10/month to host your site
and AutoResponse Plus (www.siteshack.com).
If your reaction is, "I just can't do all this," then
why do you think you are sufficiently creative enough to
move up to a better position? If you can't spend a few
bucks on the new digital technology, plus devote an hour a
day to reading in the field, why would any prospective
employer hire you?
People dream about the big score or the big career
move. The difference between big dreams and big
achievement is specific action steps.
The best case study of this career-enhancing process
that I know of is the career of coach John Wooden of UCLA.
He labored in relative obscurity at UCLA from 1948 to 1961.
Then, overnight, his career went to the next plateau: the
semifinals of the NCAA. Then, two years later, his team
won the NCAA in basketball. His teams won this 10 times in
12 seasons: 1964-1975.
He did this through personal self-discipline and what
he calls the pyramid of success. The man almost single-
handedly created March Madness. I tell the story here:
http://snipurl.com/wooden
After each season, he would begin studying some aspect
of the game all over again. He prepared for the next
season by training himself, not by recruiting. He never
personally recruited out-of-state high school players, and
rarely did so in-state.
He was named Coach of the Century in 2000 by the NCAA.
Because so few people systematically prepare
themselves for the next level ofperformance, they get
stuck in lifetime career ruts, unless they get fired. They
don't move up because they don't train to work up. They
don't adopt a plan for moving up.
I hope you are not "most people."
----------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
During These 3 Shocking Events of 2006...
Join The World's Most Elite Investors
This year millions of average American investors will be
wiped out... but not this elite circle of potential investors.
Introducing TWO very simple investments that will
protect you, creating a fortress of "wealth insurance"
around your portfolio...
Become part of the world's most intelligent and elite investment
circle today!
http://www1.youreletters.com/t/345239/10885690/784632/0/
----------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
Founders of companies work 12 hours a day 6 days a
week. Employees work 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
Owners hire employees at wages half of what the
company earns from the labor of the employees.
Owners get rich by having lots of employees who are
content with this arrangement.
You can advance your career by taking advantage of
this system. You can play the game by improving your
productivity and moving up, making your company money every
step of your way up. Or you can start your own company on
the side and hire people who are content with the
arrangement that you are content with today.
Don't do what the kid with the guitar did. Don't give
away your product without have a plan for back-end sales.
The kid has an excuse; he's just a kid. You don't have
that excuse.
----------------------------------------------------------
-- Been to the Daily Reckoning Marketplace Yet? --
If not, you ought to see what you've been missing.
Want to read more from our regular contributors? This
is the place to find it.
We've collected some of the best financial advice and
commentary available anywhere and presented it to you
all in one place. Take a look:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/MarketPlace/Newsletters.html
-------------
If you enjoy Reality Check and would like to read more
of Gary's writing please visit his website:
http://www.garynorth.com
-------------
If you'd like to suggest Reality Check to a friend,
please forward this letter to them or point them to:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/sub/GetReality.cfm
------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Reckoning is a free, daily e-mail service
brought to you by the authors of the NY Times Business
Bestseller "Financial Reckoning Day".
To learn more or subscribe, see:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com
------------------------------------------------------
Our writers and contributors also welcome your questions and
comments. Simply reply to this e-mail with the word 'Question'
or 'Comment' in the Subject of your reply
------------------------------------------------------
Are you having trouble receiving your Daily Reckoning?
You can ensure its arrival in your mailbox here:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/Vitals/Whitelist.html
------------------------------------------------------
Please note: We sent this e-mail to:
jb_i@hotmail.com
because you subscribed to this service.
To manage your subscription, go here:
http://www.youreletters.com/subscribe/profile?f=98&id=10885690J
To cancel by mail or for any other subscription issues,
write us at:
Order Processing Center
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 925
Frederick, MD 21705 USA
DR/RC
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Selling Furniture To Pay The Laundry Bill
The Christian Science Monitor has a good article on US Government Debt.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Patriot Act: The Home Version
In this send-up of "Monopoly," players don't pass "Go" and they don't go directly to jail - they go to Guantanamo Bay.
Instead of losing cash for landing on certain squares, they lose civil liberties. And the "Mr. Monopoly" character at the center of the board is replaced by a scowling former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Instead of losing cash for landing on certain squares, they lose civil liberties. And the "Mr. Monopoly" character at the center of the board is replaced by a scowling former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
China Iran == Hammer Time
If we get our economic tentacles deeply connected with China and Iran, they may hesitate sending military pain our way. If we are deeply connected economically, maybe (just maybe) we won't have world war 3.
China increases military spending and Iran's missiles and Iran's uranium processing create formidable military opponents. Pakistan and India are capable of causing significant military distraction, even if it would only be short-lived.
Iraq is no longer stabilizing Iran's ambitions. China may take this oppportunity to seize disputed waters that contain oil.
How can we prepare? Maybe one day we will wake up to headlines of aggression by Iran or China, and that gold and silver prices have doubled. It is unlikely that a few ounces of precious metals will be enough to weather the storm. There are no easy answers, thare are only consequences.
China increases military spending and Iran's missiles and Iran's uranium processing create formidable military opponents. Pakistan and India are capable of causing significant military distraction, even if it would only be short-lived.
Iraq is no longer stabilizing Iran's ambitions. China may take this oppportunity to seize disputed waters that contain oil.
How can we prepare? Maybe one day we will wake up to headlines of aggression by Iran or China, and that gold and silver prices have doubled. It is unlikely that a few ounces of precious metals will be enough to weather the storm. There are no easy answers, thare are only consequences.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Fuel-less Back Packing Stove
This camping stove requires the owner to scavenge for fuel, instead of carrying fuel. It has a battery that apparently powers a fan. This would be good for reducing weight on back country trips. I wonder how quickly it boils water.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Flourish
Flourishing Ever After
Faced with the thorny task of answering, "How happy
are you?" we tend to shortcut to current mood as a barometer. Happiness is a soccer victory, a warm puppy, a Porsche, scoring your size at a Nordstrom shoe sale. This is clearly a spurious method of evaluating our lives as a complex whole.
Faced with the thorny task of answering, "How happy
are you?" we tend to shortcut to current mood as a barometer. Happiness is a soccer victory, a warm puppy, a Porsche, scoring your size at a Nordstrom shoe sale. This is clearly a spurious method of evaluating our lives as a complex whole.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Grow The Root
Baby's grandparents will be surprised at the changes we are planning for their back yard!
Bank Privacy Act Gives Info To Feds
He learned about changes in something called the Bank Privacy Act.
The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.
...
After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn't changed.
...
They both learned the same astounding piece of information about the little things that can set the threat sensors to beeping and blinking.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.
The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.
...
After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn't changed.
...
They both learned the same astounding piece of information about the little things that can set the threat sensors to beeping and blinking.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.
John Deere Wind Farm
John Deere has a wind turbine financing program for those with a good "wind regime". They lease the land or split the electricity revenue from farmers that can place wind turbines on their land.
Kansas has wind farms being built including a 110 megawatt wind farm.
Cheap land, good sustained wind, access to power transmission, and tax credits might make it worthwhile to find land specifically for wind mills.
This article by Business 2.0 on John Deere wind farms is a good introduction to the topic.
Kansas has wind farms being built including a 110 megawatt wind farm.
Cheap land, good sustained wind, access to power transmission, and tax credits might make it worthwhile to find land specifically for wind mills.
This article by Business 2.0 on John Deere wind farms is a good introduction to the topic.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Red Cross Pays CEO $1M
Many people gave money to the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. Ex-CEO Marsha Evans pocketed over one million dollars of that giving.
CO2 Energy Storage
Besides having a picture of their offices that could use an upgrade, there is a movie of a CO2 powered aircraft. I wonder if it would be feasible to use CO2 energy storage to power a UPS battery backup or to increase the acceleration performance of a vehicle.
EU Social Insurance
This is an informative write-up from the Swedes about social insurance benefits in the European Union.
Coal Into Gold
They roll back the price of a barrel of crude oil to what it sold for two years ago.
The technique involves processing coal (spraying tar or something cheap on it to supposedly alter the chemical structure), then burn it as usual. Big tax benefits are the result.
The technique involves processing coal (spraying tar or something cheap on it to supposedly alter the chemical structure), then burn it as usual. Big tax benefits are the result.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
United Airlines Customer Care Gone To India
We called United Airlines customer care and received a long, tortured run-around with Indian-sounding people. It appears UAL has outsouced some customer care during some holiday hours. We complained, and as expected we received a "blah blah blah" response. Unexpectedly, the response took two weeks!
As Business 2.0 says of outsourcing customer care, The hidden costs far outweighed the potential savings in labor expenses.
I have over 200,000 paid miles on United. These weren't discounted flights - one ticket was over $1500 for a same-day flight to travel non-stop 1400 miles in economy class. United has made good money from me, and now I am beginning to comparison shop other airlines.
From: UACustomerCare24 Reply
Reply To: "UACustomerCare24 Reply"
To: <>
Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from () -Ref#:
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2006
Dear xx,
Thank you for contacting us. I truly appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge
your comments and respond.
I'm sorry that you received a poor impression of United's ability to serve you.
United staff has the training and ability to do a far better job than your
comments indicate. So I have forwarded your comments to our concerned
department for their review with the staff involved.
We appreciate this opportunity to respond and look forward to serving you.
Regards,
Erwin Pant
United Airlines Customer Relations
-----Original Message-----
Received: 2/20/06
Subject: Customer Relations email from xxx
Message type: Complaint
Response required: Yes
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly, did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email (even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
As Business 2.0 says of outsourcing customer care, The hidden costs far outweighed the potential savings in labor expenses.
I have over 200,000 paid miles on United. These weren't discounted flights - one ticket was over $1500 for a same-day flight to travel non-stop 1400 miles in economy class. United has made good money from me, and now I am beginning to comparison shop other airlines.
From: UACustomerCare24 Reply
Reply To: "UACustomerCare24 Reply"
To: <>
Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from () -Ref#:
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2006
Dear xx,
Thank you for contacting us. I truly appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge
your comments and respond.
I'm sorry that you received a poor impression of United's ability to serve you.
United staff has the training and ability to do a far better job than your
comments indicate. So I have forwarded your comments to our concerned
department for their review with the staff involved.
We appreciate this opportunity to respond and look forward to serving you.
Regards,
Erwin Pant
United Airlines Customer Relations
-----Original Message-----
Received: 2/20/06
Subject: Customer Relations email from xxx
Message type: Complaint
Response required: Yes
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly, did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email (even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
14th Century Ship Found In Stockholm Waters
A Middle Ages shipwreck was found in the waters of Stockholm.
The Vasa Museum houses a 17th century ship that was also found in Stockholm waters.
The Vasa Museum houses a 17th century ship that was also found in Stockholm waters.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Health Freedom Protection Act
Support the Health Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 4282)
The Health Freedom Protection Act (HR 4282) would prevent the F.D.A. from
censoring Americans' right to know about truthful, health-enhancing benefits of
food and dietary ingredients. The bill was sponsored by Ron Paul (Texas) and has
14 cosponsors, including Tom Tancredo (Colorado).
ACTION: Please email your U.S. Representatives asking them to SUPPORT H.R. 4282.
You can send your Representatives and Senators a pre-written e-mail message
from: http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=8240751&type=CO
Or
http://ga4.org/campaign/FDA_reform
You can also phone your U.S. Representatives urging them to SUPPORT H.R. 4282.
The main Capitol Hill switchboard phone number is: (202) 225-3121.
You can read the actual Bill and check on it's status at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04282:
The Health Freedom Protection Act (HR 4282) would prevent the F.D.A. from
censoring Americans' right to know about truthful, health-enhancing benefits of
food and dietary ingredients. The bill was sponsored by Ron Paul (Texas) and has
14 cosponsors, including Tom Tancredo (Colorado).
ACTION: Please email your U.S. Representatives asking them to SUPPORT H.R. 4282.
You can send your Representatives and Senators a pre-written e-mail message
from: http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=8240751&type=CO
Or
http://ga4.org/campaign/FDA_reform
You can also phone your U.S. Representatives urging them to SUPPORT H.R. 4282.
The main Capitol Hill switchboard phone number is: (202) 225-3121.
You can read the actual Bill and check on it's status at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04282:
Less Taxes
The Colorado Club for Growth is an organization of Colorado citizens and taxpayers dedicated to fighting for lower taxes, reduced regulatory burdens, controlled government spending, and other policies that will expand overall economic growth and prosperity for the people of Colorado.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Clinically Dead Resuscitation
These data aren't published yet, but the center hopes to begin human clinical trials within a year on a protocol they hope could revolutionize trauma care by saving people in cardiac arrest because of massive blood loss.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Camel Suit
A Qantas baggage handler drove across the Sydney airport tarmac wearing a camel suit which he had taken out of a passenger's baggage.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Port Security & Software Trojans
The interest in the sale of dock operations got me thinking about other areas that can lead to insecurity. What if the programmers who write the software that drives the Airbus jets included a trojan horse that caused the planes to change routes and fly to certain locations at some future date?
The unionized dock workers have the most to lose if their employer is sold. Dock workers strangle American businesses that do any export/import.
The unionized dock workers have the most to lose if their employer is sold. Dock workers strangle American businesses that do any export/import.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Police Cameras Inside Homes
"I know a lot of people are concerned about Big Brother, but my response to that is, if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" Chief Harold Hurtt told reporters Wednesday at a regular briefing.
Monday, February 20, 2006
United Airlines Customer Care Gone To India
Sent to United Airlines after speaking with their incompetent off-shored customer care:
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with
United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to
the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than
America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our
infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been
handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned
into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly,
did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and
stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could
speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had
to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had
no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email
(even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be
useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such
routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and
know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain
loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with
United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to
the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than
America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our
infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been
handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned
into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly,
did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and
stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could
speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had
to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had
no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email
(even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be
useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such
routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and
know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain
loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Skpe Negates Wiretaps
Skype encrypts communications, so an eavesdropper would need to break the encryption before they could understand the conversation.
With Skype an eavesdropper could still determine both calling parties.
With Skype an eavesdropper could still determine both calling parties.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Feds Want Google Search Data
In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for the records, which include a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.
The government indicated that other, unspecified search engines have agreed to release the information, but not Google.
The government indicated that other, unspecified search engines have agreed to release the information, but not Google.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Friday, February 03, 2006
Green Glowing Farm Animal
They claim that while other researchers have bred partly fluorescent pigs, theirs are the only pigs in the world which are green through and through.
Phone Call Drag Net
Tice says the technology exists to track and sort through every domestic and international phone call as they are switched through centers, such as one in New York, and to search for key words or phrases that a terrorist might use.
Eavesdropping 101: What Can The NSA Do?
Instead of targeting you because you once received a telephone call from a person who received a telephone call from a person who is a suspected terrorist, you might be targeted because the NSA's computers have analyzed your communications and have determined that they contain certain words or word combinations, addressing information, or other factors with a frequency that deviates from the average, and which they have decided might be an indication of suspiciousness. The NSA has no prior reason to suspect you, and you are in no way tied to any other suspicious individuals – you have just been plucked out of the crowd by a computer algorithm's analysis of your behavior.
Eavesdropping 101: What Can The NSA Do?
Instead of targeting you because you once received a telephone call from a person who received a telephone call from a person who is a suspected terrorist, you might be targeted because the NSA's computers have analyzed your communications and have determined that they contain certain words or word combinations, addressing information, or other factors with a frequency that deviates from the average, and which they have decided might be an indication of suspiciousness. The NSA has no prior reason to suspect you, and you are in no way tied to any other suspicious individuals – you have just been plucked out of the crowd by a computer algorithm's analysis of your behavior.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
Federal Government Debt To The Penny
The Debt To the Penny
Current Amount
01/12/2006 $8,159,084,910,068.58
Current Month
01/11/2006 $8,161,933,710,814.20
01/10/2006 $8,165,647,324,627.69
01/09/2006 $8,160,257,013,544.35
01/06/2006 $8,161,507,578,194.35
01/05/2006 $8,160,320,491,591.57
01/04/2006 $8,165,858,995,532.37
01/03/2006 $8,153,881,581,212.99
Prior Months
12/30/2005 $8,170,424,541,313.62
11/30/2005 $8,092,322,205,720.65
10/31/2005 $8,027,123,404,214.36
Prior Fiscal Years
09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998 $5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73
09/29/1995 $4,973,982,900,709.39
09/30/1994 $4,692,749,910,013.32
09/30/1993 $4,411,488,883,139.38
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66
09/30/1991 $3,665,303,351,697.03
09/28/1990 $3,233,313,451,777.25
09/29/1989 $2,857,430,960,187.32
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16
09/30/1987 $2,350,276,890,953.00
SOURCE: BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC DEBT
Looking for more historical information? Visit the Debt Historical Information archives.
Intellectual Property | Privacy & Security Notices | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | Data Quality
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt
Last Updated January 13, 2006
Current Amount
01/12/2006 $8,159,084,910,068.58
Current Month
01/11/2006 $8,161,933,710,814.20
01/10/2006 $8,165,647,324,627.69
01/09/2006 $8,160,257,013,544.35
01/06/2006 $8,161,507,578,194.35
01/05/2006 $8,160,320,491,591.57
01/04/2006 $8,165,858,995,532.37
01/03/2006 $8,153,881,581,212.99
Prior Months
12/30/2005 $8,170,424,541,313.62
11/30/2005 $8,092,322,205,720.65
10/31/2005 $8,027,123,404,214.36
Prior Fiscal Years
09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998 $5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73
09/29/1995 $4,973,982,900,709.39
09/30/1994 $4,692,749,910,013.32
09/30/1993 $4,411,488,883,139.38
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66
09/30/1991 $3,665,303,351,697.03
09/28/1990 $3,233,313,451,777.25
09/29/1989 $2,857,430,960,187.32
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16
09/30/1987 $2,350,276,890,953.00
SOURCE: BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC DEBT
Looking for more historical information? Visit the Debt Historical Information archives.
Intellectual Property | Privacy & Security Notices | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | Data Quality
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt
Last Updated January 13, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Ear Nest
The black spider, "the size of a thumbnail", crept into the woman's ear while she was sleeping and went undiscovered for almost a month, the paper said.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Awesome Costco Vacation
The Costco Connection magazine, January 2006, page 98.
"I took a day off work to be here," exclaimed Gomez. "This is so awesome!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)