RANT: The USPS is out of Post Cards

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

2014-Jul-23

Yday, I made a trip to the PO to get some post cars.

Have none. Haven’t had any for months. Don’t know when they will get any.

Interesting.

No wonder they are broke.

Typical Gooferment agency — immoral, ineffective, and inefficient!

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POLITICAL: “Roof Knocking” Technique

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

http://prepperchimp.com/2014/07/14/video-incredible-up-close-footage-of-israeli-roof-knocking-bombing-technique/

*** begin quote ***

The “Roof Knocking” Technique used by Israelis in their latest attacks on Hamas have been labeled “controversial” and even “inhumane”. What is “Roof Knocking”? It is when an inert bomb or shell casing with no explosive warhead is dropped on a rooftop to create a loud and thunderous impact with the building letting those inside know that in a few minutes a missile or bomb with a live warhead will destroy the building. The “knock” is to allow people to exit the building rapidly with the intent on saving lives when the warhead strikes to destroy enemy missiles, weapons and equipment. What other military provides this great “service” to an enemy? What do you think of this technique?

*** end quote ***

Wow!

Stunning at the damage.

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JOBSEARCH: “EMPLOYEE” is fodder for the “burn pile”

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

http://arstechnica.com/staff/2014/07/op-ed-microsoft-layoff-e-mail-typifies-inhuman-corporate-insensitivity/

Op-Ed: Microsoft layoff e-mail typifies inhuman corporate insensitivity
Robotic letter is an unfortunately normal example of how companies talk to employees.
by Lee Hutchinson – July 17 2014, 4:01pm EDT

*** begin quote ***

Put another way, the offensive part here is not that Microsoft has to lay off 18,000 people—that kind of thing happens in business, and sometimes companies have to cut employees. That’s not the problem. The problem is that this is an inhumane, inhuman way to let those 18,000 people go.

This kind of insultingly indirect messaging plagues most large businesses—and it’s horrible no matter where it shows up. Companies should “align their synergies” with the humans they’re firing and do them the courtesy of not pissing on them and telling them it’s raining. There’s a decent way to let people go, and this ain’t it.

*** end quote ***

I often say that your ONLY job as an employee is to find your next job.

An employee is a consultant with no choice where to work tomorrow. And, has even less job security!

Argh!

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MONEY: US 90 percent silver coins minted before 1965

Monday, July 21, 2014

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/2229-the-immorality-of-paper-money

The Immorality Of Paper Money
Monday, 14 July 2014 16:44 Bob Livingston

*** begin quote ***

I still like U.S. 90 percent silver coins minted before 1965. They can be purchased in bags of $1,000 face amount or in smaller increments — even individually. (Find a local, reputable coin dealer with a good rating with the Better Business Bureau and a history in the community.) Buy for great price explosion upward as well as for survival coins. As paper money fails, a silver dollar will buy a week’s groceries any time.

*** end quote ***

A silver dollar is probably worth 19 U$D in melt value.

Don’t think that buys a week’s groceries. That’s probably hype.

But, it’s not hard to look at Zimbabwe, Argentina, Venezuela, or the pre-WW2 Germany experiences for an approximation of what could happen here.

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GUNS: RKBA SHALL NOT except in the USSA

Sunday, July 20, 2014

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2014/07/11/why-every-yes-every-gun-control-law-is-unconstitutional/

Why Every (Yes, Every) Gun Control Law Is Unconstitutional
Written by: Byron Berger Self Defense July 11, 2014

*** begin quote ***

What’s interesting about this language is that it states that the right to bear arms SHALL NOT be infringed. The Founding Fathers placed a bright-line prohibition on infringement of the right. They knew the difference between an outright prohibition and the providing to the federal government the ability to place reasonable restrictions on a right. For example, the Fourth Amendment prohibits “unreasonable” search and seizure.

Until 2010, the significant weakness of the Second Amendment was that, in some minds, it did not apply to state or local governments. These governments were free to make any regulations their state supreme courts held acceptable under the state constitutions. That’s why states like New York and California could virtually ban their citizens from bearing arms.

But it all changed in 2010, when the United States Supreme Court decided McDonald v. Chicago. This case held that the Second Amendment was “incorporated.” This legal term means that the states and local governments now must follow the limitations of the federal Constitution’s Second Amendment, and that state laws cannot be more restrictive than those allowed by the Second Amendment.

*** end quote ***

Had an interesting discussion with a young lady going off to college and concerned about personal safety.

A friends recommended MACE or Pepper Spray. 

I disagreed.

The young lady will travel from the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee, through the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee, to the Pepuls Republik of Konn-net-tea-cut!

Guaranteed she will fall afoul of the diktats in one of those three “jurisdiction”.

I recommend pursuing other options — one of which was a concealed carry permit in all three states. Virtually impossible for “regular people”.

As well as self-defense classes and situational awareness training (OODA).

If some one is going to hurt her, I want her to stop it cold!

“Victim disarmament is the view that it is somehow better to see a woman raped in an alley and strangled with her own pantyhose, than see her with a gun in her hand.” — T.D. Melrose

Argh!

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CLOUD: LASTPASS earns confidence

Saturday, July 19, 2014

A Note from LastPass
41 LastPass : The last password you’ll have to remember by Amber Gott / 1d // keep unread // hide
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LastPass is in part able to achieve the highest level of security for our users by looking to our community to challenge our technology.

In August 2013, a security researcher at UC Berkeley, Zhiwei Li, contacted us to responsibly disclose novel vulnerabilities with the LastPass bookmarklets (actively used by less than 1% of the user base) and One Time Passwords (OTPs). Zhiwei discovered one issue that could be exploited if a LastPass user utilized the bookmarklet on an attacking site, and another issue if the LastPass user went to an attacking site while logged into LastPass, and used their username to potentially create a bogus OTP.

Zhiwei only tested these exploits on dummy accounts at LastPass and we don’t have any evidence they were exploited by anyone beyond himself and his research team. The reported issues were addressed immediately, as confirmed by their team, and we let them publish their research before discussing it.

If you are concerned that you’ve used bookmarklets before September 2013 on non-trustworthy sites, you may consider changing your master password and generating new passwords, though we don’t think it is necessary.

Regarding the OTP attack, it is a “targeted attack”, requiring an attacker to know the user’s username to potentially exploit it, and serve that custom attack per user, activity which we have not seen. Even if this was exploited, the attacker would still not have the key to decrypt user data. If you’d like to check your current OTPs you can do so here: https://lastpass.com/otp.php

We appreciate that, as the most popular password manager in the world, we have an active, dedicated community that challenges us to be better and is committed to helping us improve the security of our service. Again, we thank Zhiwei and his team for their important research.

Regards,
Joe & The LastPass Team

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I trust them.

BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), …

… no one has my bank password.

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POLITICAL: The situation at the border IS a national disgrace

Friday, July 18, 2014

http://keywestlou.com/the-shame-of-it-all

THE SHAME OF IT ALL
Posted on July 11, 2014 by keywestlou

*** begin quote ***

ABC News ran photographs on the internet yesterday of some of the children who have come over the border into Texas. The 52,000.

Here is what I saw.

Children sleeping on bathroom floors, in orderly fashion next to each other. More sleeping on shower floors. Not in orderly fashion. On top of each other in many instances. The floor in each room reported to be concrete. Nothing between the kids’ bodies and the concrete. Some standing crowded almost like sardines in what was described as a holding room.

The news report stated the areas where the children were held were fenced in by chain link and barbed wire. It was further reported that the children are only allowed 30 minutes outside each day to play.

ABC’s report further indicated that many of the children still appear dehydrated and hungry. The report also stated some of the children were sick and could not eat.

Is this how we treat children in the United States? Regardless of how they arrived here?

This is not a Republican/Democrat thing. This is a humanitarian crisis. Political differences and hatreds should be set aside. We are duty and conscience bound to react. To do the right thing. To be God like. To help the children.

*** end quote ***

The situation at the border IS a national disgrace.

Let’s not forget the reason this situation was created — politics.

The D’s figure to remake America into a Socialist Paradise by embarrassing the R’s in front of Hispanic voters. Add to that that all the illegal aliens will vote D is the cherry on the Sunday.

And it distracts from the bad economy, the foreign policy disasters, and the Obamacare disaster. Never mind concealing the IRS scandal and the VA débâcle.

As a Voluntaryist type of little L libertarian, America needs good people to come work and assimilate. The current immigration disaster is failure to have such policy.

A plague on all their houses for the mess that they have made.

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TINFOILHAT: 42 percent—are still “unsure”

Thursday, July 17, 2014

http://whowhatwhy.com/2014/07/10/four-in-ten-in-bostonians-skeptical-of-official-marathon-bombing-account/

Four In Ten Bostonians Skeptical Of Official Marathon Bombing Account
By James Henry on Jul 10, 2014

*** begin quote ***

A recent poll conducted by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s defense team, part of an effort to force a change of venue for his trial, found that a majority of Bostonians—58 percent—are already convinced the accused Marathon bomber is “definitely guilty.”

That may be persuasive to the presiding judge. But what’s perhaps more interesting is that the poll found a sizable number of Boston residents—42 percent—are still “unsure,” indicating that even the population with the closest proximity to the April 15, 2013, act of terrorism still harbor doubts about the “official” version of events.

*** and ***

And finally, the public has never seen the alleged video footage of Dzhokhar planting his backpack at the scene of the second explosion. What we have seen are grainy videos that show the brothers on Boylston St. carrying backpacks—like hundreds of other spectators that day.

*** end quote ***

To quote one America’s premiere justices:

“I wouldn’t believe you, if your tongue came notarized.” … attributed to Judge Marilyn Milian, but may have an earlier history.

“Official” stories are usually spin, propaganda, and outright lies.

When will the Sheeple wake up and demand the truth?

“I want the truth. I demand the truth. I’m entitled to the TRUTH!” “I’ll give you the truth. “Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. … Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men played by Jack Nicholson

In the 60’s, “question authority” was dogma. What happened to that today?

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POLITICAL: Salman Khan will kill Gooferment Skrules

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/07/gary-north/one-man-is-bringing-down-teachers-unions-and-public-schools/

http://www.garynorth.com/public/12661.cfm

Khan Academy’s Challenge to State-Certified Educators
By Gary North
GaryNorth.com
July 12, 2014

*** begin quote ***

I have written a lot about Salman Khan and the Khan Academy. I will continue to do so.

Today, I want to talk about what he has done to modern theories of education. For over a century, there has been a mass illusion that has been fostered by beneficiaries of tax money. This money has gone to teachers and educators. This illusion is as follows: state certification necessary to be a good teacher.

*** and ***

It is all a farce. It is summarized by the slogan we have all heard: “He who can, does. He who can’t, teaches. He who can’t teach, teaches teachers.”

*** and ***

Because one man has single-handedly proven that the entire theory of progressive education is wrong, and that you don’t need to have specialized training in order to be a great teacher, other institutions can now get involved. Institutions that are not certified by the educational establishment will be able to provide top-flight educational services. Churches will be able to do this. Charitable groups will be able to do this. I hate to think about it, but inner-city gangs will be able to do this. Anyone who wants to gain a following in the community can do so by offering top-flight educational services free of charge, simply by providing low-cost computers to students, and a minimal place to house them. The state will still regulate square footage, and the teachers’ union will still try to convince people that these alternative routes to education are substandard, but Khan Academy’s success at Oakland Unity High School is proof that an uncertified teacher and his educational program are better than what the inner-city schools, or regular public schools, are capable of providing. That is the affront of the Khan Academy.

*** end quote ***

Maybe this will finally kill Gooferment Skrules and the corruption goes with them (i.e., politicians appoint bureaucrats who “negotiate” with teacher’s union who then make contributions of money and labor to the politicians). It’s incest!

Argh!

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POLITICAL: Poor Man’s Polar

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/07/10/poor-mans-polar-vortex-to-make-shocking-summer-return-in-eastern-u-s-next-week/

What happened to “global warming”?

Are we now back to “global cooling”?

Or is it all now “man caused climate change”?

Argh!

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