GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The Gooferment needs to be the referee of a level playing field

Saturday, February 17, 2018

https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-batteries-are-taking-a-bite-out-of-the-power-market-1518431400?mod=djem10point

Big Batteries Are Taking a Bite Out of the Power Market
Batteries charged by renewable energy are nibbling at power plants that generate extra surges of electricity during peak hours
By Russell Gold
Feb. 12, 2018 5:30 a.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Overall, it still generally costs 35% more today to provide extra power via a battery compared with a conventional peaker plant, according to energy analysts at SSR LLC. But they estimate that batteries will be less expensive by 2024. Batteries, they add, are better suited to replace peaker plants in warmer areas than in colder climates, where winter peaks can last for longer than four hours.

*** and ***

The American Petroleum Institute, a lobbying group that represents natural-gas producers, applauds batteries but believes they should compete on a level playing field. Storage projects, when paired with renewable energy, currently qualify for a 30% federal investment tax credit, which was left intact in the recent tax overhaul.

“It appears that battery technology is now ready to compete in the market. This means the financial support provided by governments intended to encourage the development and deployment of the technology can be eliminated,” an Institute spokesman said.

*** end quote ***

The Gooferment should not have special tax breaks for their “favorite” Crony Capitalists.

In this case, let solar power stand or fall on its own merits.

Look at the computer marketplace, the “invisible hand” of the truly free market will deliver benefits to everyone without help from the politicians and bureaucrats taking a cut.

Argh!

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GUNS: An “interesting definition” of “school shootings”

Friday, February 16, 2018

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/02/14/fact-check-pro-gun-control-liberals-spread-misleading-claim-18-school-shootings-far-2018/

Fact Check: Pro-Gun Control Liberals Spread Misleading Claim of 18 School Shootings so Far in 2018
by AWR HAWKINS 14 Feb 2018

*** begin quote ***

In the wake of the heinous attack on Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, pro-gun control liberals spread the misleading claim that there have already been 18 school shootings in 2018.

*** and ***

For example, in Everytown for Gun Safety’s breakdown of the alleged shootings, it is evident that eight of the 18 incidents did not result in any injuries or fatalities. Of the remaining 10 alleged shootings, Everytown lists two as an “attempted or completed suicide, with no intent to injure other person.” One of the suicides occurred in the bathroom of an Arizona school and the second in the parking lot of a Michigan school. No one else was injured in either incident.

Of the remaining eight incidents, Everytown lists one as a “gun fired unintentionally.” Of the remaining seven, where a gun was fired to harm others, at least one of the incidents was a single shot fired following an early morning fight at Wake Forest University. One shooting happened outside a Louisiana high school resulting in a 14-year-old receiving an “superficial” wound, and another resulted in a 15-year-old girl being wounded by a 16-year-old boy.

When suicides, accidental discharges, purposeful shootings without injuries, and purposeful shootings with only “superficial” wounds are counted as school shootings on par with the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School or Columbine, then we have reached a point when the phrase “school shootings” can connote anything.

*** end quote ***

How can we have an honest discussion when “interesting definitions” are used?

It’s really counter-productive and does nothing to advance our understanding.

Argh!

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Can we even enumerate and list all the possible things of note?

Friday, February 16, 2018

https://nypost.com/2018/02/10/peeling-back-the-layers-of-hillary-clintons-deceit/

OPINION
Peeling back the layers of Hillary Clinton’s deceit
By Michael Goodwin
February 10, 2018 | 10:20pm

*** begin quote ***

For law enforcement, Congress and even journalists, exposing misdeeds is like peeling an onion. Each layer you remove gets you closer to the truth.

So it is with the scandalous behavior of the FBI during its probe into whether President Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia in 2016. One layer at a time, we’re learning how flawed and dirty that probe was.

A top layer involves the texts between FBI lawyer Lisa Page and her married lover, Peter Strzok, the lead agent on the Hillary Clinton e-mail probe. They casually mention an “insurance policy” in the event Trump won the election and a plan for Strzok to go easy on Clinton because she probably would be their next boss.

*** and ***

Thus, the Democratic nominee paid for and created allegations against her Republican opponent, gave them to law enforcement, then tipped friendly media to the investigation. And it is almost certain FBI agents supporting Clinton were among the anonymous sources.

*** end quote ***

Sad to say, the “truth” will come out in dribs and drabs.

Far beyond the average voter to track.

It would be useful if the “Big Media” was honest enough to even pretend to care.

Argh!

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TECHNOLOGY: Web 3.0 — the dWeb — will transform the inet again?

Thursday, February 15, 2018

https://medium.com/@matteozago/why-the-web-3-0-matters-and-you-should-know-about-it-a5851d63c949

Matteo Gianpietro Zago
Guinness World Record by creating the Most commented Item in the Web 2.0 history. Founder @ Essentia.one.
Jan 30
Why the Web 3.0 Matters and you should know about it

*** begin quote ***

How will it work?

Like any emerging technology is still being refined. For access to the decentralized web, people will only need a seed. This will be a single asset which enables the interaction with dApps and other services. Individuals will still use a web browser to access the internet, and visually it will be Web 2.0 user-friendly.

On the surface, the learning curve from 2.0 to 3.0 will be gentle. But behind the scenes, the framework connecting users with digital services are markedly different. Transactions are signed and verified manually, to prevent platforms from siphoning away personal information without due cause. Web users will opt in rather than trying — and often failing — to opt out.

  • Instead of Google Drive or Dropbox, we have services like Storj, Siacoin, Filecoin or IPFS technology to distribute and store files.
  • Instead of Skype we have platforms like Experty.io.
  • Instead of WhatsApp and Wechat we have Status
  • Instead of operating systems such as iOS and Android, frameworks such as Essentia.one and EOS provide a gateway to the new web.
  • Akasha or Steemit will play the role of Facebook, the Brave browser will serve as Chrome and Ethlance can take over from Upwork.

*** end quote ***

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SECURITY: A password manager is essential today

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

https://www.lifewire.com/password-managers-4151868

Password Managers You Need
Online security can be stress-free with a password manager in your corner
by Tom Nelson
Updated October 02, 2017

*** begin quote ***

A password manager is an application that can generate, store securely, retrieve, and manage passwords and other login credentials. And it may well end up being the best friend you have when it comes to keeping your privacy safe while browsing the web and accessing your favorite online services.

Password managers let you collect and store all of your passwords and login information for various accounts in one easy-to-access app that can log you in to any service you have subscribed to with just a couple of clicks or taps.

The ease of access to your passwords usually puts an end to two of the most common security problems involving online services: using the same password for multiple sites, and using easy to remember, and thus easy to guess, login credentials.

It’s important to use different passwords for each and every site/service you use because if one of the sites or services you use is hacked and the hackers gain access to your name and password, they will start trying your name and password combination on lots of sites (think banks and social media sites). By having completely different passwords for each site/service leaves you far less vulnerable.

*** end quote ***

I am a lastpass fanboy.

https://lastpass.com/f?408336

Just this week, I had to help two people with “password problems”.

Both were with IOS, which makes me suspect that IOS screwed something up?

In any event, one was with Yahoo mail. Of course, the noob had never set anything up with “disaster recovery” in mind.

(And, the Sprint tech, who swap her phone out on an upgrade, never backed up any of her “stuff”. She was in tears until I suggested that she request photos from her friends with whom she probably shared them with. That got her back a lot but no one knows if it was all. I set up Google Photos to archive all of them and turned on her iCloud back up. Argh!)

Any way, I was able to get her phone to register with Yahoo as a recovery alternative. And, then recover her original password. Eventually, Yahoo “timed out” and “excessive recoveried” her. But it was good enough to get her mail flowing again.

I set up her LastPass and it began automatically capturing passwords for her.

But why does everything have to be done AFTER a disaster?

Argh!

Do these technology companies not realize that it has to be brain dead simple and that the average User has no concept of what is going on?

Argh!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Penalized for demanding a “speedy trial”?

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

https://www.cato.org/blog/trial-penalty

FEBRUARY 9, 2018 9:51AM
The Trial Penalty
By CLARK NEILY

*** begin quote ***

Have you ever heard of the “Trial Penalty”? It is among the most important features of America’s criminal justice system, and yet there is no reference to it in the Constitution, it is not taught in high school civics classes or even law schools, and most lawyers have never heard of it. Nevertheless, the Trial Penalty is the grease that keeps the massive engine of American criminal justice humming along at peak efficiency.

So what is it? Simply put, the Trial Penalty is the array of penalties, paybacks, and repercussions that are inflicted upon criminal defendants who presume to insist upon exercising their Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial—or what Cato Research Fellow Trevor Burrus calls “bespoke justice.”

With more than 10 million arrests last year and the world’s highest incarceration rate, America’s criminal justice system simply cannot afford to provide each and every defendant with an expensive and time-consuming jury trial. Nor do we: These days, about 95 percent of criminal convictions are obtained through plea bargains rather than jury trials. In the federal system, the numbers are even higher—more than 97 percent of convictions come from plea bargains.

Think about that for a moment. The citizen jury is the cornerstone of American criminal justice. It is a historic and hallowed institution. Why would so few people choose to invoke such a precious and fundamental right as the opportunity to challenge the government’s case in court and force the prosecutors to convince a unanimous jury (in most jurisdictions) of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?

*** end quote ***

Up in NH, I took part in a jury outreach that had two aims:

  • get every  defendant to demand a jury trial — when the system was maxed out, the judge was forced to dismiss. The “serious crimes” would push the Marijuana “crimes” down the list and some, if not all, were pushed off and dismissed.
  • get every juror to be aware that they could judge the law and the circumstances and vote “not guilty”. Regardless of what the judge said. “Keep quiet and vote to acquit.” Ever heard of Zenger and the reason we have “freedom of the press”? 

Made me feel like I made a contribution to justice.

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GOLD: How can we ever get the debt and continual deficits under control?

Monday, February 12, 2018

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-08/strong-dollarweak-dollarwhat-about-gold-backed-dollar

“Strong Dollar”…”Weak Dollar”…What About A Gold-Backed Dollar?
by Tyler Durden
Fri, 02/09/2018 – 05:00

*** begin quote ***

Contradictory Palaver

The recent hullabaloo among President Trump’s top monetary officials about the Administration’s “dollar policy” is just the start of what will likely be the first of many contradictory pronouncements and reversals which will take place in the coming months and years as the world’s reserve currency continues to be compromised.  So far, the Greenback has had its worst start since 1987, the year of a major stock market reset.

*** end quote ***

How can we ever get the debt and continual deficits under control as long as the Gooferment has an unlimited checkbook?

Argh!

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SECESSION: ​Time to spinoff “states”?

Sunday, February 11, 2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/think-california-politics-is-on-the-far-left-fringe-just-wait-for-the-next-elections/2018/02/04/80e679c2-05e5-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html?utm_term=.3fdd8b834ee2

Think California politics is on the far-left fringe? Just wait for the next elections. – The Washington Post

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​Time to spinoff “states”? My personal “bye bye” list (in alpha order): AK, CA, HI, MA, MD, ND, NH, NY/NJ, SC, TX, and VT. Goes without saying that​ PR and all the other “possessions” should be set free.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Nazi-like tattoos and the mark of the Devil!

Saturday, February 10, 2018

https://www.howtogeek.com/trivia/in-the-1930s-there-was-a-craze-to-get-which-of-these-things-tattooed-on-your-body/

*** begin quote ***

In The 1930s, There Was A Craze To Get Which Of These Things Tattooed On Your Body?

  • Franklin Roosevelt’s Face
  • Social Security Number
  • Tube TVs
  • Airships

Answer: Social Security Number

*** and ***

Because the program was so new (and favored so strongly by the public), there was a certain excitement surrounding the launch of Social Security. People were instructed to keep their cards safe, but they also needed to keep the number handy at the same time. While some people simply memorized the number, there was a fad of sorts where individuals rushed out to get the number tattooed on their bodies. Some simply had the number itself—as seen here on the arm of Memphis-area engineer Jeon Reese Roofener—while others had the number embedded in a flag, Social Security Administration logo, or other embellishment. Even for those that wished to avoid getting a tattoo, there was a market for Social Security number related products. To this day, you’ll occasionally find signet rings and other jewelry in antique stores with Social Security numbers openly displayed on them.

*** end quote ***

In all the horrors of the Nazi extermination camps, one that stands out was the tattooing of tracking numbers on the poor victims.

Here we have an example of the same thing, except people are doing it voluntarily!

Craziness.

When you realize that current day “identity theft” would not be possible without the “social security number”, you’ll understand how “We, The Sheeple” was fooled.

Hard to believe that it was “(and favored so strongly by the public)”. Guess they didn’t see the Ponzi-like scheme behind the curtain. Like the bull fighter’s sword behind the cape, the politicians and bureaucrats really stuck it to us. Intergenerational theft!

So how do we unwind it?

Demand the politicians and bureaucrats give us back our identites. Maybe the new blockchain technology can do that for us?

Argh!

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INOVATION: “Cat music”?

Friday, February 9, 2018

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2018/02/04/cat-music/

CAT MUSIC

*** begin quote ***

Accordingly they got musician David Teie to compose three songs that ought to appeal to felines and tried them out on 47 domestic cats, comparing their reactions to Bach’s “Air on a G String” and Fauré’s “Elegie.” The cat music was pitched about an octave higher than human voices, and its tempos replicated purring and suckling rather than a human heartbeat.

The cats showed no interest in the music intended for humans, but they showed a “significant preference for and interest in” Teie’s cat-targeted songs, approaching the speakers and often rubbing their scent glands on them. Also, for some reason young and old cats seemed to like the cat music better than middle-aged ones.

*** end quote ***

Wonder if there is a “bird music”?

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