SURVIVAL: Get out of bad weather road conditions

Friday, February 21, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/us-news/about-100-cars-and-trucks-involved-in-oregon-highway-pileup/

100 vehicles involved in Oregon highway pileup in treacherous whiteout conditions
By David Propper 
Published Feb. 13, 2025, 10:40 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

A highway pileup involving 100 vehicles, including big rigs, grinded an Oregon highway to a destructive halt during a nasty whiteout snowstorm Thursday, according to authorities.

The series of crashes caused a SUV fire and closed a part of Interstate-84 where numerous drivers and passengers were trapped in their vehicles late morning, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.

*** and ***

The conditions were so treacherous the Oregon Department of Transportation closed the highway in both directions between La Grande and Baker City – a stretch of roughly 50 miles between the two cities.

“Closures are due to blowing and drifting snow with visibility less than 500 feet,” the state DOT wrote before later reopening that section. 

*** end quote ***

Lucky that no one was killed or seriously injured.  First rule in survival training was “AWARENESS”.

Did these folks not realize the danger of the weather?

Visibility of less than 500 feet didn’t happen because the weather gods waved a magic wand.  I’ve driven some costal roads, even in Oregon, and fog can be just around the next bend.

At 30 MPH, and 10 second reaction time, you’ve used up your 500 feet.  

And, seriously who goes 30?

The other night was a passenger in car and all the drivers in the car thought 15 was fast.  Yet we were being passed by drivers doing far in excess of 50.  No way they could stop on an ice covered road.  Even at 15, we could all feel the slip of the tires on gentle curves.

I guess I’m getting old.  But, I think drivers in the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee are all insane!

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TINFOILHAT: TWO SHOOTERS … … want to see back up of this claim

Thursday, February 20, 2025

https://www.theburningplatform.com/2025/02/12/is-anyone-really-surprised-there-were-two-shooters/

https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1889411775696896438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1889411775696896438%7Ctwgr%5E3ed66cd690aca4194a6f5dffe88699ac141ba215%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theburningplatform.com%2F2025%2F02%2F12%2Fis-anyone-really-surprised-there-were-two-shooters%2F

Libs of TikTok
@libsoftiktok

*** begin quote ***

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna says her FIRST investigation will be the JFK assassination.

“Based on what I’ve seen, the initial hearing held in Congress was FAULTY. I believe there were TWO SHOOTERS.”

*** end quote ***

The official story never made sense.  

Never had a fair investigation,

The events surrounding the body, autopsy, and Zapruder film are prima facie evidence of a high-level conspiracy.

The assassinations of RFK, Dorthy Kilgallen, and numerous others were cleaning up loose ends.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. 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

TO BE CONTINUED

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CLOUD: I fail the cloudflare robot test

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Here’s an odd bug that no one seems interested in: 

Using opera air when I go to signon I fail the cloudflare robot test. Argh! I’m not a robot. When I click on the cloudflare link it knows I’m not a robot. Suggestions?

*** begin quote ***

Sorry to hear you are having troubles! Unfortunately, we have no control over what Cloudflare returns in these challenges. If you have any add ons or extensions enabled, you could try disabling these in case they are interfering with the validation.

Another option would be to use the login link option from the login page. This will email you a link that will log you in to your account automatically.

—

Cheers,
The Penzu Support Team

*** end quote ***

Of course, CLOUDFLARE has no end User support.  Interesting that I’ve never seen that happen before.

YMMV.

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INTERESTING: “America’s Checkbook” is an interesting idea, but may not satisfy a “deep dive”

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/02/11/opinion/make-doge-stick-let-taxpayers-monitor-americas-checkbook/

 Make the DOGE revolution stick: Let Musk and taxpayers reveal what’s really in America’s checkbook

By John Hart 

Published Feb. 11, 2025, 6:29 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

A federal judge’s decision to bar Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from reviewing the Treasury Department’s payment system is most likely a temporary setback — but it illustrates the urgent need to secure a permanent win for transparency.

Progressives are panicking because their 100-year, largely successful assault on American constitutional government is in danger of being reversed.

Thanks to Musk’s wise plan to follow the money, he has a historic opportunity to mount a coup — not on behalf of himself or President Trump, but for We the People.

*** and ***

Crowd-sourcing oversight will shift the balance of power away from the bureaucracy and back to individuals.   

“America’s Checkbook” will give citizens a megaphone and silence critics.

It will prove our leaders’ confidence in the wisdom of We the People, our system of checks and balances and the genius of America’s founders.

John Hart is the chief executive officer of Open the Books and the former communications director for US Sen. Tom Coburn.

*** end quote ***

Not sure how that could possibly work but I like the idea.

But I’m a like foggy on the usefulness of:

“Check #, Payee Joe Blow, Amount 1B$”

But it should give investigative journalists a lead.  (If there are any such left? Other than Sharyl Attkisson and James O’Keefe.

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SECURITY: Time to end credit card number and social security numbers

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

https:///174085/cyber-crime/google-tag-manager-gtm-e-skimmer-software-in-magento.html

https://securityaffairs.com/

Crooks use Google Tag Manager skimmer to steal credit card data from a Magento-based e-stores

Pierluigi Paganini

February 11, 2025 

*** begin quote ***

Crooks use Google Tag Manager skimmer to steal credit card data from a Magento-based e-stores

Threat actors are using Google Tag Manager (GTM) to install credit card skimmer malware on Magento-based e-stores, according to Sucuri researchers. The malware hides in a website’s database and steals credit card information entered during the checkout process, sending it to the attackers’ server. This sophisticated attack demonstrates how criminals are using legitimate platforms like GTM to deploy malicious code that is difficult to detect. 

*** end quote ***

Isn’t it about time to retire the concept and strategy of using numbers for identification?

Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, account numbers, or any kind of numbers are just not secure enough any more.  I even have my doubts about crypto keys used for “wallets”.

The Gooferment and Visa are the primary actors that we need to lead the change. 

Medicare transitioned from a number to an alphameric string to stop the frauds.  Why can’t social security?  

I’m not sure what should take its place but how about a secure hash of your name?

“John Q Public” could easily become “9YWJSN0BSVR3IKNV11A2HZM 8X70I24JXUA6REACFTXYD7WC436”!

Go ahead hackers guess that!

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ENCOURAGING: One standard for EVERYONE in a meritocracy!

Monday, February 17, 2025

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/epic-president-trump-releases-powerful-ad-support-secret/

EPIC! President Trump Releases POWERFUL Ad in Support of Secret Service Prior to Super Bowl LIX – Can You See What’s Missing?

by Jim Hoft Feb. 9, 2025 5:00 pm

*** begin quote ***

President Donald Trump released a powerful new ad on X Social and Truth Social in support of the US Secret Service prior to the kick off to Super Bowl LIX.

*** end quote ***

Made sense to appeal to American pride.  So far, the Secret Service has not been involved in any scandal.  Although their (DEI influenced) performance in Butler PA was not up to snuff.

All physical standards should be reviewed in every aspect of the Federal Gooferment.  No more “accommodations”.  And, I include fat old out-of-shape men; not just slightly built short women as bodyguards.

One standard for EVERYONE in a meritocracy!

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ECONOMICS: Economics teaches that monopolies don’t last

Sunday, February 16, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/02/07/business/investors-take-aim-at-nba-with-plans-to-create-5b-basketball-league/

Investors take aim at NBA with plans to create $5B basketball league: ‘Opportunity is massive’
By Reuters 
Published Feb. 7, 2025 Updated Feb. 7, 2025, 5:54 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

A group of investors are looking to create a new basketball league that will span Asia and Europe to one day rival the NBA, with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund as a strategic partner and Swiss bank UBS serving as an adviser.

The Financial Times reported that the $5 billion basketball competition plans to create six men’s teams and six women’s teams that will compete in eight host cities.

*** end quote ***

​Interesting. The NBA is a “monopoly”. Economics teaches that monopolies don’t last since competition seeks to “eat their lunch”. Here’s real life proof of that economic ‘lesson”.

From Standard Oil on to every other attempt to corner the market, we see monopolies destroyed without Gooferment intervention almost immediately after they come into being.  Remember Standard Oil went from 100% market share to under 70% in a decade due to competition.  And, then the Gooferment got involved.

The only way you can have a monopoly today is with a Gooferment grant of immunity.  Like Baseball, the Post Office, or Amtrak.  And, it usually comes with subsidies (i.e., why does the Gooferment build NFL stadiums?) that return to the politicians and bureaucrats as payoffs (i.e., campaign contributions).

 In the end, the Taxpayers and the Customers get <synonym for the act of procreation>!

Argh!

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SURVIVAL: Even the “best hikers” can need help and learn a lesson

Saturday, February 15, 2025

https://www.foxnews.com/us/hikers-tallest-mountain-northeast-rescued-from-whiteout-snowstorm-5000-feet

Hikers on tallest mountain in Northeast rescued from whiteout snowstorm at 5,000 feet

Mount Washington in New Hampshire known for extreme weather conditions

By Stephen Sorace Fox News

Published February 6, 2025 7:55am EST 

*** begin quote ***

Two experienced hikers were rescued from the tallest mountain in the Northeast after a whiteout snowstorm stranded them at about 5,000 feet on Sunday, authorities said.

Kathyrn McKee, 51, of Southborough, Massachusetts, and Beata LeLacheur, 54, of Westborough, Massachusetts, were trekking through a challenging Mount Washington trail in New Hampshire when the weather turned severe, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) said.

Temperatures dropped and winds kicked up, blowing snow so that the trail the friends were following was completely erased. The pair pushed through chest-deep snow, lost on the mountain.

*** and ***

Temperatures at the summit fell to -2 degrees and sustained winds blasted at 50-60 mph, often with gusts significantly higher, by the time the agency began a rescue operation at 8:30 p.m., Holmes said.

*** and ***

A half hour later, the rescuers found the two hikers alive and coherent, though both were suffering from cold weather injuries. The rescue crew set up emergency shelters and began to warm both hikers, who were able to move on their own after about an hour, officials said.

*** end quote ***

Experienced hikers with advanced training still got in trouble.  Imagine being in their situation.  

When I was in USAF survival school in “good weather” during October in (I think) Idaho, I was cold, wet, and befuddled.  And, we had “instructors” nearby to make sure we didn’t kill ourselves.  And, it sure seems in retrospect we were trying: “camping in a dry stream bed that became wet at night”, blundering around a night to find “firewood”, making a fire with wet tinder, etc. etc. … And they in the “after action session”, we found out that we weren’t “the worst”.  One group tried to make a tea out of hemlock and another tried to take down an adult female deer with a Swiss army knife.  The instructor kicked over the tea and the deer was last see scampering out into the night with a Swiss army knife in her butt about a quarter inch. 

Seriously, I think that the various parks should have rescue insurance so the taxpayer doesn’t have to bear the costs.

When I think how much calling an ambulance in the city costs, calling for rescue should be expensive enough to be “instructive” to avoid it in the future.

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INTERESTING: Which comes first — seeing or believing?

Friday, February 14, 2025

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2025/02/ira-katz/believing-is-seeing/

Believing Is Seeing – LewRockwell
By Ira Katz

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-02-06>>

*** begin quote ***

This short explanation cannot do justice to such a broad and important topic. But I hope you will see that while seeing is believing has a certain veracity, it is more important to understand that reality is conceived such that believing is seeing.

*** end quote ***

selective attention test

# – # – # – # – # 

I didn’t see it and now I understand the limitations of “perception”!

What to make of it?

Like the JoHari window, I realized then to always look for what I can’t “see”. 

Maybe if I had learned this much much younger, then my whole life could have been completely different!

“… checked the Eternal Possibilities Machine, which generates all the possibilities for use in creating the alternative worlds. In all those probability lines …” CHURCH 10●19●62 (Vol 1) 978-0-557-08387-9 page 45

Laugh!  I could really use that tool today.

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JOBSEARCH: Federal government employees are learning that “Nothing is 100% risk free” the hard way

Thursday, February 13, 2025

FROM 1440 https://join1440.com/

*** begin quote ***

Cruise to slash workforce by nearly 50%, or roughly 1,000 employees, after owner General Motors ended funding to robotaxi unit (More) | Estee Lauder to trim up to 7,000 jobs, or around 11% of workforce; shares drop 16% on the news (More) 

*** end quote ***

# – # – # – # – # 

Given the wholesale downsizing of Gooferment employees, every one of the “wage slaves” in the USA should reassessing their unemployment risk profile.

*** begin quote ***

JOBSEARCH: Your reputation as a master networker has qualified you

Get started. When the axe does fall, as it always does, you’ll have bought yourself time, help, goodwill, and possibly some wisdom. I’ll probably have landed in my final spot before I hear from you. But be advised, I’ll be rooting for you from upstairs or down, where ever I’m sent.

*** end quote ***

And …

*** begin quote ***

JOBSEARCH: The risk inherent in the status quo of employment

I counsel job seekers and potential job seekers that they must rigorously and honestly evaluate just how much is at risk in their current state. One tool is my “how much money do I need to have to get another job”. Age, level of education, hotness of field, hotness of your geography, level of position you’d accept, what’s your burn rate, how do you look, and unfortunately sex all combine in strange complex calculus to determine the risk of the status quo. In more than one instance, 

*** end quote ***

As you can see, once I woke up to the  “status quo is not risk free” after my first “promotion outside”, I preached to anyone who would listen that “wage slaves” were at great risk of “downsizing”, “rightsizing”, or just a plain old corporate bankruptcy,

I remember that Gooferment employees would tell me that they’re 100% secure in their Gooferment GS13 position.  Wonder how they would evaluate that now with DOGE chainsawing whole departments and agencies.  I used have heated discussions with those poor confused souls that “Nothing is 100% risk free”.  I pointed to my and my mother’s experiences at AT&T.  We both had “gold watch” syndrome (i.e., the good corporation would care for its valued people from cradle to grave).  I took the buyout and she didn’t.  And she never realized that the “rules” had changed.

One piece of advice that often preached:

“Success for your generation is: (1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt; (2) a life long interest in learning — education — a degree — they can’t take it away from you; (3) a NON-OFFSHORABLE white collar job in order to save big bux; (4) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber; (5) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open; (6) a free time hobby that generates income; and (7) a large will-maintained network of people who can “help” you.

has held up very well over the decades.

Hope this helps and is not seen as “dancing on graves”.

As always, YMMV.

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