During times of universal deceit, telling the truth
becomes a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
Is Daylight Savings Time Dangerous?
flyingsnail.com is 20 years old today, January 28, 2018
Sinclair Hipster ~ Birthday Greeting via Kelly WineFlyingSnail.com & NobodyForPresident.org
Would Not Be Possible Without Our Dear Friend,Dr. Hank Magnuski
Wikipedia: Hank Magnuski
Prior to founding NCast, Dr. Hank Magnuski was co-founder and CEO of GammaLink. He invented the industry's first PC-to-fax communications technology in 1985. In 1994, GammaLink merged with Dialogic Corporation of Parsippany, New Jersey, a leading manufacturer of voice cards for the PC. In 1999, Dialogic Corporation merged with Intel. It was then bought by Eicon and subsequently acquired by Open Media Labs, which now functions as Dialogic Media Labs. In 1995, Dr. Magnuski received the Fax Industry Award from BIS, now Giga Information Group, Inc.
He pioneered the Internet's first video service provider Internet Video Services, Inc. in 1995 and founded MediaMart, an early video on-line store and electronic commerce site.
In 2005 the University of Illinois College of Engineering named Dr. Magnuski as a recipient of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Service.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Illinois, in 1998, recognized Dr. Magnuski as a Distinguished Alumni “In recognition of outstanding contributions to the telecommunications industry, including pioneering work in the area of PC-fax Technology.”
In 1980 Magnuski established the first packet repeater for amateur radio in the US. This repeater, KA6M/R, located in the San Francisco Bay area, created interest in packet radio technology and led to the establishment of the Pacific Packet Radio Society.
In honor of his father, Henryk Magnuski, Dr. Magnuski, and his wife, Cynthia Jose, established the Henry Magnuski Scholar Fund for Outstanding Young Faculty Members which has now become the Henry Magnuski Endowed Professorship within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois.
A key patent in multicast videoconferencing was granted to Dr. Magnuski in 2008.
Dr. Magnuski graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BSEE in Electrical Engineering in 1965, and an MSEE from MIT in 1966. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT (1973) and conducted postdoctoral work at Stanford University.
Wikipedia: Henryk W. Magnuski ~ The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Henryk Władysław Magnuski (1909 Warsaw -1978) was a Polish telecommunications engineer who worked for Motorola in Chicago. He was the inventor of the first Walkie-Talkies and one of the authors of his company success in the fields of radio communication.
Early years
Magnuski was born on January 30, 1909 in Warsaw. Having lost both parents at a relatively early age, he supported himself and his sister Janina by fixing and installing radios for the Polish military. He received his degree from Warsaw University of Technology in 1934 and started working for the State Tele and Radiotechnical Works (Państwowe Zakłady Tele i Radiotechniczne) in Warsaw.
In June 1939 he was sent by his company to New York in order to study the latest American projects of radio transmitters. Soon after his arrival to the United States, Poland was invaded by Germany and World War II broke out. His return home became impossible.
Motorola
In 1940 he started working for the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in Chicago (the company changed the name in 1947 to Motorola). He is credited with three patents related to the design of Motorola's SCR-300 FM "Walkie-Talkie" radio, a hugely popular unit with American forces in Europe, and he received a U. S. Navy Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Service for development of the AN/CPN-6 Radar Beacon, a microwave device which aided carrier pilots to find their ship during low visibility conditions.
After the war he did not return to the communist People's Republic of Poland and stayed in the USA. He helped in the development of VHF cavity resonators that allowed adjacent channel operation, was a key designer for the Motorola Sensicon receiver which used a selective filter in front of the IF amplifier, and created microwave relay equipment for use in transmitting multi-channel telephone, data and TV. In Motorola's Government Electronics Division he developed the SSB Radio Central Concept AN/USC-3, Motorola’s RADEM system (RADAS), the Deltaplex I digital troposcatter system and lightweight tropo equipment AN/TRC-105.
Retirement
At retirement after 30 years of cooperation with the company, he was the Associate Director of Research for Motorola's Government Electronics Division, had 30 patents related to VHF and microwave communications, was an IEEE Fellow and author of numerous technical papers and a chapter in the "Communication System Engineering Handbook".
He succumbed to cancer at his home in Glenview, Illinois on May 4, 1978.
The Henry Magnuski Electrical and Computer Engineering professorship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is named in his honor.
On October 6, 2006, Henryk Magnuski was one of the first five inductees into the Illinois Engineering Hall of Fame.
Wikipedia: AMPRNet
The use of TCP/IP on amateur radio, using packet radio networks, preceded the appearance of the public Internet. The class A 44 netblock of 16.7 Million IP addresses was set aside for amateur radio users worldwide, having been secured in the 1970s by Hank Magnuski, when computer networking was in its infancy. Packet radio was used as a low level protocol for many competing higher level protocols, and TCP/IP users were essentially a minority due to the complexity of the configuration. The low baud rates also inflamed packet node site owners, as they saw the IP protocol as having too high of a protocol overhead. Very few systems operated over HF for this reason. The best solution on 1200/9600 baud VHF networks emerged as TCP/IP over ROSE (Radio Amateur Telecommunications Society "RATS" Open Systems Environment, based on X.25 CCITT standard). Within just a few years the public Internet made these solutions obsolete. The ROSE system today is maintained by the Open Source FPAC linux project.
The AMPRNet is connected by wireless links and Internet tunnels. Due to the bandwidth limitations of the radio spectrum, VHF and UHF links are commonly 1200 baud, and usually restricted to a maximum of 9600 baud. Although with the advent of mass-produced Wi-Fi equipment on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz this technology is now being used to provide much faster links on nearby amateur frequencies. 300 baud is normally used on HF. Microwave links generally do not use packet radio, and instead use the commercial Wi-Fi access points (HSMM or "hinternet"). The AMPRNet fully supports TCP/IP allowing for support of all network protocols.
The AMPRNet is composed of a series of subnets throughout the world. Portions of the network have point to point radio links to adjacent nodes, while others are completely isolated.
Geographically dispersed radio subnets can be connected using an IP tunnel between sites with Internet connectivity. Many of these sites also have a tunnel to a central router, which routes between the 44/8 network and the rest of the Internet using static tables updated by volunteers.
Recent experimentation has moved beyond these centrally controlled static solutions, to dynamic configurations provided by Peer to Peer VPN.
Wikipedia: Packet Radio
Amateur Packet Radio and the AMPRNet
Amateur radio operators began experimenting with packet radio in 1978, when—after obtaining authorization from the Canadian government—Robert Rouleau, VE2PY; Bram Frank, VE2BFH; Norm Pearl, VE2BQS; and Jacques Orsali, VE2EHP of the Montreal Amateur Radio Club Montreal, Quebec began experimenting with transmitting ASCII encoded data over VHF amateur radio frequencies using homebuilt equipment. In 1980, Doug Lockhart VE7APU, and the Vancouver Area Digital Communications Group (VADCG) in Vancouver, British Columbia began producing standardized equipment (Terminal Node Controllers) in quantity for use in amateur packet radio networks. In 2003, Rouleau was inducted into CQ Amateur Radio magazine's hall of fame for his work on the Montreal Protocol in 1978.
Not long after this activity began in Canada, amateurs in the US became interested in packet radio. In 1980, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted authorization for United States amateurs to transmit ASCII codes via amateur radio. Repeaters may be designed for amateur packet radio, these are dubbed "digipeaters". The first known amateur packet radio activity in the US occurred in San Francisco during December 1980, when a packet repeater was put into operation on 2 meters by Hank Magnuski KA6M, and the Pacific Packet Radio Society (PPRS). In keeping with the dominance of DARPA and ARPANET at the time, the nascent amateur packet radio network was dubbed the AMPRNet in DARPA style. Magnuski obtained IP address allocations in the 44.0.0.0 network for amateur radio use worldwide.
Many groups of amateur radio operators interested in packet radio soon formed throughout the country including the Pacific Packet Radio Society (PPRS) in California, the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR) in Arizona and the Amateur Radio Research and Development Corporation (AMRAD) in Washington, D.C.[9]
By 1983, TAPR was offering the first TNC available in kit form. Packet radio started becoming more and more popular across North America and by 1984 the first packet based bulletin board systems began to appear. Packet radio proved its value for emergency operations following the crash of an Aeromexico airliner in a neighborhood in Cerritos, California Labor Day weekend, 1986. Volunteers linked several key sites to pass text traffic via packet radio which kept voice frequencies clear.
For an objective description of early developments in amateur packet radio, refer to the article "Packet Radio in the Amateur Service".
The most common use of packet radio today is in amateur radio, to construct wireless computer networks. Its name is a reference to the use of packet switching between network nodes. Packet radio networks use the AX.25 data link layer protocol, derived from the X.25 protocol suite and adapted for amateur radio use.
Pacific Packet Radio Society ~ (PPRS)
Wireless Digital Communication was introduced (in the United States) by Dr. Hank Magnuski (Co-founder PPRS), when his historic KA6M-1 Digital Packet Radio Repeater began operation on: December 10, 1980
Dear Packet Radio Enthusiast,
Thanks very much for the letter of inquiry which you sent me. The response I've received to the initial publicity about the packet repeater has been very enthusiastic, and I have been deluged with requests from hams, both locally and from various points around the country, for more information about the repeater, for schematics, for listings, specifications, modems, proms, SDLC chips, Vancouver boards, and for talks at clubs. Needless to say, all this activity, plus continuing development on the packet hardware and software has kept me very busy, and I apologize for the long delay in responding to your letter. Let me bring you up to date on what has happened, or is happening, since the initial announcement of the repeater, which went on the air in December of 1980.
World's First Digital Repeater for Wireless Data Communications
KA6M/R - Packet Radio Repeater. 1980 ~ Front View ~ PPRS photos
World's First Digital Repeater for Wireless Data Communications
KA6M/R - Packet Radio Repeater, 1980 ~ Back View ~ PPRS photosIn the early months of this year, the packet repeater was operating out of my residence, and was still an experimental machine. Since then, we have installed a couple of upgrades to the control software, we have used a better CPU card, increased the power level, moved the repeater to 700 feet elevation, and integrated its operation to be 100% compatible with the protocol used by the Vancouver Digital Communications Group (VADCG). The repeater has changed from being a laboratory curiosity to a major Bay Area repeater heard from Berkeley to south San Jose, and the user community has grown from a couple of stations to a network of some 30 users. The packet system here now has a mailbox on-line 24 hours a day, several on-line personal computers, and network links (courtesy of a commercial packet network) to the other active packet radio centers in Vancouver and Ottawa. We have also just installed an HF port on 20 Meters, and are beginning some experiments aimed at establishing connection with AMRAD in Washington and with equipment located at W1AW.
VADCG TNC built by C. Spangler, N6ECT ~ PPRS photosMost of the original packet radio experiments were done in Canada (in part due to the Canadians' pioneering communications spirit, and in part due to less restrictive regulations up there), and three main centers were at work: Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. The technology employed by each of these groups differed, and each approach has its own merits. My thinking and ideas very closely paralleled the work started by Doug Lockhart, VE7APU, and I can best report on what is happening with groups which have adopted HDLC (High-level Data Link Control) framing as the basis of their protocol. The HDLC/ SDLC frame is a new, universally accepted standard in the data communications industry, and Doug and I feel it offers a good starting point on which to build a packet radio network. As it turns out, groups in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, El Paso, Denver, Sacramento, and Hamilton have also taken up this technology, and it is likely that we already have a sufficient number of people using this technique that it will become the defacto standard in the amateur radio community.
It would be impossible for me to completely describe the protocol and equipment being used in this letter, so I will briefly cover some of the topics and give you some pointers on where to find additional information. As you might guess, this is a new area for amateur radio, and tutorial material and handbooks simply do not yet exist. Many issues and problems remain to be discussed, and there is opportunity to make substantial contributions to the state of the art. [Snip] [Click to Continue Reading] - Thanks again for your interest. See you on the net.
Best regards,
Hank Magnuski, KA6M
NCast ~ Excellence In Capture and Streaming
NCast products and services are industry breakthroughs in the delivery of corporate presentations over IP networks. Communications and information distribution to large or small audiences, with minimal effort and involvement of network managers and technical personnel, has never been easier.
NCast provides effective, scalable, and cost-effective methods for presenting rich content. NCast technology is revolutionizing presentation streaming with open-standard products that offer automation, ease of use, accessibility, low cost of deployment, and scalability.
Learn more about how the following NCast products work and how you can take advantage of the solutions for your presentation needs. [Continue]The Raspberry Pi Eye – A Vision Tool For The Pi
The Pi Eye Project started when I decided to use the Raspberry Pi computer as an aid to my research in vision. This tiny and inexpensive computer equipped with a high definition camera can run the entire Open CV (Open-source Computer Vision) suite of programs along with other software such as Heal Plots and Google’s Tensor-Flow.
The original design goal of the project was to create a mobile visual capture platform that could sense motion and acceleration and that could easily move the camera in pan and tilt directions to capture its visual environment. The Raspberry Pi equipped with the Sense-Hat sensor board had a chance to achieve the motion sensing, and what I needed was a simple case to house the Pi and the stepper motors that would do the pan and tilt.
This evolved into the current initial prototype of the Pi Eye seen below. This model will pan (horizontal left-right motion) but there is no tilt. That’s a second generation goal.
Front view of the Pi Eye
Once the prototype Eye was completed I wanted it to look like an eye. Something not too scary (no bloodshot, Frankenstein eye) and called on my artist friends Curtis and Ann to help me out. They designed an initial “skin” for the Eye, a friendly pastel-colored design that fit nicely over the front sphere. We are currently researching other types of artwork that might be used to customize the look of these eyes.
The Eye was introduced to the world at the 2017 Bay Area Maker’s Faire. Due to interest expressed from visitors to the Faire we have put together an initial kit with components to make it easy for someone to clone this Eye. See the Technical Specifications pages for more details and contact us if you are interested in this project.
Related Hank Magnuski Projects
Magnuski Family Genealogical Society [MAGNUSCY]
MAGNUSCY*, shield of ABDANK, from Magnus or Magnuszów, in Szadkow region. Jan Magnuski 1473 in Sanok acts on behalf of Pobiedziński. Katarzyna, the widow of Marcin Magnuski, sent a foot soldier in 1499 for a Turkish war from her patrimony in Chwalibogowo, in Kailsz region (St. Pr. Pols. Pom. VII. 566). Jan and Jakub Szymanowicz, Stanisław, Wojciech and Jana Klemensiewicz, Andrzej Klimo, Wojciech and Krzywaszcz family, inherited portions of Magnuszów in 1552. Magnuski who inherited part of Kozuby Stare in 1552-1553 in Szadkow region, became a progenitor (ancestor) of Kozubski's Abdanks (Paw.). Anna, wife of Wojciech Mąkoliński 1571 (Gr. Przed. 20 f.150). Barbara, daughter of Jan, wife of Krzysztof Janota Bzowski, became a widow in 1608. Elżbieta, wife of Wawrzyńiec Kamiński 1614, became a widow in 1640. [Continue reading @ Magnuski Family Genealogical Society (MAGNUSCY)]
Hank Magnuski on Vimeo
Sonora Pass Cafe "popup coffeehouse"
Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Find Refuge at the Sonora Pass Cafe
Right now, backpackers are crossing into Canada after five months of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. These "thru-hikers" started the trail in Mexico, and have traversed 2,650 miles. It can be grueling for hikers. Their toenails fall off, and their feet can swell whole shoe sizes. They say the only thing they talk about more than their feet is food. For our ongoing series "California Foodways," we visit a makeshift cafe on the Sonora Pass section of the trail, where hikers indulge in the first fresh fruit and sweet treats they've had in weeks. Reporter: Lisa Morehouse
Patches Thru hiking adventures on the AT, PCT, and beyond!
Are you homeless refugees from Campo? (PCT Days 71-76) Article Source
Hungry… I’d gotten to the point where I was just hungry all the time. If I wasn’t walking or sleeping, I was eating… While I hiked I’d think about food, and since I still hadn’t gotten new earbuds for MP3 player, I’d make up new lyrics for whatever song was stuck in my head (to the tune of the Beastie Boys Song ‘Girls’):
*** Food… All I really want is food. Food to fill my belly. Food to fill my tent. Food I’ll keep on eating, Food until I’m spent. Yeah, food. All I really want is food. ***
I was definitely looking forward to getting to the store and restaurant at Kennedy Meadows north where I could get more food… However, between me and the imagined delights of fresh food at Kennedy Meadows Resort there were two major milestones: the 1000 mile mark and Sonora Pass.
Though I was done with the high passes of the Sierra, I’d been warned that Sonora Pass was a hard climb and that there was still plenty of snow up there. I can’t say that I was really looking forward to the snow, I’d already done enough postholing for one lifetime, but at least it would cut down on the mosquitoes. The pass would get me up and out of the meadows, which I’d learned were really just mosquito swamps (the mosquitoes between Tuolomme Meadows and Dorothy Lake Pass were impressively tenacious and seemed to be undeterred by clothing or even 100% DEET).
The hike up Sonora Pass went over 10,000 feet and I definitely needed to use my inhaler, but the snow wasn’t too bad and the trail was graded really nicely… It went much better than I’d anticipated. Hiking along the ridge was spectacularly gorgeous and I was having a very good day. The hard part of the day’s hike was over and there were only three miles of trail left between me and the road to Kennedy Meadows Resort!!! Sure I was going to have to hitch a ride the 10 miles to the resort, but I was almost there!
As I rounded the corner and prepared for the final descent my heart dropped… This is where the plenty of snow was hidden… There were ice chutes and snow fields galore… I’d been lured into a false sense of security… This was the hard part, the part where I was going to have to pay close attention to every step… I should have known better, I did know better, the north side of a mountain… Above 10,000 feet… There was going to be snow.
As I slowly made my way through the snow I got crankier and crankier… The trail seemed to go out of its way to make sure that we crossed every snow chute not once, not twice, but at least three times as the trail meandered it’s way towards the road. I kept looking for a shorter, more direct route to the road, perhaps a glissade? But it didn’t quite look like it connected up and it wasn’t terrain that I was familiar with so I kept plodding along the PCT… No shortcuts for me.
At one point I slipped and fell on the snow in one of the chutes… I almost started to cry… Clearly I was even more tired and hungry than I thought. I picked myself up, got to solid ground and sat down for a snack. I only had a mile left to go to the road, but it felt like it was going to take me forever…
“Good luck catching a ride down there,” said one of the thru-hikers (rather smugly) as he passed me. He already waiting for him at the road. I almost decked him. As if worrying about the snow wasn’t enough, I was going to have to figure out a ride and hitch-hike by myself. Not my favorite thing to do.
When I finally made it to the road I discovered that I wasn’t going to hitch by myself… There were four people already down there trying to hitch… The bad news was that there were now five of us (a hard number to hitch with) and they’d already been out there for an hour.
“Are you homeless refugees from Campo?” After trying to hitch for 30 minutes a car finally had pulled over and this was the question he [Dr. Hank Magnuski] put to us.
“Yes,” we replied hopefully. He was smiling at us even though his affect seemed a little flat… I was willing to bet that he was a New Englander with a dry sense of humor. He clearly knew that we were PCT thru-hikers.
“I’m here to do trail magic!” He cheerfully explained. “Come on up to the picnic area and I’ll meet you up there.” Trail magic can encompass a large range of things, was it worth giving up on hitching and going to check it out?
To be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure. I was still tired, hungry, and cranky. The tired and the cranky were probably both related to the hungry. As I thought about food, my decision was clear. I was going to walk up to the picnic area to check out the trail magic. It might just be a soda or an apple, but it was probably going to be food and I was hungry… Soo hungry… I just couldn’t carry enough food with me.
I took one last glance back at the road, and headed up the hill towards the picnic area. “Besides,” I told myself, “we hadn’t been having much luck hitching anyway.” I’d figure out how to get to Kennedy Meadows resort later.
Dr. Magnuski back right -->By the time we got up to the picnic area he’d put out a tablecloth and was starting to unload things from his car. “Would you like a beer or a coke?” He asked as he pulled a cold beverage out of the cooler for each of us and invited us to sit down. He then brought out a whole grocery stores worth of fresh fruit: strawberries, cherries, plums, and nectarines… They looked absolutely delicious!!!! (Fresh fruit is a rare treat for thru-hikers).
He then added 2 dozen cookies and whipped cream to the table. Whipped cream!!!! Whipped cream!!! I hadn’t had whipped cream since sometime before I got on the trail… Mmmmm… Whipped cream.
Dr. Magnuski right -->“Welcome to the Sonora Pass Cafe!!” He [Dr. Hank Magnuski] exclaimed as he put whipped cream on a chocolate chip cookie, topped it with a cherry, and handed it to me. “Wow, just wow,” I said as I hungrily took the cookie and gobbled it down. “The cafe is just open 2 or 3 days a year and it doesn’t make much money, but it does make lots of people happy. Enjoy and take as much as you’d like.
Somehow I’d managed to get the inaugural cookie at the 2014 Sonora Pass Cafe, my day was definitely looking up. As we chatted with our trail angel I had another whipped cream and cherry covered cookie… It was sooo good! Each year for the last 10 years he’s come up to Sonora Pass to do trail magic for the thru-hikers.
As we sat there marveling at the Sonora Pass Cafe, he brought out another surprise, an enormous chocolate cake! He cut a giant slice of cake for each of us and covered it with whipped cream! It seemed to good to be true, a mirage perhaps? But no, it was yet another person out there making magic happen for the thru-hikers! It was completely unexpected and awesome! Not only that, as I sat there, belly full for the first time in a long time, a car pulled up and asked me if I needed a ride… I’d hit the trail angel jackpot!
In Closing
When Hank put his Packet Repeater on the air during 1980 I was an Extra Class Amateur Radio operator and able to hear his data packets from my home in San Francisco.
I immediately built a VADCG TNC [see above photo and definition under PPRS], became one of his first repeater users, attended his seminars, and later helped Co-found the Pacific Packet Radio Society, but this was not the first time I had heard of Hank.
During the early '70s Hank had done some experiments at MIT that fascinated me and at one time I had a computer book that described, with pictures, some of his work [which I can no longer find].
During 1995 Hank allowed me to include NFP on his groundbreaking netvideo.com site and the address was http://www.netvideo.com/nobody [(smile) still works but will redirect]. Later, as one of Nobody's devout followers, he graciously provided the domain, nobodyforpresident.org.
For almost forty years Hank and I have worked on various of projects and currently my wife and I are helping on his Pi Eye project.
Finally, (smile) Hank is the imaginary twin brother I have always wanted, and I am very pleased he is my friend. Thank you Hank!
Los Muppets cantan Bohemian Rhapsody via Iscander Aiguinine
Net Neutrality
The Rolling Stones | Doom and Gloom via Trunk Animation
Net neutrality comment fraud will be investigated by government
New York governor signs executive order to keep net neutrality rules after the FCC’s repeal
Is AT&T attempting to circumvent
the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ?10th Amendment idea via Kendrick_Lamar1
AT&T wants Congress to pass a net neutrality law
AT&T: Let's remove Net Neutrality Rules.
States start to create their own Net Neutrality rules
AT&T: Let's get Congress to override State's Rights to make Net Neutrality rules that our lobbyists will write. ~ via Bad-Brains
That’s what it is. Make a federal law so states can’t do shit via ayoungad ~ Comments @ reddit.com
Telecom Crimes & Punishment
Red Pill: Knowledge, freedom and the (sometimes painful) truth of reality
Redshift: In physics, redshift happens when light or other electromagnetic radiation from an object is increased in wavelength, or shifted to the red end of the spectrum. In general, whether or not the radiation is within the visible spectrum, "redder" means an increase in wavelength – equivalent to a lower frequency and a lower photon energy, in accordance with, respectively, the wave and quantum theories of light.
Blue Pill: Falsehood, security and the blissful ignorance of illusion
Blueshift: A blueshift is any decrease in wavelength, with a corresponding increase in frequency, of an electromagnetic wave; the opposite effect is referred to as redshift. In visible light, this shifts the color from the red end of the spectrum to the blue end.
Feetlines
GOP senators who pushed Trump to ditch Paris deal took over $10 million from big oil
Has breakdown of donations to GOP senators from the oil, gas, and coal industries from the past three election cycles, via the Guardian
The Doomsday Clock Just Moved Closer to Midnight. Here's What You Need to Know
Antitrust: Commission fines Qualcomm €997 million for abuse of dominant market position
"Qualcomm illegally shut out rivals from the market for LTE baseband chipsets for over five years, thereby cementing its market dominance. Qualcomm paid billions of US Dollars to a key customer, Apple, so that it would not buy from rivals. These payments were not just reductions in price – they were made on the condition that Apple would exclusively use Qualcomm's baseband chipsets in all its iPhones and iPads.
This meant that no rival could effectively challenge Qualcomm in this market, no matter how good their products were. Qualcomm's behaviour denied consumers and other companies more choice and innovation – and this in a sector with a huge demand and potential for innovative technologies. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules and why we have taken today's decision." ~ European Commission, Commissioner Margrethe Vestager
Biden: McConnell Refused To Sign Bipartisan Statement On Russian Interference
"The Dems were, 'Hey, we have to tell the public,' " recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russia's aim of sapping confidence in the system.
... McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House's claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.
Facebook should be 'regulated like cigarette industry'
because of the addictive and harmful properties of social media, according to Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff.
Steven Leech ~ Boptime + Legends of Wilmington Jazz
On Saturday's Boptime after an hour of oldies at 6am (EST) it’s Rockabilly Ridge with Michael Ace at 7am (EST). At 8am (EST) we bop back to this day in 1963. In addition to seeing what was playing at the movies, we’ll hear who was performing at the Club Baby Grand and other local venues. It’s Beatlemania!!! at 9am (EST) on this day in 1966. We’ll take a look at the Vietnam War, what was playing at the movies, and more. ~ Steve
BOPTIME: Saturday, 6 AM Eastern time, 3 AM Pacific time
Go To: http://www.wvud.org/?page_id=24
Click on a listening link below the WVUD logo:
Corruption Is Legal In America
Corruption is Legal in America via Doku Mentor
Paul Krassner ~ The Realist, Investigative Satirist
‘REVOLUTION The Legacy of the Sixties’ A Feature Film Documentary via HELIXUS PRODUCTIONS
Feral Government Shuts Down
Feral government is government by the corporation, for the corporation and descended from domesticated individuals. As with any introduced species, the introduction of feral government to non-native regions has disrupted ecosystems and contributed to the extinction of native indigenous species. A common example of an animal with feral populations is the pig ...and... never let politicians invest your Social Security with their criminal friends on Wall Street!
Senator McConnell Objects to Military Pay Protection
McCaskill plays key role in sending surveillance bill to Trump’s desk
Nobody will establish Peace during our times, feed the hungry, care for the sick,
and believes None of the Above should be a valid choice on Voter Ballots.
No pizza for anybody via 2DeadMooseGOP: Let’s have pizza. ~ Dems: Sure ~ GOP: We want it to be pepperoni. ~ Dems: Sure. Sounds good. We want olives. ~ GOP: We hate olives! ~ Dems: OK, let’s just get olives on half. ~ GOP: OK then -- NO PIZZA for anybody! You hate the country and are trying to keep everyone from having pizza!
How It Could have been, had it not been for
Debbie Democrap & her Vicious DNC Band
Nobody for President
Make None of the Above a valid choice on Voter Ballots!
Feetlines
Congratulations Philadelphia EagleS !!!
Now ;-) can we stop showing the Eagles fan who 'gets wrecked by the pole' ?
What conspiracy theory do you
100% buy into and why?via Dieschwarzesonne @ Reddit
Steven Leech ~ Boptime + Legends of Wilmington Jazz
On Saturday's Boptime after an hour of oldies at 6am (EST), on the station’s automated system, it’s Rockabilly Ridge with Michael Ace at 7am (EST). At 8am (EST) we head back to this day in 1962 and play some hits from this day in that year from here and in England. At 9am (EST) it’s Mary Lou’s Dream Hour with the tunes she’d like you to hear. ~ Steve
BOPTIME: Saturday, 6 AM Eastern time, 3 AM Pacific time
Go To: http://www.wvud.org/?page_id=24
Click on a listening link below the WVUD logo:
2Cellos Highway To Hell 1080 HD via Rive Video
The Wall
Pink Floyd ~ Another Brick In The Wall via Yoly
Censored
Net Neutrality
TWENTY-TWO ATTORNEYS GENERAL SUE
THE FCC OVER NET NEUTRALITY REPEALJACK DENTON, 15 HOURS AGO, Pacific Standard Source
On Tuesday, 22 state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission in response to the agency's repeal of Obama-era net neutrality regulations, the Hill reports. Last month, the FCC rolled back rules, in place since 2015, that prevented Internet service providers from blacklisting specific websites or charging different prices for faster loading speeds.
"In repealing the net neutrality rules, the FCC ignored consumers' strong support for a free and open Internet," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement, echoing the backlash of the widely unpopular December repeal. "Internet access is a utility."
The lawsuit follows senate Democrats' announcement on Monday, reported by the Washington Post, that 50 senators have signed on to a Senate resolution that would overturn the FCC repeal and restore net neutrality rules. However, even if the necessary 51 Senate votes are secured, the bill is unlikely to pass the Republican-majority house or be signed by President Donald Trump.
The Senate’s push to overrule the FCC on net
neutrality now has 50 votes, Democrats sayAddendum: The Patriot Act ~ When Truth Becomes Treason
Addendum: Voted for War
Feetlines
World 'At the Very Edge' of Nuclear War, Warns Pope
U.S. Navy veteran's mom denied visa to attend son's funeral in Arkansas
Native American veterans to have memorial on National Mall
Two Activists arrested and face charges for feeding homeless people in El Cajon, California park
Addendum: Reddit Comments
Black Death 'spread by humans not rats'
How a man’s first tweet, about Obama’s respect, proved more popular than Trump’s bluster
HIDDEN CAMERA: HUNDREDS of Twitter Employees Paid to View “Everything You Post Online” Including Private “Sex Messages”
Marijuana legalisation causing violent crime to fall in US states, study finds
R.I.P. Dolores O’Riordan
Shock and sadness greet sudden death of Limerick's Dolores O'Riordan
Linger by Dolores O’Riordan and The Cranberries via Radio Flashback FM
Group Hallucination, from Psychedelic Trips For The Mind by Paul Krassner
51 Years Ago,
January 14, 1967,
A Milestone Was Reached,
...Then Forced Into Apathetic Decay,
Accepted By The People and now Called Today!by C. Spangler
On January 14, 1967 I attended the Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Here is a story I wrote about that day which was published by Paul Krassner in his book, "Psychedelic Trips For The Mind."
Paul Krassner and C. Spangler ~ Photograph, Dwight Dolliver[Ed. Note Regarding, "WTF am I doing?": Photographer says to Paul, “I wonder where all the other warriors are today?” (referring to those brave enough to stand up against any form of injustice) and I lift my t-shirt to reveal a Maasai warrior belt (ref one, ref. 2); not to be confused with marriage belt, which has diamonds.]
Chapter 3, The Grateful Dead, Page 82:
Group Hallucination
by Curtis
San Francisco, 1967, the Human Be-In.
Something odd happened at this Gathering of the Tribes that still permeates my mind. I have confirmed that I was not the only one who experienced this.
Right before the Grateful Dead played, there was a "gentle person" from India who offered blessings from the stage. While this was occurring, a group of folks in the back of the crowd started screaming, "Fuck you, bring on the band," and other derogatory comments.
The person on stage stopped for a moment, kind of gazed in the general direction of the comments, bowed, and something that looked like a lightening bolt left him, and struck in that general area, illuminating it with light. This in turn seemed to swell the energy to even greater heights, and I heard the words, "Don't freak with a freak" come from the Cosmic Kitchen.
It was only a matter of moments before the Dead were (chuckle) tuned up and playing. This is when the oddity took place. I think the band was playing a song called "Alligator." The audience energy was swirling in what appeared to be a circle and gave the impression of being on a gigantic carousel. This swirling re-formed into this incredible egg-like shape of light that appeared above the stage, and everyone's body seemed to dissolve.
What happened next is hard to describe. It was like the light had joined everyone there together, and the realm of individuality was gone. There was a mutual chill of excitement that filled the air, and I began to hear comments like: "I think we made it." "Are we here?" "This is it!" And "God, isn't it beautiful?" For a moment there was absolute silence. We were all stuck in this "egg of light," and it was beyond any beauty that I could describe in words.
It was at this point I heard the words "Where do we go from here?" come from the Cosmic Kitchen. Almost instantaneously, I heard hundreds of responses come from the crowd, and very few were identical. The light began to fade, and in a flash we were back to the stage and crowd. I did hear folks asking one another, "Did you experience that?" among other questions, and the answer was yes.
When everything came back together, something new was present. It no longer seemed that we were one big family. It appeared that we somehow had resettled into smaller groups that were perhaps now driven by ego. Coincidently, this sort of shows up in successive events pertaining to the history of Haight/Ashbury and that culture.
This experience at the Be-In kept running through my mind. In the early '70s, Ram Dass and I discussed this at length, while sitting on the roof of the Palace Heights Hotel in Delhi, India. We came to the conclusion that this incident, which occurred in Golden Gate Park, was the beginning of what we termed the "Social Karma Ego Dharma Games," or a point where people started growing apart, rather than growing together.
Alligator ~ Grateful Dead ~ August 5, 1967 via The Grateful Jams
Feetlines
School board president: Everybody wants to take the side of the 'poor little woman'
Superintendent of Vermilion Parish Schools Jerome Puyau: jerome.puyau@vpsb.net
Vermilion Parish School District
220 S Jefferson St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
(337) 893-3973
Fax: (337) 898-0939
http://www.vpsb.net/Vermilion parish teacher gets arrested at Vermilion parish school meeting
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Vermilion+parish+teacher+gets+arrested+at+Vermilion+parish+school+meeting
NOAA 15 Thermal Image ~ 201801.12
Thermal Image ~ NOAA 15 (CH 3-4, southbound 58 W) at 2018-01-12 15:21 UTC
Feetlines
Top U.S. Government Computers Linked to Revenge-Porn Site
https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-us-government-computers-linked-to-revenge-porn-site?ref=home
Exclusive: U.S. Justice Department blindsided banking agency on pot policy flip - sources
Should voters who don’t vote stay on voter rolls?
Native American tribes file federal lawsuit against opioid industry
Pfizer, pocketing a big tax cut from Trump, will end investment in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-pfizer-20180108-story.html
Kansas Rep. Steve Alford claims African Americans’ character, genetics make them susceptible to marijuana use
Blue-state Republicans could become almost as rare as white southern Democrats
Instantly, Oprah 2020 erupts
https://www.axios.com/instantly-oprah-2020-er-1515407190-d8e7b074-8841-4f3a-8bfd-e89f11357c59.html
Steven Leech ~ Boptime + Legends of Wilmington Jazz
Announcing some important content changes to Saturday's Boptime. We begin at 6am (EST) on the station’s automated system. It’ll still be Boptime but you’ll hear an hour’s worth of back-to-back oldies that you can follow along with from our website: WVUD.org. The good news is that you’ll hear more Rockabilly Ridge with Michael Ace at 7am (EST) on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Saturdays. On this Saturday's Boptime, and every 2nd Saturday afterward, you’ll hear The Secret City of Jazz or The Legends of Wilmington Jazz followed by Clifford’s Corner at 8am (EST) with co-hosts Larry Williams and Kitty Mayo. The Morrie Sims Show, The Delaware Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Beatlemania!!!, and The Club Baby Grand segments remain in their regular slots. ~ Steve
BOPTIME: Saturday, 6 AM Eastern time, 3 AM Pacific time
Go To: http://www.wvud.org/?page_id=24
Click on a listening link below the WVUD logo:
Steven has also provided Genesis and Harbringer.pdf; part of Dreamstreets #56, located at: http://www.dreamstreetsarchive.com/
Breathe // An 8K storm time-lapse film // Music: Breathe by Ex Makina via Mike Olbinski
Something One Can Get Behind =;-) Of Course, With Slight Modification
jcdulos over at reddit [source] posted the following:
saying, "Trump's interview in Mueller Russia probe should be a pay-per-view event with all proceeds going to the rebuild of Puerto Rico." by mrewokone.
We agree with jcdulos, but with slight modification. Put Mr. Trump & Mr. Mueller in dunk tanks similar to this:
Wire the dunking trigger to national dial-up lines, but include international dial-up lines to get world opinion.
If public feels an answer is false, Mr. Trump or Mr. Muller get dunked, and both National & World results are displayed ?
Feetlines
Vermilion parish teacher gets arrested at Vermilion parish school meeting
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Vermilion+parish+teacher+gets+arrested+at+Vermilion+parish+school+meeting
It’s Raining In Antarctica – Scientists Are Extremely Worried
http://themysteriouslife.com/its-raining-in-antarctica-scientists-are-extremely-worried/
Trump Administration Waives Punishment For Convicted Banks, Including Deutsche — Which Trump Owes Millions
Reddit Comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/7pbvpe/trump_administration_waives_punishment_for/
APPLE STORE EVACUATED AFTER IPHONE BATTERY EXPLOSION
http://www.newsweek.com/iphone-battery-mysterious-explosion-causes-apple-store-evacuation-776529
Reddit Comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/7pf7d8/apple_store_evacuated_after_iphone_battery/
Feetlines From Yesterday
Vermilion parish teacher gets arrested at Vermilion parish school meeting
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Vermilion+parish+teacher+gets+arrested+at+Vermilion+parish+school+meeting
Apple investigated by France for 'planned obsolescence'
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42615378
The Google engineer fired over his controversial 'diversity memo' is suing the company, alleging discrimination
Evidence from the [Google] lawsuit via _Mellex_ ~ Source:
https://twitter.com/mjaeckel/status/950446329603461121
Employee given a monetary bonus by another employee for arguing against Damore
Google SRE Director talks about silencing speech
SRE Manager doesn't care about cis white men, and also white knights weigh in
Above "cis white male's" manager says he will get in trouble for not towing the sjw narrative
Don't speak at conferences if you're white and there's already a white guy
Being racist against white people is actually highlighting the need for diversity says HR Department
Anonymous Google employee tells someone to look into joining Antifa
We should fire all people accused of things, based on the accusations alone
Your sources aren't relevant to my reaction
Do not question the exact details
We need to prevent people from ever getting a job in tech again
Israeli PM's son sorry over secret tape
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-middle-east-42619647
Toronto-bound Porter Airlines passengers told to delete videos or face arrest
https://globalnews.ca/news/3953290/porter-airlines-video-boston-toronto/
Pennsylvania Republicans fret their feeble nominee will blow March special election
Pennsylvania/March, Pennsylvania/March, Pennsylvania/March
By Daily Kos Elections Wednesday Jan 03, 2018 · 5:00 AM PST ~ DAILY KOS Source
It's been a familiar story this cycle: Republicans, facing a special election for Congress, choose a nominee who's either underwhelming (Ron Estes), deeply flawed (Greg Gianforte), or downright unelectable (Roy Moore), jeopardizing if not dooming their chances. Now the latest source of worry for the GOP is state Rep. Rick Saccone, the party's choice in the March 13 special election in Pennsylvania's 18th District, even though Donald Trump handily carried it by a 58-39 margin.
According to Politico's Elena Schneider, unnamed Republican operatives are fretting about Saccone's fundraising, but his inability to bring in the bucks was well-known long before local officials tapped him at a convention in November. As we noted at the time, Saccone had been running for Senate all year but had only amassed a pitiful $52,000 war-chest, yet Republicans selected him anyway. Either they were totally incompetent, didn't have better options, or were simply hoping Saccone's finances would pick up once he became the party's nominee, none of which exactly project strength.
Speaking to Schneider, one nameless GOP strategist went even further, saying, "There's enough out there with Saccone to make him so wacky that Republicans—particularly moderate Republicans in the suburban areas—say this isn't my cup of tea." That was a key part of the brew that sent Moore down to defeat. Is that same Darjeeling percolating now? It may just be, especially since Democrats have rallied around a strong candidate of their own, former federal prosecutor and Marine veteran Conor Lamb.
Indeed, fears about Saccone are apparently so grave that two unnamed GOP sources tell Schneider that local Republicans are trying to get state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler to run in the regularly scheduled election this fall instead. That could, however, prove extremely awkward. Reschenthaler lost the nomination to Saccone on the second ballot at November's gathering, but if he wants to try again, he'd have to file to get on the ballot by March 6—a week ahead of the special election. What's more, Reschenthaler would have to start circulating petitions well in advance of that date, so the specter of a replacement candidate would hover over the race for weeks.
Reschenthaler himself isn't commenting, and perhaps this is part of an effort to lower expectations for Saccone. If so, though, Republicans are doing an A-plus job poormouthing their D-plus candidate.
R.I.P. Ray Thomas, former member of rock band, The Moody Blues
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Thomas
29 December 1941 ~ 4 January 2018
The Moody Blues: For My Lady via Mike Neumann"For My Lady" is a 1973 song by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, and was first released on the 1972 album Seventh Sojourn. It was later released on the B-side of the single "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" in 1973.
"For My Lady" is one of Ray Thomas's better known songs for the Moody Blues. It prominently features Ray Thomas on the flute and lead vocals.
Due to the complex nature of the song's recording, The Moody Blues can only perform the song live when they are backed by a live orchestra, since Ray Thomas cannot sing and play the flute at the same time.
A Former Facebook VP Says Social Media Is Destroying Society. And He’s Right.
by Brad Jones on January 5, 2018 ~ Futurism Source, Video & Images @ Source
IN BRIEF Chamath Palihapitiya, the former vice president for user growth at Facebook, has spoken out about social media. While platforms like Facebook and Twitter can bring people closer together, they can also have the opposite effect.
Feedback Loop
Speaking at a recent event at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Chamath Palihapitiya – a former vice president for user growth at Facebook – expressed a concern that social media platforms have become “tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works.”
Palihapitiya brought up the example of a WhatsApp hoax campaign in India that led to a string of lynchings. However, new technology is also having more subtle effects on the way that we interact with one another.
“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created are destroying how society works,” said Palihapitiya, according to a report from The Verge. Interactions such as ‘liking’ a photograph or ‘favoriting’ a tweet are perhaps more about short-term gratification than the basis for meaningful communication and relationships, Palihapitiya suggested.
“I think that Pallhapitiya points out a very real issue regarding social media and immediate gratification,” said Lizbeth M. Kim, a doctoral candidate in social psychology and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Penn State whose research looks at social media, to Futurism. “I view his message as an important reminder of the part of the picture that we may often willfully ignore.”
She emphasized that today’s social media platforms allow for anyone’s message to be heard, amplified, and given credibility. This can allow for anything from small-scale cases of cyberbullying to much broader harassment campaigns to take root.
We’ve seen that terrorist groups have used the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in an attempt to attract new recruits. Smartphone usage has been linked to teen depression and suicide, although there are now attempts to use artificial intelligence to watch out for users who might be at risk.
Like any kind of new technology, the impact of social media is a reflection of its user base. There’s always a capacity for people to misuse the tools that are available to them – but there are also very real benefits if used positively.
Social Hierarchy
“While there is increasing public attention placed on the ‘dark side’ of social media, in my work, I’m curious about what happens when people try to use social media platforms for the greater good,” said Kim.
Social media has all kind of benefits, like making useful information available to the general public, helping to build communities, and allowing for links between different social groups. However, people’s overt behavior on social media is only one part of the equation – the reactions to that behavior should also be taken into account.
Kim performed a study where subjects were shown a fictitious comment thread where one user confronted another for making a sexist comment. Responses to that thread proved to be different depending on whether the person doing the confronting was male or female, with the latter being perceived as less likable and more angry.
“People who saw the female confronter perceived the sexist perpetrator as more credible compared to when seeing the male confronter,” said Kim. “So, the same altruistic online behavior can be perceived differently based on subtle cues and stereotypes about identity and credibility.”
There are distinct differences between the way we interact with one another in person, and the way we communicate online. When we can disassociate the individual from their social media account, it’s easier to mistreat people, ranging from minor misdeeds to more serious transgressions.
“It is difficult to make a singular claim about the effects of social media on modern-day relationships,” said Kim. “As time goes on and more research is done to examine this, I think we will have a more nuanced idea about the specific features and activities built into websites like Facebook that are contributing to these positive and negative outcomes.”
It’s important to remember that social media is still a relatively new phenomenon, even though it’s become a huge part of everyday life for lots of people. We’re still learning about its effect on society at large – and it’s important that we consider both the good and bad that come from it.
YOLO
Mounted gaming systems via Panda_911
WDMyCloud <= 2.30.165 Multiple Vulnerabilities
Net Neutrality
Keep Our Net Free
To protect net neutrality, we need internet infrastructure that isn't owned by big telecom. A group of developers are building a new decentralized internet that cannot be censored, throttled, or surveilled. ~ self.KeepOurNetFree
via NarwhalAmongUnicorns ~ Reddit Source
We all know that the FCC rollback of net neutrality will severely worsen the current internet leading to more corporate greediness, privacy issues and censorship. To combat the corrupt corporations and governments that want to limit the internet and our freedom, a completely new decentralized internet has been developed, with the ambition of having a peer-to-peer internet that cannot be censored, throttled, or surveilled.
Skywire is a subproject of Skycoin and its goal is to create a decentralized internet built on top of a mesh-net infrastructure. The project has been in development for 6 years and its rollout is planned for this month. They are going to ship the first 300 hardware nodes to individuals around the world to jump-start the test-net. Though anybody can run a node and there are already hundreds more that will DIY their own nodes. Running a node essentially means you are selling bandwidth, therefore anybody can become a “Mini-ISP”, and will be rewarded per bandwidth sold. This solves the issues with other mesh-net initiatives as it incentivizes users to run the network.
If you want to read more, this article explains how the new decentralized internet will work:
https://blog.skycoin.net/overview/skywire---skycoin-meshnet-project/
The more people that see this the higher the likelihood of this being successful. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PROJECT BY SPREADING THE WORD.
For the tech savy: If you want to set-up your own node, check out their github:
https://github.com/skycoin/skywire
Dahbud Mensch ~ Stuck in the middle with who?
Lying Corporate Futher Muckers Do What?
Comcast fired 500 despite claiming tax cut would create thousands of jobs
AT&T sued over layoffs after promising more investment because of tax cut
Intel CEO sold $39 million in company shares prior to disclosure of CPU security flaws
Telecom Crimes
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/telecrimepunish.html
Violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution
Violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution
Unlawful electronic surveillance or disclosure or use of information obtained by electronic surveillance in violation of 50 U.S.C. §1809.
Unlawful interception, use or disclosure of Class communications in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2511
Unlawful solicitation and obtained disclosure of the contents of communications in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2702(a)(1) or (a)(2)
Unlawful solicitation and obtained disclosure of non-content records or other information in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2702(a)(3)
Violation of the Administrative Procedures Act
Violation of the constitutional principle of separation of powers
Telecom PunishmentCongress votes to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, legalize warrantless eavesdropping
Yet again, George Bush and Dick Cheney get everything they want from the Democratic-led Congress, this time to put a permanent, and harmless, end to their illegal spying scandal. By Glenn Greenwald, Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 11:11 AM PDT, Continue reading @ Salon.com
Net Neutrality
The FCC Cited Zero of the 22 Million Consumer
Comments in its 218-Page Net Neutrality Repeal"Despite the millions of comments, letters, and calls received, this Order cites, not even one consumer comment."
by Jason Koebler, Jan 4 2018, 4:32pm, Vice Source
The public can plainly see that a soon-to-be-toothless FCC is handing the keys to the internet over to a handful of multi-billion dollar corporations. Despite the millions of comments, letters, and calls received, this Order cites, not even one consumer comment. That speaks volumes about the direction the FCC is heading. That speaks volumes about who is being hard at the FCC. ~ Mignon Clyburn ~ [ Continue Reading ]
7 Things You Can Still Do On
The Internet After Net NeutralityI think it’s important to stress that the FCC is opening the door for ISPs to interfere with U.S. citizens’ first amendment rights.
Limiting our access to certain websites and certain media makes accessibility of the rights granted to us by the Constitution more difficult and here’s how:
They threaten our freedom of speech, by not allowing our voices to be heard on a platform (social media) where millions could be reached, effectively silencing us.
They threaten the freedom of the press by limiting their ability to disseminate information necessary for the public to assess the government.
They threaten freedom of religion by opening the door for ISPs to give preference over which sites moral and spiritual beliefs align with their own.
They threaten our freedom to protest by making it difficult to reach out to each others and organize a formal rejection against the practices of our government.
They’ll argue that they do no such thing, that they do not violate our rights because there are other means through which we can retain those rights without the internet. But this is not an excuse for why they should make our access to these rights more difficult.
This is not just a fight for NN, but a fight to stop these companies from breaching the constitution and stealing Americans’ rights. That’s something that can and will concern every legislator in Congress, and should concern every U.S. citizen. My rights and your rights are being blatantly attacked with the repeal of NN. ~ dmoral25 ~ Source via battleforthenet.com
Disclaimer ~ #5
5. It is true. As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between the ears, causing a condition called truth decay. So be sure to use mental floss twice a day. And when you're tempted to practice tantrum yoga, remember what we teach in Swami's Absurdiveness Training class: *Don't get even, get odd.*
Nobody for President ~ NONE of the ABOVE should be a choice on voter ballots
10 Ways Our Politicians
Are Screwing Us
by MORRIS M., MAY 15, 2013 ~ Click to read entire article at LISTVERSE sourceIt's not easy being a politician. The pressure is high, the rewards low and there simply aren't enough hours in the day for screwing the electorate. Yeah, that's right: screwing. For all they claim to be representing us, the truth is our politicians are almost-exclusively looking out for number one. How else do you explain stuff like:
10 Accepting Bribes
Lobbying is bribery for rich people. Only instead of being super-illegal it's encouraged, and instead of letting them bend the law it allows them to simply change it. Take gun control. In the months after Sandy Hook, it looked like there would finally be some movement on this issue. Public support for new laws was over ninety percent, both sides of the house seemed interested and it looked like a vote would sail through. Then the day came and the vote came back 'no'. So what happened? The pro-gun lobby put forward a convincing argument and senators rationally changed their minds, right?
Wrong. In the immediate aftermath of the vote, the Guardian revealed that all but 3 'no' senators had received thousands of dollars in pro-gun money. In other words: they'd been bribed. And, thanks to lobbying laws, that bribe was legal.
Now, lobbying is rarely this overt, but it's happening all the time—usually in the form of Washington's 'revolving door'. Put simply: a senator will align himself with a lobby group, vote their way and—the moment he's kicked out of office—get a lucrative job at that same group. It's about as openly corrupt as you can get in a democracy and guess what? There are approximately zero plans to change it.
09 Taking Welfare
If there's one group of people politicians of all colors are happy to piss on, it's welfare recipients. Whether they're talking about 'Welfare Queens' existing on the government teat, Obamacare bankrupting us all or food stamps becoming unaffordable; politicians sure do like to put the boot into those taking government money. So it should come as no surprise that the biggest 'Welfare Queens' of all reside on Capitol Hill.
In 2011, it was revealed that 23 members of congress were claiming farm subsidies. Of those 23, five were sponsored by the Tea Party: the very same Tea Party that opposes all Federal hand-outs. Between them, the Washington Welfare Queens had raked in over $18 million of your money, often while demonizing others for doing exactly the same thing. No matter where you stand on social security, you gotta admit that's pretty low.
08 Robbing the Taxpayer
Remember how I said lobbying was the most-corrupt you could get in a Western democracy? Turns out I lied. Welcome to Britain, where the UK parliament could give Silvio Berlusconi lessons in corruption.
Four years ago, an investigation by the Telegraph revealed that British MPs were using their expense accounts to pay for anything they felt like. And while you or I might be tempted to charge the odd drink or meal to whatever company we work for, these guys were charging for freaking houses. Not only were the charges highly-immoral, they were frequently ludicrous: one politician had the taxpayer pay £1,600 for a duck house and £30,000 for 28 tons of manure; while another claimed £2,200 to have his moat cleaned. As in his actual moat: as in something you only have if you already live in an actual castle. One MP even submitted rental costs for a non-existent property. By the time the dust settled, it became clear the government had been screwing the taxpayer for years, so the whole lot of them were locked in the tower of London and summarily beheaded. At least they would have been if there was any justice in this world.
07 Encouraging Nepotism
Nepotism is where useless people get money or power because their mommy or daddy was kinda important. While some families, like that of Kim Jong-Un, take a direct approach—our Western version is more to do with handing out lucrative jobs and contracts to people on the basis of nothing more than sharing a handful of genes.
Last year, the New York Times ran this story reporting on the findings of Washington watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. After trawling through a heck-load of records, the group had discovered 82 lawmakers diverting public and party funds to their relatives, often in the form of lucrative salaries for doing not very much. This included 20 members who used money raised for their own campaigns to campaign on behalf of a son, daughter or spouse. Worst of all, as the NYT editorial noted, the revelations came at a time of eight percent unemployment and worsening poverty: a time when hundreds of thousands of young people were getting thrown on the scrapheap. In other words, plenty of intelligent graduates are being frozen out these jobs in favor of people of no discernible talent—effectively creating a 'political class' with no connection to real life whatsoever.
06 Lying
Let's flip back to the UK for this one. Over there, lying has gotten so routine that two separate stories of made-up government statistics broke in one week. First, an important minister was caught out justifying welfare-robbery by making up facts. Then another high-ranking politician was caught quoting figures from an opinion poll commissioned by a motel-chain, which is about as scientific as it sounds. And that's just in one week: go back even further and you have a guy who was caught speeding on camera and blamed his wife—despite her being at a public conference at the time.
But these are just a handful of examples. Time and again, we encounter politicians breaking election promises, breaking contracts and just flat-out lying whenever they're caught being racist. These are the same people trying to make a living off their 'honest image': yet experience often shows them to be anything but.
05 Ignoring the Law
It's a cliché to say someone thinks he or she is 'above the law', but our politicians apparently didn't get the memo. Whether it's driving while under the influence, sleeping with prostitutes, embezzlement, getting drunk and starting fights or simply being Nixon, our politicians break the law like it won't apply to them. And they're usually right: penniless people who smoke crack get the best part of a decade in prison; rich guys apparently get off with a wrist-slapping six months.
But none of that even begins to touch on the issue of government law-breaking. Put simply, sometimes the entire government makes a law then completely ignores it—as happened recently in England. After a court ruled the government had violated its own minimum wage laws by forcing hundreds of people into near-unpaid labour; the sociopaths in charge voted to bring in another law making them immune from liability. So, to recap: government makes law, government breaks law, government changes law to cover its own ass. There's a word these sort of people need to hear more often, and that word is "guillotine".
04 Looking out for Number One
But our politicians aren't completely stupid: often they simply vote for what would benefit them to begin with, rather than what would benefit the country. Take the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts and the collective hissy fit Washington threw at the thought of a few rich guys paying a little extra each month. But did you ever stop to think who might benefit from those cuts—aside from millionaires?
That's right: politicians. According to the New York Times, two thirds of senators were millionaires in 2008, while the poorest senator is still earning around 3.5 times the average American wage. Then there's the massive $19,000 pay rise they awarded themselves in 2009—in other words, at the exact same time the economy was in free-fall and we were being told the country was broke. Not to be outdone by their American counterparts, British politicians later went one further by voting themselves a £31,000 salary increase—about $50,000. That's a 30 percent increase; seemingly-timed to coincide with devastating UK cuts to public services.
03 Abusing Office
Earlier this year, the daughter of a Mexican official was refused a table at a Mexico City restaurant, so responded by getting her Dad's inspectors to close the place down. While that case is pretty overt, we here in the West are just as adept at abusing high office—so much so that Business Insider regularly publishes its list of 'most corrupt members of congress', and it sure makes for some ugly reading. Their 2012 edition includes a congresswoman who forced her staff to spy on an opponent; a congressman who used campaign funds to finance his daughter's graduation party; another who offered foreign donors Green Cards in exchange for money; another who allegedly bribed a Federal witness; one who ran a giant Ponzi scheme; several who accepted inappropriate gifts and several more who violated Federal laws. And this list is updated every year with new infractions, new abuses and new redefinitions of the word 'corruption'. In other words, we could give a Banana-Republic lessons in abuse of power, and no-one's willing to do a thing about it.
02 Being Hypocrites
Most of the items on this list deal with some form of hypocrisy—but sometimes, it gets really overt. It may be the moral hypocrisy of talking up God and family values while cheating on your three wives, or evangelizing about raising taxes when you don't pay any yourself, or running your whole campaign on honesty when you're really as corrupt as the rest of them.
But what really sticks in the craw is this constant mantra that we're all suffering equally from this economic Armageddon. We're not: most of us have seen our taxes rise, our incomes shrink and our jobs get a heck of a lot more precarious. Our politicians, meanwhile, have been living it up: installing hundred thousand dollar beds on five hour flights, ordering expensive designer cushions to perch on and enjoying $60 breakfasts at taxpayer expense. Out of touch is one thing, but these guys seem to be living on a different planet.
01 Ignoring Voters
Here's some quick facts: ninety one percent of Americans back moderate gun control measures. Eighty seven percent want the tackling of Federal corruption to become a priority. Fifty percent back legal marijuana. Fifty three percent favor gay marriage. At the time of writing, literally none of those things are being dealt with. Now, I'm not trying to say that majority opinion is always right, or that the government should be ruled by opinion polls. However, when the government consistently supports unpopular measures in the face of hard, scientific evidence, you have to start wondering who they're working for in the first place. 'Cause, right now, it sure as hell isn't us.
Morris M. is a freelance writer and newly-qualified teacher, still naively hoping to make a difference in his students' lives. You can send your helpful and less-than-helpful comments to his email, or visit some of the other websites that inexplicably hire him. Read More: Urban Ghosts
Remembering Miki Shapiro
December 25, 1929 ~ January 5, 2007
Miki Shapiro
http://www.vallartatoday.com/viewarticle.asp?article=751Miki Shapiro, 77; queen grande dame of the 60’s Hollywood scene, died Friday, January 5th, 2007 in Encinitas, Ca. Miki was born Helen Jean McNabb to Addison J. McNabb and Thelma Noble McNabb in Columbus, Ohio on December 25th, 1929. She attended Grandview High School where she was known for her adventurous spirit, non-conformity and wild get-togethers. She followed her brother, Bob McNabb.
Miki Shapiro was a big part of the community here in the early days. She threw the parties, entertained the famous and held a “salon” for the intelligencia of the times. She and her husband, Bennie Shapiro, operated the Renaissance Night Club and the Crescendo on Sunset Blvd, where a multitude of artists performed. Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Miles Davis, Lennie Bruce and Lord Buckley were just a few of the artists. Bennie left the nightclub life to open his own talent agency, taking many of the artists of the times with him. Being a concert promoter, film producer and entrepreneur led Miki and Bennie to be the center of the most exciting era. The Monterrey Pop Festival was just one of their successful endeavors. The movers and thinkers and celebrities of the time all gathered at the Shapiro’s. Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Alan Watts, Hells Angels, The Black Panthers, The Diggers, Merry Pranksters, Sean Connery, Mikhail Barishkonov, Marlon Brando, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar, Dylan, Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison, the Grateful Dead, Momma Cass and the Mama’s and Papa’s, Janis Joplin, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Huey Newton, one never knew who they would run into at the Shapiro’s on Kings Road,.
The accompanying photo is from her house in Yelapa at her daughter Michele's Birthday Party that has Tabitha (7 years old) Sam, Tom and Catherine, Michelle, Marc, Orange Charlie "Chicharro", Joan and Cali and Joe, Electra and Jorge . 1987 Casa Suenos, Yelapa ~ We Miss You Miki ~@~
Daylight Saving Time Is Obviously Evil
Are Politicians Trying To Kill 'The People'
By Keeping Daylight Saving Time Active?Read-It ( ͡ʘ ͜ʖ ͡ʘ) Is Daylight Saving Time Dangerous? ( ͡ʘ ͜ʖ ͡ʘ) Read-It
Proof Daylight Saving Time Is
Dumb, Dangerous, and CostlyThe case against changing the clocks keeps getting stronger
By Ben Steverman March 10, 2017, 3:00 AM PST ~ Bloomberg Source
Steven Leech ~ Boptime + Legends of Wilmington Jazz
On Saturday's Boptime we begin at at 6am (EST) with the Broadway musical Carmen Jones from this day in 1944, including some selections from the musical One Touch of Venus. We continue with music from this day in 1944 in the 7am (EST) hour. At 8am (EST) it’s the Morrie Sims Show followed by the Delaware Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as we play selections from Snakegrinder, including one fronted by Jim McCarthy, then three local bands that spun off from Snakegrinder: Amazin’ Space, Dick Uranus, and the Voltags. On the Club Baby Grand at 9am (EST) we start by going back to the early 1940s with Wilmington singers Daisy Winchester and Betty Roché, then some early recordings from Clifford Brown and Lem Winchester, Followed by recording from present day jazz artists, Don Glanden, Gerald Chavis and Ernie Watts. ~ Steve
BOPTIME: Saturday, 6 AM Eastern time, 3 AM Pacific time
Go To: http://www.wvud.org/?page_id=24
Click on a listening link below the WVUD logo:
Into the Mystic
Space Oddity, David Bowie via Andrew Ruttan
Hearing in the Bardo via Isaac McCardle
Into the Mystic, Van Morrison via Scott Wright
Disclaimer ~ #6
6. If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there'll surely be nomadness on the planet. And peace begins with each of us. A little peace here, a little peace there, pretty soon all the peaces will fit together to make one big peace everywhere.
Nothing else matters, Metallica arr. Karianne Brouwer violin, Maaike Schoenmaker cello
Notes from ~@~ Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Carlin Step, DJ Steve Porter & Eli Wilkie from Roland Kardeby
The Great Bell Chant (The End of Suffering) from R Smittenaar
One Day, Matisyahu from 100%
Unsung Hero from Rattakarn Srithavatchai "Garn"
On the Bus, Carolyn Mountain Girl Garcia from vimeo
Freedom of expression and freedom of speech aren't really important unless they're heard...It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war. And there's nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action. So I dedicated this Emmy to all the people who feel compelled to speak out and not afraid to speak to power and won't shut up and refuse to be silenced. ~ Tom Smothers
Amestizo [Randy CrazyHorse] ~ Shaman
The Siege of Chaco Canyon - Indian Country Media Network ~ Stop Fracking New Mexico Petition - Native Voice Network ~ Fracking Versus Ancient Astronomy in Chaco Canyon ~ Fracking and drilling near Chaco Canyon challenged by Begaye, Nez ~ Frack Off Greater Chaco ~ Don't Frack Chaco Canyon ~ The Treasures of Chaco Canyon Are Threatened by Drilling ~ River Healers: New Mexico Chapter ~ Fracking Boom Surrounds Sacred Chaco Canyon ~ Fracking threatens the Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site ~ Will Fracking Be the Demise of Chaco Canyon National Historical Park? ~ Fracking Boom Expands Near Chaco Canyon, Threatens Navajo Ancestral Lands and People ~ More than 165,000 Deliver A Message to New Mexico Politicians: Stop Fracking in the Greater Chaco ~ Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon ~ BLM Defers Fracking Near New Mexico’s Sacred Chaco Canyon
Karl Cohen ~ Association International du Film d'Animation SF Newsletter
ASIFA-SF
Mike Wilhelm ~ Charlatans, Flamin' Groovies, Loose Gravel, and more
Mike Wilhelm Interview ~ December 2001 via Jesse BlockThe San Francisco Rock Band
That Was Too Wild For the Sixtiesby Ben Marks ~ July 19th, 2017 ~ Article Source
George Hunter of the Charlatans never shot Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, not even once. But in the spring of 1966, on the grounds of Rancho Olompali just north of San Francisco, Garcia had reason to believe Hunter was gunning for him, causing the great guitarist to royally freak out. The misunderstanding unfolded when Hunter decided to drop some LSD and bring a loaded .30-30 Winchester rifle to a party at the Dead’s new Marin County hangout. Hunter never intended to strike fear into the heart of his genial host, but when he did, he was so high that he began to panic—perhaps he had accidentally shot someone, if not Garcia, after all. It took a long bummer of a night, and three of Hunter’s closest friends, to shake that demon thought from his troubled mind.
You’ve probably never heard of the “Incident at Olompali,” as no one has called it since, and your awareness of the Charlatans is likely limited to seeing the band’s name on scores of vintage rock posters, alongside more familiar monikers such as Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Grateful Dead. [Click to Continue Reading]
Great MP3 Podcasts via Mike Wilhelm:
Paul Krassner ~ The Realist, Investigative Satirist
The Ten Suggestions
by Paul Krassner, 24 March 2003
1. Stay well-informed and be on the alert for disinformation; besides mainstream media, check out alternative papers and the Internet, especially the international press.
2. Maintain empathy for the motivation of terrorists and sympathizers, bearing in mind that they are victims of their own conditioning.
3. Start saving the world by acting in every aspect of your daily life as though you were a role model for all humankind.
4. Understand and forgive your foibles instead of guilt-tripping yourself.
5. Resist police-state legislation passed in the guise of security.
6. Pro-choice or not, don't abort your inner child.
7. With the stench and sadness of death so much in the air, practice loving those you cherish while they're still alive.
8. Keep feeling hopeful by finding your balance between total despair and the 100th Monkey fable. As Harry Chapin said, "If we don't act like there's hope, there is no hope." And remember, placebos work.
9. Pay attention to Godspin, such as, "I never said Promised Land, I said I'd see what I could do."
10. When eating a sandwich at the delicatessen, be sure to remove the toothpick before taking your first bite.
Paul & Curtis
Paul Krassner: Who’s To Say What’s Obscene? via Dangerous Minds
Sprung ~ Harley-Davidson® Springer® Enthusiast
Mike Wilhelm & Curtis (Sprung)
Ride Free II via Paul Bokhari
Steven Leech ~ Boptime + Legends of Wilmington Jazz
Steven has provided Genesis and Harbringer.pdf; part of Dreamstreets #56, located at: http://www.dreamstreetsarchive.com/
Heyókȟa ~ Sacred Clowns
Sacred Clowns: The Heyókȟa symbolize and portray many aspects of the sacred, the Wakȟáŋ. Their satire presents important questions by fooling around. They ask difficult questions, and say things others are too afraid to say. By reading between the lines, the audience is able to think about things not usually thought about, or to look at things in a different way.
Principally, the Heyókȟa functions both as a mirror and a teacher, using extreme behaviors to mirror others, thereby forcing them to examine their own doubts, fears, hatreds, and weaknesses. Heyókȟas also have the power to heal emotional pain; such power comes from the experience of shame--they sing of shameful events in their lives, beg for food, and live as clowns. They provoke laughter in distressing situations of despair and provoke fear and chaos when people feel complacent and overly secure, to keep them from taking themselves too seriously or believing they are more powerful than they are.
In addition, sacred clowns serve an important role in shaping tribal codes. Heyókȟa's don't seem to care about taboos, rules, regulations, social norms, or boundaries. Paradoxically, however, it is by violating these norms and taboos that they help to define the accepted boundaries, rules, and societal guidelines for ethical and moral behavior. This is because they are the only ones who can ask "Why?" about sensitive topics and employ satire to question the specialists and carriers of sacred knowledge or those in positions of power and authority. In doing so, they demonstrate concretely the theories of balance and imbalance. Their role is to penetrate deception, turn over rocks, and create a deeper awareness. From Word Worlds, Where simplifying complexity becomes art.
Develop Your Mind, Not Sacred Sites
In an 1868 treaty, drafted at Fort Laramie in Sioux country, the United States established the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation, set aside for exclusive use by the Sioux people. However, after the discovery of gold there in 1874, the United States confiscated the land in 1877. To this day, ownership of the Black Hills remains the subject of a legal dispute between the U.S. government and the Sioux.
Cree Prophecy
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
Nobody for President ~ NONE of the ABOVE should be a choice on voter ballots
Curtis Spangler & Wavy Gravy, Nobody for President Rally, 197610.12 ~ Photo: James Stark
[Not Work Safe] American Dream [George Carlin] via Ignas Laugalis [Not Work Safe]
American Dream, George Carlin ~ Original post via Ishtar and Audio Alternative via FellyNobody should have that much power
Oh, I hope that I see you again I never even caught your name As you looked through my window pane ~ So I'm writing this message today I'm thinking that you'll have a way Of hearing the notes in my tune ~ Where are you going? Where have you been? I can imagine other worlds you have seen ~ Beautiful faces and music so serene ~ So I do hope I see you again My universal citizen You went as quickly as you came ~ You know the power Your love is right You have good reason To stay out of sight ~~ But break our illusions and help us Be the light ~ Message by Mike Pinder
Why I Think This World Should End, Brandon Sloan
Without love in the dream, it will never come true. ~ Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. ~ John Lennon
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear. So the man yelled "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God let me see you" and a star shined brightly. But the man did not notice. And the man shouted, "God show me a miracle" and a life was born. But the man did not know. So the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are there" Whereupon God reached down and touched the man, But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.
Don't miss out on a blessing because
it isn't packaged the way you expect!
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