KWBaker

One of the downsides of going digital is that clutter isn’t so obvious. When you’re buried under papers, boxes, and stacks of scattered miscellany, it’s all physical proof that you need to clean up a bit. Digitally speaking, however, the only real reminder of clutter is when hard drive space runs out. Clutter is the death of organization. Consider how much time you spend searching through your computer, your smartphone, your music libraries, and everything else. How much time does that add up to in the long run? What if you could become more efficient while expending less effort? Organizing...

Read the full article: How To Keep Your Digital Life Organized In The New Year

If you have an old Android phone you've upgraded from lying around, there are tons of projects to put it to good use, but this one is relatively easy and can bring you a little peace of mind: Turn it into a Wi-Fi web or home security camera.

Read more...

First it was, with "absolute certainly", North Korea. Then, out of the blue, an even more ridiculous theory emerged about the origin of the Sony hackers: Russia. Now, we finally get the truth, and as it turns out it was neither of the abovementioned sovereign actors who had nothing better to do than to hack movie scripts and racist emails: it was Sony's own disgruntled worker who was the source of the hack. According to Politico, FBI agents investigating the Sony Pictures hack were briefed Monday by a security firm that says its research points to laid-off Sony staff, not North Korea, as the perpetrator."

Researchers from the cyber intelligence company Norse have said their own investigation into the data on the Sony attack doesn’t point to North Korea at all and instead indicates some combination of a disgruntled employee and hackers for piracy groups is at fault.

But... but just a week ago the FBI was so absolutely certain it was North Korea it released the following statement:

Today, the FBI would like to provide an update on the status of our investigation into the cyber attack targeting Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). In late November, SPE confirmed that it was the victim of a cyber attack that destroyed systems and stole large quantities of personal and commercial data. A group calling itself the "Guardians of Peace" claimed responsibility for the attack and subsequently issued threats against SPE, its employees, and theaters that distribute its movies.

 

The FBI has determined that the intrusion into SPE's network consisted of the deployment of destructive malware and the theft of proprietary information as well as employees' personally identifiable information and confidential communications. The attacks also rendered thousands of SPE's computers inoperable, forced SPE to take its entire computer network offline, and significantly disrupted the company's business operations.

 

After discovering the intrusion into its network, SPE requested the FBI's assistance. Since then, the FBI has been working closely with the company throughout the investigation. Sony has been a great partner in the investigation, and continues to work closely with the FBI. Sony reported this incident within hours, which is what the FBI hopes all companies will do when facing a cyber attack. Sony's quick reporting facilitated the investigators' ability to do their jobs, and ultimately to identify the source of these attacks.

 

As a result of our investigation, and in close collaboration with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions.

So will the humiliation ever end? Or does Obama have to launch a "preemptive" nuclear first in addition to taking down North Korea's internet and cell phone service before he too admits his false flag-based foreign policy is an epic disaster?

To be sure, the FBI says it is standing by its conclusions, "but the security community says they’ve been open and receptive to help from the private sector throughout the Sony investigation."

Norse’s senior vice president of market development said that just the quickness of the FBI’s conclusion that North Korea was responsible was a red flag.

“When the FBI made the announcement so soon after the initial hack was unveiled, everyone in the [cyber] intelligence community kind of raised their eyebrows at it, because it’s really hard to pin this on anyone within days of the attack,” Kurt Stammberger said in an interview as his company briefed FBI investigators Monday afternoon.

 

He said the briefing was set up after his company approached the agency with its findings.

 

Stammberger said after the meeting the FBI was “very open and grateful for our data and assistance” but didn’t share any of its data with Norse, although that was what the company expected.

 

The FBI said Monday it is standing behind its assessment, adding that evidence doesn’t support any other explanations.

Of course it is: otherwise it would look like a total idiot. It still will, but in time the FBI hopes nobody will remember this entire unfortunate embarrassing incident, and can just back away quietly with a small footnote explanation on page 18.

“When the FBI made the announcement so soon after the initial hack was unveiled, everyone in the [cyber] intelligence community kind of raised their eyebrows at it, because it’s really hard to pin this on anyone within days of the attack,” Kurt Stammberger said in an interview as his company briefed FBI investigators Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Norse is pretty adamant the FBI are a bunch of clowns:

"Whenever we see some indicators or leads that North Korea may be involved, when we follow those leads, they turn out to be dead ends,” Stammberger said. “Do I think it’s likely that [officials] have a smoking gun? … We think that we would have seen key indicators by now in our investigation that would point to the North Koreans: We don’t see those data points. So if they’ve got them, they should share some of them at least with the community and make a more convincing case.”

Bottom line: the hacker was a disgruntled employee, and the leaked email situation was promptly used by studio execs to dupe the idiot public into believing it was their sworn patriotic duty to watch a failed comedic flop, generating revenues of over $20 million for what would have been a total dud. Which is why expect none of this to get any media coverage.

In the meantime, Obama almost launched another war over yet another video. So generally par for the course, bad pun intended.

The humiliation, however, is that not only did North Korea troll Obama, it officially got the upper hand. End result, at least someone is having a laugh.

(Source: Enbridge)

More than 20 million miles of underground utilities transport water, fuel, energy, electricity, and even fertilizer across the United States to end users. Government studies have shown that pipelines are the safest way to transport energy products, but anyone working around pipelines must take proper precautions to avoid harmful or even deadly consequences. If you strike a pipeline while excavating, you may be responsible for fines and repair costs. However, striking a pipeline can harm more than just your pocketbook. A product released from a pipeline could damage your property, and contact with the product could result in injuries or even death.

Calling 811

811 is a free, nationwide service designed to keep you safe from damaging pipelines and underground utilities when digging or excavating. Calling 811 is meant to be a simple process to help you avoid significant consequences. Also, many states now offer online “811” options; click here to find out whether an online option is available in your state.

Under What Circumstances Should You Call 811?

Call 811 before performing any task that disturbs the soil. Such tasks may include but are not limited to the following activities:

• deep tilling
• ditching
• soil ripping
• installing drain tile
• constructing fences, roads, driveways, ditches, berms, overhead or underground utilities, or other facilities

Even if you believe you may be exempt under state one-call laws, you should make the call. Like refraining from texting while driving, making a call may not always be required by law, but it’s always the safest option.

When Should You Call 811 and What Information Should You Provide?

Call 811 two or three business days before undertaking a soil-disturbing project. When you call, include the following important details:

• descriptions of the type of work you will be doing and the area you will be excavating
• the date and time that you will begin excavating
• the street address of your work site, the road on which the work site is located, and the nearest intersection
• driving directions to or GPS coordinates for the work site

Within two or three business days, professional locators will mark underground utilities. These personnel will mark pipelines with yellow flags or paint so that you can conduct your work around them, saving yourself from potential damage or injury.

Other Safety Precautions

Excavating safely goes beyond making the call to 811. Keep in mind that it’s never safe to assume the depth of pipelines. Pipeline depth can change due to erosion, previous digging projects, and other factors. Also, some pipelines may be located above the ground.

Remembering the following guidelines will ensure that you always dig with “CARE”:

• Call 811 before you dig.
• Allow required time for markings.
• Respect the markings.
• Excavate carefully.

Resources

Call 811 website (http://call811.com)

Enbridge Companies’ Call 811 web page (http://www.enbridge.com/call811)

811 in Your State (http://call811.com/)

National Pipeline Mapping System (https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/)

Common Ground Alliance “Don’t Ignore” PSA Video (http://youtu.be/zspyp4Kp3gM)

Marathon Farmer Testimonial (Video) (http://youtu.be/oe-iknpYzF8)

7 Myths about Safe Digging

811 Survey Article

Chainsaws are valuable labor-saving devices used by many farm, ranch, and home owners. However, in the hands of an untrained operator, a chainsaw is extremely dangerous. A chainsaw at full speed runs more than 30 ft. of chain past a single point on the bar in the split-second it takes for a user to react.

Safety Precautions to Reduce Risk of Injury or Death

Take the following steps to reduce the risk of injury or death when using a chainsaw:

• Read the device’s instruction manual and safety manual, and then follow all recommended guidelines for the use of the chainsaw.
• Store the device’s manuals in a place where you can easily find them, and contact the company should you need to replace them. (Most chainsaw manuals are available online.)
• If you have never used a chainsaw, seek the guidance of a qualified mentor before using the chainsaw.
• Wear all personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for chainsaw use while operating the chainsaw.
• Know the chainsaw’s limitations, know your own limitations, and take your time and rest often so that you remain alert for potential hazards.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Apply the following recommendations and information regarding PPE whenever you operate a chainsaw:

• Clothing: Clothes should fit well and should not dangle or have ragged edges that can get caught on limbs, bark, or the saw.
• PPE: All PPE required for operating a chainsaw must fit the operator properly and be in good condition.
• Leg chaps: Protective leg chaps made from ballistic nylon or Kevlar protect the legs from the running chain saw.
• Hard hat: Wear a properly fitted hard hat that is comfortable and provides protection from small falling limbs or debris.
• Face protection: Wear either a full-face shield or safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields to protect your face from flying wood chips, twigs, and sawdust.
• Hearing protection: Wear earplugs and/or earmuffs to protect your hearing from the noise levels associated with running a chainsaw, which can exceed 90 decibels (dB). Use hearing protection with a minimum noise reduction rating (NRR) of 25 to reduce your risk of noise-induced hearing loss.
• Footwear: Wear steel-toed high-top boots with aggressive-treaded soles to protect you from slipping and to protect your feet from potential contact with the saw chain or with heavy falling or rolling objects.
• Gloves: Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from cuts, abrasions, or splinters. You can wear specialized woodcutter’s gloves that have slip-resistant palms and are made of synthetic cut-resistant material similar to the material in leg chaps.

To learn more about PPE related to operating a chainsaw, view the following video by Progressive Farmer:

Chainsaw Selection

There are three size classes of chainsaws. It is important to identify the one that is the best match for the job(s) that you need to complete.

• Small-sized chainsaws have 8-in. to 14-in. guide bars and are designed to do light work, such as cutting small branches and felling very small trees.
• Medium-sized chainsaws have 16-in. to 22-in. guide bars and work well for felling, limbing, and bucking trees in the diameter range of 8 in. to 22 in.
• Large-sized chainsaws are designed for professional users and usually have guide bar lengths greater than 18 in. These chainsaws are designed for heavy daily logging use.

After you have determined the appropriate size chainsaw for your needs, select a chainsaw that is quiet and balanced and equipped with the following safety features:

• Front hand guard: The front hand guard is a paddle-like device, located ahead of the front (top) handle of the chainsaw such that it stops an operator’s left hand from coming in contact with the chain if this hand slips off the handle.
• Chain brake: Chain brakes, a feature of gas chainsaws, reduce the risk of injury, if activated, by stopping the saw’s chain immediately if kickback occurs. Usually, the chain brake is activated by contact with the front hand guard, but it also may be activated by a sudden jerk of the chainsaw (inertia activated feature). It is strongly recommended to purchase chainsaws with both types of chain brake activation in the chain brake system.
• Throttle trigger interlock: This feature prevents the accidental opening of the throttle.
• Stop switch: The stop switch should be easy for an operator to activate with his or her right thumb while gripping the saw’s rear handle.
• Antivibration system or vibration damping: An antivibration system can reduce operator fatigue and decrease the strain placed on the operator’s hands. Vibration damping (achieved through rubber bushings and/or metal springs on the chainsaw) reduces the operator’s exposure to vibration.
• Rear hand guard: A rear hand guard on the lower part of the chainsaw by the rear handle protects the operator’s right hand from a broken or jumping chain.
• Reduced kickback or antikickback chain: Most consumer chainsaws are equipped with low-kickback chains or chains that are designed to have reduced kickback energy.
• Chain catcher: This feature is designed to catch a broken or jumping chain.
• Continuous pressure throttle: This feature shuts off power to a chainsaw when pressure is reduced.
• Muffler: The muffler limits the noise level of the saw and directs hot exhaust gases away from the operator.
• Spark arrestor: A spark arrestor prevents sparks from being ejected by the exhaust.

Chainsaw Maintenance and Fueling

A chainsaw that is in proper working condition is safer and easier to operate than a poorly maintained machine. Before using your chain saw, take the following actions:

• Make sure the chain is properly sharpened.
• Make sure the chain is properly tensioned on the chainsaw bar.
• Make sure the chain oiler reservoir is filled with proper bar and chain oil.

Maintaining proper chain tension during chainsaw operation is important because a loose chain could come off and a tight chain could bind and overheat. When you are sharpening the cutters on the chainsaw chain, wear gloves and cover the chain with a heavy rag. Make sure your chain oiling system is working properly. To learn how to sharpen your chainsaw, watch the following video from Progressive Farmer:

Allow the chainsaw to cool 5 minutes before refueling, and use a funnel or flexible nozzle to avoid spills. Make sure the chainsaw is at least 20 ft. away from any sources of ignition prior to fueling. If any fuel is spilled, wipe the saw dry before starting it. Move the chainsaw at least 10 ft. from the fueling area before attempting to start it.

Chainsaw Operation

Always engage the chain brake before attempting to start the chainsaw. There should always be two points of contact with the chainsaw (other than the hand on the starter rope) when starting the chainsaw. Study and practice the two approved starting methods for the gas-powered chainsaws described in your chainsaw operator’s and/or safety manual. Never hold the starter rope and use the weight of the saw to “drop start” the saw—you risk serious injury from recoil of the chainsaw bar. For information about starting a chainsaw, watch the following video from Stihl titled “How to Start a Stihl Chainsaw”:

Maintain secure footing and balance during operation of the chainsaw. Always hold the chainsaw firmly with the right hand on the rear handle and the left hand on the front handle. Use an encircling grip (fingers over/thumb under on each handle). Remember to turn off the chainsaw, engage the chain brake, and carry the saw with the bar facing rearward and the muffler away from you when walking more than 50 ft. or across hazardous terrain. Engage the chain brake when moving short distances (less than 50 ft.) with the chainsaw running.

Addressing Pull-in, Pushback, and Kickback Reaction Forces

(Source: University of Missouri with permission granted from Stihl Chainsaw, Inc.)

Violent reaction forces occur when the teeth of a chainsaw catch on something or when wood closes in and pinches the saw chain, causing the saw chain to stop instantly. The resulting reaction forces cause the chainsaw to be pulled away from the operator (pull-in force—frame 1 of image above), cause the chainsaw to be pushed back toward the operator (pushback force—frame 2 of image above), and/or cause kickback toward the operator (kickback force—frame 3 of image above). The pull-in force occurs when the chain on the top of the bar is being used to cut an object. The pushback force occurs when the chain on the bottom of the bar is being used to cut an object. The kickback force occurs when the chain on the upper quadrant of the nose of the bar (frame 4 of image above) comes in contact with another object.

 All of these forces happen quicker than the operator can react. Proper PPE; stance (body, foot, and arm position); grip on the chainsaw; and cutting techniques may significantly reduce the occurrence of and risk associated with these reaction forces. Poor control of these reaction forces by the untrained operator, careless operator, or inattentive operator may result in serious or fatal injury.

The kickback force generally is regarded as the most dangerous of the reaction forces because the blade of the chainsaw usually is thrown into the head, neck, or shoulder area of the operator, resulting in serious or fatal injury. The end result of an uncontrolled pull-in or pushback reaction force may be a kickback reaction. If the tip of the chainsaw blade is pulled into another object in the case of a pull-in reaction or strikes solid material as the tip exits the cut at the end of the pushback reaction, a kickback force results.

Take the following precautions to prevent kickback:

• Hold the saw firmly with both hands using an encircling grip.
• Do not cut limbs or brush with the nose of the guide bar.
• Begin and continue cutting at full throttle.
• Cut only one log at a time.
• Use caution when reinserting the chainsaw blade into a previous cut or withdrawing it from the current cut.
• Be aware of the location of your guide bar nose at all times when starting or operating the chainsaw and do not let it come into contact with an object.
• Do not attempt a chainsaw cutting technique called bore cutting (plunge cutting) without hands-on training and supervised practice to teach you to properly do this cutting technique while helping you become proficient with this technique.

Felling a Tree

Proper felling of a tree with a chainsaw is a planned operational process that results in causing a tree to fall from a standing position to a predetermined location lying on the ground while minimizing risks to the saw operator, coworkers, the residual forest stand, and any other important objects in the immediate area. This complicated process involves hazard analysis, site assessment, and a careful evaluation of the tree’s properties (health, weight distribution, leans, and entanglements with other trees or vines). The results of this analysis are used by the faller (the saw operator) to plan the felling job. The faller sets up escape routes, chooses which specific felling techniques are needed, plans the sequence of events, and selects the tools he or she will need to complete the felling job safely and effectively. The faller communicates the plan to all coworkers and is responsible for the safety of all coworkers and others in the immediate area.

The process of felling a tree with a chainsaw should never be attempted by the untrained chainsaw operator. A faller needs to have had hands-on training in this activity by a skilled professional and supervised practice under the guidance of this skilled professional because of the complicated and inherently dangerous nature of the activity of felling trees.

The following important training and skills-development activities are needed to safely and effectively fell trees:

• Hazard assessment, mitigation, and avoidance techniques
• Tree evaluation (tree size-up) procedures
• Planning the felling job based on tree, site, and hazard information
• Safety zone and escape route planning
• Chainsaw cutting techniques specific to felling trees
• Chainsaw operator skills necessary to execute felling cutting techniques
• Knowing how, when, and why you use special felling tools (wedges and felling levers)
• Controlling the entire felling process
• Knowing your skill level and your limitations
• Knowing what hazards make the job too dangerous to attempt

Limbing

Limbing is the process of removing the branches and limbs from a fallen tree. Limbing with a chainsaw is perhaps the most dangerous activity the chainsaw operator does in the course of daily chainsaw operation. This is because of the following circumstances:

• Felling the tree may have caused serious overhead hazards (widow makers) that may pose a direct threat to the chainsaw operator when limbing.
• Felling the tree onto the ground created complex forces in limbs, branches, and tree stems which are released when these objects are cut with the chainsaw.
• The fallen tree poses a complex collection of hazards that change as the chainsaw operator removes the limbs.
• The chainsaw operator is forced to stand and work close to the hazards related to the fallen tree.
• The chainsaw operator must constantly recognize, evaluate, mitigate, and/or avoid the hazards related to the fallen tree.
• The chainsaw operator must cut in close proximity to his or her feet and legs.
• The end of the chainsaw bar is used to make limbing cuts, and the kickback zone must be avoided.
• An escape route must be maintained behind the chainsaw operator at all times.
• Removing limbs from the tree may destabilize it, causing it to roll, drop, swing, or rise suddenly.
• The chainsaw operator must stay aware of the slope of the terrain and stay on the uphill side of the fallen tree.

The process of limbing a fallen tree should never be attempted by an untrained chainsaw operator. A chainsaw operator attempting to limb a tree needs to have had hands-on training in this activity by a skilled professional and supervised practice under the guidance of this skilled professional because of the complicated and inherently dangerous nature of the activity of limbing fallen trees.

(Video Source: Husqvarna.com.)

Bucking

Bucking is the process of using a chainsaw to cut a tree into lengths of wood usable as pulpwood, saw logs, or firewood. The bucking process usually follows the limbing process but may be combined with the limbing process to help reduce forces on the remaining limbs by removing weight (log length portions) from the previously limbed areas of the tree stem. The hazards associated with this operation are mostly related to sudden movement of the bucked section, the remaining tree stem, or both following or during the bucking cut with the chainsaw. There is a strong possibility that serious or fatal crush injuries may result if an untrained chainsaw operator attempts to buck tree stems. Hands-on training in this activity by a skilled professional and supervised practice under the guidance of this skilled professional will help to minimize the risk of these injuries. The following important training and skills-development activities are needed to buck trees safely and effectively:

• Assessing the presence of binds (forces in the tree stem due to its position on the existing terrain) at the point where the bucking cut is to be made (see the images below)
• Recognizing, mitigating, or avoiding the hazards to the chainsaw operator caused by binds
• Chainsaw cutting techniques specific to bucking safely and effectively
• Chainsaw operator skills necessary to execute bucking cut techniques
• Recognizing terrain features which may lead to sudden log or stem movement (cut from the uphill side)
• Providing adequate escape routes
• Use of wedges to control bucking cuts (avoid unwanted stem movement or chainsaw contact with the ground)

(Source: University of Georgia.)

One of the most common problems during bucking is running the chainsaw into the ground. A sawbuck can make this task easier by holding the log still at the appropriate working height so that you can safely cut the tree into the appropriate lengths. Another useful device is a log jack (adapted peavey), which can lift one end of a log off the ground for bucking. Log jacks are commercially available or can be built in a farm shop.

 

(Video Source: Progressive Farmer Magazine.)

Additional Safety Recommendations

• Never operate a chainsaw alone. Always work with a competent adult partner.
• Because operating a chainsaw can place strain on the back, stretch and strengthen your back muscles to decrease the strain.
• Stay low to the ground, and do not operate your chainsaw at a level higher than your waist.
• Do not permit a child to operate a chainsaw. Do not use a chainsaw in close proximity to children or pets.
• Tell other people where you are going to be working and when you expect to return.
• Always know the location of other people in your group, especially when felling a tree.
• Maintain at least 2½ tree lengths between you and other persons operating chainsaws when felling.
• Make sure your chainsaw is sitting upright during transport to avoid spillage of gasoline.
• Never transport a chainsaw in the passenger area of a vehicle because the chainsaw could become a dangerous projectile or a source of highly flammable liquid in the event of an accident.
• When working with a chainsaw, make sure you have a complete first-aid kit with you and the current training to use this kit to control or treat severe bleeding, second-degree burns, broken bones, and shock.

The post Not My Grandma’s Latke (Potato Pancakes) appeared first on LunaCafe.

 

If you like to do portraits here is a round up of some of the top portrait related articles on dPS in 2014. There are some really great tips here – get out and try them out:

• 3 Simple Ways to Create Stunning Eyes in Your Portrait Photography
• How to Improve Your Portrait Photography in Five Minutes
• Using Composition to Create More Powerful Portraits
• 15 Tips for More Powerful Portraits
• How to Plan the Perfect Portrait Shoot
• How to Create a Unique Bokeh Portrait for Under $10
• 10 Portrait Tips to Take Your Photography to the Next Level
• Tips for Great Beach Sunset Portraits
• Tip for Using a Reflector for Portraits
• How to Find Great Backgrounds for Portraits
• DIY How to Build and Use a Reflector to Take Better Portraits
• Tips for Taking Great Portraits in 10 Minutes or Less
• 7 Tips for Interacting with People to Create Better Portraits
• Tips For Great Indoor Portraits Using Natural Light
• How Self-Portraiture Makes You a Better Photographer

Don’t forget dPS also has several portrait ebooks in our store. Check out the entire collection here.

The post Top Portrait Tips of the Year on dPS by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

There is no reason why government workers, whose salaries are paid via the taxation of the citizenry, should on average make more than their private sector brethren. Government workers typically have jobs for life. That bubble of consistency is how government workers are supposed to be compensated. The rest of us can get fired at any time, but we get paid a little more for this uncertainty. At least that’s how it used to work.

Read More

It's tempting to imagine that few online safeguards will stop NSA surveillance in its tracks, but that's not true. A new leak from Edward Snowden's files reveals that there's a surprising number of ways to thwart these snoops, at least as of 2012. Wh...

Apparently taking a page out of China's book, Factually reports the Philadelphia Federal Reserve office (apparently aware of the worthlessness of their fiat currency) sends old currency to local power plants, where it's burned for electricity. As WSJ reports, The Fed destroys more than 5,000 tons of U.S. currency a year - most of it once went to landfills, but the central bank has pushed for years to go green with all that green. It appears we have come a long way from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s 1953 annual report when it boasted it had "money to burn."

 

From 1953...

 

As Gizmodo reports,

Philadelphia is literally burning money to keep the lights on. And that's a good thing! They used to just shred it and send it to landfills, letting all that energy go to waste.

 

...

 

"Rather than just sitting in a landfill, it's producing electricity for residents in the Delaware Valley, here in our district," an official at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia proudly told the Wall Street Journal.

 

Other municipalities around the country have similar currency incineration programs, including Los Angeles County, where they burn as much as 500 tons of money per year. I suppose the image of burning money is a good reminder to turn the lights off when you leave a room. Your dollar bills are literally going up in smoke.

*  *  *

Wow. Who could have seen this coming? (We really need that sarcasm font):

Reuters has more on why the tax, popular with left-wing voters, ultimately failed:

Hollande first floated the 75-percent super-tax on earnings over 1 million euros ($1.2 million) a year in his 2012 campaign to oust his conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy. It fired up left-wing voters and helped him unseat the incumbent.

Yet ever since, it has been a thorn in his side, helping little in France’s effort to bring its public deficit within European Union limits and mixing the message just as Hollande sought to promote a more pro-business image. The adviser who made the “Cuba” gag was Emmanuel Macron, the ex-banker who is now his economy minister.

Flashback: It was about a year ago that French actor Gerard Depardieu made headlines for becoming a Russian citizen for tax purposes to protest the tax:

Bonus: Paul Krugman of the New York Times is still a big fan of high tax rates on the rich — like the one France just got rid of. From the Huffington Post:

Paul Krugman is on board with some other top economists who say that the U.S. should tax top earners up to 90 percent.

“What you really should want to do is to soak the rich as much as possible,” Krugmansaid in an appearance on HuffPost Live Wednesday afternoon. “So the top tax rates should be whatever it is that collects the most revenue, and now the question is, how high is that?”

The Nobel Prize-winning economist was asked about a new working paper by economists Fabian Kindermann and Dirk Krueger, which found that a top marginal income tax rate of 85 to 90 percent would improve all Americans’ wellbeing, reduce inequality and bring in more revenue for the government.

***

 

Thanks to Edward Snowden, we're getting a new look at which programs can successfully keep out the NSA. A report in Der Spiegel has shed new light on the NSA's encryption-breaking programs, and put a spotlight on the handful of programs that are still giving them trouble. The findings, based on leaked documents, were also presented onstage at the Chaos Computer Club Conference in Hamburg by researcher Jacob Appelbaum and Laura Poitras, who took the findings as a call to action. "We really wanted to have some of these answers for fifteen years," Appelbaum told the crowd.

Continue reading…

FOOD WAR: Seed Libraries Struggle With State Laws Limiting Exchanges...


(Second column, 21st story, link)

---

Related stories:

AMNESTY: Farmers brace for labor shortage...

Very quietly and under the radar, authorities in China have cracked down on Christmas celebrations in China, deeming them "Western spiritual pollution." As CNMNews reports, for several years, a virtual rush to convert to Christianity has been underway in China, both in its Protestant and Catholic versions. The Department of Education this year issued a directive to limit Christianity’s appeal to young people, banning Christmas events and celebrations in schools and kindergartens, deemed “kitsch” and “un-Chinese”. The crackdown has also been spreading to universities and colleges nationwide. The result is nowhere more evident than in Google's traffic in China...

 

 

As Asia News reports,

For several years, a virtual rush to convert to Christianity has been underway in China, both in its Protestant and Catholic versions.

 

According to some reports, some 3,000 people, mostly young people, were baptised on Christmas night, in Beijing alone.

 

In Wenzhou, the local Department of Education has issued a directive to limit Christianity's appeal to young people, banning Christmas events and celebrations in schools and kindergartens, deemed "kitsch" and "un-Chinese". The crackdown has also been spreading to universities and colleges nationwide.

 

Since China opened up to foreign trade, Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, greeting cards and even crèches have spread widely. Although 25 December is a working day, thousands of young non-Christians attend church services in order to understand what Christmas is about. Eventually, many of them eventually sign up for the catechumenate and being baptised.

 

According to a survey conducted a few years ago at universities in Beijing and Shanghai, at least 60 per cent of young people are interested in learning about Christianity.

 

The directive issued by Wenzhou authorities is part of a wider pattern, which includes a campaign to tear down crosses and religious buildings launched in Zhejiang by the local party secretary whose primary purpose is to reduce the influence of Christianity in society, deemed "Western spiritual pollution."

 

Ironically, Zhejiang - in particular the city of Yiwu - lives off Christmas. About 60 per cent of all Christmas decorations sold in the world are manufactured in the province.

*  *  *

Filed under: Videos, Chevrolet, Porsche, Coupe, Luxury, Performance

Motor Trend tests the Camaro Z/28 against the Porsche 911 GT3 in the latest episode of Head 2 Head. That's a 7.0-liter V8 versus a 3.8-liter flat-six, 505 horsepower vs. 475 hp, 3,882 pounds vs. 3,267 pounds, and an as-tested price of $76,150 vs. $145,785. It isn't exactly fair, but it's totally fun to watch.

Continue reading Motor Trend puts Chevy Camaro Z28 and Porsche 911 GT3 Head 2 Head

Motor Trend puts Chevy Camaro Z28 and Porsche 911 GT3 Head 2 Head originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

It is funny. The planners always think that they can “out plan” the market. They can’t. They never can. They think they can. They hope they can. They may even believe they can. But they can’t. This has been shown throughout the millennia but particularly over the last 150 years of statist religiosity.

Oh dear Marx, where did we go wrong?

Well you bought into Saint Marx which is your main problem.

Read More

Indeed it does. Gold is a little bit of power you can put in your pocket. It is a direct and ongoing challenge to the current system of fiatism. (And by extension crony capitalism.) Central Banks can’t print gold. Gold limits the power of the Fed and its brethren. Gold limits the power of the banks which suckle at the teat of central banks. Gold limits the power of governments to indebt their peoples. Gold limits the ability of governments to wage war.

Gold encourages discipline.

Is it any wonder why gold is often called God’s money and why some people despise it so?

Read More

The attached article is the story of how Jim Messina from Boise became a Washington mover and shaker. All you junior cronies out there take note. This is how you do it.

Of course you are going to have to come to terms with the cold wind whistling through your darkened soul, but the piles of money will help you deal with that.

Read More

Nice that they released this information on Christmas Eve. The only thing better than a Friday 3 day weekend news dump.

Read More

Red light cameras are terrible things for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the crony deals which often go with the systems. Typically the companies which maintain the cameras for cities or counties get a big chunk of the ticket revenue, as much as 50%.

Read More

This homeowner and his wife can be very thankful that they were also gun owners. from WHBQ: A 22-year-old man died Tuesday evening after he tried to break into a home with another man but the suspect was fatally shot by the homeowner, police...

A Shemp refers to the stand-in required to replace an absent actor onscreen. Here are 11 cases when real actors were replaced by Fake Shemps, with directors crossing their fingers that no one would notice.

[ Filed under Vintage & Retro & in the Antique Gadgets category ]

If you open up a calculator, cell phone, or any other piece of modern technology, you’ll see a lot of circuits and high-tech stuff, but not much that can be considered attractive or even interesting.

Old mechanical devices were just so much more fascinating. Their endless moving parts and huge metal guts were beautiful and complex in a way that no modern technology can match.

 

Photographer Kevin Twomey sees the strangely lovely mechanical hearts of antique calculators. These aged adding machines come from the collection of Mark Glusker, a mechanical engineer who collects the old machines.

Glusker asked Twomey to photograph his collection, and the photographer was struck with inspiration when his friend removed the cover of one to show him the inner workings. Although they had planned to photograph the calculators dressed and in full working order, the direction of the project quickly changed.

The series, simply entitled “Calculators,” showcases the complex internal technology of machines that predate the sleek, high-tech pocket computers we know and love today. For those of us who have grown up without the joy of taking apart and reassembling real household machines, these 1960s calculators and their hundreds of moving parts are a rare visual treat.

---

---

---

[ Filed under Vintage & Retro & in the Antique Gadgets category ]

[ Gajitz | Archives | Categories | Privacy | TOS ]

When you're hot, you're hot

---

Do you remember peaceful protester Joshua Williams from the endless media coverage of the riots in Ferguson? National Review reminds us of how he became a media darling on MSNBC and CNN. The charismatic teenager was one of Ferguson’s most recognizable protesters. Once the summer protests began, protestors and reporters alike found themselves transfixed by […]

Read this post »

[body_image width='640' height='360' path='images/content-images/2014/12/28/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/28/' filename='what-are-americans-terrified-of-this-week-228-body-image-1419782020.jpg' id='14550']

One of the hundreds of theaters in the US that showed 'The Interview' on Christmas Day. Photo via Flickr user Travis Wise

Welcome back to the Fear Digest, our weekly Sunday rundown of the terrors running around the American media landscape. Read last week's column here.

10. North Korean Hackers
America gave itself a gift this Christmas, when the release of the controversial slapstick comedy The Interview allowed us to puff ourselves up and pretend we'd triumphed over some imaginary enemies. From a Fox News story on the decision by Sony Pictures to let the film come out on Christmas Day:

"We are taking a stand for freedom," said theater manager Lee Peterson of the Cinema Village East in Manhattan, where most of Thursday's seven screenings had sold out by early afternoon. "We want to show the world that Americans will not be told what we can or cannot watch. Personally, I am not afraid."

At Atlanta's Plaza Theater, a sellout crowd Thursday hailed the film's release, washing down popcorn with beer and cocktails and uniting for a boisterous sing-along of "God Bless America" before the opening credits.

The threat of a terrorist attack was never credible and it was always silly to imagine that a gang of (possibly North Korean–sponsored) hackers was going to bomb any theaters. Still, we managed to get in a whole week of handwringing about whether it was safe to show the movie and how not showing it meant that the terrorists had won and so on and so on. It's almost as if Hollywood has an inflated sense of its own importance or something.
Last week's rank: 1

9. Hackers in General
Triumph consumption of media aside, Americans remain fretful about cyberattacks, and we have some reason to be. The latest high-profile hack, by a group calling itself Lizard Squad, took down Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network right around Christmas, forcing thousands of console gamers to interact with their families.
Last week's rank: Unranked

8.The Islamic State
In other terrorism news, the worldwide fight against the Islamic State and its allies continues, with seven people being detained in Indonesia on Sunday for alleged ties to the extremist group. On the ground in IS-held territory, the self-proclaimed caliphate is reportedly having trouble providing basic services to residents—a development predicted by Chelsea Manning, among others. Filming beheadings is easy; making sure the trash is picked up on time is hard.
Last week's rank: 8

[youtube src='//www.youtube.com/embed/AUjHb4C7b94' width='640' height='360']

7. The NSA
Perhaps more terrifying than the hackers and extremists who are threatening us constantly is that the people working to keep us safe seem to fuck up and goof off an awful lot. On Christmas Eve the NSA released a bunch of documents as a result of an ACLU lawsuit that went into some specifics of those goof-offs and fuck-ups. From the Verge:

A series of annual and quarterly reports from 2001 through the second quarter of 2013 are now available for perusal, and they cover some of the NSA's greatest hits: stalking potential romantic partners, a practice apparently so common it's been nicknamed LOVEINT; erroneously targeting US citizens for spying; database queries that returned queries on US citizens who weren't targeted; storage of data on servers "not authorized" to hold it; and access by people without security clearance to—well, to something; the specifics were redacted.

Last week's rank: Unranked

6. The Existence of Racism
The Islamic State and North Korea are at least concrete foes. Racism is more abstract and confusing, which is maybe why attempts to talk about it dissolve quickly into dread-fueled freak-outs—at least on cable TV. This week Fox Newser Eric Bolling (guest hosting for Bill O'Reilly) asked guest Jasymne Cannick, "What are we doing wrong in America that's perpetuating racism?" a relatively straightforward, if antagonistic, question that she answered by calling the network she was appearing on racist, leading predictably to one of those shoutathons that does no one any good.
Last week's rank: 3

5. Talking About Rape
If there's a more electrified third rail in American discourse than race, it's rape. That was illustrated by a recent New Yorker essay by Harvard law professor Jeannie Suk claiming that professors are finding it difficult to teach laws relating to sexual violence because of their students' delicate sensibilities. Writes Suk:

Student organizations representing women's interests now routinely advise students that they should not feel pressured to attend or participate in class sessions that focus on the law of sexual violence, and which might therefore be traumatic. These organizations also ask criminal-law teachers to warn their classes that the rape-law unit might "trigger" traumatic memories. Individual students often ask teachers not to include the law of rape on exams for fear that the material would cause them to perform less well. One teacher I know was recently asked by a student not to use the word "violate" in class—as in "Does this conduct violate the law?"—because the word was triggering.

This evidence of law students' squeamishness is anecdotal, but if someone really can't hear the word "violate" without squirming in his or her seat, maybe that person should take some time off from school on account of having a crippling anxiety problem or PTSD? Obviously professors should be careful when talking about rape—several said as much to Inside Higher Ed—but would-be lawyers have got to be able to handle some classroom discussions on traumatizing subjects.
Last week's rank: Unranked

4. Being Shot by a Random Person
Speaking of trigger warnings, this is an incredibly tasteless way to segue into a rundown of holiday gun violence. There were six shootings—including two involving the cops—on Christmas Eve in Washington, DC; that same day a shopper was killed at a Louisiana mall; on Christmas itself four people were hit by bullets in Chicago. Maybe our New Year's resolution as a country could be to stop killing each other for no reason at all?
Last week's rank: Unranked

3. The Weather
As if our fellow Americans aren't enough for us to worry about, this week we also had to contend with God Himself, who sent a horrific cold front into the southern US and is gearing up to launch another winter storm at the West.
Last week's rank: Unranked

[body_image width='640' height='427' path='images/content-images/2014/12/28/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/28/' filename='what-are-americans-terrified-of-this-week-228-body-image-1419781802.jpg' id='14548']

Protesters at a December 13 demonstration against the NYPD after a grand jury declined to indict anyone for the death of Eric Garner. Photo via Flickr user Phil Roeder

2. The Cops
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The cops in a St. Louis suburb shot a young black man. The officers on the scene say the teenager was an armed threat; the victim's family doesn't believe them; the video captured of the event is inconclusive. Naturally, protesters have taken to the streets.
Last week's rank: 4

1. People Who Hate the Police
That above sort of story has become depressingly common—what's new is that the tension between the cops and civilians keep rising. Last week, after two NYPD cops were killed by a gun-wielding lunatic, a police union official said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had blood on his hands for not being sufficiently pro-cop; this week officers turned their backs on the mayor at a funeral for one of the slain cops. If you believe what you read in the papers, New Yorkers are on the verge of open warfare with the officers who are supposed to be serving and protecting them: In the past few days alone, a Queens man got arrested after someone overheard him talking about killing cops and the resolutely law-and-order New York Post ran an op-ed with the headline, "NYC's victory over lawlessness being reversed by anti-cop mayor." De Blasio has asked protesters to stop demonstrating against the NYPD, a request that was, of course, ignored. This sort of antagonism isn't unique to New York, either—an anti-police march in Oakland on Thursday led to some broken windows and a trashed Christmas tree.

At this point, individual reforms like body cameras seem almost beside the point. When the police are both being treated like and acting like an unfriendly occupying army, there's no magic gadget that will restore the public's trust in law enforcement—or convince disgruntled officers that many activists are no better than criminals. What is needed is a slow process by which cops and the communities they patrol can come to trust one another, and sadly Americans don't seem to have a surplus of trust at the moment.
Last week's rank: 2

Follow Harry Cheadle on Twitter.

 

Idag tog vi oss en eftermiddagstur till Hallands väderö. Hemma var det precis som häromdan 10-12 minusgrader. Förmiddagens skogscykelrunda var skapligt sval men finfin. Västersjön ligger nu med hård yta, tur vi badade på Juldagen

Ute i Torekov strax efter lunch var det 4-5 minus, några promenerare ute men inte direkt trångt. Sjösatte i hamnen och paddlade ut på nästan helt platt vatten. Första sälarna efter hundratal meter och sen dök de upp då och då under vägen över kanske ett tjugotal totalt. En havsörn välkomnade oss ut till ön. Paddlade bort till sälskyddet men där var inte många sälar på de yttersta skären däremot en del längre in. Riktigt gott eftermiddagsljus och begynnande solnedgångljus. Vi vände och paddlade en bit tillbaka för sval fika på ostsidan med Torekovvy innan vi paddlade tillbaka.

Skön runda, märks att det är klart svalare nu, man blir fort kall om fötter och händer när man är iland.

U-T San Diego

Farmers brace for labor shortage under new policy U-T San Diego FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Farmers already scrambling to find workers in California — the nation's leading grower of fruits, vegetables and nuts — fear an even greater labor shortage under President Barack Obama's executive action to block some 5 million ... and more »

In the wake of overwhelming evidence that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl deserted his post and surrendered to the Taliban, there has been new scrutiny aimed at deserters in the Army and what the Pentagon has done about it.  Analysis shows that tens of thousands...

Back in the 80’s the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was proposed by President Reagan. SDI was called Star Wars in the mainstream media. Obama is taking us back to 1930’s/1940’s technology with the Hindenburg Coastal Defense Boondoggle. Any reports of missing cruise missiles from the Benghazi Arms Depot? Via Baltimore Sun When the weather’s good, […]