vendredi 31 juillet 2020

The Great Carlos Hoax

Google in it's random algorithmic way just suggested this YouTube video for me. I post the link here in homage to Randi and our JREF roots.

The great Carlos hoax: the 'spirit channeller' that fooled the world | 60 Minutes Australia

[yt]qN54PDwNa6s[/yt]


It has more details than I have seen or read before and I wonder if "The Press" would do any better today.


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Happy 50th anniversary Black Tot Day!

Today (7/31/2020) marks the 50th anniversary of Black Tot day. The very last day in which the Royal Navy issued a daily rum ration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tot_Day

The Canadian Navy would follow 2 years later, with New Zealand taking another 20. Australia had dropped the Rum ration in the 20s.

Just some useless info for your evening.


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Elon Musk confirms his support for fascism

With his response to a tweet calling him out for his role in advocating the overthrow of the legitimate government of Bolivia to secure a supply of lithium for his company.

His response to being called out: "We will coup whoever we want. Deal with it."

Positively disgusting, but hardly surprising for a Trump and Kanye supporter.


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25 liter glass bottle upside down. Inside the bottle 12 l. water. negative pressure

25 liter glass bottle upside down. Inside the bottle 12 l. Of water. The negative pressure. The bottle jerks down and protrudes 35 cm. upwards when air pushing inside bottle.

https://youtu.be/vzblIc2OaSs

Why does the bottle move first downwards and only then upwards? When air is pushed inside the bottle where is under pressure.

🤔


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Microphone Problem

I have to record a speech for school, and my microphone is barely picking up sound. It's cutting in and out, and most of my words are inaudible. I tried running the troubleshoot - nothing. I tried turning up the mic's volume to 100. Barely made a difference.

I skyped last night, and it was working fine then. I've restarted the computer several times.

My device is an HP laptop running Windows 10, internal cam and mic.

Has anyone experienced this?

It's so typical that it happens when I have a speech due. :(


EDIT: Just did a test, and Skype audio is still working fine. My friend could hear me without any problems. So the issue seems to be restricted to recording in the camera app. WTF


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Modern slavery

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-...tment/12513716



Quote:

Crew change complications

International coronavirus-related restrictions have made it difficult to change crew aboard ships, but AMSA has issued a notice saying that seafarers cannot be forced to sign extensions to their contracts if they want to be repatriated.
AMSA said it had detained the bulk carrier over potential serious deficiencies, including repatriation of seafarers.
The Taiwanese-owned ship sails under a Hong Kong flag and is captained by Chinese officers with a Myanmarese crew.
It has been operating under a Federal Government licence, sailing from port to port along the Australian coast; it arrived in Newcastle with a cargo of alumina for Tomago Aluminium.

So, who is responsible, and who benefits?


The pandemic is making things work, but you can find multiple stories of exploitation when circumstances make it easy.


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jeudi 30 juillet 2020

The Lincoln Project and the future of the GOP

I've mentioned my lukewarm feelings towards the Lincoln Project before, but I wanted to get some more insight.

Who they are: The Lincoln Project is a PAC founded by a group of current and former Republican party members who have declared themselves anti-trump. They started out by dedicating themselves to his defeat in the 2020 election and have expanded that to include his supporters in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Their founders include Republican operatives like Steve Schmidt, George Conway, and Rick Wilson. The group consists of Republican strategists, media spokespeople, and various people who have either worked on campaigns or within the party itself.

What are they doing: They are collecting lots and lots of money to run ads attacking Trump on various topics. Whether it's on his disastrous economic policies, his seemingly intentional attempts to inflame racial tensions, or his awful handling of the coronavirus, they have ads stripping him down. They are also attacking Republican Senators up for re-election and backing their Democratic opponents.

Who likes them: Establishement Republicans. The people who couldn't muster enough support in their own party to beat him in the 2016 primaries.

Political commentators i nthe media. the same people who had no idea how to handle Trump in 2016 and basically handed him a billion dollars in free advertising in 2016.

Centrist and establishment Democrats. The folks who blew a seemingly slam dunk general election against Trump in 2016.

Anyone seeing a pattern?

Who hates them: You know who. It seems that, if nothing else, their commercials are great for getting under his skin. They can needle him in ways an actual political opponent can't.

My problems with them:

1) For starters, I'm not a fan of the "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" line of thinking. We've seen that blow up before. Ya, Trump is obviously the bigger threat right now, but that brings me to my next point.

2) They are a big part of how we got into this mess. They laid the ground work for the rise of Trump by waging wars on the institutions that were supposed to protect us from his brand of psuedo populism. Public education, higher learning, unions, government itself. Their strategies to turn the American populace against our own self interests mad eus distrustful of the very foundations of our society. Their unabashed love for Ronald "Southern Strategy" Reagan kind of drives this home. A handful of these guys were in W's ear when the invasion of Iraq started. And they don't seem to have an ounce of remorse over any of it. In fact,

3) They are trying to pull the Democrats further to the right and shape them into a new Republican party. They don't seem to have any actual remorse for the damage they have caused and instead are trying to drown out progressive voices. In essence, Republicans are trying to shut Democrats out of the Democratic party. they are pretty open about how they still maintain "Conservatice principles", whatever that means anymore, and are still pretty derisive when it comes to actual Democratic platforms and ideas. This wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact they are trying to leverage their assumed influence on voters to change the Democratic party. Which goes to my next point.

4) Just how effective are they? I mean, the commercials are great. I can't front. "Mourning in America" hits home emotionally. But, the Pod Save America guys have been doing a series on political ads and they have mentioned that just because an ad is memorable or emotional, doesn't mean it is effective. It should fit in with an over al lstrategy. My wife is a marketing director and has said similar things. She points to how much companies spend on SuperBowl ads. They used to be huge productions that took multiple spots. Now, not so much. It seems big production ads are like a mediocre laugh track sitcom. They might trigger a response in the moment, but you totally forget it five minutes later. I've tried to look for any sort of polling about their ads, but haven't found anything.

Also, it seems most of their ad plays are online. If they are supposed to be getting white, older, middle class voters in swing states, is that really where you run the ads? I know they have run them on TV, but it seems they aren't doing it very frequently. We watch then news a lot these days (probably too much) and I'm seeing those Trump ads where America has collapsed into anarchy way more than any Lincoln Project ad. Granted, I am in a safe blue state.

The finance stuff I won't say much about since I don't know anything about starting a PAC, so their burn could be very similar to a tech startup's.

I'm not suspicious of them because they aren't ideologically pure or anything. It wouldn't bother me if they stuck to the "true conservatives against Trump" shtick. My issues are their influence-peddling and how they seem to refuse to acknowledge that Trump is their monster. They are being given way more screen time and money than I think they actually deliver on. They aren't just Republican in ideals or ideology. they are Republican in sleezy tactics.


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Man illegally "detains" black teen, accuses him of stealing own bicycle

A Florida teenager was bicycling to basketball practice early on the morning of June 9th when he was stopped by a man in a vehicle who told him "you're not going anywhere" and demanded to know why he was outside at that time of day. The man, Luis Santos, then got out of his vehicle and implied the teen was under some kind of arrest as he dialed 911.

Quote:

“You’re being detained,” the man says in the video that he recorded.

He then gets out of his vehicle and detains the boy.

“I’m sorry,” the teen says.

“You’re sorry?” Santos asks.

Later, Santos called 911 and said, “I have somebody breaking into cars. We have it on video.”

When a 911 operator asks the teen’s race, the man replies, “he’s a Black guy.”

The teen was never accused of that crime, the state attorney’s office said.

“You stay right where you at!” the man yells at the teen, as heard on the 911 call.

“I think he stole one of the bikes,” Santos said to the 911 operator.

He later identified himself to the 911 operator as an off-duty officer.

According to prosecutors, Santos also compelled the teen to put his hands up and held his hand near his pocket, perhaps attempting to indicate that he had a gun.

“The victim was visibly shaken and hyperventilating when deputies arrived, with his hands still over his head,” Warren’s office said. “He reasonably believed his life may be in jeopardy if he tried to leave or even move. Santos had no lawful authority to restrain a person in a public place and his own recorded words establish that he was restraining the victim, by threat, against his will.”

After the incident, a Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy hooked up the teen’s bicycle and drove him to practice, Warren said.
Santos himself took video of the encounter; however, the video in fact does not show the teen "breaking into cars" or committing any other crime, and Santos is not a police officer. The video does, however, implicate Santos as committing false imprisonment, for which he was charged.


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Stimulus Package

What does everyone think of the stimulus package being discussed? Should we do away with the $600 federal unemployment boost? Another round of $1200 direct payments? Should there be protection from malpractice suits?

I can't see the Democrats caving to a reduction in the unemployment boost. And with the election right around the corner I think it would be stupid for Republicans to insist on it, which means they probably will lol.

While usually I support lower spending and fiscal policy, this is the first time I can remember that the gov't has actually shut down sections of the economy. No one is getting rich with these payments, they are spending it, which stimulates the parts of the economy which are still functioning. While not a "job" the effect is certainly "shovel ready."


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Hermain Cain dies after month long battle with COVID-19

Quote:

Herman Cain, a former presidential hopeful who was once considered by President Donald Trump for the Federal Reserve, has died after being hospitalized with the coronavirus. He was 74.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/form...ronavirus.html


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Are we allowed to call Trump's regime fascism now?

With Trump deploying his brownshirt army across the nation

https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and...federal-police

that is illegally grabbing people off the street at random who have committed no crime

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...zee-story.html

and forcing them to sign agreements not to protest in order to be released

https://www.propublica.org/article/d...utional-rights

ICE conducting "civilian academies" to train non-police in arrest and firearms.


https://www.npr.org/local/309/2020/0...alderman-warns


And now, Usurper Trump trying to prevent people from removing him democratically

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...lection-387902

Are we finally all agreed that the US is under fascist occupation, or are those of us who keep insisting that we have a functioning democratic system still going to die on that hill?


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Discussion of violence and property damage

Mod Info This thread has been split from the Biden for President thread where it was off-topic.
Posted By:Agatha






Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13171636)
The meaning of the word already includes damage to property.

"behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something."

"the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy".

I did not mention graffiti in my post which I would not put in the category of violence. I said looting and destroying property which are violent.

Let me point out again that I am not saying there is no police violence against the protesters as there most certainly is. But the original topic to which I posted was that the violence we're seeing in places like Portland from the looters and those destroying property is hurting the Dems not the Republicans.

Even the definitions you provide are more heavily weighted to "injure, abuse, hurt, kill" which are words that don't really apply to property damage. I'm not saying you are grammatically incorrect, I'm saying that using the word violence to describe things that are done to inanimate objects makes those actions sound more menacing than they are.

"Violent protestors" are a danger to most voters.


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mercredi 29 juillet 2020

Reimagine Oregon: A vision for Oregon's Future

Fresh off the presses is a new website and media blitz: Reimagine Oregon
From the about section:
Quote:

So we decided to compile the proposals generated in the Urban League’s “State of Black Oregon, ”the Portland African American Leadership Forum’s “People’s Plan,” Coalition of Communities of Color’s publications “Communities of Color in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile” and “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County,” as well as new policy demands from nightly protest organizers and organizations like Unite Oregon and PAALF Action Fund’s “Defund. Reinvest. Protect” policy platform, and Washington County Ignite’s “Reimagine” effort. Over a period of a six weeks, we asked elected leaders from federal, state, regional, county, and city governments one simple question, “What timeline do you commit to finally get this stuff done and who, in your jurisdiction, will lead it to the finish line?”
Policy Demands section has sub sections for Education, Police Divestment, Housing, Health, Transportation, Economic Development, Legislative-Process, and Community Safety.
From the Police Divestment Section:
1. Ban the use of breathing restrictions
2. Mandate a duty to report and duty to intervene
3. Disclose disciplinary records to the public
4. Prohibit arbitration from lessening disciplinary action
5. Demilitarize the police
6. Decriminalize fare evasion in public transportation
7. Prohibit use of fare evasion as a means for a warrant search
8. Remove sworn and armed officers from public university campuses
9. Ban the receipt of militarized equipment
10. Reconsider personnel public records requests
11. Consider the laws that allow expunction without costs
12. End 48 hour rule
13. Eliminate qualified immunity

There is more detail, but not much more detail, on the website. Whether these ideas are good ideas or bad ideas, I'd just like to say that this is where real actionable change can, does, and will happen. We wave a magic wand and make racism go away but there are tons of things we can do. Many of these items I imagine to be "the devil is in the details" problem as they are mostly general statements of intent without specifics but the organizations that contributed this probably do have those details. Without the protests, many of these things would have never seen the light of day. We have their attention.

The one that struck out to me the most was the fare evasion one. It is the only one on this list that is part of my normal experiences in Portland and just about the only interaction I have with the law enforcement. I have no idea what the actual revenue implications to this are but my guess is that it would be quite minimal as the people skipping out on fare are young, broke, and mostly irregular users. The people who commute are going to more likely pay. It would also make the tourist experience more enjoyable. It is small thing compared to the bigger items on this list but I thought it worth mentioning.


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'Stonehenge came from Wiltshire', say scientists

So after years of debate and a belief Stonehenge stones came from Wales, with the big puzzle being how 'they' transported it, scientists are now saying that 50 out of the fifty-two stones have been traced to...Wiltshire.

Quote:

Pinning down the source of the large blocks known as sarsens that form the bulk of the monument has proved especially elusive. Now researchers have resolved the mystery: 50 of the 52 extant sarsens at Stonehenge came from the West Woods site in the English county of Wiltshire, located 25 kilometers to the north of Stonehenge. The findings were published on Wednesday in Science Advances.
Scientific American




Let's hear it for Wiltshire!


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Trump: Nobody likes me!

I think there's a genuine glimpse into Trump's mind there. That's how he's felt his whole life; it's him against the world. Or perhaps more accurately, they're all out to get him. Note how one of his favorite words is "unfair". He's obsessed by how badly he thinks the world has treated him.


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mardi 28 juillet 2020

Münchhausen (1943 film)

I discovered that UFA Films in Germany produced a version of Baron Münchhausen in colour in 1943. It is very similar to the Terry Guilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" in 1988. It wasn't a propaganda film, but rather escapism.

The entire movie can be seen on you tube here with a Russian voice over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKuX-O4JnkY

However here are some fun short clips...
Munchhausen riding the cannonball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0e5g13QB5U

Munchhausen escaping the Ottoman harem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lba5sIudX-4

Attached Images
File Type: jpg Munchhausen.jpg (60.6 KB)


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Playing guitar while black

[yt]SZuZisfcyo0[/yt]

I was going to post another version, but i think this is the best one, off his Beyond the Blue Horizon album. It has a great laid back feel, and I like how he's allowing himself to get a little sloppy here and there and not overly concerned with focussing on technique. It is a cool technique though, I think 95% of this is played with just his RH thumb. The rhythm drone is mostly downstrokes and then he uses his thumb for the melody as well.

Some great Wes-style octaves later in the piece, again all thumb. One of George's signatures IMO is to play Montgommery style octaves, but occasionally adding another scale degree within the octave. He uses this to great effect in his rendition of Horace Silver's classic Song for my Father.

I suppose one of these days I should Google and find out what a Kudu is.


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Trump's new doctor

If this is real, Trump, now that he had gotten rid of Fauci, he is taking up with a Dr. Stella Immanuel, who claims she has cured hundreds of those with the virus

read://https_www.thedailybeast.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Ftrump-hails-demon-sperm-doc-dr-stella-immanuel-as-important-voice-in-nations-covid-19-battle

She also claims that you get the virus from the spirits of the dead when they are having sex with a sleeping person.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

And Trump, whining that "nobody likes me" is simply pathetic.


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Frontline Doctors videos?

I didn't see a thread on this

A lot of videos are making the rounds of some easily discreditable and some maybe not so easy doctors railing against our current view of the corona virus.

Some reminds me of the two dimwits right at the beginning of this with a chain of emergency clinics in california

One of the most popular is by a doctor who also has a lot of warnings about sex with demons, but some others appear far more credible and are threatening to end our state's mostly well thought out response to the the corona virus as it is shared with more local leaders.

I'd love thoughts and points about this, but please, without tribalism. I really believe tribalism got us here, especially on the mask part. Our right wingers are quoting verbatim what the left said early on about masks in order to repeal our mask mandates, for instance, and the chloroquiine thing is just more ammo

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/...ss-conference/


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lundi 27 juillet 2020

Split from:The Trials of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito: Part 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vixen (Post 13169264)
Filomena likely never attempted to barge in to even discover that it was locked. She knew that Mez' door was locked whilst she was away in London. Knox seemed to know that Mez had locked her out when she intrusively tried the handle a few times.

Guilter-nutter fan fiction. It's bad enough that some stranger feels the right to co-opt the victim's familiar name. Guilter-nutters have always felt the need to invent micro-aggressive narratives and factoids. It's what happens when actual evidence is not on your side.


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dimanche 26 juillet 2020

What if your life (seems) to go better with prayer?

I have used prayer before and never was seeking "comfort" or asking for a certain outcome. Rather for something like a boost in some kind of strength, insight or institution. For my purposes, it doesn't really matter if God exists. I just know that if I use it this way, it seems to alter my internal state and I end up coping with situations better than I expected to.

There's a lady here (on a currently locked-down church-run campus for the elderly) who mentions God fairly frequently and I enjoy talking to her. She practiced medicine for 50 years, specializing in ophthalmological surgery. She's not some churchy, stereotypical religious nut. She has also done the guidance-seeking prayer; she applied to medical school on someone else's urging, and when accepted, "told God" she really didn't want to go, but God apparently told her she was supposed to be a doctor. She also takes prayer a step further, believing in the efficacy of intercessory prayer (praying for someone else). She thinks it's been proven, in a double-blind sort of way, which I don't think is true, but I have no desire to argue with her about it.

Maybe once or twice I've told people I would pray for them or a loved one, if I think it might help them to hear it (or if they ask), and then I will make a point of praying for that person, but not in an outcome-based way; more like "Please give so-and-so support in this situation." Well, I don't think God bases medical outcomes or the fate of someone's soul on how hard, or how many, other people pray for them. But the part about looking for guidance, or expressing gratitude? I do that, and when I do it regularly, my life seems to go better. Someone on this forum, I forget who, identifies as atheist but still sometimes puts something out to the universe (paraphrase), deliberately not conceptualizing a God, and she had a reasonable-sounding argument about why it seems to help.

I have no problem, when I'm running on empty, or running out of ideas, or desperate to be of some use in a situation, to ask God, the universe or whatever for strength, courage, or wisdom, and it really has seemed to help at times. On the hand, some people pray and think God is telling then to fly jetliners into tall buildings, so I'm a long way from saying everyone should pray and act on whatever ideas they think they're getting from God. But I think it might have some utility, for some people. Any thoughts?


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samedi 25 juillet 2020

UBI - If robots are taking jobs, their wages can be given to us

If robots are taking jobs, their wages can be given to us.

My idea for Universal Basic Income (UBI) Funding.

After all, we don't have to pay robots.

Discuss.


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Peter Green

For the first time in many, many years I cried tonight when I heard that Peter Green (Greenbaum) has died. A troubled man I had the very great privilege to meet back in the day and the only man ever to give B.B. King (another great I've met and who holds my No 1 spot) the sweats. It's early Fleetwood Mac at full volume and thank **** I live in the middle of nowhere tonight!


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Colors assigned to races have never made sense to me

Even as a little kid it was obvious to me Indians didn't have red skin. Asians never looked "yellow" and only extreme outliers were "black" or "white." It seemed to me most people were either beige or dark brown.

In reading books on China I've read that Englishmen were considered to have "red" faces which is somewhat true depending on individual coloring.

I don't really know if there's enough here to discuss, but has anyone else thought the same thing?


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Unintended result of wearing a mask

I go into stores mask on and the women all are so friendly and I figured out they can't tell if I'm smiling or not and vice versa. So they cya friendly.


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VOTE!

A short guide to registering to vote and requesting a mail ballot on-line.

Quote:

Take a pause from President Trump’s latest outrage (sending federal police to foment violence in U.S. cities in hopes that it will help his flagging campaign) or inanity (“Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.”) — and do the only thing guaranteed to end the nightmare.

Go to Vote.org, or, if you are reading this in the dead-tree edition, type vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote into your browser, spend 30 seconds entering your name, address and date of birth, and you’ll find out instantly if your voter registration is current. If not, follow the instructions to register.
https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

Next, click this link or type vote.org/absentee-ballot into your browser, and sign yourself up to receive an absentee ballot for the November election. That takes about two minutes.
https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...-it-right-now/


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The Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity

Read this today from a Nature Briefing email:

Quote:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02202-x

Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity

People who have inherited nerve-altering mutations from the ancient hominins tend to experience more pain.

...snip...

I just found this to be fascinating, one to identify the "Neanderthal" genes, then to work out what they did and how they may still be influencing our biology.

Wonder if there is then any link to human redheads being more sensitive to pain?


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I'm an ex-muslim from Afghanistan.

Hello everyone here. My name is Omar a student of mechanical engineering. I was born in a strict Muslim family. But after some research in Islam and other religions, I decided to quit Islam.
Ask me anything about Islam, Afghanistan, and my personal life, I'll answer patiently.


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vendredi 24 juillet 2020

PBS: Frontline - United States of Conspiracy (7/28/2020)

The second episode of PBS's Frontline is:

United States of Conspiracy:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/f..._content=Video

Quote:

SEASON 2020: EPISODE 2
How trafficking in conspiracy theories went from the fringes of U.S. politics into the White House. FRONTLINE examines the alliance of conspiracy entrepreneur Alex Jones, Trump advisor Roger Stone, and the president, and their role in the battle over truth and lies.

These guys always do a solid job. Should be interesting. And yes you can stream it when available.:thumbsup:


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Making peace with the establishment

Sorry for the odd thread.

Taking one of those stupid web tests to let you know your political leanings just for amusement

https://www.politicalcompass.org/test/en

One of the questions is

""Making peace with the establishment is an important aspect of maturity."

Answer choices

Strongly disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree

I have no idea what it means. Is it an American thing?


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A short essay about the economy

From what I think I know (then I could easily be wrong), the economy consists of:
1. Kids who are working for other kids = employees
2. Kids for who other kids are working for = employers
3. The actions all the kids do for one another = trade
4. The current rules trying to specify what is allowed and what is not = law

The actions kids do for one another, when they have fun together are generally “I do this for you, you do that for me”, and specifically what this and that is for each occasion.
When they have fun separately generally “either me or you don’t do their part”, and specifically you or me find this out for the specific occasion, at the specific point in time.

For the employees , the above are enough.

For the employers, they are trying to find ways so that “I do this for you, you do that for me” needs less time and effort spend to trade.

This is the purpose of the economy in a society, to reduce the time and effort spend to trade.
This reduction goes on up to a minimum point for the time and effort needed to trade, beyond which things start becoming not fun in society, and kids then need more time and effort spend to trade, because kids don’t do “I do this for you, you do that for me”, they are doing something else.

As fun in society affects where the economy balances, the particular behaviors kids have, affect the economy as well, regardless of the scale of the economy we consider. This can be verified from small teams, to the entire planet, and throughout human history.
Kids have many varied behaviors, so we will name kids the jokers.

Regardless of whether the jokers are employers or employees, they can be happy kids, kids who have fun in their lives, or sad kids, kids who are not having fun in their lives.
Whether kids are having fun or not is judged by other kids, according to what is fun for them.
So we have funny jokers, and sad jokers.

Funny jokers, in the end just want to have fun, so when the fun they have covers their needs, they don’t need to go further.

Sad jokers spend time and effort to trade, but they are not having fun. Because others spend time and effort to trade, plus have fun, sad jokes need to become good at something else in order to compete.
So they spend their time and effort on something else, on which they become efficient. Because they become efficient at something else other than reducing the time and effort spend to trade, they can either not affect the economy, but then they wouldn’t be part of the economy, or increase the time and effort spend to trade in the economy. This happens in accordance to their position in society, and the bigger they grow, the more time and effort needs to be spend to trade, up to the point where the economy goes in a cycle, and returns back to reality.
Because of this, what is no one’s problem in society, becomes everyone’s problem in society. Why? Because some jokers are sad and this is funny. Why? Because others aren’t and they are useful to society.

Law is trying to specify what is allowed and what is not, however kids judge other kids on whether they are having fun, according to what is fun for them.
Law is reducing the time and effort spend to trade, when kids judging other kids on whether they are having fun is not restricted, or when law is common sense for kids, and increasing the time and effort spend to trade, when kids judging other kids on whether they are having fun is restricted.
Because it is the nature of kids to judge other kids on whether they are having fun, isn’t it?


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How I prove God exists from my existence.

First before anything else, my concept of God is the following:

"God in concept is the creator cause of man and the universe and everything with a beginning."

Now, I am a human being like all non-bot members of this forum, a human being is known to be a homo sapiens, here below is what Wikipedia says about homo sapiens:
Quote:

Homo sapiens (from Latin: homō, 'human being' + sapiēns, 'wise, sensible, judicious') is the only extant human species, all of whose members are of the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens.[2][3][4] The name is Latin for wise man, and was introduced in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus (who is himself the lectotype for the species).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens

Here is my proof from evidence for the existence of God:

"I exist therefore God exists.


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Do you like your Coon?

Coon cheese's name to be changed over racism concerns

Quote:

Coon cheese's name will be changed after a campaign by activists who said it had racist connotations.

Coon's owners, dairy products company Saputo, confirmed the change today after being written a letter of complaint in June by activist Stephen Hagan, who has been fighting for 20 years to have the name changed.

"I said that the cheese brand was offensive, I said that it demeans people of colour," Dr Hagan told the ABC on Friday.

"I said that it was unacceptable as a brand in 2020."

Following a review, Saputo agreed.

"One of our basic principles as an organisation is to treat people with respect and without discrimination and we will not condone behaviour that goes against this," the Canadian company said in a statement.

"We wanted to ensure we listened to all the concerns surrounding the COON brand name, while also considering comments from consumers who cherish the brand and recognise the origin of its founder Edward William Coon, which they feel connected to.

"After thorough consideration, Saputo has decided to retire the COON brand name."
Do you agree?


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jeudi 23 juillet 2020

What a 'defund the police' plan in Seattle might look like

In Seattle, there is a veto proof majority of the City Council that has vowed to cut 50% of the police department. The King County Executive Dow Constantine has also declared that the Seattle jail will be closed and replaced with a center for Community programs. In addition, all youth detention in King County will be outlawed.

Currently the council members have not been answering any/very little questions from their constituents on how this would affect public safety, and they currently have released very few details on the next steps or contingency plans.


One of the people that has had an enormous influence in this process is community activist/lawer Nikkita Oliver. Nikkita was also a leading contender for Seattle mayor in this last election.

Nikkita recently laid out plans for how she would like to see defunding of the police in Seattle plan to proceed, with the goal of getting rid of police entirely to be replaced by community social services in 2021.

Her opinion on this is especially important since she is one of the select few that has been allowed direct access to the City Council, and the organization that she advocates for, Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now, have had a large influence on their plans on the matter.

[yt]NlQN0Dif4CY?t=27650[/yt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikkita Oliver in July 20th Converge Media interview
Our first set of demand as it related to defund in 2020, is we see three million dollars go to a participatory budgeting process. Because we need to have as much time as possible to get as much community involved as possible in deciding what is the next phase of services that we move into, and we want that process held by community. We want it to be in partnership with King County Equity now, Decriminalize Seattle, and the organizations that are under those coalitions.

Because we know that community is going to better administer that process than bureaucracy will right? The next step is also scaling up community-based services. So we're looking at 10 million dollars to help those organizations that already exist, that are doing public health and public safety work to be able to scale up so that in mid 2021, those organizations can start taking a much higher level of calls from 911, which is also about civilianizing 911 infrastructure.

As it stands now, police officers are involved in determining when people call into dispatch, what gets sent out to respond to that call. And so it is really important that we get this armed police mentality out of the way that we respond to crises, and really get a true social work understanding of what it means when someone in crisis calls.

You know, we have services in our city that know how to respond to domestic violence, know how to respond to mental health crises, know how to support people through courts, and other processes within the criminal punishment system, and those systems need to be well funded. The truth of the matter is that many of those organization are doing far more work, but are grossly underfunded, and we want to get to a place where those organization have exactly what they need.

The fourth bucket that we are looking at right now is housing, because we know that when people [don't have] housing and are stable, there's no way that they can live a totally safe life. When you're worried about where you are going to live, or what you're going to eat, you're inevitably going to be pushed into the criminal justice system. Your going to have to commit quote unquote crimes of poverty, and you're going to have to do things that otherwise you would not have to do if we made sure that everyone in our city who wanted it, had access to safe affordable housing.

So that's 2020, when we get to 2021, we're going to be asking the Seattle city council to also still commit to that 50% cut of SPD's budget, which is going to be 205 million dollars, because their budget right now is 410 million. That is a new opportunity to grow our civilianized 911 infrastructure, and to ensure that we grow those services that we know sociologically, we know scientifically, this is not some stuff we made up. There's tons of research that shows this, that we know actually keeps people from ever having to have having an encounter with police, and as we strengthen those services, we can continue to decrease SPD's budget, until we get to the place where they are no longer needed."


I noted before in this forum, that in my view, "under policing" was once determined to be a tremendously racist policy that caused there to be fewer police in an area, and it led to many unnecessary deaths. In fact, the police station that was at the center of the Seattle CHOP controversy was established based on advocacy of Seattle's first black Council member, Sam Smith, who "pushed for the establishment of the precinct so that officers would be more able to serve those living in the Central District" (a historically black neighborhood in Seattle).

The really ironic thing, is that I don't think that many of the white protesters and politicians who support policies like these realize how incredibly racist they are being towards black people when they don't consider the consequences of their actions.


That may seem overly harsh, but I view this as an issue that would result in more unnecessary deaths. In another interview by Converge Media, they interviewed the head of the Seattle Police department guild and other officers who noted that they definitely agreed with increasing community public health services, they also had a number of other ideas on reforms.

[yt]mrW2dEHdQTI[/yt]

However in that interview, they noted that none of the Seattle Council members who support the 50% reduction have even reached out to the police to review plans on how the transition would be done safely, or their concerns on the matter. They simply won't return phone calls or answer any emails from them on the matter. They are also not responding to constituents who are asking for details on the plan. Even though they are fully set to move forward without hearing any input or considerations on the potential challenges.

It is very unclear to me how an active shooter, or sexual predator, or organized crime incident, or murder investigation, or even an armed burglary would be better suited by a squad of social workers.

There are very real reforms to address the issues of Systemic Racial Oppression, but this plan would almost certainly greatly increase the amount of death and suffering in the communities that proponents of 'defund the police' are most trying to "help."


In the Nikkita interview, they talk about a tragic mental health situation with Charleena Lyles that resulted in a shooting death after Charleena, who was a pregnant mom, charged police with a knife. She notes how a social worker trained in mental health response would have made a positive difference, and Charleena may have been alive if that had happened. I agree. However, that is not the correct solution to every 911 call.

The increased time to respond by police where life or death matters, and the increased impunity for criminals to engage in armed robberies, murders, and rape will only increase under this plan. Situations like George Floyd and Charleena Lyles are tragic, but they should absolutely not be used as justification to kill 100's or thousands of more people. Their future deaths, and the loss and pain from their families will be just as tragic. The choice whether or not to kill them is entirely up to the Council members across this country, and other supporters of the 'defund the police' movement. Their fingers are on the trigger, and they are expressing as much callous disregard for the lives they are about to take as seasoned murderers.


Gun sales throughout the Puget Sound region are surging dramatically. Those unable to wait in the long lines at gun stores in King County, are going to other counties where lines are also stretching around the building. People are preparing for a large increase in shootings and violence, and the lack of planning or concern from Seattle Council commissioners are giving them little reason to believe otherwise.

How do people here view Seattle's plan, do you think my reservations or concerns are somewhat valid, or overblown? Some have stated that any concerns about public safety are racist, even if those concerns come from people of color.

As someone who has to live through the results of this plan, I am more than just academically interested in the results.


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Vote for the Dole/Kemp ticket!

The Dole Kemp 96 website is still up and running!

Quote:

More opportunities. Smaller government. Stronger and safer families



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Updates and Changes That Drive Me Crazy

Obviously there's a whole lot of grumbling going on about Microsoft's new browser, Edge and how annoying it is that they foisted this on us with no opt-out. But it seems like bothersome crap from our tech devices like this is becoming the new norm. Here are a couple of recent examples:

1. As some of you know, I tutor college students online. The tutoring program runs in the background until a student requests a tutor, when it pops up. Sometimes I will be playing a game on the computer when the request comes. Needless to say, when that happens I want to be notified. About 6 months ago, I noticed when I left a game that I had missed a request. Microsoft had decided that since I was so engrossed in the game, that I probably didn't need that distraction. Needless to say, I promptly turned "focus" off.

2. I have a Google Home Mini. I mostly use it as an alarm clock since it is so easy. But I also use it to call my cellphone when I can't find it, which is a terrific feature. Apparently Google decided I needed more privacy, because now it refuses to call my cellphone until I give it permission to do so. The permissions are supposedly in my Google Home app, under "more settings" there is an option for Google Assistant Permissions (yeah, I don't know why they put the permissions for one program in another). Guess what? Neither my phone nor my tablet has 'More Settings" where it is supposed to appear when I open up the Google Home app. Searched with Google and found this:

Quote:

Thanks for all your feedback. I know how important it is to access "More Settings" on the Google Home app since most of the settings can be access there. Please make sure that your Google Home app is updated to get all the functionalities of the app.
Of course a bunch of people comment, hey, I'm having the same problem and uninstalling and reinstalling Home (and Assistant) didn't work. At which point the "Community Specialist" decides the problem is resolved and locks the thread.

That said, I figured out a workaround. I just tell it, "Hey Google, call 602-XXX-XXXX (my number).

3. Wells Fargo Banking. Suddenly does not know my APS account number. Never mind that I've paid it online for umpteen years.


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While you were sleeping

Ooop, you woke up, you cheeky monkey. Before, you were asleep, and you had a quiet sleep. You don’t remember anything from sleeping, you stayed in bed for a bit and relaxed, and you fell asleep, as usual.

As you don’t remember anything, you don’t remember imagining anything. But now, you are conscious, your imagination is working again.

But if you fall under the other cases, before, you were asleep, and you had either dreams or nightmares. You do remember those from sleeping, and you did imagine these dreams or nightmares also, it seems to me, since you are honestly saying so. You will need to read through the text for your cases to be covered, for now I will say that you need patience to have fun.

You will need to use the following perspective/viewpoint. It is you, and then it is the rest. What is the rest? The rest is everything minus you. (rest= everything – you). Why this perspective? Because you don’t know exactly where you, stop being you, and the rest begins. On your skin, there are old little parts of you (named cells), which have already disconnected from you, they have died. Now, they are simply physically attached to you until you clean yourself (shower/bath usually), when some of those old little parts of you get removed. But there are not just little parts of you which live on your skins, there is other small life living on your skins as well. Within some limits, this is what constitutes a healthy you, outside of those limits unhealthy things happen to you. You could verify this by trying to cut yourself, but there really isn’t any reason to do so, is there?

So, we will say the following. When you are conscious, you imagination is still working to guide you to specific ends you are looking for. For example, any movement that you do with your body, requires more imagination if it is a new move, less if you have done something similar to this movement before, up to the point where your imagination meets your emotions/senses/instincts. You can verify this yourself by moving around in the place your are.

When the ends towards which you are using your imagination are fun to you, your imagination works best, as your emotions/senses/instincts are free. When these ends are not fun to you, your imagination gets stuck, as you emotions/senses/instincts are trying to find something fun to do. You can verify this yourself by trying to do things which are not fun to you, but there really isn’t any reason to do so, is there?

And then it is the rest. And the rest to you is accessible, by understanding what seems to be happening around you. To start with what seems to be happening around you, try the following. Pick a coin choose a side, and flip it. After you decide you can guess the side the coin ends up facing you right, all the time, and you come back to the rest of us, I have the following question for you. Regardless of how many times you actually had to do this yourself, before you came back to the rest of us ( it could be 0 or more), why didn’t you come back earlier? What do I mean by that? Now that I am writing this, you are not here, if you could know what happens next, why didn’t you come now to tell me about it?

So, this isn’t what seems to be happening around you. Something else is happening. What is that? It is exactly that, something else than anything you can imagine. When your emotions/senses/instincts work within something else, as it happens when you move around, your ends (when you move around your end is wanting to move around), are met. When they don’t, since something else than anything you can imagine is happening around you, you have to change your ends, or you don’t have fun.

Here, if you were patient, comes the places for the ones who before were asleep, and had either dreams or nightmares. In either of these cases, your imagination was working during sleep, and you weren’t completely unconscious, as you can remember what seemed to be happening around you as you were imagining in your sleep.

If you fall under the category of dreams, I have little to write, I had dreams myself in the past, they were fun, but I prefer a quiet full sleep. But this could be just my preference, so have fun and be careful.

If you fall under the category of nightmares, by the definition of the word, these conscious memories weren’t fun to you, and your imagination was working in a way that you, according to your emotions/senses/instincts don’t like. And if you imagine that this is what seems to be happening around you, why are all the rest of us having a quiet sleep or dreams? So what you imagine isn’t what seems to be happening around you, and only you can correct that, but you have to do it, in a way that is fun for the rest of us, right?

How? By using common sense. What is that? What I am trying to do here writing this text.

So let’s return to the ones who had a quiet sleep or dreams. What seems to be happening around you is still something else, than anything you can imagine. If you wonder why, do the experiment with the coin above, I am still writing here, to give you a second chance, just in case, but you still are not here.

And if you by any chance fall under the category whose quiet sleep or dreams, are built upon the nightmare of others, I have the following to write.

1)Powerful people are good at having others believe they are powerful. When other stop believing that, powerful people become less powerful, quite quickly.
2)When something else is happening, and others start forgetting how powerful, powerful people are, then, powerful people quickly try to remind them, because --> back to 1)
3)Because of this, what is no ones problem in society, becomes everyone’s problem in society. Why? Because some jokers are sad, and this is funny. Why? Because others aren’t and they are useful to society.

And who am I, writing all the above? I am no one really, the above is just common sense to me, isn’t it to you?


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The Trump Presidency: Part 24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13165650)
Yeeaah No.

I don't know why so many people in this thread believes 51% or more of the electorate is outright stupid.

40% is incredibly sad. But Trump is incompetent and some stupid last minute con isn't going to cut it.

Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. That's a hell of a lot. He only won the Electoral College by a small margin. Biden hasn't suffered decades of political attacks like Clinton has. Bernie learned his lesson (or I think he did) and he didn't attack Biden like he attacked Biden.

There is a scandal about Hunter Biden's earning money on his father's name. But Trump can't really use that considering he's put his daughter in a WH job. He can try, but it won't be an effective Oct surprise.

All this doomsaying because Trump was successful as a con man 4 years ago is silly. His base might remain conned. But that middle swing vote is not. His incompetent handling of the COVID crisis is not going to be assuaged because a vaccine is ready by October. And it won't be distributed to the masses right away. The first doses will go to health care workers. After that it's high risk people next. By then (using the most optimistic vaccine schedule) we'll be well past the election.

Sure, his 40% might credit Trump for fast-tracking the vaccine. But everyone else including the important middle/swing vote will see the vaccine is being developed around the world without any special intervention by Trump.

President Trump doesn't need 51%, he just needs around 45% of the votes that people are able to, or are willing to, cast.

Even if "only" 40% of people approve of him, if turnout among that 40% is significantly higher than it is among the electorate in general then he can easily get 45% of the votes cast.

We've seen a million, mostly poor, ex-felons disenfranchised (or more accurately not re-enfranchised) in Florida and that's just the tip of the GOP roll-purging. Throw in a healthy dose of too few polling stations in Democrat-leaning districts, large-scale throwing out of postal votes from those same districts (to prevent voter fraud ;)), unofficial "security" at polling stations to intimidate minorities and I can see that a significantly lower proportion of non-Trump supporters are able to vote, or to have their vote count.


Mod InfoThread continued from here.

You can quote or reply to any post from that or previous parts.
Posted By:zooterkin


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English Should not be Compulsory in High School

In Australian high schools, mathematics is not compulsory in the last two years of high school, but English is.

This has always struck me as a highly discriminatory practice as some of us will never be able to get a decent result in this subject, while at the same time we are capable of getting top marks in subjects such as mathematics or languages.

I have no objection to English being compulsory in the lower years of high school, but our marks in the final year of high school have a strong influence in what we will be able to do in life.

I am pretty sure that those of us who will never be able to write an essay on what TS Eliot meant by his poems have a great deal to contribute to society and should not have this built in disadvantage at the most important year of our schooling.

I would be interested in hearing other perspectives on this.


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mercredi 22 juillet 2020

China - NZ Conspiracy

When I read about this a couple of hours ago, my very first thought was that it's a ready-made CT.

Two Chinese nationals resident in NZ were travelling to Parliament to present a case to the government that the PRC/CCP is interfering in NZ and needs to stop.

On the way, their car crashed and caught fire, killing the pair of them.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/...s-killed-crash

How convenient!

However, a much more mundane theory is infinitely more likely - a driver unfamiliar with NZ's appallingly bad roads lost traction in the wet and skidded into oncoming cars. The road they crashed on is one of the country's worst and kills dozens of people every year, many in the exact same manner - failing to drive to the conditions.


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Wayfair conspiracy

Apparently there is a conspiracy about wayfair having items and that these items that they sell are children trafficking disguised as a furniture company. I don't believe in it and since i don't see it on here it suprised me so i posted on here.


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China and the Houston Consulate kerfuffle

At first I couldn't figure out what was going on because the news reported it as China burned papers at the consulate so Trump was closing it. Can't people in consulates or embassies destroy their own papers?

But then it turns out Trump ordered the consulate closed then the Chinese burned the papers. Well d'uh, what country wouldn't have crap to get rid of before closing their embassy or consulate?

Trump's trying to say they were burning evidence of their hacking and tech spying.

Trump isn't helping matters.


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New Wells Fargo scam

Wells Fargo enrolled customers in a mortgage forbearance plan without their knowledge and stopped paying their mortgages.
Quote:

On April 29, without Harlow's knowledge or permission, Wells Fargo told the bankruptcy court overseeing his payment plan that he had asked the bank to pause his mortgage payments because he had been hurt by COVID-19. Harlow, 48, of Buchanan, Virginia, made no such request and had continued to forward the full amount owed on his mortgage to Wells Fargo, court documents show.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/per...-time-n1233635

With all the banks and credit unions in America, it's hard to understand why anybody does business with this operation.


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[Split Thread] Outcry - the Greg Kelley case

Mod Info This thread was split from The Trials of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Part 30 where it was off topic
Posted By:Agatha




HBO has a five-part series, "Outcry", about the wrongful conviction in Texas of Greg Kelley, of child molestation.

He'd got 25 years at his 2014 trial, but "Outcry" is noted for walking the viewer through the Texas process of finally declaring someone factually and legally innocent. Kelley received his judicial innocence in late 2019.

That case had stunning parallels to the Knox/Sollecito wrongful convictions - including the eventual exonerations.

In 2013 police conducted a flawed investigation of an actual child molestation, but ignored evidence which pointed to someone else. Because of a lack of evidence, investigators actually framed Kelley for a second crime, one that he simply could not have done.

Add to this that Kelley's original lawyer refused herself to investigate tips handed to her which pointed to the real perp. After conviction it was revealed that that lawyer had had a conflict of interest with the real perp.

Also, the prosecutor withheld other exculpatory evidence, violating full disclosure laws. After a change in personnel in the D.A.'s office, the new prosecution team reversed course and petitioned the court to vacate the original conviction.

But in Texas, such requests have to be approved by a separate State Appeal Court, the CCA, which is comprised of 9 former prosecutors. Of the 100s of cases they review, they garnered a deserved conservative reputation by denying requests for innocence and returning such people to prison.

Save for Greg Kelley, who received a rare full exoneration and declaration of innocence from the CCA.

It was as rare as Cassazione acquiting AK/RS without referral back to the Appeals level in Italy - but it was the equivalent of a full exoneration.

Outcry also follows Greg Kelley's supporters, who early on were smeared with the "Kelley's cult" label, who had had the temerity to support a child molester. Despite the full exoneration and scathing criticisms from higher courts, local police say that they stand by their investigation and deny strenuously that the second incident of child molestation had been used to frame Kelley.

But all (but the police chief) refused to cooperate with the documentary. The chief still believes that anyone doubting Kelley's guilt is a member of a cult.

Like the Perugian case, Kelley credits his family and friends with pulling him through the darkest moments of the ordeal.


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Twitter Bans 7000 Qanon accounts

Twitter are undertaking a crackdown on conspiracy theory related content on their platform

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...thers-n1234541

Let the Freeze Peach teeth-gnashing begin!


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Qanon Conspiracy Theories Part Two

Mod Info Continued from here.You may quote from and respond to posts from the previous thread
Posted By:Agatha



President Trump wishes Ghislaine Maxwell "well"
Quote:

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wishes Ghislaine Maxwell "well," as she faces charges for recruiting, grooming and ultimately sexually abusing minors as young as 14 as Jeffrey Epstein's alleged accomplice.

"I just wish her well, frankly," Trump said during a White House press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump acknowledged that he has met Maxwell "numerous times" over the years, but said he hasn't been following her case.
Q (snicker) should be all over this.


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Boris borrows a baby

One of the oddest conspiracy theories I have seen, this week people have been speculating that the British Prime Minister either lied about when his (probably) most recent baby was born, lied about when his baby was conceived, or even went as far as to borrow a baby to use in this photo op:



Apparently the young lad is too big, or has too much hair, or couldn’t have been born in April. He might also be a vampire, because in the Zoom chat pictured, he seems to have vanished from the shot (or it’s at an angle and on a blurred screen).

Also the PM’s girlfriend has different sleeves in the Zoom shot, or summat. Therefore all fake. Or some fake to disguise the real stuff getting through.

I’m not entirely sure why people think he’s lying about anything to do with this, though some said it’s because the couple didn’t want to announce the pregnancy because it might have damaged Johnson’s chances in the Tory leadership election. Ha!

Full craziness on Twitter, eg: https://twitter.com/fascinatorfun/st...05617823506435


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OMG, Election Fraud!

Right there in my mailbox! They just send them out to everyone!

Don't fall for it, Republicans. Refuse to send those back!

Attached Images
File Type: jpg Fraud.jpg (120.0 KB)


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Laptop RAM question

Hi guys,

Recently there as a major Windows 10 upgrade on my laptop- plus a new version of Edge. Also a Winzip addition that helpful guys here helped me to disable!

Here's what my laptop says about itself:

Lenovo V310-141SK
Intel Core i3-6100U CPU
2.30 GHz
6.00 GB RAM (5.73 GB usable)

Prior to the W10 upgrade I had been having occasional 'freezes', where the machine stops, and I have to reboot. Typically, for instance, when I have several large excel spreadsheets open at the same time.

However, since the upgrade this is happening several times a day, so I'm assuming (a WAG, of course) that Billy Gates' stuff is taking up so much of the RAM that there's not really enough for me to play with.

My question is - is it likely to be feasible to replace the 6 GB Ram with 8, for instance, or maybe add another 6?

Thanking you in anticipation...


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mardi 21 juillet 2020

US federal judge's family attacked by MRA attorney who then killed himself

We apparently don't have a current events thread on this. It is pretty shocking, as an attack on a judge is extremely rare, even given the other types of gun violence that take place in America.

Gunman attacks family of US federal judge Esther Salas [bbc.com]

Quote:

The son of a US federal judge has been shot dead and her husband injured in an attack at their family home in New Jersey.

Investigators said the judge, Esther Salas, was unharmed.
..........
Sources quoted by US media said Judge Salas's 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl - a student - opened the door at the family home in North Brunswick at about 17:00 on Sunday and was fatally shot. The judge's husband, Mark Anderl, 63, was then shot several times. He is in a critical but stable condition in hospital, the New Jersey Globe reported.
Attorney who was found dead named as primary suspect in fatal shooting at federal judge's home [cnn.com]

Quote:

The FBI identified Roy Den Hollander as the "primary subject," and said that he is dead, the US Attorney's office said in a statement. Den Hollander was a lawyer who once argued a case before Salas, according to court records.

Earlier, two law enforcement sources told CNN that the suspect died of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
ETA - I'm quoting this from the CT thread - a few of the very rare attacks on judges in the US:

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcooky (Post 13164211)

........


1. Federal Circuit Court Judge Richard J. Daronco was assassinated at his home in Pelham, New York on 1988, as an act of revenge by Charles Koster, the father of a disgruntled plaintiff whose sexual harassment lawsuit against her former employer had been dismissed by Daronco for lack of evidence.

2. The father-in-law of MSNBC contributor and former US Attorney, Joyce Vance, federal judge Robert S. Vance, was murdered by a mail bomb in 1989. The bomber's motive for killing Judge Vance was revenge against Vance's court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which had refused to expunge that conviction

3. West Texas District Count Judge John H. Wood Jr. was assassinated outside his home in San Antonio, in 1979. He was murdered by a contract killer hired by Texas drug lord Jamiel Chagra, who was awaiting trial before the judge.

Yes, the killing of judges is unusual, but it does happen!



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Ohio House Speaker, 4 colleagues arrested in racketeering case

According to several news sources, the farm of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has just been raided by the FBI, and he and four cohorts have been arrested as part of a bribery investigation. Per the Columbus Dispatch:

Quote:

Householder, 61, of Glenford, is charged in the alleged racketeering conspiracy involving the funneling of energy company funds through Generation Now, a dark money group formed by a longtime associate, with some proceeds used to back the campaigns of legislative candidates supportive of Householder’s run for Speaker.

Also arrested Tuesday as part of the alleged conspiracy were:

‒ Matt Borges, 48, of Bexley, the former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and a lobbyist.

‒ Jeffrey Longstreth, 44, of Columbus, a longtime campaign and political strategist for Householder.

‒ Neil Clark, 67, of Columbus, a lobbyist who owns Grant Street Consultants.

‒ Juan Cespedes, 40, of Columbus, a lobbyist.


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Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder arrested in $60 million bribery case

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/new...rs/5477862002/

Quote:

Federal officials arrested Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others on Tuesday morning in connection with a $60 million bribery case.


Householder is one of the biggest names in Ohio politics and has been a major player for years in the state's Republican Party. He's known as an aggressive fundraiser who doesn't shy away from hardball tactics on the campaign trail or in the statehouse.


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lundi 20 juillet 2020

Judge's son gunned down, hitman found dead in car

If any developing story had 'conspiracy' written all over it, it has to be the gunning down of Judge Salas' son. Salas had just been appointed five days ago as the judge to preside over the Deutsche Bank money laundering case.

Strong connections to Epstein as one of the charges is allegedly their allowing him to launder his ill-gotten gains there.

Quote:

The person suspected of shooting the husband and son of US District Court of New Jersey Esther Salas on Sunday at her North Brunswick home has died of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to two law enforcement sources.

Daniel Anderl, a 20-year-old student at Catholic University, was killed in the shooting, and Mark Anderl, the judge's husband and a defense attorney, was injured, according to Chief Judge Freda Wolfson. Salas was unharmed, Wolfson said.
So the 'hitman' wearing a Fedex uniform and delivering a 'Fedex parcel' turned out to be a 'disgruntled attorney' who had lost a case under Salas five years ago. He was found shot dead in a car in New York Catskill not long after.

It is strange an attorney would hold a grudge about losing a case, usually it is a resentful litigant or defendant who feels unjustly treated or made to pay unfair costs. The lawyer gets his or her money in any case. And waiting five years.

So it has all the hallmarks of a Lee Oswald type assassination with the hitman being bumped off by another hitman. 'A secret between two people is safe if one is dead'.

Epstein's hand waves out of the grave...?



ETA: the gunman found dead in the car is allegedly Roy Den Hollander and his resumé looks like this:

Quote:

RESUME
Anti-Feminist litigation, investigations, and advice on general corporate matters.
M.B.A. Columbia University Business School with Honors, J.D. George Washington University Law School with High Honors.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Attorney and Business Consultant, New York, N.Y., 2000-Present
Litigate civil cases, including men's rights, immigration fraud, insurance subrogation, and RICO.
Advise businesses on corporate governance, contracts and litigation.

Kroll Associates Russia, Moscow, Russia, 1999-2000
Managed and upgraded Kroll’s delivery of intelligence and security in the former Soviet Union.
Attorney, New York, N.Y., Russia, Ecuador, 1990-1999
Counseled companies, individuals, and nonprofit organizations in America, Russia, and Ecuador on legal and
business issues, including international financing and marketing.<snip>
Spot the Russia connection.


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Whatever happened to Sir Robert?

Whatever happened to Sir Robert?

In 1935 a 38 year old RAF Wing Commander, Robert Victor Goddard (usually Victor and he wasn't Knighted until 1946, but 'Sir Robert' sounded better) was solo piloting a Hawker Hart light bomber from Edinburgh to Andover. Shortly after passing over a disused and abandoned RAF station near Edinburgh he encountered a severe storm and then a "swirling vortex" somewhere over the Firth of Forth. After recovering he found himself passing over the same airfield, but now refurbished and obviously operational.

Goddard looked down and saw yellow-painted aircraft and what he described as a modern monoplane; neither of which were then in RAF service. The mechanics he could see were wearing blue coveralls instead of the RAF brown de rigeur in 1935. The formerly dilapidated buildings had been renovated and more had been constructed.

The implication of these apparent discrepancies is that Goddard had been propelled forward in time a number of years, to the early stages of World War 2; by 1939 the airfield (then Drem) would have been populated with the Hawker Harts (by now relegated to training duties) and Airspeed Oxford monoplanes of 13 Flying Training School.

Now in the real world the explanation for this is prosaic. Firstly the story doesn't make sense. 13FTS didn't operate the aircraft Goddard described, and certainly not painted yellow. There was no corroborating evidence, just Goddard’s account, first published after his retirement in 1951. He may have misremembered the year of the incident or aspects of what he saw on the ground at the time, though he was a trained military pilot.

It's likely that after the blind flying and violent maneuvering brought on by he storm, Goddard was seriously disorientated and ended up above a completely different airfield (Renfrew Aerodrome, home to the Scottish Flying Club is a good candidate); remember aerial navigation in the 1930s was primitive (dead reckoning, map and compass and landmarks). While Renfrew is more than 100km from Drem such a navigational error in a journey of approximately 700km in a bad storm is far from impossible, especially given the sudden storm.

Goddard is a fascinating character, who really fits well into fiction or gaming set in the 1935-1965 period. He was interested in the paranormal, wrote (his 1975 book Flight Towards Reality is his best known work) and spoke about it after retirement (and there's a hint that his beliefs may have caused his early retirement, at 54, in 1951) and coined the term "ufology". Was he pushed out due to his oddities? Or to run a Secret Government Project dealing with UFOs, aliens, time travellers and such matters.
  • As an aside in my Who gaming Goddard was the man behind 'Chunky' Gilmore and the ICMG. They occasionally meet over an excellent lunch in those of-so-comfortable armchairs of the Hourglass Club.
Or maybe Goddard used (knowingly or not) as a stalking horse? Did he publicise the story to see what would happen, and not just attract kooks but actual time travellers?
Especially after the film, The Night My Number Came Up, was released in 1955.

The "time displacement" incident (which is mentioned in numerous works on the paranormal, is only one of three odd incidents in Goddard's life.
The second occurred years before the supposed 'time displacement'. In 1919 an official RAF group photograph of his squadron was taken in early 1919 (the RAF having been formed only a year earlier), just after the Great War ended. The photograph portrayed some 200 men who'd survived the fighting. And one who didn't...

After the photo was developed, it's been placed on the squadron noticeboard so that those who wanted copies could sign up for them. However there was an extra face in the photograph; the grinning and hatless Airman Freddy Jackson, a mechanic who'd died by heedlessly walking into a spinning propeller two days before the squadron posed for
the photo and had been buried that day.
  • Alas there are no extant copies of this photograph. Obviously They suppressed it.

The third incident, obviously Goddard had the Weirdness Magnet disadvantage, is probably the best known as a film (the aforementioned The Night My Number Came Up, was made about it). The film is based on another strange incident that Goddard
experienced, this one in January 1946. Goddard arrived at a party in Shanghai and
overheard an officer talking of a dream in which he (Goddard) was killed in a plane crash; in the officer's dream the plane iced over and crashed on a pebbled beach near mountains, with two men and a woman on board.
Goddard himself was due to fly to Tokyo that night on a DC-3, but the details of the flight didn't match the dream. However by the end of the evening he was persuaded to take two men and a woman with him. The plane iced over and was forced to make a crash landing on the Japanese island of Sado. The crash scene, a pebbled beach near mountains, resembled that described in the precognitive dream. However, unlike the
dream no-one was injured.
Was there some lingering effect (Artron energy buildup?) from the time vortex in 1935?


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dimanche 19 juillet 2020

Riots, looting, vandalism, etc.

https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/stat...88892471599104

Quote:

NOW: Rioters are looting an Amazon store in Seattle
I'm a loyal Democrat but I don't understand why some people on the left seem to think that this sort of thing is acceptable. Nor why local politicians like mayors would allow their cities to be destroyed like this.

This is obviously not a "peaceful protest". :mad:

It's not "political speech" it's a crime.


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Trebuchet's stupid computer problems

So (rule of), I previously started a thread for my down-scrolling problem and for my fat-finger problem but really, I might has well just have a catchall thread.

The root problem, of course, is that this old Win7 laptop is pretty much at the end of its life. But I'm accustomed to the old girl and would just as soon not have to go get another one right away. Besides, she's on my desk with a second monitor and wireless mouse and keyboard and the other one, which my wife claims, is in the dining room without those handy things.

The first two problems still occur once in a while but are not worrying me. The downscrolling can be stopped just by tapping the down-arrow on the laptop. The other one I have to close Chrome and restart it but it doesn't happen too often.

But wait, there's more!
About once a week, it can't find the internet. This usually happens a few minutes after I wake it up in the morning. It's connected to the WiFi, and other devices work fine on the same WiFi; it's just this one. Only solution so far is a reboot; I've tried disconnecting from WiFi and reconnecting but no good.

Worse, starting in the past week, is the black screen of death. Just a black screen and blinking cursor, and no response to anything. Now, the battery's been shot for ages. "Plugged in not charging, 0%. Consider replacing your battery." Not worth it at this point. Last weeks black screen actually went away when I pressed the power button, but not today. Eventually I pulled the battery and turned it on and it got going. Then I outsmarted myself by trying to plug the battery in while it was on, the power cord is a bit flakey, and it went off and then blackscreened again. I've pulled the battery again and after a couple of tries got it going.

The real question, I guess, is what should I replace it with? Not a gamer, just need to be able to type on the forum, watch the occasional YouTube, and use some Open Office documents.

At least I'm safe data-wise, did a full backup to a 2TB drive last week and keep my working files on a thumb drive anyhow.


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