 |
| Naji al-Ali's character, Handala, a symbol of the "right of return" in Palestinian culture.http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?id=340 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
 |
| A visual plot of Bitcoin transactions made on the Mt.Gox Bitcoin Exchange on 19 June 2011, demonstrating the price crash that occurred at that time. The graph compares the price of one bitcoin in USD against time in UTC. The size of the circular plot denotes the size of the transaction, the position of plots represent the time and market price value of each transaction, and the colour shades represent the frequency of transactions made within a certain timeframe and price range. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
 |
| Screenshot of the Bitcoin client, using cryptocurrency. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Most popular
Australian Banks Reportedly Freeze Accounts of Bitcoin Users
Disclosure:
I hold cryptocurrencies. — At some point, the fiat outflows will cause
liquidity problems. That’s my guess as to why they fear cryptos so much.
At the link below, see the comments by user CPL that start out with:
Means they are just about to rob the Australians of their savings and
are cutting […]
Iran Flashback: Seven Countries in Five Years
Via:
New York Magazine: Anti-government protests continued across multiple
cities in Iran for a fourth day on Sunday, the most widespread unrest in
the country since the pro-democracy Green Movement in 2009 — though
nowhere near the same scale thus far. Two protesters were killed
overnight Saturday, the first deaths attributed to the unrest. On […]
Bitcoin is Eating Itself
Disclosure:
I hold Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. — Bitcoin has become utterly
terrible to use. The slow confirmations and high fees are insane. The
article below is old. The average Bitcoin transaction fee is now $41.66,
which is down from a record high $55.16 from a few days ago. I did a
couple of small […]
Yesterday
The Proportion of Medical Procedures Unsupported by Evidence May be Nearly Half
Via:
Vox: The recent news that stents inserted in patients with heart
disease to keep arteries open work no better than a placebo ought to be
shocking. Each year, hundreds of thousands of American patients receive
stents for the relief of chest pain, and the cost of the procedure
ranges from $11,000 to $41,000 in […]
Dec 30
America’s Worst Graveyard Shift Is Grinding Up Workers
Via:
Bloomberg: Cleanup at the slaughterhouse is as dangerous as it is
repulsive, and the immigrants who do the work are under pressure to
complete it faster than ever.
Dec 25
Hinkley Point: The ‘Dreadful Deal’ Behind the World’s Most Expensive Power Plant
Disclosure:
I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Via: Guardian: Hinkley
Point, on the Somerset coast, is the biggest building site in Europe.
Here, on 430 acres of muddy fields scattered with towering cranes and
bright yellow diggers, the first new nuclear power station in the UK
since 1995 is slowly taking shape. […]
Julian Assange’s Twitter Account Reappears After Mysterious Absence
Via:
CBS: The official Twitter account of controversial WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange — @JulianAssange — is back online after disappearing from
the social media platform overnight. It’s unclear whether the account
was suspended by Twitter or deactivated by Assange. Representatives at
Twitter did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
Dec 22
Apple Faces Lawsuits Over Its Intentional Slowing of Older iPhones
Via:
Guardian: Apple is facing lawsuits over the revelations that it
intentionally slows down older iPhones without user consent. Apple has
admitted to slowing down the iPhone 6, 6S, 7 and SE when their batteries
are either old, cold or have a low charge to prevent abrupt shutdowns.
Two separate class-action lawsuits were filed Thursday, […]
A Fight to the Death for the Elephants
Via:
Los Angeles Times: Kambale Mate huddled beneath a tangle of grass,
looking up at bright stars in a moonless sky, a tumble of chaotic events
cascading through his mind. Where were the other wildlife rangers, Jean
de Dieu Matongo and Joel Meriko Ari? Were they alive? He had been a
ranger for only five […]
Goldman Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk
Via:
Bloomberg: At least one of Wall Street’s biggest firms is growing more
comfortable with cryptocurrencies. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is setting
up a trading desk to make markets in digital currencies such as bitcoin,
according to people with knowledge of the strategy. The bank aims to
get the business running by the end of […]
Dec 20
Plastic Found in Mussels from Arctic to China
Via:
Reuters: Tiny bits of plastic are contaminating mussels from the
European Arctic to China in a sign of the global spread of ocean
pollution that can end up on people’s dinner plates. Mussels in
apparently pristine Arctic waters had most plastic of any tested along
the Norwegian coast, according to a study this month […]
Dec 18
Canada: Gag Order in CIA Brainwashing Case
Via:
CBC News: Forty years after revelations that the U.S. Central
Intelligence Agency funded brainwashing experiments on unsuspecting
Canadians, the Trudeau government is continuing a pattern of silencing
the victims, a lawyer for one of the families says. A recent Department
of Justice gag order in an out-of-court settlement was designed to avoid
responsibility and […]
Cities Face Growing Crisis as RVs Become Homes of Last Resort
Via:
East Bay Times: Bay Area cities are coming to realize what Ramirez
already knows — parking tickets won’t solve the problem of finding a
place to live. From Oakland to San Jose, officials are struggling to
cope with a growing influx of RV dwellers seeking a safe, permanent
place for the only homes they […]
Dec 17
China: Mass Disappearances
Via:
USA Today: Nobody knows what happened to the Uighur student after he
returned to China from Egypt and was taken away by police. Not his
village neighbors in China’s far west, who haven’t seen him in months.
Not his former classmates, who fear Chinese authorities beat him to
death. Not his mother, who lives […]
YouTube Removes Health Ranger Podcast that Discusses FBI’s Routine Obstruction of Justice and Forensic Science Fraud
Via:
Natural News: Seven weeks after the posting of a podcast that examines
the FBI’s corruption and cover-up regarding the Mandalay Bay shooting in
Las Vegas, YouTube has threatened to censor the Health Ranger channel
for obvious political purposes. It’s part of the worsening pattern of
censorship of political speech by YouTube, which is owned […]
California: Don’t Sleep Near Cell Phone or Carry In Pocket
Via:
CBS News: California health officials have a new safety message for
cellphone users. CBS San Francisco reports that for the first time ever,
the California Department of Public Health is releasing guidelines
about cellphone radiation and how you can reduce your exposure. “We
recognize that there are a lot of people in the general […]
Norway Becomes First Scandinavian Country to Decriminalise Drugs
Via:
Independent: Norway is to become the first Scandinavian country to
decriminalise drugs as it focuses on treatment rather than punishment.
The majority of the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, backed the
historic shift which was supported by the Conservatives (Hoyre),
Liberals (Venstre), the Labor Party (Ap) and the Socialist Left (SV).
They directed the national […]
University of New South Wales: Chip Design Will Allow Quantum Calculations to be Performed Using Silicon
Disclosure:
I have invested in technology related to quantum computing. Via: zdnet:
A team of engineers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has
unveiled the design of a working chip that can integrate quantum
interactions. According to UNSW, the design, which can be manufactured
using mostly standard industry processes and components, comprises a […]
Dec 16
Absurd Limited Hangout: Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program
$22
million. *snort* Trillions of dollars missing, and Tom Delonge, the New
York Times and the DoD present to you… Via: New York Times: In the $600
billion annual Defense Department budgets, the $22 million spent on the
Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program was almost impossible
to find. Which was how the Pentagon wanted it. […]
Canadian Police Probe ‘Suspicious’ Deaths of Billionaire Couple
Via:
Reuters: Canadian police said they were investigating the mysterious
deaths of Barry Sherman, founder of Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex
Inc, and his wife, Honey, one of the nation’s wealthiest couples whose
bodies were found in their mansion on Friday. Police said they learned
of the deaths after responding to a midday (1700 GMT) medical […]
Dec 14
Animal Shelter Tried to Use Security Robot to Scare Off Homeless People
Via:
The Verge: An animal shelter in San Francisco has been criticized for
using a robot security guard to scare off homeless people. The San
Francisco branch of the SPCA (the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals) hired a K5 robot built by Knightscope to patrol the
sidewalks outside its facilities. According to […]
Dec 13
France to Ban Use of Mobile Phones in Schools from September
Via:
Guardian: The French government is to ban students from using mobile
phones in the country’s primary, junior and middle schools. Children
will be allowed to bring their phones to school, but not allowed to get
them out at any time until they leave, even during breaks. A proposed
ban was included in Emmanuel Macron’s […]
Dec 12
Food Insecurity in Silicon Valley
Via:
Guardian: In a region famed for its foodie culture, where the
well-heeled can dine on gold-flecked steaks, $500 tasting menus and $29
loaves of bread, hunger is alarmingly widespread, according to a new
study shared exclusively with the Guardian. One in four people in
Silicon Valley are at risk of hunger, researchers at the […]
‘Here’s How to Shut Down the Internet: Snip Undersea Fiber-Optic Cables’
Via:
McClatchy: Hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable lay on
the ocean floors, a crucial part of the global internet’s backbone, and
only rarely do ship anchors, undersea landslides or saboteurs disrupt
them. Still, a few voices now call for stronger global mechanisms and
even military action to protect the cables against future […]
Screenshots from YouTube’s Video Demonitization Console
Via:
TwitLonger: Google, some months ago, put out a job posting which
required a number of different people to work on one project. Google
claimed in the posting that they needed a third party company to work as
“web search evaluators.” My contact worked for the unnamed company that
put in for the job and […]
Dec 11
Botched Pipe Bomb Attack in Manhattan Subway Station
Via:
Daily Mail: A Bangladeshi national in his 20s has been taken into
custody with serious injuries after a suspected pipe bomb he was
carrying malfunctioned and exploded prematurely inside a Midtown
Manhattan subway station Monday morning. The explosion happened around
7:20am, in an underground tunnel linking the Port Authority Bus Terminal
to Times Square. […]
Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence
Via:
Wired: Anthony Levandowski makes an unlikely prophet. Dressed Silicon
Valley-casual in jeans and flanked by a PR rep rather than cloaked
acolytes, the engineer known for self-driving cars—and triggering a
notorious lawsuit—could be unveiling his latest startup instead of
laying the foundations for a new religion. But he is doing just that.
Artificial intelligence […]
Dec 09
Quantum Computing Is the Next Big Security Risk
Disclosure:
I have invested in technology related to quantum computing. — Via:
Wired: The consequences of mastering quantum computing, while not as
visual or visceral as a mushroom cloud, are no less significant than
those faced by the scientists who lit up the New Mexico sky with the
detonation at the Trinity test site 72 […]
One-Third of All Americans Killed by Strangers Are Killed by Police
Via:
Granta: Americans are afraid of many threats to their lives – serial
killers, crazed gunmen, gang bangers, and above all terrorists – but
these threats are surprisingly unlikely. Approximately three-quarters of
all homicide victims in America are killed by someone they know. And
the real threat from strangers is quite different from what most […]
Dec 08
America’s Farmers Killing Themselves in Record Numbers
Via:
Guardian: Last year, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) found that people working in agriculture – including
farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take
their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation. The data
suggested that the suicide rate for agricultural workers in 17 […]
Lincoln Partners with CLEAR for Biometric Security Service
Via:
The News Wheel: Lincoln announced a new collaboration with CLEAR,
provider of a means to bypass long lines for airport security by way of
biometric information. The partnership will see Lincoln customers on the
receiving end of complimentary CLEAR membership, which will enable them
to skip the line at more than 30 airports and […]
Police Officer Who Executed Unarmed Father of Two Found Not Guilty of Murder
Via:
Daily Mail: A former Arizona police officer was found not guilty of
murder Thursday of in the 2016 fatal shooting of an unarmed man outside
his hotel room, as video of the shocking moment is finally released by
officials. Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty in the
2016 death of 26-year-old father-of-two […]
Tesla Is Working on Its Own New AI Chip
Via:
Electrek: There have been rumors that Tesla is developing its own chip
optimized for self-driving applications ever since we reported on the
automaker quietly hiring legendary chip architect Jim Keller from AMD
last year. Now CEO Elon Musk finally confirmed the rumor – specifying
that Tesla is working on its own new AI chip […]
Dec 07
General Electric to Cut 12,000 Jobs in Power Business Revamp
Via:
Reuters: General Electric Co (GE.N) is axing 12,000 jobs at its global
power business, the struggling industrial conglomerate’s latest effort
to shrink itself into a more focused company. The U.S. company launched
the cuts to save $1 billion in 2018, saying it expected dwindling demand
for fossil fuel power plants to continue. “Traditional power […]
Dec 05
Trump White House Weighing Plans For Private Spies To Counter “Deep State” Enemies
Via:
The Intercept: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is considering a set of
proposals developed by Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a retired CIA
officer — with assistance from Oliver North, a key figure in the
Iran-Contra scandal — to provide CIA Director Mike Pompeo and the White
House with a global, private spy network that would […]
Google AI Spawns Other AIs
Via:
Independent: Google has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)
system that has created its own “child”. What’s more, the original AI
has trained its creation to such a high level that it outperforms every
other human-built AI system like it. It’s an impressive achievement, but
one that could also trigger fears about what else AI […]
Dec 04
Philippines Orders Probe Into Sanofi Dengue Vaccine for 730,000 Children
Via:
Reuters: The Philippines ordered an investigation on Monday into the
immunization of more than 730,000 children with a vaccine for dengue
that has been suspended following an announcement by French drug company
Sanofi (SASY.PA) that it could worsen the disease in some cases.
A Quantum Boost for a Different Kind of Computer
Disclosure:
I have invested in technology related to quantum computing. Via: MIT
Technology Review: In two papers published today in the journal Nature, a
team at MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and another from
the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Standards in
Washington D.C., reveal that they have built specialized types […]
Dec 03
Living in Cars, Working for Amazon: Meet America’s New Nomads Via: Guardian: Millions of Americans are wrestling with the impossibility of a traditional middle-class existence. In homes across the country, kitchen tables are strewn with unpaid bills. Lights burn late into the night. The same calculations get performed again and again, through exhaustion and soContrary Brin
Most popular
The pattern: from Jim Crow to Smog, Tobacco, Ozone, Leaded Gas... and now...
First: I am told I should announce: “Just so you know: there are no 3rd
party ads on my site. No guest posts. No one can buy a slot or a
referral. I try always to attribute quotations, especially lengthy
excerpts. And yes, I write this much. Phew.” Meanwhile... alas... there
is so much that's "political" that mass media doesn't cover well. That's
why you come here , right? == Step back and see th
Things can get worse...
== It can get lots worse than Trump == God's Plan for Mike Pence: This
Atlantic article reminds us who and what is waiting on the wings, if
Donald Trump leaves the scene - voluntarily or not. “Because God works
in mysterious ways (or, at the very least, has a postmodern sense of
humor), it was Donald J. Trump—gracer of Playboy covers, delighter of
shock jocks, collector of mistresses—who descende
Exactly two decades ago, The Postman tried to deliver
Exactly 20 years ago today, Kevin Costner released his film based on my
novel The Postman into theaters. ( The Postman is the only science
fiction saga to come in second for three successive Hugo Awards; it's in
25 languages around the world.) I’ve written elsewhere my complex
opinions about Costner’s flick… see my essay on the book vs. the movie ,
which emphasized the positive, in order to help
Dec 23
The new face of science -- and attacking "citizen science."
We'll do a weekend science roundup, showing some of our tremendous
advances... plus a strange look at citizen science. Starting with... ...
foresight through AI: UC Berkeley researchers have developed a robotic
learning technology that enables robots to imagine the future of their
actions so they can figure out how to manipulate objects they have never
encountered before. Useful for a myriad func
Dec 19
Is it possible to fact-check?
There is no greater priority in the USA than finding a way to debunk
lies and check on facts. All sides hurl assertions and leave it to
citizens to decide which ones to believe. But in today's partisan
echo-chambers, the choice nearly always depends on what sounds and feels
"truthy." This is not the way adults operate! Politics used to at least
bear slightly on confirmable-falsifiable factual evi
Dec 12
The downside of political amnesia
By the time you read this, we'll all know the outcome from the Alabama
Senate race. And either way, it is a cautionary tale about the perils of
plunging into phase 8 of the American Civil War . You’ve also heard
about an effort by well-known political fraudster James O’Keefe and his
organization Project Veritas to entrap the Washington Post newspaper
into publishing a false story about Alabama Se
Dec 09
Visualizing the future - and ways you can change it
While attending the Future in Review (FiRe) Conference in Park City
Utah, I participated in talks about AI, trends in computing,
visualization, entrepreneurship etc. Notable was this year’s CTO
Challenge about “visualizing visualization,” and presentations about
breakthroughs in understanding the retina and neurons, new steps in
supercomputing, and risk-management software tools. Nascent companie
Dec 07
Flawed models of society... (Some kinda work). And why our worst foe is certainty.
I plan to be more general and deal with bigger-broader issues this time
since, well, we have to pause now and then. Take a breath, saying
(about today's political ructions) "this, too, shall pass." Still, b
efore diving into "social and political "charts" and the theory of
totalitarianism, I will throw out there two vital and timely news items.
First... You must read the text of Sen. Jeff Flake’s
Dec 04
The Tax Bill: aspects that no one (at all) will discuss.
It seems that the GOP, which has owned every branch of government and
lever of power, since January, will at last have an "accomplishment" - a
Tax Bill they admit will add a trillion dollars to the national debt,
while offering last-minute gushers for real estate developers, banks,
hedge funds, the oil industry, lobbyists and aristocratic heirs… … all
of it without spending a red cent on infrastr
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment