One Citizen Speaking

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: DESPICABLE DISPLAY OF MEDIA INSINCERITY ON 41's DEATH...

I am sickened and disgusted by all of the progressive socialist democrats and the progressive mainstream media as they rush before their respective audiences to laud in death a man they despised in life…

 

There is little doubt in my mind that George H.W. Bush was one of the last of the World War II vets who served their country with distinction and honor. 

He was a patrician, upper-class man of character who sought a life in public service. Whether or not you agreed with his “establishment” politics or not, it was hard to fault the man. He had seen it all and done most of it. From enlisting pre-college, becoming the youngest naval aviator at the time, being shot down in enemy territory and rescued by a submarine, Yale graduate, serving as an Representative (R-TX), Ambassador to the United Nations, head of the CIA, the Vice President of the United States, and the 41st President of the United States. A man aware of his position and who possessed the ability to make fun of himself with self-deprecating humor.

A man despised by the progressive socialist democrats, the media, and many in his own party.

Bottom line…

Perhaps now that time has passed since 41's Presidency can we now appreciate the politeness and civility of the man and his administration.  

I cannot watch television, listen to the radio, or read a newspaper or magazine without being angered at the self-serving display of insincerity, duplicity, and the false characterization of 41’s accomplishments to serve a progressive agenda.

-- steve

DOJ & FBI CONTINUING ABUSE OF POWER?

It appears that the DOJ has authorized an FBI raid on the home of a government-acknowledged whistleblower who has provided documents on the various Clinton scandals to the Department of Justice Inspector General and then to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

The whistleblower, Dennis Nathan Cain, a former FBI contractor, was raided on the basis of a court order signed by U.S. District Court (for Baltimore) Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher, whose original nomination to the Court by former President Barack Obama failed to pass Senate confirmation and who was re-nominated by President Trump. The warrant allegedly accused that Cain possessed stolen federal property and demanded a search of his private residence.

The FBI raid by sixteen armed agents continued for six-hours even though Cain provided the documents in question to the FBI and explained that he was a recognized protected whistleblower under the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act and that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz recognized his whistleblower status.

It also appears that after the raid the FBI knowingly bypassed the attorney of record of a represented client to directly call Cain to discuss his seized electronics. A severe and definite breach of protocol.

Spokespeople for the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the FBI Inspector General refused requests for further information regarding the raid.

Hannity exposes the real Russian Collusion with the Clintons, the Obama Administration, Russia, and Vladimir Putin…

Fox News’ commentator Sean Hannity has been at the forefront in helping to expose wrongdoing by the Clintons and various government officials in the traitorous action that saw control of twenty-percent of America’s critical uranium stockpile transferred to the direct control of our nuclear enemy, Russia.

Whistleblower Dennis Nathan Cain and his attorney to appear on Hannity (Monday, December 3, 6:00p PST, 9:00p EST)…

Bottom line…

If nothing else, this is an egregious display of governmental power that appears to have been executed to intimidate a witness in a matter that involves actions of the Department of Justice and the FBI in matters relating to the Clintons, the Clinton Foundation, ROSATOM, Uranium One, and the failure of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller to prosecute known criminal wrongdoing or to minimize the awareness of such activities.

This is much, much more than a simple criminal act, but impacts the national security of the United States and should be treated as such. One might suspect that these nefarious Clinton and Obama-related activities are the primary drivers of the anti-Trump movement and that before this matter is thoroughly investigated, the progressive socialist democrats on the various House committees could very well be guilty of criminal obstruction of justice. One might further expect that these matters are being timed to coincide with the run-up to the 2020 primary and general elections.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

PROTECT OUR PLANET: 24 HOURS OF REALITY?

I recently received an email from one of Al Gore’s pet propaganda programs, the Climate Reality Project, asking me to channel their climate-related materials to those who might hold a different opinion about climate change …

But one might ask, whose reality is it that you are broadcasting to your audience, and just what is it that they appear to be denying?

Are people denying that the climate changes and has done so since Earth had developed an atmosphere?

Are people denying that certain well-publicized scientists have noted that the Earth is warming in an interglacial period after emerging from the Little Ice Age?

Are people denying that the science is actually settled when most publications and conferences refuse to allow differing opinions from well-credentialed scientists from prestigious institutions?

Or, are they questioning?

Are they questioning why the scientists cannot adequately model chaotic systems where two fluids interact with an infinite combination of effects and outcomes without resorting to parameterization (simply plugging estimates of values into models) and the statistical homogenization of data that allows for computational ease?

Are they questioning why scientists cannot directly detect and measure man’s climate signal amid climate’s natural variability?

Are they questioning why most of the dire predictions and claims of planetary emergency arise from politicians who seem to have the same political agenda that demands bigger government, more taxes, unitary control over the political system, fewer personal freedoms, and which leads to authoritarianism and then to totalitarianism?

Are they questioning why the mainstream media is sensationalizing a naturally-occurring process that plays out over thousands of years and thousands of lifetimes as a problem that must be fixed now – or we suffer a catastrophe in thirty years? Perhaps further questioning why previous climate predictions made in decades past have not come to fruition?

Are they questioning why few people discuss the beneficial aspects of a world with a higher concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and the fact that the Medieval Warm period proved to be positively beneficial to the planet’s ecosystem?

Are they questioning that the scientific method is one of controlled skepticism where one posits a hypothesis, conducts experiments, makes observations, draws conclusions from their findings, publishes the results to be verified, falsified, amplified, or modified – until the next researcher produces additional work that independently verifies or falsifies the original work?

Are they questioning systemic bias since institutions, scientists, and projects which reflect their sponsor’s outlook fashionable science of the day are more likely to be funded than not, there is an inherent funding bias? The same goes for peer-reviewed journals where a small group of like-minded reviewers can prevent the publication of contrary research that seriously questions their work, credibility, and reputation.

Bottom line…

The climate is one of the most powerful forces in nature, far greater than the forces of volcanoes. So why does man believe they can affect change in the climate when they cannot channel or control the forces of a volcano? Just whose truth are they asking you to spread?

A scientific truth that we don’t really know that much about climate change as a process or how to predict future changes which take hundreds, if not thousands of years to manifest.

An economic truth that giving politicians a blank check would be tantamount to destroying a Republic heavily burdened with unchecked spending that still leaves the country’s infrastructure in ruinous decay?

A political truth that those who appear to be using climate change appear to have a singular political philosophy that denies the exultation of the individual in favor of the subjugation and slavery of mankind for the collective benefit for the state?

From a political perspective, climate change is a wonderful vehicle for changing a political system from abundance to one of scarcity – a situation that leaves those who manage the scarcity in control.

So before you regurgitate someone else’s truth or reality, you might want to ask the ultimate investigative question -- Cui bono? – Who benefits. When it comes to climate change, the answer is NOT THE INDIVIDUAL AND NOT AMERICA.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

LOS ANGELES: WELCOME TO LITTLE TIJUANA

Once again, the Los Angeles City Council disadvantages those who have fixed establishments, pay taxes, and have significant costs in favor of the street merchants who are mostly illegal aliens.

After years of debate, L.A. legalizes sidewalk vending: ‘This means freedom’ Capping years of protests and debate, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance legalizing and regulating vending on city sidewalks. In Los Angeles, they have long been a familiar sight: the vendors who hawk ice cream from pushcarts in Echo Park, sell bottled water to sweaty tourists strolling in Hollywood, and show off their wares under rainbow-y umbrellas in the Fashion District. Now, after years of protests and packed hearings at City Hall, Los Angeles leaders have passed a law to legalize and regulate vending on its sidewalks. The decision Wednesday was the culmination of a long and persistent campaign by vendors, many of them immigrants and Spanish speakers, who erupted in cheers and applause after the unanimous vote at City Hall. Tens of thousands of vendors are estimated to sell food and goods on L.A. sidewalks, a practice that has been illegal yet all but ubiquitous. “This means freedom,” said Aureliano Santiago, who sells ice cream and hot dogs in MacArthur Park. “The police won’t pester us anymore. They’ll go after delinquents instead.” <Source>

Bottom line…

There is little or no doubt in my mind that those who march under foreign flags (instead of American flags) here in Los Angeles have no plans to assimilate or adopt American culture – but to merely re-create their homeland on American soil.

I wonder where the City and County health department is going to get the personnel to inspect the food and delivery systems to ensure against disease and other problems with home-processed food made under dubious conditions?

I wonder if street merchants will be organized and controlled by street gangs like they do with prostitutes and drugs? Not to mention fights over the best locations?

I wonder about the contraband that might be sold by these “mobile” merchants? Congestion? Trash?

And, most of all, I wonder about the “magnet effect” of drawing more illegal aliens to our country by making it easier to get a job without verification and proper credentials – especially since the Los Angeles Police Department is prohibited from asking about the immigration status of those they might encounter?

Face it, Los Angeles is now dominated by those who are pandering to the illegal aliens for political purposes.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

KNOW THY ENEMY: DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA

There is little or no doubt in my mind that the progressive socialist democrats, aka the neo-Communist Party in the United States, has virtually no respect for the U.S. Constitution, except when it can be “interpreted” to advance their toxic and un-American agenda. So I thought that it might be of interest to know which candidates in office were endorsed by the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) and the key points of their agenda.

The agenda…

Key Progressive Socialist Democrat “Signature” Agenda Items   ** Single-payer health care – those that control the delivery of healthcare can exert significant control over the population of the United States and bring about the chaotic disruption that is said to lead to a revolution against capitalism and the installation of a more authoritarian (totalitarian) system of centrally-planned government. ** Campaign finance reform – controlling the messaging of the opposition by restricting campaign finance laws and by expanding controls over opposition messaging is a vital element of creating a permanent governing class. ** Living wage –- the so-called $15 (or more) minimum wage is little more than pandering to the vast hoard of illegal aliens (potential progressive socialist democrats) who need to support larger families while being employed with minimal skills. ** Affordable housing – one must house the voting poor and the hoard of illegal aliens who are capable of changing our culture and our economic system. Look for rapid development of centralized housing units (similar to the state-provided Russian apartments) and the disadvantaging of rural developments and the expansion of suburbia. ** Criminal justice reform – primarily the release of so-called “low-level” offenders back into the community and, most importantly, the restoration of their “voting rights” lost under felony convictions. ** Education – primarily continuing the flow of funding to teachers and their unions, even in the face of declining performance and the creation of yet another generation of functional illiterate who cannot function without a hand-held calculator or mobile computing device. Additionally restrict any effort, such as charter schools, that might produce better-educated students with a grasp (horror) of history, civics, and useful occupational skills. ** Taxes – higher taxes to support bigger government and continue funding programs that are little more than wealth re-distribution schemes. ** Population control – a continuing emphasis on reducing population growth using a mixture of abortion, non-reproductive homosexuality, and discouraging the strengthening of the concept of a reproductive nuclear family.

Some of the key propositions on the ballot…

Locally Endorsed Ballot Initiatives AZ – No on 305 – School Vouchers CA – No on Prop 6 – Gas Tax Repeal CA – Yes on Prop 1 – Affordable Housing Bond CA – Yes on Measure L – Raise Anaheim City Worker Minimum Wage CA – Yes on Measure O – Berkeley Housing Bonds CA – Yes on Measure WW – Long Beach Fair Work Conditions for Hotel Workers CA – Yes on Measure Y – Close Oakland Eviction Loopholes CA – Yes on Prop 12 – Minimum Enclosure Size for Animals When Raised for Meat or Eggs CA – Yes on Prop 2 – Housing for People w/ Mental Illnesses CA – Yes on Prop C – Our City Our Home CA – Yes on Measure P – Tax on Wealthy Berkeley Property Transfers CO – No on Amendment 74 – Corporate Power to Sue Governments Over Laws That Affect Their Property CO – Yes on Amendment A – Removal of Exemption to Slavery Prohibition for Criminals CO – Yes on Prop 111 – Cap Payday Loans CO – Yes on Question 2E – Democracy for the People FL – Amendment 4 – Felon Re-enfranchisement IL – Yes on – Lift the Ban on Rent Control (Non-Binding) MA – Yes on 2 – Limit Corporate Election Spending MA – Yes on 3 – Trans Non-Discrimination Protections MA – Yes on 4 – Medicare for All (Non-Binding) MD – Yes on Question E – No Baltimore Sewer Privatization MD – Yes on Question H – Baltimore Fair Election Fund MO – Yes on Amendment 1 – Clean Elections MO – Yes on Amendment 2 – Medical Marijuana MO – Yes on Prop B – Raise Minimum Wage to $12 OR – No on 103 – Ban Grocery Taxes OR – No on 104 – “End Easy Taxes” OR – No on 105 – Repeal Sanctuary State Initiative OR – No on 106 – Ban Public Funds for Abortions OR – Yes on 26-200 – Portland Campaign Finance Reform OR – Yes on Measure 26-201 – Portland Clean Energy Fund TN – Yes on Amendment 1 – Davidson County Community Oversight of Police TX – Yes on Prop A – Affordable Austin WA – Yes on Prop 2018-5 – Bellingham Affordable Housing Levy <Source>

The players…

Nationally Endorsed Elected Officials MD – Gabriel Acevero House of Delegates – District 39 MD – Vaughn Stewart House of Delegates – District 19 ME – Mike Sylvester State House – District 39 MN – Kara Gloe School Board, Moorhead MT – Jade Bahr, State House – District 50 NY – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez US House, NY-14 NY – Julia Salazar State Senate – District 18 PA – Elizabeth Fiedler State House – District 184 PA – Sara Innamorato State House – District 21 PA – Summer Lee State House – District 34 RI – Rachel Miller City Council, Providence – Ward 13 TX – Franklin Bynum Judge, County Criminal Court: Harris County 8 Locally Endorsed Elected Officials CA – Dianna Reddy, Redwood City Council CA – Eduardo Martinez City Council, Richmond, CA CA – James Chang Rent Board, Berkeley CA – John Selawsky Rent Board, Berkeley CA – Justin Cummings City Council, Santa Cruz – At-Large CA – Lorrie Brown City Council, Ventura – District 6 CA – Maria Poblet Rent Board, Berkeley CA – Monica Montgomery, San Diego City Council – District 4 CA – Paola Laverde Rent Board, Berkeley CA – Rachelanne Vander Werf, American River Flood Control District Trustee CA – Sofia Rubalcava City Council, Ventura – District 1 CA – Soli Alpert Rent Board, Berkeley CO – Julie Gonzales State Senate – District 34 DC – Beau Finley Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C-04 DC – Dan Orlaskey Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B-02 DC – Emily Gasoi Board of Education, DC Ward 1 DC – Matthew Sampson Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B-01 DC – Ryan Linehan Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5D-01 DC – Todd Brogan Democratic State Committee – Ward 4 HI – Amy Perruso State House – District 46 MD – Marc Elrich County Executive, Montgomery MI – Katie Scott Board of Commissioners, Washtenaw County – District 9 MI – Kristy Cooper District Library Trustee, Ypsilanti MI – Rashida Tlaib US House, MI-13 ND – Ruth Buffalo, State House – District 27 NY – Emily Adams Democratic State Committee Member – AD 125 RI – Sam Bell State Senate – District 5 TX – Danny Norris Dept. of Education Trustee, Harris County – Precinct 1 TX – DaSean Jones Judge – 180th Criminal Court TX – Julie Ann Nitsch Community College Trustee, Austin – Place 9  <Source>

 

Bottom line…

Max Planck, the eminent Nobel-Prize winning physicist, posited that “A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” There is no doubt in my mind that the same can be said of political systems as illustrated by newer generations being educated, in reality – indoctrinated – by an academic world disproportionately populated and controlled by progressive socialist democrats.

We are majorly screwed.

-- steve

CALIFORNIA OUTRAGE: GOVERNOR BROWN TRYING TO BURY A VOTER SCANDAL?

In California, a state ruled by a single party whose illegal and malignant actions on behalf of the progressive socialist democrats have brought decay and despair to millions of its residents, it appears that our current governor, Jerry Brown, is trying to bury a scandalous pardon of a fellow progressive socialist democrat who was convicted of felonious voter fraud.

Roderick Wright is another corrupt and crooked progressive socialist democrat who represented California's 35th State Senate district (including many predominantly Black neighborhoods in Carson, Compton, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Long Beach, Watts, San Pedro, and Torrance) until he was forced to resign on September 22, 2014. No stranger to “Black politics,” Wright was the District Director to the notorious Congresswoman Maxine Waters who is about to ascend to a dominant position on the House Financial Services Committee where she previously was to alleged to have used undue influence to secure favorable treatment from financial regulators on behalf of her husband, then associated with a technically insolvent bank. A professional politician, he previously represented the 25th district from 2008-2012 and California's 48th State Assembly district from 1996 until he was term-limited in 2002. In April 2010, the corrupt California Senate leaders secretly approved a $120,000 settlement of a sexual harassment claim against Wright. In September 2010, the Los Angeles County grand jury unsealed an eight-count felony indictment against state Sen. Roderick Wright accusing him of filing a false declaration of candidacy, voter fraud and perjury beginning in 2007, when he changed his voter registration to run for the Legislature. Wright was convicted of eight counts of voter fraud on January 28, 2014. In September, he was sentenced to ninety days' confinement and banned from public office for the rest of his life.

 

I am surprised that he was convicted as the progressive socialist democrats have a historical pattern and practice of voter fraud. It appears that it is not so much the fact that Wright was sentenced to 90-days of “celebrity confinement with a near immediate release from custody,” but that he was banned from public office for the rest of his life and was to be considered a felon which precluded most post-slammer careers in finance and other potentially lucrative politically-related activities. 

Now comes California Governor Jerry Brown who removed all of the previous restrictions of Wright’s post-conviction behavior with a pardon on November 21, 2018. The impetus for the pardon appeared to be the fact that the disreputable California Legislature changed the law so that politicians no longer need to live in the district which they serve. Since Wright’s actions, post-facto, are now legal, the Governor was approached for a pardon.

So what are they hiding?

In response to a formal records request from the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition to unseal records filed by the governor’s office,which include the pardon application and supporting letters from prominent people, it appears that the Governor’s Office has requested that the California Supreme Court deal the records relating to his pardon of former Senator Wright. The argument was that “confidentiality” is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. The truth is that many influential people do not want their names to be known as requesting clemency for a convicted felon associated with political crimes.

Peter Krause, the governor’s legal secretary told the Court that the records requested to remain sealed “contain highly sensitive, and potentially embarrassing materials" about the applicant as well as candid views of victims and prosecutors.

The attempt to shield these records from scrutiny under the “executive privilege” authority would enable any governor to hide criminal activities behind a shield of anonymity, thus depriving citizens of critical information needed for political decision-making.

Bottom line…

It is bad enough that voters have allowed a single-party to dominate California politics, but they openly condone fraud and deceit by elected officials. Let us hope that the California Supreme Court, packed with progressive socialist democrats, considers the public’s right to know about those who have been convicted of a political crime involving public policies.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

WHICH TRUMP IS GOVERNING?

 

One would think that Trump the businessman would abhor the heavy-handed use of governmental power against a private company that might increase production costs and degrades efficiency. However, like former President Obama, Trump the politician appears to have no problem with picking winners and losers to make a political point and play to his base. 

Trump threatens to slash GM subsidies after the automaker announced layoffs, factory closings

 

One might expect extreme rhetoric from the President of the United Autoworkers Union, but not from the President of the United States.

However, the not-so-veiled threats continued in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

GM’s Plan to Cut Jobs and Plants Draws Fire From Trump, Others President presses GM CEO to stop producing in China and quickly replace Ohio factory tagged for closure President Trump has continued to press U.S. companies to create jobs at home rather than abroad. Early last year, he took aim at GM for building a version of the Chevrolet Cruze in Mexico. On Monday, Mr. Trump said he told Ms. Barra that she should stop making cars in China and open a new plant in Ohio to replace the one that is ending production. “They better damn well open a new plant there very quickly,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday, noting that he talked to Ms. Barra Sunday night. “I love Ohio,” Mr. Trump said. ‘I told them, ‘You’re playing around with the wrong person.’” A GM spokesman confirmed the conversation took place but declined to respond directly to Mr. Trump’s comments.  <Source>

 

Bottom line…

Whatever President Trump is, he is not a constitutional conservative or free market capitalist willing to let the marketplace and competition determine the winners and losers. I can understand the President wants to protect workers, but interfering in a company’s non-regulatory private affairs is just a ruinous as former President Obama dictating change from the Oval Office which nearly destroyed our system of health care to extend coverage to a marginal number of  individuals who were suddenly placed on the welfare medical program known as Medicaid.

Considering that President Trump may be winging it like Obama, one hopes that his extra-constitutional behavior is held in check by the Congress and Judiciary in an example of the Founder’s concept of checks and balances.

Let us hope that Trump’s business advisory team explains the danger of playing winners and losers with the affairs of private companies and individual workers.

-- steve

THAT FREE STEAK AND LOBSTER DINNER CAN COST YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

I continue to receive a number of offers for a free dinner at a premier restaurant if I am willing to listen to an investment pitch for annuities. Pretty much the same scammy methods used by the timeshare industry that held out portable televisions and other goodies in you were willing to sit still for a “presentation” that almost always ended in a “hard sell” pitch that would make car salesmen envious.

Annuities, a bad word unless you sell them or manage to beat the odds and live longer than your “actuarial lifespan.”

Annuities are an insurance product that is usually sold to retirees who are afraid that their lives will outlive their assets. Basically, you pay an insurance company a lump sum for a guaranteed payout in the future. The purchaser of an annuity only benefits if they live longer than projected by the actuaries, and lose if they die early. Salespeople are heavily compensated up-front, and annuity purchasers face heavy penalties if they attempt an early withdrawal.

The single question that can shut down any scammy pitch that provides up-front disproportionate rewards to the salesperson…

ARE YOU ACTING AS MY FIDUCIARY?

A sales representative with fiduciary duties is legally and ethically required to put your best interests before their own, even if their actions put them at a disadvantage. For a financial advisor with fiduciary responsibilities, this may mean telling you that the offered product has serious flaws and that you may be better served by purchasing another product that earns the sales representative little or no commission. Do not be fooled by a sales representative that explains that they are on salary and do not work on commissions – unless they are a fiduciary; you can be they are rewarded for their performance, possibly with monthly bonuses that called something other than commission.

Politics and money trump consumerism…

Once again the financial industry’s lobbyists have been hard at work to kill the Department of Labor’s so-called “Fiduciary Rule.”

The Department of Labor’s Fiduciary Rule significantly expanded the circumstances under which a salesperson is considered to be a “fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the Internal Revenue Code. The Fiduciary Rule was finalized in April 2016 and was originally scheduled to be phased in from April 10, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2018. As of June 21, 2018, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals officially vacated the rule, effectively killing it. In a case brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Financial Services Institute, and others, the Court ruled 2-1 that the rule was unreasonable and that the Department of Labor acted in an "an arbitrary and capricious exercise of administrative power." It will be up to the Department of Labor to appeal the ruling to the United States Supreme Court.

Bottom line…

Perhaps the best advice that can be given is from the Better Business Bureau who urges individuals to “investigate before you invest.” It takes a strong personality to tell a hard-charging salesperson that you want something in writing and will think it over. Presenting the deal to other “advisors” and letting them shoot it full of holes while they tout their products and self-interests.

Remember: ask if they are acting as a fiduciary and if they say yes, get it in writing on the company’s letterhead, signed by a corporate office (not the sales manager).

It’s your money, do not be ashamed to protect it from the financial vultures and sharks. Or as Mark Twain reminds us, "It is easier to stay out than get out."

-- steve

SURVEILLANCE STATE: GOOGLE, AMAZON, FACEBOOK AS PAID AGENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT?

The credit reporting companies, information aggregators, and advertising-driven companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook are all commercial enterprises who can sell their information to the government, allowing the government to bypass any regulatory restrictions on the collection, storage, retrieval, and use of an individual’s personal information. And, best of all, YOU have given them permission to capture and use your information by just using their products or services under the ubiquitous one-sided “terms of use” agreement.

Is it a “smart home” or an electronic version of the all-seeing “panopticon,” originally a physical architectural form for a prison designed so that all parts of the interior are visible from a single point to allow continuous surveillance of those being watched?.

One need only consider the electronics built into so-called “smart televisions” that can monitor the individuals in the room, their activities to a limited extent, what they are watching and report the results to an unknown central server. Likewise, the iRobot floor-cleaning Roomba is capable of spatially-mapping the floor plan of your home and transmitting that information to an unknown central server. And, then there are the various voice-activated devices that can listen to your conversation, take selected actions, and then transmit that information to an unknown central server. It is not hard to imagine that the microphone contained in a smart thermostat could be turned into a surveillance device accessible by those with the keys to the kingdom or the government with an “administrative letter.”

And now comes another wrinkle from Google: Behavioral Monitoring and Reporting…

U.S. PATENT 1O,114,351 Smart-home automation system that suggests or automatically implements selected household policies based on sensed observations [0072] By way of example, the high-power processor 20 and the low-power processor 22 may detect when a location (e.g., a house or room) is occupied (i.e., includes a presence of a human), up to and including whether it is occupied by a specific person or is occupied by a specific number of people (e.g., relative to one or more thresholds). In one embodiment, this detection can occur, e.g., by analyzing microphone signals, detecting user movements (e.g., in front of a device), detecting openings and closings of doors or garage doors, detecting wireless signals, detecting an internet protocol (IP) address of a received signal, detecting operation of one or more devices within a time window, or the like. Moreover, the high-power processor 20 and the low-power processor 22 may include image recognition technology to identify particular occupants or objects.  [0220] In some embodiments, the received findings may control access to content 442 (e.g., Internet-based content, television content, allowed DVDs, etc.). For example, if the findings indicate that chores have not been completed and/or an excessive amount of content has been consumed, the household policy manager may restrict access to further content 442(assuming a household policy is implemented for such functionality). In some embodiments, access to content playback devices (e.g., a television 444 and/or computing device 446) may be restricted and/or allowed based upon findings. For example, when the findings indicate that chores have been completed, access to the devices 444 and/or 446 and/or content 442 may be granted. [0222] The reporting/notification mechanisms and controlled devices mentioned above are provided merely as examples of how notifications may be provided and how devices may be controlled. The provided examples are not intended to limit the scope of notification mechanisms or controlled devices within the household. <Source>

It is not a stretch to consider intrusively monitoring your spouse, children, friends, business colleagues,  or even interrogating your garaged “smart” vehicle to provide a record of your comings and goings. All condensed into a report that makes the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment right against being compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against yourself. It should be worth noting that this provision does not mention “civil” cases nor are there any protections from nuisance lawsuits and demands for discovery materials.

Perhaps the situation can be best summarized by a GIF from an unknown source that is circulating on the internet…

The coming battle over European-style privacy rights…

One might think that America, with its unique constitution and history of individualism, would be the first to attempt to codify the protection of an individual’s ownership of their information and restriction on unilateral terms of usage agreements that allow private companies to collect and use your information for their purposes.  

Facebook refuses to promise GDPR-style privacy protection for US users Facebook is rolling out stronger privacy protections to users ahead of the introduction of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but Mark Zuckerberg will not promise all future changes will apply to the company’s American users. Although the initial tranche of changes, announced last week, will be available worldwide, Zuckerberg refused to commit to GDPR becoming the standard for the social network across the world. His comments suggest that in some ways, American users will continue to find themselves with weaker privacy protections than their European counterparts.  <Source>

Bottom line…

There is little or no doubt in my mind that we will continue to be screwed by those who control our technology and possess the keys to the kingdom. As a side note: I am not allowing my Roomba to connect with my wi-fi network and will use the optional hand-held remote to communicate with the device using line-of-sight infrared signals. I will lose the ability to control my device remotely from my iPhone to schedule a periodic cleaning, but what the heck. Alternatively, some devices are switching to cellular-based systems which remotely transmit bursts of information periodically over the cellular network – over a system where the user has little or no control other to enter “airplane mode” or disable the device’s transmitter.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN THE UNITED STATES

The dirty little secret about climate change is not that the climate is changing as it has done since the formation of the Earth’s atmosphere, but that politics and money have thoroughly corrupted institutions, scientists, and projects that purport to find meaning in naturally-occurring chaotic systems with a degree of certitude that supports draconian freedom-denying public policies and wealth redistribution.

1. Overview and Report Findings Climate change is already affecting the American people in far reaching ways. Certain types of extreme weather events with links to climate change have become more frequent and/or intense, including prolonged periods of heat, heavy downpours, and, in some regions, floods and droughts. In addition, warming is causing sea level to rise and glaciers and Arctic sea ice to melt, and oceans are becoming more acidic as they absorb carbon dioxide. These and other aspects of climate change are disrupting people’s lives and damaging some sectors of our economy. [OCS: This is literally true. Weather, the short term manifestation of climate, has always affected mankind. And extreme events have always proven to be disastrous, disruptive, and dangerous. But the real question is whether or not these events are simply part of the natural climate cycle and evidence suggests that the Earth has been hotter, colder, with more and with less atmospheric carbon dioxide. For those who want to conflate and confuse the issue by saying storms are more dangerous and costly, one might want to consider factors such as the increasing population density, the cost or replacement structures using modern materials, and the failure of zoning laws and building codes for buildings in known hazardous areas. There is abundant proof that many so-called extreme weather events are linked to cycles and oscillations rather than “climate” per se. One merely needs to look at ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) to see how these cycles affect weather patterns. According to the National Weather Service, ENSO “is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. On periods ranging from about three to seven years, the surface waters across a large swath of the tropical Pacific Ocean warm or cool by anywhere from 1°C to 3°C, compared to normal. This oscillating warming and cooling pattern, referred to as the ENSO cycle, directly affects rainfall distribution in the tropics and can have a strong influence on weather across the United States and other parts of the world. El Niño and La Niña are the extreme phases of the ENSO cycle.”] Climate Change: Present and Future Evidence for climate change abounds, from the top of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans. Scientists and engineers from around the world have meticulously collected this evidence, using satellites and networks of weather balloons, thermometers, buoys, and other observing systems. Evidence of climate change is also visible in the observed and measured changes in location and behavior of species and functioning of ecosystems. Taken together, this evidence tells an unambiguous story: the planet is warming, and over the last half century, this warming has been driven primarily by human activity. [OCS: One might reasonably expect the planet to warm as we exit an ice age and enter an interglacial period. And as for the second part of the statement, about warming driven primarily by human activity, this is a big lie. To discount the effects of natural activity: the Sun’s solar energy output in all spectral bands, the production of extraterrestrial cosmic rays, the Earth’s position relative to the Sun, the Earth’s rotational and precessional dynamics, the Earth’s vuclanology and plate tectonics, the deep ocean currents, and the greatest self-regulating greenhouse gas, water vapor, is nonsensical and ludicrous.’' Challenge any scientist to show you evidence of man’s climate signal amid the noise of climate’s natural variability. The fact that we cannot directly detect or measure such a signal means that we are reliant on deeply-flawed computer models with incomplete or incorrect assumptions and highly-massaged data. Change the observation time of day (TOBS) and see what happens… Ask about the the cause of the hiatus in global warming… Look at the sparsely-spaced observation points and inappropriate sites of temperature instrumentation. Ask why temperatures are reported as anomalies against an artificial baseline of 30 years which is not even a blink of an eye in considering geologic or climate time scales? ]

The graph the assessment authors do not want you to see…

Look at the blue lines denoting the release dates of the Climate Assessments against the background of data freely available from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) which has been accused of fudging data toward a warming bias in present measurements and a cooling bias in earlier observations to enhance the apparent rate of change. Pretty much a demonstration of the natural variability of climate. Not exactly the footprint or precursor of a planetary emergency. And remember these are temperature anomalies – deviations from the artificial 30-year base line and not actual temperatures.

 

 

There is nothing new under the Sun…

If you think that the idea of global warming, greenhouse gases, and problems with fossil fuels is new and originated by Dr. James Hansen and his computer models, you might want to consider the work of Swedish scientist, Nobel Laureate, and a major contributor to the concepts of physical chemistry, Svante Arrhenius.

Arrhenius recognized in 1896 the benefits of a warmer Sweden and considered greenhouse gases, positing that doubling the atmospheric carbon dioxide might raise the temperature by approximately six degrees Fahrenheit. He also suggested that it might take 3,000 years of burning fossil fuels to double atmospheric carbon dioxide and “We would then have some right to indulge in the pleasant belief that our descendants, albeit after many generations, might live under a milder sky and in less barren surroundings than is our lot at present."

Bottom line…

Are you willing to surrender your nation’s sovereignty and your personal freedoms on the chance that there might be significant climate change in hundreds or thousands of years? Are you willing to enter a form of involuntary servitude to allow the fruits of your labor to be re-distributed by politicians to others in order to gain or maintain their political power? Are you willing to believe political, not scientific, organizations like the United Nations’ IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) who cherry picks select scientific findings and then uses them to justify a political agenda?

The truth is that the climate is changing, but the one invariant in the equation remains political corruption. There is a significant probability that the next planetary emergency (eliminating asteroid strikes, extreme solar events, and pandemics) might be a  retreat to a glacial period as the natural consequences of “reversion to the mean temperature.”

This report, like most other reports, is funded by the government and was compiled by people who have a significant interest in maintaining their positions, funding, prestige and subject to enough peer pressure to turn a lump of coal into a diamond.

We are so screwed.

-- steve