Among all Trump’s lackeys and sycophants, one stands out as the biggest loser of them all. A former attacker of the orange menace, his hypocrisy is seemingly limitless and shocking even among the nasty crowd his rums with; Moscow Mitch, Pompeo, Perry, Don Jr.
A person with such and obvious and total lack of honor or integrity must be remove from the senate post haste. And that means November 3rd’s election. Like his perverted uncle Moscow Mitch he has been milking the system for nefarious ends far too long. Flapping in the wind and flipping sides regardless of any ethics or meaning, that’s where he should (and will , with your help) find himself on November 4th: Out-to-dry, out-to-pasture and flapping in the wind.
A Simple but Fun Trick to use: New iOS14 Markup feature: Drawing Perfect Shapes
iOS 14 is out and probably on your phone by now. If not, it likely will be soon. Sometimes with a big, new, update like this, feelings of excitement and joy can be mixed with the fog of navigating a virtual environment where many things have changed, even while some remain familiar.
Sometimes a great way to get some immediate satisfaction is to choose a simple new and improved feature and then master it, just to associate a feeling of confidence and accomplishment to the mix.
Apple picked the new markup features as one to introduce to new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 users right away via the notification in the new widgets area. It’s simple and fun, and especially for people who are not great at drawing with fingers, can be very useful to emphasize areas in photos and screenshots. I use this daily as a way to communicate, rather than just text and email.
In this short 2 minute tutorial Wiley Simms, staff-writer and videographer on loan from our sister-site InforMinx.com, shows how it’s done. First getting easily into Markup Mode by clicking “edit” then the small circle with 3 dots – then from the drop down menu choosing “markup”.
Once in markup mode the markup pallet appears with various markers. There’s a new “selection pen” but the rest should be familiar, if you are a previous markup user. The simple trick is to draw a shape, say, for example, a star. Even if you draw a pretty rough version of the star, as long as you hold still and do not remove your finger from the screen at the end of the star – the software will figure out what you are trying to draw and “correct” or “perfect” your rough drawing into a perfect shape.
This works for stars, circles, ovals, squares, hearts and straight lines. With this group of common shapes you can do a lot of interesting compound drawings and illustrations. In particular, the straight line correction feature is very useful to build shapes that are not on the main list.
This limited 2 minute tutorial is meant to help to get a jump on learning the hundreds of new features in iOS 14 and thanks to Wiley for the video demonstration.
An Inextricable Relationship with an Ominous Outlook
The sky is a solid orange haze. Ash fills the air as flames chase residents from their homes and smoke blocks the city’s outline upon the horizon. No, this is not the beginning of a post-apocalyptic novel— it is an accurate description of what is going on right now in the Western United States.
For the past month, California (as well as other Western states) have been experiencing devastating wildfires. Unprecedented in magnitude, heat, and frequency, these fires have already taken several lives, destroyed hundreds of structures, and have caused thousands of people to flee their homes in terror.
Perhaps the most devastating aspect of these fires, however, is the fact that they may be a ‘new normal’. According to several scientists, these fires may be just the beginning of an era where climate change starts reaping very tangible effects on our planet.
National Geographic’s coverage of the fires explains that wildfires require three things to come about: the right weather, the right fuel, and a spark. While the spark can evidently come from anything from a fallen cigarette to a miscalculated gender reveal, the weather and fuel depends heavily on the surrounding environment, something that is changing for the drier in California right now.
Wildfires burn quicker and more fiercely in dry weather. Given that much of California is a desert, it is no surprise that the state is frequently at a higher risk. However, climate change has been rendering the state even hotter than usual. While the world’s average temperature has gone up about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since pre-Industrial times, California’s temp has accelerated to almost 3 degrees hotter, rendering the Golden State and its neighbors even more vulnerable.
These hotter average temperatures create weather conditions conducive to burning. The hot air thirsts, and thus evaporates what little water the environment gets. It also messes with the seasons, creating longer dry seasons, and hotter Springs and Summers. For this, California and other Western states have experienced some of their hottest years on record within the past decade.
In such a scorching dry environment, California’s vegetation inevitably becomes more flammable, creating ideal fuel for the fire. The longer dry season limits these already-parched plants’ hydration needs. Likewise, the soil loses necessary nutrients to self-regulate. Consequentially, the forest loses a degree of biodiversity necessary for naturally containing the fires.
While wildfires are oftentimes natural and even ecologically helpful phenomena, the current crises that scalds the West Coast is inseparable from human interaction. However, the relationship is not necessarily immediate. Instead, these fires are able to grow so intensely due to centuries of industrialization and disregard for anthropocentric infringement on the environment.
The problem is global and unprecedented
California’s situation is very similar to the Australia wildfires that gripped the Oceanic nation at the beginning of the year. The unparalleled blazes may seem like anomalies on the surface, but science suggests something far more complex, systemic, and foreboding at hand.
Now, brave firefighters are rushing into the flames on a near constant basis, but nature is wading through the numbers effortlessly. Meanwhile, President Trump blames the fires on natural elements as well as forest management issues rather than addressing climate change. In fact, he blatantly denies climate change as a cause, or even as a reality.
The sad truth is that we can send as many firefighters into the crisping forests as possible. We can sweep the landscape and redirect our management techniques time after time again.
But if we really want to change things. If we really want to save people and put out the fires for good. Then we may have to address the bigger picture— climate change, global warming, and a culture that has sidelined nature for profit and human activity far too many times.
In this, the newest and perhaps best made Meidas Touch pro-Biden ad, the hopes of Trump voters from 2016 are fantasizing about what his election would do for them and the country – cue the gruesome montage of what actually happened – a very well done and through collection of the horrors we have all witnessed in 3.6 years of Trump.
The upbeat music is disconcerting and almost out of place – a satirical comment on the misguided hopes of the voters that were duped into believing his lies and claims of “so much winning you’ll be tired of it” and how only he can “fix it”.
Disturbing images, now all too familiar, of white supremacists and right-wing pro-fascists beating un armed BLM protestors in Portland and murderous racists driving into pedestrians and killing, all of these paint the real picture of “Trump’s America.”
An amazing collection of “Karens” and wacko suicidal “Anti-maskers” along with violent armed pick-up-truck-waves of belligerent maniacs looking for trouble and peaceful protestors to attack on behalf of Trump make this a comprehensive catalog of the insanity the orange wannabe dictator has unleashed.
The music is the sole matching element that echos the original title: “Bring Back Hope”, or perhaps that is also ironic as it conjures up a red hat and a tired slogan cribbed from Reagan: MAGA. The hope spoken of is the hope that Trump will be gone and Biden will allow us all to have some hope again. This is, clearly the only way forward.
That as it may be, this ad shows with stunning clarity the chaos and destruction already brought about with a maniac in the White House – and adds to the Mount Everest of evidence calling on us all the say “enough” and vote the madman out of office.
All-in-one subscription bundle for Music, TV Plus, and more
In a press release on Tuesday, September 15th, Apple Inc. announced the creation of a new single-plan platform for consumers to access all of their services via one subscription. Appropriately, it is titled Apple One.
Amidst the present age of competitive streaming services and warring tech conglomerates, such a service from Apple is rather expected. Apple One is the company’s own version of Amazon Prime— a single monthly fee for all of its music, video, gaming services, and more bundled into one. For Apple, that means offering Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 50GB of iCloud storage all at once.
Each of these apps are available for separate costs on all Apple devices, but with Apple One, users will get them all for the lower monthly total of $14.95. Apple One will also offer a Family Plan at $19.95 per month—allowing six members on the plan with 200GB of iCloud storage altogether. Additionally, a Premium Plan will be available for $25.95. This will accommodate six family members as well, but comes with 2TB of iCloud storage.
Although Apple One is not yet available—the press release only states “Coming This Fall”—the plan has already garnered some criticism. For starters, some features of the bundle are far more desirable than others. Apple Music and iCloud, for example, are big hits with consumers and bode well against the competition. Apple TV+, on the other hand, is still developing, and is not as praised of a video streaming platform as Netflix, Amazon, or Disney+. Some are concerned that Apple One is a cheap way to get consumers paying for unwanted apps and becoming tethered.
On that same token, Apple Fitness+ is an entirely new feature, designed for Apple Watches to give users workouts and fitness routines throughout the day. This is a new and creative endeavor for Apple, but there is no guarantee that it will be worth the additional expense of Apple One. After all, many of the people who prefer spending copious time binging Apple TV+ might not care for this new exercise-focused development.
Many competitors— most notably Spotify in the music streaming world and Peloton in the fitness world—also fear that Apple One demonstrates the company’s ultimate leap towards social and corporate hegemony. Like Amazon, Apple has grown into much more than a one-purpose business over the years. It now offers something for everything and everyone around the globe. If it continues down this path, it will brutally outrun the competition. Already, some are starting to whisper the dreaded A-word that these conglomerates have been evading for decades—“Antitrust.”
For now, though, Apple One is yet to come out, and once available, users will have a thirty-day free trial to figure out weather or not the bundle is worth the price. According to an article from Fast Company.com, Apple One’s Individual Plan can save users up to $5 per month, while the Family Plan can save one $8 per month, and Premiere, $25. This is compared to the total cost of paying for each app or feature individually.
Still, it is unclear how likely users would be buying everything featured in this bundle to begin with. Also, Apple One’s $14.95 per month cost comes out to nearly $180 for the year. This is much steeper than Amazon’s $119 annual cost for Prime, and its features are not as reliable in this early stage.
At the same time, though, bundling is probably the future for many companies focused on tech and entertainment. If Apple wants to compete with Amazon and others, they need to mix their resources together or consumers will turn away. Why pay for everything separately when the best deals come in packages? Even if those packages sometimes arrive with superfluous materials that keep us chained.
The writing is on the wall – but it’s about to collapse: privacy wars 2021
While Apple apparently agreed to delay the surveillance-blocking privacy tools for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 until 2021, not so apparently for Safari and Big Sur. The tracker is amazing. The system is fully automated at launch of the browser and immediately blocking tons of nasty data thieves from the jump.
I surfed about 10 minutes and it blocked 69 trackers. It has a button to allow you to check each web site and see what it is doing with your data and also a continuously updated full report screen where you can see who they all are. Surprise ! They are mainly Facebook, Google, Amazon and companies that are affiliated with or in competition against these big three.
Safari Privacy Screen from the Privacy Report Pop-up window
Although income for News Orgs like Lynxotic might be negatively affected initially the adjustment is history in the making and there will be no going back. The old way was wrong. Your data belongs to you. Period. You shouldn’t have to mess around with external ad-blocking software and plug-ins.
Why there was never any privacy protection built into the internet before now, one day will be seen as a mystery
The future is that you will be automatically protected (within the Apple ecosystem, at least), and, in you choose to be tracked and surveilled so that Mark Z. can get richer, you can opt in. (Wanted by nobody, ever).
We have been warning about this for months – here are a few articles with some more in depth information about the situation:
Apple’s billion users would need to allow their data and browsing habits to be monetized by those massive ad built eco-system killers. A lot has also been discussed about how this new regime change by Apple could negatively affect publishers, like Lynxotic, but this is a case of seeing the big, long term benefits, such as an internet where the users and netizens, and not Zuckerberg, are finally in charge. This goal is lofty and honorable and long overdue. Therefore, any adjustments needed to be made by publishers business models is well worth it.
That’s not all, in iOS 14 and iPad OS14 searches will default for “best for user” rather than automatically being diverted to google or any other “search engine”. If you are searching for a news article or information about an apple product, for example, the search will offer you results, within the global search on your device rather than in a browser, and this will direct you to your Apple News App or to Safari, landing directly on a web site, as appropriate. https://www.youtube.com/embed/2e2iZa3G9_0?feature=oembed
iPad 8th Gen Announcement from the Sept. 15, 2020 Apple Event Today the details are announced of the new 8th Generation iPad (and in our next video the new iPad Air). Along with the new Apple Watch Series 6 it’s an active day – obviously leading up to the iPhone 12 reveal (likely in early October) this already debuts some interesting new features.
Apple announced the eighth-generation version of its 10.2 inch iPad for $329 and $459 for Wi-Fi+ Ceullar model (students and teachers are able to get a discounted price of $299).The iPad will be available in space gray, silver and gold with 32GB and 128GB configurations. You are able to apple.com starting today with the available purchase date on Friday, September 18, 2020.
“With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones.”
Greg Joswiak / Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing
The tablet has been given a power boost (40% faster GPU) and features the A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, a much faster processor than the A10 Fusion used in the prior model. Additional, the new model will still fit existing cases, keyboard cases as well as the first generation Apple Pencil.
Better, Faster, yet still Affordable
The iPad will run on iPadOS14 and give users tons of features, according to Apple include the following:
All-new compact designs for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Siri interactions, and Search to help users stay focused on the task at hand.
Universal Search to quickly find practically anything, from locating and launching apps, to accessing contacts, files, and information, to getting answers to common questions about people or places.
New sidebars for many apps including Photos and Files, and streamlined toolbars that consolidate controls into a single place, making them more useful than ever.
Beautifully redesigned widgets that present timely information at a glance right on the Home Screen.
Finally here! Although we will all have to wait for the iPhone 12 announcement (October!), today we are getting Apple Watch Series 6 and the new iPad! Here’s the first, most exciting new feature of the Series 6 – the Blood Oxygen Sensor in detail.
The latest version of the Series 6, as many had anticipated took center stage at Apple’s September 15, 2020 event to showcase its hardware reveal. Apple dominates the smartwatch competition.
The new built-in sensor, which is the biggest addition to the latest model, is capable of measuring the color of one’s blood to determine your oxygen level, all in under 15 seconds. This is a helpful standalone feature, however its also helpful instrument for our current COVID-19 situation. The ability to bring attention and alert the wearer of any symptoms (i.e. low oxygen levels) is huge.
The watch is currently available for pre-order only and will be available for purchase on Friday, September 18, 2020 at the starting price of $399. In addition, Apple will be launching the Fitness+ subscription service, which will offer workout videos via Apple TV.
Has Trump learned anything? Or was it all Intentional.
Sara Gideon, the Maine House speaker is taking a jab at both Donald Trump and Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins. In a video put out by her campaign akin to that of the Lincoln Project, who retweeted this video, the video clip shows how Trump admitted he knew the severity of the pandemic and intentionally misled and downplayed the American public.
Unfortunately, she never stood up or even wavered from her blind loyalty. Her anti-impeachment rubber-stamp was historically myopic and she is now a prime target for removal on November 3rd. She is, make no mistake, a Trump follower and in no-way a lone voice of dissent within her party.
Trump lies do matter, as hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their lives to the pandemic, and many of those deaths could have been prevented.
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The precise side-by-side audio and video of the real facts and the public lies
A more detailed, side by side comparison, showing exactly what Trump admitted to knowing as fact in March, and the misleading statements and outright lies that he publicly spread, subsequent to the recorded conversation.
This Bob Woodward tape puts Trump into a situation that even he will have a hard time talking and lying his way out of. The New Ad from Lincoln Project does a great job exposing his exact words and the obvious intentional decision to mislead the public in a politically calculated, and deadly, misinformation strategy.
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Trump is losing it. Yes, we’ve all seen it. The mind is going. Fast. The Lincoln Project has done it again with a spot on depiction of the unraveling wannabe despot. Funny but no joke. Serious as a heart attack- VOTE
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Typical yet shockingly disturbed comments from a sick mind
First exposed in a feature article in Atlantic Magazine – The quotes from Trump that Veterans, including those that made the ultimate sacrifice are “Losers and “Suckers” has now inspired a new Lincoln Project Ad.
The Lincoln Project consists of anti-Trump republicans, led by George Conway, husband of Kellyanne, and their disgust with the current occupant of the White House seems to grow daily.
The Lincoln Project has been very active in opposing Trump, bringing a no-holds-barred and yet dignified approach to the resistance from a conservative perspective. With high-profile names such as George Conway, Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, Jennifer Horn and others, listed as advisors. The group is carving out a solid mind-share through the almost-constant release of ads on social media and with paid ads on various broadcast outlets
Prolific authors and producers out to rescue us from the orange menace
Lincoln Project, along with RVAT (Republican Voters Against Trump), Really American PAC and The Meidas Touch have been firing on all cylinders lately pumping out some incredible anti-trump ads and content. The fact that both Lincoln Project and RVAT are founded by Republicans (sometimes referred to as Never-Trumpers) makes for interesting perspectives.
While the spots are often entertaining they also engage and inform with a clear goal – to elect Joe Biden and remove Trump from office on November 3rd, along with as many of his enablers in the Senate and House as possible.
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The outrage may have peaked but the details continue to enrage – massive conflicts of interest and more…
Trump needs to destroy the post office and picked louis dejoy to get it done – Conflicted, not only by his obvious loyalty and massive campaign contributions to Republicans and Trump, but with huge financial gains in reward for destroying the USPS. Bombshell ad just released by the Really American PAC (Political Action Committee).
https://youtu.be/XEHNqY7Jefk
Just as the Lincoln Project has been skewering Trump with ads exposing his weakness and corruption, and going viral while doing it, ReallyAmerican PAC is joining the fray with some pretty viral-worthy ads of their own.
Once the Republican National Convention (Also known as the Cocaine Convention) blasted into a zombie apocalypse styled attack on everything democratic (small and big D) and then proceeded to flame-out in the ratings, the general election shenanigans began at an October-plus level of furor.
And now, with Melania-Gate in full swing, it might seem like the whole suppress-the-vote-by-destroying-the-post-office thing is, well, old news. It’d be wrong to think that, however. Not only is this issue still front and center and an ongoing travesty, but new revelations continue to explode on to the scene and demand, and are worthy, of further scrutiny and attention.
This clip has a few morsels of incredible ugliness, like the fact that Dejoy is literally and financially conflicted in his position as Postmaster General, and stands to benefit from the crippling of the Post Office, directly, as explained in the ad.
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The Lincoln Project, a now infamous political action committee founded by high profile never-Trumper Republicans such as George Conway, Rick Wilson and Steve Schmidt, sent their elves into the edit bay last night to add to the ongoing threads of tweets and satirical videos responding to a clip of a the Trump Soup tirade from July.
Following our video post from yesterday (as seen below, edited by our own Danny Leeds) they went with the Seinfeld theme and crafted a conversation between Trump and the well known “Soup Nazi” of Seinfeld fame. Unlike Danny’s rendition, which left the full ridiculousness of Trump’s original recording 100% intact, thereby allowing the viewer to revel in the sheer insanity of the uncut version of his speech.
Instead The Lincoln Project decided to milk the somewhat over-exposed humor of soup and radical right wing politics being mixed by fabricating an exchange between the fictional Seinfeld character and Trump.
The follow up video from Lincoln project, which we have featured in our next post, is a somewhat more serious, yet simultaneously absurd, take on the mental state of our erstwhile “leader” and commander in chief and it’s accelerating deterioration before our eyes.
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After a failure to disavow violence in Wisconsin, Trump settles on Soup as a Target
Cans of Soup? Or is it Bags? Which is it? And are bricks too heavy to throw or lift? For whom? And how are paintball guns and bear spray “defensive”? The Soup Fascist has all the answers. Or does he? Trump is devolving and becoming increasingly demented before our very eyes.
Does anyone know what this is all about? Reading from a script? Did Kellyanne Conway go mad also? Or Stephen Miller? He may look like Goebbles but his skill is not on that level. What is going on here? Watch the clip to find out 😉
Naturally all of this is no laughing matter. This man’s tendencies to try and use whatever nonsense suits his purpose is a dangerous tick for a man with a nuclear football. On the other hand if, after the year we’ve all had, there’s no help from the land’s highest office, we deserve at least a laugh at this ridiculous paranoid nonsense. And perhaps thereby reassure those of us who have not lost our minds, yet, that there is some common sense left.
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As Trump bellows, brags and attacks from his podium, reflection on the last 4 years is due
“…In this time of national crisis Donald Trump did what he always doesHe lied, he bragged, he blamed.He never lead because Donald Trump is not a leader.This time it’s personal“
LIncoln Project Ad
Thinking back over four years of disgusting, demented lies and offensive behavior, it’s hard not to wonder why it took this long to even begin a process for his removal from office. Incredibly, in the end, only an election and the vote of the people can remove this man. And even with a massive anti-Trump tsunami, he might well try to remain.
It has been said that the “f**k Trump Party is the largest voting block in the US, perhaps in history. That sounds about right. Perhaps it is our fate, as a nation, to experience what other countries, such as Belarus recently did, a despot clinging to power until millions rise up, physically occupy the capital, in that case Minsk, here Washington D.C., and refuse to move until the despot is removed.
Postal Fraud and Sabotage, Endless Threats and Intimidation, Foolish Boasts of a Madman…
Never happened in the US. Not always a great outcome anywhere else. But the F**k Trump Party will be the one that “wins” if all traditional means have been exhausted. Again, the astounding thing is that a country can function at all, 4 years long no less, with a dysfunctional head of state. God bless America.
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Trump and Melania eerily imitate Russians in lock-step fantasy-land presentation
Malcolm Nance, an intelligence and counterterrorism expert spotted the resemblance and uniformity of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Republican National Convention (RNC) and in a tweet explained the obvious and insane connection. After looking at the two videos, the grand entrance of soldiers opening up doors for the Presidents and their regal “royal” walks on the red carpet appear to have an identical aim.
Others on social media also saw the similarities and took to Twitter to create a side-by-side comparison of the two.
The scary part is that somehow Trump believes that at some point his “base” will embrace these bizarre comparisons that he tries to draw with his position and that of a Russian tyrant.
Not only was Trump’s imitation of Putin’s walk repulsive, many are saying that President Trump violated the Hatch Act as he used the White House itself for political campaign event, specifically for a citizen naturalization ceremony was a virtual stage for the RNC 2020.
Everyday Americans, do you care about Trump’s violations of the Hatch Act? https://t.co/8bbtkNvVkJ
EXCERPTS FROM APPLE PRESENTATION FOR PRIVACY SETTINGS FROM WWDC 2020
Apple features expose the worst of predatory surveillance by Facebook, Amazon and Google
While wrong is wrong regardless of the perpetrator, when it comes to gargantuan tech behemoths, a company with a clearly defined mission such as Apple or Tesla are in a different category than Amazon, Facebook and Google.
While Tesla’s stated mission is to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” and Apple’s original mission statement, written by Steve Jobs was “to make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind”, predatory vultures hide behind ridiculous slogans like “aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company” (while decimating partners and competitors by any means necessary) and “don’t be evil” (don’t get caught) and “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together” (…all while stealing data for profit from every person on earth).
It’s just not the same – particularly as Steve Jobs, while at Apple, pushed himself and his company to invent and build many powerful examples of “tools for the mind” and Elon Musk’s Tesla brought the electric car back from the dead (after it was nearly snuffed out by big oil) and is making incredible headway in revolutionizing battery and solar technology, all with a view to literally save the planet from a climate catastrophe.
Click to See “Steve Jobs“ and to help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Bezos? Became the richest living human via the destruction of millions of small business and jobs all while undercutting competitors by selling virtually anything he got his hands on at a significant loss; simply to cause the demise of any competitor or partner that might threaten his rise to idiotically massive personal wealth.
Zuckerberg? Pioneered ways to suck data from virtually every human with a view to monetizing every living soul exclusively for himself and his company. Illustration? Dividing Facebook’s market cap by the number of employees it has yields the sum of $14,906,500.00 per employee. Macy’s? That’d be $16,829. (Thanks to Scott Galloway for the numbers)
Google merely owns (91.75% as of June 2020) the search entryway to all web sites. It decides if you should or should not find them. If it can boost profits by hiding one and featuring another, either through “paid search” or by pointing you toward its own properties while hiding competitors from you, it will do exactly that. Ask the European Union’s anti-trust investigators. For them, this company is a convicted law breaker.
Announced at WWDC 2020, Apple is adding serious features to its various new operating systems. One big feature in Safari is the ability to track, and block as desired, all manner of data intrusions. These are not only identified, but shown and tracked and analyzed with a kind of professional dashboard, showing just how invasive and persistent these invisible spies are.
Apple is big, with more than 1.4 billion devices. Starting in around 2021 they will all be able to identify and block data surveillance by Amazon (the largest of all spies), Google and Facebook, among others. Thanks that’s not a big deal? Think again.
…the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
– D.L.
Tracking the Trackers will Change Your Life
Tracking the trackers is a clear and aggressive privacy stance, taken by the one company among the big four, that does not have a huge stake in you being the victim of online surveillance and tracking.
Not to say that Apple is blameless. Many are complaining about its fee structure for software sold by third parties via the app stores. While this issue is certainly a valid one, the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
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American Bridge PAC has released an anti-Trump ad starring Michael Cohen and says that it will air during the RNC 2020 tonight. In it Cohen pulls no punches, as is to be expected. He specifically and directly indicates that Trump is planning to lie throughout the night, which most of us already know, but he also is able to back this up from experience.
Clearly, he is wanting to raise his own profile ahead of the release of his new book “disloyal” scheduled for availability on September 8th and already at the top of many bestseller charts. Cohen has promised to unearth his entire trove of “dirt” collected during his more than 10 year stint as Trump’s lawyer and “fixer” – “For more than a decade, I was President Trump’s right-hand man, fixer, and confidante,” says Cohen looking directly into the camera – , “I was complicit in helping conceal the real Donald Trump. I was part of creating an illusion.”
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The orchestrated scheme for personal gain – funneled through border wall campaign
Steve Bannon, President Trump’s former top adviser was charged Thursday, August 20, 2020 for fraud. ‘We Build the Wall’ campaign was a private crowdfunding account launched via GoFundMe and meant to aid in Trump’s initiatives for constructing the wall barrier between Mexico and the US border. The crowdfunding campaign raised more than $25,000,000.
What Bannon allegedly did was divert funds and cheat thousands of donors, while making the pledge that the money would be set aside and used only for building the wall. The former adviser is said to have siphoned money from the project, in amounts totaling more than $1 million dollars, which he directed towards his own personal expenses.
Bannon’s arrest took place (perhaps not too ironically) on a 150-foot, $35 million dollar yacht belonging to a Chinese billionaire named Guy Wengui. Bannon was not the only mastermind behind the alleged scam, three other men were involved in the scene to defraud donors: Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea. All of whom were also arrested August 20, 2020.
A surprising twist is that the U.S. Postal Service was involved in the arrests of Bannon and the other three men through the service’s inspection unit. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has been around since 1872 and was created to fight against mail fraud and other mail related charges. The Postal inspectors much like FBI agents, carry weapons, make arrests, serve subpoenas and execute federal search warrants. In the case of Bannon, the USPS helped to deliver more than just the mail, it delivered a chance at some justice. And if you weren’t aware that USPS had a police unit, you are not alone.
During his arraignment, Bannon pleaded not guilty to both charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. If found guilty the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Very shortly afterwards, Bannon was released from custody on a $5 million bond. As he walked outside the courthouse, he could be heard saying to reporters:
“This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.”
A smiling Steve Bannon outside court: “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.” pic.twitter.com/z7FjJGgpPJ
Bannon is just one among a handful (and growing) Trump advisers and associates that have been charged with federal crimes. On the list includes: Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn and Michael Cohen.
President Trump made it a point to quickly defend any association with Bannon saying he “didn’t know” anything about the private fundraising, calling it “inappropriate” while describing the unfolded news on his former advisor, as “a sad event”.
I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps it now doesn’t even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles. https://t.co/L8RUPCAhqc
Another successful lift-off and milestone achieved for Elon Musk’s space company
SpaceX welcomed back its Falcon 9 as the company caught its rocket head (payload fairings) using a large net in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. This is the third time in less than thirty days that SpaceX has successfully retrieved its rocket head marking a significant milestone for the company. With an additional launch currently scheduled for August 27, 2020.
The payload fairing – the rocket’s nose splits into two as it comes back from orbit, both of which are equipped with a parachute and autopilot guidance software for the recovery. The two boats to catch each of the two fairings, Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief patiently waited for the rocket to come back to Earth. As you can see from the video, the company makes retrieving the fairing look extremely relaxing and seamless (cue elevator music).
The Falcon 9, which is currently SpaceX’s largest rocket was launched on August 18, 2020 for the 40th time and this also marks a record-breaking 6 times that the Falcon has used the same booster. Eco-friendly and climate conscious, Musk has been praised for his ingenuity to recover and be able to build reusable rockets, which also significantly cuts expenses on the previously extreme high cost of space launches.
During the August 18, 2020 launch that took place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the latest batch of 58 satellites were sent to orbit for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network. This marks the 11th batch of Starlink satellites sent to orbit. To-date, SpaceX has launched almost 600 satellites for its Starlink initiative.
Starlink is planning to deliver high speed broadband internet in the Northern United States and Canada As soon as September, in a limited test phase, then with full access during 2020. They then will expand for full global coverage by 2021.
Short but pointed speech gives the future political force a platform in the spotlight
In a ceremonial act, via pre-recorded video (above) U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nominated Bernie Sanders during the virtual DNC 2020 night two. She lauded Sanders for organizing “a historic grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy.”
Showing her solidarity and respect for his campaign goals, she seconded the nomination citing his efforts to build a “mass people’s movement working to establish 21st century social, economic and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages, and labor rights for all people in the United States.”
Next up will be the build toward the climax on Thursday…
Naturally the nomination is a formality only as he officially dropped out of the contest four months ago in April. Joe Biden already won the number of delegate needed in June, cementing his status as the presumptive nominee. Sanders was permitted to keep his delegates at the convention as a symbolic olive branch in the hopes of winning over the senator’s supporters.
Ocasio-Cortez, supports Biden as the presumptive nominee. She was key in the crafting of policy on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Forces platform, which consisted of supporters from the Biden and Sanders campaigns.
If you were confused, no worries!
Convention rules require roll call & nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold.
I was asked to 2nd the nom for Sen. Sanders for roll call.
