Here is what happened in Texas when a police department violated a citizen's rights:
All too often those who continuously apologize for crimes committed by police officers are able to justify some of the most egregious instances of outright murder by claiming the officer was a bad apple. Almost as often, however, as TFTP has shown numerous times, the bad apple theory is exactly that - a theory - with no evidence to support it.
Illustrating the nature of the bad apple theory is the fact that four people in the Llano Police Department, including Police Chief Kevin Ratliff, have been arrested for being bad cops.
You can read the rest @
https://www.activistpost.com/2018/02/police-chief-half-entire-dept-arrested-violating-one-mans-4th-amendment.html
Why are we not arresting the FBI agents, supervisors, and directors who appear to be violating our rights? There is enough evidence available to issue arrest warrants, isn't there? Are we going to let them roam free because we don't want to "tarnish the image" of the FBI?
Sunday, February 4, 2018
AI On Submarines ???
According to this report, China will put AI systems on their submarines to assist commanders:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2131127/chinas-plan-use-artificial-intelligence-boost-thinking-skills
In a former life, I was in the pipeline to become one of those commanders. I never made it, for a number of reasons, and I left the Navy after my engineer tour.
From my perspective, I can't see how the captain needs AI. What usually is lacking in an underwater tactical situation is data (due to the complexity of the underwater environment), and AI won't generate any more data. And when not at battle stations, most of the captain's time is occupied with "housekeeping" concerns, like keeping the reactor running. Putting such systems under computer control is something which was tried right from the beginning in US nuclear subs (e.g., USS Nautilus) and then rejected in favor of human control.
So what good would AI be in subs? None that I can see. And if it is not robust and reliable, it even might become a hazard should commanders become dependent on it only to have it fail during combat.
Nope, I suggest we stick with the basics - bearing, range, speed, angle on the bow. They were good enough for Dick O'Kane, and they're still good enough for me.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2131127/chinas-plan-use-artificial-intelligence-boost-thinking-skills
In a former life, I was in the pipeline to become one of those commanders. I never made it, for a number of reasons, and I left the Navy after my engineer tour.
From my perspective, I can't see how the captain needs AI. What usually is lacking in an underwater tactical situation is data (due to the complexity of the underwater environment), and AI won't generate any more data. And when not at battle stations, most of the captain's time is occupied with "housekeeping" concerns, like keeping the reactor running. Putting such systems under computer control is something which was tried right from the beginning in US nuclear subs (e.g., USS Nautilus) and then rejected in favor of human control.
So what good would AI be in subs? None that I can see. And if it is not robust and reliable, it even might become a hazard should commanders become dependent on it only to have it fail during combat.
Nope, I suggest we stick with the basics - bearing, range, speed, angle on the bow. They were good enough for Dick O'Kane, and they're still good enough for me.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Amazon's Wrist Band Haptic Feedback System
Here is a description of Amazon's latest attempt to foster a “soulless, dystopian workplace”:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-03/amazon-patents-ultrasonic-tracking-wristbands-control-workers
My guess is that use of this device is another step down the path toward a "workplace" devoid of human workers. It definitely will provide the kind of data necessary to create such a thing.
Q: In a world in which AI and robots produce everything and distribute everything, how can billions of humans possibly survive?
A: They cannot; not be any means currently understood by this author.
This device, therefore, appears to be a tool of genocide. Why are we tolerating its production and use?
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-03/amazon-patents-ultrasonic-tracking-wristbands-control-workers
My guess is that use of this device is another step down the path toward a "workplace" devoid of human workers. It definitely will provide the kind of data necessary to create such a thing.
Q: In a world in which AI and robots produce everything and distribute everything, how can billions of humans possibly survive?
A: They cannot; not be any means currently understood by this author.
This device, therefore, appears to be a tool of genocide. Why are we tolerating its production and use?
What We Should Be Focused Upon
Instead of the FISA memo, alleged Russian collusion, and our broken immigration non-policy, here is what we should we focused upon:
The US economy is threatened by two giant problems which cause all others to pale into insignificance. We are referring to a rogue central bank that has become an absolute enemy of capitalist prosperity and a fiscal doomsday machine that is hostage to the ceaseless budgetary demands of the Warfare State, the Welfare State and the Baby Boom's demographic imperatives.
Needless to say, both ends of the Acela Corridor are completely oblivious to these twin menaces. Indeed, they are the proverbial elephants in the room, thereby giving rise to a considerable irony: To wit, the GOP party of the elephant, which is supposed to be the palladium of financial rectitude in American politics, has forgotten about them completely.
For instance, in his triumphalist SOTU, the Donald didn't utter so much as a single syllable about the Fed, the budget, entitlements, the $1 trillion per year deficits looming ahead or the nation's soaring public debt. Yet after omitting virtually everything which counts, he went on to crow about how he is making America Great Again (MAGA) by making better trade deals and borrowing untold sums from future generations.
You can read the rest @
http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/two-elephants-in-the-room-that-the-gop-has-completely-forgotten/
We all bear responsibility for the breaking of the US economy, with corporate CEOs and their co-conspirators in the financial world rising to the top of the list of culprits. "Our" government has completely failed us, refusing to tackle any of the truly important issues which threaten our nation.
We're not going to be "great again" ... not this way. And the sooner we face that and decide what to do about it, the better.
The US economy is threatened by two giant problems which cause all others to pale into insignificance. We are referring to a rogue central bank that has become an absolute enemy of capitalist prosperity and a fiscal doomsday machine that is hostage to the ceaseless budgetary demands of the Warfare State, the Welfare State and the Baby Boom's demographic imperatives.
Needless to say, both ends of the Acela Corridor are completely oblivious to these twin menaces. Indeed, they are the proverbial elephants in the room, thereby giving rise to a considerable irony: To wit, the GOP party of the elephant, which is supposed to be the palladium of financial rectitude in American politics, has forgotten about them completely.
For instance, in his triumphalist SOTU, the Donald didn't utter so much as a single syllable about the Fed, the budget, entitlements, the $1 trillion per year deficits looming ahead or the nation's soaring public debt. Yet after omitting virtually everything which counts, he went on to crow about how he is making America Great Again (MAGA) by making better trade deals and borrowing untold sums from future generations.
You can read the rest @
http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/two-elephants-in-the-room-that-the-gop-has-completely-forgotten/
We all bear responsibility for the breaking of the US economy, with corporate CEOs and their co-conspirators in the financial world rising to the top of the list of culprits. "Our" government has completely failed us, refusing to tackle any of the truly important issues which threaten our nation.
We're not going to be "great again" ... not this way. And the sooner we face that and decide what to do about it, the better.
US Doctors Are The Real Pill Pushers
Here is an interesting report from a woman who had nearly drug-free surgery and recovery in Germany:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/27/opinion/sunday/surgery-germany-vicodin.html
Note how her expectations about receiving drugs came from what is standard practice in the US. Also note that the drugs she expected to receive turned out to be unnecessary.
By the way, her statements about the cost of socialized medicine are quite misleading. To arrive at the true cost, she'd have to tell us how much she and her family paid in taxes while living in Germany (assuming taxation is how Germans pay for their health care system).
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/27/opinion/sunday/surgery-germany-vicodin.html
Note how her expectations about receiving drugs came from what is standard practice in the US. Also note that the drugs she expected to receive turned out to be unnecessary.
By the way, her statements about the cost of socialized medicine are quite misleading. To arrive at the true cost, she'd have to tell us how much she and her family paid in taxes while living in Germany (assuming taxation is how Germans pay for their health care system).
Friday, February 2, 2018
Vietnam War Hooey
I found this linked to the Austin, TX newspaper website:
http://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/the-vietnam-conflict
The President of South Vietnam was assassinated on November 2, 1963 because the deep state of the US wanted him dead. It would not surprise me to learn that LBJ had given the green light for the hit. You may recall that JFK was killed three weeks later.
The succession of new governments of South Vietnam were unstable and corrupt because that's the kind of government the US deep state supports, then and now.
And we're still lying to ourselves in a failing attempt to keep China and Russia from getting a leg up on us in the world's economy, something the Vietnam War was supposed to prevent.
We didn't learn anything from the Vietnam War because we don't WANT to learn anything from it. Hell, if we did perhaps we'd finally stop squandering our blood and treasure in war after stupid war for the benefit of the rich.
Is that too much to ask?
http://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/the-vietnam-conflict
The President of South Vietnam was assassinated on November 2, 1963 because the deep state of the US wanted him dead. It would not surprise me to learn that LBJ had given the green light for the hit. You may recall that JFK was killed three weeks later.
The succession of new governments of South Vietnam were unstable and corrupt because that's the kind of government the US deep state supports, then and now.
And we're still lying to ourselves in a failing attempt to keep China and Russia from getting a leg up on us in the world's economy, something the Vietnam War was supposed to prevent.
We didn't learn anything from the Vietnam War because we don't WANT to learn anything from it. Hell, if we did perhaps we'd finally stop squandering our blood and treasure in war after stupid war for the benefit of the rich.
Is that too much to ask?
More Stupid Claims About Russia
Here are some of them:
"DIA also estimates Russia has nuclear armed anti-ship, anti-submarine missiles and torpedoes. What do they need nuclear depth charges for?" one US official asked.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/02/politics/pentagon-nuclear-posture-review-russian-drone/index.html
To blow up US submarines, of course. What else, dumbass?
Such claims are nothing new, and most of them mirror the kind of weapons the US has (or had at one time).
A more pertinent question for the Russians to ask is this - "What does the US need micro, tiny, and mini nuke bombs for?"
I am really glad I'm no longer in the military, because I don't think I could stand to hear this kind of crap coming from DC.
"DIA also estimates Russia has nuclear armed anti-ship, anti-submarine missiles and torpedoes. What do they need nuclear depth charges for?" one US official asked.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/02/politics/pentagon-nuclear-posture-review-russian-drone/index.html
To blow up US submarines, of course. What else, dumbass?
Such claims are nothing new, and most of them mirror the kind of weapons the US has (or had at one time).
A more pertinent question for the Russians to ask is this - "What does the US need micro, tiny, and mini nuke bombs for?"
I am really glad I'm no longer in the military, because I don't think I could stand to hear this kind of crap coming from DC.
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