Tuesday, September 2, 2014

US sending more military personnel to Iraq

US sending military personnel to Iraq

USA TODAY - ‎1 hour ago‎
President Obama on Tuesday authorized sending some 350 additional U.S. military personnel to protect diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad.
Obama sending 350 more troops to protect US Embassy
350 more troops assigned to US Embassy in Baghdad
Obama orders 350 additional troops to Iraq
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Obama Authorizes Sending Additional Troops To Iraq
 

U.S. sending military personnel to Iraq

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President Obama on Tuesday authorized sending some 350 additional U.S. military personnel to protect diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad.
The troops will not play a combat role, the White House said.
The move is the latest in a series of deployments aimed at protecting the U.S. Embassy and other facilities in Iraq.
It comes as Obama has been under political pressure to respond to the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, including the apparent execution of a second American journalist depicted in a video released Tuesday.
"The President will be consulting this week with NATO allies regarding additional actions to take against ISIL and to develop a broad-based international coalition to implement a comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners in the fight against ISIL,'' the White House said in a statement.
It said Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and counterterrorism advisor Lisa Monaco will travel to the region separately "in the near-term.''
The White House said Obama took the step to increase troop presence in Iraq at the recommendation of the Pentagon.
Iraqi soldiers cheer a humanitarian aid convoy after the troops smashed a siege by Islamic State militants on Sept. 1 in Amerli. The Jihadist militants had trapped thousands of people in the town for more than two months. (Photo: J.M. Lopez, AFP/Getty Images)
The White House said Obama approved the move "to protect our personnel and facilities in Iraq as we continue to support the government of Iraq'' in its fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization.
"These additional forces will not serve in a combat role,'' the statement said.
The move will allow some previously deployed military personnel to leave Iraq "while at the same time providing a more robust, sustainable security force'' for U.S. interests in the Iraq capital, the White House statement said.
Defense Department spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the move builds on deployments announced in June and will bring to 820 the total number of U.S. forces working on diplomatic security in Iraq.
Kirby said the forces will come from the U.S. Central Command and will include medical personnel, helicopters and an air liaison team.
While the White House said "approximately 350'' military personnel were involved, Kirby said a total of 405 U.S. military personnel will be sent to Baghdad, and that 55 people who have been there since June will leave the country but will be available "to deal with other security contingencies in the region, if necessary.''
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US sending military personnel to Iraq

 

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ISIS: The Hostage taking beheaders

I think this won't be the last person from the western world that ISIS beheads. They are getting attention from this and this is what they want. As strange as it might sound this brings recruits that are sick enough mentally and emotionally to want to participate in this.

However, I think we need to get used to the fact that more hostages will be taken and killed because this is what they do. What will happen to the world's sensibilities? They will change in reaction to this kind of thing just like they changed in reaction to Osama Bin Laden and 2001 with 9-11 and people jumping off the Twin towers rather than be burned alive. (It is much less painful to jump off a building than to burn up) so this is what many did that day.

The world is changing but not in a good way. I still think this is indirectly related at this point to Russia supporting Assad against the Majority Sunnis. However, it didn't end there and likely no one is going to be able to put the genie back in the bottle now that it has been released by Russia, Iran and Assad.

God Help the World!
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Everything anyone puts on the Internet will sooner or later be vulnerable to hackers

It's sort of like Safe Crackers. There are people who all they do every waking moment is try to break passwords on anything they are interested in worldwide on the Internet. And there are thousands to millions of people like this worldwide.

If there are millions then someone should do the probabilities for literally anything to get hacked worldwide.

Because of this if something isn't vulnerable now it will be in the future. So, because of this literally anything anyone puts on the Internet will be vulnerable.

The main problem of this for me is I would like to know when something is vulnerable. So, people who invent a way to detect when something is made vulnerable by hackers are going to make a real bundle of money both now and into the future.

Knowing that everything eventually will be vulnerable on the Internet worldwide is a given. Knowing when that happens to your stuff could mean life or death to your family. So, this is why detecting when any of your information becomes vulnerable is worth a lot of money including maybe your life and your kids lives now and into the future.

Remember carefully, as of two or more years ago 1 trillion dollars was stolen just from people in the U.S.  per year. (It could therefore be up to 2 trillion or more by now per year).  And this is all done through the Internet.
So, if you wonder why the U.S. or European economy isn't recovering faster this is just one of the many reasons.

Here is the real problem from my point of view: What if a nation like Russia or China gets thousands to millions of their people to crack all the bank internet accounts of private people in say the U.S. or the European Union. And then they just store all these passwords for a year or two. Many people are going to change these passwords and usernames but many will not. So, they just save these usernames and passwords for several years and build up several million or even 50 million of these. Then one day, they strike all at once and drain all these accounts at once. This would be an act of war. But, what if a Country like Russia or China did this to maim our economy in order to attack us monetarily and physically within one month.

This is  my biggest concern the way Putin is acting right now. Even though Putin and China will eventually spar off too in some kind of war, right now he is really pissed at the European Union and the U.S. for ending the Soviet Union. He wants revenge and has gone to a lot of trouble to try to exact this revenge.

This is my biggest concern regarding the Internet right now and for the foreseeable future.

And the problem is they would have all these dollars in their accounts somewhere on earth and could build tanks and missiles with this stolen money. Once bank transfers are completed there isn't much anyone could do especially on such a mass score but to declare war.
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7 hours of rain driving south into U.S. from Whistler

It was incredibly beautiful but stressful driving my 4 wheel drive truck through this much rain on mountain roads and then through stop and go a lot for 1/2 an hour through U.S. Customs along with hundreds of other cars, trucks and motorhomes headed south. And then more rain down Interstate 5. But, after about 7 hours of driving we had had enough. I talked my wife into driving down and visiting my 25 year old daughter and her boyfriend in Portland instead of flying home to California from Seattle. So, at least until Portland I will have company driving south to Oregon. Found a Hotel south of the Seattle Area. Glad to get some rest from stressful driving in the rain. My wife was only able to drive about 20 minutes or less because of her knee replacement surgery about 9 weeks ago now. But, even that was a great help. It's a beautiful view here as I write.
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Monday, September 1, 2014

'Guardians of the Galaxy' wins the summer and the year domestically

'Guardians of the Galaxy' wins the summer: The Marvel romp tops Labor Day, summer box office

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The intergalactic misfits of "Guardians of the Galaxy" are the summer's box-office superheroes.
The Canadian Press

'Guardians of the Galaxy' wins the summer: The Marvel romp tops Labor Day, summer box office

By Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 9 hours ago
This image released by Disney - Marvel shows Chris Pratt in a scene from "Guardians Of The Galaxy." (AP Photo/Disney - Marvel)
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The intergalactic misfits of "Guardians of the Galaxy" are the summer's box-office superheroes.
Marvel's cosmic romp topped the Labor Day box office with a three-day take of $22 million — its third time in first place since its release five weeks ago, according to studio estimates Monday. With North American ticket sales of more than $280 million so far, "Guardians" is also the summer's — and the year's — top-grossing film to date domestically.
Still, summer box-office totals are down almost 15 per cent from last year, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"This is the lowest summer since 2006 in terms of revenue," he said. "Before 'Guardians,' we were sitting on a 20 per cent deficit compared to last year."
"Transformers: Age of Extinction," which opened in late June, also boosted the summer box office with $1 billion in global ticket sales. "Maleficent" was another hit, bringing in more than $230 million domestically.
"This was never expected to be a record-breaking summer," Dergarabedian said, "but it maybe came in under expectations."
The World Cup may have distracted moviegoers, he said. Also, the death of Paul Walker caused the seventh installment of "Fast & Furious" — which might have added around $200 million to the summer box office — to be postponed until next year.
Last summer broke box-office records with the success of "Iron Man 3," ''Star Trek," ''The Heat" and "Despicable Me 2." Next summer is expected to make history again with hotly anticipated releases including "Star Wars," ''Avengers: Age of Ultron" and Pixar's "Inside Out."
"Summer of 2014 is a transitional summer between two record-breaking years," Dergarabedian said.
The top movies over the lacklustre Labor Day holiday were the same as the previous weekend. Paramount's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" followed "Guardians" with $15.7 million, while Warner Bros.' young-adult drama, "If I Stay" took third place with $11.6 million.
"We went out with a whimper," Dergarabedian said. "We wound up a very exasperating summer on a very quiet note."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers (through Sunday) are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Tuesday.
1. "Guardians of the Galaxy," $22.2 million ($19.7 million international).
2. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," $15.7 million ($13 million international).
3. "If I Stay," $11.6 million ($4.6 million international).
4. "Let's Be Cops," $10.5 million ($6.6 million international).
5. "As Above, So Below," $10.3 million ($1.4 million international).
6. "The November Man," $10.2 million.
7. "When the Game Stands Tall," $8 million.
8. "The Giver," $6.9 million.
9. "The Hundred-Foot Journey," $6.3 million.
10. "The Expendables 3," $4.5 million ($8.8 million international).
___
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:
1. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," $51.2 million.
2. "Lucy," $31.2 million.
3. "Guardians of the Galaxy," $19.7 million.
4. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," $13 million.
5. "Into the Storm," $12.9 million.
6. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $10.5 million.
7. "Hercules," $9.8 million.
8. "The Expendables 3," $8.8 million.
9. "Let's Be Cops," $6.6 million.
10. "The Pirates," $5.5 million.
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
___
— Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

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'Guardians of the Galaxy' wins the summer: The Marvel romp tops Labor Day, summer box office


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The answer to Islamic State: by sword – or word?

The answer to Islamic State: by sword – or word?

As world leaders try to counter the killing spree of the militant group Islamic State, better known as ISIS, they should take note of this trend: More Muslim leaders are challenging the group’s core message that faith can be compelled by the threat of violence. Rather, the Islamic State is also…
Christian Science Monitor

The answer to Islamic State: by sword – or word?

More than by military attacks, the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL, can be defeated if more Muslims counter its message that faith can come through coerced acts of presumed piety rather than freely chosen spiritual understanding.

By the Monitor's Editorial Board | Christian Science Monitor – 6 hours ago
As world leaders try to counter the killing spree of the militant group Islamic State, better known as ISIS, they should take note of this trend: More Muslim leaders are challenging the group’s core message that faith can be compelled by the threat of violence.
The basic error in the group’s message is more than simply that terror in the name of religion – in this case Islam – is permissible. Rather, the Islamic State is also mistaken in a more fundamental way: It demands an outward conformity in behavior, such women being veiled in public or men wearing beards, as a necessary first step for a person to achieve an understanding of doctrine.
In other words, doing religion will necessarily lead to believing in it. Action somehow begets spiritual thought. And if a person does not act with certain physical signs of faith, then killing is justified.
Many religions have fallen into this trap of trying to compel understanding through coerced deeds. But debunking it is crucial to countering IS. The more Muslims stand up for the idea that faith is first from the heart – a personal commitment to the peace and selflessness that all major religions teach – the more likely is it that young Muslims will decide not to join IS.
The ultimate response to this jihadi advance, in other words, is active persuasion by the world’s one billion Muslims about their peaceful approach to faith.
To be sure, IS’s advances in Iraq and Syria will likely need a military response to halt the ongoing killing of innocents, whether Muslims, Christians, Kurds, or others. But the more critical “frontline” is among Muslims in those countries where young men are being tempted to join IS, often through social media. And those countries range from North America to Europe to the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia, of all such places, is on that frontline. Hundreds of young Saudis have joined IS over the past year. They have not been deterred by a law against doing so. This finally pushed King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to strongly denounce the Islamic State last month, saying Islam teaches tolerance and a maximum preservation of life.
But his words were not enough. On Aug. 19, the leading religious figure in Saudi Arabia, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, also spoke out. “Extremist and militant ideas and terrorism which spread decay on earth, destroying human civilization,” he said, “are not in any way part of Islam, but are enemy number one of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims.”
His words are an echo of similar sentiments uttered recently by top Islamic figures from Iran to Egypt, a sign of how much IS challenges Muslims.
For Saudi Arabia, such denunciations are a sign of progress. The kingdom has long promoted a brand of Islam that uses the authoritarian, nonelected state to impose religious behavior as a way to prevent apostates and create a society based on a literal interpretation of ancient texts. The Islamic State is simply a more virulent and less organized version of that approach. The IS commander, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has proclaimed himself as both the military and religious leader of a newly declared caliphate, or a state built on the kind of strict rule as recorded in the early centuries after Islam’s founding.
The long history of spreading a faith by the sword – which includes Christianity – must come to an end. But using sword against sword will not be enough. Religion, to live up to its role as a fount of peace, must be seen as something freely chosen. And that starts in a person’s thinking, not acts of enforced piety.
Related stories

Obama ponders action against Islamic State extremists. What do Americans think? (+video) 

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The answer to Islamic State: by sword – or word?

 
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What about your happiness later in life?


This Number Could Help Predict Your Happiness Later In Life

By Libby Kane – 8 hours ago
man fishing lake
Flickr / John Coley
According to one financial expert, how happy you'll be after you stop working isn't just about how much money you have.
It's based on how much money you have in relation to how much you need.
Wes Moss, the chief investment strategist at Capital Investment Advisors and host of "Money Matters," interviewed over 1,300 retirees in 46 states.
He details the findings of his survey in his book, "You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think: The 5 Money Secrets Of Happy Retirees," where he writes his observations of the happiest retirees, from how they think to what they drive.
From all of that research, he came up with a ratio that he finds could help predict your financial security, and by extension, your happiness, in retirement. It's called the Rich Ratio.
It's pretty simple. To figure out yours, you just need to determine:
1. How much money you'll have. This number should be your monthly income, including any income streams supplementing your savings, such as Social Security, a pension, or rental income.
2. How much money you'll  need. This number should be your monthly expenses. Don't just guess! How much will your living expenses, groceries, transportation, entertainment, and even medical costs set you back? If you currently keep a budget, that's a great place to start sourcing these numbers and modifying them for your planned retirement lifestyle.
Then, divide the first number (how much money you'll have) by the second (how much money you'll need) to come up with your Rich Ratio. For example, $2,400 income divided by   $2,000 expenses equals a Rich Ratio of 1.2.
It isn't revolutionary, but it does boil down your financial security into a single number. "Any ratio over one is fantastic," writes Moss. "Any ratio below that, well — let's just say you have some work to do."


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This Number Could Help Predict Your Happiness Later In Life

Until I was in my mid to late 40s I always lived my life like I was going to work until I died. This was just a part of my philosophy of life. I always felt that God would send me all over the world to help and meet everyone he wanted, and when that was over I would die or disappear like Yoda or Obi-wan kenobee or something.

This was always what I believed. But, then God turned my life inside out and upside down with a divorce after 15 years of marriage, one child from my previous marriage, two kids from her previous marriage and one together. I couldn't believe I was going through a divorce at 45 and I really didn't expect to survive this this late in life. God had other plans for me. I met and married a lady 7 years younger than I and together we had another daughter. But, when I couldn't get custody of my then 5 year old I got angry and despondent and got a heart virus and the doctors didn't expect me to live for about 8 months. But, like the angels said to me in unison (resurrection angels) the first few hours of my heart virus they said, "You are not going to die. Your life will get better now." They kept repeating it until every cell in my body must have believed the angels(always listen to angels because they are usually right) whatever they say usually happens. This is way beyond precognition human style.

They were right. 8 months later after being forced to retire or literally die I was okay once again. My heart specialist said, "Hey. we figured out finally what was wrong with you and your heart healed itself."

I was stunned and knew God had done this for some reason, so I began blogging at my first blog site then in 1999 about all my experiences with God to help anyone who would listen.

Somehow, what had actually happened is that I could afford to retire when I did and as time went on because I was retired I could invest better and better because I wasn't out there struggling to make a living every day anymore. So, things got better and better because of this. I got  9 weeks every year with my daughter who was by now 11 or 12 and the best part of my life was so far May 1999 to the present. By God's Grace.

So, if you are helping everyone you know and doing the best you can "God helps those who help themselves" in the beginning, middle and in the end.

NOT that there actually is a beginning, middle or end to anything really.

 
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The UK Has A Plan To Cut Off Russian Businesses From The Rest Of The World

The UK Has A Plan To Cut Off Russian Businesses From The Rest Of The World

The United Kingdom will push the European Union...
Business Insider

The UK Has A Plan To Cut Off Russian Businesses From The Rest Of The World

By Brett LoGiurato – 11 hours ago
putin
REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
The United Kingdom will push the European Union this weekend to consider the most punitive sanctions yet against Russia for its involvement in escalating the crisis in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, the U.K. plans to propose blocking Russia from the SWIFT banking transaction system, a move analysts say would effectively cut off Russian businesses from the rest of the world's financial system. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron will put forward the proposal during a meeting with E.U. leaders in Brussels on Saturday.
"This would be a major escalation of the sanctions. Most international payments flow through SWIFT. Banning Russian banks and companies from SWIFT would effectively cut off Russian businesses from the rest of world," said Bruce Johnston, a London-based analyst at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.
"It would also have a major impact on European businesses who need to paid by Russians, and want to consume Russian energy."
The move would have a significant effect on Russia's banking sector, as many financial institutions across the world use the system. According to SWIFT's website, it transmitted more than 21 million financial messages per day in July. It helped process payments among more than 10,500 financial institutions and corporations across 215 different countries.
Mark Dubowitz, the executive director of the  Foundation for Defense of Democracies, compared the potential move to one leveled on Iranian institutions in 2012.
"SWIFT is the electronic bloodstream of the global financial system," he told Business Insider in an email. "Cancelling Putin's credit card could have far reaching consequences for the Russian economy as Iran discovered when scores of its financial institutions were expelled from SWIFT in 2012."
David cameron
Reuters
David Cameron will propose blocking Russia from the SWIFT network.
The U.S. and E.U. have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. Most recently last month, they leveled targeted sanctions on Russia's energy, arms, and finance sectors. But so far, the sanctions have not changed the calculus of Russia or President Vladimir Putin.
This week, the conflict has sharply escalated, as Ukraine, NATO, and the West said Russia sent troops across the border to fight with pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern regions of the country.
This week, the rebels have opened a new front  in the cities of Amvrosiivka and Starobeshevo. One  fear is that Russia is attempting to create a land link between Russia and the strategic peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed with special forces troops in March. Poroshenko said Russian t roops are  leading  a separatist counteroffensive in the east, bringing in tanks and firing artillery from inside Ukrainian territory.
President Barack Obama and European leaders have agreed on the need for new "costs" in the wake of the latest escalation, but officials in both areas are questioning the legitimacy of the strategy. In the U.S., multiple Republican lawmakers have called on Obama to provide military assistance to Ukraine, saying a political resolution to the conflict is not possible if Russia continues to pursue its goals through military means.
In Europe, geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group told Business Insider he expected there to be high-profile breaks among leaders on the sanctions strategy.
"It's hard to see the west holding off for much longer in not calling Russian forces an invasion. That leads to more 'level 3' (sector wide) sanctions on Russia, yes, but we'll now see a real fragmentation of European leaders publicly calling the policy a failure and looking to break from further coordination," Bremmer said.
"After all, many Europeans have been deeply skeptical of Russian sanctions from the beginning, and to the extent that the purpose of sanctions was to prevent an invasion. That's clearly failed."

Senior Obama administration officials declined to comment about possible new sanctions on Russia during a conference call with reporters Friday about new sanctions leveled on individuals and businesses in relation to Iran's nuclear program. An administration official did not immediately respond to a subsequent request for comment.
Ukraine map
Ukraine National Security and Defense Council
The situation in eastern Ukraine on Friday, Aug. 29.



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The UK Has A Plan To Cut Off Russian Businesses From The Rest Of The World

I don't know how many of you know this but Putin's Goal is two things: First, he wants to return to the Old Huge Russian Empire and 2nd his goal is to establish a 2nd Soviet Union. He is making the U.S., Europe, and Great Britian do this with sanctions. 

So, now he can say to the Russian People, "Oh. Those bad Europeans, Americans, British, Australians and Canadians, they took away your democracy and took away Capitalism and world trade. They are all so Bad!"

But, this is what he actually wants and cannot do directly without starting a revolution in Russia. Can you imagine how angry the average Russian is going to be at Europe, the U.S. , Great Britain, Australia and Canada? They will be angry enough to send their boys to fight us in a war like World war II because they aren't told what Putin is really doing.

Do you actually want to hear what they are hearing in Russia?

They are actually hearing that the Ukrainian government are all fascist Nazis and that the poor Russians in Eastern Ukraine are being starved by the Ukrainians. Also, unless Russian families have a son returned in a body bag they didn't know anything violent was going on. Even when their sons are returned dead from Ukraine they still aren't told how they died or that they were in Ukraine. They might suspect but don't know anything for sure.

British, U.S., European news isn't allowed in Russia now. There is a complete news blackout of western news. So, the average person knows nothing about what  you and  I know regarding Ukraine, Syria, or Iraq or ISIS.

So, in the meantime Putin is outfoxing the west with lies to his people, lies to us, lies to everyone. He is a slight of hand magician right now. He always was. Unfortunately, the Russian people never completely found out in time to stop him. 

Will the world stop him? Did they stop Hitler? How did that work out?

Once he has economically separated his economy from the rest of the world he plans to destroy the western economies directly through information already gleaned on everyone in the western world by destroying internet banking completely once he has separated the U.S. and Europe from his economy completely. 

So, his goal is not just Ukraine it is world wide domination. What about China?

I think at some point Russia and China know that they are going to have to duke it out too.

This sounds like a nuclear or economic holocaust to me. What do you think?

In regard to the internet this is what to expect: Every possible U.S. citizens bank accounts drained into Russian Controlled systems. Then this money would be used to build weapons to pay their army to fight European and British and U.S. and Canadian Armies to the death. However, meanwhile at home there is no functional internet for any business.

What we are talking about here is the end of western civilization if he follows through with this plan. Imagine Brezhnev or Kruschev has come alive and turned into Putin. Remember the saying to the western World "We will bury you!"

This was said to us by Krushchev in the 1950s but Putin believes he can carry out this threat. Think about it.

 

What is Putin's motive you might ask: "Revenge on the western world for the collapse of the Soviet Union!" This is actually quite simple to understand if you understand how Putin actually thinks.

You might say: "Putin isn't atheistic." But, this will be a Christian Soviet Union the way this all is presently going. It will also be the Russian Orthodox Church versus Catholics and Protestants.

So under Putin at least the new Soviet Union will Also be Christian to spread Russian Orthodox Religion all over the earth.

This is what is going on in Putin's mind and the minds of his friends right now.

It sort of reminds me a lot of how Hitler thought in some ways.

 

 


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It's Fairly quiet today in Whistler

I'm looking outside at Mountain bike riders coming down the ski slopes and there are only about 1/4 as many today because most people have to drive, fly, or ferry home to other parts of Canada, or the lower 48 states or wherever they came from around the world to go back to work or school or whatever.

I had thought about renting an ATV but I'm thinking now that that would have been better to do yesterday and then I could have got into the hot tub and recover. However, now that I think about it I really don't have to drive forever and completely wear myself out until all my muscles in my back hurt like a younger person might. And it's true I do have time to recover if I do it now and not just wait until the end of the day.


 I finally decided to go ATV riding. They are automatic 4 wheel drives so if you can use a Thumb throttle and know how to brake a motorcycle with the right (front brake and left rear brake) you can probably do this. You have to lean in the direction of the turn when you are on a side slope on a bank or rocks though.  They take you up quite a ways on a 2 hour tour. First they acquaint people not used to ATVs. We had a great time and the guy running the group of ATV riders was about 18 to 20 years old and runs Snowmobiles in the winter time. It was a fun experience. Because it had been raining some the dust wasn't too bad either. He said if it hasn't been raining lately you need to wear a face mask to filter the air. You wear (today a raincoat) which mostly kept the dust off me.

Similar to all the mountain bikers to ride up the ski slopes to ride down on mountain bikes we rode on trailes that were dirt and rocks and sometimes on roads that were dirt, with rocks or even paved roads. On the way down we rode by the 2010 Luge run at the Olympics here in Whistler and also we saw where skiers train on a jump into a swimming pool so they aren't injured and don't die when learning new skiing flips and tricks.

There are also Whistler Helicopter tours of nearby glaciers, there is a Whistler by Rail trip you can take from Vancouver here to Whistler. There is an Aboriginal Museum here that we didn't have time for but we had intended to do this too. (Maybe next time)(It's quite a place and sort of reminds me of places like Mammoth Mountain or June Mountain in California or Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe. (I've skied several times there at Squaw valley and I like it a lot especially up on top where the big Gondola goes too.

Also, while you are in Vancouver the Aquarium with Beluga whales, Otters and penguins is really fun too. I really like the Vancouver Aquarium. Also, if you are in Seattle the Seattle Zoo is pretty cool too.
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All The Different Ways That 'iCloud' Naked Celebrity Photo Leak Might Have Happened

All The Different Ways That 'iCloud' Naked Celebrity Photo Leak Might Have Happened

This is how the hack might have gone down.
Business Insider

All The Different Ways That 'iCloud' Naked Celebrity Photo Leak Might Have Happened

By James Cook – 10 hours ago
Jennifer Lawrence
Samir Hussein/Getty
After naked photos of around 20 celebrities leaked online last night, the internet scrambled to try and figure out exactly how the images became public. In the original 4chan thread where the hacker first posted the images, the consensus was that Apple's iCloud service was to blame. But how likely is it that Apple's encrypted cloud service led to the mass hack, and what are the other ways that the nude photos could have emerged? iCloud The original leaker behind the celebrity photos claimed that they accessed the images using the iCloud accounts of various celebrities. It's unlikely that someone has broken into Apple's iCloud service. Instead the photos most likely emerged due to a type of hacking known as "social engineering." This exploit works by learning which online services your target uses, and then compiling as much data on them as possible before using that data to either spoof access, or to simply use their email address and a guessed password to log in to their account.
Jennifer Lawrence is known to use iCloud after she let slip in a red carpet interview with MTV this year that she frequently has trouble with the service, remarking "My iCloud keeps telling me to back it up, and I'm like, I don't know how to back you up. Do it yourself."
After discovering the iCloud account of a celebrity, it's trivially easy to access their online photo backup through Apple's Photo Stream utility and iCloud photo backups. Analysis of the embedded EXIF data (information about where and how the picture was taken that is frequently appended to digital photo images)  included in one of the leaked images shows it was taken a few weeks ago, well within Photo Stream's limit of 30 days before images are deleted. However, actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead claimed on Twitter that the leaked photos of her included in the hack were taken "years ago."
Dropbox or Google Drive Despite the original leaker claiming to have accessed the trove of photos thanks to an iCloud exploit, the range of devices showcased suggests that another service may have been to blame. Various naked celebrities are photographed taking selfies with Android devices and webcams. Leaked videos could not have originated from the iCloud photo backup service. The range of devices and media may mean that another backup service like Dropbox or Google Drive could be the originator of the leaked photos, with both services offering automatic backup tools for photos and videos imported from cellphones.
Snapchat Several of the leaked celebrity photos had text overlaid, which indicates that at least some of the photographs were first sent through Snapchat. While Snapchat has struggled with security issues in the past, it's unlikely that the app was the source of all the nude photos. Rather, it may be that it was either accessed as part of a larger hack, or screenshots of images received through the app were discovered after hacking into a backup service.
A hacked insider Many celebrities don't manage their devices themselves, instead they hand them over to an assistant to do all the boring things like backing up photos or managing iCloud accounts. The sheer number of photos involved in this hack suggests that someone has been saving up naked photos for a while. Other than the celebrities themselves, the only other people with access to these photos would be the "insiders" who help celebrities get around from day to day, such as personal assistants and bodyguards. If a well-connected and scheming personal assistant had their personal backup account hacked, it could result in a trove of photos similar to what we've seen posted online.
A stolen laptop or phone The leaked photos seemingly originate from a variety of different devices, and two of the videos of British actress Jessica Brown Findlay were made to send to a friend. Could the leaked photos come not from an online hack, but from the physical theft of a phone or laptop belonging to a well-connected celebrity who had been hording naked photos of their friends? While it may seem unlikely, there's actually precedent for unfortunate celebrities losing their devices.
In early 2014 it was reported that Lindsay Lohan and her management were doing "whatever it takes" to try and retrieve a stolen laptop that had gone missing during a trip to China. The laptop's hard drive was reported to contain naked photos of the star, as well as private correspondence with other celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Woody Allen. It's unclear whether Lohan's team were successful in reclaiming the laptop, but no leaked photos of the actress have emerged this year.
A hacker collective The original 4chan thread where the leaked photos surfaced included two different users posting new leaks. It's possible, then, that the trove of leaked celebrity photos came from not a single hack, but a group of enterprising hackers pooling their resources to try and earn the biggest reward.
The 4chan user who posted the majority of the photos was soliciting for Bitcoin donations in order to publish more leaked snaps. While one figure of $40,000 was claimed as the total value of donations, Bitcoin transaction records show that he received only 0.25 bitcoin (around $120).
Could the leaked photos result from a collective gang of hackers sharing their photos in one giant leak in order to maximize the amount of money gained? It's certainly possible, many of the photos in the batch were proven as fake, meaning that they likely came from a variety of sources with varying levels of access and credibility.
The Emmy Awards One of the strangest theories surrounding the hack is that a group of celebrities who attended the recent Emmy Awards were somehow hacked using the venue's Wi-Fi connection. The Def Con conference is often touted as an example of the dangers of using venue Wi-Fi for awards or conferences, with the conference operating a "Wall of Sheep" to showcase the various attendees who have been hacked.


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All The Different Ways That 'iCloud' Naked Celebrity Photo Leak Might Have Happened

Here's the problem in ANYTHING in "Icloud". If you actually understood where the ICLOUD is you wouldn't put anything you care about in "Icloud". The reason for this is simple. 

ICLOUD if you imagine as a non-programmer is literally like a cloud of information spanning the globe.

Imagine servers all over the world carrying bits and pieces of whatever you put out into the "Cloud". Now, anyone who knows the "Number" of your computer can trace anything that comes from your computer or'Iphone', Ipad, Android anywhere on earth. You only need one person that wants to compile one thing or everyone about you and they, (if they are good with technology) can do this because most information in the Cloud are  vulnerable. 

 

So, people selling the icloud are trying to downplay just how "Vulnerable" everything is in the Icloud world wide. 

 

Everything just stored on your hard drive or a removable hard drive for back up instead of in the cloud is only vulnerable if you leave your computer in your browser mode like Windows Explorer or Firefox (I prefer Firefox because of better security). So, the only time I leave one of my computers with Safari or Firefox on is when I'm using them. 

My Iphone is supposed to be backed up by Icloud but I don't really like that either. However, it is good to know the most vulnerable piece of equipment online that you will ever own (as of now) is your Iphone or android smartphone. Almost anyone good at technology can literally strip off everything off your Iphone or Android any time they want to. So, putting private things on an Iphone is stupid because it is the most public device (worldwide) that you can presently own.

However, I recently bought an Iphone 5s (why?) because it is the easiest most intuitive device to learn to use effectively. 

However, I know it is the most vulnerable device known to man as far as hacking goes, so anything I put there through texts or conversation or anything else I imagine I'm saying in a crowded place like a Restaurant or other public place where people might be listening. Whatever you do with your Iphone or Android you really shouldn't do unless you would do it in a public place and show whatever you are doing to everyone there like in a restaurant or theater or shop or store. If you can't imagine doing this then whatever it is you shouldn't be doing it on your smart phone.

This is what I believe. So, why would I own an Iphone5S? Because it is convenient and because I know what it actually is. It is a public information system in which literally anything I put there or do or say or text there could be compromised worldwide at any given moment or moments.


Later: People talk about how ICloud has an encryption algorithm but when you have thousands to millions of "safe crackers" Internet style spending every minute of the day cracking codes for a living, this is going to be cracked. Any code that can be written can be "hacked" sooner or later either directly or through some kind of "Back Door" that programmers put in for debugging software for easier access. 

So, one of the ways people hack is to "pay-off" the programmers for thousands to millions of dollars. And if this happened who would know?

The problem with everything "secret" on the Internet is: "Where there's a will there's a way" eventually.

I would actually worry about Countries who have millions or billions of dollars to "pay-off" programmers or someone like ISIS that might have somewhere between 500 million up to 1 billion dollars for these kinds of purposes. Remember ISIS makes between 3 million to 6 million dollars a day just through extortion and kidnapping westerners and rich middle eastern people.

 

 

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The Bad News Out Of Europe Is Intensifying

The Bad News Out Of Europe Is Intensifying

All of the economic signals confirm that growth...
Business Insider

The Bad News Out Of Europe Is Intensifying

By Sam Ro – 8 hours ago
eurozone pmi
Markit
All of the economic signals confirm that growth in the eurozone economy is going nowhere.
The eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers index plunged to a 13-month low of 50.7 in August, down from 53.8 in July. This was worse than the 50.8 expected by economists.
Any reading above 50 signals growth, and the eurozone's PMI is rapidly tumbling to that no-growth level.
"Although some growth is better than no growth at all, the braking effect of rising economic and geopolitical uncertainties on manufacturers is becoming more visible," Markit's Rob Dobson said. "This is also the case on the demand front, with growth of new orders and new export business both slowing in August."
We already know that GDP growth in the eurozone fell to 0.0% in Q2. However, the July and August data have suggested a failure to rebound in Q3.
"In one line: Alarming signs from the eurozone manufacturing sector," said Pantheon Macroeconomics' Claus Vistesen. "The downbeat economic news is intensifying."
Every Country Stinks Vistesen pointed to the country-specific PMI reports, which were mostly worse than expected.
Germany, the eurozone's largest economy, saw its PMI fall to 51.4, which was worse than the 52.0 expected. Italy, the eurozone's third largest economy, saw its PMI plunge to a 14-month low of 49.8, missing expectations for 51.0.
eurzone pmi
Markit
Any reading below 50 signals contraction.
"Some marginal growth was still recorded on the output front, but the paring back of purchasing activity, inventories and employment would indicate that the recovery in the manufacturing sector has hit a roadblock," Markit's Phil Smith said of the Italy PMI report.
Vistesen characterized Italy's report as "a shocker."
France, the eurozone's second largest economy, fell to a 15-month low of 46.9 in August from 47.8 in July. Believe it or not, this print was actually better than the 46.5 expected by economists. However, it remains deep in contractionary territory.
"Sharply falling output led firms to cut back employment, purchasing and stock levels further in August," Markit's Jack Kennedy said of the France PMI report. "This sort of across-the-board weakness has been a common theme in recent months and there remains very little to suggest any turnaround in fortunes will be imminent."
More Stimulus From The ECB? Eurozone consumer price growth fell to just 0.3% in August. Morgan Stanley's Joachim Fels characterized this as "dangerously close to the deflation threshold." Prices in Italy actually fell 0.2%.
This combination of deteriorating prices and stagnating economic activity puts increasing amounts of pressure on the European Central Bank to unleash more monetary stimulus. The next big move would be quantitative easing (QE), which is when a central bank goes buys up bonds in order to boost credit market liquidity and keep interest rates low.
The ECB meets Thursday, and currently economists expect no change in monetary policy.
"So this coming Thursday’s ECB press conference will be the most eagerly anticipated event of the week for financial markets," Fels said. "As I see it, there is scope for some disappointment though. Broad-based QE, defined as a large-scale asset purchase program including government bonds, remains a measure of last resort that is unlikely to be put in place any time soon because the political and legal hurdles, particularly in Germany, continue to be very high."
These legal hurdles have been among the hindrances that have prevented the ECB from being as aggressive as the U.S. Federal Reserve. We also can't forget about the complex politics of the 18-country eurozone.
"Also, the ECB council will likely worry about the moral hazard aspects of QE, which could easily tempt governments in Italy, France and elsewhere to go even slower on reforms," Fels added.
Mario Draghi
AP Images
Mario Draghi
QE isn't the only trick the ECB has up its sleeve. It also has room to lower short-term interest rates, which includes a main refinancing rate of 0.15%, a marginal lending facility rate of 0.4%, and a deposit facility rate of -0.1%.
"[I]t is more likely that the ECB will use other means of easing monetary conditions before embarking on QE, including another cut in official rates and a targeted ABS purchase program," Fels said. "Yet, even on these two measures, it is probably too early to expect concrete action this coming Thursday. My guess: the council will at best pre-announce an ABS purchase program for later this year, with details to be announced at a later stage, and could re-insert a bias for lower rates further down the road in its forward-guidance language."
The ECB will make its monetary policy announcement on Thursday at 7:45 a.m. ET, which will be followed by a press conference at 8:30 a.m. ET.


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The Bad News Out Of Europe Is Intensifying



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