tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14760712024-02-28T03:07:06.048-05:00burdenon societyjust another blog of the burdenon societyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger634125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-34911474310953442482020-01-04T14:50:00.000-05:002020-01-04T14:53:31.892-05:00Restorative JusticeWhat do we know about restorative justice?<br />
The objective of reducing violence is particularly interesting.<br />
<br />
http<a href="http://restorativejustice.org/restorative-justice/about-restorative-justice/tutorial-intro-to-restorative-justice/" target="_blank">://restorativejustice.org/restorative-justice/about-restorative-justice/tutorial-intro-to-restorative-justice/</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Restorative justice as a path to reducing violence in the world. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On The Media has an episode on this <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/on-the-media-restorative-justice">https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/on-the-media-restorative-justice</a></div>
<div>
<br />
Both in prisons, under the criminal justice system, and online.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-67748673309171976712019-10-03T09:40:00.000-04:002019-10-03T09:46:22.716-04:00maple tree at train tunnel to Skillings Field<a href="https://youtu.be/TZrARRzNXaE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/TZrARRzNXaE</a> to see on YT directly<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TZrARRzNXaE" width="560"></iframe><br />
watching the color change on the maple<br />
every 10 minutes, take a snapshot<br />
show one snapshot every .1 second<br />
overnight frames removed<br />
<br />
more to come as color change continues -<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-46526115810604655972019-06-13T13:26:00.001-04:002019-06-13T13:26:13.231-04:00Five Lies (David Brooks)<br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #121212; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-cond; font-weight: bold;">Five Lies Our Culture Tells</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: nyt-cheltenham; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The cultural
roots of our political problems.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #121212; font-family: nyt-franklin; font-weight: bold;">By </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-brooks"><span style="font-family: nyt-franklin; font-weight: bold;">David Brooks</span></a><span style="color: #121212; font-family: nyt-franklin; font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman";">April
15, 2019</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">Four
years ago, in the midst of the Obama presidency, I published a book
called </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/217648/the-road-to-character-by-david-brooks/9780812983418/"><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">“The Road to Character.”</span></a><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> American culture seemed to be in decent
shape and my focus was on how individuals can deepen their inner lives. This
week, in the midst of the Trump presidency, I’ve got another book, </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/217649/the-second-mountain-by-david-brooks/9780812993264/"><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">“The Second Mountain.”</span></a><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> It’s become clear in the interim that
things are </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;">not </span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">in good shape, that our problems are societal.
The whole country is going through some sort of spiritual and emotional crisis.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
College mental
health facilities are swamped, suicide rates are spiking, the president’s
repulsive behavior is tolerated or even celebrated by tens of millions of
Americans. At the root of it all is the following problem: We’ve created a
culture based on lies.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Here are some
of them:</div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Career success is fulfilling.</span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> This is the lie we foist on the young.
In their tender years we put the most privileged of them inside a college
admissions process that puts achievement and status anxiety at the center of
their lives. That begins advertising’s lifelong mantra </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">—</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> if you
make it, life will be good.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Everybody who
has actually tasted success can tell you that’s not true. I remember when the
editor of my first book called to tell me it had made the best-seller list. It
felt like … nothing. It was external to me.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The truth is,
success spares you from the shame you might experience if you feel yourself a
failure, but career success alone does not provide positive peace or
fulfillment. If you build your life around it, your ambitions will always race
out in front of what you’ve achieved, leaving you anxious and dissatisfied.</div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I can make myself happy.</span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> This is the lie of self-sufficiency.
This is the lie that happiness is an individual accomplishment. If I can have
just one more victory, lose 15 pounds or get better at meditation, then I will
be happy.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But people
looking back on their lives from their deathbeds tell us that happiness is
found amid thick and loving relationships. It is found by defeating
self-sufficiency for a state of mutual dependence. It is found in the giving
and receiving of care.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
It’s easy to
say you live for relationships, but it’s very hard to do. It’s hard to see
other people in all their complexity. It’s hard to communicate from your
depths, not your shallows. It’s hard to stop performing! No one teaches us
these skills.</div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Life is an individual journey</span><span style="color: red; font-family: nyt-imperial; font-weight: bold;">.</span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> This is the lie books like Dr. Seuss’ </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/43092/oh-the-places-youll-go-by-dr-seuss/9780679805274/"><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">“Oh, the Places You’ll Go”</span></a><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> tell. In adulthood, each person goes on
a personal trip and racks up a bunch of experiences, and whoever has the most
experiences wins. This lie encourages people to believe freedom is the absence
of restraint. Be unattached. Stay on the move. Keep your options open.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
In reality, the
people who live best tie themselves down. They don’t ask: What cool thing can I
do next? They ask: What is my responsibility here? They respond to some problem
or get called out of themselves by a deep love.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
By planting
themselves in one neighborhood, one organization or one mission, they earn
trust. They have the freedom to make a lasting difference. It’s the chains we
choose that set us free.</div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">You have to find your own
truth.</span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;"> This is the
privatization of meaning. It’s not up to the schools to teach a coherent set of
moral values, or a society. Everybody chooses his or her own values. Come up
with your own answers to life’s ultimate questions! You do you!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The problem is
that unless your name is Aristotle, you probably can’t do it. Most of us wind
up with a few vague moral feelings but no moral clarity or sense of purpose.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The reality is
that values are created and passed down by strong, self-confident communities
and institutions. People absorb their values by submitting to communities and
institutions and taking part in the conversations that take place within them.
It’s a group process.</div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Rich and successful people are
worth more than poorer and less successful people.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">We pretend we don’t tell this lie, but our
whole meritocracy points to it. In fact, the meritocracy contains a skein of
lies.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: nyt-imperial;">The
message of the meritocracy is that you are what you accomplish. The false
promise of the meritocracy is that you can earn dignity by attaching yourself
to prestigious brands. The emotion of the meritocracy is conditional love </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">—</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> that if
you perform well, people will love you.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The sociology
of the meritocracy is that society is organized around a set of inner rings
with the high achievers inside and everyone else further out. The anthropology
of the meritocracy is that you are not a soul to be saved but a set of skills
to be maximized.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
No wonder it’s
so hard to be a young adult today. No wonder our society is fragmenting. We’ve
taken the lies of hyper-individualism and we’ve made them the unspoken
assumptions that govern how we live.</div>
<div style="font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We talk a lot
about the political revolution we need. The cultural revolution is more
important.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<cite style="color: #595959; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9.0pt; margin: 0in;">From
<<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/opinion/cultural-revolution-meritocracy.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/opinion/cultural-revolution-meritocracy.html</a>>
</cite><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-42215292872301731152019-05-27T06:35:00.000-04:002019-05-27T06:35:02.943-04:00Purpose or Happiness?<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/22/the-japanese-secret-to-a-longer-and-happier-life-is-gaining-attention-from-millions.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/22/the-japanese-secret-to-a-longer-and-happier-life-is-gaining-attention-from-millions.html</a><br />
<br />
Happiness as a life goal is not so clearly linked to the life purpose that seems to be the ikigai principle. Besides, the smile seems to just be polite: her forehead isn't relaxed, and her eyes don't look happy at all.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEQKq4VXHPg39npRbZKNXUTe4FPprmUm489w4BVeDXgcUfpH2PVk6DCtI9cEIcTMjVz_WLIImcqUgA-nXYY-zssRqG1i7AqyCWS8YMrn08GF0lpJs3Cbz8eEp0yRsFV4SIeTf/s1600/105927449-1558532905995gettyimages-970956816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1400" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEQKq4VXHPg39npRbZKNXUTe4FPprmUm489w4BVeDXgcUfpH2PVk6DCtI9cEIcTMjVz_WLIImcqUgA-nXYY-zssRqG1i7AqyCWS8YMrn08GF0lpJs3Cbz8eEp0yRsFV4SIeTf/s320/105927449-1558532905995gettyimages-970956816.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-30997087319582893602019-03-18T10:15:00.000-04:002019-03-18T10:15:00.361-04:00Order and Chaos
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Jordan B. Peterson - </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c3m0tt5KcE"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Reality and the Sacred</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- first of a series of lectures</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Series on stories from bible:
</span><a href="https://youtu.be/f-wWBGo6a2w"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Biblical Series I: Introduction to the Idea of
God </span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-66380365408735919932019-02-04T22:07:00.001-05:002019-02-05T01:05:13.716-05:00Four / Five Agreements<p dir="ltr">Ideas are summarized in the videos.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSilYurv9DVKwIWpufGGI30bQGOCarwch">https://www.youtube.com/</a><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSilYurv9DVKwIWpufGGI30bQGOCarwch">playlist</a></u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSilYurv9DVKwIWpufGGI30bQGOCarwch">?list=</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSilYurv9DVKwIWpufGGI30bQGOCarwch"><u>PLSilYurv9DVKwIWpufGGI30bQGOCarwch</u></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Four agreements, and a fifth.<br>
I suggest starting with #2.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Then there is a fifth agreement.<br>
There appear to be full audiobook versions on YouTube, and the samples in the Kindle book reader has a lot of the book you can read without purchasing any of it.  </p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-90458141245857794672019-01-12T08:10:00.002-05:002019-01-12T08:10:53.562-05:00Make Your Phone Work For YouOur smart phones and devices are too distracting. Here is a plan to sort the many functions into:<br />
1) essentials<br />
2) aspirations<br />
3) time sink / rabbit holes<br />
<br />
<a href="https://betterhumans.coach.me/how-to-configure-your-cell-phone-for-productivity-and-focus-1e8bd8fc9e8d">https://betterhumans.coach.me/how-to-configure-your-cell-phone-for-productivity-and-focus-1e8bd8fc9e8d</a><br />
<br />
Multitasking is "<a href="https://lindastone.net/qa/continuous-partial-attention/" target="_blank">continuous partial attention</a>" which is just another way of saying "permanent distraction".<br />
<br />
Tristan Harris has a TED talk on this:<br />
<div style="max-width: 854px;">
<div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_how_better_tech_could_protect_us_from_distraction" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="854"></iframe></div>
</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-39030823602662229442018-12-30T22:15:00.000-05:002018-12-30T22:16:06.254-05:00Daniel Gross: How to Win<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LH1bewTg-P4" width="560"></iframe><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH1bewTg-P4&mc_cid=af2c7fb458&mc_eid=b3f6e964b2">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH1bewTg-P4&mc_cid=af2c7fb458&mc_eid=b3f6e964b2</a><br />
<br />startup advice - the necessity of going back to basics: sleep, water, exercise, mind (sabbath, reading, mindfulness), and finally leadership.<br /><br /> about 20:44, Kegan's construct - theory of adult development: stage 2 "imperial mind" - particularly interesting in this day and time. -- have to get past stage 3: socialized mind that depends too much on what other people think of you .. Stage 5: self transforming mind as an ultimate goal (including genuinely willing to learn from others) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-61263128138468063092018-11-19T12:42:00.000-05:002018-11-19T12:42:11.837-05:00Can AI and humanity coexist? You betcha.Amazing - author of "AI Super-powers" - Kai-Fu Lee talks about AI and humanity coexisting:<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ajGgd9Ld-Wc" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-68195778433167719352018-08-02T15:52:00.002-04:002018-08-02T15:52:37.063-04:00VR - virtual realityJason Jerald wrote a book on VR - <a href="http://www.thevrbook.net/">www.thevrbook.net</a>.<br />
<br />
Virtual reality, Augmented reality, .. XR (anything-Reality)<br />
Point is to hijack your senses and have the capacity to generate visceral experiences.<br />
<br />
Use cases - medical imaging, iMedic - distributed interactive consultation - explaining to patients what's going on and options for treatment.<br />
<br />
MAKEVR software<br />
<br />
Neuroscience education is to help people (kids and adults) gain higher level of self awareness.<br />
<br />
20th century illiteracy refers to reading and writing. Modern illiteracy is <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8800-the-illiterate-of-the-21st-century-will-not-be-those">https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8800-the-illiterate-of-the-21st-century-will-not-be-those</a><br />
<h1 class="quoteText" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
</h1>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ”<br />
― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3030.Alvin_Toffler">Alvin Toffler</a></blockquote>
<br />
And now,<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The best way to predict the future is to invent it.</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Alan Kay (1971) at a 1971 meeting of PARC.<br />Similar remarks are attributed to Peter Drucker and Dandridge M. Cole.<br />Cf. Dennis Gabor, Inventing the Future (1963): "The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented."</blockquote>
<br />
Word of the Day: Proprioception: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/</a><br />
<br />
Get early notification of upcoming events: <a href="https://www.meetup.com/ATT-Boston-Tech-Entertainment/">https://www.meetup.com/ATT-Boston-Tech-Entertainment/</a> .<br />
<br />
"be a VR developer and fail 10,000 times quickly!"<br />
"look back and understand your mistakes / failures"<br />
<br />
Levels of competence:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>unconscious incompetence (don't even know what you don't know)</li>
<li>conscious incompetence (know you're bad)</li>
<li>conscious competence (know you're good)</li>
<li>unconscious competence (don't even know why you're good at something)</li>
</ol>
<div>
Suggest the spectrum should have the endpoints:</div>
<div>
Reality <-- --=""> Virtuality</--></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
VR meetup</div>
<div>
Try a lot of VR experiences.</div>
<div>
Get a HMD</div>
<div>
Learn Unity - work through tutorials </div>
<div>
Define YOUR project</div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-76071431399326237422018-06-26T20:34:00.001-04:002018-06-26T20:34:38.689-04:00Science of Love<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/happily-ever-after/372573/">https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/happily-ever-after/372573/</a><br />
<br />
How about a PhD ?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-80765093336740869372018-06-16T08:24:00.000-04:002018-06-16T08:25:59.627-04:00De-Extinction as Moral HazardSo it turns out the term is being used by Stewart Brand in talking about de-extinction.<br />
<a href="https://after-on.com/episodes/030" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://after-on.com/episodes/030 </a><br />
<br />
The section on de-extinction starts at 01:07 (one hour and seven minutes) and talks about a "frozen zoo" <a href="http://institute.sandiegozoo.org/resources/frozen-zoo%C2%AE">http://institute.sandiegozoo.org/resources/frozen-zoo%C2%AE</a> doing cryo-preservation that was accused of moral hazard at 01:11.<br />
<br />
"If you can bring back an animal from extinction, why try to preserve it now? Kill them and eat them now."<br />
<br />
"Seat belts will make people drive recklessly and dangerously."<br />
"Motorcycle helmets will make riders careless on the road."<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-74951123738917009832018-05-07T17:01:00.000-04:002018-05-07T17:01:01.711-04:00Bob and Em's daughter Susan has been traveling and teaching in the Far East. She posted this saga of the bamboo saxaphone:<br />
<a href="https://wendingblog.com/2018/05/07/the-bamboo-saxophone-saga/">https://wendingblog.com/2018/05/07/the-bamboo-saxophone-saga/</a><br />
<br />
Here is the video she mentions in her blog:<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oi0Ex9FqOps?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
and then there is<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wmq6OPpwMAM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-22104778401185129162018-04-29T17:23:00.001-04:002018-04-29T17:23:36.340-04:00burghers of calais and a clown<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burghers_of_Calais">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burghers_of_Calais</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-14699830204447210322018-03-09T11:45:00.001-05:002018-03-09T11:45:33.136-05:00Michael WolfCheck it out - <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artist/michael-wolf">https://www.artsy.net/artist/michael-wolf</a><br />
<br />
<i>"For people to really take a close look at photographs and be moved by them, they have to be visceral."<br />-Michael Wolf</i><br />
<i> </i><br />Speaking of visceral, I was immediately drawn to this one that was (almost) live - imagine the flesh colored (digestive) channels pulsing with bodily fluids on their way to the .. sewer? The heavier cast iron pipes are NOT just rainwater.<br /><a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/michael-wolf-pipes-2">https://www.artsy.net/artwork/michael-wolf-pipes-2</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-23339565047338508322018-01-14T23:05:00.000-05:002018-01-14T23:05:02.786-05:00Community NetworksBuilding a community network:<br />
<a href="http://communitytechnology.github.io/docs/cck/index.html#introduction">http://communitytechnology.github.io/docs/cck/index.html#introduction</a><br />
<br />
Why? Because it's better and cheaper than what you can get from commercial service providers.<br />
<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d345pv/harvard-study-shows-why-big-telecom-is-terrified-of-community-run-broadband">https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d345pv/harvard-study-shows-why-big-telecom-is-terrified-of-community-run-broadband</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-68142764907526154782017-09-27T16:17:00.001-04:002017-09-27T16:17:45.321-04:00maybe tin foil hats are not so crazy after all<a href="https://hackaday.com/2017/09/25/cuban-embassy-attacks-and-the-microwave-auditory-effect/">https://hackaday.com/2017/09/25/cuban-embassy-attacks-and-the-microwave-auditory-effect/</a><br />
<br /><br />
Cuban Embassy Attacks and The Microwave Auditory Effect<br />by: <a href="https://hackaday.com/author/adamfabio/">Adam Fabio</a><br /> <a href="https://hackaday.com/2017/09/25/">September 25, 2017</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhackaday.com%2F2017%2F09%2F25%2Fcuban-embassy-attacks-and-the-microwave-auditory-effect%2F"></a> <img alt="" content="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/sonicattack_thumbnail.png?w=600&h=600" height="193" itemprop="image" src="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/sonicattack.jpg?w=800" width="320" /><!-- .entry-header --> <br /><br />
<div class="entry-content" itemprop="articleBody">
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you may have seen a series of articles coming out about US staffers in Cuba. It seems that 21 staffers have suffered a bizarre array of injuries ranging from hearing loss to dizziness to concussion-like traumatic brain injuries. Some staffers have reported hearing incapacitating sounds in the embassy and in their hotel rooms. The reports range from clicking to grinding, humming, or even blaring sounds. One staffer described being awoken to a horrifically loud sound, only to have it disappear as soon as he moved away from his bed. When he got back into bed, the mysterious sound came back.<br />
Cuba has denied any wrongdoing. However, the US has already started to take action – expelling two Cuban diplomats from the US in May. The question though is what exactly could have caused these injuries. The press has gone wild with theories of sonic weaponry, hidden bugs, and electronic devices, poisons, you name it. Even Julian Assange has weighed in, stating “The diversity of symptoms suggests that this is a pathogen combined with paranoia in an isolated diplomatic corps.”<br />
So what’s going on? Bizarre accidents? Cloak and dagger gone awry? Mass hysteria among the US state department, or something else entirely?<br />
<img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-274347" data-attachment-id="274347" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="lrad-1" data-large-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png?w=538" data-medium-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png?w=345&h=400" data-orig-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png" data-orig-size="683,793" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2017/09/25/cuban-embassy-attacks-and-the-microwave-auditory-effect/lrad-1/" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px" src="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png?w=345&h=400" srcset="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png?w=345&h=400 345w, https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png?w=215&h=250 215w, https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/lrad-1.png 683w" width="345" />The most common theory passed around is some sort of auditory or sonic weapon. Acoustic (ultrasonic) non-lethal weapons like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device" target="_blank">Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)</a> are well known due to their use by law enforcement to disperse protests, or on oceangoing ships to deter pirates and environmentalists. LRAD devices emit an extremely loud focused beam of sound. Usually, the sound is a siren, though the system can be used as a giant megaphone as well. Anyone in the beam is motivated to get out of it.<br />
The thing about LRAD devices is they are not small or light. Even with ultrasonics, you can’t beat physics. Making a lot of noise means vibrating a lot of air. That takes a relatively big loudspeaker. The smallest portable device is roughly fifteen pounds. Since LRAD is still vibrating the air, it wouldn’t work very well through walls. LRAD style devices are also not very clandestine. They emit a beam 30 to 60 degrees wide, so definitely not a sound laser. They also have plenty of spill — operators standing behind the device always need to wear hearing protection.<br />
<br /><strong>Unwrap Your Tinfoil Hat</strong>One theory I haven’t seen passed around much is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_auditory_effect" target="_blank">microwave auditory effect</a>. This is a phenomenon where RF energy directed at a human head is converted to sound perceivable by the target. The first paper published about the effect was by Allan H. Frey in 1961. Frey worked at the General Electric advanced electronics center at Cornell University in NY.<br />
I should note that microwave here refers to the wavelength of the RF signal being transmitted. Microwaves include any signal from 1-meter wavelength (300 MHz) to 3mm wavelength (100 GHz)<br />
<figure class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_274346" style="width: 410px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-274346" data-attachment-id="274346" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="frey-1" data-large-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=634" data-medium-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=400&h=394" data-orig-file="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png" data-orig-size="775,764" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2017/09/25/cuban-embassy-attacks-and-the-microwave-auditory-effect/frey-1/" height="394" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" src="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=400&h=394" srcset="https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=400&h=394 400w, https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=250&h=246 250w, https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png?w=768&h=757 768w, https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/frey-1.png 775w" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Images from Frey’s paper</figcaption></figure> Frey’s article describes how test subjects were able to hear buzzing, clicking, hisses and even knocking when transmitters were pointed at their skulls. Strangely, some of the test subjects were partially deaf, and still were able to hear the microwave sounds. What’s more, subjects could feel the effects from the microwave beam. Depending on the transmitter settings, subjects felt “severe buffeting of the head”. Further transmitter changes resulted in subjects reporting “pins and needles” sensations.<br />
The purpose of the paper was to call attention to the phenomenon. Frey didn’t have the resources to completely explore the microwave auditory effect, so he wanted others to start working on it. It’s the scientific equivalent of saying “Hey, this is neat, you should check it out!”<br />
If you haven’t guessed yet, the power levels required to hear microwave sounds were rather high. Frey used several transmitters at different power levels. The transmitters were pulsed, like magnetrons, so while average power was low, peak power was high.<br />
As an example – the weakest transmitter Frey used was able to output a power density of 4 w/m² at 1310 Mhz. The peak power was 2670 w/m². The US guideline for human exposure at that frequency is 6.55 w/m². A different transmitter Frey used measured 71 w/m² at 425 MHz, with peaks at 2540 w/m². Compare this to the FCC guideline of 2 w/m² at that frequency.<br />
What exactly causes the RF energy to be converted to sound? The mechanism behind the microwave auditory effect has not been scientifically proven. The leading theory is pulsed RF energy heats the tissues of the inner ear, causing them to expand quickly. These expansions cause tiny shockwaves which are then interpreted as sounds by the brain.<br />
Frey noted that “one can shield, with 2-inch square piece of fly screen, a portion of the [temple] and completely cut off the RF sound.” Fly screen would be the fine metal grid used in screen doors. Frey may not have known it, but he was providing all the proof the tin-foil hat crowd needed.<br />
Of course, a technology like this can’t exist without someone trying to build a weapon out of it. In the early 2000’s, the US Navy funded research on Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio (MEDUSA). This was a “less lethal weapon” which would use the microwave auditory effect for crowd control. It utilized an electronically steered antenna which allowed it to transmit a wide or narrow RF beam. MEDUSA could even “spotlight” multiple targets simultaneously.<br />
MEDUSA never became a fieldable weapon. The initial results of the project were promising, but there were questions about its safety. At the high power levels used, could the micro shockwaves actually damage sensitive brain tissue? What about the RF exposure to sensitive neurons? The project was eventually canceled.<br />
Coming back to the present day, could the microwave auditory effect be at play in Cuba? It’s quite possible. The technology is definitely there – the effect has been demonstrated with 1960’s era transmitters. With sufficient power and a narrow beam antenna, the attackers wouldn’t even need to be in the same room or building as their targets. Power levels high enough to be audible or even cause pain might also cause dizziness, nausea, and even traumatic brain injury. All we can do is wait for the results of the current investigations, and keep a tin foil hat handy.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-77315028476194364922017-04-08T12:37:00.000-04:002017-04-08T12:37:54.343-04:00IgnoranceDefense of Ignorance (this american life show)<br />
<a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/585/transcript">https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/585/transcript</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=1&wdqb=chongxi#">https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=1&wdqb=chongxi#</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">It's been three years now since Nainai was first diagnosed. Little Nainai is certain her big sister is still alive because of her decision to lie to her, because we gave Nainai joy instead of worry. My mom told me about an old Chinese belief called chongxi. Chong means to rinse out, and xi is joy. So chongxi is the belief that you can wash away a misfortune with joy.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-43353240931158572012017-03-31T17:43:00.000-04:002017-04-01T21:57:44.742-04:00Remembering vs Recognition and LearningThis is great. I wish I knew this earlier.<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU-zDU6aQ0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU-zDU6aQ0</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IlU-zDU6aQ0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
If you don't have a lot of time this is the short version:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts&t=7s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts&t=7s</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_f-qkGJBPts" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-53826930197343615822017-02-27T17:52:00.000-05:002017-02-27T17:52:07.881-05:00Anger Management and Phone BillsPhone bills are a constant source of annoyance, but this is an extreme reaction in any book:<br /><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/12/verizon_customer_shoots_phone.html">http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/12/verizon_customer_shoots_phone.html</a><br /><br />Verizon customer shoots phone over $3,300 data charge<br /><img height="157" src="http://image.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width620/img/plain_dealer_metro/photo/21783236-mmmain.jpg" width="200" /><br /><br />CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Verizon Wireless phone bill triggered so much rage within Robert Able that he ended his relationship with the company in a unique way.<br /><br />He shot his phone.<br /><br />"I was upset. I was really upset,'' Able said. "I have a few things going on, and it really hurt me.''<br /><br />He said he became so angry over the bill while talking to a Verizon customer service representative that he grabbed his shotgun and fired a round of birdshot into the phone outside of his home.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />"I told him that I'm done with this phone, and I grabbed my gun,'' he said. "I'm not proud of that. I'm not proud of it at all. I'm trying to work through some things, and this bill didn't help me.''<br /><br />Able, 72, of Graniteville, S.C., a tiny town in the western part of the state, was hit with $3,357.96 in overages for the month of October. The company said he used 234 gigabytes of data. That averages out to nearly 8 gigabytes per day, which is more than most people use in an entire month.<br /><a href="http://media.cleveland.com/plain_dealer_metro/photo/robertablejpg-3a38ad7c0c4b7f7b.jpg"><img height="153" src="http://image.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width380/img/plain_dealer_metro/photo/21783216-large.jpg" width="200" /></a>Robert AbleScreen shot with permission of WRDW <br /><br />He said he didn't use any of that, as he never goes over his plan of 12 gigabytes a month. He became so concerned that he even filed a report with the Aiken County Sheriff's Department, fearing he had been hacked.<br /><br />Able, a 14-year customer of Verizon, is among thousands of customers from New Hampshire to Arizona who have seen unexplained spikes in their data usage and in their phone bills since last summer.<br /><br />In fact, in September, customer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission jumped to 2,079, according to a <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/verizon_billing_issues_cause_l.html">Plain Dealer analysis.</a> By comparison, Verizon customers filed an average of 180 complaints in the first eight months of the year.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: red;">To file a complaint about your cell phone data use with the FCC<br />Online: <a href="https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us">https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us</a>By phone: 1-888-225-5322 (888-CALL-FCC)</span></blockquote>
___________________________________<br />It is unclear what has caused the overages, as some experts have pointed to billing glitches. Others have said new settings on apps for Android phones and iPhones this year caused many phones to use more data. In almost all cases, customers have said that they have done nothing different as far as usage. Many have seen small monthly overages, ranging from $10 to $15. Others have been hit with overages of $1,500 or more.<br /><br />Some are shockingly high, including a Florida mother whom Verizon hit with a $9,100 phone bill. <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/09/verizon_agrees_to_drop_florida_1.html">The day after The Plain Dealer reported on her issue, Verizon forgave the bill.</a><br /><br />Reached about Able's case, a Verizon spokesman Thursday gave the same statement the company has repeated since September, that it has not found any wide-scale problems in dealing with customers' issues.<br /><br />Regardless, Able said he wants nothing to do with the company in the future.<br /><br />"My wife might want to use it, but not me,'' he said. "I'm done.''<br /><br />Able's issue involves data usage. Data is what cellphones use when not connected to Wi-Fi for everything besides calls and some text messages.<br /><br />If you use Facebook or Twitter and look up information on your phone for about 20 minutes a day, every day while not on Wi-Fi, then you will use about a gigabyte a month.<br /><br />To use 234 gigabytes in a month, which the company said Able did, a person would have to stream videos, use Facebook or Twitter and look up information on a cellphone for 86 hours a day for a month, or watch three hours of YouTube videos every day for a month.<br /><br />Able's story began in September with a trip to California when he and his wife, Francis, celebrated their 50th anniversary. They were gone a month, and he left his wireless jet pack at home. The electronic device provides Internet service to people through a cellular provider, instead of a cable business.<br /><br />The company attributed the data overages to the jet pack, a tiny device that is often a little smaller than a smartphone. A friend stayed at the home while the Ables were gone, and others also went to the house, according to the sheriff's report and interviews. The friend told Able he wasn't sure whether he had used the device. A jet pack requires a password for a person to gain access.<br /><br />While away, Able made a few calls on his cell phone and looked up some directions. Verizon called him Oct. 21 before he returned and told him that he had a bill that included more than $3,300 in overages. His entire bill, which included other past charges, reached $4,148.09. His usual monthly bill is about $260.<br /><br />"I can't afford a bill like this,'' he said in the sheriff's report, which was filed Nov. 29. He said he feared that the bill would ruin his credit rating.<br /><br />In the report, Able said he contacted the company 10 times to determine how he could get hit with such a high bill. Able, a Vietnam veteran, also said he suffers from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.<br /><br />Earlier this month, WRDW television station in Augusta, Georgia, <a href="http://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Verizon-Bill-fires-up-local-Vietnam-veteran-406103475.html">reported the story. </a>It said that a Verizon investigation into Able's usage "found the charges were valid.'' The company offered to cut more than $800 off Able's bill, bringing it to more than $2,400, after the station's story.<br /><br />He filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission this month. He said an official from the agency contacted him Wednesday and said the office is examining the complaint.<br /><br />The Verizon spokesman said the company sent Able dozens of texts, warning him of his data usage. Able said he rarely uses text messaging.<br /><br />"Despite the fact the charges on his account were valid, considering Mr. Able's circumstances, we felt that waiving the data charges completely and educating him about the tools to better manage his hotspot was the right thing to do,'' a Verizon spokesman said in a statement Thursday.<br /><br />While the amount for overages has disappeared, his feelings toward the company have not changed.<br /><br />"I wasn't going to pay,'' he said. "No sir. I'm an honest person. But I didn't do this.''<br /><br />To file a complaint with the FCC, go to: <a href="https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us">consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us</a><br /><br />Plain Dealer reporters Teresa Dixon Murray and Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this story.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-60885191087109903492017-02-14T18:34:00.002-05:002017-02-14T18:34:36.885-05:00Crypto Partycryptoparties on NPR<br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/allthttp://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/02/06/513705825/cryptoparties-teach-attendees-how-to-stay-anonymous-online">http://www.npr.org/sections/allthttp://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/02/06/513705825/cryptoparties-teach-attendees-how-to-stay-anonymous-online</a><br />
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by the way, there is one in Somerville - typically meets at least once a month<br />
https://www.cryptoparty.in/boston<br />
-----from the article:-----<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/125106005/privacy-security/">PRIVACY & SECURITY</a><br />
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Cryptoparties Teach Attendees How To Stay Anonymous Online<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<a href="https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2017/02/20170206_atc_cryptoparties_teach_attendees_how_to_stay_anonymous_online.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1049&d=265&p=2&story=513705825&t=progseg&e=513663570&seg=11&siteplayer=true&dl=1">Download</a><br />
February 6, 20174:30 PM ET<br />
Heard on <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/2017/02/06/513663570">All Things Considered</a><br />
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JON KALISH<br />
<img height="112" src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2017/02/06/istock-477385045_wide-34367692905d1febbefb1b6276685bd6b5a70a76-s1600-c85.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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Pixsooz/Getty Images/iStockphoto<br />
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Don't expect balloons and singing at a cryptoparty.<br />
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Attendees are interested in being a bit on the quieter side.<br />
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In an effort to foil corporations and governments collecting data, privacy advocates and political activists have been organizing cryptoparties since 2012, when the phenomenon <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/cryptoparty-goes-viral-314275">began in Australia</a>.<br />
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The people involved in organizing and promoting <a href="https://www.cryptoparty.in/">cryptoparties</a> say the presidential election spurred activists, journalists and everyday citizens to attend the get-togethers to learn how to anonymously use the Internet.<br />
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One such organizer is a 27-year-old graduate student known as False Mirror. As you might expect from someone who fears government snooping, he asked not to use his given name in order to protect his privacy.<br />
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"I think before the election, there was very little interest by most people about digital security," he said. "Even in activist spaces, people had very much an attitude of, 'Well, I'm not hiding anything' and 'The cops can see me sharing cat memes or whatever.' "<br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/03/504130977/a-year-after-san-bernardino-and-apple-fbi-where-are-we-on-encryption"><img height="200" src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/12/02/gettyimages-597888988_sq-6cbb84f17940712916678322527341e28575f808-s700-c85.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/">ALL TECH CONSIDERED</a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/03/504130977/a-year-after-san-bernardino-and-apple-fbi-where-are-we-on-encryption">A Year After San Bernardino And Apple-FBI, Where Are We On Encryption?</a><br />
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People did not really value their privacy, he said.<br />
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But that might be changing.<br />
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<a href="https://medium.com/@geminiimatt">Matt Mitchell</a>, a security researcher who runs a monthly cryptoparty in Harlem, teaches people about so-called circumvention technologies.<br />
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"Anything from the <a href="https://whispersystems.org/">Signal app</a>, which allows you to use data instead of cell towers to make voice calls and send text messages, to <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/05/25/315821415/going-dark-the-internet-behind-the-internet">Tor browser</a>, which allows you to browse the Internet and no one know that it's you," Mitchell said. "They don't know where you are; they don't know who you are."<br />
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At the office of Verso Books in Brooklyn, about 100 people turned out for a recent cryptoparty. One of the presenters was Harlo Holmes, the director of newsroom digital security for the <a href="https://freedom.press/">Freedom of the Press Foundation</a>, a nonprofit dedicated to defending public interest journalism.<br />
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"Cryptoparties have always been a kind of refuge for people who need to take control of what they use," she said.<br />
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Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops. At this gathering, groups of 10 to 20 people sat in circles to focus on such areas as dating apps and encrypted email.<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/01/11/503159694/blockchain-could-be-a-force-for-good-but-first-you-have-to-understand-it"><img height="200" src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/11/23/gettyimages-585092871_sq-ebf9ba84c766b6c10753387366cd59fd6d0b6227-s700-c85.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/">GOATS AND SODA</a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/01/11/503159694/blockchain-could-be-a-force-for-good-but-first-you-have-to-understand-it">Blockchain Could Be A Force For Good. But First You Have To Understand It</a><br />
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Bex Hurwitz led a group discussing contacts kept on smartphones.<br />
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"One thing that we might think about is how much information is stored on the phone itself," Hurwitz said. "Make a smaller digital trail behind us, and keep a smaller digital pile in our pockets. It's also possible to store data about contacts somewhere off your phone."<br />
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Another Brooklyn crypto gathering took place at an anarchist community center filled with funky furnishings and posters for various left-wing causes.<br />
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Members of the NYC Crypto Squad met to organize a rather analog project — a zine focused on crypto issues.<br />
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Amy Ciavolino was one of the two female software engineers in attendance who created a new website called <a href="http://cutealism.com/fight/">"So We Hear You Want to Fight the State?"</a> The site offers tutorials on password managers, and alternative search engine and phone passcodes, which they says is handy if you don't want the cops to know about your anarcho-syndicalist knitting group.<br />
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"With the election, there's a lot more people thinking about activism and security around that," Ciavolino said. "And a lot of the tutorials and things are not friendly. They're kind of hard to consume. So we wanted to make one that was friendly and fun."<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/05/219367716/reports-nsa-has-keys-to-most-internet-encryption"><img height="200" src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/09/05/96263974_sq-760afc597899e4a08fca310f1b2ebcfbd5e20c55-s700-c85.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/">THE TWO-WAY</a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/05/219367716/reports-nsa-has-keys-to-most-internet-encryption">Reports: NSA Has Keys To Most Internet Encryption</a><br />
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Mitchell said both <a href="https://crypto.christmas/">the tools</a> and attitudes surrounding these crypto issues are evolving.<br />
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"I never thought I'd see a day where there'd be a security section of your phone," he said. "I never thought there'd be a day where it's an encrypt area of your phone, a privacy section of your phone. But people started asking for it after a lot of news stories, after a lot of revelations."<br />
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Some in law enforcement, including <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/01/468599364/fbi-chief-tells-congress-encryption-is-creating-warrant-proof-devices">FBI Director James Comey</a>, have raised concerns about strong encryption. Comey says it will hurt public safety, particularly in the battle against ISIS, whose operatives, he says, increasingly use encrypted messaging apps.<br />
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These issues of privacy and security are likely to be debated at a cryptoparty near you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-33193772933286518132017-01-21T11:31:00.001-05:002017-01-21T11:31:15.015-05:00deliberate practice <br /><br />get better at what you do, with deliberate practice, now that the benefits of such are actually being measured...<br /><br />The Myth and Magic of Deliberate Practiceby James Clear<br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2RlbGliZXJhdGUtcHJhY3RpY2UtbXl0aD9fX3M9ejNkZ2huc3FwZnJ3ZjNrMmJ6YmIifQ">Read this on JamesClear.com</a><br /><br />Joe DiMaggio was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. A three-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award, DiMaggio was selected to the Major League All-Star team in each of his thirteen seasons. He is best known for his remarkable hitting streak during the 1941 season when he recorded a hit in fifty-six consecutive games—a record that still stands more than seventy-five years later.<br /><br />I recently heard a little-known story about how DiMaggio acquired his exceptional ability.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhIyGC1_XIhyphenhyphenGL4oIwOt34BqIm0w1UzmiYMoPyzQa6tcZa8l7ab6lNJmXzNpobdR3qd5m-xQZKVLre_3ACrF3QsI8zHB7JA1bFQ75GoM96gOwPKxWURp96sBJL8uQREpefGBETDGAESSp4Sca2zJd1KjnHJR6ROm73Ueb7mIPfjnJb6H45YojjdhIQZKQdWJk997T2tzrVe6Z1hRwrlEQFK75rWi7wFMg0qCn3TNfFE=s0-d-e1-ft" /><br />Joe DiMaggio in 1939. Published by Bowman Gum for Play Ball Cards.<br /><br />As the story goes, a journalist was interviewing DiMaggio at his home and asked him what it felt like to be such a “natural hitter.” Without saying a word, he dragged the reporter downstairs. In the shadows of the basement, DiMaggio picked up a bat and began to repeat a series of practice swings. Before each swing, he would call out a particular pitch such as “fastball, low and away” or “slider, inside” and adjust his approach accordingly.<br /><br />Once he finished the routine, DiMaggio set the bat down, picked up a piece of chalk, and scratched a tally mark on the wall. Then he flicked on the lights to reveal thousands of tally marks covering the basement walls. Supposedly, DiMaggio then looked at the journalist and said, “Don’t you ever tell me that I’m a natural hitter again.” [1]<br /><br />We love stories like this—stories that highlight how remarkable success is the product of effort and perseverance. In recent years, the study of hard work has developed into a scientific pursuit. Experts have begun to refer to focused and effortful training as “deliberate practice” and it is widely considered to be the recipe for success.<br /><br />There is no doubt that deliberate practice can be the recipe for success, but only under certain conditions. If we are serious about maximizing our potential, then we need to know when deliberate practice makes the difference between success and failure and when it doesn’t. Before we can capture the power of deliberate practice, we need to understand its limitations.<br />The Vision of Greatness<br /><br />In the early 1990s, a man named Louis Rosenbaum began analyzing the eyesight of Major League baseball players. He soon found out that professional baseball players were nothing like the normal person when it came to vision.<br /><br />According to Rosenbaum’s research, the average eyesight of a Major League position player is 20/11. In other words, the typical professional baseball player can read letters from twenty feet away that a normal person can only read from eleven feet away. Ted Williams, who is widely regarded as the greatest hitter in the baseball history, reportedly had 20/10 vision when he was tested by the military during WWII. The anatomical limit for human vision is 20/8.<br /><br />Most of Rosenbaum’s research was conducted on the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. According to him, “Half of the guys on the Dodgers’ Major League roster were 20/10 uncorrected.” [2]<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh9ZZ7c3JCCb_ylq1voYN6Mf-7Ze9wHqa1Y6054WbID5cI2LxH319vCCcrRCotRVYLNWW8uXPRn614oCP7nBON7GdJPGgMBLxBiLi8aglvwcSb5zTVlsx-u8CEgJNUFz86Rea4GYnQ89CKc5WT77Nimn-icgd8PPoWepMHGt2u04bz9ri7oPUt2mfeqSVvmHIOi_SwAZ9d0xLQDM2XskwubkMH2clZg-MMC-CGunvcS=s0-d-e1-ft" /><br /><br />Eyesight and visual acuity results of professional baseball players from 1993 to 1995. The data above includes both minor league and major league players. (Source: American Journal of Ophthalmology. November 1996.)<br /><br />In his excellent book, <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">The Sports Gene</a>, author David Epstein explains that this visual trend holds true at each level of the sport. On average, Major League players have better vision than minor league players who have better vision than college players who have better vision than the general population. [3]<br /><br />If you want to play professional baseball, it helps to practice like DiMaggio, but you also need eyesight like an eagle. In highly competitive fields, deliberate practice is often necessary, but not sufficient for success.<br />The Deliberate Practice Myth<br /><br />The myth of deliberate practice is that you can fashion yourself into anything with enough work and effort. While human beings do possess a remarkable ability to develop their skills, there are limits to how far any individual can go. Your genes set a boundary around what is possible.<br /><br />In recent decades, behavioral geneticists have discovered that our genes impact nearly every human trait. We are not merely talking about physical characteristics like height and eyesight, but mental abilities as well. Your genes impact everything from your short-term memory abilities to your mental processing speed to your willingness to practice.<br /><br />One of my favorite examples is tennis great Steffi Graf. When she was tested against other elite tennis players as a teenager, she not only scored the highest on physical attributes like lung capacity and motor skills, but also on competitive desire. She was that once-in-a-generation talent who was both the most-gifted and the most-driven person on the court. [4]<br /><br />During a conversation I had with Robert Plomin, one of the top behavioral geneticists in the world, he said, “It is now at the point where we have stopped testing to see if traits have a genetic component because we literally can’t find a single one that isn’t influenced by our genes.”<br /><br />How big is the influence of genes on performance? It’s hard to say. Some researchers have estimated that our genes account for between 25 percent to 35 percent of our differences in performance. Obviously, that number can vary wildly depending on the field you’re studying.<br /><br />So where does this leave us?<br /><br />Well, while genetics influence performance, they do not determine performance. Do not confuse destiny with opportunity. Genes provide opportunity. They do not determine our destiny. It’s similar to a game of cards. You have a better opportunity if you are dealt a better hand, but you also need to play the hand well to win.<br />Layer Your Skills<br /><br />How do we play our hand well? How do we maximize our genetic potential in life—whatever that might be? One strategy is to “layer your skills” on top of one another.<br /><br />Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, explains the strategy perfectly. He writes, “Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.” [5]<br /><br />If you can’t win by being better, then win by being different. By combining your skills, you reduce the level of competition, which makes it much easier to stand out regardless of your natural abilities.<br />The Magic of Deliberate Practice<br /><br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3N1bi10enUtaGFiaXRzP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">Sun Tzu</a>, the legendary military strategist who wrote <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLWFydC1vZi13YXI_X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">The Art of War</a>, believed in only fighting battles where the odds were in his favor. He wrote, “In war, the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.”<br /><br />Similarly, we should seek to fight battles where the genetic odds are in our favor. It is impossible to try everything in life. Each of us could become any one of a billion different things. Thus, if you aspire to maximize your success, then you should train hard and practice deliberately in areas where the genetic odds are in your favor (or where you can overlap your skills in a compelling way).<br /><br />Deliberate practice is necessary for success, but it is not sufficient. The people at the top of any competitive field are both well-suited and well-trained. To maximize your potential, you need to not only engage in consistent and purposeful practice, but also to align your ambitions with your natural abilities.<br /><br />Regardless of where we choose to apply ourselves, deliberate practice can help us maximize our potential—no matter what cards we were dealt. That is the magic of deliberate practice. It turns potential into reality.<br /><br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL3NoYXJlci9zaGFyZXIucGhwP3U9aHR0cCUzQS8vamFtZXNjbGVhci5jb20vZGVsaWJlcmF0ZS1wcmFjdGljZS1teXRoXHUwMDI2X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">Share on Facebook</a> | <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9ob21lP3N0YXR1cz1UaGUlMjBNeXRoJTIwYW5kJTIwTWFnaWMlMjBvZiUyMERlbGliZXJhdGUlMjBQcmFjdGljZSUyMGJ5JTIwJTQwamFtZXNfY2xlYXIlMjBodHRwJTNBLy9qYW1lc2NsZWFyLmNvbS9kZWxpYmVyYXRlLXByYWN0aWNlLW15dGhcdTAwMjZfX3M9ejNkZ2huc3FwZnJ3ZjNrMmJ6YmIifQ">Share on Twitter</a><br /> FOOTNOTES<br /><br />I first heard this story from Darin Van Tassell at Georgia Southern University, who either coached with Joe DiMaggio or knew someone who did. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the story beyond that.<br /><br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">The Sports Gene</a> by David Epstein. Page 40.<br /><br />During my research I discovered a variety of organizations that test professional athletes. A physician named Bill Harrison runs one of them. Harrison began testing athletes in the 1970s and claims that out of the thousands of baseball players he tested, Barry Bonds scored higher on visual tests than anyone else. Interestingly, these tests were conducted back in 1986, long before Bonds became the all-time leader in home runs and suffered his notorious scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs.<br /><br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">The Sports Gene</a> by David Epstein. Page 46.<br /><br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2RpbGJlcnRibG9nLnR5cGVwYWQuY29tL3RoZV9kaWxiZXJ0X2Jsb2cvMjAwNy8wNy9jYXJlZXItYWR2aWNlLmh0bWw_X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">Career Advice</a> by Scott Adams.<br />Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this email, please forward it to a friend and tell them they can join my free newsletter at <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXI_X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">jamesclear.com/newsletter</a> <br /><br />More by James Clear<br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2FydGljbGVzP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">My best articles</a>: Browse my best writing by category and title.<br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jlc3QtYm9va3M_X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">My reading list</a>: 100+ good books to read across a wide range of topics.<br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2RyaXAubGEvYy9leUpoWTJOdmRXNTBYMmxrSWpvaU1qWTJPREkzTlNJc0luUnlhV2RuWlhKZmFXUWlPaUkxTURRMk56VTRNU0lzSW5WeWJDSTZJbWgwZEhBNkx5OXFZVzFsYzJOc1pXRnlMbU52YlM5elpXMXBibUZ5Y3k5b1lXSnBkSE1pZlE_ZT1hc2tzaHVrb25nJTQwZ21haWwuY29tXHUwMDI2X19zPXozZGdobnNxcGZyd2YzazJiemJiIn0">The Habits Seminar</a>: My best-selling course on habits and human behavior.As always, you can follow my adventures on <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2ZhY2Vib29rLmNvbS9qYW1lc2NsZWFyP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tL2phbWVzX2NsZWFyP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2luc3RhZ3JhbS5jb20vamFtZXNfY2xlYXIvP19fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">Instagram</a>.<br /><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMDk4MjQ3IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ2V0ZHJpcC5jb20vc3Vic2NyaWJlcnMvejNkZ2huc3FwZnJ3ZjNrMmJ6YmIvdW5zdWJzY3JpYmU_YnJvYWRjYXN0PTc1MTMyOTAzXHUwMDI2ZD00b3BrcHBmOHh6bzM2YmpvdHFtc1x1MDAyNmV4Y2x1ZGVfY2xpY2s9MVx1MDAyNl9fcz16M2RnaG5zcXBmcndmM2syYnpiYiJ9">Un-subscribe from these emails.</a><br /><br />PO Box 1231, Westerville, OH, USA 43086<br /><br />Enjoy this email? Forward it to a friend or <a href="mailto:?subject=Check+out+James+Clear&body=I+get+this+newsletter+each+week+and+I+think+you+will+really+enjoy+it+too:+http://jamesclear.com&__s=z3dghnsqpfrwf3k2bzbb">click here to send them a quick email</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-52984113864255002582017-01-15T11:53:00.000-05:002017-01-15T11:54:14.979-05:00News, fake and realNews.<br />
Fake and real, how to tell?<br />
<a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/10-investigative-reporting-outlets-to-follow/">http://billmoyers.com/story/10-investigative-reporting-outlets-to-follow/</a><br />
<br />
List below, from Moyers:<br />
<div>
<a name='more'></a><blockquote class="tr_bq">
We’ve just started a <a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/new-series-digging-deeper-investigative-reports/">new series</a> highlighting some of the best, in-depth investigative journalism that is uncovering real news, revealing wrongdoing and fomenting change. As a compendium, here are 10 investigative reporting outlets that are worth following if they’re not already on your radar. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1. ProPublica — Founded 10 years ago by a former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/">ProPublica</a> is a nonprofit investigative news site based in New York City. In 2010 ProPublica was the first online publication to win a Pulitzer Prize and has earned two more since, as well as a long list of other prestigious awards.<br />
2. The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) — An early player in the nonprofit investigative space, <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/">CPI</a> has been around for close to 30 years. Its reporters have won dozens of journalism awards, including a Pulitzer in 2014, for its investigations of money in politics, national security, health care reform, business and the environment.<br />
3. The Center For Investigative Reporting (CIR) — Founded 40 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area, CIR is a nonprofit that has partnered for years with other outlets to reach a wide audience in print, on television, on radio and online. It collaborates with PRX Radio to produce Reveal, the investigative radio program and podcast. The <a href="https://www.revealnews.org/">Reveal website</a> is now home to all of CIRs investigative content.<br />
4. Frontline — Launched more than 30 years ago, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/">Frontline</a> is television’s most consistent and respected investigative documentary program. Its documentaries are broadcast on PBS and are available online, along with original reporting.<br />
5. Mother Jones — <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/">Mother Jones</a>, founded in 1976, is a reader-supported, nonprofit news organization headquartered in San Francisco with bureaus in Washington, DC and New York City. The site includes <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/topics/investigations">investigative reporting</a> as well as general reporting on topics including politics, climate change and education.<br />
6. The Intercept — <a href="https://theintercept.com/">The Intercept</a> is a news organization launched in 2014 by legal and political journalist Glenn Greenwald, investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras.<br />
7. Real Clear Investigations — <a href="http://www.realclearinvestigations.com/">Real Clear Investigations</a>, which launched last fall, is the new nonprofit, investigative arm of Real Clear Politics. It is mostly an aggregator of investigative reporting, but has also begun conducting original investigations.<br />
8. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — <a href="https://www.icij.org/">ICIJ</a> is a nonprofit offshoot of the Center for Public Integrity that began 20 years ago. It is a global network of more than 190 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries who work together to investigate cross-border issues including crime, corruption and abuse of power.<br />
9. Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) — <a href="http://www.ire.org/">IRE</a> is a grass-roots, nonprofit, membership organization that has been providing tips, training and conferences for investigative reporters since 1975. Its blog, <a href="http://www.ire.org/blog/extra-extra/">Extra! Extra!</a> showcases a wide variety of watchdog journalism.<br />
10. BuzzFeed — Whatever you think about its decision to release the Trump dossier earlier this week (journalists are <a href="http://www.cjr.org/criticism/buzzfeed_trump_russia_memos.php">divided</a> in their opinions), BuzzFeed has a growing investigative team and body of work worth attention, but it’s not always easy to find on the site. If you want to know what the team is up to you can follow its editor, Mark Schoofs, <a href="https://twitter.com/Schoofsfeed">@Schoofsfeed</a> on Twitter.</blockquote>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-6395686266274478072017-01-11T18:17:00.000-05:002017-01-11T18:23:15.759-05:00HackProof YourselfHint: it's not by using 30-character alpahnumeric+symbols passwords.<br />
<br />
First - low tech, highly effective:<br />
<a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/922376/community-college-student-admits-role-in-hacking-top-u-s-officials.html">https://www.abqjournal.com/922376/community-college-student-admits-role-in-hacking-top-u-s-officials.html</a><br />
<br />
Both Forbes articles are well worth reading:<br />
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/7-ways-to-make-yourself-hack-proof/#6fbb09d5647d">http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/7-ways-to-make-yourself-hack-proof/#6fbb09d5647d</a><br />
<br />
and<br />
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/be-prepared-the-top-social-engineering-scams-of-2017/#6cbb3621064f">http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/be-prepared-the-top-social-engineering-scams-of-2017/#6cbb3621064f</a><br />
<br />
7 Ways To Make Yourself Hack-Proof<br />
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/"></a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/">Laura Shin</a>, <br />
CONTRIBUTOR<br />
<br />
This is one half of a two-part story. Read the related article, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/be-prepared-the-top-social-engineering-scams-of-2017/">Be Prepared: The Top 'Social Engineering' Scams of 2017</a>.<br />
<br />
The Little Red Riding Hood version of the current trend in hackings goes something like this:<br />
<br />
Victim, looking at a hacker who they expected to be an unsociable computer nerd: "Hacker, what good people skills you have!"<br />
<br />
Hacker: "The better to access your accounts with."<br />
<br />
Nowadays, computer skills are not the only job requirement for hackers. Many attacks simply involve persuading unwitting targets or company employees or customer service agents to open the doors for them into accounts of all kinds -- email, bank accounts, and even <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/20/hackers-have-stolen-millions-of-dollars-in-bitcoin-using-only-phone-numbers/#3f3d90a022db">phone numbers</a>, from which they reset passwords to the victim's email and financial institution, etc.<br />
<br />
Chris Hadnagy, chief human hacker of <a href="https://www.social-engineer.com/">Social Engineer</a>, which educates companies on not falling victim to social engineering attacks, says, "When we talk to consumers or business people, they say, 'I would never fall for those things.' They don’t believe it till it happens to them."<br />
<br />
But social engineering is now used in <a href="http://www.social-engineer.org/social-engineering/social-engineering-infographic/">66% of all attacks</a>, and in the company's own tests, 90% of people they've tested offer up the spellings of their name and email address without confirming the identity of the person making the request, and 67% do the same with Social Security Numbers, birthdates and employee numbers.<br />
<br />
While in the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/be-prepared-the-top-social-engineering-scams-of-2017/">related article</a>, I cover the current top three social engineering scams, the hackers are opportunistic and constantly changing tactics. For instance, many of them exploit natural disasters. "If there’s a tsunami, hurricane or an accident, within hours, you can pick up on scams that are impersonating charity organizations, trying to take collections from people," says Michele Fincher, chief operating officer of Social Engineer.<br />
Recommended by Forbes<br />
<br />
<img src="http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/543649063/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" height="133" width="200" /><br />
<br />
Similarly, when Target was breached, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/10/news/companies/target-hacking/">compromising up to 110 million customers</a>, Target offered those customers free credit monitoring via email. The hackers caught on and "<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/20/pf/target-emails/">they started sending emails</a> to all the Target customers saying, 'Hey, don’t forget to sign up for your credit monitoring here. Download it here,'" says Hadnagy. "And why wouldn’t someone trust it? It was branded from Target and looked the same."<br />
<br />
Fincher also says that they take their time and do their homework: "If they’re interested in you as an individual, they find out what motivates you." Then they try to contact you in a way that will elicit an emotional rather than a rational response -- by making you angry or curious or frightened, or putting you in another emotional state that would lead you to let down your guard.<br />
<br />
So, while it's very good internet hygiene to use random, unique passwords at every site and to make sure your email addresses and phone numbers are not connected to each other or that your public phone numbers and email addresses are not connected to your most sensitive accounts (follow the instructions in <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/21/hackers-are-hijacking-phone-numbers-and-breaking-into-email-and-bank-accounts-how-to-protect-yourself/#15f8446d6d17">this article</a> to learn how), you should also employ other, less technical behaviors to secure your accounts.<br />
<br />
1. Never give out information by clicking a link or when someone calls you.<br />
<br />
For example, if you'd been a Target customer whose account was compromised and received an email inviting you to sign up for free credit monitoring, you would avoid clicking the link you received in your email and instead go straight to the Target website. Or, with the IRS scam outlined in the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/01/04/be-prepared-the-top-social-engineering-scams-of-2017/">related story</a>, "If the IRS says you’re late and owe this money, get the account number, and call the IRS back and ask, Is this real? Do I really owe money or not? It takes longer, which is why people don’t do it, but it's worth it to take the time to make the call," says Hadnagy. The most important step is to verify that the person or organization you are speaking with truly is who they claim to be.<br />
<br />
2. Beware of any messages that elicit an emotional response.<br />
<br />
"If a message makes you extremely emotional in good or bad ways, or very interested, that’s something to give you pause," Fincher says. "If you’re into animals or children’s causes or sports, or if you want a kind of car, these are things that will make us react and unfortunately, those are the things malicious attackers take advantage of," says Fincher.<br />
<br />
For instance, in a <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/23/dont-fall-for-this-christmas-scam/">scam tied to the holiday season</a>, hackers were luring victims by offering them discounts to items they had placed on their Amazon wish list.<br />
<br />
3. Don't put anything on social media or online that you wouldn't want hackers to know.<br />
<br />
"We’re not anti-social media, but usually we’ll tell people, 'You need better critical thinking,'" says Hadnagy. "If you’re willing to use FourSquare, then you need to be aware your geolocation is not private. Don’t assume that just because you’re you that people aren’t looking at your Facebook."<br />
<br />
Whatever you put on Facebook, especially if it's set to public (although even private posts could easily be screenshot or copied by any of your Facebook friends or anyone who has hacked their account), assume that it is now public knowledge. So if someone sends you an email or calls you and seems to know a lot about you, it may simply be because they've read your Facebook posts.<br />
<br />
The same goes for Twitter, LinkedIn,Instagram, FourSquare, Google Plus, Tumblr, etc. (Read <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/20/hackers-have-stolen-millions-of-dollars-in-bitcoin-using-only-phone-numbers/#596370a22db6">this story</a> for a more detailed description on the ways the information from various social media accounts can be used by a hacker to convince a customer service rep that they are you.)<br />
<br />
Just as individuals do, companies need to be careful about what information they disclose about themselves. "Companies have a hard balance to strike, because they have to be transparent," says Fincher. "They have to be able to communicate with their clients, business partners and investors, so they have to strike this balance between 'these are all the great things we’re doing', vs. 'what information are we putting out there that an attacker can use to get in the organization.'" So if a company announces it is going to partner with a great software developer, that is also information an attacker can use to social engineer a hack into the company's systems.<br />
<br />
4. Know what information about you is available in public records.<br />
<br />
Although what is public record varies state by state, a hacker may be able to glean from public databases your home address via property records, your marital status, traffic tickets, the vehicle identification number (VIN) to your car and more.<br />
<br />
"If I find a traffic ticket issued to you or maybe you sold a car, and I have a VIN number, and I could reference all that in an email to you that looks really convincing," says Fincher.<br />
<br />
5. Google yourself.<br />
<br />
"People say, 'I don’t want to Google myself because it seems self-absorbed,' but I think doing that is really important because it gives you a sense of what is out there that you may not even know is out there," says Fincher.<br />
<br />
After following this tip from Social Engineering, some people realized that others had talked about them on a forum, or found out their personal information had been breached because they saw their information on Pastebin, says Hadnagy.<br />
<br />
Also be aware that some sites such as Spokeo specialize in data aggregation on individuals, compiled from both free and paid databases. "You can request to have your information removed, but once you plug up one hole, there's going to be another one," says Fincher.<br />
<br />
6. Keep tabs on what your friends and family might post about you.<br />
<br />
"You could be the most locked down person in the world, but your mom might not be," says Fincher. "If your mom posts about you or tags you in photos or if someone has a wedding and announces who attended -- there are so many different ways. Trying to plug up some of those holes is reasonable but it’s not your only solution."<br />
<br />
7. Any information you use to identify yourself for any account should not be available anywhere online.<br />
<br />
"If you’re silly enough to use your pet’s name as a password," says Hadnagy, "your pet’s name should never be online." Ditto with answers to security questions. If your password includes your wedding anniversary, never make that date public -- or even available as private information to your Facebook friends. <br />
<br />
Sometimes people fill out lists of questions on Facebook, such as "Tell us about your SENIOR year of high school!" (This is an actual post I saw last week.) This one then asked questions such as what year they graduated, what kind of car they drove (first make and model of car is a common security question) and their high school mascot (another common security question).<br />
<br />
But you don't even need to publicly state your high school mascot -- if you've posted the name of your high school on LinkedIn or Facebook, the answer to that security question is a quick Google search away.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476071.post-86157254119701029322016-12-23T11:29:00.000-05:002016-12-23T11:30:37.125-05:00Embassy staff in Oslo try Norwegian Christmas Specials <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=u%20embassy%20taste%20norwegian">https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=u%20embassy%20taste%20norwegian</a><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="463" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fusdos.norway%2Fvideos%2F10153360320277123%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0