Last Friday's CrowdStrike instigated outage is an example of what happens when you adopt a single point of failure for your infrastructure. One single problem takes down a whole lot of your infrastructure.
Given that Microsoft is about to force ads on us AS PART OF the operating system, and steal all of our data for Artificial Intelligence, I'm in the process of getting out from under Windows. I already use LibreOffice, for my office software. There is literally almost nothing I really need Windows for.
Last Wednesday, I reported (“Exit Strategy? Biden Tests Positive for COVID, Retreats to Delaware”) about the official reason given when Joe Biden abruptly canceled an event in Las Vegas. He was seen boarding Air Force One and hasn’t been seen in public since then. What happened instead was that on Sunday afternoon, the Biden campaign issued a statement from Biden stating that he was ending his reelection campaign and endorsing Kamala Harris.
I might be getting too old for that. Well that and standing for three straight hours. (I mean seriously, who sits down at a rock concert. Not this geezer.)
A bunch of photos from the concert, kind of in order, does that really matter?
This is the movie adaptation of H.G.Wells' novel. Considering it was made in 1936, the special effects are pretty amazing. The city of the future is what the most optimistic futurists could imagine.
It’s difficult for me to describe what’s on MSNBC except to say that there is zero skepticism being expressed toward the idea that Kamala Harris is eminently qualified — nay, perhaps uniquely qualified — to be President of the United States.
Mike Rowe and Gavin de Becker delve into the realities of excess mortality in America on this episode of The Way I Heard It. They explore critical issues surrounding unexpected deaths and examine the factors contributing to this concerning trend.
Son of Silvercon II was a lot of fun, even if we didn’t get the attendance we hoped for. Going to do a longer writeup on the Friends of Fission-chan blog later and link it up.
So now Iger and his board of yes-men cronies -- and his huge leftwing backers at BlackRock and Vanguard -- have Disney all to themselves, and don't have to fear any hostile takeovers and do not have to accede to any demand to put directors on the board who will actually stand up for the shareholders.
Was the Secret Service Agent-In Charge at the Trump rally where the Shot was Heard Around the World? What is their name and work hisotry? We should ahve heard by now…..
Meanwhile in security failure news after causing billions of dollars in damage worldwide, CrowdStrike has sent out $10 Uber Eats gift cards to its affected partners. (Tech Crunch)
No, there aren't any digits missing there. Yes, that will just about cover a medium fries from McDonalds.
The Virgin Islands is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Like being inside a picture postcard. I have never been to St. Croix, but I doubt is is less beautiful.
For the geographically challenged, The Virgin Islands is a group of Islands in the Carribean Sea just east, and a bit south, of Puerto Rico. The islands are divided between the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and the Spanish Virgin Islands. The USVI is a territory. (See the map, below.)
A preliminary investigation indicated that Ventura was in an argument with another man, and Ventura “made multiple threats to the male individual and his family,” according to the statement from police.
“While the male individual was in his vehicle with his family Mr. Ventura approached the vehicle on the passenger side window extending his arm into the vehicle with his other arm reaching for something at the rear of his waist. The male individual then shot Mr. Ventura in his upper chest,” according to police.
I'm not familiar with what the concealed carry laws are in the US Virgin Islands, but the police seem to be treating this as self-defense. The final determination will be made by the Attorney General's Office.
Dylan Browne, an Unreal Engine Supervisor and Feature Film VFX at the ModelFarm visual effects studio, posted on X that his company is experiencing a 50% failure rate for systems powered by Intel's Core i9-13900K and 14900K processors. As a result, the company is deploying AMD's as-yet-unreleased Zen 5 Ryzen 9 9950X processors in place of Intel-powered solutions.
There is apparently a TicTok video on the signs on one such beach.
The video is only the latest example of ongoing fights between owners of Malibu’s multimillion-dollar beachfront homes and beach visitors in the upscale coastal community of Los Angeles. Confrontations like these have become part of a broader pattern in California of wealthy homeowners living near California’s popular hikes, beaches and other natural attractions taking matters into their own hands to limit visitors. Last year, the California Coastal Commission penalized homeowners in Malibu who had spent the better part of four decades obscuring access to Escondido Beach. And in a separate incident posted to TikTok this week, a woman can be seen angrily roping off an area of Laguna Beach in front of her home and yelling at beachgoers to leave.
And as usual there is a homeowners association in the mix, and as we all know, homeowners associations are inherently evil.
“All beaches in California are public under the California Coastal Act. The line between public and private is the mean high tide line,” Matt Myerhoff, a spokesperson for the city of Malibu, wrote in an email to SFGATE. Guidelines posted to the city’s social media accounts this summer note that in addition to fully accessible beaches that have parking lots, bathrooms and staffed lifeguard towers, there are also “numerous public access paths to beaches that are between homes, where there are no bathrooms, trash containers, or lifeguards.”
The wealthy homeowners who bought property near those public access points don't like it. The city of Malibu cut down and confiscated signs posted by the state because "the state didn't get permits." It wasn't all because they hate the proles who dare take advantage of the public access.
Life is good when the rules get applied to everyone. Otherwise you don't live in a free society.
Border Czar? She was never the Border Czar. You made that up.
Since Biden ended his reelection bid on Sunday, as Matt Vespa says, there has been “a gaslighting operation, unlike anything we’ve seen, where the establishment media is re-writing history,” including the attempt to deny that Harris was ever appointed as Biden’s “border czar.” In fact, Harris “was tapped by President Biden to handle the migrant crisis” in March 2021 and while “border czar” was not her official title, it was widely used in media reports at the time.
Also Second City Cop notes that More Migrant Buses are headed for Chicago.
Just in time for the convention.
Interesting times? As Robert Stacy McCain points out...
Whatever the origins of the phrase may be, certainly we are now living in interesting times, although as Sarah Hoyt notes, bizarre and weird are suitable synonyms for “interesting.”
Trigg County, Kentucky is a somewhat rural county on the Kentucky/Tennessee state line. It is about an 80 mile drive northwest of Nashville, Tennessee.
Kentucky State Police say during the investigation they have found that the man killed in the shooting was armed with a weapon and had forced his way into a room before he was shot and killed by the homeowner.
Cops say everyone involved is in custody. That says to me that there was a driver or an accomplice. But that is all they are saying at this time.
Self-defense is a human right, and it seems to be your legal right in Kentucky.
There were two incidents of vandalism of cars, and then he assaulted an 80-year-old man, for the horrible crime of putting up Trump signs in his own yard.
In all three cases, victims displayed political yard signs for former president Donald Trump and law enforcement appreciation flags and stickers.
Someone called to confess, and asked police to “send someone to pick me up.”
Hancock police and deputies with the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the residence to find the man dead in an apparent suicide.
Deputies searched the home and retrieved electronic devices and found the ATV used in the incident as well as the clothing the suspect wore during the incident.
I'm guessing that he didn't think prison would agree with him, or that he would get caught. One article said that the cops had identified a suspect, but I don't know if that was before or after he called the police.
EBL: There is no real explanation other than they wanted Trump dead..., SECRET SERVICE FAIL and Director Kim Cheatle (Resign or be Fired), Why did the Secret Service fail so badly?
Baldilocks: Short Take, Never Let Them Get Away With It, The List, and Painting
CDR Salamander: Assassination Attempts, Spin, Accountability, & A Culture Of Untruth
Exit question: There’s a hidden message in Biden’s humiliating withdrawal letter that should terrify every American. And the shaming question: Who on earth is running the country?
Being a social media clout goblin is a fraught choice for a career path.
Home vet tips for the prepper cat owner.
94 year-old man finds and restores his dad's car.
CNN’s Van Jones broke into tears on Sunday as he delivered an emotional reaction to the news that President Joe Biden was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
The senior political commentator said he was heartbroken over the decision
2. The Biden resignation looks kinda like that video of the woman in Brazil who wheeled a corpse into the bank and tried to withdraw all his money.
Eugyppius. Joe Biden Out in Apparent Palace Coup
Transterrestrial Musings: The New Girl Disorder, The Democrat Party, The Weirdest Generation, Challenger, Commercial Space Conundrum, That’s A Shame, and Peace In Palestine
Victory Girls: Cheatle Resigns The Day After Her Brutal Committee Testimony
Southwest Airlines escaped the CrowdStrike debacle because they are still running Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. (Tom's Hardware)
One small problem with this story: It's complete bullshit. (Twitter)
ITEM 7: Sean Davis tweeted, “Secret Service director says the decision to leave the roof unguarded was deliberate, because it was unsafe to have snipers on a sloped roof.”
Stupid OSHA.
Dementia Joe’s America: Trump as Hitler. Democracy dying in darkness. – Victor Davis Hanson
Woke Britain: Senior Fellow in Mutilating Women. The fires of Leeds. And Paul Joseph Watson.
My intrepid Mercatus Center colleague, Veronique de Rugy, with an assist from Ryan Bourne, reminds us of Kamala Harris’s economic-policy ideas.
George Will counsels Democrats to hold an open convention.
After the call, one group that had promoted it in advance apologized to its members for having done so.
It Looks Like Kamala’s Call with Democrat Donors Was a Disaster
• Kamala Harris’ record on Israel to the left of President Biden Insider
• France’s Far-Right National Rally Has Lost the Battle, Not the War The UnPopulist
A collection of self-defense gun uses as collected by CPRC. Here's the first one they covered.
Deland, Florida, April 1, 2024 (WFTV.com)
Deputies responded to Dixie’s Gentlemen’s Club along US-17 near DeLand shortly before 2 a.m…
Detectives said Collins pulled a gun on another man outside the nightclub, and believe that man fired a shot at Collins’ vehicle in self-defense.
These are useful links to have access to, because the Left claims, with no data, that defensive gun use is a myth, even though there is plenty of data to show that it isn't. If you end up in one of those "discussions" you can supply this data, at which point the people on the Left will stop discussing and start in on the personal attacks.
A teacher is in critical condition after being stabbed in the neck by two Syrian migrants. The crime took place in the northern town of Wedel at the community’s Volkshochschule – an adult education center that also offers integration and professional language courses for refugees.
The attack occurred on July 19, sending a shockwave through the small community. As a 67-year-old lecturer was walking in the parking lot of the school, he was attacked by two Syrian brothers – both in their early 20s.
Police in Germany never relase much in the way in information, but it doesn't appear that they stabbed the math teacher. They just stabbed some random teacher because Math is Hard.
A guy on an ATV ran over a 80-year-old man in his own yard putting out Trump signs. First the guy on the ATV pulled the signs out of the ground. When the homeowner went to put them back in the ground, the guy on the ATV ran him down.
Police in Hancock, Michigan, have identified a person suspected of committing three different crimes targeting former President Donald Trump supporters, including running over an elderly man with an all-terrain vehicle.
Just before 6 p.m. Sunday, the suspect reportedly drove an ATV onto the yard of an 80-year-old man who was posting a political sign in his yard. According to a Facebook post by the Hancock Police Department, the ATV driver intended to do harm.
It seems strange whenever WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback is covering a year from the 21st century, but they were revisiting 2003 on Saturday. It has been more than 20 years, after all.
Dido's first 2 albums did very well in the UK, and I remember today's song (from the second album) being on the radio. She has collaborated with Eminem, and had a song nominated for an Academy Award. She has done well in the UK since those first two albums, but not so much in the US. I may have to see what is on those newer albums, because her music is so much better than the stuff being pushed by the American music industry.
This song is "White Flag" by Dido from her 2nd album, Life for Rent, which came out in 2003. It did well on the charts, and since radio was still very much a thing in 2003 we all heard quite a bit of it.
Now you will be asked to forget anything bad happened. The person "responsible" has resigned. What else do you want?
Cheatle, a 28-year veteran of the agency, faced mounting pressure to step down in recent days but insisted all along she would remain on the job. She announced her resignation in a letter to agency staffers on Tuesday morning.
There is a recap of everything that went wrong. But this comment was perhaps worst:
Among her baffling remarks was an admission to ABC News that the reason Secret Service agents weren’t posted on the roof from which Thomas Matthew Crooks fired on the rally crowd was because it was too “sloped,” creating an unacceptable “safety factor” for the agents.
Baffling because the roof in question had a slope of about 1 inch rise for every 12 inches of run. In other words you would be hard pressed to find a "sloped" roof closer to flat than the roof were Crook took his shot.
The first clue that something might be amiss inside my friend’s lake house came in the form of a large pile of bear crap on the stone steps leading down to the front door. I’ve had some experience with bear crap over the years, (feces from every species, in fact,) and immediately recognized this particular pile of scat as coming from a member of the Ursidae family.
Having written thousands of words on this subject — there’s a whole chapter in Donkey Cons about the damage that Democrats have inflicted on urban America — perhaps I mistakenly take it for granted that other people understand this problem as well as I do. But then I look at current trends and realize that white liberals continue to vote for Democrats who pursue the same path of destruction that made Coleman Young infamous.
The sheer level of lying drivel being spewed at us by our agitprop press and beloved rulers has reached dropped-on-head-as-infant levels of Soviet imbecility. Have you ever seen anything like it, here in the West. I haven't, this is a whole new stage of weirdness.
A robotic scout dog that cops can use to knock the various "Internet of Things" devices in your house offline in preparation for a SWAT raid sounds like something out of a Terminator sequel, but here we are.
At 9:44 AM, when Mission Control sent their wake up call to Collins, someone in Mission Control noted,"Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins is experiencing during this 47 minutes of each lunar revolution when he's behind the Moon with no one to talk to except his tape recorder aboard Columbia."
Several law enforcement officers on duty that day were informed over the radio that the president was dealing with an unspecified medical emergency. Far from a case of the sniffles, this was sent out on encrypted police airwaves as if something akin to a five-alarm fire had broken out.
Our sources estimate that it was “easily” hundreds of Las Vegas Metropolitan officers and employees who heard the broadcasts live, so a curious media shouldn’t have a problem reporting any follow-ups to this story.
Two guys broke into a home in San Fernando Valley. Police believe a 3rd guy stayed in the car.
A shooting investigation was underway in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Valley Village after a homeowner reportedly shot an intruder Monday and police were searching for two additional burglary suspects, authorities confirmed to KTLA.
One of the two home invaders was shot by the resident of the home. The other guy, and the driver, took off. The guy who got shot was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
The homeowner was also injured, but authorities have not said how, only that he was stable.
They dress as construction workers, or something that will let them blend in. They use WiFi jamming technology to disable security cameras.
Many residents are blaming local lawmakers for the increase in crime, citing a lack of serious consequences.
“It’s not really the fault of the police officers,” Godinez said. “’It’s the fault of the politicians. They are to blame.”
“It’s because the wrong people are in control of making laws that allow these people to break into homes and not suffer consequences,” another neighbor said.
Well, who elected those "wrong people?" And if you don't like the soft-on-crime policies from the city, county, and state, what are you doing to get those policies, and laws, changed?
Anti-gunners love to argue that no one needs more than 10 rounds. Well, tell that to the homeowner facing multiple attackers. Criminals don't play by the rules; they don't care about magazine limits. In a home invasion, Every, Single, Second, Counts, and the ability to defend yourself effectively shouldn't be restricted by some random number made up by a politician who has private security.
Some people she doesn't like are fans of The Lord of the Rings, so that franchise, the books, the movies, everything, must be Evil, with a capital "E." I wonder how the Leftists at Amazon who are currently destroying LotR feels about that.
While the MSNBC host appeared to try to draw a parallel between Narya, the venture capital firm, and “Aryan,” an archaic term that has been associated with far-right racial ideology, Narya is named after one of the rings of power in “The Lord of the Rings” lore, specifically the ring of fire bestowed to elven kings.
Next up, Maddow will claim that Narnia, the mythical realm from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is also evil. (It makes as much sense as anything else she is saying.)
Haken is an interesting Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal band out of England. I first became aware of them with the release of their 2020 Virus. They are often compared to Tool, but the two bands are quite different. Haken is not a copy of Tool, though both bands do not feel ties to playing everything in 4/4 time. I can't always decided if I like their music or not.
There have been many videos made, and articles written, about Kathleen Kennedy, Leslye Headland (former personal assistant to Harvey Weinstein) and their destruction of the Star Wars franchise. The one I've chosen to highlight notes one fact. As long as people have been telling stories, first around campfires, then in plays and novels, we have told stories about people, sometimes fantastic people, who stood up to adversity and became better than themselves. Stories meant to inspire us to be better.
In movies we had characters that we also looked up to. From Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) in The Maltese Falcon, to Zorro (the 1940 version is best) and Robin Hood and Geoffrey Thorpe from The Sea Hawk‡, right down to Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, or Wonder Woman. But today, all of the heroes have been destroyed.
Our heroes have been turned into bitter old men, who were never all that heroic in the first place. This isn't the anti-hero of the 1970s. Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, Paul Kersey (of the Death Wish movies) had some heroic characteristics. This is the erasure of heroism.
The Girl Boss has destroyed female example of excellence in another way. "You are perfect, just the way you are," is not really a life lesson, no matter how much the narcissists in Hollywood try to force it to be one. Characters like Rose Sayer in The African Queen, or Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter, and Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond (all played by Katherine Hepburn) showed us how to face adversity and keep striving to be better. Even Bunny Watson in Desk Set, a fairly dated comedy, had lessons to teach about what it important.
‡ The Sea Hawk is one of my favorite Errol Flynn movies. If you haven't seen it, I can recommend it highly. Also Captain Blood isn't bad. Both are swashbuckling adventures on the high seas, with a bit of romance added to the The Sea Hawk.
