User: schwit1

Also means catchers no longer influence the calls

On: A Computer Umpires Its First Pro Baseball Game

Today's better catchers have learned to influence calls by framing pitches or quickly moving the mitt back into the strike zone. No more. Next they need a pitch clock if there's no one on base.

The cost of doing business

On: Time Warner Cable Owes $229,500 To Woman It Would Not Stop Calling

They will just pass this cost and its legal costs onto the consumer. And then take both as an expense tax deduction.

Does increased diversity help stock value?

On: FB Reveals Woeful Diversity Numbers

For a public traded company management has a responsibility to maximize shareholder value, nothing more.

House bill would force the Supreme Court to enroll

On: Supreme Court Upholds Key Obamacare Subsidies

https://thehill.com/blogs/floo... Babin’s potential legislation would only let the federal government provide healthcare to the Supreme Court and its staff via ObamaCare exchanges.

“By eliminating their exemption from ObamaCare, they will see firsthand what the American people are forced to live with,” he added.

Opportunity Lost

On: Supreme Court Upholds Key Obamacare Subsidies

This article, mostly about the impending Supreme Court decision on whether individuals in states with no state-run health exchanges can receive federal health insurance subsidies, contained this significant little bit of information about the overall failure of Obamacare:

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia established state-based exchanges. But more than half of these exchanges are already inoperable or are facing budget shortfalls. Even after spending $4 billion in federal grants, the track records of state-based exchanges have been nothing short of calamitous. In fact, at least three state-based exchange efforts — Maryland, Oregon and Massachusetts — are now the subjects of federal investigations.

This astonishing track record bears repeating: Only 16 out of 50 states chose to create state health exchanges, even though the law stated that by not doing the citizens of the remaining 34 states would not get federal subsidies (the whole point of the Supreme Court case). Yet, of those 16 that did create exchanges, more than half have failed to work or have gone over budget, after wasting more than $4 billion in federal funds. On top of that, three are now under investigation.

Stop interconnecting systems

On: Car Hacking is 'Distressingly Easy'

Why should a hack of the navigation or audio system allow access to the braking system? Why hasn't the DOT mandated an air gap between critical vehicle operation systems(braking, acceleration, ignition, steering, transmission, etc) and all others.

Re:Near Miss Defined

On: Near Misses Lead To More Consumer Drone Legislation

What's the difference between a near miss and a near hit?

Result of no consequences for decision makers

On: Encryption Would Not Have Protected Secret Federal Data, Says DHS

An inspector general report last year had advised OPM to shut down many of its computer systems because they were running without sufficient security. The agency ignored that recommendation.

In the audit report published November 12, 2014, OIG found that 11 out of 47 computer systems operated by OPM did not have current security authorizations. Furthermore, the affected systems were “amongst the most critical and sensitive applications owned by the agency.” Two of the unauthorized systems are described in the report as “general support systems” which contained over 65 percent of all OPM computer applications. Two other unauthorized systems were owned by Federal Investigative Services, the organization which handles background investigations in connection with government security clearances. OIG warned bluntly, “any weaknesses in the information systems supporting this program office could potentially have national security implications.”

Because of the volume and sensitivity of the information involved, OIG recommended OPM “consider shutting down systems that do not have a current and valid Authorization.” But OPM declined, saying, “We agree that it is important to maintain up-to-date and valid ATOs for all systems but do not believe that this condition rises to the level of a Material Weakness.”

The head of OPM also claimed in recent House hearings that their failure to close these systems down was justified since the hackers were already in the system when the recommendation was made.

In other words, we didn’t do anything to make the system secure, and when hackers broke in it was further justification for not doing anything.

Yeah, let’s put our healthcare under their control also!

Privacy advocates from Facebook and Google?

On: Face Recognition Tech Pushes Legal Boundaries

The article says that "Privacy advocates and representatives from companies like Facebook and Google". I'm assuming this is extreme naivete or the writer is a shill for these companies. These are lobbyists looking out for Google and Facebook's profits, not your privacy.

It will be mandated as part of Obamatrade

On: Microsoft Research Paper Considers Serving Web-ads From Localhost

Paul Ryan will see to it. http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...

US corps will write it off on the taxes as a loss

On: US Tech Companies Expected To Lose More Than $35 Billion Over NSA Spying

How else are they going to pay zero taxes?

Latest Chrome and Firefox betas break websites

On: Chrome Beta Now Automatically Pauses Less Important Flash Content

If a website uses a weak ephemeral Diffie-Hellman key it will fail. https://www.schneier.com/blog/...

Re:Google Fiber

On: Why Americans Loathe Cable Companies

But this monopoly would be benevolent. Keep drinking the kool-aid

They laid off workers should have unionized

On: Disney Making Laid-Off US Tech Workers Train Foreign H1-B Replacements

If they did this as a group upon being notified of the layoff they could have negotiated a better severance package. It may also have gotten the NLRB involved.

This is what we get for $7.3B?

On: US Airport Screeners Missed 95% of Weapons, Explosives In Undercover Tests

In billions. Total=$61B
Departmental Operations 748,024
Analysis and Operations(A&O) 302,268
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) 145,457
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) 12,764,835
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) 5,359,065
Transportation Security Administration(TSA) 7,305,098
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 9,796,995
U.S. Secret Service (USSS) 1,895,905
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) 2,857,666
Office of Health Affairs (OHA) 125,767
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 12,496,517
FEMA: Grant Programs 2,225,469
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) 3,259,885
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) 259,595
Science &Technology Directorate (S&T) 1,071,818
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) 304,423

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/defa...

Re:Thanks Rand!

On: Patriot Act Spy Powers To Expire As Rand Paul Blocks USA Freedom Act Vote

Wyden just sold out on the TPP http://www.zerohedge.com/news/...

Re:Hillarhea! accomplishment outside who she marri

On: WSJ Crowdsources Investigation of Hillary Clinton Emails

I'm assuming you are being sarcastic.

1. 1. Getting elected senator from a state that is overwhelming democrat is an accomplish, really? What did she accomplish AS the carpet bag senator?
2. 2. Her being Sec of State was payback for supporting Obama's election.What did she accomplish AS Secretary of state besides getting an ambassador killed?
3. 3. Successful attorney of child rapists
4. 4. On HRC's commodities trading ... It is pretty obvious that Hillary had something better than luck. She had well-placed friends who wanted her to have $100,000. The likelihood of such a return on such an investment was close to lottery odds, twenty-four chances in a million.44 This was in a decade in which no speculator made more than $400 profit a day with one contract of cattle futures. Yet Hillary managed to make $5,300 a day. Such a return would have required her holding thirteen contracts, involving 232 tons of beef with a value of $280,000.

Re:Tolls?

On: Oregon Testing Pay-Per-Mile Driving Fee To Replace Gas Tax

Toll booths are evil. They require slowing down and track your movements.

Term limits. New faces mean new possibilities

On: The Demographic Future of America's Political Parties

The following is a list from rollcall.com of the Republicans in the U.S. Senate that have served for at least 20 years and the dates when they first took office ...
Orrin G. Hatch, Utah-Jan. 4, 1977 Thad Cochran, Miss.-Dec. 27, 1978 Charles E. Grassley, Iowa-Jan. 5, 1981 Mitch McConnell, Ky.-Jan. 3, 1985 Richard C. Shelby, Ala.-Jan. 6, 1987 John McCain, Ariz.-Jan. 6, 1987 James M. Inhofe, Okla.-Nov. 30, 1994

The following is a list from rollcall.com of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate that have served for at least 20 years and the dates when they first took office ...
Patrick J. Leahy, Vt.-Jan. 14, 1975 Barbara A. Mikulski, Md.-Jan. 6, 1987 Harry Reid, Nev.-Jan. 6, 1987 Dianne Feinstein, Calif.-Nov. 4, 1992 Barbara Boxer, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Patty Murray, Wash.-Jan. 5, 1993

The following is a list from rollcall.com of the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives that have served for at least 20 years and the dates when they first took office ...
Don Young, Alaska-March 6, 1973 Jim Sensenbrenner, Wis.-Jan. 15, 1979 Harold Rogers, Ky.-Jan. 5, 1981 Christopher H. Smith, N.J.-Jan. 5, 1981 Joe L. Barton, Texas Jan. 3, 1985 Lamar Smith, Texas Jan. 6, 1987 Fred Upton, Mich.-Jan. 6, 1987 John J. Duncan Jr., Tenn.-Nov. 8, 1988 Dana Rohrabacher, Calif.-Jan. 3, 1989 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Fla.-Aug. 29, 1989 John A. Boehner, Ohio-Jan. 3, 1991 Sam Johnson, Texas-May 18, 1991 Ken Calvert, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Robert W. Goodlatte, Va.-Jan. 5, 1993 Peter T. King, N.Y.-Jan. 5, 1993 John L. Mica, Fla.-Jan. 5, 1993 Ed Royce, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Frank D. Lucas, Okla.-May 10, 1994 Rodney Frelinghuysen, N.J.-Jan. 4, 1995 Walter B. Jones, N.C.-Jan. 4, 1995 Frank A. LoBiondo, N.J.-Jan. 4, 1995 Mac Thornberry, Texas-Jan. 4, 1995 Edward Whitfield, Ky.-Jan. 4, 1995

The following is a list from rollcall.com of the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives that have served for at least 20 years and the dates when they first took office ...
John Conyers Jr., Mich.-Jan. 4, 1965 Charles B. Rangel, N.Y.-Jan. 21, 1971 Steny H. Hoyer, Md.-May 19, 1981 Marcy Kaptur, Ohio-Jan. 3, 1983 Sander M. Levin, Mich.-Jan. 3, 1983 Peter J. Visclosky, Ind.-Jan. 3, 1985 Peter A. DeFazio, Ore.-Jan. 6, 1987 John Lewis, Ga.-Jan. 6, 1987 Louise M. Slaughter, N.Y.-Jan. 6, 1987 Nancy Pelosi, Calif.-June 2, 1987 Frank Pallone Jr., N.J.-Nov. 8, 1988 Eliot L. Engel, N.Y.-Jan. 3, 1989 Nita M. Lowey, N.Y.-Jan. 3, 1989 Jim McDermott, Wash.-Jan. 3, 1989 Richard E. Neal, Mass.-Jan. 3, 1989 José E. Serrano, N.Y.-March 20, 1990 David E. Price, N.C.-Jan. 7, 1997 Also served 1987-95 Rosa DeLauro, Conn.-Jan. 3, 1991 Collin C. Peterson, Minn.-Jan. 3, 1991 Maxine Waters, Calif.-Jan. 3, 1991 Jerrold Nadler, N.Y.-Nov. 3, 1992 Jim Cooper, Tenn.-Jan. 7, 2003 Also served 1983-95 Xavier Becerra, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Sanford D. Bishop Jr., Ga.-Jan. 5, 1993 Corrine Brown, Fla.-Jan. 5, 1993 James E. Clyburn, S.C.-Jan. 5, 1993 Anna G. Eshoo, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Gene Green, Texas-Jan. 5, 1993 Luis V. Gutierrez, Ill.-Jan. 5, 1993 Alcee L. Hastings, Fla.-Jan. 5, 1993 Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas-Jan. 5, 1993 Carolyn B. Maloney, N.Y.-Jan. 5, 1993 Lucille Roybal-Allard, Calif.-Jan. 5, 1993 Bobby L. Rush, Ill.-Jan. 5, 1993 Robert C. Scott, Va.-Jan. 5, 1993 Nydia M. Velázquez, N.Y.-Jan. 5, 1993 Bennie Thompson, Miss.-April 13, 1993 Sam Farr, Calif.-June 8, 1993 Lloyd Doggett, Texas-Jan. 4, 1995 Mike Doyle, Pa.-Jan. 4, 1995 Chaka Fattah, Pa.-Jan. 4, 1995 Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas-Jan. 4, 1995 Zoe Lofgren, Calif.-Jan. 4, 1995

"Powered By"? When does an OS provide power?

On: First Smart TVs Powered By Firefox OS On Sale In Europe, Worldwide Soon

I understand what they want to convey but redefining words is not the way to go about doing it.

Re:How long before Obama fires this judge?

On: Judge: Warrantless Airport Seizure of Laptop 'Cannot Be Justified'

He will have the IRS turn the guy's life upside down. Civil forfeiture and financial account freezes are the modern torture.

North American users can't get Irish TOS?

On: Dropbox Moves Accounts Outside North America To Ireland

How does dropbox know where a user is from?

Nearly 3,500 Days Since Major Hurricane Strike

On: Top Advisor To Australian Gov't Says Climate Change is a UN Conspiracy

Despite Record High CO2 http://www.drroyspencer.com/20...

Re:Laws that need to be made in secret

On: Extreme Secrecy Eroding Support For Trans-Pacific Partnership

What happens if a treaty conflicts with the constitution or existing law? What if the TPP says that governments don't need to get warrants in enforcing copyright enforcement or that an IP address is sufficient evidence of guilt?

Re:Fairly easy way to protect data.

On: Good: Companies Care About Data Privacy Bad: No Idea How To Protect It

How am I supposed to know it's you unless I use your SSN as an ID number? But how are we supposed to send you targeted advertizing if we don't know everything about you?