Recent Posts

4201

Living Room / Re: Oh Canada, your flu deaths are a farce

« Last post by Renegade on November 26, 2012, 06:35 PM »

Funny timing. I just read a few shill articles here in Oz. Yep. The vaxers are out in full force, predicting the end of civilisation unless everyone gets a jab.

I was recently talking with a friend that was in town overnight here, and he stopped getting flu shots because every time he got one, he got sick. That seems to be a common thing.

Some recent research came out showing that the 2008 flu vaccine in Canada caused more sickness than it prevented.

Considering the massive conflict of interest that the pharmaceutical companies have, how can anyone completely ignore it as a consideration in these matters? It baffles me.

They have been fined billions of dollars for criminal fraud over the past few years. They're not health organisations - they are criminal enterprises. A list of their criminal activities would simply be too long to post.

So, I'll just post a few that don't even begin to scratch the surface of the problem.

http://www.reuters.c...dUSBRE8610S720120702

GlaxoSmithKline settles healthcare fraud case for $3 billion

GlaxoSmithKline Plc agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges and pay $3 billion to settle what government officials on Monday described as the largest case of healthcare fraud in U.S. history.

The agreement, which still needs court approval, would resolve allegations that the British drugmaker broke U.S. laws in the marketing and development of pharmaceuticals.

GSK targeted the antidepressant Paxil to patients under age 18 when it was approved for adults only, and it pushed the drug Wellbutrin for uses it was not approved for, including weight loss and treatment of sexual dysfunction, according to an investigation led by the U.S. Justice Department.

http://www.buenosair...at-killed-14--babies

GSK fined over vaccine trials; 14 babies reported dead

GlaxoSmithKline Argentina Laboratories Company was fined 400,000 pesos by Judge Marcelo Aguinsky following a report issued by the National Administration of Medicine, Food and Technology (ANMAT in Spanish) for irregularities during lab vaccine trials conducted between 2007 and 2008 that allegedly killed 14 babies.

http://en.mercopress...s-from-poor-families

http://www.naturalnews.com/019189.html

The United States claims to be the world leader in medicine. But there's a dark side to western medicine that few want to acknowledge: The horrifying medical experiments performed on impoverished people and their children all in the name of scientific progress. Many of these medical experiments were conducted on people without their knowledge, and most were conducted as part of an effort to seek profits from newly approved drugs or medical technologies.

Today, the medical experiments continue on the U.S. population and its children. From the mass drugging of children diagnosed with fictitious behavioral disorders invented by psychiatry to the FDA's approval of mass-marketed drugs that have undergone no legitimate clinical trials, our population is right now being subjected to medical experiments on a staggering scale. Today, nearly 50% of Americans are on a least one prescription drug, and nearly 20% of schoolchildren are on mind-altering amphetamines like Ritalin or antidepressants like Prozac. This mass medication of our nation is, in every way, a grand medical experiment taking place right now.

But to truly understand how this mass experimentation on modern Americans came into being, you have to take a close look at the horrifying history of conventional medicine's exploitation of people for cruel medical experiments.

http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=474 (1845 to 2007 - human experimentation)

Think U.S. health authorities have never conducted outrageous medical experiments on children, women, minorities, homosexuals and inmates? Think again: This timeline, originally put together by Dani Veracity (a NewsTarget reporter), has been edited and updated with recent vaccination experimentation programs in Maryland and New Jersey. Here’s what’s really happening in the United States when it comes to exploiting the public for medical experimentation:

That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

And yet, we're still supposed to trust governments that are in bed with these criminals? And if you question them, you're a kook?

Well, yeah. I'm a kook because I don't trust psychopaths that are dedicated to profit derived from human misery.

How can any research from these companies or from the industry at large be trusted? Wasn't it Merck that was fined for fraud for its MMR vaccine "research"? Didn't Merck try to "fix" the research several times, then have such problems trying to illustrate the safety and efficacy of their MMR vaccine that they gave up and instead just fabricated numbers?

And we're supposed to trust these people?

Seriously?

They're caught lying time and time again, and yet... you're a kook if you don't swallow every word that comes out of their mouths as gospel truth?

I've spoken at length to several doctors about some of these issues. Things that the doctors *should* be able to answer. How many answers have I received? Zero. None. They ALWAYS avoid the question. They NEVER answer any questions. I've had doctors bold-faced lie to my face about hard facts. They either were lying or they believed a lie - one of the two.

But, I'm being pretty ranty here. This is just one of those things that tends to set me off. I would really like to see some actual evidence-based science done in the mainstream.

4202

Screenshot Captor / Re: Feature request: Sizable canvas.

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 09:40 PM »

You could also do 200% and user can always run it multiple times.  But yeah, the idea is the same.

-mouser (November 24, 2012, 11:06 PM)

A quick option would be very useful, and running it multiple times would be simple enough. I'd probably want something like 25% or 50% or 10% as if I needed the canvas to be very much larger, there'd likely be something else that I wanted to do, and I'd likely just end up doing that in Photoshop. But a small amount like 50% would be perfect to add in something like a text explanation below a screenshot or a heading/title above one.

4203

Living Room / Re: 3D Printing Under Attack

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 06:44 PM »

^OK. So maybe they do have their paralegals actually do it - but you get the idea.

-40hz (November 25, 2012, 10:43 AM)

Ah, yes! There are steps that you must go through in your descent through the lowerarchy of Hell.

4204

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 06:23 PM »

I've mostly used basic keyboards and am used to them. I have one of those fancy Microsoft USB multimedia funky keyboards, but never use it except when I need a USB keyboard.

4205

Living Room / Re: 3D Printing Under Attack

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 09:40 AM »

attorneys create... They merely rearrange the deck chairs and fold napkins.

-40hz (November 25, 2012, 07:52 AM)

I would call that a massive exaggeration of what they do... But... That's just me.

4206

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: RoboSizer

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 07:36 AM »

How would you rate the program? It sounds interesting.

4207

Living Room / Re: 3D Printing Under Attack

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 06:54 AM »

Well, 3D printing is under attack again. This time it's a proxy war... Why attack 3D printing, when you can attack whoever associates with it?

http://www.huffingto...6.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Kickstarter has reportedly been sued for promoting a 3D printer which it is argued may violate another company's patent.

The crowdsource funding website enables businesses and individuals to gather funding in small increments for businesses, artistic projects and other endeavours.

But MIT-backed Formlabs' successful campaign to find $100,000 to build and sell a new 3D Printer is now the subject of a complicated legal battle.

Now, to be fair, these guys may have a point with their patent, but given how ridiculous the patent system is, it's probably a safer bet to be a bit skeptical.

But why attack Kickstarter? They're simply facilitating funding. They have no duty to vet every single aspect of every project that runs through their service. Seems like a big stretch there.

4208

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Amiga & C64 Forever 2012 "R3" Plus Edition - 12.85 USD

« Last post by Renegade on November 25, 2012, 06:43 AM »

The link is for your cart, and doesn't work. Do you have another page to link to?

4209

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 11:55 PM »

^^ Mine is a small one designed for home use or small, low-volume business use. I used to work at a 5-star restaurant, and this one is better than the one I used there. But that was 25 years ago, and I'm guessing that the durability of that one would be better than mine. (Stuff isn't made like it used to be.)

Flushing only takes about 2~3 seconds though. I'm only turning on the steam. It's not a large, commercial system. So, it sounds like they're not very comparable there. Kind of like a Mack truck and a Chevy pickup.

But I've never been able to get a really good, very thick froth - certainly not like whipped cream. I can get it pretty good, but not like I've had in some cafes. I suppose I just kind of suck at it. Dunno. Could be the system. Could be me.

I might pick up a small carton of skim milk to see if I can manage to get that "whipped cream" texture. I've only been able to get it "thick", but not thick enough to draw in or mold.

4210

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 11:32 PM »

Well, coincidentally, my 'P' key started to stick (probably crumbs or chocolate or something), and so...

The keyboard:



I:

1) Unscrewed the 15 screws in the back,
2) Removed the front keyboard (the electronics are on the bottom),
3) Washed the keyboard in the sink thoroughly,
4) Shook it dry - violently - then used a hair dryer to get the last few drops,
5) Reassembled the keyboard.



Lo and behold, I never had to wet any of the electronics, and it's working fine as I'm typing on it now.

It didn't take long at all. Much shorter than a trip to the store.

Incidentally, I resized & cropped the photos with this. Super-fast!

4211

Living Room / Re: A free and open world depends on a free and open web.

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 08:49 PM »

Related: http://mashable.com/...nternet-human-right/

Is Internet access and online freedom of expression a basic human right? The United Nations’ Human Rights Council unanimously backed that notion in a resolution on Thursday.

The resolution says that all people should be allowed to connect to and express themselves freely on the Internet. All 47 members of the Human Rights Council, including notoriously censorship-prone countries such as China and Cuba, signed the resolution.

China’s support for the resolution came with the stipulation that the “free flow of information on the Internet and the safe flow of information on the Internet are mutually dependent,” as Chinese delegate Xia Jingge told the Council in a sign that the country isn’t about to tear down the so-called “Great Firewall of China.”

The concept was first affirmed by a U.N. agency, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in 2003. The ITU has recently come under fire after rumors arose that member states were preparing proposals to give the United Nations more control over the Internet ahead of a December conference. The ITU has rejected many of those claims.

Internet access as a human right has since been supported by several of the Internet’s most well-known proponents, including Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.

“[It's] an empowering thing for humanity to be connected at high speed and without borders,” Berners-Lee told the BBC in April of last year while reflecting on the Internet’s role in the Arab Spring uprisings.

-Stephen66515 (November 24, 2012, 07:40 PM)

Lies and disinformation. Pure BS.

The thing about the UN is that it is a purely psychopathic, criminal organization. They do nothing but lie and cover up their crimes. They murder people, then call it "humanitarian aid".

From the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Article 29.
 (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
 (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
 (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Now, let me break that down a bit...


 (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

i.e. You will be forced to do what we tell you to do. Slavery. This is dressing up how they will enslave people in nice language. They are deceptive.

 (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

i.e. If we want to change the rules, we will. Your rights and freedoms will be restricted. We will throw you in prison. "General welfare"? Yep. Collectivists.

 (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

i.e. None of the above rights apply if they don't want them to. Article 29, Section 3 effectively nullifies all human rights. The global mass extinction of human rights is being engineered by the UN.

Keep in mind, these are the same criminals that forcibly sterilize women: https://duckduckgo.c...+force+sterilization

So, all that hot air about the UN supporting free speech and human rights and an open and free Internet... Hogwash. They are some of the architects behind the destruction. The ITU is behind the push to censor the net. When they say they're not - they are lying.

They say one thing in front of the cameras, while the reality is quite different.

4212

Living Room / Re: A free and open world depends on a free and open web.

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 07:33 PM »

Good to see that there is more pushing back against these petty tyrants.

From a link there:

https://www.whatistheitu.org/

And yet again, we see more UN BS. The ITU is just another arm of the criminal UN. They have no business whatsoever in trying to dictate to people what they can and cannot do. They have no authority and should be ignored and relegated to obscurity in the anus anals of history as a bad footnote. They should take their globalist, collectivist, fascism and stick it.

4213

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 07:16 PM »

A Catholic, a Jew, and Muslim using Apple maps walk into a bar, or maybe a hotel, or maybe a restaurant, or maybe...

4214

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 07:09 PM »

Now I've owned espresso machines that have come with milk frothers but they always end up gunking up like mad and it's the first thing to go.

-vrgrrl (November 24, 2012, 04:29 PM)

A trick I learned from working in a deluxe Dunkin Donuts that had a $20,000 combo espresso machine/milk frother (this was before the awful stuff the chain now calls espresso was introduced):

Always use skim milk.

Using anything else would gunk up the machine and cause it to break down. If the boss caught you using whole milk, 2%, 1% or light cream, it was grounds for immediate dismissal.

-app103 (November 24, 2012, 06:48 PM)

I've never had a problem using full cream milk.

My espresso machine has a milk frother built in, and as long as I clean it properly, I have zero problems. It has a tool to clean the spout (a glorified straight paperclip). The nozzle unscrews, so it can be cleaned like that as well.

One thing that I do is to run steam through it after I've used it. This flushes out anything that has gotten up into the pipes there.

Does skim milk froth better? I tried some different milk, but forget which worked best. I only buy full cream milk now.

4215

Living Room / Re: Disaster Survival Kit

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 06:52 PM »

About canned food, it can last over 100 years:

http://modernsurviva...-shelf-life-studies/

A Food and Drug Administration Article about a shelf life test that was conducted on 100-year old canned foods that were retrieved from the Steamboat Bertrand, indicates surprising results.

Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier.

The nutrient values varied depending upon the product and nutrient. The chemists reported that significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost; but, protein levels remained high, and all calcium values ‘were comparable to today’s products.

Unreal!

4216

Living Room / Re: Disaster Survival Kit

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 06:10 PM »

Useful for more than just zombies, a baseball bat and guns with lots of ammo.

And, a great site for exactly this stuff:

http://www.shtfplan.com/

More good sites on the topic out there, but that's just one excellent one.

Oh... and a new film on the topic:

Haven't watched it yet, but I'm downloading it. (PM me if you want a login & password to get an HD copy. I think the YouTube one is 720p.)

4217

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 05:12 PM »

(To Renny minus quotes because this is from my phone)
I get the edgy 'thang about your post but it's a profound economic puzzle. Besides the value if time, remember to include the risk of mistake damage. To me if I can't just wipe it down with Lysol wipes and paperclips, I lose a lot of confidence taking the whole thing apart etc.

Weren't we saying you have to wait *days* before you can use it again? So ... what ... I now need a backup keyboard for a week while I wait for the $30 one, only to find I messed it up anyway and now I need a new $30 one?

Bleh. *That's* the full cost matrix of these cute little projects ... for a $30 keyboard. (I'll leave the equations to my betters. Extra credit variables : pets, children (file under pets! Hehe) )

-TaoPhoenix (November 24, 2012, 02:56 PM)

Downtime is a no-no, so yeah, good point. I have several keyboards, so there's always an extra around somewhere.

not at all wanting to be smug (I swear) - I always have a backup keyboard - either an old one or a cheap (10 euro) new one.

-tomos (November 24, 2012, 03:48 PM)

An extra keyboard and mouse are always a good thing to have.

4218

Living Room / Re: World's oldest still working digital computer gets rebooted

« Last post by Renegade on November 24, 2012, 06:24 AM »

The computer

-mouser (November 24, 2012, 02:23 AM)

You're reminding me of this game:

http://www.mongoosep...m/rpgs/paranoia.html

TRUST THE COMPUTER! THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND!

 Greetings, citizen! THE COMPUTER has made you a protector of the underground city of ALPHA COMPLEX. You will have lots of fun rooting out Communist mutant traitors. The Computer says so.

 Members of treasonous secret societies like the Frankenstein Destroyers, the Illuminati, Psion, PURGE and the Sierra Club may attack, maim or blackmail you. Treasonous mutants with powers like Electroshock, Pyrokinesis, Charm, Puppeteer and Bureaucratic Intuition may shock you, incinerate you, subvert you, control you or bury you in paperwork. But it will be fun. The Computer says so, and The Computer is your friend.

 PARANOIA: The Roleplaying Game of a Darkly Humorous Future

 Pursuant to Central Processing Unit directive 214.08.20/547.4 'Restoration of Classic RPGs to Print After Unduly Prolonged Absence,' Mongoose Publishing brings you PARANOIA, an entirely new edition of the classic science fiction game originally published in 1984. In service to a well-meaning but deranged Computer, you and your fellow players seek to eliminate traitors. Your deepest fear: Your fellow players will discover YOU are one of those traitors.

Probably one of the most fun games you can ever play. I'd rank it way up there in the zany fun category with "kill puppies for satan".

4219

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 08:44 PM »

I guess I'm just too lazy for all this stuff. I'll just buy a new keyboard every six years...
Given my lack of mechanical intuition for me the loss of time plus frustration and risk of mistakes outweighs 30 bucks every half decade.

-TaoPhoenix (November 23, 2012, 05:13 PM)

Obviously the The Phoenix values his time at more than $2/hr. like the rest of us apparently do.

-40hz (November 23, 2012, 06:25 PM)

Sigh... This is one of the things that is fundamentally wrong with how we do things. Instead of fixing things or taking care of them, we just go out and buy a new one. I'm completely guilty of this myself. With the exact same logic... "What's my time worth?" Which usually wins out...

The "consumer economy" really is a very perverse thing. We waste and waste, then get all snotty and self-righteous about how we need to save the planet, recycle, etc. etc.

I like the idea of washing a keyboard if for no other reason than it saves me a trip to the store (which goes back to "what's my time worth"). I also like the idea that it reduces waste. That "reduce" there being the first R in "reduce, reuse, recycle".

Today is a beautiful, warm day, so if I have time, I think I'll dig out an old, dirty keyboard and give this washing thing a try.

Off-topic about reducing - not a rant ;)

I recently found a pretty darn cool way to "reduce" by replacing chemical drain cleaners with baking soda and vinegar. I've got a post about it here:

http://cynic.me/2012...ganic-drain-cleaner/

It's a neat way to 'reduce' because it's really a substitution where you swap out something that is innately bad for common, edible, non-toxic things that you already have in your house.

4220

General Software Discussion / Re: Seeking experiences from people backing up relatively large personal data sets

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 08:20 PM »

Thanks Renegade. Unfortunately with that little data (relatively speaking), it's not a direct comparison. I also have a very beefy machine, actually a bit beefier than yours. And have 16GB of RAM. Most of the time I can "spare" 2GB for my backup process, it just seems like I shouldn't have to. However...

-JavaJones (November 23, 2012, 02:12 AM)

Yeah, 128 GB isn't really a lot for backups. All the heavy-lifting is from the NAS. It's just easier for me to have RAID being the "backup" system. It's a very different approach to backups than having a software solution.

4221

Living Room / Re: Gadget Fridays

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 07:55 PM »

Something that has proved its worth over and over:

Kensington 33117 International All-in-One Travel Plug Adapter



One of the best things about this particular model, is that it has a fuse. So, if there's a problem, you just replace the fuse, and keep on going rather than throw it out and get a new one. I've had to replace the fuse once.

I have a different brand adapter that does the same basic thing, but it's sticky and hard to use - switching the plugs can be a nightmare sometimes. Not recommended there. The Kensington on the other hand is smooth and easy to use.

We have things with 4 different kinds of plugs, and quite a few different adapters.

What I really wish is that they'd simply manufacture things to a single, sane standard, and that all these adapters and different power bars weren't needed. Even having 2 form factors for 220~240 and 110 power would be a significant improvement.

4222

N.A.N.Y. 2013 / Re: NANY 2013: wordpress-basetheme

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 08:30 AM »

What does it compare to, and why is it better?

4223

Living Room / How to Beat Facial Recognition Software without Looking Like a Bank Robber

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 07:00 AM »

I read an article on defeating facial recognition here:

http://www.thedailys...a-bank-robber_112012

In the Orwellian Police State that is our world, facial recognition software is cropping up more and more. From the ever-encroaching Facebook to local police departments to airport checkpoints, it’s becoming harder to be anonymous and protect your personal privacy.

...

This means that coming soon, to a law enforcement officer near you, a simple photo snapped with a device that looks similar to a cell phone will enable you to be identified. “According to New Scientist, facial recognition systems have reached the point where they can match a single face from a pool of 1.6 million mugshots/passport photos with 92% accuracy, in under 1.2 seconds.”

...

The “hacktivist” group Anonymous offers some suggestions too.  The video below outlines a simple hat with LED lights that are invisible to people around you but complete obscure the face of the wearer.

Here's the video:

I'm pretty familiar with some facial recognition APIs, but not so sure about what is being claimed above. (The stuff I know is very high level, and this is a lower level question closer to the actual algorithms.)

Does anyone know enough about facial recognition to comment on ways to defeat it? (The make-up stuff.)

I suppose the question there is simply about light and cameras - for the Anonymous recommendation. Anyone with some engineering background to back that up? I know a fair bit, and would likely bet on it, but... I've not checked the engineering behind it as it would take me pretty long to do.

4224

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 05:45 AM »

I used to keep my keyboards sealed in heavy duty plastic wrap (it stretches better without tearing and you can heat seal it instead of using tape) and never actually had to clean one till I gave up that habit. Bonus with the plastic wrap method of keeping your keyboard clean is that the characters don't wear off the keys.

-app103 (November 23, 2012, 02:28 AM)

That reminds me...

My "keyboard condom" was filthy dirty, and stretched, so I threw it out.

Pretty much every keyboard I've ever bought (well, since 1998), has come with a "keyboard condom" - a soft plastic/rubber cover - to keep dirt out.

Do they have them in the US/Canada/Australia/wherever?

I'm still using an old Samsung keyboard that I've had forever, and while it's pretty dirty, it still works very well. I think it was 10,000 won (about $9).

4225

Living Room / Re: DOTCOM saga - updates

« Last post by Renegade on November 23, 2012, 02:40 AM »

On a more practical note, this 45 minute video is pretty much the single best video I've ever seen on how to deal with the police in their official capacity. Most of this won't be too helpful if it turns out you actually did violate the law. But it will go a  long way to protecting you if you haven't.

And as any attorney will tell you, it's not necessary that you actually break the law to get arrested - or even worse, be convicted for doing so.

 

-40hz (November 22, 2012, 10:46 AM)

Just finished watching that. Thanks for posting it!