Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Communists are splendid while they fight, and intolerable once they have won

The Communists are splendid while they fight, and intolerable once they have won

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.


SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, WHILE STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN: The photo tells the storybut Evan Fu of The Epoch Times provides the dramatic details. The poster being held up by the unarmed protestor reads: “Heaven will judge the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
Why is the Australian Defence Force striking deals with a Russian military contractor whose associations stretch from Cyprus to the Seychelles? The ADF and Defence Minister Melissa Price have batted away questions about Australian taxpayers’ money being laundered through tax havens. Earlier this month, Michael West Media revealed the story of Operation Slippery which arose from the global data leak #29Leaks. Kim Prince digs deeper into the money trail as the call for answers grows louder.
Kim Prince: Australian Defence contracts pass from Russian with money-laundering links to shady US military contractor Dyncorp



ENDING THE MOST EVIL EMPIRE IN HUMAN HISTORY: A Great Day in History: The End of the Soviet Union.


THAT’S NOT WORRISOME AT ALL: Chinese researcher accused of trying to smuggle vials of ‘biological material’ out of US hidden in a sock


Russian opposition figure posts selfie with police during federal raid


Footage posted to social media after the raid on Alexei Navalny's headquarters shows officers using power tools to force open a door and tape over security cameras.

ALL THE (PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA’S) PRESIDENT’S MEN: Report: Communist China Paid Millions to WAPO and NYT to Publish ‘Cleverly Disguised’ Chinese Propaganda Articles


PRAGUE. Chinese and Russian intelligence activities pose a significant threat to the security of the Czech Republic. By using a wide range of methods, intelligence services from both countries tried to weaken Czech state institutions, influence official state positions related to international security and threaten the democratic system, the Czech intelligence service (BIS) warned in its annual report for 2018 published on Tuesday (26 November).
The report was published only a few days after EURACTIV.cz media partner Aktuálně.cz revealed that China had funded a “propaganda” course at the Charles University in Prague and paid a trip to China for some of its best students. In response to the scandal, the leading Czech university decided to close its Czech-Chinese centre.

According to Chris Yurko (pun intended Janošik), the suggestion that Czech and Slovak scientist have the IP on this weapon is exaggerated ...
Czech Republic at the mercy of Chinese and Russian secret services



Vladimir Putin tells Russians their defence technology has leapt ahead of US for first time


President Vladimir Putin claims Russia is the only country in the world that can deploy hypersonic weapons, which places it ahead of its arch-foe, the United States, for the first time in modern history.

NSW’s Emergency Services Minister David Elliott goes on holiday as fire danger ramps up again news.com.au




YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF EAST GERMANY, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE THE EAST GERMANY OUT OF THE GIRL: Top German Spies Unload on Merkel’s Kowtowing to Putin.
Angela Merkel, who has been chancellor for 14 years, is no different from Germany’s political class, which seeks to stay in Putin’s good graces at seemingly any cost. Berlin’s preachy pontifications about democracy, decency, and human rights are customarily aimed at NATO allies, seldom at Moscow. . . .
This bombshell from the spooks exploded the pleasant myth, popular in certain circles, that Merkel is the “leader of the free world” now that the United States has abdicated that role with Donald Trump in the White House. The unpalatable truth is that current U.S. policies towards the Kremlin – to be distinguished from Trump’s tweets and rants – are tougher than they were under Obama, and much harsher than they have ever been in Berlin under Merkel.
This is obvious to anyone who isn’t an idiot.



JACK WATERFORD. Chinese checkers in the great game

Active spying need not mean an invasion, or war, is imminent Continue reading 

WANNING SUN. China finding its place in the world.




China.  Chinese Australians are feeling the heat, whether they support China or Australia

Chinese migration to Australia has always been an essential part of Australian multicultural history. Various diasporic Chinese communities in Australia have played important roles in Australia’s political, social, cultural and economic maturations. Yet now their loyalty to Australia has been unfairly questioned.  Continue reading 


on JACK WATERFORD. Chinese checkers in the great game

WANNING SUN. Adversarial Journalism in the coverage of China

Australian media’s coverage of China has shifted to adversarial journalism. To change this status quo requires leadership and serious action. Continue reading 
NEWS YOU CAN USE: You Could Die Today. Here’s How to Reduce That Risk. “No one lives forever, but you can do things to extend your life for as long as possible.” Though I’d put “stay off of motorcycles” into the Captain Obvious category.



“Behind every good man is a good woman” is only half the quote.

The second half is “behind every bad man is multiple women”

Well Peter had six sisters so he is also in trouble.
~PGM


Beware the barrenness of a busy life. Yet an ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.



An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,
"The one you feed."


Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.

Make the best use of what's in your power and take the rest as it happens.


He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.


As the tax builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.


The New York Times – The Decade Tech Lost Its Way – An oral history of the 2010s – “When the decade began, tech meant promise — cars that could drive themselves, social networks that could take down dictators. It connected us in ways we could barely imagine. But somewhere along the way, the flaws of technology became abundantly clear. What happened? The people who brought us this decade explain: Mark Zuckerberg, Edward Snowden, Ellen Pao, Phil Schiller, Kevin Systrom, Brianna Wu, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Mike Judge, Jonah Peretti, Diane von Furstenberg, Alex From Target — and many more. (People’s titles in the interviews below, which have been edited for clarity, reflect the roles they had at the time.)…”


























  • 020 Guide to Web Data Extractors – This guide by Marcus P. Zillman is a comprehensive listing of web data extractors, screen, web scraping and crawling sources and sites for the Internet and the Deep Web. These sources are useful for professionals who focus on competitive intelligence, business intelligence and analysis, knowledge management and research that requires collecting, reviewing, monitoring and tracking data, metadata and text.
  • Why Do Experienced Women Lawyers Leave Biglaw? Why Do We Care?Carolyn Elefant, Energy Law Entrepreneur, Eminent Domain Lawyer and Data Scientist, offers insights in response to the ABA’s November 2019 report on gender equality at biglaw. Among other issues, Elefant focuses on the ABA’s persistent failure to recognize the role of women-owned law firms to advancing gender equality and diversity in the profession.


  • Who Stole My Face? The Risks Of Law Enforcement Use Of Facial Recognition Software – Lawyer and Legal Technology Evangelist Nicole L. Black discusses the “reckless social experiment” that facial surveillance represents across all aspects of life in America. It is the norm on social media, in air travel, as a mechanism for state, local and federal governments to identify location and means of travel (car, train, bus), in banking and financial transactions (smile next time you use your ATM), and as a security feature to unlock your phone, to name but some of its applications. You cannot opt-out of the use of your data nor the multifaceted ways that it impacts your diminishing privacy and civil liberties.
  • Website privacy options aren’t much of a choice since they’re hard to find and useHana Habib and Lorrie Cranor of Carnegie Mellon University discuss how many sites offer the ability to ‘opt out’ of targeted advertisements, and identify why doing so isn’t easy. They advocate for simplifying and standardizing opt-outs to help improve privacy on the web.
  • Taxonomy 101: Presented at Taxonomy Boot Camp 2019 – This presentation delivers a detailed understanding of taxonomy definitions, taxonomy value (ROI), and taxonomy design methodologies and approaches. It was originally delivered by Zach Wahl and Tatiana Cakici of Enterprise Knowledge at Taxonomy Boot Camp 2019 in Washington, DC.
  • Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 30, 2019Four highlights from this week: Go Google free: We pick privacy-friendly alternatives to every Google service; Alexa, Siri and other voice systems are raising security worries; Canada’s use of Huawei 5G would hamper its access to U.S. intelligence – U.S. official; Law enforcement can plunder DNA profile database, judge rules.
  • Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 23, 2019Four highlights from this week: Stop Using Public USB Ports to Charge Your Phone; Upgrading Your Phone? 4 Things You Should Do First; Who Stole My Face? The Risks Of Law Enforcement Use Of Facial Recognition Software; and How to Lock Down Your Health and Fitness Data.
  • Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 15, 2019Four highlights from this week: Google is collecting health data on millions of Americans; How to Protect Yourself From Unethical or Illegal Spying; Everything you need to know about Google Reverse Image Search; and Federal Court Rules Suspicionless Searches of Travelers’ Phones and Laptops Unconstitutional.
  • Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 9, 2019Four highlights from this week: What Would Happen If the Internet Went Down … Forever?; Resources for Measuring Cybersecurity; For Better or Worse, Blockchain Birth Certificates Are Officially Here; and Apple Warns Older iPhones May Stop Working Sunday Without Software Upgrade.
  • Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 2, 2019Four highlights from this week: Americans and Digital Knowledge; 10 Tips to Avoid Leaving Tracks Around the Internet; Proving You’re You: How Federal Agencies Can Improve Online Verification; and New Report: “World’s First Deepfake Audit Counts Videos and Tools on the Open Web”.


  • Life is a gift that has been given to you. It is in your hands to make the best out of it--dare to believe that you can. Through the ups and downs, you'll find a lesson to learn that will make you a better person. Each experience--good and bad--makes you grow. Get along with life and surely, things will become easier for you. Live for today and enjoy every moment. Capture the best that life has to offer you.
    Here's a collection of valuable quotes about life to inspire you to make the best out of it:
    "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln
    "The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up." John C. Maxwell
    "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." Soren Kierkegaard
    "What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds." Wayne Dyer
    "Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." Lou Holtz
    "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact." William James
    "The only disability in life is a bad attitude." Scott Hamilton
    "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." Leo Buscaglia
    "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." George Bernard Shaw
    "There is more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Gandhi
    "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." Confucius
    "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." Dalai Lama
    "There are three constants in life...change, choice and principles." Stephen Covey
    "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?" Martin Luther King, Jr.
    "Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them--that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." Lao Tzu
    "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." John F. Kennedy
    "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Albert Einstein
    "When life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich or poor." Eleanor Roosevelt
    "God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire
    "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill
    "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson
    "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." Maya Angelou
    "Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life." John F. Kennedy
    "There is no passion to be found playing small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Nelson Mandela
    "If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." Jim Rohn
    "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan
    "The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." Oprah Winfrey
    "Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." C. S. Lewis
    "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." Henry Ford
    "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Thomas A. Edison
    "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." Amelia Earhart
    "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." Eleanor Roosevelt
    "Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure." Paulo Coelho
    "Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits." Thomas Jefferson
    "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." Vince Lombardi
    "Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life." Brian Tracy
    "Today is life--the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto." Dale Carnegie
    "The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you." Tony Robbins
    "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." Robert Frost
    "We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon." Franklin D. Roosevelt
    "Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner." Les Brown
    "Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller
    "The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival." Aristotle
    "Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive." Elbert Hubbard
    "Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent." Billy Graham
    "Each person must live their life as a model for others." Rosa Parks
    "My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose--somehow we win out." Ronald Reagan
    "Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce." Vivian Komori
    "Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It's a journey of discovery--there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair." Rick Warren
    "Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive." Matt Cameron