News From Around the World[/caption].
Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Welcome to a revival of ‘News From Around the World’. I haven’t wrote or published any editions of this series for some time. However, I was looking at some news stories, earlier today, and I decided that now was the time for me to revive this series. Now, there are not going to be a lot of stories, in this first edition, but I am hoping to have more with each following edition.
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This is the story that caught my eye, and persuaded me to write and publish this series, again. With all the troubles in our world, from ISIS… ISIL or whatever they call themselves this week, to the growing discontent of America’s minimum wage workers, to the ever advancing effects of ‘Climate Change’. Our world appears to be a planet stuck in some kind of galactic quicksand. Here is the symptom that has me the most concerned, this week. The DJIA lost over 200 points today! As I am writing this article I see that the DJIA has lost 233.77 points equal to about 1.34% of DJIA total volume.
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“"To us that would signal a threat from the Kremlin that the Russian-U.S.-Europe conflict economically might take a turn for the worse, should it be enacted. They are signaling that unless concessions or negotiations take place, we're prepared to do this," said Jim Russell, senior equity strategist for US Bank Wealth Management. "It's a turn for the worse, it's an unwelcome signaling from the Kremlin that this, a limitation on capital flows to Russia, is a possibility. Maybe the markets are reacting to it," Russell said.””[1].
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This drop comes right on the heals of the S&P 500 jumping the most it has in the past month. Aye, there’s the rub! It might just be me, but when we get “largest drop since___” right after (24 hours earlier) “single one month increase in years…”? Well, that is what I call ‘instability’. Instability in the financial markets. Now where have I heard that before? Oh, yes! I remember now… 2008 – 2011! And, you want to know what doesn’t help? All the nay Sayers and portents of doom coming from a particular network and its affiliates. As I learned when I was a young boy, ‘perception dictates reality’. So, let’s keep track of the pulse of the markets and I will get back to you about this tid-bit of news in October.
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Jumping over to the tech news, we can see that Apple is just not having a good month. YES they did sell something on the order of ten million new iPhones. Then, they (Apple) released a new OS update (iOS 8.0.1) and all the sudden everybody to:
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“The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users who downloaded the iOS update found themselves unable to access cell service or use the TouchID fingerprint sensor,”[2]
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Apple immediately pulled the 8.0.1 update. Here’s the real BITE Apple emailed its users that “"Affected users can reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes,"[3]Which, I mean I don’t know because I do not have any Apple products, but if you just signed a new two year agreement and/or plopped down a big stack o’cash? That is not what I would want to hear from the company I just married my cellular service to for the next two years! Great thing? It ONLY effected the ten million users that just bought iPhone 6!
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Now, as if that is not enough ‘Bad News’ for Apple, seems they have a bug (“Worse than “Hartbleed”) pointed right at its customers. It is called “Bash” and it messed with; Linux, Unix, and MciOS! Here’s the scoop on “Bash”:
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“A major security flaw that could affect Apple's Mac and Linux operating systems has been discovered, with security experts claiming it to be more dangerous than the recent Heartbleed bug. The Shellshock bug creates a vulnerability in "Bash" — software that controls the command prompt on many computers running the Unix operating system. The Shellshock vulnerability could allow hackers to insert malicious pieces of code from a remote location and potentially take control of a machine. "The difference in significance is that with Heartbleed, what somebody could grab credentials of a user and do what they wanted, but in this case, if somebody is vulnerable, it potentially allows someone to get full system control of a victim's system,…”[4]
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That was a quote from David Emm senior security research at Kaspersky lab. Kaspersky has been outing Apple for its security faults and holes for the past three years. Just last year, at a computer security conference in Japan Kaspershy founder Eugene Kaspersky blasted Apple for being “A decade behind Windows OS when it comes to system security…”[5]
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So, in just a matter of a week Apple has ten million brand new iPhone 6 users unable to make phone calls, a brand new bug “Bash” knocking a hole in the Apple iOS, and there lack of focus on system security plaguing them in the tech world. I just cannot be thankful enough that I do not have an iPhone, and iPad, or any other ‘i’ device. However, My Dear Readers, if you do have and use Apple? All I can tell you is that I think there is a Kaspersky product for use on Apple iOS. If there is? BUY IT… INSTALL IT… USE IT! I would hate for any of My Dear Readers have the identity stolen, the bank account drained, or their iPhone high jacked by some high schooler in Russia! I have nothing against ‘i’ products, I just learned and have worked on PC hardware and software since the late 80’s and I just love using a OS I know.
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Now from ‘i’ stuff and Apple to… light bulbs! Well ‘Smart Light Bulbs’. I just caught an article on this all new ‘Smart’ light bulb being developed by “Ex-Tesla and NASA Engineers…”[6] This is not just some gimmick to sell more compact fluorescent bulbs. This is an actual ‘Smart’ device that:
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“work autonomously, both by adjusting light output based on sunlight and by learning and adapting to its owners’ household habits.”[7]
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As device creator, Neil Joesph, see it this is the next step up from Philips Hue and the LIFX. The product is named Alba (alba is Italian for sunrise). Alba uses embedded diodes that work as sensors for; movement, ambient light, occupancy and can even (over time) adapt to the usage patterns of the user. Remembering things like, when a person gets up each day, when they are out of the home for work, and when they arrive back home from work. They speculate that these ‘Smart’ bulbs could cut energy usage by 60% to 80%! Now, that translates to paying for 80% less electricity for lighting you home! That could be tremendous savings in larger homes and businesses. This could be the wave of the future of light sources.
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Finally, we go to Japan for the… well the worst of all the stories I have shared with you, My Dear Readers, today. In the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama… the yearly… dolphin hunting has begun. This is just (for me) a fancy… and culturally allowed yearly slaughter of dolphins!
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“Local fishermen are permitted by the Wakayama prefectural government to hunt an annual quota of nearly 2,000 dolphins and porpoises from seven different species, in accordance with what the government says is traditional practice.”[8]
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Now, My Dear Readers, I cannot even put into words just how much this sickens me. That, each and every year, these people have “a quota of 2,000 dolphins, and porpoises from several different species…”[9] I understand that this is part of a historic ritual, and rite of season that has gone on for hundreds of years prior to understanding what we now do about dolphins and porpoises. However, isn’t it the duty of man to apply knowledge to ancient and barbaric practices… and be learning, end them? Is not that they way mankind grows and develops? Are we not, by allowing and even condoning this activity, hampering the social growth of this community?
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By allowing this to happen, by looking the other way… are we not damning these people to being backward and barbaric? Is it not the responsibility of the larger international community to temper behavior with knowledge? It seems to me, that by allowing this sick and barbaric practice to continue we are relegating these communities to a ‘social Dark Ages’. That it is our responsibility as international neighbors to make sure that sick and barbaric practices, like this one, are ended? Not only for the benefit of the animals, but for the social growth and responsibility of the people.
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Honestly, there is just no ‘Good Reason’ to do this. There is nothing that they ‘get’ from porpoises and dolphins (nutritional wise) that they cannot get from other foods or nutritional supplements. Let me put it another way. Let’s say suddenly we find out that turkeys are highly evolved animals. That they have the potential for language and interspecies communication. I would be The First Son-of-a-gun to STOP eating turkeys! Now, My Dear Readers, I just LOVE turkey meat. Especially the dark meat, right? However, if I were to find out that these turkeys were just as smart as dolphins. Had the capability of language just like dolphins… and started looking as cute as dolphins… (OK, drop the last one there). I seriously would be the first in line to STOP EATING TURKEYS!
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So, again, WHY are we giving the Japanese communities a pass on killing these sentient creatures? If I had the money… the ability to travel… and someone to help me. I would go there and throw myself between these barbarians and the dolphins! Period!
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Well now, My Dear Readers, that brings us to the end of this revival of ‘News From around the World’ here at The Other Shoe. As most of you are aware, I am running a running campaign at Indiegogo to help me with the mounting costs of battling my cancer. Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund at Indiegogo is now in its FINAL WEEK! That’s right only seven more days for me to raise as much money as I can! I hate to be so brutally honest, but I am a ‘man on a mission’. A mission to raise money to help me with; transportation costs, pharmacy costs, treatment costs, and home care costs.
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I only hope that you, My Dear Readers, take a moment to two and look at the campaign web site. Read some of the materials. Look at some of the images and scans pics. The give so that I might live cancer free, someday. I am working as hard as I can. Often writing and publishing TWO ARTICLES A DAY! I would not ask if this were not a life-or-death situation. Please understand that I do need your help.
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Adieu!
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Thank YOU!
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Danny's Cancer Treatment Fund @ Indiegogo
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