Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Check this out. Stream it for free.


New Album from Chris Farren. I just can't stop listening to this!!!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Introduction to JIRA & Agile Project Management



Plan a Sprint in JIRA



Thursday, August 25, 2016

Senator's daughter who raised price of EpiPen got $19 million salary, perks in 2015 - Chicago Tribune


From the article:

A standard 2-pack now costs between $600 to $700. The price has prompted outrage among many consumers who have taken to social media to complain that they can no longer afford the potentially lifesaving medicine.

"A trip to the ER is now cheaper. HOW CAN THIS BE??" one woman tweeted on Wednesday. Actress Mia Farrow weighed in: "Grandchild w severe allergies needs life saving #Epipen. Cost has soared. Luckily we can pay the $600. Impossible for many scared parents."

The contrast between Bresch's lavish lifestyle - her signature designer five-inch stilettos for example - and those of ordinary families struggling to afford the drugs her company sells is a theme that has come up again and again.

Friday, August 12, 2016

The myth and the reality of Donald Trump’s business empire - The Washington Post


Trump also faced a long-running lawsuit over the use of undocumented workers at the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The building was allegedly built by undocumented Polish workers who were paid $5 an hour or less, when they were paid at all. The case dragged on for decades. The judged ruled that Trump knew that Polish workers were working off the books and were paid illegally and sub-standardly. Trump appealed, and the case was ultimately settled in 1999.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

I always disagree with GW Bush. But I agree with him today.


"At times, it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together," 

"Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates too quickly into dehumanization. Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions."

"And this has strained our bonds of understanding and common purpose.

"But Americans, I think, have a great advantage. To renew our unity, we only need to remember our values. We have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound by things of the spirit ― by shared commitments to common ideals. 

"At our best, we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of others. This is the bridge across our nation's deepest divisions. And it is not merely a matter of tolerance, but of learning from the struggles and stories of our fellow citizens, and finding our better selves in the process.

"At our best, we honor the image of God we see in one another. We recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief moment on earth, and owing each other the loyalty of our shared humanity.

"At our best, we know we have one country, one future, one destiny. We do not want the unity of grief.  Nor do we want the unity of fear. We want the unity of hope, affection, and high purpose."

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

How Sony, Microsoft, and Other Gadget Makers Violate Federal Warranty Law



There are big "no trespassing" signs affixed to most of our electronics.

If you own a gaming console, laptop, or computer, it's likely you've seen one of these warnings in the form of a sticker placed over a screw or a seam: "Warranty void if removed."

In addition, big manufacturers such as Sony, Microsoft, and Apple explicitly note or imply in their official agreements that their year-long manufacturer warranties—which entitle you to a replacement or repair if your device is defective—are void if consumers attempt to repair their gadgets or take them to a third party repair professional.

What almost no one knows is that these stickers and clauses are illegal under a federal law passed in 1975 called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn | News Center

 I wonder how long it will take Microsoft to turn LinkedIn in to another Nokia.

Nokia cost ~half as much and was gone in ~2 years...

http://news.microsoft.com/2016/06/13/microsoft-to-acquire-linkedin/

Thursday, April 28, 2016

12 Great Hikes Under 5 Miles In Virginia

 Virginia is renowned for its state parks, national parks, and the trails that run throughout the entire state. While the idea of hiking through Virginia by means of the Appalachian Trail may sound marvelous in theory, shorter hikes are more realistic and often pack quite a punch in terms of adventure and sight seeing. Here are 12 incredible hikes just under 5 miles that you will definitely want to take in the next few months. It's time to lace up those hiking boots and start exploring!

More:
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/virginia/hikes-under-five-miles/

Friday, April 1, 2016

Reddit 'tells' users that it is being asked to hand over customer data


Reddit deletes surveillance 'warrant canary' in transparency report | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Social networking forum reddit on Thursday removed a section from its site used to tacitly inform users it had never received a certain type of U.S. government surveillance request, suggesting the platform is now being asked to hand over customer data under a secretive law enforcement authority.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

ZTE Document Raises Questions About Huawei and Sanctions


HONG KONG — When the United States government punished ZTE of China this month, saying it had done business with Iran, it released internal company documents that it said detailed how the electronic equipment maker had done it — and that also suggested the problem might not be limited to one Chinese company.

One document described how ZTE would set up seemingly independent companies — called "cut-off companies" — that would sign the deals in other countries. That could enable it to continue to do business in Iran, North Korea and other countries placed under American restrictions.


More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/19/technology/zte-document-raises-questions-about-huawei-and-sanctions.html


Friday, March 18, 2016

Turn your old Raspberry Pi into an automatic backup server



If you're one of those people upgrading to the Raspberry Pi 3, you might wonder what to do with your old, lesser Pi. Aside from turning it into an array of blinking LEDs to entertain your cat, you might consider configuring it as a microcontroller.

Making backups of our digital lives is, as most of us begrudgingly admit, the most important thing of daily computing that none of us bother to do. That's because going through the backup process requires us to remember to do it, it takes effort, and it takes time. And that's precisely why the best backup solution is the solution that you don't do at all; it's the one you automate.


More:

Friday, March 11, 2016

 Ugggg!

I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was just as bad as you'd imagine


More:
https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/40505.html