October 7, 2017

How To Tell When Someone Else Tweets From @realDonaldTrump

Trump doesn't write all of the tweets that come out of his account. Fortunately, there are plenty of tells for when it's someone else.


SNIP

In the early days, all it took to figure out whether a tweet came from Trump himself was to peek at the source device. (You can check easily in TweetDeck.) If the tweet came from an Android phone, Trump's own fingers almost certainly tapped it out, since the rest of his staff used iPhones. After assuming the office of the presidency, though, Trump had to replace his Android with a specially designed iPhone that contains the Twitter app and little else.

In addition to almost guaranteeing our eventual total annihilation by allowing Trump's Twitter habit to continue, the device switch means we have to look for other ways to figure out when the tweets come straight from Trump. This proved particularly challenging during version one of the Trump administration, when press secretary Sean Spicer, chief of staff Reince Priebus, and alt-right interpreter Steve Bannon all had yet to be ousted. Along with advisor Kellyanne Conway, they all likely took a spin on Trump's Twitter account at some point.

Now, though, with Trump's more trusted advisors working on the outside and White House chief of staff John Kelly trying to minimize chaos, we can have relative confidence that each Trump tweet goes one of two ways: Either he wrote it, or caddy-turned-White-House-social-media director Dan Scavino did.

https://www.wired.com/story/tell-when-someone-else-tweets-from-realdonaldtrump?mbid=nl_100617_daily

October 7, 2017

Clergy tax break unconstitutional - That's 3 FFRF victories in 8 days!

A federal judge for a second time has ruled in favor of the historic challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation of a housing allowance in the tax code that uniquely privileges clergy.

At issue is the constitutionality of 26 U.S.C. § 107(2), a provision in the tax code that excludes from gross income a housing allowance paid to a "minister of the gospel."

Rep. Peter Mack, sponsor of the 1954 law challenged by FFRF, argued that ministers should be rewarded with a clergy allowance for "carrying on such a courageous fight against this [a godless and anti-religious world movement]." The clergy allowance is not a tax deduction but an exemption—allowing housing allowances paid as part of clergy salary to be subtracted from taxable income.

In 2013, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled in FFRF's favor in its original challenge. Crabb's finding sent "shockwaves through the religious community," according to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which bitterly fought the ruling, along with just about every religious denomination in the country.

https://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/30540-ffrf-wins-major-housing-allowance-challenge-again

October 7, 2017

People asking "is Harvey Weinstein's career over?

like Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and Casey Affleck aren't thriving in Hollywood and Donald Trump isn't President.

https://twitter.com/jessiekaiser/status/916055581647003648

October 7, 2017

Shit for brains wants to bring back Equal Time Rules

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/916634286811435008

October 7, 2017

Russian-linked group sold merchandise on Facebook

intended to look like it came from Black Lives Matter activists

"Young, gifted and black." "Melanin and muscles." "Our sons matter." The slogans on the clothing that a group called "Blacktivist" offered for sale through Facebook were supposed to look like they came from American Black Lives Matter activists. But they were in fact being promoted by a Russian-linked group working to amplify political discord in the U.S. before the presidential election.

CNN first reported last week that "Blacktivist" accounts on Facebook and Twitter had regularly shared content intended to stoke outrage in an apparent attempt to amplify racial tensions during the U.S. presidential election. The accounts have been suspended and are among those handed over to Congress as part of its investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/06/media/blacktivist-merchandise-facebook-russia/index.html?sr=twCNN100617blacktivist-merchandise-facebook-russia0824AMStory

October 7, 2017

Nevada trial of Cliven Bundy postponed after Las Vegas massacre

Source: REUTERS

(Reuters) - A federal judge in Nevada postponed the trial of rancher Cliven Bundy for his role in an armed standoff with U.S. government agents, after defense lawyers argued that the Las Vegas mass shooting could influence jurors, his attorney said on Friday.

The case against Bundy stems from a 2014 revolt he is alleged to have led against federal authorities at his ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada, about 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro in Las Vegas granted the delay for Bundy and several co-defendants, including his sons, who are accused of conspiracy, assault and other charges, Bret Whipple told Reuters.

Prosecutors allege Bundy, 71, and his followers blocked agents with the National Park Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 2014 from carrying out a court order.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nevada-militia/nevada-trial-of-cliven-bundy-postponed-after-las-vegas-massacre-idUSKBN1CC091?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=59d8b15904d30133ec36fccc&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

October 6, 2017

NRA Corporate Partners

FED EX
BUDGET
HERTZ
AVIS
ENTERPRISE
ALAMO
NATIONAL
WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP
LIFELOCK

https://twitter.com/chelseahandler/status/916092961577779200


Is that all?

October 6, 2017

Arecibo Status

Orig post 8/22 via Setiathome

I just got this note relayed to me via a former co-worker who spent a great deal of time at Arecibo. The news is not good:

> ---- I just talked to Angel on Ham Radio (14.260 MHz) and have some
> more of the latest news.
> He was only on for a short time since his generator was acting up and
> he had to quit.
>
> The news is not good unfortunately.
>
> The 430 MHz 96 foot long line feed antenna broke off and landed into
> the dish and put in many holes in the dish as you can imagine. That
> is the antenna that was in the movie Golden Eye where there was
> fighting down the line feed. This was also the antenna that I was
> part of a team that used it for moonbounce a few years ago with the
> call KP4AO. It was a very important and historic antenna feed for the
> dish since the beginnings of the Observatory. It had a 2.5 million
> watt radar connected to it.
>
> This is clearly very devastating news to the Observatory.
>
> Also, the 12m dish was destroyed too. It is down.
>
> That is all we know up to now since Angel had to get off quickly and
> we could not get any further information.
>
> We were hoping to hear about the new HF Facility dipole antenna array
> too but he left before we could get any further info.
>
> That is all I have for now for the Observatory and it is very terrible news.
>
> The other bad news is that my contest station about 1 mile or so from
> the Observatory and on the highest hill in the area there was
> destroyed and the tower and antennas went down. That is very sad for
> me but it just means I will have to re-build it bigger and better.
>
> I will make sure to get any further news as it comes in.
>
> Thanks, Jim

If I get any additional information I'll relay it to you. I wish that I had better news to report... -Allen

SNIP



Last Post Update 10/4

The workers and families weathered the Hurricane in the structures at the array. The antenna was damaged with a boom falling from the supported antenna structure to the panels below mangling the boom and damaging several reflector panels. The Onion enclosure remains secure although it is feared that antennas within will need realignment as they did in previous high wind event hurricanes. The suspension rigging was not damaged and is being examined to insure site and worker safety.

Costs are not yet determined as damages still need assessment and replacement repair price breakouts calculated.

Arecibo remains difficult to access due to many downed trees, road washouts, and mudslides. Power is running on generators with conservation of diesel being exercised.

The above was gleaned from a news report and interview with the Director of the site.

October 5, 2017

Congressman suggests Charlottesville was George Soros backed conspiracy

For more on the legal challenge to Rep. Gosar’s blocking followers on Facebook, tune into tonight’s episode of VICE News Tonight on HBO.

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar suggested the participants in the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in August may have been organized by an “Obama sympathizer” and funded by George Soros, whom Gosar accused of having “turned in his own people to the Nazis.”

Gosar made the comments to VICE News in an interview about one of his constituents who is suing him in federal court for blocking her on his official Facebook page. The constituent, J’aime Morgaine, argues that Gosar is violating her First Amendment right to engage in debate in a virtual public forum.

https://news.vice.com/story/paul-glosar-charlottesville-soros

October 5, 2017

I don't know but the twitterverse is humming

that John Kelly has already resigned, to be announced as tomorrow's dump

seen from many sources...........

then wtf happens?