U.S. to Send About 100 Troops to Operate Anti-Missile System in Israel as War Rages On
October 14th, 2024Via: USA Today:
The United States said on Sunday it will send to Israel an advanced anti-missile system – and U.S. troops to operate it – in a bid to bolster the country’s air defenses following missile attacks by Iran.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he was sending the system “to defend Israel.” About 100 troops will be deployed as part of the effort, according to multiple reports.
Harmeet Dhillon on Kamala Harris
October 14th, 2024I wasn’t planning to listen to much of this, but I’m an hour in…
Harmeet Dhillon is a San Francisco lawyer who’s known Kamala Harris for more than 20 years. Her verdict: Kamala Harris is a criminal. Here are the details.
(0:43) Who Really Is Kamala Harris?
(2:41) Kamala and Willie Brown
(22:17) How Does Kamala Pronounce Her Name?
(32:23)… pic.twitter.com/Gt0qP939DJ— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 11, 2024
America’s New Millionaire Class: Plumbers and HVAC Entrepreneurs
October 14th, 2024Private equity firms are buying up local home-services companies.
Clearly, the goal is to reduce competition and drive the prices of services up. I wonder, does the situation then create opportunities for independent operators?
Via: Wall Street Journal:
PE firms across the country have been scooping up home services like HVAC—that is, heating, ventilation and air conditioning—as well as plumbing and electrical companies. They hope to profit by running larger, more profitable operations.
Their growth marks a major shift, taking home-services firms away from family operators by offering mom-and-pop shops seven-figure and eight-figure paydays. It is a contrast from previous generations, when more owners handed companies down to their children or employees.
“Pentagon Puzzled by Mystery Drones Swarming Military Base”
October 13th, 2024Mmm hmm.
Via: Telegraph:
Unidentified drones spotted flying over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia have baffled US military officials who are not sure whether it is the work of hostile powers or hobbyists.
Airspace over Langley is restricted and the breach in December, first reported by the War Zone website, and which was reported to president Joe Biden, has triggered alarm among military experts.
The flights lasted 17 days, with the drones flying over the base about an hour after sunset.
In a statement, the US Air Force confirmed the breaches, but played down the potential threat.
“The number of UASs [uncrewed aerial systems] fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration.
“None of the incursions appeared to exhibit hostile intent but anything flying in our restricted airspace can pose a threat to flight safety. The FAA was made aware of the UAS incursions.”
The parade of drones was witnessed by General Mark Kelly, from the US Air Force, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Mechazilla Has Caught the Booster”: SpaceX Recovered Super Heavy Rocket Booster with Grabbing Arm on Launch Pad
October 13th, 2024“This is absolutely insane. On the first ever attempt, we have successfully caught the Super Heavy booster back at the launch tower.”
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/6R5YatSVJX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
California Officials Don’t Like Elon Musk, Restrict SpaceX Launches
October 12th, 2024California regulators have blocked @SpaceX launches because they disagree with @elonmusk's politics. This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and a gross abuse of power, even in increasingly totalitarian California. pic.twitter.com/T7YZdTb0xJ
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) October 12, 2024
Via: Los Angeles Times:
SpaceX’s plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire’s labor record at his companies.
Open Source Maintainers Underpaid, Swamped by Security, Going Gray
October 12th, 2024Via: The Register:
The majority of open source project maintainers are not being paid for their work, spend three times as much time on security than they did three years ago, and have become less trusting of contributors following the xz backdoor, according to open source package security firm Tidelift.
Small wonder then that the maintainer population is aging – not enough newcomers want the undercompensated, unappreciated job.
Natural Piezoelectric Effect May Build Gold Deposits
October 12th, 2024Via: Ars Technica:
One of the reasons gold is so valuable is because it is highly unreactive—if you make something out of gold, it keeps its lustrous radiance. Even when you can react it with another material, it’s also barely soluble, a combination that makes it difficult to purify away from other materials. Which is part of why a large majority of the gold we’ve obtained comes from deposits where it is present in large chunks, some of them reaching hundreds of kilograms.
Those of you paying careful attention to the previous paragraph may have noticed a problem here: If gold is so difficult to get into its pure form, how do natural processes create enormous chunks of it? On Monday, a group of Australian researchers published a hypothesis, and a bit of evidence supporting it. They propose that an earthquake-triggered piezoelectric effect essentially electroplates gold onto quartz crystals.
Feds Find Million In Cash While Investigating Staffing Firm Supplying Haitians To Charleroi, PA Food Factory
October 12th, 2024
Via: ZeroHedge:
Many of Fourth Street’s workers are actually employed by a contractor, Prosperity Services. Prosperity also transports workers in vans, which can be seen throughout Charleroi.
In court records, federal investigators said Prosperity “knowingly paid undocumented non-citizen employees with cash” and “transported and housed undocumented non-citizens for employment purposes.”
Earlier this year, the feds seized nearly $1 million in cash from Prosperity and two men affiliated with the company, including Andy Ha, the company president.
The Secret Commonwealth: “We Live in a Soup of Non Human Company”
October 12th, 2024Via: The 5th Kind:
Book: The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies Paperback by Robert Kirk
