Computer News

Thursday Random Stuff…

August 16, 2018, 15:59(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Company Claims To Produce China’s First Web Browser System, But It’s Actually A Chrome Shell
“Even if you want to deceive the government and obtain subsidies, please do at least some basic work to have the appearance of producing something different. The browser is exactly like Chrome with every detail just the same,” one Chinese netizen commented on social media.”
Alexa, define karma.

Clonezilla 2.5.6-21 Released
“Clonezilla is a partition and disk imaging/cloning program similar to True Image®. It saves and restores only used blocks in hard drive. Two types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live and Clonezilla SE (Server Edition).”
Download

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

More Strikeouts Than Hits? Welcome to Baseball’s Latest Crisis
1 – More pitchers are throwing harder.
2 – Nearly every batter is swinging for the fence.
3 – The Shift.

– – –

Chick-fil-A fans are getting fired up over new spicy chicken strips
Love me some Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich and a Diet Lemonade. Bring on the strips!

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Coming to a Girl Scout Troop Near You
I hereby formerly accuse the Girls Scouts of America of trying to make me fat. I already can’t stop eating Thin Mints and now this!

This spaghetti-breaking problem stumped physicist Richard Feynman. Two MIT students have now solved it.
If you are breaking spaghetti you are doing it wrong. You don’t break it, you don’t cut it.
Where did I learn that? My Grandma on my mothers’s side was Anna Favara (Favara like the town in Sicily). Her parents were Dominic Favara and Euphemia Trentacoste Favara. They married in in 1913 in Brooklyn, NY, then moved to Saginaw, Michigan. Her parents were Antonio and Maria Trentacoste, both of Sicily. So…
You use a fork and twirl it, period, the end.
The spoon question, or how to eat pasta like an expert.
Video – How To Eat Spaghetti | Fine Dining Lovers by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna

– – –

The proper way to use the Can Opener! You have been using the can opener all wrong

We I’ll be a suck-egg mule! I went looking for a manual can opener in my house. We don’t have one. I do however have several P-38s. They were what the U.S. military gave out with canned rations. Here is one still attached to my old dog tags:

edit – You can pick these up at Amazon (FYI a P-51 is a larger version of a P-38):
P-38 Can Opener and P-51 Can Opener 1 each for $4.29
or
GI P-38 Can Opener (5-pack) for $5.48
or
U.S. MADE P-51 & P-38 Can Opener 20 Pack- 10 of each for $12.19 (for the money I would go with this and hand them out to friends/family.

Wednesday Random Stuff…

August 15, 2018, 15:28(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Virtual Machine Host Software Updated
VMware Workstation Player 14.1.3 – 1 bugfix, OpenSSL update, Sprectre/Meltdown patch
VirtualBox 5.2.18 – a few bugfixes
Speaking of VMs. Many of you know I do most of my day-to-day web activity in a Linux VM. In the past I’ve used openSUSE. I have switched to Linux Mint 19 “Tara” Cinnamon. About the only thing I had to add after standard install was Chromium, Tor Browser, and HPLIP (HP printer drivers).

Foreshadow
Great. Just fracking great. Another Spectre type CPU vulnerability.
“Foreshadow is a speculative execution attack on Intel processors which allows an attacker to steal sensitive information stored inside personal computers or third party clouds. Foreshadow has two versions, the original attack designed to extract data from SGX enclaves and a Next-Generation version which affects Virtual Machines (VMs), hypervisors (VMM), operating system (OS) kernel memory, and System Management Mode (SMM) memory.”
Wired has a good breakdown.

The Guardian – How to turn off Google’s location tracking
After Monday’s news, I was gonna write up something on this and saw this article. It is well done.

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Ajit Pai grilled by lawmakers on why FCC spread “myth” of DDoS attack
“An FCC Inspector General (IG) investigation found that the FCC lied to members of Congress multiple times in letters that answered questions about DDoS attacks that never happened. Pai’s FCC claimed for more than a year that a May 2017 outage in the public comments system was caused by multiple DDoS attacks. In reality, the FCC system crashed because it was unable to handle an influx of comments triggered by comedian John Oliver asking viewers of his program Last Week Tonight to oppose Pai’s net neutrality repeal.”

Mystery Russian satellite’s behaviour raises alarm in US
“Russian intentions with respect to this satellite are unclear and are obviously a very troubling development,” she added, citing recent comments made by the commander of Russia’s Space Forces, who said adopting “new prototypes of weapons” was a key objective for the force.”

Sacramento welfare investigators track drivers to find fraud. Privacy group raises red flags.
“The EFF has a more skeptical view of the data-collection practice and said it’s “disturbing” that millions of people who are not suspected of a crime can be tracked with license plate photos.”

Suns Out, Guns Out
Remember our hero JJ Watt? Dude is ripped. I’m sure he will be destroying people. Don’t know how much NFL I will be watching this year but that is a topic for another day.
The Internet Reacts To JJ Watt’s Freakishly Large Arms In Latest Instagram Post

Weekend Random Stuff…

August 12, 2018, 16:01(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Intel Launches 9th Gen Core 8 Core and 6 Core CPUs on 1st October
No word on if Spectre and Meltdown are still an issue with these.

Here’s why you’re being kept in the dark about how your data is used
“In the wake of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, people are more aware than ever of the tenuous nature of data collection, and more concerned about how securely tech and financial institutions catalog this data.And with good reason: according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 1,579 data breaches in 2017, an alarming 44.7 percent uptick from the year before.”

Hydroelectric Dam Threatens to Wipe Out World’s Rarest Ape
“The world’s rarest great ape, discovered only in 2017, will not survive the building of a $1.6 billion hydroelectric power plant and dam in the middle of its remaining habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia, wildlife experts warn” The project ” is being financed and built by state-controlled Chinese companies under China’s Belt and Road.”
No cool.

Professors allow students to pick their own grade
Crap like this is one of the many reasons I’ve little respect for colleges or college degrees.

The ‘American Pickers’ Find the Aerosmith Van that Started It All
Kinda neat but they paid $25K for it?!

Woman killed by neighborhood dogs
Can you guess what breed of dog???

Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth ‘Star Trek 4’ Future In Doubt as Talks Fall Through
Looks like Paramount tried to renege on previous deals.

There is a Tiger on the prowl in St. Louis. I’m gonna go see how that ends…

New Nvidia Drivers

August 3, 2018, 17:37(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 398.82 WHQL
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth and Monster Hunter: World”
Download
Release Notes

Wednesday Random Stuff…

August 1, 2018, 07:07(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 68.0.3440.84 for Windows, Mac, and Linux”
Bugfixes.
Download | Download standalone(full) | Download standalone 64-bit Windows version(full)

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Facebook has detected a coordinated effort to influence US politics ahead of the 2018 midterm elections
“We’re still in the very early stages of our investigation and don’t have all the facts — including who may be behind this,” Facebook said in a blog post. “But we are sharing what we know today given the connection between these bad actors and protests that are planned in Washington next week.”
These are acts of war and need to start being treated as such.

Whistleblower reveals Google’s plans for censored search in China
“The search engine would filter sites like Wikipedia and information about topics like freedom of speech”
Remember that when Google tries to lecture anyone about anything.

Doug Grindstaff, ‘Star Trek’ Sound Effects Maestro, Dies at 87
“A five-Time Emmy winner, he came up with Tribble coos, communicator beeps and the whoosh of Enterprise bridge doors opening and closing.”
Remembering Douglas Grindstaff, 1931-2018 – StarTrek.com
“Over the course of more than half a century, Grindstaff amassed 50-plus film and television credits. Among them were Mission: Impossible, The Brady Bunch, Cross Creek, Max Headroom, Dallas, and Knot’s Landing. He also served in combat as an army sergeant in during the Korean Conflict.”
Thank you for your contributions to the wonderful world of Star Trek and thank you for your service. RIP

Weekend Random Stuff…

July 29, 2018, 15:51(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Yes, Carrie Fisher will be in Star Wars: Episode 9. Here’s how
“Mark Hamill will also appear in the new episode, despite Luke Skywalker’s seeming death in Episode 8.”
Mark being it it I am cool with. Don’t know how I feel about Carrie though, kinda creepy…

Thieves targeting cars with keyless ignition
Don’t bother reading the article, it is lame and basically unsourced. Folks are breaking into to cars using a key fob amplifier which I had never heard of so I Googled it. It is an actual thing and they can break in many cars and even steal some of them.
“The attack uses the two devices to extend the effective range of the key fob,” says Jun Li, one of the researchers in the Qihoo group, who call themselves Team Unicorn. “You’re working in your office or shopping in the supermarket, and your car is parked outside. Someone slips near you and then someone else can open up and drive your car. It’s simple.”
Good grief.

After a Year, Equifax Remains Largely Unfazed by Historic Breach
“Despite a breach that exposed the personal data of more than 147 million Americans, the company has yet to face a government-imposed financial punishment.”
Depressing yet unsurprising. I’m sure Equifax is funding lots of political candidates on both sides of the aisle.

TSA is tracking regular travelers like terrorists in secret surveillance program
“Federal air marshals have begun following ordinary US citizens not suspected of a crime or on any terrorist watch list and collecting extensive information about their movements and behavior under a new domestic surveillance program that is drawing criticism from within the agency.”
I could tell you a story from about a dozen years ago when the TSA forced my mom to stand up out of her wheelchair after hip-replacement surgery, and how when I saw it happening my dad and wife had to physically stop me from intervening…

How Silicon Valley Became a Den of Spies
My first guess was because they are greedy, souless, self-important twits who aren’t near as smart as they think they are.
Anywho, the gist of the article is the Chicoms and Russians are stealing everything they can out of Silicon Valley and they are both great at playing they long game, expecially the Chicoms.
Bookmark it. It is a 10 minute read.

Buy One, Get One at P.F. Changs
“Enjoy a free entrée of your choice with purchase of any entrée. Valid for dine-in only through 8/5. One redemption per table.*”
My fav there is the Beef A La Sichuan and the Surf & Turf.
Take off your tinfoil hat, these last 2 articles are purely coincidental…

Happy National Chicken Wing Day! Here’s Where To Get FREE Wings!
I despise those things but I thought I would pass this along.

NASA Brought Hundreds of Kilograms of Moon Rocks to Earth. Scientists Have Not Touched Most of Them
Do you know how many Universities, Colleges, and High Schools would love to get their hands on this stuff? Get off your asses and hand these out to people who can benefit from these things.
Shame on you NASA.

Look Up This Weekend for Closest Mars Views Since 2003
“We are rapidly coming up on the pinnacle of the current Mars apparition, when it arrives at opposition to the sun and its closest point to the Earth. But will the weather cooperate for you to get a good look at Mars at its best?…So, you will have a stretch of five nights, from Friday through Tuesday, to get your very best views.”

This Map Shows What People Hate The Most In Each State
Apparently there is a dating app called Hater that matches people up on what they do not like. There are some weird people out there…

Jerry Jones: Cowboys will require players to stand for anthem, not remain in locker room
Because
Dallas Cowboys quarterback: Anthem protesting ‘takes away from the joy’ of football
“I’d never protest during the anthem, and I don’t think that’s the time or the venue to do so,” he added. “The game of football has always brought me such peace, and I think it does the same for a lot of people.”
Respect to you Dak. (I still hate the Cowboys.)

Tuesday Random Stuff…

July 24, 2018, 15:46(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Win10 Updated
IMHO this looks to be a bunch patches for the last borked update. Most of the release notes start with, “Addresses an issue”.

Win10 1803 – July 24, 2018—KB4340917 (OS Build 17134.191)
Win10 1709 – July 24, 2018—KB4338817 (OS Build 16299.579)
Win10 1703 – July 24, 2018—KB4338827 (OS Build 15063.1235)
Win10 1607 – July 24, 2018—KB4338822 (OS Build 14393.2395)

CCleaner 5.45
“Improved”, “Fixed”
“CCleaner now sends a heartbeat every 12 hours which reports up-to-date usage statistics to allow for faster delivery of bug fixes and product improvements”
AFAIK this is only the installed version not the portable version. I watched the portable with Wireshark and it never attempted an network/internet connection.
Download (I use the portable version)

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Russian hackers breached U.S. electric-utility control rooms, feds say
“Hackers working for Russia claimed “hundreds of victims” last year in a giant and long-running campaign that put them inside the control rooms of U.S. electric utilities where they could have caused blackouts, federal officials said. They said the campaign likely is continuing”
Here is a question and I mean this seriously. Why are things like our electric grid accessible from the outside in the first place?

Graphene and the atomic crystals that could see next big breakthrough in tech
“While Van der Waals heterostructures are still in their infancy, impressive new physics and capabilities are already emerging. These include smaller, lighter, more flexible and more efficient versions of solar cells, LEDs, transistors and magnetic memory.”
Interesting stuff.

If a tick bites you, this is what you need to do
Continuing the info I posted Sunday about ticks. Great article.

Waitress body-slams groping customer: ‘No one has the right to put their hands on you’
With video. You go girl!

22% of US population does not speak English at home
“Some 13.5 percent of the U.S. population — 44 million — is foreign born, the highest level ever, and many are not proficient in English, choosing to speak Spanish at home instead.”

Jimmie Tramel: 20 things to know on 40th anniversary of ‘Animal House’
One of my all-time favs.
Some great lines:
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Babs: That boy is a P-I-G pig.
Bluto: See if you can guess what I am now. [puts a scoop of mashed potatoes in his mouth and slams his cheeks with his fists and spits it out] I’m a zit! Get it?? [he smiles]
Bluto: They took the bar! The whole f***ing bar!
Dean Wormer: Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Anything “Larry’s evil conscience” said.
Neidermeyer: You’re all worthless and weak! Now drop and give me twenty!
Babs: Greg, honey, is it supposed to be this soft?
Flounder: You guys playing cards?

Americans have 15 “Perfect” Days a Year
Article goes on to list things that put people in a good mood.

TOP 40 MOOD BOOSTERS
Finding money in your pocket you didn’t know you had 58%
Being able to sleep in with no alarm set 55%
Lying in bed listening to rain fall outside 51%
A small gesture of kindness from somebody in your life 49%
Petting a dog 48%
Performing a small gesture of kindness for somebody in your life 47%
Realizing it’s a beautiful, sunny day 46%
Long, hot shower 44%
A meaningful, long hug from somebody you love 42%
Seeing a friend you haven’t seen in a long time 42%
The first sip of coffee of the day 41%
Plopping down on your bed after a long, tiring day 40%
Walking into an air-conditioned building on a hot day 40%
Baked treats (i.e. fresh blueberry pie) 40%
Listening to your favorite album 37%
Watching the sunset or sunrise 37%
Holding hands with someone you love 36%
Getting new clothes 35%
Cuddling your partner before getting up to start your day 34%
Cuddling with your pet after a long day 33%
Waking up to birds chirping 33%
Petting a cat 33%
Cooking your favorite meal 31%
Happening across a smell you enjoy, from cookies to the smell of rain 31%
Exchanging a genuine smile with a stranger 31%
Sunlight on your skin 31%
Getting a new haircut 30%
Finding a good new book to read 29%
Having a pleasant conversation with a total stranger 28%
Meeting a new person you genuinely like 28%
Eating a healthy food that makes you feel good about yourself 28%
Long soak in the tub 27%
Going to the movies 27%
Receiving a bouquet of flowers from someone you care about 25%
Going for a walk alone 25%
A lazy drive to nowhere in particular 25%
Having a nice, long stretch after sitting for awhile 24%
Ordering delivery 24%
Nice glass of beer or wine after a long day 24%
Realizing you’re going to have a good hair day 23%

I currently don’t have a pet, birds chirping first thing in the morning is why BB guns were invented, my idea of healthy food is a bacon cheese burger with onion straws and jalapenos (they count as veggies), cooking…ROTFL, flowers…hops are flowers!, and since I’ve shaved my head I never have a bad hair day.
And, there is something glaringly obvious missing from the list…

TOP 10 MOOD BOOSTING MUSICAL ACTS
The Beatles 32%
The Eagles 26%
Michael Jackson 25%
Queen 23%
Fleetwood Mac 23%
Bruno Mars 22%
Elton John 20%
Elvis Presley 20%
Adele 20%
Whitney Houston 19%

Agree: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac.
Meh: The Beatles, Elvis
Hell no: everyone else

THE PERFECT DAY, ACCORDING TO RESPONDENTS
Wake up at 8:15 a.m.
The weather is clear skies with a temperature of 74 degrees fahrenheit
Two friends seen
Three hours spent socializing
Two hours spent eating
One hour exercising
Two hours spent reading
Three hours spent watching TV
Four hours spent with family
Three hours spent outside
Four hours of relaxation
Three hours listening to music
In bed at 10:50 p.m.
ENDS

My perfect average day
Wake up at 8:15 a.m.
The weather is clear skies with a temperature of 74 degrees fahrenheit
Eat leftover pizza.
One hour exercising
Lobster roll for lunch.
Three hours spent socializing (to include a beer or two)
Possibly dinner with friends. Seafood or Italian.
Netflix and chill.
In bed at 10:50 p.m.
ENDS

How ’bout you?

Weekend Random Stuff…

July 22, 2018, 15:47(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

As I mentioned a few weeks back, it is apparent folks are taking much of the summer off. News worthy tech stories are few and far between. That’s probably a good thing.

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Classic Shell Reborn
Looks like someone has taken over the project.

Microsoft dives down a bizarre non-cumulative rabbit hole with July patches
Woody goes off as only he can.

Microsoft: The Kremlin’s hackers are already sniffing, probing around America’s 2018 elections
“Microsoft says it has already uncovered evidence of Russian government-backed hacking gangs attempting to interfere in the 2018 US mid-term elections.”

[H]ardOCP – How Intel Feels about PC Users
“Have you felt like Intel did not give a damn about the enthusiasts PC users for the last five or six years? From lagging IPC to toothpaste TIMs, I think we are seeing a lot expressed here in a single photograph from its 50th anniversary party that is happening as I type this.”

Ticks that carry Lyme disease are spreading fast
“Think you live in a place that’s free from disease-carrying ticks? Don’t be so sure.
Citizen scientists found ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in dozens of places across the United States where the pests had never previously been recorded, a new study reports.
All told, disease-carrying ticks were detected in 83 counties where they’d never been found before across 24 states.”
Insect Repellent:
Picaridin:
Use this on people: Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin Consumer Reports says the spray is more effective.
Use this on clothing and gear. NOT people.: Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent
*note: If You Spray Your Clothes With Permethrin, Be Careful Around The Cat
Deet:
Ben’s 30% Deet Tick and Insect Repellent best deal is a 3 pack.
The Most Effective Tick Repellents for Humans (and Dogs), According to Science
Consumer Reports – Best Insect Repellent Buying Guide
CDC: Preventing tick bites

Feds want reimbursement for Gwinnett sheriff’s $70K muscle car
“In a recent letter to Conway, the DOJ characterized the sheriff’s purchase of a Dodge Charger Hellcat — a 707-horsepower muscle car that some have called the fastest sedan ever built — as “extravagant.”
But doggone it. How they supposed to catch that Bandit when he comes roaring past Atlanta again?

Here are some of the movie and TV trailers to come out of San Diego Comic-Con 2018
Right now the only one I’m really interested in is, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, even if much of the cast can’t keep their yaps shut.

Omega-3 no protection against heart attack or strokes, say scientists
Don’t worry, there will be a study soon that claims Omega-3 cures everything.

Doctors Give Patients 11 Seconds To Explain Reason For Visit Before Interrupting
Unfortunately I have had a lot of doctors through the years. I have had the good fortune to have some fantastic doctors. I have also had some that were the most arrogant, condescending people I have ever dealt with. Not surprisingly they were also the least competent.

Health Insurers Are Vacuuming Up Details About You — And It Could Raise Your Rates
“The companies are tracking your race, education level, TV habits, marital status, net worth. They’re collecting what you post on social media, whether you’re behind on your bills, what you order online. Then they feed this information into complicated computer algorithms that spit out predictions about how much your health care could cost them.”

Millennials Most Likely To Post Deceptive Vacation Photos To Make Social Media Followers Jealous
“More than one third (36 percent) of Millennials (ages 18-34) have aimed to deceive their followers by posting social media vacation images that make trips look better than they are, according to the 10th annual 2018 Vacation Confidence Index*, released by Allianz Global Assistance. The study found that 15 percent of Gen X’ers (ages 35 – 54) and five percent of Baby Boomers (ages 55+) have done the same.”
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you!

Francesco Molinari wins The Open after holding off Tiger Woods, Justin Rose & Rory McIlroy
It was a great final round to watch. Good to see Tiger do so well. Rory had a heck of a charge going until the last 3 holes. Congrats to the winner, Francesco Molinari. He is the first Italian to win a major.

UNC Football Coach Larry Fedora Says An Emphasis On Player Safety Will Be The Downfall Of America
I first started reading the article because Red Hat Software (Fedora Linux) is like 1/2 hour away from UNC, which I found hysterical. Then I read good ol’ Larry’s statements:
“I believe the game is under attack right now. I really do. And if we’re not careful, we’re going to lose what the game is all about… I fear that the game will get pushed so far to one extreme that you won’t recognize the game 10 years from now. That’s what I worry about. And I do believe if it gets to that point, that our country goes down, too.”
and
“I don’t think it’s been proven that the game of football causes CTE, but that’s been put out there. We don’t really know yet.”
From wikipedia: “The Tar Heels finished the 2017 season 3–9, 1–7 in ACC play to finish in last place in the Coastal Division.”
You Heels fans need to get a new coach.

China is waging a ‘quiet kind of cold war’ against US, top CIA expert says
“Beijing doesn’t want to go to war, a top CIA expert on Asia said, but the current communist government, under President Xi Jinping, is subtly working on multiple fronts to undermine the U.S. in ways that are different than the more well-publicized activities being employed by Russia.
“I would argue … that what they’re waging against us is fundamentally a cold war — a cold war not like we saw during THE Cold War (between the U.S. and the Soviet Union) but a cold war by definition,” Michael Collins, deputy assistant director of the CIA’s East Asia mission center, said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.”

Friday Random Stuff…

July 13, 2018, 13:50(EDT) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 18.7.1
Download | Release Notes

The Specter Of Spectre
New Spectre-like attack uses speculative execution to overflow buffers
&
New Spectre 1.1 and Spectre 1.2 CPU Flaws Disclosed
It just keeps getting worse and worse.

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Microsoft might move jobs abroad because of U.S. immigration rules
Liars. They just want to keep their cheap(er) foreign labor instead of paying U.S. workers what the job is worth. Businesses have been doing that forever. Coal and steel mines did it. The railroads did it. When they can’t bring enough workers in they ship the work overseas like the auto industry, electronics, tech support…

Samsung phones are most bork-prone as a quarter suffer ‘performance issues’
“‘State of Mobile Device Repair & Security’ report reveals that Samsung’s phones had the highest failure rate among the manufacturers it tracks…Overall, a staggering 27 per cent of Samsung smartphones showing performance issues during Q1”

The World Is Better Than Ever And Continues To Improve. Why Do People Consistently Believe Otherwise?
“Worldwide poverty has dropped dramatically, we are in the Long Peace when it comes to war, the old cycles of famine boom and bust have leveled off, science has made it possible for everyone to live better for longer and spend less on basic necessities. The world continues to improve. Why, then, do polls consistently show that people believe otherwise? The answer may lie in a phenomenon called “prevalence induced concept change.”
Some people aren’t happy unless they are whining about something. There are those who always want to play the poor little underdog. Others just want everyone else to be miserable.

Starbucks Bans Plastic Straws, Winds Up Using More Plastic
“Yet missing from this fanfare was the inconvenient fact that by ditching plastic straws, Starbucks will actually be increasing its plastic use. As it turns out, the new nitro lids that Starbucks is leaning on to replace straws are made up of more plastic than the company’s current lid/straw combination.”

I say bring back Bring back Froot Loops Cereal Straws! It could add a great twist to a Margarita.

This Revolutionary Chainless Concept Could be the World’s Most Efficient Bike
“The design halves the amount of friction generated by the market-leading chain and derailleur setup by eliminating eight different points of contact. The pinion-style system also utilizes 21 low-friction CeramicSpeed bearings that transfer torque seamlessly from the front ring through the drivetrain and onto the 13-speed cog.”

‘Star Wars’: Billy Dee Williams Reprising Role as Lando Calrissian