Category Archives: Fail!

From books to bullets: inside Amazon’s push to ‘defend’ America | US news | The Guardian – it’s the cloud

In the not too distant future, US soldiers may rely on Amazon-run systems to trade intelligence, relay orders and call for help. Drone footage might be scoured for wanted men and women by Amazon software. Defense department quartermasters would use Amazon technology to move ammunition and supplies.

Source: From books to bullets: inside Amazon’s push to ‘defend’ America | US news | The Guardian

The Travel Ban at Two: Rocky Implementation Settles into Deeper Impacts | migrationpolicy.org

Two years after the Trump administration’s much-litigated travel ban was created, the policy has demonstrated a significant impact on the admission of foreigners from the banned countries, while also reshaping U.S. security vetting procedures and the refugee resettlement process in enduring ways, as this article explores on the second-year anniversary.

Source: The Travel Ban at Two: Rocky Implementation Settles into Deeper Impacts | migrationpolicy.org

Russians leaked Mueller investigation evidence online, prosecutors say | US news | The Guardian

A court filing by Mueller’s office said more than 1,000 files that it shared confidentially with attorneys for indicted Russian hackers later appeared to have been uploaded to a filesharing site and promoted by a Twitter account. “We’ve got access to the Special Counsel Mueller’s probe database as we hacked Russian server with info from the Russian troll case,” a tweet from the account said. “You can view all the files Mueller had about the IRA and Russian collusion. Enjoy the reading!”

Source: Russians leaked Mueller investigation evidence online, prosecutors say | US news | The Guardian

Inoreader – Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools — Including Ours

A number of organizations, including ProPublica, have developed tools to let the public see exactly how Facebook users are being targeted by advertisers. Now, Facebook has quietly made changes to its site that stop those efforts. ProPublica, Mozilla and Who Targets Me have all noticed their tools stopped working this month after Facebook inserted code in its website that blocks them. “This is very concerning,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who has co-sponsored the Honest Ads Act, which would require transparency on Facebook ads. “Investigative groups like ProPublica need access to this information in order to track and report on the opaque and frequently deceptive world of online advertising.”

Source: Inoreader – Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools — Including Ours

US university official quits after telling Chinese students to speak English ‘100 per cent of the time’ – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – “doesn’t get much more racist than this! Brits outlawed speaking Irish and Scottish – as Anglo-Americans would not allow Native Americans to speak their language.”

The faculty members were upset, she added, because the students were, “being so impolite as to have a conversation that not everyone on the floor could understand”.

Source: US university official quits after telling Chinese students to speak English ‘100 per cent of the time’ – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

What would we say if English speaking Americans who were studying in Spain, sometimes only spoke in English with each other when Spanish speakers were around them?

′Auschwitz did not begin in Auschwitz′ | Germany| News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 27.01.2019

Today’s world has grown sleepy, he says. “Many people these days seem to take democracy for granted. It’s like a comfort blanket that gives them a sense of peace and tranquility.” But that tranquility is deceptive, he warns: “Democracy is under attack.” Right-wing populists like the AfD politician Björn Höcke have a problem with Germany’s culture of remembrance. Höcke has described the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin as a “monument of shame.” For Heubner, it’s comments like these that are the source of shame. “This is disgraceful talk; unpatriotic, stupid. The German people have just regained their dignity through remembrance.”

Source: ′Auschwitz did not begin in Auschwitz′ | Germany| News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 27.01.2019

Russia denies sending mercenaries to shore up Nicolás Maduro’s position | World news | The Guardian

The man leading the charge has been Igor Sechin, the former military translator who now heads the Russian oil firm Rosneft. A fluent Spanish speaker, Sechin has met with Maduro regularly and has increased the Rosneft’s investment in Venezuelan oil production and its state-owned producer.

Source: Russia denies sending mercenaries to shore up Nicolás Maduro’s position | World news | The Guardian

$20 billion in investments?

Trump ordered 15,000 new border and immigration officers — but got thousands of vacancies instead – Los Angeles Times

In a sign of the difficulties, Customs and Border Protection allocated $60.7 million to Accenture Federal Services, a management consulting firm, as part of a $297-million contract to recruit, vet and hire 7,500 border officers over five years, but the company has produced only 33 new hires so far.

Source: Trump ordered 15,000 new border and immigration officers — but got thousands of vacancies instead – Los Angeles Times

 

The PAC for Accenture Federal Services gave around $250,000 to 112 members of Congress in campaign donations 2015-2016. Pretty good investment return and insurance policy against not getting raked over coals for not fulfilling contract. And says a lot too for incompetence of the White House managers of the contract. $5+ billion demanded for a wall would produce a 2 or 3 miles of wall at this rate.

Ireland dismisses suggestion it should quit EU and join UK | Politics | The Guardian – This is how ignorant some Brits are to suggest Ireland would become a British slave again after fighting for 700 years to be free!

BBC’s John Humphrys criticised for putting ‘Brexit solution’ to Irish minister

Source: Ireland dismisses suggestion it should quit EU and join UK | Politics | The Guardian