Banks back down on homeowner foreclosure, Sesame Street channel hacked & filled woth porn, lost De Vinci portrait controversy

Good Morning Humboldt County!

C’mon in and have a cup of coffee with me. I’ve got a few stories to start your day. The sun is struggling to pierce the morning haze and a determined woodpecker is hammering away outside. What a wonderful world!      

 

Homeowner taps 'Occupy' protest  to avoid foreclosure

Rose Gudiel and her family were squatters in their own home. They had lost a two-year battle against foreclosure, and the eviction date had arrived. They hunkered down in the house on Sept. 28, surrounded by dozens of homeowner advocates and friends, hoping to stave off forcible removal.

“(The bank) kept saying we can’t do anything. Your case is closed,” said Gudiel. “Our stand was, ‘No, we’re not leaving. This is our home. We worked hard for it and we’re just not going to leave.’”

But instead of the anticipated confrontation, there was a dramatic reversal of fortune. Fanny Mae canceled the eviction notice and offered the Gudiels a loan modification that could enable them keep their home.

Why? Fannie Mae and loan servicer OneWest won’t discuss the case. But nonprofit advocates say a series of bold protests — with reinforcements from the “Occupy Wall Street” movement — and a spate of media interest put Rose in the limelight and forced the banks to back down.

Sesame Street YouTube channel hacked, filled with porn

The official YouTube channel for children's television series Sesame Street was compromised this weekend. At that time, a hacker filled what could be considered one of the more the child-friendly corners of the Internet with videos so pornographic that they'd make Cookie Monster blush until he resembled Elmo.

Security blog Sophos reports that the incident occurred on Sunday and that it took about 20 minutes before the explicit content was removed. It wasn't just the pornographic material which disappeared from YouTube at that point though. The entire Sesame Street channel — and all of its original videos — are currently "not available" on YouTube.

'Lost' Da Vinci Portrait, and its origins, stir controversy

Christie's auction house may have sold a priceless piece of art by Leonardo da Vinci for a little more than $21,000, according to researchers who claim to have identified the origins of the hotly debated painting.

The painting appears to have come from a 500-year-old book containing the family history of the Duke of Milan. Art historian Martin Kemp, of the University of Oxford, believes the mystery painting, which appeared in 1998, is a portrait of the duke's daughter, created by da Vinci for her wedding book. [ See images of the portrait and book ]

"We knew it came from a book, you have the stitch holes and can see the knife cut. Finding it is a miracle in a way. I was amazed," Kemp told LiveScience. "When doing historical research on 500-year-old objects … you hardly get the circle completed in this way." In 2010, Kemp first suggested that da Vinci painted the portrait, and since then, art historians have debated over both its origin and the painter. In fact, several art historians contacted by LiveScience said they wouldn't comment on the piece or didn't return emails. An earlier examination of the artwork by a gallery in Vienna led the director there to say it was not a da Vinci, and they are unswayed by the new evidence.

Time to walk on down the road…

As It Stands: Workplace reality - more robots, less humans

                                                  

          By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
  Years ago I had a theory that cockroaches would inherit the earth. I still think there’s a chance, but now it looks like robots will, instead.
 There have been many troubling signs in the last few decades that robots are well on the way to making humans obsolete in the workplace. When I watched IBM’s Watson whip every human contender on Jeopardy, I knew our days were numbered. It’s hard to contend with a robot who makes fewer mistakes than you do and doesn’t get bored performing tedious tasks.
 Here’s something to consider; there will be 1.2 million industrial robots working worldwide next year according to Marshall Brain, founder of How Stuff Works and author of Robotic Nation.
 You can’t go a day without seeing some form of robot. They analyze documents, fill prescriptions and work in checkout lines in stores nationwide. They handle many other tasks that were once performed by humans. Google has been working on automated cars. Seven test cars have driven 1,000 miles with human supervisors in the passenger seat. It’s just a matter of time before we get in the car in the morning, program it, and sit back and relax during our daily commute.
 ATM machines reduce the need for bank tellers, virtual assistants can answer the phone 24 hours a day. In 2008, Aeon Co., a major Japanese retailer, introduced a four-foot-tall yellow and white robot at a store whose job was to babysit children while adults shopped. Can full-time robot nannies be far away? 
 Robots can reach areas that are inaccessible to humans and provide crucial help in rescuing victims from natural disasters. The most useful robots could be aerial drones that  provide aerial inspections or ROVs, which can help locate underwater objects and determine the condition of bridges and pipelines, according to the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue at Texas A&M University. 
  Lawyers and paralegals must be concerned with the arrival of software that can do their job in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the cost. Blackstone Discovery of Palo Alto, CA provides software that helps analyze 1.5 million documents for less than $100,000, according to a New York Times report.
 Guess who else will have new competition for their job? Astronauts. NASA and General Motors got together and built an android - Robonaut2 - who will initially handle menial jobs such as cleaning the space station and assisting humans in space operations. It won’t take long for them to take the next step and replace a human crew.
 In ancient Greek and Roman mythology there were stories of metal men that, through the use of godly magic, came to life. In the real world of the 21st Century there’s the MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System), made by Foster-Miller, which has provided armed robots in Iraq. Drones and other machines are also increasingly used in reconnaissance and combat missions. 
 Especially troubling to an old journalist like me is the software developed by  Northwestern University Narrative Science that specializes in machine-generated stories. Robots writing stories! We must be headed for the end times.
 Why robots? That’s simple. They are cheaper than beat reporters. Look at the Big Ten Network, partially owned by Fox Cable. Their director of new media didn’t make any bones about telling Bloomberg BusinessWeek that they use the service for baseball and softball coverage because it’s less expensive. Yeah, but what about quality coverage for their readers?

  I’m not saying robots will start locking humans away like in the movies “The Matrix” or “I, Robot,” but I suggest we’re getting closer to a future when there will be no jobs for humans. Then what? The robots get tired of us stupid humans like in the movie “Terminator?”
   Artificially Intelligent machines have, to all intents and purposes, been around for years.  Take a look at traffic lights, computers that run hospitals, airports. shops and homes. Our world would come to a grinding halt without the robots that run our lives. But what will happen when there are no jobs for humans?
  As It Stands, I guess that’s what scares me. I also think robots will figure out a way to eliminate the cockroaches some day!

The Times They Are A-Changing…

Back in my day they said the times were changing…and so they are…and will always change.

They were calling for change in my day.

Some things never change though.

And that’s the need for change from one generation to the next…

A flashback that seems fitting today.

Majority of American troops to leave Iraq by January but US will still have a significant presence there

The good news is about 40,000 American troops are coming home from Iraq, reducing our footprint there considerably.

The bad news; there will be a massive American diplomatic presence for a long time to come.

From NBC News

“The U.S. in Baghdad is the largest in the world, and the State Department will have offices in Basra, Irbil and Kirkuk as well as other locations around the country where contractors will train Iraqi forces on U.S. military equipment they're purchasing. About 5,000 security contractors and personnel will be tasked with helping protect American diplomats and facilities around the country, the State Department has said.

The U.S. Embassy will still have a handful of U.S. Marines for protection and 157 U.S. military personnel in charge of facilitating weapons sales to Iraq.”

It seems we can’t let go of our eight-year mistake of invading and occupying Iraq. Just another case of American imperialism. Deals have been made and we can be sure of Iraq oil.

We still have Afghanistan and now our warmongering government is turning it’s attention to Africa by sending Green Berets to Uganda in what is the first part of a phased military operation that will spread to other nearby countries.

Once again, the government’s bullshit reasoning for an increased military presence is based upon lies designed to hide our capitalistic goals – there’s oil in Libya – and other natural resources we can plunder. We’re going in – wearing White Hats and all – to save these poor countries from some roving gang of thugs that’s supposedly terrifying the good people in Southern Africa. I’ve heard that song in Vietnam. It’s getting kind of old.

Our Chicken Hawks in the Pentagon are ready to rip Africa apart, like the vultures they are, in order to keep the war machine rolling. Africa screams…but no one hears.

As It Stands, until we pull our troops out from the more than 126 occupied countries, we can’t deny that American Imperialism thrives in the 21st Century.  

OWS Open’s Pandora’s Box: worldwide protests increase daily

Someone opened Pandora’s Box about a month ago when less than a dozen protestors began to occupy Wall Street in the name of the 99% who have lost hope for a true democracy.

      How the Myth relates to what’s happening today:

Once up a time, a long time ago, Zeus ordered Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband) to make him a daughter. It was the first woman made out of clay. Hephaestus made a beautiful woman and named her Pandora.

Zeus sent his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she could marry Epimetheus, who was a gentle but lonely man.

Zeus was not being kind. He was getting even. Epimetheus and Prometheus were brothers. Zeus was mad at one of the brothers, Prometheus, for giving people fire without asking Zeus first. 

Zeus gave Pandora a little box with a big heavy lock on it. He made her promise never to open the box. He gave the key to Pandora’s husband and told him to never open the box. Zeus was sure that Epimetheus' curiosity would get the better of him, and that either Epimetheus or his brother would open the box.

Pandora was very curious. She wanted to see what was inside the box, but Epimetheus said no. Better not. "You know your father," Epimetheus sighed, referring to Zeus. "He’s a tricky one."

One day, when Epimetheus lay sleeping, Pandora stole the key and opened the box.

Out flew every kind of disease and sickness, hate and envy, and all the bad things that people had never experienced before. Pandora slammed the lid closed, but it was too late. All the bad things were already out of the box. They flew away, out into the world.

Epimetheus woke up at the sound of her sobbing. “I opened the box and all these ugly things flew out,” she cried. “I tried to catch them, but they all got out.” Pandora opened the box to show him how empty it was. But the box was not quite empty. One tiny bug flew quickly out before Pandora could slam the lid shut again.

“Hello, Pandora,” said the bug, hovering just out of reach. “My name is Hope.” With a nod of thanks for being set free, Hope flew out into the world, a world that now held Envy, Crime, Hate, and Disease – and Hope.

Today we have millions of people worldwide hoping to change oppressive governments ruled by corporations and an elite few. How long will this hope for change last? The powers-that-be hope the people will eventually give up and go back to being good sheep.

Yet, as long as Hope is out there, and shared by millions, there’s always a possibility they’ll make a positive difference in the lives of the oppressed masses in the near future.

photo source

Where missing people are found, an accommodating commode, and air traffic controllers errors soaring

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NamUs is a vast registry that anyone can us to scan records and search for people.

       Good Morning Humboldt County!

Another day in paradise! It’s nice to see you could drop by and share a cup of coffee with me and read a few stories to start your day. This is a fascinating world full of surprises.

NamUs: Where missing people can be found

There is a place where the lost can be found.

Long before Lisa Irwin vanished from her Kansas City home, there was another desperate search in Missouri for a little girl. Her name was Elizabeth Gill. On the afternoon of June 13, 1965, Elizabeth was in her family's front yard in Cape Giradreau. It was the last time the 2-year-old was seen alive.

Scott Kleeschulte also disappeared in Missouri. On June 18, 1988, the 9-year-old freckled face boy was walking down a street in St. Charles County. To this day, nobody knows what happened to him. The three cases, separated by decades, share a common bond with thousands of other files accessible to the public on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System website. Known as NamUs, the vast national registry lets relatives, law enforcement, victim's rights advocates, and anyone scan the records and search for information that could help solve these heartbreaking mysteries. NamUs, which is run by the National Forensic Science Technology Center, is under the direction of the National Institute of Justice.

  This commode does it all ... for $6,400

The New York Times just published an in-depth review of Kohler's Numi toilet, a $6,400 contraption that is basically a cross between a potty and a butler.

The toilet, which costs 81 times the amount of your standard Home Depot toilet, has a touch-screen remote that flushes, cleans and dries its user. It also provides heat and music, and settings can be saved for each member of the family.

At first, we thought the Numi sounded like another unnecessary extravagance intended to make millionaires part with their money.But reporter Sam Grobart convinced us otherwise. Having spent a month living with the device, he writes:

And one thing I learned is this: It is possible to acclimate to such luxury. Anyone who has ever owned a car with a backup camera or heated seats knows what this means. Features that initially seem unnecessary can become something you cannot do without, even in a bathroom.  

Watchdog: Air traffic controller errors soaring

A report by a government watchdog says errors by air traffic controllers in the vicinity of airports as well as incidents in which there was an unauthorized plane, vehicle, or person on a runway have increased sharply in the past three years.The Government Accountability Office report released Thursday says errors by controllers working at radar facilities that handle approaches and departures within about 30 miles of an airport have more than doubled.

The report also says runway incursions at airports with control towers — which includes most large and medium sized airports — nearly doubled between 2008 and this year. A Federal Aviation Administration statement attributed the increases to better error reporting. The agency is also using new a plane-tracking system better able to spot planes too close together.

Time to walk on down the road…

Obama sends 100 military advisors to Uganda: Isn’t this how Vietnam began?

We’re about to repeat a big mistake (Vietnam) by sending combat troops to Africa – aka military advisors- into a country (Uganda) that is a political quagmire. Ultimately, they'll also deploy in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo according to the White House.

Doesn’t anyone see what’s happening here? Even if we eventually do pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan our military is slated to deploy to other countries.

There’s no end in sight. The Chicken Hawks at the Pentagon manage to hold every administration (Republican and Democratic) hostage under the banner of patriotism. They paint country-after-country as our enemies, and then they go in and occupy those countries, no matter how big or how small.

I can only shake my head in disgust with Obama and the rest of the military puppets that claim to be politicians representing the people. The majority of Americans don’t want war. We want peace. And roofs over our heads, and food, and schools where our children get the best possible education. The people need jobs. Not new enemies worldwide.  

High Hopes: Lasting Happiness Found With Hallucinogen Use?

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine studying psilocybin, the mind-altering chemical in “magic mushrooms,” found that the chemical may actually alter people’s personalities for a long period of time, ABC News is reporting.

The study involved one high dose of psilocybin administered to 51 adult study participants and found that 30 of them underwent measurable personality changes lasting more than a year. The aspect of personality that changed is known as openness.

Openness, the authors wrote, “encompasses aesthetic appreciation and sensitivity, imagination and fantasy, and broad-minded tolerance of others’ viewpoints and values.” Measured on a widely used and scientifically validated personality inventory, changes in openness were larger in magnitude than changes typically observed in healthy adults over decades of life experiences, the scientists say.

The research, approved by Johns Hopkins’ Institutional Review Board, was funded in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.  article source

Artist agrees to only paint nude models after dark, Ron Paul’s ‘eyebrow toupee,’ and cleanup of OWS site is postponed

          Good Morning Humboldt County!

It’s O Dark Hundred and the sun hasn’t risen yet, but the coffees on and you’re invited to stay and have a cup with me. This mornings selection of stories run from whimsical to serious. Enjoy:

 

Artist can paint nude models only after dark

An artist arrested for applying body paint to a nude model in New York's Times Square will have charges against him dropped if his models strip naked only after dark, according to a court agreement reached on Thursday.

Police arrested Andy Golub, 45, in July and charged him with violating public exposure and lewdness laws. He has been painting nude models for about three years. Golub's lawyer, Ronald Kuby, argued that New York laws do not prohibit public nudity in the name of art, and a compromise was reached that was the basis of the court ruling.

Under the agreement, "he is permitted to paint bare breasts any time, anywhere, but the G-strings have to stay on until daylight goes out," Kuby said after a hearing in Manhattan criminal court.

Ron Paul’s ‘eyebrow toupee’? Droop at debate prompts suspicion

Has Ron Paul been wearing fake eyebrows? That's what the New York Times wonders, pointing to an incident at Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate in which the candidate's right eyebrow appeared to droop a bit under the hot lights:

Seen on television, Mr. Paul appeared to have a second, thinner brow under the one headed south, creating a delicate X over his right eye. Jesse Benton, a campaign spokesman, insisted that Mr. Paul had been the victim of the elements, namely a heavy pollen season in New Hampshire, and called accusations that he'd been artificially enhancing "stupid" and "insulting."

"Dr. Paul's allergies acted up a touch," Mr. Benton said in an explanation that might raise some, you know, questions.

Cleanup of Occupy Wall St. protest site is postponed

Anti-greed protesters were elated early Friday morning by the postponement of a cleanup of the park where they have been gathering for almost a month.

As day broke over Zuccotti Park, the cheering died down, but police on scooters positioned themselves in the streets around the park as an impromptu march began up Broadway in lower Manhattan.

Time to walk on down the road…

UPDATE:

Clashes broke out between bottle-throwing demonstrators and police on horses and scooters as Occupy Wall Street protesters marched on the Stock Exchange on Friday, NBC News reported.

At least 10 people were arrested amid what was initially described as a celebratory march, which began when it was revealed the owners of Zuccotti Park — where the protesters had set up camp — had ditched cleanup plans that some claimed were a pretext to evict them.

NBC News reported that police used the scooters to try to force protesters off of the street at several locations on Wall Street and Broadway. In some cases, police rode scooters directly at people who stopped traffic and refused to move away. WNBC reported that at least 10 people had been arrested as police tried to stop about 500 people, with brooms raised in the air, from marching on Wall Street.

NBC News said that one person who had been arrested was injured and bleeding and was taken to the 7th precinct for treatment. NYPD was extending shifts for some officers across the city in response to the situation. Despite the police's efforts, protesters were gathering at the Stock Exchange, NBC News said.

Tomorrow is deadline for OWS protestors to leave Zuccotti Park

Notice has been served to the Occupy Wall Street protestors at Zuccotti Park to clear out tomorrow.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. The police said they will make arrests if the park’s owners request them to.

The company that owns the private park where the demonstrators have camped out said it has become trashed and unsanitary. Brookfield Office Properties planned to begin a section-by-section power-washing of Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street, at 7 a.m.

"They're going to use the cleanup to get us out of here," said Justin Wedes, a 25-year-old part-time public high school science teacher from Brooklyn who was one of about 400 people in the park Thursday night. "It's a de facto eviction notice."

photo source

Protesters say the only way they will leave is by force. Organizers sent out a mass email asking supporters to "defend the occupation from eviction." "We are doubling up on our determination to stay here as a result of this," said 26-year-old Sophie Mascia, a Queens resident who has been living in Zuccotti Park for three weeks and intends to sleep there Friday night. "I think this is only going to strengthen our movement."

Let’s see what tomorrow brings…