Things that make you go hmmm...... - Auto-Trend Repairs and Service Information Forums

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

RE: Things that make you go hmmm......

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Rastus wrote:
Anyhow, here's something to go Hmmm about...Especially our host, once he discovers that the Atlantic Salmon he loves & selectively buys, is actually farmed here in Tasmania, on the Pacific side of the island...But this is an election year here to, at least for the states, & it seems that our country is confusedt from all the corruption lol !

Actually, Rastus... It's Atlantic Cod that I'm very partial to... although the wife is a big fan of the Atlantic Salmon...

;)

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

Chilean sea bass rules. The right amount of everything, fat, moisture. Had some a couple weeks ago. Bonefish grill In Ft Meyers, Cape coral, not sure. $37.99 a plate

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Shawnee_B wrote:
Chilean sea bass rules. The right amount of everything, fat, moisture. Had some a couple weeks ago. Bonefish grill In Ft Meyers, Cape coral, not sure. $37.99 a plate

This post didn't make me go Hmmm one bit...But you should hear my stomach growling :) !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

So we all know that there remains a-lot-of "hocus-pocus" with regards to 9/11, & what still needs to be determined about this "False Flag" event...Such as G.W.Bush jr's brother being in charge-of security up until the day of the event, NORAD, & Mr. Silverstein reinsuring the Twin Towers just before the tragic event ( alongside giving the OK to pull his building No.7 down that was not damaged by aircraft collision, but full of CIA & other 3-letter agency paperwork / documents )...

But would you believe that Mr.Silverstein also owned the mighty bridge that was struck by a Maersk Shipping vessel in recent weeks in Baltimore ???...

Hmmm...

See UFO thread for ECETI update for more information...No wonder our insurance premiums are through-the-roof !!!

-- Edited by Rastus on Sunday 7th of April 2024 12:12:47 AM

Shawnee_B · FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

Yup, read about him owning the bridge too. Must just be cooinkidinks ehh?

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Speaking of cooinkidinks there has been many other minor and near miss situations involving container ships hitting bridges -- the most recent in New York!

Whenever regular people have a claim they get the shaft -- given the least possible amount... but yet these big boys seem to get TOP DOLLAR every single time! How did the insurance company that paid out on Silverstein's Twin Towers claim even manage to keep from going bankrupt? I wonder how much he had the bridge insured for?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

SELLC wrote:
1. Speaking of cooinkidinks there has been many other minor and near miss situations involving container ships hitting bridges -- the most recent in New York!
2. Whenever regular people have a claim they get the shaft -- given the least possible amount... But yet these big boys seem to get TOP DOLLAR every single time !
3. How did the insurance company that paid out on Silverstein's Twin Towers claim even manage to keep from going bankrupt ?
4. I wonder how much he had the bridge insured for?

R1. Hmmm...Look-out Pier 57...

R2. Indeed...Big business makes big-money, so insurance parasites get more to feed-off...

R3. You must be joking Stellar after all this time...But here you go...Vanguard, Black Rock & State Street...( Flashbulb moment occurs lol )...

R4. The Twin-Towers were insured for triple their value, just before the "false Flag" happened...On that basis, the bridge may be a similar amount...

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

So this "cut & paste" is from Duck-Duck-Go, & actually will make you go Hmmm in a positive way, since it reveals how to get more privacy & eliminate illegal data-collection via your phone & other wi-fi dependant devices...

Though I indicated this illegal activity first in the "O Biden" thread, its follow-up sits better in here, since Genocide-Joe is an ass-hole, to-say-the-least, & wants your data to sell...

( It's not the whole article btw, just the important bits. The rest turned into advertising imo, but the source is listed if you want to follow-up yo )

Data Privacy: All the Ways Your Cellphone Carrier Tracks You and How to Stop It

Take control of your personal data by learning exactly what phone companies are tracking and how you can turn it off.
Eli Blumenthal
April 30, 2024 9:35 a.m. PT
6 min read
AT&T, Verizon, and T-mobile mobile phones

Most cellphone users in the US are served by three major wireless carriers. James Martin/CNET

Data tracking in 2024 seems inevitable. Whether you're using an iPhone or Android phone, your carrier is likely gathering all sorts of data about how, where and when you use your cellphone.

This month T-Mobile quietly began rolling out a new tracking method called "profiling and automated decisions." Spotted by Reddit users and The Mobile Report, the new option is enabled by default. While the company says it isn't using information gleaned from such tracking today, it could be used later on for "future decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you."

Read more: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

But the self-proclaimed "un-carrier" isn't alone. All three major US wireless providers collect data, here's what they gather and how you can turn it off. It is also worth noting that some of this you should want to keep on, particularly identity verification.

While we're focusing on the three main wireless carriers that make up a bulk of the US wireless market, it is likely smaller providers and even home internet services are engaging in similar collections. Heading to an account's profile or privacy page should help you figure out what is being collected and how you can adjust it.

Read more: How to Adjust Your Streaming Stick or Smart TV's Privacy Settings
AT&T
AT&T logo on a phone
James Martin/CNET

As we mentioned above, T-Mobile is not the only one collecting data about how you use their services. You can check your AT&T privacy settings by logging into your account and going to Profile followed by Privacy Choices.

The carrier has four main privacy toggles:

Personalized Plus: This setting "uses data like web browsing and precise location for customization" including for offers and ads. This data includes your precise location, web browsing, viewership history, apps as well as data AT&T collects from advertisers like demographic information, ZIP code and age ranges. The carrier says this data "does not access or use the contents of your texts, emails or calls."
Personalized: This option "allows the use of your data for automated decision making" including using AI to generate more customized ads and marketing tailored and "relevant to your interests." It's on by default.
Identity Verification: This "allows us to help non-AT&T companies perform identity verification and fraud prevention," such as a bank to "help protect your accounts from fraud, verify your identity and make sure you authorize certain transactions." AT&T says it does not let companies use this verification "for any other purpose than those services." This is on by default.
Share or sell my personal information: This lets AT&T "share limited information to create, deliver and measure advertisements for things you might like" including targeted ads. This is on by default.

Of the four, you can easily toggle off all settings, though I would recommend keeping identity verification on for all lines on your account.
T-Mobile
T-mobile logo on a phone
James Martin/CNET

T-Mobile's privacy options are a bit more varied. To access the company's Privacy Center, log into your T-Mobile account and then click My account in the upper right corner, followed by Profile. From there scroll all the way to the bottom and select privacy and notifications and privacy dashboard.

From there you will see the following:

Share data for public and scientific research: T-Mobile says that this option allows it to "help support research initiatives for the public good, such as pandemic response and the development of new technologies." Created last year, the carrier says this program is in response to requests from "outside researchers or researching institutions." T-Mobile says this data will be "de-identified as much as possible before being shared" and will not include personal information such as your name, though it can share location, demographic and usage data. It also says that data shared here won't be given to law enforcement.
Analytics and reporting: This takes data from your device, including app usage information such as how often it was opened and zip code and combines it with "self-declared data like age range (e.g., 25 to 34) and gender, to prepare aggregated business and marketing reports," which T-Mobile can then use and share with other companies. The carrier says that these reports do not identify individuals. This is on by default.
Advertising options: This is for personalized ads, with the carrier collecting details about apps you download and how long you've used them, combining it with other data it collects such as your location and demographic. As with similar options from other providers and sites, turning this off doesn't stop you from seeing ads but the carrier says that you are "more likely to see ads about things you like" if you keep these options on. This is on by default.
Product development: This lets T-Mobile use your personal data, including your precise location, phone numbers you call, apps and websites you use, as well as helping advertisers "make the ads they show you better."
Profiling and automated decisions: This is T-Mobile's seemingly latest privacy option that we mentioned above, and while the carrier says it isn't doing anything with this today, it appears to be giving itself the option to do so going forward. On its site it describes this as taking personal data it collects about you "to evaluate, analyze, or predict certain personal aspects about your performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements." It is on by default.
Do not sell or share my personal information: This allows you to tell T-Mobile not to sell or share the data it has about you with other companies. The company notes on its site that it still may share "some personal information with our service providers so you can, for example, receive products and services from us." In an annoying extra step, the carrier notes on its website that you can limit what data third-party advertisers share with T-Mobile through its Magenta Advertising Platform, but to opt out of that you need to download a separate app.

Of these options, I would recommend turning all of them off.

In addition to the dashboard, T-Mobile's Privacy Center website details something called "phone privacy." T-Mobile says that it uses information gathered from here to "identify offers for T-Mobile calling plans, protect against fraud, and respond to emergencies" but that under this policy it is not collecting "your name, address, phone number or the content of your phone calls." It also says it's not sharing this data with other companies so that it could "help them market their stuff."
Verizon
Verizon wireless logo on a phone
James Martin/CNET

Like T-Mobile, Verizon has a host of different options when it comes to privacy. This can be found by logging in, clicking on account then account overview. From there, select edit profile and settings and choose manage privacy settings.

From there you will see the following:

Customer Proprietary Network Info: This lets Verizon use the information it has about you to sell you other services beyond whatever you're already paying for. This is on by default.
Business and Marketing Insights: This takes information about location, web browsing, "app/feature use" as well as your demographic and then combines that with information Verizon gets from other companies to help Verizon create "insights" like if many people are often traveling to a particular place at a particular time. The carrier says this information is collected "in aggregate" so that it can help it and "others better understand consumer actions." This is on by default.
Custom Experience: This takes information about "websites you visit and apps you use" to "help us better understand your interests" such as if you like sports or gaming. Verizon says it does not share or sell this information with others. It's on by default.
Custom Experience Plus: This combines the information gathered from the CPNI and Custom Experience sections so that Verizon can "personalize" its marketing and recommendations for you as well as "develop plans, services and offers" that would be "more appealing to you." This is an opt-in and the carrier says that it doesn't sell this data to other companies for their own respective advertising, though opting in here will automatically enable the Business and Marketing Insights.
Identity Verification: This shares "certain account, device and profile data" with third parties to help "verify your identity and help protect you against identity theft and account takeover." This is on by default.

There is also a Custom Experience tab that lets you reset your Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus options, and doing so will have Verizon "stop using the web browsing and location data" that it previously collected as part of the program.

Of all of Verizon's options, I would recommend turning off all but Identity Verification. That should remain on.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

This will make you go Hmmm, as the UK is implementing "Monsantos" style "small-print" limitations on what farmers can & can't do with their products...Yes, that's right, the UK strikes a deal for importing farmed produce, but won't allow farmers to trade among themselves...

Hmmm...

"Trade deals struck by the UK contain a little-known clause that benefit multinational companies - at the expense of farmers in developing countries".

The UK is signing trade deals requiring countries to comply with an obscure international agreement under which they must introduce domestic regulation to stop farmers swapping or selling seeds privately, writes Catherine Early.

The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants 1991 or UPOV91 contains a provision that grants exclusive rights of new plant varieties to the plant breeder.

Once a country is a signatory of UPOV91 or has committed to comply with it under a trade deal, it must regulate to prevent farmers legally accessing privatised varieties of seed only if they buy from a place that has permission to sell them; cannot exchange them, even as a gift; or save them for the following season.

Reliant

Such laws risk fines or imprisonment for smallholder farmers if they save, swap or sell some seeds on their own land, according to campaign organisation Transform Trade, which has published a report to highlight the issues with UPOV91.

Restrictions on seed swapping and saving is a particular issue for farmers in the global south, many of whom are heavily reliant on these methods to procure seeds. In the Middle East, Africa and Asia around 60 per cent of seeds used by farmers are obtained in this way, compared with around 10 per cent in North America, according to a 2018 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Despite only cultivating 12 per cent of all agricultural land, smallholder farmers produce at least 35 per cent of the worlds food, with some estimating that this figure is closer to 70 per cent. In Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder farmers operating on land of less than two hectares provide an estimated 80% of food grown in those regions.

Swapping or saving seeds allows farmers to keep their costs down. Crops of indigenous plants or native varieties tend to be more resilient to climatic shocks, because they have evolved over centuries to survive within the local ecosystem, Transform Trade said.

Unfair trade

In addition, a diversity of seed varieties gives farmers more choice over which seeds they decide are most appropriate to grow locally. A diversity of crops can also mitigate against crop failure due to extreme weather, pests and diseases, it argues.

The UK is one of several countries pushing the uptake of UPOV91 in trade deals. It has 19 trade deals covering 68 countries which require or encourage signatory countries to comply with or ratify UPOV91. Many of these are with countries that the UN has classified as least developed or developing.

Many trade deals containing these provisions were inherited by the UK from the EU after Brexit, the UK Government chose not to renegotiate them.

There is no publicised UK trade strategy that sets out the governments intentions, but Transform Trade argues that the fact it did not renegotiate these deals when it formally left the EU in 2020 indicates that it supports the proliferation of UPOV91 and the tightening of seed laws through trade deals.

Petition

It believes that there is a strong likelihood that the UK will continue to put pressure on other countries to comply with, or ratify, UPOV91 in any new agreements it negotiates.

Transform Trades campaign is targeting trade minister Greg Hands and the UK government in general. Labour West MP Gareth Thomas raised concerns about UPOV91 in a recent parliamentary debate about the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an Asia-Pacific trade bloc made up of 11 countries CPTPP that the UK agreed to join in July 2023.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

This will make you go hmmm, or even "oh Biden"....

Sign our One-Click Petition: Dont let far-right extremists call an Article V Convention and write their agenda into our Constitution >>

A major threat to our democracy is gaining traction thanks to secretive, wealthy special interest groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

These groups are spending big and wielding their influence with state lawmakers, demanding that they vote to call an Article V Constitutional Convention an unprecedented event with no rules that could lead to a rewrite of the U.S. Constitution.

BEWARE if we dont speak out now, these extremists could soon successfully secure enough votes to put their far-right-wing priorities into our Constitution.

Sign the Petition: Tell state legislators to reject and rescind calls for an Article V Convention.
CLICK TO SIGN

Under Article V of the Constitution, Congress is required to convene a constitutional convention if two-thirds of state legislatures call for one. And right now, were just a handful of states away.

No convention has ever been called under Article V for a reason: theres just too much at stake.

Because there are no rules for a convention in the Constitution, the delegates could be unelected and unaccountable. Theres nothing to stop them from trying to shred our First Amendment protections, gut environmental regulations, and roll back civil rights advances.

The Kochs and their extremist allies are trying to get this done behind closed doors and out of the public eye. We need to show our lawmakers that were paying attention and that we wont let them gamble with our rights.

Click here to add your name: Urge your state lawmakers to oppose an Article V Convention and protect our Constitution NOW.

If just a few more states agree to call an Article V Convention unaccountable delegates could have the power to draft ANY amendments to our Constitution that they want. We cant let that happen.

Thanks for speaking out for our rights,

Jack Mumby, Digital Director
and the team at Common Cause

P.S. Looking to learn more about the dangers of calling an Article V Convention? Visit defendourconstitution.org.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Here's an Article V update...Hmmm...

BREAKING NEWS: Louisianas bill calling for an Article V Convention is just one step away from passing and will be voted on today. I need your help to shut down this attempt to gut our Constitution.

As I write you, were working against 34 active Article V bills in addition to the one in Louisiana bringing us ever closer to utter Constitutional Chaos. And now, as some state legislative sessions are coming to a close, there is a renewed effort to rapidly push Article V bills through state legislatures as quickly as possible.

This well-funded far-right scheme will require a powerful multi-state response, the sort that only Common Cause is able to deliver.

You might have already seen my messages on the dangers of Article V, but in case you havent heres a quick recap:

The Article V Convention is a secretive plot funded by millions in right-wing dark money from the likes of the Kochs and Mercers.

Their endgame? Give megadonors and corporations free rein to radically reshape our Constitution against the will of the people writing far-right policy goals directly into our Constitution, while gutting rights like free speech, the right to protest, and our right to privacy.

The conspirators behind Article V already have plans to pass bills for a convention in the last states they need to succeed. Common Cause wont let them win but we need to pull out all the stops to block the bill in Louisiana, and prepare for the many more calls to come this year.

I know this all sounds overwhelming Greg, but heres the good news: Common Cause has a proven track-record in rolling back and stopping Article V bills protecting the rights you and I care about.

Just last year, Common Cause members like you stopped Montanas Article V call by just one vote. And before that, we mobilized to roll back Article V calls in New Jersey, Illinois, Colorado, New Hampshire, Delaware, New Mexico, Maryland, and Nevada in addition to stopping nearly 150 new calls for a convention each year in states across the country.

But we cant continue this fight without you, Greg. Were just five months into 2024, and weve already seen nearly 100 bills for Article V introduced. And with only 6 states standing between us and total chaos, we can't afford to lose any ground.

I have to be honest though, it takes a lot of resources to stop Article V. And its a battle we fight all year long.

Right now, were preparing to urgently ramp up our state-by-state organizing strategy to STOP this far-right power grab in any state it rears its ugly head. But we cant do this without you.

We must not and will not let these extremists rewrite our Constitution. Please let me know we can count on you to side with us in this fight by stepping up today.

Thank you,

Viki Harrison, Director of Constitutional Convention & Protect Dissent Program
and the team at Common Cause

P.S. To learn more about the dangers of an Article V Constitutional Convention, visit defendourconstitution.org.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

An still more issues that will make you go Hmmm...This time, the weekly Duck Duck Go round-up...

DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro: Your Privacy, More Protected Than Ever. [duckduckgo.com]
While the DuckDuckGo browser includes private search, private browsing, and Email Protection for free, Privacy Pro offers even more seamless privacy, with three new protections a VPN, Personal Information Removal, and Identity Theft Restoration for only $9.99/month.

Want to learn more? You can find answers to frequently asked questions about Privacy Pro in our help pages.

In the news...

'Smartphones on Wheels' Draw Attention From Regulators [nytimes.com]
"Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts sent a letter to Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, urging the agency to investigate automakers for sharing drivers location information with the police," says Kashmir Hill. Lawmakers and regulators are concerned because modern cars are "potential spying machines acting in ways that drivers do not completely understand."
Cerebral to Pay $7 Million Fine and Limit Health Data Use for Ads Under Federal Order [themarkup.org]
Under a new FTC order, telehealth company, Cerebral, will need to limit the consumer health data it uses for advertising purposes. As Katie Palmer and Mohana Ravindranath report that, the "startup best known for dispensing counseling services and prescriptions for conditions like anxiety and depression, has also agreed to pay $7 million to resolve charges that it disclosed customers personal health information to third parties for ads, and that it did not honor its promise to make cancellation easy for customers."
Shoppers Warned Against Temu 'Free Money' Handouts [cybernews.com]
Temu, a Chinese-owned online marketplace, ran a viral social media promotion in the UK offering up to £100 in cash and store credit for new sign-ups but there are privacy concerns that should make you think twice before taking part. Justinas Vainilaviius says signing up allows Temu to use your "photo, name, likeness, voice, opinions, statements, biographical information, and/or hometown and state...in perpetuity without further review, notification, payment, or consideration."

Proudly Private,

Dax's Signature

Dax the Duck
Mascot - DuckDuckGo

P.S. Our newsletter doesn't track you, but about 85% of other emails do! Get a @ duck dot com forwarding address to remove trackers and protect your email address. Learn more.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

So we've heard about different types of "free energy" available, that is being suppressed from us via the petro-moguls etc etc..For some reason, these guys below are still alive, & claim free-energy from bricks...Well, at least heating bricks to save on electricity use...Worth a read...

Hmmm...

Can electrically conductive bricks replace fossil fuels?

By Phil McKenna | May 27, 2024

Joey Kabel (left) and Dan Stack, co-founders of Electrified Thermal Solutions in Medford, Mass., stand next to the companys elevator-sized pilot system which contains electrically charged bricks that generate and store heat. Credit: Barry Chin/The Boston Globe

Editors note: This story was originally published by Inside Climate News. It appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Inside a cinder block office building perhaps best known for the Hindu temple and table tennis club next door, a startup company in Medford, Massachusetts, is testing what may be one of the hottest new developments in clean energy technology.

At the back of a small warehouse laboratory buzzing with fans and motors, an MIT spinoff company called Electrified Thermal Solutions is operating something its founders call the Joule Hive, a thermal battery the size of an elevator.

The Hive is a large, insulated metal box loaded with dozens of white-hot ceramic bricks that convert electricity to heat at temperatures up to 1,800 degrees Celsiuswell beyond the melting point of steeland with enough thermal mass to hold the heat for days.

As the price of renewable energy continues to plummet, one of the biggest challenges for the clean energy transition is finding a way to convert electricity to high temperature heat so societies dont have to continue burning coal or natural gas to power heavy industries. Another thorny issue is finding a way to store energyin this case heatfor when the sun doesnt shine and the wind doesnt blow.

If you are running an industrial plant where youre making cement or steel or glass or ceramics or chemicals or even food or beverage products, you burn a lot of fossil fuels, Daniel Stack, chief executive of Electrified Thermal Solutions, said. Our mission is to decarbonize industry with electrified heat.

The industrial sector accounts for nearly one-fourth of all direct greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, which drive climate change, according to the EPA. Thermal batteries powered by renewable energy could reduce roughly half of industrys emissions, according to a 2023 report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a nonprofit, and its affiliated Renewable Thermal Collaborative.

Additional emissions come from chemical reactions, such as carbon dioxide that is formed as an unwanted byproduct during cement production, and from methane that leaks or is intentionally vented from natural gas pipes and other equipment.

The challenge to replacing fossil fuel combustion as the go-to source for heat, is that there arent a lot of good options available to produce high temperature heat from electricity, Stack said. Electric heaters, like the wires that turn red hot in a toaster, work well at low temperatures but quickly burn out at higher temperatures. Other, less common materials like molybdenum and silicon carbide heaters can withstand higher temperatures, but are prohibitively expensive.
RELATED:
What in the world is weather whiplash?

As a grad student at MIT, Stack wondered if firebricks, the bricks commonly used in residential fireplaces and industrial kilns, could be a less expensive, more durable solution. Bricks do not typically conduct electricity, but by slightly altering the recipe of the metal oxides used to make them, he and ETS co-founder Joey Kabel were able to create bricks that could essentially take the place of wires to conduct electricity and generate heat.

Theres no exotic metals in here, theres nothing thatll burn out, Stack said standing next to shelves lined with small samples, or coupons, of brick that he and his team have tested to find the ones with the best heating properties.

One of Electrified Thermal Solutions biggest champions is MIT nuclear engineering research scientist Charles Forsberg, Stacks former thesis advisor and an advisor to the company.

I have no doubt that this is going to go commercial, Forsberg, who, along with Stack and MIT hold the patent to the technology, said. Im 77, its just sort of an intuitive feel of 50 years in the game.

Forsberg said his only concern was whether Electrified Thermal Solutions would be the ones to bring the technology to fruition, noting that many clean energy technologies have been invented in the United States only to gain commercial success in China.

Recent government funding has given the company a significant boost.

In January, ETS received a $5 million US Energy Department grant to help build its first commercial-scale demonstration project at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, an independent organization that provides contract research and development services to government and industrial clients.

The project will demonstrate how the thermal battery could provide high temperature heat for a number of industrial processes including cement manufacturing, which currently relies primarily on burning coal for heat.

Massimo Toso, president and chief executive of Buzzi Unicem USA, one of the largest cement producers in the United States and an industrial partner with ETS on the Energy Department grant, praised the companys thermal battery.

ETSs Joule Hive Thermal Battery is the first industrial heat decarbonization solution we have identified that could potentially enable us to cost effectively and completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels in our heating processes, Toso said in a written statement.

In March, Ashland, a specialty chemical manufacturer based in Wilmington, Delaware, was awarded up to $35 million in a matching grant from the Energy Department to fund what would be the first commercial deployment of ETSs thermal batteries.
RELATED:
PRESS RELEASE: Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight

Joule Hives would be installed at Ashlands ISP Chemicals plant in Calvert City, Kentucky that requires large volumes of high temperature steam to run its operations.

Curt Jawdy, a senior manager with the Tennessee Valley Authority, a partner on the grant and the local electric utility for Calvert City, said ETSs ability to charge its thermal battery during off peak hours allows industrial facilities to decarbonize without placing greater strain on the utilitys electric grid.

Jawdy said he also liked the companys technology.

Simpler is always better, he said. The fact that the brick is also the heating element, and you just supply electricity to the brick itself, simplifies the system significantly.

The project would replace natural gas-fired boilers at the Calvert City plant with ETSs thermal batteries. Air blown through the Joule Hive batteries would transfer flame-temperature heat to the boilers to generate steam.

The project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with steam generation at the plant by nearly 70 percent, according to the Energy Department.

In 2022, Ashland released 72,000 tons of carbon dioxide from burning natural gas at the plant, according to data the company reported to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Those emissions are equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 17,000 automobiles, a significant source of climate pollution in a town of 2,500 people, the EPA says.

The Energy Department grant would split the cost of the project with Ashland up to a total of $70 million. Ashland would oversee the installation of the thermal batteries at its facility, a process that would involve a certain amount of risk for such a first of its kind installation.

Carolmarie Brown, a spokeswoman for Ashland, said the company is still evaluating the project.

There are many factors driving the decisions we will make as we proceed, Brown said. Large scale decarbonization includes thorough evaluations of the options, projects and innovations to move forward, and were in the early phase of the process.

As Ashland continues to evaluate the project, Stack and colleagues are continuing to scale up their capabilities.

From the companys beginning in 2020, ETS has outsourced production of its electrically conductive bricks to an industrial brick manufacturer that follows ETSs proprietary recipe. After several years placing orders for small test batches of bricks, ETS recently received its first multi-ton order.

Now, if you want two tons, [or, if] you want 2,000 tons, the manufacturer is ready to do that for us, Stack said. Were off to the races.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

This will make you go Hmmm for sure...More privacy issues abounding form Duck Duck Go with links yo...

Hmmm...

In the news...

*Is Your Driving Being Secretly Scored? [nytimes.com]

Auto insurance companies can use data-based "driving scores" which reflect the safety of your driving habits, the way a credit score reflects your credit history to calculate the rate you pay. But many drivers are unaware this data is even being collected, from seemingly unrelated smartphone apps like Life360, MyRadar, and GasBuddy.

Here are a few things you can do about it:
Check the privacy settings on your cars dashboard system and in smartphone apps.
Pay special attention to any apps that connect to your car, or give you feedback about your driving.
In some apps, including Life360 and MyRadar, you can select this option: "Do not sell my personal information."

*Google Chrome Will Track You For The Next 200 DaysThen It May Get Worse [forbes.com]

Google shared an update that their so-called "cookie deprecation" will proceed "starting next year." Zak Doffman raises new concerns for what might happen in those next 200+ days, saying "...while the industry is caught in the debate between current tracking cookies and the new, anonymized Privacy Sandbox, AI might just sweep in and change the game enough to make that debate moot. If AI has access to a users search history and device-side browsing activitytheoretically, then this becomes a much more powerful and accurate form of tracking from which to infer user buying propensity. The current regulatory environment doesnt cater for this potential."

*AI Tools Are Secretly Training on Real Images of Children [wired.com]

"Over 170 images and personal details of children from Brazil have been repurposed by an open-source dataset without their knowledge or consent, and used to train AI, claims a new report from Human Rights Watch." Privacy concerns surround lack of consent, potential for deepfakes, and that "the database could reveal potentially sensitive information, such as locations or medical data." Vittoria Elliott reports.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

It seems that the narrative of a "fake UFO" invasion is shifting into one that has the peoples that have lived in our inner-earth as being the threat, ( who are mostly ET's anyhow lol ) according to Dr.Salla, in his latest post. But more concerning is the discussions within Congress regarding reintroducing the Draft, for peoples 18-26 years old. (Look-out Rex Jr & Skyler)..

In any case, the build-up to US-of-A involvement in War is escalating, & it's not being discussed in the televised debates, or regular news services...

Hmmm...

Here's a cut & paste from my mailbox...

Faking a Cryptoterrestrial Invasion

In a recent academic paper, Harvard University professors proposed the existence of cryptoterrestrials as a valid explanation for the origin of the UFO phenomenon. Rather than extraterrestrials arriving from distant exoplanets on superluminal spacecraft, the explanation for UFOs now shifts to cryptoterrestrials who are living under Earths surface and oceans. The authors speculate that cryptoterrestrials are survivors from very ancient civilizations that achieved a high-level of technological sophistication, before disappearing under the Earths surface during cataclysmic surface events.

There is abundant historical evidence pointing to the existence of crypoterrestrials and their interaction with surface humanity during cataclysmic events. Hopi legends tell of an underground race of Ant People helping native Americans to escape the transition and travel into different worlds, while similar accounts are found in various cultures. However, in the modern era, the emphasis has shifted to UAPs as an unknown national security threat. The US Congress, the military/intelligence community, and an increasing number of world officials go to great lengths to justify their interest in UAPs as an important national security concern, thereby avoiding the stigma from decades of earlier public ridicule over the topic.

Why the sudden shift in narrative to UFOs are a national security threat, and cryptoterrestrials are behind it? Why has the US Congress taken steps to reintroduce the military draft for men and women between the ages of18-26?

In his next webinar, Dr. Michael Salla presents a disturbing picture of how the Deep State is preparing a false flag alien event, not using extraterrestrials from distant worlds, but cryptoterrestrials from beneath Earths surface as the culprit. Most alarmingly, he will provide extensive data on the many thousands, if not millions, of cloned alien life forms already created in Deep Underground Military Bases which are likely to be used in staging a false flag cryptoterrestrial event.

Date: July 27, 2024

Time: 11 am (PDT), 2 pm (EDT), 6 pm (GMT)

Length: 2.5 hours (includes 30 min Q&A)

-- Edited by Rastus on Monday 1st of July 2024 07:46:24 PM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Time for some fun, so I'm going to post about the new "Alien" film, called "Alien Romulus" that's due out in mid-August. I saw the first "Alien" film as a 9-year-old way-back-when, & been a fan since, so I ordered the DVD for this new film about a month ago, so fingers crossed it arrives soon after the official theatrical release date...I won't give-out any spoilers, as the most of the story reveals itself in the shorts anyhow, but it does look like a good film, with a Director who got the job after pitching his story to Ridley Scott, & a return to basics in a horror format is the goal here...

I thought that Ridley's last effort "Alien Covenant" was an awesome show, that backed-up "Prometheus" quite well, as well as giving the audience another "Alien" type movie, similarish to the original. Apparently, the greedy people at Fox watching the box office dollars weren't impressed with it, so for me, I still would have rather seen a new "Prometheus" follow-up to conclude the series, than have them make another "Alien" type film, when "Covenant" didn't fill enough wallets...Confusedt..

It must have been a heck-of-a-story-line to convince the greedy people at Fox to make another "Alien" type film. And to confuse folks some more, the story-line-dating / time-line is made for in-between the 1st & 2nd films made...

So, to make matters even more confusing for y'all whilst we await this next instalment, here's an official Fox short film, that I doubt anyone here has seen, called "Alien Ore"...It was made a few years ago in honour of the 1st films 40th anniversary, & one of the makers has earned herself an acting role in the new film for her efforts here...

Hmmm.....

-- Edited by Rastus on Saturday 20th of July 2024 04:09:50 AM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

This made me go Hmmm....

anna luna.jpeg

And no-doubt someone like Marco Rubio would like to spread her port-folio across a White-house table once she gets there !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

It appears that in the fine-print of "AUKUS" lol, Australia has decided to store the US-of-A's, & the UK's nuclear waste...So as predicted by myself years ago, Australia is now *ucked, thanks everyone ! This video reveals the truth about the nuclear submarines that we don't want or need, among many other matters...

Hmmm...

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

These will make you go Hmmm...

www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/technology/google-antitrust-ruling.html

www.theverge.com/2024/8/2/24212095/us-vs-tiktok-sue-children-privacy-law

themarkup.org/2024/07/27/id-scanners-can-change-how-your-local-bar-treats-you-and-whether-it-lets-you-in

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

This will make you go Hmmm...Usually a Dr.Salla post is warranted for the UFO thread, but check-out the 2nd-last weekly round-up post...Cut & paste from my mailbox...

Hmmm...

*JP Update 36 Stargate for Huge SSP craft witnessed at a US Military Base Hangar

*Space Force has expanded its operations to medium Earth orbit

*Former CIA Officer (25 years), John Ramirez explains why the 2002 Wilson-Davis Memo is genuine.

*Itzhak Bentov is very important for studying consciousness and his book Stalking the Wild Pendulum is a classic.

*An Aerospace Corporation study is predicated on the idea that arms control in space is possible through recent improvements in verification technologies

*The growing policy rift between Israels Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, and Prime Minister Benjamin

*Netanyahu, is a hopeful sign that Israelis are waking up to Deep State plan to start a regional war with Iran

*Important revelation by an Australian Intel Officer concerning MJ-12 and JFK Assassination

*Paul Wallis finds extensive evidence of Ancient Extraterrestrial Invasions in the Bible and Historical Texts

*Excited for my first and only US conference appearance in 2024 that takes place in Denver, CO, from Sept 27-29.

*This latest AUKUS announcement on defense technology sharing suggests Deep State has moved to Australia

*Gods are sentient being playing power games with gullible human followers

-- Edited by Rastus on Saturday 17th of August 2024 06:43:26 PM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

What makes me go hmmmmmm.... is why England is allowing this big Muslim uprising while treating their own like shit!

Perhaps you can explain that to me, as an Australian who loves to go down on the crown.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

SELLC wrote:
What makes me go hmmmmmm.... is why England is allowing this big Muslim uprising while treating their own like shit!
Perhaps you can explain that to me, as an Australian who loves to go down on the crown.

It's all in here, as presented months ago yo...Where you been ???

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Everything is Aliens with you... You're obsessed!

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

SELLC wrote:
Everything is Aliens with you... You're obsessed!

Very true, they're good people to hang-out with, which eventually happens over time.

Watching the short meditation "Contact Training Visual Aids" daily for years plus the crystal use has dramatically improved the relationship. It doesn't matter whether I see them flying around at night, because they're around here all the time now ! Awesome !

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

It appears that Toyota, of all car makers, is going to lead the way in water-powered cars, & so goodbye to Elon & the electric-bullshyte yo !

Hmmm indeed, but in the best way possible, great news.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

So these newly revealed privacy issues will make you go hmmm...( Look out PowerStroker, our host will likely growl, bite, & blame you for the last one )...

ICYMI: Creating Enduring Competition in the Search Market [spreadprivacy.com]

Since the ruling in the U.S. v. Google search case was announced, there has been discussion about how to remedy Googles dominance and we have ideas. DuckDuckGo's CEO & Founder, Gabriel Weinberg, recently shared his thoughts about how to craft a set of legal and technical interventions that could effectively curb the advantages Google has gained through illegal use of their search monopoly, establish enduring search competition, and encourage innovation.

F.T.C. Study Finds 'Vast Surveillance' of Social Media Users [nytimes.com]

Cecilia Kang reports that the Federal Trade Commission "found that several social media and streaming services engaged in a 'vast surveillance' of consumers, including minors, collecting and sharing more personal information than most users realized."

Read the full report here.

LinkedIn is training AI with your data. Heres how to opt out ASAP [pcworld.com]

As with many tech companies, generative AI has hit Linkedin. "But the Microsoft-owned website is now scraping its user data to train its artificial intelligence systems. Naturally, youre opted into sharing your data with LinkedIns AI for free, without any kind of message or alert. (Unless youre in the EU, where this kind of sneaky behavior is illegal.)"

To opt out of any further AI training, just "navigate to your accounts Settings & privacy page, select the Data privacy tab, select the Data for Generative AI Improvement setting, and toggle it to Off. (Or take a shortcut directly to the setting by clicking here.)"

Ford Patents In-Car System That Eavesdrops So It Can Play You Ads [motortrend.com]

Ford has filed a patent for an in-car advertising system with serious privacy implications. The system could potentially...
Use various data points (destination, route, speed, history, traffic) to determine which ads to show.
Monitor user inputs and conversations to adjust ad frequency and relevance.
Listen for keywords to serve more targeted ads.

"A patent filing doesnt indicate that the automaker is intending to implement this system. It just means that its protecting its intellectual property from competitors." Hopefully, this one stays in the patent office.

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Dax the Duck
Mascot - DuckDuckGo

-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 26th of September 2024 06:57:39 PM

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yo,

Check this shyte out...Unbelievable lol...You can't make this stuff up...

Hmmm....Straight cut & paste from my mailbox yo...

DuckDuckGo AI Chat: anonymous access to popular AI chatbots [duck.ai

Do you use ChatGPT? They have a new "memory" feature enabled by default! that saves your personal details to build a profile of you and improve the accuracy of future chats. If you dont want your info stored, OpenAI offers options to manage, clear or disable the feature in your ChatGpt settings.

Or take the easy route! Use DuckDuckGo AI Chat for free, anonymous access to popular chatbots. Check it out at duck.ai, and read all about it on our blog.

In the news...

California Passes Law Protecting Consumer Brain Data [nytimes.com]
"Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a new law that aims to protect peoples brain data from being potentially misused by neurotechnology companies," reports Jonathan Moens.

"A growing number of consumer technology products promise to help address cognitive issues: apps to meditate, to improve focus and to treat mental health conditions like depression. These products monitor and record brain data, which encodes virtually everything that goes on in the mind, including thoughts, feelings and intentions."

"'The importance of protecting neural data in California cannot be understated,' Sen. Josh Becker said."

Facebook Parent Company Fined 91m Over Password Storage [bbc.com]

"Facebook parent company Meta has been fined 91m (£75m) by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) following an investigation into the storage of passwords," the BBC reports. "An inquiry was launched in April 2019 after Meta notified the DPC that it had inadvertently stored certain passwords of social media users on its internal systems without encryption."

Parking Lot Companies May Be Violating Privacy Laws to Fine Drivers. Its Only the Beginning. [slate.com]

"ABM Industries, an outsourcing company that makes billions in revenue each year managing parking lots and other facilities like schools, hospitals, and airports all over the [U.S.]... is now one of at least six parking companies facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly violating the 1994 Drivers Privacy Protection Act."

Hannah Harris Green says this relates to "a controversial business practice that utilizes A.I. surveillance technology and exploitative tactics in order to target drivers for simply parking at the garage."

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