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.