Day: February 27, 2016

Notes for Saturday – February 27, 2016

February 27th is the birthday of actor Adam Baldwin (born 1962), who is often remembered for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket and as the irrepressible Jayne Cobb in the television series Firefly—  as well as in the shiny spinoff film Serenity. More recently, he has played Executive Officer Mike Slattery in The Last Ship. Note that Adam Baldwin is a “small government libertarian conservative” and is no relation to the notoriously liberal Hollywood actors who share the Baldwin surname.) This is also the birthday of Kelly Johnson, a deservedly famous American aircraft designer and …


SSL On Your Web Server – A Certificate is Just the Start, by Peter S.

If you are running a web server for your business and taking orders from customers, then you have probably acquired a certificate to encrypt the network traffic between your customers’ web browsers and your web server. However, how well are you really doing it? The SSL Labs website offers a free service to test how well your web server is configured for this goal. Someone may have already run the test and made a decision about your business just based on the results. Remember, if your web server is exposed to the Internet, then anyone can run this test. You …


Letter: EMP Effect and Pacemakers

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Hugh, I have an implanted cardiac device (a pacemaker and defibrillator) and, after reading the letter about possible effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) on batteries, became curious as to how an EMP or maybe a strong solar flare could affect my device. I searched SurvivalBlog’s archives and saw that such an event could possibly damage the implanted cardiadefibrillator (ICD). Is there any firm evidence as to what may actually happen to an ICD or similar device in the human body and anything that can be done to counter the effects? It seems it will be a bleak future for the …


Letter Re: Passports

Dear Editors: Regarding RM’s question about keeping passports current, here is a Wikipedia link that includes information on which countries allow entry to American citizens without the need to obtain a visa in advance.   That provides some interesting reading.  – JustCallMeAnn


Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor B.B. suggested this: More Than 30 Blocks of Fiscal Irresponsibility o o o 45% of Americans pay no federal income tax. (Thanks to RBS for the link.) o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Student Debt Apocalypse: Median Wages Up 1.6% Over Last 25 Years While Median Student Debt is Up 163.8% (My Budget 360) Excerpt: “This idea of high tuition with low wages isn’t some made up propaganda to distract you.  This is reality.” Student Debt and Retirement Saving Don’t Add Up(CBS Money Watch) Study: Millennials’ Lack of Financial Knowledge Could Be a Big …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Peter in Switzerland mentioned that the latest updated model of the previously-mentioned County Comm GP-5 SSB multi-band handheld scanner is now available. o o o Reader D.S.V. sent this: Colorado Bill Would Require Reporting Of Non-Vaccinated Children o o o B.B. suggested this article at Threat Post: Judge Confirms DoD Funded Research to Decloak Tor Users o o o Uncertainties, still, for asteroid 2013 TX68. (Thanks to Andre for the link.)


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the …