Odds ‘n Sods:

Fellow blogger Ol’ Remus mentioned this thought-provoking essay over at The Price of Liberty (edited by MamaLiberty): When will the Fifty States break up?

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Edward Snowden on Vault 7 NSA Spying tools, IOS, and Samsung at the CeBit in Hanover Germany tech conference.

JWR’s Comment: This one hour and 22 minute interview is worth watching. Don’ t miss Snowden’s comments on metadata, HTTPS, intentional vulnerability of the Internet Of Things, the vulnerability of cloud data, Quantum Sweep, and the loss of faith in government institutions.

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How To Get Kicked Off Fox News in 5 Minutes – DSV

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When seconds count, the police are only 38 minutes away: Dallas to increase staffing at PSAP after 911-related deaths, agrees alleged ‘ghost’ calls not the problem. Excerpt: “Multiple news outlets reported that the Dallas PSAP’s answering queue indicated that there have been periods when hundreds of calls in the queue appeared to be waiting to be answered, with hold times exceeding 30 minutes. One of those occasions was Saturday night, when 442 emergency calls were put on hold for an average of 38 minutes, according to a report by a Dallas TV station.” – Link sent in by Condo Prepper

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#CuriousGoat: How To Prepare For A Pandemic. Excerpt: “No matter how you slice it, outbreaks are becoming more common. Overseas, there’s been Ebola, Zika and yellow fever. And here at home, we’re seeing a surge in tick-borne diseases, with Lyme leading the way.” – G.G.