Understanding US thread-III

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 13:13

even a decade ago, one could sense the 1st world politeness would fray and crack a little in high pop density areas like NYC.
good old southern charm and manners only work when one is atop a pyramid of wealth and someone is digging the red soil on the plantation.

hanumadu · Post by **hanumadu** » 02 Feb 2017 13:20

Raja Bose wrote:Third World style riots break out in People's Republic of Berkeley

So it didn't take much for the hoity toity First World to become the Third World Molotov cocktails thrown at police, buildings smashed, set on fire. Luckily nobody I know there got hurt and some escaped just as the protests were heating up.

They are making sure Trump wins a second term.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 13:55

http://www.refugeeaction.org.au/?page_id=4528

it seems australia keeps its refugees in nauru and manus well away from its shores, and pays other nations who want to take them. cambodia took 5. kyrgyzstan might have taken a few.

they might have some deal with the US to take another few, hence the DT fury because some of the refugees are from places like afghanistan, iran, somalia, sudan, TSP ... not exactly vetted places lol

there is another infamous offshore camp on christmas island.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 14:28

UlanBatori wrote:Ah! A proper question, thanks 4 pooching. No, just visiting via hologram to check on my buddies who were last seen hovering over Area 51.

now it all makes sense...

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 14:32

a useful backgrounder on fake news methods and how the Czech government is trying to deal with it

Fake news: Czechs try to tackle spread of false stories

Jakub Janda is no stranger to online trolling, and worse. The deputy director of Prague-based think tank European Values, he says his organisation's headquarters have recently moved, for security reasons, into the basement of a villa near Prague Castle.

He says there are around four dozen Czech-language sites peddling fake or exaggerated news - much of which can be traced to Russia.

"These sites have three primary goals," he told me.

"One is basically attacking politicians who have some kind of principled stand against aggressive Russian foreign policy, in Ukraine for example. The second goal is basically supporting those political figures who have very pro-Kremlin stances, such as the Czech president. And the third goal, the long-term one, is attacking Czech EU membership," he explained.

The problem - both for him, and the Czech intelligence services - is that no-one knows who is behind many of these "alternative news" sites, which are read by 25% of Czechs.

It is clear who is responsible for Sputnik News - it's the Czech language version of the Kremlin-run news agency.

We know AC24 is a Czech conspiracy theory site. One recent headline was: "Elites in Davos unveil plan to implant false memories in people's brains."

But who's really behind Aeronet, with its steady diet of pro-Putin, anti-EU and pro-Trump coverage? Under a photo of a girl in a hijab, its top story on Wednesday was: "Parents beware! This is what NGOs are doing to your kids behind your backs when you're at work. And it's supported by the Education Ministry! You'll never guess who your kids will be going to kindergarten with next September!"

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 02 Feb 2017 15:35

KJo wrote:I will not waste my time clearing the fog you live in. Read UlanBator Saar's post 10 times. Enjoy onlee.

Read UlanBatori's post 10 times ! Sorry, I prefer Hanumadu's cogent and logical arguments to long vacuous posts written with a lot of linguistic flourish but bereft of any logical content (not on this particular occasion anyway )

About the only point the Mongolian American makes is that the post dot-com-bust outsourcing to India apparently resulted in quality issues. As Hanumadu rightly pointed out - one would have thought 15 years is more than enough time for the world's multinationals to realize they have been suckered- but apparently not for some doubters (while the industry in India in the meantime has grown many times over that early base).

I am not interested in random anecdotes - constant harping on some TCS screwup at Peecha Karo Bank or dwelling on what some Boeing employees had to say in 2004 (jeez ! talk about getting caught in a time warp).

"Indian outsourcing employees are dumb" anecdotes I am sure can be more than matched with "American programmers are dumb" anecdote from the Indians. So - do we determine the winner as the side that comes up with more such anecdotes ?! Surely not.

If you or the Mongolian are interested in looking at some actual statistics on where the supply of STEM talent resides globally and what its distribution is - then that's a debate that is worth having. Else we are talking past each other.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Feb 2017 16:24

^^^^ "One of the three U.S. officials said on-the-ground surveillance of the compound was “minimal, at best.”

“The decision was made ... to leave it to the incoming administration, partly in the hope that more and better intelligence could be collected,” that official said."

------
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/worl ... .html?_r=0

"But the mission’s casualties raise doubts about the months of detailed planning that went into the operation during the Obama administration and whether the right questions were raised before its approval. Typically, the president’s advisers lay out the risks, but Pentagon officials declined to characterize any discussions with Mr. Trump."

Dunno why they continued with the mission:
Through a communications intercept, the commandos knew that the mission had been somehow compromised, but pressed on toward their target roughly five miles from where they had been flown into the area. “They kind of knew they were screwed from the beginning,” one former SEAL Team 6 official said.

zoverian · Post by **zoverian** » 02 Feb 2017 16:38

I thought this would be related to this group...

Interesting times...

Kuwait bans visa for 5 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 932649.cms

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait has suspended the issuance of visas for nationals of Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

After US President Donald Trump's executive order banning seven Muslim-majority countries last Friday, the Kuwaiti government has told would-be migrants from the five banned nations to not apply for visas, as it is worried about the possible migration of radical Islamic terrorists, Sputnik International reported.

After US President Donald Trump's executive order banning seven Muslim-majority countries last Friday, the Kuwaiti government has told would-be migrants from the five banned nations to not apply for visas, as it is worried about the possible migration of radical Islamic terrorists, Sputnik International reported.

Under the executive order signed by Trump, refugees from all over the world will be denied US entry for 120 days while all immigration from so-called "countries with terrorism concerns" will be suspended for 90 days. The countries included in the US ban are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Kuwait was the only nation to prohibit the entry of Syrian nationals prior to Trump's executive action. Kuwait City previously issued a suspension of visas for all Syrians in 2011.

A group of militants bombed a Shia mosque in 2015, killing 27 Kuwaiti nationals. A 2016 survey conducted by Expat Insider ranked Kuwait one of the worst nations in the world for expatriates, primarily due to its strict cultural laws.

As a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait has become embroiled in escalated tensions between the GCC and Iran. Washington has been a guarantor of GCC security since the early 1990s, according to a Congressional Research Service brief.

Observers have pointed out that most of the nations on Trump's list have substantial Muslim populations and are experiencing some form of economic or military conflict.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Feb 2017 16:41

Retired Army Colonel W.P. Lang is becoming an ex-Trump supporter, slowly but surely:

"So, Steve Bannon is elevated to the Principals Committee and the DNI as well as the CJCS is removed from automatic attendance for some actions? Ah, well, now we are headed for trouble ... Issues "accidentally" arise that involve you when you are not at the table. Flynn will protect the IC's interests? Flynn is essentially a glorified technician in the combat intelligence trade and not a deep thinker. Several of the men appointed to supply Flynn's staff are men like Flynn. We must remember that when these fellows were promoted to their retirement ranks, promotion rates were very high, too high. Would some of them have been promoted that high in ordinary circumstance? Perhaps they would have been but I have doubts.

It was fairly easy to excuse the fumbling "bull in a China stop" style of the first week by attributing it to inexperience, but this indicates a desire to govern by "kitchen cabinet." that is a menace.

Worse things to come are likely. pl

Note: That does not make HC a better candidate than she was."

I find the note hilarious.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Feb 2017 17:07

A former senior defense official familiar with prior operations in Yemen said Saturday’s raid and the potential for expanded operations were “overdue.”

“We really struggled with getting the White House comfortable with getting boots on the ground in Yemen,” the former official said. “Since the new administration has come in, the approvals [at the Pentagon] appear to have gone up.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/che ... a22b43f4ad

Primus · Post by **Primus** » 02 Feb 2017 18:08

matrimc wrote:Primus: ACM -Associaton for Computing Machinery - the primary and preeminent professional association has abdicated its responsibility of licensing. They are also heavily theory oriented. Similarly IEEE TC6 (t CG committee 6) IIRC is the one that should be dealing with programmers. But they too are theory pasand. So in CS, there is large difference between theoretical people and the programmers. 99% of the programmers' work is learning a set of libraries which are most like a new language within another language with set phrases and idioms. Onc one masters thos idiots and phrases, one can write applications at a very rapid pace.

As for theory, it has become very arcane and abstract and large. For example Prof. Scott Aronson, the person who is considered to be the top expert on structural complexity remembers, by his own admission on his blog, only a handful of the hundreds of complexity classes, their inclusions in each other, problems which separate one class from the other and so on. For that purpose he and a colleague maintain a website called the complexity zoo. It is very beautiful, mathematically speaking but has no practical applications as of now. Only a few unsolved problems are useful if they are resolved one way or the other. Some classes will be useful if and when there is a physical realization of a quantum computer.

Thank you, this is a bit like the old saying from Sir William Osler: "He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without seeing patients does not go to the sea at all".

I still do not know how an IT person can be assumed to have a certain minimum level of competence since there is no 'licensing body' or 'training school' that is recognized as putting out graduates who are above a pre-defined threshold. I guess it all boils down to the reputation of the company they have worked for and that of the recruiter. This must make it difficult for standards to be met or maintained.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 18:40

a civil engineer whose bridge collapses or a mechanical engr whose car breaks in half would be in deep trouble.

but a kamputar engineer whose program crashes is rarely in trouble - except in select niches like aerospace, radiation oncology etc

here is one eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25

jagga · Post by **jagga** » 02 Feb 2017 18:45

Donald Trump bluntly tells Mexican president to stop the 'bad hombres down there' or he would send U.S. troops into Mexico

Trump's remarks suggest he is using the same tough and blunt talk with world leaders that he used to rally crowds on the campaign trail.
A White House spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.The phone call between the leaders was intended to patch things up between the new president and his ally. The two have had a series of public spats over Trump's determination to have Mexico pay for the planned border wall, something Mexico steadfastly refuses to agree to.'You have a bunch of bad hombres down there,' Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the excerpt seen by the AP. 'You aren't doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn't, so I just might send them down to take care of it.'

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 02 Feb 2017 19:41

Trump breathes fire in heated spar with Oz PM

The Obama administration and Turnbull government struck a deal to resettle some of the refugees being held offshore in Nauru and Manus Island in November last year
The Australian government has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards illegal boat arrivals and only genuine refugees are sent to Nauru and Manus Island
There are approximately 1,250 refugees being held in the Australian-funded offshore detention centres
A large majority of those refugees come from Iran, Iraq and Somalia - all countries on US President Donald Trump's travel-ban
President Obama reportedly agreed to honour the deal, on the condition the refugees would undergo 'extreme vetting'
The US President reportedly described it as the 'worst deal ever' in a heated conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 02 Feb 2017 20:20

This thread cannot keep up with Trump.

by the time one thing is argued over, ten things are in the line..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 20:21

Airwars ‏@airwars
"I am banned as well."
Iraq's ambassador to the US from 2013-16 says Baghdad embassy has confirmed he too is banned

A general of iraqi ct police also denied visa to visit family

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 20:24

Sun has risen est..

Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump
Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion

Donald J. Trump
3h3 hours ago
Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump
Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile.Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!

Donald J. Trump
4h4 hours ago
Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump
If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?

Donald J. Trump
11h11 hours ago
Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump
Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!

Donald J. Trump
12h12 hours ago
Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump
Iran is rapidly taking over more and more of Iraq even after the U.S. has squandered three trillion dollars there. Obvious long ago

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 02 Feb 2017 20:28

How President Reagan dealt with the Berkeley protesters in 1969

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 02 Feb 2017 20:29

UC Berkeley protesters surround car, driver guns it.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 02 Feb 2017 20:36

UC Berkeley Riot Footage (Warning)

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 02 Feb 2017 20:39

Nancy Pelsoi caught on hot mic during Trump protest

Pelosi Caught on Hot Mic Tell Them You're Muslim

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 20:44

Drums are being beaten for airstrikes on iran

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 02 Feb 2017 20:46

sooraj wrote:How President Reagan dealt with the Berkeley protesters in 1969

really?

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 02 Feb 2017 20:50

Singha wrote:Drums are being beaten for airstrikes on iran

better to avoid any travel over middle east. take the pacific route.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 20:50

Bannon must be busy studying the old tapes and scrolls as pointman to combat domestic counter revolutionary splitists

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 02 Feb 2017 20:53

President Trump Brings Daughter Ivanka on Unannounced Trip to Honor Remains of US Commando Killed in Raid

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 20:53

the anti-iran stance is curious
1. it plays to the sunni-wahabbi-oil axis that is in place
2. it contradicts Russia's stance in the mid-east
3. it strongly plays into the Israeli right's position

which pipeline was exxon-mobil backing again?

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 20:55

Singha wrote:Bannon must be busy studying the old tapes and scrolls as pointman to combat domestic counter revolutionary splitists

I think he and the other gauleiters and obergruppenfuhrers have been doing that for many a long winter in the wilderness... now the hour of glory is at hand and the true volk will rise up and seize their destiny!! let storm break loose!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 20:56

But now he has a seat on nsc and access to govt resources

Berkeley type elements will be hit hard for sure

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 21:00

Singha wrote:But now he has a seat on nsc and access to govt resources

Berkeley type elements will be hit hard for sure

he is the most important man in the white house... even more so than agent orange
this slipped in quietly whilst everyone was busy with billi-grabbing

habal · Post by **habal** » 02 Feb 2017 21:41

Lalmohan wrote:the anti-iran stance is curious

I think it is part of Trump's contract with the real deep state. This is what he had to give to obtain their consent.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 02 Feb 2017 21:48

So the travel ban is basically anti-shia, hain? WHY? The 9-11 attackers were all Sunni, and subsequent attackers have been Paki/Somali inspired, right? This also explains the exemption for KSA and TSP.

Is this Israeli-driven, or driven by the fact that Jarnail Mattis was in charge of the total SNAFU with the boats that got captured by Iran? Or something else? Since war is imminent it might be time for the

Hail trumpanzee, those about 2 die salute thee and want to know why

Funny thing is that the HiC gang would also have got us into the same war except without the bans in place.

I am now REALLY worried about this Sundin, 4 reasons explained earlier, and now lost in the hajaar lengthy rants by Outsourcing Software HR Managers. Too many interests with both motive and power.

raman, BRF Travel Advisory to certain places in CST zone may be a good idea.

LokeshC · Post by **LokeshC** » 02 Feb 2017 21:49

Gus wrote:This thread cannot keep up with Trump. by the time one thing is argued over, ten things are in the line..

That is how the man became zee prezident.

jagga · Post by **jagga** » 02 Feb 2017 21:50

Gus wrote:This thread cannot keep up with Trump. by the time one thing is argued over, ten things are in the line..

Donald Trump: We are gonna "straighten out" the world

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 21:52

need a new noise filter... that's the only way

LokeshC · Post by **LokeshC** » 02 Feb 2017 21:56

The problem is we really dont know what is noise and what is signal here

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 21:58

well I am treating 75% as noise and then applying a finer filter on the remainder

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 Feb 2017 22:37

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/us/m ... -news&_r=0

seems to be plenty of iranian students doing STEM phd in amrika

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Feb 2017 23:40

Dunno if this helps or hinders understanding Trump.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... st/515445/
Donald Trump Declares a Vision of Religious Nationalism

Religious Americans also feel threatened within the U.S., he said: “That is why I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment,” a provision of the tax code that prohibits religious leaders and institutions endorsing or opposing political candidates, “and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution.” Repealing the Johnson Amendment would theoretically allow houses of worship and religious leaders to openly advocate for political candidates while retaining their tax-exempt status, while also allowing them to funnel religious donations into explicitly political efforts....
...
...
While Trump has often spoken about the need for safety and security, his comments at the prayer-breakfast offer a look at the ideological framework beneath that call. Like his Republican predecessors, he has aligned himself with a vision of America that is strong and powerful because of its piety. Against the threat of foreigners, terrorists, and corrupting ideologies, the United States will be one, beautiful nation—and in Trump’s view, that’s only possible under God.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 02 Feb 2017 23:55

some commentators are saying that this basically removes the separation of church and state... which is actually quite a profound change to the system of government...

from our point of view it seems to be massively enabling the EJ brigade...