Ex-USSS Agent: “it’s worse than people know”

Posted on Monday, December 23, 2013 by BZ

One YouTube video:

Because, after all, “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Really? You must not be human.

“In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.”

— Adolf Hitler, 1925, Mein Kampf

P.S.
Dan Bongino for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

FBI pressures Internet providers to install surveillance software

Posted on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 by BZ

From CNet.com:

CNET has learned the FBI has developed custom “port reader” software to intercept Internet metadata in real time. And, in some cases, it wants to force Internet providers to use the software.

The U.S. government is quietly pressuring telecommunications providers to install eavesdropping technology deep inside companies’ internal networks to facilitate surveillance efforts.

FBI officials have been sparring with carriers, a process that has on occasion included threats of contempt of court, in a bid to deploy government-provided software capable of intercepting and analyzing entire communications streams. The FBI’s legal position during these discussions is that the software’s real-time interception of metadata is authorized under the Patriot Act.

Attempts by the FBI to install what it internally refers to as “port reader” software, which have not been previously disclosed, were described to CNET in interviews over the last few weeks. One former government official said the software used to be known internally as the “harvesting program.”

Carriers are “extra-cautious” and are resisting installation of the FBI’s port reader software, an industry participant in the discussions said, in part because of the privacy and security risks of unknown surveillance technology operating on an sensitive internal network.

It’s “an interception device by definition,” said the industry participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because court proceedings are sealed. “If magistrates knew more, they would approve less.” It’s unclear whether any carriers have installed port readers, and at least one is actively opposing the installation.

Use your heads, Americans. Any source of privacy you thought you had is, essentially, gone forever — because you cannot put that genie back in the bottle.

Your cellular phone calls are monitored and stored. Your e-mails are monitored and stored. Your terrestrial calls are monitored and stored. Your movements are tracked and traced via OnStar, Sirius and other subscriptive elements in your vehicle. Newer vehicles have “black boxes” similar to those of aircraft (though not yet quite as sophisticated). Insurance companies want you to have a device similar to that of Progressive’s Snapshot installed in your car; now it’s voluntary. Soon it will be mandatory.

You are captured, thousands of times daily, on video and cameras if you live in an urban or suburban territory. Bank on it. In Russia, most vehicles themselves have dashcams. Police agencies have LPR and face recognition systems — I know that because — obviously, to those who read me — I’m a cop.

Every store, every theater, every retail outlet wants you to subscribe to and utilize “their own cards,” so that they can sift you and sort you for your information, then direct-sell you. Every keystroke on your computer can be logged, your phone can be made to listen to you and the RFID chip in your credit card can be stolen.

The more you embrace the digital world, the less privacy you have. Plain and simple. It’s why Russian intelligence agencies are going back to manual typewriters. I hope you don’t think that’s something I made up; it is not.

Disarm Americans, remove their freedoms — and in some cases sell those freedoms back to them — then disable the rest of their tawdry and outdated little niggling Bill of Rights. There’s your Utopian Leftist/Demorat Master Plan. Think: Cloward-Piven.

Some day, this is all going to explode.

This nation is on the cusp of losing itself and its Bill of Rights forever.

And when that explosion comes — well, it won’t be pretty.

Progressive Insurance: “Snapshot” = Big Brother

Posted on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 by BZ

I happened to be watching a commercial today involving Progressive Insurance and decided that it was time to call bull___ on its “wonderful” Snapshot hardware piece which is, in fact, nothing more than one further step into the implantation of an RFID chip under your skin, beyond your vehicle’s.

Cutting to the chase: “Snapshot” uses your automobile’s electronics to testify against your driving habits should they stray one molecule from strictly lawful parameters. Parameters that will be constantly monitored via the loving “Snapshot.”

Newer automobiles already possess their own version of an airliner’s “black box” — an EDR — which records various forms of input and can be accessed following a traffic collision, as it logs up to 15 to 30 seconds of input prior to impact, manufacturer-dependent. First, very few people realize these devices exist in their cars. Second, that data should belong to you and no one else. Third, the computer codes in those devices are not open source. They are proprietary. Fourth, can you tinker with or disable your EDR? Even the ACLU raises these very important issues. Once.

One thing you need to realize: Progressive Insurance came upon that name for a very specific reason. It is the third largest auto insurer in the United States. Its revenues top $13 billion dollars per year.

Peter Lewis, former CEO and now Chairman of the Board, inherited cash from his father who co-created Progressive in 1937. Lewis has a wealth rating of one billion dollars. It is no shock that he has contributed $7 million and $8 million to the ACLU in 2001 and 2003.

It is also no shock that he contributed $3 million to America Coming Together and $2.5 million to MoveOn.org. That is your Progressive Insurance — being, in fact, progressive — another word for Leftist.

Progressive buys ads on, say, Fox News, and makes additional millions from these ads. Flo is cute; her company is not. Their ads are, however, extremely well planned and effective. How could you not like her, no matter what she suggests?

That said, focus closely on Snapshot.

Some excellent questions and issues from CannonFire:

The question is: How much info are you sending to them? Are they tracking your location via GPS? Are they keeping track of how fast you go?

Progressive insists that they don’t collect location and speed info. In the video embedded above, you’ll see a Progressive commercial in which the lady with the stoplight lips assures you that the company doesn’t want to know where you go or how fast you get there. All they want to know is the amount of driving you do, how hard you hit the brakes, and what time of day you travel.

But here is the crux of the biscuit:

Even if that were all there were to it, I still would advise you to steer clear of Snapshot. Insurance companies have a financial incentive to deny claims. The more info you give them, the more reasons they have for issuing a denial.

But the real problem is this: I’ve uncovered evidence that Progressive Insurance is lying about Snapshot.

I’m sure that Ms. StoplightLips — whose real name is Stephanie Courtney, and who is surely a decent and well-meaning person — would not knowingly tell lies. Nevertheless, there are strange discrepancies between the things that lovely Stephanie is being paid to say on TV and the things we learn if we do a little research.

The small print says:

Data We Collect

The Snapshot device records vehicle speed and time of day, and when the device is connected and disconnected from the vehicle. It also records the Vehicle Identification Number upon installation. Other information, such as miles driven and rates of acceleration and braking, is derived from the speed and time information recorded by the device.

Data We Don’t Collect

Snapshot focuses on how safely, how often, how far, and when you drive, NOT where you drive. The Snapshot device does not contain GPS technology and does not track vehicle location or whether you’re exceeding the speed limit.

But wait; there’s more!

A close reading of the above text reveals the truth: Of course Snapshot transmits info about “vehicle speed.” The device simply doesn’t reveal whether or not you were exceeding the speed limit at any given time.

But if the company collects speed data, investigators can easily discover whether you were going over the limit after the fact. They may even be able to do so in real time. (Has someone written software which collates the speed limits on all of America’s roads? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the insurance companies have an app for that.)

So: If you put in a claim, Progressive will know if you were traveling 42 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. Claim denied!

Please read the rest of the article.

Stupid Americans are signing up for Progressive’s “Snapshot.” They apparently want their privacy violated on not just a daily basis but a second-by-second basis.

Because Snapshot isn’t tracking you. Except:

Snapshot is an example of what the industry calls a telematics device, defined here as…

…a type of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication that combines GPS, mobile computing and cellular communication.

Hmm. If telematics involve GPS by definition, can we trust Progressive?

Drivers plug a device, the “Snapshot,” into the car’s onboard diagnostic port, or OBD-II, typically found near the steering wheel. [The OBD-II is a standardized digital communications port which was made mandatory in 1996 for all cars sold in the United States.] Using telematics and mobile technology, as they drive, information is shared wirelessly, via AT&T’s network, with Progressive.

(Emphasis in original.) If the company uses ATT’s network, then they can triangulate location. That’s the key part they’re not telling you.

Further:

Moreover, Progressive’s claim that Snapshot contains no GPS data is in direct conflict with what we read in this Wikipedia article on telematics:

Telematic auto insurance was independently invented and patented[12] by a major U.S. auto insurance company, Progressive Auto Insurance U.S. Patent 5,797,134 and a Spanish independent inventor, Salvador Minguijon Perez (European Patent EP0700009B1). The Progressive patents cover the use of a cell phone and GPS to track movements of a car. The Perez patents cover monitoring the car’s engine control computer to determine distance driven, speed, time of day, braking force, etc. Ironically, Progressive is developing the Perez technology in the US and European auto insurer Norwich Union is developing the Progressive technology for Europe.

Imagine that. An insurance company lying to you in order to — in the end game — deny claims and save money. The ultimate End Game?

Progressive is not the only company getting into the telematics business. Pretty soon, these devices will be standard.

Welcome to the new world of Big Brother climbing up your arshole and invading your car.

Frog will remove 2 MILLION acres of California land from public access

Posted on Monday, July 8, 2013 by BZ

[And thanks to the Sanger Paranormal Society for the h/t.]

From SierraTrails.com:

2 million acres in California

Posted June 18, 2013 9:22 AM

While this is a bit out of character for us (usually posting feel-good trail information), we felt the need to make folks aware of an issue that has recently affected our local Forest Service. In a 2011 settlement agreement, the US Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to evaluate a certain number per year of 479 requests to list different species of animals and plant as endangered. The USFWS is moving forward on two of these: certain variety of frogs and toads covering 2 million more acres of California’s forests.

As in:

“Human Activities That Will Be Restricted Or Forbidden: 2 million more acres of California’s forests will be sealed off to recreational photography, off-road vehicles, packstock use, hiking, mountain biking, banning of pets, grazing, timber harvest, fire management, farming and ranching, mining…… the list goes on.”

And where?

“14 Counties: Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Tulare, and Tuolumne. This is an area covering 2/3 of Sierra and Plumas Counties.”

Do we have a map? Check the above.

However:

Certain science indicates the single most effective approach is the elimination of trout from areas they are historically not native to. This action does not require a critical habitat designation. Studies have shown as high as a 10,000% increase in populations if amphibians when non-native trout are removed from their habitat.

Imagine that. Logic. Not proscription.

Yet, let not your hearts be troubled, the federal government intends to double-down on removing the human salient from the equation entirely.

An “eco-friendly” site suggests:

This is happening in our community and will greatly affect areas located in Plumas and Sierra Counties (an area covering 2/3 of Sierra and Plumas Counties), including the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. If granted, here is what human activities could possibly be restricted on more than 2 million acres throughout the Sierra Nevada in California: recreational photography, off-road vehicles, packstock use, hiking, mountain biking, banning of pets, grazing, timber harvest, fire management, farming and ranching, mining…… the list goes on.

In the meantime, the Obama Administration wishes nothing more than to restrict human beings to the smallest footprint possible, in high-rises, in cramped conditions, away from suburbs, into cardboard box housing with the greatest amount of governmental control possible.

Including the impetus to not seek solace in our wilderness areas. Those areas are for animals and plants, not people.

Russia to provide “security,” on US soil, during national emergencies?

Posted on Monday, July 1, 2013 by BZ

According to EMERCOM of Russia in a press release:

EMERCOM of Russia → News

Several documents signed during joint work of Russian Emergency Ministry and FEMA rss

26 June 11:32

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry and the USA Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are going to exchange experts during joint rescue operations in major disasters. This is provided by a protocol of the fourth meeting of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Working Group on Emergency Situations and seventeenth meeting of Joint U.S.-Russia Cooperation Committee on Emergency Situations, which took place in Washington on 25 June.

In addition, the parties approved of U.S.-Russian cooperation in this field in 2013-2014, which envisages exchange of experience including in monitoring and forecasting emergency situations, training of rescuers, development of mine-rescuing and provision of security at mass events.

Let me repeat this tidbit in case you missed it: “provision of security at mass events.”

Meaning: Soviet “experts” providing “security” on US soil. In most countries, who is most “expert” in providing security? The military or police forces. And what does “security” mean in occasion of a “mass event”? It won’t mean people with frowns and brochures. In my interpretation of words, “security” at “mass events” means military personnel who are armed and loaded.

Translated: armed Russian personnel on our soil to “secure” our civilian population.

Under this agreement via Homeland Security, will it include what are termed NSSEs — National Special Security Events — which include such things as international summits, conventions, even presidential inaugurations?

Anyone besides me have questions to include: why has this completely fallen off the US American Media Maggot radar?

Bloviating Zeppelin

Right thinking from a Left brain.

Category Archives: Big Brother