MaxRedline

Mobile App? No Thanks.

The bank periodically rags you about downloading their mobile app, touting the many benefits you'll get (it's also easier for them, but that part's left unsaid). Being somewhat tech-oriented, I always decline - and so should you. It's not really a benefit to further open yourself to the black-hats.

The FBI on Wednesday warned that malicious cyber actors were targeting mobile banking apps in an attempt to steal money as more Americans have moved to online banking during the coronavirus pandemic. The FBI specifically pointed to threat of banking trojans, which involve a malicious virus hiding on a user’s mobile device until a legitimate banking app is downloaded. Once the real app is on the device, the banking trojan then overlays the app, tricking the user into clicking on it and inputting their banking login credentials.

Fake banking apps were also cited as a threat, with users in danger of being tricked into downloading malicious apps that also steal sensitive banking information. 

How to clean out your accounts in one easy misstep.

 

SeaWorld Scam

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — SeaWorld Entertainment is seeking a loan from a federal program meant to help businesses retain workers during pandemic-related shutdowns, but labor group says the theme park company is undeserving because it furloughed 95% of its employees.

They don't exactly have a stellar track record.

A killer whale has attacked and killed a trainer at Sea World in Florida, as the audience watched in horror. As Kelly Cobiella reports, the 12,000-pound whale has allegedly killed others in the past.

Keep it shut down.

PETA Again

STANISLAUS COUNTY (CBS13) — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says they will be putting up a billboard in remembrance of the thousands of chickens who died in a barn fire last week and to shame meat-eaters.

As for me, I've no problem with prefried chicken. But then, I'm a long-time member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).

The other one will do anything for attention - and more donations from the addled.

 

 

Cornavirus Panic Isn't All Bad

A new study from AllAreaCodes.com found that spam phone calls have declined 58 percent nationally. The company said it analyzed one million consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 8. 

Since that time, Ohio saw a 51 percent decrease, Kentucky saw a 54 percent decrease and Indiana saw a 58 percent decrease, AllAreaCodes.com said. 

"Nationally, the number of complaints has steadily decreased every week.  March 8 saw a 15% decline, March 22 a 23% decline, and the most recent figures for the week of April 5 jumped to a 58% decline," the group said.

I've not noticed much of a change, but then, I've used nomorobo for years.

 

Pity The Poor "Homeless"

As new data from the California Policy Lab show, it’s likely that 50 percent of the homeless and 78 percent of the unsheltered homeless have a serious mental health condition. For residents of cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, this should come as no surprise. The people smashing up property and yelling in the streets are clearly suffering from mental illness. The numbers confirm the ground-level reality.

The homeless were thrown onto the streets, we’re told, because of rising rents, heartless landlords, and a lack of economic opportunity. Activists, journalists, and political leaders have perpetuated this line of reasoning and, following it to its conclusion, have proposed investing billions in subsidized housing to solve homelessness.

And that's because that's how those people make bank; they earn their living by "advocating" for the mentally ill and drug-addicted.

People who are mentally ill need to be treated, as do the vast majority of homeless folks with substance-abuse problems. Unfortunately, they refuse any and all treatment options afforded to them. in general, their attitude is that they're fine and you're nuts - which is embraced by "advocates" who essentially and knowingly capitalize upon these arguments so that they can continue to be paid for their "services". They are using the disabled and incompetent to support themselves. "Advocacy" has morphed into a lucrative business.

 

Too Much Bourbon?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The Kentucky Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a lower court’s ruling allowing Kentucky jailers to take booking fees and daily charges from inmates and keep the money even if the person is found not guilty. The issue is likely headed to the state Supreme Court now.

Insufficient funds? No problem: just go rob a bank so you can pay off the jailers for your stay.

 

Wrong Approach

DENVER (CBS4) – Some Denver voters will soon be asked how they would feel about paying increased sales taxes, property taxes and other taxes to raise $50 million to $55 million a year to support Denver’s homeless population. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless said Tuesday they are hiring a pollster to begin the process of getting a tax increase on the November 2020 ballot.

“We really want to explore as many options as possible so voters can tell us whats the most palatable to them,” said Cathy Alderman, Vice President of Communications and Public Policy for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

Estimates are that the city of Denver currently spends about $50 million per year on homeless services and other charities, and nonprofits contribute another $90 million, according to a 2019 report. Alderman says that’s not enough to help out the more than 5,300 people in metro Denver who are homeless.

Alderman said there have been ongoing, informal discussions with some Denver city council members about a tax increase. She said she believed this was an appropriate time to ask voters to increase taxes to support the homeless although she said, ”I anticipate some push back and lively debates and discussion. But we think it’s time to come together as a community and do better.”

Gosh, Cathy looks well-fed. Maybe she should just donate her lunch money. You know she's pulling down a six-figure salary as a Veep for her "non-profit organization".

But why should people be guilt-tripped into taxing themselves even more than they already are to "support the homeless"? Why do the homeless need "support"? Didn't you support yourself and your family, as I have? I'm sure we're all willing to extend a hand up, but less willing to extend a hand-out. Yet the enablers like Cathy have built entire industries out of marketing the need for "services to the homeless". Frankly, they tick me off. The "homeless" in general don't need the "services" - they need to get off the drugs and off their dead asses and go to work like you and I do.

Sure, there are a very few who actually could use our help - but that's where the "hand-up", rather than a hand-out thing comes into play. People like Cathy make good money by steering people to hand-outs.

It'd be amusing to see how long she'd be able to hold up in a real job.

 

New York's So Desperate For Cash

But then, it's run by Democratics, so....

How desperate are they? You have to get a permit to stargaze, now. I am not making this up.

Here is a story that shows progressive policies to be not only destructive, but also depressingly stupid. New York State recently passed a law requiring citizens to obtain a permit if they wish to gaze at the stars in public parks. No, really. You read that right. In New York, you must pay for a license to look at the freaking stars.

Light pollution across the state of New York makes it hard for folks in highly populated areas to view the night sky. So, people who wish to gaze upon the stars at night have to drive many miles away to remote areas. Many of these remote areas are located in taxpayer-funded state parks.

What? You can't take a train or other public transit? You actually have to drive? Well, they need to put a stop to that, too. And they probably will. Anyway, on with the clown-show!

In their efforts to squeeze every dime they can from the tax farm, bureaucrats in New York have devised a scheme to extort citizens who wish to use public parks to gaze upon the night sky. This extortion comes in the form of a $35.00 “Stargazing Permit.” If you are from out of state and wish to gaze upon the night sky from one of these locations that fee jumps to $60.

It's one of a range of permits you have to buy, depending upon the activity in which you hope to engage; you can view a helpful list of some of them here. Note that if you bring a metal-detector along, you'll need a $40 permit for that as well, but you can do that during daylight hours, if you want. Now, if you want to go diving, you'll need an $80 permit for that - unless you're from out of state, in which case it'll set you back $125. One thing about all of their permits and fees: at least they're not out to nickel-and-dime you to death; they go for real cash.

Now for the irony and blatant statist hypocrisy. If you want to go after dark to look at stars on state land that you paid for through your tax dollars, you have to pay the government more money for a permit. However, if the government wants to take the most sacred land in the state and put a telescope on it to look at the stars, this is fine and dandy. If you try to protest the government’s construction of star gazing equipment on your sacred land, you can and will be kidnapped and caged.

Case in point: Mauna Kea’s summit is the most sacred of all the mountains in Hawaii to many of the indigenous people. In July, when those people showed up to protest the desecration of their land with the Thirty-Meter Telescope, dozens were arrested.

Maybe you could tell them that you're not star-gazing; you're bat-watching.

Or not - they probably have a permit requirement for that as well.

 

Green Energy In Oregon

There's just one teensy problem: the power grid's maxed out.

Scott Zollinger was well on his way to building a new barn on his property in Marion County and putting enough solar panels on top of it to offset the cost of electricity for his family’s home. The design plans were drafted. The first payment was made on the solar panels. Zollinger had even applied and been approved for about $30,000 in state and federal tax credits on the $59,000 solar project.

Then he got a report from his utility, Portland General Electric, on the impact his project would have on the electric grid. The report was filled with technical terms, but it ultimately concluded that he couldn’t connect his 24.8 kilowatts of solar power to PGE’s system until significant upgrades had been made to the grid.

The report included a bill for the estimated cost of the upgrades: $539,038.

Jordan Sinn, general manager for Earthlight Technologies, often handles customer interactions for the company’s rooftop solar projects, many of which are in the Willamette Valley areas that now apparently have grid capacity issues. “This is becoming a common thing,” he said. “We’re in an awkward position where we don’t know until we submit quite a bit of paperwork with PGE to find this out. It’s been a bit of a black eye for the solar industry.”

Angela Crowley-Koch, executive director of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association, said grid capacity is a problem across the state — in both PacifiCorp and PGE territories.

All is not lost, however; Scott could still do it by going off-grid - although those lithium batteries that would be required to store his "green energy" are really expensive (and not exactly "green" themselves). And then too, he'd also have to purchase and install an inverter along with a few other essential components. So his $29,000 solar project (after credits) would more than double in cost. But at least he'd have his "green energy", so he could feel good about himself.

And we know how important that is.

 

Study In Poor Decisions

The popular slogan is "Just Do It" - not "Jussie Do It". He must have missed the distinction. And a lot of people think that  what's unspooling now is long overdue.

This may perhaps be the worst week ever of disgraced Hollywood actor Jussie Smollett’s quickly unraveling life …

On Tuesday, Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn confirmed to TVLine that Smollett will NEVER return to the popular TV series “Empire,” in part because of the hate crime hoax the embattled actor pulled last year.

Less than 24 hours later, word emerged that a judge in Smollett’s home of Chicago has struck him with another devastatingly painful blow by ordering the technology giant Google to turn over essentially everything it has on him and his manager.

“A Cook County judge has ordered Google to turn over Jussie Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages for an entire year as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into the purported attack on the actor,” the Chicago Tribune confirmed.

Already facing legal filings seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars relating to the alleged hate crime hoax, he may well be looking at criminal charges in the coming months. Chicago PD is demanding $130,000 from him to cover overtime expenses they incurred during their investigations into the hate crime hoax, and finding work in his chosen field of endeavor likely won't come easily.