shoebat--2020-12-20--DHS Improves Facial Recognition Technology On People While Wearing Masks

The use of artificial intelligence and other forms of supercomputing is a major trend for the future that in combination with biometric means will likely reshape society in many different ways .
One of those ways is in facial recognition technology , which has become far more accurate over the years owing to ‘ machine learning .
However , it is still far from accurate , and things such as wearing a face mask can greatly impact the effectiveness of such technologies .
But that may be changing , for as NextGov reports , the COVID pandemic has provided a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notable improvements in technologies to detect a person ’ s face though it may be covered by a mask .
Perhaps the most-worn accessories of 2020 , face masks mark an unexpected new constant in people ’ s lives providing necessary protection against COVID-19—but they ’ re also known to pose some trouble for contemporary facial recognition systems .
The Homeland Security Department , one of the government ’ s biggest biometrics systems users , is now steering research to confront the complexities limiting existing technology and help push forward tools to safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checkpoints in a pandemic .
Initial results from one recent effort “ are actually quite promising , ” according to Arun Vemury , director of DHS ’ Biometric and Identity Technology Center .
“ We ’ re getting to the point with this technology , where at least from the preliminary results , it looks like there ’ s some combinations of biometric acquisition systems , the camera systems and the matching algorithms—when you combine them together , you could match eight or nine out of 10 people without asking them to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a recent interview .
“ This means that for the vast majority of people in airports , they might not have to remove their masks anymore to even go through the security checks , and we could do a really good job of still matching them .
So , I think it ’ s very promising from that perspective .
Is it 100 % ?
Is it perfect ?
No .
But it reduces the number of people who potentially have to take their masks off.
” Those outcomes Vemury pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual Biometric Technology Rally , which was held over three weeks in late September and early October—and they also build off of a recent report led by the National Institutes of Science and Technology .
The study was released in July as part of a planned series NIST ’ s Face Recognition Vendor Test , or FRVT , program is completing to assess the performance of face recognition algorithms on faces partially hidden by masks .
For it , researchers reviewed almost 100 facial recognition systems and found that , at least for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s accuracy .
Before COVID-19 hit , Vemury and his team were originally planning their next biometric rally , which they ’ d decided would evaluate biometrics systems ’ ability to process people in small groups , to see how they might perform on families or with others , as many naturally travel .
After the pandemic surfaced they shifted to plans for remote operations—and this more timely topic .
( source ) For years , all one would need to do to cover one ’ s face is to hide it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is proving that such actions may no longer be sufficient to fully cover one ’ s identity .
This trend may create more ‘ opportunities ’ for catching criminals , but at the same time , will also require that those who want to be ‘ hidden ’ for whatever reason will have to take more aggressive measures to do this , such as wearing lifelike face masks or impressions , and then putting a mask on those .
Regardless of what happens with this , it will be interesting to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the further de-anonymization of the world and increasingly the creation of a network where people can be identified anywhere , in any place , at any time , and then having done so , potentially implicate people , even innocent ones , for questionable accusations .
In other words , this may be part of the larger trend of creating in the Western world what exists in China , but less obvious initially and most likely far more insidious .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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The use of artificial intelligence and other forms of supercomputing is a major trend for the future that in combination with biometric means will likely reshape society in many different ways. One of those ways is in facial recognition technology, which has become far more accurate over the years owing to ‘machine learning. However, it is still far from accurate, and things such as wearing a face mask can greatly impact the effectiveness of such technologies.
But that may be changing, for as NextGov reports, the COVID pandemic has provided a chance for scientists to adjust and show notable improvements in technologies to detect a person’s face though it may be covered by a mask.
Perhaps the most-worn accessories of 2020, face masks mark an unexpected new constant in people’s lives providing necessary protection against COVID-19—but they’re also known to pose some trouble for contemporary facial recognition systems. The Homeland Security Department, one of the government’s biggest biometrics systems users, is now steering research to confront the complexities limiting existing technology and help push forward tools to safely verify people’s identities at security checkpoints in a pandemic. Initial results from one recent effort “are actually quite promising,” according to Arun Vemury, director of DHS’ Biometric and Identity Technology Center. “We’re getting to the point with this technology, where at least from the preliminary results, it looks like there’s some combinations of biometric acquisition systems, the camera systems and the matching algorithms—when you combine them together, you could match eight or nine out of 10 people without asking them to remove their masks,” Vemury told Nextgov during a recent interview. “This means that for the vast majority of people in airports, they might not have to remove their masks anymore to even go through the security checks, and we could do a really good job of still matching them. So, I think it’s very promising from that perspective. Is it 100%? Is it perfect? No. But it reduces the number of people who potentially have to take their masks off.” Those outcomes Vemury pointed to emerged from the agency’s third annual Biometric Technology Rally, which was held over three weeks in late September and early October—and they also build off of a recent report led by the National Institutes of Science and Technology. The study was released in July as part of a planned series NIST’s Face Recognition Vendor Test, or FRVT, program is completing to assess the performance of face recognition algorithms on faces partially hidden by masks. For it, researchers reviewed almost 100 facial recognition systems and found that, at least for now, masks generally disrupt the tech’s accuracy. Before COVID-19 hit, Vemury and his team were originally planning their next biometric rally, which they’d decided would evaluate biometrics systems’ ability to process people in small groups, to see how they might perform on families or with others, as many naturally travel. After the pandemic surfaced they shifted to plans for remote operations—and this more timely topic. (source)
For years, all one would need to do to cover one’s face is to hide it with a mask. However, this pandemic is proving that such actions may no longer be sufficient to fully cover one’s identity. This trend may create more ‘opportunities’ for catching criminals, but at the same time, will also require that those who want to be ‘hidden’ for whatever reason will have to take more aggressive measures to do this, such as wearing lifelike face masks or impressions, and then putting a mask on those.
Regardless of what happens with this, it will be interesting to watch, as it is a part of the further de-anonymization of the world and increasingly the creation of a network where people can be identified anywhere, in any place, at any time, and then having done so, potentially implicate people, even innocent ones, for questionable accusations.
In other words, this may be part of the larger trend of creating in the Western world what exists in China, but less obvious initially and most likely far more insidious.
print


shoebat--2020-12-20--Americans Waste More Money On ‘Survival’ Equipment Instead Of Thinking About Principle

Is the world going to end ?
Possibly as we know it ?
A lot of people have this sort of thinking , and with good reason .
However , as CNBC reports , some are going to very interesting measures to respond , and as such there has been an increase in sale of ‘ survival ’ homes .
This was the year that coronavirus fears turned American shoppers into hoarders .
There have been widespread shortages on products like toilet paper , hand sanitizer and flour as people prepared for the long stretches of isolation that have become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one segment of the population , preparing for the worst was a way of life even before the pandemic .
“ Preppers ” or “ survivalists , ” as they ’ re known , have been around for years , buying elaborate survival kits , yearlong supplies of nonperishable foods and even elaborate underground bunkers .
“ Prepping is about PREparing for emergencies , not creating a supply shortage because you now suddenly need three boxes of N95 masks for your personal use , ” a moderator wrote in March on the r/Preppers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 208,000 members .
Threads focus on everything from Covid and pharmaceutical drug shortages to the benefits of a gas lamps versus candles .
A January survey by personal finance site Finder.com found that 35 % of nearly 2,400 people surveyed said they didn ’ t need to buy supplies in the last year because they were already stocked up .
And the financial new website 24/7WallSt.com estimated in 2013 that there were then 3.7 million preppers in the U.S. , comprising a market potentially worth billions of dollars .
( source ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentalities .
One is the ‘ prepper mindset .
The other is the lifestyle one .
These are both based on my own observations .
The current and arguably , for many years “ survivalist ” mentality is equivalent to that of the “ prepper ” practice .
In essence , this involves buying a lot of supplies or goods , doing occasional ‘ practices ’ in the woods , and trying essentially to ‘ buy ’ ones way into ‘ surviving ’ a future collapse or major social problem .
Now I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items .
Food , for example , should always be stored , because it is a lesson of history that shortages happen , and it helps a man to live .
The problem is that one can not store everything that one needs , or think that one can live a “ Mad Max ” type lifestyle .
Certainly there is room for a degree of this thinking , as it encompasses certain circumstances , but it is not and can not ever be considered an end into itself .
The latter way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ‘ lifestyle ’ survivalism , which is not really survivalism , but a philosophy rooted in living within one ’ s means , paying off bills/debt responsibly , balancing one ’ s needs against what one wants to have in the moment , and learning the skills to replicate conditions favorable to one ’ s existence .
For example , it is good to catch fish and store them in one ’ s freezer , or to buy a lot of fish and do this .
But does one know how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise one ’ s own fish in a pond or even smaller enclosure ?
Can one do this successfully ?
What about say , storing food ?
One can buy all the cornmeal and ground corn one wants , and this is good .
But can one grow enough corn plants to say , store up enough corn to last a winter ?
But even if one can not do that ( say because one lives in a small yard ) , can one grow another commodity as a replacement ?
For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for small areas such as Bok Choy , or Daikon radishes ?
There are also skills that one can be proficient in that always require a “ physical ” presence .
For example , knowing how to install plumbing lines safely , build with bricks , repair or replace automobile parts , fix small engines , weld metal bars , raise small animals for meat ( think chickens , rabbits , or pigeons ) , are all examples of skills that while they can not make one ‘ survive the elements ’ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I remember one time I was having a conversation with a man who lived on five acres of grass , all that he paid people to take care of , and did nothing with it at all to help feed himself or his family .
I have raised chickens for years , and he was unimpressed that I did , saying that chicken and eggs were cheaper to buy at the store .
Yes , this is true in the objective sense most of the time , but as I explained to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was that I am not looking to compete with factory farms .
Instead , I am looking to help better myself and my family , and that backyard chickens , while a small thing that one can not ‘ survive the end of the world ’ on in itself , is a life skill that is useful and a part of truly learning to survive amid troubled circumstances .
This latter mindset is often associated with ‘ poor ’ people , be it a black man in a tin-roof shack somewhere near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or white man in a similar type shed housing setup in the hills of eastern Kentucky , or even a man living in an urban area with a postage-stamp lot in a neighborhood past its prime days .
Of course , it is not a ‘ poor ’ thing , and many middle and upper class areas have people who think this way too , and all of it in a good way .
What I am saying is that people have survived many hardships .
One can look at the descendants of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor , isolated , and often forgotten peoples of much Russia , or the various peoples of the Middle East who live in harsh conditions , or the many ‘ pueblitas ’ of Central and South America that are equally isolated or forgotten by the world .
Men know how to survive and have for thousands of years .
I am not saying that one should not prepare by storing goods , or that one can not enjoy the fruits of one ’ s labor , or that one must take any sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever sort of thought process .
Far from it , for the concept , poor or rich , is always the same , which is that it is not always how much money one has , but how one looks at the world , the sacrifices one is ready to make , and the choice to push through no matter how hard things become .
When I see these ‘ survival homes ’ being sold , while I am sure it is not everyone that thinks as such , it seems to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can ‘ hide from the world ’ and wait for chaos to pass in their ‘ bunkers ’ .
However , this does not ever happen .
Life is not static , but dynamic , and if one thinks that one can just hide away until all things pass- not saying that one has to ‘ get involved ’ in any particular conflict -then one is setting oneself up for failure , because all it takes is for a part of this ‘ safe system ’ to fail for any reason and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may become one ’ s tomb .
This is why the poor and the men who suffer hardship have the best chance of ‘ surviving ’ in spite of their lack of resources , because they are often already accustomed to the shock of unexpected change , understand what needs to be done to be successful , know what things work and do not work from lived experience , have made very hard sacrifices before , and know on the basis of personal experience their own strengths and limitations and how to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be a lot of changes happening in the US as the economy gets worse , people become poorer , and desperation increases .
That said , if one wants to ‘ prepare ’ for ‘ survival ’ , it is not about buying fancy houses , lots of military-grade guns , or a years supply of canned beans .
Rather , it is about having a small surplus to help through tough times , and learning a real skill that one can use , and build on that .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself ?
If you like guns , do you have one that can effectively , safely , discreetly kill an animal , and do you have the skills to do it successfully within a budget ?
If you like meat and have a lot in the freezer , do you also have a generator to keep the freezer going , and to that , have you tried or do you raise a small animal such as chickens , pigeons , or rabbits for meat ?
These are simple questions , but they mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the ‘ big things ’ that make the most difference , but the ‘ little things ’ and one ’ s ability to handle them effectively , fast , and properly under stress .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

Is the world going to end? Possibly as we know it? A lot of people have this sort of thinking, and with good reason. However, as CNBC reports, some are going to very interesting measures to respond, and as such there has been an increase in sale of ‘survival’ homes.
This was the year that coronavirus fears turned American shoppers into hoarders. There have been widespread shortages on products like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and flour as people prepared for the long stretches of isolation that have become commonplace during the pandemic. But for one segment of the population, preparing for the worst was a way of life even before the pandemic. “Preppers” or “survivalists,” as they’re known, have been around for years, buying elaborate survival kits, yearlong supplies of nonperishable foods and even elaborate underground bunkers. “Prepping is about PREparing for emergencies, not creating a supply shortage because you now suddenly need three boxes of N95 masks for your personal use,” a moderator wrote in March on the r/Preppers forum on Reddit, which currently boasts over 208,000 members. Threads focus on everything from Covid and pharmaceutical drug shortages to the benefits of a gas lamps versus candles. A January survey by personal finance site Finder.com found that 35% of nearly 2,400 people surveyed said they didn’t need to buy supplies in the last year because they were already stocked up. And the financial new website 24/7WallSt.com estimated in 2013 that there were then 3.7 million preppers in the U.S., comprising a market potentially worth billions of dollars. (source)
There are arguably two ‘survivalist’ mentalities. One is the ‘prepper mindset. The other is the lifestyle one. These are both based on my own observations.
The current and arguably, for many years “survivalist” mentality is equivalent to that of the “prepper” practice. In essence, this involves buying a lot of supplies or goods, doing occasional ‘practices’ in the woods, and trying essentially to ‘buy’ ones way into ‘surviving’ a future collapse or major social problem.
Now I am not discouraging people buying and storing items. Food, for example, should always be stored, because it is a lesson of history that shortages happen, and it helps a man to live. The problem is that one cannot store everything that one needs, or think that one can live a “Mad Max” type lifestyle. Certainly there is room for a degree of this thinking, as it encompasses certain circumstances, but it is not and cannot ever be considered an end into itself.
The latter way is the superior one. This is the ‘lifestyle’ survivalism, which is not really survivalism, but a philosophy rooted in living within one’s means, paying off bills/debt responsibly, balancing one’s needs against what one wants to have in the moment, and learning the skills to replicate conditions favorable to one’s existence.
For example, it is good to catch fish and store them in one’s freezer, or to buy a lot of fish and do this. But does one know how to fish in a pond? What about raise one’s own fish in a pond or even smaller enclosure? Can one do this successfully?
What about say, storing food? One can buy all the cornmeal and ground corn one wants, and this is good. But can one grow enough corn plants to say, store up enough corn to last a winter? But even if one cannot do that (say because one lives in a small yard), can one grow another commodity as a replacement? For example, maybe a short-turnaround low-intensity vegetable ideal for small areas such as Bok Choy, or Daikon radishes?
There are also skills that one can be proficient in that always require a “physical” presence. For example, knowing how to install plumbing lines safely, build with bricks, repair or replace automobile parts, fix small engines, weld metal bars, raise small animals for meat (think chickens, rabbits, or pigeons), are all examples of skills that while they cannot make one ‘survive the elements’ in themselves, are barterable and useful.
I remember one time I was having a conversation with a man who lived on five acres of grass, all that he paid people to take care of, and did nothing with it at all to help feed himself or his family. I have raised chickens for years, and he was unimpressed that I did, saying that chicken and eggs were cheaper to buy at the store. Yes, this is true in the objective sense most of the time, but as I explained to him, and which he did not understand, was that I am not looking to compete with factory farms. Instead, I am looking to help better myself and my family, and that backyard chickens, while a small thing that one cannot ‘survive the end of the world’ on in itself, is a life skill that is useful and a part of truly learning to survive amid troubled circumstances.
This latter mindset is often associated with ‘poor’ people, be it a black man in a tin-roof shack somewhere near the banks of the Mississippi River, or white man in a similar type shed housing setup in the hills of eastern Kentucky, or even a man living in an urban area with a postage-stamp lot in a neighborhood past its prime days. Of course, it is not a ‘poor’ thing, and many middle and upper class areas have people who think this way too, and all of it in a good way.
What I am saying is that people have survived many hardships. One can look at the descendants of the Gulags in Siberia, or the poor, isolated, and often forgotten peoples of much Russia, or the various peoples of the Middle East who live in harsh conditions, or the many ‘pueblitas’ of Central and South America that are equally isolated or forgotten by the world. Men know how to survive and have for thousands of years.
I am not saying that one should not prepare by storing goods, or that one cannot enjoy the fruits of one’s labor, or that one must take any sort of extreme or irrational approach based in whatever sort of thought process. Far from it, for the concept, poor or rich, is always the same, which is that it is not always how much money one has, but how one looks at the world, the sacrifices one is ready to make, and the choice to push through no matter how hard things become.
When I see these ‘survival homes’ being sold, while I am sure it is not everyone that thinks as such, it seems to me that a lot of these people think they can ‘hide from the world’ and wait for chaos to pass in their ‘bunkers’. However, this does not ever happen. Life is not static, but dynamic, and if one thinks that one can just hide away until all things pass- not saying that one has to ‘get involved’ in any particular conflict -then one is setting oneself up for failure, because all it takes is for a part of this ‘safe system’ to fail for any reason and one’s ‘survival bunker’ may become one’s tomb.
This is why the poor and the men who suffer hardship have the best chance of ‘surviving’ in spite of their lack of resources, because they are often already accustomed to the shock of unexpected change, understand what needs to be done to be successful, know what things work and do not work from lived experience, have made very hard sacrifices before, and know on the basis of personal experience their own strengths and limitations and how to work in or around them.
There is going to be a lot of changes happening in the US as the economy gets worse, people become poorer, and desperation increases. That said, if one wants to ‘prepare’ for ‘survival’, it is not about buying fancy houses, lots of military-grade guns, or a years supply of canned beans. Rather, it is about having a small surplus to help through tough times, and learning a real skill that one can use, and build on that.
If you have canned food, can you can yourself? If you like guns, do you have one that can effectively, safely, discreetly kill an animal, and do you have the skills to do it successfully within a budget? If you like meat and have a lot in the freezer, do you also have a generator to keep the freezer going, and to that, have you tried or do you raise a small animal such as chickens, pigeons, or rabbits for meat?
These are simple questions, but they mean a lot, because ultimately, it is not the ‘big things’ that make the most difference, but the ‘little things’ and one’s ability to handle them effectively, fast, and properly under stress.
print


shoebat--2020-12-21--Russian Scientist Working On COVID Vaccine “Plummets” To His Death- What Happened?

With the world racing for a COVID-19 vaccine , there are a lot of scientists doing work around the clock to stop the current pandemic .
However , according to the New York Times from multiple sources , one scientist working on this vaccine in Russia has unexpected died in a strange and tragic way .
A prominent Russian scientist who was working on a COVID-19 vaccine was found dead with a stab wound after plummeting out his window in St. Petersburg , according to news reports .
Alexander “ Sasha ” Kagansky , 45 , was in his underwear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 14th-floor apartment , according to the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets .
The scientist also suffered a stab wound , police said .
Police believe there was a scuffle before Kagansky fell from the building , reports said .
Russian police say they are investigating Kagansky ’ s death as a possible homicide and questioning a 45-year-old man as a potential suspect , e2news.com said .
Kagansky , best known for his work on cancer research , was an assistant professor in Vladivostok and had spent 13 years working in Edinburgh , Scotland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was most recently working as director of the Center for Genomic and Regenerative Medicine at Russia ’ s Far Eastern Federal University .
He had been working on developing a vaccine against the coronavirus , e2news said .
Kagansky ’ s body was found by a neighbor on Zamshin Street , the report said .
( source ) I am going to say something here that I have written about .
I want to be explicitly clear that I have absolutely no proof about anything .
In fact , everything I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an opinion rooted in absolutely nothing more than stories and experience .
In the posts that I have done , I have clearly described how I knew many people growing up from the former USSR , and they shared many stories with me .
I learned a lot from them , and many were very insightful on life “ behind the Iron Curtain ” .
One of the stories I heard from not a few people was that when people “ committed suicide ” by jumping off of buildings , or having mysterious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these were assassinations by the KGB .
However , these people also said that the assassinations were so obvious that it became a joke , such as shooting or stabbing the particular victim before he “ fell ” or “ jumped ” to his final end .
So here is a story where a Russian Jewish ( the name Kagansky is not Slavic at all , but absolutely is a name associated with Russian Jews ) scientist “ jumps off of a building ” , at which time there is also evidence he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be clear that I have no evidence in the case itself , but all of the marks of the case indicate this was a murder .
The question I have is , who is this Aleksandr Kagansky , and if he was murdered , why did this happen ?
The man was clearly a smart person .
He was involved with the Center for Genetic and Regenerative Medicine in the Russian far east , and was an advocate of plant-based medicines as well as cancer research , and seems to have quite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many possible theories , but something I wonder about is if he knew about the so-called COVID vaccine that Putin has been advocating for and , possibly , that the whole thing is a fraud or worse .
Again , I am not going to assume that Putin is lying or that what I have suggested as a possibility among many is the truth as to what happened .
However , the claims that Russia developed this ‘ vaccine ’ and then Putin ordering the nation to be vaccinated while he refuses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the feel that something is very wrong or dishonest , and that this ‘ vaccine ’ not only may be unhelpful , but actively harmful to many .
Given Kagansky ’ s brain and his field of research , it is possible that he may have known or figured out this vaccine was a fraud , and potentially expressed opposition to it .
We don ’ t know if this is or is not what happened .
We can only speculate .
However , the fact that Russia arrested suddently a 45-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suspect .
Who is this person ?
Why would he want to stab and then throw this high-profile scientist off of a rooftop ?
Why not just stab him ?
There are too many questions , and not enough answer .
Such is never a good thing , since often it points to something deeper .
But that said , I wonder what happened , because something is not right here , and it will be interesting to see what future reports uncover .
Donate now to help support the work of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

With the world racing for a COVID-19 vaccine, there are a lot of scientists doing work around the clock to stop the current pandemic. However, according to the New York Times from multiple sources, one scientist working on this vaccine in Russia has unexpected died in a strange and tragic way.
A prominent Russian scientist who was working on a COVID-19 vaccine was found dead with a stab wound after plummeting out his window in St. Petersburg, according to news reports. Alexander “Sasha” Kagansky, 45, was in his underwear when he fell to his death from his 14th-floor apartment, according to the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets. The scientist also suffered a stab wound, police said. Police believe there was a scuffle before Kagansky fell from the building, reports said. Russian police say they are investigating Kagansky’s death as a possible homicide and questioning a 45-year-old man as a potential suspect, e2news.com said. Kagansky, best known for his work on cancer research, was an assistant professor in Vladivostok and had spent 13 years working in Edinburgh, Scotland, until 2017, the outlet said. He was most recently working as director of the Center for Genomic and Regenerative Medicine at Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University. He had been working on developing a vaccine against the coronavirus, e2news said. Kagansky’s body was found by a neighbor on Zamshin Street, the report said. (source)
I am going to say something here that I have written about. I want to be explicitly clear that I have absolutely no proof about anything. In fact, everything I am about to write here is strictly an opinion rooted in absolutely nothing more than stories and experience.
In the posts that I have done, I have clearly described how I knew many people growing up from the former USSR, and they shared many stories with me. I learned a lot from them, and many were very insightful on life “behind the Iron Curtain”.
One of the stories I heard from not a few people was that when people “committed suicide” by jumping off of buildings, or having mysterious “falls” to their death, these were assassinations by the KGB. However, these people also said that the assassinations were so obvious that it became a joke, such as shooting or stabbing the particular victim before he “fell” or “jumped” to his final end.
So here is a story where a Russian Jewish (the name Kagansky is not Slavic at all, but absolutely is a name associated with Russian Jews) scientist “jumps off of a building”, at which time there is also evidence he was stabbed too.
I want to be clear that I have no evidence in the case itself, but all of the marks of the case indicate this was a murder.
The question I have is, who is this Aleksandr Kagansky, and if he was murdered, why did this happen?
The man was clearly a smart person. He was involved with the Center for Genetic and Regenerative Medicine in the Russian far east, and was an advocate of plant-based medicines as well as cancer research, and seems to have quite a work history behind him.
There are many possible theories, but something I wonder about is if he knew about the so-called COVID vaccine that Putin has been advocating for and, possibly, that the whole thing is a fraud or worse.
Again, I am not going to assume that Putin is lying or that what I have suggested as a possibility among many is the truth as to what happened. However, the claims that Russia developed this ‘vaccine’ and then Putin ordering the nation to be vaccinated while he refuses to get it is very suspicious. It has the feel that something is very wrong or dishonest, and that this ‘vaccine’ not only may be unhelpful, but actively harmful to many.
Given Kagansky’s brain and his field of research, it is possible that he may have known or figured out this vaccine was a fraud, and potentially expressed opposition to it. We don’t know if this is or is not what happened. We can only speculate.
However, the fact that Russia arrested suddently a 45-year-old man supposedly in connection with this is also suspect. Who is this person? Why would he want to stab and then throw this high-profile scientist off of a rooftop? Why not just stab him?
There are too many questions, and not enough answer. Such is never a good thing, since often it points to something deeper.
But that said, I wonder what happened, because something is not right here, and it will be interesting to see what future reports uncover.
print


shoebat--2020-12-22--USPS, Amazon, And The Death Of Small Business

There are always complaints about the Post Office and how slow it is .
These have become worse with the explosion of online shopping and delivery .
As one with experience in the trucking industry , Christmastime is always a very difficult month , as the trucks are running constantly and a single delay ( which is going to happen ) combined with the “ Just-In-Time ” inventory scheduling mentality creates s nightmare situation for truckers , dispatchers , fleet managers , load planners , and customer service managers alike in the scramble to get product delivered and still hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major carriers- USPS , UPS , and FedEx alike -are overbooked , overworked , and unable to make deliveries not because they are bad , but because there is only so much that any one company can do in an imperfect world filled with all kinds of surprises .
However , this year is special , and I say truly special because there are historically unprecedented backups at the USPS , as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports .
An overwhelmed U.S .
Postal Service has been struggling for weeks to deliver packages , veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might not arrive by Christmas as tens of thousands of packages pile up inside Philadelphia-area processing facilities .
“ Don ’ t be using the post office right now , because we can ’ t deliver the mail , ” said Laurence Love , an assistant clerk craft director who operates mail-sorting machines at the Philadelphia Processing and Delivery Center .
Facilities across the region are so full of packages , there is barely enough room to walk , employees in Philadelphia , Lehigh Valley , and South Jersey said .
In Allentown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sitting in the parking lot , with no room to unload the items .
In Philadelphia , there are packages dated from before Thanksgiving scattered across the facility , employees said .
Last week , a miles-long caravan of dozens of delivery trucks filled with mail waited for hours outside the Southwest Philadelphia site because there was no room to unload the parcels .
Dozens of trucks waited in an hours-long line outside the Philadelphia Processing and Delivery Center last week to unload packages .
People across the region say they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but never scanned out .
Packages have taken so long that customers are demanding refunds from already-strapped businesses struggling to survive the pandemic .
The widespread delays are caused by a massive staffing shortage due to rising coronavirus cases , long-term job cuts , and a liberal pandemic leave policy , combined with a record rush of holiday packages as more people shop online .
On top of that , private express carriers like UPS and FedEx , similarly seeing record package levels , cut off delivery service for some retailers , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already overwhelmed Postal Service .
( source ) Having spoken with a friend who is a postmaster as well as a postal delivery worker I have known for a long time , they have said that even they are overworked and there is a possibility that packages and even letters sent by mail from anywhere out of state could take up to a month or longer to arrive , let alone local mail , which is significantly delayed by up to a week .
Even in my own family , I can say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my children sent by a family member of my wife ’ s took almost three weeks to get here , and another card as well as present from my family is still held up at the post office a long while away where they were also told that it could potentially be significantly after Christmas until anything is processed , potentially arriving in mid-January or later .
Even a Christmas gift I purchased weeks ago , which was held up in New York , just shipped out and arrived today- almost three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am sharing these stories because they are not just me .
Many people are experiencing them .
My wife has been frantically contacted by sellers- including one that lives not even fifty miles away from us -about late products , and if we were going to be OK. We were fine- some packages will arrive late , some were cancelled , some we are going to get the product with a refund .
One woman my wife spoke with- the one who lives close to us -sells Avon-type ( but not Avon ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few small things from her .
She spoke with this person and she expressed how concerned and stressed she was , and while this person did not have yet to issue any refunds so far as we know , it came up that there was a concern about the viability of her business .
This made me think , remembering how a lot of online shopping policies work .
It does not matter if it is Ebay , Amazon , Etsy , or another , but that many of these “ store holders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge vendor heavy fees but will immediately side with the customer in any dispute and to the detriment of the seller with no real way for recourse .
They will force refunds at the expense of a seller , even if a package has already shipped , thus having the vendor not only lose the income received , but the income he spent on the product , making it a double loss .
When operating on thin margins , something like this can be devastating , and too many of these losses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sure enough , I was reading the Chans when I came across an interesting thread on /pol/ describing a similar situation .
A lot of people are making a similar complaint , where they say their businesses are at risk of destruction from this virus .
Even on Amazon seller forums , there are sellers almost panicking in wonder and fury about why Amazon is telling customers who buy through Amazon that they can ask for a replacement and a refund if their packages arrive late ( read here ) .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what is happening absolutely .
However , as a trend for the future , there is a grave concern that one may see , in addition to the ‘ retail massacre ’ happening right now at brick-and-mortar stores that I predicted due to the pandemic ( as a minimum of 25 % and up to 40 % of most retail income is made in December alone for a retail store ) is also happening to online stores , but due to a combination of “ seller policies ” and the USPS being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This makes one wonder , possibly , if such may have even been designed to happen , especially since Amazon ’ s “ free shipping ” essentially functions as a taxpayer-funded service at the direct loss of the Post Office .
The reason I say this is that the close collusion between them that has gone on for so many years , and how Amazon is known for her very aggressive and abusive business tactics that show a callous disregard for human life .
If anything we can draw from this , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic problems are going to get a lot worse because a lot of small business sellers online are going to be forced to close for being forced to issue constant refunds amid shipped product .
This has a strong chance to be highly destructive .
Likewise , if you are thinking about sending anything through the mail , unless you are using UPS or Fedex , don ’ t do it until next month , because one can only imagine when it is going to get to you .
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There are always complaints about the Post Office and how slow it is. These have become worse with the explosion of online shopping and delivery. As one with experience in the trucking industry, Christmastime is always a very difficult month, as the trucks are running constantly and a single delay (which is going to happen) combined with the “Just-In-Time” inventory scheduling mentality creates s nightmare situation for truckers, dispatchers, fleet managers, load planners, and customer service managers alike in the scramble to get product delivered and still hope to earn a profit. All the major carriers- USPS, UPS, and FedEx alike -are overbooked, overworked, and unable to make deliveries not because they are bad, but because there is only so much that any one company can do in an imperfect world filled with all kinds of surprises.
However, this year is special, and I say truly special because there are historically unprecedented backups at the USPS, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
An overwhelmed U.S. Postal Service has been struggling for weeks to deliver packages, veteran employees said, warning that holiday gifts might not arrive by Christmas as tens of thousands of packages pile up inside Philadelphia-area processing facilities. “Don’t be using the post office right now, because we can’t deliver the mail,” said Laurence Love, an assistant clerk craft director who operates mail-sorting machines at the Philadelphia Processing and Delivery Center. Facilities across the region are so full of packages, there is barely enough room to walk, employees in Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, and South Jersey said. In Allentown, about 10 trailers filled with mail are sitting in the parking lot, with no room to unload the items. In Philadelphia, there are packages dated from before Thanksgiving scattered across the facility, employees said. Last week, a miles-long caravan of dozens of delivery trucks filled with mail waited for hours outside the Southwest Philadelphia site because there was no room to unload the parcels. Dozens of trucks waited in an hours-long line outside the Philadelphia Processing and Delivery Center last week to unload packages. People across the region say they are seeing their items scanned into processing plants but never scanned out. Packages have taken so long that customers are demanding refunds from already-strapped businesses struggling to survive the pandemic.
The widespread delays are caused by a massive staffing shortage due to rising coronavirus cases, long-term job cuts, and a liberal pandemic leave policy, combined with a record rush of holiday packages as more people shop online. On top of that, private express carriers like UPS and FedEx, similarly seeing record package levels, cut off delivery service for some retailers, which has funneled even more parcels through an already overwhelmed Postal Service. (source)
Having spoken with a friend who is a postmaster as well as a postal delivery worker I have known for a long time, they have said that even they are overworked and there is a possibility that packages and even letters sent by mail from anywhere out of state could take up to a month or longer to arrive, let alone local mail, which is significantly delayed by up to a week.
Even in my own family, I can say that a Christmas card with gift cards for my children sent by a family member of my wife’s took almost three weeks to get here, and another card as well as present from my family is still held up at the post office a long while away where they were also told that it could potentially be significantly after Christmas until anything is processed, potentially arriving in mid-January or later.
Even a Christmas gift I purchased weeks ago, which was held up in New York, just shipped out and arrived today- almost three weeks after I ordered it.
I am sharing these stories because they are not just me. Many people are experiencing them. My wife has been frantically contacted by sellers- including one that lives not even fifty miles away from us -about late products, and if we were going to be OK. We were fine- some packages will arrive late, some were cancelled, some we are going to get the product with a refund.
One woman my wife spoke with- the one who lives close to us -sells Avon-type (but not Avon) beauty products, and she ordered a few small things from her. She spoke with this person and she expressed how concerned and stressed she was, and while this person did not have yet to issue any refunds so far as we know, it came up that there was a concern about the viability of her business.
This made me think, remembering how a lot of online shopping policies work. It does not matter if it is Ebay, Amazon, Etsy, or another, but that many of these “store holders” who allow independent vendors to operate charge vendor heavy fees but will immediately side with the customer in any dispute and to the detriment of the seller with no real way for recourse. They will force refunds at the expense of a seller, even if a package has already shipped, thus having the vendor not only lose the income received, but the income he spent on the product, making it a double loss. When operating on thin margins, something like this can be devastating, and too many of these losses and a shop will quickly have to close.
Sure enough, I was reading the Chans when I came across an interesting thread on /pol/ describing a similar situation. A lot of people are making a similar complaint, where they say their businesses are at risk of destruction from this virus.
Even on Amazon seller forums, there are sellers almost panicking in wonder and fury about why Amazon is telling customers who buy through Amazon that they can ask for a replacement and a refund if their packages arrive late (read here).
Now, I am NOT saying that this is what is happening absolutely. However, as a trend for the future, there is a grave concern that one may see, in addition to the ‘retail massacre’ happening right now at brick-and-mortar stores that I predicted due to the pandemic (as a minimum of 25% and up to 40% of most retail income is made in December alone for a retail store) is also happening to online stores, but due to a combination of “seller policies” and the USPS being unable to handle all the packages.
This makes one wonder, possibly, if such may have even been designed to happen, especially since Amazon’s “free shipping” essentially functions as a taxpayer-funded service at the direct loss of the Post Office. The reason I say this is that the close collusion between them that has gone on for so many years, and how Amazon is known for her very aggressive and abusive business tactics that show a callous disregard for human life.
If anything we can draw from this, as a trend for 2021, is that the economic problems are going to get a lot worse because a lot of small business sellers online are going to be forced to close for being forced to issue constant refunds amid shipped product. This has a strong chance to be highly destructive.
Likewise, if you are thinking about sending anything through the mail, unless you are using UPS or Fedex, don’t do it until next month, because one can only imagine when it is going to get to you.
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