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How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking | Gadget Lab | Wired.com: "the very four digits that Amazon considers unimportant enough to display in the clear on the web are precisely the same ones that Apple considers secure enough to perform identity verification"
"the Apple rep didn’t bother to tell me about the first call concerning my account, despite the 90 minutes I spent on the phone with tech support"
"Apple issued a temporary password. It did this despite the caller’s inability to answer security questions I had set up"
"First you call Amazon and tell them you are the account holder, and want to add a credit card number to the account. All you need is the name on the account, an associated e-mail address, and the billing address. Amazon then allows you to input a new credit card. (Wired used a bogus credit card number from a website that generates fake card numbers that conform with the industry’s published self-check algorithm.) Then you hang up.
Next you call back, and tell Amazon that you’ve lost access to your account. Upon providing a name, billing address, and the new credit card number you gave the company on the prior call, Amazon will allow you to add a new e-mail address to the account. From here, you go to the Amazon website, and send a password reset to the new e-mail account."
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Is There a Right to Unionize? - Walter Block - Mises Daily
Is There a Right to Unionize? - Walter Block - Mises Daily: "Yes, theoretically, a labor organization could limit itself to organizing a mass quit unless they got what they wanted. That would indeed be an implication of the law of free association.
But every union with which I am familiar reserves the right to employ violence (that is, to initiate violence) against competing workers — "scabs" — whether in a "blue-collar way" by beating them up, or in a "white collar way" by getting laws passed compelling employers to deal with them, and not with the scabs."
"Why, by the way, is it not "discriminatory," and "hateful," to describe workers willing to take less pay, and to compete with unionized labor, as "scabs"? Should not this be considered on a par with using the "N" word for blacks, or the "K" word for Jews?"
But every union with which I am familiar reserves the right to employ violence (that is, to initiate violence) against competing workers — "scabs" — whether in a "blue-collar way" by beating them up, or in a "white collar way" by getting laws passed compelling employers to deal with them, and not with the scabs."
"Why, by the way, is it not "discriminatory," and "hateful," to describe workers willing to take less pay, and to compete with unionized labor, as "scabs"? Should not this be considered on a par with using the "N" word for blacks, or the "K" word for Jews?"
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Obama Encouraging Americans to Get on Welfare | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
Obama Encouraging Americans to Get on Welfare | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Combined with state and local spending, government spends $20,610 for every poor person in America — or $61,830 per poor family of three.
Given that the poverty line for that family is just $18,530, we should have theoretically wiped out poverty in America many times over."
"we actually have a pretty good idea of what the keys are to getting out of or staying out of poverty: (1) finish school; (2) do not get pregnant outside marriage; and (3) get a job, any job, and stick with it.
None of this has anything to do with getting more people to sign up for welfare benefits."
Given that the poverty line for that family is just $18,530, we should have theoretically wiped out poverty in America many times over."
"we actually have a pretty good idea of what the keys are to getting out of or staying out of poverty: (1) finish school; (2) do not get pregnant outside marriage; and (3) get a job, any job, and stick with it.
None of this has anything to do with getting more people to sign up for welfare benefits."
China Beats India Again, This Time in Corruption | Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar | Cato Institute: Commentary
China Beats India Again, This Time in Corruption | Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Top politicians claim they have no links with the businesses of relatives. But a veteran diplomat says "everything is controlled by a couple of hundred powerful families... most foreign companies are trying to hire the sons and daughters of Chinese officials so they can get access and do business."
Multinationals often start joint ventures with the princelings, who typically hold their stakes through holding companies in Hong Kong or Caribbean tax havens. This helps hide business secrets."
Multinationals often start joint ventures with the princelings, who typically hold their stakes through holding companies in Hong Kong or Caribbean tax havens. This helps hide business secrets."
DREAM Act a nightmare for legal immigrant | Fox News
DREAM Act a nightmare for legal immigrant | Fox News: "If Lauren Gray's parents had been illegal immigrants, she wouldn't be facing deportation"
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Court strikes blow to Illinois eavesdropping law | Fox News
Court strikes blow to Illinois eavesdropping law | Fox News: "In a blow to Illinois' sweeping eavesdropping law, a federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked its enforcement in cases where someone is recording a police officer at work."
Monday, August 06, 2012
Dead-tree format's demise is slow, steady | Business Tech - CNET News
Dead-tree format's demise is slow, steady | Business Tech - CNET News: "Paper demand peaked in 2006 and has declined every year subsequently between 3-10 percent year over year and is now tracking 20 percent+ below the 2006 the peak"
Even "Primitives" Pursue Profit - Mike Reid - Mises Daily
Even "Primitives" Pursue Profit - Mike Reid - Mises Daily: "These "dirty, greasy" bits of shell were in fact prestige goods, just as valuable and just as arbitrary as Rolex watches, luxury cars, and sports trophies. Such goods attract attention and advertise your achievements. They say, "I am powerful enough to have this."
In North America, when a team in the National Hockey League wins the Stanley Cup, it brings the team members enormous fame (at least in Canada). But instead of making a new cup each year, the NHL uses the same trophy over and over; so the winning team holds the Stanley Cup only until the next team wins it away. The cup is a storied artifact that brings fame to any man who possesses it, even though no man can possess it forever."
"In short, the decentralized network of Kula gift exchanges provided the social scaffolding for international trade protected from robbery and warfare. No state required."
In North America, when a team in the National Hockey League wins the Stanley Cup, it brings the team members enormous fame (at least in Canada). But instead of making a new cup each year, the NHL uses the same trophy over and over; so the winning team holds the Stanley Cup only until the next team wins it away. The cup is a storied artifact that brings fame to any man who possesses it, even though no man can possess it forever."
"In short, the decentralized network of Kula gift exchanges provided the social scaffolding for international trade protected from robbery and warfare. No state required."
The Remarkable Story of Chile's Economic Renaissance | Daniel J. Mitchell and Julia Morriss | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Remarkable Story of Chile's Economic Renaissance | Daniel J. Mitchell and Julia Morriss | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Thirty years ago, Chile was a basket case. A socialist government in the 1970s had crippled the economy and destabilized society, leading to civil unrest and a military coup. Given the dismal situation, it's no surprise that Chile's economy was moribund and other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina, had about twice as much per-capita economic output.
Today, by contrast, Chile has passed Argentina to become the richest nation in all of Latin America. For three decades, it has been the fastest-growing economy in the region. Poverty has fallen dramatically, and living standards have soared."
"The number of people below the poverty line dropped from 40 percent to 20 percent between 1985 and 1997 and then to 15.1 percent in 2009. Public debt is now under 10 percent of GDP and after 1983 GDP grew an average of 4.6 percent per year. But growth isn't a random event. Chile has prospered because the burden of government has declined. Chile is now ranked number one for freedom in its region and number seven in the world, even ahead of the United States.
The lesson from Chile is that free markets and small government are a recipe for prosperity. The key for other developing nations is to figure out how to achieve these benefits without first suffering through a period of socialist tyranny and military dictatorship."
Today, by contrast, Chile has passed Argentina to become the richest nation in all of Latin America. For three decades, it has been the fastest-growing economy in the region. Poverty has fallen dramatically, and living standards have soared."
"The number of people below the poverty line dropped from 40 percent to 20 percent between 1985 and 1997 and then to 15.1 percent in 2009. Public debt is now under 10 percent of GDP and after 1983 GDP grew an average of 4.6 percent per year. But growth isn't a random event. Chile has prospered because the burden of government has declined. Chile is now ranked number one for freedom in its region and number seven in the world, even ahead of the United States.
The lesson from Chile is that free markets and small government are a recipe for prosperity. The key for other developing nations is to figure out how to achieve these benefits without first suffering through a period of socialist tyranny and military dictatorship."
Social Security: How much I pay, how much I get | Fox News
Social Security: How much I pay, how much I get | Fox News:
"If you turned 65 in 1960:
Lifetime Social Security benefits: $259,000.
Lifetime Social Security taxes: $36,000.
___
If you turn 65 in 2030:
Lifetime benefits: $699,000.
Lifetime taxes: $796,000."
Another example showing the breakdown of the system.
"If you turned 65 in 1960:
Lifetime Social Security benefits: $259,000.
Lifetime Social Security taxes: $36,000.
___
If you turn 65 in 2030:
Lifetime benefits: $699,000.
Lifetime taxes: $796,000."
Another example showing the breakdown of the system.
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