Big Blue Huddle

Trying to find where I heard this, but I thought it was relevant to the conversation:

99.5% of Covid related deaths right now are in unvaccinated people.

I can answer some of your questions. 

First, most crypto is completely traceable.  In fact, that is one of the principles of it's existence.  Through this link you can watch every single Ethereum transaction world wide: https://etherscan.io/
There are some forms of crypto known as "privacy coins" that make it more difficult to see transactions.   Bitcoin and Ethereum are NOT privacy coins and their ledgers can be viewed publicly. 


That being said, all you will see on that link is addresses (long lines of numbers and letters) and not who owns those addresses.

The government was able to recoup that money because of the way the money was being stored. It's amazing that you could be tech savvy enough to hijack a huge corporations systems, but lack such basic crypto commone sense.  So here is what happened:

The hijackers left the money on a US based crypto exchange.  Because that exchange is regulated by US authorities, they were able to freeze the account and take the money back.  Now, had these hijackers spent $75 dollars and purchased a cold storage wallet (there are other ways as well), they would not have been able to access the money that easily. 

It's like they kidnapped a person, got the ransom money and immediately deposited into an FDIC regulated bank.  In this case, there is a public record of what address the money was sent.  Once they FBI (or whoever) realized it was a Binance (I think that's the exchange) address, they were able to contact the company and freeze that address. 

So while these transactions are anonymous, they are not "secret", they are the opposite.  The anonymity goes out the window if you are just logging in from your computer and not taking steps to block tracing (like using a Tor browser for example).  While an average person might not be able to figure out who is making a transaction, a group like the FBI could definitely see your IP address and track where you are logging on from. 

I hope what I wrote makes sense.  I think politicians who want to try and ban crypto are completely wrong.  This form of currency will exist moving forward, it's just a matter of regulation and adaptation. 

BTW, I consider my understanding very rudimentary.  I own some crypto and have used it in some transactions.   I really don't get the full understanding of why mining uses some much electricity. 

Quote from: jimmyz on April 19, 2021, 06:27:55 PM
Yeah, the paramilitary contractor paradigm now allows countries to wage war unofficially.

And making some people very rich in doing it.

I realize that in the wake of the 9/11 attacks there was wide feelings that this attack was able to be coordinated because it happened in a country with a failed central government.  The objective as I understood it then, was to:

- Capture or kill Al-Qaeda leaders 
- Setup a democratic government that could run on its own.

The first objective was somewhat achieved but never finished.

The second objective has never really even been close and may never happen.

I think in the case of Afghanistan we need to pack it up and leave and if there is worry about attacks being planned from that country we can use other means to monitor the situation.  The reaction to the attacks of 9/11 has shaped the current world in many ways and cost a lot of lives as well as money.  Is the world a safer place now?

Quote from: Painter on April 06, 2021, 01:47:51 PM
120 pieces of legislation in 43 States related to ballot and voter eligibility all introduced by Republicans following Trump's defeat and the purple bruise they suffered in the Red State of Georgia, and not at any time before. That also is despite the fact that the most thorough post-election audits ever by State and Federal agencies and private entities concluded that there was no meaningful voter fraud in past election.

While it should be obvious to any honest, clear thinking person that, having the motive, the GOP is pursuing the opportunity to make it harder for poorer people and minority communities to vote. What also is obvious is that there are those recognize the fact but can't accept it and so must embrace a web of conspiracies. if they must, it's their sad problem, but they shouldn't expect the rest of us to walk into it.

During the 2016 campaign Trump said there was massive voter fraud and that the election was rigged.  After that election the "Voter Integrity Committee" was assembled and found an extremely small amount of isolated issues and the committee was quietly disbanded.  Somehow, at that point, even though the President himself had called the election rigged, there was none of this legislation. 

Quote from: Ed Vette on April 06, 2021, 09:50:01 AM
I also think Gun background check laws should be universal across the US. As you know, NJ is among the strictest in the nation and we had to get not only a background check but fingerprinted and we have to apply for a permit to purchase in a 90 day window. My brother just goes to the store, they do a check and he walks away with his new toy. Other states have open carry or concealed. I like the idea of one ID with the ability to add applications like we do adding a motorcycle endorsement to our license.

That should certainly be possible in the digital age.

My brother, an ex-marine had about a 6 month period to be able to carry. 

When I lived in Maine, if I wanted to buy a gun to keep in the house, I could have bought if from a friend or a classified ad without a background check.  Only gun dealers in Maine have to do background checks (If I remember correct). 

I have to admit, I liked that when I bough a pistol here in PA, it was a pretty simple process with the background check. 

Quote from: Slugs Narrows on April 06, 2021, 09:32:02 AM
Can also use this as a universal card for conceal carry and firearm purchase.  The NRA would never sign off on it as a fear of mass registry etc etc but as a gun owner who believes in background checks etc this could also serve to facilitate that as well.

I will say I worry about to much power in Government hands and one number or way to track and monitor but let

Quote from: uconnjack8 on April 02, 2021, 04:32:11 PM
What's the over/under on the length of time before this thread is shut down?

I had under 24 hours, so I lost my bet on this, but I think it's time for the Mods to kill this thread.

What's the over/under on the length of time before this thread is shut down?

This will be a widespread problem relatively quickly. 
https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/coronavirus/6732987-The-true-cost-of-North-Dakotas-strained-hospitals-He-could%E2%80%99ve-easily-died-in-my-home

Sad to see people so young die from this disease.

https://apnews.com/4ee025ba6c4c19c024ce384503f23ef3

Study of some cheap and readily available steroids shows positive results.

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN25T20D?__twitter_impression=true

Another HCQ study.


  https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2016638

The combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin significantly increased mortality in COVID-19 patients (relative risk=1.27), finds a new systematic review and meta-analysis. (Clinical Microbiology and Infection Journal, 26 August 2020)


Conclusion
Hydroxychloroquine alone was not associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients but the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin significantly increased mortality.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X2030505X

I think a big part of the equation is when outbreaks hit. There has been progress in treatment of the virus.  States that had spikes after May have the benefit of a treatment plan.  Having it hit a place like NYC first was a worst, predictable scenario. 

I think dividing the states that was serves no purpose scientifically.