How Far Will Wells-Fargo? 0
Apparently, pretty damned far.
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo acknowledged late Thursday that it enrolled roughly 570,000 auto loan borrowers for what’s known as collateral production insurance on their vehicles when the customers already had appropriate insurance. It will pay $80 million in refunds and account adjustments to those people.
If my father were alive today, he would be ashamed of the industry that he worked in for two decades.
Political Hacks 0
El Reg reports on how easy it is to hack American voting machines. A snippet:
In less than 90 minutes, the first cracks in the systems’ defenses started appearing, revealing an embarrassing low level of security. Then one was hacked wirelessly.
“Without question, our voting systems are weak and susceptible. Thanks to the contributions of the hacker community today, we’ve uncovered even more about exactly how,” said Jake Braun, who sold DEF CON founder Jeff Moss on the idea earlier this year.
I do not think that the manufacturers are consciously enabling easy hacking. Rather time and again experience has demonstrated that, in manufacturing, security is often an afterthought. For example.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Whatever you do, don’t give politeness the finger.
Police in eastern Idaho say a 49-year-old Rexburg man accidentally shot off his middle finger.
Rexburg police tell KIFI-TV that the man didn’t think the gun was loaded when he pulled the trigger on the .44-caliber handgun at about 12:20 a.m. Friday.
Aside:
I was taught to assume that every gun is loaded.
The stupid. It burns.
Colludal Suspension 0
The one ray of hope is this: These persons, however malignant they may be and certainly are, however protected they have been by their (illusion of) wealth, are truly and fundamentally stupid.
Via Job’s Anger.
Trumpling the Art of the Con 0
Tony Norman thinks that Donald Trump may have gone one con too many. A snippet (follow the link for the rest; it is worth your while):
Methinks Mr. Norman waxes optimistic. Trump’s true believers, even among the punditocracy, will continue to believe the con because they want to believe (and their paychecks depend on their believing, or, at least, on professing that belief).
If they were willing to see through the smokescreen, they would have done so years ago.
Loyalty Oafs 0
At Above the Law, James Goodnow contrasts Donald Trump’s conception of loyalty with ethical lawyers’ (no, that is not an oxymoron) loyalty to their clients. It’s an interesting take on the concept of loyalty and worth the three minutes it takes to read.
Here’s a bit:
Cavalcade of Crazy 0
Thom rounds up a few stories that haven’t gotten much notice in the furor over healthcare.
In Contempt of the (Scout) Law 0
Daniel Ruth parses Donald Trump’s speech to the Boy Scouts. A snippet:
Much more at the link.
So Much Winning 0
Dick Polman looks back over this week in the Trumpling. A snippet:
Indeed, humiliation turns out to be the theme of the week. Finally, we’re starting to see some pushback, on virtually all fronts . . . .
Follow the link for his list of fronts.
By the by, I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised the John McCain finally did something McMavericky. It’s been a long time coming.
Real Big Men, Uncivil Discourse Dept. 0
Elise Viebeck discusses the bullying behavior of the macho, macho men of the Republican Party and their nasty, nasty attitudes towards women Republican. A snippet (follow the link for the rest):
The language of retribution increasingly adopted by Republican men reflects Trump’s influence and underscores the challenges Republican women can face when opposing the consensus of their party, which remains dominated by men, outside experts said.
I think an argument can be made that the bullying impulses have always been there in the party of family values. What has changed is that the bullies now believe Donald Trump’s ascendency has given them permission to be what they always have been.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
More random acts of responsible politeness . . . .
The elderly driver calmly paid his bill and drove off.