On May 24, 1844, the first U.S telegraph line was formally opened -- between Baltimore and Washington.
It's been found that hundreds of credentials from Facebook, Google, Instagram, Roblox, Discord, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, and other major platforms have been compromised. read more
US President Donald Trump's plan for a nationwide missile defense system -- dubbed "Golden Dome" -- faces significant technical and political challenges, and it could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals. read more
Ten days before start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced their forecast for how many tropical storms and hurricanes to expect this year. read more
"Do not use semicolons," wrote Kurt Vonnegut, who averaged fewer than 30 a novel (about one every 10 pages). "All they do is show you've been to college." A study suggests UK authors are taking Vonnegut's advice to heart; the semicolon seems to be in terminal decline, with its usage in English books plummeting by almost half in two decades - from one appearing in every 205 words in 2000 to one use in every 390 words today.
One view of Sec Kennedy ...
Tuff Darts - (Your Love Is Like) Nuclear Waste (1977)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
I'd rather crawl through poison ivy
or grab high tensions wires
cut my legs off at the knees
or set myself on fire
Than have to feel your charms
closing in around me
or feel your slimy kisses covering my body
Your love is like a nuclear waste
your body is a danger to the human race
they should stamp contaminated right across your face
your love is like a nuclear waste
I'd rather stick my tongue into a vat
drink ex-lax all day long
or have to chew on razor blades
or--------- to king kong
Than have to be between the sheets with you for any time
or have to feel your scaly flesh moving onto mine
Your love is like a nuclear waste
your body is a danger to the human race
they should stamp contaminated right across your face
your love is like a nuclear waste
...
(not surprised this really obscure song does not have lyrics on genius.com. So, thank-you to the local college radio station :) ...)
The cited exposed Elastic database article ...
Suspected InfoStealer Malware Data Breach Exposed 184 Million Logins and Passwords
www.websiteplanet.com
... Cybersecurity Researcher, Jeremiah Fowler, discovered and reported to Website Planet about a non-password-protected database that contained 184 million login and password credentials. ...
The publicly exposed database was not password-protected or encrypted. It contained 184,162,718 unique logins and passwords, totaling a massive 47.42 GB of raw credential data. In a limited sampling of the exposed documents, I saw thousands of files that included emails, usernames, passwords, and the URL links to the login or authorization for the accounts. The database contained login and password credentials for a wide range of services, applications, and accounts, including email providers, Microsoft products, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, and many more. I also saw credentials for bank and financial accounts, health platforms, and government portals from numerous countries that could put exposed individuals at significant risk.
The IP address indicated that the database was connected to two domain names. One domain is parked and not available while the other appears to be unregistered and available to purchase. The Whois registration is private, and there seemed to be no verifiable method to identify the real owner of the database containing potentially illegal data. So, I immediately sent a responsible disclosure notice to the hosting provider, and the database was restricted from public access soon after.
The hosting provider would not disclose their customer's information, so it is not known if the database was used for criminal activity or if this information was gathered for legitimate research purposes and subsequently exposed due to oversight. It is also not known how long the database was exposed before I discovered it or if anyone else may have gained access to it.
The records exhibit multiple signs that the exposed data was harvested by some type of infostealer malware. ...
The cited Wired article ...
Mysterious Database of 184 Million Records Exposes Vast Array of Login Credentials
www.wired.com
... A trove of breached data, which has now been taken down, includes user logins for platforms including Apple, Google, and Meta. Among the exposed accounts are ones linked to dozens of governments. ...
The possibility that data could be inadvertently exposed in a misconfigured or otherwise unsecured database is a longtime privacy nightmare that has been difficult to fully address. But the new discovery of a massive trove of 184 million records -- including Apple, Facebook, and Google logins and credentials for accounts connected to multiple governments -- underscores the risks of recklessly compiling sensitive information in a repository that could become a single point of failure.
In early May, longtime data-breach hunter and security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an exposed Elastic database containing 184,162,718 records across more than 47 GB of data. Typically, Fowler says, he is able to gather clues about who controls an exposed database from its contents"details about the organization, data related to its customers or employees, or other indicators that suggest why the data is being collected. This database, however, didn't include any clues about who owns the data or where it may have been gathered from. ...
OK, I asked my search engine of choice about this ...
Found this ...
Hawaii Isn't Covered by NATO Defense Pact? (May 2024)
www.snopes.com
... The state falls just outside the borders of treaty, internet users said. ...
Claim:
The U.S. state of Hawaii is not covered by the NATO defense pact.
Rating:
True
Context
While Hawaii is technically excluded from the North Atlantic Treat Organization because it is not located around the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean or north of the Tropic of Cancer, it is likely that NATO member countries would still rise to defend the U.S. should an attack occur on Hawaii.
...
Holy meadow muffins, Batman.
Related ...
When to Use a Semicolon, With Examples
www.grammarly.com
...
- - - A semicolon is a punctuation mark (;) used to connect closely two related independent clauses in a single sentence when discussing the same topic or contrasting two similar ideas.
- - - The connection between the two independent clauses should always be apparent without a coordinating conjunction like and. Example: I have a big presentation tomorrow; I need to prepare my notes tonight.
- - - Use semicolons before common conjunctive adverbs like moreover, nevertheless, and however.
- - - Semicolons can divide items within lists if they are long or contain internal punctuation, helping readers keep track of the divisions between them.
- - - Semicolons provide a stronger pause than a comma and a softer transition than a period.
Understanding when to use semicolons is vital for clear writing and enhancing sentence flow. Good writing demands attention to detail; recognizing the right place for a semicolon exemplifies this. Here, we'll explain what you need to know about semicolons and their role in punctuation, including rules and examples for using them correctly. ...
... connection between the two independent clauses should always be apparent without a coordinating conjunction ...
Wow, no wonder a semicolons seem to be used so infrequently.
Another view ...
From Star Wars to Golden Dome: Trump Pushes US Missile Shield Despite Funding and Technology Hurdles
www.military.com
... Sitting in the Oval Office on Tuesday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a four-star Space Force general and several lawmakers, President Donald Trump made it clear: He's setting out to finish what former President Ronald Reagan started.
Reagan's 1980s-era proposal for a space-based defense shield against nuclear missiles, dubbed "Star Wars," fizzled. Now, decades later, Trump has announced a proposal he calls "Golden Dome," envisioned as a state-of-the-art missile defense system covering the U.S. that could shoot down ballistic, hypersonic and nuclear missiles -- even drones -- from land and outer space.
Trump said during the White House gathering this week that his Golden Dome would take only three years to complete, be "very close to 100%" effective, and cost only $175 billion. The promises face skepticism from experts and would require big military trade-offs, including possible troop reductions in the Army.
"We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland," Trump said this week.
However, defense policy experts who spoke to Military.com aren't so sure.
They said that, while the immediate fate of the nationwide shield is tied to short-term funding working through Congress, it may ultimately require a long-term commitment of more defense dollars or strategic trade-offs, such as cutting the size of the Army to deliver the ambitious vision being pitched to the American people. ...
More from the article...