Tuesday, December 1, 2015

News? You see what they want you to see.

This infographic created by Jason at Frugal Dad shows that almost all media comes from the same six sources.
That's consolidated from 50 companies back in 1983. 
NOTE: This infographic is from last year and is missing some key transactions. GE does not own NBC (or Comcast or any media) anymore. So that 6th company is now Comcast. And Time Warner doesn't own AOL, so Huffington Post isn't affiliated with them.
But the fact that a few companies own everything demonstrates "the illusion of choice," Frugal Dad says. While some big sites, like Digg and Reddit aren't owned by any of the corporations,Time Warner owns news sites read by millions of Americans every year.

Read More.

Meanwhile why most were dazzled by the BP gulf oil spill.
There was a simultaneous spill more devastating than what your media "directed" your attention to.


Read more.



Info Wars.

You Won’t Believe What Spies On Malaysia Plane Were Doing

Military intelligence is heavily involved in Malaysia Airlines 370, but contradicting itself and denying the public from needed information, thus increasing speculations officials are unauthorized by the military to disclose the craft’s whereabouts and intel by 25 high-tech passengers, employed by five major defense contractor technology companies, was liekly valued enough to seize the plane.
        Two Chinese companies represented on the plane’s manifest list are declared U.S. national security risk due to its spying with backdoor computer technology. Congress ousted them from business in the U.S. and warned American companies to halt busines with them, only two of five such companies tight with military

This Is What Cyber Wars Look Like
   
         A massive military search operation for Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER has resulted in no credible trace of the aircraft or its 239 passengers and crew. Search and rescue vessels from Malaysia’s maritime enforcement agency reached where the plane last made contact, reporting no wreckage sign. Vietnam’s rescue planes spotted two large oil slicks about 15 km (9 miles) long, and a smoke column, also false alarms. China and the Philippines sent ships to help. The U.S., Philippines and Singapore dispatched military planes. China has more ships and aircraft on standby. The FBI sent agents and technical staff to join the investigation, since four Americans are on the manifest list. Crowdsourcing has been activated, so even the public can help. The search operation, however, is said ti have no formal entity to lead it.
    Chinese passengers’ relatives angrily accuse the airline of keeping them in the dark, and even thrown bottles at officials. Approximately  20-30 families were kept in an airport holding room, guarded by security officials to keep them away from reporters. 
       ”There’s no one from the company here, we can’t find a single person,” said a middle-aged man at a hotel near Beijing airport where relatives were taken. “They’ve just shut us in this room and told us to wait.”
        Malaysian authorities say they’re working in co-operation with other countries in the  investigation.  “Once the location of the airplane is determined, International Civil Aviation Organization protocols will determine which country will lead the investigation,” the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said. Until then, it’s tough keeping the story straight with so many fingers in the pie. 
        Demanding that the military and FBI be honest and open is like trying to get them to never frame, falsely arrest and detain, harm or kill.  Conflicting and confusing accounts of the plane’s potential whereabouts and false alarms compound stress and anxiety of passengers’ friends and family. After days, they were finally ushered unseen out of the airport to their homes after told to mentally prepare for the worst, According to Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director at Malaysia Airlines, that’s too big of an ask. It’s especially difficult when faint signs of life continued, such as loved ones’ phones still ringing with no explanation and the “heard but not seen jet,” both long after the plane vanished.
        Meanwhile, precious time is still being lost due to a lack of a lead investigating agency with legal clout in the early days, according to some aviation industry observers. Others speculate means and motives as military investigators keep everyone in the dark.
Motive, Means, Iranian Connection
       One motive to capture a craft is its highly valued cargo or passengers. MH370 possibly carries both. The Obama administration and U.S. spymasters have accused China’s government of using computer hackers to steal American businesses’ secrets to benefit China’s private sector. The world is angry at the U.S. for its NSA spying. One means an aircraft can seemingly vanish is with hi-tech military electronic weaponry (EW) designed specifically to “disappear” crafts. U.S. and Chinese military boast of having this capacity. The US has used it elsewhere. [Malaysia Plane Hidden With Electronic Weapon? 20 Hi-Tech EW Defense Passengers]  
          In 2005, an FBI investigation codenamed Titan Rain revealed Chinese hackers in Guangdong stole from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and stole flight-planning software from the Air Force. The hackers accessed systems at defense contractors, such as Lockheed Martin, and the World Bank. China’s hacking drove Google out of China. WikiLeaks quoted a U.S. Embassy official saying contacts told the U.S. that the Chinese government was behind internet hacking attacks on not only Google, but also Western governments.
      Five major technological communications military contractor companies have high-tech employees and executives on the MH370 passenger manifest, two American and three Asia Pacific – each strongly tied to military: China Telecom, Business Machines Corp., Austin-based Freescale, International Business Machines (IBM), ZTE Corp., and Huawei Technologies Co. Combined, they have 26 high-tech experts on the passenger manifest list, including two executives. One of these companies refused to identify its employees onboard, and investigators also withheld those identities.
      China Telecom executive Hualian “Happy” Zhang, network planning vice president for China Telecom Global, is on the passenger manifest, number 207. Zhang was reportedly returning from Kuala Lumpur after signing a construction/maintenance agreement for Sea-Me-We-5, a submarine cable to stretch 20,000 km from Singapore to Europe. Fiber optic cables are of prime importance to U.S. military, NSA and intelligence agencies, with expanding operations requiring more and more bandwidth for spying and other operations. (Dana Priest, William Arkin,Top Secret America: The Rise of The New American Security State)
        ZTE employee Li Yanlin, an engineer who is part of the company’s telecom gear installation and maintenance team boarded the plane. In May, 2010, India banned telecommunications firms from importing from ZTE and any other Chinese networking equipment companies due to fears that they were riddled with information-stealing spywareTwo years later, Reuters reported ZTE helped funnel software and hardware from US firms Oracle, Microsoft and Cisco Systems to the Iranian government in 2010 to build a $130m nation-wide surveillance system.  
      Two young Iranians are among those on the passenger manifest. Officials say they would be unlikely to be connected with the plane’s disappearance, but are leaving no stone unturned. The two Iranians traveled on passports stolen about a year ago, possibly bought on the black market, and claimed to be seeking asylum, but asylum from what has been unreported.
      ZTE’s thievery and spying support to Iran violated an American embargo on technology sales to the Iranian government. It put ZTE’s U.S. partners in hot water. In May 2012, Ashley Kyle Yablon, ZTE’s Texas-based general counsel, gave to the FBI an affidavit alleging the company plotted to cover up sales to Iran. ZTE then placed Yablon on administrative leave, according to his attorney, Tom Mills.
     Huawei China-based telecom company with military ties has two employees on the manifest list, but declined identifying them. Not surprising considering its past spying for Chinese military, according to US officials. Huawei had to ”exit the U.S. market” last year after Congress’s House Intelligence Committee accused it of spying in the U.S. for China’s military. Based in Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province, Huawei is the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker, employing 140,000 people world-wide. It’s a chief competitor to US-based firms like Cisco Systems, that’s seen Huawei eat into its market share, especially in developing markets.  The committee investigated Huawei in 2012 due to: 1) it potentially including surveillance back doors in telecommunications equipment sold to the U.S. and 2) its CEO Ren Zhengfei having been a military technologist for the People’s Liberation Army, the military of the Communist Party of China (CPC).  
     At the same time, the committee investigated ZTE, noting “companies around the United States” had experienced “odd or alerting incidents using Huawei or ZTE equipment.” The report alluded to classified intelligence even more damning. “This highlights a broader mistrust that China-based tech companies are connected with Chinese intelligence,” reported US News last year. “ Internet companies based in the U.S. may soon face a similar chilly reception in foreign markets following reports of the National Security Agency accessing data from American digital networks.” (Emphasis added) 
     After the investigation, committee Chair Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., cautioned U.S. companies that “installing Huawei equipment on telecom networks is a potential risk to national security.” (US News) Australia and the U.K. invoked national security to impose limits on deals carriers in their countries could make to purchase Huawei telecommunications equipment. National security risk concerns might extend to other China-based information technology companies wanting to enter American markets, according to Stewart Baker, former general counsel for the NSA and former assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security. 
     Freescale Semiconductor, a major U.S. defense contractor based in Austin, has 20 employees on the passenger manifest, 12 Malaysian and 8 Chinese. 
      International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), a major U.S. defense contractor, has a passenger on the manifest list, an executive, Philip Wood, 50. He’d been working in Beijing, was about to start a new assignment in Kuala Lumpur, and visited his family in the U.S. the week before the missing plane operation. His family says it’s been communicating with the State Department and the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but only knows about as much as everyone following the story.
 Read more > http://tinyurl.com/klp2qxu

How indoctrinated are your beliefs?



Monday, November 30, 2015

My most sincere thank you.

As Nicaragua will soon become a fading memory, life moves on. I'm going to drop what I'm doing and say thank you to Ms. Rosalie Alejo as Systems Nicaragua's Cambodian Liaison & Department Manager.                                                           

You are truly appreciated.
Niko J.

                        

An introduction to PLC's




What's involved?  
For those new to the world of PLCs, getting a handle on what they are, what they do and how they do it can be somewhat intimidating at first. The same could also be said of computers, and of course that's exactly what a PLC is. Well almost!
In fact, there's a bit more to the average PLC than just a computer. There's no doubt that a computer is the heart of the beast, but then there's also all those interface modules (I/O) that allow the beast's computer to monitor and/or manipulate endless types of electrical devices and equipment. Then to make matters even more interesting, most PLCs aren't exactly programmed like other computers. PLCs were designed from the onset to be installed, wired, commissioned and maintained by electrical personnel rather than your average computer science grad. As a direct result of this electrical influence, the PLC programming language of choice evolved to become "Ladder Logic", a programming language that looks more like a wiring diagram than the structured lists of computer directives that are normally associated with languages such as C++ or Visual Basic.
So what does this all mean? Well basically what we end up with is really three significant areas of study when it comes to PLCs: (1) Computers, (2) I/O (interface) and (3) Programming. You don't have to be an expert in all three to work with PLCs, but you must have an understanding of all 3 before you can claim that you know how PLCs work.

Assess Your Needs! 
Obviously only you can assess how much you already know and which method works best for you when learning new concepts. Many people need the contact and structure associated with a formal classroom environment while others can do quite well with a book and a little hands on to ingrain their new knowledge. Be practical, and most importantly be honest with yourself. How badly do you want to learn PLCs? How much effort, time and money are you willing or can afford to expend? Ask around, snoop around, shop around, and then make a plan and stick to it.

Formal PLC Courses 
For many this is the only way to go and for most it's the best and quickest Method of learning the fundamentals PLCs. Course's are available in many formats, varied lengths and from many sources. Almost all have value, but the best are typically those which provide a 30 to 60 hour combination of instruction and Hands-on labs. Major PLC manufacturers, offer such programs, usually as single week Full time offerings; typically to small groups and often charge $1200US plus but this usually includes lunches and a full set of manuals. Many colleges and training Companies have directly copied the curriculum of these courses and offer these Knock-off programs to both day and night school students. Prices can get down to The $200-$300US range thanks to your taxes, but may often mean larger classes, poorer equipment sometimes, and definitely no free lunches.
If you're lucky and do a little shopping around you may be able to locate a high quality PLC course, taught at a relaxed pace and utilizing the latest in equipment at a bargain price right in your hometown. If you have a particular manufacturer of PLC in mind then this will of course effect your choice, but otherwise settle for any of the "Majors" and make sure you go for the Level I program. If you skip to an advanced level you will miss all the computer and hardware aspects which are so crucial to the understanding of PLCs.

Approaching PLC Training on Your Own! 
Whether a PLC course is out of the question; you require a little more help with the theory, or you're just in need of more hands-on practice than is available in the course you're taking; then you have a couple of points to consider. There are two major learning components associated with any PLC training program, and from a training point of view they dictate the use of different skill sets and student activities.
First, there is the requirement to learn about the components of PLC systems, why the various components are there and how they work. This is the theory aspect of PLC training and is normally presented in a lecture format in the classroom. This material is best re-enforced with online or CD based tutorials, printed handouts, and/or a good PLC textbook.
Secondly, there is the hands-on aspect of the training. This is where the student is required to create, enter and debug PLC programs using their newly acquired knowledge of the PLC and it's programming instructions. In the past this aspect of the training always made use of actual PLCs which where wired to an assortment of switches, lights and displays and then programmed by the student via a programming terminal or a desktop computer running the PLC manufactures programming software. We couldn't achieve the realism of being wired to an actual industrial process such as a conveyor, but with a little imagination we made do. Today it is now much more common to use software graphics to simulate the controlled equipment and lately a number of packages can now also simulate the PLC as well.

Professor Bill's Recommended Course of Action: 
I may well be biased with these suggestions and of course I reserve the right to change my mind in the future, but here goes!
  • Take a formal PLC course if possible. Unless you have access to actual PLCs at work you're going to be at a disadvantage trying to digest all the hardware details from just a book. For many there's nothing like having the physical product in front of them to re-enforce the details.
     
  • Purchase a good PLC textbook such as:

    Each of these books is a good dollar value, and you essentially get what you pay for. There are certainly other good ones to be found, and almost any text is better than having none at all.
     
  • Consider the Purchase of a CD based Tutorial Package. This is a bit more expensive than a book, but for many the interactivity of a good computer based training package (CBT) helps to keep one's attention focused. Take a look at The PLCTrainer which is available from Koldwater Technologies for just under $160, but this price also includes a copy of the CD/Key Edition of LogixPro..
     
  • Carefully work through the hardware and operations sections of the book or CD you have purchased and complete each of the end of chapter exercises. If you take your time and are thorough, you should end up with a pretty good grasp of the fundamentals of PLC operations, hardware and wiring upon completion of this task.
     
  • While reading the above chapters, go to both The PLC Tutor and the Siemens PLC sites and work through the appropriate tutorials they have available. If you don't have a computer with Internet access at home, then by all means this is the time to get one!
     
  • Once you get to the programming aspect of your book, download our LogixPro and/or PSIM program(s) and print out the documentation and student exercises. Proceed with the student exercises in the order in which they are listed. When you start an exercise, reference the appropriate chapter in your textbook and read it thoroughly.
     
  • For documentation of RSLogix commands and instructions supported by LogixPro. Refer to the Programming Command Guide site for examples and details.
     
  • While you are working on this course of action be sure to take time to investigate the PLC and Automation sites I have listed on my Links page, visit the Q&A boards at PLCs.netand/or MrPLC.com often and don't hesitate to ask a question while you're there. There are some really top-notch people who regularly drop by and they are more than willing to help others out.

  • What can you expect in the End? 
    Based on teaching PLCs for 15 years, there is one thing that I can guarantee that you will find out about PLCs and particularly Ladder Logic programming. The simple programs and instructions you start your training with are by far the hardest to grasp and clearly understand. As you advance you will be amazed at how much easier it all seems to get, It's just the nature of the Ladder Logic beast! So take heart, take it slow and don't skip to those advanced instructions until you know the relay logic ones off by heart. Yes they really are That Important!
    If you fully accomplish all that I have set out for you above, you should now have an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of PLCs. That doesn't mean you are ready for a job as a lead programmer or that there isn't a lot more to learn. It does mean however, that you've gotten through the worst and you've proven that you're up to the challenge, and prepared to move on.


    PLC Simulators from TheLearningPit Professor Bill

    http://thelearningpit.com/plc/plcs.html

Solar Powered Homes





Solar Heated Homes



When Terry McIlveen built his home in Maine in 1997, he made the unusual choice to install radiant floor heating. “People thought I was nuts,” he says. However, since that time, radiant floor heat has become increasingly popular, and it’s easy to understand why. This type of heating system works by pumping hot water — or water and propylene glycol (antifreeze) — through a system of tubing in the floor. That means houses using this heating system get warmer from the floor up. In the winter, there are no cold floors underfoot — instead the floor is the warmest part of the home.
McIlveen soon discovered an additional benefit — radiant floor heat is a great match with solar hot water. If you already heat your home with hot water, it’s just one more step to heat that water with solar energy. In the spring of 2010, McIlveen hired ReVision Energy, a southern Maine solar company, to install rooftop solar collectors to help heat his home and produce his domestic hot water, thereby cutting his fuel oil consumption by up to 25 percent each year.
The system cost $20,000, so McIlveen chose to finance it through a loan. His exact savings on fuel each year will depend on how much he has to run the heater in the winter, as well as the ever-changing price of fuel oil — but he knows that if he saves just two fuel tanks a year, he can cover his loan payments.


Why?





Sunday, November 29, 2015

The future is upon us.


A motorshow wouldn't be quite the same without a flurry of concept cars. Although such vehicles are rarely made available for purchase, they serve many purposes; not least to generate excitement about a brand, convince the market that a company is still capable of innovation, or to work as design studies for future road cars.

See more >

 High Tech Planes








Future Homes




















Tech rules!




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That's a portion of what Systems Nica does. Flood the market.


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