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9 Rare and Uncommon Dollar Bills
For serious collectors, there are a few rare and uncommon dollar bills you need to be on the lookout for. Most of you have seen a 2 dollar bill in the wild, but have you spotted a 1000 dollar bill or even a 100,000 dollar bill?
Did you even know these bills existed? Let's look at nine rare and uncommon dollar bills, so you'll be ready to add one to your collection.
The 2 Dollar Bill
The 2 dollar bill is the black sheep of the monetary family. Like dollar coins and half-dollars, Americans seem to ignore the fact that 2 dollar bills exist.
Dollar coins and half-dollars at least work in most vending machines, but finding a vending machine that accepts a 2 dollar note is virtually unheard of.
Because Americans universally prefer 1 and 5 dollar bills, 2s are rarely seen in circulation, and when they are, it can cause problems for the spender.
Common Misconceptions of the 2 Dollar Bill
When encountering a 2 dollar bill, many people will usually have one of two thoughts:
It must be more valuable than 2 dollars
It's fake
Two instances of people being detained after trying to use 2 dollar bills include a 13-year-old girl buying her lunch at school and a dad attempting to pay for his son's car stereo installation.
In both cases, the money holders were suspected of trying to pass off counterfeit cash.
The 2 Dollar Bill is Real, Folks
This idea that 2 dollar bills are rare or even nonexistent is a common misconception. But we assure you 2 dollar bills are quite real, and they can be worth more than face value.
There's an informative book on the 2 dollar bill by John Bennardo called 2 Dollar Bills: America's Forgotten Currency, which is worth a read for those interested in the 2 and why it has fallen out of favor even though it's still in circulation.
The Beginnings of the 2 Dollar Bill
The first 2 dollar bills were printed in 1862 as large-sized Legal Tender Notes and measured 7 3/8″ x 3 1/8″. The National Bank Note Company printed the bills instead of the Federal Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
The 2 dollar bills originally had Alexander Hamilton's portrait on the front instead of Thomas Jefferson's. On the back were intricate scroll patterns and large 2's in the corners.
Legal Tender for All Debts Public and Private
This statement appeared in the center on the back: "This note is a LEGAL TENDER for all debts public and private except duties on imports and interest on the public debt and is receivable in payment of all LOANS made to the United States."
Because laborers made little money at the time, perhaps a dollar a day, 2 dollar bills were comparatively valuable.
At that point in history, inflation actually helped the 2-dollar bill become more widespread, as it slowly became a reasonable daily wage for a worker.
It was also the same time period as the gold certificate. From 1863 to 1933, each gold certificate was a title to the actual gold in the amount shown on the paper currency.
Changing 2 Dollar Bill
In 1875, the 2 dollar bill took on the Lazy Deuce design with a giant 2 on the front in the top right corner. In 1896, the 2 was an "educational series" as a silver certificate.
This series is considered the most beautiful money ever printed by the federal government.
For the 2, the back featured portraits of Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat, and Samuel Morse, who created the Morse Code. The design on the front depicted the personification of Science presenting Steam and Electricity to Commerce and Manufacture.
Most Valuable $2 Silver Certificate
Two-dollar silver certificates can be worth over $1,000. More common 2-dollar silver certificates are valued from $50 to $100. They were only printed in four years, 1886, 1891, 1896, and 1899.
The most common silver certificate is the George Washington "Mini Porthole," printed in 1899.
The 2 Dollar Bill in the 20th Century
Even though the 2 dollar bill had been in continuous production since the Civil War, after the turn of the century, it started to fall out of favor with the public in the early part of the 1900s.
Casinos thought they were bad luck, race tracks wouldn't accept them for wagers, and inflation was making them increasingly irrelevant.
Despite these issues, the 2 would persist. A new design appeared in 1928 on the smaller-size United States note measuring 6.14″ x 2.6″.
Updated with Thomas Jefferson
The updated version featured a portrait of Thomas Jefferson in the center of the front and a red seal that started on the left side of the note but moved to the right side in 1953.
A depiction of Jefferson's Monticello home occupied the reverse side of the bill.
Unfortunately for the 2, by this point, it had acquired a reputation as the denomination of choice for political bribes. It also saw much use for gambling at the race track, since the minimum standard bet was two dollars.
But most Americans preferred the simplicity of dividing by five when making change and preferred five 1 dollar bills or one 5 dollar bill to dealing with a 2. Even half dollars made more sense than 2 dollar bills.
When Did They Stop Making 2 Dollar Bills?
By 1966, the U.S. Treasury Department had stopped producing the 2 dollar bill. It didn't reemerge until 1975 for the Bicentennial series in 1976.
When the 2 was reissued, the seal had changed to green to indicate that they were now Federal Reserve Notes instead of Legal Tender Notes.
While the front was largely the same as in 1966, the reverse featured an ornate depiction of John Trumbull's famous painting of the signing of The Declaration of Independence. This version of the bill is still in circulation today.
The 2 Dollar Bill: Current Status
Federal Reserve Banks have 1.4 billion 2 dollar bills in circulation at the end of 2020. How can they be so rare that most cash registers don't even have a slot for 2s? Several factors are at play.
First of all, other denominations of paper money are far more common. The 100 dollar bill, for example, had 16.4 billion notes in circulation as of 2020.
The Bicentennial Bills
Another problem is that when the 2 dollar bill was reissued in the 1970s, much like the quarters minted for the bicentennial celebration in 1776–1976, people hoarded them, believing they would become a collector's item and increase in value.
Even though over a half a billion 2 dollar bicentennial bills were created, it's lower production than other paper money. The result was relatively less 2 dollar bills would circulate.
A Brief History of the 2 Dollar Bill
How Much Are 2 Dollar Bills Worth?
Values are all over the place with 2 dollar bills, depending on their year and condition. One thing you can count on, though, is the earlier the 2, the more of a valuable collector's item it is.
Well-circulated 2 dollar bills from 1862–1918 are usually worth around $100, while uncirculated examples can be worth anywhere from $500 to thousands of dollars.
These larger-size bills are rare, however, and collectors must watch out for counterfeiters. Bills that are said to be old but also appear very worn could be fakes.
1928 2 Dollar Bill
Next, we arrive at the smaller, more modern 2 dollar bills. For series 1928–1952, you can expect about $60 for a circulated example and up to $100 for a crisp, uncirculated one.
For 1953–1962 examples, a circulated note should be worth about $10, and an uncirculated one worth up to $25. Circulated notes from 1963 are worth about $9, and uncirculated ones are worth $20.
For the 1976 and later bills, the value will depend on several factors, but in general, circulated examples are worth face value and uncirculated examples can be worth anywhere from $5 to $10.
These are by far the most common, and the values are the same for series 1976, 1995, 2003, 2003A, 2009, and 2013.
Star Notes
There's one caveat to 2 dollar bill values: star notes. Star replacement notes were banknotes that experienced some kind of production error. Since serial numbers cannot be legally duplicated, these replacement notes get a little star next to the serial number.
Uncirculated examples from 1976 and later star notes can be worth over $100, while circulated examples might fetch $10.
Since the star note system began in 1910, there are 2 dollar paper bills that were produced back then that can also be star notes.
These are even rarer and more valuable because of combinations of specific signatures, including bills printed during the short time when Treasurer of the United States W.O. Woods and Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills were in office together.
A 1928-B star note with their signatures can be worth thousands, and up to tens of thousands, of dollars.
Uncirculated Star Notes
Because these notes are so scarce the value of one in uncirculated condition would be whatever it could fetch at auction.
Any star note from the 1928 series of 2 dollar bills is a valuable and rare find, and even the least valuable, a 1928-G star note in circulated condition, is worth at least $80.
For the left side red seal 1953 star notes, you might get $18 on the low side for a circulated 1953-C and nearly $100 for an uncirculated 1953 or 1953-C.
The 1963-A star notes with the red seal on the left side can also be worth nearly $100 in uncirculated condition, and circulated 1963 and 1963-A star notes are generally worth about $12.
If you're looking for a 2 dollar bill that's even rarer than a standard 2, later star notes are an excellent place to start.
Too Interesting to Ignore
The 2 dollar bill has a complicated history with the American public. Collectors and numismatists seem to have the most appreciation for this odd duck of a paper bill.
Spending a 2 dollar bill can lead to conversations, confusion, or even land the spender in trouble.
Many people think that 2 dollar bills aren't worth dealing with, which means they usually end up in a secret stash or in the hands of collectors.
If you get your hands on some 2 dollar bills, you may want to look through them to find any particularly valuable examples, then decide if you wish to hide the rest away or trade them in at your local bank for more readily spendable cash.
The 500 Dollar Bill
The 500 dollar bill featured the 25th president of the United States, William McKinley. Most $500 bills are in the hands of collectors rather than the general public nowadays.
The printing officially stopped in 1945, then formally discontinued by the Federal Reserve Bank in 1969.
Although collectors scramble for the 500 dollar bill, and most people have never seen one in circulation, they remain legal tender.
If you find one in the wild, hang onto it. Even a 500 dollar bill in fair condition is worth 30% – 40% more than the face value.
History of the 500 Dollar Bill
The 500 dollar bill began during the Civil War when the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to issue the first one in 1862.
The bill featured the Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin. Another version of the 500 dollar bill followed with the face of William McKinley.
The most common 500 dollar bill was the 1934 Federal Reserve Note with William McKinley on the front. 900,000 bills from 1934 were printed, but only 75,000 are still in circulation today.
Also included on the bill were John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, DeWitt Clinton, William Learned Marcy, and Alexander Hamilton. At one point, there was a scene of Hernando de Soto discovering the Mississippi River.
How Much is a 500 Dollar Bill Worth?
A 500 dollar bill in good condition can be worth $600 – $1,500. Gold certificate $500 notes are valued in the thousands or tens of thousands.
Another desirable and rare bill was the 1928 500 dollar bill with a star symbol at the end of the serial numbers. 1928 bills in good condition with the star can be valued at over $10,000.
A popular year for the star note was 1934, and finding these notes is not difficult. Values for the 1934 star note are based mostly on condition alone.
The gold certificates from 1928 are also extremely valuable. It was the last year the Federal Reserve System issued gold certificates. There's an 1882 version of a $500 gold certificate note from 1882. Rare bills of this kind in fine condition are valued in the hundreds of thousands.
The 1000 Dollar Bill
You might have seen a 100, and even a 500 dollar bill in the wild, but chances are, you've never seen a 1000 dollar bill.
There was a time when the 1,000 dollar bill was legal currency. First issued when the U.S. was still 13 colonies, the 1000 bill helped fund the Revolutionary War.
Issued from 1775 to 1779, the Continental Congress printed huge amounts of the high-denomination bills but didn't back them with gold or silver.
It wasn't long before the 1000-dollar bill was worth much less than face value.
Alexander Hamilton on the 1,000 dollar bill
Who's On the Thousand-Dollar Bill?
But the U.S. Government would call on the $1,000 again nearly 100 years later when Civil War broke out. President Andrew Jackson was featured on the bill.
Not only did the US print the 1,000, but the Confederacy decided to also issue their own 1000 dollar bill.
The bills were reissued in 1918, featuring founding father President Alexander Hamilton, and in 1934, featuring U.S. President Grover Cleveland. Three gold certificate bills were also printed, reflecting the Federal Reserves' gold standard, which was ended in 1933.
After the Civil War, the 1,000 dollar bill was mainly used for large transactions, such as real estate deals or transfers between banks.
Grover Cleveland on the 1,000 dollar bill
President Richard Nixon ordered the 1,000 dollar bill eliminated in 1969, with the theory that criminals used the bills for illegal activity and money laundering.
The reverse of the 1000 dollar bill included a bald eagle clutching an American flag on the 1918 issue. While the 1928 and 1934 bills featured the printed words "The United States of America."
Cost-cutting measures and lack of use by the general public forced the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to end the 1,000 dollar bill in 1945. By 1969, the Federal Reserve Bank recalled all high-denomination bills.
1000 Dollar Bill Values
1918 $1000 Bill – Worth $10,000 in good condition and can exceed $100,000 in excellent condition.
1907 $1000 Gold Certificates and 1922 $1000 Gold Certificates – Values are between $15,000 and $35,000, but may exceed $100,000 depending on condition.
1928 $1000 Gold Certificate Bill – Circulated bills are valued between $3,000 and $5,000. Bills in uncirculated condition and bills with low serial numbers can be valued at over $10,000.
1928 $1000 Federal Reserve Note – Good condition 1000 dollar bills from 1928 are worth between $3,000 and $10,000.
1934 $1000 Federal Reserve Note – Circulated note values are $2,000 – $4,000. While the star note is slightly more than that. Notes including a lime green seal are even more rare and valuable.
Most Expensive 1000 Dollar Note
An extremely rare 1890 series treasury note called "The Grand Watermelon" sold at auction for $3.3 million.
The Grand Watermelon is the most valuable 1000 dollar bill
5000 Dollar Bill
Are you a collector running out of ideas for your next rare item? I have an idea for you. The 5,000 dollar bill.
Once used for large bank transfers and real estate transactions, the 5000 dollar bill is one of the rarest paper currencies in history.
Because there are only a few hundred 5000 dollar bills still around, even in poor condition, it will be worth at least $30,000.
Because the 5000 dollar bill was not used heavily, most are in fair condition or better. A note in uncirculated condition can sell for over $100,000.
Auctions sometimes feature $5,000 bills, and they are mostly from the 1928 and 1934 series. In fact, only ten 1928 5,000 dollar bills are known to exist.
The 1934 series is somewhat more common than the 1928 series. Auction sales for 5000 dollar bills in very fine condition can range around $75,000. And uncirculated condition notes will sell for more than $160,000.
Read more about uncommon and rare collectible items –
Vintage and Old Marbles Worth Money
Vintage Tonka Trucks Turn Back the Clock
10,000 Dollar Bill
President Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury appeared on the 10,000 dollar bill. And for those unfamiliar with the Treasury Secretary from those days, he was Salmon P. Chase.
The 10000 dollar bill was the highest US currency denomination to circulate publicly. Today, there are only 350 $10,000 bills in circulation, belonging to either wealthy collectors or displayed at museums.
Again, much like the 1000 and the 5000 dollar bills, 10,000 dollar bills were mostly used for transactions between banks.
Among the rarest of the 10,000 dollar bills are the 1928 series. Only eight are known in existence. Two are in museums, and the others are dispersed among lucky collectors.
Values for the 10000 dollar bill range from $30,000 to almost $400,000. A 1934 U.S. banknote 10,000 dollar bill was sold at a Heritage Auction recently for $385,000.
100,000 Dollar Bill
The 100,000 dollar bill was never intended for public circulation. Featuring Woodrow Wilson on the front, the 100,000 dollar note was a gold certificate from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing created during the Great Depression in 1934.
The purpose of the 100,000 dollar bill was for transactions between Federal Reserve banks.
Printing lasted only about one year and was issued by the Treasurer of the U.S. to be held against gold bullion at the Department of the Treasury.
When wire transfers were invented in the 1960s, there was no need for such large paper currencies, and 42,000 examples were destroyed by the government.
Not only was the 100,000 dollar bill never intended for public circulation, but every one of the surviving bills is accounted for and in possession of the U.S. Government.
It's illegal to privately own a 100,000 dollar bill. If you're a collector, you cannot legally own a $100,000.
If you want a glimpse of an actual 100,000 dollar bill, an uncut sheet of 12 bills is displayed at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Smithsonian Institution, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
More Rare Dollar Bills
One of my favorite rare dollar bills is the binary dollar bill. With a one in 8,800 chance of finding one, they are not the rarest bills in the world, but they are still exciting.
The binary dollar bill features only the serial numbers one and zero. Collectors go wild for the binary bill, with values based on the pattern of the digits.
The Ladder Dollar Bill
One of the rarest dollar bills of all time is the Ladder. Only one is 95 million bills include a ladder, where the serial numbers follow the standard numerical pattern in order from one to eight. (12345678)
The Ladder Dollar Bill, with the serial numbers in numerical order, 1 thru 8.
Collectors also consider variations of the ladder patterns valuable, such as backward numerical order, or a few zeros in front of the ladder.
Read more about amazing rare coins and bills –
The Hunt for Half Dollar Coins
1976 2 Dollar Bill Value and History
1965 Quarter Values for Collectors
Top 7 Best Places to Sell Coins Online
1889 Silver Dollar Value, The Story Behind the Morgan
1922 Silver Dollar Value, The Peace Coin
A Guide to Rare Buffalo Nickels (Updated 2023)


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Book Lyst
GALLANT HEARTS
Looking for a series with some impact? Then look no further than the Gallant Hearts!
Jousting, Romance, & Modern Day Knights in Shining Armor
WELL ARMORED HEARTS
How do you navigate the path between responsibility, love and your wildest dreams? Josephine Bowen is at a crossroads in her life, graduating college and looking forward to her future. But when an unexpected opportunity falls in her lap, Jo veers away from the sensible road she has always walked for a once in a lifetime adventure. Learning to joust like the knights she has admired since childhood proves a test of her mettle in ways she never imagines, facing opponents on and off the field. She finds an adversary in herself and others, as well as an unexpected friendship. Add in a horse who desperately needs her love and understanding, and Jo has a struggle on her hands that quickly accelerates to adrenaline spiking proportions. Yet, when your destination is knighthood, that is all part of the journey.
HARD CHARGING HEARTS
Josephine Bowen is a strong willed woman with a sword sharp wit, stainless loyalty, and a priceless heart. After enduring a host of physical and emotional challenges in order to become a modern day jouster, she's finally earned her knighthood. Now, it's time to go on the road with the Gallant Company to earn her keep. She faces both bodily injury and the doubts of outsiders as her jousting skills are tested and honed. Strengthening her relationship with both her horse and her best friend (who is perhaps something more) proves riddled with challenges and tears. Yet, no matter the trials before her, she continues to surprise, because if jousting has taught her anything it's that some things are worth the risk.
FAST FALLING HEARTS
Josephine Bowen and Bartholomew Clark have been trading blows to each other's hearts since the very first moment they met. Through it all, an intense friendship and their mutual love of horses have just drawn them closer together.
Now, they've got one last big jousting show to put on, in front of the largest audience Jo's ever experienced, and it's time for Rowan to take his place in the Gallant Company of Knights as a real war horse.
Shadows will be cast on the truest hearts Jo has ever known. There will be fights and falls before all is said and done. Family and friends will both help and hinder. But in the end, love and gravity can only be resisted for so long.
Special On Fire edition available through the author!
of HEARTS
Come along for the ride in book four of the Gallant Hearts series, the conclusion of Josephine Bowen and Bartholomew Clark's tale of chasing dreams and finding love. It's also the beginning for their brother and Captain, Aaron Drew.
Love has been declared, intentions have been stated, but our heroes still have quite the journey ahead of them! Gallant Company has preparations to make before they can travel across the country for an international jousting tournament. Bart has rust to knock off before he's ready to hit the lysts in earnest, facing down each member of the Company to prepare for the coming competition. Including his beloved. Jo must charm the eccentric metalsmith tasked with creating her armor, and help Bart face down his worries, even as she builds on her own strengths as a jouster.
Excitement awaits them in California, their love intensifying with every trial they face. They have so much to learn, about each other, and their horses. Family, friends old and new, and an all too familiar adversary from the past mean that the jousting counts among the simplest of their challenges. Even their stalwart Captain feels the strain, proving that no one goes untouched in this Tournament of Hearts.
HAZARDING
No one would ever question the noble heart of Sir Aaron Drew, Captain of the Gallant Company of Knights. He has given everything to see his jousting troupe succeed, focusing on the storms buffeting him for so long, he's lost sight of anything else. After all, he grew up learning to set aside his own wants for the sake of family. Within the brotherhood of Gallant Company, he can do no less. In the process, he's lost sight of his own heart, but the time has come to open his eyes again.
Like a soaking rain after a long drought, Jaqueline Sauveterre rolls in, washing Aaron's vision clean. She has her own goals as a competitive carriage driver, is as ambitious as Aaron himself has ever been. Jaque's softness and passion for her own horse is a timely reminder of who he once wished to be, even as she struggles with her own demons. It doesn't take long before he starts to fall for her, in a way far more terrifying than coming off his jousting horse at a high rate of speed.
Putting your heart to the hazard is no easy thing. Bones and bruises mend more easily than broken hearts. But if you take the chance and risk it all, you might come through stronger than you've ever been before.
At least nine books are planned for this series, so stay tuned!
Book no.1
© 2016 by J.D. Harrison

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'Afterlife Academy' by Jaimie Admans Release Day Party!
We're celebrating the release day for YA Paranormal novel 'Afterlife Academy' today. Come join us to read an excerpt from this hilarious YA novel by author Jaimie Admans. Purchase your copy of 'Afterlife Academy' here: Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
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Book Blurb:
Even being dead isn't enough to get you out of maths class.
Dying wasn't on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson's to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she's stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she's stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.
In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn't really that bad after all…
Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood.
"You remember," Anthony says, his voice snapping me out of my reverie.
"We killed you."
"That is… quite possible," he says after a pause.
I don't know what to say to that. "I'm sorry," I mumble eventually, even though that doesn't even begin to cover it. "It was an accident."
He shrugs. "You told him to slow down. I heard you. It's not your fault."
"Wade didn't mean to hurt you. I know he can be a bit cruel sometimes but he didn't mean to get physical."
"I think we're a little past physical by now, don't you, Riley?"
I pause for a while and look around. "How did we get here?" I ask, feeling more than a little sick. Shouldn't we be in hospital or something? Perhaps a morgue, in Anthony's case?
It's a dream. It has to be a dream. I must have fallen asleep during history class again. Any minute now I'll wake up and it will be time to sneak out the back and meet Wade for a drive.
It will. I swear it will.
"I know it's a stupid question," Anthony says. "But where do you think all the houses went? And the cars? And the shop?"
"I don't know," I say. "I think this is some kind of freakish dream. Maybe an experiment in one of your beloved science classes. But we're going to wake up any minute and everything will be fine."
"This is a frigging nightmare," he says. "If it was a dream I wouldn't be stuck here with you."
"Well, thank you," I mutter. "I can think of more interesting people to be with than you too."
"Yeah well, why don't you and Sophie steal my glasses during maths again? That was a fun afternoon."
I blush at the memory. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realise the teacher would write to your gran. You could've just grassed us up, you know."
"Oh yeah, because you wouldn't have had your minions backing you up. You wouldn't have had ten girls willing to do anything to be part of your gang. No one would have hidden my glasses to get you off the hook and me into even more trouble."
"I am sorry," I say.
"Whatev… Hey, has that always been there?"
He points to a sign on the grass a few feet in front of us.
"Yeah," I glance towards it. "It's just the name of the school so people don't—"
Welcome to Afterlife Academy. A prefect will be along shortly.
I stare at it. Then I look at Anthony and then I look back at the sign.
"It's never said that before… has it?"
"What the hell is Afterlife Academy?" he says. "That isn't our school."
I think about that for a minute.
"Well, it's kind of grey," I say. "Our school doesn't look like this."
"It's the mist," Anthony says. "It's not really that grey. It's just the mist playing tricks with the light."
I nod but I don't really believe him. Mist doesn't make red bricks grey. It doesn't make every surrounding object grey. It just makes things misty.
"Maybe someone will be along in a minute. We should wait, like the sign says."
Anthony looks up at the sky.
You can see that it's still daytime through the fog.
"So where is everyone? This place should be swarming with students. Maybe we should go inside."
"The gate's locked."
"We could climb it."
"Hang on a minute," I tell him. "Firstly, this skirt was not made for climbing. And secondly, the gate is locked and we are on the outside of it. Maybe there's a reason for that."
"And that reason would be?"
I shrug. "Maybe there was an explosion in chemistry class. Maybe something went wrong. Somehow we got out. And we should stay out."
"Don't you think we would remember an explosion in chemistry class?"
"Well, you would," I snap. "Given the amount of notes you take."
"Notes help you study," he responds.
"There are more important things in life than studying."
"Like joyriding with your boyfriend?"
"It was not… Hey, have you seen Wade anywhere?"
"You mean since he hit me with his car? No."
"How weird is that? We were together. We were together like ten minutes ago. And now he's disappeared."
"Riley, everything has disappeared. Look at this street. Where are we? We're in the driveway of our school, but we're on a different street. This is too weird."
"So there's been some kind of noxious gas leak. Some other kind of natural disaster that somehow we've escaped from."
"What's the last thing you remember?" He stares at me intently. "The very last thing?"
I think for a moment.
"You," I tell him. "Your body. On the windscreen. And a lot of blood. And then we hit something. I couldn't see anything because there was so much blood, but there was a huge crash and—"
"And now we're in a place called Afterlife Academy. What does that say to you?"
"Are you kidding me? You think we're dead? You think we're ghosts or something?"
He shrugs.
"You really are a nutjob. I mean, I always thought you were a nutjob, but in an I-enjoy-maths kind of way. Not in an I-am-actually-a-complete-nutjob kind of way."
He doesn't respond.
"So, where's Wade?" I ask. "He was in the accident too and he's not here."
"I don't know, okay, Riley?" Anthony suddenly snaps at me. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is pain. A lot of pain. And being flung across the bonnet of your car. And now I'm standing outside my school, except everything is wrong about it, and I'm with the biggest bitch in my year."
"I am not a bitch," I snarl at him.
"You are to me," he says simply. "Somewhere inside you must be nice because so many people like you. But I've never seen anything other than a complete bitch."
"That is so unfair," I say. "Okay, we tease you sometimes. But you have to admit you're an easy target."
"Why does anyone need to be a target? Why do you need to put someone else down to make yourself feel better?"
"Hey, I resent that. I do not—"
"Could you two shut the hell up for one bloody minute?"
We both jump out of our skins and spin in the direction of the voice.
There is a boy about our age standing inside the gate watching us. When the hell did he get there? I look over at Anthony and he looks as shocked as I am. Neither of us saw him approach.
"Who are you?" I ask.
I don't recognise him. I know pretty much everyone in this school, and I've never seen him before. He's weird-looking enough that I'd remember him. He's young, but his hair is slicked back like something out of the 1940s. And he's almost completely grey. His skin is grey. His clothes are grey and seriously old-fashioned. His hair is a dark, ashy colour. Everything about him is grey.
Everything about this whole place is grey.
"Riley Richardson and Anthony Marsden?" the strange boy asks.
"Who are you?" I ask him again.
"Please report to the principal's office immediately."
And with that he is gone.
Literally gone.
Not walked away. Just vanished. Into thin air.
But now the gates are open.
"Okay," I stutter, looking at Anthony. "Did you just see that? Please tell me you just saw that."
"I saw it," he says. "You still think I'm a nutjob?"
"Always," I tell him. "But we can't be dead. We can't be. I'm sixteen. I can't die at sixteen."
"People can die at any age, Riley," he says. "If you paid more attention in class you would know that."
"Do not lecture me," I growl. "I pay plenty of attention in class. My grades are very good, I'll have you know. Not that my grades have anything to do with you anyway."
"I don't see how," he says. "All you do is gossip or text on the phone you're not supposed to have or torment people who are actually listening. Or—"
"My phone!" I interrupt. "My bag! My stuff! Where is everything? I had a bag with me just now. It was in the back of the car."
"Mine's gone too," Anthony says.
"Great. Not only has there been some kind of freakish gas leak but we've been mugged as well."
"I don't think this is a gas leak," he says. "And I don't think we've been mugged."
"No, you think we're both bloody dead. That's a much more viable option."
"Look," he says, "I'm not ruling anything out. I'm just saying that the last thing either of us remembers is a car accident. And now we're back at school, but everything looks wrong and a very strange guy just vanished into thin air right in front of us."
"Who was that guy?" I ask.
"How am I supposed to know that?"
"The sign says a prefect will be here. Maybe he was a prefect."
"Weird-looking prefect. Not that everything isn't looking a bit strange at the moment," I mutter.
"Yeah, well, maybe we should do what he said."
"We should report to the principal's office?"
He shrugs. "He told us to. And he knew our names."
"You know, this is reminding me of that movie where the guy wakes up from a coma and the whole world has been infested with zombies."
"I could be wrong, but I don't think there's been a zombie outbreak," he says.
"So where is everyone? And everything?"
"Look, let's just go and see the principal. If anyone can explain what's going on, it will be him."
"Yeah? Because I vote that we run away."
"To where, Riley? Look at this street. It's the right street but it's wrong. There should be a roundabout and a railway bridge just up there, but there's nothing but fog. Where do you think we're going to get to?"
"I don't know," I admit. "But we should do something."
"That guy didn't ask us our names. He already knew them. What does that tell you?"
"This is a really creepy situation and we should get the hell out of here?"
"It tells me that they were expecting us. It tells me that the principal is waiting for us."
"Yeah, to eat us. Because he's a zombie."
Anthony rolls his eyes but his lips twitch up into a smile.
"We don't even know where the principal's office is," I counter.
"This is our school. The principal's office is in the same place it always is."
"So why is it called—" I read the sign on the grass and grab Anthony's arm. "Do you see that?" I ask him.
"Welcome to Afterlife Academy," he reads. "Please report to the principal's office immediately."
"Okay, now that's just plain weird. That sign used to say that a prefect would come along, and now it says something different. When on earth did they have time to paint the sign without us noticing?"
"I don't think they did," he says slowly.
"So what, it's a magic sign now?"
"For God's sake, Riley. The sign said that a prefect would come along. The prefect came and told us to go see the principal. Now the sign is telling us to go and see him because so far all we've done is stand here and argue."
"But how did it change?" I whine. "This just proves that this is a nightmare and we should both just stand here until we wake up."
"No," I snap. "Signs don't just change of their own accord. That sign is solid metal. It's been there for years. It says 'Welcome to Bellfield Comprehensive School. You are here.' And there's a map. So this is either a nightmare or a really sick joke. Oh my god, that's it! Wade was really pissed off with me for telling him not to be cruel to you. He's done something to us. Probably drugged us or something. This is some kind of weird drug trip."
"Whatever it is, I think we should do what we've been told."
"Oh, you're always such a goody two-shoes. Always doing what the teachers tell you."
"Insult me all you like. I'm going to see the principal and get this whole mess straightened out. You can stay here if you want."
"You know, Wade is probably hiding somewhere laughing at us right now."
"Whatever," Anthony says and he begins to walk away.
The thought of standing here by myself fills me with dread, so even though he's the class geek and clearly a complete loon, I run after him anyway.
Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people.
Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!
Website: http://www.jaimieadmans.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/be_the_spark
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jaimieadmansbooks
Posted by Andi at 12:00 AM
Labels: excerpt, Facebook Event, paranormal, release day
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text:
Violent pushbacks at the Hungary-Serbia border
An MSF worker stands by a barbed wire fence during a medical consultation of the MSF mobile clinic in Horgos 2 border crossing area in Serbia. Serbia, July 2022.
© Evgenia Chorou/MSF
Alarming violence occurring at Hungary-Serbia border
Press Release4 August 2022
People crossing the Serbia-Hungary border are being subjected to shocking violence, allegedly perpetrated by Hungarian authorities.
MSF has collected patient testimonies and medical data that indicate people are being denied access to basic services, beaten, and humiliated in their attempts to cross the border.
Belgrade/ Brussels - Testimonies from patients and corroborating medical data from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) indicate repeated use of violence, allegedly committed by Hungarian authorities, against people crossing the border between Serbia and Hungary.
Beatings with belts and batons, kicking, punching, various forms of humiliation, use of pepper spray and teargas are all reported to be common deterrence practices, prior to pushbacks and denial of assistance.
For more than eight years, MSF doctors and nurses have continued to treat and record accounts of people being systematically beaten, humiliated, and abused at borders for seeking safety in the European Union.
MSF workers standing by a barbed wire fence during a medical consultation of the MSF mobile clinic in Horgos 2 border crossing area in Serbia. Serbia, July 2022.
Evgenia Chorou/MSF
"The consistency and regularity of violence we treat at the Hungary-Serbia border is indiscriminate," says Andjela Marcetic, MSF medical doctor in Serbia. "Every week, we see several patients, including some children, with severe bruising, deep wounds and cuts, dislocations and fractures, often on their legs, arms and sometimes on the head."
"The physical injuries we treat in medical consultations are consistent with the testimonies of the patients who describe violent beatings at the hands of Hungarian police prior to pushbacks to Serbia," says Marcetic. "While we can treat some of the wounds, we are also concerned about the long-term repercussions of such trauma on their psychological wellbeing."
Since January 2021, MSF mobile medical teams have treated 423 patients with injuries, reportedly due to violent incidents at the Hungary-Serbia border. Most of these accounts follow a similar pattern of beatings, denial of access to basic needs, and harassment, often with racially charged humiliation.
Some people say they experienced theft and the destruction of personal belongings, while others were forced to strip, even in cold winter temperatures, and sometimes endured other forms of humiliation such as being urinated on by border officials during roundups
Close-up of a barbed wire fence in an informal settlement at the Serbian-Hungarian borders in Horgos. Serbia, July 2022.
MSF also treats injuries resulting from people falling off the four-metre-high system of fences and razor wire built along the border. "One patient had a two-centimetre-deep cut on his upper lip because of the razor blades on the border fence. Many others report fractures all over their bodies from falling while trying to cross," says Marcetic.
Several patients, including two unaccompanied minors, reported to MSF that they were transported to a small shipping container before being expelled to Serbia. Here, they say, border officials systematically assaulted them and regularly released pepper spray inside the container. Two patients reported the additional use of teargas, which is apparently dispersed inside the container to force people to create space for newcomers.
"We were brought to a small white container in between the fences with 40 other people. We spent approximately 12 hours in the container. I asked to go to the bathroom, but they did not allow me to go. [Border authorities] were repeatedly spraying our faces with pepper spray and regularly spraying the inside of the container from a small window on the side," explains 'A', an MSF patient.
"It made me cough. It had a bitter taste, and we were not able to breathe," adds 'E', another of MSF's patients.
The container is described as being two by four metres in size, with a single door and sometimes windowless. In their testimonies, patients said they were denied water, food, access to toilets and were sprayed if they demanded any of these basic needs. Further exchanges with other community members have highlighted that this practice is not isolated but frequently observed on a wider scale.
An MSF nurse wraps up the ankle of a patient during a medical consultation of the MSF mobile clinic in Horgos 2 border crossing area in Serbia. Serbia, July 2022.
"These accounts indicate that European Union member states continue to intentionally use violence and harmful infrastructure to deter people from seeking asylum in the European Union," says Shahbaz Israr Khan, MSF head of mission in the North Balkans. "They're investing in razor blade fences and drones while turning a blind eye to disturbing and unprecedented levels of violence at borders."
"Not only do these practices cause serious physical and psychological harm, but they also push people to travel more dangerous routes," says Khan.
MSF has been present in Serbia since 2014, providing medical care to migrants in transit through the Balkan route. In 2022, two mobile clinics are providing primary healthcare, psycho-social support and health promotion activities in informal settlements in northern Serbia, close to the Hungary-Serbia and Serbia-Romania borders. To date our medical teams have treated 1844 patients. Since 2021, 423 patients have been assessed and treated for physical injuries, mostly on the arms and legs, including contusions, articular or skin lesions allegedly due to physical assaults at the hands of Hungarian border forces or because of lacerations due to the razor-wired fence along the border. All the patients who were involved in a violent incident at the border reported being pushed back into Serbia.
Concerns for migrant welfare in Lithuania and Latvia as projects close
Project Update 11 Jan 2023


text:
National Enquirer boss and longtime Trump friend David Pecker gets federal immunity in Michael Cohen case
Published Thu, Aug 23 201810:21 AM EDT Updated Fri, Jan 18 20193:22 PM EST
Kevin Breuninger@KevinWilliamB
Jacob Pramuk@jacobpramuk
AMI chairman David Pecker gave prosecutors information about President Donald Trump's knowledge of payments his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen made to women alleging affairs with Trump.
Pecker, along with both his company and the Trump Organization, had reportedly been subpoenaed by federal investigators in April.
Cohen pleaded guilty Tuesday to eight criminal charges including tax fraud and campaign finance violations, and could face years in prison.
Sessions fires back at Trump and David Pecker gets immunity
The chairman of the company that publishes the National Enquirer was granted immunity by federal prosecutors as part of an investigation into President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, NBC News reported Thursday.
The immunity deal was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair.
Details of the agreement were not immediately known. But the Journal reported earlier Thursday that American Media Inc. Chairman David Pecker had given prosecutors details about the president's knowledge of payments Cohen made to women alleging affairs with Trump.
Prosecutors declined CNBC's request for comment on the Journal's report. A spokesman for American Media did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.
The immunity deal could hold significant consequences for Trump, as Pecker could have as much damaging information about the president as anyone in Trump's orbit.
He and Pecker have been friends since the 1990s, and have appeared to remain so after Trump became president — the media mogul even visited the White House last year, according to The New York Times.
Pecker has also reportedly used his media holdings to shield Trump when the president was a New York real estate developer and reality television star. Pecker's publications have defended Trump as a presidential candidate, as well, including a reported effort during the 2016 election to stifle ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal's allegations of an affair with Trump.
Trump has been a public advocate for Pecker, too. In 2013, he tweeted several times urging Time Magazine to hire Pecker as its top executive. "Nobody could bring [the magazine] back like David!" Trump wrote in one of the tweets.
Pecker was subpoenaed by federal investigators in April, as were his company and the Trump Organization. The Journal said the subpoenas were served at the same time the FBI raided Cohen's office and residences, seizing electronics, recordings and thousands of documents.
David Pecker, Chairman and CEO of American Media
Marion Curtis | AP
Cohen pleaded guilty Tuesday to eight criminal charges, including tax fraud and campaign finance violations, and could face years in prison. The Journal reported that he struck a plea deal shortly after federal prosecutors signaled he could face as many as 20 criminal counts.
In a courtroom statement, Cohen said, without mentioning the president by name, that Trump directed him to arrange the payments to two women "for the principal purpose of influencing the election."
The hush-money deals, which were both made in the run-up to the November 2016 presidential election, formed the foundation of the campaign finance crimes Cohen pleaded guilty to.
But Trump, in a Fox News interview after Cohen's plea, denied knowing about Cohen's payments until "later on."
Later in the interview, Trump reacted to Cohen's plea bargain with prosecutors by suggesting that it should be "illegal" for people facing criminal charges to make deals with the government.
"It's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal," Trump said. "It's not a fair thing."
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the reports about Pecker.
Both Cohen and American Media, or AMI, were involved in two payments made to women who say they had sex with Trump years before he became president, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Though they only named Cohen explicitly, the Justice Department said Tuesday that the "chairman" of "a media company that owns, among other things, a popular tabloid magazine" put Cohen in touch with one of the women, who in October 2016 was paid $130,000 in exchange for her silence about the alleged affair.
That woman, porn star Stormy Daniels, is suing Trump and Cohen in California to void the hush-money agreement and speak freely about the alleged tryst.
A spokesman for AMI did not immediately respond to a phone message left by CNBC.
The other woman was McDougal, the former Playboy model paid $150,000 in August 2016 by AMI for exclusive rights to her own story about an alleged dalliance with Trump. In a practice known within the industry as "catch and kill," the story was never published, allegedly to protect Trump from bad publicity on the eve of the election.
McDougal reached a settlement agreement in her lawsuit against AMI in April, freeing her from the hush deal.
Cohen had urged one of the publisher's editors to buy — and bury — McDougal's story, promising that the company would be reimbursed, prosecutors said.
The White House has denied Trump had sex with the two women.
--CNBC's Brian Schwartz contributed to this report.
Brian Schwartz


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Although the name of an author alone appears on the book, many contribute to the process directly or indirectly. I must express my deep feeling of devotion toward Lord Shiva. Without His blessings and yogic teachings, this would not have been possible.
Writing a book is about teamwork. Input from the technical reviewer, Alex Thissen, was very useful in rendering the book accurate. The whole team at Apress was very helpful. Thank you, team, for playing your part wonderfully.


Big guy: "Why do all the eggs have numbers on them?"
Big guy: "Why for rocketry?"
Me: "We needed to know how much they each weighed so we could shoot them up in rockets."
I'm so glad I live in a house where numbered eggs draw only the slightest bit of attention for being out of the ordinary.


text:
Fortunately, there's no possible way that…
January 17, 2017 BearLeave a comment
Tesla driver stranded in the desert after smartphone app failure
A Tesla driver was stranded in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas after the car's keyless control app suddenly stopped working.
Interested in testing a feature that lets Tesla owners unlock and power their car using their smartphone, Ryan Negri decided to leave his keys at home when he went for a drive around the canyon yesterday.
Nope. Not an app failure. Put the blame where it belongs: primarily with the idiot for using it, and then not realizing that a communication app would need… comm to reach the car. Secondarily with Tesla for making the "feature" available.
Not being in the Tesla set, I had no idea the company had done something as monumentally stpid as…
The keyless smartphone feature, which is available through Tesla's iPhone and Android apps, lets users remotely monitor and control their Tesla Model S without their key. One of the main features of the app is the ability to "unlock and drive Model S without your key".
I haven't researched this, so I'm guessing and giving Tesla benefit of the doubt. You have to know the car's phone number. It should only accept commands from the owner's phone number. It's probably an SMS system that sends a PIN code.
So now car thieves just need to figure out what number blocks Tesla uses in an area, look up the an owner's phone number, and text random numbers until the car unlocks and starts. Is any other company doing this?
I fully expect to start getting weird text messages on my phone containg random strings and Tesla commands as folks start war-dialing for cars.
UncategorizedSecurity, Stupid People Tricks, Technology, Tesla
This is either bull shit
December 30, 2016 January 2, 2017 BearLeave a comment
…or scary as hell.
U.S. intelligence agencies release analysis of Russian cyber espionage
U.S. intelligence services don't often release the details of their analysis, but Thursday they did as part of an ongoing effort to pull back the curtain on what U.S. officials believe is malicious Russian cyber activity code named Grizzly Steppe
And they still haven't released a detailed analysis. Read that "Joint Analysis Report." In fact, it's simply yet-another unsubstantiated assertion. No detail in that report supports the claim that the Russian government did this. Maybe they did, but you can't tell from that doc.
I'm not a pro at this, so I welcome input from someone who is such. As I read it, the JAR simply states that "APT 28/29" used a botnet to send spearphishing emails, which lured dumbasses to a fake web site hosted on a machine that didn't belong to the "hackers," and that web site passed the harvested data to yet another neutral machine which, in turn, relayed the data to the actual hackers.
To be able to honestly and definitely say that the Russians did it, the feds (FBI/CIA/NSA/whoever) had to have admin access to the web site host to see what neutral machine the site sent data to. That could come from server logs and/or database files.
Once the next machine is identified, the feds had to have admin access to it, too. They could then analyze server logs or the malicious code to see where it sent data. If you assume that it went straight from that zombie machine to the hackers, you now know the hackers' IP address, and maybe you can make some claims.
But if the zombie sent the data to another relay between it and the hackers, you have another machine to compromise and analyze. And so on ad infinitum.
Are the feds admitting that they have that many innocent machines on the Internet compromised?
Alternatively, they could have this from human intel: leakers, snitches, spies. But intel from such sources would have to be verified, so we loop back to accessing machines.
Let's try another scenario. Remember the NSA's little partnership with AT&T, in which the snoops got to parallel all data running through at least one major Internet backbone router? And then there was the program to intercept routers during shipment and install spyware.
So maybe the NSA simply watched all this happen in near realtime.
Worried yet? Oh, what the heck? It's only "metadata."
At any rate, to substantiate the "Russians-did-it" claims, the feds would have to have admin level access to a scary number of Internet servers or routers. To prove the claim, they may have to admit to continuing to do things they've sworn up and down they stopped doing.
Uncategorizedelection hack, FBI, NSA, Security
December 15, 2016 BearLeave a comment
Yahoo Mega-Breach Exposes More Than 1 Billion Accounts
Yahoo is closing 2016 with a bang — and not in a good way. More than 1 billion Yahoo accounts may have been exposed after a third-party hacker hit the internet company in a separate attack from the one that was revealed in September.
I think that qualifies as a GIGA-breach.
UncategorizedSecurity
Why did you THINK Uber wants to track you?
Earlier today, Claire Wolfe congratulated Uber for encrypting data when raided, but wondered why the data wasn't encrypted all the time.
Uber Employees Accused of Using Data to Stalk Exes and Celebs
"Uber's lack of security regarding its customer data was resulting in Uber employees being able to track high profile politicians, celebrities, and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees, including ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and ex-spouses," according to legal documents filed by ex-employee Ward Spangenberg in October and reported by The Center for Investigative Reporting on Monday.
That's why. And why did you think they expanded tracking time to see where you go after they drop you off?
UncategorizedEncryption, Security, Stalkers, Uber
Win10 S&M Pro Edition
Seriously, either nail down Win7 (for those who need legacy stuff that won't play well in Wine), or install Linux already.
Windows 10 Anniversary Update breaks most webcams
The Windows 10 Anniversary Update, aka version 1607, has been found to leave many webcams inoperable. The update prevents the use of webcams in applications such as Skype and Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), along with all manner of custom CCTV programs. Extremely popular hardware, such as Logitech's C920 and C930e cameras, in conjunction even with Microsoft's own Skype, will fail to properly broadcast video.
Yeah, MicroShaft-you is big, but why hasn't someone sued them into oblivion with a class action suit? Or for the Win10 HIPAA violations?
UncategorizedMicrosoft, Security, Win10, Windows
Microsoft: Screwing up since Day 1
August 15, 2016 August 15, 2016 BearLeave a comment
You know how those technologically-ignorant idiots in DC think we need to backdoor encryption for the children, to stop terrorists and speeding drivers?
This is one of the many reasons we've been telling them that it's a truly bad idea.
Bungling Microsoft singlehandedly proves that golden backdoor keys are a terrible idea
Redmond races to revoke Secure Boot policy
Microsoft leaked the golden keys that unlock Windows-powered tablets, phones and other devices sealed by Secure Boot – and is now scrambling to undo the blunder.
These skeleton keys can be used to install non-Redmond operating systems on locked-down computers. In other words, on devices that do not allow you to disable Secure Boot even if you have administrator rights – such as ARM-based Windows RT tablets – it is now possible to sidestep this block and run, say, GNU/Linux or Android.
What's more, it is believed it will be impossible for Microsoft to fully revoke the leaked keys.
For the record, I can confirm that Linux Mint 18 installs just as easily as 17.1 and 17.3, and works very nicely. True, this particular clusterfuck seems to affect mobile devices that Mint won't help with, but it will start weaning you from the idiots at MSFT.
Seriously. Who has trusted MicroCeph since the _NSAKEY fiasco of '99? What; you believed them?
UncategorizedDumbasses, Encryption, Microsoft, Security
Under this framework, the problem with wholesale data collection is not that it is used to curtail your freedom; the problem is that the collector has the power to curtail your freedom. Whether they use it or not, the fact that they have that power over us is itself a harm.
– Bruce Schneier
UncategorizedPrivacy, Security
I hate to tell them this…
Hackers use Congressman's iPhone to demo ability to listen into calls, monitor texts, track location [Updated]
Apple may take iOS security so seriously that it's willing to do battle with the FBI over it, but German hackers have demonstrated that all phones – even iPhones – are susceptible to a mobile network vulnerability that requires nothing more than knowing your phone number. Armed with just that, hackers can listen to your calls, read your texts and track your position.
…but that's essentially the same thing as the mandated CALEA phone tapping capability that they forced on the industry. The only difference is that the Feds are provided their own channel into the network. This "hack" (which isn't a hack) just uses a standard SS7 channel for access.
Sid Scriptkiddy isn't going to sit in his mom's basement and tap President Barrycade's phone (unfortunately). This requires direct access to the SS7 network. You have to be part of the network. So you either build an SS7 server and get a contract with a common carrier to connect, or you have to find some open line into the SS7 system; the latter would be a hack.
SS7 providers should make sure access to their network is secure; no open dialups (believe me, it happens), no unsecured SCADA links. But "fixing" this "flaw" in the SS7 protocol itself…
…is impossible without either 1) eliminating much of the functionality that allows cell networks to operate, or 2) breaking CALEA. I'm all for the second option.
BTW, the articles make a big deal about this affecting iPhones, but read the fine print and you'll realize that it affects all phones. Not all smartphones, but all telephones including that dinosaur wired to the wall in your kitchen. They won't get the location data that a cell network has, but everything else is a go. They're exploiting standard SS7 functions like Caller ID and call forwarding.
UncategorizedCALEA, Security, Technology
Glad I'm not that guy
February 20, 2016 Bear4 Comments
So how did the FBI/Apple kerfluffle really start?
San Bernardino Shooter's iCloud Password Changed While iPhone was in Government Possession
The filing states, "the owner [San Bernardino County Department of Public Health], in an attempt to gain access to some information in the hours after the attack, was able to reset the password remotely, but that had the effect of eliminating the possibility of an auto-backup."
The auto reset was executed by a county information technology employee, according to a federal official. Federal investigators only found out about the reset after it had occurred and that the county employee acted on his own, not on the orders of federal authorities, the source said.
Questions, questions.
If he changed the password to access information, why isn't the FBI rubber-hosing the password out of him?
What information did this guy suddenly need when the Feds took the phone?
Was he merely curious?
Did he not realize the Feds would notice?
Was he looking for incriminating information?
If so, why not leave it to LE?
If there was incriminating data he knew about, what kind? Was he an accomplice in the attacks, or merely lower level county corruption?
Seriously. At the very least, he had to realize resetting the password on evidence in a federal investigation would be felony "impeding an investigation." At a minimum, he had to know he'd be suspected as an accomplice in a terrorist attack. What did he need to see so badly to make it worth the obviously inevitable consequences?
If he was deliberately hiding something, what could be worse than a definite felony, and being a terrorist suspect for the rest of his life? At best.
Maybe he really is just a curious dumbass with an IQ lower than whale shit. He is (was?) a government employee, after all.
Look, either the guy knew the new password, or he deliberately randomized it to keep investigators out. If the first, the Feds shouldn't be making demands of Apple.
In related news:
DOJ would allow Apple to keep or destroy software to help FBI hack iPhone
The Obama administration told a magistrate judge Friday it would be willing to allow Apple to retain possession of and later destroy specialized software it was ordered to create to help federal authorities hack into the encrypted iPhone belong to Syed Rizwan Farook.
Looks like someone finally took cognizance of the point I've been making: Letting the Feds get that FBiOS is dangerous. I've said all along that the correct way to do this would have been to turn the phone over to Apple for forensic extraction. They unlock it, then return the unlocked phone without the security breaking code installed to the Feds.
The FBI absolutely should never get their dirty paws on the countdown bypassing and remote access code. They can't be trusted.
UncategorizedApple, Cross-dressing Judicial Idiots, FBI, Privacy, Security, Technology
And if you believe that
January 6, 2016 Bear3 Comments
I've got a slightly used bridge for sale on eBay.
Recently Bought a Windows Computer? Microsoft Probably Has Your Encryption Key
ONE OF THE EXCELLENT FEATURES of new Windows devices is that disk encryption is built-in and turned on by default, protecting your data in case your device is lost or stolen. But what is less well-known is that, if you are like most users and login to Windows 10 using your Microsoft account, your computer automatically uploaded a copy of your recovery key — which can be used to unlock your encrypted disk — to Microsoft's servers, probably without your knowledge and without an option to opt out.
Users can choose to delete recovery keys from their Microsoft accounts…
Everyone who believes that will completely delete the key from MacroSnoop's servers, raise your hand.
Seriously, folks. I've heard of some alleged freedom lovers who claim to love Win10. Why?
UncategorizedPrivacy, Security, Snoops, Technology, Win10, Windows


text:
Thai military stages coup in Bangkok
Army: constitution null; 6000 - 8000 Israelis in Thailand.
By Herb Keinon, AP
thailand bomb 298.88. (photo credit: AP)
Thailand's army commander wrested power from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, sending tanks and troops into the streets of the Thai capital and declaring martial law Wednesday. An announcement on national television, signed by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, said martial law had been declared across Thailand and the Constitution revoked. He ordered all troops to report to their duty stations and not leave without permission from their commanders. In Israel, the Foreign Ministry took a non-alarmist approach to the coup, neither calling on Israelis currently in Thailand to return home, nor warning Israelis against traveling there now. Rather, the ministry issued a low-key statement saying that despite some heavy traffic jams, life in Bangkok was carrying on as usual. The Ministry, however, did call on Israelis - there are an estimated 6,000 - 8,000 Israeli tourists in Thailand - to exercise caution, refrain from going near the government area where the tanks were located, and to stay near their residences. The ministry, obviously not wanting to take on the responsibility of deciding for people whether now was the right time to go to Thailand, said in the statement that those traveling there should keep abreast of the news and "weigh the necessity of the trip." One ministry spokeswoman said that at the present time there was no immediate danger to Israeli tourists in Thailand. She also said that the Israeli embassy was not located near the scene of the coup. The spokeswoman said that scores of worried parents called the ministry's situation room during the late afternoon to hear the Foreign Ministry's assessment of the situation. Sondhi's troops struck while Thaksin was abroad, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of television stations and declaring a provisional authority loyal to the king. The announcement declared that a "Council of Administrative Reform" with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as head of state had seized power in Bangkok and nearby provinces without any resistance. A senior army general said the chiefs of the army, navy and air force were meeting with the king to discuss the formation of an interim government, suggesting it would probably be led by civilians. "The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to maintain peace and order. There has been no struggle," the coup announcement said. "We ask for the cooperation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience." The coup - apparently bloodless - was the first overt military intervention in the Thai political scene since 1992 when an attempt by Prime Minister Suchinda Kraprayoon, a military general, to retain power was countered by mass street demonstrations and Suchinda's ouster. After the incident, the military vowed to remain in the barracks in contrast to earlier decades when military coups were a staple of Thai politics. The army general said Sondhi had used the military to take over power from the prime minister. The general said troops were moved from the western province of Kanchanaburi to stage the coup. Sondhi, a Muslim in this Buddhist-dominated country, is known to be close to Thailand's revered constitutional monarch. Army spokesman Col. Akara Chitroj told reporters that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit had been removed from his post. "The government is no longer administering the country," he said, "I think Thaksin will not return to Thailand for the time being," he said, without elaborating what would happen if Thaksin returned. Akara didn't elaborate on Chitchai's fate, but the general said the coup makers arrested him along with Defense Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya - two officials close to Thaksin. In a vain attempt to stave off the coup, Thaksin had ordered Sondhi to report to Chitchai immediately, effectively dismissing him from his military duties. Thaksin told of his move when he declared a state of emergency in Bangkok at 9:15 p.m., when he spoke on TV Channel 9 by audio from New York, where he was attending the UN General Assembly. At least 14 tanks surrounded Government House, Thaksin's office said. The coup went largely unnoticed in Thailand's popular tourist districts, where foreigners packed beer bars and cabarets oblivious to the activity about three kilometers away. But word raced among street vendors hawking T-shirts, who packed up their carts quickly and started heading home. Hundreds of people gathered at Government House to take photos and videos of themselves with the tanks, among them Sasiprapha Chantawong, a student at Thammasat University. "I don't agree with the coup, but now that they've done it, I support it because Thaksin has refused to resign from his position," Sasiprapha said. "Allowing Thaksin to carry on will ruin the country more than this. The reputation of the country may be somewhat damaged, but it's better than letting Thaksin stay in power." The move came a day before a major rally - the first in several months - was to be staged in Bangkok by an anti-Thaksin coalition that has been seeking his resignation for alleged corruption and abuse of power.
By ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL / JTA
Gas pains in the eastern Mediterranean
By LAWRENCE RIFKIN/THE MEDIA LINE
At least 23 people feared dead in Japan animation studio fire in Kyodo
Jewish communities give $700,000 to victims of New Zealand mosque attacks
By HENRY BENJAMIN/JTA


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Libyan Express - Libya News, Opinion, Analysis and Latest Updates from Libya
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Over one million Libyans in need of humanitarian aid
Libya's socioeconomic state is in a continued state of decline says Representative Stephanie Williams
BY Libyan Express	 Dec 03, 2020
Political dialogue is the only forward says UN special representative. [Photo: UNSMIL]
Stephanie Williams, Acting Special Representative for the United Nation's Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in an official statement on Wednesday said that the Libyan humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day.
In her statement, Williams said that by January 2021, there will be over 1.3 million Libyans in desperate need of humanitarian aid as a result of the liquidity crisis, widespread of COVID-19 and consistently declining socioeconomic state.
The representative addressed the electricity crisis by saying, "I don't need to remind you of how terrible the electricity shortages were last summer. Because of the terrible corruption and misgovernance, all over the country. I am not pointing fingers. This is a crisis in the West and the East. You have a crisis of corruption. You have a misgovernance crisis and now you have only 13 of 27 powerplants that are functioning."
Despite efforts by engineers and workers in the electricity field to restore the country's electrical grid to full power continued corruption, as well as theft of the electrical lines, persist resulting in massive power cuts to the general public.
The representative stated that one billion US dollars are needed to restore the electrical grid and avoid complete electrical collapse.
Williams also addressed the worsening liquidity crisis in the country, pointing out that the power of the Libyan dinar is in a sharp deterioration, and that the liquidity crisis has fully returned with an alarming shortage of cash in circulation for the Libyan people to meet their day to day needs and living expenses.
The UN representative said that the spread of COVID-19 is worsening as well, noting that the while estimates put the number of cases in Libya at over 94,000 cases, experts assess that the number is much higher with the stark shortage of testing in the country.
Representative Williams concluded her statement by saying that members of the Libyan Political Dilgaoue Forum have come a long way in Tunis and that Libyan people need to hold the institutions in power accountable to upholding the elections and sharing authority to unify the country's body of governance in the best interest of their country.
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HD 221525 Facts
HD 221525's star type is subgiant star that can be located in the constellation of Cepheus. The description is based on the spectral class.
HD 221525 is not part of the constellation outline but is within the borders of the constellation.
Based on the spectral type (A7IV) of the star, the star's colour is blue .
The star can be seen with the naked eye, that is, you don't need a telescope/binoculars to see it.
Using the most recent figures given by the 2007 Hipparcos data, the star is 333.16 light years away from us. Distance
HD 221525's Alternative Names
HIP115746 is the reference name for the star in the Hipparcos Star Catalogue. The Id of the star in the Henry Draper catalogue is HD221525.
BD number is the number that the star was filed under in the Durchmusterung or Bonner Durchmusterung, a star catalogue that was put together by the Bonn Observatory between 1859 to 1903. The star's BD Number is BD+86 344.
More details on objects' alternative names can be found at Star Names .
Location of HD 221525
The location of the subgiant star in the night sky is determined by the Right Ascension (R.A.) and Declination (Dec.), these are equivalent to the Longitude and Latitude on the Earth. The Right Ascension is how far expressed in time (hh:mm:ss) the star is along the celestial equator. If the R.A. is positive then its eastwards. The Declination is how far north or south the object is compared to the celestial equator and is expressed in degrees. For HD 221525, the location is 23h 26m 59.92 and +87° 18` 26.8 .
Radial Velocity and Proper Motion of HD 221525
Proper Motion
All stars like planets orbit round a central spot, in the case of planets, its the central star such as the Sun. In the case of a star, its the galactic centre. The constellations that we see today will be different than they were 50,000 years ago or 50,000 years from now. Proper Motion details the movements of these stars and are measured in milliarcseconds. The star is moving 20.28 ± 0.30 milliarcseconds/year towards the north and 75.14 ± 0.35 milliarcseconds/year east if we saw them in the horizon.
Radial Velocity
The Radial Velocity, that is the speed at which the star is moving away/towards the Sun is -10.90 km/s with an error of about 2.90 km/s . When the value is negative then the star and the Sun are getting closer to one another, likewise, a positive number means that two stars are moving away. Its nothing to fear as the stars are so far apart, they won't collide in our life-time, if ever.
HD 221525 Luminosity
Luminosity is the amount of energy that a star pumps out and its relative to the amount that our star, the Sun gives out. The figure of 51.42 that I have given is based on the value in the Simbad Hipparcos Extended Catalogue at the University of Strasbourg from 2012.
Physical Properties (Colour, Temperature) of HD 221525
HD 221525 Colour and Temperature
HD 221525 has a spectral type of A7IV. This means the star is a blue subgiant star. The star has a B-V Colour Index of 0.25 which means the star's temperature has been calculated using information from Morgans @ Uni.edu at being 7,483 Kelvin.
HD 221525 Radius
Radius has been calculated as being 4.04 times bigger than the Sun. The Sun's radius is 695,800km, therefore the star's radius is an estimated 2,813,387.58.km. If you need the diameter of the star, you just need to multiple the radius by 2. However with the 2007 release of updated Hipparcos files, the radius is now calculated at being round 4.39. The figure is derived at by using the formula from SDSS and has been known to produce widely incorrect figures.
HD 221525 Apparent and Absolute Magnitudes
HD 221525 has an apparent magnitude of 5.56 which is how bright we see the star from Earth. Apparent Magnitude is also known as Visual Magnitude. If you used the 1997 Parallax value, you would get an absolute magnitude of 0.69 If you used the 2007 Parallax value, you would get an absolute magnitude of 0.51. Magnitude, whether it be apparent/visual or absolute magnitude is measured by a number, the smaller the number, the brighter the Star is. Our own Sun is the brightest star and therefore has the lowest of all magnitudes, -26.74. A faint star will have a high number.
Distance to HD 221525
Using the original Hipparcos data that was released in 1997, the parallax to the star was given as 10.63 which gave the calculated distance to HD 221525 as 306.83 light years away from Earth or 94.07 parsecs. It would take a spaceship travelling at the speed of light, 306.83 years to get there. We don't have the technology or spaceship that can carry people over that distance yet.
In 2007, Hipparcos data was revised with a new parallax of 9.79 which put HD 221525 at a distance of 333.16 light years or 102.15 parsecs. It should not be taken as though the star is moving closer or further away from us. It is purely that the distance was recalculated.
Using the 2007 distance, the star is roughly 21,069,803.14 Astronomical Units from the Earth/Sun give or take a few. An Astronomical Unit is the distance between Earth and the Sun. The number of A.U. is the number of times that the star is from the Earth compared to the Sun.
The star's Galacto-Centric Distance is 7,450.00 Parsecs or 24,299.17 Light Years. The Galacto-Centric Distance is the distance from the star to the Centre of the Galaxy which is Sagittarius A*.
Source of Information
The source of the information if it has a Hip I.D. is from Simbad, the Hipparcos data library based at the University at Strasbourg, France. Hipparcos was a E.S.A. satellite operation launched in 1989 for four years. The items in red are values that I've calculated so they could well be wrong. Information regarding Metallicity and/or Mass is from the E.U. Exoplanets. The information was obtained as of 12th Feb 2017.
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Additional HD 221525 Facts and Figures
Visual Facts
Primary / Proper / Traditional Name HD 221525
Alternative Names HD 221525, HIP 115746, BD+86 344
Spectral Type A7IV
Constellation's Main Star No
Multiple Star System No / Unknown
Star Type Subgiant Star
Galaxy Milky Way
Constellation Cepheus
Absolute Magnitude 0.69 / 0.51
Visual / Apparent Magnitude 5.56
Naked Eye Visible Yes - Magnitudes
Right Ascension (R.A.) 23h 26m 59.92
Declination (Dec.) +87° 18` 26.8
Galactic Latitude 24.61 degrees
Galactic Longitude 121.87 degrees
1997 Distance from Earth 10.63 Parallax (milliarcseconds)
306.83 Light Years
94.07 Parsecs
2007 Distance from Earth 9.79 Parallax (milliarcseconds)
102.15 Parsecs
21,069,803.14 Astronomical Units
Galacto-Centric Distance 24,299.17 Light Years / 7,450.00 Parsecs
Proper Motion Dec. 20.28 ± 0.30 milliarcseconds/year
Proper Motion RA. 75.14 ± 0.35 milliarcseconds/year
B-V Index 0.25
Radial Velocity -10.90 ± 2.90 km/s
Eccentricity 0.13
Semi-Major Axis 6730.00
Stellar Luminosity (Lsun) 51.42
Companions (Multi-Star and Exoplanets) Facts
Exoplanet Count None/Unaware
Estimated Calculated Facts
Radius (x the Sun) 4.39
Effective Temperature 7,483 Kelvin
Sources and Links
SIMBAD Source Link
Alderamin (Alpha Cephei)
Alfirk (Beta Cephei)
Errai (Gamma Cephei)
Alrediph (Delta Cephei)
Epsilon Cephei (Epsilon Cephei)
77 Draconis
AH Cephei
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