Happy New Year!

Aiken Area Progressive will be dark all day on New Year’s Day. Comments submitted on that day will be reviewed on Saturday, January 2, 2016.

 

T-Mobile employees to get mandatory training on Windows 10 phones

BELLEVUE, Wash. — The new year will bring at least one change to the attitudes and cultures towards phones at T-Mobile.

According to Daniel Rubino, Big Pink has set up an extensive training manual for Windows Mobile.

T-Mobile has also set up an extensive training guide for employees on Windows 10 Mobile suggesting the Fierce XL may be part of a larger portfolio. Although the Fierce XL does not support Continuum the Windows 10 Mobile training guides do hinting a higher-end phone that supports the ‘phone as a PC’ experience may be coming to T-Mobile.

The training on Windows 10 Mobile starts next week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas.

Windows Central

Bottom Line: There’s a massive #WarOnNewYearsDay – and conservatives are blatantly *crickets*

Publix, one of the largest supermarkets in the US, has sided with fascist corporate America in the War On New Year’s Day by opening their doors for the first time ever on January 1 in 2016.

 

So much for conservatives caring about our holidays.

There is a massive War On New Year’s Day that’s been building for almost a decade and to no one’s surprise, conservatives – who whine about the fake War On Christmas – are silent.

Their silence on this very real War On New Year’s Day peels back the façade of conservatives and their outrage over the incidents that have occurred on Lupercalia (the Pagan version of Saint Valentine’s Day), Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

When it comes to New Year’s however, they’re nowhere to be found.

Why are conservatives, usually the loudest voices at this time of the year, silent about the US making January 1 – the most important day of the whole calendar year – just another day instead of the important day it was 20 years ago?

I can remember a time when nothing that was not essential was open in the Williston-Windsor area on January 1 – not even gas stations and convenience stores.

Those days are fading away.  Publix will open on January 1, 2016, leaving no grocery stores in our area that’s doing the right thing by closing on that day.

While this piece calls conservatives to the carpet, we – conservatives, liberals and centrists alike – are all guilty by association in the War On New Year’s Day.

And no amount of protestation from any of us Americans will change that verdict.  The only way that verdict changes is if we demand our businesses start respecting New Year’s Day and close their doors all day on January 1.

Terrorist Scott Anthony Orton, man behind threat to assassinate Dr. Deb Nutacola, arrested – first court appearance this morning

SEATTLE — A 57-year-old Christian terrorist behind the threats to pay “ten large” to anyone to assassinate Planned Parenthood doctor Deborah Nutacola on July 16 was arrested on December 12.

Scott Anthony Orton, 57, of Puyallup, Wash., admitted to federal investigators that he is the man behind the online name “Joseywhales” who made the violent threats. Orton reportedly told authorities his intent was to “wake people up” by painting ” a mental picture with words. I’m a wordsmith. That’s what I do.”

Because Planned Parenthood is headquartered in New York City, and has affiliates physically located in California, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security got involved.

Law enforcers got involved when Mr. Orton vowed to “pay ten large to whomever beats him to the punch and kill Dr. Deborah Nutacola”.

Very belatedly to anyone, the FBI has been keeping track of Mr. Orton’s terrorist activity ever since January 27, 2009, a week after President Obama took office.

Later that year, he threatened his local officials, writing them through a supposedly anonymous email address. Among other things, he referred to the Puyallup City Council members as “tyrannical” and promised, “I am coming for you, creeps. You have committed crimes against freedom. You MUST be put out of office, permanently, and I loathe you for your deeds.”

The National Abortion Federation shared this statement from Vicki Saporta:

Since the release of highly-edited, misleading videos this summer, we have recorded an unprecedented increase in hate speech, threats, and calls to action targeting abortion providers. Some of the most concerning threats were posted online by someone using the screen name “JoseyWhales.” We reported these threats as well as many others to law enforcement.

This type of behavior cannot be tolerated. We are very grateful that the FBI pursued an investigation and was able to identify the person responsible for making the chilling threats. It is imperative that he was arrested and will be prosecuted. People need to understand that there are consequences to making illegal threats online, even under aliases.

Threats like these contribute to a culture where some feel it is justifiable to murder abortion providers simply because they enable women to obtain the abortion care they need. Just last month, a shooter attacked a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic leaving three dead and nine injured.

We cannot sit back while people threaten providers every day. Nor can we be silent while public figures continue to spread lies about abortion providers and engage in inflammatory rhetoric that incites violence. We need to work together to deescalate the threats and extinguish the highly-charged rhetoric before someone else gets hurt.

Since three Americans were gunned down (and many others wounded) in Colorado Springs at Planned Parenthood because of rhetoric like this, Mr. Orton’s words are not just threats, they were  bullets in Robert Dear’s gun.

Mr. Orton has a court date at noon today.

Jezebel

Live Leak

Raw Story

Sacramento Bee

Forced arrangements for fetal remains: anything but dignified

Read Dr. Jen Gunter’s link for more.

Joss Whedon #StandWithPP, but is still a SWERF

LOS ANGELES — Joss Whedon proclaimed his support for Planned Parenthood, and it’s something all of his true fans are proud of.

For me, that’s good that he Stands With Planned Parenthood, but that’s nowhere near good enough.

For starters, Mr. Whedon is a SWERF, or a sex work exclusionary radical feminist. That’s the main reason why I do not hold him in very high regard.

Next, the fact that he hasn’t been that enthusiastic of a trans ally.

That’s plenty of reason for me to continue to pass his work over and not watch.

But instead getting offended over his anti-sex work views, ignorant terrorist-sympathizing bigots who support the terrorists at the Center for Medical Progress – all of whom never were true fans of his work are offended that he opposes right-wing terrorism against Planned Parenthood.

These people who oppose Planned Parenthood need to get put in a cell.

While criminal gun owners vow to blacklist Va., the real law-abiders need to buycott the state!

FAIRFAX, Va. — On February 1, 2016, there’s going to be a whole new Virginia.

A family-friendly Virginia, at that.

On that date, the most lax gun law in the state – reciprocity “deals” – to date ends. It’s this agreement that’s been scrutinized by angry citizens in DC and other northern enclaves, such as Boston and New York.

The decision came as a result of massive audits from state police investigators at the request of Mark Herring, the state’s Attorney General.

This decision has predictably angered tyrannical gun extremists, who vowed to boycott the state on a site for these types.

Seems the gun extremists forgot that the people spoke loud and clear in 2013 – and that the DC suburbs – not Southern Virginia – now decide who the governor will be. They threw out the corrupt conservative administration 25 months ago and they knew they elected someone who would tighten up the gun laws.

So, go ahead and boycott. Virginians won’t miss the pennies you guys spend. Meantime, real law-abiding citizens will continue to spend the dough in Virginia, and especially in Fairfax County, a county that’s going to be the most family-friendly after January 31.

Tonight at sundown will see first Christmas full moon since 1977

When the moon turns full at 6:11 this morning, this will be the first Christmas full moon since December 25, 1977, when even the gas stations and convenience stores were closed all day on the holiday.

And that’s not all.

The full moon will continue after sundown as well.  Civil twilight after sunset in Williston begins at 17:20 and ends at 17:51.  At 17:51, the full moon can be seen again for those who sleep in this morning. The full moon will last until 7:29 Saturday, which will be sunrise.

The next Christmas Day full moon will be in 2034.

The NBA, home of the worst spectator incident this millennium, makes up for it with new gun violence ad

LOS ANGELES — It’s easy to forget about the NBA’s gun culture and how it led to Malice at the Palace 133 months ago.

That one incident, on November 19, 2004, led to a rash of changes in the NBA: the gun culture and the gun lobby were driven out of the sport, as was casual clothing among other changes, which included a record-setting 86-game suspension for Ron ‘Metta World Peace’ Artest and a ban on alcoholic beverages after halftime.

Now, as part of a complete change from the ugly culture of the past, the Association has tapped an organization that nearly all law-abiding African-Americans support: Everytown for Gun Safety.

This collaboration didn’t come overnight.  It was part of a deal brokered by big-time Brooklyn Net fan Spike Lee.

That deal saw Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony, and Steph Curry join Richard Martinez and others in airing the ad above.  That ad will air during the games today.

Is Microsoft refusing to send the Dual SIM Lumia 950 & Lumia 950 XL to T-Mobile for testing?

REDMOND, Wash. — By now, the Americans know that Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are dual SIM, which means they are not supported by any of the fifteen nationwide carriers in the States (Verizon, Page Plus, AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, Virgin, Boost, CREDO, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, Wal-Mart Family Mobile, SIMPLE Mobile, Tracfone, Straight Talk or Net10).

What that means that on GSM Networks, the phones will not have Voice on LTE or Voice Over Wi-Fi – not even on T-Mobile’s network.

Some would say that Big Pink is being sour grapes because Microsoft passed them over, but Google passed over T-Mob as well and their new Nexus line of phones are VoWi-Fi and VOLTE compatible.  Also, Acer will very likely give its Liquid Jade Primo (the first announced Windows 10 phone) the same compatibility as the Nexus 5X and 6P even though the Liquid Jade Primo is expected to be dual SIM, just like the Lumia flagships.

However, I still haven’t read where T-Mobile, located just seven miles from Microsoft in Bellevue, had received any of the five phones – the RM-1085 Lumia 950 XL, the RM-1116 Lumia 950 XL Dual SIM, the RM-1104 Lumia 950, the RM-1105 AT&T Lumia 950, or the RM-1118 Lumia 950 Dual SIM – for testing.

Which leads me to one of two questions.

The first is this: is Microsoft refusing to send their phones to their local Seattle-area carrier for testing?

Or the second: is T-Mobile just sour grapes after MSFT passed them over in round one of the #Windows10Devices?

I’m betting that it is the first, considering the fact that Microsoft still has these ambiguous links on their site:

Can I use Voice over LTE services with my Lumia?

Does my Lumia support VoWiFi?

With that said, though, I still have not seen – on social media or elsewhere – where the RM-1085 and RM-1104 models were tested on T-Mobile US’s network for VOLTE or VoWi-Fi.  However, given that United Kingdom carrier (before a firmware update) EE had both services, I am confident that the single SIM Lumia flagships will have VoLTE and VOWi-Fi, however, the same cannot be said of the US versions of the flagships.

However, the ball is in the court of the Seattle-area mobile corporations and their CEOs – Satya Nadella and John Legere – to sit down together like grown men, test the devices on T-Mobile’s network, and answer the questions that both Windows and T-Mobile fans alike want – and deserve – answers to.

Daniel Holtzclaw receives the birthday presents he deserved – convicted in rapes of 13 African-American women

OKLAHOMA CITY — A former deputy for the Oklahoma City Police Office (OKCPO) got the birthday presents he deserved on Thursday night.

Daniel Holtzclaw, who turned 29 on Thursday, was convicted on 50% of the thirty-six charges against him, many of them felonies. He was acquitted of indecent exposure, however.

On January 11, 2016, Mr. Holtzclaw faces 263 years in jail for raping a baker’s dozen African-American women.

Outside the courtroom post-conviction, the victims’ families sang “Happy Birthday” to Mr. Holtzclaw.

Georgia-Lina sex worker the latest to be raped by James Deen

ATLANTA, Ga. — A sex worker with ties to the Augusta-Aiken area is the latest of about ten women to come forward about being raped by disgraced sex columnist James Deen.

Kora Peters, who sometimes do sex work in Augusta, Ga.; Evans, Ga.; Statesboro; Columbia; Charleston; Spartanburg; Greensboro; New Bern; and Wilmington just to name a few locales, tweeted about how Mr. Deen coerced her to do an anal scene once. Ms. Peters, who goes by the name Mistress Kora, was then deluged with slanderous attacks and death threats from Deen’s colony of apologists.

James and I were friends, that’s why I agreed to do my first #anal scene with him. After what happened I put anal as #1 on my “no list”!

— Kora Peters ™ (@korapeters) December 2, 2015