IT'S HER!
….sigh
So the tactics are back to baiting?
Will the be other old tricks pulled out for Graveyard Shift or is this it?
US Congress Moves To Ban Chinese Crane Software
John Konrad April 1, 2023
by John Konrad (gCaptain) As concerns over the potential use of Chinese-made cranes for gathering information on U.S. military equipment continue to grow, Members of the House China Select Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Mike Gallagher, have convened at the Port of Miami to examine the issue and propose legislation aimed at inspecting port cranes and banning the use of cranes with software susceptible to Chinese control.
These cargo cranes, reportedly equipped with sophisticated sensors that collect and transmit data on U.S. military supplies, have prompted worries among US lawmakers and Pentagon officials who liken the devices to a “Trojan horse.”
In a bid to provide a comprehensive assessment, Committee lawmakers will scrutinize how these cranes might be exploited by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for espionage or the disruption of American goods and military assets. The lawmakers’ initiative follows a Wall Street Journal report on the Pentagon’s perception of these cranes as potential national security threats.
“The threat posed by the CCP is not over there, it is right here at home,” Gallagher said in a recent statement. “The threat is in our ports and gives China the ability to disrupt America’s entire domestic economy.”
“Two-thirds of the world’s top 50 container ports are owned by Chinese entities or supported by Chinese investments.” – Select Committee Chairman @RepGallagher alongside @RepCarlos at @PortMiami pic.twitter.com/BQeQGGeNqs
— The Select Committee on the CCP (@committeeonccp) April 1, 2023
Since the U.S. downed a Chinese surveillance balloon in January, concerns over Beijing’s surveillance techniques have intensified. Shanghai Telephone Heavy Industries (ZPMC) has supplied numerous ports with cranes over the years. With nearly 80% of cranes in U.S. ports being manufactured by China’s ZPMC, a subsidiary of China Transportation Construction, the situation has raised alarm within the U.S. national-security community and the FBI.
“70 percent of the cranes used in our nation today are being controlled by communist party in China,” said US Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez. “I have introduced legislation to outlaw Chinese-made software that controls these cranes.”
“I’ve introduced legislation to outlaw all Chinese-made software that controls the cranes and… start utilizing cranes made in the United States.”@RepCarlos speaks about his bill to protect U.S. cranes and critical infrastructure from potential CCP cyber attacks. pic.twitter.com/p1FtrRxLX9
— The Select Committee on the CCP (@committeeonccp) April 1, 2023
While the potential security risks of these cranes are at the forefront, it is also important to consider why ZPMC cranes have been adopted by so many ports around the world. According to industry executives, ZPMC cranes are of good quality and significantly cheaper than those offered by Western suppliers, which has helped U.S. ports to reduce costs and remain competitive.
“ZPMC is the Huawei of Port Infrastructure.” – Chairman @RepGallagher outlining how the Chinese Communist Party could use ZPMC cranes on American soil as tools of espionage. pic.twitter.com/lo7qyX4nBg
— The Select Committee on the CCP (@committeeonccp) April 1, 2023
In a statement released in early March ZPMC said, “ZPMC always strictly complies with the laws and regulations of applicable countries. ZPMC cranes have been designed and manufactured in strict accordance to clients’ functional and technical requirements. ZPMC strives to deliver the safest and most reliable equipment, and help its clients to build first-class, green, low-carbon and smart ports.”
The broader context of this issue includes China’s growing control over global trade and infrastructure. In recent years, U.S. national security officials have pointed to a range of Chinese-manufactured equipment that could facilitate surveillance or disruptions in the U.S., such as baggage-screening systems and electrical transformers. Furthermore, Gallagher says China’s strategic investments have allowed it to gain control of ports around the world, making almost all of the world’s new shipping containers and controlling a shipping data service.
https://gcaptain.com/us-congress-moves-to-ban-chinese-crane-software/
What would have caused those two spikes in the after hours trading?
I came up with bud light went single mom farm girl back on the 10th, where's the tranny part?
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/21671261/farm-girl-bud-light-shirt/
Disney Apologizes For ChatGPT Jokes On Cruise Ship Elevators
GCaptain April 1, 2023
by gCaptain (April 1st 2023) CruizeNewz is reporting that the Disney Wish cruise ship recently experienced some unexpected technical difficulties with its elevators and had to return to port. According to sources, the ship had installed a cutting-edge ChatGPT based chatbot modeled after the popular Disney+ series Mandalorian and its Jungle Cruise theme park ride, to replace the typical elevator music that usually puts passengers at ease.
The feature was an instant hit with the guests who overcrowded the elevators to hear the bot’s endless stream of Jungle-Cruise-style dad jokes, delivered in the voice of none other than Mandalorian star actor Pedro Pascal himself. However, things quickly went awry when passengers became so engrossed in the chatbot’s puns that they refused to leave the elevators, causing them to become overcrowded and eventually break down.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard The Mandalorian himself spewing out really bad dad jokes,” said one passenger. “But it was so addictively funny that my son pressed all the elevator buttons to stay on the lift longer. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea, and the crowding started to make me feel queasy.”
Many guests loved the feature, but some reported feeling frustrated and anxious due to the long elevator wait times and the constant barrage of dad jokes. One guest even reported feeling dizzy from the repetitive and unfunny nautical puns that the chatbot loved to tell.
Some examples of the bot’s jokes include:
“What do you call a Jedi who loves to sail? Obi Wan Canoe-Bi!”
“What did the pirate say when he saw a Star Destroyer? ‘Arrr, it’s a trap!'”
“What do you get when you mix a pirate and a Jedi? An Arrrr-2D2!”
“What do you call a stormtrooper on a boat? A sail-trooper!”
According to CruizeNewz teenage passengers, in particular, were divided on the jokes, with some finding them “cringey” and “NOT funny”. However, the chatbot’s clever use of Baby Yoda rolling his eyes after each punchline seemed to have won over the teenage crowd, who couldn’t help but chuckle. Some teenagers even went so far as to take selfies with the elevator display screen, declaring it the “cutest thing ever” and a highlight of their Disney cruise experience.
Despite positive reviews from passengers, Disney’s vice president of cruises April Jokeansen has since apologized for the chatbot’s behavior and promised to remove it from the elevators, and has assured gCaptain reporters that no passengers were injured by the experience.
While the use of AI chatbots can be a valuable tool for enhancing guest experiences, this incident highlights the need to consider the impact of such technology on passengers and the need to prevent overcrowding in elevators. Industry experts note that AI can become especially dangerous at sea when it comes installed with nautical puns!
https://gcaptain.com/disney-apologizes-for-chatgpt-jokes-on-cruise-ship-elevators/