SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

SPOOKY – FROM THE DAILY STAR (UK):  Facial recognition ID is predicted to replace cash and cards in future as a standard form of payments.  Just last week it emerged MasterCard customers will be able to pay for their shopping by using a selfie from April next year.  Mark Barnett, from Mastercard, said: “Biometric technologies perfectly meet the public’s expectation for state-of-the-art security when making a payment.
"This will be of great benefit to everyone: consumers, retailers and banks.”  Chinese HSBC consumers have been happy to flash their faces at their smartphones when paying for stuff in the past 12 months.  The Alibaba app also allows KFC customers in China to prove their identity and pay for grub by simply looking at a checkout 3D camera.   And if you decide to have plastic surgery? 

ON WINGS OF EAGLES – Those of us of the Patriot faith are a bit glum tonight, our boys having lost to an organization called the Philadelphia Eagles.  There must have been something wrong with our equipment.  It was a good game, however, and we knew that at some point the Pats would suffer a setback.  That came today.  From now on we will fall back on the old Brooklyn Dodgers slogan, "Wait 'til next year."  And next year will come, even if it takes 10 years.  By the way, no player took a knee before the game, which must have been a relief for the NFL.

TRUE PRIVATE EYES – FROM THE SUN:    A PRIVATE police force probing hundreds of crimes including murder and rape has a 100 per cent conviction rate.  The firm - Britain's first - has successfully prosecuted more than 400 criminals and is led by former Scotland Yard senior officers.  Private police officers at TM Eye have a 100 per cent conviction rate.  TM Eye is now believed to bring more private convictions than any other organisation except for the RSPCA, Daily Mail reports.  TM Eye are also looking at three murder cases that cops were unable to solve and are helping out in rape, missing persons, burglary, theft, stalking and blackmail cases.  In two years, the company has successfully convicted 403 criminals for fraud, intellectual property theft and other offences.  Sounds like the spirit of Sherlock Holmes is alive and well.  Also sounds like a great TV series.

February 4, 2018