Antonin Scalia Making Americans Less Tolerant Article By Jeffrey Toobin

Jeffrey Toobin starts off his article in the New Yorker with:

"Antonin Scalia, who died this month, after nearly three decades on the Supreme Court, devoted his professional life to making the United States a less fair, less tolerant, and less admirable democracy. Fortunately, he mostly failed."

Toobin goes on to say:

"His revulsion toward homosexuality, a touchstone of his world view, appeared straight out of his sheltered, nineteen-forties boyhood. When, in 2003, the Court ruled that gay people could no longer be thrown in prison for having consensual sex, Scalia dissented, and wrote, “Today’s opinion is the product of a Court, which is the product of a law-profession culture, that has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda, by which I mean the agenda promoted by some homosexual activists directed at eliminating the moral opprobrium that has traditionally attached to homosexual conduct.” He went on, “Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children’s schools, or as boarders in their home. They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a life style that they believe to be immoral and destructive.”

We need an open minded justice to take Scalia's spot on the court....

Manufacturing--> Burn Your Clip-Boards

Burn the clip-boards and start capturing real-time OEE in 2016.  View this email in your browser Haven't burned your clip-boards yet? Better read this How the lack of real-time data cost 2,080 hours/year Email Sales Consider this example: What if this seemingly random event occurs twice on each shift in a 3 shift 24 hour operation, and its total duration is 150 seconds across 32 of 40 machines in the plant each shift.  That plant loses 8 hours of production, 40 hours per week, for a total of 2,080 hours per year. Tom Goike, MEMEX's Director of Manufacturing Excellence, encountered this situation while trying to improve productivity in a company that introduced the use of Day by Hour charts for manual data collection. Break and lunch were considered planned downtime with no operator input required.  During a Kazien event the plant management team noted that the operators left their work stations approximately 2 to 3 minutes before lunch and break. Through interviewing and reviewing the causes they found the company didn’t provide enough microwaves for employees to heat their lunches, and felt the need to get a head start to access the scarce appliances. If real-time data collection with the MERLIN communications platform were in place, a supervisor would have been able to review data hourly or daily and unfiltered by those who input the data into clipboard and spreadsheets. The supervisor would have instantly detected the underutilization of plant equipment just ahead of lunch breaks, uncovered the issue, and addressed the loss with the purchase of a few low-cost appliances.  With subjectively collected manual data, a few minutes lost due to something seemingly random and obscure most likely will not make the clipboard. With real-time data collection, machine utilization is collected automatically and processed into readable and actionable reports instantly available on the device of choice to those who can make a difference. Real-time data collection delivers truly objective data, allowing all employees the opportunity to stop loss before it becomes unrecoverable. As a manager, imagine being able to know minute by minute or hour by hour if you will meet your daily requirements. And not just know that, but have the ability to change the course of the day based on real-time, accurate, actionable data. IIoT software that employs the MTConnect manufacturing communications standard capture data as it occurs from each machine and operator and provides an accurate picture of the health of any given process. If the software is called MERLIN it also offers the ability to connect machines and related assets of any make or origin and report on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Then, lean becomes a culture of accuracy and accountability based on real time data. Ready to burn those clip-boards yet?  Email Sales IIoT News MEMEX CNC memory and DNC free trial MEMEX's roots are in CNC memory upgrades for a wide range of controller makes and models, plus proven DNC software for easy and reliable machine communication and file management. Click here for free DNC software trial.  Why Cisco and Mazak back MERLIN David McPhail, the CEO of Burlington, Ont.-based MEMEX Inc., loves showing off a new white paper from Mazak, the Japan-based machine-tool giant. Even though its title, “Complete Digital Factory Integration and the IIOT” (Industrial Internet of Things) suggests most people will find it less than a thrilling reading. But McPhail cares mostly about the cover, and its three company logos. The stylized word mark of Mazak, with 7,800 employees and 10 factories worldwide, appears on the left side; on the right, inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, sits the logo of Cisco, the San Francisco networking giant with 72,000 employees; and tucked proudly between the two is the logo of MEMEX.  This kind of exposure doesn’t happen by accident. The eight-page brochure promoting a new “Smart Box” that enables digital connectivity between manufacturing tools represents eight years of work by McPhail and his team. Click here to learn more.  MERLIN IIoT for Homeyer  NTMA's Chairman of the Board and American manufacturing leader Herb Homeyer introduced IIoT software to his factory in 2016 with MERLIN Enterprise Edition from MEMEX.  “The Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, is a powerful trend, and MERLIN makes IIoT real by equipping industrial machines with the necessary interfaces for connecting, collecting, and analyzing manufacturing data in real-time,” said Homeyer. "One of the things that most impressed us is how no machine is left behind regardless of make or vintage, and MERLIN’s ability to implement quickly on our factory floor without costly integration services or associated time-lags. With this real-time visibility, we look forward to a significant boost in Overall Equipment Effectiveness, or OEE.” Click here to learn more.  Our core belief is that successful IIoT technology adoption drives data-driven manufacturing efficiency, and we want to hear from customers like you. Follow us on Twitter at @MemexInc and let us know what you think about our products and support. Your feedback makes us better. Thanks, —David McPhail, CEO, MEMEX Inc.  Copyright © 2016 MEMEX Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have indicated an interest in MEMEX manufacturing productivity products. Our mailing address is: Memex 105-3425 Harvester Rd Burlington, ON L7N 3N1 Canada

We Have Seen This Movie Before: Apple Is Correct and US Government Is Wrong On Back Doors

I was surprised to read that Michael Hayden, former NSA and CIA Chief, and I actually agree on one thing - no back doors in technology.  Note, we disagree on waterboarding and mass surveillance of American's phone records (he is for both and I am against both).

When Hayden said in an article in 9to5Mac by Ben Lovejoy titled:

Former NSA and CIA chief says Apple is right on the bigger issue of encryption back door

"Hayden said that while he would have loved a back door into encrypted devices while he was running the NSA, the problem – as I argued – is that others would inevitably gain access to it.

“When you step back and look at the whole question of American security and safety writ large, we are a safer, more secure nation without back doors,” he says. With them, “a lot of other people would take advantage of it.”"

We have seen this movie before with the Clipper chip.  For those who do not remember - below is from wikipedia:

"The Clipper chip was a chipset that was developed and promoted by the United States National Security Agency^[1] (NSA) as an encryption device, with a built-in backdoor, intended to be adopted by telecommunications companies for voice transmission. It was announced in 1993 and by 1996 was entirely defunct."

The image below is also from the same wikipedia article on the Clipper chip.  Where the text along with this image stated:

"RSA Security campaigned against the Clipper chip backdoor in the so-called Crypto Wars, with this poster being the most well-remember icon of that debate."

 

Good For You Marc Benioff - CEO of SalesForce!

I am always very glad to see technical leaders or athletes speak up on social issues.

As stated in The Huffington Post:

"Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is strapping on his boxing gloves again.

Nearly a year after the cloud-computing giant led the charge to topple a law in Indiana that legalized discrimination against LGBT people in the name of religious freedom, Benioff says he is gearing up for a fresh fight against a similar bill in Georgia.

"Nobody wants a discrimination law in America today," Benioff told The Huffington Post in a phone interview on Friday. "But there are still bigots out there fighting for people to be discriminated against."

I have a number of very good friends at SalesForce and it is great to see someone, who is such technical thought leader as Marc Benioff, speak up against the number of idiots out there who want to discriminate against the LGBT community.  It is these idiots who are usually the same people who say, " I want to take my country back!"  Yes, they want to take their country back IN TIME is where they want to take it to the days of discrimination....

34 Years Old Today Sun Microsystems Was Incorporated

Here is a short video of Scott McNealy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, talking about how Sun was built:

Memex Inc. Releases Q1 – 2016 Results with Fourth Consecutive Quarter of Revenue Growth

 February 22, 2016   Financial Statements, Investor News, Press Releases,Recent News

Burlington, ON, Canada – February 22, 2016 – Memex Inc. (“Memex” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: OEE) a global leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) manufacturing productivity software, today released its financial results and operational highlights for its first quarter of fiscal 2016 which ended December 31, 2015. All results are reported in Canadian dollars.

Financial Highlights for the First Quarter Ended December 31, 2015:

• Memex generated record quarterly revenue of $614 thousand, $113 thousand higher than the same period in the prior year, and 7% higher than the fourth quarter of 2015. The Company also marked its fourth consecutive quarter of revenue growth.
• Memex produced gross margin of $375 thousand, 27% higher than the same quarter in the prior year.
• Unearned revenue of $482 thousand closed the quarter down $100 thousand from the Company’s record high of $582 thousand at the end of Q4-2015.
• Memex’s sales force turned in $876 thousand in product bookings[i] for the quarter, 58% or $320 thousand more than Q4-2015.
• The Company showed a $641 thousand net and comprehensive loss for the quarter equating to a $0.007 loss per share. This compares with a $461 thousand net and comprehensive loss in the same quarter last year, and a similar $0.007 loss per share.

Q1 Fiscal 2016 and Subsequent Operational Highlights:

• Memex bolstered its sales and marketing infrastructure with the addition of a VP Marketing and three new US-based sales representatives. In January 2016 the Company also added a Director of Manufacturing Excellence to accelerate MERLIN adoption by larger high-potential existing customers.

• On October 27-29 and November 3-5 at DISCOVER 2015 (Mazak Corporation’s Technology and Education event), MERLIN software along with hardware from information technology (IT) leader Cisco Systems, Inc. was showcased in an industry-first collaborative platform called SmartBox. The launch took place in front of metalworking managers and C-level executives. The co-promotion with Mazak and Cisco led to multiple media stories, blogs, and videos mainly in manufacturing trade press.

• In December Memex received significant new orders from Aero Pacific Corporation in Placentia, CA. (30 MERLIN licenses and 28 MTConnect hardware adapters), and Homeyer Precision Manufacturing Co. in Marthasville, MO (23 licenses and 9 hardware adapters).

• On January 18th, Memex was profiled in the National Post’s Entrepreneur section with the headline “Memex wins over industry giants.” The article explained how eight focused years of work on strategic partnerships resulted in successes with multinational giants Cisco and Mazak.

• In February Memex received a substantial follow-on order from Kuss Filtration Inc. for 43 MERLIN licences as part of a multi-plant roll-out in the US, China, and Brazil. 

Management Commentary:

Memex’s President & CEO David McPhail stated, “The Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, represents the next industrial revolution, and Memex’s flagship software product MERLIN is planted squarely in the middle of this manufacturing mega-trend. Our latest quarterly results, representing our fourth consecutive quarter of growth strongly indicate that manufacturers around the world see the value of our unique combination of industrial connectivity and analytics to drive productivity and profit. I want to thank our customers for their trust and our employees for their hard work to achieve these results.”

About Memex Inc.

Memex is a leading Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology platform provider that delivers real-time manufacturing productivity analytics. Industrial strength MERLIN software provides Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) efficiency metrics in real time, from shop-floor-to-top-floor. Specifically, MERLIN delivers a 10%-50% average productivity increase, and earns 20%-plus profit improvement based on just a 10% increase in OEE. It consistently achieves payback in less than four months with an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) greater than 300%, and connects to any machine, old or new, utilizing native MTConnect, other protocols or MERLIN hardware adapters for older machines. For more information, please visit:www.MemexOEE.com

For investor inquiries please contact:

David McPhail, President & CEO

519-993-1114

david.mcphail@MemexOEE.com

Ed Crymble, Chief Financial Officer

905-635-1540 ext. 110

ed.crymble@MemexOEE.com

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

416-565-2801

sean@sophiccapital.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

[i] This non-IFRS financial measure is identified, defined and reconciled to the closest IFRS measure, revenue, within our Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the three month periods ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, in the section “Other Financial Measures.” That MD&A is available at www.sedar.com under our company profile.

Pope Francis and Republican's Cognitive Dissonance

From the Washington Post article by By Nicole Winfield | AP February 18 at 12:18 PM

"ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Asked about Donald Trump’s views on immigration, Pope Francis said Thursday that anyone who wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border isn’t Christian.

Trump, a leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate, has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border from Texas to California and expel 11 million people who are in the country illegally if elected president. The Pope’s comments en route home from Mexico came hours after he prayed at the Mexico-U.S. border for people who died trying to reach the United States.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said. “This is not in the Gospel.”"


So, how are of these Bible thumping Republicans going to be able to say build the wall AND say the Pope is wrong?  This is the definition of cognitive dissonance at its best. 

The Single Topic That I Agree With Donald Trump On

I disagree with Donald Trump on just about everything (especially his comments on Mexico, illegal immigrants, building a wall, women, the horrible statement he made about Senator John McCain, how he never talks specifics and attacks individuals, ..), except on Saturday night when The Donald stated:

• The war in Iraq was a huge mistake.  It cost us thousands of lives and trillions of dollars.
• The United States created a mess in the middle east - thanks to the Bush administration.
• When Jeb Bush says, "his brother kept us safe" is absolutely insane.  No, "W" did not keep us safe. The worst attack on American soil happened on "W"'s watch.
• To say "George W. Bush kept us safe", is like saying "the Titanic was a great ship, unless you count the whole iceberg thing."
• Or, it is like saying, "Pete Rose was a great role model if you do not factor in the whole gambling thing."
• Back in August, that it took Jeb Bush almost a week (and four different responses) to finally come out and say that the Iraq was a mistake was incredible.

To be clear, I don't blame President Bush for 9/11.  I agree with all the reports that stated he was given very bad advice. Yes, President Bush did a great job AFTER 9/11 keeping us safe.

I do have the ultimate respect for their father - President George H.W. Bush.

Again, I disagree with almost EVERYTHING Donald Trump says, except on this topic when he speaks the absolute truth.  I also understand why Republicans want to avoid this subject.

The Most Important Task A President Does - Supreme Court Justice Appointment

I have often said that the most important task a President does is the selection of a Supreme Court Justice.  The number of 5-4 rulings on the most critical issues affecting the lives of Americans is why this appointment by Obama will be so critical.

In today's Washington Post, Amber Phillips writes:

"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to say just that in a statement Saturday night. "The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice," his statement read. "Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”

The American people HAVE spoken Senator McConnell.  They spoke in 2008 and in 2012.

Phillips goes on to write:

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) fired back in a statement that spending an entire year without considering Obama's nomination to replace Scalia is unprecedented.

"It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat," he said. "Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate's most essential Constitutional responsibilities."

Reid's office circulated some recent stats noting that, since the Ford administration circa 1975, it has taken on average two months between a judicial nomination to the final Senate vote. Today, it's about 75-90 days on average from the time of a vacancy to appointment on the Supreme Court."

I am very glad the President said (as stated by the article in today's Washington Post by Juliet Eilperin and Paul Kane).   “I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time,” Obama said, adding that there’s “plenty of time” for the Senate “to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote. These are responsibilities that I take seriously, as should everyone. They’re bigger than any one party — they’re about a democracy.”

Kuss Filtration Purchases MERLIN IIoT Manufacturing Software for Factories in USA, China and Brazil

Findlay, OH, USA – February 10, 2016 – MEMEX Inc. (TSX-V: OEE) is proud to announce that Kuss Filtration Inc., a global filtration product OEM, has purchased MERLIN Enterprise Edition for a multi-plant roll-out of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software for manufacturing facilities in the USA, China, and Brazil. This sale includes 43 licenses of MERLIN and is a follow-on to a 10-license sale in June of 2015.

“Kuss is committed to quality through our operating management system and use of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing techniques, which has earned us the ISO/TS 16949 certification in addition to many awards and recognitions for design, innovation and product excellence,” said Kuss Filtration’s President and CEO Hasnain Merchant. “MEMEX’s MERLIN has proven itself, and now we intend to enhance our manufacturing excellence and profitability with MERLIN in three of our factories.”

“Kuss Filtration is a great example of a world-class company embracing the power of our MERLIN communications platform,” said MEMEX CEO David McPhail. “MERLIN proves that the Industrial Internet of Things isn’t a theory. IIoT is an implement-now competitive advantage for the smartest factories on the planet.”

MERLIN is an IIoT shop-floor-to-top-floor communications platform that connects industrial machines and provides manufacturing analytics in real time. Specifically, MERLIN delivers a 10%-50% average productivity increase, and earns 20%-plus profit improvement based on just a 10% increase in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). It consistently achieves payback in less than four months with an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) greater than 300%, and connects to any machine, old or new, utilizing native MTConnect, other protocols, or MERLIN hardware adapters for older machines.

About Kuss Filtration Inc.

Kuss Filtration manufactures exceptional filtration products with unparalleled quality and innovation. The company has over 60 years of experience providing air and liquid filtration solutions to a diverse global market. Today Kuss Filtration is comprised of six locations in the U.S. Brazil, Europe and China strategically placed to service its growing global customer base.

About MEMEX Inc.

MEMEX is a leading Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology platform provider that delivers manufacturing productivity analytics. MERLIN software provides Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) efficiency metrics in real time, from shop-floor-to-top-floor. Specifically, MERLIN delivers a 10%-50% average productivity increase, and earns 20%-plus profit improvement based on just a 10% increase in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). It consistently achieves payback in less than four months with an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) greater than 300%, and connects to any machine, old or new, utilizing native MTConnect, other protocols or MERLIN hardware adapters for older machines. For more information, please visit:www.MemexOEE.com.

Media Contacts

Kuss Filtration Inc.

Hasnain Merchant, President & CEO

Phone: +1 (419) 425-7233

Email: Hasnain.Merchant@KussFiltration.com

MEMEX Inc.David McPhail, CEO

Phone: +1 (519) 993-1114

Email: david.mcphail@MemexOEE.com

Nathan Rudyk VP Marketing

Phone: +1 (905) 635-1540 ext. 216

Email: nathan.rudyk@MemexOEE.com

Sophic Capital Inc.                                                                                                          

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

Phone: +1 (416) 565-2805

Email: sean@sophiccapital.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

[MC]2 2016 -- The MUST Attend Yearly MTConnect Event

[MC]2 2016 will be a great event and I know that Bryce Barnes, of Cisco, and I are very excited to be speaking together at [MC]2 2016 on a very important topic.

General Session:

• Manufacturing Cyber-Physical Security
• Dave Edstrom 
• Chief Technology Officer - Memex
• Bryce Barnes 
• Sr. Mgr., Machine Builder and Robot Segment for the IOT Vertical Solutions Group - Cisco
• While Cyber-Physical Security is a new term for some, this is rapidly becoming critically important in the world of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with manufacturing being at the absolute center.In the Memex/Cisco presentation, we will:
  • Discuss current plants and the security challenges that exist.
  • A brief security tutorial.
  • A step by step discussion on how to make a shop/plant secure from both the cyber and physical standpoints. This will provide pragmatic advice in layman’s terms.
  •  Summary and next steps.

Below is an advertisement that I saw in Additive Manufacturing Magazine and Modern Machine Shop.  This ad really drives home why it is important to attend [MC]2. 

The Sun Microsystems Heisenberg Compensator and the Turbo Encabulator

Nine years old, but still priceless: :-)



Below is the Turbo Encabulator of which the Sun Heisenberg Compensator was influenced by.

The Truth About The Debt With The Republicans and The Democrats

Paul Waldman writes a great article:

Can we stop pretending that Republicans care about the deficit now?

Here is a snippet:

"The main reason Republicans are free to set aside concerns about the deficit right now is that it has dropped so dramatically over Barack Obama’s presidency, so it’s much harder to argue that it’s an urgent problem. The deficit peaked at $1.4 trillion in 2009, Obama’s first year in office, when the country was still in the depths of the Great Recession. By 2014 it had fallen to $484 billion, a decline of two-thirds. It went from 9.8 percent of GDP in 2009 down to 2.8 percent of GDP in 2014.

There are multiple reasons why, including sequestration, the improving economy, and the tax increases Obama negotiated. But if you want to grant presidents credit or blame for what happens with the deficit on their watch, in the last forty years, Presidents Obama and Clinton reduced the deficit as a proportion of GDP, President Carter kept it almost exactly where it was, and Presidents Bush the Younger, Bush the Elder, and Reagan increased the deficit. Notice a pattern?"