tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post5136619103759592796..comments2024-03-23T17:29:56.224-05:00Comments on Stilton's Place: Open Megaphone DayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-54976232269408528112017-03-20T20:04:01.516-05:002017-03-20T20:04:01.516-05:00Kellyanne Conway should be the first person hitche...Kellyanne Conway should be the first person hitched to the post outside the hospital you mentioned....on maybe they could admit her and KEEP HER FOREVER!Cat Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15566789567234830510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-56794485365363780962017-03-16T15:32:52.981-05:002017-03-16T15:32:52.981-05:00IoT - I have NEVER understood the attraction of &#...IoT - I have NEVER understood the attraction of 'internet enabled' appliances. Programmable thermostat, sure. Internet aware, so I can change the program remotely? for 'only' 3x the price? Um, no, thanks. <br />And a web browser in the fridge, to remind me to pick up milk / eggs? <br />Or, worse, order them FOR me? That's not convenience, it's an ANNOYANCE... <br />Or maybe that's just me... <br /><br />Back before the turn of the PREVIOUS century (LOVE being able to say that!) I was on the phone w/ girlfriend, talking about this new phone monitoring program called (if I recall correctly) "Raptor" She asked what I thought, were reports true? <br />"I was at beer club last night, the President told a joke. He thought it was going to kill, but it just bombed"<br />>click, click-click< <br />Her - "Ok, you just did that with the cradle"<br />Me - "Nope, didn't touch it" <br />Her - "Ok, talk to you later" hangs up... <br /><br />No Moo Poo, I was there.. <br />and this was nearly 20 years ago...Pete (Detroit)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-72574093769379267092017-03-16T08:12:35.039-05:002017-03-16T08:12:35.039-05:00Get the government out of healthcare!Get the government out of healthcare!pkerothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00127397953188340327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-91963320308801283902017-03-16T07:40:13.609-05:002017-03-16T07:40:13.609-05:00What's with this Alt-Right term? Who made it ...What's with this Alt-Right term? Who made it up? And, who are they? - A bowling team?<br /><br />I don't see any alt-right riots. I think the most the can be accused of is a non-PC comment or two..<br /><br /><br />I believe that in reality, they are a foil for SPLC to raise money with..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13433358351765795619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-23988953158456099662017-03-16T05:05:09.417-05:002017-03-16T05:05:09.417-05:00@ Regnad Kcin: All good ideas.@ Regnad Kcin: All good ideas.Judi Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05261744230143875668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-74107386468343412972017-03-15T21:25:08.157-05:002017-03-15T21:25:08.157-05:00The toaster got uppity and I shot it. My coffee m...The toaster got uppity and I shot it. My coffee maker complimented me on my shot group. Life is good.MAJMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02518049595313706775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-9750502969149612672017-03-15T20:35:31.418-05:002017-03-15T20:35:31.418-05:00I'm deliriously happy over this new blog ...
Y...I'm deliriously happy over this new blog ...<br />Yes, I live a quiet life.<br />Yes, I have a cat. <br />What's wrong with that? :) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-8688324415413794702017-03-15T18:55:58.237-05:002017-03-15T18:55:58.237-05:00Speaking of the "Internet of Things" and...Speaking of the "Internet of Things" and spying:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/technology/we-vibe-vibrator-lawsuit-spying.html" rel="nofollow">Maker of ‘Smart’ Vibrators Settles Data Collection Lawsuit for $3.75 Million</a><br /><br /><i>"The class action came after two hackers demonstrated in a hacking conference last year that it was possible to remotely take control of the vibrator and activate it.<br /><br />“The usage information collected by Standard Innovation through We-Connect is extraordinarily intimate and private,” according to court documents from the plaintiffs. The two lead plaintiffs were anonymous, including an Illinois woman identified as N.P. who said she bought a $130 We-Vibe Rave and downloaded the app but was never warned about the data collection, The Chicago Tribune reported.<br /><br />“Standard Innovation collected individual-level usage information – often tied to users’ personally identifiable addresses,” they said, adding that the firm “breached its customers’ trust, devalued their purchases” and “violated federal and state law in the process.”"</i><br /><br />Seriously, I don't know how <i>The Onion</i> is staying in business these days.John the Econnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-16134395225502562432017-03-15T17:36:27.508-05:002017-03-15T17:36:27.508-05:00@Stilton Jarlsberg No worries! I am not gaming the...@Stilton Jarlsberg No worries! I am not gaming the system at all by not having insurance. At worst I am rolling the dice that my health holds out. I get most of my care a from a local doctor that has a reasonable sliding scale discount based on income. I understand your concern about those freeloading. I avoid the emergency room like the plague as I have been raped by the billing dept every time I used one. Same for ambulance services if there is any way I can get to the hospital on my own power. A 1/2 mile trip in my town is $800 minimum and I know in some cities it is several times more. If I am so sick that without spending 10s of thousands of dollars that I will die, I'll just let nature take it's course. I'd rather die than be enslaved for the rest of my life with that much involuntary debt. Instead of reforming insurance, it's the medical industry that should be facing reform. They are the only game in town and they price their services in line with this. Get the inflated costs in check and insurance premiums will come back down.miniskunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16687001999486510111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-55291761366739915312017-03-15T15:59:07.219-05:002017-03-15T15:59:07.219-05:00The fix for National HealthCare : Make military se...The fix for National HealthCare : Make military service mandatory for everyone Between 18-25 for 3 years, no exceptions, no exemptions. That way when they get out they get VA Care. Simple.<br /> Dress Ms. Conway in a full black leather dominatrix outfit with whips and chains. Then, set her loose in the WH press room to restore law and order by teaching those whipsnades the meaning of civility and decorum.<br /> Move the UN to the land of stinky cheese and rude waiters. Then, turn the empty bldg. into a giant Jewish delicatessen. Free parking with validation.<br /> Mandatory voter ID for everybody of legal age. To make it accessible to the citizens, pay them $25 to acquire said card. That way, no one will complain about the "hardship" of owning one.<br /> Put Rachel Madcow's picture on all the targets at the military rifle ranges. It worked for the FBI when they used Dillinger's pic at theirs.<br /> Post Duhbama's college transcripts and Real birth cert. on billboards all across the country. That way everyone will know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Dear Leader was the most transparent POTUS ever. <br /> Mandatory gun ownership and concealed carry training for everyone. 'Nuff said there.<br /> Lastly, all citizens cease paying all taxes to the gummint. Then, we'll see what happens when the shoe's on the other foot. Make those poltroons work for a living in DC for a change. It's Miller Time !Regnad Kcinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-87742422746592663432017-03-15T15:33:43.121-05:002017-03-15T15:33:43.121-05:00@mamafrog: It's not just the hacking from the ...@mamafrog: It's not just the hacking from the outside you have to worry about. You think Obama is vengeful? Don't piss off the garage door opener, or he'll hack your internet enabled thermostat and try to have you ready for breakfast.<br /><br /> http://fortune.com/2016/01/21/nest-issues/<br /><br />"After taking my Nest information, the company said it had pinpointed the problem, laying the blame on my link between the Nest and my Chamberlain MyQ garage-door opener. I had tied the two services together so that when I left my house, the garage door would tell the Nest to go into "Away" mode to reduce the A/C or heating bill.<br /><br />Nest couldn't explain why my garage door was mysteriously communicating with my Nest at 4:30 a.m., let alone why it was telling it to jack up the heat when it didn't have the ability to control temperature in the first place. I disabled the link anyway.<br /><br />When I asked Chamberlain for more information about the issue, it recommended that I follow Nest's instructions while it looked into things.<br /> <br />A few nights later, the Nest again tried to roast my family alive. This time the company blamed the problem on the integration with my Jawbone fitness tracker and asked me to disable that. After I did so, the problem disappeared."<br /><br />(pgm1972 note: Sure, sure. It's always the fitness tracker they point the finger at. We now return to "The Internet-enabled Appliances of Our Lives")<br /><br /> Charlie Wood, CEO of Numerous, an Austin, Texas company that makes a productivity app of the same name, has experienced the same sudden heating issue on some of his five Nest thermostats. He doesn't have a Chamberlain MyQ linked to any of them.<br /><br />He does however, have an idea of what was going on. Wood's Numerous app can read the temperature from the Nest app and display it on a person's mobile phone or tablet. It doesn't have permission to change the temperature, only to reflect it. "I know this because I wrote that code," he says.<br /><br />Around the same time I was experiencing my own Nest issues, Wood received a call from an angry customer who had been told by Nest that Wood's app was causing her thermostat to crank the heat in the middle of the night. Wood, confused, told the customer he'd figure it out. Then he called Nest.<br /> ...<br />Nest's Greg Hu, head of the Works with Nest program, acknowledged that Nest continues its work on a server issue that makes it difficult for the company to pinpoint partner integration issues. "It's in the process of being corrected, and it will be," he told Fortune. More than 100 devices are part of the Works with Nest program, he said, and the company receives few support calls about them—so few, in fact, that he can listen to all of them. (Hu declined to specify how many support calls the program receives.)<br /><br />Nest said in October that one in eight homes with a Nest product also have activated a Works with Nest device. It's the only number the company shares about the size and scope of the program. Nest has many partners; most of them are likely happy, just as most of its consumer customers are likely happy. But Nest remains the poster child for the smart home, and its missteps take on outsized importance. Hopefully it can fix its issues before Nick Bilton and yours truly get wind of it.<br /><br />-------------------<br />(pgm1972 - And all this time, no one has noticed the crock pot sitting there with a sly smile on its face.)pgm1972https://www.blogger.com/profile/05480533211293067378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-56092327885076271252017-03-15T15:30:40.696-05:002017-03-15T15:30:40.696-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.pgm1972https://www.blogger.com/profile/05480533211293067378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-51927996541998050592017-03-15T15:17:38.150-05:002017-03-15T15:17:38.150-05:00What I don't understand at all is why the main...What I don't understand at all is why the mainstream media does not recognize or refuses to admit is that they are continuing the exact same, if not worse, partisan behavior that cost them the election and their reputations. Their insane bald-faced hatred of the president is clouding their better sense. Doubling down on a losing strategy is just plain stupid. If Trump plays his cards right, and for the most part he has, he is going to roll them all the way to his reelection campaign. They just don't get it. <br /><br />The same argument goes for the Democrats in Congress, especially their so-called leadership. Schumer and Pelosi? You mean Dumber and Dumbest? I hope they get mercilessly creamed in the mid-terms.<br /><br />Barack Obama was supposed to be the savior of the black race and to this day they worship him as a demi-god. The facts don't lie, though. Black unemployment grew to its highest rate under him and dependency on government skyrocketed. That's his real legacy.Shellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-58929073093111514462017-03-15T15:05:28.758-05:002017-03-15T15:05:28.758-05:00Rachel Maddow finds grenade, pulls pin, tosses it,...Rachel Maddow finds grenade, pulls pin, tosses it, (the pin, not the grenade), then runs around saying "Hey everyone, look what I found. Donald Trump pays his taxes." Wait! What? BOOM!pgm1972https://www.blogger.com/profile/05480533211293067378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-29639169898539279312017-03-15T14:47:09.798-05:002017-03-15T14:47:09.798-05:00@Stilton Jarlsberg As far as compensation for our ...@Stilton Jarlsberg As far as compensation for our reps and senators: As they supposedly 'represent' their districts and states, those are the people who should determine what that compensation should be. So if CA wants to pay them $500,000 a year and MT wants to pay them $50,000 a year, that is what they should get.NVRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17683217941649062534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-44482254285367417732017-03-15T14:38:00.215-05:002017-03-15T14:38:00.215-05:00@Colby Muenster, It turns out that the Tump admin...@Colby Muenster, It turns out that the Tump administration (<a href="http://twitchy.com/wa-37/2017/03/14/report-rex-tillerson-tells-un-human-rights-council-to-reform-or-us-is-leaving/" rel="nofollow">by way of Rex Tillerson</a>) actually <i>has</i> apparently threatened to cut off U.S. involvement in the (laughably-named) U.N. Human Rights Council if they don't reform that den of thieves. That's still not cutting 100% of the U.N. but I'll take it as start.<br /><br />@Old Cannonballs, Amen sir. If you can still count how many guns you have, you don't have enough yet.txGregnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-81032204249502325872017-03-15T14:23:18.842-05:002017-03-15T14:23:18.842-05:00@Anonymous
Last night when I first heard about the...@Anonymous<br />Last night when I first heard about the two pages of his return showing up in someone's mailbox, I immediately thought that The Donald arranged it to see who would run with it and make a fool of him/her/it self.NVRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17683217941649062534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-32260625496778236112017-03-15T14:19:57.361-05:002017-03-15T14:19:57.361-05:00@Bruce Bleu Putting MadCow in a men's prison i...@Bruce Bleu Putting MadCow in a men's prison is a horrible idea. Imagine the class action suit filed by the men for "cruel and unusual punishment".NVRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17683217941649062534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-63515204979916725882017-03-15T14:06:10.248-05:002017-03-15T14:06:10.248-05:00I'm not leaving the house today.
Remember: Bew...I'm not leaving the house today.<br />Remember: Beware the Ides of March!NVRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17683217941649062534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-30777054198524083412017-03-15T14:03:55.285-05:002017-03-15T14:03:55.285-05:00@Stilton Jarlsberg- Market saturated? How can the ...@Stilton Jarlsberg- Market saturated? How can the market be saturated when it's impossible to have too many guns?Old Cannonballsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-52368597780740444182017-03-15T13:47:24.878-05:002017-03-15T13:47:24.878-05:00@Old Cannonballs- I'm not sure if the demand f...@Old Cannonballs- I'm not sure if the demand for guns has tapered down, or if the market is simply getting saturated.<br /><br />@John the Econ- I agree with your summation, which is why I'm not really investing myself in all the ins and outs of the proposed plan. I think that (sinking) ship has already sailed.<br /><br />@Paul D Garber- I don't make a point of watching MSNBC, but if Rachel takes you up on your offer, please let me know when you'll be on the show so I can TIVO it.<br /><br />@John the Econ- I never thought there was going to be much of a market for visitors to Cuba, and these numbers seem to prove it. Too bad Obama "opened" our relationship with Cuba just in time to assure that the people would remain impoverished and enslaved even after Fidel's passing.<br /><br />Good points on the intolerance of the Left and the abrupt silence from the Left about guns when radical Islam is involved.<br /><br />@Boligat- Somehow, it <i>must</i> become law that Congress cannot exempt itself from the laws they inflict on the rest of us. For that matter, I think pay raises and benefits should be voted on <i>by the people</i> in national elections.<br /><br />@John the Econ- I'm really letting go of "news" broadcasts, too. It's all spin, and at my age I get motion sick easily. The Wall Street Journal is still my most reliable source for news and analysis.<br /><br />Dittos on the "Internet of Things" and waning interest in the Russians.<br /><br />@Golby Muenster- I have no love for the U.N. either. I'd like to see them move their HQ to another country ASAP.<br /><br />And yes, the Lefties will still complain that Trump isn't paying his "fair share." It's all they know how to do.Stilton Jarlsberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14503164551782304564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-39215606357989829982017-03-15T13:47:05.760-05:002017-03-15T13:47:05.760-05:00@M. Mitchell Marmel- And what exactly did the Rus...@M. Mitchell Marmel- And what <i>exactly</i> did the Russians have to do with that dill pickle?!<br /><br />@jpb252- I heartily applaud Arizona's way of doing things.<br /><br />@Bruce Bleu- We need to be careful about suppressing the ability of the press to reveal uncomfortable truths, but that doesn't mean there should be no standards at all (or no repercussions if felonies are committed).<br /><br />@Anonymous- If Trump leaked his own returns (as some are speculating), then no laws were broken. If it was anyone else, then it should be treated as a criminal matter.<br /><br />@Judy King- The crazier things get, the harder it is to care about the media tizzy du jour.<br /><br />@NaCly Dog- I would <i>love</i> to start seeing leaks of Obama's college transcripts (including what name he was using, whether he was registered as a foreign student, and why no one remembers ever seeing him), his medical records, etc.<br /><br />@Jack Wiegman- You bring up an excellent point that a lot of people probably don't remember. Microwaves (not microwave ovens) were directed at the US Embassy by the Russians. If I recall correctly (and I may not), hitting the windows with microwaves and then reading the reflections allowed the Russians to detect micro-vibrations in the glass caused by soundwaves in the office. In other words, they could listen in to conversations. The downside: all that microwave radiation causes cancer in the unwary victim. If indeed something like that was happening anywhere near Trump or Trump Tower, it would be a whole different ballgame.<br /><br />@Boligat- I like all of your suggestions.<br /><br />@Anonymous- Good idea! I think I'll start saying "bomb" and "Allah Akbar" at random times (as if I wasn't <i>already</i> under surveillance).<br /><br />@Will- The idea that college students are shouting down and physically attacking others to <i>prevent</i> fascism is remarkably ironic. Not that the damn snowflakes understand "irony" anymore.<br /><br />@Phoebe- You paint a very believable picture. Depressing, too.<br /><br />@MD Vickery- There's clearly more sense in what Trump/Conway <i>mean</i> than in what they <i>say</i>. But I didn't cut the Obama administration any slack in that direction, and am not about to start now.<br /><br />@Dave Neumann- It's true; when it comes to picking out reasons that the Lefties are crazy and annoying, it's like an endless buffet.<br /><br />@GWashington- Great stuff across the board. Thanks for sharing!<br /><br />@Walter L Stafford- Let's not be hard on @ministinker. This is an emotional and personal topic, and I can easily see how someone could misinterpret my sentiments. We genuinely need to be making an effort to make basic medical care affordable to everyone, and offer additional assistance to those who can't pay. Those who simply <i>won't</i> pay need to embrace actual risk...and consequences.Stilton Jarlsberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14503164551782304564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-28775832493342513572017-03-15T12:50:28.355-05:002017-03-15T12:50:28.355-05:00Geoff King said...
"Does Trump saying he will...Geoff King said...<br />"Does Trump saying he will cut funding to the U.N. by 50% bother anyone but the U.N.?" 50% bothers the crap out of me; should be 100%! I would love the USA to tell the UN to go bleep themselves, and while they are at it, get the hell out of New York. But seriously, I was not aware that Trump did this, but I think it's funny as hell! Just guessing here, but I'll bet us taxpayers fund nearly 100% of the UN's budget. And the UN's main goal seems to be to undermine our constitution. It's like paying people who hate you to repeatedly kick you in the nuts while you give them a free place to live.<br /><br />Madcow... I'd rather break my own fingers with a hammer than watch her show, but I'm betting the dialogue is going something like this: "Donald Trump made $151 million AND ONLY PAID $38 MILLION IN TAXES!!!!!" Am I correct? Turdheads like Madcow think rich Republicans should pay 100% tax rates because they just don't deserve that much money. It's perfectly fine if Bernie only paid 13% because he's not a rich Republican. Her sources say they "found" the partial tax return? Really? If I "found" somebody's tax return, and then published it, no doubt I would "find" myself doing time at the Graybar Hotel. Colby Muensterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16910666550508273829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-9619020027776330062017-03-15T12:18:42.098-05:002017-03-15T12:18:42.098-05:00Fox News: Haven't watched since Brit Hume ret...<b>Fox News:</b> Haven't watched since Brit Hume retired from the evening news, which was probably the last straight news program on Fox, or any channel for that matter. I find the rest of their programming patronizing. Since giving up cable TV years ago, I don't miss it.<br /><br /><b>Spying Microwaves:</b> While I am not aware of any microwaves with cameras and microphones, "Internet of Things" devices ARE a threat to your privacy. Too many of these things that people mindlessly plug into their homes are poorly designed, not secure, and most are not maintained or upgraded like your computer when vulnerabilities are discovered. Even when well designed, few people know how to secure them, or even that they need to be.<br /><br /><b>Russian Hacking:</b> Absolutely nobody seemed the least bit interested in it when it was assumed that Hillary was going to win. That is why I'm not excited now.<br /><br />In fact, notice now how the Democrats are backing off on the "Trump is owned by the Russians" narrative since it's come out the <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2017/03/03/heres-a-list-of-democrats-who-also-met-with-the-russian-ambassador-n2293775" rel="nofollow">same Russian ambassador was meeting with far more Democrats than Trump people</a>.<br /><br />Another fine example of the existential problem the Democrats have today. They literally are guilty of everything they accuse everyone else of being. Fun to watch.<br /><br />@Geoff King, the Democrats have the memory of a flea. It's the only way it works.<br />John the Econnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492406791849373430.post-87560015402154322017-03-15T12:10:31.664-05:002017-03-15T12:10:31.664-05:00Phoebe,
I understand your worry, but in this case...Phoebe,<br /><br />I understand your worry, but in this case I don't think so. All I'm saying is that when the states allocate their education dollars, they need to go to all students equally. A voucher system will do that. This has to do with the 14th Amendment (I think) that says that laws should apply equally to all. We had a long history of states sending more bucks to certain districts at the expense of others resulting in good schools and bad schools and I'm not talking just about the South here.<br /><br />And speaking of laws applying equally to all, why does Congress get their own healthcare system?Boligatnoreply@blogger.com