mid 70s and humid- probably [74F and 99%RH]
I did get some stuff done Monday and Tuesday. I’ve got plenty more to do though.
It seems like the list is neverending just as a homeowner, add dad and family duties, and there isn’t much prepping time left, nor civic engagement or hobbies.
Forget about working đ
Still, I’m chipping away at it. Today is my ham group lunch and it’s near my house so I’m going. The bands were pretty noisy last night, even more than my local noise problem. Some shortwave was making it through. Alex Jones had a good signal, even better than Cuba and the religious nuts. Not much I was interested in hearing though.
There was some other ham news, in that the FCC ruled that the most popular prepper handie talkie could no longer be sold or advertised in the US after 10-1-19, the Baofang UV5 and it’s variants. There are technical reasons, having to do with power levels, and not blocking certain frequencies. RBT liked a more capable version, which I don’t think is affected by the ban. I didn’t mention it earlier, mainly because I didn’t expect it to be enforced, and there are alternatives. I did order a couple last week, mainly because I had projects in mind and just hadn’t gotten around to it. What has happened in the past with restrictions on radios is that the maker adds a few resistors to differentiate models for different places, and the community figures out what to change to allow more functionality anyway. We’ll see how the whole thing plays out. It does point out that it’s not just guns and ammo that are useful tools, and can be regulated out of existence. It will still be legal to own and use the radios, when used within the limits of existing law.
It makes you wonder what might be next? Body armor is almost certainly going to be regulated or banned. Grow lights are high on my banned soon list, as they are poorly made, outrageous RF radiators, and typically mislabeled. That they are used by dopers is a strike too (especially now that the state is getting into production). Water filters? Solar panel controllers? Reloading gear? (omg, he had an ammunition factory in his den!!111!!1) Small machine tools? Certain polymers? Rainwater collection hardware? Remember that they got rid of bump stocks by redefining them to be machine guns, in defiance of decades of their own precedent.
Certain medicines and chemicals are probably high on the list, and some books too. I’ve not tried looking, but I’ve been told that there is almost no written material available on the cultivation or use of poppies, despite that being widespread in the past…
Supplies can dry up in a heartbeat. If there is something you think you can’t live without, or that you’ve put off purchasing but think will make a difference, don’t wait too long.
n
(fish meds, I’ve got fish and they might get sick, and I’ve put it off for a long time. I think that time has come.)
It makes you wonder what might be next?
– TV sets without “smart” features and support for ATSC 3.0, allowing two way communication without an off switch beyond pulling the plug, ostensibly for targeted ads. Existing sets will be obsoleted as far as receiving broadcasts, this time without mandatory converter boxes. Eventually, an HDMI update will obsolete existing sets for new playback devices — Roku, video games, BluRay — made to use that port.
(You do know that’s why HDMI was created and component video went away, right? The manufacturers simply haven’t tried it … yet.)
– PCs capable of booting Linux and other operating systems which have not bought into Secure EFI or require legacy BIOS support. Even getting my newest laptop to boot Ubuntu required digging around in BIOS settings to the point that 99% of the population wouldn’t bother.
Cars without all the tracking and remote control. They’ll be ‘gross polluters’ and banned.
Effective encryption.
Aliases online. (youtube/google already doing this. I don’t WANT to comment under my real name, thanks.) (of course, cloud people will be exempted)
n
If this isn’t some sort of shenanigans, this is one more check box on the slide into collapse.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7528431/Millionaire-tech-executive-kidnapped-lavish-ocean-home.html
n
Cars without all the tracking and remote control. Theyâll be âgross pollutersâ and banned.
The big cities will have “congestion pricing” tolls on surface streets in the near future. Our gear could do it now, but putting it at every corner is price prohibitive. We have had inquiries, though.
I keep thinking that the sheeple will have had enough at some point with all the futzing which has taken place with cars and the road system in the last decade, but it seems like most of the population just want to be ferried from point A to point B, strapped into adult safety seats while binging on “Game of Thrones”, oblivious.
Granted, I live in Austin, and there are a lot of overgrown toddlers here riding Lime and Bird scooters while sucking on Starbucks sippies (I’ve seen that first hand — try forgetting that image), but I think we’re just a bit ahead of the curve here, with a better economy in Texas than much of the rest of the US. At least, for the time being.
Collecting is already illegal in some areas. Setting out a barrel is like the cops saying âthose are burglar toolsâ if you have lock picks.
All those Hispanics driving their beloved Ford Rangers (lawn care) will be targeted by drones carrying small blocks of C4.
Frost On The Pumpkin
Our temperature is at 31°F this morning, right at that magic dewpoint number so time to break out the windshield ice scrapers (as usual the kids can’t find theirs’).
Soon the leaves will start falling and I’ll be stuck with the neighbors’ leaves in my yard. I do not have any deciduous trees in my yard so none of the leaves are mine. I have one neighbor who comes and gets his leaves’ (he is aspiring to a City Council position), the other one (a renter) is a jerk so I have my “yard crew” blow the leaves from whence they came. /snicker/
This weekend I’ll move my BIG A$$ snowblower from the shed to the driveway by the garage (yes, I have a cover for it, locked down, and surveillance cameras/systems). I will put in some fresh gas and oil and do a test run (ear protection necessary) so if there are any problems I won’t be dealing with them in a snow storm.
Last night some stupid kids (SKs) came close to being blown away. A “fellow” (with CCW permit) was stopped at a stoplight when a car (with dealer plates) pulled up next to him and the SKs pointed a gun with a laser sight (later turned out to be an airsoft gun). The “fellow” drew his real gun and the SKs burned rubber. The “fellow” called the police and soon the SKs were in custody. The “fellow” is not only a CCW permittee, but he has a 360° dashcam. At home, the “fellow” has a full complement of Ring Cams and he posted his experience on Ring Neighborhoods. My kind of belt and suspenders sort of “fellow”.
There are now so many Ring Cams in the Tri-Cities that at least one scumbag is being apprehended daily, often two or three. Most are car break-ins and property thefts from sheds.
Contrary to the MSM lies, the police do not have unfettered access to Ring Cam video unless the owner gives permission (of course there is still the writ of subpoena).
It would be nice if we lived in a perfect world, but that will never happen. So keep your powder dry, your eyes and ears wide open, and your larder full. Hug those you love.
Collecting is already illegal in some areas. Setting out a barrel is like the cops saying âthose are burglar toolsâ if you have lock picks.
You don’t own the rights to the water falling on your house.
Ironically, rain barrels were illegal in WA State until ~ the last 10 years. They might be illegal again.
I bought a pair of UV-5RTP’s, the 8W version. I have an Extra ham license and an actual GMRS license. Fine for ham but not legal for GMRS since I believe the transmitters must be capable of only transmitting on the FRS/GMRS freqs.
There was some other ham news, in that the FCC ruled that the most popular prepper handie talkie could no longer be sold or advertised in the US after 10-1-19, the Baofang UV5 and itâs variants. There are technical reasons, having to do with power levels, and not blocking certain frequencies
Didn’t the UV5 have a limited SDR capability?
Was it capable of broadcasting on 1090 MHz? If so, that would probably be the primary issue since that is the “ADS-B ‘Out'” frequency for air traffic control data, used in lieu of radar.
Dilbert: Parody Inversion Point
https://dilbert.com/strip/2019-10-02
Are the seas going to rise or fall ?
Will gravity change ?
“The Latest: Mom says Dallas cop was sexually attacked as kid”
https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/The-Latest-Court-resumes-for-ex-Dallas-cop-s-14485721.php
My takeaway from this whole sad story is do not leave your doors unlocked. Especially when you are home.
Of course, I do not believe the former Dallas cop is telling the entire story as it is probably prejudicial to her.
The high end is 520MHz. Unless there’s a hack.
“Summer should finally end in six days”
https://spacecityweather.com/summer-should-finally-end-in-six-days/
Promises, promises. I’ll believe it when it happens.
Of course, I do not believe the former Dallas cop is telling the entire story as it is probably prejudicial to her.
I think we know more than we would otherwise because the Dallas Sheriff, with former Sheriff Lupe Valdez running for Governor, punted on the investigation and escalated immediately to the Rangers.
Who knows what would have happened if that incident had taken place without the spotlight of “Lupe lost her gun” as an election issue.
“A.F. Branco Cartoon â Schiff Head”
https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-schiff-head/
“Schiffâs lies and attacks against President Trump continue to grow the Trump campaign funds for 2020. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019.”
Man, the web site is running slow today. And I got a 500 Internal Error earlier this morning on my phone.
“Even More Frightening Videos And Photos Surface Of Tesla’s “Smart” Summon Feature”
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/frightening-videos-surface-teslas-smart-summon-feature
More proof of the old programming adage, “If it was easy everyone would do it !”.
Hat tip to:
https://drudgereport.com/
And now the web site is running faster.
More proof of the old programming adage, âIf it was easy everyone would do it !â.
Sooner or later the insurance companies will force the issue of having the feature turned off in a recall.
Flo and The Gecko are probably working the phones as I type, “Hello, General? This is Flo …”
ISTR that around the time of the incident there was talk of a history of bad blood between Guyger and the victim. Also, the exchange of racy texts between her and her partner coupled with her failure to perform CPR certainly didn’t help her defense.
I miss Scott Adams’s blog. It seems that he has gone over to the Advertising side of “content”.
https://dilbert.com/
ADD: And I googled “scott adams blog” and got this:
https://www.scottadamssays.com/
Dilbert: Parody Inversion Point
I remember Carl Hiaasen commenting in interviews several times that, while writing fiction, he couldn’t pull too much material from his non-fiction columns in the Miami Herald because the books wouldn’t be believable crime novels.
And this is from the man who wrote an antagonist possessing a working weed whacker head as a prosthetic hand substitute.
“Theatersâ New Way to Silence Cellphones: Lock Them Up”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/theaters-new-way-to-silence-cellphones-lock-them-up-11569679200
“A lockable case is increasingly used to store devices during shows; âThe minute I put my phone in it, I wanted it back.â”
Here you go Ray.
@lynn … note that the WSJ is behind a paywall.
But to learn about the tech used, go here: https://www.overyondr.com/howitworks .
“n antagonist possessing a working weed whacker head as a prosthetic hand substitute.”
–I remember that story, he got his hand eaten by a baracuda when it attacked because of his flashy watch…. didn’t remember the author, don’t know why I would have been reading him.
Dallas cop complained about upstairs neighbor’s loud music. One scenario, she comes home late, tired, and decides she’s just had enough… except no music reported by witnesses.
Scott Adams is tired of death threats. He said he finds it easier to vlog- ie. do a video commentary, than write blog entries. That might explain it.
n
I wish. At one time cell phones were not allowed in the school. Cell phone seen, cell phone gone.
But parents complained. They could not contact their little cretins in case of emergency. Recent school tragedies have reinforced that. Thus phones are allowed in case of emergency so students can contact parents to let parents know the student is ok.
To make it worse, some classes even require the use of cell phones. That old concern of students being too poor to have such technology is long gone. The poorest still have top notch cell phones, unlimited data plans, and a lot of other stuff that the working stiffs pay for out of their own pockets.
What do you call white people in Chattanooga? Chattanoogers of course. What do you call black people in Chattanooga?
Yep color me racist. However, I heard a black person say it and that is where I got it. He said it, people laughed. I say it and I am guilty of a hate crime. Makes little sense.
It is release day ! It is release day !
I just released version 16.00 of our software package for Windows. This is the first major release of our software in a little over three years.
And as always, there is rain on the parade. Apparently I got a new version of gcc (C++ compiler) on our website when http://www.pair.com updated it a month or five ago. I am updating the website software and running into compile errors (safe string issues) all over the place. I am so lucky !
We do not track the amount of code in our releases but, I suspect that there is 70,000 to 80,000 lines of modified and new C++ and Fortran code. About one third to half of that is mine.
Bernie is done as a candidate.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/breaking-sanders-undergoes-emergency-heart-surgery-all-events-cancelled/
n
The word has been so devalued by overuse that nowadays being called a racist is like being called a poopyhead by a four-year-old.
Bernie is done as a candidate.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/breaking-sanders-undergoes-emergency-heart-surgery-all-events-cancelled/
I love this comment, “I heard Rush today ask Bernie why he wasnât over in Cuba getting his medical care.”
Scott Adams agrees.
(FF to 45:30)
And as always, there is rain on the parade. Apparently I got a new version of gcc (C++ compiler) on our website when http://www.pair.com updated it a month or five ago. I am updating the website software and running into compile errors (safe string issues) all over the place. I am so lucky !
GCC 9 is a significant release with new optimizations. A few weeks ago, I had to compile a current version of Lynx for an old RHEL, and GCC 9 made a huge difference in the binary size.
Clang lit a fire under the GCC people.
Having a heart attack is enough to sideline anyone for a year. Chest pain followed by medical intervention and 2 stents is a heart attack. And he’ll be 79 next year.
Stick a fork in him, he’s done.
n
Having a heart attack is enough to sideline anyone for a year. Chest pain followed by medical intervention and 2 stents is a heart attack. And heâll be 79 next year.
Time to retire to the lake house he received as payment for keeping his mount shut four years ago.
And as always, there is rain on the parade. Apparently I got a new version of gcc (C++ compiler) on our website when http://www.pair.com updated it a month or five ago. I am updating the website software and running into compile errors (safe string issues) all over the place. I am so lucky !
GCC 9 is a significant release with new optimizations. A few weeks ago, I had to compile a current version of Lynx for an old RHEL, and GCC 9 made a huge difference in the binary size.
Clang lit a fire under the GCC people.
Wasn’t as bad as I thought. I was using strncat thinking that it was a safe string version of strcat. I was wrong ! Of course, I wrote that code back in the 1990s. The newest version of gcc actually looks at the num value versus the size of the destination. I was using sizeof (destination) for num which was not useful nor safe. I rolled those back to the good old strcat.
http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/cstring/strncat/
And my server is gcc version 8.3.0 (FreeBSD Ports Collection). I am running FreeBSD v 12.0 (amd64).
I was using sizeof (destination) for num which was not useful nor safe. I rolled those back to the good old strcat.
GCC safe string fuctions have the suffix “_s”.
sizeof(destination) is really dangerous if destination’s size is not defined in the module directly or via #include. If destination is seen by the compiler as “extern char destination[]” or “extern char *destination” instead of “extern char destination[SIZE]” it will use the size of the pointer.
Microsoft regularly ignores C standards which can be dangerous assuming the same behavior happens on Linux or one of the *BSDs. At the Death Star, I had constant problems with the Windows lead “cleaning up” the code for the Linux version of our product until I told Mr. Two Patents that I would have the support people call him at 3 AM when his interpretation of fread() (among others) laid an egg.
select() is particularly dangerous because it is subtle and not part of the C library standard. And I’ve written before about the uselessness of srand()/rand() from Redmond because, according to legend, BillG himself cookbooked those out of Knuth.
Cppcheck offers pretty good static checks beyond GCC and should compile for FreeBSD.
Dynamic checking with Valgrind on Linux should eventually be part of your workflow.
GCC safe string fuctions have the suffix â_sâ.
sizeof(destination) is really dangerous if destinationâs size is not defined in the module directly or via #include. If destination is seen by the compiler as âextern char destination[]â or âextern char *destinationâ instead of âextern char destination[SIZE]â it will use the size of the pointer.
Ah, so they are supporting the Microsoft safe strings now. Good for them.
I always declare locally or via a #include. Already been to that school many, many, many times.
When important, I always use fgets. Especially when talking to Apache. Ain’t going to be no buffer overruns here. I’ve been attacked and probed quite a few times. Nowadays http://www.pair.com detects the attacker and blocks their IP address automatically as the only thing that works is to DNS me.
there is some absolutely horrifying data in this article-
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/auto-loans-stretch-eight-years-accommodate-irresponsible-car-buyers
What can’t go on forever, won’t.
n
there is some absolutely horrifying data in this article-
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/auto-loans-stretch-eight-years-accommodate-irresponsible-car-buyers
Fed is buying the paper. Wait until Cash For Clunkers 2.0.
Heated leather seats in an Accord add up. Though, it isn’t sedans which are the problem as much as $50,000 trucks. It is still possible to cut a deal for $20,000 on a decent sedan if you look carefully.
At eight years, the dealers are going to make out on extended warranties which are absolutely necessary with loans of that length. There goes your down payment into the F&I weasel’s pocket.
I had a co-worker at CGI who took out a 72 month loan on a loaded Blazer. A year out of warranty, with two years left on the loan, the transmission went, and even with a lot of begging and pleading, GM would only cover parts, not labor, on the replacement. I have no idea as to how it turned out since I left before he had the situation resolved.
I took a five year loan on my Camry, but I pay like it is the four year loan. And, yes, I’m disciplined about it.
My dad always said that seven years would be the limit since the banks consider the car worthless after that. He also believed Ford would be done when the Crown Vics went away, and he may yet be correct on that score … unless the shrouded mystery prototype I saw in Chicago in March was the rumored Crown Vic revival which went back on hold when the Dems took the House.
Ah, so they are supporting the Microsoft safe strings now. Good for them.
Without the _s, the functions should be the old school Posix standard calls. Though FreeBSD has a different philosophy about application level than Linux.
Never used a *BSD for very long.
The Crown Vic is a pig when it comes to pursuit driving. I slaughtered cones on the course in the CV, but made good time and clean in a charger. HPD is going to all Explorers for patrol.
n
Those 8 year plus car loans have been monetized and turned into bonds that were then sold on. Sound at all familiar? And what happens to the bond holders when the suckers stop paying???
From an article about a house flipping scheme that failed last year, “All schemes tend to come undone at the end part of a business cycle. ”
n
The Crown Vic is a pig when it comes to pursuit driving. I slaughtered cones on the course in the CV, but made good time and clean in a charger. HPD is going to all Explorers for patrol.
As fleet vehicles, the Crown Vics were dead simple tech, easy to maintain, and would give 400,000 miles without too much effort.
We have a four year old Exploder, and the throttle body went at 5000 miles. It currently has two outstanding recalls, and my wife has the same visibility problems that many of the cops experience but won’t admit until the worst happens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoSOEtzWPlU
Yeah, texting, but that pillar is a constant problem. From my old office downtown, I would see Austin PD hit curbs on corners all the time.