This is the Edge. You've gone over me.

There has been a breakthrough in quantum teleportation.
Worth a read, even if just for the possibilities.

Commenting on Brexit, one of the people involved referred to Brexit as a Schroedinger situation, where people want to leave and stay at the same time. You don't hear this from US politicians.

What is wrong with the UK?
They just passed stringent censorship laws to make things 'safe' online.
Where are the free speech advocates?
I won't be surprised if some sites refuse to exist in the UK. This is what happened when GDPR hit: you'd see notices about the site not being available in those countries.



RIP

Ric Ocasek, singer from The Cars. (75)
Not a fan, but still...
Eliot Easton, however.....




Dear lefty

• How many republicans does it take to change a light bulb?
• None. Nothing will get done and they'll blame the democrats.
• feel free to switch the parties around

I learned something today: right after Roe v Wade, a congressman introduced a bill to exempt medical personnel from performing abortions if it violated their religion or morals. It passed.  There is a suit pending from a nurse, 'forced' to assist in an abortion. Well, she had the right to walk out, but felt she would make too much of a big deal if she didn't, so she's suing. I guess one of the great things about our system is that anyone can sue anyone for anything (except if excepted by Congress). Prediction: she will win the suit, but damages will be limited because she didn't walk out when she had the chance.

• It's late. Things are quiet. I can hear myself think. 
• I preferred when it was early, loud, and I couldn't hear myself think.

For a guy who has always loved technology, and taking it apart, I sure hate technology. Turns out it's not just me.

I needed to have a conference with 2 family members... no problem... most phones allow you to do this. Not that the phones make it easy... I had to look it up because things don't come with manuals anymore. It's pretty easy to do (after reading how). Like most things, it wasn't obvious and the controls don't appear onscreen until you're in a call.

One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy... Party 2 answers. I call Party 3, who naturally doesn't answer. He calls back and I hit the Magic Merge Button, which hooks us all up. Well, sorta. Party 3 was popping in and out and sounded like he was inside a mariachi band. This is fine if you like Mariachi, but not so much if you like being able to talk. Technology Fail.

Party 2 uses a service where people can call in and be connected. So I do, and for some reason, it worked. My surprise was short-lived, when it simply disconnected. Upon reconnecting, Party 2 said he had to set the call up five times before we could connect (and get disconnected). Party 3 called in and we finally had a chat, because the Mariachi band was on break. When they came back, it kept breaking through the silence on his end. The Mariachi actually spoke more than he did, which was annoying (even if you like Mariachi). His phone connection was absolute crap too.

C'mon, people... it's 2019. Why are we still having so much trouble with ($&@ing cell phones? I joke that it's new technology and they need another 25 years to work out the bugs, but this is really sad. We also pay an absolutely ridiculous amount of money for this 'quality' coverage, compared to other countries.

Whoever said advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic was right. And needs to be shot.




Meanwhile, at my job, I got up and walked to someone else's desk to say hello. I regret that I have no pictures to post. On the positive side, you don't have to look at me (or my pictures). My coworkers all look like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell. And Oprah, during the 'large years.'

• Opinion: US can slash healthcare costs 75% - interesting.

In my search for news, I spent a few minutes on Fox.
I watched Lindsay Graham go on about how the dems hate Trump. He scapegoated them for everything. Then he did a brief Warhawk speech on how al Queda and Taleban are threatening our security in Afghanistan.

Graham slipped and told two truths: the dems have Trump Derangement Syndrome and the Warhawks are even worse than anyone imagined.

We didn't get where we are because of one party: It's all a choreographed dance. They are at war.. with US.





Horrors Near Home

The picky niece has a new boyfriend. Good for her, she's tough.
He's black, she's white.
This isn't an issue for anyone except the grandfather, Sergeant Hitler. The patriarch has a bit of a racist streak, amongst others.
To everyone's shock and surprise, the Sergeant really liked the guy. Relief fell upon the masses.  [This is what's called a setup.] Here's a list of stuff we are trying to avoid saying when meeting the boyfriend:

1. So you're the black guy...
2. Niece - Is it true?
3. Hey, we brought a case of grape soda.
4. Are there black Jewish girls?
5. Don't mind him - that's a dunce cap. Really.

• Why do I like Ron Paul? I wind up agreeing with most of what he says.

So I'm sitting there, computing Important Things, then get up to get a soda. When I come back, there's a piece of donut by the computer. I am absolutely sure it was not there when I left. The dog is asleep on the couch. So how did the donut appear? I heard no noise.

Either the donut spontaneously appeared or the dog is a little sneakier than I thought. Hey- where is the dog getting donuts and why isn't she eating them?

• No thanks, I'd rather be Trump's social media manager.

Feel-Good Story of the Week

There's store video of some thug going into a Philly cell phone store and pulling out his gun. The counter guy pulls out his legal concealed gun and shoots the guy. No charges filed (at present).

• Johnson and Johnson has been fined for misleading marketing of opioids in Oklahoma. Johnson and Johnson is reeling from the historic $475 million fine. They claim assault over this most severe wrist-slapping.
• Shuddering from thoughts of a drop in profits, the other pharmaceutical corporations are seeking a cap on damages. No one capped their sales...

Yeah, I tend to miss Popular Stuff. I didn't know Christina Aguilara is a Disney alumnus. Now we have to wonder how long til her inevitable breakdown and what it will look like. Shaving heads has been done, as has drugs, something that looks like multiple personalities, 'outrageous' behavior, being largely nude in public, and countless other stunts.



Heroes of the Stupid

After finding that some people fall for satire online, researchers at Ohio State University are advocating for the flagging of satirical articles so that people do not get confused. They claim falling for satire articles is a "problem for democracy."    Sick society.


Man fights off subway attacker in wild video as bystanders get out their cameras and record. No one helped.





SJW Strikes

[twitter]
"It's official, we have a 4 year old daughter! Waylon is now Willow. Took a LOT of paperwork to make the gender transition.    Child Abuse 101


FB bans Irish girl's account after saying her name is a racial slur.


A college professor was 'retired' from his job for things like social media posts about hitting the president with a baseball bat. This is unprecedented (being fired, not threatening harm to the president).

Real News Where You Can Find It

I am not a patient man.  When they gave out patience, I must have been elsewhere.  I probably couldn't stand in line long enough for it.

I have actually strained what precious little patience I have beyond the breaking point, looking for real news.  Our fourth estate has abdicated its responsibility.  Mainstream media is the lapdog of the White House.  All newspapers are owned by about five companies.  If you go there looking for truth, you're not going to find it.  Disappointment will ensure.

We used to have shortwave radio.  We still do, to some small extent.  Many broadcasters have given it up.  The internet has almost killed radio.  But you have to go outside the country for anything approximating balanced news (Fox News is as balanced as Mussolini, as are the rest of them).

You can also search the internet.  Surveys show that most people get their news from the internet these days.  This is good, as people can largely find what they want online, regardless of bias.

While channel-surfing last week (we only have broadcast television - no cable) I came across the most interesting news I have seen on television.  They gave all sides.  They mentioned Ron Paul (which is expressly forbidden in the US).  They interviewed people on the street in New York (which was ugly).  A fellow named Max Keiser gave a very astute political reading.

What off-planet source did I hook into?  Russia Today.

Before you fall off your ergonomically-correct computer chair laughing, go check out the link and let me know what you found.  Here in Philly, Pennsylvania, US, RT is channel 35-4.  Check to see if you have it locally.  At this very moment, the moderator is stating that Mitt Romney makes more money in one day than the average American makes in one year.  His guest is explaining this and breaking it down.  They are discussing Reagan and taxes.

You are not going to see this on any other news program you watch.  Check it out.

Why We Dumped Fox News (and... )

Whoever described television as a vast wasteland seriously understated the issue.

We're a broadcast tv family, first because we couldn't afford the rapidly rising costs associated with premium television; second because there wasn't much more happening there than broadcast tv.

After a year or two without cable/dish, we have come to a number of sad conclusions. 

1. There is little to nothing of value on broadcast tv
2. Broadcast networks don't care and run infomercials to prove it
3. Public tv is the only ray of hope left
4. If you want to watch anything other than reality shows, you're screwed
5. You will not escape with anything approaching information from the news
6. There is not one original idea in television

I was all set to be happy, not paying for dish programming.  What I discovered is that the quality of broadcast programming is horrendous, almost as if the networks are just biding their time until everyone just gives up on watching it.

In addition, the switch to digital was way overhyped and not in our best interest.  What else could we expect from the FCC and our friends in D.C.?  The signal strength is dismal, it requires additional equipment to function, and the weather has a negative effect on the picture.  There is no fuzziness - it simply stops working.

THIS IS NEWS?

We always hear about liberal (or conservative) bias in news.  Fox News is known for its conservative bias.  In spite of this, we became a Fox family, largely as my wife tends to watch it a lot (note: we're libertarians and there is simply no news available with a libertarian bias).  Since it's local news, they tend to add in all sorts of local angles, spending way too much time on Things That Are Not News.

When Americans Idle got popular, they used to feature all sorts of stories about it.  Why this qualifies as news is completely beyond me.  Since X Factor is starting up, there are all sorts of stories about it.  In fact, Fox News has become little more than a commercial for X Factor, along with other reality shows that come on after the news.  It's bad enough we're inundated with an insane amount of inane commercials for the shows; now we have to deal with them in the guise of news.

To add insult to injury, Fox News is now all about social networking.  Quite frankly, if I were interested in what's happening on Twitter or Faceyspaces, I'd look there; not my nightly news.  Of precisely what news value is Faceyspaces Friend of the day?  During the recent, ridiculously overhyped hurricane Irene, the news kept going to their `social media center' to tell us what people were saying online.  Even when there is no severe weather, the anchors seem to spend a frightening amount of time glued to their cell phones and laptops, frequently while speaking.

Whatever happened to reporting the news?

My wife finally awoke to this nonsense (or got tired of hearing me point it out) and declared we were switching news stations.  The first night, our local CBS news seemed to spend most of its on-air time on sports, plus a bit of weather.  And a lot of Dancing with the Stars.

We're not getting much world news.  We're getting nothing of value (yes, lefty, that's the idea).  There is still a news blockade on the mention of Ron Paul.  We hear nothing about the protests on Wall Street.  We do get to hear about Brad Pitt's relationship with Jen Aniston.

Bread and circuses.

Our ABC affiliate featured local stories of virtually no import.  Plus stories on reality tv.

My wife and I looked at each other in stunned silence.  The others were almost as bad as Fox News in their own ways.  Television is clearly not the place to go for anything resembling news (regardless of your preferred bias).

I know public television has some nightly news shows.  They're next on the viewing list.  After that, I'm going to continue my video news blackout and get my news from the `net, where there are infinite amounts of bias and sources to be had.  Perhaps back to shortwave a bit too.

Where do you go for a dose of something that looks like truth?

Bin Laden and Kennedy, Together Again

Pardon my skepticism upon hearing that Osama bin Laden, CIA asset, has been not only killed, but buried at sea.

As a patriotic American, I felt a twinge of interest at the news, but then my rational thinking kicked in, eliciting my normal brand of skepticism and sarcasm.  My poor wife, who gave me the news of OBL's death, kept reiterating that she was just passing on the news, as I snickered repeatedly.

Remember that John F. Kennedy was buried at sea.   Funny that; the chance of autopsy or any testing at all becomes naught once a body is `buried' at sea.  Now we have a pretty good idea that the Kennedy affair did not go entirely as stated, he said, with typical British understatement (even though he was not British).  I am forced to suspect that OBL's funeral was more of the same.

The stated reason for burial was that the muslim religion wants to bury the body within twenty four hours.  Wasn't it incredibly considerate of the government to observe muslim tradition?  I wonder why they just didn't put the body in the ground, like most other muslim funerals.

Just for your amusement, I present a report from Fox News from 2001, stating that bin Laden had died.  And another stating that he is in very poor health.  Not to mention many reports about failed audio analyses and strange `current' pictures with different size noses over the years.

Many friends have asked me the big Why Now question.  Well, I can't say exactly, but watch and learn.  See what happens as a result.  Already the terror threat level has been ratcheted through the ceiling.  This is either a distraction or to someone's benefit.  Remember: follow the money.

And speaking of distractions, how about that wedding?

Q. What is the definition of wedding?

A.  Funeral where you can smell your own flowers.