Category: Things that make you say hmmm?

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It’s the Apple WWDC!

I’m not quite as interested as I’ve been in years past. But I’ve got laundry running and vinegar in the drain traps, (I prefer that to caustic chemicals due to the septic system,) so I’ve got a while before I can go anywhere.

I should probably make a grocery/dog treat run but neither are critical so It’s not going to matter if I put it off a day.

I’ll turn on the WWDC in the background. I’m curious about the new features coming in the latest versions of Apple operating systems. Since my iPad, watch, and computer are all less than a year old there will be some relevance to me.

I’d have upgraded my phone but I really like the blue color and the Purple from last year was not attractive. For some reason I don’t want to go back to space gray on my phone. It’s shouldn’t matter since my phone is usually in a case, but when I’m around the house it’s not unusual for my phone to be naked. (Okay so my phone is a slut! Who cares?) perhaps I’ll upgrade my phone in the fall or maybe I’ll wait another generation. By that time the phone will be 3 – 4 generations old, the battery will be on its last legs and maybe Apple will move everything to USB C so I can toss all the Lightning cables.

I liked the additions to the various OSs. I can see using some of the newer features frequently and how they’ll make my life easier. I really liked the improvements to the Hiking app on the watch. I also like the idea of having the health app available on the iPad. That should make evaluating the data a bit easier with a bigger screen.

The larger MacBook Air is interesting too. Especially since it’s got the M2 chip, the ability to have a ton of memory and storage, and an 18 hour battery life. That makes that particular machine probably the hot ticket coming this fall.

I have to admit that I’ve been interested in the Mac Studio since it’s debut. I didn’t go that way because I like having a laptop.

However, the power of the new iPad Pro with an M2 chip is astonishing and I could see using the iPad as my only portable computer, then having something like the Mac Studio if you needed a real powerhouse when you got back home.

This is especially true since Apple Logic Pro and Final Cut run on iPad now. There are a lot of other “standard” office applications that run just fine on iPad but it you needed video or audio you had to go outside the Apple ecosystem. Those barriers are gone and honestly my M2 iPad Pro is about as functional for my needs as my laptop. I could see the iPad / Studio blend now.

I wasn’t all that interested in the AR thing that’s been rumored for such a long time. Now that I’ve seen it, it’s as expected, very expensive.

That being said, I can see the potential. I can even say I’m interested enough that I’d like to see it live and in action.

If it worked well enough, I could see it replacing TV screens for those folks that live alone. I’ve considered that possibility with just my iPad and Mac. Then again, I don’t watch cable, or broadcast TV so I might be an outlier case.

Come to think of it, I haven’t to my knowledge watched any TV using the “new” (10 years old now) digital channels that are coming from broadcast stations these days.

I literally have no clue how that works. I’ve not lived anywhere that digital channels received via an antenna were available. Even the Escondido apartment was in a “Signal Hole”. It didn’t matter too much since the cost of internet only was higher than the cost of internet and cable TV combined. Talk about desperate to keep TV subscribers! I honestly don’t recall watching anything on TV for three years. I’d watch something on a streaming channel or a movie on DVD.

That was probably due more to my weird schedule, than the quality of TV. I got home from work about 2PM and was in bed by 7 or 8 PM. So any TV I could watch was talk shows or soap operas. Other more interesting dramas were on way past my bedtime. I didn’t pony up the cash to rent the DVR feature on the cable box.

I gotta say, having a virtual screen that you could make a big as you wanted without needing a sound system for surround sound might be a slick way to really enjoy some movies.

The price tag of 3500+ might be off putting.

I did like the use case Apple showed where the lady was on a full flight and tuned out the plane and other passengers entirely.

Hell that could make flying bearable again!

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Credit Scores are Bullshit

Through my bank there is a portal to the Transunion Credit Bureau.

I sometimes look at the score, although it no longer has the meaning to me that it once did.

At one time I worked very hard to have a good rating. Then around 2008 or so, overnight my A+ credit rating simply disappeared.

I didn’t miss a payment, I didn’t open a ton of new credit, in fact I had done nothing.

What happened was a “Correction” because the banks suddenly realized that they had written a shit ton of bad loans and they were covering their asses, begging for money from the taxpayers, and in short screwing everyone by downgrading all of our credit even though there were a ton of people like myself who’d not used our homes like piggy banks and gone on spending sprees.

That day I realized that the whole credit score thing was bogus. Since then I’ve had a “whatever” attitude about it because the banks and the system can fuck us all anytime they want to. The recent bank failures are reminders of that.

This morning I was looking at my accounts, making sure that the bills were scheduled to be paid, and thought, “eh, it’s here and free, let me click on this just to look.”

I did, and my credit score is respectable, it’s not what it once was thanks to that morning in 2008 but it’s okay. At least I’m not obsessing over it like I was back then. As I was looking at the data on the web page, a comment jumped out at me and my brain rebooted.

“Having a low debt balance relative to your available credit signals to lenders you’re more likely to make on-time payments.”

That used to be called a debt ratio, it had nothing to do with on-time payments (they were a factor,) it was a measure of how much you owed versus your income, and real possessions. This was used to determine credit worthiness and your ability to repay the amount that you’d borrowed.

I know in this day and age when college loans are supposed to be paid by the tax payers and no-one is responsible for anything they’ve done, old ideas like repaying the loans you’ve taken out are passé. But there was a time when you could get into real trouble with credit and you only had two choices, get a better paying job, or bankruptcy.

What should signal to lenders you’re more likely to make on-time payments is actually right there on the same web page.

It Looks something like this:

Open Accounts – 5
Total Late Payments – 0
Accounts in Collections – 0
Inquiries (last 2 years) – 0
Age of Credit – 35 Years

Factor this data with the real assets I have, (equity – how much of my home loan I’ve paid off and current value of my home, for example,) plus my income, and a financial person should be able to determine if I’m able to reasonably take on additional debt or NOT.

You also have to factor in the cost of the loan. High interest rates for example can really screw your ability to pay the loan off. For reference see Debt Ceiling!

I learned this over time, the hard way. I wouldn’t take on additional debt right now because I’m a little close to my personal discomfort zone.

The way things are, I wouldn’t get the kind of favorable interest rate I’d want, so taking on additional debt is out of the question. I know this because I have a handle on my finances. The credit bureau isn’t telling me anything new.

Laughably, the bank and credit bureau would still give me a shit ton of credit which would be more likely to push me as an individual into default.

Financial institutions are supposed to be about profit and part of the way they do that is through responsible lending. Ideally a financial institution should be concerned enough about their customers that they take the time to explain why a customer should or shouldn’t take out a loan and that the customer understands the risks.

While foreclosing on real property does make the bank money it’s a pain in the butt. Unsecured credit such as that associated with credit cards is a losing proposition, if the bank allows a customer to over extend themselves.

Why loan someone a bunch of money you’re never going to get back?

That makes no sense unless the banks are inflating their losses then billing the FDIC somehow.

With interest rates increasing the way they have I’m betting there are going to be a lot of bankruptcies in the next few years. I’ve got some credit cards that are suddenly at 18%. I haven’t seen those interest rates since the 1980’s.

There’s a part of me that says pay off the credit cards and close those accounts. Logically you’d think that would be the wisest path because it limits your liability. But doing that would reduce your credit score.

That’s another part of the Scam. They force you to keep accounts open but unused because it inflates the arbitrarily calculated number.

I understand mostly how this works. I understand that the numbers are supposed to equalize us all and allow computers to make approve or deny decisions. I just have no faith in the numbers or how they’re created.

I suppose that why the noise over the debt ceiling makes no sense to me.

I’ve completely lost faith in the credit score system. Credit Scores are bullshit and have been for at least a decade.

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It’s been with some amusement that I’ve been hearing about the BudLight Boycott.

It’s been characterized as a boycott in many of the media reports.

I think that overstates what’s going on.

A Boycott suggests that there’s an organizing group. Folks with an agenda, newsletter, signs, and protesters.

I think this is far more organic and not organized. I think this is individual people saying they’re tired of a particular aspect of American life and are choosing individually to avoid a product.

I didn’t talk to anyone about my decision to avoid BudLight. Indeed, I was very disappointed to discover that my beloved Corona was owned by Anheuser-Busch. I thought Modello was still an independent company.

It’s not a problem, I like Blue Moon just as well. For me, Corona versus Blue Moon is more often a matter of pricing. Given that I don’t drink a lot of beer I guess it’s a nonissue because a 12 pack lasts me more than a month. I like a beer sometimes with lunch and sometimes it’s nice to have a beer after I’ve been out doing yard work.

Next beer run, I’ll be buying Blue Moon.

I’ve not talked to anyone about boycotting. I don’t much care what other people are doing. I chose to distance myself from Anheuser-Busch because I personally am weary of the Trans Shit.

I’m also weary of corporate America and politicians pandering to the latest fad. The only way to register my annoyance with companies is not to use their products, so Anheuser-Busch, among others, doesn’t get my dollar.

I suspect that the rest of normal folks like me, make similar choices all the time. I know Jewish folks who will not buy BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, or Mercedes. I’d hope you don’t need an explanation, if you do, you can look it up. I also know American folks who will not buy a Japanese car. Neither of these groups are racist, nor are they boycotting, they just have a very long memory, and a plethora of other options.

Where Target is concerned It’s not as easy. I really like the Super Target. I like being able to go one place and get what I need. If I hit the Super Target early enough I don’t even have to deal with a bunch of people. Wouldn’t be surprised to find a lot of people in the same boat.

That being said, I’m planning to give Costco a whirl for groceries this week. The problem is the portion size and subsequent storage of items. I might be back at the Super Target, or I’ll just go to a regular grocery store.

The point is I’m not actively boycotting Target, I’m choosing not to patronize them when / if it’s convenient to do so.

I’m doing that with a lot of products.

I’d bet that from a marketing standpoint that’s a whole lot tougher to deal with, or correct.

How do you combat apathy that is a result of your customer base not being really angry at you, rather they’re just not interested in your virtue signaling, and therefore your company’s products.

Worse, I’d bet that once a corporation has become known for virtue signaling and pandering, they will have a tough time coming back from it. Almost any advertising campaign would be viewed through the same lens.

I recently loaded up on Apple Products. I was replacing worn out devices and preserving a software investment. I actually didn’t enjoy going to the Apple Store.

In the back of my mind was the thought, “I wish Apple would just sell Technology and avoid politics,” And then I was helped by a jittery blue haired young lady who almost scolded me for not making a shopping appointment. It was the epitome of what I found distasteful about putting money in Apple’s pocket.

Will I purchase other Apple Products? Probably. Will I be excited about those purchases? Probably no more than being excited about a visit to the dentist. I’ll have to do it, I know it’s gonna be expensive, and that’s just the way it is. If I’m not the only customer to feel that way, then Apple isn’t going to do much growing.

They’re not the only company who may be facing this kind of issue, but they’re one of the largest and most visible.

NorthFace is another company that is well known but perhaps a bit more niche than Apple. Their most recent ad might have reduced their annual sales for much the same reasons.

Why buy NorthFace which is arguably an expensive brand when you can buy Mountain Hardwear, or Patagonia, or Osprey.

NorthFace is a company that should have put the money they spent on a crappy ad, into improving quality. I had a NorthFace 3 season jacket that was 12 years old. It had held up well but needed to be retired.

I went to a store that handled NorthFace and found that similar jackets were badly made, more expensive, seemed to use cheap materials, (they felt cheap,) the zippers were awful, and were overall less flexible.

I ended up buying 2 Costco jackets for a total of $40 that have taken the place of the 3 season I had.

The pity is I’d gone back to a store explicitly to purchase another NorthFace 3 season jacket.

When I bought my jacket I paid something like $400 for it and didn’t blink. The quality was great and the versatility was worth every penny. I even bought another one for my other half.

I’m not boycotting NorthFace, I just won’t look at their products. That shitty ad with a genderfuck drag queen did nothing but fully take NorthFace off my radar. If that ad turned me off what did it do to the rest of America?

I don’t really think there is any boycott against any company in particular. I think it’s just an overall tiredness of average everyday folks with everything woke.

Honestly, this whole woke thing might be finally coming to an end. If it is, good riddance to bad rubbish.

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All I wanted was to listen to music…

Riiiiight!

I pulled a thread, and now none of the smart lights in the house are working. The security camera is also offline. I managed to kill the battery in my phone about 5 PM.

As Mr. Scott once said, “The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to clog up the works!”

This is what happens when you have a “smart house”

I have no clue exactly what the hell is going on. But I’ve done factory resets on my router, and all the smart light bulbs. I’ll be factory resetting the HomePod Minis, the Apple TVs and the Big HomePods.

I’ve been playing whack a mole. I’d get the lights working, then move on to the next thing that was broken, and boom the lights stopped working. Then I’d fix a light and something else would suddenly go offline.

It’s the darnedest thing.

For those of you wondering why I’m mistrustful of AI, here’s a perfect example why i don’t trust AI and think all AI systems should have a kill switch! That switch should be something totally mechanical that can’t be programmed around. Possibly augmented by a very large Axe.

None of the stuff at my house is particularly complex but something is running through the devices like a horseman of the apocalypse.

I’m thinking that I may have to power down then reset each and every device in the house to factory default then add them back one at a time.

I’m also thinking that I’ll need to delete the house from all the HomeKit enabled stuff.

By the time I’m done with this, chasing this problem around and around the house will have cost me 2 days. I started farting around with this Bullshit at 8am yesterday morning. I was listening to music, then suddenly there was no stereo. I asked the question, “Why?”

Before I knew it, I’d been consumed, as had my day. I actually had other things that I’d planned on doing yesterday none of which I got done except the laundry…

It’s also a good thing that I didn’t have any video I need to preserve. Because the security camera has been removed and re added to the home controls twice and will require the procedure again. Each time, any recorded video stored in the cloud is erased.

Totally brilliant bit of software engineering there. Another interesting feature is this, If the camera is offline in the Apple Home application then you can’t even look at video that’s recorded in your iCloud. So once the camera goes away and requires that you delete it and re-pair you’ve lost anything and everything stored for the last 30 days anyway.

I’ll be looking at a different paradigm for cameras in the future.

What’s the point of having the data recorded but completely inaccessible due to some silliness caused by a software update. Isn’t that the point of storing videos in the cloud???

Apparently, I’ve missed a memo somewhere.

Here’s the update. Flushing everything seems to have worked. I now have music throughout the house again and the smart lights are working. This was definitely the brute force method of solving the problem. I’m sure that it will reoccur at some point in the future.

That cynicism comes from experience with technology. Even if you’re not the one fiddling around with the devices, there’s always someone in development who’s tweaking a line of code here or there. Then someone else decides that a software update is necessary, or some scumbag hacker takes advantage of a security flaw and causes an update. One way or another, something is going to change and your nice stable system will be completely hosed.

I’d really like to be able to bill for the time lost to SPAM Email and all the software update related issues. The folks I’d like to bill are the little scumbag hackers, or their parents, or their countries of origin.

Well on with the rest of the day.

Have a great weekend

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I’m not sure this is a good idea.

I just got an invitation from some of The Other half’s circle of old friends, to attend a beginning of summer event.

Generally speaking members of the group are okay people. There’s one however who drinks too damn much and then becomes an asshole.

NO, It’s not me… I’m an asshole ALL the time! I don’t need booze to become one.

On the one hand I’d like to see some of these guys and I’m sure they have questions about the Other Half’s passing. They deserve answers and I suppose it’s out of a sense of duty to the Other Half that I’m considering going to the event.

I’ll admit to an ulterior motive in going because the asshole likes to pick on people he considers to be “less than”. This particular person is an academic elitist with an Art degree of some sort and considered people like me “less than,” in spades.

I’m not an academic, and I was actually involved in the production of goods and services. He’s always liked getting under my skin, it was somehow amusing or entertaining for this guy to sour every single party we attended. I was always restrained so that I didn’t embarrass the Other Half.

But now the Other Half isn’t around, and he wouldn’t be embarrassed if I just said exactly what I thought.

You see, even after I stopped going to the events hosted by the Other Half’s friends, the drunk elitist simply turned his venom on my Other Half. Within a year or two my Other Half stopped accepting invitations to their parties as well. I don’t think my Other Half had seen this group of old friends for at least 4 perhaps 5 years.

It might be cathartic, hell it might just be dang fun to inflict pain on someone that offended me and my other half on so many occasions. I can’t decide if ignoring this particular bloviating asshole or confronting him directly and brutally would be the best path. I think I’ll have to make that decision on the fly if I decide to go to this event in the first place.

It will probably be the last time I see any of these people and as such… Well I might as well go out with a bang!

I would like to spend time with the hosts and at least one if not two of the other guys. If it becomes too much I can leave. Since I’ll be alone I won’t have to worry about forcing the Other Half to cut the evening short.