This was front page in Tuesday's Wall St Journal. Facebook's story is that they want to be able to show their users their checking account balance, and by looking at who we are writing checks to, tailor the ads they show to appeal to us.
Arrgh.
I don't want anyone to know how much money I have in my checking account, whether or not I bounce checks, and who I am writing checks to. I certainly don't want anyone to get my passwords, SSN, account numbers, transfer codes or anything else that would let them steal my money. If I found out my bank was giving access to Facebook, I would close my account and find another bank, ASAP.
I am still unhappy about Obama's decision to force all the doctors to put patients medical records on computer. Any half way competent hacker can crack hospital network security and put every medical record up for sale. God help those with serious medical problems, they will never get a job again. No company will hire people whose medical problems will jack up the company health insurance costs.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Monday, August 6, 2018
Shadow Banning sitting Congressmen??
Monday's Wall St Journal has an op-ed denouncing Facebook's practice in the matter. From reading the article it is not clear just what "shadow banning" really is, or how much it hurts. But to lay any sort of sanctions or restrictions on sitting Congressmen is absurd.
Congressmen get to be Congressmen by winning a majority of the votes. Which means their view points are acceptable to a lot of people. When Facebook decides that they are smarter or more political correct than someone who won an election, they are being profoundly undemocratic. They are claiming the right as lefty techno weenies to silence people who have broad support, broader than any bunch of techno-weenies.
I can understand Facebook's desire to keep pornography, neonazis, Islamic terrorists, bots and bot nets, Russian trolls, and clearly deranged individuals off Facebook. But to attack sitting Congressmen is beyond the pale.
Congressmen get to be Congressmen by winning a majority of the votes. Which means their view points are acceptable to a lot of people. When Facebook decides that they are smarter or more political correct than someone who won an election, they are being profoundly undemocratic. They are claiming the right as lefty techno weenies to silence people who have broad support, broader than any bunch of techno-weenies.
I can understand Facebook's desire to keep pornography, neonazis, Islamic terrorists, bots and bot nets, Russian trolls, and clearly deranged individuals off Facebook. But to attack sitting Congressmen is beyond the pale.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
US Congress should be totally replaced
Congress was created back in the 18th century to give the newly United States a representative government, namely a government that does what the people want.
Today's Congress is failing. Instead of addressing issues, they are locked into partisan squabbling, back stabbing, buck passing, and obstructionism. They haven't passed a thing this year, and from the looks of it, nothing is going get passed for a long long time.
This isn't what we voters want. I'll grant that we voters are deeply split on many issues. But we do all agree that we ought to do something nice for the DACA young people. Congress has done zip for the DACA folks. And a whole bunch of other immigration reforms have gone nowhere. Surely with a little log rolling, something could be worked out that would get enough votes to pass. The voters do agree that we need Obamacare reform, what we got costs too much and is a business killer. Congress has done zip. The voters want Congress to confirm more of Trump's appointees, rather than stalling them for months and months.
In short, we voters ought to vote all the current Congresscritters out this fall and vote in a bunch of new ones that will vote for things that we voters want passed and drop all the partisan bickering. I know there are plenty if issues where we voters are totally split. But there are a number that we agree on, and those ought to pass.
Today's Congress is failing. Instead of addressing issues, they are locked into partisan squabbling, back stabbing, buck passing, and obstructionism. They haven't passed a thing this year, and from the looks of it, nothing is going get passed for a long long time.
This isn't what we voters want. I'll grant that we voters are deeply split on many issues. But we do all agree that we ought to do something nice for the DACA young people. Congress has done zip for the DACA folks. And a whole bunch of other immigration reforms have gone nowhere. Surely with a little log rolling, something could be worked out that would get enough votes to pass. The voters do agree that we need Obamacare reform, what we got costs too much and is a business killer. Congress has done zip. The voters want Congress to confirm more of Trump's appointees, rather than stalling them for months and months.
In short, we voters ought to vote all the current Congresscritters out this fall and vote in a bunch of new ones that will vote for things that we voters want passed and drop all the partisan bickering. I know there are plenty if issues where we voters are totally split. But there are a number that we agree on, and those ought to pass.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
ICE Roadblocks on I93
ICE is doing it, right around Ashland. I read that ICE is allowed to put up roadblocks anywhere within 100 miles of a US border. Ashland is very near to 100 miles from the Canadian border. ICE claims they are making arrests. Most of the ones I hear about are for things like drug running or DUI rather than straight up immigration violations.
I have been thru the Ashland roadblock a couple of times this summer. Both times the officers just waved me thru. I guess they see white hair, a white guy, a four door Detroit sedan, and instate plates. And they figure I must be clean, at least clean enough to wave thru. Profiling they used to call it. I guess profiling is OK when it works to my advantage.
I imagine the people who get stopped and searched feel differently about it.
I have been thru the Ashland roadblock a couple of times this summer. Both times the officers just waved me thru. I guess they see white hair, a white guy, a four door Detroit sedan, and instate plates. And they figure I must be clean, at least clean enough to wave thru. Profiling they used to call it. I guess profiling is OK when it works to my advantage.
I imagine the people who get stopped and searched feel differently about it.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Jeff Woodburn gets arrested for assault and domestic violence.
Jeff Woodburn is the incumbent Democratic NH Senator of district 1 and my opponent in the November general election. Neither of us face primary challenges, the general election in November is everything. He was arrested by the Concord police department late Thursday afternoon and charged with assault and domestic violence. He will be arraigned in Lancaster county court later this month.
Speaking personally I have to feel sorry for Mr Woodburn. This affair is likely to become a professional and perhaps a personal disaster for him. Under American justice, a person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. On the other hand, the New Hampshire attorney general must feel he has a strong case to charge a sitting Senator with a crime.
I filed for election weeks ago, long before this unfortunate news broke. I intend to continue to campaign for office.
I need all the help I can get to win this election. I need people to put up my yard signs, and people to invite me to any kind of gathering, cook out, barbecue, rally, parade, meeting, what have you.
Speaking personally I have to feel sorry for Mr Woodburn. This affair is likely to become a professional and perhaps a personal disaster for him. Under American justice, a person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. On the other hand, the New Hampshire attorney general must feel he has a strong case to charge a sitting Senator with a crime.
I filed for election weeks ago, long before this unfortunate news broke. I intend to continue to campaign for office.
I need all the help I can get to win this election. I need people to put up my yard signs, and people to invite me to any kind of gathering, cook out, barbecue, rally, parade, meeting, what have you.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Rasmussen says Democrats hate Trump deal with the NORKs
Rasmussen Reports says there is a big split between Republicans and Democrats regarding President Trump's dealing with the NORKs. Rasmussen doesn't give numbers on this split, but it is right up there in the article's headline.
I wonder how that happens. I have some doubts that things will work out with the NORKs, but they might, and that makes it certainly worth trying. Why should Democrats dislike our effort to denuclearize the NORKs? It is surely better than starting up the Korean War again. Are the Democrats so anti-Trump that they wish ill toward what might be an important breakthrough? Just to spite Trump?
In the end, the Trump diplomatic offensive may not work. On the other hand it might. I cannot tell, and I doubt that anyone else can either. The chance that it might work makes it worth trying.
I wonder how that happens. I have some doubts that things will work out with the NORKs, but they might, and that makes it certainly worth trying. Why should Democrats dislike our effort to denuclearize the NORKs? It is surely better than starting up the Korean War again. Are the Democrats so anti-Trump that they wish ill toward what might be an important breakthrough? Just to spite Trump?
In the end, the Trump diplomatic offensive may not work. On the other hand it might. I cannot tell, and I doubt that anyone else can either. The chance that it might work makes it worth trying.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Harley Davidson Goes Hog Mild to Attract Younger Bikers
Headline in Tuesday's Wall St Journal. Gist of the article, Harley is thinking about introducing smaller bikes. cause sales of the big Hogs are tapering off.
This is nothing new. We bikers have been saying this for 40 years. The big 1000 cc Harley's are magnificent machines, any biker would like to own one. But they are pricey, about the cost of a small car. And they are too big and heavy to take off road. Most of us got started on much smaller and cheaper bikes. My first bike was a mere 120 cc Suzuki, which was a little slow for my tastes. My 2nd bike was a 250 cc Yamaha which had enough power to scare me, even back when I was young and reckless. At the time, the Yamaha only set me back $500, where as the big Harley's were going for $5000.
Harley should have figured out, maybe 30 years ago, that a small, low cost bike would sell, in fact sell more than the big Hogs were selling. To make a small bike Harley might have had to give up on their beloved four stroke engines and make some other changes to compete with all the well built rice burners on the market, but they could have managed.
I hope Harley isn't too late.
This is nothing new. We bikers have been saying this for 40 years. The big 1000 cc Harley's are magnificent machines, any biker would like to own one. But they are pricey, about the cost of a small car. And they are too big and heavy to take off road. Most of us got started on much smaller and cheaper bikes. My first bike was a mere 120 cc Suzuki, which was a little slow for my tastes. My 2nd bike was a 250 cc Yamaha which had enough power to scare me, even back when I was young and reckless. At the time, the Yamaha only set me back $500, where as the big Harley's were going for $5000.
Harley should have figured out, maybe 30 years ago, that a small, low cost bike would sell, in fact sell more than the big Hogs were selling. To make a small bike Harley might have had to give up on their beloved four stroke engines and make some other changes to compete with all the well built rice burners on the market, but they could have managed.
I hope Harley isn't too late.
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