tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post3919610970819704952..comments2024-03-17T08:27:53.658-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: Things that Chap My Ass About 2010Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-1718372958985485002016-08-10T17:52:09.811-05:002016-08-10T17:52:09.811-05:00Six years later, and nothing has really changed. W...Six years later, and nothing has really changed. We've got a tenant in our duplex who has to pay via MONEY ORDERS. How the heck are people supposed to pull themselves out of poverty if they need to spend extra money on that kinda thing?<br /><br />It's either that, though, or send us cash in the mail, and I don't think that's all that great an idea.Big Bear Brianhttps://www.facebook.com/BigBearBriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-28245506632376352762011-12-22T16:48:23.682-06:002011-12-22T16:48:23.682-06:00Yeah, it's a little late, but your riff on che...Yeah, it's a little late, but your riff on checks reminded me. XKCD recently pointed out: If you want to buy a gun, you have to show your ID. If you want to pay for that gun by check, you have to show TWO forms of ID.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10675280510229786608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-10958742474178818032011-01-16T16:58:47.431-06:002011-01-16T16:58:47.431-06:00I know I'm a bit late to the game here; this i...I know I'm a bit late to the game here; this is like leaving a comment on Benjamin Franklin's blog, just to say, "Hey. Dood. that electricity thing of yours turned out to be really COOL!" However, I'm noob here, and still familiarizing myself with the lay of the land. I thought it would be worthwhile to mention that at least a couple of the things mentioned in your post have been (or are being) addressed. <br /><br />#1. The fax thing. Seriously. If someone asked me for my fax number, they'd end up giving up & walking away in shame long before I stopped laughing. He wants to keep a paper copy? Okaaaay. Print out your paper copy, stuff it into your 'Archaeologists will laugh at me one day' file & then email the doc to me, perhaps? <br />Or, you can just sign up for a Google Phone account & give 'em that number. The beauty of it is, once they've dialed your number to deliver their fax, you can then direct them into a contact list reserved for vinyl siding salesmen, televangelists & the nutcase who's been calling you for three years thinking that just once, the person who had your number prior to you will answer. <br /><br />#2. The can thing. That's the main reason I'm responding here, because I first saw this just a couple of weeks ago. Me likey. Me wanty:<br /><br />http://daily-gadget.com/gizmodo/2011/01/06/this-soup-is-cooking-in-its-packaging-wireless/Kenneth Headhttp://poluhtix.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-68867765074469314442010-01-05T05:29:02.059-06:002010-01-05T05:29:02.059-06:00There's a fax-by-email service that you can ev...There's a fax-by-email service that you can even get for free if you don't mind giving people an out-of-state number.<br /><br />Also, I have DSL but don't have a land line - I only have a cell phone.<br /><br />Some places that accept your debit card have a receipt-by-email service.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-23621056045918347042010-01-04T11:09:05.332-06:002010-01-04T11:09:05.332-06:00I'm breaking myself of the landline habit- alo...I'm breaking myself of the landline habit- along with television. I finally got a converter box, only to realize there was nothing I cared to watch, no matter how many digital channels it was spread over.Pam Adamsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-25370273530275578572010-01-04T07:00:15.149-06:002010-01-04T07:00:15.149-06:00C.E.
Just try using a check in a NYC store withou...C.E.<br /><br />Just try using a check in a NYC store without three forms of valid I.D., fingerprints, a DNA sample, retinal scan and E.E.G.<br /><br />Your check here <em>without</em> the rest of the stuff in your wallet would be useless.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-4939235061909484442010-01-04T00:11:47.875-06:002010-01-04T00:11:47.875-06:00Checks come in handy when your wallet has been sto...Checks come in handy when your wallet has been stolen and you're waiting for two weeks for your new debit cards, but you can't wait to pay bills or buy groceries or purchase medicine for your pet.<br /><br />Not that I have any first hand knowledge of that.<br /><br />Also, I like to listen to <i>The Stephanie Miller Show</i> while I'm getting ready for work in the morning. Guess what? It's on AM.<br /><br />But I have no landline and use on online fax service when I need to send something that requires a fax. Just scan in signed forms and send it on over. Then again, I live in a high population area. Cell reception isn't much of an issue here.Carol Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06041453807217603422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-8523565737678196692010-01-03T19:09:48.501-06:002010-01-03T19:09:48.501-06:00Michelle, Thodr, I have the Harmony all in one rem...Michelle, Thodr, I have the Harmony all in one remote. Works great, sounds similar to what Michelle is describing and I can program the thing by plugging it via USB into my computer and then going to the Harmony website. Simple and easy and you can hook dozens of complex scripts to a single button push. I wouldn't want to be without it.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-16920923453719590892010-01-03T19:07:28.744-06:002010-01-03T19:07:28.744-06:00Pennies, yeah, good call. The damned copper costs ...Pennies, yeah, good call. The damned copper costs more than the stupid things are worth. The US Mint looses money stamping out pennies.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-5250773422711610812010-01-03T12:49:20.669-06:002010-01-03T12:49:20.669-06:00Can we get rid of pennies, please? Everyone just ...Can we get rid of pennies, please? Everyone just round up or down to the nearest nickel and get rid of those damned things. The check writers will love it ;)<br /><br /><br />breflu - sniffles, sore throat, gut aches, and fever over your lunch break. 'Course, it might have been the 4 chili dogs you just wolfed down...Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11854671368992589012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-85947229456709213922010-01-03T10:46:50.682-06:002010-01-03T10:46:50.682-06:00Thodor, this one has giant buttons and a touch scr...Thodor, this one has giant buttons and a touch screen--the goal was something my grandmother could easily use. (Buttons and controls are bigger than those on the individual components.)<br /><br />Of course, it was not an inexpensive purchase, but she should now be able to watch DVDs and the satellite TV and also listen to the radio. Previously, about half the time she could watch DVDs, and that's about it.Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-42617888086181143052010-01-03T09:45:39.351-06:002010-01-03T09:45:39.351-06:00Michelle, I hate my Logitech universal remote, the...Michelle, I <em>hate</em> my Logitech universal remote, the damned buttons are so small I cant press just one with my big fingers, it's the same reason I hate text messeging on my cell.<br /><br />colaccer: playing soccer with a coke can.Thordrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02483497564571489980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-51234110357752680672010-01-02T23:04:00.907-06:002010-01-02T23:04:00.907-06:00Mark, We got my grandmother a Logitech Universal r...Mark, We got my grandmother a Logitech Universal remote for Christmas, and it's FABULOUS--it truly is universal and it's really easy to set up AND you can create your own commands, such as turning on closed captioning every time you turn on the TV, and turning OFF closed captioning every time you turn on the DVD player.<br /><br />intlea = one of those damned word shortenings for how smart someone is.Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-20191802026442092862010-01-02T21:30:39.237-06:002010-01-02T21:30:39.237-06:00Sadly, I can't help you here, I'm not a bi...Sadly, I can't help you here, I'm not a big "move on to something new just because it's new" kind of guy. I listen to AM radio because I don't have to pay a monthly fee and there is a good local station on it. <br /><br />I don't use faxes but when we refinanced our house and the company was in a different state I had to dig the old fax machine out of the closet and fire it up. I think it would be nice not to need it but frankly I don't trust 100% digital signatures. I'm not that computer-literate but I've created my own digital signature and signed Word docs with it and thus it basically means nothing. Until there is a foolproof way of generating a digital sig we are going to have to fax.<br /><br />I have a landline and use it for 90% of all calls, I have a cheap all-you-want-everywhere calling plan and never have to worry about if my minutes are off-peak.<br /><br />and I have no interest in downloading or streaming movies into my computer, why would I want to watch a movie on a 22" monitor when my 70" is in the next room - yes I could set up a whole wireless network in my house and then spend the next 5 years trying to explain to my family how to watch a simple movie - its bad enough now that I have 5 remote controls and I use 1 button on each one. <br /><br />Seriously, to switch from dvd to broadcast takes 16 button pushes on 3 different remotes- I have to switch aspect ratios, switch inputs and of course I can't just select the input, I have to scroll (slowly) down the list of inputs that have never been used. The DVD "universal" remote handles 10,000 different kinds of TV's - except mine - same for the satellite remote and the TV remote. Yes I can go and purchase an aftermarket universal "learning" remote but I shouldn't have to.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12341711121542863377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-60822230148291989472010-01-02T19:43:01.947-06:002010-01-02T19:43:01.947-06:00And doctors, Jim. Don't forget the doctors.
...And doctors, Jim. Don't forget the doctors.<br /><br />ploom: the sound made by an exploding mattress factory.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-28502426622382812432010-01-02T19:34:28.321-06:002010-01-02T19:34:28.321-06:00Well that's just typical, trust the lawyers to...Well that's just typical, trust the lawyers to screw up progress.<br /><br />;)Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-38630699928076500652010-01-02T19:19:44.416-06:002010-01-02T19:19:44.416-06:00About... gosh ... 10 or 15 years ago, I went to a ...About... gosh ... 10 or 15 years ago, I went to a California Bar convention, and some guy stood up in front of the assembled with a digital camera and said, "This is the end of photographic evidence as we know it." <br /><br />He overstated things, of course -- the legal system is getting by OK with digital photographs, as a general matter. But you can't question the authenticity of a film picture in the same way that you can argue a digital photo may have been photoshopped. I think there's still a place for film -- much like Eric's point about faxed signatures -- when you really need objective evidence of what you've seen.<br /><br />Landlines can go, though -- I ditched my landline for a Magicjack about a year back, and though the call quality isn't always as good, it's worth the cost savings. And I no longer have any use for AM radio since my news and traffic station became "the new home for Dr. Laura."<br /><br />"Pranter" -- reindeer formerly employed by Santa Clause; now works with Dennis Miller.nzformehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982194544873836336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-28251901395960796672010-01-02T15:26:17.488-06:002010-01-02T15:26:17.488-06:00::sigh::
I have to admit, it chaps my ass wheneve...::sigh::<br /><br />I have to admit, it chaps my ass whenever somebody complains about fax machines.<br /><br />Not because I'd have one at home, but because there are areas--for instance, law and medicine--where paper documentation is still important, and where stabs at replacing paper records with electronic communications remain half-assed, possibly impractical, possibly <i>undesirable</i>, and raise assorted ethics question.<br /><br />Take a hypothetical Motion And Order For Bond Reduction, which might be signed by an attorney, an Assistant District Attorney and a judge and then faxed to the county jail. Or a release for medical records which said attorney might get his client or client's guardian to sign before faxing to the client's psychiatrist, whereupon the psychiatrist can fax back copies of his non-electronic records on said client.<br /><br />I won't say you couldn't ever do these things electronically--perhaps signatures will all become electronic, or maybe The-Powers-That-Be will give everyone a PIN that can appear somewhere on a virtual document--but the fact is that some social institutions are wedded to paper.<br /><br />Granted, some jurisdictions are allowing for the electronic filing of legal documents, and there's a push for converting medical documentation to all-electronic. But those things are far from universal, not-yet-implemented everywhere, and in some situations the problem isn't purely technological or budgetary--there are statutory and/or professional privacy and ethics issues that are still being grappled with by various regulatory authorities.<br /><br />And so those of us who toil in those fields like our fax machines not because we <i>want</i> to like them but because we <i>have no other choice right now</i>.<br /><br />As for digital photography: funny thing about that is that being able to shoot to a memory card is what's made it possible to get into photography. Digital processing is cheap, I can shoot as much as I want and delete the failures and re-use the memory card nearly indefinitely, and messing with the images on my computer is a helluva lot more practical and economical than converting a bathroom to a photo lab and storing toxic chemicals by the gallon.<br /><br />But what's the first thing I nearly always do with an image when I have it up on my computer screen? Used to be I added ersatz "film grain" by hand, 'til I found a pretty good script that does it for me.<br /><br />Film grain. <i>Fake</i> film grain. Because it's pretty. Because when you look at a <i>real</i> photograph closely, what you notice is those subtle imperfections in the medium that make it look <i>natural</i>, that give it a kind of life.<br /><br />And digital sound? I'm not going to knock it, not entirely--I've taken to skipping CDs altogether, a lot of times, and just downloading music from Amazon.com. But in terms of recording, which I don't really do anymore, I miss tape. I understood tape, which is part of it, better than I understand the hard drive mixer/recorder I have in storage. But also: analog is <i>warm</i>, Jim. When analog clips, it saturates the tape and you get groovy distortion. When digital clips, it squawks. And when it squawks, you also have nothing--there are ways you can salvage low-level analog distortion, but digital distortion is just a bunch of ones, a lot of irretrievably lost data.<br /><br />So, in short: ambivalence about digital media.<br /><br />ingfr: subdivision of Oceana's bureaucracy charged with oversight of territories formerly identified as Great Britain and Western Europe--<i>"After the MOI released Winston, he briefly worked as a filing clerk for INGFR, before his ultimate, final disappearance in 1986."</i>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-33772060372464185852010-01-02T12:33:11.454-06:002010-01-02T12:33:11.454-06:00See David gets me, personal lasers for zapping che...See David gets me, personal lasers for zapping check writers in the express lane? Yes!<br /><br />Metrication? I have learned a new word today. Thanks, Pat in Australia. I'm not particularly surprised to find that we're doing it wrong. Not surprised at all. If you could show how the metric system prevents gay marriage or outlaws abortion, the US would be all over that shit. <br /><br />tfernando, you're right, of course. I withdraw the objection.<br /><br />Warner, sure, link away. I've been a little lean on the death threats lately, probably need to write another abortion post or something about Palin or an abortion post about Palin, yeah. <br /><br />"Why in the hell do I have to dial 1 for English" is probably the top search hit on Stonekettle Station, that and "Konlabos with a K."Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-55617147986264071722010-01-02T06:42:11.196-06:002010-01-02T06:42:11.196-06:00Just found this: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Why...Just found this: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Why-the-HELL-should-I-have-to-press-1-for-English/178345368375?ref=nf<br /><br />and would like to drop a link to your post on the subject into the comments.<br /><br />Do you want to deal with the death threats?<br /><br />Also to the commenter on AM radio, it travels in hilly country because of the frequency not the modulation method. Television, uses AM and has the same transmission problems as FM radio. The FM frequencies are between TV channels 6 and 7. <br /><br />However FM radio uses a much wider band width 200kH vs 10 kH, so there would only be room for 2 or 3 channels in the alloted frequency space.<br /><br />Metric is as screwed up as Imperial (and the Brits used a different version than the US). 12, 8 and 16 all have advantages over 10, and the pure mathematician would argue for a prime multiplicand such as 2, 7 or 11. A meter was to have been 1/10,000 of a quadrant of the earth at the equator, but they measured the earth incorrectly. The same holds true for the definition of liter and gram, as the result.<br /><br />Inches are commonly broken into binary units not decimal units although units based on either 3 or e would be more efficient. <br /><br />Why is a rule with two points 100 units apart superior to a rule with three points, two of which are 180 units apart, with the intermediate point and the third one 32 units apart. If one is using degrees as a unit, they should be based on a multiple of 60.<br /><br />At least the metric version of the compass didn't catch on, the one with 400 grads (that quadrant again) instead of 360 degree. Engineers use radians anyway.<br /><br />The US is metric by the way, we just translate it down so the natives can understand it. If you look at an ANSI document all measurements are in the SI system, possibly with English(American version) in parens following.<br /><br />Have a nice day.<br /><br />tades - dude speak for frog offspring.Warner (aka ntsc)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12924176333302007261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-89322335324953750872010-01-02T05:15:40.856-06:002010-01-02T05:15:40.856-06:00It's interesting that AM radio made your list ...It's interesting that AM radio made your list of technologies to be retired-- the others may all personally annoy you, but the existance of AM broadcasts you don't listen to can't be a significant thorn in your side, can it? :)<br /><br />In places like Dillingham or Kotzebue, the only commercial stations are AM stations. The issue isn't installed tech base-- listener radios are presumably AM/FM-- but the propogation characteristics of AM transmitters allow a wider service area than an equivalent FM transmitter on the same tower. Because of this, most of AK's FM transmitters are on the road corridor (or in South East), where populations are not particularly disperesed. <br /><br />Retiring AM licences would mean removal of commercial radio service to many of the smaller interior villages. (Though most of the bush transmitters are community operations and NPR affiliates, the stations are still commercial stations to the FCC) <br /><br />Retiring those licences also doesn't free up bandwidth for cell or wi-fi, because that band is shared by the FAA NDB system. That's admittedly an ancient system which should be retired, but there are instrument approaches (especially in AK) which due to shadowing of GPS signals by terrain can't be easily/cheaply replaced. Until that system goes away, the majority of the AM band won't be up for grabs. <br /><br />I hope you'll reconsider your objection to AM radio.<br />-TFtfernandohttp://www.nightflyergames.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-82217730193792151602010-01-02T01:48:53.032-06:002010-01-02T01:48:53.032-06:00sadly, I have also observed metrication transition...<i>sadly, I have also observed metrication transitions that have taken more than 200 years.</i><br /><br />And thus, another immortal inadvertently reveals himself. <br /><br /><br />And also note the alliterative name ("Metrication Matters") which is only one letter removed from "Lazarous Long". QED.<br /><br />mismu = unit of Japanese measurement, roughly equal to the length of one California roll.Nick from the O.C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-4734160398008951422010-01-02T01:38:13.209-06:002010-01-02T01:38:13.209-06:00Dear Stonekettle Station,
I really liked your lin...Dear Stonekettle Station,<br /><br />I really liked your line about the metric system:<br /><br />'<i>For crying out loud, even the dimmest goatherd in those countries where they speak the clickclick language and worship rocks can manage the metric system, what the hell does that say about us?</i>'<br /><br />Let me attempt to answer your question.<br /><br />Basically, you (and the UK and the USA) chose the wrong method to upgrade to the metric system. And many, many people are still trying to 'go metric' using the wrong metrication methods.<br /><br />I have observed metrication upgrades done in as little as a single day, and sadly, I have also observed metrication transitions that have taken more than 200 years.<br /><br />As I have been studying the metrication process since the mid-1960s, I have seen loads of methods that people choose to make their inevitable metrication upgrade. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/ApproachesToMetrication.pdf for comparisons of the four main approaches to metrication.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Pat Naughtin<br /><br />Geelong, AustraliaMetrication mattershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14906382802926616975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-46435905874354046052010-01-02T00:31:41.836-06:002010-01-02T00:31:41.836-06:00After playing around with Google Wave for a month,...After playing around with Google Wave for a month, I can see the end of old school email coming. :)<br /><br />I have invites, if anyone wants one.Alesia Matsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15519487703722156234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-65275050934156019822010-01-01T23:44:52.628-06:002010-01-01T23:44:52.628-06:00Landline? Well, technically I do still have one as...Landline? Well, technically I do still have one as my IP telephone comes from my cable company. Fax machines? Well, I do work for the government - nuff said. Last time I had to send a fax from home I found a website that would do it for me. For free.<br /><br />schypsy - the way Jim sometimes feels after writing a "chap my ass" blog entry...MikeBhttp://zedefrag.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com