TECHNOLOGY: I’m mad as hell about spam and I’m starting my own personal push back

Friday, August 6, 2010

Copy of my email to: jim.brodo@richardson.com who is the SVP Marketing.

Please feel free to add him to all chain letters, jokes, Nigerian offers, and every thing you can think off.

A little community applied discipline is in order!

*** begin quote ***

Where the hell do you get off spamming my yahoo group?

F. J. Reinke

Begin forwarded message:

From: “SalesTrainingIndustry.com” <susan@salestrainingindustry.com>

Date: August 6, 2010 9:00:39 AM EDT

To: Distribute_Jasper_Jottings-owner

Subject: Spaces still available-Complimentary Webinar: Develop Great Frontline Sales Managers (ADV)

Reply-To: susan@salestrainingindustry.com

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

‘I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’ I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell – ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad!… You’ve got to say, ‘I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Then we’ll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: [screaming at the top of his lungs] “I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” —— the character Howard Beale played by Peter Finch in the movie Network (1976)

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TECHNOLOGY: Amex takes the risk, but User is left with the problem

Monday, August 2, 2010

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-245428.html

September 7, 2000 11:45 AM PDT
AmEx unveils “disposable” credit card numbers
By Stefanie Olsen Staff Writer, CNET News

*** begin quote ***

American Express today announced a new suite of online security and privacy products, the first of which is a “disposable” credit card number for its members.

As previously reported by CNET News.com, cardholders using the disposable credit card option will be able to log on to a secure Web site and receive a one-time-use credit card number to make purchases over the Internet.

The free service will be offered to small businesses and consumer cardholders within the next 30 days.

*** end quote ***

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH!

Response (Shweta Shiv) 08/01/2010 02:46 PM

Dear Ferdinand J Reinke,

I’d like to inform you that American Express does not offer such a service at this time.

However, I assure you that we remain committed to protecting the privacy and security of all of our Cardmembers, both online and offline. We believe that our current security measures, including our sophisticated monitoring systems to detect unusual or fraudulent card activity, provide strong, ongoing protections for our Cardmembers. In addition, you are further safeguarded by our Online Fraud Protection Guarantee, which ensures that Cardmembers are not held liable for any fraudulent charges on their account.

With the Online Fraud Protection Guarantee, you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized online charges, and if someone uses your Card without your consent, you will not pay any part of the fraudulent online charges—not even the first $50.

We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of all of our Cardmembers, and we will continue to develop innovative ways to protect our customers.

Thank you for choosing American Express.

We truly value your association with you.

Sincerely,
Shweta Shiv
Email Servicing Team
American Express Interactive Services

# – # – #

Sorry, but that’s what I could use!

Lost the use of one credit card from a recurrent charge that could not be killed, which I am STILL fighting about. I want ONE TIME USE credit card numbers. I don’t care that the issuers will indemnify the risk, they don’t have the clean up hassle.

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SERVICE: Did Google Translate get it right or is it an idion? Or am I an idiot?

Sunday, August 1, 2010

FROM A FRIEND’S FACEBOOK STATUS

“Maraming pasalubong sa iyo pag punta mo dito”

so being the fat old white guy injineer I am, I applied Google Translate to the opportunity.

http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en&q=Maraming+pasalubong+sa+iyo+pag+punta+mo+dito&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sl=it&tl=en&sa=X&ei=KcFKTM1eg4HyBrXSvT0&ved=0CBcQrgYwAA#auto|en|Maraming%20pasalubong%20sa%20iyo%20pag%20punta%20mo%20dito

“Many presents to you when you go here”

Guess it loses something in translation?

Interesting that the technology allows us an insight that we were previously denied?

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HARDWARE: FIOS and fax

Saturday, July 31, 2010

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,24600472?r=355#24600472

*** begin quote ***

I’ve read some posts that people are able to fax using Verizon FIOS Digital Voice. I’ve had Vonage before switching to a triple play deal with Verizon. Now, I have Verizon FIOS Digital Voice.

*** end quote ***

I have a traditional multifunction printer jacked into a fios setup. It works. If you need it, I can figure out how I wired it. (I just plugged stuff in and didn’t think too much about it. Guess heaven protects fools.) And, pass it along. I don’t remember DOING anything so I think stuff is just plugged in.

(As I remember, the FIOS modem has an RJ11 to my “computer room”. That’s plugged into the printer and then the “out jack” is plugged to a wireless phone’s base station. And, five wireless phones are around the house in various rooms. No science or thought put into it. I was just ASSUMING that it would work.)

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SERVICE: BEBO strikes out with me

Saturday, July 31, 2010

*** begin quote ***

From: Bebo Service <service@noreply.bebo.com>
Date: July 31, 2010 8:31:43 AM EDT
To: reinkefj
Subject: New message from Jolyn Newburn

Ferdinand Reinke

You have received a new message from Jolyn Newburn on Bebo.

Please click below to read the message:

http://www.bebo.com/newmail

*** end quote ***

*** begin quote ***

View Saved Messages

Come play with me Jolyn Newburn

*** end quote ***

That’s it for me. This is strike about thirty. I sent them two messages about it. No response; nothing done.

I’m too an impressionable fat old white guy injineer to be getting these emails. What it the old lady saw them. She’s be hurt.

I don’t need a start up social network that has NO standards.

Argh!

I’m gone!!!

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TECHNOLOGY: Microgrids should be done without Gooferment “support”

Friday, July 30, 2010

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40086.html#ixzz0uPfpn2dK

Empower communities with microgrids
By KURT YEAGER | 7/22/10 4:12 AM EDT

*** begin quote ***

Cities like Austin, Texas, Naperville, Ill., and Leesburg, Fla., already own and operate microgrid-like electricity systems that provide better reliability, and system improvements are due to allow residents to manage their consumption, increase efficiency and lower overall costs. Meanwhile, privately developed microgrid distribution systems are up and running in places like the Illinois Institute of Technology and military bases, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where state regulatory barriers do not exist. Smart microgrids can generate, distribute and regulate the flow of electricity to serve the needs of specific consumers. Operating on the local scale, they can help make electricity distribution more efficient and reliable. They are designed to hit specific local goals — like carbon reduction, diversifying energy sources or cost reduction — set by the community, business or military base being served.

*** end quote ***

Putting the Gooferment in charge of anything is stupid.

Especially technology and the investment in tech.

If it makes sense, the world will readily adopt it. If it doesn’t, no amount of subsidization will make a difference.

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SERVICE: Are all RX services this dense?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

*** begin quote ***

From: Caremark

To: Caremark Participant

Date: Sent: 07/19/2010

Subject: We are about to contact your doctor for a new prescription – Case ID [#144609535

*** and ***

One or more prescriptions enrolled in our automatic prescription renewal program have no fills remaining or will expire soon. CVS Caremark will contact your doctor to obtain a new prescription for you. If your doctor approves the new prescription, your order will be shipped within 10 days. If approval is not received, CVS Caremark will notify you.

This is an automated message. Please do not reply to this message. The security of your personal information is important to us. If you have further questions, Contact Caremark to ensure a secure transaction. You may also call the toll-free number on the back of your benefit ID card.

*** and ***

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any attachments may contain confidential and/or privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution, or copying of it or its contents is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone and destroy all copies of this communication and any attachments.

*** and ***

Copyright 2009 Caremark All rights reserved.

*** end quote ***

*** begin quote ***

* 2 item(s) in this order was/were voided

*** end quote ***

(1) This is sent to her on a closed web based email system. So why can’t I just reply to this message?

(2) How CAN it be sent to someone else in error?

(3) Why not just mention the drug and the doctor without making me hunt through their obtuse “portal” looking for it?

(4) Once an item is “voided”, it no longer is part of the “order”. (Argh!) And, “unfindable”.

Did ANYONE ask the Users of this pig what share of lipstick they wanted?

Argh!

# – # – #

This is what is wrong with Obamacare, and insurance in general. If I was paying the bill, then I wouldn’t have to jump through hoops to make the system responsive to our needs. Right now, the LAST thing I need is more irritants.

Argh! Squared!

# – # – #

p.s., I still can NOT find what drugs they magnanimously voided for us!

And how can you copyright an email message? Guess they haven’t heard of “fair use”.

# # # # #

We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced. The reason you see 2 items mailed and 2 items voided is due to the prescriptions were entered 2 times by our pharmacy. The 2 prescriptions that were duplicated were voided. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience.

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TECHNOLOGY: As done today, electronic medical records are poor substitutes

Thursday, July 29, 2010

http://www.activistpost.com/2010/07/ten-ways-we-are-being-tracked-traced.html

Saturday, July 10, 2010
10 Ways We Are Being Tracked, Traced, and Databased
Are technological advances infringing on our right to privacy?

*** begin quote ***

Microsoft’s HealthVault and VeriMed partnership is to create RFID implantable microchips. Microchips for tracking our precious pets is becoming commonplace and serves to condition us to accept putting them in our children in the future. The FDA has already approved this technology for humans and is marketing it as a medical miracle, again for our safety.

*** end quote ***

Two points: Obama’s health care is going to depend upon electronic medical records to save money. And, those same EMRs are going to make care better.

If the current crop of “Health Vault” type offerings — Microsoft’s, Google, Caremark, or WallGreens — are any indication, then there is a long road before they will see and “savings”. The systems are inaccurate, lose data, and are not ready for Prime Time.

The interfaces are rudimentary at best. And bad data flows from system to system. The consumer facing data capture are kludges at best and not descigned form a Human Factors pov for the fast, accurate, and comprehensive data collection.

If used in the real world with real patients, they are going to cost: wealth, time, and eventually lives.

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SERVICE: Yahoo Answer’s input is down

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

FOUND A YAHOO QUESTION THAT I COULD ANSWER (imho)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/answer;_ylt=AnDzu2zMsPMLW.rD3Y1O9fwazKIX;_ylv=3

*** begin quote ***

Manhattan College Scholarships?

I really want to go to Manhattan college and I have the grades to get in…i think. But i need scholarships in order to pay for it because my family does not have much money. I was wondering when they open the scholarships, I have been to the site but I dont see how I can apply for their scholarships. Do i need to apply to the college first? please help me!!

*** end quote ***

Well, first, my new found future alumni, we have to be sure we’re all talking about the same school. “Manhattan College”, the one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, specifically sees the “poor” as its forte. First one to go to college, those who have “the smarts” (not NECESSARILY the great test takers), “the poor” (folks who don’t have a 7M$ New Zeeeland yacht, but are “rich” to most schools) are valued applicants. So you need to do some leg work.

Get all your numbers in order. How much do you have to go to school? (Don’t be discouraged if its zero. Just be totally honest). Then, figure out in your own mind (write it down) what your goals are (Be specific. Write them down. Use colored crayons if you have to.) For example, I want to give the poor of the world the first color tv that they can afford with unlimited ediucational access. Or, perhaps, I will build the first widget and secure my parent’s financial future. What’s your passion and how does MC fit into that goal. (Note, goal, not dream. You’re going to do it!) Write down all the things that you’ve done that make you an asset to MC as a student (i.e., pick up litter when I walk anywhere; help old people cross the street; write birthday cards to nursing home residents),

Then, it’s time for action. Make two appointments down at our Manhattan College. ONE The Dean of the School you want to go to and discover if there is “chemistry” between your goal and MC. TWO the nice ladies down at the Financial Aid office. (After having read EVERYTHING cited below about Financial Aid. Nothing to turn people off as when they have to repeat what’s on the website.) Let them show you how to pay for your education. (You might have to get a job while in school. How dedicated are you to your goal? Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

And, I hope I’m alive to report your first job in Jasper Jottings! (The daily achievement journal of my fellow Jaspers, the alumni of Manhattan College)

Good luck,
fjohn68

# – # – #

SO I GO TO SAVE IT, AND GET YUCK!

# – # – #

http://answers.yahoo.com/err

Yahoo! Answers is currently unavailable…

Yahoo! Answers is experiencing technical difficulties. We appreciate your patience while we fix the problem and apologize for any inconvenience. We assure you we aim to have service restored as soon as possible. In the meantime here are some things you can do while you wait:

   * Read more at the Yahoo! Answers Blog

   * Go to the Yahoo! Homepage

   * Search for an answer to your question with Yahoo! Search

   * Read the latest headlines on Yahoo! News

   * Look at some pretty pictures on Flickr

   * Alter how you appear online with Yahoo! Avatars

   * Send us your feedback on Yahoo! Answers

The Yahoo! Answers team would like to thank you for using Yahoo! Answers, we really value the contribution you make to our site.

# – # – #

DOWN FOR TWO HOURS. NO WAY TO REPORT IT.

(Sigh)

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Shazam, my answer is posted. How did that happen?

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SERVICE: Cite and annotate references formally

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

http://www.freedownloadaday.com/2010/07/18/make-annotations-on-web-page-bookmarks-with-icyte/  

Make annotations on web page bookmarks with iCyte

July 18th, 2010

*** begin quote ***

A free service, iCyte should work with recent browsers (they support IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) for saving pages; once those pages are saved, you should be able to pull them up with just about any web browser.

*** end quote ***

Might be helpful for citations on my blogs?

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TECHNOLOGY: An interesting use of computers on old languages

Sunday, July 25, 2010

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1296214/Computer-program-translates-ancient-language.html

Computers to translate world’s ‘lost’ languages after program deciphers ancient text

By Niall Firth

Last updated at 4:15 PM on 20th July 2010

*** begin quote ***

Scientists have used a computer program to decipher a written language that is more than three thousand years old. The program automatically translated the ancient written language of Ugaritic within just a few hours. Scientists hope the breakthrough could help them decipher the few ancient languages that they have been unable to translate so far.

*** end quote ***

What a great idea and accomplishment. Hard to imagine a better use for computer technology than discovering the ancient secrets. WHo knew there were so many lost languages? And, what about the ones that were just oral?

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Posted by reinkefj

SOFTWARE: Ubuntu Live CD for windows trouble

Saturday, July 24, 2010

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-reasons-windows-user-ubuntu-live-cd/

4 Reasons Every Windows User Should Have An Ubuntu Live CD
by Justin Pot on Jul. 21st, 2010

*** begin quote ***

Think Ubuntu is useless? Think again. Ubuntu can be an extremely effective tool for repairing and working on computers, even if you consider yourself a Windows purist. This is because Ubuntu is capable of loading completely from a Ubuntu Live CD, giving you access to your computer in ways Windows can’t – or when Windows is completely broken.

For this reason, I suggest every Windows user keeps a copy of Ubuntu on hand, even if they never intend to switch from Windows. Happily, Ubuntu is completely free to aquire. You can download Ubuntu and burn it yourself, but if that sounds like too much work you can request Ubuntu send you a Ubuntu Live CD for free.

*** end quote ***

I’ve used the “live” cd method several times.

In especially bad infestations of malware, I’ve installed Ubuntu then immediately reinstalled windoze. Everyone swore up and down it couldn’t happen but I’ve seen a complete windoze reformat, reinstall, and immediate reinfection. Without a connection to any network. The first thing we did with this “pariah machine” was to isolate it from everything. It had the equivalent a hospital cure-resistant infection. My assumption is that that something bad was written in the Master Boot Record. The disk image was a total loss. The Ubuntu distribution we used, not a “live cd”, actually wrote a new MBR. That eliminated the problem. If I’d been smart, I’d have swapped the drive out and gotten someone to dump the MBR for further study. Maybe I’d have become famous, made a fortune, and gotten thin. Yeah, I know wistful thinking.

Bottom line, you should have the live dc around as insurance.

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HARDWARE: 35$ computer is hard to believe

Saturday, July 24, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.laptop/index.html?hpt=T2

India unveils $35 computer for students
By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN
July 23, 2010 8:42 a.m. EDT

*** begin quote ***

New Delhi, India (CNN) — India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and teachers at affordable prices.

*** end quote ***

Hard to believe?

Can I have ten?

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TECHNOLOGY: Let the inet be free of Gooferment diktat

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/109453-wsjs-mossberg-wants-a-broadband-plan-with-teeth

WSJ’s Mossberg wants a broadband plan with teeth
By Gautham Nagesh – 07/18/10 06:13 PM ET

*** begin quote ***

“We need a strong broadband policy on the part of the government not to run or take over broadband, but to set the private sector and the society on a course where we can make sure that we always have the kind of speed, availability and affordability of broadband that will allow the innovation around it that will keep us competitive or hopefully ahead of other countries and I do worry about that,” he said.

*** end quote ***

No!

We need the Gooferment to step aside and let the inet grow and run free.

We don’t need it “managed”.

We do need an impartial referee stand off to the side call “fair” or “foul”. Prevent fraud. don’t let ISPs cheat their Customers (i.e., we know that there is NO justification for usage charges on the inet).

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SERVICE: Citations and bibliography

Monday, July 19, 2010

http://www.freedownloadaday.com/2010/07/17/format-citations-and-build-a-bibliography-with-easybib/

Format citations and build a bibliography with EasyBib
July 17th, 2010

*** begin quote ***

It’s one thing to thoroughly research and write your paper, thesis, dissertation, or even letter to the City Council; it’s another thing to get all the citations right. After all, unless you’re only compiling your own data, you are no doubt depending on the work of others. And we all know that we need to give credit where credit is due, meaning you need to cite those sources. But how do you correctly and accurately give your sources? And what format should you use?

*** end quote ***

http://www.easybib.com

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So of course I had to try it. :-)

Reinke, Ferdinand J. “RANT: Bailouts Are Welfare and Theft Is Just Theft « Reinke Faces Life.” Reinke Faces Life. WordPress, 19 July 2010. Web. 19 July 2010. <https://reinkefaceslife.com/2010/07/19/rant-bailouts-are-welfare-and-theft-is-just-theft/&gt;.

Seems to work nicely.

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TECHNOLOGY: Google’s OCR needs work

Saturday, July 17, 2010

<Broken Link>

Google’s OCR translated that into:

*** begin quote ***

Sister Mary Virgilius O’Brien, RSM

at Maria Regina in Seaford. In Brook-

lyn, her school as- sígnments included Holy

as Aquinas, St. Brigid’s and the Convent of Mercy, and in she St; 1 Gerard Majella in Hollis and

School in Astoria. In 1955 she graduated from Manhattan College with a B.A. in Latín. In 1967, she earned a master’s degree from Seton Hall University. Sister Virgilius worked in food management at Visíta-

tion Residence here (1980-83), before retiring to the Convent of Mercy in 1993, and then moving to Maria Regina Residence in Brentwood. She is survived by one sister, Sister of Mercy Kathleen O’Brien

*** end quote ***

That’s not even close. But it was “free”! Argh! Unusable, but free.

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TECHNOLOGY: The “iCosystem”? WTH it’s about creating “dead end” that are rich for Apple

Thursday, July 15, 2010

http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/07/apple-geeks-google-technology-cio-network-ipad_3.html

Andrew McAfee is a principal research scientist at the MIT Center for Digital Business.

*** begin quote ***

I hope the vitriol and alarmism around the iCosystem dies down, because it’s not doing much good. Maybe Barry Goldwater was right that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. But crying wolf surely is.

*** end quote ***

I could care less about the “iCosystem”. If Apple can con folks into paying a health markup for some dumbed down hardware / software platform, more power to them. (Happened to be at the Apple store yesterday, saw a lot of playing but not a lot of buying. Saw quite a few monitors being exchanged. Saw a lot of bitching about hardwre problems. Including me, with a defective Time Capsule. Saw two purchases. One cash and one credit card. Have to do a lot better to pay the rent, I suspect.) While if given one, I certainly would refuse, put it in the trash, or put it in the corner. But, why should I buy an expensive dead end on the Information Super Highway. It has just enough “features” to fool the technological illiterate into buying it. First, which model do you buy. Cheap “small” wifi or expensive “big” talker? You don’t get the ubiquity of the cloud without getting the talker. With only wifi, then the device is shown to be an “island” as one struggles to find free wifi. Not very “ubiquitous”. And, like a coffin, the “closed” nature of the beast starts to give you claustrophobia. Buy the WSJ, buy more apps, buy games, buy, buy, buy. Bye bye wallet. And, what do you have after all these “purchases” (Oh, I should say “licenses”!) when you can “lose” your access to what you think you bought. We haven’t heard that screaming yet. But sooner or later it’ll come. Nope, it’s a dead end. Designed to allow the old media to pretend to have adapted. imho

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HARDWARE: APPLE TIME CAPSULE died. But that’s not the whole story

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

http://store.apple.com/us/write/review/MC343LL/A

One of the reasons for moving from Windoze to Apple as opposed to Linux was the Time Capsule.

It worked fine, until it died.

(Restoring files was balky at times, but any time I really had to do it, I was able to get it off. The User Interface for partial or complete restores could be easier imho.)

One day, I just was dead. No power. Plugged it into a different outlet. Flickered but died.

When I went on the web, it said “OOW! Sorry. You lose!!! Should have bought AppleCare on it.” Which really put my shorts in a knot. Pay a couple of hundred bucks for a 500$ item. Typical “extended warranty rip off.

I got around to taking my now deceased and out-of-warranty TIME BRICK back to the Apple Store. And, played dumb.

The Genius plug it in and it flickered and died. Another Genius was called over to consult. Replugged it in and same thing. Another Genius came over looked at the bottom of it and called a team huddle in a corner away from me and I couldn’t hear or read lips.

Genius One went to the docked macbook and began wildly typing. Then he announced “bad power supply, we’ll replace it but you’ve lost all the data. OK?”

Sure, it was just my backup device.

Another Genius, number FOUR if you’re keeping score, came over an typed in their machine and paper began to spit out of their printer.

I signed off on the paper. They took the BRICK. And said they’d call in three days for me to pcik up my brand new unit.

A duccessful jaunt, but I’m still annoyed.

What if I believd the website and tossed the unit in the trash?

Argh!!!

This is “barbara streisand” that you have to be a mind reader and guess what’s been recalled.

Argh!!!

I’d call that an “unfair deceptive practice”.

SO, if ANY Apple product dies, I’d drag the dead smelly carcass into an Apple Store. And moan and groan until you got something for your trouble.

I’d even go one step further. I wouldn’t be adverse to visiting ALL the Apple stores within driving distance dragging the dead body into the store.

Sooner or later, you might run into someone who’d have pity on you.

Argh!

# # # # #

http://www.macworld.com/article/152634/2010/07/timecapsule.html

Apple announces replacement program for some 2008 Time Capsules

Posted on Jul 12, 2010 8:30 am by Serenity Caldwell, Macworld.com

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TECHNOLOGY: Using technology as the excuse for process failures

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/69218

Census ‘Successfully Completed’ Work to Date Despite ‘Shaky’ Computer Problems, Census Director Says
Monday, July 12, 2010
By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter

*** begin quote ***

(CNSNews.com) – The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Dr. Robert Groves, told CNSNews.com that the Census “successfully completed” all operations to date despite a “shaky” information technology (IT) system that affected the early weeks of door-to-door counting. He added that he does not have “any evidence” that the IT problems had a “quality impact” on the accuracy of the population count, but encouraged people to wait for a final report that will be issued by the Commerce Department’s inspector general to “see what he has to say” as an “independent voice.”

*** end quote ***

Can you say “cooking the books”? What better way to get the result you want than to blame it on the technology.

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SERVICE: LEGACY send out notifications after expirations

Thursday, July 8, 2010

>legacy sends notice of page going down AFTER it’s down

201007080903.jpg

And, of course, the conflicted message: “email us” just not by replying!

Great IT architecture change. I guess the purpose is to generate revenue by forcing people to sponsor guestbooks. If the guestbook was reasonably priced, then they might have a change. But in this case, they are “grave robbers” trying to increase their bottom line

This accentuates the need for micropayments. Imagine that reading an obit cost a penny, or some fraction there of. WIth 300M people, let’s say 10% read the obits. (Probably higher!) That 30M times 1¢ of a Million Bucks! That would more than pay for the site. Plus ads. Plus all the other stuff they sell.

It probably has to be Visa or Amex to do it. It’s got to have strong cryptology, and audit ability. But it could be a real winner for some credit card company.

It could be tied into single use credit card numbers that also would need strong cryptology and account ability.

Wonder when someone other than a fat old white guy injineer will realize it?

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TECHNOLOGY: SPAM is preventable

Thursday, July 8, 2010

http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/26/internet-malware-security-technology-cio-network-spam.html

Digital Frontlines
We Can’t Get Rid Of Spam
Ed Sperling, 06.28.10, 06:00 AM EDT

*** begin quote ***

After nearly 15 years of filling inboxes with electronic garbage, the problem only seems to be getting worse.

Spam may well be one of those IT problems that never completely goes away, like rust on a ship. There are filters and services that can keep it to a manageable level, but even those don’t get rid of the problem entirely. Some of it still creeps through spam blockers, ultimately costing companies sizable amounts of money in terms of storage and employee productivity that is used to read it and delete it.

*** end quote ***

>We can’t get rid of spam

Sorry, but I disagree. And, with that type of attitude, we will never be rid of it.

Let’s start with the basic features of the internet.

IPv4 doesn’t FORCE full authentication. IPv6 moves us along. No one is really pushing IPv6.

The mail protocol has no real authentication.

Now on to the details. The Peering Points have no economic interest in stopping SPAM or creating a feedback mechanism. The ISPs have some half-hearted “committees” working on “solutions”. (Note, when one domain was cut off spam dropped dramatically, but it was reconnected. Someone’s pocket book get hit?)

BUT, any assumption that “it can’t cured” is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Like the “user’s chronological age” problem, (i.e., how does a website KNOW there’s a child at the other end of the wire), this solution to SPAM is TOTALLY within the ISP’s control.

(1) Implement a fully authenticate email protocol. (SMTP has served well for decades; time for a face lift.) Turn the smart folks loose on the problem.

(2) End free email service. “Stamps” for email sent and received are essentially micropayments for cryptographic keys.

(3) If the User gets spam, give them a feedback loop to get their money back. That gives the ISP the trail. (Wall Street and most businesses can handle “chargebacks”.) Get after the various ISPs and Websites with email, that pass spam, with a big club — additional expense!

(I have to laugh when I get spam on Yahoo that purports to originate FROM a Yahoo email address. Yahoo doesn’t even bother to parse it’s own email. If the email purports to have originated from within it’s own domain, why is it coming in from the outside. That should be an easy fix.)

(4) Implement a PKI infrastructure and than you know who sent it and can come down hard on that person. Why should email be like writing on a postcard? Could it be that there are economic advantages to allowing snooping?

The software vendor’s are not immune to criticism in this mess. They put out OS and Applications software that buggy and allows this mess to continue.

IMHO, this SHOULD BE a solved problem.

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: VERIZONWIRELESS BACKUPASSISTANT NOTRECOMMENDED

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

VERIZONWIRELESS BACKUPASSISTANT is supposed to backup my contacts from my cell phone.

The website has a last backup date of June 11, 2010; I changed some yesterday.

It’s NOT keeping a current backup.

Why?

For warned is fore armed!

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Posted by reinkefj

HARWARE: Rebooted MCBA

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

(MCBA — Mick Bahhh! — Mac Book Air)

In the fast task switch ALT-TAB, Firefox was missing from the applications.

I decided to reboot McBa to get it straightened out.

Argh!

Shades of Windoze.

I left Windoze to be free of reboots and corrupt data.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Just had a robocall from a car dealer

Thursday, July 1, 2010

… calling to wish a happy birthday.

Good thing it didn’t wake up the house lady.

Argh!

How stupid are people? Technologists?

And where were they last year?

Argh squared!

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: 750WORDS RECOMMENDED

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

http://750words.com

*** begin quote ***

Hello, welcome to a little thing called 750 Words

I’ve long been inspired by an idea I first learned about in The Artist’s Way called morning pages. Morning pages are three pages of writing done every day, typically encouraged to be in “long hand”, typically done in the morning, that can be about anything and everything that comes into your head. It’s about getting it all out of your head, and is not supposed to be edited or censored in any way. The idea is that if you can get in the habit of writing three pages a day, that it will help clear your mind and get the ideas flowing for the rest of the day. Unlike many of the other exercises in that book, I found that this one actually worked and was really really useful.

*** end quote ***

Amusing little site that has a way of getting under your skin.

I’m using it to write my course and my next book.

It sort of fits my early morning persona.

Maybe like Sudoku, it too will ward of the dreaded Alzheimer’s?

No one can see what you write but you can share the automated analysis of that writing.

See me at: http://750words.com/entries/share/174852

ROFL, yeah, I’m that nuts!

Now all I need is a tshirt declaring that I’m an ITSJ and a fat old white guy injineer. (But then I repeat myself.)

LOL!

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: VERIZON text from web is poorly designed

Monday, June 28, 2010

Argh!

I sent a text message from the Verizon web site. (Yes, I was signed in despite the website’s design flaws about sign in.)

It gave me a response.

So I went merely on my way.

Never received a response. So I “texted” again from my cell this time.

I get a return phone call from the recipient asking me “if I’ve lost my mind”.

They received it and replied.

So, now I go check on the website and it’s like “what text message”.

If I have a tracking number AND the recipient, it can check.

Argh!

I don’t have the 27 digit tracking number. (OK, I made that part up about 27 digit. But it’s a lot.)

And, apparently it doesn’t log it anywhere on the machine. Or, warn you that you’re goign to need it.

But where did the response go?

Argh! Squared!!

Verizon — not recommended. (Not that any of the others are much better from what I understand.)

Argh! Cubed!!!

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Posted by reinkefj

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