Memorial Day

Some get confused between Memorial day and Veterans day, but there is a difference. On Veteran’s day we honor all veterans, those living and those who fell.

On Memorial, or Decoration day as it was previously known, we honor those who have fallen. We honor them by visiting their graves, their monuments, and we decorate their graves with memorabilia and flowers. Decoration day was originally created by order in 1868 to honor those who fell in the civil war.

American Counseling Association Relocates Nashville Conference Over Tennessee’s Anti-LGBT Law 

On Tuesday, the American Counseling Association (ACA) announced that it would pull its 2017 Conference & Expo out of Nashville, Tennessee, due to the state’s new anti-LGBT legislation. Signed into law in April, HB 1840/SB 1556 allows a therapist or counselor to refuse to treat clients whose “goals, outcomes, or behaviors… conflict with a sincerely held principle” of that mental health professional, endangering vulnerable Tennesseans most in need of mental healthcare and treatment. “This was not an easy decision to make,” ACA CEO Richard Yep said in a statement. “After thoughtful discussion, the ACA Governing Council made the difficult—and courageous—decision on behalf of our membership… By relocating from Tennessee, ACA is standing up to this discriminatory law and we remain committed in the battle to ensure that this law does not become the national standard.”  Mr. Yep elaborated on the ACA’s opposition to HB 1840/SB 1556 in video to its members:

Source: American Counseling Association Relocates Nashville Conference Over Tennessee’s Anti-LGBT Law — Protect Thy Neighbor

Verizon workers’ union wants investigation of forced fiber upgrades

Put the union vs Verizon dispute in the article aside – this confrontation points out a major shortfall in modern telecommunications. As VOIP, SKYPE, and internet connectivity displaces traditional telephone service it should have to meet some of the same standards of reliability, redundancy, and availability that the old PTSN network does. All cable modems should come with battery backup, all internet plant should become as reliable as our old copper PTSN telephone plant. The FCC and local cable franchising authorities are falling down in not mandating better service from cable tv and internet providers.

The complaint stems from Verizon’s “Fiber is the Only Fix” program, in which Verizon automatically sets up copper-to-fiber upgrades when customers with copper-based landline phones call for repairs twice in 18 months. Though many customers welcome the shift to fiber because it brings more reliable and faster Internet access, some prefer to keep copper-based landline phones because they can remain in service during long power outages. FURTHER READING VERIZON WON’T FIX COPPER LINES WHEN CUSTOMERS REFUSE SWITCH TO FIBER “Do not fix trouble” with copper lines, Verizon document says. FURTHER READING VERIZON WORKERS STRIKE OVER LOST JOBS AND REFUSAL TO EXPAND FIBER Non-union employees will take over customer service and network repairs. The union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), claims Verizon is violating a ban on deceiving consumers and a requirement that customers be given 90 days’ notice before retiring copper networks. Verizon denies the union’s accusations and called the complaint a “publicity stunt” timed to coincide with a strike that began three weeks ago and involves 36,000 Verizon workers. Verizon argues that the FCC’s 90-day rule applies only to the retirement of entire central offices, not service to individual homes.

Source: Verizon workers’ union wants investigation of forced fiber upgrades | Ars Technica

The Fountain at Jörmungandr Pond

The pond is really named “Rose’s Pond”after the people who donated the land, but I call it Jörmungandr Pond after the sculpture of the Midgard Serpent in the middle. Lenexa lights up the fountain at night, so I decided to get a picture of it while walking Kasey early yesterday morning. It’s a bit fuzzy, I wasn’t able to grab a sharp focus with my aging eyes at night. Next time I will take the android pad so I can see the image larger and sharper than on the camera back. IMG_1906

President’s Day Apple Rant

Today is President’s day and I’m off work, so I got my walk in early and now I’m listening to James Supercave and wondering what to do the rest of this fine day. I think a visit to the hardware store is in order – there’s a lot of non-GFI outlets next to sinks in this house. I’m reading some David Brin (Uplift again…)and Richard Kadrey(Sandman Slim) in the interstices between events and plans, and all seems to be going well.

So here comes my Apple rant — keep the above in mind so you don’t consider the following representative of how I am or where I’m going, but yeah – I am angry at Apple. Years ago I got an IPOD as a gift, and promptly converted my music library to Itunes, and later lossless with Apple’s version of FLAC, ALAC. All was well, I listened to just the tunes I like in an endless rotation – no crap, no pap.

Much much later that original IPOD started dying in the cold after about 15 minutes so Santa brought me an IPOD 5 or 6 (I care about the version: nyet.) I use this thing for one purpose Apple nabobs and fanboys: I use it to play just the music I like — nothing less, nothing more.

So I toggle off the Apple snoopcode and data prying bits and pieces where I see ’em and I try to keep it slimmed down to the minimum set of code bits needed to play music. I have it syncing to the ITUNES cloud but otherwise I don’t want FUCKING APPLE in my shit, and I don’t want APPLE and their cheap ass stream service that rapes all music creators.

I pay for my songs, and I want to play just my songs. I’m sick and tired of having to go through five minutes of poking around a nearly bricked IPOD clicking off adds for streaming service and and crap from FUCKING APPLE anytime I want to just play my music. When this IPOD dies, it won’t be Apple gear replacing it, so suck it Apple nabobs and fanboys, I’m through with you.