ShowMeBlog

Still Charter Cable problems

  I was trying to watch TV last night.  At about 2345 hours Charter  sent a signal to boot the digital box.  When it came back up I was thinking they might have fixed their problems.
  I saw, I think, less buffering problems but still many channels just are not there.  None of the HBO channels, except 777 HBO HD, between 500 and 555 are working. 
  It looks like about half of the Digital View Plus channels are missing.

  I still think it has something to do with the changes they are making nation wide.  Then been moving in other areas all their channels around and adding 24 new HD channels.
  I think that has messed things up for them here.
  But what the heck to I know.
  It may just be some items of hardware have gone wrong in the Fort Worth area.

  As long as I get Internet I can make it.
  So far Internet is working great.  I just did www.speedtest.net and
I got 36.35 Mbps down and 4.17 Mbps up.  I am happy with that speed.

  I wish I had a desktop computer with more memory and a real nice video card. 
Or I guess I should just boot up into Ubuntu (Linux).  A not very powerful computer becomes a super computer when you run Ubuntu.

Charter Cable problems

  Charter Cable has been having problems.  I am not sure what is going on with them.  I suspect it has something to do with the changes that they are making to their service.  They are making improvements and adding 29 HD channels.
  Those changes have not been put into effect yet here in Fort Worth but I think they may be getting ready for the changes or the changes they made in other areas are effecting this area.

  But for the last few days.. many channels have been buffering real bad. So bad that you can not watch the channel.
  The last day or two a lot of the channel you can not even receive. 
  It looks like all the local channels come in OK.  But when you get up to the digital channels many of them just are not there now. 
  None of my HBO channels are working today.

  I called Charter Cable and got a recorded message saying that they knew that they were having problems in this area and that they were working on the problem.

  I got a lot of channels so there is stuff I can watch but right now I think about half the channels are missing.
  I been very happy with Charter Cable.  I have phone service with them and Internet service with them.

  My phone is working and I am getting Internet speeds right now have 40.74 Mbps down and 4.14 Mbps up.  If I lost my Internet service THEN I would be very upset. 

Same-sex marriage

  I guess calling it “same-sex” marriage is the correct way to name it.  I guess saying gay marriage is not correct?

  North Carolina voters today approved a referendum to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage.
  Have you noticed, for some reason, that North and South Carolina are fucked up states?  I do not know why that is… But in their politics they have the worst people for some reason. Most of all South Carolina.

  My family and many of my friends to not agree with me but I do not approve of gay “marriage.” 
  It is the word “marriage” that I have the problem with…  I think that should be a man and a woman.  I do not have a problem with “civil union.”  Or call the civil union anything you want other than “marriage.”

  The people that have a civil union should have every right that married people have.  Zero difference.

  I think the way it should have been handled and I guess it is to late…. Is if you have your union in a church then it is a “marriage.”  So if some religion want to “marry” two men then it would be a marriage. 
  But that would not work because anyone cab become “clergy.”  I was “ordained” by the Universal Life Church on April 20th, of 2002.

  I still think that “marriage” should be a union between a man and a woman.
I think a lot of people my age feel that way… But I am 71 years old and one of these days I will not be here and times will change.

Two men accuse John Travolta of sexual battery

“Los Angeles (CNN) -- A federal lawsuit accusing John Travolta of assault and sexual battery on two massage therapists includes lurid details of one of the alleged incidents. Travolta's lawyer soundly rejected the claims of both plaintiffs and called the claims of the first plaintiff "complete fiction."

In the first incident, Travolta allegedly groped a male massage therapist repeatedly and finally masturbated himself during the two-hour session in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel on January 16, 2012, according to court documents filed last Friday…”

 

  I do not know if it is true or not.  Right now I think I would side with Travolta.  If the men had gone to the police right away and filed charges then I would side with them.  But it appears they filed a lawsuit asking for $2 million in damages.
  Also the one guy says he “suffered severe emotional distress.”  Oh cum on… Give me a break. 

  I suspect that John Travolta is a bit odd.  He has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975. To be into Scientology you have to be very stupid or very crazy.  

  If he is not guilty of what the two men accuse him then I feel very sorry for him.  A charge like this is something that many people will believe and never forget even if he proves somehow he is not guilty. 

Gun parts found in boy’s stuffed animals

“Washington (CNN) -- A man traveling with his 4-year-old son claims he didn't know that the three stuffed animals his little boy put on a conveyor belt at T. F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, contained parts that could be assembled into a loaded handgun, the Transportation Security Administration says.

"It appears to be the result of a domestic dispute," said Rhode Island Airport Police Chief Leo Messier. An investigation by the airport police, state police and FBI determined there was no threat at any time to air safety, Messier said…”

 

  You have to go by what the law is …. But my feeling is that this man should be in jail and I think he should spend the rest of his life in jail.  
  But I guess they can not do that.  If you want to punish the man and send a warning to others then make sure that he can NEVER get a permit to carry a fire arm.  It would be great if you had some way to make sure he could never buy a handgun.
  What they should do is make sure that the man can NEVER fly on an aircraft for the rest of his life.

FAA issues warning

“Washington (CNN) -- A Delta Air Lines passenger who admitted using an electronic device last month to videotape a bird strike minutes after takeoff has been warned by the Federal Aviation Administration to follow the rules or face a penalty the next time.

The plane bound for Los Angeles made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on April 19 after encountering an engine problem the pilot said was caused by a bird strike, an incident caught on camera by Grant Cardone.

The FAA investigated and sent Cardone a letter after the story received widespread media attention. The video shows a flock of birds hitting the right engine, causing it to shut down.

"We have given consideration to all of the facts. In lieu of legal enforcement action (a civil penalty), we are issuing this letter which will be made a matter of record for a period of two years, after which, the record will be expunged," James Giles, FAA supervisory principal operations inspector, wrote in a letter to Cardone.

The FAA requires that portable electronic devices be turned off during critical phases of flight. Officials say the rule is meant to prevent interference with the aircraft's navigation and communication systems…”

 

  I guess I am fucking old and not up on new tech stuff.  When I read the headline of the CNN story I was thinking the person to the photo with a camera. 
  I guess the person took the photo with an iPhone.  I know phones and computers are to be turned off. 
  It is very rare for me to fly.  I do own a cell phone but I never use it.
  I would think that with an iPhone you could turn off the telephone part and still have access to the camera and the data on the phone.  I guess I am wrong.

  You know if there is danger from cell phones and computer being used inside the aircraft then I do not think the phones and computers should not be turned off… I think the planes should be grounded until they can fly in a safe manner in this day and age.
  If an aircraft is in danger from an iPhone then ground all aircraft and do it right now.
I but within minutes that the FAA would decide that cell phone and computers are no danger to an aircraft.

  Now do I want to be on a flight with everyone using cell phones? Hell no.  I do not even want to be on a flight with one person using a cell phone.

Not one of the YouTube “next creators”

  YouTube has been giving some of their partners lots of money and hardware and software.  They been doing that so that those partners will make better videos.

  In the past YouTube just decided who they wanted to pour the gold onto.  They recently set it up so that they asked people to apply.  Then they picked out some of them.

This last time I applied.  I just got an email from YouTube:

“Thank you for your application to YouTube Next Vlogger. We received a lot of great applications and it was extremely difficult to select just 16. Unfortunately we were not able to select your channel this time around. We do look forward to working with you in the future.

Please stay tuned for future programs and check out youtube.com/creators for the latest in education and programs.

All the best,

YouTube Next Vlogger Team”

 

  I have told you in the past and I tell you again… “I get no respect!” 
I did not think I would win.  My feeling is they are looking to build up people that will be around to turn out lots of videos over the years to come. 
  I did not think they would want to spend the money and the time for someone they think is going to kick the bucket next year.  (I am 71 years of age and you know how young people think.)

  They gave away this time $5K worth of video equipment and $10K worth of promotion.
I would have liked the $5K of video equipment.
  But what hurts is that this time they picked 15 “Vloggers” to be the winners.
Video bloggers… Video bloggers… That is what I been doing since June of 1982!  Man talk about a slap in the face. 

  Here are the winners…

 

 

The bomb plot

  It looks like the CIA prevented an airliner bomb plot.  I am sure we got information from other intelligence agencies from other nations.  That is why it is so important for us to work with other nations.
  It looks like our government has been doing a good job of preventing attacks on the United States.  Thank God to everyone from the bottom to the top of government. 

  I worked security for over 30 years and I know how hard it is prevent something from happening.  The other guy can pick the time and the place.  They can look for a weak link. 
  We have been so lucky. 
  But an airline is going to get hit.  It is just a matter of time. 
  We have been very lucky that it has not happened.  

  The security I did was hospital security for 30 years.  But I worked security for a year at a shopping mall.  I did FAA control tower security.  I worked a lot of security at different sorts of places and I know how hard it can be.

  When I was in Orlando (FL) I worked for a few months at a trucking/shipping location.  The place I was working did not have security around the clock.  It was only at night.  The place had people coming over a fence and stealing all the time.  But never when I was on duty. 
  There were mosquitoes there so thick you could not see the sky sometimes.  They would eat you alive.  A supervisor, from the contract guard company, came out one time to check on me and he took off running from the mosquitoes and never came back.
  I did my job and I knew the part of the fence the guys came over to steal and I watched it all the time. 
  When Jimmy and I decided to move to Texas I gave notice to the contact guard company.  My last night at the trucking company they had me meet a guard there to show him the post because he would take over from me.
  The guy showed up with his pickup truck with a camper on the back of it.  I showed him where he needed to be and the area he needed to watch.  He told me know that he was going to park his pickup by the front gate and I knew he was going to be sleeping or at least in the back watching TV or something.  I attempted to explain to him the area the guys were coming over and that I had been there for months and never had anyone come in and steal anything when I was on duty.  He said no.. he would park at the front gate.
  Yes,  that night when he was on duty the crooks came over the fence and stole boxes and boxes of cigarettes and other stuff.
  You only need one weak link to have a security failure.  
  But we are not talking about stolen cigarettes or CB radios. 
 
  Back in the 70s if you had a CB radio in your car it was going to get stolen.  I worked at St. Joseph Hospital and we never had a CB radio stolen.  
  I then went to work at Trinity Lutheran Hospital and people were stealing CB radios all the time.  Employees would leave their doors unlocked and put a paper on the window saying the door is not locked.  (So they would not break their car window.)  I often just took a clip board with report forms out in the parking lot so I could write the reports.
  Why the difference between the two hospital.  We had 10 security officers at St. Joseph Hospital and we had 15 at TLH.  But at St. Joseph Hospital the parking lot had a high fence with razor wire on the top of the fence and only one entrance into the parking lot.
  At TLH no fences and a number of parking lots.

  Homeland Security has been doing a great job so far.  All our agencies deserve great credit.  But we are going to lose an aircraft and maybe more than one.
  I do not know what the answer is for the problem.
  I do know we do not need to be starting wars (Iraq) and we do not need to tie up our military with missions that are not needed. 
  If al Qaeda is in Yemen then we need the military power free to take actions.  Not a war but crush al Qaeda.  If a nation can not prevent al Qaeda from operating in their nation then we need the ability to crush them with out going to war with the nation. 

  But then what do I know.  I am just a retired night watchman.

Kodak Gallery

“Dear valued Kodak Gallery member:
I have some very important news regarding your Kodak Gallery account and images. You may have heard that we recently entered into a process to sell Kodak Gallery as part of Kodak’s broader restructuring efforts. I am writing today to let you know that we have closed on a buyer: a public company called Shutterfly.
Although I am sad to announce that our Kodak-branded service will be closing on July 2 as a result of this sale, I am very pleased to announce that we have found a strong partner in Shutterfly. They offer a market leading user experience that mirrors ours in many ways, and many of the services and products that you enjoy today on Kodak Gallery can also be found at Shutterfly.com. Their services include free, unlimited storage and 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee. Working together, we will securely transfer your account photos to them free of charge. We are absolutely committed to making this transition as smooth and easy as possible.
For well over a decade, Kodak Gallery has operated with a mission to make it easier for people around the world to celebrate their Kodak moments through photo-sharing, photo-product creation, and more recently, innovative new mobile photo experiences. Now, it is our top priority to ensure that your images and confidential information are kept private and secure as they move from our site to Shutterfly. And of course, although Kodak Gallery is transitioning, the Kodak brand you love and trust remains. Please visit Kodak.com for more information about our other great products and services that are still available to help you with your personal imaging needs.
To view more detailed information about the transition, please visit www.kodakgallery.com/transition. There you will find more information such as:

• More information about Shutterfly
• Detailed next steps, including how to "opt-out" if you do not want your account and images to migrate over to Shutterfly (you will have until May 28 to opt-out)
• FAQs about your photos and projects. Your Kodak Gallery projects (photo books, calendars, etc.) will not be migrated so please complete any projects and place any orders before July 2, 2012
• Links to customer service help and support

We will constantly be updating this page so please check back here if you have any questions.
Finally, on behalf of all of the employees at Kodak Gallery, I would like to express our most sincere thanks for having been given the opportunity to be a part of your Kodak Moments and to serve you all these years. Although businesses shift and change--memories last forever. Thanks again.
Best regards,

Victor Cho
General Manager Kodak Gallery”

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