Flocking cameras!

Technology has evolved to the point where cameras and data are all connected to provide surveillance literally everywhere.   We are, for all intents and purposes, a police state.  

The information is used for some legitimate purposes, but its also misused, too.  By organized groups, factions of government, and even what might be considered rogue police officers.

And there's not much we can do to stop this.  Sure, there are moves to limit the use of flock cameras, but the companies that run them are working to undo those limits and in some cases to simply re-brand as another name; make no mistake, they're still installing them just with a different logo.

Do you have any idea how many there are in your community?  Well, here are some tools to find out.  The first is information about how much is being spent and where they are located.  The second tracks the details of where they are installed.  You can also get a sense of how quickly the number of them is growing.

I live in a small town near Ft. Lauderdale.  5 years ago, we had zero cameras.  Today, we have 48!  The city and police tell us its for safety.  The city was relatively safe 5 years ago - and appears to be about the same today.  So please enlighten me on why this surveillance is needed?

 

https://mytownview.com/flock-cameras-near-me

https://maps.deflock.org/

Strange times

The mid-term election may still be more than a month away, but "the machine" is in full swing.  What I find strange, though, is that all of the things I see are from one point of view.  Yeah, I pretty much only see "stuff" from the MAGA-aligned groups and candidates.

This election feels different than others.  I don't know what to make of it exactly, and the question I have is *why* so many ads are essentially hating on one person, distorting the truth, and fear mongering.  

And then there's the matter of the FCC not allowing for a democratic candidate to be interviewed on network television, while allowing his opponent to go on unfettered and say whatever he wanted.  

Of course, you also have captain tangerine poopy pants offering $5,000 to every adult if his party retains the house.  I mean, he's promised money to Americans several times, and of course reneged every time.  Why should this be any different?  And let's not forget that its not up to him; congress must approve it and appropriate the funds.  And if you do the math, this would be nearly a TRILLION dollars removed from the treasury.  Meaning we move further into a deficit.  Couldn't that money be used for some other good?  And isn't the party (and him) *against* welfare?  I mean that's what this is, isn't it?

Sigh.  Here's to hoping people have indeed already made up their minds, and this election swings the pendulum back a little.  

But don't rest on that!  Remind people you know to check on their voting status and to make a plan to actually vote.  

Simon Weckert creates Digital Camouflage to avoid AI surveillance

Stylish (!!) and hides you from surveillance. That’s remarkable. 

https://www.dezeen.com/2026/08/25/digital-camouflage-shirt-ai-video-surveillance-simon-weckert/

Lambs grazing beneath an Oregon solar array gained weight at statistically similar rates despite 38 percent lower pasture production, as higher forage quality helped offset the smaller crop

Hmmmm. From an agriculture perspective, the pasture did better with the solar array, due to shade and other factors. 

Maybe we should use more of these arrays to provide a clean power source AND helps the environment, and by extension could help with food production. 

Just saying. 

https://spacedaily.com/b-lambs-grazing-under-an-oregon-solar-farm-had-38-percent-less-grass-in-front-of-them-than-lambs-in-the-open-field-alongside-and-they-put-on-the-same-weight-to-the-gram-because-shade-makes-a-pasture-g/

Bad Bunny Wins First Primetime Emmy for 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Suck it, people who hated the show. 

It was a beautiful, and heartfelt performance by an American citizen by birth … who speaks Spanish as his first language.  

https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/bad-bunny-wins-primetime-emmy-super-bowl-halftime-show-1236334994/

Texas Alzheimer’s patient who saw brain plaque disappear shares story in national campaign - YouTube

While I am encouraged by this news, I find it odd that it hasn’t gotten much attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87yKM-A0ua4

Even the organization that’s said to be using her story for national awareness isn’t quite doing that.  

https://www.brightfocus.org/home/hope-after-an-alzheimers-diagnosis-teri-and-gails-story-of-resilience/

The drug company isn’t saying that they have a cure, but are having encouraging results in early trials, with repeated treatments. Here’s a doctor summing it up: 

https://www.facebook.com/BrightFocusFoundation/videos/for-decades-alzheimers-disease-treatment-meant-managing-symptoms-thats-changing-/758293067241697/

Again, it’s a cautious note to look beyond the headline and understand the nature of the story itself. 

This El Niño Will Be Unlike Any in the Past Eight Decades - The Atlantic

This story is about the climate event called el niño. It is an area in the pacific that has a direct effect on the global weather. Understanding it is an important part of planning for the weather. It delves into some of the science behind what it tells us - and the reality is that our worth will be “worse” this year. 

But there’s a little subtext. While the US lags behind in climate science, the rest of the world is picking up the slack. 

The article is behind a paywall, but you can read it here. 

https://archive.is/2026.09.01-021630/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2026/08/el-nino-effects/688429/