Don’t Get Confused about the Trump Indictments

That’s a bit irritating

It's been a while since I left my last job. And mostly, I'm over it. Moved on.

But yesterday, I talked with someone who was giving me an update on my old team.

The story I heard was that the department my team moved into right before I was let go wanted to save some money. The broader organization put a dollar figure on savings, and so my boss decided she could help with that…

One guy who was moving to our team left the company - that's some of that money…. But she could help more and deal with me (owing to her taking a dislike to me, after specifically bringing me on to do a job - which I completed!) in one swoop.

Did she have to? No.

But can't miss that opportunity to kiss up!

As I looked for an escape hatch, I talked with people in information security. Seemed like a natural next step. But of course I had no luck. (Aside: I also heard that one senior person in the group found out I was let go and was surprised - even though I had told her myself, hello?)

And why does that matter? Well, the second piece of news is that the team moved (again!) …. This time into information security. Figures.

Oh but it doesn't quite stop there. The old boss didn't move with the team, they found a new role for her…and the team now reports to one of the people I was talking to about a role.

So it's like a little salt in a wound. Getting rid of me was pointless in a way. And stupid. And self serving.

Sigh…. I have some thoughts. Mostly about the old boss…

But.

Whatever.

Donut shaped rock on Mars?

We got a picture of an unusual rock … and all I could think of was this…

Bitchin' Dave's Newsletter

  

June 20, 2023 Insights, news, ramblings, and other serious nonsense from Dave

Dave’s Musings

The attached article was recently posted. The premise is that Massachusetts created a right to repair law for cars, but the federal government suggests this is a bad idea and aims to block such laws. 

My reaction was “can’t anyone repair a car? It’s just mechanical parts…right?”  

But the issue is much deeper. Cars have computers on board.  At some point in time, the rudimentary computer would generate a code that a mechanic could download via a tool in order to find the problem. This ability to use a “scan tool” was originally only used by the car dealerships. But through legislation, and an agreement with the manufacturers, consumers (and independent car repair shops) wound up getting the right to use these tools themselves. 

But in the last few-ish years, car companies have been doing away with these simple systems, in favor of a more sophisticated system - one which wirelessly sends data back to the auto manufacturer. 

As an aside: you probably are unaware of the data that is transmitted, and surely there would be privacy concerns if you did know: it tracks the usual diagnostics. But it also notes braking, speeding, location, and other bits of data about your driving habits. And oh sure, I knew this was the case when I got my Tesla, but I had no idea other car companies did this too!

The auto manufacturers see this as a means to build better cars. And to steer you (pun intended) to the dealerships for repairs.  They don’t want you going anywhere else. But you, as a consumer, no longer have a choice (or won’t soon), and independent repair shops will be driven (again?!) out of business. 

So Massachusetts saw this and created a law that gives you the right to repair. The auto makers hate it. And what of the federal government? Well, their concerns are about privacy and safety. All of this data is being transmitted back to the auto companies, rather than staying “in the car” - and with the amount of data they are collecting, and how the connection to the car works, it’s possible there could be a data breach that could impact millions of drivers. Or there is a small possibility that  someone could send data back to the car to do something nefarious, like preventing the brakes from engaging. 

And that’s where technology puts us. The larger issue is, as I’ve noted before, car companies are not much good at software. Somehow, that needs to change. 

https://www.wired.com/story/right-to-repair-cars-hackers/

  

There's a video which shows Chinese taikonauts on the Shenzho space station with a glass of water sitting on a table. Its an unusual thing to see, and surely seems counter-intuitive. We've all seen video of water molecules floating in space. How could water possibly stay in a glass? What's up with that? Is it a hoax? Are the taikonauts not actually in space? Well, it turns out that science is at play. The glass itself is attached to the table, and the molecules are bound to one another, and held in the glass because of surface tension (in the same way that in a grade school experiment a paperclip can float on the surface of a glass of water). Its actually a pretty neat "trick," that hadn't been shown before. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-water-glass-china-space-station-126074791176

There's an interesting case being played out in Montana. 16 students are suing the state in what's being termed a "climate trial" where they are saying the state is endangering its residents, them especially, for not protecting them from climate change. The case is still ongoing, and they have presented their evidence. The state is not presenting much or testifying, and is somewhat defiant in saying there's nothing they can do. It will be interesting to see where this nets out.... https://apnews.com/article/youth-climate-trial-montana-8c03fe47bb6c29334cf22d047d76fd1a

One of the things that interests me is Disney's history in the state of Florida. I've studied it thoroughly, and think I have a pretty good idea of the story. I share a large chunk of that knowledge in a 30 minute video where I talk about how we got "here".... I hope you enjoy it. https://youtu.be/UirSV0__3bo

Recently, the county I live in here in Florida jumped in on the (absurdly politically charged) topic of banned books. The library system started issuing library cards that say "I read banned books" Some people think its great, others take exception. But one politician decided to show a little ignorance. In short, he said something like "there are no banned books in all of Florida! We have a vetting process and some books simply don't make it to the shelves." Which is simply a semantics game. By "vetting" them, they are banning them before they make it to the shelves. To me, that is just this side of amusing.

One Little Spark …  … for your imagination

I am a bit bewildered by the current stance on immigrants.  Our country was built by immigrants, and honestly they make the country stronger, more diverse, and much more interesting.

But following how the state of Florida is behaving is somewhat astonishing.  The state - in particular the governor - has decided to violate state law, and runs right up against federal law by hiring private contractors to move immigrants who are here legally from one state that is not Florida to another state that is also not Florida.  Using our Florida tax dollars.

California's governor suggests its kidnapping, and he may be right.  According to the story that various media outlets are reporting, people posing as officials are telling immigrants that they have work and housing for them, if they will just go with them.  But of course its a ruse to create political theater.   There is no job.  No housing. There is some nonsense with fraudulent documents, and using language barriers to their advantage.

The issues I have here are many, but let's start with these being human beings who are simply looking for a better life, who are here in accordance with the law.  And they're being used as pawns in some insipid game, being derided, and who are afraid to say much because they don't want to be deported.

Bear in mind that unless you are native American, we are ALL immigrants to this country.  Sure, some people have been here for many generations, but what gives any of us the right to tell someone else they can't be here?

Dave’s latest video

This episode is about Apple Car Play, and the general plans for it according to Apple - and I talk about why Tesla and GM won't be including it. https://youtu.be/uFxqZWxyW8Q

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A good attempt

I got this in the mail earlier. At first glance it looks like it may be from Tesla. But of course it's not. There's a company name at the bottom.

And I'm so glad it covers the engine and transmission!🤦🏼‍♂️

I’ll never understand Congress

Congress can take up all manner of grandstanding by creating a committee. They can hold hearings on essentially nothing. They can pass bills that are politically motivated but which they know won't go anywhere (like a bill that prevents states from banning gas stoves….whaaa?)

And yet, they can't be bothered to take a few minutes and vote on allowing us to stay on DST and no longer changing our clocks.

This is an easy one that most states are ready to implement, but for which we need a vote.

So annoying.

Ted Lasso (or “the Richmond Way”)

I really enjoyed the Ted Lasso show. It was a terrific 3 seasons worth of programming. It was smart, funny, and very well written.

It's a show about soccer. But it's really not. Soccer provides the context and there is some soccer in it. But I think they did a good job of presenting it in a way that worked. So if you are a fan of soccer, there's just enough to keep you happy. But if you're not, it's short enough to not get bogged down.

The story really is about the human experience. They cover a lot of ground, and the characters all grow throughout.

They run the gamut of things that make us human, from family, to personal issues, to self entitled athletes, to social issues, and on and on. It's emotional at times, more like a drama. And it's very funny at others.

At the heart of it is Ted. He's a guy who coached American football and gets hired to coach soccer in England because the owner wants to run the team into the ground.

But he grows, too, and shows heart and a determination all the while demonstrating it’s all about how you motivate the team. And in the end, he does something remarkable.

Personally, I could identify with Ted. I took up coaching youth soccer when my kids were little and stayed with it for about 12 years. Only leaving when my kids outgrew it, or moved on to different activities.

I both loved and despised it. But I grew as a person. I learned a lot about myself. And as I watched Ted Lasso, I realized that my philosophy was very much like his. I didn't know the sport, really, but knew how to lead the kids, got them to learn to play and have fun. In short, I helped them to BELIEVE (a theme in the show).

I identified with him and the show on a different level. And that made a great show even better.

Thanks to the writers, actors, and producers for putting together something so heartfelt.

I'll miss you. Kind of like I miss coaching on Saturdays.