Sorry to hear my old school friend Robert Lackey died this month. We used to sit around at his house and my house and play guitars. Robert was a super fan of “Delta Blues” which is really “black blues” ala Robert Johnson, McGhee and others. All the white guys came later…Cooder and Clapton are the ones that come to mind for me.
We had a lot of fun Robert and it was sure good to see you at the 50th reunion.
Craig Keefner
Robert Lackey Sallisaw Oklahoma
Tunes That Remind Me of Him
I Did Let Gemini Take a Crack at writing my Personal Notes. Interesting tenor for sure. I provided background context with instructions and it came up with this.
The whir of the Kodak Moments kiosk sang to me, a melody my heart recognized. My father-in-law, a titan in the realm of digital imaging, would have smiled seeing me here. His forty years at Kodak, etched in over a hundred patents, pulsed within these sleek machines.
Each printed photo echoed his legacy, a tangible brushstroke on the canvas of time. His pixels danced behind the scenes, whispering secrets of light and color. I saw their magic in the vibrant hues of my daughter’s laughter, the sun-kissed glow of a mountain hike, the tear glistening on my wife’s cheek at our wedding.
More than snapshots, these were tapestries woven with his threads. Every click of the shutter, every burst of color, was a silent symphony celebrating his dedication. In these moments, the scientist morphed into the artist, his equations blossoming into memories we could hold.
So, when I touch a Kodak print, it’s not just paper I caress. It’s gratitude for a man who painted light, love, and laughter onto the tapestry of our lives. And in these memories, his spirit lives on, forever captured in the click of a Kodak moment.
Ran across this today.
Camp Doniphan was a military base (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_base) adjacent to Fort Sill (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sill), just outside Lawton (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawton,_Oklahoma), in Comanche County (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comanche_County,_Oklahoma)The post was closed in 1918 and incorporated into Fort Sill.
As we all know the Academy Awards came and they went. Unfortunately, the historic event there at the awards this year was overshadowed by semi-violence (in both directions) which promptly became a media darling topic for clicks, clickbait, video views and audience.
I thought the noteworthy event at the show was actually the Best Picture-related and the disabled.
Pros
Cons
To me the situation has quite a bit of irony. So often the first criticism these days is censorship by the media. I think the much larger criticism is the reduction in general access. Is it MGM movie or Paramount movie or Apple or Netflix?
I enjoy watching the original Star Trek, the Next Generation and DS9 on my TV in the garage over the local OTA channels syndicating those shows. Soon though, that goes away and all of those Star Trek properties are “fenced in” in the Paramount Streaming TV corral. And they will rechannel those into various subscription tiers to optimize revenue.
Those numbers for viewers and streams get prioritized in their financial statement and outlook (and stock price).
Ultimately we are all sharecroppers for the shareholders?
Costco Firestone Walker Beer Review – Click for full size
October 24, 2021 — I have been a beer drinker for a long time and there are all sorts of situations where one beer works better than another. In the summertime in Oklahoma working on the ranch, Miller HighLife in bottles was excellent “drink during the day” beer, especially in Oklahoma which was limited to 3.2%. In Minnesota Bud Light works really good as slug bait for slugs eating your hostas (little known fact I think). Back in the day it was a Leinie Red or Goose Island IPA or occasionally Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for me back in Minnesota (way before craft breweries took off).
Shopping at Costco here in Colorado, I see some “specials” and this week I decided to ante up the $26 for a 24-pack of mixed Firestone Walker IPAs. Usually I keep an eye out for the Stone IPA 24 variety pack (Tiki Escape). Not a big fan of the Salt and Lime but the others are outstanding. You just have to be careful not to drink too many. For that matter there are several very good IPAs from Colorado microbrewers.
Anyway, back to the Firestone Walker, here is my drink order (lowest alcohol to highest was the order chosen:
beer-can-top-and-bottom-firestone-walker
Some technical background on the cans — the cans look to be Ball origin and identical to the green Costo IPA cans where they sell 30 cans for $19. Not bad stuff (Gordon B. actually makes its), would’ve worked good in the summertime on the ranch…But there are technical details on the Session IPA — from my pals at Ball.
See “quirky things” note
Sooo, There are a few quirky items here – notice the ”bumps” in the neck of the can means this is a 2 6/16ths end diameter vs. standard cans you see which are 2 and 2/16ths ends. Offers a slightly larger opening for more aroma and better pour. We discussed and this can is made by Ball Williamsburg VA which means only a select few can lines (breweries) can fill this type of can. Likely Matt Brewing in Utica NY or Boston Beer brewing in Breinigsville PA. The can label identifies Hopfen Und Malz which is Gordon Biersch who likely manages the distribution to Costco…supply chain!
Individual Impressions
Bottom line on all this?
Updates
The latest assortment at Costco for Stone is quite good. Usually there is one stinker they try and offload but these are all quite good. I was a little disappointed in the Black but heavier beers never were my choice. Its very good. Ruination then Hazy then Black then Tangerine
Stone makes what is called FML (Fear Movie Lions) in 19.2 can for $2.99 — it is outstanding but it will knock you on your butt after a few.
costco stone brewing – click for full size
Contact [email protected] for more information
January 14th near Northglenn
Not the first time in Colorado, May 28th, 2021 near Canon City CPW saw one
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) shared a rare sighting of a black-colored red fox caught prowling around a chicken coop in Cañon City.
Wildlife officers were originally called out to the mountain town home to assist with a young fox responsible for a raiding a chicken coop. Upon arrival, they discovered two small foxes, but the two siblings looked nothing alike.
Rare black fox
Running article on privacy and its impact on unattended public interaction — linkedin
Posted an article today about Amazon and its Alexa Together. Good for seniors and for remote telehealth. And it goes to show speech recognition and voice recognition gaining speed in multiple sectors. Aside, its worth noting beneficiary telehealth visits increased 63-fold in 2020 according to HHS study.
Your voice is singularly yours until it is saved and reproduced. Giving Alexa Together to my Mom in her skilled nursing might be even more effective if Alexa’s voice was mine.
We sometimes say that ADA and accessibility in the workplace is too often a patchwork of state laws, rulings, federal guidelines and what type of entity it is to begin with.
But looking at privacy laws (and biometrics) that situation seems to be even worse.
Regulations for privacy such as HIPAA have always been observed and enforced, however, they are very specific as to which situations they apply. Generally, doctor-patient confidentiality is the basis. Periodically a breach occurs and an institution has a multi-million fine levied against them. The news rises to the top momentarily and then subsides into its periodic oblivion.
Privacy data needs to be defined. It includes biometric data but also everyday credentials such as the license tag on my car. Do I really want that stored in a database which is eventually sold? Then again DMVs have done that in the past. There are cyber credentials and representational credentials and purely physical credentials such as your Iris or palm veins or fingerprint. There is observed data. Large format digital signage may also include cameras for customer observations. Maybe do a long list of what China does to the Uhygurs via HIKVision and Dahau. For that matter many of the temperature scanners installed at the state and local level include facial algorithms by Dahua and “touch” a Chinese server.
Below is the potential biometrics NCR Dundee laid out back in 2003.
The cost factors have all changed and the introduction of AI into the equation only complicates things.
Be Aware
Interfacing in the public domain with automation means doing a quick check of what exactly it is you are dealing with. Whether you are in your car or walking the floor or stopping off in Starbucks and Amazon Grab and Go.
From Varonis
A: Very few — three in total! Sure, all 50 states now have a data breach notification rule usually also calling for reasonable data security. But as of this writing, only California, Nevada, and Maine have privacy laws in effect. Several states (see above) have privacy laws working their way through the legislatures. For a current snapshot of the status of these proposed state laws, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is maintaining an up-to-date scorecard.
Nice overview here of how the states compare and the legislation ongoing — https://iapp.org/news/a/us-state-comprehensive-privacy-law-comparison/
Drinker Biddle BIPA Reference – Excerpt: In the early 2000s, a company called Pay By Touch promised to “Change the Way the World Pays” with a “biometric” authentication and payment system. The system enabled consumers to link various accounts (credit cards, checking accounts, loyalty programs, etc.) to their fingerprints, and then access their accounts or make a payment with the touch of a finger rather than using cash or swiping a card. Investors poured $340 million into the venture, and millions of consumers signed up. By late 2007, however, Pay By Touch and one of its founders—John Rogers—were mired in controversy and litigation (including bankruptcy), and in March 2008, Pay By Touch ceased all operations. While Pay By Touch’s time was short-lived, it did have a profound impact on future endeavors involving biometric information, just not in a way that its founders likely expected. Pay By Touch’s rise and fall was the catalyst for first state law governing the collection, use, safeguarding, and storage of biometric information: the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act, 740 ILCS 14/1 et seq. (“BIPA”). 1 While BIPA has been on the books since October 2008, it is only recently, as the use of biometric information becomes more commonplace (the fingerprint scanner on the iPhone, for example), that BIPA is once again garnering attention—this time, from the plaintiff’s class action bar. Companies looking to use biometric technology in Illinois or during interactions with Illinois residents should be aware of BIPA and ensure that they are complying with its requirements. Companies operating outside of Illinois should pay attention to similar legislative initiatives in other states.
A number of states have passed or are considering the NAIC Model Law for Cybersecurity that includes requirements which address requirements for confidentiality, risk assessment and breach notification. See Mississippi Senate Bill 2831 signed into law earlier this month. https://legiscan.com/MS/text/SB2831/id/1899113 . Similar legislation has been introduced in CT and NH.
Political Pundits Use up too much oxygen?An alternative headline is Life is too short to dance with ugly women
Saw an article in my local Denver post. I think the most humorous item to me is how audience grabbers like these people always beat up on the government but then their usual aim is to get elected in some capacity. Nice Work If You Can Get It by Grusin sounds good right now. Meanwhile while sporting their conservative label out front for everybody to see (like a mask), they decry masks. It’s a lesson in absurdity but then that’s how it seems to work more and more these days.
At least all of those participants like to think so…
Here the so-called conservative is more akin to a radical anarchist. Substituting government for “respected medical authorities” is fine with them. Heck, let’s go to Vegas and we can place our bets. Wait, we don’t have to travel. Sports betting on our phones has exploded and is now larger than the lottery (I would wager).
Anyway here is a different point of view for the Kafer column
I liked her opener “Let’s look at the facts” but then she quoted a “review” by another journalist referencing no medical studies. I checked with Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic and the facts according to them are much different than audience-vested writers looking to cater to an audience. Or potentially get themselves enough visibility to get elected. Vested target journalists writing articles in conservative sounding magazines is no different than oil lobbyists forming nice sounding “independent” groups to proselytize their way.
For “conservatives” who use the word “government” as their whipping dog, then, why do they try/angle so hard to be a part of it (e.g. Littleton city council failed run)?
If we are going to use the acronym RINO, then by all means these “gamblers” like Kafer should be termed CINO (Conservative in name only). To what extent have people like this only serve to extend the public health crisis?
My suggestion is that if one of your columnists wants to write about a medical condition, then make it mandatory that at least 3 actual genuine medical authorities are referenced. Hop skipping where they quote another writer in another opinion column who doesn’t quote any actual medical references does not satisfy that condition.
