Today is mainly technical information. If you like that, fine. If not, well, shucks, hey. The reason is the recent quantum leap forward with the Live Karaoke material. Ideas are coming hard and fast now, and I’m picking only the ones that distance me from any copycats. (Not that such is likely to happen, just that it has happened a little too often in my life. I’m not one of these “share the wealth” types, probably because I’m never on the receiving end.) Read the part below about monitor adjustments to see what I mean. Sure, it is technical, but my motives are something any gossip in this land can appreciate.Business has picked up slightly so I spent most of the day at home. Not a break, mind you. This complete computer system has to be redone and I’m only getting it to work like a home unit now. My advice to anyone who plans to use a computer more than recreationally is to knuckle down and learn basic repairs and software installation yourself. Last month it cost me $0.9625 for every $1.0000 that came in. MicroSoft has ensured that their operating systems are based on fixes, patches and workarounds.
Teresa called my attention to a television broadcast this evening on PBS. She has, like many, inferred my interest in economics extends to politics (I assure you it does not). The topic is this make-work fiasco the “new” administration is serving up, and being that Teresa is interested, I’ll tune in. We would have gotten together to watch it, but the darn thing is at ten in the evening. America can’t bump Wheel of Fortune over things like a government pep talk. Besides, it is too chilly for a long a bike ride and can you just imagine me saying that even ten years ago?
I was at Office Bunker to price out flat screen [monitors]. The nature of my show means two monitors, and I’ve found a tempting set at $99 each. Do I dare? They are Acers, which take after Sony in lasting just longer than the factory warranty. The specs show 18.5 inches wide and just 13 inches deep. That is what I need, a long narrow display. But, it is a question of money. You already know I’m cautious not to get overly enthusiastic about last weekend.
Decisions. I have the cash now. In between are other considerations like if I don’t buy two, they may not be available one at a time later. This model, the X183Hb, has only a VGA plug, meaning it is likely discontinued already. I had a couple great photos for you but every digital camera has a quirk, and this one wipes out the memory when the batteries are low. Chances are I will not purchase. I can use what I’ve got for a short while, and I was looking for a deal when I found this one.
There is another item I cannot test directly. These monitors have an auto-set feature, but can it be turned off? I want to try to set the monitor the wrong way. (This is the gossip part.) I told you how at the show a couple of people began to look very closely at the screen, and no doubt noticed the tiny command strip across the top. One of those people I definitely do not want figuring out what’s going on. So, can I “adjust” the screen so that it is too tall, then re-center the bottom portion on the display? Put another way, can I purposely cause the screen to display a cut off top section?
The store would not have appreciated me trying it out on the shelf. Still, to some people who think I reveal too much in this blog, trust me, I’ve not begun to tell the serious stuff. Let’s just say I’ve known too many instances in life where somebody jumped in at the eleventh hour and tried to cash in on my ground work. They never have, but it gobbled up precious time and scarce resources that made things that much harder for me. I don’t mind competition, but not while I’m still getting set up.
In keeping with my above stance on trade secrets, today’s trivia is about privacy. Did you know that in 23 states, anyone can walk into the government office and buy all the information on everybody’s voter registration on CD? It costs as little as $2.50. It does not matter if it is a terrorist, a pervert, or the police conducting a warrantless search, because there is no requirement to show “a need” for the information. So much for the principle that public records are supposed to benefit society, not a handful of marginally fringe operators. If you wonder how they got your unlisted phone number, check your voter registration.
About the only thing not on that CD is your Social Security Number, but so what? Just go back and look at the records before they changed that law. Okay, I’ll tell you a little more. In 18 states, you must have the consent of the person you are looking into. That, at least, is a step in the right direction. If they can keep a public record, they can damn well keep a record of who looks at it, too. I believe six states don’t allow access to public records which makes them essentially police records. (They can look at yours, but you can’t look at theirs.) Don’t quote me, but those states are Minnesota, New York, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and Utah.
[Author’s note: If I sound displeased with the whole public record thing, remember, my point of view is that participation in the system should always be 100% voluntary, never coercive or compulsory. A driver’s license should be a license to drive, and not anything else, including ID. When you register to vote that record only be used only for that purpose (and destroyed soon afterward, never used a second time). Any other purpose should require your consent, even for anonymous statistical research. (Some people may not want to be counted and they should possess that right without having their motives brought into question.) Certainly, public data should never be abused for private gain, such as skip tracing, mailing lists or employment screening. That is my opinion, and my opinion is supported by the American Constitution.]
