Oh no, not them again…
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Flock Off
And then we have this little collection of reindeer games:
A quiet battle is happening across the US right between towns working to adopt Flock Safety systems and those trying to ban them entirely. From major cities like Los Angeles canceling its Flock contract to towns wrapping Flock AI cams in plastic bags because Flock won’t take them down, it’s a wild time for surveillance and questions about government accountability.
But what happens when you start seeing Flock’s now-recognizable solar panels and AI cameras going up in your neighborhood? What happens when they start to recognize your car or even individual people?
I don’t want to say what I really feel, at this point, because I may get into trouble. Still, being who I am, I can’t help thinking of this kind of solution:
Then, purely in the spirit of scientific inquiry, I’m wondering if this might work:
Curious, that’s me. But if you’re going to test the stuff, you may want to get some soon before it mysteriously starts to vanish off the shelves at Home Depot, or from Amazon’s warehouses.
News Summary
...one would have thought...
...dangerous for whom? Asking for a friend.
...I’m taking bets that most if not all of the 400 aren’t native-born Frogs. What, nobody wants to take a bet?
...in which we play our popular “Guess The Race” game.
...and one more time...
...I hope it crashes with lots of Irish politicians on board. Would serve them right, the anti-Semitic assholes.
...just wasn’t his day, was it?
....ummmm if her body is covered, she’s not “completely” nude, is she? Nevertheless, here’s the proof:
I report, you opine.
Caption Competition #456
Your suggestions in Comments.
Car Treatment
From Reader GT3Ted:
- How many miles do you drive a year? — less than 100 miles per week, about 4,000 per annum. Some weeks I don’t go out at all, other than a quick trip to the grocery store (about half a mile from the house).
- Primary trip type ? I’m assuming you don’t have a daily 30 mile comment to the city in stop & go heavy traffic 5 days a week — my only “regular” commute is to the range (4 miles), and that only once or twice / week.
- Short forays into the Texas Heat? Or more weekly 100 mile adventures? — the furthest I ever drive, and that maybe once a month, is to visit the Son&Heir or the Sooper-Seekrit Mailbox place, a 40-mile round trip. Longer trips, maybe once a year.
- How religious are you about fluid changes? Not just occasional trips to Jiffy-lubes. When if ever did you have the transmission oil flushed and renewed. Engine coolant flushed and renewed? — I do a major fluid change every 25,000 miles, oil changed and fluids checked every 3,500 miles. My transmission belt(s) will be due a change at the next major service (150,000 miles), which is going to cost me quite a bit.
I take car maintenance seriously, ever since my dad (an engineer) once said, “Look after a car engine properly, and it will last just about indefinitely.”
And I drive a car gently (nowadays; not as a youngin of course, because hormones/testosterone): no heavy acceleration, no speeding, none of that stuff.
The Search Continues
At the risk of boring everyone, I’m going to continue the thread of “If the Tiguan were to blow up suddenly, what car could / should I replace it with?”
It will be a regular, but occasional post.
Here are my criteria: preferably pre-1995, stick shift, costing no more than $40,000, reliable (for an older car), roomy (i.e. no sports cars — I still have stuff to schlep around).
And then there’s this one — lamentably in Yurp, which means shipping costs and some kind of import duty — but it still gets my juices going:
I’m actually a huge fan of small station wagons — I’ve owned three before: VW Jetta, VW Passat and Opel Ascona (Chev Cavalier, for my Murkin Readers). I loved all of them, without exception, and would take one over any SUV, every day of the week. Moreover, I loves me my 3-series Beemers; I still look back on my 318i with fondness and longing.
I’m a little leery of the stated mileage (only 29,000? WTF).
And then there’s this (from the website):
“The E30 Touring represents the last 3 Series BMW built in a truly ‘old-school”’way: without intrusive electronics, with analog gauges, genuine steering feel, and that unmistakable E30 atmosphere.”
I think they’ve been reading my blog.