Recent posts

#1

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 18, 2026, 08:15:22 AM

Yes, that battery did well to last that long.

The battery on my then new 2016 Subaru Outback only lasted 4 years, 1 year after the car's 3 year warranty, ran out.
Subaru did eventually come out for repayment of the battery due to the issue with premature failure of these batteries. :-)

The Canadian Tire car battery that I bought for the car is still working well at after 6 years and the Outback sits outside on my driveway all year long and still starts up at -20 C in the mornings.

#2

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by buster - January 17, 2026, 12:11:09 PM

I think this electric car might not pull the trailer very easily or very far.

The battery is 7 or 8 years old. It's a warrantee replacement of the original during the first year or so. Van's approaching 9 years old.

According to the always truthful Internet, modern car batteries average 3-5 years, which is disgraceful. That's built in obsolescence. So mine did well.

#3

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 17, 2026, 08:37:45 AM

How old is your vehicle and how old is was the battery, Buster?

Maybe you can get one of the new Chinese EV cars, that are now not being tarrifed at 100% :-)

#4

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by buster - January 16, 2026, 06:34:00 PM

This is mostly a rant against the loss of a far simpler world. This sequence of events started a week ago today, on the Friday, when Marilyn was going to do some shopping, and our old car battery decided it wanted to retire. Not only did it refuse to start the car, it was so weak it wouldn't even light up the dashboard. In fact the key had to be inserted manually to open the door. (The battery subsequently froze.)

So I called my car repair shop and found I could get this fixed on Monday if I could get the van towed there Monday morning. Apparently this would be easy.

So I called my trusty CAA membership number and found it was so busy because of the cold and snow that I would have to talk to a theoretically intelligent machine agent.

So the machine had to understand two pieces of information. Pick up  the car at my address early Monday morning. And then deliver the van to my repair shop. Any student I ever taught over my 33 year career would have understood these two simple things immediately.

You would burst into tears if I expanded our conversation, which for some unknown reason involved delivering the van to Younge Street in Toronto.

Fortunately I have a neighbor two houses down who works for CAA,  and I visited her and she was able to do some old fashioned connecting to real people and arranging the simple task. She said they were totally overloaded by this year's weather and had run out of humans to answer phones.

Jumping into AI, even choosing calculated response procedures, should be handled carefully. Human brains are a great and valued resource to depend upon.

I like people and their brains.

#5

Politics, Society and News. / Elon Musk Demonstrates Again H...

Last post by buster - January 16, 2026, 04:44:08 PM

You can find reports on the Internet of Musk musing that in 10 to 20 years people may not have to save for retirement because the world will have unbelievable machine intelligence and robots to do whatever and we'll all be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams. As someone who was born in the 30's, I've seen and heard of many predictions over the years, and I have to start with an oft quoted funny line, attributed to more than one person:  

"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future,"

I would love to see other predictions from others that never quite made it into reality. Here are a couple:

a) The office will be paperless.

b) We will learn without teachers.

c) There will be food for all the world.

d) WW1: the war to end all wars.

e) In the 50's many thought we'd fly small planes rather than drive cars in the future. I read this in magazines.

So here are Musk's predicting weaknesses:

1. History is crowded with 'black swans', totally unexpected events that changed the world, at least for awhile. Covid is an example, as well as cities running out of water, such as Tehran approaching a taps off date, or heat and drought not seen in the US west since the 1600s.

2. We share this planet with many species that we depend upon, like algae for oxygen, bees for many crops. If they come to harm, humans will come to harm.

3. Most technological changes cannot be done quickly in any culture. Ontario is commencing a project to build near Port Hope a nuclear generating system. It's to come on line in 2040.

4. The development of androids, their manufacturing and training, is not a simple process. 10 to 20 years to get to a world where they are everywhere doing the work seems a bit optimistic.

5. However, in my opinion, the stumbling block will be, and has always been, that when the technological problems are overcome, we live in a hierarchical society. I doubt Musk intends to give up some of his 600 billion dollars to spread the wealth. We might not need to use money, but we will find ways to hoard power and influence.

There is no natural system to distribute this possible new wealth that has traditionally used getting paid for work. And money does not naturally 'trickle down' to the poor. Read almost any historical description of an era. Presently money is being concentrated more and more in the hands of a few. These people will not give up their position on a whim.

And the aggressive nature of humans can lead to cataclysmic events, or the natural world might decide it's had enough and get rid of us. Accurate prediction is a difficult task. We hardly understand the world as it is, and it's right in front of us.

And there is the simple practical consideration that the redistribution of wealth will require some form of legislation in most countries. Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

I don't deny Musk is bright in certain areas. But don't apply a 'halo effect' to his understanding of psychology, sociology, history, or politics.

I think he's talking through his hat. And start saving now for old age. You'll need the money.

#6

General Discussion / Remove your personal info from...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 09, 2026, 09:28:04 AM

I found this info and am passing it along, as it seems to be a very good podcast.


Podding Along - Issue 638
From: John A. Figliozzi
Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:48:07 PST
Podcasts permit a shift of listening time from a set appointment to virtually any convenient occasion. I do it while taking my daily (more or less) 3 mile walk, while I'm "plodding along". While there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of great podcasts from other sources, the ones sponsored via public radio have been vetted through the worthy objectives of the medium. Here's what I've been listening to recently. I hope you might find these suggestions — in roughly 90 minute bites -- helpful in enhancing your own enjoyment of radio, our favorite medium.

__ __

This is the place to start if you've ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

"Opt Out -1: The Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Online Life"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston - ABC Radio National
We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But... how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look?
In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-one/105872262


"Opt Out -2: Can You Delete Yourself from the Internet?"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together?
In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it's harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn't) let you do when it comes to your own personal data. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-two/105872246

"Opt Out -3: How Not to Get Hacked"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
If someone tried to hack you right now... how long would it take? In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what's actually worth doing, and what's just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-three/105872378

"Opt Out -4: What Did I Just Agree To?"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
Every time you click 'accept' online, you're legally agreeing to something. The problem is... you probably have no idea what that something is. In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you'd probably never agree to if it was written in plain English. Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it's not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they're worth knowing about. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-four/105872276

"Opt Out -5: "Can You Ever Really Opt Out of Online Life?
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can't opt out of the internet, even if you really want to? In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don't actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia's Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-five/105872250

— —

A compendium of these suggestions, plus on occasion additional pertinent material, is published every other month in the CIDX Messenger, the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian International DX Club (CIDX). For further information and membership information, go to www.cidxclub.ca <http://www.cidxclub.ca/>
Happy New Year!

John Figliozzi

#7

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 06, 2026, 09:05:39 AM

I am very gratefull that I am using Linux on all my computers and have no need to use Win 11 or the Apple OS.
Both Windows and Apple IOS now have AI embedded in their operating systems , making them a security/privacy nightmare.
I have seen reports for Win 11 that a hidden file or folder has been found, that takes snapshots or records info that displays on your screen. Probably the info gets sent back to the Windows servers.

#8

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by Jason - January 05, 2026, 05:27:24 PM

Zorin should be in there. I do have one complaint about it, though. They upped the price of the Pro version from $40 USD to $80. Not sure when exactly but it was at some point in 2024. Disappointing.

First time hearing of Helium OS. But alas, I think my distro hopping days are over.

#9

General Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas, Happy New...

Last post by Jason - January 05, 2026, 05:24:20 PM

Happy New Year guys! Let's home something nice happens this year like a fascist... dies of old age before he invades another country closer to home.

#10

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by ssfc72 - December 26, 2025, 09:31:23 AM

Thanks Buster, for the Link.
A valuable info for some good Distros to try out.