I am convinced that aliens would never visit this planet because they would have killed themselves off before they reached that level of technology. 👌🏼
Opinion
Touch ID under Duress
A feature that I would like to see on Apple’s Touch ID devices is what I call a “duress” mode.
Let’s say someone is mugging you and demanding that you unlock your device. What if you assigned a specific finger to something called duress mode that does things behind the scenes while appearing to unlock the device.
You could even have a flash “store front” of apps that load up if you use this particular finger. None of them really do anything and your data is still protected. It may even add an extra layer of security that is required to unlock it by Apple. Once your device is put in duress mode, only authorized people could unlock it. By unlock it, I mean get it back to a state where your normal fingerprint would unlock the device. Apple couldn’t directly unlock it.
By using this finger, you have also alerted family, friends, and anyone else you designate that you are in some sort of duress. These messages could include your GPS location etc.
I think in the future, this type of functionality will be necessary. It might even save lives.
Picture from here.
Fireworks Laws
I wasn’t sure but I had a feeling that fireworks were illegal in my area.
Law changed in 2017
Until a few years ago, it was illegal for Pennsylvanians to buy most fireworks, with retailers focusing on sales to outof- state residents. When the law was loosened in 2017, it included some restrictions on exactly where and when fireworks can be set off: It’s illegal to ignite them within 150 feet of any structure or on any public or private property without permission from local authorities. In a densely populated city like Lancaster, that leaves very few places where people can safely ignite fireworks.
The law lays out penalties that local authorities, like Lancaster’s police bureau, can impose for violations: “A person using consumer fireworks in violation of the provisions of this article commits a summary offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.”
Religion Origins
Historical fiction is a story that takes place in a certain period of history but the characters are usually fictional.
Religion is the exact same thing.
Especially if your religions doctrine cannot be independently verified by historians of the time.
That is a very basic requirement. You can make all of the bold claims you’d like in your religious text but if they are true, someone else would have seen it and written it down.
Don’t believe something just because someone says it is true. Find out for yourself. Do the research.
Even if it is your spiritual identity.
Don’t blindly follow anyone.
Ok. Life advice over.
More Relativity Questions
Some thoughts about the theory of relativity…
Electricity moves differently in a vacuum or with altered gravity. Does that mean that time is different or does it mean that how we measure time is different?
You could make the argument that a person on Earth shows a different time than someone in space simply because electricity works differently in space but the same measurement of time has passed for both individuals.
The only thing that changes is “how” I measure the time difference. That is why I believe the theory of relativity is incorrect.
If electricity moves at the speed of light and electricity moves differently in a void does that question what the speed of light actually is? To me, that means the speed of light is variable. Or, the way you are measuring is changing.
To me, if I travel away from the Earth at the speed of light and then return, I will have aged exactly the same as if I had stayed on Earth. Time may have been measured differently in space but my constant of measure is the Earth.
It is a theory that is extremely clear to me for some reason. I’ve always said that you cannot arm chair quarterback the universe from your chair on Earth.
I think the theory of relativity will be debunked when we start seriously traveling among the stars.
Streaming Services
There are too many of them.
My prediction is that this business model in its current form is unsustainable.
People just want one place to pay and watch; they don’t want 100 of them. That is too much shit to keep track of. One place. One login. Done.
People are lazy. Paying for everything in one spot? How much lazier can you get?
Politics Light – Multiple Parties
First of all, I’d like to apologize for writing about politics on my website. I promise you that it is not going to a deep dive into which political party is better and why you should choose one over the other.
No.
This quick article is about why I believe we need to get rid of the two party system and go with something like Israel has. I believe Japan might also have a similar model.
With more choices everyone wins.
Multiple parties make it less about “us versus them” and makes it more solidly about the issues themselves.
There are two things I believe are so simple in politics that the fact that they really aren’t is proof positive that the system is broken.
1. Multiple party system
2. Flat Income Taxes. Either 5% or 10% would get the job done and everyone pays their fair share which cannot be argued if everyone pays 10%.
Those two things are painfully obvious to me.
Ok. Enough about that shit.
Apple News
I absolutely love the Apple News app.
The News app on my iPhone that is.
The News app on my computer is something quite different. For me, it all comes down to one simple thing. It is the inability to save anything to Instapaper.
Even though I have the option checked and enabled, it simply doesn’t show up as an option. The only options are apple’s built in choices. So, even though it appears you have choice here you don’t.
Even though I obviously have it checked here…
I think the phone just works better anyway but there are times when I am charging my phone that I’d like to be able to just use the M1 MBP.
Ok. My venting is over.
Revisions versus Writing
I am a first draft kind of guy. I can sit here all day long and pound out original material like nobody’s business.
When it comes to revisions, I hate it.
I’m doing it now. I have to go back over the last few stories I’ve written and complete the first revision. I have some beta readers who are willing to read my stories and give me feedback.
I plan on giving these stories to an editor when I think I’m ready to publish them.
Self publishing is something new I am trying but I don’t think you can or should publish anything without an editor looking at it.
My grammar can be awful sometimes. Anyone who reads this blog should know that by now.
That is all I have. Nothing Earth shattering. Just a post about how much I hate editing myself.
Book Review – Sort Of
I’m not yet going to give details of the book but I’m listening to a science fiction nugget.
I like the whole idea of it. There are parts that don’t seem to make much sense.
For one thing, the main enemy is missing the motivation. They are bad and try to kill the main characters but I still don’t know why.
It sounds like democracy versus communism. That seems off.
I’ll write a good review when this book is finished. It will probably be soon. I think I have 5 hours left.
