5+1 Thoughts for May 23, 2017

1. ISP Outage: Right now my ISP is experiencing a major outage and I can tell that I'm not the only one because they operate an open WiFi network and when I connect to it, it doesn't have internet access either. So how am I accessing the internet? Via my smartphone's WiFi hotspot. This isn't the first time I've had to do this, either, but it highlights the importance of having a smartphone. Without the internet, I can't access multiple services I normally use in my workflow. It could be tied to a power outage a half-dozen blocks from here, and if it is, then it sounds like my ISP will be out until late tonight.
2. Terrible Three: There are a lot of really bad cabinet members in Donald's administration, but the top three, absolutely disgusting, most corrupt (financially or intellectually) folks are Tom Price, Mick Mulvaney, and Betsy DeVos. I give these three less than a year before they either quit or are kicked out. Tom Price is ethically challenged, showing just how little the GOP care about ethics when it comes to one of their own as they confirmed Price's nomination even with his lies about his stock trades and finances. Aside from being intellectually corrupted by his politics and greed, Mick Mulvaney also can't seem to figure out what ethics are. Besty DeVos is just plain stupid, which in itself wouldn't qualify her as a member of the Terrible Three, except that she vocally demonstrates her idiocy all the time.
3. US-Russia: We are not exactly enemies, but we are not exactly close friends either. We are both partners -- ISS -- and geopolitical foes -- Afghanistan, North Korea, Ukraine, etc. This complexity trips up a lot of people, as you might expect. Recently, my friend told me about her kids who think it's no big deal that Russia tried to interfere with US elections because we have, in the past, interfered with the elections of others. That's a logical fallacy -- two wrongs make a right -- and I find it disturbing. It isn't right if we directly interfere with anyone else's elections, and it's not okay for Russia to interfere with ours. There is no equivocation on this matter. Once you slide down that slippery slope, you can excuse any of your actions.
4. From Cold to Hot: In a matter of a week, Portland's high temperatures have jumped from highs in the upper 50s to the lower 90s. For one day, tomorrow, the high temperature is supposed to drop back to mid-60s. Crazy!
5. Sling AirTV Player: Having installed it for a friend, I can positively report back that the AirTV player and its incorporation of OTA broadcast channels directly into the UI and channel lineup from Sling subscription works extremely well. The hardest part of the entire process was installing the ISP modem, particularly because the modem purchased from Amazon was defective. Right now they have a deal where the player is $50 if you prepay for 3-months of service -- technically worth $60 but MSRP is an irrelevant number -- which is something I might grab if it's still available in early September when football season kicks up.

+1: It's an act of cowardice to attack young women and children, always.