Tuesday, June 1, 2021

The Fish Tank Exploit~

 Got a danged good laugh out of something that made me read past the headline: Casino Gets Hacked Through Fish Tank Thermometer. See if you see the line that made me suspect that the dogs find me a little scary when laughing that hard:

"Maybe you've heard of IoT, but in case you haven't it's easily explained. It’s all about dumb, inanimate objects. And no, I’m not talking about members of Congress. These are elevators, engines, machinery, trucks, phones, sprinkler systems, inventory and, yes, even fish-tank thermometers. These objects are being equipped with sensors and then connected back to networks, databases and communication systems. So much so that by 2025 some analysts predict that there will be as many as 31 billion connected devices worldwide."

This is almost as funny as the fact that a group of apes is called a congress. Right now in Texas, the apes have walked out in order that Governor Abbott can't get a quorum to take a vote on a few items in his Christmas wish list. The apes did this once before when they were Republicans, and everyone called them every name in the book. This time it is the Democrats, so, of course, they are patriots protecting citizen rights. All we need now is more toilet tissue to clean up the mess. But maybe a zombie tree will get 'em. Austin has plenty of the slimey stuff on Congress Avenue. It might not be quite as bad as some of the streets in California where the homeless camp, but lately those folks have been moved along like little doggies--the cattle kind of doggies, not the barking kind. Honestly, Texas is a wonderful state, but it has its problems by section and by climate. However, if we can ask for voter ID and enforce that situation, the timing of the polls being opened or closed should not be such a problem. Drive-through voting? Ah, the old body would not mind that at all--well, except for the price of gasoline and sitting there idling one's engine to the tune of $3 a gallon. 

One of the other issues before our congress is the idea that transgender folks want to compete with those who have a team of girls. Now not many girls will be doing weight lifting with the guys or track running, or other types of competitive sports. But take a guy who "identifies" as a gal, and he already has an advantage. His body, if not his perception, is just made differently. He/she/they can be anything the person wants, but competing against a girl who has a different body mass and make up will not be fair to her. And my opinion is shared by any guy who claims to actually be a male. The three young men who visit me for classes said that women should not be trying to lift things that are made to be lifted by different muscle groups. While many women--my granddaughter included--can lift weights and do all sorts of athletic maneuvers, it simply is not wise to take chances with the muscles that she/they will use later in life. Yes, yours truly used to pick up fifty-pound bags of feed and walk off to the barn with them. But that has stopped. Even slinging a weed eater around has now stopped on this hill. From now on, the boys or someone equally fit will be doing that work. No competition here. But let's keep competition fair for those who fit the definition of women/girls.

Saw that two Iranian pilots were killed when their ejection seats were activated inside the terminal. Dang! The aircraft over there in Iran are so old and so out of commission that it would take a major overhaul to repair the ones that still can get off the flight line. Maybe they need to stop trying to create nuclear bombs and military nerve gasses and start working on the junk in their airports.

The other stuff that made my eyebrows raise nearly off my face--not many hairs left up there already!--was the Tulsa Black Massacre back about a hundred years ago. My family did not tend to say or put down those who were different, but my age was entirely too young when my mother was embarrassed to tears by my question (inside Granddad Kennedy's little grocery store): Momma, why does that lady look different from us? The sweet lady bent down and said, "Child, God made folks in all different colors. He knew He needed us all." Wish that had been the lesson some of those folks in Tulsa had been taught years ago. Well, still today that lesson is needed. A young cowboy who visited my Granddad Pollard's gas station was killed sometime after he competed at the local rodeo on Highway 79. Daddy said that it was a race related murder rather than one of competition for abilities. The young man was popular with the ladies--all of the ladies. Clay County and Montague County have never been very kind to those of color or a different race. Just stupid. Never knew about what happened in Tulsa. Just knew that Mom said it was a horrible town without knowing the reason. Growing up in Clay County, it never occurred to me that no other folks lived there except white folks. Guess that is just a matter of naivety or plain ol' stupidity. When two girls from the private school were invited to a slumber party at my house, they could not come. Now realize why. My parents did not explain to me that it would not be considered safe for them. This ol' world has to change its attitudes!

Let the broody hen out for just a minute or two. Straight to the nest! So, back she went inside the cage. Most unhappy hen. Thought about sticking Athena in there today and let her have a reason to scream her head off. She is the loudest hen out there and the smallest body! Campine chickens have to have some Bantam in their genes somewhere. Tiny little legs and beautiful body shape. And lately about one egg a week. Oh well.

Am down to the egg cartons that were bought last year. Guess it will take a bit to use those up, but will have to ask folks to start saving the clean cartons for me when they get eggs. Can't use dirty ones, obviously, but everyone seems to want the 18 count cartons. The 12 count cartons are much more sturdy, but it takes three of them to contain what is in two of the 18 count cartons. Oh well.

Thompson has a bona fide hot spot on his rear end. Here we go again. Using 3-way ointment by Sulfodene, but he still licks at it. Poor baby. He is allergic to grass or something in it. Feel his pain. Reached down and grabbed a weed in my flower bed and had three nice blisters from that weed. Yes, the person knows better, but she just does stupid stuff!

Checked on the baby birds a few minutes ago. They had their eyes closed and were snuggled together sleeping. Know that momma bird watches every move we make on the deck, but she is taking good care of her little brood. Think she has help. Not sure, but it seems like TWO birds are helping her. Maybe it is a big sister to these two babies. Hoping that she will let me move them nest and all when it is time for them to start getting up on the edge of the nest. Can't stand the thoughts of the dogs or hens killing them. Maybe she will follow me if they are placed on the front porch on the rail out there. At least the silly wren went right back to her nest when it was moved to a safer peg on the front porch. The other one was too limber and could have fallen. Will have to think of a good way to fasten the colander to the porch railing that stands perpendicular to the floor. But that will be at least a week off before the babies start getting around inside that nest.

Looks like the temperature is going to be up to 80 for a few days. Actually have the AC on in here currently. Doesn't take much heat to get uncomfortable.

Bought some sweet basil to put in my kitchen window. It is almost too strong smelling but repotted it into a larger pot so it could stay in the window without dying for moisture. We will see how it goes. It is great for cooking with tomatoes, but only have ONE tomato from my plants out front. It is one of those chocolate colored ones that they call heirloom tomatoes. Hope it is good and ripe by tomorrow so it can be sliced up to go with a scrambled egg. Yum.

Ok, one major prayer request tonight: Sharron Dickerson (from Quanah branch of Dickersons) is not doing well at all and in a lot of pain all over. They have done all they can do to repair the aorta, but she has had fluid drained from outside of her lungs. She cannot walk and is having to wear the BPAP at night and is on high concentration oxygen during the day. Her family feels that she is not strong enough to get better, but the doctors have not said that yet--just her kids believe that is the case. Please pray for Sharron and her children. It is SO hard to let a parent go, but if and when one's hope has been exhausted, sometimes it is more peaceful in the long run to let life go on by. This reminds me so much of Joe Malay and his situation. Our heart means well, but life is too tough on some folks. Please pray for peace for them--and for my friend Michelle who must live her life without the love of her sweet husband. Too many of us know what that is like. It simply hurts and lets the memories leak out one tear drop at a time. 

May you know that you are in HIS hands. You are loved.


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