Dakota Today

***Rapid Weather Change near Winner

The clouds and wind rolled through the area.  Temperature dropped from around 107F down to 76F in a couple hours.  Wind was blowing 31mph and gusting toward 50.  Shook this big old farm house.  Rain came down in sheets for a few minutes, but apparently only about 0.06 inches.   Sky still looks rough off to the south and there was a brief partial rainbow.  First one of those I have seen for a few months.  More details at National Weather Wyly Field Winner, SD.

Below is an image of the rainbow.  Contrast has been increased.  Click on image for larger view.

Glad we got a little moisture with probably little damage from wind in immediate area.

***Stay tuned for perhaps something on the worthless Trump Administration--- Doug Wiken

 

*** Nothing new here either..Osama bin Laden shot dead and dumped in a sea

It appears to me that fanatical patriotic or religious zealotry turns humans into animals. I find it hard to tell the difference between religious fanatical zeolots yelling "Death to the USA" and patriotic fanatical zealots screaming "USA, USA, USA" in celebration of Osama being shot.

The term “justice” is demeaned as a laudable worthwhile process by associating the term with the equivalent of a summary execution or death by SEAL. The appropriate term for this operation is justifiable retaliation or retribution.

That said, Osama bin Laden got more mercy than he deserved by being shot in the head.

They should have flown his body out of there without ever releasing any information and then fed his body to hungry sows.

That might be just, but it is not justice. Even so, the world is a better place without Osama..just as it would be a better world without AIDS.

As for the value of Gitmo, there is dispute in the value of the information which might have been determined from captives. I have now seen a bunch of the usual Republican figures all promoting the idea that Guantanamo was necessary. They must have had this script ready in the event Osama was captured or killed. It is too well distributed to be an a mere matter of truth and the presentations appear to be too well orchestrated to be true.

In any case, it should have been obvious from one day after the WTC murders that one way to find Osama was by tracking his couriers and messengers who were leaving video tape etc with media outlets. They would not have needed to find out from a captive that such couriers existed, it was obvious without any such information.

One other rather amazing thing about all this is how many politicians of all stripes are willing to get on TV without actually knowing anything worthwhile or interesting to relate and no original perspective on anything. This all spin all the time no matter what issue is in fact almost frightening.

*** Stay tuned for more lunacy from the "civilized" and the "uncivilized" --- Doug Wiken

 

**AT&T-Alltel transition ...Phones working for two whole days

Preceded by some short ons and long off periods, we are still sort of crossing our fingers as we are into the second day of actually getting some use out of the AT&T phones after the transition from Alltel. 

That said, regulators and SD PUC and US FCC, FTC, etc might want to check the article linked below which suggests AT&T is buying up cellphone spectrum even if traffic does not warrant it.   If  find it interesting that AT&T is apparently trying to put caps on bandwidth usage by subscribers while it simultaneously apparently charges $4.95 to put message and time restrictions on teenagers phones.   Seems to me it would make sense to pay subscribers $4.95 if they would accept limits on teen time, etc.

CNET AT&T Gobbling up Cellphone Bandwidth?

Do regulators ever think about these things?   Or do they just rubber stamp any absurd fee structure and diddling large corporations want?

Meanwhile, I am not purchasing any variety of  Trac phone at this time.

*** Stay tuned even if you are untouched by whiz-bang modernity --- Doug Wiken

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** AT&T apparently giving Winner users and SDPUC the "mushroom treatment"

Before you read this post, please check the comment by PUC commissioner Steve Kolbeck on my previous post on the Alltel to AT&T transistion.

That said, I spent 20 minutes or so on the phone today with "Vicky" of the SDPUC this afternoon.  Apparently AT&T had informed the PUC that the problem here in Winner was a result of porting difficulty and network clogging due to users here not reading instructions from AT&T that were in letter with the Rugby II phones.  She called back later with a service number for a Zodiac outfit apparently working or part of AT&T. 

Anyway, I decided before spending more time on the phone that I would check with a local businessman here who had also gotten the Rugby II phone.  When I got to the store, there were four ladies at the counter griping about the AT&T phones not working.  This pretty much convinced me the problem was not with my phone.  The Rugby II user had spent an hour on the phone with AT&T this morning and that had changed nothing. 

When the signal strength reading here was one bar or no bar, and in Rapid City was 4 or 5 bars, I combined that information with the above and was pretty well convinced that the problem here was not with the phones or my own operator error.

About an hour ago I drove up to the tower area in Winner and found an AT&T van with a worker.  He said that BOTH the AT&T and Alltel transmitters here in Winner were "down" for two days.  That would explain why neither the Alltel nor the AT&T phone would work yesterday morning either before or after the transition.   I let the lonely AT&T repairman get back to work on the windy hilltop.  He thought it might be possible to get the system actually working tonight.

AT&T truck at Winner tower site. April 21, 2011

The local businessman here had found out when he got 4 miles south of Winner that his phone worked as it should since it was picking up signal from a tower miles south and west or east of Winner.  The issues mentioned by Steve Kolbeck in his comment are covered at the SDPUC FAQ site on the Alltel and AT&T transition:

SDPUC Alltel AT&T FAQs

I note that indicates the PUC is intent on aiding SD customers of Alltel and AT&T.  Perhaps Steve and the PUC Staff need to ask a few more probing questions of AT&T about the transistion-transmitter-whatever mess here in Winner, SD.

Whatever, I hope by later tonight that the signal strength shows up with 4 bars.  These damn little portable phones are addicting.  Had this mess occured a few days earlier, it would have made some Rapid City business transactions we made very difficult or nearly impossible in a timely manner.  My guess is that the two days of service hiatus here have generated some serious complexity and difficulty for somebody here in Winner.

Giving us no information and then the mushroom treatment has not been helpful.

[[Note from Wiken, Noon Fri Apr22, 2011: Signal strength of the AT&T signal here has not improved yet.  The "New PC Studio" by Samsung indicates it will allow moving photos from the RugbyII with the USB cable.  However, despite the phone being set to USB connectivity and the computer recognizing a new device, the software provides only connection options for Bluetooth and the user interface is needlessly convoluted.]]

*** Stay tuned even if you still crank the old phone on the wall somewhere-- Doug Wiken

 

 

**Alltel to AT&T..less than perfect transition for users

Sometime ago, the FCC and the SDPUC decided in their infinitely finite wisdom that when Verizon bought Alltel, they should sell the South Dakota and other part of the business to AT&T in order to assure continued competition, etc. 

Well, as in the old "Tonight's the night" joke, today was the day for us to transition from Alltel system to the AT&T system.  For a company specializing in communications, the messages intentionally and unintentionlly sent by AT&T indicate the full potential of huge corporations with incredible resources bungling the most simple communications.

We decided on Samsung Rugby II phones since the old Alltel transmission protocol is not the same as that for AT&T.  We got the replacment phones a few weeks ago.  Instructions packed with the phone indicated that should we turn on those phones prior to today, neither the new phone nor our old Alltel phones would work anymore.  Since then AT&T has sent text messages with a message on April 18 or 19th with something like, "On April 15, 2011, turn your phones off and on."  That made no sense and contradicted previous dire warnings.

So, last night I charged the batteries for the new phones and made certain they were not turned on.  The instructions for this morning were to turn both old and new phones on and carry both with you because the old would be "turned off" and the new "turned on".  Now apparently what was to actually happen according to employee at the store formerly an Alltel dealer that the Alltel number would be "ported" to the new phone.  The local store has been cut out of the AT&T system along with several other smaller stores in southern South Dakota.  Even so the former cellphone store has had a nearly steady stream of anguished and irate former custormers who either failed to read the AT&T convoluted prose or totally misinterpreted it.  AT&T should have indicated they would "authorize connection" for the new phone and "deauthorize connection" for the old phones or something other than "turn on" and "turn off" which most users are likely to associate with the phones off and on button.

Anyway, for the whole morning, NEITHER the Alltel phone NOR the AT&T phone would work.  Then for awhile, the message, "Only emergency calls allowed" was on the phones.  The signal strength is indicated as one bar compared to 4 bars for the old Alltel phones.  On top of a hill in Winner when the phone actually worked for 15 minutes, turning my head would cause the signal to fade.  It has been impossible again for this afternoon to connect either phone with a network.   My son has one of the phones in Rapid City, SD and that has worked all day today.

I drew the cartoon below this afternoon.  It seems appropriate today.

Click on image for a larger version suitable for framing by Verizon, Sprint, and other dealers.

Samsung or AT&T included a CD in the box with the Rugby II phones.  On it are labels indicating the Operator Manual and a software studio are on the CD.  But nope, there is a 500 some kilobyte flash program with a nice photo of the phone and two web links instead of the actual pdf manual or the software.

I finally was able to download a version of the manual useable on PC computers with Acrobat Reader on them and also the "New Studio" program.   I put those files on a CD with a simple menu system for viewing the manual, etc. on a CD.  If you want it as a backup for the manual or for installing the software, let me know.  For a couple bucks for mailing and packaging, I will send you the CD with the free software that is available from the Samsung site.

This transition and related communications have left much to be desired. AT&T's closure of several local stores on the windswept prairie have not sent a good message.  AT&T not providing any service of any kind in some areas of western South Dakota is not a good message.  Of course, while making some bungles in this transition, AT&T is hellbent on buying up another Cellphone provider.  Perhaps regulators should remember the AT&T legacy of the land line days when it seemed to be synonymous with primitive service at the highest possible monopoly pricing.

The information included with the phones indicates AT&T pricing and marketing strategy.  Every option that should be part on any package is priced at $2.95, $4.95 etc per month.  It is the equivalent of buying a cow and paying an option price for each teat, each horn, each leg, each hoof, and also for the tail and tongue.

Perhaps over time service will improve, but today I am certainly less than impressed and certainly wondering what the FCC and the SDPUC were trying to prove.

Note added !0:30PM.  I actually received one call on the phone today.  Late this evening, I was able to again make a call on it.  All afternoon, the phone would not complete a call and about half the time produced an "Emergency Calls Only Please" message.  AT&T has managed to send a dozen or so text messages pushing more products for more charges however.

*** Stay tuned even if your idea of digital communications are puffs of smoke-- DougWiken

** Genetically modified crops... connected with human disorders?

Modern agricultural chemicals and seeds are wonders of technology.  While they are pushed by ag-related business and education-related research, there are those who wonder if Genetically Modified crops, etc (GMOs) may cause problems as well as solve problems.

Responsible Technology on GMOs and Disease, etc.

It is hard to tell from the comments whether the research showing problems is taken seriously or is just another hobby horse of those always assuming the sky is falling and finding spurious connections between anything and everything.

So, are you ready to stop eating anything containing or having eaten corn, soybeans, or whatever that is genetically modified to resist chemicals or to kill pests with genetic in-plant pest killer.

Comments welcome.

)))) Stay tuned even if you think Monsanto is a gift without cost --- Doug Wiken

** Not a double entendre, but a one-half entendre

Time for another joke. There are thousands of double entendre jokes, this is more like a one-half entendre.

Larry King told this one a few days ago on Tavis Smiley show  Seems a man and woman were waiting to get on a night train, but no single compartments were available so they got on as man and wife. She got into the upper berth and he crawled into the lower.

After about 30 minutes, he said, "You know, it is cold down here. Could you toss down a blanket?"  The woman said, "You know, we are just together for this one night, but why don't we just act like husband and wife?  He was very interested (maybe she looked like Noem) and said,"Sounds good to me."

Then she said, "Well in that case, get your own damn blanket."

Women seem to laugh more at that joke than do men.  Some of the younger unmarrieds don't seem to get it at all.  Or maybe it isn't quite that funny.

*** Stay tuned for really, really serious stuff...lke more damn snow (Don't seem to get snow with digital TV.  It is either there or not. Digital weather forecasts not any better than the old analog ones, but do have prettier detail--- Doug Wiken.

**Spring hits Tripp County, SD with a vengeance

Spring has come and the grass is ris, wonder where the flowers is?  Well, as of yesterday, both were under about 6 inches of very wet heavy snow here in Tripp County, SD.

. Cars had cooled off enough that the snow on them was probably a better measure than on the ground.  Ground was still warm from the 60 and 70 F temps the day before.  Today the sun came out.  The 26 degree Fahrenheit this morning was soon up to 40 or 50 and the snow started melting.  By this evening, much of the snow was melted and the grass really had ris.

Much mud now. Click images for larger versions. The cedar and other trees in the City of Winner had a full load of heavy wet snow. Blading the streets soon had them nearly dry and clear, but some streets and lots at 7:30AM yesterday were still a problem for 2-wheel drive vehicles. School was closed, but some patients and employees at local hospital had a terrible time getting there.  

Beautiful mess that this was yesterday, it was nothing compared to the wet spring snow we had here the day of the Oklahoma City bombing April 19, 1995.  Our children were home because school was canceled that day.  I saw the first news reports and thought it was part of the TV police mystery show then broadcast on KELO-TV.  Soon the reality of that sunk in.  Weeks later the effect of the snow sunk in as well.  Thousands of pheasants died in that storm.  Something over 20 inches of snow blanketed everything.

South Dakota weather is certainly variable.  Forecast for next week promises more of the same or the other same or that whatever same.  KELO weather often gets only within a country mile or so for forecasts in the part of south central South Dakota, but they had this storm pretty well predicted.

*** Stay tuned, the sun will shine tomorrow.. maybe or maybe not --- Doug Wiken 

 

**SDPB-Radio slashing Jazz Nightly as Result of GOP Taliban Republican Cultural War

Apparently SDPB is killing off Jazz Nightly.  I don't listen to that show every evening it is on, but nearly everytime I do, I learn something about current jazz music and the historial basis of some of the variations.  This kind of programming is not a life and death matter, but it is a sign of slight cultural awareness that many of us get only from public broadcasting.  I really don't want to hear about the latest celebrity that corporate media give 5 minutes of fame for their outrageous drug or marital failures or other vices.  Public broadcasting is an oasis in the middle of a vast wasteland. 

“Uncle Jimmo’s” salary probably amounts to about 6 cents per person per year in South Dakota. It seems to me that the attack on SDPB by Retrograde Republicans aided and abetted by Gov. Daugaard is motivated more by a desire to attack public knowledge and information that does not fit into the GOP mythology than it is by a desire to eliminate a structural deficit.

Daugard said that it seemed like a good compromise between those who like public broadcasting and those who don’t. My guess that amounts to a lopsided compromise by a 100,000 or so South Dakotans and a handful of corporate greed monkeys and a few dozen wingnut loons who view anything that does not fit into a Sunday sermon as the work of the devil or if not that some kind of evil despotic, Marxist plot against goodness, virtue, hotdogs, apple pie, and the American way.

The Taliban Republicans talk compromise, but seek a feudal state with a few very, very rich and the rest of us toiling in ignorance and failing health for 12 hours a day to pay sales taxes to make the rich richer.

This may not really be class warfare (I think it is) but, it certainly is cultural warfare. Those interested in Government of the people, for the people, and by the people better recognize that the modern retrograde GOP is the antithesis of that ideal.

This is a red alert on the dangers of the Taliban Republicans. Incidentally, our federal government now plans to issue actual Red Alerts via social media.

Check other SD Blogs for more on the GOP "Puetch", etc. NV Beacon  ,Madville Times ,

**Stay tuned even if I never have jazz audio or video on Dakota Today --- Doug Wiken

**Dr Oz show indicating Alzheimer's disease is like a form of diabetes

KELO-TV broadcasts the Dr. Oz show in the weekday mornings after the CBS Morning "NEWS".  Mostly I avoid the program because his silly demonstrations and carefully timed breaks for "more" convert 5 minutes of actual information into 15 minutes or an hour of irritation.  This morning, I did not get him turned off immediately.

The program discussed a possible link between Alzheimer's disease and something like a form of brain diabetes.  You can find a pretty good summary of that discussion at Link below:

Dr. Oz Fans on Alzheimer's Discussion   

I don't know what to think about the science, but there are some research publication links related to one of the Drs., Dr Suzanne de la Monte,   who was on the show today.

So, it may make sense to avoid foods and beers which contain nitrosamines.  If you are aware of any information pro or con on the suggested link or description of Alzheimer's as a form of diabetes, let other readers and me know.  And another link with discussion of topic

Life Enhancemen Is Alzheimer's disease a form of Diabetes?   

And for something a lot less serious or even interesting, below is an image in a series related to "Coffee Cup Philosophy"

Click on image for a larger version.

*** Stay tuned and drink your coffee...I don't think it has nitrosamines --- Doug Wiken