DWSmith

For one of my degrees one of my majors was Computer Science. I retired last year after working 45 years in IT. Back in school in the mid 1970's we discussed AI. I looked at the history of AI a little while back. The idea has been around since about 1956 and a working AI type program was in use in 1966 that was good enough to fool people into thinking a real person was replying to their typed messages. Why all the attention lately? Is it just hype? What took people so long to realize what's going on? Just wondering.

Thanks!

Got everything I need to begin reloading .30-30 cartridges but the CCI 200 primers the recipe calls for. Too cheap to pay the hazmat fee to have 1 box shipped to me. Scheels keeps saying they carry them but they never have them in stock...NEVER! Might have to drive to Midway. Anyway, I'm trying to begin reloading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M

We have a Gravely 1840 XL ZTR. It's in its 18th season mowing our almost 2 acre yard. I have my Kubota BX3820 for most duties around here. It came with a 60" mowing deck that I installed about a month ago while the Gravely was in the shop to replace the blades drive belt. I prefer the Kubota to the Gravely but they both do the job. The Kubota leaves a nicer finish to the cut and doesn't slow down for anything! As long as one sticks with a good brand name you should be fine although some of the shining star brands of yesteryear are not what they used to be.

Our nearby neighbor has released ~300 pheasants in the area over the past 4 years and one rooster seems to prefer the area around our house. At 5:20 am he was crowing and flapping his wings while standing behind our bedroom windows about 30 feet or so. WAKE UP!!! He was in the front yard one evening last week doing the same. Quite entertaining. I've seen others at times. I'm glad they're back.

The Iowa DNR posted a map of verified sightings a few years ago. In Des Moines Law Enforcement killed one in a backyard near a school. Now and then a hunter will kill one and its picture will be in the paper. A coworker was out jogging in a rural area and came over the crest of a hill. There were two mountain lions sunning a bit off the path. Calves have been found up in trees. I saw one from our dining room laying on top of a big, round hay bale grooming itself near dusk. I and other family members have made other sightings. The neighbors warned us to carry firearms when we first bought our land. They are not protected so they can be killed on sight. Although denied by the DNR, they are being brought in slowly in an effort to provide predators for the deer population. The dogs stay close to us when we suspect there's one nearby but they also do that when the coyotes are nearby. They've had some run ins with coyotes. I like having them in the area when they're at a distance. I'd never shoot one unless I felt threatened.

Had about an inch of snow Tuesday afternoon/night. Wednesday afternoon I was in the backyard walking the dogs and saw its tracks go all the way across the yard twice about 30 feet behind the house. It's our friendly, neighborhood mountain lion.

30 miles south of Des Moines, IA at 1:22 pm it's 58°F with a bit of fog and drizzle.

Saw a meme: "How to frighten the new generation. Put them in a room with a rotary phone, an analog watch, and a TV with no remote control. Then leave directions on how to use in cursive."

I think the reason for so many marksmen in the past was the abundance of country boys that began by shooting tin cans then by hunting squirrels, rabbits, etc. with single shot .22 rifles. Of course starting out with a BB gun in town in the backyard certainly helped me. I toted that thing everywhere. After I turned 12 I got a Remington semi-auto for Christmas. Still have it 57 years later. I remember my younger brother in his early 20's going squirrel hunting with me. Pow, pow, pow, ... pow, pow. He'd come back with 1 squirrel. I'd come back with 4 squirrels after firing 4 times with that Remington.

Might be due to regional terminology. Also, 'angling' sounds a bit more pretentious than 'fishing' so maybe that's it.

Michael said: The question I have “do you think it is better to have a limited amount of resources for information or an unlimited amount of resources? I guess a different way to ask ”do you find it more or less, better or worse, satisfying or irritating to have this information at your fingertips?” My $.02 worth: Newspaper, radio, magazine, TV, Worldwide Web, etc. are all in it for the money they make through advertising. Sex sells. Sensationalism sells. Controversy sells. ... Also, all of these seem to have their own agenda these days. Even mainstream TV news regularly twists stories to create controversy and increase viewership. (Have you heard of Surveillance Capitalism?) I don't think having immediate access to information is a problem. Discerning what is true is the problem. You used to be able to count on certain news sources for at least attempting honest reporting. Many good newspapers and magazines have died over the years. Personally, I get my news from several Youtube official mainstream news channels then compare what I hear and attempt to filter out the chaff. I also listen to National Public Radio for in depth stories even though they are not perfect either. I do occasionally watch BBC World News to mix in what they're saying. So I think it's better to have a limited amount of truthful information and a very limited amount of the nonsense but those days are long gone! Truthful news today is definitely more of a challenge than it used to be but it's possible to find. The TRUTH is out there but where???

Thanks for that reply! Didn't mean to sidetrack the thread. Just curious about what you said. 👍

I live out in the country and use the WiFi hotspot on my phone to connect my computer to the internet. I frequently forget to carry my phone and leave it on my desk when I'm in or near the house. Other than that I use my phone for talking and texting. When I do carry my phone around the property is when I'm doing stuff where I may have an accident. When I go to town I leave my phone locked up in the car unless I'm expecting a call. At night my phone is on my desk and never in the bedroom.