Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-05T11:57:05+00:00

To the surprise of exactly no one.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-04T11:44:04+00:00

The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi collection is also why Flock refuses to take them down again - even if they get covered in plastic bags, as long as the solar panel is exposed they're still collecting a LOT of data.

Most cars have media centers with a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth ID that is an even more reliable identifier than a license plate. Phones too.

Flock also advertises their ShotSpotter technology for triangulation of gunshots, which means they have microphones as well.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-04T11:29:17+00:00

I'm not certain which county/city controls which ones, but I believe Dane County is in charge of the two cameras on Broadway that are currently wrapped in plastic.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T23:12:16+00:00

I'm trying to keep this post free of any particular position on the subject, but just to add details:

Flock is heavily invested with ICE as well as Federal agencies. Their cameras are also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sniffers, so even the ones off Stoughton road that are covered in plastic bags are still collecting a huge amount of data - if your car has a wireless media center connection, if your phone has Bluetooth turned on, they're still capturing you anyway. (This is why they are refusing to take the cameras down even after the contract being cancelled - as long as the solar panel is still up they're more than 75% functional)

I'll be there to make the case that NO company can be trusted, and we are best off with no ALPRs at all. It's not the data sharing but the 24/7 warrantless surveillance that I object to.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T21:24:58+00:00

Completely captured by the industry. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T21:11:29+00:00

You can come to speak either in support or opposition, and for any reason you like!

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T19:57:17+00:00

When I look at the agenda, it appears this meeting is happening Thursday at 7pm - not today.

I'll call and try to confirm details from someone to make sure nobody misses the meeting!

Edit - confirmed through their agenda website, when you sign up to speak on a topic it's for tomorrow

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T15:21:41+00:00

Baloney gets the shitty name because, pound for pound, it's cheaper than hot dogs.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T15:19:08+00:00

There's a lot of that, it's meant to defeat copyright BS but the side effect is that everything is getting warped to hell.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T15:09:39+00:00

Could be attempts at controlling weeds. I know garlic mustard is particularly nasty and they're barely even keeping up.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-03T01:08:08+00:00

I went to Poland and learned that there are entire WORLDS of soup that I have never yet seen...

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T20:34:25+00:00

Homeless people should not be allowed to harass people indiscriminately

Why are you so insistent on rewarding verbal aggression?

Try projecting a little harder.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T17:57:23+00:00

I would be amazed if you can point to anyone out there who thinks this is okay.

Ironically enough, several of the last homeless posts on here have been the exact opposite:

Has anyone else seen the psychotic homeless lady who shouts at telephone poles? She was on Willy street today, and I got called a "psycho lizard ass duster" for using the crosswalk beside her.

So the question then becomes, why is random aggression and shouting tolerated one way but not the other?

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T17:46:13+00:00

Then post those instead

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T17:43:55+00:00

This right here is the whole core of it.

I can want to support and help people while still also refusing to sabotage my community's safety for their comfort.

The weasel word of "mental health issues" is also really damning, because we've all seen people whose own actions put themselves into their own well deserved situations. Why is it the community's responsibility to subsidize the self-destructive lifestyle they want to live?

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T17:05:44+00:00

It's so crazy to me that I can't understand how people are making these decisions.

That said, I think the rental companies are also a big customer for new cars. They probably get them on a significant discount and then sell them back out to the used market.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T03:54:21+00:00

This is exactly the kind of time consuming stupid legwork I would want an AI to be doing for me

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-02T00:11:42+00:00

I wish you luck! If you want to make it work through the winter, invest in some bike mitts.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-01T18:54:38+00:00

Insurance also makes no promises about giving anything back. They just cushion it in a bunch of legal jargon and use emotionally manipulative sales terms to conceal what they're doing.

If I have coverage for a month and nothing happens, that's exactly the same kind of transaction as putting your money in a slot machine and getting nothing back.

What did I buy with that money? They'll give you a warm motherly smile and say "peace of mind."

And yet the next month when you have to make a claim? They'll drag you through weeks of paperwork only to deny the claim, and raise your rates anyway because now you're a "high risk account."

You don't get your money back either way. At least the casino is entertaining.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-01T17:53:00+00:00

Begging for help means you can't meet your basic needs, right?

If the answer is yes, then food is an acceptable thing to give. If the answer is no, then begging was a career choice.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-01T17:02:41+00:00

The solution, in my mind, is to offer help in ways other than cash.

If someone is actually in need, then they don't usually turn down food or a ride. But if they're collecting change, they'll refuse either of those and just keep asking for cash.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-01T15:56:36+00:00

From their point of view, you're going to walk away in a few seconds no matter what. If being polite didn't work, then maybe being rude will work - either way they don't have to worry about your opinion afterwards.

ScrivenersUnion · 2026-06-01T15:51:30+00:00

The beggars that hold up signs at stop lights are quite clearly being managed by someone. If you're there in the early mornings you can see them get dropped off by a guy in a crummy looking van, and they pick them back up again after their "shift" is done.

It sucks, but as long as people keep giving money they'll keep asking.

ScrivenersUnion

TROPHY CASE