Thought I would share this here because it is first hand info. It will generate the typical hateful replies from the the left wing loons here, so if it degrades to the point Dave has to delete it, I will understand why.

Earlier today, my better half called her old college roommate, who she has remained very close to for nigh on 46 years, to check on her recovery from some recent surgery. After a quick exchange on her condition, she told mbh something quite unsettling.

Her ex-roomie's husband was a member of a now-disbanded very popular band that was in high demand in the region for events of all kinds. They were very good and stayed together for probably 30 years or more.

As a result of his many years in the band, his hearing isn't what it used to be. He still enjoys his music, teaching guitar, recording stuff, etc. One thing he enjoys is listening to playlists, Pandora, and such when he showers each morning, cranking up the volume full blast in order to hear it.

Today, this morning, as he was listening to his music as he showered, his volume went way down, so he opens his shower door to check the volumeon his device and sees this on the screen: "the World Health Organization has determined that you are listening to this at way too high decibels" and they (the WHO) then proceeded to turn down the volume on his laptop!

Welcome to the New World Order folks...
JR

Turns out Pandora has been messing with people's volumes for a decade or so (maybe more, but I see people complaining about it in posts from 2013). The added WHO warning is probably just to justify what they've already been doing (and fielding complaints about) for years.

Looks like spotify and other music services (or the apps?) have been doing the same thing. https://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4/273484-disable-loud-volume-warning.html

To a very few of you this won't have any meaning coming from me. You think of me as an ultra-right wing conservative. That's perfectly okay ........I'm not trying to convince, those few of, you of anything. But, this is my take. Don't discount John because of anything he says, regardless how strange it may sound. I know John personally, and have for a long time. He and his family are the salt of the earth. We have shared the field, and the table, together. When John says something, he believes it with all his being, and I trust him and his judgement.

So, don't discount this as being the rantings of someone on the fringe, regardless how hard for you to believe it may be.

Prepare. Adjust. If you don't, when the wolf is at the door it will be too late.

SRH

My version isn’t messed with by anyone. I throw 6 CDs into the Onkyo player, which feeds the signal into the preamp, which then goes into the dual mono amplifier, conservatively rated at a cool 100 watts per channel. From there, it goes into a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers, finished in bookend matched black walnut.

Turn it down my ass. If it wasn’t for the drag racing, live music, gun play, motorcycles, and a 40 year career in the finishing end of commercial print, I might not need to play it loud.

But, I probably still would.


Best,
Ted

Was just listening to Rod Drehers book, Live Not By Lies, today. And the chapter I ended with was about the invitation of corporate (and government) surveillance and input into our lives in the form of phones, smart speakers, internet searches, etc. (I e the wolf isn't at the door, he's in your pocket).

It's a good book so far, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the soft totalitarianism of the radical left. (My only criticism of the book so far is that Mr Dreher seems to maybe miss the also real threat of totalitarianism of the extrene right, granting that that threat is not as present at the moment. In my view, the problem with both varieties of extremism is the willingness to accept as true only those things that reinforce what they already believe and to be willing to prepetrate violence of one kind or another on those who do not accept their ideas as sacrosanct and infallible).

Anyway, my only point in the reply above was that this Pandora thing turns out not to be a case of Big Brother sneaking into the bathroom so much as the Nanny State treating us like snowflakes who need to be reminded to "turn that damn music down or you'll hurt your ears!"

I once had a fine Onkyo, until a druggie broke into my house one October day and stole it. He spent several years in the pen for that.

I can agree with every bit of that post, Ted, except for the part about commercial printing. But, that can be easily substituted with a lifetime of farming with loud equipment and machinery.

However ..........when they start messing with your volume on personal devices, what's next? Don't be surprised at whatever it is.

My personal devices is a pretty small list, Stan. This IPad, an out-of-date IPod in the truck to listen to music, plugged into the truck radio, that it seems I still control the volume on.

That, is it. Bet I could get by without either of the above, as well.

Lloyd will vouch for the fact I never caught the cell phone bug.

Best,
Ted

#There’sanappforthat

Alcohol, tobacco, loud music, pepperoni, ham and bacon pizza, big screen TV aka Lonny Rhodes internationally (Hi, Canada!) famous hockey parties. Like to give the WHO a case of the fantods.


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Go Wings!

Have you considered the mainstreaming and disparity of the funding amounts between your polar extremes. Pliability of the lead and track record of the second aside, have you seen the resumes of the various appointed czars and cabinet selections, policy makers. What does radical left mean?

craigd, yes on the consideration. that's why I said "the threat [of the totalitarian right] is not as present at the moment." Meaning that currently, especially after the most recent election but also because the companies upon whom we all generally depend have bought into the leftist agenda, the threat to individual liberty (and general sanity) from the right is generally not worth comparing to the threat from the radical left.

By radical left, I mean those who would enforce their leftist agenda by any means necessary. In the West right now, that looks like loss of jobs, academic sideling, cancel culture, etc. It's not the gulag, but it's not unrelated.

I have to admit that watching a crowd of extreme rightists storm our capitol this month made the picture look a little less one sided.

"Violence of one kind or another."

Have you seen the video of the horned, woolly mammoth fellow? A lone security officer, looking like a donut connoissuer, wanders into one of the chambers to ask how woolly and his buddies were doing. Woolly was polite as can be, and one of his buddies was on his phone, probably with his wife complaining he got hit in the eye pretty hard?

I think you see armed extreme right wing insurection, while I'm wonder why there's no curiosity about the funding of campaigns of elected state attourney generals who're ignoring felonies and releasing extremely violent criminals into their communities. Possibly, mainstream extremism in plain sight. I can appreciate a balanced perspective, but I also don't mind disagreeing with characterizations and generalizations. No big deal.

Big brother is watching. I just hope they give me a chance to put some clothes on after my shower. Would not want to be responsible for mass blinding of them. This entire mess seems to go against the right in the US Constitution for the pursuit of happiness. Nothing should be more so when you are listening to music.

Indeed. When it comes to BLM/ANTIFA vs MAGA/QAnon, I take the Doc Holliday approach.

Would not know an Onkyo from YoKo Ono (formerly Mrs. Lennon--ooopsie) Like my hero Warren Buffett, I carry a cheap Radio Shack $20 pay as you go flip phone-to keep Mae happy when my Lab and I are out hunting-and if it has a GPS, fine--I still know how to read a compass. But you take the rampant usage of drugs by the ever-growing criminal element, and no wonder rural crime rates are rising. Having good and trustworthy neighbors who pay attention to All details-day in-day out is a blessing indeed. Stan, if and when the wolf comes to our door, he'll be looking at the muzzle of a loaded with OO buckshot 12 gauge Win. M97 riot model shotgun--ready for duty-RWTF

Woodreaux:

Dreher has recognized that shortcoming and intends to address it in the next edition.

Rem

Hey Ted, another commercial printer here. I'm on the sales end though. Oh and don't mess with my tunes or my volume....guns either

I'm looking forward to that. My criticism is really in the context of appreciation for his clear voice in the midst of a lot of chaos. We need more people like Mr Dreher.

I believe the volume being turned down is built into the device based on WHO recommendations to protect hearing. It is not being turned down by WHO as they would have no access to your device.

True that== being as how I do not have device, and would not know how to use one if I had one- problem not only solved, but prevented. All this super-spying business reminds me of Brave New World--RWTF

Well, explain this one to me please. This morning I was on the "throne" and my phone was in the kitchen three rooms away. I heard a notification that I had received a text. In a few minutes I heard another one. When I got to my phone it was my employee asking what time I wanted him to meet me this a.m. Then, somehow my phone had responded to him and sent him a text saying "Whenever you want". Then, the second notification I heard was him texting me back saying he would be on shortly. I did NOT send the short reply text to his initial text, but it WAS sent from my phone. There was no one else in the house who could have sent it on my phone. I don't know how it got sent, as the phone was three rooms away from me when it happened.

This stuff is getting a little too weird for me.

SRH

I distinctly remember an investigative journalist smart phone report from a few years ago. He carried several, some on and some off, around a combination taxi and walk, several block city loop. They read a hundred some odd data points that the "on" phones recorded, based on location and proximity to businesses. When they turned on the phones that were off, they immediately started downloading similar data points as the phones that were recording in real time.

I've known that they can do that, and accepted it with some reticence. But, answering a text for you is way beyond that, IMO.

The WHO will find me at the bar.

Watching hockey.


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Hey, Siri. Order pizza.