On the DEWLine 2.0: Dwight Williams

And now I know for certain that Facetime works on my current computer. Just had a brief and entertaining chat with people on the Pacific coastline.

This will be cleverphone # 4 of my life thus far.

Still getting used to it. Ditched the Netflix and Amazon apps ASAP, and added CBC News, the Guardian and AP, flawed as those organizations all are.

I needed to get rid of WhatsApp to get back to "normal".

Now to get back to my other problems.

It occurs to me that I've given out my cell phone number, via my resumé, maybe a thousand times - perhaps more - via conscious choice over the last two years of Pandemic time. All of those instances involved job applications of some kind. Assorted relatives across two countries already know that number as well as specific friends of my choosing.

In addition, I'm registered on Indeed, and I've also given that contact information to a couple social support agencies and non-governmental organizations. Some companies that I do regular business with also have that cell number, possibly because they believe themselves legally obligated to acquire it for their record-keeping.

When someone texts me via said cell phone without announcing their identity and/or affiliation - just the phone number - asking "Dwight Williams" how I'm feeling, I get suspicious. I might even be inclined to track the number as best I can. Yes, I'm aware that phone numbers can be "spoofed". So are various people better able to pursue the matter.

I am stressed in many ways right now. So this is a line I'm drawing in the "sand" of computer circuitry.

And Bruce Arthur raises this terrifying prospect about the future of pro sports in Toronto, Canada...and maybe about the future of Canadian politics whether Mr. Arthur realizes it or not yet.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/opinion/2021/10/25/a-more-powerful-ed-rogers-isnt-what-toronto-needs-hes-already-the-least-popular-sports-owner-in-town.html

I think I need to listen to this at some point tomorrow:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/we-need-to-reclaim-our-lives-from-our-phones-and-reset-says-cbc-massey-lecturer-ron-deibert-1.5792312

From Bleeding Cool, a warning about what could become a problem in terms of keeping movie audiences in suspense:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/02/27/rian-johnson-possibly-ruins-mystery-movies-in-a-knives-out-scene-breakdown/

I'm with Mr. Johnson on this point. I didn't notice it in the moment as I was watching Knives Out at the cinema, but now that this fact is out where the viewing public can see it? Movie-makers and audiences alike are going to have another problem to go with the others they're already coping with. Insisting upon this contract clause will ruin some more of the fun.

I tracked down the instructions on how to properly disable it, and I think I got the job done re: my cleverphone. Seemed a good idea at the time. Now to be ready to re-enable it in case search-and-rescue people need me to have it on in order to find me...that should be easy enough if the time ever comes, right?

The camera-ware on my cleverphone is on the blink. When I turn it on, I can see the video live from the "outward" lens, but...switching between lenses? Changing photography modes? Video footage instead of stills? Even taking stills?

Nothing.

I suspect this is fixable, but it might take a bit longer than I'd like.

A bunch of little things:

The Hallmark/Davis Agency store at Place d'Orléans Mall is shutting down after this week. Purged via rent hike, apparently. Not the first store I've liked doing business with to suffer such a fate this year either. Nicholas Hoare Books, Collected Works Bookstore and Mayfair Theatre Orléans both got nailed over rent issues of one sort or another. No conspiracy theory involved, but it's just plain annoying.

Lost a glove today. Probably en route to the day job. Recent and expected weather being as it is, this may not be much of an inconvenience, but again: just plain annoying.

Two of my friendlisters are down with ailments of one kind or another. Long-term continuing issues in both cases, let's call it. Hoping for better days for both of them. Soon, please?

Speaking of medical stuff: had you heard? Ontario's delisting the annual checkup from the list of medicare-covered services. Retroactive to New Year's Day 2013. What the Frak?

Cell phones: trying to check my account's status on the cell service provider's website is a bit of a pain. Long story, not sharing as it's too close to sleep time.

More as it comes to mind...