Bombs Bursting in Air Redux (Thunder Shirt)

As I have mentioned before, my dog freaks out during thunderstorms and fireworks, so this time of year tends to be rough on her. I'd tried several remedies to help calm her, but had experienced limited success. As a concerned parent, I've kept searching for a better solution. Recently, a neighbor suggested tying a blanket snugly around my dog, but in the heat and humidity of July in Georgia, where the heat index often reaches over 100 degrees, this wasn't feasible. Instead I'd started researching pressure point methodology, like acupuncture, and compression technology, like "thunder shirts," to accomplish the same task as a security blanket without making my dog overheat or worse suffocate. I thought there has to be a simpler way to apply comforting pressure and help my dog relax without overtaxing her system. (I would resort to holding pup in my lap and hugging her during fierce storms, but again there's a body heat component added to this "solution," plus she's fidgety.) Browsing an online form, I came across a discussion of this very issue as the Fourth of July, one of the worst holidays for those sensitive to sound and light, was approaching. Someone posted a DIY method she'd found on another forum to wrap or cocoon your dog, complete with image. Glancing at the image, I instantly thought, "That's it!" I could see that the light-weight wrap style illustrated (using an elastic bandage) hit the all the right spots or pressure points, yet left most of the dog uncovered to be able to breathe freely. I expected it to work before I'd tried it, but as each animal is different, I didn't know how my dog would respond to it. To experiment, I got an elastic bandage from my local dollar store. I figured if pup hated it, it was only $1.00 and I could add it to my First Aid supplies.

This simple DIY wrap has worked wonders for my dog! The difference is very noticeable. She has gone from hyperventilating and pacing incessantly during storms to being able to sit down rather calmly and even nap. It's not "perfect" but nothing would be (except silence). Light storms are a breeze nowadays. Bigger crazy lightning storms and massive fireworks still cause some agitation, but not nearly as much as before.

I combined using the wrap with giving pup a vitamin boost during troubling events and she is handling things so much better now. I wanted to share our success story in case it could benefit another pup.

To see the instructions for a DIY Dog Thunder Shirt, go to this Castle Modern entry. I hope it works as well for your dog, if needed.

Battling the #Elements: Side-Effects & #Symptoms of Yardwork #Eczema #Gardening #WeatherGeek

While I appreciate the round of drier weather we've experienced over the last several days; it's been so very dry that my eczema flared. (No doubt exacerbated by all the stress that the recent violent storms created.) I've been working outside clearing storm debris and preparing my garden, but of course this exposes me to the elements and makes my already dry skin worse. I basically need to ladel on moisturizing lotion after every trip outdoors. Pup watches me suspiciously. She thinks all salves should be lickable.

At least it's no longer windy... I'm working on making DIY rain barrels as part of my irrigation system.

#MobileBanking: Deposit by Picture. Check! #Smartphones #Apps

As a geeky techie engineer, I seldom handle actual cash any more. The few times I've encountered it, I've thought that paper bills of today look a lot like fake Monopoly money. Neither have I ordered (or used) personal checks in well over a decade. Practically everything I do financially is in the virtual realm. I use electronic BillPay and eMoney. I've always opted for Direct Deposit nearly since my first job as a teen. I eTrade. Every vendor on the planet takes debit or credit cards and one can even "split a tab" with friends electronically these days.

So, I was at a momentarily loss when out of the blue I received a physical check in the mail recently (a surprise gift from an older relative who'd been told about the recent vandalism of my home). After penning a Thank You Note, I wondered half-seriously, "What does one do with a paper check?" I could have mailed it in to my bank I suppose, but I almost never use snail mail either. (The exception being personal correspondence with the "older generation.") Postage? What's that...

I settled on trying out my credit union's newish "Deposit by Picture" method, wherein one snaps a photo (back and front) of an endorsed check and uploads it to the bank --- basically DIY digitizing. Having never done this before and hating taking pictures as I do, it took a couple of tries to get the lighting and focus just right on the image so that the bank system would accept it. Eventually, I was successful, however, and minutes later the deposit was approved and the balance was added to my account (with a notice to hold onto the physical check for 60 days and then securely destroy it).

It's not like I'm going back to paper checks, but this was kind of a fun exercise and an apt usage of the ubiquitous smartphone camera. (Technology making life more convenient! Imagine that.) Will probably never need to do it, again. Paper checks are going the way of the Dodo.

Great Shakes! @DrinkCheerwine #Milkshake #NostalgiaElectrics + Early Spring Yard Work #Gardening #WeatherGeek

On yesterday, instead of making a soda pop float, I blended vanilla ice cream with Cheerwine in my new Nostalgia Milkshake Maker and made Cheerwine Milkshakes. It was delicious. That's all.

Also, as it's supposed to be 70+ degrees all week with only slight chances of rain each day, I'm taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and working outside in spite of the elevated pollen levels, prepping garden beds, drawing an irrigation blueprint, expanding my compost pile and thinking about a chicken coop. Pup is loving this early Spring, though she gets allergies, too. She can sit outside for hours just lazing in the sun.

Well, off to work...

#HomeSecurity Testing: #WirelessCameras #OutdoorLights #MotionSensors #Recording #ArchivalFootage

Spent a good part of yesterday afternoon (after finishing work) working on my home security configuration. Currently, I'm testing wireless camera placement to determine a layout that gives the best overall coverage. The property has a lot of odd angles, so the goal is to overlap camera viewing angles to minimize blind spots.

A nice feature: The recording equipment for the camera video feeds allows one to archive recordings to disc, if desired.

I also surveyed the outdoor lights, noting areas that were not well lit --- which I plan to fill-in with new lights --- and started installing strategically placed motion sensors in order to trigger certain lights automatically. And I'm planning to employ an UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to insure the system can be active 24/7. This is one area that the concept of Always On does not bother me.

This has only just begun. It will take some trial and error to develop a blueprint with which I'm satisfied. However, working on a comprehensive DIY home security plan has helped to calm me down and channel my anger (from the vandalism of my property) proactively. I feel better, but "there are miles to go before I rest."

#Eurus, the East Wind: #WeatherGeek #LifeLessons #MoralityPlay

I must stop. I have devolved into someone who incessantly drones on about the weather. I can't help it, it's been so unsettling. Fascinating and annoying. And now, surprisingly... Cold. I'm going to ground.

I really do need a break, but not of the sort I received. A fool vandalized my home. Here, I am working so diligently to make something, to build something, to renovate --- and some idiot decides it would be good sport to tear it down, batter it down. 

Still I rise. I will prevail. I will have the last laugh. Because, as the hoodlum rots in jail or dies in the streets, I will succeed. The choices one makes defines him. Split second decisions. I have chosen, and sadly, so has he. A reckoning is coming, laddie! You heard it here first. News at eleven.

Fly the Unfriendly Skies: #UAV Commercial Pilot's License #Drones #FAA #DroneDatabase

I love flying. I became fascinated with all manner of flying machines at a very young age. I dreamt of being a fighter pilot when I grew up and was very disappointed to learn that women were still being barred from such service at the time I graduated from high school. (This is the main reason I did not go to a military academy, though I was heavily recruited by all of them due to my ASVAB scores being off the charts.) I thought to get my pilot's license instead, but got sidetracked by life. I still may get it one day, but my interest in flying machines has recently migrated towards drones.

There are so many practical uses for a drone on an estate. For example, I plan to use drones to inspect fields and crops on my farm, to aid with safety and security (one can survey the property for damage after a storm, for instance), and to monitor areas that could be cumbersome to reach otherwise (rooftops, border fencing, etc.). While I'm a moderately proficient hobbyist, I want to become an expert (commercial level pilot) and have begun researching the FAA qualifications for obtaining a professional drone pilot's license and looking for educational & training opportunities.

To this end, I was pleased to discover last night that a local library will be offering a class on drones. (I think I might have found out too late to attend, I plan to call later today during business hours to see what's required.) Regardless whether this particular class works out for me, I hope to eventually figure out a regimen that will get me properly trained and licensed. Additionally, I also wish to acquire a small fleet of drones to employ upon my private property, automating a list of tasks that previously would have required several people to undertake.

#Music in the Air! #BluetoothSpeakers #InternetRadio #Victrolas #Gramophones #MusicApps #RadioApps #StreamingMedia #Bluetooth

Am really loving my home stereo setup. I decided to have a main central stereo located in my entertainment center with satellite Bluetooth speakers and soundbars placed around the open floor plan. I also have smaller stereo systems in other rooms like my office and my workshop. As it's all networked, I can synchronize play across systems and speakers or have a different sound style for each area. I can control playback with a Smart Assistant, tablet, smartphone, laptop, or remote control, and can access my cloud music libraries, music and radio apps, locally stored media and play internet and broadcast radio, plus physical discs. It's pretty rad! I'm still building it out. Certainly, I'll add more wireless speakers and I'm leaning toward a turntable for vinyl.

SIDE NOTE: By the way, this is merely my audio setup on the new-fangled side. Opposite, I have desperately desired a Victrola or other big "belled" antique Gramophone, since I was 5 years old. My mother had one that I can still picture as clear as day. I didn't care that it was perhaps valuable, I simply thought its big gleaming horn was beautiful.

In what seems to be a fairly common occurrence in poor rural areas, where people were often not well educated, were desperate, yet were trusting of their neighbors and displayed hospitality to strangers, a dishonest itinerant junk antiques dealer swindled ME out of it, thinking nothing of telling a bald-faced lie to a small child --- and I have never forgotten it! It takes a despicable person to take advantage of anyone as he did; however, it takes a no account bastard to take advantage of a five-year-old little girl who has been taught to respect the words of her elders.

The theft of my mother's Victrola (which is exactly what the stranger's deceit amounted to) marked the loss of my childhood innocence. Afterward, I became withdrawn. I became wary of anyone who professed anything without showing me proof. I became skeptical of human motives. I began to distrust people. It was a dear and precious lesson to "give" a 5-year-old. My mother, bless her, was furious on my behalf when she returned from a neighbor's, not even caring that I had "given away" her prized Victrola, but only concerned that some stranger (and a grown man, at that) had taken advantage of her baby girl. Of course, by then, the lying scoundrel was long gone.

I made a promise to myself that I would acquire a replacement for it one day, so its something for which I keep out an eye. It will require the perfect specimen. I am fascinated with early record players (and cylinder players) as a result, and recognize that this is likely another personal library collection in the making.

#NerdAlert: I Was a #Cordcutter When #Cordcutting Wasn't Cool. #OTA #DTV #DVR #Timeshifting #VideoDownload #Streaming #HDTV #JustSaying

I grew up in a rural area where over the air (OTA) TV reception meant you got PBS and a few local channels, if anything. I loved the educational programming offered by PBS and my Saturday morning cartoons, but never felt that television was integral.

Television was mainly an afterthought in our house, we only had a black and white TV. I didn't see color TV until I was in high school and recall finding it jarring, as the colors I'd imagined things were during all the years of watching in B&W often didn't match the colors items turned out to be.

Considering as a child that I'd rather be reading or out climbing trees, or chasing frogs or almost anything other than watching television, I was at a loss as to why anyone would PAY for Cable Television. Sure, you got more channels and sometimes got better reception, but as most TV programming when I was a child seemed a bunch of junk, so what?

No, I've never been a television fanatic. I enjoyed (some) television but could easily do without it. I never set my schedule around air times, no matter what the show. If something was due to broadcast and I was otherwise engaged I'd simply miss it. Broadcast television (like broadcast radio) was simply too haphazard, with seemingly little quality control. Depending on someone else to create programming I appreciated was a crap shoot.

Then came the Internet, and suddenly the user was (more) in control. Look, I've been watching Internet video since... well the Internet (or at least since the WWW became established, yes, back in dial-up days). Getting most of my entertainment via online conduits was a natural fit for a geek like me. I could find something entertaining or educational whenever the mood struck. I didn't have to count on some amorphous producer coming up with programming I wanted to see. It was a liberating, if slow process in the early days of the Net.

As comparatively faster internet connections expanded, my online world exploded. And, as truly fast internet --- which allowed for easily streaming video --- became the norm, videos of everything were being uploaded in droves (initially, often by mere bootlegging fans versus content creators or licensees), and it was a godsend. Being a savvy searcher, I could find whatever I wanted to see and watch it on my schedule. Content from all over the world. It was heady stuff. And a great time to be a techie!

Of course, it soon became obvious that being tied to a computer screen, or worse the handheld devices (early iPod Video, anyone?) that followed, was not optimal. If the best home viewing experience was a large screen television, why had consumers suddenly been sent on a tiny screen detour? (I have no problem with mobile video out and about on the go, but if given the choice between watching something on a tiny screen or a large one, there's no contest. Go BIG or go home! Or more aptly, go big when at home.) Funny that we had handheld video devices BEFORE SmartTV. We soon got back on track as (clunky) web-enabled television add-on boxes that weren't necessarily tied to Cable services arrived. (Cable services got with the program, too.)

Remember WebTV? Yeah, me either. I did an on-site, in office, beta test at its headquarters in downtown Palo Alto and lambasted the (at the time) clunky service, which was not an upgrade compared to using my desktop computer and would not have encouraged me to return my entertainment media back to the "television as entertainment center hub" concept.

Later these boxes evolved, shrunk to dongles and eventually became just the software pre-installed in a TV/Display. (Many modern "televisions" no longer come with built-in tuners and are actually merely displays or monitors. However, as a "free broadcast digital television" or OTA DTV advocate, I will always opt for a built-in tuner, given the choice.) Suddenly, I could watch "television" from almost anywhere in the world on an actual TV with the push of a remote button.

But throw it in reverse for a minute... with the arrival of the (clunky) web-enabled boxes and early media center software, users could now stream almost anything broadcast onto our actual TV sets instead of being tied to a desktop computer, but what to do when one wanted to watch stuff at another time than when it aired? A second component was necessary to achieve total programming control, Personal Video Recorders or PVR that would allow an individual to timeshift viewing and skip past commercials at his leisure. Pair it with a physical media burner, if desired, and users had won the lottery. (There was some rudimentary timeshifting going on, as geeky hobbyists would upload recorded video of shows, etc. but one had to count on finding a specific video, not to mention willfully participating in a bit of copyright infringement, as opposed to legally recording from a broadcast source or downloading and/or streaming from a licensed service provider.)

The third component of licensed service providers wasn't required, but is an augmentation which allows users to pick and choose catalog items to view at will, whether by individual purchase or subscription. Such services provide a pre-packaged convenience, instead of setting up the recording of one's own copy (which requires an investment in either software, hardware or both).

In January 2011, I won a top of the line (at the time) Samsung 46" 3D 1080p HDTV. I stumbled upon specs for the European model of the same unit and discovered it included a built-in PVR, software that would allow the TV to record almost anything pulled from its built-in tuner. Of course, I contacted Samsung to ask why the American unit did not also have this very cool feature and was told US "regulations" prevented it. (The thought of average folks being able to directly record OTA content apparently scared the stuffing out of the Cable lobby. And well it should.)

I was angered at what I saw as US over-regulation, but being a tech geek simply worked around it by rigging a computer to act as an on the fly recorder. Years later now, there's no need for such MacGyver-ing, as everyone expects a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and commercial platforms like Tablo TV and TiVo Roamio have emerged to offer OTA DVRs that don't require a Cable subscription (though in a somewhat backwards move TiVo still thinks one should subscribe to its television guide service). With all the options available nowadays, I can easily record free DTV pulled from the airwaves and watch it when I want; I can choose to transfer the recordings to physical discs; I can pick and choose content to download (my preference) or stream on my schedule.

It was a long, long and winding journey, but between cordcutting, timeshifting and a plethora of streaming + download services, we can finally spy somewhere up ahead the (entertainment) promised land where the individual viewer is the one who determines what constitutes Must Watch TV. I am in the pilot seat. Buckle up.

#WeatherGeek Update: #WinterStorm #Ice #Snow #WindChill #BelowFreezing

We did have a Winter Storm hit overnight and North Georgia got socked with ice and snow. Colder air is now swooping in adding considerable wind chill. Not expected to get more than a degree above freezing today, and only for a few hours before plummeting overnight. More of the same expected tomorrow though it should top out a few degrees above freezing before dipping again overnight and then finally warming (comparatively) on Monday. Weather Alerts are advising folks not to go out unnecessarily, especially if driving (as roads are iced).

About four hours ago, pup and I bundled up --- she got Vaseline rubbed over her paw pads in a protective layer --- and walked around the neighborhood to do a welfare check on a few of our immediate neighbors. It was silent as the grave, a Winter Wonderland of clear ice and white snow. Luckily, everyone that we checked on is doing OK.

Walking back toward home, we encountered a lone Georgia Power truck creeping along, crews are out checking power lines. (Trees are completely iced over in our area and with this brisk wind outages from falling limbs are a definite concern.) Shout out to ALL the folks out there working, making certain everyone else stays safe! We see y'all.

We're home now, snug and eating a hearty chili. (Pup thinks she should get a full bowl though she had her own breakfast before 6:00a.) Hopefully, it'll be a nice quiet day and I can get some more work done. (I'm still Winterizing the house.) In accordance with our new weather "normal" in these parts, it's expected to be nearly 70 degrees again by this coming Friday. Like I've said, yo-yo weather.

#Farming #ThreatWatch: Black-Eyed #Peas vs Cowpea Curculio #AgTech #Entomology

While browsing yesterday's AJC, I came across a "Sunday Conversation" feature with an UGA entomologist, Dr. Stormy Sparks (which is quite a moniker, but he should have perhaps been a meteorologist) discussing a pest which threatens black-eyed peas, a weevil called the cowpea curculio. No doubt the article was included partly as a human interest story, because many folks, particularly Southerners, believe eating black-eyed peas --- my favorite recipe is (a vegetarian) Hoppin' John --- on New Year's Day will bring good luck, a tradition with its roots in the time of slavery (that peculiar institution). I love peas generally, but personally I'd have to say that the black-eyed pea is at the bottom of the list --- although I appreciate them more now than as I child. Regardless, of my personal distaste for black-eyed peas, I have no desire to see a virulent pest threaten the plants' vitality.

South Georgia used to be a big producer of black-eyed peas (circa 1950s) but in recent decades production has decreased due to a combination of factors, which include a pest that has developed resistance to various pesticides. Entomologists are working to understand the weevil's odd effects on the black-eyed pea plants' ecosystem, in hopes of finding other ways to counteract it. This might take the form of a better (man-made) chemical pesticide or an organic agent.

I am greatly interested in entomology for three main reasons: 1) bugs often look cool (this is my childhood fascination), 2) insect borne disease transmission is an ever growing threat to human (and domesticated animal) survival, and 3) insect crop devastation is another major threat to human survival. I hope to use my fascination with bugs (1) to discover methods to help combat 2 and 3. This is the main reason why I have tried to absorb everything I could with regard to entomology. When one intends to live off the land (farming, hunting, fishing, etc.) and one lives far from the madding crowd (acreage in or near wilderness) the likelihood of detrimental pest encounters goes up exponentially. One must be prepared.

Being an amateur ecologist as well, I understand that chemical pesticides can bring their own harmful side effects, and so it's my hope to discover and/or develop natural, organic methods to counteract bug issues. (For instance, I have recently been experimenting with food grade diatomaceous earth.) In the history of agriculture, our reliance on chemical pesticides is a modern contrivance. I hope to employ "ancient" methods augmented with modern science and technology plus a bit of ingenuity to defeat any encroaching pests, be they ticks, weevils or what have you. I will look to farming cultures of old and update and adjust.

Setup Your Own Holiday Muzak Channel #DIY #MicrosoftStore #MP3 #Freebies

It's beginning to look a lot like... the gift giving season is in full swing. Promotions are popping up left and right and tons of free goodies are being parceled out. It's a wonderful time to be a bargain hunter-gatherer!

Before the advent of the Internet, one could always suss out what season it was by the type of music being piped into area department stores. Often tinny-sounding versions of the originals, this Muzak was either a bane or blessing depending upon whom one asked. I generally found it annoying, especially around the holidays. I'd rather listen to real music of my own choosi

In that vein, I was happy to discover that the Microsoft Store made a number of Christmas albums available for free download the other day, including the classic A Charlie Brown's Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (a Jazz standard) along with some Motown and pop tunes. I snagged them all and plan to program my own Holiday "Muzak channel" Playlist to beam across the various Bluetooth soundbars and speakers strategically placed throughout my home. Nowadays I shop almost exclusively online, but this doesn't mean I can't enjoy all the trappings of the retail holiday season. As I get to pick the music, I can assure that it doesn't annoy me, however. And you wonder why I love tech.

NOTES: I adored the A Charlie Brown's Christmas animated cartoon as a child and watched it religiously every broadcast. (I still watch it every year, but I now own a digital copy, and thus, no longer need to wait for the television programming.) The accompanying musical score has always held a special place in my heart, and so it was an interesting aside to discover after I moved to the Bay area, that Vince Guaraldi had been born in San Francisco and had died just down the road in Menlo Park. This knowledge added another emotional layer to the music, learning that he'd been a "local boy" to an area I consider my other home. Made him seem almost like a long-lost family member reclaimed.

My #HomeAutomation Intranet Hub #AmazonEcho + @IFTTT

Recently, I registered for an IFTTT account [ifttt.com/amazon_alexa] for my new Amazon Echo. I plan to use my Amazon Echo mainly as a SmartRemote to control household appliances, etc. This is the aspect of having an automated personal assistant that excites me.

Amazon Echo > Google Home

Who cares if Google Home supposedly has better search capabilities? I know how to conduct searches, I don't need to ask Alexa for random factoids. I enjoy researching things and don't like to be spoon fed data. But to each his own. For my current needs, Amazon Echo > Google Home. Amazon's two-year head start means Alexa is integrated into so many more products, Google needs to play catch up.

#HomeAutomation Intranet Brain FTW! #AmazonEcho #Prize

I spent time over the last several months looking at home automation options. I determined that I wanted to automate security, locks, lights, blinds, thermostat, media center and any SmartKitchen appliances --- at the very least. Based on the current market of smart assistants (AI engines), I also determined that Amazon's Alexa platform is compatible with and in many cases integrated into most of these consumer product categories. Thus, I thought it worthwhile to acquire an Amazon Echo. (I planned to use it as the hub around which to build my home automation intranet.)

In addition to being DIY crafty (a natural born engineer), I'm also $ thrifty (a natural born economist), and as a result, LOVE contests and smart shopping deals. My motto could be: Why spend money on something if you can get it for free or very, very cheap? I knew with the holiday season upon us chances to win various "hot ticket gifts" would abound. I spent a few minutes on Twitter searching for contests featuring either an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. I probably entered 10 or so, most only requiring a tweet.

Obviously, random drawing contests are hit or miss. Depends on the number of entries received, the cycle of the moon, the crow of the cock, etc., etc., but as the saying goes "you can't win, if you don't enter". I'll throw my name into the proverbial hat, if entering is simple (a fill out a form, send a tweet sort of thing). I don't jump through any hoops for merely the chance to win.

However, I prefer contests of skill. Because I'm damn good at skill based contests. It's the nature of the beast. If the entry requires some talent (essays, equations, design sketches, etc.), I like my chances. I wasn't the star student in EVERY academic subject in secondary school, for nothing. I'm like "Bring it"! So I also entered a contest that asked me to tell a story built around a set theme for a chance to win an Amazon Echo. And what do you think happened?

My Prize

Roughly within a week of deciding I needed an Amazon Echo, I'd won one, told the contest organizers which color I wanted (blackety black black black) and accepted delivery of my prize. It came direct delivery from Amazon.com in a beautiful gift bag with a lovely card attached.

My niece, the one who calls me "the luckiest aunt on the planet" could only laugh when I told her about my new toy and ask me for the umpteenth time to pick some lotto numbers. I keep trying to get her to understand that my "luck" doesn't work like that. But yeah, I am laughing.

Having acquired a Brain, I can begin sewing together the Body Politic of my home automation network. Why do I feel like Doctor Frankenstein... wait a minute, did the label on that jar the brain came out of read "Abby Normal"? Oh, that's merely Amazon attempting to give Alexa a sense of humor. I got jokes, folks.

#DIY #IoT #SmartRemote: #BlackFriday Score @BestBuy $9.99 #Smartphone! Control #SmartCast #GoogleCast #AmazonEcho

It seems nearly everything can be controlled by an app nowadays. There's an app for that and there's an app for this. And while the idea of such convenience is great, controlling everything at the home or estate level could become a pain for a multiuser household. Think about it. So-called dumb TVs didn't care who was turning the channel --- a child could do it unassisted --- but a SmartTV may need to be paired with an app in order to create an optimal viewing experience.

If you're a bachelor, it's not a big deal to download an app to your personal smartphone that controls your new HDTV. But what do you do when your bros visit to hang out and binge watch? Pass around your phone (with all those private selfies)? Expect everyone download another (useless) app to his own phone merely to control the TV at your house? Neither are ideal solutions.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here's a "tech growing pain" flashback: Remember when all the streaming services launched under an assumption that each person would have an individual digital library that was his alone. Yeah, it was ridiculous to assume that people in the same household would login/logout of the same app on a family TV to watch the very same content or that each person in a household would buy a copy of the one show everybody watches. Obviously a family or household would share content across devices. Amazingly, this was the default mode in a "dumb" home. It took a while, and a lot of complaints from people like me, but most services now have family plans which allow for some form of "household" content sharing, which should have been the standard to begin with...

In addition to often lax security (Mirai IoT botnet DDOS attack, anyone?) and sketchy consumer privacy policies (All your base are belong to us?), the idea of a single user app to item 1-to-1 pairing is one more shortsighted oversight in the push to make everything Internet-connected. (Oversights of this nature are what I call "tech growing pains", where the advent of tech in a specific arena has to catch up to the actuality of usage. This "phenomenon" frequently occurs in the area of consumer products. Developers often seem to remark, "we never imagined people would use our product for thus and so." Product development tends to be rather myopic this way.)

The issue at hand: If you need an app to control X (where X is something that anyone in the house might need or want to use) then where should the app reside so that anyone authorized may access it?

Luckily, however, there is a simple solution: An IoT connected SmartHome needs at least one (multiuser) SmartRemote. You can buy one. It can be a bit pricey. Alternatively, some of the new high-end products that rely on app control come with a SmartRemote included. (High-end series of Vizio SmartCast TVs, for instance, include a free Vizio SmartCast Tablet Remote.) Or you can go the crafty tech geek way....

I decided it would make more sense to simply acquire a cheap smartphone/s and turn it into a DIY SmartRemote rather than clutter up my business or personal smartphone with home automation apps and create a security nightmare by allowing children, neighbors or guests to have unfettered access to my private mobile ostensibly to turn the television or peek into the refrigerator.

A handheld DIY SmartRemote can be loaded with any apps necessary, left unlocked and kept in a common area so that anyone in the house can make use of it. It doesn't need an active phone service, only WiFi and perhaps Bluetooth. Almost any smartphone will suffice --- you might have an old one (or several) sitting around leftover after you last upgraded, repurpose it. The caveat being to make certain that whatever smartphone you employ for this task has an OS version can support the apps you need to load and that it has enough storage space to hold said apps. (You may need to update the OS on an older model phone, if you're able, in order to make it compatible with newly released apps and/or add an external MicroSD card to expand storage capacity.)

The salient point here is that a smartphone is really just a handheld computer. "Telephony? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." (I kid. I kid.) However, due to its ubiquitous nature the price of smartphones has dropped dramatically (on the low end of the Android market at least) compared to what "real" handheld computers cost. Of course, said ubiquitousness of smartphones has led to their becoming the latest "disposable" electronics item. To combat this horror, collect old unused smartphones from friends and family, if you're able, and turn these into SmartRemotes. Help alleviate the tech garbage glut by repurposing items whenever possible! And recycle, when items become obsolete.

Due to the fact that I'm a hard core recycler/reuser and work diligently to "green" my tech habits, my household actually didn't have any old smartphones not in already in use for some means (woe is me, I know). Not to worry, due to market saturation, you can find new Android smartphones for dirt cheap, if you keep an eye out. Black Friday sales tend to feature prominently in this quest. To this end, I scoured the Black Friday circulars and online notices for this year's sales and found a winner!

Alcatel IDEAL Android Smartphone

Best Buy advertised an Alcatel IDEAL Android Smartphone (AT&T GoPhone Prepaid Service) 8GB WiFi Bluetooth Lollipop for only $9.99 plus tax, available online or in-store. So I nabbed one. Considering that I recently redeemed for a Vizio SmartCast HDTV (reward) and won an Amazon Echo in a contest, I realized I'm at the point where a dedicated SmartRemote was in order. (I was totally willing to invest $10 on a DIY SmartRemote.) I'm only getting started with home automation, planning its integration into my home as I design, build and renovate, so this is merely a first foray, so to speak. As my SmartHome setup expands and alters, so will its needs.

For now, however, this Alcatel smartphone will work for the four or five "smart" things I have going. I happen to have an 8GB MicroSD card (freebie find) that I'll pop in it to expand the storage space a bit, since the OS alone takes up roughly half its built-in capacity. I plan to install the Vizio SmartCast app, the Amazon Alexa app and the various Google Cast compatible streaming service apps that I use regularly for starters. (All these apps are free to download, but may require a subscription to use, of course.) Once configured, it'll probably sit on an end table near the telly in my home theater (room). My little niece can use it to cast cartoons onto the big screen. And if she drops it on the floor or gets sticky fingered residue on it, it's all good.

I don't need to sacrifice my personal smartphone on the altar of IoT home automation. And neither should you.

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NOTES: Depending on the extent of automation in your household, you may only need one "omni" SmartRemote responsible for controlling the three tasks the average person automates (lights, music/TV, security). If, however, you happen to be a massive tech geek like I am wherein practically every thing in the house that can be automated will be automated, then merely having one remote quickly becomes very inefficient. (Engineers loathe inefficiency.)

If you only have "one remote to control them all" but own several hundred things that can be remote controlled, you'd be stuck scrolling through hundreds of apps to find the specific one needed to control your SmartCrockPot or your Home Theater --- and this cuts down the convenience factor to roughly nil.

Geeks like me will have "thematic" SmartRemotes stationed throughout the home. There will be a Kitchen SmartRemote that only has SmartKitchen Appliance apps loaded onto it, a MediaCenter SmartRemote with only entertainment and media device apps installed, etc., etc.. Each remote will "live" in the room/s that it controls. Such a thematic SmartRemote might even be built into the wall, others might be handheld and portable depending upon need.

This is the future, I envision. My Castle Modern. I've got dreams, dreams...