Quick Review: Asus Zenpad 8 Z380M

I’ve been using the Asus Zenpad 8 Z380m for a little under 2 months now, and I have to say I really love it. I had been using an Acer 8 inch tablet for the previous 2  years. Well, sort of. The first one I purchased had bad lines in the screen. The second had the same issue. Both were immediately brought back the same day. Gave it one last shot. That one was OK. Then, it died, and would not boot to the start screen, no matter what. Sent it back for repair. They didn’t repair it. Sent it back again. This worked fine for a bit, then had same issue. This time doing a hard reset worked. But, it meant reloading everything again. Happened a 3rd time in October, so, I had enough, went looking for a replacement.

For what I use a table for, I refuse to spend a lot of money (I’m also a cheapskate, to a degree. Or, frugal. Whichever) on something I do not use a ton. $150 was about my limit. I did a ton of research on tablets, and this looked great. Unfortunately, Best Buy never had them in stock, though I did get to try one in store. I’m big on trying something like this before buying, and I checked a bunch. 8 inches seemed just right. 10 inches seemed a bit big. I have a laptop for that.

Here a few details

  • Touch Screen 8″ IPS WXGA (1280×800) 189 PPI
  • MTK 8163 Quad-Core 1.3GHz, 2GB DDR3L
  • 16GB EMMC, Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), 802.11abgn, 2MP Front & 5MP Rear, Bluetooth 4.0
  • 10 finger multi-touch support, Corning Gorilla Glass1
  • Anti-fingerprint coating
  • Android 6.0 (says 5.0 at the Amazon link, but, is 6)

What I really liked here is the quad core processor. 1.3 might not seem like much, but, for what you do on tablets (and smartphones), it is better to have the 1.3 with quad core than a fast one with less cores, especially since Android 6.0 seems to use more ram. My Galaxy S5 has quad core 2.5mhz with 2gb ram, and is always pushing 80% ram usage, and gets bogged down.

The Asus seems to run around 50% ram a lot. 548 MB is used by system 187 MB is the Cache RAM and around 1.2 GB of free RAM is available when no Apps are running on the device. In practice, many of the apps I use on both tablet and phone often load faster on the Asus. Could be due to over 2 years of using the Galaxy 5 (no, not giving it up. Works fine, have replacement batteries. I will never buy another phone that doesn’t allow replacing the battery). The games I play load very fast.

To me, the screen looks great. I did put a screen protector over it, easier to clean fingerprints. That Gorilla Glass seems to attract it. It’s not the highest resolution, but, did I mention it cost $129? It costs $129.

I like the Asus size and shape, very comfortable for typing with thumbs. It is responsive, and the ZenUI, the modifications Asus made to Android and the way it looks, is very user friendly. I usually add GoExtreme Launcher for all the customization of the way the device looks, but, felt no need.

The only downsides I found are

  1. Does not fast charge. It uses USB2.0, so, slightly faster charging, but, my Acer had 3.0, and was much faster. Oh, well.
  2. Apps have to be on the device, not on an added memory card. So, a few big apps/games and you are killed.

Though it has WiFi N, it doesn’t have the fastest connecting. I have 200mbs speeds, and it typically averages around 62mps. Others who have tested get in the upper 80’s to low 90’s. Really, though, 62 is more than enough for what I do.

The battery last more than long enough between charges, even with some heavy game use (I’ve been getting a bunch from Amazon Underground, puzzle/adventure games). You probably didn’t even notice that for 3 days in November I did all my posts on it when I visited the parents for my Dad’s birthday. Didn’t feel like bringing the laptop.

It has a bunch of fun things you can do, like finger and motion gestures. Haven’t played with them a lot, but I do have it set up so that if I double tap on the screen it wakes up. And the Wifi reconnects very fast when it wakes.

The sound is pretty good for the size and price. I’ll crank it while taking a shower using iHeart Radio. The GPS is pretty accurate.

The camera is only so so, but, then, I didn’t get it to take pictures.

All in all, it is a great value for $129.

Read: Quick Review: Asus Zenpad 8 Z380M »

NC Republicans Still Looking To Repeal HB2 As Charlotte Plays Games

HB2 would probably have been repealed by now if the Charlotte city council hadn’t played a few games, which we learn far down in this article

(WTVD) Today’s special session follows a night of confusion after it was revealed that two parts of Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance still stood – which could have put a deal to repeal House Bill 2 in jeopardy.

Charlotte City Council met in an emergency session Wednesday morning and voted to repeal all of the ordinance. Council members said at the meeting that it was not their intention to try to pull a fast one on the General Assembly.

Which has led to

State Republicans have filed a bill in the Senate that calls for the repeal of House Bill 2, however the proposed legislation also bans any municipality from passing their own anti-discrimination ordinances in the next 6 months.

By “anti-discrimination”, they mean “not requiring all private businesses and entities to allow the gender confused to violate the privacy of members of the opposite biological gender.”

Democrats are whining and say they won’t vote for it. Doesn’t matter. The GOP has full and utter control of the General Assembly. We can probably expect HB2 to be repealed by the end of the day. And for Dem supporters of forcing the gender confused on people’s privacy rights to continue in 6 months.

Read: NC Republicans Still Looking To Repeal HB2 As Charlotte Plays Games »

If All You See…

…is snow inside from a roof that collapsed due to extreme carbon pollution weather, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Fire Andrea Mitchell, with a post on Sore Loser Glenn Beck.

This photo from Don L, who dared to find something Warmist related.

Read: If All You See… »

The Electoral College Is Thwarting Our Ability To Fight Hotcoldwetdry Or Something

It just goes to show, no matter the issue, the Cult of Climastrology will find a way to insert their dogma into the mix, including the Sore Loser Symphony

The electoral college is thwarting our ability to battle global warming

Who (you might ask) is David Brearley?

Brearley plays a critical, and entirely accidental, role in climate change because of his position as the chair of the Committee on Postponed Parts within the Constitutional Convention of 1787. While drafting the U.S. Constitution, the convention left several “sticky questions” to Brearley’s Committee, such as the manner by which U.S. presidents would be elected. Brearley and the Committee were stuck between two difficult choices: election by the U.S. Congress or election by the voting public. The committee opted for a middle ground solution – an electoral college that would vote on behalf of the citizens, but which would be populated based on the number of congressional seats assigned to each State in the Union.

It is this solution, brilliant at the time, that leads us to Brearley’s legacy on climate change. Because over the course of the last 200 plus years, the electoral college, which provides for stronger voting power per person in more rural and less populated states, has elected four U.S. presidents who clearly lost the popular vote (1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016). Two of those elections have occurred during the period in which we have known about the causes and impacts of carbon dioxide emissions and climate change and in both cases, the impacts of those elections have very likely had profound impacts on our actions to address the challenge.

We are then treated to a whine about George Bush winning over Gore (the same Bush who had a smaller carbon footprint than Gore), and how he refused to engage in Warmist policy, moving on to

In contrast, Al Gore went on to fame and a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to raise awareness of climate change. We cannot, of course, rewrite history to see how a Gore presidency would have helped to curb our current climate crisis. It is possible that President Gore would have struggled to pass meaningful initiatives against a reluctant Congress for example, but it seems safe to assume that a Gore administration would have constituted a stronger response to the threat of climate change.

He lost. Get over it. Furthermore, if Gore really cares, why is his carbon footprint so huge? And why does he lie so much?

Which brings us to November, 2016. Once again, the electoral college system has elected a U.S. president in opposition to the popular vote in the form of Donald Trump. Hindsight in four years will tell us of the legacy of the Trump administration on climate change, but, despite a recent pledge to keep an “open mind” on the subject, the statements and commitments from the administration to date provide strong reasons for anticipating which way he’ll go.

It’s the same silly argument from people who fail to understand the Constitution nor the way the system of a federal republic was set up, while bringing ‘climate change’ into the mix. Eric Worrell notes

Both candidates knew the rules. Nobody would have given Trump any quarter if he won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college. Trump campaigned to win, under the rules of the system as it stood. Hillary made plenty of mistakes – she reportedly derided her husband Bill Clinton, when he warned her she needed to spend more time chasing rural voters, rural voters who ultimately swung their support behind Donald Trump.

Who knows what would have happened with a different system. What we do know is that, if we went with a popular vote system and Hillary lost, Warmists and Progressives as a whole would find a way to whine. It’s what they do.

Read: The Electoral College Is Thwarting Our Ability To Fight Hotcoldwetdry Or Something »

Man Who Uses Massive Amounts Of Fossil Fuels Bans Drilling

Last time we checked, Mr. Obama and family had just taken a massive fossil fueled (and partially taxpayer funded) trip from D.C. to Hawaii for his annual (partially taxpayer funded) vacation. Just like all the rest of us are able to do. And while he’s enjoying the golf and 1%er accommodations, he did this

(Washington Post) President Obama moved to solidify his environmental legacy Tuesday by withdrawing hundreds of millions of acres of federally owned land in the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean from new offshore oil and gas drilling.

Obama used a little-known law called the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect large portions of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in the Arctic and a string of canyons in the Atlantic stretching from Massachusetts to Virginia. In addition to a five-year moratorium already in place in the Atlantic, removing the canyons from drilling puts much of the eastern seaboard off limits to oil exploration even if companies develop plans to operate around them.

The announcement by the White House late in the afternoon was coordinated with similar steps being taken by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shield large areas of that nation’s Arctic waters from drilling. Neither measure affects leases already held by oil and gas companies and drilling activity in state waters.

I guess Mr. Obama would prefer that we get more of our oil from nations like, say, Iran.

As Powerline notes, with the power to block also comes the power to unblock, but, even if there is not way, Congress can attempt to pass a law to overrule. As for needing a 60 vote threshold in the Senate, bah, let the shenanigans Democrats pulled come back to bite them. Too bad Congress can’t pass a law forcing the current administration to stop using fossil fuels altogether, leaving Obama stranded in Hawaii, with the choice to stay or pay for a trip on his own credit card.

The Wall Street Journal calls this largely symbolic, since there is not much call for new drilling in these waters at this time. It’s just another feel good look at me (I’m a total hypocrite on the use of fossil fuels) move by a guy with less than a month to go. And we should probably not expect him to go softly out of office. This is surely the first of a lot of rules and executive orders.

Read: Man Who Uses Massive Amounts Of Fossil Fuels Bans Drilling »

In Wake Of Berlin Terrorist Attack, NY Times More Concerned With Tolerance And Stuff

This is typical. Whenever there is a terrorist attack performed by a member of the Islamic religion, the political left jumps into concern for not the people attacked, but for those of the Islamic religion. We saw the same thing in the wake of all the sexual assaults throughout Europe of late, which have continued. Not too mention all the violence, crime, uncivilized behavior, and so forth. Primarily coming from all these “Syrian” refugees, who tend to be young, fighting age men from throughout the Muslim world

The NY Times Editorial Board wrote this screed prior to the knowledge that the German police are now seeking a Tunisian man.

A Cruel Test for Germany

The populist right has wasted no time waiting for facts to emerge about the identity of the attacker in Berlin or a motive to slam Chancellor Angela Merkel for her humane asylum policy and to push its xenophobic agenda. This dangerous — if predictable — reaction plays directly into the hands of the Islamic State, which would like nothing better than to start a war between Christians and Muslims in Europe.

Interesting. Whenever there is some sort of “hate” crime here in the U.S., the NY Times, along with its liberal associates, wastes no time in blaming the American right before the facts emerge. Which, in these cases, usually ends up with it being a hoax or being perpetrated by a leftist. And the part about playing into the hands of ISIS is a cute bit of mental gymnastics, but doesn’t actually hold up to reality, especially when, in almost every case, we learn that the person is, in fact, a radicalized Muslim.

As the police asked the public to stay vigilant, Ms. Merkel, who said “we must assume” the attack was an act of terrorism, appealed to Germans not to let terrorism steal their way of life: “We do not want to live with the fear of evil paralyzing us.” Still, Christmas markets in Berlin remained closed on Tuesday. London’s Metropolitan Police assured that it had “detailed plans for protecting public events,” and France’s interior minister, Bruno Le Roux, said that after the attack, “security for Christmas markets was immediately reinforced.” Heightened fears across Europe are understandable; the attack resembled one on Bastille Day in Nice, where a truck was used to slaughter more than 80 people.

Yeah, people tend to get fearful when Islamists use the exact methods ISIS has told them to use to commit mass murder and mayhem, especially when they are already terrorized by the hundreds of thousands of so-called refugees being let into their countries by the political leaders over the reservations of the people.

The Berlin attack risks igniting in Germany an already charged debate on refugees. “It would be particularly difficult for all of us to bear if it is confirmed that this deed was carried out by a person who sought protection and asylum in Germany,” Ms. Merkel said. Running for re-election next year, she is politically vulnerable, with mounting opposition to her government’s asylum policy. Last New Year’s Eve, assaults on women in Cologne by mobs of North African and Arab men set off outrage. In July, a 17-year-old Afghan refugee attacked passengers on a German train and a 27-year-old Syrian asylum seeker blew himself up in southern Germany, wounding 15 others, compounding public fears.

That would seem cause for concern, would it not?

President-elect Donald Trump also jumped in on Monday, lumping the Berlin attack with the assassination on the same day of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey and an attack within hours at an Islamic prayer center in Zurich, tweeting, “The civilized world must change thinking!” That is the wrong response. The motivations for the attacks appear completely different. In Zurich, the assailant, a Swiss citizen of Ghanaian descent, opened fire on worshipers, wounding three, and was later found dead not far away.

Right. We shouldn’t respond by rethinking the way we let people from 3rd world hellholes, replete with Islamic radicalism, who think women are second class citizens and sex toys, who refuse to assimilate, who have no problem with uncivilized behavior and committing crimes against the people of the host nations, and many who are radicalized, in to our nations with barely a background check. I suggest Mr. Trump move them all to the areas where people like the NY Times EB live here in the U.S.

Here’s the money quote, in the last paragraph

With each new attack, whether on a Christmas market or a mosque, the challenge to Europe to defend tolerance, inclusion, equality and reason grows more daunting. If Europe is to survive as a beacon of democratic hope in a world rent by violent divisions, it must not cede those values now.

Practice all these things for people that do not practice it themselves? Practice tolerance in the face of widespread violence, crime, sex assaults, rape, terrorist attacks, and so forth? I think not. Inclusion for these people? I think not.

It’s an interesting, and typical response from the Liberal Elite, who rarely have to encounter these people in person. And, who rarely practice it themselves. Just consider all the Sore Loser Symphony and Trump Derangement Syndrome on the pages of the Times itself. Where’s the tolerance?

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: In Wake Of Berlin Terrorist Attack, NY Times More Concerned With Tolerance And Stuff »

UK Could Face Blackouts For Christmas 2017

What happens when people practicing a pseudo-religion/political movement push to replace reliable old school power with different old school methods which have been made unreliable? (I’m shocked that this was allowed to be published in the far left Cult of Climastrology supporting UK Guardian)

Risk of Christmas electricity blackouts next year, warn MPs
Coal power station closures have put UK in danger of National Grid failing to meet demand over winter months, says report

Britain could be facing nationwide festive blackouts next winter unless radical changes are made to the UK’s electricity network, MPs have warned.

A report called Electric Shock: Will The Christmas Lights Go Out Next Winter? has been published by the British Infrastructure Group (BIG) of MPs, chaired by Grant Shapps.

Within it they claim that government targets for closing coal power stations and expanding renewable sources to hit climate change goals have rapidly reduced the UK’s generating output.

This, they say, has allowed prices to shoot upwards and slashed capacity margins, which are “so tight that National Grid’s emergency power deals have become the norm”.

Well, gee, if only people had told us that the push to close coal (remember, I’m no big fan of coal) fired power plants prior to things like wind and solar being totally reliable and providing at least as much energy is a Bad Idea. They should have told us that prices would skyrocket and diminish capacity.

“While nobody questions the noble intentions behind these interventions, it is clear that a perfect coincidence of numerous policies designed to reduce Britain’s carbon dioxide emissions has had the unintended effect of hollowing out the reliability of the electricity generating sector,” he added.

Who would have thunk it? Noble intentions (by people who mostly refuse to stop using fossil fuels themselves and will be the first to complain when they’re sitting in the dark freezing) cause problems. The funny part is when these intentions come back and bite the Warmists straight in the ass. Unfortunately, they drag the rest of us along for the ride.

Read: UK Could Face Blackouts For Christmas 2017 »

If All You See…

…is what looks like an fake Christmas holiday tree causing climate change, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Wizbang, with a post on who’s really to blame for Hillary losing.

Read: If All You See… »

You Should Have A Merry Low Carbon Christmas Or Something

The nags of the Singapore branch of the Cult of Climastrology are out

Have yourself a merry low-carbon Christmas
Give the world a present this Christmas and New Year period and cut down on those carbon emissions. Here are 5 ways to do that.

December kicks off a two-month-long season of joy, giving, and feasting as Christmas and the Lunar New Year roll into town in quick succession.

But the story is an all too familiar one: cooking up a storm for Christmas dinner, receiving too many Christmas presents, bundling crisp dollar bills in single-use red packets, spring cleaning the house, only to throw the excess and unwanted down the chute by the end of the season.

A lot of waste is generated during the festive season as we increase our consumption and disposal of goods, with most ending up in incinerators to churn out greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Here’s a suggestion: all Warmists should stay home and eat the raw veggies they grow in their backyard gardens, sitting in the dark, because even candles are bad for ‘climate change’. In this way, they keep their insanity, cultish talking points, and miserable doomy selves away from everyone else enjoying the season.

The article offers 5 ideas to reduce Other People’s carbon footprints, which are the same old tired and recycled ones you’ve read time and time again. The thing is, most of the ideas are actually sound ideas from a charity and true environmental standpoint. As usual, the Cult has taken them for themselves.

Read: You Should Have A Merry Low Carbon Christmas Or Something »

Man Who Loves Executive Orders Warns Next About Using Same

The crazy thing here is that Obama seems sincere, and does not understand his hypocrisy and silliness

(UPI) With about one month to go before he leaves office, President Barack Obama gave some exit interview-type advice to his successor Donald Trump: Don’t rely too heavily on executive orders.

In an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Thursday that aired in its entirety Monday on Morning Edition, Obama said it’s preferable to work with Congress.

“Keep in mind, though, that my strong preference has always been to legislate when I can get legislation done,” Obama said from the Cabinet Room in the White House. “In my first two years, I wasn’t relying on executive powers, because I had big majorities in the Congress and we were able to get bills done, get bills passed. And even after we lost the majorities in Congress, I bent over backwards consistently to try to find compromise and a legislative solution to some of the big problems that we’ve got — a classic example being immigration reform, where I held off for years in taking some of the executive actions that I ultimately took in pursuit of a bipartisan solution — one that, by the way, did pass through the Senate on a bipartisan basis with our help.”

“So my suggestion to the president-elect is, you know, going through the legislative process is always better, in part because it’s harder to undo,” he said.

Obama’s idea of the legislative process is to write some suggestions on a sticky note with a few ideas he’d like done, then complain, cast blame, and demean Republicans before even discussing the ideas with the same legislative branch. Then either sign an EO or jam through a rule/regulation.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Man Who Loves Executive Orders Warns Next About Using Same »

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