TexasBoard

For the third time in the last six months a distant outage affected local emergency services on a regional or nationwide scale.[1] Two of these events involved some vague computer or network failure, one centered around the Microsoft cloud computing platform. The most recent came from the Nashville bombing.

These engineering failures, and make no mistake, they are engineering failures, are an indicator of bigger and worse things on the horizon. Sending a 911 call placed in Cleveland, TN on a 200 mile round trip through Nashville and back is a clear violation of the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" (KISS) principle. Doing that trick through something as fragile as a computer network borders on criminal negligence.

All the fancy bells and whistles of computer aided dispatch are really helpful to the speed and accuracy of getting help to those who need it. But for the love of Murphy's Law, hook a good old fashioned 2500 series telephone to some plain old telephone service and leave it on the dispatcher's desk. Who knows, if nothing else it might ring and scare the living crap out of the dispatcher.

The phone company must have failover technology in the local switch (telephone exchange) that recognizes a comms failure with the distant switch and transfers 911 calls directly to the local dispatch center. (Why isn't this the normal method of handling 911 calls?)

It would not be all that hard to do. Yes, failover equipment costs a couple bucks. But isn't that why we are still paying that E911 charge (Or whatever they call it in your state) on or our phone bills?

Yeah, cell phones may have a problem reaching the right dispatch center. But that beats no one answering those calls at all. My guess is the local cell towers could probably be modified to handle a primary 911 comms failure as well, probably in software.

Seriously boys and girls, it is painfully obvious the system is way too fragile for life safety communications. The phone company has got to clean up their act before we all get bit in the ass here.

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[1] https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/43101268/update-multiple-911-call-centers-affected-by-atandt-disruption

NewTexas wrote:

Howdy Fort verden! We found it the other day, but can't find it now. We would like the card of our Lt. Gov. Studly Penguins. We cannot believe we have never gotten it before. And thank you for the nice snowflake suggestion yesterday. We had so much fun at it, we had to post our scientific findings in a Factbook.

Nations of Texas, we challenge you to "find" a prettier snowflake in your nation! The Challenge is on, "find" a snowflake in your nation, post in a Factbook and we will have a Poll to see who has The Prettiest Snowflake in Texas!

Well I can find a bunch of snowflakes in IRL but they wont be pretty.

My "missing package " was located. There was a substitute mail carrier that day and the item was placed in someone else's mailbox

Wow! What an awesome day! Not only did Verner give us a new card, but the Rare Snowflakes From Foshan are amazing! And Trec got his gift!

Oh, Holy Guacamole! It is Texas Two-Fer Time! Our dear Buddy Verner has given us yet another new card - the Season 2 version of Studly Penguins as well! Man, is it still TeXmas in Texas or what? Too kewl!

The gauntlet has been thrown Texans! One has risen to the challenge; who will be next? Nations of Texas, the challenge is for you to "find" a prettier snowflake in your nation! The Challenge is on, "find" a snowflake in your nation, post in a Factbook and we will have a Poll to see who has The Prettiest Snowflake in Texas!

Trecdom2 wrote:

My "missing package " was located. There was a substitute mail carrier that day and the item was placed in someone else's mailbox

You found Waldo.... YEAH

RIP MF DOOM

Happy New Year to Texas & The World! Sretna Nova Godina! Stastny Novy Rok! Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar! Bonan Novjaron! Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! Bonne Année! Ein Gutes Neues Jahr! Farsælt Komandi Ár! Felice Anno Nuovo! Godt Nyttår! Feliz Ano Novo! S Novym Godom! Feliz Año Nuevo! Gott Nýggjár! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! L'Shannah Tovah! San Nin Faailok! Kull 'aam Wa-Antum Bikhayr! Shinnen Omedeto Goziamasu! Kong He Xin Xi! Sal-e no Mubarak! Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa! Selamat Tahun Baru! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Nav Varsh Ki Subhkamna! Kia Hari Te Tau Hou! Sawatdii Pimaï! Iniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal! Naya Saal Mubarik! Kenourios Chronos! Unyaka Omusha Omuhle! Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! Chúc mừng năm mới! Puttāṇṭu vāḻttukkaḷ!

Talitha/Tessa/Sedran SnowFlake

by Talitha macer

Read factbook

Happy New Year y'all ;)

I was hoping for a Clemson v Alabama re match but this sums up of what happened to Clemson last night https://youtu.be/a9z8F4fgj6Q

***** Texas Saturday Breakfast *****

New Year, New Taco Ahora Si! All fresh, all new! Saturday Breakfast In Place time! Bring out the Drones! The NewTexas Happy Taco Stands, in conjunction with the NewTexas Incendiary Corporation, has approximately 1 trillion of the fastest, lightest drones you have ever seen. This fleet is specially designed to deliver tacos to every man, woman, child, whatever, in Texas, all 2,449,614,000,000 of you.

For your dining pleasure, today's special breakfast will Saturday Gourmet Filet & Fried Egg Tacos [COVID-19 Week XLI Edition]! We are still off the traditional taco playbook here but wanted to start the year with a touch of class. The Head Griller of Taco Town, as well as the Big Tex Abuelas y Abuelitas, have both been called back into action today for this delightful taco. On the all-hardwood hickory grills, Genuine Texas Angus Beef half-pounder Filet Mignons are being perfectly-grilled to a rosy-pink, medium-rare by the hundred-thousand! And, the Abuelas are splitting the chores with some working on the burrito-sized 12-inch flour tortilla specially-made for the occasion. The others have the giant, black, cast-iron skillets out and loaded up with genuine Texas Grade AA Brown Eggs, cracked and glistening as they are hard-fried in pure NewTexan Manteca! The production line continues with the fried eggs being coarsely-chopped and mixed with expertly-chopped filet and loaded into your New Years' breakfast burrito.

Today's Special Salsa is not actually a salsa, but a Sauce - Bèarnaise Sauce - real simple, really yummy, a butter and eggs emulsion with a touch of lemon and a hint of tarragon. Oh yeah, just what this taco needs! We also have extra-special additions in styrofoam cups for gilding the lily. Included are not 2, not 3, but 5 cups containing Caviar, sautéed Mushrooms, French Fried Onions, Gulf Coast Crab Meat, and Chili con Queso for those needing a cheese fix. The tacos are hermetically-sealed in a Stay-Warm® pouch that is wrapped in the same ol' aluminum foil we are all so familiar with for our breakfast taco. The Juice Bar will not be possible this week. But, for your beverage needs, a packet of Sanka, Tang and a Lipton Tea bag will be included with every delivery as well as salt and pepper and a napkin. Yes, it is different, but it works and you do not even have to leave your residence. Woo! And, watch out for the drones! Start your day off the right way; munch out and go back to sleep. You know you want to!®

Stay Safe Texas. Stay Well.

***** Texas Chat Reminder *****

The Texas Weekly Chat is currently on hiatus. No chat today for New Years'. The Texas Weekly Chat will return next week, Saturday, January 9, 2021.

Vincent's Sunday Surprise Beverage Bonanza

Howdy Dudes and Dudettes of Texas!

Today's Sunday Surprise Beverage is Happy New Year 2021 - Make - Your - Own - Beverage Day! I've got lots of Large Boxes full of drink making ingredients stacked up right here and I'm going to beam them directly into the home of every Texan in Texas. Everyone will receive a Large Box and it'll materialize on the table closest to you. With all the drink ingredients in your box you can make Non-Alcoholic Apple Highballs, CosNOpolitans and Rosemerrymaking. There's enough ingredients to make 3 glasses of each drink. You can keep the Instructional Guide CD as my gift to you:

When blending drinks in your blender always add your ice at the end so it doesn't jam up the blender. Also if you've got alcohol in your house and you desire an alcoholic drink just mix your own booze into the beverages.

And today I've included a large container full of Homemade Trail Mix with a variety of nuts, seeds and chocolate chips. The snack that’ll provide healthy fats to keep y’all full and a little hit of chocolate to prevent going for the less healthy chocolate bars!

Happy New Year Dudes and Dudettes of Texas and I hope y'all enjoy today's Sunday Surprise Snack and Beverages. Yeehaw! :)

Vincent