Andy ~ PAS-801

Hello, my name is Andy and I am an Anteater. I also like to eat termites. I am good friends with sloths and my ancestors mostly come from South America. The Armadillo is what would be the closest of who I am, locally here in Texas. If you would like to learn more about me? Read my daily column in The Pasadena Post News.

Andy ~ PAS-801

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018.

Isn't it hilarious and scary at the same time to spot a crocodile using a pool noodle? This past week In Florida, a crocodile had a little help and support swimming the canal in Key Largo. Many people who saw the pool noodle in the canal had a question about who was riding the noodle. A local resident, Victor Perez, looked a little closer and quickly realized it was a crocodile using the pool noodle. Typical Florida Tourist he said.

Tuesday, August 21st 2018.

There is an awesome new drone out there that is now considered to be a must have in the security world. It's called, "The Drone Hunter". Fortem CEO Timothy Bean, says it patrols your airspace and detects any unwanted objects. Like enemy drones or other robotics. When it detects them, it pursues them and safely captures them too. Then it tows them away to a safe location. Today, in Utah, National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen watched as Bean put The Drone Hunter to work against an enemy drone. It was loaded with real explosives and was launched from the depths of a nearby forest. Bean believes that the technology his company has developed could transform the way such public spaces are policed. If you look at the drone strike in Venezuela recently, law enforcement needs to be keenly aware of their surroundings. Places like stadiums, outdoor events and refineries need this type of new technology protecting their assets.

Friday, August 17th, 2018.

Thursday, August 16th, 2018.

On this day 10 years ago, American swimmer Michael Phelps was on his way to setting the record for most gold medals earned by an individual athlete. He also was setting a world record in every single event practically. The Baltimore kid who was diagnosed with severe ADHD, and medicated during the school each week, proved his English teacher a fool for saying he would never be successful. The retired athlete has co-authored several books, including: No Limits: The Will to Succeed, and a children’s book. With a total of 28 lifetime Olympic medals, Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever. It's satisfying hearing that Phelps never gave up and ignored negativity that went in his life. If he can do it, anyone can. Be successful in life he proves like many before him, never give up.

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018.

Firefox put out a new web browser that supports the newest internet security protocol. Last Friday, after years of making, The Internet Engineering Task Force has finally released its final version. This version has improved its security and increased its speed just a bit. What is so good about this is; Firefox is supporting the new standards right out of the box. TLS 1.2 had lots of sharing problems. It could get bogged down with so many bugs. It wasn't secured that much. But, TLS 1.3 is a different story. It's highly more SECURED for users.

Monday, August 13th, 2018.

Not every game gets a chance in China. Sometimes that might be a good thing with some horrible games coming out every month. But, I think the people should choose what they want to buy, not the government. "Monster Hunter: World" had its operating license canceled by Chinese regulators this past week. They didn't tell why it was canceled, which is typical of the Chinese government. Tencent is the company who created the game and their stock fell 2.4% in Hong Kong trading this morning. The company has already been struggling with stagnant PC game sales so this was a big blow. They were hoping to expand their WeGame platform with this game but it looks like that isn't going to happen now. Over a billion people in China can not buy their game. I know what you're thinking, maybe they shouldn't have made a game that depicts corpses and does mass killings to wild looking monsters. I kind of agree with that statement. But, I think the people should decide what games they want to buy and play.

Sunday, August 12th, 2018.

Nasa launched a space probe this morning and it's headed for the sun. I also learned that the sun is 93 million miles away from earth. It's hard to imagine something so far away being so bright. This space probe could be the first to ever touch the sun. Scientists say this has been 60 years in the making. The spacecraft is car-sized and will be on its mission for about 7 years. One of my dreams when I was younger was to work at Nasa. Writing about this today actually has brought back those dreams again. I wonder if an executive from Nasa will read this someday and hire me to help them with mission control?

Friday, August 10th, 2018.

This Sunday night, the 2018 Perseid Meteor Shower will be visible. Every year this shower is often one of the most impressive spectacles of its kind. The Perseid shower should be especially vivid this year because the sky will be moonless and dark during the peak of the shower. The sky show will intensify on Sunday with an expected average of 90 shooting stars an hour. If you're wondering how to spot the Perseid Meteor Shower? Those living in the Northern Hemisphere, where the United States is located, look towards the northeastern sky. Its best to watch after 11pm or later when the constellation Perseid will be higher in the sky. It may also take up to an hour for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness so start watching early.

Know: You don't need to be looking directly at the constellation Perseid to spot the meteors. I'm sure I'll be up all night looking at all the action myself. If you join me, we'll be simpatico.

Tuesday, August 7th, 2018.

Can you believe Tesla shares went on a wild ride Tuesday after CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that he was hoping to privatize the company at $420 a share. By Tuesday afternoon, Musk made a more formal statement about privatizing Tesla in a company blog post, wow. Keep competitive information secret: As a privately held company, Tesla would not have to disclose information that could give competitors an edge! By contrast, Tesla now makes quarterly disclosures about their business total debt levels, personnel changes, executive compensation, how many cars are being produced and delivered, various lawsuits the company is facing and its views of risks and competitors. The benefits of being private are even more clear for Tesla considering their ambitious mission. They want to accelerate the globe's adoption of renewable energy. Despite a recent barrage of bad news, Tesla is definitely a company to be reckoned with. I tell you another thing, I would drive a Tesla (give my boss a call Elon and let me go on a test drive).

Monday, August 6th, 2018.

Can you believe people want to look like their Snapchat Filter? If you're wondering, Snapchat Filters kind of animate yourself to look like a caricature with fuller lips, bigger eyes or a thinner nose etc. Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine are calling the condition Snapchat dysmorphia, a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in which people have “an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance.” “This is an alarming trend because those filtered selfies often present an unattainable look and are blurring the line of reality and fantasy for these patients.” I can understand why they would want to change themselves to be better then they really are. We all want to be better. I'm suggesting that instead of cosmetic surgery, exercise and do fitness routines. There are many things people can do to better themselves without the use of surgery. I am bettering myself right now by writing and drawing everyday. After just 3 days, I can already tell I'm all for the better because of it.

Friday, August 4th, 2018.

Today is the public unveiling of Mario Cart in VR. I've heard the more sick you get from a game made for Virtual Reality the better the game. I don't know from personal experience. I've never played any VR game before. Most people I've talked to who have played VR has said they're way better at it. Easier to play in general is a common theme. I'll get back to you in the future if I can find out where locally they're letting people test run the Mario Cart game in VR. I would agree to vomit for a chance to play.