Though you wrote this a few years ago, I wanted to comment on the smart meters. Though I haven’t had a problem with mine; though my bill has actually gone DOWN since its installation; I do have a problem with HOW the electric company installed it, because they were sneaky and underhanded about how they did it.
I live in a small row home, and the electric meter is out back. Because I have neighbors on either side of me, the meter isn’t accessible from the street; the meter reader needed me to BE here in order to give him access to the meter. Because of life, I’d sometimes go 4 months without a reading and the electric company would give me estimated bills in the interim (between readings).
I was home one morning when someone from the electric company knocked on my door and asked me to let him read the meter. I told him to go downstairs, and I’d let him in through the garage. After I let him in, I went upstairs to do other things. After a period of time passed, it seemed like the reading was taking longer than usual, so I went out to the back to see what was up.
When I got out back, I saw the box open and the meter REMOVED. I asked the guy what he was doing; he said he was changing my meter and installing a new one, which he showed me. It had the digital readout vs. the analog readout electric meters had always had. I asked him if it was a smart meter; he said yes. A couple of minutes later, he finished, I walked him out through the garage, and then lowered the door.
It was AFTER this episode was over that I was upset. Why tell me you’re going to read my meter when that’s NOT what you came to do? Why be so SNEAKY about installing a smart meter? Is it because there’s fairly widespread opposition to the things? The whole episode rubbed me the wrong way, because I might not have consented to the installation of the smart meter. Keep in mind I’ve had no problems many have reported with the smart meter; I’ve had no problems and my bills have gone DOWN. What I object to was the UNDERHANDED manner in which it was installed-under false pretenses.
Oh, and there’s something else to keep in mind: where I live, these things will be MANDATORY, per state law, by 2022 or 2023! When was this ever brought up for public discussion? I remember hearing about smart meters in 2010 or so at Tea Party meetings I attended back then, but I never heard much after that; I thought that they’d been beaten back in my locale and therefore not something to worry about. I don’t remember the local news even MENTIONING smart meters, let alone telling us what our state gov’t was planning! And gov’t workers wonder why we’re SUSPICIOUS of them and their intentions…
It’s your site Eric, do as you please, but I wouldn’t care what Clover’s real name is. He’s always going to be Clover to those who he has developed his persona with.
I would however ask that he be willing to debate issues point by point using logic and refrain from the typical leftist emotional rants. To some the glass is half empty,to others half full. To debate that issue using those references is not very smart. I want to know how many ounces are in the glass.
The same with taxation: Too much? Too little? Half empty, half full. If 99% or 100% is too much then so is 1%. Where do you draw the line on slavery or death? You either are or you aren’t.
“Dom or Eric, you need to get Brent some help. He has shown signs of mental illness and if you do not try to do something about it you may have another Colorado incident on your hands. If you have not read his last posts, you need to.”
Clover has done a mental illness diagnosis via online sources over on clovercam. Clover would not drop it so what I did was take the entire list of symptoms clover posted and show that Clover clearly has all of them but one. Could we expect anything less? Clover projects its conditions on others. Of course this hasn’t set well with Clover.
Shall Clover be allowed back in? It refuses to identify itself, or give its profession – and so was banned. But it has been suggested that having it around is sort of amusing sometimes – like a retarded dwarf at a stag party.
Is this an open question or are you just asking Brent?
I’d suggest letting him/her post away. There’re at least two sides to every story, if you ignore Clover you run the risk of “cocooning”. Dissent, no matter how misinformed, is healthy.
Your call, but I vote out. I tire of seeing his constant drivel.
I do not mind other opinions. It would help if other opinions made sense (at least in general).
Clover is primarily a one trick pony. His way is right and those that do not agree are idiots that need to be shot.
Facts do not deter him from his point of view. He tends to call others names, call for violence against those who disagree with him, and/or never admit to being wrong.
He demands answers from others, but usually does not return in kind.
Clover’s writing is similar to a sniper using a shot gun. It may hit the mark on occasion, but usually it hits everything else.
Dissent from others has worked fine. The problem about Clover is that Clover is simply despicable. The lies, insults, violent language, etc. Of course all of that is a key demonstration of the statist way.
Dom or Eric, you need to get Brent some help. He has shown signs of mental illness and if you do not try to do something about it you may have another Colorado incident on your hands. If you have not read his last posts, you need to.
Here is Clover last missive (unless he decides to identify himself), with my response following:
Your loss Eric. Clover is all for me. Do you actually think I am so stupid (sic) to give my full name and address so some of your road rage friends would destroy my car and home?
Clover, the people who come to this web site are people who abjure the use of aggressive violence – the mirror opposite of a person such as yourself. This has been explained to you scores of times. You have nothing to fear from us – though we have much to fear from people such as you. So, you’re just copping out. Proving, for all to see, that you’re both a coward and a nonentity.
In any event, you will not be permitted to post until you do tell us your name and what you do for a living. Because we have no room for anonymous trolls who provide no basis for substantiating their (cough) know-it-all “expertise.”
So, that’s where things stand, Clover – or whatever your name is… .
There is something very very wrong with these broadcasting smart meters. Modern technology would or should allow for a signal to be sent on the existing power wires. To simply read the meter, to save on meter reading costs, it would take broadcasting two numbers. Meter number and reading on the power lines. Very simple. To broadcast them wirelessly means they want more data or there is a secondary effect of the broadcast.
After all, there is broadband over power lines. If that can work, sending a query and getting a return of two numbers should be a trivial exercise.
I haven’t kept up with the broadband over power lines stuff recently but I know back in the late 90’s the problem was getting through transformers, and almost everyone goes through a transformer within a few hundred feet of their service entrance. Maybe someone figured a way around it, but that used to be the problem.
When I installed my solar array I had to put in two smart meters; one for the power company I was selling to and another for the company that has the service contract for the plant. The funny thing is, I don’t think either of them work. Still, they irritate me. I don’t much like having a digital meter attached to a cell phone, I like analog meters that are hard to mess with and I’d rather see a meter reader who I could at least argue with if necessary. As it is, one company or the other ends up sending a guy out about once a month to “fix” the smart meter. It’s funny in a sad sort of way.
I noticed Thelma has good taste in hand cannons. Looked like a Glock compact .40 S&W.
Clover, if you are reading this: You just don’t get it, do you? No more posting for you until you come clean and use your real name and tell us about your work background. Otherwise, every post you submit goes into the trash – or the Clover Patch – but will never see the light of day here.
Eric,
Though you wrote this a few years ago, I wanted to comment on the smart meters. Though I haven’t had a problem with mine; though my bill has actually gone DOWN since its installation; I do have a problem with HOW the electric company installed it, because they were sneaky and underhanded about how they did it.
I live in a small row home, and the electric meter is out back. Because I have neighbors on either side of me, the meter isn’t accessible from the street; the meter reader needed me to BE here in order to give him access to the meter. Because of life, I’d sometimes go 4 months without a reading and the electric company would give me estimated bills in the interim (between readings).
I was home one morning when someone from the electric company knocked on my door and asked me to let him read the meter. I told him to go downstairs, and I’d let him in through the garage. After I let him in, I went upstairs to do other things. After a period of time passed, it seemed like the reading was taking longer than usual, so I went out to the back to see what was up.
When I got out back, I saw the box open and the meter REMOVED. I asked the guy what he was doing; he said he was changing my meter and installing a new one, which he showed me. It had the digital readout vs. the analog readout electric meters had always had. I asked him if it was a smart meter; he said yes. A couple of minutes later, he finished, I walked him out through the garage, and then lowered the door.
It was AFTER this episode was over that I was upset. Why tell me you’re going to read my meter when that’s NOT what you came to do? Why be so SNEAKY about installing a smart meter? Is it because there’s fairly widespread opposition to the things? The whole episode rubbed me the wrong way, because I might not have consented to the installation of the smart meter. Keep in mind I’ve had no problems many have reported with the smart meter; I’ve had no problems and my bills have gone DOWN. What I object to was the UNDERHANDED manner in which it was installed-under false pretenses.
Oh, and there’s something else to keep in mind: where I live, these things will be MANDATORY, per state law, by 2022 or 2023! When was this ever brought up for public discussion? I remember hearing about smart meters in 2010 or so at Tea Party meetings I attended back then, but I never heard much after that; I thought that they’d been beaten back in my locale and therefore not something to worry about. I don’t remember the local news even MENTIONING smart meters, let alone telling us what our state gov’t was planning! And gov’t workers wonder why we’re SUSPICIOUS of them and their intentions…
Frickin’ account’s been terminated due to “copyright violations.”
I wonder what the real reason is?
It’s your site Eric, do as you please, but I wouldn’t care what Clover’s real name is. He’s always going to be Clover to those who he has developed his persona with.
I would however ask that he be willing to debate issues point by point using logic and refrain from the typical leftist emotional rants. To some the glass is half empty,to others half full. To debate that issue using those references is not very smart. I want to know how many ounces are in the glass.
The same with taxation: Too much? Too little? Half empty, half full. If 99% or 100% is too much then so is 1%. Where do you draw the line on slavery or death? You either are or you aren’t.
Here’s Clover’s latest:
“Dom or Eric, you need to get Brent some help. He has shown signs of mental illness and if you do not try to do something about it you may have another Colorado incident on your hands. If you have not read his last posts, you need to.”
Clover has done a mental illness diagnosis via online sources over on clovercam. Clover would not drop it so what I did was take the entire list of symptoms clover posted and show that Clover clearly has all of them but one. Could we expect anything less? Clover projects its conditions on others. Of course this hasn’t set well with Clover.
Ok, so the question is:
Shall Clover be allowed back in? It refuses to identify itself, or give its profession – and so was banned. But it has been suggested that having it around is sort of amusing sometimes – like a retarded dwarf at a stag party.
So what say you?
In – or out?
Is this an open question or are you just asking Brent?
I’d suggest letting him/her post away. There’re at least two sides to every story, if you ignore Clover you run the risk of “cocooning”. Dissent, no matter how misinformed, is healthy.
All right!
Clover temporarily reinstated…
Your call, but I vote out. I tire of seeing his constant drivel.
I do not mind other opinions. It would help if other opinions made sense (at least in general).
Clover is primarily a one trick pony. His way is right and those that do not agree are idiots that need to be shot.
Facts do not deter him from his point of view. He tends to call others names, call for violence against those who disagree with him, and/or never admit to being wrong.
He demands answers from others, but usually does not return in kind.
Clover’s writing is similar to a sniper using a shot gun. It may hit the mark on occasion, but usually it hits everything else.
Scott,
You do have a valid point.
Dissent from others has worked fine. The problem about Clover is that Clover is simply despicable. The lies, insults, violent language, etc. Of course all of that is a key demonstration of the statist way.
I think I’ll do my best to ignore Clover here.
Oh damn, I just got a smart meter! Should I call them and tell them to take the shit back?
Dom or Eric, you need to get Brent some help. He has shown signs of mental illness and if you do not try to do something about it you may have another Colorado incident on your hands. If you have not read his last posts, you need to.
Eric here again…. sigh…
Here is Clover last missive (unless he decides to identify himself), with my response following:
Your loss Eric. Clover is all for me. Do you actually think I am so stupid (sic) to give my full name and address so some of your road rage friends would destroy my car and home?
Clover, the people who come to this web site are people who abjure the use of aggressive violence – the mirror opposite of a person such as yourself. This has been explained to you scores of times. You have nothing to fear from us – though we have much to fear from people such as you. So, you’re just copping out. Proving, for all to see, that you’re both a coward and a nonentity.
In any event, you will not be permitted to post until you do tell us your name and what you do for a living. Because we have no room for anonymous trolls who provide no basis for substantiating their (cough) know-it-all “expertise.”
So, that’s where things stand, Clover – or whatever your name is… .
There is something very very wrong with these broadcasting smart meters. Modern technology would or should allow for a signal to be sent on the existing power wires. To simply read the meter, to save on meter reading costs, it would take broadcasting two numbers. Meter number and reading on the power lines. Very simple. To broadcast them wirelessly means they want more data or there is a secondary effect of the broadcast.
After all, there is broadband over power lines. If that can work, sending a query and getting a return of two numbers should be a trivial exercise.
I haven’t kept up with the broadband over power lines stuff recently but I know back in the late 90’s the problem was getting through transformers, and almost everyone goes through a transformer within a few hundred feet of their service entrance. Maybe someone figured a way around it, but that used to be the problem.
When I installed my solar array I had to put in two smart meters; one for the power company I was selling to and another for the company that has the service contract for the plant. The funny thing is, I don’t think either of them work. Still, they irritate me. I don’t much like having a digital meter attached to a cell phone, I like analog meters that are hard to mess with and I’d rather see a meter reader who I could at least argue with if necessary. As it is, one company or the other ends up sending a guy out about once a month to “fix” the smart meter. It’s funny in a sad sort of way.
I noticed Thelma has good taste in hand cannons. Looked like a Glock compact .40 S&W.
Eric here – on Clover patrol.
Clover, if you are reading this: You just don’t get it, do you? No more posting for you until you come clean and use your real name and tell us about your work background. Otherwise, every post you submit goes into the trash – or the Clover Patch – but will never see the light of day here.