Kirsten Tenney Bush Musings

I've been researching basic cyber security since Buzz-kill Braden told me I should secure my new smart thermostat. This time last week, I was definitely a Cyber Security Dummy.  Since I've learned a few simple basics, I thought I'd write a blog about it to help my Cyber Security Dummy friends. To note, we have the Apple Airport Extreme, which made it really easy to make these adjustments.  I haven't used other routers, but the internet should be able to help you figure out yours.  I mean, come on. 1. Rename your Wi-fi network. Your wifi network name should not contain personal information like your name or address.  That information can help hackers target you. 2. Have a good password. You should definitely change it from the default password that comes on your device, as those can be found online.  And your password should have capital and lower-case letters, and numbers.  But the most effective way to prevent password hacking it to have a lon

NOTE: This is from 2016, and options and prices have changed significantly. As well as TV watching habits both nationally and in our home. So while this could be a good general introductory guide, I'd suggest going other places for current options and prices. In case you missed it, "cutting the cord" refers to ending traditional cable/satellite tv services.  I've been researching different methods for a while, but I got really motivated to learn more when our DirecTV promotional offer ended a couple weeks ago, and our cable bill went from $55/month (I know, not cheap in the first place) to $95/month.  That's a ton of dough! Weston's initial reaction to my first dozen mentions of cutting the cord was basically, "No.  I need sports."  Other concerns included getting the channels/content we wanted, and DVR (we rarely watch live tv). So I hit the google to see what I could find.  First, I'll discuss content service alternatives, DVR,

I consider myself an extremely amateur tech enthusiast.  I enjoy browsing CNET  and other sites for reviews on the latest or anticipated technology or electronics.  I am so excited about the future of technology--SmartHomes, Self-driving Cars, Green Energy.  It's coming and it's beautiful! But today I want to mope about the slow progress. Mobile Pay Most of my spending is on Chase credit cards.  And Chase was painfully slow in getting on board for Android Pay.  I'm excited about mobile payment.  It is awesome and easy to hold your phone up to the register instead of fumbling through a purse/wallet. (Also, I've had times where I get to the store or even to the register, and realize I don't have my wallet.)  But it's also more secure than using a credit card!  The register doesn't get your credit card number or personal information.   Here 's an article that goes into it more, but basically: "When your phone makes a payment via NFC, no cre

Shockingly, Trump won. Not shockingly, I'm among the deeply disappointed.  I've been a vocal Hillary supporter since January.  Here's what's on my mind: 1. I'm disappointed that it seems most people voted straight-ticket this election.   Personally, I think that's a cop out vote.  Straight-ticket voting abstains the voter from the responsibility to do any research--it's for the lazy and for people too partisan to consider personal characteristics of those for whom they are voting. Personally, I'm annoyed with our two-party system in general because it polarizes us and diminishes individual political thought and discussion.  Even with our system, I wish candidates would be listed without their party affiliations, and that the straight-ticket option were removed.  Then, voters would have to at least look up the people on their ticket to see which belong to their party so they can vote.  They might have a chance of learning something other t

I've  said before that I'm not great at following local news and politics.  I guess in my mind the world is so huge, and Indiana is so small, so I focus more on national and global news and politics.  But I'm trying to be better!  I always research local candidates before I vote, and want to share my research here to make it easy for people in my community to research candidates too. (Please note: The above GIF is the last fun thing your eyes will see in this post.) This is not academic research.  Wikipedia is my favorite source for its ease of use and because it seems to be less biased in its reporting.  Some candidates aren't a big enough deal to have wikipedia pages, so I chose the first site I could find on them, sometimes their own candidacy site (not ideal, but hey).  Names will be linked to my sources.  I'm not going into great detail, but more taking notes for myself to remember what stood out to me about each candidate--this is definitely a biased

I was recently asked why I decided to support Hillary Clinton this election. To note, I'll include a lot of links in this post, mostly to Wikipedia sites so you can get a basic overview of what I'm talking about, in case you're interested. And I'll also add a disclaimer: Look at the title of the freaking post, of course I'm biased toward her. But I try to be reasonable too. I'm among the age demographic that is by far least likely to vote, and many of my peers seem to care little about following politics/current events. So first of all, I want to address this: Why should I care about politics? I believe it’s super important to be politically informed for a number of reasons and through a number of lenses: 1. (As a person) It affects us!  Policies affect our taxes, schools, roads, and the public services available to us (among many other things). 2. (As an average, lower-middle class American) Smart, rich, powerful people (and mostly men) contr