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As I suspected…

This is such a first world problem, I’m laughing at myself.

In August, a year ago I got laid off from my job. That afternoon after all was said and done, I went home and opened my trusty 6 or 7 year old MacBook air and was greeted with a display that wasn’t working properly.

I looked at my watch, and buzzed out to the Apple Store, (God I miss being able to do that without the hassle we have to go through today,) to see if they could give me any help.

touchid.pngTechnically they were helpful, but not with the display in my poor computer. I walked out of the store with a brand new MacBook Pro with the nifty touch bar. I really like it even today.

At the time, sitting on the couch in my apartment I pondered the functionality of the fingerprint scanner and the fact that it could be used to authenticate transactions. I distinctly remember thinking that could be trouble.

I mean, you see something online, and there’s the nifty button saying…

Press me and your hearts desires can be yours…

I set it up to handle authenticating my passwords for websites and added one debit card to it.

My iPhone tried to helpfully add other credit cards. While I appreciate the assistance and the Apple ecosystem, there are times when you can be a bit too helpful!

I’ve been very good about using that nifty button. Or rather I should say not using that button.

The first time you use it, you’re not sure that it worked. It’s special, you’re excited about using something new. After you use it a few times it’s not so new or exciting, it’s still special, but it starts to become “ho hum”.

There’s the danger! Next thing you know, you’re tapping that little button all over the place and it’s very easy to become disconnected from the concept that each time you press that cloying little fingerprint, you’re spending yourself into the poor house.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s very cool and very convenient.

BUT if you’re unemployed, essentially locked down and bored you’re potentially in trouble!

Thankfully I’ve had decent self control but over the past week or so, It seems that I’ve been hitting that button a lot. Not so much that I’ll need to have it replaced, but much more than usual.

To be honest, I’m a little terrified with the holiday season coming up.

Me, bored and holiday depressed with super easy online shopping is a really bad combination. I tend to get a bad case of consumerism.

In my defense, I do need to buy some shirts, the ones I’m wearing, I’ve been wearing for 10 years. Yes, they’re starting to get threadbare and the collars are fraying. That being said, it seems that the shirts have been at the bottom of the list this week and (ahem) haven’t been the recipients of the touch button love.

While in Florida, I watched my brother place an order for gun parts on-line and get them the next day UPS. OMG! That was a revelation!

Living in California I assumed that just wasn’t possible, my Brother looked at me like I was crazy. Differences between the California gun legalities and living in the real world astounded me. And I thought to myself, “Probably just as well the little button and I would get too familiar,” Not that I’m a gun nut or anything, but guns like any other hobby can get expensive.

Luckily, most dive gear sites aren’t using “The Button” I’ve noticed that some travel sites are using the button though, that could be dangerous too.

My weaknesses seem to be in the area of movies, TV shows, music, electronics, and software. Guess what? Amazingly, those sites all use “The Button”.

I’m soooo screwed! But I’ll have plenty of entertainment, and a house that is smarter than I am… At least until the power gets turned off.

Have a great week!

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Some days I’m just too dark.

mockingtodo20201014.pngThere it is, the “Perky” reminder in my ToDo list saying that I should write something at least in my blog.

It’s overdue too.

Go on you little bastard, mock me!

I’ve tried a couple of different tangents. Trouble is, every time I try to put something on paper it takes a path leading straight to the bowels of hell.

I suppose I’m sick of everything! Although the salacious pictures of Hunter Biden do pique my interest. I’m curious about that 12 minute video… 

By nature, I’m a voyeur so my prurient interest shouldn’t be surprising to anyone.  

Way back in the day I was entirely fascinated by a grainy poor quality video of a 3 way staring a young actor (now famous) that made the rounds on videotape. Even today, the only porn that I can not look away from is of the home grown amateur variety. Much of today’s stylish, scripted, professional porn has become “ho hum” and unfortunately predictable. But the lighting is always awesome!

Along those same lines I’m curious to know what Hunter’s email, video, and pictorial evidence will do to his father’s election chances. 

Oddly enough, I don’t think it will matter one bit.

Joe Biden is under investigation in the Ukraine, has been accused of sexual harassment by Tara Reed, has been caught in at least three other lies where what he claimed was not in fact what was recorded in the public record, and now if the emails found on this computer hard drive are proven to be real he’ll be literally at the center of another scandal.

It won’t matter. He’ll never be subpoenaed, he’ll never be brought to trial, he’ll never answer for any of it.

Hence the blog takes dark turn. Any Republican politician would have already issued the requisite humble apology and been forced to resign. Captains of industry have been destroyed for less. We have police chiefs forced to resign for something their wife tweeted.

Against this backdrop of cancel culture and outrage how can Joe Biden still be a viable candidate? What happened to equality?

If specific targets (Conservatives) can be “Canceled” for these offenses, then everyone can and should be “Canceled” for similar offenses.

There is the crux of it for me. Patent, (dare I say systemic,) inequality. 

Either we are all bound by the same standards, rules, and laws, or none of us are.

If none of us are bound by these things, then why am I wearing a mask in public, not shopping in person, obeying stay at home orders, not looting, or any of the rest of it.

We already have anarchy. I should be out enjoying myself!

See, that’s why you’ll see me skip a few days blogging. It’s actually for your protection…

We’re all in this together!

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Another thing off the ‘Honey Do’ List

Fragmented diskThe new SSD drive is in the other half’s computer and apparently working correctly.

It’s updating the NAS backups now. The OS installation was a pain in the butt because nothing worked as expected but once again I’ve “won”.

The restoration of the data took 6 hours, (I let it cook overnight) thankfully it wasn’t a matter of piecing all the files on the drive back together.

As I’ve said before, your computer is personal and that’s okay. But having files spattered all over the drive with no coherent plan or filing system is difficult for another person to navigate or help you with. You’re welcome to toss stuff into your computer in any way that you like, but don’t come to me for help when you’ve lost a single Word document whose name you can’t remember, in a sea of 200 GBs of other documents that you should have deleted or archived a decade ago.

As an aside, I transferred the other half’s mess of a document folder to their home folder on the server. It’s very busy indexing all those files now and hopefully will provide a little help the next time I hear the dreaded, “My computer has lost a document I really need, can you find it for me?”

“Sure babe, I’ll get right on that. Fix me a tall drink, make me a steak, and then leave me alone.” 

After all a man deserves a last meal, right?

There are PDF files of music that look like important scores in a buckshot pattern in every conceivable location on that poor machine. I’m half tempted to go through it like Jesus went through the Temple.

I have a masochistic curiosity to find out if organizing the files into a more coherent directory structure would improve the operational speed of the system…

But I’m not that masochistic…

There is one bright spot. At least I can take control of their computer from my desktop and I don’t have to be seen swearing under my breath or shaking my head in frustration. That’s a mercy because I have no desire to fight about it while I’m cleaning up the mess.

It’s possible that the drive failing like it did, effectively rendering all their data inaccessible while we were waiting on the replacement drive may have provided an education.  Ever since I brought the new server online I’d been saying, “You should probably put your important docs in your personal directory on the server. That way if something happens you can still access those documents via your ipad.“

My advice wasn’t heeded, and so there was a week of uh, tension. It didn’t help that I said, “You know, there’s a reason I make these suggestions.” I can’t imagine why things were tense, Ahem…

I am going to run a duplicate search routine on their home folder. Just for the sake of freeing up space. I may regret it later but when I see 1000 plus files in a Downloads folder I have to question what the hell is going on.

I hope everyone has a good week.

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Because you have the right to know…

CookiesYou may have noticed that there is a cookie policy banner on your screen.

I personally hate having to make a deal out of it. But I’m using some plugins and extensions in the site which help me. Unfortunately, as part of my use of these tools, they set cookies.

It’s only fair that visitors to the site know about them.

That being said, I for my part don’t look at anything other than number of visitors to the site.

Since I’m not currently selling things or generating ad revenue from the site, many of the cookies the tools set are essentially no-ops (No Operations). 

There may come a time when I do start advertising on the site. When or If I do that, you’ll be informed about updates to the cookies and how they will impact you.

As things stand, when you click accept, it’ll be good for 180 days, I may change the time limit later. (Note: if you commonly clear cookies from your browser you’re going to be asked to accept earlier than the 180 day limit.)

Have a good Weekend.

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The Halloween Movie List

Pumpkin.jpegUp until the last three years, I’d played a selection of movies selected specifically for Halloween, for my friends.

I used to play 50s & 60s science fiction and have small get togethers with friends that would appreciate these movies.  We’d make popcorn, eat some of the kids candy and answer the door for trick or treaters (although there were fewer of those every year). 

Resident Evil ExtinctionOver time the Halloween gathering became more of an adult affair, with food, drinks, and optional costumes. So the movies became more adult and less campy. As friends moved away, the neighborhood changed, and my most recent job precluded the goofiness. The Halloween tradition faded away.

The last three years I’d come home from work on Halloween and watch a movie or two from the collection by myself.

Sadly, the once fun tradition began to become melancholy because there wasn’t the goofball silliness that accompanied friends just enjoying each other’s company.

This year I realized that I could easily let Halloween blow by as just another day.

There’s no-one to share the fun with at all in part due to COVID isolation, and in part because most of my friends have moved away.

Couple these facts with the difficulties of replacing friends as an older adult and Halloween could just become another day.  

omegaman.jpgThis is unacceptable especially since this year Halloween falls on a Saturday.

Years where Halloween fell on a Friday or Saturday were always fun party like celebrations.

I’ve decided that I will not submit! Alone or not, I’m going to have my tradition!

I’m giving a big middle finger to COVID, and all the BS in my own special way. I’m going to make drinks for myself, put out a small bowl of candy, make popcorn, turn the lights down low, and watch Halloween worthy movies.

A slight difference this year is that I’m going to run scary movies possibly all weekend.

I’m planning to start with It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Yes, I know that’s not a scary movie but it’s a Halloween tradition from my childhood.

lifemovie.jpgNext up is the Resident Evil series

Yes, I own them all and they’re very appropriate this year.

Next up will be 28 Days Later I might even add 28 Weeks Later to the collection.

Then I’m thinking Twelve Monkeys. Are you seeing a pattern here?

I was thinking about tossing Life in at this point.

Followed by Apollo 18 Just to cover the space genre.

Optionally, perhaps Prometheus and Covenant. 

Apollo18.jpegAeon Flux will probably also make the cut

I’m positive about The Omega Man

I’ve been thinking about The Osiris Child

Then adding The War of the Worlds, just for a little balance. After all viruses might be your friend.

I’m tossing in Shaun of the Dead to lighten the mood

Perhaps I’ll toss in the Underworld series. 

Finishing up with Inferno

I thought about the obvious addition of The Andromeda Strain but I don’t own that one anymore and don’t want to pay the price iTunes wants for it. I’ll wait for the after Halloween sale.

If you’re not a big Sci-Fi fan, you might not be getting the connection. Allow me to explain.

All these movies (except Charlie Brown) deal with an infectious disease, or a virus. This is my way of saying, “Hey It could be worse!“

I seriously considered adding Invasion of the body snatchers, the version with Donald Southerland because of him pointing at the last survivor and making that horrible noise at the end of the movie, “Outing” her to the rest of those who’d been taken over.

That would be a fitting hat tip to the “Mask Shamers” these days. But it doesn’t make the cut because it’s not a germ or virus. It’s an alien life form bent on conquest.

Prometheus and Covenant are optional because both deal with an engineered viral agent.

This is me saying, “UP YOURS” to the current climate of terror over a virus that is 99% survivable.

Hopefully next year I’ll be back to my normal campy 50’s Sci-Fi and Monster movies.

After all, Halloween may originally have been a pagan kind of “Up Yours!” to the encroaching winter months saying you can’t have us, we will survive.

What better way to say that, than to imitate and make jokes about death and darkness. I know, earlier versions of the Holiday were more serious and meant to honor or appease the dead who might find their way back through the veil to the land of the living.

Believe me, any of my family who came back for a visit would want laughter, drinks, and merriment. My family is big on the philosophy of “UP YOURS!”