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Posted on

No more Clinton

Yeah, I said it and I can get away with it! 

TAKE THAT Main Stream Media!

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In all seriousness, please tell me that we’re not actually even considering Hillary Clinton for president. 

Its not even about her most recent scandal regarding her email server. For me its the phrase “MOST RECENT SCANDAL”.

While I recall there was always some kind of controversy during the Clinton years, the scandals that pop out in my mind aside from Bill’s indescressions, are;

  • Whitewater
  • Vince Foster
  • Benghazi

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Then finally, email-gate.

While I was working for a company involved with government contracts, we were reminded at least once every six months about email protocols. These protocols included sending only encrypted emails, never sending emails to unknown addresses. Questioning sending or refusing to send to any external email address that was not part of a (dot) GOV or (dot) MIL domain.

My boss got questioned because he sent an email to me at my private account. That email was fully encrypted and contained nothing more than his telling me what to bring to the Christmas potluck.  To this day… I look for (dot) GOV or MIL on emails. I’m not even working in that industry anymore. 

I’ve always believed that we should encrypt all email. I used to use PGP but when Symantec purchased it, and made the product so horribly expensive and incompatible with Macintosh products I gave up. You see, there were just too few people who thought as I did that privacy was important.

Apparently Hillary Clinton values her privacy quite a bit. By having her own private server she maintained absolute control over email storage. Which meant that if she had a hard disk crash, (Remember Lois Lerner?) literally all the emails would be wiped. 

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I seem to vaguely recall that there were more questionable things during the Clinton Administration, but like most of the American public i’ve been distracted by the most recent atrocities and abuses of power.

My point is this. Given the number and frequency of Scandals that Hillary Clinton has been involved in during the past 30 years, perhaps she really isn’t the best person for the Presidency. At the very least she’s a lightening rod for bad things & not bright enough to get out of the way of the scandal train. At worst she’s complicit in the scandal and believes she can dupe the American people.

Either way, I think that’s sufficient to disqualify her from seeking the presidency.

Posted on

OK I KNOW it’s Friday the 13th already!

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I swear I’m expecting Jason to go walking across my computer screen any minute!

I was working on a blog post minding my own business. I got up to get some coffee, then noticed the trash was full. In keeping with my effort to become more efficient and build good habits, I slipped on my shoes and took the trash out. While I was outside I did poo patrol and then came back in.

Then I made myself a cup of coffee and sat back down at my desk.

I swear I was only gone for 10 minutes 15 minute tops!

I tapped the mouse and the computer woke rrrrreeeeeaaaaaallllyyyy sllllllooooooowwwwwlllly

Hum. This can’t be good!

There is a message from my virus scan software saying that it’s on access scan is offline.

Hum. This is really not good.

I fire up the console application. Its scrolling like a mother!

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ERROR File Not Found. Virus Scan application failed to load.
Warning
Fatal error Antivirus scanner failed to load, Virus database missing or corrupt

ERROR File Not Found. Virus Scan application failed to load.
Warning
Fatal error Antivirus scanner failed to load, Virus database missing or corrupt

ERROR File Not Found. Virus Scan application failed to load.
Warning
Fatal error Antivirus scanner failed to load, Virus database missing or corrupt

ERROR File Not Found. Virus Scan application failed to load.
Warning
Fatal error Antivirus scanner failed to load, Virus database missing or corrupt

ERROR File Not Found. Virus Scan application failed to load.
Warning
Fatal error Antivirus scanner failed to load, Virus database missing or corrupt

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So I think I know what happened… question is how do I fix it? First thought is to ask the AV program to check for updates.

NO JOY. The program posted that it had downloaded the latest version.

Try deleting the latest downloads? NO JOY couldn’t find them and the company web site was pretty much useless about this kind of error.

Delete the preferences, user settings, and anything that looks like new files associated with the AntiVirus program.

OK… Now the AntiVirus program is FUBAR!

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Uninstall / Reinstall

Uninstall works! No more errors and my computer is now running normally. Grab the installer from a network drive and install it.

NO JOY

AntiVirus program reports that this version is too old and cannot be updated via auto-updater. I’m instructed to download the latest version from their web site.

OK Navigate to their website, attempt to log-in.

You’ve entered an incorrect user ID or password. Please try again.

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I recheck the credentials I have stored. The date on the receipt matches the date stored in the credentials so what gives?

Sigh…

I normally wouldn’t really care all that much, but the way that this has happened is reminiscent of the way AntiVirus gets disabled in WinDOZE computers and It’s spooky to think that someone might have figured out how to do the same thing on a Mac.

Of course if someone had created some piece of malware that could mess with my system like that… I’d be really, really, pissed off.

I end up getting the password reset, and then I’m able to download the package…

It installs flawlessly and then updates the virus definitions.

GOOD, now we’re making progress.

All is right once again with my computer and gee whiz it only cost me 4 hours.

I’m doing a full system scan, just to be sure that I don’t have something nasty crawling around in my machine. Call me paranoid!

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At least I haven’t had the horrendous time suck a buddy had. His Windows 8 machine is still a smoldering pile of donkey doo. Since it’s a laptop maybe a steaming pile of cow poo is a more appropriate description.

Sorry man… I told ya last year you might be better off with a Mac instead of yet another Windows machine. I have sympathy for ya but have to say I told you so.

Oh, it appears that my antivirus problem was simply that the update data was glitched in transmission. I guess I need to figure out what files I need to wipe to force a complete virus database download if this happens in the future.

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OH who the HELL am I kidding? I’ve been using this AV software since 2008 and this is the FIRST time I’ve seen it do something like this. I’m going to call it a “One-Off” and not waste any more time on it.

I have better things to do with my time…

After all this isn’t a Windows System.

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Ferguson is Dead, it just doesn’t know it yet.

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By now you’ve read or heard that two police officers were shot in Ferguson, MO last night.

There are conflicting accounts about the aftermath. Some have said that protestors were taunting the police administering first aid. Other accounts say that the protesters scattered.

Either way, Ferguson, MO is dead.

Their police force is resigning in droves. The Chief is only the latest resignation. Digging around, you can find reports that say officer turnover is increasing and with good reason. It’s not that the police department is a bad department per-se. It’s any cop, but most especially any white cop taking a job in Ferguson is willingly strapping a target to their body.

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Going in, an officer must know that he or she will be under a microscope for any arrest or shooting they’re involved with. They know they’ll have no backing from the public and no matter what, they’ll be accused of excessive use of force, and simultaneously accused of not doing enough to protect the town.

I’m guessing Ferguson will disband their police force and then complain because St Louis PD isn’t doing enough. The people of Ferguson will have what they wanted, all the bad cops will be gone… and so will all the good cops. There are probably folks right now wondering if they should walk away from their homes because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s coming.

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Next, will come the gang bangers renting or squatting. Then comes the turf wars, drugs, burglaries, violence,  drive by shootings, and victims families wringing their hands asking, “Why?”

The stigma of any police officer having “Ferguson, MO” in their service records, the heightened danger, coupled with any incident in Ferguson being a career destroyer, will further slow police response. After all, why be involved in an incident, when you can show up and hour later and just clean up the mess?

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These factors will create fertile crime zones and what was once a nice suburb will become yet another wasteland. Today, no bank in their right mind will loan money to open businesses in Ferguson, at this point I doubt that any insurers will issue policies either. So tax revenue, and local stores will dry up, then in time, Ferguson itself will cease to exist.

Through all of this there will be lots of blood. Black folks, White folks, Police, Firefighters, and even the occasional tourist who gets lost on the way to see the St Louis Arch. All these people will bleed, suffer and many will die over the next five, ten, or twenty years.

All of it for nothing. Except building the careers of men who didn’t live in Ferguson, but who saw an opportunity to exploit the town and it’s people.

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In the end Ferguson will look like Detroit, or Berlin after the blitz.

Eric Holder will be living in luxury on a government pension. Al Sharpton will be dancing on the graves of yet another “Racism” crisis.

They’ll both have long since forgotten about Ferguson. They’ll forget all the blood spilled, the racial flames fanned, and the town destroyed.

Posted on

Another Day another Starbucks

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This time however, I’m grounded.

I have to say as an aside, I hate panicky medical providers.

I went for a routine (Yearly) eye exam, and the optometrist that did the exam, freaked out over the pressure reading in my eyes.

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I explained that I was aware of the condition and the underlying causes for the readings his little handheld puffy machine was reporting. (essentially his little puffy machine isn’t calibrated for people like me. And they’re NOT that accurate to begin with.) He would have none of it!  This guy is not the guy I saw last year and he’s lost me as a patient for the firm for a number of reasons.

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Top of the list, is that he was badgering me and not listening to what I had to say about this issue.

Further down the list is that in general he wasn’t listening to anything I had to say and was spending way too much time playing with his damn computer trying to find my records.

But then there was the whole insanity of him wanting to make sure I knew how to handle my contact lenses… Uhhh I walked into your office wearing them and you didn’t see a problem.  30 years on; believe me I know how to wear contacts. At this point in my life I think the only contact lens I haven’t worn is the full scleral lenses usually seen in monster movies.

In all that time I’ve never had an eye infection of any kind. I have on occasion had abraded corneas. Usually due to an accidental situation like getting caught in a sandstorm while hiking in the desert. The corrective action is, don’t wear the contacts. Let the eyes heal, while watching for any signs of further injury. At the first sign of the problem getting worse… you get your happy ass to a qualified medical practitioner. Next! Its pretty common sense when you think about it.

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In any case, this guy was just annoying in his panic and as he ratcheted up his rhetoric about how bad this was, how dangerous, and that I was going to go blind imminently. I found myself thinking perhaps I should have it checked out… This guy is really excited about the readings. 

Blindness is not cool, especially if it can be prevented with minimal effort and corrective action.

So I went home and scheduled an appointment with an Ophthalmologist.

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These folks are full MD’s who specialized in the eye. And as a side benefit… they can do surgery, give you drugs, and deal with glasses and contacts. In other words they’re a one stop shopping experience. Guess what kind of eye doctor I’ll be going to in the future… Good I knew you were bright enough to figure that one out. Sadly, the optometrist isn’t, ahh well…

I just finished with the first round of tests and scans with the Ophthalmologist.  I’m grounded because my eyes are dilated and my vision is really screwed up. I walked to this Starbucks! I’d be an accident waiting to happen if I tried to drive right now. There is no way in hell I could process all the visual / spatial data required to drive on California Freeways at 80 – 90 MPH.

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So I’m having a moca, doing a little business, writing, and relaxing.

Oh, as it turns out…

According to preliminary results, I do have a thicker than usual cornea, My internal pressures are on the high side of normal, & my optic nerve is in good shape. Pending the final round of testing I’ll probably fall into the category of people who should be monitored and there is no immediate danger of my going blind.

In other words, what I was telling the Optometrist was correct, and his panic was completely disproportionate to the situation. Thank god he wasn’t in control of an AED or I’d be dead because he’d have pushed the shock button at the first sign of an irregular heartbeat of high blood pressure.

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Coupled with all the other issues he demonstrated in dealing with me I’m going to take delivery of a set of working contacts and then I’m going to fire him.

If I have to be monitored for glaucoma from here on out… I might as well be monitored by a professional who can actually take corrective action and who has the proper tools to deal with my eyes.

It’s good that I reconfirmed what I thought I knew. But really, I’m trying to live drama free and I prefer medical people who think like Vulcans

 

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Daesh (a.k.a. ISIS, IS, Morons, Assholes etc…)

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Alright, these people really need to be ended. I think the entire world agrees but has been holding off opening the can of Whoop-Ass for a variety of reasons.

We can assume that Stompy Foot will remain on the golf course for the remainder of his term. We can assume as well that any “action” he takes will be nothing more than fulfilling the oral fantasies of Daesh and the Islamic Brotherhood.

So the odds are good it’s going to fall to the UN to start the ground war on ISIS.

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Up to now, the UN taking any action has pretty much been a pipe dream, especially when you consider the makeup of the UN and that as an organization they’re largely puppets with God only knows whose hands up their backsides.

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Notice I said up to now.

Daesh, in addition to killing Christians including women and children, and tossing accused homosexuals off tall buildings, (Ever notice they’re not tossing homosexual women off buildings? I wonder why that is, OH, yeah it because they can rape the gay out of the women! Right!) Daesh, adding to its long list of horrific “achievements” is now destroying archeological sites.

Yes folks! Daesh being the wonderfully moral and just representation of Islam is destroying their history.

I’ve made the point before that Islam and most of the Middle East is practiced / populated by what I’ve termed a retrograde society.

The destruction of ancient sites is yet another example of rejection of intellectual pursuit. These sites in general are from cultures that have been dead for thousands of years. The names of their monuments, idols, and gods have in many cases been lost to the howling winds of history.

These sites present no threat to the Peaceful, Kind, Gentle, Willing to Coexist, religion of Islam.

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Hell the people that worshipped at altars within these archeological sites have been dead and dust for at least a millennium.

For all we know, Muhammad himself fucked these civilizations over and left their monuments standing.

Who is Daesh to contravene Muhammad’s will?

However, in what I can only describe as an epic fail, Deash is destroying some of the very few things that have stayed the collective hand of the West.

The historical sites! 

Why hasn’t the area previously been carpet bombed, nuked, doused with napalm, turned into an ordnance testing ground? 

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Beyond our leader & by extension government having no balls, simply refusing to see the evil these savages represent…

The archeological world heritage sites had to be protected. 

What happens when those sites no longer exist?

Then there’s no longer any reason for the West to restrain themselves.

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Even the UN would have cause to look away, while the the civilized world did what needs to be done.

Daesh must be destroyed.

They must be made an example.  They should be shown no mercy, no rules of engagement, no trials, no prisoners.

Anyone who has joined Daesh, or has attempted to join Daesh has forfeited their citizenship and must never be shown the slightest mercy or allowed back in any civilized country.

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Anyone supporting Daesh by sending money, or materials should be stripped of their citizenship and deported to Daesh held areas in the Middle East.

Daesh and it’s supporters are the enemies of civilization. They have no interest in advancing humanity, they are a cult of death and destruction. 

I’m all for sterilizing the area with High Explosives of whatever type seems appropriate for the job.