Welcome
- October 19, 2017
- Some days it's just impossible to write
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I've been sitting at my keyboard hammering away looking for ideas to write about. I came up empty too. It's not so much "writer's block" as a topical disinterest which engulfs me and bids me to just drop it.
However, this still falls in the classic definition of "writer's block" which is in essence being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.
So ... yet another blog entry goes undone in actuality even though the words exist.
It's not the same thing.
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- October 18, 2017
- World Menopause Day
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Menopause refers to that cessation of menstruation which occurs in females somewhere in the mid 40s through the early 50s on average with some women reaching it sooner or later within that wide expanse of time called "normal".
Today is World Menopause Day. Held under the auspices of the International Menopause Society — October 18 has been set aside to mark this most important aspect of physiological existence..
In observation of the day, the International Menopause Society distributes materials and organize activities to inform women about menopause, how to manage it, and the impact of estrogen loss on aspects of their lives such as bone density as well as various sensorium and mood swings.
It is said that men too go through this change with age causing a condition of diminished virility due to the decline of male sex hormones, or "Low T".
Regardless of your gender, it is important to pursue hormone replacement therapy as deemed appropriate by your health care provider.
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- October 17, 2017
- Key Reinstallation Attack KRACK Exploit
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Oh yeah, just when you're standing around bragging about all the bodacious WiFi you have going on there comes an exploit likely to make you regret buying all that wireless technology.
It seems that the WiFi security protocol WPA2 has a few vulnerabilities in it rendering most every newer wireless router inclusions subject to hacks by outsiders.
These problems were discovered by Mathy Vanhoef, a researcher with the University of Leuven and allow the interception and decryption of traffic from connecting devices and includes the possibility for injecting malicious information into that traffic.
Seeing how WPA2 is the only protocol my wireless router uses I have killed the connections for most of the wireless, turned off new client connections, and killed the SSID transmittal until further notice.
I suppose this will add a couple of extra log checks each morning as well.
Aside from a few basic precautions ... all we can really do is hope they get patches in place for the routers and clients before anything nasty comes our way.
Good Luck !
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- October 16, 2017
- World Anesthesia Day
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I once worked an acute med/surg ward and had to prep patients for surgery. I wasn't too swooft early on and got called down by the anesthesia charge bitch on several occasions regarding my nonconforming sheet folds — and if only I could encounter her now.
October 16, 1846 marked the first successful demonstration of either anesthesia; heralding an age of painless surgery for the world and generally considered one of the most significant developments in medicine.
Internationally, World Anaesthesia Day is celebrated annually under the auspices of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesioloigsts.
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- October 15, 2017
- White Cane Safety Day
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I feel as though my vision diminishes as my age progresses. My once cat like night vision in conjunction with those details now lost to me are evidence for that dreaded condition called presbyopia ... or "old eyes".
There are others with much more serious sight deficits who must contend with mobility factors and functionality well beyond my comparatively meager complaints. These are the blind, the legally blind, and the almost blind. When I consider that with which these individuals must contend my complaints grow pale indeed.
Today is White Cane Safety Day, a national observance in the United States, happening each October 15 since 1964.
It recognizes achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and that symbol of mobility many of them carry, the white cane.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the first White Cane Safety Day proclamation within hours of the passage of a joint resolution authorizing it on October 6, 1964. I was nine years old.
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- October 14, 2017
- World Standards Day
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I remember when the United States was going to "go metric". The entire project became a debacle when the people pretty much rejected the idea by "passive resistance" and simply declined to utilize metric measurements for quantatative computations and lo and behold we remain on the English system of measurement to this day by and large with the exception of medical, scientific, and ISO pursuits.
Today is World Standards Day aka International Standards Day celebrated each October 14th in an effort to honor the work of all those who attempt to standardize measurements in the eyes of industry, consumers, and regulation agencies as a function of improvement of communication of these parameters among denizens of the planet.
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- October 13, 2017
- Trends in Bromance
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As if things weren't already wierd enough with the antifa clowns and sjw idiots we now have the mainstream bromance being proffered as a preference. There was a somewhat amusing article in dailymail.co.uk about "bromances" being more rewarding than relationships with wives and girlfriends.
The disturbing part of it all is how totally homo boundaries are crossed juxtaposed with the whining about women. .
It seems that 30 "straight" male students were interviewed by a fellow at Winchster University whereby 28 said that they would prefer discussing emotional issues with friends instead of wives and girlfriends.
Then it was intimated that young men now feel able to "openly pronounce love" to their male friends and there is recession of social role conventions of the past perhaps "informed by" homophobia.
Good grief, this is practically saying that the younger crowd are a veritable "brokeback mountain" with the intertwined metrosexuality being overshadowed by the ersatz homosexual relationship.
So why don't you boys just get on out and do your thing behind closed doors and stay the heck away from me. That fundamental aspect of humanity called "boy meets girl" among other things gives the stark appearance of becoming a fossil in our succeeding generations raised in an educational system which indoctrinates rather than educates and subjects students to a never ending stream of hyperliberal idiots and moron globalists seeking to create a world of servants ...
• because too many parents and guardians are either not involved at all or
• too stupid to realize what's happening — or
• actually think that these skewed biologicals and demographics are desirable.
Regardless, it's a poor show we're seeing in the reality of humanity anymore. Hope things improve really soon now.
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- October 12, 2017
- VR Open Source
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Virtual Reality. A forbidden fruit in my world where practical matters take priority and I simply don't have time for anything else.
In my never ending quest to fulfill my dream of continuing to eat and live indoors there simply isn't time for immersing myself in virtual reality or those hardware environments so essential to it's implementation.
I have a lot of respect for those hobbyists I know who do indulge ... but they don't have my years in the field nor are they as tired as my old carcass has become.
So when I learned that Oculus has released a set of full open source schematics for their second Rift development kit all I could do is sigh wistfully and continue my business application web work as usual.
There was a time when VR could have been something I could have engaged. However, it hadn't become practical back in the 1980s. So now I'm doing open source database and coldfusion server up the ying yang.
It's a living and that's what I need at this late juncture in both my career and life.
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- October 11, 2017
- Stool Pigeon Personal Tech
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Oh how I love it. The Chicago Tribune had a tidbit on the various technology devices in his home outing a murderer to the police.
The tale involves one Richard Dabate was found on the floor in his kitchen after a 'desperate' 911 call moments previously. He was bleeding and tied to a chair claiming "They're still in the house".
It seems he had killed his wife, Connie and there were no perps to be found and no witnesses. This lead detectives working the case to evaluate all the personal electronics all over his house.
Her fitbit told a good piece of the actual tale with the home alarm system, facebook, and a key fob filling in the blanks of that actual account which rendered his version totally false.
The data essentially caused him to be charged with his wife's murder to which he has plead not guilty.
This case has shown the authorities (and me) how the internet of things (connected smart devices with data collection, home assistant devices, trackers, thermostats, televisions, and such) are causing the evolution of crime scene investigation and therefore criminal justice.
This case has alarmed privacy advocates all over and I personally am going around disabling wifi on a bunch of stuff I have laying around. Despite these antics it is said that the internet of things will likely increase from 8.4 billion now to about 3 per person by 2020.
The moral of the story is that if you concoct the perfect back story for committing murder your smart devices may rat you out. Betrayal by possessions. It's the new admissible evidence.
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- October 10, 2017
- Harvey Weinstein and Me
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There are a number of individuals calling for men everywhere to denounce Harvey Weinstein in light of those numerous sexual harrassment incidents all over the news.
That cliche microcosm of 'starlet on the couch' which has spawned innumerable tales of getting ahead by giving head, otherwise or what have you have really manifest as reality in the harsh glare of those who have come forward.
Allegedly, Mr Weinstein was the most powerful person in Hollywood and naturally there is this propensity to "drive the knife home" into as many other individuals as may be referentially indicated even though the President merely spoke while Mr Weinstein acted ...
And then there is the stark absence of all the democrats to whom Mr Weinstein made substantial monetary contributions over the years and yes their silence is deafening.
So all I have to say about it is there is no correlation between Mr Weinstein and myself and I feel no compulsion to condemn him because his actions are his and my actions would have been something totally different.
As for the judgmental feminists voicing this call for vocalization I say talk to the democrats and progressives. They are the ones who gained enrichment by those contributions of Mr Weinstein and bloody don't make his fight my fight because I have no information nor wish to be involved in such antics given the fact that my paycheck has always been provided via efforts in other avenues of existence.
No, I don't condone Mr Weinstein's alleged behavior. No, I don't view those who have brought the matter out as out of place. However, this sphere of existence simply isn't one I have ever occupied and I'm at that point in my life where I could just as soon not be bothered as there is entirely too much drama in my own life otherwise.
It all reminds me of that SNL gag long ago saying "I just want to be loved ... is that so wrong ?" — with the pretext being lust and that stark difference.
I too am a sinner. Just not in the same manner nor quite to this extent. I believe were such enormous resources available to me that I could have found many other suitable avenues to pursue.
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- October 9, 2017
- Columbus Day
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This day celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. The celebrations have been unofficial since the 18th and official since the 20th centuries. It is meant to honor the contributions of those Americans of Spanish and Italian descent.
As is usual of late, Antifa plans a "deface Columbus Day" operation which I hope is thwarted. These masked cowards have yet to be dealt with accordingly and I personally feel that Columbus day is as good as any other to shut them down permanently.
While the federal and post offices as well as most banks will be closed for the day I believe that I shall be working. Oh well, no place I'd rather be anyway! I recall a time in my life when I wanted to be any place besides work on any given day. As I have grown older I find the need to be somewhere increasingly important.
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- October 8, 2017
- Games, Game Consoles, and Phones ... pa-touey
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The technology news reeks of games, game consoles, and phones anymore. The mainstream outlets just don't have anything to say about emerging technologies or those bleeding edge tidbits I crave in my reading.
So I'm left to my own devices and simply have to hunt them down reading all of the obscure rags in an effort to feel informed.
Once upon a time I was a gamer. Oh my, when I think of the innumerable hours spent at the keyboard with the various multiplayer monstrosities which used to command my time like a veritable deity in my meager existence.
Nowadays I have fewer interests and they are decidedly more esoteric than the next big smartphone trend, app, or game console on the horizon.
Oh well ... I suppose we all have our crosses to bear and the sophomoric interests of the masses will likely have to suffice. At least I know where not to go online.
Boo !
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- October 7, 2017
- Ralphie May RIP
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Whenever I thought of over the top comedy I thought of Sam Kinison, Charlie Murphy, and Ralphie May.
There is something about the rough and tumble approach and timing of these fellows which caused me to laugh at their antics for the scant hour I've occasionally seen them perform.
It saddens me to say that the last of my favorite comedians is now gone.
Well, I can't say this wasn't totally unexpected, but yesterday Ralphie May passed from cardiac arrest in Las Vegas at the ripe old age of 45 years young.
Having watched all of his comedy specials and quite a few of his personal appearances on various television shows ...
I can say that he was truly unique in comedy from the perspective of earthy relevant observation and his opinions expressed were consistently hilarious.
He had been ill with pneumonia for the past month and this had affected his schedule as he was trying to "work through it".
Ralphie May was born in Tennessee and came to the fore in 2003 as the result of finishing second in a stand up comedy competition called Last Comic Standing.
He is survived by his lovely wife and their three children.
Like Sam and Charlie there will never be another quite like him. Rest in peace.
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- October 6, 2017
- Musings on The Singularity
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There is a concept called "The Singularity" whereby humanity becomes fused with technology such that we essentially are rendered cyborgs and those enhancements give us abilities we do not presently know.
This has been batted around in jokes uttered by Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory and other quasi science venues in entertainment and a few pure science venues in technology.
Now, Professor Brian Cox is saying that the approaching ability to upload human brains to machines will allow humans to attain immortality — and much sooner than we might otherwise realize.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the stuff of science fiction is said to be rapidly approaching fact and there is big fundage and keen interest by various technophiles such as Mr Musk and Mr Levandowski.
The current proposal includes transference of the content of those cerebral storage mechanisms to an electronic medium replete with i/o devices such that the essence of the human being remains.
That symbiosis of man and technology is quite the feat to attain and the mere utterance of approaching ability toward that end gives me shivers up my spine into my immense melon.
My humble inadequacy of comprehension only leaves me to think that the essence of the individual is somehow more than the sum total of it's parts. This synergism is what I construe that final challenge to entail. For if we are left with a bunch of data and even though it may be perfectly accessible — even though the feat is astounding ... the person will not have been uploaded entirely.
Let us hope the modeling proposed is as similar between the biological and electromechanical aspects as the proponents apparently envision. It's truly a profound possibility on the horizon. One I don't expect to realize in my lifetime ... but have great abiding respect for nonetheless.
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