Welcome
- November 12, 2017
- World Pneumonia Day
-
Each year I get a flu shot. Interspersed every few years I get a pneumonia shot. I have noticed that the flu shot results in little side effects while the pneumonia shot gives me mild pulmonary symptoms for a brief while more times than not.
It is surprising that a totally preventable, highly treatable illness can cause so much death — particularly in young folks.
It is my hope that we will raise awareness of the presence of pneumonia in the children and the elderly in particular in an effort to quash that morbidity it presents to the two ends of the age spectrum.
- Comments (0)
- November 11, 2017
- Another Veterans Day
-
This is Veterans Day, a holiday we observe to mark the end of World War I honoring our veterans and victims of all wars. This observance replaced Armistice Day in 1954 and is a time for parades and gatherings and speeches.
As a veteran myself I don't really observe the day as vigorously as I should ... when I was a patient in the hospital in Key West, Florida having my appendex removed between the 7th and 8th grades I saw first hand the injuries suffered by our military people as the result of the gunshot wounds and other infirmities of warfare.
Nonetheless I try to mark this day in honor of those I saw in the throes of critical injury as the result of their service in Viet Nam being treated there in the ward of that hospital at Boca Chica Naval Air Station on Stock Island (Racoon Key) so long ago during my childhood.
You would think that these memories would have made me a much better serviceman that I was ... however I was pretty slack even by my own standards. However, in my old age this has converted my attitude to one of respect for those doing their military service.
Though not a life I would particularly choose, I endorse those efforts of people who do with the utmost appreciation and respect.
- Comments (0)
- November 10, 2017
- United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball
-
My late friend, Eldon Dewitt Casey was a member of the Marine Corps League.
I remember the busy time in the beginning of that membership which involved looking around for the various components of the uniform and then the subsequent absence it resulted in as time with me became permanently displaced forever.
He was immersed in it all and I was amazed to see just how it inspired him to create all manner of memorabilia — stirring those memories of days gone by and stories of people, places, and things associated with that time he was on active duty.
Today we celebrate United States Marine Corps Birthday. Accompanying this day is a formal and traditional ball with cake-cutting ceremony.
Dewitt never missed a Marine Corps Ball the entire time he was in the Marine Corps League until the day he died.
I have missed him over the years.
- Comments (0)
- November 9, 2017
- World Freedom Day
-
Today is World Freedom Day observed by the Federal government and declared by George W Bush back when he was President and before that time he became a Bill Clinton loving traitor to the Republican party.
The day commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall as well as the end of communist rule in central and eastern Europe. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war are the two most significant events marked by this day and these are attributed to President Ronald Regan who never became a traitor to his party.
- Comments (0)
- November 8, 2017
- World Urbanism Day
-
I am an urban dweller. It wasn't meant to be this way, but when you are lied to by a grandfather regarding what you will inherit it is not surprising that the allure of river life might fade into nothingness ... but enough about the lying, thieving, crook ass turds on my father's side of my family.
Today is World Urbanism Day. Also known as World Town Planning Day it meant to advance interest at the layman and professional levels for planning. It was founded in 1945 by the the late Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires and is observed each November 8.
While I am quite content where I am, hard feelings most certainly remain.
- Comments (0)
- November 6, 2017
- Writing into the Future
-
This new blog setup has caused me to write future entries before the date to which they are attached. It's not "really" a problem ... it's just that I sometimes forget this and use wording for the future where wording for the present is more appropriate.
This is due to the mechanism in place for post activation being designed for an enterprise environment where many are involved instead of a single person. Rather than set the entry to display "on the day" I simply date it and let it ride.
More times than not this results in some editing after the initial post.
Previous versions of the blog were actually based on "blogging software" which automatically posted on the specified day. This version is based on a sophisticated content management system for which I am able to write back end modules and enhancements ... and this in itself is the true attraction for me.
Also, being able to steer clear of the overused php crap everybody and their hacker anus brother feel they are competent to exploit is a plus. Also, not being a wordpress entity is a further benefit because over the years I discovered wordpress to be exquisitely hackable due to overuse and a large number of exploits being known by the general hacker anus populace.
So anyway, with a good set of personalized scripting and a deeply embedded server side trusted computing base which isn't available to just anyone I am trying to carry on with this thing. If the truth were known I'd just as soon drop it because it really doesn't thrill me anymore.
- Comments (0)
- November 5, 2017
- Observing All Saints Day
-
Normally, the Christian festival All Saints Day which is held by the Western Church in honor of all the saints, happens on November 1.
However, in the presence of an All Hallows Eve (Halloween) which does not happen on Saturday it has become usual and customary to celebrate the day on the next Sunday.
This is the case for my mother who will attend corresponding ceremonies this morning.
Now then, not being a saint — nor a person who regularly attends church per se I am content to delay my visit today that I might accommodate her religious requirements and hopefully, another of the ceremonial bells will drop from the rack as they are being rung as happened last year as the procession passed the seat of my late stepfather.
Perhaps there was a brief etheric interaction during the ceremony. Perhaps not.
- Comments (0)
- November 4, 2017
- The Cloud Awaits You
-
The cloud. That network of remote servers on the Internet used to handle your information processing so no one will know what a total incompetent you are being so unable to handle your technological affairs.
Outsourced. That term used to describe the utilization of hosted solutions on the cloud so that no one has to know that you know nothing.
Each day the cloud grows larger and more enticing with IPv6 and it's virtually unlimited number of individual addresses. There are an ever increasing set of options to hand over your processes and your documents and let somebody else be the keeper of your enterprise.
Companies vie for your business and compete with each other in an effort to gain that upper hand in their world ... the world of technodolts, like you.
There are a variety of reasons for outsourcing to the cloud stated by those who inulge. Phrases like "freeing resources" and "eliminating a need for infrastructure and it's incessant requirement for ROI" ALL to keep from admitting that you're just too stupid to handle your own affairs.
In the final rinse of "what is" and "what isn't" two things are certain:
1. incompetence is.
2. ability isn't.
It's you through and through.
Maybe that next big server breach will be the farm upon which your trade secrets, objects, and methods reside. Good luck there, dumbass.
- Comments (0)
- November 3, 2017
- The President's Personal Twitter Account went down briefly
-
I have repeatedly stated that I would prefer that the president not tweet. I personally view it as unpresidential.
However, having voted for Mr Trump and being fully aware of what I was getting up front, it did not surprise me when I learned that he likes to get on that thing and make statements.
Even if he had been elected and done nothing, that STILL would have been better than another 4 years of Clinton monetizing and harvesting payola at the expense of the taxpayers.
In reality he has done much to make the country better after the 8 year regime of Barack Obama and the dude he lives with driving the country to the dogs in the best traditions of his party, his crooked bent on turning the United State Muslim, and using executive privilege to circumvent the law.
The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump’s Twitter account was down for about 10 minutes as the hour approached 7 pm. It is now running normally.
The presidential personal account, @RealDonaldTrump, was not available providing a "does not exist" error and was restored around 7:03 pm.
I personally would have viewed the continued twitter down time to be an improvement.
- Comments (0)
- November 2, 2017
- Black Death Pandemic
-
Recent news stories have been implying a potential bubonic plague pandemic on the planet which is now primarily in Madagascar.
It has been stated that this contageon comes about from the indigeous populaton habitually exhuming dead relatives for some dance ritual they observe.
The ensuing rainy season increases the threat level due to those inherent difficulties associated with containing runoff and reports say that some 128 or so people have died and 1300 are infected by the pneumonic form of black death which is much more virulent and deadly.
The maps of those areas having the greatest risk are wide spread in the hemisphere occupied by Madagascar and the control of vectors appears to be the greatest concern. Seeing how this is the third outbreak in recent history someone is not benefiting from past mistakes.
- Comments (0)
- November 1, 2017
- The first time I held my father's hand
-
I was watching the pilot of Young Sheldon on Hulu the other evening when it had a personally poignant moment which struck me through and through.
The idiosyncratic, eidetic memory having, polymath genius child Sheldon Cooper was sitting at the dinner table commencing grace when he removed his mitten from his left hand and held his father's hand for the first time.
It made me remember the less than optimal relationship I had with my own father which I tried to amend in the last 20 or so years of his life.
The innocence of that germophobe child's motivation contrasted with my personal motivations as I recalled the first time I held my father's hand ... which was the night that he died at Richland Memorial Hospital.
As he was slipping slowly from us under the influence of the morphine protocol being given to prevent oxygen hunger I made it a point to talk to him and tell him that he was the best dad in the world and I held his hand a number of times in those few final ensuing hours to that point where the monitors began to indicate the end was imminent.
Later, as they were disconnecting the various lines and such so that the Hubert and Wilson could take him to the funeral home in Wagener I told him for the first time after he was gone that I loved him — having been all cried out over the ordeal which had been those past few days.
So when the child at the dinner table removed his glove and took his fathers hand all those thoughts of me holding my dad's hand came crashing down in a brief tearful deluge of memory which replays through my soul from time to time.
The moral of the story is to be sure and tread softly around the hearts of those you love because you don't know how long they will be with you nor just how bad the angst and sorrow of you missing them will be after they're gone.
It's one of those profound things which stirs deeply through my conscience during those times I collect my thoughts and ponder the meaning of life.
- Comments (0)
- October 31, 2017
- Happy Halloween
-
Another All Hallows Eve is upon us. The holiday has evolved from just a celebration of the departed saints, martyrs, and all other faithful to a secular celebration in the best tradition of cartoons with candy and pageantry and "trick or treat" excursions in those neighborhoods where it remains safe ...
Alas the mean character of some individuals has evolved with it as well such that Halloween parties are displacing trick or treating by and large and this is a personal tragedy I suffer each year as well.
So even though it's not the wonderful safe time it was when I was a kid, I hope the children have a wonderful time anyway in what ever activities in which they choose to participate.
- Comments (0)
- October 30, 2017
- Mischief Night
-
On the eve of All Hallows Eve (Halloween) we have Mischief Night.
This is one of those "conventions" more than an actual formal holiday but has been observed since the late 18th century and includes those pranks and tricks and vandalism associated with juveniles and their need to periodically exhibit a distinct lack of raising.
Toilet papering of yards, egging various people and things, paper bags filled with dog poo and set ablaze on front porches upon which doors are abruptly banged as the perps run away — you know, engaging in messy things for others to clean up ... all in the name of good fun.
So anyway, there have been rampant episodes of arson and things not so "fun" as well and I do hope that any observance of this childish prequel to Halloween is held to a minimum of muss and fuss.
- Comments (0)
- October 29, 2017
- National Cat Day
-
I have this "thing" about the neighborhood cat population. They think my yard is theirs to use as they see fit.
They occupy my front porch in the hot summer months to lay on the cool concrete moderated by my HVAC.
They prowl my shrubs and trees trying to ambush birds and squirrels and spray my bushes to mark "their" territory.
They scratch a shallow hole in my sandy yard and take a dump anywhere and everywhere as though it were declared the neighborhood cat box.
Those owners feel that it is their feline companion animal's "right" to crap in my yard as well.
In the city limits where I live it is illegal for pets to roam the neighborhood unrestrained.
Just where do my rights appear in this picture? They don't.
Today is National Cat Day which is supposed to heighten the awareness of homeless cats. Given the fact that there is a day set aside as well as a non-profit and a web site for these vermin ...
I for one remain unamused and plot the demise of all cats in the area despite the protests of those cat people in my midst.
It's me or them. I say it's going to be them.
I hate cats.
- Comments (0)