Welcome
- February 24, 2017
- Attention to Detail
-
I once viewed attention to detail as one of those aspects of my existence for which I could be proud. I fear that lately, this has become somewhat threadbare in my old age having to attack bugs in my contact forms on four different occasions to finally get them correct.
It's amazing how one change can cascade through three sets of scripts to the detrement of a module formerly viewed as "trusted, tried, and true".
Add to this the recent news in the science threads that "people who sleep excessively are at high risk for dementia" and voila it now appears to me that the old noggin might be on the slow decline and I may be reduced to a slobbering brick brained dottering old fool in the winter of my life ... if it can be delayed that long.
Yes, there is a distinct need for more in the way of activity and brain exercise for the kid here. I just hope I'm not too late.
- Comments (0)
- February 23, 2017
- Streaming the Oscars
-
I was on cnet.com last night looking around and saw a piece on the oscars show coming up this Sunday evening.
As usual, they hold no interest for me ... but I was amused at the trouble someone has gone to to make them available to those like me — who primarily stream television content.
I have antenna tv as well but the show itself doesn't attract me in all it's pop culture marketing teeth gnashing for the paparazzi mundane showy mess so many absolutely love. I wouldn't dream of holding it against those who really go for this drivel.
So ... the 89th happening of the Academy Awards goes down on Sunday, February 26 and the red carpet starts being filmed around 7 pm EST with the awards proper starting at 8:30 with Jimmy Kimmel hosting on ABC.
Streaming television viewers need to either hit the ABC app on their device or abc.com ... and have a ball. I'm sure there are likely to be "oscar parties" hither thither and yon because I have already passed my "regrets" on several.
The rest of you are left to your own devices ... like me, I intend to be writing a little code during the presentation as is my habit.
Whatever your intent I hope you enjoy the evening.
- Comments (0)
- February 22, 2017
- The Devaluation of Yahoo
-
It seems that data breach disclosures is costing Yahoo equity in the form of Verizon dropping it's acquisition price by $350M.
Fair, given that Verizon has agreed to pay part of damages that may arise from those data breaches. They also assume half the cost of non-SEC government investigations as well as third-party lawsuits.
What was once a really bad opinion of this acquisition in my mind has become a "save" for the company which opted for a trophy chief executive instead of sound leadership ...
And I'll be shutting my mouth regarding Verizon's take over in light of these developments.
It's a difficult matter to take on a losing proposition of this magnitude and try to work with it.
It seems that the billion users and 600 million mobile users remain attractive to the mobile telephony giant so more power to them.
- Comments (0)
- February 21, 2017
- Uber's Downward Spiral
-
So the conveyance company keeps getting deeper into the mire of questionable business practices on top of the dirtbag drivers they seem unable to avoid.
After hearing a lot of news reports regarding drivers raping and robbing their customer base, it is further alleged that a female employee was harassed for sex by her superior over the company's internal chat system with messages soliciting sex to augment his "open relationship".
Now then, with a reputation which finds further sullied implications steadily as time progresses you'd think that the corporate image projected would include a few iron clad rules regarding that which "is" and "is not" permissible in polite company.
The implications are that the employee base of Uber are of the impression that no rules of order exist and while it is one thing to joke in a risque manner — true predatory behaviors are really inappropriate in drivers, engineers, or executives of any company.
This seems to be lost on Uber who finds itself in the same kind of trouble repeatedly. It's surprising in that these social media outlets so popular with those who don't understand technology will certainly climb up onto the soapbox and let the happenings and there feelings regarding them be known.
It would seem that those mental and ethical traits which display the individuality of the Uber organization might be continuously slipshod — seeing how something in the way of rape and pillage always seems to be coming up.
Perhaps they were all meant for the chariots of Rome in the days of Caligula.
Uber really doesn't seem to get the message or cannot benefit from past mistakes. What is that word for entities which cannot benefit from past mistakes again ?
- Comments (0)
- February 20, 2017
- You Tube and Me
-
I've been YouTubing too much lately. Some of it's entertaining. Some of it's enraging. Some of it's edifying to the point that I'm questioning aspects of my existence I've never confronted before.
In that sum total of who I am there are things I have seen on the various videos which provoke thoughts of wonderment. There are other things which have made me want to kill my fellow man.
I have seen outrageous desecrations of the flag by various groups who think they're so down trodden that they have the right to treat it with disrespect.
There have been methods and properties of the universe pointed out from perspectives I have never indulged before.
All and all I will likely continue my foray into this mess but it's really an effort to discern the real from the fake and the amount of insanity I've witnessed in the younger generations in the form of paranoid and schizoid appearing interactions is a bit scary from the standpoint of getting through to individuals anymore.
Now I understand more of why my nephew is such as disaster for his folks.
I now realize that my "aloof" position has served me well over the years keeping me out of the most provocative elements of the fray and this is probably why I haven't been killed up to now.
I used to hang out with several groups of rough individuals and other groups engaged deeply in the drug culture.
All of that having been cast aside some thirty years back I can see those benefits of clear thinking and improved analytical skills that were hard pressed to acquire then reacquire later when the fog cleared.
I'm more content seeing much of what I've witnessed just today. I feel badly for the others, those who are awash in that failure to indulge reality because it's incongruent with their lives.
- Comments (0)
- February 19, 2017
- Ye Olde Tax Refund
-
Yesterday I hit the state refund status page to see what I could see. It said that my tax return had been received and was "in process". The federal site had no information so it has not moved sufficiently through their processing to trigger any.
This is that somewhat antsy time. The time between mailing off the returns and getting back the refund. There's nothing really to be in a rush concerning ... but it's just the notion that I would like business between me and the country and the state to be concluded for yet another year.
This year the feds say that we who filed paper returns may be delayed an extra week ... up to seven weeks due to personel shortages and what have you.
I'm not too surprised. However, the simplistic nature of my paper return pretty much has me continuing to be optimistic.
I like to dispense with it all early in an effort to avoid tax return hijacks that crooks attempt to wrangle another's refund.
The wait really doesn't matter seeing how everything just goes toward known existing bills. This is my life.
- Comments (0)
- February 18, 2017
- False Images for Public Consumption from the Left
-
Lots of individuals demonstrating in an effort to "make appearances" and creating things that aren't. The left is so entirely full of crap anymore that they cannot discern "what is" from what is that bull they propagate in the name of social justice ...
These immigration protests are demonstrating against an attempt by the administration to stop incursions from people whose only aim in life is to get into the United States and either convert or kill us all.
So protest on you cloddish human beings. Don't bother to understand your topic and don't bother to get any facts. Live in this utopia which exists only between your ears and fails the checks of reality repeatedly.
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia
These restricted countries are where the bulk of threats toward the United States originate; they are the homes of terrorists who murder and maim others in their own countries ... and are opportunistic purveyors of mayhem out to get us.
And the liberals protest enmass for the "downtrodden immigrants" who include an element with specific designs on killing us all.
These so-called "immigrants" are rife with an element which will kill you and everyone you love at their first opportunity.
I would be ashamed to only think at the level these protesters exhibit regarding the very real time risk of death by immigrant. They want the scoundrels to be able to come and go as they please even though they make public threats of death and destruction all the while.
It's bad enough the liberals and progressives seek to rewrite history in their own imaginary image but must they endanger us with the slant of their ignorant taint which is so proudly exhibited for the world to see ?
Though they lost the election the stupidity in the electorate of The Republic remains ... mouthy as ever.
Duh.
- Comments (0)
- February 17, 2017
- Happy Birthday Loreena McKennitt
-
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt
February 17, 1957
Canadian musician
One of those favorite chanteuses of mine is Loreena McKennitt. She hails from Canada and is an award wining soprano vocalist, musician, composer, harpist, pianist and plays the accordion.
Her specialty is Celtic and Middle Eastern themed musical pieces and many of her works enchant and enthrall me with their melodic lyricism.
Her heritage is Irish and Scottish and early on she wanted to be a veterinarian who turned to music because it obviously spoke to her and called her to it as a profession.
Her music certainly has spoken to me over the years and inspired me to listen to that which she offers the world in the form of her art.
- Comments (0)
- February 16, 2017
- Adventures in Streaming Television
-
Yes, I am a difficult customer.
I will terminate business with you with extreme prejudice at the drop of a hat if you go so far as to commit one of a few "infractions of no return".
Take Sling.
I was trying to restart with them when they failed to load the entire package into their app.
When I approached customer support for resolution I was sent this boilerplate list of questions which in no way reflected insight into the nature of my problem or anything other than blowing smoke and voila, it was over.
So now, given Roku's spam remote with buttons labeled for their "annointed few" apps I am seeking other avenues in hardware as well.
Fickle ? Not hardly.
I just know what I want and when I'm being preyed upon by a company.
Suffice it to say that it may well be that I am doomed to forever be unhappy with streaming television.
I have quite a few devices and services to traverse at this juncture.
As long as I have options I will pursue that combination which "floats my boat" as it were.
No hard feelings, just take your incompetent support idiots and go away otherwise.
- Comments (0)
- February 15, 2017
- Valentines Afterglow
-
It's said that every three hours an online dater gets scammed. Not too swooft if you ask me. Not that it really matters for me at my stage of life; but I can see how the various others seeking to be significant might fare in the crucible which is cybercultivation of relationships.
My brief foray into the mess found me with about ten females taken with my various communications and me wondering just what the heck I was doing anyway ... and alas; I determined that those things I find endearing and attractive aren't always common denominators in the fray.
This isn't to say there is a problem one way or another but I simply enjoy face to face interaction over the emails and pictures and what have you involved in the online variant. So I abandoned my pursuit of finding love online and have piddled around with various others who have their own motivations and left it at that.
I will say that communications in the form of paragraphs which look like text messaging shorthand were probably the biggest repellant of them all.
There is this thing called literacy and the ability to be at once eloquent and articulate which simply fails to project itself when every other sentence is "do you dig where I'm coming from ?" ...
Then there are those who would appear perfect. That's almost (but not nearly) just as bad. My trepidations with them arose from individuals wanting to talk late into the night and spend every waking hour together.
I have to have a little down and alone time it seems, but the rueful part of dating on line was passing up that chance to engage women who really had what I felt was going on in the relationship department because it was — well, too much.
So I am left to just do my occasional social thing and carouse with a few "buddies" from time to time. Regardless, I shall likely remain single. Let's face it, I simply don't have that much time remaining and I've pretty much seen all I need to see and done all I need to do.
So valentines leaves me a little empty this year with no one with whom to interact but it's better this way for me, I think.
We make our own beds in life and I am quite content to sleep in mine with or without someone else.
- Comments (0)
- February 14, 2017
- Happy Valentines Day
-
- Comments (0)
- February 13, 2017
- Adventures in cleaning out the Fridge
-
Criminy. Yesterday I excavated the refrigerator after neglecting it for over a year.
There were spills originating from things that haven't been there in a long time.
While most of the parts could be put into the dishwasher, I'm afraid that they all wouldn't fit together necessitating a multi-load operation which took most of the day.
The shelves were entirely too big for the "easy route" so I hit all three with copious amounts of the clorox stuff then rinsed a couple of times until the appearance was almost new ... with just a few spots of rust staining the rack in the freezer.
I went ahead and tossed most of the residual products prior to starting and the herbie curbie has a lot more in it than usual.
I think I'll make a run for the staples like mayo, mustard, ketchup, and so forth because I'm feeling really good about the sanitary appearance of everything after the purge and cleanse operation.
This coupled with a good thaw in the form of being off all day is an added benefit. There wasn't any frost to melt, but I feel that the compressor could use a spate of down time to clear any frozen moisture from the unit.
I'm glad I got to spend the bulk of the time visiting Mom at her place and I feel bad about allowing things to get so far out of hand.
Oh well ... I suppose we dudes aren't the suzy homemakers we should be but I have made amends on the fridge front and feel much better about it all.
- Comments (0)
- February 12, 2017
- National Freedom to Marry Day
-
- Comments (0)
- February 11, 2017
- The "War on Trolls"
-
Yeah, tolls are out there. Those commenters who proliferate various racist, profane, misogynistic, misanthropic along with any other derrogotory commentary one might care to label remain rampant on the internet.
Now google and wikipedia are teaming up to work on a set of algorithms to detect personal attacks and other nastygrams in an effort to comprehend such posts and effect some kind of policing of the comment threads embedded in forum type apps.
While I certainly view trolling users who add nothing to the substance of any site as cyberslugs I absolutely do believe in calling out the various morons proliferating stupidity and misinformation by any means necessary.
This in conjunction with freedom of speech has me somewhat at odds with my own feelings regarding the efficacy of this particular project from a value added perspective and it has been my experience that various human monitors are virtually worthless in this regard.
I project the AI stuff to be much worse given it's total lack of humanity. The subtle nuances of setting an idiot straight are a valuable commodity in the world today particularly in light of our generation of burger flipper's children coming to the forefront of the marketplace with all their inability to spell and define the terms they use while communicating their nothingness.
Well, though google was never going to glean any monies from me anyway, I just tore up the check I was sending to wikipedia.
Discernment is decidedly missing from the crap I've been reading in the anti-troll codifications under consideration.
- Comments (0)