Doom Cover Art

One of my first tech loves in this world was the game Doom. I played it on PC and indeed, bought every version of it through Doom 3 whereby I somehow "outgrew" gaming in favor of coding as a serious endeavor.

Be all of this as it may, the game instilled in me a love of first person shooter games; particularly IPX network "death match" configurations and the genre still intrigues me though these days I admire from afar.

I'm very glad there is a new installment in this franchise. I only wish my schedule made for sufficient availablility to pursue it — and I am sorry to report that in Doom 3 I never could extracate myself from the initial teleport into the base.

My brother in law could, but I couldn't.

Oh, the shame of it all !

So I've blown away and reinstalled my new cluster servers several times now. Each successive install is an improvement over the previous iteration. Then I discover some new approach and decide to go for it.

It's amazing just how much things can change ... not only between OS distros but the configuration of existing packages (of the same version, no less) contained therein.

Yesterday was a good day for learning the subtle nuances of the new distro and I'm at home with a lot more than just the application configuration issues.
 

I got my Mom a Fitbit Alta for Mother's Day.

I just want her to have a little monitoring of things in case she wants to share information with her doctor.

It's wireless and records both activity and sleep cycles from what I've read. I will know more once we get her using it a while.

I'm going to install the management apps on her phone and computer to see which she prefers.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !
 

When I was a kid in Virginia Beach I lived on Lavender Lane next to John Hall and we were pretty good friends during that time. I was a silly youngster preoccupied with cartoons and other aspects of childhood fantasy and The Three Stooges were a constant in my existence.

My frequent impersonations of Curly got me tagged with "retard" and other derogatory labels because the kids there were as cruel as other kids anywhere and it was something which was done ... but John never participated though he did think it all was funny.

The names never did bother me and I really was oblivious to most everything else as well for the childhood fantasy world in my mind held me in it's tight grip and nothing much could retrieve my attention from it for more than a scant few minutes.

I recall him referring to his father as being an "engineer" and his mother seemed to be in and out the house and I knew of his siblings but was not acquainted with them otherwise.

We would camp out in the front yard in our tent constructed of blankets and clothespins against the chain link fence separating us and attended Aragona Elementary School in the heyday of my childhood. We would watch cartoons and talk about the things which interested us and he tolerated my lack of sophistication well.

He had a little chihuahua named "Cocoa" (I suspect due to it's coloration) which was female and very territorial. I usually got growled at when I encountered her ... and she had her first litter of puppies after I had departed for parts South and the continuation of that which existed only in my imagination for years to come.

All of this not withstanding I have a lot of fond memories of halloween and the snow and listening to his big brother play in the band where they practiced next door. These were the days of home made skateboards, playing army, various tag games, Batman and Robin, the AM radio, with Jan and Dean and the popular music featured the beach, cars, and racing as I remember.

One of the biggest enticements I recall was John's aquarium at which I marveled upon each and every visit ... and there were many visits over the course of the years we were neighbors. I think I may have irritated his mother with my incessant presence sometimes. Other times she was more at ease and seemed really glad to see me. I'm sure I was likely a handful with which to contend at that period of my life.

Like so many others, I had entertained looking him up for a visit only to find that he has passed away shortly after I took my present job, just like my dear friend Nancy ... and the sadness of hopes which will be unfulfilled revisited me only last week when I made this discovery.

From what I can determine he seems to have had an enjoyable life doing those things he spoke of often as a child — namely automobiles — and I'm sorry we never had the opportunity to visit again as I had hoped.

John K Hall

John Kevin Hall

February 17, 1954 - March 10, 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH- John Kevin Hall, 55, passed away on March 10, 2009 at a local hospital.

Born in Lynchburg, VA, Mr. Hall was in the automobile business for over thirty-two years. He was a loving father, brother and a friend to everyone he met.

Survivors include his daughter, Natalie Hall Richardson and husband, Justin; a brother, Harry “Eddie” Hall, Jr. and wife, Roberta M. all of Norfolk, VA; a sister, Priscilla M. Howe and husband, Mark of Clinton, MS; a granddaughter, Blaire Nicole Richardson and his best friend, Brooks Powell.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rosewood Kellum Funeral Home where a funeral service will be held Saturday, 11:30 a.m. by The Rev. Lynn Sparrow Christy. Interment will follow at Rosewood Memorial Park.

Rosewood-Kellum Funeral Home
601 N Witchduck Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23462-1916
(757) 340-1717

I really hate to say I told you so, but ...

Facebook has lost an initial battle in court regarding a suit filed by some of it's users claiming "unlawful" acquisition of user biometric data derived from their facial photography.

They were also sued regarding an unrelated stock plan which will allow Zuck to give away shares without losing any control of his empire.

Talk about having your cake and eating it too ! You go boy ...

I think that all you facebook members deserve precisely what you're getting on the biometric front and I remain happy I threatened to bludgeon my idiot nephew over posting a picture with me in it on facebook.

Call me "old school" but my mug is MY property, bitches.
 

There's a lot of established Republicans having issues with the success of Donald Trump in the primaries. It's really astounding to see the lengths at which these people attempt to sully his reputation only to have him surge in votes even more.

The people are speaking. You remember, "We, the people" ???

This is telling on the party in general. The establishment simply hasn't been doing the job. Leave it to an aggressive in your face personality to walk away with the show.

I didn't vote for Trump in the primary in South Carolina because of rhetoric which arose shortly before I cast my vote. Cruz got that vote as ... punishment I guess.
 

HOWEVER, I have said repeatedly that I'm okay with Trump becoming president.

When an idiot electorate can give us two terms of Obama and all the stupidity which has resulted from his foreign orientation it's about time for a refreshing change of pace in the executive branch.

I'm ready for some United States mattering for a change instead of a leader who kowtows to foreign nationals and attempts to degrade our immigration laws and use the taxpayer spitefully.

It's time for the other republicans to read the writing on the wall. Had you taken care of business Mr Trump would not have found it necessary to attempt to be the one individual who can.

The leftist local paper ran an article by Patrick Healy of the New York Times regarding the first 100 days of President Trump in an effort to sully his ideas.

Actually, I'm quite fine with:

As far as I'm concerned a little revolutionary change is indicated. Something to replace the do nothing Republicans entrenched in Congress, the socialist and immigrant freeloaders looking for handouts. The selling out of our economy by the democrats and their sweetheart trade deals. Things ARE definitely wrong with this country and a lot of this will likely change with a leader who is not out to grease the palms of his cronies or pursue some occult hidden agenda contrived to hurt the Republic.

I'm ready for a Trump presidency if that's in the cards for us. God knows he can't be ANY worse than this vacation in Hawaii at taxpayer expense several times yearly chief executive running things now. Time for a change — a return to conservatism and the Republic mattering for a change instead of these huddled masses seeking entitlements and handouts.

Another Cinco de Mayo has arrived.

Having been misrepresented to me from the very beginning in southern California it is a celebration on a par with the Fourth of July ... Mexican style — when really it's an entirely different thematic element.

Be all of this as it may, it was LOTS of fun back then and I'd give anything to get to participate in another celebration for that reason. While they continue those adult themes in the jubilation of the people lead me to think that the one of the common elements in the nature of the thing remains ... beer !

I don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo like I used to. So here's to those memories of San Juan Capistrano, the throngs of ladies, the cold ones to be had everywhere.

If only I had been able to dance. I certainly had everything else.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.
 

Computer Support Scams

There's a rash of computer support scams involving both malware pushed as ads and cold calling of random people fishing for a pigeon.

The malware typically reports a compromised computer in your posession and offers to fix it. Then you get ransomware or some other malicious software taking hold of your machine until you succumb to the provision of financials to the crooks ... and often times they leave you with your damage and without your money to boot.

The cold calls are equally dastardly. I've had several of these from various people identifying themselves as "Microsoft" or "Windows" ... calling themselves "Jack" or "John" but sounding like they're somewhere in India or Pakistan. They try to get you to go to a web site and download their malware package yourself.

Luckily, I don't take to pushy individuals and their pitiful pitch I'm afraid was much less convincing than anything I could ever fall for.

HOWEVER, I can just see these people taking some little old lady to the cleaners.

Nowadays if I reach some ad based malware I will go to great lengths to stop it in it's tracks. I utilize an excellent malware detection live scan which gives me the opportunity to delete it before it installs.

Anybody calling me on the phone better be a lot more sophisticated than the five or so callers I've dealt with up to now. Nobody as utterly stupid as these untouchables would ever fool me.

As for you ... if you encounter a threat on a web page the worst case scenario is turn off your machine. You may have to run a disk scan to check for cross links and lost chains but that's a whole lot better than the alternative.

Better yet invest in some good proactive protection package like Malwarebytes Pro or run that Sophos antiviral regularly. Don't let the bastards see you sweat.
 

I've been toying with the idea of starting a bitcoin full node. Discussion with a compadre has lead to him saying it's a bad idea because there is too much bad associated with bitcoin and people should not seek this level of trouble in their activities of daily computing.

Indeed, a general service node with universal access is somewhat anathema to my existence given my penchant for firewalling at the drop of a hat, honeypots, tarpits, booby traps, and the like.

HOWEVER, the thought of a business venture such as this just entices me to take the plunge given the fact that I'll have an extra box or two hanging around quite soon now.

Bitcoin, that digital currency untied to banks and governments continues to make the tech news these days. It's chief attraction is permitting users to spend money anonymously.

I know there are a few things I would like to purchase with anonymity.

Coins are created by users via a "mining" process whereby lending computing power to verifying other user transactions cause them to be earned in exchange.

Coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with various other currencies. Their value has fluctuated since inception and is down from 2013 levels of 1100$US to the present 445$US.

Lack of formal regulation has obsurred the legality of the currency and it's transactional base. It's a difficult matter to trace transactions and this has brought it to the detrimental attention of law enforcement who cite hackers demanding them in payment for release from ransomware.

Be all of this as it may, New York state has approved a license for a company which does business in bitcoin.

Perhaps with the advent of the bitcoin creator identifying himself, this new modality in fiscal affairs has finally become ready for the mainstream world.

Osama bin Laden

Okay. I've read and seen massive accounts and background regarding the death of Osama bin Laden to include two feature length films on the subject.

However, all of this has been sullied by other information crossing my desktop which has cast significant doubts regarding the factual content of most anything government related since about that time of the departure of President Jimmy Carter.

I wish to mark the day that Osama bin Laden was allegedly killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011 sometime immediate to 1:00 am local time by a unit of the US military special forces in an operation code named Operation Neptune Spear which was launched from Afghanistan.

Ordered by President Obama and executed by Navy Seal Team 6 of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group with support from the CIA.

After the operation, U.S. forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification and subsequent burial at sea within 24 hours of his death.

It's all well and good in talk but the chain of custody and proof leave much to be desired — after all we paid for this and talk was all we received for our money. Assurances from the government simply aren't what they used to be ... in my mind, anyway. Forgive my utter disappointment and skepticism; but I feel it's quite warranted given the countless revelations of betrayal which never seem to end.

My last May Day celebration took place when I was in the second grade at Aragona Elementary School in Virginia Beach.

We did the Maypole dance thingie and I was much too young to realize how effeminate it made me appear and inasmuch as there was never a recurrence I suppose it all became buried beneath the events of successive years until the trauma became absorbed by my psyche.

May Day is held today and originates as an ancient spring festival indigenous to many cultures in the Northern hemisphere. Dancing, singing, having cake and various party endeavors are included in the celebration.

Later in the 1800s May Day was chosen to coincide with International Workers Day by the socialists and communists ...

but calling that "May Day" as they do detracts from the nostalgia of that actual celebration of yore. Leave it to Bernie Sanders and his crew to sully May Day.