Trump's Dilemna

The news is getting more astonishing by the day.  It' seems that Hillary and her crew broke lots of laws during her tenure as Secretary of State, not the least of which during the deal that sold America's uranium to the Russians.  She also broke laws dealing with the handling of classified documents.  People routinely go to jail for that.

She's crooked, there is no doubt about it.  However, it's one thing to identify corruption, it's another thing entirely to prosecute it.

American presidents don't normally prosecute their opponents.  It smacks of being a sore winner.  The president of Venezuela might jail the opposition, but Americans don't do that..

Except that in this case, the Democratic nominee was probably the most corrupt politician to ever be a nominee.  It's staggering to know that major crimes occurred and may never be prosecuted.

Now, as it turns out, James Comey is back in the news.  It seems that during October 2016 while he was Director, the FBI was funding opposition research that became The Trump Dossier.  This is staggering news.

It was an astonishing turn: the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency agreeing to fund an ongoing opposition research project being conducted by one of the candidates in the midst of a presidential election.

Regular readers know my disdain and contempt for James Comey.  I'd call him a weasel, but that's an insult to fur-bearing animals.  Weasels have an honorable purpose, and I've seen nothing about James Comey that is honorable.    He should certainly go to prison.  He knows better.

And, there is Trump's dilemma.  How do you jail the entire opposition without looking like a Marxist dictator? 

Second Amendment as Muskets

A US congressman, Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.C.) used a tired, old trope that seems to limit the US Constitution to the technology available at the time of the Founders.

“This is something as a non-lawyer that I have had trouble with from the very beginning. When the framers of our Constitution considered the Second Amendment, they were talking about muskets,” Coleman said during a news conference outside of the Capitol Building on Tuesday.

Representative Coleman is being disingenuous, and for the sake of her constituents, I hope that she's not as stupid as she sounds.  The Founders were fairly intelligent men, and they knew that technology would move forward.  Indeed, they had seen great strides during their lifetimes, and they knew that every advance made would spur other advances, in mechanics, in agriculture, in every facet of human endeavor.  Ben Franklin himself was experimenting with electricity.

The press that the Founders talked about was Franklin's press.  The speech the Founders talked about was the limit of the human voice.  The religion that the Founders talked about was Christianity.

 If we take Coleman's argument to its logical conclusion, there would be no internet, no electronic communication, no religion except Christianity in the US.  There would also be no female representatives in Congress.  Persons who seek to limit freedom to a specific time period should be very careful which time period they pick.

Representative Coleman would limit technology to a specific time period, relative to human endeavor.  I call on her to limit her office to the technology at the time of the Founders.  No electric lights, no copy machine, yet no telephones, nor even a ball-point pen.  Air conditioning? Perish that though, it wasn't invented until the beginning of the 20th Century.  The Founders certainly never envisioned that technology.

Otherwise, she's simply a self-serving hypocrite.

New Computer

My old XP box was getting a bit twitchy, and it's been several years since I bought a new computer, so I did a little research, talked to my brother-in-law, and headed to Office Depot.  I bought a Toshiba Satellite C-55A and have spent the past hour setting it up and migrating the files from the old computer to the new one.

This is the first time I've changed computers before the old one crashed and burned, and I've got to say that the process is a lot easier when you can move files off a running machine.  This laptop is running Windows 8.1, and it's going to take a little while to get used to it, but the learning curve isn't as bad as I thought it might be.  I will say that the larger screen on this one is a lot brighter than the screen on the old computer.

Now, to install my favorite programs, and make sure that the printer is properly installed.

HTM (What?)

I've been playing with HTML since it got too hot to work outside.  I used to be fairly good at coding web pates, but I've been trying to make columns, using the DIVcommand, and I'm having a bit of a problem with justification.  I'm trying to make an archive page for some of my writings, and I just can't seem to make it do what I want it to do.


Let's just say that my brain is fried.  Coding has always been hard for me, and I don't enjoy it a bit.  Which is why I use blogger instead of some of the other blog engines.

New Computer

My laptop crashed a couple of months ago, and because I don't need any real high-strength computer, I've been using Milady's netbook to access the interwebs and do some blogging.  Just last week, Milady's brother told us that his company was buying new laptops, and he had a chance to buy a few of them.  The company would pay a tech guy to wipe the computer and the company would sell them to employees at a very nice cost. 

I told him "Yeah!", so I picked it up yesterday at the fish fry.  It's a Dell Inspiron, and when they said they wiped it, they weren't kidding.  Except for the hour at church today I've spent all day cussing and configuring.  I've finally got the wireless working and now I'm finding other bugs.  I've downloaded a few programs I like and I  thought that I'd see if I can post on this thing.  I guess we'll know in a few minutes.

It runs Windows XP, has an 80 gig hard drive, and runs an Intel Centrino duo processor.  Whatever that means.  Now that I'm studying the machine, I don't see an SD card reader on it anywhere.

Public Record

Let's talk about the public record, and the information age, and the information that we routinely allow other people to see.  It seems that some congressional staffers are upset because an outfit called LegiStorm is compiling feeds from various sources on those staffers and putting it all into one easy-to-use package.

We live in an information age, and the angst of the congressional staffers is understandable, but many folks don't realize how much information we readily make available to the public through the internet.  This blog, for example, is open to the public.  I've put it out there and if you surf through it you'll get a pretty good idea of my likes and dislikes.  I work for a governmental agency, so my salary is public record.  I am married, so that information is available as public record.  I bought a home and that transaction is public record.  I have a Facebook page and it's not shielded from public view.  I don't use a Twitter account, but many folks do, and if you don't make that information private, it's out there too.

The simple fact is that what we consider "public record" was once only available by going down to the Court House and digging through musty tomes.  Nowadays, much of that information is available online and when you start cross-referencing that information with the information that we willingly put on the internet, a dedicated researcher can come up with a fairly accurate profile.

I don't feel sorry for the Congressional staffers.  They put the information out there, and the folks at LegiStorm are simply compiling it from a combination of public sources.  However, their angst should be instructive to us as a society.  There is a huge amount of information readily available

There was this kid, back in 2002-03, who went to the high school where I work.  Back in those days the kids were using something called Zanga, which was a web-service that worked somewhat like Facebook does today. The kids would put up a page and other kids would comment on it.  I started surfing kids pages, and one day saw some un-complimentary information regarding me, myself.  So, I commented on the information.  The kid came to me later, truly upset that I was reading his personal page.  I explained to the young'un that his page was on the World Wide Web and that he had put the information out there.  Anyone with a computer and an internet connection could use that information for whatever purposes they desired.

It's a powerful lesson for all of us, especially for persons who work in the public sphere..  If you want to be a powerful person and use Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn to show other folks how connected you are, don't be surprised if someone uses the information that you so readily trumpet to the world.  It's called the World Wide Web, and you put it out there.

Aaargh!

I got up this morning, poured coffee, and sat down to check email and start the day.  Somethiing ain't right in my laptop.  It crashed hard.  Very hard.  Started running diagnostics.  Oh, my, this thing is sick, sick.

I'm using Milady's netbook to try to figure out what's wrong with the laptop, but I don't know if there's much hope.  In the meantime, this tiny keyboard on the netbook is giving me fits.

Of course, I have to work a soccer game today, and time is limited.

Just Damn!

System crash

Like many of you, my home network has a wireless router that beams signal to computers and devices.  My signal strength had been getting smaller and weaker, so yesterday I went out and bought a new router.  A big, strong, dual band router from Netgear.    Came home and started the installation.  After a frustrating hour, I decided that my modem had taken a dump also, so I went back to the box store and bought another box.  Came back home, called my ISP, and got the modem installed.  So, now I'm running a nice, new strong wireless system that is completely password protected.

However, suddenly, my laptop computer won't talk to my network printer.  That's not normally a problem, but I'm having trouble downloading and installing a driver.  Something changed and my Toshiba laptop doesn't want to work with my HP printer.  It's aggravating, but I can work around it.  I probably have a box un-checked in some setup routine, and I'll figger it out.  Still, it bugs me when things that are supposed to work together don't.

I can hear all you Mac guys howling.  Fuggetaboudit.  I'm not a Mac user. 

Lawn Mower Maintenance

The wonder of the internet.  Look around for awhile and you're bound to find an expert in any given field.  You can download parts manuals, test procedures, just about anything you'd like if your Google-fu is strong.

Here in the family, we call this machine the Magic Information Box.  Ask it a question, it'll spit out an answer.  Maybe not the answer you're looking for, but if you keep at it, you'll get an inkling of where you need to look next.  No, I'm not going into particulars, but I'm a whole lot further along than I was a daylight today.  Hopefully, this is an easy fix.

Virus

Some sonofabitch sent me a virus, a Security Alert virus that screwed my system. This thing is akin to the Mafia. "Nice little computer you have here, hope nothing bad happens to it. Send us money and we'll keep it safe." I downloaded some files from Microsoft that my tech at work recommended and I'm letting them do their work.

I'd like to find the sonofabitch who writes viruses and hang him by his testicles from the light pole outside. With a sign on his chest that says Virus Writer. Folks who had been similarly infected would be invited to come over and stick knives in him, take shots at him, or simply beat him with a baseball bat. To encourage the others. I don't believe that there is a jury in the world that would convict me. Jury nullification is a wonderful thing.

I've got the computer working, and several things going on. The Sunday Dawg will be posted, if I have to post it from another computer.

Becky

Back when I met Milady, we were both exploring the internet and learning about online problems that might crop up, not the least of which is privacy. We found each other on Yahoo! Personals and she used an alias in her online persona to try to keep the creeps out of her life. Evidently it didn't work out well for her, because she got me in her life and she'd be much better off if she had come to her senses and run me up the road.

Lots of folks use aliases online. My alias is PawPaw, and several times over the years people have come to me and asked if I were PawPaw from PawPaw's House. Yup, that's me.

Last week, we got a letter from AARP, trying to sell Milady some insurance. Only thing is that it came addressed to her internet persona. We laughed and laughed, because I don't believe that Becky is going to buy any insurance.

They even got the address right, which has been redacted in this photo, but which in itself is not a huge secret. I guess that Yahoo! has sold their mailing list to AARP, but how they connected the name with the address still has me scratching my head.

It's all for naught, 'cause Becky ain't buying any insurance. If they'd send us a voter registration card, we might be able to use that.

Not just for weirdos

Instapundit linked to this article on Yahoo, where they talk about online dating. It's not just for weirdos anymore. Thanks, guys. Weirdos, huh? I met Milady online, through the Yahoo! personals. I enjoyed the online dating experience.

When I was single, I had been married for 25 years and found myself single. I lived in a small town and I wanted to experience folks I hadn't yet met, so I filled out an online personal, had a friend take a current photograph and posted it on the profile. Then waited.

I didn't have to wait long. I got some interesting responses and I had some really good dates with some interesting women. If you're considering such a thing, there are a few tips. First, be brutally honest with yourself and your prospective date. If you're looking for a relationship, let them know. If you're looking for a pleasant Saturday night, be honest about that too.

Meet for the first time in a public place. A bar or restaurant. A coffee shop might be a good idea. Print out a picture of your potential date so you can recognize him or her when she shows up. Be prompt. Observe all the societal pleasantries. Don't be afraid to walk away. If the picture and the profile don't match the person, then they're willing to lie to you. I don't tolerate that in any form. Be pleasant, tell them you wished that they had been honest, and walk out the door. I followed those rules for the better part of the year and had a good experience with online dating. It was fun and I met some really interesting folks. I also walked out on a couple of gals who couldn't post a reasonably current picture, or lied outright on the profile.

One day I net this lady online and we started chatting, then decided to meet at a bar for a Super Bowl party. We had a few laughs, watched the game and talked to other patrons. Began seeing each other on the weekends, and eventually fell in love. We met during Super Bowl 2001 and married in 2003. I feel like I married my best friend.

If you're single and reading this blog online, you've got everything you need to begin online dating. It's not just for weirdos anymore.

Facebook

I check Facebook occasionally, but I'm reading that they've made some changes and have pissed off many of the users by making changes to a program that was easy, intuitive and fun to use.

It's been my experience that programmers take a good program and make improvements on it until it no longer functions.

Computer security

We learned that Milday's desktop computer had become infected with a particularly nasty little trojan and I started casting about for solutions. I called my brother-in-law, Steve, who has been in the business for thirty years and picked his brain. He told me about a microsoft product, Microsoft Security Essentials. It's a free download and Steve said that he and his peers have decided that it's just about the best on the market right now.

I downloaded and installed it. It found the trojan in short order and deleted it. I think her computer is protected now. It's firewalled and I've set the program to make automatic scans.

Thanks, Steve!

New Computer

My old trusty laptop crashed earlier this week and I needed a new one. I bought a Toshiba Satellite C655 Series. Found the best deal at Office Depot, out the door for under $400.00.

I'm getting it set up and now I've got to recover bookmarks and lists. Some of the old ones will probably go away, but I've got a bunch of old ones I want to keep. There are friends on this internet that I've never seen in person but feel like we're old friends.

This machine screams, compared to my old one. I hope to keep it cleaner than the last.

Crashed

My old laptop crashed today and I'm running on Milady's netbook. My computer guru brother-in-law and I talked computers last week, and now I'm in the market for a new laptop. I don't need much computer because most of what I do is fairly low-tech. I would like CD/DVD burner, because I can't burn CDs on this netbook.

They have gotten cheaper over the last five years. When I bought my laptop back in 2005 I paid over $1000.00 for it, and now better machines are under $500.00. Luckily, I've been in the habit of storing files on a memory card and I was able to get the files off the old machine before it completely crashed. I haven't lost anything important.