Saturday, August 31, 2019

Sleeping with the Enema

A large number of android antiviruses are full of holes.


Hey, how bout those cellular carriers who don't throttle video speed except when necessary?  Oops.

I hate like hell to enable this, so consider it a warning in case you want to. 
10 Best Free VPN Chrome extensions.
Why not?
Chrome is Google. Isn't that enough? This browser phones home.
READ the VPN companies' privacy policies and logging disclosures. Some of them are beyond bad. The performance isn't always that good. If it's free, how do they make money?  
Opera has a built-in VPN, but the browser is Chinese. They don't have a great privacy record.




Dear lefty

  • What would you do if I sang out of tune?

a. get you a huge record contract
b. You'd be the singer in my band, and we'd go to the next song
c. stand up and walk out on you



As is pointed out to me frequently, freedom of speech is not absolute.
---> Chicago man arrested for threatening to commit massacre at abortion clinic.  I'm pro-life and I'll kill you to prove it.



  • Pro Tip: Prostrate is laying on your back. Prostate is up your butt. You should avoid mixing them up. Trust me.


ThermionicEmissions is kicking off a new feature today.
It's called "I'd Rather".

No thanks, I'd rather wear a MAGA hat to the next Democratic debates.

If you have any ideas, comments, complaints, whining, praise, or offers of chocolate, use the Comment button. If you have no comment, use the Comment button.

Don't forget to tell your friends, or people you don't like, to come by and read the blog. Google informed me that we had one visitor yesterday. I want to keep this streak going. If we hit over 20 members, I'll make the blog free.



  • Why is Dwayne pronounced du-WAYNE?
  • Who taught the South that "Do whut?" is an acceptable substitution for "Could you repeat that, please?"



Twitter is under fire for thousands of ads attempting to influence voting.
In other news, people read ads?




  • Giving back: I love stories about animals assisting and saving people. We had a small chance to give back when over 100 humans volunteered to help a few stranded whales get back to sea.




In the background as I type is a drawn out debate on how we watch tv and movies, mostly about using cell phones. One lady said she doesn't like it because it ruins the 'viewing experience.' I try to avoid personal insults as arguments so I won't say 'blithering idiot'. Ok, fine, lady, but who cares what you think? People can watch however they want. They can choose to ignore the entire show and look at pr0n on their phones. So long as they're not bothering anybody, what does it matter? At the movies, however, these people require a serious learning experience.




Dyatlov Pass

A group of hikers went exploring the tundra in the Urals and wasn't heard from.
A few weeks later, a search party found their bodies. They were in really bad shape.. some huddled together, some half naked, some half a mile away, all fleeing something.

The tent was shredded. Examination showed knife cuts. The cuts were made from the inside of the tent. A scrap of paper left there said 'the Snowman exists.'

Autopsies were performed. The medical examiner said no human could have produced the damage that was inflicted upon the bodies. One was missing its tongue.  One student, Yuri Yudin, headed home before the incident. He recently passed away, but identified one of the belongings as being from the military or KGB, indicating someone made it to the scene before the rescue party. Not included were claims of huge footprints.

In short order, the Russian government shut the investigation down. It's been a mystery for 50 years.

Some say an animal. Some say aliens. Cattle mutilations showed tongues removed. Some blame an avalanche. Some indigenous folk who were alive at that time said 'Menk,' meaning Yeti/Sasquatch. Footprint casts from the area are huge. The Russian government put together a group to bring back a Yeti, disbanded in 1959, right before the hikers left. Everything else is classified. Links are to Wikipedia, Dyatlov Pass, and the An American Nationalist blog, with its own theory.

These are the facts as I know them. Draw your own conclusions.




SJW Streaks

Tourette's charity wants apology over award-winning joke.
Make sure to choose at least one topic to be offended by..
I used to perform with a comic who had a stutter and built his act around it. Time went by and he cured himself. Unfortunately, he had no more act.

[Twitter]
"....robots can be trans"









Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Don't Fart in Church - it Keeps Me Awake

Here's a smartphone app to detect credit card skimmers on ATMs and gas stations.

And you told me there was no such thing as a butt plug hacker.

If you have an iDevice, you may be infected. I'm not kidding.

Do you use Chrome browser? A neato bug is causing a fix to be rushed.
This raises many questions: which browsers are also affected because they're Chrome-based? Chrome is based on the open-source Chromiun, which is probably affected. Many popular browsers are built on Chrome. Don't use Chrome - it's a goog product



BREAKING: President Trump wants to buy Greenland.
I have to question the intelligence behind this.. can't we buy a country with a decent climate?

We're at least 22 trillion in debt; why are we talking about buying a country?
I'll tell you why...


Top 10 Reasons to Buy Greenland

  1. Because it's there
  2. Asked how he found America, John Lennon said, "Just turn left at Greenland." Imagine how much easier it would be now.
  3. How about those Kardashians?
  4. Keep the military home from Afghanistan fresh - they can just take it.
  5. We can change its name to Booger.
  6. Send California there.
  7. It's half the cost of Iceland per square foot.
  8. Even the trade imbalance with Denmark. (Denmark owns Greenland)
  9. Zero Population Growth - who wants to do it where the temperature never goes above 50 degrees (17 grams centigrade)?
  10. Are you f-ing kidding me?



Dear lefty

  • How do you categorize people?
  • It all comes down to cocktail or tartar sauce on seafood.



Up to 10% of Texas drivers are uninsured or underinsured.
Philly: Don't be a pussy - we're at 50% on a good day.

Pennsylvania ranked 18th on the top friendliest states.
Its neighbor, New York, ranked last. Very close was its other neighbor, New Jersey.  Imagine if they ranked cities.... Camden, Manhattan, North Philly (scene of the recent shooting).


  • Every now and then I find a particularly interesting piece. The parrots want to tell us something. The ones that aren't dead parrots, of course.



This study shows handler beliefs affect scent detection dog outcomes.
Now explain that to the policeman.



  • Here's a little light reading on the CIA mind control experiments. Yes, the Manchurian Candidate is non-fiction.


When you see an airplane on tv, how can you tell it's a commercial?
The people look comfortable and the refreshment trolley takes up less than half the aisle.





The British are a Riot

Insipred by the riots in Hong Kong, the British have decided to take up rioting (on a limited basis, if that's ok).

They urge caution, so most will be protesting at home. Some of the more brave Britons will protest online. The bravest promise to leave their homes, slowly, but can't agree on a suitable venue to air their grievances. The riot had to be postponed four times, because of a series of meetings to figure out what their grievances ARE.

The novice rioters are urged to start with small steps, such as grumbling in public. The more intrepid rioters are going to get Really Serious, with a series of strongly worded emails. If you are leaving your house for the riot, practice in small increments: take two steps, say, "We just cannot have that sort of thing here," then run back inside. You will be ready for full revolt in only a few years' time.

The brave rioters staying home are urged to march in step with the people actually attending the riot (both of them). The riot will be televised, but you're out of luck if you haven't paid your licence fees.

The grievance committee also has to approve signs for the rioters. Suggestions thus far run the gamut from "Oi" to "Man United or Death!" to "I am strongly against this sort of thing." The political subcommittee has also approved "Fuck Trump" signs. Although there is no specific relevance, it has become fashionable to carry them. The Boris Balloon has been rejected because the Chinese are too busy rioting to complete it on time.

The largest hurdle facing the Brits is that they have to be taught how to riot. History shows they're not very good at it, unless there's an interruption in the flow of tea or Eastenders. When advised rioting includes things like not showering, being rude, and flouting authority, the grievance committee decided on a more nuanced approach: postponing the riot indefinitely and holding more meetings.




  • Police in England carry a device that lets them check if car windows are tinted too darkly.  From tinted windows to people saying bad words, you're protected.



Headline: A man suspected of planning an ISIS-style knife attack in New York is in jail today, courtesy of the FBI.

Real Story: some incompetent boob was nurtured and encouraged by the FBI, then 'caught' right before committing the act.  This happens so many times, your first instinct when you hear FBI should be 'they set up another one.'




Heroes of the Stupid

Lindsey Graham is advocating for a peace deal in Afghanistan.
Yay!
His only prerequisite is that US troops are allowed to continue fighting.
Ummm....


A South African bank says that password managers play a useful role but cautions against the use of them for your bank account.

'Hundreds of thousands' of users are still using compromised passwords - worse still, they're using those same passwords for multiple different sites.


Jed Foster (20) is in court for the murder of policeman Andrew Harper. He says he's not guilty - he wasn't even there. He did not drag the policeman under the car.  The policeman was not married for only 10 months. Foster wasn't even in the country on that date. In fact, he was on the moon on whatever date he allegedly killed someone. He couldn't have been there because he denies being born. This should be an interesting trial.


Elizabeth Warren gave a speech in front of Native Americans, where she apologized for claiming she was part Native American. She is actually African American.




SJW Situations

[Twitter @PaulLeeTicks]
As much as a monster as Ted Bundy was, just keep this in mind: Ted Bundy killed 30 people, over a span of 4 years. Whereas Donald Trump is responsible for the mass murder of 31 people - in just one weekend.







I'm a little bit country... and she's a little bit rock and roll...

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Why is it Always Semprini?

Ticketmaster, that evil entity that lets you think you can purchase overpriced tickets online, emailed to let me know that the Sixers' schedule is in.

I'm holding out for Hitler on Ice, Opera for the Attention Deficited, and Ballet: a brief 10 day course.



In today's IT report, shit got leaked, a credit security company put 1 million records online for anyone, and you have to approve a warning before you use your IoT stove. The stove will stop working if it can't get to the internet and will talk the other appliances into going on strike. So nothing new.

Faceyspaces has long denied shadowbanning.
This makes their new patent for shadowbanning somewhat suspicious.


You should probably wait to buy an oven that you can set to preheat remotely. The June oven has been turning itself on during the night and preheating to 400 for hours, after an update. June promises another update, but says it's a user error, not an oven error.

Need to reset your smart GE light bulb? Find instructions, turn on for 3 seconds, stand on left foot, swear you'll never buy a smart device ever,




  • In case you somehow failed to discover it, here's a full list of Monty Python episodes.



Dear lefty
  • Everything in the world that's happening has me worried. What do I do?
  • Get drunk, mix with pills, drive, and yell at people. You'll feel better and won't remember any of it.



Having a good day today? Let me fix that....
Our good friends at the Army germ lab (Ft. Detrick) have been ordered to shut down research involving dangerous microbes like Ebola by the Centers for Disease Control. Did you ever think you'd see the day when the CDC could shut down the army?

In case you don't remember, Ft. Detrick is where the lab lost, misplaced, or was otherwise found to be short of all sorts of disease samples.  These people can't be trusted to secure a cold virus (which is precisely why they work on ebola).

Better now?



But wait - there's more! Hiding in plain sight!
The Pentagon is testing mass surveillance balloons over the US. It's in the actual non-fake news.



Over in New York's Hudson Valley, people are up in arms because the new tenants of a housing development will be Hasidic Jews. Can you imagine the furor that would erupt if the buyers were black and this was said? I'm surprised the Antisemite Squad hasn't been out. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for the uproar presented.... just a few minor complaints. Maybe the Antisemite Squad is right (this one time - don't cry wolf).



  • Over at the airlines, support miniature horses are now allowed to fly. This gives me hope for my Emotional Support Elephant.
  • A Fresno, California, man, winning a taco-eating contest, died. He choked on a taco. Usually when people die from tacos, it involves Taco Bell.



Joe Biden's (D-Molestia) people are talking about scaling back his appearances to limit gaffes. I say get him more appearances. This is the Joe Biden we know and love. The Joe Biden we expected. He's finally living down to his potential!


Groundbreaking sperm sorting could let parents choose the sex of the baby.
Can you imagine having that job?
What if they want to have a trans baby?




Let's talk pressure cookers, the Manhattan kind.

Mrs lefty said maybe someone got a good deal at a department store.
She's deadly sometimes.

The bomb squad eventually discovered the cookers were harmless.
Obviously this was a tasteless prank (my favorite kind).

We need to have a common sense talk about pressure cooker control.
Nobody needs 2 pressure cookers. Only the government should have pressure cookers.

The Pressure Cooker Pranker was caught, because of way too many video surveillance systems; both city and transit.  Yes, you're being video'd - but it's for the children.





Hero of the Stupid
A motorist was visited by the police and found to have EIGHT phones with EIGHT games of Pokemon going at the same time. In his defense, the fellow was pulled off to the side of the road - not driving. The policeman made him put his rig in the back seat before continuing. the picture is priceless.

Bill DeBlasio says he can beat Donald Trump because of his height. "The tall candidate almost always wins."





SJW Stuff

Humanoid robots modeled after white celebrities might be racism, according to a study.

NY university promotes paper comparing cow insemination to 'rape', and milking cows to 'sexual abuse'.  Apparently no one told them that calling it rape means they fuck cows.

A student built a 'Cry Closet,' meant to be a safe space for stressed out students.


Katy Perry has been accused of sexual misconduct. "Teenage Dream" costar Josh Kloss said Perry pulled down his pants at a party.  Back in the day, this was called funny, hijinks, and Good Clean Fun. Some would give their firstborn to be pantsed by Katy Perry.








Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Put Down the Ice Cream and Come Out with your Hands Up

"Hi, lefty!" went the automated assistant.
"WTF," went lefty. That's just creepy.
"Would you like to make a payment? Press 1 for yes, 2 for no."
presses 1
"If you would like your balance first, press 1. If you want to pay now, press 2."
presses 2
"Your balance, that you just told me not to read, is $100. Would you like to pay $100 now with your card on file?"
"Yes."
"......... Sorry, I don't understand. Would you like to make your payment now?"
"YES, PAY, YES, PLEASE"
"......... You selected 'talk to customer service.' There will be a $17 charge."
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU A FRIGGIN DEAF MACHINE? I SAID YES, YOU IDIOT. DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND YES? I REALIZE THIS IS NEW TECHNOLOGY AND HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR 25 YEARS, SO YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT RIGHT YET...."
hangs up
calls again
"Hi, lefty!" went the automated assistant.
same routine.
"Pay. PAY. YES I WANT TO PAY, YOU DONKEY PLOOKER. PAY. P, A, Y - GOT IT?
"There is a longer than normal wait for Customer Service. Please follow the link we sent you or you'll have to call back 20 more times and you won't get any further."
follows link, pays in 14 seconds
"We detect you have paid online. Thank you for your payment and go fuck yourself."
click





The US Navy will be replacing their touch screen monitors on their ships because they're stupid (the monitors and the designers). The new tech is being blamed for a ship crash: there are separate controls for left and right power, located on different sides of the bridge. Plus the monitors are apparently too complex for the users. Feel safer now?


Hey, do you have one of those new wifi routers with the WPA3 incredibly secure standard? It's already been hacked to allow password discovery.  


Wanna see some stats on the NSA's telephony metadata program?


You know those voting machines that are Very Secure because they're not hooked to the net? Oops.







Dear lefty

  • I'm a closet Trump supporter and I'm getting tired of all the divisiveness. What should I do?
  • Have the president announce that he is categorically against jumping off buildings. By the next morning, there won't be a single divisive person alive




Hey, Kids - it's Sunday morning and I'm in bed.
Well, I was in bed.
Now I'm typing this to you, my good readers.
On a Sunday morning, what's the best thing you can do at 8am?
That's right - the neighbor is having their roof redone!

There are a bunch of dudes with hammers hitting things, conveniently located outside my window. There are also two guys on the roof with those auto-hammer/stapler thingies, playing call and response.

Left: bang bang bang
Right: bang bang bang BANG
It took me a while to figure out they were doing Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick.

Mrs lefty went out to ask them if we should move our car.
They stared at her, silently.
Apparently there's a regulation that companies hire non English speaking workers. This is a problem if you need to communicate with them, but the amount of complaints has plummeted to zero.

I just wanted to let you know that if you hear on the news about some unfortunate roofers in my area falling 2 stories to the dirt, next to the sidewalk, and being impaled on 4.7" wood 2x4's, spitting out their spleens and a pancreas or two, just before lunch, near a red truck.. I had nothing at all to do with it. I was asleep.


Speaking of the news, there's a lot going on in Kashmir lately.
I just can't listen to this human tragedy.
(without hearing Led Zeppelin's Kashmir)
It's been a great time for Led Zeppelin.


  • a fake Hillary Clinton Twitter account sent this: Jeffrey Epstein was once a close friend. His impending suicide will take a heavy toll on us all.



A Tesla caught fire after hitting a tow truck in Moscow.
Regular cars also have this annoying habit.
One should always avoid tow trucks.







South Wales police want to remind you that if you make fun of this convicted drug dealer's hair, you will be investigated. Even if they take lack of freedom of speech into account, the right to pick on this person's hair should be universal.




  • My dad, retired and in need of hobbies, is still agitated I use 4 spoons of sugar in my coffee. I took offense, as I whittled down to two spoons. The secret here, in case you need to cut down on sugar too, is to use really sweet, high sugar creamer. When I retire, I hope I find better Stuff to bitch about.


Something is wrong in the UK government.
Boris Johnson's hair barely points north, east, and west since the election. The news says this signals his about-face on Brexit and Life in General. The people remain more divided than ever. The Americans ask "What's Brexit?"

If you watch Sky News, I'm dating Kay Burley.
The bad news is that she's not aware of it.
The good news is that neither is my wife.



Hong Kong has gotten a bit riotous lately, with protesters getting more bold, since they found out they can Get Stuff when they protest. The current protest is being held at the Hong Kong Airport. The police are out in force and the government has shut down all flights out of spite. Forgotten during this massive argument as to whose penis is bigger, is the reason for the protest: renaming the airport Donald Trump Honorary Airport.

This would be even funnier if it appeared when the protest started happening, not weeks later. This is the quantity quality of work I put into this blog.



Positive government action
Yes, I know... you don't hear about that a lot.
The FDA warned that drinking bleach will not cure cancer or autism.
On the other hand, the fact they had to put this out is terribly sad.




SJW Stuff

[twitter]
Dear white people: If you haven't apologized for being white today to a person of color, maybe you should.


[also twitter]
Do you have white teenage sons?
Listen up.

I've been watching my boys' online behavior & noticed that social media and vloggers are actively laying groundwork in white teens to turn them into alt-right/white supremacists.   Fake news... everybody to the right of Michael Moore has been purged from the larger social media platforms.



Two commercials have been banned in the UK because they perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. Yes, this is an actual law.  There is a funny point: news people refer to one of the commercials as Philly Cheese, when the product is Philadelphia (brand) Cream Cheese.






Sunday, August 18, 2019

And Now, the Breast of the Story

President Trump and the FBA (Federal Blogging Association) now require this disclaimer on all blogs:

Do not read ThermionicEmissions if you are allergic to ThermionicEmissions. Always read ThermionicEmissions with an alcoholic beverage, on an empty stomach. Use caution if you are driving.

ThermionicEmissions should not be read if you are pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or practicing getting pregnant. Do not read if you are not consuming recreational pharmaceuticals, if your kids are in the room, in the bath, in the shower, or thinking about a shower. Tell your internet provider if you develop a persistent laugh, which could be the sign of a serious mental condition.

Side effects include itchy breasts, heart attack, bloody spleen, black plague, red death, blue balls, spitting out your pancreas, punching old ladies, screaming WHY DIDN'T YOU MOLEST *ME* at priests, OCD OCD OCD, shaving your testicles, shaving your mother's testicles, and death. 


One percent of people who read the blog asked for a different blog. The other 99 percent were too stunned to reply. Only 3 percent of men became pregnant. 38 percent assaulted the person who referred them. The majority painted their nipples red and sang loudly, out of tune, at the zoo.



Amazon now lets you opt-out of having humans review your Alexa conversations.

No really. We're not kidding this time. We'd never lie to you. We're good, honest people.


I don't use goog Maps (or goog anything), so here are 10 alternatives. The irony is they're all available from the goog play store. I'd avoid mapquest if you're interested in getting somewhere.


If you fly Cathay Pacific, the privacy policy changed: they will gather all possible information on you. This will be aided by cameras in lounges and plane cabins. The statement from Cathay is that they don't have cameras in the loos, so don't worry. Meanwhile there are cameras on the seat back entertainment console, which they claim aren't used. Don't fly Cathay.


This won't come as a surprise to ThermionicEmissions readers, but Microsoft contractors are listening to some Skype calls. I'll go one step further.. Microsoft is very fond of Telemetry, so they're listening too. The program was cracked before they bought it.


AT&T customer? Employees took bribes to plant malware on the company network, as well as unlocking phones. I like the unlocking phones part..





Dear lefty:

  • Why does my wife have more shoes than clothes?
  • Because she's preparing to go clothes shopping.



A man proposed to his girlfriend by putting a ring on a cow's udder.
Ten points for creativity. Minus eight points for romance being dead.





THIEF!
The other day I noticed there were no cereal bowls. Ok, perhaps I didn't wash them or something.  Dear, have you seen any bowls lately? No? Where do you suspect they all went?  Bowl thieves? People from different dimensions popping in and stealing them for fun? People from the future, coming back and taking ours because there aren't any after the year 2502? Cereal Bowl Fairies? A cocker that takes them and buries them in the yard?

Sometimes I find dishes in ... different... places. Like the forks on the other side of the kitchen, near the tree limb lopper.  Tupperware outside, near the driveway. Coffee cups in the tub. Paper plates made into mock wind chimes, attached to the back of the car. Stuff like that....



It's not that our driving has gone to hell, nor is it our driving manners...
Ok, it IS.
There is a bad section of the Turnpike, where alleged repairs are being done on the road.
Undaunted, the drivers are knocking down the bright orange pylons and driving outside the traffic lanes.
Daunted, the drivers are pulling over, with mangled cars, from driving over repair detritus.
Instant Karma.



An indefinite 'security' lockdown is in place in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.
This means the internet was shut off to avoid protests.
If you're ever curious why I'm so against any government control of the net, here it is.



  • Amnesty International has issued a travel warning for the US
  • The US has issued a Do Not Pay Attention warning for Amnesty International



There are already calls for Boris Johnson to resign and a no-confidence vote.
This makes the US and UK feel so alike, in spite of the distance between them.



Heard on tv
No matter what I wear, I'm afraid people will see my bladder leak underwear.



I'm in the waiting room at the doctor's office, minding my own business.
The couple across from me is listening to their voicemail at TOP VOLUME and commenting on it. This goes on forever. Since I'm socially retarded, I was hoping  you can help me choose the right thing to do
  • scream "SHUT THE FUCK UP, you shameless bastards."
  • say "If I wanted to hear idiots, I'd turn on the tv"
  • pull down pants and masturbate furiously
  • tell them to go home and molest their sheep





Bang Bang
Once again, bad people with guns shot good people (apparently) without them.
Everyone has sounded off on this; the people who think laws deter criminals, the people who don't want one restriction on their liberty, and the 'hate' crowd.

I'm going to sidestep that and look at the issues surrounding this.
Already, one social media platform has had (at least) its DDOS protection shut down. I haven't read the alleged hate-filled, motivating messages, but I think that unless the speech is illegal, they should be left alone [8chan posted the shooter's manifesto]. Shutting down DDOS protection clashes with my belief that private companies can do what they want - I admit it. But the alleged cesspool that is 8chan (never been there), should be left alone. Nothing 8chan said forced some mentally-questionable person to pick up a gun and shoot. Let's have some personal responsibility here. They're words. The problem is with actions.

Free speech includes speech with which you do not agree.
Posting whatever kind of crap online also helps you keep track of these loons. I'm sure social media platforms have algorithms that discover this kind of speech. Let the dummies continue to leave it out for everyone to see.

The above assumes you agree with the information put out after the shootings.
Some believe there's something else afoot. Your mileage may vary.


Related, you'll notice the official story changes here and there. The witness said 4 shooters, the press said 1 shooter. The witness said green pants, but the guy they arrested had brown pants. I am not telling you what this is, just telling you that it is.  Want to check up on what's happening? Usually the truth comes out first, then gets replaced with the official narrative. Go to your phone's software store and download a scanner app like Scanner Radio. You can set it to alert you when lots of people are listening to a particular scanner feed. You can also set it to BING when local police/fire are busy. There's no manual labor involved after you set the limits to alert you. You will hear what's happening first, from the mouths of the police there.

If you're at home, go to broadcastify.com to hear anything that the app can produce. It's a good site when you hear there's a problem. Another online resource is fox10phoenix.com  - they tend to have news earlier than others. Plus I like the climate there.



  • If the dog wants something, she'll stand between her humans, barking urgently. This makes conversation difficult. If we throw a toy and it lands on a chair, she stands there and barks.
  • There is not a single being in the house with an ounce of patience. Apparently opposites do not attract.
  • Today we watched her stand still, then leap into the air to catch a bird. This works out well, because I don't have a camo outfit and shotgun to take her out huntin' with me.



In my quest to find as unbiased a news source as possible, I found a feed for Israeli news (i24). After spending 5 minutes there, I deleted it. It's not that they didn't like our president, but interviewed only people who disagreed with him, and asked questions indicating a left wing bias. After the shootings, they asked what he should do about mental health and apologizing for hate he caused.  Ok, no bias there. From the questions and answers, you'd think Trump pulled the trigger at both shootings. You'd also think that no one has an original thought, instead, waiting for programming from online to tell them what to do. I just want a little unbiased news. Again, I didn't vote for him, but the rampant bias is sickening. A friend said he didn't vote for Trump, but the behavior of his opponents makes him want to defend Trump and followers. He makes a point.

I support free speech, even in other countries, even when I don't agree.

I also support stopping aid to other countries, 100%, now. Oddly, as printed here before, Israel gets the most US aid of any country. Aid and news are not related - just irony today.

Just to drive the point home, I turned on Fox news and there was a commercial for the Ark exhibit. Click.



The Boss said the meeting would topic would be Ad Hoc.
What a terrible-sounding phrase. It sounds like you're clearing your throat, which must mean it's German. It's probably a declaration of love. AD HOC, fraulein!

Now let's have a go at the Chinese: bok choi.
It roughly translates to "We must fight acrobatically, out of sync"
Bok CHOI!



watching tv...
ME: Wow, she's pretty.
WIFE: She looks like a porn star.
ME: and the problem is...?



A Florida couple experienced a small after effect of a storm, when lightning hit close to their septic tank, blowing their toilet on its side. So if you've got a septic tank or a toilet, don't swim in them during a storm.



SJW Stuff

[Coalition for Women in Tech]
White Papers are racist.           [ok, I made that up, but it's not too far off]

Rosanna Arquette: 'I'm sorry I was born white and privileged. It disgusts me.'
This is a winner. I kept looking for a sign it was a joke, but no.







Friday, August 16, 2019

Philly Gets its Own Shooting

You saw it on the news. You caught live feeds on Youtube. You listened to the scanners. Philly's very own shooting. Unfortunately it's not a mass shooting event, with only 6 police shot (none seriously, thankfully). Here's a timeline, sorta:


Philly police went to serve a drug warrant on a man in North Philly.

When they got to the neighborhood, they were taunted and had projectiles thrown at them.

  • probably the same people who say the police need to protect them from drug violence.


Police entered the house.

Man with a semi-automatic rifle let loose on them.

Police wisely use doors and windows to exit.


Perp fires out the window at random intervals.

  • Street cleared of everybody but SWAT and a few police. No one hurt.


Perp livestreams on Faceyspaces.

  • Because nothing happens til it's on Faceyspaces first.


No contact with perp, in spite of bullhorns and phone calls.

News goes viral - the whole world's watching.

A daycare center advises parents the kids are safe but don't pick them up yet.

Eventually the police commissioner makes the first statement. Next at the mic was the mayor, using his first sentence to call for gun control.

  • Oh, sorry, Mayor Sanctuary City.. the gun was illegally obtained. Your gun control laws won't prevent this. It's already illegal to own the rifle and illegal to sell drugs. Any other agendas you'd like to go over?


Democratic candidates for president go into Gun Control Mode with the press.

  • Sure didn't take them long. Again, the rifle was illegally obtained. In fact, the criminals will be the only ones with guns if you get your way. Never let facts stand in the way of an argument.



Hours later, the perp's attorney gets involved and convinces him to surrender peacefully.

  • A very smart attorney who is also wise. "They won't shoot you with the whole world watching."


On the way to jail, perp falls down several flights of steps, then punches himself in the face and body repeatedly (unverified) (completely made up).


Credit to the Philly Police for lack of stormtroopering. They did not rush the house, preferring instead to talk it out first. Philly got a serious black eye during the MOVE situation. A satchel of explosives was dropped on a house by the police commissioner, taking out the house, an inhabitant or two, and the entire block. The taxpayers had to pay to rebuild the entire block. As is typical, the taxpayers had to pay to re-rebuild the block when the original construction was found to be seriously faulty.



Some libertarians say this makes a hell of a point for legalizing drugs and not tampering with the Second Amendment. Do you agree?




UPDATE: I heard a very small snatch of a press conference, possibly from Philly's governor, possibly mayor: I'm going to push the legislature to start passing laws to get the guns out of the hands of criminals.

Huh?

It's already illegal for criminals to have guns. Are you feeling ok today?


Thursday, August 15, 2019

Hippos Wearing Tutus

The IRS has warned tax professionals to create data security plans.
This would have been a great thing for the cities that got hit with ransomware. Or just having good backups.

Which brings me to the same topic: You need a data security plan.
Let's simplify it a bit.. you at least need backups. Even if your phone stores your data In The Cloud, it's not enough - for the phone or anything else. There are many huge backup services In The Cloud that can back up your data automatically. I'm talking about your home computer/laptop(s), and phones. You want to have at least two backups, with at least one off premises. 

Create a scenario where there's a serious spike or brownout in your electricity, wreaking havoc on your home computer (s).  Even if your computers get blown up, you can buy new ones and reload your data from backups. If your data is In The Cloud, you can restore from there, but the data has been known to 'get lost', so your 2nd backup, perhaps burned to a CD at home, will restore.

If, heaven forbid, something happens to your house, a copy of your data In The Cloud or at a relative's house, or in a safety deposit box, will save your bacon. You can never be too careful with your data. You will instantly regret not doing this the first time your device dies.


Discovered on Reddit: malicious links leading to android ransomware. It's limited at this point, but could go wider. 

There is a new attack on driverless cars: a drone projects a stop sign or obstacle, so quickly you can't see it, but the car can. Because drones follow you.


Technically, Windows is an operating system, which means that it supplies your computer with the basic commands that it needs to suddenly, with no warming whatsoever, stop operating.  - Dave Barry



Dear lefty:

  • I need more sex from my girlfriend of 2 months. Whenever I bring it up, she gets angry and we get nowhere. She used to be into it when we first met, but everything has gone to hell. I really love her and wonder what to do. What should I put on chocolate cake?
  • Vanilla buttercream icing. To be authentic, just eat the icing. Cake is merely a delivery system for icing.



Hairy the Ginger Prince and Princess Megan announced they're only having two children, to help the planet.  Harry, Megan, do not fret. You're not that ugly or objectionable, so you won't be hurting the planet moreso.  Although influencing others not to breed might be worth it. On the other hand, if you're that worried about the planet, don't have any kids (you selfish royal, virtue-signalling bastards).

Meanwhile, Megan is reportedly looking at in-vitro fertilization.



I don't do sports, so the closest I get is the news:
  • The ability to overlay ads on the field is appalling.
  • How come female golfers don't look nearly as clownishly dressed as men?
  • In the most recent election, the UK's Silly Party got 1% of the vote. This is usually an ugly sport, but it's so different from the US, where both parties are Silly.



Woodstock 50 will not happen. The celebration cash grab has had much trouble getting organized, with a financial backer pulling out early. With acts like Miley Cyrus and Jay Z, Jimi and Bill Graham were revolving in their graves.



  • Watching the last few public appearances since the election, Boris "Cindy" Johnson's hair seems to have calmed down a bit. Rumor has it the Royal Lawnmower has gone tits up.


For some reason, known only to the Universe and Frank Zappa, I managed to get tickets to see ZZ Top. This was thwarted last time after trying 9 browsers and 3 operating systems. Customer service said to call the venue. The venue's hours make banks jealous. Using stripped down Chromium, I mostly succeeded. Except they told me the password was wrong. While resetting it, they told me I couldn't use an old password. Well if I couldn't use it, then it was correct in the first place, right? While waiting for the password reset, all the work I had done selecting the tickets was wiped out. When I got back in, those tickets were gone. I hate these companies with every fiber of my being. I hate the process. If every other site can be accessed by most browsers, why not Ticketmaster/Live Nation?

This is where it gets even more funner: there is a $17.50 'service fee', and a $5.00 'order processing fee' per ticket. Why do they do this? Because they can.

But wait - how would I like the tickets? Well, electronically on my phone would be fine. And halleleujah, free! Oh, too bad. They're not going to send me the actual emailed PDF files - it has to be viewed in their app. If they think I'm going to install their spyware on my phone, I suggest they hold their breath and wait for me. There are a number of other ridiculously-priced options. I finally had them mail the tickets to me, for $5.00. These people occupy the lowest rung of hell, just next to politicians and child molesters (redundant, I know).  By the time I'm done, there is the ticket price plus $20 per ticket in ridiculous fees.


Just for fun, I went to my state's drivers license site and found out one can renew a license online! Of course it took 3 browsers to find out one can't, because there's a certain time to do this and we're naturally outside of it. The 'solution' is to fill out a PDF. When the PDF comes up, one can check boxes, but not fill in text. This is about right for the state. So I have to download them, print them, fill them out, have them notarized, then mail them off. No problem, right?

Problem.

My $&#ing printer gave up the ghost a bit ago. My new printer. I don't have the time or desire to open it up and fix it, so I had to order a new one.  A certain huge electronics chain that I won't mention, but rhymes with Shmest Guy, has printers. Oops, the only ones in stock are the wrong kind, plus one that's twice what I want to spend. The site promises it can have the printer sent to the local store within a week, more or less (more). But they might consider shipping it to me, within a few days (depending on the weather and whether Mercury is in retrograde). So I have to get the printer, print forms, notarize, and send to the state. Then play America's Got No Talent til they get around to sending stuff back to me.

This is why I don't order online. Or leave the house. Or deal with the govt. Or consume diet anything.


UPDATE
After the successful ticket order, I made a successful printer order. They got it to me next day, I plugged it in and it worked perfectly. No drivers, nothing. We should play the lottery.  Notice that Best Buy's website allows me to order without Major Grief (he lives in my house). Not so much Ticketmaster/Live Nation.



  • Bette Midler has declared herself a write-in candidate for president in 2020. Sorry, Bette, but your behavior mirrors the person you've been complaining about. We don't need more of that in the White House. Oh yeah, do you have a platform? Going to close the border to illegal aliens? Hollywood loves that. Uphold the Second Amendment? Change the national anthem to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy?





SJW Stuff

In England, a woman was arrested after video surfaced of her shouting "Shame on you" at a Pride Parade. England is going down the toilet, starting with the Public Order Act, which means police can jail you for doing anything they don't like at the moment. Cursing will get you a ride, as will racial epithets.


CNN
Have you ever noticed the popularity of white robots? The reason for these shades of technological white may be racism, according to new research


The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats’ powerful campaign arm, has just abruptly purged half a dozen staffers. Why? Because they are white.   That's racist.






Sunday, August 11, 2019

The Crux of the Biscuit

... is the apostrophe
-Frank Zappa, featuring Jack Bruce


The ProtonMail guide to taking control of your online privacy.
You can get a free email address that's encrypted and does not monitor your messages. A free VPN also exists.


With just a few characteristics, someone could identify you 99.98% of the time.


The Dutch government is really pissed at Microsoft for all the data slurping they do. After solutions were offered, the government discovered that mobile apps and Office online are still gathering information, as are some of the features in Win 10 Enterprise.

Meanwhile in the US, we can't get enough of MS. And data slurping.
You can turn off telemetry in Win 10 but it will keep sending certain data. Remember this as you type. Unless you use iOS (I think) or linux.




Female Privilege

The scene in the movie has 5 people pulling a raft from the ocean to the sand.
When I say 5 people, I mean 4 people are doing the pulling, and the lone female is jiggling behind, in a bikini top, laughing vacuously.

Who gets doors opened for them - house/shopping/car ?
When there's physical labor to be done, who is expected to not participate?
When does a man touch or remove his hat?
Who has the better mammalian protuberances?
Who isn't required to register for the draft?

If women truly want equality, they need to give up these things.

*I'm not suggesting this.




Dear lefty
  • What is a heat index?
  • This is when you're expecting 100 degrees but they aren't content with making you miserable... 'with the humidity, it feels like 107'. It's a conspiracy to cause unrest, funded by the air conditioning lobby.



You think your day was bad?
What about the driver of a van with over $80 million worth of crystal meth, who hit a police car at a police station?



Overheard
  • If I were with her, she wouldn't be alone
  • Baby's genitalia amputated after botched operation by nurse who claimed she was a doctor.


"Kabul seeks clarification in Trump talk of wiping out Afghanistan."
 ---> Go Boom


  • Why does NASA tv have no sound?



Heroes of the Stupid

Someone tweeted: "Life is short, Steal a Walrus." MarineLand Canada sent the police to pay him a visit.

Bishop claims that a child becomes gay because parents had anal sex.

Under a new law, South Dakota will now require all public schools to display the "In God We Trust" motto; the display must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches in size - CBS News.  This will not survive a legal challenge. The religious advocates will not sit quietly until their symbols are everywhere. If anyone disagrees, they use the C card - everybody hates Christians.




The ACLU states plainly that trans people have the right to participate in sports consistent with who they are.

I'm not getting too involved here, but isn't there an ability gap when one gender competes with the opposite gender? Men are traditionally larger and stronger. If they transition, they're still larger and stronger. Put another way, if men tried to join women's sports, I'd be upset too. Technically I wouldn't - I don't do sports, but let's pretend, shall we?




SJW Stuff

Oregon approved 'mental health days' for school students.

How Armstrong's “giant leap for mankind” helped perpetuate inequality—on Earth and beyond.

Democrat State Representative Says Men Should Be Castrated to End Abortions, Taxed to Store Their Sperm

A gay artist's work was pulled from a North Wales gallery after police were called, and the work branded homophobic.

Two women were kicked off Twitter for 'misgendering'. For calling a trans woman 'he', after she spewed insults at them. This is the Canadian woman who filed a human rights complaint against 19 salon workers for refusing to do a Brazilian on her (male) equipment. While Twitter has every right to run its business this way, think about what happened: they got banished permanently for misgendering someone. Next up: book burning, then lynching.





I got used to missin her,
I practice all the time.
  -ZZ Top  Pan Am Highway Blues







Monday, August 5, 2019

Be Careful Not to Catch Kubernetes

One of the signs of the end of 'civilization' has arrived: there is an attack for android that uses the accelerometer to 'listen' and transmit the results to an attacker.

Microsoft, Google, and Apple clouds are banned in Germany's schools. They do not satisfy Germany's privacy standards.  Pay close attention to the section on Windows 10 telemetry.  There is also a city government in Germany that jettisoned Windows for linux.

Here's 100 linux command line commands explained, for your linux pleasure. No, linux does not have to be run from the command line - it can look just like Windows or anything else.


You're probably bored with your drone and need a little more excitement. Boy, are you in luck: Throwflame has a drone, complete with flamethrower

How about those new USB-C cables? Did you know there are 6 different kinds, that all look the same? My brain hurts.

2300 National Health Service (UK) computers are running Win XP.
I told you socialized medicine is no good.




Say thanks.
Some of the most underappreciated people are those who work at the counter or behind the scenes. People who may know you when you come in to use their services. Some are even downright friendly.

Next time you go to one of these places (vet, doctor's office, etc), bring something along, if you appreciate their service. Nobody else does, and the reaction is open-mouthed surprise. Thank the person who gave you a later appointment when you overslept, or who got something done for you faster than usual. Bring a donut or a dozen. Coffee. Candy. It costs little and means a lot.



Dear lefty

  • What is phishing?
  • When people who can't spell stick their thing in the water to catch stuff


NATO mistakenly published the location of 150 US nuclear warheads in Europe. Pure genius. Also, the US is reportedly spending up to $10 billion to modernize this arsenal.

  1. can I have a few of the old ones?
  2. I TOLD YOU about the dangers of Big Government and the Military Industrial Complex. Endless war. Your money is paying for this. Imagine how much more of your own money you'd have if the military were for a strong defense only... you could more than afford ridiculously expensive health insurance.
  3. President Eisenhower said this about the Military Industrial Complex




Irony Runs Thick

Bernie Sanders' campaign workers are demanding a $15/hr "living wage" and 100% free healthcare for those earning under $60k.  The campaign has thus far resisted.

UPDATE: unable to take the battering of the Irony Squad, workers were granted $15/hr. And had their hours cut.



  • I'm telling you, pick up some YooHoo in juice boxes and put it in the fridge. Your taste buds will thank you.



Coworker Follies

ME: asks can you please see if you can find this for me? I can't find it.
HIM: when is the meeting?
ME: what meeting
HIM: the meeting with Bob's Incorporated
ME: I'm not aware of any meeting
HIM: the one with Bob's
ME: I'm still not aware of any meeting
HIM: you sent me an email, asking me about the meeting
ME: no, I sent you an email, asking you to FIND this in the Bob Box. If it makes you happy, you can meet with Bob's.
HIM: No thank you. I'm confused.
ME: I concur.

There is such a basic level of miscommunication, it sounds like we're married.



  • Don't let them hoodwink you and charge you extra: guacamole is frog in a blender.


A woman claims Taco Bell served her a 'doorknob' in her nachos.
The joke's on her - it was the healthiest part of the meal.




  • Remember the Mosquito? The device that emits high frequencies that only 20 somethings can hear, but not 30s. It's to repel people, like in riots. Well, it's being used in public parks in Philthydelphia. The city that wants your guns, taxes your sugary beverages, and is proud to be a sanctuary city.
  • The city is using a riot tool to keep people out of city parks after dark.




There's some sort of problem with the way humans hear and (hopefully) comprehend. It comes in 2 forms: phone and email. The words in capitals are the words the person hears....

PHONE
Hi - I want to kill your daughters HI BOB - HOW ARE YA?

for some reason, people don't hear the first words you say.


EMAIL
1. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE REPORTS ARE?
2. Would you like a raise?

you will get an answer to 1 but not a word about 2. This applies to anything you ask for with 2 topics or more.



We always like to think our children are gorgeous and bright. I know mine is gorgeous, but the jury is out on bright. Last night, she somehow managed to get a rear paw nail caught around her ear. Same this morning. We thought maybe she was special.

During her final chemo appointment, they put a bandage around her leg. She was trying to get it off.


Maybe if I hide, no one will see me...

The results are in, and Penny is CANCER FREE!
The vets are happy for us and for themselves, because they want her back every 3 months for Very Expensive Tests.




Florida man arrested for "being awesome" after throwing his son into the ocean to 'teach him to swim'.  The police did not think I was awesome for throwing the neighbor into the ocean.



SJW Antics

The Apollo program was designed by men, for men. If we do not acknowledge the gender bias of the early space program, it becomes difficult to move past it
[New York Times]

The People's Republic of Berkeley, CA, is removing all gendered language from city code. No more He and She - now it's They. Including rest rooms.

Instagram is hiding 'likes' in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and Brazil, in the hope it will make people feel less judged.

Every woman has a right to have her scrotum waxed  [twitter]

Ivanka Trump mocked for giving 'all white' dog to her daughter.  [Newsweek]

Children of color make up more than half the student population—but only 20% of public school teachers are people of color. Our plan will devote $500 million per year to create-world class teacher academies at MSIs and HBCUs, so more students can have teachers who look like them.  [Beto O'Rourke]

Friday, August 2, 2019

Vermin Supreme Has Ideas

A JetBlue flight was interrupted when iPhones were sent a picture of a suicide vest. An iPhone feature allows people within 30' to send pictures.

More iDevice-related terror.

iPhone privacy tips.


If you use WhatsApp or Telegram, you'll want to turn this setting off. Now.


Police can start with almost no information about a person of interest and instantly know intimate details of their lives. Interested in the latest assault on our liberties?




  • Police in Tennessee have requested people not flush their drugs, because it could lead to 'meth-gators'.




Dear lefty

  • How many SJWs does it take to change a light bulb?
  • None. Light Bulbs are a tool of the patriarchy.



Reaching way back, Robert Plant's first two post-Led Zeppelin tours and albums featured a relatively unknown drummer called Phil Collins. Must've been a tough road, being famous with Genesis then drumming for Robert Plant.

But, you're asking yourself, what did Zep look like at their first concert?




Florida

A Florida man was sentenced after raping his baby daughter and posting footage to the web. I'm sure he'll be very popular in prison.

The Florida DMV sells your personal information to private companies and marketing firms...  hint: they're not the only ones.

A Texas woman lived with her dead mother for three years.
Texas must be a city in Florida.

A Florida man has been accused to cutting off his neighbor's genitals after catching him having sex with his wife.



A thief in Philly stole a man's car, with his kids inside.
The man took off after his kids, caught up with his car, and yanked the thief out.
Neighbors offered their assistance and somehow the thief wound up dead.

Instant Karma.




  • I just watched Penny the Wonder Cocker catch a bird. She's fast.



Batteries and Self-Driving Cars
My buddy was looking at hybrids. The one she saw recommended replacing the batteries every 5 years, at $8k. I wonder if it's covered under the warranty...

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but the green push to electric cars blindly ignores the cost of manufacturing batteries, generating electricity at home and charging stations, and disposing of old batteries. Doesn't seem that green to me.

Along the same lines, driverless cars are not ready for prime time, yet we hear about them as if they're flawless. Even the testing has someone at the wheel, just in case. This also ignores the privacy and security aspects.



Rhubarb ain't what it used to be?

We attended a hamfest over the weekend. Before you laugh about porcine references, a hamfest is an electronic radio flea market. We had a blast, looking around at stuff for sale. While I was looking at something, a guy at the next table hailed Mrs. lefty. He asked if she liked her vegetables. He handed her a bunch of rhubarb, along with directions to cook it. When she asked what she owed him, he said nothing. Hams are some nice people. If we get randy, we can flog each other with it. Or she could cook it. I'm voting for the former.

As I type this, there is a tv show with a segment on rhubarb.

Since we were looking at radios and other goodies, I scored a small mixer and microphone. The others got carabiners, electronics learning kits, and assorted toys. It was a fun time.




  • In order to grow almond trees, you need to plant two kinds of trees: male and female. Don't look outside unless you really want to watch trees fuck.




President Trump continues to endear himself to the rest of the world via tweets. Responding to criticism from the Anti Defamation League, that $8 billion is not enough aid for Israel, Trump suggested they go back to Israel. When informed the members of the ADL were American-born, he said they hated America and were antisemites. Democrats said the tweets were racist and sexist. CNN is reporting from the Trump toilet. Israel said everyone hates the ADL. A spokesman for the White House said it was moving to New Jersey.




  • Someone needs to tell dress manufacturers not to run a seam right up both breasts. The newslady has a glaring yellow dress on, with what look like huge nipples....
  • Oh.




SJW Sayings

We're just past the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It was an incredibly important event worldwide. There's some great footage of people in other countries, lined up in front of television stores, watching the event and wishing the astronauts the best. Meanwhile, back home....

  • Democrats of color protested the moon landing as sexist, racist, and a display of white supremacy.
  • Women in tech organizations demanded new missions to be women-only.
  • Liberals said that if the aliens invade and try to kill us, they should be granted immediate citizenship.
  • Republicans are desperately searching for a way to become invisible.
  • Moon landing skeptics were locked in a small room at NASA, with no net access.
  • The president said that if the astronauts had any complaints, they should go back to the moon.



[Twitter] Since at least the 1950s, "communist" has become a popular coded word for nigger. Let's be real. Black Russians?

Rihanna is accused of cultural appropriation. On the cover of Harper's Bazaar China, her hairstyle and jewelry are similar to Chinese styles.







Vermin Supreme for President - free ponies