Captivity - Day 54 Advancing Backwards

The Neighborhood Sun Association has been holding meetings about the near-constant light in the sky. The Association hasn't had to meet in years, since that one week in 1962, when there was 2 days of sun in a row. This caused a bit of trouble with the rules and formalities.

Here we were, in 2020, with several days in a row of sunshine - unprecedented. Some members referred to it as End Times. Other members, who perhaps were wont to smoke less ganja, were confused. The people who smoked nothing were totally black-faced, agreeing that ganja would have worked out better for this particular situation. The Temperature Subcommittee tackled the question of February temperatures in May. Fortunately, there was no consumption, so their meeting was through 3 hours before the main meeting.

The Temperature Subcommittee had ruled, very early, that there was, indeed, some cold motherf-ing temperatures for this time of year and adjourned for hot chocolate and Ghiarrdeli brownies (the best).  The Sun Association consumed donuts and special brownies, unaware of the legality of 'brownies.' The Association got off on 1st Amendment grounds, because it was a religious celebration (Rastafari Something). Things got testy when the Christians said it was End Times and the Rastafaris said it was time to score more End Times Special Blend.

Both committees ruled that something must be done, dammit!


Kentucky, home of drunken tractor racing and comical accents, has received a date when their captivity is over. Kentucky doesn't know why, where, or what time their captivity will end, but the citizens go on, safe in the knowledge that their leaders are idiots and have absolutely no idea what they're doing. My lone Kentucky reader, who also happens to be my lone gynecological reader, is overjoyed, because it's somewhat difficult to deliver babies virtually.


World leaders are unlikely to meet at the UN in September.
Drat - a taste of their own medicine is overdue (not death).

The Inn at Local Washington will fill his socially distanced dining room with midcentury mannequins. Tips expected to rise 20%.



Meanwhile, in The Show Goes On department, Gordon Ramsay will yell at someone and people will turn off in droves.

Service Elephants and the Grinch Who Stole my Tires

Much has been written and said about sleep, most of it wrong.
Ever since I was a little monster (I'm a bigger monster now), I tried to find out how sleep worked. It generally worked wonderfully - I hit the pillow and slept til I got up. Then I noticed that I always woke up tired, regardless of how much sleep I got. I asked friends, family, doctors, and pr0n stars; all had different answers, none seemed correct.

Now that I'm married, the search goes on; interestingly enough, with a woman who has the mother of all sleep disorders. Neither of us can figure it out. Because of her sleep disorder, I developed the ability to sleep through a small nuclear detonation, a 44lb dog standing on my chest and circling around, a 23lb dog licking my face and and stealing the covers, and various sentient entities jumping into and falling out of the bed. We both seem to come up with the same conclusion: the less we sleep, the easier we get up and the better we feel. Naturally this is counter to everything we've been told.

If I get 7 hours, I'm tired. If I get 5 hours, I'm ok. On the weekend I can get between 6 and a lot more hours of sleep, and the more I get, the more tired I am. Sometimes it's all I can do to get from the bed to the couch, then I'm ready for my first nap of the day.

We also noticed that at no point do we feel like getting up when the alarm goes off. This is a universal truth. After all this Science, I discovered one truth/trick that is 100% effective, regardless of how much sleep you get: waking up to discover you're a few hours late for work gets you right up out of bed, with no time to be tired (or yawn). It even puts off the need for coffee, for a good few minutes or so.


SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites.

Tomorrow's radio news:  On I-95, Lane 1 is moving quickly, but remember - it's an HOV lane.  Somewhat north, Starlink 47 will come dangerously close to Spy Satellite 33  an American communications satellite at about 8:30, which will cause quite a backup. Stay away from Starlink 27 - it has been hijacked by China and doesn't fly too well. Also, if you see Starlink 53, it has gone rogue. Call Space Force, but do not approach it - it hides behind Russian satellites and fires lasers.  Lastly, Russia's Sputnik 1,295 has been cautioned for getting too close to Space Force's satellites, allegedly to mess with their location software.



Did you you know that the president can shut down all US communications?
Linked is a highly biased article, focusing on Trump and an FCC commissioner who wants to block it. If the law existed earlier, I don't remember this being discussed about any of Trump's predecessors. California used this recently, to shut down communications around a subway. While the FCC commissioner is absolutely correct, do you honestly think this will be repealed? Even Congress wanted a shutoff switch. National Security is the answer to almost every encroachment, but I'm going to support the FCC here (just once). Do you think, for a minute, that any president would fail to take advantage of this? Look at Egypt and Iraq.



FACEYSPACES NEWS

$550 million settlement reached in facial recognition suit (in Illinois)

New "Off-Faceyspaces Activity' portal lets you know where you're being followed.  Worth a read.

"If you would not confront your neighbor and demand his money at the point of a gun to solve every new problem that may appear in your life, you should not allow the government to do it for you." ~ William E. Simon

My darling dog does some interesting things, most of which can't be explained.
One is standing between the two of us, barking at Mrs lefty when she talks to me, when we're 15' apart. It's not a threatening bark at all. A cynic would say she's protecting me from my wife's talking. As a cynic, I don't agree, but I'm really curious as to what the behavior is.

The dog also does not grok gravity. Or 'gravity isn't her friend.'
Most dogs I know understand this basic law, but Penny has great difficulty with it. She will jump on the couch with a toy and start chomping on it. It falls out of her mouth, onto the floor. This is apparently like magic to her, and it happens every day. Her reaction is almost human: she stares at the toy, but doesn't want to jump down to get it. She's quite normal in other respects, but how does one teach a dog about gravity? And time travel? And not licking pillows or clothes?

I don't know who needs to hear this, but there's nothing libertarian about fighting to keep a corrupt President in office. - Nicholas Sarwark, Libertarian Party president

Speaking of Trump, he unleashed his Middle East peace plan.
Let's suspend disbelief and say it's successful.... what would his opposition do?

• say it was Obama's idea originally
• complain that he was saving it to get re-elected
• state that the plan endangers the Egyptian sand flea and should be rejected
• Hillary would call it an act of war and insist on bombing somebody. Anybody.
• Cheney would invite him to go hunting (sponsored by Martin Marietta)
• ask how to add Peace to articles of impeachment
• shut down all communications so nobody hears about it

Speaking of coronavirus, a cartoonist in Denmark drew up a panel with China's flag, where the 5 stars had been replaced by coronavirus.  China's enbassy blew a gasket and called it "an insult to China," demanding an apology. Denmark blew its nose in China's general direction, stating free speech. This paper also pissed off muslims with a prophet Muhammad cartoon, causing Great Unrest.

Denmark sounds fun.

• Are you on social media? In an argument (they're the same thing)? Great article on a former FBI agent discussing Trolling for Profit. The people you're arguing with might not be people, or might be one paid troll with many accounts, pushing an agenda.

Baltimore, the city that got ransomware that shut down networks, that the incompetent city IT people didn't back up, wants to give out rebates for the purchase of Ring doorbells and do nightly air surveillance.  Gee, it sounds like their priorities are in order....

In any discussion of "should feminists believe X or not-X?" the answer is always "both". Because feminism isn't an ideology, or a movement, but a battle between groups of privileged women over how women should correctly behave    - @pornpanic

• Criminals have used Grammy-winning songs by Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and others to carry viruses.   No one over 13 affected.

Today I identify as   ground beef



 I've long held that we should leave the UN. If you would like to know some of the reasons, check out this article. Aside from those points, we have the rule of law - we're a sovereign nation. Why should any entity be allowed to interfere with this?

• Today's ticketing suggesting algorithm screwup: Frankie Valli advance tickets!

Heroes of the Stupid   

PETA says Punxsutwaney Phil should be replaced with AI groundhog

apparently they're upset they haven't been in the news lately...

Andrew Yang (D-Neptune) "Overdose patients should be sent to mandatory treatment centers for three days to convince them to seek long-term treatment"
Bernie Sanders added "Treatment will be free!"

New York State, in a serious attempt to out-stupid California, is now mandating "Stargazing Permits" for looking at the sky.



Swamp Gas Rides Again!
Colorado experienced a large fleet of drones, each appearing about 6' long. Police came in, government agencies collaborated with each other, and no one knew whose they were. Finally it was deemed 'mass hysteria.'  Sorry, guys.. you tried this one earlier.  One of the people who saw a drone was the captain of an airliner who said it flew too close to his plane. He must've been part of mass hysteria too. Here's how you find out whose drone it is: shoot it down and see who comes a-knockin.



SJW Sports

University of California Berkeley apologized for saying xenophobia was a normal reaction to Coronavirus.

40 Years Gone

I watched Dan Rather interview Robert Plant.
Dan's in his later 80s and is a solid interviewer.
Fortunately at the bottom of the screen, they referred to Robert as "Led Zeppelin singer", because some of us might not know that.

It seems like last year that I heard Robert's young son, Karac, died.
Per Robert, it's been 40 years. My heart bleeds for him and family.
Where the #&@) did time go?
Remember - when you're in school, bands are a religion. You had to have their likenesses all over your books and clothes. You argued with your friends. You paid even more outrageous prices for good tickets, sometimes camping out. Am I dating myself? Do I put out on the first date?

The Zep is one of my favorite bands - you can't deny them. They paved the path, sometimes through hotels and bars. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. RIP John Bonham, rock's greatest drummer.

If you've spent time listening to Plant's lyrics, you might guess that interviews are 'interesting', and this one was. The answers tended to go on. I tended not to understand some of it... a combination of flowery and over my head. It's odd for my 69 year old hero to refer to Tony Bennett.




Dear lefty:

• What do you call a fat, bloated, actively nasty, expensive parasite that does nothing?
• Congressman

The current legislative hoo-ha is around allowing males who identify as females (or transexuals) to play on women's sports teams. Tennis luminary Martina Navratolova says it will kill tennis. Since men have a physical advantage, it seems reasonable to keep the genders separate.

If I identify as black, will I be more talented at sports? Or talented at all? Will my wife enjoy the bonus?

• Google stored plaintext passwords since 2005.
• Now Google has all your information and everyone else has your password.

Washington is the first state to legalize human composting.

So let's hurry up and get those bodies in the ground. Ignore the screaming.

• North Korea called Joe Biden an imbecile for Kim criticism.
• keep him away from your wife and kids, Kim.

When thinking about politics and laws, think of this simple statement: You own yourself.

It's News Time again!

FOX: We're here on an aircraft carrier for Fleet Week, made from 9-11 steel.
CNN: Democrats consult professor of psychology - says Trump losing grip on reality
CBSN: Harriet Tubman won't be on any currency

Apropos of nothing, the US has no test for aging or sickness or mental state on the Supreme Court or Congress.  While one would assume they're all crazy, there is no test or requirement for sanity. Witness Justice Ginsburg falling asleep, Hillary's tremors and tripping, and Pelosi's gaps and halting speech. And Harry Reid's black eye.

• A Mississippi lawmaker punched his wife because she undressed too slowly
• If only there were a law for this...

The Patriarchy Strikes Again:

According to the UN, female artificial intelligence voices reinforce existing gender biases.

• I don't know if this should worry me, but QVC just called to ask how Mrs lefty is doing.

Taleban supporter John Walker Lindh is being released from prison after 17 years. What to do?  Accuse him of selling drugs so he'll be put away for life.

A Florida (YES!) man did not pull over for police because his passenger was giving him sexual favors. There's a man with his priorities in order!

UK Spying

The UK government has voted itself a new spying bill that's positively draconian in scope. Nicknamed the Snooper's Charter, it requires providers to keep your browsing history for a year. The information will be available, without a warrant, to the Usual Suspects, plus such important State Security entities as the Gambling Commission.

While this is another step in the lack of privacy landslide in the UK, the US and other countries would be well-served to keep their eyes on its progress. The UK seems to be a testing ground of sorts for Bad Anti-Privacy Laws.

That said, this article features some really good information for everyone to protect their communications, like Signal messenger, Tor, and VPNs. Even if you're not planning to take security seriously, read it and familiarize yourself with the situation.

• In case you were kept awake at night, wondering what is the cause for male homosexuality, your answer is here. [Hint: ghosts]

I realize 2016 isn't over yet, but this headline is in the running for best of the year: Are White People Promoting Homosexuality as a Means of Undermining the Black Struggle?

• Speaking of 2016, and I wish we weren't, we bid farewell to some larger than life people in their fields: Greg Lake and John Glenn. Remember the good old days, when rock stars would die of drug overdoses? Now it's cancer. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: and then there was one.

With the rise in Utter Nonsense that is Fake News, remember this: Fake News is anything that particular person does not want you to read. The irony of Hillary warning about Fake News is strong: her administration fed Fake News to the media. In spite of this, Trump won.

• This morning I asked the dog that since he's so smart, why doesn't he let himself outside and back in. He replied that he's so smart he has us do it for him.  Can't argue.

Do you have a Netgear R6400, R7000, R8000 (go check - I'll wait). If you do, turn it the hell off and replace it or wait til Netgear releases a fix. The article linked will tell you how to check to see if your router is vulnerable. The routers look like little spaceships from some new space-horror movie, with lots of antennae.

• Important Stuff you missed over the weekend: nothing.

Remember the Colonial Theater? It's the place where The Blob was filmed. It's been totally redone and is a delightful place to see a movie or concert. They just let me know that if I'm 70 or older, my IRA distributions can benefit the theater, but only tax-deferred gifts of up to $100,000. Drat - if I were only 70 or older...

• I need to stop this entry right now for a very important bulletin: the Opera browser was split off into another one called Vivaldi. In the latest version, you can now select themes! But wait... as if that weren't enough, you can schedule the time for the theme to change! Vivaldi works on most operating systems, for your convenience.

I received an email, asking to evaluate a course I took. They asked fifteen minutes of my time. In acknowledging my time, they said that every tenth evaluator would win a t-shirt with their logo.  I was never a math star, but with their courses starting at $300, I'm thinking of holding out for maybe a t-shirt AND some pocket lint.

• Kentucky Fried Chicken, hereafter referred to as KFC (or WTF), has admitted that their Colonel's Club has suffered a breach, 'possibly' exposing 1.2 million customers' details. WHAT? Did any of us know that there's a Colonel's Club at KFC? A loyalty program for greasy, heart attack inducing deep fried grease bits? No wonder this country's in trouble.

Speaking of the Irrepressibly Stupid, the UN has declared Wonder Woman as the ambassador for empowering women. As if that weren't Stupid enough, feminist outrage stepped right in, within microseconds, and demanded a stop be put to this travesty for a few reasons: she is a fictional character who wears thigh high boots and exposed cleavage (because Mother Teresa was unavailable for the position), she is too white, closely associated with the American flag, and "not culturally sensitive." This proves that the UN is a ridiculous, useless organization (in case we didn't already know this) and that feminists are a ridiculous parody of themselves (in case we didn't already know this). Perhaps we should all get together, at KFC, and find common ground.

I learned some Good Stuff growing up. My mother did a pretty good job. In grade school, I noticed some of my friends really didn't like black people. This was confusing and low-class to us, even in our mostly white neighborhood. It occurred to me that - hey... racism is learned. I also saw a small amount of antisemitism, also flowing down, but nowhere near as prevalent as the racism. The few Jewish kids in the 'hood were sometimes harangued by the parents of their friends, although it didn't seem to be a problem in school.

Fast forward to The Online Age, where everyone you don't like is Literally Hitler. As a merrymaker, I have seen comics do really funny things with Hitler, especially Monty Python (who could make cardboard hilarious). There were a few features of his that invited poking and I do like to poke.

Everything online is obviously a reflection of Real Life<tm>, to some degree; so I see a lot of Hitler references, 99.9% of them intended to beat down someone's speech or point. With the Hitler references are the Jew references. At first they were kinda funny. Then no so much. After a while I realized that there were groups of people who really, seriously did not like Jews, blaming them for everything from retail sales issues to a secret plot to ruin the world. The 'watchdog' agency, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), may have done some good in the past but right now they're a ridiculous parody of themselves, pointing their finger and screaming "ANTISEMITE" at everything and everyone. Kinda like the Black Lives Matter and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Recently I've run into some really bad examples of humanity online. They don't necessarily leap out, screaming, "JEWS! JEWS! JEWS DID IT!" but they're pretty close. It's a bit unnerving being around these people, even online. I see a lot more of this than overt racism, but it might be the places I visit.

Also popping up is the White Genocide movement. These guys are also a bit different. They seem to feel that movements to let foreigners in the country is white genocide. I think. They'll be the first to say White Lives Matter (all lives matter, even the Stupid). I'm sure they have a few points in their favor but I haven't studied the platform.

My first instinct is to block these people or not visit these sites. But Howard Stern, bastion of civility, taught everyone a lesson. One of his recurring guests was the KKK Guy. Howard kept him front and center and took a lot of heat for it. In my mind, Howard exposed his enemy and kept him front and center, where millions of people could see what he was up to and realize that, yes, this ugliness still exists.  So I no longer block any of this nonsense, preferring to see it for what it is. While the ADL has become a ridiculous parody of itself, I suppose some of it bears watching (by all of us).  And of course, this will be blamed on Trump, as if he personally gave out licenses to these folks. Regardless, we enjoy free speech and I'll fight for anyone's right to it.

Watch where you hang out, virtually or in Real Life<tm>.

News You Need to Know but Probably Haven't Seen

Report: Obama, UN to tax US for Green Climate Fund

But we all know the UN has no agenda, right?  I renew my call to send the UN, building and all, to any country that wants it, freight collect.


Has the War with Iran Already Begun?

Seems to be an awful lot of activity there, including drones, for a country in which we are not involved.  But listen to those drums....




Army Posts Job for “Internment Specialist” Following KBR Call for FEMA Camp Subcontractors


Gee, who do you suppose they intend to relocate and where?



Confirmed: ATF Plotted to Use Fast And Furious To Demonize Second Amendment

Smells like setup.  Again.


Scientists develop system that can shut down cellphones in cars...

Wanna bet state governments take a keen interest....?


Average Family Lost $21K in 6 Months Due To Property Values, Stock Market...

Maybe Occupy has a point....  good thing I can't afford a retirement fund.

---------------------------

This country is being run by drunken, self-righteous thieves.  Those governed, the Great Unwashed, are largely imbeciles; content to give up most of their income and rights, so long as they can drink beer and watch X Factor.

Aren't you tired of the kleptocracy yet?