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Not Safe For Work!

Again. I warn you.

Not Safe For Work!

I mean it. Really Not Safe For Work!

But I feel compelled to post it!

But, again, Not Safe For Work!

You have been warned.

I Am Free… Upon Further Review.

The cool thing about blogging for as long as I have, is that you can go back in time and read a post about your life then and examine what has, and what hasn’t changed.

I wrote this post in September of 2006 about my new found freedom from the pool service industry, because I was going to get my teaching credential and everything was going to change….

Fast forward a half a dozen years. I do have a teaching credential – two, in fact. Yet, what am I about to do as soon as I finish writing this screed???? I’m going to go service a bunch of pools of course!

Life is a bunch of plans interrupted by life, or something like that. I happened to get my teaching credential at the same time that the worlds finances imploded. California was especially hard hit. New teacher hiring ground nearly to a halt. I ended up keeping the pool and spa business, diminished as it was, and waiting the bad times out. Things seem to be heading in the right direction as of late. There is a lot more optimism in the air about hiring new teachers than there has been in the last four years.

My point of this post?

I have no idea. But I do promise not to declare freedom until I actually have it.

OK. I’m off to work.

To Linux, Or Not To Linux?

A guy going by the name Neon Frank wrote this in response to a recent article about Linux Mint, the OS that is currently running on the computer I’m using to type this post:

All of you Linux guys…

At one end are the Apple fanbois who pay (much) more to get less and at the antipodal end are you guys, Linux fanbois, who pay nothing to get (much) less. Its a beauty to behold the natural balance in the universe.

Guys, I’m a graphic designer and the software I use every day doesn’t work with Linux no matter how slick it looks. It would be really nice if it did, but it doesn’t. So what’s with the SUV analogy? I’m not a cheap misery bastard who can’t drop what amounts to a pittance on a OS which, OMG, has software which runs on it such as Win7. LOL!

But hey, I’m really impressed that you guys can tweak a buggy printer driver, or have a job for 6 years using nothing but Linux (documents and emails huh?). I’m sure back in the day of DOS your config.sys allocated every single byte of 640k of memory and took hours to write…wait…I’ll bet some of you are still using it too! haha

🙂

I’ve been a Linux user and advocate for 13 years. Red Hat 7 was my first distro. I stumbled onto it while working toward a CCNA cert. Back in those days, it was definitely a hobbyist thing. To install it, you had to know exactly which video card, motherboard, cpu, etc. you had and then research to find which driver you would have to enter into the installer command line to get the OS to work….

I use windows for two things, quickbooks for my business, and audio recording. Linux does have some great audio recording software out there, and I would love to use it. But my audio interface is very windows centric and doesn’t play nice with Linux, at least at the moment (the guys at the open source community ffado are back engineering a linux driver for the device).

Neon Frank does have a valid point, that there are certain things you simply can not do with linux, especially if you are tied to a specific piece of hardware or software whose vendor does not share drivers with the open source segment of the market place. If that is the case, you are using either of the main platforms of Windows or OS#.

Linux has come a long LONG way. Now installing is as easy as anything else. I use it for my everyday activities. And this is where NF is in error. Linux is as stable as anything out there. For everyday use, it’s absolutely rock solid… I’m on Linux Mint Debian Edition as I type this in fact. The only time I ever have a problem is when I try and get creating and tweak the system in ways that neither of the two mainstream competitors even allow, as they are closed source. For everyday use, I MUCH PREFER using Linux, as there is much less a concern for trojans and viruses, and again it’s as stable as the other two systems.

BTW. Even though I’m a Linux advocate, I have nothing but kind words for the other OS’s. Apple does UI’s like no other, and windows certainly made the computer very easy to use. Lets face it, without the push of Windows in the last two and 1/2 decades, the advent of the personal computer being a common appliance and vital part of our everyday lives would probably be at least a decade behind what we are used to now.

Guitaring Update.

I’m learning a couple of songs… OK, relearning one of them. I have been doing a very simple version of Crowded Houses “Don’t Dream It’s Over” fairly well. A month ago I stumbled upon this vid of My Finn and friends playing the song with a more complicated strumming pattern. I knew there and then that I had to learn this version.

As I was mucking around on the guitar yesterday, I found that I was pretty close to having it down. My right hand still has a couple of hiccups and hesitations on this strumming pattern, but it’s almost there.

The more difficult song I’ve decided to learn is this Paul Simon gem.

It’s getting there, but, as I’ve just started to concentrate on the art of fingerpicking, this one is definitely going to take some time to get down.

Meanwhile, I played at Audies last night with my trio Laurel Canyon. When I got home from Washington on Wednesday, I was already feeling like something was germing me in a bad way. It didn’t disappoint. I felt like total crap the next two days. The big concern was that LC had a gig, the one we played last night, and this bug killed my voice! Even as of yesterday, I still had that very distinct “crud-voice” you get when you’re sick.

Fast forward to last night. My voice made it most of the way. A bit shaky at times. Have to work on “Loves Me Like A Rock” on guitar. Made too many mistakes. But pulled a killer bass solo on “Wooden Ships”. Maybe the best I’ve ever done! Hope we have some video of it.

I also played at Sequoia North with Acoustic Highway… No, that would be Mr fantasy a couple of weeks ago (this venue had not booked us in four years as Ac Hi, when we changed the name to “Mr Fantasy” they booked us right away). While we were there, we met and befriended a couple that was going to get married in a week. They really are an awesome couple, and they inspired me to write a song for them. That got delayed when I had to fly out to Washington to help my mom recover from a nasty fall. Now that I’m back and feeling better, I’m going to be able to finish that song in the next day or two.

Stay tuned.

And They Said Fresno Is Boring!!!!!

Hat Tip: Don Ramirez

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Oh, and I’m finally back home. Time to rest now.

No Posts For A While….

Got family stuff I’ve been taking care of. Not a huge emergency, but time consuming. I will be back soon enough.

The Science Of Fracking

Why the procedure is used.  Even if you are against the use of the practice, you should watch something like this to get a pure scientific explanation of why it’s done.

Note: Start the YouTube vid, then follow this powerpoint, using the YT as audio.

The Hoax, And What It Shows About The Media, And Us.

By now you’ve all heard about the Manti Te’o hoax. Details so far are here.

I’m not going to go into details about the hoax, as this is just breaking and I’m sure there is much more that will come out.  Here is the point I want to touch on. Within, and outside of the sports media community,  there are a lot of  justifiable mea culpas  being offered by a slew of sports journalists who bit on the story but didn’t do any follow up to verify that Te’s’s girlfriend had died, or, as it turned out, even existed.

In a way, the lack of any effort to verify this story is understandable. I mean, who would make up a story of a long distance girlfriend who dies of leukemia on the same day his grandmother dies!  It would be weird and just about unthinkable. This guy is a major talent, playing for a resurgent Notra Dame football team. There is no reason why he would do this to get publicity since he was getting plenty already.

On the other hand, these sports writers are supposed to be journalists.  Being a bit skeptical, or at least doing some sort of follow-up at the very least, is supposed to be part of the job. Part of the problem is that Te’o is a very likable football player, one that we instinctively hold up as a role model.

Here is the crux of my post. The press, whether it’s covering sports or economics or politics,  is always more lenient toward people and subjects they like, vs those they don’t.  They will not pursue those who are friends. John Edwards and Lance Armstrong come to mind. Maybe more than any other venue, it very much shows when politics is being covered.  Though I tire of Conservatives complaining that the media is biased toward liberals and against them, this Te’o incident does mirror the lax attitude the press takes toward the favored liberal.  If the press would have pursued John Edwards as vigorously as they had, say Sarah Palin, maybe he would have never gotten as far as he did as a Presidential contender.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

PS.  This was supposed to be Lance Armstrong’s day in the spot light! He is going to be PISSED!!!! Manti better watch his back!

 

The Tyrant Makes His Move!!!!

It’s just like that movie 2016 warned us about!!!!

Just Kidding. I don’t know what that movie warned us about as I never saw it. But I’m sure it had something to do with his evil socialist schemes!

Just thought I’d use that headline to see if i can stir up some traffic. In the eight years of blogging, I’m not sure if I’ve ever done that or not. I just figure… What the hell. It’s an experiment. Lets see if it works.

Anyway, here is the list of directives coming down from the executive branch, followed by any thoughts or murmurings. Just glancing at the list, I’m pretty sure they are mostly going to be murmurings.

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

There is a Federal Background Check system? Is this new, and, if so, did anyone bitch and moan when that was implemented? (I’m betting someone did)

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

Clarification on what can and can not be allowed within the confines of a law is always good. Still of the opinion that the ACA, on the whole, is going to end up being a boondoggle, but this doesn’t really do much to it one way or the other.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

Because the Fed just doesn’t bribe the states enough already.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

OK. No problem with that.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

OK. This does not increase the parameters for gun confiscation..

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

Shouldn’t this have been done a long long time ago?????

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

This is pretty useless. Responsible gun owners already do this. Those who don’t care now will ignore it.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

More pointless stuff that looks good on one side of the political fence.

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

Um… Wait… You mean they don’t already do this? And who exactly will be doing the tracing?

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

Looks like busy work to me. What purpose will this serve?

11. Nominate an ATF director.

Um… Mr. President… Isn’t this something you do anyway???

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

That sounds like a good thing.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

Vague, though I do understand every administration focuses law enforcement more in one direction than in others. And since there are only so many resources to be applied – my favorite economics principle, opportunity cost – what is going to be relaxed… The stupid drug war maybe?

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

More busy work. There is already tons of research on this topic. It’s always inconclusive because there are too many parameters that cloud a formative conclusion. But, that said, this one is easy, and the CDC doesn’t have to lift a finger.

………………………………………………..

       Causes are:

Criminals.
The drug black market (did we learn nothing from alcohol prohibition?).
Gang culture.
Poverty.
Mentally ill / unstable individuals.

Prevention:

?

…………………………………………

Other than the mental health side of the equation, the CDC is not going to have much in the way of suggestions on what to do to prevent gun violence. It’s not their expertise.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

OK. More busy work. But OK.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

Don’t know why it would prohibit that, as it’s not my doctors place to ask, unless I come in with a gun shot wound every other week or so.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

More busy work. Doctors already know this.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

More bribery. Personally, I’d rather see more money going to the nursing staff, which is woefully underfunded.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

This should be done at the local level. The Fed is going to screw this up for sure.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

Yet more busy work.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

Are we doing one of those Sesame Street “Which if these things does not belong” things? Cause this just doesn’t belong in this list of things to do to adddress guns and gun violence.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

OK. Should have been done years ago.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.”

Well, being that often they seem deranged, this is the equivalent of the blind and insane leading the blind and insane!

Just kidding on that last comment… Well, kind of.

So, while driving around today, and on facebook, I’ve been hearing many exclaim that President Obama, with today’s “Gun Control” speech, is “tearing up the Constitution” and once again “acting like a dictator / tyrant!”.

I’m sorry, but these are about the weakest executive orders I’ve seen in quite a while. There have been far worse, like ones that proclaim the executive branch is immune from certain laws, for instance. And then there are those who say executive orders are illegal and unconstitutional and the President should be impeached for using them… Which is funny when you consider the first U.S. President to use them was….

Wait for it…

George Washington!

Looking at the history of the use of executive order, the previous President sure did issue a ton of them. This President, instead of rescinding some of his predecessors, which was some of the change we were hoping for, is instead on a pace to have issued just as many. Sad really.