Light Charges

I don't know what's wrong with the justice system that murder is counted so lightly in today's courts. Apparently one can kill a person and either get off scot-free or just serve a few years. The case where a college student died during a so-called "hazing ritual" should result in capital murder charges against all of the defendants, who should be put to death if found guilty. Manslaughter, my foot. When someone is beaten to death on a bus, you can squirt all the sugar-coating on it you like, but it is still a stinking murder, no better than if the victim were shot to death at point-blank range in broad daylight.

Comcast

One thing's for sure, I'm not signing up with Comcast. If even half of what O'Rourke says is so, Comcast looks as bad as they come. The Public Relations cost alone is probably in the millions, in terms of potential lost customers.

Neanderthals

The Register writes about everything, including Neanderthals, in an amusing way.

Fine France

France should be expelled from NATO for making ransom payments to ISIS. Alternatively, they could be fined one thousand dollars for each dollar they paid to the terrorist organization. As an enabler that finances terrorism, France must be compelled to pay reparations to the victims of terrorism. At this time, American taxpayers are victims of ISIS, because our money is being used to attack ISIS. France should therefore pay American citizens.

In another story, turns out France is getting millions of euros in welfare. Of course, France plans to use all that money to finance terrorism around the world. Britain should abandon the E.U. and join instead with a trade union with the U.S. It seems to me that taxpayers in the U.K. and the U.S. have to pay the bill for the mistakes committed by other countries. We should instead demand reparations and receive dividends from every war.

Media Should Focus on Heroes

The media should focus on heroes, such as Mr. Vickers, rather than terrorists or insane criminals. The reason some people have a false impression about the world is that the media trumpets negativity rather than an accurate and mostly positive depiction of reality.

Purchasing Test for Computer Hardware

What do I look at when I need to purchase computer hardware?

The key word here is "need." Do I really need the damn thing after all? I hate spending money. Everyone should. The world would be a financially sounder place if the rest of the human race would stop and think about their purchases before making them. If the benefit to me outweighs, in my view, the cost, then I proceed to the next question. If I can afford to make a discretionary purchase even after saving for retirement and medical expenses and the proverbial rainy day--then and only then I'll buy. I do not believe in using credit for anything other than a home mortgage, even for the sake of the stupid one per cent rewards that credit card companies offer. No. Cash money up front, every time. No exceptions. Go by that rule, and you will live a calmer life. Credit card companies are parasites feeding upon the mentally feeble.

The first thing I look at with computer hardware is what other people are saying about it. Reputation matters. If a lot of people are having problems with a product, then there is probably something wrong with it. The other thing I look at is Linux compatibility. If a piece of hardware is not Linux-compatible, then it is a piece of garbage in my view. When computer systems reach retirement age, they evolve from Windows systems to Linux systems. I don't want any nasty surprise waiting for me ten years from now with a scanner, printer, video card or external enclosure for a hard drive. The #1 thing I look at is does it work in Linux. If not, pass.

Generally I buy the absolute minimum that I need and only purchase hardware that has been around for a while. Newly introduced hardware has two problems. First, it is more expensive. Second, it is untested and may have as yet unidentified problems. I know exactly how much testing many manufacturers do. The answer is not enough. The rush to market is insane, and quality controls just don't matter to the manager-types looking to boost sales figures. Again, I want to see a lot of positive reviews from respectable sources about a product, and then I might buy it. If other people are having a problem with the product, and the problem is not related to their ignorance, then I don't want that product.

In summary:

-I can afford it
-I really need it
-Good reputation of the manufacturer and the specific product
-Linux-compatible AND moreover, works very well with Linux (positive reviews help here)
-Been out for a while, not brand new
-Good price

How Much to Spend for an HTPC

An HTPC really requires very little in computer hardware, I've discovered. A low-end Intel Haswell Celeron cpu (~$50), with its built-in Intel HD graphics, paired with 2 gigs of RAM is ample to render 1080p using any free Linux distro, though I'm partial to XFCE desktops such as Linux Mint Xfce. Anything more than 2 gigs is overkill, pure and simple. I stripped my HTPCs of their 4 gig sticks and reduced them to 2 gigs and noticed absolutely no difference in performance.

Linux really shines as an HTPC, and I don't understand why anyone would want to use Windows for that purpose. There's no reason at all. Why pay the license fee? Why wait twice as long for startup? Why bother installing an anti-virus? Also, if you go the Windows route, you certainly will want 4 gigs as opposed to 2 gigs. Windows is just more expensive all the way around, and there really is no need for it when the computer is intended to be an HTPC.

I steer clear of any AMD chips nowadays for two big reasons. One, AMD is wasteful when it comes to energy efficiency. Their low-energy offerings are pathetic and simply aren't worth considering against an Intel Celeron. Two, AMD's ATI graphics are horrible on Linux. I've run into nothing but problems trying to get their Catalyst driver working in Linux, to the point where I say "Never again." I won't even buy AMD chips for a Windows system, and why? Because eventually that Windows computer may one day be converted to Linux, and I don't ever want to have to deal with installing Catalyst in Linux. I don't think Catalyst runs that great in Windows either. The only video graphics I am willing to consider are Intel and Nvidia.

An SSD isn't really required for an HTPC in any way, shape or form, although I rather like using SSD for the operating system, simply because it allows fast booting. I consider an SSD a luxury.

Everyone should have an HTPC, and nowadays cost is not a barrier. Used computer components are amazingly cheap these days. There's only one component I will never buy used, and that's a hard drive. I have learned from hard experience to always buy new with a lengthy warranty. Refurbished or used hard drives just seem to fail at an extremely high rate in my experience, and I avoid them now. I think the main reason anyone would sell a hard drive is that the seller has doubts about its longevity. Well, the seller knows best. If he's selling his drive, it must be on death's door. Word to the wise.

Good for the Bishops

I'm pleased the Catholic bishops nixed welcoming gays in the Church. Anything to decrease the number of Catholics, I'm in favor of. Don't stop there, bishops. Please alienate more minority groups. Lack of social skills, social awareness and basic intelligence is the main reason that the Catholic church isn't what it used to be, and that's a good thing, because the Catholic church is a bad thing. Anytime someone with a little bit of brains tries to do something good in the church, the overwhelming majority of nitwits will veto it, because that's what Catholicism is all about, being a nitwit. The non-Catholic countries are all doing better in every possible way than the Catholic countries and have done so for a very long time. Perhaps having fundamentally the wrong idea about human existence has a catastrophic effect on a lot of other things in a society as well. Having a good philosophy has a lot of benefits--measurable benefits.

Turkey

To the extent Turkey assists ISIL, Turkey should be treated in exactly the same way as ISIL. More and more, Turkey seems like Iran, and less like anything approaching a modern republic. It is devolving into another terrorist state, perhaps the final destination for all Muslim countries. The only way Islam spreads is through violence, because it is inherently a violent religion based upon rape, murder, and fascism.

I Credit the Pope for Brains

The Catholic Church certainly seems to be acting in its own self-interest to stem the bleeding of numbers. Yes, Pope Francis, play nice with the gays and quit the quibbles over contraception. Then the Church might, might just, be able to stem the tide a little bit.

Once a soul has been disenchanted with the Church, pretty much they are free forever, shod of religion altogether, in my experience. There was a long, long horrific period when many churches pretty much declared themselves the enemies of gays, for no scriptural, moral or rational reason, but for pure prejudice and ignorance, which was stupid. Result? A considerable percentage of gays are atheists, agnostics or at least non-traditional in their spiritual beliefs. Thank you for that. That was a gift, the liberation of many minds, including my own. Who knows, I might be tithing otherwise. Now that the Church is getting intelligent for a change, the atheists are going to have to step up their game. It used to be that atheists had to do nothing to make converts. The Church made converts to atheism on its own.

In the future, we will see, but my money is still on the atheists and the spiritualists. The Church always seems a generation behind the times, doing the right thing only when it doesn't matter anymore and their position has already become irrelevant.

The Goddess just laughs at all of this drama.

Donating to Terrorism

I don't understand all the billions being donated to Palestinians after their Gaza War. They need to be paying reparations to Israel to pay for the cost of the war, which was all their fault. The West is stupid in that it keeps paying the terrorists to buy more weapons, then bombs the terrorists after they kill civilians, which is what terrorists do. The only people making money in this scenario are the arms merchants, who apparently control our governments through bribery and corruption.

Pakistupid

Pakistan is populated by savages, if this story is any indication of the general mentality. Why is Islam such an evil cult?

At least the noun makes sense in English:

Is • lam(e)

The minute someone reveals their muslimitis, or infection of the brain by Islam, their estimated morality plunges below average.

A No-Brainer

This particular legal question should be a no-brainer, but one never knows. I'm rather appalled that Amazon continues to abuse its warehouse workers even after all the bad press they have received. That makes me feel better about not buying things from Amazon, since they now hit their customers with state sales tax.

Amazon, if any one of your products costs $0.01 more than any other retailer on the Internet, then I'm not buying from you, because morally you're just the same if not worse. There is zero loyalty to Amazon. I get a creepy feeling just thinking about the people that run Amazon. They have no morals, so what's to stop them from selling tainted or defective products, other than fear of punishment?

Fleecing the Sheep

What amused me most on the occasions I tuned in to Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck were the commercials. Gold was being pushed big-time, and at a time when gold was already oversold. Those cynical advertisers certainly knew where to find the goldbugs. Obama the Muslim Anti-Christ was going to bring on the Apocalypse, and only gold would retain any value, see. It's common sense, don't ya know.

Well, turns out gold has fallen from 1700/oz to 1200/oz this year. That is a double-digit decline, and the bottom of the market is not even in sight yet. I expect that the market will fall to as low as $800 an ounce. Looks to me like the right-wing sheep have been shorn, and those gold merchants are cackling all the way to the bank. I suppose they knew their audience and capitalized upon them. Ain't that just the beauty of Capitalism?

I may not the greatest forecaster of markets, but I know one thing. Buy cheap, sell dear.

And if an investment is being sold through paid advertisements, then it definitely is not a good investment. I wouldn't be interested in anything sold by commercial on Fox News, because it would be tainted already in my view. Something is wrong with the program, and something is wrong with the products being promoted during breaks.

Good Memories

When a loved one dies, whether friend or family, one remembers the good days, the Spring, Summer and Fall, but not the Winter of life. The same applies as when savoring a pot of tea--can it be judged by the dregs? I cherish the good memories, but dismiss the last stages of decline as being irrelevant, other than providing a lesson. I will probably want to skip the very worst stages of decline myself rather than endure them, because I don't really see the point, all things considered. I don't put any stock in religious notions of leaving existence "in God's hands." I will place my own existence in my own hands, thank you very much, and keep the change. Indeed, we are the hands of God.

New Espionage Post for China in New York

China purchased a new espionage headquarters in New York City today--the Waldorf Astoria, where lots of Western elite discuss secret and personal matters. How much do you want to bet that the top business and political leaders in the U.S. will be totally clueless and book rooms there without any awareness that everything they do, say, and transmit through cyberspace will go directly to China?

If You Booze, You Lose

Based on the content of the some of the comments I've received, particularly from Anonymous readers, I am recommending the Freethinkers Alcoholics Anonymous web site to help those damaged and impaired minds kick their addiction to alcohol. Hell is found in a bottle. Remember, if you booze, you lose. Be a winner. Stop drinking, and start Thinking. Turn that frown upside down!

China's Hired Thugs

More news from Hong Kong. I really don't see how anyone can defend China. Whatever it was before, a communist dictatorship evolving into a capitalist dictatorship, right now it's a kleptocracy, with crooks holding the power and unwilling to share any with the people.

A country with no morality at all and no legitimate legal system and no free press and no uncensored Internet is not the country I want to download software from. For that matter, I don't think our Western business leaders are wise to send all our jobs over to China. They may make a little money in the short-term but in the long-term they or their descendents will regret that fateful decision.

Young People Have to Tackle Climate Change

The young people are going to have to tackle climate change, because they are the ones that will be chiefly impacted by it--they and, moreover, their descendents. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that they are politically active and intensely engaged in the electoral process.

I'm sure that is the case. I'm sure young people are very concerned about politics right now, and not too interested in video games, mobile devices, music or social media. I'm sure everyone in the 18-25 range is voting in every election and reading about politics on a daily basis.

If not, too bad for them. The planet, she is a-changing, and there's not really much being done to stop the changing. Pretty much business as usual is the rule of the day. Either people are interested in politics, or they're not. They don't see climate change as impacting their daily lives yet. By the time it does, that will be too late. Surely the stock market will suffer repercussions. Betting on those 401-K's probably isn't as safe as people think it is. More of a gamble, I would think, a gamble that the investments will actually pay off, that the market will be around, the government be around. Governments, companies, and the wealth of nations have come and gone in human history. I bet the Romans thought their government would be around forever. Well, it wasn't. One day the barbarians took over and stole all the crown jewels. It used to be that England was one of the richest countries in the world. Of course, America has lost much wealth in recent history, due to the stupidity of the leaders who will just blow money on anything, money that the nation does not have, by the way. Deeper in debt we go, year after year.

Perhaps the survivalists are right, and it's a good time to stockpile food, tools, and weapons. The trouble with their strategy lies in predicting the actual timing and severity of calamity. Climate change by its very nature is unpredictable. I would expect random, gradual alterations rather than anything sudden that would justify hiding in a hole. I'm not against hiding in a hole. Certainly an underground cave would be preferable to above-ground radiation, extreme climate, or violent conflict. I think survivalists may be trapped in a nuclear apocalypse mindset, thinking that a crisis will be sharp and sudden, rather than slow and inexorable. It is difficult for me to believe that nations would be foolish enough to exchange nuclear weapons against each other. Self-preservation is a powerful instinct.

Lesson of Hong Kong

China is reneging on its promise to let Hong Kong be free for fifty years only because its leaders have calculated with cold political calculus that they can defy and break their promise to the West and get away with it due to the economic interdependency between the West and China and the new strength of China. This is worth noting. In the future, expect China to break all promises, whenever and wherever it can, because it is absolute evil aligned with the darkness. If annihilating all Americans would produce a profit and no consequences, then the Chinese would do so. They do not know the concept of morality and misinterpret it as weakness, as evil-doers always do. I foresee that China will take Taiwan, and risk the next world war when they also muscle into neighboring countries, such as Japan and the two Koreas. First will come demands for concession, which will only increase, and then will come land grabs, because the leadership thirsts for power, for domination. Perhaps America will be diminished then and incapable of being the white knight any longer, because our strength is every year squandered stomping ants and anthills to no purpose, squandered on pointless exercises in pride and vanity to remind our greying population of past glories in WW2. But the glory days are gone, and debts accumulate, and not much is made in the U.S.A. anymore, and the U.S. is dumbing down and wallowing in corruption and chronic mismanagement that only gets worse year after year with no end in sight. There must some day arise a new champion in the West, a land with better governance--where will that be?

China's Nastiness

Anyone in doubt of how nasty China can be need only look at Hong Kong, where the population has been told "no more democracy."

China is a tyranny, same as it was twenty and even fifty years ago, and anyone alive in 2014 who doesn't recognize that is delusional. I've listened to students from China tell me everything is OK over there. Well, everything is OK for them, because their parents are in the Communist Party elite that can afford to send them overseas for a nice education in the U.S. Everything is not OK for the other billion-odd people in China that have to work for a living instead of stealing through graft and corruption in the Communist Party. Also, those apologist students from China know next to nothing about their own country and its history other than what the CP feeds them. China today is a feudal system, with knights, barons, dukes and a king and his court, and a vast number of no-account peasants the leadership regards as disposable, to the extent that the very air they are allowed to breathe brings death and misery. "Gas 'em like the cockroaches they are," the Chinese leadership says about their own people. Look up the rates of asthma and other diseases related to poor air quality in China for an eye-opener, that is if the authorities even publish such data in a system where virtually all facts deemed even slightly embarrassing are censored, and those who embarrass the leadership are sent to prison--if they're lucky enough to matter; if not they get the knife in the back, and their body tossed in a ditch.

Republicans Envy China

The only reason Republicans are gung-ho to invade the Middle East again is there's no one that can put up a fight over there. It's a pretty safe way to use a bunch of munitions and thus enrich the defense contractors that bankroll Republican candidates. We have just as much cause to invade Hong Kong on the side of the protesters, who just want democracy. But Republicans are scared of China. They also admire China, and want the U.S. to be exactly like China, with no voting rights, and workers earning $1 an hour with no benefits, and the political elite taking billions for their own personal wealth. That is Republican Heaven. The Republicans are doing everything in their power to remake the U.S. into China. They scaled back voting rights wherever and however they could, kept the minimum wage frozen for decades, and have siphoned trillions from the Treasury and the Social Security fund to finance their overseas adventures. Now the U.S. is trillions in debt to China, the darling of the Republican party. Instead of building factories or doing anything good in the U.S., all those trillions got flushed down the toilet in the Middle East, just so defense contractors could score easy money without working or thinking very hard.

Alcoholism and Republicanism: A Perfect Match

Alcoholism and voting Republican go hand-in-glove. If one doesn't think, it's easy to vote Republican, and drinking stops thinking better than any other substance. If you don't value your own life and don't really care about the world, then Republicans are a natural choice. They promise no change--the status quo--the country falling deeper into debt, getting more polluted, with fewer jobs and more overseas conflicts.

It's the people that think about things and care about things that are going to vote for good governance. They care about the future and want a world worth living in.

NewEgg

NewEgg is cool except for one little thing--and you know that a geek is going to find that one little thing, and NewEgg caters to geeks, so they must have been forewarned.

NewEgg decided on its own without so much as a by-your-leave to change all their existing and future reviews to publish the customer's real name. The problem with that is that you may not want your negative review on a defective motherboard to pop up first thing when a potential employer is doing a Google search for your name.

I prefer to live my life in the way human beings have lived it since time began. My opinions, feelings, doubts and anxieties I keep to myself and my friends, and to potential customers and business associates, I present my professional self. I think it's stupid to spill your heart in public on the Internet, if you can possibly avoid it, that is, if you care at all about working in a corporate office environment at some point in the future. Jobs are hard enough to get without having an employer pass you over because you hated a hard drive NewEgg sold you ten years ago and spoke your mind about it, or didn't use proper punctuation or proper grammar.

All NewEgg cares about is NewEgg. They think their reviews gain more credibility with real names attached, and perhaps that is the case, but tough titty. I may buy from NewEgg on occasion to save myself the sales tax, but I won't review anything on NewEgg ever again.

Hong Kong Free No More

Over in Hong Kong, students are protesting the disintegration of "One Country, Two Systems" policy that allowed HK to be an oasis of liberty in the tyranny that is China.

Of course, if you read much Distrowatch, China is equal to the U.S., and we should all install Chinese software on our computers. Good luck with that.

China is the #1 threat to the world, with the actual means to achieve their dark vision, but Americans are obsessed over a bunch of nutcases in the Middle East that could not reason their way out of a paper bag. While we squander whatever is left of our treasury [Oops, nothing left there] the credit line China extends to us on bombing the ignorant savages in ISIS, China is just building more factories and taking more Western jobs away from the delusional West.

Bombing ISIS isn't in itself a bad idea, but how about using the very cheapest forms of munition, the cheapest, possibly expired stuff from the Viet Nam conflict, rather than these million-dollar precision bombs that are going to put us deeper in debt. Also, it seems to me that these rich Arabs could be paying us for the mercenary services we are rendering. If they want to hide under their robes while we do the fighting, then they need to cough up some of that oil money we pay them. I think the fight against ISIS is all about enriching the cronies of the Washington elite, just as overseas conflicts always are. National interest my foot. Beheadings of journalists who strayed into enemy territory do not equal a clear and present danger to the homeland. As usual, working people are ordered to pay the bill in order to enrich the elite, who are either stupid or corrupt--or quite possibly both.

ISIS Retards

The beheadings ISIS conducted seem like childish gestures compared to the vengeance the U.S. will wreak upon their organization. Perhaps ISIS is a good example of the influence of Thanatos. Anyone with half a brain can see that the beheadings were contrary to the long-term interests of ISIS and its leadership. Not that much is required actually to antagonize U.S. leaders and get them in the mood for intervention, as anyone knows. Yet ISIS is not motivated by Reason, but by the desire to suffer and die, a basic human desire, apparently, a desire accentuated by their primitive, false religion. That Islam is a complete fabrication with no basis in reality and no beneficial influence upon mankind is also obvious to anyone with half a brain. At least Christianity had a nice message--love thy neighbor, and God is love. Islam is Submit or die, which is mere barbarism. And rather than submit or die, there is the third option--many of us proud infidels will opt to annihilate the fanatical Muslim(s). That seems like the better option, all in all, from every perspective.

Duplicates

One of the nice things in Windows 8.1 is that when one copies files in Windows Explorer, the file manager drops duplicates to the end of the copy queue rather than querying the user immediately with a prompt. In every Linux file manager I've ever used, the file manager prompts the user the moment it encounters a duplicate. What this means is that if you go away from your computer for five hours, then return, you may discover that the copy has not completed due to one duplicate file, and whether you choose to overwrite or skip that file, the copying may have another five hours left to go.

This is another of the reasons I upgraded from Linux to Windows 8.1 on my workhorse computers. I don't need to be waiting around for files to copy.

Lack of Class Consciousness

The paradox observed in the U.S., where working people continue to vote Republican, reminds me of domestic violence victims that continue to live with their attacker/rapist, and refuse to assist police in any arrest or testify against them, should the police arrest their attacker without their consent. Some people want to be poor and feel deep down that they deserve it. They feel that rich people are better than they are, and they gain a peculiar satisfaction from knowing their place, and the place of their children, who they feel, deep down, do not deserve good governance or any hope for a better future. That is why people vote Republican--it is an embrace of the powerful dark force of Thanatos, the inner desire to suffer and to die and be one with annihilation, the destructive force of the Universe. I think Thanatos explains much human behavior and is the primary counter-force opposing Reason.

Sticking with 14

I'm sticking with version 14 of Dungeon Crawl for the time being, because it seems to me the Devs just changed game play in 15 rather than adding new and interesting features to the game, and game play was the least of all my concerns. I may tune back in with version 16 if it has something really appealing to entice download.

Rich v. Poor Law

The verdict in the Oscar Pistorius case is explained in three sentences. The rich kill and then go free to kill again. The poor go to jail. This is our corrupt system of justice, and it has not changed since ancient times. The father of the victim has the moral right to slay the murderer, and I doubt any jury would condemn him for it.

Things that Make You Go Hm...

My playing of the latest Crawl, 14.1, has resulted in some "Hm..." moments. For one thing, there's some kind of Ring of Liberalism I discovered in the Ziggurat Sprint. Could that just possibly be a tip of the hat to me or my regen.bat? Also, Death Knights are now recommended class for Ogres, as I maintained here in my blog was only right and just, all things considered. And then too, potions of poison now have a different description after my criticism. On a negative note, Spriggans had their wings clipped after I made note of their being better than any other race, which at one time they certainly were--back in the day when they could wear more armour. And lastly, Mummies have become empowered, now able to cast Vampiric Draining to regain hit points and benefit from rings of regeneration. Either my brainwaves are tuned into the same channel as the Devs or else there's another explanation. What I think is that a Dev or two has read this humble blog of mine, just browsing perhaps without really making a big fuss.

Well, enjoy! For I have long enjoyed the game and continue to do so. It is far better than its predecessors, although Larn did have rather a nice flavor, a personality, a culture all its own--but Larn has languished too long, while Crawl has flourished. I especially like Crawl's relatively new Sprint and the Zot Defender modules, for variety's sake, a bit of spice for an old-time crawler like myself. I will never in a thousand years get into the modern high-resource video games when my imagination can be easily and cheaply engaged by Dungeon Crawl, which has such superb strategic features. Thank goodness that some people continue to develop it and add amazing new features.

Scotland's Independence?

I am opposed to Scotland going its own way, because the UK is a fine country as it is, and I don't want anything to weaken it. More division and more atomization is not what the present age calls for. How will Scotland compete with China and Russia? How will Scotland deal with war and other crisis on its own? It seems silly and backwards to me to abandon the UK with its marvelous public health system and public welfare system and for what? I have yet to read any solid reason for separation other than dissatisfaction with the current administration.

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart is the funniest man alive. . . and his Daily Show will be watched even a thousand years from now for insight into our time. Of course, he is backed up by a phenomenal team, brilliant writers who furnish him with killer material by research, insight and wit. It is a mistake to overlook these silent partners, but I do not know their names. Yet if I did, then we would overlook the people who support and nourish those people, such as their families and friends, and so on in a neverending chain that eventually encompasses the whole world. Jon is golden product of our age, and we are proud to have produced him. He is creating classic television that will never die.

Isis

Isis used to be associated with something mysterious and majestic, an ancient Egyptian goddess. The heartless Muslim maniacs that assumed that name imagine God is with them, but if there is a God, He is with their victims, as the more intelligent ones may deduce after observing their comrades being blown to smithereens. I can't think of a stupider move than to prod the weary tiger, America, with a stick. Talk about clueless. Is their deepest desire to be blown to bits? Perhaps their fatal flaw is believing in a pile of horse manure. Everything they think about the world is false, rendering them incapable of making good decisions. There is no bearded Allah with a flaming scimitar descending from the sky to intervene on their behalf. After they die, they become fertilizer, a far better use of their substance. Certainly no one is going to remember them other than to be glad they are gone. What a bunch of psychotic, fanatic, suicidal attention-whores! Annihilate them, already.

Neanderthal Art

The BBC has a good article on Neanderthal art. "Naughts and crosses" is British for "tic-tac-toe." I think the Neanderthals were merely marking the cave or creating a map of some kind. Calling a little grid-like symbol art may be a stretch.

Incidentally, the BBC really has good articles from time to time. Too many American newspaper and TV web sites are just an intellectual wasteland with only the bare minimum in detail, readable in two minutes or less. For really good reporting, I turn to government-operated media, such as PBS and the BBC. Capitalism doesn't work where journalism is concerned. Sooner or later an editor takes charge with the bright idea to promote sex & crime & celebrity gossip rather than do any real journalism. Sales go up, costs go down. That's where capitalism takes journalism.

Russia is HQ of Cyberwar

Most IP addresses I add to my blacklist nowadays originate from Putrid's tyranny, formerly known as Russia. Should anyone be surprised? That old rotten egg, Putrid, has instructed his computer hackers to attack web sites everywhere, big and small, no matter whether they are relevant or irrelevant, in an attempt to spread his evil tentacles all over the Internet and make everyone smell his foul stench.

In reaction to any attack originating from that blighted land, I ban the entire IP range, encompassing millions of addresses. With Putridity, "guilty until proven innocent beyond all reasonable doubt" is the rule of the day. Nothing good will ever come out of Putridity as long as the rotten egg holds sway.

Drunk Driving

I'm with Rick Perry on his criminal indictment after reading the New York Daily News. I'm against drunk driving because it kills innocent people, including a lot of people like myself who are just walking or bicycling along the side of the road trying to get some exercise and fight against the sedentary lifestyle of the modern age.

Certainly if politicians are disgraced for having an affair or hiring a prostitute, then they should step down for drunk driving, which is far worse. Dear, if you don't want the governor to defund your department, then don't drive drunk.

Politicians should vaporize marijuana rather than drink, because marijuana is less harmful--but they should only use mind-altering substances when they do not intend to be driving. Driving under the influence of any substance, even pot or too much coffee or legal medication such as pain-killers--is wrong, pure and simple. DON'T DO IT! Better to sleep it off in your car and drive home later than to play roulette with your own life and some poor strangers. Texting while driving or playing around with the radio or any other sort of distracted driving is also wrong, although many people don't seem to be aware of that, and enforcement against these negligent practices will be difficult due to the burden of proof. Busting a drunk or high driver is easy by comparison.

I'm looking forward to an era when our cars drive themselves, and one will speak the destination in order to get there, and they will run on electricity rather than gasoline. I think we can generate sufficient energy from the Sun, if enough research and development can ever be devoted to making that happen.

Munich to Dump Linux

I'm a pretty open-minded guy, so if igor says there's something amiss in the Linux desktop scene, there's something amiss. Microsoft is eating Linux for breakfast. Munich, Germany is all set to dump Linux for Microsoft, because Linux sucks. This news jibes with my own experiences trying to introduce some of my customers to Linux. Well, they don't like it. Why don't they like it? Mainly because they can't get some of their hardware to work and can't manage their photo collection in a civilized manner with Linux. Photo management is probably the most important thing for a computer besides Internet these days. There needs to be a Manhattan Project among Linux devs to work on that application, but instead Linux gearheads spend all their time reinventing the wheel with twenty different desktops and a couple hundred different distros. Microsoft just focuses upon creating one single killer desktop, meanwhile, that slays all the Linux competition. Another area that needs to be addressed in Linux is the problem of associating applications with filetypes. Most Linux distributions are completely retarded in this area. They open a dialog window requiring the user to hunt down a binary executable somewhere in the file system in order to open, say, an .htaccess file in a text editor. Well, that's a lot of silly nonsense, that's what that is. Instead of fixing this rather obvious problem for the end user, distros are instead working on what? Integration of the desktop model with that of smart phones? I don't know what KDE is doing, and I'm not sure KDE knows, either. XFCE is doing nothing. Aah, well, I think one can appreciate the viewpoint of Munich. At the end of the day people just want their computer to work and not have to spend a lot of time and effort in order to make that happen. At the end of the day, maybe it is worth it to pay Microsoft a hundred bucks or so to ensure the computer will work the first time, rather than the fifty-first time after a thousand hours of troubleshooting. KISS applies--Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The one thing Linux does well is Internet surfing, and that is mainly thanks to Mozilla supporting Linux with Thunderbird and Firefox. Okular is another killer app in Linux, superb for .pdf files. LibreOffice is great, although it does have limitations in terms of compatibility with Microsoft Word, and I'm sure that was a huge issue for Munich, just like it was a problem for me and my users. However, users expect a lot more from their computers than just surfing the Internet. Everybody and their brother has a digital camera these days, and the first thing they are going to do in Linux is try and manage their photo collection. Well, after a look at Gimp and Digikam, most users are going to ask me how much I will charge to install Windows and ACDSee. Those projects need a lot more developers and a lot more money in order to compete. However, I think the most logical alternative would simply be to entice ACDSee to support Linux. Probably the only group with the clout to do that would be Canonical, but they're busy plotting to take over the mobile phone market.

No More Passwords

In the not-so-distant future, people will wear rings containing a universal password--in a matter of speaking--for all their personal online services and data. This ring will transmit via direct physical contact to a computer or other device that has been granted access to that individual ring. Devices that have not been granted access will not be able to access the ring. The ring will allow browsing sites without logging in and with near-perfect security. Mobile phones and computers owned by the user will be inoperable and in lockdown mode, broadcasting their GPS location to their owner, should anyone other than the owner attempt to access them.

I say the ring contains only a password "in a matter of speaking," because passwords are insecure by their very nature, subject to brute-force attacks. People of the future will look at passwords as a primitive stepping stone to the next generation, which is algorithm-based. An algorithm encoded within a ring can decrypt any encrypted data owned by the user and log in to any web site instantly. This method of encryption cannot be defeated, because the encrypted data is not sequential and is not key-based, but deciphered using a complicated matrix-based algorithm which varies for each individual and which also varies depending upon the time of day and time of year, body temperature, and perhaps some other environmental factors as yet to be determined. To decode such data is impossible, regardless of available resources. . .

The ring functions as a unique key that can be stolen or copied, perhaps, but needs physical possession. Thus, hackers without access to the ring are without any luck at all. Theft will consist of old-fashioned robbery or burglary to obtain the ring. But a ring is relatively easy to secure, certainly easier than many alternatives such as passwords. If one's person is safe, then one's data is safe. This is both a natural and very simple method of safeguarding data, requiring little more vigilance than people ordinarily exercise in safeguarding precious gold and platinum rings. However, there will have to be a way for law enforcement to inactivate stolen rings following a complaint of theft and DNA confirmation that the real owner is who he says he is.

Security 101

Facts

1. Any competent programmer can devise a nonsequential, noisy encryption scheme that unlocks by algorithm, not key, and thus cannot be defeated by any method.

2. Such a run-of-the-mill coder can also devise a virus that cannot be detected by any method.

3. No complicated software can be certified virus, malware, and trojan-free with 100% certainty, even if the source code is exhaustively reviewed by a national security agency over a period of a hundred years and with a billion-dollar budget. (If you are in any doubt about this, review #1 & #2.)

4. No complicated software can be certified to be free of all present and future security vulnerabilities, intentional or unintentional.

5. People who download programs or operating systems from Pirate Bay are either kidding themselves or don't care because they have taken precautions such as running the software in a sandbox, etc.

6. People who think it is fine and dandy to install software from China, etc. are in the same boat as the #5 group.


The bottom line is this--and everyone using the Internet today needs to know this not now, but yesterday--computer programs are just as complicated, diverse, and potentially harmful and untrustworthy as human beings. Therefore, the same rules apply. Consider the source, reputation, and available references. Take precautions and reduce risk. And continue observing.

DistroWatch Silly Over Deepin

Distrowatch is silly to repeat their assertion that anyone who doesn't have an open mind about Deepin is "tribalist."

Probably more than half the people reading this blog don't know what Distrowatch is or Deepin is, but I digress. Research 'em if you like. I usually start at Wikipedia for my research. On the other hand, most people won't care. I care, not because it's a fascinating subject, but mostly because I'm right, and it always feels good to be right about something.

Now looky here, Distrowatch. If a Linux distro pops up from, say, Brazil or even Japan, then I'm OK with it. Different tribes than mine, but no biggie. Hey, live and let live--the more, the merrier. Brazil and Japan have something I respect. It's called Freedom of the Press. Nice concept. It means web sites like DistroWatch don't have to sit a-quivering in their shoes that the police are going to bust down the door and drag them away by their hair for writing something on their web site. Ain't that nice, Distrowatch? I think so.

So Distrowatch, that's why I won't install a Chinese-made Linux distro on my computer. It's not because they're from a different tribe than mine. It's because China ain't free. Someone slips a trojan or a subtle, intentional vulnerability into Deepin. . . then there's no one in China that can talk about it without fear of the police. Point made. End of discussion.

One would think that people with an education--ahem--would already know all this, but perhaps they have a certain motive to pretend otherwise. Hmm . . .

Putin the Putrid

Bush's Folly (Iraq & Afghanistan) becomes all the more costly now that China and Russia are asserting their aggressive natures. Bush blew too many trillions on little cesspools around the world that didn't matter and dug the country into a hole of debt from which we may never emerge. I honestly don't see a way out of the national debt besides massive inflation that will see the dollar's purchasing power plummet. I expect a day to come when a gallon of milk costs $20. Of course, paying off the debt will be easy then, because the government will be printing money. Here, China, here's your dough, have a nice day.

Whenever Republicans gain power, massive debt is the result, because Republicans know only one thing: Spend, Spend, Spend, to enrich their cronies and spread war all over the world. Iraq was just revenge for dissing Bush's Daddy. Spending trillions of dollars over there was in no way wise. I can think of a lot of uses I would like to see even a single trillion dollars spent, and none of those ideas involve giving lots of money to the arms industry to blow up Iraq. The entire reason this country is in the doghouse economically is because Bush chose to focus on a region of the world he knew little about rather than focus on his job. Playing toy soldiers might be more fun, but paying attention to the financial markets was what Bush ought to have been doing. Should the government have done a better job of regulating and enforcing existing laws in the financial markets? Not yes, but Hell, yes.

Now Russia is threatening the world with nuclear weapons, which highlights the need to develop new measures against the real threat to U.S. security. Russia was and is now the only real threat. Russia is led by an immature little tyrant with a noodle for a brain. Bringing up the possibility of nuclear war is just the latest example of Putin's putridity. Only an evil person would threaten such an evil fate for all of humankind. Of course, he is poisoning Russia's relations with the rest of the world.

Nothing good ever emerges from the mouth of Putin. He is father of lies. From now on, I call Putin "Putrid," because the decay and stench about his spirit is all too apparent.

Tacita

Even when immersed in the darkness--do you know? or have you forgotten again?--even then. . . thou art cradled in the arms of the goddess. The light surrounds you, and no harm can come to you. Thou art joined to the light and become that light that spans alpha and omega, so there is no beginning and no end. When one story ends another begins and so on forever and ever.

Replace 'Em

What we need to do in Western countries is get rid of recent immigrants that hate the West, like this scum, send them back to Iraq or wherever they come from, and replace them with immigrants that like the West. Wannabe jihadists have no business getting a free education, meals, and protection on the taxpayer's dime. There are tons of people around the world that would be grateful to the U.S. just to be allowed a visa. Replace the Islamofascists with some of our gentle and mild friends south of the Border, I say. Law-abiding and hard-working people are welcome, but fanatics are not. Whatever policy is allowing evil-doers to come in needs to be changed, and existing fanatics need to be sent to the land of fanatics, the middle east. They can pay for an inflatable raft to get back to their mess or else swim, because the taxpayers cannot afford to provide them with a free cruise either. We've got enough debt and problems as it is without having to deal with crazy terrorists that blindly follow a barbarous anti-human cult. Anyone with half a brain can see through the ridiculous delusions, pretensions, lies and nonsense of the Islamic jihadists. It's sad we even have to hear about them in 2014, but their presence is a reminder that we descended from humbler origins.

UK Intelligence close to nabbing Foley's Killer

Looks like Foley's murderer's days are numbered, judging by media reports. What galls is that the vermin that shot the video could not, given a million years and infinite resources, have developed a camera, nor a computer, nor an Internet capable of broadcasting the video. I doubt they could discover the means by which to produce fire. All their technology comes from the West, and all their barbarism and wickedness is the product of their own culture.

Alas, if only--long ago--if only the West had presented a united front, instead of pointless in-fighting, we would not be playing whack-a-mole right now in 2014. This brings to mind the old saw, "a stitch in time saves nine." Eliminating the central problem in 1946 would have been a relatively easy task. Instead we allowed Saddam and other local tyrants to rule unchecked, a lingering malignancy that festered and now erupts with pus and gore.

Islam's Prohibition of Alcohol

This 1508 engraving by Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden illustrates a story about Mohammed and the Monk Sergius. Mohammed, when in company with his lover Sergius, drank too much wine and fell asleep. Before he awakened, a soldier killed Sergius and placed the sword in Mohammed's hand. When the prophet wakened, the soldier and his companions told him that while drunk he had slain his lover. Therefore Mohammed forbade the drinking of wine by his followers.

One cannot but admire the sergian abstinence from alcohol, however. I propose a toast--of simple tea, of course--to the good Monk Sergius.

Hamas Kills Unarmed Civilians

So, Hamas rounded up a bunch of random innocent men off the street, called them "informers" and summarily killed them. No surprise. Cannibalism is common among primitive species. After all, cockroaches eat their own kind. Besides, the main criteria Hamas has for its victims is that they be unarmed civilians that aren't firing back.

Hamas needs to be more thorough, though. In order to root out the informers, the first thing Hamas has to do is execute everyone in Hamas. That's the only way to be sure.

Linux for Light Duty

Since upgrading from Linux to Windows 8.1, I do feel more productive on my workstation. There was long list of "can't do that" when I was using Linux and a lot of little annoyances. Having to enter a password to rename a file is just one example. I bought a remote control and tried to get it to work in Linux. Well, there's something you need in order for that to happen, some odd package that needs to be hunted down, installed, and painstakingly configured--it has about five or six different configuration files with a very long list of settings. I forget what the thing is called, but I tried it, and after about four hours of tinkering with it, I finally succeeded in getting the remote control to work in Linux. Trouble was, there was a lengthy delay when pressing buttons on the remote control, and sometimes Linux would not interpret button presses at all, for whatever reason. Having a remote control that works some of the time, but not all of the time, is not a tenable situation.

At the same time I threw in the towel on Linux, one of my customers did, too. She had been eager and willing to give Xubuntu a try, but there's a huge problem with Linux. Other than Internet surfing, retro video games and basic word processing, there really is not much in the way of cutting-edge apps available to the Linux user. Want to manage your photo collection? Lots of luck with Digikam or Gimp. If you are one of the few that use Linux and you edit or manage photos--and many people do nowadays--welcome to the Land of Suck. Gimp is a turkey. I would never dream of using Gimp, not in a million years. Digikam is almost plausible. Digikam looks like ACDSee might have looked in beta back in the 1990s. The trouble is that ACDSee won't work in Linux. No one really minds paying money for a photo manager, but it needs to be easy to use. Dear mister Developer: People don't want to learn to use your program. You need to program an intuitive creature that adapts to the human user. I don't know where some of these Linux devs learned their design principles. I think if someone set out to make a program completely impossible for the average user to use, then Gimp would be the end result. The first problem is that Gimp will not save to a universal format like .jpg, .gif, or .png by default, and the second problem is that Gimp opens three different windows, and then there are about a thousand other problems. Each new version of Gimp or Digikam offers some useless tweak that I never heard of and would never use in an entire lifetime, when really a complete overhaul of the UI is all that is needed. Improve the UI, and you might get some users. Keep it cryptic and stay small-time.

For the home user, Linux remains useful for two main purposes: htpc (despite certain limitations such as remote controls) and light desktop use such as internet surfing, word processing, and retro games like Dungeon Crawl. My rule of thumb now is Windows for heavy-duty work and Linux for light duty.

Bravo to the IDF

The whole reason for existence for Hamas is to kill teenage pedestrians. Apparently the Palestinian terror group has declared war on anybody that walks instead of drives. The kidnappers and murderers, Hamas praises as "heroic." That's a pretty odd definition of heroism, if you ask me, and reflects a twisted and depraved mind that is of no value to anyone. Perhaps there was a time when a single member of Hamas was a human being, but no more. Hamas is aligned to absolute evil, by their own admission, and what they are admitting is that any action taken against them is justified. When cockroaches abound, one reaches for the roach spray. Cockroaches breed like--well, cockroaches. One must take care of the entire nest. Bravo to the heroes of the IDF for their heroic mission in Gaza!

Right Abideth

Right is what matters. Only the good can see that. Their Eye sees that which is hidden from the wicked, a secret path. This is a great gift denied to those that are evil.

The wicked, seeing only the obvious, assume that only they matter, but their understanding, like that of simple creatures, is not necessary.

Right abideth. 

Not a Big Fan of Islam

Islam has gotten the worst reputation of all religions in the world, but the cult deserves that reputation. I think there is something wrong with a cult that holds sway to varying extents over a billion humans but has contributed little to the fund of human knowledge outside the 16th century. Other than terrorism, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and billionaire and millionaire sheiks jet-setting around the world doing their whoring, gambling and drinking away from the eyes of their people, it is not clear what Islam contributes to the modern world, if anything. Had there not been such a heavy concentration of Muslims on oil-producing regions, then we would not be hearing about Muslims at all. The superstitious Muslims believe oil was given them by Allah as a reward for stroking his beard. They seem to pour all their money and energy into building grander mosques and launching so-called "holy" wars of one sort or another. I don't think a war could possibly be holy. Maybe childbirth is holy, because it is certainly miraculous, but not war. War is ugly business, and ISIS has waged the ugliest kind of war seen since the Middle Ages Ancient times. I struck out the Middle Ages, because people of the West in the Middle Ages were a little bit more civilized and advanced than the ISIS fighters, who are evil incarnate.

The Challenge

One of the hardest things about growing up is learning ways to avoid crazy and violent people. In school, one is exposed to sociopaths, psychopaths, and every species of criminal, as yet unidentified. One not only has to avoid getting mixed up in violence against or with those individuals but also to avoid their memes or thought-patterns, which perpetuate a culture of violence.

When I think about all the times I was tested, I think it's amazing that I am still alive. I have no feeling whatsoever for my old schools and regard them in the same light as an ex-prisoner would his prison. I never dreamed I would make it even to thirty, but here I am. The human animal is remarkably resilient and resourceful. Marijuana, which was strictly forbidden in school, was one of the means by which memories of the school were annihilated. The other means were simply the passage of time and replacement of bad memories with good memories. I don't know why the modern world thinks it is a good idea to make school into a Hell, but it does. The more hellish the school, the better, in the opinion of most. I would have been much better off in a library by myself.

The requirements for a proper education are as follows:

1. Books.
2. Time.

Teachers and other students are unnecessary distractions.

I understand nowadays the boneheaded politicians are pouring billions of dollars down the drain on fancy computer gadgetry for the classroom, such as electronic blackboards, online videos and computers. All of that is just pure waste designed to enrich the cronies of the political elite. Anyone with normal intelligence should be able to perceive the potential for corruption. If Shakespeare, Plato, Lincoln, Churchill, Einstein, et al, learned the old-fashioned way, then what the hell is wrong with the old-fashioned way? What the hell is wrong with modern kids that they need all these gadgets? They don't. A means to extract money from the public coffers, pure and simple--money that would be better spent augmenting teacher's salaries.

Windows 8.1 Replaces Netrunner 14.04

I overwrote Netrunner 14.04 with Windows 8.1 Pro and could not be happier. Windows 8.1 has the key feature that Netrunner 14.04 lacks. It is possible, in Windows, to right-click on a text file and open that file immediately into a text editor of my choice, in this case Notepad++. With Netrunner 14.04, everytime I tried to edit a text file, Netrunner would pester me for the exact location of the text editor, because apparently the operating system does not know where any of its applications are stored. Well, I am not the operating system, and I don't know, either; I rather expect the operating system to keep track of things like that for me, and if it does not, then the operating system has no business operating in 2014 and needs replacing.

I didn't mind so much the requirement of a password to edit a text file, which is a standard security measure among Linux distros, although it is boneheaded and wrong. But asking the user to go and find the text editor executable among the hundreds of paths on the hard drive is really the final insult. I regret to say I spent a collective hour over the course of several weeks trying to find the executable for Jedit before I finally realized the obvious, that Netrunner must be replaced at all costs, because it is costing me time and energy. There were other problems with that old thing, but this was by far the worst. I really don't know what the devs are working on, but apparently they never consult the users when determining their priorities.

As for the much-maligned Windows 8, I do not concur with all the naysayers that hate Eight. Yes, it is slightly more difficult to use than Windows 7. The main problem is the lack of a Start button. A lesser annoyance is the infernal Charms menu. I turned off all the tiles in my Charms menu, just to avoid any potential bandwidth drain. I think they are stupid, but they can be rather easily avoided by pressing Win+D whenever they pop up. I was pleased to read the Charms menu will be eliminated in Windows 9, and indeed the main reason I purchased Windows 8 was to be able to purchase a low-cost upgrade to Windows 9 when it is released.

In the past, keyboard shortcuts were for power users. The main thing to keep in mind with Windows 8 is that keyboard shortcuts are more useful than ever. I am able to short-circuit most Windows 8 annoyances and design blunders by using keyboard shortcuts. Simply being patient and taking the time to learn the quirks of Eight will suffice to overcome all confusion. The lack of a Start button can be rather easily circumvented by following the simple instructions found here to create something that approximates a Start button. This is not entirely sufficient, but is adequate. I have taken to allowing more icons on my desktop than usual in order to make programs more accessible.

I think that corporations and individuals in general are just following the money. They see a lot of money in mobile gadgets, and so they ignore or redesign their successful existing products to please mobile users. In the process, they annoy their true customer base, those with desktops, the people who tend to do actual work on the computer. I wish that more engineers would head corporations and fewer business managers. What is needed are people who understand how things work, not people who understand how to make money.

I also think mobile gadgets are stupid. Just plain old stupid. The proper place to operate a computer is seated at a desk in front of a very large screen with an optimal input device of one's choice. Staring at a device with a three inch screen and no mouse or keyboard is not my cup of tea. I do not know how anyone can get any real work done on such a gadget. And when one is out in the world, outside of a secure and controlled environment, among strangers and motor vehicles, it is not such a great idea to be staring at a screen.

Be Safe on the Internet

Most people don't realize just how dangerous the internet can be, especially to Windows users. Everyone that is not a tech gets a computer virus sooner or later. The typical response is to discard the old computer or put it in the attic and buy a brand new one, an unnecessary waste of money. Where knowledge is lacking, the wallet must compensate.

To all users, I recommend the following. Use Firefox, and do not install any toolbars, but do install the addons AdBlock and NoScript. NoScript requires extra effort on the part of the end user, but the payoff in security is worth it. I do not install NoScript for clients unless specifically asked, because I appreciate the annoyance it can cause. For myself and loved ones, I will always install NoScript and train them how to work with it to have a safer browsing experience. Only scripts that have been specifically greenlighted by the user will be permitted to run. I also teach my users to be extremely skeptical of anything they read on a web site, in particular regarding their computer, but even beyond personal computer security, much of the information one finds on the internet is paid advertising or else people looking to "monetize" (the verb they choose) their web domain.

Also, backup an image of your Windows system to a separate hard drive--built-in Windows functionality available via the Control Panel--it only takes 20-60 gigs of space and will save your bacon in the event of operating system loss. I image my Windows systems every 3-4 months to capture any new program additions or removals. Be aware that backing up the system image is different than a complete backup. Microsoft does not make the differences quite clear to the user, but I discovered the differences through the time-honored method of trial and error. A system image backup captures the operating system and all files needed for Windows operation. A complete backup captures that as well as media files that may be stored on different drives. Everything should be backed up, but the system image is really important, because it allows very fast restoration of Windows in the event of a malware infection.

This is the best advice I can give to Windows users with my 30 years of experience, other than to consider giving Xubuntu a try for light duty such as Internet browsing. I use Xubuntu or SolydX on three different systems and consider it a worthwhile tool. It boots faster than Windows, is free, does not require much in the way of configuration, allows a high degree of customization, and requires very little in the way of system resources. Mine all run fine with 2 gigs of RAM in each box. The limitations of Linux have been described elsewhere on this blog.

Bigoted Against China?

DistroWatch expressed their disdain of my rumour-mongering:

I can tell you that my reviews contain only my observations, facts I can gather and my opinions on the experiences I have. I see no reason to consider rumours about which products may or may not include malware without proof. Almost all governments use spy tools and find ways to introduce back doors into operating systems. Those which do not make their own software back doors purchase such tools from companies in other countries. People who point fingers solely at Chinese products and complain about intentional back doors are either ignorant of other governments' actions or simply bigoted. I think it is worth noting that China has been restricting sales of selected closed source products because their government is just as concerned about American technologies as American organizations are concerned about products made in China.

I'm biased against China, because it is a tyranny. Period.

Look, if China puts a backdoor in a Linux distro, and anyone in China talks about it, that blabbermouth is going to prison for a long time. If Distrowatch headquarters itself in China and starts talking trash about the government, then they can experience the tender mercies of Chinese tyranny first-hand. Funny how apologists for China like Distrowatch are careful to locate their offices and their families outside of tyrannical regions, while publishing an astonishingly all-positive review of a Chinese distro--the most positive review I've yet read in Distrowatch--for some as-yet undisclo$ed rea$on. I'm bluffing, of course--I don't actually know where the Distrowatchers are located. But if they call my bluff and declare themselves to be located in China, then that would be interesting.

Contrast China with the U.S. of A. If our NSA puts a backdoor in a Linux distro, and anyone in the U.S. talks about it, the blabbermouth is going to be featured in the media and earn a lot of money and recognition and career advancement for doing so. As for Eric Snowden, he signed a contract of non-disclosure, from what I understand, and so the Obama Administration is essentially pursuing him for violation of his contract. I don't approve of the Obama Administration's hunt for Eric Snowden. I believe that Eric Snowden did the right thing in principle, if not in execution. But in the U.S., we have people who do the right thing. A conscience is a very American trait.

So, yeah, I'm against tyranny, and for free speech. I am biased in the sense that I favor good over evil. And I do believe that such things exist--that there is a definite good and a definite evil that characterize the actions of human beings. And I think that choosing good matters. I have explained why many times in this space and will continue to do so.

Ignorant? I rather think DistroWatch pretends to be ignorant--of history, politics, current affairs--whether they are so or not. But perhaps they understand certain other matter$ well enough. I really doubt Distrowatch is as mind-numbingly naive as they pretend to be. Breezing by China's tyranny with the "all governments use spy tools" line just won't cut it with anyone that has any kind of education, but might deceive a certain percentage of geeks that only know computers and nothing else. Perhaps China calculates that even a tiny 1-5% penetration into the Linux market will help with its cyberattacks.

Distrowatch should go have a chat with some of the bloggers busting rocks in China's labor camps who dared post unfavorable reviews of the government. Then they can decide for themselves whether all nations really are the same. Trust China for your software? Why not trust them with all of your personal and private data, and see where that gets you? Because if China writes your software, then China gets your information. I refuse to believe that bonafide software engineers, developers, technicians, whatever they are, that have been in this business and writing about this business for years on end cannot understand this extremely simple and obvious concept. There has to be another motive lurking about in the shadows other than "all governments engage in spying, so hey, what's the biggie?"

Upgrade from Netrunner 14.04 to Windows 95?

I really need to upgrade from Netrunner 14.04. Everytime I try to edit a text file from within FileZilla, Netrunner goes haywire. The operating system cannot find Jedit. I have to drop to a command line, chdir to the correct directory, and enter "sudo jedit [ name of text file ]. What's the point of having a GUI desktop if I have to use the command line to load a text editor? None at all.

"Primitive" doesn't even begin to express my feelings here. I don't know what audience Neanderthal is designed for, but it certainly wasn't designed for anyone that needs to get work done.

The screenshot below illustrates what I call the "KDE Stupidity". There is no option for setting any default text editor in the operating system, because KDE is philosophically opposed to people getting actual work done.What does the dropdown menu display? Why, nothing, of course. There are no text editors available, according to Netrunner, despite Kate, LibreOffice and Jedit being installed on the system. A more schizophrenic operating system I never hope to see.

I did find "File Associations" in the Settings, but although it seems promising, it just doesn't work; the text editor is not known to FileZilla. Editors are listed, but the paths to those editors are not passed on to an application such as FileZilla, perhaps because FileZilla is a non-KDE app.  There is only one way to edit a text file from FileZilla when Neanderthal rules the roost, and that is to drop to a command line, chdir to the right location on the drive, and sudo jedit [ name of text file ]. And everytime I have to do that, I rue the day I ever installed Neanderthal on my machine, and go hunting on Ebay for install disks for Windows.

In Windows, editing a text file takes all of one second. I right-click on the file, load Notepad++, and I'm there. What did I, the user, have to do in order to set up this miraculous convenience? Why, absolutely nothing, other than install Notepad++. With Neanderthal, editing a text file is a complete nightmare. The operating system simply is not designed for any kind of useful work at all besides, I suppose, surfing the Net, hence the name.

I don't honestly know what KDE has been working on the past twenty years other than screensavers and desktop effects. It would be nice to have a text editor available to edit text files without having to drop to the command line. Perhaps that feature will be available in KDE by 2015?

Update: I bought a copy of Windows 8 Pro today, although Windows 95 would have been a dramatic improvement. I can't think of a better use of $100 that to be able to edit a text file whenever and wherever I please and not have to think twice about it.

Netrunner, your days are numbered. I'm going to format c:\ and get rid of the blasted thing once and for all. No more "uh, I dunno where your text editor is, go run and find it." No more of Muon's infamous "Enter your password to update your system. Okay, you entered the right password, but I still won't let you update, because I've got a bug. Thank you for helping test this alpha-ware software." No more "can't install such-and-such because it's not compatible." No more "Oops, your desktop crashed. Were you wondering why Firefox froze, and the keyboard and mouse were unresponsive? Well, that's why." No more "you cannot use the Netrunner forum and get help with technical issues, even though you did register, because the Netrunner forum registration is broken, just like Kubuntu's." No more, "Oh, were you searching for that .htaccess the past ten minutes and wondering why you couldn't find it? It's because I decided to hide it from you! Hee hee!"

As for text editors, KDE installs Kate by default and seems to prefer it, but even Kate is not accessible to FileZilla. I could possibly make do with Kate, if it would just load for once after a right-click. But Kate is not a programmer's text editor. Kate is cute, I'll grant you, but Jedit is a real programmer's text editor. Jedit is what I use when I want to get things done. Jedit is the Notepad++ to Kate's Notepad. When KDE has Jedit installed and working in all apps, including FileZilla, then it will have arrived. It will be a civilized operating system. Until then, KDE is not ready for prime-time, and sorry, but I just don't have time enough in my day to help alpha-test it.

Good for Target

I admit to being a little surprised that Target came out for gay marriage. I had considered boycotting them a while back when there was news that they had contributed money to some kind of anti-gay organization, but in the end concluded that Wal-Mart was no better and probably worse, and besides, Target seems a little bit nicer or cleaner, somehow.

Good for Target. I think it just shows they're smart. Not a terribly courageous gesture in this day and age, but smart enough.

I never did understand conservative opposition to gay marriage. Marriage is a conservative value. It may be the most conservative value of all values. In the past, I think some right-wingers opposed gay marriage in a knee-jerk reaction without really thinking about the idea very much. Gay marriage represents the ultimate in conformity and assimilation and brings gays "into the fold." I don't see how anyone could be opposed to that unless they're just blinded by a negative attitude.

Four Things I Hate about Linux

1. Hidden files. Why? If the file merits existence, it should be seen by the user. Many hidden files, such as .htaccess, contain critical configuration settings that must be modified to get things to work. Just stop it with the hidden files. Probably fifty million man-hours around the world have been lost because some developer thought it was wise to hide files from the user. This is anti-social sadism on the part of developers.

2. This infernal pop-up which arises in every Linux program. Trying to edit a text file from within a program like Filezilla is impossible. Instead, one must drop to the command prompt, because the Linux GUI is useless. Even if one does, somehow, track down the location of the text editor using the Browse button, Linux permissions will not allow the saving of the text file. Potential time lost? 5 - 10 minutes per attempt to edit a file. In Windows, I can load a text file from any program using Notepad++, and it takes me approximately one second to do so. Why is Linux retarded?

 3. Networking in Linux. I hate networking above all other things. But Samba is a program that is confusing in the extreme. It is designed for a server, which means it is about a trillion times more complicated than necessary for a home network. What do all the settings mean? Why do I need or want to enter a password to access a directory on a networked computer at my own home? Why is everything so slow on the network? Why isn't there some kind of GUI? Over the years, I cobbled together a configuration file for Samba that I use in every Linux distro. I spent many hours sweating over that thing, trying to figure out what it all means, but I still don't understand half of  it. I don't envy the new user to Linux that has to figure out home networking for the first time.

4. Muon. I don't like the Kubuntu Software Updater or the Kubuntu Software Manager. I can't find the programs I want in them, for one thing. In keeping with the general Linux philosophy, the program I want are "hidden". I can find the programs I want in Synaptic, but not in Kubuntu's programs. As for Muon Software Updater, it's buggy. It used to be a lot buggier, but it still has strange problems. Synaptic just works all the time, on the other hand.

Chrome Faster than Firefox? Horsefeathers!

I call horsefeathers on the Internet for all the claims that Google Chrome is faster than Mozilla Firefox.

Horsefeathers, horsefeathers, h o r s e f e a t h e r s !

Maybe Chrome is faster when watching videos. But I don't watch videos and don't give a monkey's tail about YouTube.

Firefox is fast where it counts--web sites that I must use to get work done. And it uses far less memory. Chrome opens up a new instance for every page, which makes about as much sense as paying a hundred dollars for a pack of gum. So not only is Firefox faster, but the system as a whole runs faster when the user has enough sense to steer clear of Chrome. More memory equates to a more responsive user experience on any properly configured operating system.

I used Chrome for a month at work. Then I switched over to the latest version of Firefox. The difference was like night and day. Firefox was faster all the time. The only tweaks I made were installing the AdBlock add-on and expanding Firefox's cache from the rather conservative 350-odd mb to 1 GB.

I really don't understand all the buzz about Chrome, unless Google has bought a lot of positive buzz, which seems likely to me.

I write my blog purely for pleasure--to vent and call horsefeathers--and receive no payment from anyone. Even Google won't pay me for ads due to some weird technical glitch on their end, so I'm completely unremunerated.

But the mainstream media is presumably in the game to make a profit somehow or another. Whenever I read something that sounds peculiar to me, the very first thing I think about is how much money changed hands for that article to appear on a popular web site, and who is it that wants to shape public opinion, and why.

How Much Did Hamas pay for the Telegraph?

I read the Telegraph the other day, and it sounded like a propaganda organ for Hamas. I wonder how much money they are taking from Iran?

How much does a positive review cost?

How much did the tyrants in China pay for all the positive reviews that Deepin has received in the Linux press--reviews that completely miss the main point, that Deepin was developed by a fascist tyranny for a reason that has not yet been revealed.

Hint: the reason probably has to do with using the personal computers of unsuspecting nerds around the world to steal passwords, information, bandwidth, and computing power.

I watched a BBC Storyville documentary the other day called "China's Bleak House," that reveals how China treats the poor. Those poor people that dare to complain about their treatment by corrupt officials are beaten, tortured, dispossessed of whatever meager possessions they have, separated from their families, witness their families getting beaten, and have all manner of ill visited upon their heads for merely asking for justice.

It was a depressing show, and I tuned out late in the show when a peasant woman was pushed in front of a train by goons. The police did not bother investigating her murder, and they did not even bother cleaning up the body parts. Her friends walked along the tracks the next day and found parts of her jaw bone, skull, and even a large portion of her hand. This illustrates what I think about China. It may have pilfered a lot of our technology and stolen our jobs, but the country remains tyrannical and does not give a damn about its working class. It is one of the worst places in the world to work.

I think Westerners that install things like Deepin on their computers have no knowledge of world affairs or history.

However, there are a lot of Westerners that would gladly buy their food from China and absorb all manner of heavy metals and carcinogens into their bodies because they think all countries are equal. Good luck with that. For my part, I think I will buy my food from local farmers and get my software from people that live in democratic lands where people can provide feedback without worrying about the police coming a-knocking on their door.

Deepin?

I'm surprised none of the reviews I've read about Deepin, including at Distrowatch, make any bones about Deepin being developed in China. You know, the same country that has been hacking Western corporations, governments and private citizens for years. China has about a million reasons to want to push a Linux distro, and none of them are benevolent. In Distrowatch's interview with a developer, I read that Deepin has 30 developers. Actually I thought there would be more, given that the Red Army is actively engaged in computer hacking. I would not touch a Chinese distro. Lose the illusion! China is a tyranny; there is no free speech, no real justice system and the government does whatever the heck it wants to do, whenever the heck it wants to do it. No matter how many positive reviews Deepin buys for cheap in the online press, the fact remains it derives from a highly suspect source.

Hamas and Its Tunnels

Instead of building hospitals or trying to improve the economy, Hamas builds tunnels to murder and kidnap civilians. The responsibility for the current conflict is all on the side of Hamas. No country in the world would accept terrorists pouring across the border through secret underground tunnels.

Here's for Linux Mint XFCE

One thing I like in Linux Mint Xfce and that I don't see in Netrunner KDE is the ability to right-click a file, choose a program to open it, and then teach the desktop to always use that program in the future. With Netrunner, it's an ongoing battle to have it use Jedit to open up .sql, .html, .shtml. Netrunner wants to always use Kate, which is extremely limited and has a lot of problems dealing with plain text files. I cannot even open, as root, using Jedit, a text file at all in Dolphin and have given up on what should be an elementary procedure that even Windows 3.1 was capable of managing.

What I have had to do in Netrunner as a workaround is drop to the terminal in the directory with my .sql file and enter sudo jedit suchandsuch.sql each and every time I need to edit the file. That annoyance is enough to make me not want to use Netrunner in the future, and combined with KDE's propensity to freeze, then reboot the desktop for no apparent reason makes me not want to choose KDE in the future as a desktop. I think I will stick with good, old, tried-and-true XFCE, Linux Mint edition, thank you very much.

It is impossible to register for Netrunner's forum, so raising the issue there is a no-go.

The Petty Tyrants of the "Postal Service"

This is the norm @ USPS.

Vandals in Paris

The vandals in Paris that torched Jewish businesses should be prosecuted for hate crimes. Perhaps France does not understand the meaning of the rule of law. If mob violence is to rule, then what is the point of having a government at all?

The only reason that some people, especially in Europe, go on against Israel is not because of ethics, but because their hearts are cold and their minds are blank, and they're playing the game of hopping on the bandwagon with the apparently popular choice.
 
A country such as Israel has every right to defend itself against rocket attacks. There is not a country in the world that would turn a blind eye if rockets were pouring in across their border and terrorists were creeping out of underground tunnels and murdering teenagers. Nations go to war for far less. Building underground tunnels into a neighboring nation constitutes a violation of border. Hamas invaded Israel. Period. End of story.

It would be a different matter, aye, if Israel launched a war unprovoked. Some people live in an alternate universe where they pretend that is the case. Some people don't care what the facts are. There are a lot of people with tribal loyalties that will just hurrah for their team no matter what their team is doing.

What needs to happen for peace is that Hamas needs to stop pursuing violence as a means to an end. They need to disarm and engage the Israelis in sincere negotiations in good faith--and, yes, give even more than they think they should. They need to show themselves as bigger than their enemy thinks they are.

As long as they remain small-minded and intent upon perpetuating a cycle of hate and violence, then hate and violence is all they will ever get, even if it persists for ten thousand years.

The Way to Report War

I don't like hearing about numbers of Palestinians killed and numbers of Israelis killed. The way to report on war is in totals--the total number of human beings killed. They are the same and genetically not very different.

The reason that the war persists is that Iran and Hamas continue to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. There is no point dwelling in the 1940s and continuing a generations-old conflict over what happened before most people were even born. Israel is a civilized state that operates in a rational manner and by rules and procedures. Hamas is nothing but a gang of thugs addicted to the bribes given them by Iran.


Hamas is like a flea infection in a big woolly dog. Periodically, the dog has to be given a thorough flea bath to kill the fleas. The flea bath is very unpleasant. The dog doesn't like it and complains, but it's necessary, because otherwise the fleas sneak out and kill human beings. The dog is not intelligent enough to remove the fleas on its own and needs help to do so.

CNN has a good essay exposing Hamas and its culture of lies, stupidity and cowardice. It is not a culture worth preserving.

Putin's Russia Sucks

Putin is an idiot, and Putin's Russia sucks.

Shooting down an airliner for no reason is the capstone on Putin's life and career as a thug.

KDE Likes to Crash

One of the rude bugs of KDE is that it likes to crash when I'm browsing the Internet. Firefox will suddenly freeze for a solid minute, after which Netrunner throws up an error message saying, "The KDE desktop had to be restarted because the graphic environment was reset." That is very annoying, and it's something I never experienced in Xubuntu.

I turned off most desktop effects and will continue paring them down to zero if the bug persists.

Right at the moment, I'm busy hunting for the option that will let me set up keyboard shortcuts. KDE hides this away for an unknown reason. In Xubuntu, I found the option in about a minute. I'm still searching in KDE's wilderness that they call a Settings Manager...

Update  the answer to keyboard shortcuts in KDE is here and, compared to Xubuntu, it's ridiculously complicated. I'm beginning to think that XFCE is much more advanced than KDE. The supposed advantage to KDE is the bells and whistles, but if they cause the desktop applications to freeze at random intervals, then that is not of much use to anyone at all. Reliability is the most important factor in a desktop, bar none. I would rather go with XFCE being 99.9% reliable than with KDE being 99.89% reliable, because that .01% error rate is going to cause a lot of irritation in the long run.

Update # 2 I think I found the answer after about a half hour's Googling. Settings | Shortcuts | Custom Shortcuts actually allows entering in a simple command such as /sbin/shutdown -P now, which after doing a sudo chmod u+s /sbin/shutdown works like a charm. I suppose, in retrospect, the shortcut manager was rather obvious, but I don't find Netrunner's organization of settings obvious at all. What precisely is the difference between the categories "Hardware" and "System"? Actually, nothing. Hardware is the system, and the system is the hardware. Advanced | Other just seems strange. I rather like Windows' way of listing everything when one selects the traditional view of Control Panel. Sure, it's a long list, but it is organized alphabetically, and once one has looked it over a couple times, one can find things quickly. I really don't like the categories in Netrunner's System Settings, because they are unintuitive and not helpful. Xubuntu's settings could use some tweaking too, but they are light-years ahead of Netrunner in terms of ease-of-use. Whoever designed Xubuntu's settings understands. He just understands.

I'll continue using KDE. Perhaps it is unfair to hold it to the same reliability standard as Windows 7. Microsoft, after all, has legions of full-time programmers and testers. I really like Netrunner overall, at least when my browser isn't freezing up on me.

However, next time I'm in the market for a new desktop, I think I'll pass on buggy KDE and go with tried-and-true XFCE. I like a desktop most of all that just works.

Grobbing Around

The Grob is particularly effective against the English. Throws the Englishman for a loopity-loop-de-loop.

[Event "Live Chess"]
[White "anon"]
[Black "igor"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1451"]
[BlackElo "1354"]
[TimeControl "12|0"]
[Termination "igor won by checkmate"]

1.c4 g5 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 g4 4.e4 d6 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.Ng3 h5 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.Nf5 Rg8 9.Nxg7+ Rxg7 10.O-O c5
 11.d5 Ne5 12.Bg5 Nh7 13.Bh4 Ng5 14.f4 gxf3 15.Bxf3 Ngxf3+ 16.Rxf3 Bg4 17.Qa4+ Bd7 18.Qd1 Nxf3+ 19.Qxf3 Bg4 20.Qf2 Bh3
 21.Bg3 h4 22.gxh3 hxg3 23.hxg3 Qd7 24.g4 O-O-O 25.Kh2 Rh8 26.Rg1 Rxg4 27.Ne2 Rxe4 28.Rg3 Rxc4 29.Qxf7 Rc2 30.Rg8+ Rxg8
 31.Qxg8+ Kc7 32.Qg2 Qb5 33.Nc3 Rxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Qxb2+ 35.Kg3 Qxc3+ 36.Kg4 Qe5 37.h4 c4 38.h5 c3 39.h6 c2 40.h7 c1=Q
 41.h8=Q Qxh8 42.Kg3 Qe5+ 43.Kf3 Qce3+ 44.Kg2 Q5g3+ 45.Kf1 Qef2# 0-1

How to Complain about the USPS

As the United States Postal Service employs many thieves and lowlifes, there is no guarantee that complaining will get one anywhere. However, this site offers information on how to complain against the government-run monopoly when it does its usual bit of stealing, lying and obfuscating.

Netrunner's Closed Forum

Another thing Netrunner has in common with Kubuntu is that it does not have an accessible forum. Registering for that thing is an ordeal, if it is at all possible. I solved all of their little puzzles to prove I'm human, clicked on the email verification, logged in, and was not logged in. No error message--nothing. Their forum is broken, just like Kubuntu's was when I tried it a year ago. I tried Netrunner's forum about six times without any luck. I don't really need the forum, anyway. I was just trying to register to praise the design. Sometimes I err on the side of over-enthusiasm. Perhaps a bit of distance is a good thing.

Linux distros that have functional forums include: SolydXK, PCLinuxOS, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu.

Linux distros that have broken forums include Kubuntu and Netrunner.

If one considers a functional forum to be helpful from time to time, then that will have an impact on the choice of distro. For now, I'm willing to go without, because Netrunner is similar enough to Ubuntu that I can just use Google to answer questions I may have. If I ever run into any kind of difficulty, however, then I'm thinking that Linux Mint KDE might be a good choice for the future.

Netrunner 14.04 is a Nice Strong Cup of Awesome

I haven't the time to compose a proper review, but just a quick note that Netrunner "Frontier" 14.04, 64-bit Kubuntu edition, is out of this world. I thought I'd be tweaking for hours to get the desktop nice and comfortable, but no. Netrunner is a distro that knows what users want and delivers it to them with a nice pretty bow on top.

If you want to check out a modern operating system outside of Microsoft's realm, then be sure to torrent a copy of Netrunner.

I haven't tried the Rolling Release and have no plans to do so--Manjaro seems Greek to me--but I can definitely vouch for the Frontier edition.

KDE is looking mighty good these days on an Intel Haswell Celeron G1820.

My Current Thoughts about Linux

Ubuntu should be rocky the next few years as Canonical rolls out Mir. I think that's why Linux Mint is avoiding Canonical's non-LTS releases. I don't know what I'm going to do with my Xubuntu 14.04 rigs. Probably in a year or so, I will feel the need to switch distros.

Xubuntu 14.04 is great, but Xubuntu's destiny is dependent upon Ubuntu and the choices that Canonical makes.

I've found SolydX to be fast, lean, and reliable. I may switch over to SolydX in the future.

Xfce has always given me far fewer problems than KDE and that is the main reason I use it. It seems to me that KDE is evolving at a fast and furious pace all the time, and that the desktop never settles down into a stable state. It's radioactive. There is something to be said for conservatism, for stability and predictability. Basically, XFCE does everything I want it to do. It could be a little bit nicer here and there, but I turn on the computer to run applications, not to stare at a desktop. The desktop is a mere conveyance, a road leading to Thunderbird, Firefox, Skype and other tools. The desktop should be reliable first of all and be easy to update.