The following is a guide to recovering a compromised Wordpress site, written at the request of a visitor to this blog.
An automated robot using the nym "Yassine Edder" attacked my beloved's Wordpress site last month. I was caught unprepared, in that I was unfamiliar with the security aspects of Wordpress and had not taken the proper precautions. I accepted the blame for that negligence and pulled an all-nighter undoing the damage and locking down the site so that no one will ever be able to compromise it again and installing countermeasures that will inconvenience spammers and malicious hackers.
The message content of Yassine's graffiti manipulates victims into assuming that Yassine Edder is some sort of harmless attention-seeking teenager inspired by the media. Make no assumptions about the motives of the criminal. All that is known is that Yassine Edder is a criminal running an automated script.
Yassine's modus operandi is quite simple*. First of all, understand that Yassine is not a human being, but an automatic robot running via script. The attack is completed within two minutes. The robot attempts to read wp-config.php, and if your file permission permits this, then it can extract the password to your database. Many people, myself and my partner included, neglected to set the file permission of wp-config.php to 400 or 440, the secure setting. In order to do this, you will need to FTP into your site with a program such as FileZilla, right-click on wp-config.php, and alter the permission. This is the very first thing you must do, because until you do it, your site can be compromised again and again. There is no point in performing a clean-up until you secure wp-config.php. Clean-up is not as important as establishing security. You must change the password to your database, because it has been compromised. Change it immediately in wp-config.php, lock down wp-config.php by setting the file permission, and then go into CPANEL and change the database password on your host. This will partially close the door to Yassine Edder. However, Yassine has established an admin account, and this must be deleted from the database as well in order to slam the door in his ugly face.
The next step is to delete the admin account and also remove the graffiti Yassine left behind. I call this the clean-up stage. Bear in mind that Yassine was not permitted more than a few hours of access to my partner's site, and the damage was undone quickly. I am not sure what the consequences are for people whose site has been compromised for several days or weeks. It may be that other robots or human beings return to cause more damage. If that is the case, then there may be backdoors installed in your site. You will need to scrutinize everything carefully. The best prognosis might even be obtained by recovering from backup. I did not have to do that, but again I nipped the problem in the bud early. You should examine your logs to see what has been happening. If you are not in the habit of examining your web host logs in their raw format, now would be a good time to start. By doing so, I was able to learn which IP address or addresses conducted the attack, how long it took, and how many files were accessed. That was helpful information that I later used to ban the very same IP addresses. The Yassine robot can never access our site content from the same IP address used before. All he will get will be a stern warning with links to spam-killer and harvester-killer sites.
Now I will discuss precisely how Yassine turns your site into his personal graffiti wall. There is not much to it really. The good news for me was that the damage was not severe or widespread, at least in my case, although that may not be true for all. I can only speak from my own limited perspective.
After obtaining the password to your MySQL database, Yassine then inserted records establishing a username and password, permitting a human criminal to visit later at his leisure. Go to your web host's Cpanel, go into MySql and modify the database records that Yassine has inserted or altered. If you do not know how to deal with MySQL, you must learn, as I did. Do not be intimidated. It is not really difficult. Obviously you will want to remove the record with Yassine's username and password. You will also want to remove the record that is causing your site to greet all visitors with Yassine's stupid graffiti. Take your time examining the database, because the malicious damage will be there. To my recollection there was one record with Yassine's username and password, and one record with the graffiti. However, there may be more. It should not be assumed that every site has the same experience.
After undoing the database damage, you should be home-free, or at least I was. My partner's site at this point was fully recovered with no damage and no backdoors. So I got a great big hug and a thank-you and a cup of hot cocoa. Take this opportunity to pursue the other security recommendations I have suggested elsewhere. Wp-config.php is not the only Wordpress vulnerability. There are others that should be eliminated as well. Also, the whole fiasco is a wake-up call to start making regular back-ups of your entire site, not just the files but the database as well.
There is also the possibility your FTP password could one day become compromised due to a local virus on your PC or a man-in-the-middle attack. I suggest using SFTP at all times, which is encrypted FTP. Securing your local network against viruses is important. Any compromised computer on a local network can monitor network traffic, so don't be complacent about your spouse's, roommates' or children's computers. All computers must be clean.
Footnotes:
[*] - This post and others makes an assumption that wp-config.php was the focal point of Yassine's attack. That assumption appears shakier the more I think about it. One thing I've learned in computers is that one should never be too sure about something. There are two problems that bother me about the wp-config.php hypothesis.
In the first place, I was under the impression that .php files were executed server-side and could not be read by the client. However, maybe there is a way to read the source code of an unprotected .php file. I don't know. I'm no .php expert, although I have coded .php programs of simple to moderate complexity.
Even more disturbing was the behavior of my partner's web host, the accursed Namecheap, which I have panned elsewhere for unrelated reasons. Following Yassine's attack, the entire host went down for several hours "for security-related issues", which suggests a server, or all servers were hacked. If that was indeed the case, then the host, Namecheap, was negligent in some unknown way. It may be that every Wordpress blog on certain compromised servers was attacked. I am not willing to rule out this possibility, but I don't have the resources or motivation to determine the facts of the matter.
As a general aside, I think it is interesting that I'm currently unemployed and can't get a job because employers assume I know nothing about the web. They discount the skills I obtained through self-learning. They think I know nothing. Well, skills are skills. It does not matter so much whether they are obtained on a 9-to-5 job. However, this seems to be outside the understanding of today's employers, who discard my cover letter and resume because I lack recent web-related work experience in an actual paid job. I have encountered an iron wall in the job market locking me out of any kind of technology job. However, whether I ever get a job or not, I will always be keen on computers. I'm ready, able, and willing, but the job market, the economy, is not. My potential is going untapped or diverted into recreational avenues like this blog, online chess and Scrabble. Oh well. I suppose I've got my health to be thankful for, among other things.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
A Reasonable Opinion
I agreed with the recent court decision striking down a portion of Obama's health care plan.
Regulations for corporations that intend to insure people are fine and dandy, but any provisions of a health care law should be optional for individuals.
Trying to force people to do things is the type of reasoning behind Prohibition and the ban on gays in the military. It is not democratic, it doesn't work, it leads to unhappiness and it reduces productivity.
Regulations for corporations that intend to insure people are fine and dandy, but any provisions of a health care law should be optional for individuals.
Trying to force people to do things is the type of reasoning behind Prohibition and the ban on gays in the military. It is not democratic, it doesn't work, it leads to unhappiness and it reduces productivity.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Obama on Afghanistan
I watched half of Obama's Dec 1st, 2009 speech to the cadets of West Point, in which he defended the escalation in Afghanistan. I couldn't watch the whole thing, because it made me feel as uneasy as some of the cadets looked whenever the camera zoomed in to show their reactions. I wasn't impressed either by Obama's arguments or his delivery and had the distinct feeling that he did not believe in half of what he was saying. He seemed to be playing devil's advocate. I think Obama goes along with the war in Afghanistan due to political calculations. Obama strikes me as a pragmatist, rather than an idealist, and much of what he says and does is based on politics rather than reason. I don't find pragmatism particularly objectionable, but it's not terribly inspiring either.
His response to people like me, who compare Afghanistan to Viet Nam, is as follows:
Sometimes, a giant must ignore the sting of a gnat, when there are dragons lying about in wait. Our only real enemy in the modern world is China. Al Qaeda is a joke. It is a can of assorted nuts with few pistachios.
In deciding a proper course of action, one must weigh the costs against the benefits. This is a difficult medicine for wealthy and arrogant men to accept. The wealthy elite sacrificed trillions from the public coffer for vengeance. Now they demand that the working class, students, the poor and elderly pay the bill in full. Only the lower classes are being required to make sacrifices.
His response to people like me, who compare Afghanistan to Viet Nam, is as follows:
- The insurgency in Viet Nam was broad-based, while the Taliban is not.
- Al-Qaeda attacked our homeland, whereas Viet Nam did not.
- Our coalition in Afghanistan has broad international support.
Sometimes, a giant must ignore the sting of a gnat, when there are dragons lying about in wait. Our only real enemy in the modern world is China. Al Qaeda is a joke. It is a can of assorted nuts with few pistachios.
In deciding a proper course of action, one must weigh the costs against the benefits. This is a difficult medicine for wealthy and arrogant men to accept. The wealthy elite sacrificed trillions from the public coffer for vengeance. Now they demand that the working class, students, the poor and elderly pay the bill in full. Only the lower classes are being required to make sacrifices.
Rioters in the U.K.
Rioters in the U.K. and the U.S. have learned from their social superiors. The bailouts taught the working classes that incompetence, greed, and wickedness are rewarded and held in high esteem. Hard work, on the other hand, is regarded as stupid and pointless. Worker's rights and worker's benefits are down. Benefits for the idle rich are up. There is less honor, less comfort, and less prestige in working for a living. What is valued is knowing the "right" people and having the "right" connections. If those two prerequisites are not possessed, then getting ahead any which way seems to them the only way left. There are not enough jobs to go around. Young people are being told, in effect, to stay at home and do nothing. Education, self-improvement and studying are held to be of no value. The young people of the U.K. have digested this unfortunate lesson. Now society smells the end product of their digestion.
I think things can get a lot worse than they are right now. I don't see many reasons to have optimism in the future. The U.S. is in long-term decline, having sacrificed its future to the half-baked notions of the Republicans. Tyrannical China is emerging as a world power and is on course to eclipse the U.S. There is no reason to have any optimism about Russia. The world will become less free and less progressive as a result, and more people will be enslaved and oppressed. Global warming will continue unchecked, with unpredictable consequences. Iran cannot be stopped, but will eventually develop nuclear weapons, not a good scenario for a country that sponsors terrorism.
Already people are looking back with nostalgia for the 1990s, that bygone, blissful era of prosperity that is not likely to return in our lifetimes. There is a greater danger of political extremism, such as was experienced in 1930s Europe, in times of prolonged economic depression.
I think things can get a lot worse than they are right now. I don't see many reasons to have optimism in the future. The U.S. is in long-term decline, having sacrificed its future to the half-baked notions of the Republicans. Tyrannical China is emerging as a world power and is on course to eclipse the U.S. There is no reason to have any optimism about Russia. The world will become less free and less progressive as a result, and more people will be enslaved and oppressed. Global warming will continue unchecked, with unpredictable consequences. Iran cannot be stopped, but will eventually develop nuclear weapons, not a good scenario for a country that sponsors terrorism.
Already people are looking back with nostalgia for the 1990s, that bygone, blissful era of prosperity that is not likely to return in our lifetimes. There is a greater danger of political extremism, such as was experienced in 1930s Europe, in times of prolonged economic depression.
Translating Ann Coulter
I've long suspected that Ann Coulter has something wrong with her brain. There's a loose screw rattling around in that empty can. Compassion, of course, is out of the question, because Coulter is sworn to the dark side. One can only hope for reason or logic from a disciple of evil, not morality. With Coulter, even reason and logic are out. Her statements are often obviously false, with no attempt to seem either reasonable or logical.
Coulter's media presence used to annoy me, but over time, I've learned not to take her at face value. Instead, I psychoanalyze her utterances. Whatever she writes or says has to be translated from Coulterese in order to derive the actual meaning.
The first step in understanding Coulter (if you must, borrowing from the title of one of her abominable books) is to realize that for her, everything is personal. She interprets the world as revolving around her. Her imagination is limited, so when talking about others, she is often talking about herself. The following example was taken from an editorial discussing her appointment to GOProud's Advisory Council. It's a Coulter quote.
Here's the translation:
Coulter's media presence used to annoy me, but over time, I've learned not to take her at face value. Instead, I psychoanalyze her utterances. Whatever she writes or says has to be translated from Coulterese in order to derive the actual meaning.
The first step in understanding Coulter (if you must, borrowing from the title of one of her abominable books) is to realize that for her, everything is personal. She interprets the world as revolving around her. Her imagination is limited, so when talking about others, she is often talking about herself. The following example was taken from an editorial discussing her appointment to GOProud's Advisory Council. It's a Coulter quote.
"I didn't expect that so many gays would be such huge fans of mine, but yet, it's true. I think all gays who were born gay are overwhelmingly conservative—maybe apolitical—and all those angry gays, causing trouble for everybody, I don't even think they were born gay, I just think they were angry at their fathers."
Here's the translation:
The gays that assist my career are either conservative or apolitical. Other gays are not useful to me. I'm angry, causing trouble for everybody, but I wasn't born this way. I'm just angry at my father.Her father may have done nothing wrong, much like the other targets of her free-floating hostility.
How to Report Phishing Scams
Any computer user with half a brain could sniff this phishing scam a mile away. If you think that you might have fallen for it, then you need to reconsider using email and even the Internet.
I looked at this for five seconds, then forwarded it to the following parties:
US CERT : phishing-report [at] us-cert.gov
CareerBuilder Phishing Scam Report: TSST [at] careerbuilder.com (Due to the fact this scam was conducted using CareerBuilder, CareerBuilder is interested in it.)
I considered the FBI, but the FBI only appears concerned with actual fraud cases. I would have had to have fallen victim. My desire to report is great, but not that great. The University of Minnesota maintains a useful page with info about reporting phishing scams.
I hope my action results in a black hat getting inconvenienced, at the very least, if not put behind bars. Scum of the earth, preying upon the unemployed, the mentally ill, the young and inexperienced and the elderly.
For more information on how to report and respond to a suspected scam:
http://www.fraudaid.com/solution_center/menu.htm
Internet Crime Complaints can be filed at: http://www.ic3.gov
Suspected scam email messages can be forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission at: spam@uce.gov
Dear Igor,
Our Company is known as a payment processor with services designed for international small businesses. Our Organization
have found your resume in Careerbuilder.com web-site reviewed it and sure that you to be a ideal applicant for this
job which we offer.
We are currently looking for a few qualified individuals for a vacant position "Check Assist Manager".
The general duties of this position is collecting payments [ wire transfers and bank cheques ] from our customers in
United States.
Every fund transfer will follow with detailed instructions.
If you don’t have bank account We will help you to open a new account.
Average income is $600-$800 per week.
Basic Requirements:
- US Citizenship
- Available 6-10 hour per week;
- Computer skills [MS Word] personal e-mail address
- Honesty, responsibility and promptness in operations
- Willingness to work from home
- not less than 21 years old
It is a part-time job which doesn't require leaving your main job
There are no any start-up or training fee
If you want to join our team please fill form on our web-site.
Our Company is known as a payment processor with services designed for international small businesses. Our Organization
have found your resume in Careerbuilder.com web-site reviewed it and sure that you to be a ideal applicant for this
job which we offer.
We are currently looking for a few qualified individuals for a vacant position "Check Assist Manager".
The general duties of this position is collecting payments [ wire transfers and bank cheques ] from our customers in
United States.
Every fund transfer will follow with detailed instructions.
If you don’t have bank account We will help you to open a new account.
Average income is $600-$800 per week.
Basic Requirements:
- US Citizenship
- Available 6-10 hour per week;
- Computer skills [MS Word] personal e-mail address
- Honesty, responsibility and promptness in operations
- Willingness to work from home
- not less than 21 years old
It is a part-time job which doesn't require leaving your main job
There are no any start-up or training fee
If you want to join our team please fill form on our web-site.
I looked at this for five seconds, then forwarded it to the following parties:
US CERT : phishing-report [at] us-cert.gov
CareerBuilder Phishing Scam Report: TSST [at] careerbuilder.com (Due to the fact this scam was conducted using CareerBuilder, CareerBuilder is interested in it.)
I considered the FBI, but the FBI only appears concerned with actual fraud cases. I would have had to have fallen victim. My desire to report is great, but not that great. The University of Minnesota maintains a useful page with info about reporting phishing scams.
I hope my action results in a black hat getting inconvenienced, at the very least, if not put behind bars. Scum of the earth, preying upon the unemployed, the mentally ill, the young and inexperienced and the elderly.
For more information on how to report and respond to a suspected scam:
http://www.fraudaid.com/solution_center/menu.htm
Internet Crime Complaints can be filed at: http://www.ic3.gov
Suspected scam email messages can be forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission at: spam@uce.gov
Republican Victory?
I don't see why some sources in the media are framing the Wisconsin recall election as some kind of Republican victory. Two out of six Republicans lost their seats. That's not what I would call a victory. Just because Republicans are mentally challenged doesn't mean the media should curve their test scores.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Volunteerism?
In the eyes of employers, unless a skill was acquired on a job, it is not real. Recruiters don't really care what one has been studying or working on. This has many implications, one being that it is pointless to study any of the programming languages or contribute to any online project such as Mozilla. No matter how much one learns, all of the knowledge is considered to be imaginary. I have already learned a great deal about html and css, a bit of php, and even some javascript, but I have discovered that none of that matters, because employers won't hire anyone lacking on-the-job experience, which puts a damper on any desire to dabble in C, C++, .NET, Linux, or for that matter any other technology. It all seems pointless. Work, study and learn, and it doesn't even matter; so why work, study or learn at all? The time might be better spent reading books, watching documentaries, or playing games.
Another drawback with some compiled projects like Firefox is that they demand a faster system, and I can't justify even $300 to build a new rig, because the expected payoff would amount to nothing besides vanity. The various C-language projects I've studied are highly complicated time sinks, where just getting started can easily take days or weeks. As was the case when I built various web sites from the ground up, I suspect my efforts would remain unappreciated, unrewarded and unnoticed. Many people seem to have the impression that technology work is its own reward. Unfortunately, when individuals do work for free, whether as interns or volunteers, they feed into that notion and help to make it a reality.
I am learning not to to do anything for free. Just last year I refused the request of a pushy friend to fix her computer for free. I didn't regret it, even though I do enjoy doing such work. The fact of the matter is that I resent the implication that I should be some kind of geek slave. If that is so, then I would rather not do the work at all. Of course, her attitude towards me soured. I was no longer useful.
I was pleased to learn about her true nature. So much of what some people say is designed to manipulate others, and it is refreshing when another person's mask drops, allowing a glimpse of the real creature behind the mask. I would have paid a hundred dollars to divine her secret, but she let it slip for free, and I am grateful, as I always am when I discover the truth. It's never good to be deceived about others. It's best to be informed. The more information, the better.
This year, I quit working as an unpaid admin for a web site. The number of hours I put into that site, no one will ever know. Sometimes it was more than forty hours a week. I learned all about html, css, .htaccess, cron jobs, and even picked up php and javascript. Does any of that matter? No. Did it lead to a job? No. That's the reality of today's market.
For the first few weeks, I feared I would miss the prestige, power and creative outlet, but really I didn't miss it at all. Instead I am relieved to be cured of my addiction. I was addicted to work, and what's worse, I was addicted to performing free work, in effect being a slave. That's the worse kind of addiction I know, but it's a hazard to which geeks like me are prone to succumbing. I have an innate desire to be productive, to feel like I have accomplished something in my time on this earth. But it is important to be engaged in proper work, where one is compensated in some way, not necessarily money, but something.
It was a good move to quit the site. I am relieved not to be bothered. No one writes to an admin with praise or thoughtful comments, as beginners often imagine. Instead, complaints and work requests are the rule. All of the things that I worked on were, to an extent, appreciated by anonymous strangers, but the rewards were nonexistent. I received nothing in return, not friends, not helpful advice or comments, not thanks, and certainly not a job reference, and the expectation of the web site's users were that I was a geek-slave, as above, that didn't need any kind of compensation. That is an impression I aim to rectify in all my future dealings.
In reality, I have 10+ years experience coding html and css pages. According to recruiters, I have 0 years experience and am disqualified from all jobs that require html or css. It is like I am living in Soviet Russia, forbidden to work because of the system. If you need a job, then a job will be denied to you. If you don't need a job, then a job will be offered to you. That is the employment market today. Acquiring new skills is pointless. Training in new computer languages is pointless. Knowledge and ability are irrelevant. Around 2005 or so, the job market froze. Those who are in, stay in. Those who are out, stay out. Period. I don't see any way around that brick wall that has been erected in an arbitrary fashion. I'm just glad I have savings, unlike some. I suppose there are many people who are in more desperate straits.
Another drawback with some compiled projects like Firefox is that they demand a faster system, and I can't justify even $300 to build a new rig, because the expected payoff would amount to nothing besides vanity. The various C-language projects I've studied are highly complicated time sinks, where just getting started can easily take days or weeks. As was the case when I built various web sites from the ground up, I suspect my efforts would remain unappreciated, unrewarded and unnoticed. Many people seem to have the impression that technology work is its own reward. Unfortunately, when individuals do work for free, whether as interns or volunteers, they feed into that notion and help to make it a reality.
I am learning not to to do anything for free. Just last year I refused the request of a pushy friend to fix her computer for free. I didn't regret it, even though I do enjoy doing such work. The fact of the matter is that I resent the implication that I should be some kind of geek slave. If that is so, then I would rather not do the work at all. Of course, her attitude towards me soured. I was no longer useful.
I was pleased to learn about her true nature. So much of what some people say is designed to manipulate others, and it is refreshing when another person's mask drops, allowing a glimpse of the real creature behind the mask. I would have paid a hundred dollars to divine her secret, but she let it slip for free, and I am grateful, as I always am when I discover the truth. It's never good to be deceived about others. It's best to be informed. The more information, the better.
This year, I quit working as an unpaid admin for a web site. The number of hours I put into that site, no one will ever know. Sometimes it was more than forty hours a week. I learned all about html, css, .htaccess, cron jobs, and even picked up php and javascript. Does any of that matter? No. Did it lead to a job? No. That's the reality of today's market.
For the first few weeks, I feared I would miss the prestige, power and creative outlet, but really I didn't miss it at all. Instead I am relieved to be cured of my addiction. I was addicted to work, and what's worse, I was addicted to performing free work, in effect being a slave. That's the worse kind of addiction I know, but it's a hazard to which geeks like me are prone to succumbing. I have an innate desire to be productive, to feel like I have accomplished something in my time on this earth. But it is important to be engaged in proper work, where one is compensated in some way, not necessarily money, but something.
It was a good move to quit the site. I am relieved not to be bothered. No one writes to an admin with praise or thoughtful comments, as beginners often imagine. Instead, complaints and work requests are the rule. All of the things that I worked on were, to an extent, appreciated by anonymous strangers, but the rewards were nonexistent. I received nothing in return, not friends, not helpful advice or comments, not thanks, and certainly not a job reference, and the expectation of the web site's users were that I was a geek-slave, as above, that didn't need any kind of compensation. That is an impression I aim to rectify in all my future dealings.
In reality, I have 10+ years experience coding html and css pages. According to recruiters, I have 0 years experience and am disqualified from all jobs that require html or css. It is like I am living in Soviet Russia, forbidden to work because of the system. If you need a job, then a job will be denied to you. If you don't need a job, then a job will be offered to you. That is the employment market today. Acquiring new skills is pointless. Training in new computer languages is pointless. Knowledge and ability are irrelevant. Around 2005 or so, the job market froze. Those who are in, stay in. Those who are out, stay out. Period. I don't see any way around that brick wall that has been erected in an arbitrary fashion. I'm just glad I have savings, unlike some. I suppose there are many people who are in more desperate straits.
RazorHire
Razor hire[dot]com promotes itself by spamming job seekers. I have received unsolicited email from some idiot at Razorhire on a regular basis. Today I kill-filed razorhire.
Companies and web site owners need to think before spamming. It is not a prudent method of promoting a web site or a product. The most likely response of the recipient to unsolicited email from an unknown source will be hostile.
CameronCraig[dot]com is another spammy outfit that sends out deceptive emails trying to drum up traffic.
I don't want to be emailed by robots about other sites to look for jobs. If the site was not good enough for me to find it on my own, then it is a waste of my time.
Companies and web site owners need to think before spamming. It is not a prudent method of promoting a web site or a product. The most likely response of the recipient to unsolicited email from an unknown source will be hostile.
CameronCraig[dot]com is another spammy outfit that sends out deceptive emails trying to drum up traffic.
I don't want to be emailed by robots about other sites to look for jobs. If the site was not good enough for me to find it on my own, then it is a waste of my time.
Good Judgment
In life, one has disappointments, such as not being the smartest, the tallest, the handsomest, the wisest, the most eloquent, the most charming, or the richest. Our qualities serve to counterbalance these things. We should recognize our qualities. It is not fair to find only fault in one's self. What is that cliched saying? Be good to yourself. Often a clause is added: because/if/when nobody else will. Everyone has certain aspects about themselves that are admirable when placed in contrast to a less fortunate soul. We should all count our blessings.
I'm pleased about my good judgment in regards to people and animals. I am surrounded by good, kind and polite beings. I drew them to me and keep them about me. They are valuable. One of the purposes of life is to cultivate and nourish such a circle of friends. There is a kind of power and goodness in that. Each friend is a resource with strengths and abilities of their own, and they offer advice, insight, and companionship. It is far better to be together than alone.
I'm pleased about my good judgment in regards to people and animals. I am surrounded by good, kind and polite beings. I drew them to me and keep them about me. They are valuable. One of the purposes of life is to cultivate and nourish such a circle of friends. There is a kind of power and goodness in that. Each friend is a resource with strengths and abilities of their own, and they offer advice, insight, and companionship. It is far better to be together than alone.
Monday, August 8, 2011
NCLB
Anything Republicans set their hand to is almost guaranteed to fail. Not long ago, Republicans came up with a half-assed plan to make everyone half-assed. They called the plan No Child Left Behind. Check out some of the results from a red state.
A Weaker Country, Thanks to Bush
There's no doubt in my mind that this is a weaker country than it was when G.W. Bush had the bright idea to invade two faraway countries. It's an error of historic proportions and combined with the general neglect, incompetence and inefficiency will cast a long shadow over U.S. history. I had the optimistic hope that he'd show half a brain at least where the economy was concerned, but in that hope I was mistaken. Not half a brain. No brain. The future went down the drain.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence does seem to be a much bigger problem in the heterosexual community. It is unheard of among gay men. I think that, instead of interfering in the lives of gay couples, the straight opponents of gay marriage should concentrate on eliminating the sordid problems in their own community. Domestic violence is a real problem in the heterosexual community, rather than an imaginary problem, like gay marriage. But some people on the conservative right wing prefer to sit around worrying about imaginary problems because they are disconnected from the reality that is all around them.
Rick Perry's College Transcript
You know, when I was in college, I did something that must be hard to fathom for a Republican. I studied. I worked hard. Republicans scoff at such naivety.
Look at Republican Rick Perry's college transcript.
He didn't study, he didn't work hard, but he sold out, becoming a tool of the rich and powerful. By doing so, he was promoted far above his natural station.
Look at Republican Rick Perry's college transcript.
He didn't study, he didn't work hard, but he sold out, becoming a tool of the rich and powerful. By doing so, he was promoted far above his natural station.
Libya & U.S.
I remember reading about the situation in Libya where people were forbidden to work. That seemed strange to me, but upon reflection, it is similar to the situation here, where people can't find work, and employers won't hire those that don't already have a job. So you can't get a job unless you don't really need one. What are the unemployed supposed to do? Starve to death? There aren't many people who are willing to starve to death, as Khadaffy is learning. The lower a man is reduced, the less he has to lose. Freedom means nothing left to lose.
Gangs
I watched two documentaries about gangs in various countries. I have to say I found them boring. Rather than inspire trepidation, gang members arouse contempt. They are just a bunch of clowns, neither brave nor intelligent and certainly not attractive in any way, and their stupid claim to fame comes from victimizing weak and often defenseless members of society. Anyone can pull a trigger or swing a club. Boasts that one is tough or ruthless are childish. Plenty of people can be tough. It is not difficult. That gangsters assume it is difficult reveals that they are not tough at all. Why gangsters think they have a monopoly on ruthlessness is also strange.
Computer hacker gangs seem to be of the same ilk. They seize low-hanging fruit. I do not see the wisdom in attacking U.S. targets, when the U.S. has a better ethical record than countries like North Korea, Syria, Russia, Iran, and China. The reason they attack Western targets is that they lack ideals.
The recent so-called "protesters" in Tottenham are similar--barbarians, clowns, wastes of oxygen. They should fall down upon their knees and thank their lucky stars that they live in a modern Western Republic where their savagery was not met by even greater savagery.
Computer hacker gangs seem to be of the same ilk. They seize low-hanging fruit. I do not see the wisdom in attacking U.S. targets, when the U.S. has a better ethical record than countries like North Korea, Syria, Russia, Iran, and China. The reason they attack Western targets is that they lack ideals.
The recent so-called "protesters" in Tottenham are similar--barbarians, clowns, wastes of oxygen. They should fall down upon their knees and thank their lucky stars that they live in a modern Western Republic where their savagery was not met by even greater savagery.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Is My Play That Good?
On occasion, particularly when I'm just plain lucky or passing through one of my keener moments, I'm accused of cheating in online Scrabble or Chess. Players suppose that I must be using a computer program to assist my play. They persist in their accusations with bitterness and a sense of moral outrage. Sometimes they even quit the game. I should not take it amiss. It is a great compliment. I receive my most sincere compliments from my enemies. Only my enemies can fully appreciate my strength. With friends, I am soft and pliable. Friends are not in a position to observe my strength.
Apocalypse Dream
Last night I dreamed that I was exploring a city empty of people. It was like many movies I had seen before. I didn't know why the people were missing and was trying to find the reason. After small adventures that seemed unimportant and are now forgotten, I met with a person or a group of people or a videotaped news program or a written document that told me that the entire area was blanketed with toxic levels of radiation. My own exposure meant I would not survive for more than a year at best. I was not too surprised by news of the nuclear apocalypse, as it was what many books and movies predicted, and based on human history it seemed the most likely outcome of our technological advances. Too many chimpanzees are in power, and there are not enough bonobos.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Resolution
I've decided to stand firm against the winds of the times and insist upon long games in both Chess and Scrabble. I'd rather not play at all than be slave to a ticking clock that tells me to stop thinking.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Hitler Working at Big Lots
I probably should not watch WW2 documentaries just before bedtime. I dreamed that Hitler was working outside Big Lots with a bullhorn in his hand, yelling to people in the parking lot about 5% off bubble gum, a fresh new inventory of underarm deodorant, and discount toilet paper. He seemed a bit embarrassed to be doing so. I decided I could not tolerate Hitler working at Big Lots, so I went up to him and said in a loud voice, "I'm not going to shop here anymore, because you're a monster, and I can't believe that this store hired you!" Hitler stared at his feet and did not say anything in reply. I continued, "You need to clear out this minute! I can't believe you got a job here. Is the management insane like you?"
The unlikely character of the situation dawned upon me. I thought I might be witnessing a scene in Hell, where Hitler must forever work as a two-bit promoter at Big Lots, while encountering at frequent intervals individuals that recognize and confront him due to his deeds on Earth.
The unlikely character of the situation dawned upon me. I thought I might be witnessing a scene in Hell, where Hitler must forever work as a two-bit promoter at Big Lots, while encountering at frequent intervals individuals that recognize and confront him due to his deeds on Earth.
Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki
In regards to WW2, I don't find fault with the Allied actions against Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. I think that those who do should reevaluate the nature of the Japanese and German regimes and reconsider their judgment. If the Axis powers had won, I would not be alive to write this post, and few if any of my readers would be alive to read it, and it is likely that the Internet as we know it would not exist. My uncle volunteered for WW2 and died in a bomber performing a mission over France. I have no doubt I would have volunteered if I had been alive at the time. If life is to have meaning, and if human life is better than the life of a cockroach, then to sacrifice one's life in a measured way against absolute evil can only be a positive good, and death should not be feared in all cases, but accepted in some.
A hundred Dresdens would not bother me, nor a hundred Hiroshimas. WW2 was a terrible crisis manufactured by the Axis powers, which by doing so, signed a blank check and handed it to the leaders of the Allied powers. Sometimes a patient needs harsh medicine to eliminate a cancer. Anyone who feels resentment should ask themselves whether they would prefer to live under Hitler or under the present-day Republics. If their answer is Hitler, then they should relocate to Iran and experience the closest approximation the modern world has to offer.
A hundred Dresdens would not bother me, nor a hundred Hiroshimas. WW2 was a terrible crisis manufactured by the Axis powers, which by doing so, signed a blank check and handed it to the leaders of the Allied powers. Sometimes a patient needs harsh medicine to eliminate a cancer. Anyone who feels resentment should ask themselves whether they would prefer to live under Hitler or under the present-day Republics. If their answer is Hitler, then they should relocate to Iran and experience the closest approximation the modern world has to offer.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Top Four Interview Mistakes
There's nothing I hate more than working my tail off to score an interview, only to feel like I didn't perform to my utmost. All the work I put into my cover letter, resume, and in some cases questionnaire and I.Q. Test goes down the drain if the interview hits a road bump. Here are some lessons I've learned the hard way.
- Decide right away whether you are a morning person or an evening person. If you're not a morning person, then do NOT schedule an interview in the morning. I was so eager to please the HR rep that I agreed to a 10 AM interview. I was so excited the night before that I didn't sleep a wink. My wits weren't what they could have been. If I had only scheduled a 3 PM interview, I'd have been better off, and the interviewers more relaxed as well, because in general I've noticed that people tend to become more relaxed as the day wears on.
- The HR rear ends were taught in business school to always ask the interviewee whether he has any questions, on the theory that applicants are too scared to volunteer a question without being asked for one. I seldom have had any good questions, because I research the company beforehand and can adapt to just about any situation anyway. However, this looks bad in the HR rep's eyes. Here's a great question: Do you have any questions or concerns that you haven't mentioned yet? Here's another: Can you think of any reason that I wouldn't be a great candidate for this position? The goal is to shake out the pebble in their shoe, that lingering doubt or concern that they have observed, but not revealed. That secret doubt is your enemy, and it is best to bring it out into the open, where it can be addressed head on.
- Remember that most HR questions are complete B.S. designed to trick the interviewee into badmouthing former employers or sharing unflattering things about himself. Never utter anything that does not portray you in a positive light when viewed from any possible angle, because it will then be taken out of context and magnified tenfold. Strive to be cheerfully boring.
- Faulty memory is not a valid excuse. Always have a few canned anecdotes about your past experiences to share with the interviewer. These must all portray you in a positive light.
Charity's Heart Contracted
Here's a line from the novel Summer by Edith Wharton: "Charity's heart contracted." The first thought that came to my mind was, I certainly hope so, because otherwise, she'd soon be dead.
One can count on Tolkien not to drop a howler like that in his prose. Did any of my English professors teach Tolkien? No. Tolkien is belittled in academia because he is popular and for no other reason than that.
One can count on Tolkien not to drop a howler like that in his prose. Did any of my English professors teach Tolkien? No. Tolkien is belittled in academia because he is popular and for no other reason than that.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Gen. Mark Clark
I don't have a favorable opinion of the military skills of WW2-era Gen. Mark Clark. If he were a chessplayer, he's the type I could defeat within twenty moves on any given night, even if I offered pawn and move.
In his latter years, he retired to a cushy job at The Citadel, the military college of Charleston, South Carolina. Some of the soldiers he commanded were not so fortunate.
In ancient times--and let us all be thankful that we are not in ancient times--his prognosis would not have been optimal. Let's just leave it at that. Sometimes understatement is best.
In his latter years, he retired to a cushy job at The Citadel, the military college of Charleston, South Carolina. Some of the soldiers he commanded were not so fortunate.
In ancient times--and let us all be thankful that we are not in ancient times--his prognosis would not have been optimal. Let's just leave it at that. Sometimes understatement is best.
Monday, August 1, 2011
New York Times Needs a Proofreader
I was surprised today to see a goof in The New York Times:
The writer meant to write "unencumbered," although that's not the best word to use. There's no need for a hyphen, either. Also, feelings in a group or an individual can be influenced, but cannot be changed by an outside entity. The entire paragraph is flawed.
Many elections that Republicans win are the result of a weak candidate or a candidate that was so far to the right, he might as well have been a Republican. I don't think the Democrats need to change anything except, in some cases, their delivery and salesmanship. The practice in which candidates are selected based upon their connections must be ended. Democratic candidates should be more combative and angry, in tune with the zeitgeist. Democrats need to move further to the left and own it. The people don't care which label is used. They will listen to any catchy tune.
End the overseas interventions, end the drug war, end foreign aid, cut out welfare for the rich, cut back outdated farm and factory subsidies, invest in America's working class, invest in American manufacturing, build new power plants, build mass transit in all American cities, slap tariffs on goods from slave nations, put America back to work, offer inexpensive health care and college education, and invest in scientific research.
This is all obvious. It isn't rocket science. The problem with some our leaders (not all) is that they have never created or fixed anything. They're not engineers. They don't understand how things work or how to make them work. And the only thing the Republicans care about is scoring political points. As far as the G.O.P. is concerned, America could burn, and that's fine as long as the G.O.P. gets to bite the ankle of Obama.
In analyzing these polls in the United States, I see clearly that voters feel ever more estranged from government — and that they associate Democrats with government. If Democrats are going to be encumbered by that link, they need to change voters’ feelings about government.
The writer meant to write "unencumbered," although that's not the best word to use. There's no need for a hyphen, either. Also, feelings in a group or an individual can be influenced, but cannot be changed by an outside entity. The entire paragraph is flawed.
Many elections that Republicans win are the result of a weak candidate or a candidate that was so far to the right, he might as well have been a Republican. I don't think the Democrats need to change anything except, in some cases, their delivery and salesmanship. The practice in which candidates are selected based upon their connections must be ended. Democratic candidates should be more combative and angry, in tune with the zeitgeist. Democrats need to move further to the left and own it. The people don't care which label is used. They will listen to any catchy tune.
End the overseas interventions, end the drug war, end foreign aid, cut out welfare for the rich, cut back outdated farm and factory subsidies, invest in America's working class, invest in American manufacturing, build new power plants, build mass transit in all American cities, slap tariffs on goods from slave nations, put America back to work, offer inexpensive health care and college education, and invest in scientific research.
This is all obvious. It isn't rocket science. The problem with some our leaders (not all) is that they have never created or fixed anything. They're not engineers. They don't understand how things work or how to make them work. And the only thing the Republicans care about is scoring political points. As far as the G.O.P. is concerned, America could burn, and that's fine as long as the G.O.P. gets to bite the ankle of Obama.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Iran, a Force for Evil
Iran is a real force for evil in the world. They are the real enemy of freedom. Forget about Afghanistan. Why the U.S. elected to invade a country with no real power or influence, Afghanistan, is a question that tempts me to doubt the intelligence of our leaders. We go in there with our bombs and our bullets, but there is nothing to destroy in that undeveloped cesspool, and the enemy is easily replaceable due to widespread ignorance, lack of birth control, and financial support from the U.S. and from the drug trade. I do not understand why our leaders learned nothing from Viet Nam.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Obama and the Environment
When the Obama Administration encounters science it doesn't like, it has a simple solution: punish the scientist. In that respect, it is similar to the Bush Administration. Both Presidents are the same on marijuana, too. Even though science is quite clear that alcohol is more harmful than marijuana, it is marijuana, not alcohol, that the Federal government goes to great lengths to eradicate. Our leaders are indifferent to science and uninterested in learning. That is why the country is in the situation it is in today. If the country were a restaurant, it would have been shut down already either for health code violations or lack of business. Imagine a restaurant that sends all its customers to other restaurants to eat and refuses to serve food at all. That is the U.S. today, shipping jobs and resources overseas and letting the people and the infrastructure rot.
The Ratio
The time that a serious job seeker spends applying for a single job compared to the amount of time an employer spends evaluating the applicant is 100:1. Employers are cherry-picking among applicants, wasting the time of 99% in order to get at the most desirable 1%. Few companies want to work with a resume anymore. Instead, a job seeker must become a volunteer data entry clerk, filling out an application that duplicates pretty much everything that is on the resume, so that the data becomes searchable.
One company requested that I fill out a lengthy questionnaire. I spent an entire day preparing that, and the result was so good that they decided to interview me over the phone. Preparation for an interview always costs me more time than the actual interview itself. I want to know as much as I can going into the interview. Whether that impresses anyone these days, I don't know. I think people automatically assume that one has a mobile device in his hand and is using it for crib notes.
A video interview followed, and I got the impression that I'm disqualified because I'm overqualified. Rather than nip that bud early in the process by using a technique known as "reading comprehension," they chose to read comic books in the office or whatever it is they do on a working day. The hiring manager had not read my application, had not read my resume, and had not even read the questionnaire, but waited until the second interview to evaluate the weight of my experience, which is heavy. The desired candidate, I gather, will be fifteen years younger, untested and unsure of how to handle the situation when the septic tank discharges into the air conditioning unit. That will be their problem, not mine. My problem is how to reduce the amount of time that companies demand that I waste. I'm not sure it is possible to avoid the questionnaires, I.Q. tests, and other time-wasting hurdles that one jumps through only to be smacked down at the end.
One company requested that I fill out a lengthy questionnaire. I spent an entire day preparing that, and the result was so good that they decided to interview me over the phone. Preparation for an interview always costs me more time than the actual interview itself. I want to know as much as I can going into the interview. Whether that impresses anyone these days, I don't know. I think people automatically assume that one has a mobile device in his hand and is using it for crib notes.
A video interview followed, and I got the impression that I'm disqualified because I'm overqualified. Rather than nip that bud early in the process by using a technique known as "reading comprehension," they chose to read comic books in the office or whatever it is they do on a working day. The hiring manager had not read my application, had not read my resume, and had not even read the questionnaire, but waited until the second interview to evaluate the weight of my experience, which is heavy. The desired candidate, I gather, will be fifteen years younger, untested and unsure of how to handle the situation when the septic tank discharges into the air conditioning unit. That will be their problem, not mine. My problem is how to reduce the amount of time that companies demand that I waste. I'm not sure it is possible to avoid the questionnaires, I.Q. tests, and other time-wasting hurdles that one jumps through only to be smacked down at the end.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
"The Beginners" *****
I saw "The Beginners" at a cinema tonight and was quite pleased by the excellent writing and superb acting. A truly flawless movie, it is the best of 2011.
I had not been out to a cinema in years. I must say the movie-going experience has gotten worse, not better. There were almost a dozen shrill, jarring commercials for products like insurance and luxury cars that made me sorry I was there. Why should I have to watch commercials after I paid for a ticket? I felt like the theater was punishing me for visiting. If I had waited for the movie to arrive via NetFlix, presto, no commercials. One of the stupid commercials played in reverse (including the soundtrack) after it had played. I do not know whether that was a technical malfunction or an intentional device. Another annoyance was that sound effects from another movie in an adjoining screen could be overheard--explosions, shots and cursing. The sound is turned up too loud.
Despite my favorable impression of the movie itself, I do not intend to go out to the cinemas again for a long time, because it is clear to me the cinema owner has zero respect for the audience. But what else is new? This has long been the case. Besides the high ticket price and the lousy and expensive food, now the audience must contend with loud, obnoxious commercials with no relation to movies. Small wonder, then, that there were plenty of empty seats. In a theater with a seating capacity of 200, fewer than twelve seats were occupied, even though the movie itself was outstanding.
The museum was little better. Among the masterpieces of artwork and sculpture, in the lobby below, a rapper was permitted to scream his tirade or whatever he calls it at a very loud volume, so that it was impossible to think about anything except for the stupid thoughts originating from his empty head concerning murder or mayhem or whatever nonsense it is that he thinks is so interesting that everyone must listen to it, whether they want to or not. It may come as a surprise, but people visit an art museum to look at the art, not listen to rap or any other type of music played at a high volume. One thing is decided. I do not plan on buying a membership to the museum in this lifetime.
I had not been out to a cinema in years. I must say the movie-going experience has gotten worse, not better. There were almost a dozen shrill, jarring commercials for products like insurance and luxury cars that made me sorry I was there. Why should I have to watch commercials after I paid for a ticket? I felt like the theater was punishing me for visiting. If I had waited for the movie to arrive via NetFlix, presto, no commercials. One of the stupid commercials played in reverse (including the soundtrack) after it had played. I do not know whether that was a technical malfunction or an intentional device. Another annoyance was that sound effects from another movie in an adjoining screen could be overheard--explosions, shots and cursing. The sound is turned up too loud.
Despite my favorable impression of the movie itself, I do not intend to go out to the cinemas again for a long time, because it is clear to me the cinema owner has zero respect for the audience. But what else is new? This has long been the case. Besides the high ticket price and the lousy and expensive food, now the audience must contend with loud, obnoxious commercials with no relation to movies. Small wonder, then, that there were plenty of empty seats. In a theater with a seating capacity of 200, fewer than twelve seats were occupied, even though the movie itself was outstanding.
The museum was little better. Among the masterpieces of artwork and sculpture, in the lobby below, a rapper was permitted to scream his tirade or whatever he calls it at a very loud volume, so that it was impossible to think about anything except for the stupid thoughts originating from his empty head concerning murder or mayhem or whatever nonsense it is that he thinks is so interesting that everyone must listen to it, whether they want to or not. It may come as a surprise, but people visit an art museum to look at the art, not listen to rap or any other type of music played at a high volume. One thing is decided. I do not plan on buying a membership to the museum in this lifetime.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Online Anonymity
I do agree with this perceptive article in PC World.
The crusaders against anonymity really need to think things through a bit more than they have. I think the CEO's are only concerned about maximizing profit. From their point of view, anonymity is not helpful. From the point of view of anyone else, anonymity can be an essential tool. It has its place. One cedes credibility by going anonymous, but gains a huge measure of protection from everyone except Johnny Law.
I can see both sides of the argument, though. A solid case has been made in The Guardian that anonymity tempts weak-minded people to misbehave, to indulge their Id, regressing to childish behavior patterns. On a web site that I admin, that was exactly what happened. The posters behaved as though they were in grade school, despite being senior citizens in many cases. They complained to the "teacher," bullied, insulted, threatened, and generally played the fool until we pulled the plug. Perhaps the hotheads will attempt to run their own forum somewhere. Good riddance. Karma will school them. I don't ever want to host another tribe of truculent trolls. When I think about how much time I spent customizing and improving the forum, I'm embarrassed by my generosity.
The crusaders against anonymity really need to think things through a bit more than they have. I think the CEO's are only concerned about maximizing profit. From their point of view, anonymity is not helpful. From the point of view of anyone else, anonymity can be an essential tool. It has its place. One cedes credibility by going anonymous, but gains a huge measure of protection from everyone except Johnny Law.
I can see both sides of the argument, though. A solid case has been made in The Guardian that anonymity tempts weak-minded people to misbehave, to indulge their Id, regressing to childish behavior patterns. On a web site that I admin, that was exactly what happened. The posters behaved as though they were in grade school, despite being senior citizens in many cases. They complained to the "teacher," bullied, insulted, threatened, and generally played the fool until we pulled the plug. Perhaps the hotheads will attempt to run their own forum somewhere. Good riddance. Karma will school them. I don't ever want to host another tribe of truculent trolls. When I think about how much time I spent customizing and improving the forum, I'm embarrassed by my generosity.
Why I Stopped Eating Fast Food
My favorite fast food joint was Taco Bell. I used to pick up a meal there after work about once a week. The food tasted all right. However, I began to notice side effects. The cheap food seemed to put the pounds on, and it seemed to be causing acne. I wasn't sure, so I attempted an experiment. I quit eating at Taco Bell. Presto, no more zits. I felt better and slept better at night. I recollect similar experiences with other fast food chains. I have not performed a chemical analysis of fast food, but my hunch is that the low prices mean not much care is taken in procuring healthy food.
I discovered that there is food even faster than fast food chains. It's called getting up and making it yourself. The best part about making food is the leftovers. They can be warmed up later in the microwave, which is even faster than cooking.
I discovered that there is food even faster than fast food chains. It's called getting up and making it yourself. The best part about making food is the leftovers. They can be warmed up later in the microwave, which is even faster than cooking.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Hail the Hero
There was a hero in the recent Norwegian massacre, a German man, Marcel Gleffe, who risked his life to save others.
The villain, whose name is not worthy of any mention, had the mindset of an insect, with retarded social, if adequate operational intelligence. The net outcome of his dark deed is that his ilk will continue to be despised throughout the world. It was a miserable failure in public relations, an atrocity that will provide grist for myriad conversations and publications. An insect such as he that conceives of human society as consisting only of cold numbers cannot be expected to grasp the full magnitude of his error.
The way that gays went from being persecuted to becoming members of the Establishment was not by killing, not by harming, and not by doing evil unto anyone, but by speaking out, listening, sharing, befriending, and forming alliances with others. It is through cooperation and hard work, not bloody violence, that an idea or a group earns acceptance. Those who commit violence receive the opposite of their goal.
The villain, whose name is not worthy of any mention, had the mindset of an insect, with retarded social, if adequate operational intelligence. The net outcome of his dark deed is that his ilk will continue to be despised throughout the world. It was a miserable failure in public relations, an atrocity that will provide grist for myriad conversations and publications. An insect such as he that conceives of human society as consisting only of cold numbers cannot be expected to grasp the full magnitude of his error.
The way that gays went from being persecuted to becoming members of the Establishment was not by killing, not by harming, and not by doing evil unto anyone, but by speaking out, listening, sharing, befriending, and forming alliances with others. It is through cooperation and hard work, not bloody violence, that an idea or a group earns acceptance. Those who commit violence receive the opposite of their goal.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Other Issues Besides Sexuality
I'd still be interested in politics and doing my part, even if sexuality became a non-issue, as it may very well become in the future.
Let's say gays get the right to marry across the U.S. What next? I think that marriage covers all the bases as far as sexuality goes. Maybe I'm missing a part of the puzzle, I don't know, but that's how it seems to me.
For me, manufacturing would be the #1 issue. I believe goods imported from China should be taxed to reflect the long-term costs of doing business with a slave state that is the sworn enemy of our ally, Taiwan. I believe that Congress should heed American manufacturers whenever they complain about the issue of China selling products below cost. Every American job that is lost as a result of Chinese competition is a cause for profound concern. I think that Congress does not have the correct priorities today. The correct priority is to reinvigorate the manufacturing sector in the minimum amount of time. Afghanistan and Iraq are not appropriate matters for our leaders to spend time or money upon. The appropriate focus should be upon revitalizing the U.S. economy for the long-term.
The environment would remain an important issue to me, that and fair treatment of the poor, the sick, and people in prison, especially non-violent offenders. I'd remain interested in ending the drug war and treating drug offenders in a medical, rather than a legal framework. I'd still vote for Democrats, because they seem less crazy than the Republicans on just about every issue under the sun, more in touch with science and more concerned with working-class folks. My father and mother are both Democrats, and I'd probably be a Democrat even if I had been born straight.
Let's say gays get the right to marry across the U.S. What next? I think that marriage covers all the bases as far as sexuality goes. Maybe I'm missing a part of the puzzle, I don't know, but that's how it seems to me.
For me, manufacturing would be the #1 issue. I believe goods imported from China should be taxed to reflect the long-term costs of doing business with a slave state that is the sworn enemy of our ally, Taiwan. I believe that Congress should heed American manufacturers whenever they complain about the issue of China selling products below cost. Every American job that is lost as a result of Chinese competition is a cause for profound concern. I think that Congress does not have the correct priorities today. The correct priority is to reinvigorate the manufacturing sector in the minimum amount of time. Afghanistan and Iraq are not appropriate matters for our leaders to spend time or money upon. The appropriate focus should be upon revitalizing the U.S. economy for the long-term.
The environment would remain an important issue to me, that and fair treatment of the poor, the sick, and people in prison, especially non-violent offenders. I'd remain interested in ending the drug war and treating drug offenders in a medical, rather than a legal framework. I'd still vote for Democrats, because they seem less crazy than the Republicans on just about every issue under the sun, more in touch with science and more concerned with working-class folks. My father and mother are both Democrats, and I'd probably be a Democrat even if I had been born straight.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Two Good Shows from the UK
Two recent excellent shows from the UK are Upstairs, Downstairs (2010) and Downton Abbey. These two shows are destined to become classics. I find them equal in quality. While they are comparable, each has elements that make it unique. The writing, I think, is slightly superior in Upstairs, because it deals with real social and historical issues rather than trivialities, while the camera work, set and costumes are better in Downton, a show with a much higher budget. Downton seems to dwell upon apolitical themes, whereas Upstairs doesn't mind getting into things with meaning. I think I find more kinship generally with Upstairs, but admire Downton because it is excellent and luxurious pure escapism. To be honest, I'm not altogether sure. It may be that I am mistaken about things, and Downton is better written. I think I'll just have to watch Downton again in order to make up my mind.
A Four-Leaf Clover
When I read some of the things that right wingers say out loud, even in Congress or on national television, it leads me to think that, if they could get away with it, some of 'em would put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, in fact they'd probably wipe out a great many other people besides me. Crazy as hell some of them seem to me, stirring up mischief for no good reason at all and saying things that just aren't true, even when they know it. I don't know whether I need to give any examples, because it's such a common thing. There's the wacko Birther movement, then all of the extreme things that people say against gays, and the occasional, not quite as common, extreme prejudice certain people have against marijuana.
I'm not going to repeat the garbage people say against gays. A skeptical reader could do five minutes worth of research if he felt the need. My search terms in that link are pretty innocuous, as well, and not likely to uncover the worst of the worse. I'm sure that a determined reader could uncover that on his own. I prefer not to discuss such things. Instead, I will take a single, mild, even funny talking point from the Republicans--that gay marriage is going to lead to polygamy. That makes no sense whatsoever. Straight marriage could just as easily lead to polygamy. And who does polygamy anyway? I thought that was old-school Mormon. The Mormons reformed, I thought.
I don't know what to say to people that claim Obama isn't American. It does seem like a racist thing to me. It is appalling that so many people, according to polls, really believed that line. Perhaps that gives an indication as to why this country is in the situation it is in.
And marijuana--worth putting people in jail over? I don't get it. I remember what a group of state senators said in response to the movement to decriminalize marijuana. "Never will happen in our state! We don't care about the cost of incarceration! We'll build more prisons!" That's the mentality. Build more prisons, do more harm to people. Another state senator, Republican of course, was in favor of caning marijuana users. One never hears those same senators going on about alcohol. They don't give two hoots about marijuana. They just know it is popular among liberals, and they would like to harm the liberals if they possibly can without repercussions, give them a felony conviction, ruin their lives.
People who have never tried pot can imagine it's some kind of horrible thing. People who have never had a gay friend may well think all sorts of crazy things about gays. I still don't know what to say about the Birthers. I think people have limited experience in their lives, because human lives are so brief, and they assume that anything they are told by a trusted authority is true. I remember arguing with my father over pot. He never tried it and did not know anyone who had, except for my older brother and me. He told me he thought pot was bad because the government said so. Just because the government said so! Yes, authority is often right, but is it possible, just possible, that on certain occasions, it's terribly wrong? Maybe authority needs to be modified and improved. That's my position. I like to see things improved.
But not everybody cares about improving things or even getting things done. In my lifetime, I've encountered opposition from lazy and corrupt drunks with no concern about civility, no concern about teamwork, and just the most obvious selfish motivations having to do with minimization of work and effort and maximization of idleness. They are the most resistant to change, because change means work, change means effort, and they are as lazy as the day is long. I never have understood why people hate working and hate thinking. Those are the two things I love the most, and I do them all day, every day, even in my supposed leisure time. I'd rather solve problems than watch a show any day of the week. Is that strange? At least at the end of the day, I have a feeling of accomplishment, that it was worth getting out of bed, worth being alive. I don't like feeling that a day was ever wasted. Time is important. There is a purpose to life.
I remember a right-winger at the office where I worked. This was the second or third time I had ever laid eyes on him. He was talking to my supervisor about politics, a subject I tried to avoid, and he looked at me, smiled, and said that Democrats were traitors and deserve a bullet in the head. I had never talked about politics at work before. To this day, I don't know what he was on about, looking me in the eye. This was during the Clinton years. Clinton was not even that liberal. Definitely, Nazis are still around. What happened back then could happen again, I think. There are people out there that want to try it again, give it another go. Of course they don't want to go to prison, either, but they would do certain things if they could get away with it.
Bozo did well for himself. He was permitted to work at home, set his own hours and pretty much come and go as he pleased. He never updated his technical skills, had poor communication skills, and often had underlings do his work because he was incapable of getting anything done that wasn't simple.
I didn't get any special protection. I was kept on because I was better than some of the other programmers on my team. Some of the others liked to walk around the office with a coffee mug in their hand, chatting with their buddies most of the day about sports and sex. I remember that. Me, I was weird. I preferred remaining in my cubicle, getting things done, and why? Because I liked the work. I liked the work better than talking with old hardheaded conservatives that want to kill anybody that doesn't think the same way they do. Some people thought it was weird to sit at the desk doing work all day. It was out of the norm at that place.
Which strategy is better? Social engineering, or actually getting the work done? I don't know. Both strategies work well from what I have experienced. I suppose social engineering is easier if there's a gap between the ears. Certainly the social engineers did quite well for themselves, maybe even better than the real engineers. They were rewarded, pampered, and even promoted on frequent occasion, although sometimes when things blew up in their face, and they couldn't shift the blame, they were asked to resign. Good workers, on the other hand, were kept on, but not promoted or pampered. The rewards, salary increases, were tangible, if moderate. That's the kind of company I worked for. Maybe that's why I left. I don't know. Resentment? Maybe. Plenty of factors. I don't think I was very lucky in my career. Moderately successful, yes, but certainly I was maneuvered into a dead end, career-wise, by the antiquated technology I was assigned to maintain.
I'm holding on to a four leaf clover, besides all of the three-leaf clovers on this blog. I'm hoping that my luck improves. Maybe it won't be today or tomorrow, but I've got time, and there's no telling what the future may bring one day. I think it is wise to stay prepared and remain receptive for good fortune, if it ever does ring the phone. Seems to me the phones are ringing over in India and China more often these days. But who knows?
I'm not going to repeat the garbage people say against gays. A skeptical reader could do five minutes worth of research if he felt the need. My search terms in that link are pretty innocuous, as well, and not likely to uncover the worst of the worse. I'm sure that a determined reader could uncover that on his own. I prefer not to discuss such things. Instead, I will take a single, mild, even funny talking point from the Republicans--that gay marriage is going to lead to polygamy. That makes no sense whatsoever. Straight marriage could just as easily lead to polygamy. And who does polygamy anyway? I thought that was old-school Mormon. The Mormons reformed, I thought.
I don't know what to say to people that claim Obama isn't American. It does seem like a racist thing to me. It is appalling that so many people, according to polls, really believed that line. Perhaps that gives an indication as to why this country is in the situation it is in.
And marijuana--worth putting people in jail over? I don't get it. I remember what a group of state senators said in response to the movement to decriminalize marijuana. "Never will happen in our state! We don't care about the cost of incarceration! We'll build more prisons!" That's the mentality. Build more prisons, do more harm to people. Another state senator, Republican of course, was in favor of caning marijuana users. One never hears those same senators going on about alcohol. They don't give two hoots about marijuana. They just know it is popular among liberals, and they would like to harm the liberals if they possibly can without repercussions, give them a felony conviction, ruin their lives.
People who have never tried pot can imagine it's some kind of horrible thing. People who have never had a gay friend may well think all sorts of crazy things about gays. I still don't know what to say about the Birthers. I think people have limited experience in their lives, because human lives are so brief, and they assume that anything they are told by a trusted authority is true. I remember arguing with my father over pot. He never tried it and did not know anyone who had, except for my older brother and me. He told me he thought pot was bad because the government said so. Just because the government said so! Yes, authority is often right, but is it possible, just possible, that on certain occasions, it's terribly wrong? Maybe authority needs to be modified and improved. That's my position. I like to see things improved.
But not everybody cares about improving things or even getting things done. In my lifetime, I've encountered opposition from lazy and corrupt drunks with no concern about civility, no concern about teamwork, and just the most obvious selfish motivations having to do with minimization of work and effort and maximization of idleness. They are the most resistant to change, because change means work, change means effort, and they are as lazy as the day is long. I never have understood why people hate working and hate thinking. Those are the two things I love the most, and I do them all day, every day, even in my supposed leisure time. I'd rather solve problems than watch a show any day of the week. Is that strange? At least at the end of the day, I have a feeling of accomplishment, that it was worth getting out of bed, worth being alive. I don't like feeling that a day was ever wasted. Time is important. There is a purpose to life.
I remember a right-winger at the office where I worked. This was the second or third time I had ever laid eyes on him. He was talking to my supervisor about politics, a subject I tried to avoid, and he looked at me, smiled, and said that Democrats were traitors and deserve a bullet in the head. I had never talked about politics at work before. To this day, I don't know what he was on about, looking me in the eye. This was during the Clinton years. Clinton was not even that liberal. Definitely, Nazis are still around. What happened back then could happen again, I think. There are people out there that want to try it again, give it another go. Of course they don't want to go to prison, either, but they would do certain things if they could get away with it.
Bozo did well for himself. He was permitted to work at home, set his own hours and pretty much come and go as he pleased. He never updated his technical skills, had poor communication skills, and often had underlings do his work because he was incapable of getting anything done that wasn't simple.
I didn't get any special protection. I was kept on because I was better than some of the other programmers on my team. Some of the others liked to walk around the office with a coffee mug in their hand, chatting with their buddies most of the day about sports and sex. I remember that. Me, I was weird. I preferred remaining in my cubicle, getting things done, and why? Because I liked the work. I liked the work better than talking with old hardheaded conservatives that want to kill anybody that doesn't think the same way they do. Some people thought it was weird to sit at the desk doing work all day. It was out of the norm at that place.
Which strategy is better? Social engineering, or actually getting the work done? I don't know. Both strategies work well from what I have experienced. I suppose social engineering is easier if there's a gap between the ears. Certainly the social engineers did quite well for themselves, maybe even better than the real engineers. They were rewarded, pampered, and even promoted on frequent occasion, although sometimes when things blew up in their face, and they couldn't shift the blame, they were asked to resign. Good workers, on the other hand, were kept on, but not promoted or pampered. The rewards, salary increases, were tangible, if moderate. That's the kind of company I worked for. Maybe that's why I left. I don't know. Resentment? Maybe. Plenty of factors. I don't think I was very lucky in my career. Moderately successful, yes, but certainly I was maneuvered into a dead end, career-wise, by the antiquated technology I was assigned to maintain.
I'm holding on to a four leaf clover, besides all of the three-leaf clovers on this blog. I'm hoping that my luck improves. Maybe it won't be today or tomorrow, but I've got time, and there's no telling what the future may bring one day. I think it is wise to stay prepared and remain receptive for good fortune, if it ever does ring the phone. Seems to me the phones are ringing over in India and China more often these days. But who knows?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Straight Marriage, Gay Marriage
Find a beautiful younger woman, and a marriage of 30 years means squat. I find it interesting that the king of a media empire that sometimes rails against gay marriage treated the institution of marriage like rubbish.
It's funny how homophobes claim marriage is a fragile sacred cow that can't be changed, when some of them, especially the rich and powerful, change it at the drop of a hat whenever it suits them. I am reminded of Newt Gingrich, who divorced his wife while she was in the hospital with cancer. Lots of class, Jack. I'd never do that to my partner. These guys could learn about loyalty and morality from a gay couple. It is ironic that they have so much influence on whether gay couples get the right to marry.
It is a strange thing to have so many irons in the fire of an enormous political debate trumpeted throughout the media. If gay marriage becomes the law of the land, then I win big. Many of the problems that loom great before me will resolve. If it remains under ban, then I lose big, or rather, continue losing like I always have. Even my life expectancy is tied to the question of gay marriage, because marriage brings so many legal and financial benefits. The idea of lifelong monogamy does not worry me in the least--as a matter of fact, it would be my choice without marriage, and is my choice.
I suppose the argument that runs against gay marriage is thus: abandon your lover and find some poor desperate woman, make believe that you love her, and marry her instead. That was indeed the chosen remedy of some gay men in the past. Is it fair to the woman? I don't think so. I don't think it's a good idea for either partner. It is likely that one or both partners in a sham marriage are going to fool around on the side.
I don't understand the reason for trying to push human reproduction at a time when the population is so great already. Homosexuality is a blessing in an overpopulated world. If I looked around me and saw not enough people, then I'd get with a woman and try to make more. But that's not the case. The situation is the opposite.
I think people are insane to insist on only one path in sexuality. Here's a whole group of people willing to voluntarily excuse themselves from the reproductive cycle (*in most cases). Seems like a godsend. I do think gays were sent by God, if there is a God, and I think they are a solid benefit to society, especially in today's world. People should count the benefits, rather than imagine costs.
It is difficult for me to discuss with people other than friends an issue that is so close to my personal welfare. I have so much at stake. I am tempted to consider those who oppose gay marriage to be my enemies, because they are accomplices to the legal mechanisms that inflict suffering upon me. I try to remind myself that such people lack empathy and understanding. The issue does not effect them personally. It is an opportunity for them to wield power against others, and I just happen to be an other, and my otherness is an accident of fate. There is something in the human psyche that delights in inflicting suffering upon others. The same element is to be found in many other issues, not just this one.
However, those that lack empathy and understanding do not escape from their deeds and their words unscathed. Such behavior will also manifest in their relations toward their own, and there comes what has been termed karma or divine punishment.
Karma or divine punishment feels wrong to me as a philosophy, though.
The closest approximation to truth seems, to me, that humankind forms one organism, as our cells together form one body. So if a human being harms another, it is like a cancerous growth, a cell that went berserk and needs to be removed by the body's immune system. If too many humans harm others, then the body is diseased and needs surgery, or it may even die. The overall health and improvement of the body is the most important thing. I feel this most of all when I am lying in bed at night, that there is a deeper meaning to life than just what is perceived in everyday life. I feel that things are okay somehow.
It is difficult to fully accept individualism, because life is brief and sometimes without much meaning or higher purpose. Many individuals are sacrificed with no apparent rhyme or reason. I may be sacrificed too, or you the reader for that matter. So that is why I think we may be small units within a much larger entity, rather than separate and entire within ourselves. I'm not sure how it all works. There is a great mystery about life. I don't think everyday reality is all that there is. And even if it were, we should imagine something else just to amuse ourselves.
It's funny how homophobes claim marriage is a fragile sacred cow that can't be changed, when some of them, especially the rich and powerful, change it at the drop of a hat whenever it suits them. I am reminded of Newt Gingrich, who divorced his wife while she was in the hospital with cancer. Lots of class, Jack. I'd never do that to my partner. These guys could learn about loyalty and morality from a gay couple. It is ironic that they have so much influence on whether gay couples get the right to marry.
It is a strange thing to have so many irons in the fire of an enormous political debate trumpeted throughout the media. If gay marriage becomes the law of the land, then I win big. Many of the problems that loom great before me will resolve. If it remains under ban, then I lose big, or rather, continue losing like I always have. Even my life expectancy is tied to the question of gay marriage, because marriage brings so many legal and financial benefits. The idea of lifelong monogamy does not worry me in the least--as a matter of fact, it would be my choice without marriage, and is my choice.
I suppose the argument that runs against gay marriage is thus: abandon your lover and find some poor desperate woman, make believe that you love her, and marry her instead. That was indeed the chosen remedy of some gay men in the past. Is it fair to the woman? I don't think so. I don't think it's a good idea for either partner. It is likely that one or both partners in a sham marriage are going to fool around on the side.
I don't understand the reason for trying to push human reproduction at a time when the population is so great already. Homosexuality is a blessing in an overpopulated world. If I looked around me and saw not enough people, then I'd get with a woman and try to make more. But that's not the case. The situation is the opposite.
I think people are insane to insist on only one path in sexuality. Here's a whole group of people willing to voluntarily excuse themselves from the reproductive cycle (*in most cases). Seems like a godsend. I do think gays were sent by God, if there is a God, and I think they are a solid benefit to society, especially in today's world. People should count the benefits, rather than imagine costs.
It is difficult for me to discuss with people other than friends an issue that is so close to my personal welfare. I have so much at stake. I am tempted to consider those who oppose gay marriage to be my enemies, because they are accomplices to the legal mechanisms that inflict suffering upon me. I try to remind myself that such people lack empathy and understanding. The issue does not effect them personally. It is an opportunity for them to wield power against others, and I just happen to be an other, and my otherness is an accident of fate. There is something in the human psyche that delights in inflicting suffering upon others. The same element is to be found in many other issues, not just this one.
However, those that lack empathy and understanding do not escape from their deeds and their words unscathed. Such behavior will also manifest in their relations toward their own, and there comes what has been termed karma or divine punishment.
Karma or divine punishment feels wrong to me as a philosophy, though.
The closest approximation to truth seems, to me, that humankind forms one organism, as our cells together form one body. So if a human being harms another, it is like a cancerous growth, a cell that went berserk and needs to be removed by the body's immune system. If too many humans harm others, then the body is diseased and needs surgery, or it may even die. The overall health and improvement of the body is the most important thing. I feel this most of all when I am lying in bed at night, that there is a deeper meaning to life than just what is perceived in everyday life. I feel that things are okay somehow.
It is difficult to fully accept individualism, because life is brief and sometimes without much meaning or higher purpose. Many individuals are sacrificed with no apparent rhyme or reason. I may be sacrificed too, or you the reader for that matter. So that is why I think we may be small units within a much larger entity, rather than separate and entire within ourselves. I'm not sure how it all works. There is a great mystery about life. I don't think everyday reality is all that there is. And even if it were, we should imagine something else just to amuse ourselves.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Evil Scientists
I watched "Operation Crossbow," a BBC documentary, tonight. It was about the Allied aerial reconnaissance against Nazi Germany during WW2 that resulted in the diminishing of the threat posed by the V-1 rockets. German scientists had developed highly advanced rockets that were to cost 9,000 lives.
I think there is a basis for holding scientists to a higher standard than political leaders, generals or other civilians. Scientists are smart and should know better. If they can penetrate the secrets of nature, they should also have a grounding in basic ethics. If a scientist serves a power as evil as Nazi Germany, particularly in a military capacity, his evil rises to a level above that of other human beings, who may be deceived, stupid or ignorant. A contemporary example of evil scientists would be the nuclear scientists that serve the Iranian regime.
I almost regret not having been alive during WW2 and having missed out on what seemed a glorious war. Even the smallest act must have been imbued with profound meaning and purpose when a people are joined in a collective struggle against absolute evil.
I think there is a basis for holding scientists to a higher standard than political leaders, generals or other civilians. Scientists are smart and should know better. If they can penetrate the secrets of nature, they should also have a grounding in basic ethics. If a scientist serves a power as evil as Nazi Germany, particularly in a military capacity, his evil rises to a level above that of other human beings, who may be deceived, stupid or ignorant. A contemporary example of evil scientists would be the nuclear scientists that serve the Iranian regime.
I almost regret not having been alive during WW2 and having missed out on what seemed a glorious war. Even the smallest act must have been imbued with profound meaning and purpose when a people are joined in a collective struggle against absolute evil.
Unemployment
My experience in technology is extensive. I breathe and bleed tech, having programmed since the age of fourteen. I'm what is called a natural. I didn't go into programming just for money, but because I enjoyed it and discovered I was good at it.
Nevertheless, on a regular basis, I am being passed over for jobs that I am qualified or even overqualified for, despite flexibility over the issue of salary and other matters and despite an eagerness and readiness to learn. In many cases it seems that I am not even given a second glance, but dismissed out of hand for one reason or another, most likely age or a gap in employment or the lack of employment. I did not think so before, but sometimes I fear that I may never work again in my chosen field and that my productive life is over.
Of course, there are many people in the same boat or even in worse circumstances, so I do not feel alone, not in today's economy. I do not believe it is anything to be ashamed of, either, because I am just as competent as ever, ready to reach the same height of excellence that I reached in the past. My loss is not only my own, but in part, also a loss to the companies that overlook me. It is possible they can find candidates who are better. I have worked with programmers superior to me in skill on at least three occasions. It is more likely they will find candidates who are just as good. I've been fortunate enough to work with my equals many times. It is also possible that their selection will not be as good, or will crash and burn, as I have seen many programmers do. But that is their problem. Those companies will have to deal with the fallout. I won't be there to pick up the pieces as I was in so many other cases of programmers who bailed out, went bananas or got fired.*
I feel sad at the lack of hope for me and probably millions of others, but not ashamed, because the circumstances of today were not of my doing. Today's economy is an indictment of a political and economic philosophy that is not my own. I sometimes feel angry, because there are many who express contempt toward others and obtain a strange satisfaction from the suffering of others. But they are not important, only loud and shrill, like crickets at night. Angry and mean people tend to clamor for the most attention. Often it is best to ignore them. They do not have much capacity for learning. Those who have understanding are more interesting, and I prefer to pay attention to them.
I don't let anger keep any grip upon me, but let it disperse after it has formed. It is not useful, as some people think, as I used to think, but harmful, and interferes with intelligence, like many other emotions. I'm not wise enough that I can dispense with anger altogether, and I don't know anyone who is. Anger happens in the human being. How to prevent its formation is beyond my understanding. I do know how to deal with it, though. Let it go. Don't take it seriously or at least not for long. Taking things very seriously is a grave mistake. I think a light touch is the way, a bit of humility and humor, combined with a desire to understand and to grow. Anger is the Enemy, getting in the way of intelligent thought, placing obstacles in the path of personal growth. Despair is the same.
Let us say the absolute worse happens in the next moment: a meteor hurls through my roof, striking me dead. Is that the end of the world? No, the world keeps on going, unless the meteor was very big indeed, in which case it would be termed an asteroid or a comet. I believe the Moon formed following a collision between this planet and a comet long ago. At any rate, I don't think the stakes are high for my own existence. I'm in favor of its continuation, but it does not exceed the value of other imperatives such as ethics, beauty and people that I care about. In other words, what happens, happens, and in the end I'm just a small part, a single pixel in the Impressionist painting of the world. Threads of consciousness, memes shared by me show every indication of persisting, even flourishing in my opinion, and that to me is more important. The wine exceeds the value of the vessel.
When I close my eyes at night, I feel encompassed by the greatest love, a restorative and nourishing force that makes me feel as though everything is as it should be, that things are right and good, just as they are. That does not result in a waking complacency. I've never been complacent. I'm always modifying things, trying to make them better. It is the nature of a programmer. It is not necessary to feel overwhelmed by worries and anxieties in order to get things done. That is a common misconception that I used to have. I get things done on time. Never have been a procrastinator. I just don't spend so much time worrying. There is a certain amount of fearlessness. Sometimes fear occurs to me, but then it seems strange, from someone else, from a weaker person. Fear is not any more helpful than anger. Fear of death and disease are shared by many people. I feel afraid about those inevitable fates too until I think them over, and I always come to the same conclusion in the end. There doesn't seem much purpose in being afraid of something that is going to happen no matter what. Acceptance may be a better strategy offering more benefits.
Nevertheless, on a regular basis, I am being passed over for jobs that I am qualified or even overqualified for, despite flexibility over the issue of salary and other matters and despite an eagerness and readiness to learn. In many cases it seems that I am not even given a second glance, but dismissed out of hand for one reason or another, most likely age or a gap in employment or the lack of employment. I did not think so before, but sometimes I fear that I may never work again in my chosen field and that my productive life is over.
Of course, there are many people in the same boat or even in worse circumstances, so I do not feel alone, not in today's economy. I do not believe it is anything to be ashamed of, either, because I am just as competent as ever, ready to reach the same height of excellence that I reached in the past. My loss is not only my own, but in part, also a loss to the companies that overlook me. It is possible they can find candidates who are better. I have worked with programmers superior to me in skill on at least three occasions. It is more likely they will find candidates who are just as good. I've been fortunate enough to work with my equals many times. It is also possible that their selection will not be as good, or will crash and burn, as I have seen many programmers do. But that is their problem. Those companies will have to deal with the fallout. I won't be there to pick up the pieces as I was in so many other cases of programmers who bailed out, went bananas or got fired.*
I feel sad at the lack of hope for me and probably millions of others, but not ashamed, because the circumstances of today were not of my doing. Today's economy is an indictment of a political and economic philosophy that is not my own. I sometimes feel angry, because there are many who express contempt toward others and obtain a strange satisfaction from the suffering of others. But they are not important, only loud and shrill, like crickets at night. Angry and mean people tend to clamor for the most attention. Often it is best to ignore them. They do not have much capacity for learning. Those who have understanding are more interesting, and I prefer to pay attention to them.
I don't let anger keep any grip upon me, but let it disperse after it has formed. It is not useful, as some people think, as I used to think, but harmful, and interferes with intelligence, like many other emotions. I'm not wise enough that I can dispense with anger altogether, and I don't know anyone who is. Anger happens in the human being. How to prevent its formation is beyond my understanding. I do know how to deal with it, though. Let it go. Don't take it seriously or at least not for long. Taking things very seriously is a grave mistake. I think a light touch is the way, a bit of humility and humor, combined with a desire to understand and to grow. Anger is the Enemy, getting in the way of intelligent thought, placing obstacles in the path of personal growth. Despair is the same.
Let us say the absolute worse happens in the next moment: a meteor hurls through my roof, striking me dead. Is that the end of the world? No, the world keeps on going, unless the meteor was very big indeed, in which case it would be termed an asteroid or a comet. I believe the Moon formed following a collision between this planet and a comet long ago. At any rate, I don't think the stakes are high for my own existence. I'm in favor of its continuation, but it does not exceed the value of other imperatives such as ethics, beauty and people that I care about. In other words, what happens, happens, and in the end I'm just a small part, a single pixel in the Impressionist painting of the world. Threads of consciousness, memes shared by me show every indication of persisting, even flourishing in my opinion, and that to me is more important. The wine exceeds the value of the vessel.
When I close my eyes at night, I feel encompassed by the greatest love, a restorative and nourishing force that makes me feel as though everything is as it should be, that things are right and good, just as they are. That does not result in a waking complacency. I've never been complacent. I'm always modifying things, trying to make them better. It is the nature of a programmer. It is not necessary to feel overwhelmed by worries and anxieties in order to get things done. That is a common misconception that I used to have. I get things done on time. Never have been a procrastinator. I just don't spend so much time worrying. There is a certain amount of fearlessness. Sometimes fear occurs to me, but then it seems strange, from someone else, from a weaker person. Fear is not any more helpful than anger. Fear of death and disease are shared by many people. I feel afraid about those inevitable fates too until I think them over, and I always come to the same conclusion in the end. There doesn't seem much purpose in being afraid of something that is going to happen no matter what. Acceptance may be a better strategy offering more benefits.
* - A common story throughout my career involved cleaning up other people's messes, pulling their rear ends out of the fire. I was there when the waste matter hit the fan. I was calm and rational, thinking in cold blood. Quick fixes were everybody's favorite, but I worked all day and all night if I had to, the thrill of battle spurring me on. I don't mind the drama or the pressure, but thrive on it, and can work alone or with a team.
I'm a good person to have around when things go wrong, because I don't get flustered. I relish the challenge, because it focuses all of my energy until I become greater than I was before. After final victory, there is time to celebrate, to unwind. Maybe customers are grateful, maybe not, but one's coworkers always are pleased, even if no one else recognizes what was accomplished, which is often the case because mishaps tend to be concealed from the eyes of higher-ups.
Thunderbird 5.0--Thumbs Down
I was willing to try Thunderbird because I'm a fan of Firefox, another Mozilla product. Version 5.0 made an even worse impression than version 3.0, however.
Thunderbird 5.0 has a default interface that can only be described as strange, a list of commands arranged one per line on a plain white screen like a web site from the 1990's coded by someone who just picked up HTML for the first time.
Thunderbird usurps control from the user, attempting to connect immediately, before the user has had an opportunity to enter all of the details about a mail server. This generates errors, some of the time, and is both annoying and alarming. I do not see any advantage to this approach. The developers rely upon a database maintained at the Mozilla web site and auto-detection in a misguided attempt to spare the user from ten seconds of typing. Ten seconds? Is that really a problem that is worth compromising security? During this automatic connection attempt, if the user has not first selected SSL encryption, Thunderbird will reveal to any listening hackers the unencrypted password and username, placing its users at risk of identity theft and financial loss in order to potentially spare them ten seconds worth of typing--although ten times the ten seconds gets lost if there are any failed automatic connections. The program assumes that the email address is the same as the username. That is certainly not true for all mail servers, but the program will attempt to connect anyway using the erroneous credentials, during which time the user will be staring at the screen, waiting.
The basic problem with Thunderbird, as well as with many software applications, is that the designers assume that they know much better than the end user. When that assumption proves mistaken--the user actually knows better than the developers about his own mail server--then the application falls flat upon its face.
I found Thunderbird to be annoying and primitive. I uninstalled it after twenty minutes. I was not impressed with Thunderbird several years ago and am even less impressed today. Thunderbird is the Google Chrome of mail clients, making a feeble attempt to be simple and easy to use for novices, but lacking in the features and flexibility that expert users desire.
I believe Thunderbird was designed with the mobile user in mind. Users that have a black-and-white display with a resolution of less than 640x480 and a keyboard that is less than two inches wide may prefer Thunderbird, because it uses very little screen width and makes heroic efforts to spare the user from typing.
Thunderbird 5.0 has a default interface that can only be described as strange, a list of commands arranged one per line on a plain white screen like a web site from the 1990's coded by someone who just picked up HTML for the first time.
Thunderbird usurps control from the user, attempting to connect immediately, before the user has had an opportunity to enter all of the details about a mail server. This generates errors, some of the time, and is both annoying and alarming. I do not see any advantage to this approach. The developers rely upon a database maintained at the Mozilla web site and auto-detection in a misguided attempt to spare the user from ten seconds of typing. Ten seconds? Is that really a problem that is worth compromising security? During this automatic connection attempt, if the user has not first selected SSL encryption, Thunderbird will reveal to any listening hackers the unencrypted password and username, placing its users at risk of identity theft and financial loss in order to potentially spare them ten seconds worth of typing--although ten times the ten seconds gets lost if there are any failed automatic connections. The program assumes that the email address is the same as the username. That is certainly not true for all mail servers, but the program will attempt to connect anyway using the erroneous credentials, during which time the user will be staring at the screen, waiting.
The basic problem with Thunderbird, as well as with many software applications, is that the designers assume that they know much better than the end user. When that assumption proves mistaken--the user actually knows better than the developers about his own mail server--then the application falls flat upon its face.
I found Thunderbird to be annoying and primitive. I uninstalled it after twenty minutes. I was not impressed with Thunderbird several years ago and am even less impressed today. Thunderbird is the Google Chrome of mail clients, making a feeble attempt to be simple and easy to use for novices, but lacking in the features and flexibility that expert users desire.
I believe Thunderbird was designed with the mobile user in mind. Users that have a black-and-white display with a resolution of less than 640x480 and a keyboard that is less than two inches wide may prefer Thunderbird, because it uses very little screen width and makes heroic efforts to spare the user from typing.
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Dream of Swimming
I dreamed I was swimming last night in a pool. Observing me were many people, including some I recognized, such as my supervisor and the vice president at the last company I worked for. They criticized my swimming as being too slow. That stung me, because I had always wanted to please the higher-ups, but I kept swimming. My favorite style was the Frog, where one kicks behind and sweeps above, keeping the head underwater until the hands are parallel with the shoulders, at which point one emerges for a gulp of air. It is not the fastest style. Other swimmers were faster, and I endeavored not to get in their way.
I was never considered slow in any job-related capacity. Faster than expected was a more common impression. I think the dream concerns the need for speed in so many online games, at least at the higher levels of competition. Chess and Lexulous are both timed, and players complain about a ponderer like me. When I forget myself, I can look at a position for hours, trying to riddle out the perfect line. It comes from being a programmer. Of course no one is much concerned with perfection. They want a good quick game during their coffee break or whatever thin slice of leisure time they find in the hectic modern life.
I've been asked to take timed tests in college and more recently for the sake of employment. In those cases, I have little trouble, because the time allotments tend to be quite generous in my opinion. I do find it bizarre that a college degree no longer suffices, that a high GPA no longer suffices, and employers demand that an applicant complete an IQ test. By doing so, they betray a contempt of higher education. In one case, I received a request to complete an IQ test from someone I did not recognize. I wrote back, asking for information about the position being applied for. I think if I took a test without knowing the stakes, then that would be flunking another kind of IQ test, showing gullibility. I won't just take a test for anybody out of the blue. There needs to be something in it for me, a potential reward, such as a job. If the sender is not willing to offer me any identification, then that particular opportunity was simply not meant to be. Good riddance. I think IQ tests are a bit insulting, not to mention time-wasters, but then so are drug tests. What they test for is pliability, not intelligence. They want sheep that will do as told. Work on this hour-long test for free, please, and we will contact you if we feel that you're not a moron, even though you've already indicated it by taking the test.
I am slow, compared to some I've seen. But I think simple things are never simple. I think complexity gets hidden and poses a danger when one remains unaware of it. The longer one thinks about something, the more that becomes apparent. I find that my opinions evolve as I uncover more information. That is why I have often deleted posts on my blog. One must remain open to the possibility of an initial impression being mistaken.
I was never considered slow in any job-related capacity. Faster than expected was a more common impression. I think the dream concerns the need for speed in so many online games, at least at the higher levels of competition. Chess and Lexulous are both timed, and players complain about a ponderer like me. When I forget myself, I can look at a position for hours, trying to riddle out the perfect line. It comes from being a programmer. Of course no one is much concerned with perfection. They want a good quick game during their coffee break or whatever thin slice of leisure time they find in the hectic modern life.
I've been asked to take timed tests in college and more recently for the sake of employment. In those cases, I have little trouble, because the time allotments tend to be quite generous in my opinion. I do find it bizarre that a college degree no longer suffices, that a high GPA no longer suffices, and employers demand that an applicant complete an IQ test. By doing so, they betray a contempt of higher education. In one case, I received a request to complete an IQ test from someone I did not recognize. I wrote back, asking for information about the position being applied for. I think if I took a test without knowing the stakes, then that would be flunking another kind of IQ test, showing gullibility. I won't just take a test for anybody out of the blue. There needs to be something in it for me, a potential reward, such as a job. If the sender is not willing to offer me any identification, then that particular opportunity was simply not meant to be. Good riddance. I think IQ tests are a bit insulting, not to mention time-wasters, but then so are drug tests. What they test for is pliability, not intelligence. They want sheep that will do as told. Work on this hour-long test for free, please, and we will contact you if we feel that you're not a moron, even though you've already indicated it by taking the test.
I am slow, compared to some I've seen. But I think simple things are never simple. I think complexity gets hidden and poses a danger when one remains unaware of it. The longer one thinks about something, the more that becomes apparent. I find that my opinions evolve as I uncover more information. That is why I have often deleted posts on my blog. One must remain open to the possibility of an initial impression being mistaken.
Friday, July 15, 2011
A Few Words about Wordpress Security
A recent widespread attack that has damaged many Wordpress blogs exploited the file permission of wp-config.php. The permission for that file absolutely must be 400 or 440. Search for yassine edder on Google, a scum that is running an automated script out of Tunisia. The hacker I will henceforth call "Asinine" hacked a friend of mine, who was terrified of losing everything. I worked for three hours to analyze and then undo every last bit of the damage. But now I know some things about Wordpress security. And I have added tens of thousands of IP addresses in Tunisia to my blacklist, just in case Asinine hops over to a different cafe.
I cannot stress enough the importance of setting the file permission of wp-config.php. Lock it down tight. Don't delay, do it today.
No one, and I mean no one, should install Wordpress without first becoming very familiar with the security requirements. There are precautions that should be established prior to going public with a site. Setting the file permission of wp-config.php is #1 on the list. Until it is set in a proper manner, the site can be hacked by any idiot from here to Tunisia.
Make regular backups of your Wordpress site. I prefer using the excellent Snapshot Backup Plugin for Wordpress by Jay Versluis. I don't know whether he is any relation to the Versluis who created the excellent HV Menu, but such a connection can only be flattering. Indeed, the reason I downloaded the plugin was because of the name recognition.
I use .htaccess rules to secure the archive files on my Apache server. This will prevent unknown parties from downloading archive files, which remains a security risk until or unless the archive is deleted.
Copy and paste the following into the existing .htaccess in the wp-content directory or create .htaccess there if it does not already exist.
The above code uses a whitelisting strategy. Replace the IP address 111.222.333.444 with your own static IP address. The code will prevent anyone from downloading the .tar file--or any file with the text "sql", "old", "ini", "bak", "gz" or "log" in it, except for someone at the specificed IP address. If placed into the .htaccess in wp-content, it will control access for all files and directories within wp-content. It does not affect the parent of wp-content.
Another way to protect archives, instead of using a whitelist, would be to demand that the downloader enter a password. This is also possible to do in .htaccess, but I went with the whitelist, because it's more convenient for me.
Incidentally, the same whitelisting strategy is highly effective for the .htaccess located in the wp-admin directory. Do not allow anyone except one IP address to access the adminstration log-in. This will lock down security on your Wordpress site. Wards off brute-force attacks and other games hackers play. It could be adapted for sites with multiple admins, as long as the IP address of each admin is known and remains static. Could be a problem with a mobile admin, though!
I cannot stress enough the importance of setting the file permission of wp-config.php. Lock it down tight. Don't delay, do it today.
No one, and I mean no one, should install Wordpress without first becoming very familiar with the security requirements. There are precautions that should be established prior to going public with a site. Setting the file permission of wp-config.php is #1 on the list. Until it is set in a proper manner, the site can be hacked by any idiot from here to Tunisia.
Make regular backups of your Wordpress site. I prefer using the excellent Snapshot Backup Plugin for Wordpress by Jay Versluis. I don't know whether he is any relation to the Versluis who created the excellent HV Menu, but such a connection can only be flattering. Indeed, the reason I downloaded the plugin was because of the name recognition.
I use .htaccess rules to secure the archive files on my Apache server. This will prevent unknown parties from downloading archive files, which remains a security risk until or unless the archive is deleted.
Copy and paste the following into the existing .htaccess in the wp-content directory or create .htaccess there if it does not already exist.
The above code uses a whitelisting strategy. Replace the IP address 111.222.333.444 with your own static IP address. The code will prevent anyone from downloading the .tar file--or any file with the text "sql", "old", "ini", "bak", "gz" or "log" in it, except for someone at the specificed IP address. If placed into the .htaccess in wp-content, it will control access for all files and directories within wp-content. It does not affect the parent of wp-content.
Another way to protect archives, instead of using a whitelist, would be to demand that the downloader enter a password. This is also possible to do in .htaccess, but I went with the whitelist, because it's more convenient for me.
Incidentally, the same whitelisting strategy is highly effective for the .htaccess located in the wp-admin directory. Do not allow anyone except one IP address to access the adminstration log-in. This will lock down security on your Wordpress site. Wards off brute-force attacks and other games hackers play. It could be adapted for sites with multiple admins, as long as the IP address of each admin is known and remains static. Could be a problem with a mobile admin, though!
I wonder who traxodone@gmail.com is? That individual sent me an email mere hours after I had posted this:
Hi Igor,
I've find your blog through Google and I hope you can help my. My blog is hacked by this guy from Tunisia, how can I restore my blog and password for wp admin?
Kind regards,
traxodone
I wrote back asking for more information, such as the blog ID and some reasons I should volunteer my assistance. No response. Well, I can't help anybody that does not communicate. Said individual may well be the hacker responsible for the attacks.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sen. Bernie Sanders: Absolutely Brilliant
I saw Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (the April 27th, 2011 episode), and he was absolutely brilliant and absolutely right. Sanders represents what is good and right in America.
Alcohol & Cancer
Alcohol has been linked to cancer, again.
Weed is linked to cancer, too; it fights cancer. It is non-carcinogenic and non-toxic, properties not shared by alcohol.
The U.S. government displays abject ignorance by enforcing draconian laws against harmless weed, while booze causes health costs to skyrocket.
Human beings have long sought an inebriant of some kind in order to take a break from the relentless calculations of everyday living. It is unrealistic to expect that everyone is going to choose sobriety all the time and forever.
A simple legal and cultural switch from booze to pot would save the U.S. trillions in long and short-term health care costs. Yes, trillions. Alcohol kills; pot does not. Period.
One cannot expect the U.S. government to do anything sensible. Considered more important are foreign wars on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan, where we are despised in return for providing trillions of dollars in aid. Considered more important is the never-ending drug war against drug users that costs hundreds of billions of dollars and fills the prisons with nonviolent offenders. Considered more important is aid to enemies disguised as allies like Pakistan. Basically, the U.S. government flushes half our taxes down the toilet every year. That is why the country is in the situation it is in today.
The workers are just as creative, hard-working and educated as ever, but the leaders, such as Lamar Smith (R-Tx), are hardheaded political hacks without the slightest capacity for creativity.
Weed is linked to cancer, too; it fights cancer. It is non-carcinogenic and non-toxic, properties not shared by alcohol.
The U.S. government displays abject ignorance by enforcing draconian laws against harmless weed, while booze causes health costs to skyrocket.
Human beings have long sought an inebriant of some kind in order to take a break from the relentless calculations of everyday living. It is unrealistic to expect that everyone is going to choose sobriety all the time and forever.
A simple legal and cultural switch from booze to pot would save the U.S. trillions in long and short-term health care costs. Yes, trillions. Alcohol kills; pot does not. Period.
One cannot expect the U.S. government to do anything sensible. Considered more important are foreign wars on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan, where we are despised in return for providing trillions of dollars in aid. Considered more important is the never-ending drug war against drug users that costs hundreds of billions of dollars and fills the prisons with nonviolent offenders. Considered more important is aid to enemies disguised as allies like Pakistan. Basically, the U.S. government flushes half our taxes down the toilet every year. That is why the country is in the situation it is in today.
The workers are just as creative, hard-working and educated as ever, but the leaders, such as Lamar Smith (R-Tx), are hardheaded political hacks without the slightest capacity for creativity.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thumbs Down--First Alert Smoke Alarms
First Alert smoke alarms were designed by a cretin. It is nearly impossible to extract an old 9V battery. One has to pry it out using a knife, and the fit is so tight that it is possible to destroy the battery or the alarm in the process. After one connects the battery, the alarm emits a shrill scream that could trigger a heart attack.
A handy device for consumers would be a portable database with blacklisted manufacturers, so that one knows which brands to avoid. First Alert is a brand to avoid at all costs. If another smoke alarm costs three times as much, purchase it. At least the other manufacturer may have given some thought to the issue of battery replacement.
A handy device for consumers would be a portable database with blacklisted manufacturers, so that one knows which brands to avoid. First Alert is a brand to avoid at all costs. If another smoke alarm costs three times as much, purchase it. At least the other manufacturer may have given some thought to the issue of battery replacement.
Fusion Power
Fusion power seems to me a better investment than either Iraq or Afghanistan. I don't see why those two countries merit many trillions of dollars, whereas $30 billion can't be found to develop and exploit fusion energy. We should leave the lunatics in the Middle East to war among each other, and develop a replacement for oil.
Big defense corporations want to feast on the money cow known as war, and they control Congress. That is why there always has been and always will be war.
Big defense corporations want to feast on the money cow known as war, and they control Congress. That is why there always has been and always will be war.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Republican with Sense
At least one Republican Presidential candidate has a lick of sense.*
* - Well, alright, there's also Ron Paul. That atypical Republican has got more brains than half the G.O.P. as represented in Congress. Not only does he know how to read, he wrote his own book. But he never wins, and nobody seems to take him seriously. He and Bozo, above, are the only Republicans that could really give Obama a run for his money--and split the Democratic constituency. The other Republican candidates are obvious, forget about it, dyed-in-the-wool hardcore conservatives that want to turn the clock back to 1950, forgetting that 1950 stank like rotten eggs. I don't even know how to spell their names and won't try.
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