APPLICATION: Address Book — anyone have a good solution?

Sunday, November 14, 2021

I’m really tired of struggling with various address books  — IOS, OSX, Android, Google.  Does anyone have an evernote template that could be the universal address book.  I remember an old Windoze app “Little Black Book” that just allowed one to print out specialize address books for different purposes.  For example, I used to print various ones for older relatives that only had “their” items of interest.  Now, it just seems to be a virtually impossible to print something that would look like an address book without a lot of manual effort.  Any suggestions?

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GUNS: Retired Chicago Firefighter 1, armed robber 0 — permanently

Saturday, November 13, 2021

https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2021/11/08/retired-chicago-firefighter-fatally-shoots-would-be-armed-robber-n51826

Retired Chicago Firefighter Fatally Shoots Would-Be Armed Robber
By Cam Edwards | Nov 08, 2021 9:30 AM ET

*** begin quote ***

According to the Chicago Tribune, a 77-year old retired Chicago Fire Department captain was working in an open garage on Saturday afternoon when a vehicle pulled up on the alleyway fronting the garage.

An assailant got out of the vehicle, pulled out a gun and demanded the man’s property.

The 77-year-old took out his own gun and shot at the would-be robber, hitting him in the head and chest, police said. The robber, whose identity was not released, died at the scene, police said.

The 77-year-old man was not injured.

Both guns were found at the scene, police said. The 77-year-old man, who retired from the department about 15 years ago, has a valid firearm owners identification card and conceal carry license.

The man didn’t need a concealed carry license to possess a firearm in his garage, and it would have been nice for the Tribune to point that fact out to its readers, but at least we know the would-be victim was a legal gun owner. And the fact that the Tribune didn’t mention anything about the would-be robber having a FOID card or a concealed carry license in his possession is an indication that, just like the vast majority of Chicago’s violent crimes, this latest attack was carried out by someone who’s not legally possessing their gun.

As for the fact that the retired firefighter was attacked in broad daylight in his garage, the truth is that carjackers and armed robbers aren’t waiting for the sun to go down before they hit the streets. The website CWB Chicago says police are investigating several carjacking crews that have no qualms about committing their crimes while the sun is still shining.

*** end quote ***

I’m a pro-life little L libertarian.  But the right of self-defense is so basic.  Seems like Chicago is closer to the Law of the Jungle than it should be.  But I’m glad that there’s one criminal less to plague the good guys.

Seems like Chicago should be encouraging concealed carry to even the sides between the citizens and criminals.

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RANT: TWITTER is blocking stuff about Covid 19

Friday, November 12, 2021

*** begin quote ***

Ferdinand Reinke
@reinkefj
 
@nutrition_facts
https://bit.ly 3BQbTi5

Fisetin has been shown to reduce the burden of COVID-19 in the lab and an animal model with significant results; researchers are now testing it in skilled nursing facility Fisetin is a flavonoid/need to eat 37 strawberries day

*** end quote ***

I follow “Nutrition Facts dot org” for their plant-based evidence-based diet information.  I saw an article from Mercola about a strawberries being tested in a Covid 19 study.  Since this would be right up Dr. Greger’s alley, I went to tweet it to @nutrition_facts.

Bang!  It was blocked. 

They are blocking anything from Dr. Mercola’s site. 

BUT by the subtly use of a space in the link, I was about to bypass their block. 

Note this is calling one Doctor’s observation to another Doctor’s attention.  No one was offering advice or an opinion. No one was asserting that this was a cure all.

(Personally I like strawberries and could easily enjoy 37 per day. Any Covid benefit would be a good excuse.  And, as far as I know, there are no harmful side effect from overdosing on strawberries. Laugh!)

That’s why this whole kerfuffle is so DUMB!

Leave people alone to follow what they perceive as their own best interest.  We are not sheep to be lead by a Judas goat like Twitter.

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VETERANS: Pvt. Henry Gunther should be the icon for all of America’s wars

Thursday, November 11, 2021

https://dailyreckoning.com/a-tribute-to-pvt-henry-gunther-and-others

A Tribute to Pvt. Henry Gunther and Others
By Brian Maher
Posted November 11, 2020

*** begin quote ***

102 years ago today, on the 11th month, 11th day and 11th hour… the guns went quiet on the Western Front…

And the white doves of peace took wing.

Today we turn away from the Sturm und Drang of the present — from the world of manna, from the election, from the virus — to reflect briefly upon that morning of Nov. 11, 1918… and a little-known chapter of history.

*** and ***

Three words spring to mind:

Spite. Ambition. Stupidity.

But there were careers to consider. Consider the general who invaded Stenay so his men could bathe — a certain William Mason Wright.

After the war he was promoted. Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army was his new title.

He could claim the distinction, after all, of capturing the final American objective of the war.

A less gaudy distinction fell to a young man under his command that morning — Pvt. Henry Gunther by name, of our former city of Baltimore.

This poor fellow was the last allied fatality of that fateful day, Nov. 11, 1918 — and of the Great War itself. Time of death:

10:59 a.m.

Below, we show you why the American entry into WWI was a foolish idea, in addition to other foolish ideas that have landed America in trouble. 

*** end quote ***

Let’s no forget Pvt. Henry Gunther and all the other MIAs, KIAs, and all the other broken casualties of war.

And, the politicians and bureaucrats that fight pointless wars with other people children!

Remind them often.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Is the FBI Joe Biden’s clean up squad?

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/5-unanswered-questions-fbi-raids-project-veritas-over-missing-biden-diary?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29

5 Unanswered Questions As FBI Raids Project Veritas Over A Missing Biden Diary
BY TYLER DURDEN
SUNDAY, NOV 07, 2021 – 03:00 PM
Authored by Jonathan Turley

*** begin quote ***

There is a curious story out this weekend on reported FBI raids of writers or associates of Project Veritas, the conservative investigative journalism outfit. Project Veritas has been described variously as “Gonzo” or “guerilla” journalism and some insist it is more of a political than a press organization. However, it fits the definition of journalism, in my view, and that makes the raids troubling. All the more troubling is the cause: the missing diary of President Biden’s daughter Ashley.

*** and ***

There are a host of unanswered questions. Here are five to start with:

  • What was the context for the diary’s loss? (Did Ashley Biden leave the diary in a room or was it stolen?)
  • What is the alleged federal crime (and what is the precedent for a major federal investigation over such an alleged theft)?
  • What precautions were taken by the Biden Administration in light of the claimed media status of the targeted individuals?
  • Why was there a delay in this action being taken if the alleged theft occurred a year ago?
  • Has this matter been under investigation for a year and did the White House request the intervention of the FBI?

Regardless of how one feels about Project Veritas, there should be calls from media outlets for some answers to these basic questions.  Likewise, Congress should be seeking such answers as part of its oversight responsibilities.

*** end quote ***

Remember how they acted about Hunter Biden’s forgotten laptop?

And the truth about that has been very neatly dropped down the “memory hole” and forgotten.

Just like the JFK assassination!

When we will EVER get “the truth” about anything?

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men played by Jack Nicholson

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NEWJERSEY: MVC reinvents the wheel

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Boondoggle alert NJMVC is going to build secure doc for phones. Guess google pay and apple wallet are insecure? Or no corrupt contracts to hand out. Argh!

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SURVIVAL: Some apps you should have on your phone.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

https://theprepared.com/everyday-carry/reviews/mobile-apps/

Best survival apps for your phone
 UPDATED 4 WEEKS AGOBY GIDEON PARKER

*** begin quote ***

Your phone / mobile device is one of the few things you’re almost guaranteed to have nearby in an emergency. This list covers third-party apps worth downloading and lesser-known features built into Android and iOS phones.

*** and ***

  • Citizen (iOS, Android, free) is a crowdsourced incident alert system. If you or others see something such as a fire, police interaction, or terrorist attack, spread the word or even livestream video to notify other app users.

*** and ***

  • Signal (iOS, Android, free) is an all-in-one app for text, voice, and video. SMS text messages (ie. normal/classic texting) are terribly insecure, and most other apps like Telegram and WhatsApp aren’t much better. Signal is the trusted, encrypted king endorsed by security experts like Bruce Schneier and Edward Snowden.

*** end quote ***

And, of course, I recommend what3words to give you a very precise location description.

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TECHNOLOGY: Apple frustrates the “right to repair”

Monday, November 8, 2021

https://www.reviewgeek.com/102499/apple-prevents-iphone-13-screen-repairs-in-what-ifixit-calls-an-unprecedented-lockdown/\

Apple’s Attempt to Prevent iPhone 13 Repairs Hurts Customers and Professionals
ANDREW HEINZMAN NOV 5, 2021, 3:26 PM EDT 

*** begin quote ***

When our friends at iFixit did their first iPhone 13 teardown, they called the device “a new low” for repairability. Apple took unprecedented steps to prevent “unauthorized” iPhone 13 repairs—particularly screen replacements, which (by design) break the phone’s Face ID functionality.

Screen replacements are by far the most common phone repair procedure. They’re also fairly cheap and easy to perform, so as you can imagine, they’re the bread and butter of small repair shops. But unless Apple gives you permission to perform an iPhone 13 screen or battery swap, you will end up with broken features or a non-working phone.

And I’m not exaggerating when I say that you need Apple’s “permission” to repair the iPhone 13. Its components are serialized—meaning that parts like the display and Face ID camera can identify each other using unique serial numbers. To make one of these serialized components work with a donor part, an authorized Apple technician needs to sync each part with Apple’s cloud network and request approval from the corporation.

*** end quote ***

It seems apparent that Apple wants to control its “customers” like sheep to be shorn.

As much as I am a little L libertarian, we are stuck with the current system until “We, The Sheeple” stand up and say “NO!”.

‘I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’ I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell – ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad!… You’ve got to say, ‘I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Then we’ll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: [screaming at the top of his lungs] “I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” — the character Howard Beale played by Peter Finch in the movie Network (1976)

So, I hope the anti-monopoly folks take notice of this.

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TECHNOLOGY: YSK When apps have both a web presence and phone client, try both.

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Recently, on both CLASSDOJO and SHUTTERFLY, I was trying to upload a photo.

In CLASDOJO, the web site would only accept a live photo. (MY workaround was to take a photo of my phone. Argh!). In SHUTTERFLY, I was trying to upload a photo from my laptop and couldn’t get it it.

After calling in and wasting time, I found out that if I used the IOS or ANDROID client, I could easily do what I wanted. In my “after action” review, a habit I got in the military, I could NOT find anything in their “help” sections that would let me avoid the phone call.

In the future, I’ll try different versions of the same offering on the off-chance that some developer was too lazy to make all the versions functional equivalent. Argh!

I’m putting this YSK on my blog so I’ll remember to follow my own advice.

FWIW YMMV

WHY YSK: I wasted a lot of my time and that of two support organizations because their sites were not intuitive and, I never thought that their IOS / ANDROID apps would be that different. DOn’t make my mistake and ASS-U-ME that everything is identical. It MAY not be.

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VOCABULARY: ‘Typical Rykozhop’ is Russian for Rube Goldberg, or worse

Saturday, November 6, 2021

https://www.boredpanda.com/problematic-design-solutions-typicalrykozhop/

30 Construction Solutions That Don’t Solve Problems, Only Create Them, As Shared By This Instagram Account (New Pics)
Jonas Grinevičius and Mindaugas Balčiauskas
 
*** begin quote *** 
 
Many of us instinctively know whether a design is good and user-friendly or if it’s something clobbered together at the last minute without much thought for aesthetics, the future, or our poor artistic feelings. However, some home design ‘solutions’ are so problematic, they deserve to be named and shamed far and wide.

That’s where the Russian ‘Typical Rykozhop’ project on Instagram comes in. The account documents the most egregious design and construction decisions that would make any design major’s jaw drop (watch some of them faint, too!). Scroll down for the best of the truly worst (or is that the worst of the worst?) and upvote the design solutions that you simply love to hate, dear Pandas.

*** end quote ***

It’s definitely pretty funny to this fat old white guy injineer.  In a few cases, it is hard to figure out what they were trying to accomplish.  And, in one, I was befuddled.

Reminds me when I was working on a new building for a Wall Street datacenter.  Some SVP gave the “baby” electrician aka union apprentice for some trivial thing.  I think the fellow parked in the guy’s “space”; there were no markings or assignments I was aware of.  When the Unions heard about this, they had had enough of the this guy and that was the straw that broke their back.  It wasn’t the first time he’d <past tense synonym for urine output> them off. So they took advantage of a blanket order to work any overtime needed to get the building done ahead of schedule, and that Saturday EVERY TRADE came in to work putting up doors.  They put EVERY DOOR in a nine story building in one day just as it was drawn on the plans by the architect and signed off by everyone in the chain of command.  That Sunday morning, when I came it and did my daily walk thru for site security with my supervisory team, I immediately recognized what had been done.  I got the dubious pleasure of calling my SVP telling him that “I thought” (I knew) EVERY DOOR was installed backward (i.e., the holes were on the hinge side).  Since these were ALL special fire doors, they have to be ordered and remade from scratch. The union’s chief steward suggested that they might want to ask a certain SVP about who could park where and ALL the trades called in sick on Monday.  One of the few times I ever saw the CEO, CFO, and a bunch of other Chiefs was that Monday morning at 7AM walking through the building.  By lunch time, that SVP was fired and, on Tuesday, the doors began to come down very very slowly.  The building was delayed two months.  And, we were all verbally informed don’t mess with the unions.  

Laugh!

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