Author: David

Over-educated Curmudgeon, Bit-Bucket Tuner and Budding Brewmeister.
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Cliff Notes Lives

It’s really sad to hear people talk about how they “grew up with The Jungle Book” and realize they’re talking about an animated (or, perhaps an earlier live action) movie they recall from their childhood, NOT the book (or the sequel). The best of the movies were derived from just three Mowgli stories taken from the book. All the rest of the riches the book offers? Lost to these folks. Sad. New “Jungle Book” movie is being produced by one of these “Cliff Notes” kids. (But I’m almost certain I slander Cliff Notes summations, since I’m sure Cliff Notes dealt with the whole book.)

A Tale of Two Cities? I’m sure however many folks still relate to Dicken’s tale, most have never read the book, and most of those either read a Cliff Notes (or, if they’re old enough, a Classics Illustrated comic version) summary or sat through the late 50s movie with Dirk Bogarde that featured a Reader’s Digest version of the book. LOADS missing.

And so it goes. If it’s not a recent crappy Hollyweird movie, chances are it’s terra incognita/ignota to most folks. That’s just sad.

Continue reading “Cliff Notes Lives”

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May I? Please?

May I dope slap someone for using “abit” to stand in for “a bit”? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top? Would it help my case if I told you the same folks used the adjective “backdoor” when they meant “back door”? Hmm?

[excessively polite mini-rant /off]

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A Brief Explanation

I frequently refer to “Hillary Clintoon” as The Queenie Cacklepants Cylon. “Queenie” cos it acts as though it were entitled to royal treatment and privileges. “Cacklepants” cos it cackles out its ass. “Cylon” because, well, evil android that cannot yet pass a Turing Test.

That is all.

Well, no. Also, remember: Never mess with a chipmunk’s nuts. (No reason. I just despaired of ever having the opportunity to insert that into a text in a context that fit it.)

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Blood Sacrifice

While God long ago settled the blood sacrifice issue in His payment for our sins, the evil little “gremlins of handymannery” still exact bloody tribute, as my hands can attest.

That is all.

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Timely, once again:

Recessional

Rudyard Kipling

G0D of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

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Questionable Password Advice

Touting the use of a password manager, a so-called “security quiz” stated,

“Trying to remember a multitude of different (secure) passwords can be really tough.”

Really? Well, I suppose that is true if one were a lobotomized gerbil. Designing memorable, seriously difficult to crack passwords is really very easy, but it does require a bit of thought and the development and practice of good security habits, so I suppose for 99.999% of people the statement stands.

Let me tell one and all just what pertinent info one would need to crack the current password for one of my casual use email accounts. All one needs to know are these things: my own, idiosyncratic, symbol substitution methodologies (plural, and circumstantial); exactly what the specials were on a particular day five decades ago in an eating establishment that has been out of business for three decade; how many of that item I ordered; what the price was.

There. Most password checker sites would give you several trillion years to crack a similarly-configured (same circumstance, different substitution methodology) password using some sort of massive array, supposing you didn’t have the clues I mentioned above (and could make sense of them).

And yet, for me to type out the 66-character password is easy-peasy.

Oh, and it’s due to be changed at the end of this month.

Remembering relatively secure passwords should not be difficult for any normal adult, but in the self-induced ADHD age, I suppose such things have become the new norm. *sigh*