Apropos of nothing in particular *cough* not *cough* I cringe every time I read “quotes” from historical figures whose literacy and fluency in English far surpassed that of those who misquote them, inserting grammar and usage errors that do not exist in the original material. Even worse? Fictional accounts of historical figures that put (sometimes credible, though still fictional) words in a historical figure’s mouth that are then mistranscribed by subliterates, mangling them into gibberish.
Mary’s Boy-Child
(I have, as Perri noted in comments, now had the “video unavailable” error twice, while at other times it has loaded. *sigh*
This one, of several others, has loaded a few times for me. Let’s see how long it stays up, mmmK?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_t-rTbOOAI
Always Look on the Bright Side
You know, there is an up side to the stolen election. Finally, no one who has more brains than a kumquat and better morals than a rabid mink can deny that the Dhimmicraps are utterly and completely morally bankrupt. No one (and I do mean no one) who is even remotely honest and ethical can from this point forward ever support another Dhimmicrap. Nope. Not one. Period. Anyone who does classes themselves as completely and totally without any decency whatsoever. Period.
Harsh? Not my fault.
Hallmark “Movies” Aren’t Always a Complete Waste of Time
I haven’t watched anything memorable Ryan Paevey has been in (and in fact have only “watched” anything he’s been in as “background noise” while doing other things), but. . . I could really listen to him narrate just about anything–and I don’t generally like narrations of anything. I have no idea whether the guy has ever sung, whether solo or in a group, but I also wouldn’t mind having his voice in a choir.
Mischief Managed?
Well, not quite. More “wood chucking.” Sorta-kinda-almost “good enough” fitness watch buzzed me to say I had been at my optimal heart rate for 20 minutes. *meh* What does it know? Five minutes later, *bzzz* “Relax.” Yeh, says you. A few minutes later: dizzy. OK, OK, I give in.
At least it was nice weather for it. High 40s, still ice on the wood, etc. Maybe this afternoon will be time for more “wood chucking.”
“The stockings were hung from the chimney with care. . . “
Got one of these several years back at my fav “fell off the back of a truck” store for a tiny fraction of the cost I found the one at Amazon. Should have gotten several of them at the time, but I do know some folks for whom these might just make neat lil stocking stuffers now. *cough* Have to think about that. Quickly. *heh*
How Much Wood Can a Wood Chuck(er) Chuck?
Not all THAT much, but after this AM’s “wood chucking exercises,” I slowed down with a cuppa coffee enhanced with a weed tad of cayenne pepper and baking cocoa. Enjoyed the cat-in-the-lap, too. Had to. He said so. After release from “lap duty,” some stretches, etc. Better. Pulse high of only 114 BPM, cool down and recovery to lowest of day: 51 BPM. Getting a wee bit better. Maybe I can eventually make the doc less of a liar the next time he tells me I’m in “pretty good shape for someone [my] age.” *heh* Maybe.
A Performance Above (or Below) and Beyond
Why I Am Grateful That I Do Not Have Any “Constitutional Rights”
(A different kind of Thanksgiving post)
“Constitutional rights” implies that rights emanate from the government. They do not. No form of government anywhere, at any time, can or could grant rights. We have natural, inherent rights that the Constitution supposedly obligates the federal government to protect. As the seminal document of our country explicitly and correctly states,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. . . ” Government’s only legitimate excuse for existence is to protect those rights. When it does not, it delegitimizes itself.
I believe this is an important distinction, one that should never be compromised or blurred in any way. So-called “rights” granted by a government are nothing but licenses and can be revoked. As Jefferson further said of but one inherent right, so all:
“The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time. The hand of force may destroy but cannot disjoin them.”
The “hand of force” is ONLY ever legitimately deployed in defense of inherent rights, never in attacking them, for attacking inherent rights = attacking the very lives of those to whom they belong. BTW, this is key in understanding the libertarian–lowercase “l”–non-aggression principle: initiating violence against another is wrong. Responding with violence to someone (or some organization) that is violating one’s rights or the rights of another is not wrong; it is just.
So, given the tendency of governments everywhere toward anarcho-tyrrany, or just outright tyranny, I am grateful that it is God and not governments Who grants us our rights.
Password Management
Is It Worth Paying for a Password Manager?
Maybe. Read what Dave Hatter has to say about it.
I have used Lastpass for quite some time, now, although I also keep an encrypted backup of my passwords (regularly updated with changes, as needed, including the password to my Lastpass account) on a flash drive stored in my safe. The pass phrase for THAT is derived from a 17th Century French art song (so, easy for me to recall), but is, of course, obfuscated/changed from the original lyrics. A separate encrypted file contains just that password, with no reference detailing what it is for, embedded in another text file and available to one person who owns that device but does not have access to the safe w/o a trusted third party.
If I am gone or merely “vegetized,” someone will be able to access my data, close out accounts, etc.
And no, that doesn’t make my data secure, just slightly less accessible.
N.B. You might want to also consider encrypting all your removable devices (flash drives, USB-attached drives, NASes, SIMMs in phones, etc.). Sure, it can be a very small hassle entering pass phrases and decrypting/re-encrypting drives, etc., whenever new sessions are initiated, but do you really want all your data to be “in the clear”? Heck, consider something like Proton email and encouraging family and friends to do likewise so all your email is also encrypted and thus LESS accessible to others. Privacy is your right, but YOU need to at least attempt to enforce it. Assess what you want to keep to yourself and take appropriate steps.