Olde Pharte tomcat crawled up in my lap, complaining about [whatever]. Said to him, “OK, I’ll comfort you in your dottage.” He responded with an archtypical “Olde Pharte” *grumph*
Sometimes a Plan Does Come Together
Pleased. Finally worked my head through the right combo of tools to remove the locking wheel bolts on my Wonder Woman’s Jetta (bought used, no key for the locking wheel bolts). Have one off and replaced with a normal wheel bolt, and the process well-defined, now. It was a wee tad more irritating, because these locking wheel bolts are “spinners,” needing the “spinner ring” removed before dealing with the actual bolt. Now, I just have to get the “spinner” out of the socket I used to remove it. *heh*
Hmmm, perhaps I should rethink my method of removing the “spinner” for the other three wheels. . . I’ll give that some thought before I do the next one.
Reset! Reset! Reset!
About that failed TV. . .
All diagnostics suggested by the company support said dead power supply or similar. Did everything by the book. No power on.
“Tech” call today with replacement TV.
“What’s it doing?”
“Well, I’ll show you.” *reaches to the TV’s power button and presses*
TV powers on.
Dafuq?!? Earlier TODAY, it did not power on.
“Tech”: *does not unbox new TV. Does not test anything* “It could be the UPS you have it plugged into.”
*sigh* “No, because I tested it plugged directly into the wall, as well as switching outlets [etc.].” (Oh, and the other two things plugged into the UPS both work, and have shown no interruption in service. Only two things*–neither the TV–is plugged into battery backup.
Me: *signs docs attesting to TV’s current functionality; hopes not calling again in a week*
Still, unless I open things up and test things myself, this will just have to be a mystery. and I have no desire to void the warranty.
Oh, well.
*On battery backup: a NAS and gigabit switch. Switch is, of course, for the NAS. . . and the TV, since I have not/will not enable the WiFi on the TV.
Capitalism vs. Our Current American Economic Model
It seems some folks are unclear on the differences between capitalism and the big business-government crony system we currently have. The two could not be farther apart. When there is corrupt behavior in a capitalist system, competition and civil courts can deal with that. The corruptocratic institutional system we now have has as its purpose the filling of politicians’ pockets and “bureaucraps'” rice bowls. From the consumer’s POV, it’s the worst of both capitalism unrestrained by market forces and the typical socialist model: politicians and their cronies are massively favored, enriched, and protected.
Of course, the 19th Century system that evolved into our current regulatory state was almost as corrupt. The monopolies and cartels “feddle gummint” regulations against monopolies and cartels were designed to deal with were either created or enabled by government intervention in the market. A good example of the regulatory state: create or exacerbate a problem in order to expand the scope of government, allowing perpetuation of the problem at a rate regulated only by the amount of graft.
And so it goes. Meanwhile, the sheeple never wise up, looking to the creators of the problems to solve them, against those creators’ perceived best interests. Suckers.
Twigging to Dunning-Krugerites
Another trait that exposes those who want others to suffer for their self-inflicted Dunning-Kruger Effect is claiming status they obviously cannot qualify for.
Example:
Every now and then, I see a self-pub book cover with “Author So-and-so”. Invariably, at least so far, such books have proven to be unreadable well within the first page of text. Sometimes the first paragraph or the first sentence or even the dedication (if one exists) is so badly written that I almost feel a wee bit of pity for the po’ baby that refers to himself (or herself) as “Author So-and-so,” because the chance that such folk will ever even become moderately competent wordsmiths is somewhere zero and -1,000–and that’s often an optimistic estimation.
Sad. I just wanna know who encouraged them to write without becoming at least literate enough to be fluent in English.
Oh, another clue to incompetent self-pub writers is that they frequently include a forward or dedication that makes much of the extensive editing their “work” has undergone. Almost invariably, that indicates that the book is FULL of misused words, indicating that both the writer and any editors are the next thing to illiterate, inexcusably execrable grammar (in narrative, not even dialog), unbelievable continuity errors, etc.
And they (and their so-called “editors”) never see all the “Oopsies” because they are not really literate enough to know the differences. Not one of them.
And yet they think of themselves as and proudly proclaim themselves to be “authors”.
SPAM “Success!”
From a “Free English Tutorial” site, this SPAM comment caught my eye:
“English language has grow to be a prerequisite for pretty much something that we do, from applying your favorite social networking web sites like Twitter and Facebook and generally working with the internet to applying for strong jobs. We all know how a great deal a second language can enhance our careers”
Yeh, about that English language tutorial thingy. . . Tutoring folks to speak/write at the (illiterate) level of most Mass Media Podpeople or 20-something aspiring self-pup writers isn’t necessarily a success track, IYNWIMAITTYD.
Pro tip: don’t give up your day job digging ditches.
“Helicopter Nanny State” Wants All Parents to be “Helicopter Parents”
“Don’t Leave Your Kids Near Judgmental Strangers” highlights once again the evils of “No Child Alone–EVER!” societal/judicial constructs.
Frankly, I think parents who are unjustly harassed by nosy parker buttinskis should go on the offensive and sue ’em (defamation? Something like that), demanding p-sych evaluations, background checks, and more. Put the (steel-toed, spike-soled) shoe on the other foot. . . and give ’em a really swift, hard kick in the “fundamentals” with it.
Repeatedly. Until, they go away and stay away.
Stupid Book Blurbs (for Stupid Books?) Level: Grandmaster
Here’s one that starts badly with the first word and goes downhill from there.
“Shalthazar the dark wizard came to Llars seeking power beyond imagining, and got more than he ever imagined.”
*doh*
I’m almost sorry I missed this book. (But, I wasn’t really aiming, anyway.)
I’m also unimpressed by blurbs that mention an “affirmative action” award–you know, one reserved for some ethnicity or whatever “disadvantaged” multi-culti “lit-ur-airy” Balkan state group author who can’t write well enough to win a legitimate award.
Oh, heck. ANY award not decided strictly by everyday, ordinary readers of the book is bogus. In that vein, book awards should be based on (actual, real, legitimate) sales, and, in fact, the only awards that really count are those that go into the writer’s pocket.
About That FarceBook Thingy
FarceBook is. . . interesting, but primarily in the “that’s an interesting train wreck” way. I find myself drawn back to watch and even react to the various inanities, stupidities, and rare–more and more extremely rare–status updates that have any usefulness (apart from just observing “The Weird”). Heck, I’m not even all that interested in my “family” FarceBook account, since the only family I’m really interested in staying up with are my wife, kids and Mother, and I have face-to-face (or in Mother’s case, phone-to-phone) contacts for that.
But. . . “The Weird” draws me back.
And then it repulses me again.
The Stupid is also very powerful on FarceBook, and its practitioners are immune to mocking (Dunning-Kruger and a “safe places” mentality). Besides, mocking self-made morons–not born that way; self-enstupiated–isn’t really good for me in the long run. It feels soooooo good, but is sooooo wrong. . . or is it? Is NOT mocking self-made morons, just ignoring their obstinate stupidities, just enabling their destructive behavior?
I dunno, and more and more I care less and less about them.
But they are fascinating. Ah! I think I have it now! FarceBook is a 21st Century freak show! Small doses may be interesting, even amusing, but a steady diet of fake interactions with family, stupid “posts” and comments by self-made morons, so-called “memes,” and suchlike is just not productive.
Methinks a weekly check-in to see how things are going in the nuthouse might be OK, but a steady diet of the Freak Show would rot my brain.
From News of the “You’re Kidding Me, Right?” File
Looks like someone is trying to hold a “Baptist healing service”. . .
One of the most amusing things I’ve seen recently in a product description was for a $300 buffalo-hide “fleece-lined duffle bag.” Supposedly, “New Zealand lambs’ fleece lining will help keep breakables safe when traveling.” Yeh, pull the other one. One would need an adamantium case lined with several inches of viscoelastic foam to even come close to keeping breakables safe from baggage handlers, let alone TSA goons.