One of them is an attack from a “sonic weapon.”

Source: Are US diplomats in Cuba and China being attacked? Here are 4 theories. - Vox

What I find appalling is that towns and cities are busting little kids for lemonade stands.  Don’t they have better things to do on taxpayer time?

Source: CountryTime pledges to pay fines of kids whose lemonade stands get shut down for operating without permit

In reply to: Intertextrevolution

Thanks for the kind response.

I’ll answer here your webmention reply didn’t show on my site. I’m sure I probably have a setting for that wrong somewhere. :)

You are right, Wordpress is a handful to get set up. If you add in the Indieweb stuff it becomes even more of a handful. In theory you only have to do this once which is good. You folks are on the right track with the Indieweb plugin - it makes things much easier.  All I knew, after doing a lot of reading on Indieweb stuff, then seeing the Webmentions on other blogs, I knew this was what I wanted.

After writing that post I got to thinking: one approach to documentation is to treat it like cooking recipes and cooking classes. (ie. I’m making a pie crust, the recipe calls for peanut oil which will do this, but can I substitute corn oil and what will that do to the pie crust? etc.)

Another way is to think like a blogger: “3 Best ways to Syndicate Your Indieweb Blog to Twitter,” type articles.

I understand the Indieweb eco-system is not yet complete, templates, feed readers are all still being developed.  Someday, this will all be close to plug and play, but in the meantime we need some big FAQ’s and comparison of real world (read Wordpress for now) services.  Unfortunately, my trial and error approach burns up too much time.

Thanks to Chris Aldrich who has been doing a good job of explaining a complex eco system.

In 2017 Linux computer maker System76 introduced their own flavor of Linux called Pop!_OS and started offering it as an option alongside Ubuntu as the pre-installed OS on their computers.  I have been using Pop!_OS (that is a pain in the ass to type) for a few weeks and finally got the opportunity to compare it to the newest Ubuntu version side by side.  Here is what I think.

Pop OS - System76 markets this for professional creators.  By that I think they mean people who use Linux professionally every day, know what software they will use and don’t want a lot of distractions.  And the Pop OS pretty much does this.  You don’t have to uninstall a bunch of programs you will never use.  The software store is a bit spartan, and does not offer as wide a range of choices in software as  Ubuntu.  The core Gnome desktop software is there along with some other programs.  Program descriptions are pretty sketchy in many instances but you can get by.

Take System76 at their word.  Pop OS is for the pros.  It is rock solid and workmanlike and a mainstream user can get by (especially if they Duckduck third party Linux how to articles).  In other words it does not suck.  People switching from Windows or macOS should use Ubuntu.

Ubuntu - One noticeable thing: right out of the box and unlike Pop OS, Ubuntu has proper Minimize, Maximize, Close buttons on the top right of each program window.  No horsing around, Ubuntu is ready to be a desktop OS and a replacement for Windows or macOS.  The Ubuntu software store (repository) has a lot more choices in software available, better icons and better more complete descriptions. Pros won’t care but mainstream users will appreciate the extra choices.  Even better Ubuntu has gone back to the Gnome 3 UI and dumped that awful Unity UI.  Win!

If you are a mainstream computer user or are moving to Linux from Windows or macOS, of the two, get Ubuntu. You will be happier.

All that said, I don’t regret my purchase of Pop OS.  It is perfectly competent and serves my needs.  It is rock solid like Linux is supposed to be.  While I don’t put myself in the creator class, once I find a program I like and does the job I pretty much stick with it. Which is what Pop OS was aiming for.  Either way, I am happy with my System76 hardware it is good quality and they have good support.

Added 4 September 2018

I’m downgrading my opinion of Pop_OS.  I am now encountering my 3rd problem with it that is going to require contacting Support.  System 76 support is excellent BTW.  But one problem locked down the whole computer and took nearly a week of back and forth command line stuff to fix.  4 days later a new problem cropped up with stuck system updates.

When this computer’s warranty runs out I will overwrite and install Ubuntu.

I really like System 76 hardware and support. I highly recommend it.  For now I only recommend you get Ubuntu installed as the OS.

One identified victim says the attacks were not isolated events—and the US knew.

What the Indieweb really needs is some practical, plain language documentation to lead end users through the forest of plugins, jargon and bailing wire setups to get the mainstream blogger to the promised land of Indieweb goodness.

Example: If I use Jetpack to post to Twitter, will that give me all the same Indieweb Webmention, commenting type goodies as using Brid.gy?  If not, what specifically won’t work?

It’s all fine to say “Install this and don’t worry” but then Bridgy suddenly breaks and won’t post to Twitter.  What then?  Will Jetpack do just as well?

And what about G+?

I know some have been diligently trying to provide guides to this stuff  but there are problems.

1. To many links in the chain. Weakest link breaks, then we have a Scudhunt trying to find which link is broken.
2. There are X number of ways to syndicate (crosspost) content. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each way?
3. Indieweb plugin by plugin practical guides for Wordpress. Like the problem of empty Titles on microposts and Wordpress wanting to assign a number as the title. Getting around that.
4. What works best for what.
5. Don’t send me to Github.  That’s for developers. You don’t want the general public bouncing around there.

We know the Facebook app tracks where you go via GPS.  Ithink it is safe to assume the Twitter app does the same.  There have been many rumors that the Facebook app (and others) might be listening into our conversations via our phones.  The article below offers confirmation.

There is a simple solution: uninstall the Facebook app from your phone.  Then login to your account via your phone’s web browser.  Bookmark that.  The web interface for Facebook (Twitter too) is very good and should provide more privacy from your microphone.  The downside (if it is a downside) is you won’t get those notifications on your phone when somebody responds to your posts.

I uninstalled both the Twitter and Facebook apps on my phone and use only the browser web access.  Works great and I do not miss being bothered by all those notifications.  Try it.

Here’s how I got to bottom of the ads-coinciding-with-conversations mystery.

I really wanted to buy a theatrical fog generator for my front porch.  I think it would be cool to have spooky fog rolling off the porch in the evening. Think, all those black and white Universal monster films like “Dracula,” “The Wolf Man,” and “Frankenstein.”

But I’m an adult now, toys must be set aside for the betterment of Mankind, so instead I bought a chain saw because: the God-Damn Purple Leaf Plum MUST DIE!

Sigh.

I thought I should put myself on record as to what I consider to be reasonable gun control regulations.  Note: I think the States should adopt these NOT the Federal government.  Almost all these laws should have a sunset clause, that if they are not renewed by the legislature and signed by the Governor they will expire after 10 or 20 years.

Federal

States should be empowered to enforce some Federal laws governing straw purchases against both purchasers and dealers.

Tighten ATF background check requirement: all gun sales must be transferred through an FFL dealer. (Heirs in an estate are exempt.)

States

1. 28 day waiting period on all “assault type” semi-auto weapons.
2. Minimum age of 21 to buy “assault type” semi-auto weapons.
3. Minimum age of 21 to possess “assault type” semi-auto weapons, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
4. 28 day waiting period on all high capacity semi-auto handguns. (age is already 21)
5. 3 day waiting period for all other handguns.
6. (Optional) 3 day waiting period for all other semi-auto rifles and shotguns.
7. No waiting period for lever action, bolt action, pump action, break action rifles and shotguns. One must still pass standard ATF background check.  Minimum age to buy should be set by individual States. Use for hunting as regulated by the State.
8. Mandatory, age appropriate gun safety training in schools.  (You teach your kids how to swim, you should teach them what to do when they encounter a gun.)
9. Incentives for voluntary hands on, safety and marksmanship training by responsible groups and organizations starting at an appropriate age as shall be determined by the individual States.
10. Reform of mental health laws.

I think we need to rethink our massive, consolidated high schools, breaking them up into more manageable sized schools.  The high school in Parkland Florida had a 45 acre campus with one armed officer to cover all of it.  We have turned our schools into consolidated, centralized, education factories not schools.  It is harder for struggling kids to slip through the cracks in smaller schools.  It will cost a bundle but needs to be done.

School uniforms.  No trench coats to hide guns in.  Kids can express themselves in their off time.

Parents

Not to Bully and not to tolerate others bullying.  Bullying seems to be one of the clues in these school shootings.  Bullying is a learned behavior, so unlearn it with your kids.  In return, when bullying is reported, we must act upon it, not ignore it.  We can’t eliminate it completely but we can try.  This may mean that we cannot “mainstream” bullies.  If they want an education they have to tow the line or get out.

How to deal with rejection, without going on a murderous rampage.  Unfortunately this seems to also be another clue in these school shootings - a triggering event.  Make sure your kid is not a little stalker and can take some rejection and that guns and violence are never a solution to this problem. Everyone is NOT a winner and gets a gold cup.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.  Kids need to learn how to face life. Toughen up.

Everyone

Note:  The above is what I think might work for my state in the Midwest.  More urban states out East, like New York or New Jersey might want to have tighter regulations.  The states should handle this because what works and is politically acceptable in New York might not fit in Montana or Maine.  This is one reason I do not want the Federal government passing these laws.  Besides, the Feds do not have enough manpower to enforce the many laws already on the books, adding more will not help.  Police powers rest largely with the States, as they should.  Let them deal with it, they are better equipped.

Agree, disagree feel free to make a reasoned comment. Keep it civil.

Currently researching perennial flowers.  Need something NOT yellow.  Bloom late summer. Suggestions?

I’ve only seen a few of these. Some are simply brilliant.  Now I have a lot of movies to watch!

Watch 60 great Noir films directed by Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, and starring Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. All free.

Hat Tip: Boing Boing.

With the IndieWeb Summit coming up at the end of June in Portland, David Shanske and I discuss it, participation, and other parts of the IndieWeb community.

Toshiba has scaled back its PC business in recent years, but the company continues to offer a small selection of laptops, tablets, and convertibles, primarily with a focus on premium and business-class devices. But Toshiba’s PC business will soon be under new management: Toshiba has announced it’s selling the subsidiary that makes Toshiba-branded computers to Sharp. […]

 

Because of this post:

Themes of work and employment in “The Americans”

The first 5G mobile devices should finally arrive next year, which means that smartphone manufacturers are hammering out the details right now.

Sigh.  I’m finding the stock Wordpress emoticons (aka smilies) to be rather boring.  I’m not a huge user of emoticons but sometimes they are handy to convey shades of meaning to written messages, like making it clear you are joking.

Back in the days when instant messengers were big stuff, I used Yahoo Messenger a lot, mainly because the Yahoo Messenger smilies were so much better than all the others.  They were cheeky without being rude, or overly animated, a grin was a big toothy grin, nerd was nerdy, all other collections of smilies were second rate.

I did find Yahoo Smilies plugins for WP but they were last updated 8 years ago and not tested on my version of WP.  Drat.  I guess that era is long gone. But it still sucks.

Now we have these newfangled Emoji.  Which incorporate emoticons with symbols for all sorts of objects and things.  I did find this emoji plugin which looks like it will solve the both the smilie problem and the problem of having no dropdown menu for smilies or emojis on the WP posting console.  😀 And it works because of my l33t skills 🤓

It will do.

Emoticons don’t have as many uses in long form blogging, but on many micro blog posts they are important for clarity of intent.

Smilies:  :)  ;-)  ;-) ;)

Are these supported in WP?

Here is the current syndication scheme from this blog:

To:

Micro.blog via RSS

Twitter via Brid.gy plugin, I’m not totally happy with the way posts are formatted on Twitter but I think Brid.gy is facilitating 2 way communication with Twitter so I like it for now.

Mastodon.social via Mastodon Autopost plugin.

G+ via Wordpress Jetpack syndication.

Wordpress.com Reader - I should mention this.  Even though this blog is not on Wordpress.com it must be automatically syndicated on the Reader there because I’m getting traffic, which is nice!  There are definitely eyeballs there.

Facebook via Wordpress Jetpack syndication - while I think Facebook is toxic, the only way I can show friends and others that there are alternatives to it is to post there. So I reluctantly turned FB syndication on. Worth trying.

Purpose: this post is mainly to remind me of how I currently have things set up.

I’m calling BS.  There is a law on the books that creates a ‘Border Zone’ inside the United States 100 miles in from a foreign border.  This zone is massive, and inside it, ICE can set up roadblocks and checkpoints on public streets, demand that you identify yourself, and enter private property without a warrant.  Look here for a map from CityLab, that is a massive area.

Frankly, I don’t think this is legal.  Constitutional protections cannot be suspended just because the right wing is all paranoid about immigrants.  As for checkpoints on the roads: 1. We have a right to lawfully go about our business and not be impeded, 2. I helped pay for those roads with my taxes, 3. this is not the Soviet Union where you had to have permission to travel X miles from your home and an internal passport.  Notice: the politicians in Washington make these laws, but who gets their rights trampled on?  Us the average American citizen, we always seem to pay the price.

100 miles is way too large of an area.  Even 10 miles is a bit much and on our border with Canada I really don’t see a problem.

Okay, so somebody is going to bring up terrorists:  how many terrorists has the border patrol picked up inside the US?  I’m thinking none.  We have the police and FBI for that.  The terrorist and “post 9/11 world” argument is for scarring you into compliance.

Rooting through a cabinet I found my George Foreman grill that I have not used in 3 years. Later, whilst in the store, I noticed frozen burger patties that said, “best cooked on grill frozen” or some such.  This is when great, spontaneous food thoughts entered my little brain-pan.

“Oh, I bet these would work on that George Foreman grill. Must. Try. Now.“  I really didn’t know if the Foreman grill would cook a thick, frozen burger.

So for supper I got out the grill and immediately realized why I had not used it for years: it has the world’s shortest power cord.  6 more inches of cord and the damn grill would be useful but as it is it’s a pain in the posterior.

But I had already bought these burgers.

I shoved the poor toaster aside so I could reach an outlet with the super short power cord, preheated the Foreman grill and slapped a couple of burgers on.  Since the Foreman grill heats from both top and bottom I halved the recommended grilling time.

End result: Perfect burgers!  Woohoo!

Thank you George, but work on the cord thing.

This landscape is both familiar and deeply weird.

There is a problem.  Alive or dead, media attention is one of several key elements these shooters seek.  It may not be the only thing but it is part of the puzzle.  Just look at how many kids threaten school violence after a school shooting.  Most are just blustering (or stupid) or seeking attention, but there is always that certain percentage that will try and act on it.

I think the media needs to restrain itself and if they can’t, be restrained.  If you can put limits on the Second Amendment, you can also put limits on the First Amendment.

via Does the media have a problem with coverage of mass shootings? - BBC News

Thinking of converting your Wordpress blog into an Indieweb compliant instance?  Setting up a new install of Wordpress is complicated enough as it is and making your blog work in an Indieweb manner can sound - complicated.  Fear not, there is a pretty easy way: Indieweb Wordpress Plugin.  This plugin is really all you need to get started.  It will gently lead you through the steps of finding specialized plugins that make the Indieweb stuff happen.  It just makes the whole process easier.

I am still going to  give this an Intermediate skill level.  If you are a complete beginner to Wordpress, get to know the basics of your Wordpress control panel first and also blogging basics, then worry about the Indieweb stuff later.

In re.: cross posting. There is something to be said for cross posting to smaller social networks. While Twitter has become huge, anonymous and jadded, people on smaller networks (diaspora, mastodon, friendica, etc) are paying closer attention and are also looking for thoughtful interaction.

For now, the only way we can replace Twitter and FB is by at least supplying good content and helping those small networks grow. Those small networks may not be perfectly Indieweb compliant but I can see value there. People are trying to escape the corporate silos and we should encourage that.

I use this to crosspost to Mastodon. crossposter.masto.donte.com.br

In re.: cross posting. There is something to be said for cross posting to smaller social networks. While Twitter has become huge, anonymous and jadded, people on smaller networks (diaspora, mastodon, friendica, etc) are paying closer attention and are also looking for thoughtful interaction.

For now, the only way we can replace Twitter and FB is by at least supplying good content and helping those small networks grow. Those small networks may not be perfectly Indieweb compliant but I can see value there. People are trying to escape the corporate silos and we should encourage that.

I use this to crosspost to Mastodon. crossposter.masto.donte.com.br