It’s funnier than the Wikileaks below.
Month: December 2020
The WikiLeaks Dump, Come and Get It
Here is a link to the files below. I looked at some and there is a lot of incriminating information. I’m sure if due diligence were actually done, some crimes could be solved.
There is other informational and odd things such as I didn’t know that Steve Jobs was HIV positive according to the records here. He had a tough life that wasn’t worth the fame and money. There are a lot of other people doing a lot of other things if you care.
Someone mentioned that the Las Vegas shooter was an FBI sniper, but I never found that file.
It has the secret rituals of some of the College Greek institutions. I guess if you are a rival fraternity, it would be interesting to look at.
The filenames are descriptive enough to see what’s in it. Have fun.
I hope it was worth it to all of those who got the information together and those who leaked it.
The Government vs. Big Tech In 2020 (Regular Users Are the Losers)
I’m interrupting humor and sarcasm to note a trend. If you read my about, I notice trends and patterns as facts begin to fall into place over time.
As always, the human race seems to come down to power (and other forms like sex and money). Not everyone wants it, but those addicted to it can’t get enough.
In 2020, Big Tech financed a lot of the election, probably on both sides but they seem to favor one side over the other. I’m not going to get into being political but both sides of the spectrum don’t serve us as well as they should. It seems that they serve themselves in terms of granting more power and control. On the other side of power is……
BIG TECH HAS BIG MONEY AND BIG INFLUENCE.
At some point, they tell you to follow the money. No one has more money (ergo influence) than Big Tech right now. I’ll give you that the government has more, they get it from taxpayers and the tech companies. They don’t have to earn it so it is less valuable and more widely wasted.
It’s not just about money though because money buys power and influence. Tech will likely sit their people in positions in the new cabinet, as currently elected but is not the big issue. It is trivial compared to the war.
The war is who controls the message.
GOVERNMENT IS GETTING GENERIC AND TECH RUNS RINGS AROUND THEM
After watching the tech hearings over the last couple of years, Congress is filled with mostly idiots when it comes to tech. They asked Facebook and Google simpleton questions I’d be embarrassed to ask my grandparents. Of course, the CEO’s ran circles around the questioners and frankly made them look like the emperor with no clothes . They didn’t even have to lie (although it looks like they bent the truth pretty heavily) because the questions were so elementary.
The result is that Tech (mostly the FAANGS) control the message that congress had a stranglehold on and the fight is on for said power. On the big tech side is the money and on the government side is regulation.
AMERICANS ARE WAKING UP TO THIS POWER STRUGGLE (AS IS THE REST OF THE WORLD)
I’m not the only one noticing this. This study (linked below) surveyed Americans, but users around the world are the same:
A majority of Americans across the political spectrum believe tech companies have too much power and do more harm than good, and most people have deep concerns about how companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google use their personal data, accordingto a new poll released today by Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The wide-ranging report, “Techlash? America’s Growing Concern with Major Technology Companies,” provides findings on how Americans view the roles internet and technology companies play in their lives and in society. Major findings include the following:
- Americans believe internet and tech companies have a negative impact on American life: People think the companies do more to divide society (60%) than to unite it (11%); misinform the public about the news (47%) rather than make people more informed (19%); and create more problems than they solve (47%), rather than solve more problems than they create (15%).
- Misinformation, hate speech and data privacy are top concerns: Americans are overwhelmingly concerned about misinformation on the internet (74%), the privacy of their personal data (68%), and they are very concerned about hate speech and other abusive or threatening language online (56%).
- A bipartisan majority believes internet and tech companies have too much power: While 77% of Americans hold this opinion, Americans are equally divided on whether the government should intervene to break up these companies. Republicans tend to be more critical of internet and tech companies than Democrats and independents.
- Americans say leaders are not paying enough attention: Fifty-nine percent say elected officials and political candidates are paying too little attention to technology issues, including 67% of young adults (aged 18-34) and 71% of Democrats, versus 43% of Republicans and 57% of independents.
- People don’t trust tech companies to police content on their platforms, but they trust the government even less: A majority of Americans don’t trust internet and tech companies much (44%) or at all (40%) to make the right decisions about what content is allowed on online platforms. But 55% of people still prefer that the companies make those decisions, rather than the government (44%).
We can’t count on the tech companies to do anything other than to seek power:
Self-regulation has failed. One of Silicon Valley’s most valuable assets until now has been the cultural permission to try new things. The public has put up with arrogant rhetoric and a lax attitude toward the law in exchange for innovative ideas that meaningfully improved upon the status quo. But it was a Faustian bargain, with untrammeled innovation raising the specter of uncontrolled growth. When we learn about Airbnb endangering neighbors, Twitter failing to stop rampant harassment, or YouTube radicalizing its viewers with an algorithm that recommends extremist content, we see the destructive harm technology companies can do and their unwillingness to rein in their greed. The narrative has shifted from a question of whether there will be regulation at all to the fight over who should make the rules—and how tough those rules should be.
WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES?
Usually no one wins or the Government uses it’s tentacles to overwhelm companies with regulations. Tech has the power of the message and as much money. Further, with their hands in the pockets of the politicians and the ineptness of Congress, it let’s me think that Tech will have the early upper hand. Congress can pass laws, but tech is usually steps ahead and there is no telling what has been embedded in the future technology. It takes 5 years or so to bring a new product to market. The 2025 tech is already being tested in labs somewhere.
Sure, they might have to pay fines, but they are rounding errors at the rate tech is making money.
So I’m predicting this. It will be a standoff and both sides will struggle for power. In the meantime, users will suffer from regulation or invasion of privacy from both parties.
Congress will get more money out of the tech companies in the form of lobbying or the people they place in high positions. The relationship becomes incestuous.
Again, we are the losers.
Update: It’s already started with Amazon getting their hooks in first:
Amazon, the trillion-dollar tech company, has hired lobbyist Jeff Ricchetti, whose brother will be the top White House counselor to Joe Biden.
Jeff Ricchetti’s firm, which he founded in 2001 with his brother Steve Ricchetti, the incoming Biden adviser, registered as a lobbyist for Amazon on Nov. 13.
When You Are the Apex Prepper, But May Have Taken Things Too Far
I’m not sure the world is quiet this bad yet, but I’ve been wrong before
The Changing Times, Optimists/Pessimists/Realists
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. – William Arthur Ward
We are in a season of change, from health issues to government changes around the world to how and where to work. It is up to each of us to adjust accordingly.
Adjust doesn’t mean changing any core values or forgetting lessons from experiences, it is applying them to the situation.
Set your sails and forget 2020 other than the lessons learned. Apply them to your future and move along, life will anyway, either with you or without you.
This Will Show You How Old You Really Are
I like Spike and Tyke, The Cat Concerto and many of the Hanna Barbera animations (the later ones weren’t as good). The one that won me over was Cat Fishin’ The episode is below.
The Two Types Of People In Your Life
OK, except in machine level coding, nothing is that binary. It does capture a good percentage of the people you encounter however.
People don’t change, they reveal themselves to you. I try to cull the temporary people as life has taught me that lesson.
And You Thought You Might Have Delusions of Grandeur?
“Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.” – Jane Wagner
It turns out that Jane was a comedy writer for Lily Tomlin. I sort of thought it was a joke but it had so much to do with the name of my blog, I’ve even put this statement in the sub-title.
I’ll stick with my title, it seems a better fit for most of the stuff that has been going on recently.
Wile E. Coyote – 2020 Edition
Someone other than Wile E. Coyote finally fell for this one. Beep Beep!!!
Because of…..Snowflakes, Saturday Double Entendre Humor, Or Not
It snowed last night…8:00 am: I made a snowman.
8:10 – A feminist passed by and asked me why I didn’t make a snow woman.
8:15 – So, I made a snow woman.
8:17 – My feminist neighbor complained about the snow woman’s voluptuous chest saying it objectified snow women everywhere.
8:20 – The gay couple living nearby threw a hissy fit and moaned it could have been two snow men instead.
8:22 – The transgender man..women…person asked why I didn’t just make one snow person with detachable parts.
8:25 – The vegans at the end of the lane complained about the carrot nose, as veggies are food and not to decorate snow figures with.
8:28 – I was being called a racist because the snow couple is white.
8:31 – The middle eastern gent across the road demanded the snow woman be covered up.
8:40 – The Police arrived saying someone had been offended.
8:42 – The feminist neighbor complained again that the broomstick of the snow woman needed to be removed because it depicted women in a domestic role.
8:43 – The council equality officer arrived and threatened me with eviction.
8:45 – TV news crew from CNN showed up. I was asked if I know the difference between snowmen and snow-women? I replied “Snowballs” and am now called a sexist.
9:00 – I was on the News as a suspected terrorist, racist, homophobe sensibility offender, bent on stirring up trouble during difficult weather.
9:10 – I was asked if I have any accomplices. My children were taken by social services.
9:29 – Far left protesters offended by everything marched down the street demanding for me to be arrested. By noon it all melted
Moral:There is no moral to this story. It is what we have become, all because of snowflakes.”
Joe Rogan On Defining Yourself by Success or Failure
“We define ourselves far too often by our past failures. That’s not you. You are this person right now. You’re the person who has learned from those failures. Build confidence and momentum with each good decision you make from here on out and choose to be inspired.” – Joe Rogan
Sometimes failures are the steppingstone to success. Lessons have to be learned so that you know which path to take and why.
We have a choice. You can wallow in the past and something you didn’t succeed, or use the gift you have been given from your experiences to be the best you for today.
I post this to show that not all actors (he’s really a stand up comedian and podcaster) are not all celebtards.
Anthony Hopkins On Actors And Their Opinions
“People ask me questions about present situations in life, and I say, “I don’t know, I’m just an actor. I don’t have any opinions. Actors are pretty stupid. My opinion is not worth anything. There’s no controversy for me, so don’t engage me in it, because I’m not going to participate,” said Hopkins.
Keep reading below for more on this subject. He nails it so I don’t have that much to add.
Celebrities Note That Celebrities Are Useless (and why)
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, it is clear that I loathe celebtards and sports stars who try to tell us how we should act or think. I’ve made it clear that they are people that pretend (a form of lying) and play kids games for money. I hope they make as much as possible and entertain us. I’ll take the distraction from politics any day. That’s where it ends though.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THEMSELVES NOW
“The Good Place” star Jameela Jamil seems to understand that her presence on the big stage doesn’t make her any more useful to society than autumn leaves. They’re neat to look at but in the end, are mostly useless and leave a big mess.
According to the Daily Wire, Jamil was asked if celebrities missed the mark during COVID-19 and the answer was a pretty enthusiastic yes. Apparently, Jamil says that once “The Good Place” is over she’s going to become a therapist:
Speaking with Angela Scanlon on the “Thanks a Million” podcast, “The Good Place” star noted that celebrities may well have been “exposed” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After being asked if “celebrities have been exposed,” Jamil replied: “Yeah. F**k ‘em. Just f**k ‘em all. F**k us all. We’re useless.”
“Sorry, no offense, but we’re crap,” she added. “I’ve always thought that we were crap, and so it’s been quite exciting to watch the rise of the people who are actually gonna make a real difference in this world.”
Jamil said that she might leave Hollywood altogether when she turns 40 to become an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapist.
“I want to leave TV when I’m 40 entirely and become an EMDR therapist,” she said. “And I might well f***ing do that. I might just go away and just become a therapist.’”
Ryan Reynolds is even funnier and joked in a video, celebrities are right up there with imaginary friends in terms of importance to the pandemic.
Leo DiCaprio and his ilk preach about global warming and then fly on their private jets to their yachts when flocking to the climate summit and emit a carbon footprint the sized of a city. I don’t want to hear hypocrisy.
Disclaimer: I am reading Grateful American by Gary Sinise, and what he does is exceptional for the veterans and those who serve. If more were like that, I and others like me might gain some respect for them as people. There have been others starting with Bob Hope and others who selflessly help others.
This is about the celebtards who believe the spew of the MSM, refuse to think critically and don’t have the proper respect for the fame they earned and how to pay it back or forward.
What Is Maturity?
Walking away, it is the best way to preserve your sanity. It is also the best self-defense in a fight. When you know you don’t have to fight, and if you did you would still win, you already have.
Why/When to Never Miss An Opportunity To Shut Up – On What To Do During Small Talk
“The time to stop talking is when the other person nods his head affirmatively but says nothing.” – Henry S. Haskins
Actually, this is a daily double because Mark Twain quoted the title. I can’t count the times in my life that I wish I hadn’t said what came out.
This will serve you well in negotiations. At the time to close the sale, any sales person will tell you the first person to talk loses. The sale could be a business plan, a product or yourself to a company or a promotion.
This is the most obvious thing possible for introverts. As others drone on in mindless small talk, they have already begun a new adventure in their minds. Yes, they nod and perhaps might give a monosyllabic answer to the conversation but it is likely they left a while ago.
It is a matter of politeness, not what the other person is doing by talking too much and too long. Note: it is not being mean, it is how minds work. It happens unintentionally. It is why one should take this saying to heart. Read the last sentence.
Of course introverts will talk endlessly on a deep subject or something of importance, when we find someone who cares. The difference is that when others are nodding or giving one word answers, the conversation is over because we can read body language better than most.
The biggest benefit of not always talking is you never have to take back something you said.
Others won’t avoid you if you read their signals and stop talking. I’ve seen it too many times at work, at school and in social outings.
This eventually includes everyone, not just the introverts.
Michelangelo On Success and How Hard to Try
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
I posted a similar saying by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche who summerized it in a different but succinct way.
The net of it is don’t be lazy, don’t underestimate your goals or ability and for Pete’s sake, try harder. You’d be amazed at what you can achieve.
I read from the Navy Seals that no matter how exhausted you are, you still have about 60% more to give.
I’m Shocked, Social Media Causes Depression
Social Media, the place where you can make yourself look better to feel good about yourself when someone likes the tripe you post. Aside from being little more than a digital high school, a cesspool of hate (Twitter) and one of the biggest time wasters invented, it appears to causes depression.
In recent years, a number of studies have linked heavy social media use to an increased risk of depression.
“But then you have to ask the chicken-and-egg question,” said study author Dr. Brian Primack, a professor of public health at the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville.
On one hand, he said, excessive time on Twitter or Facebook might fuel depression symptoms. On the other, people with depression might withdraw from face-to-face interactions and spend more time online.
So Primack and his colleagues decided to see whether social media use made a difference in young adults’ risk of future depression.
It did, according to their report, which was published online Dec. 10 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study included nearly 1,000 adults aged 18 to 30 who were depression-free at the outset, based on a standard questionnaire. All reported on their usual social media time and were assessed for depression again six months later.
By that time, nearly 10% fit the criteria for depression.
Overall, depression risk rose in tandem with time spent on social media.
Why You Should Leave Things In The Past…Before….
We all beat ourselves up. You can’t change what has happened. You can choose to learn from it or suffer from it. Those are two distinctly different roads to take in life.
What and When Is Something Wrong?
“‘Wrong’ is one of those concepts that depends on witnesses.” – Scott Adams
It makes me wonder what is going on with the election. There clearly are witnesses, but there is enough uncertainty on both sides that it makes one question who did what and is it real?
Maybe the history books will one day discover what happened.
That having been said, it is a matter of moral importance as to what you do. It is said that how you act when no one is looking that defines who you really are.
Shakespeare on What Quality Is Important To Him In Women
I agree that looks fade away. You have to peel back the layers and find the jewel inside.
There are many beautiful women who are kind and loving, but many also that just trade on their looks. Too many have paid price of the Siren’s Song.
Time is fair to everyone. Sooner or later we all get old and all that is left is what is inside.
Story Telling, Why The Marvel Movies Were So Successful
“It’s not enough to bash in heads. You’ve got to bash in minds.” Joss/Zack/Jed Whedon
There are really a lot of reasons it was successful, but being able to tell a story is what enthralls people. It doesn’t have to be Marvel really, it has to be a good story.
What they are referring to is anyone can make a fight scene, or imitate someone else in real life. This isn’t hard. Weaving the fight into the story arc is the art.
Not every story has a happy ending. Sometimes, a character has to die. In life, some sacrifices for the better good must be made. That could include you as the sacrifice.
It is also about hard choices that divide allegiances. It is a no win and usually a blurred line as to where the divide between right and wrong exists.
Telling the story that involves emotions is always better than just stating facts.
Kurt Vonnegut On How To See Undreamed of Things First
“Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. Big, undreamed-of things — the people on the edge see them first.”
I love being out on the edge. I love to think deeply and talk to deep thinkers. I’ve seen trends exactly by doing this. It can serve you well to take yourself out of the center of your life and watch what is going on from the bleachers. You can see the whole game that is called life a lot clearer.
Of course Introverts have an advantage here because of observation skills.
Leonardo di Vinci On Why Passion Is Important
“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”
Desire is a passion. I’ve noticed over time that to start and continue any task, vocation or avocation requires passion to do it. This is different from trying a fad.
Find someone who is competent and passionate about something and you’ll have loyalty and a better chance of success.
Weekend Humor – If 2020 Were A Scented Candle
I wonder if Goop would sell this. I’m sure it smells like the other ones.
On Wives Being Psychiatrists
“A psychiatrist is a person who asks you a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing.” – Joey Adams
Editor: Try to find the humor in this one and be offended elsewhere
What’s Left That Can Happen In 2020
My standard reply is that aliens are all that is left to see when people talk about 2020. There’s still a month left.
Delusions of Adequacy 