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General discussion

According to DJT

Jun 21, 2019 6:40AM PDT
We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,

IF the number of casualties was so important,,,,,it should have been the VERY first question HE asked when making the decision in the first place.

I'm saying he's lying, about WHY the mission was cancelled...IF it was even on.

Post was last edited on June 21, 2019 7:11 AM PDT

Discussion is locked

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I did reply politely,
Jun 26, 2019 4:09PM PDT

you jerk...you just didn't recognize it.

And you didn't look up the definition of 'whacked'....because ONE of the synonyms for that spelling is "STUPID".

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RE:look up the definition of 'whacked'.
Jun 27, 2019 6:36AM PDT
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Try this one...
Jun 27, 2019 6:50AM PDT
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Back in 1969 the American Heritage dictionary
Jun 27, 2019 3:09PM PDT

became the first mainstream pub of its kind to define the F-word in all its forms.
It's my go-to for initial American usages, but not because of that. That one I learned in the Navy. Including the "-A John ditty bag" variant, not covered by AmHer.
Beware, yourself.
You obscene idiot.
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Grin

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Caution...look up
Jun 28, 2019 7:59AM PDT

"cocked and loaded" since POTUS is talking in "slang".

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So we have here a Toni snapshot,
Jun 27, 2019 3:30PM PDT

Instagram ready.
I posted two words, both defined correctly by me, the poster. No need to look up others. (Never mind the other definitions. I didn't choose one of them. Red herrings.)

No response to the post. (Suggestion: 'Thanks, Doug. I see the problem in these days of life threats against political candidates, not to mention assassinations of same in other countries. Soon, maybe, coming to a country near us.')
Instead, irrelevant response, delivered in anger.
That's what you try to pass as discourse.

You facinorous runagate.

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RE:MY spelling is "STUPD".....look it up.
Jun 27, 2019 6:28AM PDT

"STUPD"

Well, I looked it up......couldn't find that word

It's one thing to make a spelling mistake, but it's another thing to capitalize the word and put it in quotes.

Someone wants to be noticed? Devil

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Nope....
Jun 27, 2019 6:54AM PDT

that's a problem on my laptop keyboard when fingernails need to be cut again....the nail hits the key but not quite hard enough to impact the circuit under it. I've had to backspace at least five words already in this post alone to hit the key harder because the letter gets skipped...total PITA. I miss the older keyboards that actually 'clicked' when you made impact so I could use 'touch typing' without having to actually read every word now as I type.

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So
Jun 27, 2019 7:15AM PDT

It's your keyboard, your fingernails.....How's your eyesight?

Devil

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That's as lame as the excuses from the
Jun 27, 2019 3:32PM PDT

guy with the smartphone.

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keyboards
Jun 27, 2019 9:49PM PDT

Hi Toni,

I reckon it is alright to interject here as I'm going to make a non-political 'sidebar' [ though _that_ is a rather 'loaded' word all by itself :^) ] .

My following 'tip' is rather obvious and perhaps not applicable *everywhere* but should be at the least economical and sometimes better as in 'free' - how often does that happen? (Well, as they say, rightly, the best things in life _are_ free!) > go to a electronics repair store (usually at least one in moderate sized towns and villages) and ask for a "legacy" keyboard - such are routinely 'tossed' or bundled with people's old systems when they upgrade or have work done on their obsolete(ish) 'puters. Here in Houston I've seen everything from " ancient " branded keyboards to relatively new specialized boards with most selling from $2 to $15 a pop. Only issue is converting the cords to USB (or whatever your current rig uses) from PS2, serial, DIN, etc. Often these "mom and pop" places have adapter thingies on hand for a nominal fee.

So, whether you need a clickety clacker or an old MS "splayed" keyboard you can pick one up for cheap for the price of a trip to town plus a few shekels - sometimes they trade for your current non-liked keyboard and will even give you a few bucks to boot! [though normally an even swap is what occurs] .

Rick " leftennant Obviouso " Jones :^) A.K.A. "El Conejo Diablo " [ chocobunny assistant to "Beelzebub" }

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When I bought
Jun 28, 2019 3:07AM PDT

my Gateway desktop computer (no tower, everything is built into the monitor now), it came with a keyboard and mouse....both were immediately replaced with an older 'clack' keyboard and a trackball wireless mouse. Due to two blown discs in my neck in 1996, the first two fingers on my right hand are numb and I can't tell if I've actually pressed a key or tapped the mouse button so I listen for the 'clack' and use my thumb to press the mouse button with my index finger as my 'roller' for the trackball. Kind a strange that I had to go 'old school' for the keyboard but newer technology for the mouse in order to get what I need for me. Unfortunately, the laptop has very flat keys (I can't feel the 'bump' in the 'j' key used as the landing spot to start) and is exceptionally silent when typing. (cut my nails last night and haven't missed a keystroke yet this morning). I'm an old school touch typist who would look at a shorthand notebook and transcribe without looking at the keyboard or paper in the typewriter....even after all these years of computers, I usually am looking at tv or something while I'm typing my posting rather than read every word as I type it like everyone seems to do nowadays. Some habits are still hard to break....

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Ouch!
Jun 28, 2019 8:43PM PDT

I feel for ya! That must make lots of things difficult. :^(

My Mom was a steno and 'speed' typist for many years at her job before becoming the sect'y for the "big cahuna" at Retail Credit Corp. here in Houston. Which became Equifax later - one of the major players in the biz. Anyway, she was old school too and amazed me at
what she could do transcribing - I think in the Seventies they were using IBM Selectrics - the kind that use a ball type striker or whatever it's called. She still preferred those when everyone else went to daisy wheels and later computers. She trained Victoria at home in touch-typing when she was quite young (13 or so) and I can still remember her instruction commands and tips. One was "aim for accuracy, no mistakes, and the speed will come later".

I never learned touch but can maybe eke out 20 wpm via two finger hunt and peck - I used to copy programs into my C64 line by line and as I had no disk drive for storage, if the program crashed I was looking at hours of typing it all _again_ so accuracy was paramount! :^)

Those early floppy drives were pretty slow too, compared to later tech. I think the Commodore ones were especially sluggish - took about a minute to load the hot games like F15 "Strike Eagle" (which was a really cool simulator!). Later got a submarine sim which was rather addictive, too. And nowadays I still like to play pinball games and PCbert ( a Qbert copy).

I think there is some kind of shell software one can sometimes use that gives a noise from the soundcard at keystrokes for disability use like low vision? Not sure - seem to remember something like that MS or an independent company came up with for accessibility?

Cheers and hoping your paint is drying nicely... :^)

Rick

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Real old school
Jun 29, 2019 4:06AM PDT

Typing classes for me began with the old non-electric typewriters (speed typing was considered fast if you were able to get to 35-40 WPM on those antiques)...in my senior year they had electric typewriters (probably surplus because they were new to us but even then speed typing was around 60 WPM. After high school, those types of electric typewriters stuck around in the offices I worked in for about 5 years before I was introduced to the IBM Selectrics with the interchangeable font balls and I was immediately smitten and in love with typing again....and the speeds increased to above 90 WPM.

Office computers were coming into their own in 1978 or so but weren't put into my offices yet so I had no experience with them at all. When I was disabled in 1980 because of congenital deformity in my lower back that went through three child births with no one noticing it and a risky birth of my son a year later, I still had no working knowledge of them but bought a used Selectric for home use so my girls would get some ability to use a typewriter for any future jobs they might get. I had no idea that they were already learning about computers in highschool so was laughed at by them often.

It wasn't until I moved to VA with Derek in 1989 and discovered in 1995 that he knew computers from his own schooling and purchased our first one. Clunky CRT monitor, a flat desktop (no tower) with 8MB RAM, 8MB harddrive, W3.11 with W95 upgrade floppy disks (13 of them) that I had to install myself, God-awful graphics, 'clack' keyboard, and a mouse that hated me as much as I hated it AND NO MODEM....all for the amazing 'low' price of $1800. LOL

Once I got over the temporary fear of breaking this expensive piece of wonderment by even TOUCHING a key that I knew would wipe out that investment and make me pay for some 'expert' to put back together, I started buying every computer 'dummies' book I could get my hands on and started reading. I highlighted so many pages that it was like the whole book was written on yellow paper, but eventually HOW things worked together started to turn on the light bulbs because I could VISUALIZE the connections.....and I got out the Phillips head screwdriver and took off the cover and PHYSICALLY look at what was under the hood. I replaced the harddrive and added RAM and a modem immediately (another God-awful expense) and also learned the hard way that the darn thing wouldn't boot up unless the KEYBOARD was hooked up in order to get to the BIOS and reset things....THEN start all over with installing the operating system (3.11) and THEN install the W95 upgrade OS....ALL while keeping multiple fingers and toes all crossed and making sure to be careful NOT to blame and curse God for things I DIDN'T know enough about yet (and only HE and so many people in the ZDNET forums knew how little that was).

Once I got everything working, I had to get a dial up ISP and figure out how to get on the internet and wall that 'www' crap was about. LOL I never used the AOL free disks that came with the computer. I called the place I bought the machine from and they steered me to local places and they (over the phone) walked me through setting up a dial up number to them and my email program. I had two telephone numbers installed here...one for the house, and one dedicated to the computer only so people didn't disconnect me by calling me while I was learning (eventually in 1997 I went to satellite modem because cable, T1, DSL were never going to come to me and still hasn't). Other than my 'home page', the very first (God really loves the hell out of me) website I found was ZDNET and all the wonderful, knowledgeable, and extremely patient to the STOOPID (just for you guys here) newbie people who were willing to teach me. I was a human sponge and can't thank them enough...and sadly so many are gone now. I got good enough that I became a Moderator in many of the computer forums (CNET eventually took over that part of ZDNET) and tried to pay it all back even to the point of having my own tips and tricks and files website that I freely offered to anybody who wanted to visit.

I started begging for used computer parts from members (it was allowed by the powers that be) because I was building computers (full systems) to give away to elementary age kids in my community who would otherwise never get one in their homes and the teachers and principals would pick the ones who would benefit from them. They knew the kids better than me so I would never know who they were...I just dropped them off to the office. Even Social Services here got involved and found older kids in foster care heading to nursing school, etc. who couldn't afford to get their own systems.

It's been a real journey and none of it would have been possible without THIS community.

TONI (now I get to watch paint dry...but almost done so it's back to working outside soon)

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Brings back good memories !
Jul 1, 2019 4:45PM PDT

Hi Toni,

Please excuse the late reply - I've been mostly off the 'Net last couple of days. I was aware of your good work for your community from one of your posts here years ago - and like you I also received many, many tips and advice from the ZDnet/Cnet "gurus" here. You yourself gave me countless time-saving tricks and such as at the time I signed up here I knew *some* of the nuts and bolts aspect of PCs but almost nothing regarding software and Internet - especially Net "etiquette" ! :^) [ and the meaning of emoticons and what the heck LOL actually stood for - initially I though it meant Little Old Lady! ]. Yours and others' help was and is much appreciated.

Speaking of people who are gone - I assume you mean either no longer living or maybe just don't have a presence here anymore? - I miss the old guys (and that includes both genders!). Angeline Booher, Shanna (forget her last name, dang it!) , DavE (Edwards? - I think he was an attorney?) , Iain (The mouth from the south!) , Dave Konkel (whatever happened to him? Last I heard he had moved from Galveston, I think) and countless others - my "memory banks" ain't what they used to be, I suppose! Anyway, thanks for bringing back some (mostly!) good memories, and

Cheers! to you for helping me and many others here understand computers and letting us know just a bit of your life with all its travails and triumphs...

Rick

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Memories...
Jul 2, 2019 5:43AM PDT

As I was typing my last reply to you, so many 'good times' came to mind....when I was first asked to be a Moderator, it was when each one would be assigned to specific forums only. Our 'badge' would only show up in those particular forums and if we went into another (like SE), we were just a regular member with no 'status' there. That worked out well until around 2000 when all hell broke loose and a large number of members started flooding the forums, especially SE, with hate posts that could number in the hundreds that would post all at the same time in order to freeze the entire forum platforms and shut them down. That's when Phillip (Lee took over his spot at CNET after a time) decided to give all of the Moderators (there were many at that time) access authority across all the forums. The alert email would go out to everyone at the same time and whoever was online at the time would hit the forums en masse and start deleting those posts as fast as possible to prevent the crash. That went on for months 24 hours a day. There were even a few cases of Phillip blocking whole ISP areas to stop some of it in order to block certain members access to anything CNET because a couple of us were getting actual death threats and were being stalked by them. It was crazy times.....but it also meant that because we had full access and our red "M" followed us at every forum, we were no longer able to post as just regular members anymore and restrictions were being put into place regarding what we could say or voice our opinions about. (I got 'hollered' at a lot over SE comments...heheheh) Somewhere along the line there appeared quite a few new Moderators and found out there was some type of merger (my wording since we never really were told what was going on) with Microsoft tech people who became Moderators here as well (Robert was one of them, if I recall correctly). Talk about feeling intimidated LOL....there were a handful of us who felt like we couldn't help newbies as effectively as those 'guys' and that we were over our heads with the knowledge they had. Too many changes were happening that we no longer had a voice in so we backed out (We felt that we were all volunteers that helped pull ZDNET/CNET forums along and were happy to do so, but also believed the MS people were actually on the payroll and although we were paid for about 3-4 months, that was stopped abruptly....the damage was done at that point, at least for me and a few others who felt we were dispensable and loyalty to our dedication as 'teachers' wasn't appreciated anymore. It was pretty sad to see so many members and long time friends leave the forums....not just Moderators. I'm glad that Robert is still around...he's one of the most brilliant tech people I've had the privilege of 'knowing' (other than Bill Gaston, who was my original mentor here)...he actually was the one who was able to intimidate me the most. When you're in the same 'room' with that guy, you just KNOW you belong in a corner sucking your thumb. LOL

When my good friend, Ray Harinec, passed away, I kind of lost interest in all of it. I met him in the Help forums, then in person in 2000 and we had a friendship that was pretty unique. He did vast amounts of research for me regarding the newest technology for my computer builds and came to my house a number of times to help me with various projects here that I would have never been able to do alone (like put in underground electric lines along my fencelines for power tools with outlets on fence posts everywhere). He was the kind of person who, when you asked him the time, he would build you a clock. He made me crazy with insisting on giving me indepth details on what MADE things work when I just wanted to know if my idea was GOING to work. LOL He's been gone about 8 years now and I still miss our 'arguments' sometimes.....I find myself often in the middle of planning to start a new project here and wonder "how would Ray do this?"....surprisingly, a number of his 'detailed' instances penetrated even in my reluctance to hear them and I'm still following his lead of figure out HOW it works and it WILL.

Friendships formed here are lasting ones......and are treasures to me still.

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that is a quite touching story
Jul 2, 2019 5:15PM PDT

and I'm glad you got to know him in person. I seem to recall his name from the rusty parts of my so-called memory. :^)

I often wonder what some of the 'old crew' are doing nowadays. { I know your presence here pre-dates me by several years but as I started hanging out here in the late '90's I reckon I could "pass" for an old-timer ! }

And I suppose it is true what they say - if you remember people and keep them in your heart and thoughts then they are never really gone... They are still missed but just maybe they can, in a way, give a "helping hand" from "above", so-to-speak.

Oops! , now Mr. Pruner will probably jump in with a reference to 1st Corinthians or whatever is applicable - yes Doug, I'm a little devil, aren't I ? :^)

Anyway, thanks for the trip down Memory Lane - as you say friendship _is_ a treasure!

Rick

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Can't find the thread with your AA in it.
Jul 4, 2019 7:22AM PDT
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Thanks for a giggle
Jul 4, 2019 5:11PM PDT

Divine intervention - yes indeedy as we say in the South. (that's south Texas - where some regard anyone from Dallas as being close to Yankees!).

My intervention was slow, though looking back, God was giving me "hints" everywhere that alcohol was becoming a problem substance for me. Scabbed knees, elbows etc. (as mentioned elsewhere from ill-advised drunken bicycling) plus copious comments from friends and strangers that maybe, just maybe, I was drinking too much - and the final "epiphany" that I was Bipolar and basically on a "hypomanic trip" more often than not. And then deep depression when coming off that "high", repeat, rinse, etc. My sister saved my life by insisting I get my head examined, and she was right (as usual!) - but still took a while for all those "hints" and doctor's orders to sink in. I'm a work in progress, but am almost sane nowadays - mostly I'm just a bit strange, which family and friends noticed long ago !

Rick

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Lithium et al. are effective but not without
Jul 4, 2019 8:58PM PDT

their problems.
Problem: when you're up you don't need help, and when you're down you're convinced there is none.
Take. Your. Meds.
Hang in there.

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Thanks
Jul 5, 2019 4:41PM PDT

For the advice - though it is what I do - _almost_ all the time. I miss the highs though - I've tried and failed to explain how they feel to those who have never had them. It's not at all like a drug high (at least not like any drugs _I've_ ever taken!). The closest I've come to describing my particular usual hypo-manic state that perhaps "normal" folks could relate to is maybe Ecstasy (MDMA I believe is the chemical name or rather acronym). I knew some people in the early and mid 1990s who regularly took it and went to clubs "on" it, etc. I tried it twice, but the side and after-effects were not worth it, IMO. Hypomania or the state just shy of full-blown mania has no worrying side-effects and has other characteristics different from MDMA - for me,
it was like nature and her wonders were turned up to "eleven" or maybe twelve! It was difficult to do my usual stargazing - naked eye, let alone using binoculars or a telescope ! - as it was so enhanced and beautiful that I would literally cry with joy at the magnificence of open clusters such as The Pleiades or really anything in the sky. Hard to focus through tears. Anyway, rarely the hypo-mania would progress to Mania, period and if _that_ happened and I was not safe at home problems could and did develop - as depicted in film and television - a good, accurate example is Claire Danes' character Carrie Mathison in "Homeland".

So, taking quetiapine has evened out the "roller coaster" and actually eliminated the severe depression, which is fantastic - that alone makes the side-effects bearable.

Now if only it along with other mental disorders were accepted as such and treated like 'physical' conditions like cancer or diabetes I'd feel better being "open" about it. Especially in the job market it is treated as a huge liability when for most people it can be managed effectively through meds and support systems and CBT among other tactics, as it is for myself. I do so here and sometimes tell close friends in an attempt to show it can strike anyone, not just 'high-strung' bohemian types and "starving artists"! :^)

Rick

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Good description of the malady AFAIK.
Jul 5, 2019 5:17PM PDT

I can take your word for the appeal of the high. Nice that it isn't had from drugs with side effects, and doesn't wear down the body. Although missed sleep can.

Some of what you describe has the technical name "promiscous behavior". Meaning buying sprees for clothes you don't need and such. You can see how an employer would be concerned, and affected if it was done on his money.

"the state just shy of full-blown mania"- which you admit is bad. But you aren't in control of the near approach, are you? Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

I read a very complimentary piece about Danes' acting in Homeland, especially the manic parts. I didn't ever get around to seeing it. Maybe I'll get the DVD pack at Costco some day. Damien Lewis is THE actor of the day. I saw some episodes of of Life and liked every one. And, no one else gets to play Soames Forsyte in MY living room.
Also, I admired Sarah Shahi's work in Person of Interest, never realizing she was also the co-starring cop in Life. Miss Shaw and Dani Reese are entirely different people!

Full disclosure: My name is DR Pruner- but I am not one. Happy
Myself, I have bad sleep cycles. Working on it.

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(NT) Steven noticed the sleep problem.
Jul 5, 2019 5:37PM PDT
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Claire Danes and Homeland
Jul 6, 2019 3:37PM PDT

Well, if you enjoy Lewis' acting - and I agree he is quite a talent - you just *must* watch Homeland at some point. Getting the discs will be worth it - his and Danes' performances, not to mention Mandy Patinkin's, are excellent and "binge" watching it is rewarding if at times emotionally draining. (!)

They say for sleep issues regular "routines" help -they do for me, anyhow. I pretend I have to go to work the next day (even when I don't) and the structure of the day, along with an exercise 'plan' helps quite a lot. YMMV. :^)

Rick " also not a doctor " Jones

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RE: Repent!!!
Jul 8, 2019 7:12PM PDT

EVERYBODY TO THE RIVER TO BE CLEANSED !!!!

Bourbon spill from Jim Beam fire making way to Ohio River

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet says in a release on social media that an "alcohol plume" from the bourbon runoff in the Kentucky River is approximately 23 miles (37 kilometres) long.

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Correction....
Jun 29, 2019 4:12AM PDT

not 'wall the www'....should be "WHAT" the 'www' was all about

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Here you go JP.
Jun 27, 2019 8:28AM PDT
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Thanks Dafydd, IF I was going to misspell stupid ON PURPOSE
Jun 27, 2019 11:04AM PDT
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That's my choice, too.
Jun 27, 2019 3:18PM PDT

But I usually use it as a personal adjective. "Hey, Bill! Ya stoopid, ya know?"
Doesn't have to be Bill. Just a hypothetical.

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also a Ramones reference
Jun 27, 2019 9:54PM PDT

It _think_ it was a song title - though may have just been a lyric. Something like that.

Rick " wore out their first LP, two cassettes of the same, and loved every minute of it! " Jones