 |
| No clue what this is. I consider it a weed. After it's bloomed, it sends out spikes when you touch it. |
 |
| Who doesn't love a daffodil? |
 |
| Not sure what this is, either. Maybe a bluet. |
Friday, March 22, 2019
Yard Flowers
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
I read Facebook more than I post on it. I have to stop myself from responding most days. It is better to simply move on than engage.
But that doesn't mean I can't respond here, in my spot that's a bit more of my own.
1. On the post where VA Governor Northam signs a bill knocking off the tax off of feminine hygiene products, a man asks who doesn't have access to feminine hygiene products and who can't pay for them? Answer: poor women who have to choose between feeding their kids, or medication, or whatever, and using tampons or folding up a washcloth and hoping nothing bad happens. Until you've had the embarrassment of having blood-soaked pants or having menstrual blood flow down your leg, you, mister, have no say in this matter.
2. To the 1,000+ commenters on a story about vandalism at a Jewish cemetery: have some respect for the dead. Arguing over whether or not the vandalism can be laid at #45s feet because it is "anti-sematic" overlooks the fact that it is vandalism, pure and simple, and a total disrespect for humanity.
3. To the male commenters denying that the first female winner of the Nobel Prize in Math is actually a woman - what the hell is wrong with you? Are you so insecure that you can't see a woman winning a math prize? Are you that arrogant and so sure of yourselves? Did your mother not teach you that being a judgmental asshole is a sure sign of insecurity and a small penis?
4. To the sarcastic and on-the-spot commenters on a story about the New Zealand ban on semi-automatic assault rifles following a horrible mass shooters - the ones who wonder why that government didn't just offer up "thoughts and prayers" and move on: bravo to you.
5. To the people who think it's perfectly fine to be disrespectful at Auschwitz: How quickly we forget. Reverence is necessary. Thinking is mandatory. Figure it out.
6. Bravo to San Francisco for banning the sale of plastic bottles, although I am the first to raise my hand and say I use them. I recycle them, though. I don't send them to the landfill.
7. On the story about Virginia now having less smokers than the national average: it's about damn time.
8. Applause to this quote:
I am highly amused that this came up as I am offering my own opinion on issues. The irony is not lost on me.
9. To the people questioning if Arkansas will also offer courses on the Quran, the Torah, or other religions if requested after Arkansas passed a bill allowing public schools to teach Christianity: thank you for remembering that we are not a singular religious nation and that we are multi-faceted and separate of church and state serves a real purpose. It's not just a line. To the ones applauding the decision: think!
10. To the people laughing at a study that says Congress would be better if they had pay raises - applause. To the ones saying what we need is an entirely new Congress: agreed!
11. And … once again I'm out of time. I really need to stop waiting until Thursday morning to do this.
12. So I am off because I have an appointment.
13. But there's a list of 13 here. It's just a little incomplete.
----------------------------
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 596th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
But that doesn't mean I can't respond here, in my spot that's a bit more of my own.
1. On the post where VA Governor Northam signs a bill knocking off the tax off of feminine hygiene products, a man asks who doesn't have access to feminine hygiene products and who can't pay for them? Answer: poor women who have to choose between feeding their kids, or medication, or whatever, and using tampons or folding up a washcloth and hoping nothing bad happens. Until you've had the embarrassment of having blood-soaked pants or having menstrual blood flow down your leg, you, mister, have no say in this matter.
2. To the 1,000+ commenters on a story about vandalism at a Jewish cemetery: have some respect for the dead. Arguing over whether or not the vandalism can be laid at #45s feet because it is "anti-sematic" overlooks the fact that it is vandalism, pure and simple, and a total disrespect for humanity.
3. To the male commenters denying that the first female winner of the Nobel Prize in Math is actually a woman - what the hell is wrong with you? Are you so insecure that you can't see a woman winning a math prize? Are you that arrogant and so sure of yourselves? Did your mother not teach you that being a judgmental asshole is a sure sign of insecurity and a small penis?
4. To the sarcastic and on-the-spot commenters on a story about the New Zealand ban on semi-automatic assault rifles following a horrible mass shooters - the ones who wonder why that government didn't just offer up "thoughts and prayers" and move on: bravo to you.
5. To the people who think it's perfectly fine to be disrespectful at Auschwitz: How quickly we forget. Reverence is necessary. Thinking is mandatory. Figure it out.
6. Bravo to San Francisco for banning the sale of plastic bottles, although I am the first to raise my hand and say I use them. I recycle them, though. I don't send them to the landfill.
7. On the story about Virginia now having less smokers than the national average: it's about damn time.
8. Applause to this quote:
I am highly amused that this came up as I am offering my own opinion on issues. The irony is not lost on me.
9. To the people questioning if Arkansas will also offer courses on the Quran, the Torah, or other religions if requested after Arkansas passed a bill allowing public schools to teach Christianity: thank you for remembering that we are not a singular religious nation and that we are multi-faceted and separate of church and state serves a real purpose. It's not just a line. To the ones applauding the decision: think!
10. To the people laughing at a study that says Congress would be better if they had pay raises - applause. To the ones saying what we need is an entirely new Congress: agreed!
11. And … once again I'm out of time. I really need to stop waiting until Thursday morning to do this.
12. So I am off because I have an appointment.
13. But there's a list of 13 here. It's just a little incomplete.
----------------------------
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 596th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Monday, March 18, 2019
What the #$@# is an ASP.NET?
Last night my computer suddenly went bonkers on me, and reverted itself back to the tiled desktop of Windows 8.1.
My computer updated on March 13, so I assume it had something to do with the update, but I'm not sure.
At any rate, I realized my computer was showing a new account called ASP.NET machine account. Ever heard of that?
Me neither.
Apparently this is some kind of developer thing that has shown up as a problem for folks since Windows XP. Yep, that far back, and apparently Windows still has issues with it.
Really, Microsoft?
This is what Microsoft says about it: "ASP.NET Machine Account is created when the 1.1 is installed onto a Windows machine."
I don't know what the 1.1 is, nor do I know how to install it or uninstall it. I don't even know what that sentence means.
After snooping around and looking at various responses to other concerns about this issue, I decided first to try removing the account in my settings. That didn't help.
I rebooted a couple of times. That didn't help either.
The instructions to fix this issue talks about going into the REGSTRY to make changes. I am not big on doing that, though I have.
One thing I do that many people do not do is I set a restore point every time Microsoft tells me it is going to update my computer. I learn that the update is on its way either by a message from Microsoft that says "Hi, we have an update for you that will take place at such-and-such a time" or by noticing when I go to shut down my computer that it says "Update and shut down." There is no option not to accept an update from Microsoft anymore.
What I do when an update is imminent is this: I go into the control panel and create a restore point. You can figure out how to do this by typing "create restore point" in Cortana if you're using Windows 10. It is easier on older operating systems like Windows 7. I honestly don't know if all Windows 10 users can create a restore point or if I can do it because I upgraded from Windows 8.1.
Anyway, since I had a restore point from March 13, I simply went back to that to restore the system, and when it finished sometime around 2 a.m. this morning (when I woke up and checked), things looked normal. I shut the computer down and when I woke the first thing I did was double check my backups on documents and photos.
This thing of downloading updates just to update is getting old. I have made peace with Windows 10 after its second or third upgrade made it more stable, but it remains a source of aggravation. I don't need development codes or things to code or whatever. I just use software on the computer like most people and do my writing on it. This kind of update should be optional for us normal folks who don't care to be developmental IT engineers.
My computer updated on March 13, so I assume it had something to do with the update, but I'm not sure.
At any rate, I realized my computer was showing a new account called ASP.NET machine account. Ever heard of that?
Me neither.
Apparently this is some kind of developer thing that has shown up as a problem for folks since Windows XP. Yep, that far back, and apparently Windows still has issues with it.
Really, Microsoft?
This is what Microsoft says about it: "ASP.NET Machine Account is created when the 1.1 is installed onto a Windows machine."
I don't know what the 1.1 is, nor do I know how to install it or uninstall it. I don't even know what that sentence means.
After snooping around and looking at various responses to other concerns about this issue, I decided first to try removing the account in my settings. That didn't help.
I rebooted a couple of times. That didn't help either.
The instructions to fix this issue talks about going into the REGSTRY to make changes. I am not big on doing that, though I have.
One thing I do that many people do not do is I set a restore point every time Microsoft tells me it is going to update my computer. I learn that the update is on its way either by a message from Microsoft that says "Hi, we have an update for you that will take place at such-and-such a time" or by noticing when I go to shut down my computer that it says "Update and shut down." There is no option not to accept an update from Microsoft anymore.
What I do when an update is imminent is this: I go into the control panel and create a restore point. You can figure out how to do this by typing "create restore point" in Cortana if you're using Windows 10. It is easier on older operating systems like Windows 7. I honestly don't know if all Windows 10 users can create a restore point or if I can do it because I upgraded from Windows 8.1.
Anyway, since I had a restore point from March 13, I simply went back to that to restore the system, and when it finished sometime around 2 a.m. this morning (when I woke up and checked), things looked normal. I shut the computer down and when I woke the first thing I did was double check my backups on documents and photos.
This thing of downloading updates just to update is getting old. I have made peace with Windows 10 after its second or third upgrade made it more stable, but it remains a source of aggravation. I don't need development codes or things to code or whatever. I just use software on the computer like most people and do my writing on it. This kind of update should be optional for us normal folks who don't care to be developmental IT engineers.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Sunday Stealing: Cookies!
Sunday Stealing
1. Do you eat Oreos?
A. Not often. I can't recall the last time I had any.
2. If you eat Oreos, which are your favorite – original, double stuff, golden original, golden double stuff, Oreo brownies, Oreo ice cream?
A. I would guess the double stuff, since that is what I like about an Oreo.
3. Do you twist your Oreos apart?
A. Yes, and then I eat the inside and throw away the rest.
4. Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a 'Cookie Monster'?
A. I can pass, usually.
5. Tell us about your favorite cookie. Crunchy, soft, chewy, crumbly, other?
A. Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie is my favorite, slightly chewy, a little crumbly and uncommonly good.
6. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid?
A. Apparently I still have the palate of a five year old child.
7. Enquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea?
A. Not a dunker.
8. It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store! Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?
A. I do not generally buy them. No one ever offers to sell me any.
9. Raw cookie dough. Yay or Nay?
A. Yay, if I'm making it myself. I don't (generally) eat the raw cookie dough that is from the store.
10. Do you like cookies with filling?
A. So long as someone else has made them, yes.
11. Do you prefer organic cookies?
A. I have no preference, although I can't say I've actually eaten an "organic" cookie that tastes good.
12. Large cookies, or small cookies?
A. Small cookies.
13. Do you like familiar flavours in cookies?
A. Yes.
14. Do you make your own cookies, or buy them?
A. Both.
15. Please tell us something random about your week!!
A. Monday I had a meeting with local officials because I was unhappy with the way they were conducting the public's business. I was pleasantly surprised when they took my concerns seriously. We had a 45-minute discussion about various issues relating to FOIA and the wording of motions and closed-session meeting requirements, and in addressing my concerns I have been assured there will be a few policy changes and the officials will be more cognizant of how the public perceives what they do and when and why they do it. It was very stressful and quite difficult to speak out even though I've done it before when I was a news reporter. This time I had no news media standing behind me; it was just me, a citizen. It is hard to speak out against the system and I know why people simply go along and allow things to happen, because it is hard to say something. Sometimes, though, one must examine the conscious and take action. I could not in good conscious not say anything about issues that I felt were, if not actually a violation of the law, at least actions that looked suspect. I want my county government to be a bright shining star of virtuous governmental goodness amongst the stench that surrounds us at the state and federal level, and that will only happen when people such as myself raise their hands and speak up if they have concerns. It's part of being a good citizen and being an adult.
__________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them. (#275)
1. Do you eat Oreos?
A. Not often. I can't recall the last time I had any.
2. If you eat Oreos, which are your favorite – original, double stuff, golden original, golden double stuff, Oreo brownies, Oreo ice cream?
A. I would guess the double stuff, since that is what I like about an Oreo.
3. Do you twist your Oreos apart?
A. Yes, and then I eat the inside and throw away the rest.
4. Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a 'Cookie Monster'?
A. I can pass, usually.
5. Tell us about your favorite cookie. Crunchy, soft, chewy, crumbly, other?
A. Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie is my favorite, slightly chewy, a little crumbly and uncommonly good.
6. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid?
A. Apparently I still have the palate of a five year old child.
7. Enquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea?
A. Not a dunker.
8. It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store! Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?
A. I do not generally buy them. No one ever offers to sell me any.
9. Raw cookie dough. Yay or Nay?
A. Yay, if I'm making it myself. I don't (generally) eat the raw cookie dough that is from the store.
10. Do you like cookies with filling?
A. So long as someone else has made them, yes.
11. Do you prefer organic cookies?
A. I have no preference, although I can't say I've actually eaten an "organic" cookie that tastes good.
12. Large cookies, or small cookies?
A. Small cookies.
13. Do you like familiar flavours in cookies?
A. Yes.
14. Do you make your own cookies, or buy them?
A. Both.
15. Please tell us something random about your week!!
A. Monday I had a meeting with local officials because I was unhappy with the way they were conducting the public's business. I was pleasantly surprised when they took my concerns seriously. We had a 45-minute discussion about various issues relating to FOIA and the wording of motions and closed-session meeting requirements, and in addressing my concerns I have been assured there will be a few policy changes and the officials will be more cognizant of how the public perceives what they do and when and why they do it. It was very stressful and quite difficult to speak out even though I've done it before when I was a news reporter. This time I had no news media standing behind me; it was just me, a citizen. It is hard to speak out against the system and I know why people simply go along and allow things to happen, because it is hard to say something. Sometimes, though, one must examine the conscious and take action. I could not in good conscious not say anything about issues that I felt were, if not actually a violation of the law, at least actions that looked suspect. I want my county government to be a bright shining star of virtuous governmental goodness amongst the stench that surrounds us at the state and federal level, and that will only happen when people such as myself raise their hands and speak up if they have concerns. It's part of being a good citizen and being an adult.
__________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them. (#275)
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Saturday 9: Molly Malone
Saturday 9: Molly Malone
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) Are you of Irish descent?
A. I thought I was, but my brother did his DNA test and it came back 53% Great Britain and only 13% Irish. So I may be a wee bit Irish, but apparently I'm more of Her Majesty's Subject than I ever knew.
2) Legend has it that the heroine of this week's Irish ballad was a real lass. 17th century birth and burial records confirm that a woman with that name lived in Dublin. Can you think of another song about a real historic figure?
A. The first thing that comes to mind is Molly Turgish, which is a song they sang on Green Acres about a woman who was ugly, and I suppose the whole thing was fictional. But there is also Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, though I'm not sure he was real but I think he was.
3) Molly sold fish from a cart that she wheeled through the streets. What's the last seafood you ate?
A. It has been years since I ate fish. I started developing a reaction to fish and shell food products around 2012 and I stopped eating them.
4) The lyrics tell us that, after her death, her ghost continues to wander the streets of Dublin with her wheel barrow. Do you believe in ghosts?
A. I think there are things that go in the world that we know nothing about. Whether they are ghosts or dimensional portals or alternate universes that have seeped through - who knows?
5) This week's featured band, The Dubliners, are obviously from Dublin. They were introduced to American audiences on The Ed Sullivan Show. Today, Stephen Colbert tapes his show in The Ed Sullivan Theater. Who hosted the last talk show you watched?
A. Bill Maher.
6) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours?
A. No.
7) According to Irish legend, leprechauns earned the gold in the pot they guard by repairing shoes. Crazy Sam can't remember the last time she got a pair of shoes repaired. When the heels wear away, she discards the shoes and buys new ones. What about you? Do you get your shoes fixed (either by leprechauns or just by ordinary repairmen)?
A. I usually throw them away and buy new ones, although I have occasionally resorted to Krazy Glue to fix a sole on a sneaker. My husband has had work boots repaired by a repairman. Unfortunately there is only one shoe repairman in our area and I'm not even sure he's still in business.
8) Do you look good in green, the signature color of St. Patrick's Day?
A. It's not a bad color on me, but I don't wear it much.
9) Random question: Did you more recently sneeze or cough?
A. Coughed.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) Are you of Irish descent?
A. I thought I was, but my brother did his DNA test and it came back 53% Great Britain and only 13% Irish. So I may be a wee bit Irish, but apparently I'm more of Her Majesty's Subject than I ever knew.
2) Legend has it that the heroine of this week's Irish ballad was a real lass. 17th century birth and burial records confirm that a woman with that name lived in Dublin. Can you think of another song about a real historic figure?
A. The first thing that comes to mind is Molly Turgish, which is a song they sang on Green Acres about a woman who was ugly, and I suppose the whole thing was fictional. But there is also Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, though I'm not sure he was real but I think he was.
3) Molly sold fish from a cart that she wheeled through the streets. What's the last seafood you ate?
A. It has been years since I ate fish. I started developing a reaction to fish and shell food products around 2012 and I stopped eating them.
4) The lyrics tell us that, after her death, her ghost continues to wander the streets of Dublin with her wheel barrow. Do you believe in ghosts?
A. I think there are things that go in the world that we know nothing about. Whether they are ghosts or dimensional portals or alternate universes that have seeped through - who knows?
5) This week's featured band, The Dubliners, are obviously from Dublin. They were introduced to American audiences on The Ed Sullivan Show. Today, Stephen Colbert tapes his show in The Ed Sullivan Theater. Who hosted the last talk show you watched?
A. Bill Maher.
6) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours?
A. No.
7) According to Irish legend, leprechauns earned the gold in the pot they guard by repairing shoes. Crazy Sam can't remember the last time she got a pair of shoes repaired. When the heels wear away, she discards the shoes and buys new ones. What about you? Do you get your shoes fixed (either by leprechauns or just by ordinary repairmen)?
A. I usually throw them away and buy new ones, although I have occasionally resorted to Krazy Glue to fix a sole on a sneaker. My husband has had work boots repaired by a repairman. Unfortunately there is only one shoe repairman in our area and I'm not even sure he's still in business.
8) Do you look good in green, the signature color of St. Patrick's Day?
A. It's not a bad color on me, but I don't wear it much.
9) Random question: Did you more recently sneeze or cough?
A. Coughed.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
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