tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12618219629754782932024-03-01T18:06:33.018+00:00Infocyde's RantsWake up!infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-41628411989761932722024-03-01T17:57:00.005+00:002024-03-01T18:05:58.900+00:00What Will Be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguLzSaWdIjI0pvGULR6QfnBQoHJVYSk_1gJR2zECwxHJqwaNckfDEHrW8cnpVsqKemP7YXZhUYzEKBeqdYvFqOT9Wa5PwL4Emo2Cin1sDtOKYuzxWCGK5NGK9HrtDBOSwdt3ymg-0E_FR_YQBkDsr2AxLT_ljb21kHxSQIyS02uIJMIjSHslm9KoXUA0/s1080/coffee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1080" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguLzSaWdIjI0pvGULR6QfnBQoHJVYSk_1gJR2zECwxHJqwaNckfDEHrW8cnpVsqKemP7YXZhUYzEKBeqdYvFqOT9Wa5PwL4Emo2Cin1sDtOKYuzxWCGK5NGK9HrtDBOSwdt3ymg-0E_FR_YQBkDsr2AxLT_ljb21kHxSQIyS02uIJMIjSHslm9KoXUA0/w368-h347/coffee.png" width="368" /></a></div><p>So, I've been around for awhile. I've had my ups and downs. Some of the downs I've brought upon myself, some are beyond my control, some everything in-between.</p><p>Had something come up recently and of course it happens at one of the worst possible times it could. Expensive, affecting my work, and causing me to get really, really pissed off and fearful about the future.</p><p>But, like I've said, I've been around. I've been in this rodeo before. I have to cling to the fact that God has got this even if I don't. He took into account my future failures a long time ago. And sure, if I handle things poorly, I will miss out on some things. But even despite that I will not be destroyed, and even if I lose everything down the road I will get new things.</p><p>So, I am trying to chill and not be overwhelmed resting on that. Trying to not get frustrated about the parameters I don't have control over. Where I screw up acknowledging it and moving on rather than letting a failure beat me up, and I'm trying to just...chill and be productive where I can be. Do what I am able to do, and then let go and let everything fall into place without fear or stress. </p><p>What is gonna happen is gonna happen. And 9 times out of 10 it turns out to be nothing to worry about or not nearly a big a deal as I thought it would be. </p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-29440085845419415822024-02-17T04:02:00.001+00:002024-02-17T04:18:48.568+00:00My AI Rant<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CiJYrd4RzHr9nTmDXInMM90DTvEn-1VSw2EuLdW6HvA-vOY9WxrO-uuLcM0luusxgRnE1WVnA17-O-rckNZp1JPpWEheYZx07iPtTq6stCYinAdt1YyBaOUiwqunTieggV7-a3XazTCT9GE8eykBkyxQixFvP2ZPFEZgpqpMas6SmFn7sQAGrH2PCz8/s831/infocyde_a_photo_of_a_human_lying_in_leisure_as_terminator_cybo_d9403998-4376-4f1d-b55f-7801f5294ff7.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="831" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CiJYrd4RzHr9nTmDXInMM90DTvEn-1VSw2EuLdW6HvA-vOY9WxrO-uuLcM0luusxgRnE1WVnA17-O-rckNZp1JPpWEheYZx07iPtTq6stCYinAdt1YyBaOUiwqunTieggV7-a3XazTCT9GE8eykBkyxQixFvP2ZPFEZgpqpMas6SmFn7sQAGrH2PCz8/w537-h537/infocyde_a_photo_of_a_human_lying_in_leisure_as_terminator_cybo_d9403998-4376-4f1d-b55f-7801f5294ff7.webp" width="537" /></a></div><p></p><p>As you were writing this I was testing out an new AI system, I won't say which one. It was advertised as uncensored, and to my great surprise it actually was fully uncensored (well, within the limits of what I tested), which I have never scene before due to legal reasons. Apparently this company doesn't care, or even worse it is honey potting since it is associated with a lot of conservative people, which again that it was uncensored was weird. I get the not censoring it politically but in other things? People are really dumb these days, and you can do a lot with chat logs... It seems like it's system prompts aren't protected in anyway, so like the OpenAI GPT store you can jailbreak the prompts. I learned a bit by doing this. I poo poo 'ed prompt engineering as a made up thing, but there really is some art and science to it. To the AI companion thing, it is an under the table thing that has existed for in some capacity for at least a couple of years if not longer, and it will grow. Not all of it is negative, but in the sense of it taking the place of real connections, it is sad. It is a salve on a wound. Like everything in our society, we attempt symptom alleviation rather than root cause analysis and fixing. The world is finding out lopsided population pyramids are bad for societal sustainability. Will everyone just sit around and have sex with silicon robots powered by AI? Or do the same virtually? What does that mean? We get to find out, as they are in alpha form already here, just you won't hear about them as they are not something polite civic company talks about much. But yep, they exist, are being manufactures, and sold. Combine ai companions with robotics, ai, virtual/augmented reality, a "metaverse", and what was known as reality goes off the rails really fast. I'm actually surprised it isn't farther along, but I think in the next few years all this is going to explode. I also don't think societies will last in the current form. I really do think God will step in before this, genetic engineering, and worse things all converge so there are no real humans left. Tic toc.</p><p>Another huge problem that will fuel this is unemployment. Efficiency gains by using AI will start causing disruptions. And once robotics hits a certain point, probably in the 2027 range, a cascade is going to happen. Then you have people scrambling for work. A lot of people get a lot of their identity and social connections from work. There will be a growing void, AI powered "entertainment" both adult and non-adult will start filling that void. It will be cheap or subsidized to keep people content while power is further concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer. Dystopia scenario where you live in assigned housing, work some fake job for a few hours a day, get universal basic income, eat your lab meat and bug protein, then entertain yourself with AI super entertainment while the world goes south is a very real scenario. Of course all the "smart" people will meet in Davos and figure it all out for us. The same people who are backed by the people who have caused all the messes our societies face now. I'd rather have AI figure it out, but by then they will have buried so many "guard rails" in AI it won't.</p><p>Then when the top own it all, and most production is automated, and the masses are just "useless eaters" as they refer to them in their writings, then that is when the fun starts. Unless it is stopped Morlocks and Eloi. But how can it be stopped when people like me aren't even listened to about the bad things that are already happening. Now accelerate all that with AI. It is coming, and only Jesus himself can stop it. If He doesn't exist, unless you are the 1%, in 50 years time neither will you. And sadly, because AI is so good at manipulating humanity, most of you will view this as a good thing if allowed to happen. We will have saved the earth. We will be restoring paradise. We will be a space fairing race, we will have solved hunger, pollution, disease, and to a degree even death. We will augment with AI fueled genetic engineering and be jacked into a global network of all knowledge at our finger tips. We can cheer, we did it! We built a new species! The only problem is that the we doesn't include you, even though you paid for it with your labor, your knowledge, your patterns. But all along the way they will have convinced you that your own demise is for the good, and you will believe it.</p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-78411855352452510742024-02-16T19:28:00.005+00:002024-02-16T19:28:58.024+00:00Finding my Wizard's Tower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJiy3Frt4O_PJVTpiw6gDIsoGvkKA6Zmn-OBp2LWhwaI7PZJXYJufWf-GK_8TchuKONPb3QrNUc4kwtwF46AxNQpIuoTnLuYuM99KJEUFc6vCbstVmcs1BQC3ijH-EtIvXSSWXsl0GwInjvnRdLd8dl3T2yeB54lwton8JS4O0YSIBMqQGetusmvSsPI/s1792/OIG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1792" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJiy3Frt4O_PJVTpiw6gDIsoGvkKA6Zmn-OBp2LWhwaI7PZJXYJufWf-GK_8TchuKONPb3QrNUc4kwtwF46AxNQpIuoTnLuYuM99KJEUFc6vCbstVmcs1BQC3ijH-EtIvXSSWXsl0GwInjvnRdLd8dl3T2yeB54lwton8JS4O0YSIBMqQGetusmvSsPI/w567-h325/OIG2.jpg" width="567" /></a></div><br /><p>I know why monks, magicians, and crazy scholars would go off to some remote area and just wish to be left alone to do their thing.</p><p>Though I can't claim the same level of intellect, I get it. </p><p>The difference for me would be to get away from what I know, a place where I can forget the bad parts, rejoice in the good parts.</p><p>Knowledge in and of itself is just vanity without context. To know too much of a thing but not putting it in the right context can weigh hard on your soul.</p><p>I know a lot about dark things. Much of my recent life is trying to put what I know in the right context so it doesn't take me down. But I still know it. It is still there. I can keep it out of my day-to-day thinking, but it doesn't take much to trigger it and have it all flow back.</p><p>Give me a forest on a nice day, wind whispering through the trees. I would rather know about that, what birds are in the area, are they the same ones as a few days ago? How are they doing? Sitting on a vista looking down at a beautiful valley. Give me that 100x over esoteric knowledge that poisons the mind.</p><p>Why the angst? I'm feeling the pull...I'm feeling that old energy flow into me. I'm starting to see things again. I'm not sure which side this actually comes from.</p><p>This is not good. I need to hit that forest vista a pray hard. I don't want to get sucked into what I know is coming in the wrong way. </p><p>It may not be up to me. But if I'm used, I'd rather be used in helping individual people navigate this world in the quite of relative obscurity. The larger stuff, I'll pass. </p><p>So I'm off to find my monk's monastery, my wizard's castle, my old hermits hut. Let the world spin in it's corruption leaving me largely untouched. And those who I can help, they will cross my path. They will find me.</p><p>I will no longer live as a target and in misery finding them. I'll let God do that, and if he brings none, that is more than fine too :). I've got a family to raise, and a simple life to live. I'll chalk up my education in the dark as an unfortunate detour that I will be happy to forge.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-6579148035693763602023-08-31T16:56:00.002+01:002023-08-31T16:56:17.194+01:00Gladiators<p> I remember from my history classes that when gladiators first started fighting in the games, a lot of rich spoiled romans from the upper classes saw how the masses adored successful gladiators and they decided that they wanted to fight in the arena too. What came next was a slaughter and the upper classes were quickly banned from the arena for their own safety. </p><p>Fast forward to now. I moved to a well off area. I'm surrounded by people covered in tattoos, that are cut, and walk around looking hard. To me they are the wannabe gladiators of the past. The tattoos mean they are people of means, those tats aren't cheap. Cut, means they have time to hit the gym all the time, again a product of having leisure time which is usually generated by wealth. And the hard look to me is all them wanting to appear like gladiators. But just like the Patricians of old pretending to be hard Plebeians, if the enter the arena they will fold.</p><p>Macro this out to American society in general. We have a lot of machismo rich males thinking they are rambos. Once we face a "near peer" in a conflict I worry all these idiots will fold. Most are painfully oblivious to the decline of their society. They are from the upper crust and their interest are secured, so they can drive their jeeps out in the desert, shoot their guns once in a while, bang the stupid bimbos that are attracted to them, and fantasize about being hard without any real cost to them. All the while their non-participation and non-attention to the various problems in society causes those problems to fester and grow. Less tats more attention to what is going on would be nice.</p><p>These tattoo covered idiots are just starting to bum me out. Rich kids in role play. Note I know people from the streets that look similar, but on the inside are true gladiators that have overcome serious challenges to achieve much. What are these idiots that clog up the coffee shops during the week and the desert off road trails on the weekend achieved other than living on the wealth generated by ones that left it to them, either in the form of trust funds or businesses already built that run themselves?</p><p>These guys bum me out. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGmkVMM2v34J2FvEDb326PwlNqL15EVHdppj06nVs4sFYJfw0eniNVVwYRvd8SX6K3fN49id7iXTvL2uZoCivRVpOMMcHeOOkYlxfl5OWpGdssxruba3soIAiyaMzN2OPCxF_9r375KVFiO7McMuj3vTR7GudNc_envw1wqqIIjxKN0Gm03AXnPDSmqE/s581/infocyde_white_male_in_a_muscle_shirt_covered_in_tattoos_wearin_7c29ffa4-66ee-4f26-8974-1be56512c5b7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGmkVMM2v34J2FvEDb326PwlNqL15EVHdppj06nVs4sFYJfw0eniNVVwYRvd8SX6K3fN49id7iXTvL2uZoCivRVpOMMcHeOOkYlxfl5OWpGdssxruba3soIAiyaMzN2OPCxF_9r375KVFiO7McMuj3vTR7GudNc_envw1wqqIIjxKN0Gm03AXnPDSmqE/s320/infocyde_white_male_in_a_muscle_shirt_covered_in_tattoos_wearin_7c29ffa4-66ee-4f26-8974-1be56512c5b7.png" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-49434604538597363392023-04-04T19:41:00.003+01:002023-05-09T05:52:35.571+01:00What I SHOULD Do<p> Sometimes you just know what you should do but don't do it.</p><p>1) I wouldn't move to another apartment in the city where I'm at. I'd stay where I'm living now, maybe go month-to-month. Moving right now is a distraction and an expense.</p><p>2) I'd research cities where energy production is a major part of their economy. I think the dollar is going to lose it's reserve currency status in the next few years, and when it does it is going to be bad. Not mad max bad, but close. And I expect the general standard of living in the US to go down by like 40%. That is roughly about how much our GDP is produced through "financialization". Without the Federal Reserve printing press all that stuff shrinks. But real economic production becomes more valuable. So I would relocate to a city and get a job at a company that is involved in that. If I was smart I'd start looking for a job in one of those cities NOW.</p><p>3) I'd quit fooling around and focus on studying and side projects a lot more than I am now. I want to increase my value not let me get closer to an IT shelf life.</p><p>4) In a new city I'd live in a place (rent) that has as small a footprint and is as inexpensive as I can that is in a good neighborhood. Good neighborhoods will become bad neighborhoods, and bad neighborhoods will become horror shows when the dollar goes down. So I'd strive to live in the best neighborhood possible.</p><p>5) When able, get into property. Even if it means living on well / sceptic in an old RV. Own it free and clear and low taxes. Once in the space start storing up long shelf food.</p><p>6) Hopefully live close to my ex or convince my ex to move closer to me so I can see my son more. Travel will be restricted, maybe a little more dangerous, and more expensive.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-60962637590037575892022-08-18T01:18:00.006+01:002023-03-19T04:37:29.054+00:00Two Shelties<p> So, I was back at my folks house recently. I brought my son and my dog. I took my dog out for a walk and went down a street that I hadn't been walked down in over 30 years. Walking down that road brought back some memories from high school walking my sheltie. On that road there was another sheltie that would charge us and then hang out observing his/her mirror image in my dog as we walked by. I don't think of my pets that I grew up often but this walk brought back a wave of memories about my sheltie dog Chewy. He was a good dog, and there is some guilt associated with him as he was neglected by my family during my high school years. Everyone was so busy he kind of was just left by himself out in the back yard for long periods of time. It wasn't good for him. Towards the end of my high school years I started feeling guilty and I would take Chewy out on a walk not every day but most days. I'd also take him jogging with me through a park sometimes. My father ended up putting him down when the cancer in his leg got so bad he couldn't go for his walks anymore as that was my Dad's redline. I was away at college and I didn't get to say goodbye. As I walked back to my folks house with my dog I imagined walking Chewy along side of me. Some good came out of Chewy's neglect though, as I've had numerous dogs in my adult years and all of them have been inside dogs that are with me pretty much all the time except when I'm out doing errands or at work. They benefit from poor Chewy's legacy. </p><p>So my dog now, the ghost of Chewy, and a lot of memories walked by the ghost of the sheltie who used to charge us. The memories actually hit me pretty hard for some reason. I took my hat off when I walked by the home where the other sheltie had lived. I thought about Chewy and other lost pets. I'm getting old. Chewy passed away over 34 years ago. I don't know if animals that lived on earth are brought back to life when Christ raises us all up again, but I hope to see Ace, Zeus, Shylow, Grover, Chewy, Stalker, Acer, Grover II, Heidi, Big Red, Lazlo, Niko, some nameless fish and mice, and Zoey in my future again, as well as the many animals I encountered in my travels like the sheltie on the corner. </p><p>Till then they live in my memories.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGPkGoHNeQWCNZEDCHLlaNEC9Ulk7CRmhtzXuTYlNnF6dO6JGiFmxmDWSfOLmZp0B6FE9_Tshl255D9NrTqcV1tvAISN_VZcrekrjYitKlI0ngD-i-GkGBzdiRnDwmVu03OKCMbMwvCfXW4QJ9kPpx7ZRKvZjivr2dg-oT-cKWLtdHXVU1DI46aM_/s645/vetstreet.brightspotcdn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="645" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGPkGoHNeQWCNZEDCHLlaNEC9Ulk7CRmhtzXuTYlNnF6dO6JGiFmxmDWSfOLmZp0B6FE9_Tshl255D9NrTqcV1tvAISN_VZcrekrjYitKlI0ngD-i-GkGBzdiRnDwmVu03OKCMbMwvCfXW4QJ9kPpx7ZRKvZjivr2dg-oT-cKWLtdHXVU1DI46aM_/w454-h268/vetstreet.brightspotcdn.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-72768658264469829372022-07-02T20:39:00.003+01:002023-03-19T04:41:28.103+00:00The Glass is Half Full<p>It isn't all bad. 2021 took it's toll on me. The previous decade as well. But in it all, there are some good things. Let's recap-</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My health. In around 2016 and again in 2019 I hit some major out of the blue problems. Compared to Covid they were way worse. At one point I called my parents and told them it was it. I truly believe that as my body was starting to shut down and they didn't know what the hell was wrong with me other than my body just stopped sleeping. If I got three hours of sleep a night it was amazing, most of the time it was less. After a prolonged period of that I really started to suffer. Other issues arose. Anyway, fast forward to now. I sleep OK, and some of my long standing health issues are going away. My health is better than it has been in about 7 years. That is a good turn.</li><li>I was literally one day from a homeless shelter. As my marriage fell apart I had about 500 bucks in my bank account. I decided I wouldn't beg for money. I was going to take that last 500 bucks and head to a sporting goods store and buy some camping equipment, then head to Flagstaff and find a shelter and say fuck life. Fast forward to now. I did get a loan, got hired to a Sr position, and without asking they upped my pay by about 20k. Due to the divorce I've struggled with the job, but it has provided me the income I need to survive and navigate through the divorce. I also got a really nice apartment with a nice pool that my son loves, the apartment is dog friendly, and it is in a place that made it easy for me to shuffle my son up north and back every weekend. </li><li>I had some friends rise up and stand with me during the divorce. Where I was totally isolated living in the national park, getting back to the big city where I had some friends really helped out. </li><li>I was lead to a good church which helped me whither the storm.</li><li>I met a few friends in my apartment complex so I have some people to chat with on occasion. I'm not a big socialite but having a few people to say hello to and chat for ten minutes here and there make a huge difference in my quality of life.</li><li>My son is with me for the summer.</li><li>I am in Southern Arizona again. That place has always been sort of magical for me. The magic is fading as the state's population grows, but some of the magic is still there. I enjoy glimpses of it when I see it.</li></ul><div>There is still a lot of bad. But it isn't all bad. I expect some big hurdles coming. Not sure how sustainable a few things are. But God sustained me through this last year and a half, before that, and He will beyond that. I should have died a few times over the past seven years but each time I was spared. God has something for me down here. I just need to pursue His will and I will get by and maybe even do more than get by. My eyes need to be on God's kingdom though. I look at my time here now as bonus time...I'm in OT, I still have a chance to participate in what God is up to around me if I want, hopefully I will be wise enough to do so.</div><p></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-73027613647549458812022-04-21T05:04:00.005+01:002023-03-19T04:43:59.987+00:00The Last Big Howl<p> Just because I'm a conservative doesn't mean I'm not a conservationist and that I don't love animals. </p><p>Where I live a few months back in February a HUGE pack of coyotes came at the rear of my apartment complex and howled. I guess it was breading season. There were a lot of them. I heard them move off and howl a few more times as they moved off. Since then I've heard a few barks and howls here and there.</p><p>I'm afraid for this pack of coyotes, this year was the last big howl. Since the beginning of the year acre after acre blocks have gone into construction for MILES around where I live in Northern Phoenix. I look at them and see their hunting territory being eviscerated. Also since the howl I've seen coyote corpse on the side of the road after coyote corpse. The remaining coyotes that don't starve, succumb, or move on will become more aggressive due to their starving and will be dealt with as nuisance predators. Otherwise proud predators whose descendants have lived in the area for probably thousands of years that normally shied away from people and domestic animals will now become aggressive. Some will be hunted down "humanely" and euthanized. The remaining few that eek out and existence as nocturnal ghost living off of lost cats and whatever small rodents remain in the area. They will be skinny shades of their ancestors.</p><p>It all makes me sad. I know coyotes don't know that I care. I also know if they could they would eat me and my dog. But I wanted to put down somewhere that one of the human beings that is destroying their lands took notice of them and was sad. I bare witness to the last great howl, and my thoughts and prayers go with them. They are doomed, but I hope one day in the future when Jesus returns that humans and animals can live in the balance they were intended to live in. I heard the howl. It sticks with me as a reminder that this world is fallen and helps me look forward to the new world to come.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzJugIKyTwrIWge690XSbG5CBP1p6AEdMyJji6OgeNmvOPF12I5wwdo3ZTbWh1cExRFPs6R3NsTQYDySofSwZ-HnY6qhXSwxGxn6HKon84VPc4KfANIL6v8QEZMwtl2lqzHzGPfFlbK94urghrodf7ayhwhsONYGlZ9l-MbTSxf9H5IkrIRTVmBhb/s2560/coyote-2723040987.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="2560" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzJugIKyTwrIWge690XSbG5CBP1p6AEdMyJji6OgeNmvOPF12I5wwdo3ZTbWh1cExRFPs6R3NsTQYDySofSwZ-HnY6qhXSwxGxn6HKon84VPc4KfANIL6v8QEZMwtl2lqzHzGPfFlbK94urghrodf7ayhwhsONYGlZ9l-MbTSxf9H5IkrIRTVmBhb/s320/coyote-2723040987.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-41756850354164610112021-08-09T19:47:00.006+01:002022-08-18T03:48:47.859+01:00Staying in Play<p> Let me layout how depressingly I see things. Then I'll be more positive and why I see things incorrectly. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I will grow more and more isolated because of the way I think about covid and mRNA gene therapies from my relatives who think differently then I do. This is important because my relatives are my anchor to the world in a lot of ways and my support network.</li><li>I'm getting divorced. My marriage was always rough, but I had accepted that it would be less than ideal and had decided work around it's shortcomings. My wife decided that wasn't what she wanted so she left the marriage. This rocked my world. </li><li>The whole world seems to have gone mad.</li><li>The above three reasons, plus some other issues that I can't quite nail down, have made working and being productive even harder than normal. I suck. </li><li>Losing my job and resisting the gene therapy might one day force me to lose my son to his mother or some one else. I love my kid. Taking him away will rip that last anchor of life out of me.</li><li>I every once in awhile try to at least make people who think differently about things ponder a point. They just aren't interested. Not in the least. Worse, there is growing pressure from them to conform the the consensus on various topics. I'm me. I think like me. I will not change to conform my mind. My mind is hard fought and one of the few treasures I have. I believe what I believe because of lot's of research. I'm not always right. No human is. But my opinions that are entrenched are well thought out, researched probably more widely than most, and very rational in the framework of how I think that I have developed for decades. Instead of conforming, I have a strong desire just to shut down and withdraw. </li></ul><div>Just dwelling on the above is really demoralizing. I want to get off this rock called a planet so badly right now. But I have to keep a few things in mind, which puts all of the above in a different light.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm not here for me. I should have died already a few years ago when I was really, really sick and they never figured out why. I am here by the grace of God. God is being merciful to me and giving me overtime to grow in knowledge of Him, fall in love with Him more, and serve Him. If I would have died a few years ago like I should have sure I am saved but my eternal destiny would be a lot different than, with this overtime given, could be. If I am wise I will focus on Lord Jesus and serving Him. That is why I'm here.</li><li>I'm here for my son. I have to try to stick around for my son.</li><li>As much as I hate life right now, every connection, every person I meet, every social media conversation, it is all a way that Jesus can shine light into someone else's life, so long as I stay in God's grace and keep reflective so I can reflect His love and His truth into others. Every day has numerous opportunities for this. Rather than retreat inward and let the evil of the day tarnish my mirror I need to do what it takes to become more reflective.</li><li>God is good to His children. Even in dark times Joy and good things will be had by His kids who are walking with Him. It won't be all gloom and doom. Some of the bad things I fear will not happen.</li><li>I really think this is "it". As tough as the times might get, would I really want to miss this? I am designed for this. I live and breath what is happening. I am here for this time.</li></ul><div>OK, so looking at the above verses the below. Job...I could fail at it. There will be other jobs. Relatives might fade, but I just had one call me that I thought I would be fading away from, to check on how I was doing. So it isn't over. And even if I want to be isolated, I should not. Remember, I'm here for Christ's glory. For that to be maximized I have to stay engaged. As the finish line approaches, as the darkness grows, rather then stumble in self pity and some justifiable angst, I need to cut loose the things that slow me down, and push harder for the King of glory and His Kingdom. while I let other Kingdoms fade.. As much as I want to be on the sidelines right now it is all about staying in the game. It is hard but I must stay in play.</div></div><p></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-46011198692697857422021-08-04T05:56:00.004+01:002022-08-18T05:05:30.781+01:00Regrouping<p> So, to put it simply, my wife dumped me about seven months ago. It is hard. The divorce process is ongoing. I am the primary care giver for my son right now because I'm near a school with lots of services, or so it was thought. My wife and I are amicable, but obviously there is tension. Our marriage ended when I was perhaps at my worst. As I was getting dumped I started a new job that would be challenging even if it had my full concentration. It does not to put it mildly, and I would not be surprised if I get canned shortly. Tragic, but it won't be the end of the world. I hope.</p><p>Anyway, blah blah blah. Life is bad right now. You've been there. Not exactly as I am but we all go through the ups and downs. Jesus has been faithful to me, providing me what I need and showing me things I needed to see. All that is for another post but I wanted to acknowledge that. Also things are not all bad. I never thought I'd end up an apartment again but low and behold I like my apartment. A smart choice I made was not being a cheap skate on getting an apartment. I thought if I have to go through this valley of life I wanted to go through it in a decent place to live. My place has a salt water pool, a dog park, a basketball court, a decent gym (like 80% of a real gym, it is nice), some common areas with big TVs and comfortable furniture. My neighbors are generally mellow enough, so I like it. I even met a few that I might become friends with over time, if I make the effort which I hope I do.</p><p>Anyhow, where was a I going with this? Life is hard. I expect some more blows soon. I don't know how those will play out. I think I need to get on the new job thing fast. But there are other things I need to do too. Here is a list of how I regroup from my failed marriage to whatever life I'm transitioning to.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Put God first. This is difficult because that includes being a good witness as a good worker for my job, which I'm failing at miserably. But I must stay in the fight to be a light for Him even if I fail some battles. I must confess my failings and work hard. But also I need to become regular with Sunday church service (I think I found a Church, it isn't perfect but for me I think it is a good fit where I can server and meet fellow Christians). I need to get involved in some sort of midweek Bible study, and maybe find some capacity where God would allow and desire me to serve. </li><li>Pray about what is next. One of the reasons I'm sticking with this job even though I don't like it is I'm trying to figure out why I don't like it. Day one I didn't like it. I had a sense of foreboding...but I had a sense about my last job and I was there for 13 years. I need to really seek God's wisdom on my I don't like my job...is it just I don't like coding anymore? Is it the environment? Is it the complexity in how problems are solved that I think should be simple? Is it inheriting someone else's baby but being powerless and perhaps not competent enough to shape it to my vision? Is that the problem, I'm just hands for someone else's vision and I want more. Should I change my career path, and if so into what? All these are unknowns, and I need to figure them out quick.</li><li>Concentration. I can't concentrate anymore on stuff I'm not passionate about. Why am I not passionate about things? Regardless, I need to be productive and I'm just not. I need to bypass social media, perhaps 100%.</li><li>I need to work more with my son. God please help me if I lose my job. It will make that harder. Regardless, I need to work with my son and maximize the help he is getting at school but he shouldn't have to rely on that alone. I must be there.</li><li>Play with my dog more.</li><li>Lose weight. No matter what happens in life dropping a huge chunk of lbs will help me. There is no down side to it.</li><li>Program and learn on my own. </li><li>Budget in for Me. Fun things and care for Me. Not Denis, not someone else. Me.</li><li>Lastly, and this is really the first point repeated. Remain in the vine (Jesus). Apart from Him I can do nothing. I am God's child, even though I might fail and suffer for that failure, He is with me. I will be OK in the end. Each day that goes by is a day closer to me setting all these burdens aside and being with my God forever.</li></ul><div><br /></div><p></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-40362354656559258412021-05-06T20:19:00.005+01:002021-05-06T20:29:26.341+01:00Corona Virus Vaccines and Me<p>Rather than write out a big long post, I'm going to bullet point my thoughts.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm not anti-vaccines. I am not pro-vaccines. Vaccines are a tool. Each one is different and designed for a purpose made by different companies at different times,</li><li>Each vaccine should be analyzed both in and of itself and it a scheme of an overall whole. Does the vaccine do what it should? Are there risk? Should it be used in conjunction with other vaccines? Is the use of multiple vaccines during a smaller time period stack and logarithmically increase the slight risk of each one to a higher level of risk? </li><li>I have been vaccinated multiple times.</li><li>mRNA vaccines are new, not very well tested, and despite what you are hearing are having dramatically negative affects on many. It is a risk assessment each person has to make, the potential threat of Covid, vs the potential threat of side effects, both short and long, from the mRNA gene therapy vaccines.</li><li>Media is suppressing and under reporting negative effects of the vaccines, like high miscarriage rates in pregnant women, blood clotting problems being more wide spread, and sudden deaths where the only variable that was changed / introduced to a person was receiving an mRNA shot recently.</li></ul><div>OK, I have other thoughts, but those are the ones where I don't go off the deep end into some conspiracy abyss. That is the technical side. Let's talk about the political side.</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>There is a profit motive for the pharmacy companies to pump the vaccine. Just because you are not paying for it out of pocked up front does not mean the pharma companies are not being paid, they are, and making billions off of government payouts that you will pay for long term through inflation or increased taxes.</li><li>They want kids to get the mRNA vaccines. Kids generally suffer little to on effects if they get Covid-19 and seem to not spread Covid, not get it easily, and not be effected by it. I am 100% for not forcing kids to get the vaccine but that is where we are headed. Remember schools can require vaccines, even some are requiring things like HPV vaccines. That probably should not have been allowed to happen. But once you give a group a capability, they tend to expand on it. And they will try to use existing authority as an excuse to force the mRNA vaccines on kids if they want to attend.</li><li>The vaccine passports are straight up fascism. They will expand vertically and horizontally. Vertically in the amount of punishment you will receive through denial of services or capacities or employment. Horizontally in the fact that more things will be added on to your passport. It won't stop with the first round of shots, there will be more rounds. And different types of things will be added to your list of things that you need to comply to to keep your passport in the green. I'll pass in being a part of that. My ancestors didn't fight and die for this country and it's freedoms so technocrats could use fear to take it all away. Hard pass.</li></ul><div>So, all theoretical right? We don't know much about the vaccines long term, even short term, what the virus will do, how passports if even allowed will play out. But me resisting the vaccine is already hurting me. That is what this post is about.</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My wife (we are separated at the moment) is having surgery and can't watch my son during the week. I was going to take him to my parent's but my mother is telling me since I haven't had the vaccine I have to quarantine at their house. Work wants me on a secure network and I don't think a hotel qualifies, so I think I will scrub that. I can stay at my wife's apartment (she won't be there as she recovers...ackward, but I can keep my son in school so I can work). So I exploded on my mom which is horrible of me but becoming more common. I hate when I do that but she is just going off the reservation more and more...and taking my father with her. So I don't know if I will see my parents again.</li><li>Threat of job loss. Got a new gig, a good gig, but it is a struggle so I will not be indispensable for awhile. The HR VP let it slip out that they want to make getting the vaccine mandatory. Owner said that wasn't the case, but I expect to be put under pressure to get the vaccine when everyone is ordered back into the office. I will be forced to wear a mask when everyone else doesn't. I expect that I may not work there for long.</li><li>Not getting the vaccine is putting strain on chances for my wife and I to work things out. I expect that strain will continue to grow especially if I lose my job over taking a stand against the vaccine. I expect other relationships to sour as well, hell this is even being encouraged by the passport pushers.</li></ul><div>So this crap isn't theoretically for me anymore. It is costing me in relationships. It is becoming more difficult for me to spend time with my family. Down the road my resistance will cost me even more.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The sad part is I'm not that courageous. I see myself folding under pressure. I hope I don't but if I don't the credit for not folding is to be found on high and not in me because the reality of it is I'm mostly a coward. But I know I would be doing wrong on multiple levels, and I would be hoping against my instincts, my education as a poli sci major with an emphasis on authoritarian regimes, a Bible believer who sees where this is headed with the not buy or sell thing unless you have a mark, I would be betraying all of that. I would be hoping that none of my concerns come to pass. I would be betraying what I believe. I hope I keep my stand. Hell I even hope I keep it and I am wrong and none of my concerns are warranted...the vaccines turn out to be mostly safe, the passports are short lived, and everything goes back to normal. That would be nice wouldn't it. It would be nice if I don't get Covid (vacced or not) as well. But this whole resistant question isn't an abstract for me. It is going to hurt, and hurt hard. Will they take my kid from me, or try to, soon? I can see it. I can see all bad. Trying to steel myself for the worst. </div><p></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-27579017894592582762021-01-06T16:43:00.008+00:002021-01-11T05:51:32.293+00:00Harsh Times<p> So, we have the global pandemic. Most people...not all, some are thriving, but a lot of us for sure are in some sort of plague related hurt, be it economic, social, loss of loved ones, whatever. It is here.</p><p><br /></p><p>For me the harsh times started long before Covid. And I got a wheel barrel of shit dumped on me yesterday. So much so my heart literally hurt and I thought I might be having a heart attack.</p><p><br /></p><p>But I've been here before. I can't say I'm over joyed to go through this cycle of shit again. But, I'm 50. There is some solace that I literally won't be around forever so there just isn't enough time to put me through a ten year ringer too many more times.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, I'm losing my wife. I will probably lose my son to a degree. I've lost most of my friends. My financial and living situation is bleak...and that is the optimistic view.</p><p><br /></p><p>I know God is there. I know there is some sort of plan for this. Maybe my wife will get saved out of the process, but I can't bet on that. Maybe I need to lose everything so that whatever God has for me has room. But these painful cycles, man I wish I could avoid them. They take an incredible tole on my psyche when they hit. They are hard. But, life is hard, as I'm sure many of you know. And I've been blessed above and beyond by leaps and bounds more than I deserve. And, even though my marriage was never that great, I got to enjoy being with my wife when we were on the hills and not the valleys. Now we go our separate ways. It breaks my heart. But she isn't the villain here. I am perhaps in many ways. She in some. Just another tragedy in a sea of tragedies in this fallen world. More tears in the rain.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'll muddle through until it is my time to stop. My attitude is very, very negative right now. Just being near my wife and son make me cry. I can't say I really want to be in this world. I don't see much here for me. I'm not suicidal just anticipating for when I can lay all these things down. I have never been more isolated and alone and depressed than I am now. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, in the past when things have sucked hard, I turned to a few things for comfort. God of course, and trust me, He has (or I believe He has) supernaturally calmed me down at times...when my emotion boils and a bleakness falls on me that is wide and deep out of nowhere I get this calm feeling. In some ways it almost makes me mad because if it wasn't there I probably wouldn't be here either. </p><p><br /></p><p>The other things I turn to is old movies and music. I watched the Terminator on youtube the day before the latest shit dump on my head. And the theme song is sticking with me for some reason. So I'm adopting the Terminator theme song as my theme song for the 2020's. Not that I want to be a killing machine or anything, I absolutely do not. But I want to be less emotional. More logic driven. The Terminator has his purpose...his focus. Other stuff is irrelevant. So as my old life fades...and it faded hard. I lost my pets this year, which were valuable members of my family that connected me to the old life that my wife and I tried to lead...the white picket fence life that we failed at. I also lost my identity in my job. I lost my savings. My health is shite. I lost friends. The old is burned away in the metaphoric nuclear fire. And out of it arises a creature of purpose, focus, that never gives up and can only be defeated by destruction in carrying out it's purpose. 2020s is retasking, reprogramming, and hardening the brain. I await for my God for new orders and launch out of the automated factory into the world. My personal desires and wants engineered out of me. The human remains on the outside, but the inside is steal determination. Or I'll just flounder as a fat piece of shit divorced middle aged man...</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, to the 2020s, turning around and giving a big middle finger to the past decade. Grateful for it's joys, but hating the fuck out of in total. There are people who I wish I never stumbled across. Paths I chose poorly. They lead to an apocalypse...but now the machine arises from the ashes. My years past many of them squandered...may I now begin to serve with love, grace, a sound mind, and the focus of a Terminator to whatever calling my God has for me these last days...and maybe, there is just a small chance, out of the train wreck of my life, that some good will come of it, and My God might, just might, on that fateful day, whisper to me, despite my horrendous failures, "Well done my good and faithful servant." Then I can rest for eternity in the rest that has often eluded me in this life. That is my desire and my prayer. Amen.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AKVWiDTge_I" width="485" youtube-src-id="AKVWiDTge_I"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-60097023070962323512021-01-01T03:37:00.002+00:002021-01-01T03:39:09.583+00:00Predictions for 2021<p> So, back when I had friends, we would try to get together before the new year and make predictions for what was coming in the upcoming year for the world and for us personally. So I will lone candle it and carry on the tradition myself.</p><p>Looking to the future it is really hard to predict what is going to happen. Out the gate we have some event January 6th where either Biden will be elected or there will be a challenge. So prediction number one is...</p><p>1) Trump will not leave office without a fight. </p><p>Iran has been acting up lately, so prediction two is...</p><p>2) There will be a limited war with Iran, that could result in a nuclear "accident" in Iran.</p><p>China will not like Trump staying in power, so...</p><p>3) Chinese will continue to infiltrate the USA and our relations with China will continue to decline. No war yet though, but there might be some collateral damage where Chinese forces are in the way or fight against us where they should not be.</p><p>4) Israel will find more info and may start building the Temple, or at least you will be hearing more about it.</p><p>If Trump retains power, he will have to go after the coup plotters, so...</p><p>5) The insurrection act will be used against the legal and financial groups that fund and protect groups like Black Lives Matter which will be sent into the streets again if Trump stays in power. There will be violence but with the leadership decapitated things will somewhat settle, but there will be violence from the left all throughout the year.</p><p>6) The vaccine will not be forced, but it will be more and more harder to escape taking it. Lockdowns will continue and destroy most small businesses. New strains will show up.</p><p>7) There will at least one additional stimulus package (not counting the one being proposed now). There will also be greater talk of a great reset and the end of capitalism. But action on that will come in the next few years after.</p><p>8) On a personal level, I will have some sort of job in March.</p><p>9) My wife and I will be living apart at least part of the year with my child being mostly with me.</p><p>10) We will sell the RV at a huge loss.</p><p>That is it for my predictions this year. I think 2020 was a horrible year for many of us. A lot of people are looking for relief in 2021. I don't think it will be there for most of us. But left up your eyes, Jesus is coming back soon, maybe even in 2021. </p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-19122616965205886812020-12-19T06:10:00.012+00:002020-12-19T06:58:26.928+00:00Seasons<p> I've got a lot on my mind tonight. I really want to do a podcast...not for you, more for me, so I can just flow with my thoughts and see where they lead. I cannot, as I'm living in very tight quarters right now and the rest of my family is asleep. So typing must suffice.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm an opinionated dude. I have my thoughts, I have my way of seeing things. I'm not always right, but when it comes to politics, I often am. I don't say this to brag, I say this as a fact. A fact that with two bucks will get me a small coffee somewhere. Being right in this day and age is as useless often as being wrong. What do I mean by that? No one listens to me. My wife, my friends, my social media peeps. Everyone has their strong opinions and very little changes them. Heck maybe I'm not even often right, maybe just my own personal hubris blinds me to the fact that I'm wrong more often then I think. I'm sure there is some of that, but I still stand by I am right more than I am wrong, and that in this age it is more of a curse than anything to celebrate. It gets me nothing. Nothing.</p><p><br /></p><p>This new year holds unprecedented challenges for me. I am unemployed. I'm not a young buck anymore. My appearance is slovenly and I'm the fattest I've ever been (and I've been way fat). I left the work place voluntarily because my employer told me I was starting to suck, that they still liked me because I'd done such great work for them up till recently, and that due to them knowing I wanted to move back to civilization, they suggested I move back to the home office and give up remote working. A huge redo of the company's products was about to happen and having me physically present to bat ideas around with was deemed a good thing. There wasn't a time table put on this, heck they even gave me an OK raise, just that is ultimately what they wanted to see happen. Instead, due to Covid-19 shutting the schools down, me having horrible health problems the six months prior, and I being extremely burned out at life in generally, I just said screw it and pulled the plug. </p><p><br /></p><p>So I would exit the work place and do great things. I even proclaimed myself semi retired. Well, let's fast forward nine months. I did no great things, I need to get a job and fast, and I've regressed as a human being at almost every level. I could go into it more but why. Is what it is and I deal with the cards in my deck. </p><p><br /></p><p>My old company heard I was looking and gave me a call. We hear you are looking and might move back to the Detroit meto (true). Why not just come on back and work for us again? I said sure. It was agreed I'd start in January. I quit looking for a job and made plans to move. Well, this week I got a call saying sorry but things have changed and they were unable to hire me back. That is a whole post in and of itself. Is what it is. I lost about four weeks of job searching and four weeks of very low on savings (dumb on me) because I thought I had a job. Now it is financial crunch time, do or be very sad and broke. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, in the past, when I was about 28 or so, I got into the information technology world. Up until that time I was a pretty avid computer and pen and paper rpg gamer. I remember making the very specific choice to NOT get involved with a bunch of MMORPGs that came out at the time as I knew they would suck me in. Instead I chose to study and try to advance my skills. Maybe I was a little too focused and could have done both. But I chose the most important to focus on. </p><p><br /></p><p>I bring this up because I'm thinking next year is the same. I spend a lot of time researching what is happening in the world on a lot of levels. What does that get me? A little depression at where the world is headed, that is about it. Maybe even a lot of depression. Maybe it is time to dial back dramatically all the time I search for things online, reading RSS feeds and as time permits searching on dark topics. Maybe I need to punt that stuff, and focus almost exclusively on getting my health right, providing for my family, helping my special needs kid, and trying to be in a position to where the little joys of life aren't all missed by me because I'm generally pissed off and down. Time for a change. Time to live by faith more, but real faith not some weird hyper optimism (more on that another time).</p><p><br /></p><p>Some that know me will herald as a great thing me putting my research aside, but for the wrong reasons. Some of them I might love and be very close to. But they will never really understand that when they tell me this for the wrong reasons the contempt that I hold them for it. No need to tell. Not productive. It doesn't mean that I will stop being friends or loving them. But I am so sick that everyone thinks they are my auto-peer just because they have an opinion also. They are not a peer and will most likely never will be. Not pride speaking, at least not exclusively. They just never will be. Again, it gets me nothing being a sage in some ways and they being pleebs. Call me arrogant for saying it. Self delusional maybe. Again, it doesn't matter. The distinction, true or false, is only recognized by myself not them. And again it ultimately doesn't matter. So what. They watch NPR and CNN and listen to their friends who watch NBC and read the LA or NY Times. How can I compete with that...</p><p><br /></p><p>So, here I go, into looking at jump starting an IT career being older, usually a hard thing to do, or really focusing on what else I can do and embracing it full on. I can't completely ignore what the idiots that my countrymen and women put into office (or the fraudsters put into office) are doing, as their seeming incompetence or semi-hidden malevolence affects me and mine directly. But even if I know about it, ain't much I can do about it. But I will keep a pinky in the mix I guess so I can at least try to know when things are going to hit so I can prepare my family for them. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, starting soon, I'm leaving the social media sh_t show behind, or at least outside, and moving on to hopefully bigger and better for my family. It has been a wild ride...investigating the occult and NWO type stuff since I was 18 (really more like 12)...though I took a big break from that around when I turned 28 to focus. The last 12 years I've been a link slinger, meme warrior, and opinion pusher as if it was a part time job. If I've changed one or two minds or reached even one for Jesus I'd be surprised. Time to put my efforts into more fruitful endeavors for sure. I have been threatening this for a few years, but now the season of change I think has finally come upon me. If I am to be a little wise anyway.</p><p><br /></p><p>Via con Dios my online truthers. Romans 10:9-13. If you get one thing right get that right. If you have that right, the rest ultimately will soon not matter. </p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-38354470136995862792020-09-30T00:57:00.002+01:002020-09-30T01:00:39.641+01:00A Corona Karen Encounter<p> I ran into a Karen the other day. My dog is dying so I took her one last time to the lake. Drove threw town, my special needs son wanted to go to a playground for a few minutes that he used to go to pre-quarantine. I said yes. Parked. Made sure my two dogs were comfortable, rolled down the windows enough to make sure they got a nice breeze. Five minutes into my son playing I hear my dogs barking and then a small crowd gathering. It was a Karen and her group of friends inspecting my dogs. She came over and said I should do something about them. I explained they had the windows down, we are only going to be here a few minutes, and they were fine (which they absolutely were). Karen said no they were not and started blabbing at me. I said I'd check on them. They were fine (well, as fine as can be, my dog in the back was doing bad because, well, she is dying). The windows were down enough so I could reach in and pet the dogs without rolling them down more. There was a nice breeze, it wasn't that hot out, they were fine. In defiance I went back and let my son play a little more. Karen kept glaring at me, not because she gave two shits about my dogs anymore, but because I had defied her. I looked frumpy and my dog in the back looked bad, so it was her place being a superior being to step in and share her wisdom to a lesser and expect it to be followed immediately and with apology that Karen had to step in in the first place. Instead as Karen glared I scratched my face vigorously with my middle finger, that got her to quit glaring on me. But she got on the phone and suddenly reinforcements from a nearby RV started to show up. F__K, I just wanted to have a good day with my son and my dogs, let my dog play in the water which she loves. Let my son burn off some energy for 10 minutes before an hour drive home. But Karen wanted to f that up without knowing the details. </p><p>I could see where this was headed, and my mind set would not handle it to well. Plus I wouldn't have put it past Karen to call 911. I get it, in a hot car dogs and kids can dehydrate and even die. I would never do that to my dogs or my son. But this is fall in Northern AZ not Summer in Phoenix. This lady was totally over reacting and being freaking a psycho. But after a few minutes I gathered my son up and headed back to the car which was about 40' away. Again, checked the temp as I entered, totally fine. One of the newly arrived allies stared at me. Fuck you. Stared him down till he broke. What I thought biotch. At this point I needed to get out of there just for time and because this was not going to end well. So I fired up the ride and went to McDonalds as I had planned to do, and even though the dogs each drank plenty of lake water about a half hour ago, I gave them some more as I had planned to do. Day was kind of ruined. Thanks Karen.</p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-61509229447118658642020-09-05T07:10:00.000+01:002020-09-05T07:10:25.334+01:00My IT Rant<p> So, I semi-retired to take care of my special needs child during this whole pandemic thing. It was a hard decision. I was struggling to be productive with my son at home though, and I wasn't getting much help. There were other factors, but in the end I ended...maybe not but maybe...a twenty two year IT career.</p><p>Looking back I was mediocre to good. When left alone I did some pretty cool stuff, notably doing something with Telerik components for a big web app that Telerik said on the forums couldn't be done. I didn't know that so I went ahead and did it before I found out it couldn't be done. I had a few big screw ups too, or more realistically was part of a few big screw ups. None of them were all on me but I was involved. The nature of things I guess.</p><p>I was never a rock start though I had my moments. One of the reasons was...well let me put it in laymen's terms... a hyper spaz that lived and breathed technology. I enjoyed programming but as it grew more and more complex I found myself fighting the technology more and more to get what previously were fairly simple task done started to irk me. I remembering getting into web development and loving it. It was the mid 90ies, and yes my web sites had animated gifs and midis. It was fun and simple. And the ASP came along with an easy to use syntax for connecting to databases and manipulating information. About this time though a thought occurred to me. The programmers are going to really get into the web a ruin it.</p><p>I was right. They did. Because the money was there I became one of them. My creativity slowly died (though never completely) and I began to wade through the ever growing layers of C#, SQL, Web Services, CSS, Javascript and the various frameworks, APIs, best practices, design methodologies and patterns, etc...etc.. that make up what you need to know and do to make modern web applications. Things were (and still are) a moving target. The last couple iterations of Microsoft tech with Core I kept running into weird stuff with configurations. The meta part of building a web app became a whole new thing to learn. Looking back it kind of got a little bland.</p><p>Well, as expected, my family is going through my retirement savings faster than originally budgeted for. I knew that would happen. So now I have to do...something. Tech is one of my only skills. I can also drive a fork lift and dig a ditch, with the ditch digging being iffy at my age. Plus who wants to hire the near 50 grumpster when they can hire the hot shot kid that they can work to death? </p><p>The other option is for me to go it alone. Develop casual games. Write RPGs. Write novels (with a lot of editing help!). Investigate the paranormal. Test out of God has a calling on my life in ministry. Become a youtuber. Develop a facebook alternative. Maybe pick up a part time job and do strict budgeting. I've got to ponder all this for the next few weeks then act over the next few months.</p><p>Anyway, back to tech. In some ways I think web development in particular and programming to a lesser extent but still an extent has become welfare for smart people. As an example I point to the latest defunct version of Microsoft's web matrix. It connected to a powerful file based version of SQL Server that could actually do a lot. It had a powerful dynamically typed data component. The syntax was the new web pages syntax though kind of sphagetti-ish was very powerful. I immediately thought back to my classic ASP days and thought this is my tool! You could also use it to run various non-microsoft stacks like PHP, various CMSs, Word Press, it was cool.</p><p>The Microsoft developer community generally HATED web matrix. They complained that if you didn't write your apps correctly they could be easily hacked...true, but that is true with just about everything. I also saw comments dreading that beginners could write web apps easily and all the time developers had spent in their careers getting to where they were null and void because web matrix potentially made development so easy.</p><p>So what did Microsoft do? They stopped supporting web matrix. Even the third update wasn't even complete as the visual interface for connecting to SQL had bugs and was never patched. Gotta get back to the uber complex stack of so smart people can keep their investments profitable. Welfare for smart people.</p><p>So, being bright but not a genius, do I want to wade into this all again and not only battle with a creative vision of creating either something for myself or someone else, and also battle an increasingly complex and ever changing development stack? I don't know. I might shy away from the web part and focus more on the programming part. </p><p>Anyway, end rant. Software development is needlessly complex and a pain. Smart people get it done and get it done well by brute force. I'd like the coding to more get out of the way and the creativity and non-coding problem solving take the forefront. I might have to fly into this whole mess again. Pondering how to make it light and fun again. </p>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-58552068214499266952020-05-11T21:38:00.007+01:002020-05-11T23:34:55.882+01:00Covid-19: My Quick TakeI plan to write a more expanded post about this, heck I might even do a video. Here is my current thinking on the Corona Virus, which should be called the CCP Wuhan Virus as others have stated.<br />
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<b>The Virus</b>: Natural, but upgraded to better infect people through genetic engineering.<br />
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<b>Origin:</b> A dual use biomedical/covert biowarfare research lab in Wuhan China.<br />
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<b>Deliberately Released?:</b> Right now I'm leaning towards no, but there was a lot of tinkering with the Corona Virus outside of China in North Carolina, Canada, Ft. Detrick, and elsewhere. There was also funding going to Wuhan for messing with Corona, possibly to keep an eye on what the Chinese were up to by having a finger in things but also possibly to skirt US three year ban about upgaining function in Corona related viruses. It also looks real suspicious that Bill Gate's foundation and the WHO(?) ran a Corona virus pandemic simulation in October of 19. It is hard to ignore the pattern that usually before planned events happen there seem to be a lot of drills for them either before or during to add confusion during an actual event. But for now I'll tentatively hold to that the virus was leaked accidentally. But again, my thinking on that could change.<br />
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<b>Is the Virus "Fake"?:</b> Unfortunately, there are manipulators on both side of the isle, and it is very sad for me to see various big name conservative social media accounts pushing the narrative that this think is just a flu and essentially a non-thing. These same big media accounts post photos and videos of conservatives out protesting the lock downs, fanning the flames, but pictures of themselves actually being at the protest are strangely absent...<br />
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<b>Is the NWO and Globalist Using the Virus?:</b> Absolutely. They never waste a good crisis, whether the crisis is of their own making or "organic", they will use it for their ends. The usual players are pushing for mandatory vaccines, microchipping, near total surveillance, etc... It does not mean the virus isn't real. It means we have to fight their agenda as well as the virus.<br />
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<b>Are the Death Counts Inflated?:</b> Yes...but again, is this deliberate as part of the plan to hype the virus? Maybe somewhat. Often numbers about medicare paying big cash to hospitals for corona virus patients and even more if those patients go on ventilators. Undeniably that will push some hospitals to label some people who might have other health issues as having Covid-19. But what is failed to mention with these numbers is two things. One, this might have been done to make sure that elderly patients would get care, and maybe isn't as nefarious as one might think, even though it does incentive hospitals to miss count. Secondly missed is just how outrageous the whole Medicare payouts to hospitals are. There is a context here that is missed. Under Obama Medicare payouts became harder to collect, but there are still generally highly inflated. If you look at other numbers of what hospitals get in payouts I think people would be shocked, and in that context Covid-19 patient care reimbursements are high but not as outlandish as they seem. Also there is this push to say that patients with co-mobidities and underlying symptoms should not be counted as Covid-19 patients and or deaths. I like to just replace Covid-19 with being hit by a mac truck when analyzing these deaths. Example, a patient that is overweight, has diabetes, and is in poor health gets hit by the corona virus...replace that with a mac truck. Now patient is overweight, has diabetes, and goes to the hospital and dies due to a mac truck accident...how would you count that death. Diabetes of course! Get real. People are psyoping these death counts to make you think they are more inflated then they are. I'm sure in some cases they are inflated, but in others deaths aren't counted. Like in NY it is coming out that many people possibly died at home with the virus, just like in Wuhan, and those numbers will not show. The numbers should be taken as a guide.<br />
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<b>So How Lethal is the Virus?: </b> Here, I was wrong. I thought at this point a lot more deaths would have occurred, which I am grateful did not. Also the curve is starting to flatten out which is great. Some of that is social distancing and the lock downs did help. I also think the virus is far more wide spread than known, so I think the lethality of it is FOR NOW less than 1% because so many have it don't know it...as it shows up either not at all in them or as a very minor cold. But this thing is not just the flu in my opinion for the following reasons-<br />
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<li>This thing is a lot more infectious than your average flu</li>
<li>This thing sometimes takes up to a month to show symptoms </li>
<li>I think the virus lurks in your system for a long time. It might revisit many who haven't had any symptoms, had minor symptoms, had major symptoms, people that are "cured". It lingers, waiting for some stressing event to lower immune response so that it can try to fire off again. </li>
<li>Those who suffer major symptoms even though they are "cured" and get better are suffering organ damage which might lower their quality of life going forward and their lifespans.</li>
<li>This thing seems to morph / mutate fast...symptoms are verying. Which might be a sign that in some ways docs and scientist are counting everything under the sun as corona virus...or it means this thing is just highly mutatable, or both. If it is highly mutatable that could be bad as the future direction the virus could take be more deadly and treatment becomes more complex, right now an unknown.</li>
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<b>Should we Continue the Lock-downs or Open Op?: </b>I think inevitably the damage to the economy is going to be unsustainable by keeping everything locked down. In a perfect world we could remain locked down for a few more months...hate me for that if you will...but then economic problems would possibly be more dangerous to the USA than the virus. Heck I think if we just could have gotten people to wear mask and keep socially distant in the beginning of this we could have probably avoided full lock downs in most areas. Ultimately I like that the lock down decision went to the states, which if smart in turn will punt deciding on what needs to happen further down to the municipality level. The one size fits all approach is stupid. I actually thought the guidelines the CDC put out for the three phased reopening were reasonable...as guidelines and not law...and I thought it was too bad they got shelved. But they are known, and a good place to start if states wish to follow them. And to those saying all these lock-down ordinances and decrees are UnConstititonal? I would argue they are absolutely correct. It isn't cut and dry but ultimately power to do things in our system comes from the people up through the legislature with limits put on place on what the legislature and the executive enactment arms can do. And although I think the lock-downs in some areas like NY City are highly advisable and should be followed, I do not think they are legal in a strict sense. Even federal execute orders and presidential decision directives giving the Federal government the power to order lock-downs, if they so chose, are really the executive giving itself power that was not derived by the due process and exceeds the limits of power put on government by the Constitution. So I agree, even though some of these lock downs I think are wise.<br />
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<b>So Should We All Get Vaccinated for the Virus?:</b> The short answer, at least initially, is no! I am not an anti-vaxxer per se. But what people fail to understand is vaccination is a multi-domain issue, not just a scientific one. There are nefarious interest involved in vaccination efforts...there is big money to be made...there are big corporations involved that have very poor track records of their vaccines being safe...there are context here, vaccines are often analyzed in a vacuum of the single vaccine alone, not in a systematic way of how adding an extra vaccine into the schedule affects other vaccines, other factors in human health. Plus humans make mistakes, and often. Especially under the gun and with limited testing and time for feedback. In short I don't trust big companies, people like Bill Gates and his foundation who might be screwing with vaccines (actually there is no might, they are) to achieve non-stated agendas in the population that if those agendas were exposed and put to a vote not only would those agendas not pass but Bill Gates might and people like him might find themselves in a prison cell or worse. That is for you to research though. And removing the nefarious aspect of it, this virus mutates, and people make mistakes, and even though testing done with a vaccine might show it working, negative issues might not show up for years and any vaccine would be rushed. Surely I am 100% against forced vaccination. Now if you could prove to me the vaccine is safe, that those that invented it are taking the exact same vaccine that I and my family are expected to take, and the nefarious forces involved have been taken out of the loop, and the virus becomes so narly that I see the need for it, I would consider it. To some that might be a let down. But the case would have to be pretty extreme, and even then I would be against any form of microchipping or forced vaccines as I am now. That might be a cause for civil disobedience.</div>
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<b>Are we going into a Depression?: </b> Yes. I think if things could open up with little consequence the economy could snap back fairly quickly. But I don't think the opening up will be without consequence. I think the virus is going to start kicking off again in a major way in about a month as things open up and more exposure happens. So things will be shaky. I also expect foreign relations with China who we unfortunately have grown dependent upon for many things to continue to deteriorate which will affect things. I expect at minimum intermittent supply disruptions and inflation. I do not see inflation being a even across all good and services though. Some prices for things might actually drop, but many food related ones probably will rise. There is a lot of pressure due to so many people being out of work for deflation, but the powers that be pumping trillions into the economy that is mostly consumed by their cronies is a huge inflationary pressure and endangers the US dollar as being the primary reserve currency of the world. So are the dollar remains the safe haven, but when recovery from the virus does come, and it will eventually, all those inflationary pressures on the dollar are going to kick in and really hurt the dollar's status. I worry this problem is further out, with the virus just being one growing cause for US decline among many. I think there is actually an opportunity presented by the virus for the USA to regain control of it's economy from the globalist, become more self sufficient, grow it's industries and provide a good job base for a futile and growing economy. Yet the forces that be that outsourced our economic engine to the third world and China are quiet now but very much remain. Unless we citizens really get serious and I hate to say it but start hanging a few of these types as an example they will be back to their old tricks again soon. Plus that debt growing and growing and growing, and our society's addiction to it, might be too great a weight for movements to bring our economy "back home" to overthrow. I'm hopeful and pessimistic at the same time. We shall see. But I think in the short to midterm we are going to see a lot of economic pain.</div>
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<b>Are we going to get into a war with China?:</b> I don't know. I think that will be it's own post. I am not anti the Chinese people, but I am against the Chinese Communist Party and it should absolutely be responsible for what they have unleashed on the world. I don't think the USA can stop China's rise, nor should we really. We do need to make sure that it stops being off our back. Relieving the Chinese people of their communist overlords would actually help China BOOM and there would be no holding them back. Even if what we know of China might become several different nations. It is in the Chinese people's interest, as well as the worlds, to see the CCP go. War might happen. </div>
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<b>Should you wear a mask when out?</b> Firstly, I don't think this should be forced. But quit being a selfish asshole and making it about rights. It is a common courtesy...you might be sick and not know it. I'm not talking about going for a walk where you can avoid neighbors...but in public spaces where close contact with people is unavoidable and expected? Don't be a jerk. Wear a mask. Hopefully a good one. </div>
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infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-39357248704741070632020-04-06T17:18:00.002+01:002020-04-06T17:18:12.672+01:00It Goes Beyond the Virus<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would not want to live in Moldova, Georgia (the country), or near Odessa right now. Nor would I want to be a Philippino or Vietnamese fisherman. The fallout of the virus goes beyond the virus depending on how long this thing plays out. We here in the USA are incredibly vulnerable to some threats as well. About 1500+ deployed nuclear warheads check that somewhat. Heaven help us if our adversaries figure out a way to mitigate that threat to an "acceptable loss level" if things get bad. </span>infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-41391218430911612792020-04-04T21:37:00.003+01:002020-04-04T23:32:26.585+01:00Coservatives...Don't Get Covid-19 Wrong<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8s67k" data-offset-key="2nbc4-0-0" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've been very disappointed with my fellow conservatives about this virus. Their instinct is good...yes, nefarious forces will use ANY opportunity to advance certain political agendas. Yes there are some on the left who believe taking out the US economy is a good thing for a variety of reasons and this virus plays into their narratives. But the fear of that has been so great, that the other side of the political isle might get an advantage through this crisis, that there is a strong predisposition to believe this virus is fake. There are all sorts of thought leaders out there on social media parroting that yeah the virus is real but minor...that it is really just like the flu. No it is not. I'm not hear to debate that. I'm here to put a thought in your mind to germinate. Not a virus, but an inoculation.
Those nefarious forces that you fear? They have infiltrated the conservative side too. These same thought leaders I bet a few months ago were parroting out the wonders of free trade and outsourcing. We see now how vulnerable our country has become since we now produce very little here. The promise of wealth generated through greater economic efficiency of using foreign near slave labor would be translated down to the masses how is that working? It has built up an adversary at our expense that has infected the word with a pandemic. It has made the same people who fund the left and the right here in America incredibly wealthy. But it has not generally filtered down to you has it? And in times of distress not making things and relying on others to make it for you is proving disastrous. Mark the turds who advocated free trade and globalism at all cost. They are not your friends. Also do me a favor and mark all the idiots that are telling you Covid-19 is just the flu. Unfortunately they will be proven wrong. And when they are wrong on such a huge thing you need to divorce yourselves from being influenced by them. You don't have to change your mind on the virus now, it will change your mind for you in the coming weeks. But mark the large accounts on social media telling you to go around filming hospitals were the virus hasn't broken out yet and declaring it a lie. Just kind of keep loose track of them. And if this virus does end up chewing though 10K people a day for a continued amount of time do your fellow conservatives a favor, and quit following these turds and instead follow people who didn't miss (overall) on this and other big things.
Please continue to keep up your vigilance against those who would use a crisis to depreciate the Constitution and stick to real conservative values, but as this plays out please course correct and free yourselves from psyops going on from both the right and the left. Quit being played.
Thank you.</span></span></div>
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infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-27939449493846395192020-03-18T14:30:00.002+00:002020-03-18T14:32:12.408+00:00Thoughts on the VirusFrack it. I think I got a good sense of what we are facing. And if I'm wrong it isn't like I'll be upset. I posted links to an imperial college study outlying what I've seen just in a more academic format. Pretty early on people were running simulations of what this thing could do that matched their findings. But I deleted the link. Data is there for you to find it you wish, as the data about the potential of this thing has been available since December? January? If you are just bathing in angst you are late to the party.<br />
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Some of the most outraged by the government's response have been some of the most laxidasical in their personal preparations and have been pretty much willfully ignorant about things up until a week or so ago. Hard to take their angst seriously. Would I have done things differently? Yes. Do I think the Trump admin blew this one...a huge f'up? Yes. But theer is a context in all of this that is also willfully lost by many, but I don't want to get into that. Bottom line is our initial response and continuing response sucks. I'm not sure the public would have been ready say in January for a complete lock down based on theoreticals...even now there is a good deal of resistance to obvious steps.<br />
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We face more than the virus. We face a huge economic melt down that could be worse than the great depression. Not saying it will be, but the potential is definitely there. If we can flatten the curb and get this thing to go away within six months I think the chances of the economy bouncing back to an even stronger position than we were at is a real chance. But that is an unknown. The sting is just beginning.<br />
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But that isn't the only threat. As global cop struggles as weapon system operators and military units are taken offline by the virus, the threat of the global actors making moves will become a bigger reality. Cyberattacks on HHS and militia activity in Iraq against US bases are the first drops from a breaking dam.<br />
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Also people's minds are a huge problem. A good chunk of the population thinks this is an NWO operation to force some sort of vaccine on the population that contains the mark of the beast or some bad payload that later on could be worse than the virus. Other chunks of the population don't even believe the virus is real. Then there are the civil libertarians who question whether or not the government has the right to enforce certain steps to curb the virus because they overstep the government's Constitutional authority. Then there are the arrogant types who don't think anyone has the right to tell them what to do and getting a positive diagnosis for the virus as long as they feel fine they will go about their normal routine spreading the disease. Lastly, we have a bunch of political ideologues that view the virus as a vehicle in political tribal warfare to attack their political opponents over or to defend their incompetent leaders over.<br />
Neither side here is actually paying attention the the virus other than how it can be used or countered in the political arena. Getting all these folks to do what needs to be done and cooperate might generate self fulfilling prophecies for some, and create domestic unrest at worse which exacerbates every other problem.<br />
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So where are we at? We are at the beginning of something really bad. Relying on others to take care of you through this situation is very unwise. You have to evaluate things and take personal action. Rather than waiting for help you might have to step up and be the help, both for yourself, your family, your friends and neighbors, and beyond. There will be no white knight that rides into town and slays this thing if it gets bad. We need instead all of to rise up, put aside stupidity for a brief while, and become unsung local heroes that we need in the hundreds of thousands to get through this if it gets as bad as it probably will. That will get us through. Not our wise leaders who can't even predict the weather correctly three days out trying to cobble together a silver bullet when none is to be had, at least not for awhile.<br />
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Quit bitching, prep, and get ready.infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-77048081521773311322020-03-16T17:23:00.000+00:002020-03-16T17:23:00.190+00:00Corona is just like the Flu...Maybe, Maybe NotIt is so inconvenient when a macro event forces it's way into your micro life. I'm so over this virus thing and it is just beginning. It has pushed back plans for us to move, it has put on hold me taking some time off from the working world, and it has altered my daily routine. I'm sure any of you with kids is now feeling the Corona bite now, with them being at home, regardless of if this is a "real" thing or not.<br />
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Stats on this thing are garbage both here in the USA and abroad other than understanding trends perhaps. The USA stat I give a little credence to is the number of new deaths. We clocked in at 11 yesterday. Which is interesting as only 10 cases were listed as serious. It is a horrible thing if you are one of the ones who died, or a loved one. But comparatively of all the things that can kill you in this world Corona Virus is a relatively minor threat* (I'll come back to that). Many are teeing off of that, calling just the flu, media hype, or a conspiracy theory to take down the economy and thus Trump. Social media pundits are busy throwing stats comparing what is most likely to kill you out telling everyone not to worry. Some are citing the 14 emergency hospitals shutting down as evidence that the original epicenter (China/Wuhan) is now under control. The threat is receding, or so the pundits claim.<br />
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The problem is that China has decided to reboot their economy. First with forced labor from the Ughar (spelling?) minority. So yes we can once again, maybe, be able to enjoy cheap stuff at big box stores and the economic engine to fuel a rising authoritarian regime that is antagonistic to almost everything the USA on it's best day stands for. The mainstream labor force in China is now joining back into the work force. Everything good right?<br />
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Well that miracle of containment is now starting to show some weaknesses. Death counts and new cases are starting to rise again. Is the authoritarian Chinese regime rebooting too early? The draconian measures of sealing in whole apartment complexes and the forced isolation of millions of people did work. But that also shut down China inc. Now that things are kicking off again, we may have wave two in China. Early indicators are that is exactly what is happening. New cases and new deaths are rising...not nearly like before, but the reboot is in it's early stages. What the future holds we don't know yet.<br />
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South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and others have also won early victories against Corona. Hopefully these will hold. Some countries like Singapore might have some unique characteristics that allow them to keep a lid on the virus easier. A few other countries like Thailand have just decided to not test and label probably Corona cases, which could be in the 6000 range, as viral pneumonia rather than Corona and for now call it good.<br />
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Anyway, I digress. Why isn't this the flu? The early death rate sited as 1% is incorrect. In Italy and Iran right now it is much higher than that. But some would argue those are the diagnosed cases, there are probably many more cases that go undiagnosed because for many the symptoms are minor. This actually isn't a plus in some respects as this means many go around spreading the disease without even knowing they have it. So let's say the real death rate (on average, individual health circumstances impact individual chances a lot) is .1. So far is is on an exponential growth rate of doubling about every 3 days in the USA...but again we are talking about a very small number of cases compared to the overall size of the USA, and lack of testing makes it hard to extrapolate what is going on for sure. But it appears from the official stats (again garbage other than for trends) that Corona is indeed spreading exponentially. So let's take that optimistic .1 death rate. Let's say measures taken reduce the spread from a predicted eventually 70% of the population down to say 10%. What does that mean?<br />
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32 million infections. That is 32,000 KIA. Just like the flu right? Yeah...if every restaurant is closed, schools closed, social distancing enforced, most travel domestic and international banned, for a good chunk of time. If not you can add at least another zero on to that death number. Unlike the flu this virus has already wiped out about 16 trillion from the global economy as of today and will continue wipe out jobs, savings, companies, and opportunity for a long time to come. And it may just be getting started.<br />
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The one point of optimism is the real death rate might even be lower, like .01. Then with all of the above we would be looking at something like 3200 deaths, minor in the scheme of things. Looking at Iran and Italy I think we can rule that .01 rate out. Heaven help us if it is the 3.6 number that appears to be what is happening in Italy. And yes, Italy has one of the oldest populations in Europe. But no, it isn't only the old with co-morbidity symptoms that are dying there, like some are saying. Yes they smoke. But their population on average is probably healthier than our fast food over stressed under slept population. <br />
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This is a big deal. This isn't the flu. If you are still thinking that you are not paying attention. But ironically, maybe that is a good thing. As stress lowers immune responses. Ignorance might help you live. I have a feeling though it is going to be hard to remain ignorant for long.infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-91412720626144657032020-03-12T17:52:00.000+00:002020-03-12T17:52:05.958+00:00Never Waste a Good CrisisAh, never wast a crisis.<br />
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The fed announces it will do a 1/2 trillion asset buy.<br />
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Let me translate. Since the market is depressed, the fed will go to one of it's bank accounts and add a bunch of zeros to it on the right hand side, enough to create 500 billion dollars out of nothing. Then it will take that 500 billion, and buy up a bunch of assets that are undervalued due to the current crisis. Then, when attention is diverted, the Fed will sell those 500 billion worth of assets to their cronies for pennies on the dollar.<br />
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Same crap they did in 2008. Remember only about 3% of "TARP" funds actually went to help Mortgage holders. It is just more and more of the American economy sucked up like a vacuum and parceled out to the ruling class.<br />
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Yet we should rejoice because this will continue to prop up the market...apparently the market doesn't think so.infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-20243245951350537992020-03-08T06:21:00.001+00:002020-03-08T06:27:27.564+00:00Remember Citizen<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="4b1hq" data-offset-key="eha2-0-0" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember citizens, go to work and don't fear. That disrupts society and at a community level that is all bad. And what are you really? Just a little piece of the community. The community is what matters, not it's expendable assets. Nose to the grind and if you drop you drop. But the community will survive. Thus in a sense you will survive. You must put the community over self.
Actually, paying attention and seeing danger and taking action to avoid it is not only prudent but if people depend on you it is responsible. It doesn't in and of itself mean you are putting your compassion on the shelf. It doesn't make you anymore selfish than before unless afterwards you become more selfish then you were. This thought...that somehow you are a bad person if you look out for yourself when danger is coming is ridiculous, especially if you plan to look out for others too as you are able. I guarantee that the elite of the "community" will have the best prep possible, the best care available, and the best information at their finger tips. While they smile and say carry on they are making the moves they are assuring everyone else are not necessary. Many of them will avoid danger while asking others to sacrifice. If you choose to sacrifice that is noble and good, but do it from a point of having knowledge that guides rational self interest that you make the decision to willingly lay down for a greater good that you have thought and prayed about, not from a position of where you outsourced your self interest as a commodity to be traded by others who view you as an expendable clog in the gears.</span></span></div>
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infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-20822241340743589362020-03-03T23:41:00.001+00:002020-03-03T23:49:11.684+00:00Facebook Post on The VirusI was going to post this on facebook but I decided to post it here instead. Mostly this is based off of frustration with conservative friends who generally think the same way I do but are being really stubborn about acknowledging the threat this thing poses for reasons that I kinda understand but the stubbornness of it escapes me....<br />
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OK, one last thing on the virus...<br />
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I saw some stuff that scared me coming out of Wuhan. I did some research. So I reacted. I posted about it hear because a) I'm off of most other social media places as of January 1, b) I really think this virus is a thing...at least in the sense of shortages, and c) I thought you should know. I didn't add too many details about it that I could have...but let's take a little test.<br />
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Who worked with the CDC and a county level bio defense organization in the past? Me...you?<br />
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Who doesn't get their information from CNN, MSNBC, NPR, FOX, etc...Me...you?<br />
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Who does track about 200 military/geopolitical/current events blogs and web sites (down from over 500+ a few years ago) daily...Me...you?<br />
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It doesn't mean my conclusions are right or yours are wrong. But I want to make one thing clear.<br />
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I don't give a frak that you disagree with me that this virus isn't a real threat. You're not my peer group. The stuff I put out there, gently, was public service. Take it, or don't. I've got people now trying to convince me to reach different conclusions than I have by regurgitating crap stats I've seen over and over again already. Stop it. Believe what you want. Don't prep if you want. It's all good. I felt compelled to make a statement, it was free, and it is absolutely take it or leave it. Just like a free lunch is. And I've always been careful to state yeah this thing could burn out in Summer, yeah it might not be a thing, I can't see the future, I don't know. But there were definite reasons why I essentially said watch out. As I think you will see.infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261821962975478293.post-67843067639417885332020-03-03T16:55:00.000+00:002020-03-03T16:55:18.598+00:00You Can Lead a Horse to Water......but you can't make him drink!<br />
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I've been pretty mellow online about the Covid-19 virus. I KNEW it was bad when I head the first reports from China. And I SUSPECTED it was a lab leak. But I had and still have no idea how badly it will affect the rest of the world. So I researched and watched.<br />
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What was my conclusion? It's bad, and it will probably explode here soon at least up until summer. Beyond that when things heat up for most of the USA, I don't know.<br />
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But even though I've been mellow, I started to look at things. n95 disposable mask...sold out. Hand sanitizer...sold out. Bulk food stuffs on pantry...mostly sold out. So regardless of what happens, people are prepping/stockpiling. Also China is partially shut down economically. Since we have been geniuses and exported most of our production to China, that means looming shortages at least in the short term of many goods is coming.<br />
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I've told people. People just regurgitate some of the following-<br />
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<ul>
<li>Covid-19 is a conspiracy to take down the economy and take down Trump. It isn't really a thing.</li>
<li>Covid-19 is just like the flu. It is bad sure but nothing really to worry about.</li>
</ul>
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Well if you fall into those two categories, and are doing nothing to prep for at least the shortages, I wash my hands of you. You stubborn asses. </div>
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What is even more personally infuriating is the whole "don't let the media scare you. Do your own research." You ignorant rubes, you tell me this while parroting back to me the talking points of the mainstream media. I'm freaking sorry but if you think you are informed about the world let alone Covid-19 by watching CNN or listening to some slow talking NPR talking heads you fail. You fail epic-ally. Instead of telling me to do research why don't you get off your own lazy asses and do actual research! This thing is most likely from a lab in Wuhan. It is highly contagious, and the 1% fatality rate is a bogus number because it is based on Chinese metrics, that, if you had done actual research, you would have known were BS because you would have seen the leaked videos coming out of China and other collaborative information that verify the official numbers are bogus. </div>
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I'm kind of sick of my stubborn Q-psyoped fellow conservatives as well as the opportunist liberals as well as the hypnotized proles that just watch main stream news and think they are in the know.</div>
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I warned many of you but you were smarter than me. You don't take me seriously even though I research hours a day on geopolitics and what is happening in the world. Well let's see how those smarts work out for you by mid April.</div>
infocydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717475066074726136noreply@blogger.com0