I see choices I made that I wish I had done differently, like dropping out of school, or letting negative comments about how hard it is to get published discourage me from my writing. I can’t get to much of my writing any more because it’s on a laptop with a dead battery. I guess that needs to be a priority at some point. Or it might be on a desktop that isn’t functioning right now. At least with that one I can just take out the hard drive and hook it to another computer.

Although I’m regretting some of my choices, I’m not letting the negatives sit rent-free in my head. I just wish I had worked at my writing more instead of letting that part of me sit idle.

On another note, I heard from my oldest yesterday, my Marine (though I’m sure he’d be embarrassed to hear me call him that LOL – yes, he reads my blog), the son who was around when I first started MUDding. He’s going to be deployed in March. I’m scared for him, and I’ll worry the whole time he’s gone. But I’m proud of him too. He saw what he wanted to be, and went after it. Now if only he’d call so I know what I’ll need to keep track of while he’s gone. LOL

Anyway, after the stresses of the last few days, I think I’m headed to bed early tonight. Laterness & g’night.

Anyway, I was listening to another TED address today that I found a link to somewhere – just where escapes me now, but I’m getting sleepy early.

In the address, the speaker talks about how Facebook is tailoring what they display on your news feed by what you’ve clicked on in the past.  Those who have clicked on conservative links aren’t as likely to see many links posted by liberal friends.

A dear friend would say just stay off Facebook, they collect too much information anyway.

Did you know, Google does the same thing?  So do other news sites and search engines.  Not just from your browser history, but even analyzing the browser you’re using and your operating system.  Two people on two different computers will get 2 totally different results when searching Google for the exact same search term.  (See the video and the search for ‘Egypt’ on Google).

Smacks of Big Brother doesn’t it?

Check out the presentation below.  It’s only a bit under 10 minutes so won’t take much of your time.

My response was Hell NO because of the NDAA that he signed on Saturday (December 31).  On the face of it, the NDAA simply funds the Defense Department.  Sounds great, with all the soldiers that need paid, right?

Yet there was an insidious addition to the 2012 version of the bill.  This addition allows the government to arrest American citizens on American soil and hold them indefinitely.  Without trial.  Without legal resource.  All because they’re suspected to be a terrorist.

Let’s just make the Bill of Rights null and void, right?

Ben Franklin is often quoted as saying

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

In actuality, I found an article suggesting he didn’t write this quote, but someone else during the Revolutionary War.  Either way, it’s something for us to think about.

Both of these bills would allow an entire website to be taken down because of any suspected pirated or stolen content.  This might sound great to an artist, but think of it this way.  Someone sings a Beach Boys song and uploads it to YouTube.  YouTube can be shut down.  The whole site, not just one specific video.

DCMA currently allows a copyright owner to go through legal channels to get copyrighted content removed.  Apparently for some copyright owners, DCMA isn’t enough.  The number of companies and organizations supporting SOPA have been at times surprising and other times no surprise at all.

GoDaddy was vocal in supporting SOPA until a very public backlash that turned into a PR nightmare.

SumOfUs is encouraging people to email Google to withdraw from the US Chamber of Commerce because the Chamber supports SOPA.

Now Sony, Electronic Arts (EA Games) and Nintendo have apparently withdrawn support for SOPA.  Yet though they’re not listed as supporting this bill, they’re still members of the Entertainment Software Association, and the ESA supports SOPA.  Oops.

This bill is turning into a PR nightmare for companies that rely on the Internet for their business.  Yet they’re still pushing for the bill’s approval.

Since I’m not as eloquent as I’d like to be tonight, I’ll end with this.  Adam Savage has an article in Popular Mechanics that’s available on their website.  In this article, he explains why SOPA and PROTECT-IP are a bad idea.  Check it out here. (Opens in a new window).

For more information, check out http://blog.archive.org/2011/12/07/please-donate-to-the-internet-archive/ (Opens in a new window).

That’s all I have to say about that.

On the other hand, Regretsy.com’s donations have been freed by PayPal, and going to the people that were supposed to get it.  If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, check out this article at TechCrunch. (Another new window/tab).  Now if only a real alternative to PayPal would come along.

I know there are some, and a dear friend of mine would simply say don’t buy anything online.  BUT, I do write for a company online, and they pay through PayPal.  So… I guess I should simply transfer my money ASAP so I don’t have a lot to lose, huh?

I assumed that the software publishers were the ones adding the bundles.  That is, I assumed so until last night when I was looking at headlines on PopURLs (http://popurls.com/ Opens in a new window).  According to one of the headlines in Hacker News, at least one software company didn’t want this bundling to happen.  CNET assumes that the users want this bundling to make their experience go more smoothly.

Here’s the link to the article on Hacker News. (Opens in  new window.)

Here’s the link to the article on Extreme Tech talking about CNet’s motivations. (Also opens in a new window.)

‘People who are truly thankful don’t complain.  They find a reason to be truly thankful.’

I don’t say much about going to church.  The pastor at my parents church said the above this last Sunday.  He also said:

‘Thankful people don’t hoard.’

We all have reasons to not be thankful.  We all have things that happen to us.  We all feel like we need to hoard things against a future need.  Yet we may or may not actually really need what it is we’re saving.  Instead, when we hoard things they start taking the place of things that should mean more to us.  Hoarding is the art of collecting without any interest in sharing.  If you’ve ever watched the TV show Hoarders, many times the things the person is hoarding start mattering more than their families.  So many of these people have made their kids feel unwanted because things were more important.

Around this time of Thanksgiving, we need to count our blessings for this last year.  Bad things will happen.  If we focus on the good, we’ll be happier overall.  We won’t forget the good in our lives and the things that truly matter.

One more quote:

‘Thankful people realize that today’s troubles will be tomorrow’s miracles.’

If you’re going through troubles, remember it won’t stay that way forever.  There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.  We’re always going to go through a hard time.  That’s how we grow and find ourselves.

http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html (Opens in a new window)

On the one hand, it’s great news for most mobile devices, including phones.  LOL except for those of us who are using very old devices that can’t be updated to use the latest browser.  My BlackBerry doesn’t like much, and I have to borrow my brother’s phone if I want to check my bank balance or something similar when I get paid.  (See the BlackBerry is not working clip posted last year sometime lol).

Now developers need to work toward doing more with HTML5 and ditching Flash.  It’s fairly well supported, and you don’t need to mess with learning iOS or anything else.  Just HTML5.  Which means you can develop one app and sell it in several places if that’s what your interest is.  Sounds good to me.

Oh wait, I don’t have time for something like that… or creativity lol.  I prefer to come up with story lines instead.  One of these days they’ll even make it into a book.

On that note, I’d best get some sleep.  Though I’m no longer lectured by my dear friend when I don’t, it makes for a very long day when I drive over an hour to my p/t job.  G’night all.  Dream well.

From YouTube:

Edited to add the following, posted from OccupyOakland.

And one more: I know my parents don’t agree with Bernie, but this is what I’ve been saying when my parents ask my opinion of what’s going on, or at least part of it – that deregulation led to the economic problems we’re having:

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so tongue in cheek several years ago when I said Bernie for Prez

The Republicans are definitely living on another planet.

I may be a bitch. I am just not YOUR bitch.

It gave me the giggles.