Category: LifeStyle

A commentary on Social Media

The recent ouster of Bill Oreilly from Fox news was surprising. We have no idea what goes on behind the closed doors of the executive suites at Fox. We have no clue what has transpired if anything between the popular opinion show host, and his co-workers or guests.

There is the talk of a $13 million dollar payoff to five women.

Do we know for a fact that it happened?

My point is not to try the case of Bill’s behavior at the workplace. The simple facts are, we have no facts!

What we do know, there is a long history of people becoming targets who are in the public eye. How many times has someone been accused of saying or doing something untoward that was not true? Too many to count.

In this country, we are innocent until proven guilty.

Read that last statement again and reflect on that. The people, and I use the word “people” on social media loosely, have tried and convicted a man with no evidence, only hearsay! Whether the man is innocent or guilty is not the point. The point is that we want to believe the worst of someone who we take umbrage with. The tweets and comments on social media show the absolute worst side of our nature, for all the world to see. He had the number one rated show on cable news for over 20 years! Do you think that was a fluke!?

Not only are we so polarized that we cannot even be polite to someone who might have a different view than we do but, we scorn and scoff at anyone who is not ready to lynch Bill and everyone else that works for Fox. There were many threats aimed at other hosts who work for Fox today. Is that the way we work now. I thought we did not like Bullies, when did that change?

I expect this kind of rhetoric on Twitter. The Twitter-verse where anything goes, and there are no real names associated with your vile forms of contempt. I expect it on Facebook which is, after all, social media but there, a name is associated with your opinions and, we can assume that your audience knows you!

I do not condone it however and block much of it, as I would rather not see the hatred which is spewing out from many who are still not happy with the election results.

I was genuinely shocked to see this on Linked In, however. To witness the vitriolic, hateful rhetoric from people who use this form of media to obtain employment and or showcase to the perspective employers of the world how employable they are is just outrageous! It is like piercing and tattooing your face, and trying to get a job as a model for Vogue. After you are disqualified for obvious reasons, you then sue them for discrimination. Where did you graduate from that you think this is ok?

As a manager for most of my professional life, I must tell you that I look on the internet before I hire. After all the hurdles that one must jump through even to get an interview, do you think it wise to display your ignorance and your small minded demeanor for the entire world to see?

Linked In is not Facebook. Linked in is a professional network which is not the place to air your witlessness.

It makes little difference how you “feel” about a TV personality. To bloviate incessantly in a pejorative manner is ill advised on any media, much less Linked In.

-Best

When is the right time to think about Disaster Recovery?

Spring rains bring on more than just flowers or in my case, weeds. The phone started ringing early the other morning. My coffee was still brewing when the continuous ring of the phone demanded me instead of the regular answering service.

It would seem that lightning hit a pole close to one of my clients.

Lightning is far from respectful of your deadlines or the amount of work that your staff has lined up to accomplish. From simple power outages to fire, lightning all by itself is a disaster in the making. Some simple steps ahead of time can keep your company from being a victim to what this client was.

One girl had her headset in when the lightning struck and was shocked. Happily, she is ok, but their systems were not so fortunate. Had the grounding been worse; she may have been the path to ground.

Once the power was restored the server, router, and switch, did not recover.

The one machine on a UPS died as the power went out.

What went wrong?

Surge protectors have a finite lifetime. People buy these power strips with surge protectors and forget about them. Surge protectors are nothing more than a power strip with something in them known as a “Metal Oxide Varistor or MOV.”

Any power surge above an acceptable voltage is clamped or shorted to ground by this device. The problem is the MOV only last so long before it no longer functions. Every time there is any spike in the line from compressors shutting off to other electronic “noise” these components are adversely affected.

What is better?”

A UPS of enough wattage to allow the computer to be safely powered down in the event of a power failure. Along with the backup power ability, these devices have more sophisticated line conditioning circuitry protecting your equipment from stray voltage spikes.

One note to remember, these too only last so long before they must at least be maintained, or replaced. Any CIO worth his salt is familiar with Hardware asset management and has this is mind for his budget. CEO’s hate surprises like unexpected expenses. It is much easier to argue a budgeted expense than going hat in hand begging forgiveness for your ineptitude.

Suffer a catastrophe like this client, hope your boss does not hire someone like me to do a root cause analysis.

At the very least batteries must be changed out but keep in mind that an MOV is also part of that piece of hardware. I would budget the replacement of a UPS, rather than just the batteries if it were me.

Unless you have electrical engineers on staff, who are qualified to re-certify that equipment, it is too cheap not just to replace it.

Along with outdated hardware or not enough of it, I have seen too many times the ground plug defeated to save a dollar from an electrician. Those ground plugs are there for your protection, not because someone wanted to make it difficult for you. The problem with temporary is all too often it becomes permanent.

Lightning struck outside one of my client’s offices hitting a pine tree. Finding the electrical ground for the building, which was poorly grounded, everything in the building suffered a power surge knocking out much of their equipment.

Many times, building management will only do what is necessary by code and leave the gamble up to you the tenant.

Depending upon your location, achieving a good ground could be difficult. The type of soil must is taken into account among other things. Again, depending upon your location, you might want to invest in grounding your building with lightning protection equipment including lightning rods or now they call them “air terminals.” The idea is to have some amount of confidence that if lightning hits, it will strike your planned target and be dissipated safely into the earth.

Since all computer equipment and now phones are wired through the network, this last customer lost computers and phones along with the network infrastructure.

Failure to plan is planning to fail.

The cost of the hardware and time to repair was minimal, compared to the amount of time the company was out of business.

Insurance will only get you so far. As these spring storms fire up, there is a real element of danger to your building, business and, like the one young lady found out, to her person. Had proper grounding been utilized I doubt the girl would have felt the shock in her ears.

While a tested, reliable disaster recovery plan will allow you to sleep at night, preventing the disaster in the first place is what you should shoot for. That starts with planning.

From your building security to network security, right down to protecting your infrastructure from mother nature, accounting for every contingency is paramount.

Truth told, there are seldom good surprises in business. Mitigating the surprises with proper planning can prevent poor performance. Asking “what if” is key to any plan. Weighing cost vs. probability allows anyone with some business acumen to make sound decisions without breaking the bank. Understanding the risks, are the starting point.

-Best

Are you as moral as you think you are?

This test only has one question, but it’s a very important one.

By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally.

The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision.

Only you will know the results, so remember that your answer needs to be honest.

THE SITUATION:

You are in Florida, Miami to be specific.

There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding.

This is a flood of biblical proportions.

You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you’re caught in the middle of this epic disaster.

The situation is nearly hopeless.

You’re trying to shoot career-making photos.

There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water.

THE TEST:

Suddenly you see a woman in the water.

She is fighting for her life, trying not to be taken down with the debris.

You move closer.

Somehow the woman looks familiar.

You suddenly realize who it is.

It’s Hillary Clinton!

At the same time, you notice that the raging waters are about to take her under forever.

YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS:

You can save the life of Hillary Clinton or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world’s most powerful Democrats hell bent on the destruction of America.

THE QUESTION:

Here’s the question, and please give an honest answer.

“Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?”

Before you write me nasty messages that I will ignore, this is humor!

Psychiatrist vs. Bartender …

shrink11

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always had a fear of someone under my bed at night.

Monster-Under-Bed_Web_900
So I went to a shrink and told him:“I’ve got problems.

Every time I go to bed I think there’s somebody under it. I’m scared. I think I’m going crazy.”
“Just put yourself in my hands for one year, said the shrink. “Come talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears.”
“How much do you charge?”
“One hundred fifty dollars per visit,” replied the doctor.
“I’ll sleep on it,” I said.
Six months later the doctor met me on the street.

“Why didn’t you come to see me about those fears you were having?” He asked.

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“Well, $150 a visit, three times a week for a year, is $23,400.00. A bartender cured me for $10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought a new pickup truck.”

images (1)
“Is that so?” With a bit of an attitude he said, “and how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?”
“She told me to cut the legs off the bed. Nobody under there now.”

r32

It’s always better to get a second opinion!!!

mick-stevens-perhaps-you-d-like-a-second-opinion-new-yorker-cartoon

Now go take on the day!

The Ubiquitous #Query Letter @badlitagent

(The following is a satirical expression of frustration with the egocentric gatekeepers of the publishing world.)

I am not picking on you @badlitagent, I like your snark.

There are many out there who claim to “know the secret” of how to write the “perfect” query letter.

If you just follow, their simple steps, agents, and publishers alike will seek your manuscript!

“Who believes that?”

I am a writer, I write! When I am writing, I am lost in the story. The characters take on lives of their own and demand that I faithfully capture their personalities and character traits, as well as their actions. The story must be cohesive, that is where I live.

When you find yourself spending more time researching each agent, constructing a query letter, creating a synopsis per their idea of what that is, and first few pages in whatever format that desire, something is wrong.

The actual hell of it is, you are not, repeat not, trying to catch the agent’s attention. They are too wrapped up in their position of power, to bother to read your query letter, much less respond to them. No, they have interns that may be going to college or maybe in high school. Hell, they might have their twelve-year-olds reading them.

(Looking for interns)

“If you like to read certain books that we represent, we will hire you as an intern. You must be able to “read” several query letters, and write a report on each in one sentence or less.”

When researching the agent, this is typical.

“If we don’t respond in eight weeks, consider it a pass.”

How fucking lousy is that! You spend hours crafting the perfect Query letter, and the agent does not have time to respond with a simple form reply..!?

“I want some fucking feedback! Why? What about this letter, or this manuscript, turned you off on the project. What was missing? What one thing if it had would make you excited?”

Some will send you the form letter “Your story is not the kind of material we represent.” Please please please continue to bang your head against the wall though; we like to hear the banging, as it keeps us awake!
(It is what you represent, because I researched your damned site, and your bio, and who you have published thus far, so either you did not read it, or your intern cannot read!)

Here is what I think they mean to say. Allow me to translate this for you.

“If you have a proven track record of selling millions of books, we might consider looking at your manuscript. If you were on the New York Times bestseller list, let us know that too, so we can ask the intern to read more than the title of what you send. We only have time to spend on sure bets. If you are not a famous author, please, do not bother us! I know we say that we are looking for first time authors but we all say that, don’t we? Whatever you have written, it is trash unless we can sell at least a million copies of it, without investing any money or time on it what so ever. As the matter of fact; if you can sell a million copies on your own, just send us 30% and we might be persuaded to have the senior intern look at your next project.”

“If you still want to send us a query letter, use one syllable words so our interns who are either stoned or still in pre-K can understand them. Thanks for your understanding now, go fuck off! And, have a nice day!”

My advice…

You cannot be a one trick pony.

You must have more than one novel in you. Get published in as many places as you can. Whether that be newsletters, magazines, short stories and unfortunately self-publish something. Consider it a giveaway because there is little to no protection for intellectual property rights once you put it on the Internet. There are programs out there that can take Kindle or other types of e-books and turn them into PDF’s so they can be “shared.”

Many write short stories and give them away just to get their “brand” out there.

Truthfully we have no idea what the intern is looking for; it could be word count, Genre, style of writing or eloquent phrases or pixie dust. Since their website does not give us any information on where they went to school or what they like to read, it is a crap shoot!

The bottom line as I see it, you must “be someone” already, to get their attention.

Your thoughts are always interesting to me, feel free to elucidate on your experiences.

Maybe you have an agent that reads his or her own query letters? Tell us about that.

Remember that most of this is satire, with some frustration mixed in.

-Best

#RapidPrint #Widmer #Year #Wheels and #Budgets

As we get to this time of year, I think about many things including starting that Christmas shopping experience. Thinking ahead is key, so we are not surprised.

803803ss — Year Wheel for Rapdprint and Widmer products

Usually the second week of January I get many machines sent to me with year wheels that stopped in that year.

This is a good time to get your machine cleaned up, tuned up and checked out. Usually, a repair is less than a fourth the cost of a new one.

print head before cleaning with flash — Before cleaning

If by some chance that your machine is worn out, now would be a good time to replace it as budgets need to be submitted and this year’s money needs to be spent.

Things are slow right now, beat the rush and get in front of the pack. First in first out!

I sell and service these machine and have done so since 1995.

Rapidprint, Widmer and of course the ribbons.

As always I appreciate your business!

WWW.TimeDok.com

-Best

If Paul ran for office, would we vote for him? @realdonaldtrump

Political discourse in this country, as I suspect in many others, is rife with opinions, hate, and discontent. Some with a passing understanding of the facts speak out as those who are heavily vested in the process. Many, like Armchair quarterbacks in our lazy boys we scream at the TV or our friends on social media.

The disconnect is that depending on what part of the country you are in influences your opinions.

East and west coast alike are more liberal and have a definite liberal bias in the news, radio programs, and newspapers and of course the mega elite who live in the Ivory towers of Hollywood. We hold them up there; they are Gods don’t you know? Because they are either genetically gifted with looks, or symmetry and have learned to emote when they talk, we believe them to be as their characters on our favorite movie or TV show. They are so wise in that they must certainly know of what they speak!

download (3) — I am certain that she knows about all the issues… not!

Politicians wise to the ways of the world, hob knob with these Gods as they want to be accepted, so they will talk nicely about them. Comedians also take on the liberal biased as they too are influenced by some politicians who wield power and might; with their pen and phone.

Politicians will spend vast fortunes of their own money to get the vote of the people as once there; it can be a lifetime job where suddenly the rules and laws that the little people must deal with, do not apply to them.

hillary angry 4 — It does make a difference ….

Evangelicals are looking for Jesus to run for office. They might dispute that, but they are. The problem is, even if Jesus came back and ran, I doubt few would actually vote for him because he was the son of a Carpenter, and his mother became pregnant before she was legally married.

Twenty-Six Million evangelicals stayed home in 2012 because the idea of a Mormon in the White House was unfathomable. How did that work out for you?

51COkV-g4NL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_ — Wonder how many of these he sold?

Today we have “conservatives talk show host.” bashing Trump because of things that he did as a businessman. Some of their allegations are true, most are out of context or flat out falsehoods concocted by those that study and practice political science and social engineering.

A perfect example of that was the nude photo of Trump’s wife on the cover GQ magazine sent to all of the voters in Utah, telling them that this was their “first lady.” “Smarmy attacks like this “not to pick on the Mormons, will work because they will vote their conscience. They did, and the sycophantic lawyer won by a landslide! They were played like a Steinway! In her defense, she was a model back then and a damned fine one! She speaks five different languages and is a successful business person in her own right!

Now we are being played. We have Evangelical leaders listening to other leaders talking about things in Trump’s past that may or may not be true. They are telling their followers to vote their conscience after dissing Trump.

The last thing I read said that no matter who won, the world will still keep spinning, the country will still go on, not to worry, just vote for someone you will not feel badly about casting your vote for.

If I ever doubted that the devil was real, this is where I would have clear evidence that he is real and active.

If you vote for anyone other than Trump, you are voting for Hillary. Independents are there to funnel votes from Trump. Hillary is such a corrupt, candidate that she has to pander to those who are only looking out for what is in it for them. What is my vote worth to you?

She has peaked out, so her strategy must be to take votes away from Trump, anyway that she can.

garyjohnson-600x400 — Do you really think this guy has a chance in hell?

Established politicians know if Trump is elected that their gravy train of $600 hammers sold by their brother-in-laws is over. They would rather support the devil for their fortunes on earth than do what is right for the country!

Is Trump the perfect candidate?

“No.”

Is Hillary a better candidate? Only for the State Pen. She is, in fact, the first person to run for the office of president that could not pass a standard background check.

If Paul came and ran, would you vote for him knowing his baggage?

Wise up and do the right thing!

#RNC Recap @realdonaldtrump

During the RNC I expected what we saw. Those that were for America, and those who were there for themselves.

The candidates that supported Trump are for the party, country and let’s face it, you!

Those with bruised egos were in it for themselves, to begin with.

Trump gave Ted a chance to redeem himself, set him up for a possible run later, (he is young) and he blew it. There will be a few that agree with him, but there are a number of folks who are voting for Hillary in spite of the fact that she should be in jail!

“Vote your conscience???” During the debate, Hillary was the person to beat no matter the cost, now it is, “it ain’t me, I don’t care, let Hillary win..????” Ted, I think you let a lot of folks down! Your excuse was so damned lame it was pathetic!

You signed a pledge Ted, a man’s word is his bond!

With this much at stake Ted, you come in front of 50 million people and basically tell them that you are picking up your marbles and leaving!

Politics is a rough and tumble game sport. If your skin is that thin, I suggest you go be a professor somewhere, where you will have an audience that has to listen to your whiny rhetoric. You sent a naked picture of his wife to all of the voters in Utah! I think if anyone had a right to a grudge, it was Trump!

Politics is a big boy game, stay out of the deep end!

This race is a binary race. Vote for Trump or Hillary, any other vote is for Hillary and that includes sitting at home. The race is inherently rigged for the democrats to begin with. With activist judges allowing the dead to vote, multiple times, well you get the point.

Some are calling for the libertarian candidate who will siphon more votes from the evangelicals who are drinking the Koolaid of the liberal media. Hillary is spending over a Billion Dollars in smear tactics to besmirch Trump. She is targeting the evangelicals much like Ted did in Utah. It is not her game to gain more voters but to take them from Trump, much like it was Cruze, Kasich, and others tried to steal the primary from Trump with lawyer tactics and last minute rule changes.

Evangelicals will not vote for her so, making Trump look like Hitler or Satan or pick your villain is her strategy. Fear mongering will most certainly come into play as few follow this stuff, and many get their news from comedy central or MSNBC…same thing!

Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell — MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow, left, Lawrence O’Donnell, center, and Chris Matthews take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal summer press tour, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

In 2012 Evangelicals stayed home, and Romney lost. 26 million of them could not stomach a Mormon in the White House, so they stayed home. Hillary and her minions will do their best to target them again.

It is rather interesting that the Evangelicals who preach “judge not” could not bring themselves to vote for a Mormon. Do you actually look at that Bible or do you just simply dress nicely on Sunday and let everyone see how pretty your are?

I am glad that Jesus is not as judgmental as some of his followers, we might have a problem.

The propaganda is flying all over social media with “friends looking surprised by what they are reading.” They are surprised because they are drinking the Koolaid! It is unsubstantiated facts and outright lies, and people read and say things like “WOW, JUST WOW!” There is your first clue lassie; it is probably all make believe!

John and Ted were a disappointment, but at least they are not the candidate, Bush was never a contender; it just took him a little longer to figure it out, maybe his battery was low.

The primary is for vetting the candidates, the people have spoken. The General should be lively as we run that last lap of this race. It should be interesting to see how the Hillary camp spins her lies and how much more this administration will do to protect her!

-Best

My Two Cents

Is #Melania #Trump a Liar? @realdonaldtrump #RNCRockAnthems

Is Melania Trump a liar?

It would seem on the surface that Melania Plagiarized 50 words of her 1400 word speech.

The liberal-leaning press is having a heyday with this, the idea being to smear Trump and to put him on defense thus controlling the narrative. If Hillary, or her staff, can do anything to take some of the wind out of the sails of the Republican National Convention, they will do it.

Most of the press is liberal leaning, for reasons only they know.

Did Melania lie?

She said she wrote most of the speech with little help as possible.

I would tend to believe that she did indeed write a speech.

I would also tend to think that once she wrote it, the speechwriters took it, and re-wrote it. English is not her first language and even though she is fluent in five different languages, writing a speech that will resonate with the American public is best left to those that do it for a living.

The fifty words she is accused of plagiarizing out of the 1400 word speech are relatively common sentiments or phrases said by different people over the years, including the writers of “my little pony.”

Here is the error.

It is easy to check online if what you are claiming as yours was plagiarized from somewhere else. As a writer, I often check what I write against it, just to make certain that I did not write something that I may have heard somewhere in the past. The Trump Campaign should have done that!

In short, she is not running as an elected anything. There are so many more plusses with her and her husband than the “other person who’s name I will not mention,” That I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Some of my friends will find this as fodder for many heated posts, and reasons why a corrupt, morally bankrupt, self-serving psychopath should be elected Vs Trump… “Vote how you like, right now it is still a free country…..”

-Best

MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE

MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE

Needs no explanation…and is a fun read no matter your gender.

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them. New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough.. You almost never have strap problems in public You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color.. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes — one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.. You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives On December 24 in 25 minutes. No wonder men are happier.

NICKNAMES

� If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

� If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT

� When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

� When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY

� A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.

� A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

BATHROOMS

� A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.

� The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS

� A woman has the last word in any argument.

� Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE

� A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

� A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE

� A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t.

� A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.

DRESSING UP

� A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

� A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL

� Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

� Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING

� Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

� A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY

A married man should forget his mistakes. There’s no use in two people
remembering the same thing!

SO,
send this to the women who have a sense of humor…. and to the men who will enjoy reading

You are allowed to follow me…. Just saying… 🙂