"Rick Steves' Europe"

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Ancient Aliens.

In case you haven’t heard there is a Genesis project where scientists are proposing to put single cell living organisms on distant planets in order to create life.

If that isn’t enough. Some famous scientists believe it has been done before. Here on Earth!

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Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.

"Lydia's Kitchen"

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Hey, FSB. We were just watching Ancient Aliens too.

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Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar

That skull face looks a little underfed, Paul. I bet Yorick is looking forward to a Summer tan.

A lot of good production value in Ancient Aliens, Marky. Sometimes, they stretch it a little, but I've partied with scientists and they are always buzzing with what ifs, so the show borders on a lot of truths too. I like the entertainment value.

Meanwhile, I'm watching all the updates slow down my PC and, after reading licences, I'm learning how even the popular anti-malware program shares personal data to and from Google along with others. I've given up being surprised. Sometimes, I feel like the old OS and dumbed down less fun features without all the invasive social media wasn't as bad as it is today. I also seem to remember Apples had no viruses. Must be the fault of apps, attachments, and PDFs. Do we really know what is in those updates and scans before installations. Oops! Do we even care? Lucky me with my PC, Apples, and Android. At least, in earlier times, nasty things came in the front door - unless you had it locked. Now days the nasties come in through the back door unannounced, fully promoted, and accepted on a silver platter all in the name of Eric Arthur Blair. All of this brings that 'beware of what you wish for'.

If you haven't been watching lately, players are jockeying with a rush to position themselves in the privacy market, and the changes have been coming fast and furious more so than at any other time. It's a game where there are winners and losers. Soon there will be a checkmate.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, it's not a theory. I took a course that touched on our class coming up with how many ways we individuals are compromised with personal data. We quickly came up with around 90 gatherers (before data was shared) that day. This was in 1995 before the sophistication and populated Net that exists today. Read your EULAs from your programs to your apps to your browsers to your anti-virus programs and, in some cases, your tax software, your reward cards, and so on. One of the last things Steven Hawkins spoke of was to be aware of AI because it will be overpowering. It might be in your pocket, sitting on your coffee table, or in your car. It just needs a few more friends and supporters. That should be easy. There are plenty of Eloi to satisfy the Morlocks.
The show coming up should be quite a show to watch. Lest you think this is pessimistic, I leave you with a positive view. This sad state of affairs has less affect on me at my age. I'm of the Commander Keene DOS generation that played DOOM on a PC. Back then you could pay for it with no strings attached.
FSB

Nice that the guitar and mike are separated, and some assurance is given that it will be secured. Unless, the mike is wiretapped. Naw, couldn't happen . . .or could it

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Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.

The Deer Hunter

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"Electric Lady"

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"Electric Lady"

Car videos.

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Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar

"Rick Steves' Europe"

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NCIS

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Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar

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https://soundcloud.com/yellowsnakes
https://yellowsnakes.bandcamp.com/

American Pickers

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Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar

Very well said, FSB, and I completely agree. Over the course of many years, I'm afraid I've become one of the mindless drones that just clicks on the "I Accept" in order to get the software; even if I paid for it.

Something really upset me this year when I was doing my tax return. I used a very popular software package and it automatically backed up my return to its Interent site. What the heck! Now my SSN, DOB, address, phone number, income and investments are all "out there". It probably already was but now it's in one convenient place for a hacker to access. George was way ahead of his time when he wrote '1984' but here we are nonetheless.

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Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar

Escape Plan

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"Electric Lady"

I'm not familiar with how it works in the U.S., but I'm betting it's similar (although, I know there is a tax reform proposed). We can do a tax return by hand and snail mail, use one of two software companies to calculate and send online or by mail, or complete the job online for free with the government. I don't like a direct connection discussing finances with the government because they had a mess with their computer system and hacking a short time ago, and it wasn't the first and won't be the last time. With all the hoopla about encoding, someone forgot to tell them about decoding. Besides, efficiency and security is not one of governments' strong points. Well, isn't that a surprise I let loose?

One of the two software companies left me to choose the other because they no longer support my OS. The one I went with was new to me, and when I read the Eula, only available from the installation disc which came from the open box, I discovered Thompson and Reuters (both massive international multi-media corporations) were reported to have sharing rights with my data were I to accept the installation, etc. Who knows where that would have gone with my approval? Certainly not me - the owner. All with the government's blessing. Seriously?! Needless to say I refused, and did it by hand. Not that it made a difference in their money pile. There were and are plenty of customers in the lineup to jump on board for the trip.

Now I had another problem. Sending it back. I spent $21 roughly to buy the software. They would graciously take it back if I mailed it cross country (no return at the store). I was told at the post office that it would cost me another $16 to send it. If I got the refund, I would be $5 to the good, and $16 in the whole for nothing. Now that's a deal to do my taxes which have never been justified from the original reason for introducing them (as they stand) to pay for a now paid up (if I am correct) WWII debt.

As industry and the government are bed partners, and with rumours flying around that the government is looking to handle returns without software as it is done now, and the fact that government is media crazy, I would not be surprised to learn that our data is or will be going from the government to the highest bidder or most favoured with or without our permission. So don't fret too much, Marky. It's bound to get worse before it gets better, and we might as well surrender with our hands in the air. There's nothing our fingers can do on the keyboard to prevent it. Maybe we can gather the entertainers of the world to refuse to perform for their functions.

Just another cog in the wheel as it rolls at it's own pace to reach it's destination. Unfortunately, it's quickly going downhill.

Since it''s like the sixties those protest songs can't be far behind.
FSB

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Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.