In Case You Missed It: Ecru, Obama?

I know this particular controversy is a little stale already, lo these dozen or so many days later. But I never documented it on the blog. Plus, I needed to use the pun in the title. I've already heard (on The Stephanie Miller Show) "the audacity of taupe" and "yes we tan." And of course, I had to point out--like with so many of these controversies--other presidents have done the exact same thing.

 

In Case You Missed It Obama Outperfoms Reagan on Economic Indicators

I didn't catch this from late last week, but then, I'm not sure you did either. So, here you go. . .

[Excerpt]

Obama Outperforms Reagan On Jobs, Growth And Investing

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today issued America’s latest jobs report covering August. And it’s a disappointment. The economy created an additional 142,000 jobs last month. After six consecutive months over 200,000, most pundits expected the string to continue, including ADP which just yesterday said 204,000 jobs were created in August. . .

Read more at: Forbes

Image from source, liberal bastion, Forbes.

ObamaCare Working? Imagine That.

Yes we can! Ha! Image from source, Talking Points Memo

Busy tonight, so not much to add at the moment, except: ha-ha!

[Excerpt]

GOP's Obamacare Nightmare Is Coming True: It's Working

For Republicans, the Obamacare reckoning has arrived sooner than expected. The politics of the health care law have undergone a sea change since its disastrous rollout last fall, when many conservative operatives were salivating at the prospect of a GOP wave in the midterm elections due to an Obamacare "train wreck. . ."

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Washington State Politician Thinks "Religious Freedom" Means for Christianity Only

Wow, would he be easy to caricature!
Image from source, Raw Story

When the Supreme Court recently ruled that it was constitutional to open governmental meetings with prayers, I knew this was coming. I've done enough arguing online over the years to see it. When a lot of Christians argue for religious freedom, they really mean freedom for Christians.

[Excerpt]

Wash. state city councilman demands all prayers be directed to Christian God

A city councilman in Kennewick, Washington is demanding that council meetings open with a prayer to an explicitly Christian God, The Tri-City Herald reports. John Trumbo proposed that all city council meetings should begin with a prayer “directed in name and reference to the same God addressed in the Founding Fathers’ signatory documents that established this nation. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

Blast from the Past: Story Songs of the 70s & 80s!

Almost any song with lyrics tells a story. But some songs don't just give you the Cliff's Notes, they give you the outline of a truly mind-bending story. And no decade has more story mind-fu**ing songs than the 1970s. Witness. . .

1. Dark Lady by Cher (1974) - The story is about a woman who goes to a soothsayer, and finds out more than she ever wanted to know.  Plot hole: Why would Dark Lady be honest with her client?

2. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence (1973) - Great song. Muddled message. Plot hole: The singer killed her brother's rival, and let her brother take the blame. Why on earth didn't she fess up?



3. Young Turks by Rod Stewart (1981) - These kids don't sound like they're destined for greatness, do they? But Do Ya Think They're Sexy?

 4. Angie Baby by Helen Reddy (1974) - Things take a turn for the surreal, when a girl who is a little "touched" turns out to be supernaturally powerful (and insane).



5. Undercover Angel by Alan O'Day (1976) - A hapless guy finds himself luckier than Midas with a sexy phantasm lady who screws his brains out. Or something.

6. Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin (1974) - Seriously, this is the biggest bummer of the list. But lyrically awesome.



7. Copacabana by Barry Manilow (1978) - In contrast to the last one, this is fluff. But when you consider the strife the songwriter/singer has gone through (real, or imagined) this might be the most mentally taxing of all.

8. Hotel California by the Eagles (1977) - The most cryptic of this list, I'm convinced this has more to do with drugs than anything else. One of my first 45s.



9. I've Never Been to Me by Carlene (1977) - The biggest, moldiest, hairiest, stinkiest slice of cheese on this list. And I love every f**king second.

10. Escape (The Piña Colada Song)  (1977) - Meta on several levels and genius all around. Stinky, but delicious cheese.




And that will do it, compatriots. I'm going to work. You should too, or stay home. Take a sick week! Whatever you do, Happy Monday!!!

Captain Obvious: FReepers are Unbelievably Stupid, Part 3,742,897 (The Gay Thing)

[Captain Obvious is a feature of Greenlee Gazette that seeks to point out things that should be absolutely clear and obvious, but also, very obviously, are not. It predates the Hotels.com character, though I didn't invent the concept either.

The Gay Thing is a feature covering news and information about gay rights and gay culture. I've combined them both here for the first time.]


This past week there were huge news items about marriage equality, also known as gay marriage or same-sex marriage. First, the bad news. In Louisiana, a Federal Court judge upheld the state's same-sex marriage ban. It was the first judge at the Federal level to rule against marriage equality since Windsor, after a string of over twenty victories. This, understandably, was somewhat bad news to advocates like me, but also not unexpected. It's always be assumed we'd lose somewhere at the

Federal level, and what more likely a place than the Deep South? But of course, it was not happy news.

The opposition, such as those at the (badly named) National Organization for Marriage was positively giddy at the news. They declared that the tide had turned, and that what had been declared "inevitable" was practically dead in the water. One day later, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals threw a little (a lot really) of water onto their party. In a unanimous and scathing decision, the 7th declared Indiana's and Wisconsin's gay marriage bans unconstitutional. Illinois was unaffected, as they already have marriage equality. Needless to say, the 7th's decision was a bit more weighty than the decision out of Louisiana, particularly since that decision will be appealed to a circuit court itself.

So, people on my side of this issue were smiling again. Sure, we hit a little pot hole, but we corrected course immediately. Whenever I get that little happy-dance feeling, I always have to harsh my own buzz by going to FreeRepublic.com, to see what the bigots and homophobes* over there have to say about the decision. This can be simultaneously frightening, hilarious, head-shakingly sad, baffling and stupefying. FReepers--the denizens of this conservative, online bastion--are as capable of deductive reasoning and critical thought as they are of humor. . .which is to say, not at all. Below, are some choice quotes from the site:

"THIS NOT A CONSTITUIONAL RESPONSE The frrickin' JUDGE should be impeached for violating The Constitution !!!"
EDITOR: Actually, it was the laws he struck down that were unconstitutional. Idiot.

"Madness. Evil, lawless madness."

Ed.: Oh, yes, my 6-year marriage is just sinister and insane (boring, ordinary)!

"It is all about POWER. Their goal is more of the power. A society without fathers is dependent on government. Large centralized government. The destruction of the family unit and the elimination of the societal norm of men being involved in the rearing of their children equals more power for the Democrats as they are the party of big government."

Ed.: I'd love to know when gay people decided to get together to decided this. Must've missed the meeting.

"Homosexuals should be proud: they have officially destroyed the institution of marriage, long understood to be the union of one man and one woman."

Ed.: Allowing gay people to marry doesn't change the definition of marriage any more than allowing women to vote changed the definition of voting. And it certainly didn't "destroy" anything. Idiot.

"They destroyed a social concept that had become a vacuous, empty vestige of the hallowed institution of marriage."

"Don't be so sure that these judges won't allow polygamy, And, while we are at it, safeguard your French poodle lest a passing, ummm, dog lover finds your poodle irresistible and decides to elope."

Ed.: Comparing consenting, loving adults with diddling a dog is both insulting and stupid. Unless there is a canine out there who can both sign a contract and give informed consent. Asshole.

"In what line in the Constitution does it say that men can marry men and women marry women?"

Ed.: It doesn't. But the 14th Amendment promises equal treatment under the law. And the Supreme Court has already declared marriage to be a fundamental right. Repeatedly. Dumbass.

"Why do we even pretend that we live in a democracy anymore?"

Ed.: We don't. We live in a representative republic, where the tyranny of the majority cannot crush the rights of the minority. Basic civics.

"The above news is in opposition to this one: Federal judge upholds La. same-sex marriage ban
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3200079/posts So, one judge rules one way and another judge rules the other. Whose ruling takes precedence?"

Ed.: This is a particularly stupid FReeper. The Louisiana case applies to Louisiana, and can be appealed to its own Circuit Court of Appeals. The 7th's decision applies to the 7th Circuit. Neither takes precedence because they are separate regions. Idiot.

"Whose ruling takes precedence? Whichever one the Democrats like more."

Ed. Wow, even dumber than the person who asked the original question!

"Judge Feldman’s ruling in the Louisiana case is the case that we must look to and what every judge that hears gay marriage cases must look to for precedence."

Ed.: Well of course! The one guy who agrees with your side out of how many? Actually, no, Feldman's ruling applied to Louisiana alone, and will very likely be appealed.

"Wouldn’t the same rationale apply to striking down laws against pedophiles?"
Ed.: Ouch. My eyes hurt from rolling so hard. No, you despicable cretin, pedophiles violate others' rights. They violate consent. They injure other humans. This is not comparable.

As usual, there is much, much more. If you want to find it, simply go to FreeRepublic.com, and go to the heading, "Homosexual Agenda," whose title should tell you immediately what you're in for!



*I don't ordinarily characterize strangers as bigots and homophobes. But hopefully their own words, above, prove my case.

Contemplating the Coming Age of Alzheimer's

Image from source, New Republic

My family has been relatively free of dementia. I think our tickers get us before dementia can. The only relative I'm aware of who had the disorder was my Dad's mother, my favorite Grandmother. She was the pie-baking, pancake-making, cuddly, loveable grandma.  She was one of the sweetest people I've ever known, and everyone loved her.

The last time I spent the night at her house was as an adult, with my near-in-age cousin, Becky. She had lost her husband of over 50 years, and her oldest child within a month or so. And on this visit, it was clear that there was something wrong with Grandma. Actually, there had been for some time, but all inquiries were brushed off by closer family members as her being hard of hearing, of having experienced such loss. It was just age, confusion, and the hearing thing. But it wasn't. It clearly wasn't.

I moved 2,000 miles away a short time later, and not long after that, Grandma was put into a home. Her issue wasn't Alzheimer's, or at least I don't think so. While she did lose her connection to the present, and her ability to remember who anyone was, her personality was intact. Her idioms were the same. And I swear, there was a brief flash of recognition when I and my long-divorced parents walked in to visit her. It didn't last, and she spent the rest of the visit trying to set the two of them up together, but the sadness I felt for her plight was buffeted a little by her seemingly sunny disposition. She didn't seem bothered by her confusion. Which is something.

Unfortunately, that was my one and only visit to see her in the home. I could throw out a bunch of excuses, and my distance away, but the fact is, I was scared. I didn't want to see her that way. And the built-in distance on that side of the family due to divorce just made it that much easier to rationalize. Grandma's remaining sons, my dad and my uncle, plus all of her in-town grandkids could take up the slack.  It was rather cowardly of me, and I do regret it. And yet, I still make the rationalization that she wouldn't have remembered anyway. Small solace.

All of that is a rather long way to go, to tell you that I read the article below, and was very moved by it. And I'm known as being almost completely unsentimental. The issue of dementia and Alzheimers is due to become much more pronounced over the coming years and decades. Maybe you (and maybe even I) can do a little better dealing with it than I have.

[Excerpt]
 
We Are Entering the Age of Alzheimer's

Try as we do, us Americans still croak. One and all, somehow, even today. We are done in by ten likely suspects: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes. Nephritis. Suicide. Yet we can and do fight these things. We have working cures, preventive regimens, ways to halt the damage for all of these commonest causes of death. All of them, that is, save one. Alzheimer’s disease is practically unheard of in adults younger than 40. . .
Read more at: New Republic

Former VA Governor McDonnell Guilty on 11 Counts

Yes, the man known as Governor Ultrasound or Transvaginal Bob has been found guilty. His very L.A. Law-style "my wife and I couldn't conspire, we can't stand each other!" defense did not work. And instead of being on the Vice Presidential short-list as he was in 2012, instead, Bob McDonnell just might be going to the pokey.

And that's just a little bit funny. Because you know that rampant homophobes like McDonnell have paranoid ideas of what prison is like.
[Excerpt]

Virginia’s McDonnell guilty on 11 counts of corruption

. . .A jury has reached a verdict in the corruption trial of former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen. Both McDonnells were found guilty on the majority of the 14 criminal charges they were faced with. The ex-governor was convicted on 11 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and his wife was found guilty on eight counts. Maureen McDonnell was also convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

 

Joan Rivers, Dead at 81

This is the Joan I remember most.

Well, crap. Joan Rivers--love her or hate her (or a little of both)--was something of a force of nature. She was clearly a pioneer, and one of the few unfiltered celebrity voices out there. She's the only woman to ever have hosted a network late-night talk show. She reinvented herself (and, can we talk, her face) countless times. And she arguably got cooler as she got older.

I have been wondering what would happen to some of our aging icons, particularly the ones like Rivers and Joan Collins, women who refused to look or act like little old ladies. And I haven't decided yet whether it's better that Rivers died rather quickly and unexpectedly rather than having to suffer an age-related decline.  No one could say that 81 is "too young to die," but then again, she was so vibrant and vital, it's clear that she would be with us if not for the botched surgical procedure last week. It would have been nice to see her get to Phyllis Diller's age when she died. Can you imagine a 95-year-old Rivers on the red carpet?

Comedy has lost some big, big names.
Image from The Daily Trash.

Joan Rivers had her biggest heyday in the early-to-mid 1980s. Her standup comedy was filling auditoriums, her album What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most was a huge hit, and she became the permanent guest host on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She then began the very first show on the FOX-TV network, then called FBC. The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers caused a falling out with Carson, and didn't end up becoming a success, though I believe I saw nearly every episode. And she had a bit of a last laugh by having had better ratings than any of the shows that replaced her.

During that program, Rivers had an "anyone can host"-type contest, with video submissions. I helped my Mom, along with my brother, to put together an entry. Though Mom didn't win, she did get a nice letter from Joan that mentioned specific parts of the video, which was nice. If I ever get that VHS tape converted to digital, I may share it in this space.

So, my biggest memories of Joan Rivers are from that FOX/Tonight Show/Heidi Abromowitz era, before her later reinvention as a daytime host, QVC jewelry seller, red carpet fashion reviewer. But I was impressed with her staying power. And it feels very odd to be writing about her demise. RIP, Joanie. I'm not a believer in afterworlds, but if I'm wrong, I hope you're with Edgar and Spike!

[Excerpt]

Comedian Joan Rivers dead at 81
 
Joan Rivers, the raucous, acid-tongued comedian who crashed the male-dominated realm of late-night talk shows and turned Hollywood red carpets into danger zones for badly dressed celebrities, died Thursday. She was 81. Rivers was hospitalized last week after she went into cardiac arrest at a Manhattan doctor's office following a routine procedure. Daughter Melissa Rivers said she died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, surrounded by family and close friends. . .

Read more at: AOL

And now, from the first episode of The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, a must-see with Elton John and surprise guest Cher.

 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Knocks Eric Cantor's Multi-Million Dollar Wall Street Gig

Image from source, Huffington Post

I love Elizabeth Warren. I can't stand Eric Cantor's bitch face. So, obviously, I had to post this story.

[Excerpt]

Elizabeth Warren Slams Eric Cantor's Move To Investment Bank

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) blasted former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) for taking a job with investment bank Moelis & Co. "How wrong can this be that basically what's happening here is that people work in Washington, and man, they hit that revolving door with a speed that would blind you," Warren said in a Wednesday interview with Katie Couric of Yahoo! News. . .

Read more (with video) at: Huffington Post

The Gay Thing: Marriage Equality Hits Pothole in Louisiana

I almost typed, "Gays take it on the chin" for a headline, but I couldn't stop laughing. Yeah, laughing. This decision sucks on one hand, but means little on the other. And it may even serve the opposite purpose of its intention. I would describe the decision from a Federal Judge to uphold Louisiana's ban on gay marriage as "last century." See, in the twentieth century, decisions that went against anything to do with gay rights would often involve naked animus, and legal contortions. And that's what this one is.

Image from Slate

Ultimately, this case will be appealed to the 5th Circuit, if it even gets the chance. The Supreme Court of the United States might have resolved the issue by then. This was the first major loss out of a Federal Court on the issue since the Windsor decision, which puts the tally at something like 20-to-1. So, while Right Wing World does back handsprings over this decision (knock it off guys, it's kinda gay), it's only because it's just about the only thing that's gone their way in the past two years.

[Excerpt]

Louisiana Marriage Ban Is Constitutional, Federal Judge Rules
 
A federal judge broke ranks on Wednesday, ruling that Louisiana’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages is constitutional. The ruling, from U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman, is the first federal court ruling upholding a state’s ban since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal law defining marriage as only including opposite-sex couples in June 2013. . .

Read more at: BuzzFeed

More at: Slate

Kansas Democrat Drops Out and Improves Democratic Chances in November?

The story is a little confusing, and sort of a subversion of how these things often go. There was a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent in the Kansas Senate race. The Republican was leading--barely--while the other two split the vote. So, the Democrat is dropping out, which leaves an Independent to challenge the generally unpopular Republican. And all of this could prevent the GOP from taking control of the Senate this year? Hey, whatever it takes, as long as it's above board.
 

And if you don't want to watch the video, here's a story on it.

Sean Hannity's ISIS Expert: The Duck Dynasty Guy

Middle East Expert, Beardy McDufus. Image from Mediaite.

This has produced an audible, painful, head-shake and eye-roll from me. I just can't. . .

[Excerpt]

Phil Robertson Tells Hannity How He’d Combat ISIS: ‘Convert Them or Kill Them’
 
Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson sat down with Sean Hannity tonight, and right off the bat they jumped right into ISIS. And Robertson shared his thoughts on how to deal with the terrorist group: “either convert them or kill them. . .”

[Ed.: I can't help but think, that's exactly the same policy ISIS has toward everyone else.]

Read more at: Mediaite

Computer Woes Solved? Multi-browser, Multi-system Malware Stopped! [I Hope]

Me, until a couple of hours ago.

Noted here in the last couple of posts, I've been beset by computer woes since some time mid-weekend. Somehow, all of our devices were plagued by malware, weird ads and attempts to get us to install various software. Neither of us knows how it happened, but I seem to have sort of solved the problem. I think. It's too early for cartwheels.

But I'm going to explain in as detailed a way as I can, so that if you have a similar problem, you can try the same thing.

We were getting popups, over-sized browser windows with either a) legit looking ads, b) fake looking ads, c) alerts to either install or upgrade video players, plugins and whatnot, and d) actual attempts to install files, all you have to do is click "ok." Fortunately, both of us here are smart enough not to install anything, though the source of this problem remains a mystery. And that's not all. Clunky, ugly, blinking, 90s-style "scare" ads started showing up in areas of web pages that ordinarily hold Google AdSense-type ads. But the weirdest part is, this was all of the sudden happening on a Windows 8 PC, a Windows 7 PC, a MacBook Pro running Mavericks, and a Galaxy S4 phone running Android Kit Kat.  And on these devices, it was happening in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, variously. Weird, right?

Didn't matter what device or operating system.

I called Cox, our internet provider, because even though I'd run every malware and virus program I could think of, the devices themselves were insisting that they were clean. It must, I thought, be either the router or the modem. The first lady was nice as could be, but had no idea what my problem might be. The second tier of help was too smart for me, two or three notches ahead of my experience level (which isn't ordinarily too shabby). But she got me the solution that is holding at the moment:

Factory reset the wireless router. Rename the router. Change the password, and keep it complicated. Then, I restarted all of the devices, one-by-one got them onto the network with the new settings. Also, I opened the internet pages I knew to be experiencing phony ads. I then reloaded the pages holding the shift key in. Poof, the bad ads

Didn't matter what browser either, though it
affected different browsers on different
devices.

disappeared. For reals. So far, the popup ads seem to be gone as well. On all systems.

So, though I won't even pretend to understand where this came from or what was really going on, it's clear that this goofy malware was coming through the router and running clean, because no anti-virus or anti-malware software could even see it running. Doesn't this sound kind of new to you? I've certainly never heard of it.

EDITED TO ADD: The Cox tech lady also advised me to assign individual MAC addresses to individual devices, somthing that is both a little outside my experience level, AND, seems to me like it would be awkward when we have guests, or want to add devices. So, I'll reserve that trick for if this bizarre occurrence ever happens again.

Blast from the Past: Old Timey Computering!

I'm still ensconced in a network-wide malware infestation, that somehow manages to span two PCs, a MacBook Pro and at least one of our two Android phones. It seems to have started immediately after a party on Saturday, and I can't explain it. I've had no success in eradicating it yet. But while I work on it, I can think back to a simpler time. A time when computing was relatively virus- and malware-free. Come back with me, won't you?

1. CompuServe - This was an early online service, one that catered to the more professional set. It was kind of absorbed by AOL.

2. America Online -  Technically still around as AOL (and yes, I still use it), it was originally a more user-centered online service that had no internet access. But it had lots of people hooking up on their message boards!
 

3. Prodigy - One of the granddaddies of the online experience, Prodigy was about the best thing going for a little while. AOL and the advent of the World Wide Web pretty much killed them off.

4. Atari 400 Computer - One of the earliest computers for ordinary consumers, this one tried to parlay the very popular VCS 2600 video game system into computing success. It didn't ever get very poplar.
 

5. Commodore Vic20 - Even earlier than the Atari, this one paved the way for the much more successful. . .

6. Commodore 64 - This one was probably the most popular computer to predate Windows and Apple systems. They ran with this one long after it had been surpassed by more advanced computers.
 

7. Apple II - Apple may have always been behind PCs on the business front, but they always lead the way in schools, where the Apple II ruled. Still, they tried to market it as a home computer.

8. WebTV - Too far ahead of its time to be workable, what it set out to do is now done by other devices.
 

And while malicious code writers weren't as prevalent back in those days, I really wouldn't want to go back to them, would you? I'll sort these problems out, and undoubtedly encounter new ones. But one day, the devices we're using now will seem as quaint and simple as the ones in these ads.

For now, have a great (short) week. Happy Tuesday!

Behind the Blogger: A Malware Infestation at Greenlee Gazette

I'm a computer guru. I'm not professionally trained, but I'm naturally inclined toward tweaking and poking around in computer settings and whatnot. I'm "that guy" you call when your computer is doing weird things or is on the fritz. 99% of the time, I can either fix it, or tell you what to do to fix it. I've been using Windows computers since they were MS-DOS computers. But what does the guru do when he's got a problem?

Every so often, even I get a problem. I can get complacent, trust something I ought not, accidentally clicked the wrong thing, or even have gotten suckered by a warning that looked real, but wasn't. Usually, I realize my error quickly, and reverse course. I know a lot of the tricks of the trade to restore things to normal without too much fuss.

Two things have plagued me that have no known source of infection, and one even happened both at home and at work. That first one was a very strange audio anomaly. Commercials would play over the speakers with no program running them. They would be both in English and in foreign languages, and they would eventually pile one on top of the other until it was an unintelligible cacophony. I could isolate the audio on my mixer settings and silence them, but eventually all of the processing power would be leached away. It was maddening. But, after running the proper tools (Malwarebytes), using the Googles to isolate the proper files in the registry, and slogging through the guts of the computer, I killed the problem. And again at home.

I still don't know what it was, or how I got it. And to be truthful, I'm not sure what the final thing was that worked. Funny how that goes, you try so many things, you can't remember the sequence. Anyway, though I slayed that beast, there is a new one plaguing me the last two days.

First, I should explain that I run dual monitors, and I am usually running Internet Explorer 11, Firefox and AOL at the same time (AOL?!? Yeah, I know. Shut up, it's how I work, okay?). And this new demon affects both AOL--and get this--FIREFOX. Not IE. It's working just fine. No, this one is throwing up random ads from Firefox and AOL, for both bogus and real products. Sometimes it's TuneUp Utilities, a program that used to be very helpful but bloomed into a nuisance, sometimes it's WIX.com. Other times it's for very shady programs that cause the very thing I'm trying to get rid of. And sometimes, it's bogus upgrade notices for video players I don't even have, to the point of attempting to start downloads of the programs.

It's driving me bananas. I've gone through my bag of tricks. I'm using Windows 8.1, so I've got Windows Defender already. I've run Malwarebytes several times. I installed and ran Avast! I've tried SUPERAntiSpyware. All of these programs found problems and allegedly cleaned them. And the problem remains exactly the same. No change. Presently, I'm going into my old bag of tricks, a program called SpyBot Search & Destroy, something I haven't used for years. But I'm desperate! I'm really not sure what to try next. At present, this problem doesn't seem particularly dangerous, it's just incredibly annoying.

So, I'm sending this out to the universe, in the hopes someone stumbles upon it via Google or Bing. Any help will be appreciated. And also, could someone please tell me what purpose this crap serves in the first place? It's garbagy, clunky, obviously crap stuff popping up. I can't imagine it fooling a neophyte. A lot of work must go into this kind of malware. But how in the world is it worth it? If their aim is simply to torment and annoy, then mission accomplished. But if the aim is leaching money from people, they really must be trolling for dummies. Because if I wasn't a guru? I'd throw my hands up and call "that guy" to just come fix it.

UPDATED: I should also say that whatever is going on, in both AOL and Firefox, ordinary ads that appear on websites have been replaced with really ugly, very cheesy "your computer is running slow," "Microsoft certified"-type ads with blinking "click here" and "PLAY"-type buttons. We're talking 90s-style, wouldn't-fool-an-idiot ads. These are very annoying also.

End of Summer Lazy Days

Yes, it looks as though I've neglected the blog of late, doesn't it? It's because I have! I usually take it easier in the summer, but this year I've really thrown caution to the wind. And since the unofficial end of summer is Labor Day weekend, I've been taking it seriously by not blogging. I hope to get up a Blast from the Past and maybe a few other posts on Monday evening. But until then, I'm putting my feet up!

Happy Labor Day.

Bill Maher's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Has a Cheney Challenge

I approve!

Bill Maher's Ice Bucket Challenge - watch more funny videos

Jon Stewart Returns from Vacation to Discuss Ferguson: Race/Off

Brilliant, as usual.

The Daily Show
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