Banal Leakage – Ep #020

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Episode 020

– It All Gets Worked Out In The End –

iTunes link: Banal Leakage

  • – As has been reported by listener Kapgar, the recorded audio level has been pretty low during most of my spoken words; I have been aware of this and have tried to make tweaks to the recording levels, but with no real improvement; I finally found the issue, but I won’t be able to fix the low audio on the last 19 episodes; I thank those of you that stuck with me and adjusted your volume levels to hear my voice.
  • – You won’t hear me bitching about the weather for a while; warmer temps have arrived; the end of cold, cold days have arrived; this is my favorite time of the year; let the sun shine in.
  • ibeats

  • News – Story 1: Is Apple buying Beats?
  • – this news story has been around for about 2 weeks now; rumors at this point, but waiting to see any type of confirmation; I’m against billion dollar mergers, with this one being $3.2 billion; not against a Dr. Dre being rich, which I’m sure he is already; Apple doesn’t need the headphones, but the Beats Music streaming service just launched not too long ago; Other than iTunes Radio, Apple has no streaming service of it’s music; all iTunes songs are downloaded; hard to think what kind of impact a new streaming service could be of interest to a company like Apple; i would think they would want to do their own instead of buying an existing service; regardless, I hope it doesn’t pan out and that Apple continues to focus on trying to do their own service.
    – Link to article: Rumored Apple Beats Deal

  • News – Story 2: Arkansas becomes 18th state to make marriage equality legal
  • – so cool to see yet another Federal judge strike down a law that goes against the core and fiber of just about any state constitution; but unlike other states that have appealed and have issued stays – Idaho, I’m looking at you, you stingy bastard – Arkansas has made judicial decisions that remove any obstacles to this ruling and made it so that marriage to all citizens of the state can obtain marriage licenses; not sure if all counties in the state have started issuing marriage licenses; hoping to see other states take this route; unfortunately, it’s a feet dragging process as they proclaim “the will of the people” in their defense against marriage equally; for now, Arkansas should enjoy this newly recognized set of rights.
    – Link to article: Arkansas OK’s Gay Marriage

  • News – Story 3: CrypoLocker is ransomware that destroys your data
  • – this is a virus/malware infection that gets loaded onto a computer from a web site, an email or by some means of an attachment like a ZIP file or other executable file; it installed a program that encrypts all documents and other files on your computer that make them unreadable without the proper encryption key; in order to obtain this encryption key, you need to pay a bounty or ransom; most have been around $400; and you need to pay within 48 hours; if you don’t, your files will remain permanently encrypted and unusable; back in the 90’s we had many virus that wiped out data and damaged files; then as malware and spyware made it’s way onto computers, it was all about ad generation and revenue and pop-up toolbars and other registry hacks allowed your computer to visit web sites that earned valuable clicks; now we have the destruction of data and payments to restore that data as the latest scourge to hit machines; most modern anti-virus programs can stop this from infecting your system; once it’s installed, it’s too late; regular backups is your best defense against CryptoLocker; if you are not backing up now, go out and get yourself an external hard drive; both Windows and Macs have free programs as part of the OS for backing up your data and files; don’t get hit by this virus without being prepared.
    – Link to article: Hackers ramp up computer attacks that demand ‘ransom’

  • RANT: Medical procedures make me nervous
  • – I had a colonoscopy on Friday and nearly passed out from being nervous in the lead up to it; the IV in my arm did me in; or I should say the second IV was what did me in; the first one didn’t take; the procedure itself was painless thanks to Propofol, but the prep leading up to it wasn’t; no details but still TMI; since I turned 50 last year, I’ve been putting it off; finally went to my physical back in April and while healthy, my doctor said it was a must to get it done; if nothing is found, I don’t have to do this again for 10 years; if they find something, then 3-5 years from now; hoping for a much longer time between a procedure of this type.

  • SHAMELESS PLUG: 11 years since I quit smoking
  • – it’s one of those things in life that I’m glad I did; everyone in a while, I have the occasional cigar or Prime Time; I will never go back to smoking cigarettes; too much freedom in not having to take breaks or find places to smoke; it’s getting less and less to find proper places to smoke; the nationwide push over the last 20 years to reduce smoking in the public; smoking in bars is almost a thing of the past; prices for a pack of smokes is more than $10 in some places; the health factor of quitting is highly beneficial.

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