> The Darkener's Console

There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.

Reddit —

Reddit seems to be a ‘multiplexer’ of topic-based message boards.

Back in the day it would be BBSes (of course, right? You’re on my site after all). After that came multi-BBS echoes, then the rise of the Internet with newsgroups, then www-based messaging forum software, then implementation of group forums with social networks such as Myspace and Facebook..

Then came Reddit.

Reddit is a multiplexer of group message boards. It is the facility in which topics are discussed amongst members of the groups who subscribe to these topics (or ‘subreddits’, deliniated by the ‘r/SubredditName’ syntax). Pretty fucking ingenious if you ask me.

Think about it – Reddit has created a topic-based discussion machine. Users are users, topics are subreddits in which anyone can create and moderate, and that’s pretty much the premise. IMHO the mobile app is minimalistic but incredibly elegant – it feels like how I browse. Even on Android its aesthetics are world-class and the way the UX works is just incredibly well done all around. I couldn’t dream up a better working app for this use case.

Sometimes you need to sacrifice a bit of your own creative soul…sometimes you have to take one for the team and build a platform that incubates, that harvests what you want to create (but it’s not you creating it). No matter what, the platform stands above any single ideology or stance or disposition – it is a machine. A constructor, a creator in and of itself. It’s a beautiful machine.

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Emoticon Evolution —

For many years I’ve used the =) as my “emoticon” (though I hate that term – it’s a smilie, damn it). Before that I generally used :> as a snarky, 14-year-old would to show how unique and cool I was compared to the lamers who always used the standard :-) of the time (~1994).

In recent years I’ve felt like the more universal/generic emoticon, :) is better received. It’s a standard, known dialect. I guess I held out a bit too long, trying to stay different. Thanks a lot, Arby’s.

Same with “Hehe”.. in “the olden bbs days” that was very common, along with <G> (grin). These all predate emojis and other graphical representations of reactions and emotions (and poops). But one time a friend told me that “Hehe” seemed mischievous. I felt like I’d been miscommunicating myself for all these years.

But, like language, I guess emotions depicted by computer/mobile screens will continue to evolve. I’m just proud that I got to be a part of the beginnings of it all. Signing off, The Greybeardener.

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Audio —

The past 10+ years have really focused on the visual senses regarding culture. The age of smartphones seem to have steered our senses toward a visually dominant experience and interaction with others. Texting, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Snapchat, Twitter, memes, blogs, all of these focus on what you can see, read and understand using your eyes.

To me, there were some parts of the 1980’s-1990’s teenager culture in the U.S. that screamed audio dominance. Noisy arcades, MTV music, concerts and radio for instance.

Of course “video” games were anything but audio centric, though what I remember walking through arcades when I was young were machines surrounding me with loud music and sound effects. Pinball machines in one area clicking, dinging, flipper-ing.. On top of that, people talking loudly, laughing, screaming, cheering. A true gathering, a community even if most people didn’t know each other. Many times these arcade games were in pizza parlors (another 80’s-90’s staple) which also had jukeboxes.

Don’t even get me started on jukeboxes.

MTV’s shtick was video but its heart was music. It dominated televisions day and night with music videos of a once-in-a-generational declaration. It got us to spend every last dollar on tapes and CDs for our walkmans and discmans with their characteristic on-ear headphones that still rock today.

I unfortunately didn’t get to experience many local (or otherwise) concerts until I was around 21. I guess I just never had a friend that played in a band that asked me to see them play somewhere random where I’d be inundated into the “local scene”. Even then I wish I did know someone.

Radio was still dominant then when it came to discovering new music. MTV was big but local radio had a much different character. And more importantly, it had a /local/ character. You would tap into the local culture through truly local radio stations. Not the piped-in syndicated blubber that we all still know (and love?) today, but the stations that took listener calls, held contests for tickets and had funny morning hosts to help jumpstart your day.

Video may be enticing and intoxicating, and I definitely do not dismiss it as a dominant human sense. I feel that audio presents a very interesting avenue for influence and even a deeper cultural anchor based in rhythm and repetition.

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Split-brain —

What is split-brain?

  • Difference in interpretation of laws, morals and ethics across a nation
  • Cannot identify which political party is fighting for what is “right and just”, even when both parties claim to be doing just that
  • Both parties accuse each other of being delusional, hypocritical fucks
  • The liberty, freedom and security of the people are each severely eroded as neither side can admit even partial fault in prolonging the pain, fear and suffering of whom they are supposedly serving

(Content inspired from here)

 

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Every 28 Days —

The ‘week’ is a superficial construct. It’s not entirely natural, though maybe not ill intentioned.

7 days in a cycle, multiplied by 4 cycles a month. Months ‘swagger’ back and forth to compensate.

The “alternative” (/s) to this manmade time-container is a more natural cycle of the moon. Something real and physical, visible and consistent.

Like a clock, it starts new and empty, slowly waxing to a first quarter. Energy manifests and dances in the 5th dimension, waiting to cross over. A trial of one self declares a decision be made – a culmination of intent vs. the demons within battle for the prize of dominating the next phase.

Building toward a beautiful climax gives a boost to those who have prepared correctly, or were lucky, or both… a hairpin turn throws a curveball in the name of fear and doubt and obligation. It also hurls a ball of energy toward positivity.

No drug compares to the germination of the seed you have sowed.

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Hard Drive Sounds —

It was mid-1996, it was dark outside and inside. I was 16.

I was laying on my mattress in my room, on my right side. I remember that because I was facing my wall. I had just smoked some pot and blew it out my window. I wondered if my mom was going to smell it. Probably not.

I was happy, content, optimistic.

My 386/SX @25MHz w/32MB EDO RAM (SIMMs!) adjacent to me was on but the monitor was off. The 28.8bps modem was busy, and so was the 80MB IDE hard drive which clicked and purred as users traversed my Bulletin Board System. When they logged off, the modem would click and the hard drive would purr, with no clicking.

I was able to tell what a user was doing on my board while laying on my bed with my eyes closed. Messaging would mean the hard drive was mostly purring with some sporadic clicking. If they went into L.O.R.D. or another intensive door game, there would be lots of sporadic clicking. If they were downloading from the file bases it would be very steady, almost rhythmic clicking as the file was accessed and fed through the modem to some other person’s hard drive.

That night was honestly one of the most memorable ones of my life. I was so happy (and baked, lol), so excited that my BBS was getting callers and activity – I felt like I had created a thriving community that people really enjoyed spending time on. I was proud and I guess I should have been at 16. My board was one of the most popular in Sonoma County at the time. I was exploring technology, making friends (and enemies, heh), getting in trouble being a teenager, making mistakes, learning about different people and how to be a good SysOp..

I don’t think that feeling has ever left me. Whenever I think about the best moments of my life, that was definitely one of them. :)

 

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Real Talk —

“The strategy of lying about voter fraud, delegitimizing the election outcome and trying to suppress votes has been unmasked for the illegitimate attack on our democracy that it is, and I think that it opens a lot more doors to real conversations about how to fix our voting system and root out this cancer,” said Wendy Weiser, head of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy institute.“

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Happy New Year —

In the past I always thought of the year 2020 as very futuristic. Essentially it was 2015 from Back to the Future Part II.

Pretty interesting year, 2020.. We’ll look back on it and say things like, “That was the year that was much different than the rest” and, “Everything changed after 2020”. Many years have been like this, each in their own way. It’s hard to deny the climactic personality of this year, though. My one hope is that the ability for humans to understand each other more, myself included. Growing as a person without bias and at least a little bit disconnected from ego all the time is an important resolution to hold, I think. Happy New Year, and here’s to an even more interesting 2021. *Cheers* =)

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Life —

I feel right now that life in its most productive state is a constant influx of change; Improvement, refining, learning. Stuff like that.

With what I have been working on lately (Linux systems + network architecture) I have felt the feeling that breeds “MORE”. I am obsessed with efficiency. I drool at a shell script that is perfect. I think and breathe inter-system communication, redundancy and power. Bandwidth. Security. Potential. It’s what drives me.

</DecemberRant>

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Modern Survival —

I feel like we’re all playing a game of survival.

I used to play “war” with my friend John Ortiz in 2nd grade. We would walk around the school’s field at recess, pretending to shoot bad guys, and occasionally get blown up by a grenade. I guess you could call it a survival game.

Fortunately we had “do-it-yourself surgery kits” back then when I was 7.. which, well, …you get it. :) “My stomach is blown up by a grenade! I’ll get my do-it-yourself surgery kit. Ok, I’m better, AH! Another bad guy! *machine gun sounds*”

There are many more dimensions to the modern game of survival. Personal beliefs of whether or not COVID-19 is “just a flu”, political affiliation (and degree of said affiliation which determines your level of sanity or insanity), whether you root your beliefs in science and fact.. well, you get it.

Darwinism used to be “Survival of the fittest”. Now it seems it’s “Survival of the smartest”. When taking a few steps back from the situation, it seems as though the ones who think they know better than the experts are getting systematically wiped out.

Stay safe. Use common sense. Masks work. Science and medicine is real. The Earth is round.

You get it.

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Was I Was Right All Along? —

When I was young I (mostly) followed what my dad taught me about people – that many of them are shallow and greedy. In the area I grew up, there was a big gap between the ones who made a LOT of money and the ones who didn’t. We weren’t one of the wealthy ones, and that was ok.

As I grew older I found qualities of people and situations that fit that same mental construct that was hammered into me – that I was different – and ‘everyone else’ around was just looking to get a house on the hill. To get rich, have social and financial status to gloat with, to fulfill their role as the ‘yuppies’ that were despised by people like me.

As I matured I wanted to start giving people the benefit of the doubt. I was meeting so many new people of so many different backgrounds with many different social, cultural and economic qualities. Everyone should get a chance to prove themselves, right?

A contrasting point lingers in my memory of my first girlfriend who lived in a trailer park. My mom was opposite of my dad – seeking social and financial status among her “peers”, choosing to create a facade of class in lieu of honesty. She seemed to know all about the kind of person Lillian was though she had never met her. This set me off on a road of rebellion. I knew who she was and she wasn’t trash. Honestly speaking she was a very confident person and I think my mom took that as a threat (we won’t mention that I was forbidden to date until age 16, and I was just turning 15, though she was bringing men in and out of our house at the time that made me feel like I was living in a motel).

The dynamics of my upbringing and parental influence on how to judge people were a bit accusatory and conflicting, to say the least. I feel like I had to forge my own path regarding how to treat people, of the ethics of human relationships and social constructs.

As I grow even older than that, I find (and to an extent, resist) the possible realization that when you reduce people to their lowest common denominator, there really are common qualities that you can assume people have. But what is this anyway, but stereotypes that form half-baked assumptions about individuals? Do we really go down that path of reckless thought patterns as we get older? One that divides, that assumes we know it all about everyone else? Isn’t that just lazy?

I don’t want to be someone who thinks they know it all, that knows someone before they get to know them. I want to hold onto the ideals of my young adulthood by acknowledging that everyone is different – nobody should be generalized. Once you forget about the things that make us individuals, you cease to maintain being one yourself.

I remember in the early 2000’s when YouTube was just starting out and there was a channel called “Hometown Baghdad”. This was in the midst of the Iraq war, as well as the Internet revolution. A group of young adults living in Baghdad created a YouTube channel and posted videos of their views on the world from their vantage point. “I love hubbly-bubbly” was one of my favorite videos posted, a funny and charming video in homage to their favorite hookah. Another video explained the reality of their lives – in the quote I remember, as the young men were explaining their views on life, reality, as part of the vlogger movement – “Everyone just wants to be heard”.

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The Gas Light is Out —

In November 2016 I was feeling pretty bummed, betrayed and worried about the next 4 years. I was at my Mom’s (an avid Trump supporter) house and she told me, “Don’t worry. You’ll see, in 4 years the world is going to be in such a better place than it is now, just trust me. Trump is going to run the country like the business it is.”

I was talking with my dad (also a Trump supporter) about a week ago and he was fuming at the fact that Joe Biden won the election. He insisted that the country is headed for Socialism and we’re all “fucked”. His support of Trump is based on the fact that the stock market is ‘doing so great’.

I feel like I’ve been living in a 4 year long episode of “Gas Light“. The gaslight is out, but even now, so many people still believe it’s as bright as ever.

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Narrative to sow distrust —

“What does that do to our democracy as we play out this process? What does it do to the belief in the system when 70 million people think the election was stolen,” Tolson said, referring to the popular vote total for Trump. “To me that’s the danger of this narrative, that’s the danger of this litigation.“ –University of Southern California (USC) law professor Franita Tolson

Let me say first – I haven’t trusted most proprietary brands of electronic voting systems/machines for the past 5 elections, since I started studying them as an I.T. security professional.

That being said!… if there is no evidence, there is no case. You can’t just go around screaming that there was widespread, mass fraud when you have no evidence to back it up. It just makes you look like a sore loser.

What’s more concerning to me, related to the above quote, is that what the current administration is doing is damaging the trust a people have in their election process.

On the one hand, I am actually very glad that there are people poking around and making sure all votes are legitimate. This kind of hardening is necessary for EVERY election.

On the other hand, the current president has had 4 years to “fix” the election process he claimed was rigged since the 2016 election — with legislation. He’s the guy – he has had the power for the entirety of his role as POTUS. Yet, he did nothing.

And now he’s screaming “FRAUD!”

Fuck him.

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Fraud —

Some quotes from r/conservative…

“Even if he has in fact lost, letting the recounts and the challenges proceed is vital to fair elections and should be done. The voting process(es) is(are) broken and should be nationalized.

Whether it’s systemic, prevalent, or isolated to one or two unique circumstances, it’s quite obvious that voter fraud happens. Everything from mass ballot harvesting, guided voting, and ballot stuffing to computerized “glitches” and inconsistencies in how votes are tallied, and accounted for.“

“Trump should have pushed for voting process reform while he was in office.“

“Of course he has the right [to question the votes]. That’s not the point. What made people rightfully angry is that trump is already claiming that he won and that the election was most definitely a fraud even before real evidence came out.

He’s not questioning anything. He’s already made up his mind.“

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Future reference —

(Taken from here – things Trump has done as president that disgraces U.S. Troops + Vets)

[–]victorvictor1

Citations

removed POW/MIA flag from White House

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-veterans/removal-of-flag-honoring-veterans-from-white-house-sparks-anger-idUSKBN2621DT

said “My generals are a bunch of pussies”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/highlights-woodward-trump-interviews-rage

says Americans who died in war are “losers” and “suckers.”

“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,”

called John McCain “a fucking loser” when asked to lower flags to half staff.

called President George H.W. Bush a loser for being shot down during WWII.

said “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” To Gen. John Kelly — while visiting Kelly’s son’s grave at Arlington.

“That guy is smart. Why did he join the military?” re: Joint Chiefs of Staff, he said asked his staff to not include wounded veterans in events because amputees make him uncomfortable.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/

Trump defended Russia from arming the Taliban against US Troops, saying the US did that once

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-appears-to-defend-russia-arming-the-taliban-against-us-troops

Trump knew since Mar 2020 that Russia paid bounties to kill American troops, yet he has done nothing. he was briefed on options such as sanctions yet his admin has taken no action against russia for paying bounties for killing American and NATO troops.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html

In May 2020, the White House was planning to end National Guard deployments one day before they could claim benefits, but after the massive public outcry, they backtracked and let Guard members continue on their orders.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/20/trump-administration-extending-national-guard-deployments-272156

The Trump admin seized 5 million masks intended for VA hospitals. Kushner distributes these masks to private entities for a fee, who then sells the masks to the government

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-admin-seizing-ppe/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/coronavirus-fema-medical-supplies.html

Trump’s admin fired the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after he warned superiors that COVID19 was spreading among his crew. The virus subsequently spread amongst the crew.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/02/826317152/uss-roosevelt-commander-removed-after-criticizing-handling-of-coronavirus-outbre

After Iran’s retaliatory strike, 109 US troops suffered brain injuries. Trump dismissed these as “headaches” https://apnews.com/eabf6766d717a2dd518a3c6319bb2430

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/world/middleeast/trump-iraq-brain-injuries.html

Pardoned multiple war criminals, which stomped on long standing military values, discipline, and command. Trump has no military experience (May&Nov, 2019)

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/16/trump-grants-clemency-to-troops-in-three-controversial-war-crimes-cases/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/us/trump-pardon-military.html

Trump mocked Lt. Col. Vindman for his rank and uniform. He threatened said purple heart officer, resulting in the Army providing him protection. Sent opposition research to the Pentagon to derail Lt. Col. Vindman’s promotion

https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-nsc-dirt-alexander-vindman-allegations-2020-7

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-slam-vindman-wearing-army-uniform-impeachment-hearing-2019-11

Trump’s Chief of Staff worked—in secret—to deny comprehensive health coverage to Vietnam Vets who suffered from Agent Orange.

https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/10/23/white-house-responsible-for-delayed-decision-on-new-agent-orange-diseases-documents-show/

There is a facility in Tijuana for US veterans that Trump deported. Wounded war vet, Sen Duckworth (D) marked Veterans Day 2019 by visiting this facility

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/deployed-then-deported-how-us-vets-who-served-their-country-get-kicked-out-11390471

Russia took control of the main U.S. military facility in Syria abandoned on Trump’s orders. Russia now owns the airstrip we built

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-russia/russia-lands-forces-at-former-u-s-air-base-in-northern-syria-idUSKBN1XP0XN

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/world/middleeast/kurds-syria-turkey.html

On Oct 7, 2019, Trump abruptly withdrew support from America’s allies in Syria after a phone call with Turkey’s president (Erdogan). Turkey subsequently bombed US Special Forces.

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767904589/shocking-trump-is-criticized-for-pulling-troops-from-syrian-border

In Sept 2019, he made an Air Force cargo crew, flying from the U.S. to Kuwait stop in Scotland (where there’s no U.S. base) to refuel at a commercial airport (where it costs more), so they could stay overnight at a Trump property (which isn’t close to the airport). Trump’s golf courses are losing money, so he’s forcing the military to pay for 5-star nights there.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/09/07/c-17-crew-stops-at-trumps-scottish-golf-resort-en-route-to-kuwait/

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337

In Sept, 2019, Pentagon pulled funds for military schools, military housing funds, and daycare to pay for Trump’s border wall.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-pentagon/pentagon-pulls-funds-for-military-schools-daycare-to-pay-for-trumps-border-wall-idUSKCN1VP2VY

In Aug, 2019, emails revealed that three of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago pals, who are now running Veterans Affairs, are rampant with meddling. “They had no experience in veterans affairs (none of them even served in the military) nor underwent any kind of approval process to serve as de facto managers. Yet, with Trump’s approval, they directed actions and criticized operations without any oversight. They wasted valuable staff time in hundreds of pages of communications and meetings, emails show. Emails reveal disdainful attitudes within the department to the trio’s meddling.”

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/25/politics/trump-mar-a-lago-crowd-va-emails/index.html

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/22/digital-health-platform-mar-a-lago-members-1676335

Trump instructed aides to seize private property some of which contain military service member remains.

https://apnews.com/ad6f6247154548c3b28db33ae6a5eae9

Trump told officials he would pardon them if they break the law by illegally seizing property.

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-28/trump-officials-border-wall-pardon

 

More…

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It’s all in the Gameplan —

This…

Do you think, for one solitary moment, that a leader OF ANY CALIBER being so recklessly irresponsible is somehow excusable? That one who SUPPOSEDLY understands how powerful their actions and words are, yet continues, day after day, to deconstruct the foundation of a people — should be allowed at ANY CAPACITY?

Countless sacred and foundational laws have been broken, bent and twisted to achieve the goals of an insurgent and their cronies. Because of those who stand by and allow this, countless lives have been lost, and countless more altered forever. And through it all, this leader has been allowed to continue doing what they do – deconstruct.

There was a point in my younger life when I wished my country would have a wrench thrown in its spokes, so to speak. To halt the atrocities and cause people to pause for a moment to see what recklessness has been done to their livelihoods, and how much better things *could* be if they simply looked at themselves closer, if they simply listened to their conscience without the filter of ego.

I’ve heard people say the same thing recently, people who support the current leadership. I’ve always supported the RATM approach (after all, that’s how this country was founded). The choice of this particular leader is obviously a huge mistake, because they are not doing what they promised – they are simply morphed politicians now, who care not about the people but only themselves.

Narcissists supported by other narcissists, running rampant, believing wholeheartedly that they are ‘fighting the good fight’, not realizing that what they are doing is digging their own paths to Hell.

What happens to the helpers? The good, the holy? Are we really all on a one-way train ride here? Are we all destined for the gas chamber? And for what, standing up for ourselves, having a different viewpoint that focuses on goodwill toward all people? That focuses on justice, equality and mutual respect? That focuses on sound, peer reviewed science? That believes facts proven beyond the shadow of a doubt? That cares about the health of a planet that has allowed us as a species to live and thrive, that gives us food to eat and water to drink? How do the deconstructors not see that they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces? That they aren’t only ending their “opponents'” futures but their own families’? Do they even fucking care?

Maybe the helpers need to ditch their upbringings and fight fire with fire. Maybe it’s been proven that it’s too late to go high. What dignity do we have left when every foundational human right is being stripped out from under us by means of constitutional, psychological and now biological warfare? They do realize that that’s what’s going on, right? It’s not a conspiracy theory when the boiling frog has already died, when the pig’s lipstick has melted and is running down its chin like blood from a slit to the throat.

It’s quite obvious what is happening right now and anybody who dares defend ANY of what’s going on is going to have to answer to their respective Creators when their time comes. I’d hate to think that witnessing that may be the only retribution from the absolute madness that continues to cripple the spiritual progression and light that would otherwise be shining brightly in this world.

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