I thought I would give "The Orville" a try as it seemed like a more out-right comedic version of Star Trek, which to me sounded like a winner and fresh fare for those that have seen EVERY SINGLE episode of the original and the related and the "in the neighborhood" shows (like Firefly - darn good series, sorry it didn't make it). In fact I went into this wanting to like it. To date I have seen the first9 episodes and so far I have learned:
- Episode 3, "About a Girl": Homosexual sex is not only A-OK but is absolutely normal and nothing to bat an eye at. In that same episode, I learned that it is perfectly fine to NOT tell your spouse that you had a sex change until you absolutely have to. It is also acceptable to change the sex of your newborn if you find their natural / genetic sex uncomfortable. Secondary lessons learned, if it were not for women, men would be playing with high explosives in the middle of every down town city (with no regard to public safety) and we would all be a bunch artless, boorish "men" where our greatest author would be shunned and hidden away [from the world] woman.
- Episode 9, "Cupid's Dagger": If your wife had an affair with another man, it is NOT her fault and you are a d*ck if you get mad and divorced because it was not her fault. Also, homosexual sex is GREAT and as a side affect, being (now) bisexual is just another day (more partner options yay!). A secondary "teachable moment" is that using chemicals to entice men and women into bed is OK too, as long as everyone has fun.
There were some "high points" like episode 7 ("Majority Rule") where they take a thoughtful swipe at social media and those infatuated with same.
I am still on the fence as to if I will stick with this "space" series. I am no prude and I am a big boy and can see the liberal propaganda for what it is. I do get tired of having all of these liberal hot-button items jammed down my throat on a 24/7 basis though. Surveys show that as much as 2.1% of the population is gay or bisexual. If you were to go by how that group is represented on TV, you would think the percentage is closer to an order of magnitude higher. I have also notices a marked increase in the requisite "gay" character in teen movies. It seems that every "clique" has to have their representative of each interest group to get past those that approve TV/movie projects. I personally do not care if you are straight, gay, bisexual, or other. I do care that it is jammed into every movie, TV show, commercial, etc. at a much higher percentage than is representative of the general population. Enough already! Give it a rest. I wish all of these "creative" types would focus more on the plot and the story than on the composition of the case of characters.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
Calling Java classes from PowerShell in order to change an iSeries/AS400 password
I was recently working on a "solution" to allow an automated process on a Window 10 system to interact with an iSeries system. A part of the problem to be solved is that the iSeries system in question has a rule requiring frequent password changes. Understandable but not conducive to automated processing. Additionally, the user under which this process would run does not have SECADM rights so calling chgusrprf through FTP was not an option. What to do, what to do...
Search web, search web, search web...
Seems that IBM has a "Toolbox for Java" product (http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/i/toolbox/) and just so happens that there is a open source version called JTOpen (http://jt400.sourceforge.net/ - got to love that) that supports changing your password remotely.
OK, now I have a possible solution. How do I call a Java class from PowerShell?
Search web, search web, search web...
Try, search, try, search, try search...
Fail... Issues finding the proper classes in the JTOpen to do a password change as this is a toolkit for you to build solutions out of.
Search web, search web, search web...
SOLUTION! Someone (don't you LOVE the Internet?) had a similar issue and wrote a Java JAR to encapsulate the problem into a simple command line type of call. You can get it here: https://github.com/cwg999/AS400PasswordChanger/tree/master/export
Downloaded that.
More try(s) and search(es) and finally SUCCESS!
Here is my simple "walk through" of the above solution in PowerShell. I will wind up putting this into a much larger script that will be scheduled to run in half of the configured password life time.
- Get AS400PasswordChanger.jar from the above link.
- Create a directory and copy that JAR file into it.
- Open a PowerShell.
- In PowerShell, change to the directory you created (that contains the JAR file).
- Enter the following command:
java -jar ./AS400PasswordChanger.jar {iSeries name/IP} {user name} {current password} {new password}
If all goes well, you should see: Change Successful.
The only error I got once I actually got it to work (all prior errors were PowerShell or Java errors) was this one and that was because the iSeries I was using for testing does not allow you to change your password more than once per 24 hours and I had to change it when I logged in due to it having expired already:
com.ibm.as400.access.AS400SecurityException: Password change is not allowed at this time.:{user name}
Hope this saves someone else some time.
Search web, search web, search web...
Seems that IBM has a "Toolbox for Java" product (http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/i/toolbox/) and just so happens that there is a open source version called JTOpen (http://jt400.sourceforge.net/ - got to love that) that supports changing your password remotely.
OK, now I have a possible solution. How do I call a Java class from PowerShell?
Search web, search web, search web...
Try, search, try, search, try search...
Fail... Issues finding the proper classes in the JTOpen to do a password change as this is a toolkit for you to build solutions out of.
Search web, search web, search web...
SOLUTION! Someone (don't you LOVE the Internet?) had a similar issue and wrote a Java JAR to encapsulate the problem into a simple command line type of call. You can get it here: https://github.com/cwg999/AS400PasswordChanger/tree/master/export
Downloaded that.
More try(s) and search(es) and finally SUCCESS!
Here is my simple "walk through" of the above solution in PowerShell. I will wind up putting this into a much larger script that will be scheduled to run in half of the configured password life time.
- Get AS400PasswordChanger.jar from the above link.
- Create a directory and copy that JAR file into it.
- Open a PowerShell.
- In PowerShell, change to the directory you created (that contains the JAR file).
- Enter the following command:
java -jar ./AS400PasswordChanger.jar {iSeries name/IP} {user name} {current password} {new password}
If all goes well, you should see: Change Successful.
The only error I got once I actually got it to work (all prior errors were PowerShell or Java errors) was this one and that was because the iSeries I was using for testing does not allow you to change your password more than once per 24 hours and I had to change it when I logged in due to it having expired already:
com.ibm.as400.access.AS400SecurityException: Password change is not allowed at this time.:{user name}
Hope this saves someone else some time.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Darn that Trump!
So we have had the Comey testimony yesterday. I did not see it live but am watching a tape of it so as to allow me to see it unfiltered by the media. I could not help but hear some reviews and it looks like everyone got something that they wanted out of it, such that all the anti-Trump(s) get to say "see, look what he did!" and the Trimpits get to say "see, Comey said he didn't know such-n-such and did not do such-n-such".
The general consensus is that nothing was said to enable the anti-Trump(s) to justify impeachment BUT Trump is not guilt free. Very likely nothing prosecutable.(update 1) I know, low standard but the last 8+ years have made that the new normal.
I still want to finish watching the full tape (and may update this based on that) but my current take-aways are:
The general consensus is that nothing was said to enable the anti-Trump(s) to justify impeachment BUT Trump is not guilt free. Very likely nothing prosecutable.(update 1) I know, low standard but the last 8+ years have made that the new normal.
I still want to finish watching the full tape (and may update this based on that) but my current take-aways are:
- Trump is not without sin in all of this. He is NOT very Presidential in part because he is not a politician. He is also used to getting his own way a LOT due to being the king of his own very large company. He is used to people that work for him doing what he wants, when he wants it and is used to demanding and getting personal loyalty. The Government is not a company and most folks in the Government are supposed to have loyalty to the country and the Constitution not individual people. Trump needs to "get" that.
- Comey is looking VERY political. He is (was) supposed to be in a non-political position as head of the FBI but it doesn't look like that has been the case for some if not most of his 4 years in the Obama administration. For someone that EVERYONE praised for his integrity, he showed a lot of iffy integrity throughout the last 8 - 12 months.
- Where was all of his integrity during the Hillary email and DNC email debacles?
- Where was all of his integrity when Linch pressured him to mis-state the type of investigation he was conducting in regard to the Hillary email issue? Sure, he stood his ground but why did he not call her out for that pressuring?
- He felt he had to leak some of his personal memos to the press through a friend after he was fired? He did not have the integrity to come forward himself and do it?
- Trump can be / is a bully. His is crass. He is thin skinned. He has little to no filter. These were many of the reasons that a lot of folks voted for him but he is not running for President any more. He IS President. I wish he would act a bit more Presidential.
All that said, and again I still have more tape to watch BUT all that said, still not Hillary. I can ignore/overlook/forgive a lot because still not Hillary.
Just imagine for a minute what would be going on if we were in not-Trump land. If Hillary had reached her goal and was President. The disaster of a Iran policy would be going full steam ahead. Israel would be getting more of the Obama-era abuse. We would not even be having a immigration debate as there would no longer be any immigration restrictions, with Muslim refugees streaming in with NO vetting. The IRS would be back on track going after conservative groups. The DOJ would be ignoring voter fraud and going after right wing speech. The Clinton foundation would be raking in even more and larger foreign government payoffs with no end in sight. We would have lost the SCOTUS for at least a generation if not longer.
So reality is, Trump is NOT Reagan. He is not even Bush Sr. but he is sure as hell NOT Hillary and thank the good Lord for that!
Update 1: Just read another article on this and "The president can, as a matter of constitutional law, direct the attorney general, and his subordinate, the director of the FBI, tell them what to do, whom to prosecute and whom not to prosecute. Indeed, the president has the constitutional authority to stop the investigation of any person by simply pardoning that person." so Trump did not, not only do nothing illegal but nothing "out of the ordinary" either other than doing it while Republican.
Update 2: "The Russians interfered in the election." We have been hearing that for months, that the Russians stole the election from Queen Hillary except that no one will actually say HOW. Comey stated under oath that he had ZERO proof that the Russians changed a single vote. So, how did the Russians "steal" the election? Why by (maybe it wasn't them) releasing a bunch of DNC emails showing how the DNC colluded with the Hillary campaign to STEAL the nomination from Sanders and how the DNC colluded with the media to TRY and steal it from America by giving Hillary debate questions, etc.
Update 1: Just read another article on this and "The president can, as a matter of constitutional law, direct the attorney general, and his subordinate, the director of the FBI, tell them what to do, whom to prosecute and whom not to prosecute. Indeed, the president has the constitutional authority to stop the investigation of any person by simply pardoning that person." so Trump did not, not only do nothing illegal but nothing "out of the ordinary" either other than doing it while Republican.
Update 2: "The Russians interfered in the election." We have been hearing that for months, that the Russians stole the election from Queen Hillary except that no one will actually say HOW. Comey stated under oath that he had ZERO proof that the Russians changed a single vote. So, how did the Russians "steal" the election? Why by (maybe it wasn't them) releasing a bunch of DNC emails showing how the DNC colluded with the Hillary campaign to STEAL the nomination from Sanders and how the DNC colluded with the media to TRY and steal it from America by giving Hillary debate questions, etc.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Thursday, June 1, 2017
CA Energy Officials, the stupid it burns...
Solar-Powered California Warned to Unplug for August Eclipse.
State energy officials are warning residents to click off all lights they don’t need and unplug all electrical appliances when 62 percent of the sun disappears over Los Angeles during a partial solar eclipse that is expected that day.
Nobody is warning of blackouts. But then again, nobody knows what will happen.
“When the sun goes away, so does the energy that powers our renewable solar panels. If millions of Californians turn off appliances and power strips to unplug from the grid during the eclipse, we can let our hard-working sun take a break,” said Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission.
There is just so much stupid on display here. Some of it industry wide and some of it local.
First, I am so tired of folks using the phrase "renewable solar panels". The panels are NOT renewable. they had to be manufactured just like all other "man made things" and that took material and energy. They are not like trees that if left alone will grow and reproduce. Solar panels don't make themselves nor do they make more on their own.
Second "let our hard-working sun take a break"? Really? So the "California Public Utilities Commission president" does not understand that a partial or even total eclipse doesn't put out the Sun nor does it make the Sun go away, it just blocks our Earthly view of it for a time (and location) due to the moon passing between the Earth and Sun? If he actually knows all this [but let us not assume anything] and he is using this phraseology due to his understanding of the Lao Angeles population and their intelligence, that might be even worse.
Lastly, so they don't have ANY idea of if there is enough stand-by energy to run the city while the eclipse is taking place? Really? Isn't knowing the energy reserves and the availability of surrounding area backup power [I don't know, like] his friggen job as president of the Utilities Commission? Or is that too "mathy" for California?
State energy officials are warning residents to click off all lights they don’t need and unplug all electrical appliances when 62 percent of the sun disappears over Los Angeles during a partial solar eclipse that is expected that day.
Nobody is warning of blackouts. But then again, nobody knows what will happen.
“When the sun goes away, so does the energy that powers our renewable solar panels. If millions of Californians turn off appliances and power strips to unplug from the grid during the eclipse, we can let our hard-working sun take a break,” said Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission.
There is just so much stupid on display here. Some of it industry wide and some of it local.
First, I am so tired of folks using the phrase "renewable solar panels". The panels are NOT renewable. they had to be manufactured just like all other "man made things" and that took material and energy. They are not like trees that if left alone will grow and reproduce. Solar panels don't make themselves nor do they make more on their own.
Second "let our hard-working sun take a break"? Really? So the "California Public Utilities Commission president" does not understand that a partial or even total eclipse doesn't put out the Sun nor does it make the Sun go away, it just blocks our Earthly view of it for a time (and location) due to the moon passing between the Earth and Sun? If he actually knows all this [but let us not assume anything] and he is using this phraseology due to his understanding of the Lao Angeles population and their intelligence, that might be even worse.
Lastly, so they don't have ANY idea of if there is enough stand-by energy to run the city while the eclipse is taking place? Really? Isn't knowing the energy reserves and the availability of surrounding area backup power [I don't know, like] his friggen job as president of the Utilities Commission? Or is that too "mathy" for California?
Friday, May 26, 2017
Bike lock boy busted!
A nice bit of news, the antifa coward that hit a few folks on the head with a bike lock, has been caught and is currently in jail awaiting arraignment.
It turns out that the "thug" is Eric Clanton an occasional Diablo Valley College professor that taught “introduction to philosophy with a background in teaching ethics, critical thinking, and comparative philosophy East/West” with “primary research interests” of ethics and politics. In addition, he earned a bachelor’s degree at California State University, Bakersfield. He also earned a master’s degree at San Francisco State in philosophy.
Just a nice guy "fighting the good fight" against those evil Nazis! Sure, he is fighting this good fight from the safety of a crowd, using a bike lock on the end of a chain, hitting unsuspecting folks on the head and then ducking / running into the crowed but he is BRAVE! He is standing up for the little guy against these evil Nazi protesters that are not actually Nazis nor evil. They just have a different political opinion than Eric. Eric knows better though cause he is educated and has a degree in philosophy and as such is such a deep thinker and all. Well here is hoping he gets more time to think deeply about philosophy and ethics, like 20 to life for 3 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.
It turns out that the "thug" is Eric Clanton an occasional Diablo Valley College professor that taught “introduction to philosophy with a background in teaching ethics, critical thinking, and comparative philosophy East/West” with “primary research interests” of ethics and politics. In addition, he earned a bachelor’s degree at California State University, Bakersfield. He also earned a master’s degree at San Francisco State in philosophy.
Just a nice guy "fighting the good fight" against those evil Nazis! Sure, he is fighting this good fight from the safety of a crowd, using a bike lock on the end of a chain, hitting unsuspecting folks on the head and then ducking / running into the crowed but he is BRAVE! He is standing up for the little guy against these evil Nazi protesters that are not actually Nazis nor evil. They just have a different political opinion than Eric. Eric knows better though cause he is educated and has a degree in philosophy and as such is such a deep thinker and all. Well here is hoping he gets more time to think deeply about philosophy and ethics, like 20 to life for 3 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Trump budget plan, 2018
Looks like a good start,
President Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal would completely eliminate 66 federal programs, for a savings of $26.7 billion.
Some of the programs would receive funding for 2018 as part of a phasing-out plan.
I am sure that there is much more that could be eliminated / shrunk. A few billion here, a few billion there and pretty soon you are talking about real money.
Go Trump!
President Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal would completely eliminate 66 federal programs, for a savings of $26.7 billion.
Some of the programs would receive funding for 2018 as part of a phasing-out plan.
I am sure that there is much more that could be eliminated / shrunk. A few billion here, a few billion there and pretty soon you are talking about real money.
Go Trump!
Monday, May 22, 2017
Trump budget plan, EPA hardest hit
What do you call an EPA budget cut of 31%? A nice start...
Under the March proposal, the EPA was due to absorb a 31 percent funding cut. If enacted, that plan would discontinue funding for programming, research and diplomatic efforts related to climate change, end more than 50 EPA programs and cut 3,200 of the agency's 15,000 jobs.
If they were focused more on their core mandates like superfund, NOT dumping gallons and gallons of toxic water into rivers, and serving as an industry watchdog, they likely would not be in the situation they are.
Sorry but CO2 is NOT a toxin and does not need to be EPA controlled.
Nice start President Trump! Don't STOP!
On a related topic, Trump's confirmations are being stalled by Democrats. Trump should announce that any agency without Trump confirmed heads come budget approval time, get NO funding period. If the confirmations are so unimportant the the Democrats can't be bothered to work the process, those departments must not be important either and should be done away with / unfunded. That might focus some minds and/or save more money...
Under the March proposal, the EPA was due to absorb a 31 percent funding cut. If enacted, that plan would discontinue funding for programming, research and diplomatic efforts related to climate change, end more than 50 EPA programs and cut 3,200 of the agency's 15,000 jobs.
If they were focused more on their core mandates like superfund, NOT dumping gallons and gallons of toxic water into rivers, and serving as an industry watchdog, they likely would not be in the situation they are.
Sorry but CO2 is NOT a toxin and does not need to be EPA controlled.
Nice start President Trump! Don't STOP!
On a related topic, Trump's confirmations are being stalled by Democrats. Trump should announce that any agency without Trump confirmed heads come budget approval time, get NO funding period. If the confirmations are so unimportant the the Democrats can't be bothered to work the process, those departments must not be important either and should be done away with / unfunded. That might focus some minds and/or save more money...
The tears were SO sweet!
Now a days if I feel a little low, I just need to watch this video. The self-aggrandizing, the naval gazing, the lack of self awareness, the over all self-delusion in action, it is a wonder to behold!
Wow, just wow.
As an add-on funny, if you ask any of these folks in the video if they have changed their minds any and they would very likely answer no, that Hillary is still "the most qualified EVER" and that Trump is still a racist, etc., etc., etc.
Wow, just wow.
As an add-on funny, if you ask any of these folks in the video if they have changed their minds any and they would very likely answer no, that Hillary is still "the most qualified EVER" and that Trump is still a racist, etc., etc., etc.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
When will the madness end?!?
Have you heard? Do you know what that SOB has done now? No? It was all over the news, you sure you haven't read about it? You know what I am talking about, right? The latest Trump HUGE scandal of course! At a recent dinner at the White House, when dessert was served (ice cream), the President was given two (that right TWO) scoops of ice cream while everyone else had to settle for just one! If that isn't an impeachable offense, why do we even have the to impeach Presidents, amiright?
As an aside, this is like reason 2,538 that no one (well about half the country anyway) is listening to the media, Democrats, liberals, antafa, etc. (but I mostly repeat myself) any more on anything Trump. These screaming crybullies are making Trump's pre-election comment about shooting someone in the street and his fans not caring true because if that ever does happen, a very many people will think it is just more made up media junk.
Lets see,what we have on the scandal board:
The sad part of all of this is that there are a LOT of people (like a majority) that are NOT fans of Trump. Many of us voted for him because there was no other option (Hillary, really? That was the best you could do?). This 24/7 all the time temper tantrum that all those listed earlier are throwing is NOT changing any hearts or minds. As someone more famous than I has said "You want more Trump? This is how you get more Trump." Keep this up, you are just making it more likely "Trump for 8" instead of "Trump for 4".
It is also only a matter of time before "normal America" gets tired of "just keeping on keeping on" and start to engage and push back. You can only disrupt our lives (blocking traffic, burning down businesses, beating up old men, pepper spraying ladies) for so long and you will get push back "good and hard" and all of those "deplorables" have better training, weapons, skills, and resources than you do. They are the ones that (by large percentages) hunt, camp, join the military, shoot, etc. You want to resist and you want a revolution? Just be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
(1) Now that is something right out of 1984 if ever there was! These "antifa" folks all dress in black, cover their faces, riot, loot, burn stuff, and beat up anyone that even hints that they are going to exercise their free speech rights by saying anything remotely in support of Trump or even just "wishy washy" on hard left dogma but sure, Trump supporters are the fascists. That word does not mean what you think it means.
As an aside, this is like reason 2,538 that no one (well about half the country anyway) is listening to the media, Democrats, liberals, antafa, etc. (but I mostly repeat myself) any more on anything Trump. These screaming crybullies are making Trump's pre-election comment about shooting someone in the street and his fans not caring true because if that ever does happen, a very many people will think it is just more made up media junk.
Lets see,what we have on the scandal board:
- icecreamgate - two, only two scoops for you.
- Comeygate - you do understand he serves at the pleasure of the President who can fire him at any time for any reason, right? The left hated him when he started the Hillary email probe. loved him when he said he didn't think she should be prosecuted (overstep much?), and hated him again when he was forced to re-open the investigation. Wanted him fired until he actually was and now he is up for sainthood again.
- Wikileaksgate - oh, wait, that was DNC staffer Seth Rich who was suspiciously killed (like lots of folks around the Clintons who are inconvenient).
- RussaElectiongate - oh, wait, that was John Podesta falling for an email scam that 12 year old girls know to avoid.
- Flynngate - you remember, the guy Trump fired (cause he serves at the pleasure of the President) cause he lied (maybe) to the VP about a Russia conversation he had that was no big deal but he has "suspicious" Russia ties but was granted security clearance by the FBI but squirrel!
- ObamaWireTapgate - Trump lied about being wiretapped cause you know they didn't actually tap the phone wires cause they don't actually do it that way anymore and for months before Trump sent his tweet, the press was full of "leaked" information from Government taps but as soon as Trump sent his tweet all that went down the memory hole and Trump was deranged for suggesting he was tapped except they have those pesky FISA warrants (first one turned down and second one approved) but SURE, no tapping going on round here...
- RussiaReportgate - remember the "super secret Russian dossier" on Trump that included PROOF he urinated on a bed that Obama slept in? I got some authentic Air Guard memos for you too if you still believe that one.
- IvankaTrumpgate - whereas the White House was promoting "PROMOTING" Ivanka's clothing line that until it was mentioned in her White House bio, NO ONE on the entire PLANET knew she had.
- TrumpClimategate - this was the one where the new administration "removed all traces" of the Obama administrations climate pages from the official White House web site GET THIS like every other policy page and every other administration does to the web site when it takes over and all of the old content was moved to a backup web site that is still publicly accessible, THOSE FENDS!
The sad part of all of this is that there are a LOT of people (like a majority) that are NOT fans of Trump. Many of us voted for him because there was no other option (Hillary, really? That was the best you could do?). This 24/7 all the time temper tantrum that all those listed earlier are throwing is NOT changing any hearts or minds. As someone more famous than I has said "You want more Trump? This is how you get more Trump." Keep this up, you are just making it more likely "Trump for 8" instead of "Trump for 4".
It is also only a matter of time before "normal America" gets tired of "just keeping on keeping on" and start to engage and push back. You can only disrupt our lives (blocking traffic, burning down businesses, beating up old men, pepper spraying ladies) for so long and you will get push back "good and hard" and all of those "deplorables" have better training, weapons, skills, and resources than you do. They are the ones that (by large percentages) hunt, camp, join the military, shoot, etc. You want to resist and you want a revolution? Just be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
(1) Now that is something right out of 1984 if ever there was! These "antifa" folks all dress in black, cover their faces, riot, loot, burn stuff, and beat up anyone that even hints that they are going to exercise their free speech rights by saying anything remotely in support of Trump or even just "wishy washy" on hard left dogma but sure, Trump supporters are the fascists. That word does not mean what you think it means.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017
Thursday, April 13, 2017
The women's pay gap is real! Just not how you think...
Elizabeth Warren’s Female Staffers Made 71% of Male Staffers’ Salaries in 2016. OMG! Say it isn't so! A woman in a position of power made the conscious decision to pay her female staff less than she was paying her male staff!
The gender pay gap in Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D., Mass.) is nearly 10 percent wider than the national average, meaning women in the Massachusetts Democrat's office will have to wait longer than most women across the country to recognize Equal Pay Day.
However, women working for Warren were paid just 71 cents for every dollar paid to men during the 2016 fiscal year, according to a Washington Free Beacon analysis.
Warren said on last year's Equal Pay Day that the American workplace was "rigged against women" and called it a "national day of embarrassment" for the nation.
"Today is Equal Pay Day, and by the sound of it, you would think it's some sort of historic holiday commemorating the anniversary of a landmark day that our country guaranteed equal pay for women," Warren said. "But that's not what this is about. Not even close."
Why not call Elizabeth Warren and ask her why she discriminates against women, Why does she hate women. Why does she value women less than men? These are all honest questions that deserve answers. You know that if Warren were on a congressional panel grilling an evil white male business man, she would ask questions like these and worse.
Why not ask these questions at her next speaking engagement or town-hall meeting? Inquiring minds want to know!
The gender pay gap in Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D., Mass.) is nearly 10 percent wider than the national average, meaning women in the Massachusetts Democrat's office will have to wait longer than most women across the country to recognize Equal Pay Day.
However, women working for Warren were paid just 71 cents for every dollar paid to men during the 2016 fiscal year, according to a Washington Free Beacon analysis.
Warren said on last year's Equal Pay Day that the American workplace was "rigged against women" and called it a "national day of embarrassment" for the nation.
"Today is Equal Pay Day, and by the sound of it, you would think it's some sort of historic holiday commemorating the anniversary of a landmark day that our country guaranteed equal pay for women," Warren said. "But that's not what this is about. Not even close."
Why not call Elizabeth Warren and ask her why she discriminates against women, Why does she hate women. Why does she value women less than men? These are all honest questions that deserve answers. You know that if Warren were on a congressional panel grilling an evil white male business man, she would ask questions like these and worse.
Why not ask these questions at her next speaking engagement or town-hall meeting? Inquiring minds want to know!
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
We’re not supposed to be monitoring American citizens.
So apparently Mr. "shoots from the twitter hip" Trump was correct when he tweeted out that Obama was wiretapping him...
Former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice ordered U.S. spy agencies to produce “detailed spreadsheets” of legal phone calls involving Donald Trump and his aides when he was running for president, according to former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova.
“The overheard conversations involved no illegal activity by anybody of the Trump associates, or anyone they were speaking with,” diGenova said. “In short, the only apparent illegal activity was the unmasking of the people in the calls.”
“The lawyers and counsel at the NSA surely would be talking to the lawyers and members of counsel at CIA, or at the National Security Council or at the Director of National Intelligence or at the FBI,” he said. “It’s unbelievable of the level and degree of the administration to look for information on Donald Trump and his associates, his campaign team and his transition team. This is really, really serious stuff.”
Doran charged that potential serious crimes were undertaken because “this is a leaking of signal intelligence.”
“That’s a felony,” he told TheDCNF. “And you can get 10 years for that. It is a tremendous abuse of the system. We’re not supposed to be monitoring American citizens. Bigger than the crime, is the breach of public trust.”
So it seems that this big nothing-burger (as the Obama administration, the DNC, and the media have been telling everyone for weeks) is really stuffed with beef. There should be a full blown independent prosecutor investigation and everyone involved should be outed, fired, and serve jail time. The legal eagles involved should lose their licenses.
Democrats pulling this sort of stuff is so common place that it is "old news" before it is even reported, if and when the MSM decide to give it a couple of inches on page 34. Just another "dog bites man" story. Enough is enough. While this investigation is in progress, the Hillary Foundation, sorry Clinton Foundation needs to be investigated and we need to dust off the illegal email server probe and maybe reopen Benghazi and Fast n Furious while we are at it. Oh, and that Iran deal with the pallets of cash needs looking into too. Get to work guys!
Former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice ordered U.S. spy agencies to produce “detailed spreadsheets” of legal phone calls involving Donald Trump and his aides when he was running for president, according to former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova.
“The overheard conversations involved no illegal activity by anybody of the Trump associates, or anyone they were speaking with,” diGenova said. “In short, the only apparent illegal activity was the unmasking of the people in the calls.”
“The lawyers and counsel at the NSA surely would be talking to the lawyers and members of counsel at CIA, or at the National Security Council or at the Director of National Intelligence or at the FBI,” he said. “It’s unbelievable of the level and degree of the administration to look for information on Donald Trump and his associates, his campaign team and his transition team. This is really, really serious stuff.”
Doran charged that potential serious crimes were undertaken because “this is a leaking of signal intelligence.”
“That’s a felony,” he told TheDCNF. “And you can get 10 years for that. It is a tremendous abuse of the system. We’re not supposed to be monitoring American citizens. Bigger than the crime, is the breach of public trust.”
So it seems that this big nothing-burger (as the Obama administration, the DNC, and the media have been telling everyone for weeks) is really stuffed with beef. There should be a full blown independent prosecutor investigation and everyone involved should be outed, fired, and serve jail time. The legal eagles involved should lose their licenses.
Democrats pulling this sort of stuff is so common place that it is "old news" before it is even reported, if and when the MSM decide to give it a couple of inches on page 34. Just another "dog bites man" story. Enough is enough. While this investigation is in progress, the Hillary Foundation, sorry Clinton Foundation needs to be investigated and we need to dust off the illegal email server probe and maybe reopen Benghazi and Fast n Furious while we are at it. Oh, and that Iran deal with the pallets of cash needs looking into too. Get to work guys!
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Environmental protesters leave catastrophe in their wake
Wait, what?
A total of two dogs and six puppies were found abandoned at the site and rescued by local nonprofit Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue, local news reported on Saturday.
The two dogs the group rescued reportedly show signs of exposure to the brutal North Dakotan cold, with frost-bitten ears and mangy fur.
But, but they CARE so much!
The reports of the cast-aside canines follow news of the grave environmental threat to the Missouri River posed by the almost unfathomable amount of waste left at the site by protesters, a threat so grave it compelled North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to sign an emergency evacuation order.
Authorities estimated that protesters left enough garbage and human waste to fill 2,500 pickup trucks.
It sure "feels" good to make a difference, right?
Between these sorts of protesters and the Obama Admin EPA polluting that river with toxic waste, I don't know how much more help mother Earth can stand!
A total of two dogs and six puppies were found abandoned at the site and rescued by local nonprofit Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue, local news reported on Saturday.
The two dogs the group rescued reportedly show signs of exposure to the brutal North Dakotan cold, with frost-bitten ears and mangy fur.
But, but they CARE so much!
The reports of the cast-aside canines follow news of the grave environmental threat to the Missouri River posed by the almost unfathomable amount of waste left at the site by protesters, a threat so grave it compelled North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to sign an emergency evacuation order.
Authorities estimated that protesters left enough garbage and human waste to fill 2,500 pickup trucks.
It sure "feels" good to make a difference, right?
Between these sorts of protesters and the Obama Admin EPA polluting that river with toxic waste, I don't know how much more help mother Earth can stand!
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Accessing Salesforce from Powershell
I am working on a small side project at work and need to pull some account data from Salesforce to merge into a database. This has to be done with some regularity so instead of continuing to do this manually, I decided to create a Powershell script to get the data, convert it into a form that can be imported, and add that to the existing job that that runs to do other data merge tasks.
To save others some time, I am showing the basic Powershell / Salesforce script here:
# Salesforce web service access
$getUserID = Read-Host -Prompt 'Enter Salesforce user ID' # prompt for the Salesforce user
$getPassword = Read-Host -Prompt 'Enter Salesforce password' -AsSecureString # prompt for the Salesforce user password
$BSTR = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR( $getPassword ) # convert into form that supports decrypting
$plaintextpassword = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto( $BSTR ) # descrypt string so that we can sent as part of request
# issue the actual OAuth request
$url = "https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/token" # OAuth URL
$params = @{ # OAuth parameters
grant_type="password";
client_id="{replace with your actual Salesforce client_id}";
client_secret="{replace with your actual Salesforce client_secret}";
username="$getUserID";
password="$plaintextpassword"
}
# invoke OAuth call to get security token
$token = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Post -Body $params -ContentType "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
#"here it is: $token"
# show that it works by getting list of available reports...
$WorkingURI = $Token.instance_url+"/services/data/v35.0/analytics/reports"
Invoke-RestMethod -URI $WorkingURI -Method GET -Headers @{ "Authorization" = "OAuth " + $Token.access_token };
# and then run a query...
$sql="select parent.name, name from account"
$WorkingURI = $Token.instance_url+"/services/data/v20.0/query/?q=$sql"
Invoke-RestMethod -URI $WorkingURI -Method GET -Headers @{ "Authorization" = "OAuth " + $Token.access_token } | ConvertTo-Json
# eof
As an added bonus, it prompts the user for their Salesforce user ID and password. This can/will have other uses. The script its self should be self-explanatory. After successful authorization, the script runs a couple of simple calls, one to retrieve a list of reports and the other to run a simple query.
It makes use of the "password" form of OAuth. You will need to configure Salesforce to allow this to work. Part of that is setting up Salesforce for REST web service access. Doing this will cause the system to generate the client_id and client_secret values that you need to pass in order to generate the token. This link will walk you through that. This script will work with a "chatter" user account as long as you set the permissions. You will need something better than a chatter account to get Salesforce configured.
Have fun...
To save others some time, I am showing the basic Powershell / Salesforce script here:
# Salesforce web service access
$getUserID = Read-Host -Prompt 'Enter Salesforce user ID' # prompt for the Salesforce user
$getPassword = Read-Host -Prompt 'Enter Salesforce password' -AsSecureString # prompt for the Salesforce user password
$BSTR = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR( $getPassword ) # convert into form that supports decrypting
$plaintextpassword = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto( $BSTR ) # descrypt string so that we can sent as part of request
# issue the actual OAuth request
$url = "https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/token" # OAuth URL
$params = @{ # OAuth parameters
grant_type="password";
client_id="{replace with your actual Salesforce client_id}";
client_secret="{replace with your actual Salesforce client_secret}";
username="$getUserID";
password="$plaintextpassword"
}
# invoke OAuth call to get security token
$token = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Post -Body $params -ContentType "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
#"here it is: $token"
# show that it works by getting list of available reports...
$WorkingURI = $Token.instance_url+"/services/data/v35.0/analytics/reports"
Invoke-RestMethod -URI $WorkingURI -Method GET -Headers @{ "Authorization" = "OAuth " + $Token.access_token };
# and then run a query...
$sql="select parent.name, name from account"
$WorkingURI = $Token.instance_url+"/services/data/v20.0/query/?q=$sql"
Invoke-RestMethod -URI $WorkingURI -Method GET -Headers @{ "Authorization" = "OAuth " + $Token.access_token } | ConvertTo-Json
# eof
As an added bonus, it prompts the user for their Salesforce user ID and password. This can/will have other uses. The script its self should be self-explanatory. After successful authorization, the script runs a couple of simple calls, one to retrieve a list of reports and the other to run a simple query.
It makes use of the "password" form of OAuth. You will need to configure Salesforce to allow this to work. Part of that is setting up Salesforce for REST web service access. Doing this will cause the system to generate the client_id and client_secret values that you need to pass in order to generate the token. This link will walk you through that. This script will work with a "chatter" user account as long as you set the permissions. You will need something better than a chatter account to get Salesforce configured.
Have fun...
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
A 3D Chess Grand Master
Not even two weeks into his Presidency, President Trump (has a nice ring to it, that - President Trump) has "once again" out maneuvered the entire political establishment! The guy that was a) only in it as a joke, b) has NO ability to last through the primary season, c) will quickly get bored with the rigors of the campaign trail and quit, d) is only doing this in order to build a media empire, e) can't possibly win the Republican nomination, f) will get destroyed by Hillary in the election, and g) can't possibly win as no one I know supports him, has yet again foiled the "not yet even laid" plans of the media and political establishment!
Trump Files With FEC For 2020 Election Bid, Outmaneuvers Nonprofit Organizations
Wow, just wow!
Less then two weeks in, he has already kept / made good on at least 5 of his promises to his supporters AND has completely wreaked the plans of those looking to derail his [not yet decided] reelection plans!
Note to self, buy more popcorn futures...
Trump Files With FEC For 2020 Election Bid, Outmaneuvers Nonprofit Organizations
Wow, just wow!
Less then two weeks in, he has already kept / made good on at least 5 of his promises to his supporters AND has completely wreaked the plans of those looking to derail his [not yet decided] reelection plans!
Note to self, buy more popcorn futures...
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Glory days
These last few weeks, it has been all the rage for different groups to pen their own "open letter" to President-Elect Trump. These letters either warn him that they will work to resist his efforts or to "ask" that he not do such-n-such, or as in this case to warn that "they are watching" and are going to hold him to account. "This case" is an open letter from a member of the press. That is right. The press. You can read it (if you wish) here. I will warn you though, don't read it while you have any beverages in your hand. I nearly ruined a perfectly good iPad.
It is, after all, our airtime and column inches that you are seeking to influence. We, not you, decide how best to serve our readers, listeners, and viewers.
Well, it is not clear yet whether Trump seeks to influence you or simply chooses to ignore you. He may just be posturing but from my vantage point it looks to be a lot more of the latter than the former. Oh, and apparently he understands and knows how to use Twitter and is fairly comfortable doing so. The press has not been the information gatekeepers that they used to be for some time now. Trump appears to understand that better than most politicians.
As to deciding how to best server your readers, you really should have had that internal discussion some [oh] 8 years ago, not just over the last couple of months.
Access is preferable, but not critical. You may decide that giving reporters access to your administration has no upside. We think that would be a mistake on your part, [ed. I am sure you do] but again, it’s your choice. We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies. Telling reporters that they won’t get access to something isn’t what we’d prefer, but it’s a challenge we relish.
"a challenge we relish", really? Based on recent history that does not match reality. You (as an industry) clearly prefer NOT working for your stories as you have amply demonstrated over the last 8 years. During the current administration you have shown that you are all too happy [as a group] to accept administration and DNC memos and releases as "news" and publish them unquestioned. You (as a group) prefer coordinating your stories and crowd-sourcing your stories (journolist anyone?) than actually doing your own investigations and following the truth no matter where it leads. When it suits your purpose or your narrative, you are more than happy to just "make shit up", "white Hispanic" anyone?
We will strive to get your point of view across, even if you seek to shut us out...
LOL! Sorry there is just nothing else I could possibly say about this statement. It stands on its own.
We believe there is an objective truth, and we will hold you to that. When you or your surrogates say or tweet something that is demonstrably wrong, we will say so, repeatedly. Facts are what we do, and we have no obligation to repeat false assertions; the fact that you or someone on your team said them is newsworthy, but so is the fact that they don’t stand up to scrutiny. Both aspects should receive equal weight.
This one is another side-splitter! Sorry but this sort of blatant lying screams to be called out. At one time, the "press" may have believed that but the MSM long ago sold their souls to "the greater truth" and to "the narrative". Remember the Bush memos? How about your failure to properly cover the ACORN scandal? Your reporting over the last 8 years of the real unemployment rate or the economy? Planned Parenthood and baby parts? Your "stellar" [snark] coverage of the Clinton email scandal? Benghazi? Fast n Furious? The IRS scandal? The Tea Party? Need I go on? The modern MSM would not know a "FACT" if it walked up, introduced its self, and bought you all a round of drinks!
We’ll obsess over the details of government. You and your staff sit in the White House, but the American government is a sprawling thing. We will fan reporters out across the government, embed them in your agencies, source up those bureaucrats. The result will be that while you may seek to control what comes out of the West Wing, we’ll have the upper hand in covering how your policies are carried out.
So NOW you want to do that? Where were you when "Obamacare" or the drone strikes or EPA or oh never mind, I think you get the point...
We will set higher standards for ourselves than ever before. We credit you with highlighting serious and widespread distrust in the media across the political spectrum. Your campaign tapped into that, and it was a bracing wake-up call for us. We have to regain that trust. And we’ll do it through accurate, fearless reporting, by acknowledging our errors and abiding by the most stringent ethical standards we set for ourselves.
Wait, are you saying that you plan to fire every existing reporter and editor that currently works in MSM and start over? If not than nothing has or will change. With your current "membership" it will be at least a generation before you have any credibility with the majority of the people. Is it any wonder that the most despised professions in the country are (worst first) reporters, politicians, and lawyers? You have spent much more than 8 years (more like at least 20) working to destroy your reputations, publications, viewership, and industry. Well congratulations, you succeeded. All the moral posturing and preening will not undo over 20 years of effort. You just don't matter that much any more.
We’re going to work together. You have tried to divide us and use reporters’ deep competitive streaks to cause family fights. Those days are ending. We now recognize that the challenge of covering you requires that we cooperate and help one another whenever possible.
Sorry but we have already seen that in action; journolist anyone?
The modern press is like a pride of old, tired lions plotting against those "shinny things that go by real fast" on the highway they can see from their cage in the zoo. The cars don't even know they are there.
This is a truly sad state of affairs. The country needs and the people deserve a strong independent press. We don't and haven't had that in a very long time. What we do have is a clique of Democratic operatives with by-lines that when they are not directly taking their orders from a Democrat administration or the DNC, are colluding on what stories should be ignored, which ones should be covered and how to cover them. That is not "news". That is Pravda.
You want respect? You want to be taken seriously again? Stop trying to "change the world". Stop trying "to make a difference" and start actually covering the news, all of it, in an honest, open, factual, bias-free way. Then, just maybe you will start to matter again but I really don't believe you can do it.
It is, after all, our airtime and column inches that you are seeking to influence. We, not you, decide how best to serve our readers, listeners, and viewers.
Well, it is not clear yet whether Trump seeks to influence you or simply chooses to ignore you. He may just be posturing but from my vantage point it looks to be a lot more of the latter than the former. Oh, and apparently he understands and knows how to use Twitter and is fairly comfortable doing so. The press has not been the information gatekeepers that they used to be for some time now. Trump appears to understand that better than most politicians.
As to deciding how to best server your readers, you really should have had that internal discussion some [oh] 8 years ago, not just over the last couple of months.
Access is preferable, but not critical. You may decide that giving reporters access to your administration has no upside. We think that would be a mistake on your part, [ed. I am sure you do] but again, it’s your choice. We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies. Telling reporters that they won’t get access to something isn’t what we’d prefer, but it’s a challenge we relish.
"a challenge we relish", really? Based on recent history that does not match reality. You (as an industry) clearly prefer NOT working for your stories as you have amply demonstrated over the last 8 years. During the current administration you have shown that you are all too happy [as a group] to accept administration and DNC memos and releases as "news" and publish them unquestioned. You (as a group) prefer coordinating your stories and crowd-sourcing your stories (journolist anyone?) than actually doing your own investigations and following the truth no matter where it leads. When it suits your purpose or your narrative, you are more than happy to just "make shit up", "white Hispanic" anyone?
We will strive to get your point of view across, even if you seek to shut us out...
LOL! Sorry there is just nothing else I could possibly say about this statement. It stands on its own.
We believe there is an objective truth, and we will hold you to that. When you or your surrogates say or tweet something that is demonstrably wrong, we will say so, repeatedly. Facts are what we do, and we have no obligation to repeat false assertions; the fact that you or someone on your team said them is newsworthy, but so is the fact that they don’t stand up to scrutiny. Both aspects should receive equal weight.
This one is another side-splitter! Sorry but this sort of blatant lying screams to be called out. At one time, the "press" may have believed that but the MSM long ago sold their souls to "the greater truth" and to "the narrative". Remember the Bush memos? How about your failure to properly cover the ACORN scandal? Your reporting over the last 8 years of the real unemployment rate or the economy? Planned Parenthood and baby parts? Your "stellar" [snark] coverage of the Clinton email scandal? Benghazi? Fast n Furious? The IRS scandal? The Tea Party? Need I go on? The modern MSM would not know a "FACT" if it walked up, introduced its self, and bought you all a round of drinks!
We’ll obsess over the details of government. You and your staff sit in the White House, but the American government is a sprawling thing. We will fan reporters out across the government, embed them in your agencies, source up those bureaucrats. The result will be that while you may seek to control what comes out of the West Wing, we’ll have the upper hand in covering how your policies are carried out.
So NOW you want to do that? Where were you when "Obamacare" or the drone strikes or EPA or oh never mind, I think you get the point...
We will set higher standards for ourselves than ever before. We credit you with highlighting serious and widespread distrust in the media across the political spectrum. Your campaign tapped into that, and it was a bracing wake-up call for us. We have to regain that trust. And we’ll do it through accurate, fearless reporting, by acknowledging our errors and abiding by the most stringent ethical standards we set for ourselves.
Wait, are you saying that you plan to fire every existing reporter and editor that currently works in MSM and start over? If not than nothing has or will change. With your current "membership" it will be at least a generation before you have any credibility with the majority of the people. Is it any wonder that the most despised professions in the country are (worst first) reporters, politicians, and lawyers? You have spent much more than 8 years (more like at least 20) working to destroy your reputations, publications, viewership, and industry. Well congratulations, you succeeded. All the moral posturing and preening will not undo over 20 years of effort. You just don't matter that much any more.
We’re going to work together. You have tried to divide us and use reporters’ deep competitive streaks to cause family fights. Those days are ending. We now recognize that the challenge of covering you requires that we cooperate and help one another whenever possible.
Sorry but we have already seen that in action; journolist anyone?
The modern press is like a pride of old, tired lions plotting against those "shinny things that go by real fast" on the highway they can see from their cage in the zoo. The cars don't even know they are there.
This is a truly sad state of affairs. The country needs and the people deserve a strong independent press. We don't and haven't had that in a very long time. What we do have is a clique of Democratic operatives with by-lines that when they are not directly taking their orders from a Democrat administration or the DNC, are colluding on what stories should be ignored, which ones should be covered and how to cover them. That is not "news". That is Pravda.
You want respect? You want to be taken seriously again? Stop trying to "change the world". Stop trying "to make a difference" and start actually covering the news, all of it, in an honest, open, factual, bias-free way. Then, just maybe you will start to matter again but I really don't believe you can do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
