May Screen-Agers Live Long And Prosper And Walk On The Corpse Of Old Scape-Goaters

Email from an old friend:

Hi Tom,

Search: “SCREEN-AGERS Today’s Adolescent: Why Kindness is Missing” on … and watch the 1 hour 40 min video.

Its a good summary that explains much of what is going on now in many aspects of US culture (and I emphasize US cause it’s the outlier nation in almost every way among “developed” nations).

-Your old friend

Short pause. I tried watching the video. Here my response:

Dear old friend,

Got through about first 5-7 minutes. Please! Please! Please. Video is awful and person speaking fits the mould of college grad behaviourist unable to come up with an original thought. Also. She is supposed to be an educated and trained specialist yet she has the vocal-burn of a teenager! As usual, without original thought, what you get from educated adults is: scapegoating. And this is scapegoating of a very special breed. What is this obsession with young people, btw? Why don’t you put more energy into analysing the behaviour of adults, the people in the cesspool of suburban and urban (insert your #Americant city here)? You should be more worried about people/adults that are dependent on dept, that are racist, that watch faux newz.

The problem is not technology or internet or screens. The problem is young people can instinctively see through what adults are doing or have done. A young person’s brain is not corrupted yet by the $hitty environment older people are pushing (upon them). The brain stem—do some falsely refer to this as the reptile brain?–knows instinctively what’s going on in this environment. Because two if not three generations of #Americants have failed-upward in every aspect of their lives they have created an environment of blame (scapegoating) to avoid (their) reality—and it is shameful that it’s being thrown on young people. This is what happens when you can’t think creatively—and your personal and social growth is stunted well into adulthood. This is the environment that gives way to the filth-propaganda of faux newz, info wars with Alex Jones, and of course President Stupid.

BTW. Where are the teenagers that are the cause of President Stupid?

Obviously, young people are in trouble. Their reptile brain knows this. I can see this in Europe, as well. But technology is for most of them an outlet—just rock-n-roll was for us. Or maybe occupying the home phone chatting with friends while we were young. The social norms that kids have to deal with in schools these days is a huge problem. The cause of that problem is not a screen. So perhaps the norms that are dictated by wealth and greed of fail-upwards, mindless parents—NOT by technology or teenagers–should be the issue to address!

-T

-Rant on

Worst-Writer Newz Break: From Russia With Luv Or Porn In The Voting Booth

The thing to keep in mind, dear worst-reader, if you are at all confused about the whole #Trump colluding with Russia thing, is this: nomatter what happened during the campaign and nomatter what the Russians did, the #Americant people, in collusion with a manipulated Constitution and its Electoral College, were the only ones who voted in November of 2016. Nobody else elected this moron to the highest office of the land. And so. Those who voted republican and those who did not vote for Hillary, you’re to blame for this krapp. Also. If you voted that way, then you are the one that colluded with STUPID and have given the world more than just #Trump. I mean, seriously. I never thought I’d say this. But I’m actually starting to feel bad for President Stupid. This moron is in such trouble–and he obviously doesn’t know it–that one can only sit back and watch the freak show. While doing so one can even shed a tear or three–not over him but instead over the fact that a once great nation-state–indeed a grand social experiment never before seen on this earth–is now nothing more than a nation of abysmal brainlessness galore. Of course, considering recent visit with the Russian two-bit dictator, those same tears might suddenly freeze up and turn into diamond bullets. Those bullets might then be propelled into the brains of the brainless. The bullets, upon penetration, will then shatter and splinter into a gazillion micro-titanium pieces of shrapnel that literally liquify the innards of humanity. This liquid will then become the cesspool of fun-galore that you must waddle in while never considering what you have done by electing this man to the presidency. And so. Long live President Stupid and his rule over Stupid! Long die those who made him. As for the rest of (worst-writers) who only bitch & moan, may the computer screens of voting booths continue showing free porn till the end of intellect-time.

Good luck suckers.

-Rant on

T

Newz links that motivated this post:
– Big baby #Trump walk-back failure | DailyBeast
– Guess who tries to reverse Russia thing? | BBC
– President Stupid “bleeding badly” | Alternet

The End Is Nigh Or Tech World Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Own EVERYTHING

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Screenshot of ending/closing AWS account

It’s finally over, dear worst-reader? Indeed. Not only have I been paying AWS something like $4 a month for the past year for services I had no idear if or how I was utilising, but I’ve even gotten rid of all those domains I wasn’t using that I bought so many years ago thinking I would go beyond worstwriter.com. I get it. I should pay for domains. But paying for “ec2 cloud synthetics” or “route53 surcharges” or or or! So I guess I’ll be saving some money in the near future. But that’s not what this cancellation is all about. I bit off more than I could chew thinking I could handle AWS and hosting my/this blog there. As stated in my previous post, there’s something wrong with a tech company that doesn’t really do anything except offer a platform where others can sell the stuff they do–but then this mediator-like platform is also trying to own everything having to do with the transaction. I mean that’s the gist of Bezos, Facebag & Co, etc., or? That there isn’t a law long since passed that declares my data and everything that I do on the #interwebnets as mine and only mine and only I can decide what is done with that/my data… Yeah, we live in those times. And everything that Amazon represents today is creepier than ever when it comes to data and the #interwebnets, baby. Anywho. The creepiest thing about AWS, i.e. Bezos’ backend of owning everything, is the worst of the worst when it comes to creepy. Not only does Bezos probably think that he can rule the world with his current stock price but he also thinks that by getting either individuals or organisations to utilise his fancy idear of re-selling the tech that he set up to create and maintain Amazon he can own more than the world. And I’ll have no part of it. The interface of AWS reminds me of Win95 regurgitated. The mass of tools available reminds me of a labyrinth of chaos where chaos isn’t needed. And even though AWS claims to offer a “free-tier”service, I couldn’t find it anywhere. But I suppose that’s how they get you–not unlike those subscription services of yore where you got a few music cassettes for free initially but were then liable to continuously  buy more. But I’m probably off subject. I found AWS waaaaay to complicated to use and the interface obnoxious. And Jeff Bezos, like so many other rich people in the world today, just gives me the creeps. I’ll have no part it, baby.

-Rant on

T

Something Little More Than Site Maintenance Or How AWS Might Be Comparable To GM Of Yore

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Screenshot of moving fav domain.

Freeing myself of the juggernaut of scavenger capitalism that’s finally, utterly, taken over tech industry? Indeed. Dear worst-reader. I’ve been worst-saying it for years. Or at least been worst-saying it since that short stint in the advertisement industry–so many years ago–where I had to explain the #interwebnets to a whole host of numb-nut corporate college grads that couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Oh what am I saying? I finally got around to moving my domain to a better place. Or at least I’ve moved it to a better place. At the least, I’m already relieved that I, in the near future, I’ll be cancelling my AWS account. Yeah, baby. Pretty scary stuff what Bezos & Co. have/can come up with while scraping the barrel.  Anywho. I’m sure Jeff Bezos & Co. are all a grand horde of nice people, once you get around their Dr. Evil, Data (as in Star Trek NG)–looks. It’s just that, well, I gave AWS a try but found it to be an astonishingly ugly tech environment that in its totality completely feeds off the creativity of others–in the purest form of exploitation I’ve seen yet. And to think that enterprises completely rely on Bezos for the their tech infrastructure! Scary. Scary. Scary. Yes. That’s where much of the tech world is today. Exploit. Exploit. Exploit. Forget creativity. Scary. Forget indeed. Or just check out Facebag & Co. In fact, I’d go so far as to worst-write that AWS might be comparable to what GM was when it consolidated the auto industry so so so many years ago. You know, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac used to be their own companies. Oldsmobile, too. (Anyone remember that one?) Yes, AWS is the GM of tech industry. Now remember that when the Government bails out AWS in the future. Let’s just worst-hope that there’s at least a Ford somewhere in tech industry that gives us another choice. (That’s right. When my mother had to buy a new car a few years back, I made sure it wasn’t anything from GM. Reason? GM was bailed out (by Barry-O) but Ford wasn’t.)

But I digress.

-Rant on

T

Worst-Recipe: Ravioli With Ricotta Mint Lemon Zest, Slightly Burnt

Subtitle of this post: Or How To Fix, Make Delish, Your Kitchen Screw-Up.

There are many recipes like this on the interwebnets. Good luck finding one with slightly burned butter, though.

Ingredients (approximate):

  • Flat pasta, preferably fresh made the night before
  • 200g Ricotta
  • Mint leaves
  • Lemon
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Parmesan

How To:

While I rolled the pasta with our trusty machine, better half whipped up the ricotta. Just put it in a bowl and add chopped mint leaves. Before slicing lemon to get to the juice, remove yellow (only) from skin (the white under the skin is bitter!) and put finely chopped pieces into the Ricotta. Then slice your lemon and squeeze one half into the mix. Add some fresh, shaven parmesan and then salt and pepper. Mix well.

Once pasta is rolled, flattened, circles are cut-out, lay on ravioli cutter and using a finger dipped in water, slightly moisten around the edge. Fill with a teaspoon of ricotta and fold over. The moistened edge helps the pasta stay together. Pamper with some flower and set aside on a cloth.

Btw, due to the circular nature of the noodle cut-outs, there will be some remaining pasta. Run it through the machine and then cut into strips and put aside to dry. Use this left-over pasta within the next few days for lunch. Just boil it in salty water and when “Adante” cover with some olive oil, salt and pepper and parmesan. Delish, baby.

Once your ravioli is done, cook them for about five or so minutes in boiling, salted water. While doing that, heat up a pan with a good, thick layer of olive oil. Add a heap of butter and then mix-in whole mint leaves. Although the olive oil should prevent the butter from scorching, I was trying out my gas burner on my grill and set the heat too high. The butter burnt quickly. Luckily I caught it before it burnt too bad and just threw in some of the “pasta-water” from the pot to calm things down. But the damage was done. Oh well.

Once the mint leaves in the pan have softened, add a bunch of ravioli. Mix and flip till the ravioli is covered with the oil and butter sauce. Salt and pepper and let simmer for about a minute. Then add some fresh parmesan. Mix and flip more. Done. Plate it with more parmesan and pepper if needed.

Although we were in a bit of hurry this evening and I obviously rushed things, the slightly (butter) burnt ravioli was fantastic. The mix of mint and lemon inside the noodles is both refreshing and enticing as it all burst open while chewing and mixes with the oil and butter sauce.

Rant (and worst-cook) on, baby.

-T

Ward Of A Nation

“Thus did the United States government definitely assume charge of the emancipated Negro as the ward of the nation. It was a tremendous undertaking. Here at a stroke of the pen was erected a government of millions of men,—and not ordinary men either, but black men emasculated by a peculiarly complete system of slavery, centuries old; and now, suddenly, violently, they come into a new birthright, at a time of war and passion, in the midst of the stricken and embittered population of their former masters.” -WEB Dubois – The Souls of Black Folk

-Rant on

-T