Just watched 60 Minutes Australia

The segment was regarding the hold overs from the post Civil War fuckwits that used to run around in sheets scaring people. Yes, the Ku Klux Klan. (Kook Clucks Clams) 

These people, by virtue of lacking melanin due to their distant ancestors adapting to living in northern climes, seem to think they are the universes' gift to the planet, when in fact they are ignorant, un-educated (hearing them talk about their, and I quote, 'God gaven rights' (not a typo)), that these butt ugly men, with hair sprouting out of their nostrils, teeth that looked as if they hadn't even had the word dentist pass by them, seeming to think the rest of the world should emulate them? 

White race? There is no 'white race'.  Race is an artificial societial construct, invented so that one group of people place themselves above another, typically to perpetrate attrocities.  Examples: British calling indigenous populations "savages" and committing acts of mass murder, kidnapping, genocide on 5 continents and several island countries.

"White Christian America is under threat" is a favorite chant of theirs. They are scared that 'whites' are going to become the minority in the U.S.  Well, their version of 'White America' is rightfully under threat. There is no place for their hatred, their ignorance, their acts of violence, and their inciting others to violence. 

As for being the minority, it's not the first time people of European descent were the minority. Maybe they're afraid they will be treated the way their ancestors treated indigenous popuplations. 

Also, the U.S. is not now, nor ever has been a "Christian Nation".  But they do like repeating their lie that it is. And nothing about the KKK follows the teachings of Jesus.

The down side of the knee update/exam

I had been wearing a compression band only for the past few days.  After yesterdays' exam and 'stress test' (of which results are promising), I'm wearing the clunky hinged knee brace.  Knee is fekking sore, and feels a bit unstable. Very sure after a day or two, that will pass.

Another company shot themselves in the foot

I know this happened last year, but I have had a lot going on, so just kep letting is slide.

I used to use HULU, the free version. I had no problem watching the ads or the ad breaks.  But it seems that they have changed how they do things.  They got rid of the free version, and are subscription only. If I am going to subscribe to a streaming video feed, I don't care HOW they charge $4 less a month, I will NOT pay to watch advertisements.

It's really a shame, too, as I did enjoy their content. Oh well.

Knee update

It seems the SYNVISC injection is doing it's job.  Much less grinding pain when bending the knee, and less side to side movement.  The patella is moving smoothly over the joint, too.  Still tends to hyper extend but that is something that can be avoid by using a compression band that have supports on the sides.  Also, my left knee is feeling better because I'm not leaning all my weight to one side. That and the nifty anti-inflamatory I am taking. 

My gastrocnemius is still giving me fits, but not where as bad as it was just a week ago.  The right tensor fasciae latae is still knotting up, so H gave it the pressure massage treatment. It unlocked, but DAYAM is it sore now.  He also examined the patella and surrounding ligaments/tendons.  Would it come as a surprise that I am more sore now after the exam than I was before I got it? (rueful laugh) Told H I will not be doing the heel dip exercises as it feels as if it's ripping the right calf muscle apart.  S'ok, though, I have a new one to help retrain how I walk. Amazing how the body adapts when one part isn't working quite right.  Time to make it remember how it's supposed to be.

So, overall update: Just a little over 2 weeks after synovial injection, I have visible improvement. It takes 2 months to achieve full benefits, but the amount I have improved in just two weeks bodes well.  I will keep doing my exercises to strengthen the glutes and to get the TFL loose yet strong.

Oh.. the unintended but welcome side effect of being able to walk around, regularly taking my thyroid meds again,  and doing the specific physio exercises.. I lost 5cms from around my hips!

I just gave it to Audible with both barrels.. again

I gave them POOR rating on how they handled my problem, and the reasons why:

No one bothered to read what I had sent. I TOLD you I had already followed the instructions on your website, but that the SEND THIS BOOK option was NO WHERE on my Android App. That the app is fully up to date, using a Galaxy S7, Android Ver 7.01. All you did was copy and paste the website instructions into an email and send it to me. NO HELP!

I am not the ONLY person having this issue. It's making the rounds in REDDIT and you have really cheesed off your customers removing the ability to gift a book. And don't tell me to just get a membership, because the people I have wanted to give a book to already have one. It's stupid stuff like this that makes people look for ways to 'convince' your proprietary MP3 format, which can ONLY be played on Audible approved devices (that still rankles me), to play on other devices, in NON-proprietary MP3 format, or look for the audio CDs instead. I am not saying I do this, but I can understand WHY.

Think it will get through their thick heads that removing the ability to gift a book is LOSING customers?

Tedious

I finally finished downloading all my images I had posted in the LJ galleries/scrapbook.  I think it was fear of losing some of those images that kept me from switching to other blog to be the Main one, and the others just mirrors.

Still not too thrilled how Dreamwidth archives images, but I have alternate method, using FLICKR. 

So now, of the PTB in Russia decide I am too political, or too critical of Putin, or too supportive of LGBT rights, and censor me, it will have negligible impact if any.

After side by side test shots

I have a very old Canon wide angle lens, a 17-35mm F/2.8.  Although it worked great for older camera bodies (550D, 40D, 7D) but its performance falls short on the 5DmkIV and the 7DmkII.

So, I have been testing diffferent lenses, taking a photo of the same thing, same settings..

Canon 11-24 f/4 - clear images even to the edges, barely visible fringing, minor vignetting. Can't mount a UV filter, but the lens hood extends past the element.

Canon 17-40 f/4 - clear images, slight softening at the edges. Visible vignetting and fringing. Can mount a UV filter.

Canon 16-35 f/4 - clear images, visible fringing and minor vignetting. Can mount UV filter.

Canon 16/35 f/2.8 - clear images, slightly visible fringing, and minor vignetting, but less than the f/4 version. Can mount UV filter.

Tamron 15-30 f/2.8 - clear images, very visible fringing, minor vignettings. Can't mount UV filter, but lens hood extends past the element.

Sigma Art 12-24 f/4 - clear images, even to the edges. Negligible fringing, negligible vignetting. Can't mount UV filter, but lens hood extends past the element.

So, it's down to the Canon 11-24 f/4 and the Sigma Art 12-24 f/4.  They both produced excellent images, sharp, clear, even to the edges, so I have to choose by other criteria.

The Canon 11-24 f/4 is $2866 to $3,844.

The Sigma Art 12-24 f/4 is $1579 to $1999.

Sigma Art Series 12-24 f/4 for the win! Time to save my shekels!

Hey, Audible, want to stop shooting yourself in the foot?

Audible keeps 'fixing' something that was never broken.  Over the past year, I have traded comments, and requesting help and asking why.  Finally, I just sent this:

April 19, 2017 FEEDBACK, and I don't think you're going to like it.

Dear Audible, first you got rid of "Gift a Credit!" from your audiobook service, so one could no longer give someone an extra credit at the end of the rollover period. It was also a great way to give someone a birthday or Christmas present, so they could choose which book to get.

Then you switched to "Buy as a gift". Ok, a bit less of a surprise, unless you're really sneaky finding out what someone wanted without their realizing.

Then, for some unfathomable reason, you removed the "Buy as a Gift" option for audiobooks. Your lame excuse of "we will be focusing on our most popular customer benefits" is utter codswallop, because how does removing these two options benefit me? Or benefit a gift recipient?

It's stupid crap like this that makes people look for ways to 'convince' your proprietary MP3 format, which can ONLY be played on Audible approved devices (that still rankles me), to play on other devices, in NON-proprietary MP3 format, or look for the audio CDs instead. I am not saying I do this, but I can understand WHY.

Audible's lame assed reply - Use SEND THIS BOOK from Android app.  Two problems: Send This Book option isn't ON the Android App, and they removed it from their webpage.

So, I have to BUY a book *I* don't want, and then send it to someone with an option that doesn't exist?

Oh, and the kicker: if the person HAS an audible account, and you use the SHARE option, they get sent a link to BUY the book.

Don't think it's placebo effect

Today was the first morning I didn't have to put the knee compresssion band on my right knee when I swung my legs out of bed. I was able to stand, and walk to the "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN" room without holding the doorway for support.  Also, my knee is more knee shaped, rather than a swollen mess.

I've also been walking, slowly, around the house, doing typical things, without the band on, too.  Even managed my 'stair' exercises, although the last two did make my knee feel a bit rickety. 

I will wear hinged brace when I know I will be doing a lot of walking to prevent another hyper-extension, which could negate the synovial injection. 

Now, if I could only figure out what is causing my right leg, from just above the ankle, to about 6 inches up, from being tight to the point of cramping.  I have done stretches, and it just won't unlock.  I think that is causing more of a limp now then the knee!  That, and the three hour walk around Fremantle yesterday.

3rd and last night of the April Full Moon

Canon 7D2, 100-400mkII, 1.4xmkIII extender, monopod.

Well, I'll be!

6th time was the charm!  Well, Windows Media Center is working on my Windows 8.1 Pro laptop.  Currently scanning the laptops' harddrive for errors to see if that fixes the slow to start/login problem.

Still no word as to whether or not I can get a Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center ISO/installation disc.

This ought to be fun

It seems my Windows 8.1 w/WMC issues have been punted up to 'escalated'. But what got me is right off the bat, their email to me; My name isn't Stephanie. From there on their email was obsequious and condescending all at the same time. I let em have it with both barrels. Politely, of course.

First, their email to me:

Hello Stephanie,

We have been attempting to contact you at the phone number you provided (SRX 1381099960) but we have been unable to reach you. As we have not heard back from you thus far, we will be moving forward with archiving your case.

If you are no longer experiencing your issue, feel free to disregard this email.

If this is not the case, please contact us at your earliest convenience and we would be happy to assist. You may respond by either replying directly to this message or by calling us. My contact information is listed in my signature below.

Please be sure to include the following information in your response:

Phone:

Preferred contact Date:

Hours Available:

Time Zone:

Please allow at least one business day for a response.

My response:

Please stop lying, NO one has tried to call me. You have both of my phone numbers, and have had them for years, as I subscribe to ASSURE. A simple look up on my name and email address on your end would show you all my information.

I do still need help. But every time I have tried, your support keeps doing the exact same thing, regardless.

Let me tell you ONE MORE TIME:

Windows 10 Assessment tools said my Windows 8.1 Pro with Windows Media Center Sony Vaio laptop was Windows 10 Compatible/Ready.

I upgraded. To say it was a disaster would be an understatment.

Turns out that my graphics card was NOT supported by Windows 10 (your assessment tool was WRONG) and it kept unloading the graphics driver, BSODing, and this was in the first DAY. The Windows 10 update almost bricked my laptop.t would get to the login screen, and it kept refreshing over and over and over and over. After almost 3 hours, if it doing this, I was finally able to login and perform the roll back to Windows 8.1 Pro with Windows Media Center.

The roll back was only partially successful, and I have been plagued by slow start up, even with everything NOT MS prevented from starting at login. Windows Media Player and Windows Media center kept having errors. I logged into MS Help, got tech support, and was told to go to ADD FEATURES remove Windows Media Center and Player, and re-add them. So I followed those instructions, but when i went to Add Features, Windows Media Center kept failing to installed, and it's no longer listed in the APPS store.

I have gone through this 4 or 5 times, 2 to 6 hours at a time, with your support staff, and what it boils down to is I need an installation disc/ISO/FILE of Windows 8.1 Pre 64bit with Windows Media Center. I know you no longer sell it, but I'm NOT asking to buy it, as I already have. I can't be the only WIndows 8.1 Pro w/WMC who has had this problem.

Now, I know your EULA/TOS says Microsoft can't be held resposible for any damage caused, even when it is caused by your own flipping software, but I have had a Sony Vaio PAPERWEIGHT because YOUR Windows 10 Assessment tool was wrong, and the Windows 10 installation has made a mess of my Sony Vaio. The computer is basically unusable. It is my portable photo editing studio, my portable work computer, and NOT having it has cost me time and money and jobs I have had to turn down.

I got a phone call without giving them my phone number again, proving the lie they had been trying to get ahold of me by calling. I nicely corrected them as to my name. They said someone would call me between 12 and 1 today, so imagine my surprise when they called me at 10:30am.

He said he will call back at the originally agreed upon time. (When I say my Windows 8.1 laptop is slow to totally boot into Win Desktop, including the desktop icons.. 14 freaking minutes, and no, there is nothing wrong with hardware.)

2nd Night of the Full Moon

 

Canon 7D2, 100-400mkII, 1.4xMkIII extender, monopod.

Excellent!

h.t. to Ironymaiden for the info to download all my photos from LiveJournal.  It's a bit fiddly, but so familiar. I miss the command line keyboarding in DOS days.

Guess I go back to using Flickr to host photographs

But I still don't know of there will be a way for me to download, en masse, all the photos I have uploaded to Livejournal. 

I have already switch to Dreamwidth as the 'primary' blog, with Livejournal being the mirror, rather than the other way around.

Screw Trump's buddy and his laws.  I will NOT be muzzled, I will NOT be censored.

1st Night of full moon w/ Jupiter & 4 Galilean Moons.

 

This is a might unsettlin'

Now that the Livejournal servers are in Russia, there is a slue of new rules and regs.

If you have more than 3000 visitors a day to your post, you're "Media"

You can't have politicized posts (how the hell they're going to manage that one, I have NO idea).

You can't speak err type out against their fearless leader.

You can't post anything LGBT unless it's ANTI LGBT of course.

There are other Russian State rules, of which I have zero chance of following, as I am not a Russian citizen.

The good news is I do have my LJ identically 'mirrored' to two other permanent blog accounts. My only issue is images.  I have been trying to figure out how to make an archive/back up of the images I have here. The "Photostream/Scrapbook" has ever tool available EXCEPT downloading them all at once.  And just the though of having to spend days going from image to image, right click, save as is making me cringe.