I had a series of discussions that went on for several days some years ago with the boyfriend of a tenant that was living here.  He was/is a computer geek type of person.  One of his biggest pet-peeves is Microsoft Automatic Updates.  SHUT THEM OFF AND LEAVE THEM OFF PERMANENTLY, was his advice, with his adamant observation that such updates load up your computer with "junk" that slows it down.  The more of it you download, the slower your computer gets.

Just make sure, he advised, that you have good anti-virus software and you won't have to worry about the updates.  I had my doubts, aren't some of those updates put on there to fix glitches within the software?  We went back and forth, but I let him turn off updates and left it at that, running both Avast and Spybot.  

I didn't have them shut off before on this newer computer, but I did shut them off this time around with fresh install, leaving it at allowing me to install them whenever I wanted, if at all.  I turned the blooming thing on this morning and what pops up?  Don't turn off your computer, installing 1 of 2 updates, yada yada yada.  I KNOW I set that thing to not do that.  Well this freaking thing did it's up date, turned off the computer, turned it on, reconfigured and off and on and off and on and off and finally on again - about 15 minutes of this nonsense.  Accessing Security under Control Panel, sure enough, it reset it self to automatically downloading and installing updates. 

I just got out of that thing 10 minutes ago.  It said it had 38 optional updates but no "important" updates.  Now? Just 10 minutes and now the thing is saying 17 important updates.  So WHAT, exactly, qualifies them as important?  I went to a list of the updates, 95% of them are "security updates", which is exactly what the geek dude was referring to.  But what if some of these updates are fixing glitches for access to thieves from outside sources?

Onto other things.  Such as the suggestion that the minimum age for receiving Social Security should be raised, according to "experts".  Unless I win the lottery, which I don't even play except rarely, I won't be able to retire until at least age 62 to start receiving those benefits on top of whatever money I have saved in my retirement account.  What kind of work, pray tell, would I be able to do at say, the age of 65?  Still drive trucks? Many do, I know that for a fact, but that's as long as your health stays good.  No guarantees there in life.  Last year, a guy driving an LTL truck came into our yard.  He was 75 years old.  Do I envision myself driving trucks at the age of 75? NO.

Whatever.  They've raided that fund over the years and now we are going to be in trouble starting in the year 2033.  Now, is anything going to be done about it before then?  It's such an unpopular subject with many constituents  that most politicians want to steer clear of the subject.  But the estimates are that it will only be able to pay 77% of the benefits you are now supposed to be able to receive.  The reason it is unpopular are myriad, but for me, it's because I have PAID INTO THAT SYSTEM FOR DECADES NOW.  It is NOT an entitlement!  If it is, it's because I am entitled to the massive amount of money I have paid into it!  

What I want them to do is make whatever changes that need to be changed and get it done NOW, not 20 years from now.  But with most other things the government does, I am miffed and have been for some time that they have raided that trust to pay for things that - they simply should have found other ways to pay for or better, just get rid of it.  

Speaking of politicians, I am very enlightened to see the recall effort going on in Colorado.  More of this, not less!  When politicians do whatever they want that goes against the majority of that person's constituency, get rid of them!  We don't need rogue politicians - of which there are many - that simply vote to do things their way and not even give any credence whatsoever to the voice of the majority.  Government knows best, that's their thinking, they are 'doing it for our own good'.  That group turned in DOUBLE the number of signatures needed.  I'm sure they did that on purpose to ensure that any disqualifications won't undo their hard work of collecting all those signatures.  This concerning senator Morse's vote for much stricter gun control in the state of Colorado.  

Whatever.  I'm keeping my views on Obama and all of the crap that is going on with that administration in wraps for now.  Some of the liberal news media is finally coming around and it may get interesting to see how much more dirt they are going to turn up.  It is, after all, their job to do so and when that's your job, well, that's all the motivation one should need to execute the parameters of that job efficiently.  Of course, there is always the political bias, but if a reporter really wants to be a real reporter, facts should over-ride political leanings.  Just my view of it. This newest revelation that senior officials are using "secret" government email accounts could get quite interesting indeed.  These people are in public office and really shouldn't enjoy any kind of privacy in terms of whatever they are doing on paper or in email as the public should - which it doesn't anyway.  I read an article yesterday of a reporter that basically uncovered, through a government officials statements, that any email you have ever written can be brought back and up.  That's kinda scary, isn't it?  Does the government have the right to have access to every email account of every person that has one and everything they have ever written in those accounts?  I most certainly do not believe so. Talk about government intrusion.

Umm, changing the subject yet again, I ordered yet another tree online yesterday.  Strike that, I just ordered a bag of seeds to try and grow one of trees on my own.  I did, with the help of a facebook friend, find a live version of one of the trees available on line for $18 something plus $14 shipping.  I didn't want to pay that much, I don't mind planting all the seeds in various pots - indoors to start with I think - and see if I can get one or more growing.    

Vacation.  Day 2 off of work.  Tuesday morning.  Still undecided about going up north.  I am content to be here and do nothing.  I didn't think I would be that happy just sitting around doing nothing besides yard work and pond stuff, but so it is.  The only thing that I find somewhat annoying is one particular person that walks in and out and in and out and in and out all day long.  

The $350 check finally went through the bank. The last of the Mohicans.  Okay, the last of the big ones that I paid out with the loan I got.  There isn't anything else pressing - well that I have to get done now  that can't wait unless that fan motor goes out on the AC unit.  I dunno.  I do know that my paychecks are down - by about $250-$300 per check because OT hours are done and gone with.  Only if the work picks back up.  No idea.  I'm not a genie and I have no idea if/when we might start getting enough work back to be able to have OT hours.  It's a significant chunk of change per month to lose that much money.  At the same time, I no longer have a car payment and one credit card payment is done, gone and that card is cancelled.  Has been for a long time.  I just was paying the minimum payments.  Which didn't account for much since this particular company charges a $6 per month fee just to have their card, plus other fees plus high interest rates.  I was glad to have that money drain gone.  

Well whatever.  I need to get busy.  One pond filter left to go and other things out there to get done plus I am considering doing a major cleaning to my bedroom.  It needs it, lol. 

G'day.

ben