Go into the wind
Feeling storm and rainy mist
Hearkening spring time
Blog
Nearly Spring Haiku
Winter’s jagged edge
Painful anguish reaching out
Gently fails towards spring.
Oblivion’s Edge
Staring over oblivion’s edge
Ancient dreams echo back
Taunting me from the mists,
Warbling amongst fir and cedar
Known, yet unseen, untouched.
Once the sun awakens and life’s
Raucous, boisterous clamor
Silences the challenge, peace
Returns.
Java, Lenovo, Crapware and my Annoyance
I wrote about Java’s sneaky install of the Ask.com crap before, but this has come up again for me. So, let me go on a little bit more. When installing Java, or Java updates, make sure you uncheck the “Search App by Ask”. Watch for this screen here:
Fortunately, the fix for this is pretty straightforward: go to Control Panel, Remove Programs and then remove it.
I love Java, and Oracle, but this just annoys the heck out of me. This puts them in the same doghouse that Lenovo resides in right now. I find it annoying enough for them to embed this adware at the root level, but then to try and minimize the security risk involved just angers me. I’ve had great success with Lenovo machines and like to recommend them. This, though, greatly impacts that trust.
In case you have one of the possibly infected machines, here are some tools for you:
- How to remove SuperFish
- Detect SuperFish on your machine (this seems to be offline right now. Server’s probably getting clobbered.)
- Here’s a video of the uninstall process if you prefer:
Departures on Netflix
Years ago, I fell in love with a Canadian TV travel show, Departures. It’s one of the shows that made me second guess cord-cutting. Beautiful cinematography and hosts with a very unique viewpoint, I can’t recommend Departures enough. A brief summary of the show: hosts Scott Wilson & Justin Lukach along with cinematographer Andre Dupis drop everything and explore the world for a year. That year ends up extending into 3, each with it’s own season. Other travel hosts tend to have some kind of agenda, whether finding the best travel deals, exploring a certain element of a culture, or such. The guys really don’t. They travel to destinations that intrigue them and, in a rather zen-like manner, allow the location and people they meet to guide them. At least that’s how the show comes across. It’s really about human connection.
So imagine my joy when, recently, I popped into Netflix and beheld this glorious site:
I’m very, very happy to see this. Go forth and stream this one with my highest recommendations.
What is it to age?
Years go past, as they’re want to do.
I shall not despair time’s price.
Yet, though I may age, I refuse to whither,
And not go quietly into the goodnight.
No, I shall boisterously proclaim
My presence, embracing the love
Surrounding me. Grasping the
Blessedness of existence, of life.
Truth
Truth, laying hidden
In plain site, floating
Upon the spring breeze,
Raging winter storm
Or Autumn’s fallen
Leaves. Grasping
Hold of each sense,
Each sensibility, until
Reality becomes
Distilled down to
Bassest elements,
Life’s rawest truth.
This Girl
She’s like a hummingbird
Energy and passion
Vibrate from her being
Morning sunlight
In the early spring.
Drinking, her cup
Touches her lips
Ever so briefly
Pausing her vibrant
Song. Upon a breath
Light returns.
Perfection’s Deceit
Do not be deceived
A merciless path this is
Perfection’s deceit
Automating Your Blog? No!
Just got an email that promised to “put your blog on autopilot”. Of all the things to automate, pawn off, whatever, with social media, this NOT a solution. EVER! The closest thing I will ever do is suggest a copywriter. However, this is YOUR voice. It’s better to spend a few minutes a day on this than rehash commodity content. Oh, and there are SEO considerations as well.
Personally, I’ve seen blogs that are publishing the same content as others. Occasionally the EXACT same posts. Those sites lose all credibility with me.
One person I know experimented with one of these services. Their blog’s rankings grew rapidly, for a brief time. Then, abruptly, their rankings and page views plummeted. I believe Google sees when you’re pumping out the same content as “everyone else”, and you get banished to SEO hell.
It’s better if you can just do this yourself. Blogging shouldn’t be that deep or time consuming. Share your expertise, your value add, how you see things. Really, that’s it. A copywriter can figure out your voice, your unique take on things, and create relevant and distinctive content. As someone who loves to write, and loves to help people find their place/their audience on the internet, I love to do this for folks. What’s most important is putting forth that unique voice. That’s what distinguishes you from all the others who do the same sort of thing.