Truth, Justice and the [insert country name] Way!

I have always been a bit proud to be British.  I'm not saying Britain is better than anyone else, that other countries are in any way inferior.  I'm just saying I'm a bit proud to be British.

I think we are a very tolerant nation, on the whole, and I like that. I think we tend to accept people for who they are, and as long as you're happy to live with our quirks and foibles, we'll live with yours.

Our islands have been invaded often - sometimes from abroad - the French, the Vikings, the Romans to name a few - and we've done a bit of invading ourselves - which is how we became the UK in the first place!

The United Kingdom of Great Britain.  I do like that name!

To me, Britain (to use it's short name) is Great because it's people are made up of many cultures and creeds, many beliefs that co-operate and co-exist in relative harmony.  We accept new ideas, we offer equal opportunities to all.  We look after each other - and in times of crisis we work together for the common good.  We have friends all around the World, and I have always felt that the rest of the World see us as an honest nation - hard working and just. 

I might be wrong though.  I don't know how the rest of the World sees us now.  I went to see a comedian recently who joked that the World views Britain as a bit of a joke - and I'm afraid to say Brexit has done a lot to destroy our credibility - our desire to leave the EU has been plagued from the start, and our attempts to break free are laughable on occasion.  I don't think the EU want us to go and are making things difficult for us - I think they hope we'll change our mind.

I'd like to think it's because they value us as a member state, but I think they just want to keep the money we contribute - and to be fair, I think that's why we need to leave.  If you have a relationship with someone that only wants what you can give to them, and doesn't care about your opinions, or what you want - would you stay?

So, are we a joke?
I don't know.  But despite it all - I'm still proud to be British!

Online Security

Hey you, Browser Dude!
You've stopped by my page - that's awesome.  I'm really happy!

I would like to introduce you to Internet Awareness 101, a very short online course designed to keep you safe and secure. 

I am by no means a security expert - which kind of means I'm on your level - an average guy doing average online stuff... Browsing the internet, banking online, sending emails, Facebook, Twitter and so on.

The other day I was listening to a podcast about IT stuff - Hackable? by McAfee - the antivirus guys, and this one podcast made me stop and think.  In it, them mentioned the LinkedIn hack of May2016 in which 164 million email addresses and passwords were stolen.  Did you know about that?

It goes on to mention how you can easily check your email address to see if it's been pwned - which is hacker slang for Owned - as in "I own you!"
Simply browse to HaveIBeenPwned.com and enter your email address, and it'll quickly tell you if your email address appears in any online directories of stolen details!  Scroll down the page to see where your data was obtained.

The first think you should consider is - Have I changed my password since that breach?  If not - change it asap.
The next thing to consider is - do I use that password for anything else that I log into using that email address? 

Yes, change that too!

Now I'm not one to panic-monger,  I tend to think "Hey, these hackers have more important things to do than nick my paypal funds", but who knows?  They could.

My funds, your funds, his funds, their funds... and before you know it your day is filled with proving to paypal you didn't make that money transfer to Ibiza, and they're sipping a Manhattan in Bali with your cash!  Do me a favour... No, do yourself a favour - change that password!

And speaking of passwords... try and think of something new.  I know it's hard to remember complex passwords.  Hell, it's hard to remember simple ones when you have so many to remember - so tip one is:
1. Don't use the same password for everything!

Tip 2...
2. Make it random.

I don't use my wife or daughter's name, my date of birth, their dates of birth, the street I live in, my dog's name.  Anyone that Google's your Twitter or Facebook can find that out.  Think random...
word, symbol, word, symbol, number. (just a suggestion by the way - you can make your own convention up)

BlackMicrobe?23%?

Whatever you choose - mix it up.

And while on the subject of security - let me just mention emails - phishing emails to be more specific - the ones that look legit, but invite you to click on a link to open an invoice or document.
Sometimes the sender looks OK - an organisation your might trust - the bank, a university, or the local scout group, even a friend or relative.  The subject might look reasonable "invoice for scout funds", and in the email will be an attachment or a link...
Click to Open Invoice

Don't click it!
No.
Don't.

If it looks odd, trust your gut and don't trust it!

Do you know the sender?  If you don't, then delete it.  If you do, call them and ask "did you send me this invoice?"  Suggest they change their email password!  These things are spread by our laxity and our trust. And they wreak havoc!  They can pick up your contacts and email out to all of them, leaving no trace that they've done so.  Your friends receive emails from you with invoices or attachments you never sent, and they click, and they're compromised... and so it goes on.

Be savvy, be suspicious, be careful.

And, if you just happen to fall for this scam, this phishing trip, don't fret.  Change that password - and think if you use that email address and/or password elsewhere -  and change that too!

I have over a dozen email addresses, depending on what I'm logging into - one for paypal, something different for eBay, something else for Facebook, and so on.  Each one has a different password.
I'm not paranoid, but I do know if all your apps run off the same username and password, and you fall foul of a hack - you have a lot of work on your hands resetting everything. 

I understand that you probably can't be bothered to have loads of different email addresses - but just consider this.  If you use your firstname.lastname@email.com for your Facebook with password Albert1954, and the same for your online banking, and the same for your Amazon account, and the same for your PayPal... just think what I can buy with your account, your money.  Just think what I can see on your Facebook or Instagram, or Tumblr - your photos, your history, your cherished moments.

Please, take this seriously - and make sure those close to you do too.  Online Security is big business these days - and it can only spread when we click that link.  When In Doubt - Check It Out.

Check Before You Click.

Thank you for reading, and please, stay safe!

Writer's Block

Hi!

I've always been a bit dismissive of those people that complain of writer's block.  I mean, how hard can it be to pick up your pen and jot some ideas down?  Even if you don't crank out a few hundred pages of a new novella, or a paragraph or two of your dissertation - at least you can write something, surely?

So why has it been so long since I last wrote this blog?

My journal (which I write almost daily btw) is full of to-do lists, and always somewhere on that list is "write new blog post".  I know I want to - it's not like I don't enjoy writing!  I LOVE writing!

So I go to my blog page, and have a look at my last few posts.  I weep silently for a few moments at how few page views my stats report, but console myself with knowing they're genuine views and not just bot-produced junk,

And then I think... "What shall I write about today?"
And then...

Hmm...
What shall I write about today?   (Taps pen against pad reflectively)
What.  Shall.  I.  Write?  (Looks out of window.  I spy with my little eye something beginning with...)

OK, Maybe I'll get some inspiration from my trusty Pinterest?
(Lots of pretty pictures, a few TED talks I've earmarked for later, random adverts for food...)

OK, I admit, there is a genuine case for writer's block!
The thing that always seems to trip me up is wondering "What will my readers want to read?"
I worry that my subject will be boring, uninformative, not very funny.  I spend so long trying to think of a riveting subject, I forget that the joy of writing is to just write.

I always sit down and write my posts straight to the site.  I don't make notes, I don't sit on a draft post and go back to it later - I just write a post in one go - and maybe that's where i go wrong?
A friend who also writes tends to have several draft posts on the go, and also makes notes about things she sees or experiences during the day, going back to her drafts and edits them regularly before she publishes. 

I think I'll try and follow her advice for a bit, and see if I can't improve my own blog writing, and banish the dreaded writer's block for good!

Wish me luck!

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Hi!

Last week some friends came over for a few drinks, and Scott told me this joke, which I loved.

Now, before I go on, I'm a dog person.  He is a cat person, but loves my dog almost as much as my dog loves him.  And that's the funny thing about cats and dogs, and their owners.

Anyway, back to this joke.

Two dogs and a cat die, and go to heaven.  God approaches the first dog, a German Shepherd, and asks him, what do you believe in? The dog looks God in the eye and says. "I believe in protecting my master and keeping him safe."
God says to him, "You are a good dog, faithful and true. You should sit on my right side!"
He turns to the other dog, a Border Collie, and he asks, what do you believe in?
The Collie replies, "I believe in being obeying my Master's every command."
God says to him, "You are loyal and obedient. You should sit on my left side!"
God then turns to the cat, a sleek Persian, and asks, what do you believe in?
The cat looks at God and says, "I believe you're in my chair!"

So, with that in mind - whether you are a dog person, pr a cat person, or believe in God or not;
I would like to wish you a very happy December!!

Goodwill to All at this time of the year.

The Truth is Out There

truth

/tru:ϴ/

noun

1.    the quality or state of being true.

"he had to accept the truth of her accusation"

synonyms:		veracity, truthfulness, verity, sincerity, candour, honesty, genuineness; More

o    that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.

noun: the truth

"tell me the truth"

synonyms:		the fact of the matter, what actually/really happened, the case, so; More

o    a fact or belief that is accepted as true.

plural noun: truths

"the emergence of scientific truths"

synonyms:

fact, verity, certainty, certitude; More

I was browsing through Facebook the other day and stumbled across a discussion on politics.  Actually, what really happened was, I was browsing Facebook the other day looking for some fun cat memes and had someone else’s political rant subjected upon me.  

The content of the “discussion” was the same as usual – one person saying left-wing is right, the other saying right-wing is right.  Some Liberal saying middle-of-the road is right, everyone shouting down the other opinions, some name calling, some bigotry, some closed minds but very open mouths.

For a start, I have never understood the need some people have to argue with strangers about politics.  What’s the point?  They’re suddenly going to see the light? “Oh wow, I’ve never looked at it like that!  I’ve been wrong all these years!”  Really?  

Whenever I see stuff like that I always recall that wonderful quote; “Never argue with an idiot. People watching won’t be able to tell the difference.”

But the thing I wanted to mention isn’t the futility of arguing with anyone, about anything, on forums and social media – it’s this… buried deep within this rant was someone who said

“You just cannot trust mainstream media to deliver the truth these days.  Thank God for Facebook and Twitter!”

And I almost choked on my cup of coffee over the ridiculousness of that statement.  

It brought to mind another of my favourite quotes – this time attributed to Rick Warren:  “A lie doesn’t become the truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it’s accepted by the majority.”

And that made me think “what is truth”?  What is it really?  Is popular opinion the truth? Well, we all know that’s not correct. Truth is, I suppose, whatever the facts tell us is the truth – but what happens if the person reporting those facts is lying?  Or presents those facts in a biased way so as to skew the perception of them?  How can we ever trust what we are being told is true?

It used to be that we would go to our personal, trusted source for the truth – something like the BBC perhaps?  Or our favourite newspaper?  But in this age of misinformation, I suspect even those media giants are sometimes swayed by the personal bias of the reporter, or maybe even (dare I say it) the political leanings of the moguls that own them?  How can we trust they’re giving us the whole, unbiased, carefully researched truth?

I find it almost impossible to believe anything I see, hear or read these days.  When images can be manipulated, articles faked up to look like coming from genuine sources, and the proliferate use of fake news to discredit people or incite argument. 

How can I trust social media, when some posts are desperate to promote likes, shares and ReTweets – knowing that some of these will end up re-branded and sold on to advertisers for profit, or maybe worse (if you believe everything you read) used to fund terrorism?

One final note – maybe the truth is whatever you want it to be? Maybe you only see what you want to see? Believe what you want to believe?  It used to be that if you didn’t hold with mainstream belief, you’d be labelled a sceptic; and if you believed the goal of the messenger was to promote some self-interest , you’d be a cynic – and these were negative labels” “Oh you’re such a cynic!” or “Stop being so sceptical! Just accept it’s the truth!”

I personally feel we should be more cynical, more sceptical, and willing to disbelieve.  I don’t think we should take anything at face value (or as gospel to use an alternative idiom).  

Before I accept something as the truth, I always think – What’s the source of this information? Can it be verified elsewhere?  What is the writer trying to achieve by writing/publishing this? 
Not everything that is posted on social media is as innocent as it looks, so if you’re unwilling to be sceptical or cynical, at least don’t be gullible!

One more quote before I go. I Googled it so I know it must be true!
"You can't believe everything you read on the internet." ~Abraham Lincoln, 1868

Flights of Fancy

I was just talking to a friend about what our plans are for the weekend.  As it’s likely to be warm and sunny we both agreed gardening and barbecue would be the likely outcome – but we know our plans could change.  The weather might break, relatives might descend upon us unexpectedly.  Who knows?

So then we got to talking about popular TV shows, where the family in an inner city in the UK decide to sell up and move abroad, a place in the sun, living the dream.  What are they hoping to do when they get there?  Well, we’ll buy a couple of bikes and do them up, and cycle to the village and buy some bread and cheese, and we’ll hang out in the local tavern and drink rustic local wines and everything will be lovely.

That, my friend, is a flight of fancy.  It’s what we’d like to think we’d do – but if you’ve ever read “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle, you’ll soon realise reality can be a rather rude changer of plans.

What will likely happen is this:  You buy two bikes, do them up to about 50% of what you’d like, but your language barrier means most of the bits you need cannot be bought.  You’ll cycle to the village, but it’s further than you thought, and the speeding locals come dangerously close, and by the time you arrive you’re too exhausted and dirty to want to shop.  You’ll bowl up at the local tavern but the locals distrust strangers – especially those from the UK with their dirty clothing and half renovated bikes.  You cannot understand a word they’re saying, and the wine tastes dreadful because they give you the cheap nasty stuff.

6 months later you realise your pension doesn’t convert well to Euros, and you’re still paying UK tax, so you have to find work.  Your dreams of that little small holding, growing your own fruit and veg, a few chickens becomes a nightmare as you struggle to find enough hours in the day.  The garden looks more like a jungle, you’re still struggling with the language, and the barn you were hoping to convert into a holiday let has had its planning permission denied for the third and final time.  The local mayor no longer answers your calls, and even the bread and cheese has lost its charm.

That inner city life no longer seems so stressful.  At least most of the locals understood you, and the shops in the high street had what you needed, and you had a steady income – even if you were doing a job you were bored with.  “This is your Captain speaking!  FancyFlight 236 from UK will be losing altitude shortly and you may encounter some turbulence.  Please fasten your seatbelts and return all seat backs and trays to an upright position!”

But don’t lose heart.  All change is difficult to start with, and the greatest rewards often follow the bleakest of struggles.  So, when the unexpected relatives turn up, hand them a trowel and pop another couple of sausages on the Barbie – it’ll all work out in the end!

Synchronicity – can it be explained?

The other night I had a vivid dream in which I was going to a party in Africa, and as we trundled along the dusty road we were passed by the actor Terry Thomas.  The other occupants of our truck were trying to recall his name… “Ah, that’s Terry… er, Terry…” So I answered “Duke.  Terry Duke”

Everyone agreed with me, and we went on happily.  We did not encounter Terry again – a cameo, a walk-on part in my imaginary scene.

I won’t bore you further with the dream because the rest of it is immaterial.  What’s important was the name.  Terry Duke.

The next morning I was struck by the name, because as soon as I woke up, I thought “Not Duke, Thomas – he was Terry Thomas!”  But out of curiosity I Googled Terry Duke, and discovered he wrote a book called The Goddess of Wisdom and Me. (Among others).  I downloaded the eBook that very morning and started to read it, and I must say I was hooked – his style of writing and subject content is right up my street!  It struck a chord, resonated in a way that has made me think more deeply about the world I live in, and what might be hidden behind the scenes of what I can see, hear and touch.

So where did his name come from?
I appreciate there’re a million little things that go apparently unnoticed during the day to day that our subconscious retains and spews out in our dreams seemingly at random – and therefore I know it’s stupid to emphatically deny I ever saw anything to do with Terry Duke before the dream – but I swear it’s true!

I can normally identify the various links, themes, concepts, images and such in my dreams – this was sufficiently obtuse to make me wonder why.

And as I sat in the rain swept supermarket car park this morning (waiting for the doors to open at 8am) I watched people driving to work, isolated in their metallic cocoons.  They all seemed oblivious to everything and everyone around them - seeing the other vehicles only enough to avoid collision, but not really aware of the occupants or their lives.  I was struck by how blind we all are; how asleep we are while we are awake, and I wondered whether we can ever truly wake up?

Thank you, Terry Duke, for popping by – It was nice to meet you.

Addendum - It's now May 4th and having read about 65% of the book The Goddess of Wisdom and Me, I must say it veers away from the relationship between a human and a God into a graphically detailed description of what the protagonist would do to "evil" people if he had godlike powers - it all becomes a bit self aggrandisement after a while, so I skipped about 20% to see if it would improve, and it doesn't.  Not sure how Mr Duke got into my head, but I'm showing this particular novel of his the door.  I'm now looking at his 2nd book - The Roswell General Store.