Laptop Rebuild

Above, the rebuilt laptop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About an hour ago, I returned from home from Gallup after picking up my laptop from the shop and having dinner at Genaro's.

I basically had my computer rebuilt. It got a new hard drive, casing and screen. I was thinking about getting a new laptop, but this was way cheaper.

At Genaro's, I had the two chile rellenos. I ordered the two rellenos plate and ate one there and took the other home for tomorrow's breakfast. Their rellenos are much bigger than the ones at Jerry's Cafe, so it is not unusual for me to bring one home. 

I got home in time before any thunderstorms decide to come into the area. It was starting to get cloudy on the way home. 

Mowed Yesterday

Above, yesterday after mowing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, I mowed the field (dubbed Barking Spider Acre). 

I spent most of the morning Gallup dealing with a computer issue with my main laptop. It needs a new hard drive. So now its getting one. I am using my back-up laptop now.

After getting home, I decided to mow as it appeared a thunderstorm was approaching (part of our usual monsoon season). Sure enough, I was right. It hit when I started watching the Republican National Convention.

It us amazing how quick brush grows when it get rain. I last mowed two weeks ago and already it needed another mow.

House GOP Wastes No Time To Hold Ousted Twitter Execs Accountable

Above, Hunter Biden from his laptop.

Three Twitter former executives will be held accountable for suppressing and censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story during the later part of the 2020 election by a House oversight committee.

The Western Journal reported:

The earliest days of the Republican-controlled House are already showing results.

The three former Twitter executives responsible for censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story — a story that could well have turned the 2020 election — have gotten a formal invitation from the chairman of the House Oversight Committee to explain their decision to the American people.

The answers are going to shape the rest of the Joe Biden presidency — and the nation’s view of the FBI.

In letters released Wednesday, Kentucky Rep. James Comer wrote Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s former head of legal policy; Yoel Roth, the social media giant’s former head of “trust and safety”; and James Baker, Twitter’s former general counsel, notifying them that their attendance is required on Capitol Hill “the week of Feb. 6.”

They have until Jan. 18 to reply. As National Review noted, if they don’t wish to appear voluntarily, the committee can take steps to compel it.

All three have left the company since mega-billionaire Elon Musk purchased it. Gadde and Baker were fired.

Roth resigned, explaining in an interview with journalist Kara Swisher that he’d concluded that Twitter under Musk’s leadership would be a never ending series of disasters.

To read more, go here. 

Hunter Biden Laptop Censorship and Suppression Files Released By Musk

Those of us with at least half a brain were well aware that Twitter censored and suppressed the New York Post story on Hunter Biden's laptop.

They invented the cover story excuse that the story was either Russian misinformation or hacked material. It was totally bogus.

Thanks to Twitter's new owner, Elon Musk, we now see what we knew was actually true.

From the New York Post:

That is “f—ed.” 

Twitter “just freelanced” its baseless decision to censor The Post’s bombshell Hunter Biden laptop scoop in the run up to the 2020 election — with top-level workers at the social media giant agreeing that controversial decision was “f–ked,” damning insider communications released by CEO Elon Musk Friday reveal. 

The chaos and confusion behind closed doors at Twitter in the immediate aftermath of the October 2020 Hunter Biden expose show that a small group of top-level execs decided to label the Post’s story as “hacked material” without any evidence — behind the back of then-CEO and founder Jack Dorsey. 

Musk tweeted a link to the account of independent journalist Matt Taibbi shortly after 6 p.m., who shed light on Twitter’s shady censorship decision by posting what appeared to be redacted emails between Twitter employees. 

To read more, go here. 

"How is the Twitter Files chicanery any different from Watergate in sum and substance? 

Nixon resigned when his henchmen tried to subvert free speech. 

Your turn, Mr. Biden." - James Woods.

Meanwhile, In Hunter's Laptop...

 Jeepers! That's a rather familiar old geezer with a scantily-clad young gal!

Real or photoshopped? You decide!

80K DELETED Pics from Hunter’s LAPTOP To Be PUBLISHED!!!

Above, wild & crazy guy Hunter Biden.

Up to now, I've been somewhat ignoring the "saga" of Hunter Biden's laptop. But Dr. Steve Turley has some interesting things to show and say about it.

The Federalist blog has posted Turley's video on the subject.

Turley posted:

Bumblin’ Biden is panicking as 80K deleted imagines and emails from Hunter’s laptop from hell are about to be published! 

In this video, we’re going to look at the whistleblower who’s promising to publish a massive amount of never before seen data from Hunter’s laptop, we’re going to see how more and more pundits are openly admitting Biden’s not even going to finish his first term, and stick with me to the end of the is video when I’ll reveal the two scandals that threaten to bring this nightmare of a presidency to an end once and for all; you are NOT going to want to miss this!

Will the Hunter Biden's laptop contents along with daddy His Fraudulency's past public statements tie the noose around his neck and cause him to be booted out of office? More pundits seem to think so.

To see the video, go here.

Computer Gone Haywire

Above, the back-up laptop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things aren't off to a good start this morning.

My laptop decided to go haywire and after several tries to correct it, I did a System Restore and then something else happened.

Despite trying to fix itself, the computer wouldn't boot up, so I decided to take it in to my computer guy.

In the meantime, I am using my back-up laptop. The keyboard is a little different, but otherwise it is all the same. Both laptops are Toshiba units.

At least I have all the same files in both.

Flying Without Laptops?

It's a good thing that I don't fly between the U.S. and the Middle East or Europe. Even if I did, I've 

rarely used my laptop computer while flying anywhere.

The proposed ban on large electronic devices is causing some concern for some.

According to Japan Today:

New York-International air travelers might soon rediscover magazines, paperbacks and playing cards. 

Airline passengers have become hooked on their laptops and tablets to get work done or just kill time during long flights. But U.S. aviation-security officials appear determined to ban large electronic devices in the cabin of flights from Europe. 

Business travelers are worried about lost productivity, laptops in checked baggage being stolen or damaged, or even leaving the machine home if their employer won't let them check it on a plane. Parents are pondering how to keep children occupied. 

On Wednesday, U.S. and European Union officials exchanged information about threats to aviation, believed to include bombs hidden in laptop computers. Airline and travel groups are concerned about the possibility that a ban on laptops and tablet computers that currently applies to mostly Middle Eastern flights will be expanded to include U.S.-bound flights from Europe. 

The officials agreed to meet again next week.

Some airlines, like United Airlines, still do give out free decks of playing cards. I keep my deck of United Airlines playing cards (pictured above) in my RV.

To read more, go here. 

Track Yosemite Bears On Your Smartphone!

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travelers, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts and ordinary people can now track select bears in Yosemite National Park.

According to the Mercury News:

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Wildlife enthusiasts around the world can now follow the daily journey of Yosemite National Park’s black bears from their laptops and smartphones, tracking the iconic animals as they lope up steep canyons and cross vast distances in search of food and mates. 

Park rangers on Monday unveiled keepbearswild.org, which shows where select bears fitted with GPS collars are heading. The tracking tool, which pings the bears’ steps from satellites, has already revealed surprises, wildlife biologists say.

Above, a food storage container at Yosemite's North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yosemite National Park has a sizable population of black bears. I saw one last year as I was driving on Tioga Pass Road. Unfortunately, it was a bear cub that was hit by a car. I camped at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley last year and each campsite has a bear-proof food storage container for campers,

To read more, go here.

New TSA Rules May Make Traveling Even More Miserable

Above, be prepared to power up your smartphone or laptop at the TSA checkpoint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Recently, it has been reported that intelligence intercepted messages that are suggesting an "al Qaeda master bomber" has found a way to conceal explosives in portable electronic devices (such as cell phones and laptop computers) that can evade detection through conventional security screening.

Condé Nast's The Daily Traveler has an article stating that the TSA, in response to this news, will make our international travels a bit more miserable.

They wrote:

If you’re contemplating an international trip this summer, you’ve probably heard that the TSA is cracking down on dead devices—everything from smartphones to laptops—to prevent terrorists from turning a hollowed-out gadget into a bomb. So be prepared to power up your device at security if you’re boarding a transatlantic flight bound for the U.S., or risk having to surrender it if you want to make the flight. But what happens if your smartphone or laptop battery simply died before you got a chance to charge up? Does it land in the trash bin along with those oversized Gatorades and toothpaste tubes?

Personally, my laptops are fairly new and the batteries are in great shape, so powering up at the TSA checkpoint would not present a problem for me. But this may slow down the process quite a bit if most everyone in line ahead of you has smartphones and/or laptops that have to be powered up for inspection.

It appears that international flights across the Pacific to Asia (and back) may not be affected, but I wouldn't count on that.

To read the full article, go here.

New Computer and Eclipse Pictures

My 6-year-old Acer laptop seems to be crapping out. Rather than put more money into it (I can do it later, as it still works, uh, somewhat) now, I decided to just buy a new one. Six years seems to have flown by rather quickly!

Luckily, I have a Radio Shack business account and was able to get a good deal on a Toshiba laptop. I am really enjoying it. It cost about half of what the Acer did but has a lot more bells and whistles.

******

Remember that eclipse we had a month or so ago? Thanks to the new computer, I was able to download some photos I took during it. I couldn't transfer photos from my camera for some reason with the Acer anymore (another reason to get a new computer) that I need to do for my claims adjusting work.

Anyway, here's a couple of photos taken during the eclipse.  The sunlight was projected through gaps in the tree foliage from across the street onto nearby walls.  As you can see, the images of the near-total eclipse can be seen on the walls.

*******

In other matters, I've had to contend with a cyberstalker for the past several years.  Finally, I've gotten tired of it and have reported the matter to law enforcement.