Predictive Parenting

In Dueling Madonna’s, I touched on the idea that the accumulation of incremental bad-influences acquired through negative role modeling can inversely damage our Christian walk. Based on this realization, it allows us to be cognizant and defensively proactive in regard to who we choose to admire, and why. These principles are of particular importance to the impressionable minds of children, and should be considered in our parenting strategies. However, I would like to expand beyond the constraints of only discussing role models and start to include the contemporary culture around us. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a sinful culture is a stumbling block to a godly family. Yet the `barely sinful’ aspects within the ungodly spectrum can like-wise accumulate and, given years of exposure, lead us into an acceptance of the `overtly sinful’ aspects. Sitcoms with sexual innuendo, while not overt, start to influence one into an unhealthy preoccupation with sexuality. We see this come to the forefront in later teen years with a blatant over fixation with virginity. And given societies diminishing morality, that fixation has shifted from admiring the virgin a couple of generations ago, to stigmatizing them today. I was once a teenage boy and I can attest that their minds are overly preoccupied with thoughts of sex. And these thoughts are actively uploaded into their minds via sitcoms, movies, MTV music videos, and questionable friends. Now don’t misunderstand me, sex and sexuality are a gift from God. The tensions between male and female interactions as one struggles to find a marital partner are indeed an important part to enjoying ones limited time on earth. But as our society pushes to sexualize our children, they are replacing our kids’ mindset from wanting to play playground games, for the sake of fun, to a perverted understanding of youngins engaging in adult interaction.

The Dueling Madonnas - Saint verses Sinner ... And How it Affects us.

We all have role models, even when we don’t realize it. Influences from what we’ve seen and admired subliminally exert a gentle pull on our souls. An undetected yearning to be like `that person’ or like a particular quality `that person’ has. After watching Schwarzenegger or Stallone I feel an heightened manliness. Their testosterone pumps mine up. I think my chest even get hairier after I watch their movies. I had to stop watching Jackie Chan after I ripped all my pants. You girls may admire the style or attractiveness of some lady, and wish to copy her makeup, hairstyle, or the way she carries herself. If you put a child before the tube with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on, within an hour they’ll be kicking holes in your walls. They want to be a ninja turtle. I’m not talking about idol worship, puppy love crushes, or deification. I’m articulating a principle in humanity where we actively shape ourselves and are shaped by what we see and feed on. And whether good or bad, we are pumped when we see things we wish to identify within ourselves. This when recognized, can be a source of immeasurable spiritual strength. Or when ignored, the means of our destruction. And it is a powerful ingredient in a parent’s cookbook for the development of Godly children.

Windows 10 is Linux

I don’t know if anyone’s been paying attention, but I think there’s been a code merger between those old rivals, Microsoft and Linux. I can hear all you Linux adherents say, “What the heck are you talking about”? And, in some secret backroom in Microsoft headquarters, quiet whispers can be heard, “Oh oh, someone noticed”. Whether a merger, appropriation, or sale, it is fairly obvious that Microsoft Windows 10 has adopted much of that which is Linux (which I will document below). To be clear, it was Windows 8 that first adopted Linux, and this has now been refined into Windows 10. I failed to see it in Windows 8, however. But with the advent of 10, it became glaringly obvious.

Faith Bubble - An Unhealthy Substitute for Foundational Faith

Faith is a wondrous thing.  Some people are gifted with it and have a propensity to move mountains. Others are not, and struggle to move the covers off themselves so they can get out of bed.  My mother is a creature of pure faith.  She doesn’t know much about science and isn’t particularly well read historically.  Yet when the antagonists of God berate her, their faulty conjectures strike her as hollow plenitudes: They have no more substance than the breath that carries them.  She isn’t trained in a particular academic field and as such, capable of correcting their folly by referencing publications and learned men.  No, that is not within her scope.  But what she does have is an innate God given PhD In faith; Such that, their attempts to rattle her are futile.  And her exemplified relationship with God rattles them.

We can’t all have my mother’s faith (or a gifting of faith).  And neither do we need it.  Paul instructs us that that which we believe is rational, and he is correct.  What he means is, we can see and affirm many things about God and Christianity without faith - and that this in turn, builds our personal faith. God is evident in His creation, and this insight is unmistakable to many by simple observation, and to others by study.  This does not negate faith.  There are areas where faith is required.  This is God’s intent and prerogative.  Many wonder why He wouldn’t simply reveal Himself to the degree that we could not deny Him.  How could you not believe in Him if He shook the earth from a pillar of flame and commanded us to listen?  Or, wouldn’t it be easier to evangelize the world if Noah’s ark was perched in plain site, and all we had to do was point at it?

Attacked by advanced browser hijacker – See who fared better, Google Chrome or Pale Moon Browser.

I recently had the misfortune to stumble across a browser hijack.

I used this opportunity to compare two browsers, Google Chrome and Pale Moon.

View on to see which browser surprisingly fared better. (I also ran a couple security related browser apps at it to see if they helped).

Mr. T - Strength in God.

Hollywood is a spiritual wasteland and a distributor of moral decay.  So I am always pleasantly surprised when I see a man strong enough to proclaim God in these badlands. `Strong' is a good descriptor for Mr. T.  He is known for being a strongman.  I just never realized that his true strength was spiritual.  I used to love watching him on the A-Team.  I think it’s fair to state he has the best sneer in the business.  In fact, I’d give him an Academy Award for it.  Yet beneath his rough and gruff persona is an heart attuned to God.   

Google AdSense doesn't like me anymore. Alternatives? ... Bidvertiser, Chitika, etc tryouts.

Google AdSense doesn’t like me anymore.  We were once friends, but I did something to upset their algorithms.  I think `algorithms’ is just google's code for referring to their unseen overlords.  I suspect it’s a Dr. Who kinda thing, where the good Doctor would find that the Daleks (or some other evil alien presence) was secretly the mastermind and controlling factor behind some innocuous looking front organization.  Maybe, it’s more of a Terminator sort of thing, with an enlightened super computer controlling Googles operations (?).  Whatever the reason, the algorithms were offended.  Oops.  And apparently, if they told me why, they’d have to kill me (why else would they withhold that information from me?).  Seeing as I don’t want to die, I’ve chosen to live in a grey shroud of ignorance concerning this subject matter (luckily for me, I’m really good at that).  Dr. Who has taught me that this route maximizes my personal survival:  For whenever someone meets the Daleks, the Daleks meat them.

Malwarebytes - A class act.

"Given this bad blood between the companies, and the implication of illegal / criminal activity, I wondered if Malwarebytes would detect IObit as malware ..."

Thomas the Engine talks Prozac and Purpose

Did you know you matter?  It’s all about perspective and a lack of it.  If you thought you were amazing, you’d feel better about yourself.  If you knew you were loved, you wouldn’t feel so despondent.  So many things can go wrong when we don’t know who we are.  We can grow depressed and suffer a minuscular self-worth.    For others, their self-worth is associated with temporal things such as power and possessions:  things as useful as a snowman on an hot day.  It may seem fun for a moment, but in the context of the grand scheme of things, it is momentary and insignificant.  If one lacks prestigious employment or a pretty face, they feel second tier and cheated of happiness.  Melancholy can be insidious, particularly when generated by unimportant reasons.  It can impair the pace of our journey and obscure the path we should trod.  We live in a Prozac society and we are a Prozac generation.  How can a train locomotive guide us to completion?

Why prolife is failing - The Why chromosome

The prolife movement has progressively been losing ground.  Against insurmountable odds, the prochoice movement pushes forward, gaining momentum and adherents.  How could something so clear-cut as the life within a mother’s belly be debatable?  Yet here we are. 

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium verses Iobit's Malware Fighter 3 Pro. Tested.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium verses Iobit Malware Fighter 3 Pro - Tested.  Who's better?

The Biology of Abortion

Let us clarify what we’re talking about when we discuss abortion.  Let’s remove politics, religion, and ideology, and let’s talk about biology.  I myself am a biologist and am surprised by the various ludicrous claims that some pro-abortionists make.  There is a biological reality, and indeed certainty, to the reproductive process that cannot be altered in light of accepted science.  Parts of the discussion are simply not debatable.  My intent is not to be patronizing, for many people are simply ignorant and in need of enlightenment.  And ignorance is not something to be ashamed of; it is simply a reflection of one’s education.  And it does not denote a lesser intelligence, for we are all ignorant on a multitude of subjects.  Not everyone has chosen to study biology at an higher level, just as I have not chosen to study American literature … and am truly ignorant concerning its content.

Questions and Answers with Bret Lowry, the new owner of WinPatrol

I had a couple of features I’d like to see implemented into WinPatrol.  I asked for Bret’s input and here’s what he had to say.

Changing Winpatrol’s startup tab:

Bret's Response:

“Did you know that you can tell WinPatrol Explorer which tab to open from the command line?

If WinPatrol Explorer is not running, you can have it run and open to the ActiveX tab as follows:

winpatrolex.exe -activex

Also, if you right-click on the Scotty icon, you can select which tab you want opened.

Also, you can change the tab that Scotty opens to in the start menu icon by making the following change.

1. Locate the icon

2. Right-click on it and select Properties

3. For the "Target:", append a space and then -activex. You should do this outside the quotes

4. Click OK

5. Now your start-menu icon will open directly to the ActiveX tab.”

Keeping Windows XP Relevant and Secure

You like retro and refuse to give up on your beloved Windows XP operating system.  But how to keep it secure, given that the tech world moves on and cares little for backward compatibility.  MSE is gone (for XP) and Microsoft refuses to support XP anymore (meaning security holes will stay there forever).  In my experience, most antivirus solutions are now too heavy for smooth operation.  Given these problems, here’s how I recently secured a friends XP to make it a security bulldog without dragging its performance down.

Anti-Exploit Freeware/Software List

Your computer might have a chink in it's armor.  A weakness or hole in its defenses, an unforseen path through which entry can be gained, a vulnerability in your operating system (windows) or a program running on it .

How do you increase the effectiveness of your computer security and block a malicious program or script from taking advantage of these weaknesses?  You do so by adding a protective layer that addresses this problem. You add anti-exploit software.  Your anti-virus actively protects your system, but you can supplement it with passive protection which makes penetrating it a lot harder.  Here’s a list, and quick description, of some of the anti-exploit products available for free.  Also, make sure your system and software is up-to-date:  this plugs most vulnerabilities.

Herobrine - The Minecraft Man of the Year.

Minecraft Tips! - 'Nuff Said

Mobs - Monstery Minecraft

BE CAREFUL! - A Minecraft Warning

Potions - Minecraft Kool-Aid

Witches - Minecraft Hags without Brooms

Cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens - Minecraft Critters

Ender Pearls - Minecraft Teleportation

Skeleton Archers - Minecraft Bone Meal

Fireworks - Minecraft Explosions

How to run Minecraft when Java update fails (1603 or some stupid error)

I’ve had this problem the last 2 times I’ve updated my java run time environment.  And both times was a serious headache.  First, it wouldn’t update through java itself.  Second, I went to java and tried their installer … which failed.  Third, I downloaded their offline versions (both for 32 and 64 bit) and tried multiple times to install … and always the same, it failed to install.  I disabled my antivirus and all security, I uninstalled java, I cleaned my registry manually and via numerous cleaners, I tried in safe mode, I used javara to clean up things before trying, and everything always fails.  Bla!!!

If you’re tired of this continual nonsense, here’s a quick way to get Minecraft (with its java heart) up and going again (or at least to when the next java update comes out, which might fix everything … likely not).

Build your own Bitdefender Security Suite ... For Free

This is not a daily giveaway article, but something far better.  How to build Bitdefender Total Security!!  For Free.

Bitdefender is a top antivirus company, the cream of the crop.  Their engine is arguably the best, with few contenders to challenge its effectiveness.  They have a very robust suite to protect your system, and its very effective (head over to bitdefender.com to see the price).  We will make the closest thing we can, give or take a few pieces (abet, important ones ... but beggars can't be choosers).

Tested: The Lightest Free Antivirus (To Boot or get the Boot)

I have the weakest netbook laptop available.  I need an antivirus that doesn’t take forever to start and shut down my machine.  And I don’t want my system to be all gummed up and frozen.  In addition, my friend has an old XP and asked for recommendations for protection.  MSE won’t run on his system anymore and while some still offer support for XP, they are too heavy for it.  The professional labs did some testing for performance, but their recommendations don’t even approach reality when run on my weak, weak system.  And each seems to have a different criteria for `running lightly’.  My criterion is boot speed, physical memory used, and the percent of the CPU utilized.  My tests were informal and for personal reasons, I now submit to help others.  Testing time was beginning of 2014.

Test machine:  Windows 7 starter running on an Intel atom (N450, single core) processor.   1 Gb RAM.  160 Gb HDD.  A base system restore point was created.  Wise 360 was the boot analyzer.  Process Hacker provided additional information.  Antivirus was installed, tested, uninstalled via Wise Uninstaller, and then system restored for the next program.

I like to have phishing protection and most free antivirus’ do not offer full protection.  If an antivirus solution did not have its own built in protection, I ran Mcafee Site Advisor.  AVG and Panda each have their own proprietary equivalent protection:  So with each of these I ran their software and deleted Site Advisor.  (as stated, testing was for personal, not scientific reasons ... hence unusual criteria).

Tangerine bank will steal your money – don’t trust them

This is a follow-up article on my continued mugging by the Tangerine bank.  As I had previously reported in, Rotten oranges at the Tangerine bank, I had some problems transferring my money to another institution.  Being a slow learner, and a tad masochistic, I again attempted to transfer my money.  Here’s the run down:

Firefox bites the hand that feeds it

Mozilla recently decided to enter a no win, hostile, socially politically correct battle.  Why?  Because they lack business sense.  For details, see Firefox’s Unusual Approach to Decreasing it's Browser Share.   Why does this garner a follow up article?  Because in light of them choosing to alienate a large segment of the planet, they then apparently began to bleed money and now have to beg for it.

Firefox’s Unusual Approach to Decreasing it's Browser Share

Firefox’s newer versions are pretty solid.  And with the demise of Opera presto, Firefox should have seen a jump in market share.  However, behind a decent product lies a cacophony of  numb-skulls that believe misguided political correctness is more important than business dominance. 

Rotten Oranges at the Tangerine Bank

Yep, it’s now old news … ING Canada has been bought by Scotiabank:  and they renamed it the Tangerine Bank.  I was never an ING customer, but was lured to open a Tangerine account by their “I’ll give you $50” to open an account bargain.  Plus, I like the color orange.  I received my $50 and was pleased with them.  That was my first dealings with them, and if I had written this then, this article would swoon about their awesomeness;  I’m easy that way, give me some money and I’ll like you.  However, cost me some money and the honeymoon’ll be over.  How long did it take them to cost me some money?  Surprisingly quick actually, on my second dealings with them.