Re: Did you miss me?

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 1:22:09 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> On 10/1/2021 5:31 PM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> > On Friday, October 1, 2021 at 2:00:21 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >> On 9/30/2021 7:05 PM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> >>> On Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 2:36:36 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wro=
te:=20
> >>>> On 9/30/2021 11:29 AM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> >>>>> On Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 2:01:53 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe =
wrote:=20
> >>>>>> On 9/28/2021 8:10 PM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> >>>>>>> On Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 7:44:28 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe =
wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>> I was gone for almost a whole day. Did you guys miss me?=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> Looks like aioe crashed. Form posts I saw earlier today seems to=
=20
> >>>>>>>> indicate even their website is down. I just now figured out how =
to get=20
> >>>>>>>> my old Eternal September account to work with Thunderbird. Ok, t=
o be=20
> >>>>>>>> fair I never really tried before.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> --=20
> >>>>>>>> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.=20
> >>>>>>>> https://www.avg.com=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>> Hmmm, I know what Eternal September refers to re: AOL back in the=
 early 90's ( You may have noticed that I "still" use AOL from those days)=
=20
> >>>>>>> But what is an Eternal September "account"?=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> AIOE and Eternal September are free (**read & post) Usenet servers=
 still=20
> >>>>>> in operation. It looks like AIOE is back up and operating as of no=
w. I=20
> >>>>>> am using their server to read your post. I seemed to recall Eterna=
l=20
> >>>>>> September charges a one time setup fee like ten dollars, and never=
=20
> >>>>>> another fee after that. I know I have not paid again in more than =
a=20
> >>>>>> decade of use.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> There are a lot of read only Usenet servers.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> I noticed you have an AOL email account, but I've never felt the n=
eed to=20
> >>>>>> look at your headers and information to see where your posts appea=
r to=20
> >>>>>> originate from.=20
> >>>>>=20
> >>>>> Way WAAAAYYYY way back i used to pay a fee to Aol but then they sta=
rted offering it free so I stopped paying and just continued to use it. As =
of now, I use it but just as an autonomous mail service. That is - - - I do=
n't have the app on my computer and don't even use Outlook or any kind of m=
essage organizer. I don't do any alarm business on line so it's no inconven=
ience.=20
> >>>>> When I want to Emai, I just go to the AOL website and sign in using=
 the names and passwords I've use for centuries. I've actually got 4 separa=
te account that I use in the event that I want to remain super anonymous fo=
r any reason.=20
> >>>>> I'm in NY But hardly anyone knows exactly where. Bass came kinda cl=
ose when he was looking to "get" me. But he had me located in a town about =
40 miles away where my ISP is located.=20
> >>>>> For some reason back when I first started using Usenet, I went on i=
t anonymously right off the bat. Today, not even Google knows who I am and =
I'm not on any of the social media groups or even Linkdin. My bank offers a=
 service that makes it so I don't have to give anyone my real credit card n=
umber. So that end is pretty well covered too.=20
> >>>>> I guess that It all stems from the fact that I consider people guil=
ty until proven innocent. That's my interpretation of Billy Joel's "I'm in =
a New York state of mind"=20
> >>>>> What's that old saying? " Paranoia is just a heightened sense of aw=
areness"=20
> >>>>>=20
> >>>> I've never looked for you. Is that a challenge? I hunted a guy once,=
=20
> >>>> and the only reason I didn't get him is the FBI (one I) got him firs=
t.=20
> >>>> They had more money and better resources.=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> I'm kidding. I have no need to know where you are or even if Jim is=
=20
> >>>> your real name. Not about the other part. The FBI really did get him=
=20
> >>>> first.=20
> >>> No challenge. I'm not that important.=20
> >>> BUT=20
> >>> I don't have much respect for the FBI.=20
> >>> I have seen first hand how they can railroad someone right into feder=
al prison. The guy was my customer and as side work he repaired motor cycle=
s in his little one car garage on weekends and evenings. A couple of the me=
mbers of a local Hell's Angels group brought their bikes there for repair. =
My customer never rode with them but after some members were arrested on so=
me federal crimes, they got my customers name and manufactured some story t=
hat allowed them to arrest my customer as an accessory and sent him to fede=
ral prison for five years.=20
> >>> I continued to monitor his home at no charge for his family until he =
was released and they moved away. There's more to the story but that's the =
gist of it. I still monitor the alarm system for his sister-in-law. It's be=
en about 10 or more years ago now They're doing OK but it's always going to=
 be a blemish on him.=20
> >>>=20
> >> I suspect FBI agents are like other government agents. Some want to do=
=20
> >> the job and enforce the spirit of the law. Some are on a mission drive=
n=20
> >> by ambition. Some are on a mission driven by almost religious fervor=
=20
> >> regadless of the law or to the extreme most minute detail of the law. =
A=20
> >> few I am sure are totally out of control. I've only met a couple in=20
> >> passing and I can't really make any general conclusion as a whole. I'v=
e=20
> >> had a few federal agents as customers, (Justice, DHS, BPS, Customs,=20
> >> etc...) and one or two who have been ocassional fishing partners. Of=
=20
> >> those I know in more than passing most seem to be pretty reasonable=20
> >> types. Admittedly most I know in that capacity are higher ups who are=
=20
> >> not necessarily on a holy mission or driven by ambition. They seem to=
=20
> >> understand that grey isn't necessarily right, but hard division of bla=
ck=20
> >> and white almost never is.=20
> >>=20
> >> I've also dealt with one or two BATFE agents in their official capacit=
y.=20
> >> My dad more than me. He had an FFL in his country hardware store. (I=
=20
> >> have a collectors license myself, and have considered a regular dealer=
s=20
> >> license once or twice.) Every BATFE agent I dealt with was atleast=20
> >> modestly reasonable and some were downright helpful. Less looking to=
=20
> >> score a collar and more driven to make sure I don't get myself in=20
> >> trouble or have issues with other agents. If you follow any of the pro=
=20
> >> gun political channels the BATFE gets a pretty bad rap, and some agent=
s=20
> >> certainly deserve it based on the verifiable stories about them. The=
=20
> >> thing is in my limited experience they were more reasonable than that.=
=20
> >>=20
> >> The only real overall issue I have with federal agents is the system=
=20
> >> more than the agents themselves. Civil asset forfeiture abuses are a=
=20
> >> systemic issue. Qualified immunity protecting bad ones from egregious=
=20
> >> (sometimes pretty horrific) violations is a systemic issue.=20
> >=20
> > Yeah all above probly so. but "one bad apple spoils it for the rest" Ri=
ght? How do you tell the good ones from the bad?
> That's kind of the sentiment among many regarding cops in general. You=20
> are either pro-cop or anti-cop and no room in the middle. I'm=20
> personally not anti-cop, but I am anti bad cop, and I believe covering=20
> up for bad cops turns good cops into bad cops. I also understand that=20
> many "good" cops protect their own and enforce the blue wall because=20
> they want to make sure the guy they get stuck will still cover their=20
> back when police work gets dangerous. They want to be able to trust any=
=20
> cop who has their back. This create a conundrum. How do good cops stay=20
> good cops and still be certain the guy covering their back won't let=20
> them get killed... maybe even on purpose.=20
>=20
> Anyway, on social media when I make the mistake of getting drawn into=20
> one of those conversations the pro cop folks think I'm anti cop and=20
> throw ultimatums at me. The anti cop folks get all upset because I also=
=20
> recognize the issues of the job.=20
>=20
> There is a saying that you hang out with five millionaires you will=20
> become the sixth, and if you hang out with five junkies you will become=
=20
> the sixth. By that logic I've got a buddy who is convinced all cops=20
> eventually become criminals because they hang out with criminals. I=20
> don't think its that simple, but there is no good answer. Personal=20
> responsibility and transparency can help, but it can also make the job=20
> more dangerous. In 1982 I decided law enforcement was not for me. In=20
> retrospect it was the right choice.=20
>=20
> You have to recognize the FACT that they have a job to do AND that they=
=20
> have what I consider to be unconstitutional protections against bad=20
> behavior as well as power and authority you or I do not have. Whether=20
> you agree or disagree you have to understand that you are at a certain=20
> position of disadvantage. Respect must be shown if only out of caution,=
=20
> but as you say individual trust must be earned.=20
>=20
> I honestly do not think FBI agents are any different than any other cops=
=20
> as a group. Maybe just a little better trained.=20
>=20
>=20
> Its a complex issue, and I think my short writing here totally fails to=
=20
> address it adequately.

Something similar that I've noticed is the change that takes place in " Som=
e/a lot " of people who go to work in in civil service jobs or union jobs. =
They go into the job with great enthusiasm but are eventually converted to =
automatons, biding their time until retirement with full benefits. Promotio=
ns come with time, not effort.  Why try to do things quicker, more efficien=
tly with care and concern ? They're going to get their rewards whether they=
 try harder or not. How can anyone who starts with great gusto in a new job=
 not be eventually  worn down to the least common denominator when time on =
the job is all it takes to get a reward and any effort to achieve excellenc=
e is all but ignored and actually creates confusion in the work place.
AND - - - Not that some employers are not fair with their employees but eve=
ry time I see a work picket line, the first thought that comes to me is, - =
- - If they don't like working there, Wouldn't their time be better spent g=
oing out and looking for another job instead of wasting their time walking =
in circles carrying signs? I mean. if the company you work for isn't being =
fair with you why would you want to continue working there?
Oh well, those are the foibles of the human condition that makes it easy an=
d difficult for the "educated ' and "informed" to prosper or not.
(Who is John Galt)