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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Saturday is not over yet but was productive.



First the official Lucifari website is up at:



https://Lucifari.com



I did the first version just to get Google to archive it. Now the band has control with me pointing the domain to their free hosting platform.







Then I took my family members over to this drive-in flu vaccine set up in a parking lot. I got mine last week and now it’s my dad and sister. They even had the high dose shot for my father which scratches off the flu vaccine situation off my list as you can’t seem to get a flu vaccination anywhere nowadays - except for the government run ones with no advertising - and that’s how you get it when everyone else is short on vaccines.....



So I took them back home and went to my place to finish squirrel proofing my roof. This was done now and he may chew away on some shingles but in the last areas I can’t get to I had some guys put chicken wire underneath the singles so good luck with that. This is way high at the front so I can see if he is up to no good. The rest I can’t see but is pretty much sealed up. That should keep him from hibernating in my attic all winter long. And this is a situation where I want the same squirrel to stay put. If I relocate him now the new guy will start nibbling away again trying to get in. This guy now knows what I’ve done and will go after an easier house. So I took down the ladder and cleaned things up.



Then I washed the car and I am now soaking in the tub punching this out.....



I’ll dress up a bit and then go to the mall just to look at the new iPhones. I may just pull the trigger and order the pro max ASAP and just be done with it and pick it up in the Apple store. Normally I would chance getting one in the stores but Covid makes that a real hassle these days.



As for the show tonight we have “The Free Press”! This show shows how an ordinary guy ends up telling the world how it is and how it is going to be. What could possibly be worthwhile to see in that episode? Anyway, for the two or three that will watch with me tonight - that’s the show this week.....



Goodnight.....





https://youtu.be/gD7pxCuvq7w
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So I preordered a white iPhone Pro Max and should pick it up next Saturday.



I picked white - the least desirable colour - for practical reasons like this:








The white has virgin surgical grade stainless steel like my watch and it scratches. The coloured versions have coated films on the sides of the steel that will scratch up like this. But mine can be buffed out while theirs can’t. So an iPhone Pro Max in white for me. I would have gone for the maximum in capacity at 512gb but the step up from 128 to 256 is only a little over a hundred and to double that is 300 bucks on an expensive phone. Add to that I wipe my phone when traveling to New York, means tha even now I have not exceeded even the 64gb entry level limit of the plain jane iPhone 12!



So that is done. No Apple Care unless early reports say I should - it’s expemsive enough as is..... Just replace my five year old iPhone 6S Plus and be done with it! Don’t wait till next year when they eliminate the lighting connector and get Touch ID just in time for the end of Covid. So that was the last big deal of note for Saturday.



But on Saturday I did watch a movie called “High Life”. It was painful to watch for the first half hour of this sci-fi movie, but got interesting as you went along. The reviews were horrible but I sort of liked it. Bottom line is that my movie holds its own as time goes on. I’m proud of it - warts and all- because it’s the warts that prove it is authentic and not fake. It has some thing to say and backs up my advocacy. In this way it’s immortal and a thousand years from now will be watchable for historians while these other movies won’t - there is always that.....



Later.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well the weekend was not so bad after all…..







The squirrel problem is done as best as I can do. I caught the squirrel staring at me while I was on the roof. It was not Super Squirrel, as that one was larger and older, this one is younger and I light brown and I have to believe the original Super Squirrel is dead via Super Fox or Super Coyote up north. I now call it “Son of Super Squirrel” But I spent Sunday sticking down the shingles at the front of the house using a modified handle to reach the last few places. With that done I then doused the areas with those “Critter be Gone” sprays that have cyan pepper and chili pepper in them to ward off pests. I knew this as the wind blew the stuff in my face a few times. Anyway that much is done and “cross my fingers” I should have a winter without hibernating rodents a few feet above me.....



As for iPhone Pro Max news: I got an Otterbox Commuter case at BestBsy late on Sunday. This is the one I always use and the one on my old iPhone. Interestingly, the new phone is the same size as my old phone which is within one to two millimeters of each other in all dimensions. That is great news as I was lead to believe it was larger. Now I know it will fit where the old phone fit so this is encouraging. That said, I need to find a screen protector and accessories as the phone now comes with none. I need that Lightening to 3.5 headphone jack connector, another lightening to USB A connector, and that can connect to an old iPad changing brick I have. The case does support Q charging so we may be able to charge wirelessly without having to remove the case but that is for later. So everything is a go with the new phone so far.....



Music:







Lucifari’s new album is now out there and we have the songs everywhere, the website is now updated by the band ( https://lucifari.com ) and new music videos like the one for Rise Unite that you can see here;



https://youtu.be/9LYEbWnxzYc



The Brawlers have finished in-house production and now it goes to mastering and artwork production. We will make a formal announcement later today and do a little update on the website ( https://thebrawlers.com ). ZX/81 is working on their new website and finishing up their project. So I can’t complain about things so far!



In other news:



Looks like Pfizer has a vaccine that works. So there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Expect more candidates to come forward. The hard part of this particular vaccine is that is must be kept at -80 centigrade till used so there may be some distribution problems there. But things move along and it’s easier for people to keep up with mask wearing and hygiene if they know now there is an endpoint on the horizon.




Goodnight…..
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

More work on The Brawlers EP.




I also wait and see what there new restrictions will be like today. Hopefully the malls stay open so I can pick up my phone on Saturday! We shall see about that. I did get get a screen protector at around forty five bucks. Then a lightening to head phone jack for ten bucks and a lightening to USB A for about twenty five bucks. Those along with the case are the essentials to function with this phone. Now we just wait and see it I can actually pick up the phone on Saturday.



It will be 23 degrees today so I’ll take the family out this morning to enjoy the warm weather. The car has stopped leaking again. This makes me almost want to replace the thing outside of warrantee just to be done with it! Remember that all my cars leak - it’s something supernatural here - so I don’t know if I really should fight it.....



Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It’s Remembrance day!




Remembrance Day meant for me what it probably meant to you. Just sit still for a moment and then back to the usual. But having met Donald Brasseur and spent a week taping all of his experiences on D-Day and the waning days of Vaudeville, it makes you more appreciative.





Don Brasseur in WW2 and I’m not photoshopping out the cigarette!



As many of you “kids” lament losing your job at Popeyes because of the pandemic, Don signed up to fight the Nazis at the tender age of 17 and landed in the beaches of Normandy during D-Day operations and was greeted with sniper fire. This guy was the real deal, and they even competed to be the first to land in France (I believe the Winnipeg 14th Rifles got that distinction). Within a couple of months everyone in Don’s platoon was dead except for him as he was injured in the Falaise Gap battle and ended up in a Belgian hospital.


So on this Remembrance Day we remember people like Don for their sacrifice and service. Don was in action at the most pivotal moment of the 20th century making a difference and it’s all there recorded for you on our TV series called a Positive Mandate for Humanity. Don believed in the principles of our organization and was also awarded the “IAIJ Award for Journalism” for his work in the documentary.




Sue Earps (Director at IAIJ) awarding Don the "IAIJ Award for Journalism"!






So as you pause for a moment of silence you may want to check out Don’s documentary or at least show your respect by playing it long enough to register a view (40 seconds). This isn’t for me as you don’t make money till
After 4000 views (and even if I did make money it goes to keep Don’s website up), and this ain’t not doing it to spite me, this is for Don and those like him that we could not archive. Watching the show is remembrance! This blog alone gets over 2000 unique views every day and it disturbs me to see maybe one out of a thousand click on a link of rememberance at a day like this.



Here is his show:

https://youtu.be/ob6YtkVy6m0



I hate to sound like your dad or grand dad prattling on like this but there you have it! And sure an old fart like me will probably be dead of coronavirus in two months, or dead of dementia in a couple of years - but remember this - I never thought I would be the guy writing reference letters for people like you to get jobs or to help kids get into graduate school, never saw that - so what happened to me may be what happens to you. So remember the other old folks that did things you would never selfishly consider.....






Funeral procession for WW2 Hero Donald “Boots” Brasseur! (Photo from: canadianheroes.com)





A military service for our WW2 Hero Donald “Boots” Brasseur! (Photo from: canadianheroes.com)





At the grave (Photo from: canadianheroes.com)






So on this Remembrance Day we remember once again but not the last time, one of the finest individuals I have ever known: Donald "Boots" Brasseur!




http://donaldbrasseur.com



Rant over.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lot of updates today.....


Shane Murphy wrote:
The Song “Rise Unite” Becomes a Music Video!




By Shane Murphy, Fortress of Freedom Inc. / FOF Records Inc.









The song Rise Unie has now been made into a music video!! Composed and authored by musician Michael Atkinson, he went in to record the song along with Mihai Trusca, Randy Nolson, Jason Epp and Krista Atkinson and came out with a powerful and rhythmic song that perfectly matches the positive mandate movement that is now it's official anthem! The video is a simple time lapse on a cruise ship from sunrise to sunset in keeping with the natural theme of the song.




You can watch the music video here:

https://youtu.be/9LYEbWnxzYc




Rise Unite is one song out of a nine song album called Anarchology by the band Lucifari. Their music can be found in all of the popular download and streaming services and retail outlets.




https://lucifari.com




FOF RECORDS: CUTTING EDGE MUSIC!



Yes the music video for Rise Unite is there to watch - watch it and actually listen to some music you and I can agree on.....


Shane Murphy wrote:
The Brawler’s Debut EP Finishes Production!



By Shane Murphy, FOF Inc. / FOF Records Inc.



The Fortress of Freedom and FOF Records corporations are excited to announce that music production of The Brawler's debut EP Fistfight in a Bottle is now finished.







From here the project goes to mastering and distribution to digital sales and streaming websites and even CD production in 2020.



More updates as the EP progresses!



http://thebrawlers.com





FOF RECORDS: CUTTING EDGE MUSIC!



So The Brawlers have mostly finished production of their new EP: “Fistfight in a Bottle”! We are currently working on the art work and then mastering and promotion. Here is the base image we will use - what else - a bar room brawl.....





Next - the end of the traditional wallet - maybe.....





That is the new “wallet” I’m using and I have a few gripes. This is a 16 dollar knock-off of the 145 dollar Ridgid card case becoming popular. It is smaller and attractive. That is a real carbon fibre shell there. I would have preferred the bare aluminum but the carbon fibre looks great and doesn’t scratch up things. So I’m also looking to get rid of the bill clip as I don’t use it. What I do is wrap some bills around my drivers licence and do it that way. But those aren’t the gripes. These are:


1. The knock off has RFID protection like the original. This looks great but the RFID protection means you can’t use a card key still in the shell.

2. You can’t tap with it in the shell for RFID protection reasons.

For both problems, lack of RFID protection would have made it perfect and I foolishly hoped that they would have skimped on this feature - but no such luck! As is, you just have to pull out a card one third of the way out and then it works. So I’ll still play around with it and try to make it livable and then I’ll get back to you.



The iPhone 12 Pro Max:


Two more days and then I pick mine up! I have the Otterbox case, the invisible Shield glass protector, and the accessories Apple does not provide anymore on a phone that costs like 2000 dollars - Courage! I will check to see if the 5G works and turn it off. Promotion - (120htz display) didn’t make the cut but would have been turned off due to battery drain issues. Really, the upgrade is for the OLED display (dark mode enable to express the battery life), largest battery on the iPhone 12 and the best cameras.


When I travel now I leave the huge DSLRs home and the large camcorders there as well. I now rely on the cell phone cameras for photos and video. So the Pro Max with its better sensors and stabilization really mater to me. Take the advocacy for example: The conference rooms are always pot light lite which is a challenge for cell phones but this set up works. Like my photo from the Delegates Lounge at the UN - the Pro Max would have made that so much better especially with the lidar scanner. This is not the use most would do with it. The standard wide sensor is enough. But for dimly light rooms and the club scene which will come back next year, this phone should rock!



Here are some photos from the General Assembly Hall where I had free reign for two full days - so unlike my normal life, like jumping from one universe to another and back. Anyway, the photos are good but could have been much better:


That green marble thing is the most famous lectern in the world (I shot it from the side you never see!



In tight with Member Nations at the United Nations!



A shot from the back of the General Assembly Hall - funny to think I was there for the vote that in part recognized citizen journalists and bloggers as legitimate media workers by majority vote at the United Nations for the first time! Yes, I and IAIJ were actually a part of that!



We aren’t shooting for broadcast anymore. I’m tired of lugging around video equipment and having bar owners ask me if I’m setting up lights or audio wires on the floor. A decent phone with excellent best in the industry camera modules frees me from all that crap! I don’t have to worry about someone stealing the equipment if I have to take a piss. I am tired of having to look like a traveling salesman waking to and from my car. My only decision was whether to go with 256gig or 512gig. I chose 256gig as I never surpassed 64gig on my phone up till now. Plus I wipe the phone when traveling so photos and videos constantly get transferred to the main drive anyway. Still I wonder - but 300 bucks to go to 512 is insulting!



That’s about it for today.....




Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I slept in and now I’m getting ready to pick up the new iPhone.....



That would be the new iPhone Pro Max 256 in white. I have been getting a little nervous about only 256 so I will ask them if I can get it in 512 in white - if yes buy and if no buy. Even if I fill 256 I can transfer data via Ligtening to external thumb drive and continue from there. I really doubt I can chew up 180gigs in one day so either way I have workflow under the worst circumstances.



Drive back home and turn off 5g and insert SIM card and activate. Check critical functioning and then download the latest OS and reboot. Check for overheating and toss in fridge if it really gets hot. Download critical apps and activate. If all ok is ok - download essential apps and activate the essential apps and if the temperature is normal put in the screen protector and case. I will add a strip of clear tape and slit the opening to to the Lightening port as that scratches up big time! Them leave it alone and relax.



Create a back up for your old phone on your computer. Port over the contacts and leave it there for a while. Throw your music onto the phone now.



Then just live with the phone and when you need an app you download it and carry on. This way you are also “culling” the apps you never use. I’ll have a quick review later tonight, but for now I have to get ready and see what happens.



Hey, I just realized I didn’t post anything yesterday! How did that happen! I’ll update yesterday tonight.....



Later.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’m still setting up the new iPhone. I changed it to the same model but in 512 gb and I got the last one in silver. But if you are interested in whether the Pro Max is too big - I have an impromptu unboxing video I did in the car to answer that question. I’m too embarrassed to put that vid with my movie or TV shows so I chucked it on Dan’s channel for the time being. Oh, and we have now moved to the last TV show called Epilogue. All the links below for you devotees of my hapless life.....



Goodnight.....





https://youtu.be/yKwQzWlgPg8


https://youtu.be/MyA4L_MH8m4
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’m still setting up the phone but getting there.



I never use the iCloud but critical data was transferred when I started up the new phone. If you watch my unboxing video you will notice that the start up would not let me go beyond a certain point without wifi. I did the personal hotspot to get past this and in that short period 27mb of data went to the cloud and back to the new iPhone. It was basically the contacts and wallet and a few Apple ID files.



Normally I would be freaking out over this, but for a one time transgression this really was helpful to me and saved a lot of time. Now everything is turned off again - and I give Apple a pass for doing it this way.....



What really pissed me off was losing all my watch faces when I paired the watch to the new phone. I didn’t want to back up so this is on me - I can’t blame Apple for that. You are on your own for email and banking apps so be forewarned and informed before you hand off your Apple ID to the new phone. So an all nighter with a few hours of sleep and the phone is now functional. All I have to do is add the music and be done with the setup!



The screen protector is in and the case swagged on - so - so much for colours as nothing shows except for the camera array, the speaker holes and the mute cutout. Seriously, the colour business doesn’t matter unless you have a clear case - again, much to do about nothing, but the silver (that I have) has bare surgical steel on the outside so you can buff out the inevitable scratches.



Seriously now, all that hype about features has no meaning for me less than a day in. After so many generations this is like the iPhone I had before. Even the dynamic wallpaper is the same. It’s slightly heavier than the 6S Plus and the case is slightly boxier, yet the same size and that is it for ergonomics. Face ID is fine till the mask comes on so a degrade there over Touch ID till the pandemic is over. I don’t care about Promotion (120 frames/sec refresh) especially if it eats up battery life and that goes for 5G! Those two are just for bragging rights when you show off the phone - I tried 5G with Bell and no luck! Superficial bragging rights till next year - that is..... The biggest improvement was the battery life! On LTE this thing lasts forever - that is the biggest plus going max!





Photos later tonight as you can see the thing all naked in the unboxing video. The photos will be in its new case so don’t get your hopes too high. This is one expensive phone, and that’s just the phone, add all the accessories and you are in around 2,500CAN. And that doesn’t include Apple protect that they constantly push at you. They also pushed “Apple Business” at me trying to lease several iPhones for my gang at FOF on a two year plan. They just never stop but their intelligence gathering is impressive. I did push all the right buttons going in there wanting to upgrade from a 1700 dollar phone to a 2000 dollar phone and with a stainless steel watch in the wrist, so I can’t blame them pushing services now - hopefully better than Rogers Business.....



Off now to add some music and test Skype on the usual Sunday conference call.




Goodnight.....





https://youtu.be/yKwQzWlgPg8
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It took all weekend but the new iPhone is finally set up.



Upside down: Did anyone notice - a black brick!


The last was putting in the music and then the videos which was the hardest. I now rock two iPhones one BlackBerry and a Samsung Note. The BlackBerry sim went into the iPhone 6s Plus as its still supported till next September. I could have waited till next September as that phone is a good pandemic phone with touch ID but the battery drain the way I use it was too much of a pain. The battery was replaced less than two years ago and now that I’m using the other phone it lasts forever now. So it now plays second fiddle but is still active.




The only place you can see its colour - and look at the size of those cameras!



As you can see the screen protector is one without any bubbles so you get screen performance as good as it can be with a Zagg protector on it. So that went well and the Otterbox fit like a charm - but - the silver iPhone Pro Max now just looks like a black brick. Seriously - all those people obsessed with the colour will be disheartened to see how little shows through a case. Get the clear and it scratches like crazy within a few weeks. The only place you can see colour is in the exposed camera array and that’s really it. You can get a glimpse at the speaker grills and the mute cutout but only you will see that. So now second guessing on getting silver is over, with the plus that scratches at the lightening port can just be polished out and look like new!



5G: I live in Toronto and have yet to see 5G as a signal so it is permanently turned off - a lot to do about nothing. And to those that were pissed off that non-Americans didn’t get the extra mmwave antenna - hahahahahaha - that is probably the most useless antenna in use today. Even if you stood right under a node, clothing or paper in between, in the purse or pocket can affect the speed - and in Canada: Hahahahahahaaha.....



The cameras have potential but only if you know how to use them. I particularly like the video when you drag the shutter. I won’t explain that now, but to get that effect out of a cellphone is just spectacular! But so far I have been busily just setting up functionality of the phone. In between projects this phone should do for updates and travelling. For real shoots we rent from now on.



Battery: Absolutely spectacular and the biggest plus for the upgrade. This is the upgrade along with the cameras. Speed seems the same as a phone from five years ago. Touch ID is better given the pandemic. But battery life - WOW - that is the game changer.



Size: Non-issue and the same size as the iPhone 6S Plus and the Note 3 all from five years ago.



That is your review for now. I did have to set up a separate iTunes on different laptops for each iPhone to get things working properly. Therefore, other than that everting is working properly. No overheating like on the other regular iPhone 12s and no yellow screen either.



Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’m still setting up the new phone but really getting into the DNA of the phone now. I’ll add a few more videos - the music is all in there. Fine tuning the setting s and barring Siri from every app.



I went dark mode and black wallpaper to save on battery life but I don’t have a battery problem anymore so I went back to bright with a dynamic bubble wallpaper as totally black was just too depressing. I can do that if I’m travelling and want to squeeze every last bit of juice just in case.....



On and on.....



You forget just how much you rely on the smart phone until you have to set it up again. However, I always do it from scratch and not a backup. I saved 25gigs of useless data doing this by updating to latest OS and fresh new apps on top. Do it this way just like setting up a new computer! I know this sounds ponderous for you out there but maybe one or two days and it’s all over about the phone.....



Oh: As usual, another “gate” and this one is “SMS Gate” where the new phones do not receive SMS messages or sporadically. I saw this in action in Saturday but critical messages are on dedicated apps and PGP email for me so this is not a bother in my situation. Millions are affected but it is a software problem and not a hardware issue. Hold off purchasing or activating if this is important to you - otherwise just be aware and wait for the fix.




Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two things today as I’m running short of time.....







One is that more of our artists will be getting money from SOCAN. Hardly anyone gets money from SOCAN but this is changing as we speak as the internet becomes another revenue stream for SOCAN. So congrats to
those finally getting paid from a musical rights collective like SOCAN here in Canada! You can only collect if you are published with a recognized publisher like FOF - just saying.....







Since retail doors can be closed at any moment I bought more stuff for the new iPhone. I got a new mount as seen in the photo above, just the mount as the all metal exquisite tripod and head is from Manfrotto and never really used before, but now it will be - so a score there! I also bought a 2 in 1 selfie stick and tripod for 20 bucks and a podcast kit for about 60 bucks. The podcast kit has a nice microphone and “cat” (windscreen) and a cheapie tripod. I’m keeping all that in the sealed box as I may upgrade if I can find a better product. But if things get locked down I can function with this stuff.


It pains me to go from movie and TV producer to YouTube wannabe using cheap equipment and a cellphone but that is where we are now. It’s advocacy on the most accessible platforms and when in Rome you do as the Romans do!



That’s it for now. The Brawlers get done next week when I take the week off (sort of) and really catch up on things.



Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was racing around buying stuff before a possible lockdown. First was groceries and some paper towels but not toilet paper. Then off to BestBuy to finish up the YouTube video stuff. I took out the selfie stick and that seems fine. Then I took out the podcasting kit and it seemed like a cheap and simple head and tripod unit. But the microphone was this solid metal unit that looked worth the money. Then I dropped it into the tub as I was soaking in it at the time! F*ck! The foam cover instantly soaked up the water as I immediately pulled the microphone out! Then I kept shaking and knocking the water out of the thing. Anyway what is done is done and I left it to really dry out. So I actually used the cheapo head unit on the expensive Manfrotto stand as it already had superior adjustability, better than the cheap stuff and the simple grip/head unit also had a screw in on the back for more utility. So now that is on the tripod along with the microphone holder and mic and the foam cat. I tested it and it works but without the “dry” test I have no idea on if the water affected the sound at all…..



But at BestBuy I bought another I Phone lightening to headphone jack converter and a lightening to headphone jack extension for older cars. Now I’m set for the lockdown – but watch it not get locked down tomorrow as the numbers of infection took a nose-dive today.


I’m also preparing those artwork files for The Brawlers but will finish them next week.



Oh yes, the phone is finally finished with prep. Doing it from scratch is the way to go. It saves time and forces you to update things to the current day - especially in the contacts. I save almost 25 gigs of useless data doing this and all the apps are just the newest with the newest OS and no legacy stuff in there from years past. This is the way to start using a new smart phone. But it was a bugger getting all the Siri stuff out of all the apps – and it took two passes. Then all the permissions and requests for diagnostic stuff. Believe me – you lose a lot of data with all those apps phoning back to the mother ship! Get rid of all that surveillance and you have more data for yourself! I’m not paranoid but when I coded my own apps (yes I have two android apps out there) I realized all the shenanigans going on deep in your smart phone. You are literally giving everything about yourself to others who then in turn harass you to buy stuff or even more sinister things possibly. I have four smartphones in use right now, so I am not afraid of them or the apps, I just know better and keep an eye on them and only allow permissions if needed and cellular connectivity if needed and no background activity. I’m old fashioned that way and so should you…..




Later…..





https://youtu.be/OPKGbg16ulU
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A quick one today.....


I spent the morning going to stores and buying stuff in advance of the lockdown. And that was basically it. I did go over the contacts and Airdropped any contacts that were missed on the new phone. The old phone is now turned off and put away. I may do one final backup next week but that is about it for the five year old iPhone 6S Plus. I can now fool around with the new phone and have fun!


I’m off for the next week so l’ll get longer updates starting tomorrow.....



Goodnight.....
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7655
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We are now in lockdown.....



All that means is no more dining at restaurants and all shops and stores closed. It takes effect Monday so malls are open extra late and there will be a crush of people and long lineups. If you want COVID then head on down there now! And if you live in Toronto - don’t say I didn’t warn you over and over again about this - the lock down technically will be 28 days but is also evaluated weekly. Don’t expect malls and restaurants to open on the 21st of December though. That is a pipe dream and this is it for 2020.....



But I’m all set now and avoiding all that panic today and tomorrow. That is why you had the “abbreviated” update yesterday. Technically you could just drive out of town and go shopping there in York Region (north of Toronto), but me thinks next week or so may see them in lockdown also - we shall see and they are the “control” experiment as to what would have happened if things stayed open. Suffice to say I got all that done and can squirrel myself away for the next week I have off and concentrate on the new music.



While on the pandemic front, many young people may wonder why all this lockdown shit just to save the lives of a bunch of 80 year old plus people? The reason is that in our society all life is precious regardless of age - and by extension - health conditions, mental conditions, criminal record conditions, and on and on. When you run the show - and it will happen sooner than you kids think - taking the expedient route in a crisis may have an expedient result but after the threat is over and people start to review what happened, well.....shit will start happening and never stop.



Putting a price on life at the political level is always wrong. In Tort Law they do put a price on life with old people next to nothing and babies with a lot of value. But politically you set the narrative that upholds your constitution and putting human lives on a sliding scale of worth degrades society values when things come back to normal - or - ends up in another version of the Nuremberg trials after WW2 with the same consequences for those that enabled running ramshackle over the constitution. Trust me, those complaining the loudest about lockdowns will be silent when things come back to normal and the consequences of increased death and suffering get looked at in hindsight. So the lock down happened again and - oddly enough - expedited by vaccine success that will roll out in January just in time for restrictions to be lifted.



I think the endgame - as well as can be planned - is now in effect and we just have to put up with it. For those 20 somethings saying how unfair it all is and losing your job at Popeyes - remember you will have an extraordinary long life span so sucking it up now for the old folks will give your generation “bragging rights” and pay off later when you get old and face the same thing. You have to see it through our eyes as we are running the show now and have to make decisions that span the test of time.




Anyway - enough of this.....





Goodnight.....
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