There was a routine SSL certificate renewal. Vendor sends us a CSR. We send the certificate. They applied the certificate. Naturally, wanting to make sure the issue was resolved, I tried to go to the website and check the certificate was in fact updated. I clicked on the link to the website and got nothing.… Continue reading Thoroughness
Colin Powell quotes
For thirty years I have liked Colin Powell for his level headedness. I was disappointed in his United Nations speech about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But, he has seemed pretty level headed and effective at getting things done. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. This battle plan quote is one… Continue reading Colin Powell quotes
WordPress security for beginners
The Jetpack (a plug-in) blog has a pretty good WordPress Security for Beginners post which talks about what you need to do to keep your blog safe. The TL;DR: choose a good host keep software updated (WP, plug-ins, themes) use secure credentials off-site backups protect against brute force attacks scan for malware monitor for downtime remove… Continue reading WordPress security for beginners
A solution to US government shutdowns
How about if the US government shuts down for lack of a budget, then for that month, no one gets any tax breaks. Also, there are no subsidies. That means mortgage holders lose that month. Corporations actually have to pay their taxes. Farmers and oil drillers don’t get their subsidies. That would shift a lot… Continue reading A solution to US government shutdowns
Old enough to drink
My first blog post from 21 years ago.
A modest incentive
I believe current Federal policy covers medical costs for COVID-19 testing and treatment. If we slightly adjust such policy such that only vaccinated or those allergic to ingredients or medically ineligible are covered, then I think perhaps it might be another incentive to get vaccinated. Of course, this should go into effect after the FDA… Continue reading A modest incentive
Feature request: Netflix notes
Netflix needs a feature where one can add a note about why you disliked the show or movie. Seeing it was started could mean it was saved to watch with the spouse or it sucked.
TED Talk: What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again
This one is a nutshell for Adam Grant’s newest book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. I loved the book. I encourage everyone to read it. I’ve long strived for confident humility. I love that he names this talk after the myth of the frog in a slowly boiling pot. Frogs… Continue reading TED Talk: What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again
MFA on a smartphone
Multi-factor authentication (MFA; aka Two-factor authentication aka 2FA) makes access to things more secure. However, how to do it from the same smartphone seems to be an afterthought. First, if someone has the smartphone which is used to generate the code, receive the text, answers the phone call, or confirms the access, then is MFA… Continue reading MFA on a smartphone
Sports signage in times of pandemic
In watching some futbol (aka soccer aka English football) matches this past year, it kind of seems like some of them have maybe increased the sponsorship names on the stadium seats. It kind of makes sense that with no butts in seats, this is real estate that is more on camera than in the past.… Continue reading Sports signage in times of pandemic