Categories
Media Political

That Debate Thing

And this is what I waited for: The text transcript of the debate.

Trump didn’t become unhinged during the debate, he was unhinged from the start. He just got louder and more bellicose during the debate. And VP Harris played him like a fiddle.

From the transcript…people have to stop calling him President Trump. It’s either former President Trump or Mr. Trump. Journalists who don’t do this are doing everyone a disservice.

The moderators didn’t control Trump as well as they should. He was able to give rebuttals that weren’t allowed under the rules. He told Harris at one point to basically shut up.

I did, however, appreciate them actually doing some fact checking. And the push back and willingness to bring a topic back up because Trump didn’t answer the question. I thought they did a decent job. They could have done better, but considering Trump I think they did the best they could.

Did Kamala Harris fudge some stuff? Yup, and I have no problem with it. When the media normalizes what Trump says, and he lies continuously, it’s past time for us to make the points that really need to be made. I hate to say it but politics in this day is all about sound bites, and we need to realize this or continue to cede control of the country to Trump, DeSantis, Abbott, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and their like.

There was nothing of substance in this debate, because substance doesn’t work when you’re running against a fraud like Trump. It certainly doesn’t work with a Republican party like it is today. Hilary Clinton tried to focus on substance in her debate with Trump, as Biden did with his. It doesn’t work. Until Republicans actually have a candidate who isn’t a serial liar like Trump, debates are sound bites and gotchas.

Harris and her team know how to campaign against Trump. And the media isn’t altogether happy about it.

PS: No one is eating anyone’s pet in Springfield, Ohio.

Debate transcript

Categories
Government Weather

Georgia Emergency Management sends Debby disaster request to President

Some good news for Georgians impacted by Debby.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has sent a package containing statewide damage assessments to the President, asking him to make a disaster declaration for Georgia. The value given was $20.7 million, barely passing the required minimum of $20 million for the state. But it does pass, and a disaster declaration should be forthcoming once FEMA has done due diligence.

As I noted in an earlier piece, if the folks of Project 2025 had their way, we would not have met the minimum and Georgia would not be getting any FEMA disaster declaration funds. Thankfully, it’s 2024.

TS Debby disaster declaration request sent to President Biden, says CEMA director

Debby does Project 2025

Categories
Photography

Silent Sunday Sept 1 2024

Categories
Photography

Silent Sunday Aug 25 2024

Categories
How-Tos

NPD breach and how to protect yourself

Note: this writing has been updated with new information August 25, related to the credit bureaus; August 29, 2024 relating to Login.gov, August 31 related to credit bureau fraud alerts.

After being notified by Have I been Pwned that my social security number and other information has been stolen yet again, it was time to up my game when it comes to securing who I am. Especially when using two online tools that checked my data in the NPD breach and discovering that the records contained my Social Security number, phone numbers, Date of Birth (not always accurate), and address for every address I have lived at for over 30 years.

All information that can be used to not only get a credit card or bank account, but information that can actually be used to create an account at the major credit bureaus. Enough information to steal who I am.

My SSN had been stolen previously from an ATT hack, which I’ve still never forgiven ATT for. That came with a year of credit monitoring, which I am using. I also have alerts at Credit Karma, my banks, my credit cards, and so on so that any activity triggers a text or email.

I also set up two-factor authentication at every online site I access. My geeky sites, such as this weblog, my domain manager, and my server company, as well as my ID.Me login all require the use of an authenticator app. My bank, credit cards, insurance companies, and so on use token notification: either sending a code to may email, or sending a text message to my phone.

In the last week, I took the extra step I should have taken a while back, and froze my credit reports at the four credit bureaus.

Yes, four.

I’m covering all these steps I’ve taken the last few days so that folks can check their own security procedures.