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The Briz pawnshop in downtown Vancouver, Washington specializes in musical instruments. Over the phone they estimated the could lend me $150 for them, but that won't be definite until they can inspect them. Both are in mint condition though.

I'll use the money to promote my business, mainly postage for junk mail to potential clients, as well as printing of business cards and PO box rental.

Yes I now live in Vancouver now - but I still work in Portland. No one needs to know that I work from Shari's Restaurant and Pies. If I purchase a $2.35 coffee, I get a power socket, wifi and restroom all night long.

Plus I get to flirt with a special lady. ;-)

• Read It And Weep

A great many - not just here at SN - have harshly criticized my amateurish website design. While presently it's an experiment, it's inspired by the websites of many world-reknowned coders, such as Ward Cunningham and Bjarne Stroustrup.

Somewhere I found a free webhost that specializes in technology professionals. I don't recall the URL but those guys are definitely Rocket Scientists. Every last one of them has a website just like mine.

At least my website has a logo.

The actual response I've received is entirely from hard-core techies. My experience is that those folks are the best clients.

I used to get a lot of work from non-technical people, such as some marketing chick who made bank in the dot-com boom, but every last one of those people gave me grief - including the sole owner of a $200,000,000.00 hedge fund.

Ex-Chemist In Massachusetts Was High On Drugs At Work For 8 Years

Nearly every day for eight years, a former chemist in Massachusetts was high on drugs — drugs stolen from the lab where she worked.

An investigation by the state attorney general found that from 2005 to 2013, Sonja Farak, 37, heavily abused various drugs including cocaine, LSD and methamphetamines and even manufactured her own crack cocaine using lab supplies. Though Farak was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to jail in 2014, the findings from the state's investigation into the scope of her misconduct were just released Tuesday.

During her career as a chemist, Farak worked for two years at the Hinton Lab in Jamaica Plain, Mass., and then for nine years at the state drug lab in Amherst, Mass. According to the attorney general's report, "her responsibilities involved testing, for authenticity, various controlled substances submitted by law enforcement agencies" and testifying "in court as to her test results, which served as evidence in criminal cases."

For TrumpetPower!

Bills sponsored:

H.Res. 423 (105th): Expressing the sense of the House with respect to winning the war on drugs to protect our children.

Source.

Votes and speeches:

(Crime category)

• Speech: Hastert Taps NationaExperts to "Keep Kids Safe in Cyberspace"
• Speech: Speaker Hastert Applauds Passage of the Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2005
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Conference Report Vote) - S 151 - Enhance AMBER Alert bill - "Vote to adopt the conference report that would combat child crimes, including, but not limited to, enhance the AMBER alert program, provide additional protection for children against sex crimes, and promote stricter sentencing for child pornography and other child sex crime offenders."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 503 - Unborn Victims of Violence Act - "Vote to pass a bill that criminalizes harming an unborn child/fetus while committing any of 68 federal offenses."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 1501 - Juvenile Justice bill - "Vote to pass a bill to provide state and local governments with federal grants to control juvenile crime, improve the juvenile justice system, and strengthen penalties for specific firearms-related crimes."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage With Amendment) - S 2073 - Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act - "Vote to pass a bill to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, amend the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and appropriate funds to create a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 3 - Juvenile Crime bill - "Vote to pass a bill that allows juveniles that commit violent crimes or specific drug offenses to be tried as adults more easily."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 2137 - Megan's Law - "To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to require the release of relevant information to protect the public from sexually violent offenders."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Nay (Conference Report Vote) - HR 3355 - Omnibus Crime Bill - "Vote to adopt a conference report that amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide $30.07 billion in grants from 1995-2000 to reduce violence and crimes, enhance law enforcement, provide education and activity programs for youth, and for other purposes."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 4092 - Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 - "Vote to pass a bill that provides $28.69 billion in grants from 1995-2000 to reduce violence and crimes, enhance law enforcement, provide education and activity programs for youth, and for other purposes."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 3351 - Youth Offenders Alternative Punishment - "Vote to pass a bill that provides supplemental funding for and evaluations of state programs punishing young, non-violent criminals in ways alternative to incarceration or probation."

(Marriage, Family, and Children category)

• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Amendment Vote) - H Amdt 871 - Adoption Amendment - "An amendment numbered 2 printed in H. Rept. 105-679 to prohibit any funds to be used to carry out any joint adoption of a child between individuals who are not related by blood or marriage."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Passage) - HR 3682 - Child Custody Protection Act - "Vote to pass a bill that prohibits transportation of a minor across state lines to avoid parental notification laws and obtain access to abortion services."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Nay (Amendment Vote) - H Amdt 335 - Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment - "Vote to adopt a substitute amendment that requires federally funded family planning providers to certify that family participation is encouraged when minors seek family planning services, and that counseling is provided on how to resist coercive sexual activities."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Nay (Amendment Vote) - H Amdt 1280 - Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment - "Vote to adopt a substitute amendment that requires family planning clinics to certify that they encourage family participation in the decision of a minor to seek family planning services in order to be eligible for government funds."
• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Nay (Passage) - HR 670 - Abortion Counseling Bill - "Vote to pass a bill that requires family planning projects receiving federal funding provide information concerning prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care, adoption and termination of pregnancy to individuals that request the information. Requires family planning projects that object to giving out such information on religious or moral grounds refer individuals to another service that will provide the information."

(Minors and Children category)

• Vote: J. Dennis Hastert voted Yea (Amendment Vote) - H Amdt 923 - Contraceptive Amendment - "Vote to pass a substitute amendment requiring counselors to notify parents when a minor attempts to obtain contraceptives."

Florida Prosecutors Drop Charges Against PINAC Reporter Jeff Gray – Again

For the fifth time since 2010, Florida prosecutors were forced to dismiss criminal charges against PINAC reporter Jeff Gray before even going to trial, proving once again what we have known all along.

That his arrests are always unlawful and unconstitutional; nothing but an attempt to keep him from doing his job.

The latest case was dismissed Monday; the trespassing charge from last month where he was standing on the sidewalk in front of St. Augustine High School holding up a sign that read “The First Amendment is Not a Crime” on one side and “Public Records Access is Not a Crime” on the other side.

St. Johns County Schools Superintendent Joseph Joyner had barred Gray from stepping within 500 feet of any school to keep him from investigating safety oversights regarding school buses.

The trespass order stated he was only allowed to drop off or pick up his children, attend public meetings or submit public records requests to the district’s main office. Other than that, he needed to stay outside the “School Safety Zones,” which is defined as 500 feet within any school. Even if his three children attend the school as they do.

However, Joyner and his lawyers failed to do their research because Florida law does not bar citizens from peacefully assembling and protesting within these so-called school safety zones, which is exactly what he had been doing on March 14 when he was arrested.

[...] But Joyner has been desperate to jail Gray, even trying to convince a local state attorney to file felony wiretapping charges against him last year as we discovered by making a public records request for his emails. Joyner has also filed a lawsuit against Gray, which is still pending.

Previous entry: Florida Deputy Illegally Arrests Protesting PINAC Reporter.

Being a Kuro5hin member, I learned the hard way not to post online the real names of the people in my life, so I will call her "Mary-Ellen".

She told me last week she is an artist. She told me tonight that she's a photographer; she shoots film. I'm a photographer too: I shoot slides. I call them "color positives" so I can sound artistic.

I haven't been taking many pictures in recent years due to being out of work, but I expect I can start it up again soon.

She obviously likes me quite a lot. She acts really relaxed around me. I like that, it makes me feel relaxed around her.

In December I realized that I was badly depressed. I went to my psychiatrist and asked him for imipramine. It is a very old antidepressant and so is not commonly used anymore, but in my experience it works well for me:

I was badly depressed from 1994 to 1997, but imipramine enabled me to court the woman who would become my wife. Sadly she is now my ex-wife.

So I take imipramine again, I ask a woman for a date and she accepts.

I'm a lot better than I was, but am still not quite out of my depression. In a normal mood, I like to write, and write prolifically, but these days writing is difficult for me. What little writing I do feels forced.

I'll be moving into my new apartment Sunday. I have a guitar and a professional-quality electric piano keyboard. Having the apartment will enable me to focus on my music. Music always does quite a lot to lift my spirits.

Today I sang on the streets with the aim of financing my as-yet hoped-for coffee date. I made $8.75, but then spent some of it on coffee just for myself earlier this evening, at Starbucks. Tomorrow and Wednesday I'll sing again; maybe I can even buy her something to eat.

I need a haircut. Actually, I need all of them cut. My goatee is way beyond hipster. I'm bald on top but have hair on the side and back of my head. That hair doesn't really grow long, it just gets more and more unkempt. The only way to make it look well-groomed is to cut it really short. Happily, the ladies like it that way.

The Catholic church in Oldtown Portland gives free haircuts every other Wednesday - this week's Wednesday. Hopefully I can get my haircut before meeting "Mary-Ellen" but I'll have to get in line early. (They also serve breakfast.)

In 1994 I recorded an album - an EP really - of my piano compositions, Geometric Visions: The Rough Draft. She has no computer to download my Oggs, so I'll burn a CD for her.

Don't feel like you have to like my music; not everybody does.

This isn't Section 8 but is quite similar to it. The money ultimately comes from Housing and Urban Development, then through the Vancouver Housing Authority, then through CSNW.

The previous tenant is in the same housing program as I am, but will be moving to a retirement home.

This last page points out that this housing leads to a significant decrrease in emergency room visits. I go to the emergency room quite a lot; the last time was not long ago, when I"d run out of my antidepressant and got suicidal. The emegency room gave me one dose, then set me up with a bus pass so I could get to my pharmacy.

There is some possibility that the apartment will come furnished. I have a few things in storage here, but not much - I would otherwise be sleeping on the floor. I have a nice futon in storage in Silicon Valley. My mother pays for all four of my storage lockers - RLY - but can't be convinced th financed moving the other stuff to Vancouver. This despite that the present arrangement costs a great deal more in the long run.

I was upset about that, but in the contest of wills between me and my mother, Mom clearly wins. We get along just great to the extent that I don't bring this up.

Hopefully having my own place will enable me to earn some coing through coding. If nothing else it will make it easier to focus on my music; maybe I could join a band someday.

(I'm a good pianist but have a hard time learning anything new, as I can't read sheet music. I can improvise original music but it's not like you can dance to my compositions.)

My case manager says "This is 99% certain". It wont' be a sure thing until I meed the landlord and sign the lease next week. But despite my mental illness people generally like me. All of my real enemies are on the Internet, where I'm more outspoken. In person I'm very quiet and thoughtful.

In other news, I'm going to ask a woman out for a date next time I see her, which should be Monday night. More about that in a future diary. She clearly likes me though, I'm just not sure that she likes me _that_ way.

I'm really looking forward to cooking my own food.

Chinese Cartoon Warns Against 'Dangerous Love' With Foreigners Who May Be Spies

In a colorful, 16-panel cartoon called "Dangerous Love," China is warning female government workers that romancing handsome foreigner strangers can lead to heartbreak — and espionage.

Posters seen around Beijing show a cartoon government worker named Xiao Li striking up a relationship with a bespectacled, red-haired "visiting scholar." They share a romantic dinner and stroll through a leafy park. "Having a handsome, romantic, talented foreign boyfriend is pretty nice!" Li says to herself, according to The New York Times' translation.

But "pretty nice" turns to nightmarish after Li's new paramour persuades her to lend him internal government documents. Suddenly, the foreign boyfriend is nowhere to be found. Li weeps in front of two gruff police officers, who tell her she has a "shallow understanding of secrecy for a state employee," according to The Guardian.

"Dangerous Love" was posted in Beijing's subway and streets to mark National Security Education Day, which was "established after China passed a National Security Law in July outlining greater security efforts in 11 areas, including political, territorial, military, cultural and technological," the Times reports.

Image.

The BBC has an update on France's new bootlicking trend.

A bunch of links that will not make the cut in today's article. I will tidy up and add some more later. While Vice certainly covers drugs more than other news outlets, most of these just didn't fit with the hard facts focus of this year's article, and I didn't want to overuse any particular news source. There will be plenty more to find on aggregators like Google News today.

http://www.vice.com/read/how-decriminalizing-drugs-could-reduce-islamic-terrorism-in-france-and-belgium
http://www.vice.com/read/war-on-drugs-tool-of-minority-oppression
http://www.vice.com/read/luxury-weed-uk
http://www.vice.com/read/veterans-affairs-hospitals-still-wont-give-veterans-weed-medical-marijuana
http://www.vice.com/read/a-prosecutors-regret-how-i-got-someone-life-in-prison-for-drugs
http://www.vice.com/read/why-do-the-irish-take-more-drugs-than-any-other-country-in-eu
http://www.vice.com/read/how-parents-talk-to-their-kids-about-drugs-in-2016
http://www.vice.com/read/this-drug-smuggler-and-hippie-mafia-leader-was-an-og-in-the-weed-legalization-movement
http://www.vice.com/read/the-worst-time-i-ever-did-drugs
http://www.vice.com/read/a-professional-stoner-explains-how-to-smoke-pot-properly-in-2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-36055297
http://www.vice.com/read/what-the-un-still-gets-wrong-about-drugs
http://www.vice.com/read/yes-you-can-be-allergic-to-pot
http://www.vice.com/read/drugs-have-been-used-in-pretty-much-every-war-ever-shooting-up
http://www.vice.com/read/the-war-on-drugs-isnt-even-working-in-prison
http://www.vice.com/read/a-cannabis-cook-explains-how-youre-making-edibles-wrong

I glanced at yet another smartphone article. The specs table lists support for up to 200 GB of expandable storage for the Samsung Galaxy S7, and 2 TB for the HTC 10 and LG G5. 2 TB SD cards don't exist yet.

2 TB (actually 2 TiB) has been the theoretical maximum capacity for the SD standard for some years now. Although there was an update to the standard recently, it only specified larger block sizes and faster speeds, not capacities greater than 2 TiB. Newer SD cards could hit the limit soon... think 3D QLC (4 bits per cell) NAND, or just the 3D TLC which will become ubiquitous in SSDs soon. Currently, the largest SD card is 512 GB, and the largest MicroSD card is 200 GB. A Falcon 9 Heavy full of 512 GB SD cards would make for some fast data transmission.

All three of the smartphones I mentioned come with a 2560x1440 screen and 4 GB of RAM. Samsung could be the first manufacturer to bump that to 6 GB as soon as next year. With unnecessary specs like these, it's inevitable that they will market smartphones as VR inserts or desktop replacements.

There’s a loud corner of Reddit where millennials look to get rich or die tryin’

“Y-O-F**KING-LO,” the teen wrote, flashing his trading statement. “900 to 55K in 12 days!”

On Reddit, he’s known as “World Chaos,” a Florida high schooler who earlier this year multiplied his money by betting against the S&P 500. His real name is Jeffrey Rozanski, and the 18-year-old’s appetite for risk would make many seasoned market players facepalm.

In one corner of the Internet, though, praise rained down. “You magnificent bastard,” read one reply. “Sailing away on your yacht while the rest of us f**kers who went long are looking for the nearest window.”

That was peak “WallStreetBets,” the Reddit forum where “YOLO” is the war cry, Martin Shkreli is a role model, and irreverent traders trawl for tickets to quick wealth. It has become what one member calls “the beating heart of millennial day traders.”

“It’s tasteless, hilarious and subversive,” said Erik Johnson, a 28-year-old manufacturing worker and forum regular from Boston. “And you definitely need to have a thick skin to partake.”