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Recall that I'm endlessly going on about Vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin is the natural form, in supplements and fortified foods it's Cyanocobalamin. My understanding is that it's the Cobalamin which is a key component of our metabolism.

I read somewhere that B12 is only found in meat and fungus. That article was quite specific that it was found in _all_ fungus. A Soylentil whose nick just now escapes me pointed out that it's _not_ found in fungus, rather that the nutritional yeast that the Vegans are so heavily into is fortified with the stuff.

My cousin is a Vegan; he went totally bananas when I spammed my entire family with the news that I'd be focussing on steaks so as to treat my Anemia, that at the time I figured was due to blood loss from my Kidney Surgery. He gave me some eminently reasonable advice to transition gradually to become at first the Vegetarian, then later a Vegan.

But he also specifically pointed out that he takes B12 tablets.

While some say I'm a Rocket Scientist, Glenn really _is_ a Rocket Scientist. The _only_ thing he's ever told me about his work is that "It has to do with GPS". That he's never said more than that, and that there's nowhere to stand let alone sit in his apartment due to the giant stacks of Physics and Electrical Engineering texts in his apartment and all the way up the walls to his ceiling - every last one of them in Russian, "So as to keep my Russian up"! - lead me to regard it as impolite to ask my favorite cousin to blow his clearance.

Just now I had an office visit with a Neurologist; Dr. Hamburg struck me as quite knowledgeable.

She suggested my Aphasia and Short Term Memory Loss could be a Vitamin B12 deficiency. That's well known to cause really serious brain disorders in vegans who don't take B12 supplements.

She ordered a certain blood test for a chemical that is a metabolite of B12.

I'm not a vegan or vegetarian but I eat very little meat. But I've suspected I'm deficient in the stuff because I also have Anemia; B12 is required to make Red Blood Cells.

More specifically, it's a key component of the process of transcribing DNA into the chains of Amino Acids of which Protein is composed. There are many non-Protein chemicals in our bodies; some of them are compounds of protein and something else, some are nutrients such as Lorenzo's Oil, some are other compounds whose synthesis is catalyzed by Enzymes, which are particularly reactive Proteins.

That name-unrecalled Soylentil also pointed out that B12 doesn't come directly from animals, rather it's made by bacteria. That beef is rich in it is due to soil bacteria colonizing one of a cow's four stomachs. But I expect that corn fed beef could be deficient as well. I don't know yet whether cows actually _require_ B12 but if so, then their feed corn would be fortified with it. Again I don't know about meat from other species of animals.

That our name-unrecalled Soylentil clued me in about the soil bacteria, and that a fellow NedSpace member does marketing for a Portland Kombucha brewer led me to speculate about making a variety of Kombucha with B12 bacteria in it. But that natural - not fortified or supplemented - is found only in animal meat and cultured animal products leads me to expect you can't brew B12 Kombucha.

That's just as well: while I greatly enjoy taking a break by drinking a bottle of the vast quantities of Kombucha that my marketing colleague keeps our fridge stocked with, despite that Kombucha has very little alcohol in it, because as my ex Bonita was wont to say, "Mike drinks like a girl", just one bottle of that fizzy, refreshing beverage puts me under the table.

(By contrast, being from a sea-faring culture, Bonita drinks like a fish.)

My Facebook Friend Chiraag Nataraj - also a vegan - gets his B12 from Kefir, a cultured milk beverage. That led me to look for a list of foods that are high in B12, resulting in my reading The A list of B12 foods at the Harvard Medical School website.

Clams have vast quantities of B12. I really enjoy all manner of clams and other shellfish, but around here - Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon - they are somewhat expensive. For me to adopt clams as a staple food in my diet might be a problem due to absorption of such ocean pollutants as the Mercury that is thrown high into the air by burning coal, a far more short-term problem than climate change. But really I don't know so I'll research that further, as well as shop around for clams as well as - possibly - other B12-rich seafoods.

Yogurt has lots of B12 so just a couple weeks ago I started eating vast quantities of the stuff so as to treat my Anemia.

Maybe I'll have to remain a coder rather than making it as a Rock Star. ;-D

I do find great inspiration from Brian May, a guitarist and founding member of Queen. Despite being a Rock Star he is _also_ an Astronomer. Not just a hobbyist: one of his experiments is in _orbit_.

But Brian still has Big Hair, whereas I'm doing pretty good when I manage to sprout any hair at all. ;-(

PS: It won't be long at all before I make more money as a Singer than I can make writing code for clients. More about that in a subsequent Wall Of Text.

I've got an appointment with a neurologist in 2 1/2 hours. Usually such specialist appointments take three months to obtain but my recent visits to the ER led to this one getting expedited.

I had this grand plan that I would turn in early, so I would be fresh as a daisy, if not actually able to speak coherently.

Instead I was up until 1:30 AM, set my alarm for 9:30, then got a call at 8:30 from one of my neurologists staff with a question about my insurance.

Perhaps I'd feel better if I ran myself through with my father's ceremonial sword.

(I'm logged in with Tor Browser so as to ensure my privacy and anonymity.)

To Wit:

He at first tried to snatch a five-spot from someone's
hand, but that quick-thinking fellow shoved his hand - and his five -
in his pocket.

I grabbed that Enterprising Young Man around his neck while he was
still leaning down then patiently and lucidly explained that "I'm
calling the cops unless you give that _back_!"

I once studied Judo, a purely _defensive_ martial art, which even when
used in Production only rarely injures one's attacker.

He dropped my Samoleons, I let him go then he belted me right in the
head, so hard that I saw the world spin round. I was dizzy for several
minutes after.

Get This:

"I was doing you a favor! I could have traded that money for _more_ money."

Yet I remain skeptical.

He claimed that he acted in his own self-defense despite my not having
injured him in any way, and despite my having let go of him before he
punched me. In the direct presence of a whole bunch of witnesses, he
repeatedly and asserted that I'd punched him first.

He Damn near got Tazered by a helpful bystander who was just on his
way to collect donations for The Salvation Army.

ProTip: Don't Mess With The Salvation Army.

I called 9-1-1 while he and I were still arguing but realized the
Dispatcher was losing precious time so I gave my report, my name and
my number.

By the time I got off the phone he'd walked out of sight but I gave
the Dispatcher quite a good visual description. It was not long at all
before a Prowler drove expeditiously past, it's driver and and I
exchanging smiles and thumbs up.

Officer Hubbard of the Portland Police Bureau turned up next. He asked
Mr. Salvation Army for a quick witness report then the Officer had him
write down his name and number in his notebook.

And yes, Portland's new Police Chief really _is_ named Chief Outlaw. :-0

After I gave him a more detailed report, Officer Hubbard took my name,
number and home address.

"If you capture him, I will enthusiastically press charges because..."

"I know. These guys even hit Nordstrom sometimes" - I was singing
right in front of its main entrance in Downtown Portland - "and the
cafes".

I told all the witnesses that "After I chill for a bit I'll resume
singing" but was still so shaken after Portland's Finest department
that I walked back to work. I just ate lunch back at work, and I
really _will_ go back out then sing in front of Nordstrom again.

Made eight clams by doing so.

As of late I've been opening with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" but for
the foreseeable future I'll open instead with "Battle Hymn Of The
Republic".

That particular song works _quite_ well for me.

Defiantly,

Michael David Crawford, Baritone

Yes, I just assumed your species. Suck it, furries.

Look, guys, I know everyone likes telling me off but there's only so much time in the day and believe it or not I do have things I enjoy doing that don't involve schooling noobs. When you dump dozens of replies on me while I'm out, the chances of me reading them, much less replying to them all before bedtime, drastically decrease. Y'all do what you gotta do but don't go expecting me to spend my whiskey in front of the TV time explaining why you're a dumbass.

The CBC has grabbed a brain and got it moving again!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cbc-baby-its-cold-reinstate-1.4941087

So the loud minority is starting to be drowned out by the usually silent majority: good for all those who have brains.

Original:

So radio stations are banning "Baby, it's cold outside" because there are too many losers in the world.

My. God., People. Are. Stupid.

It's a really nice Christmas song about a girl wanting to stay with her man for....'cuddles', but she can't because society would call her a 'whore/slut' if she did.
She is wrestling with WANTING to stay but 'having' to leave because society is filled with losers.

Look:
"I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside
I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside
This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
My mother will start to worry - Beautiful, what's your hurry
My father will be pacing the floor - Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I'd better scurry - Beautiful, please don't hurry
Well Maybe just a half a drink more - Put some records on while I pour

The neighbors might think - Baby, it's bad out there
Say, what's in this drink - No cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how - Your eyes are like starlight now
To break this spell - I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir - Mind if I move a little closer
At least I'm gonna say that I tried - What's the sense in hurting my pride
I really can't stay - Baby don't hold out
Ahh, but it's cold outside

C'mon baby

I simply must go - Baby, it's cold outside
The answer is no - Ooh baby, it's cold outside
This welcome has been - I'm lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm -- Look out the window at that storm
My sister will be suspicious - Man, your lips look so delicious
My brother will be there at the door - Waves upon a tropical shore
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious - Gosh your lips look delicious
Well maybe just a cigarette more - Never such a blizzard before

I've got to get home - Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there
Say, lend me your coat - It's up to your knees out there
You've really been grand - Your eyes are like starlight now
But don't you see - How can you do this thing to me
There's bound to be talk tomorrow - Making my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied - If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can't stay - Get over that old out
Ahh, but it's cold outside

Baby it's cold outside"

Read it!
There are no rape drugs in her drink: she's making an excuse for not leaving, just like in the lines:
"But don't you see
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
At least there will be plenty implied
I really can't stay"

She wants to stay, but feels she can't.

Only stupid people could object to this song.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid people.

My. God.

For a while now there's been a Truly Righteous Donut Shop just one block from my home. "Righteous" in that they serve espresso drinks and ice cream as well, and have free WiFi.

But I'm their _only_ regular.

I'd go every morning but I've been busted because I've had no clients for several months. But whenever I sing on the street I make a point of spending some of my tips there, usually a medium coffee but sometimes a scoop of ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over it - try that yourself, it's Truly Righteous as well.

They've had quite a lot of trouble finding enough employees. Their location behind a large bus shelter makes them difficult to see from the street, and their sign does not light up at night. They sadly told me they'd be closing soon. Their saving grace is that their other location sells donuts like hotcakes.

I'm friends with most of the people who work there. Most weekends I'll take the bus to that other location, when Spring comes I'll ride my bike.

One Monday I clued in to that I have a clear path to earning more money by singing on the street than by contract programming. That's not at all because I'm such a bad coder but because I've gotten to be a Truly Righteous singer - my best song is Somewhere Over The Rainbow followed closely by The Start Spangled Banner.

All but a very few of the clients I've ever signed have taken at least a month to close, quite commonly three months. I have not the first clue as to how to estimate software cost and time, so throughout this whole time I've commonly underbid jobs.

What's the very most Righteous about busking is that I get paid on the spot.

The gating factors to my singing full-time are that a congenital deformity in my hips leads it to being painful to stand in one place for an extended period of time, however I'm hopeful that having a Podiatrist make me a custom pair of Shoe Orthotics would fix that - my insurance will cover it if I'm referred by my Primary Care Physician.

Also an obstacle is my small set list. I don't sing it repeatedly at any one venue so as to avoid driving my neighbors bananas while they're at their places of employment in Downtown Portland. I have a really, really hard time with memorizing new lyrics; the only way I can do so is to read from printed lyrics that I hold in my hand as I sing. Strangely no one objects to this aside from one Useless Bint who pointed out that if I can afford an iPad to read lyrics from, then surely I don't really need my tips.

Strangely she would not have objected to my $1,500 Fatar MIDI Controller - no sound, I use an Emu sound module for that - nor my $250 Busker's Roland Busker's Amp, so-called because it can run off batteries.

But I don't want to catch crap like that so always I read from hardcopies. But that leads to my plan to license in-copyright song lyrics and sheet music - ORLY? RLY! - then sell songbooks as I sing.

Finally, there remain some serious problems with my voice, most serious that that singing high notes often make me cough uncontrollably. But I've had enough professional Voice Lessons that I know how to fix that problem all on my own:

Sing Vocal Exercises accompanied by my keyboard, mostly successively higher scales - I can play all twelve Western music Major Scales as well as all three variations of the Minor Scales with both hands in parallel motion, up and down.

Mick Jagger is well into his eighties, even _he_ still singles scales every single day. I'll go do so right now.

Look what happened to Alex Jones. To Infowars. And to so many beautiful young lives. They call it DEMONETIZED. They call it DEPLATFORMED -- so sad.

When Facebook, Twitter, Apple (otherwise known as the iTunes, also known as Podcast) and YouTube did it to Alex, I said, don't do that, folks. I said, it's very dangerous. That so many Companys are totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. I won’t mention names but when they take certain people off of Twitter or Facebook and they’re making that decision, that is really a dangerous thing because that could be you tomorrow.

And guess what? Now they're telling me, "You can't post to this page." When I tweet on Soylent News. Can’t do this even if it means we must continue to hear Fake News like CNN, whose ratings have suffered gravely! People have to figure out what is real, and what is not, without censorship!

A second woman has come forward claiming that a Bladen County, N.C., electioneer paid her to collect absentee ballots for last month's midterm elections.

Cheryl Kinlaw told WSOCTV, a local news station in Charlotte, N.C., that Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. paid her $100 to collect ballots in their district, adding that Dowless “has been doing it for years."

Kinlaw said that she never mailed the ballots she collected and that she instead handed them over to Dowless. She said she was unaware that what she was doing was illegal.

Dowless has been named twice in sworn affidavits as someone who worked for Republican candidate Mark Harris's campaign as an independent contractor and has been at the center of an investigation into the results of the election in North Carolina's 9th District.

In November, Democrat Dan McCready conceded to Harris in their House race when he was down by approximately 700 votes.

But the elections board decided not to certify the results, citing “claims of irregularities and fraudulent activities related to absentee by-mail voting.”

WSOCTV reported that it has discovered what appears to be a targeted effort to illegally pick up ballots in Bladen County.

Second woman says she was paid to collect absentee ballots in North Carolina House race

UPDATE:

Over a thousand absentee ballots possibly destroyed in controversial North Carolina House race: report

Don't worry - I won't.

I won't tell a human soul other than those in a position to fix it, however it's a systemic weakness, and cannot be fixed by issuing patches. This problem won't get fixed until the IETF issues some future RFCs - more than one of them - and even then, not until those new standards are _widely_ implemented.

I've never mentioned this in a public way - this is the very _first_ time I've done so - and I've only told one other person that I know how, but not how it would be done.

If you're in a position to implement new RFCs at your company, or in your contributions to a Free Software or Open Source codebase that you are a _commiter_ to, please fetch my OpenPGP key from a keyserver, if your key isn't already there, please submit it then _email_ your key fingerprint - I think that's 16 digits of hex or so - then I'll add it to my keyring.

$ gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --list-keys 69297A03F84E2022
pub rsa4096 2018-11-18 [SC] [expires: 2023-11-17]
            87741D160E80D4F860A192FE69297A03F84E2022
uid [ultimate] Michael David Crawford
sub rsa4096 2018-11-18 [E] [expires: 2023-11-17]

Note that I do not yet have a key for mike@soggywizards.com.

$ gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --receive-key 69297A03F84E2022

Please do _not_ sign my key - nor anyone else's - unless I show your my _passport_ in your direct presence. That my technical articles are so popular led a few complete strangers who I'd never met to sign my old key. The key I've got now is _only_ self-signed.

Please keep it that way until we meet for coffee. But not a beer; I only get drunk when a close friend has been unlucky in love. Then we both Pray To The Porcelain God.

I must be purposefully oblique about the details I provide until I can feel certain not just that those who I share this with will keep a lid on it but also until I've found enough RFC-implementors that once I do provide the details, they'll be able to apply the fixes expeditiously.

It happens that I know some primary developers of some stacks. I also know some leading security experts. I'll explain this to a few of them first. I'm on good terms with some vendors' security people, I'll explain it to them as well.

By mid-afternoon Tuesday of this last week I was completely convinced that my only hope was to go on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

However, starting early Wednesday morning I wrote a few Walls Of Text. While at first I made lots of unconscious word substitutions, eventually those cleared up.

A couple hours I recorded myself reading out loud the last section of Living with Schizoaffective Disorder. I repeatedly substituted just one word and mispronounced a few others. Later this morning I'll record myself reading the whole thing, each section in a separate file then will compare my first attempt at that last section with my second.

Whether I qualify for SSDI and how much I would get both depend quite a lot on when my disability commenced. I will argue that it was in May 2010, and could come up with documentation for that in the form of shrink and mental hospital records.

To apply, one needs to have been employed a certain minimum number of calendar quarters for the ten years preceding the onset of one's disability. One's payout is based on the average over those ten years.

I earned oodles of money from 2000 through 2008, so I'd be set for life if I can demonstrated that my onset was really in 2010. I have some reason to believe that in late May of that year I left my witch doctor a voice mail in the form of Word Salad, an exceedingly rare symptom of Psychosis. His receptionist replied also with a voice mail; clearly she was unable to understand what I said, but recommended that I admit myself, which I actually did.

But the Social Security Administration will argue that it would have been on the day I applied - Wednesday.

To be approved for Disability at all depends on the report from a doctor that the SSA will send me to (and pay for themselves). Whether that doctor supports my claim will depend on whether my Broca's Aphasia - also called Expressive Aphasia - is giving me trouble that particular day.