How to Know Your Password is Strong Enough

We are living in a world of passwords and usernames, one is getting simpler, the other is getting harder.
User names are no longer the exercise in clever letter play they use to be, as far as I can tell, most of us can get the name we want these days, with a minimal amount of added numbers or initials.
Passwords are a different story. These days, my old standby passwords don't quite pass muster, and as I continue to submit new variations, frustration brought about this revelation.

If you end up having to write it down, then your password just might be strong enough. Of course, you will lose that slip of paper, and have to get it reset, and the cycle goes on.

Four Reasons Iron Man is Cooler than Spiderman ..

Four Reasons Ironman is cooler than Spiderman and Four Reasons He Isn't - and a tiebreaker.

Now that the initial rush is over, it's time to assess the true validity of Ironman, now a movie star, and while I'm at it, let's compare him to his recent Marvel theater blockbuster counterpart, Spiderman.

In the Marvel series Civil War, Tony Stark and Peter Parker start out being buddies, and Tony trying to turn Peter into a corporate drone. He even started wearing s special Spidersuit that Tony made for him, with all kinds of big brother gadgets. Of course, that didn't last, and they put on a good fight in Amazing Spiderman #535.

In the theaters, despite Iron Man's good numbers so far, Spiderman is the grizzled veteran, with as many good movies made about him, arguably, as Superman. So, who's better?

Iron Man

Cooler Suit - Without this, there is no point in going on, of course he has the cooler suit. And int the Movie, wow, they do a good job with it, there are only a few Power Ranger moments in this movie. Credit better CGI and John Favreau for doing that.

Cooler Actor playing him - Robert Downey acts like he was built for this part, because he's an excellent actor. Still, he's mailed in some performances before, and this time, he just cruised through it. Have fun cashing that bumped up sequel check Robert, and if you're going to go out and do drugs, hire hookers, and trash hotel rooms, go to Amsterdam or somewhere that it's legal.

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A Run Around My Blogs

Today, as a writing exercise, I opened up all of my little blogs, discarded at various addresses throughout the internet, and wrote a post on each. It was a nice exercise, mostly successful, except that I cannot figure out a single thing to say about the Chicago Bears today. I'm all footballed out, and the better for it. Here's what I came up with:

• Writing Blog - Where I begin to explore why I quit writing and why I have always had to write in some form, as well as review some writing and blogging blogs:
  

  Write to Done
  

  
  

  Webworker Daily

  
  

  Pro-Blogger

• Cubs Obsession - Brief Rant about the Cubs new owner, how he is a real-estate baron trying to put one over on the state and city and Cubs fans.
  
• Health Obsession - Brief rant about how fast the year has gone and then two reviews of new fitness sites I have found, sweat365 and MapMyWalk, comparing them to fitday unfavorably.
  

None of these posts today will get dugg, or even read, but they got my feet wet. Maybe this is why so many blogs have speedlinking posts or constantly re-run down their content. Any of you backlinking to me because I mentioned you, Hi there, and thanks.

Toys - as memories and writing tools

Almost every place I ever visited as a child is defined in some ways by the toys that were there for me to play with. Every relative's home, office I visited, restaurant, even schools and churchs, had their own set of toys to play with. Maybe it is part of my generation, or an eye to things to come, but in many cases I remember the toys more than the place, or the people in it.

Let's take both sets of Grandparents, first my mother's side, where I can tell you that she and Grandpa kept a big cardboard cannister of Lincoln Logs and a stack of comic books, handed down from my Uncle and older cousins in the hall closet. I remember nearly as much about those toys, as I can about her holiday dinners, but this is because NOBODY cooked like my Grandma Shaw.

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Funeral Party

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece out about going to funerals, in a stretch where I am probably beginning to face mortality. Right now, in the wake of several deaths of my peers, I am looking hard at life, and crazy-grateful for the turn it has taken over the last few years. For the longest time, I didn’t really care if I lived. I wasn’t going to go put a bullet in my head, but I wasn’t taking care of myself at all, and I have gotten in the worst sort of shape, but at least am still breathing.

My fitness is coming back, and mentally, I am solid, like never before. I just wish that those that have passed could see me, or know what I know now. Maybe it is my daughter, maybe it’s just some different manifestation of mid-life crisis, but it’s good.

As I’ve alluded too, a little time has passed since this was written, but I found it hiding in my Zoho stacks, and wanted to post it. Since this batch of funerals, there have been more, but the feeling about them hasn’t passed.

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