Poloniousmonk

@linux

Hello all! I recently got an old Dell laptop that had been repurposed as a Linux Mint machine. I was setting it up and fell at the first hurdle.

I tried to install ExpressVPN. The install package downloaded fine, but took two hours to extract and failed for "bad characters". I fiddled with it for a while and couldn't do better.

First, it's the VPN software for Linux desktop, since they didn't have one for laptops. Could this be the problem?

Second, do I really need a VPN if I don't torrent stuff? I just think of a VPN as a basic part of my security, but I don't really know.

And, third, speaking of basic security: do I need an antivirus on this?

Thanks for any help!

Just saying "Hi", everybody. I'm fine, it's just that my internet is down.

Well, not totally fine. I went as far as you can go with alcohol without actually dying. I went to an outpatient rehab to get six days of antiseizure to dry out at home and they ran some bloodwork and freaked. "Get this man to the ICU!" The day I checked in, they ran my numbers through a simulator and gave me a 50% chance of being dead in three months. Two days later it was down to a 33% chance. I wasn't worried. All that stuff is built on statistical extrapolation of normal people. When it comes to surviving near-fatal stuff, I'm very far from normal. I was never worried. I'm still weak, but on the mend. And I had a damn seizure! The one thing I went in to be treated, wasn't. Oh well. At least I now know my shattered spine can handle a grand mal without paralyzing me.

Basically, 'sall good here. I even found a place to buy weed, not that I can afford it. I actually like being cut off from the internet. It's demanding. Took me about two weeks to adapt to life without it, but by and large I prefer this. It's a hassle dealing with my medical stuff over my flip phone, but I'll take it to be able to simply watch a movie without pausing it a dozen times to look something up, or check this and my email.

I hope all is well with you.

Stay safe.

This is a pretty good story:

https://benwesthoff.substack.com/p/did-i-save-thousands-of-lives

In high school, Stoney stole a cop's badge while being arrested. He walked around the whole next day flashing it and going, "Officer Smith! Up against the wall!"

I bet they beat the shit out of him over that one.

@sollat@masto.ai @_L1vY_@mstdn.social

Dishes are the bane of my existence.

I excel at seriously life-threatening situations. But I seriously suck at chores, and I hate doing dishes.

The authorities have tried to set me up with jailbait twice.

Once I had to walk away because she kept trying to get in my pants. Sorry. I'm 25. You're sixteen. It ain't gonna happen.

The other one I took under my wing. I was a big brother to her. I provided emotional support. I took her to court for a custody hearing over her kid. She was freaking out, so I gave her a klonopin. Bad move. I've been really good at drugs for a long time, but she's straightedge. She could barely stand up in front of the judge.

None of the entrapment attempts worked because I'm actually a solidly decent guy. But neurotypicals don't understand the neurodivergent.

We're cool now, me and authority. They know I'm a good guy. I may have dark impulses, but who doesn't? I have the spine not to act on them.