Making the RCA Victor Dog Howl!

Finally saw Red Dragon's super monitor. I don't know the specs, but it seems to cover a great portion of the wall. It was nice to sit and play a round of Unreal Tournament 2004 in front of this huge, clear portal and the Logitech 5.1 speakers were a rockin'! Has to be at least 32" and in 16X9 format too! Awesome.

Have my black-eyed peas soaking and the ham is cooked. Looking forward to a nice peaceful weekend with work scheduled throughout. Hey only one more day to work this year! Party careful.

"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."
-T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding

Looking Forward to 2006

End of year busy blues is the song I'm a singing. Redoing a laptop that is not liking a new wifi card (just decided to wipe hard drive and start over), rebuilding a workstation, rebuilding a server and have several fires on the side. Ahhhh, life is good.

BBC has an interesting article about Net safety. This is a subject near and dear to my beach house heart. Still working on online tutorials about how to install software which will protect you from the baddies. There will be pictures. It'll be here soon.

Even though the traffic has subsided, there are still crazies out there. Be careful.

"The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it: Whether he's got a wound on his knee or in his soul."
-Rona Barrett

Are You Being Polled?

Slashdot has a new poll every week or so that resides usually at the bottom of the righthand column. This week's poll is ->

I wish you a:

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holiday!
Happy Hanakkuh!
Blessed Solstice!
Peaceful Kwanzaa!
Bah Humbug!

The winner? Merry Christmas by a great margin. This pleases me. Glad to see people are not bowing to the smarmy, liberal jerks and are speaking their peace. The comments are interesting. There are some weird people in the world, LOL!


Time to finish some PC repairs long overdue, then I must face the El Camino. It will be a long day.

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Merry Christmas

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.

Fog is Lifting

Due to new medications knocking my feet out from under me, an El Camino that is ailing, a cell phone that is suffering from psychosis, and trying to perform vital service calls I've not posted for a few days. The message on the container stated, "May make drowsy for 3-5 days." Boy howdy! An understatement if there ever was one!! That has subsided and even the past few groggy days have been spent feeling like a real human being again. My blood pressure is down at an acceptable level.

There's work this weekend. Please bear with me while efforts are made to get everything caught up. Even in the drowsiness I've worked late several nights this week. My family is disappointed, but this is one of those 'make lemonade' times. Truth is I don't enjoy travel that much anyway! The year 2006 approaches and several projects need completion before it arrives. That thing living in the southwest corner of the garage has to find a new home. The Battle of the Beach House Garage shall be fought with diligence!

Time to try some last minute shopping. Everyone have a Merry Christmas. Remember, this is a celebration of Christ's birth and a remembrance of Him by faithful believers. Peace out!

"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.
-Harry Truman

Late night and a Virus Warning

The past few days have been spent trying to adjust to new medications. Better living through modern chemistry. No doubt that I actually feel like a human being again. This is the first time since mid-October. Now I have to find another reason to drop into whine mode, LOL. God in Heaven help the poor veterans that have served our country with valor. The horses' butts at VA Hospital Memphis are horrible. The local clinic is a different story. Just a real nice bunch of folks. If you are a veteran needing help with obtaining care please email me.

If you use Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus you might want to read this article at Techworld. You are vulnerable to infection. Want to alleviate this problem? Uninstall Norton and install AVG Free Edition. Better protection, easier use.

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
-Doug Larson

Tale of a Stolen Diamond

One of my all time favorite actors is Peter Sellers. He still cracks me up. A remake of one of his movies will premier February 10th. All of his movies remain fun, easy viewing. He had a sort of tongue in cheek, dry yet slapstick sense of humor. My favorite Sellers films are Being There, The Party, Dr. Strangelove and anything that has to do with a pink feline.

The remake stars another favorite actor, Steve Martin. He plays Inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther. You can watch a trailer here. You will need to download Quicktime to view this clip. Be sure and use this link otherwise you'll end up downloading the useless iTunes with it and that will double the size of the download.

Some people will all but die knowing that a great film like this has been remade. Let's give it a chance. Steve Martin IS in it and so are Kevin Kline, Beyonce, and Jean Reno. Martin did a good job handling the Phil Silvers role in the Sgt. Bilko remake of the TV series. This "new" Pink Panther may open the door for younger viewers to watch the original, which starred such greats as Mr. Sellers, David Niven, Robert Wagner, and Claudia Cardinale.

In the meantime, try watching something with the talented Mr. Sellers. He's one of the great ones.

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here...This is the War Room!"
-Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove, 1964)

All I want for Christmas...

BEWARE: Major Whine Warning!

A doctor's appointment will take up most of the morning, then it'll be nice to come home and get a few hours badly needed rest. Sleep was not easy last night. After being told the new meds would be in the mail in just a day or two, they still have not arrived. It's been nine days. The VA mass inefficiency at work doing it's best.

Again, medication means more productivity. More productivity means more activity. More activity means weight loss, sense of accomplishment, lack of fear, etc. This, in turn, means less medication and VA usage. Hey, bet sleep will even be better! And maybe the whining will subside, LOL!

It is a VA Memphis SNAFU; I called the local clinic and they verified the drugs had been ordered. They also reported on lab tests in what I considered a timely fashion. Once again, these are Mississippi folks. Polite, well mannered. They seemed concerned about the slow response Of VA Memphis.

There is a site being built to address such issues. Mine is only a minor horror story compared to some folks. Yes, some Vietnam Vets have stayed in contact down through the years. Most of the help received in resolving issues here (this adventure started in March 2004!) has come from Vets in Texas and California.

Everyone have a great Saturday and revel in the warmth of the season. Beware of the traffic crazies too.

"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life."
-Allen

It's Early n I'm Late

The high today will be in the 40s. Traffic is bad. Is there, like, a group of appointed people that can only terrorize the highways and byways between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Evening hours and weekends it's understood that folks off work are hustling around to finish Christmas shoppping. But through the week?

For all potential lab rats WikiHow has a superduper article on how to convert an ATX power supply into a bench power supply. Very detailed with pictures. Be sure and read the tips. Interesting that they listed How to Rip DVDs in the Related WikiHows section. Go figure...

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
-Dr. Seuss

Turning Pages

Looks like Kongitis is spreading rapidly from theater to theater. Here's a neat article about different pieces of trivia that are found in the movie ->USAToday. It's super that Mr. Jackson cares enough to embrace the original film. Think this film will overtake Titanic? I hope so.

At least the movie monkeys that schedule cinema events in Tupelo placed this feature at the Malco 10. Still unbelievable that they put the Narnia film at the rinkydink mall theater. Oh well, a drive of 50 miles to Corinth to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is not a bad trip. Those folks have it in their new stadium seating Malco. You go Corinth!

There are 7 books in the Narnia Chronicles. Yes, the others will probably be made into movies. C.S. Lewis also wrote a strange, eerie science-fiction trilogy that has philosophical and religious content. THAT is what I want to see. Folks, please remember that this man was a great friend of John Tolkien. They taught at Oxford together, drank in pubs together and belonged to literary club called the Inklings.

It is with great pleasure that I see some of my heroes treated justly at the movie houses. C.S. and J.R.R. were contemporaries during the middle of the twentieth century and their books were always around the house when I grew up. C.S. Lewis was a great Protestant Theologian while Tolkien was a devout Catholic. What a wonderful friendship! I think they'd both be proud of the attention their works are receiving today.

The scifi trilogy by Lewis? Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with all the finest men of past centuries."
-Descartes

Kong of My Heart

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain hasn't let up. Constant slow drizzle that turns everything outside gray. But, it should be through tonight and sunny tomorrow. Internet connectivity has been spotty for the past few hours so this may take some time to compose.

"Moviegoers will go ape over Peter Jackson's action-fantasy thriller that delivers royally to all ages," says Louis Hobson in the London Free Press. All the reviews seem positive and it is good to see Mr. Jackson follow his phenomenal success with all three of the Lord of the Rings releases by crafting what looks like another box office smash hit. Saw Jack Black on Letterman the other night and he was entertaining. He is glad to be a part of this re-re-release.

Both the original and the 1970s version have been viewed in the past two weeks at the beach house. The first one is still fun to watch. Nevermind the stilted acting, black and white film process, the trite dialogue, and the dawn of special effects; this is a masterpiece made for the child in all of us. The second version with Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange? Well, at least they found Jessica Lange.

Time to quit monkeying around and get busy. Everyone have a safe, dry day and eat a banana...

"Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theater."
-Polanski

Stopup Popups

Yes Speedo Bob, I've noticed an increase in popups while using Firefox. This just proves that Satan exists and that people worship him, become demons, work for collection agencies or Osama or the phone company, write popups or use popups to annoy all of us. Open Internet Explorer and the yellow bar at the top gets busy. There are several extensions used to combat this garbage in Firefox.

First, update Firefox. You should be using version 1.5 or above. Then try to install some extensions to aid you in your right to maintain privacy. For instance, you might try Flashblock. Should you? Click on the link and read about it. There's also Adblock. The explanation is in the name. For the more aggressive web surfers you might like Nuke Anthing, Enhanced.

Have a neat utility, extension, program? Please let me know. Click on the Comments or email me! Oh yeh, one more thing. Speedo Bob, please don't send pictures!

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
-Einstein

Bumper Cars on Steroids

With the rush of traffic, the constant hammering of TV commercials, the current tone of email, and the lights that appear magically in everyone's yard there is no doubt it's the Christmas season. Two friends and I actually spent a few hours shopping over the weekend. Being on new meds made me a nondriver for a day so I happily rode and was fascinated and horrified by possibly the worst drivers in the country.

Defensive driving is something unknown in this area. People switch lanes, barrel through traffic lights, swerve in front of you forcing a screeching halt, so on and so forth. It looks like the Indy 500 in some areas and then you always have the creepy crawlers that move just enough to keep from being ticketed for illegal parking in the middle of the street.

Only place that even compares to this subquality driving is Memphis, but hopefully I'll never go there again. Drive safely out there today; the life you save may be my own.

"The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it."
-Dudley Moore

Online

Okay, I've a new addiction to replace some of the old ones that have fallen by the wayside, thank God. It's called Guild Wars. This is an online role playing game that is off the scale. Right now I am a Necromancer/Ranger name Maskull Tor and I tamed a huge cat that goes around with me and kicks ass when I have to do battle. We are in a place called the Catacombs with some dude name Paulus that keeps leading me through some green muck that slowly saps the life outta you and I keep vaporizing. I don't like this Paulus dude much. Hmmmm, wonder if I can sic the big cat on him? Anyway this is downright awesome and several local people that have much more experience than me should eventually show up. What great fun!

Gotta hit the trail and do business a for a while. Tupelo is cold today. Stay warm folks!

"Doing research on the Web is like using a library assembled piecemeal by pack rats and vandalized nightly."
-Roger Ebert

One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingy

I've received several VERY negative emails about my Peter Finch post on Wednesday. Let me restate that this is a blog and will from time to time contain personal opinions. It is not my intent to agree with everyone. Being smothered in "political correctness" is about to wear my NONliberal butt out. If you like unintelligible communication while trying to obtain service have at it. I don't like it. And won 't like it.

Are you thinking about doing away with the home phone and just using your cell phone? The Washington Post published an article last Saturday that may help you with that decision. This bit of info was discovered at TechDirt which is becoming a good source of news here at the beach house. Anyway, Bellsouth is simply a horrible company. They are bullies and take bending the truth to a new level.

It's Friday. Only two more days to work this week. Everyone enjoy the weekend and embrace your loved ones. Tidings of comfort and joy!

"So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key."
-The Eagles, Already Gone

Fear and Loathing in Saltillo

K, the doctor's visit was casual. My fat ass needs to lose weight and test results need to be scrutinized. Meds were adjusted. The clinic people were nice. My dread was unfounded. Gosh, so nice to deal with Mississippi people.

It's late and must start search for tech help stuff to post here instead of junk. Later, and thanks to everyone for the support.

"The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology."
-Red Auerbach

My Best Peter Finch Imitation

Monday Intel announced plans to invest 1 billion dollars in India and now Microsoft plans on investing 1.7 billion. Wonder if these two giants realize the people of the United States, their main customers, are watching? And if so, do they care? You can read about this at BBCNews. Why don't they just load up and move over there and we can start using Linux, FreeBSD and hell (this WILL get flack), how about Apple? PowerPC chips can make a comeback!! The world has truly gone mad.

With the massive negative response that surrounds having to talk to someone from there and God knows where else for support, you'd think that companies would try to improve the situation. But no. Support for most manufacturers just slides downhill as we sit by and let it happen. These so called tech help types have defective babel fish stuck in their ears and just irritate you until the phone is finally hung up in disgust.

If I can't understand someone or it's apparent they do not comprehend the subject at hand then I ask for someone that has the ability to speak English or hang up and stop buying their product. I am through with Netgear because of this very reason. The singsong barely understandable pidgin garbage used to smooze you seems to be a verbose way of slapping one in the face and laughing while they do it.

Dissenters please go away. This is a valid protest to overt mistreatment as a consumer. They might as well be speaking Martian. It matters not to me where someone hails from or background just as long as they are not plotting to bomb something or terrorize in general. For God's sake, please learn the language and respect your fellow man with a conscious effort to do a good job if you are going to work in this country (even by phone). This is not too much to ask.

The soap box is put away now. It is probably a given that someone is sending those people in white coats since I actually made a positive statement about Darth Jobs and the Apple bunch. Almost time to go look at the underside of the El Camino - the sun will be up in a few minutes. Hope the parts I buy don't have instructions written in Hindi.

Peter Finch won an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the crazed television anchor man Howard Beale in the 1976 film Network. He died from a stroke during a promotional tour for the film. He did win the Oscar; the first time the Best Actor award was made posthumously and he was the first Australian actor to win the award. The famouse quote? 'I'm mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore!!!!!'
-Wobblynife (with the help of Wikipedia)

Take a Break and Have a Cup of Coffee!

It is great to welcome back Odyssey Coffee's banner on this site. They experienced the wrath of hurricane Katrina and are now back in business. Coffee beans are roasting and they are taking orders. Great to see a worthy business survive. Folks, check 'em out and try some of their varieties, blends and flavors. Best wishes.

The jack gave way and the El Camino almost fell on me a few minutes ago. Got out with just a cut finger where the hood caught it as I pulled my lardbutt out from under the chasis. That's some scary stuff! Was trying to get the jack stands under it, so wasn't up under it thank God. This is an adventure I'll be glad to end. Mechanic I'm not!

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."
-Churchill

He Looked Up and Said, "Go Away You Dirty Old Snake!"

Ever heard the phrase 'that boy is snakebit'? Well, it is either an Anaconda or a Python that has been seen prowling around the beach house. The lead sled is still ailing from transmission problems. Three jobs scheduled to end by midweek have been rescheduled. My dread of the doctor's appointment Thursday has increased tenfold. It's hard to get parts to work on a vehicle if you don't HAVE a vehicle to retrieve said parts.

My desire to have a calm, peaceful Christmas is quickly going out the window. This yearning must border on some weird type of heresy. Even though prayer has not helped so far, it's still my greatest option for relief. And yes, all this whining is beginning to irritate even me. Normally optimism abounds around here, but after all I am a man. Now please excuse me while I crawl back under the El Camino and wallow in a pool of transmission fluid and tears.

"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."
-Lucille Ball

Monday and wimpy boy

Thanks goes out to all the great people that call and let me know that they have a problem with their network, computer, router, etc. Using the 'I just didn't want to bother you' excuse is not a very good one. With a wave of bad weather over the weekend several people have called and so far we've successfully recovered from all problems by either phone conversations, email or remoting in to the systems. Hats off to those with their thinking caps on top of their noggins!

An appointment is scheduled with a clinic that I visited many times as a private patient. It's this Thursday. Great results were produced by seeing someone that is no longer on the staff. My luck. After a call to reschedule an appointment they found out that I'd be coming under the auspices of the Veterans Administration. The reschedule was refused and I ran out of meds in October. So now I have to go over there expecting the worse and dread has started taking its toll.

There was a 10% disability when I left Uncle Sam and the wonderful world of Nam behind. At the time it was felt the disability was not needed so it was refused. After many years, nightmares and daily panic attacks now I face a hostile group when dealing with things VA. Maybe refusing that disability was not so noble, but damned stupid. After my experiences with Dr. Sonuvabitch Beavers in Memphis it seems that they are trying to kill me instead of giving aid. Please remember, just because you are paranoid doesn't mean that there's not someone out to get you! LOL

Why all the harping? No meds for two months and a fear of more unnecessary abuse do not make for the best circumstances. Is it too much to ask for people to be polite and help me get my blood pressure under control? We will see, we will see...

"And I will use regimens for the benefit of the ill in accordance with my ability and my judgment, but from [what is] to their harm or injustice I will keep [them]."
-taken from the Hippocratic Oath

Tupelo Forums and Sunday Activities

Just visiting over at TupeloForums viewing some frightening yet funny online ads TFAdmin has found and noticed that this site is now hosting blogs and has a custom browser toolbar available for download free of charge. They've been busy. Nice online community that has many topics and lotsa' users. There ARE some characters in the mix. Fun site.

Building a SCSI server for a client, reloading a corrupted laptop (it has the Windows ME fungus) and trying to configure a wireless router to work as an access point. It's going to be a long afternoon and evening. And hey, if I die today I guess the embarrassment of the awful, messy, trashed out, unkept garage and house won't matter, will it? Ahhhhh, my efforts to stay around until tomorrow are fortified. I need cheesecake...

"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?"
-Wobblynife

Top 100

PCWorld has listed its choices for the 100 best products of 2005. Firefox took top honors with GMail running a close second. Interesting list. Microsoft almost didn't make the top 50. The resource hog Windows Media Player 10 squeaked in at #47. Don't start up all you Gates Nazis. I use Windows Media Player when in Windows. But Amarok in Linux blows it away!!

Who creates all these lists? Google search for top 100, 2005 and look at the results. Got to coffee up, load up, get off my dead ass up and go to work. Everyone enjoy Saturday and try not to get stuck in traffic. It's a bitch out there.

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."
-Mark Twain (or shop with 'em)

Say Cheese

Recently, a friend of mine purchased a camera online. She hasn't received it yet. I feel sure it will be okay, but noticed an article about a camera purchase at Slashdot while browsing my news sources this morning. The article is located at Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection. Be sure and read the comments at the bottom. Great information and thanks goes out to Thomas Hawk for not being bullied and sharing this bad experience with us. Scammers will reside in the deepest level of hell.

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
-C.S. Lewis

BTE rocks!

Please crank up your Internet Explorer. Yep, the day after Firefox 1.5 comes out I am asking everyone to open Internet Explorer. You know the big blue "E" thangy. Now that you are using Microsoft's browser please click on this link:

Better Than Ezra

My wonderful, pretty, neat, wayyyyy kewl, geeky daughter and a friend put this together. Hey, it's a nice piece of work!!! She also plays a mean cowbell!

"If I ever die of a heart attack, I hope it will be from playing my stereo too loud."
-Wobblynife

You Gotta Love It

Firefox was one year old on November 9, 2005. They recently celebrated their 100 millionth download. This is awesome. The whole concept of Mozilla.org is fantastic. Opensource technology with customer input and they actually listen? Wow! If you are clicking the big blue "E" and tired of popups, spyware infestation, etc., here's a super alternative with super support.

Don't like Outlook or Outlook Express or want to try a great alternative email client? Try Mozilla's Thunderbird. As they say, "reclaim your inbox." Simple to download, simple to install and very user friendly. Great tutorials on the website. This is a really good looking email client and it will interface with GMail (best damned email service on the planet!). Spam no more!

One last note: Don't get too zealous and delete Internet Explorer! This is a big NO NO. BTW, the newest, greatest, shiniest, spiffiest, fantabulous version (1.5) of Firefox will be out this afternoon. Just click on the button below.

"There is no strong performance without a little fanaticism in the performer."
-Emerson

Duh!

If you don't want spyware, adware, thiefware, malware, garbageware, or whateverware you choose to call it, don't use Yahoo. They freely admit that they use Claria and 180. The messenger program can be installed without the rest of their junk. You can also go into Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel and remove everything Yahoo, leaving JUST the messenger thangy. Google search the words spyware and Yahoo together then read a few million articles like this one at AdwareReport.

If you are an AOL user, may the Good Lord help you. After removing several AOHell things from a computer yesterday the memory usage dropped over 200megs on start up!!!! This is absurd. Can someone tell me what AOL Hosting is about? Wait...nevermind - I really don't want to know. Please remember, if you exceed the amount of memory in your computer the hard drive is called on to step in and help. That means constant spinning of the platters. Friction and heat are NOT our friends when it comes to the internal workings of yo' hard drive.

There , I am through banging my head against the wall.

"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."
-Frank Zappa

Under the Tree and Dreaming

Last week ArsTechnica posted an in depth article about Christmas gifts for geeks. There are links, pictures, staff choices, and the prices range from a few dollars into the thousands. Of course the AIBO was listed and a remote control INDOOR model airplane. Boy howdy, there's two gifts on my list for Santa. BTW, if anyone sees that dude in the red suit with the big white beard, please tell him I am still lookin' fer 'em. Check it out -> ArsTechnica 2005 holiday shopping guide.

Ahhhh, the smell of commercial Christmas is in the air. Why can we not do away with all this gift giving and learn to celebrate the Spirit of the season? We could enjoy fellowship and harmony instead of over-extending budgets to please everyone with the appropriate gift. Sorry, scroogeitis has hit early this year. If shopping was a pleasant experience things might be better. When did all these rude people invade our gentle, polite South?

Everyone knows I am mad at Sony about the rootkit/spyware thangy. Still, one of those Aibo robot dogs will be accepted at the Beach House - if you have two large ($2000.00) to burn, LOL. Enjoy Sunday.

"...people in every direction... no words exchanged, no time to exchange them, and all the little ants are marching..."
-Dave Mathews

There's More Turkeys Around this Weekend

"It's being called the worst computer worm of the year -- a fast-spreading Internet threat that looks like an official e-mail from the CIA or FBI but can leave your computer wide open to intruders."

You can read the rest of the article at the Washington Post. If you own a computer you need to pay attention to what is said in this informative post. The Sober X virus is another slap in our faces by the ne'er do wells that write this garbage. If you are infected your personal information will be gleaned. Don't treat this lightly.

Everyone have a casual weekend and put some gravy on that turkey; it's most likely drying out by now.

"One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives."
-Mark Twain

Emailers beware

Have you seen this?

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Web sites.

Important: Please answer our questions! The list of questions are attached.

Yours faithfully,
Steven Allison
Federal Bureau of Investigation-FBI-
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW , Room 3220
Washington , DC 20535
Phone: (202) 324-30000

Do yourself a favor and DON'T open it. This is one of the guises used by the latest rendition of the Sober virus. You can read about this at IT Vibe. When they find the person that wrote the virus I hope he's gut shot and left to die, slowly. What a ridiculous, demonic, useless way to spend time.

"I think the enemy is here before us.... I think the enemy is simple selfishness and compulsive greed.... I think he stole our earth from us, destroyed our wealth, and ravaged and despoiled our land."
-Thomas Wolfe, You Can't Go Home Again

Fat Croc Chardonnay Compliments Turkey

Thanksgiving was held at the Beach House last night. Determination overrode scheduling conflicts and the food was prepared on time, very tasty and everyone left in good spirits. Nice to have both my daughters together for the first time in a year. I think my Mother had more fun than anyone. It's what celebrating is all about. Amid the laughter, constant conversation, food preparation I stopped several times and thanked God for my family and a wonderful gathering. Yep, all the hard work is worth it. No doubt.

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."
-Howard

Shopaholic? NOT!!

Okay, late yesterday was spent prowling the mall area shopping. I'd hire this done if possible. In a local store noted for kitchen, bath and bedroom stuff I was literally blocked. There they stood with their big lard butts blocking the way talking with a suspicious accent...well, okay, maybe they were just yankees. I politely asked if I could pass and thought that I had lapsed into hell or at least a game of Dungeons and Dragons gone bad. Cringing I retreated and hid behind Mother who is visiting for a few days.

Immediately my rant started about leaving and I was told to stop whining. I stopped whining. The rest of this trip was spent avoiding these evil strange speaking women. After they prowled the front counter for several weeks they finally left. While checking out the young lady asked if I was okay and handed me a tissue. Through the sobs, I told her she wouldn't understand. She sighed and said something about 'what a sad man' while watching me stumble to the door.

Shopping sucks. I don't like it. Thank you Lord for the internet, my soft chair and good coffee maker. I will try to never go mall hopping again. Now it's time to see if I can find a cave.


"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."
-Yogi Berra

When Black Friday Comes...

Shoppers, start your engines. After an early morning visit to Wal-Mart yesterday my need for Xanax has increased tenfold. Where do they get those evil children and why the hell are they NOT in school? Anyway, check out BlackFridayDeals.net. The page you really want is The Deals. Hope everyone enjoys the traffic. Thanks Red Dragon for a great link!

"Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude."
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

There is No Snooze Button on a Possum

Yesterday was spent working on PCs. All day. By the time Saturday night rolled around I was in bed and looking forward to some much needed sleep. The knowledge that many things have to be accomplished today made for early retirement. Sure enough I went out like a light while watching the Saturday night PBS British sitcoms. Sometime around the witching hour I was slowly awakened due to a strange sound; bump, bump, blam, bump. Then the mind flash hit me - why would anyone steal the lead sled? It sits right outside the window! After arming myself I peeked through the blinds and just outside the window was Arnold, opossumus germanicus austriabodicus, pulling at a sack of garbage against the fence.

Okay, possums will eat most anything. They are scavengers and not very clean animals. But what Arnold was doing with this sack of refuse is beyond me. It was from cleaning out the garage and nothing even close to edible was around. I mean, it's understandable when he tried to turn over the green dumpster thangy, but why mess with a bunch of old car parts, dryer lint, out of date manuals, et cetera? Believe it or not the rake had been in use a few days ago and was propped against the house. It took 5 minutes of rake prodding to run him off. As he waddled towards the oak tree I think he stopped , pointed at the 'Mom' tattoo on his arm, flipped me the bird and hissed while pointing at the El Camino.

Today I will take off the garbage before starting work. Then I'll buy one of those Club security bars for the Camino. Whew! Think it may be time to talk to herr doktor about that Ambien stuff they advertise on TV?

"The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Growth of the Holiday Season

The Christmas shopping season starts earlier every year. It seems to be backing up one week per annum. Soon, Thanksgiving will be gone and just another part of the commercial Christmas season. Traffic is horrible. Actually started out in it and turned around. Wrecks everywhere. Besides, I was headed to Walmart. The evil children that live there are waiting in stealth mode. Best keep my butt at home.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
-Charles Dickens

Singing a Different Song

An Oklahoma City reader wants to know, "What can be done to stop companies from invading our privacy when we purchase CDs?" The answer is simple - stop buying them; especially anything with Sony BMG on it. Become a fan of artists that promote downloading from their sites.

Watched Brad Paisley on TV a few nights ago and this dude is awesome. He can PLAY a guitar. I like his song, "I'm Gonna' Miss Her." Anyway, when he finished his tune it was announced his latest CD could be purchased at a local retail outlet or DOWNLOADED from his web site -> BradPaisley.com. Think I should send ole Brad a copy of She Won't Yahoo Anymore?
See SouthernPhried, October 7, 2005, for a copy of the lyrics. You'll find this post listed under Archives.

Since the music costs less on the website it is a better bargain. Plus you don't have to leave the comfort of your home. Also, Brad will make a larger percent of the profit. And the damned RIAA can go straight back to hell. The MAJOR problem with the music industry is that the RIAA mafiosos exist. They are leeches. Their graft is on most CDs that are pressed. So stop buying them. Download from your favorite artists' websites.

Folks, no rocket science here. Use the old noggin. This is not piracy. It's a legal purchase that cuts out a completely unnecessary middle-man that is there only to rape the artist and the customer. Want to know more? Visit EFF.org.

"He who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once."
-Robert Browning

More on the Sony Theater of the Absurd

Sony BMG’s boneheaded misuse of hacker technology has potentially compromised the security of millions of PCs, inspired a bunch of computer viruses, provoked class-action lawsuits, caused a firestorm of protest in online forums, and even attracted veiled criticism from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Read the rest of the article at Home Theater Magazine online.

This fiasco has spawned another site for those that are really pissed off. The site is The Sony Boycott Blog. The description reads - All about egregiously anti-customer behavior by everyone’s favorite BigCo. This is an informative, clean, interesting blog that helps conscientious consumers stay abreast of this ridiculous slap in the face.

Yes, I have recommended and installed many pieces of Sony equipment. They build very solid products. Should you continue to use them? By all means. Alternatives should be considered when making future purchases. My feeling is one of disappointment moreso than anger. I want them to come out and apologize for their misdeed. It's an affront to every consumer for Sony to act almost mad because they were caught. Yes, I did sign the Boycott Sony Petition. It's your decision.

"A stiff apology is a second insult.... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt."
-G.K. Chesterton

Sad Sony

With all the hoopla and concern about Sony intentionally gleaning information from our personal PCs without permission, it might be a good idea if you have purchased a Sony CD to remove this garbageware. Afterall, would you like it if a burglar ransacked your personal belongings and information? It's the same thing. WikiHow has a super post concerning this -> How to Protect Yourself from Sony DRM Rootkit Malware. It's so sad to see a company that builds quality electronics let greed do its thing. They haven't come close to an apology and act like what they have done is nothing. Sounds sorta' criminal, huh?

"Obviously crime pays, or there'd be no crime."
-G. Gordon Liddy

Make Mine Chocolate Chip

Yes, Cybersouth - from the Saltillo Beach House, does use a cookie. It originates from an analysis program and you can read all about at Google Analytics. No personal information is being taken from your computer. This is a Google property and is being tested here. Most sites you visit use cookies so please don't phreak out.

It's always good to eat a great lunch on Monday. The burger is calling me....


"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence."
-Erma Bombeck

Does Anyone Have PSGuard's Physical Address?

Have you had enough of spyware and it's malicious rape of your PC? Want to do something about it? Well the FTC has an online form that can be used to report this garbage. Go to the FTC and use their Complaint Form.

Still looking for a physical address of the parent company of PSGuard which is Global Shudder Ltd. Help! Wouldn't you like to open the front door and toss a rabid mongoose into this pit of snakes?

Two sites that are finding favor here at the Beach House are SysInternals Freeware and CleanUp. SysInternals has many different programs for download and CleanUp is a disk cleaner that has tremendous power. Nice sites that are easily navigated. Take a look.

Be careful. Many utilities are NOT for the casual user and can damage your PC if not used properly. Always consider contributing a donation if you find something useful.

The links section of this page are under construction and more about PSGuard (and other malware) will be added. Several posts have been made in the past few months concerning the removal of this trash. Please check the archives.

"Perseverance... keeps honor bright: to have done, is to hang quite out of fashion, like a rusty nail in monumental mockery."
-William Shakespeare

A fun thangy

After taking this 35 question quiz it amazed me that I found it to be somewhat accurate. Hey, its fun and afterall, it is Saturday. Click on the line What's Your Political Philosophy? at the very bottom. Comment and let everyone know your results (if you dare, lol). Thanks Beagle for a very kewl link

You scored as Socially Conservative Republican. Social conservatives share a belief in traditional morality and social mores and the desire to preserve these in present day society, often through civil law or regulation. The government should use its influence in the public square to support traditional family values. Socially Conservative Republican 90% Foreign Policy Hawk 80% Pro Business Republican 75% Old School Democrat 70% New Democrat 55% Libertarian 45% Green 40% What's Your Political Philosophy? created with QuizFarm.com

"The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life."
-Muhammad Ali

Further Adventures in PSGuard Removal

The Beach House is constantly watching for new ways to rid our PCs of the horrible PSGuard. Has anybody found the address of their physical location yet? I'd sure love to publish it. Here's another page concerning PSGuard removal. It's basic and to the point, which is desirable around here. Wilders Security also has good info on killing this horrible trashware. If you scroll down a bit there's even a screenshot of what the desktop looks like after they invade your privacy. Thanks to Barbwire for finding this great site.

If you know of anything that will help with this problem, please comment or email. Spammers and script-kiddys writing trojans and virus infections are bad enough, but there's just something real evil about the spyware slimeballs.

"We must protect our citizens' privacy -- the bulwark of personal liberty, the safeguard of individual creativity."
-Bill Clinton (certainly he had his pants on when he said this...)

Off with 'em I say!

Last time I looked around my computers have been purchased, are not subject to any lien and legally my possessions. Therefore, I do not want anyone putting ANYTHING on my computer or gleaning any information from it without my express permission. If you come in my house to do violence or steal there is a very good chance you will suffer grave damage. I have security measures and am ready to defend the Beach House. Hopefully, everyone reading this shares the same attitude about their abode or place of work.

I feel the same way about spyware, adware, etc. Permission has not been given nor will it ever exist. My desire is that they all go out of business. These jerks are the thugs of the internet world and need to be stopped. Please read Spyware spat makes small print a big issue. This is beyond absurd. Round up all the spyware, adware, malware, creepware punks and send them to the guillotine. They destroy PCs everyday and are laughing about it. A good starting place? PSGuard home office.

"Better a thousand times careful than once dead."
-Proverb

You Can Thank Sony for the Latest Trojan

Own a computer? Please read this -> First Trojan using Sony DRM spotted. Don't you think we should all stop what we are doing and email Sony about this garbage? My DVD player needs upgrading and my first choice was another Sony. Not now. Onkyo will get my money. It seems that Sony thinks this is all a joke and that the great unwashed masses will just let it slide. Hope not.

"Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom."
~Thomas Jefferson

Books Will Make a Comeback

Yes, tomes and volumes will once again become popular amongst all but the elite if COMCAST and DirecTV have their way. Prime Time TV as pay per view? Nothing, and I mean nothing can be good about this garbage. COMCAST is a company that is run by baboons and bananas bounce off their boardroom wall whenever the directors gather. Really expected better of DirecTV. Persecuting fans directly (get the jibe there?) has not been their style. COMCAST, as we all know, ruined the best damned Tech TV show (and channel) ever, The Screensavers replacing it with some silly Attack o de Odor Show. C'mon Sarah and Kevin Rose, y'all can do better!! Anyway read about this latest attempt to stealth money out of your wallet and purse over at MercuryNews.

Going to sit on your dead butt and let these jerks take all reasonably priced TV viewing pleasure away? Or will you protest to your Congresspersons and tell them to stop all this corporate madness and rape? Before getting off the soapbox let me say a very sincere thank you to VistaIIIMedia for being decent folks and not at all COMCAST-like!

"Literature is news that stays news."
-Ezra Pound

Movies?

Yes, I was in the theater for every Star Wars film and was there the first day of the local premiers with the exception of Episode 5 The Empire Strikes Back. Two days late on that one. I've seen all of them more than once in the theater with the exception of the last one that came out this year, Revenge of the Sith. Saw it only the first night it played. Awesome. Every viewing has been enjoyable, especially the first one back in '77. Several people stealthed out of work and most of us sat through the second showing. You could do that back then and the ushers got a kick out of it. How did I hear about it? Gene Shallit on the Today show raved about it. Then several people talked at work about Shallit's review and our slackness towards work is now history. No regrets.

The past few years have made for enjoyable movie going due to the fact that several have been attended with my daughters and their husbands. Our newish, clean, spacious Malco 10 has ample parking, and is in a great location. My need for Xanax before entering the theater has disappeared. My favorite place to view movies is still the Beach House, but an occasional outing is fun too. Fanatical? Yes. In the truest sense of the word. After all, there are posters from Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, pictures of Bogart, W.C. Fields, the Stooges, even a Stooges Clock adorning the walls. There's even a light switch plate that features Marilyn Monroe. And that's just in the bathroom.

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open."
-John Barrymore

Long Time Ago in a Tishomingo Far Away...

It tires me to hear all the George Lucas wannabes trash his efforts, especially when most of them were first in line to see each episode of Star Wars. Thank you Mr. Lucas for giving us hours of fun, zoomy, mind boggling space adventure that will be watched again and again. Your efforts to tie everything together led to tremendous results. Magnificent. The Academy should acknowledge your genius. Now quit 'funning' us and tell us who will direct the next three episodes (7-9) that were on the ORIGINAL story boards!

The Beach House opted for the 3 CD version at Wally World and just had an absolute blast watching Anakin turn into Darth Vader. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that the climax of the movie was when Obi kicked his evil ass in the light saber battle. Wow! Reminded me of the excitement experienced when watching Flash Gordon battle Ming the Merciless between the two features every Saturday morning at the Tishomingo Theater. Then the dinosaur ride home to Paden was always fun.

May the force be with you.

"Great art picks up where nature ends."
-Marc Chagall

Definitions

Presently, the Urban Dictionary lists 13 definitions of the word 'spyware.' These may promote understanding as to why this garbage is so evil. When a company can secretly hide a program on your computer that tracks EVERY keystroke, don't you think it's time to take action and stop these creeps?

"We're all in this together."
-Red Green

The One and Only?

I've always liked the Sony Corporation. That may be changing. Down through the years their products have been reliable and better than average quality. Now they have decided to embrace the music mafia and further persecute fans of music. You can read Mark Ward's informative article over at BBCNews and learn about their invasive tactics.

Piracy is not being endorsed by any means. For Sony to use such deviant viruslike programs as XCP is suicide. Fans will finally get tired of all the corporate barnyard material and the demise of the RIAA and companies that endorse their strong arm tactics will happen. Wait and see. Musicians will make their libraries and new material available for direct download at a reduced price thus eliminating the need of corporate voodoo.

In the meantime, I am not so mad at Sony that an AIBO would be refused as a gift, LOL. There is hope they will come to their senses and get their heads outta that place where the moon doesn't shine.

"Are we not formed, as notes of music are,
For one another, though dissimilar?"
-Percy Bysshe Shelley

Light Saber Needed

There is no longer an ugly, sticky Hawthorne bush in the front yard. It went to the curb. Of course the chain saw had to be rebuilt before this was accomplished. It was a struggle that took wayyyy too long. My window view is better.

Have you considered where to buy a copy of Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith? Check out a list of various places selling the DVD, etc., here. Will have to make a trip to Walmart late tonight and make a purchase. Maybe the evil children that live there will be in bed and not harassing people.

It's late and time to sleep. Stay casual.

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."
-Phyllis Diller