Colonel Reb

For fellow GuildWars players; here is a picture of the new incarnation of "Colonel Reb." As is obvious the black armor is now history. This is Monument dyed white. Shucks, may dye it black after money is replenished. This was over a 100K purchase. Worth it? Probably not. Hey, it's just a game and the money is virtual.

See ya in Tyria, Cantha, or Elona!

"Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it."
~Soren Kierkegaard

Oh Miss Scarlett!

Being ill makes me do strange things like watch movies, read books, sleep, wear comfortable clothes, eat healthy food, and rest in general. Well, this morning I caught a movie on IFC that was outstanding. A Love Song for Bobby Long is different. The majority of the movie is set in New Orleans and the actors have embraced decent southern accents, attitudes and actions. This is not for children. Adult themes and language should keep the kids away. It is moving and the actors are very good. Scarlett Johannson is so pretty and really nails her part. John Travolta is a surprise and does a tremendous job. I've known these people. As a matter of fact some of them are still around. Yankees probably won't like this film. IMDB has all the info and rating is 7.2 out of 10. I think it's better than that.

Time to gear up for a methodical, non hurried day. Sometimes it's good to remember that life, at its best, is casual.

"Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures."
~Jessamyn West

Short One

Thinking illness had subsided I got outta bed early yesterday and stayed up late last night. Now the fever is back along with some other problems that don't need detail. So, another day of rest and I'll ease into tomorrow. Being sick is just what I didn't want this time of year when everyone is decking the halls with fal de la, etc. No use whining about paying the stupid tax. Going to bed. Nighters.

"There's a flu bug getting passed around, and it's spreading like fire through the town. There's a virus holding up inside us. Everyone that I know is coming down."
~Squirrel Nut Zippers

McRib, McRib, Wherefore Art Thou?

What a wonderful feeling to wake up in the middle of the night and realize the nose is not giving problems. Or to see that the thermometer is hovering around normal. I ate solid food for the first time in 4 days. Lunch at Mickey D's. Nobody likes Thanksgiving more than me and it just passed by without giblet gravy or dressing. Sounds like the Purple Giraffe had a great birthday celebration and we will still get together so that's something on the agenda that's pleasant.

Being sick sucks. I worked for an employer years ago that would go bonkers if someone stayed home with a cold. Well, let me tell you folks this approach is a grave mistake. Think about it. You force them to come to work and they are miserable and infection hovers around them while running a fever. Then EVERYBODY including the selfish boss ends up with the illness. For 3 winters I was sick with a cold ALL winter! We kept the disease alive by passing it around. Employers, make your people running fever stay home. Quit promoting disease!

Oh am I ever a woosie boy when it comes to illness. Warp whine kicks in and my bitch factor goes off the scale. Rest and chicken soup are all that happen around the beach house when illness strikes. A few days home and others don't have to experience the whiney boy drama. The recovery is accelerated and it seems that re-infection is not as likely, unless you see one of the people with which I used to work. If they sneeze or cough running the other way is the best bet. So it feels good to eat solid food.

Yes, I ran right out today and celebrated recovery by having a McRib Meal. Know what? I think my stomach is growling. Later

“A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.”
~ Ogden Nash

Last Night Yellow Was My Favorite Color

Yellow, normally, is not a favored color around the beach house. Has something to do with the purple haze years that involved a monster hangover, a rented van - yellow with blue interior and several stops on the side of the road. Okay, that's another story and not really relevant. Celtic Woman did a special on PBS last night. They are my all time favorites and the issue of their DVDs is a progression of art, love, soul, beauty, talent, so on and so forth, at its very best. Can't wait to get this Christmas special and watch it over and over again. As my buddy Wild Jim Key says, "Watch out! This will blow your skirt up!"

This first tune is a great rendition of a Christmas standard, Let It Snow. The band is awesome, the horns are pumping and the drums are straight on. Harmony abounds and it is nice to see all five participate. Be sure and watch the ending. Mairead (she's the one with the violin) is soooooo cute! And sexy too!

What can I possibly say about this next tune. I think God, in His everlasting wisdom and benevolence, has given us a preview to the grand choir above that awaits all us sinners. This is so moving and stirs me down to the very depths of my heart and soul. This is Christmas celebration at its best! If this doesn't knock your socks off then you have no love of music.

If you haven't come to understand the title of this post this next video will explain. I even like the new haircut Lisa is sporting. Hey, you could snatch her bald-headed and I'd still swoon at her feet. Lordy, she smokes me! This has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs and she now owns it!

Hope you take the time to enjoy these three offerings. Go buy their CDs, and DVDs. They make great Christmas gifts. I'll post a list of times for the local PBS repeat of this special soon. If the tour dates are available they will be posted too. Wow! Seeing them live is a dream. Glad to see Meav back in the group for this special. Wonder if she's touring with them again?

Last year I prayed to God about Christmas this year. Holidays are a tough time for me and everyone pulling and demanding that you rush here and rush there never considering anyone's feelings but their own absolutely ruins the spirit of the season. Stop it! Let these brief positive musical messages guide us all through the holidays. Embrace your brothers and sisters of the human race! One last thing, Merry Christmas everyone!

Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of December, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making.
~Leigh Hunt

Shout out to the Purple Giraffe

The misery of a cold lingers at the beach house. With the help of Benadryl and Alka Seltzer Cold Plus the rest and comfort are bearable. I have to recover quickly. There are many irons in the fire. Can't travel and will miss the Purple Giraffe's Birthday celebration. This saddens me, but the slight fever means that infective germs pollute me and they don't need to spread.

Happy Birthday Miss Purple Giraffe! Enjoy the party and continue smiling for us all!


"The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child."
~Joe Houldsworth

Just an Old "Slacker"

Which Operating System Are You? <----Click here for the quiz. Yes, I've been over at Beagle's site cruising around and it's for sure we're family. She ended up Linux RedHat and my results---->



You have to use a grain of salt with any of these quizzes since I haven't the foggiest of Slackware knowledge and can only wish to know the ins and outs of this great server operating system. The description box is posted because it does declare me testing insane, LOL!

If you are shopping on this Black Friday, please be careful. The life you save may be my own. Yes, I am going to wait a while and venture down to the mall area. The medication hasn't quite kicked in yet. Stay safe and peace out!

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
~Mother Teresa

Eat More Ham!

Happy Thanksgiving. Hope that wishbone turns out ok for ya!

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

We Haven't Learned Klingon - Yet

102% Geek
102%

My advanced age and long term computer usage helped determine such a high score. Did you know that computers existed and functioned before Windows? I remember ARPA and DARPA as well as the pterodactyls overhead and the annoying stegosauri that used to tromp through the agricultural area. Back to the quiz. At least they didn't ask if my eyeglasses were held together with white medical adhesive tape. Beagle finds all these interesting quizzes and I can't resist.

Speaking of Beagle, here is a link to her LiveJournal. This is a well organized site that is easy on the eyes. Don't go there expecting it to be candy coated. She is definitely one of the most compassionate, sweetest people I know, but her ability to be profound even shakes me sometimes. She does not mince words and can use profanity. That's not her normal style though. Lot of animal rights articles and she finds a lot of interesting stuff to post concerning things computerese. Of course this is possibly my favorite site. After all she is one of my two geek/nerd daughters, LOL.

We live in a world of techno babble and hardware driven devices. Sometimes our favorite place to visit with each other is in a game called GuildWars. Our latest points of interest seem to be located on the continent of Cantha. It is so much fun to use Teamspeak talking to her and her sister, Verdana, for hours sometimes while existing in this online world of fantasy and fun.

More about Teamspeak: Our dedicated server is located at the beach house. The speed has gradually increased to being as efficient and clear as a land line phone most of the time. Still working on it and more memory is on the way. Thanks to everyone that helps with this ongoing project. Let me take this opportunity to mention that if you are echoing just 'fix' it. Don't whine or have a temper tantrum, be nice to everyone else and 'fix' it. Use your headset. Remember, if your speakers are on you are aggravating the hell out of ALL other users. Stop it. Please, please take constructive criticism and 'fix' it!

Hmmmmm, maybe the score on the above test is making more sense as I reread what has just been written...

"The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, "Daddy, I need to ask you something," he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan."
~Garrison Keillor

"As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly"

My insomnia had me wide awake last night and I absolutely hurt myself laughing so hard. I always loved WKRP, the TV show. The characters were zany and the writing was really good. It was a forerunner of sitcoms to come and outdistanced anything else from that era. It's so good to see it in reruns so newer generations can enjoy Dr. Johnny Fever, Venus Flytrap, Les Neisman, Jennifer, Herb, Carlson and beautiful Bailey Quarters. Be sure and watch these in order. The second goes some way to explain why the first one happened. Ensemble at it's best!

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."
~Mark Twain

Very, Very Good Movie

Watched a very good movie last night. The title is Big Fish. This one is hard to describe so I stole a comment from IMDB that is linked by the title. It is by Low Man from Lafayette, IN.


What do you say about this movie?

I am at a total loss to describe it. The concept itself, a son tries to come to terms with his dying father that he knows nothing about but an enormous catalog of unbelievable stories, doesn't sound very promising. It sounds like a tired old formula, and I expected such when the rental started playing

It's not.

Werewolves, giants, witches, siamese twins, bank robbers, hidden cities, sirens, etc. are all present in the fantasy, but they seem unremarkably to be part of the life of an otherwise ordinary traveling salesman. Whether they really are or not is never made completely clear, but that's the rub.

I once read a review by Harlan Ellison in which the main point was how a well told lie illuminates the truth in far better clarity than a simple recitation of the facts ever can. At one point in the film, the questing son remarks to his bed-ridden father that he's heard all of his stories thousands of times, and he has know idea who his father really is. The father's reply is, `I've never been anybody but me from the day I was born. If you don't know who I am, that's your failing, not mine.' Later investigations make the point clearer. I'll bet Ellison loved this movie. It is an extraordinary lie.

Did I like the film? You bet. It's Tim Burton's best work without a doubt. Is it for everybody? Probably not. Many will find it confusing and pointless, but good fantasy is like that. All I can say is, relax and let it happen. You won't regret it.

How did I miss this movie? It came out in 2003. Well, just glad I ran across it. Check it out.

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist."
~Schumann

Early Morning Coffee

The gaming machine needs mass configuration of wiring. The power supply is modular so only the needed cables are included inside the case. It's amazing how there is still a rat's nest of wiring everywhere. It's just that I've enjoyed using it and have not reopened it to clear up the mess. I will. Pictures will be made and posted. Meanwhile, here are some of the component parts:


This computer includes a dual core Opteron 180. Yes the heat sink does look like that and it is massive. Since this machine is approaching a year of evolution the 939 socket set has been superceded by the AM2. I don't care. This processor is perfectly happy with its MSI motherboard. It is manually clocked to run factory shipped speeds and that suits me fine. It replaced an earlier Athlon 3500 which did a great job, but was single core. This CPU will run Guild Wars and multitasks just fine. As with most games Guild Wars is a processor pig and the Opteron hums at about half load compared to the previous 3500. Having 3 gigs of memory doesn't hurt either.

What more can I say about the Antec 900 case? It is SWEET! There are six case fans in this build, 5 120mm and 1 200mm. They all have 3 speeds and are presently set on the lowest speed. The cooling is awesome. Does it make a lot of noise? No. It sits on top of the desk and purrs. The 500W power supply (power supplies are optional for this case) is designed to fit this case and sits on the bottom instead of the top. It is more than ample to run the components. There is a DVD/RW loaded in a front bay. I opted not to use a floppy for this build.

The latest addition to this machine is the PNY 8600GT 512mb video card. It comes from the factory overclocked to 576mb. It replaced two XFX 7600GT 256mb cards set to SLI mode. I have had two of them fail in less than a month. XFX has nice support people, but two failures in such a short period of time made me look elsewhere. So far, so good. The PNY card was a great buy and will support DirectX 10. The 7600GT series will support up to DirectX 9. When going for a new PCIe video card stick with the GDDR3 memory instead of DDR2. You won't regret it. Even in non SLI mode this new card blows the previous SLI configuration away. Now to save coinage for the second PNY 8600GT and return to SLI mode. This video card requires no extra power input and has been reported to work comfortably with 300W power supplies.

I've owned this 22" Viewsonic monitor for almost a year. It is still a current model and can be found at local retailers. Read the reviews. This unit is awesome. I run most settings somewhere around half and it is cool, crisp, vivid, easy on the eyes and huge! Lotta' bang for the buck here. Advice for LAN party goers; save the box. It makes for easy transport. This is no doubt the best monitor ever resident at the beach house. Of course it does not compare in size to Red Dragon's 37" screenzilla, but is a nice size for my use and pocketbook. If you are shopping for a new monitor definitely get the LCD flat panel. There are many consumer models available at different prices. Be sure and shop. Your better value may not be at Wally World. Then again it just might reside there. Don't forget office supply retailers. They have great specials during the holiday season.

Two Seagate 160 gig SATA hard drives are installed. They are RAID and striped. Supposedly, this gives more speed and combines the drives total storage space. Some folks agree, some don't. Anyway, this configuration is simple and installs in minutes. It has been in use for some time and I've had no problems. I do back up critical data to the server so a disk failure is an easy recovery. Here is the most important info in this post: BACK UP YOUR DATA! Get external hard drives, use a jump drive, burn it to CD or DVD, use a PC dedicated to backup, mirror your drives, just be sure and do back ups!

Not being a man of wealth and fame, this combination of equipment has been a labor of love and patience. There's a bucket that fills with change on occasion that is cashed in and it has helped move this project along. Advice from many of my cohorts has helped me with decisions and it is pleasing to be so close to completing this machine. Yes, guess there is a bit of bragging today and yes, I know there are wayyyy more powerful machines around. I am just glad to have this particular one. Enjoy Sunday!

"The system of nature, of which man is a part, tends to be self-balancing, self-adjusting, self-cleansing. Not so with technology."
~Schumacher

Bozo Ballmer and Android

You know, this guy is a babbling idiot. When is Microsoft finally gonna make good on forcing his retirement? And to think this clown is a billionaire several times over. Frightening! Be sure and read the comments. This opinion may seems harsh but there are many that agree:

Instead of listening to Bozo's BS, try this informative clip that actually demonstrates some of the power held by Android in the mobile phone arena. Remember, this is opensource, based on Linux and it is FREE! Yes these clips are long, but informative:

"Who covets more, is evermore a slave."
~Robert Herrick

WE Can't Drive 55

As mentioned in the post dated November 14, 2007, Brother Dan (aka DaddyDan) and I visited several stops in Lee, Alcorn and Tishomingo County. The gorgeous blue item to the left is the little plastic car mentioned in the post on the 14th. Made it through the day without a ticket and I actually was begging go faster, GO FASTER at one point during the trip!!! What an automobile!

We enjoyed the day running some errands overdue, checking on several clients, visiting some old friends and catching up on things brothers just have to discuss on occasion. It was nice to stand at the graveside while both of us 'talked' to Dad. We love him very much and miss him very much. The new flowers really look good and my heart is touched. Thank God we had a wonderful Father while he was with us. Thank God our Mother still knows best. Thanks Dan for a great day. I needed it.




"It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."
~Johann Schiller

So It Goes

News is slow this morning. Obama spoke to a crowd at some Google sponsored gathering. Uninteresting. OJ will stand trial again. Wow, who'd a thought it? Android, the Google cell phone effort, is getting support from different arenas. Wow, who'd a thought it? Rudy Giuliani is campaigning for no reason. He's for gun control and therefore not a recognized candidate at the beach house. New York has scrapped plans to enable illegal immigrants the ability to acquire drivers license. Well, duh! Really dumbass idea. China is now the #1 English speaking nation in the world rated on number of people with the ability. India runs a close second. Interesting.

Peace out!

"Wisdom is ofttimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar."
~William Wordsworth

Just Stuff

The new gaming machine is almost complete. Finally installed the new video card and am most pleased with the results so far. It is a PNY GeForce 8600GT with 512megs of GDDR3 and comes overclocked from the factory at 576megs. Very high ratings from users and it will abide DirectX 10. Now to save the pennies and dimes for another to fit in the second slot and use SLI.

I need to work on the internal case wiring. It looks like a rats nest. Give me a few days and I'll post pixs here. This has been a long build, but the results are satisfactory. Nice to have a system come together after months of effort. Matching that Opteron processor to motherboards has been a problem. It's all good now.

Shout out to Brother Dan on his birthday. We will be terrorizing northeast Mississippi on Friday in that new little plastic car he recently purchased. Everyone please accept collect calls from me that day. He can't drive 55.

Enough geekiness. Must venture forth into the fray of the day!

"When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life."
~Antisthenes

Piano Boogie Woogie

Thought about posting an excellent video that has Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis all on stage singing a couple of tunes with several more noted musicians in attendance. One problem. They wanted the password to this site. That won't happen. Besides, popups appeared so I won't even link to it. Sorry, but I'll see if it can be found on youtube.com. It was found and here it is:

Thanks goes out to my friend EdC, the noted Texas philosopher and general all around good guy. Great link Ed! BTW the comments for this video are very good. It's been viewed almost 21,000 times and has a 4 star rating. Awesome.

"You are the music while the music lasts."
~T.S. Eliot

Yesterday

Yesterday was Veterans' Day. Short break at the beach house over the weekend as fellow veterans were contacted and well wished. Talked to Red Dragon at length and we never mentioned it. We both served in Vietnam and it's not something we discuss. He wasn't crazy about it nor was I. We were young, called upon to serve our country, and did just that.

We have memories. Some rear their ugly heads and try to kill us in nightmares, but it has become less a problem with age. Thank you USMC for saving my life while in the line of fire. Twice. Thank you Red Dragon, Myles, Don, Joel, Denny, Salita, and all the rest for being there with me and helping then and now. Thank you Kathy, James and all your staff members for the medical support you provide now. Thank you DAV for existing and letting us know we are not forgotten.

Visit the Veterans' Hospital in Memphis. It is a saddening place. We've been pushed aside and shelved like something worn out and useless that just won't go away. At the same time, the satellite VA clinic I visit locally is full of happy smiling people that try to help. Could it be that Memphis just plain sucks? Part of it anyway...

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."
~Cheney

New Computer in the Near Future?

Considering the purchase of a new PC? Start shopping, but wait a few more weeks until making a purchase. Black Friday will have passed and the holiday sales will be everywhere. This will be a great year to find good value in the computer arena. Remember that onlines services such as Dell and HP usually ship within 3 to 5 business days. Best to order early if it's a Christmas gift. Also, many retailers give one day only specials on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Get there early, EXTREMELY early. Inventory is usually limited on these systems and they sell out quickly.

This question comes up on an almost daily basis now; XP or Vista? Definitely avoid Vista Home Basic. There's just some software it won't run. If you have a device approaching 7 years of age that HAS to be used forget Vista period. If you run proprietary software check with your providers and make sure they have a Vista upgrade available. Running DOS based applications still? Stick with XP.

If buying a new PC, Vista Home Premium (aka Vista Premium) is a good operating system. Yes there are those things mentioned above and Microsoft is diligently shooing the bugs away. The beach house runs Vista Ultimate on one machine and after doing a reinstall it is smooth, fast and pretty. Vista Ultimate may be overkill for someone that is an occasional user. Have only seen Vista Business at a distance and know that sales are slow. More on that later.

In a network situation? Take your time and review procedure when using Vista. It has security features that can be tedious, but they are there for a reason. My experience has proven frustrating at times, but that is expected with an operating system change. Yes, Vista makes nice nice with XP so don't let that concern you. Besides, Windows not only extended support of XP they also extended sales. So Microsoft is trying to make the transition smoother for us all (remember, they want to make money).

If buying retail most likely Home Basic (yuck!! gag, gag!!) will be on the inexpensive machines. You WANT Vista Home Premium at the very least. I know that Dell will still ship a new PC with XP. HP will ship some machines with XP Media Center. Both of these companies make very solid computers. They have great return policies under warranty if you can speak Hindi or one of those other languages used in India or where-ever. Fuss at them about those jobs being moved out of this country if you order from them.

Upgrading the whole system including monitor? Absolutely buy a flat panel LCD monitor. Bigger = better. This technology has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years and makes computing far more enjoyable and your eyes will thank you at the end of the day. My Viewsonic 22" wide format is da bomb! Prices have really dropped on these items and they will make great Christmas gifts.

Pictures will be uploaded here of my latest gaming setup along with stats. I've waited so long the mobo and processor are practically old school, lol. That's what happens when you have to save pennies and dimes over a period of months to make the purchase. Still glad to have it though.

Enjoy the weekend. Ahhhhh, only 2 more days to work this week!!!

"Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don't let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six months."
~Clifford Stoll

Short

Two days behind and find nothing that jumps out at me in the news. Spent some time catching up on work around the beach system and letting the back recover. Going to the doctor again soon and after consulting my local psychic, Hamboni, there is a good chance of another med change. Sure beats hospital!

Everyone have a casual evening and I am off to bed early.

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
~Mark Twain

Android and Picasa? Google Rocks!

Will there be a GPhone? It's very possible. Google has been working to introduce a mobile phone format they acquired several years ago called Android. It is Linux based and was announced yesterday that it should be operational in the very near future. They have partnered with companies such as Intel, T-Mobile, Sprint-Nextel, Motorola, HTC, etc. This platform looks destined to show up on T-Mobile and Sprint phones first. Gosh, this will be fun to watch! PCWorld has a good FAQ article. Hmmmmm, we may be able to acquire internet services on cellphones at an affordable price.

While on the subject of Google let me mention another great free software download offered by these fine folks. Picasa is must have software, especially if you own a digital camera. Don't pay for photo editing software or use the software suite that accompanies your camera until you try this great application. The ease of use and versatility is great. It's a free download and a breeze to install. The tutorials are great and you can start using Picasa in a matter of minutes. I used this program even before Google acquired it and it has really improved in the past few years. There is even a Linux version available at Google Labs. Please remember you download things at your own risk and the ability to follow installation instructions is important. This said: Try it, you'll like it!

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."
~Ansel Adams

Ben Franklin Started It

Is there anyone out there that agrees with me that reverting back to Standard Time is an absolute waste? Leave it on Daylight Saving Time (that's right, there is no 's' at the end of Saving) and let us have more bright hours in the afternoons and evenings which most people enjoy. Agree?

Statistics have proven the spring forward movement saves energy, benefits health, and lowers traffic accidents. Arizona does not make the change and stays on Standard Time throughout the year. Well, goody goody for them. The Navajo Nation present in that state respects the time change. Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands also do not change the clocks from Standard Time.

Let me make this clear: Daylight Saving Time year round - YES and Standard Time go away forever. Since folks other than the Navajo Nation in Arizona choose not to endorse Daylight Saving Time why can't Mississippians choose to practice it year round? Sitting there yesterday and watching it get dark at 4:00pm sucked! Now I want to awaken at 4:00am instead of 5-ish. Yuck!

Just think, you will probably drive home in the dark tonight. Does that suck or what? In the words of that great celluloid philosopher Mr. Yosemite Sam, "Burns my hide, gol durn it!"

"There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time."
~Napoleon

Short Outage

Sorry about the Teamspeak outage this afternoon. We are back up and running. There was a problem with the ISP and after some discussion it was discovered there were many ISP outages in the area. Seems there was a trunk problem down the line. Hey, the satellite guys stayed up and running! LOL! Hughesnet just kept humming through the outage. Pictured to the right is a Hughes telecommunication spacecraft. Their ability to receive and transmit data still fascinates me. Ain't technology a wunnerful thangy? Satellites rock!

Time to sleep. Have a wonderful night's rest and prepare for Monday.

"You cannot endow even the best machine with initiative; the jolliest steam-roller will not plant flowers."
~Walter Lippmann

The Next President...

Yes, the beach house has decided to come forward and announce the decision of where we stand on all the candidates. So far Mr. Barry leads the polls. We would like to further say he is the most competent candidate in the race. So there. Let's go on to other subjects because if Mr. Barry does not win the next 4 years will most likely be a disaster anyway and survival will be the mode of the day instead of writing posts. Truly, I hope I am wrong.

"Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks."
~Doug Larson