Ramblings, opinions, and general meanderings from the Deep South

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Casual Travel and Prayers for Those in Gustav's Path

It was a nice day. Visited with my Mother and made the trip there with Verdana and Mal. Verdana is expecting again and was most cheerful throughout the day. Women are amazing, especially my daughters. It's always great fun to spend time with the Purple Giraffe and Mal. We had a very pleasant drive and feasted on Mother's cooking when we arrived around noon thirty. We returned to the Tupelo, Saltillo area late. It was a great pleasure to return home after a good day spent with family.

The last 1.5 hours have been spent trying to download a great photo from my RAZR V3 cellphone. Still no go, but will try to pair it with a Bluetooth dongle later today. The photo is of Big Daddy and Mal sleeping on the floor. It's now my phone background. She was a real trooper. An ear infection didn't bother her too much. Happy, smiling kids are great. Now if I just teach her and the Purple Giraffe to say "Handsome" Big Daddy. Heh! Heh! Heh! Ha! Ha! Ha! EDIT: The Razr attached with the Bluetooth module. If you look closely you will notice that lardbutt Big Daddy is the only one with his eyes closed, lol!

Prayers out to all our friends on the coast during the Gustav hurricane. Big E, hang in there brother and protect everyone. Said a special prayer for ya!

"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music."
~William Stafford (Thank God this is true)

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Guild Wars Dew Rag? N Where's the Harley?

It's a new look. Is it good?

"Images are possibly road/game/life driven at times?"
~Billy Wobblynife

Friday, August 29, 2008

Pigs in Space!!!!!

The fact that there is malware on the space station is beyond being ridiculous. Maybe they'll hunt down the originator of the virus mentioned at TechNewsWorld and gun him or her down with a laser cannon or rifle or pistol. Still think we need to round up all the adware, thiefware, spyware, malware, garbageware, dungware writers and load them on a rocket ship and shoot it into the Sun. Why does the United States government let companies like Claria, 180Solutions, Fastclick, MyWeb, etc., exist? And the jerks that write virus infections and trojans are the scum of the earth. Are you picking up on how much I abhor this stuff?

Thanks out to Mudslingr (and Beagle) for a great link. Everyone keep those emails coming!!! My sincere apology out to Miss Piggy and Muppets worldwide for the negative slant concerning the title.

“It is extreme evil to depart from the company of the living before you die”
~Seneca

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Join the Band

Sometimes I get completely bowled over by some of the beauty that blesses life. Now I've a feeling not everyone will appreciate this unique offering of music as a whole. But I bet most everyone will find something on this album they like...a lot. It's co-produced by fellow Mississippian Mac McAnally who is a Belmont native. BTW, Belmont is in Tishomingo County. If you've come visiting here at the beach house postings down through the years then you know I absolutely love the musical group Little Feat. Gosh what a legend, what talent. And it's no secret I am one of the first Parrotheads ever to exist on the planet. Parrotheads are not readily describable, but we like casual...a lot. Jimmy Buffett is the driving force behind Parrotheadism. His Shrimpboat studio was the scene of a lot of this music.

At first I thought it might be a tribute album. Not really. They even do songs by other musicians. There are several Little Feat tunes, true, but they are spun by the artist that is contributing. Dave Matthews does a wonderful job with Fat Man in the Bathtub, yet is not busy trying to imitate Lowell George. Lowell passed from this earth many years ago and I consider it a privilege that I saw him play during Little Feat's tour that coincided with the release of their Waiting for Columbus album. No doubt this is one of my all time favorite top 5 albums! I could write a book about that experience. And hey, it was during the Purple Haze years. Still, I was lucid enough to enjoy great God given talent. In fact, this may have been the beginning of the end of my Purple Haze years. Thank the Good Lord.

Taste in music is eclectic at the beach house. Love old rock, the blues is awesome, Celtic Woman blows me slap dab away and sometimes I just gotta have some Mozart. Jimmy Buffett I find to be a legendary songwriter and storyteller. He also has a great voice when it comes to many forms of music, especially ballads. His participation in this Join the Band project makes it even better. I could go on and on about all this, but must end my praise and astonishment. If you like any of the artists included in the above "album flyer" you may want to buy this offering. If you are a Little Feat fan, I definitely recommend this CD. What a wonderful compilation. From one Big Brother Rat to another, Sail On and find your Spanish Moon.

Thanks Beagle for the tip...a lot!

"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence."
~Robert Fripp

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

ROFLMAO

This is just under 2 minutes of excellent advice for men. Women with no sense of humor can skip it.



Hope this helps (ha,ha).

"A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time."
~Anne Taylor Fleming

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

ZBoard Website is Up and Running...for Now

Still no word on whether ZBoard technology will continue or be murdered off in the same fashion as TechTV by COMCAST. I'll update as early as possible if any response from SteelSeries arrives. Aren't you glad Chrysler didn't make such a move with Mercedes? This Danish company may commit marketing suicide if they have decided to buy the competition and kill it off thinking their original product will increase sales with such a move. Sorry, it won't happen. We geeks and nerd types know a good product and embrace it. ZBoard is a great product. Gosh, can you imagine someone doing this to Logitech? There's a scary thought too! In the meantime, it must be kept in mind patience is a virtue. Responding to a customer's email is too.

"The cruelest lies are often told in silence."
~Adlai Stevenson

Monday, August 25, 2008

Joe Speaks

Oh yes, my fellow Americans, the Jabberwocky continues:






So very sad.

“To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education”
~Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Whereabouts of Zboard and the Paranoia That Accompanies

Here is the reason you can no longer find sites concerning ZBoards: BusinessWire. A Danish company called SteelSeries acquired them in late July 2008, and have apparently taken the sites down. They make no reference on their site about the Ideazon/ZBoard products, so they apparently don't care about the million or so customer base developed by the previous owners. If they don't announce some information and driver downloads soon, you can bet your ass that I'll NEVER buy anything made by SteelSeries. This sucks. Another American company taken over by Europeans. Really beginning to get paranoid about this bunch and their goofy Euro. There goes a bunch jobs and revenue out the window again. I now won't drink any Anheuser-Busch products since they are now foreign owned. Shucks, what little beer I did drink was Michelob Lite. All this brings to mind COMCAST taking over TechTV then killing it off thinking people would watch their stupid G4 channel.

Here is a copy of an email sent to SteelSeries today:

At the end of July we were able to download drivers from the original sites for Zboards. I understand your company has acquired Ideazon. Readers on my website are in an uproar. Personally, I have purchased 6 MERC Zboards and 1 Guild Wars Factions special edition. Most were gifts to other gaming family members and friends. We love this product.

So, what's up? Are you killing off the line or will it continue to exist? Several thousand people are awaiting an answer to this question. Can you please not be so vague and get to the truth? This is an area of great concern to many people and trying to find out information is like finding that needle in the haystack.

Please answer with some validity so I can publish you response on my site. Your attention to this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Mike West
cybersouth@gmail.com

I'll try and find the last drivers for the Zboards and post them for download in the next few days.

"The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers."
~John Egan (Boy, Howdy! This is no longer a policy in business.)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Local Internet Outage

Saturday's post was delayed due to MetroCast being down until Sunday afternoon. No doubt they were working on it because it would come back up for brief periods of time. Kept getting the the phone message that they were aware of problems so gave up calling and went to bed. We've had more time spent in outages since their takeover a few months ago than Vista Express had all total in the past 7 years. Instead of continuing to whine here I'll wait until tomorrow to make a real post. Besides, 3.0 DSL is 30 bucks a month and they don't smooze you into buying cable service. TV signal has degraded horribly over the past few months especially the lower channels. Frustrating.

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."
~Joe Walsh

Friday, August 22, 2008

ZBoard? Anbody Out There?

Mudslingr brought it to my attention that ZBoard's site is down. I found their Japanese site intact, but could never get any English speaking site to pull up. Hopefully, this is a server issue and they will be back online soon. These keyboards are great and I wouldn't think they are going under. The local BestBuy cannot keep them in stock. With the advent of many new games their market should be most lucrative. Will keep you posted.

"The mark of highest originality lies in the ability to develop a familiar idea so fruitfully that it would seem no one else would ever have discovered so much to be hidden in it."
~Goethe

Thursday, August 21, 2008

COMCAST Sucks! (I am growing tired of this title too)

Lunatic red-assed drug crazed monkeys run this company, right? The local NBC-TV affiliate that won't be linked because of NBC's pro-Obama stance, featured a story at noon today that covered a couple in their 70s attacking a COMCAST office smashing phones, TVs, etc., with a hammer. This retribution was due to the lack of response for service. It was the wife wielding the cable calibration hammer. Hmmm, this does not surprise me. Apparently they had been delayed several times for service and the frustration was too much to bear. Please let it be known that the local office does not schedule service. COMCAST, in their usual wisdom, has customer service done out of state. Thanks Ashby for the phone play by play. He reported it between bursts of laughter to me as I drove down the Natchez Trace. Both hands were on the wheel, traffic was being watched and the phone conversation was done with a Bluetooth. There was a moment where the truck was parked in a turn out while my fit of hysteria calmed down. Hammer lady, I don't know you, but God Bless You.

These cable monkeys just aren't satisfied unless they are making life miserable for their customers. Read these articles at DailyTech and BroadbandDSLReports.com. Don't you think it is time for class action suits all over the nation? The FCC recently slapped them on the hand without fines for monkey business. Besides, this group of apes destroyed TechTV thinking it would encourage people to watch their kid tech channel, G4, which really sucks. IMHO TechTV was the greatest TV channel of all times. Yes, there is geek prejudice here. Thanks Mudslingr for two great links. I am so glad that I don't work for COMCAST anymore. When there, all the local people were nice, efficient and great great people. It was corporate that had the monkey board rooms. I am so glad that I don't live in their service area too.

The above graphic was stolen from gizmodo.com and I hope they forgive me for spreading the word with their inventive take on the COMCAST scenario. A personal note; please Pink Floyd forgive us all. We are trying to make part of the communications media respond to the customer base.

"Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight.”

~Pink Floyd

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Flight Failure and Judgement Failure

It's sad to report that a jetliner crashed during takeoff in Madrid, Spain. It appears that many people lost their lives with only a few surviving this horrifying tragedy. There is a an article at AirlineWorld. Included is a full passenger list in case anyone had people traveling in the area. Prayers for all concerned.

On the lighter side, I think, there is a law suit being filed against the two that invented yet another Bigfoot hoax. Well, duh! Apparently the man that paid $50,000.00 for the carcass is a bit upset that the fake corpse contained body parts from other animal species. Meanwhile, the co-conspirators cannot be found. Okay, this is just plain goofy. The hucksters shouldn't have taken the dude for the money. And the dude shouldn't have been that stupid. Read more at TechHerald.

“There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.”
~Longfellow

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

On Going Granny Smith

Last night a friend called me and was asking questions about purchasing an Apple computer. He knows that I am very much a Windows/Linux user, but he has heard me mention that I'd like to have an Apple on my network. It will help me learn more about the interaction of their machines which have 3% of the market and Windows machines which have 89% of the market share. This in mind he knew I'd be somewhat prejudice, but trying to expose the essential truth I decided to ask him several questions.

"What are you going to do with it?"
"Surf the web and the usual."

"Gonna' play an online game?"
"Sure you know I like World of Warcraft."

"Bought an iPhone?"
"No. but thinking about it."

"In your business, don't you run proprietary software?"
"You know I do."

"Got a lot of money in the bank?"
"Sorta' personal don't ya think?"

Last question first. Have money. You'll need it. Their dependability is over rated and the initial cost to get a decent machine is absurd. You can buy an excellent PC gaming/autocad machine for the same money. Be prepared to pay for service. You will need it and apparently more often than in the days of yore and yesteryear.

If you want to spend the money by all means go ahead. Just make sure you use a Windows PC as the main workstation in your home. Be prepared for some networking frustration or hire it done. Yes, most Windows tech-types can add an Apple to an existing Windows network. They are very good machines for photo editing, graphic design. etc. Windows PCs are also just as good, and faster.

Surfing the web is fine, but you won't play online games like Guild Wars or World of Warcrack...craft, I meant. Sorry, these games are Windows only. Another reason to use a Windows machine as the primary workstation is that Apple runs very little software that is made for particular trades or professions. So don't expect those accounting, cad drawing, family tree, etc., applications to run on an Apple. They won't. Apple has some applications, but the best selling software for an Apple is Microsoft Office. They even mention it in a TV advertisement that is airing now. As you know Microsoft owns Windows. Believe me, it's a Microsoft world when it comes to software.

About the iPhone. Has nothing to do with computers. Just wondered if this attracted him to the dark side of the force, uh, uh, Apple. Battery life is still reported to be horrible and iDarth (Steve Jobs) is under fire for spying on users. I'd stay away from this device. Three people that I know use them and one complains about battery life and refuses to purchase another.

Let's get an opinion from someone that walks in the way of computer Sith. Read TechCrunch.com. It provides some insight to the world of Apple. He's pro Apple, BTW. TechCrunch is a blog so be sure and search for the post with today's date. The title of the post is Apple is Flailing Badly At The Edges. Good, honest, journalism. This article also made an appearance in the Washington Post. There are many comments too.

Missed posting yesterday. It was a Flexiril kinda' day. Will see the doctor today about back problems. A man has to know his limitations...

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
~John Quincy Adams

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Somes Thoughts and a Funny

A friend of mine reminded me the other day that I have often said this is not a political site. Sorry, my country is in danger and I cannot be silent about the idiocy and shenanigans of Barrack Obama. This person scares me. Therefore I am encouraging everyone to vote against him in November by voting for John McCain. Looking back over the past few weeks here at Cybersouth should open your eyes about Obama's self indulgence and his complete incoherency at times. Sorry, I will speak my thoughts. Remember, this is NOT a forum. These are my opinions and I will damn well stick to them.

Now, take the time to enjoy this hilarious clip. BTW, there actually is a John West Company. He's not related.




Did you notice the bear doing the Ali shuffle? This just cracks me up. It's been around for years, but still makes me LOL.

“Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used.”
~Carl Sagan

Saturday, August 16, 2008

AVG 8.0 Glitch Soon to be Corrected

If you have noticed a problem with AVG 8.0 Free Edition Anti-virus update procedure, please be aware that Grisoft, the owner of AVG products, is working on the problem. The message mentions something about a ".bin" file or you may not see anything. Even though the system tray icon is marked with a red and white X your system is still protected. They've had problems for several weeks and will correct it. An update issue happened one time before several years ago and they corrected it making update downloads even faster. Stick with them. This is THE ABSOLUTE BEST free anti-virus utility on the planet. Makes Norton/Symantec look like a DOS program. It's worth spending the money for the full version too!

"Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks."
~Goethe

Friday, August 15, 2008

One Man's Observation

If this is true it is scary:



"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."
~Adlai Stevenson


Thursday, August 14, 2008

Quickbooks and Peachtree...YUCK!

If anyone knows of a freeware program that will change the Admin password in Quickbooks Pro, please contact me. There are literally thousands for sale out there and Intuit, the parent company of Quickbooks, is confusing and hateful. Kissing a Tasmanian Devil on the lips with tongue would be more pleasant. I will include this utility on this site as a link for EVERYONE to use. I don't think it's illegal. My legitimate client cannot bill until this password is overcome. Seems a malicious act locked down the program when an employee left. This is a nightmare. Now on to another hellish dreamscape.


Also, I am so close to finishing the data recovery project. My desperation is to the point that I'll purchase a legitimate copy of Veritas BackUp Exec 9.0 at a reasonable price. 9.0 is an older version of this program and I have the 8.0 version which has helped. I have actually created the scenario, damage and all, on one of my servers so the original PowerEdge server that needs the repair won't receive any further voodoo. This stems from a Peachtree DOS version on a W2K Small Business Server and ALL client machines are XP Pro. FYI, there is no DOS included in W2K or XP. They do include an "emulation." Be sure and have your clients upgrade to the Windows versions of software and do away with all DOS applications. If they are using tape backup throw this trash out too. They are worthless. Go with external hard drives. If anyone has had experience with such a situation and will share info, I'll dance at your next wedding, publicly grovel at your feet, howl at the moon with you, definitely cry tears of joy and probably have a complete mental and emotional breakdown afterwards. Hey, I'm almost there anyway. Hep me! Hep me!

Both of these scenarios include clients that are nice and polite. They deserve better. Nobody is growling, but enough is enough. Please, I need suggestions and am openly asking for advice.

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.”
~Bertrand Russell

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

57 States?

The following is for your information:





This is just for fun:




People will really vote for this fellow? Certainly people are not that stupid. Are they?

"He loves his country best who strives to make it best."
~Robert G. Ingersoll

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Goodbye Little Friend

It's time to be sober and straightforward for a few minutes. The past month or so has been very trying. After a talk with Nurse-T last night, it seems my lapse in reordering meds from the VA have probably altered my mood somewhat. They have been ordered for over a week now and the VA is doing their usual which is sneaking around and trying to finish the job North Vietnamese initiated a long time ago in a country far, far away. Their shipping is pathetic. Even though I do hit real whine mode on occasion my demeanor is usually upbeat and happy. I love positive things, especially positive people. Bitches have no place in my world. They are not tolerated. Female and male.

The past few weeks have been spent racking my brain and trying to recover some lost data. This has kept me awake at night and many fellow techs have been queried about possible solutions. I am still striving for closure on this project since it is consuming me. My life is a shambles to a degree because I cannot give up. These people need my help and I want to deliver. If you have a copy of Veritas ExecBackup 9.0, I need it long enough to recover some tape backups. Then it will be removed and the disk destroyed. It's too expensive for the beach house to buy. BTW, thanks Beagle for the copy of the older version. It is helping.

After a weekend of crawling around just long enough to find and take meds, my back is still sore, but better. Basically this past weekend was lost to the stupor Flexiril produces. Now I have to rush like crazy and catch up on delayed projects. My expensive motherboard in my awesome SLI gaming machine is definitely dead. I think it may have ruined two uber power supplies too. So that project is shelved for several weeks. A man must know his priorities and limitations.

The above paragraphs were written early this morning.

Just learned I lost a friend. My daughter's long time companion and super dog, Ellen B, passed away. She will be missed. What an up tempo happy creature. Gosh, she was so smart. She loved Em so much. And Em loved her. Such a kind gentle spirit. You know, if God will grant humans the privilege of making it to heaven, He must let these wonderful, loyal creatures in too. Believe me folks, this little dog made it. She will be missed. Through the tears I am praying not only for this wonderful creature that blessed all our lives, but also for the humans that she touched during her time on earth. God in Heaven knows I love you Em. Anything is what I'll do for you. Try to be strong. There are so many people that need and love you. Your family needs you and Izzy, Rosie and the rest of the gang need ya too! My heart is heavy with grief yet my problems mentioned now seem minimal. Anything, my daughter, anything.

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Monday, August 11, 2008

iDarth, Oops! He's Doing It Again

Apple ran a commercial many years ago during the Superbowl that made fun of Microsoft. The premise of the ad was that Bill Gates and company were a real life version of George Orwell's 1984. Time has proven that this did not come true...well, not exactly as predicted. Apple's market share of PC sales is still around 3% while Microsoft hovers around 90%. Funny how time has a way of revealing the truth.

Old iDarth (for those that don't read the beach house ramblings frequently iDarth=Steve Jobs) is obsessed with control of the Apple iPhone and what people do with it. Fortune has an interesting viewpoint. Be sure and read the whole article. The kicker is in the very last paragraph.

Slashdot, a longtime favorite site of the beach house, has an article that supports the notion that iDarth has a bad case of gettin' his control freaky on. Seems the iPhones can "call home" and report what you are downloading, applications that you are using, etc. Apple claims it's a security procedure. How about it iPhone users. Does that insult your intelligence? It should.

If you want to spend what I consider a small fortune, have horrible battery life and know that Steve Jobs is spying on you, there's certainly nothing I can do. Really, there's nothing I want to do, but I am compelled to inform. So have at it. Far be it from me to stop someone from using a product manufactured by a company that has only captured 3% of the PC market all these years.

"Well, of course, I'm the wrong person to ask. I like to dial numbers with one hand, and maybe I'm the only one."
~Bill Gates (Asked if he would buy an Apple iPhone)

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Ditto Saturday's Post

Do me a favor, read yesterday's post. This vile human infuriates me. I hope that the people of our nation show up in force and vote against this guy. By electing McCain you are speaking as part of a great nation saying we don't have to tolerate yellow journalism and liberal idiots. Ban NBCTV because they want this jerk elected at all costs, stay away from the racially prejudice influences and use your mind!!!!! Ban ABCTV because they won't let their employees wear symbols (like flag pins) of national pride. This fellow should not even hold office. Why did you crazy people elect this guy? Why!?!?!?!?!?

"Patriotism is easy to understand in America - it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country."
~Calvin Coolidge

Saturday, August 09, 2008

OBAMA SUCKS!!!!!

If you vote for this evil horse's ass I am giving you a direct order concerning the beach house. DON'T EVER come around again!!!! Obama is possibly the anti-christ. Certainly Satan is smart enough to not enlist this dumb jerk. After all, Lucifer was a favored angel of God at one time. I've had it with this Obama idiot and every bleeding heart liberal that lives in our country! When I researched what I am about to tell you and show you, it made me ashamed that this buffoon can run for President.

Here's the problem:


Can you believe he rented a plane that had a picture of the U.S. flag on the tail and then had it painted out and replaced with his own goofy symbol? This guy is horrible. Hell, I'd rather have John Kerry running again!! And I really don't like that dude. Anyway, go to WorldNetDaily for proof. I did go to Snopes.com and found verification there too, but since they tried to drop 2 pieces of spyware on my machine I won't link them.

Are you believing all this absurd unAmerican garbage? Obama spent a half million dollars doing this nonsense!!! Thanks out to Nurse-T for the informative email and Red Dragon for the poster that follows:


“There is no traitor like him whose domestic treason plants the poniard within the breast that trusted to his truth.”
~Lord Byron

Friday, August 08, 2008

Celebrity Ramblings

It's a pleasure to report that fellow Mississippian Morgan Freeman is out of the hospital. 4 days ago he had a car accident. He reports a good stay in the hospital and is glad to be home. His great cinema work is far ranging. An Oscar in 2005 came his way. Mr. Freeman's work to help our state and support Blues music is to be admired. If you ever watch the Food Network be sure and catch the Rachel Ray episode that features him. They are a hoot! Mr. Freeman, I hope you are playing golf again soon! E! Online has a related article.

Saw Robert Downey, Jr. on Letterman a few nights ago. His latest screen venture is playing a black Australian actor in Tropic Thunder. Yep, that's right, black Australian actor. This movie is controversial, but not because of Downey's role. Seems some activist groups don't like the use of the word retard. People that have reviewed it are saying go see it. Tom Cruise has a strange, funny role along with Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Amy Stiller, Matthew McConaughey and Downey. There are many cameo appearances by various stars. Check out the technology section of Business Week. Strange place for a movie review, huh?

"An Oprah episode, in which Tom Cruise jumped on the couch and around the set, became so infamous that it was rerun the following week. It spawned the slang term "jumping the couch" which actually became an entry in Oxford's Historical Dictionary of American Slang."
~IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase)

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Wally World News

Did you know that Wal-Mart expects to have only 1% increase in profits this month? Let's see, a multi-billion dollar company that's whining about "only" a 1% increase? Think if they slash gas prices at their pumps that figure might go up? Since Murphy Oil supplies their stations and is located in Arkansas this is actually a good place to buy fuel. Get that yellow dot dude out there around the gasoline and oil cans to do some rolling back! That might bring folks back to their checkout counters.

I don't like shopping there. My aversion to crowds makes me find other sources of retail trade. Yet, I endure it on occasion. If the evil children that live there come out to play when I enter, then the exit is promptly used. Anyway, Bloomberg has the story.

"Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed."
~Robert Gallagher

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Browser Concept, MalwareAlarm Killers, and Finding DAT Data

The Mozilla Lab has been busy. They are developing a new browser called Aurora Folks, this is futuristic! When viewing the video (it's down the page a little) don't give up on it early. This is far out stuff. Instant communication by voice and file transfer at the speed of light! They've thrown in some IE8 type stuff and parts of the desktop remind me of Apple. Still, this is a dream come true for most geeks. Instant file transfer, what a concept.



Kim Komando, America's Digital Goddess Had that desktop hijacked? Can't seem to get your machine to do anything but go to one site that wants to sell you a spyware prevention program? They are liars and the scum of the earth. If you see MalwareAlarm you've been infected with one of the worst pieces of garbage on the web. It goes under many names and they are all variants of the old nuisance originally called SpySherriff. Please go to one of my favorite tech help websites to get relief. KimKomando has comments and solutions. Check it out.

Must return to a data recovery project. It involves tapes and takes forever to try and grab data. Have actually set up a server for this purpose and am hopeful the results will end up positive. Wish me luck!

"Rule #1: Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules."
~Nordstrom's Employee Handbook

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

NBC? ABC? They Suck

Since NBC is on a rampage to make John McCain look bad and Barack Obama look like he deserves sainthood, I refuse to watch them. After ABC announced it didn't want its staffers displaying patriotism by wearing flag lapel pins and other national pride items, that channel is forbidden at the beach house. CBS is borderline, but still acceptable. They have the best shows when you look at all the older major networks, in my humble opinion. I really despise NBC and their awful prejudice style of journalism. Thank God in Heaven for Fox News. Don't agree? Fine with me. So, alternative TV providers are being sought. Let's face it every dime counts. When half my cable bill is for a string of channels never watched it needs to be cut in half.

Alternatives. Try HULU. Yes, I know that it is affiliated with NBC in some ways, but many other channels are involved. Just go take a look and sign up. It's been used at the beach house for several months and is a joy when needing a break for a few minutes. Several other services exist out there and I'd love any information you have about these sites. Use the comments or email me! The addy is cybersouth@gmail.com. Be sure and have your convertor box or HDTV capable set by February 17th, 2009. The NTSC standard will go dark and HDTV will become our new standard.

"We cannot blame the schools alone for the dismal decline in SAT verbal scores. When our kids come home from school do they pick up a book or do they sit glued to the tube, watching music videos? Parents, don't make the mistake of thinking your kid only learns between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m."
~George Bush

Monday, August 04, 2008

For Men, and Women That Care About Them

If you are male, 40 years or older you need to undergo an annual exam that may save your life. It is not really painful and only takes less than a minute, but it is unpleasant for most men. Yes, I am talking about the dreaded prostate exam. The actual physical exam has to be endured, but the blood sample taken is the major factor that determines your condition. Read more about this at the National Cancer Instutue web site. A word of warning; ignore those that say this exam doesn't need to start until you reach 50 years of age. If your doctor tells you this garbage then find another doctor. Even though we don't like this exam please remember it is NOT some type of invasive surgery. Just be a man, boost that courage and put it behind you (no pun intended). Early detection is the key here. If you procrastinate and delay you take a VERY real chance of dying.

Take it from someone that knows, this is important. There are many articles on the internet about prostate health and prostate cancer has been in the news. Thought I'd share. Do it, damn it. You can usually find sympathetic ears and shoulders in a wife or friend before and after the procedure. So whining is permitted afterward...as long as you don't overdo it.

"A healthy body is the guest-chamber of the soul; a sick, its prison."
~Francis Bacon