Ramblings, opinions, and general meanderings from the Deep South

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

God Bless America

Ending this year makes me pause and think about the financial and political crisis we face as Americans. Everyone is cutting back and trying to preserve our current quality of life. We are all aware of our economy and thank God the liberal jerk news media has finally stopped blaming everything on George W. Bush. I am not happy with everyrthing he's done, but there's been no more Twin Towers attacks from the a scum of the earth Muslim Terrorists. These fanatics need to be killed. Wiped out. If you are a peace loving believer in Allah in our country then it is your duty to help us flush out these shit house rats. We must all do our share in making strong the red, white and blue. Mr. Iacocca has spoken for many of us. Take the time to read this man's valuable observations. Thanks EdC for another great email. If you go to snopes to verify this article as true (it is) please be aware they will put spyware on your computere. Yes, they have joined ranks with the evil ones. So sad to see this once great site fall from grace.



Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.

Lee Iacocca Says:

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis ! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001 , we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.

We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.

We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America '. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!!


We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~Pierce

Monday, December 29, 2008

Mirrors Can Be Scary, Yes They Can

This may not be the most pleasant subject in the world, but How to Clear a Stuffy Nose is a great example of the value concerning Wiki-How. Several friends and relatives are suffering from this horrible viral infection that is wreaking havoc with our sinuses, lungs, head, nose, those lower tracts, etc. Mine seems to be on the downside (2nd time this year), but congestion and pain are still causing discomfort. BTW, the sinus accupressure technique works. It's demonstrated in the short video at the bottom of the linked page. There is no doubt a geek wrote this article. How do I know, you ask? One of the recommendations for sinus relief is standing on your head. Seriously!

Verdana, hope you, Mal and Uncle Snake are better. GrassHoppa, hang in there. If there's any way you can rest for a few days that seems to help as much as anything. Know your schedule is tough. As this is written I am doing the accupressure thing again. The pain covers the left side of my face. And looking at this face is painful enough.

"Sickness comes on horseback but departs on foot."
~Hazlitt

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Jess is Still Watching

My long time friend, D. Neal Jennings, will probably be slightly disappointed in this post. He's not a huge Stevie Nicks fan. On the other hand I have been in love with this woman's voice, presence, songs, beauty and endurance for almost a lifetime. She still rocks my world. Heck, she's only 6 days younger than me. I think she is downright awesome. Her good looks have definitely withstood the test of time and life. This special (Part 1) will probably air again tonight at 10:00PM local time. You never know with Socialist TV, uh, uh, I mean Mississippi PBS. This is a stellar performance. No notes are missed, all harmonies are perfect, and the band rocks its ass off! She not only does many of her wonderful original songs, but covers a Dave Matthews tune, Crash Into Me. There's also a cover of Led Zepplin's Rock and Roll. Be sure and hear Waddy Watchel's tribute to Jimmy Page. So please take a listen to one of my favorite songwriters. If your video card can stand it, turn on the high quality and check out this gorgeous woman:



Told ya! She's great! Sorry Neal, love makes us do crazy thangs! LOL!

"He who sings scares away his woes."
~Cervantes


Saturday, December 27, 2008

Phones and Computers

Come tomorrow you will be able to purchase an iPhone from Wal-Mart. This truly disappoints me. I thought the price tags $197.00 and $297.00 would keep the head buyers at WallyWorld away. But, alas, once again my judgment is faulty. This is not good for competitors in the cell phone business. Yet, it may not have the results predicted by CNetNews.com.

The major manufacturers will not sit idly by and let Apple dominate the cell phone business without a fight. This may mean super prices for consumers in other brands. I've resisted the purchase of a V9 Razr because of one reason; price. I will not give someone over $300.00 for a phone that will be available for purchase at $100.00 or less in the near future. I would have given $150.00 for a V9 back in the spring, but Wal-Mart just assured me that even this imaginary price will drop.

I still don't like Apple. They are overrated and Apple does most of the over-rating. A huge plus to selling more product for the Apple people will be to stop telling lies and making false claims. They finally have a decent product to sell with Intel chips and OS10 (the FreeBSD rip-off often mentioned here) yet they still want everyone to think they can equal the performance of a PC. Sorry, that's just false. They have to become price competitive in the computer market as well.

Here a real killer. Look at the availability of software for Apple and then look at the software for PCs. Also, remember that the number one software seller for Apple is Microsoft Office. So, if they keep improving their hardware, let other companies manufature and sell some of their hardware, become competitive in pricing and make their Jaguar, Tiger, Wildcat, Housecat, Pooopdog, Hotdog or whatever it is called now operating system available in a prepackaged form for PCs - they will be a formidable hardware competitor. Delivering a pre-packaged OS10 product for Windows based PCs is a nice idea. Let's face it. This marketing style has gathered almost 90% of the sales worldwide for Windows.

If iDarth and Bozo (Jobs and Ballmer) will get out of the way, both companies should thrive. Windows is set up for a huge fall if they do not deliver a fantastic product this next year titled Windows 7. They have the capability to recover from the way they handled the Vista distribution. After all they followed Windows ME (Millenium) with Windows 2000. Windows 2000 changed computing worldwide. Then they followed with an improved Windows 2000 called XP. Yes, it took Microsoft almost 5 years to issue enough patches to make it solid, but XP is still the most desirable OS on the planet.

It is sad that companies like Dell are charging $150.00 to "downgrade" to XP Pro from Windows Vista Business or Home Premium versions. There's nothing wrong with Vista. At least not with Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. Home Basic needs to be taken off the shelves and Business needs some work if it is to stay viable. I say do away with both and sell only Ultimate and Home Premium. They are good operating systems. Software and hardware compatibility issues are hurting Vista as much as anything. Especially business software. My crystal ball tells me Windows 7 will address these issues with the gusto of a hound dawg.

So, go ahead. Do your iPod dance, the iPhone Waltz and the Mac Bop. I'll stick with Windows. After all, if Steve Jobs had his way back years ago we'd all be paying $5000 plus for technology that would nowadays be 2 years old. Windows changed things. You can buy a very decent PC desktop for well under a $1000.00 that will blow away any Apple made. Plus you can buy from several different manufacturers. Case rests and I am outta here to work on Windows networks. Ever seen an Apple network around this area?

"After a visit to the beach, it's hard to believe that we live in a material world."
~Shaw

Friday, December 26, 2008

Boxing Day? Mandatory Traffic and Notes on Intimations of Mortality

Please be careful out there today. The life you save may be my own. Hate it, but I am working today. That means driving. My head hurts, my feet stink and I am still not too crazy about Elvis. There is hope I can manage work and not be in too much pain. BTW, tomorrow's post will be geekified. My dissatisfaction is beginning to bug me.

Before I had asked and now it's begging time; please let me return calls. It hurts to talk on the phone. My own voice resonates through my sinus cavities. The left side of my head feels like it has met the hammer of Thor. Apparently some just don't care, because the calls just keep showing up.

Yes, it was turned off yesterday. This is not antisocial nor being unfriendly. Trying to survive here and if I don't get this work done in a timely fashion - I'll lose this work that has to be completed by year's end. That absolutely cannot be afforded. Damn it the email addy has not changed. It's still cybersouth@gmail.com. Efforts will be made to answer viable emails. Don't wish this horrible pain and malady on anyone, but I may make a list of people to breathe upon.

Must go and try to contact doctor. Then it will be time to call pushers, if necessary, to stop the pain for a few hours. Hell, that shows I am still out of my mind. I don't even know a pusher. Do they list in the Yellow Pages now? Folks, this is so far beyond whine mode it's pathetic. Every time there is a cough the vision in my left eye (which, under normal conditions, is almost blind so it's really just something else to whine about) gives out for a few milliseconds.

I need prayer and God's blessing. Please help shore up my nerves of jelly. Just give me the strength to work for a few hours. And the ability not to whine during that time. Nor kill anyone. Who knows? If survival happens you may hear of a beach house 12 step program for whining.

Just noticed there's a lot of "I"s in this post. Later.

"You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes..."

~Jagger and Richards

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!




"Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, 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

EDIT: No coffee since Monday morning and nothing spiked since this past weekend. Yes, ailing at the beach house. The left side of my face hurts if I even move my head and all my heavy duty hydrocodone/loritab type meds are gone. It's Aleve, BC and aspirin. Not much help. Seem to be more at ease in a prone position. If I sit up for 5 minutes or so the pain becomes almost unbearable. The sniffling and coughing come and go. All of this is being told to let you know I'll return calls when I feel better. I had work scheduled yesterday and today that is important. Recovery is tantamount! I absolutely have to move a phone system tomorrow and combine two servers into one new one over the weekend. All this needs to be operational no later than next Tuesday. So please understand, I need to stay prone and try to sleep. This work cannot be missed or my life will go down the sh--ter. It will be of great assistance if you exercise patience and let me do the phone calling when I am physically able. The sleep comes in brief intervals and is the only time that I am not in pain. A ringing phone does not promote snooze time. Yes, I will make my first phone call tomorrow to the doctor. Love you all.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

So It Goes

Construction continues. My cold has returned. Just what I needed. Anyway, I like some things with the layout design, but am still looking for a good template interface.. Hope to find one that will come with most of the desired features incorporated. With the layout interface you cannot place HTML in a given area and make that position permanent. You have to use their gadget interface. For instance I cannot place my beach house picture in the center of the page nor use the nice Speedtest graphic. The layout is not happy with importing the banners listed at the bottom of the old page. Besides, that white background is just too bright for me. Sure beats black though. Like the lavender idea, but that would be a bit much with all the accent colors being shades of purple. Besides, the banner is in the same color spectrum too. Am experimenting with gray. It may work.

Beagle and Verdana's blogs have a nice balanced look to them. Beagle changes her background with seasonal and holiday themes. It's always interesting to see what motif she is using. Verdana's is a really cool layout since the focus is on snippets of information about her present child and the one due in March. Great way to keep us all informed. Of course Beagle does the same thing about the Purple Giraffe and C. What would my life be without their furry kids too!?

I hate that trackback garbage and the fact I cannot place the comments on a separate line. Again, that white is just too bright for someone that plays a Necromancer Prime in Guild Wars, lol. That's Maskull Tor to the left. Even though he is a Dark Lord, he fights for truth, justice and the American way. He also embraces the light side of the force, lol. He was 3 years in the game on December 9th. BTW, he has several brothers (i.e. a monk named Red Elvis, a warrior named Colonel Reb) that embrace other professions, but he is the clan Tor. Don't mess with Maskull. He can kick Chuck Norris' ass! Okay enough lore about mages, magicians, conjurers, warriors and monks. Back to the subject at hand. Still have the old template and may try to use it as a guide to find a newer, more flexible look. These changes will be slow. I have work scheduled for today and tomorrow. That dude in the red suit and the beard has no concept on how to stop at the beach house. Besides, I wouldn't want him stopping by this pig sty right now anyway. So might as well work. Love it when people argue and say I won't work on Christmas because people will be closed. Just hide and watch. I have keys. Later.

"Always remember, a Necromancer's strength is in the others' weakness."
Necromancer Munne, Prophecies Pre-Searing

EDIT:
Changed back to white as is obvious. That particular shade of gray reminded me of dirty dish water. Still looking for a whiter shade of pale gray (heh, heh!)

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Loading the Big Bore


Something has to be done. I have spent wayyyyy too much time trying to import my Haloscan comments. Hell, this new style of layout versus template won't even let me activate the comments provided by Google. Somehow, some way I will obtain my cybersouth.us addy and take control of my site instead of Google getting in the way. Damn! It should be a simple thing to add a comments line and it's like warfare with a bunch of Google kamikazes. At least now we know what Google does with the dumbasses in their company. You can CERTAINLY expect further changes. Again, I really want to kill something. Right now!

Whew! The comments mysteriously showed up. Now if I can remove the trackback thangy!?!?! You know, I think I still hear the roar of Mitsubishi Zero engines approaching from the Eastern Concrete Sea.

Time for medication.

"Frustration is the wet nurse of violence."
~David Abrahansen

QUESTIONS: Is the white background acceptable? Or is it too bright? BTW, suggestions are welcome. This transition is far from over...

Monday, December 22, 2008

FYI

Cybersouth will have intermittent posts over the next few days due to illness and, finally, an enormous workload (thank goodness! lol). It is going through a transitional period and you will see it in various forms as changes are incorporated. Please bear with me. Just remember, Elvis is dead and I ain't feeling so good either. Patience will be appreciated.

One more thing. Please don't expect me to participate financially in gift giving this year. Dire straits have made this an inopportune time. Also, I won't be traveling due to vehicle problems. Trying to call and guilt trip me will find that phone quickly hung up and and calls blocked. If my Mother can understand these problems then everyone needs to show tolerance as well. If you send anything then I'll have to spend money not in the coffers to pay return shipping. I am going to pray prayers of thanksgiving for the Savior and the wonderful things I have in this life. Suggest you do the same.

May the blessings of our Lord be on you and yours this holiday season.

"God helps those who help themselves."
~Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1757

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Changes; Success Rate is Nominal

This change is near the end. I've fought putting my Haloscan comments in all day. If I can't find the proper procedure or it fails to work, the old template will be re-installed. Why do they make this so difficult? Hell, go back to HTML and let us decide what we want!!!!!! I thought Google obtaining Blogger might be good, but am beginning to wonder. If the comments don't show up in the next day or so, I'll trash this garbage and go back to square one.

My huge remote in project has no computers on so I suspect power failure or netopia router snafu. Can't even access the server. Needless to say my day tomorrow will start VERY early. Later, time to de-stress now.

"There are many methods for predicting the future. For example, you can read horoscopes, tea leaves, tarot cards, or crystal balls. Collectively, these methods are known as 'nutty methods.'

Or you can put well-researched facts into sophisticated computer models, more commonly referred to as "a complete waste of time."

~Scott Adams

EDIT: Finally gave up and reverted to old template. I've got to renew my other addy and move to it. This new layout format is too restrictive and it looks like hell and seems to have been designed in hell. Please don't ask me about the stars. I have absolutely NO idea where they came from or when they showed up. Damn, it'd be nice to kill something right about now. I need medication...

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Goofballs and Nutjobs Living in an Orchard

I am going to go to bat for someone that's NOT on my BFF list. Steve Jobs. He's the head muckity-muck over at Apple. He is also known around the beach house as iDarth. Look, if you own an Apple that is your business. Even though I'd like to have one on my network for improving the learning curve concerning service, there is no way in hell or heaven I'd use it as my number one "go to" machine. Sure hope I don't reach the gate and St. Peter is using a Mac. It is very very doubtful that'll be happening. The primo beach house workstation is always a Windows machine. Second choice is Linux Kubuntu. And yes I am making serious moves about converting one of my servers to Linux. Anyway, always keep in mind that the largest selling software for an Apple is Microsoft Office. Think about it...

Apple is okay. Just okay. They are way overpriced and constantly make claims that simply are not true. They are not fast. They can defintely get virus infections. The don't have the best personal interface devices. Let's admit it. That mouse and keyboard have ALWAYS sucked. They improved somewhat by switching to Intel processors. They outright stole FreeBSD, put some proprietary voodoo on it and now sell an opensource based operating system that is not too bad. You know, that Panther, Tiger, Lion OS thangy that started with OS10. Wonder when they'll come out with the Warthog version? Wait Windows beat them to it - Windows Millenium (Windows ME).

Steve Jobs has elected not to appear at the Macworld Expo after being there for 25 years. Read about at CNetNews.com. This article is part of the Business Tech Week in Review. Here's an opinion for all you little Apple Nazis that are doing mega-whining: Get off iDarth's ass. I mean it!!!! The man is fighting a rare form of pancreatic cancer and your selfish gripes and moanings will certainly not help him feel any better. If Bill Gates had such problems Windows Nazis would be sympathetic, wish him well and possibly even pray for him. So, give old iDarth a break. I mean damn! When someone like me defends him, all you lameass Apple users should shut the hell up and send him kudos and well wishes. Bitches!!!!!! Sheesh.

As often wished here at the beach house, I hope this post was not too vague.

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."
~William Wallace

Friday, December 19, 2008

A Little Something for Ya...

Dave Matthews can be irreverent. He can be vulgar. He can be nonchalant. He's sometimes attuned to the different drummer. I don't especially care for his politics. I respect him as a great artist. This video is typical of his genius. His music has always given me pause to think. This video is typical of that quality. It's also 10 years old. Enough. Daughters of mine, thank you for turning me on to Dave. I love you both. It's over 5 minutes long. I am posting the written lyrics below the video. And I blatantly stole this from beagle's page. I think she will approve:





She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She'd be his wife and make him her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came, three made their way
To shower Him with love
While He lay in the hay
Shower Him with love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

Not very much of His childhood was known
Kept His mother Mary worried
Always out on His own
He met another Mary who for a reasonable fee,
less than reputable was known to be.

His heart full of love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

When Jesus Christ was nailed to His tree
Said "oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I've spilled the blood of my children all around"

The blood of my children all around
The blood of my children's all around

So I'm told, so the story goes
The people He knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and Robbers
Drinkers and Jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me
Like you and me

Rumors insisted He soon would be
For His deviations
Taken into custody
By the authorities less informed than He.
Drinkers and Jokers all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

Preparations were made
For His celebration day
He said "eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children's all around
The blood of our children all around

Father up above, why in all this hatred do you fill
Me up with love, love, love
Love love love
Love love was all around
Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill
Me up with love, fill me love love love
Love love love
all you need is love
you can't buy me love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children's all around


"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!"
~Hamilton Wright Mabie



Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tis the Season

Day before yesterday I posted about Mr. Ali Wingtip Chucker Baba and there were and are comments galore. Great observations, informative briefs, and funny stuff abound. Yesterday I wanted someone to share ideas about how to make this financially strained Christmas better for everyone and got zilch. Is it really that depressing? You really won't talk about how some of you are foregoing gift giving this year and getting together to celebrate the birth of Christ with a great meal? Are you using the Secret Santa thangy? I need this explained to me. Shucks, I even thought the MarketWatch article about the Fed cut was positive in a way. There has to be someone with ideas. I've had to change from a $700.00 TV/Monitor to a $20.00 mattress cover as a present to myself. Really wanted that Toshiba 32", 1080p Regza unit, but I'll be happy knowing the bed will look and sleep better. Y'all help a boy out here. You can even go negative. Just give me some kind of info, please. Ima beggin'...

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."
~Roy L. Smith

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Squeeze or Stretch?

As Christmas approaches many of us are in a quandary about how to squeeze dollars during this time of financial upheaval. MarketWatch has the details about the Fed rate slash. There are many great articles at WikiHow that are about gift giving. Here's a link on how to give a great gift. Scroll down to the Related Wikihows section and there are more links concerning this subject.

In a time when Honda is predicting a 62% cut in profits next year we need to be frugal, but spending some money will certainly help stimulate the economy. We are Americans. We will overcome this crisis and endure. Yes, the market has become one of the world. Yet our country founded on Christian principles plus advanced technology, dedication to freedom and democracy, and grassroots efforts will combine with other positive aspects to rise above the current market convulsions. So remember the reason for the season. Enjoy family and friends. Screw a bunch of competitive gift giving. If you can afford gift giving, do it. If you can't, be thankful you are free. What a precious gift we have to live in THE land of opportunity. Just think, you could be living in Iran or North Korea...

Oh yeah, one more thing; naysayers will be deleted from the comments so don't go there (besides, I've whined enough over the past month to do us for all of next year). Would love to hear from those that have ideas and suggestions about how to positively reinforce this holiday season! Suggest good places to shop both brick n' mortar and online. Who has the great values this year? How are you spending this holiday? Talk to me fellow beach housers!

"The true measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money."
~H.D. Murphy

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Is Not the Word Processor Mightier Than the Shoe?

Boy Howdy! The news media is a having a ball with the Iraqi Shoe Throwing Contest. It's all over the internet and during my late night meanderings at least two late night talk show hosts, Letterman and Ferguson, had shoes thrown during their shows. Paul Shaffer threw one at Letterman and Craig Ferguson threw his own shoe at the camera. On top of all this it has been revealed that First Lady Laura did not even know the President had left for Iraq in the middle of the night. She said the family and friends gathered around the TV to watch his press conference. Everyone there was stunned and amazed at the size 10 shoe hurler. They also liked the fact that President Bush shrugged it off and treated it as an annoyance. Oh yeah, they have Mr. Ali Wingtip Chucker Baba in jail now. Hmmmmm, he's a journalist at a press conference. Why didn't he just write something really bad? Throwing shoes? Wonder what type of hashish he was smoking in that water pipe?



It puzzles me that this incident occurred. If this country is so backwards they have to take the time to pull off perfectly good shoes and hurl them at someone they don't like, why don't they grow up and enter the civilized era of the world? Shucks, embrace the American way! Make an obscene gesture or beat the hell out of each other. Wait, the Secret Service would have stopped a physical confrontation. Sure wouldn't have been a fair fight! I think George could have taken him in a head to head fight though. Did you see how he bobbed and weaved to avoid the tossed shoes? And not once but twice! Whew! Bet he's got a mean right hook to go with those moves!

During rounds today I may stick an old sneaker in the laptop case to satisfy my curiosity. They don't call me the intercontinental nerdling fer nuthin'!! You've been warned. Gosh, only one thing would have made this incident better. Mr. President should have flipped him off as he threw the second shoe (insert evil grin here). After all, many years ago President Jimmy Carter said 'ass' on national TV...

"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."
~Albert Einstein

Monday, December 15, 2008

It's a New Week

Hope things are smoothly moving along as everyone starts the new week. As is apparent, there's been no posts for the past 3 days. After a long bout with the worst cold ever, I awoke feeling like a new man, spent a productive day, saw some bluebirds in the depths of a Deep South winter, picked up some machines and supplies then came home. Haste was the mode as items were removed from the bed of the truck. Flexiril reigned over the weekend. Spent my conscious hours in a network trying to resolve several issues. But hey! The dreams were awesome. And you know what? I am well rested! Things are better and rainy Monday won't get me down.

Tomorrow should see an improvement in posts and subject matter should return to sub-normal. A grown man (questionable) whining even irritates this whiner. In the words of that great Texas philosopher, EdC, "Have a better than expected day!"

"Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it."
~D. Neal Jennings

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Message

For a while now some idiot that really knows nothing about cyber-intrusion has been banging away at the TeamSpeak server on the beach house network. This is a free service provided to users and I absorb all costs and perform the maintenance. Why someone would want to violate such a simple device is beyond me. If they crash it, it can be restored in a matter of minutes. So why bother? Beats me. Probably a preteen that has no idea the trouble that awaits him for these idiotic attempts. It will be reconfigured soon with more security buffs which may include transition to Ubuntu Server software, but hopefully he'll find a way in and then he's caught. Don't mind talking about it here because there's a very good chance he is not aware of this site. Anyway, decided to leave him a surprise after reading the Event Viewer this morning.

Message to the "Steve" "NewUser" "Administrator" creep that finds this server in the DMZ interesting. If you are reading this then you are caught. A formal complaint will be filed and the appropriate authorities will be contacted. My attorney has investigated legal rights concerning your activities and you are in violation of several laws. I will be in touch. This may involve a large fine and/or a period of incarceration. BTW, destroying this data will not cover your tracks. See if you can find the mirror on the Net Server cabinet attached to this network. I don't think you are that intelligent. If you were that intelligent, you wouldn't be wasting your time with this noncritical TeamSpeak server.

Mike West


Why am I bothered with such morons? Actually, it would be nice if this happened to be my #1 problem, lol. Later.

"The true computer hackers follow a certain set of ethics that forbids them to profit or cause harm from their activities."
~Kevin Mitnick

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Low Life Creeps

SmitFraud is making the rounds again. It hijacks your desktop and tries to force you into paying money for them to remove the infection they created. Today's image is an example of one of the many variants you may encounter. Click on it to enlarge. Here are a few names this trash travels under:

AdwarePunisher, AdwareSheriff, AlphaCleaner, AntiSpyCheck, Antispyware Soldier, AntiVermeans, AntiVermins, AntiVerminser, AntiVirGear, AntivirusGolden, AVGold, Awola, BraveSentry, IE Defender, MalwareCrush, MalwareWipe, MalwareWiped, MalwaresWipeds, MalwareWipePro, MalwareWiper, PestCapture, PestTrap, PSGuard, quicknavigate.com, Registry Cleaner, Security iGuard, Smitfraud, SpyAxe, SpyCrush, SpyDown, SpyFalcon, SpyGuard, SpyHeal, SpyHeals, SpyLocked, SpyMarshal, SpySheriff, SpySoldier, Spyware Vanisher, Spyware Soft Stop, SpywareLocked, SpywareQuake, SpywareKnight, SpywareRemover, SpywareSheriff, SpywareStrike, Startsearches.net, TitanShield Antispyware, Trust Cleaner, UpdateSearches.com, Virtual Maid, Virus Heat, Virus Protect, Virus Protect Pro, VirusBlast, VirusBurst, VirusRay, Win32.puper, WinHound, Brain Codec, ChristmasPorn, DirectAccess, DirectVideo, EliteCodec, eMedia Codec, EZVideo, FreeVideo, Gold Codec, HQ Codec, iCodecPack, IECodec, iMediaCodec, Image ActiveX Object, Image Add-on, IntCodec, iVideoCodec, JPEG Encoder, Key Generator, LookForPorn, Media-Codec, MediaCodec, MMediaCodec, MovieCommander, MPCODEC, My Pass Generator, NetProject, Online Image Add-on, Online Video Add-on, PCODEC, Perfect Codec, PowerCodec, PornPass Manager, PornMag Pass, PrivateVideo, QualityCodec, Silver Codec, SearchPorn, SiteEntry, SiteTicket, SoftCodec, strCodec, Super Codec, TrueCodec, VideoAccess, VideoBox, VidCodecs, Video Access ActiveX Object, Video ActiveX Object, Video Add-on, VideoCompressionCodec, VideoKeyCodec, VideosCodec, WinAntiSpyPro, WinMediaCodec, X Password Generator, X Password Manager, ZipCodec...

Unless your tech savvy is in the higher percentile don't attempt a repair. As a matter of fact don't touch the keyboard, don't touch the mouse, don't attempt a proper shutdown. Reach around behind the machine and unplug it immediately. Don't hesitate. The quicker you are able to turn off your PC you'll have a slightly better chance at recovering data. Contact your tech, explain the situation and let them perform the exorcism. Don't get angry if they can't recover data. If it's that important you should have a backup. Be glad they have studied the problem and found the voodoo that removes this garbage. If I ever become Emperor of the Known Universe I'll find these evil bastards. Then I will personally gut shoot them all and laugh while they die slowly in great pain. They are the scum of the solar system.

Gee, hope this post wasn't too wishy-washy.

"The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted."
~Lichtenberg

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Oh Well, TURN IT UP!

If you can't get lost in this there is not one iota of rock n roll in your soul. My all time fav song by Tom Petty. He's the only one that does justice to this Peter Green classic. BTW that awesome guitarist happens to be a fellow named Mike Campbell. Rock on my brothers.



"Rock and Roll: Music for the neck downwards."
~Keith Richards

Monday, December 08, 2008

Filter the Nasties and Annoying

The HowToGeek site is a favorite around the beach house. There is a wealth of great info here. It is well written and the layout is superb. Straightforward explanations plus images that enhance, combine to help us understand many of the problems in the field of computing. A great example is the Geek's article on GMail filters. If you are using GMail take a few minutes to explore this powerful tool. If you are not a GMail user, become one! They have, beyond ANY doubt, the best spam filter in the solar system. Read more at GMail.com.

Can I get an 'Amen', GMailers?

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

Sunday, December 07, 2008

December 7, 1941

NEVER FORGET THOSE THAT SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN THE COWARDLY ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.



God Bless these United States.

"All we have of freedom, all we use or know - This our fathers bought for us long and long ago."
~Kipling

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Cool Site of Saturday

It is always great to receive email from my friend EdC out Texas way. He is a fountain of knowledge and humor and as with other friends I just don't mention him enough. He sends very hard hitting items about things governmental, especially trade, and sometimes has me rolling on the floor laughing. He's a GREAT supporter of out troops. Ed has great taste in art and music. Once again he's sent a great link, TheRadio.com. Just click on the link and enter a song title or an artist's name. Voila! You have very good quality streaming music. Flash 9 is needed. It's a very simple, free, quick utility download if you don't have it and you probably do...

sub-warning (well, sorta'): After a lengthy read of their privacy policy they admit to collecting data from your PC, but are abiding by the law and guarantee they will never release this info to anyone and are using it to develop their site. This doesn't bother me so I don't even erase the cookies and they are included in my bookmark toolbar. Hey, if it bothers you, just erase their cookies. Anyway, your protection software should be set to protect your machine against any nefarious procedures.

Thanks, EdC. This is a lot of fun for background music while on the web!

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

Friday, December 05, 2008

Visit the Cafe Online

The T-Shirt in yesterday's post has to be a real novelty. ThinkGeek has a huge amount of various items to choose from. Really great site that gets high marks for an internet shopping site. Another great site is CafePress. They have shirts that cover just about everything. Here are two of my favorites (you can see a larger view by clicking on the images):



The beach house has never had a problem with any purchases made from this site. The shirts are durable and come in all colors and sizes. The above shirts are Guild Wars themes, but CafePress covers a wide variety of subjects. They also have a vast selection of different types of items. Check it out!

"Anyone who believes the competitive spirit in America is dead has never been in a supermarket when the cashier opens another checkout line."
~Ann Landers

Thursday, December 04, 2008

The Bombdiggity of Geek T-Shirts

This is not a joke . It is actually available from ThinkGeek. Be sure and turn up the volume. The Darth Vader powers at the end of the clip are probably not real...



Oh yes, my inner child, Peter Pan Syndrome self is screaming I WANT ONE OF THESE!!!!!! Thanks Mudslingr for a great link.

"To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

A Beach House Favorite Site

As Apple's marketshare slowly increases I find it interesting that Slashdot just published an article about Anti-virus for Macs. Decent of them to post this since many Slashdotters are Mac users. Also interesting is that Microsoft has dropped below 90% marketshare. If you are interested in current web and computer trends Slashdot is a virtual well of information. They have been around for while and are definitely a daily read at the beach house. It's smartly written, concise when appropriate and entertaining. Their staff must be required to have a sense of humor. They have a customizable page and a huge archive. If you are interested in Linux, Free BSD, opensource, etc., there are sections devoted to these alternative systems. Quick response to current trends is a way of life at this site. The comments by users are often insightful and sometimes hilarious. Check it out.

"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle
and will piss on your computer.
"
~Graham

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

We're Working On It

After some investigation it has been discovered that the TeamSpeak failures are due to surge suppression, UPC problems. Over the next few days a dedicated electrical line will be run to the computer room and new battery backups put in place. There are 4 computers in this room. There are also routers, switches, cable modem, etc. on this outlet too. The main Tripp-Lite protection device finally failed. Service may be intermittent so please be patient. For now it is up and functioning properly. Thank the Good Lord the electrical protection worked. Tripp-Lite and APC rock!

Making a brief trip to the doc today. Hope to be back in full swing tomorrow. This is the worst "common cold" ever experienced! Next year I will take my chances with a flu shot!

"If I had my way I'd make health catching instead of disease."
~Robert Ingersoll

Monday, December 01, 2008

TeamSpeak is Online

TeamSpeak is online. After some changes in security and an overhaul the server is humming along. Sorry about the down time. Hopefully the new security measures will help keep hackers away.

For the first time in over two weeks I can enjoy the full taste of coffee. Coughing is minimal, but after such a long recovery my lardbutt is staying put for at least one more day. More will be revealed as the day continues. Poor Verdana, Mal and Uncle Snake relapsed and have this mess again. Best wishes to them and I hope they are better.

Everyone take it easy. Bad weather is being experienced in many parts of the nation. Shucks, snow was predicted for the Saltillo area last night. Didn't see any, but then I haven't been outside. Stay warm.

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."
~Edith Sitwell