Shine Like a New Star

It's Monday and a great day for music! Yes, I did post this video several months ago. Even though it's 3 years old Orianthi's incredible talent shines like a new star. If you wondered about the blonde female guitar player in the last Michael Jackson video (the rehersal tape of his 'This Is It' tour) and guessed Orianthi Panagaris then you know music. All I can say about her is WOW, WOW, WOW!

You can learn more about this incredible woman at Wikipedia. Hope this lifts your spirit and helps you through the day.

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
~Berthold Auerbach

Great Commercial

Doesn't matter if you're a Ford fan or not, this is really good. Be nice if the bailout jerks would adapt this attitude. It's a bit long, over 4 minutes. Definitely moving:

Thanks EdC for a great inspirational video from the ONLY car company that refused government money.

"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly."
~Sisk

Equipment Catch Up

Two recent purchases need to be updated. The 32" Samsung monitor/TV and the Motorola Razr2 9x cell phone. The contrast ratio is either 15,000 or 20,000 to 1 (can't find the manual at this moment) and I have it turned down very low. The picture is wonderful. It's crisp and bright with great line definition, awesome color, no dropped pixels and the ease of use plus versatility are the bombdiggity. Yep I like it. Be sure and invest in a quality microfiber cloth. They do tend to attract dust. That's no problem with a wipe down every few days. Use a water damp cloth and then follow with a dry one.

The RAZR2 9x is without a doubt the best cell phone I've ever owned. Everything is in the right place and this varmint will even talk to you! And you can talk to it! There is an after-market 8gig card in it and the music sounds okay. That's because the earphones are cheap though. A good headset will improve the sound no doubt. It's a great phone for someone that is in the service business due to the phenomenal range. We still have drop out spots in Mississippi. Oh yeah, the battery life is much, much better than previous RAZRs. BTW, thanks Charlie for the heads up!

Later and Peace Out!

"Quality is not expensive; it's priceless."
~O'Guinn

Tweet No More

I gave up Twitter. Since it has been compromised several times that bothers me. Also I just don't have the time to post often enough to be slightly interesting. Actually even if I did post a lot it still would be uninteresting. If you can type 140 characters then email me. It's cybersouth@gmail.com. Yes I do occasionally get spam by using my email addy on the site, but one click and it's gone forever. GMail rocks! Also I don't have a myspace or facebook nor do I want to start either. You can come here, read the ramblings, leave message, get the email addy if you forget, etc. Also, it's obvious that I do get backed up on occasion and have to do delayed posts or skip days every once in a while.

Time to sleep. Later.

"But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day."
~Benjamin Disraeli

Located on Weedpatch Highway

If you're not into self defense and are a gun control sissy the you don't need to watch this hilarious commercial. Of all places in the world this business is located in Bakersfield, CALIFORNIA! Please beware there are profane words in some of the comments listed below the film clip.



Thanks Jackie and Jim for a funny video!

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
~Thomas Jefferson

Privacy Netwise?

Took the weekend off from posting. Sorta' ridiculous to mention the obvious. Needed a break and had to do chores. Still not finished. With Ty Roneus doing most of the cutting we attacked that overgrown hedge. Now it has to be cut up into small pieces. We left a good bit of it since the thing has grown so tall it is in the electrical and cable wires. Big privet hedge, huh? Now the chain saw needs sharpening. Yep, big privet hedge.

I am a Google fan. This post is being written in Google's browser, Chrome. Firefox is still my favorite browser, but I like Chrome too. Anyway being a Google-ite this next recommendation may come as a surprise to others. Even though I like Google and feel they track only random web habits, there's a search engine out there that maintains strict privacy for users. Meander on over to startpage. The How-to Geek has a really good article about this search engine. I will compare it to Google for a while and let you know more. Meanwhile if you check it out, let me know your opinion. We've lost most of our privacy on the internet, virtually. Is that redundant?

Things to do. Catch ya later!

"Precaution is better than cure."
~Edward Coke

TGIF, Only 2 More Days to Work This Week!

Trying to get out early this morning. It looks like rain so truck packing will be critical. Another tech friend and I have to terminate and test connections not too far away so their has to be room in the cab for another person.

A nice thing is that the weather is cooling for a few days and this weekend should see productivity around the beach house. Hopefully the riding mower will be repaired and grass can be cut. Have to finish cutting down that horrible hedge on the north side of the house. It'll require two people to finish it. That near chainsaw malfunction during the last cutting still makes me panic a bit when remembering it. Those things are dangerous.. It'll also be another monowall weekend and may even have two of them in place next week.

It's possible that this weekend you'll see posts concerning tech material instead of so much rambling. But hey, everybody is buzzing about Guild Wars 2. I just want to play for a while. Maybe tonight...if sleep doesn't consume me early.

"There aren't enough days in the weekend."
~Rod Schmidt

More Guild Wars 2 Info

As Mudslingr mentioned in yesterday's comments there is now a Guild Wars 2 site. The addy is GuildWars2. Well, duh! The FAQ is probably the most interesting part. Those looking for an early release may want to take a look at several of their answers. We'll be lucky to see it in final release this year. They may wait until April 2010. That's a guess and I hope I am wrong. I've two accounts and a longgggg way to go to finish everything in Guild Wars 1. So, even though it'd be nice to see it waiting is not that big of a deal.

It's late. Can't sleep. Have to start early tomorrow. Later!

"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it."
~H.E. Luccock

Guild Wars 2 Trailer

You don't have to be a Guild Wars player to appreciate some of the tremendous rendering in this very vague clip. Be sure and check out the water and fire. World of Warcrack (sic) has NEVER even thought about looking this good. There is a slight delay and also some weird ad before it starts. It's worth the wait, the trailer is over 4 minutes long.

Guild Wars 2 at IGN.com

Now if they will just give us a launch date!

"Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry."
~John Wesley

Ashy's Home

It's good to know that Ashy has returned home after a short stay in hospital. Didn't get to talk yesterday, but several people did on Teamspeak. Glad to be home was the theme. I checked in late on TS and everyone was glad that Ashy was online and playing Guild Wars. There were several phone calls of concern and beagle posted a comment on the preceding post, lol. Glad to know I am not the only one that does such things.

Have to remote in and see if a licensing problem can be handled about a small network utility. It's a known problem that the software manufacturer acknowledges and recommends a "fix" to correct the problem. It'll either work or a trip will be made early to physically reinstall the software. Hopefully the problem can be resolved by remote. We will see...

"Home is where you can say anything you like cause nobody listens to you anyway."
~Couch

Ashy's in Hospital

Just found out our friend Ashy entered the hospital last night around 2:00AM with severe pain in the abdomen. Seems there is a problem with the small intestine and the attendants were wheeling the gurney away as we hung up the phone a few minutes ago. Please include our friend and Guildmate in your prayers. I should know more this afternoon and will keep everyone informed. Spirits were good when we talked and there was some laughter so hopefully things will be okay.

Now it's time to put clothes in the dryer, trim the oak tree in the front yard, clean up around the house, go to the post office and work on the monowall project. Later.

"Faith is reason grown courageous."
~Sherwood Eddy

Half Full Glass

Sometimes you just can't put one foot in front of the other. Remembering that in this life change is likely and it may very well be positive is the best way to approach that foot tanglilng thing. This weekend has been that way. There's a lot going on around the beach house and I need to use this week to get caught up on various projects. So I am going to try to make Monday a positive day and just take it easy and not panic or become anxious (is that redundant?) Anyway, fell asleep at the computer 3 times today so it's time to hit the rack and see if sleep has a chance to overwhelm me. Tomorrow's post will probably be late too. Let's nope not. Nighters.

"The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead."
~Robert Brault

A Heads Up on Phone Usage at the Beach House

Just found out that it costs $.30 every time I receive a picture through text. Also, my ability to text is horrible and I can only send and receive a very limited amount each month. I'm glad people can afford the extra charges to do such things, but I cannot. So, my email address is cybersouth@gmail.com. Please use this as the main way to communicate or simply make a phone call. If I am asleep or have laid the phone down due to work that involves getting sweaty, your call will be returned. To avoid more costs I did not purchase insurance on this phone and it has to last 2 years. Phone calls are not a problem because our family account has plenty of rollover minutes. Please don't expect me to text back. I have huge fingers and, besides, I find it ludicrous to spend more time typing on those itty-bitty keyboards when making a call takes less time. Again I am glad for all of you that have data plans and can afford to send pixs at will. But, it adds up for me. I feel that I am considerate of others and really need you to help me hold costs down. Wish I had bought that insurance. If my phone breaks, I am screwed. If I could turn off texting I'd do it in a heartbeat. You can also Twitter me. The user name is dockvudu. I constantly check email throughout the day and try to keep my phone on me if at all possible. I am asking for your help. My money is limited and I support myself by being a conservative spender. Okay, I am cheap...

I am absolutely in love with the Motorola RAZR2 V9x. It's such a joy to have memory for tunes and all the great features that come with the phone. I don't use 3G since it's not yet available in our area. Heck I've only been on the web one time with it. The GPS feature can be awesome, but there's that added charge so it's not used. It's sleek, just the right size and makes nice with my disposable battery bluetooth. I am still finding features and love the "Imperial March" ringtone that beagle put on it for me. I always wonder if it's Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader or Jabba the Hut calling. You have to be a Star Wars fan to understand.

Your cooperation and consideration in these matters will be most appreciated. Just please send those phone pictures to my email NOT my phone. Thank you and good night.

"The bathtub was invented in 1850 and the telephone in 1875. In other words, if you had been living in 1850, you could have sat in the bathtub for 25 years without having to answer the phone."
~Bill DeWitt, 1972

A Few Hours Off the Planet...

We had a great night in GuildWars tonight. Lotta players, Teamspeak worked like a champ and there was a huge amount of laughter. Everyone was teasing and joking. Getting stuff accomplished in the game was secondary. It was all about friendship and our common love of things PC and this virtual world we escape to on occasion. We gained a new member in the Kudzu Dragons, Penitendagon Arelin, who has really been a 'member' for many years. That was icing on the cake. Those that missed...well, we'll do it again - the Good Lord willing. It was fun to escape for a few hours and enjoy the camaraderie. Tomorrow it's back to firewalls and paying bills. Nighters.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."
~F. Ball

Sanity and Chainsaws

Hate I missed posting yesterday. It's been crazy at the beach house. Trying to learn a new firewall system and sporadic calls in the field. Still putting together that protection software post too. Yardwork by myself involving a chainsaw has stopped. Too dangerous. We'll get through that this weekend with some help, I hope. The limbs aren't that big, but they snap back on you if someone is not there to hold while you cut. Throwing away some of the patio furniture and trying to make that area usable. Yep, been crazy and will stay crazy. Maybe we won't go insane!

"I saw him through my telescope,
On a cloudless night in June,
As he rested between voyages
At his beach house on the moon."
~Jimmy Buffett

Protection, It's a Good Thing

Still working on an extended post that will be the beach house recommendations of protection software freeware style. This has turned up many interesting facts and my main concern is not to duplicate. The ability to schedule scans at different times is also important. Everything will be included in the Links area to the right on a permanent basis. However, this post will involve all the nuances of installing, scheduling, what to scan, when to scan, etc. Various download sites will be recommended as will the homepages of all utilities reviewed. This has become more complicated by the day and I still recommend hardware firewalls for networks that need protection of critical data. Monowall is being tested and several should be in place on networks in the area before the end of the month. Will keep you posted.

If you are local be careful out there in the fog. The life you save may be my own.

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers."
~Edgar W. Howe

What Was It Ringo Said? "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends?"

Okay, Metrocast is having major outage problems today. The techs are on the job repairing various problems. I've called several times. Please understand - I DON'T OWN METROCAST!!!!!!!!!! I am a subscriber and so far they've done a pretty good job. But damn it all, don't hold me responsible when their system is down. It costs between 30 and 40 dollars a month for me to keep that hog of a server online 24/7 and I don't recall EVER asking anyone to pay one red cent towards this cost. So it's real simple...give it a rest for a few hours. Or crank up your own server and see how much quicker that electrical meter spins for you. BTW, the electrical company will measure cost per item for a nominal fee. They simply plug a device in the wall and it monitors and records. Gives a print out like an adding machine. Be nice to find such a device to purchase but so far cost is prohibitive.

Honest folks, this is sorta' insulting and it's apparent my feelings are hurt. Read the title again, damn it! Back to clean up work, but I will keep checking Metrocast's progress. Y'all have a pleasant day now...

"Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
and I'll try not to sing out of key."
~Richard Starkey (Ringo's real name) sang it, Lennon and McCartney wrote it and it was on Sgt. Pepper's circa 1967 - the year before I left for Vietnam

Saturday Not in the Park...but Close Enough

Working on the protection software recommendations. Security has become so complicated it's not as easy to compile a list of utilities that keep away the bad guys. Changing the way I take medication has something to do with my drowsiness I think. Slept good last night. The dreams were even pleasant. Last night was full of things about my daughters when they were young and what fun we could have doing simple things.

Anyway, hope to have good info soon on what I use to protect machines from all the different types of malware, spyware, adware, dungware, thiefware, garbageware, trashware, satanware, or whatever name you want to use. Procedures are not the same as the last time this was posted. For instance, I've dropped SpywareBlaster since it is duplicated in another program. Plus they now nag you for money outright. As long as they asked for donations that was great, but to deny part of the program until you pay is just tacky.

Many chores today. Must get to it. In the words of that simply marvelous Texas philosopher EdC, "Have a better than expected day!"

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come."
~Anne Lamott

Note (barely awake here)

Just another late night ramble. Nothing to say so I won't bore you further. Hang in there. Tomorrow always brings hope.
(too sleepy to quote, find a picture or a smilie)

Tonight is sponsored by the number 13!

Long week, long day. Trying to accomplish too much and need help. The chainsaw almost got me earlier today when a limb snapped and pushed the saw back my way. Stupid for me to try cutting down that huge hedge alone. God was certainly watching over me. I came in and stayed cool the rest of the evening.

Folks, I apologize about all the prime time sleeping and missing calls. I am returning your phone calls as soon as possible. I don't answer calls marked private and rarely take calls from out of the area. Even though I am on the 'no call list' there has been an increase in telemarketers over the past few months.

Nights like this one I wish I had one of those Sesame Street beds. You know the ones that use the numbering system. Hell the Count sometimes shows up in my nightmares anyway. Later.

"There is safety in numbers."
~B. Sisk

Canned Heat Wrote a Song About It

Long day today as will be tomorrow. Behind schedule and truck problems haven't helped. Know what's wrong and at least they won't ask for a body part. Still have to do some more maintenance to it. All in good time. The air blows cold, the radio works, it's ugly enough I don't think anyone would steal it and the gas mileage is okay. A faded red ugly truck sorta' goes with the beach house motif. Besides it looks good sitting beside a Harley! Anything looks good sitting beside a Harley. Or any kind of bike as far as that goes!

Hope you have better than expected dreams. Nighters.

“There is more credit and satisfaction in being a first-rate truck driver than a tenth-rate executive.”
~Forbes

Congrats Firefox!

It's amazing. A sluggish, problem laden browser dominated the world. Along came a bunch of old Netscape types (engineers, googly moogliers, etc.) that had been absorbed by AOL and a new browser was born. They became an opensource entity and decided to call it Firefox. Hmmmm, a bunch of old Netscapers working for AOL and building a browser? Sorta' a scary idea, huh? Now there have been over ONE BILLION DOWNLOADS! It has stayed opensource and they consistently strive to make improvements. Not to say it's been all easy going, but all in all, quite a success story. It is cross platform and will run on your Linux PC and even a Mac.

Not only has it given us the great flexibility and ease of web surfing, others have jumped on the band wagon and bettered their portal to the internet - most notably Internet Explorer. IE8 is a vast improvement over IE7 and especially IE6. Then there is a new player in the game that has blazing speed, Google's Chrome. This is a great example of how people can come together and have a positive influence on computing instead of hanging around a monitor with oozing faces and filled with hate working on the next virus or spyware garbage. Creeps!

So hats off to the all good guys at mozilla.com. Please keep up the good work on Sea Monkey, Thunderbird, Sunbird, etc. Even all the Windows Nazis have to feel a bit of pride. And the Apple Safari users? What can I say? Switch to Firefox! Your browser is your own business. Use what you prefer and remember I've that right too. Isn't it nice to have choices? Isn't it nice that, unlike the now defunct Netscape, there is NO cost involved. Prediction: Google's Chrome bears watching. They are doing tremendous things with speed. For now, Firefox rocks the beach house!!!!!

Lynette, don't give up on me. I am still pasting, writing, linking and researching protection software. That post is forthcoming. Everyone please remember, Tuesday is less than 24 hours away!

"When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback."
~Bill Copeland

Early Saturday Start With The Bird

Cleaning up Twitter. Dropped some people that I've been following since they spam with useless information. One group was dropped because they are still supporting a cause that is long dead. My favorite is still beagle. Needless to say her posts have relevancy in my life. Some folks had just posted once. They are now gone. Will once again make an effort to tweet more. My twitter name is dockvudu and I DON'T accept followers from porn sites. Gosh, there's a lot of those out there.

Amazing at some of the info that springs from this well. My favorite part of Conan O'Brien's show is Twitter Tracker. I rarely see it. Yes, I remain a loyal Letterman fan if up late enough to view. Hate he's been giving Sarah Palin a rough way to go, but that's mild compared to all the really nasty jokes about Bill Clinton. Hillary too. She really had a good time with Dave when she was a guest. Well, Bill deserved all the jokes...probably the first President to sit for a portrait with his pants off.

Twitter and politics. Interesting - to me anyway. Enjoy Saturday, I am working as this is written. No rest for the weary, blah, blah, blah! Even though the chance of rain is 50%, you can take it to the bank that we'll see some before today's out. Probably flash flood warnings at the very least. Do the local weather witchdoctors never look at the radar maps?

"Humor is a reminder that no matter how high the throne one sits on, one sits on one's bottom."
~Taki