It's a Linux Day in the Neighborhhood

First, be sure and visit one my guildmates site, another proud Guild Wars Kudzu Dragon, Ashrhetta's Space. Using Windows Live format this site is developing nicely. Brings to mind an old Southern expression, "Hold your beer and watch this!" Kudos and props my friend.

Just upgraded my Linux machine to Kubuntu 9.0.4. The KDE module is 4.2 and I think I'll leave it that way until 4.3 comes out of beta. It's really slick so far. Picked up all my devices, including the G5 laser mouse and jumped right on the internet. Looks like great fun to play with all the new goodies included in this version. Hoppa and Ty Roneus, y'all need to take a lookesee if you haven't. They have made great changes to desktop structure. And finally made changing the homepage a breeze! Am posting this with the Linux machine and can tell it does not like the keyboard. We'll change that. Also some of the blogger tools are missing but I bet that changes. Heck I should go back to layout format anyway. We'll see.

It's hot outside so I took a nap and am now in the process of throwing together a burrito or two. Letting the beef slow cook. Found my jalapenos hiding behind the pineapple juice. MOOOHEHEHHAHA!! They cannot hide!

"Friendship needs no words..."
~Dag Hammarskjold

Saturday Afternoon

Gosh, the past few weeks have been tough. Not all was bad, but several foolish incidents on my part created havoc at times around the beach house. I think most of my friends are speaking to me again, LOL. Seems the rain has subsided for a few days. It's not officially Summer until June 21st at 12:45AM CDT. In Mississippi it's hot. It'll get hotter too. According to the witch-doctors at the Weather Channel we will be blessed with temperate nights, say mid to upper 60s. It's afternoon and I hear the weed eater calling my name. In response I checked to make sure the front door was locked. About dark-thirty I may sneak out to pick up some ingredients for Tex-Mex. I have a movie that I've tried to watch for over a week now. Need to deliver some computer parts to Ashy, but think that's a good thing to schedule for tomorrow. So goes a lazy day at the beach house.

Still working on my network and cleaning up this pig sty. May do a computer build later or tomorrow or Monday, maybe Tuesday...

"Spring comes with flowers, autumn with the moon, summer with the breeze, winter with snow. When idle concerns don't fill your thoughts, that's your best season."
~Wu-Men

Back to Tech

We've talked enough here about non tech things over the past few days. If you are running Windows Vista go download Service Pack 2 aka SP2. An uber tech friend says it helps the 32bit and 64bit just a whole bunch! Speed is supposed to increase and that's always good? Right? Right. I like Vista and think it has had its share of dissing that's unfair. At the same time I still don't like Home Basic or the Business version of Vista. Get Home Premium or Ultimate. But hey! Basic or Business may work for you. We'll have to wait and see about Windows 7. My guess is that it will be a very good operating system. Keep the technical faith. Windows/Microsoft hasn't dominated the market for years just because they have a clever name.

That's it. No more. Grab a casual Friday and try to make the world a better place.

"Never let your friends down on purpose. If you do, try your absolute best to recover. It will be worth it."
~L. Easley

Beach House Politics

In the course of conversation last night it was mentioned that I had stated that nothing political would be mentioned here. Sorry, that's just not the way the beach house ball bounces. I didn't want Obama elected and campaigned for McCain. Yet, he is my President now and my citizenship dictates that I support his efforts. I do. I hope he does a good job. It will be extremely pleasing if he can guide us through the worst economic upset seen in my lifetime.

But, you can bet your sweet bippie that I'll most likely support the Republican candidate during the next Presidential election. I'll also vote for the person I think most qualified so that doesn't make my GOP decision set in stone. I have many great friends. The vast majority are Republicans. Two are aligned with the Democratic party, but are closet Republicans. They belong to unions. I have only one true Democrat as a friend, well two including his wife. There's actually one more and you'll understand if you keep reading.

Now face facts. Let me repeat my position as far as politics and this site. It is beyond a doubt things will come up on occasion. This is basically a site for the ramblings of a southern nerd and sometimes tech support for computers is posted. I do have opinions and will continue to express my feelings about various instances that occur out there in the real world. If you are a Democrat you are more than welcome to visit here anytime. I visit the Mississippi Political site and am impressed with the wealth of information that can be found there. They do not lean towards the Republicans. Yet, it is interesting to read the many articles and various material. This is a well done site that has survived the years and is easily navigated. Kudos to them.

This all leads to a major decision about the upcoming mayoral election in Saltillo, MS. I am an avid supporter of the Democratic candidate, Mr. Paul Turner. The present mayor (IMHO), Bill Williams is a jerk and a liar. He claims to have made major changes in our city water. He indicates they are positive changes. Folks, stop by and have a drink of tap water. I'll be surprised if you finish it. He sat on his dead butt in a bank for years, retired and beat out Paul who was serving on the city council and had great support from within. I thought Paul would beat this guy by a tremendous margin. Well, this time around it may happen. Bill has all these goofy cars, trucks, etc., all over town and stickers, banners and other promos thick throughout the city. So he's running scared. And should. I feel Paul Turner is a better man than Bill Williams. I think Paul will help this city too.

Just the other day I overheard a conversation in a local business that is new to our community. It was the manager talking to one of the owners saying that Bill Williams hardly ever left his office and had not been in this new business. They are proud of a display they have at the front of the store that is based on Saltillo history and memorabilia. The manager was upset that the mayor of the town hadn't visited to at least acknowledge the nice display. As I pulled out of the parking lot it was noted that the same manager got in a truck that had Paul Turner stickers on the doors, LOL.

Soon I plan to have pictures of posters Bill has had scribbled that claim he's a water guru. Ridiculous. I have to buy water to make coffee. The water out of the tap smells like an over chlorinated swimming pool with other chemicals present as well. Downright nasty. And at times I replace my underwear beacuse Bill Williams supposed improved water system turns brown periodically therefore turning my undies that color. I believe there may be a potential country song about this problem. Oh yes, if you see Bill, make sure he reads this post. I'd like to challenge him to a "celebrity" boxing match with all proceeds going to city improvements. Don't get too excited folks. If by a slim chance this exhibition took place, it'd be over early in the first round. Is my opinion clear or am I tooooooo wishy-washy?

Please remember, this is MY site. You can comment all you want and the email address is cybersouth@gmail.com. Please, no harsh vulgar rants. We should all be politically aware. So politics will come up from time to time. I just don't want this site to be a political forum. Besides, this is NOT a forum period.

"The history of American politics is littered with bodies of people who took so pure a position that they had no clout at all."
~Ben C. Bradlee

Google Rocks!

There are several sites available to help with Google, Picasa and other things used by Google-ites, (or is it Googlers?). The sheer depth of Google is overwhelming at times. Beyond any doubt, IMHO, the best search engine from here to the Oort Cloud. GMail is the absolute bombdiggity, Google Earth is fun, Google Maps are helpful, Blogger (a Google property) is used to write this page, YouTube (also a Google property) is great, Picasa 3 is awesome and this list can go on and on. There are many help sites for Google. Try Google Guide. Want an up to date breakdown of the many Google areas and vast information? Take a look at the Usability Views page named Simply Google.

Many people use the free photo managing software Picasa 3. You can read several recent reviews and download the software at CNet. There are many help sites for Picasa 3 and Google's Picasa Basics is a VERY good place to start. If you have important photographs and are like 98% of the computer users of the world that don't back up ANYTHING!!?!?!!?, then build an online album with Picasa. That way you can always download photos needed. If you are a newbee please take the time to study some of the tutorials. This is by far the easiest photo editing software I've found. Want the hardest? Spend the big bucks for that horrible Adobe Photoshop and learn how to pull your hair out in one easy lesson. Yes, yes, Photoshop is very powerful and can do marvelous things, but for the average user is it too expensive and a downright bitch to learn and use.

One Google tool used at the beach house more frequently is Google's browser, Chrome. It's fast. The layout is simple enough and it is well worth downloading. They have a different look. I am still an avid supporter and user of Firefox, but Chrome is my second choice. Internet Explorer needs to stay your default browser. Trust me, don't change it. Just don't use it. Use Firefox or Chrome. I simply don't like IE8 as well as the other browsers mentioned. It's okay. It's just not Firefox. I haven't looked at Opera or Sea Monkey lately, but will eventually download them again to see what they are doing. Anyway, click on the links and try my two favorite browsers and let me know what you think.

If you have input about Picasa or browsers or search engines please use the comments. Always good to know about site recommendations, alternative software, new browser features, neat tricks, etc. That why the Comments feature exists. BTW, I can't believe no one had anything to say about the awesome video yesterday. Should I stop posting music videos?

When this post was conceived Google was used to search for Oort Cloud. It was a spelling thangy, lol.

"The workers and professionals of the world will soon be divided into two distinct groups. Those who will control computers and those who will be controlled by computers. It would be best for you to be in the former group."
~Lewis D. Eigen

Sanford -Towsend Band - Smoke From A Distant Fire. This is the Epitome of Great Rock n Roll

This rocks! Okay, maybe we need a little more information. Sanford-Townsend Band didn't stick around long. The album that contains this song does not have a bad song on it. Keep in mind this was 1977. The engineering is 110% for a live performance during that time period. And the musicians are absolutely awesome. They have it all. Kickass horn player, Sanford is playing a for-real Hammond B3 organ with a Leslie spinning its ass off, the guitar player rocks, the bass player is spot on, the lead singer, John Townsend, is super especially with that sustained last note. The harmonies are incredible. The drummer syncs a perfect beat. Turn up your speakers, put on the headphones, damn it all, get up and dance! This is great, great rock n roll.

Be sure and watch the lead singer. During that era my hair was that long and I was that skinny. I played music for a living while in college and wish I'd stuck with it. But a purple haze came along, well, it actually followed me home from Vietnam. That fog didn't lift for many years. I thank God for seeing my sorry butt through all that goofiness. My Mother says I had a long climb up Fool's Hill.

"Without MUSIC to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
~Frank Zappa

All Gave Some, Some Gave ALL

Please pray for those fallen in battle and especially their families. Throughout our history men and women have sacrificed their lives to keep us free. While you enjoy that day by the pool or lounging on the beach please remember to stop and honor these brave heroes that died for you. Say Grace over that burger, hotdog, etc. and give thanks to God we are a free nation. Give thanks our heroes that have crossed the bar believed in Liberty and the American Way.





This post is dedicated to Myles K. Magness, his family and many friends. May he rest in peace.

"For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity."
~William Penn

Really Want to See the New Star Trek Movie!

Hope everyone is spending time with family, friends, loved ones and grilling some type of beast. The weather here is so iffy it's hard to make plans. Just turned down two different invitations to see Star Trek. My head hurts and left ear is minimal hearing level at best so it'd be senseless to attempt that unless a miracle hits. Thanks out to all you evil Vietnamese Chuck SOBs for that permanent hearing loss and 24/7 ringing. God bless all our fallen brothers and sisters in arms. I do believe in miracles, but not really looking for one around the beach house today. Enough whining.

Will leave you to festivities and keep my wimpyasss whining internal today. Heck, may take meds and return to bed. Later.

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic."
~John A. Logan

Rain and Remembrance

Riding mower is working again. Finding the battery charger did the trick. Finished a few spots I told Mudslingr to leave. Have to weed eat the ditch, which is nothing. Mudslingr trimmed up for me and there's a stack of clippings to be picked up that are 6 to 8 feet tall. The lawn looks much better. And I don't hear that Serengeti type growling in the tall grass anymore. We finished just in time since rain is headed this way. It's traveling north from the coast which usually means heavy rains. Oh well, the grill is on the veranda.

Enjoy the day. Remember those fallen in battle to keep our country free.

"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead."
~Robert G. Ingersoll

Sap is Dripping From a Beach House Tree, a "Big Lardbutt Tree"

Yesterday ended up a good day. Mudslingr, my son-in-law, came by and mowed the yard. YES! Thanks for helping with something way past due! Found the lost battery charger and the mower is charging. Filled the dumpster which they picked up yesterday. Worked on several online projects and made some headway. It was great to see Neal, my fellow Tishomingo County friend who is like a true brother to me. Congrats on the really cool 9mm.

After a brief nap I actually played Guild Wars with Merlin of Buckhorn finishing several missions. It's always fun to play my Necromancer, Maskull Tor, but it was a blast bringing in my Monk, Red Elvis, for a few missions. That's Red in the pix. Click on it and it will enlarge slightly. We had a great time and there was constant laughter. Merlin is not only a great friend, but one heckuva player too. He has a tremendous sense of humor. Good to get away to my virtual world and relax.

Ashy the advice about advanced Comodo suite? Simply awesome. Thanks. Beagle and Verdana, always good to hear your sweet voices. Several more people called concerning my bout with the red wasp. Thanks Hoppa, Murf, Red Dragon, Laundry Witch, Felecia (hope you're okay after having your car rear-ended), Larry, Greg, and Ty Roneus Rex for the positive input. Thanks Larry-Charlotte and Jerry-Linda for being great neighbors. Appreciate the plaintain cure MJR. Several ppl emailed and really backed up the super benefits of the plaintain. Symptoms have disappeared. The earache is now a full blown (pun intended) sinus infection so it should subside in a few days - have meds. Thanks out to all my great clients for their patience and understanding.

It's so nice to know that we care about each other. Even the small things count in times of need. No doubt my loyal friends are true blessings in my life and I consider all of you extended family. Man, we all get down. Everyone experiences tough times. A kind act, a brief contact to help shore up and reinforce optimism mean a lot to me. Having friends like all of y'all sure makes life easier and well worth living.

Please drive safely this weekend. The life you save may be my own. It may also save your life too!

"The greatest sweetener of human life is friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover."
~Joseph Addison

EDIT: Lisa, so sorry about your appendix being removed. Just heard about it. Instead of me pestering you please call at your convenience. Laundry Witch didn't have my number, but she does now. Please let me know if there's anything I can do!!

Laptops, Some Truths and Some Lies

Lusting over notebooks at the beach house. Dreams unreachable give me hope and the desire to strive towards monetary reward. Of course I won't even consider anything but a Toshiba. Got my eye on one that is loaded with a discrete 1GB graphics card. Now there's a LAN Party Machine! Also researching MacBooks for some of my friends. Right now the only way to go is MacBook Pro. Either the 15" or 17" seem okay. One nice thing about the 15" is it does have a removable battery. Apple is due to make some major changes, but they aren't scheduled to show up until sometime in the fall of this year. They all come with only 512MB of RAM and that really sucks. I wouldn't have one of those silly Airbooks if they gave it to me. Please my fellow Windows Nazis, don't diss me about checking on Apple. This unit is going overseas and is required by the learning institution that will be attended. For the same money spent for an Apple I can build a gaming machine that will knock your socks off. But, to each his or her own...

The commercials about Macs not getting virus infections tickle me. Believe me, you better have some type of virus protection on any Apple or you're asking for trouble. Hey, not a bad idea to run an anti-virus program on a Linux machine either. The situation with hacking, stealing information, malware of all kinds has hit an all time high. Protect your machine and especially protect your network. The time has come that everyone should consider hardware firewalls if they are running server client networks. More on that later. Oh yes, poorly maintained Macs also have a crash rate not too far behind a poorly maintained PC. Their TV ads are VERY misleading.

Memorial Day weekend is almost here. Hang in there folks. This time tomorrow you'll be daydreaming of the lake, the pool, the patio, the grill, etc. I will probably daydream about repairing the riding mower, lol.

“Great liars are also great magicians.”
~Adolf Hitler

Tech Help and Observations (Kewl Quote Today)

Over that past few days Spybot Search & Destroy has had several updates. Most people need to check for updates manually (I do) so it may behoove you to hit that update button. Be sure and immunize. Hit the green + sign at the top of the immunize page to start the immunization process. There's also a virus making its rounds disguised as a UPS or DHL shipping notice message. Don't do it! Do a check before opening. Just scan that particular email with your anti-virus. BTW, have you defragmented your PC lately? Might be a good idea to check that too.

After the outrage at Notre Dame due to President Obama delivering the commencement address, all the protesters and the fact he had NO business at a Roman Catholic University given his somewhat shadowed religious beliefs, it was refreshing to read about another person addressing a graduating class. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, addressed the attentive gathering at the University of Pennsylvania. He actually told them to turn off the computers for a while and look around in the analog world. Schmidt said. "Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps." Wow! Go Eric! Read about it at the Associated Press. Normally these things bore me, but this is an awesome article. Check it out.

No grumbling today. Some friends helped my plight by being good listeners or offering aid, some ignored me and others hung up. Thank you MJR for the offered Plaintain Cure, thanks Hoppa for the kind ear, thank you Verdana, Beagle, Felecia (edit: sorry about your rear end car accident while we we talking!) and Ashy for listening. Thanks to all my clients for their patience without pressure. Ahhh, so goes the way of the world. Have problems and friends tend to show true colors. God willing, today will be a better day. Lord-dee I was grouchy yesterday. Repairing the riding mower is the inside (or would that be outside?) beach house priority. You can bet your sweet bippie I'll be watching for those red wasps, lol. Nice to have my half full glass back. Have a casual day.

"Talk is by far the most accessible of pleasures. It costs nothing in money, it is all profit, it completes our education, founds and fosters our friendships, and can be enjoyed at any age and in almost any state of health."
~Robert Louis Stevenson

What? Why?

Aching foot from wasp sting, aching back from ladder fall and now an earache. What's next? Death? Sorry, but I feel miserable. Just tried to mow yard and the riding mower won't run. Can't find my brand new battery charger and even if it cranks it only runs for a minute or so. I am tired, don't feel good and am not accomplishing a damned thing. Screw it all, I am taking meds and going back to bed. Later.

Cats and Dogs (Fellow Guildmates and Gamers Please Read the EDIT)

I like dogs. I like cats too. But dogs are special because when I grew up we always had a dog. Mother likes cats too, but I don't think Dad was especially fond of them. Seems like there was always an outside cat around and I know he fed the ones that lived around the barn. So maybe he did like cats just not in the house. Dogs were permitted inside if it was extremely cold. I think I remember a cat or two sharing that warm respite too. Oh yes, the title to the pix of the puppies is 'WASSSUP!!'

My two daughters are animal lovers. My youngest, net-name Beagle, has dogs and cats. They are cool. My oldest daughter has 3 cats. They are cool too. I have no pets since frequent road trips would leave them abandoned. Animals need their humans. Beagle takes pictures for the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society and works with them as a volunteer. By the way, they can always use donations. It can be money, food, food bowls, etc. Since my oldest daughter, net-name Verdana, has a 2 year old daughter and a two month old daughter, needless to say, she stays busy. I envision the day when she will aid their local humane shelter.

Anyway I think I may have stumbled on a site that might be new to them. It is the Daily Puppy. The site uses a newspaper format and is full of pictures, information and fun. Of course there's always laughs at icanhasacheeseburger aka LOLCats and ihasahotdog aka LOLDogs. These sites might not match the trunk monkey stuff, but some of the shots are hilarious. Hey, trunk monkeys rule.

Big thanks out to Red Dragon for forwarding the pixs used today. He's also an animal lover. Check out the sites. LOLDogs and LOLCats have thousands of pictures and you can even send them one of your own pet with captions and all. When the going gets rough I can visit these sites and always come away feeling more positive.

"I never married because there was no need. I have three PETS at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon and a cat that comes home late at night."
~Marie Corelli

EDIT: After being down for 2 weeks with a shoulder injury due to a fall off a ladder, now I've been stung by a red wasp on the ball of my foot. I am so allergic they won't let me carry one of those kits around. I HAVE to go to the doctor. I did. Now the shoe will fit. It wouldn't this morning. The nausea has subsided. It still hurts like hell. So, we LAN party at the beach house July the 4th...not this coming Memorial Day weekend. Disappointment is already coming in from several gamers and I feel guilty because I said I would not cancel. Things are just too scattered to pull everything together by this weekend and due to extra medical stuff the cash flow is nil. It'll be better on July 4th. Besides, the 4th is just a bit over a month away! Again, the guilt is bothering me and I am sorry.

Rest

After a full day of working on projects that have been overdue for years, I find myself aching and sore. This is just to say I lived through it, but being out of shape sucks when you have to do physical labor. By no means are all the tasks on the list done so it'll be a busy week. Hope everyone had a peaceful Sunday. It was truly a day of rest for me.

Have some really neat animal related subjects for tomorrow. So visit and leave a comment about your pet or a funny animal experience. Still wish I had that theft prevention trunk monkey option in my stolen El Camino...

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."
~Aristotle

The Door and Truck

Tyroneus Rex came by today and now the beach house truck is running like a sewing machine and...THE NEW GARAGE DOOR OPENER IS INSTALLED AND WORKING!!! My Dad trained me well on how to hand tools and hold a flashlight. So you know who did most of the work. Thanks for the help Ty. Both projects were at the top of my list. And we are doing more tomorrow afternoon.

Great day and I am tired. Only casualty was the rain took out my cell phone for a while. So glad I have an extra. If I missed your call, it's back up and working. Everyone have a casual evening.

"Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine."
~Charles Dickens

TGIF, Just Two More Days to Work This Week

Google experienced a slowdown of services yesterday. Most occurred during the early morning hours and went unnoticed. However, it peaked around the noon hour. Folks this is no big deal. Happens to EVERY website. And it will happen again. Noteworthy only because of Google's dependability! Seems a router had problems with USA and Asian traffic. All is well now. Please understand that they carry at least 5% of the web volume at all times. I bet that router was reprimanded severely (insert evil grin here). Check more info at the Google Blog.

Still studying this Kindle + blog thing offered by Amazon. Looks like you list your blog and they sell subscriptions for nominal fees. Doesn't sound like my type of service. Will keep watching though. Don't get me wrong, I really like Amazon. Very good site that delivers their products in a timely fashion. Almost as good as NewEgg.

The CIA has warned Israel not to bomb Iran's nuclear project without checking with the Obama administration. This is prompted by a recent change in Israeli government that tends to be hawkish. Yeah right! Like Israel thinks they need our permission. NOT! That idiot that leads Iran, think his name is Mouthmood Imadinnerjacket, needs to quit being a mule's ass and join the human race. I, for one, would not want the country of Israel mad at me. They don't play around. Look at what happened in Iraq a few years ago. Read more at FoxNews.

Beach house activities are behind. Up at 5:30AM doing laundry. Full day in the field and then a weekend of constant chores. So I am outta here!

"If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War."
~George Washington

Squared Google?

Just found some useful items concerning GMail. If you click on Settings and go to Themes you can change the look of your account. This is handy for me since one account has red highlights in Internet Explorer and the other account is green in Firefox. Also, Google is busy creating new tools for GMail. Go to Settings and click on Labs. GMail, IMHO, is the best email service in the solar system.

If you use iGoogle for your homepage (I definitely do on all browsers) they have many themes that change the look of the page. Check it out at iGoogle Themes. Beagle, they've got one with your name on it. It's titled Puppies.


Look at that cutie to the far left, lol. They have pages of themes so there's most likely something that will strike your fancy. I still use the Beach theme because I think it's kewl how the sun goes up and down with the time of day. You just add your time zone to it and it does it automatically.

This info came about due to my curiosity about Google Squared. You can read about it at COMPUTERWORLD. This is a new format that should be out before the end of the month. How does it work? Let's say you search for, "small dogs." Google Squared will give you a list of different breeds with pictures, a short description and links. How kewl is that? Will keep you posted when I see it released.

Hope this helps.

"The science of today is the technology of tomorrow."
~Edward Teller

Nerd Alert: This is about Guild Wars

Back a while ago I received a T-shirt that said, "Running to Droks, leaving in 5." You have to play GuildWars to really understand the significance of this phrase. It is something in the game I've tried to do with very little success. Still, I've worn the shirt so much it is faded and very comfortable. A few days ago I received the shirt pictured. Instead of green it is gray. The words are most applicable to my Warrior character. His name is Colonel Reb.

Back when Neal and CC gave me the game on December 5, 2005, I waited until the 9th to activate it. My intense study of the 6 different professions available at the time delayed my start by 4 days, but I've never looked back. The first character chosen was and is a Necromancer who is a dark shade of a character, but a good guy. Why did I choose this type of profession? From reading all those Ann Rice books? No. At the time no one I knew played one of these dark lords. So I made one. His name is Maskull Tor. In full it is Maskull Tormance but he goes by Tor which is a title of leadership within his clan. Yes, yes, I am addicted and would play more if time permitted. The name was inspired by a very strange, ethereal science fiction novel, A Voyage to Arcturus. The entire text is free to read online at Project Gutenberg. The author is David Lindsay and it was published in 1920!

Many of my 11 characters have names associated with this book. But, there are two exceptions. My second character developed was and is the Warrior mentioned, Colonel Reb. He's the one that is connected to the shirt pictured. He is great fun to play and behind Maskull Tor is the most played character on my account. The Colonel was created on a whim when I typed in the name thinking someone would have snatched it up. After all, the game had its debut in April 2005 so had been out several months. No one had taken it so I jumped on it. Would ya think I am an Ole Miss fan? Warriors can use swords, war axes, or war hammers. The also use shields with the first two weapons. Colonel Reb has ALWAYS been a sword warrior. He's also gotten in trouble poking many things in the game with his various swords.

I don't go to bars, don't gamble, am reclusive and love playing this game due to the fact that both of my daughters have characters and I get to chat with them online while playing. It's also great fun. Plus several local friends play and I've met some really nice people in the game from all over the world. Might also mention that I have a Monk named Red Elvis in the game. What do you expect from someone from Tupelo, MS? That story is for another time. Enough. Thanks Verdana and family for the wonderful shirt. I am wearing it again today. Thanks out to all my fellow guild members and game friends for this relaxing, fun vacation from the real world. Sometimes it is a great stress reliever to poke something with a sword.

Tomorrow I'll try to venture back into the realm of technology. Have a casual Wednesday.

"Has fortune dealt you some bad cards? Then let wisdom make you a good gamester."
~Francis Quarles

Monkey Shines

I am still laughing. Ashy turned me on to this video and it is hilarious. Be sure and watch the two things he offers the state trooper.

Hope this made your Tuesday a little brighter!

"Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors."
~Norman Cousins

Monday Ramblings n a Little Day Music

Several people have reported that the new Star Trek movie is the best of all of them. It grossed over 7 million dollars at 3849 theaters last Thursday. Justin Timberlake was actually funny during the few skits I watched on Saturday Night Live. I did fall asleep though. Everyone seemed to have fun in the Guild Wars weekend event. Sorry guys, if I missed ya. I worked on the bench and finally finished that one PC that has been giving me fits - bad memory module. Read right in BIOS, but too many errors in Windows. New stick of memory really helped clean up problems. Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. My oldest daughter didn't get to visit due to illness. Will see them later this week.

How about an up-tempo oldie but goodie to start Monday? Thought these guys were German for a long time, but they are British. Actually from the Isle of Wight. Yes, Douglas Adams fans, the name does come from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.



Have a casual Monday.

"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
~Aldous Huxley

Nice Quiet Day (I Hope, I Hope!)

At 4:40AM in the morning many eons ago the world saw the arrival of my lardbutt. Guess Mother was fairly comfortable this time of year and Dad was probably out hunting mammoths or fighting off pterodactyls at the mouth of the cave. Knowing him, he had one of those cool Flinstone like cars and may have rushed her to Quarry Central Hospital and Emporium to deliver. It's been so long ago no one remembers very clearly. Hmmm, vaguely remember when dirt was made. Let's just hope I can make it another year. No gifts please and I WILL spend a day at the beach house ALONE. Sorry, no time for visits so the door won't be answered. Folks, work is really piled up - literally. No it's not rudeness, it's necessity.

It's a rainy Sunday in the NE corner of Mississippi. Still fighting bench work so this is good, but may delay seeing my oldest daughter and her family for a few days. They are visiting in Tupelo today. With a two year old daughter and a 2 month old daughter they probably aren't going to feel like dragging them around in this weather. The rain drops to a 50% chance about dark-thirty so that means a full day of drizzle. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and men...Besides I'll be in their area sometime this next week. Be nice to go by and see the new temporary digs.

The main reason for the trip is a late Mother's Day visit. The beach house truck needs some work before any type of road trip. Mother has known this for a while and has no problem with the delay. Wanted to attend church with her today, but a nice lunch and all in a few days will be casual. So it's a lonely day spent left to bench work and house cleaning. Actually I am planning on an extended period of hard drive transfers plus being out of hot water at times (from washing dishes) which will give me a few minutes to play Guild Wars. Definite priority is getting the PC on the bench into top condition.

"Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself."
~Tom Wilson

Another Week Winding Down or Starting Up?

Found this amusing:



It's so nice that Friday has arrived. Weather looks good today. May be dry enough to mow. Only two more days to work this week. Being physically distressed for a week has really sucked. The ear infection seems to be subsiding. The shoulder injury is not doing a dance up and down the nerve endings in my right side as much. Actually got about 6 hours sleep last night. Still fighting benchwork. Have to get busy with yard chores and house cleaning. For fellow Guild Wars players, please remember this is a double reputation point weekend in EOTN. Great time to rack up those Deldrimor, Asuran, Ebon Vanguard and Norn points. You might even achieve a max title! Last time this buff was made available (in Nightfall not Eye of the North) I doubled my Sunspear points in Elona and made Legendary Spearmarshall. For fellow humans, please remember Sunday is Mother's Day.

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
~Sophia Loren

Late Ramblings

Long aching day. Finally seem to grasp TweetDeck. It's a tool used with Twitter. Amazing at the info you can gather from everyone I am following. Like I really need another internet gadget to occupy my time. It's beginning to be fun though.

I want everyone to just forget that my birthday is soon. I am wayyy too old to actually celebrate. Besides, my gift giving has been very sparse over the past few years and receiving them makes me feel guilty. So just chill out and let's hope I make another year.

Remember, Sunday is Mother's Day.

"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."
~Charles Schulz

The Great Fred's Dollar Store Parking Lot Tragedy

The tech world is newsworthy today. Microsoft is laying off, there's a rumor Apple is trying to buy Twitter for 700 million (my vote is NO! Nix! NYet!) and the internet is buzzing about the Windows 7 Release Candidate. Seems many people are discovering hardware issues when trying to run the XP-emulation. vununet.com labs blog has more detailed info. Craigslist is catching flack about sex ads again and there's some new "player" called Kindle making a stir in the web cauldron. Will let you know more as info comes in. Wonder if we will now become Kindlers? It may be old news for all I know.

Did a test drive yesterday that went okay. One exception. There was almost a pain blackout as I lifted my right arm to avoid the steering wheel when exiting the beach house truck at Fred's Dollar Store. That mistake won't occur again. As I groaned and moaned the elderly lady in the SUV next to me rolled up the window and locked the doors. Gosh, I feel so stupid. No doubt I have been up and down ladders at least 10,000 times and this is my first semi-serious injury. Going to doctor in a few days. Please exercise patience with me because mine is wearing thin. I hate this not being able to tie my own shoes without wincing and crying like a girlyman. Arrrgghhh (sob, sob)!

"How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?"
~William Shakespeare, Othello, 1604

Temptations Said It Best, "Ball of Confusion"

Windows PCs are favored at the beach house. After 5 or 6 years Microsoft has Windows XP running at optimum levels. Of course they killed mainstream support a few weeks ago, which still has me baffled. Apparently it makes marketing sense to the bozos driving that crazy train. Heck what do you expect from a company that still has head goofball Steve Ballmer on the active payroll? Vista had its share of problems at first. Microsoft responded promptly and has made Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate good operating systems. Vista Home Basic is pure trash and I won't allow a copy of Vista Business on any of my machines. Just too buggy and won't play nice with many other applications. And then there's the 64bit versus 32bit argument. If you want to run 64bit XP or Vista that's your privilege. I personally think there's enough headaches in keeping a 32bit machine healthy. Which do you have on your PC? There's a 99.99% chance your are working in the 32bit arena.

Now we come to Windows 7. You can download the Release Candidate version from a few different Microsoft sites now. How much? Have no idea. Why? Don't care. The final version won't be out until late fall so I certainly will not spend money on something that is being rumored as a necessary format and reload when the final version arrives on the scene. Rumors abound. I've heard that it will only run 3 applications at a time. There's a bruhaha all over the net about Windows 7 coming equipped with an XP emulation in case your programs won't run resident under Windows 7. Seems like a lot of trouble and front end patching to me. Why doesn't Microsoft just wait until they have all this worked out? When people have to format their hard drives and see if their saved data from Window 7RC will work on the final version there will be tempers rising.

So far everyone that has run Windows 7 free beta release seems to like it. My fellow tech and great friend Hoppa has positive input about it over at TechandLife. Several more friends have also said it is a step in the right direction. So why come out with a flim flam version now? Why not wait until it is COMPLETE? One word. Greed. Like Microsoft really needs the money! Ha! There are articles all over the internet about these issues. You can start with PCWorld or ZDNet. Before all is said and done (with the preliminary bitching and whining behind us) Windows 7 will probably turn out to be a good OS. An afterthought, why are they including an XP emulation instead of a Vista emulation? Oh yeah, many applications won't run in Vista. I forgot.

In the meantime, what few spare minutes that rarely show up at the beach house will be spent learning more about Linux Server flavors. Also, FreeBSD (another free, opensource, very stable OS) just released a new model. You can read about it at their super slick site FreeBSD.org. FreeBSD is the operating system that is the basic code for Apple's OSX and later versions. All that Jaguar, Panther, house cat, smelly cat stuff they now run. It's actually a good platform, but still burns me that Apple took free software, doctored it with orchard voodoo and act like they were given this on clay tablets from above. Not so. Let's see, FreeBSD = free. Apple = silly, ridiculous, absurd cost. Just go check their prices. BTW, Apple is now wanting to make their own CPUs. Check out MaximumPC. What a joke. Think they'll ever learn to leave well enough alone? I am giving 100 to 1 odds they won't.

Going to try out driving today to see if the ear infection is still jacking with my balance. The shoulder blade still hurts if I raise my arm chest high. But, I must get to work. This is the 4th day without any field work. Patience is a learned virtue...I've learned. Somewhat. Y'all have a nice Tuesday.

“An elephant is a mouse with an operating system.”
~D. Neal Jennings