Such a Night

Everyone please be careful tonight. DON'T DRIVE DRUNK!!!! Many children will be out gathering trick or treat goodies and they tend to get excited about it. You never know when one might get away from a parent and run out in the street. Parents, please accompany you children. They do not need to be out prowling the streets without supervision.

If you are at a party and someone is too drunk to drive stop him or her at all costs. If you can't wrestle him or her down and take the keys then get help. Remember, many people carry spare car keys in their wallet or purse. I do. So make sure one of your friends doesn't put himself or anyone else in harm's way. The life you save may be your own. Won't affect me unless they run into the house. It's stay home and behave night for me. I do not like this holiday, but it used to be fun watching my daughters dress up and do the candy dance.

Outta here and:




"'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world."
~William Shakespeare

Sergeant at Arms, You Say?

The market is recovering and the Phillies won the World Series. They defeated a team from Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays. The yellow dog media is going all out to get that junior senator from Illinois of questionable background elected President. Thank the Good Lord for Fox News. God bless Senator McCain and Gov Palin. Nothing would delight me more than for them to win. If Matt Lauer, Regis Philbin, Oprah, that usual gaggle of Hollywood Halfwits, Mr. Susan Sarandon, the Good Morning America crew, the New York Times and others in the media have anything to do with it the election will be a disaster.

October 28, 2008, at 7:06.07PM CDT this site was visited by the United States Senate Sergeant at Arms office. The IP used was 156.33.100.#. The operating system was XP and Firefox was the browser used. The visit was to the front page. The "good" Sergeant was here for about 1 minute. Yep, it's true. The old senate.gov in all its "glory." This fed found this site via MississippiPolitical. This is a site I often link and will put back in the links list now that I've discovered how to republish my links page. I am not always in agreement with MississippiPolitical, but it is a well written site that has a plethora of good information. They are pro-Obama and that's their right as U.S. Citizens. Still, you can read a variety of articles and the links page (Cybersouth is on it) is awesome. Keep up the good work, please. Just like the feds to snoop around. I could give a rat's ass less what they think. Remember, we have a Democratic Congress. Just thought I'd mention it in case I suddenly disappear. Haven't seen any black helicopters yet, LOL.

My morning start is way behind schedule so I'll cut this short and hit the dusty trail. Hang in there and remember tomorrow we can TGIF.

"The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment."
~Robert M. Hutchins, circa 1954

ISP is Down, Up, Wait...Down. No Up!

My apologies out to everyone. The internet connection has been down most of the afternoon and still seems to be experiencing problems. I am trying to reconfigure the TeamSpeak server with the proper #s. Do a search if you cannot connect. No passwords or user names have changed. Hopefully they will resolve their issues soon. It is somewhat aggravating.

"A man's gotta know his limitations."
~Clint Eastwood

Mairead Nesbitt

She is so talented. When she plays it touches my heart and warms my soul. This music is awesome. So refreshing to hear real music instead of someone cursing and talking about killin' some gangsta. The first tune is very moving and the second one is just a whole bunch of fun. Wow! Perfection mildly describes this:

Told ya! Thank you so much rose444100 for blessing us with these wonderful videos. You can read more about Mairead at Wikipedia or visit her Official Web Site.

"Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends."
~Alphonse de Lamartine

Selfish Exclusion of Lighting?

Halloween is Friday. No one has extended a party invitation, thank goodness. Not a complaint at all. Never have liked crowds and just not a big Halloween supporter. If I went to a party I'd try to find the mask pictured. To wear, I mean. Kewl, huh?

Holidays for me are Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. These are fun days that involve cooking on the grill and enjoying American traditions like ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and barbeque beans. Also like the food at Thanksgiving, but there's something foreboding about Turkey Day. I think it is keyed by the Black Friday of shopping for the Christmas Holiday season.

Christmas is so commercial. Do you remember it celebrates the birth of Jesus? Do your children know about the manger and wise men? If you want to read about one of those other holidays that occur around the same time, by all means, have at it. It just happens that I celebrate Christmas because I am Christian. And something I am not concerned about is being politically correct. Anyway, back to Halloween.

The beach house does not get into it. Spooks, ghosts and ghouls don't bother me. Shucks, I play a character name Maskull Tor, Necromancer Prime in Guild Wars. It's great fun to be a Dark Lord that is a member of the good side of the force. Classic horror movies are fun too. Especially love them if they are in black and white. Young Frankenstein is my fav horror flick for sure! Also one of the fav beach house comedies! No tongue, please! The Dracula and Boris Karloff Frankenstein movies are wayyy kewl. I've read several Stephen King books and a few by Ann Rice. So there is no fear of the supernatural that surrounds the beach house.

On the 31st of October I usually turn off all lights, remove all articles from the veranda that can be stolen and open the windows so I can hear any pranks that might occur. Tried putting out a large bowl of candy one year with a sign that said 'take just a few pieces' and watched through the window as the first "goblin" dumped the bowl in his trick-or-treat bag. When he discovered that he'd run out of room (the sack was overflowing) he yelled at his friends across the street. In one fell swoop that took less than 2 minutes this little critter destroyed a new tradition. It was that event that made me stop "honoring" this holiday. After much reflection there is no doubt this is one of the dumbest things I've ever done.

Anyone else lost interest? This is an age when people have to take their children to the mall and ONLY homes of people they know in order to keep them safe. Is it just me? Or do others agree?

Note: In case someone shows up that is family or friend, just shout out. Remember, the windows will be open. I'll be at the computer playing Guild Wars with the headphones on; one ear exposed. And eating candy.

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."
~George Carlin

Easy Sunday

Folks, telltale signs of winter's onset in the Deep South have arrived. There's a chill in the air and a freeze warning is predicted in many areas for Monday night. It will frost so get those plants indoors. The pleasant weather should return to most areas before Halloween. This is a convenient time to air the house, clean the windows one last time and possibly even winterize the lawn mower. Garage painting is scheduled since the wasps will be gone and the weather cool. So much to do, so little time...and energy.

Sunday is a great time to reflect. May even sit on the veranda and see if there are traces of marsupial activity in the woods north of the house. That's peaceful. Enjoy the day.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
~Albert Camus

Fake Anti-Virus

If you find that your computer won't perform because the desktop has locked up with a page declaring that a virus has infected your machine don't believe it. These desktop hijackers lockup your PC and hold it hostage. Then they will sell you the cure through a fake anti-virus program. It is likely they will sell you down the river by gathering all your personal information including credit card numbers. Then they sell this information to other bad guys. These creeps are the scum of the earth. Read more about it at the news round up via ArsTechnica. This is a great site full of information and the week's news wrap is always interesting. Check it out.

"Precaution is better than cure."
~Edward Coke

Split-Screen

After changing my Firefox homepage to Netvibes and finding the versatility of having so much information at the click of a button my mind wandered, "Hmmmmm, wouldn't it be nice to have multiple child windows open?" It can be done. Try Winsplit-Revolution. Here are the features listed.

* Automated window handling (resize, move, reorganize, close tasks)
* Shape - process association
* Global hotkeys and clickable virtual numpad
* Automatic startup
* Automatic update
* Moving a window with mouse (drag'n'go)
* Hotkey configure
* Layout configure
* Fusion between 2 windows
* Minimize/Restore by hotkey
* Mosaic mode

Be sure and go to the screenshots page and view the two short videos, especially the second one. It explains how to use the mouse with this application. It's been downloaded at the beach house and more will follow.

"There are three kinds of death in this world. There's heart death, there's brain death, and there's being off the network."
~Almes

Wild Animals and the Beach House

It amazes me that discussion about a change on the internet that takes up 1/4 of your homepage (I think needlessly) receives no comments for days. Then you mention a poor old dead possum and everyone has something to say. Go figure. All I know is that I am looking forward to the offspring of Arnold showing up soon so there will be something to write about that interests everyone. Believe me when I say the veranda light is on and I will go look out the window if a noise is heard. Only saw Arnold's (Opossumus Germanicus Austriabodicus) possum wife or girlfriend a few times and she was large for a Mississippi marsupial too. So we may have an army show up if Arnold was as much a lover as a fighter. Only time will tell.

The next battle of the southwest corner of the garage will take place this weekend. That ugly smelly thing that lives in the shadows has to go. It at least keeps the trespassing kids out of the yard and I certainly don't worry about anything being stolen. It is a mess out there. Remember the scenes in the old Tarzan movies where the occasional safari would find the elephant graveyard? Bones and carcasses scattered everywhere on the ground. Well the floor of my garage is a computer graveyard with metal carcasses scattered about the concrete. This has to change. Volunteers being accepted and tickets may be sold. The outside of this computer cemetery needs painting too. The "festivities" will start immediately after the housecleaning ceases. My kingdom for a domestic engineer! Somewhere in there a computer needs building. Wish me luck.

"I'm not going to vacuum until Sears makes one you can ride on."
~Roseanne Barr

Arnold

No comments the past few days. Therefore the iGoogle controversy is shelved. I have received several emails inquiring about Arnold (Opossumus Germanicus Austriabodicus). He hasn't visited in quite some time. The life span of a possum in the wild is 2 to 4 years according to Wikipedia. A key word in their lifespan description is senescence, which basically means they grow old quickly. Since I have been writing about Arnold for over 5 years this information leads me to fear the worst. He was an annoyance at times, but also a source of great humor. Never forget someone calling from their car while parked in the driveway. Wouldn't get out because a small pony had just climbed the oak tree in the front yard. It was Arnold. He was huge for a possum.

So we should let Arnold R.I.P. and hope he has a son or daughter that will take up his duty of terrorizing the neighborhood animals, turning over grills and raging against the green garbage dumpster container thangy. Ah, it's a sad day at the beach house.

"I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the "lower animals" (so called) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me."
~Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth, 1907

Folks are iRate at the iGoogle Changes

The turmoil created by Google abruptly taking up space on the iGoogle Desktop is not just something dreamed up and disfavored by the beach house. There are many people upset. Check these articles at The Tech World and InformationWeek. Both have great information such as graphic examples of the problem and some alternatives. Here's the easiest fix: sign out of iGoogle then go to http://www.google.ca. This is Google in Canada and they have not adapted the sidebar tabs. The tabs are still on top where I think they should reside. Just sign in to your iGoogle here and mark it as your home page. Be sure and check the button for 'search the Web' instead of 'search in Canada', unless you are Canadian. My search parameter was, "I hate the new iGoogle." This returned 16,200 hits on Google. So you see it's not just my opinion. Most hate the fact that the change showed up unannounced. Google is not being cooperative about providing options for placement. But the above fix works for now. Told you someone would find a way to overcome it! Hope Canada does not adopt the new look.

The New, Bad Look

Old Style Good Look

Please note the red arrows in the screenshots. The tabs are so small in the preferred Old Style Good Look the red arrows are hard to see. Look in the top left. The top photo shows how much room this thing is using. You can expand the size of the two above screenshots by clicking on each one of them. Maybe this will help everyone understand the problem.



In the meantime I will stick with Netvibes. But I have bookmarked the Canadian iGoogle personal beach house homepage on my toolbar. The ability to find info fast and access items like GMail quickly is important to me. Netvibes is doing a great job and it is prettier. You can customize the look easily and there are many widgets which are categorized. Maybe tomorrow we'll discuss something else and my OCD will subside. Have a casual Tuesday.

"He conquers who endures."
~Persius

Thanks Google for helping me find Netvibes (RIP iGoogle)

Thank iGoogle for screwing up your page by adding the tab sidebar. I have signed a petition to return the tabs to the top. Best of all, this has made me change my homepage to something better. It's called NetVibes. Good looking page with many gadgets aka widgets. It's easy to install and setup up. Much prettier than iGoogle too. And the tabs are at the top where they belong. Whoever heard of sticking files in a cabinet and pulling them out from the left hand side? It installed my GMail widget and GMail now opens without that horrible sidebar. You can move stuff around and they have many options to help customize this great portal. And the tabs are at the top where they belong. Yes, this may be a huge favor granted by the Hitleristic sudden strike team at Google. This page loads quickly and is so easy to navigate. BTW, the tabs are at the top. Shucks, it's even easier to read! Did I mention the tabs are at the top where they belong? When Google hands you a lemon you just throw it in the blender with some rum and make a cool refreshing beverage!

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."
~Milton Berle

How Many Clowns Will Fit in the Microsoft Limousine? One - Fat Ass Steve Ballmer

My post this last Tuesday expressed hope that the new Windows 7 would be a substantial improvement and not Vista SE. I actually like Vista. The Windows coders worked overtime and corrected several major problems. I still abhor, detest, despise and hate WGA (Windows Genuine Authentication), but it can be overcome if you want to take the time and trouble. Besides, why doesn't Microsoft write better code and quit punishing customers because of their incompetence? I'll tell you why. Steve Ballmer is a paranoid circus renegade that hates all of us. Wish he would team up with Michelle and Barack then go live on another planet. In another solar system. Anyway, Ballmer's latest loud mouthing is not helping my attitude towards Windows 7.

He told InfoWorld that Ballmer: Windows 7 is Vista, 'just a lot better'. Click on this link and read the article. A well placed very wide piece of duct tape over Bozo's mouth is in order. That is, if they can ever catch him with his tongue in his mouth and his head out of his butt. This had to have the marketing people at Microsoft in a panic. Darth Chaos (Ballmer) has struck again. When is the good Emperor Bill gonna find a Microsoft Pro Force pseudo Sith Lord? Gosh I thought Ray Ozzie, Chief Software Architect, was supposed to be in line for the throne? What happened and why is Ballmer still in the mix? Good Lord knows if you have the funds and ability now would be a great time to enter the operating system market.

iDarth Jobs over at Apple has ultra-greed controlling that company. This means that even though they make an average machine nowadays people still won't buy them in large quantities because software creators, vendors are lucid and aware. People won't spend double the money for a machine that has lesser capabilities. Apples are okay, but they are certainly no match for the faster, more versatile, less expensive PCs. Here's a message for the Anonymous Apple Dude; we miss ya and your hateful profane comments. Please don't give up on us. We have actually warmed some to Apple products. So return and flame us in the comments some more. Don't be a spoil sport!

All you Windows Nazis and Apple Nazis are welcome to flame in the comments. Please keep profanity to a minimum and if you take the Good Lord's name in vain or use the f bomb your comment will be deleted. Fair enough, don't ya think? Oh yes, my apologies out to clowns and Sith Lords everywhere.

“Self-Test for Paranoia: You know you have it when you can't think of anything that's your own fault”
~D. Neal Jennings

Bye Bye Google Ads. I Fart At Thee and Thy Forced Sidebar

Yesterday my displeasure with Google was vented for taking up space on my desktop. Let me clear something up. This concerns iGoogle not the regular Google page. The unwanted sidebar also migrated into GMail which is REALLY annoying. There was an edit at the bottom of the post about being able to rid you computer of Google ads and tracking. I promised a link and here it is; Customize Google. You can also click on the graphic above. This a FIREFOX ONLY extension and if someone uses IE or Opera and knows of such a link please let me know.

This small download does wonderful things and gives you great versatility in using Google. I had trouble finding the actual download. It is in a green box in the top right corner of the page. Duh! Since Google is acting as Hitler did with Poland in WWII, it is my right to strike back as did the Allies. One thing you can count on is that someone will find a way to rid us of this ridiculous clutter forced on us by Google. In the meantime you can really block their ads in many many areas. Be sure and watch the short video that tells you how to use it. It took me about 3 minutes to watch it, download the program and start using it. Small download and very easy to use. Piece of cake.

My anger has subsided to a degree. This is like fighting with a life long friend. I like Google. Before you flame me I am aware that flip-flopping has been rampant the past few days. If they let me put the tabs on my iGoogle page back at the top where they belong, I'll gladly unblock their ads. AdSense by Google is now deleted too. This small bruhaha bears watching methinks. Many people are really mad and believe this is a FUBAR that will push people away from Google. Check out some of the Google Groups. Ironic isn't it? But hey, my daughter likes this new style, LOL. That's enough to make me reconsider...at least for a while.

OK, K. I feel better now. Or is that my morning meds kicking in!?!?

"There's a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things out."
~Lou Reed

Huge Google Disappointment

For many years now I have promoted the efforts of Google to improve our online experience. I am seriously considering dumping all their products which means this page may make a move to another address in the very near future. Yes, they have annoyed me to a great degree.

I use a 22" widescreen monitor and love the fact that everything is lateral. I hate sidebars with a passion. Well, Google has forced a sidebar on the iGoogle homepage and it takes up a considerable bit of the screen. As best I can tell, this was done in order to make room for ads. This is bad enough, but they 'Hitlered' us. We have a choice of either accepting it or finding other sources for such services. All of this transpired without ANY warning. I am looking elsewhere. Damn it, it's my homepage and I want it my way!

Since Google owns Blogger, which is the engine used here, I am looking to change the way this page is developed and manipulated. Mudslingr and I had discussion yesterday about new hosting and made some decisions so this won't be too much of an effort. Somehow I'll get word to everyone if this change is necessary. Don't know if Google will be gracious enough to let me link to the new address from here or not. This is causing trouble and frustration, but a man's got to know his limitations.

After many years of promoting GMail, Google, etc., it is sad that such a change is being considered. It is not the fact that they abruptly stole part of my screen width as much as their attitude of supremacy that glares at all of us. Honestly, when this sidebar first showed up I spent several hours scanning my machine for malware thinking that possibly my homepage had been hijacked. I finally found some weird location in Google Groups and complained, but have my doubts about it being noted. It is apparent that Google is not receptive to customer desires or they would post a "contact us" in plain view - at least on the settings page.

Hate to say goodbye to Google and especially GMail. Life changes and sometimes we can roll with the punches. Other times we punch back. Gloves are off. Will keep you posted...unless they decide to change Blogger's format and Cybersouth - from the Saltillo Beach House disappears. LOL, my attitude since yesterday has changed quite a bit!

"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward."
~Glasgow

EDIT: Heh, heh, heh, ha, ha, ha! Since they have forced that horrible sidebar on me (it's in GMail too) I've found a way to block ALL their ads. This will be the subject of tomorrow's post and there WILL be links! Heh, heh, heh, ha, ha, ha!

Another Ringy Dingy

There's a new player in the market of cell phones. It has many names. Android, T-Mobile G1, iPhone Killer, etc. It is a venture into this competitive world of mobile communication that has Google as a backer. Google rocks! The G1 is under the iPhone's price and this is quite a different beast, as can been seen in the following photo:



Read more about this new device at the Chicago Sun-Times.

"As far as I'm concerned, progress peaked with frozen pizza."
~Bruce Willis, From the movie Die Hard 2

Underhanded

I find the following article content ridiculous and absolutely horrible: Obama's Trash Mouth Minion. Seems a housewife verbalized her attitude in what I thought was a very civil manner. She refused to vote for Obama and told the person calling that she needed to find something better to do with her time. I absolutely agree. Anyway, the Secret Service showed up and harassed this woman because some sniveling worm of a person didn't like hearing the truth. This is another example of the news media covering up all the idiocy that surrounds the Obama faction. Thank God the Lufkin Daily News of Lufkin, Texas, reported this incident. This is so absurd.

Certainly in no way do I want harm to befall Mr. Obama. If he is elected President then it is my duty as a citizen to support him. I won't like it, but after one term of Obama we can write him off as a retired one term nightmare if we still have a country in 4 years. Folks, go look at clips on YouTube. You can see that this guy is a stumbling creep. He even thought there were 57 states! And he's running for President? Just goes to show there are many ignorant people in our country. Face it. You want to vote for a man with radical Muslim background? Or you want to vote for a Honest to God war hero? It's your choice. I certainly won't be among the ignorant unwashed.

Here's a disclaimer. This is not a forum. I reserve my right and privilege to exercise free speech. If you don't agree then go find a left-wing liberal site. As far as the Secret Service? Find something to do worthwhile instead of harassing people that don't support Obama. Why don't you go find Osama?

Thanks out to Melissa for a great email tip. People need to know that these atrocities are happening.

Microsoft Offering Has a Name

Late next year Windows will release their next operating system. It will be called Windows 7. Somehow I feel the difference between Windows Vista and Windows 7 might be the upgrade of the filing system and several other key changes that Microsoft originally proposed to incorporate in Windows Vista. But, let us be positive and look forward to a substantial change and not some remake that should be called Vista SE. Hopefully they will do away with the horrible 'Home Basic' entry and streamline the versions. Good Lord knows we had enough confusion with XP Home and XP Pro. Then 4 versions of Vista.

Trust me, as long as Steve Ballmer is active in the realm of Microsoft he will try to create chaos, what a jerk! He hates his customers. It stems from his paranoid delusions. WGA (his baby) is a joke. You'll feel the same after staying on the phone listening to someone that barely speaks the English language for over an hour. This was due to the fact I changed a motherboard in my Vista "Ultimate" computer. It amazes me this guy wields that much power and makes that much money. Look up his antics on YouTube. He makes Bozo look like Einstein. Plumb goofy, IMHO. Wish he'd jump on a Russian rocket and go into space as a tourist. Then stay there.

The new operating system will be based on the Windows 2008 Server kernel. You can read more at ITProPortal.com. Oh yes, please don't forget that today is patch Tuesday. Help everyone by doing your Windows Updates.

"The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind."
~William Blake

Different Views

Didn't post until late last night. Up early trying to spin a positive start on this week. Looking out the window over the beach house veranda tells me it's still dark-thirty. After bogging down in various frustrations, efforts are being made to further recent projects. If I have delayed an appointment with you, please bear with me. The sub-normal routine is almost back in place. Spent the weekend working on the beach house and, at least, scratched the surface.

Dishes were washed and I am determined to install an automatic dishwasher and/or use more paper plates and plastic utensils. The latter is not very "green" thinking is it? There are PC parts consuming the bar (not my normal work bench!) and some assembly is required. That way I'll be able to look into my kitchen from other parts of the house. Equipment is stacked so high the normal airflow has been disrupted. Glad that window is over the sink and the weather has been pleasant.

The yard needs some attention, especially the patio area which has been useless this year. With a back brace and pain medication the weed eating should be finished in a few days. Then there is the garage. Can't dwell on that mess because this post is an effort to start the week with optimism. If the Good Lord is willing, all will be addressed in due time.

On the lighter side, Mr. and Mrs. Grasshoppa have been vacationing in the mountains close to Gatlinburg:



Wow! Could you sit on a veranda and take in this view for hours? It's apparent why they are called the Great Smokey Mountains, huh? One of these days I am going to drag my beach habitat lardbutt up there and have a looksee. Beagle and Mudslingr went a while back and fell in love with this area too. Thanks for a great pix brudda!

Have a great Monday and say something nice to someone today! Damn sure won't kill ya'!

"Well you say you got the blues,
Got holes in both of your shoes,
Feelin alone and confused,
You got to keep on smilin', keep on smilin'"
~Wet Willie (used the Wayback machine to find this quote, LOL)

Our News Media Sucks! It Sucks! Sucks! Sucks!

Here's a great example of how the news media is prejudice and deceitful:



This was the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held in military history.The ceremony was held on the 4th of July, 2008 at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad, Iraq . General David Petraeus officiated. This amazing story was ignored by the 'mainstream' media. For those who have been in the Al Faw Palace, you'll have a better appreciation of the number of people crammed around the rotunda supporting the re-enlisting soldiers.

American men and women volunteering to stay longer in Iraq, so that when we leave, the new democracy will have a chance of surviving, is the exact opposite of what the media wants you to think about Iraq . If only a bomb had killed 5 civilians in a marketplace - now that's the kind of news the media is eager to tell you about.

A pizzeria in Chicago donated 2000 pizzas that were made and shipped to Baghdad, and were delivered on the 4th. The media did report that 2000 pizzas were sent to Iraq on July 4th... The only part they left out of the report was the event for which the pizzas were sent.

I can't help but wonder...
What would the opinion of Americans be if they weren't getting such obviously biased 'news?'

Pass this on and we will do the work for the Media.


Just think about all the ignorant, uninformed citizens that were not given this information and how they might vote differently if this event had been publicized nationally. I think we need a stable, concerned war veteran that can appreciate the attitude of our awesome women and men in uniform serving this great country. How and why did NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS let this slip by? Betcha' FoxNews did a story on it! Thanks out to EdC for a most relevant eye-opening email.

"Almost all of us long for peace and freedom; but very few of us have much enthusiasm for the thoughts, feelings, and actions that make for peace and freedom."
~Aldous Huxley

Get Out the Cyber Windex

There will be eleven new patches this coming Tuesday. Microsoft has "fixes" for all operating systems for Windows 2000 and all OS's that came about later as well as some Office products. If you have Windows Updates set on automatic the patches should be downloaded without extra attention. Eight of the patches will require you to restart your machine. Folks, please don't ignore these important updates. You could be putting all of us at risk. Go ahead and whine if you want, but handle it and then forget about it. It's not that big a deal unless you do not comply. Then you are on your own. Read a very good article about these updates at ArsTechnica.

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

Recent Newspaper Article

The following was published at Daily Journal.com on October 8, 2008. If you want to see their article online here is the link -> Cook of the Week. To view the full story you will have to acquire a copy of yesterday's newspaper. This is my youngest daughter who is often mentioned on Cybersouth. Her net name is Beagle or Beagle1. Needless to say Dad is very very proud of her. And hey, the same goes for Verdana, her sister. When she makes the news you'll be notified for sure. Both of my daughters are very active and hard workers. They are both super Moms, have lasting marital relationships and are full of life. They laugh a lot too.

COOK OF THE WEEK:Childhood experiences give young wife, mother culinary status

10/8/2008 5:21:31 AM
Daily Journal


BY GINNA PARSONS


Daily Journal


TUPELO - Emily Morris may be only 28 years old, but already everyone refers to her as "the cook" in the family.


"I guess because I was interested in cooking at such a young age," she said. "They all call me for cooking tips and recipes."


Morris, the office manager and tech coordinator for RedMagnet in Tupelo, remembers cooking with both her grandmothers when she was a small girl. Plus, both her parents, who are no longer married, like to cook.


"Dad will try anything," Morris said. "Mom is a really good cook, but she sticks to the staples, like meat and potatoes. Dad loves Cajun food and seafood. I look more like Mom, but I have Dad's attitude," she said.


Morris recalled that after her parents' split, her father lived in Memphis and they would often go out to eat there when she was visiting him.


"We'd try new restaurants and then go to the big grocery stores and try to find things we'd had that we couldn't get here in Tupelo, like shark steaks," she said.


Because her mother was raising two girls alone, Morris often helped in the kitchen.


"Mom was on the road a lot when I was growing up and I'd come in from school and get supper started," she said. "She was a single mom and I wanted to help her. Sometimes it would come out awful and we'd order pizza. I made sandwiches or pasta at first and then I got braver and tried baked chicken and chicken and dumplings."

Web site follower
Morris' love of all things culinary has apparently rubbed off on her husband.


"When I first married Charlie, he didn't like to cook at all," she said. "Now, he makes awesome gumbo, and banana pudding from scratch. Icing is not my strong point. My cakes are good, but I'm still working on the icing. Luckily, I have an ace in the hole - my husband. He's really good at icing. We make quite the duo."


Morris cooks just about every day for Charlie and their 8-year-old daughter, Maddie. A family favorite is spaghetti, which she serves with salad, corn and cheese bread. Or, they might make a grilled meal - grilled pork chops, grilled asparagus and grilled squash.


"I'm a big peel-on person," she said. "Potatoes, zucchini, squash - I just like it natural where you get the vitamins, and maybe a little dirt, too. I have no problem picking a fruit or vegetable off a tree or vine, wiping it on my shirt and eating it."


When it comes to new recipes, Morris is a big fan of Web sites. Some of her favorites are foodnetwork.com, allrecipes.com, epicurious.com and thepioneerwoman.com.


"Cooking is just good stress relief for me," she said. "Yesterday, I had a really bad headache and halfway through making that chocolate cake, my headache was gone."

Do you know a good cook? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can fax them to (662) 842-2233 or e-mail them to ginna.parsons@ djournal.com.


Both can cook. Both of their husbands are good cooks too. And we are all nerds++. There are multiple degrees spread out amongst all of them. Kewl, huh? Yes, the gloat factor is high. They are awesome. Proud Dad is signing out.

"Watching your daughter being collected by her date feels like handing over a million dollar Stradivarius to a gorilla."
~Jim Bishop (not true in my life, but I thought it was funny)

It's 4:00AM and I Love Ya!

"How many times have you stumbled home after a long night out with friends, only to plop down in front of the computer and start sending e-mails that you would wake up regretting the next day?"

This is the first sentence in a good article by Jacqui Cheng at ArsTechnica-Mail Goggles:. Her answer for such a problem is called Mail Goggles which is an add-on for Google's GMail. Your not using GMail? I'm so sorry. Did you ever get windows in that cave? This is a brief, well-written article with a graphic, link to the download site, and a nice explanation of usage. Back in the Purple Haze years I occasionally had 'black cord fever', but that's another story. You might want to bookmark ArsTechnica. Super site for tech information that has very good writers and a great format. Oh yeah, here's a link to GMail.


“Diamonds are forever. E-mail comes close.”
~Kronholz