Ramblings, opinions, and general meanderings from the Deep South

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Short Note About Short Posts


Still trying to overcome procrastination. Fighting the RAID form of my last computer build and will hopefully finish in a few days. Hindsight will prevent me from ever starting another build project. Just not worth it anymore.

Posts will be brief for a few more days. Then, after a few days rest, things should return to sub-normal. It's hard to maintain this level of frustration and stay focused. Later!

"What is guilt? Guilt is the pledge drive constantly hammering in our heads that keeps us from fully enjoying the show. Guilt is the reason they put the articles in Playboy."
~Dennis Miller

Monday, May 30, 2011

Music Monday - Apropo for Memorial Day

If this doesn't touch your heart...then you're dead:



Sometimes God blesses us with subtle glimpses of heaven. This is one of them. If the angels are better than this - I really want to be an audience member of the everlasting concert. Yes, our Lord does, on occasion, work in strange, mysterious and beautiful ways.

This moves me on so many levels. Thank God and two awesome friends, Mary Jane and Joe, my ears were graced with their live performance of this song back a few months ago. For a few hours that evening I truly knew peace on earth.

"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience,...without God democracy will not and cannot long endure."
`Ronald Reagan

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!


Enjoy all the festivities. Please take time to pray for those that have lost loved ones in the service of our country. You're in the land of the free and enjoying a holiday because of their sacrifices. Our Armed Forces ROCK!

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~Thomas Jefferson

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Errors


I am completing my last computer build. I've had it. This has cost me enormous time, a lot of worry, a ton of undeserved stress, spikes in blood pressure and a friendship is in jeopardy. I'll still work on hardware, but no more complete builds. There is a great company, SwinTech Designs, listed in the links that will build you an enormous machine at a very reasonable price. SwinTech is a very solid company piloted by a technician friend of mine. Chris is competent, trustworthy, a great friend and a very decent human being. He will build my next machine. Well, that is, he will build it if there's ever enough money to afford another computer.


The plan was to relax and enjoy Guild Wars this weekend, but that won't happen. Instead it's time to pull my hair out, probably cuss, take extra meds to keep my blood pressure under control, and basically sit here anxious until this machine leaves the beach house. Also have to finish an OS re-install. Hope everyone enjoys this holiday weekend. I won't. Am taking this work to another location and ignoring the phone so people can't bother me. This stuff has to be done. Hope the Good Lord will let me live at least a few days afterwards so I can remember and enjoy what it's like to not have this self inflicted (and deserved) guilt upon me.

Posts will be short for a few days. Must go finish this machine. It will be an awesome unit once completed. Pray that the hospital is not a necessary alternative this long weekend. Later.

"A man cannot be uncomfortable without his own approval"
~Mark Twain

Friday, May 27, 2011

Tech Help Recommendations

Whew! Just went several rounds fighting the Chrome browser. It wouldn't permit access to posting tools for this site. Finally logged in and may have to rest after that series of battles. K, got my breath now.

Trying to put the finishing touches on one machine and finish OS install plus mega updates on another. Folks, please start using some type of backup system. I highly recommend the Western Digital My Book USB back up unit. It uses a time proven HDD full size format. Very dependable. They are inexpensive, very easy to use with almost no setup. You do have to create schedules and select BU content, but that's about it. Staples, Computer Universe, Office Max, Wallyworld, Best Buy, all sell them. Expect to pay well under 100 bucks for a 1 terrabyte (1000 gigabytes) drive. Check Staples and Computer Universe first, they usually have the best prices.

Also, please comprehend and accept that some updates are mandatory. If you see Windows Updates wanting to install, or AVG, or Java, or Adobe Flash, or Internet Explorer, or Firefox please stop and let these important downloads progress. Whether you think you are in a big hurry or feel like your precious time is too important to bother with such things, I am here to inform you that YOU ARE NOT that important and your precious time best be managed when it comes to computer security. Take a few seconds and stay up to date. You'll only regret it if you ignore these items. Never skip over these matters of security and stability.

"And computers are getting smarter all the time: scientists tell us that soon they will be able to talk to us. (By they I mean computers: I doubt scientists will ever be able to talk to us.)"
Dave Barry

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Random Thursday - Scratched Laptop? Try this...

Will try a minor repair and let you know the results with an edit here. Meanwhile, comment if it works for you or let us know about some other "Fix" that works.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Techno Diet

Sorry about not posting yesterday. Am out of town and should finish today. Will return home later this PM. Alert to would be robbers: try it and you end up dead. Police are watching the place and my neighbors will put your lights out.

Rob & Red Dragon; will finish your machines. They are priorities until completed. Rob, your PC is almost done. Red Dragon, when your monster is finished I will be able to point at it and say, "There's the big bad voodoo daddy of all the builds I've ever attempted." To combine sophisticated server hardware and the latest greatest technology into a workstation scenario has been frightful. That's putting it mildly. Maintaining a blistering speed is tricky (ECC memory, she don't likes to runs fast!, lol), but it's now ginning properly.

Stay casual everyone and I know it's not polite to point.

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday."
~Mark Twain

Monday, May 23, 2011

Music Monday - Beatles Cover

This is not the greatest performance ever made by any of these guys, but it's not too shabby. I picked this out of many because they are having a good time. Three music greats doing a classic rock song. This was not the first hit the Beatles had on the charts. Still, it was very early and I remember radio stations constantly playing it over and over. We all listened to it over and over too. Hope it makes you smile:




"The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils."
~William Shakespeare

Sunday, May 22, 2011

For Pre-Searing Guild Wars Players


Back a few months ago I made LDoA in Guild Wars pre-searing. Legendary Defender of Ascalon is a Title in a category by itself. You think I am bragging, but now the truth will be revealed. It took me over two years, lol. The character, Arcturus, is a Mesmer that is a fastcaster specializing in domination magic. He also uses illusion and inspiration magic with two Ranger skills thrown in for balance. He has a pet wolf named 'Big Bad' that is now a level 20 - highest level obtainable in the game. One look at the accompanying picture above will certainly explain the gray wolf's name. Please note that his nose is behind Arc's leg. That helps with understanding the size scale. The picture will expand if you left click on it. As Aang Woo, Skye, Cyndane, Arelin, Forest, Laxen, Merlin, Shane and Ashy can verify, Arc knows how to die. Folks, be glad that "death-leveling" is gone. That's not to say the new way to pursue the title is any easier. It's not. Just quicker and less tedious. Death-leveling was an absolute boring grind.

The present strategy in the game is to pursue the new quests intended to make the LDoA Title reachable. There are nine quests. They are different every day and stay in the same order. If you find one quest that produces mega XP points repeat it. There is no limit concerning the number of times you can run the quest. Finish it, abandon it, then see Lieutenant Langmar and have her give you the quest again...and again. Personally, the Farmer Hamnett, Countess Nadya and Ascalon Nobleman quests were the best to produce XP points. Just realize the amount of points changes as you level up. So what seems easy at level 12 might not be that way at level 16. Hey, have fun with it. If it becomes a grind go do something else for a while.

You can make in-game money too. ALWAYS ID blue drops. They can have improved sale value. Remember the items Nicholas Sandford wants for each day and go after the varmints that drop them. Turn them in and collect GoTH. You can either use/sell these or mule them over on a character you keep in pre for this purpose. Get a trusted adventurer to hold the items while you change characters. Bring up your mule character, return to the game and collect your goodies. Then cross to post drop the items in the Xunlai chest and delete the character that mules. Then remake the character in pre for the next trip over with yo' stuff. Remember to have someone hold your belt pouch, weapons, Charr packs, etc. in pre until you return with your new mule. This saves tons of money thru not re-buying the same expensive items over and over.

For more info check Guildwiki. Arcturus is remaining in pre-searing to help others pursue LDoA. This mighty patriarch of the Tormance clan is easily spotted in the game. He is extremely tall and wears black clothing. Ask him to help.

"This group is a really good group. They're a lot of fun and they work so hard. That makes all the difference."
~Maskull Tor, Necromancer Prime and Guild Leader of the Kudzu Dragons

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Dance of the Day - Camping Apocalypso

Well the Apocalypse did not take place...so far today. Harold Camping predicted that it would happen at 6PM in each different world time zone. Okay, that's a lame theory from the get go. If there is such a thing as the Rapture, it will happen at once worldwide. Don't count on it, though. That's new doctrine that was never mentioned on planet earth until the year 1824AD. Besides whether or not the Rapture will occur, all the prophecies haven't been fulfilled. Mr. Camping, I highly recommend a book called the Bible. A bit of study might help before you start jaw flapping again. Also, Google the word Rapture for further info. And here's the real closer. Jesus Christ, Saviour and Son of God, said 'ONLY My Father knows' the end of time. So there. Only God knows the time. Just deal with it, go on and try to live a decent life, profess your belief before and to God, and give up making unreal predictions. Leave the end of the world in proper hands, God's. Camping, that egg on your face is Ostrich. Hope the pharisees and sadducees that have been following this charlatan find another way to worship.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only"
~Matthew 24:36 (KJV)

Friday, May 20, 2011

New Guild Wars 2 Profession - Engineer

This is a new profession in Guild Wars 2. Among the many talents of the Engineer is his ability to blow stuff up. That's 7 announced professions and if they stick to the original plan the 8th profession will be an existing one from Tyria (Pre-searing). Since they have announced there will be no monks in GW2 that leaves only the Mesmer, the last of the original 6. I certainly hope this is right. Of course as they add modules most likely you will see new professions. Ritualist and Dervish type characters are still possibilities in the future. Anybody made decisions about what they will use? Human Necromancer is naturally my first choice. Then probably a Human or Norn Mesmer followed by a Charr Air Elementalist and an Asuran Engineer.

Jump Shot



Glue Shot



Absorb



Rifle Turret



Grenade Satchel




"The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath."
~W. C. Fields

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Random Thursday - Nowadays

Give this a chance. The engineering and recording are excellent. This was done in the 1960s!! You get to hear early Steve Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay and they rock! It doesn't take much imagination to stretch this type of music into a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song. BTW Stills wears the guitar out in the solo:



Like that? I do a lot. Quite polished for a 60s era recording. How about a live video from 1968 of Buffalo Springfield doing another classic? The harmonies are outstanding:



So old it's black and white! Great tune. Can we say in a Purple Haze?

Here's another classic Buffalo Springfield song written by Neil Young:



What memories! A long, long, long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...I've actually seen them in concert. Awesome.


"nowadays: now·a·days/ˈnouəˌdāz/
Adverb: At the present time, in contrast with the past."

~Dictionary.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Do Something Today - Back Up!

Are you backing up your data? Your valuable data that you know deep in your heart will spell doom and gloom if the hard drive in your machine crashes? All those pictures that are so valuable your family will turn you into a mouse if they are lost? What about iTunes? Feel like arguing with Apple and spending the time to download ALL those files again? Word of advice, don't talk like a pirate when trying to social engineer them into letting you download your tunes once again. Let's see...is your answer is a very vague no, no backup files here? Okay, if you are NOT backing up your life inspiring data then start doing it. START TODAY.

Please folks. There are so many ways to perform this task nowadays. You can buy a backup drive that fits in a shirt pocket. Many full sized hard drives with backup software on them are available. You can write to CDs or DVDs. Online backup services are now at your fingertips for minimal prices. Even some USB Flash drives are large enough for backups. So quit thinking about it and start doing it. Hey, you can purchase a ready to go out of the box 1 terrabyte self contained back up system for wayyy under 100 bucks. Installing it and using it is easy. Well, you will have to know how to read, lol.

If unsure about 'how to' then email me at cybersouth@gmail.com.

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task."
~William James

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Beach House Email

A brief glimpse about how the beach house handles email: All emails are read. Not necessarily are all attachments, links, pixs, etc., opened. Even though my wall of protection is somewhat extensive, caution is still used when processing these communications. If something looks hinky then it is treated with extra care. For instance if I haven't received email from someone in 6 months and all of a sudden I get several emails, then a red flag goes off in my mind. This is happening right now and to further increase my paranoia there are addresses linked within the emails. No messages, just addresses that are linked. So I am on guard. Photos also scare me. So please include some type of personal message with any email, especially if you are sending someone links or pixs.

PLEASE do not misinterpret this explanation. I love email and many times use the contents as a base for new posts. So I count it as a great source and encourage people to send things they think I'd use. And hey, an occasional joke or 'funny' brightens the day. Please remember that I link and subscribe to many sites. The Google Chrome Bookmarks Bar is full, lol. And yes, everyone, LOLCats is in there. Funny site that I have recommended to many people. If you are a conservative please keep sending info related to the GOP or current issues. If you are a liberal...what the hell are you doing here? Spying on the enemy (insert evil grin here)? Nice to receive correspondence about Cybersouth. BTW, there's also a comment section just below each post. Click on it to read comments made by others or leave an opinion. If you don't like using comments email is a great alternative.

In closing please understand that I NEVER forward anything. You can beg and plead all you want, but it wouldn't be fair to be selective and I could spend all day if I followed the instructions of a chain letter. Hey, that does not mean I don't want to read them. I do! So, don't hesitate to send kewl stuff - even if it is one of those 'God will get you if you don't immediately forward this to 42 people, turn around 3 times, wear plaid shorts and shirts that don't match the rest of the week and stop what you're doing right now then go outside do two back flips then paint the rims on your vehicle purple and green' thangys. God knows my feelings about people that do such things and I am pretty sure I have an idea about how He feels. Here, I mean the people that really expect you to do these things.

Relax. Good humor should be sought out every day. Later and stay casual.

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."
~Mark Twain

Monday, May 16, 2011

Music Monday - Powerful Stuff

Thank you Subaru for making the world aware of this wayyyy kewl tune and artist:




"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."
~Doug Larson

Sunday, May 15, 2011

That Darn TeamSpeak Thangy

The TeamSpeak Server is back online. It never failed. What happened was a router failure that dropped all the port forwarding info and reverted to default settings. Our ability to access remotely was blocked by the router reverting to base settings. Ashy is the machine Administrator and he couldn't log in due to this uber packet collision. Nor could I, but it is online with a temporary fix. Once again Ashy to the rescue with a DDWRT router. It will be online sometime Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, the present parameters are addy 24.233.244.88 using the same port and same sign in password config. Sorry about the confusion and downtime, but we now have software in place to alleviate FUBAR power interrupts.

After replacing the router, efforts will be made to finish the install of a direct line and battery backup for the machine, router and cable modem. This should be enough to overcome most problems. A very long power outage can still be a problem, but that's a norm anyone has to withstand providing such a service. While it is free to you, please remember that is not cost free to us. Another ISP increase just hit and supporting such a 24/7 online service for free has its drawbacks. Power consumption has been measured (thanks for the great tool Mudslingr and Beagle) and it is significant.

Not complaining, just want everyone to know that fussing and bitching about a freebie is just not good manners, lol. This is info delivered with a sense of humor so please take it that way. Our record so far has been a fair to middlin' delivery of service. BTW please download the new Teamspeak client. It makes an appreciable difference. Most all echo has disappeared. Once again, The Kudzu Dragon Teamspeak crew offers to make channels appropriate to the local gaming scenario. This will eventually hit a limit to avoid bandwidth problems. Contact cybersouth@gmail.com. Thanks to everyone that has been understanding and supports our efforts.

Tomorrow is Music Monday and later this week more will follow about the super adventure on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. No doubt I will keep everyone up to date on improving the beach house network and TeamSpeak service. Stay casual.

"I like my new telephone, my computer works just fine, my calculator is perfect, but Lord, I miss my mind!"
~Ashby Rhett Culpepper, III, Esq., Jr.!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Saturday Notes

What a delightful visit to one of my favorite places on earth. We arrived Thursday PM and will leave tomorrow. Mississippi's Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Instead of whining and bitching about the federal government not doing enough, the great folks of the Magnolia Coast announced they would come back bigger and better. Well, that is exactly what has happened. Even though there are still a few tell tale signs of the horrible havoc created by Katrina this area is once again Paradise Found. The beaches are clean, business bustles, and people everywhere are friendly lighting up the day with wonderful smiles. And the food is to die for!!! Last night I ate Farradday's famous fried strawberries and a virtual party of taste exploded in my mouth. Biloxi supports the ideal that Mississippi is, "The Hospitality State." Further adventures to follow...

The Teamspeak Server is down. I have a battery back up unit ready to drop into place, but need to run a direct electrical line. I will make an effort to finish this project that has laid dormant for many years. At one time we had an awesome software procedure to assure a clean reboot when power outages had been experienced. It had to be shelved due to security reasons. Anyway no excuses here. Tried to remote into the server without success. Will bring it back online tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Huge thanks out to MJ and Joe for a badly needed getaway. Fun to be with people that work hard and know how to enjoy life when they have a few minutes to slow down. Wish it could last forever. This brief respite should help create a push forward in recovering a happier way of life.

More pixs n stuff later!

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."
~Arnold Glasow

Friday, May 13, 2011

Biloxi

Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are dancing in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
Boy will fill his pale with salty water
And the storms will blow from off towards New Orleans

written by Jesse Winchester
performer Jimmy Buffett




Awoke this morning, walked out on the balcony, and noticed the storm rolling in from the west. That's in the direction of New Orleans. Thought of the song. Just took the two photos with the cell. The main restaurant of the Isle, Farradday's, is directly below me. Deer Island is the small strip of land between the breakwater and the Gulf. Is that a view or what!?!? Will take pictures tomorrow of the power boat races! You can watch the event on one of the ESPN channels. Now, back to the megacasual mode.

Almost forgot, you can play the song ->HERE

Thursday, May 12, 2011

TARFU

Posted a Random Thursday thangy and Blogger has lost ALL posts from Thursday. That's everyone, everywhere! Will wait a day or two, see what they do about it, and then I'll repost if necessary. They even lost the HTML!!! Oh well, nobody's perfect and they have been extremely dependable.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Neat Ad

While watching the Vampire Diaries at CWTV, I was delighted to see a super commercial. Advertising at its best!



"To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter."
~Euripides

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

File Formats

Using a nice piece of software to convert files to different formats called Format Factory. It's freeware, but they will gladly accept donations. My buddy Butch needed a file converted to MP3 format and this program did it with ease. Have one HUGE WARNING: During the install procedure - UNCHECK the three boxes that permits installation of that nasty Ask.com software, toolbars and makes your homepage Ask.com. IMHO, they suck! Otherwise it seems pretty straight forward and safe. Used it without any problems. It's very much like burning a CD or DVD.



Let me know what you think. Better yet, share with us how you convert files.

Stay casual.

"Why don't they make the whole plane out of that black box stuff?"
~Stephen Wright

Monday, May 09, 2011

Music Monday - Deserved Standing Ovation

Another side of Carrie that touches my very soul. Be sure and stay until the end. Her ability to sustain high notes is vocal magic. This, my friends, is powerful:




Told ya! She's one inspired lady. Hit the high notes not once, but twice! Not too shabby back up singer either, lol. Thanks to CBS TV for making this available and special thanks to EdC for one of the best music links (Tiger DuetswithCarrie) ever.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Celebrate


"The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light between the heart and the heavenly Father."
~Samuel Coleridge

Saturday, May 07, 2011

iOrchard iNews

My love hate affair with Apple continues. Can you imagine me working in an Apple store? My first job in the computer business was selling and repairing Apple II+, IIe, and Lisa models. Don't remember the name of the store (it's long gone), but the owner was a Yankee cheapskate name Rob PooPeel or something like that. He might have had a thriving business if he'd adapted to southern culture and realized that he actually didn't know as much as his "ignert hillbilly" neighbors. Oh well, some of the finest folks I know are from up north so Poopeel is part of a very small minority. Yet, they do exist. Enough. Back to Apple.

The vast majority of tech types in this area were flabbergasted when Tupelo High School went Apple. Bill Gates needs his butt kicked for not beating them to the punch. I did what any tech type would do in such a case and acquired an Apple. It runs the latest OS and I used it to learn the quirks involved. After many folks were duped into embracing Apple by the Tupelo School Board, I tried to adjust. Guess the sporadic negativity towards the orchard down through the years is where I need my butt kicked. Some long time favorite clients of mine (pulled over 5 miles of cable on their property when the home was built - really didn't want the job and had subcontracted to someone else that left the country so I finished the job to ease their anxiety and desperation) whom I actually considered good friends, went Apple and I've seen them one time in the past 2 years. That was a chance meeting at a local retailer. Oh well so much for loyalty and friendship. No doubt they could have saved money by seeking tech help locally, but they chose to drive to Memphis for purchases and problem solving. Used to read here all the time. Money says they'll never see this article. Enough whining about spilled apples, no doubt life continues...and I wish these folks continued success and happiness.

Contrary to orchardites belief they are godlike machines, Apples have problems just like PCs. They DO become infected with virus problems of all kinds and spyware. You just don't hear about it as much since Apple only has 3% penetration in the world market while Windows machines own 90%. The build concept is very much the same as the mighty PC. But, they are slow, new to multi-tasking, EXTREMELY limited in the software area. There is not now nor has there ever been any type of retail Apple computer that will even come close to my Toshiba Qosmio X505. And it's a laptop! If you are a gamer, forget Apple. The less than 1/10th of 1% Apple online gamers almost always load Linux onto their machines and then run WINE in order to game. Sounds like a lot of trouble? Believe me, it can be a nightmare.

Why the old skeleton drug out of the closet and dusted off? Well, it is my considered opinion the smartest move the people at Apple have made to date was going Intel as far as processors. Now they are forgoing even that! Sheesh! You can read about it at Compterworld. Karen Gaudin (pronounced Go-dan), the person who penned this article, seems to think it is a huge problem for Intel. Homey don't think so. Homey does think it is a megazilla problem for Apple. They finally get it right and now they are about to ruin a good thing because bottom line greed has them. It always has dominated this company. Wake up Apple. Get off those ridiculous desktop, laptop prices and sell more machines! Quit lying about only Apple parts work in Apple computers so folks will consider buying your products. Take some of that profit and use it to expand your software market. Microsoft Office for Apple still outsells all other Apple software applications combined, ROFLMAO!

In closing it must be mentioned they have done a wonderful job with cell phones, music devices and their tablet reader device. I'd love to own one of each. Just too expensive. I'd rather eat.

"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well."
~Lewis Smedes

Friday, May 06, 2011

Geek Manna from CBS

Chances are if you visit here often you are probably a huge The Big Bang Theory junkie. It's on CBS TV Thursday nights. The producers are the same people that do (or did?) Two and a Half Men. The cast consists of three Doctors of Physics, One Rocket Scientist and four absolutely gorgeous women. This is my favorite sitcom of all times. I laugh out loud every time it's on the air. Although I didn't like her at first Amy Farrah Fowler cracks me up. Last night she introduced us to a smoking monkey. Watching Amy walk in high heels had me ROFL.

Anyway, if you missed it CBS has loosened their grip and you can watch it online. Go to CBSTV. Usually the last four episodes are available. Most shows on ABC TV are made available the next day. The CW TV network also posts full episodes one week after the air date. Have to have my Smallville, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries "fix" once a week. TVLand also posts episodes. Another way to watch various programs and movies is HULU. Crackle is another great TV and movie site. Hulu does have a paid subscription area, but a vast array of shows and movies are free. The rest of the sites mentioned are also free.

Have a casual weekend.

"Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock. It's very simple. Look -- scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors."
~Dr. Sheldon Cooper (aka Jim Parsons)

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

False Photos

Beware of emails that claim to have photos of Bin Laden dead. These may be from a known source too. So don't even open any photos or visit any site that claims to have these faked, photoshopped pics. You may be duped into the scam because the email address looks familiar. Various instances of virus infections may occur. Some scams are installing the nightmarish desktop hi-jackers. So stay safe. Avoid anything like this. I've received two suspicious emails and deleted them immediately without opening. Just because the Navy Seals ganked the most notorious criminal doesn't mean there aren't others out there.

"We cannot overstate the sacrifice our military personnel - all volunteers - are making to ensure the security of their fellow Americans."
~Carl Levin

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Valuable Password Tool

Through extensive googling and slight exploration a meter to measure your password strength, PasswordMeter.com, has been found. This is a GNU license and free to use. Just click on the link, for now. This software is made available by MetaBetaGeek.com. Am presently researching the possibility to embed it here permanently. Also trying to rack my feeble mind and remember how to do it. MetaBeta Geek was good enough to post a download of the meter. Now I must stir my memories of HTML and see if I am capable of attaching the meter legally to Cybersouth. Here's what it looks like:



Please click on the image for a larger more detailed view. After viewing the image you will understand this application's value. Close the expanded image and you will return here. Nice job and I hope it can be used on Cybersouth. His article about developing this software is interesting. He also has other unique tools. And hey, he's a blogger! Kudos MetaBeta!

"Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don't let anybody else use it, and get a new one every few months."
~Clifford Stoll

Monday, May 02, 2011

Music Monday - Shorty & Orleans

This is an extremely talented group. Every time I hear them it's a completely different style. From jazz classics like St. Jame's Infirmary and When the Saints Go Marching In to downright funnkadelic to fusion jazz to smooth avant garde riffs of creativity. Each and every one of them has talent down to their toes. It's obvious that David Letterman likes them and so does the audience. If you like this first video, scroll down and listen to all 27:20 minutes of the 2010 ACL live performance featuring Ivan Neville on keyboards. Awesome!



Gettin' down to funky town.



For more full episodes of Austin City Limits go to PBS.org. Be sure and click on the + sign beside More Full Episodes. There are 50 available.


"If New Orleans is allowed to die, a crucial part of the world's music heritage will disappear."
~Ray Davies

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Good Guys 1, Satan 0 - Osama Bin Laden Is DEAD!!!

Around 9:40PM Geraldo Rivera on FoxTV News announced that Bin Laden was killed earlier today due to a concentrated effort of various U.S. forces and the government of Pakistan. His body is in our possession and familial DNA testing has confirmed it's the agent of Satan for sure. This is the no good creep that masterminded the cowardly sneak attack that killed thousands on 9/11/2001, when hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It is rumored he was killed just outside of Islamabad, Pakistan in a well organized firefight.

Our President called a press conference at the White House for 9:30PM and still hasn't shown up 45 minutes later. Why even bother? Seems like he could at least get his act together long enough to be on time for something this important. Just another shun of U.S citizens by the sitting President. Please remember this slight towards his fellow countrymen when going to vote in the next presidential election. My gratitude goes out to our devoted troops and also the efforts of the Pakistani government.

Still watching the newscast while typing this post. Obama is still a no show on Osama one hour later. It's sad that I am posting this before he even gives a fat rat's ass about his time schedule. After all, he DID call the press conference and asked the media to be there at 9:30PM.

EDIT: He finally showed up 1 hour 5 minutes late. He even alluded to the idea that he planned and led the operation. Our military found him, structured an efficient attack where no American or civilian lives were lost and then THEY killed the evil jerk. Mr. President! Get real. You don't even know how to be on time!


"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides with the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon those with great vengeance and with furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know that my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
~Interpretation of Ezekiel 25:17 by the character Jules Winnfield (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in the movie Pulp Fiction