Boo!

It's ghost and goblin time again. Please go to houses where you know the people or use the mall. If you have little ones please, please don't let them out alone. Stay out of streets (well, duh!) and be polite. Say thank you. Here's a hint; a whole shopping cart of toilet paper is a dead give away and your face will probably be remembered. Please also remember that I sleep with my windows open on Halloween night. If I don't see you before Halloween go ahead and eat all that chocolate without me!

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

Square Peg and Round Hole

It seems part of the posting problem here is cured. This is VERY frustrating and time consuming. If I do have to move this site the greatest effort will be made to leave a redirect addy here. Really hate that this is happening. Definition of technology: Collaboration of transistors and ICs that works some of the time, almost works part of the time and doesn't work when most needed. Hopefully, issues will be resolved in the next 24 hours. Your patience is appreciated.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled."
-Richard P. Feynman

!?!?!?

Test 1 2 3 4. Past few days have seen problems with publishing to Blogger. They are changing some stuff and it may be time to move to another host. I hope not. With only a few exceptions, their hosting has been a nice experience. We will see.

And the Rain Came

It has rained all day. Rained all day yesterday. The new module for Guild Wars arrived and is installed. Now we wait for the weekend to get into some gameplay. My 2000 units a day of vitamnin C may be warding off a cold. Being sick sucks. It's been one malady after another the past few weeks. Wait...I feel a whine fest in the making. Will sign off and avoid that! Later.

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard."
-Standing Bear

Rain's a Coming

The short evening nap turned into a long one, lol. Rain will be here tomorrow and slow things down a bit. Why do all the crazies come out in traffic during bad weather? Guild Wars Nightfall should arrive during the work day and my note to the driver which gives him signede permission to leave it is made and on the door. This one is so neat because it is a gift. It will also have a Guild Wars T-Shirt. Kewl threads Rock! Later.

"There are many in this old world of ours who hold that things break about even for all of us. I have observed for example that we all get the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summertime and the poor get it in the winter."
-Bat Masterson

Browsing Thru the Day

After a long wait and several attempts, Firefox 2.0 downloaded via FTP. When installed it didn't want me to delete the 3 extra icons it placed on the desktop, but there was no victory in this glitch. It readily took the noia extreme and adblock extensions without any problems. Now we wait and see. Also downloaded SeaMonkey 1.05 to my laptop without a hitch. This is another Mozilla browser that had to be downloaded because of the name, lol. It reminds me of the original Mozilla browser more than Firefox. Haven't even bothered with IE7. Just not that much of a Windows Nazi anymore.

"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it."(Mahatma was a heavy dude, huh?)
-Mahatma Gandhi

Firefox 2.0 Premiers Tomorrow

You know the stomach virus going around? Well, it's at the beach house. That's all that needs to be said because having this mess is downright gross. After suffering with a backache for several days it felt good to get up Saturday morning and actually do some laundry. That changed later in the day. Seems I am falling apart, lol. Thank goodness there's a doctor's appointment this week.

Firefox 2.0, a major revision, will be released tomorrow. If you haven't tried this super browser and are still tied to the popup plagued Internet Explorer it's time to switch. You can read about this update at TimesOnline. Another browser that is based on the Firefox engine is Flock. It is also used at the beach house. As a matter of fact, it's in use now. Stop your popup blues and get with the program.

"I learned a long time ago that minor surgery is when they do the operation on someone else, not you."
-Bill Walton

Shamed Scout

Some of the lowest bastards and bitches on earth are the RIAA and The MPAA. If upsetting old fashioned, common-sense values might anger you it might be a good idea if you don't read TehcDirt's article about how the MPAA is sponsoring a merit badge for the Boy Scouts of America which encourages them to act like Hitler's Youth Corp and turn in Mommy and Daddy if the are suspicious about them downloading.

Low, low scum and I am talking about the leaders of the BSA. If I had a child in this organization, removal from such Nazis couldn't be quick enough. The Scoutmaster might get a can of whupass opened on him as well. This info can be found all over the internet, but TechDirt's article is brief, intelligent and direct. It makes me ashamed that I was once a member of this organization.

Let's shoot for positive news tomorrow. It's so tiring to follow these jerks whose sole purpose in life is to make the consuming public miserable.

"Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight."
-Phyllis Diller

Downright Good Link

A good friend, EdC from Texas, emails on occasion and has some interesting links. He has been quoted on this site several times and is just an all around kewl, extremely intelligent dude. Recently he sent a link that is spectacular, Drill. Be sure and hang around for the whole video (it's really not that long but the line that goes across the bottom streams across several times), it should amaze and astound you. Turn on the sound. Makes me proud to be an American.

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."
-Confucius

Shock the Monkey, Animal Rights Song or a Tune About Jealousy?

After spending most of yesterday in a Flexiril stupor it is nice to arise from sitting position even at a slow speed. Appreciate everyone understanding and letting me rearrange the schedule to accommodate my wimpiness. Really don't know if the drug actually "relaxes" muscles or just knocks one out and the immobility gives the tissue time to recoup. Suspect the latter, lol.

On October 31st Blogger is changing the way accounts are handled. It may not be a big deal, but this site needs an overhaul anyway. So there will be construction for a few weeks. Shouldn't be any down time so please keep reading. Encourage other to come here too. Use the comments and recommend changes. Possibly finishing the online tutorials for installing protection software can be completed as well. That's only 2 years overdue.

Peter Gabriel has been a fav at the beach house for many years. He is participating with other artists in a project where you download one of his songs and remix it. This is kewl. Mr. Gabriel is a huge supporter of music downloads. Remember folks, download your music and pay for it. Don't buy CDs. If you do then you are supporting the RIAA and they need to die...as an entity. They are EVIL. Anyway take a look over at BusinessWeek.com. Be sure and click on competition to see the video and listen to the winners of the recent contest if you visit Real World Remixed. Also, thanks goes out to Slashdot for the links.

Answer to the question in the title? It has been embraced by Animal Rights groups as an anthem as well, but Peter said it is a song about jealousy.

"If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."
-Mark Twain

More Absurd Goofiness

This is ridiculous. This is so stupid it's almost beyond comprehension. There are some baboons (AKA politicians, dirtbags, fools, etc.) that want to tax items acquired in online gaming. Gee, does this mean I can spend my Monopoly money at the department store? Hey, you blithering idiots!!!!!!!! It's ALL zeros and ones!!!! You know, binary code!!! Wait, you probably don't know. Gosh these folks need something to do with their lives! Read about this foolishness at TechDirt.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein

Goofy is as Goofy Does

Coupla' days ago I linked Weird Al's 'White and Nerdy'. In the post it was mentioned that MC Hammer's 'Can't Touch This' was the only other rap song tolerated at the beach house. Well, Cowboy Troy's 'I Play Chicken With the Train' is okay too. Why mention all this? It is my considered opinion that these guys thought out the lyrics, politely considered their listening audience, and entertained many folks.

You can rap your life away if you want, but to me it's just not music. Usually it is a vulgar spewing of simplistic rhyme pertaining to violence and filled with mean spirited racial slurs. Let's face it, I don't want my children and your children idolizing violence and ignorance. The life they spare may be my own or possibly their own maybe even YOUR own..

You can shout and fuss trying to justify drivel but my mind is made up. You want to hear music then listen to Mozart (anything without the singing), or Miles Davis, John Mayer, Corrine Bailey Rae, Van Morrison, Phil Perry, Mindi Abair, etc. Must stop this list because it can grow long and eclectic.

Can you imagine Cyndi Lauper shooting Mick Jagger? Or Elton john cappin' the drummer of Better Than Ezra? How about a knife fight between Cher and Rod Stewart? Can you imagine the Temptations and the Drifters in a dustup? Getting the point? This article Rapper Fabolous Shot In Manhattan is sad in many ways. It is good they arrested him as well as rushing him to the hospital. He's in stable condition. While recovering, any chance someone can get him a spelling primer?

Sean "Diddy" Combs appeared on David Letterman a few nights ago very well dressed and speaking in a positive, progressive manner. Snoop Dog has started a youth football league. Two people that are changing their image and leaning towards the light side of the force. The world needs more examples like these guys. We certainly don't need America's youth emulating "gangstas."

In closing, let me just say that this is NOT a forum. If you don't agree then use the comments and tell me why. Try to do it without profanity if possible. Later.

"Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet."
-Dave Barry

So You Wanna Be a Warrior, or Ranger, or Monk, or Mage?

This is a short post to answer an inquiry about different character builds in Guild Wars. First, try GuildWiki. This is probably the best site for GW participants on the net. It has loads of info about the game. Might help a new or potential player too. Second, go to Guild Wars Guru Build Directory. Then check their homepage. This is a nice site that is pretty and well maintained. Later.

"It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf."
-H. L. Mencken

Laid Back

Sunday has been nice. One PC is on the bench and not playing nice, but everything seems to be casual. Watched some TV, listened to new music, ate some kewl food, went grocery shopping, sat in the swing on the veranda enjoying the weather, put off mowing the yard since rain is due tomorrow, remoted in to several networks and updated protection software, and ended this day enjoying a great session of GuildWars with family and friends. Tomorrow is a return to the normal missions impossible. Now for a nice round of sleep. Later.

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." -George Moore

Watt's in a Name?

Suggestion from a fellow tech, "Please tell us about wattage in power supplies." My immediate response is buy the largest power supply made by a a good manufacturer like Antec. There's more to it than that though. Here it's entirely possible for me to muck through an analogy concerning the properties of electricity and their similarity to the flow of water through plumbing, but others have done this before me. Let's leave that to the experts.

Try JourneySystems. This is a power supply calculator. It doesn't list the latest greatest devices available, but is still a pretty good tool. How Stuff Works has a list of the average power used by each device in a PC. If you want a bit more detail try Direction.org. For a VERY detailed explanation of wattage try this "definition" at Wikipedia. The water flow analogy? Again, take a look at How Stuff Works.

watt--
A unit of power. A watt is a measure of how much power a device uses when turned on, or how much power a device can supply. A watt is a watt. There is no such thing as "watts per hour", or "watts per day". If a something uses 120 watts, that measure of 120 watts is the voltage times the amps. If it pulls 10 amps at 12 volts, or 1 amp at 120 volts, either situation is still 120 watts. One watt is equal to one ampere of current under the pressure of one volt; therefore, it is obvious to the most casual observer that YOUR computer needs at least a 150 watt power supply! Right. (What?) For those that want to know, the formula for power is P=IxE. In corporate America, it is become the President or it is "Who has the fastest computer?" and "Who can I step on next?".
watthour--
An amount of energy used to continuously supply power to an electric circuit for one hour. For example, a lamp rated at 100 watts that was on for 3 hours would consume 300 watts of power.
-CSGNetwork

A Great Laugh

It's late, I am tired and the bed is calling. Mudslingr sent a link to a video that has had me rolling on the floor for 5 minutes. Take a look and see if it hits your funnybone - White and Nerdy. Finally there is one rap song that I like besides 'Can't Touch This'. Be sure and have the sound on!

"I want to rock the gypsy soul in your heart."
-Van Morrison

AKA UPS or UPC

Battery backup? Yes, you need it. On every machine including routers, switches. These devices are extremely low cost self maintenance that can reduce the chance of computer woes. Is your present one making weird noises? Throw it out and get a new one (EDIT: or take advantage of the great tip in comment #1 below). Life expectancy is around 18-24 months. If you get more than this then consider it a cyber bonus. Yes, batteries can be purchased, but concerning the typical unit it is ususally more economical to replace the whole unit. BE SURE and DO NOT plug a printer into the actual battery powered backup side. Printing devices pull huge amounts of amperage and can shut the unit down creating a crash. Where do you get them?
That's easy:

WalMart

OfficeMax

Staples

CircuitCity

BestBuy

Just click on one of the above links and choose the device that suits your budget, needs, etc. Don't buy a wimpy power strip. Do buy something that has some weight; that means batteries inside. If you leave your PC unattended for lengths of time be sure and install the software supplied. This will close all programs properly and do a clean shut down. Please please abide my plea. This is so very important. Test them on occasion. How much should you spend? Start somewhere in the 40 bucks range. Now do it!


"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."
-Soren Kierkegaard

More Than 24

Updated your PC lately? You know, that icon that keeps flashing in the bottom right corner of the screen? Don't think it's necessary? Just an annoyance that you ignore? Yesterday was "patch" Tuesday, the day that Microsoft issues "fixes." Please go read the article at Computerworld titled Microsoft rolls out fixes for more than two dozen flaws.

Here's the deal; you don't update then virus infections, spyware and other baddies will most likely jump on your computer. After an extended period of quiet, virus infections have come roaring back. Don't take chances. If you own a business and can't get a grip on this procedure hire a professional. It's much easier to pay a small fee per month than to spend mucho moola for removal. Protect Thyself!!

"Precaution is better than cure."
-Edward Coke

The News is Out...Mebbe, Sorta, Kinda

Tech news is slow today. The media is still reporting on the Windows Vista hoopla mentioned in yesterday's post. On other fronts it looks like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have buried the hatchet and made up. Tim Allen remarried. His second go. She'll laugh a lot I think. He's a funny dude. Brangelina is somewhere in Asia shooting something. Somebody dug up a giant camel fossil in Syria. Hollywood Bitchslap didn't like Employee of the Month. One of the comments really dissed Jessica Simpson. A new bird species has been discovered in Columbia by some people from England. Wonder if they'll name it the cartelomo? Like I said, not much tech news swirling. Well, there is that camel thangy n I guess the bird thangy too.

"While you are destroying your mind watching the worthless, brain-rotting drivel on TV, we on the Internet are exchanging, freely and openly, the most uninhibited, intimate and, yes, shocking details about our config.sys settings."
-Dave Barry

You Probably Need to Stock Up on "Windex"

Noises are being made about Windows Vista being released. Here's a desktop photo. Look familiar?



Back in the day we anxiously awaited the arrival of Windows 2000 which superceded Windows 98SE. Great improvement. XP? Hey a glorified 2000 with a nice GUI and a better driver database. Several hundred "patches" later the Pro version is a pretty nice OS. Home still sucks because of the networking problems. Can we say multiple password entries? Thank goodness they released the XP Media Center after all the "patches" and so far it seems okay. Wow, three versions of XP. What a nightmare, especially in the beginning with just two!

According to the latest stats, five versions of Vista will exist. Can we say the dreadnought of nightmares? Seems that Microsoft is really pushing Vista at the business community, which has been hesitant to upgrade from 2000 to XP. Remember that old adage, 'don't fix it if'n it ain't broke'? This has me worried. Computerworld (where I lifted the above desktop pix) has a good article. Several hundred "patches" later Microsoft may try the strongarm approach and force Vista upgrades by killing support for other operating systems. I hope not. Their credibility is shaky at best without such tactics.

In closing let me state two things:

Yes Apple Nazis, the desktop does remind me of OSX. No doubt.

Yes Windows Nazis, still better a Gates/Microsoft world than a Jobs/Apple one...

"Turn your wounds into wisdom."
-Oprah Winfrey

64%? Kewl...

Here's an interesting statistic; 64% of Online Gamers are Women. After spending some time in Guild Wars, this is both refreshing and disturbing. Nice to see women in the game, but are they the rude and profane ones? I think not. Seems an online game may reflect a segment of society that has its share of the crass, crude, vulgar and inconsiderate. Guarantee you the Kudzu Dragons and their friends are a polite bunch unless demeaned. Anyway, that's a tangent for another time. The above linked article from 1up.com is brief and well written.

"Men who don't like girls with brains don't like girls."
-Mignon McLaughlin

Awesome Anti-Spyware Tool

Great news in battle against the malware, thiefware, spyware, etc., baddies. AVG's parent company has obtained Ewido, a super utility. It can be downloaded at Ewido. Don't let the AVG logo and look fool you. This is the same great tool with some improvements. I highly recommend this application. It reverts to the basic form after 30 days which is still a good utility, but my advice is to purchase the full version. This will keep all the jerks away. Kudos to Grisoft for a great acquisition!

"A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion."
-Washington Irving, adapted from a verse in the Bible

Soothing the Savage Beast

Received an email asking about what format is best for sound files. eHow has a basic primer that will get you headed in the right direction called How to Decide on a Format in Which to Save Windows Sound Files.

The type of "player" you have installed makes a difference. If you use an iPod then you are very limited concerning format. iPods are "cute" yet the sound quality is average. Apple's history of durability and service with these devices is very low. The Creative Zens are very flexible and can utilize many varieties of format. They are noted for good service too.

Some people like the Real Player software, but their history of spyware usage and the AOL-like clinging on when trying to uninstall still lingers in the back of my mind. Good people report they are much better now and that Rhapsody is a great online music service. Another great application is JetAudio.

Many players and applications exist so do your research. Hope this helps.

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

Art of Giving

Needing a gift for the geek in your life? Check out Top Ten Geek Wallets. The dot matrix one is weird kewl. Thanks out to Slashdot for the link!

Or how about a binary watch? These are kewl. Talking about being a hit at a LAN party, Wow! Here's a square one at ThinkGeek. They also feature a stainless steel version and a round one. Take a look around.

Allrighty now! Here's an item that no geek should be without; Blue LED Faucet Light. Again, this is featured at ThinkGeek. They also have the best T-Shirts on the web!

Shoppin, shoppin. It's late, my ironing is NOT done and the spray starch won't spray. Nighters.

"Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case."
-LawKim (Thanks for a great quote!)

Interesting List

My friend EdC, the great Texas philosopher, brought to my attention a great article at PCWorld; The 25 Worst Web Sites. There's the list and a drop down bar where you can read a brief description of each site. They sure nailed some of them, but left out a few like the evil Yahoo. Check it out, you may be amazed at what is #1.

Late and Flexiril is nudging me towards bed. Backaches suck. Manana.

"Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all."
-Alexander the Great

Homing Beacon for Aircraft? Or Another LAN Party at the Beach House?

Nice group of folks gathered at the beach house last night to do things geekified. Super to visit with old friends and great to meet new ones. We not only played mega amounts of GuildWars, but a marathon game of Trivial Pursuit happened too. The food was very LaborDay-ish, consisting of dogs, burgers, chips and refreshing beverages. Several of our friends remoted in by computer and laughter dominated the evening. And hardware! Wow! Uber, Uber! Geeks love the whamma jamma PCs. All the computers that showed up were max! If the lights had been turned off I think you still could have seen the bluish-greenish glow from the beach house for miles around! While gazing around at the festivities the thought crossed my mind, "There are nice, polite, intelligent people left in this world."

Thanks to everyone for their tremendous efforts. Good Lord knows I couldn't have done it without ya! Ya'll ALL da bomb!

"The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend."
-Aristotle

LAN PARTY TIME!

Ahhhh, love the smell of burgers n dogs grillin' in the morning. Yes, the delayed Labor Day LAN Party happens this evening around 6:00pm. It will last until, well, whenever. Folks will gather to play GuildWars, enjoy food with refreshing beverages, and share things most geekified. Forest Whistler is bringing a FreeBSD server that will be tweaked before your very eyes! Hiarnow Kharnak will be the master magician during this performance. Amazing, I must say.

Please remember, if you have had too many refreshing beverages you have no choice but to stay until capable of navigation to your homesite. Our Saltillo PD has NO tolerance for drunk drivers. We like it that way. That said, let's have a blast!

"At every party there are two kinds of people - those who want to go home and those who don't. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other."
-Ann Landers

Snappin Good Utility

Ever wanted to copy what's on the screen? For instance, here is what my desktop looks like on the SLI gaming machine:




Wanna see a personalized Google homepage? Try this:



These were done in just a few minutes with a wonderful tool called MWSnap. This is freeware provided by Mirek Wojtowicz. Though freeware, he does have PayPal available and will take donations. Donate! This is a super program so help Mirek out!

Later, my nerdlings.

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
-Ansel Adams

There's a Dumbass Spamming This Site

Vietnam Veteran here. Spent two years over there. Hated it. Folks I didn't even know were trying to kill me. When their effort was great, I killed them back. Came home a wreck and tried to put together a decent life. It was horrible. The Purple Haze years. Most of my fellow Vets that saw action are still a little crazy. With the help of a group discussion once a week for over a year my life actually developed some meaning. Just lost and crazy. Many of us have done this and it's nice to know that the killing stopped long ago and only appears in my dreams on rare occasions anymore.

Why admit all this now? There is a fool spamming my comments. I just want the no good son of a bitch to know that when Haloscan finds his ISP I might not be in a good frame of mind. I do have the means to travel and some of my government trained skills are retained. I have done nothing to you and deeply resent your childish pranks. God help you when I find you.

Okay, maybe all the craziness has NOT been cured. This is the last I will comment about it until I have the name, address and phone number of this jerk. This info will be published on this site. So there, and just keep doing it. I want you to do your dead level best and please use profanity or threaten me. C'mon and we'll see wins. You may not realize exactly who and what your dealing with... and no threat intended, just a promise.

"A fool often fails because he thinks what is difficult is easy."
-Collins

Morning Launch

First I lost the keys. After a nerve racking search they were found. Then clothes had to be washed. Just didn't have a thing to wear. The cell phone has been on the fritz. It locks up sometimes. Seems to be brought on by my need to use it for something important. To the car finally and one of the tires was almost flat. Out comes the mini air compressor. Come to find out all tires were low. Filled. That mini compressor rocked!

Then the phone started working and someone called complaining about my being late. This happened as I had keyed in their number to phone and tell them I was running a few minutes late. Then I discovered the batteries in all my devices were low. Okay, from some scary reason all the appropriate chargers were in the car. Whew! Now we're rolling!

Oops. What's that? My wallet wasn't in the pocket. Steering wheel is 180ed and wallet retrieved after a minimal search. Back to the car. Let's go. Let's go! And that's when I first saw the train across the road. While sitting several cars back sipping my coffee, a realization shook me. The cup's half full! Good go! Then I proceeded to spill the majority of it in my lap. See why I need your prayers?

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."
-Henry David Thoreau

One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingy

Cell phones are a necessary evil. Years ago my Bell South home phone was removed because they are liars. When the initial switch was made the monthly bill was supposed to be under $80.00 per month tax included. The Bell salesman even calculated. I know this because the noise of the calculator came over the phone. Hah! It averaged about $130.00 per month. BTW, they were not my long distance carrier. There is also the matter of a $200.00 cash rebate that never happened.

If you have a problem Ma Bell can't seem to find anytime or anyone to aid you in your communication fubar. They can sure find someone to call and inform you that your bill is due in a few days. Let's see, dunning someone for payment before it's due; there's a concept. So, they are evil.

The semi-functional cell phone is not much better. The signal comes and goes, the phones are not sturdy, the help department (Cingular anyway) pat answer is to pass the buck, they radiate microwaves and usually are hard to hold to the ear for an extended period of time. Yet, we just can't live without 'em. Momus has a good article about all this at Wired News

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-Arthur C. Clarke

Idle Chatter and Immaturity

The server switch ended up past 11:00pm yesterday. Moving files of that nature just take time. The network is 10/100 and all equipment functioned properly. It's all good though. Eight hours invested plus several hours of bench time to actually upgrade the machine, format and install the OS and incorporate SCSI plus some ancillary software problems made for a longer than usual installation. The four phone calls made throughout the day assured me that the transition had been done efficiently and my precautionary remaining in close proximity could cease. Besides, I corrected some errors on the network concerning printers, security, etc., so boring it was not. I will say a prayer of gratitude before retiring.

It's obvious that a spammer has found this site interesting, at least the comments. Instead of using Blogger the comments are driven by a company called Haloscan. They contacted me within hours after receiving my complaint. Their usual cure is to have the person immediately banned from their ISP and other actions are taken to stop such idiocy. I was asked if the need arose would I prosecute? So keep tightening that noose. Just spam away and leave a trail. Ahh, the idle time of a childlike person. Gosh, wish my brain was that vacant and there were no time restraints in my life. Hey, there's a positive spin; some companies still care about their customers. You go, Haloscan!

"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
-Mark Twain

Just Love the Sound of Server Whirrr in the Evening or Pass the Parsnips Please

Four hours of file transfer and the servers still aren't through. This is an unusual way to spend a Sunday evening. Of course it can't be interrrupted and the parameters for users, privileges, etc. will have to be done as well. Just another day in paradise.

Thank goodness Subway has come to Baldwyn, MS. Really didn't think I'd be this long. There's just something about cpa data that takes time. The sound of numbers crunching can be heard throughout the building. Other than that it's quiet.

As I sit awaiting the file transfer to cease, eating my Subway sandwich, it is intriguing to read articles about weight loss at eHow. Here's one that is interesting, but just a little too vegetarian - How to Understand Dean Ornish's Program. This is worth another look. Vegetarian? Can you imagine the grill flaming with me bent over it basting a head of cabbage or tofu burger? Hamboni the Seer says this is not in my future unless done as a joke.

Later y'all.


"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato."
-Lewis Grizzard

Heavy Eyelids

Sony was caught putting root kits in CDs, Mircrosft admitted it is spying on every Windows user that has downloaded the WGA update, Osama Ben Laden is still running free terrorizing the planet and all the news media can talk about is board room leaks at HP. Ridiculous and absurd. The world is indeed a strange place. You can read this "news" at ITWire, if you can stay awake.

Time to sleep, perchance to dream with the rain falling gently against the windows. Nighters.

"Beta. Software undergoes beta testing shortly before it's released. Beta is Latin for "still doesn't work."
-Billy Wobblynife

Scene from the Reservoir

Beagle sent this to me and I laughed so hard it hurt. Hope all my Northern friends see the humor.


Subject: A DIARY OF A YANKEE


Dear Diary:

May 30th:

Just moved to Madison, Mississippi...Now this is a City that knows
how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a
place! Watched the sunset from the Reservoir lying on a blanket. It was
beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here!

June 14th:

Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Not a problem. Live in an
air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure
to see the sun on the water everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun
worshipper.

June 30th:

Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of
cactusand rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing lawn for me.
Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th:

The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get
used to this kind of heat? At least it's kind of windy though. But
getting used to the heat and humidity is taking longer that I expected.

July 15th:

Fell asleep by the pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.)
Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson
though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 20th:

I missed Morgan (our cat) sneaking into the car when I left for work
this morning. By the time I got to the hot car for lunch, Morgan had
died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag and stank up the
$2,000 leather upholstery. I told the kids that she ran away. The
car now smells like Kibbles and shi ts. I learned my lesson though. No
more pets in this heat.

July 25th:

The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's
hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the A/C
repairman charged $200 just to stop by and tell me he needed to
order parts.


July 30th:

Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. $1,500 in damn
house payments and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come
here?


August 4th:

It's 105 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It
cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85, but this freaking humidity
makes the house feel like it's about 95. Stupid repairman pissed in
my pool. I hate this stupid city.

August 8th:
If another wise ass cracks, "Hot enough for you today?", I'm
going to strangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work the radiator is
boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked
cat!!

August 9th:

Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts and sat on the
blackleather seats in the ol' car. I thought my ass was on fire. I lost
two layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and ass. Now
my car smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.

August 10th:

The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny.
Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do anything for 2
damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next
week!! Doesn't it ever rain in this damn desert?? Water rationing
will be next, so might as well watch $1700 worth of cactus just dry up and
blow into the damn pool. Even the cactus can't live in this damn heat.

August 15th:

Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 105 today. Forgot to crack the
window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The installer
cameto fix it and said, "Hot enough for you today?" My wife had to spend
the $1500 house payment to bail me out of jail. Freaking South.

What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-Henry James

Time is on My Side?

Received an email that has an excellent question: Why do some posts show up late in the day?. Thanks for the email, Cal. The answer is they are not actually showing up late. Usually, I try to post before leaving in the morning. This is not always possible. The time stamp at the bottom is when this post was initiated. Sometimes I get in a hurry and leave it up. Then in the process of testing a machine, I may edit and finish later in the day. It has nothing to do with my fine, fine host. Blogger is very prompt about posting and also very reliable. One of the best free services on the web . Google owns Blogger. Enough said.

Now for some self promotion. If you get bored or need something to pass a few minutes, please click on one of the archives. Thanks to all the great people that use Cybersouth-FTSBH as their home page. This certainly helps the count. Get a friend to check us out. There will be more possum lore soon and Hamboni is way overdue for an appearance. Got a question? How about a funny pet story? Or a snickering workplace goof? Email me.

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
-Winston Churchill (smart man he was...)

Horse Sense, not Horse Ass

The last few weeks have been rough. Okay, make that months. My health has been an issue and this is never good for anyone. After several trips to the doctor the meds are now doing their job. The confusion suffered a few times is downright scary. My life has been graced with good health for the most part. There are some rocks in that road, but they are no longer obstacles. What worries me the most is the way that work has suffered. Just hard to go when your too dizzy to drive. That's changing, thank God.

On several occasions good friends have been there and helped, sometimes in ways not so apparent. They certainly don't need to read this article: How to Be an Awesome Friend. The four points made in the article are very good standards. The Tips and Warnings are just as important. This is not a long read and certainly not rocket science. It's also painless most of the time and can be downright rewarding. Besides, it'd be a damn site better world if everyone adhered to such principles.

"You know, it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then, the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining"
-John Mayer (well said Mr. Mayer, well said...)

It Feels Like Rain

And looks it too. Nice day to kick back, put your feet up and day dream about faraway places. A bit warmer than last week, but cool temperatures should be back tomorrow behind this front moving through. Enough with weather voodoo.

Slow tech news day. Gonna check the SEC scores and return to the bench for further repairs. Later.

"I like long walks, especially when they're taken by people who annoy me."
-Fred Allen

Teamspeak Server Revived

Teamspeak is back online at the beach house. Those who are users please use your search to find the new number, or call me, or email me, or...okay, if you have trouble - get in touch. This number may change one more time then again, it may not. Sorry for the inconvenience. The network is still undergoing changes. Much gratitude out for temporary use of the Morris unit. Y'all are da bomb! Also, here's an awesome site for Guild Wars addicts; go to GuildWiki.

"Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean there's NOT somebody after you."
-Billy Wobblynife

Wireless PC/Cell Phone Headset

Several people have asked about wireless headsets for their PCs. This makes it easy to move from in front of the computer to various locations without having to to worry with wires confining you. You know, like grabbing a refreshing beverage, seeing who's at the door, checking the snail mail, or other things. Logitech has a bluetooth solution for around 100 bucks. It will also double as a headset for your bluetooth enabled cell phone. It uses USB as an interface. Check it out at Logitech. Please look under the 'headsets and microphones' category. Logitech prevents direct linking to a product(wonder what dumbass thought that up?). It is the third item listed on the page.

"The road to success is dotted lotsa' tempting parking places."
-Billy Wobblynife

Dead Link and the #%!!!@%?&@ Server

Sorry about the link not working in yesterday's post. Hopefully it'll be displayed properly in the future, but it is certainly not a priority today. In the 3.5 years I've posted the links have always worked, but with this one there is failure. Sorry, human here.

After taking down the Teamspeak server for repair and revamping, several items in the field have decided to do the fubar dance. They take priority. Also the Teamspeak server has decided not to pass thru a double router/switch setup. It has existed on this network for years that way, but will not assume its old connection. Therefore, it is being dismantled, reassembled, formatted, and the operating system re-installed. Again, my units in the field come first and the Good Lord in heaven only knows how long that will take.

Can anyone tell I am frustrated? Yes, if you have experience with HP Net-Server Raid 5 arrays (6 10k spin SCSIs striped w/parity) and Small Biz SQL Server some help will be welcome.

"If you're going through hell, keep going."
-Winston Churchill

Stress Relief

Okay, my daughter that is in Louisiana and is pregnant, had a rough day at work. When relating all this to her husband tonight the good doctor prescribed an unusual remedy. Please turn up you speakers and enjoy this philosophical approach to dealing with stress in the workplace. If the word ass offends you might be a good idea not to listen. Wait, if the word ass offends you then you wouldn't be here, lol. Just click (EDIT: link removed due to malfunction), download this very small file, then open it. Windows Media Player or your chosen player will run it automatically. Might be a good idea not to let the boss hear this...

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."
-Lily Tomlin

Teamspeak Temporary Outage

Over the next few days the Teamspeak Server will be undergoing major changes as will the beach house network. Sorry for the inconvenience, but these efforts are being made to improve connectivity and security. If someone in our Teamspeak group has the bandwidth and wants to set up a temporary server it certainly won't hurt my feelings. Many changes are overdue and it is time to stop the small children that think they know how to hack from bombarding this network. As soon as we are back online it will be announced. You patience will certainly be appreciated.

"I don't mind coming to work, but that eight hour wait to go home is a bitch."
-Gray

Site n Life Update

Due to changes in medication and various other little goodies taking place my ability and desire to post have been lax. This should change in the next few days. If things go okay on Wednesday my next scheduled doctor's appointment will be in about 6 weeks.

Finally got all my VA stuff online done and some meds ordered again. I'll refrain from further comment at this time. Just glad it can be done online instead of that crazy telephone thing. My fingertips are just too fat, lol.

Please bear with me. I am behind on everything. Efforts are being made to arrive at my normal level of abnormal-ness. Hey, say a prayer for me. Heck, make it for all Veterans.

"Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body."
-Cicero

Z Your Board

A ZBoard has been in use at the beach house for several months. This is a keyboard that accents gaming. My love of Guild Wars inspired me to buy this product. Since I have never played any other game online this is a somewhat biased review.

Zboard makes a full Zboard that has modules (called keysets) for different games. They also make one that can be programmed from software downloaded off the internet called the MERC. There's a "pad"version of this called the FANG. I purchased the MERC. It's the unit being used now. Several gaming sites and software companies endorse them.

Being lefthanded, it is nice to have many of the game function keys on the left side of the keyboard. I was not able to pull it out of the box, download the software and start using it. It took several weeks of practice to make my left hand use the appropriate keys. I am still learning. The buttons are strategically located, clearly marked, and a good size for most fingers. The keyboard proper is pretty much standard and does include Windows keys.

At first the feel was weird. Hey, a pre-windows user here so I learned on the old "clicker" keyboards. This keyboard has a softer touch, but after some use the speed is up to normal. It is a decent feel and I like the layout. Wish they had key overlays available, but you get used to 'what key does what' after a few days. The left keypad is offset in an ergonomic fashion and even though I dislike those keyboards this slanting is quite comfortable.

I recommend this product, especially to gamers. As a matter of fact the purchase of the full version for Guild Wars is on my list of things to buy. Hope this helps.

"They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."
-Confucius

Learning Aid

Got an email asking if the Video Professor is legit. Here's one opinion, Epinions. Here's another, Video Professor Scam. In all fairness I have personally talked to several people that have ordered tutorials from this company and they had a pleasant encounter and good results from the content. The Microsoft Office tutorials (Excel in particular) comes highly recommended. Apparently, if you get by the infomercial hype about being free and realize that you will pay for it then you may benefit from this software. This is neither an endorsement nor a criticism.

Hope this helps.

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold."
-Leo Tolstoy

Stingray?

Wow, Steve Irwin is dead. He was killed by a stingray not a crocodile as one might suspect. Internationally known as the 'Crocodile Hunter' he was always a hoot to watch on TV. He is survived by his Wife Terri and two children, Bindi and Bob. Seems that Mr. Irwin was a super family dude. Read more at New.com.au. Please pray for the family.

Enjoy a Monday off on this Labor Day. Getting ready to go bring a server online. Later.

"Those that matter don't mind; those that mind don't matter."
Dr. Seuss (via Red Dragon)

Never Moon a Werewolf

We are finally going back to the moon. Yessir-ree Bob! It'll be year 2014, but plans are being made as we speak. NASA just awarded Lockheed the contract to build a vehicle for said trip. Now folks, we all know we've been there, but there are some that seem to make that trip more often than others. Who you say? Let's see there's Al Gore, you know the dude from Tennessee that "invented" the internet. He was vice president during the Clinton years. There's also the Hillarybeast. Anyway, check the BBC article, Lockheed to build NASA 'Moonship'.

"Desdemonas building a rocket ship
Desdemonas going away
Desdemonas building a rocket ship
Blasting off today
Shes got a passion for cookies
A crew full of rookies
Its going to be a hell of a blow
Desdemonas building a rocket ship
And Ive got to go"
-Jimmy Buffett