Hold Your Beer and Listen to This!

This song is appropriate for this holiday and the rest. I listened to many versions, including Hillary Clinton's, and thought this the best. Leeann Rimes was a very close second. I know that this young lady won something on a talent show called American Idol. Sorry, not a fan and have never watched it. This is an impressive video. Touched my heart and makes me proud. Here is Carrie Underwood:

Oh yeah, don't bother with Hillary's rendition. Singer she's NOT.

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."
~Joseph Campbell

Freedom? It's a Privilege and Not Necessarily a Right

Memorial Day Weekend is here. For many people it's the beginning of barbeque season, for some it's the beginning of the warm months and many like to party and watch the Indy 500. The Summer Solstice arrives on June 20th and the Autumn Equinox is September 20th. Here in the Deep South our daytime temperatures are in the 90s by now and thunderstorms can blow up at any time. So, we unofficially celebrate the beginning of the warm months the last Monday in May. A good time should be had by all.

The are many legends around the concept of Memorial Day. This is a holiday so important to each and every American. We raise our glasses and prayers to those fallen in battle who have helped preserve our privileges of freedom and the American way. I like the story that has several women that were widows of the Confederacy decorating graves at Shiloh for fallen soldiers back in 1866. After a wagon trip from Georgia they put flowers on Yankee graves too. This was the first Memorial Day. It was called Decoration Day back in that era. There are other tales about the origin, but this one suits me. It has southern character. No doubt, these grieving women would certainly have decorated the graves of both sides. They honored all who perished in this travesty.

If this rain ever lets up the beach house is due for pressure washing, the garage needs painting, the yard needs mowing, the house is being cleaned and my lardbutt will be exhausted if my complete list of tasks is accomplished. The hammock is a major chore and has to be repaired or replaced. Ahhhh, living at the beach house. It's grand. I might even pitch battle with the smelly growling thing that lives in the southwest corner of the garage.

Celebrate our fallen comrades in arms this weekend and be careful. Traffic volume will be off due to gas prices, but the crazies will still hit the road. That's a fact. So drive defensively. Spend time with family and help your children understand the significance of this great holiday. If you see someone in uniform tell them how proud it makes you that they are in the service and protecting our liberty. God bless our troops and God bless America.

For God's sake, please don't act like a horse's ass and get behind the wheel while drinking intoxicating beverages. You will be dealt with harshly. Rightfully so. Our Saltillo PD will be enforcing the law and our firefighters will be diligent in protecting you. I wish they could take off from work too. But they will be busy protecting us from dumb stuff like DUI and out of control grill fires. It makes me feel safe and secure they are on the job. Hats off guys. Glad you're here to keep the drunks off the streets plus all the other tasks you perform. God bless you and God bless our firefighters. Chief Steve and Chief Rob do a fantastic job. So do the rest of the women and men in these jobs of civil service.

"And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me."
~Lee Greenwood

Local News, Really Bad and Really Good

Local news is popping today. Two people have been arrested in connection to the death of a 2 year old child. They also are being charged with cruelty to animals. You can read more if you open Tuesday's comments and click on Beagle's link. This is such a tragedy. As said in the comments no crime is more grave than the abuse of a child. IMHO, the lower realms of hell await those that commit such crimes. Prayers have been said.

Let's lighten up. A huge Congrats out to Tupelo High School. Their athletic program was rated 3rd in the NATION by Sports Illustrated. The high school is located next to the Natchez Trace and looks more like a college campus than a high school. A big hats off and kudos to Danny Porter, athletics director, ALL the athletes, and the many support groups that boost this program. Read more at DailyJournal.com.

"It was while making newspaper deliveries, trying to miss the bushes and hit the porch, that I first learned the importance of accuracy in journalism."
~Charles Osgood (sadly, it's noted, that not all journalists have this attitude)

EDIT: Buffett was awesome on Dave Letterman's show last night. Check it out at CBS.com. The huge red headed fellow standing beside him pickin' and singing is Mac McAnally. Mac is from Belmont, Mississippi. That's in Tishomingo County which is my old stomping grounds! My heart remains there to this very day.

Bubba is On the Tube Tonight!

Spring has sprung and Memorial Day weekend is almost here. What better way to start summer festivities than to see Jimmy Buffett? He's on David Letterman tonight. He is one of my all time favorite Democrats. Shucks, he's in showbiz, isn't it required? Hope he sings, but if he sits and chats with Dave that'll be K too. When the mood needs a lift there's nothing like Jimmy Buffett music to boost morale. Dude is 62 years old and still going strong. His music has shored me up many times. One Particular Harbor, Pirate Looks at Forty, Volcano, Margaritaville, Changes in Latitude, In the Shelter, Boat Drinks, Gypsies in the Palace, God's Own Drunk, Wish I Had a Saxophone, West Nashville Ballroom Gowns, Son of a Son of a Sailor, The Night I Painted the Sky, Gravity Storm, this list can go on forever. Got a favorite? Comment!!!!

"Maybe it's the sausage or those pretty pink shrimp
Or that popcorn rice that makes me blow up like a blimp.
Maybe it's that voodoo from Marie Leveaux,
But I will play for gumbo
Yeah, I will play for gumbo."
~Buffett

Dogs n Cats? Casual. Possums? Not So Much...

No ill is harbored towards cats at the beach house. They can be funny and comical. They can be a best friend. They can also be downright cantankerous at times. Around here, there are several feral cats that sneak out of the woods to enjoy late night snacks sometimes left for them. There was a water bowl and food bowl by the north steps. They both disappeared. Guess some catzilla was really hungry or Arnold, Opossumus Austriabodicus Germanicus, may have taken them away. He is territorial, you know.

Seems he dislikes dogs much more than cats. Either that or the cats have a better line of communication in this area. Big Hateful Black Spotted Tomcat (he hisses at me from way across the road even though I feed him) was delivered a large can of whupass several years ago by Arnold. Word must have spread in the feline community not to mess with any possum in the area the size of a small pony. Cats are smart that way, you know.

Time to get back on track here. Since my life sometimes finds me gone for extended periods of time I have even decided to give up the aquarium. LisaPooh and Laundry Witch have laughed heartily because there have been no fish in it for 3 years. I maintained it until this past winter. Without a fenced yard it's impossible to maintain a dog. I won't keep a cat boxed up in a house and living on a street corner presents a traffic problem that is deadly. Cats have absolutely no fear of cars, you know.

Let me bring some focus to my ramblings: Take a look at this guy:



If you find him irresistible then please contact the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society and make arrangements to adopt Luke. That's his name.

This is a good group of folks and their much deserved praise goes unsung. They do this work because of dedication and are rarely thanked. If you are like me and just can't maintain a pet properly, but want to help, DONATE! It won't kill ya' to give up a few dollars to feed a discarded and often mistreated animal brother or sister. We are all God's creatures. So get up off that ass and take that wallet out!

On my way out to discover today's adventures I am going to stop and purchase a bag of Purina Puppy Chow for the shelter. You might do the same, you know.

"A cat can be trusted to purr when she is pleased, which is more than can be said for human beings."
~William Ralph Inge
(Today's pictures are by Beagle)

Eating Crow

Time to correct the error of my ways. Tuesday and Wednesday of last week NVidia updates were among the items discussed. I even called their coders crackheads. Sorry. I am the dumbass that prevented the software from installing properly. Further research was done and I needed to flash the BIOS on this computer. NVidia's page was where I retrieved that info. After doing a really neat BIOS update inside Windows, yes, that's right, inside Windows and not in "DOS" mode, the updates installed without a glitch. The tools are working properly and there is a noticeable difference in performance. In other words, the rendering on this PC has never looked so good. So, the beach house apologizes to NVidia and their wonderful coders who in no way suck. You make graphics cards that are absolutely MARVELOUS! Just insert a Wayne's World 'I am not worthy' here and call me Garth.

"Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change; where we are right, make us easy to live with."
~Peter Marshall

Horse of a Well Known Color

Since there was a major vent yesterday about gambling and spyware, let's head in a different direction today. I like watching the triple crown horse races. This year there's a very impressive horse name Big Brown (yes it is connected to UPS). He won the Kentucky Derby and now the Preakness. Only one to go; the Belmont. The whole business of such an event that is over with in just a few minutes is fascinating. All the stories surrounding different horses and people are cool. I'd like to make the Kentucky Derby one time. Maybe ride a Harley to Lousiville and then wander around the infield checking out people. The hoity-toity in the private booths do not attract me. Rather hang with Everyman and his better half, Everywoman. Seems like it would be fun. Bet tickets are hard to obtain. Wonder if they put mint leaves in rum and coke? Would that make it a Mohito n coke?

Okay, on the tech news front today, I got nuthin'!

"Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground."
~John Wayne

Have I Got a "Deal" for You!

If you have read Cybersouth from the beginning then you know there is no doubt about my position on adware, spyware, malware, garbageware, etc. I hate it and the sorry bastards and bitches that write it! Venting is probably not over, but back to the subject. If you go to many of the online poker or gambling sites there's a grave chance you will download spyware. Here's a good for instance (and be prepared to scroll down quite a bit):

Threat Name: PARTY POKER
adware, downloader, downloads adware onto the infected computers hardrive, and creates adult links on desktop

More Information


ADWARE

Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user. Adware has been criticized for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge.

698 Identified Patterns

cpoker.exe
iejogrdeli.exe
luckytrumpsetup.exe
njulsyqnuw.exe
partypoker.exe
partypokernet.exe
partypoker_original.exe
poker-spyv18010_crack.exe
pokerindicator131_crack.exe
pokerstarsinstall.exe
ppokersetup.exe
rfharnarqa.exe
runapp.exe
seat.exe
startholdempoker.exe
ufgapuodkr.exe
updateholdempoker.exe
upgradepf80-83man.exe
upgradepf80-87man.exe
upgradepf81-82sil.exe
upgradepf83-84sim.exe
upgradepf91-92man.exe
upgradepfman91_2.exe
upgradepp92-93man.exe
upgradeppcasino1-7man.exe
winstonpoker.exe
winsupdater.exe
wpc.exe
blackjack.dll
ieextension.dll
llh.dll
njulsyqnuw.dll
partycasino.dll
partypoker.dll
rfharnarqa.dll
tawjvlwskv.dll
ufgapuodkr.dll
0.bmp
0_7.bmp
1.bmp
1066.atc
1222.atc
1224.atc
1228.atc
1230.atc
1_7.bmp
1_bigcardback.bmp
1_smallcard1.bmp
2.bmp
2.htm
2c.bmp
2cg.bmp
2d.bmp
2db.bmp
2h.bmp
2s.bmp
2_7.bmp
2_bigcardback.bmp
2_smallcard1.bmp
3.bmp
3c.bmp
3cg.bmp
3d.bmp
3db.bmp
3h.bmp
3s.bmp
3_7.bmp
3_bigcardback.bmp
3_smallcard1.bmp
4.bmp
4.htm
4c.bmp
4cg.bmp
4d.bmp
4db.bmp
4h.bmp
4s.bmp
4_7.bmp
4_bigcardback.bmp
4_smallcard1.bmp
5.bmp
5c.bmp
5cg.bmp
5d.bmp
5db.bmp
5h.bmp
5s.bmp
5_7.bmp
5_bigcardback.bmp
5_smallcard1.bmp
6.bmp
6c.bmp
6cg.bmp
6d.bmp
6db.bmp
6h.bmp
6s.bmp
6_7.bmp
6_bigcardback.bmp
6_smallcard1.bmp
7.bmp
7c.bmp
7cg.bmp
7d.bmp
7db.bmp
7h.bmp
7s.bmp
7_7.bmp
8.bmp
8c.bmp
8cg.bmp
8d.bmp
8db.bmp
8h.bmp
8s.bmp
9.bmp
964.atc
966.atc
968.atc
9c.bmp
9cg.bmp
9d.bmp
9db.bmp
9h.bmp
9s.bmp
ac.bmp
account_button_background.jpg
account_but_newacocunt.jpg
acg.bmp
active_popup-bottom.jpg
active_popup-bottomleft.gif
active_popup-bottomleft.jpg
active_popup-bottomright.gif
active_popup-bottomright.jpg
active_popup-left.jpg
active_title-background.jpg
active_title-topleft.gif
active_title-topleft.jpg
active_title-topright.gif
active_title-topright.jpg
ad.bmp
adb.bmp
add-on.bmp
add.bmp
addchips.wav
administrator@partypoker[1].txt
administrator@partypoker[3].txt
adv_checked.gif
adv_unchecked.gif
ah.bmp
as.bmp
background.gif
background_client.jpg
balance_strip.jpg
biglogo.gif
bitmap_cent.bmp
bitmap_dollor.bmp
bj_check.jpg
bj_table.jpg
blackjack.wav
block.bmp
box.bmp
box_corners.jpg
btn_cascade.jpg
btn_cascade_off.jpg
btn_reset.jpg
btn_reset_off.jpg
btn_tile.jpg
bulletin_background.jpg
bulletin_box_background.jpg
bulletin_nav_background.jpg
bulletin_nav_buttons.jpg
but.bmp
buttonsend.jpg
but_account.bmp
but_help.jpg
but_joinlist.jpg
but_opentable.jpg
but_registernow.jpg
but_skin.gif
but_skin.jpg
but_skin_account.gif
but_tourneylobby.jpg
but_unjoinlist.jpg
but_unregister.jpg
c1.gif
c10.gif
c25.gif
c5.gif
c50.gif
c95.gif
card.wav
cardflip.wav
cards_dealing.wav
cards_sliding.wav
cashier.bmp
cashier_button.jpg
cent_strip.jpg
chimes.wav
chip100_button.jpg
chip1_button.jpg
chip25_button.jpg
chip500_button.jpg
chip5_button.jpg
chips.wav
chips_sliding.wav
clearamounts.jpg
clear_button.jpg
client_bottom.jpg
client_bottom_right.jpg
client_gradient.jpg
client_lobby_left.jpg
client_lobby_right.jpg
client_top.jpg
close.act
close.gif
confirmdeal.jpg
congratulations.gif
conn.gif
connect_screen_bg.jpg
conn_lost.gif
d1.gif
d100.gif
d1000.gif
d100000.gif
d1000000.gif
d25.gif
d25000.gif
d5.gif
d50.gif
d500.gif
d5000.gif
d500000.gif
dealercontrol.gif
deal_background.jpg
deal_button.jpg
deal_help.jpg
ding.wav
double_button.jpg
drextdl.ocx
exit.htm
exitdeal.jpg
exit_button.jpg
filters_background_maximised.jpg
filters_background_normal.jpg
filters_but.jpg
filters_but_close_maximised.jpg
filters_but_close_normal.jpg
filters_but_open_maximised.jpg
filters_but_open_normal.jpg
filters_but_small.jpg
filters_but_tournys_close_maximised.jpg
filters_but_tournys_close_normal.jpg
filters_but_tournys_open_maximised.jpg
filters_but_tournys_open_normal.jpg
firework3.wav
floorperson1.bmp
fold_to_off.gif
fold_to_on.gif
gamebalance_free.jpg
gamelogs_button.jpg
game_topbar_pff.jpg
genv.sh
gra.ini
help_background.jpg
help_but_close.jpg
help_but_continue.jpg
highcarding.gif
hit_button.jpg
inactive_popup-bottom.jpg
inactive_popup-bottomleft.gif
inactive_popup-bottomleft.jpg
inactive_popup-bottomright.gif
inactive_popup-bottomright.jpg
inactive_popup-left.jpg
inactive_popup-right.jpg
inactive_title-background.jpg
inactive_title-left.gif
inactive_title-left.jpg
inactive_title-right.gif
inactive_title-right.jpg
install.log
install.sss
insurance.wav
insure_button.jpg
invite.bmp
jackpotwin_bg.jpg
jc.bmp
jcg.bmp
jd.bmp
jdb.bmp
jh.bmp
jp_other_popup_bg.jpg
jp_rake_box.jpg
jp_win_popup_bg.jpg
js.bmp
kc.bmp
kcg.bmp
kd.bmp
kdb.bmp
kh.bmp
ks.bmp
layout_01_r65_c34.gif
leavetable.bmp
lhn_account_background.jpg
lhn_account_divider.jpg
lhn_bar_blackjack.jpg
lhn_bar_jackpot.jpg
lhn_bar_jackpot_numbers.jpg
lhn_bar_news.jpg
lhn_but_cashout.jpg
lhn_but_deposit.jpg
lhn_but_deposit_large.jpg
lhn_but_options.jpg
lhn_but_redeem.jpg
lhn_but_refresh.jpg
lhn_but_reload_play.jpg
lhn_but_status.jpg
lhn_details_open.jpg
lhn_link_arrow.gif
lhn_tab_background.jpg
loading.gif
lobby.bmp
lobbyclose.jpg
lobbyconfig.txt
login.htm
login.jpg
man0.bmp
man1.bmp
man1_7.bmp
man2.bmp
man2_7.bmp
man3.bmp
man3_2.bmp
man3_7.bmp
man4.bmp
man4_7.bmp
man5.bmp
man5_7.bmp
man6.bmp
man6_2.bmp
man6_7.bmp
man7.bmp
man7_7.bmp
man8.bmp
man9.bmp
menu_01_myaccount.jpg
menu_02_cashier.jpg
menu_03_news.jpg
menu_04_rules.jpg
menu_05_tellfriend.jpg
menu_06_about.jpg
menu_07_help.jpg
mouse_move.wav
nextmove.bmp
notes.gif
number_circle.gif
option.gif
otherpayouts.bmp
out.gif
p
partycasino.ico
partypoker.net
payoutinfo.bmp
payouts.bmp
pff_betinfo.jpg
picturecard.act
pin_unused.gif
pin_used.gif
pointer_r.gif
poker.bin
popup_but_cancel.gif
popup_but_cancel.jpg
popup_but_cashier.gif
popup_but_cashier.jpg
popup_but_ok.gif
popup_but_ok.jpg
popup_but_playmoney.gif
popup_but_playmoney.jpg
popup_buyin_box.jpg
popup_buyin_but_all.jpg
popup_buyin_tab.jpg
popup_buyin_top.jpg
popup_login_bottom.jpg
popup_login_top.jpg
popup_register_bottomleft.jpg
popup_register_top.jpg
post.ocx
ppicon.ico
ppunistall.bat
push.wav
pushbut.wav
qc.bmp
qcg.bmp
qd.bmp
qdb.bmp
qh.bmp
qs.bmp
re-buy.bmp
rebuy.bmp
rejectdeal.jpg
remove.bmp
repeatbet_button.jpg
reserved.gif
result_bj.jpg
result_bust.jpg
result_insure.jpg
result_lost.jpg
result_push.jpg
result_won.jpg
rr.bmp
rules_button.jpg
seat0.jpg
seat0_7.jpg
seat1.jpg
seat1_7.jpg
seat2.jpg
seat2_7.bmp
seat2_7.jpg
seat3.jpg
seat3_7.jpg
seat4.jpg
seat4_7.jpg
seat4_9.jpg
seat5.jpg
seat5_7.jpg
seat6.jpg
seat6_7.jpg
seat7.jpg
seat7_7.jpg
seat8.jpg
seat9.jpg
seatopen.gif
sidebetbg.jpg
sidebetclose.bmp
sidebetclosebet.bmp
sidebetopen.bmp
sidebetopenbet.bmp
sidebetopenbetnoborder.bmp
sidebetopennoborder.bmp
sidebetupdateprocess.jpg
signup.jpg
skin.bmp
skin_account.bmp
smlogo.gif
splash.act
split.wav
split_button.jpg
stand_button.jpg
status_dlg.jpg
strip.gif
strip_bottom.bmp
strip_left.bmp
strip_right.bmp
strip_top.bmp
submitdeal.jpg
surrender_button.jpg
system_background_bulletin.jpg
system_but_bingo.jpg
system_but_cashier.jpg
system_but_casino.jpg
system_but_close.jpg
system_but_connected.jpg
system_but_gammon.jpg
system_but_inactive_close.jpg
system_but_inactive_minimise.jpg
system_but_install.jpg
system_but_login.jpg
system_but_minimise.jpg
system_but_poker.jpg
system_but_realplay.jpg
system_but_security.jpg
table.act
table.jpg
table_background_buttons_expanded.jpg
table_background_buttons_maximised.jpg
table_bj_button.gif
table_bj_button.jpg
table_jp_label.jpg
table_options.bmp
table_title_background.jpg
table_title_background_sel.jpg
tab_background.jpg
tab_description.jpg
tab_game_info.jpg
tab_players.jpg
tab_players_right.jpg
tab_tournament_info.jpg
tc.bmp
tcg.bmp
td.bmp
tdb.bmp
th.bmp
thumbtack1.gif
thumbtack2.gif
timebank.bmp
timebank.jpg
title_ac_suggestor.gif
title_addon.gif
title_buy-in_takeout.gif
title_buyin.gif
title_changevalidateemail.gif
title_chgpwd.gif
title_crtpvttlb.gif
title_enterpassword.gif
title_firepay.gif
title_hand_history_config.gif
title_howtostart.gif
title_instant_hand_history.gif
title_invitation.gif
title_invitebuddies.gif
title_joinwaitlistnormal.gif
title_openaccount.gif
title_options.gif
title_ppinfo.gif
title_rebuy.gif
title_requesthandhistory.gif
title_shootout_payout.gif
title_tellafriend.gif
title_tourneybuyin.gif
title_unjoinwaitlist.gif
title_weak_password.gif
title_welcome.gif
title_word_verification.gif
tittle_updateprofile.gif
tournamentlobby.jpg
tourneylobby.jpg
tourn_congrats.gif
tree_but_favorites.jpg
tree_but_filtercash.jpg
tree_but_filtershowall.jpg
tree_but_filtertournaments.jpg
tree_listing_background.jpg
tree_main_background.jpg
ts.bmp
t_cashier.jpg
t_distributechips.jpg
t_livehelp.jpg
t_lobbyclose.jpg
t_login.jpg
t_mainlobby.jpg
t_more_info.jpg
t_newuser.jpg
t_register.jpg
t_register_off.jpg
t_shootout_grid.gif
t_takeseat.jpg
t_takeseat_off.jpg
t_unregister.jpg
t_watchtable.jpg
t_watchtable_off.jpg
unblock.bmp
unjoinwaitlist.jpg
unregister.jpg
useyourcreditcard.jpg
version.jar
version.txt
version_button.jpg
viewdealbackground.jpg
view_but_default.jpg
view_but_expanded.jpg
view_but_maximised.jpg
welcome_dollars.gif
welcome_iecontrol.jpg
win.wav
wom0.bmp
wom1.bmp
wom1_7.bmp
wom2.bmp
wom2_7.bmp
wom3.bmp
wom3_2.bmp
wom3_7.bmp
wom4.bmp
wom4_7.bmp
wom5.bmp
wom5_7.bmp
wom6.bmp
wom6_2.bmp
wom6_7.bmp
wom7.bmp
wom7_7.bmp
wom8.bmp
wom9.bmp
you_win.bmp

This information was gleaned from the SpywareData site. Please, all those that doubt, stop reading this and go click on the link just mentioned. Well, gee, golly, do you think this stuff was written to infect your computer?!?!?!? Only 698 tries? Can we say facetious? If you read all 274,000 hits that Google returns when you type in "party poker and spyware" you'll find some contradictions. Please remember that many spyware companies pose as legitimate spyware removal companies. Also, some have been bought out by people like Claria, 180Solutions, etc. And remember that Claria brags on their website that over 30% of their revenue comes from Yahoo. Personally, gambling sites are strictly OFF LIMITS to beach house machines as is that horrible Yahoo. They were blocked early on in this wave of privacy invasion.

Tell you what. I'll make you a "deal." Go on and use this garbage if you like. I don't care. But, DON'T contact me wanting removal. Hell, you'll just put it back on there and infect your machine again. This is the first time the beach house investigated this site and the results are dire. Why is it just now being investigated? I have NO desire to gamble online or at a casino. I go to sleep and I wake up. That's enough gambling for me.

Comments that are negative aren't needed. If you decide to ignore this there is a good chance such comments will be deleted and your IP addy will be blocked. Really. My mind won't change about this subject. If yo' rocket scientist self cannot resist flaming me, use email. The addy is cybersouth@gmail.com. 698 indentified patterns. Can we say format C:? Gimme a break...

"Horse sense is a good judgment which keeps horses from betting on people."
~W.C. Fields

Go Mudslingr!

With the recent mass of storms and general confusion I have not taken the time to mention kudos and props out to Mudslingr due to his recent college graduation. He is a Networking and Security Administrator for a large local company. Gosh Mud, ya' did reallll good! We are all proud of his accomplishment. Many of y'all don't know that he worked two jobs and went to school full time. Ahhhh, if only most folks had such drive.

It's late, nighters all.

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."
~Earl Nightingale

ReadyBoost?

On April 29, 2008, the post concerned using a jump drive to speed up Windows Vista. After rushing out and finding an 8 gig USB drive which is double my onboard memory, research really began concerning this project. If you have over 2 gigs of memory don't bother. Certainly don't by a drive larger than 4 gigs. That's all the OS can read. I did install and run the utility. All that happened was my other USB devices started acting weird.

This looked good on paper. Made sense. It just didn't work. My DDR memory is maxed at 4 gigs which is more than substantial. Jump drives use flash. They have no moving parts. Makes sense that using this technology would create a faster paging file therefore faster system. It just didn't work out that way. At least I now have a PNY 8 gig jump drive. Good buy too. Staples for $39.95. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and men...

"Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom."
~Theroux

Several Items on the Plate

Researching where to find a new battery for an old style Motorola V3 Razr. Found one. Looked at HowTo a few minutes ago. Now it's known how the beach house can have a butterfly garden and forgiving the unforgivable may be slightly closer at hand. The boys and girls in Redmond have an answer to Google's Sky - an awesome program. Thanks again Google. You can read about Microsoft's new program at Space.com. Congrats out to MySpace.com for beating up spammers to the tune of $230,000,000.00. It's too good for the spammers. They should be shot. Hillary won West Virginia and Travis Childers beat Greg Davis in a state election for a seat in the House. Whew! Thank goodness all the mudslinging on local TV is over. Well, it'll probably return in a few months preceding the election in November. Enough of the news this morning.

Forecast for today is rain, lots of it. Guess those Zentas, Asters, and Zinnias won't be planted today. There's local tech talk about the new NVidia update problems. Stay away from these fubar offerings for a few weeks. Windows Defender is still messed up from the NVidia update attempt. Vista's Security Center has stopped recognizing AVG updates too. Gosh, I like NVidia's cards, but they need to fire the crackheads that wrote this garbage. The beach house will try again, eventually. Now I must try to resolve security issues left behind by this junk. NVidia coders suck. Can you tell that this is frustrating? The local animal shelter is desperately seeking donations for puppy food. Either drop some by or donate at Tupelo-Lee Humane Society.org. Go to the top of the page and click on "DONATE." They use PayPal. If you are of a mind say a prayer for the shelter workers. They do an awesome job.

One more cup of coffee and it'll be time to start work. Hang in there, it's hump day.

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
~Gilda Radner

NVidia Update

There are new drivers available from NVidia. Today is the issue date. There is also a new set of NVidia Tools which were made available on May 8th. I've tried to install both the drivers and the tools. You might need to wait a few days. The new drivers prevented the computer from booting until rolled back to the previous set. Protection software, including Windows Defender and AVG, would not work right and hung up trying to update until the new NVidia Tools (there's 3 different utilities to download in the Tools) were uninstalled. Everything is now working properly after returning the computer to its previous state. This may all tie to uninstalling the previous versions, but I think directions were followed. Who knows? If anyone has updated please let me know. The last two times NVidia updated there were no problems. At least I got to reboot several times today, LOL.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Computer Needed?

Once again someone has asked me to build a "standard" style desktop. I don't do this anymore. You should shop online at Dell and Hewlett-Packard then check your local retailers. Compare models and prices then make your decision. This is a good place to start. Dell or HP? They are equally priced and both are solid manufacturers that stand behind their product. Don't rule out Compaq. They are part of the HP family of technology.

Buying locally may cost you a few dollars more, but it can't be damaged in route. Well, you might drop it on the way home. There is nothing wrong with open box or refurbs as long as you make sure everything is included with the unit (cords, manuals, etc.). Usually a refurb has been checked more thoroughly than a new unit. Stay away from the cheapies. And hey, nothing wrong with buying a system from Wal-Mart. Just be careful.

My online parts buying is limited and the volume to build new "standard" machines does not exist. However, I will build servers and gaming machines. There is a small profit in these builds and the quality of parts is high enough that warranty problems won't exist or can be expedited. These machines are very solid and usually need minor tweaking after installation. Very serviceable units.

If you desire a server, it can be tailored to suit you particular needs and you won't have to pay for options not needed. For instance - dont' buy a tape back up. Use USB portable hard drives. Get a pair of them. Very low cost. With two, you can always keep one backup off premises in case of fire or some other disaster. Don't worry about fancy smancy backup software. The backup applications in XP and Vista are fine.

Gaming machines are uber builds. Always, and I emphasize ALWAYS, buy the best equipment you can afford. Work with a tech that is an online gamer and he will know what are the latest, greatest parts available. Unless you are a master geek please seek help in such an undertaking. The right video cards with the right motherboard, the correct memory, type of hard drive and many more items come into play. If you don't know your way around a BIOS or how to pin out a front panel then don't attempt this type of build without assistance.

I'll gladly work with someone to help them choose the right machines. Hope this helps.

"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center."
~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Player Piano

Return Match: Sofa vs. Work

Thanks out to everyone for the birthday greets and thanks out to everyone for respecting my wishes to be left alone. When you're my age celebrations of the birthday are better left passing gently and filled with prayers of gratitude. Nice to have folks check in that haven't contacted the beach house in a while. After the damnable weather terrorist TV takeover early in the evening, lights were out and I slept soundly with the storm "raging" outside. Gosh, can we give it a rest? Hey, out there! The Weather Channel is abbreviated TWC on the lineup. We can find it. Wish I could opt out of the every few seconds interrupts. Last the storm was in this area was at 11:00PM. I promise, they were still flashing those horrible warnings past 3:00AM. At that time it had moved in Georgia. Back to sleep I went! No new news on the web about storm damage last night was found this morning. It's a nice cool day outside with sunshine dripping everywhere.

Time to jump back into the schedule and do some beach house work. Or maybe a nap. Later.

"All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own."
~Plutarch

Roomba! Wherefore Art Thou?

Finally, I have a day to work on spring cleaning and yard maintenance. A schedule is being developed. These tasks cannot keep building up. Three machines on the bench and they have to be finished by Monday. NBD. Remote sessions in networks should only take 2 or 3 hours. So, dishes shall be washed, floors will be mopped, yard will be mowed, crepe myrtles trimmed, washer and dryer put to use. Other procrastinations are due for completion. Time for the beach house to be livable again. Later this next week I am going to try and coax that smelly growling thing out of the southwest corner of the garage.

This is a thrill to know chores stand a chance to see an end. You know, it really doesn't take much to make me happy. And I am not digging for well wishes, but today is my birthday. We've stopped that celebration. Remember when air conditioning was installed for the first time in your home? Old Man Carrier installed ours. I cried. Tears of joy. Anyway, today the dust rag is in hand and do-rag is on head. Pretty nice birthday suit! Ain't life wonderful?

Hmmmmmm, it looks like rain is coming. Rain is nice. Gentle sounds splashing against the roof and windows. Very soothing. Such a calming background. Yawn. Eyelids are getting heavy. Time for a nap...and dreams of a Roomba.

"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it."
~Olin Miller

Aftermath of a Storm

Yesterday was a really bad day, but also a great day. Damage was widespread in Tupelo and surrounding communities due to area storms. It was really bad later in the morning. As time rolled on things became great. Through all of this calamity only one minor injury was reported! My scurry through the area exposed scenes of horrific damage and we are blessed that the injury level was minimal. Kudos out to the local law enforcement, city workers, and county employees for the great job of emergency response. The road crews had all roads open by yesterday afternoon. As with Katrina, Mississippians responded yesterday with a 'can-do' attitude and went to work correcting problems created by this disaster. I heard no Ray Nagin type whining and cursing. Hats off to all and thank God no one was seriously injured.

Below are listed the county emergency managers for Northeast Mississippi. If you experienced damage during the series of tornado touchdowns yesterday please contact the appropriate manager.

Alcorn: Ricky Gibens 286-7737

Benton: Bobby Thompson 224-6300

Calhoun: Mike Dunagin 628-5114

Chickasaw: James "Brad" Smith 448-1012

Clay: Johnny Littlefield 494-2088

Itawamba: Shae Collum 862-2735

Lafayette: James A. Allgood 236-1310

Lee: Claudia Howard 841-9020

Marshall: Hugh Hollowell 252-0592

Monroe: Bobby Camp, Jr. 369-3683

Oktibbeha: Jim Britt 338-1076

Pontotoc: Rickey Jaggers 489-1637

Prentiss: Ralph Lauderdale 728-4610

Tippah: Tom Lindsey 837-4432

Tishomingo: Bill Strickland 423-7028

Union: Hal Sanders 534-1992

Insurance tip
- Here are some tips from the Mississippi Insurance Department about what you need to do following a storm:

- Notify creditors if bills have been lost or you're unable to pay.
- Ask your utility company to stop billing if your home is unlivable or has been destroyed.
- Report your claim promptly. Be aware, if a widespread disaster has occurred, the company may set up special procedures.
- Prepare to file an insurance claim by gathering all relevant policy numbers.
- Inventory your home for damaged or lost items before your adjuster arrives. This will speed up your claim process.
- Work with a qualified tax expert to find out about tax breaks you may be eligible for because of your losses.

Questions? Contact the Mississippi Insurance Department Consumer Services Division at (601) 359-2453 or (800) 562-2957. (info provided by DailyJournal.com)

"Saints are sinners who kept on going."
~Robert Louis Stevenson

Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Except for Me and My Monkey

Has anyone else noticed an unusual amount of errors in Firefox? My problem is while surfing it will just, at random, gray out all pages and you have to shut it down. This has happened several times. Is it me? Anyone else having problems? The present version at the beach house is 2.0.0.14. It's nice to have an alternative like Sea Monkey instead of using Intersnake Explorer. Yes, there is a browser called SeaMonkey. It is an old style Mozilla browser. It's fun. Much better than IE or Opera, etc. And there's no doubt it is the little brother to FireFox.

This morning we had a torrential rain. There's a lake in front of the beach house. Left the beachhousemobile parked in the front yard after offloading some equipment late yesterday. Now I am waiting to see if the "lake" drains away so I won't leave ruts in the yard. A really bad scenario would be to have one's truck stuck in one's front yard. I'd never hear the end of it. The TV was turned off since the weather terrorist Dick Rice, WTVA Channel 9, was gleefully interrupting every 7.5 seconds.

The sirens are going off and I've taken the usual precautionary measures when the beach house experiences bad weather. The shades on the windows of the western wall are now open. Since most tornadoes travel from the southwest to northeast any oncoming funnel clouds should be apparent through the windows to the west. Sorry, storms don't bother me. Been through tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons. Actually enjoy a good thunderstorm if the power stays up. It has been down a few times this morning. Thanks out to Beagle for the phone call of concern. If I look out the window and see a tornado I will go to the stormhouse if there's time, promise.

Now where are my rubber boots?

"My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."
~Loire Hartwould

EDIT: When the above post was written no major tornadoes had struck the area. That has changed. There are reports from all over about heavy damage. I had no intention to make light of this disaster, it hadn't occurred when this was published earlier. The joking was about myself anyway. Well myself and Dick Rice's fanaticism (yes he's only doing his job, this I know). Please forgive my flippant attitude in the body of the post. CERTAINLY there is no desire for anyone to suffer in any way. Here are some pics of the damage. Thanks Mudslingr for the photos.

Massaged Your Hippocampus?

Years ago it was believed that if you missed a night's sleep then you just had to indulge in 8 hours of steady shut eye to compensate. Years ago I said hooey on that! My continuing battle with insomnia has proven time and time again that extended periods of sleep are needed to conquer sleep deprivation. There is now verification about this logic of the night. Meander over to Scientific American for information concerning this subject. They have another good article about the connection between sleep and memory loss. It's titled Sleep, Attention, and Memory: Not (Maybe) What You Thought. Hah! Early evening naps are justified.

Sleep is a wonderful weird thing. Short periods of hibernation when and where our minds do self repair and defragment all the material gathered from the day. The body recovers from the stress and strain as well. Wish we didn't have to sleep so there would be more constructive hours in the day, but it's nature telling us to slow down and rest. Unless there is an early critical appointment the beach house alarm clock is rarely used. My circadian rhythm has me awake early no matter what time the lights were out . It also has a 3 to 4 hour cycle of sleep. Sometimes it's easy to return to the land of dreams and rest, sometimes not.

So if you need a nap, take it. I've worked for people that go ballistic over someone harmlessly falling asleep on the job. Say at a desk during the lunch hour. Inconsiderate and heartless don't you think? Yet, my lazy bone can kick in at any minute so this attitude is somewhat justified. Enough rambling, it is time for bed. Don't want this feeble memory to become more stagnant! Nighters.

"Sleep is the interest we have to pay on the capital which is called in at death; and the higher the rate of interest and the more regularly it is paid, the further the date of redemption is postponed."
~Arthur Schopenhauer(What a strange theory)

Slow Down and Get Version 8.0

Don't believe the hype about AVG no longer having a free edition. It's hard to find. There definitely is a free download of version 8. Here's the link:


AVG Free Edition


Click on the button (it's the long thangy) and download it. Then follow instructions and install the new anti-virus software. It is possible you will have to uninstall previous versions.

Please consider purchasing this software. It is by far the best anti-virus program on the planet. Their security suite is good too. And they don't bog down a machine like Symantec-Norton or whatever it's called today. Oh yes, if you are using McAfee, have you had a problem with pterodactyls eating that corn in the garden?

"Remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that someone is NOT following you."
~D.N. Jennings

A Casual Day Fishing

Yes, spring is in the air and many Mississippi "boys n girls" turn to thoughts of a day at the lake fishing. I can just see Bill, Greg, Bill and Courtney from Mississippi Marine lolling about in a boat. In this video that suspiciously looks like Greg on the left sound asleep.

Thanks out to Kim Komando for a great link!

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
~Doug Larson

If You Try This Product, Please Let Me Know Something

In early 2004 Google introduced Gmail and set about restructuring email as we knew it. They grouped emails by relationships and simplified search and organization. Plus the spam filter is by far the best ever created. Today, four years later, a company called Xobni has a tool in beta form that can be downloaded for free (I think). This will produce a somewhat similar functionality in Outlook, the worst email client ever created in the Milky Way Galaxy. I am certainly not faulting the producers of Xobni nor does this have anything to do with the Microsoft email client Outlook Express. I actually like Outlook Express and encourage usage if for some reason you can't use Gmail. This program will work with Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007. This is a hard post for me. Encouraging Outlook usage in any form just isn't right. It's horrible. I mean Nazi horrible. Anyway check the Xobni link out if work forces you to Outlook your email. If you haven't investigated Gmail you might do that at this time. It is a polar opposite of the forever problematic Outlook. It has to be said this is a step in the right direction. At least these software creators are trying to help us.

Now you can go on ignoring me and keep using it along with Internet Explorer instead of Firefox. Enough said.

"What I mean is that if you really want to understand something, the best way is to try and explain it to someone else. That forces you to sort it out in your own mind. And the more slow and dim-witted your pupil, the more you have to break things down into more and more simple ideas. And that's really the essence of programming. By the time you've sorted out a complicated idea into little steps that even a stupid machine can deal with, you've certainly learned something about it yourself."
~Douglas Adams

Internet Service Provider and Sad Derby

Internet connectivity is back up. Storms were abundant last night. Just finished watching the Kentucky Derby. So sad that the 2nd place winner broke both front legs.They put her to sleep right on the track. NBC had the good taste not to air this depressing event. But, you can be sure the liberal death and destruction news media will play it for days though. What a grim bunch of idiots.

Liberals just suck. And those in the entertainment industry are truly halfwits. Someone might question my frankness about such things. Wouldn't want to discourage readers one might think. Well the liberals and terrorists (many in the news media ARE terrorists) need to stay off my page. Don't care if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or whatever. Just don't go goofyass on us with pansy negativity.

Yes, the back is better and I am feeling a little froggy today. Time to catch up on email,etc. Metrocast is my new ISP since they recently bought Vista III Media. Hope this is not reflective of their maintenance. Vista III Media had us spoiled with excellent service. We'll see.

"One reason why birds and horses are happy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."
~Dale Carnegie

Smell Those Shrimp They're Beginning to Boil

PicLens is an awesome addon for your Firefox browser. Take a look at this...wait, wait! Click on it and enlarge it to enjoy the detail:



This is an awesome scene and I was lost in it after working into the wee hours of the morning. You really have to use this great tool to appreciate it. Thanks Beagle for another great find!

"Paradise? A newly repaired flip flop that shuffles you through the sand while you look at the foam of the ocean and smell life."
~Dave, the Mauler of GOLEMs