Random Thoughts of a Deranged Mind

Arrg!

2011-04-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Talk Like A Pirate day (that I'm aware of...I am too lazy to check :P), just frustrated and wanting to waste some time when I should be doing homework.

Blargh.

Humph...nothing to say, will get back to homework now.

Minecraft and Portal 2 are awsome, by the way. Maybe I'll write about them one of these years.

To School or Not To School...

2010-08-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

Not much to say right now...too late to really think of anything. Too much work left in school for only one week...getting worried. Will have to put in too many hours this weekend...would rather game.

Looking forward to not having school to deal with after work and on weekends.

Survey!

2010-08-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Quick post...doing a survey about the impacts of gender on social interaction in online games. It's a simple one, but I would love for anyone who wants to, please fill the survey out: How does gender affect gamer social interaction?

Vay-Cay-SHUN!!!!

2010-08-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Don't really have much time to post, it being late and all, but I did just come back a few days ago from vacation and don't want to lose absolutely all of my momentum in posting...so there!

I went to the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, and had a blast! Got my picture taken with Leonard Nemoy and got another autograph of DeLancy. Also got to see Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian while there, and let me say, well worth the money spent! Best play I've seen in a very long time, and worth seeing at that theater (it was, after all,built for that play specifically, and done in the traditional Vegas over-the-top way).

Tech FTW!

2010-07-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

...and, I got it figured out the next day, and got everything done that I had promised would be done by that day...even though I had to scramble to make it happen.

Really looking forward to my trip to Vegas coming up...big Star Trek convention going on. Shakespeare tonight, looking like it will be a good one (but our local "... in the Park" productions usually are). Working in the yard today...and why do I always wind up having to deal with electricity?! People seem to think us computer guys can fix anything for some reason. Maybe I should stop being so good at fixing everything if I want people to keep asking me to do it, huh?

Thinking about setting up an Ubuntu system at work to play with. Normally not my distro of choice, but the latest seems really good...that and it looks like it is made to be able to join a Microsoft Active Directory network easily. I can do that on other distros, and I have, but it was a long, drawn out pain in the ass to do.

Anyway, another week goes by.

Tech Sucks

2010-07-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

So, today was fucking WONDERFUL. I'm set to build out 10-14 machines, only to find that the image I've been building decided to brick itself halfway through...what does that mean? It means I managed to spend ALL DAY getting about 2 hours worth of work done, and ensuring I will be working probably a couple hours overtime tomorrow getting this done, as I said I could already and people are expecting it to be done.

I hate computers.

OTRS, Out!

2010-07-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

So, quick one as it is late...but wanted to post because I forgot yesterday *headsmack*.

Well, the work I did with OTRS is a bust, it looks like...the other system we are looking at apparently does the asset tracking damn near automatically, and integrates with our Active Directory. Also, we will be able to integrate with Accounting and HR...isn't that swell?

Kidding aside, this TrackIt program is looking pretty slick...I'm looking forward to really giving it a spin and seeing what it can do.

Anyway, it is late...night!

Flying OTRS

2010-07-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

So...Of Liberal Intent is likely on hiatus for now. Not that that should be any surprise, since it has been since 2006. Man, I'm behind! For some reason, though, this bugs me just a little more right now than it has, since I had a lot of hope for that one.

No matter...for now, I have way too much on my plate to deal with that anyway. Maybe I'll just update that one once in a while when I feel like being political, instead of updating this one. First, I'll need to update this one more often.

So...had work, was out of work for way too long, and have work again. This time, was grossly underpaid when I got the job, but I was desperate so I took it. Then I got a raise, a huge one, but still leaving me underpaid for what I do. No matter...the important part is that I love my job, and I love my team. I also am learning more from this job than any other I've been in before, and I can work on just about anything I want to in my spare time (not that I have any right now...).

The ticketing system we use there is great, too...completely free and open source, but I'd never heard of it before I started there. It's called OTRS, and I am really liking working with it. Seems they just installed it because they needed SOMETHING and had no budget to get a paid one. They really didn't understand how to make it do all the things they wanted. I have been taking it apart and having a lot of fun learning how it ticks, and making it do more and more for us. Then, they say we should get a paid solution.

This distressed me...why? Because I have learned a lot about this one, and am positive that I can get it to do everything we want. It is truly an enterprise grade product...we just need to know how to implement it. It doesn't do asset tracking out of the box, however, and that is what they need. So, this weekend, I did some homework and found out that there is an addon to it called ITSM for IT departments, and it does have asset tracking; however, it was not called that, so it took me a while to find it.

I played around with it, and know how to set it up now...this makes me happy. I hope my boss decides it is worth the effort to use instead of wasting money (at least in my opinion) on a paid service or program.

Well, that's all for now.

Rest for the Wicked

2010-07-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's only been about a month since my last update...I think this is a record for me or something.

Anyway, I'm going to try to update more often, not because I want to get "followers" so much as I need a place to put my thoughts up on occasion...you know, get them out of my head, let them air out for a while. They get a little stale when left inside, you know?

So, that's the plan. If you are reading this, and love to, then great. I'm not writing for anyone in particular, and I'm not really going to be active in the greater blogosphere at this point in time simply because I lack time. I really am writing this for my benefit, and if you don't like something I say, then that is your right to disagree. You can even comment that you disagree, and I'll probably reply (I may reply to tell you how full of it you are, mind you, but if you stay respectful, so will I).

"But Jeff, if you're writing this for yourself, why are you writing to us to tell us you are, and why are you pretending to quote us asking this question?"

.............shut up.

Seriously, though, I am writing for myself right now, but I wanted anyone who might come here to know that is what I'm doing at this point in time. I may even sticky that as a warning; not sure right now. If I do gather a following, cool. I don't expect that, nor am I going to work for it or get my feelings hurt when the inevitable happens and everyone hates my blog and spits in my porridge.

Anyway, that's all for now. My goal is to spend ten minutes or so a day here just to get my thoughts out. Let's see if that works out.

Yearly Update!

2010-06-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Woot...it has now been almost a year since my last post. I'm going to just say...things not working the way they are supposed to or going easily when it should be easy really suck. More on that next year, when I post again (see my lame attempt at self reverse psychology?).

One update: I'm still on Dvorak, and other than having to go back to Qwerty regularly because I have to use other people's systems all the time, I've not regretted the change. It is a FAR superior layout, and much easier and more comfortable to type with. Much easier to learn to touch type with...never quite got there with Qwerty after 15 years of use, but was there on Dvorak in just 3 or 6 months.

May update again...holding your breath would be ill advised, though, as asphyxiation is a very real and often fatal side effect.

Nothing to see here

2009-07-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, still no image, but not really feeling those creative juices today. I AM still using my new keyboard layout, though.

It's weird, because I feel like I've more or less memorized this layout, but still typing slow. This is, I feel, more because my brain keeps sending conflicting signals as to where to type. Overcoming that hurdle will probably be what gets my speed up.

Oh, and in case you where wondering, that is the main reason I keep updating this week: practice! Let's hope I will keep it up once I'm good... maybe I'll even start visiting other blogs!

One thing I've noticed when I have to switch back to Qwerty for something I just have to type quickly...it feels a lot less efficient to me, because I notice how much more my fingers have to change keys to type on it...a lot more frequently. I can tell already that this is going to be much more comfortable to type on.

VB, a Language You Can [explicitive deleted] on!

2009-07-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

At work right now, and just want to shout out to those who develop VB programs for enterprise use.

Yeah...I really want to shout some choice words at you right now.

God, I hate VB so much right now. I have to support this crap why exactly? Because Microshaft thinks this language is a useful development tool. About the only thing I think it is useful as is a language to learn the basics of programming on.

This is making me quite irritable.

Boy I'm typing slow today

2009-07-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I feel I have to say this to whoever designs the UI for Microsoft...when I change my input "language" (which is how I change keyboard formats), I expect it will stay the same until such time as I change it back. Logging out and in, I can understand... but why do you fel the need to change on me every time I open a different program?

Insanity, I tell you.

By the way, after another 20 minutes on this thing today, and I feel like I'm tickling the tonsils of 20 WPM...I'm hoping to break 100 by the end of the month, and at this rate, it is feeling like I might just make it.

I Before E Except On Dvorak

2009-07-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

So, my typing speed wasn't bad, averaging between 55 and 80 words per minuite, depending on topic, mood, and the phase of the moon; however, I decided to try out a format other than Qwerty...one called Dvorak. This was yesterday, and I've not done much typing on it yet, so as you can probably guess, my speed is down around 10 WPM right now.

It is, however, quickly rising already, and I feel that I will be much faster by the end of the week if I stick to it. Maybe not up to my old speed yet, but maybe close to it. Will post again soon.

In the Age of Chaos....

2009-06-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

So, not much has been said here last month (read: NOTHING...I suck)...one could assume that the same has been true in life. In part, it feels like an extension of the craziness as I learn more and progress towards a fuller understanding of the tech world; and in another part, it feels like I'm running in place.

I guess there is a lot of that in everyone's life, though, so I can't be too critical of where I'm going.

As I am sitting here, I have just about completely dumped my idea of one book at a time, as I am currently tracking three tech books...Head First's PHP & MySQL and their SQL books, as well as Absolute FreeBSD. I have a FreeBSD virtual server set up at home that will soon be transitioned to a REAL server using the same operating system. I'm on break from class and setting up Gentoo on my laptop while typing this in Opera running on SimplyMEPIS. I am in charge of four live servers at work, and am going to be setting up my own personal live server at home. When I say I feel busy, I feel FUCKING BUSY!

Oh, that brings me to my next topic: I will be moving at least one of my blogs off Blogger, possibly both, and onto my own server with my own domain. I've not decided many of the details, but I do know I want to build the system more or less from the ground up as a way to solidify what I'm learning about PHP. So, it will be one part learning experience, five parts labor of love. The only thing I know for sure is that I plan on having a blog, a forum and an RSS feed, and that the primary blog on the site will be Of Liberal Intent, my other much neglected blog (yes, somehow even more neglected than this one).

I have been toying around with the idea of starting a web comic with a friend of mine, and if I do, I will probably try to talk him into letting me host it on that site. I will probably also have other people have posting rights, sort of how I've set up O.L.I. at this point.

Anyway, I will try to post more again soon. Class is about to start back.

Sometimes, it Sucks Being the Best

2009-04-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

I never thought I would say this, but right now, I'm hating Opera for being such an awsome web browser...simply the best. Why do I hate it? The two days that I spent developing a Javascript gallery using it and its development tools, and in spite of not using any proprietary Opera code techniques (I don't even know if they have any), it works perfectly in Opera, and not at all in anything else. Yep. Firefox 2 and 3, IE 6, 7 and 8, Safari and Chrome all act the same with it...load the basic text and graphics, but then completely fail to attribute any of the actions I linked to the images.

You see, you are supposed to be able to navigate to the different parts of the gallery by clicking on the images, and sift through gallery categories with a drop down. Kinda useless if it only shows one item to 97% of the world's online community.

I don't know if I should be angry with Opera for kicking so much butt as to actually work correctly, angry with everyone else for sucking so hard!!!, or just curl up in a fucking ball and cry for a while.

.............the last option is sounding appealing.

Of Bullshit and Friends

2009-04-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

All right, then, so I've looked back through my archives a little and found something that I feel I need to bring up briefly...it is called the Bullshit Manifesto. Go ahead and give it a read if you haven't already...most haven't.

Yeah, that's pretty much where I am aiming for in this most recent incarnation of the blog...to be more like I once was, though hopefully with better looking wallpaper. Still working on that part, by the way.

Oh...my review of Head First Javascript? It rocks. There, I reviewed it, now go read it. (Disclaimer: Do not read if you have no intention of actually learning Javascript, or have absolutely no prior experience with HTML/CSS, though if you can tell the difference between a tag and a selector, you can probably get along okay)

Harder material than HF: HTML/CSS, but it IS an object oriented programming language, even if considered loosely so by some and technically under the category of a scripted language.

Next on the docket: Head First PHP and MySQL. I'm already two chapters in out of twelve, and about to work on number three.

As a quick aside, if you decide you want to try out PHP, you will need a web server of some kind. Best way to develop is with one installed on your local machine, and it gives good direction for installing Apache, PHP and MySQL to your local computer, all of which you will need. I recommend, however, using Apache Friends's XAMPP for this, simply because there is really no installation necessary, virtually no set up, and "Just Works™". The beauty of this is that you can use this for pretty much any of your web development needs...just don't use it as a production server.

Anyway, that's all I have for today.

Anyone for a Cup of Java(script)?

2009-04-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, GO ME! I just finished the Head First book on Javascript, literally less than five minutes ago. I are so happy!

Anyway, what a ride! JS is more challenging than learning HTML/CSS, but I think it will be worth it...it also reminds me that I LOVE programming, and now I think I am going to push myself on that side of things every chance I get.

Anyway, not much else to report, except that if you are looking to learn Javascript, and know a bit of HTML and CSS, Headfirst Javascript is probably one of the easiest ways to learn it, and retain what you learn.

I are so pooped.

So...good night, and good luck!

Oracle Buys Sun

2009-04-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

I think I might just cry a little.

My Days at MEPIS

2009-04-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a bit frustrating...can't really find much time to post anything, so I'm stuck here, sitting at work writing this while waiting for a scan to complete.

Short update: work is awsome, I love it so far. Also, finally gave up on my wife's computer and gutted it, replacing most of the guts with new parts. Upon trying to install Fedora 10 again, I kept having lock up conflicts between the installer and the on-board video, even in text mode. I'm sorry, but if they can't even get text mode to work, they are too bleeding edge. So, I set out to find a new distro to put her on, and after some consideration, I settled on one that I've not worked with before but is highly rated as an easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain and most of all stable. What is this fabulous distro that isn't one with the Beast (Microsoft)?

SimplyMEPIS is the name, and version 8.0 is based around Debian 5 stable, which is more than enough to sell me. Debian is known for slower development, which translates to more stable and more reliable systems. Anyway, I won't bore you with the details, but after getting it up on her system, I like it so well that I think I will install it on my laptop.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Cheers!

"Into the Nite" by Ex-Members

2009-04-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Into The Nite - Ex-Members

Just a little something I kept hearing on Pandora Radio and wanted to share. Supposedly, it's set to NOT auto-play...I hate it when I open someone's blog and music starts blaring at me unexpectedly. This is part of why I avoid MySpace like the plague.

And so, it begins....

2009-04-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, no image, just a quick update...mostly because I can't see well enough to even find a bloody image.

So, what's the post about? An "update" to my wife's computer, the one that has been giving me nothing but trouble lately, and was showing no sign of letting up. The system had Gentoo installed on it with KDE 3.5.9, and something on her desktop had a memory leak big enough to drive an aircraft carrier through. I was going to try to stick the course, but it is her computer, and she hasn't been getting very much use out of it. Not to mention, with my new job I really don't have enough time to futz with it anymore, so I decided to install Fedora 10 on it instead.

Fedora 10 has thus far impressed me on other systems I've installed it on, so I decided to give it a shot with this system...after installing (which was hit-and-miss selection of options, since it put the resolution low enough that all the "Next" buttons were off screen), I'm now fighting with it to give me a resolution other than 720x400.

Yuck.

Anyway, updates just finished, so I'm going to try something real fast before bed. Wish me luck!

Random Thought: Strativaruis Fiddles?

2009-04-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Riding down the highway, listening to A Prairie Home Companion on NPR, there was a bit with a song featuring a violin being fiddled. Being a former violinist, naturally the thought that popped in my head was "I wonder if anyone has ever fiddled an authentic Stradivarius?"

I guess that's what I get for listening to NPR.

This has been a Random Thought of the Day.

So much for THAT idea...

2009-04-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to enforce a one-tech-book-at-a-time-til-it's-read policy, but thanks to my new job, looks like I may have to juggle several to keep up.

On the other hand, I'm not complaining at all about that...I mean, I slaved all day on a project today, all two hours of it. Yep, two hours...I started working on the project at around 9:30 AM after finishing up a couple of machines, and an hour later stopped for lunch...at 2:30PM. Another hour later, I had to run out to class, since it was already 5:45 PM and I was going to be late.

I'm positive my math is quite accurate on this one.

The project was a redesign of a website...though "redesign" is probably the wrong word since I'm pretty much building a new one more or less from scratch. The old one looks like the cutting edge of the net...circa 1994. About all I'm keeping from the old site is the logo, and I'm even going to be re-doing that.

So, the new site is all shiney HTML 4.01 Strict and CSS 2.1, all new code with nice looking nav buttons, rounded corners, and will probably even have a drop shadow! All done by hand by your's truly. By the time I'm done, the logo will be a 3D animated gif that spins, there will be an email form powered by PHP, and a gallery powered by Javascript. I might even be doing some Flash work, though that is undecided at this point...we DO want to get it done THIS month, after all.

So, that was my day...how've you been?

Doh!

2009-04-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I changed my mind about the three column thing when I realized that I would either have to completely rework the site to do it, or sacrifice 800x600 compatibility. Since my laptop is maxed at 1024x768, and I've set my web browser (Opera) to show its tabs on the side, going to a 1024 format would put horizontal scroll bars on the site for me. I want to pretend I'm not doing it for all you people out there with a small screen like me, but truth is, I'm not doing it because it would be a significant enough inconvenient for me.

I'm not giving up on my idea of a Webcomic section, however...I have added a placeholder for it, and built a sidebar nav bar into the header to make it a bit easier to get around. Please let me know if there are any issues with any of it, but of course praise is also always encouraged.

I want to give you a pretty picture here, but it is late and I is tired from my first day at work, so I'm going to have to forgo it for tonight. Although, if I were feeling less tired (read:lazy) I would give you a symbolic rendering of the Opera O eating a giant IE and wiping its mouth on a (fire)fox. Oh, what the heck...here, you can at least have the Opera O....isn't she pretty?

And Now For Something You'll Really Like!

2009-03-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

I really seem to be losing my touch lately...I don't even know how to start these things anymore, but I will give it a go, pulling some inspiration from my blog title...Random Thoughts, or as they say in composition, Freewriting. Well, it can't be too free, since I do have a specific something I want to say in here:

I got a new job, and I start tomorrow morning. I've been unemployed for a few months now, and stress has been mounting considerably, so this is a very exciting thing. It is also a very scary thing. Will I live up to the expectations of my new boss? Will I be able to do what they need of me? I sure hope so.

I won't divulge too many details about the new job, since I am still too paranoid that someone will figure out who I really am...not that I'm really that worried about any of this coming back to bite me later, but I would rather not find out that I said the wrong thing somewhere, so...anyway.

Okay, quick note about my reading list: the books I am currently reading will only include two at any one time, one tech book and one non-tech. My tech book was Head First Web Design, but thanks to this new job, I've decided to switch it out for now with Head First PHP and MySQL.

I don't know if I am going to go back to that book for my next tech book, or if I am going to pick Head First SQL for the next. Tough call...both are books I intend to read anyway.

One last thing for the night: I have decided to add a new section to the sidebar for recommended webcomics. The problem I foresee with this, though, is it will make an already too-long sidebar even longer, so I was thinking of trying to convert the template to three column. This, however, presents a similar issue to what I mentioned earlier about color changes...the rounded corners span the length of the boxes. Increasing the size of them to accommodate an additional column will be simple, except I need to find permanent, free and reliable hosting for the new borders.

This change will be the most visible one I have made since my return, and will take some definite work. I aim to make the change in the month of April (any point before the end of April will be good enough to make me happy), but I promise nothing.

Basic Instructions

2009-03-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a webcomic I like to read off and on called Basic Instructions. This particular strip reminds me of my cat and me. Seriously, this is almost exactly how she and I interact!

EDIT:I was forced to re-size the image...it should still be readable, but I recommend you click on it so you can see the original.

I Randomly Thunk a Thought, and Now I Don't Think At All!

2009-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

So...yeah, I don't really know what I want to say today, but, in keeping with my "Random Thoughts" theme, I think I will just pound on the keyboard for a little bit and see what comes.

Be afraid.

Anyway, so the last few weeks have been pretty craptastic. School is all right, though I constantly have to fight off the feeling like I'm not really learning anything, and paying a lot of money so people will believe I know something, all the while the stuff I'm teaching myself on the side (like HTML and CSS) I'm learning at a rate far greater than what I get in school. The HTML and CSS book I read, for instance, I read in just over a week, and can even recall the vast majority of it. Anything that I don't remember, I use the book or Google to remind myself. My Web Design book is taking me longer and giving me more trouble, but that is because it is asking me to be creative in a time of depression (not economic so much as emotional, though the economic one sucks too). On the other time, I've sat down with it three times and finished three chapters (the first two and a half were in the first sitting, however), so it is more a matter of me sitting down with it.

As for the template changes I had hoped to make...first, I'm having no end of trouble picking new colors I would like to see. Turns out that even with a wonderful program like Kuler from Adobe, I am simply hopeless at setting up a good color pallet and choosing what goes where at this point in time. I'm hoping the Web Design book with help me out on that, but we'll see.

Another issue with the color pallet that is making my life difficult is how the rounded corners got to be there, and what they mean. Those nice little round corners are actually pictures, all of which I will have to download, modify, find a place to store them in a permanent fashion, and update my template to point to the new version. Steps 2 and 3 are the ones I'm not quite sure how to accomplish, but before I figure them out, I really need to chose the colors I want.

Step 2, though I don't know how to do it yet, I know what I will use for it (warning: shameless plug ahead). The Gimp is gimptastic in its gimpiness, and if you don't know what the Gimp is...well, go check it out. It is a fantastic raster graphics editor with power rivaling Photoshop (although different than Photoshop, so if you are used to PS, you may have a slight learning curve to contend with).

<plug class="shameless">I've used the Gimp for most of what I have posted over on my Deviant Art page. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Most of my stuff isn't all that advanced yet, but I do feel like I'm getting better...though I haven't really practiced much lately. Anyway, check it out. Gimp is also what I used to make that lovely new avatar I use, which is the closest I've ever come to posting a picture of myself on the public interwebs.</plug>

Well, that's all I have for today. Mostly going to spend my day working around the house, cleaning up the garage, looking for work.

*sigh*

Who was that masked man?

2009-03-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the fourth attempt at typing this post, so my nerves are getting very thin right now, so bear with me.

I've been doing some work behind the scenes to update not only my template, but my old posts to a new scheme that I will be using from this post on. I've converted or partially converted all posts back to my 100 hit announcement. If you don't notice any difference...good, it should look the same, that's the point.

"So, what did you do differently if I'm not supposed to notice it?"

Well, I changed my template to have the formatting options I use on all my posts built in...although in theory this will not change anything, it means I don't have to specify it each time, allowing me to be a little lazier. Well, it also removes a potential consistancy issue in case I mustypo spmething in the code, and looking back, there were a few mistakes made. I've also been stripping out that code from my old posts so it will use the defaults. This means I can change the style of all my posts just by editing the CSS in the template, rather than having to go through almost 50 posts to make a font color change (which is a number that is only growing).

Anyway, I was looking through my old posts and was thinking about whether or not to use images anymore. I haven't used a single image on this site since March '06, three years ago. I chalk that up to laziness more than anything else. If I had posted this last night like I intended (I hope those three drafts tasted good, Blogger...grr), I would have said I'm going to focus on increasing my post frequency before worrying about finding the right images to use with my posts, but looking through it today, I realized something: My posts were more interesting when I used pictures. So, I'm going to return to the bright, cheerful days when I happily and gleefuly splattered pictures all over your screen, because it makes me happy.

So, I was reading some of those old posts, and I couldn't help but think to myself "Who is this guy, and whatever happened to him?" Frankly, I don't feel anywhere near as connected, smart, intense, witty or funny as I came across back then (at least, to myself I did). Where did that go? Did something happen to me to make me lose something? Perhaps. Maybe it was just my time away from here that did it to me.

A lot has happened in my life since I stopped posting here. Other than getting married, though, much of it has not been positive. There have been some cool things, though, and I intend to share them with you, if you chose to stick around and read about them. Who knows? Maybe a little bit of my old self will come back.

Testing, 1, 2, 3

2009-03-15T14:07:00.001-07:00

Okay...short post. Just testing to see if the change I just made "worked". All I did was set a default color and font list so I don't have to manually set it each time (thereby removing one way that I can screw up! Go me!)

The only difference here is I'm not manually setting my font and color, and checking to see if it shows up "right".

Anywho...ta for now.

Edit: Yeah, it worked. Ra. I rock. Woo.

We all live in a Yellow Submarine

2009-03-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so as you are probably aware, we don't really live in a yellow submarine...though I'm sure no one told the Beatles that when they sung about it.

Okay, so maybe they were told that. Who knows?

Anyway, that's not what I'm writing about...I'm here to say that I'm here again...at least today. Dunno about tomorrow, but I guess we will have to see what tomorrow brings, huh? Will I ever post again? If I do, will it be tomorrow, next week, or next year? DRAMA! INTRIGUE! GAS! err....yeah, nevermind.

So, I'm going to try to get my sorry rear to actually post an UPDATE on what has been happening over the last almost two years since I've posted. Is that right? My last post was in TWO THOUSAND SEVEN? Ouch.

Well, I'm going to, hopefully, do a minor overhaul followed by a more major overhaul of this site. I may even bring back Of Liberal Intent, which has been dead even LONGER, if that is possible. Actually, OLI was damn near stillborne, but I love the idea and the name so badly, I should be locked up not to use it.

Anyway, recently learned a lot about HTML and CSS, so I may actually be doing some of the site mods by hand. GO ME!

So, to my adoring fans (of which I have absolutely none) and if by chance I even have a single reader after all this time that notices I posted this...I'll see you Soon™! (Soon™ is a registered trademark of Blizzard Entertainment...and if you don't get it, that just means you have a life, so don't worry)

Oh...and I'm changing from my old standard Tahoma to Arial for now, mostly because it is available on non-Windows machines more often than Tahoma.

Another Day

2007-04-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time, but just know that I am, for the moment, back, and hope to stay that way this time. If anyone was ever really reading me anyway, that is.

In my time away, I have started school again, and am loving it. Started programing classes and finding myself loving it! Also starting to look more seriously into Linux platforms and such, especially since a job that I am looking into getting wants knowledge of said operating system.

Couple of things I wanted to throw out there:

First and foremost, to my girlfriend, my partner, my fiancee, my love...I love you with all of my heart and soul, and want to be by your side for life.

Next, for anyone else who is looking into Linux, a distro I tried in the past and set aside as having too many things they needed to work on, looks like they have done the work, and I'm going to be test driving their newest release here in a little while. The distro is called Ubuntu, and can be found at www.ubuntu.com. If you don't want to download it, they also ship FREE CDs to people who want them (takes a bit longer than the ones that you pay for, though). Everything about this distro is made to just work out of the box, and looks like they are getting pretty close to something that a novice can switch to without feeling like they are losing all sense of ease of use from their computer. Also, the CD now comes with its Live CD form as part of the installer CD, so all you have to do is boot with the CD in the tray, and check it out!

Another thing I found while out and about are two web browsers, one I have not really been able to try out as it is Linux only, but will as soon as I get my box up and running with it, but is supposed to be blazing fast and based off of Firefox. It is called Swiftfox, and if you have Linux and want to try it out, just go to www.getswiftfox.com. Otherwise, get Firefox, another top notch browser that is winning recognition just about every time you turn around, and for good reason. The other browser I was talking about, however, is not Firefox.

It is Opera, and is probably the most advanced browser I've ever seen, truly a modern web experiance. When you add widgets, they activate in real time without restarting, and so do new skins. The way it is all built together is so intuitive, it makes Firefox look complicated, and it comes with the functionality of most of the more popular Firefox extensions already built right in. It even saves your session automatically without having to dig for the option or download an extension to do it for you, and more reliably (I've had to trash saved sessions in Firefox before because they became corrupted...not so with Opera). There are only a very few sites that o not work properly in Opera, and that is not a fault of the browser but of lazy webmasters not working with modern standards (to see proof of this, run IE and Opera both through the Acid 2 Test and see how they come out...Acid 2 is a test of modern web standards, and Opera passes perfectly, and IE loses so horribly its not even funny) Anyway, it is worth a check-into...only thing I can really complain about not working right in Opera is that I can't adjust the size of my tabs and I can't seem to get the built in bit-torrant client to work.

For anyone who loves music: Check out the Corporeals on YouTube with their recording of their mix of the Halo theme, an absolutely beautiful and breathtaking bit of work. Also check out "All We Got", which is another perfect showcase of unbelievable talent as three musicians jam on one acoustic guitar at the same time.

Anyway, that's all I've got right now. I will try to be back in soon with another update.

Oh, and I don't know if this is a browser issue, or if the NEW!!! Blogger is just being stupid, but it seems I can no longer chose my own font other than the small handful of options that they provide...so, until I figure that out, I will not be able to use Tahoma and will be forced to work with Verdana.

Update: Yeah, it is a browser issue. Blogger does not hold its formatting correctly when going back and forth between HTML edit in Opera for some reason. Anyway, I am also going to really not be happy if it turns out that the way I signed in this time is how I will sign in every time to Blogger...I don't want to have to type my password THREE times to sign in.

And Then, There Was One

2006-07-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Halfway through my second week at Intel, and I am enjoying it. Don't really know how to do my job properly just yet, but I am shadowing to learn how others do it. Never worked at a help desk before, so this will definitely be something new for me.

Dead broke and will be until my second or third paycheck...I hate when I am between jobs and burn out all my reserves plus some just to get by.

Anyway, I'm very tired...didn't get much sleep last night. My fiancee and I have been having trouble of late, sort of an on again, off again trouble. Sometimes, it is hell, and sometimes, it is wonderful. Then, there have been times of just purgatory, waiting for something to happen. I won't go into details about what is going on, but I will say that I am worried about the future of our relationship.

I will try to post more regularly...I have found out that there is downtime between calls at times, so I will probably have time to make the occasional post from here.

...And There Went Last Month

2006-07-21T01:49:00.000-07:00

It is very late here, and I am not planning on staying up any later. I just wanted to post because it has been a very, very long time since I have.

This week, I started a new job as a contractor for Intel, a job that is slated to run most of the way through next year. I am very happy about it. It will pay a little less than my last job, but it will give me medical benefits, and will look very, very good on my resume. So, here's hoping for the best!

Sorry I've been away from here so long...those few who actually come by know that I poke my head in once in a while, just haven't posted anything. I will try to be better about it from now on, but I promise nothing.

400 Hits

2006-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Now I just wish it were from more than a small handful of people, but based on who is commenting...I think I have like three regular readers.

Oh, well. I guess someday someone will pay attention. Maybe I have to start posting first. There's a thought!

D&D tonight, if I can get a hold of my friend, that is. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Thought I Would Never Survive!

2006-05-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it has been a long as hell time since I have posted, but I am trying to come back. A lot of crap going on lately, and soon I may even say what that is.

Wicked Truth is still on the fritz, and I must say that I miss it dearly...it is one of the things that helped keep me sane there for a bit. This goes out to Mister Hand: I hope that you get things taken care of! You deserve better than that *explicative deleted* is dishing out to you!

Now, I said a long time ago that I had a few movies to review. I have not made any progress, but I will endeavor to review some of them from memory off the seat of my pants. I tend to do better that way, anyhow.

I'm going to use a standard five star system, as follows:

1 star = Stay as far away as you can
2 stars = Might be entertaining if you are drunk with a lot of drunk friends, but don't count on it
3 stars = Okay. Don't necessarily go out of your way, but a good way to kill a night.
4 stars = This is a good movie, and comes recommended. Go out of your way a little for it.
5 stars = WTF?! You haven't seen it yet? What's wrong with you?!

First up:

Brokeback Mountain

Drama. A good date movie, as long as your date is open minded about what true love means. A very, very sad love story that tells us that love can be found anywhere, and should not be ignored or denied.

This movie follows the lives of Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys at heart who find each other in their twenties looking for work at a ranch, watching over sheep. Through the lonely weeks out on the ranch, they find that they have a lot in common, and realize a bond that is forming that goes far beyond friendship. It seems to shock them as much as anyone else when they recognize this in a fit of passion.

Through the months that follow, they find themselves to form a caring and loving relationship that they know they have to keep hidden from the eyes of the world. At the end of the season, Ennis goes back to marry his fiancée and live life like everyone expected him to, and Jack found himself a bride later on as well. However, they never forgot about each other, and a few times a year, under the guise of a fishing trip, they found a way to meet up.

The story was tragic and heart wrenching. It lets us know that no matter what form our love takes, do not let it slip away, because you never know when that will be lost to you forever.

Set on a backdrop of beautiful western style scenery and with superb acting and screenplay, this movie easily earns:

5 stars

Next:

Serenity

Science Fiction/Western. Yes, you read that correctly, I am classifying this as part western, even though the movie takes place on a spaceship. Why? Because of the attitude and style.

This is a gritty movie about gritty people in a gritty universe. It claims great action, wonderful dialogue, and some of the best characters I have seen in a long time. To top it off, it has absolutely zero weak female characters, and that ranks highly in my book.

This movie sort of sandwiches the TV series flop Firefly (and it was only a flop in ratings...the show was every bit as good as the movie, and deserved to continue on long and strong...the ratings just weren't there). By that, I mean that the very beginning showcases what happened right before the first episode, then picks up a little after the series left off. However, you do not have to watch the series to enjoy the movie, but you will understand some of the inside jokes a little better, and have a deep love for the cast members.

A quick aside about Firefly: Had that series been put in place of Star Trek: Enterprise, it would have easily gone 7 or more seasons. As it was, it was cancelled a little more than halfway through its first. Absolutely criminal, if you ask me.

The movie starts off with Simon Tam, a respected and gifted physician, turning rebel against the Alliance (think of the Empire from Star Wars) to free his sister, River Tam (an even more gifted psychic and all-around brilliant and talented young girl) from a maximum security "school" for the psychically gifted, where they did all sorts of heinous mental experiments on her. It then fast forwards several months, where they are aboard the Firefly class ship Serenity, who has a crew that is diverse and interesting, one of the few places I have found every person involved to be well rounded and three dimensional.

Captain Malcom Reynolds (Mal): Brigand and cowboy, a renegade from the Alliance who fought in the rebellion and lost. He was a Sergeant in the war, and was looked up to during battle as a natural leader who instilled confidence and a great desire to not die, to keep fighting til there was no fight left. He was a man of faith during the war, but in the bitterness that followed the grave losses and abandonment that ended it, he could no longer hold onto his faith. When you look into his eyes, you see a steel and determination, with just a hint of that bitterness hiding behind it. It is little wonder that his crew is loyal, even when his actions seem brash and ill considered.

Zoë: Serenity's second in command, this valkyrie warrioress fought alongside Mal in the war. She is not a force to be trifled with, especially when you make her mad. She keeps her cool well, and is (almost) always professional. Strong, and fiercely loyal to both her Captain and her husband, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot first if she felt it was the best solution. She has also proven that her loyalty to her husband comes first, and will chose him over her Captain.

Wash: The pilot of Serenity is a strange and witty fellow, a man with an equal mixture of flip and flair. Sometimes comes off as cynical and satirical, but his piloting skills are without question. "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar!" Married to Zoë in a rather unlikely matching, but the love the two of them share is undeniable.

Kaylee: The cheerful engineer is almost always upbeat. Seeing a frown or sad look on her face is a tragedy in and of itself. Her skill in the engine room is unmatched. She has a definite crush on the doctor, Simon Tam, but has trouble voicing that to him...every time things seem to start to work out, he manages to put his foot in his mouth. However, the mere fact that she has managed to keep that bucket of bolts that would make the Millennium Falcon look like a prize yacht flying says it all.

Jayne: The hired muscle, there doesn't seem to be much going through this brute's head most of the time. He seems simple, but he does have a depth that is surprising at times. Mostly simple, though.

Simon Tam: Highly regarded medical doctor, he threw away a promising career for something far more important to him: his sister, River. He would do anything to protect his troubled sister, and has taken considerable risk to do so. He also has a crush on Kaylee, though he is too cultured to admit to it most of the time, and is very much inexperienced when it comes to voicing his feelings.

River Tam: Easily the most troubled and complicated member of the crew, River has psychic powers that even she doesn't understand. She will utter a string of words as eloquent as they are seemingly meaningless. She seems terrified of something through most of the show and the movie, but shows herself off to be the strongest person on the show.

This movie easily ranks:

5 stars

If you haven't seen it yet, do so, now.

Well, that is all for now. I've made this more than long enough.

They Didn't Tell Me That Would Be On The Test!

2006-05-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well, for the few who are still coming by every once in a while, I'm sorry I have been so lazy...life has been crazy of late, and there are a lot of things going through my mind right now that need sorting, so for the moment, I am going to try to post more often, but warning you that it may very well not happen. If not, then I apologize in advance. I merely see no way around this at the moment.

So, this one will likely recieve few updates, and my other, Of Liberal Intent, may only be updated if one of the other three post. I will try to get back into posting soon, though...I do sort of miss it, actually.

One More Day In Paradise

2006-04-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, Gentoo did not work right the first three or four tries, so I reinstalled Ubuntu (had to to make sure Windows works right...long story, or at least one I don't feel like relaying). I decided that I am okay with having to do things CLI style for now if I have to, but then, it wouldn't even work that way! Well, that was the last straw, as I was doing something pretty easy with the CLI (so easy, even I could do it! At least, on any other distro).

So, I have declaired Ubuntu dead to me for the time being. I will give it one (and probably only one at this point) more shot when Dapper Drake comes out. That is the version that they are working on right now, slated for release in June. Don't ask...they like using cute, cuddly names for their releases. Their versions so far have included Warty Warthog, Hoary Hedgehog, and Breezy Badger. The one that they have just announced will be worked on after Dapper Drake is Edgy Eft. To quote Whinny the Pooh: "Oh, bother".

Anyway, I am pulling out for now. All I will say is that the problems I am having simply should not be having, not on a "just run it and go" style like this (not even on an advanced one, as it was keeping me from running my stuff in the CLI [which is short for Command Line Interface, in case you were wondering], too). This is not a matter of wanting things to work like Windows...this is a matter of wanting things to work, period, without having to tear apart the system!

So, I am not ready to post reviws about those movies yet, but will soon!

BTW, Ellie, I thought you didn't do movies much, yet you are wondering why my reviews aren't up yet? Isn't that a bit hypocritical of you? (remember, if I pick on you here, it is probably all in good fun, not in meanness meant)

A Penguin By Any Other Name...

2006-04-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

I know it has been too long, and I know I promised some movie reviews. At the very least, I will try to post a couple in a few days, but I promise absolutly nothing (for then I might very well disapoint someone).

I just wanted to say that I am finally sick of Ubuntu (a distrobution, or type, of Linux) and am currently installing Gentoo to give it a once over. So far, I am finding that the live CD environment has not gotten my sound to work, so I may have to fight with that, but other than that, it does not have the irritating lines that Ubuntu had on my computer. To elaborate, there were static-like lines that continued to run through my monitor with Ubuntu...I'm hoping that the latest version, due out in June, will take care of that. However, by then, I will have rebuilt my system and won't have that issue anymore anyway.

I am keeping the latest stable version of Ubuntu on my computer, but I am not likely to use it as more than a test bed to throw stuff at and see if I can make it squeal (the geek version of a sadist, you might say). All in all, Linux is proving itself to me to be a good all around system. Ubuntu is one I would highly recommend to someone who wants to try out Linux and is of low to medium abilities when it comes to computers. Anyone who is anywhere from experianced to godlike with computers, but without the skills for Linux directly, I think I would say stay away for the moment...it will just piss you off as it turns off too many of the GUI management features, and I myself am not ready to learn to do everything with the CLI (so, I pick an advanced one, since I will have to anyway...may as well get all the boons at once, right?)

If any of you are looking to read more from me (I wouldn't know why, but then, we are all our own worst critics), I suggest going on over to the Faulking Truth (the link to it is on the sidebar), and go to the message boards. I post more there right now, as I have more time for that. You will find me in Welcome to the Monkey House, then look in the thread Back in the Bedroom (don't ask...I was there and I don't understand it either).

Anyway, for those reading this, I hope you all had a good Easter (yes, I am an athiest...I still like Easter for getting together with family, and the egg hunt is just plain fun), and I hope this weekend will find everyone having fun (take that to mean what you want it to...I'm not going to elaborate on what "fun" means in this context).

So, to (hopefully) give myself the proverbial kick in the ass, I am going to try to get these four movies reviewed in the near future, as part of my next post. Let's see if I can hold to that:

Brokeback Mountain
Serenity
Failure to Launch
V for Vendetta

I have a few older movies in my list, too, but I am not going to post them right away. We've waited this long, after all.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Random 300

2006-04-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

Yep. Three Hundred Hits. Didn't get a picture this time, though...too late, too tired, too lazy.

Just picture three hundred little green slips of paper with Benjamin Franklin's face on them. Or, in light of the recent holiday, three hundred little pink bunnies hopping around

"Grey Like Me" by Ken Shade

2006-04-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have written. Life has gotten complicated and tangled, but it is the usual to be expected; working overtime till all hours, the few minutes I do get I spend sleeping or escaping with my friends or my fiancée. Life has been good, but tiring and sometimes frustrating. This, however, is not why I am blogging.

Over at the Faulking Truth, writer Ken Shade has been putting up articles about a new reality TV show called "Black. White." If you are unaware of it, it is a show where a black family and a white family get together, living under one roof, and put on makeup to look like they are the other color. I was skeptical, but hopeful, when I heard about it. I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or pleased by what I have seen of it.

The show is up to episode five, and I will be watching it shortly. Ken is writing it as a white man who married into a black family, and is a widowed father of three children struggling to raise them in a racially inept world. He has written articles about the first four. His insights are astounding. I recommend reading them.

Movie Reviews

2006-03-26T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided to start reviewing the movies I have watched. I won't right now, but that is because I am just being too damn lazy at the moment (plus, it is late at night, and I really need to learn to stop just writing things at the moment, and actually planning out my posts and tweaking them, making them look nicer before I post)

I have not quite decided exactly on the rating system yet, but I will tell you that I am partial to the five star system, so it will likely be derived from that. However, I am seriously considering segmenting my ratings, as I feel I am unfairly too nice to movies if I go with a strait five star system (I tend to just say screw it, and enjoy the movie for whatever it has to offer...as such, there are very few movies I really did not like, such as Thinner, which I felt was absolutely abhorrent). I just need to decide on what categories I want to use, and how I want to use them (i.e., all categories have five stars, and overall rating is an average, or maybe that the categories have nothing to do with the end rating...I don't know yet)

Anyway, I have already been composing a list of movies that I am ready to review. Some of them are new (or relatively new), and some of them I only saw just recently. For instance, I watched The Ref for the first time tonight, so I am adding that to the list, even though it is, what, ten years old? (BTW, I'm giving it at least four stars...I was laughing all the way through it)

Well, that is all for now. Cheerios!

Note: The picture of the helicopter has nothing to do with this post...I just thought it was funny (and a little scarry)

My Two Miniatures

2006-03-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are the miniatures I have painted so far...I painted another this weekend, the one on the right. The left one was my first. So, here they are, in all the embarrassing detail.

Front

Back

Could have done worse, though. Plus, they were relatively cheap...I used the lowest quality ones I found first, figuring I would save the better pieces for later when I get better. I will post them, too.

200th Site Hit!

2006-03-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is, and it took less time than my first hundred. I guess people are catching on?

To celebrate, I am posting a picture I had a friend take of my fiancée and me. I am obviously the one in the front, and we are each holding up two fingers to symbolize both peace, and two hundred hits.

Isn't she just so cute?

To Paint A Miniature

2006-03-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, the other day, I was talking to a friend of mine from work about Dungeons and Dragons, and the subject of miniatures came about. I have never been a fan of them, myself, but I was interested in his take on it. Then, he showed me his collection of miniatures, all of which he had paid to have hand painted. I tell you, they were beautiful! So, I decided to get some, and was toying with having someone paint them, but when he told me how much his friends would charge someone else (since they don't know me), I decided that I would save my money.

Then, I thought how cool it would be if I were to paint these myself...you know, pick up a few cheap ones and some paint to practice on, and the last two days, I have been doing just that. Then, tonight, I decided to try it on one that I had found two of, which looked like a warrior angel, complete with sword and wings, and I started painting it. Just to give you an idea, it has been at least ten years since I have painted anything that wasn't a wall.

And it came out all right. The only thing I was disappointed with was the eyes, as they look like blue smudges, but the thing is so small, it is virtually impossible to do that right, even with a brush as fine as the one I found.

I would post pictures, but the camera I am using is not focusing nearly well enough on their fine details, and most of them came out blurry. I will have to work on that (or buy a better camera).

Well, that is all for now. Check out Of Liberal Intent, as I have posted another over there, and I am hoping that soon, Fool on the Hill will come around to posting a short article...however, The Fool is rather busy, so it might be until next week.

Anyway, that's all I have. Hopefully, I will have the camera issue resolved by tomorrow.

And, tomorrow, I am introducing a friend to the true delights of Fuddruckers, the home of the World's Greatest Hamburgers!

Damn, am I a geek, or what?

Addendum: Upon looking at it further, without the eyes of just having seen it up close for an hour and a half and noticing all the flaws, I have to say that I feel I did a damn good job, considering that it is my first! Will definatly post more about it soon, especially if I paint another between now and then (I want to...I really want to)

The Random Thoughts

2006-03-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

For a lark, I decided to do a search for my blog on Google, just to see what else would pop up. Putting it in exactly got my blog on top, also showing the blogs and pages that link to here. What I found interesting is that only one other blog has used my name in the past. And I thought I was being original. Fortunately, she apparently stopped using it early this year or late last, if I follow correctly, when she decided that she was a trans-gender. She/He now has a new blog titled "Call me Jack-off". Strange person, but probably not that much stranger than me, so I pass no judgment here.

Many use the rather un-original title (apparently) of "Random Thoughts" by itself. There are two exceptions that I have found so far: "Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind", and "Random Thoughts of a Confused Mind". I have not really read through either of them much, but Confused seems to be about a guy's perspective on relationship (which I think most would agree does tend to fall into the category of "Confused") and interrelations of male and female, while Demented appears, at first glance, to be a rather interesting blog that, as advertised, is both random and demented, by an East Indian(I think) doctorate of computer science who works in Washington D.C.

Well, at least I know, as of now, that my blog title is unique (as long as you consider that the other one was retired...hell, when I came up with the name two or three years ago, I thought it was original! I only now get to use it!).

On the other hand, my other blog, Of Liberal Intent, does not show up as a blog title ANYWHERE! Not even on the blog itself! The only reference to it that Google finds is on THIS blog! Maybe it is just too new, I don't know. Anyway, it did pick up about 34 other references to the title in other context of normal political articles.

Anyway, that is my random thought for today.

Cognitive Distortion

2006-03-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

I have been going through some of the pictures on Cognitive Distortion lately, and I found something I actually liked better than my old desktop wallpaper. They are far too large to insert as pictures here, so I will just include links.

Here is my old wallpaper, and here is my new one.

As you can see, I like the dichotomy, the darkness and light, appearing in the second as a sort of yin and yang, and in the old one as forgiveness. In that, the old one, I feel it is a way of saying that there is no true black and white, that there is beauty and truth if you are willing to look for it.

Anyway, I have added a link to the site itself on the side bar, and it is also linked on the title of this post. It has some of the most interesting wallpapers that you will find, as well as a slew of different pictures from all over the spectrum, from nature to cars, from landscapes to 3D fractals. Try it out, it is worth the look.

"It Really Whips The Llama's Ass!"

2006-03-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ellie asked a question in a comment about Winamp. I didn't stop to think that not everyone knows what Winamp is automatically. So, I will give a brief description of it for any who are interested in checking it out who have not yet heard of it.

Winamp, simply put, is probably the best all around free music player for a PC that I have yet tried. I am a fan because it has a great interface that is easy to use, and includes balance, equalizer, playlist, enqueue and lots of other stuff that I have yet to try out. I think it can also pick up "pod casts" which are supposed to be audio blogging. Mostly, though, I have one folder with all of my favorite music, closing in on 40 hours worth, along with each one of my CDs in their own folders, and Winamp is the controller and player of all of it.

With that new skin, it has become all the more wonderful, and a lot more pleasant to play with and look at.

So, all it really does for me is play my music. However, it does it with style. And, that it plays my music is a REALLY big deal to me (I love my music). If you love your music and like to listen to it on your computer, it is a lot less intrusive than Media Player (plus, it really whips the llama's ass).

Well, that is your (semi)random thought for today.

Note: Both this and last post's title bars are links. This one leads you to Winamp's website, and the other leads you to the skin I am using. I recommend reading about it yourself from the site. They will do it more justice than I will.

This Is The Coolest Thing! Seriously!

2006-03-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Winamp told me to upgrade tonight, so I did. While there, a skin they were showing called Anunaki caught my eye, so I thought, what the hell? When I downloaded it and installed it, I thought, no way. This little oval will never work. But, I played around with it for a moment, noticing that the picture looked different than what I got, so I was curious...and found that that was one of four modes! One of the modes was this flattened thing that just looks awesome, and it fits perfectly at the top of my screen! Sure, I will have to get used to it, and sure, I will have to learn where all the buttons are (it's going to be hardest that the equalizer and playlist will no longer be automatically open), but I will get over it, because this is a truly great looking skin. Hell, it even has a clock available! That's great, too, because I have my taskbar auto hide (to give me that quarter inch extra space on screen) and I like to see the time without having to go to it.

This, my friends, is a great skin, and if you use Winamp, I recommend it. Granted, I have only had it for less than ten minutes, but I have a good feeling about it. I think it is so cool, I even made the title of this post a link to it, if you are interested in checking it out. Do it.

(Note: In case you weren't sure, the one on top is the one that I am now using. Also, I figured out that there are lights you can turn on, and you can set them to strobe to the beat of the music! I'm geeking out over here!)

Of Liberal Intent

2006-03-05T01:26:00.000-08:00

I have finally done it. I have made my first post to my new blog, "Of Liberal Intent". Click the title of this post, and it will take you there, where I wax about how labels are a bad thing, most notably "Liberal" and "Conservative".

"Go Ahead, Ignore Me"

2006-03-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Click the above picture to check out the latest article by Robin Buckallew, one about how the environmental problems are coming to a head. It is a good read, and somewhat scary. Everyone should read it.

Rush: Foot In Mouth and Head In Ass

2006-02-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

Rush Limbaugh needs to get his stupid head out of his fat ass! What else needs to be said? I mean, I listen to five minutes of his ranting, and I am immediately appalled that he could twist facts so thoroughly, that I feel the urge to vomit.

Take this blurb I heard this morning, for example. In it, he said that the popularity polls are rigged, and he doesn't believe that Bush really only has 36% and Chaney only 18%, but then went on to say that even if that were the case, he has a higher approval rating than CSI Miami, CBS, or many other TV shows.

What the Fuck?! Am I the only one here who sees how fucked up that analogy is? A TV show is rated by the percentage of people estimated to be watching it as opposed to all the people watching all the other TV shows out there. 36% is fantastic for any TV show to ever get to. A president's approval rating is not a popularity contest between him and forty or fifty other contestants. He is on the stand, and the country is saying "Do we like him? Or do we not like him?" 36%, in this case, means that most of the country is not confident in your presidency. Usually, 36% is a good sign that you are a FAILURE!

And if I can see that, how come so many people who listen to him all the time, professing to be intelligent people, let that slide right by while nodding their heads and saying "how right you are!" So, he not only has his head up his ass, he has a rather large collection of people who think they are smart for listening to him up his ass. Sounds rather uncomfortable. Time to wizen up, Rush. Al Franken was dead on. You are a big, fat idiot.

Truth In The Land Of Confusion

2006-02-26T00:17:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I have to ask myself this question: What if I am wrong about all of this? What if the opposition really is right and I am just being blind to it all? What then? And how will I ever know?

Take this debate happening on The Wicked Truth. In it, "we" pretty much spend our time trashing Fox "News", while a sole voice defends them as having unbiased reporting. Maybe it is just me listening to the people I trust, and not really doing the investigation myself, which would make me no better than the people that I feel get their news too much from one group without ever really looking at things objectively...in effect, "drinking the kool-aid".

So, what is "true"? Is there really such a thing as truth? Or is it all subjective, subject to interpretation? Is it all based on what is important?

See, that is the funny thing, though, about my viewpoint, and maybe I am wrong about this; however, to me, thinking that the environment and human rights for all is most important feels like the only real way, the only thing that is right. Saying that environment is not most important would be like saying that it really isn't that important for us to breath, eat or drink water to live, which is a fallacy and a fantasy of the highest magnitude (at least in my thinking). Saying that the well being of the people, be they high class or low, is not important, is like saying that my child is not important enough for food, shelter or medical attention were he/she ill. How many parents can honestly wish that on their child?

Which brings me to the issue of abortion: How can people be so up in arms against abortion, based on the idea that the fetus is a person, and then be so against giving anyone of lower standing (who is also a person, I feel the need to point out, as a statement of the obvious, which some seem to ignore) a fair break in the world, or any form of help, because it might take a penny more out of their paycheck (which is unlikely). What sort of greedy bastards are we?

So, please, help me here. Where am I going wrong on all of these ideas so terribly that I cannot see the obvious truth that so many see who believe the words of Bush, the Right Wing Ministry, and Fox News? What am I missing? What is that critical piece? Please, tell me. I want to know, so that I might further my quest for the truth.

And that was truly random.

Lunchtime Report

2006-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

Today is payday, my first from my new job. Am I excited? You bet I am! However, I am also worried, because they are sending it via mail, so it could be delayed, and I need the cash this weekend.

Honestly, who mails their payroll to their employee's house anymore? And to top it off, my bank is closed on Saturdays! This truly sucks if it isn't in the mail.

Anyway, as I said, I am on my lunch right now, so not much time to write.

I got an email saying it was from John Kerry today. I doubt he wrote it himself, but it might be from someone he does affiliate with. In any event, I do agree that we need to get on the ball and remove as many Republicans as we can in November. Bush has had too much of a freebie these last few years, and has gotten too much through that should never have seen the light of day. We need to take back control from the corporations and the religious right!

I might actually post something to my other blog in more detail tonight (note that I said "might" and not "will"). If I do, I will post a link to it here. Just to note, however, that I will likely post less there than I do here.

CPUs, SUVs and Allergies

2006-02-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

Computers suck, you know that? Take this one I'm working on...just doing everything it can to make my life miserable. Has taken me more than four hours just to set up, and I'm not even done yet!

Sometimes, I think computers just hate me.

Anyway, it has been a busy, allergy induced, headache making day, full of glitches and sneezes, computer crashes and red eyes. In short, it has been one of "those" days.

Whoever thought up "those" days ought to be shot.

A little news from my home town of Oklahoma City: I hear that the old GM plant in Midwest City is closing, either today or yesterday, I'm not certain. Probably moving to China and blaming consumers who want better fuel economy (that plant produced SUVs, if I'm not mistaken). Maybe a better, more "American" approach would have been to listen to the people and start building more fuel efficient vehicles. The technology is there, and it isn't that expensive.

That, however, would not mesh with their dreams of obscene profits (the real American dream, it would seem). I'm looking forward to a day when American companies don't run to other countries to make more money by tossing aside loyal US union workers and exploiting cheap, virtually slave wage laborers in their country, while also crippling the economy here and the abilities of smaller, honest businesses to make a profit. It is truly sick.

(Note: You may be able to tell from the beginning, this was written at work on a piece of paper while I was waiting for that computer to boot up. The good news is, it finally behaved itself. That makes this a truly random thought.)

Random Thought's 100th Site Hit!

2006-02-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I have passed 100 hits on my site! So, I will post this goofy little picture of me and a few of my friends had taken to celebrate! Cheers!

(note: no, not I nor anyone I know were in this picture.)

Laziness: The Art of Nothing

2006-02-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

Man, I tell you, I have to get on the ball more...I have too many ideas to blog about that I just flat out don't use. It's depressing. But not as much as this:

(Thanks to Mister Hand for turning me on to these...I'll be a drooling mess of non-motivation in no time)

Well, anyway, I wanted to say something about the Cheney mess last week, and this just goes to show you that I am a lazy SOB sometimes. A lot of times. Anyway, I also changed my avatar, seeing that my old one (posted here for posterity) was scarring people, most notable, Ellie (a.k.a., Ms. Creek).

Well, I did promise that I would write a review of Brokeback Mountain, but you must understand, that I also promised myself that I would do some cleaning and laundry, and that I am being lazy. Maybe I will get around to it later tonight, if I don't first get too interested in my Python studies (or a riveting game of Diablo II...man, I can't wait to upgrade my computer. I've owned Morrowind for more than a year now and haven't played it once because my computer can't load it).

I'm sure this is terribly interesting to all of you, as, I'm sure, is this:

I have started my new blog, "Of Liberal Intent", and will post my first to it soon (I hope). I will post an announcement here when I finally get my lazy butt around to doing that.

Damn! Hand, these things really do work! I'm feeling demoralized and unmotivated already!

"A Bridge Too Far"

2006-02-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

Click above to read an article by Linda C. Wilson regarding a comparison between Ted Kennedy's accedent in 1969 with "Deadeye Dick's" accedent the weekend before last. I had been advocating letting the guy go, not liking him, but not seeing this as being the right time. Well, this article changed my mind on that, by pointing out that not only would the Republicans not fail to fall all over this like ton of bricks, but that they have in the past.

Blogger Note: Linda is not a writer at The Faulking Truth, this was put in as a letter to the editor. However, her writing is powerful and potent.

The Geek Chic

2006-02-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Once again, it has been a couple days since last I posted, so here I am again. This time, I am not here to bitch and moan (it's nice to have things on a positive note from time to time). Instead, a quick catch up on some of the things that I have read lately.

Recently, I picked up a book on Python Programming (I mentioned this last post), and have been reading. I have yet to code anything, but that is because I'm not so sure I really need to type print 'hello, world' to see that it will, indeed, put out hello, world on my monitor. However, I will start coding the examples next week to get my toes wet. Will let you know if the piranhas are biting.

Next, I found an article by USA Today about the Geek Chic, and I found it rather interesting. Yes, I am a geek, but you knew that already. I particularly liked the definition of geek that they gave us: "someone who is inquisitive, thinks on his or her own, who is a little bit off-center, who doesn't follow the crowd." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Also, though a bit old, I feel these are quite amusing. If you haven't checked out the Bastard Operator from Hell, and you have ever, even for a day, had to put up with customers wining about their computer not working, check it out right now! Don't wait one more second!

Also, I want to make note that yesterday was Valentine's Day, and that I indeed did take my fiancée out. We went to see a movie, Brokeback Mountain, and I have to tell you, I thought it was great! I will post a review of it as soon as I can motivate myself to (I'm not great at reviewing, so I have to push myself to get it written...just don't expect it to be a great review, and if it is, make sure I didn't rip it off of some legitimate reviewer)

Well, that's about all I have time for tonight.

Gods, Penguins and Pythons

2006-02-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, well, today I decided to begin my journey as a programmer. I picked up a book on Python programming, and have finished reading the preface that tells all the crap about the book, the authors, and how thankful the authors are that they have this wonderful language to write about, this wonderful company that will produce it, these wonderful people what have supported them, and all the wonderful people who are now or will read the bloody thing.

So, if you want to count things in steps, my current step is that my ass is still firmly on the couch, and my feet are still up on the coffee table. However, this will change shortly as I go through the week.

I'm thinking about getting myself onto a programmer's forum after I write some code.

Anyway, not much interesting going on, outside of a few bitch and gripe sessions I've had on the phone with other people. I really should record my conversations, because I come up with some great material in the moment that I forget in twenty minutes. That would give me so much more stuff to blog about.

Like the conversation I had with my mother about the discrepancies with religion, the unanswered questions of the cosmos and how god is not a satisfactory answer, as well as what we do know and how it would fit into the grand scheme of things. You know, bullshitting. We also talked about how the industrialization of our nation and our global society came by knowledge, but without the wisdom or the discipline to use it right. How many other nations want the level of comfort and living that is enjoyed by the US, but do not realize that the US is living a lie, that we will burn out this planet on our own, let alone if other nations take our lead.

Well, I'm not really into that topic right now, but I will probably address that another day.

As for my choice today to learn Python, that is because it is supposed to be one of the easiest to use and learn, as well as highly versatile and useful. Also, I think it interfaces well with Linux, and I have wanted to learn more about the inner workings of that.

Well, that is about all I have for today. I will post more soon.

George Takei's Take On Howard Stern

2006-02-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

I was just reading a few things online and happened upon George Takei's website, and read his blog about why he decided to be the announcer on the Howard Stern Show.

I just wanted to say that I think that Howard Stern takes a lot of crap that he really does not deserve, that people say a lot of nasty things about him that are frankly bullshit. He is a smart, funny man, and he has a knack for cutting the crap. He talks like there is nothing sacred, and I really think that is the healthiest attitude one can have in life. Does he talk about "disgusting" bodily functions regularly? Yes. My question is this: How often do you perform those self-same functions? If they are so normal that everyone does them, why detest the people who chose to make comedy out of it?

After all, comedy really is just life. We just chose to laugh at it.

Of course, George puts it much more eloquently than I, and I will quote him from his blog:

"Some people have questioned why I appear on a radio show so filled with disgusting talk and obscenity. I respond to them that, yes, the show has language and talk of body functions that really aren't my cup of tea. I try not to use those words myself, but don't we hear them around us daily? The body functions that Howard and gang talk about are what we all do daily as normal, healthy human beings. Howard simply talks about the realities of our life candidly. Some people seem to find life as it is - obscene. I don't.

However, Howard Stern is passionately against what is truly obscene in our society. He has railed at the obscenity of allocating billions of dollars of pork barrel money for a "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska, while our soldiers in Iraq are dying because of deficient and ineffective body armor. He has attacked the indecency of tax cuts for the wealthiest at a time of war. He has howled at the outrage of plunging our nation into war with bad intelligence, tough talk, and inadequate planning. He strongly believes that people who love each other, care for each other, and take responsibility for each other that happen to be of the same gender are entitled to equal rights. Howard Stern is a shock jock because truth naked can be shocking. Some of his humor can be adolescent. So what? We all could use a bit of adolescent giggle from time to time. It's good for us. And sometimes, for me it has been humbling, which is also good for all of us from time to time. Humility keeps us grounded. Laughter is the tonic of life."

Thank you, George. Would that more people were able to see things like you, we might have more intelligent, tolerant people in the world.

And that was my random thought.

The Fourteen Characteristics Of Fascism

2006-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here is something I got off of The Faulking Truth, posted as a quote of the day by Ken Shade. I have made only formatting alterations so that it will look good here (the formatting from his page didn't transfer over).

The 14 Characteristics of Fascism by Lawrence Britt
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/BRI411A.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?" Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20).

Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt is in accordance with the magazine's policy.

The 14 characteristics are:

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottoes, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

Supremacy of the Military

Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Rampant Sexism

The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Controlled Mass Media

Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Obsession with National Security

Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Religion and Government are Intertwined

Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

Corporate Power is Protected

The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Labor Power is Suppressed

Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment

Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Fraudulent Elections

Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Ken Shade's Quote Of The Day

2006-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Click above to see The Faulking Truth's Ken Shade in action, almost every day, with a fresh quote of the day. They are regularly funny, and often thoughtful or disturbing, but whatever they are, they are a great read.

I will be posting a permanent link to Ken's Quote on the side bar, probably tonight when I am not at work. Check it out! It is well worth the visit.

Also, my next post will be one of his quotes that I thought was worthy of posting here directly, one which deals with fascism and the warning signs that you might be living in one. Scary.

The Bullshit Manifesto

2006-02-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, as I said, I will tell you about my new job. It’s boring. I get to babysit computers and kissass to the people whose computers are broken.

Just a moment ago, however, I came to a realization: No one gives a shit. Why am I bothering to unload these useless details of my boring life on you? If you want a reality show, there are many with a hell of a lot more drama, and no intellect to get in the way of it being real fuckin' juicy. So, my blog will now go back to its original intent: to rant, rave and bitch about the bullshit that life has to offer. About the stuff that just pisses me off. About the shit that really gets on my nerves. About

Oh, fuck it, you get the point.

So, for those of you expecting me to be polite and nice, fair warning...I will show the shitty side of things a lot more often than before; the nice stuff is just not interesting enough.

And that is my random thought.

P.S., this does not mean that all of this will be a bitch session...I will still have my calmer side leaving posts.

Maybe someday, I will even start posting on a regular basis.

Woe Be To The Lazy Masses

2006-02-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I haven't posted in almost a week, but judging by my hit counter, I'd say that no one is really much for caring anyway. I just wanted to post to let anyone who does care know that I will write a real blog tomorrow evening, let you know about my first week at my new job.

I'll give you an idea, though...so far, because they weren't ready to train, I have been pretty bored. However, I have still made pretty decent money, even if I have not been doing much.

Tomorrow should prove more productive, however, and I will have more to report.

Then, The Wise Man Said: "PTTTHHHH!!"

2006-02-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, a quick update, as I am meeting my fiancée in forty-five minutes. This last week has been strange, to say the least. First of all, my job did not start on Monday as I thought it would, so I have been supplementing with daily labor (more on that in a future post). I just found out today that I will probably start next Monday, and to top it off, I had to print and fax the hire documents to them! As I do not have a fax machine, a printer, or a notary public friend (I had to notarize the I-9), I had to take it to Kinko's and spent almost forty bucks just to get the stuff to them!

Now, this week, the hard wood floors were supposed to be put in, right? Well, the wood that the company sent the installers was different than the wood that she had already gotten, so they had to fight with them to take the stuff back and get them to send us the right stuff, and now the house is going to be torn up for yet another week!

So, I spent Monday painting the hallway, and last night after working all day at manual labor, I came over to her house to paint her bedroom before they put in the new carpet today (we're re-carpeting the bedrooms). I did the entire wall and ceiling in a slightly rich sky blue, and it looks great! She did the cut-in on the corners, near the ceiling and floor, and around the doors and window. Started that at 6PM, didn't get done ‘til after 10:30...we were exhausted.

So, I stayed at her place this morning to wait for the carpet installers...the "sandstorm" color that she chose is a nice, medium light tan, kinda like beach sand, and looks great with the sky-blue-like paint on the walls and ceiling. Now we just need clouds.

Also, sticking with the good news of the week, the 220 electricity circuit at my house was finally replaced, so we now have a central heater, dryer, and stove/oven again after being without for seemingly a month now. Yay!

Anyway, that's about all there is to report from my life, outside of the horror story from working at an insurance auto auction for a day. Thrilling! Terrifying! Shocking!

Okay, not nearly that exciting, but I will still post about it, just later.

Tootles!

"He Has Slipped The Surly Bonds of Truth"

2006-02-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Click above for an article by Faulking Truth writer Ken Shade, a man I am proud to call a friend, and a much better writer than I. It is a shame that we don't see more from him.

The above article is about Christa McAuliffe, Ronald Regan, Bush, and how the events of twenty years ago hold similarities to today's world. Also touches on education. Read it.

The Adventures of Stupendous Man!

2006-01-31T15:21:00.000-08:00

General Blogger's Warning: Do not use link if you suffer from a heart condition, or just find crude humor sickening and distasteful. Risk of psychotic children if used during pregnancy. Use can be habit forming and brain numbing, and can also lead to laughter.

Weekend Warrior (or handiman)

2006-01-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well, this weekend found me at my fiancée’s house doing plenty of grunt work. She is getting new hard wood floors installed this week, so we were doing some preparations, and some moving, and a few other things that needed to be done. I spent the weekend disassembling a dancing platform, moving heavy furniture down the stairs, stripping wallpaper and texturing, as well as painting. When all was said and done, we were both too tired to do anything enjoyable...but we did get a lot done!

I kept telling her "Just think how nice this will look when we are finished." Well, we aren't done yet, and we will probably be spending much of the spring getting it done, but hopefully the worst will be over by summer time.

I also learned about a group called Hinder last week...they aren't half bad. Also saw Revelation Theory and Aroarah, and I thought they were great. Will definitely look into them, see how they develop.

Anyway, I got a lot of stuff to do today, so I will end here...I hope to post more later today.

Peace!

When Winter was Cold

2006-01-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, winter was actually a cold time of year. Of course, I should say that at that time, I lived in Oklahoma, so the winters actually meant something. California's winter sucks.

Anyway, lets not get too side tracked. I have a bad habit of that.

I remember winter as being freeze your ass off cold. I loved it! The only time of day that I did not (and still do not) like being cold was in the morning right after waking up. I would leave the heater off all winter if I had my way, or just enough to keep the pipes from freezing, and throw eight extra blankets over me at night as I slept. There is nothing that compares to sleep like that. It is the most warm, comfy sleep I have ever experienced.

Damn-it! I got sidetracked.

Well, anyway, I do have to say that I miss driving on frozen roads, as that is just too much fun...kinda like a slalom in a massive steel death trap. In December, temperature would get down to the teens (Fahrenheit) or below, and the wind chill (once described as how cold it would feel if you stand outside butt naked, but really a more complicated process than that, I am sure) would be below zero. This was winter to me.

So imagine my first year here, in California, mid January, and the low has barely gotten below 35 in the middle of the night, and the highs are up around 45-60 on average, and just realizing what time of year it is. When I finally realized when it was, I asked "When does it get cold around here?" and I am met with incredulous stares and statements of "Damn-it! It is freaking cold already!" Californians, therefore, are wimps.

And it never snows around here. Just rains through the winter. And as it never gets below freezing, we never get icy streets.

Is there a point to all this? Nope. Just my rant about missing the cold.

However, I will get to a point that I have wanted to make. There are still people who will say that there is no such thing as Global Warming. For that, after what I said about my time in Oklahoma, I have one thing to say to them: Tell that to all the people who have lost their homes in OK to fires during this unseasonably warm, unusually dry spell that has been going on since October there. This is usually part of the raining season for them. This is usually part of the freeze-your-ass-off season.

Well, anyway, that was my thought today. Just as a note, as this post has turned more serious, I wanted to say that I do not mean to insult anyone, lest of all the state that I have come to call my home, or any of the good people living here with me. It still makes me laugh to walk out of a store somewhere with my jacket hanging wide open, thinking what a pleasant, slightly chilly night it is, and to hear behind me a couple coming out and complaining about how cold it is.

And that was my Random Thought.

For Richer or Poorer

2006-01-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have to admit going into this one that I really don't have my thoughts all that organized, so there are likely things that I will not present too well. Take it as opinion, if you chose.

Today, I heard someone talking about how Bush's tax cut for the rich is actually good for America. Talking about how it is a good thing to have the majority of the wealth of this country concentrated at the top. That if the spending power were to be put into the bottom, consumption would run rampant and everything would be in shambles.

Huh? Did I miss something? I thought consumption was already running rampant, and yet there are a great many people who still cannot fend for their families, can barely scrape up enough to keep their roofs over their heads. The rich like it this way, because that means there are plenty of people to pay starvation wages (a.k.a. minimum wage) to so that they can make their obscene profits even more obscene. Planned/forced obsolescence plays well into the retail markets and credit card companies, giving the middle class all the money they want, so long as they pay it back, so they can live like kings while being broke...because the already-rich now have their money, making them richer.

However, the middle class is largely blind to this, because they feel like they have a hand-up on the ladder towards becoming themselves rich someday. They are most likely wrong, and their debts are only going to get worse as they fight to compete with the Joneses to have the biggest, baddest in home theaters, cars, computers, whatever. They have it; I have to have it, only mine will be even better. How long before we realize that we are feeding the beast? Does it really make any of us happy, in the end?

And what happens to the little guy? The people who can't get anything? The poor are invisible to the middle and upper classes. A division created and fed largely by the upper class. The upper class is the smallest, but has the most, the highest of them propagating this obscene culture of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer...and the middle class are owned by the rich.

How do we fix this problem? By giving the rich even more money, is what that guy seemed to think, I suppose.

An interesting take (which I half mentioned a moment ago) on all this is that the rich hold their position by making the middle class believe that they can at some point become a member of the elite. So, when the middle and lower class should be demanding that the taxation laws be more lenient on the have-nots than the haves, the upper class keeps the middle class out of it with the carrot-on-a-stick tactic, or the American Dream as we like to call it.

In other countries, the rich are taxed much more heavily than the middle and lower classes, and they do not complain. Why? Because the people, not deluding themselves that they might be able to step on their hallowed ground, don't let the elected officials give the rich that kind of power. Sure, it isn't perfect, but it is a step in the right direction.

Personally, I, myself, would like to make it to the elite upper class, but I do not hold the illusion that I will make it beyond the upper-middle. I want to be protected as a citizen of this country regardless of my class standing, and that includes that if I wind up broke with nothing to give, I don't want to let what nothing I don't have help to make the fat cats on top purr all the more loudly. And if, by chance, I ever did actually make it up to the top, I would not want to do so on the backs of the poor or middle class.

Well, that was a rant, and contained no hard evidence, but it is my beliefs, and my blog, so deal with it. However, I am confident of my positions, and will likely start hunting down some statistics to support this, and will include them in a subsequent blog.

I've also been contemplating a split-off to be more a base for my political opinions, but I don't think anyone is reading this yet, so I will try to get a few more readers first.

And that was my Random Thought.

A Proposal

2006-01-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Wistful Romantic,

This blog is for you, and only you. Anyone here can see it, read it, and know what I say to you, but it is for you.

I have loved you since the moment I have met you, and the times we have spent together only make me love you more and more. I can no longer imagine life without you, or at the very least, the hope of having you.

Every year I have known you have been the best years of my life, no matter what has gone wrong. No matter where we go, who we become, you will always be beautiful, you will always be perfect, to me.

You give me hope that life can be wonderful. You have taught me what love is.

Will you marry me?

With love,
Blue Eyes

A Brave New World

2006-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Well, as I said before, this is my first blog, and I have to admit, I find it interesting. Interesting to write anything I feel like, and see if anyone really gives a crap. Also interesting to visit the good people of some of the other blogs out there (though I have to admit, I find that my favorite blog to read so far is The Wicked Truth, with the attitude of Mister Hand being quite refreshing).

I would write a longer post, but I have work to do today...I get to work on an Apple G4 tower that probably will turn out to have a bad motherboard or processor. Wee.

Sorry about that

2006-01-21T00:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought that my first template might look nice, and from some viewpoints, I suppose it did...however, if anyone wanted to read anything, it was horrible, awful, and for that I apologize.

The good news of the evening is that I just got a new job that starts at the end of this month, so I'm happy about that. You can tell by the sheer glee with which the words of my blog hop off the screen and dance around like hamsters on your keyboard.

Hmm...well, okay, so they probably aren't, but just pretend that they are (and if they really are, you should learn to share the good stuff, you know?).

Well, that’s all there is for now. I probably won't post anything this weekend, but you never know.

Have fun! Will return soon.

Oh, and before I leave, I want to do a plug for a website/blog that I have found inspirational and informative. Check it out at www.faulkingtruth.com. I think Robin posts the most powerful, thought provoking articles there. Well, don't take my word for it, check it out!

Standardized Testing

2006-01-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can't not write about this. Unfortunately, one of my room mates is a Rush fan, so I get to hear his station sometimes during the mornings (wee). This morning, I heard a rant about Public Schools (I'm assuming he meant college level) and how the people there had the lowest standardized testing scores, worst teachers/professors, and least credibility. His solution: Get rid of the schools! That is outrageous! What the heck does he think that is going to solve? Even fewer people will have access to higher level schooling than now!

Here's a couple of thoughts that might actually do some good towards actually educating the people in those schools instead of putting them out where they will have little to no options left. First, get rid of standardized testing! They make teachers aim their entire class at learning how to take a lousy test instead of actually teaching them how to learn, what the important knowledge and skills are and how to get them! Then, pay the teachers/professors at these colleges a better wage! Then, people who would make good teachers who cannot now afford to work at their salary might actually be willing to apply, and the schools would be able to weed out to find the good candidates!

(Addendum: This is not to say that there aren't any, and my comment was not aimed at the wonderful few who teach regardless of how little it will pay, just for the pleasure of helping others to learn. We need more teachers like this! We pay our celebrities, our lawyers and our politicians such high wages, but I guarantee that our teachers are far more important, and far less appreciated...that’s why we have so few people willing to let themselves be put through it that are truly worthy. Those noble few, I salute you)

And then, the teachers would be able to teach a real class that did not have to do with knowing a set of pressed and dry facts that mean little to a real world of people and workers and employers. These options, by the way, are also what we should be doing in high and junior high schools. College education is too strict, not accepting enough of fresh ideas, for just these reasons. High school and Junior High are even worse. They are a joke. Indoctrination at best.

I agree with him on one thing: this country's education system is broken and needs a serious overhaul. I just disagree on which way it is broken and how to fix it.

And that was my Random Thought.

One night in Bangkok

2006-01-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

Always interesting to wake up to my radio listening to a song that I have never heard before, one that captivates my interest and is distinctive and unusual...I just had to hear it again, know who did it!

So, imagine my surprise (not really, considering the style) when I find that it was done in the early 80s...anyway, it was unusual, and I seem to like the unusual pretty well, so it was a good fit.

Anyway, I guess if there is anyone who is actually reading this, you might want to know a bit more about what I'm going to post about: everything. Well, everything that I think about in this deranged mind of mine...hence the title.

Yes, I am a geek. I'm also strongly opinionated, about politics, interpersonal relationships, the environment, even mundane things like movies, books, computers and music. Now, at the risk of scaring off someone who might be reading this, I'm going to invoke the dirtiest word of our time (according to some, anyway): liberal. I am a Liberal, and I am proud of it.

Well, that can of worms is open. So, the point is, don't expect anything specific from me...expect me to rant about nonsense one day, next give a thought provoking statement, then gripe about my character on Diablo dieing for the fiftieth time today (yes, I play Diablo II...my computer can't handle much more. Sad, isn't it?).

Hello, World.

2006-01-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so not that creative a title for my first blog, but there you have it. Hello, world. Reminds me of the first thing any programmer ever makes his computer tell him to learn how to program.

Anyway, as this is my first blog, I thought I would start by telling you a little about myself. My name is Jeffrey Hunter, and I am a computer geek by trade (don't call me a nerd unless you like to watch my face turn interesting colors of green). Yes, the cat is out of the bag. I'm the sort of geek that once, for fun, downloaded Linux, then thought "This is too confusing! It's all so horribly...different! Cool!" and proceeded to sit down to carelessly hack away at it until I started being able to do something with it. I will never forget the feeling of sheer glee when I first figured out how to mount a file system. You would think I had solved cold fusion. Go figure.

But, that is the mind of a geek for you. Learning is everything, knowledge is power.

Well, I know this is rather short, but I realize I don't know what to say (like I said, I've never written one of these before...this is new to me). Give me time. I'll warm up to it, I'm sure.

I just hope my next post doesn't sound so banal and dull.