31 January 2008

...and if you look down....

Knock knock

Wow, you mean my computer can do things without me paying for extras after I buy it?
If anyone is interested in what computing really is(and yes, that includes MS, but not just them), then read helios.

From Siryes who got the idea from the blog of helios.


Microsoft is like the Matrix.

It's all about control and power. The only difference is that Microsoft does not desire electricity, but the money. All it can get. Now read, think and have fun.


MORPHEUS
We are trained in this world to accept only what is rational and logical. Have you ever wondered why? As children, we do not separate the possible from the impossible which is why the younger a mind is the easier it is to free, while a mind like yours can be very difficult.

NEO
Free from what?

MORPHEUS
From the Microsoft.

Do you want to know what it is, Neo? It's that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is it?

The Microsoft is everywhere, its products are all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. The computers use Microsoft products everywhere. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

NEO
What truth?

MORPHEUS
That you are a slave, Neo.

Like everyone else, you were born into bondage... born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Microsoft slavery is. You have to see it for yourself.


MORPHEUS
I promised you the truth, Neo, and the truth is that the world you were living in was a lie.

There are countries, Neo, many countires... Where human beings no longer simply work with computers. We are being accustomed.

For the longest time, I wouldn't believe it. And then I saw their practices with my own eyes...

We are, as a money source, easily renewable and completely recyclable. The old customers can go and lots of new ones will buy new computers loaded with Microsoft software anyway. All they needed to control this money bag was something to occupy our mind.

And so they built a prison out of our past, wired it to our brains and turned us into slaves.


(after you've been shown an open OS (like Linux or BSD), tried to install/use it, failed at some point but resisted in using it)
NEO
I can't go back, can I?

MORPHEUS
No. But if you could, would you really want to?

I feel that I owe you an apology. There is a rule that we do not free a mind once it reaches a certain age. It is dangerous. They have trouble letting go. Their mind turns against them. I've seen it happen. I broke the rule because I had to.


MORPHEUS
When the monopoly was first built there was a man born inside (think: RMS) that had the ability to change what he wanted, to remake the license as he saw fit. It was this man that freed the first of us and taught us the secret of the war; control the source code and you control the future.

When he designed the GPL, the Oracle at the temple of Zion prophesied an even greater glory for his follower (think: Linus) and envisioned an end to the war and freedom for our people.


MORPHEUS
The Microsoft is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you look at the users, who do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, they are so accustomed to their programs, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

Were you listening to me or looking at the woman in the red dress?
(note: I bet the name of a woman in red dress must have been Windows Vista!)

NEO
This isn't the Microsoft?

MORPHEUS
It's another training program designed to teach you one thing: If you are not one of us, you are one of them.


CYPHER
You know, I know that the ideal operating system doesn't exist. I know when I run it in my computer, the Microsoft is telling my brain that it is secure and efficient. After nine years, do you know what I've realized?

Ignorance is bliss.

AGENT SMITH
Then we have a deal?

CYPHER
I don't want to remember nothing. Nothing! You understand? And I want to be rich. Someone important. Like a CEO. You can do that, right?

AGENT SMITH
Whatever you want, Mr. Ballmer.


SPOON BOY
Do not try and bend the facts. That's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth.

NEO
What truth?

SPOON BOY
There are no facts. (think: "Get the Facts" campaign)

Then you'll see that it is not the facts that bend. It is only yourself.


NEO
I know you're out there. I can feel you now. I know that you're afraid. You're afraid of us. You are afraid of change.

I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin.

I'll hang up this phone. And then I'll show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible.

Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.


SYSTEM FAILURE

30 January 2008

Is it just me?

Every day there is some story about health and how if we don't eat one way, drink that way or walk this way.
What lead to this rant is this story about the Super Bowl being a health hazard. Sigh.
The last 40 years or so have seen the factions that have decided how we all must live have been spouting propaganda about smoking, helmets, seat belts, transfats, whole milk, diving boards, trampolines, ad nauseum.
After a generation they decide what they have been yapping about is truth and the only truth and everyone has to live that way. Makes one wonder how we ever made it this far. It's for our own good I am lead to believe, but I wonder. If I get my pro-biotic, eat my five a day vegetables, limit any alcohol intake to one ultra light zero alcohol beer on Super Bowl Sunday, I still am at risk because of the stress from my team not playing good enough. If I survive the stress then I should live to be however old I live. But, is that living? I want to look dead when I go, or in little pieces if I am in an explosion.
Ok..no more rant...going to go find the highest sulfite wine I can and have a glass in a bathtub full of MSG.

29 January 2008

Wombat Wednesdays


Wombats at play

What were you doing at 8 years old?

I think that was the summer I got a stick shoved in my foot. This young man is onstage jamming with Buddy Guy...truly amazing!

28 January 2008

Tonsil Tuesdays

Early Darwin Award Nominee

The year is early though.

Dallas man accidently shoots self in head

By Lester Haines → More by this author
Published Monday 28th January 2008 16:02 GMT

A Dallas man who accidently shot himself in the head while "showing off his pistol to friends" at a party last Saturday looks certain to make the 2008 Darwin Awards nominations.

According to the Dallas Morning News Andreous Robinson, 20, had been partying with chums in West Dallas when he decided to pop outside at around 1am and fire off a few rounds skywards.

Homicide officer Sgt. Bruce McDonald explained that Robinson "then came back inside and thought that he'd discharged all of the rounds, so he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger".

Robinson's counting skills proved inadequate, and he was later pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital. ®

27 January 2008

Musical Mondays!

Hi Ho Tantric!

NEW YORK (AP) - A man who calls himself a tantric master broke his own world record by standing engulfed in ice for 72 minutes.

Wim Hof, 48, stood on a Manhattan street in a clear container filled with ice for an hour and 12 minutes Saturday.

Hof said he survives by controlling his body temperature through tantric meditation. Tantra is an Eastern tradition of ritual and meditation said to bring followers closer to their chosen deities.

Hof set the world record for full body ice contact endurance in 2004, when he immersed himself in ice for an hour and eight minutes.

Hof's feat kicked off BRAINWAVE, a five-month series of events in New York exploring how art, music, and meditation affect the brain.

26 January 2008

Toilet paper trivia

They say we live in the information age now. Well, here's some info...

1) The first roll appeared in 1890, made by the Scott Paper Co. in Philadelphia. The two-ply roll appeared in 1942.

2) That's almost 400 years after Sir John Harrington invented the flushing toilet in 1596.

3) An average of 666 rolls of toilet paper are used at the Pentagon each day.

4) The average consumer uses 8.6 sheets per trip, 57 sheets a day, one standard roll every five days and 20,800 sheets a year.

5) Before toilet tissue, wealthy Romans used wool and rosewater or sponges soaked in salt water at the end of a stick.

Source: ToiletPaperWorld.com

Then there's Chuck Norris toilet paper.

Sex-Ed Saturday

Shanghai Worker Fired Over Kissing Video


BEIJING (AP) - Shanghai's subway operator has fired an employee who uploaded security camera video of a couple kissing on one of its trains to the Internet, Chinese media said Friday.

The company has also offered compensation and an apology to the pair, who could be identified from the video, and were reportedly shamed and harassed over its appearance on sites such as YouTube.

The video reportedly showed the couple kissing and embracing.

"We have wrapped up an internal investigation and found the videotape was uploaded by people who had worked for Shanghai Metro," the company said in a statement quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency.

"We made formal apologies and are negotiating with the couple over compensation," the statement said.

Xinhua said the company's probe found three employees had been involved in the incident, two of whom quit last September for reasons it did not explain.

Xinhua identified the dismissed employee as a woman. Her name was not given.

25 January 2008

JoJo we hardly knew you

JoJo passed away recently. He was 23. He was a frog. He was a frog that his owners got in a home science program. He must have been awesome!!

50's cooking

Anyone remember the Reuben Sandwich? Pity. It is a great sammich made with corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island on rye. Is so many great flavors together.
Well, I was jonesing and made Reubens tonight...yummy!



Served with a sour pickle and sea salt and balsamic vinegar potato chips(ok, never saw those in the 50's). Good stuff!

Making a living




I called Harris Pest Control to tell them that I saw their video in the UK(thanks youtube), and I was impressed. They were impressed that I called from the UK. We had a nice visit and I learned that their business turned around 100%(and I quote), in Detroit after the ad. This video made my day.

Audio players

If everyone doesn't have a huge collection of music on their PC then they ain't paying attention. Back in the day Winamp was the one. Then the developers got AOL'd. Now it is only the best a Windows© machine can do.
Have no fear Windoze and fruit flavored calculator users, KDE is porting to other operating systems.
What this means is Amarok, only the best computer based music player available for free, or to put in perspective, it is better than any PC based music player out there, purchased or otherwise.
If you have a music collection this baby will sort and rate and cajole and just generally give you more options for your tunes than you ever thought possible. It rawks! It streams, it sorts, it organizes playlists, it makes playlists from your stuff, it it it just does it all! Have an album, I mean a folder that is a cd you ripped? Don't have the cover, right click and get it from Amazon. Like internet radio? Amarok streams more radio than you can shake an injunction at.
Sorry if this sounds like a techy blog..it isn't. Just sayin'.
Example:
I selected playlists and then loaded a random playlist. Amarok just loads 20 or so tunes from the collection. If you only have 60 songs then random playlist will get boring quick.
After each song is played a another one is added.
Ok, I'll stop and add a pic.



key words... for Windows and MAC and Amarok.

24 January 2008

In honor

This is for the Rambling Reader

Nostalgia

Was ruminating about things gone past and The Unbelievable Bubble Thing came to mind.
If you haven't heard of this it is a 'toy' that makes the biggest soap bubbles ever. EVAR! The Guiness record for largest soap bubble was made with this. Will draw a crowd and stop traffic. I was in the Dallas Public Library gift shop and saw it about 14-15 years ago, bought it on a whim and was amazed! It is that cool! I hope my son still has it.
It is available from klutz publishing, Amazon and a host of other websites.
I don't work for klutz, but I bet it is a cool place to be employed.
Here is a movie on You Tube...no embedding allowed on it I'm afraid.

Methinks this is not a good idea

23 January 2008

Wombat Wednesdays Part Dew

Wombat at play.

A new leaf

Got a new job today. Pays more than the old one. The company seems a lot more proactive than reactive. Is for one of the larger energy companies in the UK. The interviewer asked what made me want to work for them and I replied, 'job security'. He looked at me and I explained that regardless of whatever energy is needed someone will have to supply it. Seemed to satisfy him and I start 04/02. Feels good.

Wombat Wednesdays

22 January 2008

Tonsil Tuesdays

Betty Boop meets Dracula

From MGM's Parade of Stars. Mae Questal was the voice of Betty Boop. here she does her in person. An aside, Mae Questal was the aunt in Christmas Vacation.

21 January 2008

What would you do?

If you come across the malignant scourge of the internet, porn, will you have the intestinal fortitude to turn a blind eye?

20 January 2008

Todays music is shocking


Literally.
Taser International has released a taser/mp3 combination.
One has to wonder the thought processes that led to this baby. Then, taking it a step further and having one with a leopard skin cover.
Maybe it is for people that use Clear Channel as their source of musical 'choice' so they can zap themselves back into some semblance of reality.
I wonder if the sound travels over the wires when tasing someone. Would really be cool to be playing The Sickness by Disturbed when you shoot. Gives a whole new meaning to 'ooh AH AH AHAHH!'
I want one, but am holding out til they have one that also has satnav.

It's all fun and games til someone loses a testicle...

I guess if one was impaired this could happen, because if someone grabbed the jewels in a rage I like to think my knee or my fist would react swiftly enough to avert catastrophe.
Story quote:
She pulled off his left testicle and tried to swallow it, before spitting it out. A friend handed it back to Mr Jones saying: "That's yours."

Story

18 January 2008

Sex-Ed Saturday

Scientists are now saying that longer legs are more attractive. that would explain the popularity of Wonder Woman and Xena.

Trebuchet!

Oh yeah! These engineering dudes took an industrial robot and used it to chunk bowling balls at a Winnebago. With instructions and disclaimers and everything!

PSA


The Algonquins named each full moon back in the day. Then we showed up and decided our way was better. Glad they didn't forget.
Below are the names for all the full moons of 2008.

Jan. 22, 8:35 a.m. EST — Full Wolf Moon. Amid the zero cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the moon after Yule. In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon.

Feb. 20, 10:30 p.m. EST — Full Snow Moon. Usually the heaviest snows fall in this month. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some tribes this was the Full Hunger Moon. This is also the night of a Total Lunar Eclipse. North and South Americans will have a ringside seat for this event and will take place during convenient evening hours. Observers in western Europe and western Africa will see this eclipse from start to finish during the morning hours of February 21.

Mar. 21, 2:40 p.m. EDT — Full Worm Moon. In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. This is also the Paschal Full Moon; the first full moon of the spring season. The first Sunday following the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed two days later on Sunday, March 23. This will, in fact, be the earliest Easter since 1913.

Apr. 20, 6:25 a.m. EDT — Full Pink Moon. The grass pink or wild ground phlox is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names were the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and — among coastal tribes — the Full Fish Moon, when the shad came upstream to spawn.

May 19, 9:11 p.m. EDT — Full Flower Moon. Flowers are abundant everywhere. It was also known as the Full Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon. Since the moon arrives at apogee less than 12 hours later, this will also be the smallest full moon of 2008. In terms of apparent size, it will appear 12.3 percent smaller than the full moon of Dec. 12.




Jun. 18, 1:30 p.m. EDT — Full Strawberry Moon. Known to every Algonquin tribe. Europeans called it the Rose Moon.

Jul. 18, 3:59 a.m. EDT — Full Buck Moon, when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, thunderstorms being now most frequent. Sometimes also called the Full Hay Moon.

Aug. 16, 5:16 p.m. EDT — Full Sturgeon Moon, when this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain is most readily caught. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because the moon rises looking reddish through sultry haze, or the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon. There will be a Partial Lunar Eclipse that will be visible from Europe, Africa and the western two-thirds of Asia with this full moon. At its maximum 81 percent of the moon's diameter will become immersed in the Earth's dark umbral shadow.

Sep. 15, 5:13 a.m. EDT — Full Harvest Moon. Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal (fall) Equinox. The Harvest Moon usually comes in September, but (on average) about every three or four years it will fall in early October. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice — the chief Indian staples — are now ready for gathering.

Oct. 14, 4:02 p.m. EDT — Full Hunters' Moon. With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox, along with other animals, which have come out to glean and can be caught for a thanksgiving banquet after the harvest.

Nov. 13, 1:17 a.m. EST — Full Beaver Moon. Time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Full Moon come from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter. Also called the Frosty Moon.

Dec. 12, 11:37 a.m. EST — Full Cold Moon; among some tribes, the Full Long Nights Moon. In this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and the nights are at their longest and darkest. Also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long and the moon is above the horizon a long time. The midwinter full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite to the low Sun. The moon will also be at perigee later this day, at 5:00 p.m. EST, at a distance of 221,560 mi. (356,566 km.) from Earth. Very high ocean tides can be expected from the coincidence of perigee with full moon.

© 2007 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com

Humor headlines

Sometimes you just have to laugh out loud when the media in their earnestness to be 'fair and balanced'(HAHAHAHAHahahahHAHAhahah), put headlines out that we can all read and digest. Now, I understand I am in a minority if I actually read news, can't have anything interfere with what Britney is doing or who the next 'idol' is, but there you go.
Anyway, this headline made me chuckle.

Stocks Fall After Bush Announces Plan

16 January 2008

Amazing!

The Library of Congress has released several thousand photographs from their archives to a place called The Commons on flickr.
Besides the amazing glimpse back in the past they are posted without copyright. Or as it is posted online...Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication. Very cool indeed!

Wombat Wednesdays


Todays theme day is a tribute to my granddaughter, my little wombat.

From Wikipedia:

Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately one metre (3 feet) in length with a very short tail. The name wombat comes from the Eora Aboriginal community who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. Wombats dig extensive burrow systems with rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws. Although mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, wombats will also venture out to feed on cool or overcast days. They are not as commonly seen as many animals, but leave ample evidence of their passage, treating fences as a minor inconvenience to be gone through or under and leaving distinctive cubic scats. Wombats are herbivores, their diet consisting mostly of grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots. They are preyed on by the Tasmanian Devil. Their fur colour can vary from a sandy colour to brown, or from grey to black.

I am sure this will be one of the more popular themes as wombats rawk!

Cool times!

Sophomore students in Racine, Wis have discovered an unidentified asteroid. This is cool for lots of reasons. The fact that 16-18 year olds spotted it is cool. Plus, they are in Wisconsin using a telescope in New Mexico controlled by a college in Michigan using the internet.
This is my feel good story of the week, science division.

15 January 2008

Our tax dollars at work

One way to keep everyone off balance and not worrying about real issues is to focus on things that really have no bearing on anyone. Our friends in Virginny lead the way on this one...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Drive across Virginia with an outsized rubber replica of testicles dangling from your trailer hitch and you face a fine under a bill before the General Assembly. Delegate Lionel Spruill introduced the legislation Tuesday, saying the sight of masculine genitalia is a safety issue because it distracts drivers.

Spruill, a Democrat from Portsmouth, would make display of the ornamentation on a motor vehicle a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $250.

He says the idea came from a constituent whose young daughter had spotted the facsimile sex organs and asked her father to explain them.

The Virginia legislature has some experience with offbeat bills. Three years ago, it attracted worldwide attention for its effort to outlaw baggy pants worn so low they expose underwear.



What's next? The silver silhouettes of women on mudflaps on big rigs?

14 January 2008

Tonsil Tuesdays

I have decided that I need a theme for each day of the week. Not that each days bog will just be that theme, but kind of a way for me to be lazy and do a quickie post. With that being said I bring you Tonsil Tuesdays!

As I understand it they don't really do tonsillectomies anymore. So todays misbegotten youth can't use that lie to further bemoan their pitiful cell phone, game console, computer in their bedroom room lives. I will never forget the 'lie'. They tricked us by saying we could have all the ice cream we wanted afterward. Well, you don't want anything because you are in agony! Sure, in a final act of defiance you make 'em give you some ice cream, but you can't eat it because it hurts so bad. I am still recovering from the deep emotional scars of that experience. Thank goodness for the internet and blogging so I can whine about it.

♫Musical Monday♪

Let's face it, Mondays are, well, Mondays. What better way to start the week than with a tune? To begin the festivities is a little ditty by Reef.

13 January 2008

Sad times indeed

The British government rejected an online petition that would have allowed British citizens to own elephants as pets. I feel I would be much safer if I had a watch elephant guarding my home. Imagine my watch elephant(I call him B'wanna), grabbing some ne'er do well near my pad with his/her trunk and slamming them into the neighbors house. Wait, this is Britain and the burglar could then sue me for loss of income because they were injured....never mind.
Oh well, maybe I can get a rhino as a pet..........

Put your hands together!

You know em! You love em! That tribute to all those folks that do their 'dead' level best to keep our gene pool nice and tidy. The Darwin Awards 2007!

12 January 2008

Sex-Ed Saturdays

I notice lots of blogs have 'themed' days. So I want one too!
Todays Sex-Ed Saturday tale is about a couple on a flight that wanted to join the mile high club. Bad thing is the passengers around them did not want them to join said club.
It is in the Sun so it must be true!

11 January 2008

Musicals

I've tried again and again to watch different musicals over the years. Just can't go there. Everyone raved about Little Shop of Horrors and I tried, I really did. One too many songs, click. That being said I am ready to give 'em another shot. Mainly because of Johnny Depp. He is the premiere actor of our time and I will try again. I would like to be surprised and actually make it to the end of one. I will update later in the year after Sweeney Todd comes out on disk(what? you didn't think I would go to a movie did you?).

09 January 2008

Short post

McCain and Clinton won the NH primary. Intel is getting slammed by Negroponte. Discuss.

08 January 2008

If you dislike cats

Do not buy this car!

07 January 2008

Blech

Still shaking off the effects of the 'crud'. Blowing my nose so much that I am afraid to get a cut as it seems all my white corpuscles are making mucous.
Now that I have left you with that wonderful visual I will bid adieu!

06 January 2008

Vista

NSFW on every level. Props to Dylan for the heads up.

Happiness

As we all know happiness is subjective. That being said, here is a subjective map of world happiness.


Courtesy Adrian White, Analytic Social Psychologist, University of Leicester. The data used to construct the map were extracted from a meta-analysis published by the New Economics Foundation (Marks, N. et al. (2006). The Happy Planet Index. London: New Economics Foundation)

Is kinda cool looking at the map. How dare the Venezuelans be that happy, let alone the Cubans!
Here is a breakdown of some of the happiness:

The 20 happiest nations in the World are:

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada
11. Ireland
12. Luxembourg
13. Costa Rica
14. Malta
15. The Netherlands
16. Antigua and Barbuda
17. Malaysia
18. New Zealand
19. Norway
20. The Seychelles

Other notable results include:


23. USA
35. Germany (edit: don't mention the war)
41. UK
62. France
82. China
90. Japan
125. India
167. Russia

The three least happy countries were:


176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Zimbabwe
178. Burundi

I notice Travelocity has some good bargains to Burundi...ok, I made that up.
I was somewhat surprised, yet gratified, by my birth country's rating, 41st. Only been here 7 years(plus 9 months from birth to 9 months), but man can they moan here! Let me quote Pink Floyd, '...desperation is the English way...'.
Really enjoyed the Denmark and Iceland ratings as I am a sweataphilliac and those places have always seemed attractive to me.
Anyway, think of The Bahamas and try to ignore the Canadians smirk my North American pals.

Happiness linky-poo

I knew it

In all my online existence(90+ dog years), I always tried to type/chat like I speak. Bad grammar and all. Well, being raised in Tejas I use the word y'all. I am constantly seeing it typed ya'll and was even beginning to doubt the way I thought it should be typed. The Blogger, at it's spell checking best, showed me that I have been right all along!
What a wonderful feeling to know that there is a spell checker that agrees with at least one of my slang words.
Now, if only thar was accepted......

First comments!

Wow, so someone is actually going to read this thing? I better get a shave and put some clothes on.
The first post was from my daughter, who only did it to shame me 'cause I never commented on hers. That has changed, oh, how it has changed.
The honor of the first non familial post goes to Mr R Carrera! Congratulations sir, you have just won an all expense paid trip to Rancho Cucamonga, Ca! You and a friend will receive complimentary tickets to The Epicenter to see the Quakes with free hot dog vouchers. But wait, that's not all. Before the entertainment you and your friend will be treated to dinner at Lucille's Barbecue! Sponsored by Google. Remember, with Google, everywhere is home!

What I mean is I am non-plussed that one of my posts was commented on, let alone read, even if it was a somber one.

Happy Sunday y'all

05 January 2008

So long to a hero


I never read Major Olmsteds blog. I wish I had.
Regardless of political leanings the world is better because of people like him. hilzoy at Obsidian Wings has a posthumous letter
he wrote in the event of his passing. Should be required reading. His insight is amazing. Was grinning at his musings, then was bawling from knowing that the only reason I read this is because he is gone.

Peace Andrew Olmsted

tec talk

A friend of mine was showing off his new toy. Is a 2.5 inch external hard drive that is powered from the usb(read, no power cord), with 250 gb of space. That is big.
To put in perspective, you could put all of George Bush II's successful political accomplishments on there, plus the entire works of William Shakespeare, plus Windows, Linux, Mac OS and have room for all 11 seasons of M.A.S.H. All in your pocket.
I want!

04 January 2008

Night of the living dead

Been a miserable day. Can't breathe, hurts when I cough. I need good ole US of A otc medication...Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold! Man, I miss that stuff.
The day has matched my misery, 7 degrees with a -2 windchill(or 46 and 29 in old money), plus rainy. Can only get better.

I see where California is in for a 100 years storm, good luck to all the left coasters. I wonder if CNN will be able to take a break from the 24 hour Britney Spears coverage if the weather gets really bad out there.
Is beddy bye time in Jolly Olde...nite all!

Shorty

Ill today, flu like symptoms. Wouldn't have thought much of it until I read the news, sheesh.

03 January 2008

I know, it's only rock n roll....

You me and the milkman know that we are all criminals in the eyes of the corporate world. How else do you explain digital rights management on downloaded tracks that you paid for. Windows Genuine Advantage so you have to tell the people you bought the product from that you bought the product. There are ways around this, but it takes poking the head above ground and looking around. As for music there is a website called Soundclick.
You making music? Post it on soundclick, let me hear it. Better yet, let me hear it without some record company hack raping you as an artist and raping me as a potential criminal. I just want to hear it.
A buddy of mine and his compadre have a band called Woodnickel. Is in the folk, country, classic rock vein. But it is always real. They have a slide show video to an original song called Soldier.
Is worth a few minutes of time, if for no other reason to help Woodnickel move up the Soundclick charts.

Beginnings

My daughter has been blogging for a while and I really get a kick out of her insights and what is happening in her life. Is like eaves dropping, but they let you. With that in mind I decided to try my hand at this new fangled interweb phenomenon.
Welcome to Whisky A GoGo! If you are here you are really bored, but that is cool...as a civilization we are all bored.
My Mission Statement for my blog is to make you laugh and really get offended. I am very good at both.
Sometimes I will have original thoughts, other times I will posting links to places I have trolled on the pipes. Oh yeah, I love tech, tec, Tek and technology, just ask me.
I lean toward Libertarianism in the political sphere, so please don't hate me.

Short Bio: Male

Longer Bio: Married for the second time(glutton for punishment I am), 3 amazing children and 3 wonderful grandchildren(the tree branches ever outward).
Living in the UK and having a pretty good time. Miss home(Tejas), and the fam, but like the European take on working conditions much better than the US. Not really goal oriented, food shelter, bills paid and broadband make me happy. I like to read most anything, but lean toward speculative fiction and historical fiction. I like music somewhat. I can't tell you where Beethoven was when he wrote the seventh, but I sure like Gogol Bordello and Hank III(and 1 and 2).

As an older person(see grandchildren line above), we stayed home on NYE and I watched American football(the missus was on the laptop), and listened to classic rock hits from the late 60's early 70's. We decided 71 and 72 are the best, but that could have been the drinking involved also. At 12 we switched to the BBC and watched the fireworks on television(exciting, huh?). Was actually really good. I am attaching a screen capture I made from my recording of said fireworks.

Going to try and be regular at this, so check back.....thanks for popping in.