JOURNAL

~ 11:33 AM ~

End of the month, journal will be archived and a new fresh, clean journal will be posted. As for the content, same stuff you come here for, well except for that poster that put the porn link in the guest book. That guy needs a talk.

BTK turns out to be a friendly Luthern/scout master/government employee/father of two kinda guy. When does the creepiness stop with this story? Oh yes, he also measured his neighbor's lawns. In St. Louis news, a guy shot his wife and wife's friend in front of their children and then fled. The speeding SUV made the news and the crash of his SUV off of our beloved 270 Interstate was broadcast on live TV. Instead of focusing on the male gun violence, the news seems to be fascinated with 1) the details of the broadcast (should we show the body?) and 2) the fact it happened in one of the affluent neighborhoods of our fair city.

Linkage:
RIP Jef Raskin
Color Photos of WWI
HST will be forgotten

~ 06:29 PM ~

We walked instead of riding. It was touch chilly.

I removed the bushed along the south side of the house today.

Let's do some crimes.

Linkage:
Wow

~ 05:48 PM ~

We went for a ride at the lake. It was nice but alittle windy.

Yesterday, we had a disagreement about the taxes but it has cleared up and all is fine.

MVP 2005 is great. Needs a patch (of course).

I am bottling my bitters tonight.

I watched The Eye last night. Good scare but will not become a classic. I was torn as Suspiria was on IFC.

Listening to: Evil by Interpool

Linkage:
Hey, what's on TV?
BTK arrested

~ 12:18 PM ~

We got snow last night. I am planning on visiting my local homebrew shop for supplies. I am attempting my first lager next Saturday. I need a carboy warmer to start the process, which I picked up at Northern Brewer, my online source for brew & info. Also, we are able to add our new printer to the home office. Costco had the printer I was looking for and I will pick it up tomorrow.

Happy happy birthday to Abe Vigoda.

Linkage:
Top 20 Vulnerabilities to Windows Systems
Dog's Name?
No NYC WalMart

~ 07:43 PM ~

This is bizzare TV...warning: big file (2+MB).

Firefox theme of the day: someorbitgrey

Linkage:
Wayback Machine

~ 05:27 PM ~

Neale is ill. So, I picked up lunch and Dayquil (well, that generic store verison).

I went for a walk and I am tackling the Soloflex.

EA released MVP 2005 early.

Linkage:
Privacy Rights
Free Credit Report
Best Places
Rock Myths
Deep Discount DVD

~ 10:05 AM ~

Look at me, I get to meet Sandra Dee.

Linkage:
Goodbye Gonzo
Sinkhole
Games

~ 04:54 PM ~

We went for a bike ride then to Sweet Tomatoes. It was 70 here and sunny. I washed the car and raked the yard. The amount of small twigs and sticks would have blocked my ability to mow. Neale went to the grocery store. In a week or two, I will take out the bushes along the south of the house. I am planting roses this year. The rest of the yard is also getting a serious makeover. Neale is asking Jim's advice on shrubs, plants, and mulch. Jim is Joan's brother and does design for all of Steve and Joan's houses.

Neale and Sara went to the Steamers game last night to witness the first female in MISL play. It was a good game as I got to watch it on TV.

I oaked my porter, which was tasty. In two weeks, it moves to bottles. Next weekend, I bottle the bitter.

Linkage:
Arsenal...no Brits
Central Park...from space

~ 09:27 PM ~

Neale is at the Steamers match with Sara.

I have downloaded and am using MS AnitSpyware program (just to try... Ad-Aware and Spybot are established).

I racked my porter to secondary, which is the bottling bucket for tonight. The bottling bucket is plastic and not a great source for long term storage. My current secondary has the Brawny Bitters resting in it. I will clean the original primary and move the porter to glass secondary tomorrow. The porter tasted really good and I am I going to "oak it" by adding oak chips tommorrow for its two week rest in glass.

The grinding of the bathroom shower grout went well. The smell was terrible but the first grind destroyed alot of mildewed grout.

Linkage:
Wal-Mart Uses Child Labor (?!?!)
100 Ways to Order Pizza
What in the name of ska?

~ 02:15 PM ~

It is a pleasant day, I am going for a walk, and then the Soloflex. Neale is joining coworkers for their monthly "happy hour" at Tippler's Lounge. She comes home with the smell of the demon on her breath. She tells me she can give up her mixers anytime she wants.

I purchased my RotoZip attachment to give the bathroom tile a grind. Safety goggles at the ready.

Follow trails of you to here
Every mile takes you my way
Rolling faster if we can
Roll

Tables turnin all the time
I’m the dog at your feet
Out of sight and out of time
Yours

You’re the one

Colored bottles in a line
Different signals blinkin my way
Rolling faster all the while

You’re the one

Ain’t it something I’m born to hula

"Born to Hula" -- QOTSA

Linkage:
Life on Mars
Who is Guckert/Gannon?
More Gannon

~ 06:34 AM ~

Need a laugh?

I just had a slowdown on my machine. I am not sure want exactly was taking all of my CPU. I am virus free, programs are up to date, and start programs are minimal. I do not know.

Linkage:
Things not being taught in my class, number #3216

~ 03:23 PM ~

Show Me State? You better show me.

I am enjoying a low-carb pizza which came in a kit. It turned out well. I ordered it for Neale but there are some places and lines she will not cross. It is from Carbilicous, I believe.

~ 11:04 AM ~

We are planning an Arrested Development marathon for this weekend. Save AD.

Hitcherhiker's Guide trailer

Linkage:
Kyoto

~ 06:21 AM ~

Neale went for a ride yesterday. It was a balmy 70 degrees in St. Louis with a slight breeze. I washed my car, cleaned my car, washed/tuned/oiled my bike, and waited for the UPS delivery. My new (errr....replacement) monitor is here and it is working fine. It has surpassed the original monitor with hours of service. I have to drop off the old monitor at a UPS store this afternoon. The UPS store in Brentwood will do fine.

I have not seen QOTSA's "Little Sister" video on MTV2 but I have checked it out at the main site.

Listening to: Freddie's Dead by Curtis Mayfield (Launch)

Linkage:
Do you speak American?
Pvt. Chris? I have a war face.

~ 10:46 AM ~

I need to get home and reset my doomsday machine. Yes, I have a doomsday machine, which is the point of having a doomsday machine.

[After learning of the Doomsday Machine]
President Merkin Muffley: But this is absolute madness, Ambassador! Why should you *build* such a thing?
Ambassador de Sadesky: There were those of us who fought against it, but in the end we could not keep up with the expense involved in the arms race, the space race, and the peace race. At the same time our people grumbled for more nylons and washing machines. Our doomsday scheme cost us just a small fraction of what we had been spending on defense in a single year. The deciding factor was when we learned that your country was working along similar lines, and we were afraid of a doomsday gap.

Linkage:
Abe Vigoda is not dead
Get off the smokestack

~ 10:02 AM ~

My porter is bubbling nicely. The pitching to an existing yeast cake has produced a vigourous fermentation. However, I did have my first "boil over". I was talking with Neale and I did not think the wort was that close to temp. So, it was a bit of a mess. We did recover and the batch was saved. I have been brewing for over a year and I considered it a rookie mistake that I was beyond. So, the point is: make sure to always watch the brew pot. Anyone want to help clean the cooktop?

I will start on the bathroom grout and tile repair this weekend. I want to paint the bathroom over spring break.

I find "ghost towns" fascinating. Example 1. Example 2. Example 3.

Linkage:
Underwater gnomes
Hamdog?

~ 02:08 PM ~

Lewis Black was excellent last night. The Pageant is nice looking club.

We are heading to the Tivoli and Modesto today. We decided to see "House of the Flying Daggers", which is from the director of "Hero".

I have the house in order and the laundry is done. I am transfering my bitters to secondary fermentation and saving the yeast cake for tomorrow's porter.

Neale is outing purchasing my Valentine's day gift. I got her gift yesterday. We had gotten away from gifts but decided to get each other something small.

I have tweaked all I can tweak on this machine. It is running smoothly.

Linkage:
Pot of gold

~ 04:48 PM ~

My monitor is on the way.

Linkage:
Flying Baby...a myth
Find a name for the flying baby
Parents and kids
O'Reilly does it again
To the Moon!
Sharing is fun

~ 10:04 AM ~

I would like to express my thanks to MagLite. I have several maglites and my mini AAA light that I use for PC maintenance and flashlight tag (well, I could) died the other day after 6 years of service. I contacted MagLite since there is a lifetime warranty and within an hour, I recieved an email that a replacement part was shipped. That is good customer service.

~ 07:53 AM ~

I said "good morning" to member of our crack security team this morning. His reply "it did not start off that way". GOSH!

Linkage:
Anchorman Jeff Gannon

~ 03:08 PM ~

IKEA riot

~ 01:39 PM ~

If the Mets win the World Series this year, I will cut my hair off. That's as far as I go.

I am at work. I have a meeting, which is a continuing education course for educators. Despite the many hours of training beyond masters level, the courses will help me move through rank and promotion when that is available. In short, it is a good thing to keep learning.

I emailed and called Gateway to raise my concern with them. Things seem to be moving along and I should have some better news soon. I refuse to be a nasty customer but I will express my concerns in a reasonable manner. Neale called that progress in several ways.

Linkage:
Wal-Mart closes store to escape union...low, low standards

~ 03:02 PM ~

My tweaking was a success. However, my replacement monitor is still "in process". I am patient. Oh yes, I am patient.

I recommend CableNut, which is a great piece of software to adjust reg settings for high speed internet connections.

We got some snow.

Linkage:
Copyright This Space
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Google Maps

~ 07:52 PM ~

Let's get tweaking.

Linkage:
Extreme Tech
Black Viper
Yahoo: Tech Tuesday (2-08-04)

~ 09:45 AM ~

Neale had busy day at home yesterday. She accomplished many tasks.

I was feeling quite odd after dinner yesterday and it is still with me today. I do feel better and I will work out. I decided to pass yesterday.

Lewis Black is this Friday.

We are celebrating Valentine's Day this Saturday.

Neale reanalyzed our house budget and things are looking much better. The remodeling of kitchen did has us in a tight spot but the new budget presents a much better picture. Needless to say, I was happy about the news. In other news, I am keeping my left kidney and it is no longer for sale.

Water is still forbidden at LC. I have a thermso of St. Louis water and a pocket of change.

I will probably brew my Porter this weekend and move the bitters to secondary. I will be attempting to reuse my bitters yeast cake. Simply, move bitters off of the yeast sediment in the bottom of the carboy and insert new brew. This is the "dirty" method and there is also junk in the sediment but I should see good results.

Linkage:
Super Bowl ads

~ 12:36 PM ~

Skins for your Ad-Aware.

~ 11:06 AM ~

We had a water main replaced at work so the water is undrinkable until tomorrow. Needless to say, my lack of coins/cash and desire to go to the market is causing me to drink coffee (coworker bought in bottled to make it...1 cup for me) and Diet Coke (2 so far). I drink alot of water and I will go to the market soon. I have a meeting to attend and I need to be hydrated.

Neale is working at home and has already walked. It is slightly chilly/rainy out.

Bell's Expedition Stout was excellent. I developed my own Imperial Stout recipe...Sturm Ale. I will age it at least 3 months.

Linkage:
BTK
Catch BTK

~ 07:32 PM ~

Super Bowl 2005 is going smoothly...nobody is naked, commericals are ok, and it is a good game. But, if you need some porn, here you go (minus the people, of course, you perv).

A real athlete.

Tabbed browsing is fun.

~ 08:49 AM ~

We had a great time at Sean and Rachel's reception. We walked, it was about 3 blocks. The food was good and the faculty really turned out.

Neale's carb friendly blueberry muffins were good. I made our hummus and gaucheleo yesterday. My first attempt at soy flour based pizza dough is today's goal.

I tried a Chilean wine, a carmenere and it was lackluster. Ok nose, good fruit, but not all that interesting.

Linkage:
Super Bowl...Super Bad
Propaganda Prez

~ 06:10 PM ~

We went to Sean's wedding in South City and are walking to his reception soon. Yes, walking. It is at the Orlando Gardens.

We went for a ride yesterday. It was warm and the trail was busy. I need to clean my gears and chain.

Linkage:
SOTU transcript
IQ?

~ 01:22 PM ~

"Its not easy doing the right thing the wrong way." --- Jerri Blank

I changed my windshield wiper blades. The dealership wanted $30, I did it for $8. It did take me 30 mins. because my manual has no info on the wipers besides cleaning.

I received a racist email from a student. Needless to say, my work is never done.

I purchased a six pack of Expedition Stout at Whole Foods...should be great. Their Kalamazoo Stout is close to perfect,.

We are attending a wedding tomorrow.

I have procured my avocados for this year's Guacholeo.

Linkage:
How many carbs in your beer?

~ 10:21 AM ~

WLCA is playing "Little Sister" by QOTSA...first time I have heard the whole song. I almost turned off the station since they played the same Garbage song in under an hour.

Last night, I made another version of the Hairy Woodchuck, which is our family tradition to celebrate Groundhog Day. This year was a carb friendly verison of Amaretto Sour. Sour mix was almost right (first attempt).

My Super Bowl pick: NE 27 Philly 17.

Linkage:
McDonalds, sexual violence, and kids

~ 01:47 PM ~

I am still at work. Usually, I am gone by now and almost home by now. However, a program on campus is getting evaluated and sociology is part of that program. So, I need to be in attendance as the sociology department to discuss the accrediation of that program. On that note, we are looking for another full-time sociologist to spread the good word of sociology at LC. Send material if you feel you are worthy. Well, I am amusing myself in the meantime.

Upcoming brew schedule: Brightside Porter (first attempt to reuse yeast cake), Ironhead Lager (first lager), Old and Faded Ale, Dunkelweizen, Red Eye Stout, and Twillight Stout.

~ 12:49 PM ~

Phil saw his shadow. Busy day for Phil, now back to the burrow.

Since we are going to Maui next December, we needed a book to start the process. Last time, we used a Frommers' Guide but I found the Unofficial Guide to Maui better organized and easier to use. I spent some time at Barnes and Noble comparing various texts yesterday. My trip to the dealership was uneventful. The reading about Maui made the time move faster. Before Christmas, I was told my tires needed to be rotated for about $90. However, I decided to wait until after the holidays due to the cost and decided to do it yesterday since things are getting better. Well, the cost yesterday was $30. I did not ask but I was happy. Yet, I do need new front brake pads in March and I need to have my rear brake pads cleaned, which runs for about $250 for both processes. They get you at the dealership, so true.

Instead of Sweet Tomatoes, I ate at Souper! Salad (sorry, no website, its lame) and it was good.

God's official receiver, Terrell Owens. Reason number #56 to avoid organized religion.

I am passing on Bush's SOTU speech.

Linkage:
Genocide or not?
When is noodling season?
African-American migration

~ 12:28 PM ~

Groundhog Day is coming.

I am getting an oil change today. I am also having my tires rotated and some wiper blades added. I should be out of dealership early tomorrow morning.

Costco currently has our printer for the cheapest price I have seen. It beat Amazon by $10 and shipping was never a factor. If it is still in stock by the end of February, I will be happy.

I am going to hang out by the stick.

Linkage:
M&M Sorter...Van Halen laughs
Top Ten Myths about Advance Medical Directives
DNA Of Lit

~ 12:17 PM ~

A student called to explain why he was not in class this morning. His dad had a massive heart attack and died this morning. He was concerned about not being in class and taking our online quiz. It must be shock. Some profs and instructors have crazy attendance policies so these kinds of discussions occur. I do not have an attendance policy per se. I merely recommend you show up regularly in order to increase your chances of getting a good grade. My attendance is great without scare tactics. Anyway, if a love one dies, my sociolgy show is the last thing anyone should care about for awhile.

Listening: Dan Patrick Show on ESPN radio (streaming)

~ 11:29 AM ~

The snow is gone. Despite being chilly, the sun yesterday was out enough to melt it all away. We went for a walk before heading to Chesterfield on Sunday. It was Britt's birthday party (number 33) and we had the gift. We had the gift because I was the only one that could carry it. It was a well-received power washer and he was surprised. He had wanted one for awhile and not made the decision to buy one. I had not seen someone that happy in quite some time. Before the party, we headed to CPK some salads and we tried to find the low-carb in the Chesterfield Valley. Our nearest CPK closed and there is one in Chesterfield, which worked out well. Their salads are great.

I tried my first Argentian wine, a Malbec from Pascual Toso wineries. It was very good with a sweet nose (blackberries, violets), lively spicy on the tongue, deep color, and a tart finish (mild oak). I picked up a nice Viognier for Neale at Costco. If you want a tasty white minus the dryness and the oak of a typical chardonnay, give it a try.

My bitters is bubbling. It was a slower start because I did not make a beer starter and I did not warm the yeast for the recommended 3-6 hours.

With the St. Louis low carb being a myth (it may have closed), I am searching for low carb chips online. We need them for Super Bowl snacking.

The new PC is working great. However, I have noticed a slow upload on my DSL connection. It is the first time I noticed a slow down so it may be nothing. I was tweaking network reg settings and realized how fast my ping times were in the US. I also had to install Java and Winzip, which are utilities I take for granted. There was a bit of nasty ad-aware in my SBC program, thanks to Norton 2005 for hunting that down.

Linkage:
Healthy chips

~ 07:41 AM ~

We got some snow last night...nothing much.

I am enjoying my morning cocktail: soymilk (Silk Enhanced), wheat germ, protein powder and total EFA. Yummy.

I am brewing and bottling today. Presently, I activated the self-cleaning function on the stove. It is the first time we have used it. We have had the stove since June 2004 but given the remodeling we did not use it much. Yet, it does need a cleaning. It has three levels and I have it on low. It smells. We broke our South Beach Phase 1 with a treat...extra thin crust pizza that I purchased at Costco. It was good. However, some leakage got on the stove bottom. I also tried my Rosy Raspberry and it was good. The presence of fruit caused some extra carbonation. Next time, only one Coopers' drop per bottle for fruit flavored brews.

I also have to clean, do laundry, and install a door stop. We were trying to figure out how to heat the house most effectively and the backroom was not as warm as we wanted. So, we bought a small space heater (which is excellent and safe) and installed the door that came with the place between the room and the kitchen. Although, the door is not attractive (yet) it is useful. It is nice and warm back there. At night, the rest of the house goes down to 65 because I programmed the heat schedule to conserve at night and when Neale is not home. It is working and the energy costs reflect that.This fall we are reinsulating the attic.

Linkage:
Firefox spreads
UFO coin

~ 09:43 AM ~

Do not eat stilton in an enclosed office.

The new unnamed PC (yes, I/we name them) is up to date, feeling fine, and working well. I have everything set up down to the screensaver, getting Windows Explorer in the quick launch bar, and having Sealab 2021 qoutes as sound effects. Makes me laff.

I own many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. -- Ron Burgundy

Listening: Brandy by Looking Glass (Launch)

Linkage:
Enstein of edibles
First Lady arrestted for DUI

~ 11:59 AM ~

I will brew my bitter this weekend. The PC problem and seeing the movie Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday messed my schedule up. Oh, yes...I actually can have a beer this weekend. Phase 1 is almost over. Official weight: 209. Not bad.

~ 10:49 AM ~

The new PC problem has been solved. Guess what? I was correct. I respect Gateway's tech support and their process but a simple swap of my old Gateway monitor with the new broken one showed that it was a hardware issue. So, the new monitor will here in 7 days (if not sooner). Small problem...solved.

I spent some time getting the machine loaded and tweaked. Everything is nearly done. It is nice to have a machine run Firefox so smoothly.

My new Norton 2004 is acting up. I will reinstall it. It seems the LiveUpdate package is not deleting itself after it installs what it needs to install. So, new files cannot move into that space. By the way, Norton is all self-support unless you want to pay $30 per incident for tech support. Although, I will probably go with a free service, I am using Norton Anti-Virus until the the free license expires.

Listening: Diana Reems on NPR

Linkage:
Do not drink and drive...it haunts you

~ 09:33 AM ~

I will tackle PC problem again today. I did nothing with it yesterday. The speakers did arrive and I set those up. So, once the monitor stops acting up, we are ready to go. I truly believe it is a hardware issue and I will have to have the monitor replaced. If the reformat works, I will stand corrected and admit my ignorance. The video card seems to work fine as I have run Madden 2005 and the DVD player fine despite the low light of the monitor. It would be nice if the monitor would clear up and I could start over without having to replace and send back the original. Either way, I am ready for a solution. It is an inconvenience but solvable.

We walked yesterdaty and it was good weather for January. Despite the study/story to the contrary, yesterday was not the most depressing day in recent memory. Today, is also quite nice.

The Moxi is working out nicely.

This weekend we have a coworker trivia night at a local social club. It is laid back and easygoing, which is good. On Sunday, it is Britt's birthday and we will attend. We also finish our three week version of phase 1 South Beach. It will be good to avoid omelets for awhile.

"24" was excellent last night.

Listening: If Only by QOTSA (Launch)

Linkage:
Oscar nominees

~ 10:29 AM ~

The new PC arrived Saturday afternoon and I was very please because I had the weekend to devote time to setting it up and tweaking everything to my liking. The PC arrived at 1:30, by 2:00 I had everything unpacked and put together. The first thing I did was setup the home network so I could access the Internet and register everything that has to be registered. Next, I installed Windows updates, Office updates, and downloaded new Norton Anti-Virus files. I had the firewall up and was working along. After an hour and a half, the screen went blurry and was out of focus. Please note that I did nothing to the display drivers or video card drivers. I did check to see the glory that was 'ATI X800XT' referenced in my settings but I did not change anything in there. So, I turned down the contrast and brightness to zero so I could see something on the monitor and try to fix the problem. Well, my attempts were useless. So, I called tech support on Sunday morning. I made a total of seven calls. We worked through the progression...1) check connections 2) update drivers 3) restore 4) restore deeper and so on. We are currently at erasing EVERYTHING and starting over. I started with tech support at 7:30AM and had to stop at 12:35PM Sunday afternoon because we had tickets to Sideways (which was excellent). Needless to say, I am not angry but I am frustrated because I am pretty sure that this is a HARDWARE issue, not a SOFTWARE issue. Most of the Gateway techs have been great but there was one that was offensive and one that told to call a number I just dialed. My problem was beyond his level despite his presence being on the end of the "special tech support" number. But, it was classic to be told to call a number I just called and then there is dead silence on the end of the line. Also, the phrase "drivers may have updated since shipping" is the biggest lie about accessing drivers these days. I checked the monitor driver (circa 2001), ATI (last update: December 2004), and Intel (last summer). Not everyone that calls tech support is an idiot about video/display driver because the same information is available on public websites. Besides, wouldn't someone check a machine's drivers before shipping? I hope so, it is simple to do, fix, and avoid frustrated customers. By the way, the reason I believe this is a HARDWARE issue is the screen lost the clarity and is still unclear (blurry, fuzzy, out of focus) after resetting to the factory backup (which was on the partioned D drive of the new machine). Also, the screen flickers and gets bright, then dim. In other words, it is not getting power at times. The PC tower is plugged into the same power supply and I have plugged into the wall too. I even turned everything else off in the basement and left just the monitor on. The monitor is not that much of a power hog compared to the tower. So, this is a bit of a headache but there is a solution and I know there is a solution to be had. Plus, I will express my experience to the appropriate Gateway people when the time comes. The next step is for me to call back, do the reformat, reinstall the factory settings, and get back to normal. If this step does not work then Gateway has assured me that it is a HARWARE issue and they will replace the $229.00 monitor. There is an ending to this, it is close, it is a minor problem, and the solution will be soon.

On a side note, the speed, power, and beauty of the graphics are excellent. It will be great to use once this situation is cleared up. The CD-ROM Burner did 6 data packed CDs in under 10 minutes. Our existing DSL modem is a router and a wireless access point, which is great news. I had both PCs up and online (browsing, streaming, and downloading) is under 10 minutes.

Listening: Bury With It by Modest Mouse (WLCA 89.9 FM..great college radio)

Linkage:
That meteor theory
Make Your Own Soda

~ 10:46 AM ~

I was checking to make sure Mega was up to date on various software and I was looking deeper into our Yahoo SBC Home Portal (i.e. the DSL modem). In the past, I checked to make sure the main software was up to date but I did not look deeper. Well, I did and I am surprised. I believe our modem has wireless capability and can act as a router. It also has a firewall. The deep settings were showing wireless network setting and encrpytion software. Currently, it is running basic security and the wireless setting can be shared, if enabled. So, I will be looking into this and testing the network settings. I have not bought our Linksys router and USB wireless adapter so this discovery could save us that expense. When the new PC arrives, I will install the DSL software and see if network will work as a wired network at this point. The two PCs are just 10 feet apart and the wireless access for the laptop is not completely necessary at this point. I can run a network cable from the DSL modem to the new PC and utilize the existing USB cable to Mega (has no network card installed, I do have one though).

~ 08:18 AM ~

That's hot

~ 07:11 AM ~

Neale had a small traffic incident on her ride home Friday. A guy tapped her from behind, it was on a ramp to Hwy 44, they exchanged info, and moved on. There was no visible damage and more importantly no one was hurt. I believe we dodged a bullet there. We are set to make the last payment on the car (yes, it is a '96...a pre-marriage decision..we are 'upside down' on the car...(deep breath)...moving on) and keep it until the end of the year.

The new unnamed PC is in Kansas City.

I am finishing the mudding of the stairwell this weekend.

We are seeing Sideways tonight.

The History Channel is running a good series entitled The Presidents.

Software to install on the new PC:

Firefox

Ad-Aware

Canon Photo

Yahoo SBC DSL

Logitech controllers

ZoneAlarm (free verison)

APC UPS

I am waiting to install the Linksys router until end of February. In the meantime, I will use the free trial of Norton that comes with the machine and ZoneAlarm's free firewall. When the router is installed, it will be a hardware firewall and I do not see the need to run dual firewalls at this time. Also, I am considering an online free (yet, respected) anti-virus service.

Listening: Superfreak by Rick James (Launch)

Linkage:
Diego: Moxi home

~ 04:04 PM ~

I purchased the APC UPS (ES 650) and priced some hardware. I cannot find lower prices than Amazon on what we will eventually need.

I called Computer Renaissance and asked if they would be interested in our old Brother MFC-7160C. The answer was nein...neit...ah, no. Maybe it is time for Auctiondrop or We List It.

~ 10:18 AM ~

I was able to get a handle on our new DVR in about an hour. The remote control has that familiar DirecTV/Tivo shape and the button placement will take some adjustment. The interactive menus are straight forward and fast. I am unsure of the amount of space we have on the hard drive. We never filled up our 35 hour Tivo (Series 1) so I am willing to guess that our DVR has to be at least 35 hours. Did I mention there was no user manual? My online research has revealed a possible 50 hours of drive space.

Our new unnamed PC was shipped today. I am venturing out to purchase our APC UPS-power supply/surge protector/battery backup today.

Listening: Wild Rose Grow by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Launch)

Linkage:
Marlins projected to finish third in NL East are also "terrorists" to some
More washed up sea creatures
MOXI

~ 05:16 PM ~

Our DVR with Moxi has been installed and I have set it up to record. It is very nice.

~ 11:30 AM ~

I rearranged the basement to suit our dual workspaces. I will need to swap the current mouse to the new machine and see if Neale needs a scroll mouse for Mega. I use Mega's original mouse at work and I cannot function without a scroll mouse. Needless to say, wired scroll mice are cheap and we have no desire for a wireless mouse especially one you have to charge. I prefer MS Intellimouse Optical. Neale uses a MS trackball (explorer?) mouse at work.

I am heading home soon to be available for the Charter installer. We receive our DVR sometime between 1-5. Despite the sound of it, we like living with a DVR rather without a DVR.

Is it me of is it strange that Bush referred to tomorrow as "a transfer of power"? Who is he transferring it from?

Listening: Fa fa by Guster (Launch)

Linkage:
Strange fish washed ashore by tsunami (scroll down for pics)

~ 09:41 AM ~

Neale made a tasty dessert from the South Beach cookbook last night. It was carb-friendly espresso custard. For a first attempt, it was good. We will revise the recipe and try again despite it being a strong first effort and good.

I had my first class. It is my education class (EDUC 233: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom) and it is growing. Last summer, we piloted the class and I had eight or nine students. Last semester, we were up to 14 or 15 and we are currently at 19. These are students that want to become teachers and we have a partnership with Greenville College. I am getting more comfortable teaching the class. Last semester, it was MWF at noon, which bothered many people in the class because they are required to observe for 40 hours during the semester. Having class in the middle of day caused some problems so 8AM was a better option.

I am brewing my Brawny Strong Bitter this weekend. I decided to use White Labs yeast instead of Wyeast just to see if there was a big difference. I decided to skip the starter to see how the yeast performs in a straight pitch to five gallons. I needed few supplies (grains and malt) because I do have a small beer pantry that needs to be used. Neale is working home today.

Listening: Glorybox by Portishead (Launch)

Linkage:
Tasty
Edwards and Sons

~ 07:21 AM ~

MLK DAY. The crooked places are not yet straight.

I was considering another Brother MFC printer/copier/fax/scanner but after considering the one offering Brother provides in the LaserJet category I decided to look elsewhere. Currently, I am sold on the HP PhotoSmart PSC 2610 All-in-One Printer, which is inkjet (but fast...30 ppm @ hi quality), its wireless (the Brother was not), and the ink replacement is not expensive (Brother was $79 after 6,700 copies). I admit we will not make 6,700 in two years but the replacement was high and that was the cartridge only. The Brother drum was $120. Neale wants fast and I want a network (wireless) printer that is color and does photos (the reason there was not holiday photo this year was due to the printing service finding the photo too dark). Let us not forget...HP is cheaper than the Brother is and better.

It was the coldest day of the year last night.

I have a haircut today.

The barley wine is resting nicely in secondary. The move stirred up some yeast so there was foaming and airlock activity last week. However, the foam has subsided and the airlock is leveling back to equal. I will bottle in another week. After that, the bottles go under the stairs in the closet until June. I will have a sample in June but I do expect the brew to reach maturity until December. A fellow brewer online has had a barley wine in storage for nine years and he samples one bottle a year. I do not have that patience as of yet. Next to brew, the Brightside porter and if that goes well, I may harvest that yeast cake (i.e. leftover yeast after primary fermentation) for a simple brew and as an experiment.

Listening: Sunshine & Love by Happy Mondays (Launch)

Linkage:
The Sun is dimming

~ 06:20 PM ~

We went for a walk today... Costco to price tables and were surprised. We found tables that were half of what we expected to pay. I was checking Office Depot, Office Max, and Staples all morning for prices. I will purchase the tables soon. However, we did find some excellent chairs at Office Depot and with the rebates, they are a deal. Neale prefers a high back but I needed something less rough and with lower back support. We did see our prospective printer at Office Depot but I have found it lower online. It will come down to availability and shipping. Once again, New Egg is my source.

Neale found a good deal on 2 pilates DVDs. The practice should begin soon. She cannot be rushed.

Arrested Development is back.

As soon as phase 1 ends (1/30/05), I am making a soy dough pizza and Neale is making blueberry muffins.

Linkage:
Darth Tater

~ 06:36 AM ~

With our economic recovery churning back to normal and beyond, we decided to upgrade the PC. "Mega" has served us well and is going on six years. As I mentioned yesterday, the home office dream was crushed by Dell. They really only want to give us one system at a time. In August of 2003, we purchased a laptop for Neale's work and she uses it regularly. Dell wanted us to finish with that situation before we embarked on a new desktop. I can see their point but I also realize that we were willing and have been model customers. So, back to Gateway. After some research and clicking, I was able to procure a better system at a lower price than Dell, which was good news at the end of the day. The new PC arrives 1/26/05 and the home office network will not be up for a month or two. I have been reading about home networks and various networking companies. Linksys is leading the way based on my reading. The immediate change is a new table for the PC, Neale gets a new chair, and an APC battery back-up/surge protector. The APC will provide security from power outages/surge and loss data. Here are the specs of the new system:

Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition with Service Pack 2

Microsoft® Works Suite 2005 - including Microsoft® Word, Encarta, Money, Picture It, and Works

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 540 (3.20GHz)

1GB (1024MB) DDR SDRAM PC3200 (400MHz), Dual Channel

200GB Serial ATA100 7200rpm hard drive

48x/32x/48x CD-RW/DVD combo drive and 16x Double-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer (DVD±R/±RW)

8-in-1 media card reader and floppy drive

VX930 19" CRT Monitor (18" viewable)

Integrated Intel® High Definition audio

GMAX 2100 2.1 Speakers with Subwoofer

ATI RADEON® X800XT with 256MB DDR Video Memory, DVI and TV Out

10/100 Ethernet

56K Modem

I decided to save money on sound (surround sound for a game never thrilled me), the sound card (I am not that much of an "audiophile", it all sounds good to me), and productivity software (Mega has that and can handle that). The new PC is an update to today's standards and is for the web, entertainment, & gaming. It will be nice to actually burn a CD and eventually burn a DVD. I would have preferred a flat screen but it did not fit in the sale price we desired. The 1GB of memory and top of the line video card should be beautiful. The new router will also have a hardware firewall, which is a plus. I am not going to use Norton for antivirus but configure the firewall and use a free antivirus program that has received much praise. Since we have a DSL connection, scanning online will go smoothly. I learned alot with Mega and I will keep the new unnamed machine in much better shape.

We have the Fine Living channel again. It was not available when we switched to Charter. I can view "The Morning Yoga show" again.

On Wednesday, we receive our Charter DVR with Moxi.

Linkage:
Too bad 49ers

~ 09:34 AM ~

The snow yesterday was terrible. The roads are clear today though. Alton/Godfrey got at least 2 more inches than Webster. Despite being 64 on Monday, it is a chilly 9 today. Well, we could not avoid winter forever.

Upon further review, it is not the best time to expand the home office. So, I am going to wait alittle longer. Dare to dream...

Linkage:
Search for WMDs finally called off..US Army now searches for armed Yeti

~ 08:44 AM ~

It is very wet here but still above freezing. Despite the lovely temps of yesterday, it is not looking like fall anymore.

Dell is running a deal on their desktops and our plans to upgrade to a better PC is a reality. We have needed a home office space and since Mega is going on seven years, it is time to have it as a secondary PC. I have nursed it along and keep it humming nicely but a PIII (500mhz) machine is on the minimum end of the spectrum for our needs. I plan to incorporate a router so the home will become a wireless access point, which should include Neale's lappy. Also, the new printer will be included in the network.

"With nothing to gain...here's the clincher, this should be you"

Linkage:
Go 49ers

~ 10:27 AM ~

Neale had to leave our home at 4:30 this morning. She had a meeting....in a Waffle House. How do you like your grits? I like my grits as far as away from me as possible. Ditto for polenta.

Listening to: College Town by the Dwarves (Launchcast)

Linkage:
Curry Frenzy

~ 08:35 AM ~

It is 60 degrees here....it is 60 degrees here. Some rain but nothing much.

I decided to get alittle more aggressive with my TIAA-CREF account. It has been performing well but I wanted to see how the money market, equity, and more social choice investments would perform in the next year. Viva la retirement. I retire Decemeber 18th, 2037.

Linkage:
Respect

~ 08:00 PM ~

My presentation went very well. I received compliments from coworkers.

Neale has to be in Granite City at 5AM. Ouch.

We went for a walk and upon return, the keypad was not working. Neale went next door to call a locksmith. I did not give up on the keypad and it eventually worked. Therefore, it was about five minutes of standing in the driveway. The keypad has acted up before in humid weather and it was rainy/foggy/hazy all day here. We will be planting a back up key to avoid this in the future. Now, I must find the place....

Queens relaunch site. Nice.

Linkage:
Life Aquatic had songs in Portugese...now, rock stars pictures in Portugese
Food that is no longer made...Pepsi Kona?

~ 10:45 AM ~

We got new phones at LC and I figured them out. I get to skip training. Overall, mostly first day back stuff...sort mail...check class loads...back up WebCT courses...start making new documents.

At the request of Neale (who was influenced by a coworker), I listed and sorted our DVDs and the list can be found on our 'film' page. Currently, we have 50 DVDs. We are entertained to the point of having the giggles.

~ 06:30 AM ~

Mets get Beltran... a good decision.

We are back to phase 1 of the South Beach diet and I am back to school. We have our in-service week (workshops, training, prep) and then classes start. Yes, we are not your typical community college. Needless to say, I am already prepped with the exception of posting some notes and sorting through my web classes.

Linkage:
Have miscarriage, go to jail?
Paid to say NCLB is good
Yes, paid to say NCLB is good

~ 07:37 PM ~

We are watching Dr. Strangelove. Neale has not seen it and is interested because of the recent Peter Sellers biopic.

We saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Two words: Not impressed. We loved his last two but this one was flat.

I cleared the driveway, firmed up the mailbox, and applied the first coat of mud to the stairwell drywall. While I was clearing the driveway this morning, I noticed some drove across three of my neighbors lawns. Quite odd.

Linkage:
No tsunami...Toyota tsunami

~ 08:26 AM ~

I did a few things around the house yesterday. I will start mudding the stairwell tomorrow. Once that is finished then will can move on to painting the basement and then start the new grout in the upstairs bathroom. So, the inside will be done shortly.

I am watching MacGyver...it is really time for vacation to end.

I am meeting Neale for lunch downtown at the Westin.

Linkage:
Crossfire done shouting
How about a new calendar?
Gallup on guns

~ 06:55 PM ~

I finished drywalling the stairwell to the basement. It was a four hour job, which was not too bad. A worker on the demo crew (that would be me I guess) accidently swung through the wall back in July. So, instead of patching the old drywall I decided to start over. Finishing the kitchen became primary with the holidays approaching and the stairwell was neglected until today. It took about four hours and was bascially a "zero cost" job. The screws and the last piece of drywall were to be in the kitchen. I still have about three pounds of mud left too.

We walked in the rain....again. It has rained here for several days.

I watched the episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer works in the oil field. Yes, the western oil fields of Springfield is on the map.

Linkage:
The Fartfull
Republican Tom Delay quotes Bible on why tsunami was right...oh, boy

~ 01:21 PM ~

I am donating this afternoon. I also want to accomplish a few more things this week. On Monday, we start our in-service week and have to give a short presentation on Tuesday about our diversity. It is mostly good news

Ryno and Boggs joining the Hall. Keith Hernandez still gets no play.

Linkage:
It chirps?
Ghost Town USA
Interracial Voice

~ 02:11 PM ~

Photos....updated...plus videos. I am watching Mr. Wizard on Discovery Science.

~ 12:11 PM ~

Happy New Year. We are local people and we will have no trouble here. Are you local?

Linkage:
Rehnquist...Thank you

T O P