Father's Day Fail

Engrish-of-the-Day

There is always a well-known solution to every human problem--neat, plausible, and wrong.

H. L. Mencken

I have not lost my mind - it's backed up on disk somewhere.

Unknown

Dear Abby Fail

Makes you wonder.

John Wayne

"Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much."

Time

"'Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working.'"

Build It: A Sub-$250 Desktop PC - Solutions by PC Magazine

Build It: A Sub-$250 Desktop PC - Solutions by PC Magazine: "Build It: A Sub-$250 Desktop PC"

Quote of the Day

Judge Gideon J. Tucker

'No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.'"

iGoogle

"'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
- Abraham Lincoln"

Corporate Stop Sign Design

Olympics Medal Tracker

Olympic Medal winners at NBC Olympics.com!

LHC Nerd Rap

Ten Alternative Engine Sounds for Hybrid Cars

Cub Scout Pack 180 Calendar

The murals in restaurants are on par with the food in museums.
Peter De Vries

Think Your PC is Infected?

From Gizmo Richards' excellent Support Alert Newsletter:

Here's Gizmo's simple, zero-cost, three-step procedure to follow next time you feel your PC might have become infected as the result of installing a program you downloaded.

(a) First, upload the installation file of the program you installed to Jotti.org [1] for a free scan. Jotti will then run it through more than a dozen malware scanners and let you know if there is a problem.

If Jotti determines that your file is clean, it doesn't mean that there is no infection. It simply means that it's unlikely there is an infection, and that folks, is a very comforting finding.

(b) Download and run the free Panda Rootkit detector [2]. Again, a clean scan is not a 100% guarantee of no infection, but should add greatly to your confidence. Panda doesn't run on Vista, so Vista users should use the BlackLight [3] anti-rootkit scanner instead.

(c) Finally, download HijackThis from this page [4], and follow the instructions on the same page which tell you how to create a log that you can paste to web forums.

There are several forums where you can post. You can find two here [5], [6] and many more by doing a Google search on "Post HiJackThis log". Tell the forum helpers you have already done a Jotti scan and a rootkit scan, and let them know what the results of these scans were.

The folks in the forum will then let you know if you have a problem. If you do, they will also be able to tell you how you can get rid of it permanently. And it won't cost you a cent.

Now in most cases you will find that nothing shows up with Jotti, the rootkit scan or HiJackThis. That's good news. OK, you have spent some of your time chasing a false lead, but that's a lot better than having an infected PC and doing nothing about it.

[1] http://virusscan.jotti.org/
[2] http://www.majorgeeks.com/Panda_Anti-Rootkit_d5457.html
[3] http://www.antirootkit.com/software/F-Secure-BlackLight-Beta.htm
[4] http://www.whatthetech.com/hijackthis/
[5] http://www.techsupportforum.com/security-center/hijackthis-log-help/
[6] http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showforum=12

LCARS-esque touchscreen controls home, excites Trekkies

za9000's LCARS-like touch panel isn't quite ready to hop aboard any spacecraft, but it sure seems to do a fine job of controlling his home. Truthfully, detailing this thing in words wouldn't do it justice, so we'll leave it to you to don your best Spock face and check out the three-minute clip




From Engaget

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
English humorist & science fiction novelist (1952 - 2001)

Microsoft’s ‘Worldwide Telescope’ now available

CrunchGear » Archive » Microsoft’s ‘Worldwide Telescope’ now available

Joining Google Sky and Stellarium is Microsoft’s entrant to the stars, Worldwide Telescope. I’ve been dinking around with it for about a half hour and it’s pretty cool.

Check it out
(Windows only) if you’re an outer space dork — it includes a bunch of
guided tours from astronomers. I liked the “many worlds” tour, which
started with some west coast mountain ranges and then flew off to the
rest of the planets in our solar system for some hot world-on-world
action. It’d be cool if they added some audio guidance but I guess it’s
pretty realistic since there’s no sound in space. Oh well.

Best blutooth headset

Something else I can highly recommend is the Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset. I have used Bluetooth headsets on and off since they first came out and this product is, without doubt, the best
I have ever found, by far.

There are two reasons for my enthusiasm. First, the Jawbone is easy to wear. Many other headsets are somewhat uncomfortable
because they trap a small moist pocket of air in your ear canal. The problem is that you have no choice about this if you
want to be able to hear the speaker clearly – a snug fit seems to be required by most products. This little humid zone has
always made my ear itch furiously within 15 or 20 minutes but not so with the Jawbone. Somehow the Jawbone is engineered such
that it maintains enough contact for the speaker to be audible without trapping moisture.

The second, and bigger reason, for my enthusiasm is the Jawbone uses amazingly effective signal-processing technology to remove
external ambient noise. Part of this is achieved through a small nub on the inside of the headset that rests on your cheek.
This is a sensor (I am told it is an accelerometer) that detects when you are speaking and uses that information to evaluate
the noise environment and tell the signal processor when and what to filter.

from: Gearhead

Building with FreeBSD 7

Should you be planning on building a server using FreeBSD, you ought to rush out and purchase. The book is predictably titled Building a Server with FreeBSD 7 by Bryan J. Hong.

The subtitle of this book is A Modular Approach, which is exactly what it delivers. There’s a consistent layout used throughout the book for each component discussed: A summary, details on required and optional resources, explanations of the preparation, installation and configuration, and additional notes.

from: Gibbsblog

Nintendo Channel Available In America

The Nintendo Channel arrived in America Wednesday morning, giving obsessive-compulsive Wii owners yet another opportunity to fiddle with their precious channel arrangement.

Available since November in Japan, the Nintendo Channel allows Wii owners to view video features and information on upcoming games. Demos of Nintendo DS games like Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends are also available for download through the DS Download Station section. After downloading, the demos will remain in the DS's memory until the system is switched off.

Users can also recommend games that they've played for more than an hour by filling out a brief survey that questions about whether you think the game is suitable for men or women, casual or hardcore gamers, or single or multiplayer play. That information is then aggregated and accessible through the channel's search function, allowing users to search for games that fit their particular tastes.

Other features include DS and Wii demonstration videos, with gameplay videos of newly released Virtual Console and presumably future WiiWare titles. If a game sparks your interest, you will be quickly directed you to one of several popular purchasing sites via the Internet Channel.

The Nintendo Channel is available on the Wii's Shopping Channel, and can be downloaded free of charge.

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost..'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me

look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.


They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they ca me to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho '

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not me asured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath..

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...An unexpected phone call from an old friend...Green stoplights on your way to work...The fastest line at the grocery store...A good sing-along song on the radio...Your keys found right where you left them.

Fixing Windows Vista, Part 3: Top Troubleshooting Tools

Fixing Windows Vista, Part 3: Top Troubleshooting Tools by ZDNet's Ed Bott -- Today's conventional wisdom, based on more than a year's worth of relentless negative publicity, says Vista is hopelessly broken. In fact, my experience says the exact opposite is true. I believe you have every right to expect excellent performance from Windows Vista, and I'm going to back that conclusion in today's post, the latest in my Fixing Vista series, with details on how to use Vista's built-in tools to find and fix the problems that stand between you and an excellent Vista experience. In this post and its accompanying image gallery, I’ll introduce you to four built-in tools you can use to track down and fix performance problems.

Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.

Friedrich von Schiller
German dramatist & poet (1759 - 1805)

Fixing Windows Vista, Part 2: Taming UAC

Fixing Windows Vista, Part 2: Taming UAC by ZDNet's Ed Bott -- The User Account Control feature in Windows Vista has been known to drive normally level-headed people over the edge with frustration. If you find it annoying, you might be tempted to turn it off. According to Microsoft research, somewhere between 12 and 16 percent of all Windows Vista users do exactly that. But before you take such a radical step, it helps to understand what UAC is actually doing on your behalf and how you can tone down its hard edges without sacrificing its protection. The three techniques I outline here (with illustrations in the accompanying screenshot gallery) can help cut the annoyance factor dramatically.

"My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is."

F-16 model with afterburner!

Awesomely realistic model!