Holiday 1 down 1 to go.

I just love the gift cards, and the ability to spend the cards on what I want, and not having to return thing I don't like. I guess everyone liked it as well, because I stood in line for almost an hour getting things after Christmas.

Still searching for a DMR, and I think I am getting closer to a buying one. I think I may give up on the ones that work with Windows Media Connect though, because it looks like this program was an after thought for people that can't use a Windows Media Center PC. I also found out that my current Video card can do Picture in Picture, or dual video tuning with a second TV tuner card from the same company. I can't wait to go back and get a second TV card. I am guessing that won't happen until next year. Even though the store is just less than a mile down the road.

Most of this week was spent reading news groups and finding out what works and what doesn't. Seems like anything Microsoft has a hand in doesn't work more than it does. I don't seem to see many problems with devices that don't use Microsoft for its media serving.

With all of the wonderful viruses going around the internet I spent my time off updating my web server software and anything releating to PHP. I really like PHP, but just don't have the time or ability to keep checking the boards of each product every day for new updates. It figures though that the week after I updated my website a program update was released for a product that I had used. I guess I will be more up to date now, they have an email update news letter now to update current users of their software if you want it.

Model RailRoad used to be a little hobby of mine. Now this was the first year I didn't have a working train, so my loving wife got me a new engine for Christmas, and now I take up the entire dinning room with the train set. Maybe someday I will get an entire room to setup a train set, town and more trains. I also found out that a place near here will fix my old broken engines. They are there now and I hope to find out if and what it will cost to get them fixed. My one engine only cost $18 new when I got it before. Now new engines can't be picked up for less than $70. Either people aren't into the trains like they used to be or inflation went through the roof since I was 13 years old. Oh well I bring home more than a dollar a week so I am sure I can afford what ever the price will be to get my engine back.

Weekends, Viruses, and Holidays.

Boy I wish weekends wouldn't be so busy. Since when does everyone plan everything for you on the weekend. Well I guess as soon as I get caught up from the weekend I have more to say.

Viruses are everywhere and they tried to take my website down, glad I have a very proactive hosting company that protected me until I got the updates finished on my site.

Have a merry christmas and a happy new year all. Back to the good old work for now.

Parties, 72 Pin SIMMs and Juno.

Not in any order but today was fun. Filled with I think I have that part somewhere or we can convert those files for you, and of course a night out with college people.

Juno Email program really sucks, you can't convert it into any other program with out first converting it to something else. A friend at work had this old computer and wanted to copy all of his old Juno Email 4.0 program emails to his new computer and wipe the old computer clean. Well at work we have thrown away faster computers than this one, but I always love a challenge. It turns out that some very bright person made a conversion program, but it only works with the Juno 5.0 program. More hoops to jump through. I finally got it upgraded to Juno 5.0 on my computer with the data from the old computer. Then ran this cool little program. It made all of the emails into Eudora format, which imports right into ThunderBird.

Sharing internet on this old computer is now the next thing to do. It will run Windows 98SE or Windows 2000, but more memory is suggested and you guessed it by now that I have a ton of computer parts all over the place. Digging through all of this stuff I found an old processor that I think will fit into this old computer. Also to computer takes only 72 pin SIMMs or 30 pin SIMMs. I haven't had the pleasure to play with such an old computer in a while. I love the challenge. Yes I have old 72 pin SIMMs here as well. Maybe I will get some time to work on this little project on Monday.

I am not a party person but my wife wanted to go and drag me along with. I am not even on a close field of work that these people are in, and all I could do was sit and listen. The food was nice and the place was good. Normally I wouldn't be in a place like that unless I had to work there or setup a network, but oh well it was fun.

I figured out how to add a bio page to my site, and make it still flow. Each user that becomes a registered user to the site will be assigned a personal support person. This will be the perfect place to place my bio, but the only problem is only the people that get assigned to my will end up with my bio. Other people will get their support person's bio and not mine. I guess I can't will them all 100% of the time but at least it is a start.

Everyone once in a while I get in the mood to pick up a pencil and draw. Normally something I see, so here is my first public display of my art work. I figure this is the perfect place to show case my lack of art skills, but what the heck. I still watch cartoons/anime so here is a person from one of the shows I sometimes watch.



Maybe some day I will get time to draw more often but until that day finally comes I will still find each challenge and beat it to death, and never quit. Once you say you can't you have already lost the battle. Can't should never be something any one is ever taught to say or think.

The Quest for DMR

A Digital Media Receiver would be a cool little toy to play with if it works. Microsoft released a program called Windows Media Connect that allows these devices to play media files from your computer on your TV or Stereo. I have found a few that are for a Windows Media Center PC, but there are less of these devices for Windows XP alone. So far I am not thrilled about paying more than $200 for it though.

Maybe after the holiday I will end up buying one.

Website added changes are coming soon, I did all of the redesigning of the site but didn't really add more stuff for people to use. Maybe a content management programming will help. I just have to sit down and program it. Maybe I will also add a bio page again, I kind of miss that on my new site. I just couldn't find a place to put it in the flow of the current site.

I have a party to go to tomorrow after work I guess I will have to try to live through it.

Typing this blog is kind of reminding me about a journal book I used to write in when I was very young. Maybe this will help me a little better in storing and conveying my ideas.

Very interesting that spell check in the blog things blog is a misspelled word.

Computers, Computers, and more Computers.

People, want them and people break them. I just love working on computers when people think they are fixing a computer and end up making it worse than it was before they started. You guessed it I am repairing a computer that was worked on by a person that thought they were fixing it.

Hint if you want to help someone never remove the hard drive and put it into another computer. Windows XP Home really hates that with NTFS.

I guess this is way I have a job working on computers.

ThunderBird, and FireFox are really good replacements to IE, and Outlook Express. I have always used Netscape and never really ever used IE. Netscape 7.2 is kind of like FireFox, but some features are missing. I can't wait to test the new Netscape when it is finally released.

Now I am insearch of a hardware to play my recorded TV and Videos on my TV using the network in my house. I want to play with the Windows Media Connection program with Windows XP.

Welcome

This is the first blog form me. Hope to see more of this when it works. All system info updates and life learning will be brought to you here.