Interesting stuff.....I think....

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania school district cannot teach in science classes a concept that says some aspects of science were created by a supernatural being, a federal judge has ruled.
Cannot teach 'intelligent design' on CNN

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. and America Online Inc. Tuesday expanded their search and advertising alliance to include video and instant messaging, shutting out Microsoft Corp., which had fought hard for a deal with Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit.
Google Inc. and America Online Inc on CNN

No Man is an Island

"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine own were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde..."

-from "Meditation XVII" of Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions John Donne

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind...

Here we go again.....

Another national election, what is the point?!?!?

Stephen Harper is just acting like my 8 year old nephew..."I can't have it MY way, so we're not going to play!"

We don't need or want an election right now, considering Paul Martin promised to call an election in the spring.

Stephen Harper is dangerous, a western redneck, conservative to the end.

I know that the Liberal party has not behaved itself very well over the past few years; The ad scandal is their biggest blunder. I doubt I will be voting for the Liberal party.

Frankly I don't care who is the Prime Minster of Canada, as long things stay on an even keel.

I know that I will NOT be voting for the conservative party.

Time will tell what happens.

Here's an interesting web page, from The Libreral Party: Stephen Harper Said

To be fair, here are the Wikipedia entries about Stepher Harper and and Paul Martin

I found it!

During my recent trip to London, I drank lots of tea, my host drank lots of tea...In fact I think the British drink lots of tea!

The tea I had was called Yorkshire Gold; I never had it before and I thought I would never have it again. I didn't think it was worth shipping a box of tea across the pond (that's the ocean btw).

We have a small grocery store near work, they stock European products, nothing consistent, and from day to day you never really know what they will have. I had a wander to the tea & coffee section to see what I could see...tea and coffee obviously. What caught my eye was a familiar box, could it be? It was; Yorkshire Gold tea! I bought a box, the only box they had, unless I wanted loose tea, I didn't.

My Plan for now is to make myself a cup of tea and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at work!
(Or get my infinite improbability drive going and take another trip - but that's another story)

Yorkshire Gold Tea is a blend of some of the world's finest teas from countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Africa, and has a rich, refreshing taste. It makes a rich brown liquid with a malty taste. This is a very popular English Breakfast type tea, and makes a stronger tea best enjoyed with milk and sugar to taste.

We Want Our Money Back!

Who says kids can't make a difference?

Two boys from western canada, Luke McAndless-Davis from New Westminster, BC and Matthew (no last name) from Calgary,have started a campaign to get Canada's 5 Billion dollars back from the United States. The money is from the softwood lumber dispute.

Let's stand on guard for Canada and tell the United States to stop bullying us!

They stole 5 billion dollars
from us and
WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!

Canada and the United States are friends and we want to stay friends. But friends don't steal from friends and friends don't bully friends.

Their plan, boycott McDionalds on December 3, 2005.
Why McDonalds?

McDonald's is the most famous U.S. company in the world. And millions of Canadians buy food at McDonalds every day. If we all boycott McDonalds for one day, it will get people's attention. It will even get President Bush's attention.

The have received support from The National Union of Public and general Employees

Their web site We Want Our Money Back has the details and a downladable flyer.

You have my support!!
GO FOR IT!!

Please remember that today is Rememberance Day.

Rememberance Day 2005
Wear a poppy

An Overwhelming Sadness

I have been feeling down all day today, I wasn't sure why 'till I spoke to my sister. She reminded me that today was my parents wedding anniversary. They would have been married almost 50 years.

Both my parents died within a year of each other; my dad March 25, 2004 and mom April 1, 2005.

The picture was taken about 6 month before my dad died, it was taken by a family friend.

I miss them very much.

Rememberance Day 2005

November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

~John McCrae

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Fourth stanza of For the Fallen
~Laurence Binyon

More Remembrance Day Poems

Why the Poppy?
After John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields was published in 1915 the poppy became a popular symbol for soldiers who died in battle.

Three years later an American, Moina Michael, was working in a New York City YMCA canteen when she started wearing a poppy in memory of the millions who died on the battlefield.

During a 1920 visit to the United States a French woman, Madame Guerin, learned of the custom. On her return to France she decided to use handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country. In November, 1921, the first poppies were distributed in Canada.

Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red plant has never died. And neither have Canadian's memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle. http://www.canoe.ca/RemembranceDay/poppy.html

Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far

Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far

Sony has gone way too far trying to protect its copyrights.

It's a bit technical, but worth the read.

My favouriteThings

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

OOPS!!!

Sorry folks, I was going to share some of the resources I use on the web, but I started singing.

Lets try again, shall we?
Ok, here we go!

Google http://www.google.com

Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/

Hyperdictionary http://www.hyperdictionary.com/

Virus Writers should all be shot....with a deadly painful virus.

I was busy looking for something online tonight; nothing new there.

I am usually very careful about what I download and run on my system, and I have an up to date virus scanner that stops things from being downloaded. My little safety net.

In my hast to get something going, I downloaded a file and just ran it. I didn't really look at where it came from. POO!!!

It was a browser highjack. Not just any hijack but one that loaded with windows and kept adding things to my Hosts file. Needless to say, I was not pleased ant myself or at my problem.

Deep breath....Getting on the web was a bit of a problem, but I was able to locate a fix for the problem, after using my own knowledge and tools. This has happened at work and we've successful dealt with it. No luck, nothing was working. This was something new.

I was fortunate that someone else has had this problem and wrote a small application to clean it. This was my chance!! I hopped.

Download, run, reboot, error message, reboot again...Success!!

I'm back safe and sound.

So what have we learned?
Don't download files you aren't completely sure of.
Don't run files you aren't completely sure of.
Make sure your virus scanner is up to date.
Be familiar with a good internet search engine.

OK...I'm done

---

On another somewhat unrelated note. I ordered my new computer on Friday. I should have it in about a week!

A new computer for me!

I've made my selection. Now all I need to do is order and pay for it.

Case	Antec TX640B 400W
Motherboard	Asus A8N SLI Premium
CPU	AMD Athalon64 3700+
Memory	Kingston KVR400X64C3AK2/1G
Hard Drives	Seagate barracuda ST3250823AS (x2)
Video card	ASUS Extreme N6800GT
	or
	MSI NX6800GT-T2D256E

Comments?
Questions?
Suggestions

The Chavez Ravine Story

From the: You learn something new every day department

I was lent a cd by a co-worker. Chavez ravine by Ry Cooder. I had never heard of him or his music. I'll listen to anything once...maybe.

I gave this cd a listen, I liked it, it was similar to the smooth jazz I enjoy listening to and it wasn't hard on my ears.

Curious person that I am, I looked him up on the net and I looked for the cd too.

It seems that the cd is the music from an independent film about Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium in Los Angles. I was amazed at the politics and nastyness that were involved in getting Dodger Stadium built. Here is a llink to the cd and the music.

The title of this post is linked to a flash animation that explains the story. It should make you think about the cost of professional sports. and what it can do to our communities.

A new downtown baseball stadium..I don't think so.

S.

Quotes From Albert Einstein

I have been a fan of Albert Einstein for as long as I can remember. E=MC² just works. If only I could go fast enough.

I present to you a series of quotes, in no particular order and with no particular theme

Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler.

A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.

Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.

I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones.

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.

I think that a particle must have a separate reality independent of the measurements. That is an electron has spin, location and so forth even when it is not being measured. I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it.

If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.

If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?

Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today It was a treat for the eyes. It was more faithful to the Dahl book then the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, although I did enjoy the 1971 movie. The current movie is not a musical.

Most people know the story, Willie wonks opens his magical factory to 5 lucky children that find a golden ticket. Four of the five children are over taken by their own character flaw and are ejected from the factory. In the end Charlie gets the factory.

For me, the biggest theme in the film is "What Goes Around Comes Around" or Karma. The good guys do well, the bad guys don't do so well.

The "bad" children are either punished or rewarded in a way that fit their character

Veruca, Violet, Mike, and Augustus—receive punishments. Augustus, who overeats as a hobby, gets himself stuck in a chocolate pump that eventually flattens him out. Veruca, for her bratty behavior, is denied the squirrel that she desires. Furthermore, the other squirrels deem her a “bad nut” and send her down the garbage chute. Violet, unable to resist gum, chews herself into a giant blueberry. Mike, who is obsessed with television, is permanently altered by it. In all of these cases, the children undergo painful punishments that ultimately make them better people. As the good child, Charlie receives only rewards.

Sparknotes

I won't go on explaining the story...you have to read the book or see the movie yourself.

I enjoyed the movie, the colours, characters were well played, Willie Wonks was sufficiently strange to keep me guessing just what was going on in his head.

Your turn: How does Charlie and Chocolate Factory speak to the phrase “Good things come to those who wait”? What about “Good things come in small packages”?

Friday Morning in the rain

Good Morning...NOT!

I suppose the fact that it's Friday makes it a good day. It feels like it's been raining for ever, I know it hasn't, just over a week ago it was as warm as a hot sunny day with temperatures in the 30's c.

I shouldn't really complain, rain is better than snow....you don't have to shovel rain.

I found some new music, the group is called Pink Martini
This is what their web page says about them:

Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brasilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the 12-piece Pink Martini.

I really like them! It could be my age....naw....or what I was exposed to growing up...not drugs...silly....my parents had all kinds of music playing in the house.

I saw their current album in the Virgin store on my way to London - See my trip Blog Lost in a Fog I looked for the CD in London, but I wasn't able to find it. I was lucky this morning, one of my co-workers found their first CD and gave me a copy. Sympathique was released in 1997

Their second and current CD is Hang on Little Tomato. I hope to get it soon.

If you go to their web page, you can isten to all their released songs. Unfortunately you can't download them.

I feel like I'm buying a new car....

This is worse that buying a new car. I know what I want, I've even found the brands of some of my components. Its down to the details now.

Every time I think I know what I want, I look at the specs of similar products. They are mostly the same except for a detail...Not minor. How many expansion slots, 3? 4?

I could just go into a store and buy a system off the shelf...but then I couldn't call myself a geek...could I now?

What is the difference between the highest priced low end video card compared to lowest priced high end video card? I may never know!

sigh....This is going to take longer that I had hoped.

HOLY COW! I still have to get prices for all of this!!

When will the madness end?!?

Computer Shopping

It's time for a new computer, my 1g machine is starting to feel its age. Its a bit slow, and its becoming a bit goofy.

OK, CPU....AMD which one? regular, 64 bit?!?!?

Motherboard? whats the difference between the 939 and 775 packages?

memory..I know how much I want, DDR? I have no clue.

Don't ask me about a video card...all I know is i want 256 Mb ram on the card.

Case, power supply....Help!

This was supposed to be easy, well...Easy enough so my brain wouldn't hurt.

I'm off to find the asprin.

No Konica Minolta DCs for Canada: Digital Photography Review

I am not a happy photographer.

I have been a minolta (now Konica Minolta) fan for a long time. I have an old 35mm camera and lenses and a high end digital camera both Minolta.

Now I hear that Konica Minolta is pulling out of Canada. Who's idea was that. They haven't made any comment about a new distribution channel or where to purchase Konica Minolta products.

My next digital camera was going to be Konica Minolta latest SLR with at least one high end lens. Not any more. I will be looking at the Canon and Nikon digital SLRs

So much for company loyalty.

Me, a writer?

Ya know, I never really though of myself as a writer. Being dyslexic has always made reading and writing a real struggle, but after the positive comments about my other blog, I figure it may be a good thing.

I'll be posting interesting stuff, I hope.

News at 11