Portable Applications

When I went to the library this semester to do research, I would use my thumb drive to save anything important. It was great having versions of my own programs on hand as I didn't really trust the school's computers. I used a great application suite called 'portable apps,' which is a miniature version of many of the programs I use on my home computer. There are different types to be found all over the internet, but my favorite is at portableapps.com. This is a surefire way of keeping your data safe and allowing you to use a public computer in much the same way you would your own, by using the same programs when they normally may not be available. Here's another website, called pendriveapps.com where you can find more portable apps.

Social Bookmarking

I love my bookmarks. I have spent many hours researching and organizing them. Whenever someone asks me a question that I have the resources to find the answer to, I consult one of the many websites where I can find the information. I've recently been exploring the options for sharing these websites I've accumulated with others and also of discovering what others have found. I can do this through social bookmarking, which is a way to share bookmarks with others. I discovered a concise explanation of what social bookmarking is and what it can do for you at Educause. If you would like to know more about the benefits, head on over.

Bed Bugs

You may not know about bed bugs, but you need to. According to some recent articles, they're on the rise. They live in mattresses and in the bedding of affected beds, usually motels and hotels where they have been breeding. If you travel at all, it's important to know about this pest so that you can recognize the signs. NPR did a story about their comeback in August of 2007. Also, the San Fransisco Chronicle put out an article in April that indicates there have been recent reported cases all across the country. Scary stuff, but if you know what to look for, you can search your bed before you go to sleep if you're staying somewhere unfamiliar.

Inventory Your Stuff

Here's a program for documenting your belongings. You can download the software at KnowYourStuff.org. It's free, and there is even a list of items to get you started. The software is comprehensive and easy to use.

Green Print

There is an excellent program for helping to save the planet called Green Print. It sets up your printer to only print what you need. You know how there's always those extra pages and images that are unnecessary? Well, this program eliminates all that. It sets up your print job to only print what you need, thereby eliminating the extra waste. Check it out!

There is also a website where a former employee of Hewlett Packard reveals how the printing companies are only out to make more money. No big suprise there, but some of the underhanded things they do makes for an interesting read. Here is 14 Hewlett-Packard Secrets From a Former Employee, and it's follow-up, 9 More.

Unlose.it

I am constantly finding myself slapping my hands over my pockets to check if my phone, wallet, or some other item is still there. When I find that I've misplaced them, the first thing I do is panic. I have lost my wallet a couple of times over the years, and it's such a stressor to have to replace what I lost. Now there's this service where you can register items for 4 bucks. They send you a sticker with the website's info and an announcement written on it saying if you find this item there will be a reward. The sticker directs the finder to the website, where they type in a number that matches up with the product that you registered. It's really quite ingenious. Of course, some people might just pull the sticker off, but I still this could be viewed as a some insurance against losing your stuff.

There's another website that appears has a different approach to tracking your stolen object called 'Gadget Track.' This seems to be a good alternative. One service this website offers is to find stolen phones by sending you silent messages in the event the SIM card has been changed. Their gadget track program works by sending silent messages to you whenever the stolen gadget is accessed on a PC. Whether or not someone could prevent this remote notification with the use of a firewall, I don't know. However, it's worth checking out.

Exploding Phones

Okay, do you have a Nokia phone or a Nokia battery in your phone? If so, you need to cruise on over to this website: BL-5C Battery. Although it has been rare, there is evidently a danger of these phones catching fire while they're charging. At this site, you can find out if your phone is one of the affected, and you can get it replaced by the company.

While I'm on a roll...Printers!

Well, I've been looking for a printer lately. I need one fast, before school gets into full swing. I've done a ton of research, and found one website extremely helpful because it is unbiased and thorough. I thought I'd share it with you as a resource if you're in the business for a new printer. Yes, it's a UK production, so everything is indicated in Euros, but the reviews are stellar.

Other good resources are Kim Komando, who also puts out an excellent newsletter regarding computer know-how that's easy to understand; and Cnet.com, who rates products on the standard 1 to 10 scale.

I think I've settled on the Canon MP600. I'm going to read a bit more, & then I'll let you know for sure, but this seems to be the best multifunction printer for the price range.

It's Been Soooo Long!!!

I know a lot of you think I fell off the face of the internet, but I'm back. I'm slowly working through my emails & slowly updating my blog, etc.

I don't know about y'all, but I had an AWESOME summer!! I mean, totally fabulous. I finished my enlistment April 24, 2007. Yup, I'm out of the Navy! I'm still inactive reserves, which gives me the benefits of going on base, shopping at the commissary, and maintaining a military ID, but I don't have to deploy! Yay! I really had a lot of mixed feelings by the time my last day rolled around. It was hard--I mean, here I had spent 5 years doing something really fulfilling, and that part of my life was ending. It was like leaving a part of me behind. It helped that I was leaving for a cross-country trip with LeAnne, though. I was able to just relax and enjoy seeing the country instead of grieving.



So I moved out of my apartment at the end of April, but I still had some loose ends to tie up in Whidbey Island. I pitched a tent on base and camped out for about a week while I finished up everything, including selling my truck. It was really kind of miraculous because some guy just appeared out of nowhere and paid me a fair price for a vehicle I was desperate to get rid of. LeAnne and I had decided to just take her car to Alabama, since she was coming with me, and we figured my truck wouldn't make the trip. Besides, we wanted to really immerse ourselves in the land and culture as we crossed over to the South.



When everything was in order, we took off, heading first to Bend, Oregon. I won't go into the details here, because there is an entire travel blog that LeAnne and I wrote that you can see here, which details our super-fun trip. The only aggravating thing is the posts have rearranged themselves out of order, so here's the correct order: Pre Trip; Bend; Crater Lake; San Frannie; Vegas; The GC; and Alabama.



Once we got to Alabama, we didn't have a place to stay. The Navy had moved our belongings into storage so we had to find a place so that they could deliver our stuff. By the time we arrived, we'd had it. We were both sick of traveling, and we really wanted to settle back down into a routine. I mean, I just spent 5 years in a very regimented lifestyle, and then followed it up with 2 months of doing what I wanted. To be honest, I was sooo ready to get back into following a schedule, and having my own place to come home to.



We found a house in Jacksonville for a great price. We decided to rent because of various reasons, including the fact that neither one of us was employed at the time, so that really puts the brakes on buying a house. Besides, I really wanted to focus on getting ready for my Senior year, and being ready to be mobile once I graduated to find a good job. No sense in getting sucked into J'ville with a mortgage. Anyway, it was another one of those deals where everything fell into place. We looked EVERYwhere for a house to rent, and they were all either too expensive or too gross. This one was perfect. It's so close to the campus that I can walk to my classes.



Seriously, we are so blessed. Right now in my life everything seems to be working out great. I'm enjoying my time being back home in Alabama. It's so awesome to be able to go visit all my family. I love it!!! I've missed them all sooo much, and I feel closer to them now for some reason. Maybe my Paw Paw getting sick prompted me to realize how much they all mean to me...I mean, I've always been aware of it, but it really showed the importance of maintaining an active relationship with your family. No one's gonna love you like they do!




Classes start tomorrow. I'm so nervous. I've got one class where the prof wants us to buy 14 books. I thought it was so ludicrous that I went and asked someone else to verify it. My classes this semester aren't going to be a walk in the park. But everything about my graduation just fell in my lap. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to graduate in the Spring of next year due to a technicality. However, because I had completed some coursework in the Navy, everything again fell into place and I will now graduate in the Spring of 2008. I'm really excited!!! Finally. Yeah, I'll be 30. But I know I had to choose the path I did to get where I am now. I wouldn't change it for anything. I know that going back to school at my age gives me an advantage over traditional students. I just hope I don't get stuck in any classes full of freshmen.




Since I've left the Navy I've been lagging on my daily workouts. However, LeAnne and I have participated in a number of 5k runs in the area, and we also joined the Anniston Runners Club. I'm looking forward to meeting cool people in the club. We've had a great time going to these runs, but it's so different running in 95 degree heat with a heat index of 105, as opposed to running in cool, comfortable Washington. Who knew I'd miss it?!




We found a kickin' rock climbing area about an hour from J'ville that we've hit a few times. Lots of talented climbers out there. I've definitely got climbing fever, and I nag LeAnne all the time about going. This weekend was great because my dad and my sister were in town for a visit at grandma's. We took them out to Weaver Caves, where we harnessed Avery up and she climbed up the wall, showing some pretty impressive talent. I'm hoping that we can get her to come stay with us so we can take her to do stuff again. Grandma even came out there to watch, being a good sport about it. We had to leave after awhile, though, because the place seriously turned into Redneck City. I guess the caves is the local hoedown place for the weekend. The picture above is my grandma, my dad, my sister, LeAnne, and me.

This one's of Avery kicking ass on the wall.
















That's about it for now. It's good to be back online!

Watch 'The Daily Show?' You probably know more than Fox Viewers...

As reported by Editor & Publisher on April 15th, a new study out by Pew Research Center found out people who watch Jon Stewart's The Daily Show are more informed on today's issues than people who regularly get their news from Fox News. And to think that Bill O'Reilly has said before that the people who watch The Daily Show are only "stoned slackers."

Incidentally, I think I'll take this opportunity to express how much I dislike this hot-headed moron. You ever watch this guy? When he starts to feel like he's not 'winning' an argument, he resorts to name-calling. Then he justifies it by saying it's 'his house' and he can do what he wants because it's his show. That's fine, because it just demonstrates his true nature of hatefulness and how he's just pure poison with his bad attitude (and maligned viewpoints). He's such a prime example of everything that's wrong with the 'moral right.'

Here's a great website that has information in cold, hard facts as to how pervasive his lies are and just what a general creep he is, from how he claimed he had '6 million viewers' (grossly inaccurate), to numerous lies he tells on his show all the time.

Best Buy Busted

A little over a week ago, Best Buy admited to scamming in-store customers after buckling under pressure from Connecticut's State Attorney General who launched an investigation into their practices. The way the scam works is a customer sees an advertised price for an item online, which brings them into the store. Once they get there, they pick up the item and bring it to the counter with the quoted price in mind. They tell the salesperson, who then pulls up a hidden 'intranet' site (fraudulent to the consumer) which indicates a different and higher price than the one the customer found online. By this time, the customer is probably going to go ahead and buy the item at a higher price. What a dirty practice.

Get Out of Your Cell Phone Contract

Feeling like you're being nailed to the wall by your current cell phone provider? There are 3 online services available for you to get out of your contract by selling it to another person or by trading for a different contract. These websites offer a place for people to buy and/or sell cell phone contracts in order to make it more convinient. You can find them at celltradeusa.com, cellswapper, and resellular.

Free Copies of Microsoft Office Pro 2007 and Groove 2007

Hey, want a (legal) free copy of the new Microsoft Office? Just attend one of their seminars. It's a promotional thing for their new products, of course, but if you go, they'll give you copies of the software. I've tried out the beta version of Office 2007, and it seems to be a big step up from 2003. The interface and styling have changed, and from the features I've played around with it seems pretty slick. Unfortunately, the seminar in Alabama has already come & gone. If you're in Washington, though, you're in luck...The upcoming seminar will be on the 26th of February.

As far as Vista goes, I plan on checking it out soon. I hear it's great. If you are looking at purchasing the new OS, first you need to make sure that your computer is ready for it. Go here to use Microsoft's Update Advisor, which will tell you whether or not you are equipped to upgrade to Vista. After that, look into upgrading to Vista vice paying outright, because the price difference is substantial. You don't have to pay full price for it, even if you do not have a previously installed microsoft OS.

Daily Rant

Chinese Wonders

Whoa is just about all I can say about this. There is a park in China where you pretty much shimmy your way around a cliff on wooden planks, while holding on with just your hands to a chain. My palms began to sweat as I looked at the pictures of people working their way up the mountain. The end seems to be some sort of lookout point with a building whose purpose is unknown. I have tried to find additional information about this park, but I can't seem to locate any through search engines. The link to all of the pictures is here.













Another thing I wanted to share is a link to an ice and snow festival that happens every year in Harbin, China. Both the snow sculptures and the ice palaces are amazing in their mass and are intricately carved to create a vivid picture. Teams come from all around the globe to compete for the coveted honor of first place. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is a must-see, if only on the net, as it's one of the largest in the world.

BBC's mini-guide in pictures to the festival.

More pics here.