The Revolution Marches On !

Tech Troubles

I've been posting mainly political stuff lately, so I thought I'd give it a rest today and discuss my other main interest-computers and technology. And much like politics, it can be both an exhilarating and frustrating experience. Lately, mostly frustrating.

About 3 weeks ago, I took my beloved laptop computer in to be repaired, as it had lapsed into a coma back at the end of August. I waited until now to take it in because I just didn't have the money to pay for any repairs that might be required. This week I got the bad news that my poor laptop was truly dead. It seems that the internal fan had quit working and the insides got "fried", as the repairman called it. The entire motherboard would have to be replaced, which would cost more than a new computer. (A moment of silence, please, for the dear departed)

The hard drive was OK and I had it put into an external USB enclosure so I can use it on another computer, at least. No data on it, as I knew there wouldn't be, as I had tried to re-format the drive to re-install Windows back when it first crashed. Since August I have been using an old desktop on which I am now running Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows. Windows ran way too slow, and kept giving me error messages that I could not figure out the cause of. So I ditched Windows in favor of Linux. Yes, I'm a bit of a computer geek, in case you're wondering--what the hell is Ubuntu Linux?

Anyway, the day I picked up my now- deceased laptop, I stopped at a mall nearby the computer repair shop. While there I wandered into Best Buy, just to take a look around. Ended up buying a new 17" widescreen LCD monitor to replace the old 14" CRT monitor I'd been straining my eyes looking at for the past few months. Kind of an impulse buy, but I needed to cheer myself up after the loss of my laptop. It is such a huge improvement over the old monitor! So much brighter and crisper picture--definitely worth the money.

My tech troubles didn't end there, though. Earlier today, after installing a wireless ethernet card and making a few tweaks to the system, I had problems getting back online. Finally got things going again after a frustrating hour or two. The wireless card still isn't working, so I need to do some research to see exactly how to get it working under Linux. I'm not that much of a Linux geek yet, I guess.

Finally after getting the computer working again, I went to unplug my cell phone from the charger, only to find it had gotten a small amount of water on it. Apparently I'd spilled some water while filling my coffee maker and hadn't noticed it due to the problems I was having with the computer. So now the phone is not working! And it wasn't a lot of water--just seemed to be a few drops, which I dried off soon as I saw it. But enough must have leaked inside to cause a problem. Maybe in a day or two it will dry out and start working--who knows? It's not an expensive phone-I can replace it for about $20, but it's still annoying.

So there you have it....my tale of "Trouble in Tech Land". I just hope this story doesn't have a sequel !

Today is SuperBowl Sunday--Tuesday is Super Tuesday, so if you live in a state holding a primary, get out and VOTE ! (Sorry, couldn't resist a little politics)
Ron Paul 2008 !!!

Ready For A Real Change ?

There's been a lot of talk about "change" from various Presidential candidates in recent weeks, but first you need to ask one question. Which of these candidates are for REAL change, not just a slightly different version of the same old "politics as usual" ?

Barack Obama is one of those who speaks of "change", The following video compares some of his views with those of the one Presidential candidate who seeks to make REAL changes to restore America's prosperity, protect our civil liberties, uphold the Constitution, end undeclared and pre-emptive wars, and restore America's prestige in the world.

Join the Ron Paul Revolution...for REAL change !

America: Land of The Free ???

Peace+Prosperity+Freedom=Ron Paul

The Best Kept Secret In America

"Freedom Is Popular"......Ron Paul

Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.

Ballot Box Fraud Caught On Tape

The following video was taken by Bev Harris of Black Box Voting.org during the recounting of votes in the New Hampshire primary election which took place recently. The"chain of custody" and secure storage of the ballots are vital to ensure an accurate recount and prevent election fraud. Watch carefully the reactions and answers given by the "election officials" to the questions asked by Bev Harris and others present.

If this was a bank storing currency for the night, would they just leave it in a room–because the whole building is secure? Or would they place it in the vault? The answer is obvious–the money would go into the vault.

So why aren’t ballots treated with the same respect, considering they are the currency of a free democracy?

For more detailed information on this and other election issues, go to BlackBoxVoting.org.

Let Freedom Ring !

Ron Paul will be in this race right through the Republican convention. Three out of four of the so-called "front-runners" are scrambling for money and can't even pay their staffs, while Ron Paul's supporters contributed almost $2 million this past Monday. He's raised close to $ 4 million just since the start of this year.
After Rudy loses Florida, where he's pinned all his hopes, he'll start to fade fast. Huckabee's support has always been from a core group of evangelical Christians which won't be enough to help him in most of the upcoming primaries. John "100 years in Iraq" McCain has no chance of beating either Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama in the general election, and most Republicans will soon realize this fact. Mitt Romney's personal wealth will carry him through the rest of the campaign and may even buy him the nomination, which will also insure a Democratic victory in November.
Ron Paul's anti-war, low tax, fiscally conservative, pro-civil liberties philosophy should make him the perfect candidate wise Republicans would choose as their standard-bearer in the upcoming election. Unfortunately, most of them have 'sold out' to their corporate masters and will continue to dance to any tune the military-industrial complex plays.
But the "Ron Paul Revolution" goes beyond this presidential campaign and has already planted the seeds of freedom in the hearts and minds of many young people (who support Paul in great numbers) as well as awakened the dormant desire of many Americans to reclaim their Constitutionally mandated liberties.
So while the "mainstream" candidates drone on and on with the same tired old rhetoric, Ron Paul's clarion call for peace, prosperity, and freedom will continue to echo throughout the land after the election is over.
The "mainstream" candidates can snicker and giggle at Ron Paul like a bunch of preschoolers laughing at a 'fart' joke, but they do so out of fear. Fear that people will wake up to the lies and deceptions they have foisted on the public throughout their political careers. Fear that American's natural and justified distrust of government and politicians will continue to swell to the breaking point, washing them and their corporate cronies out of power in a tidal wave of change. Fear that the 'house of cards' of economic and political control they have built over these many years will crumble and fall, crushing them all.
Yes, they will deny Ron Paul the Republican nomination, because of their greed and their fears that a Ron Paul Presidency would destroy the corrupt system they have struggled to build and maintain, but they cannot stop the voice of Liberty calling out across this once-great land, a voice that will once again be heard. Maybe not in this election cycle, but the time will come when the spark of Liberty, ignited by Ron Paul and his supporters will blaze across the nation, burning a pathway to Freedom and Justice unseen in this country since the time of the American Revolution.

(This started out as a comment I was posting on another site on an article about Ron Paul. After finishing and re-reading it, I decided it turned out pretty good and so decided to re-post it here on my blog as well.)

Harold's Planet

How To Save The Earth !

Harold's Planet has some of the funniest...and a bit odd, sometimes...cartoons.

clipped from www.haroldsplanet.com

Mexican boy glues self to bed to avoid school

Maybe I'll try this next time I want to stay home from work !

clipped from www.haveeru.com.mv Mexican boy glues self to bed to avoid school | DATE: 2008-01-08 | PRINT | BOOKMARK MONTERREY, Mexico - A 10-year-old Mexican boy glued his hand to his bed to avoid going back to school after the Christmas break, authorities said Monday. "I thought if I was glued to the bed, they couldn't make me go to school," the boy, Diego, told AFP. "I didn't want to go, the holidays were so much fun." "I remembered my mom had bought a very strong glue," he said of the industrial strength shoe glue he used to stick his hand to the bed's metal headboard, where he stayed stuck for two hours. His mother Sandra Palacios was unable to free him and called paramedics and police to help. Diego watched cartoons while they worked to unglue him, eventually using a spray to dissolve the chemical adhesive. "I don't know why this happened. He is a very good boy," said his mother. Diego eventually made it school a few hours late. - AFP