It's December again...

[caption id="attachment_1042" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Yuletide, baby..."][/caption]

only a test

anv

only a test

anv

It's 10:45, I'm still alive, I'm still alive...

Haven't posted much recently. Low energy mainly has caused me to lurk and be generally low outut. Apparently there was an internal cause that I missed - for all this. Low calcium (dangerously low) and then low potassium. Ended up in the hospital - same one I spent my 16th summer in (PTSD Details to be hashed out later) and barely avoided a heart attack or coma. Must take better care of myself, obviously. Want to be alive and productive and all that shite...Finally have internet at the hospital - yay! Want out of here ASAP! Vibes for calcium levels are cordially requested :)

Love a very pale and weary but determined Corbid.

Of Sunday breakfast, Hackintosh Envy and Ian Svenonius

I wake on a Sunday and my small children brag about how many bowls of cereal they can eat in one sitting. Apple Jacks. We went to the regular grocery store for a change, instead of the socially responsible grocery store. My vehicle is out of commission and beggars can't be choosers. Listening to Rasputina on Rhapsody and wishing I had more money. I have been coveting a $399 Dell Mini "Hackintosh" netbook that keeps popping up on eBay - like I'm not using enough operating systems as it is. I am a Geek of all trades, master of none, and a fickle one at that. Egg salad on rye toast with licorice tea for my breakfast. Reading "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell." Finally getting around to watching "Heroes" on Netflix. Maybe going to see Ian Svenonius's new band "Chain and the Gang" on Wednesday, if I can hitch a ride with someone or other. I love the crap out of Ian Svenonius. Saw his last band "Weird War" a couple years back at Solar Culture and no one would go with me, therefore none but I witnessed the amazingness that was a Weird War live show. One of the best Tucson live music experiences I've had of the last few years, I shite you not. I realize that all of this was very very boring, but I have to get back in the habit of writing before by brain dries up in my ripe Gen X old age. I can't afford, like, basic transportation expenses, but somehow have stumbled into all of this technology on the cheap. I am spoiled by secondhand capitalism. Grateful, but spoiled and tethered to the house like one of the Lotophagi from the Odyssey. I need to get out and live a little before my skeleton completely fails on me and my taste atrophies from neglect.

For the last time, I'm not in the "recycled computers" business

Interesting discussion at my work: re advertising. People wonder what it is we "do" even when we stand in front of a sign explicity stating "We buy used I.T./We sell used I.T."

Then, if they do "get it" they still misunderstand the "sell" part and think we are in the used Pentium II computer disposal business. "How nice, do you donate those to schools?" they will say.

No. We do not. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Try "Emergency Procurement." Try "mission critical." Think "warrantied refurbished" and out of production but still in use. We provide that "one missing part" to keep your legacy system alive. We help recoup your costs for that shiny new promising piece of equipment still in the box that your I.T. department decided against after all of that planning.

Any questions?

Here's some of the stuff we do sell...

My spine suddenly feels the need to remind me that it is basically stapled and duct taped together. Ouch!

My spine suddenly feels the need to remind me that it is basically stapled and duct taped together. Ouch!

Windows 7 complaint of the week: why the HELL can't I extract downloaded .zip files in Windows 7?

Windows 7 complaint of the week: why the HELL can't I extract downloaded .zip files in Windows 7?

Great Amanda Palmer post re: her "Oasis" video and censorship:
http://ping.fm/3BthG

Great Amanda Palmer post re: her "Oasis" video and censorship:
http://ping.fm/3BthG

Slacking on the couch eating cherry pancakes, watching DVR'd cartoons, websurfing and being poor but fortunate this Valentine's day...

Slacking on the couch eating cherry pancakes, watching DVR'd cartoons, websurfing and being poor but fortunate this Valentine's day...

Opera 9.63 hearts Windows 7 this Valentine's day...no major issues, crashes or weirdness.

Opera 9.63 hearts Windows 7 this Valentine's day...no major issues, crashes or weirdness.

...back from the land of the semilucid & life did not wait for me. Laundry knows no sick days,nor do piles of dishes.

...back from the land of the semilucid & life did not wait for me. Laundry knows no sick days,nor do piles of dishes.

Feeling less ill. Well enough to indulge in some power used-bookstore lurking & serial pancake eating before nightfall. Tomorrow the world.

Feeling less ill. Well enough to indulge in some power used-bookstore lurking & serial pancake eating before nightfall. Tomorrow the world.

...tired of being sick and sick of being tired...curse this viral infection to the depths of purgatory and soforth...

...tired of being sick and sick of being tired...curse this viral infection to the depths of purgatory and soforth...

Home sick today - spent time couchbound w/ my Win 7 Beta install. Like this version of Media Center better - not enough web content though.

Home sick today - spent time couchbound w/ my Win 7 Beta install. Like this version of Media Center better - not enough web content though.

Burnt my cookies. This is not a metaphor. Actually burnt some sugar cookies and it smells quite unpleasant.

Burnt my cookies. This is not a metaphor. Actually burnt some sugar cookies and it smells quite unpleasant.

First Windows 7 crash: blue screen of death encountered upon trying to install AVG antivirus 8. We soldier onwards.

First Windows 7 crash: blue screen of death encountered upon trying to install AVG antivirus 8. We soldier onwards.

Good Article on "Why Open Source?" here:
http://ping.fm/ukiEu

Good Article on "Why Open Source?" here:
http://ping.fm/ukiEu

Win 7 Beta is go! First thoughts? Windows 7 is to Vista as XP was to Win 2000. Same idea but improved upon slightly...

Win 7 Beta is go! First thoughts? Windows 7 is to Vista as XP was to Win 2000. Same idea but improved upon slightly...

Downloading Windows 7 beta. To be conintued...

Downloading Windows 7 beta. To be conintued...

Was up too late last night trying to defend using Wordpress for small business web design. It's not "Grandma's blog" it's streamlined CMS...

Was up too late last night trying to defend using Wordpress for small business web design. It's not "Grandma's blog" it's streamlined CMS...

Hmmm...maybe it was this guy: www.throughatruckerseyes.blogspot.com

Hmmm...maybe it was this guy: www.throughatruckerseyes.blogspot.com

At the Safeway Deli, where choice is not king…

Me: I want a two piece chicken with potato salad for one of my sides and…
Safeway Clerk: No! You can only get the sides that go with the chicken!
Me: Ok, which sides go with the chicken then?
Safeway Clerk:You can only have the JoJo potatoes
Me: Then why does it say I have a “choice” of two sides?
Safeway Clerk: (Stares Blankly)
Me: Well, those don’t look very good. Could I get just the chicken?
Safeway Clerk: You could get an 8 piece of just chicken for $6.99
Me: No thanks. Um, can I have one of the “meals to go” maybe? The pot roast looks good.
Safeway Clerk: Those are cold, though, ma’am.
Me: Um, anyway you can heat them?
Safeway Clerk #2:I think we could use the microwave…
Safeway Clerk #!: No, those are supposed to be cold.
Safeway Clerk #2: You could always have the chicken meal, it’s hot and it’s really good. It comes with the JoJo potatoes.
Me: Never mind…

At the Safeway Deli, where choice is not king…

Me: I want a two piece chicken with potato salad for one of my sides and…
Safeway Clerk: No! You can only get the sides that go with the chicken!
Me: Ok, which sides go with the chicken then?
Safeway Clerk:You can only have the JoJo potatoes
Me: Then why does it say I have a “choice” of two sides?
Safeway Clerk: (Stares Blankly)
Me: Well, those don’t look very good. Could I get just the chicken?
Safeway Clerk: You could get an 8 piece of just chicken for $6.99
Me: No thanks. Um, can I have one of the “meals to go” maybe? The pot roast looks good.
Safeway Clerk: Those are cold, though, ma’am.
Me: Um, anyway you can heat them?
Safeway Clerk #2:I think we could use the microwave…
Safeway Clerk #!: No, those are supposed to be cold.
Safeway Clerk #2: You could always have the chicken meal, it’s hot and it’s really good. It comes with the JoJo potatoes.
Me: Never mind…

Today has been one of those days when all that I touch turns to suck, in not horrible ways, but mild irritating gnat bites of let down...

Today has been one of those days when all that I touch turns to suck, in not horrible ways, but mild irritating gnat bites of let down...

At the Safeway Deli, where choice is not king...

Me: I want a two piece chicken with potato salad for one of my sides and...
Safeway Clerk: No! You can only get the sides that go with the chicken!
Me: Ok, which sides go with the chicken then?
Safeway Clerk:You can only have the JoJo potatoes
Me: Then why does it say I have a "choice" of two sides?
Safeway Clerk: (Stares Blankly)
Me: Well, those don't look very good. Could I get just the chicken?
Safeway Clerk: You could get an 8 piece of just chicken for $6.99
Me: No thanks. Um, can I have one of the "meals to go" maybe? The pot roast looks good.
Safeway Clerk: Those are cold, though, ma'am.
Me: Um, anyway you can heat them?
Safeway Clerk #2:I think we could use the microwave...
Safeway Clerk #!: No, those are supposed to be cold.
Safeway Clerk #2: You could always have the chicken meal, it's hot and it's really good. It comes with the JoJo potatoes.
Me: Never mind...

Memento Mori

Here's a link to the story about my father in theTucson Citizen. He would have written a better story, but the state of journalism being what it is...

Schroedinger's Waiting Room...

My dad passed away thursday afternoon at about 2 o'clock. it was sort of unexpectedly expected. We knew it was a looming possibility but not an immediate or inevitable certainty. It took me by surprise, but not shock. In the car ride on the way over, I didn't know yet if he had died or if he would live. I couldn't fully simultaneously contemplate the dual possibilities . So I just drove. I was fairly calm and peace when I heard the news, officially. I sat at the edge of the bed and patted my dad's foot in its black sock for a while when they let us stay with the body. It felt sort of normal that way. More like a hospital visit and less like a goodbye. I am okay. I am fine right now. I am with my family. When I am done with that I'll have time to think about how I actually feel. For right now, there is no feeling there is just doing. That is maybe as it should be. Love and peace. Corbid.