netrage

Latest car adventure

2009-12-26T21:57:29Z

Well, let's see here. A couple days ago I was on the way home, was turning a corner when the car decided to slide diagonally into a curb with the front passenger side wheel taking most of the impact.. I got out, look at things, everything looked ok, drove the last 2 blocks home. After awhile, came back out to take a drive around the block to see how it was handling. Front end alignment was toast. I had to turn the wheel a bit to the left to keep the car going straight or else it would drift badly to the right. Contacted insurance, filed a claim. They picked it up this morning to tow it off to a service center and shortly after that I got a rental car to keep me on the road while the car is getting fixed. Full coverage is good!

The rental car is rather interesting. Its a 2009 Ford Focus. i'm not a big fan of Fords but its a rental for a few days. I got in it and wow, I rather like it. It has the Sync by Microsoft technology in it so I can take my mp3 player, plug it in the USB port and it recognizes it and can play from it, no problem! It also can recognize voice commands for changing tracks and such. The car overall seems to handle well, a little more cramped than my Intrepid but overall not bad. It warms up VERY quickly. So, looks like I'll have an interesting car to drive for a few days until I get the Intrepid back, hopefully in great shape!

R.I.P. Soupy Sales

2009-10-23T16:03:30Z

Just found out he died yesterday at the age of 83. He was DAMN funny!

Geek Help!

2009-09-21T02:04:37Z

I'm rather perplexed with a situation I have here.

Parents computer, one I built about 6 mos. or so. all it would do was you go to boot up, it would complain about a corrupt boot.ini file, then go on to the Windows XP splash screen and then reboot, it would keep doing this, regardless of I booted from safe mode or not.

I tried to do a repair install of XP. It didn't even want to see the C: drive as a valid partition. After running chkdsk on it, I was able to get a directory listing from the repair console. However, now when I tried to boot I would get a "Disk Read error press ctrl-alt-del to continue" as soon it tried to boot from the hard drive. I know the data on there was still good so I didn't want to reformat before pulling the data off. So, I thought I would pull the hard drive from my currently dead desktop (motherboard failed, not had the fundage to replace it). Stick it in there and used that to retrieve the data. Stuck it in (Both SATA drives, parents drive on CH. 2 my drive on CH. 3 and the DVD drive on the IDE channel), reinstalled Vista (as it refused to boot with all the new hardware)got into Vista, saw everything, including the data from my parents hard drive. YAY!

Not so much, actually... because shortly after that the computer hard drive light would come on solid red and the computer would lock up. Reboot, shortly after booting up,same thing. Frustrated, I noticed on the Boot menu it now showed a new entry "Previous version of Windows". I chose that and BOOM! My parents hard drive booted up the computer just fine. I could also see all the other partitions on both drives. YAY! After mucking around in that a bit I decided to go back to my bootup. No dice, it wouldn't even boot anymore, As soon as it got to the Vista logo, hard drive light would light up solid and the machine would lock up.

I thought perhaps something was corrupted so my next thought was to take my Windows 7 partition that was just for testing anyhow, reformat it, and use THAT. Reformat the drive, install windows 7 and when it gets to the point where it saying "Setup is preparing to run windows 7 for the first time" hard drive light goes solid red, and it locks up. I then reset the machine boot back into my parent's XP setup, it works perfectly fine!

So now I'm baffled as to what is going on here, is it some odd SATA thing I'm missing? Could it be something else? Ideas? I'm very puzzled here. How come the XP that previously refused to boot is now booting but now my Vista and Windows 7 installed lock up while booting?

I love my car but sheeesh....

2009-07-28T20:26:19Z

Just took it in to have the brakes adjusted. The mechanic ask me if I noticed an odd catch in the steering wheel, I said I thought I noticed something but didn't think much of it. He then showed me what was causing it. Turns out the tie rod on the driver's side is getting a bit out of srts. He says its ok right now but keep an eye on it and if I notice it start to get worse, bring it in.

FUN! At this rate I'm not sure I will ever get that pesky passenger side door speaker and flaky car stereo fixed! I keep having to repair something mechanical!

My laptop

2009-07-16T15:50:23Z

Now seems to be running MUCH faster now that I bumped the memory from 256 to 768 megs! Now it actually seems usable now!

Happy b-day to me.

2009-07-11T17:06:37Z

Yeah, its my birthday today. Currently nothing exciting planned. Car was repaired yesterday to the tune of about 470 bucks. But now the brakes all work rather well! Main computer still down. However, I have 512 megs of RAM on the way for the laptop so that should help make this computer actually function decently.

Holy Shit

2009-06-25T23:22:40Z

Damn... First Farrah and now, shocker of shockers, Michael Jackson. That's really been mind blowing today.

So much for it being the power supply

2009-06-25T20:30:49Z

Nope, its not the power supply. I stuck in the new supply and the same issue. So, after some more troubleshooting, it turns out it must be either the motherboard or the CPU. Too bad I spent the money on the power supply or else I could have used the money for more ram for my Compaq nx9010.

Anyone got any laptop memory that would fit a compaq nx9010?:)

Madison area people.

2009-06-25T20:27:05Z

I'll be in the Madison area Fri. afternoon/night and will be at Rhythm and Booms most of the day Sat. and if any of you want to meet up that would be a most excellent time. You can either mail me on LJ in the next 24 hrs. or you can catch me after that through the following means.

gmail: netrage7609@gmail.com
aOL IM: tblebon27
yahoo IM: milton_smith2001

The last week

2009-06-25T14:21:09Z

Not really been on the past week because sometime last weekend the power supply in my computer decided it was going to fail to provide enough power for the machine to boot but enough for it to light up and the fans to spin. New one should arrive today. I've been limping along on my laptop that only has 256 meg of RAM and running Windows XP which well, is not a good combo. The machine is very SLOW!

On the upside, I got an unexpected phone upgrade yesterday. A Samsung Gloss SCH-u440. Full keyboard on it, its actually a square instead of the usual phone shape. Also w/the upgrade got a better phone plan so now n this phone I have access to MySpace,Faceook, Twitter, AOL IM, GMail, Flickr, Photobucket. NICE!

New Trek Movie

2009-05-08T05:39:55Z

Saw it and Wolverine tonight. Enjoyed both but Trek bugged me.

Without any spoilers, I'll just leave it to say the "time travel" thing was once again used as a crutch to justify big changes and to "reboot" the franchise. It would have taken more work and imagination to say, put a NEW crew on a NEW Enterprise after Next Generation and work within the existing universe. That part just bugs the shit out of me. Then again, it shouldn't surprise me that people can't come up with anything new and original and just want to borrow bits and pieces of what has gone before and they don't even attempt to hide it anymore. I think it was major arrogance on Abrams part to just say "I want to start Trek over from the beginning and I want to do it MY way and I don't give a damn what might have been done before". The same arrogance that "rebooted" the Bond franchise.

Be creative, either work within an existing franchise, or make your own. Don't just take somebody's sculpture and remake it to fit what you think it should be.

I think my monitor is dying

2009-05-07T17:58:43Z

It keeps going to a purple-ish hue, quite a bit lately. I'm suspecting this poor 19" monitor is startng to reach the end of its lifespan. *sigh*.

Fun with Printers

2009-05-01T14:25:16Z

Yesterday went out to Cartridge World to get the ink carts on my Dell Printer refilled. No problem. Got them home, put them in the printer and then it complains the black is almost empty and now its refusing the actually feed paper! It starts to feed the paper in, then you hear it moving the print head to do its printing bu the page NEVER moves until the ned when it tries to feed it the rest of the way out then it complains of a paper jam.

I have 3 printers here, 1 were one of the colors no longer prints, this one that seems to think its near empty with full ink carts and a 3rd with no ink. Worst part is the damn ink is so expensive you almost feel its easier to buy a new printer every couple of months!

Strange things afoot at the Jiffy Lube

2009-04-16T20:37:13Z

I go today to get the oil changed at Jiffy Lube and who walks in a couple minutes after I get there? It just happens to be lukeski , there to get his oil changed as well! The oddest things happen when you go to get oil changed, I tell ya.

Writer's Block: Grab and Go

2009-04-07T15:42:04Z

Scenario: For exactly 1 minute, you get access to all the databases of all the intelligence agencies in the world (CIA, FBI, KGB, MI-5, etc). What do you want to find out before time is up and you're caught and jailed forever?

View 503 Answers

I'd probably look up what the heck did happen with JFK.

Ugh, Router crapped out

2009-03-04T07:54:03Z

Yup, my router crapped out on me. It just started resetting every 30 seconds or so for no known reason what-so-ever a couple days ago. I tried unplugging it, leaving it unplugged for 10 min. or so, no change. I even had it unplugged for a day or so, still nothing so now I have no wireless and I'm bouncing the cable modem back and forth between mine and Angie's computer as I have no other router here. Loads of fun. We are hoping to have it replaced in the next couple days, if we can find the time to make it out to even FIND a replacement! :)

Road Trip

2009-02-25T19:46:53Z

Since I've got my car, had it about a week and it seems to be running well. I'm itching to take a road trip with it. Perhaps Madison? Might be a fun idea.

Any ideas, perhaps?

I'm mobile again!!

2009-02-20T17:52:11Z

Here it is, the new (well, new to me) car!

Type your cut contents here.

Civilization IV

2009-01-11T01:05:14Z

Now I remember why I stopped playing it. Damn computer players kick my ass everytime. I've not figured out how to adjust my strategy from Civ II to Civ IV. Right now it just seems everytime, no matter what I can't beat enemies and wipe out villages but they can run all over me with the same troops!

Tonight is opening night

2008-12-12T23:22:34Z

I'm on the stage the majority of the show.

I have a ton more lines than I have ever had in a show before.

I've had a few weeks less time than everyone else in the production.

However, I think things will go well!

We shall see in about 2 hrs.!

Writer's Block: Prohibited

2008-12-05T17:59:33Z

Today marks the passing of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which repealed Prohibition. It might seem crazy to us now, but alcohol was illegal in the U.S. for 13 years. What common vice do you think is most likely to be outlawed in the future?

View 500 Answers

I would say Smoking. With all the places banning it. It's only a matter of time until smoking,itself, is banned entirely.

Mork and Mindy on Sci-Fi channel

2008-11-28T19:00:25Z

This is great, I loved this show, completely hilarious. I wish I could see the blooper reels from this show!

Oh yeah, I'm in a play...

2008-11-14T21:47:20Z

Things get so busy I forget to post some of the more interesting things that happen.

Such as the fact I got cast in a show coming up in December. Its a rather big part which is a big jump from my part last year as the Ghost of Christmas Future, no lines, lots of pointing. I start out the show and am on stage for most of the show except for 5 min or so.

Its a pretty big part and I hope I have not bit off more than I can chew but I think I can do it, just memorizing all these lines, wow... its all about going over, and over, and over it again.

As if life wasn't busy enough! Oh well, it should be a blast, got a great cast around me. It should go well.

I'm doing something today I've never done before

2008-11-04T17:54:17Z

I think I'm actually going to go and vote in this election. A few local issues that are bugging me and the presidential race looks, VERY interesting.

Shameless Plug time

2008-10-16T21:59:28Z

I have to do this from time to time because sometimes I can be quite shameless with plugging things I'm doing.

Tomorrow night is the opening night for Little Shop of Horrors at the Rhode Center for the Arts. There is a limited number of seats available for a discounted rate online only.

Go to http://www.rhodeopera.org/tickets then choose Little Shop of Horrors, pick the opening night and in the box for the discount code type "feed me" (without the quotes) then click Show Additional Prices and it will show $10 seats! These are available opening night only but that discount code will also get you 10% off tickets for the other nights during the run which goes from Oct. 17 - Nov. 8. Shows on Fri. and Sat. are 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.

See you there!