The Christian Working Woman - Today's Broadcast

The Christian Working Woman - Today's Broadcast

For you working ladies out there that love Jesus...

Pluck: Search, Retrieve, Organize & Share the Web

Pluck: Search, Retrieve, Organize & Share the Web

This is a VERY cool tool that I found the other day. Check it out!!

My Daddy My Hero - Flash Presentation

Homeward Bound

A friend of mine sent this to me. I was told to have a box of Kleenex standing by and I have to say it will probably get to you.

AGB North America - Qtek 9090 (known as the Imate PDA2K)

AGB North America - Qtek 9090 (known as the Imate PDA2K)

Gosh, its ONLY 899.00 OMG... You can buy a laptop for less people... LOL..
Maybe by Christmas 2005 this baby will be more reasonable.

New Years Eve 2004

Well, this is the LAST day of 2004! Time flies when you are having fun and guess what folks? Out with the old and in with the new year. We can put our failures from this year behind us and look forward to using our lessons learned to practical use in 2005. This year was not one of our best financially speaking but as of October things started to get better. Hopefully things will stabilize nicely in 2005 and we can spend this new year playing catch up.

Our home computer is up and running without any problems. We still have some software to install but other than that it is very fast and running nicely. One of the things that XP does that W2k does not is that you can switch from one user profile to another without having to log off the first user. I sort of miss that but oh well.

Our plans for New Years eve is very simple. We are going to stay home with the family and just enjoy the fact that we have a place to live and that everyone is healthy. We have a LOT to be thankful for. Everytime I get on the Internet or listen to the news I am reminded of how much tragedy rages all around us. Most of us know about the tragedy that is happening half way around the world in India where 125000+ folks are missing or dead. The number just keeps rising. I can not even begin to fathom the depth of their grief and despair. It is nice to see that there has been a global response to the needs though. Hopefully life will be a little bit easier for the victims because of it. Life certainly will never be the same for them.

Our goals for 2005 are simple but they are not resolutions. You know how long new year resolutions last right? They last about as long as it takes you to break them. LOL...

Our goals to work towards are simple. Managing our finances better. That means to actually live within our budget and paying off some debt. Maintaining full time employment for both of us and getting stable. Katy is waiting on her emergency teaching certificate so she can pursue full time teaching positions in SC and I am working on my certifications so I can ultimately make more money in the long run. One of my goals personally is to lose some blubber through better eating habits and more exercise. Another one of my goals is to work on getting our mens ministry at church off the ground (out of the basement LOL) and doing something other than nothing.

Well, that is all for now. I pray that you have a safe new years eve and that you will have a prosperous and blessed new year in 2005.

Bring our Men and Women home from Iraq!!

How many men and women must die in this war? We (Americans) have sons, daughters, wives, husbands, fathers and mothers who have been committed to fight a war. Not only do Americans have a stake in this war but there are other countries that are involved. How many countries are unknown to me but I know that there are several allies that are there investing blood, sweat, tears and lots of money into this effort. My question to you is this. Is this turning into another Vietnam? I am starting to feel as if YES this is starting to turn into another political fiasco. No, I am not the type of person that is going to blame our men and women who are serving their country. However, I do feel that our government has made its statement, whatever that is and now it is time for us to come home and let the Iraqi's figure it out. I am not sure what IT is other than perhaps how to get along with one another and not be a host to teorrorist organizations who need a place of refuge or a place to train killers who will go all across the globe to slaughter innocents.

September 11, 2001 was a tragic and horrible event in the history of the world. Over 3000 men and women lost their lives in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. I understand that the US of A needed to respond in such a way to exact a penalty upon that person or people who committed this attrocity againgst humanity on our own soil. I think that we have given the terrorists of the world something to think about. If you kill our people on our own soil we will hunt you down like a rabid dog and we will kill you. Should we be killing innocent men, women and children at the same time we are hunting down those that are responsible? I guess that some folks would say that innocent lives being taken during war is just a casulty of war. I do not necessarily buy that mentality folks. How is it we have the technology that we have at our disposal yet we can not find one man? Why is it we have not found this Bin Laden character? I wonder if there are CNN reporters out there that could not find him? LOL Of course we can find him if we really want to. We have satellite technology that can take pictures of your dogs nose hair but we can not find one man who is known all over the world. Hogwash people, how stupid do they think we are anyway?

Lets surgically erase the problems we have in the middle east and then lets bring our troops and hardware home so that they can get back to the business of defending our soil and get back to their families where they belong. Amen ??

Good morning Sunshine

Ok, here we are all snug in our office chairs strapping ourselves in getting ready for another wonderful Monday morning at the office. NOT.... If you are like me you noticed that the roads were pretty empty this morning which means a LOT of folks are still on Christmas vacation. I for one am like the rest of the minority who have to make a showing at the shop/office/cubicle etc. Things are pretty dead here so I have time to completely start over on my home computer fiasco. Sigh.... Ready SET GO!!!! Deep breath...


Step 1, hook up PC and turn it on -Pray
Step 2, hook up 160 GB USB external Hard drive
Step 3, back up D drive data to external drive - should take several hours
Step 4, back up data on C drive to external drive - not as much as D drive
Step 5, insert Win98 System disk and reboot system
Step 6, blow away partitons on both C and D drives
Step 7, create new partitions on C and D drives
Step 8, format C and D drives with Fat32
Step 9, Insert Windows ME CD into cd drive and reboot
Step 10, install Windows ME on C drive with Fat32 partition - Pray
Step 11, verify all hardware is recognized and working
Step 12, use Microsoft Security CD and install all security updates since Feb 2004- Pray
Step 13, using Windows Update install any newer security updates- Pray
Step 14, install Anti Virus software and scan drive C - Pray
Step 15, begin installing necessary software - pray extra hard here
Step 16 restore data from external hard drive back to D drive
Step 17 configure MS Outlook with proper PST file for Katy - Pray
Step 18 configure MS Money with correct data file - Pray again
Step 19 if steps 1 through 19 blow up in my face despite prayer take PC CPU out to Ashley Phosphate rd and let multiple cars and trucks destory it beyond repair
Step 20 If I had to resort to step 19 figure out where I will live after Katy kicks me out of the house because of no Internet access

Back to reality again

I know that it is time to get back to reality because I am at my part time job working security here at the County Office Building in DT Charleston. It is REALLY cold here but atleast it has stopped raining. Last night we were under a winter storm advisory because a cold front was coming through and there was a trough of moisture coming from the gulf of Mexico and racing up the eastern seaboard.
Luckily for us the roads did not ice over here in the lowcountry but I am sure in the upstate of SC near the mountains or north of I-95 that folks saw some sleet, ice and some snow. When that happens here in the deep south the entire state just shuts down. People rarely know how to drive safely in good conditions much less when the roads become hazardous. I think that last week atleast two days of the week I 26 was shut down for several hours due to multiple car wrecks where folks turned their cars or trucks upside down on the freeway.

I have not heard back from either Bloglines or Blogger about the lapdance.com posts that Patty found. I am hopeful that someone can delete that garbage from my blog. Imagine the horror when Patty told me last night that I was advertising porn in my blog and I did not even know it. LOL... How scary is that folks? Its one thing when someone wants to advertise that sort of thing or talk about it but its quite something else when you are promoting christian/family values. Speaking of that I hope that you are not in the dark with regards to Internet porn. Just the other day at the shop a lady had brought in her laptop computer to be worked on. The laptop wound up getting spyware and other malware installed and was eating up all the system resources. When the customer came by to pick up her computer it was late in the afternoon and I was the only one in the office. We were standing at the front counter where I was checking the machine out and the customer was paying the bill when she asked me if she could ask me something but that it might make me mad. I told her to go ahead and ask the question because I doubt that I would be angry about it. The customer tells me that her daughters husband is involved in surfing porn on the Internet and that her daughter knows something is up because every time she walks past the computer he switches the screen to something else on the computer. In other words he is hiding what he is doing from her. The daughter has approached the husband and asked him to talk about it and of course he is in denial. Over the last 10+ years I have worked with several Intenret based ministries that work with men and women who are either addicted to porn or have become victims of this addiction through their relationships with someone that is.

Internet porn is a billion dollar industry and you no longer need to go searching for it , it will find you in the form of either spam mail OR an innocent web search via Google, Yahoo or whatever search engine you are on. There are porn sites out there that use meta tags that have the word Bible, God, Jesus and church. So, if you or your children are searching for something innocent and non adult in nature you might be surprised to know that the wrong result could pop up on your computer screen. So the question is not IF you run across porn on your Internet connected computer but WHAT you will do WHEN it happens. One of the problems with Internet porn OR gambling is that you can do these activities from the privacy of your own home behind locked doors and no one will be the wiser as to what you are doing. These types of activity become secret sins. Even for those husbands, wives, sons or daughters that are extremely alert they wont recognize credit card charges for porn or gambling because those companies disguise the charge to a company name that is very ambigous. That credit card charge could be something bad or it could be something innocent.

The problem with Internet porn and gambling is that it becomes an addiction. When the problem starts it could be very innocent and compeletly coincidental. In other words the son or daughter goes through the house and finds videos or magazines that they should not find and before you know it they have been introduced into a world that they should never have been invited into. We lock up our guns and unload them from our kids right? Why would you leave something laying around that our kids could get into that will cause them to start down the road with an ugly addiction. I dont care what it is folks. It can be Playboy magazines, cigarrettes, gambling , snuff, whatever. If you have it in your life and you are not careful before you know it your loved ones could get sucked into a very tangled web that can lead to major problems down the road. Like I said earlier, people become curious through different channels and for different reasons and they do not intend to become addicted but it happens. Web sites will offer you a TASTE of what they have to offer for as little as 1.00 to get you sucked in and before you know it you are paying a monthly service fee to get MORE and MORE and MORE of whatever it is that you are addicted to. If you are reading this and you are thinking OH MY perhaps there is a problem somewhere within your family there is HOPE and there are solutions available to you. The first thing you have to do is find out what is going on. Drag the behaviour and activities lovingly out into the light. You might have to exercise some tough love to get to the truth but nevertheless I encourage you to do it. There are online resources and offline resources that you can tap into that will educate you on what you need to know about whatever you are going through. So, do not feel alone or as if you are in a helpless or hopeless situation because you are not. If you have questions or need direction in these areas feel free to send me e-mail at moffittj@bellsouth.net and I will do everything that I can to point you in the right direction.

Well, today is the day after Christmas and before we know it we will be back to reality. The 9 to 5 grind will start up and we will find ourselves in bumper to bumper traffic with the rest of humanity.
We spend so much time getting ready for Christmas ( well some of us do I suppose) and then when it is all over we almost find outselves feeling a bit depressed that it is gone. Why cant Christmas last 11 months out of 12 anyway? Our pastor preached on this very topic today and he spoke about the Christmas story of the Grinch that stole Christmas. He compared Herod in the old testament with the Grinch. Both of them were not happy about others having fun and being festive. Both of them decided to do whatever it takes to KEEP people from experiencing joy and happiness because they were either threatened (Herod and the Christ child at birth) or did not want people to have fun (the Grinch). The moral of the story is that we can keep our focus on the reason for the season 356 days a year and we can have Christmas every day of the year. We can open up our hearts and let Jesus in and allow Him to be the Lord of all or we can be our own lord and become all wrapped up in the world around us and pursue the things of this world that are only temporal. How much money will make us happy? How many parties does it take to make us merry? How many or much of this or that will it take for us to find true peace, joy and happiness? I can assure you that there is a temporary attraction and fun with regards to the things of this world but once the newness has worn off and the consequences of engaging in these activities hits home the fun will end. I hope that there was a Christ in your Christmas season and that you spent some quality time with loved ones and remembered how awesome it was that Emanuel was born and placed in a manager with swaddling clothes.

Here is another thought for you while I am banging away at the keyboard. Are you going to live forever? We all assume that we will go to bed tonight in our own beds and that we will wake up when the alarm clock goes off in the morning. Tonight at work I was rudely awakened AGAIN to the fact that life is very precious and it is very temporary for us. I found out that a young lady that works for our company was involved in a motorcycle accident last week and died. I worked with this lady one shift and have only seen her one other time in passing in the parking garage during shift change.
This young lady was either 20 or 22 years of age. Her life was ended just last week, the week of Christmas 2004. She is gone, never to return to us in the life that we know now. I do not even know what her religious affiliation was or if she even attended church. So, of course, I find myself sitting here wondering about her eternal resting place hoping that Christ was her Lord and Savior.
Just this year I lost a friend of mine to cancer who worked over at the Historic Court Building. Carol Holland was younger than I am and she is gone. This morning at 7 am people in Asia were surprised by a 8.9 earthquake which produced a Tsunami tital wave that was 20 feet high. They are still counting the bodies but we are up to 11000 now. How many folks lose a loved one in the many wars that are going on over our entire globe? Gone , never to return. How tragic is that? Well, the point of all this is that none of us know when our time is up and when we will exit out of the life that we know now. I am not bringing all of this back to your attention because I am trying to be morose or morbid but I want to make sure that YOU and your loved ones are ready for that eventuality. Yes, I know, you are in good health and you do not engage in any behaviours or activities that will endanger you. Do you drive to work? Do you fly from one city to another? That list can go on but there are many ways in which our life can end and there is no way that any of us can figure out a way to keep the inevitable from happening. No matter what get smart and be ready. Be ready to face your creator every single day of your life and thank HIM that He has seen fit to give you that life to live. What is the saying? Life is Gods gift to us but what we do with that life is our gift back to God.

Happy Holidays

Windows XP SP1 Nightmares

Santa Claus has delivered the toys under the Christmas tree and is on his way back to the North Pole. The kids have just opened all their presents from under the tree and I am glad it is over. LOL... They were about to drive mom and dad crazy as they bounced all over the house yesterday in anticipation. I guess I have forgotten what a big deal it is for kids on Christmas. HoHoHo Merry Christmas to one and all. Now, lets talk about MY Christmas gift that the Grinch left for me last night.

Remember I told you that I was going to wipe the hard drive on the family computer and start all over from scratch? I started the process at 1 pm and it should have ENDED around 6pm. From the time I used FDISK to kill the original partition to installing all of the software. Well thanks to the Grinch (who else can I blame ?) he stole my Christmas JOY by causing me to have to work on the blasted computer up until around midnight. How special.... LOL

Lets see, the last time I babbled about this I had formatted the drive with NTFS version 5 and was installing XP Professional Service Pack 1. I managed to get the OS installed with no problems and ran all of the MS Security Updates from the Windows Update website including Service Pack 2. I installed the Anti Virus software and then noticed that I did not have any sound. We cant have that so I dove in with both feet and elbows and remembered that I need to install the correct driver to make the speakers work. That is when the hardware nightmare began.

At this point I did not realize that my motherboard chip set and plug in cards were not going to work with XP SP1. After fighting with the sound card drivers for 2 + hours and multiple reboots and BSOD with the sysaudio.sys error I finally decided to blow the partition away and start all over again. That was around 7 pm that I decided that. I figured that would be the fastest way to fix the problem. When I tried to install XP with SP1 on a fresh partition I was greeted by multiple BSOD's AGAIN. At this point I gave up and took the sound card out and tried the install on a fresh partition which resulted in a BSOD so I tried to disable all sound on the MB which caused another BSOD. I finally went to the Internet and searched on the sysaudio.sys error with XP SP1 and was greeted with numerous nightmare stories of how XP SP1 just does not play well with some hardware. Well folks, guess what? Such is the case in my computer. I finally installed Microsoft ME on the computer with NO problems. I have Internet access, sound and the whole works. I also was able to install Microsoft XP Home and have it in a dual boot configuration. Everything BUT sound works on XP Home. Go figure... I think that it is time to buy a new home pc that will enable me to use XP Pro and Service pack 2.

I guess it was about 12:04 am when I looked at the laptop and noticed that I had lost wireless connectivity. Sigh... I thought, what the heck is wrong now folks? LOL... Sure enough I did not have Internet connectivity and then I found out that our entire phone service was down, no dial tone no nothing. I called Bellsouth and of course they determined that I REALLY did have a problem on the line and that it would be Monday before someone could come look at it. At this point I just turned everything off and went to bed. What else could I destroy anyway? This morning when we awakened the dial tone magically had come back on the phone. I guess the Grinch left the building and took all the gremlins with him. Thank God for that. LOL...

Now that the christmas gifts are opened and the children have calmed down some I can focus on reconfiguring our home PC with all of the software I need to install and I need to put together a bicycle together for Justin. I just hope I dont destroy that as well. LOL

So, anyway what is the moral of this story you ask? If it is NOT broken, dont fix it. LOL

Merry Christmas....

The unthinkable

Yes, I just did the unthinkable or is the word unthunkable? LOL... I am spending my FREE time wisely this weekend since I have several days off and not much else to do. I blew away the partition on my hard drive , formatted C and reinstall XP Professional. Two years ago I did an upgrade on my system in which I went from a 866 mhz Gateway Motherboard/cpu and put in a 1.1 GHZ Celeron CPU and motherboard. I found out that when service pack 1 for XP came out that I could not install it because Microsoft found that my product key was not legitimate. That is right, the software running on my PC was considered pirated by Mickeysoft. Sigh.... So, obviously when service pack 2 came out I could not install it nor could I install some applications like PERCH which demands you be running a minimum of Service Pack 1 for XP. Service Packs are pushed out to the public by Microsoft so that WE can update their buggy software and hopefully be safe from the latest and greatest security holes that are being found each and every day.
Now that some of you have Service Pack 2 there are folks out there that are finding more and more security holes in Mickeysoft OS XP. Go figure.

So, thus far I have used FDISK to blow away the non dos partition and recreated a primary dos partition. I booted to the XP OS cd and let it format the primary partition NTFS5. NTFS version 5 allows you to encrypt your files and compress them which are the two extra attributes that NTFS version 4 did not allow you to do. NTFS5 formatted fine and the OS is up and running. I entered in the correct VALID OS Product Key and registered online with Mickeysoft without a problem. Now I will spend the next 6 hours installing ALL the other Mickeysoft Security Updates including Service Pack 2. Luckily for me I have the wireless laptop fired up so I can drivel what I am doing in my blog to keep me from falling asleep and give you something to do other than to eat that other cookie or potatoe chip that is in your hand. JUST PUT IT DOWN OK?? You dont need it. hahahahahaha

Once all the security updates are done I can do a fresh install of Microsoft Office XP and the other LIST of software that I can not live without like Microsoft Activesynch for my Pocket PC and Anti Virus software which is a must have for anyone running broadband which is ALWAYS ON.... Heck, even if you are not on the Internet you should have Anti Virus software and Spybot Search and Destroy installed on your computer.

Happy Holidays!!!

So much for pictures....

I just took some digital pictures to share with YOU but of course my HELLO application and bloogerspot has decided to take the day off and not cooperate. I have grown quite lazy with regards to sharing pictures on my blog because this app makes it quiet easy. I will be waiting for Hello to fix itself before I post the pictures. I doubt that I have the ability to post pictures here on Bloglines....

Well, here we sit, just hanging out, watching the lights on the tree blink and listening to Christmas music. I took the kids and the dogs out for a 2 mile walk in the freezing weather. Gosh, that was SO MUCH FUN... LOL NOT... I am catching up on some much needed technoid reading in some of my magazine subscriptions that I rarely have time to read. I will be sharing any choice things that I find later so stay tuned.

I am thinking about taking the kids bowling this afternoon to keep cabin fever from setting in. I have not been off of work from either of my two jobs for the last 16 days so this will be nice...

Perfect gift for your favorite couch potatoe

I saw this advertisement on TV tonight and almost fell over. If I had not been sitting on the floor already I would have probably wound up there as I was laughing. How about buying a Black and Decker Jar Opener for your favorite couch potatoe. I had flash backs of Jay Leno saying " How FAT are we Americans....." Have you seen the new Hardees Monster Burger commercial? I think that this burger has 4000 calories in one burger. Now we have Black and Decker Jar Openers as well? Does that mean we are REALLY that lazy now? LOL... God help us...

Bloglines Blog

Ok, for those of you that want to keep up with my BLOG here but do not want to figure out RSS readers etc I have started a new BLOG at Bloglines that will mirror this one. When I publish here and I have time I will publish it over at Bloglines as well. You never know, I might blog different content to both blogs just to keep you on your toes. LOL...

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/jcmoffitt

Merry Christmas



James Moffitt
http://www.jesus-connect.net/jcmoffitt
moffittj@bellsouth.net

Christmas 2004 is almost upon us....

I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit and for some reason it is just not working.
I am not sure WHAT the "christmas spirit" is supposed to be per sae or HOW to find it but I feel that it must have something to do with a feeling of JOY and PEACE and HAPPINESS.
One of the things about growing up into an adult is that you find out that Santa Claus really is not the magical fellow that the weatherman always finds on weather radar each Christmas Eve as he is making his way from the North to the South giving the hope filled children a reason to go to bed. Now I know that the reason that the parents want the children to go to bed is so that they can put together all those hard to configure toys and finally go to sleep themselves before being awakened by the kids bouncing off the walls.

I suppose that since the magic is gone for me that atleast my children can enjoy as much of the Christmas season that is possible. Justin at the age of 9 and Kristina at the age of 12 understand that there is no St Nick and that mommie and daddy had a rough year financially and thanks to Food Lion they will actually have a Christmas gift under the tree.
I am glad that this is possible but I HATE the fact that our kids are getting Christmas because of HDST and Food Lion. I am hopeful that mom and dad can have a much more propserous New Year in 2005 and that we can find ourselve able to play Mr and Mrs Claus next year.

I am very thankful that while I might not find myself eaten up with the Christmas spirit I still have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful that God is still God and that He is still in control of our ultimate destiny. I am glad that our family is in good health, together under one roof and that we are able to enjoy the basic needs of life which is a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, food for our stomachs and a place to lay our heads at night. Once you get past the basic needs everything else is icing on the cake. Unfortunatley we live in a day and age that determines our worth and our happiness by how much junk we can accumulate and how much fun we can have. We find ourselves comparing one another with one another and falling miserably short in some areas and feeling like failures. If you never compare yourself to your neighbor or co worker and wonder why you have not achieved what they have or dont have what they have or look like they do then you are doing better than most folks. I sometimes find myself doing just that and it only causes me to be down in the dumps and feeling puny. So, instead of looking without I will chose to look within and just be thankful for where we are at.

The first two quarters of this year sucked financially but somehow we managed to survive it. October finds me with a better job in the I.T. industry which certainly took a LOT of pressure off the budget and still playing a major game of catch up. The year 2005 will find me filling my tiny little brain with semi useless computer jargon, acronyms and technology tidbits so that I can obtain little pieces of paper that show folks that I know NT stands for Nuclear Tomatoe. LOL... In the month of January I hope to take my A+ certification test and hopefully pass it the first time. The Network + will follow and then I will be diving off into the world of Citrix and Microsoft Server 2003. I just hope that I do not fry the last brain cell I have left. LOL...

Katy and the kids are on vacation until afte the 1st day of 2005 and I will probably plug along and not get any time off thanks to most of the holidays falling on the weekend anyway. The nice thing about that is that things have been a tad bit slow for me at work which has allowed me to catch my breath and do some studying.

My hope, wish and prayer for you is that you will take the time in the next four days to sit down and appreciate where you are at in life. If you have family take the time to reaquaint yourself with them. Sit down and talk to them, hug them and let them know that you appreciate them for who they are. Get in touch with long lost relatives and wish them a Merry Christmas. Yes, I know, people are not perfect and we all have to deal with our good and bad side. Just figure out a way to overlook the bad and highlight the good in the folks around you. Everyone will want to feel loved and appreciated this season and as I have said before this is not a happy time for everyone. There are folks out there that do everything that they can just to survive the holiday season. So, if you know someone that needs a friend and for someone to show that they know they are alive try to be that someone.

Happy Holidays and God bless

Wi-Fi Networking News: R.I.P. W.E.P.

Just when you think your Wireless Network is safe. How many of us take out the wireless access point, turn it on and have the mind set of "set it and forget it"? Some of us even go to the length of actually turning on WEP. This article shows us where that functionality while better than doing NOTHING does not mean that someone can not gain access to your data. How scary is that folks?
The good news is that even with WEP enabled there are things that you can do on your wireless network that will make it much more difficult to gain access to your wireless network.




Wi-Fi Networking News: R.I.P. W.E.P.

Zafi worm variant hides behind Christmas cheer - Computerworld

BEWARE of the WORM.... LOL...

Read this article, good stuff. Be aware of receiving this in your inbox and be sure to DELETE it and DO NOT open it.


Zafi worm variant hides behind Christmas cheer - Computerworld

How COLD is it??

It is 28 degrees F here in Goose Creek SC. Good grief Grady what the heck is going on? The Eskimos left the freezer door open and I cant google their e-mail address to REMIND them to close it. Brrrrrrrrrrrr

I have 6 minutes before West Wing comes on and we watch our favorite TV president and staff do their thing. The TV president has MS and in this next show it will show his symptoms accelerating to the point that he is almost paralyzed. Then there is something about a HUGE asteroid headed for earth. Say do what?? Oh, never mind, its only TV. LOL...

Not much new going on here. Work, eat , sleep, FREEZE, thaw out, work, eat sleep, FREEZE , thaw out. LOL...

Happy Holidays from our family to yours.

NASA - The 2004 Geminid Meteor Shower

NASA - The 2004 Geminid Meteor Shower

Calling all star gazers. I am usually up between 11:30 pm and midnight watching Jay Leno so this will be the perfect time for me to go outside and check this out. We do not live in the city per sae so hopefully I can see some comets that night. As for Katy and the kids they will already be fast asleep so I guess I will have to see this on my own. Maybe I will take some pictures with the camera. That would be cool huh?

Happy Star Gazing everyone!!

Thunderbird - Reclaim Your Inbox

Thunderbird - Reclaim Your Inbox

Check out Mozilla Thunderbird, I am. I am certainly not a Microsoft poster boy and if the truth were known most I.T. folks owe Microsoft for providing them with buggy code that allows us to have jobs. Heck, if everything just worked then no one would need us I.T. folks around to fix things, right? LOL... What about cars that never blow up or leave us stranded on the side of the road? Where would the auto mechanics go to work then? McDonalds?

Anyway, we live in an imperfect world and we are imperfect people so therefore the stuff that we create become direct decendants of our inability to create something perfect. Our imperfections are cloned right into our creations and therefore there will always be a niche for folks that know how to fix things.

Is Mozzilla Thunderbird or Mozilla Firefox browser 100 percent free from bugs or being exploited by some script kiddie? No, of course not. However, from a support stand point I will tell you that because Microsoft (Mickeysoft) is such a huge beast that has consumed such large amounts of market share and usage that there are way more folks targeting their software than Mozilla.

I have been using Firefox pre release version 1 for quite some time and I have to say that I love it. The problem with using a third party non Mickeysoft application is that MS Office applications and other non Mickeysoft apps will always default to Mickeysoft applications (such as IE) because all of MS Windows OS and apps are fully integrated. So, there will still be that time when you are surfing the web or whatever and Internet Exploder will show up as the default browser. There are also the plugins and extensions situation. When I am using Firefox and I happen across something juicy that I MUST share with YOU via my BLOG I can not click on the Blogger plugin that I have in IE to port the goodie straight into my blog. That means I have to cut and paste my URL from Firefox into IE so I can do that. I guess that is the downside to using different applications that dont have full integration and support from multiple vendors yet.

Ok, back to Mozilla Thunderbird as an e-mail client. One of the things that I absolutely LOVE is that it has a built in Newsgroup Reader and RSS reader. Yes, Netscape has a newsgroup reader but it does NOT have a RSS compatible reader. Outlook 2003 is supposed to have a newsgroup plug in but the instructions on HOW to make this work is so complicated and vague that even I can not make it happen. I spent about 30 min messing with it and finally decided that I would rather spend that time in Blogexpress reading RSS feeds instead of messing with the plugin for Outlook.

E-mail, Newsgroups, web browsing and RSS feeds are all tightly related to one another and I for one am happy that there are products out there like Thunderbird that allow you to have all of the same functionality in the same interface.

If I find something else that is neat or a nugget of information about Thunderbird that you need to know I will blog it for you.

Handango Holiday Free App Giveaway

Handango Holiday Free App Giveaway

What better way to enjoy the holidays than to receive FREE software for your Pocket PC?
If you are a propeller head like me you are always one click away from some new and improved piece of software that is a must have for your mobile platform. So, with that in mind check this site every week to see what the latest FREE software is going to be.

Merry Christmas!!

PC-cillin for Wireless

PC-cillin for Wireless

Do you have a Pocket PC or a new digital cell phone that has a Windows or Palm operating system? If you do you are susceptible to getting a virus on one of these devices just like you can on your PC. So, install this FREE software to your favorite mobile device and be protected. I just did and it works great!

Trend Micro Enterprise Homepage (US)

Trend Micro Enterprise Homepage (US)

Do you have Live Update running on your Anti Virus software?
Have you run Live Update manually in the last week to check and see if there are new virus definition files available?
Is your Anti Virus subscription expired and if so how long have you been exposing your computer hardware and software to possible risk?

Every day I see computers who are infested with viruses, malware, adware, trojans and spyware. The number one reason these machines are infested is because the Anti Virus software that is installed has not been kept up to date. User beware! Your computer CAN and WILL get infected with something if you are on the Internet. Protect your hardware and time investment by protecting your computer. AVG offers FREE anti virus software and Etrust also offers one year free anti virus software as well. There are a lot of websites that offer free online scans too. Whatever you do about this do something. :)

Take care

Sedfield Middle School

Home

Last night we were treated to a wonderful meal cooked up by the PTO parents of Sedgefield Middle School and then we watched and listened to the Christmas musical that was put on by the 6th and 8th graders. Our Kristina was in the front row and actually got to do a solo. We are very proud of her and also of the other children who worked so hard at making this a special evening to remember.

Do you remember what I said a week or two ago about "dont forget the film". Well, its a good thing I took the digital camera with us because what tapes that I did have to tape the musical decided to give up the ghost. Atleast I hope it is a problem with the tapes and not the camera. I managed to tape about 30 min of the musical but when I got to the end of the first tape it said to EJECT the tape and when I put another tape in it would not tape. The tapes are about 3 years old so I guess it is time for some new ones. LOL...

DallasCowboys.com - The Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys

DallasCowboys.com - The Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys

WHAT about them BOYS ?? I thought for sure that they lost on more than one occasion and then they would start to make some plays and keep the ball moving down the field. I even chanted "Dallas sucks, Dallas sucks" during the game. hahahahahaha I apologize Dallas fans, I have just been disappointed on so many occasions when they seemed to have given up the ghost. Monday night football was certainly the Dallas Cowboys of old that I have been watching since 1969.

Go Cowboys!!!

Never forget the film

That is right, the next time you decide to take pictures at your favorite event make sure to check the camera BEFORE you take those favorite close up shots....

Yesterday, I discovered that after taking 40 + pictures that my Canon had a never ending roll of film. I noticed the counter was on 38 and even though I thought I would have been at the end of the film roll it still allowed me to advance the film but the number never changed from 38. I finally just walked outside to check the camera and sure enough there was NOTHING there. No roll of film. LOL...

I am glad that there were other folks there and that they did take pictures with their digital cameras. I also took a few shots that I will upload later. It rained all day Saturday and was overcast this morning but now it is partly cloudy skies and the sun is out. Atleast I will have a decent looking day when I go down to the County Office Building to work. I am sure that the tourists will be out in droves as well.

How about DEM Boys??

I will be the first to tell you how badly the Dallas Cowboys suck when they are playing like they typcially do. I had to do a happy dance yesterday in my living room when Dallas finally woke up in the fourth quarter of the game to beat the Chicago Bears. Hey, I kinda liked the uniforms that they were wearing. Apparently those uniforms were a throw back of the unifroms they used to wear back in the 60's. Hummmmmm I watched them back in the 60's but I guess that is just a weeeeee bit too far for my mind to remember. LOL... Not that I am getting OLD or anything like that.

I am proud to report that I got pleasantly full yesterday but I did not over indulge myself.
Thanks to the good folks at the Meritage restaurant at 235 East Bay Street in downtown Charleston the Happy Days and Special Times group were served a feast fit for a king. My hat is off to the owner and staff of this fine establishment as they sacrifice every Thanksgiving to provide us with such a scrumptious meal. :) Our special treat was when Debby and Charlie finally arrived after their long trip from Boston yesterday morning. They said they had to leave the airport at 5 am and arrived in Charleston around 12:45 pm. Gosh, that is a long trip to say the least. We were all so happy to see both of them. I spoke to Charlie and he seems to be doing pretty good considering all that he has gone through with the 9 weeks of proton treatments he received for cancer. Flash told us that Charlie put his butt on the line every day for nine weeks. LOL... Flash is such a mess. We love you Flash and Charlie!!!!

Tomorrow we will spend the day at the Clarion Hotel as Happy Days and Special Times puts on their annual Christmas party for all of the Happy Days children. I am looking forward to seeing our friends (especially Gayle and Anthony) tomorrow. I am a quart LOW on playing spades. LOL...

Well, I guess that is it for now. Have a safe, blessed and warm holiday weekend.

God bless

Thanksgiving Wishes to you and your family !!

Hello Folks!

Can you believe it is already Thanksgiving Day 2004 ? Where has this year gone?
I wanted to take a few moments to wish you and your family a safe and blessed Thanksgiving day. Most of us, if not all are off from work , school or whatever it is we do normally as we pause to give thanks for the many things that we should be thankful for.

Today is the day that we focus on the good things that God has brought us as well as the bad things that have caused good in our lives. When we are walking through the bad things we sometimes fail to see how God is working in us and through us and developing our character , bringing us closer to Him and taking us into a higher walk with Him. So, as we are thanking God for our many positive blessings lets also remember to thank Him for the challenges, valleys , trials and tribulations. There is nothing that we can not handle with God in our lives. Amen ??

Last night as I watched the news I was reminded of several things. One thing is evident in that this year is no different than any other. Everyone seems to be gearing up for that time of the year that we call Christmas. Most folks are rushing around preparing for all of the holiday festivities, food, drink, purchasing gifts, giving gifts, taking vacation time etc. Several days after Halloween the stores were getting ready for Thanksgiving. A week before Thanksgiving the stores were in full swing with Christmas music. Just the other day my children put up the Christmas tree with all the trimmings and the winter wonderland village. While I think that it is wonderful that we can enjoy the festivities of the holiday season I think that it is important that in our hustle and bustle to create the right atmosphere for our loved ones that we take the time to stop and breathe deeply and take stock of what is going on around us. Take a few moments as you are out shopping in the next week or two and see how many truly peaceful and happy people that you will find all around you in the stores this year. I did that the other day and I was saddened that most folks were stressed out rushing here and there racing around with their shopping carts not paying attention to anything other than finding that special and perfect gift. Maybe we can be an instrument of peace and tranquility as we are out and about this Christmas season and help folks around us to just slow down and remember that this season is not about that special and perfect gift. Yes, I am going to say it. Jesus is the reason for the season. I am not talking about the god that we put in a box. I am talking about the God that created us and desires to have fellowship with us and to love us and to bring us peace, happiness, joy and purpose.

When we see folks rushing about all wrapped up in preparing for and getting to those special festivities we understand why they are stressed out and are not at peace. The only way we can find real peace, contentment and joy is to look to the God of peace who resides within us His Kingdom. The other thing that I was reminded of as I watched the news last night is that the holiday season is not a merry time for all. There are those folks out there that dread this time of year who suffer from depression or are living with the grief of losing a loved one. Sometime it is hard to remember that when we are so far removed from someone elses pain and suffering.

Thank you for being a part of my life and the life of my family. You are in my friends and family distribution list because God has placed you there for a purpose. You are a blessing from above and I am so thankful that you are that special someone that God has created. You have added quality and quantity to our lives and for that I am eternally thankful. I praise God for my immediate family, and you who are a part of my extended family. I pray that God will bring blessings and peace and joy and purpose to you and your loved ones this holiday season.

God bless

Outfoxed by a spud!!

Yes, that is right, I was outfoxed or out smarted by a spud... LOL...

I came home last night tired as can be. I had promised to take the family out for dinner so I came home, changed clothes and announced that if Katy wanted to go out to dinner she would have to drive. In my new position at Advantec Global Services I spend a good portion of my days driving around in Charleston traffic. So, when I get home the last thing I want to do is hop back in the car and do it again. The general rule is if I make it home and take off my shoes we are going to be eating from mommas kitchen. I think that Katy regrets that and she does everything that she can to sweet talk me into staying out in the car and meeting me out in the driveway. LOL...

When I got home Katy told me that she had rescued two puppies from certain doom. That is my Dr. Doolittle for you. Katy was on her way home off of Old Backriver Rd when she came to a stop sign and saw two puppies wandering around in the ditch close to the road. True to her nature her animal protection instincts kicked in and she brought home to HUGE puppies. So, on our way out to go to dinner Katy notices that there is a car behind the fence where she found the dogs. We made a pit stop and sure enough the owner was missing his babies. So, off to the house we go to get the puppies and Katy's wallet and cell phone that she had forgotten earlier. This time we pick up the kids, two puppies and headed back out to deliver the puppies to their rightful owner and finally go to dinner.

When we departed Old Back River enroute to Redbank to head over to Los Arcos Mexican restaurant in Goose Creek Katy advised me that she had again forgotten her wallet and her cell phone but that she did have a potatoe in her purse. A huge potatoe that was left overs from a science project in school that day. No wallet, no drivers license, no cell phone but she has a potatoe. You know what that means, after dinner you know who was driving down the road AGAIN despite my best laid plans to STAY out of the drivers seat. Sigh.... That is how I was outfoxed by a spud... LOL...

Lug nuts anyone?

I have been told that when someone has a good experience they tell one or two people but when you have a bad experience you tell everyone you know. So, with that in mind I am going to "shout my bad experience from my Blog". LOL

Sams Wholesale club moved out of their old Rivers Avenue location in North Charleston to a new and improved site near the Charleston Convention Center and the Charleston International airport. I always get tickled at the name of the airport especially since the only international thing about it might be a coffee shop that has more than two flavors of coffee. I think that our airport has a sum total of 6 gates if that many. Come on people, International Airport?? Giggle....

Oh yeah, I need to stop chasing rabbitts and get back to "Lug nuts anyone"?
Last Saturday we decided to go to the new Sams Wholesale to get two new tires for the Caddy. I had replaced the other two tires several months ago and the tires on the back were starting to have the familiar "steel belt separation" problem and causing the car to vibrate when you get to a certain speed. So, I finally quit procrastinating and took the car over to have the tires replaced and rotated. Once we checked in we started doging the thousands of other holiday shoppers that had arrived before us. OH MY GOSH, I was astounded by how many folks were in there stocking up on this and that and then some.
I know this is going to fall under the TMI category but I am in the mens room taking care of business and I hear my name being called to come to the Tire Center. So, I think GREAT here I am all tied up STILL talking to mother nature and I cant get there. Katy hears the page and goes over to investigate. I finally get out of my conference with mother nature and go over to the tire center. Katy tells me that they are refusing to work on my car because lug nuts are missing off of the tires. I am thinking. You have got to be kidding me people. Sure enough, here comes the mechanic who advises me that ONE lug nut is missing off of the back right rear tire and therefore it is deemed an unsafe vehicle that they can not touch. I asked them to find me a manager who came and insisted that their policy states that if you are missing one lug nut your vehicle is deemed unsafe and therefore we wont work on it. Well, to say the least I am steamed at this point. Of course we had already paid for the two new tires. So, off we go back to where the OLD Sams Wholesale used to be to go across the street to buy a package of lugnuts that cost a whopping 2.99.

The whole point here folks is that I was inconvenienced by having to drive my UNSAFE vehicle back to North Charleston to buy something that cost next to nothing to drive back to the store to have tires put on and ONE NEW LUG NUT so my car would have its new tires, tires rotated and make it SAFE according to Sams Wholesale. Good grief Grady, is there something wrong with this picture? I understand that Sams Wholesale is not in the business of providing the general public with Auto parts. However, if you are going to have a policy that states that ONE missing lugnut is going to make your car unsafe in their minds and their policy states they wont work on it WHY can't they have a kiosk with lugnuts for different makes and models of cars? Does Sams Wholesale NOT sell anything else for cars other than tires? While I am ranting and raving over the sheer stupidity of this ridiculous policy let me share one other thing with you. When you buy the new tires and go to drive it down the street you will notice that the BLUE junk that is on the white walls is still there. Sams Wholesale does not provide you with the simple service of washing the blue stuff off. That is an extra service that is no longer provided. If you want the blue junk off the white walls you can go wash it off yourself. How special is that folks? How long would it take to slosh a rag or brush around in a bucket of water and wash off the blue stuff? All of 45 seconds MAYBE? The bottom line is this customer service is a thing of the past. Do you remember the gas stations where you would pull in, sit in your car and the attendant would fill the gas tank, look under the hood and check your fluid levels and the air pressure in your tires? Well, you guessed it, you had to dig back in those dusty brain cells quite a ways back huh? Now , we are lucky if the gas station has a restroom sized floor space where the attendant sits on the inside and has one of those automated drawers that you put your money in while you look at each other through 5 inch think bullet proof glass. Now they have gas stations that are fully automated and there are NO employees around whatsoever. If you need help for whatever reason you can pick up your cell phone , walk over to the street away from the pump and dial a 800 number that is probably not toll free anymore and leave your message requesting help into a voice mail box that is probably never checked. Now, that is customer service folks. LOL....

Sams Wholesale and other merchants need to get a clue. Customers want to buy their goods and products but we do not care to be made angry over stupid policies nor do we care to be totally inconvenienced and have to drive all over Gods creation trying to purchase a 2.99 package of lugnuts just to appease their policy and make them feel safe that I am not goint to sue them when one of my tires falls off the car because of ONE missing lug nut. LOL... One missing lugnut does not make a vehicle unsafe people....

Well, I think I feel better now. I see that it is time for me to quit blogging and go do the shower and shave routine and throw myself into my caddy and drive those two new tires with matching lugnuts down to Ashley Phosphate road to my office so I can provide world class customer service to my customers today.

Have a great day ya hear !!!

The Recovery Console in XP is different than using a "Recovery CD"......

Just this week I am sitting at my desk and the receptionist sends me this call. It goes something like this. "Ring Ring" Hello, this is James, how may I help you? Yes sir, my computer says it has a Trojan Horse. Yes Maam, apparently your anti virus software has detected a virus on your system. Ok, what is a Trojan Horse Virus and why do I have it on my computer? This question was followed with several other questions along the lines of "this is a new computer that I just bought and is under warranty and now it is broken because of this stupid virus that I had NOTHING to do with happening." line of thought.

I allowed the customer to ramble for a few more moments and then I interjected with the following ideas. You can get rid of the virus on your computer by updating your virus definitions on Norton Anti Virus and then allow the program to rid your computer of this pesky virus. I made the mistake of using the term "auto update" for Norton Anti Virus and got lost for another 5 minutes trying to explain to the customer how she could use this feature manually to update her virus definition files. My efforts were quite futile and I finally just gave up on that train of thought. My irate and frustrated customer still had it stuck in her mind that her computer was under warranty so therefore the computer manufacturer was at fault and she wanted ME to come to her home and fix it for her for FREE. When I explained to her that the computer manufacturer would not warranty the Operating System (XP) nor any other software on her hard drive she commenced to ask me what an operating system was and what is software. At this point my attempts to help were going no where. In hopes that this customer would just go away I tried to use the "scare" tactic and told her that if I came out to her house (schedule permitting this week) that I would have to charge her an additional 35.00 trip charge vs if she brought the machine to me. When I told her that I could not drop everything I was doing to give her immediate assistance she was put out and told me she would go elsewhere. Picture me having a deep sigh of relief at this point. Ok , I am sorry maam, good luck with your virus problem, I hope you get it resolved. Click, the line goes dead and I dont give it another thought.

One day goes by and after a service call I come back to the shop to find ..... You guessed it, my pet trojan horse was waiting on me. We get a LOT of boogered up computers in our shop that have spyware, spybots, adware, malware, trojans, viruses of all types. All of these programs do one of two things. They always eat up all your system resources. That means that they start up when the operating system starts and they populate the area in your system tray with cute little icons. Some of them are so clever that they dont even put an icon in your system tray and you dont even know they are there unless you go looking for them. The other thing that these programs love to do is to track your activities online and send information back to webservers who are logging this information for their owners. Another thing that these programs do is to use your smtp server of choice to e-mail copies of themselves to all of your friends and family in your Windows address book. If you are lucky you will have a virus program that will have its very own smtp server built in and it will start mailing itself out automatically without even using your e-mail client.
Then there are those pesky boot sector viruses that destroys your boot sector and the next time you log on your computer comes up with the dreaded "Invalid system disk " Insert disk and hit enter error. I will get back to how this happens later in the story...

Two hours later I have installed Spybot Search and Destroy and discovered and deleted over 110 nasties on her computer. Norton Anti Virus is so messed up all it can do is pop up errors saying that the subscription is expired and that it can not find specific executable files and therefore it can not run anyway. Two clicks of the mouse and Norton is fast asleep not to bother anyone again. I install AVG anti virus which is free and find over 202 viruses on the hard drive including our friendly trojan horse virus. The ugly thing about programmers is that they write most of their nasties with Windows Operating Systems in mind. Do you ever wonder why support people say "you gotta love Mickeysoft software". LOL.... One of the things that you have to do when you get rid of trojans is that you have to turn off "system restore" on all your hard drives, then logon as administrator and delete all of the files in the \\system information volume\_restore directory to get rid of all the A000876c112ax*.exe files which automagically run themselves every time you start your computer OR have to use a system restore point from the past. To say the least doing these last steps can be kind of tricky at best.

Remember that this computer came in to have the "trojan horse virus" removed. That is all that was requested and even though I did remove the trojan horse virus I also did several other things in an effort to further protect the client such as installing a free anti virus application and installing numerous Windows Updates from Microsoft for the Operating System. I call the customer and tell her that even though I worked on her computer for longer than 1.5 hours that is all I was going to charge her for. When I told her how much that would be she launched back off into the thoughts of her computer being under warranty. You get the picture. I am sorry but HP does not warranty the software on your hard drive maam.

Yesterday afternoon here comes my customer with her teenager daughter in tow. (Sorry this story is so long... LOL) I happened to be standing by the receptionist when the customer came to pick up the computer and the customer made sure to have me tell her daughter what NOT to do to KEEP this from happening ever again. The poor dear was embarrased out of her socks. I gave the daughter the basic run down of how to traverse the Internet safely and to be sure to stay away from P2P networks like Kazaa etc. I told her to be very careful of trading files via IM programs like ICQ, Yahoo IM, AOL IM etc. I told her to stay away from IRC channels and the like if at all possible. Run auto update regularly and schedule regular virus scans and backups of your data. The whole time the mom is "are you getting all of this", " are you getting all of this". LOL. Yes MOM I get it ok....

At this point the bill is paid and they are off to cyberspace with their newly cleaned machine. Mind you, I only did those things mentioned above. I did NOT fix every software glitch that was on this machine. The expectation from the customer however was clearly different as I wound up on the phone with her again this afternoon. Ring ring, call coming from the receptionist. I answer it and say , "hello this is James, how may I help you". Hello this is your customer (name not mentioned to protect the not so innocent) calling you back. My trojan is still on my computer. Why do I have a trojan on my computer after I paid you to remove it. The customer launches into her new found information after calling HP. I called HP and they told me that I did not need to bring the computer to you after all because all I would have had to do is to reboot the system and fully recover the computer from there. I do not need a recovery cd to do this. All I have to do is hit the F10 Key. I said, Maam , did you try that? Customer says, no , I did not try it because HP told me I need to make sure I have an anti virus software installed before I do because if I do not then I could be back in the same boat within hours. At this point I am thinking, no really ?? LOL....

I tried to explain to the customer that there is a difference between the "recovery console" in XP which you get to when you hit the F10 key upon OS boot up vs the "recovery CD" that the hardware manufacturer gives you to "fully restore" your computer to factory default configuration when you first buy it. I tried to explain this to the customer but she had the thought pattern of "I should have never brought my computer to you because I still have all these problems that you did not fix and you did not tell me that I could do a full system restore by simply hitting the F10 key so therefore you really ripped me off and need to give me a full refund". The customer tried to get me to make an assertion or affirmation that her perception was correct but I firmly but gently told her that her computer did not have a trojan horse or virus of any type when it left the shop. I also told her that AVG was a free anti virus software and that while it was FREE it certainly was not the BEST software product out there and that we could have sold her Trend Micro Anti Virus for 49.95 which would have been a more costly solution. I also advised her that just because you have Anti Virus software running on your computer does not mean that your computer will NEVER EVER be bothered again by a virus infection. What it does mean is that the software is in place to stop a MAJORITY of KNOWN virus infections in their tracks. Again, this was an totally unacceptable concept to this customer.

At this point, when the customer was unable to convince me that her computer problems were still my fault she advises me that she just wanted to call me and tell me what HP just told her so I would be "in the know" for future reference. Yes maam, thank you for the phone call, good luck with your "full recovery" of your system. Have a nice day. Click. The line goes dead and away goes our clueless customer thinking that hitting the F10 key will get rid of the viruses on her hard drive and RESTORE the computer back to its default factory configuration. Can you imagine what the phone call will be like tomorrow when she calls HP Tech Support to find out that she misunderstood what they were trying to tell her about the "System Recovery Console" vs the Recovery CD that I told her to order. LOL....

I think that tomorrow I am going to forward my phone extension at work to Microsoft Tech Support just for the fun of it. LOL

The leaves are falling

As chicken little would say "the sky is falling, the sky is falling". Except in this case it is "the leaves are falling, the leaves are falling". The leaves on the trees are turning golden brown and are slowly coming off their branches. The temperature right now is 46 F with clear skys and a slight wind. I am SO HAPPY that the dog days of summer are turning into Fall days instead.

The new job has certainly kept me busier than anyone expected. I was told that when my predeccesor was there for the last 4 or 5 weeks that things were DEAD. That certainly is not the case with me. I have been busier than a one armed man in a windmill having a paper hanging contest. I have been doing everything from PC repair to helping customers with Network connectivity and services problems. The challenge has been to go from being out of Information Technology for a year and a half to wading back into it with both feet hitting the ground running. The other day I had to go to a customer site with an Exchange 2000 server down. The company had been without e-mail most of the day and they were depending on Advantec Global Services to help them get it back online. My boss , who is the senior engineer here in Charleston, was out of town so I hopped in the car and ran over there to help the client. Between myself, two engineers at the client site and a Microsoft engineer on the phone we were able to resolve the problem. It appears that the Exchange Information store that holds all the e-mail for the company had exceeded its 16 GB limit and therefore crashed. We wound up doing a change in the registry on that server to give Exchange an extra GB of space for the database so that the company could temporarily get the e-mail server back online and empty out some folders to reduce the size of the database. All in all it was a sucess and the customer was back in business with e-mail services and it was a learning experience for all that were involved. When the call originated earlier that morning I had guessed correctly what the problem was but was unable to give them the answer they needed to fix the problem. Now, I know how to fix it. :)

I am happy to report that the Ford Escort Station wagon that Katy is driving is holding together nicely (knock on wood) and that my Cadillac has not developed any mechanical failures in the last two week. PRAISE GOD for that folks!! With us working 4 jobs between the two of us we have NO time to be messing with car repairs. I am still searching for a better car for me because I know that I know that my high mileage car is eventually going to need some more maintenance to keep it running. Hopefully I can find something before the Caddy breaks again. It appears that when I can put together between 1000 and 1500.00 that I will be able to get into a much newer car. Until then we will just have to manage.

I am SO HAPPY that the political advertisements have FINALLY stopped. Whew, how ugly is that? How could any of us believe or understand who was the best candidate with all of that negative propaganda being thrown at us from every imaginable advertising source.
As for me, it was a bit overwhelming to say the least. I am just glad it is over for the next four years. :)

Well, enough of this drivel, it is time to get ready for church and back to the work grind for the week. Hope all goes well with you and yours and that you folks have a wonderful week. Remember that God loves you and so do we!!

Efnet, IRC Networks, Bots etc...

I spent most of the night helping to configure an Eggdrop bot (one of four) to run on our #jesusconnect channel on Efnet IRC network. What is IRC? Internet Relay Chat. There are more IRC Networks than I would care to begin to tell you about. Not only that but each IRC Network such as Efnet, Dalnet, Undernet, etc have thousands and thousands of chat channels on each SERVER. I am talking about a GLOBAL chat network called Internet Relay Chat. I know, it sort of blows the mind but it is true. All you need to access IRC is an IRC client such as Mirc or Pirch. Do a google search and sooner than later you will be installing the client software and getting ready to start out on your first IRC journey.

At Jesus Connect we feel that our calling is to introduce the church (as a whole) to the new (and not so new) technology that is already in place to be used to reach the world for Christ. You can go to our website at Jesus Connectand see what we are doing thus far. We have spent the last year completely rebuilding Jesus Connect from the ground up. There you can read our mission statement, statement of faith and other articles. Our IRC channel is just one of our ministry outreach efforts to the globe. We not only want to tell people that God listens and cares about them but we also want to equip the saints (you) to use the technology that we have at our fingertips to reach the lost and hurting people of our world for Christ.

So, if you want to visit with us on our #jesusconnect channel you can just log on to any Efnet IRC server and then you can just type /join #jesusconnect and that will put you into our channel. When you arrive you will find our bots. Hal, Tal, Mallet. These three personas or nicks are our bots. A bot is a program that is programmed (go figure huh) to perform specific tasks within our channel. All three bots are known as Eggdrop bots. They main function in cyberlife is to keep our channel open on the Efnet server and to provide us with the ability to keep control of our channel. If we did not leave the channel open 24x7 then someone else could open up our channel name and take control. That is something that we do not want to happen. If someone else takes control of our channel name then they can start perverting or twisting our original intent for being there. We want the #jesusconnect channel to be a Christ and family oriented place where folks from all walks of life can enter and find refuge. We want folks to find the grace of God, forgiveness of God and the truth of Gods word. In order to do this we need to find a place to park our channel (Efnet) and put bots in place that wont get tired, sleepy or hungry (like I am now...) and keep our channel open and protected.

For now, I am going to encourage you to drop by for a visit. If you have questions about IRC or how to find the MIRC or Pirch client or how to configure them write me an e-mail at moffittjc@jesus-connect.net and I will respond to you in private email. For now, I am going to take care of the tired, sleepy, hungry me and leave the IRC world to our bots.

Nite nite

A time for celebration and thanks!!

I am HAPPY to announce that I just accepted a position with the following company here in Charleston. You can read more about them at the following Link. Advantec

I will be filling the role of PC/Printer Technician for now and as I begin passing my certification exams they have promised to increase my salary accordingly. That gives me the motivation I need to study study study!! I will continue to work my security job several days per week on the 3 pm to 11pm shift for the extra income. That means between Katy and I we will have 4 jobs. I think that we are going to be at our max with regards to how many jobs we can hold down. LOL... Hey, you have got to do what you have got to do in order to survive these days. We owe, we owe, off to work we go is our motto. Actually, it will be nice to increase the budget income so that we can start to dig ourselves out of debt and back into the light. If you have more bills than income then you will understand what I am talking about. If you can not relate to that statement take a moment to thank God for your blessed situation. :)

So, with all of that said, I am thanking Jesus for this new opportunity. :) I give him the praise , honor and glory for what HE is doing in our lives. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and He is our Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Jira.


I also give thanks to those of you who read this blog who are believers in Christ and are prayer warriors for our family. Thank you for your intercession. To those of you that love us enough to speak truth into our lives and show us tough love when we need it I am especially indebted to you. From time to time we all need a gentle (or not so gentle) nudge to get us back on the right path, the straight and narrow. We all also need to know that someone understands where we are at and that even though things are tough that God never leaves us or forsakes us and that Romans 8:28 is true.


May God's blessing be upon you and your family!!

Happy Halloween everyone!! LOL... I thought this was so cute I would share it with you. My friend Dawn sent it to me in e-mail this morning.  

How about them Cowgirls?? Whew, maybe I should call them the Cowboys because most women folks I know would be insulted with my comparing them to the wimps that were present in the Dallas uniform today at Green Bay. I can not tell you how badly they sucked. Sigh... They lost 41 to what?? I quit watching in the fourth quarter because I just could not bear to watch any more of the slaughter. Bill Parcells is probably one heck of a coach but when you dont have any talent to work with what do you expect? I could not tell what was worse with Dallas today, their offense or defense. I think that it was a pretty even shot on both sides of the ball.

Touch of the Earth Tour at Wannamaker Park Goose Creek SC.  

Touch of the Earth Tour ceremony at Wannamaker Park in Goose Creek SC 

Another shot of some happy kids at Wannamaker Park in Goose Creek 

Katy took this group of toddlers to Wannamaker Park in Goose Creek for Touch of the Earth tour... 

Justin Moffitt to left of teacher going through the paces of moving around on stage with the Dolphin Company. 

Justin Moffitt performing with the Dolphin Company singing group at Sedgefield Intermediate School 

Usenet Newsgroup Readers

Ok, I told you ABOUT Usenet Newsgroups and how to get to them through Google. We have applied to have our newsgroup server feeds listed on all the other newsgroup servers. That will take some time but once it does happen things will get busy quick. You can also access our newsgroups TODAY by plugging in news.seventhsector.com into one of two newsgroup readers.

Outlook Express or Forte Free Reader

Outlook Express comes installed on most computers that have Internet Explorer version 5 or higher and you can go to the following link to download Forte Free Newsreader.

Forte Free Reader

news.seventhsector.com

Are you familiar with Usenet Newsgroups? Go to www.google.com and check out the groups. You can use the Google interface to search, read and respond to Usenet newsgroups. I could bore you to tears with the history of Usenet but lets just suffice it to say that Usenet Newsgroups are global message bases run on servers that allow folks from all walks of life and diversified interests to post messages. Is that simple enough? LOL

Anyway, news.seventsector.com is the newsgroup server that Reynold has set up. I have gone in and posted as many messages as I can as introductory messages. Our server will be moderated which means that even though folks can post a message to the group it wont be actually sent to the server until I read and approve each message. That means that there will not be any flame wars, trolling or foul language. If that happens the person that posts the message will have their message deleted. Hopefully I will be able to keep this Usenet Newsgroup a clean and fun place for Christ and family centered communications.

God bless

Oh my aching muscles.....

This grey mare ain't what he used to be, ain't what he used to be , ain't what he used to be.... Oh, hello. I did not realize anyone was watching , er , listening to me. LOL...

Well, since I am a man, not a female, thank goodness, I am not a mare. I guess that makes me a STUD.... Hahahahahahahah Well, anyway, onto the thoughts for today.

Our youth group had a lock in last night at church. I went up to the church around 9 Pm and we loaded up 10 teenagers into several vehicles and made our trek down Hwy 78 in Summerville to Ladson road (in Ladson of course) and ended up at the end of Ladson Road near Dorchester Road where Oakbrook Lanes is located. I am not sure if the owners of this establishment cares about residual income. In other words, you cant find the place unless you know exactly where they are located. At night time there are NO lights or lighted signs telling you that this is in fact Oakbrook Lanes Bowling Alley. Maybe if they put up a sign or two they would get some extra customers not to mention assist those customers that are trying to find them. Ok, enough of that rant for now.

We bowled until we hurt. Of course, seeing as this STUD is not what he used to be, I was worn out on the third game and we stopped. The OLDER adults bowled three games and I think that the youngsters all bowled about 10 to 15 games. Oh well. We loaded up and went back to church where we began to consume the rest of the pizza, chips and Dr Pepper and chocolate cake that we left since we had all worked up a good appetite. I miss being a teenager. When you are that age you stay hungry , can eat all the time and never gain a pound. I guess it has something to do with being in perpetual motion all the time. This also goes to show you that children do not burn calories through the use of their brains since it is painfully obvious to me that children rarely engage cognitive thinking skills during a normal day. LOL... Why did you do that , we ask. They say, I dont know. Did you think about what you were doing before you did it? uhmmm no, I guess not. What were you thinking ABOUT? Nothing... Who did this? I dont know? Did you do it? NO. LOL.... I am starting to feel like a rerun of a Bill Cosby episode so I will stop for now.

Once the food was consumed the children escaped to the game room which has recently been equipped with some high tech play stations and other games such as foozeball etc.
Several of the children tried to turn the hallways from the back of the church near the Sunday School room up to the foyer into a race track but I quickly stopped that nonsense. I know, party pooper is me. LOL...

That left us adults to our own devices. For the longest time I sat in a metal folding chair listening to the sounds of my bed , blanket and Katy calling me home where I belonged. This was approximately 1:30 am. I found that I had brought my two favorite pillows but I was very ill equipped to spend the night per sae. Not only that but I did not have a blanket, sheets or mattress of any kind. My pastors wife, Earlene, was kind enough to loan me one of her air mattresses. Sadly enough the mattress that she loaned me did not hold very much air so when I did finally try to lay down at 2:30 am I felt like I was laying on a sick joke for a new circus ride. When one end of me would settle the other end would pop off the ground as all the air rushed to one end or the other. Of course this scene brought howls of laughter from Earlene and Heather as they took this spectacle in.

Did I tell you about how NICE the air mattresses were for Earlene and Heather? Oh my gosh, can you see Neimen Marcus color coordinated air mattresses that held TONS of air and looked oh so comfortable? I had to giggle at Earlene because she had a hard time judging how long her body is and how long the mattress is as she wound up on the very end of the air mattress with part of her body on and part of it off. hahahahahah

I gave up at 2:30 am and came to the house where I managed to get some shut eye. Katy had gone to bed around 11 Pm so she was able to get up when the alarm went off and scooped up Kristina who had recently gone to bed. I hear that the children finally crashed and burned around 6:30 am and at 7 am Earlene and Heather found the loudest noise making bell they could find and gleefully brought the children back to consiousness. LOL... Its too bad I wimped out and was not around to tape that episode of bringing the dead back to life. LOL

This morning after Kristina arrived home and passed out in her own bed we lounged around and were totally worthless for a few hours. I had to almost trick Katy into getting out of the recliner so that we could get on with our day. We picked up the station wagon and brought it home to rest for a spell and then we had a spot of breakfast and then launched ourselves in the direction of some car dealerships. We chose to go to Ashley Preferred where someone told us that they had recently been able to obtain a car loan even though they did not have great credit. I figured, hey, if they can get a newer car with their credit then maybe there is hope for us. Basically, we found out that no matter what our credit is if we have the right amount of cash to put down for a down payment anyone will finance us. To make a long story short we filled out the credit application and it will be submitted to the finance companies via fax tonight and then by Monday afternoon I should be getting a call telling me who accepted us and how much moola they want to put us into a car.

Now, at 6:07 Pm I am once again sitting in my comfy computer chair banging on the keyboard eating a fruit pie and some coffee. Yummy yummy for the tummy. I am glad that I went out earlier this afternoon when we got back and rode my bike for about 3 miles. My leg muscles are telling me all about it. Whew.... That is NOT the only thing hurting but that is a story for another time... :)

Time to retire

I got the Cadillac out of the shop today for the second time this month. The car required a tune up. Apparently the spark plugs got wet and that is why it would not start. I was told by the mechanics that the car is OLD, OLD, OLD and that there are too many things wrong with it at this point to keep pumping money into it. Sigh.... Well, it does have over 218000 miles so I guess it is getting close to the time for me to sell it and move on. NO more repair bills. Repeat after me, NO MORE repair bills. LOL...

It appears that there are 4 or 5 motor mounts that need replacing and because it is a Cadillac they are liquid filled motor mounts therefore the cost of those are around 85.00 apiece plus the labor to put them in. Once that is fixed then they will be willing to replace all the hoses and fix all the oil leaks. What happens is that the engine is moving around more than it normally would with the proper motor mounts and this movement is causing tension on all the hoses etc and causing them to have holes and leak or just come loose all together.

Katy's car is still on blocks waiting for the funds to fix it. Where the heck is that money tree that I used to have behind the house anyway? Honey, someone stole the money tree. We need to put out an all points bulletin on that sucker and get it back ASAP....

My pastor was kind enough to loan us his 93 Ford Escort Station Wagon which happens to be for sale. :) I think that Katy has her heart set on it. Poor dear, Katy needs a car that wont break down nor cost us an arm and a leg for gasoline. We will either fix her 83 Chevy Station wagon or I will sell it and put that money towards a different vehicle. Stay tuned for further updates to this car maintenance nightmare we have been sucked into. LOL..

Car repairs are us

Here I sit waiting once again for Spivey's wrecker service. The Cadillac is dead and Katy's Chevy needs the brakes repaired. The pads are probably worn down to nothing and the rotors are probably deeply grooved. That means new rotors and pads. So much for having a few extra dollars to last us until next payday. How am I going to pay for two car repairs? LOL... God knows we need a miracle. Maybe he will bless us with the fact that the car repairs are not going to be as much as I am afraid that they will be. It looks like I might even have to miss a day at work over this whole mess which is not a good thing. We can not afford to miss one single day from work. One thing at a time though, got to get the cars to the shop and find out what is what. No sense in pushing the panic button until they tell me the repair is more than I have to spend. LOL... Like I ever have money for car repairs.... It is like the old saying, you either pay for the vehicle in payments or in repairs to keep them running. Go figure.....

Working for a pittance

Sadly enough I can relate to this story. Can you??



Working for a Pittance

October 8, 2004
By BOB HERBERT


Reality keeps rearing its ugly head. The Bush
administration's case for the war in Iraq has completely
fallen apart, as evidenced by the report this week from the
president's handpicked inspector that Iraq had destroyed
its illicit weapons stockpiles in the early 1990's.

Coming next week are the results of a new study that shows
- here at home - how tough a time American families are
having in their never-ending struggle to put food on the
table and keep a roof over their heads. The White House, as
deep in denial about the economy as it is about Iraq,
insists that things are fine - despite the embarrassing
fact that President Bush is on track to become the first
president since Herbert Hoover to preside over a net loss
of jobs during his four years in office.

The study, jointly sponsored by the Annie E. Casey, Ford
and Rockefeller Foundations, will show that 9.2 million
working families in the United States - one out of every
four - earn wages that are so low they are barely able to
survive financially.

"Our data is very solid and shows that this is a much
bigger problem than most people imagine," said Brandon
Roberts, one of the authors of the report, which is to be
formally released on Tuesday. The report found that there
are 20 million children in these low-income working
families.

For the purposes of the study, any family in which at least
one person was employed was considered a working family.
Very wealthy families were included.

The median income for a family of four in the U.S. is
$62,732. According to the study, a family of four earning
less than $36,784 is considered low-income. A family of
four earning less than $18,392 is considered poor. The 9.2
million struggling families cited by the report fell into
one of the latter two categories. And those families have
one-third of all the children in American working families.


Not surprisingly, the problem for millions of families is
that they have jobs that pay very low wages and provide no
benefits. "Consider the motel housekeeper, the retail clerk
at the hardware store or the coffee shop cook," the report
said. "If they have children, chances are good that their
families are living on an income too low to provide for
their basic needs."

Neither politicians nor the media put much of a spotlight
on families that are struggling economically. According to
the study, one in five workers are in occupations where the
median wage is less than $8.84 an hour, which is a
poverty-level wage for a family of four. A full-time job at
the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour is not even
sufficient to keep a family of three out of poverty.

Families with that kind of income are teetering on the edge
of an economic abyss. Any misfortune might push them over
the edge - an illness, an automobile breakdown, even
something as seemingly minor as a flooded basement.

For the families in these lower-income brackets, life is
often a harrowing day-to-day struggle to pay for the bare
necessities. According to federal government statistics,
the median annual rent for a two-bedroom apartment in major
metropolitan markets is more than $8,000. The annual cost
of food for a low-income family of four is nearly $4,000.
Utility bills are nearly $2,000. Transportation costs are
about $1,500. And then there are costs for child care,
health care and clothing.

You do the math. How are these millions of poor and
low-income families making it?

(A lot of those families are going to get a shock this
winter as price increases for crude oil get translated into
big jumps in home heating bills.)

The economy relies heavily on the services provided by
low-wage workers but, as the report notes, "our society has
not taken adequate steps to ensure that these workers can
make ends meet and build a future for their families, no
matter how determined they are to be self-sufficient."

Mr. Roberts said he hoped the study, titled "Working Hard,
Falling Short," would help initiate a national discussion
of the plight of families who are doing the right thing but
not earning enough to get ahead. "Seventy-one percent of
low-income families work," he said. More than half are
headed by married couples. But economic self-sufficiency
remains maddeningly out of reach.

Even in a presidential election year, these matters have
not been explored in any sustained way. We're quick to give
lip service to the need to work hard, but very slow to
properly reward hard work.

E-mail: bobherb@nytimes.com

In memory of Carol Holland

My friend Carol Holland from work passed away this morning at around 6:15 am. This truly makes me sad. Carol will be missed by her family and her co workers at US Security. I only knew Carol for a short time but during that time I grew fond of her and we were able to chat atleast twice a week at work. During that time I got to know her not only as a professional in her field but also as an individual. Carol was a very sweet person who was laid back and very easy to get along with and confide in. Carol had some type of cancer and fought with the symptoms of this cancer up until a couple of months ago where she had to give in and go get treatments. From what I could tell the treatments caused the cancer to react in a negative way and sped up the downhill slide that Carol took physically. Several co workers have assured me that Carol will be with Jesus and that she did have a knowledge of the gospel of Christ and was a believer so I am relieved to know that Carol will be there to greet all of us on the other side. You will always be on our hearts and minds Carol. Please join me as I pray for the family and friends as they walk through this transition and the upcoming grief process in the days and years to come.

Update on Social Security benefits and our government officials receiving them

My friend Pat shared this with me in e-mail so in turn I wanted to share it with you. I have yet to review it but I plan to.


Here's what the Urbanlegends Guide has to say about it:


It's true that members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives enjoy a generous government pension plan ­ some say too generous ­ but this email rant offers very little else in the way of accuracy.

Under a law enacted in 1983, all members of Congress participate in the Social Security system, both contributing and receiving benefits. Upon retirement, members receive either a combination of federal pension and Social Security benefits or Social Security alone, depending on when their term of service started and how they configured their individual plan.

More here:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcongress.htm

The fleecing of America , is this possible ??

I received this in e-mail this morning and it made my blood boil. Here are some questions

A. Is this true and if so WHY have we (The American People) allowed this to continue
B. What are WE (You and I) going to do to stop it?
C. What can we do to stop it?
D. Do you care enough to do something about it?





IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!

KEEP IT GOING!!!!


2004 Election Issue!!

GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOC. SEC.

This must be an issue in "2004". Please! Keep it going.



----------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY:

(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. !

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.

You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable forpersons of their rare elevation in society.They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own
benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.

Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments..

For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA....ZILCH....

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;

"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into,-every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)-we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator! Bill Bradley's benefits!



Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to:

Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us ......


then sit back.....

and watch how fast they would fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.


How many people can YOU send this to?

Better yet.....

How many people WILL you send this to??