I'm a Wily Smiley

You Are Wise

You enjoy a good book. You like to get lost in someone else's world for an afternoon. You are a deep thinker and a flexible person. You are open to new ideas and to change. You are very upstanding and honest. You do your best to be true to yourself. Brainy and knowledgeable, you are very independent. You have a lot to be proud of, but you're not a showoff.

The Happy Smiley Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

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To be honest, there were other smilies from which to choose that appealed more to me, but this one reminded me of a guy with a nickname of "StevieXXX" from my MSN Group days; he had a group devoted to smiley faces. The smiley looks like a cow's udder and Stevie was the biggest boob I ever met online.

More than you'll ever need to know: Smiley info on Wiki

plenipotentiary

plenipotentiary \plen-uh-puh-TEN-shee-air-ee; -shuh-ree\

adjective;
1. Containing or conferring full power; invested with full power; as, "plenipotentiary license; plenipotentiary ministers."

noun:
1. A person invested with full power to transact any business; especially, an ambassador or diplomatic agent with full power to negotiate a treaty or to transact other business.

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This isn't a word I normally use; I've always considered it a bit too much of a mouthful. I do remember some MSN Community/Group owners, myself included, who let their plenipotentiary powers go to their heads.

Oh No!

MSN Groups are trying to haunt my blog!



Not for sure what caused it; it might have been because I visited an old Hotmail account and the icons in my Bookmarks got mixed up, but this blog was the only one affected.

It later went away, thank goodness.

Huh?

This just came in my email inbox:

Dear Groups User,

Your MSN Group, One-Trick Pony, has had no activity in the last 90 days. As a convenience to our users, we periodically delete groups that have become dormant. We hope you'll consider coming back. It's not too late!

If your group remains inactive for another 14 days, we'll go ahead and delete it. If you would like to keep your group, simply click on the link below and follow the instructions on the web page.

Keep my group

We hope your group is back in action soon,

MSN Groups

If you'll click on any of the links in the above mail, you'll see why I say "Huh?"

Goodbye, MSN Groups

Goodbye to MSN Groups, a source of much fun and also much frustration.

My "main" group (because I, like so many other mgrs., had several) would have been ten years old this July. It seems like only yesterday....and sometimes seems light years ago...that my friend elle and I decided we would have a go at running our own group.

I'm not going to miss Groups. Most of my lasting online friends had moved on long ago anyway. I'm certainly not going to miss the over-officious mgrs. of *some* groups. I won't miss the drama queens, nor will I miss the stifling censorship of those same mgrs. I'm sure I don't hold the record for deleted posts, nor for banned Passports, but I certainly had more of those than I deserved.

In all my "non-MSN" experiences, I've had but a couple of posts denied/deleted. All-in-all, I'm satisfied with that. I can't say the same thing about my time in Groups. At times I feel as though the majority of my time spent in Groups was time wasted.

Aw, I could gripe about Groups forever but it's time to move on, forget the past. I'm so pleased to have discovered Blogger and love how it lets me express myself without fear of having this site deleted/shuttered because I posted a graphic of a mooning smiley.

(Blogger lets me make an ass out of myself without getting in trouble for a cartoon one)

So, here's a salute to you, MSN Groups!

It's definitely "the end".

Warning!

Just got this notification from MSN regarding a storage group I have in MSN Groups.



Since they're shutting down Groups in Feb., I wonder why they even bother?

Work vs. Prison

I used to be involved in the soon-to-be defunct MSN Groups and a few years ago I saw a post in the main help group Community Feedback ( often referred to as Communist Feedbag) telling this joke.

IN PRISON.......
You spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.
AT WORK.......
You spend most of your time in a 6x8 cubicle.

IN PRISON.......
You get three meals a day.
AT WORK........
You get a break for 1 meal and you have to pay for it.

IN PRISON.......
You get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK........
You get rewarded for good behavior with more work.

IN PRISON.......
A guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK........
You must carry around a security card and
unlock and open all the doors yourself.

IN PRISON........
You can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK.........
You get fired for watching TV and playing games.

IN PRISON.......
You get your own toilet.
AT WORK........
You have to share.

IN PRISON.......
They allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK........
You cannot even speak to your family and friends.

IN PRISON.......
All expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work required.
AT WORK........
You get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then
they deduct taxes from you salary to pay for prisoners.

IN PRISON.......
You spend most of your life looking through bars from
inside wanting to get out.
AT WORK........
You spend most of your time wanting
to get out and go inside bars.

IN PRISON......
There are wardens who are often sadistic.
AT WORK.......
They are called supervisors.

IN PRISON.......
You have unlimited time to read e-mail jokes.
AT WORK........
You get fired if you get caught.

I suppose the joke could've been funny if it wasn't so full of misconceptions and out-and-out lies. I had to rebut and eventually got banned. The poster said she was a nurse and also claimed she was a Christian.

Here's my first reply:

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You might have a bit bigger space with your jail cell, but odds are you have to share it with at least one other person, sometimes even three others. Dorm type wards are of course larger, but try sharing your space with fifty other people, most of whom are murderers, rapists, etc.

You are not confined to your cubicle, either. You can get up and go to the bathroom, get a cup of coffee most any time you want at most jobs. You can even leave (tell them you're sick, quit, etc.) your cubicle if you like.

If you think it's sexual harrassment by someone telling you they think you smell nice, try being Bubba's girlfriend while you're sharing a cell with him.

There's no central air in most prisons, either...only in a few sections and they're never the places where the prisoners eat, sleep or congregate. In summer, the prisons are stifling hot with no air circulation, and bone numbing cold during winter. You don't get 800-count linen sheets, either, nor a nice comforter or quilt.

Prison is NEVER quiet. During the day there are a hundred radios and boomboxes playing a hundred different songs. People are yelling, screaming and the smells from the many men housed there is a miasma of stale sweat and other body excretions, plus the stench of despair and fear. At night it's not much better, with people arguing from cell to cell and the screams and cries from disturbed men's nightmares must be something such as will be found in Hell.

In prison, you don't always get three meals a day, unless you consider a sandwich a full meal. Breakfast is generally powdered eggs and a couple slices of toast and a styrofoam cup of bad, lukewarm coffee. You MIGHT get some sort of mystery meat. The food is NEVER good, even on Thanksgiving or Christmas when most institutions make a token effort at providing a decent meal.

You also have to worry about bugs in your food, or some guy who has taken a dislike to you spitting in your mashed potatoes (ALWAYS cheap "instant") or putting something else, such as broken glass, in your food.

If you are in solitary, or lockdown, sometimes you are served "the brick" which is a disgusting slumgullion of food shaped like a brick. It contains mostly starches and vegetable protein.

Inmates don't always get time off for good behavior; depending upon their crime, previous record and conduct in prison, they may have to serve their full sentence.

At least at work you don't have to submit to body searches at most every door and sometimes pulled aside for a cavity search. I'd prefer the security card and opening my own doors, thanks.

At work you mostly don't have to worry about the blind spots behind doors or stairwells where you can get stabbed or raped, either.

Most prisons, at least Texas prisons, don't allow individual television sets. You have to watch TV in a common room, and the majority rules. So, you can either watch what everyone else wants to watch, or not at all.

Games consist of card games and chess and checkers when the prison allows them. No Nintendo or Yahoo website games in prison.

Do you consider yourself to be a tolerant person? Not racially biased, i.e. "I've got LOTS of black (or whatever) friends!" you say? Well, in prison you will learn NOT to be. You'll join a gang and get some protection, or be alone, and be ganged up on by ALL.

Got a neat little butterfly tattoo on your ankle? Well, if you're a man in prison, and have to join a gang, such as the Aryan Nation, they'll insist you get marked where you show the entire population your loyalty. It will be done in some crude method, with inks made from any number of non-hygenic substances.

If you're lucky enough to have a single occupant cell you get your own toilet. Otherwise you share with your cellmates. There are no walls around the toilet, either, and no matter where you are in the cell, you're only a very few feet away from the toilet....and the person USING the toilet. Just get THAT picture in your head for a minute, huh?

Some prisoners don't like to use their toilets, as they're used as "coolers" to keep their sodas at something less than the ambient temperature.

After eight hours at work you can go home to your family and friends, unless of course you are forced to work a few more hours of overtime. Also, many prisons do not allow contact visits. How would you like to spend the years watching your children grow up and not even be able to hug or touch them, separated by a half inch of dirty Plexiglass?

Many inmates don't WANT their family to visit because it's always hard to have them for an hour, then have to wait a month or two before they see them again.

Most prisons allow a weekly phone call, but it has to be collect, and there's a time limit on your call as there are hundreds of other inmates standing in line behind you waiting to use the phone. Your calls are monitored, too. The necessary brevity of the call is probably a good thing, as the charges can be several dollars per minute.

"All expenses paid." That's not true; some states requre the prisoners to make restitution and the only way to do that is by working within the prison system. Also, any "extra" or "special" privileges can only be garnered by accepting work details. Many inmates volunteer for work details if for nothing else than to get some fresh air and sunshine. Some states "pay" their inmates for working, but minimum wage does not apply to them; sometimes the pay is only a few cents per hour.

How would you like to make a dollar or two a day for chopping cotton in the hot muggy Louisiana fields? I've never seen anyone standing over someone's cubicle with a loaded shotgun, ready to shoot to kill if you step out of your assigned area

It probably takes the taxes of ten people to pay for the cost of one person incarcerated. Many prisoners are in prison because of non-violent crimes, and while they are inside, their families suffer because the person is not able to contribute to their welfare...and many inmate's families are ON welfare.

Communities compete for the right to have a prison built in their town because of the money it will bring in, plus the jobs, but it's very rarely mentioned that their cost in social services goes up correspondingly because often the inmate's family will move to the nearest town to be closer to their loved one.

I know several people who are in prison because they went to bars, then drove while intoxicated. "Wanting to get out and go to bars" is really a motivator, isn't it? What a stupid joke.

This isn't the 1930's, and there are no sadistic wardens. True, there might be some sadistic guards, but at least the vetting process weeds most of those defective people out.

I do not let anyone, be they boss or not, to mistreat me. If I cannot get satisfaction via official channels, I either quit the job or go face-to-face w/ my supervisor.

Some prisons offer work training, and even fewer of those offer computer repair, etc. The computers are usually WAY out of date, and they DO NOT have internet access. Maybe in a minimum security prison, but only under strict supervision.

So, while I think that people who commit crimes mostly deserve what they got coming, I don't think it's good to joke about their "cushy life" in jail. Get busted in Maricopa County Arizona, and the sheriff there will house you in stifling tents set up in the blazing desert sun with dozens of other criminals and serve you sandwiches made with stale bread...and what you think is green lettuce between the slices of bread is either very old meat or spoiled cheese.

This just hit me wrong, and I'm sorry if you think it's funny, but I still don't.

---

After posting that, several people replied in a negative fashion, saying they deserve it, lots of people would love those "bricks", etc and so forth, ad nauseum. Here is my reply to them:

---

First of all, I'm not a bleeding heart liberal. I am a Christian, however, and perhaps that gives me a viewpoint that some of you do not possess.

I have a sense of humor, but it does not lend itself to pulling wings off of flies. Comparing an office job to being in prison is akin to comparing "abuses" at Gitmo to real torture.

Sure, there may be some people left in the Gulf region who might like that "brick", but people in prison don't have billions in aid and thousands of people coming to their rescue. That was a ludicrous point you made.

When it's the poor, the disadvantaged, the minorities that make up the majority of the ones who get convicted and sent to prison, then I suppose it's fair game to make fun of them. On the other hand, some people laugh at those with handicaps, such as those with clubfeet or those that stammer. No one says you have to be politically correct, but it's always people with no sensitivity at all who make jokes belittling those on a lesser social standing. It's simply another form of bigotry, that's all.

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Who said that? Well, it became popular from the old tv show Baretta starring Robert Blake whom, if you will recall, recently was judged not guilty for a crime he most likely committed. If he'd been poor he'd be sitting in San Quentin right now.

Let me throw another old adage right back at you: "There but for the grace of God go I." (If you're an atheist you can substitute "luck" for "grace of God" and still understand what it means.) One can be convicted of crimes other than rape, robbery, drugs or murder, you know. People get sent to jail all the time for income tax evasion, lying to grand juries or for shooting intruders in their homes. There are journalists in jail right now for refusing to give up their sources.

When one person gets probation for a crime committed, and another gets ten years in the slammer for a similar crime, it's not hard to feel some sympathy for those incarcerated due to justice unequally applied. Not hard for "some of us" that is.

---

Ooops, I was a little too compassionate for them and was accused of being in prison, having been in prison, my momma was probably in prison (and those folks were not banned as I was) No rebuttal to my own, just ad hominen attacks.

Here's what got me the ax after I was told by the poster she was just going to ignore me from now on:

---

Ignore me if you like; your ilk usually does and ignores the truth while doing so.

No, never been in jail or prison, sorry. I'm wondering if you're telling the truth about your own work experience now as everyone I know who has worked in a prison has had their preconceptions altered. You also don't fit the image of someone who is a Christian, either. You sure don't practice it, not according to what you write.

The Bible says this in Matthew:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"

The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Here's a prison joke you might like "How many guards does it take to push an inmate down the stairs?" Ans: "None, he fell." You might resemble resent that joke.

I just BET your patients got "good care." Compassion is supposed to be the keystone of both Christianity and Nursing (not to mention ANY decent person, no matter their beliefs), but maybe you weren't there the days they taught that in church and in school?

Never committed a crime? Well, good for you! I've always been leery of those who spoke most loudly of their "honor" though.

I never said criminals didn't deserve being in prison, only pointed out the idiocy of comparing prison with working in a cubicle.

Now that I'm done trading insults with you, you may go back to pulling wings off of flies.

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I am SO glad MSN is doing away with their Groups. Maybe some of these people will just simply get off the 'net and never return.

Unfortunate Domain Names

Several years ago I stumbled across a post in a forum, listing some unfortunate domain names. Back when I was involved in MSN Communities/Groups, I saw a promo in the main help group for a Christian social site named "Christian's Exchange". The problem with it was the URL looked like this:

"....christiansexchange.groups.com"

I did some research and found some more, plus others from the post mentioned above:

---

1. Who Represents is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is: www.whorepresents.com

2 . Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at: www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at: www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at: www.therapistfinder.com

5. There's the Italian Power Generator company: www.powergenitalia.com

(NOTE: This is now "Under Construction" I can't wait to see the end results)

6. And don't forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales: http://www.molestationnursery.com

(NOTE: All I get now is a blank page, some popups blocked and a Privacy Report alert. I think I'll stay away from this one from now on. )

7. If you're looking for IP computer software, there's always: www.ipanywhere.com .

8. (ON SECOND THOUGHT, I will take this one out. It's a bit too much for this blog. Go to the website below, figger it out yerself, 'k?)

(NOTE: someone must have finally alerted this church about this unfortunate choice. It's now www.sfumcga.com. Thank God.)

9. And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their wacky Web site: www.speedofart.com .

No Longer a Rumor

---

And this just arrived in my inbox:
(links removed)

Dear MSN Groups Customer,

As a valued MSN Groups or MSN Communities Web Folders customer, we want to notify you that the MSN Groups service will close on February 21, 2009 and you will have the opportunity to move your group to our new partner service, Multiply. We understand the importance of keeping your group together, so we partnered with Multiply to create a migration process that moves your group to their service to preserve your online community and its history. Read on to find out about how to kick off the automatic migration of your group to Multiply.

We realise this may be unexpected, so before presenting your options we want to briefly share why we've made this decision.

Why? Because we are dedicated to providing our customers with the most current and user friendly technology available today we made the difficult decision to close the MSN Groups service. This decision is part of an overall investment to update and re-align our online services with Windows Live. In the long term we believe that closing the service is the best way to continue to offer innovative and effective services that help you stay in touch with the people you care about. We plan to launch a new Groups service in the coming weeks, but unlike MSN Groups, Windows Live Groups will focus on offering a place for small groups to collaborate. Multiply is available now, making it your best option today for continuing to share and communicate together online.

Options for moving your group to a new service

We've listed some options and resources below to help you decide what to do with your group.

Option 1: Automatically move your group and its data. We have established a partnership with Multiply, an online group and media sharing service so our users can choose to migrate their group to Multiply's service. Choosing this option is free and easy to use: Multiply will move the Group's content on your behalf and invite members to re-join your group in its new location. To begin the migration click here.

Option 2: Start again on another service. You can start from scratch and create your group on a different service but we recommend having your Group moved automatically by Multiply. This will enable your Group to transition easily and continue to enjoy the community you have created.

Option 3: Start again on Windows Live Groups. To further expand our mix of communications and sharing services, Windows Live will launch a new service this autumn, Windows Live Groups. We plan to launch Windows Live Groups to the public in the coming weeks as a service that helps small groups or clubs collaborate online.

Options for MSN Communities Web Folders users

If you use save files to the MSN Communities web folders (also known as "My Web Sites on MSN" or the web folder "My Groups"), these services are part of MSN Groups and will therefore will also be closed on February 21, 2009. We recommend that if you store files online using MSN Communities web folders that you back up these files locally, then upload them to another online storage service such as Windows Live SkyDrive. For more details on how to find and move files saved to your web folders, visit the MSN Groups Resource Center.

Your Next Steps We have sent this letter to each MSN Groups user, whether member or manager. If you are:

A member or user of MSN Groups: Check with your group manager to determine whether they plan to migrate the group.

A manager: Visit the MSN Groups Resource Center to learn more about your options and consider soliciting feedback from your group members about what they would prefer to do, when and how. The Resource Center also provides a sample splash page you can use to notify your members that the group will move. If you're ready to move the group now, click here.

What to Expect between now and the closing date

Between today and February 21, 2009 the MSN Groups service will remain the same as it is now. We will remove the option to add more storage to your group but other features will remain until the service is shut down and you can use it the same way you do today until the date of closure.

Where can I learn more?

You probably have more questions, and that's why we created a website to address them. Please visit the MSN Groups Resource Center at any time for the most up to date answers to common questions, information about migrating your group to Multiply, contact information for our support staff, and important dates.

Our support staff are equipped to answer your questions and guide you through issues that may arise as you decide what to do with your group. They are ready to help so don't hesitate to contact them at MSN Groups Customer Support with your questions

.
We thank you for using our services and regret any inconvenience this may cause.

MSN Groups, Microsoft Corporation

MSN Groups to Close

WaPo article

I knew it was coming; figured it would've been a couple yrs. ago.

Origami Online

Our dear, late friend Brad's MSN Group.

"Learn to fold five original origami models. Not exactly for beginners, our models include both easy and intermediate projects. You'll find detailed instructions for folding five original models(so far)and all the help you might need. Just about any paper folder will find something to like here at Origami Online. Come join the fun!"

Origami Online

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

Update: That link is no longer valid as MSN Groups bit the dust several years ago. Groups may be gone, but Brad will live on in our memories.

Good grief, he would have shaken his head at such maudlin sentiment. I bet he'd be pleased that we still remember him, but he wouldn't have wanted any fuss.

No Spam Here!

What? I must have accidentally reported this blog as spam!



I "unflagged" it, then went to check the TV listings. When I came back, it was flagged again!

I unflagged it again, then refreshed the page only to find it had been flagged yet again. I checked several times, even logging out and seeing if it had something to do with that. Still flagged!

I deleted cache and cookies, came back and saw where it was still flagged!

Then I thought that maybe someone was flagging it just to get it shut down, or at least to cause me problems.

Worried that this site was soon to be "shuttered", I went to Blogger Buzz and saw this:

August 01, 2008

Spam Fridays

While we wish that every post on this blog could be about cool features or other Blogger news, sometimes we have to step in and admit a mistake.

We've noticed that a number of users have had their blogs mistakenly marked as spam, and wanted to sound off real quick to let you know that, despite it being Friday afternoon, we are working hard to sort this out. So to those folks who have received an email saying that your blog has been classified as spam and can't post right now, we offer our sincere apologies for the trouble.

We hope to have this resolved shortly, and appreciate your patience as we work through the kinks.

Thank goodness! This blog could be accurately described as inane, silly, worthless, a waste of time, horrible, stupid, etc. but not spam!

Whew. Shades of MSN Groups, huh?

Gay Irish Dwarfs

(Or how I learned to quit worrying and not trust online translators)

I've had the Gay Irish Dwarfs Blogger site bookmarked for quite some time, but rarely visited it after discovering it via the "Next Blog" button at the top of the page. It caught my eye because of the "odd" title -which I find amusing- and I wonder if he ever has heard of this MSN Group? His title is a LOT less ambiguous, I'll give 'im that.

Most of the post titles are in English, but I wasn't for sure what language the rest was in and hadn't had the time nor inclination to find out. Speeding through my favorite blogs this morning, I clicked on the blog and a new post caught my eye: Lazy Days

Boston Marathon var passe koselig. Mye folk som gauket i gatene. Mer interessant er det alltid å ta turen innom en bokhandel. Følgende bøker ble med hjem: To Kill a Mockingbird av Harper Lee, Cat's Cradle av Kurt Vonnegut, The Dangerous Summer og The Sun Also Rises av Hemingway. Leste akkurat siste sidene av The Moor's Last Sigh av Rushdie. Bra bok, spesielt liker jeg dragningen mot Andalusia, noe jeg selv føler på kroppen.

---

It's easy enough to see that most of that paragraph is about books and a mention of the recent Boston Marathon. (duh) The rest piqued my interest, so I attempted, through trial-and-error, to figure out what language was being used. (which would tax my feeble mind, esp. as I have trouble understanding E. Texas accents)

Since the title has "Irish" in it, I first thought I would need a Gaelic translation, but a quick search didn't turn up an online translator and instead I'd have to submit the text to forums.

Uh, no thanks. (I could do without the potential humiliation)

It seemed more "Dutch" to me, or even German, but it didn't translate well, but the fact that a few words WERE translated made me think it might be Scandinavian. I tried Icelandic, Swedish, then got a fair translation with Norwegian.

Bingo! I think. The problem lies in having to translate the translated text. Here's the translation.

---

Boston Marathon stayed be convenient cosily. A great many people as gauket in avenue. Additional interesting is it always to get the boom innom a bookshop

---

Here's what I think it means:

It's expensive to stay in Boston. Lots of people watching in the street. It starts falling apart there: It's also interesting to get the "boom in a bookshop"???

Uh oh. Not for sure I even WANT that last part translated.

The last bit in the paragraph translates thusly:

---

Read accurate lastly pages at In spite of the fact that Moor's Blame Sigh at Rush hour. A good one book , especially likes I the allurement against Andalusia , any I herself senses at body.

---

O-kay. Another book review, one that the Muslims would chop his head off over and get extra virgins allotted to them in Paradise because he's also gay. I think he's identifying with a female character in the book. I dunno, like I said, I'm not good at this.

Here's more:

---

Har stort sett brukt dagen på å lese, sittende i solen. Høydepunktet var de to brasilianske vaskejentene som tryllet leiligheten skinnende ren. De la endatil sammen mine skitne klær. Noe som på en måte forplikter meg til å bruke de litt mer. Så veldig skitne er de heller ikke.

---

The online translation:

Has large sett cast-off day at to peruse , in office in sun. Climax were they dates back to Brazilian vaskejentene as conjure the occasion bright clean-cut. They allow continueous comparison mine dirty clothes. Looked like in a way am committing at to consumes they a little more than. Saw awfully dirty are they nor.

---

My translation:

Oh boy. Had a day off, or goofed off at the office getting some sun. The end (I hope that means the end...or maybe I don't) dates back to some Brazilian something and the memory is fresh and pure. Someone's always criticizing the way he dresses. Someone gave him a dirty look because they thought him fat but they're dirtier than he is. So there.

---

I can't dwell on this sort of thing, it'll drive me nuts. Especially this:

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Har spist to burritoer i dag. Føler meg skitten, som om jeg har brutt uskrevne lover og etikette. Men godt var det.

---

When it translates to this:

---

Has eaten dates back to burritoer today. Senses my dirt , as if I've broken uskrevne laws and label. But be comfortable stayed facts

---

Whatever it means, I'm glad he's tellin' the truth. Wonder if "burritoer" is a "burrito" and if he's talking about eating them for days or not having one until today after only eating dates? Maybe he had a burrito on a date? I wonder what he means by "senses my dirt" and what sort of laws he thinks someone else might think he's broken?

Hotmail out of Synch

Got this in my main Hotmail inbox earlier today. Basically, it means I cannot use my OE program to access any of my HM addys after June 30.

I've always liked using my Outlook Express even though I've been told and have read there are better email clients. Not for sure now, but signing in to a HM acct. via OE was the same as signing into one's Passport, thereby keeping them valid (and with the old 30mb limit on uploads to Groups) OE was one of the first programs I learned to use and it was comforting to have something that seldom caused trouble. (for me, anyway)

Not for sure I will like the new LiveMail; have already d/l the program but have yet to install. Instead, I expect I will start using and accessing my main GMail acct with my Thunderbird program, so to all my email pals, be on the lookout for my mail explaining the change of address. I've been trying to use my Firefox browser more and more, but there are a few sites that require Internet Explorer. (my LaunchCast radio/video website/subscription, for one)

The msg. boards around the 'net are already full of angry people; add those to the ones who already hate Microsoft and that means nearly everyone.

Here's the mail:

---

Dear Microsoft Outlook Express customer,

Thank you for using Microsoft® Outlook® Express. Our information indicates that you use Outlook Express to access a Windows Live™ Hotmail® e-mail account via a protocol called DAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocol). DAV, like POP3 or IMAP, is the way that a mail client communicates with a web-based mail server.

As a valued customer, we want to provide advanced notice that as of June 30, 2008, Microsoft is disabling the DAV protocol and you will no longer be able to access your Hotmail Inbox via Outlook Express. As an alternative, we recommend that you download Windows Live Mail, a free desktop e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This next generation of free e-mail software will allow you to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts—including Windows Live Hotmail, plus other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Better yet, Windows Live Mail integrates well with other Windows Live services, and downloads in minutes. After you provide your user name and password, you will automatically be linked to your Hotmail account, providing continued access to your email and contacts.

We encourage you to download Windows Live Mail at http://microsoft.msn.com/.

And, to make your transition smoother, we've provided answers to frequently asked questions below.

Again, thank you for your use of Outlook Express and we are confident that you'll be just as delighted with the new Windows Live Mail.

Your Windows Live Mail team

Frequently asked questions:

Why are we disabling DAV?

DAV is a legacy protocol that is not well suited for client access to large inboxes. Over time, as we've provided more e-mail storage to our users—and now offer 5GB inboxes for free—a more efficient access protocol is needed.

What are we replacing DAV with?

We have developed a new, much more efficient protocol called DeltaSynch that is far superior to DAV especially for large e-mail inboxes. It enables email clients to only download changes since the last time the client polled the email server for changes. This is much more efficient and high performing than having to download all the headers in every folder as is the case with DAV.

Is DeltaSynch compatible with Outlook Express?

The new protocol unfortunately is NOT supported by Outlook Express and support would require too many changes to the Outlook Express software.

Is there a different or new mail client I can try that uses DeltaSynch?

Microsoft is providing Windows Live Mail, a free e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This free, next generation email client enables users to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts including Windows Live Hotmail and other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Windows Live Mail also integrates well with other Windows Live services, is optimized to work with Windows Live Hotmail, and offers:

Offline mail

Windows Live Hotmail account aggregation for those users with multiple Hotmail accounts

Account aggregation for POP and IMAP mail accounts

Rich photo-sharing capabilities

Advanced search via integration with Desktop Search

Safety tools (Anti-Virus scanning, anti-phishing, anti-spam features across aggregated accounts for customers who do not have an Anti-Virus product)

Integration with Windows Live services including Windows Live Spaces

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed aggregation

Ability to send SMS (short message service) text to a mobile phone from Windows Live Mail

Where can I download the new Windows Live Mail client?

You can download the new client at http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview.

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our online Privacy Statement.
Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

My HJT Log

One Click: Goodbye Group

And I clicked "OK".

There's more to the story, but it ain't worth tellin'.

Shirl's Scary Spider

I had no more than got lathered up in the shower when I heard the phone ringing. Annoyed, I grabbed for my towel and dripped my way into the bedroom. As is often the case, as soon as I picked it up the line was dead.

Soap stinging my eyes, I pulled the towel towards my face and saw this:

"Oh, hello!" I said to the wolf spider.

(that's not entirely true, I screamed like a little girl and added a little bit to the puddle of water at my feet...but, this is my story, and I'm stickin' to it)

"Where'd you come from?" I asked.

"Aw, man." he said. "Hope you don't mind, but I needed a place to crash for a few days. I was stayin' at this Shirl woman's place, but I overheard her sayin' she was gonna poison me!"

"Well," I replied. "I really don't want you staying here; I've had some trouble with some poisonous spiders and have been thinking of really nuking this place with some chemicals..." I trailed off, not wanting to insult him by speaking of the annihilation of some of his fellow species.

"You talkin' 'bout those Brown Recluse in your crawlspace?" he asked. "Man, don't mess with them, they won't hurt you as long as you don't let them bite you."

Duh, I thought.

He went on. " 'Sides that, you should catch their show with the Black Widows, they do a takeoff on West Side Story, only instead of Sharks and Jets, it's 'Fiddlebacks vs. Hourglasses'. Man, the dance numbers, all those legs..." .

"Nah," I told him. "I'm not much on off-off-Broadway stuff."

"I wouldn't take up much space." he pleaded. "I could sleep in your shoe...?"

I violently shook my head, shuddering at the thought.

"Aw, c'mon dude." he persisted.

Nope, I told him.

"You should use a little fabric softener next time you do a load of towels." he said, pouting at my refusal. I tried to explain to him about softener making them less absorbent, but he interrupted me:

"Say!" he exclaimed. "Wouldn't you like a talking spider around? Especially one as handsome as me, go on, get closer, tell me who I look like!!!"

Thinking to myself that I seldom have friends over and that the few friends I DO have come over WOULDN'T ever come over again if they saw a spider, and especially never again if they heard one speak, I politely looked him over and replied:

"Uh...Fidel Castro?"

"No, no, no!" he said impatiently with a wave of several legs. "Look at me from THIS angle." and with a clittering of tiny claws he shuffled around like a miniature Sherman tank, showing me his profile from the other side.

"George Clooney, right?" he declared. "When he's gotta beard, cantchoosee?"

I really couldn't see it; Dennis Miller, maybe, but George Clooney?

Silly Squirrel Story

I belong to an MSN photography Group, the highest ranked one in the category. In this recent thread

(edit to add: link removed because it is no longer valid as MSN Groups were discontinued several years ago) is a pretty good shot of a squirrel that made me think of how my folks loved to watch the squirrels in their back yard, putting out peanuts and not even caring (too much) that the tree rodents cute, loveable creatures also ate their birdfeeder empty. I believe my big sister has problems with that and has tried all the gadgets/gimmicks to keep them out of her bird feeders.

It also reminded me of a friend of my dad's; they had a lovely, shady place right on the creek and the century old cottonwoods were full of squirrels. We were down there late one summer afternoon and our family friend was showing my pop how the squirrels would come when he called them. He took a nut from his shirt pocket and tapped on the tree, making some "tik-tik" sounding call.

Sure 'nuff, here came a squirrel from a hole in the trunk of the tree; this man backed up to the tree and the squirrel jumped to his shoulder and took the nut from his hand. I was about ten yrs. old or so, and I thought it was SOOOOOO cool looking, that squirrel sitting there munching away on the nut held between its two tiny paws. It ate the meat, cast away the bits of shell after it was done, then to my amazement, climbed face down into the guy's pocket and nabbed another nut! Again, it perched nonchalantly on his shoulder and ate.

"I got almost all of 'em like this 'un here." said dad's friend, and at the same time, rubbed his nose with his forefinger, making an audible inhaling "Sniff". It was an odd mannerism he had, one my dad always said prefaced a bald-faced lie.

I think there was some validity to my dad's theory- after all, most Texans, myself included, are known to sometimes stretch the truth...but maybe not THIS time, because the squirrel, apparently frightened by the sudden movement of the finger, PLUS the "sniff" (which, come to think of it, would be more like a backwards "snort") sound rewarded my dad's friend with a quick, hard bite on his earlobe, which then sprang off his shoulder and scampered back up the tree.

Let me tell you something and take it to heart: If I ever obeyed anything that my dad told me, it was to respect my elders, the "seen, not heard" type of child and not speak unless... yada yada yada. It's not a bad thing, and I don't resent it. I still try to respect my elders, but there's getting to be fewer and fewer of them.

The thing I remember most about this long ago scene is not the squirrel bite, nor our family friend's reaction, but my own. I KNEW I shouldn't laugh, but Lord help me, I was having trouble. I alternated between my face splitting open like a watermelon in the August sun and doing my best to show the proper amount of concern, lest I embarrass the adult. After all, the ear was bleeding "like a stuck hog" and blood was staining his shirt. I'm sure it hurt, but the expression on his face wasn't one of pain, but something like the shock of betrayal.

MY ears were hurting trying to hold back my grin. You know what I'm talking about, it's almost like a funky little earache, you know you can't laugh, it's like you get a small shot of helium gas in those lymph glands, the mumps ones, they start to tingle. It's a warning sign you're about to explode with laughter. You want to laugh SO bad. It's like when someone farts in church, y'know?

When my dad started laughing like an idiot, I figured it was safe for me to laugh, too.

Whatever Happened To?

That 4R Joker guy? He was a bit smarmy, but I liked him.

A blast from the past.

First Troubles

Yep, my first major troubles with Blogger...

But they weren't too bad; I was posting a couple of videos last night and they wouldn't show up on the "front page". I get notifications of new posts (and since I'm the only one that can do that, it's no surprise ) and replies and the posts showed to have gone through, but even after clearing cache and cookies (shades of Comms/Groups!) they still wouldn't show up.

They finally posted later, and I deleted one because I didn't want to have two vids in a row. Actually, I had posted the second because the first wouldn't show up and that's why I had two.

On the Blogger "home page", the "dashboard", they have links to a help group and known issues. At least they have people who will answer questions.