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Reddit addiction

November 22nd 2008 02:03
I was a fairly dedicated digger until the whole fiasco back in the day. However, I would have never called myself addicted. Then I switched to Reddit. Reddit is the UK's version of Digg I guess, only better organized. You see the thing is, I get all of my news from the Internet. In fact, 90% is from Reddit. I have found that since I am a news junky, I have started becoming a reddit junky.

I don't usually submit stories, because I had little faith they would go anywhere. However, unlike Digg, Reddit does allow things to move to the top of specialized Reddits pretty easily. I'm sure most people are familiar with Reddit, if even my computer illiterate family is. However, if you're a dedicated Digg fan boy, it might be worth a shot now that Reddit has more tabs for your categories.


Another thing I like about Reddit, you can make your OWN Reddit lists. Something Digg can't conceive of doing it seems since getting a "PICS" section took forever.
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I need to explain my absence.

November 5th 2008 08:44
Ladies and gentlemen. I wish to enlighten you as to why I have been gone. Not that many have noticed, but it has been a while. I had a threatened pregnancy and am on bed res (kinda still)t. Actually I am supposed to be on bed rest, but am past the 12 week mark now, so the risk to the child has gone down dramatically.

We had trouble discerning what part of the pregnancy I was in and the beauty of technology saved my butt yet again. I can not thank the inventor of Sonograms enough. We have been holding our breath for the past 2 months wondering if the baby was still alive. We took blood test after blood test with mixed results. I frequently lose children, so this is a serious issue. Then the doctor scheduled a peek inside. We thought I was 6 weeks along, and thus had another 6 weeks of bed rest. However, I am lucky in finding out I am much further along. Almost 2 months further!


I never really thought about how much technology affects every part of our life. With out that little machine I would be tied to a bed for another month. I am still supposed to rest every hour or so though. No lifting, no dangerous stuff, (like riding motorcycles) However, this one thing has profoundly affected my ability to care for myself better. It also has given me a reason to stop holding my breath.

I know this isn't a typical post, but life being what it is...it is technology related.
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Something we do different

September 9th 2008 02:42
Economically things have been difficult for everyone. However, instead of pounding the pavement hoping a big boss man will hire one of us, (my husband or me) we turn to the net to support ourselves or our own ingenuity. As I stated before my husband has opened a computer repair business and things are okay. Considering it's a new business things are picking up swiftly. However, it isn't enough "yet" to pay all of the bills.

I have been out of "employment" for the past 5 years. My husband was employed for about 3 of those 5 years, working for someone else. In between we managed as most families do on my income, which is steady and regular, every week. It isn't enough to buy a new home with, but it ties us over. Consequentially, it also adds padding to the bank account when finances are good. My work is at home in my spare time. I set my own hours and frankly wouldn't have it any other way. What do I do?

What don't I do is a better question. I write freelance for several places, this being among them. I run a couple websites, which so far haven't brought a whole bunch of money. I have affiliations to many places and Google ad sense is on my blog. I answer calls in the middle of the night for another company, but again it is on my own schedule. I also have an Ebay account to give my used stuff a second life, especially children's clothes and books. I sell used books on Amazon. I have made money off of mechanical turk while I was waiting for my tutoring students. Basically, I do a lot. However, 90% is with a computer in some way.

I live in an economically depressed area of the United States, namely Arkansas. Most people here know what a computer is, and Ebay. Most also know about Amazon and a couple of other really big internet names. However, there are barriers these local people have to break in order to make as much as I do on the internet and bring up their standard of living a little bit. The first barrier is access to a computer. Even though the local library has two, no one is allowed to use it as freely as is needed for most of the work I do. Most of the school computers are similarly locked down because of the fear of viruses. Because people don't know how to protect themselves and still use software that is apt to viruses, the restrictions on the computers that are open to the public is almost useless. Imagine not being able to visit sites where you put in personal data? Even if your an adult. Education and access to computers are still major problems.

Second is trust and beliefs. These people are simple people that believe everyone "out there" is out to steal their money. The thing is most don't have enough to bother with stealing, and if they do they already own a computer. Then there is the idea that they won't be paid for their work. In general this all comes from an extreme lack of experience. Although computers are available to the general public, no one is allowed to use them fully. Then the belief that computers are somehow evil, the work of the devil, or some such nonsense. Although this set of beliefs is very limited now, it is still available to be "heard" in pockets around town. I would say at least 20 percent actually believe this on some level.

When people ask me what I do to make a living, I get strange reactions. Some people no longer talk to me. (Oh yes it is true) Often times that question will bring a room full of chatty people to such a silence a pin could drop and you would hear it. I usually say data entry over the internet, because that is what they will be able to grasp best. However, it is much more than that. If every person here could have a computer and a high dsl line, they could make enough to pay for that dsl line every month, plus the light bill and the water bill. I could show them how. Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of computers to hand out and I would have to convince them they will get paid and the devil isn't stealing their soul. Those are hard problems to overcome.

In addition this lacking is spreading to the children. While the children do have educational software they use at school, researching (at all) is not taught. They are only taught to accept answers at face value and never to question. Imagine how that will squelch their ability to self teach themselves later. If a computer is in the home, it is mom or dads for work only. In general if mom or dad has a computer, it isn't used to it's fullest money making potential and mom and dad don't know how to or want to.

I have many people that accuse me of being independently wealthy and therefore can't understand why I live so frugally. I have had many rude remarks on everything, from my choice of vehicle (a 50cc scooter) to my choice of making a living. When I complain that I had a low month people tell me to "get a job". In reality I make more at home, in less time than most "jobs" available around here. When I say I work at home, people scrunch up their face like I'm a liar and generally don't consider it "work" or "real work". When I tell them what I do and how much i make, they get angry at me for making more than them while working less. "That must be nice." In general this place believes in 12 hour days somewhere other than home for about 8 bucks an hour. I work maybe 20 hours a week for about 18 dollars an hour, plus I don't have to pay for day care and can go to school at the same time. I don't understand why people make their life harder than it has to be based on misguided perceptions.
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Starting a Computer Repair Business

August 31st 2008 03:06
While it may not be as simple as this in more sophisticated areas, in Arkansas it is just this simple.

1. Legally create your business with the state 150 dollars


[ Click here to read more ]
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A woman named Jennifer Cato has done an amazing scientific fact finding study on Comcast giving false information about the speeds which customers are receiving. Jennifer did several studies on Linux and Windows proving the speed which she is paying for and the speed which she is receiving are indeed very different no matter the operating system or modem. Different how? She is getting less than she paid for! When customer service was contacted they first blamed her Linux operating system. When she used Windows to run the test they blamed her modem. When she used their modem, they blamed their OWN modem and asked her to upgrade! She is asking all Linux people with Comcast to run similar tests to clear Unbuntu.

She has contacted her attorney and may be opening a class action suite of fraud and deceptive business practices against Comcast. She has several very compelling screen shots and recorded calls to prove how deep the deception goes, right up to the Governor of West Virginia! She will be doing weekly tests to confirm her origional results. If your a Comcast customer, it might be time to check your speeds. Check out her origional blog. http://www.tuxwerx.com/Blogs/
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Internet TV

August 14th 2008 06:19
My local Centerytel has new cable tv. I suppose for those still stuck on the teat of cable tv it might be a good idea, but in reality the internet has allowed many LEGAL methods of tv to pop up for FREE to the consumer. No I am not talking about youtube, although I love to watch it, I am talking about two revolutionary services. The first of which is VEOH. Veoh has commercials like the origional television. In fact it's free like television was supposed to be. My children love to watch the Adams Family. However, they don'tjust have old shows, they currently have the Olympics and ABC. Veoh is as good as Tv if not better, because you can get it on your iphone.

Then there is Revision3. Every digg fan boy knows this is where Diggnation is shown. In my own personal opinion, Revision3 is tv without the glam. Which sometimes also means without the polished professional look. Not bad if your into reality tv or something like that, but I'm not. Revision3 is definitely better than youtube, but their subject matter needs work. If I were to hand the owners of the station just ONE suggestion, get some grown up issues on there, like economics. Anyway, if you have a couple hours to waste, it's not bad


[ Click here to read more ]
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I am here to vent about a problem with Skype. We purchased a Skype number for our business. It's cheaper long distance wise, and gives us a separate phone line for tax purposes. For these things Skype is good. However, it irks me to no end when I can't receive the same level of service because I don't have a Microsoft made product for an OS. What am I talking about? Well, in case you are happily sucking on the monopolized teat of corporate America, Linux is not compatible with many of the services that Skype offers. Furthermore, Skpye has no plans to make them so even though Linux is becoming a serious contender to Microsoft "hasta la Vista" crapola system. Why can't I get the same service if I pay the same amount of money? Smells like monopoly.

This isn't the only market Microsoft has bought and paid for, try watching most of the streaming video's online with Linux (not in covert mode either)...you'll get some lame-o message saying this player is compatible with everything except Linux. The point is, if you mask it, instructing your computer to identify itself as Windows whatever, it works! Monopoly! The thing is I'm to lazy to do the work around so I usually send a scathing email just to be a bitch, since they are blocking me access just to be bitches. I really don't care about how much money Microsoft paid them to be nit wits, customer service means all customers, not just sheep! (no offense


[ Click here to read more ]
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Boys and their Toys

August 5th 2008 01:35
Aright, I had intended to talk about some on line tv. However today's events have led me to a different topic. Toys. Okay big boy toys, dirt bikes, motor scooters, motorized bikes, etc... My husband got a brand new bike today. He assembled it himself in under 6 hours. He looked like a kid on Yule. His shiny grey/silver cycle all assembled, gassed, and oiled he test drove it. He did around the block on our dirt road to get a feel for it. I let him go at it. He worked hard for this bike and deserve to "test" drive it all he wanted in my opinion. Honestly, it would be important for him to learn how to handle it.

He wanted to try it out on a real road. I said sure, go to town, just pick me up some soda. (A rare treat in this house). He got all ready and headed off into the sunset. 30 minutes later a frantic lady was on the phone. Apparently my husband didn't get very far. He was in a ditch. He had landed on his shoulder. A motorist stopped and got her from her home and then just left him there in the ditch. It is unclear what had happened to have him end up in the ditch. The lady said it was a bad road, but that my husband seemed fine even though he wasn't wearing a helmet. She told me his shoulder seemed hurt, possibly broken


[ Click here to read more ]
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Hello!

July 31st 2008 22:57
I am new taking over this blog. I guess the last writer lost interest once all things geeky lost their luster. I am not an official geek. I don't speak binary, Klingon, Elvish, or even Html. I do live with a geek however, and love him very much. (So guys there ARE women just for geeks) I can relate his favorite new things in dealing with Linux, movies, and more. Don't expect long detailed lesson on C, C , C , Java, Html (though you might learn of my more funny mistakes), or Flash. I hate Flash personally, it locks my computer.

I am learning to use Html. Which kind, well strict HTML currently, I htink. It is difficult for non-geeks. My husband takes to it like a fish in water while I spend hours figuring out what <b></b> means! It means bold right? I am building a business web page. I'm biting myself in the butt for not saving enough to hire a web designer. We did find some awesome templates HERE and HERE Just in case your interested. I guess that's it. Have a nice day.
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Getting By

July 19th 2008 04:35
I was in a crash, and the doctor gave me great medicine, but my back and knee wasn't healing. So, I decided to work with my body. I have been using a lot of hot showers, stretching, and muscle strengthening exercises. My knee is starting to heal finally, but my back still isn't. The only thing I can think of now is to add vitamin C and go back tot he doctors.

It is very painful. I'm only 28 but I move like a 50 year old, complete with creaks and pops. I don't think it's health. I can't sit up right for more than an hour with out pain. That's not very positive is it? What would you do in this situation?
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