Hitting the Fan

I've been having some computer issues for the last few weeks.  Basically It won't reboot properly.  If you tell the system to restart or power on from a shut down... well let's just say it's not pretty.  Sometimes it will freeze on the Dell logo (yeah, it's a Dell) not even getting into the boot sequence of the hard drives.... or it will completely boot into Windows 7 but be running at the speed of a TRS-80.

Well I thought I could solve my computer issues with a simple reinstall of Windows 7 on a smaller drive.  it's running off a 1.5 terrabyte drive right now and that's not the original drive to this system.  Couple that with the fact that the system has a 300-watt power supply (thank you, Dell) which is WAY under-powered for the amount of technology packed into this case.

Thank GOD I didn't format and reinstall.

I used a different hard drive... still a 320gb (in fact, it was the original drive that came with the system)... and installed Windows 7 Home Premium from scratch.... fresh install, not an upgrade.  Deleted and recreated the partition on the drive to be sure.  Well... failure is the only word to describe it.  On the very first reboot, it did the same thing that has been plaguing me for weeks... locked at the Dell post screen.

So the sh@* is truly hitting the fan now.  I'll need to invest in some new parts... most likely building my own for the first time in 8 years... and try to limp this thing along until I can afford it.  It's funny how it acts.  I can't reboot the system the traditional way.  Once it's been shut down, I have to unplug every USB peripheral except the keyboard, open the case up and detach the drives from the power and the SATA cables, then boot it up into BIOS.  Once there, I save the settings and exit, then power it down right after I hear the POST beep, THEN reconnect EVERYTHING and power back up.  Voila! The system boots back into Windows 7 normal as if nothing had happened in the first place.

Strange, I know.... but at least it lets me back in.   For now...

30 Days of Truth - Day 18: Your views on gay marriage

Well obviously this one is going to be written from a slightly slanted viewpoint... seeing as how I'm gay.  Therefore i should be for Gay Marriage right?  Well this may get me kicked out of the Pink Parade... but when the debate first came up, I was undecided.  I had a friend, Chuck, who said it didn't have to be marriage... a civil union was fine... so long as all the rights and privileges were still conveyed.  And because this was during my "wishy-washy" phase... I just agreed.

But now looking back... why can't we have gay marriage?  Why can't I have a ceremony just like anyone else instead of having just a set of legal laws to protect me?  And I know that some of you would say "if it's the same thing" but let me put this in front of you...

Two things... identical in design, quality, function... but one I'm not allowed to take advantage of.

Do you know what I'm talking about?  It's not gay marriage. It's restrooms during the civil rights era... one for whites... one for colored persons.  That's the direction gay marriage is heading.  One ceremony for straights... one legal structure for gays...  Do we REALLY want to take a step in that direction as a country?

30 Days of Truth - Week in Preview

Here's a look at this week's upcoming topics...

Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.

Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.

Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.

Money Grubbing

So most of my friends are now playing StarCraft 2... and while I would like to be playing it, I can't justify the $59.99 price tag for it at this time.  So today when I saw the announcement of the digital download of it I thought that might be a better option.  They didn't have to press a CD or pay for packaging... should be cheaper right?  Wrong.  $59.99 still.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pay the same for less.  If I'm gonna pay $60 for a game, I want the CD, manual, and the shiny box for my bookshelf.

Why should the manufacturer make more profit than it already is!?  I can get it from AMAZON cheaper than Blizzard directly... and they need to make their own profit off of it too!  Can you say overpriced from Blizzard?

30 Days of Truth - Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

This is going to sound strange coming from a gay man... but I'm going to put an oldie but goodie for my book.  The Holy Bible.  I'm not strictly speaking extremely religious, but in my youth I was brought up in the faith and I have carried most of that upbringing with me to this day.  Granted, I've found my own path since those early days, but I still believe in what the Bible teaches... and having been exposed to it at a young age has shaped me into the person I am today.  I still believe in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and believe that through him we are saved.

But while I hold on to these foundation principles... the other ancillary interpretations that organized religion have made do not hold as much sway with me as they use to.  I still attend a church and consider myself a Lutheran, despite the fact that the particular synod of which I'm a member considers me to be an abomination.

So while I'm no longer an avid reader of the books, chapters, or verses that are contained within, I still hold on to the Bible as the one thing that I've read that has changed or shaped my views.

Finally

It's FINALLY raining here in Phoenix.   I guess some areas have seen it already but we are finally getting it here at the apartment.   This storm is a huge one though.... I guess a section of roof collapsed on a building in Tempe from the amount of water dumped on it.  At least no one was hurt and everyone got out safely.

30 Days of Truth - Day 16: Someone or something you definitely could live without.

There's no gentle way to put this....  Morons.  I can't stand people who can't do the simple jobs assigned to them.  Or are unable to grasp hold of the simplest concepts.  From filling out paperwork properly to handling simple computer tasks.

Case in point, one of my coworkers who has the laughable title of "Office Manager".  She herself says she has nothing to do with the running of the business.  ?!?!?   What exact does an "Office Manager" do then?  She doesn't know how to use Word or Excel... or even figure out how to save a Favorite or Bookmark in Internet Explorer!  SERIOUSLY!?  That's like basic office skills there... and you're suppose to be the MANAGER!?

Ok, rant over. :)   Can you tell I'm having a bad day at work? LOL

Crossing Borders

If you cross the North Korean border illegally you get 12 years hard labor.

Iran's border? You are detained indefinitely.
Afghanistan's? You get shot.
Saudi Arabia's? You will be jailed.
China's? You may never be heard from again. Venezuela's? You will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.
Mexico's? You will jailed for two years.
Cuba's? You will be thrown into political prison to rot.

If you cross the United States border illegally you get:

1 – A job
2 – A driver’s license
3 – A Social Security card
4 – Welfare
5 – Food stamps
6 – Credit cards
7 – Subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house
8 – Free education
9 – Free health care
10 – A lobbyist in Washington
11 – Billions of dollars in public documents printed in your language
12 – And the right to carry the flag of your country – the one you walked out on – while you call America racist and protest that you don’t get enough respect.

God Bless the USA!

30 Days of Truth - Day 15: Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.

That's easy... Janell.  We drifted apart for more than a year due to my stupidity but I eventually did call her.  She had moved across the country form me at the time.  Actually, she's across the country now.  Which reminds me I should look into going for a visit at some point... just to hang out. :)

But anyways... I missed her as a sounding board for that year.  She was a great counterpoint to my own inner voice.. and for some reason I listen to her advice more than anyone else's.

Game On!

The Guild has once again put out another awesome music video for all you gamers out there.  It's a Bollywood send off to the gaming community that it's time to get your 'Game On'.



Lyrics after the jump...

30 Days of Truth - Day 14: A hero that has let you down. (letter)

I don't have any heroes... not in my youth or currently as an adult.   I don't know why... but I've never really looked up to someone and said "I want to be them" or "I admire them".  Everyone has their flaws, in my book... maybe i'm just looking to hard to find someone without them.

It seems like the last few "Days of Truth"... most of the last week, in fact... have been more difficult for me to adapt to.  And that's not what this project was about.  It was to look inward and explore my own life more...and to publish more regularly to this blog.  It was definately not to adapt my life to fit the "Truths".

So today I'm starting a new rule...  I do plan to continue the 30 Days of Truth project, but if I can't meet the goals of a specific day, I'll post my reasons why rather than what the day's truth was suppose to be.  Sound truthful and fair?

Defying Gravity

Something has changed within me 
Something is not the same 
I'm through with playing by the rules 
Of someone else's game 
Too late for second-guessing 
Too late to go back to sleep 
It's time to trust my instincts 
Close my eyes: and leap! 

It's time to try 
Defying gravity 
I think I'll try 
Defying gravity 
And you can't pull me down! 

30 Days of Truth - Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)

Tough days... that's a laugh.  I can't honestly say I've had many tough days in my life thus far.  There have been some days where it all seems to much or days that have been very depressing.  And I don't really have a single artist that I turn to for comfort in those times.  I get through stress with video games.  Nothing gets the anger out likea round of a first-person shooter. :)


I've had this post saved in my drafts since 10am this morning... because I couldn't think of a single artist or band that got me through tough times.  But after listening to some videos on YouTube... I can finally put down a few.  As my life has changed, so has my passion for certain artists.  So rather than 1 letter, I'm writing three.


Read (and listen to) more after the jump....

Exodus

I'm laughing my ass off reading all these articles about how mexicans are fleeing Arizona to New Mexico and elsewhere ahead of SB1070 going into effect.  The amount of yard sales here in Phoenix has gone up exponentially as people attempt to sell what they can so they don't have to move it... or leave it behind and make nothing from it.

But what I'm REALLY getting a kick out of is the quotes from some of these people...

"Everyone is selling up the little they have and leaving," said Villasenor, 31, who is headed for Pennsylvania. "We have no alternative. They have us cornered."
 ~ You're an illegal immigrant... did you expect us to ignore the law like the federal government has?


Or perhaps the mexican housewife that is going with her husband to New Mexico.  He is here legally... she is not.  Yet she is complaining that the law would make it illegal for her husband to drive her to the shops.   Um, lady?  How about the fact that WHERE YOU ARE STANDING IS ILLEGAL too!?


Or maybe the high schooler complaining about having to move to Albuquerque...


"It makes me sad and angry too because I feel I have the right to be here," said Bustillos, 17, who recently graduated from high school in Phoenix.


So we basically paid for your education, which is fine... you are here apparently legally (though that is room for debate too since your parents are both illegal). But what you are saying is you feel you have the right to be here now.  Guess what?  YOU DO!  I may not like it but as an anchor baby, you could stay here.   Your parents however are breaking the law... and setting a VERY bad example for you about our laws.

New Modem - The Results

Wow... I did NOT expect it to take that long to get through to Cox to setup the new modem.  But since their online website for configuring a new modem was completely busted, I had to sit on hold for 30 minutes to get it set up!  But the results?

HELLOooooooo NURSE!  Look at that speed bump!  I honestly did NOT expect that big of a jump.

New Modem

I'm swapping out my cable modem today.  The old one has decided it's at the end of it's life expectancy and therefore is starting to randomly reset and drop connection.  So in the process, I thought I'd get a faster modem... one of the new DOCSIS 3.0 specs... and with a Gigabit port (since my new router is also a gigabit router).  And just to see the results off the tech upgrades... I'm running a speed test.

Here's what the current results hold with the old modem...

30 Days of Truth - Day 12: Something you never get compliments on.

Something I never get compliments on?!  Ugh!  This one seems to just be begging for compliments... or boasting about myself... neither of which I'm comfortable doing.  I've always hated question like these... ones that require you to boast about something that you feel bad about boasting about.  Maybe it's just my self-esteem issues again, but I'm having a very difficult time coming up with something I never get complimented on.  I'm complimented on my tech knowledge and creativity... and those are really my only two glowing traits.  I'm not great looking, I don't cook well, I'm terrible at keeping things neat and tidy, so I guess this is going to be the first of the 30 Days where I can't think of something to post here...

Perhaps I should create a paradox and say modesty?  I'm not complemented on that... but it's inferred that I am.  So if I'm saying I never get complimented on my modesty, isn't that sort of drawing attention to the fact that I think I'm modest?  And isn't the the exact opposite of being modest?!    Now THERE is a philosophy topic for discussion! LOL