Central Oregon Geek

Dancing Kids

So, this winter, the kids have been taking dancing lessons…. check them out here….

Get Real Winter

Just saw this post on a favorite blog of mine HackBend.com and the post.

Looks like there’s a new ad campaign for Central Oregon, or more specificly Mt. Bachelor.  Anyway, you should take a look at the “Mock Movie Trailers” here.

Now, i don’t want everyone to start a flood of poeople migrating over the mountains, but it’s a good idea of what we came over the mountains for.

Christmas List

I’ve decided to do a Christmas wish list online.  Well, partly online.

On the right sidebar, you’ll see an Amazon Wish list button.  That has most of what I can think of that I’d like.  In addition, I’ll always take Home Depot gift cards, Best Buy gift cards and a few Starbucks. I’m not so into Starbucks this year as the money just goes down the drain in the end… literally, but at least with the others, it will last longer.

So check back periodicly and I’ll try to put all of my idea’s up there.

Got to love free… maybe.

In my last post, I talked about Mozilla’s Prizim.  I haven’t heard from anyone, but I really didn’t expect it.

Another product I want to tell you about is Google Calendar.  You can thank one of my friends in Eugene for this one, as I saw it last time I visited.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t recommend a specific calendar, except when your whole family is already on GMail. Here’s what we’ve done… Jodi and I are always having to remind each other of upcoming events each week. Swimming Tuesday and Thursday, early release Wednesday, immunizations Tuesday at 3:0o… yada, yada yada.

After seeing my friends “Family” calander, I decided to do one.  In fact, I actually did four (4) calendars. One for myself, the family, US Holidays(loaded an existing) and then created one for my kid’s school (will be two calendars when Ash goes to Middle School).  Then I shared mine, the family and the school calendar with my wife, and allowed here to edit the family and school.

Great thing about it, I don’t have to back it up, save it somewhere, or even maintain and update it!  Bad thing, you do have to remember to check it.  But with the previously mentioned application, you can create a shortcut on the desktop to get to it easier.

So, for those families that need to maintain one group calendar, I highly recommend Google Calendar.  Can’t beat the price!

Mozilla Prizim

Recently I found a new application called Mozilla’s WebRunner.  In a nutshell, it’s a web browser stripped down to just the window so you can run web-based applications in a cleaner window.

 Originally, there had to be special files created to run your application such as GMail, facebook, twitter or even bloglines.

 Today I went to download the application for my home computer, and it’s changed.  The program has now become Prisim, and it’s better.

There are no other configurations that need to be downloaded.  Once Prizim is installed, you have the option to set the url you want it to display…

So what would you use this for? Do you use GMail?  How about Facebook? Any other web based email sites?

If there are any web pages you use on a frequent basis, this could be use for it.  If you use it, let me know, or more importantly, let Mozilla know.

What is Comcast doing?

I found this article very interesting on Comcast and their lasted round of “potential” interuption of BitTorrent files.

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#more-1083

Now, I came from Comcast country about 2 years ago, and I have to admit, I loved their speed and bundled packages for data, tv and while I did not use the digital voice, I hear it works pretty good.  But this is getting crazy. I predict either  a mass exodus, or lawsuits in their future.

 Anywho… glad I have the speed with Bend Broadband, but not the problems… yet.

Been Offline

Just wanted to say I’ve had the website offline while we moved… and now we’re back online.

Now, we’ll see if I can start posting more.  Stay tuned!

Ubuntu - Education Style

I’ve been installing and playing around with Ubuntu lately, and specificly, looking at the diferent version or “distributions” of it.  I wanted to set up a computer for my kids, that they can use, and have games, applications and tools for them.

There is a version called Edubuntu which has a number of applications geared for Kindergarten - High School age kids.  All free of charge.  While I’ve not be able to find a place for it in the house right now, as soon as I can, I’m going to see what the kids think of it, and if they can learn a new opperating system.  If it works for them, I’m going to try and do a step by step instructions for other to follow for their kids.

Ubuntu Baby!

I’m not one to sit around and tinker on something, get it working, and then just sit and be idle watching it just go along.  I kind of feel that once I can get a new program figured out, or learn a new trick for web hosting, that I need to move onto something different.

I recently needed to install some software on a computer to test a web site view.  I didn’t want to mess up my regular desktop, so I installed Virtual PC 2007 from Microsoft (free of charge).  This allows me to have a 2nd version of Windows to run on the same computer, and I can break it and fix it as I see fit.  (Good for Trial Software, beta software and other “testing”.)

But I got to thinking about Linix and remembered there is a new popluar version called Ubuntu.  Well, using Virtual PC, I was able to install Ubuntu, and it’s NICE!  There are a number of distributions, or version for different users. Standard Destop, Studio editions with audio and video editing, Education for students with learning games and applications, and even more.

So, for anyone that has the time to learn a little bit different system, and want’s free applications…. Ubuntu looks very promising!

Coffee Junkies

I just sent a reply to an email a co-worker sent me…

It made me realize what Coffee Junkies my wife and I are.  I’m sure there are worse, but overall, between the two of us, we drink a lot of coffee.

During the week (I’ll admit I don’t start the pot on the morning) we can go through almost a full pot if Jodi starts it.  Whatever she doesn’t drink in the morning, I’ll finish after work.  So on average, 4 pots during the week.  I drink it almost non-stop at work, so that’s why I don’t feel the need to start the pot during the week.

On the weekend, it get’s worse…

One pot Saturday morning, and most of the time a second pot in the afternoon if we are around. If we have guests, at least one more pot. Sunday is about the same.  So on the weekend, three pots.  And I do mean 12 full cups, can’t get any more water in the reservoir or it will over-flow, full.