October 31, 2008

Neighborhood Watch:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those is a community support activity which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch. Like many of the people in my community. I own some nice things, and I want to keep it that way. Volunteering for the neighborhood watch doesn't require a lot of dedication, but it does require some attention to detail and a keen sense of your surroundings.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (or one of the other communities listed above) in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join or mailing list to receive periodic alerts, updates and information. For additional information see the Neighborhood Watch web page.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Events.html>

Comcast thinks I'm a spammer!
Recently, (29 Oct 2008), I received an email from Comcast which accused me of sending spam. The tone of the email was a bit nonchalant, and at first I thought it was a phishing attempt, but a short check of the message source confirmed the authenticity of the message. Basically, they think my computer might be infected with a virus, and that's probably the reason why my account has been used to send spam. "Comcast has determined that your computer(s) have been used to send unsolicited email ("spam"), which is generally an indicator of a virus." - Read on... So anyway, according to the email, I need to A: Download and install anti-virus software on my PC. and B: Reconfigure my email client to send using port 587 vice 25 for SMTP email. After reading their online FAQ (which isn't linked correctly via their email notification), I was unable to get my email client properly configured. Yeah, their FAQ was out of date, missing essential information, and generally a waste of time. A quick check of my ability to send email confirmed a portion of the message from Comcast. They had indeed disabled my ability to send email via port 25, which I had been using up until then.

After a lengthy session with one of their service technicians, I managed to get the Mail.app properly configured in order to send email. Yes, "I" managed to get the client configured. The person I spoke with sounded knowledgeable, but they couldn't think outside the 'script' sitting in front of them. At every step I followed their instructions, and I still couldn't send email. As I started to question the settings I was told to enter, and describe things that weren't related in the 'script', the technician quickly became unable to assist me further. He knew the difference between SMTP port 25 and POP port 110, but didn't seem to know the full ins and outs of reconfiguring my client to send via port 587 under Mac OS 10.5.5.

Now for an examination of the underlying causes for this email... The technician was unable or unwilling (he wouldn't even say whether he was unwilling or unable) to tell me why I had received this email message. So, I'm left to speculate as to why Comcast might think I'm sending spam. As for having an infected computer. Well, it would be a first for my Mac, and a first for Macs in general (unless you're talking about computers infected as part of an intentional 'proof of concept' security demonstration). I doubt very much that my computer is the first Mac to be hijacked to send spam. One of two other options remain. I either busted some sort of email limit, or someone reported me as a spammer. Does Comcast have a limit on the number of emails I can send? Yes indeed. What is that limit? I really don't know, and apparently, neither does Comcast - or at least the technician I spoke to. When I report spam, I use my Comcast account to forward the email to Spamcop. On the day before I received the email, I reported every piece of spam I received. In a 24 hour period, I reported appx 165 spam messages. I'll bet that was the cause. Maybe... There's also the possibility that someone who received an email from me (or an email forged to look like it came from me), and decided that they didn't want to receive any more email from me. I'm hoping that it's the fact that I sent too many emails option. If so, that's crap. To accuse me of sending spam because I sent a lot of email. That's not the same as spamming. In my dictionary, spammer is a 'Very, very, very' bad word, and accusing someone of sending spam is the equivalent of calling them a 'Criminal'. You can't do that without presenting proof or making a formal allegation.

Comcast needs to revise the way they handle suspected cases of 'spamming' on behalf of their customers. Needless to say, this incident taught me a lot about Comcast support, their policies and a little more about my email client. FYI: I am not a spammer!
<http://www.comcast.com/Customers/FAQ/FaqDetails.ashx?Id=3724>

Books:
I just finished reading a book. Frontlines ~ World War II ~ Personal accounts of Wisconsin Veterans - A gift from my in-laws. I served 20 years in the military (U.S. Air Force), and I am interested in historical accounts of World War II . This book was written by a local (to Wisconsin) radio/television personality. Some of the tales actually touched on the experiences of a personal relative. One John (aka Jack) Vaessen (Not sure exactly sure how he's related, but I've no doubt that he's most likely related) was trapped in the capsized USS Utah when it capsized after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Firman's accounting of that day includes some recollection on the capsized ships, and the search for survivors in those ships. The book was great, I'm glad I received it as a gift, and I would certainly read his companion/follow-up book.

With the conclusion of that book, I've turned to the groaning shelves of my 'waiting to be read' list and picked up a new book to read. The teeth of the tiger by Tom Clancy. Another novel by Tom Clancy. Is this any better than the last? I sure hope so. The last Clancy novel I read was 'Red Rabbit' back in 2004. This one connects Middle Eastern terrorists to Colombian drug lords.

In addition to this personal reading update, I also lent out a book to someone at work. I loaned a copy of Robert Heinlein's Sixth Column to Brian, a coworker in the 'undisclosed location' where I work. With all these book updates, I had to update my books page. A list of my favorite books (well some of them), some of the books I've read, loaned out, and am waiting to read. Check out my books page for more info.
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html#ontheshelf>
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html#loaners>

Happy Halloween:
Sometimes Kim and I celebrate a bit on Halloween, but now (for the last five years) she's working evenings, and she doesn't get Halloween off. So, this year we didn't do much. I stayed home (In Aurora, Colorado) and handed out goodies to all the ghosts and goblins that showed up at my front door. I estimate that approximately 40 kids showed up. That's more than last year, but I'm still surprised by how few kids showed up. I remember when I was a kid on Suburban Drive (Yes, I actually lived on a street named 'Suburban Drive'). The neighborhood was crawling with kids. My parents must have easily had a couple hundred kids show up at their door. That was back in the 60s - 70s though, and things sure have changed since then.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 18th of October, and this posting represents a couple of updates from that meeting. I received another journal submission, so I added some new journal entries and updated a few monsters entries. Our meeting on the 18th of October consisted of the party's trip home. A journey which takes them away from Firestorm Peak, out of the valley, and back to Whillip. Will this journey be any less dangerous than their previous forays into the accursed mountain? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for adventure!

The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes. The current adventure is rapidly approaching an end, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for the next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

October 27, 2008

Enough with the Stuffit Deluxe:
I've had enough. In March of this year (2008) I upgraded to a new version of Stuffit Deluxe, and now (Oct 2008) they've released another paid upgrade. It seems as if their upgrade cycle has changed from annual to every six months. Combine this apparent shift in upgrade cycles with the fact that the updates haven't added anything necessary or revolutionary in the past few upgrade years. I've come to a realization. The Stuffit proprietary compression format used to make a difference. Back when storage was expensive, and Mega-Bytes meant Mega-Bucks. Today the cost of storage has dropped to incredibly low prices, and the non-proprietary formats seem more reasonable. .ZIP is now a universal open standard, and It's built into the Microsoft and Apple operating systems.

Stuffit Deluxe makes it easy to perform compression tasks, but it's annual upgrades and few useful changes, has convinced me to reduce my reliance on it's proprietary format in order to wean myself off it completely. From now on, I'll do my best to get rid of any proprietary (aka .sit extension) compression on my Mac, and work towards the built-in Mac (and open) .ZIP standard. As of this posting, I've removed Stuffit Deluxe from my 'Software Favorites' page.
<http://www.stuffit.com/mac/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

More AAFES shenanigans:
Back in April of 2006, I had something of a dispute with AAFES. They willfully violated their publicly posted privacy policy by giving my personal information (the email addresses (and names?) of appx 50,000 customers) to a third party. When I confronted them about it (I started at the bottom, and eventually worked my way up to the AAFES office of Inspector General), they denied everything, refused to admit any wrong doing, and ignored (in essence) my concerns, questions and recommendations. You can read all about it online at "Rob's World!". Hey, they're a big company with lawyers and military officers on their side, so obviously I must be the one who was wrong! Well, you can be the judge of that. Thankfully they don't control my web page (I'm not in the military anymore), and they can't silence the truth. I've done my best to present the information in an even manner, presenting as many facts as possible, and avoiding any inflammatory language. In any case, I thought the matter resolved. After all 'They Won'...

So here's a little follow-up to that ancient history. The only power I had in that entire exchange was the ability to 'Unsubscribe' from their newsletter. If I didn't like what they were doing - Breaking the law, giving away my personal information, etc, I could always 'Unsubscribe'. In the end, that was my only recourse. So, shortly after the original incident occurred, I unsubscribed from the AAFES email distribution (26 Apr 06). I followed the procedures listed in their email newsletters and online web forms. I figured that this would result in the removal of my name and email address from their 'mailing list'. I wouldn't need to worry about them giving away my email address anymore. Well, apparently AAFES only honors those unsubscribe requests for a specific period. They didn't actually remove my email address from their database. They simply suppressed my receipt for a couple of years. I stopped receiving the newsletters until recently (24th of October, 2008). Without requesting it, I have been 'Opted in' to their newsletter.

With no changes to their privacy policy, and apparently no regard for the wishes of their customers, I have been 'resubscribed' to their email newsletters. I unsubscribed in 2006, but now they've decided that I need to receive the newsletter again. According to the newsletter I received via email, I can always unsubscribe - again. Well, I'm not going to bother. Why should I unsubscribe again? As long as I hold an AAFES/STAR card, they can do as they wish. Under the terms of the CAN-SPAM act, they can classify me as an 'Existing Customer', and therefore any such messages can be declared 'Relationship' messages. The lesson here? Don't expect AAFES to honor your 'unsubscribe' request. As long as you shop there, or have a STAR card, you're their 'customer' and they can send you as many 'relationship' messages as they want.

As a result of this recent incident, I've taken the time to update my 'Privacy Policy' web page. That's the web page about my disagreement with AAFES.
<https://www.robsworld.org/privacypolicy.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/aafesunsubscribe.pdf>
<https://www.robsworld.org/aafesresubscribed.pdf>

Annibirthday - 2008:
Birthdays and anniversaries. Sure, Kim and I get away during these special events. One word in our vocabulary is 'Annibirthday'. It's a word that Kim and I know well. One we use every year, usually around October. Why? Where does this word come from? Well, Kim and I got married on my Birthday (Oct 26, 1985). Yes, that's right, on my Birthday - and it's a long story. So if you see that term, you'll know where it came from.

Kim and I celebrated another Anniversary in October. As of 2008, it's been 23 years since we said our "I do"s. This year (2008), we celebrated our Anniversary (and my birthday) by taking a trip down to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. We stayed at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, attended an old fashioned wake at Miramount Castle, and watched the Coffin Races in Manitou Springs, before heading back to Aurora. We even had time to squeeze in a stop at the Seven Falls attraction and a Money Museum (sorry forgot to take pictures at the money museum) during our stay. Another great vacation in Colorado.

I've posted photos from the vacation. Photos are available in two different formats and two different locations. If you've got a newer operating system and full featured browser, you may find the new MobileMe photo gallery to your liking. It's a pretty snazzy way to display my photos. Unfortunately, not everyone can seem to view them in that format. If old style is your preference, you can see the photos hosted at "Rob's World!". In either case, I thought you might like to see what Kim and I have been up to in the last week.
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphoto/annibirthday2008/index.html>
<http://gallery.me.com/rvaessen#100155>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 18th of October, and this blog posting represents a series of updates from and since that meeting. We've got some new journal entries, some new monsters, and a few other updates. Our meeting on the 18th of October consisted of the party's trip home. A journey which takes them away from Firestorm Peak, out of the valley, and back to Whillip. Will this journey be any less dangerous than their previous forays into the accursed mountain? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for adventure!

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters and adventures. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. This update adds entries from Thalidimar and Belt to our online journal. Be sure to read about the party's journey back to Whillip.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#oct18_2008>

The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes. The current adventure is rapidly approaching an end, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for the next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Cold Snap:
Today (22 Oct 08) we experienced a bit of a cold snap in our part of the Denver/Aurora metro area. Temperatures during the day were in the low to mid 30's. Barely rising above freezing. During the night, it got well below freezing. Dipping down into the 20s. Areas around Colorado Springs got a significant amount of snow. Winter is on it's way.

I got a raise!
<rave>I've got some good news. It's good news for a large number of people. Military retirees. If you receive a pension from the U.S. government (like me), then you are getting a 5.8% COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance) increase for 2009. The new pay rates go into effect 1 Dec 08, and the first pay raises will show up in your Jan 09 check. This is the highest COLA increase in the past 15 years.</rave> This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The increase reflects the reality of rising costs and inflation. At the same time it's a guarantee that part of my income (my retirement pay) isn't being 'reduced' (5.8% reflects cost-of-living -1%) as a result of the inflationary realities of our current economy.
<http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3774238>

Even more music in October:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

Starbucks gives away free iTunes Tracks:
Kim and I occasionally visit Starbucks to pick up some java juice. While we're there, we grab the most recent Starbucks Pick of the Week card. Starbucks and iTunes have teamed up to reward loyal customers with these handpicked downloads. Just visit your local Starbucks every Tuesday to pick up the latest free Pick of the Week card.
* Run - Amy MacDonald: (1 song) The instrumentals are extremely well matched to this artists voice. The lyrics are a thoughtful, soulful mix of folk, country and pop. This song comes from her debut album release.
* Home in the Woods - Cory Chisel (and the wandering sons): (1 song) Admittedly, I didn't think Cory Chisel could actually be a good singer. I was convinced that this name was one of those no talent country singers churned out every year by the major record labels. Something designed to appeal to the mass market target audience. I was a bit surprised when I found a voice reminiscent of Alejandro Escovedo and the Great Lakes Myth Society. A wonderful voice, magnificent lyrics and well crafted instrumental accompaniment. A magnificent blend of Americana, Folk, Rock and Country. I will more than likely purchase/download more music from this band.

iTunes purchase:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's one of those free downloads from the iTunes store. Thanks Apple!:
* Geraldine - Glasvegas: (Single) Evocative vocals and some fuzzy instrumentals. The sentiment is hard to ignore, there's plenty of promise in this band's offering.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of October. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.musicalfamilytree.org/>

October 19, 2008

Apple Security Update 2008-007:
Another security update released by Apple. This update addresses twenty security concerns. Patches address problems with the following OS components: Apache, Certificates, ClamAV, CUPS, Colorsync, Finder, lauchd, libsxlt, MySQL server, Networking, PHP, postfix, PSNormalizer, QuickLook, rlogin, ScriptEditor, Single Sign-On, Tomcat, vim, weblog. Thankfully, Apple's software update makes it easy to find out about, and implement these security updates. If you own a Mac, you can rest assured that any potential security concerns will be addressed in a timely and thorough manner. You can read more about the update at Apple's website. Keeping my Mac safe from malicious hackers and such.
<http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/>

NetFlix and Roku team up to save me money!
<rave>Recently, I purchased a Roku Player, and integrated it into my home entertainment system (as minimal as it is). The Roku Player allows me to stream NetFlix movies directly to my TV. With a 'high-speed' internet connection (I've use Comcast cable as an ISP) and an ethernet router, the Roku Player has it's own connection to the internet. This set-up facilitates the streaming of NetFlix movies directly to my movie. No more waiting for discs to arrive. As soon as I'm out of DVDs to watch, I grab the Roku remote and browse my 'Watch Instantly' queue. The Roku box displays the queue directly on my TV, and instant satisfaction is just a click away. The quality of these streaming movies is great (in my opinion). Better than the cable providers 'pay-per-view' selection or quality. Here is a custom tailored (I set up the queue online) list of movies that I can watch any time I want. The best part of this set-up? It doesn't cost me anything over the standard NetFlix subscription cost. I pay the monthly fee for NetFlix DVD services, and I'm able to stream an unlimited* number of movies through my Roku Player.

So where am I saving money? I'm glad you asked. So, now that I've got instant access to a huge selection of movies through the Roku Player, I don't need to pay for the '5 at-a-time' plan. Remember, this streaming doesn't cost anything extra (The box cost appx $100.00). If you're paying for any of the NetFlix 'Unlimited' plans, the 'Watch Instantly' feature is available for no extra charge. Oh, by the way, you can use the 'Watch Instantly' feature without a hardware player (Roku Player, LG BD300 Blu-Ray Player, and XBox 360 (starting late Oct '08)). You can watch the movies directly on your PC (Not available for Macs - as of 19 Oct '08). Since I don't need as many physical discs, I've been able to reduce my plan. I was paying $32.42 per month for the '5 at-a-time' plan. Now I'm down to the '4 at-a-time' plan for $25.87 a month. A savings of $6.55 per month! Fantastic - Not only is NetFlix saving me money, they're giving me the ability to watch movies instantly. No waiting for discs, no broken discs, no lost discs, no scratched discs, no wrong discs, no more Throttling!</rave>

*Unlimited number of movies - Sure, I could stream movies continuously - 24/7, but I'd run into the Comcast data usage threshold after 8 hours per day. Given Comcast's recent policy change. Each subscriber account now has a data usage cap of 250GB per month. At appx 2GB per movie that's about 4 two hour movies per day. (I hope I got that math right... Even with Kim and I both watching the Roku, I don't think we have enough idle time to actually spend 8 hours a day on the couch. Unlimited number of movies - No, NetFlix doesn't have an unlimited selection of movies in their 'Watch Instantly' reservoir. According to their website, the selection is appx 12,000+ movies. I don't believe it - My calculations show that it's easily in excess of 15,000 movies. I think that the number fluctuates constantly, but the number is definitely way more than 12,000.
<https://www.robsworld.org/whatsnew/wn2008/wn2008_sep.html#rokurules>
<http://www.roku.com>
<http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5384>
<http://www.netflix.com/FAQ?p_faqid=107>
<http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevices?tb=details>
<http://www.netflix.com/WiMessage?lnkctr=wnph_sysreqs&msg=51>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix#.22Throttling.22>
<http://www.comcast.net/terms/network/amendment/>

NetFlix teams with Starz Entertainment:
<rave>In another astonishing move. NetFlix is teaming with Starz Entertainment (Premium movie service provider of Englewood, CO) to add the Starz Play video library to the NetFlix 'Watch Instantly' queue. On Oct, 1st. NetFlix announced this agreement; which makes movies from Starz, through its "Starz Play" broadband subscription movie service, available to Netflix 'Watch Instantly' subscribers. Oh, wait - The good news isn't over yet. Access to the Starz Play service will be included with Netflix members' current monthly subscription fee (provided you're on one of the 'Unlimited' plans). Adding the Starz on Demand selection to my Comcast subscription would cost me... I have no idea. Their website is so cluttered its unusable, after five minutes I realized I couldn't access any information regarding my cable TV plan through their website. Turning to the phone, I navigated through the 'Press-1 for English' menu, finally got a person, and learned the cost of Starz on Demand. $9.99 for six months, plus a one time $1.99 'activation' fee. After six months it goes up to $19.99 a month! Holy cow. So now NetFlix is saving me even more money. Without even asking, they managed to save me another $19.99 a month. I've got the Starz Play selection, through the NetFlix 'Watch Instantly' feature, which adds an additional 2,500+ shows to my already expanding list of 'Watch Instantly' movies. This is awesome. NetFlix rules!</rave>
<http://netflix.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=283>
<http://www.starz.com/about>
<http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5384>
<http://www.starz.com/channels/starzplay>

Osaka Rob visits Robert and Kim:
From 14 - 17 October, one of our best friends paid us a visit. Rob (who lives in Osaka, Japan (since appx 1989)) flew to Wisconsin to attend his 25th high school reunion, and visit with family in the De Pere/Green Bay area. While he was here in the States, he decided to burn up some of his frequent flyer miles to fly out and pay us a visit. Rob arrived on the 14th of October, and we immediately began a three day whirlwind tour of our little corner of Colorado. We didn't do everything possible, but we sure had a really good time. Kim laid out our itinerary, and three of us managed to visit a few of Colorado's highlights.

All in all, I'd say it was a great little vacation. Kim and I haven't seen Rob since we were stationed in Misawa, Japan, and he really is our best friend. I just wish that Ryoko and the girls could have made it out hear as well. Maybe next time. Rob and I took a bunch of pictures during our visit, and I've posted mine to my MobileMe gallery. Feel free to peruse the collection at your leisure. Hopefully, Rob's next visit will be longer and include the rest of his family.
<http://gallery.me.com/rvaessen/100147>
<http://gallery.me.com/rvaessen>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 4th of October, and this blog posting represents a series of updates from and since that meeting. We've got some new journal entries, some new monsters, and a few other updates. Our meeting on the 4th of October consisted of the party's trip home. A journey which takes them away from Firestorm Peak, out of the valley, and back to Whillip. Will this journey be any less dangerous than their previous forays into the accursed mountain? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for adventure!

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters and adventures. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. This update adds entries from Dynnera, Solmar and Belt to our online journal. Be sure to read about the party's journey back to Whillip.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#oct04_2008>

Character update:
A minor update to the page. I added some information to the description of Enola. Kim's character is an Elven Ranger with the ability to transform into a large python. This information (the fact that she can transform into a snake) wasn't noted on the page, and I thought it was a useful bit of information, so I added it. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html#enola>

The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes. The current adventure is rapidly approaching an end, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for the next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Lawn Winterization:
Gotta do it before the hard freezes set in. It sure would suck if my sprinkler system froze up, or my pipes burst. On the 18th of Oct, 2007. I had someone come by (It scheduled it a month ahead of time) to do some lawn work. Winter is fast approaching and it's time to get the lawn ready. Workers came by to aerate and fertilize the lawn, they also blew out the sprinkler lines. After they finished, I picked up some stuff around the yard, insulated some pipes and covered the outside faucets. If you haven't done it yet, you'd better get it done before it's too late!

October 9, 2008

Additional October Acquisitions:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

Web site downloads:
I download music from plenty of websites (not counting commercial websites). The websites of the artists, the artists label, music festival websites, music review sites, etc, etc. Their are gobs of places where you can find free music. We're in a whole new era now. Gone are the monopolistic controls of the music industry. Music is becoming free - Free to anyone who takes the time to look for it. If you can't find free, legal, music - you're not looking very hard.
* You Are Here - +/- {Plus/Minus}: (3 songs) Yes the bands name is "Plus sign, slash, Minus sign" that makes it a bit difficult to pronounce or write. I've been pronouncing it "Plus Minus". Two words, no punctuation. The music is an atmospheric blend of guitars and electronic instruments. The lyrics are dreamy, reminding me of the best new wave bands of the 80's.
* Xs on Your Eyes - +/- {Plus/Minus}: (Single) I've already explained the thing with this bands name, so we'll move on to something else. Here's one song from their upcoming LP release. Due out near the end of October, I hope eMusic will carry this new release.
* Holding Patterns - +/- {Plus/Minus}: (Single) Yet another song by the band with the non-alpha-numeric name. They will make the top of my collated music collection. Here's a song off their second album. All this music from +/- comes courtesy of a recent 3hive.com discovery. I've even added some of the bands material to my eMusic download queue.
* Eve - Shearer: (14 songs) A rock band with punk inclinations. Hard rockin', fast paced, angry lyrics. Great drum work. At times, the vocals remind me a bit of form INXS frontman Michael Hutchence (especially on the track 'Bring Me Down'). I found this band at Jamendo.com. While they're available at emusic.com, you might want to take a look around. This particular album is available for free through various outlets (including Jamendo.com).

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of October. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 4th of October, but the journal updates aren't in yet. Despite the lack of journal updates, I've got a few updates to post. Our next meeting is on the 18th of October, a day after a friend departs. As I'll be ending a vacation on that day, I thought I'd do my best to get some updates posted before I start that vacation. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to work on updates before that meeting, so here you go:

The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes. The current adventure is rapidly approaching an end, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for the next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Do you trust your Mechanic?
Recently Kim and I switched garages. We stopped taking our 2001.5 Volkswagen Passat to the dealership. After racking a big pile of bills (and minimal resolution), I was able to convince her that we needed a change. So we gave a new shop a chance. A few friends recommended the shop to us, so we figured why not give it a try? We took our car to the Jim Paris car care center off S. Tower Rd. in Aurora.

Recently, we paid off the Volvo. After four years, the factory scheduled warranties are all done with, but I didn't realize that. So, when the odometer came up to 37,500 miles I scheduled a 'check up' in accordance with the recommended warranty schedule. The dealership didn't advise me that this warranty service wouldn't be paid for as part of the manufacturers scheduled warranty work. I found out that I'd have to pay out of pocket when I arrived to drop off the vehicle. Needless to say, I was a bit perturbed by that fact, but I told them to go ahead with the scheduled maintenance anyway.

A few hours later the dealership called. They informed me that I needed to have my transmission fluid changed, and my power steering fluid should probably be changed as well. Do I trust the dealership? Hell no. How much did they want to charge me? Flushing the transmission fluid would cost something like $320.00, and the Power Steering appx $200.00! You've got to be kidding! I've been burnt far too many times to simply accept what the dealer says at face value. To top it all off, the cost without changing the fluid was $312.00 (incl. taxes). A whopping $227.54 went towards labor. Come on, you've got to be kidding. How long do you think the 37,500 mile check up took?

<rave>Kudos to Jim Parish auto repair. I took the Volvo to Jim Parish after the dealership raked me over the coals. I asked them to check the fluids. Specifically the power steering and transmission fluid. After a couple hours I got a call back. They informed me that the transmission system was sealed, so they couldn't check the fluids in the normal sense. However, they said that it was highly unlikely that I would need to change it. According to the manufacturers recommendations, the transmission fluid should be changed at the 52,500 mile check up. As for the power steering fluid. They said it didn't need to be changed, it was fine. I picked the vehicle up on Thursday, and paid the bill $0.00! Yeah - Nothing. No charge. Goodbye dealership. The Volvo will now be serviced at Jim Parish auto repair. I'm tired of the exorbitant dealership prices, and deceptive practices.</rave>

It sucks when your car breaks down, and Kim and I have lived through quite a few vehicle breakdowns. When we start looking to replace the Passat (in 2010 or so), reliability will be a top priority on our list. That and gas mileage! I've had excellent performance and low maintenance requirements on my 2004 XC90. Due to high gas prices, we're currently considering a Honda Civic Hybrid as a replacement to our 2001.5 Passat. The Honda Civic has an excellent track record when it comes to reliability, and the Hybrid gets awesome mileage.

We voted, did you?
I sure hope so. Kim and I voted early. Because of our work schedules, we voted by absentee ballot. <rave>Colorado made it very easy for us to vote by absentee ballot and we really liked the booklets they sent us ahead of time. They sent out a couple of booklets containing analysis of all the ballot initiatives. Including the local ones. The booklets are really helpful when it comes to unraveling the opposing commercials and rhetoric you hear on the news. The booklets include all the facts, plus some pro and con points of view. With the help of the booklet, I found answers to most of my questions, and had a place to start when doing my own research. Now that's government working for me!</rave> Who did I vote for? Let's just say I voted for the person who will bring real change to America. I hope you know who that is.
<http://www.arapahoevotes.com/>

October 3, 2008

October's eMusic acquisitions:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download 90 tracks from eMusic.com. I bought in when the price was right - $19.99 for 90 DRM free songs a month. At less than $.25 a track, that's a awesome value. iTunes eat your heart out. You can't get that deal anymore, but eMusic still offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality.
* Radio Retaliation - Thievery Corporation: (15 songs) This band makes abstract, instrumental, mid-tempo dance music somewhere between trip-hop and acid jazz. Excellent instrumentals fuse middle eastern samples, electronic beats, and pulsing bass drums. Dreamy lyrics and smooth vocals mix it up with nightclub, world beat, instrumentals. This pick was based on a recent iTunes new music Tuesday download.
* First Two 7"s - Minor Threat: (12 songs) A favorite from the 80's. Here's an early punk band. Two of their earliest releases combined together. Anti-establishment straight edge started with this D.C. band. Band members went on to become influential members of a movement which influenced much of what punk became.
* Revenge! - Robbie Fulks: (11 + 12 songs) Here's an interesting pick. A folk influenced, country band with a wide range of play styles. Mix in a bit of onstage humor and you've got a great live act in Robbie Fulks.
* Take The Lovers Home Tonight - Mother And The Addicts: (12 songs) The follow up to this album (Science Fiction) was awesome, but this one misses the mark by a scosh. Fast, frenetic, furious. Not quite as fast or furious as Minor Threat, more akin to Franz Ferdinand. Lyrics remind me of very early XTC. Scottish band with New Wave revival sound.
* Ghost Glacier EP - Breathe Owl Breath: (8 songs) Deep, dark, moody melodies infect the grooves of this eMusic exclusive offering. The vocals are notable, the instrumentals include an odd assortment, and the lyrics and instrumentals are intertwined in a way that speaks of craftsmanship. I discovered this band by checking out some unsigned artists on eMusic.
* Retreat From Memphis - Mekons: (17 songs) I was introduced to this band by a friend (Thanks Troy). Proto-punkers, evolved from the primordial ooze of English rockers in the late 70s. Here's a release reminiscent of the Jam. Instrumentally it's guitars and drums. Lyrically there's an edge here, a feeling of desperation, an angst, a rage against the system, barely concealed, buried beneath the ripping guitar tracks.
* Helicopter - Bloc Party: (3 songs) My attraction to Bloc Party grew out of sidelong exposure to similar bands, and slowly I was drawn to this band like a magnet. Unfortunately, eMusic only carries a small sampling. This three song single features three remixes of one song. Heavily electronic with vocals that remind me of Art Brut. Bloc Party is Art Punk.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of October. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

Neighborhood Watch:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those is a community support activity which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch. Like many of the people in my community. I own some nice things, and I want to keep it that way. Volunteering for the neighborhood watch doesn't require a lot of dedication, but it does require some attention to detail and a keen sense of your surroundings.

I just completed some updates to the Neighborhood Watch website. I updated the event banners on the Welcome and Events pages. Our Neighborhood Watch now includes the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, Southlands, Wheatlands, Beacon Point and Southshore. With the addition of these communities to our Neighborhood Watch, we need additional block captains to step forward and help us with various community related activities.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (or one of the other communities listed above) in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join or mailing list to receive periodic alerts, updates and information. For additional information see the Neighborhood Watch web page.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Events.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Info.html>

Software favorites:
I recently updated two of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. This time around it's another full release of the application. Another product that's always getting better. It's another free upgrade for those who own a license. In addition to the GC update, I also updated another graphics application. This one comes to us courtesy of development on Unix platforms. The Mac's underlying Operating System is actually a version of Unix, that's why we're able to run many awesome applications, and the Gimp is one of them.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released a new beta (6.2b6), followed soon afterwards by a new full release (6.2). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

The GIMP:
is a GNU Image Manipulation Program, and now that Mac OS 10.5.2. is out, I've been able to get this program back up and running on my Mac. I'm currently running version 2.4.4. The GIMP is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Written and developed under X11 for the Unix platform, I'm running a version ported to Mac OS X (runs under X11). This software application is the equivalent of PhotoShop for free! There's very little you can't do with this full feature graphic authoring software suite. It's got all the bells and whistles: Full suite of painting tools, Sub-pixel sampling, Gradient editor and blend tool, Custom brushes and patterns, Full alpha channel support, Layers and channels, Multiple Undo/Redo, Editable text layers, Transformation tools, Selection tools, Advanced path tool, Transformable paths and selections, Advanced scripting capabilities, Support for Photo-Shop plugins, and several more features. I've been using the GIMP for some years now, and I'm continually impressed by it's rich features and powerful rendering capabilities. Here are just a few of the graphics and titles I've created using the GIMP: Slice of a pseudo oil painting, adventuringgroup.png, dndbooks.png, vifsi.png. If you'd like to try out some of the GIMP's text effects, you can check out this web page that will let you create enhanced graphics using some of the GIMP's capabilities.
<http://www.wilber-loves-apple.org/>