What's New

January 31, 2011

Crazy Colorado Weather:
It's officially winter, and the crazy weather continues. From the freezer to the frying pan and back again. Another one of those crazy weather fronts moved through our area - It's headed east, so you may see it soon. Just before the storm came a nice warm high pressure front. The high pressure sat over our area for a few days, with it came some decidedly warm weather. So warm in fact that the temperature got all the way up into the 70s on Friday. That's right - the 70's. Like 73 degrees fahrenheit - in January! Following that came the low pressure front (oh my aching bones). It started rolling through the area on Saturday. The mercury (or the digital equivalent thereof) sank down, down, down. By Sunday things were looking pretty grim. By monday morning we were starting to see some temps below freezing. On the 31st of January we started to get the snow. Spitting, freezing rain and a bit of sleet in the morning. Then a full blown snow storm developed as I slept (coming off a midwatch). The snow wasn't all that heavy, but once again it means my back will be wishing it hadn't. By midnight we had an easy 3 inches, and the weatherman says we're not done yet. Next up is sub zero temps. By tomorrow we're supposed to have a high of 0 degrees Fahrenheit! The temps will keep dropping as the day progresses, and we're supposed to reach a low of -13 by 11pm. With a chance of snow all day, I'll probably end up shoveling some time tomorrow... I sure hope the furnace can handle it. I can't imagine the furnace crapping out in this kind of weather.

Software favorites:
More updates from one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here's a couple updates for the product that's always getting better. All the updates are free for those who own a license (for the most recent version). If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on a few updates over the past few weeks. This week I saw/downloaded the following updates: 7.1 (b147) and 7.1 (b148). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). 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/content/193/key-features.html>

With this software update, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

January 28, 2011

Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those things are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, maintaining the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website and mailing lists. Here are some of the changes I made at our Neighborhood Watch website over the last week:

* Current: A web page dedicated to the most recent news, announcements and information. I removed a banner for one of our Neighborhood Watch fund raisers. We helped organize a 'Tip-A-Cop' fund raiser at the Old Chicago in the Southland's Mall. That event took place on the 26th of January, 2011. All funds raised will be used to help the Aurora Police Department's K9 unit purchase a new police dog.
* Events: A listing of upcoming and recurring events in you Southeast Aurora Neighborhood. Events sponsored by or relevant to our Neighborhood Watch. I removed the event listing for that 'Tip-A-Cop' fundraiser mentioned above.
* Info: A page of links and information pertinent to the safety and security of our communities. I updated the contact info for the Sorrel Ranch community. I added some contact info for the Area Coordinators - Cathleen and David Morgan.

If you are a resident of Southeast Aurora, you might want to check out our Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website (Serving the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone and Heritage Eagle Bend). If you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our group, or subscribe to one of our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/Welcome.html>

Encryption and digital signatures:
Spammers are continuously assaulting my digital identity by forging messages to look like they came from me. As a result, I try to use pgp signed messages (whenever possible) for much of my email correspondence. Unfortunately, I've had a problem with GPGMail (a plugin for Apple's Mail.app) for some time now. It wasn't working properly with the pinentry pop-up/authentication application used to authenticate signatures. Despite that problem, I used to be able to use the GPGMail bundle/plugin in order to sign, encrypt and decrypt email messages. After attempting to fix the problem, following some instructions, and updating the application - Now I can't get it to work at all.

I think I've got one to many GPG components installed on my computer, but the installation and upgrade process has created a situation where there are numerous old versions overlapping the new ones, creating a conflict at some level. Unfortunately, due to the number of components, preference files, configuration files, plugins and resources involved, I can't figure out what should and shouldn't be installed. What a nightmare! Unfortunately, we (developers and I) haven't been able to resolve all the problems with my installation of GPGMail and MacGPG (now rewritten and upgraded to MacGPG2). For now, I'm unable to add digital signatures to my email (The encryption parts of GPGMail still work properly). I'm currently trying to troubleshoot the problem, but this one may have to wait until I update to 'Lion' (OS 10.7).

I used to use (prior to this complete failure) GnuPG v1.4.9 and the GPGMail plugin 1.3.2beta1 (Compatible with Snow Leopard (10.6.5)), for Apple's Mail.app Version 4.4 (1082) for encryption, decryption, and message authentication. If you would like to correspond in secret, please take note of my Public Keys. Why do I use signatures or encryption? Well, I don't use the encryption very often, but I have been known to send myself encrypted email containing passwords or private information (banking and medical information). I used to use pgp signatures quite often, as a way of ensuring message authenticity. I'm tired of spammers pretending to be me. By using these signatures (which uses the message content (upon signing) and a private key to create a signature which can be verified by using my public key) I can assure recipients that the message they received was actually sent be me, and it hasn't been tampered with in transit. In addition to my self published keys, my public keys are also available on various keyservers.
<https://www.robsworld.org/encryption.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/feedback.html>

Software favorites:
Yet another beta release for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. Another free upgrade for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed. In addition to the GC update, there was also a one-up increment to my favorite cataloguing applications and an update to the tool I use for file transfers.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on a few updates over the past few weeks. This week I saw/downloaded the following update: 7.1 (b146). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). 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/content/193/key-features.html>

DVDPedia:
DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection, and I'm running version 4.6.4. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, the ability to play movie in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my movies and movie reviews. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemoviecollection/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/reviews.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>

CDPedia:
CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection, and I'm running version 4.6.4. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my music. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemusiccollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/cdpedia/>

Bookpedia:
Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s), and I'm running version 4.6.4 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate an HTML listing of my favorite books.
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/bookpedia/>

Transmit:
An FTP tool that does it all. Anyone who publishes web pages eventually needs a way to upload their pages to a web site. I've found that stand alone FTP tools are the best for this task. Transmit (updated to version 4.1.5 on the 27th of Jan, 2011) has a clean and easy to use interface, and some really nifty features, like the ability to resume a transfer that's been interrupted, advanced site synchronization capabilities (with simulation mode and reporting capabilities), iDisk and Amazon S3 integration, drag-to-dock sending, creation / use of transfer droplets, column views, quick navigation side-bar, multi-connection transfers, built in compression, a built in text editor, remote file editing using local editors, and secure transfer (in various different flavors) capabilities. Check out the Panic.com Release Notes for all the changes made (by version) to Transmit.
<http://www.panic.com/transmit/index.html>

With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages and cataloguing my collections.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

D&D updates:
Our meeting on the 22nd of January was quite productive. Another meeting where everyone managed to make it to our gaming table. Kevin has left our group, but we've recruited a new player from the 'Waiting' list. Sean B. originally contacted me back in 2008, and he's been without a serious gaming fix for longer than that. Now that we've filled Kevin's vacancy, we can concentrate on vanquishing the evil that looms over the citizens of Deepwood. Here are updates from our meeting on the 22nd of January (with more to come).

With the conclusion of our 8 August, 2009 meeting, the players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. This new group of adventurers have struck out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice. They seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint; this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms.

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting will be held on the 5th of Feb, 2011. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign. You can also check out the latest group photo. I took a new group photo on the 8th, and updated the web page recently.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Who's Who?:
I updated the "Who's Who?" page to reflect some illustration updates. I updated the illustrations for Skifander and Kyrin. The illustration for Skif is a bit of photoshop magic. Todd performed some gender modification on a illustration pulled from Races of Stone. He transformed a female Whisper Gnome into a male character using photoshop. He did a damn good job. The illustration used for Sean B's character is an avatar from the Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) game. I included copyright disclaimers and credit for each of the illustrations. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

House Rules:
Like any other D&D campaign (outside of tournament play), the campaign that I manage makes use of various house rules. You can pick up a new copy of these House Rules online. The House Rules are published in pdf format, and they define the 'flavor' of our campaign. Every good DM has his own list of House Rules. I received some D&D books for Christmas and I finally had enough time to review those books. After reviewing the books, I made some changes to our house rules. Here's a brief overview of the books, and changes made to our house rules:

Exemplars of Evil: Villains form a special core in the D&D game. Without sufficiently vile opponents, the players might find themselves more concerned with the bureaucratic minutiae of the game, and that's no fun. Keep your players focused on the soul crushing sources of evil in our realms and they'll stay happy :-). This book is packed full of "Deadly Foes to Vex Your Heroes"(tm). This supplement provides DMs with details on how to build memorable villains for the D&D campaign. It also presents numerous ready-to-play villains and malevolent groups of various levels. This book is a DM's reference. Players should not peruse this book or bring one to the game table.

Drow of the Underdark: The Dark Elves or Drow of D&D are a malevolent, cruel, race of subterranean Elves that live deep beneath the surface, and this book provides many details on the society, religion, magic, monsters and culture that is Drow. A definitive treatise on all things Drow. As Drow are typically evil, players should request permission before they bring this book to the table.

Lords of Darkness: Like Exemplars of Evil, this book provides details on villains in the game. This game accessory focuses on evil powers that threaten the realms of Faerûn. Providing details on groups such as the 'Red Wizards of Thay', the 'Zhentarim', the 'Shadow Thieves' and others, this book provides a useful reference for any DM running a Forgotten Realms campaign. This book is a DM's reference. Players should not peruse this book or bring one to the game table.

Mysteries of the Moonsea: Another Forgotten Realms Campaign Accessory, this book is a slightly different take on the typical 'regional' addendums. Here is a series of ready-to-use scenarios, campaign inserts and detailed encounters for use in your Forgotten Realms campaign. This book provides basic regional background info, and a large number of ready-to-run mini adventures or quests. This book is a DM's reference. Players should not peruse this book or bring one to the game table.

Cormyr - The Tearing of the Weave: A campaign adventure for characters of levels 4-7. This 'book' is in fact a module/Adventure for use in a Forgotten Realms campaign. Set primarily in the region of Cormyr, it's a long running adventure which may see characters progress from levels 4 through 8th as they endeavor to complete this epic quest. This book is a DM's reference. Players should not peruse this book or bring one to the game table.

I added these books to the list of rule books used in our campaign. Most of these books (and their content) are restricted to use by the DM. Updates included notes on how the books may be used in our campaign as well as notes on some of the books contents. One major change was the elimination of Kir-Lanan (from Races of Faerûn) as a Player Character race. Their evil nature precludes play by characters in our campaign. Players in our campaign are not obligated to download or print the house rules. You can make notes during the game, you can print out your own copy, you can memorize the info, request to review it, or have it repeated to you each time you come across specific situations. Note that these house rules do constitute changes to the base D&D rules, but they do supercede any contrary 'official' rule(s).
<https://www.robsworld.org/3enewfeats.pdf>

These updates follow our meeting on the 22nd of January. This is the eighth adventure for our group of heroes. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long - Very Long! The party has fought many foes along the way, lost two of their own (Gregor and Jusarian), said goodbye to one longtime companion, and recruited several new companions (Pyrceval, Azura and the mysterious Crucifer) to strengthen their numbers. All united in their quest to vanquish Deepwood of it's Dragon problem, the adventurers have entered a new phase in the adventure. Now arrived in the region of Deepwood; gone is the dusty long road, here is the dark forest and a subterranean aqueduct, here the adventure begins again. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons, this quest is far from over! There will be more updates before our next meeting.

You can keep up to date with our adventures 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>

January 22, 2011

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on a few updates over the past few weeks. This week I saw/downloaded the following updates: 7.1 (b142) and 7.1 (b144). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). 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/content/193/key-features.html>

Apple updates Epson printer drivers:
Perhaps you're familiar with some of the printer problems I've been experiencing? Or you've got your own printer problems. If you've got an Epson printer (and many do) and an Apple computer (that narrows things down a bit), you too may have some printer problems. Thankfully, Apple updates these drivers as quickly as they can (given Epson's release schedule), and Epson is actually responsive to these problems.

In January of 2011 (Jan 13th), Apple released new Epson Printer Drivers (v2.5.1 for Mac OS 10.6). This latest update installs the latest software for just about every Epson printer, scanner, multifunction printer available. It even includes drivers for printers that Epson no longer supports. I'm not sure whether these updates (updated drivers to version 8.27 for both my printers (Epson Stylus Photo R200 and Epson Artisan 800) will help eliminate any of the problems I've been having, but I remain optimistic. For information about supported printer models, see: <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669#epson>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/dl900>

My resume:
Another update to my resume. As I've reported in the recent past, this most recent update (in Jan, 2011) comes at a time of a change in my career. My current job is going away. The time lines are still a bit sketchy, but the job will likely be sometime around the end of March, 2011. Or, if I'm reading the clues properly, it may be as late as mid 2011. In either case, I'm looking for a new job. I've already had one offer (from the government), and this resume update comes after some recent security screening. My current employer already knows that I'm looking for a new job. For that matter, a lot of people (where I work) are looking for new jobs. This update includes some updated security details. Yes, it was cleared by the security offices where I work (both my company and the government security offices reviewed the resume). If you need a copy of my resume, or you're just curious, just send me an email and I'll forward the password.

When I first posted the resume (back in 2004), it was very accessible and easy to download. Security and privacy concerns have since forced me to take some precautions regarding the posting of my resume. I've marked the resume, and the resume page, as off limits to web spiders, and I've password protected the resume.

Password protected? That may sound scary, but I assure you it's not all that bad. The document is a pdf (Adobe's Portable Document Format), and thanks to the folks at Adobe, it can be password protected. If I haven't already provided you with the password, you'll have to contact me in order to obtain it. Sorry about the password, but it's the only way I could satisfy concerned parties, protect my privacy, and still provide an easy way for people to view/download my resume. If you'd like to contact me regarding a job offer, please use this email address:
<https://www.robsworld.org/resume.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/resume_mostrecent.pdf>

iPhone on Verizon:
I'm a bit of an Apple Fan Boy, and that's no secret. I have to admit that I like Apple's products. They usually meet or exceed my expectations, and based on my experience, I'll turn to them for before I pick a competitor's product. Even if they cost more... Perhaps you've heard of the iPhone? If you haven't you're living on the moon. Wow, I wonder what that's like? Anyway, I've owned an iPhone since the first gen (21 Sep 2007). I'll admit it's had its share of problems, but Apple has always responded to my concerns and complaints in a timely manner. The warranty work was always no-guilt, fast, and free. I'm currently using an iPhone 3GS, and hope to upgrade to a new iPhone sometime later this year (I usually upgrade every two or three years). Despite the fairly solid performance in my experience, some have had problems with AT&T service. So much so that they've given up on the iPhone, jail-broken their iPhone, or simply held off on owning one, until... Yes friends that day has arrived. The day when the iPhone is liberated from the clutches of an exclusive arrangement with a single carrier (in the U.S.).

On the 11th of Jan, 2011, Apple announced that the iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon network, beginning February 10th. Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability. iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple’s stunning Retina display — the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images, and video — and FaceTime, which makes video calling a reality. iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices. That's right - Hot Spot - tethering for other devices. It's your bandwidth, you should be able to use it with any device... Right? I wonder how much extra they'll charge in order to use this 'Hot Spot' capability? Sorry, just a little bit of pessimism for your cheery news.

While I'm planning to upgrade to the next version of iPhone, I doubt I'll switch carriers. AT&T hasn't been all that bad for me. Sure I've had dropped calls, but I've always been able to reconnect, and I don't have an unrealistic expectation when it comes to cellular technology. I know a little about the complexity involved in cellular tower handovers, frequency allocation, protocol matching, routing and such. This may not be rocket science, but it's damn close people. If you want nearly flawless reception, stop moving around! If you want perfect reception, stand next to the person and have a real conversation.
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/notify-me/>
<http://www.verizonwireless.com/iPhone>
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/>

Aches & Pains again - Report from a Human Barometer:
Recently, I've had some trouble sleeping, and my joints have been killing me. The winter season, is usually one of the wettest seasons in Colorado, and that means pain for me. As the barometric pressure rises, then falls, my joints act up. On this particular occasion, I found my back and joints aching on the evening of 8 January, and the morning of 9 January, 2011. After I got up, I took some pain killers. I wish I'd taken them before I went to bed, as the pain caused me some restless sleep. After I took the pain medication, I started opening the drapes, raising the blinds, checking out the weather. It didn't come as much of a surprise when I found it snowing, and it just kept snowing. It snowed all day, and didn't let up until sometime on the 10th. We accumulated approximately 6 inches from this storm, and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be one of our heaviest this season.

My joints have a tendency to ache whenever there's a low pressure front moving through the area, so that's something I've been coping with for many years. Thankfully the pain is manageable. I take a few over the counter pain meds, and do my best to stay occupied. Lately, I've noticed a correlation with back pain as well. Now that I think about it, back pain is often present when my joints are aching, and that's something I've definitely linked to barometric pain. More back pain came from shoveling all that snow. It took me approximately 3 hours to completely clear the driveway and sidewalks, because we drove over it for three days and the temperature never rose much above freezing to thaw the frozen tundra of my driveway. As a matter of fact, it was unusually cold for these parts. Saturday (the 10th of January) even saw non-windchill temps in the negatives. When I got up on the 10th, the thermometer read -1 degrees fahrenheit, and the weatherman said it got colder than that. The mountain saw several days of sub zero temps, and our furnace ran non-stop for a stretch. Hopefully that furnace will hold up through the winter months. I can't imagine no heat at a time like this.
<https://www.robsworld.org/barometer.html>

D&D updates:
Our meeting on the 8th of January was quite productive. Skipping our scheduled meeting on the 25th of December, we made up some lost ground after the holidays. Once again, Kevin was missing from our table, but the opening created by his departure has been filled. A new player has been recruited from the 'Waiting' list. Sean B. originally contacted me back in 2008, and he's been without a serious gaming fix for longer than that. Sean and I worked on his new character during the week before our meeting, and he rescheduled some travel plans so he could attend our meeting. Now that we've filled Kevin's vacancy, we can concentrate on vanquishing the evil that looms over the citizens of Deepwood. Here are updates from our meeting on the first meeting of 2011.

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is two weeks from now - 5 Feb, 2011. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign. You can also check out the latest group photo. I took a new group photo on the 8th, and updated the web page just recently.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. Here are two journal entries penned by Mutteran - Lee's character. Once again, thanks go out to Lee for his continued support. Be sure to check it out when you get a chance. The party has arrived in the vicinity of Deepwood, and they've begun their quest in earnest. Seeking to end the evil plague of a Blue Dragon, they're currently seeking clues and investigating the environs around Deepwood and the communities in the area. During this particular session the party managed to extricate themselves from a watery trap and confronted the Kobold chief who intentionally led the party into a deadly trap. That encounter led to some rather dramatic changes in our party's line up, and a startling development concerning the 'Silver Skeleton' that the party recovered after defeating the trap. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons!
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#jan08_2011>

Players in our campaign:
Over the last few months, there's been one change in our player line-up. Kevin has decided to leave our campaign in order to focus on work and a change in his employment status. After Kevin officially left our group in November, I started looking for a replacement. It didn't take long, and I was able to recruit someone from our 'Waiting List'. Sean B. originally contacted me back in 2008, and he's been without a serious gaming fix for longer than that. Now that we've filled Kevin's vacancy, we can concentrate on vanquishing the evil that looms over the citizens of Deepwood. With these changes I updated the hyperlinked group photo, annotations beneath the photo, and mouse-over tool-tips. I also updated a link to the 'Gaming Table' where we play, and changed the background color and some design elements on the page. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are. The photo is currently out of date, but I hope to change that soon.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

Who's Who?:
I updated the "Who's Who?" page to reflect some changes in our player line-up. I removed the 'Party Member' entry for Pyrceval, and created a new page for this departing character. While creating this new page for Pyrceval, I also updated the character pages for Khurshel, Belt and Gregor. These character pages contained some 'copy & paste' style errors. As Sean B's new character (Kyrin), was introduced during our 08 Jan meeting, I added her to the list of 'Party Members'. While I managed to complete numerous updates on this page, I still need character illustrations for three of the characters (Skifander, Azura, Kyrin) and an updated illustration for one (Crucifer). In addition to the updates brought about by player character changes, I also posted an update to the Madge Madgerson entry and added a Eludecia entry to the roles of non-player characters. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Here there be Heroes:
With the recent character updates, I took the time to update the "Hero's Gallery". I added new entries for Pyrceval and Kyrin (and Zareb). The Hero's Gallery is a list of characters from my campaign. Past and present, the characters listed represent a fraction of those who have called Rob's World! home. Some of the players are long forgotten, but many of the characters live long in our memory. Who can forget their heroic feats, the daring deeds, and tragic endings? Let's heft our mugs, sing their praises, and salute those hero's of lore!
<https://www.robsworld.org/gallery.html>

Monsters encountered:
From the open road to a subterranean aqueduct - As the party enters new environs they encounter new creatures. Some of those creatures will attempt to eat or injure the party - These creatures we call 'Monsters'! During our most recent gaming session, the party learned of three new monsters: The Githyanki, a Beholder and a Balor. Luckily (for the party), they only learned about the monsters, and haven't had to fight them. I also updated the Succubus entry with some additional information. With the party acquiring knowledge of these monsters, I updated the Monster's Known listing. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

Where Now?:
With the party engaged in an adventure, they're gathering information, meeting new characters and hearing tales of distant places. Over the last couple of sessions, the party has spent a considerable amount of time at the 'Hostel of the Sacred Stone'. As this inn seems to be the center of the adventure and a very important way-station along the Giant's Run trade route, I decided to add it to our "Where Now?" page. An extensive entry now marks the hostel as an important gathering place for our adventurers. "Where Now?" is a listing of various places the party has visited or researched.
<https://www.robsworld.org/wherenow.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 8th of January, 2011. This is the eighth adventure for our group of heroes. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long - Very Long! The party has fought many foes along the way, lost two of their own (Gregor and Jusarian), said goodbye to one longtime companion, and recruited several new companions (Pyrceval, Azura and the mysterious Crucifer) to strengthen their numbers. All united in their quest to vanquish Deepwood of it's Dragon problem, the adventurers have entered a new phase in the adventure. Now arrived in the region of Deepwood; gone is the dusty long road, here is the dark forest and a subterranean aqueduct, here the adventure begins again. While negotiating with a group of Kobolds, the party was led into a trapped corridor. After defeating a pair of gelatinous cubes and a deadly trap, the party confronted and slew the Kobold Chief who deceived and hoped to slay them in a watery trap. This dramatic encounter forced a schism within the party. After confronting Solmar over a matter of justice, Pyrceval left the party. Moments later the party was surprised to find a regenerated 'Silver Skeleton' as a fully fleshed Succubus, temporarily imprisoned in their 'bag of holding'. After resolving that particular dilemma, our heroes have returned to the Hostel of the Sacred Stone before continuing their quest. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons, this quest is far from over!

* Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to the Neighborhood Watch program and it's volunteers. I updated various references to our PAR officer. Aurora assigns PAR (Police Area Representative) officers to various communities around the city. The Police Department has assigned a new PAR to our area. Officer James Salazar has recently begun his new duties as our PAR. I updated the contact info for our PAR on the Welcome page. I made some changes to the Head Area Coordinator's (HACs) introductory paragraph. I updated the photo for our PAR. I posted a photo of the HAC, PAR and many of the ACs. I posted a photo of me, and I also updated the listing of communities included in the South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch (I removed Rocking Horse).
* eMail lists: A web page containing details about the mailing lists which service our Neighborhood Watch. I updated the listing of communities included in the South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch (I removed Rocking Horse).
* Current: A web page dedicated to the most recent news, announcements and information. I added new banners to thank the Tollgate Crossing HOA (they pledged to match funds raised during our next two fundraisers (up to $500.00)), and inform residents of our new PAR officer. I also added another new banner regarding donations (outside the fundraisers). Even if you can't attend one of our fundraisers, you can still contribute a (tax deductible) donation to help us raise money for a new Police dog. I updated a banner (at the bottom of the page) regarding our Neighborhood Watch in the news. I updated some banners that had coding problems/issues. I also posted another thank you. After Tollgate Crossing HOA stepped up with a pledge of $500.00, the Beacon Point HOA upped the anty by pledging a $600.00 pledge of matching donations.
* Events: A listing of upcoming and recurring events in you Southeast Aurora Neighborhood. Events sponsored by or relevant to our Neighborhood Watch. I updated three paragraphs regarding upcoming events. I added a paragraph (how to donate money without attending the fundraiser events) to each of the fund raiser events, and I updated the paragraph for our next Neighborhood Watch meeting (Feb 3rd at Foxridge Middle School). That meeting will feature a goodbye to Officer John Cassell (our outgoing PAR) and a welcome to Officer James Salazar (our incoming PAR). I made some minor updates to the wording of some events. I also updated the listing of communities included in the South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch (I removed Rocking Horse).
* Volunteer: The volunteer page is a place where our Neighborhood Watch solicits help with various NW related projects. I updated the paragraph which asks for volunteers in the Tollgate Crossing community. We need volunteers in more filings (filings I, III and V). I also updated the listing of communities included in the South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch (I removed Rocking Horse).
* Info: A page of links and information pertinent to the safety and security of our communities. I updated the contact links/info for our Neighborhood Watch PAR (Police Area Representative) Officer. Our new PAR officer is James Salazar. Officer Salazar's contact information is available on the Info page. I also updated the info for building and lawn permits. I also updated the contact info for the Heritage Eagle Bend community. I added some contact info for the Area Coordinator of HEB.
* Policy: A page which includes all the administrative 'gotchas' associated with operating a public website. Some details regarding what the 'SouthEast Aurora - Neighborhood Watch' website is all about. What's permitted, what isn't. I updated a paragraph which lists the communities that comprise our Neighborhood Watch area. I removed the Rocking Horse community. We listed Rocking Horse for some time now, but it doesn't look like they're going to be part of the SEANW area. Our Neighborhood Watch (South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch) now consists of the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Black Stone and Heritage Eagle Bend.

Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. The Tollgate Crossing website is focused on the Tollgate Crossing community, with a few links to the Neighborhood Watch website. Over the last few weeks, I made a few updates to the community website:

* Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to our community website. Here you'll find all the latest news and announcements. I rearranged the banners a bit - It's something I do to indicate a change in the content. I updated the banners for our next Metro District meeting (Jan 25th) and our next HOA meeting (Feb 8th). This particular meeting will be the Annual meeting of the membership, where elections will be held for two board positions (There are two Director positions up for election). If you'd like to run for one of the seats, you'll need to forward some paperwork to the HOA management. See the website for more info. I also posted a banner for a couple of upcoming Neighborhood Watch fundraisers (Tip-A-Cop on the 26th of Jan - at the Southland's Old Chicago restaurant / Family Night with the Colorado Avalanche - at the Pepsi Center on the 3rd of Feb) that Tollgate residents might be interested. You can help our NW raise funds for a new police dog, and have a bunch of fun at the same time.
* Neighborhood Watch: If you're looking for information regarding the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch, you'll find it on it's own website. Tollgate Crossing is one of the communities in the SouthEast Aurora Neighborhood Watch area. Our Neighborhood Watch is part of the Aurora Neighborhood Watch program. It’s a strong, community oriented, volunteer run, organization, dedicated to reducing crime and keeping our communities safe for raising families. As of 22 Apr, 2010, All the SouthEast Aurora Neighborhood Watch materials (which used to be hosted here on the Tollgate Crossing website) have been moved to a brand new website. A website designed exclusively for our Neighborhood Watch (which serves numerous communities in/around Southeast Aurora/See banner at top of page). I updated this page 'the Neighborhood Watch' page on the Tollgate Crossing website, to clarify the status/location of NW materials. I also updated the listing of communities included in the South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch (I removed Rocking Horse).
* Events: A detailed listing of upcoming and recurring events in and around Tollgate Crossing. Here is more detailed information regarding some of the events you may have read about on the 'Welcome' page. It's also a place to look for long term/recurring events. I updated the dates for our next HOA (Feb 8th) and Metro District meetings (26 Jan). Don't forget, that next HOA meeting is the annual residents/members meeting. We're holding elections and need your help to meet the necessary quorum (10% turnout in person or by proxy), so please return your ballot/proxy or show up in person.
* Volunteer: The volunteer page is a place where our community solicits help with various non-profit community projects. I updated the listing of communities included in a call out for Neighborhood Watch volunteers.
* Info: A page of links, phone numbers, email addresses and other information pertinent to the residents/community of Tollgate Crossing. I updated the contact links/info for our Neighborhood Watch PAR (Police Area Representative) Officer. Our new PAR officer is James Salazar. Officer Salazar's contact information is available on our 'Info' page. I also added some additional Metro District meeting minutes. I posted the minutes from the 28 Sep, 2010 and the 26 Oct, 2010 meetings.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (in Aurora, Colorado), you might want to check out the website. It's loaded with information about our community and you can even sign up for some of the email mailing lists that serve our community.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>

January 8, 2011

D&D updates:
We only played one D&D session during the month of December 2010. Skipping our scheduled meeting on the 25th of December, this update comes a bit late as everyone recovers from the holidays. Once again, Kevin was missing from our table, but the opening created by his departure has been filled. A new player has been recruited from the 'Waiting' list. Sean B. originally contacted me back in 2008, and he's been without a serious gaming fix for longer than that. Now that we've filled that vacancy, we can concentrate on vanquishing the evil that flies over the citizens of Deepwood. Here are updates from our meeting on the 11th of December.

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is tomorrow night - 8 Jan, 2010. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign. You can also check out the latest group photo.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. Here are two journal entries penned by Mutteran - Lee's character. Once again, thanks go out to Lee for his continued support. Be sure to check it out when you get a chance. The party has arrived in the vicinity of Deepwood, and they've begun their quest in earnest. Seeking to end the evil plague of a Blue Dragon, they're currently seeking clues and investigating the environs around Deepwood and the communities in the area. During this particular session the party found themselves led into a trap by a group of Kobolds. While a pair of gelatinous cubes failed to slay our heroes, this deadly trap may yet become a watery grave for the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons!
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#dec11_2010>

Monsters encountered:
From the open road to a subterranean aqueduct - As the party enter new environs they will surely encounter some new creatures. Some of those creatures will attempt to eat or injure the party - These creatures we call 'Monsters'! During our most recent gaming sessions, the party encountered a pair of gelatinous cubes. Slimy ooze cubes that paralyze opponents and attempt to dissolve them as dinner. With this new encounter (which went badly for the gelatinous cubes!), I updated the party's Monster's Known listing. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

Players in our campaign:
Over the last few months, there's been one change in our player line-up. Kevin has decided to leave our campaign in order to focus on work and a change in his employment status. After Kevin officially left our group in November, I started looking for a replacement. It didn't take long, and I was able to recruit someone from our 'Waiting List'. Sean B. originally contacted me back in 2008, and he's been without a serious gaming fix for longer than that. Now that we've filled that vacancy, we can concentrate on vanquishing the evil that flies over the citizens of Deepwood. With these changes I had to make some changes to the character annotations beneath the group photo and the mouse-over tool-tips. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are. The photo is currently out of date, but I hope to change that soon.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

Who's Who?:
I updated the "Who's Who?" page to reflect some changes in our player line-up. I changed the player of record for Pyrceval. Until we have a chance to introduce his new character, Sean B. will be playing Pyrceval. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

The Gamer's Cave - Renovated:
Recently, I did a bit of renovating. Minor stuff really. I moved around some furniture in the basement. Our basement isn't finished, but it is the home to our "Gamer's Cave" or "The Gamer's Lair". It's the place we've set aside to play table-top games (D&D primarily). A big table surrounded by several chairs is the centerpiece of our bi-weekly meetings, and it's a place where we spend a good deal of time (six+ hours at a time).

The renovation involved a reconfiguration of the furniture, the integration of an overhead projector (which I bought years ago), and a new table for serving up snacks and drinks. With this renovation/reconfiguration; I've created more space for the Dungeonmaster (currently that's Mark), integrated a consultation area, and cleared the way to use that overhead projector. I've got more plans for the space, but right now it's a pretty awesome place for playing D&D. Way better than some of the dank basements, crowded dorm rooms, public day rooms, noisy fire departments, cramped barracks, and tiny dining rooms of my gaming past. I took a bunch of pictures, if you're at all interested. Of course you are - Game On!
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphoto/gamerslair/index.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 11th of December, 2010. This is the eighth adventure for our group of heroes. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long - Very Long! The party has fought many foes along the way, lost two of their own (Gregor and Jusarian), said goodbye to one longtime companion (Belt resigned as a member of the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, and hastily departed after learning of some urgent church business), and recruited three new companions (Pyrceval, Azura and the mysterious Crucifer) to strengthen their numbers. All united in their quest to vanquish Deepwood of it's Dragon problem, the adventurers continue in the region of Deepwood. Gone is the dusty long road, here is the dark forest and a subterranean aqueduct, here the adventure begins again. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons!

Encryption and email signatures:
Spammers are continuously assaulting my digital identity by forging messages to look like they came from me. As a result, I try to use pgp signed messages (whenever possible) for much of my email correspondence. Unfortunately, I've had a problem with GPGMail (a plugin for Apple's Mail.app) for some time now. It doesn't work properly with the pinentry pop-up/authentication application used to authenticate signatures. The plugin works, but it doesn't work properly. It's an annoying problem which reduces my productivity by requiring more of my attention than it should. I filed a bug report with the developers of GPGMail. Well, recently they finally got around to fixing the plugin. Or so I thought... I installed the 1.3.2 plugin, and promptly lost my ability to send signed messages! Crap - Following this upgrade, I spent upwards of 12 hours troubleshooting the issue. Unfortunately, we (developers and I) weren't able to resolve the issue. So, for now, I'm unable to add digital signatures to my email (The encryption parts of GPGMail still work properly). The issue is currently being worked by the developers, and I'm waiting for another release of the software.

I used to use (prior to this complete failure) GnuPG v1.4.9 and the GPGMail plugin 1.3.2beta1 (Compatible with Snow Leopard (10.6.5)), for Apple's Mail.app Version 4.4 (1082) for encryption, decryption, and message authentication. If you would like to correspond in secret, please take note of my Public Keys. Why do I use signatures or encryption? Well, I don't use the encryption very often, but I have been known to send myself encrypted email containing passwords or private information (banking and medical information). I use pgp signatures quite often, as a way of ensuring message authenticity. I'm tired of spammers pretending to be me. By using these signatures (which uses the message content (upon signing) and a private key to create a signature which can be verified by using my public key) I can assure recipients that the message they received was actually sent be me, and it hasn't been tampered with in transit. In addition to my self published keys, my public keys are also available on various keyservers.
<https://www.robsworld.org/encryption.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/feedback.html>

Mac OS 10.6.6:
Apple is hard at work, making sure that Snow Leopard is running on all cylinders (in my case 8 - or 16 if you count the virtual threads). This time around the update to the operating system (from 10.6.5 to 10.6.6) is mainly due to the release of a new OS native application. This latest update doesn't bring any startling changes to the user experience. The main change is the addition of a new OS level application - Apple's new 'Mac App Store'. Hoping to carry the success of the iOS 'App Store' (for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) to it's desktop OS, Apple released the 'Mac App Store'. It's a bit of an odd idea. Mac users have always been able to download applications from thousands of websites, developers portals, online stores and even the Apple website. Now, Apple thinks that consumers will prefer to download their 'Apps' from a centralized, Apple controlled (with DRM of course) and managed, software portal. This new portal won't prevent developers and software outlets from releasing or making Mac apps available elsewhere. It won't change the paradigm, or will it? We shall see. You can read more about the update at Apple's website. In addition to the new 'Mac App Store', this OS update also brings an update to Apple's pkg kit.

As a result of this recent updates, the following pages have been updated. myfavs.html, feedback.html, encryption.html and mycomputer.html.
<http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4459>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4498>

Music Downloads for January - 2011:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? Well, I used to find/discover a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts. Used to... Now? Now (As of Oct of 2010) I subscribe to a service called MOG. MOG is an online music service, a blog network, and a social networking website where users can listen to, read about, and discover music. Music + Blog = MOG. It's been around since 2005, in September of 2009 it started offering streaming music subscriptions. With full-play access to more than 9 million tracks, at only $4.99 a month, it's a fantastic way to discover music. I still use a few of the other methods, but MOG has become my primary music discovery source.

Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it, or maybe you'll buy some concert tickets. 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 web 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 (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded - and in most cases - paid for!

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download ~50 tracks from eMusic.com. This month (January of 2011) I managed to download 49 tracks for $22.85 (and I'm paying a $19.99 monthly fee, so that makes the tracks even cheaper). Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of your computers and portable MP3 players, including the iPod and Zune (really?). At less than $.50 a track (I'm currently paying $19.99 for $22.99 worth of downloads per month). eMusic offers a really good value for your download dollar. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Poor Aim: Love Songs - The Blow: (7 songs) My second download from this band. Another band discovered courtesy of the iTunes Indie Spotlight podcast. Great alternative lyrics and vocals combine with some excellent electronic/synth in the instrumentals. Avante-garde, artistic, poptastic. Not as good as Paper Television (my previous download).
* Peking Spring - Mission of Burma: (10 songs) A band just on the edge of my listening in the 80s. I'm surprised I missed these guys. The sound is right there, and they were often recommended (back then), I just never got around to discovering them until now - some 20+ years later. Clear punk anthems, decisive instrumentals and a great indie rock band. While I discovered this band by following some eMusic links, recent changes in eMusic's priorities comes to light when you search for this band's titles. While they used to carry a large number of their albums, now there's only two left! eMusic may claim that they're not abandoning the Independent roots of their service, but their selection says something different.
* Heathen (special package w/bonus disc) - David Bowie: (16 songs) I haven't downloaded an David Bowie since 2005, and I should shoot myself for that mistake. On this album, his voice is outstanding. The other musicians provide great backing (especially the guitar work) and the songwriting is superb. Slow, melancholy, full of soul. Slow burn is worth the price alone, but thankfully it's not the only reason to buy this album.
* Gypsy Punks - Gogol Bordello: ( 15 songs) A new one for me. I discovered this band through the MOG music discovery service. They've got a unique sound, that's for sure. It's high energy, filled with spirit and quite enjoyable. The sound is punk, gypsy, cabaret, and a good dose of rock. It's an explosion of life filled with vim and vigor. If this doesn't wake you up, you need some battery acid.
* Perfect Way - Scritti Politti: (1 song) This song is one track from the album 'Cupid & Psyche 85'. It's a 13 track album from eMusic (originally LP had 9 tracks), and I've already got the first five tracks. I'm slowly working my way to number 13. For some odd reason, this particular track cost me $0.69, while the others all cost $0.49. What's up with that? I own/owned this album (the actual vinyl) but my efforts to capture these tracks didn't work out. I originally recorded the LP on cassette (back in the 80s). Then when I attempted to digitize the cassette, something went wrong, and I only ended up with the first five tracks. Just a bit too sweet/new wave for me. Syrup like pop pap. The voice is far too smooth, the instrumentals to glammy, glitzy, electronic synth pop for the masses.

These are some of the items I added to my music collection during this month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.emusic.com/>

Shoveling the driveway:
It's officially winter, but we didn't have any snow on Christmas day. As a matter of fact, we haven't had much snow at all. So far, our winter; the last couple months to be more specific, haven't produced much at all in the way of precipitation. I was just thinking about watering the lawn - Yes, actually I was - when we got hit. First came the super cold temps. A low pressure front (oh my aching bones) rolled through the area. The mercury (or the digital equivalent thereof) sank down, down, down. Down below the freezing zone. Into the single digits. On the 30th of December, we got temps down around 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Accompanying this low pressure front was more than blistering cold temps, it also brought a heavy dose of snow! Hurray - Finally some snow to end the year (3-4 inches in Southeast Aurora). The mountains have been soaking up most of the moisture (so far this season), but the last week of 2010 gave us a little taste of the white stuff. While the front range is blanketed in white, the new year went out with a silent coating of crisp cold snow. Temps went down below zero on the evening of the 31st and they stayed that way for most of the week.

Unfortunately, despite all that snow, I wasn't able to shovel the driveway until the 5th of January. I worked twelve hour shifts (5am - 5pm) on New Year's day and the 2nd, then I flew out to the east coast for a business trip on the 3rd and 4th, and I didn't get home until late on the 4th. From the 31st - 4th, Kim and I had been driving on the driveway, packing down all that snow. The temps barely got above freezing, so most of the snow was still there; packed down, cemented, compacted, hard as a rock. Clearing that driveway was quite a chore. My new Ariens/Briggs & Stratton Sno-Thro couldn't even handle it all by itself. I had to use the shovel, and plenty of elbow-grease to get that stuff up off the driveway. Once I had chiseled it loose, the snow blower took care of the rest. Hopefully, I won't have to wait so long next time it snows.

Software favorites:
More software updates. These are productivity apps I use on my Mac. They're tools I use to publish my web pages, support my work with Neighborhood Watch, my D&D campaign, and other projects I'm involved in. Updates to Apple's suite of productivity software. Moving the suite up to version 9.0.5. iWork '09 consists of three applications: Pages (word processor/page layout), Keynote (presentation) and Numbers (spreadsheet). In addition to Apple's updates, I also downloaded more beta/minor releases for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here's another update for the product that's always getting better. All the updates are free for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

iWork '09:
Apple's productivity suite is three applications and one online service. I'm running the following versions of the software: Pages 4.0.5 (852), Keynote 5.0.5 (942) and Numbers 2.0.5 (638) respectively.

iWork is Apple's productivity suite. Previous versions of iWork contained two applications, a bit anemic for a productivity suite. It was missing a crucial component. No spreadsheet application? In 2007, things changed. They added a spreadsheet application. Numbers is the newest addition to the productivity suite. With the addition of this new component. iWork became a feasible replacement for the venerable (and still useful) AppleWorks - which hasn't seen an update since 2004. iWork is also a home contender for Microsoft Office. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save documents as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block. So, the addition of numbers, the fantastic price ($79.00 for three full feature productivity apps), the great reviews (that I've read), the compatibility (Office and AppleWorks) and the outstanding support that Apple provides, have enticed me to switch from AppleWorks to iWork. All of the iWork components contain web based output options, which is crucial for anyone creating web pages, or managing a web site.

iWork consists of three productivity applications and an online component:

Pages - A word processor and page layout application. The latest version (iWork '09) includes some great new features. A full screen mode to help you stay focused. A new dynamic outline mode allows you to 'drag-and-drop' to rearrange and restructure points and subpoints. Pages now features a mail-merge function capable of pulling address data from Numbers or the Mac OS address book. Getting more advanced, Pages now includes 'EndNote' for bibliography support and the 'MathType' equation editor. The 4.0.5 update improves the readability of exported ePub documents.

Keynote - Apple's outstanding presentation software. Adding some razzle-dazzle to the application, the '09 update offers numerous updates to make Keynote an industry standard presentation suite. Magic Move makes sophisticated animation a snap. An enhanced theme selection wizard makes this experience much more friendly and powerful. Powerful text and object transitions make your presentations move with a purpose. In charts you'll see new 3D textures and chart animations to help make your point. The 5.0.5 update adds playback of Keynote presentations on iWork.com, with over 15 animations and effects, when using the latest version of Safari. The update adds support for Keynote Remote 1.2, including high-resolution slides for the Retina display. Finally, it also addresses issues with the following capabilities/functions: Drop transition, Dissolve build, and shape colors.; rulers.

Numbers - Here is Apple's entry into the spreadsheet ring. Apple has taken a simplified approach to a complicated subject. Making spreadsheets even easier. Apple has improved the formula functions to include a more natural language, included explanations, and expanded the number of available formulas. With formula list view, you can view and edit all your formulas from a single interface. Wow no more hunting and searching for all those formulas! The table categories function allows you to organize, group, view and sort your data in ways you've never though possible. Numbers '09 adds many new charts and ways to represent data - linking data from all three applications. Like Keynote, now Numbers has a template chooser with 30 templates to chose from, your spreadsheets can have a pre-defined appearance. Something more sophisticated than simple columns and rows.The iWork 9.05. update didn't bring any changes to the Numbers application.

iWork.com - A new offering (first offered in Jan '09) in the iWork suite of applications. Here is a free service (it's still in beta, and there are no indications as to pricing/the future of this service) that Apple has integrated into each of the suites applications. It's a web based file sharing, collaboration and display service. You can upload documents to the iWork.com server, and others can view, annotate, or download documents (as defined per document). The iWork 9.0.5. update added public sharing and private upload options. All the iWork applications include iWork.com connectivity, collaboration, and sharing capabilities.

This recent iWork update (5 Jan 2011) addresses issues in Keynote, improves ePub compatibility (for use with iBooks) in Pages (ePub format is a free and open e-book standard promulgated by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF)). It also added a keynote presentation playback capability using iWork.com and Safari. For more information regarding this update, please see the knowledge base article.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4386>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/>

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on several updates over the past few weeks. This week I saw/downloaded the following updates: 7.0.3 (b134, b135) and 7.1 (b135, b136). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). 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/content/193/key-features.html>