Hey guys don't forget that Earth Hour day is today. If you don't know what that is, it's "an international event that asks households and businesses to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of 29 March at 8 pm local time until 9 pm to promote electricity conservation and thus lower carbon emissions." - Wikipedia's Earth Hour page.
"Earth Hour was created by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver." - EarthHourUS.org
If you want to join in the Earth Hour movement, it's easy. Just turn out the lights, TVs, computers, A/Cs and other non-essential electric items. Don't want to because you might be bored? Turn on a lamp, get the family together and play card games, board games or other family friendly games for one hour.
What will one hour without light do? What good is it? When you have one house do it, it's nothing. When you have thousands upon thousands of houses and businesses do it, it is a NOTICEABLE movement.
Join the Earth Hour and just turn off all non-essential electric items. Heck just leave the TV on, just as long as everything else is off :)
Official post by: ThoughtsUncensored.com
Posted by Homer 3:07 PM
Category: General Blogging , Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 , SP1 , SP2 , Vista
You know, I wonder what Vista SP2 is going to be like. I looked up some potential info on a possibility of a Service Pack 2 for Vista since Service Pack 1 has just come out. Interestingly, I didn't find any. But what I did find was sarcastic and reasonable comments in forums and articles. One I found interesting was on a site called "Tom Raftery's Social Media." The following quote is from Tom's site and wasn't edited in any way. "Vista is so buggy that I don’t think Microsoft will address all the problems in their first Service Pack release. Like Windows XP, Vista will not be reliable until SP2."
I did some research, which took me a few days to gather up, and what I found was true! See I was raised into an XP SP2, since it was installed in my first computer I got to own, so I really don't know if SP1 or just plain ol' XP had major or any user impacts. Every forum I found from the release of XP were negative, just like Vista. XP SP1 came out and most of everyone's complaints were fixed. XP SP2 came out then it was finite, perfect.
When XP came out, people were used to the Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows 2000 (I might have missed some). XP was a whole new look and feel. Once you get used to something you just don't want to change it. But what XP was compared to all the others before it was a 21st century feel, a new look.
And when Vista came out, it was the end of the world to XP users. They were comfy knowing little resource usage, fast speeds, and reliability. With Vista, its just heavy on those. It needs the juice to run the new graphics, the kernel core, and the rest of the operating system. What Microsoft failed to realize, people don't have the money or the resources to upgrade their PCs. That's why many people weren't happy with it. And those who bought a computer with Vista installed just didn't like the new feel, unless it was their first computer. To those Vista is an awesome system. What I think people should start realizing is that Vista is new and XP is old. Whether you like it or not, Vista will conquer. That is until Windows 7 comes out.
If you want to read Tom Raftery's page with the quote I used here you can click here: tomrafteryit.net
Personal thoughts:
I'd say, upgrade to your system for Vista and just give it a try. Either that or just buy a new computer that is compatible for it. Trust me, the longer you use it, the more you'll like it.
(Please share your thoughts, comment please.)
Posted by Homer 6:29 PM
Category: Download , Microsoft , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 , SP1 , Vista
It's true. I'm late at posting this but if you haven't heard the news yet, Vista SP1 is here! I downloaded the standalone package from Softpedia.com but you can do it many ways. Some are safe and others are, well just risky. The safe methods are 1: From Microsoft directly, either from the manual update or "Microsoft Download Center." Or 2: A trusted side like "Softpedia.com."
The standalone package comes in a 434MB nifty package. It took me about an hour just to download and install it. Time will vary depending if you have high speed internet, which would be better for downloading the standalone, or if you have dial-up. If you have dial-up, there's one of three things you can do to get it. 1: Do a manual update (which would take a few hours to a few days to get it all), or 2: Wait for the automatic update for Vista SP1 which would take a while to get it. Or 3: Take your computer to a friends house, if they have high speed internet, and do the update there. If they really are good friends they'd let you.
Here are the two links that I know are safe and have Vista SP1 in a 5 language standalone package.
Microsoft's Download Center
Softpedia Windows Downloads
Good luck!!! And please comment on my articles (blogs)
I know how hard it is to keep up to a site code, patching up security holes and all. My best advice for users is just to wait it out for a few minutes to a few days. The last hiccup MySpace had was with the code used to hide the clickable links that are in "Music" "Movies" etc. It took them 2 days to notice it and 2 more days to fix it.
Just remember, having all those users registered and all the traffic MySpace has at once can sometimes render their network useless and crash if not that it'll slug down and give you the all famous error "MySpace has encountered an error...."
Posted by Homer 2:06 PM
Category: General Blogging , Pres. Bush , veto pen , waterboarding
President Bush said Saturday he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.
Did you think he was going to sign it? Honestly I can finally say that this is one thing Bush does right. I strongly support waterboarding. In a quote from CNN.com Bush says, "The bill Congress sent me would take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror," Bush said in his weekly radio address taped for Saturday.
This has got to be the smartest veto in 7 years I must say. Unfortunately there's going to be a lot of people trying to fight this. I really don't see the reason why they even would want to stop that. If it protects America and all other free nations that actual terrorists have their eyes on, keep it! I don't want to live in a country that is vulnerable because a whole bunch of life loving people don't want the poor terrorists to get tortured. It's not right.
If I was the president, which you wouldn't want, I'd keep all forms of torture that do not kill. Even the most extreme ones that I know about like needles under the nails and cutting the skin and pouring acid liquids like lemon juice to psychological torture. I specialize with psychological torture. :D
Anyways, I support waterboarding no matter if it's me under the water on a board.
Posted by Homer 8:31 PM
Category: Microsoft Windows Vista , more updates , Vista , Yahoo Messenger
I'm surprised this project Yahoo Messenger has been working on is actually still alive. It's been just under 2 months since their last update of Yahoo Messenger for Vista. Today, Sarah Bacon, announced in the Yahoo Messenger Blog that new features will be available in the next update. These new features are being called "key features" according to the blog.
So, who loves to call their friends from Yahoo? Is that why you might still have Yahoo Messenger 8.1 still installed in your Vista machine? Well good news is coming to you guys. The next update will be having voice calling from PC to PC and PC to Phone. Lovely isn't it? Also you'll be able to receive calls if you have a Phone In number. I know I'm going to be calling all my friends when that update comes out. :)
Ok, so now do you like texting and/or annoying your friends with unknown text messages? This is even better! The new update will also have texting capabilities as the 8.1 has. I use texting only when my celly is dead and it is a savior. Many should know if you are in my position.
With both features, Yahoo Messenger for Vista will be a lot better after this update. Yahoo is actually keeping this one up and alive. Keep it here to get more updates on Yahoo Messenger for Vista. If you want to read the full blog you can click here to visit it.
Also, the blog states that there isn't a "definitive release date for this next Beta version of Yahoo! Messenger for Vista." Keep that in mind before commenting here or on the blog. Time defines perfection, let them have time so all Yahoo Messenger users can a bad-ass messenger for Vista.
Posted by Homer 7:19 AM
Category: Beta , IE , Internet Explorer , Internet Explorer 8 , Microsoft IE 8 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft XP
I already downloaded it for testing but I'm sticking to Firefox. It's too sluggish and makes me wanna go back to IE7. But I guess every new beta has it's little issues. I took some screen shots of the full screen and the "About" for version.
IE8
IE8 - version
Posted by Homer 2:10 AM
Category: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 , official version , Vista SP1
I'm sure no one has really given much thought to the reason why it's taking so long for Microsoft to release SP1 for Vista. The more people have to wait, the more people look for it.
Now-a-days there's many ways of getting what you want with just an internet connection, time, and the right resources. I think this is why it might it has taken so long. Apparently and according to Softpedia there's a new leak of Vista's SP1. This time it's Vista Ultimate.
Do you think the people who are waiting for Vista SP1 have to wait so long because there are too many boot-legged copies out? I think the more boot-legs there are of Vista and Vista SP1 the more Microsoft punishes us.
Posted by Homer 2:34 PM
Category: 2008 Presidential Blog , Barack Obama , Dimmit County , General Blogging , Hillary Clinton
Dimmit County has been won by Hillary Clinton by an overwhelming win.
Clinton brought in 2,149 votes with Obama bringing in 886 county wide. Dimmit County has a population of 10,248 people according to a 2000 US Census. It seems a small fraction of voters did vote but with these votings going now, they are very complicated to manage, sort and count.
I personally voted for Obama. But I guess Dimmit County likes Hillary Clinton more. Respectively, I hope she has what it takes to go against John McCain.