I got a new cat!

I finally got a cat!

I've decided to call her Anubis, which is an Egyptian Diety, which I've always been fond of. Sadly Anubis is the one with a dog head, but the one with the Cat head isn't very interesting. 😛 And Anubis is an interesting Kitty.

She was originally Eartha Kitty when CATS rescued her from an RV park, where at the age of 15 months, had a litter of 5. Since then all of her kittens have found new homes, and she has been fixed. All of this in the period of 6 weeks. To say she's had a rough holiday is an understatement. But I can tell you her life is turning around, and is living the princess lifestyle at my house. She has the run of the place, and is a very well tempered cat. Now if I can just get her to stop clawing my expensive couch... more scratching posts are on their way.

This is a picture from the cat adoption web site... before I even went to see the cats on saturday, I had book marked this cat about a week ago! 🙂 And its my CAT!

http://catadoptionservice.org/cats/sm066/

More pictures to come, just haven't uploaded them.

How to customize your MySpace account page

Start by reading the Coders Group page on MySpace, they have lots of articles about how to do things, and you can't join the group, but you can read it to find lots of cool ways to modify your account.

http://groups.myspace.com/codergroup

The list of articles is here:

http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=messageboard.viewcategory&groupID=100033089&Mytoken=20050119022604

Things I want to have samples for:
- Changing background colors, and table colors
- Changing the default font
- Adding a graphic as the background for your page
- Adding pictures in your comments to other people
- adding video clips to your posts
- Adding music that starts when you visit a page
- Hiding text until you select it (see coders home page)

It would be real nice to figure out way to hide all the customization and annoying colors.

More silent PC Links

With minor technical skill, you can change the fans & hard drives to
quieter ones yourself.

Fill unused drive bays with foam rubber. Otherwise fan noise comes
out the front.
All fans on rubber fan isolation posts, not screws. They come with
Silenx fans or can be bought separately.
The most amazing thing I've learned recently is that Seagate
Barracuda drives are essentially silent. The difference is amazing. vendors selling the components you need to make a quiet computer:

http://www.siliconacoustics.com
http://www.silentcomputing.org/
http://www.silentpcreview.com/
http://www.endpcnoise.com
http://www.buildsilentpc.com
http://www.acoustiproducts.com
http://www.silenx.com
http://www.quietpcusa.com

What D&D Character are you?

I Am A: Chaotic Good Human Ranger Mage

Alignment:
Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups.

Race:
Humans are the 'average' race. They have the shortest life spans, and because of this, they tend to avoid the racial prejudices that other races are known for. They are also very curious and tend to live 'for the moment'.

Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.

Secondary Class:
Mages harness the magical energies for their own use. Spells, spell books, and long hours in the library are their loves. While often not physically strong, their mental talents can make up for this.

Deity:
Shaundakul is the Chaotic Good god of travel and exploration. He is also known as the Rider of the Winds. His followers are typically rangers, and work to protect the land. They typically wear leather armor, and carry long swords and short bows. Shaundakul's symbol is a white hand with the index finger raised.

Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

Microsoft(r) Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)

Microsoft offers free security program

CNN Article

Microsoft (r) Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)

Microsofts Spyware Site

Microsoft Anti-Spyware Software Info

I downloaded and installed the beta this morning, and it is interesting. I have attached a couple of screen shots. For those familiar with Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D there are a lot of similarities.

I was curious what this tool would find on my machine after recently running both of the tools mentioned above. It found four additional items, as the screen shot will show.

Some points of interest:

1. When downloading the beta MS says they would like to offer this tool to "validated users of MS Windows" and asks if they can validate your OS. However, they do offer the option of saying no and still downloading the software. I said no thanks...

2. When installing they ask if you would like to join "Spy.net" or "Spyware.NET" which I suppose is a support group for people affected by
   spyware. 😉 Sure why not, if its like cloudmark's SpamNet, it might be cool. And its my work computer...

3. After the scan if threats are discovered, they are assigned a "threat level" which is something that the other tools don't do. I thought that was kind of cool.

4. One of the final steps after cleansing the machine of threats is to "restore IE settings" for browsers that have been hijacked. Another feature that is not available in the other tools I have used.

5. It also gives you a "create a restore point" option which is a good way to roll back your system if you had the SpyNet software remove something that causes your system or applications to break

6. In the advanced tools it goes through and investigates your startup files, registry settings, IE pluggins and more. The key thing I like is that it told me which of the executables in the start up process were known 'spy-free'. I submitted several of the ones it didn't know about to SpyNet, in hopes they get added as well.
   

CATS – Cat AdopTion Services

I have started volunteering for the CATS organization to help take pictures of Cats and Kittens that need to be rescued into a new home.

Please check out the site.

http://www.catadoptionservice.org/cats/

These are the ones I'm working to get pictures of:

http://www.catadoptionservice.org/cats/unpictured/

The effects of plastic surgery gone wrong

I'm not sure how to file this, but it shows pictures 'suggesting' that some famous people have had plastic surgery, and critiques if it was good or bad. For example Tara Reids and Lindsay Lohan's breast enhancements(??).

I personally am not of fan of this, but this kinda re-affirms it for me. 🙂

http://awfulplasticsurgery.com/

Proxy Servers for SOCKS4 and Instant Messengers

For some time I've been looking for a way to securely remote certain protocols through a remote server. I've finally found several free SOCKS4 compliant server products that allow you to open one port to them, and they proxy requests to the original server. Particularly good for getting IM to work at places that block it, or sniff it. So far I only have AOL IM working, and it does allow me to do SecureIM over it. Next is IRC. I've started with the Analog X product. They have a SLEW of other neat network related tools.

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network.htm

A list of free Proxy Products

http://www.webattack.com/freeware/network/fwproxy.shtml

FreeProxy

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/freeproxy.html

http://www.handcraftedsoftware.org/

FreeProxy is a proxy server with support for HTTP, SMTP, POP, FTP over HTTP, TCP Tunneling, NNTP and SOCKS5. It works with a wide range of clients including web browsers, ICQ, MSN Messenger and many others. Features include user authentication to both an internal user database or to a windows domain, extensive reporting, resource permissions, URL filtering, IP address filtering, local port binding, on-demand dialing, calendar control, proxy chaining, HTTP Cache and numerous other features. FreeProxy also includes a small web server and can run as a service on all current platforms. Very detailed help is included that documents all aspects of the setup and client configuration.

AnalogX Proxy

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/proxy.htm

Looking for a fast, simple to use, free way to share your Internet connection with several computers? Then AnalogX Proxy is what you re looking for! Allows multiple machines on a local network to access the Internet through one machine - great for small businesses and individuals alike. Supports web browsing (HTTP/HTTPS), file transfer (FTP), mail (POP3/SMTP), news (NNTP), and now even Socks4/4a for things like AOL, AIM, MSM, etc!

STunnel

http://www.stunnel.org/faq/install.html#ToC2
Stunnel can work by either:

• Receiving unencrypted data and sending it to an SSL server
  
• Receiving encrypted data and
  
• Sending the decrypted data to an arbitrary port on that or another machine
  
• Launching a local program (as does inetd) to talk to the remote machine over the encrypted channel.
  
• On unix machines, Stunnel can be run out of inetd, much like telnetd or ftpd, or it can be run as a standalone daemon, which in general is the prefered method. On NT it can only be run from a command prompt (DOS window,) not as a true NT service. We list several 'hacks' that let you do this, however, in the FAQ.
  

• Being an SSL client
  
• Being an SSL server
  
• Server and client side certificate verification
  
• TCP wrapper support
  
• IDENT lookups
  
• SMTP protocol negotiation
  
• Source address rewriting (transparency) (where supported by the OS)
  
• Restricting allowed SSL ciphers
  
• Stunnel can help:
  
• Protect interception of data
  
• Prevent manipulation of data
  

IRC Proxy

http://www.ircproxy.night-light.net/

Night Light IRC Proxy (ircproxy) is a multi-user IRC (Internet Relay Chat) proxy written in C for UNIX compatible systems.

If you do not know what IRC is, then IRC proxy probably isn't for you. A IRC proxy is a program which works like a client and server, you connect to it with your IRC client and it connects you to the chosen server.

This way you are protected behind the machine running the IRC proxy, connecting through a proxy will hide your machine's IP-address from other users on IRC.

iPod integrated into your car… Neo iOn

UPDATE: - I can't recommend this unit for the 2001 Corvette. I have found issues with a low line level hiss that is not present from the CD Changer, and have had next/prev issues where it skips around in your play list

Spending some time looking now at http://www.ice-link.com/ - which holds some interesting promise, as well as adding Random Feature.

The aux-pod still works well in my friends 2000 Corvette (But its a different manufaturer).

Found out that I know someone at the company that makes ipod2car... going to chat with him about the issues I've been seeing. Check out their products, they are the OEM of the equipment that others are rebranding.

http://peripheralelectronics.com/2002/ipod.asp

OK, after researching and chatting with some people on an internal iPod mailing list I think I have selected the car adapter for my iPod. They have a adapter for the Chevy Corvette, with an 11.5 foot cable to attach your iPod to. It works the same way that the AUX-Pod works, but seems a little less expensive, and a bit more polished.

We are hoping to order and get quantity discount down to about $150 (+tax) per car. e-mail me if your interested.

Neo iOn

10012 - Neo iOn

Chevrolet: Corvette : 1997 - 2004

The Neo iOn connects the iPod (3g, 4g, Mini, Photo, or U2) to the Chevrolet Corvette's factory radio. Full quality audio and controls - easy installation!

Another link for the pac-audio Aux-pod -
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/logjam/pacauxpod.html

Great Puzzle Sites

Growing up we used to always get out a puzzle to do over the holidays. We went to game keeper in UTC and would find these crazy french puzzles that had crazy cartoon characters raiding pirate ships, skiing nakid, or climbing a verticleville city. This year we restarted this tradition, and as a gift, my mom tracked down several sites and places to find these excellent puzzles.

They are made by HEYE, and the infamously witty artist, Loup.

This is the one i'm looking to get:

http://www.jigsawjungle.com/code/heye/wintgam.htm

http://www.alljigsawpuzzles.co.uk/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?search=yes

This site has a good variety ....
http://www.areyougame.com/Interact/search.asp?q=Heye&qmethod=0&sa=0

This guy has put a lot of energy into providing jig-saw puzzle info including links ....

http://www3.sympatico.ca/johnds/

There are no HEYE puzzles here. There are some fabulous puzzles here ... Check out
the bird (Tropical Palette) http://www.simplepastimes.com/pd_tropical_palette.cfm#
the dragon (The Student). http://www.simplepastimes.com/prod_images_blowup/63424.jpg
Merlin/Gandalf (Winter Celebration) http://www.simplepastimes.com/prod_images_blowup/cl72201.jpg
World's largest puzzle ... 109" x 76" (approx 9' x 6') http://www.simplepastimes.com/pd_tropical_impressions.cfm#
http://www.simplepastimes.com/?source=GOOG&term=Puzzle