La la la...

Okay...my video card died. My trusty old TNT2 AGP finally went south after five years.

I'm now using the "on board" video that's on the motherboard.

Is it possible to make an S3 ProSavage 8 usable? It's straining to push 1024x768x24@70Hz. The monitor is fine with it, but the video card sure isn't. It's complaining at 60Hz as well.

Well, I guess I add a video card to the computer shopping list for Christmas.

*Checks his list*

New monitor
New video card

*rah*

Geek news that anyone can understand...

Wow...The 10 days of November promise to be amazing for the linux users...

Fedora Core 3 - Releases Nov 8th
SuSE 9.2 - Releases next week (date not announced)
Mandrake 10.1 Official - Out Now...

Now mind you, Fedora Core 3 RC images are out now and are even tagged as Core 3 (not as a test release)
and SUSE has released their Live-CDs of 9.2...

The three major deskop distributions all release their new versions within two weeks of each other...amazing.

Goddamned fucking sneaky...

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--

Wow...they bury a forged "Received:" line so it even *looks* like it was sent properly. I'm now sitting on about 300+ bounces due to the assholes who decided that *I* apparently needed a new career in pushing lil blue pills.

WTF?!

I decided that I was going to put one of the two lamps on the headboard of the bed...on my altar. My altar sits in front of the switch that is by the door.

As I tried this...the entire top of my altar crashed down, shattered my chalice, chipping the tip off a rutilated quatrz point and chipping out a chunk of a carved amethyst hexagon I have. It also shattered the jar that I used to hold incense. To top it all off, the English Ivy that I had in the chalice was literally sliced to pieces. Every root bunch was sliced off about 2“ above the roots. I was able to save *one* section of four.

I know I’ve been out of touch with the Them and not really practicing my beliefs. There have been a million other things on my mind and there’s the whole issue of Sean being a non-believer and criticising my beliefs...

If I needed a strong swift kick in the ass, this was it.

Now I need to figure out how to rebalance and reset my altar with the missing plant, quartz, and amethyst.

I’m going to be taking a few picture of my altar as well and posting them here.

But for now, I have all my ritual glassware in the dishwasher and I’m going to go try and commune with Them and hope that this was a wake up call/warning from beyond and not the sign of something more serious.

When it rains it pours...

On top of the money mess I created....

I was talking to my mom todayday about some stuff. Out of the blue, she says "Well, since I've got you on the phone, I might as well tell you."

This is Mom code-speak for I've got really bad news and I have no concept of how to lead into it.

My mom has a history of fibrous cysts in her breasts and last year they found some very suspicious cells in her biopsy... So when she had her yearly mammogram done...and there were spots, she wasn't worried.

The radiology tech however was and did three more pictures from different angles. The radiologist read them...and called in another radiologist...and based on the results...she's seeing the surgeon next Tuesday. It appears they'll be doing a biopsy and probably surgery as well.

I've got MS, Mom's seems to have breast cancer...there's a third relative out there with bad news or a dark fate coming soon...but at least I know now why she was so insistent that I go down there for Christmas.

Conclusive proof of stupidity...

I filled up Sean's car with gas last Thursday. No big deal...except I'd forgotten that I'd filled up my van (23 1/2 gals) and all that jazz. I then turned around and filled up Sean's car *again*.

Well, debit card transactions are wonderful things. Gas pumps only test to see if they can do a $1 charge. If they can, they'll authorize the pump...handy to know for emergencies...but bad in reality.

I'm now ~$65 overdrawn on my debit card. Color me not happy.

The upside is that I don't have to worry about putting gas in the van for a couple of months now.

I just feel like an idiot. This *really* isn't helping my feelings of worthlessness and being out of control with the MS type thing I have. It's turning into a chore to get up every day...to keep on breathing. It's just not seeming like its worth it anymore.

Enough of this frustration

I have a plan in my head for an occult bookstore and possibly a coffeeshop. The coffeeshop is entirely optional in my plan.

First off, I'd have to find space, find out how much rent will be, set up a budget for the company, and then do the business plan/file for Small Business Administration loans/business loans...and hope I can get said loans.

I've found some promising spaces around here:

1st: Mt. Prospect and I'm in love with the storefront. It's laid out well and has some interesting fixtures left over from the previous occupant (a flower shop).
The corner endcap of the building had signs up last month proclaiming that a Doggy Daycare and Day Spa was coming soon. Upscale yuppie types...in many ways, ideal customers. I'm also thinking the "Charmed Ones" types will be thick and heavy in that area too. Could be a double edged sword. I could be swimming in wannabes (who are paying customers, but spiritually way off base) or I could have a small base of hard core customers but little actual business...

2nd: One of four vacant store fronts on Palatine Rd and Windsor Rd in the Pal-Win Plaza. It's an older strip mall with about a 50% occupancy rate. It's anchored by a Dollar General...space should be rather cheap...but can I draw in business in that location. It's off Palatine which makes it easy to get to... One of the spaces had a bunch of cool fixtures left over that could easily be turned over in my store.

Location 3 is off Elmhurst Rd and Dundee Rd...nice looking space but I don't think I could afford it. It's on two busy roads and in a commercial district.

I should still run around tomorrow and get phone numbers and addresses and call on them. As far as vendors, I know I can order en masse at nice discounts through Llewellyn Books in Minneapolis, I've also found a nice candle, herb, incense, essential oils distributor as well that does nice trade pricing.

As for the coffee shop side of things, none of these locations take a coffee shop into account.

The other big bugger in this... is that I still have a burning urge to open my store/coffee shop combo in St. Cloud. I'd have the store on one side and the coffee shop on the other...I'd be open late for students/last minute ritual needs ;) and would probably offer wireless internet access...

I have lots of ideas in my head...I just need to get some major stumbling blocks resolved and get moving on it all. St. Cloud is still active in my head as I have friends up in MN and they were pushing me to open my shop in St. Cloud and I know they'd be willing to help me get started and get things running. A few of us were actually looking at a building in St. Cloud. It was a three story building in downtown on East St. Germain. We were thinking of making the first floor the coffee/book shop, the second floor would have ritual rooms/teaching space, possibly a couple of massage rooms for chakra/energy work, and possibly a reading space/overflow for the coffee shop...and the third floor we were thinking of making into large loft/warehouse apartments for ourselves and saving ourselves money in that regard...

The ideas are there, the tools are there, but something just isn't happening like it should. I have a strong hunch on what the problem is down here...and I can't fix it, only learn to live with it.

You know, I hadn't realized just how much pain in...

You know, I hadn't realized just how much pain induced stress I was under. I started the Neurontin tonight. It has a nice warning label that it may cause drowsiness. I've learned that those labels are *not* for people my size.

I now have evidence to the contrary ;)

The Neurontin takes 7-10 days to reach "proper serum levels" and so right now, it's a limited relief timeframe. I took it at 11...and was out cold at 11:30. Sean, bless his heart, came into the bedroom about 1:30 and startled me awake. I was feeling strangely energetic and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up.

I came out here and sat down to putz on the computer and realized that I was still a lil tired, but I didn't hurt. I had the usual stiffness in my back and a bit of the pain from the arthritis in my low back, but the numbness, tingling, and constant "chatter" from my nervous system was gone. It's now 5:30am and the chatter has started to return and so has some of the tingling in my legs.

Three hours of actually having a smile on my face...and I was upset with Sean for waking me up, but you know, he didn't mean to wake me...and I do love him. He's much too good for me. He deserves a non-broken bear.

Hopefully this medication will be able to stabilize me and keep me functional. Even if it just relieves the symptoms and keeps me from wallowing in the huge black hole I was in as my brain slowly crumbled under the amount of stimuli it was getting...I'll be quite happy.

Trip to pharmacy: $2.09 for gas
Meds at pharmacy: $47/mo
Being almost painfree and getting refreshing sleep: Priceless.

Good News/Bad News dept

I had a quickly scheduled followup with my neuro this morning at 10:30.

The diagnosis of MS is now much further along (but still not definate as there are no signs of lesions in my MRIs) but the symptoms are that of MS. He's starting me on some "wonderful" (his word not mine) drug called neurontin to manage the large amounts of pain, numbness, and tingling I have. It should also act as a bit of a tranquilizer, helping me to sleep (which knocking down my pain level will help with too). All in all, a good trip to the doctor...

Until I checked with Walgreen's on the price on Neurontin. $120/mo.

Thankfully I go in Monday for my assessment interview with the state of IL for public assistance. I'm not really able to work due to the fact that I'm clouded by pain, can't lift over about 20lbs without major pain, and there's no clue when the next debilitating attack will be.

So until Monday, I'm sitting my prescription for Neurontin. Hopefully, all will be quick and painless with the state and I can get this done quickly and efficiently.

Jesus, save us from your followers...

I was talking to my mom today. It was a pleasant conversation until we got into Christmas plans.

I have the choice between money now (which is rather needed) or a plane ticket to visit them for the family get together at Christmas (a lot of the family is going to be together for the first time in ages).

$200 in cash or a $200 plane ticket....that's a tough call.

What was worse was when she asked me who I was voting for...

I told her Kerry.

"Oh my God! How can you vote for someone like that?" Mom gasped in horror.

"Easily. We shouldn't have gone into Iraq, we didn't finish anything in Afghanistan, the domestic economy is in shambles, and the country is turning into the United States of Jesus Christ." I said sincerely and honestly.

"It should be the United States of Jesus Christ." was my Mom's answer. If she had her way, "We'd fix the constitution."

I was dumbfounded. I think it's time to do an intervention and save her from the South. Sadly, this did push my Christmas decision further along. I think I'll skip the uber-Christian, uber-conservative Christmas season. I'll take a nice quiet Yule alone on that.

Grumble...

Well, my back is not stable...actually it's quite unstable. If I lean forward, it feels like I'm running a scalpel down from my shoulders, down my spine (not the muscles, but inside the back) and down to my feet. If I twist/turn my body, I feel that same scalpel, but it's down my arms and legs. My neck and back are stiff and moving hurts. My headache is back...with a vengence. It feels like my head and back and fused together and they have to move together or else it's like I'm trying to twist my entire skeleton inside my body. I'm constantly exhausted.

It's starting to wear me down mentally. I'm really having a hard time doing anything or finding any reason to go forward.

Doctor update....(delayed...see previous post)

Thursday 10am is when I see the neurologist.

If the symptoms get worse or suddenly change again, I have the doctor
paged and have a probable trip to the ER.

Computer Fun

Okay, I've made a few mistakes today.

FreeBSD 4.10 minimal install bad. Very bad. FreeBSD is still
solid and the install hasn't changed since about oh...v 3.3 the
first version I'd used. Ports had major issues with things that
didn't exist or versions that weren't yet available in the ports
mirrors.

Gave up on that and tried to reinstall Fedora Core 3 Test 3....and
it was fine until about the 4th thing from being done (600+
packages install, <10 to go...and it chokes on a file...if you dump
out of the installer...you get a broken install...and you can't
skip the offending file...) so it's back to Core 3 Test 2 and
upgrade back up to Test 3...

That's merrily installing away...

Well, I called the doctor and left a voicemail fo...

Well, I called the doctor and left a voicemail for him and/or his nurse. I'm hoping I'll hear something before they scamper out of the office today. I know I should have called much earlier. I managed to pull myself off the panic ledge last night about 5:30am and I fell into bed. I slept today until about 2:30, and I called at 3pm.

I'm really starting to freak out as the symptoms have changed dramatically and this doesn't appear to be a temporary change. It's now my full back which is stiff, muscle spasms in my legs, chest, and back; a searing slicing pain that runs the length of my spine, and random attacks of pain centered on my spine but at various levels. Add to that a constant headache that hasn't left in about two weeks...centered in the back of my head with banded pain that goes around my head to my eyes.

*shivers in the corner* I don't like this. Now I play the waiting game for the doctor or his nurse to call back.

It's 3:20am. I've been sitting here for two hour...

It's 3:20am. I've been sitting here for two hours hoping that the increasing pain in my back/legs will go away. It isn't. It's spreading and getting worse.

This isn't my "normal" dull low back pain and tingling/numbness in my legs. My whole back feels like I can't bend at all....like something is slicing up and down my spine, and the occasional stabbing pain at random locations in my back. Something is most definately going on, I know I need to call my neuro, but I'm *scared*.

I'll admit it. I'm terrified of what ever is going on. It's not like there's any physical symptoms really. It's all neurological/pain symptoms. I almost need a sign on the door that says "Today, my pain is..." and a scale that I can adjust.

Sean doesn't know what he's going to get at any given time. My pain is getting to the point that it's triggering depression and a complete lack of interest in sex. I want to cuddle with him, but that's it. It hurts too much to be doing much of anything else.

Here I sit, on the verge of tears, and I can't bring myself to call the doctor. What's that say about me?

More meme fun facts filched from World Web Websites

src="http://www.bbspot.com/Images/News_Features/2004/10/file_extensions/mpg.jpg" width="300" height="90"
border="0" alt="You are .mpg You live life like it was a movie. Constantly in motion, you bring pleasure to many, but are often hidden away.">
Which File Extension are You?

I'm still tired but....

First I have to say welcome back to my brain. I finally got 5.5 hours of continuous sleep last night. It was wonderful. We got home from Portage about 4:45am..and I finally got to sleep around 6am. Damn caffiene ;)
We had a blast at the Portage Garou game last night. Tomorrow night is Chicago Changeling.

In other silly geek news, I finally did some digging and the infamous KMail won't compact the inbox "feature" is fixable. You change a single line in a file to be "True" instead of "False"... My inbox magically shrunk from 71mb to 12k. Now if only I could do that with some of my other folders. My mail directory currently is holding down 243MB of space, down from 415mb with the magic inbox shrinkage and cleaning crap out from other folders.

I decided to amuse myself and do a word count on my novel as it stands....just shy of 28,000 words...and a novel should have around 125k-175k words. I guess it's good to have a goal.

Boredom made this meme possible

Name a CD you own that no one else on your friends list does:

Paul Kelly - Deeper Water

Name a book you own that no-one else on your friends list does:

Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do - Peter McWilliams

Name a movie you own on DVD/VHS/whatever that no-one else on your friends list does:

erm...the only possibility there is "The History of the World Pt 1"

Name a place that you have visited that no-one else on your friends list has:

There are so many options here... I'll take Sedgwick Arkansas.

Oh my...

This was stuffed into a piece of "cheap pain killers" spam I got today. I've been saving all my spam so I can train SpamAssassin on the specific types of spam that it's not dealing with well.

-- Quote --

we do think darvon could be effective for your pain but if your pain is
caused by the cheating of your boyfriend, it is suggested that you get a new
boyfriend. but there is only darvon online. new boy friend is currently not
available here. we might update our inventory later.

--

Wow. Maybe soon you can get a new boyfriend online. (insert sarcasm mark here)Here I thought Wal-Mart would be the first to offer such a service. I mean all the fine folks in the South could make a great supply chain for Wal-Mart.

This is so true...

What does your t-shirt say? by rejektedrockstar
Name
Age
Fav. Color
Gender	FemaleMaleI dunno...
Ta-Da
Quiz created with MemeGen!

Random bits from a Monday...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO mooch, who turns 28 today!

Linux stuff

I downloaded all four CDs of Fedora Core 3 Test 3 (Fedora Core is what became of Redhat Linux's "end user" support/distribution...it was released to the community and mostly turned into a beta/testing release for their $$ RedHat Enterprise Linux)...

I've been tracking the updates to Core 3 Test 2 regularly...so when I popped in Test 3 to update to it...I had to update a whopping *two* packages. One of them is a one line text file that tells the online updates tools what version you have. Well, if something happens I have it all on CD...*mutter*

I can't get WinXP or Win2k to install on my machine due to the BIOS doing some *really* funky stuff with the IRQs. Something about having the USB2 hub, ethernet and video card all on IRQ 11 makes Windows upset. Usually I get Video and ethernet but no USB...so no mouse. Or I get a mouse and video..but no Ethernet. Mind you, once Windows makes up it's mind that it knows what's best...it's a reinstall to try for the other option.

I'm going to try installing XP one more time. It's something with the hardware setup on the machine. I know that because if I run 2k/XP in VMware, it locks the machine. *mutters s'more*

I'm going to check for a BIOS update for my mainboard and hope that'll fix it.

Otherwise, well, no more Windows...which isn't all bad, but I do miss games and Yahoo camming.

Music vids and other notes

While installing said Linux stuff, I was flipping around the music channels on cable...and finally saw the video for "1985" by Bowling for Soup. My Goddess, the drummer is hawt! It's a funnier than hell video too. I totally identify with that song. I started high school in 1986 (graduating in 1990).

I hit Music Choice and heard "Golden Shower of Hits" by The Circle Jerks. Punk covers of 70s AM Gold...quite fun actually. Then I flipped back to VH1 Classic and caught the video for "Mandinka" by Sinead O'Connor.

Weekend wrapup

Didn't do much of anything on Friday night. Sean went to Chicago Garou downtown..and I enjoyed a quiet and dull night at home spent laying on the couch watching TV. It was just what I needed. Some time to just be alone and watch movies.

Saturday was spent sleeping in, then creating characters for a 's new Star Trek RPG. Saw quite a few people there including , (like duh), and . I'm not sure if Floyd and his partner (who's name I've lost due to a very late night last night) are LJers too... It was a fun afternoon. We went out to Old Country Buffet afterwards, which was a huge mistake for me. I had hideous heartburn all night...

Sunday was sleeping in again, then running to CompUSA to get new drive cables for my computer (my secondary IDE cable had had enough after a few years, and when I went to swtich a drive out, one of the connectors fell apart in my hand. Got a pair of rounded 18" IDE cables and got himself the RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 "mega set" for his birthday. We then ran into the city to pick up a couple of LARPers and then ran up to the Kenosha Garou game. I dropped Sean off at home afterwards (around 1:30am) and ran the LARPers back down to the city. Due to some not so hot directions...I finally made it home about 4:15 this morning. I was up with Sean this morning at 8am. I'm a tired and cranky bear trying to find his happy place so he can be all cuddly and snuggly with Sean this evening *evil grin*...

From ABC NewsRadio's "Word Watch" segment

This really doesn't solve some of the conversations that Sean and I have had about language v. dialect, but it is interesting...

From Word Watch:

Dialects and languages

What is the difference between a language and a dialect? Officially a language is the system of spoken and written words used by the people of a particular nation or area; while a dialect is (officially) the form of a language which is spoken in only one area with words or gramma slightly different from other forms of the same language. However, the reality is not as clear as that - because of the difficulty drawing a line around a language, and distinguishing two languages from two radically different dialects of the same language. And at what point does a dialect become an independent language? Is it when two dialects are 51% mutually incomprehensible? When they're two-thirds mutually incomprehensible? Or when a group becomes a nation does their dialect then become a language? "Dr Language", writing on the yourdictionary-dot-com website has a simple definition: a language (he says) is a dialect with an army!

One of those days...

Last night I had chips and salsa. Yummy...but the salsa sat in my stomach...all night.

I watched a semi-misadvertised show on The History Channel about the Halloween Storm of 1991...the cable guide (the on-screen guide) said it was a look at the weather conditions and factors that made it. Ummm...no. It occasional drove home the 100' plus waves in the open ocean...but really didn't do much of the meteorology.

That sunk two hours from 11p-1a...then it was "Nature's Killers: Tornadoes: Nature's Death Spirals" (who names these things?!) was on from 1 to 2...it was a look back at five killer tornadoes pre-1955. It was historical about the victims and the destruction, but also of the (lack of) meteorological science behind it. They showed the old radar display units (which I actually know how to read!) and just how little was known about the weather. (This was all pre-satellite and pre-doppler radar)... It was a very fascinating hour for me.

2am...and my stomach was still an acid pit and I was feeling it. I got off the couch and diddled around for a bit. I laid down...nope...no luck. I went back out to the living room and laid down on the couch with some Enya playing. Yup...out cold on the loveseat. Hell on my back, but I was asleep.

I woke up at 4:30 and went to bed. woke me up at 8 as he got ready for work. I got back to sleep about 9:30am...and the building maintainence people scared the hell out of me coming into the apartment at 11:30 to fix some stuff we'd turned into the office. I was going to try and take a nap around 2..but the neurologist called...then Dad called to let me know *they* are hosting the family Thanksgiving this year since my step-mom's mother, who normally hosts it, doesn't have a neighborhood and there are no hotel rooms to be had (they live in Gulf Shores Alabama, where Ivan came on shore). I had to tell Dad that I wasn't gonna be down there this year cuz I can't afford to go.

Add to all that, a cool rainy cloudy day..and it's just *bleh* all over.

I just want to curl up on the couch, order a big greasy pizza, and hide from reality for a while. Unfortunately, reality kills that plan too. My car keys are in Sean's car...and he's not gonna be home til around 2 or 3am after the Chicago Garou game tonight...and the budget doesn't have a room for a splurge in it.

I didn't mean to sound like a piss-on-the-parade post...but it's just one of those days.

Medical update

The neurologist finally called. I had elevated pressure in my spinal fluid which is indicative of inflammation. The protein levels in the spinal fluid were elevated. Upon further testing, the test for specific "indicator" proteins for MS were negative, but my neurologic symptoms are positive for MS. The elevated protein levels are also indicative of inflammation of the spinal cord/fluid.

He's referring me to one of his group partners who specializes in spinocranial inflammation for a second opinion. However, the current diagnosis is leaning back to MS or a disease that is very similar to it, but that may be working on a different level. MS destroys the fatty sheath around nerves. This could be something that doesn't destroy it, but inflames it and causes similar symptoms, but doesn't produce the elevated protein results of MS.

In other words, we're quickly narrowing down the possibilities, but it's no longer a hotel full of doors, we're down to a single floor on a single wing that all have the same master key.

At least I'm getting answers and I feel like progress is getting made.

Deep philosphical thought for the day...

What is nostalgia?

From Merriam-Webster online:

1 : the state of being homesick : HOMESICKNESS
2 : a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; also : something that evokes nostalgia

My thought is this...

Is it a yearning to return to it...or is it the mind going back to something that was comforting and trying to find peace in it?

I mean, things I *hated* as a child, I find myself wanting...

The first two weekend of October are the Spoon River Scenic Drive. It was something that my parents always dragged me off to and as a child I hated it. Stuck in the car for hours in traffic...traipsing through flea markets and tons of food from little stands.

Now, I find myself wanting to go to it.

Some of the things I find myself nostalgic for I know are just childhood memories, probably stemming back to the fact that I'm back in Illinois...but on some other level, I'm wondering if doing some of those things wouldn't put me in a better mental place due to some comfort built into it.

Just a thought for the day...

It's official...I'm certifiable!

KVSC Trivia is coming soon (well, Feb 11^th at 5pm to the 13^th at 7pm.

KVSC 88.1FM is presenting TSI: Trivia Scene Investigation as their 26th annual 50-hour trivia weekend February 11-13th.

Yes, the station is in St. Cloud, Minnesota; however, they do stream in mp3 on their website. I was the training director at the station, was the Monday morning DJ, fill-in Jazz show host, and have worked at the trivia contest for the last three years.

It's the most fun you can legally have and I totally recommend it. It's 50 hours of non-stop caffiene ingestion and frantic searches for obscure trivia on the Net and phone calls to TV/Movie junkies. I'm very seriously considering putting together a team to compete this year. I've worked it for three years...and it's time for me to play. It's a $35 fee per team...so if I can get 6 other people to play, that's $5/person for the team fee...and whatever munchies, drinks, coffee, Bawls, etc that you want.

I'm totally psyched for trivia and its still four months away...anyone game for a weekend of depraved insanity?

If no one has shown interest by about Christmas, then I'm going to start planning on being at the station and wasting 50+ more hours of my life working at trivia, sleeping in the back of studio, and answering the phone "Trivia Hotline, this is the Fluffer!" or "Domino's Pizza, sorry, we're closed."

It's a blast and a great way to hang out for a weekend. I'd like to have an apartment full of people to share the depravity of it all...and just hang out and have a helluva time.

My favorite team name ever is "My Dixie Wrecked And I'm Home Alone..." (say it out loud...)
last years team names and scores are here.

Any questions, thoughts, etc and TEAM NAMES (the more twisted but legal for radio, the better)...post 'em here!

Weekend update...

Well, let's see...Friday night was dull and boring..nothing really going on...

Saturday, and I didn't do much...I slept most of the day...Sean went out to Bear Bar Night in Chicago that night...I wish I'd known that's where he was going...I'd have gone as well..but oh well...I got to enjoy a nice quiet night chatting with friends online and working on my novel.

Sunday was the "do it all" day. We left about 1 to go down to the Portage IN Garou LARP...we had a blast and when that game wrapped we drove back up to the Big Bad City^tm to play in the Chicago Arcadia Renewed Changeling LARP which was also a blast and ended about 1am. We finally dragged our asses into the apartment just after 2:30am after dropping someone else off on the northwest (I guess it was the northwest) side.

I had to run Sean to work this morning. He ordered some frozen food stuff through a coworker and it was pickup day today. As there wasn't enough room for it, I had to pick it up and bring it home. So I spent three hours on the couch flipping between CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel watching the "oooh, is this the one" coverage of Mt St Helens. It wasn't...but at least some real science is making the news with the USGS press conferences getting live coverage.

After it became obvious that nothing major was going to happen with it, Fox went back to the Bush Rah-Rah coverage, MSNBC was covering something...and CNN went into full politics stuff. I turned it off, turned up the music and cleaned the apartment. After putting away the laundry, taking out all the garbage and doing all the dishes, I feel like today was rather productive.

I just got a call (6:50p) from Spherion. They've still not heard back from the person for the part time position they were considering me for...but they do have another position open in Prospect Heights (next town to our south) that's 4:30a-1:30p M-F as a temp-to-perm position. I'm going to be giving my person a call tomorrow and talking about what's going on with both positions and getting the details on the position in Prospect Heights.

But right now, it's 7pm, I've not napped today and I've had less than 4 hours of sleep. Sean's making dinner. I'm gonna eat and head to bed early tonight...

Linux distribution nightmares...

In other geekiness, I did try SuSE 9.1 Pro...very slick, very fast... ULB Gnome even joined this century with new packages for GNOME 2.8 for SuSE 9.1 including updated gaim, galeon, and mozilla. All great and good..except Galeon didn't want to run and I couldn't get anything to build. Drivel (the LiveJournal client I use) wouldn't build or work after being installed. There are a bunch of other issues as well with the printer not being supported quite right no matter what I did and some other things that just let a bad taste in my mouth.

I decided to go with Fedora Core 3 Test 2 for shits and giggles...very nice...fast and clean.

That is until...

I hit up2date to do the duty of upgrading any fixes, patches, etc...(notice it's a *TEST* release)

Yup...in one week, there were 404 packges to be updates for a total of 597MB.

I said screw that and reinstalled Fedora Core 2...yeah, it's 6 months old, but it's quite stable, there are several major sites that are apt-friendly, so I can just apt-get install/upgrade almost anything.

As for Fedora Core 3 (the next major release), it'll be very nice when it's done, finalized, and ready to roll. As for me, I'll hold back here on Core 2 until around oh...Yule. I'll let Core 3 have a couple of months to settle down and have the necessary patches/bugfixes/updates after it's 1 November release date.

Fedora Core Linux is coming along very nicely...but I remember now why I normally don't do distribution betas...hell...the last beta I did was KDE 3.3 betas and that was only because it fixed a couple of quirky bugs that irritated the daylights out of me in KDE 3.2...it was a learning experience. I wll say that...