anxiousdog's bloghttp://www.anxiousdog.com/blog/1/atom/feed2008-08-26T16:13:00-07:00Women Talkhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/women-talk2008-12-29T13:14:00-08:002008-12-29T13:14:00-08:00anxiousdog Charity: Can I be frank and earnest with you?
Me: Wait, are you Frank or Earnest?
Charity: Um, let me be Frank this time.
Me: I never get to be Frank... you be Earnest and let me be Frank.
Charity: Well true, but you are far more of an Earnest than a Frank, so I'll be Frank this time and you can be Frank next time.
Me: Fine. Be Frank...
And pretty much a lot of talk like that. Some times we talk to each other in movie quotes. Like this:
Charity: ...like she's the illiterate brother from Corky Ramano or something.
Me: Get me a cup of the, uhh... rocky road there.
Sir all of our flavors are on that sign there. Oh, then just get me a cup of the uh... pistachio.
Charity: I forgot my reading glasses Pappa! You know I can't read with out my reading glasses!!
Me: Okay just get me the rum raisin then.
That could go on a while depending on the movie actually. Some of our favorites are Orange County, Emperor's New Groove, Shallow Hal, and a few others that I can't think of right now.
So if you hear me talking on the phone and making absolutely no sense what so ever, chances are I'm talking to Charity.
]]> Charity: Can I be frank and earnest with you?
Me: Wait, are you Frank or Earnest?
Charity: Um, let me be Frank this time.
Me: I never get to be Frank... you be Earnest and let me be Frank.
Charity: Well true, but you are far more of an Earnest than a Frank, so I'll be Frank this time and you can be Frank next time.
Me: Fine. Be Frank...
And pretty much a lot of talk like that. Some times we talk to each other in movie quotes. Like this:
Charity: ...like she's the illiterate brother from Corky Ramano or something.
Me: Get me a cup of the, uhh... rocky road there.
Sir all of our flavors are on that sign there. Oh, then just get me a cup of the uh... pistachio.
Charity: I forgot my reading glasses Pappa! You know I can't read with out my reading glasses!!
Me: Okay just get me the rum raisin then.
That could go on a while depending on the movie actually. Some of our favorites are Orange County, Emperor's New Groove, Shallow Hal, and a few others that I can't think of right now.
So if you hear me talking on the phone and making absolutely no sense what so ever, chances are I'm talking to Charity.
]]>Knitting Elfhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/knitting-elf2008-12-17T17:34:07-08:002008-12-17T09:36:17-08:00anxiousdog I used the arm pattern from Knitty's Dashing to give these gloves a more manly look. The Urban Necessity pattern calls for mitten caps, but he hasn't decided if he wants the cap or not. I set aside plenty of yarn for when he does.
I also improvised a thumb hole so that he can still use his Blackberry/iTouch without taking of his gloves, making this one of the coolest pair of gloves Geeks can own.
Speaking of mittens... My sister asked me to make some "reddish" colored mittens for my nephew, Ethan. Since he too needs access to his tiny little fingers while playing on the monkey bars or picking his nose, I added a little opening on the palm and thumb for him.
I had to improvise this pattern since I used a fingering weight yarn (left over sock yarn from Tammy) and most mitten patterns call for worsted weight wool. I actually used the same stitch count from Hubs gloves, which goes to show you how much gauge matters!
I am currently working on these beautiful Endpaper Mitts:
These will be a Christmas gift as well. Though I must say that they are very hard to give away. :) I am on the second chart repeat on the second mitt, so I better quit showing off and get back to knitting.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the winter season - I know knitters are! And I hope that you all are looking forward to celebrating Christmas.
]]> I used the arm pattern from Knitty's Dashing to give these gloves a more manly look. The Urban Necessity pattern calls for mitten caps, but he hasn't decided if he wants the cap or not. I set aside plenty of yarn for when he does.
I also improvised a thumb hole so that he can still use his Blackberry/iTouch without taking of his gloves, making this one of the coolest pair of gloves Geeks can own.
Speaking of mittens... My sister asked me to make some "reddish" colored mittens for my nephew, Ethan. Since he too needs access to his tiny little fingers while playing on the monkey bars or picking his nose, I added a little opening on the palm and thumb for him.
I had to improvise this pattern since I used a fingering weight yarn (left over sock yarn from Tammy) and most mitten patterns call for worsted weight wool. I actually used the same stitch count from Hubs gloves, which goes to show you how much gauge matters!
I am currently working on these beautiful Endpaper Mitts:
These will be a Christmas gift as well. Though I must say that they are very hard to give away. :) I am on the second chart repeat on the second mitt, so I better quit showing off and get back to knitting.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the winter season - I know knitters are! And I hope that you all are looking forward to celebrating Christmas.
]]>Altar For The Lordhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/altar-for-the-lord2008-10-22T21:27:07-07:002008-10-22T14:33:29-07:00anxiousdog He planted a seed years ago and I could feel that "something" growing inside of me. It's very easy to ignore, but it's so fulfilling when you finally allow God to truly... let me say that again truly lead your life.
That's what I did.
My name was Katherine. People know me as Katherine. They called me Katherine. My birth name remains Katherine. But during this time of what can be described as the "born again" experience, God changed my name to Kate. It wasn't a booming voice I heard aloud, but it was indeed God who made the change.
In the Bible God changes several names. Abram became Abraham and his wife Sarai became Sarah. Saul became Paul. Peter became Simon and of course Jacob became Israel.
But why? Why does God give someone a new name?
He does this to establish a new identity. In my case, my name was changed to show me His divine plan and to show me that I have a new mission in my life.
For those who know me as Kate, you know me as this new person God has created within me. A few of my friends still call me Katherine or other nicknames, which serves to remind me of the old life that I do not want to return to.
Don't think that the righteous path is not so very narrow. It is. It seems that more trials fall upon those who are walking this narrow path, and yet in the pain we rejoice and praise him for these trials. Maybe that's why we're called Jesus "freaks".
Yesterday Jerry reminded me of how many times Abram built an altar to worship the Lord when He had changed him, moved him, or visited him. Abram would take 12 uncut stones and stack them up as an altar and name it in honor of God. Every one who sees these altars know that they are built for God and continue to worship Him there.
Over the past few years, Jerry and I have collected small stones and saved them. We picked up one in Hawaii, one in Florida, and others here and there. We weren't really sure why we did it until now.
We both are destined for great things that will bring glory to God. Therefore I have built an alter to the commemorate the Lord for all He has done and all He will do and we will worship Him at this altar.
]]> He planted a seed years ago and I could feel that "something" growing inside of me. It's very easy to ignore, but it's so fulfilling when you finally allow God to truly... let me say that again truly lead your life.
That's what I did.
My name was Katherine. People know me as Katherine. They called me Katherine. My birth name remains Katherine. But during this time of what can be described as the "born again" experience, God changed my name to Kate. It wasn't a booming voice I heard aloud, but it was indeed God who made the change.
In the Bible God changes several names. Abram became Abraham and his wife Sarai became Sarah. Saul became Paul. Peter became Simon and of course Jacob became Israel.
But why? Why does God give someone a new name?
He does this to establish a new identity. In my case, my name was changed to show me His divine plan and to show me that I have a new mission in my life.
For those who know me as Kate, you know me as this new person God has created within me. A few of my friends still call me Katherine or other nicknames, which serves to remind me of the old life that I do not want to return to.
Don't think that the righteous path is not so very narrow. It is. It seems that more trials fall upon those who are walking this narrow path, and yet in the pain we rejoice and praise him for these trials. Maybe that's why we're called Jesus "freaks".
Yesterday Jerry reminded me of how many times Abram built an altar to worship the Lord when He had changed him, moved him, or visited him. Abram would take 12 uncut stones and stack them up as an altar and name it in honor of God. Every one who sees these altars know that they are built for God and continue to worship Him there.
Over the past few years, Jerry and I have collected small stones and saved them. We picked up one in Hawaii, one in Florida, and others here and there. We weren't really sure why we did it until now.
We both are destined for great things that will bring glory to God. Therefore I have built an alter to the commemorate the Lord for all He has done and all He will do and we will worship Him at this altar.
]]>How to Capture Sound in Ubuntu Hardy Heronhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/how-capture-sound-ubuntu-hardy-heron2008-10-15T19:52:03-07:002008-10-15T14:37:15-07:00anxiousdogpodcast that I record remotely. Others may want to record a movie clip, or a song to convert into a ringtone. Either way, Hardy Heron doesn't make this as easily as I'd like.
I use Audacity for all of my podcasting and music mixing. There are other free options out there, but for the sake of this blog we're going to record sound using Audacity.
First, double-click the volume control icon found in your top panel. In my install it is on the top right of my main screen.
Go to Edit > Preferences and make sure you have a check mark by the following: Master, PCM, Line-in, Line-in Capture, CD, CD Capture, Microphone, Microphone Capture, IEC958 Output, PC Speaker, Mix, and Duplicate Front. I'm not sure you need all of these, but this is how I got it to work. :)
Next make sure that you have unmuted all of the options except the PC speaker. Increase the volume as well. Here's how mine looks:
Next click on the Switches tab and check Mix as well as IEC958 Output and close the window. Again, not sure if you need IEC958 Output, but this is what's working.
Next you'll want to go to System > Preferences > Sound. Change all of the devices to use ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture except the Default Mixer Tracks. That one should be VIA 8237 (Alsa Mixer). Click Close.
Now one final step before you can test!
Open Audacity and click on Edit > Preferences. You should see two options for the Audio I/O. Make sure that the Playback device is ALSA: default and Recording is ALSA: VIA 8237: VIA 8237 (hw:0,0) and click OK.
Now you can test! The easy way to test this is to fire up your music player and play a file from your computer. Open Audacity and click the Record button. You should see the blue line jumping up and down as it captures sound.
Hope this helps someone out there. I know I may need to come back to this blog should I ever rebuild or need to help someone else. ]]>podcast that I record remotely. Others may want to record a movie clip, or a song to convert into a ringtone. Either way, Hardy Heron doesn't make this as easily as I'd like.
I use Audacity for all of my podcasting and music mixing. There are other free options out there, but for the sake of this blog we're going to record sound using Audacity.
First, double-click the volume control icon found in your top panel. In my install it is on the top right of my main screen.
Go to Edit > Preferences and make sure you have a check mark by the following: Master, PCM, Line-in, Line-in Capture, CD, CD Capture, Microphone, Microphone Capture, IEC958 Output, PC Speaker, Mix, and Duplicate Front. I'm not sure you need all of these, but this is how I got it to work. :)
Next make sure that you have unmuted all of the options except the PC speaker. Increase the volume as well. Here's how mine looks:
Next click on the Switches tab and check Mix as well as IEC958 Output and close the window. Again, not sure if you need IEC958 Output, but this is what's working.
Next you'll want to go to System > Preferences > Sound. Change all of the devices to use ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture except the Default Mixer Tracks. That one should be VIA 8237 (Alsa Mixer). Click Close.
Now one final step before you can test!
Open Audacity and click on Edit > Preferences. You should see two options for the Audio I/O. Make sure that the Playback device is ALSA: default and Recording is ALSA: VIA 8237: VIA 8237 (hw:0,0) and click OK.
Now you can test! The easy way to test this is to fire up your music player and play a file from your computer. Open Audacity and click the Record button. You should see the blue line jumping up and down as it captures sound.
Hope this helps someone out there. I know I may need to come back to this blog should I ever rebuild or need to help someone else. ]]>Better Gmail Using Prismhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/better-gmail-using-prism2008-10-14T14:08:40-07:002008-10-15T16:56:36-07:00anxiousdog Edit: Ok, this FF extension makes life just that much easier.
Yesterday I made a discovery of some new software that seems to have no one but me all excited. Go figure.
I
was looking for a better way to handle my Gmail accounts since I don't
really like having tabs open with email, calendar, and reader. It's
also a pain if you are composing an email and want to use ALT+Tab to
switch between email and the web. I started using Thunderbird
to help keep Gmail in and my calendar in another window, but as most
Gmail users with Thunderbird know, keeping the Calendar and Contacts
synced is a pain. Of course wonderful Mozilla has already thought of
another way to do things that I love.
Luckily
for me, they have a download for Linux. So I downloaded Prism and had a
look around. It's pretty easy to use right out of the box, but you can
also download some of the extras that give you the links to Gmail,
Calendar, Reader, etc. (See how Mozilla rocks by incorporating Google
stuff?)
As for those of us using Google Apps, I just opened
Prism and put in my webmail URL, gave it a name, and a desktop
shortcut. Simple as that. I opened my Gmail by double-clicking on the
desktop icon and signing in.
Now I have my email in a separate
window. I did the same for my Calendar. I modified the shortcut icon to
use the appropriate icons for the apps (the red M for Gmail) and then
added them to my Cairo-Dock. Life is much easier now.
I was so
excited about this yesterday, but Jer didn't really share my
enthusiasm. I tried to explain to him how wonderful this would be for
our kids' computers since we can limit where they go on the web as well
as make things easier for them to find by setting up several of these
shortcuts. We do use a firewall and monitoring system which doesn't let
the kids to very much on the internet, but this would allow us to
control the freedom just a tad bit more.
This would also be
great for businesses where the employees are easily distracted by web
surfing all day. Give them a few shortcuts and let them go. I'm sure
that I could figure out a way to surf the web through this window, but
it sure isn't easy.
Here is a screenshot of my Gmail in Prism. I've blurred out all the good stuff for fun. :)
So I know... You can't see anything different right? It's what you don't see that's so cool. If you look at the bottom, you will see a grey bar with a little icon on the right. You have a similar bar at the top which allows you to maximize/minimize/close the window and that's it. It's simple. It's not distracting. It's perfect. ]]> Edit: Ok, this FF extension makes life just that much easier.
Yesterday I made a discovery of some new software that seems to have no one but me all excited. Go figure.
I
was looking for a better way to handle my Gmail accounts since I don't
really like having tabs open with email, calendar, and reader. It's
also a pain if you are composing an email and want to use ALT+Tab to
switch between email and the web. I started using Thunderbird
to help keep Gmail in and my calendar in another window, but as most
Gmail users with Thunderbird know, keeping the Calendar and Contacts
synced is a pain. Of course wonderful Mozilla has already thought of
another way to do things that I love.
Luckily
for me, they have a download for Linux. So I downloaded Prism and had a
look around. It's pretty easy to use right out of the box, but you can
also download some of the extras that give you the links to Gmail,
Calendar, Reader, etc. (See how Mozilla rocks by incorporating Google
stuff?)
As for those of us using Google Apps, I just opened
Prism and put in my webmail URL, gave it a name, and a desktop
shortcut. Simple as that. I opened my Gmail by double-clicking on the
desktop icon and signing in.
Now I have my email in a separate
window. I did the same for my Calendar. I modified the shortcut icon to
use the appropriate icons for the apps (the red M for Gmail) and then
added them to my Cairo-Dock. Life is much easier now.
I was so
excited about this yesterday, but Jer didn't really share my
enthusiasm. I tried to explain to him how wonderful this would be for
our kids' computers since we can limit where they go on the web as well
as make things easier for them to find by setting up several of these
shortcuts. We do use a firewall and monitoring system which doesn't let
the kids to very much on the internet, but this would allow us to
control the freedom just a tad bit more.
This would also be
great for businesses where the employees are easily distracted by web
surfing all day. Give them a few shortcuts and let them go. I'm sure
that I could figure out a way to surf the web through this window, but
it sure isn't easy.
Here is a screenshot of my Gmail in Prism. I've blurred out all the good stuff for fun. :)
So I know... You can't see anything different right? It's what you don't see that's so cool. If you look at the bottom, you will see a grey bar with a little icon on the right. You have a similar bar at the top which allows you to maximize/minimize/close the window and that's it. It's simple. It's not distracting. It's perfect. ]]>Turn Off Backgrounds In Drupal Emailshttp://www.anxiousdog.com/turn-off-backgrounds-in-drupal-emails2008-10-10T16:19:08-07:002008-10-10T09:46:32-07:00anxiousdogcontact form, you may have noticed this when you received an auto response from me.
I searched several places on how to turn this option off, but I didn't seem to find anything. I dug down into the Contact and Comment modules and nothing. Finally I started looking into the Mime Mail module that I use to send the actuall emails. That's when I noticed a little piece of code that was causing my issues:
// attempt to include a mail-specific version of the css. // if you want smaller mail messages, add a mail.css file to your theme $styles=path_to_theme() .'/mail.css';
As it turns out, the Mime Mail module allows you to create a style sheet called "mail.css" and style your emails. If it doesn't see that lovely file, it pulls the tags from your main style sheet. In my case it would pull the body tag which looks a little like this:
body { background: url(bodybg.gif) repeat; color:#555; }
I now see that's why the emails had that background. I could have changed the module to exclude the html output, or the CSS files altogether, but I really hate to hack a module and then when I upgrade I forget about it (and the hack I made), or just break it altogether. My down and dirty fix was to create a file called mail.css in my theme folder. I left the file blank until such a time that I decide I'd like to style my emails.
So there you have it, just a quick little reminder to myself and anyone else who may run across this problem.
]]>contact form, you may have noticed this when you received an auto response from me.
I searched several places on how to turn this option off, but I didn't seem to find anything. I dug down into the Contact and Comment modules and nothing. Finally I started looking into the Mime Mail module that I use to send the actuall emails. That's when I noticed a little piece of code that was causing my issues:
// attempt to include a mail-specific version of the css. // if you want smaller mail messages, add a mail.css file to your theme $styles=path_to_theme() .'/mail.css';
As it turns out, the Mime Mail module allows you to create a style sheet called "mail.css" and style your emails. If it doesn't see that lovely file, it pulls the tags from your main style sheet. In my case it would pull the body tag which looks a little like this:
body { background: url(bodybg.gif) repeat; color:#555; }
I now see that's why the emails had that background. I could have changed the module to exclude the html output, or the CSS files altogether, but I really hate to hack a module and then when I upgrade I forget about it (and the hack I made), or just break it altogether. My down and dirty fix was to create a file called mail.css in my theme folder. I left the file blank until such a time that I decide I'd like to style my emails.
So there you have it, just a quick little reminder to myself and anyone else who may run across this problem.
]]>Getting It Straighthttp://www.anxiousdog.com/getting-it-straight2008-10-09T15:21:09-07:002008-10-10T07:47:14-07:00anxiousdog First, I maintain several sites and this one always seems to fall behind. It's that whole "last but not least" theory I suppose. Over the weekend I dusted off my SQL skills and cleaned up my comments. I had some where in the neighborhood of 50,000 spam comments and I really wish I were exaggerating. I didn't want to delete my older comments, so I had to use several SQL statements to pick out the junk and delete the items. I think I have it all gone, except for a few that are not published which can be deleted with a few clicks in my admin panel.
I also made a few graphical changes to my site, including the sheep thoughts and the extras on the right nav. I integrated Last.fm to show my latest tracks, as well as my shared items on Google Reader.
Next is organizing data on my computer. I have a pretty old machine as far as computers go these days. I purchased this computer in late 2003 and have only added a bit of memory and a better graphics card to keep it humming along. As I mentioned before, I got the bright idea to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu. When I did the partition, something failed and I lost the ability to boot to Windows at all.
No worries, I'm using Ubuntu (Hardy Heron version) and loving it. So far there isn't anything much that I'm missing. I've traded in PhotoShop for Gimp, iTunes for Banshee, Office for Open Office, Outlook for Thunderbird, and I was able to keep my wonderful Firefox just fine. I'm loving the ability to think boy I wish I had an application that would help me keep track of my notes and then I just Google it and find one for free. One big giant reason to switch to Linux is the cost. It runs on my computer so much better and faster than Windows, and using an appliction like Gimp over PhotoShop can save you around $600 (at least).
If you want to see some of the very much free applications you can install, just check out Appnr - which also makes installing these apps much easier for the less Linux saavy.
Anyway, I digress. My love for Ubuntu is known and I will work to switch everyone who ever complained about the expense and propritary nature of Macs and the numerous lock ups and slowness of Windows.
All that said, I'm ready to blow away my XP partition altogether. One of the reasons I've left it alone for now is so that I could back up my data before I rebuild. That's what I'm doing this week. Moving and organizing my data to our back up servers so I can do a fresh rebuild.
Even though I can't boot XP, I can access all the files over there and move them to the server for safe keeping. Once that's done, I'll back up my install of Ubuntu and then rebuild my entire computer using only Ubuntu. If I need XP (hahahaha!) I'll use a virtual box.
I know how hard it is to read an entire blog and not get to see any pretty pictures, so schooch on over to Flickr to see a screen shot of my desktop and read the notes about what's what.
]]> First, I maintain several sites and this one always seems to fall behind. It's that whole "last but not least" theory I suppose. Over the weekend I dusted off my SQL skills and cleaned up my comments. I had some where in the neighborhood of 50,000 spam comments and I really wish I were exaggerating. I didn't want to delete my older comments, so I had to use several SQL statements to pick out the junk and delete the items. I think I have it all gone, except for a few that are not published which can be deleted with a few clicks in my admin panel.
I also made a few graphical changes to my site, including the sheep thoughts and the extras on the right nav. I integrated Last.fm to show my latest tracks, as well as my shared items on Google Reader.
Next is organizing data on my computer. I have a pretty old machine as far as computers go these days. I purchased this computer in late 2003 and have only added a bit of memory and a better graphics card to keep it humming along. As I mentioned before, I got the bright idea to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu. When I did the partition, something failed and I lost the ability to boot to Windows at all.
No worries, I'm using Ubuntu (Hardy Heron version) and loving it. So far there isn't anything much that I'm missing. I've traded in PhotoShop for Gimp, iTunes for Banshee, Office for Open Office, Outlook for Thunderbird, and I was able to keep my wonderful Firefox just fine. I'm loving the ability to think boy I wish I had an application that would help me keep track of my notes and then I just Google it and find one for free. One big giant reason to switch to Linux is the cost. It runs on my computer so much better and faster than Windows, and using an appliction like Gimp over PhotoShop can save you around $600 (at least).
If you want to see some of the very much free applications you can install, just check out Appnr - which also makes installing these apps much easier for the less Linux saavy.
Anyway, I digress. My love for Ubuntu is known and I will work to switch everyone who ever complained about the expense and propritary nature of Macs and the numerous lock ups and slowness of Windows.
All that said, I'm ready to blow away my XP partition altogether. One of the reasons I've left it alone for now is so that I could back up my data before I rebuild. That's what I'm doing this week. Moving and organizing my data to our back up servers so I can do a fresh rebuild.
Even though I can't boot XP, I can access all the files over there and move them to the server for safe keeping. Once that's done, I'll back up my install of Ubuntu and then rebuild my entire computer using only Ubuntu. If I need XP (hahahaha!) I'll use a virtual box.
I know how hard it is to read an entire blog and not get to see any pretty pictures, so schooch on over to Flickr to see a screen shot of my desktop and read the notes about what's what.
]]>Oops...http://www.anxiousdog.com/oops2008-10-02T16:19:59-07:002008-10-02T16:51:23-07:00anxiousdogI broke my site. Sorry, I'll get things working again soon.
That's a little better. I'd like to finish the updates I was working on, but meanwhile, enjoy the new "sheep thoughts". ]]>I broke my site. Sorry, I'll get things working again soon.
That's a little better. I'd like to finish the updates I was working on, but meanwhile, enjoy the new "sheep thoughts". ]]>Kid Conversationshttp://www.anxiousdog.com/kid-conversations2008-10-01T21:29:02-07:002008-10-02T17:54:57-07:00anxiousdog The sign was a name plate for the resident, Bea Six. ]]> The sign was a name plate for the resident, Bea Six. ]]>Lovely Fall V-Neckhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/lovely-fall-v-neck2008-10-01T01:00:01-07:002008-10-03T07:11:31-07:00anxiousdog
It didn't take me too long to whip this sweater up, though I did end up ripping and re-knitting both the V-neck and the bottom edge. I've worn it once and blocked it, so I'll take some more photos and put some more details up as soon as I do that. ]]>
It didn't take me too long to whip this sweater up, though I did end up ripping and re-knitting both the V-neck and the bottom edge. I've worn it once and blocked it, so I'll take some more photos and put some more details up as soon as I do that. ]]>Make Pidgin Prettyhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/make-pidgin-pretty2008-09-27T15:19:06-07:002008-09-30T14:29:19-07:00anxiousdogI use Pidgin for instant messaging since I like having my G-Talk and Yahoo friends in the same place. One thing that is a little annoying is not seeing the same emoticons as my friends when we're in the same chat. I like the Yahoo smiles when I'm chatting in Yahoo, but I want G-Talk smiles when I'm chatting with my G-Talk pals. With a little research this morning I was able to fix this minor annoyance.
First, download this wonderful smiley theme, Pidgin Original. This theme basically tells Pidgin that when someone types :) in Yahoo, they should see:
However if you type the same thing in G-Talk You would see one of my favorites:
Extract the theme folder into your Pidgin Smileys Folder. In my case, using Linux, it is ~/.purple/smileys though Windows users may find theirs under Program Files. After you have a folder called "pidgin-original" under you smileys directory, you can use the theme. In Pidgin, click Tools > Preferences and then the "Smiley Themes" tab. You should see the new theme there called "Original Pack". Click it, then click Close. Now you're all set!
]]>I use Pidgin for instant messaging since I like having my G-Talk and Yahoo friends in the same place. One thing that is a little annoying is not seeing the same emoticons as my friends when we're in the same chat. I like the Yahoo smiles when I'm chatting in Yahoo, but I want G-Talk smiles when I'm chatting with my G-Talk pals. With a little research this morning I was able to fix this minor annoyance.
First, download this wonderful smiley theme, Pidgin Original. This theme basically tells Pidgin that when someone types :) in Yahoo, they should see:
However if you type the same thing in G-Talk You would see one of my favorites:
Extract the theme folder into your Pidgin Smileys Folder. In my case, using Linux, it is ~/.purple/smileys though Windows users may find theirs under Program Files. After you have a folder called "pidgin-original" under you smileys directory, you can use the theme. In Pidgin, click Tools > Preferences and then the "Smiley Themes" tab. You should see the new theme there called "Original Pack". Click it, then click Close. Now you're all set!
]]>There's Jumping In And There's Being Pushedhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/theres-jumping-in-and-theres-being-pushed2008-08-28T15:26:37-07:002008-09-30T15:31:58-07:00anxiousdogA few times in the recent past I have tried to use the new Linux operating system, Ubuntu. It's especially intriguing since several computer companies like Dell are opting to ship computers with it pre-installed. It's definitely comparable to Windows and Leopard, but it has one thing that they can't even come close to touching... It's free. Ubuntu comes with several different variations, but I won't confuse people with those here.
I'd first recommend trying it out before you worry about which install to go with. Just download the live CD, burn it to a disc, leave it in your computer, then reboot. When your computer starts up, you will get a menu with several selections including the "try without changing my computer" option. When you select it, you will have the ability to try Ubuntu to whatever extent you'd like. Add a new theme, install a new application, surf the web, try one of the many games available. Just keep in mind that as soon as you take the disk out, everything will be lost. But, that is one of the appealing things about Ubuntu. The look before you leap capability.
In my case, I had tried Ubuntu (Hardy Heron version) and thought that I would want to install it and start using it full time. I walked through the install, which is very simple actually. When it came time to tell Ubuntu where to install, I used the partition editor to set up around 20 gig of my hard drive which would be devoted to my new OS. During the install process, the CD failed (thanks to a thumb-print on the CD that I didn't notice) and suddenly I couldn't boot my Windows XP partition. Oops. I guess, in a way, I was pushed into Ubuntu leaving XP far far behind me.
I still can't boot to it, but I can easily access Ubuntu which I use primarily. I can still access my data and my files from the XP partition, but no more Windows! I'm feeling - very strongly I might add - that as soon as I can get my data backed up, Ubuntu will be my one and only OS. I know what you're thinking. Maybe you should take the plunge too, right? Well there are a few things to think about before you write Windows (or Leopard) off permanently.
The first thing to think about is What kind of user am I? If you are a basic computer user enjoying the internet, email, instant messaging, the occasional game of Solitaire or "Mahjongg", some word processing, and some photo editing - Ubuntu could be for you. There are several free applications that come pre-installed that will accommodate you nicely. Anything else you need is probably free and easily installed.
But you're thinking, I'm a gamer and I need my World of Warcraft! From what I hear, WoW runs just find on Ubunutu. If you're geeky enough to be a gamer, you're probably geeky enough to figure out how to research your games to see if they will work (either out of box or using Wine.)
The same goes for programmers, web developers, and students. My only reservation is for those of you (and me) that do a fair amount of graphic or media development. I haven't checked to see if the applications can really do what I need, but I am researching that now. I do know that I can use Adobe CS2 products through Wine, and Gimp works great for my photo editing needs. All in all, being pushed into using Ubuntu hasn't been too painful. I think you should look into this new operating system, especially if you are having Vista pains. :)
]]>A few times in the recent past I have tried to use the new Linux operating system, Ubuntu. It's especially intriguing since several computer companies like Dell are opting to ship computers with it pre-installed. It's definitely comparable to Windows and Leopard, but it has one thing that they can't even come close to touching... It's free. Ubuntu comes with several different variations, but I won't confuse people with those here.
I'd first recommend trying it out before you worry about which install to go with. Just download the live CD, burn it to a disc, leave it in your computer, then reboot. When your computer starts up, you will get a menu with several selections including the "try without changing my computer" option. When you select it, you will have the ability to try Ubuntu to whatever extent you'd like. Add a new theme, install a new application, surf the web, try one of the many games available. Just keep in mind that as soon as you take the disk out, everything will be lost. But, that is one of the appealing things about Ubuntu. The look before you leap capability.
In my case, I had tried Ubuntu (Hardy Heron version) and thought that I would want to install it and start using it full time. I walked through the install, which is very simple actually. When it came time to tell Ubuntu where to install, I used the partition editor to set up around 20 gig of my hard drive which would be devoted to my new OS. During the install process, the CD failed (thanks to a thumb-print on the CD that I didn't notice) and suddenly I couldn't boot my Windows XP partition. Oops. I guess, in a way, I was pushed into Ubuntu leaving XP far far behind me.
I still can't boot to it, but I can easily access Ubuntu which I use primarily. I can still access my data and my files from the XP partition, but no more Windows! I'm feeling - very strongly I might add - that as soon as I can get my data backed up, Ubuntu will be my one and only OS. I know what you're thinking. Maybe you should take the plunge too, right? Well there are a few things to think about before you write Windows (or Leopard) off permanently.
The first thing to think about is What kind of user am I? If you are a basic computer user enjoying the internet, email, instant messaging, the occasional game of Solitaire or "Mahjongg", some word processing, and some photo editing - Ubuntu could be for you. There are several free applications that come pre-installed that will accommodate you nicely. Anything else you need is probably free and easily installed.
But you're thinking, I'm a gamer and I need my World of Warcraft! From what I hear, WoW runs just find on Ubunutu. If you're geeky enough to be a gamer, you're probably geeky enough to figure out how to research your games to see if they will work (either out of box or using Wine.)
The same goes for programmers, web developers, and students. My only reservation is for those of you (and me) that do a fair amount of graphic or media development. I haven't checked to see if the applications can really do what I need, but I am researching that now. I do know that I can use Adobe CS2 products through Wine, and Gimp works great for my photo editing needs. All in all, being pushed into using Ubuntu hasn't been too painful. I think you should look into this new operating system, especially if you are having Vista pains. :)
]]>The Birds Have Mad Cow Diseasehttp://www.anxiousdog.com/the-birds-have-mad-cow-disease2008-08-06T08:47:24-07:002008-08-26T16:11:33-07:00anxiousdogThis morning while I was out on our front step reading the book of Job, I heard a familiar buzzing sound. I looked up and saw a tiny little hummingbird not more than 3 feet away from me. I thought oh what a cute little guy, you sure are brave!
The more he lingered around, looking at me, I started to think please don't stab me with that pointy little beak... I'm not your lunch.
He flew off a few seconds later, but it reminded me of the mockingbird that has been terrorizing the cats in our neighborhood, including poor Nelson. Apparently these mockingbirds are extremely territorial and protective of their nests. Nelson would be sleeping in the sun on our deck while this crazy bird would sit on the rail and make a loud clicking noise at him.
A few days later we saw the same bird dive bomb him and peck at his tail. Jer and I were both amazed at the bravery of this bird... or maybe it's sheer stupidity. After all, Nelson is an accomplished bird hunter and has brought us many a trophy. I was sure that he'd kill any bird that was close enough. But alas, this bird had him shaking in his boots.
]]>This morning while I was out on our front step reading the book of Job, I heard a familiar buzzing sound. I looked up and saw a tiny little hummingbird not more than 3 feet away from me. I thought oh what a cute little guy, you sure are brave!
The more he lingered around, looking at me, I started to think please don't stab me with that pointy little beak... I'm not your lunch.
He flew off a few seconds later, but it reminded me of the mockingbird that has been terrorizing the cats in our neighborhood, including poor Nelson. Apparently these mockingbirds are extremely territorial and protective of their nests. Nelson would be sleeping in the sun on our deck while this crazy bird would sit on the rail and make a loud clicking noise at him.
A few days later we saw the same bird dive bomb him and peck at his tail. Jer and I were both amazed at the bravery of this bird... or maybe it's sheer stupidity. After all, Nelson is an accomplished bird hunter and has brought us many a trophy. I was sure that he'd kill any bird that was close enough. But alas, this bird had him shaking in his boots.
]]>Been Awhile But Welcome Backhttp://www.anxiousdog.com/been-awhile-but-welcome-back2008-08-04T08:43:23-07:002008-08-26T16:12:06-07:00anxiousdogWhere've I been, what have I been doing? Well I've been right here, but I've been doing anything but sitting behind a computer. We're still podcasting but even that's been hit and miss.
So one of the things that I've been doing is staying outside. When we first moved, I decided it was early enough to plant a vegetable garden. I planned out a 10x8 square and spent a few days digging it up. With a shovel. By myself.
The kids helped me haul away the hunks of grass by loading them up into their wagon and taking them to a low spot in our yard. Jer tilled up the soil and we planted several good eats such as peppers, tomatos, squash, watermelon, and a few other things. We're excited to finally see things growing! We're waiting for the "ripe" moment to harvest... Hah!
I've also been doing a lot of yard work other than the garden. Pulling weeds, mowing, and fighting off veggie eating bugs!
Now that it's too hot to be outside all day long, I hope to get a few more minutes in my day to blog. :)
]]>Where've I been, what have I been doing? Well I've been right here, but I've been doing anything but sitting behind a computer. We're still podcasting but even that's been hit and miss.
So one of the things that I've been doing is staying outside. When we first moved, I decided it was early enough to plant a vegetable garden. I planned out a 10x8 square and spent a few days digging it up. With a shovel. By myself.
The kids helped me haul away the hunks of grass by loading them up into their wagon and taking them to a low spot in our yard. Jer tilled up the soil and we planted several good eats such as peppers, tomatos, squash, watermelon, and a few other things. We're excited to finally see things growing! We're waiting for the "ripe" moment to harvest... Hah!
I've also been doing a lot of yard work other than the garden. Pulling weeds, mowing, and fighting off veggie eating bugs!
Now that it's too hot to be outside all day long, I hope to get a few more minutes in my day to blog. :)
I was tagged by Zarah to do this fun Flickr Meme. Pretty neat to see how it all comes together in the end. I don't have a "celebrity crush" so I used the search word Jesus which lead me to an artist who uses scripture as his inspiration to create some fabulous artwork. These prints are going on my wishlist.
The rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search. b. Using only the first page, pick an image. c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
1. What is your first name? 2. What is your favorite food? 3. What high school did you go to? 4. What is your favorite color? 5. Who is your celebrity crush? 6. Favorite drink? 7. Dream vacation? 8. Favorite dessert? 9. What you want to be when you grow up? 10. What do you love most in life? 11. One Word to describe you. 12. Your flickr name.
I was tagged by Zarah to do this fun Flickr Meme. Pretty neat to see how it all comes together in the end. I don't have a "celebrity crush" so I used the search word Jesus which lead me to an artist who uses scripture as his inspiration to create some fabulous artwork. These prints are going on my wishlist.
The rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search. b. Using only the first page, pick an image. c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
1. What is your first name? 2. What is your favorite food? 3. What high school did you go to? 4. What is your favorite color? 5. Who is your celebrity crush? 6. Favorite drink? 7. Dream vacation? 8. Favorite dessert? 9. What you want to be when you grow up? 10. What do you love most in life? 11. One Word to describe you. 12. Your flickr name.
