Bobby's Blog...<br>        " Process Poetic " <$BlogRSDUrl$>

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Friday, October 31, 2003



" What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about ? "
--ambassador to Babylon 5



Congested. Apnia mask ineffectual. Wake up 1:00 a.m. PST and try to get back to sleep... finally tire of not sleeping and hit Da Boards and do some e-mail reading at about 3:00 PST. Going to bed earlier than usual probably didn't help.

It's actually getting chilly out... and in. Gail started a fire in the wood stove for the first time since last spring.

Well... back to Da Boards and a little more surfing... then try the sleeping thing again.



Hooroo !



C'ya.  

Wednesday, October 29, 2003



" I am become Death, shatterer of worlds. "
--J. Robert Oppenheimer upon witnessing the explosion of the first atomic bomb



The quotation comes to mind after watching " Nova " on PBS channel 6 ( one of the few channels on the toob I can get with rabbit-ears ). If I recall correctly, Oppy was reciting a translation of an Indian Hindu ( India ) verse attributed to the god Vishnu.

The topic was " String Theory " and the unification of what we perceive as the main forces of " nature ": gravity, week atomic force, strong atomic force, and electro-magnetic force... two hours full with another episode up next week.

I'm still trying to wrap my poor little brain around why the theorist/philosophers need more than the four dimensions most people identify with to keep the string theory GUT ( Grand Unified Theory ) viable... up to ELEVEN dimensions !!! I remember Michu Kaku ( sorry if I misspelled ), physicist, was on the Screen Savers and mentioned the same fact not too long ago. The explanation for the extra dimensions seems more of a post hoc - ergo proper hoc  argument.

As for the argument that physicist that are also string theorist border more on philosophy than hard science ( due to the lack of direct experimentation results or observation )... I think that line was crossed way  before string theory evolved. Einstein's famous quote of " God does not play dice with the universe " and Oppy's quote above both testify to that !

Out with Gail and Ashley... Pick up David... Nap... feed horses... news... "Nova"... Da boards... BLOG



            GUT Feeling


       A charmed quark

       out on a jaunt

       beheld a mu

       in dimension seven

       strings unharmonized... slow

       the quark inquired

       " your energy spent ? "

       " No - just split "

       the mu responded

       belching tachyon emissions


       :Bobby Nichols 10/29/2003




Phir milenge !



C'ya.  

Monday, October 27, 2003



Artists like cats, soldiers like dogs.
--Desmond Morris



I have bits of potato applied to my blistered sores on my left hand, bound with band-aids. While trying to help out yesterday with a trench I neglected to wear gloves while hefting a pick. Hurt yesterday... even worse today. In my bowling years I would use a potato to ease blisters on my bowling thumb when they occurred, which was seldom, since I drilled my own equipment. Should ease the sores by tomorrow

Another poem I had posted a month back put on the side-board, Autumn in Garden Valley >>>

The artwork is from a photo I took of an incredible leaf I found down in the Sacramento area the other day, rendered in Paint and IrfanView only. Not being much of an artist, by any means, I'm still pleased with the results. I'm still wrestling with ideas for my poem "Passings". This is the poem I had found ready-made-artwork that after a little manipulation exactly fit what I had been imagining to accompany the poem with. Still thinkin'.

This week my daughter and her husband are thinking of Oregon for their next move...

News only getting worse about the Southern California fire... God protect the families and other life threatened.

More time at Da Boards... e-mailed one of the people responsible for creating the animated .gif as we know it today in regards to yesterday's/today's postings. Can only hope for a response.

We have a cooling trend due in a few days. It was 80°+ Fahrenheit again today breaking more heat records with tomorrow to be similar.



            Dog Don'ts


       I used to like dogs

       Perhaps I still do...

       in some fashion

       Puppies especially

       all innocent and cuddly


       I tire of the barkers

       and whiners, and poopers

       and pee-ers, and bed hogs

       and dogs that have to be

       tied up... just because


       :Bobby Nichols 10/27/2003



anon...



C'ya.  


Most Puzzling ! ... a link !!!



Funny_1... courtesy of Da Boards ( I apologize in advance to those that may be offended )

Funny_2... ditto ( I apologize to any that may be offended by the language herein... but it's still funny ! )

Timbuktu ( Tombouctou )... oh, there it is, in the country of Mali !!!

Yankees do not win World Series... I commiserate with you guys !

Been at Da Boards a lot... trying to help and learn and learn more. One thread on Da Boards led me all over the internet doing research... as much for my edification as for the thread originator... much fun !

News is bad... terrible, terrible fires down in Southern California. My sister-in-law in Arizona told Gail that the smoke is apparent in Lake Havasu City... not good.



Poem... a link !!!




I ni wonla !



C'ya.  

Friday, October 24, 2003



Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
--Ernest Hemingway



Mom's sick... her visit down to California delayed... I'm bummed. Get well Mom !

The Yankees are down three games to two... they've got the Fishies just where they want them !

Bought a used 1974 " Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary ", hard bound and looks never to have been used for $ 1.50 USD at a thrift store. My poor old generic stand-by has pretty much bit the dust. Also picked up a used " Roget's " in paperback for $ .50 USD. Ya' never know when ya' might need one. Picked up a belt, finally, at " The Men's Warehouse " in Folsom. Great bunch of sales people there... I'll be back again ! It's the closest shop, now, for clothes, et accouterments, that will fit my largish girth.

Almost missed tonights World Series game... #5. I could have sworn that today was a bye day, so I puttered in the garden until about 6:00 p.m. PDT and then popped in to check the news on the old rabbit-eared toob... oops !... game on... and Yankees in arrears !

I have no more fingernails left... and there's one, maybe three games left in the series. The cuticles are pretty shot too. May have to resort to pulling out my hair if the Yankees can't win convincingly from here on out.

I've got the sniffles and a runny nose... makes using the apnia mask downright uncomfortable at best.

Gail's in constant pain due to her shoulder and back and arm throbbing at her. She's not getting any rest at all. The chiropractic therapy just doesn't seem to be helping and we had to get some pain killers prescribed for her. She swears that the pain was less before the two surgeries !!!

Proshyai !



C'ya.  

Monday, October 20, 2003


Added two more poems to sidebar... more to follow !

Later...



C'ya.  


It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.
--Arthur C. Clarke



The Yankees lose game 1... Juan Pierre !

THE YANKEES WIN GAME 2 !!! " Godzilla " Matsui and Pettitte !!!

The 49er's win ???... Raiders play Monday Night.

I accidentally "lost" Chrissy's car keys and made her dreadfully late for work. I thought they were Gail's keys and hung them up on the ring I always use for Gail's keys... we still don't know where Gail's keys are... sigh.

Since I drove Chrissy to work, I went on a mission to find a belt to wear... six stores and no luck... size moose not in season !!! I did pick up two bales of hay for the horses and a locking gas cap for Gail's car so as not to waste a trip out to the big city, Placerville.

Stopped and asked for my $50 USD back from the owner of the Mitsubishi truck I coveted... and received a check for said amount... YEAH ! No truck, but out no money.

Did I mention I've been watching the World Series, albeit with poor reception... no DSS or cable... just " rabbit ears " attached to the toob. Every time Gail moves the TV - I need to reconfigure the positioning of the TV and " rabbit ears " and other bits of wire to hang over the curtain rods in the bedroom to facilitate reception... very techy !

David's team won their soccer game ! This time David, my grandson, didn't score a goal for the other team, although he was removed for a while for sliding into players and not playing the ball. I haven't seen a game of his this season yet... gotta get my butt out there and watch. His dad, Richard, is one of the soccer coaches this season and is getting quite a workout himself keeping the kids going in the right direction.

Added my poem " The Curse, revisited... 2003 " to the side bar ------->>>
nothing fancy other than a tiled GIF I whipped up, and no tunes to accompany... maybe later.



Byvajcie !



C'ya.  

Saturday, October 18, 2003



ROFL !
-- anonymous geeks everywhere



Funny 1

54455555555555555... whoops... kitty on keyboard !

Funny 2

Funny 3




Yatahay !




C'ya.  


Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer.
--Bruce Graham



The World Series starts tonight ! Yankees vs. Fishies !

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YANNNNNNNNNKEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!

Read that David Wells and Roger Clemens and coach Mel Stottlemyre , three Yankees pitchers past and present, paid homage to Babe Ruth beneath his plaque... toasting him with champagne in honor of " The Curse"... quite fitting.

I posted my poem " The Curse, revisited... 2003 " on a "tech" thread on Da Boards that saluted ( and degraded ), the Yanks come from behind game 7 win in the ALCS... just thought it was appropriate.

Read on Da Boards tonight that cat pee glows under blacklight... Unfortunately on re-checking the link, the posting has been deleted

It's amazing what one can learn in a computer/tech forum... also explains why my keyboard glows under blacklight... Hmmm!


These are my cats, as God bear me witness... Please Lord grant the remaining un-neutered cats be caught and " fixed ".

* sigh ! ... may have missed one or two.


                 Cats !!!

The two Silly Cats, Sillies One and Two

Three new kittens who've yet to be named

Roo, now the oldest, originally named Spice

and Mommy Kitty, short hair, black, with tail

Smoke our long haired gray cat, nicknamed... Moke

Spooky, named so, because he was born a year ago

another unnamed short haired black kitten... untamed

Then there's Momma Kitty, black long hair with no tail

And Middy Night, the hunter, again bob-tailed, and black

Missy, another short haired female black kitty... but fixed

and one I call Kenny Cat, one inherited from my brother-in-law

Then there's Figaro, all white and black, who sleeps with me in bed

and Taffy-doodles, all black and white, who guards the cat food at night

Precious, presented to me as a kitten on Father's Day, many years in the past

: Bobby Nichols 10/18/2003



Ka omesia !



C'ya.  

Friday, October 17, 2003



What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
--Vincent Van Gogh



The Yankees win in eleven !!!... Boone and Rivera save the day !!!

Yes... I've always loved the Yankees... since Maris and Mantle. Not watching the game nor hearing it on the radio put me in all kinds of anxiety as I tried to catch updates on the web that were always behind the times. Thank you Babe Ruth !



               The Curse, revisited... 2003


The Rocket against Pedro... Game 7... ALCS !
The New York Yankees at home against Boston's Bosox...
Another classic... what else would you guess ?

But The Rocket was chased, and by the 4th he was gone
Hindered by home runs, one by Millar and two by Trot Nixon
Clemens head down, through the tunnel... a walk too long

Though Jason Giambi was demoted, rightly so, to 7th in order at bat
With two mighty launches of the ball in the 5th and 7th inning
the comeback was alive ! In their seats Bosox fans just sat

Score 5 to 2, bottom of the 8th... Boston leading the Yanks
Jeter doubles to start the rally, then Williams and Matsui get hits
Jorge Posada doubles to clean up, score now 5 to 5, and Torre gives thanks

While the Bronx Bombers chip away, their bullpen, in the past, a disgrace
send a parade of pitchers their way to the mound... biding time
... setting up for Mariano Rivera... their prolific reliever ace

The Bosox boys are now baffled, their swings most untoward
Mariano goes three long masterful innings of relief blanking Boston
His series heroics to soon win him the coveted ALCS MVP award

It's now the 11th, Wakefield's pitching mastery of the Yanks has been most hot
but New York's Aaron Boone swings at Wakefield's first offering...
Jim Bouton might have said: A knuckle-ball's fickle... a walk-off home run is not !!!

There's no joy tonight in Beantown... yes, that's a given
"The ghosts will show up eventually" Jeter confided to Boone
Again... the Mighty Bambino, curse invoked, has arisen


: Bobby Nichols 10/16/2003




Sizobonana !




C'ya.  

Wednesday, October 15, 2003



Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical
--Yogi Berra



The Cubbies are out ? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo !

The Yankees have to go to a game 7 ? Noooooooooooooooooooo !



Xaatrak ! ... Xaatrek !




C'ya.  
****************** I Love Stars !

C'ya.  


A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
--Confucius



This is a test link from one of my previous poems: Expressions of Love... enjoy !!!

The Chinese have attained space ! Congratulations !!!

Zai jian !!!


C'ya.  

Tuesday, October 14, 2003



Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
                      &
When it's dark enough men see stars.
                      &
Imagination is not a talent of some men but is the health of every man.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson




Got a walk in yesterday and today. Yesterday's walk was a wee bit too late and so I had to stumble and bumble my way the last 15 minutes home. Took a different route today... 15 minutes of walking uphill, pant, pant, and cruised most of the way home. Next time I'll leave so I can see the sunset to the west - it's a beautiful view from atop the ridge. It's getting dark way too early for my taste, 6:30 PDT, but then the solstice has passed and PST starts, as usual, the Sunday before Halloween... only two weeks away. Still, the weather is absolutely gorgeous... high 70°'s Fahrenheit with a light breeze.

Spent a good chunk of time working on my new website yesterday ( still not up ). Another two poems with music/noise and some artwork made up to accompany them. Also spent time trying to fix some bugs in Windows. Did a short Scan Disk and defragged and emptied the cache of cookies, etc... ran Spybot and AdAware Another update for my old 98SE box was alerted to me by Microsoft, so I was up late downloading the patch for IE and OE last night, after 3:00 a.m. PDT.

Needless to say I slept in later than I intended, 1:00 p.m. PDT, just in time to receive my grandson David, home from 1st grade.

The e-mail from the family has been sparse, to say the least. My sister Debi has been sending attached stuff, but I haven't been able to read it. After reading Da Boards I found MVPs.org which stated a problem with OE users reading attachments sent by " Outlook " users that may be a problem if Rich Text is used. E-mailed a note to Debi to see what's up with that... maybe we'll have a solution ?


Ming na oh tee hoi ee ah eng tai chao !



C'ya.  

Sunday, October 12, 2003



You can't just let nature run wild.
--Wally Hickel former governor of Alaska



Heard that Michelle and Ridge ( my nephew ) had a baby girl ! Someone wiped out the message on the answer machine... need to offer my congrats. If you're reading this Ridge and Michelle... CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Missed the eBay University seminar. Over-slept and left for Reno about 8:30 p.m. I thought we might make the lunch break, but no. Gail and I decided to just do the Reno looky-lu bit, and a little slot machine exercise. We tried Boomtown first and had breakfast there. Had a good time there. Gail hit a modest jackpot that paid for our breakfast... and dinner ! I hit another modest jackpot and it looks like we're only out gas money... and the $25 USD registration fee for the seminar. Gas was found for only $1.79 USD per gallon most everywhere, a very pleasant and welcome surprise.

Unfortunately, we're both suffering from gastric distress after over-indulging on the buffet at breakfast... at least that's what I hope it is. Except for the long ride home and Gail being sick on the way home ( I felt great until about noon Sunday ) we had a fun time out alone, together.

Saw Gail's sister Glenda and her husband Arthur at the in-laws today. Guess they may be taking my mother-in-law to Alaska next year for an outing with the motor home. It's been one of my mother-in-laws dreams to visit up there. Art and Glenda live near Lake Havasu City in Arizona and have lived there about three years now and just love the area and climate immensely. Usually very low humidity and moderate to hot in temperature, except during the " monsoon " season around August. Lake Havasu City is the location of the moved " London Bridge " of nursery rhyme fame.

Alaska... I recall from the other day perusing the news that a naturalist and his wife were killed by the bears they loved so much to photograph and study. Evidently they were dropped off by plane and were to be picked up later. The plane returned and no one was waiting. They found the buried bodies of the couple, much mauled, etc., with an aggressive bear in the area which had to be shot. Twice tragic. I salute those who study our world and its mysteries and pass in the effort to benefit all inhabitants of our planet, people and otherwise.


           Tribute

     To the truth seekers, the explorers
     who oft give their lives
     in the pursuit of knowledge
     I salute your courage
     and honor your deeds

     Whither lost... sea or space
     volcano or other remote portion
     of our boundless universe
     they shall not be forgotten
     by posterity beyond man

     : Bobby Nichols 10/12/2003



Salani kahle !



C'ya.  

Friday, October 10, 2003



Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility.
--James Thurber





I want to see what this looks like from " HTML Tag Buddy "... just for fun !



Chrissy walks into the house... " It's cold in here ! "... it's bloody 72° Fahrenheit inside ?!?!?! She and the little ones went to a high school football game tonight to watch the " Grizzlies " play. Downtown in the " BIG CITY ", Placerville, Gail and I passed the remnants of a crowd from a parade of high school " Home Coming " revelers. I really miss high school, although, I was always the odd one out...

David must be o.k. now. He missed a couple of days, Wednesday & Thursday, of school with strep throat.

Richard's gone hunting with his buddies up at " Hell Hole " up near the Rubicon River, I think.

Dinner ( for me )... (3) corn-dogs and some clam chowder sprinkled with a little curry powder. For Gail... bowl of ice cream ( chocolate mint ) and a Hostess cup cake. Should go great with her breakfast of two raised glazed donuts and a Dr. Pepper !!! We both partaked of KFC for lunch ( Kentucky Fried Chicken ).

I've been dragging about all day... sore from walking yesterday and interrupted sleep due to Gail's stupid " Poop " dog. As " Pink Floyd " once said on their all time best seller " Dark Side of the Moon ": " One of these days !!!!!... "

Full moon tonight ;) I like full moons ! The only other moon phase I like is the thin crescent with the " bite " out of the left side... or as I like to refer to this phase, as did the ancient Greeks, " Diana's Bow ".

Getting ready for the sojourn tomorrow to Reno, Nevada ( as opposed to Reno, Ohio and Pennsylvania ). Have my registration e-mails for Gail & I... actually two for Gail, someone slipped up and e-mailed both in her name. Yep... I have already confirmed that I, too, am registered for the eBay University, as they call the seminar. Counted all my loose change since June, just in case a slot machine up and bites me. $ 19 USD in quarters, dimes, and nickels !!! Gail still has a bucket of nickels from her trip with her parents to Tahoe last month or so ago. An early start is warranted, but we don't have an alarm clock... we'll see !


                     Luna

    I left the Earth last night to see the stars
    on the other side of our galaxy near the rim
    and what did I think of while taking in this glory
    but of how sad they don't have a Moon like ours

    : Bobby Nichols 10/10/2003



Genough farwel !



C'ya.  

Thursday, October 09, 2003



Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
--G. K. Chesterton



The above quote sounds like just the challenge I needed... thank you Mister Che(e)s(e)terton !

BLOGGER changed its format and in the process changed all my poetry formatting the other day. Had to go back and edit my spacing and delete some "nbsp"'s that were left as words rather than a space before each new line... had to insert the de-limiter ";" to fix.

Gail's van is back. No final word on $$$ USD yet.

I went walking today ! About 2½-3 miles in about 50-minutes. Would have done so yesterday, but I was still a little sore from Tuesday... mind willing, body not.

Spent most the afternoon today on Da Boards... reading and learning. E-mail included some more earthquake alerts... Hokkaido still getting hit hard, a small quake off the coast of Northern California, one in the " Pillapina's "... Phillipines, I believe.

I finally figured out my image viewing problem with Internet Explorer. It was my fault all the way. I forgot that when you use Earthlink Accelerator with IE at high accelleration... the images WILL be degraded... says so very clearly - I had forgotten. At least I figued out the solution myself. Still, it gave me a chance to get acquainted with OPERA, my new main browser. Now if I can just figure out why my new website keeps crashing on my desktop, hmmmmmmmmmm...

I downloaded a 1 MB ap ( ThumbaWumba - freeware ) from TuDogs.com to help me with a quickie way to get HTML code for thumbnails and their respective enlarged pics. Haven't tried it yet... but it looks promising. Be a good way to " throw up " that occasional quick website full of pics ( I'm thinking about your pics of England, Mom ! ). Use this utility with the online CSS generator previously found ( thank you Lockergnome !!! ) and I may have solved all my coding problems !!! Well... almost.

Arnold is Governor ?... still boggles the mind. I just envision every voting " kiddee " 18 years of age up through college senior voted for him as a joke. Reminds me of when I was of that age and we stuffed the ballot box in... maybe some other time !

Pork chops, hominy, and rice-a-roni for dinner... mmmmm mmmmm ! A little " chateau Moo " to chase it down and I " be " quite sated... maybe a yogurt later for dessert.

Now... time to Google "cheese" for some poem ideas...


   " Homage to Fromage ? "
         or
   " To Brie or not to Brie..."


For a salad delightful of the green-leafy sort
crumble in Blue Cheese, Feta, or Roquefort
or add them to a dressing thick and creamy
to your avocado, chick-peas, and tomatoe... mmm, dreamy !

To make a fondue... into the pot: Cheddar, Gruyère, or Swiss...
a bit of wine, and cherry liqueur; salt, pepper to taste
Use fork or tong with breads or meats... or perhaps skewer all this...
creamy, delightfully rich morsals... to add inches to the waist

Pizza, pizza ! that calls for Mozzarella !
add pepperoni, ham, olive, "shroom" in the pie crust dishy
with Parmesan or Romano sprinkled liberally on top
and I'm in Heaven, dining... ( sans fishy !!! )

To snack on an outing with wine, bread, and thee
wedges of Colby, Cheddar, Gouda, Camembert, and Brie
Or if sandwiches are want to be made ( with mayo and mustard ) instead
add Provolone, Jack, Colby, Fontina, or Muenster to your favorite bread

Queso Asadero for nachos, Cottage Cheese with fruit or alone,
cannaloni with Ricotta, Asiago with bagels for your appetite edge to hone
The list goes on... Gorgonzola, Edam, Limburger, Hazarti...
Jarlsberg and Curado... Bring them all ! Let's have a PARTY !!!


     : Bobby Nichols 10/9/2003


Thanks especially to Sargento Cheese.com/ to whom I gleaned a lot of info on cheese and http://www.science.uva.nl/~mes/recipe/gale/misc/fondue-coll.html for some " different " fondues... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !

Shevbash !





C'ya.  

Wednesday, October 08, 2003


Imagination is more important than knowledge.
--Albert Einstein





Arnold is Governor... I think I'm going to be sick.....


"I'll be back"... No - make that: ill... be back !!!



C'ya.  

Tuesday, October 07, 2003



A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
--Dan Quayle

Politics is more difficult than physics
--Albert Einstein

Politicians are like diapers. They should both be changed frequently and for the same reason.
--Anonymous

Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
--Ronald Reagan

Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.
--Lily Tomlin

Politics gives guys so much power that they tend to behave badly around women. And I hope I never get into that.
--William J. Clinton - Bill Clinton

Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.
--Josef Stalin

It may not always be easy, convenient, or politically correct to stand for truth and right, but it is the right thing to do. Always.
--M. Russell Ballard

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president but they don't want them to become politicians in the process
--John Fitzgerald Kennedy





Gorgeous day out today... unfortunately I, and David, were feeling under the weather, so to speak. David has a sore throat and I just feel blah. After Da Boards and news and e-mail and breakfast I took a nap for about 4-hours.

Gail's van is being worked on. Timing belt and fuel pump and water pump and manifold gasket... with any luck, yeah sure !, most of the parts are under warrantee.

Well... with no vehicle I decided to walk to the polling place in Kelsey at the little white church to vote in the California Governor recall election. Took 1-hour walking to get there. I declined a ride from my son-in-law when over half way to the polling place for ambivalent reasons. He was on his way home from work, and I was still somewhat fresh, pant, pant, so I waved him on. On the return trip, about 30-minutes from the polling place, I made it as far as the beginning of our hill on Spanish Flat, quite steep, and was a bit relieved when my nephew Paul came by and offered a ride up the hill. I accepted readily. 1½ hours of walking is the most I've done since my brother Jim's wedding in Portland a number of years back. It felt good... after the fact. My wind, breathing wise, isn't what it used to be... nor my stamina. I really need to do more walking, it's one of those multitudinous of things I really need to do.


Ken ar c'hentañ !





C'ya.  

Monday, October 06, 2003



How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
--Henry David Thoreau



Update: Re: "downloading an 8 Meg Java Update from Sun... whoops! it seems it's finished already, which is odd, because the file only shows 1MB in the completed file... dunno ! I'll fire it up in a bit to see if I get some kinda' performance boost."...
... the ap was damaged in downloading and would not function at all... need to re-download !

Decided to make OPERA my default browser rather than bother with fixing Windows IE, using IE as only a conduit for Outlet Express for use as my e-mail client. I have OE trained pretty well to filter my e-mail and I like using AVG (anti-virus) to detect anything virulent coming through on OE.

The water situation is back to normal. The solution, luckily, was to turn off ALL power to the house and turn it on again. Gail suspects that it may be because I've been turning off the hot water heater when not needed and that by doing so my be tripping the solenoid (relay). I suspect a larger problem that has yet to rear its ugly head.

I've stuck to my guns about not watching TV since I don't want to be hypocritical. "Things" need to be sacrificed and paying for TV that I even rarely get to watch ( can you say 'cartoon' ? ) seems one logical choice. The TV is still hooked up... but not for my benefit nor payment. Sorry TechTv... I'll miss you !!!... C'ya on the web !

The e-mail I sent to some Nichols family that has a family website up bounced back as undelivered. I suspect they have change e-mail carriers and haven't bothered to change their web info.




          Toobular !


     I say good-bye to the toob
     that wonderful mind numbing
     appliance that is the center
     proper of our household

     Proffering education and
     amusement and a door to the
     outside world... I no longer
     in this manner wish to view

     No longer have to watch the inanities
     of commercials, the spam of the RF
     No more searching the premises
     for the remote control lost

     Let the kiddies have their "toons"
     though still I have to listen
     while sequestered browsing the world
     in my little "office" room

     And so too will I read more
     of paper and of ether
     to sharpen my mind and amuse myself
     in lieu of the box I my$elf withhold


     : Bobby Nichols 10/6/2003



Dehna hunu !





C'ya.  


The more perfect the artist, the more completely separate in him will be the man who suffers and the mind which creates.
--T. S. Eliot






I'm processing in "Note Tab Light" which I usually refer to as Note Pad, while I download an 8 Meg Java Update from Sun... whoops! it seems it's finished already, which is odd, because the file only shows 1MB in the completed file... dunno ! I'll fire it up in a bit to see if I get some kinda' performance boost.

New quandy... when I browse the web in Windows IE 5.5 or 6.0 the images viewed are pixelated... ( bloody hell, there goes my AVG anti-virus firing up on schedule at 11:00 p.m. I have already updated and scanned today - so off it goes ! )... anyway I found this out by accident when I was checking out a website for a webmaster from Da Boards and noted that his pics were pixelized which I thought might be normal ( wrong ! ) for images in the 800-8K range he was displaying. He noted back saying that they should be alright and I made myself a mental note to follow up. Sure 'nuf I uploaded David's Birthday pics to the _family website and they appeared pixelized also. I tried a different zip program to upload and the same thing ! The images were ok when I view on the desktop, sans IE, so I used my OPERA browser to check things out and the images were fine ??!! So now the fun begins to troubleshoot Windows IE... no quick fixes yet, but I don't want to burden Da Boards with my query until I've done my homework.

Here's another stumper for me. I while back I contributed to an Assistive Technology/Accessibility Board on Da Boards and received a ( 2 )of ( 5 ) star feedback rating for contributing a host of links, not to mention the time and effort put in... AND... I am usually the only contributor over the last many months. Last night I Googled a response for an old rap lyric and get: 2 !! - ( 5 ) of ( 5 ) star feedback ratings. A few nights ago I received a ( 5 ) of ( 5 ) rating for answering NO to a "I hate Bill Gate's" bashing party. The inequities abound across Da Boards. Just makes no sense... I'm much more appreciative for the few Thank Yous received by those I've helped... they mean more to me than any ( 5 ) stars !!!

Gail and I are going to Reno to the e-Bay seminar on the 11th of October ! A chance for something different together. If we get bored we'll just looky-lu 'round the casinos. Registration was only $25 USD total for the two of us due to a special the seminar was running: no cost for a guest... cool ! Parking will only be $4 USD... and gas and food and whatever paltry coin we use for entertainment should bring our tally to about $100 USD total. It's a monetary squeeze, but the knowledge we gain from the seminar should pay that back easily. We need to get out, together, and do "something" away from the family distractions and strain to save our sanity.

My Mom's coming down from Alaska on the 25th and my sister Peg is moving back, from Oregon, by then. I hope to visit my two sisters in Modesto and see my Mom too ! It's been way too long between visits.

NO WATER ! The bloody holding tank for our well has a solenoid unit that goes out once a year and tonight was the night. The unit supplies the electricity to run our well pump to pump the water up to the holding tank. Of course it had to wait until dark... on a Sunday to go out. " It's always something ".

I've given up on the truck. Shoulda known better... ain't gonna' throw good money after bad... no truck...

E-mailed a greeting to some Nichols family that has a family website up and sent them some info that may or may not be useful to them from my genealogy inquiry I have posted on the web. Ya never know !




          gOT roOtS ?


     A family tree of the Nichols clan
     a search for our fore-bearers
     we must plan

     Stories heard 'bout links to the Adams'
     most likely false, when
     considering the chasms

     For time has erased those who were best
     to chronicle the family as
     they migrated west

     And so it is left to us, now, to give thought
     to seek, query and badger
     lest all is forgot

     A legacy sought for generations to possess
     for their family retinue
     to ably assess


     : Bobby Nichols 10/6/2003


I almost made the last line "to make a mess", but thought I best give the family the brightest of hopes for the future rather than be flippant.


Na razie !




C'ya.  

Saturday, October 04, 2003



"To be... or not to be... that is the question"
-- Wm. Shakespeare



David's birthday party! Tensions awfully high for what's supposed to be a festive day... and not by my design or being. Preparations made by all else and sundry at a fevered, unorganized, and LOUD pace. Richard would rather be hunting and/or fishing and has made it quite clear in his own endearing way.

Prepared my poor old Kodak EZ 200 digital camera for party use. Having problems interfacing trying to download the pics that were left in memory. The USB 1.1 connect inside the camera is suspect... a little jiggling of the connector yielded results. Was pleasantly surprised to find some photos of Ashley, who is almost 3 years old, after eating a pudding cup that I neglected to share with the family. I'll post these with the party photos on the _family website... maybe even post one or two here... who knows.

Adiós !



C'ya.  

Friday, October 03, 2003



Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1809 - 1894)

"Yeah Dude !... you Rock !!!" --- Bobby Nichols (and many others)





Today is my grandson David's birthday !!! ( 7 ) years old. My sister Debi sent a Hallmark Birthday e-mail FLASH animation thingee ( need Macromedia Flash 6.0 and Flash animation activated on your browser to see... and my apologies to those who may try to view after it expires ). All the kids loved it... David, Ashley, Carly,... and me !!! Party for David tomorrow.

Did the e-mail thing, Da Boards, news. Did a thorough Scan disk ( almost 8-hours to the minute in run time ! ) and Defrag ( 30 minutes ) after running Spybot and AdAware and deleting my cookies ( yes... you can delete cookies !!! ) Watered the flora and fauna, cleaned out the "office", re-hung a door I've been neglecting and wiped it down with Murphy's oil.

CHEAP GIGGLES FROM "DA BOARDS" courtesy, moi !:

I call this selection "Huh?"

I call this selection "Begs the Response (smart ass !)"

Kid's going berserk while Mommy and Daddy tried to get ready to go out. Gail and I ( 99% Gail ) vs the grandkids tonight.

Was awake all night staring at my computer CRT ( off ) most of the time, thinking... thinking. Drank two pots of coffee and thought some more. I had become adamant about certain money issues and Gail retaliated with her best shot... a direct hit to the heart and soul. Went to sleep at 11:15 a.m. and awoke at 4:15 p.m. May still be repercussions... why would I expect less ? I'm enemy #1, again, in this cartoon of a family... so stay tooned (sic) and don't touch that dial ! Worst case scenario on hold.

And speaking of berserk... I finished off "Berserker's Star", by Fred Saberhagen, ISBN 0-765-30423-6. A decent read, but slower in developing that I'm used to. I've devoured most of his short stories on the Berserker saga... more "meat on the bone" when he writes in the short story format. Still, enjoyed the book.

The other book I've checked out from the library is "HTML and Web Design, Tips and Techniques" by Kris Jamsa ( Ph.D.,MBA ), Konrad King, and Andy Anderson, McGraw Hill/Osborne Press, ISBN 0-07-219394-8... "300+ Immediate solutions from the PROs"... and "FREE CODE ONLINE"... files available at http://www.osborne.com. A much drier read, but I 've learned lots of "stuff" in the pages I've viewed so far. Very well written.




       Pome


     this is not a poem, but a pome, so I make the rules
     and
     one of the rules is, well, secret... there aren't any other

     rules. accused over and over of being unfeeling: so why do I ache
     and hurt with breast feeling all knotted, twisted
     and tight of throat. Paranoia Trust Hope... Mind wrestles with

     variables too incalculable to fathom,,, easily. Prepare ? Is      preparation giving up to
     the inevitable ? Lost already ? inevitable ?
     Bide, biding. survival mode, bidden

     tired, trod on... depressed... tredding life
     dreading life... lucid future disappointments loom
     unhappyThis is not a poem/?but a pome

     and
     I make the rulez


     : Bobby Nichols 10/3/2003


Adio, wli nanawalmezi !





C'ya.  

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