Linux Gnubie

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking...

2008-03-12T11:13:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone in blogland. This is just a quick polling of hands. Who has time for a blog? Hmmm... that's fewer hands than I expected. Indeed, I love blogging, twitting, netvibing, digging, and all the other ings that I don't seem to have time for. I have family, church, work, and school going on so I don't get to update as much as I would like. Let me know if there is anything specific you are looking for and I will jump right on it. Leave it to me to determine the course of events and they will just sit there unattended. Anyway, glad to have a moment to say hi, have a blessed day y'all.

The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz

2007-12-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

	I received 92 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Guess the Sci-Fi Movie Sounds here Canon powershot

My Wife's Nerd Score

2007-09-08T20:40:00.000-04:00

Here's proof that I married up.

Computer Geek Quiz

2007-09-08T20:39:00.000-04:00

Here's my computer geek score.

Nerd Quiz

2007-09-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

I took the above test. I gotta say, I'm pretty happy with the result.

Nintendo Rob 2.0

2007-07-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

Whoa! This thing is right out of the 80's. I had a Nintendo Entertainment System with a robot called Rob. This thing was supposed to play games and help you. Unfortunately it never really worked and only supported two games. Very Sad. Now RoboSapien has decided that the design was perfect for their next creation.

D-Man's further adventures...

2007-07-04T13:58:00.000-04:00

"I saw the transformers movie today. It was great! It was the best movie I've seen this year."

He's done it again. He saw the movie just to let you know if the waters are troubled. Sounds like a good review to me. I'll be going on Saturday. Enjoy!

Comics Buyer's Guide #1632

2007-06-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

Peter David,
In response to your article in issue 1632 of the Comics Buyer's Guide. I am a fundie conservative and I really enjoyed your article in this months issue. While we come from an almost opposite set of beliefs we agree in that we have the right to voice our opinions.
I think things definitely went too far with the Imus situation. People have the right to turn him off or change the station and advertisers have the right to pull their advertising. To have him fired because of a few self-important attention-seeking morons is a shame. Let the audience decide. If his ratings plummeted due to the issue, then so be it. That's a reason to be fired. To stomp on his freedom to express his opinions, as dumb as they are, is unforgiving. There are people in this world that would have the same actions performed against conservative talk show hosts, preachers, and fundies for expressing our beliefs. I'd hate for our protections to go away like Imus' did.
I appreciate your article and the intelligence with which it was written. I'm also an avid fan of your novels and other written work. One of the things I appreciate about your writing is the passion and personality you give your characters. I didn't even know your political and social leanings until I read your articles so I'm not sure how other readers would have made that leap to say that your work is an agenda for your beliefs and leanings. I guess people see what they want to.
Sincerely,
Thomas H

Darth Vader, Your Ferrari-Baiting Lexus Is Almost Ready

2007-06-13T16:51:00.001-04:00

Spy shooters have captured some fresh new images of Lexus' LF-A supercar on Germany's legendary Nurburgring. The aggressively-styled mule looks for all the world like what Darth Vader from Star Wars would drive, but it might just include a hybrid variant from Toyota when it launches. In either case, a gas-only V-10 version with 500+ hp is assured.What is it with articles mentioning Darth Vader today?

read more | digg story

Attack of the Clone Web 2.0

2007-04-25T08:56:00.000-04:00

I love web 2.0. I think social networking is amazing. Blogging and surfing digg.com are great ways to be a part of the web 2.0 revolution. Looking above you will see the result of a Web 2.0 logo generator. The joke is that most web 2.0 logos look basically the same. I think everyone just went gaga over an adobe or Dreamweaver plug-in that made all logos look like they were being reflected of the smooth white polished surface of an iBook. I'm not complaining mind you. I like the simplified logos I've been seeing in the last 2 years. I just think it's amusing that someone finally boiled it down to a simple logo generator.

More Reviews from the King of Fighters

2007-04-06T16:02:00.000-04:00

It's spring break and what better time is there to whip out the ye olde PS2 and play some games. My reviewer, the D-Man, has given me a few new reviews. I hope you enjoy.

Soul Calibur 3 is the best fighting game there is.
Tekken 5 is a good fighter and with the first three Tekken games that come with it it's a great fighter. - for those of you who are not aware, Namco included Tekken 1 - 3 with Tekken 5 (webmaster).
King of fighters 2006 is another great fighter.

Folks he's done it again. Another great set of reviews. Take a moment to add these games to your Gamefly account or run down to your local Gamestop/Wal-Mart and pick these up. Have a safe spring break and a great Easter.

Who? and Bionic What?

2007-03-23T13:31:00.001-04:00

SliceofScifi.com is reporting that Lee Majors is involved in Bionics again. They have also given Who fans something to look forward to... A 4th season of the new series!

read more | digg story

More Reviews from the Expert

2007-02-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

My favorite reviewer has sent me his latest commercial realizations. Please join me in perusing D-man's musings.

"The Nintendo DS Lite is the best hand held system out there."
"King Kong the Official Game for PS2 is the best video game based on a movie. If only there was a good video game based movie."
"Transformers the the 20 anniversary edition old but good and is probably better than this years upcoming transformer movie."
"The legend of Zelda four swords for GBA a great game and even better if two or more people play with you."

D-man is clear, concise, and to the point. You have to love the fact that it does not take him 1000 words to say what he means. BTW I remember seeing Transfermers: The Movie 20 years ago. Is it really that old?!

Dell powered by Linux?

2007-02-21T09:19:00.003-05:00

Apparently Dell is going to ship computers pre-installed with a Linux distro! This is great news for the Linux Community, and we see a great awareness increase between the people who still believe that the rounded E from Internet Explorer is the INTERNET... finally!

read more | digg story

Holy smoke! 110 FREE Linux Books online.

2007-02-21T09:19:00.001-05:00

Found this on Digg. Ubuntu, Debian, Suse, Networking, Installation, Programming, Hacks.. you name it! Many O'Reilly titles! It's all legal - I hope :-)

read more | digg story

Five things to know when you switch to Linux

2006-11-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

If you have just installed GNU/Linux on your computer, and have only ever used Windows before, here are five things you need to know to get going rapidly.

This is a great read for first-time Linux user and those who are considering installing Linux.

read more | digg story

1043 programming exercises

2006-11-19T18:28:00.000-05:00

I haven't had a chance to check out the site yet. It is currently suffering from the digg effect. I will check it out as soon as they have recovered. It looks to be a good place to go to flex your programming muscles.

Update-> I have visited the site and the exercises are well laid out and understandable. The objective is clear. This is a nice add-on to a book or tutorial where you may need practice or greater detail in certain areas.

read more | digg story

29.8% of Windows XP users consider a move to Linux over Vista

2006-11-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

A recent poll shows a good percentage of *tech-savvy* XP users considering a move to Linux over an upgrade to Vista. It seems Microsoft are pushing users away with more looking at using Linux than legally upgrading.

- The headline is a little misleading. The article specifies "tech-savvy" users. This is still a very good thing. Maybe Vista will be known as the operating system that ushered in the age of the mainstream Linux desktop. Ubuntu is waiting with open arms.

read more | digg story

Monster House is coming...

2006-10-21T10:07:00.000-04:00

...to DVD October 24th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Now I haven't seen this movie yet. It seems like a really fun animated romp through the imagination of Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. There is only one reviewer I trust and here's what he said about this film:

"you should get it. It's the best cartoon movie there is, that's what I think." - Donavan C. from Arizona.

Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Amazon.com

Hollywood Movies and Linux

2006-10-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

Ravi over at All About Linux has written an interesting article regarding the relationship between movie special effects and the use of Linux.

read more | digg story

Free Software Magazine

2006-09-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to give my readers access to another great resource. Free Software Magazine provides news, reviews, and content, all about free and open source software. Click on the story link and check them out.

September 11th, In Remembrance

2006-09-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

September 11th, 2001. I know exactly where I was and what I was doing. My wife was the Principal of an independent Christian Academy and had begun the school day. I was waiting to begin a new job the next week. I was running late to help my wife, as usual, and happened to be watching the CBS morning news show. They went to a shot of the towers and one was smoking. At the time no one knew if it was a fire or what. They started getting a call about a plane crashing into it. They speculated at first and said it was a small Cessna or something. Next, in a moment that I will never forget, they capture another plane strike the second tower. This time everyone knew it was intentional. Everyone was in shock. We watched the towers with flames and smoke. Horrible things were happening that no one could have imagined. We watched the towers fall and with them we lost some of the confidence we had as citizens. We had become invulnerable since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and no one could touch us on our own soil. We dismissed Oklahoma City and the 1st attack on the World Trade center as flukes. 5 years later, we have begun wavering in our belief that the War on Terror is necessary. Today we should pray for the survivors of 9/11, the leaders of our country, the men and women overseas putting their lives on the line, and for their families that are left behind hoping to see them again.

StarCraft+TouchScreen on Linux using WINE!!!

2006-08-31T10:22:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big gamer, but I will always keep a special place on my desktop for StarCraft. It was my first RTS and the one I measure all others against. Playing StarCraft on Linux has been done. It's no major feat. Saying that, playing StarCraft on a touch screen in Linux is awesome! Please check out this video. I may never look at a mouse and keyboard the same way again.

read more | digg story

Is Ubuntu Linux for You, Too?

2006-08-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

Just found this on digg's front page. I can't say this enough. I have found the right distribution. No one can beat Ubuntu for the average to advanced user. They even mention the wireless functions. I can't believe how easy it was to connect wirelessly to the internet.

read more | digg story

Best Ubuntu Guide Ever

2006-08-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

Found this one over on digg.com. The guys over at Ubuntu have delevoped a great guide. This is great for anyone from beginner to advanced. I have one system that only runs Ubuntu. It's the only distribustion of Linux that has recognized my wireless usb drive. I'm really impressed with Ubuntu and will continue to learn about it with tools like this.

read more | digg story

Hack Attack: Top 10 Ubuntu apps and tweaks

2006-08-25T10:27:00.000-04:00

I found this article on DIGG and was amazed by number 8. I used the terminal for the first time and was able to add the NTFS partition to the gnome desktop. This tip alone deserved a digg. I just switched to Ubuntu last week and I absolutely adore it. I still use Windows daily, but I look forward to Ubuntu when I get home in the evening.

read more | digg story

Jesus + Linux = Ubuntu Christian Edition?

2006-08-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

"Ubuntu Christian Edition is a free, open source operating system geared towards Christians." Along with the standard Ubuntu applications, Ubuntu Christian Edition includes "Christian software" such as web filters and bible study programs. You can also find information about ICTHUX on their page. It is another great distro geared towards Christian Educators.

read more | digg story

Tux Magazine

2006-07-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon, you have reached my blog. Today we will be espousing the love of a certain magazine that is currently free, but will soon charge their subscribers. You may be thinking to yourself, "Hey, self, this guy is about to get his mad on". You couldn't be further from the truth. I have been a subscriber of Tux Magazine for about a year and a half. They provide a wonderful magazine about the Linux desktop. It comes digitally about once a month. Tux is formatted beautifully. I can't say enough wonderful things about this mag. I just received an e-mail stating that soon they want to charge me for a years subscription. This will help with their cost. Usually this is the point where I will leave a subscription behind. Not this time, they are only charging $9.95 for a 12 issue subscription. That's awesome. I will subscribe as soon as they make the subscription service available. I do not mind supporting my brothers and sisters in the Linux community. Especially if they are asking for an amount that is so reasonable I can't turn it down. Thanks Tux, I can't wait for another fun filled year of desktop reviews, previews, and tips.

E3 or "How I learned to love the Wii."

2006-05-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe another E3 has come and gone. Thousands of people lined up to see new hardware and software for the next year. All the booths filled with eager buyers waiting to catch a glimpse of the next big thing. [Insert sound of record needle being yanked across vinyl] Picture Ninentdo's booth filled. Everyone else was begging for attention. Nintendo stole the show. The new console the Nintendo Wii (pronounced Weeee) was the darling of the show. And is the system was the darling, the controller was the cherry on top. Sony has a system, the PS3, that's going to be too expensive. The Xbox 360 is already a has been after their debut last fall. The Nintendo Wii brings us a new concept in gaming. They have found a way to bring us into the game. The controller is tracked flawlessly in the game. This means we control the game completely. They didn't need a $1000 virtual reality helmet or Blue Ray compatibility. They created a stick with buttons and a speaker. When you were a kid, pretending to be Robin Hood, Luke Skywalker, or even Indiana Jones, a stick could be your best friend. It was your gun, lightsabre, bow and arrows, knife, flight stick, hammer, sword, nung-chucks. Anything your imagination could come up with. Nintendo has reinvented the wheel, at least in the sense of video gaming.

I missed you

2006-05-13T11:32:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. It's been almost nine months since my last post. I'm still here. Things became really hectic at work. I wrote an article last year about something I saw on a classified ad. I was reading the classifieds because I thought I would not have a job much longer. God really prevailed. I was supposed to lose my job in June of last year, but here I am, with a promotion to boot. Doesn't He know how to work things out? Hopefully you'll see articles with my usual flair attached to them. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I hope you like my new musings and have a blessed day.

ROFL, Linux is WGA certified!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA!

2005-08-09T17:45:00.000-04:00

This is the most awsome piece of news, besides Discovery's safe return, i've seen all week. Log into microsoft.com and download any updates you need. Beware ,Mr. Bill, Open Source is on it's way.

OpenSuSE! Novell to give us Fedora equal.

2005-08-03T09:42:00.000-04:00

Novell is launching a new community based distro of SuSE. They are hoping to explore the success Red Hat has achieved with its community-based distro, Fedora.

UPDATE: I've downloaded the 5-disk install for OpenSuse 10.1. Unfortunately I could not install it. I received an error installing some Perl module on the 1st disk that ends the entire install process. I'll let you know what happens when I try it again.

Tech support? Maybe "Back Support"!

2005-07-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

Keep in mind this is in the physical qualifications section for a technical support job:

Certificates/Licenses -Physical Job Requirements - Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles. Examples include executive assistant, bank loan officer, and acctg clerk

-I don't think I can pick up a bank loan officer.

Hat's off to mourn the passing of OS/2

2005-07-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

20 Years ago IBM launched OS/2 Warp. They had a decent advertising campaign. There were even TV ads. Unfortunately a little company called Microsoft had managed to get it's revolutionary Windows 95 software into almost every PC in the market. This left IBM out in the cold trying to convince everyone that you needed to go to the store and purchase a copy to replace and/or sit alongside Win 95. Besides Mac this was the best alternative to Windows the end-user could afford. Truly OS/2 offered a great alternative. Most Dos and Windows 3.1 software would operate on it. Now IBM is recommending Linux. So long OS/2. Full ahead, Warp factor 2, into oblivion.

Shuttle Launch Scrubbed?

2005-07-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

1:32 p.m. - Launch Director Mike Leinbach has scrubbed the launch for today. One of four low-level fuel cutoff sensors is not functioning properly.
Safety first!

Granny Picks Linux Over Windows, OS/X, FreeBSD...

2005-07-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

"It shocked me so much that I had to sit down right there on the floor of the lobby. Susie, such a sweet looking young gal, seemed so upset. She apologized and helped me up and then went back to working. As Jason held my arm keeping me steady, dear little Susie yelped again. This time I was thankfully holding on to the front desk and Jason had my arm."
"I looked up at Jason who was still holding my arm, and he softly said, 'Windows, mom.' Now I finally understood why this sweet young gal suffered so. I opened my purse and handed little Susie, my goodness how thin and pale she looked, a Knoppix Live Linux CD. 'Here you are honey. This will help cheer you up.'"
... I saw this at Really Linux and thought I'd share it.

SUSE 9.3 makes an impression.

2005-07-11T12:26:00.000-04:00

I happened along this article during my morning routine. It seems Suse 9.3 has taken Linux and made it a force to be reckoned with. Watch out Windows. You now have competition. Now, I say this with the knowledge that Novell has in no way even begun to market this as a viable alternative. Until a company steps up and takes the risk of saying, "Hey! Stop giving Bill Gates all that money. We have a wonderful solution for you. It's LINUX! And it works." Oh well. At least those in the know can enjoy the wonderful work that is SUSE 9.3.

Free Computer Checkup

2005-07-09T11:34:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had the nagging suspicion that something was wrong with your computer? Me too, but not the computer you were thinking of. I was standing around this Saturday and just chewing the fat with a local. His car's check engine light came on and he took it to AutoZone. They checked it for FREE. I know this blog is supposed to be PC related, but your car has a CPU and it may need to be checked. Just an example of free information passed on by another Linux Gnubie:)

How To: Networking Fedora and Windows

2005-07-08T09:27:00.000-04:00

I am building a new Linux box and have a beautifully burned copy of Fedora 2 ready for it. I also want to be able to share files and other information with my Windows box. After perusing my morning newsfeeds I came across this one at PC Linux Online. I have only scratched the surface with Samba, but have found it to be very useful in Windows. God Bless FOSS (Free Open Source Software). This basic step by step guide even includes some basic troubleshooting if you get into trouble. I hope this helps you as much as it did me. Enjoy!

London, Our prayers are with you.

2005-07-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

United States on heightened alert due to today's bombings in London. Tony Blair is on his way back from the G-8 summit to help his countrymen deal with this heinous and cowardly attack. We will keep the citizens of London in our hearts and minds in the days to come.

What would you pay for a full suite of design software? How about nothing.

2005-07-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

I was listening to my favorite weekend radio show when I heard Kim Komando mention my favorite words "free software". She directed the caller to freeserifsoftware.com. I am currently in the process of downloading the various software packages they offer. They offer software that will do everything from Desktop Publishing, Web deign, and even 3D Modeling. There are 5 packages in all. I plan on putting this software through its paces over the next few weeks and I will let you know what I think. Also let me know how you like it. I also highly recommend checking out Kim's site. It's full of family friendly computer tips and tricks. You can also find out when her radio show is on in your area.

Mark helps us recover from the Gnubie Blues

2005-07-01T12:06:00.000-04:00

I happened to be perusing PC Linux Online and I found this article. Mark Rais, who is known for his Windows to Linux attitude in his book Linux for the Rest of Us. The article gives some great advice on how to perform activities in Linux that we would do everyday in Windows. It's a great start for all the Gnubies out there.

Why Pink? It doesn't match my shoes.

2005-07-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

Now before you start flooding the comments with "I thought this was supposed to be a blog related to linux, new tech, or windows...". Keep in mind I must be able to rant. It's a requirement. I just have one question for women's clothing stores. Why, I repeat, Why must you use feminine colors and designs on your shopping bags. One of my wife's favorite activities is to go shopping for clothes and not try them on in the store. While this allows me to get in and out of a store quickly, it means she has more than her share of returns. Frequently I am required, by chivalrous decree, to make a round of returns for my wife. I actually don't mind making the returns. She usually gives me a percentage of the refund. It's a nice perk. However making the return requires that I walk into a women's clothing store with a pick bag with fancy writing that states I am in know way the person to whom these clothes were bought for. Why can't they use colors that are a little more masculine, maybe a nice mud-brown with hunter-green print. I submit this is worse than the "hold my purse" phenomenon. I know there are other guys that have to face this. I see them in the mall. They tend to walk quickly towards their intended target and never look at the effeminate bag they are holding. You will find them admiring the window mannequins in some obscure leather dealer before they dare look at the (insert women's store name here) shopping bag. Thanks for your support.

Ride the Shuttle for FREE!

2005-06-30T16:27:00.000-04:00

Hi my name is Thomas, and I am an Orbiter junkie. I am looking for a 12-step program to help me overcome my incessant desire to launch the space shuttle and ride it like a rocket jockey into orbit. A few weeks ago I was looking for a free alternative for MS Flight Sim. Luckily I stumbled upon Orbiter. The basic program interface is not fancy, but perfect to get right into the cockpit. There is also an active community that is constantly developing add-ons for this amazing program.

Welcome!

2005-06-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks for stopping by. Welcome to my new blog. I plan on focusing on Linux and the general Open Source movement. I will also include information about Open Source software in Windows as well. I've called it Linux Gnubie (pronounced "newbie") because I have only been running a Linux box for a few short years. While i've learned a lot in that time I still have a long ways to go. With your help I may even become somewhat knowledgeable when all is said and done.
Thanks,
Thomas:)