< link rel="DCTERMS.isreplacedby" href="http://echo9er.blogspot.com" > Echo9er: November 2004

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

November 30th -- Selected Anniversaries

November 30: Feast day of Saint Andrew (Patron saint of Scotland)

1939 - Soviet forces invaded Finland, starting the Winter War, but were stalled at the Mannerheim Line.
1954 - In Sylacauga, Alabama, a meteorite hit Elizabeth Hodges, bruising her thigh, in the only unequivocally known case of a human being hit by a space rock.
1979 - Rock band Pink Floyd released the mega-selling rock opera The Wall.
1999 - Tens of thousands converged to protest the World Trade Organization at their meeting in Seattle.

(via Wikipedia)


Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

AN UNBELIEVABLE OBITUARY

Talk about a family in denial. This is pretty big news here in the Northwest. So, as Michelle states, this is an UNBELIEVABLE obituray.

By Michelle Malkin -- November 30, 2004 05:15 AM

Check out this obituary carried in my old newspaper, the Seattle Times. It starts out routinely enough:
Stephen James BYRNE Steve, who lived in Edmonds, savored life...
We learn that Byrne loved "sailing, biking, cross country skiing, diving, hiking...an incredible mountain vista, how the leaves turned gold in the fall, a great bottle of wine and a wonderful meal with friends, a long ride around Lake Washington or up Washington Pass, completing the STP bike ride for the first time, and the second."

And we learn of his family:
"More than anything in the world, Steve loved his daughters, Kelsey and Hayley. He was at every soccer game, every school performance, every important event in their lives. He taught them how to do all the things he loved - ride bicycles, go sea kayaking, ski, or simply find some good snow to play in. They read together, played games, went to movies, worked on school projects. He hiked halfway up Mount Rainier with them when they were very young, and all the way up on his own. He taught them by example to love the world, to be adventurous, and to be gentle."
The obituary even includes a touching photo of Byrne and his daughters.

What the obituary, a paid death notice apparently penned by family members or friends of Byrne, does not reveal is that Byrne died after shooting himself...and after allegedly murdering the two beautiful young daughters he supposedly loved so much. Byrne was involved in a custody dispute with his ex-wife. Before he and his dead daughters were discovered by police last week, he sent out a suicide e-mail that included comments that he would take his own life and kill his daughters "and that he can't be deterred," according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
This apologist propaganda on behalf of a selfish, brutal, and evil alleged child killer is already having an effect on bleeding-heart liberals in the Pacific Northwest. Read this on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, some of Byrne's friends are in such incurable denial (or are so inexcusably ignorant) that they posted the following pathetic remembrance in his online guestbook:

We'll always remember the fun our families had water skiing together.
Duane & Marian Cheney (Bellevue, NE)

I'd like to tell you that the post is a hoax and that Duane and Marian Cheney of Bellevue, NE don't exist. But they do. I wonder if they, too, will continue to believe that Stephen Byrne "savored life" and loved his daughters "more than anything in the world?"

Byrne's memorial service is on Friday. In lieu of flowers, perhaps someone should send his murdered daughters' autopsy reports to the funeral home for all of Byrne's mourners to see. Then, maybe, they will stop shedding tears for the wrong victim.

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Firefox, again

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I have been experimenting with the new Firefox Browser. There are some really great features, and it seems a reasonable replacement for Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE).

Well, here is a VERY good article/review of Firefox by Scot Finnie:

After reading this review, I am going to spend more time playing with it, and will probably set it as my default browser. I'll keep you posted.

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Who's Using Firefox?

I have been experimenting with the Firefox Web browser. It has a good pop-up-blocker, and I like the ability to open windows in seperate tabs.

See what's being said at PC World article

The Firefox Web browser has been causing a commotion among users and snaring snippets of market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer since June--long before Version 1.0 of the open-source software was officially released earlier this month.


Firefox Registers Usage Gains, Though IE Remains Dominant ComputerWorld
The Firefox Surge Forbes
Tech Republic (subscription) - ZDNet.com - Seattle Times - Kansas City Star (subscription)

(Via Google News)

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Friday, November 26, 2004

Thanksgiving Day Thoughts

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. It was a great day. Cauleen and I spent the day with our daughter Dee and son-in-law Iain. David, Jr and Tannis spent time with Tannis's family.

We had a really good Thanksgiving dinner out at one of the local restaurants. More than we could eat. Really well prepared. Atmosphere was top notch. All-in-all, a really good experience.

After, we went to a movie, National Treasure. This reminded me of the Indiana Jones movies. It was fun and a really good movie.

Throughout the day, I had personal thoughts of why I am thankful. I had great parents. They instilled values, that at the time I would never understand, but as I grow older and wiser, I appreciate more each day. The home life was stable. My brother, Bruce, and Mom and Dad, and I would eat at the dinner table. We watched TV together. We argued, we played. And, as I reflect, we loved each other very much.

Other thoughts included those Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry (STRYKER) returning home from Iraq, and able to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Deployed for a year, they missed a lot. They lost 20 soldiers to the cause. I was thankful of their efforts to support Freedom for a stifled population. I am with sorrow for the sacrifice of the 20 that were lost. As another STRYKER Brigade deployed to take their place, I am thankful that we live in The Greatest Nation On Earth, and I keep in my thoughts, ALL those that cannot be home with families on Thanksgiving day.

There are many more thoughts about Thanksgiving, I just wanted to share a few. For those that read this, I hope you have your personal thoughts as well.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Commercial : Xbox Life is too short

Date 2004/11/20 3:16:31 | Topic: Funny Movies

Het begon allemaal in het ziekenhuis en het eindigt....
English translation

The story starts @ the clinic and it ends....

This article comes from ComputerLife
http://www.computerlife.be
The URL for this story is:
http://www.enfreaks.com/videos/lifeisshort.wmv

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

After You. . .

This Quicktime animation is really cute. Enjoy it.
Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Secret Santa Gift Swap Goes High-Tech

It may not even be Thanksgiving yet, but in my mind, it's never too early to think about Christmas. This year, you can add a modern twist to your annual Secret Santa gift swap. Check out Elfster.com. This site helps organize the entire gift exchange while maintaining secrecy in a high-tech way. Elfster.com is free (though registration is required). It lets you recruit willing participants, draws names for you, and lets all the participants know who they should be buying a gift for. If you're thinking that you don't need the Web for that, well, you may be right. But Elfster.com does more--it lets you contact your gift recipient and ask anonymous questions, allowing you to find the right gift without revealing your identity. Elfster.com has additional benefits: the site has sponsors for certain charities. If the organizer of your exchange has selected a favorite charity, and Elfster.com has a sponsor for that charity, the site will arrange to make a small donation. So not only is it easier than ever to swap gifts with your friends and family, you can do a good deed at the same time.

(Posted by: Liane Cassavoy at PC World Magazine Monday, November 22, 2004, 01:13 PM (PST)

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Springfields

I grew up and graduated from High School in Springfield, MO. So when I saw this, I thought it appropriate to add to the Blog.

From FTL Design: Springfield.

It's been said that every state in the USA has a Springfield. This isn't true; 35 states have a Springfield or a close cousin; but the following states are Springfield-deficient:

Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

(via J-Walk)
Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

What Number Are You?

You Are the Helper

2
You always put on a happy face and try to help those around you.

You're incredibly empathetic and care about everyone you know.

Able to see the good in others, you're thoughtful, warm, and sincere.

You connect with people who are charming and charismatic.

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Perk

This is good.

Animation Express presents Perk by Dusan Kastelic:
An unemployed mine-goblin rocks out to his favorite polka-punk tunes. 3.5 MB to 12.0 MB, QuickTime
http://www.animationexpress.com/collection/dusan_kastelic/perk/


(via J-Walk)

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Surprise Link

This link takes you to a web page that will definitely get your attention. Somebody has way too much time on their hands.

You can file it under "Useless Sites" Click Here

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

10 x 10

10x10™ ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. The result is an often moving, sometimes shocking, occasionally frivolous, but always fitting snapshot of our world. Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.

10x10 runs with no human intervention, autonomously observing what a handful of leading international news sources are saying and showing. 10x10 makes no comment on news media bias, or lack thereof. It has no politics, nor any secret agenda; it simply shows what it finds.

Click Here. This is truely amazing!

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Where do you live?



(via b0g)

Signing off. Until next time, I'll dee ya on the Blog!

How to avoid the Flu

Eat right! Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies. Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C. Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system. Walk for at least an hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Wash your hands often. If you can't wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around. Get lots of fresh air. Open windows whenever possible. Get plenty of rest. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.

OR . . .
You can take the doctors office approach. Think about it, when you go for a shot, what do they do first? Clean your arm with alcohol. Why? Because alcohol kills germs. So...I walk to the liquor store (exercise), I put lime in my Corona (fruit), celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies), drink on the bar patio (fresh air), get drunk, tell jokes, and laugh (eliminate stress) and then pass out (rest). The way I see it, if you keep your alcohol levels up, flu germs can't get you!!!!

Signing Off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog! drh.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

And you think your Inbox is full!

Bill Gates And Spam
I get my share of spam, but nothing like this. From CNN: Bill Gates drowning in spam. Gates, Microsoft's chairman, gets 4 million e-mails a day and is probably the most "spammed" person in the world, his Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Thursday

(via J-Walk)

Signing off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog!

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Paper money as communication

It appears that the idea of dollar bills stamped "Where's George?" has taken on more than just tracking the distribution of paper money. Pay a visit to http://www.cruelty.com/money/ for a collection and explanation of how paper money has become a way of "spreading the word".

The site owner states:
"
Some bills advertise political opinions. Others share highly personal messages, I suppose many of which are in-jokes. And some are probably just artistic creations."

(via J-Walk)
Signing off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog!

Monday, November 15, 2004

New start to the Blog

This is my first attempt at this thing called a Blog. I have been following some of the Blogs online and I don't think it will be that difficult to create one.

The problem will be trying to keep up a daily dialog with and about myself. So, as time passes, I hope to get better. Perhaps I might even link some of the items I get from J-Walk (with his permision of course).

I am somewhat of a news junkie, so I'll have to add some news items as well.

Signing off. Until next time, I'll see ya on the Blog.

drh