Blog on the net...

It always seams that I am trying to generate new traffic for my Blog by singing up on new free services. You can see all the badges that I have on the left side of my blog. It is a personal thing that I like to do. I could go the route of Ad-sense from Google, but I do not want to sell out and place advertising on my site. I could also do the pay-per-click but that is not what I am about. I have had over 4300 hits since I started actively promoting my site sometimes last December. Not bad figures if you ask me. The picture is a map of where people all over the world read my blog. I just think that it is neat when someone from India leaves me a comment on my blog. The internet is a wonderful tool that all should be able to enjoy!!

I do not under any circumstances condon censorship in any way, shape, or form!!

The internet should be kept free and clear off any and all censorship because no single country owns the internet. I know that there is a lot of that going on around the world like in China where FlickR is being banned from viewing because some pics got on there of the Tiananmen Square student demonstrations of 1989 and the China government has blocked the site.

This is much like the on going issue here in the USA about Net Neutrality. I for one have signed up to help save the internet and stop censorship of the internet. If you value reading this blog in a different country, you should also want to do so as it might get banned. They could ban the whole www.blogger.com service for all we know. That would piss off a bunch of people including me. Lets all just play nice together and enjoy the internet like it is supposed to be used for, free and with no censorship.

What is your opinion?

Stress Level...

With things like they are today, many people including myself are very stressed out. How do you deal with stress? Do you meditate, or walk, jog, or workout? I for one like to go mountain biking. It is great exercise and also a great way to blow off steam! There is nothing like going riding with my friends and doing about 8-10 miles in the great parks that are around the Richmond Metroplex.

I can tell when I get too stressed out. I get very edgy and snap at people for no or little reason. Little things piss me off and I do not like that. I am a high energy person to begin with, so being on the high side of that level is almost too much to deal with. With so much uncertainty in our lives, minor things tend to be as they say the straw that broke the camels back.

I think that when we focus or obsess on small issues that it tends to make them bigger than they actually are. I know that my wife often tells me to no obsess about an issue and it will not be that big. I understand what she is saying, but it is sometimes hard to do that.

At my job, we are contractors, actually we are sub-contractors. We have had 4 positions open up in the Automation department and we did interviews. I worried about them for a few weeks before they happened. I was able to land a job; the benefits are great and the total package would be much better than what I currently have. SO I had the interview over a week ago and now I am worrying about who is going to get the positions...

I hope that the stress level will subside next week when we find out who get the positions. So it would seam that life has many actions for me to stress over. It just depends which one I have to concentrate on at that moment. Tell me how do you deal with stress…

What is your opinion?

Ubuntu Linux...

I have been test out this install of Linux for the last few days. It is called Ubuntu. So far, i am really impressed with this as i have messed with SUSE linux before, but did not like it. I run an all Windows network and as such have had no need to test this before. I just thought that it would be neat to try.

The first thing that impressed me was how easy it was to install!! It took only 15 minutes to do a complete install and if there were other applications that you want, just do an update and you will get them. The second thing that impressed me was the ability of Ubuntu to open up my widows network! It found both groups, the MS Home and Work Group. Secondly, it was able to open up the shared drives that i have on my network with no problem and to also xfer files from them to the Linux computer. We have a shared printer on our network. All the computers in the house can access it. So, i decided to try to add a printer to the Ubuntu box and it found the printer and installed it. I tried a test page and it worked like a charm. I guess that is why Dell is selling Laptops with Ubuntu installed on them.

The computer that i installed it on is an older computer with a 1ghz Celeron processor and 512mb ram. It has a 20gig and a 60gig set of Hard Drives in it as well. I will keep messing with this over the following months and let everyone know what i think. It is different as you have to use command line stuff alot, but also it has a wide array of software applications that are prepackaged as well. There are several different installs that you can do with it. I did the Desk Top Edition. I also found a Multimedia Package called Ubuntu Studio. I might upgrade this install, I just don't know. I will let everyone know if i do this as the desktop looks very nice.





Well all, that is it for now on my adventures in Linux land. Have a good evening...







This is a great place to go and ask questions about Ubuntu. It is galled the Ubuntu Search Engine.




What is your opinion?

US States Renamed For Countries With Similar GDPs

I thought that was very interesting for everyone to read and look at.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a convenient way of measuring and comparing the size of national economies. Annual GDP represents the market value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year.

Put differently:
GDP = consumption + investment + government spending + (exports – imports)
Although the economies of countries like China and India are growing at an incredible rate, the US remains the nation with the highest GDP in the world – and by far: US GDP is projected to be $13,22 trillion (or $13.220 billion) in 2007, according to this source. That’s almost as much as the economies of the next four (Japan, Germany, China, UK) combined.

The creator of this map has had the interesting idea to break down that gigantic US GDP into the GDPs of individual states, and compare those to other countries’ GDP. What follows, is this slightly misleading map – misleading, because the economies both of the US states and of the countries they are compared with are not weighted for their respective populations.
Pakistan, for example, has a GDP that’s slightly higher than Israel’s – but Pakistan has a population of about 170 million, while Israel is only 7 million people strong. The US states those economies are compared with (Arkansas and Oregon, respectively) are much closer to each other in population: 2,7 million and 3,4 million.

And yet, wile a per capita GDP might give a good indication of the average wealth of citizens, a ranking of the economies on this map does serve two interesting purposes: it shows the size of US states’ economies relative to each other (California is the biggest, Wyoming the smallest), and it links those sizes with foreign economies (which are therefore also ranked: Mexico’s and Russia’s economies are about equal size, Ireland’s is twice as big as New Zealand’s). Here’s a run-down of the 50 states, plus DC:

1.California, it is often said, would be the world’s sixth- or seventh-largest economy if it was a separate country. Actually, that would be the eighth, according to this map, as France (with a GDP of $2,15 trillion) is #8 on the aforementioned list.
2.Texas’ economy is significantly smaller, exactly half of California’s, as its GDP compares to that of Canada (#10, $1,08 trillion).
3.Florida also does well, with its GDP comparable to Asian tiger South Korea’s (#13 at $786 billion).
4.Illinois – Mexico (GDP #14 at $741 billion)
5.New Jersey – Russia (GDP #15 at $733 billion)
6.Ohio – Australia (GDP #16 at $645 billion)
7.New York – Brazil (GDP #17 at $621 billion)
8.Pennsylvania – Netherlands (GDP #18 at $613 billion)
9.Georgia – Switzerland (GDP #19 at $387 billion)
10.North Carolina – Sweden (GDP #20 at $371 billion)
11.Massachusetts – Belgium (GDP #21 at $368 billion)
12.Washington – Turkey (GDP #22 at $358 billion)
13.Virginia – Austria (GDP #24 at $309 billion)
14.Tennessee – Saudi Arabia (GDP #25 at $286 billion)
15.Missouri – Poland (GDP #26 at $265 billion)
16.Louisiana – Indonesia (GDP #27 at $264 billion)
17.Minnesota – Norway (GDP #28 at $262 billion)
18.Indiana – Denmark (GDP #29 at $256 billion)
19.Connecticut – Greece (GDP #30 at $222 billion)
20.Michigan – Argentina (GDP #31 at $210 billion)
21.Nevada – Ireland (GDP #32 at $203 billion)
22.Wisconsin – South Africa (GDP #33 at $200 billion)
23Arizona – Thailand (GDP #34 at $197 billion)
24.Colorado – Finland (GDP #35 at $196 billion)
25.Alabama – Iran (GDP #36 at $195 billion)
26.Maryland – Hong Kong (#37 at $187 billion GDP)
27.Kentucky – Portugal (GDP #38 at $177 billion)
28.Iowa – Venezuela (GDP #39 at $148 billion)
29.Kansas – Malaysia (GDP #40 at $132 billion)
30.Arkansas – Pakistan (GDP #41 at $124 billion)
31.Oregon – Israel (GDP #42 at $122 billion)
32.South Carolina – Singapore (GDP #43 at $121 billion)
33.Nebraska – Czech Republic (GDP #44 at $119 billion)
34.New Mexico – Hungary (GDP #45 at $113 billion)
35.Mississippi – Chile (GDP #48 at $100 billion)
36.DC – New Zealand (#49 at $99 billion GDP)
37.Oklahoma – Philippines (GDP #50 at $98 billion)
38.West Virginia – Algeria (GDP #51 at $92 billion)
39.Hawaii – Nigeria (GDP #53 at $83 billion)
40.Idaho – Ukraine (GDP #54 at $81 billion)
41.Delaware – Romania (#55 at $79 billion GDP)
42.Utah – Peru (GDP #56 at $76 billion)
43.New Hampshire – Bangladesh (GDP #57 at $69 billion)
44.Maine – Morocco (GDP #59 at $57 billion)
45.Rhode Island – Vietnam (GDP #61 at $48 billion)
46.South Dakota – Croatia (GDP #66 at $37 billion)
47.Montana – Tunisia (GDP #69 at $33 billion)
48.North Dakota – Ecuador (GDP #70 at $32 billion)
49.Alaska – Belarus (GDP #73 at $29 billion)
50.Vermont – Dominican Republic (GDP #81 at $20 billion)
51.Wyoming – Uzbekistan (GDP #101 at $11 billion)

This map was suggested by Morgan via strangemaps@gmail.com, and can be found here. Please note that the GDP data used for this comparison are not necessarily the same as those used in compiling the original map.

What is your opinion?

To Kill An American....

Thanks to LCDC Mike Sieverson for sending this to me.

I wanted to send this to my Blog for all to read...

Written by an Australian Dentist....and too good to
delete....


You probably missed this in the rush of news, but
there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan
had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to
anyone who killed an American, any American.
So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the
following day to let everyone know what an American is.
So they would know when they found one. (Good one,
mate!!!!)


"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish,
German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American
may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian,
or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.


An American may also be a Comanche, Choctaw, Cherokee,
Osage, Bl ackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of
the many other tribes known as native Americans.


An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or
Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims
in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference
is that in America they are free to worship as each of
them chooses.


An American is also free to believe in no religion.
For that he will answer only to God, not to the
government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for
the government and for God.


An American lives in the most prosperous land in the
history of the world.


The root of that prosperity can be found in the
Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God
given right of each person to the pursuit of
happiness.


An American is generous. Americans have helped out
just about every other nation in the world in their
time of need, never asking a thing in return .


When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20
years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to
enable the people to win back their country!


As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given
more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan
.   Americans welcome the best of everything...the
best products, the best books, the best music, the
best food, the best services. But they also welcome
the least.


The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty
, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched
refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest
tossed. These in fact are the people who built America
.


Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the
morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life
for their families. It's been told that the World
Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different
countries, cultures, and first languages, including
those that aided and abetted the terrorists.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler
did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and
Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the
world. But, in doing so you would just be killing
yourself.  Because Americans are not a particular
people from a particular place. They are the
embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone
who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

 

My Gary Fisher Wahoo Bike...

So after having my Wahoo for over 6 months, I really like it. It is not for the casual rider. The bike geometry is very different from the Schwinn bike I used to ride. If a person purchases a Gary Fisher bike, they really have to want to ride. The bike has a very sharp front end and as I like to say, it is in attack mode or attack stance. The front tire and fork is very sharp compared to other bikes. The forks are adjustable and I like to keep them very loose to absorb impacts better.

The gear changers are very responsive and tight. With just a little motion, the gears will change. The seat I bought (Bontranger) in conjunction with a good pair of padded shorts helps keep my butt from getting too sore on extended rides. I changed the pedals to a pair of Crank Brothers 5050 this weekend and I really love them. The Lizard Skin I bought really helped make the ride very quiet because it padded the chain from hitting the frame. There are a few more things I would like to get for my bike, but that will happen in time.


So all in all, I would say that I am very happy with my bike and that I am glad that I bought a Gary Fisher bike. I did try several other kinds of bikes; Trek and Specialized were the other two bikes I tried. They just did not feel as good to me as the Gary Fisher did.



What is your opinion?

Moutain Biking and Health Benefits...

Last year about November I went to the doctor for a physical. He did all the blood work and all that stuff. My results came back good. My blood pressure is about 127/80 and my Triglycerides are about 189 which are in the good range. He said that I needed to loose some weight. At that time, I was about 185-190 and I am 5'8'' He suggested that I ride my bike more and that it would help. I said ok. I was going to try to anyway as I like to do it.

A few weeks ago, I realized that my pants were fitting very loose. They are a 34 waste. So after noticing that, I got on the scales after I took a shower and was amazed. I weighed 172!! I got on them on Sunday night and I was 169. I am on the first belt hole and all my 34 stuff fits me very loose. So with out even trying to loose weight, I have done it. I do not diet!! I eat what I want to and also at work I walk an incredible amount because of the size of the Fab that I work in. I walk an average of 10,000 steps a shift! So you see the reason that I do not diet. I am a very finicky eater! I only like cretin things.

I would like to ride about 12-15 miles a week, but my work schedule is very demanding at this time so that is not possible. I did however ride over this weekend a total of 16 miles! Riding on a trail is not like riding on the road or surface streets. Trail riding is much more demanding because of the terrain. I am very proud of what I have accomplished with my mountain bike ridding. It is great fun and I reap some good benefits from it! Don't get me wrong, I do get sore in my legs and my lower back from riding, and I have had a few wrecks, but it is all worth it.

What is your opinion?