A special one from the past. In 1992 my wife gave me tickets to see Iron Maiden at the Fox Theater in Atlanta for father's day. It was very special because she took me to the concert...and she's not a fan at all. We got there and watched the opening band "Frehley's Comet" then they came out and said "Bruce (the lead singer of Iron Maiden) is stuck in New York due to bad weather so come back tomorrow night and they will be here." We went back and the show was awesome!
From the "Fear of the Dark" album, I present to you the title track:
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Windows 7
Windows 7 is in beta right now (for non-techies that's the version they release to us computer geeks to test before it is released for sale on the market). I loaded it about a week ago and here's what I've found so far.
Go to the link above for all of the features, but here my favorites:
1. It uses much less memory. Vista used about 49% of my memory for the desktop and background services but Windows 7 Ultimate only uses 31%.
2. Task bar highlighting is wonderful. Just roll your cursor over something on the task bar and a thumbnail pops up. move your cursor over the thumbnail and the program goes full screen so you can see what's going on with it. Best of all once you move your cursor back to the task bar everything goes back to the way it was. No more having to switch back and forth between programs when things are running in the background.
3. Even better is the Start Menu highlighting. As you open files, the program that runs that file gets an arrow next to it in the start menu. If you need to open that file again you just click Start then highlight the program and all of the recent files slide out to the side so you can open it quickly. Also, with Windows Explorer, the recent folders you opened slide out so you can get there quickly.
4. The task bar is much cleaner and easier to work with. You can easily set which icons will be on the task bar and which ones will only show you alerts.
Windows 7 is slick! This is the most efficient, clean and easy to use version of Windows to date in my opinion. All of my programs and hardware work fine with no noticeable problems so far which is really good for a beta.
If you're adventurous, download the beta and check it out (after backing up your computer, of course). Just be forewarned, if you do install the beta as an upgrade to your system you will need to buy Windows 7 when it comes out or you will have to re-install your old Windows from scratch. Also, it is a beta so you can't get upset if some things don't work right at times. That's why they release it as a beta first to find the bugs.
Go to the link above for all of the features, but here my favorites:
1. It uses much less memory. Vista used about 49% of my memory for the desktop and background services but Windows 7 Ultimate only uses 31%.
2. Task bar highlighting is wonderful. Just roll your cursor over something on the task bar and a thumbnail pops up. move your cursor over the thumbnail and the program goes full screen so you can see what's going on with it. Best of all once you move your cursor back to the task bar everything goes back to the way it was. No more having to switch back and forth between programs when things are running in the background.
3. Even better is the Start Menu highlighting. As you open files, the program that runs that file gets an arrow next to it in the start menu. If you need to open that file again you just click Start then highlight the program and all of the recent files slide out to the side so you can open it quickly. Also, with Windows Explorer, the recent folders you opened slide out so you can get there quickly.
4. The task bar is much cleaner and easier to work with. You can easily set which icons will be on the task bar and which ones will only show you alerts.
Windows 7 is slick! This is the most efficient, clean and easy to use version of Windows to date in my opinion. All of my programs and hardware work fine with no noticeable problems so far which is really good for a beta.
If you're adventurous, download the beta and check it out (after backing up your computer, of course). Just be forewarned, if you do install the beta as an upgrade to your system you will need to buy Windows 7 when it comes out or you will have to re-install your old Windows from scratch. Also, it is a beta so you can't get upset if some things don't work right at times. That's why they release it as a beta first to find the bugs.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Delirium!
This week's Delirium comes from MTV. MTV first aired on August 1, 1981. For those of you who are in your twenties and younger, MTV actually stands for "Music Television" and they played these things called music videos when they first started.
It was a wonderful concept and it was a huge hit. I couldn't wait to see this wonderful new channel and this is the first video they ever played. It's by an average band called The Buggles, and if it weren't for MTV chances are nobody would have ever heard of them.
So here you go, "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles:
It was a wonderful concept and it was a huge hit. I couldn't wait to see this wonderful new channel and this is the first video they ever played. It's by an average band called The Buggles, and if it weren't for MTV chances are nobody would have ever heard of them.
So here you go, "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles:
New Privacy Policy...
...there is none.
This is from the transcript of a radio show I listen to. It is so true it is scary. We're not talking politics anymore, it's down to civil rights...or the lack thereof.
"By the way, for those of you at AIG, those of you who are now facing a 90% tax rate on your bonuses, which the Obama administration insisted be in the stimulus bill, those at AIG who are facing a 90% tax rate on your bonuses and your names and salaries being made public, I really hope you all voted for Democrats. I hope you all voted for Obama, and I hope you've now learned the Democrat privacy policy."..."We cannot invade the privacy of noncitizen terrorists who are calling from overseas, plotting terror attacks in this country. We cannot invade their privacy.
In fact, we may conduct hearings, war crimes trial hearings on the Bush administration for that very act of violation of privacy rights of terrorist overseas. But we can invade the privacy of legal citizens who receive bonuses that were authorized and contractually obligated by the Obama administration, the very administration that insisted you get the bonuses can now go (blowing a raspberry) on your privacy. Here's the Democrat immigration policy. It's un-American for federal agents to enforce our laws. It is patriotic to come here and stay illegally, and we want you illegals to join labor unions. That's patriotism. You are the backbone of America. Here's the Democrat mortgage policy: we're going to get you a mortgage you have no business getting, we're gonna get you a loan that you can't pay back, that we know that you can't pay back, and then when you fail to pay it back, we're going to force those who pay their mortgages on time to pay your mortgage, too. A very quick lesson here on Democrat privacy policy, immigration policy, and mortgage policy."
The Rush Limbaugh Show - 03/19/2009
This is from the transcript of a radio show I listen to. It is so true it is scary. We're not talking politics anymore, it's down to civil rights...or the lack thereof.
"By the way, for those of you at AIG, those of you who are now facing a 90% tax rate on your bonuses, which the Obama administration insisted be in the stimulus bill, those at AIG who are facing a 90% tax rate on your bonuses and your names and salaries being made public, I really hope you all voted for Democrats. I hope you all voted for Obama, and I hope you've now learned the Democrat privacy policy."..."We cannot invade the privacy of noncitizen terrorists who are calling from overseas, plotting terror attacks in this country. We cannot invade their privacy.
In fact, we may conduct hearings, war crimes trial hearings on the Bush administration for that very act of violation of privacy rights of terrorist overseas. But we can invade the privacy of legal citizens who receive bonuses that were authorized and contractually obligated by the Obama administration, the very administration that insisted you get the bonuses can now go (blowing a raspberry) on your privacy. Here's the Democrat immigration policy. It's un-American for federal agents to enforce our laws. It is patriotic to come here and stay illegally, and we want you illegals to join labor unions. That's patriotism. You are the backbone of America. Here's the Democrat mortgage policy: we're going to get you a mortgage you have no business getting, we're gonna get you a loan that you can't pay back, that we know that you can't pay back, and then when you fail to pay it back, we're going to force those who pay their mortgages on time to pay your mortgage, too. A very quick lesson here on Democrat privacy policy, immigration policy, and mortgage policy."
The Rush Limbaugh Show - 03/19/2009
On The March
The new legislation called " The Employee Free Choice Act" is everything but free choice. It gives unions power to force people to vote the way they want because "we know who you are and how to get to you now". Call your senators and representative and let them know you want this legislation stopped. Socialism is on the march and it needs to be stopped.
Here is a fantastic synopsis from The Heritage Foundation of the bill with its major points that you will never see in the "main stream" media:
Big Labor's Wish List
Organized labor's highest legislative priority, the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), is harmful to both American workers and businesses. The bill has two key components:
1) Eliminates Secret Ballot for “Card Check”
The bill replaces secret ballot union organizing elections with "card check," a process where union organizers publicly solicit workers' signed union authorization cards. If a majority of a company's workers sign cards, they all automatically join the union, without an election. Union activists privately acknowledge that workers often sign union cards because of peer pressure or harassment and that publicly signed cards do not reflect workers' true intentions. That is why unions argue against letting workers use card check to leave a union. Policymakers should understand that union activists know that card check does not reveal employees' free choice, and instead can lead to harassment and intimidation.
2) Establishes Government Imposed Contracts
EFCA also empowers the federal government to impose contracts on newly organized companies. Section 3 of the bill gives government bureaucrats the power to set compensation and make most major business decisions at newly unionized companies. The bureaucrats that would be writing these proposals have no expertise in the company's operations or business model and would be unaccountable if their decisions drove the company into bankruptcy. Workers would lose all say over working conditions.
Under EFCA government bureaucrats would dictate:
• Wages and bonuses
• Employment levels
• Retirement and health care plans
• Changes in business operations
• Promotions procedures
• Work assignments
• Subcontracting
• Closure, sale, or merger of a business
EFCA would effectively create government-run workplaces, and this provision would apply to small businesses too. Because EFCA has no meaningful small business exemption, it would authorize federal control of up to four million small businesses employing 39 million Americans.
EFCA does more than take away workers rights to vote in privacy. It also gives control of the workplace to government bureaucrats with no management experience.
Copied from The Heritage Foundation. For the entire story plus video go to The Heritage Foundation website.
Here is a fantastic synopsis from The Heritage Foundation of the bill with its major points that you will never see in the "main stream" media:
Big Labor's Wish List
Organized labor's highest legislative priority, the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), is harmful to both American workers and businesses. The bill has two key components:
1) Eliminates Secret Ballot for “Card Check”
The bill replaces secret ballot union organizing elections with "card check," a process where union organizers publicly solicit workers' signed union authorization cards. If a majority of a company's workers sign cards, they all automatically join the union, without an election. Union activists privately acknowledge that workers often sign union cards because of peer pressure or harassment and that publicly signed cards do not reflect workers' true intentions. That is why unions argue against letting workers use card check to leave a union. Policymakers should understand that union activists know that card check does not reveal employees' free choice, and instead can lead to harassment and intimidation.
2) Establishes Government Imposed Contracts
EFCA also empowers the federal government to impose contracts on newly organized companies. Section 3 of the bill gives government bureaucrats the power to set compensation and make most major business decisions at newly unionized companies. The bureaucrats that would be writing these proposals have no expertise in the company's operations or business model and would be unaccountable if their decisions drove the company into bankruptcy. Workers would lose all say over working conditions.
Under EFCA government bureaucrats would dictate:
• Wages and bonuses
• Employment levels
• Retirement and health care plans
• Changes in business operations
• Promotions procedures
• Work assignments
• Subcontracting
• Closure, sale, or merger of a business
EFCA would effectively create government-run workplaces, and this provision would apply to small businesses too. Because EFCA has no meaningful small business exemption, it would authorize federal control of up to four million small businesses employing 39 million Americans.
EFCA does more than take away workers rights to vote in privacy. It also gives control of the workplace to government bureaucrats with no management experience.
Copied from The Heritage Foundation. For the entire story plus video go to The Heritage Foundation website.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Delirium!
This one goes way back for me. There are two parts to this because it was an odd circumstance. I saved up my money and bought my first "45" (single for the young folks) "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney & Wings when I was 6 or 7 years old. I was so excited, but when I got it home it was scratched. I took the record back but it was so popular it was sold out so I picked up my next favorite song instead, "Ricki Don't Lose That Number" by Steely Dan. Not being disappointed, Steely Dan became one of my favorites to this day. Enjoy!
Band On The Run
Ricki Don't Lose That Number:
Band On The Run
Ricki Don't Lose That Number:
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Never, Ever, Ever, Ever Call Tech Support...
...did I mention never?
Some people have no choice because none of your friends are "computer people", but most of us know someone who is proficient with computers. If you do, then please don't call the tech support line for your computer or anything having to do with it until you have called your friend.
Here's why. This has happened with three people I know and in this case it happens to be with AT&T support (IMHO, one of the worst in this department). When you call "tech support", you get a person on the other end of the phone who has a list in front of them. Most have never programmed a computer and even fewer have ever opened one and worked on it. They go through their list and get you to change settings all over the place, other things stop working in addition to your original problem, then they say it's someone else' fault.
In all three of my friends' cases the support person said "it's Windows' fault", "it's Outlook's fault" and "it's Internet Explorer's fault" and left them hanging. They didn't walk them through changing all of their settings back, just messed up their computer and said so sorry.
Please, call your computer friend first. You may think you're being a pest, but believe me it will save you a lot of time. It will also save them the headache of having to go through all of your computer's settings to fix what the so-called tech support person messed up. Most of us can figure out a problem and correct it in less time than you will spend on hold on the tech support line remember, friends first.
Call a friend, look through user forums, but whatever you do please, please, please DON'T CALL TECH SUPPORT.
Some people have no choice because none of your friends are "computer people", but most of us know someone who is proficient with computers. If you do, then please don't call the tech support line for your computer or anything having to do with it until you have called your friend.
Here's why. This has happened with three people I know and in this case it happens to be with AT&T support (IMHO, one of the worst in this department). When you call "tech support", you get a person on the other end of the phone who has a list in front of them. Most have never programmed a computer and even fewer have ever opened one and worked on it. They go through their list and get you to change settings all over the place, other things stop working in addition to your original problem, then they say it's someone else' fault.
In all three of my friends' cases the support person said "it's Windows' fault", "it's Outlook's fault" and "it's Internet Explorer's fault" and left them hanging. They didn't walk them through changing all of their settings back, just messed up their computer and said so sorry.
Please, call your computer friend first. You may think you're being a pest, but believe me it will save you a lot of time. It will also save them the headache of having to go through all of your computer's settings to fix what the so-called tech support person messed up. Most of us can figure out a problem and correct it in less time than you will spend on hold on the tech support line remember, friends first.
Call a friend, look through user forums, but whatever you do please, please, please DON'T CALL TECH SUPPORT.
Walk The Walk
Last weekend I was blessed to be a part of the team on a North Georgia Walk To Emmaus. If you don't know what that is, it's a three day retreat for Christians that teaches all about God's grace. It is an awesome, many times life changing, weekend with talks on grace, singing and great food. Men go on one weekend and women go on another. If you haven't been you really should go. Just find someone who has gone on the walk and ask them to sponsor you. If you go to my church or I know you personally I'll be glad to talk to you about going on the weekend.
Anyway, what's amazing to me is to see so many people serving the guys who were on the walk. My "job" was very easy. All I had to do was play guitar and sing all weekend while everyone else did real work. From cooking to arranging chairs to cleaning pots & pans, toilets & showers, 60+ men were working hard for the glory of God. They took time from their families and paid for their food & room to serve these men and God for three full days.
Now that's what I call walking the walk! You guys rocked God's house!!
FYI there is also a teenage version of the weekend called Chrysalis It's an amazing start to a young Christian's life.
Anyway, what's amazing to me is to see so many people serving the guys who were on the walk. My "job" was very easy. All I had to do was play guitar and sing all weekend while everyone else did real work. From cooking to arranging chairs to cleaning pots & pans, toilets & showers, 60+ men were working hard for the glory of God. They took time from their families and paid for their food & room to serve these men and God for three full days.
Now that's what I call walking the walk! You guys rocked God's house!!
FYI there is also a teenage version of the weekend called Chrysalis It's an amazing start to a young Christian's life.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Delirium!
I'll be having a fantastic weekend leading worship for a men's retreat Thursday-Sunday so I'm posting this week's "Delirium" a little early.
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was the first band I ever saw in concert (for more info on that see my previous post Heroes) Though I had been a fan for quite awhile, the song "Hold On Tight" was on the album "Time", the tour I got to see in 1981. The opening band was the Johnny Van Zandt Band which was a little odd combination, but entertaining none the less. Jeff Lynne, the lead singer of the band is an amazing talent. He wrote all of the songs, sang all of the vocals (including backup) for ELO and has worked with some of the biggest musicians in history (Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & Bob Dylan just to name a few).
Still one of my favorite bands today. Enjoy!
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was the first band I ever saw in concert (for more info on that see my previous post Heroes) Though I had been a fan for quite awhile, the song "Hold On Tight" was on the album "Time", the tour I got to see in 1981. The opening band was the Johnny Van Zandt Band which was a little odd combination, but entertaining none the less. Jeff Lynne, the lead singer of the band is an amazing talent. He wrote all of the songs, sang all of the vocals (including backup) for ELO and has worked with some of the biggest musicians in history (Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & Bob Dylan just to name a few).
Still one of my favorite bands today. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Awesome Idea!
The media has been working to drag our economy through the mud for the past 8 years to try and cause problems for President Bush. He's out of office now, but they are still blowing things way out of proportion to scare people half to death and create a crisis mentality to help our new president with a government takeover of private industries (as has begun with centralized banking and the auto industry).
A friend of mine sent me this new blog is for anyone who does not want to fall into the "sky is falling" mentality that's being forced on us. Like a radio personality said in the 90's and I began to practice, the country will have recessions in the normal business cycle...you can choose whether or not to participate in these recessions with your attitude.
You Can Do It
Check it out!!
A friend of mine sent me this new blog is for anyone who does not want to fall into the "sky is falling" mentality that's being forced on us. Like a radio personality said in the 90's and I began to practice, the country will have recessions in the normal business cycle...you can choose whether or not to participate in these recessions with your attitude.
You Can Do It
Check it out!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Forgiveness
Today's service at Mountain Lake was awesome!! Our ministry team and growth group leaders were up front at the end of the service and everyone in the congregation was asked to come up and forgive those who have hurt them in the past but they had not been able to forgive them. No "details" just get with someone and tell them you're having trouble forgiving [first name of the person] and you want to be able to do it. A ton of people went to the front and burdens were shed.
The message was all about how God forgives us freely and how we should do the same. When you give it up and stop "holding a grudge" so-to-speak, it really takes a load off of your heart, mind and soul. So why not try spreading a little forgiveness today. Ask God to forgive you and to give you the courage to forgive that person in your life that you just have not been able to forgive in the past. You won't believe how freeing it is when you spread a little forgiveness.
If you want to see this week's message go to the Mountain Lake Church website. The messages are usually uploaded by the Monday following that week's service.
The message was all about how God forgives us freely and how we should do the same. When you give it up and stop "holding a grudge" so-to-speak, it really takes a load off of your heart, mind and soul. So why not try spreading a little forgiveness today. Ask God to forgive you and to give you the courage to forgive that person in your life that you just have not been able to forgive in the past. You won't believe how freeing it is when you spread a little forgiveness.
If you want to see this week's message go to the Mountain Lake Church website. The messages are usually uploaded by the Monday following that week's service.
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