January 20, 2005

For those of you on Microsoft Windows, I’ve made an important discovery today. The Microsoft Anti-Spyware solution is a piece of shit.

Shocker.

I installed it a week ago on my work computer (because of course, we’re all Apple at home) hoping to keep out spyware that was trying to invade my machine. It appeared to be doing its job, even though my computer was running very slow. Just for kicks, I ran a different spyware program on my computer this morning. That program wiped out 33 different spyware threats and sped up my computer considerably!

I’ll post a link to the software I used later this afternoon so that you can download it. It comes with a fully functional 30-day trial. Now that I think about it, perhaps I’ll create a spot on the website where you can download the goodies I come across. Just another public service for the internet.

I find it absolutely amazing that I have been married for as long as I have. Newly married or partnered couples often worry that something big and damaging is going to happen to their relationship. I’ve got news for you. The big stuff you can handle, it’s the little stuff that’s so grating.

Take late last night for example. In short, I was a dick.

Earlier in the evening I made some adjustments to our wireless network, hoping to increase performance. The changes involved slight configurations on our iBook and PowerBook. As with all computer changes, there was room for error. After a wonderful evening of catching up on TiVo and watching American Idol, we played around on the internet a little bit before calling a night. Earl went to print, and was unable to, due to the changes I had made earlier in the evening.

For some reason, I took this as a compromise in my ‘geekulinity’. I had to face the fact that I made a mistake and was not as perfect as I pictured myself to be.

Did I do the mature thing and simply fix his computer? Of course I didn’t. I took it out on him. He obviously didn’t click ‘print’ hard enough.

I can be such a jerk.

So naturally when I realized I was being an ass, I tried to cover it up with humor, which fell flatter than a fart in church. Long story short, there was tension in the air when we went to bed.

Have I learned a lesson here? I hope so. That’s the important part… to move past a rough spot and learn from your mistakes.

My brother- and almost sister-in-law got me a nifty hat for Christmas. I love this hat and am pretty much wearing it all the time around the house. I thought I’d model it, since tonight seems to be the night for excessive blog entries.

I like this hat because it’s all black, including the Phillies logo on the front, and it doesn’t have that big gap in the back that leaves a weird sunburn on my shaved head.

Wow! Three posts in one day. I’m on a roll.

In our office at work, we constantly have CNN on the screen. We never have the volume up, so we kind of have to figure out what’s going on on the screen without audio assist. The past two days we’ve had to look at Condoleezza Rice and her whole confirmation deal.

Why does little Condy always look so cranky? She’s always got a furrowed brow, hair moving only with her eyebrows, as if they’re all attached as one unit. Perhaps they are. There’s no twinkle in her eye. No spunk. Just a moving mouth, hairdo and set of eyebrows.

When does Condy let her hair down? What is she like off camera? Does she dance on the Xerox machine at office parties? Does she do a performance of “The Jackal” a la C J Cregg on The West Wing for good old Bush lite? I don’t think so. She’s the type that sits in the corner, adding the sour to her Whiskey Sour. She says ‘yes’ a lot.

I realize that not everyone can have the “gosh, darn I’m just normal folk” grin on their face like good old dubbya, but Condy honey, you need to lighten up a little. Perhaps all that Soviet study made her cranky.

Or maybe she knows more than she’d like to admit about the state of the world.

I didn’t even put up a fight this year. I’ve watched every minute of American Idol 4 and I must say that I have enjoyed it immensely. Ryan Seacrest looks great as always. Not my usual type, but for some reason I have a soft spot for him. Perhaps its his prevalent five o’clock shadow. As far as the judges go, Randy isn’t using “pitchy” as an adjective, Simon is his usual surly self and Paula, while appearing high, has a great deal of spunk and isn’t all sunshin-y day. She’s keeping it real and so am I.

I figured there was no sense in being all high and mighty and shunning American Idol, because I give in to the show anyways, might as well watch it from the beginning. Plus, Earl enjoys the show and we don’t spend enough time together as it is, so why boycott the show while he’s watching it.

Watch for me on the idolonfox.com message boards!