MikkiStreak

When I moved with my cats (traveled via car tho)... my vet also said to stop their food/water intake the evening before leaving. That way they didn't piss/crap all over in transit.

Thanks everyone! He's really sweet and we had a lot of fun rolling around and wrestling with him outside tonight. These are a little better... there's one more from tonight still in the camera--- him with a yellow smiley face soccer ball in his mouth, hopping up in the air with his ears flapping in the wind.... Both the dogs have been passed out for about 3 hours now on the floor. haha--- the 40 year olds wore out the dogs!!

Sheez--- that's right by where we used to live.... doesn't surprise me... But I'm amused by their facial expressions: she won't even look at the cake, and he's staring up at it with part worship and part wishful thinking....

Sometimes it's hard for both people to decide on a color, because one person can visualize the room overall and the other might focus more on that color than the surroundings with that color. Maybe some type of design software would help both of you pick a color. I think there's one on the Home Depot site... Frank and I came across it a few weeks back when we were looking on their site to price home supplies...

It's been pretty good between the two of them so far. We took Raven with us to the SPCA and let the two of them spend about an hour together, getting used to each other. It'll take awhile for them to define their boundaries and dominance, but Raven is pretty patient and we're making sure to treat them both the same (ie, if I'm petting Buster, then Frank is petting Raven). They're both playing real good with each other so far. We'll have some "extras" to teach Buster so he acclimates to our house better. For example, Raven "self feeds"--- she can have a full bowl of food for days, and only eats when she's hungry. Buster "time feeds"---- he gulps down his allotment in the morning, then again in the evening. I started working with Buster tonight on basic commands (Come, Sit, Down). He's already responding quickly, so I think this will go pretty well.

Apparently, we felt a brand new house without physical flaws needed some type of "breaking in". So we adopted Buster and brought him home today. He belches like a grown man, has farts to rival a breast-fed baby, he blows water bubbles when he drinks, snores louder than the TV when he sleeps, snorts while he gallops around the yard, is afraid of the dark, but somehow, all of that makes him all the more endearing to us. Buster is ALL puppy--- clumsy legs with a horse like gallop, jowels that flap in the wind like a parachute, and a center of gravity similar to an SUV. He's an 8 month old purebred Boxer from the SPCA. Frank has always wanted a Boxer, and the timing was right now that we have a huge yard and room in the house. Pictures aren't the greatest... it was getting dark by the time we got home and I really hate TTL flash photos... I'll take more tomorrow when the lighting is better, and post them if I get something I like from them... And, our firstborn baby.... Raven:

Very cool girlie! That shade of blue looks really good with the dark wood coffee table. Your corner table fits *really* well in that area next to the fireplace too... I'm envious of your window ledges. Frank and I were just talking about window frames last night, and how it sucks that it seems like now people just want a hole cut in the side of the house and a window slapped in--- nothing to catch the eye... I miss the old way- where the windows had a wood trim around the frame... kind of warmed up a space... love the lighting idea too---- like the 'japanese lantern' concept with a more modern touch...

Quote: Originally Posted by ErinB Cute! I love colonials! We closed in 12 days! Be happy for the 5 weeks. Sounds familiar---- we closed in 10 days and man, that was a real bitch because of all the builder meetings we crammed in with all the other moving stuff.... never again- unless we hire people to pack our crap for us too!

Mel--- what error/debug messages are you getting with FF? have you updated to V3? (lots of reports with V3, but it can be downgraded to V2) I love FF... the add-in's are awesome... like "Sureshot" to do jpeg screenshots of an entire web page and edit as you want.... and zotero, where you can save your URL and create files for notes to be taken while viewing things online.... or split browser to view/compare web pages within the same browser frame... and mouse gestures kicks ass for laptop users! Hi, my name is Maria and I'm a computer geek....

wow--- he's got his panties in a twist because people are using something of his? so unheard of!! haha...

Kate--- I'm sorry to hear about this. I hope you guys have a safe trip out and back; and I hope that even in grief--- everyone focuses on his life and share all the stories of the good and funny times-- it really does help in times like this...

It won't come with the PC... search the photography forum's you're a member of for monitor calibration and you'll find some good resources/info on both adjusting yourself manually as well as buying the tool... then you'll be able to decide if you want to give it a try yourself, or just buy a tool... even if you buy the tool- it's not like something you'd hook up inside the computer---- it's usually software or a device you connect to your monitor that will make the adjustments to your video card automatically.

Haven't worked on/with the Sony, but just read the specs on the FW series.... it has all the specs you'd want--- not sure how it impacts the price tho when it's customized. I mean, most computer manufacturers show something like "starting at $x,xxx", and the specs will read "up to 4.0gb RAM"... but when you piece it together with a 2.8Ghz processor, 4.0 RAM, 400GB hard drive, etc... it could wind up being double that price.... But, from the entry specs and growth potential, it sounds good... You might want to "build" one on their site to get the price, and then do the same thing on the Dell site and Gateway sites using the same specs... just to get a true price comparison...

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild The techs at my job call Compaqs 'comcraps' for the same reasons you mentioned LOL i LOVE that!!! I even did a geeky snort-laughter when I read that!! Quote: Originally Posted by TammyB OK what is a "monitor calibration tool" and what does it do? OK HP was on my short list, might now have to re-think that. I was also looking at Sony Viao's Monitor calibration tool--- ever see the color red on your computer screen, and when you print, it doesn't look like the same shade? Monitor calibration fixes that. Sometimes you can do color tests of your monitor through your video card control panel, but it can be a real PITA to adjust manually and still get it accurate. I spent about 4 hours trying to manually adjust it using my video card control panel, and then I gave up and decided the $100 for the calibration tool is easier.

oh yea, and shared memory: well, there are several types of memory, which can be specific in their use (like cache memory)... when you have a certain portion of your total memory that can be 'shared' it means it's not dedicated to a specific action. For example: if you run low on cache memory (which is like a storage of your browser history), then any memory chip whose circuitry is designed to 'share', can allocate some of it's memory to the cache memory and keep you moving fluidly online.

oy, you are asking some in-depth questions! Let's see if I can explain the random shit in my head... First resolution: yes, it's important to a certain degree, and in photography, it can be very important. The resolution basically defines how many pixels you can view on your screen. The higher the number, the more pixels you can view--- which means, if you have a 10 meg image, but a low resolution screen--- your photograph is going to look like shit on the computer screen but the printed photograph looks great. If you zoom in on the image on your screen, you could get distortion earlier in the zoom than someone with a high res screen.... Now, the hardest thing to explain: memory. Most people are obsessed with the speed of their processor. But, in reality, a fast processor isn't going to do squat if there isn't enough memory to handle the commands. So, think of it like this: you have a huge computer desktop, which represents your hard drive. Your hands are the memory and your brain is the processor. So, on this desktop you have a bunch of piles of paper that you need to file in the drawers of the desk. You have a deadline to get all the papers filed. So your hands want to work really fast. But, the signals your brain sends to your hands, slows you down and you don't get enough done in time. The processor and memory work together (called "clock synchronization")... your processor sends a signal and the memory executes the command. If your memory is low, your computer gets sluggish. Most processor speeds have not significantly changed in the last 4-6 years. We've been looking into replacing our desktop computer because I really don't want to try and fix my motherboard or deal with replacing it and having to reinstall all my drivers, software, etc... I was really surprised to see that most PC's on the market today, have the same speed processor that I put in mine back in 03. But, the memory has increased significantly. For what you're wanting to do Tammy--- I would say go with at least 2gb memory (but make sure it can expand to at least 4gb)... You'll also want a decent size cache memory (1mb or more)... You'll also want at least a 250gb hard drive to store your file sizes. Get a good graphics acceleration card- spend the money to upgrade it at purchase, if you have to--- it'll pay off in the long run. I'd also recommend a dual-core PC for backup purposes. Also, you might want to get a monitor calibration tool for what you'll be using the computer for. As for brands---- can't go wrong with a Dell or Gateway or Mac. I would steer clear of E-Machines, Compaq and HP. Their lifespan doesn't seem as long, and they tend to be outgrown quickly. Search online for pricing. I don't know if you guys have Fry's Electronics up there, but if you do--- watch their weekly flyer and you'll come across some amazing deals if you're patient. Steer clear of Best Buy for anything, especially PC's (won't even get started on that one)... also, Dell direct usually has some good specials only available online. MySimon is another good price shopping tool online...

I think those are the computer reservation systems. A friend of mine's husband was a programmer at Sabre in FW up until a couple years ago when they did a crapload of layoff's.

My sister and her husband did a 2 (or 3, can't remember) week cruise of Alaska last year for their 25th anniversary. They flew into Canada, and boarded a Holland cruise ship--- then went all over Alaska. For Christmas, I put together a book of their best photos for them. If you want to see their photos, PM me and I'll see if I still have them on my other PC and can load them onto photobucket for you to look at...

If there is another photo you were going to use for non-friend thank you cards that you'll still need to order---- maybe you could use that as a negotiating tool.... kind of like, call their CS department, explain the situation and ask if they will give you some type of credit/refund if you place your new order with them for the other thank you card photos? That's about the only thing I can think of that might get them to work with you on this...

Quote: Originally Posted by Angel Ok, so here is the rundown of the Taxes, Fees & Other charges on my recent bill. It totals a little over $20 Federal $.20 E-911 $.75 VA Cost Recovery Surcharge $.17 VA Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge $.73 VA Communications Sales Tax $1.87 VA Public Rights-of-Way Use Fee $.67 Federal Subscriber Line Charge $6.50 Long Distance VA Communications Sales Tax $.15 Long Distance Federal Universal Service Fee $.26 PEG Grant Fee $1.24 States Sales Tax $2.35 VA Communications Sales Tax $3.94 VA Billing Surcharge $.19 Tax State $.72 It adds up and I don't know what any of this stuff is for. Every time I see the bill I'm like WTF! It's crazy. Those are the state and federal charges the government added LONG ago when the telecom networks were still being built nationwide. If you ever see a bill/petition going around talking about how the government needs to lift these taxes--- sign it to abolish the charges. Until an amendment is added to the original bill, these will stay in place and keep jumping people's bills up. The only way around them is to have phone service via an internet provider. VoIP doesn't have all the taxes/surcharges. (but that can get difficult too because your internet bandwidth affects the quality of your service)

Quote: Originally Posted by Angel I guess they are standard charges for having a phone line. I'm going to have to look at the bill when I get home and tell you exactly what they are but it's like $1 here and $1 there for like 10 different things which adds up. But then again it may just be a VA thing, and it's mainly for having a phone. I don't think any fees are cable or internet related. And we just an insert from them saying that some fees are increasing. I'm glad you posted that. We have fios in the area we're moving to and thought about switching. One of the concerns I had, is that since Verizon is a telecom company- that their phone service would still have the same federal surcharges and fees that a traditional land-line would have. Which, here is Dallas, the surcharges for a traditional phone line can take a bill from $25 for the line itself up to $50 with all the charges in it. We had Verizon DSL for the first year in the place where we're at now, and it was great until I needed to switch my router from using a ethernet port to a USB port. Jesus, one full month of calling and being walked through the same flipping "script" their tech support has and they still couldn't fix it. They sent us 3 routers because that's all their "script" told them to do. I kept explaining to them I did all the loopback tests, and they were dropping data packets on their end before it even hit the router and needed to send a real tech on site to fix it. Never happened. When I called to cancel after fighting with them, only THEN did they offer a field tech to come on site. I don't know if I would have the patience to deal with their tech support morons if the service had problems. We'll probably stick with dish, cable modem and VoIP for phone in the new place....

The letter "A".... Well, right about now, I'd be inclined to take a photo of Frank's VP, and title it "Asshole" to meet the requirements here.

I have a black pearl necklace/earring set Frank got me a few years back. I absolutely LOVE them! They actually wind up more of a greyish/black color and are really beautiful/exotic... I posted this earlier, but the forum farted and died in my browser..

"One day I'll express how special you are So until then I will retain this rush And until then I'll contain my crush...." Twink: Artistic mind melding combined with tech geekiness --- I crush on you! Jamy: Literary prowess mixed that share the spotlight with people skills and innate ability to cut thru the bullshit---- I crush on you too!!! Christa: You are like my own "dear diary" and online drinking buddy---- I crush on you!!

That box is gorgeous, Mel---- love the colorful stationary too! (that second shot of the ring box is cool too--- good job with that!)