I have a feeling a few more windows will get some plastic on them and
then I'll work on my caulking skills.
I've been looking for air leaks in the basement and found some which
will require more of that spray expanding foam that I bought last time.
And one more mouse hole. Or if not a mouse hole, a hole that could be
used for the satellite cable instead of where it goes now, then plugged
up with that foam stuff.
Then I am upstairs, and it's still windy, but I feel the room trying to
get colder. I find this annoying. I determine one hole in the wall where
this coax cable comes through has to be sealed up and I manage to put
some tape on it. But I still have cold air leaks coming into the
room...!
One window that has plagued me for some time finally got some plastic on
it. I have 3 windows and one got sealed up pretty soon after we moved
in, but I never did anything about the other two.
And even after sealing up what's probably the worst of the three, I
still detect some air leaking near or around the window!!!!! GRRRRR... I
find that some of this cold leaking in comes from some of the wood
thingy at the bottom of the wall near the floor - then I get the
impression that the caulking around the window frame and this wood
border thing needs some attention because it's either not there or
there's not enough.
I noticed my thermometer for my room went from 70 to 72, while mom is
reading around 69 + or minus few degrees downstairs. Of course, I have
my electric radiator on now.
There was some temperature zone near the floor that you could feel where
the cold was, so at least if I haven't stopped the cold leaks entirely,
I have managed to slow them down in some appreciative amount.
For what I have in my room, I simply cannot have cold air near it. It's
going to be a pain in the ass to find and plug up what's left to plug
up. I wonder if plutting plastic on the outside of the window would work
better.
 |  |
I get it turned on and booted up. I get this little box popping up
saying that the system has just recovered from a serious error. And then
it goes on to report the error to Microsoft. Then I get IE loading up a
web page to explain what might be the problem. A device driver was
installed or changed, or some piece of software recently installed might
be causing the problem. Links to possibly roll back the Dell drivers and
Windows Update were on this page.
Hmm.. But first as suggested, I tried a system restore, and the little
box about this error popped up again... Soooo... I went to Windows
Update. Needed to install the new version of Windows update aka the
install validation tool. Fine, OK. great. It does that, then shows there
are 6 high priority updates. SP3 security update, 3 other security
updates, one for IE7, and Malicious Software Removal tool for Dec 2008.
About 20 or so minutes pass by while this all gets downloaded and
installed, and the system restarts. Only just before the screen winks
out there's some notice (probably an error) and I don't get to see that
before it disappears. But hey, the system comes back up, I wait for the
7 Icons to load, and there's no notice that the system recovered from a
serious error anymore.
I was hoping Windows Update would have just located the errant driver
and fixed it, but maybe it was Windows Update that needed fixed?
I just realized that if there were these 6 updates waiting, what
happened and why didn't they install anyway? Is this the modus operandi
of XP? If there's an error, update the OS?
I have no idea. I'm trying to study for CompTIA exams. I just wanted to
type a letter. I tell mom that while it may be her computer, she's not
to install anything that would cause system instability, and remind her
that if for some reason I'm unable to complete this, I gotta pay the
money back for these classes, all the while mom just keeps telling me to
shut up. It's like she doesn't care. She'll just stick her nose in the
air and not listen. I don't need that kind of treatment, especially not
from a parent. Wouldn't she want to see me get these certifications?
Gee, consider the other people who depend on the only XP desktop we own.
Anywho, I got my letter typed and printed, and did the first class'
assignment and it's on a thumbdrive.
And no notification pop up when I shut down the desktop tonight.
At least until tomorrow.
Finally found the right spot on the map for the Tokyo Mew Mew RPG game
for the Playstation and had the fight with a couple big boss characters
for Day 3. First was the plant Quiche infected. It was 245 hit points.
The team defeats that and then Gateau du Locke appears. Oh crap another
fight.
He starts out with 345 or so hit points. He summons one Chimera animal
and the team beats it, so he summons a 2nd. The team beats him down to
only 61 hit points not once but Twice, because he recovers 100 hit
points each time, but the 3rd time he doesn't. The team beats him down
to 47 and then 1 hit point. During the battle, one member gets knocked
out and then revived with Miracle Nuts. Zakuro had something that
instantly revived her when she got knocked out and it disappears since
it can be used only once. Two members after one attack by Gateau fell
asleep and left Zakuro to fight for herself which she does well.
At some point during this scene, Ringo's brother appears and fires a
shot from his rifle (he a ranger in the Nature reserve park in Japan) to
protect his younger sister, Ringo, but gets injured.
Anywho, Gateau gets hit down to only 1 hit point, and then unleashes an
attack that hits the team in battle at the moment to only 1 point as
well. Then as it looks like it's the end, the Blue Knight appears.
Eventually, Gateau du Locke leaves and everyone goes back to the cottage
to end Day 3.
During this "day" of the game, I'd been looking for the battle area for
Day 3. There had been quite a few fights and leveled up my characters
nicely, which is something I recommend to anyone else stuck on Day 3.
Try to get them all levelled up to 13 or 14 if you can, use some items
to increase their hit points, yaruki, and if possible, items that reduce
the usage of yaruki to do special attacks and reduce the amount of
damage they receive. If there are items to increase the damage they
inflict or instant revival, then that's the 3rd equipment item they
need.
When you find the red waters of a spring, then that's the battle area.
It takes a while to figure it out.
Finally also figured out when you can change outfits and take pictures.
^_^
Then I grabbed MAME and tried a few games on it. That's a nice one. ^_^
So recently I checked out the Sega Genesis emulator along with the Devil
Hunter Yohko game released for it. The DHY game isn't that great, but
still to think it exists... I found a site with several hacks of the
original, including one that gives you 30 lives. I haven't been able to
get past the boss on Level 2 yet. Infinite health would be a nice hack
for this game, people!!!
So anywho, the other day I found an 8-bit NES Emulator and the Japanese
game for what was dubbed here as Samurai Pizza Cats. Cute enough to show
my nieces, though I'd LOVE more of a FAQ, walkthrough or some other
guide for this game. It's not completely translated.
A friend of mine has an NES Lupin III game. Would be nice to see how
that turned out.
Anime video games - things you wish they had brought over then they
could have. Magic Knight Rayearth? Tenchi Muyou? Oy... the mind boggles.
Of course that's not to leave out the Atari 2600 emulator or the first
one that started the idea - the Atari 8-bit computer emulator.
Mainly because you don't know who is calling. Caller ID is nice, but
that's not always helpful. If the number is from outside your local
area, the phone company isn't guaranteed to know it. And people can
block their ID from coming through, but that's helpful because you can
put a device on your line that can detect it and reject the call for
you.
We had 4 harassing hang-up calls tonight, starting just minutes before 9
pm and seemingly repeating every 15 minutes or so until just before 10
pm tonight.
Bill collectors are not allowed to harass people on the phone and
certainly not after 8 pm local time regardless of where the call
originates.
When they hang up, it creates nervous anxiety because you don't know who
is doing it, why they are doing it, and just how much longer are they
going to interrupt my peace and quiet before they give up and stop. Of
course one good way to get them to stop is to pick up the phone and
record the call while asking them who they are, their address (if they
don't lie about it), and then send them a registered letter telling them
to stop. And if you record the call, you have court evidence that they
lied about it, which is further trouble for them.
It was sneaky for these 4 calls to arrive after 8 pm when we usually
don't expect them, but considering all the other calls we have gotten
during the election, we screen ALL calls from now on. If they hang up,
well, they should stop bothering us about their ability to remember a
string of numbers.
I mean, really, this type of behavior has to stop. I wish they would
leave some sort of message and get on with things.
We also need another verb for using the phone in regard to "calling" a
number. You can't dial very much anymore because most phones are push
button.
Hmph. Been online 20 minutes and no interruption. How about that.
Ralph Nader has successfully killed his own career after calling Obama
an "Uncle Tom" on nationwide FOX TV in front of Shephard Smith.
Hopefully someone will upload the clip to Youtube and include the 1
second of stunned silence after that remark and Shep's comment
afterwards. Nader has become insane and bitter, sorta like Steve Allen
in his later years when he went off on idiotic rants about how there's
nothing "suitable" on television anymore.
Issue 5 PASSED. People in Ohio surprised me on that one. With almost no
publicity in favor of the Yes vote on Issue 5 (Payday lending
referendum), and LOTS of lies for a No vote (like having your personal
info entered into some database every time you take out one of their
loans - which I don't have to remind you but I will ISN'T in the law
they passed in the Ohio legislature and ALSO NOT PART OF THE LAW IN THE
REFERENDUM), I would like to feel that people read this one for once and
voted accordingly. In these rough times, we don't need another loan
shark abusive industry siphoning money out of already-poor people's
pockets. No jobs will be lost and I'm certainly not going to shed tears
should payday lenders in Ohio feel they need to close up shop because
they have to make money legally.
And I'm glad that one idiot will be leaving Washington DC for his
village in Texas, while we're sending another idiot back to her village
in Alaska when she can be symbolically stoned to death for her crimes.
So to speak. I tell you we managed to get this one right for once and
have averted many tragedies that "could have been" but now won't. Less
likely Roe V Wade will be overturned now, which pisses off the religious
minority and I chuckle to myself when I think about that. Heh.
heheheheee!
What it consists of is Biscuits, 1 side (like baked beans), and 7 pieces
of chicken. The meal, that is. Let's not forget coleslaw. Most people
want that. Or corn. Hey, let's consider it all.
Now, right off the bat, I'm going for the cheapest route for this meal.
So let's knock off the Biscuits, pre-made, in a tube. And for the sake
of prices, we're Buying It All at Aldi's. Biscuits right now are about
$1.20 for the tube, grand buttermilk style.
Corn in a can, whole kernel, is 45 cents. or just under.
Chicken in pieces for frying. Prolly about $4.00 or so. I'll have to
check this. Remember, these are ALDI'S prices. not some rip-off major
chain like Giant Eagle. Aldi's even beats Walmart a lot of the time.
anywho, consider it a 3 pound bag, frozen.
OK. So now you need to find a way to coat the chicken before you cook
it. Flour is likely in the coating. You can either use a packet of dry
Italian dressing mix or try this, which you can find on the net:
Garlic Salt (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Onion Powder (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Sugar (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Oregano (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Black Pepper (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Thyme (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Basil (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Parsley (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Celery Salt (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Salt (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Paprika (1 Tablespoon per serving)
I'm not sure what else you'd need to do to coat the chicken, but let's
say you already have those "herbs and spices" (I know we do!) and the
flour = Cost $0. Total $5.65 so far.
Now the actual secret behind cooking the chicken is to use a PRESSURE
COOKER. This keeps the juices in the meat. Even Red Barn restaurants
knew this! So let's just say you have one of these, too. And vegetable
oil. I guess you could try to pan fry the chicken, or put it in a
covered roaster in the oven.
Anywho, let's see.. if I go to Aldi's and buy the chicken and the
biscuits, perhaps a can or 2 of corn, I still have some leeway and still
be under $10 if I go to one store and get a 2 liter bottle of Coke Zero
for about $1.15 and STILL be under $10. Or if I have to change my price
on the frozen pieces of frying chicken up $2 - I'd STILL beat the KFC
Challenge. I can add coleslaw and dressing and STILL beat it. I know
where the best prices for all that are to be found.
Sorry, YUM. You lose again.
It's pathetic.
BTW: Have you ever noticed that 20 oz bottles of pop cost more than 2
liter bottles? Those have 67.63 ounces in them! Why do 20 oz bottles of
pop cost more? It doesn't make sense.
And for you idiots who hate the use of the word "pop" for "carbonated
soft drinks," you're still idiots. I don't use "Soda" because that
implies Baking Soda or other significant amount of SODIUM, and as you
can see on the side, there's very little "salt" in "pop". It's not a
redneck term, it's just what some people have learned to call the stuff.
Because when you opened a 16 oz glass bottle (and I'm old enough to have
done so) the top "pops" off the bottle, therefore the drink is "pop".
Ever heard the term "pop bottles"? You could find and return them to
grocery stores for the deposit. Some stores around here got pissy about
that and would ask if you bought it at their store. That's beside the
point. The deposit was so that the glass bottle WOULD GET RETURNED AND
REUSED. The bottling company would in turn reimburse the store for the
return of their bottles. I miss pop bottles. If you found enough of them
in the park, you could buy yourself some ice cream at Dairy Queen, which
for cheap ass people, was almost a hobby.
Finding crayfish in the stream was almost as fun.
Anywho, ask the older people around you and in various regions around
this country what they'd call it - pop or soda?
OHIO PEOPLE - VOTE YES ON ISSUE 5. KEEP THE PAYDAY LENDERS IN CHECK.
THERE ARE NO JOBS (meaning all the payday lender people) IN ANY DANGER.
All the payday lender offices have already applied for licenses to
provide other kinds of loans. Don't believe their crap. Note where all
the No on 5 signs are placed - outside of these evil loan stores and the
owners of them. YES ON 5 TO PROTECT OHIO FAMILIES FROM AN UNENDING CYCLE
OF DEBT.
