Sunday, May 30, 2004

Unhiding "hidden" applications

This is a repost of noteworthy information. It came up several months ago, but no one remembers where I put it (and do not want to take the time to look for it). That, and I do not keep posting lists of things I have done in the past.

We all want to uninstall everything Windows doesn't completely need to run optimally. Problem is, some programs you don't want taking up space are hidden. They're next to impossible to find, much less remove.

Don't worry, because there is a Windows tweak that'll help you immediately. It is very easy to do, but do not attempt this change on my recommendation. I can't pay to get your PC fixed if you screw it up.

To unhide "hidden" applications:

  1. Navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf

  2. Open the sysoc.inf file in Notepad or another plain text editor. If you can't find the inf directory, it's probably hidden. Unhide it.

    1. Click Tools and choose Folder Options.
    2. Under View, enable Show Hidden Files & Folders.

  3. In sysoc.inf, look for the section called "components" in XP or "old base components" in 2000. What looks like a bunch of gibberish is actually pretty easy to read. You'll see a component name, followed by an equals sign, followed by a list of parameters separated by commas.

    For example: Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,HIDE,7

  4. The deletion: the "HIDE" between the two last commas indicates a hidden component. Remove "HIDE" to unhide the component.

    For example:Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7

  5. Unhide any component you want.

  6. Save the file.

  7. Reopen the Windows Component Wizard to see your new Add/Remove options!

As I said before, this is an easy change. It will not be necessary for 96% of Windows users. It will be needed if you want to be a super-geek (like me)!


Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Avoiding Office Email Gaffes

    I was saving this for later (when someone sends me a stupid e-mail which they should not have sent). With the amount of badly prepared message I have received lately, I thought I should post it. This is really for people who do not take sending e-mail serious. What is generally thought of as something fun, is very serious when you send out something stupid to someone who you might offend. Examples are: co-workers, bosses, clients, relatives, potential employers, spouses, etc.

    One of the best, is the guy I used to know, who constantly complained about his wife to all his friends. He complained so much, he angered a few of them to the point where they forwarded all of them to his wife. OK, soon to be ex-wife. Last time I heard, her lawyer was trying to get the house, all the cars, custody of the kids, and alimony. From a couple of carelessly miss-addressed e-mails I received (remember this one later), he had expounded on a few extramarital affairs which his then wife also received as attachments.
    I have created about a dozen of these lists and put them on the internet. It's time for someone to get credit for writing stuff. I have seen my instruction sheets and advisory lists sent out to mailing lists without credit for writing them. There are so many ways to say the same stuff, I am tired of recreating it over and over and over again. Even if you dismiss most of the information in here as irrelevant, It is interesting all the same.

Avoiding Office Email Gaffes

Smart email use is all about common sense.

    Just because e-mail is an everyday part of life in the office doesn't mean it's something you don't have to think carefully about. Sending or receiving ill-conceived or improper email via your work account can lead to everything from embarrassment to disciplinary action.

    Or both. Consider the case of one London couple, which last year had their private email correspondence forwarded around the world after the young man involved forwarded a sexually revealing email from the young woman to some pals at work. In addition to the resulting ignominy both suffered, the young man involved became the subject of an investigation by his law firm.

    Of course, your email gaffes are most likely not going to turn you into a global laughingstock. But office email, when used improperly, can undermine your efforts to get ahead in your career. Following are some tips to help you use email to your advantage rather than detriment.

    Keep it short and sweet. Email is not a form of communication that lends itself to long missives. If you do send a long e-mail-if you send a product description to a potential client, for instance, or if you send a clarification of departmental policy to your colleagues - make sure you go over the details in person as well as in your email, since relying on your email to communicate all the details often fails. And use paragraphs-readers have a much easier time deciphering longer emails that impart information in discreet, readable chunks than in endless-seeming blocks of text.

    Avoid discussing sensitive information. Despite the seeming harmlessness of email, it is not really private; just ask the London couple mentioned above. It's way too simple for the recipient of your email to forward it to others. And remember that your company can access any email going into or out of your account. Rule number one for emailing sensitive information: Assume that any email you send will be read by people other than its intended recipients.

    Another reason to avoid including sensitive information in e-mail is that you might change your mind about whether you want to let that information be known. Michael Eisner, for instance, once sent financial information about Disney to journalists without realizing it had not yet been publicly released. Rule number two for emailing sensitive information: Think before you hit "send."

    Know when to use email, and when to have a discussion in person or over the phone. These days people like to use email for all kinds of purposes for which it is usually not ideal. If you want to brainstorm, or to manage or critique others, it's usually best to do so in person - or, failing that, over the phone.

    There are a number of reasons for this. For one thing, email does not communicate unspoken nuances the way personal communication does. For another, people are often not as "present" when they read email as they are in a real-time meeting. Think about it: How many times have you thought you communicated something perfectly clearly via email, only to have to go over it all again later in person?

    Send email only to those who will want or need to see it. Don't cc: emails about your company's Widget Version 4.0 to people who are not involved in the Widget Version 4.0 project. Don't hit "reply all" if your message is really meant just for the person whose email you're responding to.

    And don't send that forwarded joke about the pope, the rabbi, and the e-business consultant to everyone in the office. Those who don't share your sense of humor - or are too busy to laugh - will lose respect for you over time. Far better to try to spread cheer to a select few who will appreciate it than to everybody.

    Give your email context. A message without context is a message that's likely to be deleted as soon as it's read. There are a number of ways to avoid this. For one thing, you should use your emails' subject lines to make it clear what they're about. Don't say "FYI" when you can say "FYI Widget Version 4.0 Q3 revenue estimates." For another, you should use a salutation at the top of the body of your emails, and include your electronic signature at the bottom; that way, those who are forwarded or cc:ed the email will have an easier time understanding who is speaking to whom and why they are being involved in the conversation. Finally, try to respond to emails by cutting and pasting so that your email contains snippets of earlier emails followed by your specific response to each snippet.

    Spell recipients' names correctly. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised by how often people misspell their coworkers' names. If the person you're sending an email to is named "Kerry," make sure you don't address her as "Kerri." It shows that the recipient is not important enough to you to take the time to address correctly.

    This was written by Eric Wilinski. I am not sure who sent this article to me (via e-mail), but I wanted to be fair and post him as the writer. That is something no one else has ever done for me.


Tuesday, May 25, 2004

26 May's Holiday

May 26th is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day. I don't know who or what came up with this one but it sounds like a good thing to me! I guess I better take advantage of it and head over to the bakery and pick one up.


Sunday, May 23, 2004

Arrogant? Yes - Funny? (from my P.O.V.), Oh yes!

This is another one from years ago. But I think it is funny and normally pisses people off for the arrogance factor. So I am posting it again for no good reason except I think it is smug.

So this is the story...

At a cocktail reception, a man found himself in a small group that included an admiral from each of the two navies. The French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans learned many languages, Americans only learned English. He then asked, "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you have to speak French?" Without even hesitating, the American admiral replied, "Maybe it is because we arranged it so that you did not have to learn to speak German."
The group became silent.

After spending half my life in the Navy, I can see this probably did happen, just not like it says here.


THE THERMODYNAMICS OF HELL

OK, This is a strange little note that I received in an e-mail years ago. I found it again while deleting old data to free up disk space. I would think that it is complete BS, but it is an interesting little story all the same.

Just a reminder, this site is, and always has been rated as "mature for language and content". If your browser was set to filter content, you would not be reading this blog in the first place. So I guess that this whole paragraph is rather a moot point. Besides, I think that the nastiest thing I have ever said in this blog was "Crap". You never know, I could be wrong.

On to the question!

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term. The answer by one student was "so profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course,why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law,(gas cools off when it expands and heats). One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year, "...that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then #2 cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze.

The student received the only "A" given.


Thursday, May 20, 2004

Roofing estimate delayed

When Bridget told me she would not be available for the roofing estimate, that was the first time I heard about her Thursday helping at Ayer Elementary.

I just got off the phone with the roofing company and I am waiting for a callback to see if anyone must be there. I doubt it but I want to talk to the guy about what could be done to stop this problem in the future.


Tuesday, May 18, 2004

OK, Change 2

Well, the shower curtain was not purple after all. It is clear and was sitting on top of a folded bright purple shirt.

Case closed? No way. Now, the arguement is that I don't like it and she has to take it back. Nope, That is not the case. Now that I know it is not purple, it is fine.

The problem I have now is that instead of just saying, "It is not purple" in the first place, she has to argue that it is still the wrong thing and has to take it back. The fact that it is not purple does not even register in her brain. So, she gripes and grunts that I said she should not buy a shower curtain in the first place.

If you think your missing something in this story, your not. I don't get it either.


Well, I don't think I would have chosen that myself

This entry is currently being revised. Please check back in a little while. This thought is not yet complete!

While I was down at Jon's Graduation (for another post later), Bridget bought a new shower curtain. We had discussed it sometime before I left so I didn't think anything else about it.

I returned home and while trudging through the debris, I noticed a new shower curtain. It was a nice one and I thought about the implications of this wondrous new purchase to myself for a moment. I say this because we have a very "resale worthy" paint scheme in the house. In the event we can sell, we would not have much to do in the way of painting or cleaning up major portions of the house. The bathroom is a prime example of this neutral motif. The walls, tub, towels, vanity, toilet, shower enclosure (tiled area), and even the opaque lightbulbs are all white. The tile floor is what I would call a tan-rust-brown combination. Very easy to match to anything in the way of accessories or fixtures. This is where the curtain comes in.

When I first noticed the new shower curtain, I new there was going to be trouble from Bridget. The thing looked very nice. It had a nice texture and looked like it would hang very nicely.....

If the bathroom was a medium to dark Purple!
There in lies the trouble. Not that the color does not go with anything within our home, but that I made her choose something. Yes, the blame for a purple shower curtain is all on me.

But honestly, I doubt that I would have repeated my questions further than "Did you get a new shower curtain", if she had not told me it cost around $25 at J.C.Pennys. Sure, a $7 shower curtain from Wally-World could be any color or theme imaginable, and never cause me a second thought. But for $25, it better match the colors in the bathroom, or wash my back when I get in the shower

I am now the person responsible for making her make a bad decision in the first place. It is not like she could have chosen a color that matches. No, it is my fault. She told me I didn't tell her what to get. OK, call me a fool for allowing an adult to make a common sense decision. Well, that won't happen again.


Wednesday, May 05, 2004

It is not the size that matters, its the wheelbase!

From Yahoo News and Reuters - Mon May 3, 9:04 AM ET

BMW drivers have more sex than owners of any other cars and are much more active than Porsche drivers, a new German car magazine has found. The German magazine 'Men's Car' found in a survey of 2,253 motorists aged 20 to 50 published in its inaugural May issue that male BMW drivers say they have sex on average 2.2 times each week while Porsche drivers have sex 1.4 times per week.
Following BMW drivers were Audi (2.1), Volkswagen (1.9), Ford (1.7) and Mercedes (1.6). Drivers of foreign car makes were also behind BMW with Italian cars (2.0), French (1.9), Japanese (1.8), Swedish (1.6) and Korean cars (1.5) trailing after.
Among women, French car drivers were top with 2.1 times per week followed by Audi (2.0), Italian (2.0), and BMW (1.9) with Porsche again at the bottom of the scale at 1.2 times per week.
Remember this the next time you talk to a friend or co-worker who owns a BMW!

Now I am going to have to ask Pam if it is true. What makes her a special case, (if things are still going on as they were 6 months ago) is she also does all the maintenance and even some of the repairs to her BMW, and she really enjoyed doing it. You would think that a situation like that would make her case much different than someone who just drives their BMW. At least that is the way I am thinking about it. Go Figure!?!


Too much gunk

The mower had so much built up underneath, you could not mow with it. So the kids and I broke out the pressure washer and water blasted the underside of the mower deck. By that time, it was time to go in so I didn't get any more mowed for the day.

Apparently Bree did some mowing today. She used the starter fluid but this time she didn't latch the air cover back down. now one of the connectors is gone. I really hate it when someone does a half-assed job. Especuially, when it is the little tiny simple things that always end up being the big "pain-in-the-ass" events later down the road.

I can literally say what is going to happen. I will tell her that the part is missing. She will blame me for "making" her mow the grass. which is completely beside the point of her losing a simple part by not paying attention. Then I will ask her nicely to go get a replacement part. That will be followed by her bitching for half an hour that if I had not made her go out and start the mower, that this would have never have happened. So, she will complain that I am the one who has to go get the replacement part and that she will not go get it because she is so busy.

I am about 99 and 44/110% sure that this will happen in nearly the same manner as I described. I will let you know if it does work out this way.


I have not heard anything back

Last Friday, I had an interview for a "Senior IT Support Analyst / Programmer". This would be a job I could really appreciate. It has all the things I have done over the last 10 years, but on a smaller scale. That, and it pays well.

Now that I have mentioned it, I probably have jinx'd it. Anyway..... I should hear back from them in about three weeks. It is a government job. That is the reason for the delay in a response.

After all the bad things that have happened over the last few years, I could use a short streak of good luck.


Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Still running

The brakes finally failed on the pickup. everything from the master cylinder back was toast. (no pun intended) It took three days for them to figure out the problem and close to a thousand bucks when it was all through.

The brakes have needed work for a while. I didn't think it was unsafe. but apparently the anti-lock brakes have not worked for about 2 years. I have never had a problem driving it safely. That goes for all weather conditions like snow, rain, ice, or blistering heat.

Why do I have pictures of spark-plugs on the page? Because the plugs were (up to last week) original equipment. And, they had over 220,000 miles on them.


Sunday, May 02, 2004

French Toast

It took four hours, but I finally finished the French Toast Sticks for the kids breakfast. There is enough for them each to have a batch of 12 sticks for the next 18 days if necessary. So your asking "how did he do it?" Well, let me see.....

  • lots of patience,
  • 36 eggs,
  • 4 and a half loaves of bread,
  • One stick of butter,
  • 8 packets of Sweet and Low,
  • 10 teaspoons of cinnamon,
  • Half a bottle of Maple Syrup,
  • 4 Cups of Milk,
  • All that, and a griddle that could do 10 slices of bread at a time.

    I fried them up, poured on a little maple syrup, sliced each piece of bread into 4 slices, and wrapped up 3 slices of bread (or 12 sticks) up for freezing. That way, all the kids have to do it pull out a pack, unwrap them, nuke them for 2 minutes, and they are ready to go. They even have the syrup already on them.

    Hey, it is not Perkins exactly, but they are pretty good all the same.


    Trend Micro Outbreak Game

    Yes, I am a geek. So be it. I did find a neat game. It is very tacky, but not very easy. You really have to be a geek to play it. Yeah, you have to sign in to play. But they will not bother you.

    Heard the terms IDS, firewall, and honeypot, but aren't quite sure what they are or where to use them? No worries. Play this fun game from TrendMicro and learn a bit about viruses and hackers at the same time. (This is a game. It's no replacement for true computer security training or expertise.)
    Have fun. It takes a while to get the hang of. To play, click on the bar a line or two below.


    Brees schedule for the week just came in.

    Bridget just faxed me her schedule. The problem is that I have to put it in three places. That gets old fast. Too bad she can' figure it out.


    You never know what you will find....

    On Friday, I was walking out of the building where I work and noticed a piece of a plastic baggie sitting exactly along the edge of the sidewalk. Normally, people do not pay such things any attention. But for some reason, I did a double take. It was not a piece of wadded up trash. It was rolled up. So I reached down and picked it up. Me thinking as I do, I thought someone had dropped something that they normally take to snack on at one of the long appointments that happen where I work. DOH!

    Well, I have to admit that I didn't expect to find a bag of marijuana. It appeared that someone had this item in their coat pocket and when they pulled out their keys to leave, it fell out. It was in one of those locations you really can't see when the sun is shining. Anyway, someone pissed about being stupid.

    After figuring out what it was, I took it in to the person in charge, and he closed up the baggie and that was that.

    While I was up there in the office area, I mentioned that they could figure out who dropped it because of the angle of the surveillance cameras on the exterior of the building. No one wanted to deal with it so I guess it is the end of that.


    Saturday, May 01, 2004

    Board of Township Trustees of Anderson Township

    BOARD OF TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES OF ANDERSON TOWNSHIP MARCH 18, 2004 Albert F. Peter, Board President Peggy D. Reis, Board Vice President Russell L. Jackson, Jr., Trustee Kenneth G. Dietz, Township Clerk CALL TO ORDER AND MOTION TO RETIRE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION-- 6:30 P.M. Personnel [i.e., Appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official]; Property [purchase of property for public purposes and the sale of property at competitive bidding]; Litigation [i.e., Pending or imminent lawsuits affecting the Township] MOTION TO RETURN TO REGULAR SESSION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – 7:00 P.M. 1. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS a. Anderson Case 2-2004, Stonegate 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. 3. PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS a. Jakaro Drainage Study – SWA Design Group 4. PUBLIC FORUM REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 5. Township Clerk/Trustees a. Oath of Office for Ken Dietz b. 2004 Permanent Summary Budget 6. Law Director/Special Counsel – Fred Kiel/Paul Schuch a. Authorize Execution of Fifth Amendment to Anderson Community Heritage Center Agreement 7. Township Administrator – Henry Dolive a. Announcement: Chamber of Commerce, Citizen of the Year Award Ceremony b. Appointment of Park Commissioner c. Set Date for Records Commission Meeting d. Resolution Releasing Village of Newtown from Paramedic Services Agreement e. Decisions based on Executive Session Discussions 8. Development Services Department – Steve Sievers a. Great American Cleanup Announcement – April 24 9. Sheriff’s Department – Mike Hartzler a. Report on Previous No-Parking Petitions 10. Fire and Rescue Department – Mark Ober 11. Road Maintenance Department – Richard Shelley a. Set Public Auction for Surplus Equipment 12. LATE ISSUES NEXT TELEVISED BOARD MEETING April 15, 2004, 7:00 P.M. (citizens should call 474-5560 to confirm)