Command line reboot.

Do you run XP? Do you reboot your box at least weekly? If you setup a scheduled task using the following command line, you can save yourself some headaches.

1. Go in through the administrator account to make this up. That way, it will run no matter who is logged in at the time it kicks-off.

   It will also be beneficial if you set this up on your clients, parents, or friends machines. They will not even know it is running and that way they can't complain to you when it runs in the middle of match of Unreal or Neverwinter Nights. Take into consideration that 99% of the people never remember 10 minutes after you inform them of the change. Be sure that you document this somewhere so you can tell them "I told you so" when they do complain "the computer restarts (fill in the blank) every day/week and I can't figure out why."

2. Create a batch file and place it either in the root of "C:" or in a maintenance directory. I have a directory on every machine I operate or work on called "c:\maintenance". This is where I put all my batch files or maintenance items. It is consistent across all my machines or systems of others I work on.

   C:\WINNT\system32\shutdown.exe -r -f -c "The system is shutting down as a maintenance item, To cancel, go to Start, Programs, Shutdown_Cancel. You have 90 seconds to get your shit together, and you better be quick about it! " -t 120

If your having problems with this one, e-mail me and I will send you all the files and how to set it up. Unless your learning how XP works, don't waste your time messing with it.

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Its all relative?

While swimming at the YMCA, I had a youngster swim up and start talking. He was a nice enough kid. A little large, but nice in manner and spoke like he knew me for a long time. You don't get that very much at our YMCA, so I continued the conversation. We proceeded to talk about what we were both doing at the Y, etc... I told him about the kids, which were swimming around the shallow end. He in turn told me he was just learning to swim and could not go any deeper.

This was no little kid. He was only about 12 or so, but he probably weighed in at about 300+ pounds. I think one of the reasons he wanted to talk, is that I spoke to him like he was just like everyone else I speak to. I doubt that most people treated him with much kindness because I would guess most judge him by his size, not his personality. From the reaction(s) he made when I asked him how he liked swimming in the big pool, I doubt anyone had talked to him much during his visit. I could not see a band around his wrist so I could not tell if he was there for day camp or not. It was not brought up in the conversation, so I didn't ask. We can leave that for the next time I talk to him, if I see him around later on.

Back to the conversation. While we were paddling around, he had pointed out his girlfriend. He said, with a rather proud tone that she was smiling and waving at him, "Shes big, like me!". I told him, "That doesn't matter, its all relative." He immediately replied, "Yeah, all my relatives are big too!" I do not thik he understood why I was smiling.

Hopefully, we can continue the conversation in the future.

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Letter of acceptance received

Today, I received my letter of acceptance from AMDG for their Railroad Conductor Training Program. I start on July 5th. I have to fill out some paperwork tomorrow but that should be a piece of cake.

With all the disparaging and degrading things that are happening in the Information Technology world, I don't want continue to be caught in the downward spiral of layoffs, pay cuts, and back stabbing. The stress of being laid off is very debilitating to me.

This is going to be a fresh start where I can get a new start and get in with an old technology which should prosper in the next few decades with the way the world is going. I have to start studying the signals and such before I get to the class. That way, I can be ahead of the situation and get the other things I need to learn out of the way easier and faster than the rest.

If things keep going as they are with fuel prices and all the other associated rising costs of transporting goods, the railroads will have to take up the slack with an infrastructure already built to take on at least 300% more freight traffic.

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Good to sweat (a lot)

While I was working outside today, I did some work around the yard I am happy about. I moved and stacked about 2 cords of wood. Sure, I only moved it about 70 feet, but 20 feet of that is uphill to another platu above. I moved all of it from an area in the bottoms of the lower meadow. I had intended to go along the back side of the cemetary but changed my mind to put it in line with the other 3 cords.

It was very enjoyable to sweat a lot while doing it. I was in shade most of the time but it was still in the mid 80s so I did clear out some toxins in the process.

One bad problem is that I have a fair case of Poision Oak on my hands but the wood had to be moved.

There are about 40 trees that I know can come down easily. Most are close to the wood storage area too. I will have to drop four trees first to make a storage shelf about 20 feet long. I figure I will notch them like a log cabin wall and put four logs across 3 sleepers. That should be rather easy, if I can get a bit of help in maneuvering the cross pieces. If nothing else, I can move them with the truck and my block and tackle. Bree can help rig it out. Shoot, we could probably do a lot that way without any help. The only help we get is from Ian and Melissa next door and that is enough for most major work.

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"Information Technology" does it to its own again!

Here is just one more reason to abandon Information Technology as a career. This is just another nail in the "IT" coffin.

Click on the separator bar below to read the article.

Fifth Third Bancorp plans to shift about 80 jobs next month from its information-technology operations to Pomeroy IT Solutions Inc. as part of a new outsourcing deal with the Hebron-based computer services firm.

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By Richard: Tuesday Entry

Yesterday my family and I cut down some trees. Then I went inside and got my Mom a popsicle. Then I came out side and I saw a whole swarm of cicadas. So I ran to give my Mom her popsicle then I pointed it out to her and her reaction was she screamed for at least thirty seconds. Then we came in because the horse flies were coming out.

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By Richard: Monday

We went to the libary and I checked out a book called "Medicine" it is awesome! After that we cleaned up the living room and hallway. Then we went to the YMCA.

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By Richard: Sunday

Sunday, We didn't go to church since it was in the afternoon, Dad needed to do some resumes and Mom had to go to work. We helped Dad clean up the house. Later, we went swimming at the YMCA because Dad was going crazy and needed a break bad.

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Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

This speech was given November 19, 1863 on the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA. My personal opinion is that everyone in the United States should be required to read this very short, but important speech at least once every three years. Just to keep things in perspective on what is right and what is wrong. If you do not understand what I mean, you probably don't understand what is being said in the speech.

If you need this speech in another language, "click here"

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war...testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate...we cannot consecrate... we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . . that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom..and that government of the people...by the people...for the people... shall not perish from this earth.

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Washing her hair

There is nothing more relaxing to me than washing my daughters hair. One, because she has that very fine blonde hair that makes you take your time. Since she is my daughter, this really makes me feel like I am a real father. The thought that she will eventually grow up and move out, and all those parent things is always in my mind. The idea that this will never happen again makes every time I wash her hair even more special.

Ok, the fact that I don't have a hair on my head does not really come into it. But it is something I used to enjoy. In High school, I had a girlfriend who had beautiful, silky hair and really took care of it to the nth degree.

For some reason (which I still can't figure out), she loved to have me sit down by the stationary tubs in her basement and she would wash my hair over and over. I had shoulder length hair then, so it was really a two hour (+) ordeal every time. I remember it so vividly. She would always talk to me about what was going on in her life like I didn't know her (like someone who does your hair in a salon). I never said anything, I just listened all the while she gently performed her task of "Lather, Rinse, Repeat".

That is something I truly miss. Not because she is no longer in my life, but that my hair is no longer worth the effort of more than three minutes and a towel dry. Shoot, most of the time I just shave my head now so shampoo is rarely needed. Now its "Shave, Towel dry, moisturizer" and what is the fun in that?

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