8 Year Blogiversary!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this here blog thingy is now eight years old. Along the way, I've posted over 11,000 posts, most of them originals (though occasionally re-runs). I've gone from having no focus, to merely a constantly shifting one. I've gone from occasional hobbyist blogger, to obsessed prolific blogger, to burned-out blogger, and back to basically occasional hobbyist.

So, it's funny to note that the day before yesterday marked my eighth anniversary during a time when I'm really not blogging all that much. And it's especially ironic, since now that I'm temporarily sort of retired from the job force (I'll be back, folks, just not yet!), I actually am freed up to blog pretty much unimpeded, I've fallen back to an average of less than a post per day! I blame that on two things, a lack of structure in my schedule at the moment, and in a general lack of focus on my part. Both things drove my blogging schedule in the past. Now, oddly enough, there is no schedule but still lots to do, and I find myself on projects, chores, errands, and then my evening feels like "me time." I know the complaint sounds weird when I have barely a part-time gig on the side to occupy my "work time." Most people should have such problems. Trust me though, free time has a way of filling up.

Anyway, that's a long way to go to tell you that while my output has been a bit skimpy, I have no plans to shutter the blog. Several of my favorite bloggers have either closed up shop, or intend to do so soon. I plan to keep this thing going, even if it is just my occasional place to rant. It's not like I have a massive audience of daily readers, right? I figure, any repeat business I have managed are people who just like to see what I have to say about things on a given subject, and in that area, they will generally find something I've had to say.

I'll continue to comment on the important happenings as they strike my fancy. I may end up bringing back a few features that I've allowed to lag, and I'll more than likely increase my output as the presidential race picks up steam. I'm quite sure the SCOTUS rulings in a couple of weeks will bring me online, and I know that I can't stay away for long.

So, apologies in the unlikely event that there are any readers out there who want me to write more often, but also a promise that I'm not going anywhere either. There may be days at a stretch with no new material, there may be too many posts in a row on a given subject, and I may have a month with 17 new posts in it, but I will be back! I mean, I have a habit of talking to and arguing with myself anyway, so I might as well do so in a way that doesn't appear nuts. Right?

Thanks for reading. I'll make more.

Greenlee Gazette Takes Vacation from Vacationing. . .

Funny, right? I'm going on "vacation" from my life as a layabout.  I should have been blogging my arse off over the past several weeks, having taken a break from working for a while. And given how many huge newsworthy events are going on right now, ridiculous that I haven't been more prolific. And now? I'm going away for a family wedding with The Other Half! Holy crap, am I ever going to get this blog going full steam again? Well, yes. But not right now.

I will very likely be posting soon though, because we've got a huge Supreme Court argument coming up, and crazy developments in the 2016 presidential race. There's gonna be stuff to talk about. I'll find time, as soon as I can. Honest.

Back to Ohio: Changes Afoot at Greenlee Gazette

See, here's the thing, kids. Mommy and Daddy aren't breaking up, and it's not your fault. But we are moving. We're Leaving Las Vegas, and moving on. After 20 years in the desert, and about 17 since the original experiment almost uprooted me, I've decided that the Mojave has given me all it's going to. I'll miss friends made here, and those who made the initial journey with me. There is no doubt of that. But there comes a time when "home" shifts. And "home" is now moving eastward.

I will always have a soft spot for Lost Wages. And as long as my adopted family members here in the valley remain, I'll always want to come visit. But when they've gone as well? I doubt that Vegas will hold much interest for me. I quit gambling accidentally when I quit smoking at the end of 2010. Most of the tourist traps never got me. I avoid those areas like the plague already. But I do cross Las Vegas Boulevard almost every single day. I can see Mandalay Bay and Luxor from my office window. I came here when Luxor was birthed, and helped with the delivery, along with that of Stratosphere, New York-New York and more. Las Vegas will be in my blood for a long time.

But 2,000 miles eastward lies the Buckeye State, the land of my origins. My bio- and step- parental units reside there (when they're not sunning in very separate sites in Florida), as do my siblings and one of The Other Half's sisters. How weird is that? Couple that with the facts that a) all of the rest of the family is within a day's drive of central Ohio, and b) that the remaining nieces and nephews are growing up so fast, we almost can't keep up? No brainer. Since we found ourselves in a position where we can afford to go? We're going.

I'm going to have to start at least pretending that
this means something to me.

However, dear reader, the fact of the matter is, all of these changes makes daily blogging a challenge! Not only are we preparing for a total upheaval in our lives (beyond the unfortunate termination of a beloved family pet), we're also running out the remaining days of both long-term careers, jostling the holidays (our last set), and trying mightily to squeeze in every last gathering we can with beloved friends. The period between now--early December, 2014--and the end of the first month of 2015, are going to be packed solid.

I will continue blogging throughout. I'll likely track our journey, our eventual arrival, and everything along the way and after. Greenlee Gazette will survive, and continue, becoming an Ohio-based blog. I'd be foolish to think this concerns more than a handful of people, if that. Though I have a small following, it's unlikely very many people care where I am. And I suppose that really says it all. My career is likely to become almost completely location irrelevant. Why shouldn't the blog?

One thing that will go by the wayside is the What Happens in Vegas feature. But I suppose it wasn't appointment viewing in the first place. I might come up with a Useless Nut feature for my new Buckeye status. But largely, things will remain the same. I'm leaving this post up, may update it, and may future-date it, just so that people realize that there is a transition going on. But I'll be both back. . .and never really leave. I'm just moving! Come with me? We've got eight or ten weeks to get there. Thanks!

I've Been a Little Busy. . .

Oh, hi! Didn't see you there. Yeah, I know, nothing new in a couple of days. Such is the life of the hobbyist blogger: life gets in the way. Between social obligations, a house guest and our renewed home improvement efforts, blogging has just not been possible. And here I sit at ten past midnight, with nothing up since Sunday.

I'll be back! Probably tomorrow, with an unexpected day off from work, due to Veteran's Day and a slowdown in projects. So, maybe this here blog thingy will see some action on Tuesday. So, until then. . .

 

Back from Vacation, Blogging Resumes Monday Night!

Why not return tonight if I'm back? Well, the picture might be an indication. While it's great that the time zone difference from Eastern to Pacific gives us a little buffer when we return from a trip, it adds three hours to our day. And that's on a travel day where you're usually up early to begin with. Tired. Very tired. Even though it's still early.

So, since this here thingy is a hobby and not a job, I'm calling it a vacation day, and pushing my "return" to Monday. And that is assuming that my return to work doesn't wipe me out!

Off to bed!

Back to Ohio: Greenlee Gazette on Vacation

Sadly, I will not be having this sort of vacation.

Greenlee Gazette is going on hiatus until the middle of October. Vacation does not officially start for another day, but there is too much to do, and too much going on to contribute more tonight. This will be the longest break I've taken in the seven-plus years history of the blog. The reason for this is simple: this is a hobbyist blog, and it's a lot of work for no pay. Though I still enjoy doing it, and plan to keep going with it, I no longer feel the obligation to post multiple posts every day. I've already dialed back my weekends--as most other blogs do--and now have decided that this vacation is a vacation.

That doesn't mean that I won't pop something up if I have the time and interest, or if some huge event happens. But most likely, you're going to see a static page here over the next two weeks. Don't get any ideas if you're an internet-savvy thief: we have a house sitter! But I'm going to let him watch the house (and the cat), and I'm going to let the blog go mostly idle for the duration. I will alert my good friend Reverend Stu', and see if he's so inclined to contribute while I'm away. If he is, you're in for a treat. But if he doesn't, just tune in on the back half of October. I'll be back!

In the mean time, I will be visiting family, driving across at least three states while the leaves change, and maybe even scouting for a new home base, for an eventual change of venue.

Thanks folks. See you when frost is on the pumpkin.

Behind the Blogger: A Malware Infestation at Greenlee Gazette

I'm a computer guru. I'm not professionally trained, but I'm naturally inclined toward tweaking and poking around in computer settings and whatnot. I'm "that guy" you call when your computer is doing weird things or is on the fritz. 99% of the time, I can either fix it, or tell you what to do to fix it. I've been using Windows computers since they were MS-DOS computers. But what does the guru do when he's got a problem?

Every so often, even I get a problem. I can get complacent, trust something I ought not, accidentally clicked the wrong thing, or even have gotten suckered by a warning that looked real, but wasn't. Usually, I realize my error quickly, and reverse course. I know a lot of the tricks of the trade to restore things to normal without too much fuss.

Two things have plagued me that have no known source of infection, and one even happened both at home and at work. That first one was a very strange audio anomaly. Commercials would play over the speakers with no program running them. They would be both in English and in foreign languages, and they would eventually pile one on top of the other until it was an unintelligible cacophony. I could isolate the audio on my mixer settings and silence them, but eventually all of the processing power would be leached away. It was maddening. But, after running the proper tools (Malwarebytes), using the Googles to isolate the proper files in the registry, and slogging through the guts of the computer, I killed the problem. And again at home.

I still don't know what it was, or how I got it. And to be truthful, I'm not sure what the final thing was that worked. Funny how that goes, you try so many things, you can't remember the sequence. Anyway, though I slayed that beast, there is a new one plaguing me the last two days.

First, I should explain that I run dual monitors, and I am usually running Internet Explorer 11, Firefox and AOL at the same time (AOL?!? Yeah, I know. Shut up, it's how I work, okay?). And this new demon affects both AOL--and get this--FIREFOX. Not IE. It's working just fine. No, this one is throwing up random ads from Firefox and AOL, for both bogus and real products. Sometimes it's TuneUp Utilities, a program that used to be very helpful but bloomed into a nuisance, sometimes it's WIX.com. Other times it's for very shady programs that cause the very thing I'm trying to get rid of. And sometimes, it's bogus upgrade notices for video players I don't even have, to the point of attempting to start downloads of the programs.

It's driving me bananas. I've gone through my bag of tricks. I'm using Windows 8.1, so I've got Windows Defender already. I've run Malwarebytes several times. I installed and ran Avast! I've tried SUPERAntiSpyware. All of these programs found problems and allegedly cleaned them. And the problem remains exactly the same. No change. Presently, I'm going into my old bag of tricks, a program called SpyBot Search & Destroy, something I haven't used for years. But I'm desperate! I'm really not sure what to try next. At present, this problem doesn't seem particularly dangerous, it's just incredibly annoying.

So, I'm sending this out to the universe, in the hopes someone stumbles upon it via Google or Bing. Any help will be appreciated. And also, could someone please tell me what purpose this crap serves in the first place? It's garbagy, clunky, obviously crap stuff popping up. I can't imagine it fooling a neophyte. A lot of work must go into this kind of malware. But how in the world is it worth it? If their aim is simply to torment and annoy, then mission accomplished. But if the aim is leaching money from people, they really must be trolling for dummies. Because if I wasn't a guru? I'd throw my hands up and call "that guy" to just come fix it.

UPDATED: I should also say that whatever is going on, in both AOL and Firefox, ordinary ads that appear on websites have been replaced with really ugly, very cheesy "your computer is running slow," "Microsoft certified"-type ads with blinking "click here" and "PLAY"-type buttons. We're talking 90s-style, wouldn't-fool-an-idiot ads. These are very annoying also.

Unexpected Work Night: No Blogging Updates

Sometimes it happens when you have two jobs: you have to shift work to a weeknight, and your hobby gets the heave-ho! If I stumble upon something between now and Wednesday night, I'll post it. If not, I'll see you then!

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Broken Record: Computer Woes Continue (And I know it's Boring!)

Arrrggghhh!!! I know that Greenlee Gazette has been sparse and a bit boring, but those computer problems I keep boring you with? They continue.

Today, I decided I'd had enough with my portable cloud drive, and decided to replace it. I suspect that much of the problem has that as its root. But getting all of that data off of there, with a computer that I suspect is hobbled by that device. . .oy.

So, I won't go into any more detail unless I solve my problems and can help others with the information. Instead, I'm going to try to get a few things up on the blog while I attempt CPR on my business computer! Wish me luck!

Computer Woes: Glitches Galore with Windows 8.1!

I haven't had time to blog tonight because I had a (semi-self-created) computer problem with my brand new PC. I'm not sure if I should blame this on Windows 8.1 Preview, AOL, or the fact that I still use AOL. But I'm used to it, and I do.

The problem stemmed from AOL email, which for some reason was displaying with no header (time, date, sender, receiver, etc.). This was annoying me, so I went in search of an answer. Suggestions were to try rebooting (I did), re-download the software (I did), and if that doesn't work, uninstall the software, and reinstall it. Okey-dokey, no problem.

I ran the AOL Uninstaller program, selected all three elements of the AOL software, and ran the uninstall. AOL asked my why, I told them, and I rebooted. But guess what? No internet on reboot. Like at all. I ran troubleshooters, I searched through settings, nothing. And when I finally figured out Windows 8's device manager, I discovered that AOL's virtual connection was still there, but dysfunctional. And undeletable. I dug a Cat-5 cable out of the closet, plugged directly into the wireless (ha!) router, and still had to futz around for 10 minutes to actually get online.

Long story short, I got AOL reinstalled, I fixed the virtual connection, I still have no wireless connection (which isn't really a big deal, but is irritating), and the emails? Still have no headers. And this took roughly two hours. I actually have less functionality, and no progress. My rep as a PC guru may be in danger, but this all goes into my mental database for the future. I just wonder if I'll ever resolve the wireless situation, should I ever actually need it.

Blogging to come, maybe. Or maybe tomorrow. I'm pooped!

Back to Blogging on Tuesday Night!

It's been a pretty spotty summer--particularly July--here at Greenlee Gazette. I know, and I'm sorry. But for most of the next six days, The Other Half will be away. And my struggles with computer upgrades (particularly Windows 8--oy!) will be down to a dull roar. It's taken all of my Monday time though, so I'm just going to leave you with this Maru video to tide you over. Back soon!

 

Progress Report: Computer Transition Under Way

The goal: a) Get new computer up to snuff as a blogging and graphics machine, b) Convert my old computer to The Other Half's computer, c) make sure we both have everything we want from the old machines without needlessly cluttering our new ones.

I'm at least halfway done, with each computer in its proper place (the Other Half's old one is presently set up on the coffee table until it is put to pasture). Files are partly backed up, but not moved off of the external device. And I discovered the pleasure of multi-screens!!!

One of these days. . .

But I've gotten too excited too quickly. I started with an older, non-widescreen flat panel from the closet, next to my huge 27" monitor. And it works pretty great! But that old monitor is not particularly clear, and not particularly attractive. The extended display space is really, really nifty. So, I thought, why not get the older 22" from the Other Half's old computer? Great idea. It's big, it should be just the ticket.

Unlucky me, there is no Windows 8 driver for it. And every website that purports to have one looks extra dodgy. So, I'll either rough it with the old 19" or just stick to one panel at a time until I feel I can justify the price of a second, modern monitor. But now that I have a taste? I've got to tell you, I want it!

UPDATE: It occurs to me, that since I'm blogging this to the whole world, it couldn't hurt to put the name and model of my old monitor out there, just in case there's a techie out there who has happened by. It's an Envision G22LWk. Drop me a line if anyone has an idea how to make it work. I mean, I've gotten several other, supposedly incompatible things to work!

Upgrades at Greenlee Gazette

While I usually have less bloggng on weekends, by this time (currently 8:30ish on Sunday night), I've started getting some new stories up. So, what's the deal? Well, though I've only had my most recent desktop PC since late 2011, I went and got a new one!

See, I'm the techie in the family. And besides the blog, I have a freelance graphics business. So, even though it's The Other Half's computer (circa 2006) that is at death's door, it makes no sense to give him a brand new computer. He was really Mr. Complainy-pants about it before he left on his trip, so I decided to "start looking into" getting a new system for myself, and to hand-me-down my old one to him.

So, I hit Sam's Club, to see if there were any markdowns. There weren't. Okay, so I'll go take a look at the floor models, see what things are going for, get an idea of what I'm in for. I found a Dell (tower only) that had the bells and whistles I'd want, for $799. I looked at a couple more, some all-in-one with touchscreens (not good enough, or too pricey), a couple of budget models (Pentium chips? Really?), and then happened upon an $899 HP, with a 27" monitor. Hello, gorgeous. Nice size!

But I figured, with that big monitor, there must be a scaled down set of specs. But looky here, it's $125 off, from late June to July 21. Today. I wanted to do at least cursory study on this before plunking down my Discover card. Since I'd left my phone at home, I memorized the stock number (19. 45. 81. 19-45-81. 194581. Over and over). I looked it up at home, and was impressed. I looked up the tower-only one, and compared them. Still favorable. I decided I'd better compare the AMD chip in the one I wanted with the others Intel i5. It was a little less powerful, but only a teeny bit. And there was that 27" monitor! Back to the store I went, and now I'm typing this blog post on it.

But I'm far from done. I presently have the new one set up next to the old one. I've got The Other Half's computer backing up to the external drive. I've got my old one backing up. I've started converting my old one to his new one. And I'm putting everything I need on the new computer. Let me tell you, it's a lot of work! So, blogging tonight may be reduced, or non-existent while I finish up.

Greenlee Gazette Back Online Soon!

Hey, everybody! The past two weeks, and especially the last 4 days have seen little to no activity on the blog. Those last 4 days have been my longest total absence from the blog in the 6+ years I've been writing it. Every other time I've taken a break, I've "seeded" the blog with time-release posts, and enlisted the help of others to fill out the space. This time, I decided you all would forgive me if I just took a total break. And given the seemingly "half on" blogosphere over these few days, I think I wasn't totally alone. But I'm back this evening, or Monday at the latest, with stories and posts that irritate my mother! --Editor

A Word from the Editor

Greenlee Gazette--you may have noticed--has been a little sparse of late. And that will continue for the next several days. Obligations, work, family and friends have conspired to monopolize my time, and leave very little for blogging. All should be back to normal by about July 8, but for now? There's not going to be much in the way of new stuff. I'm going to put up something new every chance I get, but it will be a trickle rather than a flood. So, if you don't find something new, please come back soon! Thanks.

UPDATE:   Here it is, the night before a trip home, and I should be in bed. Or blogging. But my brain is fried. Crammed too much into the early part of the week, and need to decompress. While I'm Back to Ohio, I will be blogging a little. When I have the chance, I'll sneak away, and see what's going on. In the mean time, Happy Independence Day, everybody!

Blogiversary: 10,000 Posts! 70 Months! I'm Still Here!

It's been a long time since I wrote one of these self-congratulatory, back-patting posts. And truth is, I'm a little bit late. This is actually my 10,034th post. But you know, there have been a fair amount of repeats in there along the way. But since I almost always include updates and additions even to reruns, I'm going to count it!

My mission at Greenlee Gazette has always been a bit fuzzy, which is probably why I don't garner a heavy following out there on the internets. I'm happy for every set of eyeballs I get, and truthfully would probably get stage fright if I ever broke through to big numbers. But I'm still having fun, even if it isn't quite as prolific fun as my first couple of years. In those days, I posted everything in a frenzy of blogging. But as the years go by, you get more discriminating, and there are more outlets (Facebook, Twitter, both of which I discovered years after the blog started), and more demands on my time.

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I still spend an obscene amount of time in front of my computer(s). And my political angst-o-meter is somewhere between the boiling rage I was feeling during the waning days of the Bush years, and the placid relief I felt after President Obama was first elected. I've even felt relief when going back over some of my early posts, that even though I was a sufferer of Bush Derangement Syndrome, it was a far more honest and reasonable disorder than I see in the right's Obama Derangement Syndrome. I was even fair to Dubya when gas prices spiked to over $4, and the country was wigging out.

So, no, the Obama Era isn't perfect, though I never painted him as a messiah. There's still plenty to bitch about, whether it is disappointment with Harry Reid's lack of spine, or whatever right-wing wacko is calling gay people evil. And of course there are fun things to talk about, and pleasant distractions. I struggle to balance the serious stuff with some good ol' frivolity, to the point that I've actually had complaints that I'm not "newsy" enough. But I'll continue to put up new installments of Blast from the Past every weekend, whenever I have time.

So, as long as Google is still supporter the Blogger format, and I still get a couple hundred readers a day, I'll continue this little hobby. As always, thanks for stopping by, and please bring your friends!

S'cuse Me, I's Bin Bizzy

Schedule has been crammed. . .no time to blog. Back later today! I hope!

What Was It???

Was it Porn?... Guns?... Hookers?... Blow?... Oh yeah...

The Stupid Monkey would like to offer a heartfelt apology to our Dear Editor for the failed assignment...

On another note: I would like to congratulate my stupid monkey brain for finally remembering what it was I was supposed to do.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Greenlee Gazette Predicted Election Perfectly!

On the day before Tuesday's election, I put up an election prediction. More precisely, I put up two: 1) a happy-clappy, wished for best case scenario, and 2) a second--what I deemed "more realistic" one. Turns out that America is just as happy clappy as I am! With the Mitt Romney concession of Florida today, it turns out I was exactly correct. I even beat Nate Silver! And the right-wing media? Trashed 'em all. You heard it here!

My prediction from before the election: