"Music Only" for your iTunes playlists

iTunes smart playlists 101.

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Blood Elf and Draenei Char Screens

All the modifications you can make to the 2 new races.

Disc Golf Traning

Discraft Disc Golf Clinic: Forehand Drives

1000 hours of practice and this technique can be yours...

Intricate Steps of How to Hack Into a Computer

Here is a huge map that pretty much shows you all possible ways to gain entrance into a system. From finding exploits and scanning ports to password cracking. It shows all the likely paths you can take to hack into a computer and/or test out it's security.

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Roy Flying High in New Curator Gig

Roy Gilliand is the new curator of the N.C. Aviation Museum. In a past life, he taught me a few things about how to treat people and EMS, although never CPR. I am proud to know this man. He defines integirty like no other person I have known. Congrats on the new position.

Check out the story...
http://www.wral.com/news/9459685/detail.html

Otis Kick

Watch closely to see Otis kick Sophie out of the way...It was not a dodge, but a kick

Ninja Flash Game

I was working today. I promise.

Original Post:
Excellent flash game about a ninja. One of those games that gets passed around the office, and just has to be played at least once in your life.

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First Disc Golf Post

My first post about disc golf. First, let me say that is not dork sport as my wife calls it. "Frisbee for people with no friends." Why no friends?, I asked. "Because, if you had friends they could catch the Frisbee." By the way, she has played and liked it. So there!

I am not good by any stretch but you have to love a sport that combines the skill of Frisbee, the leisure of bowling (cigarettes and beer optional but not inappropriate.), the rules of golf, and the price of hackey sack.

There are several courses in the Charlotte Area. The www.pdga.org site does a good job of keeping up with them. I have played Renaissance Park and Winthrop Lakefront. Reny is by far the most technical I have been to, much like the mtn. bike course which sometimes crosses. It makes you tired. Hiking (and I do mean hiking the course) is a workout in itself for the weekend warrior. The course is well marked making it a breeze to navigate. I have lost a couple discs in the rough and actually found one. (Todd Stewart, Todd Stewart, I have your distance driver.)

Winthrop was a nice easy course that goes around the lake on Winthrop's campus. The Lakefront course is a little hard to navigate since the disccatchers are marked for the gold course, I think. There are also engraved marble plaques with hole numbers and distances planted in the ground which no longer seem to be valid for figured out anything. Oh and here is picture of a duck about to peck at my buddy's shoe...
He chased us at hole 9 and 10. We also met some guys who had actually built dredging equipment from old bike parts and couple hundred feet of nylon rope. The toss in the multi hooked apparatus and pull it across the lake looking for lost discs that they sell on eBay or keep for themselves. One guy had found 11 that week alone. We are pretty bad but we did manage to keep our discs out of the lake.

Conversation with a Canadian

Ever wonder the difference between the Sunnis and Shia but you don't want to do the research? I got the break down from Canadian friend. I was also too lazy to summarize our conversation, but I did clean up the worst of the typos and take out some of the idle disc golf banter. Enjoy!


Session Start (phalston:canada): Thu Jun 08 09:42:59 2006
[09:42] canada: they ca[u]ght another terrorist in an election year
[09:43] canada: first sadaam, miraculously
[09:43] canada: in 2 years they will need osama
[09:43] canada: he is safe until then
[09:43] phalston: and gay marriage is bad again...
[09:43] phalston: smells like spin
[09:43] canada: on even numbered years, let us be reminded that the government is an agent of God
[09:44] phalston: I am going to quote you on that
[09:44] canada: might as well ban dating as well
[09:44] phalston: hey we are not Iran
[09:44] canada: but if the government can decide th[a]t God has defined marriage for the secular country
[09:45] phalston: Did you know there were 500,000 Iranian living S. California
[09:45] canada: beverly hills baby
[09:45] phalston: I had no idea...
[09:45] canada: not many know that iranians are not considered arab
[09:46] phalston: what?
[09:46] canada: theyre like a bosnia tacked on t[he] side o[f] europe
[09:46] phalston: really?
[09:46] canada: not even the same language
[09:47] phalston: which language?
[09:47] canada: farsi/persian
[09:47] canada: its not arabic you hear on the sound bites
[09:47] canada: few heavy H or KH sounds
[09:47] canada: religion is slightly diff as well
[09:47] canada: hence the sunni shia crap
[09:48] canada: only Shia country around
[09:48] phalston: I don't remember the diff
[09:48] canada: youve heard of the prophet muhammad
[09:48] canada: no shia sunni during the life of
[09:49] canada: upon death, a question arose, who would be the leader fo the religion.. the guy who keeps it flourishing
[09:50] phalston: okay
[09:50] canada: one side said that the companions (Khalifs) who were the closest and most knowledgable fiends and observers of the prophet
[09:50] canada: the other side said that it should be a bloodline
[09:50] canada: i.e. the cousin of the prophet, Ali
[09:51] canada: the khalif group faught a battle/war with the Ali group
[09:51] canada: Ali was beheaded in the fight
[09:51] canada: khalifs won
[09:51] canada: Khalifs served as a type of "pope" for about 7 successions then the concept faded
[09:52] canada: on the side, in a separate exiled place, the Ali group decided to follow their leader based on bloodline still
[09:52] canada: the [A]li group became Shia
[09:52] canada: the Khalif Group became sunni
[09:52] canada: Sunni now 80% of islam, Sha about 20% of islam
[09:53] canada: shia = iran, most of iraq
[09:53] canada: sunni = saudi, jordan,
[09:53] canada: pakistan = split
[09:53] canada: and so on
[09:53] canada: sadaam = sunni, while rest of iraq = shia.. hence the violence it is payback
[09:53] phalston: diff in beliefs?
[09:54] canada: the only believe is not in the message, or the practice, it was who you followed generations back
[09:54] canada: i.e. my grand pappy voted for Kerry, and yours voted for bush
[09:54] canada: slight differences in belief developed
[09:55] canada: shia believe that Ali, the guy who was beheaded will arise again and lead them to victory over someone
[09:55] canada: the emphasis was shifted off the prophet, who is the main guy, onto his cousin
[09:56] phalston: that sounds blasph[e]mous?
[09:56] canada: you ever seen images of people doing self mutilation in the streets ?
[09:56] phalston: yeah
[09:56] canada: shia.. trying to prove they are close to ali in suffering
[09:56] canada: every year on th[e] ann[i]versary of the death, they tell the story of the battle, the same story
[09:57] canada: the men and women wail, scream, cry as if it happened this morning... to prove that they are close to him
[09:57] canada: in a way he become[s] a saint
[09:57] phalston: so the "insurgency" is Sunni?
[09:57] canada: thats what they say i dont get it
[09:58] phalston: well it would explain why they don't seem to care who they kill if most are Shia
[09:58] canada: unless it is sunni sadaam employees who are tryin to restore the small 20[%] sunni population back to power as sadaam had given them
[09:58] canada: other than the ali thing
[09:58] canada: were the same
[09:58] canada: same book
[09:59] canada: same belies in God
[09:59] canada: same beliefs in the Prophet

Actual Work being Done...

[10:08] phalston: How does the Taliban fit in?
[10:08] canada: relig[i]ous zealots who managed to find a we[a]k country to run
[10:09] canada: imagine of pat robertson decided to run for governor of alabama
[10:09] canada: say he wins
[10:09] canada: in a more corrupt system, he would gain momentum riding on the christian ideals that suit him
[10:09] phalston: ahh, but are they sunni, shia or just something else
[10:10] canada: the "else" catagory is only 5% .. insignificant
[10:10] canada: afghanistan borders iran, i bet its mixed
[10:10] phalston: taliban is mixed?
[10:13] canada: i thi[n]k it is iran supported
[10:13] canada: im not sure
[10:13] phalston: Ah, so side project to see if they can have pure religious state...
[10:14] canada: the thing about afghanistan is that so many warriors or "Jihadhi" were in teh country since hte 80's, the taliban is litterally a mercinary group with nobody to fight
[10:14] canada: they faught the USSR for years
[10:14] canada: one thing you gotta k[n]ow about shia, i[s] they are capable of cutting themselves with swords.... from the age of 13, youre messing with people who have no fear of death
[10:15] canada: they scared of the russians, who left a po[w]er vac[c]uum
[10:15] canada: but you see then, the taliban werent considered Terroristic Islamic Fundamentalists
[10:15] canada: then they were US allies in the fight v the Soviets
[10:16] phalston: so you are?
[10:16] canada: sunni
[10:16] canada: sunni / shia intermarry all the time
[10:17] canada: the diff isnt substantial among intelligent people
[10:17] phalston: so in a normal day, yo[ur] shia buddies don't say "[Y]ou know Ali will be back" and punch you in the ribs
[10:18] phalston: ?
[10:18] canada: hehe
[10:18] canada: non issue

House rejects Net neutrality rules

Which means there will be no more sites like Digg.com and many more like it, where it's free for the users. Imagine having to pay your broadband expenses and pay to surf almost every site which doesn't have anything to sell to us.

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How to make your own "SmackBook"

The video that just showed up today displayed a modified Desktop Manager with AMSTracker to use the sudden motion sensor to toggle desktop switching. Here's the code used, and how to modify it yourself.

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Hold your spit cups high, we have arrived as a World Class City...

Sponsored by a NC Grocery Chain Food Lion and featuring MC Hammer and Quiet Riot, Charlotte has really pulled out all the stops for Memorial Day weekend.

The family friendly NASCAR event, Speedstreet 600, is the kickoff party for the CocaCola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It took me an extra 25 minutes to get into work uptown but it is welcome revenue for the city, not to mention a Smoked Turkey Leg wrapped in foil. I am not a big NASCAR fan. I see the appeal but find it too expensive to attend, but if Hammer is going to be showing up then maybe I should rethink things...

They are also debuting the movie Cars at Lowes Motor Speedway. The size of the screens are incredible to accomodate the audience there at the track. This also brings a few of the movie's stars like Owen Wilson and Bonnie Hunt to the Queen City.

In a related story, just this morning I heard on NPR where 15 year old driver Marc Davis sponsored by the Joe Gibbs Racing (Go Redskins!) is a poised to be a star in the world of racing. The young black driver is part of the Drive for Diversity program for NASCAR, which is in its second year. The high-schooler moved with his father, Harry Davis, former power boat racer, from Maryland to NC to pursue his passion. Maybe we should thank NASCAR Dads for bringing the sport into the mainstream and ultimately making it more accessible to all.

Long Weekend

John Earl Allen with Hat
Originally uploaded by phalston

Up early on Saturday, I went to see my Grandaddy in Henderson, NC. Pictured here at his 90th birthday party from a couple months ago.

He is recovering from a stroke but is rapidly improving. He was actually doing physical therapy exercises while in bed and in his wheelchair as I was talking to him. His spirits are strengthening along with his body. I love this man with all my heart and believe sincerely that he would do all he could for his family and friends.


My second stop was in Durham with my friend Charlotte for lunch. I did not get to ride in Charlotte's new TSX because she has not bought it yet. Lost the title to her old car and had to send a way for it... Maybe next time.

Stop number three kept me in Durham to use my computer expertise to assist Richard Brown. Yes, Richard Brown of The Richard Brown Radio Show. My seemingly-limitless computer knowledge was not enough. I still could not establish connectivity to the Internet with his desktop. Other machines work using the DSL Modem. The additional NIC in the desktop had been added and still would not connect. He took the machine to work and it would not connect to that network either. I am stumped but really want to get to the bottom of it. I accidentally stole a Sharpie from him but gave him a Knoppix Boot CD . He also turned me on to the comics fan site - zcultfm.com. Now I will get no work done...


Stop Four. Disc Golf with Fahim. His first time out and he did darn well. We stayed local and got to test out the Navi on the BMW to find the course. I am always amazed at the demographic for Disc Golf. I mistakenly assume I will just see college age guys exclusively. Ahead of us was group of 30-something good ol' boys with cigarettes and beer, slinging discs, and taking bets on each hole. Behind us were two couples of men and women, so my limited thinking on who would be interested in playing the sport my wife calls: "Frisbee for Losers with No Friends"

Headed home after...I miss the Hill but it is home no longer.

Is this the future of the Video iPod?

With all the patent buzz surrounding Apple, is this the technology we are likely to see on an iPod or MacBook Pro?

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HOWTO: Analyze Commute Data To Save Time Driving

The world is full of traffic and people who hate it. This article analyzes a year of data to determine if minor tweaks to departure times can significantly impact commute length - or if it is all out of the driver's control.

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Republicans defeat Net neutrality proposal

You were charged once by telecommunications companies like Verizon (phone bill) and your government (tax subsidies) to build the network for the Internet They also built the networks to provide much higher bandwidth than you are getting.

You are charged again for the use of those lines through DSL and Cable. You have to pay a sliding scale for the speed you would like to receive.

Now Telcos want to charge companies who use the Internet more if they want to reach their customers faster. Example, Google would have to pay to be the fastest search engine over a company that could not pay the telco for the speed to compete. Not shedding a tear, yet.

Think of this, you want to start an Internet business. You pay to connect to the Internet to sell your new t-shirts but your customers complain that your site is slower than the Target website. Your servers are idle and your connection is not maxed.

Target would pay more not for the Internet connection but for the speed for others to connect to them. Effectively shutting out small business on the web.

Hasn't it always been that way?
NO, up until now we have on a level playing field where if you paid to be on the Internet you could be relatively sure that the bottleneck would be based on your own capacity and connection speed.

Now, telcos want to charge because sites like Yahoo and Google get lots of traffic. It does not cost the telco anymore to provide the service, Google is just using what they pay for. Effectively, this charges businesses for a third time.

Why you should care about this:
When government allows businesses to punish companies for being successful, it always hurts the small business. Businesses should not be extorted because telcos want a piece of the action.

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MS Access Conditions - Empty Table No Export

Macro Issue:

Exporting a table as an Excel Spreadsheet only when the table has values to avoid exporting a blank spreadsheet.

You could put the logic in the Make Query for the table but you would likely get and error in the Macro that ultimately exports the data to Excel since the source would not be present.

So here is a Condition and Action statements that evaluates the table and exports to Excel only when you have values in a particular in the table.

Condition
DCount("[FieldName]","Table Name")<>0
-- It counts the rows in a table to compares to the value of 0.

Action
TransferSpreadsheet

Simple, huh?

Firefox Has A Built-In Calculator - JavaScript Console.

Mozilla Firefox has a built-in calculator, known as the JavaScript Console. This post describes how to use it.

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Print your own Bacon. Yes, you read that correctly. Bacon.

Ink-jet printing has come a long way; we used to use it for what was called "hard copy." Soon, you will be able to use a modified ink-jet printer to make yourself some breakfast. Mmmmmm. Bacon.

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Alcohol and Daemon Tools Contain Rootkit

Both of these Popular emulation utilites contain a Rootkit, but unlike Sony this is to defeat DRM.


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Merry Christmas, Jayne!!!

Instead of buying a real present for Christmas, I postponed my yuletide expense to a weekend in January by giving my wife essentially a coupon for a vacation she could help pay for as well. Sweet, ain't I? Actually, that is a very cynical way of looking at things, I know. My intent was to make sure we took time to get reacquainted and to take a real break from my new job. (A whole long story in itself.) So at Christmas, I gave her ski related clothing and prepaid for reservations to Grove Park Inn in Asheville. She loved the idea and was excited and a little nervous about the ski trip. So this weekend we went on a little vacation in the new car so we could use the navigation system. The directions given by the navi were a little disappointing. I am assuming that Grove Park Inn and the Wolf Laurel Ski Resort comprise more acreage than front gate address, because we were in the vicinity of both but had to read signs or drive around to get to the correct location. Jayne's theory has to do with the mountains and satellites.

First Day "I paid to get felt up..."

The first day was highlighted by a massage and fancy dinner in downtown Asheville. The hotel allowed us to check in early but decided to "upgrade" our room. The upgrade was to an "art deco nightmare" of a room that was definitely bigger than the room we reserved but was also a smoking room on the lowest floor of the hotel. We walked around in it for bit but ultimately decided to pass and take a regular mountain view room on the highest floor. The view was amazing. Watching a sunset from king size bed is not overrated. Next on our list was the spa. I was in for my first professional massage. We had signed up for the couples massage. The facilities were very nice. I have no basis of comparison for places like this but it was pretty impressive to me. There was a mineral pool, lap pool, waterfalls, and attendants available but not in the way. The masseuse was great. Definitely not the last time that will happen. Dinner in downtown Asheville was fantastic. The Flying Frog Cafe is a upscale German/Indian restaurant. Not fusion cuisine, just two menus - actually three counting the house specials. Ask for the B-Section and you will get special table for two curtained off with white linen.



Second Day
"Why is it so hot?"

We went skiing early on Saturday. I am not saying I suck but you can judge by the pictures. Jayne did really well and looked cute doing it. I must say I have a new found respect for the abductor muscle. I never knew it should be exercised or even used. My outer hip hurt for three days. Wolf Laurel Resort is a resort in a very loose sense of the word. It is barn with snowy hill and snack bar. The conditions were really icy and think that contributed to my downfall - pun intended.


We then ran over to the Biltmore Estate for a wine tasting. Good but not great. The grapes just aren't the same as California. But we grabbed a couple bottles to fill the wine cooler and commemorate the trip. I think the most striking thing was the number of openly gay men in Asheville. It was really kinda cool. Gay in Charlotte seems to be a less subtle - either closeted or advocates. It was nice to see two people out and just enjoying each other company.

P.S. We also stole chocolate from Oh' Chocolate! in The Grove Arcade.





Third day
"Are we there yet?"

I was not ready to go home. So after a tasty breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe , we headed in. Thanks to Sean and Hunter for taking me the last time I was in Asheville. Jayne loved it. They had a fried porkchop special for brunch. You had me at "fried". I tried to take side streets and get the navi to keep us off I-40 but it kept trying take us back. Eventually, I just turned it off and took 74 and was much happier. Back to our pups and our home, we had a great time.

The post was created on using Writely.

Last Post of 2005 and First Post of 2006

2005 Recap and Looking Forward to 2006

Resolutions for 2006

• Eat dinner at home more often

• Take our lunch at least 3 times a week
• Starbucks one day out of the work week
• Savings of $10,000
• Make better decisions when deciding purchases of $100 or more
• Nightly exercises before bed
• Patrick: pull-ups & push-ups
• Jayne: push-ups & crunches
• Make better eating choices (less "white" foods)
  
• Exercise 4 times or more per week (excludes "nightly exercise")

Remembering Oscar Pritz
Most Kind and Gentle Man ever; Never wanted harm to come to a living soul

Remembering Isabella Marks
Beautiful, "graceful", and regal "with an attitude" member of the family

Mawwiage, Sweet Mawwiage and Birthdays
Jayne Marks married Patrick Alston on Sep. 09 2005 in Las Vegas, NV.

Lowdy, Lowdy Jayne turned <some undisclosed age> marking her mid-life and starting new life with Patrick

Patrick crammed a 30th birthday party, Bachelor Party, new job, Marriage, and Honeymoon into 20 days.

Exercise Feats
Summer Breeze 5K for Jayne
Thunder Road Half Marathon for Patrick

Additions to the Family
Otis and Sophie were adopted from the Humane Society to live with us. Otis aka "The 2K Canine" and Sophie aka "The Happiest Dog Ever" are now one year old.

Family and Friend Events
Chris Ballard after graduating with honors from Maggie Walker High School became a Univ. of South Carolina Gamecock. Spurrier sucks.
The Richard Brown Show was launched in Durham.