Yesterday's Mashed Potatoes

New to this, have made it friends only for now, as I get used to operating this new piece of machinery!

If you're interested in friending me and my LJ, please first email or message me an introduction and tell me a bit about yourself.

Some of my entries are of a personal nature, and I feel better knowing who I add to my friends list. It's nothing personal.

Thanks much!

Just a thought, an idea, that is cogitating in my mind, and admittedly, not completely fleshed out yet.

What if we made marriage a religious choice, and the government strictly granted everyone a civil union certificate when two people wanted to spend their lives together? The government would have no role or function in the act of marriage, and strictly grant a certificate of civil union when two people wanted to have the rights of what we now define/call "marriage."

The union of two people by the government would have no religious affiliation. If one wanted a "marriage" ceremony, then one could choose to have whatever ceremony they wanted to, in accordance with their own beliefs.

I wonder if our government strictly granted civil unions, and not the right to marry, or the issuance of marriage certificates -- if the rights of what we now call "marriage" might have a better chance of being granted to all.

Again, just some ramblings/thoughts....

I am excited about the election, sorry to throw this into the mix.

My external HD, which I use for back-up, died. It sounds like a sick animal. You can actually hear the hard drive trying to whir. There is something physically wrong with it -- I think that I can ship it back to the company, and they will replace it, but that is not my primary concern. 

The problem is, is that my external HD is a total back-up of my computer. There's nothing life threatening on it, but it is a back-up of all of my files. I don't know how to wipe the HD clean, since I can't get any computer to acknowledge its presence. No USB port recognizes it.

I don't know what to do. I thought perhaps I should find some machine shop and have them drill holes through the unit to stop anyone from trying to read any of the data on the hard drive.

Again, it's a sick machine, it sounds sick, and because of this, I can't get any computer to identify it.

HELP!

Thanks in Advance.........................

I need a good Shareware/Freeware Newsgroup reader. I tried AT&T technical assistance, they were completely useless. ;-) I used to have Outlook Express, but I don't have that program anymore, and Outlook will not work as a Newsgroup reader. (At least AT&T insists that it won't and I can't get it to work....)

Any suggestions, oh technical LJ gurus?

I've seen the new iPod touch. Nice.

From everything that I have read and seen, the iPod touch is the same machine as the iPhone, except the iPod touch obviously can't be used as a phone and can't take pictures. I've also read the iPod touch can't work as a GPS device, but I wonder how often I would use that walking around town --- I already have a GPS in my car.

I think both sync with Microsoft Outlook for scheduling. I really like the Palm OS, so I'm thinking that either machine would require me to abandon using the "Palm" way of doing things.....

The AT&T charge per month is more than I want to spend for cell phone use. Hence, my hesitation to get an iPhone.

Comments? Thoughts?

I would really appreciate it if folks could share their impression(s) of Columbus Ohio....

Many thanks.

The fireworks display tonight was one of the best that I have ever seen.......
Friday night's multimedia show on the front lawn is supposed to be incredible. It is scheduled to start at 9:30 PM

http://www.msichicago.org/

Long story short, I've got about five hundred dollars that I can spend on a vacation. Thinking four or five days would be nice.....
I don't know the Midwest that well....so not sure if there are places that I should hit up for a couple of days that I haven't seen in great depth: 
St. Louis? (Been there for work, but primarily near the arch)
Madison, Wisconsin? (I hear that is beautiful, never been)
Milwaukee? (Never been)
Some parts of Michigan?
The twin cities? (Minneapolis, St. Paul)

The only rule, if I drive it, it can't be more than a 3 1/2 drive one way -- long car drives really screw up my back.

I certainly don't have to spend that whole amount, but I don't want to go over that amount. I do have some free nights accrued at some hotels, thanks to points earned by business travel, so that can certainly help. I'd like to go somewhere where there are things to do, a place that is relaxing, a place that I can sleep in in the morning, a place with culture, a place with reasonable good eats, etc.
A little night life would be fine, but it doesn't have to be hustle and bustle. Friendly people/folk are a must.

I love San Diego, Hawaii, etc., but I'm not going to be able to get there, (airfare, hotel, food, etc.) for five hundred bucks.

Receptive to reading any and all ideas!

If you have configured your Mac with Leopard OS to run Windows applications, (Mac states that Leopard has the ability to run both Mac and Windows) can you share your experience(s)?  Have the Windows applications run quickly?  Is the Windows platform on Mac stable?
The last time I had a Mac, (and I do love Apple, but work dictates Windows applications) I used Virtual PC, and it was slower than molasses dripping out of a bottle on a cold day. I need a machine that can run both platforms quickly and is hassle free.
Thanks in advance for any feedback.......

Anyone ever live there? Thoughts? Ideas? Reactions to the place?