Wednesday, December 9, 2009

broken computer

I have been busier than usual because my desktop computer suddenly quit working. And right before my trip too, so I am trying to pack, trying to get Christmas together and shipped before we leave, trying to clean up the house and yard so it doesn't get left in its usual sty-like condition. But also, since we have diagnosed that it is probably the hard drive going bad, I am trying frantically to get said hard drive to run just enough to transfer files to other media.

So remember to back up your data, people, don't be like me!!

I have two and a half years of pictures, and pretty much six month of itunes and other music that I don't want to lose. I have successfully transferred two thirds of the pictures and half the music. I also have five gamehouse computer games that I really want to keep. Perhaps because they were downloaded I can re-download them from the gamehouse site?!? I will look into that. And the last thing I might like to keep is the email, but there is probably nothing there that I can't live without.

So hah, you can resend all of those old, lame jokes, because I don't have them anymore, and I can't even complain about it.

Mostly, its just a pain, its taking hours of time, and then, after I get the data off, I have to dig into my computer's guts, set up a new hard drive, load windows again, get all of its updates again, and the whole time pray that it is not the motherboard that is fried and the old hard disk was actually okay after all. At least I have another hard drive, and its huge too. Yay, more to lose next time! I may need to look into one of those 'passport' things. Shoulda bought one at Walmart on Black Friday like I thought.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Common Sense

My trip to Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell was really fun and educational. It was amazing seeing the places that were talked about in 7th grade American History, and the refresher course given by the NPS guide was very thorough. If I had taken a pre-quiz, I would have done miserably! Fortunately I was old enough to take it in, remember the key events, and to appreciate the significance of the buildings still standing. My daughter is just getting her start in history, and early in first grade, had learned about the Liberty Bell. How nice it was to be able to go and see it while it was still somewhat fresh in her mind.
What I didn't realize is how much there was to explore all in that area of Philadelphia. We only saw Independence Hall and the Bell. We took a carriage ride around the block, and saw that there was so much more available. There is the first churches of the area. The first Catholic Church didn't even look like a religious house because Catholics were persecuted by the Brittish.
We passed by the first Synagogue, founding fathers' houses and lodging, and I realize I could have spent a week exploring it all, and we had only allotted a few hours. Well, another time.
The whole experience, plus having read Dan Brown's latest brought me back to the founding fathers, and their vision for this country. I got my dad Glen Beck's version of Common Sense for a birthday present because I knew he would enjoy it. Well, he sent it back with me to read also. However, I decided to start with the original Thomas Payne version for several reasons: one, to see how Beck matched up with his effort, and two, to see how compelling the original was. The impact of Payne's pamphlet really cannot be underemphasized. He swayed many men towards the decision for colonial independence, and now, having read it, I can see why. It is everything I remember hearing in 7th grade about how unjust a king is, how rife with abuse a monarchy is, an how there must be a government by design and not chance. It is a compelling read, and I recommend it for anyone who's patriotism needs a boost.
Now, Beck's version leaves a little bit (okay a LOT) to be desired. The introduction was great, but when he goes on and on about how 'we' elected these yahoos and 'we' brought our current sad state of affairs on our own heads, I can't help but object, since I did vote, but did not vote for the yahoos in question. I was merely outnumbered. But how am I going to change everyone else's mind who did elect the detritus of society? So if you are reading this, please do me the favor of one, researching your elected political candidates so that you can weed out the corrupt, the wrong-headed, and the unjust, and two, vote for the good guys. It really is that simple. Get the facts, make your best pick, but be sure to pick. I can't phrase it any better than that, and neither can Glen Beck, although God knows he tried. If you have time, work for the campaign of someone you trust. If there is no one you can trust, consider running for office. Surely there are good, electable people out there, we just have to find them and elect them. Lets do it! Its Common Sense!