Strick's Ramblings

Looks like I'm not off of weekend duty after all.  Another month... Let's shoot for August... maybe I'll be off by then.  The kids will be in school... but I'll be back on Day shift and off weekend duty

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I added hundreds more photo's in my photogallery update. 

http://www.strickstuff.com/photo

 -ME

Some people need to mind thier own business.  You know who you are.  No need to say anything more.

One more weekend after this one, and I'll finally be off of weekend duty. Just in time to spend some time with the kids for the summer. A friend of ours is planning a camping trip this 4th of July. We're going to join them, not sure where we're going yet, but I'm sure it will be a great time. In addition to us, there will be 3 other families going camping. The other families have kids too, so there will be lots for the kids to do.

I was given an old laptop.  It is a Dell Lattitude Cpi D300XT.  It has a blazin' 300 mhz processor, a whopping 64 megs of ram, I think it had a bad 6 gig HD, so I stuck an old 20 gig HD I had laying around in it.  I knew with 64 megs of ram, I wouldn't be able to run XP, I wasn't about to revert to Windows 9x, so I decided to run linux on it.

That's a good thing about linux, it don't require a fast processor & large amounts of memory to run a basic system.  I started with Damn Small Linux, I didn't like that one, then tried Puppy Linux, I liked it better, but wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  Then tried  Deli Linux, Not bad, but had problems configuring my network.  Then to Slackware Linux, Didn't like it... finally I tried XUbuntu, which is an Ubuntu distro running the XFCE4 window manager.  It runs decent on it, a little slow, but works & looks great.  I'll post some screenshot later on.  Has everything I need on it:  IRC, Mail, Firefox, & Office Applications.  Additionlly, Linux running XFCE4 looks much better than... say Windows 9x; plus it's more secure & stable.

If you have an old laptop, and want to "revive" it, then I would suggest putting linux on it, you're welcome to contact me with any questions or if you need help. 

 -Strick

I have updated my Photogallery... added some old photo's I had on an old server... check 'em out:  http://strickstuff.com/photo/main.php?g2_itemId=1835 <--> most are here... but look around... added some old shop photo's of Hurlburt, Korea, San Vito Italy... my property back in GA... check 'em out!!!

 -Strick

Another weekend is here... it's 6:46 pm, and I'm here at work... not much going on... just surfin' the net, working on my website, and watching TV...

Earlier today, I did get my Affiliates back up and running.  Figured I should get off my buttocks and do that since I haven't been getting a check from my website.  Visit:  My Affiliates Page to check them out, and please do your shopping from these links .

Oh, I finally got my Gee for my Aikido class, it's in the shop getting Embroidered now.

It will read:

合気道

ジェームス

Strickland

I will start training in Aikido soon. There are several options for martial art style training here at Misawa, I chose Aikido because it's not about fighting and how strong you are... Below is an exerpt from Wikipedia on Aikido:

Aikido (合気道, aikidō?), translated as "the way of harmonious spirit", is a Japanese martial art developed in the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art practitioners could use to defend themselves without injuring their attacker.

Aikido emphasizes joining with an attack and redirecting the attacker's energy, as opposed to meeting force with force, and consists primarily of body throws and joint-locking techniques. In addition to physical fitness and technique, mental training, controlled relaxation, and development of "spirit" (ki) are emphasized in aikido training. An aikido practitioner is called an aikidōka.

I can't wait to start training. I will be like Steven Segal... just kidding... Also, depending on time, I want to study Kyūdō, which is Japanese Archery.

Kyūdō (弓道:きゅうどう, Kyūdō?), literally meaning "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō).

It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyūdō today. Kyūdō is a rare sport in the sense that it is not dependant on age or sex. If the practitioner is dedicated, male or female, they can learn at any age. It's never too early or too late to learn Kyūdō. Although one could learn Kyūdō at any point in their life, it can take a lifetime to perfect.

More on this later...