Another day in paradise.  Yesterday we walked around the lighthouse and took the trail down the the hill by some of the WWII hardware.  While walking we saw the Star of India being towed back into the bay.

This is my new home page, inspired by a trip to Hawaii in July. I'm redoing the whole site and will go live in Jan of 2005. It will mostly be a cosmetic change. I'm keeping my list of links, featuring Corn Fritters, and will be adding a page called Wheels. Thanks for visiting! Jonnie

If this wasn't probably more true than not, it would be funny. The paranormal always makes me uneasy. If you're up to it, click here for a strange piece of video...

Home page revamped. Dropped California Lottery info (I just got lazy).

September 3, 2004

We've got another lottery winner just days after the big $99M win split over three tickets in Huntington Beach, Los Altos and Sausalito.  Even the smallest pot pays out $175k yearly over 26 years.  Works for me.

MS just did a big WIN upgrade with Service Pack 2 of WINXP, and I've got both machines updated without any drama.  The 95 meg download wasn't as big of a deal as the slow server response on their end.  I just let the machine run all night and by morning it was done.

Happy Labor Day!

August 29 2004

September is just around the corner, bringing the holidays that much closer.  I've got one Christmas present bought and plan to get the rest done before the rush. 

Not much new on the website, however I'm ready for a make-over and I think I want to leave MS's FrontPage web page builder software too.

My auto insurance is still processing my claim for the fire that destroyed the Saturn.  I'm dreading the whole car shopping process, however I did sign up for Consumer Reports and have crunched a few numbers.  Whatever...

August 22, 2004

The weekend is taking a somber turn as my prized Saturn suffered a devastating fire that I'm guessing will be non-repairable due to excessive cost.  This happened last Thursday evening on the way to the dealer after the car started running extremely rough.

Lessons learned:  Carry and or properly mount an automotive type fire extinguisher in your vehicle.  Do not under estimate the severity of a operating problem - a tow to a repair shop or dealer is far cheaper than replacing the vehicle.

August 9, 2004

I found yet another free place to upload photos over at www.wunderground.com.  I've uploaded just a few under the handle "Jonnie".

A coworker just returned from 2 weeks in Kauai and yet another is heading over at the end of the month.  These islands certainly have a magic about them...

August 1, 2004

The year is flying by with no signs of slowing down at all.

The Cable TV show The Screensavers is all currently airing from pre-recorded shows because the show is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  A lot of the old faces on the show have already moved on.  It will be interesting to meet the new folks.  They're all looking younger and younger (not that I'm getting older or anything...)

  Aloha 

Amazing what a vacation can do for a person.  While I still miss the tropical winds of Hawaii I seem to be maintaining the spirit of Aloha. 

I remember taking a shuttle to Hilo Hattie's in Kauai and wondering why, since I really didn't go there to shop.  Anyway, they've got a store online too and it triggers a couple of fun memories.

The spirit of Aloha can be taken to any extreme.  If nothing else to slow down and enjoy life.  And with that queue, I'm down to just one cup of coffee a day, and that sure helps make everything a little less intense.

July 15, 2004

Seven days in paradise, i.e. the Hawaiian Islands was just what the doctor ordered.  Sadly their real estate is as pricey as San Diego, their electricity by KWHR is higher than San Diego (is that possible?), and the infrastructure is pretty basic - and that's not always a bad thing.                                 ...aloha!

I was watching TechTV (taped from an earlier airing) and they featured a neat site about Area 51.  Check out my Dreamland Resort link in the Corn Fritters column.

And by accident I found a site that lets you view real time flight info out of a couple of airports.  Here's the link to Los Angeles International (also on my Links page).

More strange weather (over-cast) today...  Although yesterday afternoon it cleared and was blue, warm and great.

On Saturday I ran into some people, that 20 years ago I practically lived at their house, hanging out having fun and being teenagers.  We had drifted apart and life took us all down different paths, yet so much of who we were then we are today; with the major differences today appearing to be that we've discarded the junk behaviors and are pursing the life affirming ones.  Oddly everyone kept their hair but me...  (grin)  Life is good.

Last time I typed something new was:  2004-06-16 
(yyyy-mm-dd format, i.e. ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

TechTV and G4 have merged and my weekday mornings have not been the same.  So I've got the old-school VCR setup to record The Screensavers and then watch it later (which works out because I can scroll past all those Ditech commercials!)...

Sadly Leo Laporte is only on the show virtually via a taped 90-second Tips segment, and Cat Schwartz has left the building.

Last time I typed something new was:  2004-06-13 
(yyyy-mm-dd format, i.e. ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I keep hearing about all the holes in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser and so I thought I'd try the Mozilla product. 

Can't go wrong for FREE and it's a lot faster than MSIE also. 

2004-06-06  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

60 years ago today we were landing on Normandy beaches to help free the French from Nazi occupation.  My Dad was there, however the most he ever said (to me) was that the bullets were really flying.  Guess a person had to be there to understand...

2004-05-31  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Anyone else have trouble finding San Diego's Civic Center website?  Actually I was looking for ticket sales however it looks like they handle them through TicketMaster.  It's also referenced from the City of San Diego's website, both listed on my Links page.

We saw the Day After Tomorrow movie yesterday.  Great effects, yet the story had a few holes however it was very entertaining.    The audience cheered when the Americans were crashing the Mexican border trying to go South.  It was unexpectedly funny.

Happy Memorial Day!

2004-05-27  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

On a lighter note this week, how about a site on how to make every cocktail on the planet?  Check out my link or surf directly over to Cocktail.com.

Also new this week are Laphorisms and the Virtual Farm which are both in the Corn Fritters section of my Links page.

2004-05-23  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Depleted Uranium aka DU.  Nasty stuff which seems to be info all over the net.  I don't remember hearing about it, maybe just too much overload with more important issues like Martha Stewart and the price of gasoline. 

Here's a couple of basic reads about DU.  Check out the Silver Bullet and another article over at the Guardian.

2004-05-20  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I've resisted the curiosity to watch the Nick Berg video and have skimmed across a couple of conspiracy theories.  Just search Google and you'll find them - very disturbing.  I wish everyone would come home and get the hell out that God forsaken part of the planet.  I've had enough, even from the sidelines...

2004-05-16  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Too much to do here lately and I missed posting Wednesday's lotto numbers.  I'm back on track with Saturday's numbers.

I found this really interesting site that archives web sites, lots of 'em.  Check out the Wayback Machine - I'll put a listing on my Links page in the Corn Fritters section too.  The Angry Alien link is there too if you haven't seen the 30 second version of the movie The Shining - hilarious!

2004-05-09  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Iraq Prison Scandal:  While you may rationalize it only takes a few to spoil it for the rest, America continues down the path of the Ugly American.  Some are calling for Rumsfeld's head.  My thoughts are more basic in the blame department.  Why didn't the light go on in any one of those soldier's heads that what they were doing is wrong.  From adolescent to sadistic, none of their behaviors are acceptable.  Another supporting example for the Pro Choice crowd I'd say...

2004-05-07  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

After backing the car into the fence earlier in the week I took the car to the body shop and they wanted over $600 to fix the scratches and scrapes.  With nothing to loose, I used some paint thinner to clean it up and touch-up paint to fix the deep scratches.  Not bad, and cheaper too.

2004-05-02  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I think these guys are pretty cool:  Electronic Frontier Foundation and they're on my Links page  too. 

I like the fact the movie industry can take a film that took $100 to make and sell me a letterbox version on DVD for $15 to $20.  How in the world the music industry can charge the same money for so little content on a CD is laughingly stupid.

2004-04-29  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Finally 'San Diego' got a lotto winner this week, along with another ticket in San Gabriel.  I on the other hand did not have ONE matching number...  (sigh)

2004-04-25  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Check out Hollywoodlog, the self pronounced "collective consciousness of hollywood" over on my links page.

I'm laying low with a cold this weekend and enjoying some old movies like North by Northwest and The Adventures of Robin Hood.

2004-04-22  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I ran across a site that says how much of the planet's resources it takes to support our lifestyle, re: http://myfootprint.org/ .  I'm not sure I agree and or that my consumption is a bad thing - guess it depends on your views...

2004-04-18  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

A week of sunshine ends with a Saturday of rain and wind.  Kind of nice if you don't have to get out in it. 

I added a sub-section of search engines after running across Amazon's A9.  Wow, great engine.  Lookout Google!

I didn't watch the President's State of the Nation speech earlier this week.  I did see a piece of it on CNN.  My family, friends and coworkers have nothing positive to say.  I guess the writing is on the wall...

2004-04-11  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Happy Easter!

iTunes, eMusic, Windows Media Player and Musicmatch...  Trying to keep mp3, wma and aac files organized is a task I have little patience with.  Currently I'm weeding through duplications, a slow process.

2004-04-09  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

The house has been without Internet access since Tuesday.  The tech discovered a sick modem.  So off to Costco for a new model for about a third of the cost of the old one.  Gee, wish cars would work like that!  (smile)

2004-04-04  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Last night I was listening to Jefferson Airplane while trying to get used to some new glasses with transition lenses.  The effect while browsing Hemmings for 1970's muscle cars was pseudo psychedelic as the computer screen bent and bowed as I moved my head.

2004-04-01  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

Happy April Fools Day!

Bush basher?  Check this out... (Flash animation)

2004-03-29  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I'm still looking for WiFi access points, rather I'm curious as to what is available.  I've found T-Mobile has a monthly plan or a pay-as-you-go plan at $6/hr.  Boingo has a similar plan at $8/hr.  T-Mobile is partnered with Starbucks and Boingo is more diverse.  Know any others?  ...if so drop me a line.

2004-03-25  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

How about a fun photo site with wacky pictures and contests?  Check out my Worth 1000 link on my Links page under the Corn Fritters column...

2004-03-21  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I found a neat movie-related site I've added in the Corn Fritters section called Box Office Mojo.

No sarcastic comments about the state of world to share this week either - lucky you!

2004-03-18  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I removed a couple of dead links from Renewable Energy.

2004-03-14  (ISO 8601 COMPLIANT)

I've got the Computer Museum link added in the Corn Fritters section, and I'm adopting the ISO 8601 data format on this page.

And my lottery graphic has changed because the whole California Lottery website has been done over - looks nice too!

Thursday Março 11, 2004

Nothing new on the website, however look for a couple of new links to online computer museums soon - I  just ran across the info in Computoredge mag in an article by Jim Trageser.

Sunday March 7, 2004

Martha's toast, Rickie Lee Jones does NOT want to be compared to Joni Mitchell, and the $458M Padres ballpark called Petco Park is ready for the April 8th Padres Home Opener.

Nothing new for the website. 

The sun is out and the portable heater is unplugged - hopefully warmer days are here to stay...

Thursday March 4, 2004

Well I'm still not sure what the beef is with Michael Eisner and Disney.  They voted him out of one of this two positions - his Chairman position is now held by George Mitchell.  Stock value didn't change much either.

I added a new link called file extensions, that if you type in the extension (ex: bmp, exe) it will tell you what program it needs to open the file.

Sunday February 29, 2004

Woo hoo!!!  It's Leap-Year Sunday and I won $11 on the lotto!!!

Dead or broken links have been updated.

I was watching the Barrett-Jackson auction on TV and can't believe the prices they are getting for 70's muscle cars, especially the Hemi Dodge/Plymouth units.

Thursday February 26, 2004

So much for my smart comments about not very much rain.  The latest storm hit about midnight and really dropped a lot of water.

Sunday February 22, 2004

This is day two or three of wind and rain.  So far it's not huge amounts of water and I'm hoping it soaks in.  Area residents only have to worry about those bare areas and mudslides in and around their property that were destroyed from the fires last October.  I haven't heard anything in the local news and a few more days of rain are forecast...

Thursday February 19, 2004

6:15 AM No coffee yet and it's too early to think about much of anything.

We had rain and wind yesterday and last night. It feels like Winter is never going away...

Sunday February 15, 2004

I drove out to the Point Loma Lighthouse yesterday to get some images, but the conditions were lousy and I came home with no shots.  There was a reopening celebration going on too and the place was still full of people at 4:PM.

My neighbor just came over to announce their place got broke into yesterday.  And the house next to them undergoing remodeling has been broken into twice.  There goes the neighborhood...

Thursday February 12, 2004

It's getting to be that time again, voting time that is.  And in my Knowledge & Info column on the links page I have added a great link to see how our politicians have voted on the issues.  (Thanks Mr. Earl!)

Click here ( on the issues  ) to check it out, or bounce over to the links page and see what else is new.

Sunday February 8, 2004

My new DVD version of the movie Vanishing Point arrived just in time for the weekend.  What a great flick and blast back to 1971.  It also includes the UK version with the missing hitchhiker scene with Charlotte Rampling and a wonderful Director's narration by Richard Sarafian.

Friday February 6, 2004

I had a nice experience with Yahoo's photo printing service earlier in the week on a few 4 x 6's and a single 5 x 7.  I think I'll try a poster sized print soon.

Sunday February 1, 2004

It's another chilly morning here in San Diego, however the skies are clear which means the temps should be comfortable by Noon.

I heard from Dan Hess at Venis Productions regarding his site being down (see my Hey Ya, Charlie Brown link in the Corn Fritters column on my Links page).  The popularity of the link overwhelmed the servers and crashed the site.  He's working on bringing it back up, however the video may have to be hosted elsewhere...

Thursday January 29, 2004

It was 18 years ago yesterday that the NASA space ship Challenger disintegrated during its launch taking the lives of all seven astronauts.

In memoriam the Mars landing spot where Opportunity landed will be called the Challenger Memorial Station.  (read more)

Sunday January 25, 2004

Drat!  No winning lotto numbers this week so it's back to work...  (sigh)

We had some rain last night and the sky is patched with clouds and blue, it's really nice.

Nothing scathing to say about the world today, and that feels pretty good!

Thursday January 22, 2004

Wow, how 'bout that President and the State of the Union speech on Tuesday?!?!   I was getting nauseous just following the standing ovations.  He spewed no steroids, no premarital sex (speaking to teens), and a union of Marriage is between a man and woman among other things that doesn't address all the money spent on his Daddy's war or the 500 American men and women killed.  I have one word...  unacceptable.

Sunday January 18, 2004

...it's a mindless Sunday morning, complete with the 1995 movie Hackers playing on the SciFi channel.  It's interesting how computing was the stuff of creative writing and now it's almost as boring as the gas station's fuel pump.  I will be excited when I can get a laptop battery with decent run time...

Thursday January 15, 2004

The weather has been up and down and has turned cold again.  The electric bill reported usage of 1215 kWh and 70 therms of NG for December.  Maybe I should get a second job to support SDG&E ?!?!

I'm looking for a music app that will let me take a bunch of mp3 files and create a single file that includes crossfading.  If you know of one, drop me a line.

Friday January 9, 2004

I'm back to work and most of my Holiday vacation is a distant memory.

Not much going on.  I did find some interesting reading about engine coolant at:

http://www.amalgatech.com/technical/

Sunday January 4, 2004

George W is still waving the flag under the flashing neon of the Orange Alert.  The body count is approaching 500 of our red, white and blue boys and girls.  Where the hell is bin Laden?  How many bin Laden's does it take to screw in a light bulb?   Anyone care to talk about the link between Israel, Palestine and the United States - I thought not. 

The last estimate I saw of the cost of this war exceeded 93 billion dollars.  Before 911 the county was having money woes, and two plus years later we still are.  So where does one scrape up 93 billion dollars?  That was rhetorical (obviously).  Could a refinance on the White House and the Pentagon help?  NASA seems to be a cash cow.  Let's hit them up for some funds.  By the way, I think their Mars capable golf carts costing $400,000 a copy beat anything General Motors has made in years.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost their own in the great Eastern deserts.  And I have concern for those who are worrying about their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives who just might be the next statistical point.  Until things improve, lets hope our God is a forgiving one.  I have a feeling this is not what a benevolent being thinks is the best use of our time...

Thursday January 1, 2004

  HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!