That's right. I have nothign better to do on my breaks than read my comic and post the ones I really enjoy.

I’m going insane. Well, maybe not insane, but I am not mentally sound as of late. I am going through one of the longest depressions I have in years. I was taking meds, but they made things worse. I went from depressed to depressed and very irritated at everything. Now I am back to just depressed. I have an appointment next week to get put back on what I was taken when I was in the military. I am to the point where I have started thinking about drinking again.

I just need a major change in my life. I am not happy with where my life is and factors that I used to control and want to get back in control.

Before I go too much further in my depression induced rant, I am not unhappy with Brie. I love Brie.

I have just lost any and all affection, caring, and liking of animals. Right now I don’t even want a dog anymore. I love dogs, but right now the thought of more animals or any animals just pushes those buttons. Now I am not saying Brie can't have animals, but I wish she would stop getting more and even cut back her collection. Just enough to move the fuck out of this damned house.

This stupid house is eating my money and my health.

Since we moved in started getting constant sinus infections. I have more headaches than I used to. And overall I have just been in worse health then before.

The rent is more than Brie makes in a month and that is not including utilities. Every month it costs over three times what Brie brings home in a pay check just to live where we do and that doesn't include food and the little things that come up from time to time. Plus it costs me another $400 a month for insurance and car payment. I spend roughly $2500+ a month. And of course, PSE, Comcast, AT&T, Qwest, and garbage company have all sent notices saying the rates are going up which adds about another $40 to the monthly total. With my luck, I also expect the landlord to raise the rent again when the lease in up at the end of January. At least with an apartment, you can find ones that have some or all utilities included.

I am unable to save money like I want to one day buy a house or take a vacation. I make enough money to do these things, but it all goes to rent and bills. If we moved, I could save $400-600 a month and Brie could save $100 and that is a the very least. I could put money aside to buy a place (then Brie could have more animals). We could go on vacation to various countries.

The extra money for Brie would also be a good thing. There are times when she gets less hours at work and I have to help her out. A cheaper place to live would mean her having to pitch less in and would give her more money for her and what she need like medicine and to actually go see the dr.

I also want to go back to school. If I get my degree, I can add almost $20,000 a year to my salary just by getting my degree. And I can go to school for almost free if not free between the VA and my GI Bill. But to do that, we need to move to an apartment that my VA benefits would pay for and then work part time to cover other bills and stuff. Because I would have to quit my current job to focus on school. I need to go to school. I hit the ceiling pretty much as to what I can make and what I can do. You need certifications and a degree in my career and I have neither.

And we are screwed if my job ends. That is the harsh side of working contract. The Gov't can decide to pull funding anytime and I am unemployed. With an apartment, my VA benefits would pay enough that it would be tight but not to devastating. I would be able to have money put aside to make up where my benefits fall short.

I have even cut back on my movie buying. The one hobby I really enjoy. I used to buy any movie that caught my attention. Now I may buy one movie a week. It may be more than a lot of people buy, but if you know me that is a big change. I just can't really afford my hobby and to cover the cost of living.

Ok. I think I am done for now. Time to go back to work and hating my job and everything else.

Friend (from Least I Could Do)
1) A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts
2) A person whom one knows, an aquaintance
3) A person ones does not sleep with. EVER.

I found a new webcomic to read - Least I Could Do (http://www.leasticoulddo.com)







And these are just samples from 2003.

Things to do
Have kids
Cause an outbreak
Climb a mountain
Learn to dive
Learn German
Dive with great whites
Go to Studio Ghibli
Get published

Places to visit
All 50 states
Japan again
Hawaii again
Hong Kong
The Forbidden City
Isle of Mull
New Zealand
Australia
Germany
UK

People to meet
Alice Cooper
Takashi Miike
Beat Takeshi

I'm dying. Well not really, just feel like it.

The anounced on the Red Dwarf site that not only are they doing a new Red Dwarf special, but four specials to celebrate the 21st Annivesary of the show. Here are what the four specials will cover.

Show One - The Making Of The Specials
A highly entertaining look at what goes on behind the scenes on a Red Dwarf production.
Show Two - Red Dwarf Special: Part One
The cast get back into character, and costume, a decade on...
Show Three - Red Dwarf Special: Part Two
The adventure continues...
Show Four - A Clip Show With a Serious Difference
The cast do it their way. Red Dwarf as you have never, ever seen it before!

http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/news/2008/09/19/new-red-dwarf-specials-confirmed/

So Spore is finally out and I was kind of excited about it, not as much as my girlfriend, but still. I liked the idea of the game though I am still not sure if my laptop will even let me play it.

After doing some reading though, I doubt I will ever pick up Spore and will suggest that my girlfriend avoids it as well. One small reason I am not a interested is it is that from everything I read, it has been dumbed down. Your choice for you creature evolution doesn’t affect things, but its stats do. One example I read was a six legged creature moves just a fast and well as a one legged creature. Meaning it takes the thinking out of it. There doesn’t seem to be advantages/disadvantages to evolutionary choices.

Now the biggest reason I won’t buy Spore is because of EA’s stance on licenses and verifying those licenses. You can only install Spore three times (I have heard from one source it has been changed to five). After the third install, you have to contact EA and maybe they will let you install it a fourth time after you explain why you need to install it yet again. You a sense you are not buying Spore, you are renting Spore. I rebuild my PC 2-3 times a year just because that is how I am. Spore would become a $50+ coaster by the end of the year.

I am not the only one that doesn't like it. It upset games so much that other 2,500 of them took the time to give it a one star rating on Amazon. Game companies should watch how they treat their customers.

That is why I won’t buy Spore unless maybe it comes out on the Xbox 360.

If you bought Spore and because of this issue, look of the EULA and this link and it should help you get a refund if you have your receipt - http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6615

Here are some other links on this:
http://texyt.com/EA+Maxis+Spore+hit+DRM+backlash+Amazon+00124 - the best one to read
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10041188-52.htm

Not that I have anything against Texas, it is just I am here until Friday for a training class and the hurricane it messing things up. I was supposed to flight out of San Antonio Saturday afternoon. Ike put a stop to that and I got a flight for Friday night to Houston and then Seattle. Now the are shutting down the Houston airport. So now I have a flight to Denver then Seattle. Hopefully nothing else happens.

I am little late on this post, since it came to light the end of last month.

Robert Llewelyn, Red Dwarf's Kryten, mentioned while on KTSC-TV in Seattle that BBC has commissioned a 1-hour Red Dwarf special that is to film in October.  Almost 10 years after the last season, Red Dwarf will hopefully be back on TV. 

I just hope that the movie gets made one of these days.

Google has just released Chrome, it’s web browers. Before you install and start to use it, here are three sections of their terms of service (EULA).

“The software which you use may automatically download and install updates from time to time from Google. These updates are designed to improve, enhance and further develop the services and may take the form of bug fixes, enhanced functions, new software modules and completely new versions. You agree to receive such updates (and permit Google to deliver these to you) as part of your use of the services.”
(It will auto update if you want it to or not.)

“By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the services and may be revoked for certain services as defined in the additional terms of those services.”
(I read this as if you submit, post, or display something using Chrome, you have given Google the rights to use that something royalty-free. If you upload art to your site using Chrome, Google gets to use that art if they want. That is how I read that statement.)

“Some of the services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the services, queries made through the services or other information.

The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the services are subject to change without specific notice to you.”
(You may get pop-ups for ads when Chrome is open that will come from Google and not the site you are on.)

Starting Oct 1, 2008, Comcast will be capping monthly consumer broadband use to 250GB. I am guessing that is total (upload and download). This comes to a little over 8GB a day. That may seem like a lot, but it all depends on what you do with your internet access. In my house there are 3 people that use the internet with about 9 devices (3 PCs, 1 laptop, 1 Wii, 2 Xbox 360s, and 2 PS3s). Now you are looking at a bit more than 2GB per person per day. Still seems like a lot, but I stream a lot of movies and TV shows. Netflix users won't be happy.

What happens if you go over your 250GB? Comcast said they may contact you and let you know. Not that they will, just that they may. And if you do it a second time in 6 months, they terminate your service for a year.

Will they provide tools to help you keep track of your bandwidth use? Nope. They said do a search on Google and you should be able to find a tool to monitor your bandwidth.

Comcast's new policy - http://www.comcast.net/terms/network/amendment/
Comcast's FAQ on the new cap - http://help.comcast.net/content/faq/Frequently-Asked-Questions-about-Excessive-Use

EDIT: I got an email back from Comcast and it is250BG total (upload and download).

Just to get them out there before the season starts, I have two theories/predictions.

Clare and Syler have a son named Noah.

Matt is Peter and Nathans half brother.

Now to see if I am right.