Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 11:45 P.M.:  I am continuing to install software and updates on the Gateway backup computer.  I replaced a light bulb in the center lamp on the living room window shelf.  I put in two new heavy duty AA and two new alkaline AA batteries in the RCA Proscan television remote control in the bedroom.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 11:10 P.M.:  I am continuing to install software and updates on the Gateway back up computer without any problems.  I am in the process of making up a fresh batch of www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 10:15 P.M.:  I was awake at 8 P.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I put the 50X CD drive in the backup Gateway computer, and it works just fine with the faster CD drive.  I put the old CD drive in the DVD box on top of the laser printer to the right of the AMD backup computer in the bedroom.  I am installing more programs on the backup Gateway computer.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 12:45 P.M.:  I watched some television, while I was trying to install a program on the Gateway backup computer.  However, the CD drive was much too slow for installing the program, so I cancelled it.  When I wake up tomorrow, I will put the 50X CD drive, I took out of the primary computer, and I will put it in the Gateway backup computer which should solve the problem.  I microwaved and ate a bowl of Act II microwave popcorn, which I ate with some iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 10:40 A.M.:  I went outside briefly, and I chatted with some neighbors.  I picked up my mail.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 9:40 A.M.:  I am still configuring the Gateway backup computer.  It is going along fine.  I am just installing some basic programs and settings.  CIO

End of Scott's Notes week of 07/31/04:

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 7:50 A.M.:  I went outside briefly, when I mailed the letter downstairs.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 7:30 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue including the train station area, and I sat out at various locations.  I used the ATM machine at the Greenwich Avenue branch of Putnam Trust Bank of New York.  I next drove down by the waterfront, and the usual fishermen are there.  I then went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $4 of regular unleaded gasoline at $2.279 a gallon for 27 miles per gallon usage.  I then went by the Food Emporium, and I bought four half gallons of Tropicana premium orange juice with Calcium for $2.50 a half gallon, two Stouffer's Lean Cuisine 11.5 ounce Chicken teriyaki bowl dinners for $2.29 each, two 26 ounce jars of Ragu six cheese tomato sauce for $1.29 each, plum tomatoes at $1.29 a pound $2.46, a 10 ounce package of fresh spinach for $2.50, a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.50 for $24.81 total.  I then returned home, and I put away my groceries.  I am still working on the installations on the Gateway backup computer, but it is going just fine.  I have to go downstairs right now and mail a letter in the mail room.  I drank some iced tea, when I first returned home.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 4:15 A.M.:  I moved the IBM Cyrix computer on to the floor behind the sideboard in the bedroom.  I showered and cleaned up.  I will go out for a walk shortly.  At this time, since sunrise is at 5:50 A.M., one should bring their sun glasses.  I will shut down the primary computer, and I will leave the cable modem on for the Gateway computer to download some updates.  I am using the transformer from the Slaymaker jump start system to charge the Slaymaker rechargeable lantern, and once it is charged, I will move it back to the jump start system. CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 3:20 A.M.:  The generic operating system is installed on the Gateway system, and it is running online.  The Slaymaker rechargeable lantern power transformer quit working on the LinkSys hub, so I put on the Coby AC power adaptor that I had, and I set it to 4.5 volts, and I used the right plug to plug into the LinkSys hub which works just fine.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I used three 1/4 inch thick slices of cold eye round beef which I cut into half inch wide strips.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Stop and Shop Swiss cheese.  I did not use any mushrooms, since I am out of mushrooms.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 1:15 A.M.:  Installation seems to be progressing normally on the Gateway computer.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/31/04  Saturday 12:30 A.M.:  I have the Gateway computer cleaned and setup on the left side of the bedroom desk with the Royal 17 inch monitor on top of the CPU case with a Microsoft PS/2 mouse and a Dell PS/2 keyboard connected to it.  I put in a new #2032 CMOS battery that I had.  I connected its telephone modem to the telephone wall outlet.  I set up the LinkSys 8 port hub using my Slaymaker rechargeable lantern power transformer, and I have the other three backup computers and the Gateway computer plugged into the hub with LAN cables.  I am formatting the drives on the Gateway, and I will then install a generic operating system that I have available.  I put two 14 foot LAN cables on the LinkSys hub with the cables resting beneath left side of the bedroom desk.  I put three 14 foot LAN cables on the 8 port Hub sitting on the Dell backup computer in the living room, and I have the cables resting behind the left pillow on the green couch.  I put three VGA cables in the my cable box underneath the living room desk.  The Slaymaker rechargeable lantern never really holds a charge anymore, so I do not needs its power supply.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 10:40 P.M.:  I installed an Internet Explorer update and the onboard LAN RealTek device driver update.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 10:35 P.M.:  I was up at 5 P.M., and I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to bed until 7:30 P.M..  I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I chatted with a relative.  I threw the garbage outside.  I will now examine the inside of the Gateway computer.  I will then clean the case with some bleach to make it clean looking again.  I will then disconnect the IBM Cyrix computer from the left side of the bedroom desk, and I will put the Gateway computer in its place.  I will then configure the Gateway computer.  I will put the IBM Cyrix which is a 233 Mhz computer with 64 megs of memory underneath the maple side table at the end of the blue couch.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 8:00 A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  It is running just fine.  I will go bed soon.  When I wake up today, I will do my house cleaning.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 7:55 A.M.:  I went outside, and I chatted with some neighbors.  I do not have time to look inside the Gateway computer.  I put it underneath the Maple sideboard at the end of the blue sofa for now.  I might just end up giving it to a thrift shop.  A neighbor who works at the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop told me, they only take computers made by 1998 or after, so it would be eligible.  I will now check my email briefly.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 7:10 A.M.:  The Dell backup computer is connected back up.  With the Bridge Connections feature connecting the three networks the Cable modem stays online without any problems.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 6:45 A.M.:  To Bridge all three network connections, in the networking windows, one has to disable the XP firewall in all three network connections, and then one highlights the three networks, and selects the option from the menu to "Bridge the Network Connections".  It seems to keep the network connections working this way, and it is smoother.  The speed is still pretty much the same at 3484.2 kbps.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 6:30 A.M.:  I connected the Gateway, and I booted it.  After it ran scandisk automatically to repair the C: drive, the system booted.  I think it is a 350 Mhz Pentium II computer with 128 megs ram, a 8 gigabyte hard drive and a half a gigabyte hard drive.  It is running Windows 95, and it is setup for Networking.  It has two USB ports, a 56K U.S. Robotics modem, and a LAN Card.  As is it goes online my cable modem connection works with it.  On my primary computer, I had a problem keeping the cable modem network connections working, so once I got all three network connections goings, I disabled the Firewall on all three network connections, and I selected the option to Bridge all three connections.  I will now see if they keep working together.   I will now disconnect the Gateway computer, and I will put the Dell backup computer in its normal place and reconnect it.  I will inspect the inside of the Gateway computer.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 5:10 A.M.:  I took four slices of Arnold oat bread, and I spread Hellmann's Just 2 Good low fat mayonnaise on four slices of bread.  I then spread Gold's hot horseradish on two slices.  I then cut six 3/8 thick slices of cold eye round of beef, and I put three slices on each of two pieces of bread with mayonnaise, and I seasoned the beef with ground black pepper.  I then cut four 3/8th inch thick slices of onion, and I put two slices of onion side by side on top of the beef on each sandwich, and I seasoned it with ground black pepper.  I then put the top slices of bread with the mayonnaise and horseradish on the sandwiches, and I cut them in half across.  I ate the sandwiches with a glass of iced tea.  I will now disconnect the Dell backup computer, and I will connect the Gateway computer, and I will test it.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 4:30 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I chatted with another town employee.  I checked the lights on my car, and they all work.  I then drove by the lower level train station dumpster area, and I retrieved a Gateway 2000 GP6-350 tower computer manufactured in 1998 and a Linksys 10/100 8 Port Workgroup Switch with out the transformer.  I then drove down by the waterfront, and I stood out for a brief spell.  I then returned home.  I brought up the Gateway computer and the Linksys hub with my small cart that I keep in my car.  I will test the Gateway later.  It is really not worth anything, but I will see if it works, and what I can do with it.  It might be better than one of my backup computers, but if it should stay and not be dumped one of the backup computers would have to go.  However, the Gateway is a big case that takes up more room.  There was a 15 inch monitor there with some cables.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 1:45 A.M.:  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I showered and cleaned up.  I will now go out for some fresh early morning air.  I will first run Ad-aware 6.0.  I will shut down the computer, while I am out, since I can not put it on standby in my present configuration.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 12:55 A.M.:  I decided it would be better to have the Plantronics headset installed into one of the USB ports on the D-Link hub which is powered separately, so I removed the four port hub from it with the longer cable, and I plugged it into the right rear hub of the Sony monitor, and I plugged the Plantronics headset into the D-Link hub.  The Plantronics headset seems to work even better.  I have the four port hub with the longer cord placed underneath the left side front of the Sony monitor for easy access with four vacant USB ports.  I also have one vacant USB port on the other four port hub with the shorter cable.  I reinstalled all three of my networks earlier, but I think the Optimum access is cutting in and out for some reason.  I will now reboot and reset the cable modem by turning it on with the Siemens router turner off and the computer turned off, but first I will reset the Siemens router by turning it on with the cable modem and computer turned off.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/30/04  Friday 12:15 A.M.:  I have all of the USB devices installed and configured.  The computer system is running just fine.  On the Sony monitor hubs, I put the Vibra web cam on the left side USB port, and the Visioneer 4400 scanner and 32 meg pin drive on the right side USB ports.  There is a spare USB port on the left side of the Sony monitor.  On the four port USB hub with the shorter cable, I have plugged into it, the USB to Cable modem cable, the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer, and the EpsonStylus Color 880 printer.  I have that four port hub resting on the coffee table to the right of the CPU in front of the D-Link hub.  On the four port hub with the longer cable, I have the hub set beneath the right side front of the Sony monitor with the Plantronics DSP500 headset plugged into it.  Although that four port hub is not powered, it should get more power from the D-Link hub, and the Plantronics DSP500 headset works just fine.  There are three USB ports in that hub, and it is convenient for use.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 10:50 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I shut down the computer, and I decided to connect my USB hubs differently.  Since the USB hubs draw off from the motherboard power when connected to the PCI USB card, I connected only the D-Link 3 port USB and LAN hub which is powered by seperate power to the one PCI USB port, and I left the other empty.  I then connected the three four port USB hubs including the Sony Monitor hub to the three D-Link USB hubs and, and I placed the one four port empty hub with the longer cable beneath the front right of the Sony monitor.  I now have to configure the USB devices and their drivers for the ones that did not install plug and play right away.  The USB network devices to the cable modem are working just fine.  Thus when done, the USB devices should drawer less power from the motherboard, since they will be powered by the D-Link powered hub. CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 8:55 P.M.:  I will now try running Norton AntiVirus 2004 with the increased Virtual Memory.  I will go outside my building briefly, and then I will have some breakfast.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 8:50 P.M.:  With the increased Virtual Memory, the onboard motherboard USB ports still do not work.  Since they once worked, there obviously is a fix.  Via recommends reinstalling the operating system.  I tried reinstalling the Windows XP Professional operating system from the Upgrade option, but the system still would not reboot in setup despite a few CMOS changes.  I restored the CMOS settings, and I disabled the onboard motherboard USB ports, and I then booted the computer regularly again.  The computer is still booting fine.  When one abandons an install, and the computer still boots, one has to change the default in the C:\boot.ini file by running MSCONFIG and setting the regular boot.  One then has to remove the attributes out of the boot.ini file and edit it to remove the line of code that boots setup and then save it and restore the attributes.  Then one has to remove the setup file folder from the root directory which can have different names, but one of them is quite large.  Well, anyway the system is still running just fine.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 7:35 P.M.:  I called up Syntax at 1-888-796-8298 number 2 button for technical support.  I chatted with Mat, and he suggested that I check my motherboard dip pin to see if it is set to 133Mhz, which I did and it was.  He also suggested disabling the L2 cache, and it did not seem to make any difference, so I enabled it again.  When I rebooted, I got a message that Windows was increasing my "Virtual Memory" which I have never gotten before.  After it increased my "Virtual Memory" to a larger size, Ultra DMA now works on my hard drives without any problem.  I guess disabling the L2 cache and booting, and then enabling the L2 cache and booting again activated the system to increase my Virtual Memory.  Perhaps since I installed Windows XP with all the devices removed and the CMOS settings disabled along with the CPU caches disabled, my virtual memory settings were not high enough.  Of course with Ultra DMA working the system is now faster.  I will now check and see if the onboard USB motherboard ports work.  Perhaps the increased Virtual Memory makes a difference.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 5:40 P.M.:  Norton AntiVirus 2004 full system scan on my computer froze the computer again.  Although the computer basically runs fine, I might have some sort of problem with my onboard motherboard IDE controller or my onboard motherboard USB VIA controller too, and the two might be related.  I tried to call Syntax the motherboard manufacturer, but they requested me to leave a number for them to call back.  Still the system works fine for my basic use.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 2:50 P.M.:  I went to bed after the last message.  I just woke up late, so I will not make it to my 3 P.M. appointment.  I got a toilet tank rubber water stopper from the building custodian, and I put it in my toilet, so it does not leak a small amount of water in the bowl after flushing.  I will now go back to sleep.  I will run Norton Anti-Virus 2004, while I rest.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 6:25 A.M.:  I went through part of www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  I searched through the Microsoft downloads for Windows XP, but I could not find any that I do not already have.  The computer system is running fine.  It seems relatively clear across the Atlantic for now NRL Monterey Satellite Photos .  The Queen Mary was in New York yesterday QM2 - Itinerary - 2004 , but they won't be back until September 17.  The Queen Elizabeth II QE2 - Itinerary - 2004 is not due until December 21.  I chatted with a friend.  I have an appointment at 3 P.M. this afternoon, so I will now go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 5:15 A.M.:  Penny for your thoughts Telegraph  News  Consumer debt hits trillion mark .  The glade plug in refill that I filled last Friday evaporated by yesterday, so this time I used  a 60% solution of English Leather Cologne and 40% solution of 91% Isopropyl alcohol instead of 50% and 50%, and I fill the container only to a half inch from the top, so there is some air in it to evaporate.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 4:15 A.M.:  I put a microwave coffee mug with water in it in the General Electric microwave oven, and I pressed the beverage button to heat the water.  I then took my ice cream scoop, and I heated it in the hot water, and I used it to scoop out one scoop of Haagen-Dazs http://www.haagendazs.com/ chocolate frozen yogurt and put it in a bowl, and then I dipped the ice cream scoop in the hot water again, and I scooped out another scoop.  I then ate the Haagen-Dazs chocolate frozen yogurt.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 3:40 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 3:15 A.M.:  I went outside, and I threw out some garbage.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 3:00 A.M.:  I installed the three Office 2003 and Office One Note updates.  They are large files, but one also needs the Office 2003 and Office One Note CDs to install them, which I have.  I am going through my email.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 1:55 A.M.:  I put away my laundry.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I cut three 1/4 inch thick slices of cold eye round beef, and I cut them into half inch wide strips, and I put them in the salad.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/29/04  Thursday 12:15 A.M.:  I made up a fresh batch of homemade hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm .  For the garlic portion, I used one large clove of elephant garlic.  I have five minutes until the laundry is done on the dry cycle.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 11:40 P.M.:  I woke up at 4:30 P.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside, and I picked up the mail.  I rested some more, and I watched some television until about 7:30 P.M..  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS during my walk, and I also used the bathroom at the senior and the arts center.  I next drove down by the waterfront, and I stood out down there for a brief spell.  I then went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a 10 pound bag of Carolina enriched rice for $4.69, a loaf of Arnold Oat Bran bread for $3.09, fresh broccoli crowns at $1.29 a pound for $1.10, a 16 ounce bag of Stop and Shop frozen sliced zucchini for .99, a 16 ounce bag of Stop and Shop chopped frozen broccoli for .99, and a 5 ounce bottle of House of Tsang pure sesame seed oil for $2.50 for $13.36 total.  I then returned home, and I put away my groceries, and I drank some iced tea.  I then started two loads of laundry, and I have 40 minutes to go on the dry cycle.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  For the last two weeks, I have been buying fresh Arnold bread at the Stop and Shop for about $2 more a loaf than buying the week old Arnold bread at the Arnold bread outlet.  The fresh Arnold bread tastes a bit better, but at this rate it would cost me about a $100 more a year plus, I buy other items at discount prices at the Arnold bread outlet.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 8:10 A.M.:  I received email that my Red Hat Service name is going to be deleted in two weeks, since I have not used it in six months, since I no long run Red Hat on any of my systems.  I will now run Norton Win Doctor, and then I will shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 7:30 A.M.:  I found the latest CMOS bios update for my Syntax SV266M motherboard at http://www.mydrivers.com/dir74/d29821.htm .  I used the Award Bios Flash for Windows, and I reflashed my CMOS with the more recent Syntax SV266M bios dated July 15, 2003 instead of the old one dated September 16, 2002.  Actually the one dated September 16, 2002 was for a similar Biostar motherboard.  Thus although both bios look the same on the computer besides the date, it might make a different.  I changed the Access Mode for the Hard Drives from LBA to Auto.  I enabled auto for the UDMA for the IDE1 in the CMOS.  However, I still have it set in the device manager for IDE1 to PIO instead of UDMA.  Actually the computer works most the time in UDMA, except my test file for the Adobe Reader Download install, the C: drive Disk Cleanup which goes through the stored Microsoft Office installation files, and Norton Anti-Virus 2004.  It also would not work for the Sun Java installation.  Thus in PIO mode, I do not have to work about those problems hopefully.  I explained earlier in my notes what the problem might be.  I microwaved and ate a bag of ACT II popcorn, and I drank it with iced tea.  With the new Syntax bios the computer seems a bit more responsive.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 5:10 A.M.:  In the CMOS I reset the Access Mode for the two Hard Drive to "LBA".  I changed the errors to "All but keyboard".  I disabled the Typeamatic rate.  I disabled Smart for Hard Drives.  I changed PNP OS to No.  The computer still boots the same, but these are some of the defaults that I did not have.  DMA still does not work on the hard drives, but I explained that earlier.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 4:00 A.M.:  A few days ago in my current configuration, when I tried reinstalling Windows XP Professional upgrade by the Upgrade option, after the system went through the first install section, when it went to reboot, the system would not reboot.  I tried disabling the CMOS settings and also the IDE1 UDMA option, but it still would not reboot.  I did remove the USB cables, but I did not remove the cards.  I removed the card when I did the new install a couple of weeks ago along with the USB and other devices along with disabling the CMOS settings and disabling the CMOS settings for the CPU as well during the first part of installation and on reboot enabling the CPU cache to speed up installation. In the earlier configuration a month ago before I installed XP SP2 RC2 and the system crashed, I use to be able to refresh the system with the Windows XP Professional upgrade Upgrade option with the cards and other onboard motherboard USB devices connected, which is not the case anymore.  However, just before I tired to install XP SP2 RC2, I was getting the occasional computer freeze, so maybe there is something wrong with my VIA onboard IDE controller and VIA onboard USB ports, but since although one can buy the same motherboard currently for $50, I do not think it is a motherboard problem, and probably if I ever bought another motherboard, I would buy about a $100 ASUS 6 PCI slot motherboard and Antec case to hold it for about $100, but I do not think it is worth putting $200 into my system when one can buy a complete new system with everything for about $350.  Thus since my computer system is working just fine except for XP system installation, I will not worry about it.  I did upgrade the CMOS bios about a year ago for the Syntax SV 266M motherboard, and it is now dated 09/16/02, but the Bios configuration is the same except for the date.  Also it worked just fine before the XP SP2 RC2 crash install.  Possibly the XP installation problem might be fixed by installing Windows ME first and then upgrading to XP.  Since my previous configuration before the XP SP2 RC2 crash was on the hard drives of my older computer which was upgraded from Windows Me to Windows XP and which hard drives I transferred to the current barebones system and I ran the repair option from Windows XP install, but it worked just fine, and after installation, I was able to do upgrade installs to refresh the system.  It would seem to me that I must be missing out on something in my testing of the system.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 2:50 A.M.:  I found this page DMA/UDMA and CD drives , and it said with an Award Bios and Via controller to enable UDMA, one could try to disable IDE UDMA in the Award CMOS bios, which I did, and when I rebooted, it had the option for Multi-Word DMA, which I enabled.  I test whether UDMA works by trying to install the Adobe Reader download file, which in UDMA it still freezes on my computer.  I returned the setting to DMA, and I left the IDE UDMA setting for IDE1 Master and Slave disabled in my bios.  This page PCI IDE Bus Mastering says that UDMA can malfunction if two IDE drives on the same IDE are not the same, which is the case in my computer since the newer C: drive supports UDMA 6 and the older D: drive supports UDMA 4.  I do not think in my current case with the two internal hard drives on IDE1 and the DVD/CD and the CD/RW drive on IDE2 that I have enough cable in my IDE cables between the end connector and the middle connector to connect each hard drive as master in IDE1 and IDE2 and still be able to connect the CD drives, since although I have long round IDE cables, the length between the end connector and the middle connector is not long enough to reach from the hard drives to the CD drives in my current case configuration where the internal hard drives are set below the CD drives and floppy disk.  Since it is not that important to me to be going slightly faster in UDMA mode instead of slower PIO mode, I will leave the current configuration as is.  Not only to change it would I have to remove the drives to set the drive master slave selection pins, but in removing one hard drive, I also have to remove the memory.  I would also have to disconnect all of the cables from the computer to work on it.  Since, it might not work anyway, I will wait and think about doing it.  I still do not think the cables are long enough anyway between the end connectors and the middle connectors.  CIO    

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 1:25 A.M.:  I put more laser paper in the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer.  The best computer person in my class at Greenwich Country Day is back down in Melbourne, Florida.  I hope he stumbles across my web page at www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm , but I have a feeling living near NASA, he knows more information that is available on the internet, if one has clearance.  However, he was not the best computer in my class at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, there were at least a dozen people in that class that were better in computers than he was, and he knows it.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 1:05 A.M.:  www.gcds.net sent me a alumni login and password for their site, so I updated my information.  They had the wrong email address.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 12:25 A.M.:  With my current setup with the three networks connected to my primary computer working off the Motorola surfboard cable modem with www.optonline.net , I am currently getting at this hour of the morning 3,481.2 kbps connection according to http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html?tag=cnetfd.dir .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/28/04  Wednesday 12:20 A.M.:  UPS tracking shows that my package was delivered at 3:04 P.M. yesterday.  I now have five spare 10 foot USB cables, 10 spare fourteen foot LAN cables, six spare 25 LAN cables plus I have one spare 10 foot LAN cable on the 8 port Ethernet hub.  I have the spare cables in the box underneath my living room desk in their packaging.  I also have the LAN cables that are in use on the primary and five backup desktop systems.  That is all that I can afford to keep in reserve, but should an emergency occur with the four port Siemens router, the 8 port Ethernet Hub and the 4 port Ethernet hub, technically more people with laptops would be able to use my cable modem if we had electricity and the cable modem worked.  Of course since IBM and a lot of other computer and technical firms are located in this area, many people whom understand the technology tend to have backup systems and reserved components.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 11:55 P.M.:  I downloaded the free local www.juno.com install program to have available for use should the cable modem fail.  It is good for 10 free hours telephone dialup a month on local numbers here in Greenwich, Connecticut.  I will not install it unless I should need it, since it seems to alter the system configuration.  I currently do not have the U.S. Robotics external telephone modem attached to the serial port, since I have the X10 wireless mouse attached to the serial port.  However, when I do connect the U.S. Robotics external telephone modem to the serial port, it installs plug and play without any other drivers.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 11:50 P.M.:  I microwaved some fresh broccoli in a microwave proof cooking container with a half inch of water by pressing the vegetable button on the General Electric microwave oven.  I also reheated in the microwave the remaining half of the rice from last night.  I cut four 1/4 inch thick slices of the cold eye round beef, and I put Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce on the cold beef, and I ate it all with a glass of iced tea.  I put a little bit of olive oil on the broccoli.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 11:15 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Time.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  It started raining during my walk.  I used the bathroom at Starbucks.  I chatted with a WiFi user at Starbucks from California about computers.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I got out of the rain for a while, and I parked at the lower level parking garage at the Greenwich train station which is protected from the rain.  I then returned home.  I had two messages from relatives on the telephone answering machine.  I called back one of the relatives.  When I went out, I found a 8 inch square white and blue Corning cooking casserole dish, a 10 inch square white and blue Corning cooking casserole dish with lid, and a 12 inch square Pyrex glass casserole dish on the trash bin, and I retrieved them to my apartment, and when I returned I washed them, and I put them underneath the center kitchen counter to have them available for use in cooking.  I think they are for ovens not microwave ovens, although they might possibly work in microwave ovens.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 7:10 P.M.:  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I chatted with a friend.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out in this rainy weather.  I will probably go by the Greenwich Library, since it tends to be dry inside there.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 4:55 P.M.:  I was up at 3:30 P.M..  The package from www.outletpc.com was delivered at my door by UPS.  I opened it and the 5 ten foot USB cables were there and the D-Link USB Hub and 10/100 Ethernet port device were in the package.  I put the five USB cables in the box underneath my living room desk with the LAN cables.  The D-Link hub is powered, so I took an extension cord from the floor off the power strip in front of my desk, and I connected it to the upper Belkin Control panel switch for my Siemens router.  I plugged both the D-Link hub and Siemens router power transformers into the extension cord, and I placed the two transformers connected to the extension cord on the wicker rack on the wall to the right of my primary computer CPU.  The D-Link hub came with a USB cable, and I disconnected one of the four port USB hubs from the PCI USB card, and I plugged in the D-Link Hub.  I put the D-Link Hub on the coffee table to the right of my CPU case where the other USB hubs are.  I plugged into the 3 D-Link USB hub ports, my Plantronics DSP-500 headset, the USB cord to the Motorola surfboard cable modem, and the four port USB hub device.  I put the four port USB hub device on the mouse pad on the right in front of the CPU to have it readily available.  I disconnected a LAN cable from the Siemens router that went my 8 port ethernet hub on top of the back up Dell computer, and I plugged in that LAN cable from the Siemens router to the new D-Link USB hub with the 10/100 Ethernet port.  I took the LAN cables from the Siemens routers to the Dell backup computer LAN cable, and I plugged it into the 8 port ethernet hub.  I took one of the two available LAN cables from the 8 port hub, and I plugged it into the Dell backup computer LAN card.  Thus to use the Dell backup computer online, not only does the Cable modem and Siemens routers have to be turned on, but so does the 8 port Ethernet hub which one turns on from the Dell backup computer control panel.  I then started up the primary computer, and all the devices installed plug and play without any problem.  I now have three networks installed on the primary computer.  The onboard LAN, the cable modem USB connection, and D-Link Ethernet port are the three connections.  I could disable the onboard motherboard LAN, but I will leave it going for now.  I have the Windows XP firewall enabled on all three connections.  All of the other USB devices are working just fine.  Thus to turn on the computer, one still turns it on the same way, since the router switch turns on both the Siemens router and D-Link hub.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 7:20 A.M.:  I went outside, and I chatted with a neighbor.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 6:35 A.M.:  I tried to install the Sun Java Virtual machine a few times, but my IDE driver froze the machine a few times on PIO mode.  I finally ran Driver Update in the Device Manager on the Via Busmaster IDE controller, and it installed a different version of the file, so I guess my IDE controller is now more stable.  I also changed in the CMOS video init from PCI to AGP.  The system booted fine, and the Sun Java Virtual Machine download installed without any problems, except I had to disable the Norton Internet Security 2004 firewall for the installation to work.  UPS tracking shows that my package left UPS in Norwalk, Connecticut out for delivery at 6:15 A.M. this morning.  Frequently UPS packages come later in the day at 4 P.M., but I noticed a UPS delivery truck making a delivery here two days ago at 9 A.M..  I will now go outside for a morning break.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 5:00 A.M.:  I will now install the Java Virtual Machine for Windows XP http://java.com/en/index.jsp .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 4:45 A.M.:  I watched some television.  The movie "Tea House of the August Moon" is on television.  My apartment in Greenwich, Connecticut is sort of my own Greenwich, Connecticut version of "Tea House of the August Moon".  UPS tracking shows that the package that I ordered from www.outletpc.com arrived at Norwalk, Connecticut at 2:15 A.M. this morning.  If one were ordering more complex computer items, I find that the site http://www.directron.com/ has a larger variety of basic computer items than does www.outletpc.com .  Of course there are so many sites to chose from on the internet, I guess one Windows shop just about forever.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 3:25 A.M.:  Earlier, before I went out for my walk this past evening, I ran Ad-aware 6.0.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 3:20 A.M.:  Yahoo! News - IBM to Build Supercomputer for U.S. Military .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 3:10 A.M.:  New Microsoft blog site http://channel9.msdn.com/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 2:35 A.M.:  I went through my email.  My package from www.outletpc.com left Stratford, Connecticut at 1:50 A.M. this morning probably for the UPS delivery depot in Norwalk, Connecticut, so probably it will be delivered today.  I guess UPS will be waking me up some time today.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 1:50 A.M.:  Dinner was delicious.  My UPS delivery from www.outletpc.com left Las Vegas, Nevada July 19, 2004 at 11:01 P.M., and it arrived in Secaucus, New Jersey July 23, at 9:15 P.M., and it departed Secaucus, New Jersey on July 24, at 1:07 A.M., and it arrived in Parsippany, New Jersey at 1:49 A.M., and it took time off yesterday and over the weekend, and it departed Parsippany, New Jersey on July 26 at 8:29 P.M., and it arrived this past evening on July 26 at Stratford, Connecticut at 10:17 P.M., so it looks like it might make delivery today, since if it makes it to Norwalk, Connecticut this morning, they will probably deliver it today.  I ordered from www.outletpc.com five USB 2.0 ten foot cables for $1.99 each http://store.yahoo.com/outletpc/c0229.html and a D-Link 3 Port USB Hub 10/100 Ethernet Adaptor Combo for $12.54 http://store.yahoo.com/outletpc/c4615.html plus $7.58 UPS ground shipping from Las Vegas, Nevada for $30.07 total.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/27/04  Tuesday 1:00 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I chatted with a walker whom said he would email me his web site for buying discount merchandise on the internet.  I completed my walk.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Food Emporium.  I bought two 128 ounce containers of Arm and Hammer sensitive skin liquid detergent for $2.49 each, and a eye round beef roast at $2.99 a pound for $10.85 for $16.15 total.  I then returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  I put the eye round roast on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, and I covered all sides with Old Bay Seasoning, garlic power, chicken and meat seasoning, ground black pepper, celery salt, Italian spices, and Texas Best Mesquite barbeque sauce.  I am cooking it in the Farberware convection over at 335 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.  I also took 8 ounces of Carolina enriched white rice, and I rinsed it underneath hot water in a metal bowl, and then I strained it underneath hot water in a wire strainer, and I put it in the China Village microwave rice steamer, and I added 14 ounces of water, two tablespoons of olive oil, and a teaspoon of sesame oil.  I put both the inner and out lids on the China Village microwave rice steamer, and I heat it in the microwave oven for 11 minutes and then let it stand five minutes for perfect rice.  I will also steam with a cover pot and steamer tray with water underneath the steamer tray some fresh broccoli crowns for 15 minutes total time to boil the water to steam and steam the broccoli.  I will eat three 3/8th inch thick slices of the eye round of beef with the beef juices with half of the rice and the steamed broccoli along with a glass of iced tea.  I will refrigerate in a Rubbermaid container the remaining beef and in another Rubbermaid container the remaining rice.  One use to be able to buy the China Village microwave rice steamer at the Food Emporium for $15.  I am not sure whether it is still available or not.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 7:35 P.M.:  I went back to bed until 6 P.M..  I ran Norton AntiVirus 2004, and it went through most of the system before it froze, but it did not find any problems.  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly, and I picked up the mail.  There is no more news on UPS tracking on my package, so I guess after they are shut down for two days over the weekend, it takes them a day to catch up with the back log.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out.  I guess I am back on a night schedule.  According to http://www.w3.weather.com/weather/local/06830 , there is suppose to some rain later on this week.  CIO     

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 4:35 P.M.:  I was up at 3:30 P.M..  Nothing has changed on UPS tracking, and there is no sign of UPS.  I called my 4 P.M. appointment and chatted briefly, and I rescheduled the appointment.  I changed two light bulbs that burned out.  I might either rest some more or eat breakfast.  I will now try running Norton AntiVirus 2004 again.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 10:00 A.M.:  I tried to run Norton AntiVirus 2004, but it froze on my mail folder.  I will try it later on when I have the time.  I ran Norton Disk Doctor on the C: and the D: drives.  I just cancelled my 4 P.M. appointment, so I can get some sleep.  No news from UPS tracking, but the package is scheduled for delivery today.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  As far as I can tell, the computer is running just fine.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 9:05 A.M.:  I rebooted after the last message.  I had a problem with the network keeping the computer from rebooting, so I did a System Restore back to this past Saturday, and the system is booting just fine and running just fine.  I will now shut down the computer and rest for a while.  No news from UPS tracking today so far.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 6:55 A.M.:  I went outside, and I chatted with a couple of neighbors.  I will now shut down the computer.  UPS tracking last shows my package from www.outletpc.com was in New Jersey on July 24, and there is no new activity yet, so I do not know whether it will arrive today or not.  I will go to bed soon, and I will be up around 1 P.M. for my 4 P.M. appointment.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 5:50 A.M.:  I unplugged my two USB hubs from the back of the computer when I was shut down, and I enabled the onboard motherboard USB devices in the CMOS, and I rebooted, and I reinstalled the drivers for the onboard motherboard USB devices.  Although the device manager says they work including the two front USB 2.0 ports, they only recognize USB devices plugged into them as unrecognized USB devices that do not work.  I can only think that since the onboard motherboard USB devices were disabled when I installed Windows XP Professional that possibly some key file or files were not installed because they were disabled.  I enabled them after installing Windows XP Professional to find out they did not work last week, which is why I took out the LAN card and installed the two port USB PCI card which does recognized my USB devices right away without any problem.  I next shut down the computer and disabled the onboard motherboard USB devices in the CMOS, and I plugged in the two USB hubs to the two USB PCI card.  When I rebooted the system would not boot because of the network, so I turned off the cable modem and rebooted, and the computer booted properly.  I then turned on the cable modem, and the network reinstalled itself, and then I rebooted without any problem.  In my current configuration using the onboard motherboard LAN and the USB cable connected to the cable modem, I can not seem to repair the network without rebooting, which is not really any problem, since the network never really needs to be repaired.  When I receive the USB hub with LAN connection that I ordered from www.outletpc.com , I will replace one of my hubs on the computer with the USB hub and LAN connection and setup a third network connection from the Siemens router to the USB hub and LAN connection that I will have plugged into the USB PCI card.  I could use the spare hub on my Dell backup computer, or I could plug it into one of the primary computer hubs, but I do not need that much USB hub space at the moment.  The computer seems to be running just fine as it is configured.  However, when the network repaired itself, I noticed something interesting when one views the Network Devices in the Device Manager and selects to show hidden devices, there are another 11 network device drivers running on the system besides the onboard LAN and Cable modem connection, so only some tech person would know what all those hidden network devices are doing.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 1:30 A.M.:  For those people with Potomac fever NYTimes.com 2004 Election Guide .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 12:55 A.M.:  I went through my email.  My UPS package is still down in New Jersey, so I do not know if it will be delivered today or not.  I have a 4 P.M. appointment today.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/26/04  Monday 12:40 A.M.:  I ate the last third of a 10 ounce can of smoked almonds with some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 11:55 P.M.:  What got me to thinking about Florence, Italy was I noticed this evening during my evening stroll, that a newspaper is being delivered in a plastic bag that advertises Carapelli olive oil http://www.carapelli.com/ which I did not buy last time when I bought the three liters of Bertolli http://www.bertolli.com  extra virgin olive oil for about $23, since the Carapelli olive oil at the Stop and Shop was only available in regular olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 11:50 P.M.:  Of course this major event in Florence, Italy http://www.32igc.org/home.htm happens August 20-28, 2004, and it might explain from the world's leading experts what is happening in the world of Geophysics or Geology or what the kids call Rock Hounds are interested in.  I lived in Florence, Italy during the winter of 1972, when I minored in Renaissance Art at the University of Grenoble, France extension in Florence, Italy.  I greatly enjoyed Florence, Italy, but it is as cold as New York in the winter, and it is equally warm in the summer.  I stayed at the Pension Adria on the fifth floor of a building on the southwest corner of the Santa Trinita bridge overlooking the Arno River.  Luciano whom manages the Pensione Adria is the youngest of 13 brothers in the hotel business in Europe, and his oldest brother use to manage the Savoy Hotel in London, so they are quite an expert family in hospitality.  I paid about $40 a week for an inside room without a view for less noise from the street traffic, and that included continental breakfast and five course dinners without wine included in the cost.  Of course back then the Frescobaldi wine was not too expensive in Florence, Italy since it is native to the Tuscan region of Italy.  The native food of Florence, Italy is Etruscan cooking with if basically thin slices of meats sautéed in olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon juice, herbs and spices and white wine, and it is very tasty.  They eat a large meal about 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. and then they have siesta.  In the evening from about 7 P.M. to midnight, they also have another less filling dinner type of meal.  Florence, Italy is very cosmopolitan with lots of specialty shops with fine Italian leathers and woolen goods, and during the winter the general public are very well dressed even by European standards.  Of course the little town up on the mountain on the north side overlooking Florence, Italy called Fiesole has some breathtaking views overlooking the city, and it would be cooler with cleaner air.  There is bus service to Fiesole.  Since the Medici were and probably still are one of the primary moving forces in that region of Italy, they have a comfortable house near the Pension Adria, and the Medici house called the Medici Palace has a nice walled garden around it.  On the hill behind the Medici Palace, there is the Piazza Michelangelo, and the small villas there are suppose to be on the most expensive real estate in Europe.  Need I say more, if one can afford the trip, a visit to Florence, Italy is well worth the time and experience.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 11:25 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 10:00 P.M.:  I woked up during the early morning, and I ate two Quaker low fat corn cakes.  I was up at 2 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to bed until 5:30 P.M..  I chatted with a friend and a relative.  I went out, and I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and I bought two 12 ounce cans of Lysol disinfectant crisp linen scent for $2.49 each and a 1 liter bottle of CVS yellow mouthwash  for $1.99 plus .48 tax for $8.45 total.  I ran into another walker, and I walked back down Greenwich Avenue.  I then walked the other walker up to the top of Greenwich Avenue where his car was parked.  I then returned back down Greenwich Avenue, and I use the bathroom at Starbucks.  I then drove down by the waterfront, and I chatted with one of the regular fishermen.  I was told by another friend that fishes Long Island sound in a boat up in Norwalk, Connecticut, they are catching blue fish, stripped bass, and snappers.  I am not sure whether they are red snappers, which I think one catches down south, but I don't think one catches them here.  I then sat out briefly at the Greenwich Library.  I just now returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 2:45 A.M.:  Well, there is not much going on, and it is suppose to rain much of this coming week.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 2:30 A.M.:  Well, if Krakatau erupted with major force again, I guess there would be cold winters up north, and we would want to email our friends in Brazil or rough it in Key West, Florida at the http://www.casamarinakeywest.com/ .  Of course, Key West is now more expensive than Greenwich, Connecticut, so unlike 1976 when one could live in abandoned buildings like the Casa Marina, in Key West, now I think it is close to $400 a day.  Of course there are lots of other places down south, and the general ambience of Key West www.liveduvalstreet.com generally does not cater to the Puritan sensibilities of people from up north, so if they have Big Bucks, they can try to afford one of the mega mansions in Palm Beach, Florida that can cost close to $50 million bucks, of course there are many poorer areas down south, where the weather is equally enjoyable without the plush comforts of the Gold Coast of Florida.  I suppose though, New Yorkers still tend to flock together in various locations.  I personally feel if there were ever another winter like the Winter of 1882 when Krakatau last had its last major eruption, some location like Tobago would be enjoyable, but as one gets older, ones needs to be aware that one should also live near major medical facilities.  Thus although the grass always seems greener on the other side of the warmer world, those of us whom are use to the colder temperatures of the winters up north will probably tough it out here.  I suppose some tropical residents have to worry about www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm during the upcoming tropical storm season.  I have theory that volcanic activity is increased by solar flare activity from the sun, so maybe it also has an effect on tropical weather.  However, generally when it is cooler, particularly if the ocean water is cooler, there is not as much tropical storm activity.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 1:35 A.M.:  I finished going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 12:55 A.M.: Krakatau active http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/news/index.htm and http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0602-00= . 

KRAKATAU Indonesia 6.10°S, 105.43°E; summit elev. 813 m

In July there was an increase in the number of gas-and-steam emissions from the crater of Anak Krakatau. In addition, the number of volcanic earthquakes increased from 1-4 per day before 5 July, to ~57 per day, then dropped to 2-17 earthquakes per day by mid-July. The Alert Level at Krakatau was raised from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). Visits to the crater were prohibited.

Background. The renowned Krakatau volcano lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Collapse of the ancestral Krakatau edifice, perhaps in 416 AD, resulted in a 7-km-wide caldera. Remnants of this volcano formed Verlaten and Lang Islands; subsequently Rakata, Danan, and Perbuwatan volcanoes were formed, coalescing to create the pre-1883 Krakatau Island. Caldera collapse during the catastrophic 1883 eruption destroyed Danan and Perbuwatan volcanoes, and left only a remnant of Rakata volcano. The post-collapse cone of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau), constructed within the 1883 caldera at a point between the former cones of Danan and Perbuwatan, has been the site of frequent eruptions since 1927.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/25/04  Sunday 12:20 A.M.:  I went through half of my email.  I ate 2/3 of the 10 ounce can of smoked almonds with some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 11:15 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I ate the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 9:50 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $4 of regular unleaded gasoline at $2.279 a gallon for about 28 miles per gallon usage.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  During my walk, I stopped by CVS, and I bought two 32 ounce spray bottles of CVS cleaner with bleach at one for $2.29 and the second one for a penny, and a 10 ounce can of Smoked Almonds for $2.49 for $4.93 total.  I then completed my walk.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I then returned home.  I had a message from a friend on my answering machine.  I drank some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 6:35 P.M.:  I have my the IDE cables and the Master Slave settings set properly on my drives.  Maybe my system does not really support HDMA, although it does work, except it freezes on large file transfers.  I just now chatted with a relative.  I will hold off on reading my email.  I will now eat a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced tea.  I will then clean up, and I will go out.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 6:05 P.M.:  This page has information about configuring one's drives and IDE cables http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=94 .  At the moment, I have the first C: drive and the second D: drive as IDE1 master and slave, and I have the DVD/CD and the CD/RW as IDE2 master and slave.  Although I have long round IDE cables, I do not think they would stretch far enough to support each hard drive on a separate IDE cable and still connect to the CD drives in my present computer case configuration.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 6:00 P.M.:  I installed a different VIA IDE driver  http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=340  , but when I rebooted it activated XP product activation, but I did not reactivate right away.  When I tried HDMA with the VIA IDE Miniport driver, it still  would freeze, so I returned to the other VIA IDE driver, which I set in PIO mode, and the computer system runs fine again.  I then tried to reactivate Windows XP online, but it would not go through since I had activated it three times in trying to reinstall it last week.  I finally activated it over the telephone with an activation ID number that I entered.  Thus XP is now activated again.  I was given a Microsoft Technical support number 1-800-939-5700 in India, and I chatted with them.  They told me that since I had bought Windows XP separately from CompUSA about a year and a half ago, and since I have never used technical support, that I am entitled to two major incidents of free technical support along with unlimited installation and uninstallation technical support.  Since at the moment, my computer system is running just fine, I will not use the free Microsoft technical support that came with Windows XP Professional.  I also do not intend to install Windows XP SP2 final release, since I do not want to go through the problems of reinstallation that I have been through the last three weeks should Windows XP SP2 crash the system where I can not recover it.  I will now continue going through my email.  I noticed some people from India around recently, so maybe Microsoft is here watching us.  Possibly the APM not working in Power Settings is caused by the fact that I am using a generic Opti PCI USB port card, which on another type system causes APM not to work.  Still since my onboard USB ports do not work properly, I will continue to use the Opti PCI 2 port USB card with the USB devices attached to it.  Last week when I reinstalled Windows XP Professional Upgrade on the system with a Syntax SV266 M motherboard, I had to install it on a formatted C: drive, and for the first stage of installation file copying, I had to have all the PCI cards and other devices including USB removed and the CMOS settings disabled including disabling the CPU CMOS caches, and it installed, and then on reboot, I enabled the CPU cache to speed up the process.  After installation, I installed the cards and devices, and the system worked just fine.  However, one time after XP installed without the Cards and Devices installed and with the CMOS settings disabled except the CPU cache, I tried to install XP SP2 RC2, and the system crashed.  Thus I am hesitant about trying to install the final release XP SP2 when available.  I also have tried disabling the CMOS HDMA IDE settings to PIO, but that did not work either.  There is no reference to the problem on the internet.  About the only option is to detach my second IDE drive during XP installation.  Also the same problem exists for the basic Windows XP Professional upgrade refresh option, and on reboot without the cards and USB and other devices installed and with the CMOS settings disabled except for the CPU cache, the upgrade procedure did not work.  Only a fresh install worked with that procedure.  Still at the moment, the computer is running just fine along with all of its USB devices, and I will now continue going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 3:30 P.M.:  I was awake at 1:30 P.M..  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly, and I picked up the mail.  I chatted with a relative.  I will now start going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 3:05 A.M.:  I looked at some technical pages relating to my computer system.  I downloaded from www.northgate.com the VIA IDE drivers they had for my Syntax SV 266 M motherboard.  I installed them.  I think they are pretty much the same as what I already had on my computer.  I am tired, so I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/24/04  Saturday 12:45 A.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  CIO

End of Scott's Notes week of 07/23/04:

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 11:50 P.M.:  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 11:20 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Greenwich Avenue.  After I completed my walk, I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a bulb of elephant garlic for $1.99, a 16 ounce bag of baby carrots for $1.50, a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach for $1.99, fresh broccoli crowns at $1.29 a pound for $1.66, a three pound bag of onions for $2.79, a pound of Stop and Shop Swiss Cheese for $4.39, a 16.5 ounce bottle of Monari balsamic vinegar for $2.50 for $16.82 total.  I then returned home.  I had a message on the answering machine from a relative to email another relative about the size of the day bed, so maybe they could take it up to Maine in mid August in their station wagon.  I drank some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 8:25 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I chatted with a relative before I ate my salad, and I called back the relative briefly on another matter.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out to do some errands.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 6:55 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 5:45 P.M.:  I went to bed after the last message.  I had a friend call be at 6 A.M. this morning.  I was finally up at 1:30 P.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I checked the mail.  It is currently raining out until tomorrow.  I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I threw out the garbage.  I refilled the Glade plugin scent refill above the kitchen counter with a 50% mixture of Old English cologne and 50% mixture of 91% Isopropyl alcohol.  I ran Norton Speed Disk on the C: drive while doing house cleaning.  I will now run "bootvis.exe" to speed up the boot process.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 4:10 A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  I will go to bed soon.  When I wake up later today, I have to do my house cleaning.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/23/04  Friday 3:55 A.M.:  After I uninstalled XP SP1, the IDE HDMA still did not work.  I then reinstalled XP SP1 and all of the other updates.  I microwaved a bowl of popcorn which I ate with iced tea.  The emergency pull cord alarm went off in the building about a half an hour ago, but it was a false alarm, and the alarm system was reset.  I ran Disk Cleanup on the C: drive after doing a system restore backup.  I ran Norton WinDoctor and then Ad-aware 6.0.  The system seems to be running better, but it still has the few minor faults.  Still over all, it is a lot better than three weeks ago this Saturday, when I first had the system failure while trying to install Windows XP SP2 RC2.  Since the system runs fine in IDE PIO mode, I do not think I have an onboard motherboard IDE controller problem.  Now the Nvidia and the Speaker and the Norton Internet Security 2004 firewall icons are not appearing in the lower right tray, but they are easily activated each time I boot, if I need them.  I will now run Norton SpeedDisk for about a week to give the system time to sort out the most frequently used files.  After that I will run bootvis to speed up the bootup process a little bit.  I have 9.49 gigabytes of free space on the C: drive and 10.1 gigabytes of free space on the D: drive.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 10:55 P.M.:  HDMA is a feature of XP SP1.  I will now try uninstalling XP SP1 and then try HDMA, and then reinstall XP SP1 and try HDMA.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 10:40 P.M.:  I tried getting IDE HDMA working by disabling disk caching on the hard drives, but that did not work.  I now have them set at IDE PIO with the disk caching on the hard drives enabled.  When I chatted with my friend earlier, I was told that he would not be able to drive me up to Maine next week.  I chatted with my relative in Maine, and I will either go up there myself in September or with my friend with the station wagon to take the day bed if he is available.  The day bed only cost $75, and since it has been here for some time, there is no real rush on it.  Also if I go up in September, I can stay longer to visit and possibly do some work, which would be harder in the hot weather.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 9:25 P.M.:  I was able to get System Restore working.  When I checked it I thought it turned it on, but it was turning it off, so I when I unchecked it, it turned it on.  I guess when one wears glasses on the computer, one has to look at the small print closely.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 8:55 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I used a tin of sardines that I chopped.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I chatted with a friend.  I went outside briefly, and I chatted with a neighbor.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 7:25 P.M.:  I tried doing a Windows XP Professional upgrade mode install, but when the system rebooted on Windows Setup, it would freeze.  I tried various CMOS settings including disabling most of the settings, but it still would not boot.  I finally returned to the previous setup, and deleted the Windows Setup in the boot.ini file.  They system is still running just fine as it was before.  I cleaned the Kensington Wireless mouse by scraping the rollers and wiping the ball and rollers with a cotton swap with alcohol, so the mouse is now more responsive.  I uninstalled the Microsoft Intellipoint driver, so it is just using the Microsoft PS/2 mouse driver at the moment.  I checked the batteries, and the are all right.  I think the problem was the base unit was too far back, so I moved it forward.  The Norton Internet Security 2004 Firewall icon is now appearing in the lower right tray.  I guess, I could do a new install if I ever have serious problems.  I would have to do it the same way, I did it last week.  When I worked on it last week, I tried other IDE cables, and that did not make a difference.  I use to be able to refresh the Windows XP Professional system with the upgrade mode, which does not work anymore.  Perhaps some of the Windows SP1 upgrades are causing the problem.  I did not try removing the cards for the upgrade, since last week that did not make any difference with the problem.  The fact that the IDE HDMA does not work along with my onboard motherboard USB devices along with the other problems leads me to believe it could be a hardware problem.  Still for now the system is running just fine.  The "C:\System Volume Information" file is not accessible set at "Read Only", but it supposedly is empty, and I can not change its attributes.  I would imagine this is what is causing the System Restore function not to work.  Whatever, the problems are with the computer, it seems to be a number of problems that can not be troubleshooted at the moment.  Last week, I also cleared and reflashed the CMOS, and that did not make a difference either.  The memory tests out fine too.  I also have tried the Microsoft drivers instead of the VIA drivers and that did not make a difference.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 4:50 P.M.:  I made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital thrift shop.  I then returned a DVD disk at the Greenwich Library audiovisual drop outside.  I just now returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  Before booting the computer, I unplugged the two USB device hubs from the back of the computer USB PCI card.  In the CMOS I selected AGP for the video, and I disabled Assign IRQ to VGA.  I also enabled the onboard motherboard USB ports.  When the computer booted it installed the generic video driver.  I will now try to reinstalled Windows XP Professional in the upgrade mode from the copy I have on the C: drive.  If it does not install, I will just leave the computer the way it was before with the previous mentioned problems.  If it hopefully does install, I will basically have the same setup as before, but hopefully the previous mentioned problems will be fixed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/22/04  Thursday 1:50 P.M.:  I was up at 10:30 A.M..  I tried reinstalling Windows XP Professional upgrade on the computer with a upgrade installation, but it would not boot.  I was able to reboot into the old configuration.  The Norton Internet Security Firewall icon does not display in the lower right hand tray.  Also System Restore does not work.  I copied the XP cd to the C: drive.  I am just finishing eating breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I will shut down the computer shortly.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment.  I will clean up shortly and go out for the appointment.  I will stop by the library after the appointment and return a CD.  Then I will return home.  I might try uninstalling the AGP video card drivers and removing the AGP card, and then try reinstalling Windows XP Professional in an upgrade with just the PCI card in the computer.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 11:35 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 11:20 P.M.:  I changed a few minor settings in the CMOS.  I can not get Advanced Power Management to work in Windows XP.  I enabled the Windows XP Firewall for both the onboard LAN network and for the USB connection network to the cable modem.  Basically the system is running just fine.  I suppose when I originally installed Windows XP with most of the CMOS settings disabled, possibly certain key parts of the operating system were not installed like support for the onboard motherboard USB, Advanced Power Management, and IDE UDMA, but since the system is running just fine as configured at the moment, and it is completely configured, I will not worry about those three problems at the moment.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 9:50 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and I bought five 14 ounce bags of Surfer Dude spice drops for .99 each plus .18 tax less $2 CVS bonus bucks for $3.15 total.  I noticed that Polaroid is now selling computer printer inkjet cartridges.  I then completed my walk.  I did not bother driving down by the waterfront, because when I do not have enough time, I do not go by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Time.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.29, a fresh loaf of Arnold Oat nut bread for $2.50, a 16.5 ounce bottle of Monari balsamic vinegar for $2.50 for $7.29 total which I paid for with my debit card.  I then returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  I chatted with a friend for a while.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 5:30 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out for an evening stroll.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 4:55 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 3:35 P.M.:  I reinstalled the latest Via 4 in 1 drivers.  I tried a fix for the UDMA problem, but it did not work, so I am still running the computer on IDE PIO mode.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 1:10 P.M.:  I reinstalled the VIA drivers, but the HDMA still does not work.  I could try changing the two hard drives from IDE1 master slave to both on IDE1 and IDE2 as master, but since it use to work as is, I do not think there is any point.  I went outside briefly.  I aired out my car from the heat.  The quartz sweep hand clock in the car is working in the heat that builds up.  I noticed the passenger side rear tire is missing its valve cap.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/21/04  Wednesday 12:15 P.M.:  I was up at 9 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly, and I picked up the mail.  I booted the computer, and I uninstalled the Nvidia drivers for the AGP card, and I set the two video card system to boot PCI first.  When the system rebooted again, the Nvidia drivers installed, and the Nvidia icon came up in the lower right hand corn on the task bar for controlling the multiple monitor settings.  I have it now set for Clone to play the television monitor too.  I tried putting the computer IDE setting to HDMA, but it still freezes, so I put it back to PIO.  The motherboard USB ports do not work with the current settings still.  Still as I now have the system setup, it is still working fine.  I think I will try reinstalling the VIA drivers from the Syntax SV-266M motherboard CD instead of the latest downloaded drivers, I now have on the system.  It seems like there is something wrong with my VIA drivers on the system since the IDE and USB are both VIA driver driven devices.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 10:55 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 10:20 P.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 10:05 P.M.:  I ate three .75 inch by .25 inch by 2 inch slices of Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese, eight Town House crackers, and a bowl of corn chips with some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 9:05 P.M.:  I put away the laundry.  I chatted with a friend.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 7:55 P.M.:  My UPS order from www.outletpc.com is scheduled for delivery on Monday July 26, 2004.  However, UPS usually arrives at 4 P.M., and I have a 4 P.M. appointment downtown that day.  Earlier in that day, I will be moving the day bed out of the apartment and rearranging the furniture in the living room.  I guess I could always leave a note for UPS to leave the package.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 7:50 P.M.:  I took a shower and washed my hair to get the loose hairs off my head from the hair cut.  When I clean out the contents from underneath the day bed today, I also found another old cable modem, which I put on the side board in the bedroom between the two backup computer monitors.  I have another older cable modem on the left side of the side board.  I also found two older flat PS2 keyboards, which I put on top of the left monitor on the bedroom side board.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 7:15 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop, and I donated the Technics tape deck with RCA cable, the blue IBM selectric typewriter, and the Panasonic word processor typewriter.  I toured the thrift shop.  I then drove over to Old Greenwich, and I got my hair cut at Off Center hair stylists for $18 plus $5 tip for $23 total.  Since there is currently hot weather, I got it cut a little bit shorter than normal.  I then toured the Old Greenwich Rummage Room thrift shop.  I next went out to Tod's Point to the southwest parking area, and I walked out to the southwest picnic area, and I enjoyed the view.  I then returned to downtown Greenwich, and I walked lower Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I used the bathroom at the senior and arts center.  I then returned home.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I used a tin of sardines that I chopped.  For the cheddar portion, I used Land-O-Lakes Pepper Jack cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients, and I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I started two loads of laundry, and I have 50 minutes to go on the dry cycle.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  I threw out some garbage.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 12:35 P.M.:  I put an RCA cable with the Technics tape deck.  I put the Technics tape deck, IBM blue selectric typewriter, and the Panasonic word processor in my car.  I will take them by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop, and if they don't want them, I will take them by the Old Greenwich Rummage Room.  I will now shut down the computer.  I will eat a peanut butter sandwich with iced tea, and I will then clean up.  I will then go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/20/04  Tuesday 11:55 A.M.:  I was up at 8 A.M. this morning.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I moved out the blue sofa and maple side table, and from underneath the day bed, I took out the blue IBM selectric typewriter and the Panasonic word processor, and I put them outside by the dumpster along with an old Technics tape deck for anyone to grab.  I also threw out all the empty boxes underneath the day bed.  I put the Bissell rug cleaner and its attachments in the bedroom closet.  I removed the instructions from the boxes, and I put them with other instructions in the bag underneath the bed in the bedroom.  The Motorola Surfboard CD, Microsoft Intellitype Pro Keyboard CD, and the Kensington wireless keyboard and mouse disk, I put in the CD rack to the right of my computer chair.  I found a 50 foot cable TV cable along with a few shorter ones that I put underneath the bedroom bed.  I put three empty 3.5 inch floppy disk cases on the shelf in the left living room closet.  I moved the AT&T wall phone underneath the bed in the bedroom.  I found a USB cable in the cable modem box.  I use the six foot USB cable that I found to connect the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer, and I used the longer 10 foot USB cable from it to connect the EpsonStylus Color  800 printer.  When I started the computer with the Epson printer turned on, it installed plug and play.  I installed the Epson Status monitor.  Thus when the Epson printer is turned on, one can see the amount of ink used.  It currently is a little of half full for both the color and black ink cartridges.  Thus one does not have to use the Epson off the Siemens router and the port box.  It will still work off the Siemens router and port box for the backup computers.  I received a "W04" sticker in the mail, and I put it in left lower rear corner of my 1999 Hyundai Accent hatchback.  It is more conspicuous than the "Connecticut Bush Cheney 04" sticker in the same location.  Thus I have everything cleared out from underneath the daybed, and I have it ready to be moved next Monday.  The blue IBM selectic typewriter, I bought last summer at the sidewalk sales from Marks Brothers for $10, and it works just fine, and the Panasonic word processor works fine too.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 10:00 P.M.:  I took a cold 6 ounce can of Bumble Bee pink crab meat, and I opened the lid, and I left the lid on it, and I rinsed it underneath cold water squeezing out the water a half dozen times.  I then put the crab meat in a steel mixing bowl, and I flaked it.  I then added a couple of tablespoons of Hellmann's Just 2 Good low fat mayonnaise, and I mixed it all together.  I made two sandwiches out of it, which I ate with a glass of iced tea.  I went outside briefly.  The leather couch outside that someone discarded has been retrieved by someone else.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 9:25 P.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 9:15 P.M.:  http://www.newairplane.com/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 9:00 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I picked up a prescription at CVS.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Time, and I checked out a DVD disk.  I then returned home.  I tried playing the DVD disk with PowerDVD player, but it uses lower video settings, which I was not able to set.  However, it plays fine in the Windows Media Player.  I fiddled with the Nvidia video settings, and although it is still active, the icon in the lower right hand corner of the desktop no longer displays, so one can not change the Nvidia settings from that icon.  I switched it to dual view, and it quit displaying even when I rebooted.  However, the computer is still working pretty much the same.  I chatted with a friend.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 3:25 P.M.:  I filed a beta bug report with Microsoft concerning Windows XP SP2 RC2 via their email beta link.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 3:00 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  Yesterday, when I made the salad, I also made up a fresh batch of homemade hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm .  I used two cloves of elephant garlic for the garlic portion plus all of the other regular ingredients.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 1:55 P.M.:  Since my Northgate computer which I bought as a barebones system from www.accessmicro.com now part of Northgate has a Syntax SV 266M motherboard which is made by Biostar one of the largest motherboard manufacturers, and since when last week, I did a clean install of Windows XP without the cards running off both the onboard AGP and another time with the AGP card by setting the CMOS at the most user friendly settings, and since both times Windows XP SP2 RC2 would install, but the computer would not reboot, and since Syntax SV 266M motherboard is the same motherboard as was frequently in the Home Shopping Network computer system marketed by Tiger Direct, I would imagine quite a few people have similar systems whom might be having problems with the XP SP2 RC2 update, and possibly the final release.  Since I am an XP SP2 RC2 beta tester for Microsoft, after lunch I will have to let them know on their beta site.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 1:40 P.M.:  I shut down the computer, and I plugged in the X10 remote control mouse base unit into the serial port, and I rebooted, and Windows XP installed it with a Microsoft Serial mouse driver.  When one turns on the base unit which is now off, the X10 remote control mouse which I have underneath the right side of the left monitor works just fine.  It primarily is for using when one views media content on the Orion television when used as a monitor, which I also have the computer set up to do.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 1:25 P.M.:  I finished the C: drive to D: drive backup in seven parts.  It took a little bit longer, since in PIO mode for the hard drives, it is slower than UDMA mode.  While, doing the backup, the power blinked for a split second, so I had to restart one of the backups over.  While doing the backup, the mail arrived, and my order from http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ of 6 cartons of Seneca Ultra Light 100 cigarettes arrived which is pretty fast since I reordered them last Thursday.  I read through the last two weeks of periodical literature, and I threw it all out.  Also while doing the backup, I moved the left night stand, and I cleaned and organized some files in my lower two file drawers blocked by the night stand of my four drawer file cabinet, and I put in a couple of bags of receipts from the lower drawer of the two drawer file cabinet on top of the four drawer file cabinet.  I also threw out a bag of old Cablevision and Telephone receipts.  I organized the top two drawers of the four drawer file cabinet, so there is more space.  I then organized the paperwork and receipts on my desk, and I put the recent bill receipts in the top front of my four drawer file cabinet.  Thus there is no long any paper work or receipts on the desk in the bedroom, so there is more room to work at it.  I also cleaned out some of the paperwork from the blue bowl on the dining room table.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/19/04  Monday 9:35 A.M.:  I was up at 8 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly.  The leather couch is still available in the garbage area.  I will now do a system restore backup.  I will then run Disk Cleanup on the C: drive and Norton Fast and Safe Cleanup.  I will then do a C: drive to D: drive backup in 7 parts.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 10:25 P.M.:  I looked at some web sites.  I chatted with a relative.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 7:55 P.M.:  I went through www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  I went outside, and I threw out some garbage.  After having tried install Windows XP SP2 RC2 on my computer with a fresh install of Windows XP without success, I will not be attempting to install the finished product, since when it will not install probably, I do not want to go through the hassle of reinstalling my system and its configuration again.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 6:30 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library.   I bought $10.55 of regular unleaded gasoline at $2.299 a gallon for about 27 miles per gallon usage.  I then went downtown, and I walked lower Greenwich Avenue including the train station area.  I then walked up Greenwich Avenue with another regular walker.  I chatted with the other walker for a while.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next went by the Stop and Shop.  I bought three 96 ounce containers of Tropicana orange juice with calcium for $2.99 a container, a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach for $1.99, broccoli crowns at $1.29 a pound for $1.33, a quart of plum tomatoes for $3.59, a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.29, a 16 ounce bag of baby carrots for $1.50 for $19.57 total.  I then returned home.  I used my cart that I keep in the apartment to bring up the orange juice, and I put my groceries away.  I then made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I used a tin of chopped sardines, and for the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I used all of the regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I watched some television.  I chatted with a relative.  I watched some television.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 10:45 A.M.:  I went outside briefly.  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go downtown.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 10:25 A.M.:  Yahoo! News - Fourth Try's the Charm for Rocket Launch .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 10:20 A.M.:  I moved the box of LAN cables that I ordered from www.outletpc.com from underneath the Maple side table at the end of the blue couch to underneath the living room desk, so they are not conspicuous.  I deleted some folders that I do not need from the C: drive.  I now have 9.8 gigabytes of free space on the C: drive.  I uninstalled Norton System Works 2003, and I reinstalled it without Norton AntiVirus 2003.  Norton Update now works for it too.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/18/04  Sunday 8:45 A.M.:  I adjusted the power savings settings in the CMOS after the last message, but System Standby still does not work, and I can not find any trouble shooting information about the problem.  I went to bed after the last message.  I was awake at 7:30 A.M. this morning.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly, and somebody has discarded a tan leather couch in very good condition.  Alas I do not have room for it.  I will now resend last week's notes in Rich Text Format, so the hyperlinks work.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 5:10 P.M.:  I put the iced tea in the refrigerator.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I did not use home made hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm in it, since I have not gotten around to making it.  I just now tried putting the computer on Standby, but the icon for that action does not work.  I will check the CMOS power management settings, which I think are all right.  I will now shut down, and I will take a nap.  I feel a minor tired spell coming on.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 3:30 P.M.:  I went through my past weeks email, which I was not able to do with the system being reconfigured.  I noticed in the Norton AntiSpam 2004 program, the default settings move email from Forbes www.forbes.com automatically into the Norton AntiSpam folder, which seems to be a serious error in judgment on Peter Norton's part.  Perhaps California business people do not like New York business people.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 1:25 P.M.:  Before going to bed this morning, I took the 6 foot USB 2.0 gold cable that I paid about $20 for at Walgreen's, and I disconnected it from the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer, and I connected it to the Motorola Surfboard cable modem, so the higher quality USB cable is running off the cable modem, which I think it is a better alternative.  I connected the Minolta laser printer with a regular 10 foot USB cable.  I went to bed after the last message, and I was up at 11 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I am now making up a batch of www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  I went outside briefly, and I checked the mail.  I will look in my backup programs for the old saved email, but it is not that important if I can not find them.  Most of it is old saved technical email much of which is probably a bit dated.  I do have copies of all the email that I sent out in "My Documents" folder.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 3:30 A.M.:  I tried to search for a backup file of my saved emails, which is suppose to end in *.pst in the Outlook program, but I can not find it in its normal archive setting or the Documents and Settings folder, which on the old system because of multiple installations is quite complex to navigate its tree in the backup program to look for it.  Since I had about 5,600 saved emails, it would be a large file, but at the moment I can not find it in my old backups.  I am a bit tired, so I will now go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 1:50 A.M.:  I downloaded Atom Time http://www.atomtime.com/download.html , and I am just about ready to install it.  I can not remember where I put the Microsoft demo DVD CD that I got about a year ago to try out my DVD drive on the computer.  As I recall it sat on my TEAC DVD player for a long time close to a year, but it would not play on it.  I think the folder it came with said it had movie clips of whales along with the technical demonstration.  I recall, I put in a plastic CD.  It was just a free promotional object, it was not anything valuable.  I did not have time to go by the Greenwich Library today to check out a DVD to test the drive either.  I am a little tired, since I have been up since 6 A.M., but I intend to try to stay up until about 4 A.M..  I also installed three Microsoft updates.  They updates for the Norton System Utilities 2003 do not work for some reason, but the program does not have that many updates.  I tried the error fixes suggested by Norton, but the only other solution left is to uninstall all of my Norton program, which I do not feel like doing.  Still the Norton System Works 2003 works just fine, but I did not use its Norton AntiVirus 2003, since I have Norton AntiVirus 2004 from the Norton Internet Security 2004 program.  I think I might have put Norton System Works 2003 on one of the backup computers, so maybe that registration is interfering with the update.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 1:00 A.M.:  On Sunday, I put a new CVS toilet tank bleach tablet in the toilet tank.  For some reason the one I put in some time ago never really dissolved, but it got lighter and turned into a coral like material.  Perhaps the PH in our local water supply has changed.  I will have to buy another one when I have time.  I am trying to stay up to get back on a later schedule.  Since I have a large supply of can goods in the apartment, I really do not need to do that much grocery shopping.  However, I need to reserve funds for my trip to Kennebunkport, Maine and also in August, I will probably have to pay my General Electric maintenance contract on my General Electric Profile 15,500 BTU air conditioner which remote control, which contract expires on September 11, 2004 and the annual cost is about $73.  Since I tend to be use to cooler climate conditions, I need the cooler air in my apartment during the summer, particularly since I run the computer equipment here.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/17/04  Saturday 12:05 A.M.:  I went to www.outletpc.com, and I ordered five USB 2.0 ten foot cables for $1.99 each http://store.yahoo.com/outletpc/c0229.html and a D-Link 3 Port USB Hub 10/100 Ethernet Adaptor Combo for $12.54 http://store.yahoo.com/outletpc/c4615.html plus $7.58 UPS ground shipping from Las Vegas, Nevada for $30.07 total.  I will be able to use the USB Ethernet HUB to power my LAN connection without having to use the onboard motherboard LAN connection, which I do not like doing, although it does work.  I worry it might quit working like my onboard motherboard USB.  I also will have extra USB devices.  I guess with the extra USB ports, I can put one of my four port USB devices with the Dell backup computer.  I will also have extra USB cables.  The 50X CD drive that I took out of the primary computer yesterday is in the box that the DVD/CD player came with.  For now I will leave the possibly defective 58X CD in my Dell backup computer, since possibly the problem with it might have been the HDMA now reduced to PIO mode setting on my hard drives on the primary computer.  I do not think there is any point in having two CD players in the Dell backup computer, but I have not tested it yet.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/16/04  Friday 11:35 P.M.:  I relaxed a bit.  I received back in my Bank of New York MasterCard debit account the funds from the first order at http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ that was cancelled this month.  I also received notification that my current order should arrive by Priority Mail in 8 business days or less.  I guess the opened up the Canadian border again to cigarettes from Canada.  I am still am confused how the manage to grow tobacco up in Canada.  Maybe the import tobacco from some other place like Cuba and package it in Canada.  If the Seneca cigarettes are Cuban tobacco, it would explain why they are very good cigarettes at a reasonable price.  I still for health reasons will have to quit smoking some time in the near future.  Possibly I will try to quit smoking after all the excitement of the Republican convention and the area begins to quiet down after Labor Day.  I generally spend a few days relaxing in bed to try to quit smoking cigarettes.

End of Scott's Notes week of 07/16/04:

Note: <888> 07/16/04  Friday 7:55 P.M.:  I went outside briefly, and I chatted with a neighbor.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/16/04  Friday 7:10 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I bought a French copper fish sauté frying pan that is oval shaped for frying about two trout or other similar fish.  It cost $5.  I chatted with a veterans relative that inquired about where one could buy a flag for a veterans cemetery plot.  I told the veteran's relative that the Greenwich Hardware store sells those flags.  I next went downtown during the sidewalk sales, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and I picked up a prescription.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I returned home.  I drank some iced tea.  I cleaned the copper fish fry pan with a soft scouring pad and dishwashing soap, so as not to scratch the tin on the inside.  I hung it on the kitchen wall just to the right as one enters the kitchen.  I did not have any OOK hooks, so I used a standard screw.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I used all of the usual ingredients, but instead of tuna fish I used a tin of sardines that I chopped.  I also did not use homemade hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm , since I have not got around to making it yet.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/16/04  Friday 12:15 P.M.:  After the last message this morning, I restored some more personal files to the My Documents folder including my telephone dialing list, which I put an icon on the Desktop for.  I went to bed about 1:30 A.M., and I was awake at 6 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly.  I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I chatted with a relative while doing house cleaning.  The relative might have a DLC-7 Cuisine Art food processor in another house which the whisk attachment is made to work with, so I will take it up to Maine when I go up there in a week and a half.  I had the bag break in my Hoover upright vacuum cleaner, so a small bit of dust was released into the apartment, which I cleaned up.  I put a new bag in the Hoover upright vacuum cleaner.  I have three Glade plug in scent devices in the apartment.  One is above the kitchen counter, another is behind the Panasonic television in the kitchen, and the third is plugged into the wall behind the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer.  I refilled all three with a 50% - 50% mixture of English Leather cologne and 91% Isopropyl alcohol, which should work.  I have a small perfume funnel on the Danish bar that I use to fill the refills.  I use a small screw driver to pry off the lids.  I threw out on empty refill since the wick on it was broken.  I also put a mixture of two dozen drops of liquid plant food with water in to my three house plants for a little nourishment.  I will now shut down the computer, I will now eat a peanut butter sandwich with iced tea.  I will then clean up, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/16/04  Friday 12:30 A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 11:55 P.M.:  I will now install http://tropicdesigns.net/weatherpulse.php , and don't forget to look at http://www.w3.weather.com/weather/local/06830 .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 11:20 P.M.:  I am microwaving a bag of ACT II popcorn, which I will eat shortly with iced tea.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 11:10 P.M.:  This current satellite photo, if I am not mistaken is called a Bermuda High NRL Monterey Satellite Photos

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 11:05 P.M.:  These links from my notes a couple of weeks ago are still important NRL Monterey Satellite Photos from the experts at NRL Monterey Tropical Images and NRL Monterey Weather Satellite Products, Images & Movies and Naval Research Laboratory Monterey and don't forget www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm and for the final authority in these matters try www.nhc.noaa.gov and Hurricanes, Typhoons and Tropical Cyclones Page by the Naval Research Laboratory. Forecast tracks and satellite photos of current and archived storms by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Monterey. and NRL Monterey Weather Satellite Products, Images & Movies .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 10:20 P.M.:  I installed the PowerDVD XP program that came with the DVD/CD player.  I then installed the Creative drivers and programs available for my SoundBlaster Live sound card.  There do not seem to be any problems with the computer.  Since I do not have an available DVD disk in the apartment, I have not been able to see how the DVD player works on my computer.  When I do my house cleaning tomorrow, I will look for the Microsoft presentation DVD disk that I once had here that I now can not seem to find.  I now have 9.15 gigabytes of free space on the C: drive.  I also took the Y adaptor off the sound card microphone port, and I plugged the Andrea Electronics microphone with adaptor directly into the port, so it sounds better without static.  I put the "Sounds and Audio Devices" icon on the desktop, and I currently have it set up to play the Plantronics DSP 500 headset, since I do not use the SoundBlaster Live card very often anymore, since all of my computer speakers disturb my neighbors.  Also I concentrate better in the quiet.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 7:55 P.M.:  The computer is running just fine.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced tea.  I went outside briefly.  I can not seem to find the Microsoft DVD presentation disk, but I am sure it is around here somewhere.  I recall Microsoft sent it to me about a year ago.  I use to have it sitting on my TEAC DVD player, but now I can not seem to find it in my CD collection.  I think I had it in a CD jewel case.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 7:15 P.M.:  I went out after the last message, and I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  Housewares were 50% off, so I bought a Cuisinart DLC-055 Made in Japan Whisk Attachment for Cuisinart DLC-7 series processor for $1.75.  I then made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I returned home about 3:45 P.M., and I sat outside.  UPS arrived with my package from www.outletpc.com at 4 P.M..  They usually arrive around here at 4 P.M., so I guess we are at the end of their route.  Of course back in the good old days when UPS had their headquarters across the street, I guess we were the beginning of their route.  UPS use to be a private company, but once they moved to Atlanta, they started offering employee profit sharing, and it is a very profitable company.  I believe the Anney Casey foundation is still in Greenwich, Connecticut, or the last time I looked about seven years ago, they were.  I opened up the package.  I put the ten 14 foot LAN cables and the six 25 foot LAN cables in their packages on the floor underneath the maple side table by the end of the blue sofa.  Thus they are ready for use with the HUBs in the apartment should an emergency occur.  I have a 8 port hub, a 4 port hub, and a 4 port router, so they could come in handy, and technically, I could have a bunch of people working off my cable modem with their laptops off the hubs if I used the cables to put the hubs in the hallway.  I also have a 50 foot LAN cable stretched through the apartment ceiling for the four port hub in the bedroom.  I also have seven other eight to ten foot LAN cables with my existing setup.  At the moment, we have no emergencies, just the Greenwich Sidewalk sales are going on, so lots of shoppers are shopping downtown.  I next installed the 16X DVD and 48X CD Norcent www.norcent.com internal player with Smart-Burn technology, but it is not a DVD burner, but it does access all DVD and CD formats.  Its model number is DR166.  I bought it for $15.99 and the 14 foot cables were .99 apiece, and the 25 foot cables were $2.25 apiece, and I also got another four port USB hub for $4.89 that I installed off the second USB PCI card slot, and both USB hubs are on the right side of the CPU case on the table that the CPU case sits on and UPS shipping was $9.39 for $53.67 that I have already paid for when I ordered them.  I went to install the software that came with the DVD player called PowerDVD XP by Cyberlink.  However, it uses the Adobe Acrobat reader to read its manual, so I downloaded it from www.adobe.com and when I went to install the Adobe reader the system froze.  I began to think about what the problem might be.  I tried changing my IDE drivers from VIA to Microsoft, and I changed some of my CMOS setting that relate to the hard drives, and that did not help.  I have a two year old 20 gigabyte Maxtor hard drive and a three year old 20 gigabyte Maxtor hard drive, and although the VIA drivers recognize their UDMA capable settings, the drive IDE would freeze at the higher speed, so I switched them to PIO mode, and that solves the installation problem that I got at the higher speed.  I will leave them at that setting, since I do not like the system freezing.  Thus the computer hard drives will be a bit slower, but they should last longer, and the over system will be more stable.  I thus have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.  The DVD player was recognized plug and play.  I looked for a Microsoft DVD presentation disk that I use to have by my TEAC DVD player for video, and I can not find it to test the new computer DVD player.  I will now install the DVD software.  I also still have to install the Creative drivers for my Creative MP3+ Live sound card, since they come with sound card programs and devices settings that the XP default drivers do not have.  With the PIO setting on the IDE hard drives, Disk Cleanup on the C: drive now works, and I have 10.441 gigabytes of hard drive space on the C: drive.  The Cuisinart Whisk attachment does not work with my Cuisinart Classic model, but I think I have a relative with the DLC-7 model.  Cuisinart also use to have U.S.A. offices in Greenwich, but I am not sure that is still the case or not.  I also switched the computer to boot from AGP instead of PCI, but once it boots, it is still the same setup, but the Windows XP boot up in on the Sony monitor at the center, and the icons are still on the left monitor that is PCI.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 1:50 P.M.:  I have a 3 P.M. appointment, so I will now go back out.  I will come back directly after my 3 P.M. appointment to wait for UPS.  I have a note for the UPS delivery man on the front door downstairs.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 1:20 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Arnold bread outlet, and I bought a loaf of oat bread for .99 and a 5.5 ounce box of Arnold large cut Zesty Italian croutons for .99 for $1.98 total.  I then drove down by the waterfront on Steamboat Road, the Greenwich of Department of Public works was doing some cleanup work down there including cutting down the overgrown Kudzu along the wire fence at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club.  They told me they had found a lot of discarded needles down there.  I then went over to Tod's Point, and I chatted with a local businessman that rent Port O Potties over at the Four Winds farm in North Tarrytown, New York.  I did not take the walk around Tod's Point, because the weather looked like it might be changing.  I then returned home.  My UPS package still has not arrived.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced.  I sat for a while.  The computer is running just fine.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 8:45 A.M.:  I finished running Norton Speed Disk.  I chatted with a neighbor outside while it finished running.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out.  The computer is running as well as it ever has.  It is running just fine.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 7:40 A.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  My friend is driving me up on Tuesday July 27, 2004 to visit with a relative in Kennebunkport, Maine http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/137.htm until Friday morning July 30, when we will drive down.  We will use his station wagon to take the day bed from my apartment up to Kennebunkport, Maine.  I have the USB 32 meg. pen drive attached to the right rear USB port on the Sony monitor for backup of my Microsoft Money 2002 file.  After I installed the Real programs and their updates, I installed Optimum Online Rhapsody music program.  I installed Ad-aware 6.0, and I ran it.  I went outside briefly.  I installed Microsoft Home Publisher Deluxe 2000.  I did a System Restore backup.  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I have 9.79 gigabytes of hard drive space on the 20 gigabyte C: drive.  I will now run Norton Speed Disk.  I basically have the computer reconfigured and running just fine.  I could always order a USB LAN adaptor for about $10 from www.outletpc.com when I have the funds and maybe some more USB cables.  If I used a USB LAN adaptor, I would not have to use the motherboard LAN.  I will go out after I run Norton Speed Disk.  I will put a note on the front door of the building to have the UPS delivery man have a neighbor sign for my package and leave it at my door.  However, since I have a 3 P.M. appointment today, I might not be here later.  However, UPS usually comes after 4 P.M..  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 6:30 A.M.:  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside briefly.  I will now install the Basic free Real Player and the Real Games program.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/15/04  Thursday 5:20 A.M.:  I went to bed after the last message.  I chatted with a relative.  I microwaved and ate a bag of ACT II popcorn with some iced tea.  I went back to bed.  I was up at 4:45 A.M. this morning.  I put Ccleaner on the computer, and I ran it.  I checked Microsoft's web site, and "msocache" contains about 250 megs of files that Microsoft Office uses to repair itself without asking for the CD.  If one deleted them, one would have to use the CD when ever one repairs it which is one of the menu options.  I can do a C: drive cleanup with Norton Fast and Clean or CCleaner.  I can also delete the System Restore backups with Disk Cleanup on the D: drive.  Since I have enough free space, I will not worry about it.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 7:50 P.M.:  I installed the tweak for disk cleanup, so it works faster.  However, disk cleanup freezes the computer when it scans the Office 2003 setup files.  I looked at Microsoft technical support, and they say the files are located in a folder called "msocache", but when I search for that folder the system froze again.  The problem is supposedly caused by a corrupted file.  Whatever, the case at the moment, I can not figure out the solution.  I did run Norton Disk Doctor and Norton WinDoctor.  I was able to delete the old System restore backup files in a Safe Boot.  I now have 10.4 gigabytes of free space on the C: drive.  I think I would free up more space, if I could delete the Office Setup files and get Disk Cleanup working again.  I can not find the solution on the internet other than the Disk Cleanup tweak.  Well, the system is still running much better, and I am basically just tweaking the system a bit.  I did install the Microsoft wireless wheel mouse Intellipoint driver.  Well, I am tired, and I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 6:40 P.M.:  The UPS package that was scheduled to arrive today never arrived.  I guess it will be here tomorrow, but I have a 3 P.M. appointment tomorrow.  I finished installing the Microsoft Outlook 2003 programs and their updates.  I enabled the cable modem network which is 12 meg, and the onboard LAN network is up to a 100 meg.  I ate a 18.8 ounce can of Campbell's Select New England clam chowder with a couple of dozen croutons and a glass of iced tea.  It seems like it might rain soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 4:20 P.M.:  I installed Microsoft Office 2003.  I moved my car to its usual parking place.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced tea.  I imported my folders that are not system folders from my backups along with my Favorites and my stored files.  I put the stored files in My Documents folder.  I configured Outlook 2003, and I imported my email addresses and I downloaded my email.  I do not think I will import my old saved emails, but I have copies of the ones that I sent in My Documents folder.  I have to let Norton Anti Spam 2004 go through its learning process again.  I have 7.7 gigabytes of free space on my C: drive, and probably will not install Microsoft Encarta 2002 and National Geographic maps, since I hardly ever used them.  I still have to install Microsoft Office OneNote 2003, Microsoft Business Contact Manager for Microsoft Outlook 2003, Microsoft Home Publisher Premium 2000, the Real Player, and some smaller downloads like Ad-aware 6.0.  I disabled in the Networking the second onboard LAN modem connected to the Siemens router which goes at 12 Meg. , which I can quickly enable it I need it for printing through the Siemens printer port.  The cable modem USB connection is just as fast.  I should be receiving my package from UPS from www.outletpc.com  with my computer parts order shortly.  I reordered from http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ six cartons of Seneca Ultra Light 100s cigarettes for $11 a carton plus $1.20 a carton postage via Priority U.S. Mail, for $73.20 total.  Hopefully the $61 will be put back on my debit account soon.  I will now go outside for a break.  The computer system is running just fine.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 11:35 A.M.:  I checked the mail, and my cigarettes did not come.  I just chatted with http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ at 1-903-988-8812 , and they explained to me that my $61 order for five cartons of Seneca Ultra Light 100 cigarettes were held up, because the U.S. customs stopped two semi trucks of Seneca cigarettes at the Canadian border for inspection for a week.  They said my $61 payment has been refunded to my MasterCard Debit card, and I have to replace the order, which I will do shortly.  At the moment http://www.bnyonline.com/ is not working, so I can not transfer money into the account to cover the new order.  I have 13 packages of Seneca cigarettes left.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 10:55 A.M.:  I took a break, and I went outside.  I installed Microsoft Money 2002 and Microsoft Works 2002.  I will now go back outside for a break.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 9:00 A.M.:  I have the previous mentioned USB devices installed.  I connected the Plantronics DSP 500 headset and the Vibra Web Cam to the left back USB ports on the Sony monitor stand.  I connected the Visioneer 4400 scanner to the right back USB port on the Sony monitor stand.  I have all of their software installed and working just fine.  On the Visioneer PaperPort software, one has to install a printer fix that I had already and installed.  I installed the EpsonStylus Color 880 printer on the Siemens router printer port.  I could not get it to install on a USB port.  I configured Netmeeting.  I installed Net2Phone.  I installed Nero Burning 5.5 plus the update.  I installed the HP LaserJet IID and HP LaserJet 6P on the Siemens router printer port.  Thus all of my four printers are connected.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 7:30 A.M.:  I went outside briefly.  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  Beside having a new install of Windows XP Professional and the SP1 and other updates on my computer, I have installed Norton Internet Security 2004 and Norton System Works 2003.  I also have installed the Minolta USB drivers and the Siemens router printer drivers.  Also I have Microsoft FrontPage 2002 installed.  I will now install the Plantronics DSP 500 USB headset, the Visioneer 4400 USB scanner, the Creative Vibra USB web cam.  I will installed the EpsonStylus Color printer on the Siemens port, so it will work off the backup computers' Siemens' ports.  I guess if I had another 10 foot USB cable, the Epson printer could also be run off the USB port box.  I will now start installing the USB devices and their software.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/14/04  Wednesday 6:05 A.M.:  I went to bed at 8 P.M., and I chatted with a friend before going to bed.  I was up at 4 A.M..  I disabled the onboard USB hubs.  I put the 2 Port USB PCI card in my computer, and the USB devices now work.  I have the four port hub connected to it, and the Sony monitor hub connected to the four port hub,  and I am getting another 4 port hub today.  I only have 3 PCI slots with the PCI video card, the Creative Sound Blaster Live MP3+ sound card, and the two port USB PCI card.  I took out the LAN card from my computer.  I connected directly from the USB hub to my Motorola Surfboard cable modem with a 10 foot USB cable that I had, and I also connected to the Siemens router my onboard LAN, so I now have two onboard connections working fine along with the USB devices, which I will start installing after breakfast.  It all seems to be working fine, and at http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html?tag=cnetfd.ld , I am currently getting 3035.7 kbps which is pretty dang good.  All of the devices installed plug and play.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/13/04  Tuesday 6:55 P.M.:  I was up at midnight on Sunday, and I tried installing Windows XP SP2 RC2, and the machine failed on installation, and I was not able to get it to boot up to restore the previous setup.  This lead to a long series of events of booting and rebooting to no avail.  I finally formatted my C: drive.  Since the CD player was not working properly on the primary computer, I exchanged it with the one on the Dell computer and visa versa.  I tried installing Windows XP on the C: drive, but it would not install.  I tried changing CMOS settings to get it to install, and after a long period of trying, I disabled most of the CMOS settings including the processor cache settings, and I was able to get XP to start installing.  Once it rebooted on setup, I increased the CMOS processor settings to normal to increase speed.  Thus XP installation took about 1.5 hours at the slower speed.  I can not figure out why it would not install with the regular settings.  I tried removing all my cards and USB devices and that did not make a difference.  I tried restoring my backups onto the C: drive, but the system would not start.  I then reinstalled XP again.  This was all quite a time consuming process.  When I woke up, I ate blueberries, strawberries, with vitamins and supplements, and orange juice.  Towards the end of my day about 6 P.M., I ate a Maria Callender chicken pot pie with a glass of iced tea, and I snacked on some corn chips.  I chatted with a relative during the day.  I went to bed at 8 P.M., and I was up at 2 A.M. on Monday morning.  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, orange juice, and coffee.  I tried installing XP SP2 RC2 on the fresh install of XP, but it failed, and I had to reinstall XP again through the same slow process.  I then started installing my programs and devices drivers from scratch.  I was having a problem with my USB devices not being recognized.  I worked on that problem for most of the day to no avail.  I made my 4 P.M. appointment.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with iced tea and a bowl of blueberries.  I went to bed about 5 P.M., and I was up at midnight on Tuesday morning today.  I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I chatted with a friend about 6:30 A.M..  I tried restoring my backup system files from my backups again, and the system would not reboot again.  I then reinstalled XP again.  I return the CMOS settings back to normal once XP is installed.  I suppose whatever the problem is, it might be caused by my two video cards, but I only installed with the AGP video card in the system, and I tried once with the PCI to no avail and the onboard AGP was not any faster.  Since my system has been relatively stable for the last 1.5 years that I have had it, I have not tinkered with the system which has a Syntax SV 266M motherboard.  Most of this Tuesday morning, I tinkered with the USB port problem.  The Microsoft and Via USB 1.0 and 2.0 drivers install without any problem, and they are indicated as working in the devices.  However, when I plug in a device it recognizes an unrecognized device, and not the proper device that I am installing.  This includes all my USB devices.  For lunch today, I had my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm with all of the regular ingredients.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I have been taking regular breaks including going outside.  I have set up some of the programs on the computer, and it is all working fine, but I still have quite a bit of work to do installing and configuring programs and devices.  I have just about exhausted all the options on the USB device problem.  I think it is a software problem not a hardware problem.  I could remove my sound card, and try my USB port card which I have in another backup computer, which I might do tomorrow, but since my onboard USB devices are shown as working properly, I am not sure what the problem is.  I have installed the USB device drivers and the Microsoft updates.  I will be able to restore my favorites and data and record files eventually.  I am quite exhausted, so I will shut down the computer shortly.  I will then eat a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced tea, and I will go to bed soon.  I do not have my Office Suite 2003 Outlook program installed, so I have not been able to look at my email since Saturday.  Well, the system is running much better with the clean install, but I do not think I will be trying to install XP SP2 RC2 or the final version, since I will not want to go through this all again.  Hopefully, I will figure out the USB port problem, and I have checked all of the CMOS possibilities.  I should get the package via UPS from www.outletpc.com tomorrow with the LAN cables, DVD/CD player, and USB port box.  I can not track it with the tracking email.  Also my order from  http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ had not arrived I guess because of last week's holiday.  Well, good night.  CIO   

Note: <888> 07/10/04  Saturday 3:20 P.M.:  After a long time after the last message, I was only able to get the computer with XP SP2 RC2 to boot once more.  I decided to uninstall it, which I just did, and the computer is back to the way it was before I installed it.  I had an earlier beta of XP SP2 RC1 working just fine on the computer before.  Possibly when I ran RegSupreme over a week ago which started causing me problems, it might have changed settings so XP SP2 RC2 does not work properly.  I have the CMOS set back again to boot PCI also.  Well it was basically 12 hours of wasted time, but it was a learning experience.  I could try doing a fresh install of XP with the upgrade feature, and that might make XP SP2 RC2 install and work properly, but that will have to wait until some time in the future, or I will just wait until the final release comes out.  Possibly the AGP and PCI video cards with the two monitor system is causing the problem.  I just microwaved a Stouffer's Lean Cuisine 9 ounce chicken Carbonara dinner, which I ate with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.   CIO

Note: <888> 07/10/04  Saturday 11:45 A.M.:  The computer rebooted a second time without any problems.  Maybe the problem was the "reboot" from the VIA program in the startup group that one sees when one runs "msconfig".  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I reconnected the USB devices.  I have the CMOS set to boot AGP instead of PCI.  Thus the Sony FD Trinitron 21 inch monitor is the #1 monitor in the front center position, and the CompUSA 19 inch monitor is to the left with all of the icons on it, and I use the Sony for web browsing.  The mouse still moves through the monitors from left to right and back.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/10/04  Saturday 11:10 A.M.:  After the last message, I installed Windows XP SP2 RC2.  It installed without any problems, but the computer would not reboot properly.  Over the next 7 hours, I tried CMOS settings, unplugging monitors, and disconnecting USB devices.  I got it to boot properly in safe mode once, and once regularly.  I currently have it booted again for the third time, and at the moment it is running fine, but I probably tried booting it hundreds of times to get to this point.  The system once it boots properly runs just fine and is much more responsive.  However, at the moment I have the option of uninstalling XP SP2 RC2 or trying to reboot again to see if it now boots properly, which it did not do before.  I was able to get it to boot this time by not having the cable modem turned on while it booted.  Also the Windows XP SP2 RC2 firewall does not work with the Norton Internet Security 2004 firewall installed.  I removed two "reboot" items from my startup menu in MSCONFIG, which might have cause the startup problems.  They were put in there, when I reinstalled the VIA AGP, IDE, and USB drivers off my Syntax motherboard CD.  Well, I guess after I post this message, I can live dangerously and try to reboot.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/10/04  Saturday 3:15 A.M.:  Of course Illinois begins with an "I", so maybe some cheap person from Illinois is in charge, and he only bought the encyclopedia that began with "I" to find out more about Illinois.  I went out after the last message, and I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I chatted with a maintenance man working on the street sign outside of 3 Pickwick Plaza that says 3 Pickwick Plaza in bronze relief letters.  His truck was from South Windsor, Connecticut, and I have a friend who works for the state of New York for the New York State Racing Authority, and the only question he ever asked me about Connecticut is how to get to South Windsor, Connecticut, and since Connecticut is suppose to have more horses per capita than any state in the United States, I guess there are still equestrian types and horses in Connecticut.  I thought I heard a horse whinny when I went outside this evening which would be unusual for this area.  After I finished my walk, I sat out downtown for a while.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Food Emporium.  Their weekly sales begin at midnight on Saturday morning, so although the sale items are not yet marked in the aisles, they are still on sale.  I bought a 48 ounce container of Quaker old fashioned oatmeal for $3.99 and a pint of Haagen-Dazs http://www.haagendazs.com/ coffee yogurt ice cream for $1.99 and a pint of Haagen-Dazs raspberry sorbet ice cream for $1.99 for $7.97 total.  I then returned home.  When one has ice cream that is very hard from the freezer, one can put a cup of water in the microwave oven in a microwave proof container and heat it on beverage heat, and then one can place the metal ice cream scoop or large metal spoon in the heated water to make it easier to get out of the container.  I ate two scoops of Ben and Jerry's butter pecan ice cream finishing off the container.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/10/04  Saturday 12:25 A.M.:  I put away the laundry.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with iced tea.  On my current viewpoint of the world situation as I have said many times before, it is like the governments and the media are stuck on the I countries like Iraq, Italy, Iran, Israel, Ireland, Indonesia, Iceland, IBM, Internet, and so forth.  If one looks at an encyclopedia there are plenty of other countries that start with other letters.  I have about a 1960 edition of the World Book Encyclopedias that I bought at the Merry Go Round Mews thrift shop a number of years ago for $20 that seems to have more real information than I see on the internet.  Also I have a set of the American Encyclopedias from around 1970 underneath the French reproduction sitting chair at my apartment entrance that I bought from the Greenwich Library for .50 a book, and they happen to be missing the "I" volume, so maybe our so called experts are only have that "I" volume for reference.  So much for chit chat, I will now shut down the computer, and I will go downtown.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 11:35 P.M.:  VOANews.com  Powerful October Blast from Sun Scorches Solar System  .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 11:25 P.M.:  I showered and cleaned up.  I have 15 minutes to go on the dry cycle of the laundry.  Along with the pottery bowl with the homemade candle on the pine table at the left side of the bathroom entrance, I put a rose ceramic candle holder made by the Old Harbor Candle company from Hyannisport, Massachusetts.  I have a candle in it too.  I have so many different items around the apartment from all my ventures into the thrifts shops over the years that the best thrift shop is my own apartment.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 10:55 P.M.:  I have 45 minutes to go on the dry cycle.  I drank a glass of orange juice with vitamins and supplements.  I will now shower and clean up.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 10:40 P.M.:  I removed the tops of ten medium large strawberries, and I quartered them lengthwise, and I rinsed them in a wire strainer underneath cold water, and I also rinsed 1/3 of a pint of blue berries, and I mixed them together, and I ate them with iced tea.  I chatted with a relative.  I started two loads of laundry, and I have three minutes to go on the wash cycle.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 8:50 P.M.:  I just woke up.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 1:00 P.M.:  I went out after the last message, and I chatted with a neighbor.  I then drove over to Tod's Point in Old Greenwich, and I took the 2.5 mile walk around Tod's Point, and I sat out for a while at the southwest picnic area.  I then went by Staples, and they do not have the clearance section anymore.  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and with my debit card, I bought a four gallon stainless steel cauldron or pot with lid for $12 and a 17.5 inch square pine pedestal table with drawer and spindle legs for $10 for $22 total.  I then returned home.  I put the stainless steel cauldron or pot on top of the Farberware convection oven on top of the refrigerator.  I used lemon oil, and I polished the pine table.  I put it just to the left as one enters the bathroom.  Once the lemon oil dries, I will put a ceramic dish with handmade candle on it and maybe some other items.  I cleaned out all the empty spray bottles and other plastic bottles from underneath the kitchen sink, and I organized the remaining items underneath the kitchen sink.  I threw out the plastic spray bottles.  I vacuumed the apartment.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes Monterey Jack cheese.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I will now take a nap, and I will shut down the computer.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/09/04  Friday 6:35 A.M.:  I was up at 4 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I will vacuum later, when I will not disturb my neighbors.  While doing house cleaning, I did a C: drive to D: drive backup in seven parts of the computer.  I then ran RegClean.  The order from www.outletpc.com with the DVD/CD drive, 10 fourteen foot LAN cables, and 6 twenty five foot LAN cables, and the USB 4 port device with arrive next Wednesday July 14 according to UPS www.ups.com tracking.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 6:45 P.M.:  I went through my email.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 5:50 P.M.:  I changed a setting to enable Ultra DMS for the secondary IDE channel in the hardware settings, so at the moment the 58X CD player seems to work.  I uninstalled the Minolta QMS 1250W laser printer and rebooted, and it installed plug and play.  One has to have it plugged into the lower front USB 2.0 port not the upper USB 2.0 port which has the USB port box plugged into it.  I am microwaving a Maria Callender 12 ounce boneless breast of turkey dinner, which I will eat soon with  a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 5:10 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I chatted with a regular customer there.  I then sat out briefly downtown.  I saw the Tibetan monks at the Senior and Arts center enjoying the weather.  I then went by the Arnold bread outlet, and I bought two 5.5 ounces boxes of Arnold Zesty Italian larger cut croutons for .99 and a loaf of Arnold oatmeal low carb bread for .99 for $2.97 total.  I then returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 2:05 P.M.:  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, and coffee.  I ran Norton Antivirus 2004 while having breakfast.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out for my 3 P.M. appointment.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 11:50 A.M.:  I had a telephone call from a relative at 10:30 A.M., which woke me up.  I ran "bootvis" to decrease the boot time.  Yesterday, when I had the computer case opened, I put in a new lithium #2032 CMOS battery.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 8:25 A.M.:  I installed the Windows XP updates.  The system froze during the process, and I reinstalled the Microsoft Intellipoint mouse 5.0 driver, and that seemed to solved the problem.  I chatted with a neighbor outside while installing the updates.  I just threw out the 18 inch tall stack of computer technical magazines, since I do not have the time to read the old issues.  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  The computer is running just fine as far as I can tell.  It does seem to take longer to boot up, but in a week when I run Norton Speed Disk, it will probably boot faster.  I will now shut down the computer.  I will go to bed until 12:30 P.M., when I will get up to get ready for a 3 P.M. appointment.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 6:20 A.M.:  I finished installing XP SP1A, and it fixed the problem that I had with Microsoft Office Suite 2003 not starting, so it works fine now.  Also the NVIDIA program loaded, so it is still working on the computer.  I will now eat a piece of apple pie with iced tea.  The computer is running just fine, and even better, since I refreshed the system.  I will now run Norton Win Doctor.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 5:25 A.M.:  I checked with the Microsoft Knowledge base, and it said the Office Suite 2003 has that problem when one has not rebooted after installing XP SP1A, since I had not installed SP1A yet, I downloaded, and I will now install it, and see if that fixes the Office Suite 2003 problem.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 5:05 A.M.:  I tried installing XP SP2 RC2, but it froze.  I was able to uninstall it when the computer rebooted by selecting the monitor initial boot as AGP instead of PCI where it would freeze.  I then when the computer rebooted uninstalled XP SP2 RC2.  When the system rebooted after that, my monitors were out of left right alignment, and I fixed this problem by uninstalling the AGP card drive, and booting with video init of PCI, and then rebooting, and the monitors are now left #1 right center #2.  My Microsoft Office Suite 2003 programs are not working, so I will now have to work on that.  I could do a restore from my backup last Saturday, but the current system seems more stable, so I will try to fix Microsoft Office Suite 2003.  Also I need to install the Nvidia program, if I want the television to work as a third monitor.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/08/04  Thursday 1:20 A.M.:  I sorted out the computer technical magazines on the magazine rack at the right side of the day bed.  If I do not get around to looking at the 18 inch tall stack of computer technical magazines soon, I might throw them out.  I went through the last three weeks of the Greenwich Post and the Greenwich Citizen.  I threw out them out.  I finished running Norton Speed Disk on the C: drive.  The computer seems a little bit slower booting than before.  I do not want to take the chance of putting XP SP2 RC2 on the computer until the final version comes out.  The computer is running just fine.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment today, so I will probably work on the computer this morning and then rest.  I will now go through my email.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 11:40 P.M.:  I had a call from a friend at 7:30 P.M..  I was up at 10:30 P.M..  I will eat breakfast of blueberries and strawberries, orange juice, vitamins, and supplements.  I installed the Creative Live sound drivers and programs.  I tried running the AT&T CD lens cleaner on the 58X CD player, but I guess the player is defective, and it froze the computer.  Thus one should not use it, until I replace it with the DVD/CD player next week.  I ran the lens cleaner on the CD/RW player without any problem.  I will now run Norton Speed Disk  on the C: drive.  I will stay in and read periodical and technology literature while Norton Speed Disk runs on the C: drive.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 4:05 P.M.:  I have all of the Windows XP updates installed except XP SP2 RC2, which I might install at a later time.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed directly.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 2:45 P.M.:  I installed Windows XP SP2 RC2, but the system would not boot.  After a lengthy period of troubleshooting, I discovered my CD player was defective, so it produced a faulty install.  I used my CD/RW player, and I reinstalled Windows XP with the restore function, and it booted properly.  I did some minor configurations, and the system is back up and running fine.  I now have to install the updates.  I will not try to install Windows XP SP2 RC2.  I guess it is just as well that I ordered the new DVD CD player.  I reheated the remaining spaghetti noodles and sauce, and I added some grated parmesan cheese, and I ate it around 11 A.M. with some iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 4:05 A.M.:  I went to www.outletpc.com , and I ordered a Norcent 16X read for DVD and 48X read for CD media drive for $15.99 http://www.outletpc.com/c1231.html ,  10 fourteen foot RJ45 Cat5 Ethernet network cables for .99 each http://www.outletpc.com/c0289.html , six 25 foot RJ45 Cat5 Ethernet cables for $2.25 each http://www.outletpc.com/c0293.html , one 4 port USB 114 mini USB hub for $4.89 http://www.outletpc.com/c4607.html plus $9.39 United Parcel ground service shipping for $53.67 total.  Once I receive them, I will be able to play DVD disks on my computer, and I will also have enough cables in an emergency to use the Ethernet hubs for multiple users.  I had the computer freeze a couple of times, so I turned the air conditioner down to 70 degrees Fahrenheit from 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so maybe the problem will not occur with a cooler room.  However, I think the problem might be caused from when I used RegSupreme which might have changed a system setting.  To try to fix the problem, since I have already removed previous backups of System Restore, I am going to install Windows XP beta SP2 RC2 to see if it eliminates the problem.  I will have to uninstall it once the final release comes out.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 2:50 A.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I used all of the regular ingredients, and for the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes Monterey Jack cheese.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/07/04  Wednesday 1:15 A.M.:  I was up at 4 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I checked the mail.  I went back to sleep until 10:30 P.M., when I chatted with a relative.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  It was not to busy this evening, and they had live music at the Thataway cafe as I strolled by.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I just now returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  I received in the mail, a 8 inch by 10 inch photograph of President George W. Bush and his wife First Lady Laura Bush.  I put it in the frame where I had just the picture of President Bush, which hangs above the magazine rack at the right side of the day bed beneath the photograph of Queen Elizabeth, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush with the picture of Abraham Lincoln to the left of the other two pictures.  I made a campaign contribution  of $5 to the Republican National Committee online at www.gop.com/victory2004/ .  This is to support other republican candidates in the general election this November.  I used my Bank of New MasterCard debit card to make the donation.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 9:45 A.M.:  I sorted the programs in my start menu into subfolders.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 8:55 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I drove down by the waterfront in central Greenwich.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I used the bathroom at Starbucks coffee shop.  I then sat out for a while down by the waterfront, and I chatted with one of the regular fishermen.  I then went back downtown, and I sat out for a while.  I used the bathroom again at Starbucks.  I then went to the Stop and Shop, and I bought a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.29, a 3 pound bag of onions for $2.79, a 16 ounce bag of baby carrots for $1.50, fresh broccoli crowns at $1.99 a pound for $2.23, a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach for $1.99, two pints of fresh blueberries for $1.50 each pint for $13.80 total.  I then returned home, and I drank some iced tea, and I put away my purchases.  I then microwaved a Weight Watchers Smart Ones 9 ounce grilled garlic chicken dinner, and I ate it with a glass of iced tea, and then I ate a small piece of apple pie.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 4:05 A.M.:  I ate the ice cream and strawberries.  Specifically, the sound settings on my Plantronics headset were changed when I returned from Kennebunkport, Maine, which would indicate to me that somebody was chatting on the internet with my computer.  Whomever, the mysterious individual is, he or she must be very cleaver like Spiderman.  Whatever, the case since I smoke cigarettes, the smoke from cigarettes and the nicotine in my blood tend to keep mosquitoes away.  I will now go back outside for a while.  I will put the computer on standby.  I did raised the air conditioner setting from 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so maybe with the warmer apartment, the computer is warmer.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 3:45 A.M.: Mosquito magnet web site http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/ and CNN.com Specials West Nile Mosquito Virus.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 3:30 A.M.:  I am letting the ice cream soften, so it will be creamier with the strawberries.  I still have another quart of fresh strawberries.  Since I started the computer this morning, it has frozen up three times when I ran a *.bat file that opens the DOS prompt.  I had to restart each time, but it does not do it every time I open the DOS prompt or run the *.bat file.  It is most curious that it would happen.  I did detect that some sound settings had changed on my computer while I was away two weeks ago as if someone were tampering with it.  However, it is the nature of a cable modem despite my three firewalls that it is open to tampering from anywhere in the world.  I suppose with the children out of school locally they could also be practicing their hacking skills.  Whatever, the case I will have to remind individuals whom use Optimum Online, that Optimum does monitor such hacking attacks, so if they are local they will be caught sooner of later and have their optimum service terminated.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 3:15 A.M.:  The Queen Mary II was here this past weekend http://www.qm2.org.uk/itinerary.html and they will be back on July 28.  I cut off the tops of 17 medium to medium large strawberries, and I split them lengthwise into quarters, and I rinsed them in a wire strainer underneath cold water.  I put in a bowl one large ice cream scoop of Ben and Jerry's butter pecan ice cream, and I covered it with the strawberries.  I will eat it all with a glass of iced tea shortly.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 2:15 A.M.:  One can order a .750 liter bottle of Balmoral 15 year old whisky over the internet for 30 British pounds and 17 British pounds air freight to the United States Balmoral Castle 15 year old Scotch whisky , but if they thought you had that type of money, they might bring it personally and start charging to you name at one of the local clubs.  Of course the British and the Scottish generally save the whisky for the colder winter months Climate of England / Britain and Scotland .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 1:55 A.M.:  I went through my email.  I noticed on a sign posted downtown that the Cambridge University Choir was at Christ Church locally on Saturday July 3, so I guess we had some limey visitors.  At the moment, it does not seem like they are around, unless they are saying their prayers or meditating.  I suppose with all of the people away, this area seems pretty slow, but from past experience the first three weeks of August are usually slower, when more people are away.  However this week during the last week of August and the first couple days of September before Labor Day, New York city will host the Republican convention, so maybe some fat cat republicans will come out here and spend some wampum.  At the moment, not much is going on after a holiday.  I suppose one could go to the Glory Days diner and have a cup of coffee, but they generally prefer one to order and pay for a whole meal.  I also suppose the teenagers that spend time around the diner late at night might be put off by having adults invade their turf.  Since my apartment is cool and comfortable with the General Electric Profile 15,500 BTU air conditioner with remote control, I do not feel like moon watching this morning.  However, if one needs and air conditioner, Wal-Mart at two locations in Norwalk, Connecticut or Route 7 on the Wilton border and on U.S. 1 west of downtown Norwalk was selling General Electric 5,000 BTU air conditioner for $77 plus tax and I suppose for about $129 plus tax, one could get a 10,000 BTU model.  I also noticed at Home Depot in Port Chester, New York that they sell Maytag 15,000 BTU air conditioners for $359 plus tax, and they also have 10,000 BTU and 5,000 BTU models.  Also Costco locally in Port Chester, New York sells a Panasonic 10,000 BTU air conditioner for $219 plus tax and a Carrier 10,000 BTU air conditioner for $229 plus tax.  Thus I guess with the warmer weather summer has finally arrived.  The current temperature is  74 degrees Fahrenheit http://www.weather.com/weather/local/06830 , so it is not exactly hot yet, but it goes up into the 80s during the day.  I suppose the British Royal family are up in Balmoral castle http://www.balmoralcastle.com/ , where it is cooler http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/scotland/index.shtml , so I guess the British and Scottish being frugal do not have to buy air conditioners in their cooler weather and would probably settle for a cool frosty ale.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 1:20 A.M.:  After dinner, I took two of the three ounce Stop and Shop parmesan and Romano grated cheese containers, and I cut off their tops, and I transferred their contents to the larger 8 ounce Stop and Shop grated parmesan cheese container which is easier to pour from.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/06/04  Tuesday 12:55 A.M.:  I am boiling four quarts of water in a Revere pot in which I added a teaspoon of olive oil and a few pinches of salt.  I will boil a 16 ounce package of Stop and Shop vermicelli for six minutes.  I will eat half and refrigerate half in a Rubbermaid container.  I will reheat in the microwave oven in a microwave proof container half of a 26 ounce jar of Classico four cheese tomato sauce.  I will refrigerate the other half.  I will put the tomato sauce on the vermicelli and I will cover it will about 2.5 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, and I will eat it all with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 11:55 P.M.:  I was up at 4 P.M., and I ate breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to bed until 9 P.M..  I cleaned up, and I went out.  Both the Food Emporium and the Stop and Shop are closed.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront, and I just now returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 4:50 A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 4:45 A.M.:  BW Online | November 4, 2003 | The Many Shapes of Tomorrow's PC .  CIO

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 4:30 A.M.:  I went ate six pieces .25 inch by 1.5 inch by 1.25 inch of Land-O-Lakes Pepper Jack cheese with some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 3:50 A.M.:  I went through some more computer hardware web sites.  I went through my email.  The computer hardware web sites that I looked at are www.tigerdirect.com , http://infinityimaging.com/ , http://www.compuforms.com/ , http://www.nextag.com/ , http://www.directron.com/ , http://geek.pricegrabber.com/, http://www.globalcomputer.com/ , http://www.hmcomp.com/ , http://www.myinks.com/ , http://www.lasertonerstore.com/asp/home/home.asp , http://store.yahoo.com/outletpc/ , http://www.gotoforms.com/ , http://www.provantage.com/ , http://www.systemax.com/divisions.htm , http://xtremetoner.com/ , www.compusa.com , www.staples.com , www.circuitcity.com , www.jab-tech.com .  Of course, since I have looked at these web sites regularly, and since I am on a modest budget, what I have managed to accumulate in terms of computer technology is all that I need.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 1:00 A.M.:  My Scott grandparents used to live in Champaign, Illinois, where my grandmother was a school teacher, and my grandfather was a railroad engineer on the Illinois Central railroad.  My grandfather also owned two farms comprising about 2,000 acres of land near Robinson, Illinois http://www.city-data.com/city/Robinson-Illinois.html , and as I recall, he sold them to my grandmother's relatives of the Gard family that lived in that same area.  I recall visiting that area a number of times.  I was once told that James Jones wrote the book "From Here to Eternity" in a cabin on my grandfather's farm near the Wabash river.  I recall, they raised corn, soy beans, pigs, and chickens on the farms.  Of course being Illinois, it was mostly corn.  My grandfather Scott around 1958 spent $50,000 to buy a bull dozer, so he could build a levy to prevent flooding on the farm from the Wabash river.  I recall, a furniture maker in Greenwich, Connecticut once went out there, and bought a stand of hard wood trees off my grandfather Scott's farm to make some furniture.  I think my mother's desk is made from those same trees.  Of course city people whom venture that far out into the country, frequently feel a bit isolated amongst their more rural cousins.  I recall playing with pet wolf pups and fighting with my cousins in the chicken coop.  I once read that Marathon oil built a refinery there that refines about 365,000 barrels of oil a day coming mostly from those old slow oil pumpers all over down state Illinois that pump a couple of barrels per day.  Before mideast oil, they were a valuable source of oil.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/05/04  Monday 12:40 A.M.:  I looked at some computer hardware web sites.  However, I did not see anything I need to purchase.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  Instead of tuna fish, I used a tin sardines that I chopped.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/04/04  Sunday 9:50 P.M.:  I ate a bowl of corn chips before going to bed about 8 A.M..  I was up at 4 P.M. when a relative called.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I drove down by the waterfront in central Greenwich.  I chatted with a local waterfront observer.  I then drove back up to central Greenwich, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and I bought two 6 ounce tubes of Crest www.crest.com Rejuvenating Effects energizing mint fluoride activity toothpaste for two tubes for $4.99 plus .30 tax for $5.29 total.  I then completed my walk.  I just now returned home, and I can hear the fireworks from nearby Port Chester, New York.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/04/04  Sunday 6:45 A.M.:  I went back out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I chatted with a couple of fishermen at the Royal Bank of Scotland.  I then went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then sat out at the Greenwich Library parking lot for a while.  I then drove over to Walgreens in Old Greenwich, and I bought a package of six AA Ultra-Alkaline  batteries for $3, a package of two 9 volt batteries ultra-alkaline for $3, and two bottles of Advil Liqui-gels 180 Liqui-Gels for $10 each bottle plus .36 tax for $26.36 total.  I then drove back to the center of town, and I sat out for a while.  I then drove back down by the waterfront, and I chatted with a couple more local fishermen.  I just now returned home.  I will now take a Advil Liqui-gel before going to bed instead of a CVS brand Tylenol, since Advil is suppose to be better for arthritis.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  I will eat a piece of apple pie with some iced tea before going to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/04/04  Sunday 2:05 A.M.:  I will put the computer on standby, and I will now go back out and moon watch.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/04/04  Sunday 1:45 A.M.:  Happy Fourth of July.  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Food Emporium, and I bought four half gallons of Minute Maid children's orange juice with vitamins for $1.99 each for $7.96 total.  I then went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $4 of regular unleaded gasoline at $2.299 a gallon for about 25 miles per gallon usage.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two quart jars of Stop and Shop strawberry preserves for $2.99 each, three 28 ounce cans of Goya chick peas for $1.29 each, a three liter container of Bertolli extra virgin olive oil for $21.99, two eight ounce bars of Land-O-Lakes Monterey Jack cheese for $2 each, two 16.5 ounce bottles of Monari balsamic vinegar for $2.50 each, a four pack of Star-Kist solid white albacore tuna fish for $1.50, four 3 ounce containers of Stop and Shop parmesan and Romano grated cheese for .99 each, a pound of strawberries for $2, eight 6.5 ounce dry weight cans of Stop and Shop California medium black pitted olives for .99 each can for $63.21 total.  I then returned home, and I used the shopping cart from my apartment that I had brought with me to bring up the groceries.  I then put away the groceries.  I then made up a batch of iced tea www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  I left it to steep, while I went out.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I then returned home, and I put the iced tea in the refrigerator.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes Pepperjack cheese.  I had the salad with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/03/04  Saturday 8:20 P.M.:  I finished running the computer maintenance utilities.  I watched a bit of television while doing it.  I ate a piece of apple pie with iced tea.  I printed out 50 more calling cards in color.  I cleaned up.  I will shut down the computer.  I will now go out and do some grocery shopping.  CIO    

Note: <888> 07/03/04  Saturday 4:40 P.M.:  After the last message, I ate a peanut butter sandwich with iced tea.  I went to bed, and I chatted with a friend from 6:30 A.M. to 7:15 A.M..  I was awake at 2 P.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I picked up my mail downstairs.  I made out a check to pay my Verizon telephone bill.  I will now run Norton WinDoctor, Ccleaner, do a System Restore backup, run Disk Cleanup on the C: drive, run Norton Disk Doctor, and then I will do a Norton backup from the C: drive to the D: drive in seven parts.  Then I will run Norton Speed Disk.  CIO

End of Scott's Notes week of 07/03/04:

Note: <888> 07/03/04  Saturday 4:00 A.M.:  I went out after the last message, and I mailed the photographs at the Valley Road Post Office box in the lobby.  They weighed less than four ounces, so they were all right to mail.  One can not mail more than 16 ounces at the post office box mail boxes after hours because of security reasons.  I next went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I used the restroom at the Thataway cafe.  After I completed my walk, I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Food Emporium.  I used my debit card, and I bought a piece Norwegian Jarlsberg slightly skim cheese at $5.99 a pound for $11.20 total.  I will not use it for my salads, but I will keep it for guests or special occassions.  Hopefully, it will last a while in the refrigerator.  I chatted with another grocery shopper.  I just now returned home.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  I will then shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 11:55 P.M.:  I will go out shortly, and I will mail the photographs.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 11:45 P.M.:  I went out after the last message, and I went by CVS, and I picked up my double print photographs at $9.69 cost, which I paid for with my debit card.  I then went further downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I used the bathroom at Starbucks.  I then drove down by the waterfront, and there were quite a lot of people fishing down there after 9 P.M. at night, when they are not suppose to be there, so I guess the fish are running.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I sat out for a while.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought four three ounce containers of Stop and Shop parmesan and Romano grated cheese for .99 each, and two eight ounce bars of Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese for $2 each, and a 16 ounce bag of Stop and Shop frozen California snow pea medley of vegetables for .99 for $8.95 total.  I then returned home, and I chatted with a neighbor. I ate a piece of apple pie with iced tea.  I will send one copy of the photographs to a relative, and I will put the other ones in my photo album.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 7:25 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 7:10 P.M.:  I am microwaving a Stouffer's 8 ounce lean cuisine herb roasted chicken dinner, which I will eat with a glass of iced tea.  I took the Entenmann's Home-style apple pie out of the freezer last night, and I let it defrost.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 6:45 P.M.:  I ate a bowl of corn chips before going to bed about 4 A.M..  I was up at noon.  I checked my mail.  I went out, and I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by the Wachovia Bank on Benedict Place, and I paid my rent to the Greenwich Housing Authority.  I then returned home, and I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I chatted with a friend while I was doing house cleaning.  I just threw out the garbage.  It is just beginning to rain lightly.  The weather forecast locally is calling for isolated thunderstorms until 9 P.M..  CIO

Note: <888> 07/02/04  Friday 1:35 A.M.:  I looked at some web sites.  The site where I ordered my Northgate barebones computer system from www.accessmicro.com  a year and a half ago has been taken over by www.northgate.com , so they offer a different product line now, but they offer a 20% discount to www.accessmicro.com customers.  I was unable to change my Profile at their site, since I had a different profile, when I ordered the computer.  I ate five 2 inch by .75 inch by 3/8th inch pieces of Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I received a post card from a relative whom took a cruise to Norway recently up the northern fjords.  The post card was from Norkkapp, Norway at 71 degrees, 10', 21" North, which is as far north as one can go north, and still be able to mail a post card.  I will  shut down the computer shortly, and I will go to bed.  When I wake up later on today, I will do my weekly house cleaning, which was not done last week, because I was away in Kennebunkport, Maine http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/137.htm .  I suppose with Canada day yesterday, and the Fourth of July this Sunday, and the first of the month yesterday, that Kennebunkport, Maine is a bit busy.  However, we are six hours driving less further north here, so we get the occasional tourists here whom like to enjoy our beaches, golfing, tennis, equestrian events, sailing, and suburban lifestyles, if one can afford it.  I suppose the stripped bass would be running about now in Kennebunkport, Maine.  Of course disabled volunteers like myself tend to keep busy when all the able bodied people are thinking about vacation.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 11:45 P.M.:  I mailed the Optimum Online and the Cablevision payments in the mail room downstairs.  I chatted with a neighbor.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 11:05 P.M.:  I made out checks to pay my Optimum Online and my Cablevision bills.  I will mail them tomorrow.  CIO 

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 10:35 P.M.:  I logged onto http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ , and I ordered five cartons of Seneca Ultra Lights 100 cigarettes for $11 a carton plus $6 U.S. postage for $61 total.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 10:25 P.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Land-O-Lakes pepper jack cheese.  I did not use Danish blue cheese, but I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I went outside, and I chatted with some neighbors.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 6:35 P.M.:  I ate a bowl of corn chips before going to bed.  I had a call from a friend at 9 A.M. this morning, but I was too tired to talk very much.  I was up at 12:30 P.M..  I picked up my mail.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by the central Greenwich Post Office, and I obtained a money order to make the final of four payments on my six month GEICO automobile insurance payment.  The money order cost .90, and I mailed it at the central Greenwich Post Office along with another letter.  I then made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and I bought four solid oak folding TV tables with stand for $20.  They must weigh about 50 pounds all together since they are solid oak.  They tend to be more sturdy, since they are heavier.  I then went by Charles Stuttig's locksmith at 158 Greenwich Avenue, and I bought a extra large Magnetic Hide a Key box for $4 plus .24 tax for $4.24 total.  I then returned home.  I used my folding cart that I keep in the back of my Hyundai to bring up the solid oak folding TV tables.  I move the brass hat rack from the end of the day bed, and I put it in front of the open bedroom door, and I put the folding solid oak TV tables at the right front end of the day bed.  I put my folding cart back in the Hyundai.  I threw out the old warped plastic hide a key box.  I started two loads of laundry, and I have 25 minutes to go on the dry cycle.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  I ran SpyBot 1.3, and I checked the errors that it found, and they are all cookies and bookmarks, so they are not critical spyware, so since it freezes trying to remove them, I will just leave them as is.  I drank some cold filtered water.  CIO  

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 6:20 A.M.:  I got Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3 working by selecting advanced mode and deselecting "c2.lop" Driving with Dawn: c2.lop revisited and its related entries which I think are four all together.  After the program completely runs, and it shows on my computer 83 entries that need to be deleted, it freezes on deletion.  I will work on it again later on today.  I went outside briefly and threw out some garbage.  I will now shut down the computer.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment today, and I also should pay some bills.  I will get up about noon, and see what bills might have arrived that I have to pay.  I will now go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 07/01/04  Thursday 4:35 A.M.:  Happy Canada Day http://www.calendar-updates.com/Holidays/Canada/canada.htm .  After the last message,  I ran Ad-aware 6.0.  I then ran Norton Win Doctor.  I tried running SpyBot Search and Destroy 1.2, but it would freeze my system.  I uninstalled it, and I installed version 1.3, but it would also freeze my system.  I watched a movie on the Turner Movie channel about old New York.  I cut off the tops of 10 medium to large fresh strawberries, and I split them into quarters lengthwise, and I rinsed them underneath cold water in a wire strainer.  I put them on two scoops of Ben and Jerry's Butter Pecan ice cream, and I ate it all.  I tried to figure out the problem with Spybot.  I downloaded and installed http://www.ccleaner.com/ , and I deleted all the items it selected except old shortcuts, which I think are still valid.  I then downloaded and installed the 30 day demo of RegSupreme 1.2 http://www.macecraft.com/downloads/ , and I did a deep scan, and I eliminated a couple of thousand invalid registry entries.  I had already uninstalled Spybot 1.3 and put 1.2 back on the machine.  Anyway Spybot 1.2 and 1.3 still freeze my machine.  It use to work.  Anyway the computer is still running just fine.  CIO