We all know that smoking is a very expensive habit. The government imposes more taxes on tobacco, which causes more people to quit, which means the taxes are increased, and on and on, right? Currently, it is around $5 for a pack of premium cigarettes around here. So, my idea.

When you quit smoking, set up a daily transfer on your bank’s website for the amount of a pack of cigarettes from your checking account to a savings account.

If you smoke a pack a day, that would be $35 in a week. In one year, a very nice new plasma t.v. ($1820).

I am not saying that if you smoke you should quit, I don’t care what you do, but if you are quitting, I think it looks like a good motivator.

“Michael Tice” its nice to know MA can fuck up electing a republican to senate after all those years fucking up and electing a democrat.
Tue at 9:58pm via Seesmic

Rest of the fun, after the break!

“Friend D” huh?
Yesterday at 8:54am ·

“Michael Tice” republicrats are fucking worthless. they all want to do the same damned thing, take our money and tell us how to live our lives.
it does not matter which of those two worthless parties you elect someone from, you still lose.
Yesterday at 8:56am ·

“Friend D” he calls himself an “independent” of the people. I see no democrat in him. all GOP to me. sorry.
Yesterday at 9:02am ·

“Michael Tice” if he were democrat, how is that any better?
Yesterday at 9:05am ·

“Michael Tice” electing a career politician is a fail on the part of every single voter in the entire fucking country. when the founding fathers wrote the constitution, the idea was that the common man could be elected to federal office.
there was no talk of political parties ar any of the stupid shit we have in place today.
Yesterday at 9:07am ·

“Friend D” because demorats stand for what I stand for. including health care reform, which is a shell of what it should have been and is even more fucked now that the dems lost their majority. but the people have spoken and that’s all I have to say about that. the end.
Yesterday at 9:13am ·

“Michael Tice” you fail to understand what i am getting at.
democrats stand for everything you stand for? you are all them taking your money and giving it to other people? that is what taxes and social assistance programs are.
my money is my money. i am NOT responsible for anyone besides me and my 2 kids. health care reform? FUCK THAT! how about we get the fucking gov’t completely out of it? they are the cause of the problems we have right now in health care!
i have NEVER understood how the majority of people cam complain about how the gov’t cannot do anything right, and yet they want them to provide them with something as important as health care!
here is what it all comes down to. it is a very simple concept.
personal freedom and personal responbility.
but the majority of Americans what to remain like little puppies lapping at the teat of mommy gov’t and never become a fully grown and functioning adult.
Yesterday at 9:19am ·

“Friend D” All of the above is where we disagree. Good thing we live in America. Ever been on public assistance? I have.
Yesterday at 9:24am ·

“Michael Tice” no, i have never been on public assistance and i never will. i will pick up 4 jobs at 4 different McDonalds to make sure my children are fed before i would go on the gov’t dole.
and as for where we disagree, how is it your right to tell me that the money i make throw my labors is tot mine? fine, Friend D, i need $70 to fill up the gas tank in my truck, go pay for it. that money isnt yours, afterall. oh, but i’m not taking from you, i’m giving to me, so it’s ok now, right?
now, here is the thing, everything i am talking about here is on a FEDERAL level. you are aware of the 10th Amendment, right? if states or the people decide they want to impose taxes or run assistance programs, that is fine, it is up to them because of the 10th Amendment.
show me, in the Constitution, where it says the federal gov’t can impose taxes. where they can decide on your health care. where they can set up assistance programs.
you can’t. know why? because it is not there.
Yesterday at 9:32am ·

“Friend D” Once again. All of the above is where we disagree. Good thing we live in America. You’ll not change me and I’ll not change you. You can’t be reasoned with and I can’t be reasoned with. so go find somebody you can reform and I’ll do the same. and leave me be with with your Fox News rhetoric.
Yesterday at 9:36am ·

“Michael Tice” fox news rhetoric my fucking ass!
do you think they are about personal freedom? do you think they are about personal responsibility? no! of course not!
i am giving you opportunity. i want you to show me, in the constitution, where it says the federal gov’t can do the shit it does.
Yesterday at 9:38am ·

“Michael Tice” and by saying you disagree with me on everything, you are telling me you are not responsible for you own actions. you realize that, right? so, please, tell me who is responsible for you.
Yesterday at 9:41am ·

“Friend V” We don’t need govt Healthcare reform. We need a free market were it is based on supply & demand. Insurance companies are what have inflated the cost of healthcare. Without the insurance companies DR’s have to actually be good at what they do in order to get patients. In order to attract enough patients to maintain a practice they have to reduce THIER fees and drive out cost. Let a free market dynamics take place rather than govt. dictated reform would be better for everyone.
Similar to the banking & Auto industry. The govt. should put checks & balance into the system from keeping large corporations corrupt, but not dictate how business is done.
The US current is running a large deficit, yet is going to dictate to industry how to successful run a business & make a profit? NO, part of why the economy is in the current state it still is in.
Yesterday at 10:05am ·

“Michael Tice” actually, i disagree with you on governmental checks and balances. we are the regulatory factor through the money we spend. if a service provided is not worthwhile, then we dont buy it, and it goes under, much like what should have happened with GM.
as far as doctors are concerned, why can’t we have a private underwriting on them, much like UL does for many other things?
Yesterday at 10:12am ·

“Friend D” I am responsible for me but for those who need help and don’t know how to get, there needs to be a safety net there. until you’ve been there you’ll never know. hope you never get there. YAY TAXES!
Yesterday at 10:22am ·

“Friend V” Yes, GM should have gone under. What I mean by checks & balances is that we should not allow large corps. to do whatever they want to a degree. If there is absolutely no govt. balance you end up where we were with the “Robber Barons” early (1900’s) think Getty, Rockefeller & Vanderbilt. Where very few owned everything. I know you could argue that Gates & Buffet are the same today. Put not to the extent it was before. Wealth is some what more distributed today.
UL underwrites safety. I’m not sure what you mean by that? Do you thing they should do private insurance or underwrite the capability of medical service / Doctors?
Yesterday at 10:23am ·

“Michael Tice” so, you are happy having someone else, with froce, tell you that you have to help everyone else?
why not get rid of taxes and donate that money to charity so it is your personal decision?
Yesterday at 10:39am ·

“Michael Tice” why can’t they underwrite doctors like that? basically a replacement for state medical license, a privately issued medical license from a trusted company.
i know, fraud, right? are you saying it doesnt happen now?
but i digress. these are thoughts about having an entirely free market system, which will never happen.
you know, its funny, when you start talking free market everyone starts talking about all the evil things people will do, does that mean that all people are inherently evil and thereby want to fuck over everyone else? and i thought the population of the USA was 86% religious.
i guess god doesn’t make you moral.
Yesterday at 10:56am ·

“Friend V” Yes, people are inherently evil to a degree.
NO GOD doesn’t make you moral. That is why I only believe in me, myslef & I! I am my only moral compass. For people who don’t like it the can STFU!
Yesterday at 11:46am ·

“Michael Tice” you need a comma, my dear.
NO, GOD doesn’t make you moral.
grammar nazi, but it changes the meaning, the only way we can be moral is without god, otherwise we only do good things for fear of retribution.
Yesterday at 11:54am ·

“Friend V” LOL. I will not multitask again, for fear of the grammar NAZI!
Yesterday at 12:01pm ·

The short of it, because I know that no one wants to read a rambling discourse about the morons who work for Dominos Pizza, is:

1. I called Dominos to order a pizza for the boys and me.
2. I placed my order.
3. The asshat¹ asked for my last name.
4. I said Tice.
5. The asshat asked me to spell it.
6. I said T-I-C-E, Tango, India, Charlie, Echo.
7. The asshat said P?
8. I said, no, T-I-C-E, Tango, India, Char…
9. The asshat interrupted me and said that means nothing to him.
10. I said T T T as in Tango in a very loud and forceful manner.
11. The asshat said 15 minutes
12. I pressed End on my phone and said Fucking Dumbass.
13. The asshat said what did you say
14. Woops, my phone had not finished hanging up.
15. I called Papa Johns and got more pizza at the same price without cancelling my order with Dominos.

Yup, I win at life.

Case in point, about 10 minutes ago I was unloading some furniture from my truck into the storage building. A young teen girl and two young children were walking down the road and the teen said “Hi” as I lifted a heavy TV stand. Slightly strained from the effort I said Hi back. Today, in the MOV, it is raining. As I came back out, I offered the three of them a ride. They were soaked and I just wanted to help, because I live more or less in the middle of nowhere. The teen declined. I can understand, I know how I was raised, but Stranger Danger isn’t real!

I genuinely just wanted to help someone, and for completely altruistic reasons, but I guess in some cases that is not allowed.

Posted via email from grimmlock’s posterous

Despite passing within spitting distance of 15 churches while driving down a 1 mile stretch of road in Vienna, WV (Grand Central Ave), I know I am not the only one.

How maggotty is the Marietta – Williamstown – Vienna – Parkersburg – Belpre metroplex (haha) with churches?

To be honest, I lose count, but as far as the Abrahamic religions are concerned we have a church for every branch of Christianity, from your non-denominational to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Messianic Jews. We are lacking in an actual synagogue (there is one based out of a house) or mosque (closest is Athens, OH), though.

So, what do I need your help with? Leaving the area? A friend of mine (she is South African and has a bitchin’ accent [do people say bitchin' anymore?]) once asked me why, if I was an Atheist, I lived in an area so full oy churches. I often wonder that myself, but I digress. I would like to start a freethinkers Meetup for the MOV (that means Mid-Ohio Valley).

I know the particulars about creating a meetup on the website, but before I do so I need assistance with planning aspects. Once upon a time, I used to be fairly social, but have become less so over the past few years, and even less than that over the last year. I have never been a big social planner, though.

Please, lend me assistance. Since I have never been to a meetup (I think there are 3 in my area) I know nothing about what people do at them or, well, anything about the planning aspect at all.

Please, my friends, I implore you, help me find that I am not alone in the MOV!

If you use Twitter I am sure you have seen, or heard, this at some point in time. I think I know why people say this.

Twitter, on the surface, appears to be extreme arrogance. If you look at the question on the site you see:

Admittedly this is better than the old, “What are you doing right now?” but still does not fully describe what Twitter is to those of us that use it and love it.
The reason I called Twitter extreme arrogance is because it makes it appear that we think others will care about the mundane minutiae of our lives. When someone first comes to Twitter they think they should post crap like, “Going to store to buy bread,” because they think that is what Twitter is all about.

It isn’t.

At least not for me.

I know there is talk all over the internet about using Twitter to market this and market that. About how it can make or break a movie or a new product because it is world wide word of mouth, but it isn’t even that to me either. Sure, if something news worthy is happening I’ll turn to Twitter to find out what is going on, but beyond that I don’t care about the stupid marketing crap.

I hate most of the celebrities and refuse to follow them, too.

The types of updates that I see people post on Twitter tend to fall more into the, “What’s On Your Mind Right Now?” variety. This is the exact some thing we do with our friends, or at least I do when I’m with them, but Twitter seems to follow more of a shotgun effect. Most people leave their filter behind. This is both good and bad, of course, but it is easy to learn to read the tweets you want and leave the rest behind.

When I look at Twitter, I see a community. A place to be able to interact with like minded individuals, and some not so like minded.

The people who I follow, who follow me back, and who I interact with on a regular basis (you know who you are) are people I am proud to call my friends, even though we only know each other through text on a screen. The reason for this is because they share the stuff that is on their mind and you can actually get to know them as a real person.

It turned out to be easier than I thought it was going to be.

If you would like to do the same, begin by creating a new shortcut to the folder.

Right Click on your new shortcut and choose properties

What we need to do now is change this from a plain old folder link into a shortcut that invokes an application. Specifically, Windows Explorer.

In the “Target” section

Add “%windir%\explorer.exe ” to the very beginning, without the quotes and with the single space at the end. Then remove the quotes around the target folder, so it looks like this:

For non techy types, the %windir% is what is called a path. It was set up automatically when you installed Windows 7 and just directs to where Windows is installed, which is generally C:\Windows, but not always.

In the “Start in” section, add the “%windir%” (no quotes) path again. Your final product should look something like this:

If you would like to make the icon for the shortcut be something different, click on change icon and change it to whatever you want.

Click on ok, then right click on the folder again and choose “Pin to Task Bar.”

You should now have a nice, new shortcut to the folder that is not stacked inside the existing Explorer shortcut.

Now if only I could figure out how to make the contents appear like a Stack on OS X.

Download and install Winebottler and XCode.

WineBottler

XCode XCode will require free registration.

After they are installed, fire up Winebottler.

Steam is the easy one. Select Install Predefined Prefixes then click on Steam.

Then click Install and it is off to the races.

All the hard work is done for you.

For EVEMon and EFT, though, things get a little bit trickier.

EVEMon

EFT

You need to start by selecting create custom prefix then going to choose file.

browse to your EVEMon install file and click Open

In the Winetricks box, you will need to check the box next to:

dotnet11
dotnet20
allfonts

Then click install, give it a name, and decide where you want to put it.

As long as all goes well, you should have a brand new app called whatever you named it in whatever folder you put it.

EFT is even easier. Unzip it wherever you want. In WineBottler, select custom prefixes again, click select file, and browse to the EFT .exe file. Once you have selected it, in the drop down select the EVEMon.app prefix we just created and Check the Copy Only box.

Then click install. A prefix copy will be created and you can now use it to start up EFT.

These run in X11, so you have to have XCode installed and leave X11 running whenever you fire them up.

More running tonight.

Not in anywhere near as much pain this time around, which is definitely a good thing.