This forecast just came in for us

UPDATE: It's now 3:50pm and we really didn't get any snow here. I did see a" little" this morning but that was it. It makes you think that they just give the job of forecasting the weather to just about anyone. All they have to do is guess and most of the time they are wrong. LOL If you can't get the forecast right, even a few hrs in advance you should look for another job. :)

This forecast just came in for us. So who knows what we will end up with in the end? I did go get my sugar at the store so I am all set.

THE CITIES OF.EUREKA.YATES CENTER.IOLA.HOWARD.
FREDONIA.CHANUTE.ERIE.SEDAN.COFFEYVILLE.INDEPENDENCE.
PARSONS

728 AM CST THU JAN 31 2008

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

SNOW WILL BE WIDESPREAD DURING THE DAYLIGHT HRS.THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES. STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION.NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON. RESULTING IN BLOWING & DRIFTING SNOW & REDUCED VISIBILITIES. WIND CHILL READINGS IN THE TEENS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Break in the Weather

It looks like we are going to get a lucky break in the weather. This morning's weather is only calling for 1-4 inches of snow. That is much better than what they were saying 12 hrs ago. I think I could do just as good at forecasting weather as a meteorologist. :) They just keep changing the forecast until they get it right. LOL

I'll let you know what we end up with. It has not started snowing outside yet so I might take this opportunity to go to Wal-Mart and get some sugar for my coffee. I forgot to get that yesterday.

UPDATE: 6:40am. I just looked outside and see that it has started snowing.

Keep your private files into password protected Lockbox

Do you have some files on your computer you'd like to hide from others? I see so many people doing their taxes on their computers in spreadsheets that I thought this program might be a good idea. The program is called My Lockbox. It is for hiding your sensitive data.

Here's how it works. Once you install My Lockbox, the application will create a hidden folder. By default that folder will be in your My Documents folder, but you can place it anywhere on your PC. The folder is password protected, and when you hit the "lock" button, nobody can open it. That means they can't copy or open files, and they can't save files to the folder. So you'll need to unlock the folder in order to save new files to your lockbox. My Lockbox is very simple to use, and even hides your files when your PC is running in safe mode.

Snow in the forecast

In my post this morning I mentioned that we are supposed to get some snow here. At that time they were calling for about 5-6 inches. Tonight I watched the news and saw that they have updated the weather forecast to 7-9 inches or more snow for us. We are in the Heavy Band area. Oh what fun... We are now under a Winter Storm Warning for tonight and tomorrow. If we actually get that much snow it will be a mess. As I said earlier we don't have snow plows in our City, they use road graders and only plow some of the roads with those. I sure hope the weather forecast is wrong. I will take some pictures tomorrow and let you know what we end up with.

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT CST THUR NIGHT.

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING.WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT CST THUR NIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT & BECOME WIDESPREAD ON THURSDAY. THE SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES. STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THURSDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION.NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED.RESULTING IN BLOWING & DRIFTING SNOW & REDUCED VISIBILITIES. WIND CHILLS IN THE TEENS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY.

Relocate the "Temporary Internet Files" folder to a different drive

If you have a second hard drive and want to move the Temporary Internet Files to it instead of your C: drive just follow these directions.


Relocate the "Temporary Internet Files" folder to a different drive

To redirect the Temporary Internet Files location to a different drive, follow these steps:

1 Save and close all running applications

2 Create a folder in the destination drive (say F:\TIF)

3 Click Start, Run and type CONTROL INETCPL.CPL

4 In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Settings

5 Click Move Folder button and browse to the target folder

6 Click OK

7 Click Yes, when you see the prompt

"Windows will log you off to finish moving Temporary Internet Files. Do you want to continue ?"

Windows will now copy all the Cookies, temporary internet files to the destination folder and log you off. Log back in for the changes to take effect.


To accomplish this via the registry, alter the Shell Folders path for TIF

The above method is effective as it copies the contents of the current Temporary Internet Files folder to the new location. Whereas, relocating the Temporary Internet Files shell folders path via the registry does not copy the existing content to the new location.

Open Registry Editor by typing REGEDIT in Start, Run dialog

Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software Microsoft \ Windows CurrentVersion \ Explorer User Shell Folders

In the right-pane, double-click the value named Cache and set it's data to the new TIF folder
(F:\Temporary Internet Files)

Similarly, make the changes in this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software Microsoft \ Windows CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Shell Folders

Close Registry Editor and log off. Login back for the changes to take effect. The TIF will be stored in the new location which you defined. The old TIF files can be deleted manually by navigating to this folder from Start, Run dialog: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Access your Macromedia Flash player settings

This is a re-post of a post I did two years ago but it is still relevant.

Most people don't realize how much information their computer stores about what they do on the internet.

Here is a link to access your Macromedia Flash player settings. You can go here to Clean up your Flash sites. This takes you to the Settings manager. It is the actual Settings Manager not an image. If you click Delete All Sites, all websites are removed from your list of visited websites. Any information a website may have stored on your computer is erased.

In this panel, you can change storage settings for a website or delete the website so that, if you visit it again, it will use your global settings instead of any individual settings you may have set. You can also delete all sites, which erases any information that may have already been stored on your computer.

It's a quiet day here in Kansas so far

It's a quiet day here in Kansas so far. I did manage to go to the store and get some things in case we get the expected snow tonight and tomorrow that they are calling for. It's only supposed to be about 6 inches which really isn't that much but when you consider that we have no snow plows and the snow that sticks to the streets quickly becomes ice it makes sense to be ready. Don't get me wrong, our city tries to do the best they can to get rid of the snow with the few road graders they have but it is never enough.

In other news my daughter Cindy got the Laptop that her boyfriend Doug sent to her. Cindy and Doug are both in the Navy. Cindy is stationed in San Diego, Ca and Doug is in Norfolk, Va. Cindy called me last night because the PC Wireless Card in the Laptop wasn't installing correctly. The card is the Netgear Wireless PC Card WG511. After trying some things with her on the phone we determined that the card or slot was damaged in shipping. Probably the card. Hopefully Cindy will be able get another one soon and find out.

Cindy if you are reading this here is a link to a NETGEAR WG511 Wireless-G PC Card for $39.99 Hope that helps.

That's about it for now. Hope everyone has a great day.

Our Forecast Below

Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from late tonight through Thursday afternoon...

Snow will develop across the area late tonight and become widespread overnight into Thursday. The snow may be heavy at times. Storm total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are possible by late Thursday afternoon. In addition... northerly winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 35 to 40 mph are expected mainly across south central Kansas and the Flint Hills. The strong winds and falling snow will cause visibilities below one-quarter mile at times along with significant blowing and drifting snow problems. Wind chills in the teens can be expected.

A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant winter weather that may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts for updated information.

To answer Sue's question about Graduation from Navy Boot Camp.

To answer Sue's question about Graduation from Navy Boot Camp.

You will get a letter from your recruit on when his or her graduation will be but you can also look here http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/family/upcominggrad.html each week and when you see their Division you will know the dates. I had two kids go through Navy Boot Camp last year and we couldn't attend either Graduation because of expense and health issues. According to my kids about 50-70% have family attend. If you are unable to attend for any reason have your recruit order the DVD of graduation and you can watch it at home.

The planning for graduation could be a real problem if you live far away. You will find out the graduation date a few weeks before graduation and even then that date could change for your recruit if he becomes ill or fails to pass a test in boot camp. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and you can also e-mail me at kansasdad@gmail.com

New Navy message board ( Family, friends )

I have had so many conversations start in the comments sections of my posts about Navy Boot Camp and Navy life recently that I decided to start a message board to help facilitate conversation between users, and answer questions. You can see the board at http://kansasdad.aceboard.com/

Download songs from EMI, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group legally.

Qtrax, which has signed all four major labels, EMI, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, launched yesterday with 25 million songs ( compared to around 3 m for Amazon and 6 m for iTunes ).

The downloaded songs are not compatible with iPods and have to be played via a proprietary player. Ads are displayed during playback, even on music devices so it's not for everyone, but it is legal.

Right now the service is down from all the attention it is getting. This is what I got when I went to the site ( "Due to overwhelming demand, Qtrax.com is currently unavailable. Please check back in 24 hours to download the first, free, and legal P2P music application. Thank you for your understanding." )

Once the bugs are worked out this should be a good alternative to downloading songs from BitTorrent and thus breaking the law.

Go see Qtrax.com and see for yourself.

UPDATE: Read Labels deny deals on file sharing

A video worth watching ( Support Our Troops )

My buddy Cookie posted this video on his blog and I thought it was very touching and worth posting here.

Coffee and a very Simple Blueberry Cobbler

Good morning. I woke up about 6am today and am drinking my morning Coffee. I just came across this article about the benefits of caffeine for your skin. In the article it states that "research suggests that both oral and topical caffeine may offer powerful anticarcinogenic benefits. A series of studies performed on mice found that caffeinated green and black teas prevented sun damage and even repaired damage once it occurred, whereas decaffeinated teas did not." So that's right people drink that coffee and tea and enjoy. You can read the article here.

Last night my wife and I were in the mood for something that had fruit in it. We didn't have any fruit left in the fridge and it was 10pm so I didn't really feel like going to the store so I came up with the idea of a Simple Blueberry Cobbler. I had a can of Blueberry pie filling and some refrigerator biscuits so what I did was pour the pie filling in a baking dish and then put the refrigerator biscuits on top of the filling I then brushed the tops of the biscuits with an egg wash and sprinkled them with some sugar. I baked the whole thing in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes until the biscuits were a nice brown color and then we ate it. It turned out delicious. This simple recipe would work with any pie filling for a quick easy dessert. Next time I will try apple pie filling and pit some sugar and cinnamon in the filling before I add the biscuits. I bet that will be good. :)

If you don't know what an egg wash is, here is how to make it. Just mix an egg and some water together. That's it...

Went to the Dr's yesterday

Good morning, I just finished my first pot of coffee for the day and am starting on the second one. Yesterday I had to take my wife Vicki to the Dr's. She has not been feeling well for the last few days. We found out that she has a sinus infection and the Dr put her on antibiotics ( erythromycin ), meclizine and phenergan. Vicki has been suffering from headaches, dizziness, and nausea for about a week. Hopefully the medicine will help her to feel better soon.

Today should be a quiet day with nothing going on here.

80-in-1 High Speed Card Reader

I just came accross this 80 in 1 high speed card reader from iMONO. This is a great deal, it's only $17.00 It works with Windows 98/SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 9.0 above. If your shopping for a card reader for your computer this seems like the one to buy.

Product Link

AT&T Broadband Customers Get Free Hotspot Wi-Fi

AT&T is throwing a bone to its broadband service customers by offering free access to every AT&T hotspot across the country. This gives the roughly 10 million AT&T broadband subscribers access to more than 10,000 of AT&T's public Wi-Fi hotspots. In order to take advantage of this offer you have to subscribe to their 1.5 meg service.

Read the rest at PC World.

It's Cold this morning.

When I got up today it was 3.9 degrees outside and cold in our house. It feels a little better now that I turned up the heat and have half a pot of hot coffee in me.

I talked to both of my kids in the Navy yesterday. John had a good day on his Ship and today his roommate in the barracks is having cable TV installed by Comcast Cable. John said that he is off this weekend and is trying to find something to do, most of his friends are working over the weekend. He said that he might go explore the towns around the base.

Cindy had a test yesterday in her CIWS C-School and got 100% on it. Her GPA in the class is 98%. Good job Cindy. I'm proud of you...

Nothing else happing here, we are just trying to stay warm.

Good morning

Good morning, I am on my 4th cup of coffee today. I will have to make another pot soon ( bug cups ) LOL. Anyway, my daughter Cindy called last night from Naval Base San Diego where she is going to CIWS-C School. She has another test today and is sure that she will do well. She said that her instructors are really good and it is easy to learn from them. Cindy also said that she has made allot of friends on and off base there and she is having fun. Cindy told me that it was 65 degrees there when she called and everyone thought it was cold. :) It was 15 degrees here so she got no sympathy from me. Tonight it is supposed to get down to 5 degrees here in South East Kansas.


My son John also called from his base in Mayport Florida and was doing well. He was in training all day and will be doing that again today. John is going to try to come out and visit us again in March. He checked his leave yesterday and he currently has over 16 days of leave saved up. John was talking about coming out for 8-9 days this time. He will be too busy from April until after Christmas to come so this is the best time. That's about it from here for today.

Cindy, good luck on your test, I'm sure you will do great.

Quiet Day today

Today should be a quiet day. There is nothing going on here but the cold weather, it's 9 degrees outside right now. I think my wife Vicki and I are going to clean out a closet in what was formally my sons room, now our guest room and my computer room. Half of the stuff in there can go to the garage for storage.

I heard from my daughter Cindy again yesterday, she was doing well. She enjoyed going to Westfield Horton Plaza Mall with her roommate the other evening. She said that she thought about calling us when she got back to the Navy Base after shopping but it was too late in the evening. She said that the Mall is only 15 minutes from Base and that it is 5 stories high and seven blocks long. Cindy said that she is going back whenever she gets a chance.

My son John called from Naval Station Mayport, he just got back from another short cruise. John said that they had really rough seas this trip but he didn't throw up. LOL He said that it was hard to do the charts when his pens and tools were falling off the table onto the floor but he had fun. He really likes his job.

Cindy Called

Cindy and Doug when they were in Chicago together. Doug is also in the Navy.

I was just sitting here reading the news this afternoon when my daughter Cindy called from Naval Base San Diego where she is attending her FC-C School. She had a test today in class and got a 96%. She said that she got the second highest grade in the class. The class average for this test was and astounding 95.5 %. Cindy was waiting for her roommate to get ready so they could go to Westfield Horton Plaza Mall to do some shopping together. Cindy sounded good and that made me feel good as a father. I am very proud of what she is doing. I am anxiously awaiting for her to get a laptop ( her boyfriend Doug is sending her one of his ) so she can send me some pictures.

I heard from both of my kids yesterday.

My daughter Cindy called last night from San Diego Naval Base where she is attending her FC-C-School. She told me that she bought a digital camera at the NEX. It is a Fujifilm finepix 8900. Her boyfriend Doug ( also in the Navy stationed in Norfolk ) is sending her one of his Laptops this week so we should expect some pictures soon. Cindy said that school is going well and she is enjoying the warm weather.

My son John also called from Naval Station Mayport and was doing well. His roommate in the barracks brought back a TV and game system from home for them to use . John said that he would call Comcast soon and see about getting Cable TV. John already has internet through Comcast so it shouldn't be a problem.

Good morning

Good morning, Sorry I haven't posted in a while but there is not really much to say, or should I say I am not sure what I can and should say. :)

Now that my kids Cindy and John are out of A-School and on regular Navy bases I will be more careful of what I post. No one has told me what I can and cant post on here but because of Security I want to be careful and not put them or their shipmates in danger.

Both Cindy and John are doing well and still love the Navy and are happy. We talk to them several times a week. John is still taking pictures but without knowing what I can post I will era on the side of caution and not post most if any of them. I wish someone would tell them and me what can and can't be made public. I would like for my readers to hear and see what a positive experience it has been for both of my kids.

Cindy is in her FC-C-School in San Diego and the weather is great. She called Saturday morning and was enjoying temps in the 70s. She said that School was going well and she was very happy. We talk to John several times a week when his ship " The USS Doyle" is in port and he has been out on a few short cruises and loves it. Yesterday he did Basic Damage Control training, Petty Officer Of The Watch training, Messenger of the Watch training, and Gate Guard training. He said "Today actually has not been that bad. " John is happiest when he is busy. He might not admit that but my wife and I can tell. John told me today that he slept well last night on the ship and is in for a busy week.

That's about it for now, if someone in charge from the Navy or the Doyle wants to clue me in on what I should and should not post please feel free to contact me at kansasdad@gmail.com Thanks. :)

By the way I did read SECNAVINST 5720.47B and see stated in that document is says

"There is also no prohibition on blogs operated by individual members as private citizens. The DON recognizes the value of this communication channel in posting current information and supporting the morale of personnel, their family and friends. As long as personnel adhere to specific restrictions on content, the DON encourages the use of blogs and recognizes this free flow of information contributes to legitimate transparency of the DON to the American public whom we serve."

Watch more than 3,000 hours of television shows

Comcast has set up a site called Fancast.com where viewers can watch more than 3,000 hours of television shows from NBC, Fox, CBS and MTV and where they will soon be able to remotely program the digital video recorders in their homes. The shows on Fancast are available free. Comcast has yet to say how it will price the rest of the content as its plan moves forward.

The site is available to anyone, not just Comcast subscribers. It offers free episodes of shows like “The Practice” and “CSI,” and also helps viewers manage their entertainment choices, showing them what is on and letting them personalize their viewing.

Go over and check it out. http://www.fancast.com/home

Good morning All, Hope everyone had a good New year.

Good morning All, Hope everyone had a good New year. I have not posted in the last week because my son John was here. John got here on the 27th of December and I took him back to the Airport in Kansas City on January 3rd. It was good to see him. We didn't get to spend as much time with John as we would have liked too because he was busy with his friends but we understand. John is going to try to come back out sometime this summer before his ship the USS Doyle goes on it's long cruse. I have to tell you that the best thing was being able to give him a hug when I picked him up and dropped him off at the airport. We do miss him but are very proud of what he is doing with the Navy. John is back in Mayport Florida and I have talked to him on the phone several times since he left.

In other news my daughter Cindy, also serving in the United States Navy made it to San Diego. She is going to her FC-C School there and will be there for 6 months learning the MK-15. Cindy spent the holidays with her boyfriend Doug and his family in Indiana, Doug is also in the Navy and is now in Norfolk, Va for a while. Eventually he is going to be stationed in Japan.

Cindy called me yesterday to tell me that she is all settled in at her barracks on base and that she has a roommate that she knew from her FC-A School at Great Lakes. She said that she and the other girl went to the Commissary and bought groceries for themselves. Cindy said that they were able to get enough food for themselves to last two weeks for $75.00 and that included a Britta water Filter. I am proud of you Cindy. Cindy said that the weather was great and that she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans outside. I guess after being in Great Lakes just about anywhere would feel warm about now.

That's about all from here for now. The weather is going to be warm for the next few days with temps in the 60s so the last of the snow will melt here in South East Kansas.