Appreciation

This section is a list of the people/entities that I appreciate - without whom this web would be incomplete.
We all have our heroes - things or people we admire, look up too. I'm no exception there. The only thing "a little" different may be my perception. I don't limit my heroes to those that the majority of the world considers "real". Some of my greatest teachers are non physical and this is where I express my appreciation for them as well. It can also be a web resource for you. I'll include as many links/stories as I can remember. Lets start with the College of the Siskiyous in Weed. When I first moved up north they were lots of help to me. I took adaptive PE - started exercising, learned to walk again - without crutches, etc. They were also responsible for my introduction to the computer and the Internet. I spent many long hours surfing the web at the college. Back then it was painfully slow too. The students today have lightening speeds - I still go there occasionally when I need to download a huge file or something. When my Internet connection at home goes down, they are the fastest connection withing10 miles. Next on my accamdemic gratitude list is The University of Phoenix. Where I live there are no Universities within 70 miles. I had a choice - go north to Southern Oregon University, or South to Chico State. I wanted to stay in Weed with my parents, so those options were out for me. The University of Phoenix allowed me to work from home in my spare time (I worked part time) and also finish my degree in 3 years instead of the customary 4. I took all the classes applicable to my degree that were available at COS. That left my spare time non exsistant for about 3 years. I won't say that I learned so much from them, but they did leave me with a can do attitude that'll last a lifetime - and a huge student loan. I hope paying that off doesn't last a lifetime. Both colleges had teachers that were special - outstanding in their fields, and both colleges had teachers that were not so inspirational - just putting in their time until retirement. I've pretty much made up my mind never to retire. Never stop learning/growing.


Google

Next on my appreciation list are the Internet companies that have been my friend for years. One of my favorite Internet companies is Google. You might even say I'm a googleholic. The mojority of people use less than 3% of google's capabilties. Sure google is good at finding what you're looking for on the web, but did you know it can also help you with your math homework? Yes indeed - if you want to know 2+2 of 2 squared or 2 to the 10th power, google can solve that in heartbeat. I travel around a lot helping people on their own computers. Google calendar keeps track of my appointments and emails me when one is comming up. It also sends a txt message to my cell phone. Google maps helps me find my way, and street view even shows me a picture of the house I'm looking for. They also have google docs, spreadsheets, and presentation. With the Internet infastructure improving it won't be that long before personal computers are a thing of the past. All of your work will be online - easily accessable from anything conected to the web. That includes netbooks, and smart phones. Google has it's hands in both.


ubuntu

History and development process

Ubuntu is a fork of the Debian project's codebase. The original aim of the Ubuntu team was to create an easy-to-use (freedom for users rather than freedom for programmers) Linux desktop with new releases scheduled on a predictable six-month basis, resulting in a more frequently updated system.[13][14]

Ubuntu's first release was on 20 October 2004. Since then, Canonical has released new versions of Ubuntu every six months[15] with commitment to support each release for eighteen months by providing security fixes, patches to critical bugs and minor updates to programs. It was decided that every fourth release, issued on a two-year basis, would receive long-term support (LTS).[13] LTS releases are supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server.[15]

The latest LTS release is Ubuntu Precise Pangolin,released on 26, April 2012.

Ubuntu packages are based on packages from Debian's unstable branch: both distributions use Debian's deb package format and package management tools (APT andSynaptic). Debian and Ubuntu packages are not necessarily binary compatible with each other, however, and sometimes .deb packages may need to be rebuilt from sourceto be used in Ubuntu.[16] Many Ubuntu developers are also maintainers of key packages within Debian. Ubuntu cooperates with Debian by pushing changes back to Debian,[17] although there has been criticism that this does not happen often enough. In the past, Ian Murdock, the founder of Debian, has expressed concern about Ubuntu packages potentially diverging too far from Debian to remain compatible.[18] Before release, packages are imported from Debian Unstable continuously and merged with Ubuntu-specific modifications. A month before release, imports are frozen, and packagers then work to ensure that the frozen features interoperate well together.

Ubuntu is currently funded by Canonical Ltd. On 8 July 2005, Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical Ltd. announced the creation of the Ubuntu Foundation and provided an initial funding of US$10 million. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure the support and development for all future versions of Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth describes the foundation as an "emergency fund" (in case Canonical's involvement ends).[19]

On 12 March 2009, Ubuntu announced developer support for 3rd party cloud management platforms, such as for those used at Amazon EC2.[20




Highslide JS
Highslide JS is an image, media and gallery viewer written in JavaScript. You see all these links on my web that you click on and a little window pops up containing either an html page or perhaps a YouTube video? That idea comes from a company in Norway called Highslide JS. They obviously spent a lot of time writing all those clever java scripts. They're easy to impliment, imune to popup blockers, and just plain tidy coding that is complient with W3C standards. I do thank them for improving my web page. Clever coders are hard to come by, but I found them with the help of my friend Google. Thanks Highslide!

 

Abraham
Abraham is a group of non physical entities that has come forth through Either Hicks as she translates Abraham's infinant wisdom using her own vocabulary.She and husband Jerry have been traveling the world with Abraham for over two decades. The best selling book "The Secret" was based on the teacings of Abraham. Here is a daily quote from their web. Daily Quote

A Course in Miracles

From Wikipedia - A Course in Miracles (also referred to as ACIM or the Course) is a self-study curriculum (spiritual in nature) that sets forth an absolute non-dualistic metaphysics yet integrates (its definition of the principle of) forgiveness emphasizing its practical application in daily living. When I first started studying the course they had volunteer internet cops scouring the web to make sure no one was violating their "copyright" These days that has gone by the way side and you can access it online by clicking the link above.


Ramtha
Back in the '80s I read Ramtha's white book and it resonated with me - it somehow felt "right". So from then on I added him to my list of non-physical mentors. I even went up to the ranch in Yelm Washington and spent a week on a beginners retreat. I won't tell you everything I learned in that week, but I will say it changed my perspective on life. You could even say I came away with my batteries recharged. A few years back two woman moved up to Yelm and started a Web radio station called KRSE http://www.beyondtheordinary.net They not only broadcast Ramtha recordings regularly, but they have regular guests that are outstanding in their fields. They may be authors, artists, doctors, etc. They have a great website with truckloads of info available 24-7. I'm especially gratefull to Nancy and Elena for their hard work. Just click on the image and visit. You'll be glad you did.

BTO


Services

  • Setup a new computer/printer
    One of my favorite tasks is setting up a new computer and or printer. The first thing I usually do once it is all put together is remove all the trial software and what I call crapware. Then I update everything. Depending on how long a computer has been sitting on the store shelf the operating system could need a lot of updating. I'm an Open Source software advocate, so when I point out all the free software available most people are more than willing to ditch their proprietary software for a free alternative.
  • Software help - In English
    If you've ever called tech support with a simple question and waited on hold for an hour before someone on the other side of the globe picks up the line you'll apprieciate this service. They may or may not speak good English, they may or may not be able to explain/solve your problem. I've been doing this for over 20 years and I pride myself on my patience and my ability to explain something in simple English. Einstein once said: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. I'll sit down with you and you will understand it! I teach old dogs new tricks.
  • Develope/Publish your Website
    I made my first Website in '93 when Netscape first came on the scene. I used a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) web editor. It didn't take me long to learn that WYSIWYG html editors had more weakness's than strong points. I started learning html, java script, and later Flash and CSS. Today I only manage a few websites, but I'm constantly adding new tools to my repertoire. I confess to being a hard core google-holic, and if I don't know how to do what you ask, my friend google does. I enjoy working with clients and let them contribute in the making of their web, as much, or as little as they wish.
  • Computer Tune ups
    Over time a computer can become slow and increasingly unreliable. Malware, virus's, registry errors, etc. can contribute. Don't be suckered into buying the latest magic bullet piece of software to speed up your computer. It won't work and you'll wast your money.I'll sit down with you and your computer, explain the available options, and get your computer running as good as it will run. No magic software can do that!
  • Transfer files and settings
    You've just bought a new computer, but you have years of documents, pictures, and custom settings on your old computer. Don't worry! I can move all your data and settings to your new computer. I can even make it look a lot like your old computer, if that's your wish. That's what I do!
  • Answer all your tech questions
    I'm a learning animal and a die hard google-holic! I've been in love with technology for 20+ years. If I don't know the answer to your question, I know how to find it. There's an old saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day - teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." If you wish, I'll teach you to fish. If you just want answers - I have them!

Contact Information

10 E South Stage rd.
Medford, OR 97501
Phone: 1(530) 925-4813 (cell)
Skype: mikeinweed
E-mail: