THE PHRASE THAT PAYS

 EYE candy...Imagine the fun with that..

 Another find that happened after the 4th..

 The caption on these three read  "TIME

                                            PASSES 

                                               SO QUICKLY"     Yikes, ur yes it does...

So that didn't take long.. Last Wednesday (the fourth) when I opened the browser to my homepage (i-Google)  the notice that they would be dropping support for their homepage in fifteen months (give or take) and I started the search for the replacement, the new homepage.. Today I searched for a different browser to maybe try to have a homepage on.. Then I decided to get Chrome and that speed dial idea another try.. But knowing Chrome as I do and it has a tendency to shit the bed regularly, for me it does anyway for whatever the reason.. I decided to see if Firefox has  a speed dial type of app on it and ...  They do.. It is the same as offered by Chrome but in Chrome I used a different one (speed dial app).. On Firefox, this one has the best reviews (as it does on Chrome, why I didn't chose this one I don't know).. Once I figured out how to load the speed dials I started to.. There are things I need to do yet with it but the one thing I did do was set the FVD Speed Dial to my new homepage and it was just that quick.. I will still have i-Google homepage available but it is as a speed dial link rather than the homepage proper.. I felt this was a good idea to do.. When I started the browser up from start it started and loaded all the speed dial links instantly, no crash .. load..crash.. load   process that the browser was doing with i-Google homepage.. Very smooth operation.. Very easy.. This is what the internet should be like.. Now I have twenty plus pages to chose from at the start, including presets as my homepages ...  Fantastic.. 

BH

BANANA MONDAYS BANANAs

"I would like to share an experience with you, about drinking and driving.  As you well know, some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authorities on our way home from the odd social session over the years.
A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends at the Marriott Hotel and had a few too many beers and some rather nice red wine. Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I’ve never done before: I took a bus home.
Sure enough I passed a police road block but, as it was a bus, they waved it on.
I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise, as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got it."

"During my yearly physical examination, my doctor asked me about my physical activity level.
I described a typical day this way:
“Well, yesterday afternoon, I took a five hour walk through some pretty rough terrain.
I waded along the edge of a lake.
I pushed my way through brambles.
I got sand in my shoes and my eyes.
I climbed several rocky hills.
I took a few ‘leaks’ behind some big trees.
The mental stress of it all left me shattered.
At the end of it all I drank a bottle of wine”.
Inspired by the story, the doctor said, “You must be one hell of an outdoors person!”
 “No,” I replied, “I’m just a terrible golfer”. "

 Found this last one a bit late for the forth.. 

Saturday afternoon after setting three separate entries  for the start of the week I was doing some Google Earth stuff, mostly I was retracing the trip back from Silverton that year we went through Steamboat Springs.. That was such a cool trip and I was trying to look at it.. The place where I took the picture that I doctored and then used as the main picture for Facebook and Twitter and... It was taken somewhere along that leg of the trip, and I was sure I could find it.. Then the computer acted up a bit as computers do.. It locked up and out of my frustration I pushed the main power button on the tower.. You're supposedly supposed to be able to do this on a laptop and as well the tower of a desk top computer without any troubles.. I pushed the button and it goes off.. Turned it back on and went to get a drink of water.. Returned and it was showing the windows logo, and stayed there for quite some time without moving.. Then with some coxing it moved to the log on screen.. I log in and push enter and we get the desk top screen I push to start the browser and it goes mashooga on me..

It went "blue screen of death"  type of thing.. I know that sometimes this is serious but it usually goes to restart.. It did and I chose to start in safe mode, and as it started this way it seemed to lock up this way as well.. So again I turn it off, and this time when it started it went to a repair screen I had never seen before.  UHH  OHH..  What does this mean??  It went to a start up screen that would run a repair and diagnostics program.. It will fix itself??  Can it do that?? The answer as it turns out is yes it can.. After a half an hour of worry it seemed to fix itself and seems to be working better than it was.. 

That's the good news, now the bad.. And I was expecting this.. I can't say how disappointed I am when this happened, but not surprised..  After the repair the computer did on itself  Chrome browser took it in the shorts.. I clicked to start it and it brought itself open to the page it should have but it was clear, white.. And nothing I could do would fix it.. I opened the options screen and shut down what I thought the problem was and it worked.. Chrome works but in losing the "app" (the speed dial app) I lost the reason I wanted the browser.. I will try it again but not only have I lost that app, but all confidence has been lost in the Chrome browser and it lost the default distinction and has also been removed from the tool bar position..  The most used programs are all pinned down there so I don't have to look through the desktop to find them...Opera has reacquired the default status..  I have no problem using different browsers for different things 

 Played Scrabble before signing off Saturday night and lost by seven.. I missed a turn when time ran out on me once.. Had I scored any points I would most likely have won.. The next time I played I won..  A new strategy I have developed playing the veteran level is to pass the opening turn, make the computer start the game.. It is easier to win this way on this level.. 
  
BH

HUMBLE STANCE

Saga is a Progressive rock quintet, formed in Oakville Ontario Canada. Bassist-keyboardist Jim Crichton and Welsh-born vocalist Michael Sadler have been the principal songwriters for Saga. Ian Crichton is the band's guitarist. Apart from his work with Saga, he has recorded several solo albums as well as sessions with Asia. The band's keyboardist, Jim "Daryl" Gilmour, replaced Greg Chadd in 1980 (Chadd replaced original member Peter Rochon after the first album). After the 2003 Marathon tour, Steve Negus announced his retirement as Saga's original drummer. Christian Simpson, a Canadian-American, replaced Negus for 2004's Network album, until sidelined by a neurological condition that affected his drumming. In late 2005, former Helix member Brian Doerner became Saga's third drummer in as many years. In 2007, lead singer Michael Sadler announced his retirement, and after a long talent search, the band members announced their new singer, Rob Moratti, formerly of Final Frontiers. Rob is equipped with a voice that will appeal to Saga's fan base. His presence and range fit perfectly with Saga's classic sound.

Originally known as The Pockets, Saga formed in 1977 from the nucleus of popular Canadian rock band Fludd. In June 1978, they released their self-titled debut album. A modest success in Canada, it would eventually sell over 30,000 copies in Germany as an import. Their 1979 follow-up album Images at Twilight gave them their first hit in Canada with the lead single It's Time peaking at #84 in the Canadian Charts. A third album Silent Knight followed in 1980.

In 1981, the band's 4th album Worlds Apart was released. The lead single Wind Him Up, a song about a compulsive gambler, finally broke them into the Top 40, peaking at #22 on the Canadian Charts in January of 1982. A second single On the Loose also fared well, and in December of 1982, proved to be their breakthrough in America where it peaked at #26 on the Billboard Charts. Wind Him Up became the second single in America, and peaked at #64 on Billboard in April of 1983.

A 5th album Heads or Tales was released in late 1983 and became another success. The lead single The Flyer fared well in Canada and also became their final U.S. hit, peaking at #79 on Billboard in November of 1983. A follow-up single Scratching the Surface was popular in Canada, peaking at #45 in April of 1984.

Their 6th album Behaviour was released in 1985, and launched hits in Canada with Listen to Your Heart and What Do I Know.

In 1986, Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour left Saga amicably, recording one album as the Gilmour-Negus Project (GNP). Meanwhile, Saga continued with Michael Sadler and the Crichton brothers augmented by session musicians.

Their 1987 release Wildest Dreams enjoyed better distribution under new label, Atlantic Records, but it failed to match expectations in America. The lead single Only Time Will Tell became a popular Chart favourite in Canada

For 1989's The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes, Saga refocused on their earlier European popularity which marked a return to their earlier Progressive style. In 1993, Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour returned to Saga. The band's next album, The Security of Illusion, was well received by Saga fans in Canada and Europe. The 1994 followup, Steel Umbrellas, was considered uneven when compared to their previous release, perhaps due the material originally being produced for the short-lived television series Cobra. However, despite lackluster album sales, Saga's 1993 and 1994 tours helped maintain some of the band's early popularity their reputation as live performers was not lost among the band's long time fans.

n 1995, Jim Crichton composed and produced the majority of Saga's next album, the conceptual Generation 13. Inspired by a popular political treatise by the same name, the story follows main character Jeremy's troubled search for his real father. The concept is somewhat reminiscent of the storyline in The Who's Quadrophenia. The album's heavier compositions have a sound similar to fellow Canadians, Prog legends Rush and even early Kansas. Michael Sadler's vocal performances on the more softer tracks were another album highlight. Saga's next release, Pleasure and the Pain was released on the eve of their 20th anniversary tour in 1997. The album failed to maintain the interest created by the previous release. On the same anniversary tour the album Phase 1 was released. Phase 1 was an album containing demo songs from the 1979 album Images at Twilight - some of them were songs found not good enough for the album, some of them were different version songs. The album quickly sold out and a second issue was printed. The album was hard to get and it soon became a most wanted item for Saga collectors and fans.

Their 1998 tour was captured on the next album, Detours, a double-live album released worldwide. Saga's next three albums, 1999's Full Circle, 2001's House of Cards and Marathon released in 2003 have been all been popular with the band's longtime and loyal fanbase. House of Cards, in particular enjoyed renewed interest. Its acoustic-flavored single, Money Talks received Top 5 video airplay in Canada. All three albums included new chapters, representing a return to the progressive rock of the band's early days. Saga released a new studio album, Network, in the fall of 2004. Their next album, Trust, was released in 2006, featuring Brian Doerner as their new drummer. Doerner made his debut on a live Canadian television Broadcast in late 2005.

Even though Jim Crichton and Michael Sadler both lived in Los Angeles, they had not committed Saga to any full-length American tours since 1986. However, in late 2005, Michael Sadler announced a limited tour on the West Coast to promote his solo album, Clear. The trek featured Ian Crichton as touring guitarist. Saga also played one show in New York City during their summer 2006 tour in support of Trust.
The group just finished recording their new album entitled The Human Condition to be released in April featuring Rob Moratti on vocals.

BH