Michael Louis Scott June 1997 to Date

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 7:30 A.M.:  I went to http://www.smokemcheapcigarettes.com/ , and I order seven cartons of Seneca Ultra Lights 100 box cigarettes for $11 a carton plus $1.20 a carton Priority U.S. Mail shipping for $85.40 total.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 7:15 A.M.:  I left a telephone message with a friend whom might be coming down to visit this afternoon.  I watched some television.  I went outside, and it seems to have quit raining for now.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 6:20 A.M.: Greenwich Time - Guard steps up rail security and Greenwich Time - State, town tighten security increased security is being detailed in this area as a result of the Orange Alert in nearby Manhattan from DHS Department of Homeland Security DHS Home Page, so the general public should try to stay vigilant and alert.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 6:15 A.M.:  The relative visiting Campobello, Maine visited Canada during the trip and told me there is a bridge across the Bay of Fundy going into Canada.  I recall that the Bay of Fundy has fifty foot ocean tides, so one should be careful, if one is thinking about going clamming there.  The local weather is cooler here in Greenwich, Connecticut http://www.w3.weather.com/weather/local/06830 down into the mid 50s Fahrenheit at night.  I suppose with four volcanoes having gone up in Indonesia in the past five weeks and one expected to go off 80 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska, they might be making the weather in the north country cooler.  I suspect with the cooler summer this summer, we might be in for a colder winter this upcoming winter will mean we will have more expensive heating bills.  It is currently 63 degrees Fahrenheit this morning at 6 A.M. in Greenwich, Connecticut.  My August bill for Connecticut Light and Power http://www.cl-p.com/ is not posted yet, but I have a surplus in my electricity account from the NEON Energy assistance program.  They July bill usage was about $95.  Of course using my energy assistance to stay cool in the summer, when I actually might need it more during the cold winter is a decision that I have made, since computer equipment generally needs to be kept cooler.  CIO       

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 5:35 A.M.:  I ran Ad-aware 6.0.  I just remembered that one is suppose to clean one's air conditioner filter once a month.  I had not cleaned it since this past mid April.  I removed the front grate, and I cleaned it with my potato brush and soapy water.  Beside the filter that came with the General Electric Profile 15,500 BTU air conditioner with remote control, I have a standard foam air conditioner filter draped over the original.  I cleaned both of the filters in soapy hot water, and I rinsed them underneath cold water and I squeezed out the water from the foam filter.  I then reinstalled the filters and the front grate.  I spread the foam filter over the front of the original filter, and then I make sure it is stretched to fit, and then I secure its edges by reinstalling the original filter underneath.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 5:00 A.M.:  I went to www.georgewbush.com/contribute/ , and I donated $5.  I printed out a receipt.  There is something wrong at the donation site, because it was difficult to print out the receipt page, which did not want to be printed out, but I finally go it to print out.  CIO  

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 4:25 A.M.:  The General Electric Service contract web site started working www.GEAppliances.com/spp , so I paid my Service Contract on my General Electric Profile 15,500 BTU air conditioner with remote control for the next billing period from September 12, 2004 through September 12, 2005, and of course it was already paid up through September 12, 2004 before I made this payment.  I printed out four copies of the receipt.  I paid for it with my Bank of New York MasterCard Debit card.  The cost was $75.95 plus $4.56 tax for $80.05.  Well, I now do not have to worry about the air conditioner until September 12, 2005.  It a in home service contract, so if anything goes wrong, all I have to do is call them.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/05/04  Thursday 4:10 A.M.:  I went to bed after the last message.  I had a telephone call from my Thursday 3 P.M. appointment telling me it is cancelled for the next two weeks because of vacation.  I had a telephone call from a relative on vacation in Campobello, Maine.  Later on I chatted with another friend whom might be coming down to visit this afternoon.  I was up at 2 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went outside, and it is raining lightly.  I checked my mail from yesterday, and I received the Service Contract Bill from  General Electric Service Protection Plus out in South Dakota at 1-800-626-2224 www.GEAppliances.com/spp , and it is less than quoted on the telephone earlier this week.  It is $75.95.  I could pay it over the internet, but currently their payment web site does not work or with personal check, but I generally pay large purchases with U.S. Postal Money orders, so I will go to the bank and the post office this morning to pay the payment on the air conditioner service contract.  They offer a similar air conditioner today, but it does not come with Remote Control, but it is less expensive.  When I bought my air conditioner for $585 plus tax from Partridge and Rockwell, the box and instructions said 15,500 BTU, but on the side of the air conditioner chassis, it says 14,000 BTU.  I can not figure out why GE does not offer it with the remote control anymore.  I think the Panasonic model comes with a remote control.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 12:45 P.M.:  Well, I went outside briefly.  I ate half a 12 ounce jar of Stop and Shop dry roasted peanuts with some iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  Life on the night side of Greenwich is not as exciting as life on the day side.  I suppose all of the nine to five office types are strutting their stuff during vacation, but I also suppose since they have homes to maintain, they are probably doing a little bit of maintenance themselves while the weather is warmer.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 11:50 A.M.:  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I put a tin of chopped sardines in the salad instead of tuna fish.  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Heluva A Good Muenster cheese.  I used all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I watched some television.  I am just ending my day, so I do not plan to go downtown.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 9:50 A.M.:  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I ran Norton Disk Doctor.  I then ran Norton Speed Disk.  I then went outside briefly while Norton Speed Disk was running.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 9:05 A.M.:  I tested the sound card sound system with the Andrea Electronics headset and computer speakers, and it did not work at first, and then I got the blue screen error.  I then rebooted, and there was no problem with reboot, but for the Creative Live MP3+ card in Sounds and Audio devices, it installed a D version of the SB Live! Sw Synth driver, however the Andrea Electronics microphone headset works just fine as do the computer speaker setup and the Panasonic headset.  I then returned the setting back to the Plantronics headset, and it works just fine too.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 8:30 A.M.:  I shut down the computer.  I then traced the input wire from the Stereo System to the computer.  Basically it is large jack plug not connected to the front stereo headphone output jack hanging on the left side of the Queen Anne chair beneath the stereo system.  It can be plugged into one of the double terminal jack plugs which now hold the plugs for the Emerson wireless headphones and the Stereo headphones that are hung from the living room desk.  I connected that wire where it connects behind the living room desk, and then again beneath the laser printer table, and the final end is connected into a Y adaptor that also contains the Andrea Electronics microphone which Y adaptor is plugged into the sound card microphone jack, since the sound card does not have an input jack.  When I rebooted, the system recognized a new Media Control Device in the Sound setting of Device Manager.  In the Audio setting for Sounds and Audio Devices, there is a new sound setting of SB Live! Synth [FF80] which sounds just fine with Plantronics headset instead of the Microsoft device setting.  Since it installed itself that way automatically, I assume that is the preferred setting.  I did not test the stereo to sound card input, but I assume it works if plugged into the stereo output jack on the front of the stereo as mentioned before.  However, when the Andrea Electronics microphone is plugged into a Y adaptor, it tends to have a weak signal.  As I recall the stereo input this way works fine though.  I also have another headphone set hanging on the left side of the Queen Anne chair that can be connected to the stereo system headphone output jacks.  Since both stereo input and output cables to the computer sound card are currently disconnected, it does not pose a risk to the computer ground fault setup should the stereo system have an electrical surge.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 7:15 A.M.:  In the Sounds and Audio devices settings, I turned off the Windows XP sounds, so the system sounds will not interfere with the online audio sounds.  Since I mostly used the Plantronics DSP 500 headset, I changed the audio settings from 4 speakers to headset.  If I enabled the Creative Live MP3+ sound card, I would also want to enable the 4 speaker setting for my computer speakers.  I technically could do this since my neighbor downstairs below the flat roof moved to another apartment, so that apartment downstairs is temporarily vacant.  However, at night I might disturb my neighbor directly downstairs too, but that apartment has the bedroom beneath my bedroom, and my adjacent neighbors on my floor next to my computer setup corner which is next to their living room corner, so they would probably not notice it at night.  However, in the daytime, they might hear the speakers.  Thus although I have ten computer speakers set up on my primary computer system, I never use them.  I also have three speakers on the Dell backup computer and a pair of speakers on the AMD backup computer.  I also have 15 speakers in the apartment connected to my stereo system, but I do not use them much since I might disturb my neighbor on the other side.  I also have the Emerson wireless headphones connected to the stereo system.  I also have a Panasonic headset connected to the Creative Live MP3+ sound card which would work off the sound card if the computer speakers are turned off.  It also has the Andrea Electronics headset connected to it.  I also have a regular set of headphones connected to my stereo system which I have hung underneath the living room desk.  I can also connect the output from Creative Live MP3+ sound card by connecting the cable hanging on the orange mirror to the right of the primary computer which is connected to my stereo input to play computer sound into the stereo system.  I think I have a cable setup to input sound from the stereo system into the sound card, but I think it is currently disconnected and lost in all the cables around the computer system.  I also have audio output from the sound card to input into the Orion television when one uses it as a third computer monitor for viewing internet video.  Thus I have a wired multimedia system which I hardly ever use, so I will not disturb my neighbors.  I basically spend so much tweaking the system, I hardly ever use its other multimedia capabilities.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 6:40 A.M.:  I went outside briefly.  When one subscribes to Optimum Online cable modem service, one gets the Rhapsody music service for free.  I tried using it, but it kept counching out.  I finally changed my Plantronics DSP500 USB headset from the D-Link powered hub which runs off the USB PCI card but is separately powered, and I changed it to one of the front two CPU USB 2.0 ports, and it was recognized plug and play, and at least with Rhapsody it is all working just fine, and it is not counching out.  I am listening to 50s Rock.  I suppose the D-Link hub powering the cable modem USB connection, and the D-Link LAN USB connector was getting too much through put.  Anyway it is working just fine with the Plantronics DSP 500 headset plugged into one of the front USB 2.0 ports.  I could buy a USB 2.0 PCI card to replace the USB 1.0 PCI card in the computer, but I think the Plantronics DSP 500 headset is the only device that works better with USB 2.0, but it is not persay a USB 2.0 device.  I guess that would mean that Net2Phone with the same headset would work better too.  I unplugged the four port USB device with the longer cable from the left rear of the Sony monitor, and I plugged it into the vacant port on the D-Link USB hub with LAN.  I placed the four port hub with the longer cable on the lower right side front of the Sony Monitor.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 4:45 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 4:30 A.M.:  Reality hits home that the Country is at war Wired News: The Danger of the Dead .  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 3:50 A.M.:  I finished backing up the C: drive to the D: drive in seven parts.  The computer system is running just fine, but with so many people away on vacation this time of the year, there is not as much internet content to look at.  It seems hurricane Alex is passing up a vacation in Bermuda and instead planning to visit England and France Hurricane Alex five day tracking map .  CIO

Note: <888> 08/04/04  Wednesday 2:40 A.M.:  I went to bed after the last message.  I chatted with a relative about 9 P.M..  I got up at 1:00 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  Since I was able to make major system changes two nights ago, I will now do another C: drive to D: drive backup in 7 parts.  I will first do a System Restore Backup, and then I will run Disk Cleanup on the C: drive.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 6:05 P.M.:  Well, I am a little bit tired, so I will shut down the electronic abacus, and I will go to bed soon.  I suppose I will be up early in the morning.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 5:40 P.M.:  If one wants to find one's way around Cody, Montana/Wyoming, this link might be helpful Cody, Montana/Wyoming - Medium-Scale Topographic Map .  Of course, I saw that movie where in the end, the guy got eaten by a giant grizzly bear, so I guess I will stay here an watch Yogi Bear or Smokey the Bear.  It would seem to me, we use to have a local here for a good part of the year that drove a brown GMC sport utility vehicle with Wyoming license plates, so maybe that individual would know more.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 5:30 P.M.:  I watched some summer reruns on television.  They seem to be pretty much the same reruns we had last summer.  I noticed recently that Warren Buffet's wife whom died recently was summering in Cody, Montana.  Someone I once met whom is in the railroad business also lives in Cody, Montana, and Buffalo Bill was also from Cody, Montana.  I recall Jimmy Buffet was also from Montana.  I use to tell people if they ever had to hide out in the United States of America, they could go to Truck Stops of America in Montana, which I believe is somewhere in the middle of Montana on Interstate 90.  They then could venture out a day or two in different directions, and be truly lost in the great open spaces of America.  Of course some people whom prefer their creature comforts just visit Canada, where the Canadian dollar is less expensive than the U.S. dollar.  Of course the United States of America under increased terrorism watch is watching its borders more closely.  I suppose by now people are at their summer destinations.  Whatever the case pretty soon it will be cooler again, so one should use the warmer weather to get ready for the colder weather.  Since some of us stay here on a full time basis, we have a different perspective of our local community than the summer visitors have.  Basically from what I know the town of Greenwich remains pretty much the same as it always is for this time of year.  I have noticed the people around recently seem a little bit heavier, but since I put on a bit of weight in the last 12 years sitting at the computer, I suppose other people have too.  Maybe the older more sedentary people are simply more visible during the warmer weather.  CIO 

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 3:10 P.M.:  I ate about half of a 12 ounce jar of Stop and Shop dry roasted peanuts with some iced tea.  I went outside, and I chatted with a few neighbors.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 1:35 P.M.:  I picked up my mail.  I got a subscription offer from Newsweek magazine for the Newsweek Professional Network for $25 a year, but since I do not have the time to read Newsweek, I will not subscribe.  I have a good friend whom seems to have time to read Newsweek, but at the moment he is cruising with his family from New York to Bermuda through Hurricane Alex www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm , so lets hope Queen Victoria's daughter's relatives in Bermuda will offer him the usual British Security, which he is usually entitled too.  However, I think he is from a United States Navy family as well as a Great Britain family, so I would imagine he would know more about Bermuda customs that I do.  I once sailed with the same friend from Piraeus the port of Athens, Greece to Crete on an overnight voyage through rough seas in the Mediterranean, but the 20 foot waves we experience then might be surpassed by the hurricane waves now, but from the reports that I have read, it is not too intense of a hurricane.  If he had a problem, he could always call me up, and I could check with some local U.S. Navy people if they could help out.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 12:15 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I sat out for a while.  I walked from my usual parking area up Greenwich Avenue to the Greenwich Hardware store.  I looked for the shorter three inch 25 watt tubular bulbs, but they only carry the four inch ones.  I then used the bathroom at Starbucks, and I sat out for a while.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two quart jars of Stop and Shop strawberry jam for $2.99 each, four 16.5 ounce bottles of Monari balsamic vinegar for $2.50 each, ten 6 ounce cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna fish for a $1 each, four 8 ounce bars of Heluva A Good Muenster cheese for $1.99 each, a 28 can of Goya chick peas for $1.29, four 6.5 ounce dry weight cans of California black pitted medium olives for .99 each can, four 3 ounce cans of Stop and Shop grated parmesan cheese for .99 each, and four 3 ounce cans of Stop and Shop grated parmesan and Romano cheese for .99 each, and two 96 ounce containers of Tropicana low acid orange juice for $2.99 each for $53.09 total.  I then returned home, and I put away my groceries, and I drank some iced tea.  I always rotate my stock, when I buy new items, so the older items are at the front of the shelf.  I next went to the Vitamin Shoppe at the Port Chester, New York A&P shopping center, and I bought 100 capsules of E-400 with EPA and DHA for $13.17,two jars of 100 capsules of Niacinamide 500 mg. for $4.77 each, a jar of 100 capsules of deodorized garlic 500 for $5.37, a jar of 100 tablets of one daily no iron multivitamins with lutein and lycopene for $13.17, and a jar of 100 capsules of B-Complex 100 for $9.47 less a $10 off coupon for a purchase over $50 for $45.49 total.  I then parked at the Food Emporium in Greenwich, and I walked next door to the Fashion Light Center which is hard to park at, and I bought three Bulbrite 25 watt medium base torpedo frosted bulbs long life 2500 hours for $1.35 each plus .24 tax for $4.29 total.  I then went to the Food Emporium, and I bought two 13.5 ounce Lean Cuisine Chicken Florentine dinners for $2.39 each, and a Chicken with mushrooms and a Chicken Fettuccini dinner each for $2.39 each for $9.56 total.  I then returned home, and I put away my groceries.  I drank some iced tea.  I put two of the 25 watt frosted Torpedo bulbs in my picture light that hangs above the print copy of Rembrandt's Polish Rider, the original which hangs in the Frick Museum in New York.  The torpedo bulbs are cheaper than the tubular bulbs and they last longer.  In metal fixtures, one does not put in two great of a wattage, because it can cause the fixture to overheat.  I put the remaining torpedo bulb and the good remaining tubular bulb from the picture light in my light bulb drawer in the mahogany bureau in the bedroom.  CIO 

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 7:00 A.M.:  I ran RegClean and Norton Win Doctor.  I made and ate my usual salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  For the cheddar cheese portion, I used Stop and Shop Swiss cheese.  I used all of the regular ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I will now go back out, and after a while downtown, I will do some grocery shopping at the Stop and Shop.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 5:25 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Valley Road post office, and I mailed the payments on my Cablevision, Optimum Online, and Verizon bills.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue including the train station area, and I sat out at various locations.  I next drove down by the waterfront, and one of the regular fishermen were there.  I then drove over to CVS at the Riverside Shopping Plaza, and I bought two 16.9 ounce spray bottles of Febreze spray fabric deodorizer for $1.99 each, two 20 ounce jars of Planters Dry Roasted peanuts for $1.99, two 11.5 ounce Kraft Pasta Anytime alfredo dinners for $1.99, a 16 ounce spray bottle of Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer orchard garden scent for $2.99, a 100 yards of CVS mint waxed dental floss for $1.99, four 4 packs of Duracell coppertop AAA batteries for $1.99 a four pack, a 72 tablet bottle of Tums Maximum Strength Ultra assorted fruit tablets for $2.99 plus $1.02 tax for $28.89 total.  I then went by the Food Emporium, but their computers for the Food Stamp card were not working, so I did not buy anything.  I chatted a bit about technology with the night stock clerk.  I then returned home.  I sprayed some of the Febreze spray fabric deodorizer on my sofas and other furniture fabrics in the apartment.  I drank some iced tea.  When I first booted the computer, a device driver gave the computer the blue screen of death which normally never happens.  When I rebooted the second time, the system recovered and is running normally.  I will go out later this morning for some grocery shopping after 7 A.M..  CIO  

Note: <888> 08/03/04  Tuesday 1:15 A.M.:  I ate a dozen triscuts with iced tea before going to bed.  I was up at 11:30 P.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I made out checks to pay my Verizon, Cablevision, and Optimum Online bills, and I have them ready to mail.  I will now clean up, and I will go out for a walk and other errands.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/02/04  Monday 1:40 P.M.:  I went outside briefly, and I chatted with a neighbor.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 08/02/04  Monday 1:25 P.M.:  Microsoft Money Central http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/home.asp has updated their portfolio tracking program.  My Kensington cordless wheel mouse which came with Kensington cordless keyboard just froze.  I replaced the two AAA batteries with Energizer AAA batteries, and it is working just fine now.  I do not use the Microsoft Intelipoint mouse driver which works with it giving other options because I think it is more responsive with the PS/2 mouse driver.  However, I can not check the battery level until it runs out.  There is nothing wrong with the Microsoft Intelipoint driver, but if one gets the options wrong, it can mess up.  I could use the Kensington Mouse driver, which I quit using because it did not wake the computer up from Standby, but since Standby does not work, that option is not relevant at the moment.  I was thinking of shutting down, but I will try to stay up for a while to get on more of a daytime schedule.  CIO