Life Purpose - Saving a Friend $75.99

Sometimes I feel like my face will turn blue trying to help my friends save $75.99 (or more). That is the special sale price (two days only) at CompUSA for the low end Microsoft productivity suite. Included is a comprehensive set of writing tools that help you create and share content, a powerful presentation tool that allows you to create professional-looking presentations, a powerful tool for creating spreadsheets, and analyze and share information, and a digital notebook.

Not bad for a home user or for a student off to school.

But I have ALL those things and more on my laptop for FREE. I use Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS). Since it is usually free as in beer, there is no money spent on advertising and it is not promoted in retail stores. Part of my life's purpose is to spread the word about FLOSS.

OpenOffice.org and wikidpad have all the functionality mentioned above plus a database solution that allows you to effectively track, report and share information.

For FREE.

Help me spread the word. I don't want to be a blue man.

Billy and Beverly at Dr Banjo's Jam Camp

This photograph was taken at Dr. Banjo's Jam Camp prior to MerleFest in 2002 by a fellow jamcamper. Unfortunately I do not remember his name. If you were there and know the photograher's name, please contact me so that I can acknowledge him! Thanks!

Beverly is "honey-colored" and "sunburst" and about the prettiest, sweetest sounding Kay-Englehardt URB in the whole US of A.

Learn more about bluegrass music at the International Bluegrass Music Association website.

Viral System For Getting Twitter Followers

If you are using twitter (and who isn't these days!), you will definitely want to check out this free and viral following system.

It costs nothing ever, and even includes 3 free bonuses just for trying it. It will automatically grow your twitter followers for you once you start the system.

Its free, its viral, its fun, its cool, and it works.


http://www.twitteringfortraffic.com/whatsthegbz

Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class

(Click for an 8-minute audio overview and description of the program. - http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/aff.htm?w=wcgs&p=a1192 -)

7 Reasons I Recommend Learn To Play the Guitar
with Jean Welles' Worship Guitar Class

1. Lifelong Enjoyment.
Playing provides a creative outlet, joy, and comfort.

2. Be a Blessing to Others.
Play for and with others, with their take-anywhere instrument.

3. Worship the Lord.
"Praise Him with stringed instruments" (Psalm 150:4).

4. Experience Immediate Success.
No previous music background is necessary.

5. Learn in the Convenience of Your Own Home.
No need to spend time going out to lessons.

6. Start Anytime.
And at any age, it's never too late to start!

7. Save Money.
Save hundreds of dollars compared to private lessons.

For more information visit:
http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/aff.htm?w=wcgs&p=a1192

TweetLater - I'm at the Beach!

Of all the social media programs popping up, I have definitely found Twitter the most fun and enjoyable. Multiple accounts support my passions and my business. At times things can get a little confusing!

My favorite Twitter tool is very quickly becoming TweetLater!

TweetLater allows me to schedule tweets, track keywords, vet new followers, shorten urls with bit.ly (so I can track clicks on links), send welcome DMs and more. And it is all for FREE!

Sure there is a professional upgrade version of TweetLater which has more features. But even the free version easily saves me two or three hours a day. Every day! So I can use those hours more productively at the beach.

Check out TweetLater today! And I'll see you at the beach!

New Linux.com Community

The Linux Foundation has launched the new Linux.com website. This promises to be an exciting, growing, interactive resource for Linux in particular and for Open Source in general.

For the community, by the community!

You can join the community at Linux.com/community

Tuz Replaces Tux to Heighten Awareness of Tasmanian Devil Threat

Some major events have taken place recently that I am just now learning about.

One is that Tux, the Linux mascot, is going on a walkabout. One rumor has him working as a barber for a while. While he is gone, the new mascot will be Tuz, a Tazmanian devil.

This major change was approved (initiated?) by Linus Torvalds himself to bring attention to the plight of the Tasmanian devil.

You can learn more about the Tasmanian devil and the deadly tumors which threaten their existence at Save The Tasmanian Devil.

This is the first I was aware of communicable facial cancers.

Linux Radio Spots and Helios

Helios and the Linux Community are encouraging the use and development of radio ads (spots) for promoting Linux, specifically, and FLOSS in general. Links have been provided to some basic audio tracks which can be used under Creative Commons licensing.

Ideas and clips are being sought, as well as funding for awards for the most creative use of these tracks. Many people have still not heard of Linux so these radio spots could be their first introduction. The basic tracks are of very good quality.

More info here:
http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/search?q=radio

Philosophy of Harv's Hamshack Hack CD

Reprinted here is the philosophy of Harv's (AI9NL) Hamshack Hack

There should be hundreds ... thousands ... of CD's like this one available in the Amateur Radio community. Each and every interest group ... homebrewers to DX'ers, Antenna modelers to EmComm ... should have there own collections of software and systems. We are quickly approaching the era when the greater part of our radios will be built at the keyboard. Solder splatters on the floor and the smell of burning rosin in the air are quickly fading into memories.

LINUX is soooo Ham! You can take it apart, rebuild it, add to it, or subtract from it. You can engineer, re-engineer, or reverse-engineer the entire system. No one will say stop, but many will lend a hand to your effort. The guys we used to call "Elmer's" are now known as "gurus". They are equally knowledgeable, resourceful, and obliging. The big problem for many older hams is that these "gurus" may be only 12 years old! LINUX provides an exceptionally wide range of tools to help you complete your project. At its very roots, Linux is a sharing, co-operative, community effort ... the very basis of things "Ham".

The future of our hobby, regardless the course and meanders it eventually follows, will be bound to our computers. Your next "transceiver" may very likely be a PCI plugin card. If we greet the need to learn how to manipulate new tools as an imposition, rather than a creative opportunity, then we deserve to loose our bands to BPL ... or whatever the next outrageous corporate exploitation proposes.