Hmm, from a technological standpoint, I’d like to learn about some other distros like openSUSE.  I find myself using it more and more so it’d be nice to get more familiar with it. But let’s see how my new year’s resolutions would play out:

1. I’d like to be able to be more proficient using the Terminal.
2. Learn to use more of the apps better in Linux.
3. Start making LiveCD’s of various distros for sharing with people to get them interested in Linux.
4. Get more active in my LUG so I can help spread the word about Linux.
5. Learn to build my own computer or upgrade my older one.
6. Be of more help in sharing what knowledge I do have of Linux with others.
7. Try to experience at least 1 new or different distro a month.
8. Try to get my wife more used to working in Linux instead of Windoze. (I’d say the same for my daughter and her husband but they’re Mac lovers so that’s ok I guess)
9. Finally see what all I can run in WINE.
10. Admit that it’s ok to have a Windoze laptop. Everyone needs a paper weight!

For some reason that’s the only ones I can think of right now. Must be too tired but I know there’s bound to be more. I’m always reading the various distros’ forums, reading conversations in IRC or the mailing lists and cruising the sites of many distros for more information on the latest releases. Guess the more I get to know about Linux, the more amazed I become.

Enough about me, what are your new year’s resolutions going to be like technologically speaking? Inquiring minds would like to know!

By real estate, I mean of course, screen real estate as in monitor screen size. Let me elaborate…

I posted previously about Needing Input! for advice on a new monitor for my Lenovo H210 Desktop that I run a dual-boot setup of Fedora Core 10 and Ubuntu 8.10. I stated that I wanted to go with a 22″ monitor so that I could get multiple apps going on-screen at once (which would be better than the 19 incher I had been running for several years), plus the fact my old 19 incher was beginning to show it’s age.

Well I came across this one at Best Buy yesterday afternoon that I just simply couldn’t pass up. It was a Samsung Syncmaster T220.

Talk about real estate screen-wise? This puppy has it. More than I expected seeing as I was accustomed to a 19″ monitor for the last several years. The color reproduction is awesome too (I know color too because I’ve been in printing since 1975. Did I just tell my age?  ) None of the reported back light leaking issues are apparent either so maybe I lucked up and got one of the better models.

The controls are a bit awkward though as they’re mounted on the right side of the “frame” and mean that you must either twist the monitor to use them or get up and poke your head around to them. Either way, they’re at least out of the way of curious fingers should you have children (or in my case, grandchildren) that like to press buttons.

As soon as I turned it on after making the connections, the screen was as expected….gorgeous! The overall look of the monitor is handsome whether it’s on or off. I think I’m going to like using the Samsung T220. Lord knows, I don’t have room for anything bigger and this monitor fills the criteria of what I was looking for anyway.

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to those that stop by and wish you and yours a Happy Holiday season. For those of you that don’t celebrate this holiday, I hope you have a good day.

While we’re all sitting around looking at the screen, let’s take a minute to remember the ones who can’t be with their families this holiday season. It’s especially hard for them no matter where they are. The ones who’ve lost their homes, their jobs and much more deserve our warm wishes and thoughts too this time of year. There are many in need and those of us that still have a roof over our heads and/or a job should seriously think about helping out our brothers and sisters who have none.

Here’s wishing the very best to you this holiday season!

This is a sweet little addon for Firefox that allows you to post right to your blog without being IN your blog. All you need to do is to install the addon and configure it to post to your blog. That’s it.

Another thing I like about it so far is that you can be viewing one web page that you find interesting and click the ScribeFire icon to begin blogging about it right then and there. No leaving the original page, no going back and forth to read more information, just a nice horizontal split screen that you can view the page and the post at the same time. Just like I’m doing right now.

ScribeFire also pulls all of your catagories, entries (posts), pages and allows you to select which catagory to post to or what entry to edit. You can add pictures, video, Flikr images, YouTube videos, hyperlinks, formatting…just like in your blogging software online.

They even offer an ad service to incorporate ads into your blog if you want. I’m more into keeping mine clean of any ads but if that’s something you’re interested in doing, then they offer a way to do that too.

I’m going to give it a try and see how well I like posting from ScribeFire over logging into my site here and just save the logging in stuff for checking on updates, comments, plugins and other administrative chores.

One last thing about ScribeFire….it’s platform independent. That means you can use it on a Linux distro, a Mac or even (ugh) a Windows machine.

For a new monitor that is. I’m looking for at least a 22″ flat screen LCD that jumps out at you. In other words, great resolution, glossy screen (glare is a non-issue) no need for peripheral jacks as those are covered by the Lenovo H210 itself. Price range should be in the $200 - $250 range and manufacturer is a toss-up.

I’ve been looking online and in print and am getting more confused instead of getting a better idea of what I’m looking for. So, if any of you out there are running a 22″ flat screen LCD, please let me know what you’re using and how well you like it. Performance issues welcome too.

It will be going on my Lenovo H210 running 2 different distros of Linux with an Intel 82G33/G31 Integrated Graphics card. The CPU (if this info is needed) is an Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  E2200  @ 2.20GHz.

So, let’s hear it from those of you running a 22. I need input!

Update December 28, 2008 -

Picked up a Samsung SyncMaster T220 22″ monitor from Best Buy yesterday for around $279 + tax that looks great and no back light leaking issues either that have been reported about this monitor. This monitor looked great before I even turned it on!

I’ll post about this soon. Err, how about now?