Sunday, January 18, 2009

Hot & Refreshing

I have never been one to drink alcoholic beverages, not because of any moral aversion, but merely because I never cultivated a taste for them. One thing I do like though, is a plain, spicy Bloody Mary mix, sans booze. The problem is that the mix contains the evil high-fructose corn syrup that is making us all fat. There is no need to have that ingredient, and I don't know why they put it in. So here is what I do.

Take a tall glass and drop in a few ice cubes. Then take a bottle of Frank's Red Hot cayenne pepper sauce (preferably the XTRA HOT variety) and give about 6-to-8 shakes into the glass. Then pour in the V-8 vegetable juice and stir. If you like, give a couple of shakes of salt and add a the juice of a lemon slice. That is some good refreshment that gives your taste buds a real tingle as well. Plus, it is very healthy and good for you.

I love it! As you can see from the photos, I have already partaken from these containers, both of which were opened brand new just last night. MMMMmmmmm!!

Linux Broadcasts

As a big proponent of the GNU/Linux operating system, I thought I would recommend a few broadcasts you can listen to on the Internet that deal with this great alternative to Microsoft Windows. This is a good way to listen and learn about how to use Linux and the benefits you can derive from it.

The Gutsy Geeks (originally PC Chat) airs on KXAM, AM 1310 in Phoenix, and worldwide via the Internet. You can listen live, or listen to the podcast of the show on demand. The other show, Going Linux, is strictly a podcast. It includes show notes available for each program on their website, and covers a wide variety of topics related to Linux. Then there's the Linux Basement, which currently has 34 installments under its belt.

There's also a new one that I intend to check out, Linux Geekdom. They are just getting started, so I will be downloading and listening soon.

With all the issues with Windows Vista, Linux is a valuable (and free) upgrade for your PC. My Gateway MT-3705 laptop was slow as molasses in Alaska when Vista was installed. By replacing it with Linux, it boots quickly, responds quickly, and does everything I need it to do with speed and finesse. I also have found that the Gnome desktop environment is much faster than KDE. While I like both, I am finding that Gnome is much more responsive. I am still using the PCLinuxOS distribution and find that it is meeting my needs very well.