Thursday night links and questions

1. So who all is going to Coldwood this weekend? I am very excited for Rugby In Armor. I think we'll just be there Saturday, but I am unsure at this point.

2. I am looking for suggestions for a good house Scotch. Something decent at $40 or under. Style does not matter.

3. How do I set up my computer so specific programs open on startup?

4. How do I configure Outlook so it checks mail and shows the Inbox upon starting the program?

5. On the Serenity Beat: We can haz hope?

6. I know I post a lot of New York Times links. That may be because it's such a great newspaper. It really is worth registering there, especially npw that everything, including a big part of the archives, is free, This story is about a guy who works a fire tower in California. Neat story, but his photography page is even cooler. nisaa, joedecker, ranjtheobscure, go take a look. I think you will like his stuff.

Thursday night edition: Part II

1. More newspaper stuff.

In what I though was an excellent and brave call, the Boston Globe led the paper today with leaked autopsy results about two firefighters who were killed last week.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/04/autopsies_find_alcohol_some_cocaine_2_officials_say/

One was incredibly drunk, the other had cocaine in his system.

If you want to see the dichotomy between what some people believe is news and what other believe should be buried with the dead, take a look at some of the comments.

http://boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=bc-news&tid=20152

2. Saw a hat on a librarian's gifts web site. It says "391.43."

3. Here's something to mull over:

STEELE, N.D. --School boards across the country are debating how to deal with parents like Cody Mittleider. The 28-year-old married father of three young children spent a year in prison for a 2005 rape conviction, but has since worked to become a respected member of the community.

He quit drinking, attends counseling, got a job at a potato farm and joined the volunteer fire department in this central North Dakota town of about 760 residents.

But as a convicted sex offender, Mittleider, is not allowed to attend his children's school programs or athletic events, pending a Steele School Board decision.

"It would punish my family more than it would punish me," he said. "I want to be a father -- not a criminal. If I can't go to the school, I can't be the father I want to be."

A new state law, which took effect Aug. 1, allows sex offenders to be on school property if they are there to vote or attend a public meeting. It does not give them permission to attend extracurricular school activities. That decision rests with school boards.

4. You think you have a tough life? evilnicola is my conscience. She said "No" when I made a perfectly reasonable request about posting something.

5. Arrrggggghhhhhhh. I like our net connection, but I tend to abuse it, and when both of us are on, and I am uploading pictures from a laptop, it slows down immensely. That said, there are several hundred honeymoon photos up here and more to come.

6. I am getting migraine-type pain stabs in the eye I haven;t gotten migraines in in years. Do not want!