Merged

As of today this blog, Puteri's Musings 3, has merged with Puteri's Musings, and I will no longer be updating this blog. Please continue to read my latest postings at Puteri's Musings.

This blog will remain as is, till such time I see fit to delete it. Thank you for visiting this blog.

My new Asus Eee Box

Recently I bought a 52" LCD HDTV. One thing that I liked about this TV is that it can be used as a computer monitor. It has all the inputs for computer use. On the eve of Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday) I was browsing through Best Buy and Amazon - just in case I see something I might "need". It was at Amazon that I came across an Asus Eee Box. I had never heard of the Asus Eee Box before. It is a very small desktop pc, super quiet, about the size of a large novel and weighing about 1 kg. I read the reviews and found that people are using the Eee Box as a server and for a very mobile desktop.

I immediately thought how convenient it would be for me to watch my Malaysian web TV news on my new 52" LCD TV! I asked Doug if I should get it. I had already spent quite a bit on the TV, a new 19" flat screen monitor, and a new all-in-one printer. Doug said, go ahead and get it if I needed it.

Since I'd already got the green light from Doug, I went ahead and made my order. The desktop arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to set it up! I had already ordered the DVI to HDMI cable that will enable the desktop to be connected to the TV.

Above, my little Eee Box sitting on my subwoofer in the living room. The mouse is small and you can see the size of the Eee box in relation to the mouse. It is connected to the internet via wifi.

The resolution on the large screen when used on full screen mode isn't all that great but when viewed from my sofa chair, it is quite acceptable! I am now able to watch the latest TV news that is available on the Bernama, TV3, NTV7 and TV9 websites on my TV and it feels like I am watching the news while in Malaysia! It's a great feeling!



The only problem is, I am still unable to get the speakers on the TV to work with the computer. I had to take my Altec Lansing speakers from my desktop to hear anything. I'll need Doug to look into this issue later!

I love this Eee box and might consider getting another one for the kids. I'll have to get an external CD-ROM/DVD drive so they can play their video games since the Box does not come with any.

Sounds like Christmas!

I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on my favorite music station yesterday morning, while in the shower, to hear Christmas music! Last year this radio station only started playing Christmas music 24/7 two weeks before Christmas. The year before that, I think they started playing Christmas music the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I am not complaining! I am already in the mood for Christmas and it was hard to resist getting a pot of poinsettias while I was at the local supermarket this morning!

Right now I am focused on Thanksgiving and getting everything for the Thanksgiving meal ready! No, I did not get the turkey today even though that was my initial plan. The supermarket carries fresh turkey, that means I can wait till tomorrow to get it and get it primed for roasting on Thanksgiving morning or maybe the evening before Thanksgiving for a slow all night roasting.

I have already started my Christmas shopping though. I do not fancy the mad rush the couple of weeks before Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Friends of the NRA Fundraiser

This year the County Line Friends of the NRA fund raiser was held at a barn in nearby Herald. The barn is a lot bigger than the hall we rented for last year's fund raiser. But the acoustic was horrible. There were about the same number of people this year when compared to last year's event.

Everyone on my table agreed that the bar-be-cued tri-tip, salad and beads were delicious. Simple but superb.


For twenty dollars, you get a mug where there were between $20 - $100 worth of raffle tickets in it. Of course it is a game of chance and you do not know whether you have more than $20 worth of tickets when you buy a mug!

Red necks clinging to their guns and religion? Heheh, the joke's on Obama!

Silent auction items.

Jewelry on silent auction. There were a few pieces that I really liked and found it hard not to make a bid on them!

There were some really interesting items on auction. A professional auctioneer led the auction.

This special edition hand gun was one of the items put up for auction.

This bronze deer sculpture was one of the items on auction.

I had hoped that I would at least win one item this year. I bought a $20 ticket on the Sarah Palin Freedom Board, for a chance to win this gun.





I bought a $100 worth of raffle tickets and had hoped to win at least one of these beauties. Alas, Lady Luck was not with me that evening! :-(

Maybe next year, eh?

"To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason, speech of June 14, 1788

Discrimination in special ed services

I took Duncan for his first speech therapy session for this new school year last Monday. From what I observed during the session this speech therapist will be good for Duncan. She was firm and got Duncan to do what she wanted. Duncan is the kind of kid who finds it difficult to sit still for long and focus on the activity at hand.

The only disappointment I have over this speech therapy thing, is that Duncan is only entitled to 15 sessions this year. Why? This special ed service receives federal funding and one of the conditions that this service is offered is that the child must attend a public school. Duncan is in private kindergarten. I thought the condition was unfair and discriminatory. As a taxpayer, I have no choice whether or not I should pay the school taxes. Part of the taxes I pay goes to the schools in the school district that I live in.

I have a meeting scheduled with the therapist and another therapist the middle of next week, to see if there was anything they could do to fit Duncan into one group speech therapy session, that is, besides the 15 one-on-one session that he is entitled to.

I think my health insurance covers speech therapy, but who wants to drive 10 miles to go to a speech therapy that lasts half an hour when there is one offered just 2 miles down the road? I hope the therapists can work something out for us because I believe there shouldn't be any discrimination in the special ed services offered. It shouldn't matter if your child is in public school or private school.