It has recently come to my attention that Linux operating systems are being completely ignored by the major T.V. networks of ABC, NBC, and FOX. They are using a player for their online shows called Move Media Player. This player does not work on Linux, therefore completely alienating us as a user base.

This could be bad news for any new linux user, and add to the number preinstalled systems being returned, Lot’s of new users may not have the patience to try and install say firefox in wine, or look up other ways to get their programs, which seem to have played fine on their old windows system. If Linux is to grow it’s presence in the market this behaviour needs to be addressed.

There is currently a petition to ask them to use another player as well all Linux users should write The Networks asking them to choose another player. Here are the links below.

• Petition
• ABC
• NBC
• FOX

I know it’s been a bit since I’ve posted , so I figured I would share what I’ve been doing with Ubuntu since the last time.

First off I finally decided to try out KDE and have installed KDE 4.3 along side gnome. It took a bit of getting used to but once I figured out how to get it set up the way I wanted it’s not been bad at all. The widgets are nice, and I enjoy having them there. I’ve also grown to like Amarok 2, it’s been a while since I used the older version, so I can’t make a comparison, but this Amarok has been working quite nicely for me.

I have always preferred Kopete’s Layout over pidgins, it just seems a bit cleaner to me, though I still use pidgin for facebook, myspace, and IRC.

Once I got into investigating how to configure Kmail it’s quite lovely, I have also been using akregator for my news feeds and it’s working out quite well.

I Still prefer Tomboy for my notes, and I still use firefox for my default browser. I have konqueror set up as a guild wars browser, which I use only while playing Guild wars for quick wiki checks or price checks. Firefox running with Guild Wars seems to push the CPU up.

I still feel that KDE runs best on Ubuntu, where to me Kubuntu feels like there is still a lot of back end work to be done to get it right.

So Anyway that’s what I’ve been up to these past few months.

I spent years and I mean years using only Paint shop pro On windows, I had tried photoshop but never really got the hang of it or liked it. Also I think by the time I used it it was CS2 or CS3 and a major memory hog. Just painfully slow to load and run. So when I was switching to Ubuntu I was disappointed to find I couldn’t get PSP to run in wine, and so began my journey of Learning Gimp. Now I’m glad I learned to use it It’s a much more powerful editor in my opinion, and the more I use it the more I realize in some ways easier than psp.

I’ve also been using dreamweaver for years, but now I’m starting to experiment with Quanta Plus It just makes more sense to me to use native linux apps. Though I think the dreamweaver to Quanta transition is going to be a much tougher one than the PSP to Gimp one. One thing I really miss in Quanta is the wysiwyg ability. It really helps me being able to see the outcome as I go. So for now I’m still switching back and forth between Quanta Plus and Dreamweaver 8 in wine.

Other than that the transition to Ubuntu from windows has been quite painless for me. I’m generally a quick learner so switching to something new is normally not a problem for me. Though I can see where for others it might be difficult, as not everyone adopts quickly

I’ve been looking into Linux Games lately I did demo Knights and Merchants from http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com But it just didn’t have zing you hope to see in a video game. The graphics weren’t that great and the game seemed a bit difficult to learn. It would be great to find some good Linux games, but as of yet I’m at a loss. though I’m still enjoying my Guild Wars 😀

Well a few weeks ago I was messing around on the web and discovered ning . Having seen soo many threads shut down or closed in the ubuntu forums cafe because they strayed to far from the forums main agenda, I decided to give a try at creating a social networking site for Ubuntu Users. The first day a few members signed up. One person named Gary and I began chit chatting, and we really hit it off about where our interests lie in ubuntu. So together we decided we would undertake this project. That was the beginning of the Ubuntu Network . Now a few weeks later we have grown to 30 members and are still growing. It’s quite amazing the feeling the whole community has. Just a bunch of people who share a common interest who want to hang out. The website allows us to blog, discuss topics of interest in the forum, share videos, photo’s and create even smaller groups who want to discuss particular items. If anyone out there is intersted in being social with some fellow Ubuntu users feel free to come on over and join us!

So I woke this morning to find that my pain in my legs is finally gone. I’m thinking that stuff has finally worked it way out of my system, of course that doesn’t fix my back yet but hey that’s what the doctors appointment is for.

I’ve been playing Guild Wars this weekend as they are dropping special treats for Easter. We’re getting chocolate bunnies, and golden eggs…lol.

We don’t celebrate Easter here as My family is pagan. We will be celebrating Beltane though on the 1st of May. We’ll be decorating the house with flowers, and having a nice Meal. Then We pick something new to plant, either a flower, plant or tree. Anyway I hope everyone else has a good Easter Sunday.

So I stopped the prednisone as per doctors orders, and let me tell you the withdrawals are horrible. I woke up about 5:00 A.M. with horrible pain from my knee’s to my ankles. I’ve been dealing with it all day. I called the doc and he told me to take a percocete and possibly some aleave for the pain, I don’t have any aleave but I used advil liqu-gels and they seemed to do the trick, now I’ve got the numb feeling….. Hopefully soon I can begin to get this crap all worked out I’m so sick of pills….a

I don’t know if it’s the Prednisone the doctor had me on or If I just picked up some cold, but I have a horrible headache and my throat is killing me. Just to be on the safe side I stopped the prednisone, he said if I was having any side effects to just not take it. But my gods if I didn’t know any better I would swear it’s the flu…..

I’ve been looking into Linux Games lately I did demo Knights and Merchants from http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com But it just didn’t have zing you hope to see in a video game. The graphics weren’t that great and the game seemed a bit difficult to learn. It would be great to find some good Linux games, but as of yet I’m at a loss. Though I’m still enjoying my Guild Wars

Oh my god that MRI was the worst experience ever. I spent the whole time crying and in so much pain I wanted to scream. I swear when your in that much pain they should just stick in a catheter and give you an epidural. I have had 3 kids, and let me tell you what I would rather go through labor all over again then have to suffer through another 45 minutes laying on that table in that much pain!!!!