Well, it seems that Blogger servers are under too much of a burden; each time I try to update, it says that the publishing feature is unavailable. Perhaps I will have to move this journal to a free website, such as Geocities, etc. I know HTML, so it wouldn't be that difficult, but I would hate to have to archive all the past entries here, so I might just provide a link. Oh well.

I am so aggravated about my PC upgrade. Today I talked to the lady there, and she said that the tech guy is still having problems reformatting the hard-drive. Duh!? Isn't he supposed to be the expert on this? I could have tried doing that myself, from the original reformatting disks that came with the PC, but I thought if it had to be done, the tech could do it, since I was getting the RAM upgraded anyway.

I had a similar problem in the past at a different computer shop. I took in an old computer for a modem upgrade, and ended up buying a new hard-drive from the guy. I guess there's no such thing as a good tech/computer service technician at independent computer shops. Or I just have lousy luck. At any rate, there's no telling WHEN I'll get the PC back, so I'm stuck with this old one. IF it isn't improved when I get it back, I'll buy a new one -- which I should have done to start with.

Here's some news article excerpts:

Suicide pilot's mother: 'He was my shining star'


Julia Bishop said she is stunned that her son would kill himself and shocked about the letter.

The distraught mother said she went to pick up her son at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, where he was taking flying lessons. When she got there, she said she was told of news reports about her son.

"I have not slept since Saturday, and I am still wearing the same clothes," she said.

"He was my shining star. He was the light of my life. There is nothing I would not do for that child. Everybody loved him."

Teachers and students at Pinellas County's East Lake High School described the teen as a sociable, kindhearted boy who got along with his classmates and had a good sense of humor. About 20 students went to East Lake counselors Monday to grieve over the loss of their friend, said Carol Madura, a member of the school's crisis team.

That description contrasts starkly with the one given by authorities, who have said the high school freshman was a troubled teen-ager with few friends.

"He was very much a loner," said Tampa Police Chief Bennie Holder. "From his actions, we can assume he was a troubled young man."

----And another similar article:
According to Tampa Police Chief Bennie Holder, Bishop was carrying a handwritten note, which investigators found at the scene of the crash, "expressing his sympathy for Osama bin Laden and the events which occurred September 11, 2001." Holder said the letter "had some other things in there that we prefer not to talk about (since) the investigation is still ongoing, but everything in the note mentioned things that occurred on September 11th and his support of bin Laden and al Qaeda."

What's up with these moms? Don't they have a clue about their poor parental skills? After all, this woman moved the kid all over the country, constantly changing his schools, always on the move, never settled. Did she even try to find out what might have been bothering him? Jeez, spare me the sob story, poor mommies!
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A very humorous piece:

Ten Things to Do While on High Alert

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Media's Patriotism Provides a Shield for Bush

Great article written by Joan Konner, professor and dean emerita at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Be sure to read this, if you are wondering why all we see on the media news is rapturous, glowing reports for Bush & Company these days.

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I went on my bike ride earlier, and it was great. Now it's afternoon, and around 60 degrees. Earlier I cleaned and scrubbed the cats' sunporch, which was quite a task. But all is tidy and clean there now. I took advantage of this mild weather to get that out of the way.

Enough for today.