From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V7 #469 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Thursday, August 7 2008 Volume 07 : Number 469 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] Celeron D (with pimento cheese) [John Swartzentruber ] Re: [loud-fans] Spartacus Syndrome [Markwstaples@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:54:18 -0400 From: John Swartzentruber Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Celeron D (with pimento cheese) On 8/6/2008 12:19 AM Markwstaples@aol.com wrote: > Just wondering about something. I was on the Converse.com site and my > computer just slows to a crawl. I don't have a virus (I scanned) but I was > wondering if it has to do with the site being so saturated with gook and my > microprocessor, the humble little Celeron D? I mean, the red light on my CPU just > glows continuously on that site. I assume the red light on your "CPU" is your disk light. How much memory (RAM) do you have? I think that what you probably need is a memory upgrade and your processor is fine. The continuous red light probably means that you have used all of your memory and it is being swapped back and forth from your disk drive, which is very slow. If you don't have at least 512MB of RAM, you definitely need to upgrade. I would recommend about 768MB for Windows XP. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 08:04:17 -0400 From: "outbound-only email address" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Celeron D (with pimento cheese) Mark, then John: > On 8/6/2008 12:19 AM Markwstaples@aol.com wrote: > Just wondering about something. I was on the Converse.com site and my > computer just slows to a crawl. I don't have a virus (I scanned) but I was > wondering if it has to do with the site being so saturated with gook and my > microprocessor, the humble little Celeron D? I mean, the red light on my CPU just > glows continuously on that site. I assume the red light on your "CPU" is your disk light. How much memory (RAM) do you have? I think that what you probably need is a memory upgrade and your processor is fine. The continuous red light probably means that you have used all of your memory and it is being swapped back and forth from your disk drive, which is very slow. If you don't have at least 512MB of RAM, you definitely need to upgrade. I would recommend about 768MB for Windows XP. < I'd go farther, I'd say you need a gig (1024MB) minimum. But more memory may not solve all your problems - if your hard drive is full, or seriously fragmented, it's still going to be slow even with more memory. I've had good luck with moving my digital music to external hard drives which are pretty cheap nowadays, I like these: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Essential-Portable/dp/B0012GQZZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1218023602&sr=1-1 Athough I have mega geek lust for this, since learning about it: http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/28/review-simpletech-redrive/ Also, all those moving ads really *can* tax your CPU. My favorite way to deal with that is not to see them. If you surf with Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ You can install adblock https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10 and/or flashblock http://flashblock.mozdev.org/ to control what you see. If you surf with Opera http://www.opera.com/ It's even easier, you can right-click any ad and say "block [this] content" from now on. I don't recommend upgrading a CPU unless you're a real techhead and you know for sure that the CPU is your bottleneck. You could spend almost enough to buy a new 'puter and wind up with only incremental speed benefits, because you won'thave upgraded your system bus or your VRAM. The devil does a good deed once every hundred years, or so I heard. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 08:16:25 -0400 From: "outbound-only email address" Subject: [loud-fans] more on windows performance tweaking Nice summary of what NOT to do from Lifehacker, a pretty good resource for these sort of tips in general: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/357013594/debunking-common-windows-performance-tweaking-myths If I'm linking lifehacker, though, I have to mention, if you download and install all their download-of-the-day utilities you will probably wind up with a crash-ridden molasses box in no time. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:11:56 -0700 From: "Tom Marcinko" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Celeron D (with pimento cheese) >>The devil does a good deed once every hundred years, or so I heard.<< The Twilight Zone fan in me LOVES this. But it sounds familiar. Lyric, anyone? (I have heard that he doesn't owe you back your soul, but that's a different song.) Thanks, T On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 5:04 AM, outbound-only email address < eeimmnno@antithetical.org> wrote: > Mark, then John: > > > On 8/6/2008 12:19 AM Markwstaples@aol.com wrote: > > Just wondering about something. I was on the Converse.com site and my > > computer just slows to a crawl. I don't have a virus (I scanned) but I > was > > wondering if it has to do with the site being so saturated with gook and > my > > microprocessor, the humble little Celeron D? I mean, the red light on > my > CPU just > > glows continuously on that site. > I assume the red light on your "CPU" is your disk light. How much memory > (RAM) do you have? I think that what you probably need is a memory > upgrade and your processor is fine. The continuous red light probably > means that you have used all of your memory and it is being swapped back > and forth from your disk drive, which is very slow. If you don't have at > least 512MB of RAM, you definitely need to upgrade. I would recommend > about 768MB for Windows XP. > < > > I'd go farther, I'd say you need a gig (1024MB) minimum. > > But more memory may not solve all your problems - if your hard drive > is full, or seriously fragmented, it's still going to be slow even > with more memory. I've had good luck with moving my digital music to > external hard drives which are pretty cheap nowadays, I like these: > > http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Essential-Portable/dp/B0012GQZZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1218023602&sr=1-1 > > Athough I have mega geek lust for this, since learning about it: > http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/28/review-simpletech-redrive/ > > Also, all those moving ads really *can* tax your CPU. My favorite way > to deal with that is not to see them. If you surf with Firefox > http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ > You can install adblock > https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10 > and/or flashblock > http://flashblock.mozdev.org/ > > to control what you see. > > If you surf with Opera > http://www.opera.com/ > > It's even easier, you can right-click any ad and say "block [this] > content" from now on. > > I don't recommend upgrading a CPU unless you're a real techhead and > you know for sure that the CPU is your bottleneck. You could spend > almost enough to buy a new 'puter and wind up with only incremental > speed benefits, because you won'thave upgraded your system bus or your > VRAM. > > The devil does a good deed once every hundred years, or so I heard. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:18:27 -0400 From: "outbound-only email address" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Celeron D (with pimento cheese) Tom: >>The devil does a good deed once every hundred years, or so I heard.<< The Twilight Zone fan in me LOVES this. But it sounds familiar. Lyric, anyone? (I have heard that he doesn't owe you back your soul, but that's a different song.) Thanks, T << Dunno. I was just alluding to the TZ episode. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:20:29 EDT From: Markwstaples@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] tech advice What you guys said: How much memory (RAM) do you have? I think that what you probably need is a memory upgrade and your processor is fine. The continuous red light probably means that you have used all of your memory and it is being swapped back and forth from your disk drive, which is very slow. If you don't have at least 512MB of RAM, you definitely need to upgrade. I would recommend about 768MB for Windows XP. < I'd go farther, I'd say you need a gig (1024MB) minimum. But more memory may not solve all your problems - if your hard drive is full, or seriously fragmented, it's still going to be slow even with more memory. I've had good luck with moving my digital music to external hard drives which are pretty cheap nowadays, I like these: I think it's the memory. My hard drive is only about 1/3 filled at the moment. I defragged a couple of months ago, but I guess I should do that more often. I'll do it again today. I erased all my iPod library (which was only about 15 albums, anyway). I'm just not into iPod (frying one, then stepping on the other kind of did it for me). I like CDs, and all I did was import them into my library. I've never downloaded music, save for the few MP3s on the LF site. I have probably less than 50 pictures on my computer. I only use my computer for websites, e-mail and word processing, and burning CDs every once in a while for people. I checked, and I have 224MB of RAM. I need more RAM. Less MCCARTNEY. I've had this computer for years, and I just now looked to see how much memory I had. I think it isn't geekish to be computer smart. I admire that, and that's why I asked here. I just got some birthday money. I'll take Bessie down to Geek Squad this afternoon. Thanks guys. - --Mark **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 ) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:43:57 EDT From: Markwstaples@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] from the "news" Good grief. Brad and Angelina are adopting again? I think it's a nice thing they do and all, but how much individual attention can these children be getting, if your brothers and sisters equal the population of Rhode Island? - --Mark **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 ) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 17:07:31 EDT From: Markwstaples@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] the fast computer/The Slow Crack It was the memory. My computer acts like it's had 6 cups of coffee. The 512 MB card was what I needed. Thanks again. It was on sale for 50, and I had just enough left ofter to buy the Australian reissue (Karmic Hit) of Steve Kilbey's THE SLOW CRACK (28 bucks ), and I finally did decide to replace my RAM vinyl with digital. Happy birthday to me. If anyone wants my old '80s Rough Trade CD of THE SLOW CRACK, first to ask gets. Aside from his obvious lack of romantic finesse, Kilbey made three damned fine solo albums in the late '80s. UNEARTHED would be a desert island disc for me. The Karmic Hit reissue even comes with lots of Kilbey written liner notes. Yay! Speed is the new gerbil, - --Mark **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 ) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 18:03:25 -0700 (PDT) From: robert toren Subject: [loud-fans] Spartacus Syndrome > Yes, I admit it, I'm Sarge. > --Rog No, the truth is... I am Sgt Cockring, Photo Cockring to you_ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 23:05:10 EDT From: Markwstaples@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Spartacus Syndrome No, I admit it. It's me. I just love f---ing with everybody's minds. I'm not some middle aged gay Santa living and looking after his aging mother in the Bible Belt. I really am a 60-year-old Republican owner of a porn shop in Ohio with a vivid imagination. - --Mark "'This Asphalt Eden' was a good song that fell prey to all the worst of the Eighties excesses - huge ridiculous drum machines, quantization (that means all the horn parts were moved into the ludicrous, "stiff" timing they have here - - all done while I slept on my sofa. The boffins took over; hey presto, instant ruin). It was a shame. My first solo single and it was a (literal) stiff. The B-sides however, were a different story. You see, I hated the Eighties. Of course it's easier to articulate that now 20 years on, but I hated what was happening to music. I wanted all the looseness, the spontaneity the ramble of the Sixties, when I was young and impressionable. Arguably the Golden Age of rock music. I didn't want some huge snare drum to regularly (stiffly) punctuate the song every bar, like an improbable black stripe painted every two inches over the most sublime abstract painting...but I digress." (Slow Crack liner notes) **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 ) ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V7 #469 *******************************