hi.

i've been using AVG Free edition since 5.1. and i'm not anymore.

I was planning after christmas upgrading to the firewall-inclusive version simply because you guys were the only main-brand one with a firewall that didn't spit blood and die if the computer was using Spybot for the cookie, malware, and registry patrols.

When I upgraded to AVG Free 9, I started noticing a weird behaviour, whatever I was doing, my computer would randomly switch focus like the desktop had been clicked, and a registry warning would pop up from SPybot and Registry mechanic.

I assumed this was some malfeasant bit which got in during the brief unprotected period between versions. I ended up scouring nearly every other program on my computer, only for it to start happening on other computers in the house the moment they, too, were upgraded to AVG 9.

When the anti-virus program starts behaving like a virus, it's time for Ol' Yeller to get shot. Goodbye grisoft, may you have anal sex with a dead chihuahua.

for all of us condemned to work in a retail environment and finding that christmas starts before you've finished throwing up halloween candy that you really shouldn't have eaten a handful of let alone a bucket...

[link]

it is thanks to this at home that i haven't been forced to pay for a smashed music system, it can do the same for you this "christmas season"

no duckies were harmed in the making of this journal.

some from around here probably remember the last one posted, the strawberries and powdered sugar alco-jello thingies (3 trials reported, 3 successes, including one done as catering a formal dinner, woo!). those who've endured me for longer than that probably remember the Chocalypse Cake, which was somewhat less successful, or the DoomBagel Omlette, which was delicious, but messy as all getout.

two more today, The Fish-Kabobs of Mordor, and an as-yet unnammed fusion Pierogi thing. if anyone tries them, please let me know how they go, they are for me, after all, theoretical exercises until one has access to a proper kitchen.

for the Fish-Kabobs of Mordor, get sizable fillets of two different fish, one 'heavy' fish (ie: salmon, bass, etc) and one 'light' fish (ie: whitefish, flounder) several whole rashers of bacon (ie, so you've got the stripy part and the eye, yes you see where this is going), and some largeish scallops.

cut the fillets into more or less equal sized chunks then marinate the lightfish in lemon, rock/sea salt, and some minced parsley. do the dark fish in seeded mustard and black pepper, or hot english mustard and paprika. if anyone uses the weaksauce american mustard whose only relation to real mustard is that its yellow, i will cry ;.; do the scallops in something violent, if i get the chance to do it i'm gonna use portuguese peri-peri sauce, a bit of garlic, and maybe a bit of horseradish, not sure on that last.

once they've marinated, spike your first fish cube just past the tip. then lay one end of the stripy portion of the bacon on it, place a cube of the other fish, wrap the bacon overtop of it, and spike down, once again until the tip just protrudes. repeat until you've gone through two stripy bacon portions, and thus have two eyes left. use them to form a 'cup' around one of the scallops, and then spike that on top to be the Firey Eye of Sauron atop your tower. Make as many kabobs as you've gathered mats for, then bang 'em in a griller, turning frequently, until it's done. usually reckoned by me to be when your stomach says it will kill you if those smells don't become tastes -pronto-.



hrm. took too long to type that, i need to go to work. if i remember, i'll edit in the pierogi thing when i get home. EDIT: crap. i forgot the pierogi recipe. will put it in when/if i remember it.

today i picked it up. tonight it is being tried and certainly from a sensory perspective is huge sucess. look in mirror test is a medium success. look in camera test is pending.

apologies to those who were waitign for me to get back onto chat, it crashed and stupid program won't reopen.

also, mood is not sadness, stupid thing won't change.

sigh. will find out at noon NEXT friday if this time they can do it RIGHT.

WHY did we spend half an hour talking through details, hashing out what could and couldn't work, repeatedly referring back to how what was on the paper was wrong due to my inabilities with a pencil if she was just going to make things exactly to the clearly labelled "poor sketch intended for communicating general thrust of the idea only" picture?

What part of "kitty ears, starting in front at top and bottom and curving back behind the actual ear underneath" means "glue supersized Spock to either side of my head"?

apologies to those who expect me online for chatting fridays, most likely see you in two weeks, though i may be on some tomorrow if i'm feeling better. with luck next week's going to be lost to celebration rather than me having precious little to share besides screams and tears.

REDACTION: on the offchance that those responsible might read this and put timings together, it's not meant personally, but merely as venting, because i've been pushign through the last several days quite heavily, and the past few weeks to a lesser extent, on hope about this hood, and so to have so critical an element to the aesthetic be so very very wrong... venting was needed.