Saturday, December 26, 2020

Chapter 43 of "Scribe"

Well, Dassan is now gone from the mortal plane and I know you're probably thinking, this is a good thing. However, this mystery femme is now in the mix, the one that was the end to Saar Trent'lan's life. There are a number of questions that need to be answered and things just might hit a bump in the road or two.

Chapter 43 of "Scribe" 

Enjoy!

Kel

Sunday, December 6, 2020

New Chapter Of "Scribe"

 Well, I guess it's time to roll this one out;

Chapter 42 of "Scribe"

Hope y'all enjoy this one. Just one more (maybe) after this chapter and we're done. What come after? Why, another story in the "Scribe" universe, Silly!

Have a safe week,

Kel

Monday, November 23, 2020

A True Workaround For My Games

 When we last posted, there were no clear workarounds for my gaming dilemma. Well, sevral days later, I couldn't get my laptop to read a CD that I had burned myself about a year ago. Alas, I was thinking my optical drive had lunched itself. I was right.

It was cheap enough so I ordered a replacement drive from Amazon the seller was ECOMPUTER SYS. Took all of 10 minutes to change out the drive and put my bezel on it. Now I was able to install a program that would not read in my old drive. I'm happy, $33.00 USD later.

That's all for now,

Kel

Sunday, November 15, 2020

New Chapter of "Scribe" and My DRM Workaround Failure

 To begin with, here's the new chapter of "Scribe" for your reading pleasure. We all hope things are falling together for Jeffrey and Na'Krista but you know how that goes . . .

"Chapter 41of Scribe"

So the DRM workaround, using VirtualBox on Windows 10 and in that box, Win XP Pro SP3 to run my games. Well, all was fine and dandy until the Virtualbox version of Windows went "POOF" so when it booted, it took down the whole computer. Might have been something in configuration but I'll be darned if I could figure it out. Now I'm messing around with Ubuntu 20.04 and Wine to run these games but I believe one issue I'm having is a failing CD/DVD-RW internal drive.

When the drive starts reading a disk that it can read, it spins at top speed constantly. Firmware upgrade did nothing for it. If it can't read the disk, is just stops trying after a few attempts. Sometimes, it just keeps trying forever, even making it hard to get the disk out.

So, if any of you have any answers on this, leave it in the comments section below.

That's all for now,

Kel

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

My Workaround For DRM Game Issues

 I had mentioned in a previous post about having issues with DRM on Windows 10. Well, I found a workaround that works well. VirtualBox and Windows XP Pro SP3. So yeah, it's not supported anymore but it works. In fact Windows XP Pro runs like a scalded dog on a 2.5Ghz machine.

To do this, first install VirtualBox. I used the one from Oracle and it works just fine. I then downloaded a Windows .iso that I installed on VirtualBox. That install (guest) will read the CD/DVD drive and a USB stick so software installs are a snap. XP Pro running on the right display, 800 x 600 at 150% scaling. Looks better than the old CTR tube displays of yesteryear.


 

So far, I've not had any problems with the install and I also loaded Linux Mint-Cinnamon 20 and Ubuntu 20.04 as virtual machines. The Linux Mint runs very smoothly but the Ubuntu has issues. I might want to try Ubuntu 18 to see if it runs any better. Have not been able to install Wine on either distro due to not giving them enough 'virtual' hdd space.

To load the USB stick with an .iso, I have been using Rufus portable 3.12 for the loader. There are numerous sites on the Intarwebs to tell you how to do the deed and the one YouTube video that shows how to load XP Pro has a link to an .iso and the key for it.

Well, that's all for now.

Kel

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The Aftermath of The Upgrade

 The upgrade was completed but there was some confusion as to which verion was being installed. It turns out it was version 1909 that was dropped on my new SSD hard drive. Yeah. Not what I was expecting but ya know, it works. All except running games, that is.

It would seem Windows 10 considers Secure Loc and other types of DRM on CD/DVD not secure, a major security hole. As if Edge isn't? Anyway, going to try to install VirtualBox, then Linux Mint-Cinnamon with Wine + DirectX 9 and see if I can run a few games under a Virtual Machine. Man, this has really been an eye-opener as I have two productivity pieces of software that are now obsolete and a number of games that will not run under Windows 10 build 1909.

Still  would like the Linux Mint to get used to running a *unix type program again. That's for the day the 'tards at Redmond, Washington decide to stick their hands out, telling me Windows is now a subscription based product. Get my drift?

Anyway, that's all for now.

Kel

Monday, October 26, 2020

Window$ 10 Ver 20H2 Update

 You will remember that update I performed on my Dell 17R N7110 laptop. Well, it took about 8 (eight!) hours to get through the update without any torn out hair or thrown heavy objects.  The upgrade did get rid of the restarting problem but you know what? It's no faster than it was to begin with.

So, what does that mean? That means I will have to buy a new drive, probably a 1Tb SSD and shove it home. That also means it will be a clean install, which should be faster to boot than ever before. I hope.

Anyway, been fooling around with Ubuntu 19.04.3 LTS for a while, I'm trying to get it to run on a 16Gb USB stick with persistence so the programs Iinstall are available from any computer Irun that stick on. We shall see.

That's it for now, be safe.

Kel

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Windows 10 Update 20H2

 So, I decided to do an update for my Windows 10 powered Dell 17R laptop. Probably not the wisest thing to do but I thought it might get rid of a few niggling problems with it. Such as restarting instead of shutting down like it should. I'm sure the problem was a hung update becasue on occasion it would act as if it were configuring an update. Well, if things don't get any better, iI'll put a new SSD in it and reinstall some operating system like Ubuntu. Good thing my tablet works for doing my blog. The Dell has been working on this update for four hours now. It might finish soon, though. We will see.

Anyway, I'll let y'all know tomorrow what comes of the update.

Kel

Monday, October 19, 2020

Some Rambling Thoughts

 I'm still working on the site to a degree, kind of torn as to deleting the "news" section from the index page. That's what this blog section was for so, if it stays, not sure right now.

The weather has turned here in Central Indiana so that means no more guitar painting until spring. That's a bad thing, since I have a guitar kit arriving in a few days. Guess that one will have to wait until Spring for color.

I did finish the kitchen cabinet installation by adding a bracket up top and using a method to get the screws further into the wall. The cabinet seems secure now. That means it's on to another project.

That's it for now, 

Kel

Saturday, October 17, 2020

The Semi-Aftermath of My Carpentry

 Okay, so I don't think I'm a Master Yankee Carpenter, but I do know which end of the hammer to hit my thumb with. Seriously. No amount of good tools will make you a good carpenter. I rate myself just above Amateur so yeah, that's what I'm capable of.

This came about when we had a "Handyman" do some work for us before we moved in. Actually, before we moved across the country to the Midwest. Some bathroom repair work and kitchen ceiling repairs. Well, he sure didn't have a clue how to hang a kitchen cabinet. That wasn't helped out by the fact our house is all lath and plaster. Stud finders have trouble with lath and plaster so I was stuck with the old fishing with a drill bit method.

We finally got the darn thing on the wall but I'm still going to add some anchoring system of some kind. Probably some straps and moly-toggles of some size, maybe #6 or so. We will see how it turns out.

That's all for now.

Kel

Friday, October 16, 2020

More website work and some more images of Mississinewa Lake

 So I hacked on the site some more, trying to make it look more cohesive. This hasn't been easy, working with a responsive site design. There are elements that you have to keep in mind as you design the blocks that control your layout and how they transform as you go from computer screen to small computer/tablet size, then to cellphone screen size. It's a pain, short and simple. I also added some meta tags to get it noticed on the Intarwebs a bit better. Still have more to go but this is it for a few days at least.

Also, some more fall color from Mississinewa.





It's late so I'm going to leave off here.

Slainte!

Kel

(edited 10-18-2020 for bad grammar and errors)

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Fall Color On The Lake And Other Musings


So, it's fall here in the Midwest, this photo taken on Mississinewa Lake. It's our local lake, close enough that we can go to the lake as a day trip. My older daughter rented a slip so her 'toon was docked there last summer. On a scale of 1 to 10, the local boaters are about a 2, no more. Too many morons on the lake every weekend. Weekdays are good, though.

We were there last Tuesday the 13th to pull out the 'toon for the season. I understand they let the water down 25 feet in the winter to help control flooding. They start raising the lake on April 1st or somewhere around that date so it will be to full pool by Memorial Day weekend.

So, a general cleanup before parking it in my son-in-law's mom's back yard, then a full polish of the aluminum in the spring should set up the boat for the summer. We can't wait, BTW.

I"m still chugging along with "Scribe" but I have seem to come down with a fall cold. No Bueno. I'm really under the weather right now. things are kind of on hold for the time being. I hope all of you that are reading "Scribe" will understand.

That's all for now,

Kel

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Just Some Musings For 11 October 2020

 Okay, so I know it's after Midnight so technically it's the 12th now. Oh well . . .

worked on the website some more, finally have it more or less to my liking more or less. Been a hard day, sonce I was having trouble concentrating on my work all day. Not sure what it was but yeah, it was not fun.

The Two Knuckleheads, our cats Mischa and Sabrina are getting ready for winter early. They slept most of the day, which is unusual for the pair. Usually they're up and charging around the house at least some of the day. Not today.

That's them, Mischa is the white "Shed On Demand" kitty and Sabrina is our little tuxedo kitty. They sometimes think my spot on the couch is a good place to sleep. Especially if I just got up and the seat is still warm. As an aside, they just had their second birthday on the 8th.

Later today, I will be assisting my oldest daughter in preparing for winterizing the pontoon boat. Here in the Midwest, you don't put them in the driveway and forget them. We have to protect against vermin, squirrels, neighbors, etc. Make sure to have Sta-Bil in the fuel, all fluids serviced and some heavy tarps across the top. That should be an adventure in itself.

It's late and I need sleep. Type some more later.

Slainte!

Kel

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Some General Information For October 9th, 2020

 If you read the last post, you're probably thinking, "What is this post? He said he wasn't going to use this blog anymore?"

Well boys and girls, we're still using this blog. I was trying out a hand-build blog that really wasn't working out due to too much hand-recoding just to add a page. Yeah. I decided it was easier to use the Blogspot/Blogger blog than it was to to do a butt-tonne of hand work.

With that out of the way, some mews is the kitchen cabinet is ready to go back on the wall. Too many other things got in the way of the reinstall so it was set back until today at sometime.

And you know, just to do this repair cost me one portable contractor's table saw, a jig saw, an 18 ga Bostich brad nailer and a Bostich 7/32" narrow crown Bostich stapler. What was shot was the support structure in the back of the cabinet. that was due to a numbnutz handyman that tried to make a buck installing the cabinet after repairs behind it. Some really bad repairs, I might add. It seems he preferred drywall screws as his weapon of choice for mounting cabinets, tearing the $h!t out of the back of the cabinet box in the process.

So, my wife unit will probably be happy once the cabinet is on the wall and not in danger of falling to the floor with our dishware inside.

Other items; Still working on "Scribe" and I hope to get it finished before the end of the year. IT has been a twelve year journey and I have to say I'm sad to see it coming to an end. I guess I've grown accustomed to my characters since they are family, in a way.

So, it's a long blog this time, hope y'all are doing well and you're safe from this effing pandemic.

Slainte!

Kel

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

News For 30 September 2020 - New Blog Pages!

 This will be the last post on this legacy blog. You might end up here if you've bookmarked this Blogger page but this isn't going to be the current blog. You will find my new blog on my updated pages at The Blog Pages Of Kellan Meig'h

Thanks for sticking around this long and may we be around for a long time to come.

 The Old Warhorse,

Kel

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Here It Is, Chapter 40! The Lastest In A Twelve Year Journey

 Here we are at Chapter 40, a twelve year journey for this tome. The hunt is on for documents, one misplaced retired arbiter and a bit of normalcy for Jeffrey and Na'Krista. Her mother becomes further involved with the situation while Sa'Zarren tries to keep the damper on Dassan. And we learn more about the background of the Keth'lans of Kas'Madelle.

Chapter 40 of "Scribe" 

Kel

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Chapter 39 Is Up For Your Reading Pleasure

Based on what's been happening, it seems someone is destined to throw a wrench into the defense team's works. Things aren't looking so good for an extended member of the family while others are becoming frustrated.

And, I should warn you; if you didn't like what has happened to our intrepid couple so far, better keep your favorite blankey nearby while you read on.

Chapter 39 of "Scribe" 

The Old Warhorse 

Friday, September 4, 2020

Chapter 38 of "Scribe" is up!

 So, how cool is two chapters in one week?

Chapter 38 of "Scribe"

 Now things are starting to get serious for Na'Krista and Jeffrey. Their team of Arbiters are having troubles and there seems to be people choosing which side they want to be on. There is even some help from unexpected sources.

read on if you dare!

Kel

Monday, August 31, 2020

Friday, August 14, 2020

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Just Some Thoughts On "Print On Demand" Publishing And New Authors

Just to bring everyone up to speed, I have published a novel in the past called "Destiny's Change" through PublishAmerica. Please note the publisher, who changed names to America Star Publishing, is now defunct. This is a good thing in that Willem Meiners et al can't scam any new authors out of a butt-tonne of money.

Anyway, I'm working of "Scribe" which I will be publishing myself and selling through Amazon. To do so, the Publish On Demand entities need the book formatted in a particular order and style. As an aside, I've been working on it for the past eight years. Yeah, a long time.

To do the formatting, I first tried a template for LibreOffice. Well, it didn't turn out so good, having some glitches that drove me insane at times. Odd things, like the text boxes for the chapter number and title moving around to different pages. Just enough to make use of that template a no go.

The next template was for a program called "Scribus", an open source equivalent to Adobe Indesign. So, as with an Adobe product, Scribus has a fairly steep learning curve. A gentleman named John Osterhout created that template plus a short written tutorial for use of said program and template. His information on self-publishing can be found HERE

I an still working on "Scribe" to get it finished but I'm currently looking for an artist to create the cover art and something for the back cover. Can't forget the spine, too. Any suggestions?

Enough rambling for now. Be safe and write on!

Kel

Sunday, July 26, 2020

New Chapters For The Story "Scribe"

Hello all ~

Well, I'm now on a roll, I think, with working on the story "Scribe." I've managed to get a few more chapters under my belt, hoping to bring this to its conclusion soon. New chapters;

Chapter 32 - "Morals"

Chapter 33 - "Fall From Grace"

I'm actually working on chapter 36 but I really like to keep a few chapters "in stock" to avoid a long drought like has happened before.

Anyway, enjoy the read and thanks for stopping by.

The Old Warhorse

Kel

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The Story "Scribe"

To bring all of the people that bother to read my ramblings up to speed, I started writing "Scribe" way back in 2012. Yeah, it's been a long time but you know, I'm sticking with it. I have just recently added a new chapter to the tome, http://www.kellanmeigh.com/scribe/scribe_31.pdf

So, the story went dormant for years and I've only started writing again because I'm no longer stressed out and I'm finally on the mend from multiple abscesses from my gall bladder surgery.

Anyway, thanks for stopping  by and hope you enjoy the read if you do so.

The Old Warhorse,

Kel