Kaptain Family Update

The Latest - 03 December 2006

• I ran for Texas State Senate on November 2006

Election Day 2006 was on November 7. I was on the ballot running for Texas State Senate District 2 against Senator Bob Duell as a Libertarian Candidate. I have been an offical Libertarian Party member since 2004 when I felt betrayed by the Republican Party. They had sold me on small government only to grow the government more than any administration EVER. Then, they start stomping on the Constitution with such things as the poorly named Patriot Act.

Then in early 2006 the Libertarian party started activly canvising their members to run for an office. Just to get names on the ballot. This way when voters see the enough races, people will get curious and investigate who these Libertarians are.

So I got 22,523 votes or 22% according to the Dallas Morning News on November 8, 2006. It was fun talking to the reporters and getting calls from people who wanted to know what I thought / would do about some issues. I was just doing what I believe in. I'm not sure I'll do this again if I'm asked but we'll see.

• LASIK Surgery

Every LASER pointer or product I've ever seen has strict warnings about not pointing the LASER into your eye. On November 17, 2006 I had LASIK surgery done on both eyes. After careful research I decided on Dr. Gary Tylock.

My experience was good. After an initial visit where it was decided I was even a candidate for the procedure I was given some eyedrops, instructions, and the date for surgery. When I arrived for surgery, they gave me some valium to mello me out and some eyedrops. The procedure is really easy. You just lay on a table and look at a light. Fifteen seconds later, done! Next eye. Then you move to another table about five feet to the left and repeat. Then you go home and sleep. The valium makes it easy. Just in case they give you some sleeping pills. When I got home my house was pretty busy so I couldn't sleep. I took one of the pills and then it was Saturday morning. :-)

Today my vision is pretty good. My eyes are still recovering. It may take as long as 12 weeks for complete recovery.
• I got my Pilot's license July 19, 2006

After years of threatening, I am finally going to get my private pilots license. For all the dirty details see my flying page.

• Home-school

We are still home-schooling our children. Karen and I are still the presidents of Mesquite Christian Home-School Association although Karen does ALL the work. I do maintain the website, posting our monthly newsletters and keeping the directory up to date. I also wrote the web site and all the code underneath to manage the database.

• Español

I am STILL studying Spanish. I am getting better all the time. A mi, ¡yo no puedo creerlo! ¿Qué estan pensando?

• Geek!

I am still a major LINUX fan who loves computers and programming. I like to write in PERL/Tk. I also do very well with PHP for web applications.

I am still pushing FOSS (Free Open Source Software). I think everyone, yes this means you, should be using Firefox for your web browser rather than Internet Explorer and Thunderbird for your email rather than Outlook and Open Office for your "office" applications. Please check these programs out! I really mean it. They are 100% FREE, Stable and Secure! Using Firefox means you will not get EVERY bug that's out there on the Internet just because you are visiting web sites with Microsoft Internet Explorer®! Thunderbird email client is designed to reduce SPAM and VIRUSES! Using OpenOffice means you don't have to spend $400 just to view a Microsoft Word® document or set up a spreadsheet like in Excel®. If you want you can even make very nice presentations like in Microsoft Powerpoint®.

If you are already using these programs and are comfortable with them, maybe you should try LINUX? LINUX is a FOSS operating system. You can download it for FREE! I have not paid for an operating system since Windows 98®! LINUX runs very well and is quite good for a desktop environment. If you want to give it a try, email me. I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

If you are wondering why I care? It's just that Microsoft designed it's products without considering security. Due to the ease of cracking/ infecting a Microsoft computer there are thousands of viruses, trojans, and other nasty computer bugs out there. Using the FOSS programs I mentioned will #1 help you keep the nastys out of your computer. #2 you will be able to save a little money (for office at least). and #3 you will be a better net citizen by keeping your machine bug free and not allowing it to become a zombie controlled by crackers and spammers. Friends don't let friends use proprietary software.

Here are some funny things I have picked up along the way:
If you understand these, you may have some geek in you.
If you think these are really funny (like me) you are hopeless :-)

• Roses are #FF0000 Violets are #0000FF
• There are only 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary and those who don't.
• There's no place like 127.0.0.1
• Q. How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex? A. 57006.

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Work like you don't need the money, Dance like nobody's watching, and Love like you've never been hurt.