I realized today that the newest update of Webshots (a program that displays wallpapers on your PC) includes a new Python 2.5 service that installs and runs in the background.

Not that I have anything against Python in itself, but I really don’t want Webshots running a Python service on my computer. A service? For what? Downloading wallpapers?

I’m sick and tired of software behaving like they owned my computer, and can stuff a zillion icons on the desktop, the start menu, under my pillow, create folders in c:\ (c:\msocache, anyone? Anyone?) and drink the milk in my fridge without permission.

Webshots is now uninstalled. More will follow. More will follow.

Så. Då är vi på plats i Skövde, hos kära mor och syster och julfirandet har börjat. I år skall jag vara modern och liveblogga från festligheterna, precis som på alla andra stora tillställningar.

Vi får se hur det går. Håhåjaja.

19:01 Efter en hård arbetsvecka drar jag mig så tillbaka. Dags att vila. Julfrukost, julmiddag och presenter under morgondagen. Och sedan… semester. Härligt.

18:37 Allting är klart. Eventuellt kommer nu det traditionsenliga filmarkivet att inspekteras och en lämplig film väljas ut. Tyvärr fick jag inte tag på någon DVD med Wall-E, som annars hade blivit en klar favorit. I väntan på detta diskuteras konst; både Madeleine Pyk och Heike Ahrends diskuteras.

18:20 Granen är snart klar, bara halmsaker som återstår. Årets gran är faktiskt otäckt fin; en riktigt tät och fin gran som faktiskt ser lite ut som en Disney-gran. Disney-granar är, som bekant, den standard mot vilken alla granar mäts och bedöms, och den här får gott betyg till skillnad från alla fula, spretande granar jag har tvingats klä genom åren. Det här kan bli en fin jul.

18:12 Bristande samordning och koordination har lett till ett betydande underskott på choklad. Tsk, tsk. Det enda som finns är Anton Berg och små Marabou Premium 70%. Detta duger inte alls. En räd får göras under morgonen bort till affären efter lite riktig choklad. Troligen belgisk.

18:04 Julstjärnan högst upp i granen är på plats. M. i #kristnet postar en länk om vi kan lita på Bibeln och dess julevangelium? Den överväldigande mängden bevarade manuskript från den tidigaste tiden efter händelserna i NT tyder på att ja, det kan vi. Så var det med den saken.

17:52 Sitter och chattar lite på #kristnet medan granen kläs. Trådlöst bredband har installerats tidigare idag, till min stora lättnad (10 dagar utan bredband?? Aaah!) Ms. Church fortsätter sjunga “Joy To The World”. Trevligt med lite engelsk julmusik, känns med traditionsladdad.

17:43 Systern tillbaka, granen är intagen och ljusen är uppsatta. Charlotte Church på stereon, lite glögg serverat och arbetet att klä granen fortsätter.

~15:00 På plats i Skövde. Julfestligheterna kan börja. Lite lätt fika, uppackning, konstaterande av att min syster är ute med kompisar.

I’ve been tagged by a friend. Since I never did anything particular about Thanksgiving Day this year, let’s list some things that I am grateful for.

1) I am grateful for my car.
Seems awfully materialistic, but the fact is that I believe God led me to this particular car, and every day I feel grateful for it. It fits me perfectly. It is wonderful. And there’s a very tangible difference between something you went out and bought because you wanted it, and something that God led you to buy. There’s all the difference in the world, because I praise God for it; and I believe that is actually the purpose of creation – to inspire to thanksgiving and praise to God.

2) I am grateful for life.
In spite of sorrows, troubles, unfulfilled dreams or hopes, I am grateful for my life. It doesn’t always feel like a great pleasure – life on earth seldom is, I’ve noticed – but every day is another day that I can work towards the completion of all the things that God wanted for me to do. Like a great adventure; the mission of my life. Like the U.S. Army says “be all that you can be”. To complete the mission, fulfill my destiny… It’s HARD WORK (don’t be fooled), but if my life ever becomes boring, it’s probably just because I missed a turn somewhere.

3) I am grateful for the Holy Spirit.
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you…” (Jn 16:7) I don’t think anyone ever could have a better friend than the Holy Spirit. He has been with me from day one of this great journey, and his gentle help has led me all the way. I would be hard pressed to think of a more loving, more compassionate, more kind, more sensitive best friend than him. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your wonderful help.

4) I am grateful for my friends.
I have had the great fortune of getting some very extraordinary friends. There are friends and then there are friends; there are people you know and work with and hang out with, and then there are friends that you go through war with. “For he who today sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother; we lucky few, we band of brothers.” There are people I’ve fought side by side with, who have helped me, and whom I have helped, through turmoil, war and destruction. Such friends are rare and precious. You know who you are. :)

5) I am grateful for… Coca-Cola.
Yep. And Quarter Pounders from Mickey D’s, and Snickers, and Belgian chocolates. And those lovely After Eights, and Pear Cider in a tall, cold glass; and good movies on television and playing piano in the middle of night. And for the internet, for emails and chatting with people, and for Mozart symphonies and great movie music and American country stations that you can record as MP3 and play in your car. I’m grateful for Wal-Mart, for Dunkin’ Donuts, and for Hotel Panorama in Gorzow Wielkopolski.

I guess the bottom line is, there’s lots to be thankful for. Not the least all the little everyday things down here on earth that can really make my day. Hooah. :)

At long last, the Nifty Framework 1.2 is available for public download.

No guarantees implied. It’s a bleeding edge copy of production code, though.

But it’s darn good, if I may say so myself. :)