Monthly Archives: June 2011

Mepis 11 – Debian Done Right for an old PC

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I used SimplyMepis when it first arrived n the Linux scene – back when I first learned enough about Linux to be able to Distro Hop. Distro Hopping is for those of us who for one reason or another always want to install and try another Linux Distribution. Mepis was never too much fun because it was always well built. With Mepis you install and start using it after minimum set up. The included software covers almost any need, and because of Mepis repositories, there is a plethora of general and unique software for every purpose imaginable.

I downloaded Mepis 11, a few weeks ago intending to install it on some faster laptops. Before I started the download I double checked the minimum requirements to ensure Mepis 11 would be a good fit. Here are the minimum requirements from the Mepis website for Mepis 11:

“For Mepis 11.0 we [recommend] at least the following:
•    Intel Pentium or equivalent including Xeon, AMD or AMD64 processor
•    A bootable DVD drive
•    4 GB available hard drive space
•    512 MB RAM”

I thought these were loose and generous requirements, and I had this little voice in the back of mind wondering if maybe Mepis stretched the requirements just a little? After all Mepis uses KDE Desktop which is not known for light resource use. Add that to the KDE-Centric programs that every KDE user loves to use, and I wondered once again if perhaps Mepis had not gotten around to updating their minimum requirements for a few or more releases.

I have my old Sony laptop with a Mobile Celeron processor, and 512 Megs of ram. I decided I would call Mepis on their minimum requirements. When I went to download Mepis, I was sure my hunch was correct. Mepis is not a small download. The Mepis 32 bit iso which I needed was 1.3 gigs on the mirror download index. I am used to distributions that load on a CD. Mepis was going to need a DVD. Fortunately my laptop has a DVD player. I was going to be able to call Mepis on their update miss after all.

The download was fast, and painless, as was making the DVD iso. Now came the test. I use and external mouse on my laptop which uses some of the memory. Mepis is a live DV, meaning you can try it by running off the DVD without making changes to your computer. If it works, and you like it, you can install it.

Everything was still painfully slow, as in thirty or more seconds to do anything, but Mepis was running, sort of. I decided I would complete an install to the hard drive just to see how badly Mepis would perform. One of the great things about Mepis installs, is Mepis has always gone out of their way, from very early Mepis releases ensuring the install process is as clear, and easy as possible. That has not changed over the years and releases. Mepis is still one of the easiest Linux Distributions to install. Except on my struggling laptop.

I booted off the DVD to run Mepis in Live mode. It was slow going, but eventually everything loaded and the DVD ground to a halt. It was very painful with the mouse attached. Nothing wanted to work and the DVD spun forever, it seemed just trying to move the curser. I called it quits and set the DVD aside. Then a few minutes later I removed my external mouse, and rebooted the Mepis DVD.

This time my old laptop booted Mepis, but when I hit the install icon everything spun and nothing seemed to happen. I stopped this attempt, and started a second thinking the DVD errored out. On the second install I was called away to attend another matter for a few minutes. When I came back, I was greeted by the install screen.

As I mentioned earlier, installing Mepis is as easy as it gets. Mepis holds your hand during the process as well as any software is able to. The install time for my old laptop was a little long, but that was no fault of Mepis, but rather my laptops very limited memory (512 megs). Eventually the install announced it was completed. I removed the DVD and rebooted.

Once Mepis was on the hard drive it was a totally different Mepis. Keeping in mind Mepis is running in limited memory on an old, slow, memory constrained laptop it runs surprisingly well. Not at the speed of VectorLinux, or Puppy, but considering my old hardware and the KDE Desktop, it moves right along. I have been happy enough with Mepis that it has lasted over two months on my laptop. For me and my distro hopping ways, that is a long time for any Linux to hang around.

I don’t mind the KDE desktop, and I love some KDE programs, but in general KDE is a heavy weight desktop suited for newer computers, except when Mepis sets it up. Mepis will happily chugs along in 512 megs of ram, and not much more than a Pentium cpu. Mepis will surely fly on a newer computer, laptop or not.

I recommend Mepis as a good solid all around Linux Distribution for any computer meeting those minimum requirements. Be aware that on older and slower hardware like mine, Mepis is not a speed demon with only the minimum requirements met, but neither does it crash or hang.

KDE and Windows desktops have a lot in common, and most of KDE setup is well thought out, and easy to modify to the way you like it. The Debian repositories which Mepis uses have everything almost any program for any user needs available for download and install. If like me, you are running older hardware, you may wish to be selective about what you want to do. If cpu speed and memory is not an issue, Mepis should suit you well and will be as fast as almost any Linux distribution.

Mepis Home Page

Official Mepis Community Forums

AntiX, a very light Mepis for very old computers

 

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Recumbent Trikes – Bicycling for Bad Backs

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After weeks of waiting my Recumbent Trike finally arrived! In two days and two rides, I put on a little over sixteen miles with no pain in my back, no shoulder or hand pain, no sore bottom, no pain anywhere! A Recumbent Trike is definitely a great choice for someone suffering with back pain. I think it is the reclined riding position that makes a difference. The seat is reclined  so most jarring from road conditions is absorbed differently from a two wheel bicycle.

I have a 2011 Catrike Trail. Catrike has been in the Recumbent Trike business for a while, and their trikes have an excellent reputation for quality and value. My Catrike Trail looks like the picture. The frame is handmade and the rest of my Catrke was hand assembled at Catrike Florida Company headquarters. Catrike is a success story being one of those few products that can claim, “Made in America”.

Riding a Recumbent Trike is a whole new experience from riding a bicycle. If you have ever ridden a go-kart or a kids Hot Wheel it is almost the same. Body english is important if you are going faster than an upcoming turn permits. Add a little gravel on the trail and get ready to slide a little. In two short rides I have found riding a Recumbent Trike is fun!

When I tired of peddling it did not matter, in a worst case all I would slow down gradually with no worries about balance and forward movement. I was able to talk on my cell phone, drink water, or put one hand across my midsection while riding on the bike path. My feet stayed on the pedals using pedal clips, and the reclined position is relaxing as I pedaled along.

Today, riding my few miles on a major bike path was interesting. There is some talk about Recumbent Trikes being slower than bicycles, and I think that is true to a point from my one hour observation ride. I was passed four times, and I passed four riders. That put me in about the middle of the pack speed wise. That was okay considering today was the fastest I have gone in quite a while anywhere outside of a car and only the second day of riding in over a year.

I averaged about ten miles per hour comfortably which was about the speed of most of my bicycle riding a few years back. With a Recumbent Trike wind resistance is cut way down, no worry about keeping your feet on the pedals, and no balancing and otherwise adjusting as you ride along.

Speed bumps and curbs which were a major concern for me due to what seems like very limited ground clearance of Recumbent Trikes, turned out to be a non-issue. The curb drop from my driveway,and multiple speed bumps on the street getting to the bike trail may as well not even of been there as I rolled right over all of them.

I also had concerns about metal pipe/posts placed across trail entrances to keep vehicles out and off of walking/biking trails. These too are not a problem. There is a few inches of extra space to get through the posts and on to the trial.

On to the differences if you are used to riding a two wheel bicycle. On a recumbent trike you are in a very relaxed position, almost as if you were sitting in a reclining chair. You are also sitting only a few inches from the ground. The view is quite different, and makes me think of what the world view is like for small children. You need to pay attention to where the rear wheel is in relation to the surface you are on. The front wheels seem to absorb road bumps much better than the rear wheel does.

My only major concern at the moment is rear vision. If you look at the picture on the handles you will see the trike in the pictures has twist shifters, Normally mirrors are mounted on top of the hand grips above the twist shifters. My Trike has Bar End shifters so that inch circle of real estate is used by the shifters. I am considering either those little glasses mirrors or a mod of some type. You Tube and the web are full of trike mods so maybe with a little research I will find something simple and effective for mirror mounts.

If I feel I need more shock absorption I can put on fatter tires which add cushioning. I can also add some padding on the seat, and adjust the seat recline to different positions depending on my mood.

Going down hills brings back that thrill from when I was a kid! Being so close to the ground and picking up a lot of speed due to low wind resistance adds a new level of fun to bicycling!

I am not sure at this point if I would take my Recumbent Trike out on the streets in heavy traffic. When I was riding my two wheel bicycle(s) regularly, I was hesitant to take them out in traffic most days too. I think the traffic question depends on rider, traffic, and specific situations.

I am something of a speed junky, and from what I read flat peddling on a Catrike Trail, top speed is between twenty and twenty-five miles per hour. I thought that was rather slow, and it may turn out it is. Fortunately like any two wheel bicycle there are modifications that can be made, mostly to the gearing. Recumbent Trikes have one more advantage over bicycles. The rear tire may be removed and a larger wheel and frame installed. Doing this increases top end but  the price is paid at the low end. If hills are not an issue a larger rear wheel may be a good option.

Lastly, and a big concern for many is price. Any Recumbent whether a Recumbent Trike or Recumbent Bicycle is more expensive than a comparable two wheel bicycle. In the case of Catrike and many recumbent trike or bicycle companies, Recumbent Trikes are made individually by hand. Hand made means more expensive than average because the building is completed one Trike at a time, to order..

For many Recumbent Trike Riders higher price meant going without for a time to be able to afford a recumbent. In my case, at the present it was worth it. My back is happy, I am happy to be riding again, and so far my Catrike is more fun than a two wheel bicycle, and better built than many bicycles on the market.

There are more expensive and less expensive Recumbent Trikes out there, depending on your wants and needs. The other brand I was seriously considering was Terra Trike. They make a quality product and have been in the business a long time. They are less of a hit in the wallet which makes them an attractive purchase. In many areas when comparing, I thought when it was a coin flip between the two companies Trikes.

I included these links if you may want to look further at Recumbent Trikes. I have no relationship with either company, other than satisfied customer.

Previous Post on Recumbent Trike

Catrike Homepage

TerraTrike Homepage

BentRider Online

 

 

 

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Be Meditating in Fifteen Minutes or less Part 2

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Be relaxed. If you have music playing, keep it low. Have no singing or voice as vocals will distract more than help. Close you eyes softly and start repeating your phrase in your thoughts. Keep the tone low and soft.

After a number of seconds when you feel you can repeat your phrase and do something else at the same time, keep your phrase going and start listening to your breathing. Your breathing will not sound smooth and rhythmic at first, and this is the second thing you do while listening to your phrase, you smooth out and relax your breathing.

As you have your phrase going in the background and your breathing in the foreground slowly start listening for other voices repeating your phrase. This is a the third audible event you will do. Listen for other voices repeating at the same cadence you are in the background. It may sound funny to you, but voices will be there if you listen closely. Be aware of other separate and distinct voices repeating the same syllables you are.

You may hear many different voices, from both sexes, and all ages. These voices are helping you and are natural. Let the voices take over for you. Hear the voices repeat your phrase behind the sound of your breathing. The phrase is there in the background and there is no longer any need to pay attention to it.

You may start to see a visual pattern or possibly scenes. Your vision a movie screen – this is important, do not attempt to look around. Looking around or focusing on what you see may wake you. You are simply a casual observer. Let whatever you see flow across your personal movie screen without trying to interact with it. Look at what you see without thinking about it.

For me, repeating nonsense words starting with ‘B ‘, I will start to see shapes like individual honeycomb cells flowing outward from the center of my vision. Sometimes the shapes are solid and other times they are only wavering lines. They usually look like they are projected onto a screen from a movie projector.

If nothing happens to wake me, they go away to be replaced by other scenes. Some of them make sense, and some do not. I let them flow and change as they will. Once in a while there is a someone there talking to me. I listen without taking part in the conversation.

If you are successful to this point, and you have visual, and auditory going on, you have arrived! The surest way I know it is occurring is I feel like I am partially out of my body. If I am sitting, I feel like am halfway to standing. If that feeling happens do not think about it. You are only observing.

It may not feel like it, but if you experience the above you are in a meditative state! For me, the auditory phrases drop off, and as I mentioned the visual changes from moving shapes to scenes or appearances.  I let them flow and try not to interact with them or make sense of them. It is important to remain an observer.

Try not to focus on what is happening. Let yourself be an observer rather than a participant. If you are being spoken to, hear the words without hearing them. Simply let them flow through your hearing. If you are seeing images, do not contemplate what you are seeing, look without trying to make sense of what you see.

This hardest part of meditation is learning how to meditate. If you are familiar with the idea of Lucid Dreams, it is almost the same feeling. In a Lucid Dream you know you are sleeping but you also are aware of what is going on around you. With practice you learn to control what is going on.

It is almost the same with meditation, though you first want to achieve the state before you try to control the action. If you become impatient and start paying attention, or controlling what is going on you are back to where you started.

One final thought, though you can find hundreds of pictures of people in meditation poses. For now, leave the posing to them. What you need is somewhere where you are comfortable and not standing. Beyond that it is all what makes you the most comfortable as pertains to light, sounds, surface, and clothing.

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Be Meditating in Fifteen Minutes or less

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It does not feel like it, but most of us have been meditating all our lives, we simply are not aware of it. We start as little kids. Those times when everything is quiet, or it was raining outside. Or in my case, when I was in school sitting at my desk daydreaming, wanting to be outside playing.

Everyone has been asked and also asked someone else, “Hello, are you there? I am, talking to you.” We are not paying attention, checked out, or are daydreaming. Different words to describe the same state. You are talking to someone and you realize that they are not paying the slightest bit of attention to you. They are sitting right by you, but you can tell by looking at them, they are miles and miles away.

If you have been trying to meditate and feel you cannot, remember times when you were the person who left the conversation and went somewhere else. What were you thinking about when it happened? When was the last time it happened? Was it quiet, noisy, busy, or still? Whatever triggered your leaving the conversation can be used to help you learn to meditate.

We all are different and we all have different ways of interacting with the world. For successful meditation, what works for one person, or several people may be totally wrong for you. Just because one famous person does something and it works for them, does not mean it will work for you. You may need a different setting, less, or more stimulation. Maybe you need music, running water, bird sounds, or kids at play in the distance. Maybe you need a dark room with complete silence. All of these settings trigger different reactions in different people.

This is what I do when meditation does not happen smoothly. Perhaps it will help you find a sequence to help you learn to meditate? I flood my mind with differing type’s of quiet directed stimuli. There is usually so much noise in our minds we are not aware of it though it needs to be quieted for meditation to happen.

First I decide on a combination of sound. I prefer a three syllable nonsense word that ends with a vibration syllable such as, eng, ing, om, or ong. The nonsense word, Beir-har-ing as an example word. Any three or more syllable word should be as effective as well as any other three syllable combination. If a syllable combination pops into your thoughts while you are getting ready to try meditation, use it instead.

Different combinations of syllables have different effects for me. I have noticed for example that nonsense words starting with a B produces red or orange images in my mind. Starting syllables such as, ‘bear, behr, beer’, all produce a slightly different effect on me in a way not related to the meaning of the sound.

The idea of stimuli appears to go against the norm, and that is ok. You want to achieve a meditative state, not ponder your life. This may be a modified form of EFT used for a different purpose. EFT attempts to engage all your senses and keep your mind busy while a unique thought is introduced in the background.

Learning how to quiet your mind for more than a few seconds is a job in itself, so why not try to use a busy mind to your advantage? Why not use a simple handy aid to make the process more productive and less frustrating? If you sit quietly and listen you will notice a steady stream of thought, sometimes verbal, sometimes not. It takes time to learn how to silence it, and is a big frustrater to meditating. Let’s try something I know works for me, starting with the next post.

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Spirituality Measured With a New Ruler

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You have your own personal spiritual system in place. You know what you believe is true for you and not something you believe because your parents or friends believe it. You have strong reasons for what you believe you believe. You feel you have all your bases covered.

One small thought for you consideration. Are you spiritually any farther along than your local neighborhood Atheist who’s believes you live until you die? As far fetched as it may seem to any “True Believers”, it is time truth be heard over popular fiction.

Some people keep their belief system in a box, taken out on the weekend for an hour or so, and then put back in the box until the next week. Other people try to be spiritual daily  according to their belief system, and for the most part they succeed.

We individually are sure we are the fortunate ones. Most people around us, family and close friends included are not in the same league as us spiritually. We do everything correct, and they do some things sort of correct. Due to our perception, we think we are correct and almost everyone else is wrong.

If this is true; if perception is stripped away, would we find each of us is pretty much the same? We all generally do the right things most of the time, and we individually feel we have the edge on everyone else.

In some small way those right things we do, somehow outshine our family, friends, and neighbors. Not to mention those people who live further away with whom we have no type of bond. Those far away people, well they live their lives in a way that does no good for anyone! Why do we think like this?

In truth, or at least my perception of truth, you and I, and everyone does what we perceive to be the ‘right thing’ as much as we are able. I accept I do not do the right thing all the time. I know no one who does do the right thing all the time.

Even people whom we pay to lead us spiritually, be they Guides, Guru’s, or Preachers, do not do the right things all the time. If they were interested in only doing the right things all the time, you would not be paying them for their services. They would be offering their services for free and working for a living as you are!

How many people out there, be they acclaimed Preachers, Guru’s or Spiritual Leaders of any type, offer what they know for free? They fall back, on the, “I need to make a living to you know” defense. I do not find that reason very defensible, having someone who wants to help me, demand money for improving me spiritually?

If there were no money involved, would these people still be there to lead? Some of these enlightened leaders are millionaires, and you probably have to watch your spending each month to keep your life on solid financial ground. There is nothing wrong with making a living, but not on the backs of people who struggle to find that space where they can become the type of person they want to be.

Which brings me back to the Atheist next door. Since Atheist’s generally believe we live until we die, there are no Guru’s telling any Atheist how to live a better life, and requesting payment in the process. Atheists do not need to review their belief system and see how it fits in any situation. Nor does an Atheist follow the rules and conventions of an organized belief system hoping for a reward in the after life.

The average Atheist is a lot like you or me with one small exception. When an Atheist does the right thing at the right time, it is done because they want to do the right thing, or think they should do the right thing. That one small difference more than levels the playing field of belief systems in the hope of living a better life, and having further reward at the end.

How empowering a concept that is? Having a belief system of nothing, no reward, no level of attainment, no eternal bliss for having a few boxes checked off a list of things we are supposed to be doing! Doing something good for another person because you want to, not because you may be punished if you do not?

Before you become angry and think I am promoting throwing away your carefully tuned beliefs, read to the end. The idea of holding up an imaginary Atheist as a spiritual leader for the rest of us to follow is an important one.

Not one figure who was/is seen as transcending the restrictions of living doubted for one second where they would be after their physical death. Few Atheists have any doubt about where they will be after physical death either. Grouped together, all these people did or do the right thing to make life better for someone else without any expectation of reward in the present or beyond.

All the rewards of this earth and beyond do not compare with doing service for another because you can and want to help someone who has a need. Helping someone not for the expectation of reward or advancement, but because you want to and are able to make a positive change in two lives at once.

None of us really have the ability to change anyone’s life. All we can do is place our intent with our action, and do what we are able to help people because we want to. The rewards that come from a life lived in this way are far greater than any checklist of actions to undertake than we would ever conceive.

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Faith and Belief Puzzle

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I received in my email a comment made on another blog, a reply to a post questioning ones belief and religion. While both belief and religion are a personal matter, until recently in most of the world they both were monitored and controlled by people with the power and ability to make ones life most unpleasant up to and including a prolonged and horrifying death if one strayed too far from the center.

In a few areas this has not changed. Even today in some parts of the world people are routinely banished from their villages, relieved of their possessions. Occasionally, body parts are hacked off, and their life taken because their belief system does not align itself with the powers that be. In some cases it is only perception rather than any actual proofs or observations that caused someone to be banished or killed over belief or religion.

Thousands of years ago – to present day in some places in the world, what and how you believe determines whether you will be alive to see the sunrise tomorrow. Possibly your answer may even determine if you will be alive two minutes from now. What luxury we have to ponder our beliefs out loud, and have a hopefully rational exchange of ideas and opinions on them.

We in the Western world, for the most part have it easy. When asked what we believe or profess to believe we have multiple courses of action. We can state our beliefs, we can allude to what we may believe, or we can claim it is personal and applicable only to ourselves, and choose not to share with others. In most situations any of these types of responses are acceptable, and there are no repercussions.

What if there is no wiggle room? What if your beliefs do not agree with the status quo? What if that difference means you may lose your life? What does one do in that situation? Does one publicly profess to whatever those with the power to end your life want to hear, or if one believes differently, do they state their beliefs, and suffer the fate straying from the paved road. What if straying means torture and eventual death?

Brittany’s s blog post , concerns the correctness of her personal belief system; questioning which parts of her belief are correct, and which areas may not be correct. This has been a relevant personal question for thousands of years and will continue to be relevant as long as one group has the power and ability to influence another.

Before jumping to conclusions of our own beliefs and bravery contained therein, I would like to mention the Leader of the Catholic Church. The last Pope after being shot, and now apparently all future Popes, have chosen safety over their beliefs. They have chosen the safer path, being transported through crowds in their protected bullet proof vehicle, affectionately named the ‘PopeMobile‘.

If someone that rooted in their belief system and faith such as the Pope(s) chooses the safer route, how many of us are really ready to put our own wishy-washy half baked beliefs on the line, with the knowledge our public pronouncement of our faith could lead to our death?

I for one know that it is easier to sit in the safety of my home, and say I would do this, or I would do that, knowing that the time should never come when I am doing what I think I would do, knowing my life is in jeopardy whatever my answer may be.

I would like to think that each of us, no matter what our belief system and possibly aligned religion have determined without hesitation what we believe is something we are willing to defend to our death. Settling for less is living a lie of convenience. There needs to be a sliding gauge in place however.

Expecting the same of a twelve year old as we would of an eighty year old is neither practical nor balanced. A typical twelve year old is barely aware of themselves as an individual, let alone what their true beliefs are and why they have them. Whereas an eighty year old has had a lifetime to think, test, and determine what is true for them.

Perhaps it is likely that the eighty year old is willing and ready to put their life on the line for their beliefs, but one would hope they have traveled down many paths before setting themselves on their chosen path.

For most people however, questioning your beliefs is natural and common. Everyone has doubts. Everyone wonders if what they believe is what they should believe. Those that ignore these doubts and questions have lead lives of lies because they never challenged what they believe and tested what they were told.

Bravery and Belief are not one word. Nor is Belief and Blind Acceptance one word. We all should strive to challenge our beliefs and not be afraid to modify them if we find them faulty, or untrue. Whether we are willing to perish for our beliefs is another matter completely and can only be answered by each of us individually.

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