These are actually names of programs that most people wouldn't know about, or have use for.
KG on the other hand found uses for them last night.

It all started when we were playing video games, and he started to repeatedly ask me if I could please get out my binders of software so he could look for a certain game he wanted to play. Well, not feeling in the mood to drag those things out, I decided (in what was unknown to me at the time to have createed a classic KG moment) to whip out a very small text-based game called Hacker v3.1::Cyber Warfare. He read the instructions, and dove right in. He had a couple of problems at first but it didn't take him long to get the routine down.
:sigh:
This resulted in him playing with simulated versions of some very powerful programs for well over an hour, when I was thinking we'd be going to bed after about 30 minutes of the game.

Wrong move.

He now has a flash drive of his own that the game is on (nothing to install, just plug and go) as well as his own notes for the game.

Well folks, Time for me to get the mini-admin to where he has to be so I can get to where I have to be for the day.

Be well, Dear Reader, and please change your passwords often.


b0neZ

Well, for a time this blog wasn't updated and the previous post explains why.

I'm here to tell you now, KG is back living with me and even though he's been out of the "scene" for too long I'm confident it won't take long for him to be back to his old antics. He's discovered an affinity to Macs (hey, no one's perfect, and bear in mind he was away from my influence for a time), and there's bound to be new and improved adventures and tales as can only happen to/with/about him.

Check back often for updates and stories.

Welcome back to Kindergeek and the Kindergeek Chronicles, the Phoenix of the Internet.

Here's a start: 9 years old and has his own cell phone.... (check back for the rest later. ;) )

Until then, be well Dear Reader!

b0neZ

It's with tears in my eyes and what feels like a huge hole in my heart that I wrtie these words, as it is time for me to end this blog.

You see, after 4 years with me, KG has decided to live with mommy for a while, and so that is what he is now doing. I fear that he will lose his KG-ness in the process too, but we shall see.

I guess there isn't much else to write about now that he is gone, so to you, my ever-faithful Reader, I ask that you keep KG in your hearts and prayers as we bid him a fond Adieu and wish him nothing but the best in his life.

Goodnight, Goodbye and take care,
b0neZ

Okay, so the teeth issue and the laptop issue are not related, but I'll cover them both here.
I know, I've been a bad blogger and should be banned from the Internet for not updateing this blog in months, but things have been quite busy here as of late.

First, the teeth issue:
Most kids his age start to lose their teeth. That's no big deal. KG, in his usual grand manner, has taken it upon himself when finding that a tooth is starting to wiggle a bit he will yank it out with his fingers after a day or so of messing with it. This has happened 6 times now in the past two months.

Now on to the stuff that isn't going to turn a stomach:
If you read the tagboard, you by now already are aware of his laptop problems. Well, that particular issue got fixed. Upon booting the thing up after replaceing said CMOS battery 4 error codes popped up.
(cue the KG theme song)
Within just a couple of hours, this brainiac of a child fixed 3 out of the 4 problems! The only reason the 4th wasn't fixed is because it required tools that he didn't have access to at that point, and to be perfectly honest I have my qualms about him disassembling that thing without my direct supervision.

So there you have it, Dear Reader, a quick update on all things KG-ish.
OH, almost forgot to mention, he's the only one in his class allowed to use a computer to do his journaling homework, and is the go-to guy for PC problems in his classroom before the teachers even call in problems to the office.

Sleep well, one and all, and root for KG as he continues on his Path of Geekness.

I know it's been a few months, but rest assured that KG has not been idle. He's been steadily learning new things, i.e. that it's best to wear more than just sandals, shorts and a helmet when riding down a steep gravel road (that was a bit of road rash, trust me), that his bedtime does not correlate directly with mine, and how to manually BRUTE FORCE promo codes on various children's entertainment websites.

Yes, Dear Reader, I said Brute Force. For those of you who don't know what that is, that's basically the act of guessing the password to a certain area until you get it right. Most people that do that kind of thing use programs to do the dirty work for them. KG doesn't. Let me tell you, KG is very tenacious on that. He's actually been known to get out a REAL DICTIONARY and sit there trying various words! I've had to put him on Net rationing a couple of times lest I find myself in a situation similar to the opening scene of Hackers.

Keep in mind I'm not pulling him off the net entirely, but it is a good idea for him to get outside and play with kids his own age, get some fresh air, etc. Yes, I know he's got a laptop and a wireless card, thus enableing him to sit outside and do what he does best, but that's not the point. He needs to be a kid too!

Now KG is going to be entering the 1st grade this year. This means more Comp Lab time for him, though I'm not sure how that'll work out. See, he was able to get away with so much at Kindergarten due to his advanced intelligence. This time it'll be a little harder for him to pull it off. There will be kids there who know how to use a PC and such. He'll be pulled in different directions as far as extra-curricular activities are concerned. He (shudder at the thought) might might start to lose his geekness! Can we let this happen? I think not. Maybe it's time for him to learn about rootkits...

He also promises me that he'll be more vigilant on responding to the tag board. KG really does read the posts, what I write about him, and the comments that people make, he's just shy when it comes to talking back to people on here.

One last note before I sign off for this post: Neither KG nor I attended DEFCON this year due to a lack of funds and some serious pressuring by various family members to go on vacation with them instead. He wasn't happy about it though. KG has told me that he plans to attend next year though. (Side note to those in the know: How do you think he'd make out in Ceaser's Challenge? The possibilities are there...)

Until next time, Dear Reader.

b0neZ

Now you may ask "Wait a minute... Warriding?? What the heck is that?", well, I'll tell ya. Wardriving, as copied unceremoniously from www.wardriving.com, is defined as such:
War (wôr) n.
1 open armed conflict between countries or between factions within the same country
2 any active hostility, contention, or struggle; conflict [the war against disease]
3 [Obs.] a battle
4 military operations as a profession or science
--n. of, used in, or resulting from war

Driv·ing (dri'vin) adj.
1 transmitting force or motion
2 moving with force and violence [a driving rain]
3 vigorous; energetic [a driving jazz solo}
--n. the way one drives an automobile, etc.

War Driving (wôr dri'vin) v.
1 Driving around looking for wireless networks.
-term coined by Pete Shipley

Now KG has put a small spin on this sport, given his size and age. It goes like this:
We get ready to leave somewhere. I am not allowed to put the car in gear until he gets his laptop booted up and Netsumbler running, then we can leave wherever we're at. He watches the AP's pop on his screen while we go whereever it is we are going at that time, and he is great at letting me know when we get a hit on the program.
Now remember, this is all KG's doing, my laptop stays shut down for the most part. All of this takes place on his laptop with his wireless card. I claim no responsibility for that. :P

For instance, he "Warrode" from our place as far as the battery would let him (about 90 minutes) yesterday, and got close to 200 hits... not bad for no exterior antenna and being on a freeway almost the whole time!

Sleep well, Dear Reader. I'll post again on all things KG-ish as soon as I can.

He knows that these places set these rules so that there's not a million kids running around creating havoc, but he would still like to find a way to attend theses functions so he can actually learn something in a real setting... somewhere other than from my knowledge, software and manuals.

Does anyone out there have any ideas on how to get this to happen? KG wants to learn, to absorb the knowledge that's out there, to experience new ideas and products if only the expos would relax their rules a little so a person that is under 18 could do so.

Thank you, Dear Reader, and sleep well.

Too much fun, eh? And to top it off he is the youngest comfirmed member! Next thing you know, he'll be getting asked to make presentations!

Sorry for the short post, but I'll add more tomorrow. tonight I am off to bed. Going to meetings with him is a whole new experience.

Sleep well, Dear Reader.

I know, I know, it's been awhile, but KG has been doing things "normal".... going to school, learning new things in his age bracket, etc. Nothing really worth writing about, but there have been many queries as to how he's been and what he's been up to that he has asked me to tell people how he's been, so here we go:

He is learning a new (to him) programming language called Visual Basic 6. He is quite proud of himself for that.

I mentioned in the title that he is keeping his resolutions, and here is how he is doing on that.

This Friday he will he attending his first ever 2600 meeting in SF! No, he won't be alone (natch) on the trip. This will make him the youngest person to willingly attend an SF2600 meeting ever. Soon, he'll attend another TVSG meeting (see the previous post for links to 2600 and TVSG).

Not too shabby for only being a month into the New Year, don't ya think?
AS far as the Nintendo games and such, well, we're working on that. He right now is keeping busy with playing outside when the sun's out, and when it's not he's inside playing his games and studying. He's also recently expressed interrest in studying with me as I try to get my certifications: I think I'll let him sit in on a few sessions and then test his comprehension on it. If he passes the tests, then KG can very well be the youngest to ever achieve getting an MCSE certification to hang on his wall.

Sleep Well, Dear Reader, and let's wish KG a fun time on Friday. I think he'll like it.