ninjamonkeyspy

Christmas on TV

2009-12-22T23:10:03Z

These are my favorite Christmas movies and specials, roughly in the order that I prefer to see them during the holiday season. This has nothing to do with their overall quality as films, because otherwise Die Hard would be #1. Feel free to disagree:

1. Home Alone
2. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. The Santa Clause
5. Elf
6. Scrooged
7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
8. A Christmas Story
9. A Charlie Brown Christmas
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
11. Frosty the Snowman
12. The Holiday
13. Fred Claus
14. The Santa Claus 2
15. Gremlins
16. The Nightmare Before Christmas
17. Die Hard
18. The Grinch

DigitalDreamDoor's top 100 list includes dozens of movies that I haven't seen, and the Wikipedia list separates them into useful categories (and lists a lot more). I still need to see Bad Santa, The Polar Express, and Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause; and I need to re-watch the classics that I don't remember well enough to include here (you know which ones, because they're not on my list).

Also, if anyone tries to tell you that I don't like Christmas Vacation, they just don't know what "it's not my favorite" means. :)

Pocket Retro Game Emulator

2009-11-07T17:40:09Z

I want, I want, I want a Pocket Retro Game Emulator. It plays Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Gameboy Advance, NeoGeo (why?), eBooks, and FM radio tunage. It's a bit on the small side, but it has an AV-out slot for playing through a TV when I'm not in a car.

But think of the possibilities... Every game I loved that came out before my 15th birthday (plus a ton of more recent ones on the Gameboy Advance), and a ton of gems that I missed out on. Yeah, I can dig it.

If this thing operates exactly as advertised, I can't imagine NOT owning one.

Insurance Companies Not So Evil?

2009-10-25T17:04:56Z

I'm not surprised that there are companies out there making larger annual profits than health insurance companies, but I had no idea their profit margins had sunk this low:

Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.

Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.

Of course there are good insurance companies out there, but there are sharks out there too.

Speaking of insurance, who do you recommend for car insurance? I have a 2007 Camry that needs (I guess) the standard coverage, and I'm thinking about switching companies. The last ticket I received was for a fender-bender in 2004, and otherwise I'm a good, defensive driver who maintains my car. But I want to switch from a state provider (who used to be less expensive) to one of the larger ones (because with a larger client pool, their rates are now lower). Got any good or bad experiences with any of the big boys?

Fall TV Series Premiere Schedule

2009-08-18T17:51:29Z

Quoting the Scorecard Review:

It’s amazing. Every year it seems next to impossible to find one easy to use guide to actually find out when your favorite TV shows start.

Well, after some digging, we found one. Thank you The TV Remote.

It looks like a complete list.

I edited the link to go straight to the premiere schedule, but otherwise, that's verbatim from TSR's page. For the full alphabetical list of shows, scroll halfway down the page. (GeekTonic also has a list that includes specials like the Miss Universe pageant, but it doesn't have a convenient alphabetical list.)

I am now happy to know that Heroes, House, and The Big Bang Theory all start on September 21; and The Simpsons, the new Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad start on September 27. 30 Rock starts October 15.

Football Pick'em Games

2009-08-08T20:14:30Z

Football season is almost here, so it's time to join those Yahoo groups to compete with friends to see who can pick the most winners out of each week's games. Just who will win, nothing fancier than that. It's fun and easy...

Pass this along to anyone who might be interested. The more, the merrier!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY PICKS:
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college/register/joingroup
Group ID#: 1122
Password: macon

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY PICKS:
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem/register/joingroup
Group ID#: 2146
Password: macon

PRO FOOTBALL SURVIVOR PICKS:
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/survival/register/joingroup
Group ID#: 3348
Password: macon
(In this one, you have to pick a winning team each week. If your pick loses, you're done for the season! Also, you can pick a team only once -- so choose wisely!)

Livejournal Observation

2009-08-08T03:09:22Z

I have always maintained a very personal friends list. I tend to keep only people I have actually met in real life. Still, there are a select few of you that have become friends despite that or are otherwise just interesting enough to follow (even if only occasionally) on my friends page.

Still, there is an 80:20 ratio of people I have known personally to people I've never met on my livejournal, yet the ratio of livejournal posts is exactly opposite: 80 written by people I've never met versus 20 by people I know personally. Of course I'm guessing wildly and then rounding these numbers, but it's an interesting observation nonetheless.

I guess most of us use Facebook nowadays anyway.

I still prefer Livejournal for blogging and linking. (And I refuse to use Twitter, but I at least have an account so one day I can go back and say, "look, I got one of those really early!" I'm a big fan of never being the first nor the last to jump on a bandwagon.)

Quantum of Solace

2009-07-16T03:48:48Z

I finally watched the second "Daniel Craig is James Bond" movie, and I liked it, of course. Unlike most Bond movies, the last two have seemed mostly realistic (minus the excessive wear and tear on people and things yet they keep on ticking), and therefore I have enjoyed them quite a bit. They're not perfect, but I love James Bond movies, so they're great to me.

Also, I have an answer to a question people seem to like to ask when they hear about this movie:

(Q) What is a quantum of solace?
(A) A quantum is the tiniest possible fraction of something that someone can have. Solace is essentially a synonym of satisfaction. So a quantum of solace is the smallest possible amount of solace a person can have. In the case of the Bond film, it is likely a reference to the tiniest speck of consolation Bond gets for tracking down the killers of Vesper Lynn (or, perhaps less specifically, for just doing his job and getting the bad guy).

Michael Jackson Dance Tributes

2009-07-10T18:58:03Z

I hope you like Michael Jackson dance tributes.

(1) Filipino prison inmates do Thriller:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

(2) Bounce flash mobs do Beat It in Stockholm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVJVRywgmYM

Michael Jackson

2009-07-06T13:33:08Z

First, MTV has a lengthy biography that's worth reading. Also, I'd like to challenge a few enduring mistruths about him, because as crazy as he was in his later years, I think he came by it honestly.

(1) Lupus is a debilitating disease that can be devastatingly painful, which explains the meds.

(2) Vitiligo causes depigmentation of his skin, which explains the self-consciousness about his appearance.

(3) He broke his nose in 1979 and the rhinoplasty to repair it wasn't entirely successful and required a second one, and then a third one... This doesn't explain all 13-or-so plastic surgeries, but it explains how it all began.

(4) Every time he made an appearance -- no matter when or where -- people would scream and faint and bang on his vehicle. (If people screamed and fainted every time they saw me, I'd be paranoid too. Just saying.)

In the long run, I prefer to remember Michael Jackson is one of the most talented entertainers of all time. Yes, he was different, but if you were the most recognizable living person on the planet, you would be a bit different too.

Camry

2009-05-18T12:50:08Z

The Camry and I have been together for two years now, and we couldn't be happier. (Well, there's that 12-year-old-kid-and-his-bike's dent in the rear driver-side door, but that's just a blemish that will soon be healed. I hope.)

Here's hoping for another 10+ years. At 15,000 miles per year, mostly highway miles, it should be no problem. After all, I raised a 1994 Grand Am to a mileage of 170,000 before I sold it, and it's still moving between Bibb and Twiggs counties on a regular basis. So I figure a 2007 Camry can easily hit that mark and then some.

Wikihoaxing Test: Wikipedia Passed; The Media Failed

2009-05-12T16:27:02Z

An Irish graduate student planted a fake quotation on the WikiPedia entry for a recently deceased French composer, and watched as Wiki-servants removed it twice because it was not cited. When he planted it a third time, however, it stayed for roughly one day before it was removed for good, and newspapers around the world used the fake, uncited quotation in their articles and obituaries about the life of Maurice Jarre.

The goal was to expose news outlets who were too quick to rely on WikiPedia as a source -- or, more specifically, to expose journalists who aren't properly doing their jobs.

Let this serve as yet another reminder that WikiPedia is not an acceptable source of information. Use WikiPedia to get an idea about the topic, and then either check the cited sources at the bottom of the page, or search the web for more reputable sources. Better yet, go to the library and find a real source.

Ahavo Rabo Taco Salad

2009-04-29T01:37:55Z

Alter Bridge is working on their third album, which will probably be released in 2010. This will be sometime after Creed's Full Circle reunion tour.

Creed will be in Atlanta Friday, September 11. I'm strongly considering going once tickets go on sale.

It's okay, you can judge me.

Scratches Build Character

2009-04-04T19:46:20Z

The Camry is no longer a visibly flawless machine, but I will try to take care of that rather quickly.

This afternoon, I heard a strange noise that sounded like something hitting my car. I looked outside the door, and a child close to the age of 10 or 12 was picking up his bicycle and whimpering a little, and after making sure he was okay, I saw the dent and scratches. He had lost control after running over a stick, and he and his bike hit the driver's side rear door. There were no broken bones or blood -- he just appeared to be shaken up and, well, more embarrassed than anything (and scared that he had to involve mom or dad). I told him it would be okay, it was just an accident, and it's not a big deal.

A few minutes later, he and his dad came by and we exchanged phone numbers, and I told them I was just glad he was okay, and I would try to ask a couple of friends who work on cars if there's an easy, inexpensive way to repair the damage.

Funny, I've been an adult for several years, and I bought the car and I've made the payments for it, but just now, dealing with a kid in pain and then the parent, I felt more like an adult than ever before. Weird.

April Fools Trivia Night

2009-04-02T19:04:42Z

I only asked the first seven of these questions last night, but they're entertaining. How many can you answer correctly?

(If you feel like playing along, your comments will be hidden from view so others can't see your answers. I'll post answers in a comment of my own in a week or so.)

(1) How many balls are used in a standard game of 8-ball?

(2) A scientist is measuring how fast balls of steel travel through water at different temperatures. If each ball is the same temperature as the water it is being dropped into, which temperature would allow the steel balls to travel through the water faster, 10°Celsius or –5°Celsius?

(3) Is a firefly a type of beetle, cockroach, fly, or moth?

(4) How many NFL teams play their home games in the state of New York?

(5) If you really know your sushi, then you know that sushi is not raw fish. The word "sushi" actually refers to a particular way rice is prepared. What is the proper Japanese term for raw fish?

(6) Why don't peacocks lay eggs?

(7) What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?

(8) How many months have 28 days?

(9) A desert is a landscape that receives less than 250 millimeters (about 10 inches) of precipitation per year. Where is the largest desert on Earth?

(10) What is the largest island by surface area in the continental United States?

(11) What American Revolutionary War battle was fought on Breed’s Hill?

(12) What is the official language (or what are the official languages) of the United States?

(13) What country lays claim to Greenland?

(14) Which weighs more: a pound of gold or a pound of feathers? The answer is not neither, so pick one.

(15) This paragraph looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all, and in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. What is unusual about this paragraph?

Smarty Pants Dance, Smarty Pants Dance

2009-02-20T22:59:21Z

Lola does the Smarty Pants Dance!

Probably because she's smarter than a fifth grade at age 2. For her smarts (and her dance), she won $10,000 on America's Funniest Videos in May 2008 (the show aired in October), and this video clip has slowly been making its way around the interwebs since. The illegal copies on YouTube won't last forever, so get the video straight from the source by clicking the ABC link above.

Informal is not incorrect.

2009-02-04T22:08:31Z

In other words, I ain't wrong. So if you gotta get good at getting "got," then here's a humorous but serious article about how to use "got" properly.

Conficker Worm (virus?) for Windows!

2009-01-26T15:46:01Z

If any of your your security or Windows Update software isn't functioning properly, or if you can't reach security-related web sites, you might want to read into the Conficker/Downadup worm; it's a nasty one. If you're not showing any problems, you may want to disable Windows File Sharing (or leave it on at your own risk if certain programs need it).

You know it's bad when the NY Times writes a lengthy article about it. But the attention is warranted:

Alfred Huger, vice president of development at Symantec's security response division, said, "This is a really well-written worm." He said security companies were still racing to try to unlock all of its secrets. Unraveling the program has been particularly challenging because it comes with encryption mechanisms that hide its internal workings from those seeking to disable it.

. . .

The program uses an elaborate shell-game-style technique to permit someone to command it remotely. Each day it generates a new list of 250 domain names. Instructions from any one of these domain names would be obeyed. To control the botnet, an attacker would need only to register a single domain to send instructions to the botnet globally, greatly complicating the task of law enforcement and security companies trying to intervene and block the activation of the botnet.

Computer security researchers expect that within days or weeks the bot-herder who controls the programs will send out commands to force the botnet [possibly including your computer] to perform some as yet unknown illegal activity.

Several computer security firms said that although Conficker appeared to have been written from scratch, it had parallels to the work of a suspected Eastern European criminal gang that has profited by sending programs known as "scareware" to personal computers that seem to warn users of an infection and ask for credit card numbers to pay for bogus antivirus software that actually further infects their computer.

Microsoft has released a security update for it, so check Windows Update and install your updates! You should also update your antivirus software and run a full system scan.

If you're already infected and your antivirus software won't run, check Microsoft's (lengthy) support page about it.

Custom Ringtones (LG enV2, Verizon)

2009-01-24T19:18:33Z

I love the enV2 already. I had had the phone for maybe 10 hours before I had uploaded my first custom ringtones. It's actually very easy once the sound clips are ringtone-ready, but the ones that aren't require some software. Luckily, I have free software that does everything I need.

WARNING: I have the LG enV2 (LG VX9100) for Verizon Wireless. I don't know how this may apply to other phones on other networks, as I am not an expert, so don't try this at home if you don't know what you're doing.

Update 3/23/2009: I have confirmed that this process works for a variety of LG phones on the Verizon network that use MP3 ringtones and MicroSD memory cards. I have also successfully sent the tones to other phones on other networks, but with less consistent success.

Step 1: Prepare the sound clip.
First thing's first: get the (legally obtained) music ready. There are three requirements:
File type: MP3
File size: less than 500 KB
Duration: less than 30 seconds

I recommend a 128 Kbps MP3, because a 30-second MP3 encoded at 128 Kbps is right at 500 KB. If you want higher quality, your clip will have to be shorter to meet the 500 KB limit. But you don't need that quality for the puny speakers on a cell phone.

If you have the MP3 you want but it's too big, you'll need to trim it down. There are free tools to do this, but that can get tricky, because it involves some free software that may take some getting used to. Here's how I do it:

I use "MP3-2-WAV converter" (free, with ads) to convert high-quality MP3s to WAV files, and then I use RazorLame (with the Lame MP3 encoding engine) to convert the WAV to the standard-quality 128 Kbps MP3.

I use "MP3 Direct Cut" (free, no ads) to cut the exact clip I want from any full-length MP3. Left-click to select the starting point, right-click to set the end point, then Ctrl+E (Save Selection As...) to save the selected clip as a new MP3 file.

Step 2: Send the sound clip to your phone.
Your phone may not work exactly like mine, so just follow along and see if your phone behaves in a similar manner.

Insert the memory card (micro SD in my case) into your phone to make sure the folder structure is ready for cell phone use. On the enV2, it automatically creates five folders the first time: "my sounds" is the folder we will use.

Remove the memory card from the phone and insert it into your computer where your MP3 is stored.

Copy the MP3 from Step 1 above into the "my sounds" folder on the SD card.

Remove the memory card from the computer and insert it back into the phone.

Start a new picture message, and then...

enter your phone number
scroll down to the "Sound" box
press the left menu button for the "Sounds" menu
select your sound clip
send the message
wait for your phone to send and receive the message

When you open the incoming message, it should play the soundclip.

press the right menu button for the "Options" menu
select the "save as ringtone" option
your sound clip should now be available to use as a ringtone

You can forward the picture message (with sound attachment) to friends with capable phones on the same network, and perhaps to others, but I don't know the limitations of this.

Finally, it has happened to me.

2009-01-23T21:34:16Z

Right in front of my face, and I just cannot hide it...? Well, it is a cell phone.

Ah, the LG VX4400. Here was a phone that did everything right for its time. But it did not take or even receive pictures, and it didn't play polyphonic tones. I could live without the camera and QWERTY keyboard, but the pictures and audio needed to be upgraded to 21st century quality. So thank you for your time and service, LG VX4400. You have been a great phone. You have served more than five years very admirably. But it's your little brother's time now.

Paul's LG VX4400
November 16, 2003 - January 23, 2009
(that's roughly 1895 days)

So now, say hello to the LG enV2. It's one of the few I had eyed for a short time now; the price and I were compatible; the phone features were what I wanted; and the keyboard and camera are nice bonuses.

But there is one tiny little thing. It's not a big deal, but it is a thing. *86 already goes to voicemail, so why does the enV2 steal one of the ultra-rare single-digit speed dial spots, too? And not just any digit, but the number 1! My speed dials are sequential and start at 1, so this is a bit of a conundrum. But, well, #5 has jumped around a lot over the years, so I may just take it out of the mix and bump up the first four to 2-5 and be done with it.

But either way, I'm happy with it. I just hope I feel the same in two years. :)

Congestion

2009-01-18T06:46:13Z

I did not know this:

Many people think that a nose gets congested (stuffy) from too much thick mucus. This is incorrect. The nose becomes congested when the tissues lining the nose become swollen due to inflamed blood vessels.

And more useful information:

Medicines are not the only way to relieve a stuffy or runny nose. Often, gentler solutions are better. Try these steps to thin the mucus, which can help you breathe easier and get your nasal secretions back to normal:
Use gentle saline nasal sprays.
Increase the humidity in the air with a vaporizer or humidifier.
Drink extra fluids. Hot tea, broth, or chicken soup may be especially helpful.

Allergies are fun.

Can't make changes to a locked Windows file?

2009-01-03T05:42:00Z

I have a game called Snood. (There are several Snood games here, but I just have Snood for Windows. It's fun. Much better than FreeCell!) Upon first installing it, Catie and I played it a few times, and we set a list of high scores. But upon restarting the computer and playing again, no new high scores could be saved.

I threw an occasional tantrum about it for weeks, but tonight I got to the bottom of it: Windows Vista protects the preferences file, because it is stored in the Snood folder under Program Files on the hard drive. (And Windows Vista is very protective of the Program Files folder, so it won't let just any program save to it, and Snood is not on the VIP list.)

Luckily, Snood allows you to change where that file is saved in its "Game Preferences" menu, and it will write a new preferences file in the location you choose when you close the program. Vista has a "saved games" folder under each user's default folder, so that's where I told Snood to save its preferences file. Presto! I can save my settings now, and it remembers them!

(Alternatively, you can change the permissions or security settings on that file or folder, allowing Windows Vista to save changes to it. The instructions to do this are out there. Programs designed with Vista in mind have already done this for you.)

I only write this here because it should work for pretty much any program with a protected settings file, as long as the program allows you to change that file's location.

George Washington was a genius.

2008-11-27T04:57:35Z

I just found this on xkcd's blog, via a post Catie made like two years ago. (It was the second-most-recent post I could see, so it's not like I've been reading for a while to get to two years ago... not that there's anything wrong with doing that. But I haven't yet.)

It's a translation of George Washington's farewell address into modern, everyday speech. Read it.

Don't be scared by its length. It's important to know what our first and greatest president established for us, and how we have spent just over 200 years screwing it up ever since.

Also, if you're a nerd like me (or a nerd unlike me), check out the xkcd link above. I've never been a fan of comics really (weird, I know), but this one is so awesome that -- instead of just starting where I came in -- I went back to the beginning and started reading the whole thing. I'm up to #135 or so now, reading 10-20 a day or so.

As Catie so carefully put it, "Read it. Love it. Thank me later."

xkcd is another thing I'm thankful for. So, thanks, Catie.

New Cable Modem with a Wireless Network using Cox High Speed Internet

2008-11-08T21:05:10Z

For the first time since activating this Cox High Speed Internet account over seven years ago, I had to replace the modem. I initially overlooked some simple networking rules, so I had difficulty connecting through my router at first, so I'm sharing my step-by-step guide to make it simpler for someone else.

Before you begin...

The old modem can be disconnected and removed. If a router was used, turn it off and disconnect one computer. This computer will be used to setup the new modem via ethernet cable, so its wireless connection (if it had been using one) should be disabled until the setup process is complete.

Part 1: Setting up the Modem

(1) Plug the coaxial cable (the, uh, "cable" cable) from your internet service provider into the modem.

(2) Power on the modem and wait for the initialization process to complete. Typically it is complete when the internet light is solid.

(3) Connect the computer directly to the modem with an ethernet cable.

(4) Attempt to access the internet. (Any browser should work, in theory. If you have trouble here, you may need to consult the manual or software included with the modem. Otherwise, I would leave that stuff sealed.)

(5) If things are working properly, the install.cox.net web site will load and prompt you to enter your Cox High Speed Internet account information to verify that you are a paying customer eligible to use their network. Once this is completed, your internet will be activated.

If you are not using a router and there are no other computers on the network, you're finished!

Part 2: Restoring the Home Network

(6) Turn on the router.

(7) Connect your computer (the one you just used with the modem) to the router with a wired connection. If a wireless connection is connecting by default, then disable the computer's wireless connection so that the wired connection takes over.

(8) Access your router's options interface and use the "Clone MAC Address" function to clone your computer's MAC address. It is important that the connection is a wired connection (not wireless!), since you just used that same connection with the modem. This MAC address is how Cox knows who is connecting to its service, which is why you must clone the legitimate address to your router in order for the router to receive the internet service.

(9) Once the MAC address is cloned, save the router settings, and allow the router a few seconds to accept the change.

(10) Turn off the router, disconnect all computers from the router, and connect the cable modem to the router.

(11) Then turn the router back on. Its internet light should indicate that it is receiving the internet signal via the modem.

(12) Restore all previous connections to the router, wired and wireless, and your network should be functional again.

This whole process might takes less than 10 minutes, or it could take half an hour.

Where to vote next Tuesday in Georgia

2008-10-31T21:50:21Z

Close to one-third of Georgia's registered voters have already voted. Turnout hasn't been anything near 67% in recent years, so let's just say that's the number we hit this year. That would mean half of Georgia's voters have already voted, and Tuesday won't be so bad (because on Tuesday, the remaining voters will be split among several voting precincts instead of only a few election offices)!

But some of us don't know where to go on Tuesday. Well, have no fear! Georgia's election precinct locator allows you to type in someone's first initial, last name, birthday, and home county... and find out where they vote! (Okay, maybe you can fear a little, although if I was going to stalk somebody, I wouldn't start here.)

Naturally, you're supposed to use it to find your own polling location, but it could be useful for about 90 seconds of fun if you're curious about where a couple of friends or family members vote. You could even be helpful if they're not sure where to go.

Fixing Constant Wireless Disconnects in Vista

2008-10-21T11:46:45Z

Equipment:
Linksys WRT54G v2.2 router (recently upgraded firmware to current version)
Gateway laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium
Realtek RTL8187 Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps USB 2.0 network adapter

Problem?
After a few minutes of considerable network traffic originating from my computer, I would lose my wireless internet connection. Sometimes, just a web page or two would do it.

At first, I was impatient and tried some old tricks. I tried to use Windows' "repair" feature to repair the connection, and it usually told me to fix one thing or another, but it would disconnect a few minutes later and then tell me to fix it back.

Eventually I began to wonder if it was the router. I had never had problems with any other laptops, but the router is about six years old now, and it is sitting under a desk rather than on top of it.

Then I went to my dad's house and noticed that my laptop was doing the same thing on his home network (which uses the same router brand and version). Okay, it's not the router, unless mine is just going bad, so I restored my router's settings and looked deeper into the problem.

Solution?
It remains to be seen whether my problem is really fixed, but as of this morning, I have downloaded some huge files and I haven't had a single disconnect. Things are still downloading now at a good clip, so this is a good sign. Here's what I did:

(1) Open Control Panel
(2) Open Device Manager
(3) Open Network Adapters
(4) FOR EACH item under "Network Adapters, do the following:
(a) Right-click and select "Properties"
(b) Select the "Power Management" tab
(c) UNCHECK "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

I had already done this for my wireless network card weeks ago through the wireless internet settings, but it turns out (so far this morning) that it was the other network adapter that was repeatedly shutting off. Device Manager is the quickest way to get to both of them, so -- done.

Unfortunately, I can't remember whether I have changed any of the router settings off of their default values, but it's working now so I don't want to mess with it. I'll let you know if I experience problems again.