Is this thing on?....

Lets see if anyone actually reads this.. (or at least geeks)
Been looking for a couple things and I'm hoping for some input.

1. With my now living Ipod, I would like some utilities for both Windows and Linux that dont depend on the OS (run from their own directory and dont require an install)
Mostly I'm looking for tech-support and trouble shooting stuff. Already got several things from sysinternals including a very reudimentary protocol analyzer, but I truly wish ethereal worked T-T
So far no linux apps, as I suck at the Linux. Which brings me to my next question.

2. Been wanting to get deeper into linux for awhile. Played with lots of dists over the years, and now im fairly fond of Fedora. (watches the true Linux geeks die) and Gentoo really interests me. But I failed at an install at the begining of summer, just refused its first boot...

However, for the purposes of learning (and for a possible stupid blog trick) I want something thats going to install and give me a decent configuration in a day (overnight is ok) and Gentoo doesnt really fit that bill. I like having a GUI, (preferably KDE, maybe gnome as a 2nd, not really ready to play with anything else) and while im not afraid of a Gentoo type install, debian and slackware annoy the heck out of me with questions (that I usually dont understand) if I do a custom install.

So... ideas? theres a comment button below.

On the election front (the last I swear) I promised to do this, and I want to get it out of the way (hell even I am burned out on it) so here goes as quick as possible.

I had
Bush: 275
Kerry: 253
Giving Bush New Mexico, Colorado, Minesota, and Alaska he has 255.
Giving Kerry Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampsire and Hawaii.

I was wrong. It ended up

Bush: 286
Kerry: 252
Kerry got MN and Bush got Indiana and Nevada. (CNN still has New Hampsire as a tossup, not sure if thats just because they quit updating tho.)
So I was wrong on that (but not the outcome) and a cursory glance shows I cant add either. Oh well, as I said, I'm more than over it.

Last thing: kitch, youre a lucky girl, you got a ticket, not all do. Now get on the train before it leaves the station.

Links of the day!

Spamer goes to jail! (I'd prefer hell)
The new internet standard, Infinate Monkies!
Now that my Ipod is back, someone buy me this