I am done with Blogger
Posted on November 6, 2007 in the Ranting, Technology category
The first year or so of this blog went rather well from a hosting standpoint - I had been using Blogspot as the host and there was never a problem. That all changed a couple of months ago when I switched to my own hosting via 1and1.com that I experience issues. I have had enough abuse, so I am moving on to WordPress.
I am sure you have run into the issue where publishing a post becomes a nightmare. On and off for several weeks now (about 50% of the time or more) I get an error “Your publish is taking longer than expected. To continue waiting for it to finish, click here.” This error could reoccur for just a few minutes up to a couple of days at a time (usually several hours) which is incredibly frustrating. I publish via FTP because I have my own hosting and this seems to be a common issue among other self-hosted blogs. After spending hours searching through Google forums among other, I have decided to switch as many others have already done. Its strange to note that, I found this thread in Google Groups about this very issue that was initiated about when I started having problems as well. A Blogger Employee had offered a couple of responses and the obligatory “I will get back to you” type of reponse - that was 2 months ago, still with no resolution.
So off I go - hopefully the process wont be too painful. I hope to be done with it by next week sometime. Anyone else have this same issue? Are you going to change?
Steven King’s - The Mist
Posted on November 6, 2007 in the My Stumbles, Ranting category
I was just checking out the trailers for The Mist by Stephen King and have to say that it looks intriguing. I enjoyed the very candid interview with director Frank Darabont(Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) that had some amusing anecdotes about his experience with the film.
An underlying theme in this movie seems to be about the breakdown of our society or relationships in times of intense hardship. People’s true nature can be revealed when faced with adversity - perhaps the “fight or flight” response. It got me thinking of a time that I found myself in a threatening situation.
We lived in Upstate New York for a few years when I was young. I was about 8 or 9 years old - we lived in a trailer park. One day, a group of us guys decided that we wanted to ride on some new bike trails that were down the road. The problem was that to get there, we had to ride past this really spooky castle-house. Some guy decided to build a mini-castle out of stone (I’m guessing the trailer park wasn’t there when he started) and then surround his place with gi-normous Rottweilers and Dobermans. I think there were 3 of each - all chained up outside. Of course, with a place like this comes the neighborhood lore - for example, under the castle were a network of tunnels and the dogs where there to guard whatever secrets were in them. Then there was the story of a Rotty breaking through his 3 inch chain to run down and attack a little boy. Completely unsubstantiated of course.
There were 5 of us, I think, that began our adventure that day. A group of boys - normally rowdy and yelling - became stoic as we passed by the castle, looking for any sign of a dog or broken chain. We made it by without incident (dogs must have been sleeping) and proceeded to the bike trails. After a couple hours of riding, we had to make the trip for the second time past the castle. This time was a bit different - we immediately notice 2 of the Rottweilers and a Doberman patrolling the sides of the yard. We stop dead in our tracks as they zero in on us. Having backed off a bit, we discussed our options. Most of you may understand boyhood bravado - everyone decided that we just needed a running start to race past the waiting dogs. Everyone but me that is - I wanted to call my mom and get a ride home. Having voiced my opinion and then being laughed at, we reversed course to get our running start. We got our bikes going as fast as we could, with me trailing behind of course. The dogs came rushing to the property edge, barking and snarling all the way. I watched as each of my friends made it by unscathed and thought that I actually had a chance. As I go racing by, my pant leg gets caught in my chain and slows me down - and I begin crying like a baby. One of the Rottweilers run into the road and starts barking at me - just inches from my legs. I rip my pants out of the chain and get back on my bike - still screaming like a girl. The dog chased me for a bit and then turned around, I was surprised to have made it with all my toes intact.
I get back to relative safety only to find that my “friends” had fallen off their bikes in laughter as they watched me escape death. This incident provided fodder for weeks of jokes.
Into the woods
Posted on November 6, 2007 in the Stay At Home Dad category
I took the kids out for a walk yesterday afternoon. Usually we go down to the grandparents house to see the horses, however, when I asked Vincent, he informed me that he wanted to go in our back yard.
Now, lately, we have had several deer roaming around - they had been attracted to the tomatoes I had planted but now seem to think our back yard is their personal toilet. On two separate occasions in the last few days I would show Vinny the deer in the back yard just as they decide to release their bladders or bowels. I am pretty sure Vin didn’t notice.
So, Vin gets the idea that he wants to go into the woods behind our house to look for deer. Sure, why not? As we approach the entrance (where the deer commonly congregate) , in a not-so-subtle tone and volume, Vinny says “Daddy! Quiet! Deer!” I am not a hunter or wildlife expert but I am fairly certain his exclamation scared any deer in a 5 mile radius. The funny part is that he kept shouting variations on this theme for the next five minutes. I suppose I shouldn’t expect a 22 month old to understand the subtleties of stealth.
With Simon stuck to my hip and Vinny stalking deer, we walked on until we arrived at the river that borders the back of my property. Vin decided there weren’t enough sticks in the river so spent several minutes trying to remedy the situation. Afterwards, he instructed Simon and I to sit next to him on the forest floor while he explored the detritus and attacked unassuming trees with their own limbs. It was getting rather chilly so I schemed to get Vinny to want to go back inside by asking him if he wanted to wash his hands - I don’t know why but he is a sucker for it every time.
Video phone - the future is here!
Posted on November 5, 2007 in the Technology category
I have been the proud owner of this Packet 8 Video Phone for about a month now and I am pretty psyched. Packet 8 offers residential phone service and business communications solutions via their voice over internet protocol (VOIP) service.
The first, and most important, aspect that I love about this phone is, of course, the video part of it. Both my parents and my sister live in various parts of Florida and my grandparents and uncles live in Alabama. It is sad to think that most of them haven’t met my sons yet - their relationship is based on pictures. With this phone, we are able to call each other and the assorted aunties, uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents can see how absurdly cute and funny the kids are. The phone’s camera is able to capture all of the kids romping and playing because of its 180 degree rotating camera.
The video quality is great on the generous 5″ display and we don’t have to worry about looking like a horribly dubbed “Godzilla” remake with out-of-sync sound. What I find amazing is that I will save over $1000 (yes, one-thousand) this year alone on my long distance calling. Having family hundreds of miles away and constant out-of-state business calls, I would easily spend over $100 a month on a traditional phone bill so, with an Unlimited Calling Plan for about $25, the savings add up quickly. Oh, and you don’t have to get a video phone - they offer standard VOIP adapters as well so you would just plug in a regular old phone and still take advantage of the savings.
If you already have a high-speed internet connection like DSL or Cable and you are paying over $25 on your phone bill - you need to switch. All you need to do is order your phone and pick a service plan. Setting it up could not get much easier - the time it took me to open the package was actually longer than it took to plug it in and make a call. Really - no joke. And the interface is quite intuitive as well.
Luckiest guy around
Posted on November 4, 2007 in the Ranting category
For most accounts, I was not a fan of childhood. My earliest memory, I was about 2, was walking into our bathroom (painted in putrid 70’s yellow) to find my mom and sister crying over the body of our dead dog. Of course at the time I did not realize it was dead but it’s still a crappy memory.
One of my favorite memories was when I was 5ish. The house we were living in had a ton of flies around - my dad showed me how to catch them and then feed them to the banana spider that lived outside our front door. I only found out a couple of years ago that my memory was playing tricks on me - it wasn’t my dad that I remembered, just some guy we were sharing a duplex with. It’s no longer one of my favorite memories.
Then my parents got divorced when I was about 3 I think. Yeah, “whaaa, whaaa” half of America has divorced parents, I know. But stick with me. It was fairly ugly, induced by excessive drugs, alcohol, and philandering. So I bounced back and forth for several years between parents and grandparents in a highly unstable environment. Drugs and alcohol were still an issue for several years - I actually remember watching my parents take whatever pills, smoke whatever pot, and snort whatever powder they could find. My mom took me away from my dad in an effort to provide stability only to move in with her alcoholic, cocaine addict brother. When that didn’t work, my mom tried clinging to any guy that would put up with us kids - so it was great getting used to a new guy every few months.
She finally “settled down” and married some guy that ended up moving us 1300 miles from the rest of our family. This, too, ended up in divorce and we found ourselves on our own again. My mom struggled to make the best of it for us and did an OK job for a while, things basically smoothed out by the last couple years of high school.
Keep in mind this is a broad overview - obviously things have been left out and your mind tends to remember things in a certain way. I am just saying that this is how things happed as I remember them. Recently I realized one insanely important thing about my growing up. No matter how much my parents sucked at raising us and teaching us the tools we needed to succeed in school and beyond, everyone that had a hand in raising me always told me that I can do absolutely anything I wanted with my life. They weren’t just giving me permission, they affirmed that I am capable of doing anything I wanted. I realize that many going through a similar situation would end up doomed to repeat their parent’s mistakes if this affirmation was missing. Without belief in yourself, it would be impossible to better your place in life. It wouldn’t matter how many skills you learned or were taught if you didn’t have the belief that you could use them to your benefit. No matter how many crappy things that have happened in the past, I know that I am better than that and I have the drive to make my own future and for that I am thankful.
Thanks Colleen.
Golf naked
Posted on November 2, 2007 in the My Stumbles, Stay At Home Dad category
I don’t remember when I last was able to just hit the driving range let alone an actual full round of golf. Being a stay at home dad, I found it discouraging that most courses do not supply a baby sitter or designated driver. I mean, really, don’t they know who their clientèle is? And I have yet to find a “clothing optional” course, but that is a different story.
So what is a stay at home dad to do? Its not like I could just double-bag the boys with an extra diaper and leave them home with a large bowl of food in the middle of the living room. I could never forgive myself if they ruined my hardwood floor, not to mention the fact that I don’t even have a car right now. Oh, to top it all off, it is dangerously close to winter and most clubs up here are closing up shop.
I have found that, the only way to cure my golf-ball-blues, is to play right here at home at The Links Country Club. Links features stunning realistic views of the courses - some of which are actual PGA courses. There are also tons of add-on courses, animations, and sounds. Couple this with online tournament play with over 1,500 active players and you have quite a good deal.
If you are like me and barely have the time to pack your cooler, get out on the Links and play PC golf today!
WGA Strike - Milli Vanilli hold press conference
Posted on November 1, 2007 in the Ranting category
First let me start by saying that I highly doubt that the strike will actually happen and, if it does, it will be less than a day. The reason? MONEY. Tons of advertiser money would be going down the tubes if primetime shows have to play reruns. This, of course, would really tick off the advertisers who likely pay a premium to have spots run during a first-run show versus a repeat. If you tick off the advertisers, they wont pay for your show, and you are worse off than before.
Actually, the real shocker for me is finding out that late show hosts (i.e. Leno, Letterman, Stewart) need help writing material. Huh?! I thought they were pros, comedians, whatever you want to call them, were genuinely funny, witty guys. So are you telling me that they just deliver what is written for them? I kind of feel like I did when I found out Milli Vanilli were fakes.
National Memory Screening Day
Posted on November 1, 2007 in the Health category
If I wasn’t under 30, I’d probably think I had a problem. I am forgetting things all the time - most likely from the utter lack of sleep and constant interruptions from my 2 little distractions named Vincent and Simon. In all seriousness though, everyone out there has older relatives. As such, you have likely thought about the possibility that they may develop memory issues as time passes.
National Memory Screening Day is an annual event held each November, this year, it happens to be on the 13th. The idea is that you can get screened for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related illnesses. I am sure you all understand the importance of getting a mammogram or colonoscopy as it relates to early cancer detection - so just think of this as a colonoscopy for your mind, just not as invasive:)
To attend, you first need to find a screening site near you. In the meantime, you can check out the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website for successful aging tips. You can just call it an early Christmas present from me to you. Everybody knows how important it is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, however, until we see that day, we cannot forget those that are already stricken by the disease. While you are at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website, please donate! Don’t be a cheapskate either - instead of getting that second cup of gourmet coffee, give your $20 to someone who actually needs it.
On borrowed time
Posted on November 1, 2007 in the Ranting, Stay At Home Dad category
Uggg . . . finally have a few minutes to myself. Days can become so hectic and busy with children that its difficult to find the time to do those silly things adults like to do like bathe or go to the bathroom. For those that think you might try working at home to spend more time with you kids - sure, its great, but you can forget about the “work” part of it.
But even though I didn’t plan on things happening like this, it is what I signed up for so I have to make the best of it. So instead of doing selfish things like sleeping or hanging out with some friends, I stay up after everyone else goes to bed so I can clean up the disaster from twister-twins Vinny and Simon and (maybe) get some work done. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to come across as if I were complaining. I don’t get to talk with many adults so it would be horrible to squander my time with negativity.
More than anything, I am just giving myself a reality check. I have to keep in mind that, after God, my children are my number one priority. Trying to work during the day doesn’t even make the top 5 - much less any of my own interests. Its when these priorities get out of whack that things go from hectic to downright frustrating and nearly impossible. I find that “bad days” tend to be the ones that work or selfish pursuits take place over the boys. Its a daily battle when priorities are jockeying for position, however, when family comes first, the rest of the day goes much more smoothly.
I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas
Posted on October 30, 2007 in the Uncategorized category
Well, as long as there’s snow of course. Let me explain.
Really from Halloween through New Years it’s just one long celebration. Its seems, too, that the focus is on BIG parties, BIG food, BIG trees, and even BIGGER bills. Well why not find a way to reduce how much you spend on electricity this year by checking out LED Christmas tree lights.
I remember last year around this time, we started putting up lights for Halloween. Nothing fancy, just some mood lighting and things to make the place even more spooky than it usually is. Then there was Christmas lighting - strand upon strand of inefficient incandescent lights. Sure it looked great at first but the love affair was short-lived once I got the first electric bill. I couldn’t believe that in just one month my bill jumped nearly 40% because of the lighting.
Regular readers of my blog know that I am not into ridiculous tree-hugging hippie crap. What I don’t understand is the disconnect between being a conservative and wanting to practice conservation. Really folks - it’s the same root word “conserve”. It’s not about politics, it’s about dollars and the fact is that LED string lighting saves 80-90% over your standard incandescent lights. They look just as good or even better and they last much longer.
So does this mean I going to go out next week and start buying up carbon credits and only showering once a month? Not a chance, but during the Christmas season I will have an extra $30-$40 in my pocket at the end of each month, how about you?
