internet & kittens

Finally got the internet today at around 9:15. Evidently they had hooked up someone else. Hrmph. This Apartment building is 30 years old. You would think they figured out how to hook up the right phone line by now. I mean, come on, somebody moves in and out every year, so that's 30 hookups and disconnects. You would think they would figure out a better way.

Anyway. It is currently being tested, and the downloads look like they are coming down at full speed. So I am happy about that.


So, I come home today, and everybody is in my bed.

Biting the hand that feeds you

Or, My trip to the Emergency Room (ER).

This morning at 5:30 or so I am awoke to Brother exchanging words with another tomcat outside my bedroom window. Well, after a few moments of listening to their threats to each other, I roll over to rap on the window to chase the other cat off my window sill so I can get some sleep.

This is where things get interesting.

Brother thought that the tom outside had a compatriot inside who was jumping him. So, he did what any self respecting cat would do, defend himself. Unfortunately for me, this ambush was my hand.

So, quicker then a flash, I have an orange tomcat attached to my arm at the wrist. He quickly realizes his mistake and lets go - while I am still reacting and pulling my arm away. So, he lands next to Sister. Well, this is round 2. Luckily that only lasts a second, and it looks like I am the only one who got any serious damage.

So, off to the bathroom I go to get this cleaned out. No glasses, lots of blood. probably a good thing. Wash wash wash. Brother comes in, crying - like he is saying "I am sorry".

Now to bandage it up. I go to the kitchen, grab the first aid kit out of the laptop bag, and get to work. Still no glasses. I notice my video camera, so I start recording.

So, I know cat bites have this nasty tendency of getting infected. So I know I need to go get it looked at, if not just for some antibiotics.

So, I get it all bandaged up, and go back to bed. I am not messing with going to the doctors at 6am in the morning.



So, about 11am I give my local buddy Jason a call, does he know of any open clinics that are local. No, but a look at the phone book, he gives me some phone numbers. I call them up, nobody is open.

So, I call the number on my insurance card. Rhode Island. I get a couple of places from that person - poor gal, had herself the hiccups. When she read me the number, I kept mis-writing it because she kept interrupting herself. I would read it back with the hiccups included. We had a good laugh.

I call the numbers. It's for the ER. Great, no other choices.

So, off I go. I know I need the cat bite looked after, but man do I feel silly going to the emergency room for it.

So, I get checked in, all that good stuff. The doc takes a look at it. Gonna need X-Rays. "Huh?" Evidently, the cat's teeth can flake or break off, and leave a small piece which will get very infected.

Off to X-Ray. I have to ride in a wheel chair. I ask for a copy. She gave me a CDROM, but it's blank. Darn it, just my luck. Sorry, no pictures of my insides for you.

I got a tetanus shot. They clean everything off real well, and apply antiseptic. Wrap it up. Give me a prescription for Augmentin, which is amoxicillin, and sent me on my way.

A few things I learned today.
1) Don't scare Brother, he reacts badly.
2) 6 hours is too long to wait to see a doctor for a cat bite.
3) Cat bites are 80% likely to become infected.
4) Dog bites are 30% likely to become infected.
5) Human bites are even worse then cat bites.
6) I did a good job doing first aid on myself. It didn't look pretty, but it was the exact same thing the ER did.
7) I still have a lot to learn about video editing. I am trying to use Blender and MediaCoder to get the job done, and it's just frustrating me so far.

Blinken Light

So, I have been staring at this blinken light for the last 3 days now.
It really rubs me the wrong way.
I mean, I paid for EXPRESS SHIPPING so I can stare at this blinken light for 6 days.
Wouldn't you be POed?



So, now the question is, why are YOU staring at the blinken light too?

The more I clean, the messier it gets!

It seems like the more I clean my apartment, the worse it gets. I worked hard last week to get the living room and my bedroom cleared out. I also had the spare bedroom organized enough you could walk between the boxes to get to the fish tank.

Yesterday and today changed all that. Yesterday I dug out all computer gear and the desk and set that all up where it will go. I have yet to plug in a cable - they are in a few differnet boxes that I had to dig out tonight, but that 'area' is set up.

Tonight I moved all the boxes around so I could put my Electronics Hutch along the back wall where it will reside. That invloved filling the living room and my bedroom back up. I tried to move just boxes that will ultimatly get unloaded into the respective rooms, but a few extra ended up in each room.

I got the hutch moved, and unloaded off the carts. I have a really cool idea for building bookshelves around the hutch that will match it. But when I look at the rest of the room, I am not sure if I could utilize the space better or not.

I also put my 110 gallon fish tank in its final resting spot. It's just setting on some sawhorses for now, but I really like it in that spot. I think I will set the big tank up as a Paludarium. I have a basement under me again, and so I can't really set it up as a fish tank without risk of it falling through the floor. I am thinking of doing a waterfall that extends up and out the top of the tank, and having the plants 'grow' beyond the tank to take some of the squareness of the tank away.
We shall see what it turns out like. I need a stand first.

I am really in need of a couch. And a TV. I was looking around, and those new 32 inch LCDs would work out really nice. My entertainment center is occupied with the TV fish tank, but I left enough room to the right to hang a flat TV on the wall. That would work out to be directly in front of the couch that I don't own. The couch I want would be a sleeper sofa, so friends & family have a place to sleep without listening to the computers all night long.

Oh well, one of these days...

23000 miles on the truck.

Well, I rolled over 23000 on my Escape yesterday. And I had my first problem with the new truck, and of course, the one thing that goes wrong isn't covered!

My new truck wouldn't start yesterday. I had to call Katie to come give me a jump start so I could get to work. The lights where fairly bright, but there was no power for the starter. I grabbed my multi-meter, and the voltage was 11.5 volts. When I opened the doors, the voltage dropped down to 10.5 with the door lights on.

Last night I got one of them hydrometer battery testers that measures the specific gravity of the battery acid. Sure enough, 1 cell was completely dead.

1 new battery later, I have to turn the truck on, let it warm up, let it idle for a minute, turn on the AC, let it idle some more, and it's going to drive funny for a while while the transmission re-calibrates itself. Gotta love technology!

Mom, why did you email me your weather?

Cold... it was 45 in my kitchen this morning. I went and bought some fish tank heaters for my aquariums last night, but the water was so cold that I am afraid to use them. I am concerned that the heaters will warm the tanks up so fast that it may kill the fish. Fish don't like drastic temperature changes and I am looking at 15-20 degrees or even more in how ever fast it takes the little heater to work.

It looks to be warming back up a bit for this weekend. So maybe if I am lucky I won't end up with fishcicles.

It's Freezing Cold

Well, it's a Cold day in January! It is freezing cold out. Literally. 32 degrees outside right now.

That means it's in the mid 50s in the barn, where I live.

The cats where all curled up with me last night. Normally sister sleeps at the foot of the bed, but her and brother where curled up tight last night.

I am curious as to how cold it will be in the bathroom tomorrow morning.

My new truck is now WHITE!!!

 The Everglades are burning. Something like 11,000 acres are currently on fire just west of where I am currently working. I had left the sunroof open on the truck - not all the way open, but tipped up - and when I got done with work, my brand new truck wsa full of ash! I had to fiddle with the power windows at 70mph to clear it all out!


 Here are some photos of the sunset and the smoke from the fire.
 
 

Working from home

I had the day off from my old job today, and tried to work from home for my new job. Working from home was so hard. I am not really set up for that. My desk isn't big enough to hold anything after the 2 19" are on it. I don't have anywhere to put anything. The whole corner is just ready to cave in on me.

 I can pick up either this bookshelf or bakers rack for $100 at Target. I am thinking for half the money, can make something a little simpler that would work just as well for me.


 I think I am going to wander over to Lowes tomorrow and see what there is to see.


I just gotta do something with my space if I am going to be spending any time working from home.

Cursed!

Somebody by the name of AJ commented on a post last night something about a "Mercury RetroGrade" in which stuff doesn't work.
Well, wouldn't you know. I fought ALL DAY LONG today with stuff breaking on my website at work that shouldn't have broken.
I had code that has worked great for a year, hasn't been touched in a month, start double posting today. No reason, just out of the blue.
I spent 2 hours chasing after a stray comma that affected IE and not FF - probably because I have a javascript debugger in FF and not IE. I have yet to figure javascript out.
It's just been a WAAaaaa day.

AJ, Thanks but no thanks.
At least your curse is over tomorrow!

Catching up on car photos.

It looks like Picassa can finally post to blogger! YAY! Thanks to the folks at Google. It took long enough! The Picassa/Blogger link is a killer app in my book. Thanks for not making me have to look for a replacement.

Anyway...

I posted a few posts to my car blog to catch up...

• www.YouParkLikeAnAssHole.com/


• LUDE


• GOBUGGO


• Karmon Gia


• 1 BMG


• Squint


• 275 G


• Old Firetruck



• FOXX


• US Airways.


• My Love 5


• RAM TOOL


• Tailgating


• Busiest Highway in Wisconsin


• Stretch Excursion


• SPLOCH


• MANGIAA



• WCKED


• GOD FEY


• I CAR 02


• BECSPNY


• HIGGY S

Upgrading to Beta Blogger

How Frustrating.

I have been watching Blogger Beta for a while now, wanting access at the "labels" feature. These would give me a great way to organize my blog on topics and not just by date. My posts have a few natural groups and no easy way to clump them together.

I would switch to wordpress, simplog, or roll my own blog engine except that, well, I am a Google Geek and use all of their tools. Picassa & Docs (which is what I am writing this post in right now with), gmail, and the list goes on. Everything just works so well together. I don't dislike blogger, I just want some of the "modern" features that beta promises.

So, today I come across http://knownissues.blogspot.com/2006/10/initial-release-of-blogthis-from-picasa.html which says Picassa is now supposed to work with Blogger Beta. Great! A friend tested it for me and he got it to work.

I make the switch.

Ohhps!

Guess what, it doesn't work! I can't use the new templates because I FTP publish my site (please don't let FTP publishing die Blogger, PLEASE!). OK, no biggie, I am clever, I still have the original blog that I don't FTP to my sever. I can play with the template there, and copy it to my main blog. WRONG. Well, when they publish an API, hopefully they let me emulate the features I want via AJAX or something.

However, the bad news doesn't stop there! Oh No. I can't publish to my main blogs with Picassa. I can publish to the test blog. Great. Either a template issue or an FTP issue. I did a lot of twiddleing with this and that. The only thing I can come up with is that it's either the template or FTP publishing.

Blogger, what are you guys doing over there? Why does my choice in DISPLAYING a blog affect how your software ACCEPTS it?

Frustrated. I broke my blog even though I was being very careful not to.

HELP!

Pomegranates...

I was madder then a wet hen at work today. So I decided I needed to eat a Pomegranate.

I don't think Pomegrantes are designed to be peeled like oranges. I hurt my thumb by lifting the nail trying to peel it this way.

I am a putz, I need to ptuz with stuff. To blow off steam from the day I needed to fiddle with something that I don't have to worry about breaking. What better then eating a Chinese Apple as they are called one Kernal at a time. I am half way through eating my Pomegranate and I am feeling better aleady.

There is something rewarding about ripping an object apart and shoving the peices into your mouth after a hard day at work. Almost as relaxing as shooting a rifle.

Anyway, why I am mad. I again had the realization that organizations are run by people, and people by and by are basically clueless. I have been told, and have spent a lot of time at work operating under a particular premise. Well, I learned in the last 2 working days that the powers that be had no !@#$%^ clue and pulled said premise out of the only orface that is opposite the direction they SHOULD be looking. They would still be clueless tomarrow if I wasn't there to figure it out for them.

I feel taken advantage of and lied to

Again

Did you know that a signifacant portion is under 3%. Feh...

***

I still remember the feeling when I realized a few years ago that the people who make stuff are just like you and me. Boeng airplanes, your car, guns, washmachines, microwaves. All designed by people. Persons. Individuals. The guy and gal that just walked past you on the sidewalk.

Bizarre  

Walmart checkout lines

The lines at Walmart are getting so bad that they decided to put in TVs to keep the waiting customers occupied.

This is a obvious ackowlegement on Walmart's behalf that they knowingly have a wait in the checkout line.

Lets not staff a few more checkout lines, lets entertain them while they wait. Feed them commercials, they will come back.

Two different stores, both with TVs installed at the checkouts.
 

Blogging from my cell phone. Gas pumps. What causes them to slow down to a stop when it gets cold out. I was at a station and had to leave.

Cries

 $350 down the drain. There aren't enough (non-screen) broken ones to fix this one.

!@#$%^& 

Finally some flipp'n rain!

Hey Mr. Weatherman, if your gonna shut down half of a bloody State over a little bit of bad weather, at least let it RAIN the first day. The anticipation is driving me NUTS! I have done more walking in the sunshine today then I have in a good long time. What's the big idea, waiting until night before you send the rain. I can't watch it pour out in the dark! Your taking all the fun out of the bad weather Mr. Weatherman.

Ok, enough complaining.

I have today and tomarrow off. Well, I did work a little today. I walked over to the office to close the last of the hurricane shutters that we left up so the cleaning crew could do their job. It was rolled down when I got there, so maybe the cleaners did it? The other thing I did was add the words "and Wednesday, August 30, 2006" to the website. I hope this means I get paid for a full day of work!

It looks like Cuba took all the fight out of Ernesto. I am glad I am not on the north east coast of Cuba right now. 

So tired but can't sleep

I am tired. I have no clue what time it is. My alarm clock says quarter to twelve, my computer says quarter to eleven. My body agrees with my alarm clock and my cell phone agrees with with my computer. I sync with my alarm clock and my PDA/cell syncs with the PC, so of course that is how the alliances shall lay.

The clock on the wall is no help, the hour and minute hands haven't moved since my migration to Fort Lauderdale from Boynton Beach, however the second hand happly makes the trip every minute. On top of that, the clock says "Who Cares"...

The fish are just as confused as I am. My TV tank light is ran by the timer way back in the corner. It is nearly impossible to reach. I haven't reset it since the clock change a few weeks ago now. I am too tired to futz with it right now. I won't think of fixing it later on this week either.

I think the wall clock has cast the deciding vote.

I am still so tired but can't sleep.

 

One of those days....

I saw this photo on Flickr and I just related. That is the best I can put it. I feel THAT right now.

Have you ever had one of those days...

It seems like lately me and my friends have just been beat down by work. Two of my co-workers were mad as... well... mad as I have ever seen either of them today. I got a whole lot of nothing done today. It looks like I have the same on the schedule for tomarrow. Doing stupid stuff for stupid reasons, and gonna make more work for other people because of it. I hate making work for other people. That is why I program, computers don't MIND doing the same boring, stupid stuff all day long, day in and day out. To the person who gives the first computer self-perception, and the machine DOES mind doing the same boring, stupid stuff all day long - I am going to lock you into a small room with it with lots of water and stale bread crusts and NOTHING to do but to complain to each other about how bad your current situation sucks.

 

*CRIES*

 Before


 After

Freezing up....

Ok, so it is cold out. If you ask the locals, they will tell you it is "damn cold" out.

Well, I have that new-fangled cooler, right? The one that cools the inside down 44 degrees cooler then the outside. Well, when the outside is cold, the inside is colder. My cooler has become a freezer. As the photograph suggests, I now need to defrost my cooler - it was making a aweful squealing sound as the fan was rubbing against the ice. Now, according to every other set of instructions but the set that came with my cooler, you can just switch the wireing around, setting it to warm, and in 15 minutes, you have de-frosted your cooler. Not me, no, why can't I ever have something nice?

That little switch to make this thing work the way I want it to is looking more and more important. I guess owning junk has it's benifits, I get to play with my junk like other people can't play with their "nice" stuff. 

Why?

Why would somebody take a photo of this? It is an exersize machine. There isn't some sexy athlete on it. Just an exercize machine and a box and some other junk in a corner.

Mom, why would you then SEND this photo that you took to your son? What is so special about it? You never said what I am supposed to get out of this photo.

The coolest feature on these digital camera is that little delete button so you can remove a photo before you get the urge to send some random image to your son. You could save people HOURS of torment trying to decipher some hidden meaning. Are you saying that I should get one?

I just don't get it.

Why? 

Yet another reason....

why I dislike Microsoft.

[begin rant]

Amy bought an XBox over a year ago, right? I bought a controller that came with a headset and a free trial to XBox Live. I thought I would give it a go. I put in the card, and it needed a credit card to activate the service. I had THOUGHT I had selected to NOT automatically bill me.

I no longer have access to the console. It was never mine, it was Amy's it has been in STORAGE for 4 months now.

I get my bank statement, and I am billed $49.95 or something like that. Ok, not a problem, I give them a call, and get it sorted out. WRONG. They must be using windows on their phone system. I call the phone number that is part of the charge. I fuss with their menu system, the computer tells me that it could take a while do to high call volume, and prompts me for my selection. I make my selection, and it starts go to into the next set of options and beep beep beep beep - they hang up on me. I try it again, same thing. By now I know the dialing sequence, so I jump the menus and get another layer deep into the menu before I get hung up on.

I go back and see if I had been billed before. I had, I got billed a year ago. I paid for a year of service I never used. Moral, check your bank statements carefully. Anyhow, I call THAT phone number as it is different then on the more recent charge. The computer answers, says it is MSN something rather or another, utters the usual gibberish in a foreign language to select that other language. The computer then hangs up on me, mid gibberish.

ENOUGH

You charging me for a service I never used AT LEAST ANSWER THE BLOODY PHONE. Heaven knows I PAID for it.

[/end rant]