It's only Tuesday and it has already been a VERY emotionally draining week.
Monday morning, the IT division was greeted by an email from our VP of Information Technology. It was sent shortly before 6pm on Friday and addressed customer service and the use of policies and procedures in such. Here is an excerpt...
The statement 'I fouled up, but I followed the procedures' is to me completely equivalent to 'I fouled up'. The statement 'I saw a disaster coming and did nothing, but there was no procedure that made it my responsibility' is to me completely equivalent to 'I saw a disaster coming and did nothing'. The statement 'I could have helped a customer, but I did nothing to help because I didn't have a rule that told me what to do' is to me completely equivalent to 'I could have helped a customer, but I did nothing to help'.
It didn't help that I was involved in a support call from our University Provost that could be percieved as part catalyst for this email. Not that I didn't do everything within my power and abilities to do but my actions and the circumstances surrounding them may have been percieved incorrectly.
Within an hour later, I would receive news that a coworker had died over the weekend. We all knew he had been having heart trouble and he had even had angioplasty (the balloons and stints in the arteries) on Thursday. Apparently, while trying to be away from the worries of everyday life, he had a heart attack and was unrevivable.
Although our relationship was mostly professional in nature, he occupied the office next to mine and I will miss him.
Yesterday afternoon, the Technology Support area was invited to a meeting to discuss the reorganization. The other shoe was going to drop this morning at 10am.
I just returned from that meeting and the best I can say is that I am seriously emotionaly conflicted. I am disappointed that I will be continuing with email support rather than in training. I am glad that I will be continuing to work with my friend and mentor, Ron King. I am worried that Ron and I will be working under a person neither of us trusts. I am sad that our Training and Office Automation team - the one team within the IT division that I feel works most efficiently - has been dismantled. Ron and I are now seperate from our other members Eric Jackson, Wes Higgs and Estee Eubanks.
The fact that it's been raining for the past two days doesn't help, either.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Friday, September 26, 2003
Dr. Detroit
In an effort to catch up on all the news that's not fit for human consumption, I present to you... my trip to Detroit.
On September 3rd, my wife received a phone call from her mother informing her that her great aunt, Auntie Al (short for Alice), was critically ill. Although she had been to the hospital, she decided that she wanted to die at home where she was most comfortable. Hospice care was setup and they, having some experience in these matters, told auntie Al's family it was a matter of days to weeks rather than weeks to months.
When asked if she intended to go up for a visit, my mother-in-law said no. Feeling that she might regret it later, my wife checked into last minute flights Thursday morning at Travelocity. Knowing a good deal when she saw one (and since my wife agreed to go with her), my mother-in-law decided it might be worth it to go say good-bye. Later that morning, my wife booked a flight for her and her mother.
My wife called me and told me she was going to detroit. When I asked if she wanted me to go as well (that's the way it works in my family), she told me, "no, you don't need to." Later in the afternoon, she realized what she had said and asked, "...unless you wanted to go."
I checked and could match their flights but at additional cost. I'm always up for a trip but couldn't decide if I really wanted to invite myself along. In the end, I didn't decide until Thursday evening at a point where it would cost me about $75 more and I had to stay an additional day.
When my wife heard about the additional day she asked, "Are you sure you'll be alright? You'll be in a strange town where you don't know anybody with nothing to do."
"Trust me, I'll be in a new town with a rental car. I'll find something to do."
The first part of the weekend went alright. We arrived late Friday night and learned that Auntie Al had passed away that morning. Sad as that was, Auntie Al was in her 90s and was ready to go home. We spent some time meeting with Auntie Al's kids and their families as well as my mother-in-law's siblings. Some people might find that boring but I found it fascinating to listen to family stories and observe how they remembered the deceased.
After I dropped my wife and mother-in-law at the airport Sunday evening, I spent some time exploring detroit then returned to the hotel. At the hotel, I plugged into the high-speed network port and, using smartpages, google and mappoint, planned my day of freedom.
Next time(ish) - What I did on my Detroit vacation and how internet directions will always get you lost.
On September 3rd, my wife received a phone call from her mother informing her that her great aunt, Auntie Al (short for Alice), was critically ill. Although she had been to the hospital, she decided that she wanted to die at home where she was most comfortable. Hospice care was setup and they, having some experience in these matters, told auntie Al's family it was a matter of days to weeks rather than weeks to months.
When asked if she intended to go up for a visit, my mother-in-law said no. Feeling that she might regret it later, my wife checked into last minute flights Thursday morning at Travelocity. Knowing a good deal when she saw one (and since my wife agreed to go with her), my mother-in-law decided it might be worth it to go say good-bye. Later that morning, my wife booked a flight for her and her mother.
My wife called me and told me she was going to detroit. When I asked if she wanted me to go as well (that's the way it works in my family), she told me, "no, you don't need to." Later in the afternoon, she realized what she had said and asked, "...unless you wanted to go."
I checked and could match their flights but at additional cost. I'm always up for a trip but couldn't decide if I really wanted to invite myself along. In the end, I didn't decide until Thursday evening at a point where it would cost me about $75 more and I had to stay an additional day.
When my wife heard about the additional day she asked, "Are you sure you'll be alright? You'll be in a strange town where you don't know anybody with nothing to do."
"Trust me, I'll be in a new town with a rental car. I'll find something to do."
The first part of the weekend went alright. We arrived late Friday night and learned that Auntie Al had passed away that morning. Sad as that was, Auntie Al was in her 90s and was ready to go home. We spent some time meeting with Auntie Al's kids and their families as well as my mother-in-law's siblings. Some people might find that boring but I found it fascinating to listen to family stories and observe how they remembered the deceased.
After I dropped my wife and mother-in-law at the airport Sunday evening, I spent some time exploring detroit then returned to the hotel. At the hotel, I plugged into the high-speed network port and, using smartpages, google and mappoint, planned my day of freedom.
Next time(ish) - What I did on my Detroit vacation and how internet directions will always get you lost.
The French are such cards
I am so ashamed to say I am part French... and so glad to say I'm mostly... well, let's leave that out just in case. Let's say I'm glad to say I'm American.
Why am I ashamed of my French heritage? Because of this. A French author, Thierry Meyssan, created a deck of cards naming the "most dangerous" U.S. leaders. The deck takes a jab at the Iraqi most wanted cards given to U.S. soldiers hunting down the likes of Saddam Hussein and "Chemical Ali".
In a CNN.com article, Meyssan is quoted as saying, "I found it completely indecent to present a manhunt as a game..." He completely missed the point.
I have friends in the military. When you're on an operation in a foreign country, especially in hostile territory, there's not much to do on your downtime. It's not like you can run to the mall and hang out. One of the favorite pasttimes is cards. Whether it be solitaire, gin rummy or a group poker game, cards are portable, cheap and versitile.
So, if you want to have your soldiers familiarize themselves with the names and faces of the people they're looking for, you don't hang posters everywhere... you put those faces right in front of the soldiers. By putting them on playing cards, you force them to look at them while they're relaxing and you force them to look at them over and over and over. Plus, you have the added bonus of giving them a handy reference they can - and will - carry with them.
Just imagine two soldiers on watch. A man walks by near their checkpoint.
"Say, Fred, isn't that the ten of hearts."
"Gee, Wally, I think you're right."
"I have my cards right here, Fred, let's check him out."
"Okay, Wally. And after we capture him, we can sit down for a rousing game of 'go fish'."
Of course, Meyssan's attitude didn't surprise me once I learned he is the author of a one-time French best seller, "9-11: The Big Lie," claiming that no plane ever crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, and that the attacks were plotted by a faction within the U.S. military. Yeah... RIGHT!
Tell you what: If you're American, raise your hand. If you're French, raise both hands.
Why am I ashamed of my French heritage? Because of this. A French author, Thierry Meyssan, created a deck of cards naming the "most dangerous" U.S. leaders. The deck takes a jab at the Iraqi most wanted cards given to U.S. soldiers hunting down the likes of Saddam Hussein and "Chemical Ali".
In a CNN.com article, Meyssan is quoted as saying, "I found it completely indecent to present a manhunt as a game..." He completely missed the point.
I have friends in the military. When you're on an operation in a foreign country, especially in hostile territory, there's not much to do on your downtime. It's not like you can run to the mall and hang out. One of the favorite pasttimes is cards. Whether it be solitaire, gin rummy or a group poker game, cards are portable, cheap and versitile.
So, if you want to have your soldiers familiarize themselves with the names and faces of the people they're looking for, you don't hang posters everywhere... you put those faces right in front of the soldiers. By putting them on playing cards, you force them to look at them while they're relaxing and you force them to look at them over and over and over. Plus, you have the added bonus of giving them a handy reference they can - and will - carry with them.
Just imagine two soldiers on watch. A man walks by near their checkpoint.
"Say, Fred, isn't that the ten of hearts."
"Gee, Wally, I think you're right."
"I have my cards right here, Fred, let's check him out."
"Okay, Wally. And after we capture him, we can sit down for a rousing game of 'go fish'."
Of course, Meyssan's attitude didn't surprise me once I learned he is the author of a one-time French best seller, "9-11: The Big Lie," claiming that no plane ever crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, and that the attacks were plotted by a faction within the U.S. military. Yeah... RIGHT!
Tell you what: If you're American, raise your hand. If you're French, raise both hands.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
What the hell happened to Saturday morning TV?
I remember growing up watching Saturday morning TV. Five or six hours filled with cartoons and live-action shows from Sid & Marty Krofft. There was Scooby Doo (before that little insurgent, Scrappy, showed up!), The Superfriends, Space Ghost (and Dynomut), and Hong Kong Phooey for crying out loud. We also had Dr. Shrinker, Big John/Little John , The Lost Saucer, and who could forget Sigmund the Sea Monster and Pufnstuf?
I remember the broadcast stations holding prime-time preview shows for Saturday morning television. Me and my two siblings held the television hostage just to find out what we were going to be watching over the weekend.
We'd get up, kick on the TV, grab a bowl of cereal and veg out on the sofa (more likely the floor) in our pajamas until it was noon and the sports shows came on. Those were the days.
Now you kick on the TV on Saturday morning and get news... more news... news for kids... infomercials (ARGH!!)... and a morning magazine show. They don't even have reruns of Looney Toons! What's wrong with these people? Didn't they have a childhood!?
I'll tell you what happened: Action figures. That's right, action figures. Those stupid little 3-inch molded plastic action figures. In 1982, after a 4-year hiatus, Hasbro introduced G.I. JOE, A Real American Hero in a new 3-3/4-inch size. They also launched a popular G.I. JOE licensing program with Marvel Comics. Suddenly, there was a tie-in to the cartoons and comics. Within two years, G.I. JOE brands sells over $150 million and $50 million in licensed product. (source)
The public panicked. Mothers and fathers who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons saw their snot-nosed little brats throw tantrums for the latest G.I. Joe, Transformers or He-Man figures. They realized there would be no market for these toys, that they must buy, if the cartoons didn't exist. Conversely, the shows that had no marketing tie-ins flopped. The kids just didn’t want to watch them. The realization that kids are not watching cartoons, they’re watching half-hour commercials hits home.
A public outcry against feature-length commercials reached the government. In 1990, Congress passed the Children's Television Act. Saturday morning cartoons were attacked as "junk food for the mind," and television stations were required to run a minimum amount of educational programming, and report on the content of their children's programming to the federal government. (source)
One theory is that "What's dying is the institution of Saturday mornings, not cartoons for kids, which are more vigorous than ever, just spread all over the dial and at all times during the week. The only thing kids today have lost is the central unifying ritual of getting up at 6 a.m., getting sugary cereals, getting totally hyper and watching the same programs 50 million other kids are watching." (same source)
But I know it was those damn action figures. Pardon me while I go pour myself a bowl of chocolate frosted sugar bombs.
I remember the broadcast stations holding prime-time preview shows for Saturday morning television. Me and my two siblings held the television hostage just to find out what we were going to be watching over the weekend.
We'd get up, kick on the TV, grab a bowl of cereal and veg out on the sofa (more likely the floor) in our pajamas until it was noon and the sports shows came on. Those were the days.
Now you kick on the TV on Saturday morning and get news... more news... news for kids... infomercials (ARGH!!)... and a morning magazine show. They don't even have reruns of Looney Toons! What's wrong with these people? Didn't they have a childhood!?
I'll tell you what happened: Action figures. That's right, action figures. Those stupid little 3-inch molded plastic action figures. In 1982, after a 4-year hiatus, Hasbro introduced G.I. JOE, A Real American Hero in a new 3-3/4-inch size. They also launched a popular G.I. JOE licensing program with Marvel Comics. Suddenly, there was a tie-in to the cartoons and comics. Within two years, G.I. JOE brands sells over $150 million and $50 million in licensed product. (source)
The public panicked. Mothers and fathers who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons saw their snot-nosed little brats throw tantrums for the latest G.I. Joe, Transformers or He-Man figures. They realized there would be no market for these toys, that they must buy, if the cartoons didn't exist. Conversely, the shows that had no marketing tie-ins flopped. The kids just didn’t want to watch them. The realization that kids are not watching cartoons, they’re watching half-hour commercials hits home.
A public outcry against feature-length commercials reached the government. In 1990, Congress passed the Children's Television Act. Saturday morning cartoons were attacked as "junk food for the mind," and television stations were required to run a minimum amount of educational programming, and report on the content of their children's programming to the federal government. (source)
One theory is that "What's dying is the institution of Saturday mornings, not cartoons for kids, which are more vigorous than ever, just spread all over the dial and at all times during the week. The only thing kids today have lost is the central unifying ritual of getting up at 6 a.m., getting sugary cereals, getting totally hyper and watching the same programs 50 million other kids are watching." (same source)
But I know it was those damn action figures. Pardon me while I go pour myself a bowl of chocolate frosted sugar bombs.
Ponderings on an upset stomach
I woke up about two hours ago with an upset stomach. Unable to sleep, my mind started to wander into the past. I began thinking about the technological advances a centenarian would have seen in his/her lifetime: Electricity, radio, television, indoor plumbing... many of the "necessities" of life we take for granted. Then, I started remembering all of the advances I'd seen in my life and I thought I would share some of them with you.
Pong
For those of you too young to remember, Pong was the first video game... ever. It was black and white - that's two-bit graphics, my friends: It's either on or off. Pong involved moving a bar vertically, using a dial control, to intercept a square that would then "bounce" off of your bar toward the other side of the screen, which was divided by a line, where your opponent's bar waited. If you missed - it was harder than it sounds and did involve basic strategy - your opponent scored a point; much like a tennis match (but without all of the weird scoring).
To an eight-year-old with nothing but his imagination and a handful of G.I. Joe dolls (the 11-inchers, not the action figures - another invention in my lifetime), this was as exciting as... well... I just don't know what to compare it to... maybe as exciting as wrapped bread. This toy actually did something on its own!
I recall that a couple of friends down the street had a pong game and their house was the place to be. Of course, every time anyone in the neighborhood went to Jeff & BJ's house, all we wanted to do was play Pong. Since they had it to play any time they wanted, Jeff & BJ usually didn't.
I recently saw a History Channel (I think it was them) special on video games. They talked about the history and development of Pong (and other games). At the time, it was as incredible as going to the moon. These guys didn't have C or Java or even BASIC for that matter. They figured out how to get this "ball" to move across the screen, determine if it had hit something (top/bottom of screen or a "player"), then determine the angle of reflection... ingenious - and the reason you have a PlayStation today.
The IBM PC
As far back as I can remember, there have been computers. When I first became aware of them, however, they were housed in basements on college campuses or big businesses. People interacted with them through printers and punch cards. There were no CRTs yet.
I recall walking into a Radio Shack store an seeing a TRS-80 computer on display. It looked like some kind of electronic typewriter with a television display. I remember thinking that it was a computer and that you could make computers do things if you knew how. And I determined to learn how.
About four years later, the IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC for short, was introduced. For the frst time, you didn't have to go to a University campus and punch cards or sit at a terminal (dumb terminals were still in widespread use when I welt to college in 1985). It was the greatest thing since... Pong.
My friend, Bill, had one. At $1,500+ in 1981 dollars it actually belonged to the whole family. His father, being a programmer, was the primary user. Bill and I didn't use it much - like we wanted to sit down and really get to know WordStar (especially when they didn't have a printer). Don't get me wrong, having use of a word processor was a very handy thing but it wasn't until Bill bought Wizardry that we actually started using the PC as a form of entertainment. I would later go on to own a Commodore 64 (I still have the portable version [the SX-64] my folks bought me for my 18th birthday), a couple of "IBM Clones", and eventually started building my own.
Compact Discs
I was listening to the radio one morning - a regular breakfast feature growing up - and heard the DJ I listened to tell the world they were going to debut a new music system called Compact Disc. A local audio component retailer had brought one to the station and they were going to show it off. "You'll probably want to be listening on a Hi-Fi system to get the full impact." said the DJ. I promptly went downstairs, convinced my father that he could go one morning without listening to John Erling for the chance to be the first to hear one of the Compact Discs (they didn't call them CDs yet), and tuned his stereo to the station my alarm clock played.
The station milked it for all it was worth. We finished preparing for school, finished our breakfast, and still waited. If we didn't leave soon, we'd be late for school. It was worth it, though, to hear this fabulous new technology.
Finally, they interviewed the guy about what Compact Disc was, how it worked, etc. (fascinating in its own right) and played the disc.
We didn't notice any difference.
It wasn't until I actually heard a CD player first-hand, and realized the Star Trek theme had bongos in the background, that I really understood what was so cool about this technology. I think I bought my first CD about a month later (.38 Special: Flashback). I didn't even have a CD player yet, but I knew I would some day.
Other advancements I've had the priveledge to witness (in no particular order):
The Apple Macintosh
The Computer Mouse
Video Arcades
Ergonomic Keyboards
Stereo Television
VCRs
DVDs
Kicker Boxes
CD-R
LCD (digital watches, particularly)
Hallogen floor lamps
The breaking of the 4.77MHz, 33MHz, 66MHz, 100MHz, and 1GHz barriers
Home Theater
Color/Inkjet printing
Laser printing
The list goes on and continues to grow....
I love technology
Pong
For those of you too young to remember, Pong was the first video game... ever. It was black and white - that's two-bit graphics, my friends: It's either on or off. Pong involved moving a bar vertically, using a dial control, to intercept a square that would then "bounce" off of your bar toward the other side of the screen, which was divided by a line, where your opponent's bar waited. If you missed - it was harder than it sounds and did involve basic strategy - your opponent scored a point; much like a tennis match (but without all of the weird scoring).
To an eight-year-old with nothing but his imagination and a handful of G.I. Joe dolls (the 11-inchers, not the action figures - another invention in my lifetime), this was as exciting as... well... I just don't know what to compare it to... maybe as exciting as wrapped bread. This toy actually did something on its own!
I recall that a couple of friends down the street had a pong game and their house was the place to be. Of course, every time anyone in the neighborhood went to Jeff & BJ's house, all we wanted to do was play Pong. Since they had it to play any time they wanted, Jeff & BJ usually didn't.
I recently saw a History Channel (I think it was them) special on video games. They talked about the history and development of Pong (and other games). At the time, it was as incredible as going to the moon. These guys didn't have C or Java or even BASIC for that matter. They figured out how to get this "ball" to move across the screen, determine if it had hit something (top/bottom of screen or a "player"), then determine the angle of reflection... ingenious - and the reason you have a PlayStation today.
The IBM PC
As far back as I can remember, there have been computers. When I first became aware of them, however, they were housed in basements on college campuses or big businesses. People interacted with them through printers and punch cards. There were no CRTs yet.
I recall walking into a Radio Shack store an seeing a TRS-80 computer on display. It looked like some kind of electronic typewriter with a television display. I remember thinking that it was a computer and that you could make computers do things if you knew how. And I determined to learn how.
About four years later, the IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC for short, was introduced. For the frst time, you didn't have to go to a University campus and punch cards or sit at a terminal (dumb terminals were still in widespread use when I welt to college in 1985). It was the greatest thing since... Pong.
My friend, Bill, had one. At $1,500+ in 1981 dollars it actually belonged to the whole family. His father, being a programmer, was the primary user. Bill and I didn't use it much - like we wanted to sit down and really get to know WordStar (especially when they didn't have a printer). Don't get me wrong, having use of a word processor was a very handy thing but it wasn't until Bill bought Wizardry that we actually started using the PC as a form of entertainment. I would later go on to own a Commodore 64 (I still have the portable version [the SX-64] my folks bought me for my 18th birthday), a couple of "IBM Clones", and eventually started building my own.
Compact Discs
I was listening to the radio one morning - a regular breakfast feature growing up - and heard the DJ I listened to tell the world they were going to debut a new music system called Compact Disc. A local audio component retailer had brought one to the station and they were going to show it off. "You'll probably want to be listening on a Hi-Fi system to get the full impact." said the DJ. I promptly went downstairs, convinced my father that he could go one morning without listening to John Erling for the chance to be the first to hear one of the Compact Discs (they didn't call them CDs yet), and tuned his stereo to the station my alarm clock played.
The station milked it for all it was worth. We finished preparing for school, finished our breakfast, and still waited. If we didn't leave soon, we'd be late for school. It was worth it, though, to hear this fabulous new technology.
Finally, they interviewed the guy about what Compact Disc was, how it worked, etc. (fascinating in its own right) and played the disc.
We didn't notice any difference.
It wasn't until I actually heard a CD player first-hand, and realized the Star Trek theme had bongos in the background, that I really understood what was so cool about this technology. I think I bought my first CD about a month later (.38 Special: Flashback). I didn't even have a CD player yet, but I knew I would some day.
Other advancements I've had the priveledge to witness (in no particular order):
The Apple Macintosh
The Computer Mouse
Video Arcades
Ergonomic Keyboards
Stereo Television
VCRs
DVDs
Kicker Boxes
CD-R
LCD (digital watches, particularly)
Hallogen floor lamps
The breaking of the 4.77MHz, 33MHz, 66MHz, 100MHz, and 1GHz barriers
Home Theater
Color/Inkjet printing
Laser printing
The list goes on and continues to grow....
I love technology
Monday, September 22, 2003
Honeymoon in Springfield - the early years
I am sore. I am exhausted. I had the most incredible weekend I've had in a LONG time!
Let's flash back a couple of weeks and start there. The wife and I are planning a trip to Kansas City to see my folks. We've been meaning to get up there for a while but other obligations have kept us close to home - or far from home in the case of the Detroit trip that I still need to tell you about.
At any rate, we had planned to make our semi-regular trek up I-35 the weekend of September 13th. While cruising the web one day during the first week of September, however, Shelly discovers that Rick Springfield will be in concert at the Verizon (formerly Sandstone) amphitheater in Bonner Springs on October 20. Our journey is postponed.
Fast forward a week. "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"No. Not yet. I know how much they cost, though."
"How bad?"
"Very reasonable, actually. $10, $20 or $30, depending on where you want to sit."
"Cool"
[Disclaimer: These may not be the actual conversations but you get the gist of it.]
Fast forward to the weekend of the 13th. "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"No. Not yet."
"Any particular reason why not?"
"I'm not sure I want to go." (at this point I'm thinking she's a few guitar picks short.)
"What do you mean you don't want to go? You love Rick Springfield concerts."
"I don't know if I want to spend the money - or how much if I do."
"Okay."
Fast forward a few days (life goes by so fast, doesn't it?) "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"Why don't you buy the tickets if it's so important to you?"
"Because I don't know where you were planning to go to get the tickets. I thought you were going to handle it."
"Ticketmaster.com"
Now... if you think you're observing a fundamental difference in the way men and women communicate, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Fast forward (oy, I'm getting dizzy) to Thursday evening, the 18th. On our way home, she asks, "Are we still going to your parents' house this weekend?"
If you've been following along, guys, you know I've already established this... and those of you who are married or in a long-term relationship will recognize the full reversal. Have you noticed that women will mention something once, as a suggestion, and then get upset with you because you (the collective you - the TWO of you) decided to do something and you don't remember it. They say it's because we don't pay attention and we're insensitive but we know the real score. Besides, what do you expect when you talk to us in the middle of WWE/WWF/The ball game/Star Trek?
I digress. My response is, "Yes. I figured we'd leave Friday night, like we were planning to last weekend."
"You want to leave on Friday?"
"Yes. Like you said about last weekend, that gives us all day Saturday to do what we want in KC."
"You know the Renaissance Festival is still going on, right?"
"Yeah. Maybe we can go for a while before the concert. The festival and the amphitheater share a parking lot, don't they?"
"I think they do, yes." (here it comes, guys) "So, does that mean we're going to Kansas City this weekend?"
I'm stunned. I can't believe she just asked me that. Was she not right there in the truck with me? As calmly and clearly as possible, I repeat myself, enunciating my words carefully, "Yes. I figured we'd leave Friday night, like we were planning to last weekend."
Now I KNOW she's a few guitar picks short...
Stay tuned for details of a surprise weekend event and details of the concert (and the concert tickets).
Anything free is worth what you pay for it.
Uncle Bubby
p.s. Shelly, I love you. Please forgive me for grabbing a laugh at your expense.
Let's flash back a couple of weeks and start there. The wife and I are planning a trip to Kansas City to see my folks. We've been meaning to get up there for a while but other obligations have kept us close to home - or far from home in the case of the Detroit trip that I still need to tell you about.
At any rate, we had planned to make our semi-regular trek up I-35 the weekend of September 13th. While cruising the web one day during the first week of September, however, Shelly discovers that Rick Springfield will be in concert at the Verizon (formerly Sandstone) amphitheater in Bonner Springs on October 20. Our journey is postponed.
Fast forward a week. "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"No. Not yet. I know how much they cost, though."
"How bad?"
"Very reasonable, actually. $10, $20 or $30, depending on where you want to sit."
"Cool"
[Disclaimer: These may not be the actual conversations but you get the gist of it.]
Fast forward to the weekend of the 13th. "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"No. Not yet."
"Any particular reason why not?"
"I'm not sure I want to go." (at this point I'm thinking she's a few guitar picks short.)
"What do you mean you don't want to go? You love Rick Springfield concerts."
"I don't know if I want to spend the money - or how much if I do."
"Okay."
Fast forward a few days (life goes by so fast, doesn't it?) "Have you bought tickets to the concert yet?" I ask.
"Why don't you buy the tickets if it's so important to you?"
"Because I don't know where you were planning to go to get the tickets. I thought you were going to handle it."
"Ticketmaster.com"
Now... if you think you're observing a fundamental difference in the way men and women communicate, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Fast forward (oy, I'm getting dizzy) to Thursday evening, the 18th. On our way home, she asks, "Are we still going to your parents' house this weekend?"
If you've been following along, guys, you know I've already established this... and those of you who are married or in a long-term relationship will recognize the full reversal. Have you noticed that women will mention something once, as a suggestion, and then get upset with you because you (the collective you - the TWO of you) decided to do something and you don't remember it. They say it's because we don't pay attention and we're insensitive but we know the real score. Besides, what do you expect when you talk to us in the middle of WWE/WWF/The ball game/Star Trek?
I digress. My response is, "Yes. I figured we'd leave Friday night, like we were planning to last weekend."
"You want to leave on Friday?"
"Yes. Like you said about last weekend, that gives us all day Saturday to do what we want in KC."
"You know the Renaissance Festival is still going on, right?"
"Yeah. Maybe we can go for a while before the concert. The festival and the amphitheater share a parking lot, don't they?"
"I think they do, yes." (here it comes, guys) "So, does that mean we're going to Kansas City this weekend?"
I'm stunned. I can't believe she just asked me that. Was she not right there in the truck with me? As calmly and clearly as possible, I repeat myself, enunciating my words carefully, "Yes. I figured we'd leave Friday night, like we were planning to last weekend."
Now I KNOW she's a few guitar picks short...
Stay tuned for details of a surprise weekend event and details of the concert (and the concert tickets).
Anything free is worth what you pay for it.
Uncle Bubby
p.s. Shelly, I love you. Please forgive me for grabbing a laugh at your expense.
Monday, September 15, 2003
Penguins everywhere! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!
Okay, so it's 10:45 on a Monday night, I haven't had much sleep in the past 3 days, and I should REALLY go to bed... but I wanted to post something so my sister would have something to read during her convalescence. She recently had her nose broken - on purpose! I always knew she had her nose out of joint most of the time but it's fixed now.
Anyway... I am one step closer... well, maybe half a step closer - to getting my web sites back up and running.
It was a Tuesday afternoon... no... wait... it was a Thursday... ... ... or was it Wednesday??? Let me start that over...
It was not a Friday afternoon a little over a week ago. The laptop was fired up and the Linux book was open to page ninety something. I got tired of farting around with vi and emacs and moving files around. I was toward the end of the chapter on file permissions - very useful, actually - and I decided I'd had just about enough of that shit. I zoomed ahead about 6 chapters and started reading about WEB SERVERS. [insert big, ominous orchestral music accent!]
I flipped through the pages, installed a couple of necessary components and was ready to start my test. Now what was the command to reveal my IP address? I pop out to a command prompt and type ipconfig but it doesn't work. I try some other command burried deep in the recesses of my mind (MAN, is it ever dusty down here) but that doesn't work either.
What to do? What to do? ... I know, I'll call Jason!
Okay... got his number... dialing... He's there! He actually answered the phone!
"Jason, what was that command in Linux to make the system tell you its IP address?"
"Go to a command prompt and type ipconfig."
"I already tried that and it didn't... well what do you know? It worked this time... THANKS!" [evil laughter inside my head - be sure to add echo effect in the film version to make it scarrier]
Armed with the correct IP address, I fire up a browser on another computer and start typing... one three nine dot seven eight dot (mumble mumble mumble). As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page. WOOHOO!!!!
I upload some of my own content and try again. As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page.
[sound of pages ruffling as I frantically search for the reason why my content is NOT being displayed]
Silly me, of course there's a configuration file. Only problem is, it's not where the book says it will be. Not wanting to waste any time, I use the move command (I knew it would come in handy - wax on, wax off) to place my content in the default directory. As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page.
No no, just kidding. My content came up. I ran around to the other offices, exhuberantly reciting the IP address to anyone with a browser. They weren't impressed.
"What am I looking at?"
"The web server on my laptop. It's working!"
"Oh........... that's nice."
So what if they weren't thrilled. I got it working!
Here's where it goes from a whole step to a half step...
Somewhere in the midst of all that, I had to change the ownership of the directory from root (a.k.a. god) to a new group. I couldn't figure out how to do it from the command prompt so I did it from the GUI. Not a problem until you remember that the machine that is supposed to be the actual server is a P100... it and the GUI don't get along.
Twenty-four hours later, the laptop was once again a slave to Bill Gates and Microsoft (did you know that it only takes about TWO MINUTES for the blaster worm to infect an unpatched computer?). This fact has much to do with the subject of my next post... Detroit.
It's late and I've rambled more than my share... gnite.
Keep warm and don't let your socks have any snacks after midnight.
Anyway... I am one step closer... well, maybe half a step closer - to getting my web sites back up and running.
It was a Tuesday afternoon... no... wait... it was a Thursday... ... ... or was it Wednesday??? Let me start that over...
It was not a Friday afternoon a little over a week ago. The laptop was fired up and the Linux book was open to page ninety something. I got tired of farting around with vi and emacs and moving files around. I was toward the end of the chapter on file permissions - very useful, actually - and I decided I'd had just about enough of that shit. I zoomed ahead about 6 chapters and started reading about WEB SERVERS. [insert big, ominous orchestral music accent!]
I flipped through the pages, installed a couple of necessary components and was ready to start my test. Now what was the command to reveal my IP address? I pop out to a command prompt and type ipconfig but it doesn't work. I try some other command burried deep in the recesses of my mind (MAN, is it ever dusty down here) but that doesn't work either.
What to do? What to do? ... I know, I'll call Jason!
Okay... got his number... dialing... He's there! He actually answered the phone!
"Jason, what was that command in Linux to make the system tell you its IP address?"
"Go to a command prompt and type ipconfig."
"I already tried that and it didn't... well what do you know? It worked this time... THANKS!" [evil laughter inside my head - be sure to add echo effect in the film version to make it scarrier]
Armed with the correct IP address, I fire up a browser on another computer and start typing... one three nine dot seven eight dot (mumble mumble mumble). As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page. WOOHOO!!!!
I upload some of my own content and try again. As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page.
[sound of pages ruffling as I frantically search for the reason why my content is NOT being displayed]
Silly me, of course there's a configuration file. Only problem is, it's not where the book says it will be. Not wanting to waste any time, I use the move command (I knew it would come in handy - wax on, wax off) to place my content in the default directory. As I hit enter, I get the Apache Server test page.
No no, just kidding. My content came up. I ran around to the other offices, exhuberantly reciting the IP address to anyone with a browser. They weren't impressed.
"What am I looking at?"
"The web server on my laptop. It's working!"
"Oh........... that's nice."
So what if they weren't thrilled. I got it working!
Here's where it goes from a whole step to a half step...
Somewhere in the midst of all that, I had to change the ownership of the directory from root (a.k.a. god) to a new group. I couldn't figure out how to do it from the command prompt so I did it from the GUI. Not a problem until you remember that the machine that is supposed to be the actual server is a P100... it and the GUI don't get along.
Twenty-four hours later, the laptop was once again a slave to Bill Gates and Microsoft (did you know that it only takes about TWO MINUTES for the blaster worm to infect an unpatched computer?). This fact has much to do with the subject of my next post... Detroit.
It's late and I've rambled more than my share... gnite.
Keep warm and don't let your socks have any snacks after midnight.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
When it rains... things get wet
Oh my goodness! First, there isn't anything, really, to talk about. Now, there's so much that has happened that I forgot some of it because I haven't had time to update...
[pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant]
Good dog. Woof!
Let's start with the Big Blue Chevy. The other day, I get in the truck to go to work, look down at the odometer, and it reads 1234. That was way cool! I was going to devote an entire entry to just that and have some fun with it. When I sat down to do it, though, I decided I didn't have enough time to devote to it right then and postponed it.
As I was going to Saint Ives, I met a man with seven wives, each of these wives had.... what? Oh, sorry.
My point is, somewhere between point A and point B, life happened.
I'm at work at the moment and got busy. Remind me to tell you about...
The penguin and the server (linux stuff)
My trip to Detroit
Why web directions and constructions will prevent you from getting anywhere efficiently in Detroit.
[pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant] [pant]
Good dog. Woof!
Let's start with the Big Blue Chevy. The other day, I get in the truck to go to work, look down at the odometer, and it reads 1234. That was way cool! I was going to devote an entire entry to just that and have some fun with it. When I sat down to do it, though, I decided I didn't have enough time to devote to it right then and postponed it.
As I was going to Saint Ives, I met a man with seven wives, each of these wives had.... what? Oh, sorry.
My point is, somewhere between point A and point B, life happened.
I'm at work at the moment and got busy. Remind me to tell you about...
The penguin and the server (linux stuff)
My trip to Detroit
Why web directions and constructions will prevent you from getting anywhere efficiently in Detroit.
Monday, September 01, 2003
No gnus is good gnus
Been kinda quiet the past week or so. The cold kinda slowed me and the wife down. So, here's the news:
The big blue truck now has 1,175 miles on it. I'm looking for a name/nickname for the truck so if you have any suggestions, post them to the message board.
The last time I filled up, the fuel warning light was just coming on. With the current price of gas (almost $1.60/gal), it cost me almost $35.00 to fill up! To some of you in California or non-oil states, that probably seems cheap. To me, that sucks.
The labor day weekend was seriously non-productive. I already mentioned the cold my wife and I are sharing but it also rained. Then, it rained again. After that, it rained some more. When that was done, it kept raining. Did I mention that it rained? Forget any outside work - which SERIOUSLY needs to be done - but the grey skies kept us pretty bummed out.
To give you an example of the grey-weather-combined-with-a-cold bumming level, let me tell you a little story...
Over the past year or so, I've gotten really good at putting together knocked-down furniture. That's the particle-board stuff with the simulated woodgrain vinyl veneer finish (a sticker that looks like wood) that you put together yourself. Basically, anything they sell at Wal-Mart. When I say I'm really good, I mean I'm really good. I've thought about hiring myself out as an assembler. I can slap together a shelving unit in less than an hour and a small entertainment center only takes me about two... by myself.
With my current mood and physical condition, it took me two days to put together a small chest-of-drawers to go in the closet (it's a big closet). I had to force myself to finish putting the drawers together just so I could get it done. And that included using an electric brad nailer to attach the backing (I usually use a staple gun but I couldn't find my staples... AGAIN). That whole thing should have only taken me an hour and a half... at most.
Another 3-day weekend shot to hell. Oh well, at least I got to sleep.
The big blue truck now has 1,175 miles on it. I'm looking for a name/nickname for the truck so if you have any suggestions, post them to the message board.
The last time I filled up, the fuel warning light was just coming on. With the current price of gas (almost $1.60/gal), it cost me almost $35.00 to fill up! To some of you in California or non-oil states, that probably seems cheap. To me, that sucks.
The labor day weekend was seriously non-productive. I already mentioned the cold my wife and I are sharing but it also rained. Then, it rained again. After that, it rained some more. When that was done, it kept raining. Did I mention that it rained? Forget any outside work - which SERIOUSLY needs to be done - but the grey skies kept us pretty bummed out.
To give you an example of the grey-weather-combined-with-a-cold bumming level, let me tell you a little story...
Over the past year or so, I've gotten really good at putting together knocked-down furniture. That's the particle-board stuff with the simulated woodgrain vinyl veneer finish (a sticker that looks like wood) that you put together yourself. Basically, anything they sell at Wal-Mart. When I say I'm really good, I mean I'm really good. I've thought about hiring myself out as an assembler. I can slap together a shelving unit in less than an hour and a small entertainment center only takes me about two... by myself.
With my current mood and physical condition, it took me two days to put together a small chest-of-drawers to go in the closet (it's a big closet). I had to force myself to finish putting the drawers together just so I could get it done. And that included using an electric brad nailer to attach the backing (I usually use a staple gun but I couldn't find my staples... AGAIN). That whole thing should have only taken me an hour and a half... at most.
Another 3-day weekend shot to hell. Oh well, at least I got to sleep.
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