For the last couple of weeks I've been getting random BSODs. Last week, I was getting them repeatedly, & at one time couldn't boot into Windoze. I got a few indications that my primary hard drive was dying. I promptly purchased a new HDD & am waiting for it to arrive.
In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how to transfer all my data from drive to drive. I don't want to use a 500GB drive to house the operating system. I'd rather use that whopping storage for all my recorded HDTV files.
I borrowed a hard drive from work that already has Windoze XP, figuring I can use it just to transfer all my media files to the new hard drive. No go. It won't even load; Safe Mode or otherwise. Yikes! Now I'm not even 100% sure that my hard drive is a fault. I'm at a loss at this point. I may try to install XP onto my new hard drive just to see if it works. I have a bad feeling about this.
Well, today I receive a FAIL. After the fact, I realized that I should have stayed home this morning, to clean up some "pet mess" that my dog left for me. Instead I played the "I'll be late for work" card. Well, that isn't really a good enough excuse. I've gone in late before due to other things, and since this week almost everybody's out on vacation, today would have been a good day to go in late. I really owe Laura something special for going above & beyond with little complaint. (Of course that's what she does everyday, but this day deserves extra attention.) Maybe I'll get her a little something special on my way home.
An interesting article done by Rolling Stones outlining how America Lost the War on Drugs. It's a long read but very interesting. The thing is, nobody seemed to use simple economics principals: reduce demand! Now, if only the oil industry was the same way...
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has called for Comcast and other ISPs to block P2P traffic on their networks. But Cuban overlooks some of the most important uses of P2P, and why things like BitTorrent are so widely embraced.
This entry is to state that sure, kids are great, but what really counts is my counterpart, Laura. If you don't have someone to experience life with, which includes getting sloshed at a fun-ass Halloween party, you're missing out.
She & I have had numerous discussions about Halloween, and how we should approach it as Christian parents. We have decided a few things. Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it. Hahaha, I love that movie. Anyway, it is; the one day a year when you can dress up, and not look like a fool; not to mention, how can you live without (free) candy? I know I can't. I don't think it's fair to force my kids to miss out on Halloween. I already keep them out of school... I also let them watch TV, and movies!! Heaven forbid.
I have just been told that Casual Friday here @ work does not include T-shirts. The only allowable aspect of Casual Friday is jeans. (We have not discussed shoes.) I think we should change the name to "Jean Day" in lieu of Casual Friday since Casual Friday carries implications that work does not recognize. I'm a little cranky, 'cause I have some sweet T-shirts! Not to mention, by the time Friday rolls around, I'm tired of the collared shirt. Tell me about your "Jean Day".
Students on campuses around the US are having increasing success in dealing with groups such as the RIAA and MPAA, and the frivolous. It is very disturbing then, for a graduate student at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) to be targeted by his own university. Interesting read.
A scientist mom view on why she is teaching science to her son and friends at home and why the Colorado public school system is not so good.So many parents are running into this problem. They, at that point have two choices: turn the other cheek, or do something about it. It's a good thing she's a teacher, otherwise she'd have trouble: http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=CO. Click the READ link to read the article.
I KNOW I'm not the only one that gets sucked into a game. One man's take on what 'Gamer Regret' looks like. "In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have looked. I was 10 days into playing Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground -- a little RPG I reviewed here last month -- and I was poking around the "settings" menu. I noticed that it had a "time played" option, which shows you how long you've been toiling away at the game. Curious, I clicked it. Thirty-six hours."
Last day in NYC. Part of me will miss it, the other part of me will NOT. I can't wait to sit my out-of-shape ass on my quiet front porch and drink a $1 beer. mmm...
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Has to be one of the best musicals I've ever seen! If you haven't seen it, do so. If you have but don't like it, don't talk to me. Mark
First day in NYC. I'm glad to see that I have a RIGHT to a taxi driver that speaks English. But, due to a "taxi shortage" the fare is double. Doh!
This is my new favorite comic. It usually bugs me that I am rather late at finding good stuff in the interweb, but I think given the vastness of the tubes, it's forgivable.
I kept saying that this first family vacation was going to be a learning experience and oh, boy was it ever. i'm starting a laundry list: football, swim fins, 4-square ball, amongst others. I'd say patience is the thing I need to work on the most. All in all i think it was a success... but ask the kids to make sure. Mark
Monday, July 30, 2007
The first day of the camping trip always starts with the multi-hour car trip. this marks day one. :-) I'm looking forward to a dip in the lake, and roasting marshmallows. Mark
Yesterday I was having a good music day. You know, it's kind of like a good hair day, except with music. Anyway, I was listening to Pandora & it was just one awesome song after another. I decided to send Pandora's team an email. It may be a little over-the-top, but I was happy. :)
To my friends at Pandora & the Music Gnome Project,
I have to say, I haven't felt this way for an internet radio station since the days before CARP. You guys are really making my day. :)
I've been using Pandora since I first saw it on digg about a year ago. I have to honestly say that Pandora has been my sole avenue for the discovery of new music. I listen to other stations, but I keep coming back to Pandora. Nobody else can put together a mix like you guys. And, recently I've noticed there have been a bunch of additions to my Dance channel! I'm glad to see that you guys are still chugging away even with the SoundExchange thing looming overhead (even with the temporary reprieve, I don't feel this is a solution). Thank you. Your efforts are much appreciated.
I need to say that because of Pandora I have purchased many more CDs that I would have without it.
Thanks again, for all your efforts. Keep up the good work.
Webcasters have lost one of their last two options for delaying the royalty bill deadline set to go into effect this Sunday, July 15th. The SaveNetRadio campaign is asking all webcasteres, listeners, labels and artists to call their reps in Washington and urge them to push the Internet Radio Equality Act to a vote immediately.
This story is overdue. A must-browse. (click read more link)As selected by TIME Magazine, these five websites suffer marketing infestation, are in need of an overhaul, are notoriously slow to load, are discriminatory, and are just plain annoying.
I decided to take a little vacation over the 4th. I decided a few years ago that vacation for me means no computer usage. Since I'm on the computer everyday during the week, being temporarily computer-celibate is important to me and my family. It doesn't hurt when the wife crosses her arms, & taps her foot...
Do you ever find yourself sitting in front of God not knowing what to say?
I have a laundry list of things that I'm thankful for. In my human mind, I feel I have beaten those topics into the ground. I usually hit those topics anyway, but I have to admit they aren't as heartfelt as I would like. Then I think, "Well, God knows my heart."
I think I'm going to try and keep one person in my thoughts/prayers all day; then take that one day at a time & see how it goes.
Before, I mentioned that I was going to try out the challenge of spending 15 minutes with God, twice a day. So far the time that I have spent with God has been great. I have found myself calm, peaceful, & cognitive. The problem is designating the time. As I have said before, I have no problem finding the 15 minutes e.g. driving the car, taking a shower, etc. It the designating the time as "God time" that's the problem.
Inspired by the latest Genesis service, I have decided that I'm going to do the "silence challenge" for this week - 2 15 minute sessions of silence to spend with God.
Now, technically I already have these sessions. I take a 15(ish) minute shower everyday. There's silence there. In fact I get a good deal of thinking done there. I always spend my last time of the day in prayer as I drift off to sleep. I'd say most days, that's 15 minutes.
But, I want to deliberately set aside a chunk of time that I can devote to God.
I thought about taking the drive to & from work, but I think most days that will be unproductive, as I will be distracted by driving.
Very interesting! Click the "Read More" like for more...Record sales are tanking, and there's no hope in sight. The major labels are struggling to reinvent their business models, even as some wonder whether it's too late. "The record business is over," says music attorney Peter Paterno, who represents Metallica and Dr. Dre. "The labels have wonderful assets -- they just can't make any money off them."
So, yesterday I lost the family guinea pig. I tried for a long time to find her in the dead of night. I prayed like mad for her return as I was going to sleep last night, and then again when I woke up this morning.
Laura & the kids came home just to look for the pig. Within 20 minutes, they found her. Praise Jesus! :)
Yesterday I was trying to watch a DVD on my laptop. Since the error correction isn't very good, it kept getting stuck at chapter 8. I tried 4 different times to eject the disc, clean it, & reinsert it. Every single time I had to sit through the FBI warnings, in multiple languages (on a region 1 disc! But that's another story.) Since bedtime was nearing, I wanted to finish the movie before I collapsed from exhaustion. I eventually decided to skip the trouble making chapters to solve the problem. I had already seen the movie years ago, so skipping 2 chapters wasn't the end of the world. But the most annoying part was the cumulative 15 minutes I had to wait before I even got to the menu.
The poster is right, sometimes it just pays to pirate.
Do you ever wish you had a video camera that could record your thoughts? Tonight I was at 1-Thing, and while the guys were praying for me, I hod so many thoughts running thru my head. From ways to connect spiritually with my kids, to the wonderful gift of grace God has bestowed upon me. Vision after vision. Of course, by the time I could get home, I had forgotten most of it. The one thing though, that has not left my head/heart is the desire to teach my children about Jesus. Knowing that God loves you no matter what is just so awesome.
I got home and called Laura. We discussed a bit about ways I can assist in a sort of prayer time with the kids. She gave me an example of what we could do. I didn't like it. It's not that I didn't like the idea per se, it's just that I don't think it's me. She suggested that I "sit in" on a few times until I can get the hang of it. I think that sounds like a grand idea.
God told us that we (men) are the spiritual leaders of the family. I'm pretty sure that I'm still leadint the family spiritually even if I'm not nevesarily the one leading them in prayer. That's good to know. Praise Jesus!
My final exam starts today. I've been married for 9 years. For 94% of that time has been spent with my wife (excluding work of course). This week she's taking the kids to house sit a friend's house. I am going to be all by myself. Dinner, grocery shopping, etc. I'm nervous. It's been years since I've had to do that by myself. I think the most intimidating part is, I'm not going to have anyone there to hold me accountable.
"God, help me this week as I live without my fam. Help me devote more time to you and your word. This is a critical time, & I don't want to screw it up. Father, I thank you for your grace everyday. Even if I don't verbalize it, know that in my heart I am grateful. Follow my family this week, & keep them safe. Amen."
I am reminded about a minor incident with a friend a few years ago. He was driving his family to church as was I. To make a long story short he turned right in front of me. I was close enough that I could clearly see all their faces. And of course there was Laura with her hands pressed against the dashboard. We later met up after service like we would usually do. I gave him a hard time, with a smile on my face. He said, "you must have gunned it from the light." I did. We were late. I was able to forgive him with just a shrug; you know, because he's human. And humans tend to make mistakes.
Applying that same philosophy to strangers is just so difficult to me. I think because often I feel that the mistakes people are making are just so obvious. I feel I can justify my lack of forgiveness because whatever they've done is their fault. How unChristlike is that?? I mean sheesh! The funny thing is, God's perspective is the same. My mistakes are so obvious. How can he(I) make them?
A number of Internet radio stations will be participating in a Day of Silence on June 26 to protest the retroactive royalty rate increases due to go into effect on July 15. Organized by Kurt Hanson, publisher of the Radio and Internet Newsletter, the protest is designed to remind listeners that silence is "what the Internet could be reduced to... Click the link for more details.
These last few days I've really not wanted to write anything; been kind of cranky too.
Countless times, when I've thought to myself, "was I this whiney?" And the answer is, most likely. I think one of the highest things on the Annoying Meter is kids' whining. That's why it's so prevalent in those kids comedy movies. All parents can identify with their children whining.
I'm sure God listens to us whine & shakes his head at us. The beauty of Him though, is that he had the grace to handle it. If only parents could have even a fraction of His grace to bestow on their children...
Father's Day. Since the kids were at their gramma's this weekend, we delegated today as Father's Day. As soon as I walked thru the door, Tess was there to yell out, "Happy father's day!" It really warmed my heart. I had forgotten. Tessa was there to remind me.
Lately, I've been searching for something to pray about. This morning, at church, the message I heard was "Pray for your children." It was kind of weird to hear something so obvious, yet so important. I knew that, yet I commonly neglected.
"Father, you are the Almighty Father. Teach me what it really means to be a (good) father. Watch over my kids. Guide them in ways that I am unable..."
It's funny what a little Chris Tomlin in the car early in the morning will do.
I was reminded of why Laura & I started to attend church.
We were in the car on the way to something, and she had WMUZ on the radio. It had been the um-teenth time she had it on while we were in the car, & I was tired of it. As I was arguing to remove the Christian "crap" from the radio, she was arguing to keep it. She unloaded. She said something about how she has exhausted all other resources, & she was trying to make her attempt to seek God in hopes that He could solve our problems. By then the tears were rolling down her cheek. IT occurred to me then, that this was my fault, and the pain swelled in my chest.
That was the first time my heart was truly broken,,,and I, was the one that broke it.
Shortly after this conversation, we received the famous Genesis vodka flier. And God saved the day.
Anxiety. We all have varying degrees of it. Some of us may even need medication to get a handle on it.
As I've mentioned before, a friend of mine is struggling with some personal issues. I know I need to plant the seed, but I don't know how to do it. How do you tell someone, who probably has no history of Jesus in their life, "Just hand your anxiety over to Jesus"?
Sometimes, I wonder if serving on the Tech Team @ Genesis is really "serving." Laura reminded me that it must be if I'm willing to be there for setup at 6am on Sunday, when she finds it so difficult to get me up.
Grace. It seems to be a common theme here. As I was going to bed last night ( Tuesday), I realized that one thing I'm really lacking is the ability to extend grace.
I get cranky when my body needs to rest. In fact, I often use my crankiness measurement to determine my bedtime. I was all ready for bed when I noticed a few things in the bedroom that weren't right. My crankiness meter went through the roof.
As I lie there falling off to sleep, I kept thinking that there are so many things I bitch about, but yet I don't help with. "What a dick." I thought. Then came the lightbulb.
"Jesus, you have blessed me with never ending grace. Teach me how to extend that to others, especially my family. I'll take baby steps, but I think in this case, more aggressive steps are needed. Thank you Lord for your awesome example of love."
On my drive home, I kept getting disgusted at other drivers. Normally I try to relax a bit on the drive home; not let things get to me. I can often get away with it. Today, I wasn't so lucky. Usually my driving frustration stems from others not following the rules, mostly due to ignorance. Today was no different. After a few grumblings, I turned down the radio & did a little reflection. The more I thought about how absurd I was being, & that I can make the same mistakes, the more I realized how hard it is to kick the "habit." Which leads me to my second thought...
I received a pamphlet of sorts via email the other day that somebody from my church thought I should read. I was looking for some down time so I thought I'd give it a go. I opened up page one and started reading. Immediately my mind started thinking about the "chore" of reading this document. It didn't take long for my thoughts to proceed to a statement of, "I don't feel very Christ Like these days."
Yikes! That was a true statement. I later did a little more reflection and thought, if I don't start walking back to Him, things will go down hill. I've been there before.
Jesus, help me walk back toward you. Remind me that you are what I need, & nothing else.
Today I want to talk about my awesome wife. Since the night before was kind of ucky, I spent most of Sunday recovering. I did manage to mow the lawn, & plant grass seed, so that was good. But on the whole, I just lounged around. Laura was a sweetheart. She made me lunch, lemonade. She even made me steak with sautéd mushrooms & onions for dinner. She was very nice to me all day, when she could have been annoyed that I wasn't pulling my weight around the house. It just goes to show that God really has blessed me with a real soul mate, and blessed her with the gift of grace. I don't thank God enough for her. I think I'm gonna start.
Saturday night I went to bed early. I wasn't feeling good, so it felt good to get some extra rest. I the middle of the night I prayed to have God take away my suffering. I was having some serious stomach pain. The Lord granted my request. About a half hour later, I woke up to throw up everything remaining in my stomach. It wasn't quite what I was asking for, but it worked. I fell back to sleep in no time.
I am reminded that we may not always get exactly what we ask for, but the results often are.
There's a guy here at work that is having a tough time. He's been married for less than a year and in the beginning stages of a divorce. Even considering the national statistics for divorce, I wouldn't chalk him up as another statistic. From what I could tell, he really made an effort. His wife had already made up her mind.
Being a complete outsider, it was hard for me to have a real understanding of how he felt for her. Given his current state, I'd say he really cared for her.
I've been meaning to talk to him about it, but the opportunity hasn't really risen. I prayed last night for God to setup a situation that will motivate both of us.
Ok, this daily journal thing is tough! I had my Married Men group meeting last night. The main topic was Fathering. We talked about the good, the bad, & how we can change the path with which our fathers & grandfathers have set us on. It was pretty cool, and yet intimidating to realize all the effect you have on the generations to come. We also discussed journaling. :)
Yesterday (6/6) I have to say, my Godly influence was limited to this men's group & my family. I'm willing to accept that for the time being. Prayer was light, but not insignificant.
Last night (6/5) I was thinking about when would be a good time to show my kids (mainly Carly) some of the great movies of our time, that aren't appropriate for children.
The Doors
Apocalypse Now
Pulp Fiction
are just a few that came to mind. 18? Man, I don't want to wait that long. That's 11 more years! 17? When is a good time? I continued to watch Apocalypse Now Redux. Then I started thinking, maybe 25 would be better. I was getting the impression that God was telling me not to expose my kids to this kind of movie. Then I came to the conclusion that if it's not OK for my Carly at any age, then I shouldn't even be watching this...
I didn't really like that kind of thinking; not that I should be allowed to see whatever I want, but just the mere fact that I really like that movie (and others like it).
For the past few years I have been trying to filter what I see. I've been using film reviews (usually designed to inform parents of what not to show their children) to help me decide what not to see; e.g. Saw.
The struggle I keep having though, is movies like these are true art forms that represent our culture. The problem with these art forms, is that the all contain parts that are just inappropriate. I think I will just keep my current plan: No >PG movies until at least 13. That'll give me another 6 years...
About a month ago, Laura received a bunch of free-download coupons for the iTunes store. After she downloaded a few songs she was eager to try them out. She said, "OK, let's put them on my phone (LG Chocolate)" I said, "sorry, no can do. You'd need an iPod to do that." I won't buy an iPod, but that's another story.
She asks me why she can't put it on her phone. I say, "That's DRM for ya." She says, "wha?" I repeat, "DRM." She continues to look at me with a blank stare. She says, "What the hell? I just 'bought' these songs. How am I supposed to listen to them?" I said, "You can listen to them on my computer." She says, "I don't want to listen to them on my computer, I want to listen to them on my phone!" Then I mention the burn-rip-transfer work-around. She was fine with that.
I think she was ok with the work-around, because she/we don't buy music (especially @ $.99 per song) online) very often. Most of the CDs I get these days come from Lala.
I think she represents a very common demographic. People want their music where & how they want it; and are usually willing to jump through a few hoops to get it that way.
So, I'm reading a cool book for my monthly men's group. After each chapter there is a quiz of sorts. I just read this from the end of chapter 9:
2. Try keeping a journal for one week, recording how much time you spend and how much insight you gain in cultivating your relationship with God, the ultimate father.
The stress is starting to mount. I have 3 chapters to read in a book for my mens group by Wednesday; Laura just called me to tell my our 2yo laptop is dead; and we're having family over for dinner tonight, consisting of about 10 additional people. Oh, the agony.
I remember letting my mind wander yesterday at church when Beau was announcing the Real World Genesis. I heard God tell me for the zillionth time that prayer is the one thing I need to be challenged in. I thought about what it would be like to film myself for a few minutes a day, everyday for a week, about my struggles with prayer in my life. (I thought I could "cheat" by actually going to 1-thing, but I don't like to cheat at anything.)
I think that now (and later) calls for a time of prayer. Maybe some prayer for stress relief, & help when it comes to the problems to face ahead.
I am going to make a commitment to make a daily blog entry for 30 days, even if it's short. These entries aren't intended to be 'public' per se, but all are welcome to read. Mark
Not all electronic music is techno! Everyone should go listen to this podcast. If you think that all electronica is performed by Divo, then PLEASE go listen. Learn what the heck the differences are in this first installment of Electronic Dance Music podcast by our friends at Pandora.com
Laura was having trouble getting her blog to work, so I thought I'd post the link for her. According to this story on Salary.com, she should be making an a$$-load of coin!
A bill has been introduced that will save independent internet radio by setting these royalties at the same level paid by satellite radio services, and nullifying the CRB royalty rate that was in many cases several times the total gross revenues for indie webcasters. Call your congressman and ask them to support this bill!
We get a call Friday night from the In-Laws about PJ crying, and "...he wont put any weight on his leg..." He wasn't screaming, but he was crying. It was late, and we figured he was just tired. We figured if his leg was really busted, then it'll still be busted in the morning. Sure enough, he didn't put his weight on it the next morning either.
They took him to the clinic and got an X-ray. Sure enough it's broken. Seeing is how there's nothing for us to do. After the doctors put him in a temporary cast, he got the royal treatment. He learned all about how to bark orders in such a way for him to get anything (within reason) he wanted.
Monday Laura and the kids waited an hour and a half to see the orthopedic surgeon. He didn't have to "re-break" it, so that was good. But he did make sure to instruct us not to let him put weight on his leg. It is my understanding that the area in which his leg is broken, is a growth plate, and 20% of kids will need surgery after a break like this. But, apparently that kind of break is common in children, so we'll see.
It's been a few days, and Laura's already caught him standing on his leg/cast. We've instructed him to army crawl & he seems to have taken to that for now. Potty is going to be tough, and we're still not exactly sure how bathing is going to go. Keep us in your prayers.
So, this morning I was a bit stressed due to restless sleep, & an "early" morning. I wanted to make sure I took some pictures of my brother-in-law's baptism, so I was on the hunt for the camera. Considering our camera setup is pretty expensive, it's usually close by; a table, counter, etc. So, when I was having trouble finding it, I automatically figured Laura had left it somewhere obscure. I later found in a box in the back of the van. It had been there about a week. Now, if you recall it's been pretty cold this past week, with the temperatures hovering in the low 30s. I bring the box in from the van that housed the camera, in addition to a slew of other objects. I had to remove 2 64oz jugs of juice & Laura's watermelon plate.
With the frustration of my expensive camera being subjected to a week of cold weather, looming over my head, I aggressively unpacked the camera from the depths of its cold crate. I tossed the jugs of juice, some papers, & of course, the plate on the floor...crash!
I think, unenthusiastically, "uh-oh, a plate broke." I didn't realize how important the plate was until Laura came in with an "Oh no! My watermelon plate!" But instead of apologizing, and admitting that I was a jerk, I played it off like it was cold, & under the heavy juice that caused it to break.
Now, there may have been some truth to conditions (cold, under load) with which the plate broke, but that didn't excuse me for tossing it out of the box onto the floor in a huff.
The baptism
I get out the camera to take pictures & it fogs in the humid, warm, pool atmosphere. I complain to Laura about its condition, & she tells me to hold it under the hot-air hand dryers in the locker room. Brilliant! It works.
Dinner
Laura slaves over a hot stove, barefoot & happy. Her family is together for the first time in a long time, laughing & having a good time. All without any arguments, or ill-will. This is a sight to be seen.
She gives me a card that references sunshine, butterflies, "you" (meaning me), and how "God makes the best stuff ever."
Dinner's over & I'm having trouble with the Netflix website. I'm huffin' & puffin' about Internet Explorer, & Windoze Media Player. Laura encourages me to call Customer Service. I hate calling C.S. with any company. They always talk to me like I'm an idiot. Most of the time I just want to tell them, if they'd only use open standards I wouldn't have this problem.
I call them, & I think they fixed the problem (I'm waiting for this 'fix' to work right now).
The Moral
Her words are absent, but I know in my heart that she has forgiven me for the plate. In fact, she has forgiven me for a lot of asshole things I've done. I will still ask forgiveness, but I feel at this point, it's just a formality.
On the surface she seems like an ordinary woman, but beneath the surface, she's constantly sacrificing herself for her family & being a huge encouragement to me. She's so awesome that I can really only attribute her greatness to God. He's using her all the time to teach me things. I can't help but look at her & thank God.
Although this is probably not a conscious question we ask ourselves, I'm sure it's a question we answer with our actions. Why is it that we feel we've earned the right to vegetate on the couch after a days work while our wives have been up to their proverbial elbows in "housework." I bet there's only a few of us out there that really knows what that means; "housework." For my family that means laundry and lots of it; cleaning up after 3 young children, (you'd be surprised at the speed with which small children can make messes); doing the dishes; washing the kitchen table; washing the floor; etc. Now, this is all in 1 day's work! What do I do? Sit on my ass all day, & type on a computer.
Be a part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the internet. The idea behind the experiment is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate! This ought to be interesting.
So, I had to confront an individual at work about an email sent to a customer that contained information that was completely incorrect. The thing is, I had already sent him an email containing all the pertinent information that needed to be forwarded to the customer. He (must have) neglected my email & wrote what he thought to be the correct information.
See, whenever dealing with a customer, you always want to have your information correct before contacting them. It's my philosophy to exhaust all information resources at my company before ever contacting the customer. This will ensure that we don't look like fools; keeping the respect of the customer & the integrity of our company's reputation.
And of course, because I work in engineering, this little boo-boo will directly affect the image of me & my department.
Even if you don't currently listen to I.R. it will still affect you. It is/was the future of finding new music. The pompus pricks at the RIAA have no idea what this will due to their business. It can only hurt. Don't forget to sign the petition.
If you like internet radio, you better get your listen on while it still exists. As reported by the Radio And Internet Newsletter the royalty rates have changed. Instead of a percentage of total revenue, it is now based on a per listener, per play rate. It's a similar issue that was being discussed back in 2002. But the difference here, is that it's official. (Last time it was only in discussion, not law.) Since the rate decision is so large, (and retroactive through 2006) that many broadcasters will have to pay upwards of 150% of their total revenue. Obviously this isn't going to work, & therefore many will have to close their doors. I think the consensus is that pandora.com is so large, it might be the first on the chopping block. This is a dark day in music.
When your identity is stolen you stand to lose everything, here are 8 steps you must take immediately to protect yourself. This is some great information. And with today's informations systems, it's a bookmark-must!
I'll post more on this later as well, but I wanted to get this thought down on "paper".
Keeping in mind (our) faith in Jesus Christ, is it acceptable to take medication to alter you behavior for the better? I know it's socially acceptable, but is it ok in the eyes of God; say, as opposed to prayer exclusively? Like I said earlier, I'm sure I'll expand on this later, but I wanted to pose the question.
This is exactly what I could find myself into if I can't get this forgiveness thing workin' (see previous post).
A woman is driving north on Interstate 95. Three kids squirm in the back seat, and her sister, six months pregnant and having early contractions, sits in the front. The stress starts to simmer. Traffic slows, then crawls, then creeps. More stress. A car cuts in front of her, then scoots away. A short time later, it darts in again. She can no longer...
I just realized on the way home from work today that I have an issue with forgiveness. Here's the scoop: I watched as this car, two cars in front of me, palatially go into the other lane. Now, I'm sure you've had experience with this. You watch the car get over just enough to block both lanes, just as the light turns green. Now neither lane can go, 'cause there's a car in the way. As I'm bitching at this unknown driver, I think that getting over (unlike this) should be common sense. "If you're gonna get over, do it. Don't half-ass it."
I started to think about the situation, because I felt uncomfortable with all my complaining. It occurred to me that there was probably a good chance that he didn't do this intentionally; and how many times has (and will) this happen to me? Then, if it is true that he didn't mean to do it, how do I have the right to bitch? From there I thought, If I'm holding some unknown drive to this standard, then I have to live up to that same standard! What if I make a mistake? What if my mistake is worse than just blocking two lanes for 15 seconds? There's no way I can live up to that standard!
So I figured the only way I can get off the hook for this level of driving skill, is to forgive these other drivers, which brings me to the topic at hand: forgiveness.
Why is it that whenever I think to say "I forgive you." it sounds fake, & unnatural? I think this is a big deal for Laura & I to deal with, but so far has been relatively unsuccessful. I find it a lot easier to ask for forgiveness, but difficult to do the forgiving. Maybe I think that I'm flawed too & therefore, for me to forgive would be to say that I'm better than you; which is not what I'm saying.
Christ sets the example. But for him it was easy, he was perfect. I'm pretty sure it's my biblical ignorance that is hindering me, but I really don't know where to go from here.
I think I'm talking in circles... I'll probably post more on this later. :)
It occurred to me this morning that on my ToDo list to be a better husband, I completely forgot about incorporating playtime with the kids. I'm calling this the "wildcard" because we often forget to actually set aside time to interact with them, and the time spent could be significant. I suppose the time spent could be considered "value added" and therefore could contribute to the overall mental/emotional health benefit that my wife requires. But this time spent would take away from other duties like, laundry, cleaning the basement, etc. Another way to look at it is, if I keep the kids from fighting by keeping them busy (again, value added. Not TV.) I think I can do my wife some good. Any addition thoughts are welcome.
I just came back from a meeting of guys that get together to pray on a weekly basis. For the last portion of the evening we gather up a list of people to pray for. We prefer to lay hands on, & pray for those within the group, but most often the need is for those outside the group. Tonight there were 7 of us. We generated a list of approximately 20 people that we knew directly who all needed prayer. The needs ranged from people suffering from physical ailments, broken hearts, to struggling with faith, getting a job, etc. I was both amazed at the sheer number of people in need (given there were only 7 of us), and the degree with which their need was. I mean, if the 7 of us were a sample of the entire, say Christian population, then I am blown away by the need of the entire world. How easy it is to get overwhelmed at the needs pf the world. Where do you start? You start by praying for those that you know. Whomever God puts on your heart at that time. And of course, you could always say something to God at the end of your prayer like, :...and all those other people I have forgotten."
One thing I often get caught up in, is the "I'm too cool for God" mentality. I keep thinking that I don't needs God's healing, & grace. Quite the opposite. Although I can't find the quote right now, Don talks about it in Blue Like Jazz. It's worth a read if you haven't.
I almost never make New Years' resolutions, because like most people, I wont keep them. See, I don't even try, because I already know, that I won't keep them. But, this year I think will be different. I just got home from an inspiring meeting of sorts, that has got me a'thinkin. I've been asked what tangible things I can do (this year) to increase my relationship with God. I did a little reflection: Earlier this week, Laura calls me at work to tell me that the dog had left diarrhea poop in several places around the house. She had the joy of cleaning it up, 'cause it was 7 in the morning, & I had to be at work. It was then that I had remembered that just the day before, on my way out the door, I had noticed a piece of bone (like from a chicken or something) on the back porch. I was late that morning, & felt I didn't have the time to clean up the trash that had been broken into. I also figured that it was right outside the doorwall, & Laura would see it and clean it up. As it turns out, the dog must have eaten the bone and gotten sick, therefore leaving the mess for Laura to clean. It was at this time, that I realized that it was all my fault. It was my fault Laura had to wake up to the smell of rotten dog poop on the carpet of her son's room. I guess you could say this was the final straw, and it was time to get my act together. I needed to turn over a new leaf. I needed a plan, and this meeting of sorts has given me a nudge. I wanted to get my plan down on "paper" so I can be held accountable later, when people have noticed that I'm not been doing my plan. So, here it is:
Make a daily schedule. I need to get myself into the routine of helping out around the house, praying with my wife, & being with my children. In order to accomplish this, I need to schedule it.
Going along with the schedule, I need to set aside some time to listen to the Word. I figure, if I'm not going to set aside the time to read the Bible, I can at least listen to it.
Create a list weekly of people to pray for. It's not hard to think of people to pray for. But, when I sit down to pray, all those people seem to escape me. I also believe that making this weekly list, will "get my head in the game" if you will.
I am convinced that this small list will help me become a better person, dad, husband, & Christ follower. It may seem like a small start, but it's a start nonetheless.
You may have heard of Bit Torrent, usually in connection with movie piracy & "downloading." The problem with that mental picture, is that it's all wrong. Bit Torrent is a method of file transfer, not an automatic piracy tool. You're not going to be arrested if you use it. In fact, I've found many uses for it that are legal, such as LegalTorrents.com, Linux ISOs, & anything at revision3.com. These are only a few examples of a huge assortment of files that can be shared between peers for legal use. So, don't be bashful. Grab yourself a client, and get downloading; because the more the downloaders, the better for all.
Edit: I need to acknowledge that the above image was taken from Wikipedia.org.
For nearly 20 years now, I've been using Microsoft software. I've probably even been using it longer, but without my knowledge. Every time I've needed to upgrade to a new version, i.e. Windoze 95 to Windoze 98, I've been completely disgusted at the >$100 price tag. I've always thought it was ridiculous to charge that much for software. At the time I didn't realize what all goes into the development & service of software, especially an O.S. Now that I'm older & wiser, I'm starting to see the light. There's much more to it than price alone. There's all the things that people are unwittingly forced to deal with because of Microsoft's dominance. A fantastic example is the use of Internet Explorer as apposed to Firefox, but that's for another conversation. Side note: I must admit, I have a natural inclination to root for the underdog. It really doesn't seem to matter what the context is. If there's a big guy beating up on a little guy (software included), I always boo the big guy. I also know that this does play a role in my decision to explore Linux, but I also realize the potential. It's kind of like learning another spoken language. It's not necessarily useful on a day-to-day basis, but could get you hired someday, or could be used on vacation, etc. Linux.org has a bunch of classes for learning Linux. I think they state it well:
We have developed this course for one basic reason: To bring the newcomer to Linux to the point where you can, using Linux, do everything that you do with MS Windows and much more. Due to the fact that Microsoft, enjoying an illegal monopoly, has its operating system installed on 90% of the world's computers, this course is mainly aimed at people who want to migrate to Linux from Microsoft products.
I guess that I have determined one of my New Year's resolutions. "To become proficient in Linux." I think if I'm going to be able to make a career change in the next few years, this knowledge will definitely play a role.
It's New Year's Day, mid afternoon. I realize that I had left the phone in the van since the night before. I find the phone & it says 34 Missed calls. Oh, crap! I give it to Laura & she checks the messages. She promptly calls her mother who informs her that her 48 year old brother (Laura's uncle) has died. Her mother immediately transitions into yelling at her because she didn't answer her phone, & she's been trying to get a hold of us since 4am. (Now, keep in mind, had I heard the phone, I wouldn't have answered it anyway.) We had to come get the kids. She even managed to drop a few F-bombs to Laura in her fit of rage. Paraphrasing: "You never answer your F-ing cellphone!"
Laura, not use to this kind of verbal abuse, breaks into tears. Right; not because of her uncle dieing, but because of the yelling on the other end of the phone.
Of course, I flip out and declare that they will never watch our kids again, & that there is never an excuse for yelling at somebody like that. I'm on the verge of screaming because I am so offended, & exasperated.
On the 2 hour car ride out to her folks' we discuss further. She makes a good point, that if I had lost somebody close, she would be the first I would yell at. I agreed that we often take out our grief on the people closest to us. And, since anger is the first stage of grief, it only made sense that she was angry at Laura. The problem I have is the intensity, & manner with which that anger was unleashed upon her. I still find this unacceptable, except I have not experienced loss to that degree. I really am curious of your opinion. Please, make a comment. Was that unacceptable?
"AmateurX" originally came from a username I was trying to come up with for a photography forum. I wanted to show that I was an amateur, but I needed some cool, so I added the "X" for that little x-tra cool.
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