Saturday, December 31, 2005
Goodbye 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Not Again
Whenever I check my inbox and see these types of subject lines I cringe. I suppose I could just create a filter in my email program and I would never again see these types of emails but I’m just too lazy to do that. Besides, what if just once there really is a missing little girl or boy and I could pass on the information to help find them? And I also think that the person who is forwarding these types of emails has a moral responsibility to verify the accuracy of the message before forwarding it to everyone in their address book. I’ll bet they have never visited Snopes and believe in all urban legends.
Now, if you don’t email this post to five people in the next fifteen minutes the hilarious dancing elves won’t appear on your monitor and you’ll have bad luck for the next seven months!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Bullet Holes
Author’s Note
I would *never* condone using a firearm in this manner. This entry is only a rambling thought about a novelty item and should not be taken seriously.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Immunizations
I don’t doubt the effectiveness of immunizations and the effect they have had in the free world, but the cost of them and the administration fee charged by the pediatrician can be quite a surprise. Sure, I have insurance but my stupid plan has a $500 maximum per benefit period for “well baby care” which immunizations fall under (don’t get me started on insurance). I’ve done some checking and it seems our pediatrician is charging the average fees. For example (not exact), one immunization may be $20 with a $40 fee for the nurse to administer the injection. Depending on where we are in the immunization schedule, Baby could be getting four different immunizations in three injections. So, $80 for the immunizations and $120 for administering the immunizations, I’ve just spent $200 since Baby has reached her maximum for the year. Of course the price for the immunization itself varies higher or lower depending on what she is receiving but there’s no way around not paying an arm and a leg. ;-)
And the folks who can’t afford to pay for immunizations get to go to county clinics and pay a deeply discounted price ($20) or whatever they can afford to pay for all their immunizations. I’m not eligible to participate because I make too much money. Ha ha! Side note : I love seeing people in grocery stores paying for their stuff with food stamps and then getting into their Cadillac Escalade out in the parking lot (don’t get me started on that, either).
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the benefits of immunizations and the issues before we had them and the importance of ensuring that children receive them. I would never think not to immunize Baby. I guess my real gripe is about health insurance but that won’t stop Baby from crying later this afternoon. :-(
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
LOST - Grey Cat
Monday, December 26, 2005
Pennies
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all!
And if you are offended by that or want to be "politically correct", then Happy Holidays to you!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
We're Back
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Christmas Show
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Baby's Birthday
Friday, December 16, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Bah, Humbug!
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Baptism
Friday, December 09, 2005
Snapper: Red maple leaves
http://okadavinci.blogspot.com/2005/12/red-maple-leaves.html
In my opinion an eclectic photographer. Some of the photos are striking. I enjoyed looking at them and I hope you find them interesting, too.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Coolest Job
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
'F' is for Flu
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Bored
Friday, December 02, 2005
Busy As Bees
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Scary Moment
I didn’t give my daughter a hug or kiss this morning. I scolded her last night over homework. I told her to keep her voice down because Baby was sleeping. You take for granted that you can make up for these things later. But what if there is no later? I couldn’t imagine life without my daughter, without seeing her smiling face, without hearing her voice and laughter. All that could have been taken away in an instant.
Luckily, she’s fine. She said she had been scared and cried at first but she wasn’t injured and nothing hurt. My wife and I were relieved to hear that and gave her a big hug. It’s not easy being a parent but it’s not easy being a kid either. I need to remember that and try to be more patient and understanding. And especially to not become complacent because there might not be a later or a tomorrow to make up for anything.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
$86.08
With all the talk about the U.S. reaching the landmark number of 1000 executions since capital punishment resumed in 1977, I began thinking about some things mostly morbid. There are five methods of capital punishment in the U.S. and those are
1. Death by electrocution
2. Death by firing squad
3. Death by hanging
4. Death by lethal gas
5. Death by lethal injection
I looked into death by lethal injection because this is the form of capital punishment used by the state I live in. According to their website three different drugs are used to kill the offender. Sodium Thiopental is injected into the saline I.V. which sedates the person and renders them unconscious. Then Pancuronium Bromide, a muscle relaxant, is injected which collapses the diaphragm and lungs and prevents breathing. Finally Potassium Chloride is injected which stops the beating heart. Usually the offender is pronounced dead about 7 minutes after the lethal injection begins. The cost for the drugs used to kill the offender is $86.08.
Such a small price to pay.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Made in Mexico
I guess Mr. Carter is afraid that terrorists or Mexican nationals or OTMs are going to waltz across the border disguised as Border Patrol agents. Reality check…individuals by the thousands already cross the border illegally *without* the aid of a uniform. And I guess the union would be happy if the uniforms were made in China or Taiwan perhaps? BTW, I’m assuming that “border” is referring to that invisible line that runs through the desert or river and not an actual port of entry.
I’m sure Mr. Carter understands that neither U.S. agents nor their Mexican counterparts are allowed to cross the border for any reason. So if someone wearing a stolen Border Patrol uniform is walking into the U.S from Mexico, that would undoubtedly raise a red flag for the agents on patrol who would probably communicate with their dispatcher, questioning whether a fellow agent is in the area. I guess I don’t really understand what Mr. Carter’s issue is. As for the union, are they also “embarrassed” that most of the wire harnesses used in their patrol vehicles are “Made in Mexico”? Again, I must not understand their issue.
Lastly, Mr. Carter and a couple of other Representatives are planning on introducing a bill that would require the Border Patrol uniforms be made in the U.S. I would think the contractor already did a cost analysis in order to supply a quality uniform at a competitive price in order to win the contract. Obviously the cost to manufacture the uniform in the U.S. was higher than manufacturing it in Mexico. But I guess it’s ok to incur the higher cost when it ensures the safety of the U.S. from Border Patrol impersonators.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Wind Advisory Until 8PM
Saturday, November 26, 2005
DOOM Was Doomed
I should have known by the reviews and box office tallies that the DOOM movie may not be what I, or fellow Doomers, was expecting. The first third of the movie had me going with the claustrophobic passageways, dim lights, and occasional scares. When the movie explains that the creatures are really mutated humans that were exposed to a 24th chromosome, I literally groaned, even though I saw it coming. Hmmm, am I watching Resident Evil?
I recall that the premise of the game revolved around the UAC accidentally opening a portal to another dimension. The Gates of Hell, through which hundreds of creatures and demons entered the human world. Sure, the movie has a portal which they called the Arc, but that only acts as a transport to Mars and not, as Doom players may think, the gate to another dimension. My favorite weapon in the game is the Plasma Rifle which I didn't see in the movie. I understand that the producers can't include *every* aspect of the game in the movie but they should have at least kept the basic premise instead of creating (copying) another one. The best part of the movie although very short was the first person shooter perspective that came in the last 10 minutes.
I'm very disappointed. :-(
Friday, November 25, 2005
Thursday, November 24, 2005
What Day Is Today?
Yes, I have to work today and tomorrow and Saturday. Hey, wait a minute. Dammit, that means there's no way I can get to the early bird sale at 5 AM tomorrow and then to work on time. I guess that's the way it goes...Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Cingular Has Me Cinging The Blues
First thing they ask is to see the receipt which I don’t have anymore. I asked whether or not they could check in their computer to see when I purchased the phone to determine when I purchased the holster. Oh yeah, sure, they could do that, but how would they know if I’m trying to exchange the same one and not some cheap imitation I bought online? So I show them the back of the holster which has a large Cingular logo on it. Then they say ok, but you still need the receipt to exchange it. Jerks!
So then they try to sell me a $30 leather case. I told them to f*** off and stick the case up their ass. Not really but I thought about it. I just thanked them and went on my merry way. Now I’m trying to find a cheap imitation online. ;-)
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Baby Babble
Monday, November 21, 2005
Cool
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Full Of Gas
Only 38 more payments to go.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Oops, Should Have Read The Instructions
Consumer product warnings are showing up on just about everything you buy today. Of course, it’s meant to protect the consumer from possible harm if the product is used or handled improperly. Probably more so to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits, though. But in the process of protecting themselves their warnings border on the absurd. For example:
- "Do not drive with sunshield in place" - On a cardboard sunshield for automobiles
- "Do not use while sleeping or unconscious" - On a hand-held massaging device
- "Do not use orally after using rectally" - In the instructions for a thermometer
- "Do not use as ear plugs" - On a package of silly putty
- "This product not intended for use as a dental drill" - On an electric rotary tool
- "Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage" - On a portable stroller
The last one is my favorite.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Stay In Your Lane, Jackass!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Hello Kitty
- Hello good friend.
- It’s good feeling you’re friend of me.
- Won’t you have good time to play with me outside?
- Love is so happy!
- I miss the good friend like you.
- See you in the moment.
Maybe it’s because Kitty doesn’t have a mouth to speak with. But I prefer her over a Teletubby any day. Teletubbies frighten me.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Here Kitty
I looked out the window this evening and what did I see? Well, not the cheetah that's pictured here. When I took this picture, I was about ten to fifteen feet away and behind a ten foot tall fence, so I presume I was relatively safe. I was kind of in awe looking at this animal, knowing that if it weren't for the fence, and if it was hungry, I would probably be eaten alive. That is if the animal didn't go for the 300 pound woman that was standing next to me. Anyway, I wonder what this big cat is thinking. Is he wondering what all these humans staring at him would taste like? Or maybe he's trying to calculate the distance needed to run and jump the fence so he can kill and eat the humans? Or better yet, maybe he's just thinking how in the hell did I end up here so far from home?
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Napoleon The Cat - Part II
Monday, November 14, 2005
Who Knows?
But when I first found out the reason why I shouldn't go to my girlfriend's house when her Dad was home, I was really mad. I was mad that someone would have that kind of mindset. Boy was I naive. But through it all, I never at any time got the idea that maybe I should confront him or worse, murder him. I don't understand what makes kids do bad things nowadays. You see it everyday...no manners, no respect for adults, murder...just to name a few. I'm not saying that I was a Saint in my youth but I knew right from wrong. I knew where the line was and I didn't cross it (most of the time). Maybe it's because I was spanked as a child when I did something bad. Again, who knows?
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Project For School
Saturday, November 12, 2005
I Can't Seem To Get Enough
Friday, November 11, 2005
Too Early
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Ghost Stories
The point of that story was to segue into my little ghost story. The facility where I work has its own apparitions that occasionally make themselves known. When the plant first opened, manufacturing ran 24/7. During the 3rd shift, workers complained that they would be in the bathroom and hear someone turn on the shower. When they looked in the shower stall, the water was running but no one was inside. Some workers complained that they heard voices of children in the bathroom and elsewhere in the plant. There were many comments about hearing footsteps and the feeling that someone is standing behind you, and some even say they’ve been tapped on the shoulder or their hair brushed aside. The situation became so uncomfortable for the workers that management decided to call in a Priest and bless the building. That seemed to calm the restless spirits but I know they are still here.
One weekend I was working in my office and heard banging coming from the manufacturing area. I went out to investigate because there was no one else in the building and the security guard was outside. All the lights were out but I could see a shadow moving towards me and then it went straight up into the rafters. More recently, I arrived at work and prepared to unlock the door to my office and saw a small puddle of water, half in and half out of my doorway. There are no water lines in the ceiling, no recent rain, and the door was completely dry. This went on for about a week. Also recently, more reports of footsteps and voices in the bathrooms. I think it might be a good time to bless the building again.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Slick
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Sunday At Wal-Mart
After an uncomfortable 5 minutes (really, I’m not kidding; we could have walked out of the store without paying) the woman returns and says to me that I have to go with her towards the back of the store if I want the formula. I said you already scanned and bagged it. She looked confused and then went through our bags to find the formula and then looked even more confused. I believe she thought the “check” was a coupon for discounted baby food provided to needy families by the state with my tax dollars. I told her it was basically a “check” for $10 dollars. She then called for a supervisor to help her and that took another couple of minutes.
The woman now proceeds to input the “check” for the amount of $10 but she obviously got confused and entered the “check” amount for the full purchase price. So once again the supervisor had to come and intervene. The Wal-Mart receipt has a barcode on the bottom so I would think all she would have to do is scan that to recover all the items but that was wishful thinking. She had to enter the store codes for all 32 items I purchased to generate another sale on the register. I kept looking back at the grumbling people behind me and tried to make them understand that it wasn’t my fault they had to wait. After around a 20 minute delay just to pay, I was free to leave with my purchases. I LOVE shopping at Wal-Mart!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Chicken Little
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Parking
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Pringles
Friday, November 04, 2005
Woo Hoo
Thursday, November 03, 2005
CIA Prisons
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Dia De Los Muertos
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Cough Medicine
Monday, October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Vagina Pulled By Albertsons
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Better Late Than Never
Friday, October 28, 2005
Too Little Or Too Much?
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Potty Patrol
Now, here's my take on things. First, unions are a bad thing (my opinion...everyone can have one). They insist on these crazy stipulations to the contract that eventually just screws the company. 48 minutes for bathroom breaks is ridiculous! I wonder if the contract states that the time can accrue on a weekly basis? ;-) Secondly, I don't think employees spending too much time in the bathroom is causing Ford to lose sales. If you build a quality car, people will buy it. Remember, right or wrong, my opinion. And finally, on what basis did they calculate the 48 minutes per shift bathroom break? Maybe unions aren't such a bad thing afterall.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Cancun
Beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise water, ancient history, the nightlife, and friendly people. Just some of the aspects of Cancun, Mexico that I will remember for a lifetime. My wife and I honeymooned there for a week and we had a wonderful time. So much to do and see that I felt a week was not enough time to take it all in. But with the aftermath of hurricane Wilma, most of Cancun is now in ruins. Watching the U.S. and Mexican news reports, I saw video of places we had visited or passed while there. It was kind of surreal to see our hotel deserted, a shopping mall we visited gutted, and the main boulevard we traveled daily flooded and littered with debris. Stranded tourists trying to get out, helpless locals who have lost everything, chaos and looting. I know that they will rebuild Cancun, they've done it before. I just hope all the lives affected by the hurricane can bounce back as easily.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Rosa Parks
Monday, October 24, 2005
Brand A or Brand B?
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Cheers
Went to a 50th wedding anniversary party last night. There was easily 400 people in attendance. Lots of music, dancing, drinking, and fun. I took the picture with my phone and it shows part of the dance floor. Cheers to the couple who still seem to be happily married and many more years of health and togetherness for them. My only regret at this moment is that I took bowling instead of one of those dance classes in college as an elective.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Is It Here Yet?
It has been too warm here lately. Temperatures cooled down last week to about the upper 70s for highs and lows in the mid 50s but now the temperatures are on the rise. Mother Nature is teasing me. It's the fall season and I want cooler temperatures. When is winter coming? I want snow! I want it to be cold! I like this photo I took when I first got my digital camera. I look at it now and remember how still it was outside, how quite it was, and how cold it was. So peaceful and tranquil. Oh well, there's supposed to be a weak cold front moving in tomorrow and maybe that will help cool things off a little. But no snow, though. :-(
Friday, October 21, 2005
No Matches Allowed
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Gill Man Returns
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001348394
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Yuck
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Squid On A Stick, Anyone?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0927_050927_giant_squid.html
Monday, October 17, 2005
Ouch!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
I Want It!
I was impressed by the phone and it's features even though it lacked a video recorder (it's in there now if you know how to unlock that feature). But just as my 30 days were coming to an end, I was having serious buyer's remorse. I had done a really good job at rationalizing the purchase but apparently I had forgotten all of them by then. I went back to Cingular and returned the phone and got my current phone, a V551. I jokingly told the associate that by next year, they would be giving the Razr away. Besides, I had read an article that Motorola was coming out with a black Razr around 3rd quarter, which I would prefer over the silver one.
The $100 off promotion ended leaving the price at $499, then a couple of months later it was down to $399, then $299, then $199, and now $99. I'm trying to convince myself that I need to get this phone now even though I know I should wait. Maybe I'll go ask my cat and see what he thinks...
The cat said wait because the V3X comes out soon and will be a lot cooler than the V3.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Chucky's Back!!!
Friday, October 14, 2005
My Completed Adventure In Hacking
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Will DOOM be doomed?
On October 21, the movie will be released and I'm concerned that I will be disappointed. There have been many other games I've played turned into movies. Some of them I wasn't interested in seeing (Super Mario Brothers), and others were pretty good (Resident Evil, Lara Croft). I guess we'll just have to see if this movie can make me jump like the game did.
Note: I hear that DOOM III has super graphics and is really intense. I have yet to experience it.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Adventures In Hacking
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Why?
Monday, October 10, 2005
Napoleon...The Cat
This is our cat. My daughter named him so don't ask me why his name is what it is. He's around a year old now and has been a good cat for the most part. He can be affectionate when he wants to be, and he's very good at ignoring you when he want's to be alone. And he doesn't seem to aggravate my allergies so he's just that much better. Except for when he gets into/onto places he shouldn't and especially if he should break something that my wife likes. She has a lot of rules regarding the cat but I don't think he understands them or he just doesn't care.
Anyway, in the past week or so, he has started the annoying habit of begging for table scraps. He'll sit under the table and constantly meow. If you ignore him, he'll hop up onto your lap to make sure he's getting his point across. Sometimes, if we have food on the table and aren't careful, Napoleon will hop up and enjoy people food even though he knows that is right up there at the top of my wife's "Don't You Ever Do This" list. He has food and water and the occassional cat treat so I don't understand why this is starting now. I don't recall any of my friend's cats doing this.
Regardless, I think I'll keep him even if he enjoyed eating my dinner and didn't bother to thank anyone. That is if he doesn't meet the same end as Chucky did. ;-)
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Google, Google, Google
Surprise, surprise, surprise! Their mission to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" is a fair assessment, I think, of their ability to generate accurate links when I enter search criteria. They should probably pay their pidgeons more, though. But this blog isn't about their search engine. Although I use Google for internet searching, blog searching, desktop searching, toolbars, translation tools, Blogger, and email, I wanted to talk a little about a couple of their other products that I find pretty nifty and useful.
The first is Google Earth. This program allows you to "fly" to any geographical location in the world, get directions, zoom in/out, all using satellite imagery. I like the ability to have street names displayed on the imagery as well as a plethora of other stuff. My daughter and I were using it for a homework assignment and when we were done, did some sightseeing from our computer. Too cool.
The other product is Picasa, a program that manages the photos on your computer. I have a lot of pictures on my computer and this program is working better than some of the other photo managing software I've tried. Nice interface, the ability to do basic editing (I use another program for major editing), and allows you to manipulate your photos without altering the original file. You can print different layouts and sizes (wallet size...thank you so much), burn a CD, email, and even upload directly to your blog. And it's free.
So there you have it. No, I don't work for Google or own their stock. This is my own personal and honest opinion, take it or leave it.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Sonic Commericals
Friday, October 07, 2005
Walmart - Heaven or Hell?
What irks me though is that there is so much traffic inside and outside the store that what should only take 10 or 15 minutes turns into a time wasting hell. It bothers me that Walmart has like 30 or 40 registers but only10 are open. And I don't think 20 items or less qualifies as an express lane. The self checkout lanes are bad because most people seem to have lots of problems operating them or they just don't work. I once bought some beer, and nothing else, and went through the self checkout lane and waited at least 5 minutes for someone to verify that I was of legal age! They should post signs in the lines with average wait times like at amusement parks. BTW, I tried shopping after midnight once thinking there would be less people. Wrong!!! Seems there were hundreds of other people thinking the same thing. And Walmart only had 5 registers open at that time. Then, when you're walking out, how many times have you set off the security system and have an associate delay you even more by checking your receipt and contents of your cart or bag?! That embarrassing process is the icing on the cake after you've spent 20 minutes waiting in line behind someone who has sales circulars from 5 different grocery stores and wants to take advantage of Walmart's price matching. Geesh.
So the point of all this babble is this true story. My friend Jim went into our local Walmart and bought a couple of hardware items. It took 30 minutes to checkout through the express lane and as he's walking out, he sets off the security system. He continues to walk out the door and is chased down by a Walmart associate. Here is a paraphrased transcript:
- Associate: Sir, Sir, I have to check your bag.
- Jim: Why? Did you see me steal something?
- Associate: No, but you set off our security system.
- Jim: Alright, but how much are you going to pay me for my time? I'm being held against my will and you don't have any proof that I've shoplifted anything.
- Associate: What?
- Jim: Time is money and the clock is ticking.
- Associate: What?
- Jim: Let me see your manager.
Once the manager gets there, Jim explains that he's wasted enough time waiting in line and he doesn't need any more B.S. by having to be searched just because the security system went off. It could have been triggered by the other person walking next to him without a bag. Jim walked out of the store with a $50 gift card.
Since he's told me this story, I've just been waiting for that darned security system to go off while I'm walking out...but it hasn't.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Baby and Chucky
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Thoughts On Blogging
Blogging is new to me but since my friends all seem to have a blog, I thought I should probably jump on the band wagon and get one too (not that I'm a conformist or anything). I don't know what I will be blogging about or how often, but I guess that's not important because who's really going to read this anyway?
So begins my journey into the New World...
Hey, did I mention that I really, really, hate HTML?