I watched Obama's speech last night and I thought it was one of the better political speeches I have ever heard. I'm sure it caught the other camp off guard. It offered some specifics. It offered generalities. It was well delivered and it made some very strong points against the other camp without being an offensive attack. Obama took the high road and I hope McCain does the same thing. Obama even praised McCain's record.
And today I got a shock because I was certain McCain was going to pick Mitt Romney though I was terrified he'd take Rudy Guliani because I thought Rudy could give him some serious momentum among undecided and independents because Guliani is so moderate. Obama's single biggest obstacle is many people say they will vote for him but when it comes to voting, they won't press the Black Button in the ballot box. America is still very much a racist country.
McCain is guaranteed to sweep Alaska now. Oh wait, he was going to win it anyway. It's an oil state. Oops. I think McCain thought he was going to get some of the Hillary vote with this pick and he may, but Palin is very conservative and also pro-Life which will scare off most of Hillary's supporters. Still, I think if Obama lets slips Hillary is getting a high-level cabinet position (such as Secretary of State) he can really hold on to those voters. The Clintons were surprisingly gracious. Good for them.
Picking Palin is not a good move for McCain. He probably thought picking a woman would allow him to show he's still a maverick by associating with another maverick. But Obama promises true change and not the illusion of change. I hope this miscalculation costs McCain the election, though all studies show a running mate has never helped decide an election. My great fear is the return of McCain because another four years of present policies will destroy our country.
Palin is younger than Obama and she has less experience than Obama. Would you really want her as president? Not likely. And my friend Erin points out that McCain can't even to play the race/minority card because Palin's husband is an Eskimo. Though an Eskimo is a true American unlike most of us.
I really, deeply, want Obama to win this and hopefully by a landslide showing it's a mandate from the people. Why? Because he has 4 houses instead of 12. Not really, but I had to toss that in. Ask yourself, seriously, are you better off or worse off than the last election? You know the answer. You're working much harder for less money -- and you have less to show for it. Maybe you didn't like Clinton, but how did you fare economically under his administration? I thought so. Check your 401k, your IRA, and your broker accounts: if you still even have them. Down? Imagine that. "It's the economy, stupid." People have always lost their homes but not in these record numbers, people are suffering because our government has let them donwn. Government can't do everything, but it shouldn't do nothing. Nothing? Well the post-Katrina government comes to mind.
I have many complaints against Obama. As a business owner, his programs are going to screw me and my company over. Who do you think is going to be stuck paying for the health plan, extra sick days, and so on? My company. It will raise our costs and ultimately your prices. But since I have a conscience, I can't vote for McCain. Four more years of having our personal rights sold out and support for an unjust war just doesn't work.
Repudiate Bush. Impeach Him. Try him for High Treason. Save America. Vote for Obama. And if you can't vote for Obama, just don't vote. No real American can possibly vote for McCain because his policies are four more years of what has already failed. America is not a theocracy, but those are the interests we've been beholden to for eight years. Nobody loves Bush but the evangelical zealots and, one assumes, Bush's own family. He's as close to evil as this country's ever seen.
Obama said in his speech we have reached a turning point. We, as Americans, must vote to change the course of this country and show we reject our current totalitarian regime in favour of a kinder, gentler country. We need to be the leaders in the world because what we do is right. We do not need to be leaders by force. Restore the American dream for America.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Science Fiction, Double Feature (RHPS)
Well in a post-birthday celebration, we had a great evening out. First, we (everyone except Karen and Timmy) ended up going to Renegade, the awesome BBQ restaurant at the Hard Rock. I tasted alligator -- the first time I've ever eaten it. It tastes like ..... chicken .... and I wasn't even going to eat it, but Erin was so upset that Johnny had ordered gator (because she went to UF and is a gator), I had no choice but to eat it. It tastes like very rubbery chicken -- little flavour without the BBQ sauce. I had the brisket this time. The BBQ here is authentic American Indian so the woods they use are different than typical. Afterwards, I went and donated $20 to the tribe through a slot machine. Then we were going back to Erin's until she issued a change of plans. So, then it was to Jaxson's for ice cream -- Erin insisted, even though I was already so full I didn't feel well. Adrian was full, but Evan seconded the detour and off we went.
Afterwards I felt as bloated as I ever have in my life. I couldn't finish either dinner or desert. We went back to Erin's after that, and watched some Olympics until it was time to go to the theatre. It all came out in the end (insert drum roll) right before the movie, thankfully.
Ah, yes, we went and saw the legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show. I hadn't seen it in about eight years and was overdue. A thread was started on my message boards (membership required) and soon we had a plan. As it turned out the date picked was the day after my birthday. It was the UK version -- same as the US version but with the SuperHeroes segment included.
In attendance at the RHPS was JohnnyB, Liz, Adrian, Timmy, Erin, Karen, me, and Evan. We had a no show by my sister, David, and Andy. Whilst waiting for the delayed start of the film, we watched some of the group playing skee-ball. (The theatre is Flipper's in Hollywood).
Like all RHPS shows, there is a "shadow cast" -- ours being the Faithful Handymen. If you've never been, in front of the screen volunteers act out the movie using props and such. It's quite fun. The cast was excellent. The lines, not as much. I've been to RHPS about a dozen times, and it's always vulgar but this one was a bit over the top, but my complaint is more like they were shouting so many different lines you couldn't hear any of them. Most theatres it's pretty organized with the cast shouting out the same lines, and the random audience member throwing one in from a show they went to in another city. (All cities have some of their own lines.) The Frank and Eddie guys were most excellent and everyone else was good too. Frank always steals the show, but that's to be expected.
I wore my Coconut Grove 1982 5th anniversary RHPS t-shirt which didn't fit me worth shit anymore. But at least everyone knew I was not a RHPS virgin. I know most of the songs so could sing along, and clued my friends in when to throw stuff. The cast was pretty good about alerting people to get props ready -- the nice thing is they sell prop bags so you don't need to bring your own stuff. The show started a little after midnight, and ended just before 2am. I raced home using the warp drive in my car, and was in bed a little shy of 3am.
I woke up at 855am -- very late for me -- and was off to Adrian's for breakfast and skating. We ended up seeing "Tropic Thunder" which was a spectacular waste of time. I didn't hate it, and it occupied time, but wait for the dollar theatre. Or the fifty-cent theatre. It has some great scenes, it really does. But there are parts where it drags painfully. And Robert Downy is just horrible in this film as is Ben Stiller. Jack Black is awesome, though. Then I came home and am catching up on two days of mail and such. And writing this for the benefit of you, my loyal readers.
Scooter had her appointment for the mysterious black stool, but a full analysis indicates it's weird looking but contains no blood, worms, or parasites. So monitor for awhile and look for additional changes. Scooter's feeling extra affectionate today. I am now doing laundry if you care.
Afterwards I felt as bloated as I ever have in my life. I couldn't finish either dinner or desert. We went back to Erin's after that, and watched some Olympics until it was time to go to the theatre. It all came out in the end (insert drum roll) right before the movie, thankfully.
Ah, yes, we went and saw the legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show. I hadn't seen it in about eight years and was overdue. A thread was started on my message boards (membership required) and soon we had a plan. As it turned out the date picked was the day after my birthday. It was the UK version -- same as the US version but with the SuperHeroes segment included.
In attendance at the RHPS was JohnnyB, Liz, Adrian, Timmy, Erin, Karen, me, and Evan. We had a no show by my sister, David, and Andy. Whilst waiting for the delayed start of the film, we watched some of the group playing skee-ball. (The theatre is Flipper's in Hollywood).
Like all RHPS shows, there is a "shadow cast" -- ours being the Faithful Handymen. If you've never been, in front of the screen volunteers act out the movie using props and such. It's quite fun. The cast was excellent. The lines, not as much. I've been to RHPS about a dozen times, and it's always vulgar but this one was a bit over the top, but my complaint is more like they were shouting so many different lines you couldn't hear any of them. Most theatres it's pretty organized with the cast shouting out the same lines, and the random audience member throwing one in from a show they went to in another city. (All cities have some of their own lines.) The Frank and Eddie guys were most excellent and everyone else was good too. Frank always steals the show, but that's to be expected.
I wore my Coconut Grove 1982 5th anniversary RHPS t-shirt which didn't fit me worth shit anymore. But at least everyone knew I was not a RHPS virgin. I know most of the songs so could sing along, and clued my friends in when to throw stuff. The cast was pretty good about alerting people to get props ready -- the nice thing is they sell prop bags so you don't need to bring your own stuff. The show started a little after midnight, and ended just before 2am. I raced home using the warp drive in my car, and was in bed a little shy of 3am.
I woke up at 855am -- very late for me -- and was off to Adrian's for breakfast and skating. We ended up seeing "Tropic Thunder" which was a spectacular waste of time. I didn't hate it, and it occupied time, but wait for the dollar theatre. Or the fifty-cent theatre. It has some great scenes, it really does. But there are parts where it drags painfully. And Robert Downy is just horrible in this film as is Ben Stiller. Jack Black is awesome, though. Then I came home and am catching up on two days of mail and such. And writing this for the benefit of you, my loyal readers.
Scooter had her appointment for the mysterious black stool, but a full analysis indicates it's weird looking but contains no blood, worms, or parasites. So monitor for awhile and look for additional changes. Scooter's feeling extra affectionate today. I am now doing laundry if you care.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bilbo Baggins Finds His Screen Scribes
(Forwarded to me from Evan From Today's Shelf Awareness newsletter)
As you know this project has been on-again, off-again with Jackson in and out of it. It really doesn't matter what anyone says, ultimately the film vision of Tolkien's works is owned by Jackson and can be brought to life successfully by no other. I'm glad it's finally been done. I am pleased this is moving forward and am looking forward to returning to Middle-Earth.
In other news, the cortisone shot has partially helped. My shoulder and neck still hurt but they hurt less. The part that hurts still really hurts but my range of motion has improved.
Scooter has a vet appointment Sunday night because her stool has turned black. Black stool in any cat, dog, or human is a sign of internal bleeding. If it doesn't go away in a few days a vet visit is required.
Saturday is still the post-birthday RHPS event. I am psyched. No idea how I'll stay awake except for lots of Starbucks. Woo-Hoo.
The eight-month search is over for a screenwriter to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, and it ends back where it started. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro decided "that no one is better suited for the task than they are. Del Toro, who is directing the movies, will team with . . . executive producer Jackson to adapt the J.R.R. Tolkien book and write its follow-up. Also joining them in the writers room are Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, both of whom collaborated with Jackson on the Rings trilogy."
The two films "will be shot simultaneously, with principal photography tentatively set for a late-2009 start. New Line and MGM hope to release Hobbit in 2011 and its sequel the following year."
The two films "will be shot simultaneously, with principal photography tentatively set for a late-2009 start. New Line and MGM hope to release Hobbit in 2011 and its sequel the following year."
As you know this project has been on-again, off-again with Jackson in and out of it. It really doesn't matter what anyone says, ultimately the film vision of Tolkien's works is owned by Jackson and can be brought to life successfully by no other. I'm glad it's finally been done. I am pleased this is moving forward and am looking forward to returning to Middle-Earth.
In other news, the cortisone shot has partially helped. My shoulder and neck still hurt but they hurt less. The part that hurts still really hurts but my range of motion has improved.
Scooter has a vet appointment Sunday night because her stool has turned black. Black stool in any cat, dog, or human is a sign of internal bleeding. If it doesn't go away in a few days a vet visit is required.
Saturday is still the post-birthday RHPS event. I am psyched. No idea how I'll stay awake except for lots of Starbucks. Woo-Hoo.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
XM Radio versus Sirius Radio: Satellite Wars
I had XM Radio for about 3 years. I've mentioned it before -- see previous entries. My new vehicles comes with their main competitor, Sirius. Although at some point they'll merge, I thought I'd do a quick comparison.
SPORTS: Sirius beats XM for most people because they have NFL. I prefer the NHL and that's solely an XM feature. I'll call this a draw.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: XM wins. But practically speaking, this too is a draw. Once you're over 100 stations, does anyone really care? No. XM or Draw.
RECEPTION: XM by a landslide. Rarely did I lose XM reception. On Sirius I lose it all the time when I'm near big buildings, underpasses, overpasses, and randomly for no reason including driving across the causeway to Miami Beach. Point XM.
RADIO FEEL: Sirius wins by a landslide. Listening to Sirius is like listening to the radio. You have a DJ but he/she just says a few sentences here and there to give it that radio feel. It's not like the radio where they blather. A note about the song, a comment about the inspiration, a few words about what songs are up next. Good stuff. XM doesn't do that. Point Sirius.
THE NAME: XM is cool. You get what it is instantly. Sirius, not so much. Point XM. But who cares?
THE MUSIC: It's all about the music. That's the main reason to buy satellite radio if it's not for the sports. And XM wins. Handily. I need at least two Sirius stations to cover one XM station. I have to juggle on Sirius to stay happy. XM I could set one station and listen for hours. It might seem neat that Sirius has an All Elvis station, but it really does grow tiresome after awhile. XM has the good, the music, and the diversity. XM -- slam dunk.
The verdict, XM. I miss it.
SPORTS: Sirius beats XM for most people because they have NFL. I prefer the NHL and that's solely an XM feature. I'll call this a draw.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: XM wins. But practically speaking, this too is a draw. Once you're over 100 stations, does anyone really care? No. XM or Draw.
RECEPTION: XM by a landslide. Rarely did I lose XM reception. On Sirius I lose it all the time when I'm near big buildings, underpasses, overpasses, and randomly for no reason including driving across the causeway to Miami Beach. Point XM.
RADIO FEEL: Sirius wins by a landslide. Listening to Sirius is like listening to the radio. You have a DJ but he/she just says a few sentences here and there to give it that radio feel. It's not like the radio where they blather. A note about the song, a comment about the inspiration, a few words about what songs are up next. Good stuff. XM doesn't do that. Point Sirius.
THE NAME: XM is cool. You get what it is instantly. Sirius, not so much. Point XM. But who cares?
THE MUSIC: It's all about the music. That's the main reason to buy satellite radio if it's not for the sports. And XM wins. Handily. I need at least two Sirius stations to cover one XM station. I have to juggle on Sirius to stay happy. XM I could set one station and listen for hours. It might seem neat that Sirius has an All Elvis station, but it really does grow tiresome after awhile. XM has the good, the music, and the diversity. XM -- slam dunk.
The verdict, XM. I miss it.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
MRI Results
Today, I received my MRI results. There are three components to the results.
The above picture is for illustrative purposes as to the locations of my pain and such. I feel some where the small red dot is, but it's primarily now located up by the big red dot.
First, my C5 and C6 (or maybe it was C4 and C5) vertebrae are protruding. This is a permanent condition and will cause my minor discomfort forever. Although technically repairable with surgery they do not recommend it. That is not visible on this photo but it's in the neck area close to where it joins the spinal column. This is, of course, a direct result of the accident.
Second, my muscle in my neck is actually torn. This is from the whiplash I received in the accident. This is a trauma injury and there's no other explanation for it. There is no fix for this. I'm not sure exactly which muscle it is, but it's near the big red dot. If you want to know, I'll press it for you and show you.
Third, there was a large white spot on the MRI. He grabbed another one, at first thinking there was a spot on it. They took a total of 14 sheets of results and the spot was on all of them regardless of the angle. The spot is bright white almost-silver looking, and a bit smaller than a golf-ball. Two other doctors work with him, and he said he'd never seen anything quite like it, took the MRI and went and consulted with the other doctor (leaving me in the exam room). He came back and said they were pretty sure it was a fluid pocket between the muscle and the spinal column. He's not sure why it's there, how it got there, but suspects it's related to the accident only because it's the same whiplash/tear/pain area I have.
Lastly, and this was the fun part (sarcasm), I got a cortisone shot where the big red dot is. I've had a few in my knee before. And while relatively painful, they aren't much fun. I would recommend against ever letting anyone stick one of those horse needles in your neck going all the way in towards your spine, squirting the cortisone in as they pull out. It hurts in a way I will not describe. He says I can return to the Chiropractor next week.
On the plus side, every result I've had to date all indicates the damage is the result of this accident. That means I have a good case against the heathens at Progressive (the insurance company of the lady who hit us). Since they refuse to pay so far, there will be a lawyer involved soon. I will find the meanest, nastiest, most expensive lawyer there is. Why? I don't believe in being vindictive when treated fairly, but Progressive has gone out of their way to stonewall and insult me. They have no business writing insurance in the state. I've already filed one formal complaint against them with our state's insurance commissioner after they lied to me. I can see myself filing more complaints. If you know a good accident injury attorney, please e-mail me.
I have a review in four weeks. More then.
Addendum 8-22-08: I must mention that when I first talked to this adjuster "Greg" he really went off on chiropractors and how they don't work. He said he felt that "you get used to them and become dependent on them." I greeted that with silence after which he added "but that's just my opinion." It was on obvious ploy to get me thinking about chiropractors in a bad way. It did make me think: but about how scummy Progressive Insurance is. He asked me to have my doctor send the medical records over when he called today. Honestly, considering their repeated bad-faith efforts, I don't feel it's in my interests.
Addendum 8-23-08: This brings to mind something I discussed with my friends some months ago, not that long after the accident: maybe 6 weeks or so but never posted here. (This was right before I got the letter sending me for the independent evaluation -- the one where they confirmed my injuries were the result of the accident so that really backfired on the insurance company. I'm still amused. That's in a previous blog post.) I thought I'd throw it in because this blog is going to be useful since it's becoming increasingly apparent I will need a lawyer. One evening around 530 or 6pm, I got a knock at my door. It was a guy wearing a uniform much like the Crocodile Hunter guy wore and said he was "from the lawn service" here to give me an estimate. I was immediately suspicious because we have a gated community and I didn't let him in and there was no lawn equipment anywhere and he didn't even have a car. Which means it was parked out of sight. I also know who the community lawn service is and it wasn't his company. I asked him who hired him. He said "I just do work around here for your neighbours" and I asked which neighbours. He couldn't answer any of the questions. Not one. I asked him how he got in. He didn't answer. I asked him where his truck was and he left. It was pretty obvious from looking at the guy he'd never done any lawn work in his life: he was white like an Englishman in December. I probably should have called the cops and made his life hell, but I wasn't overly concerned as he was clearly harmless. I just through I'd throw this out there so you guys can see what I'm dealing with this.
First, my C5 and C6 (or maybe it was C4 and C5) vertebrae are protruding. This is a permanent condition and will cause my minor discomfort forever. Although technically repairable with surgery they do not recommend it. That is not visible on this photo but it's in the neck area close to where it joins the spinal column. This is, of course, a direct result of the accident.
Second, my muscle in my neck is actually torn. This is from the whiplash I received in the accident. This is a trauma injury and there's no other explanation for it. There is no fix for this. I'm not sure exactly which muscle it is, but it's near the big red dot. If you want to know, I'll press it for you and show you.
Third, there was a large white spot on the MRI. He grabbed another one, at first thinking there was a spot on it. They took a total of 14 sheets of results and the spot was on all of them regardless of the angle. The spot is bright white almost-silver looking, and a bit smaller than a golf-ball. Two other doctors work with him, and he said he'd never seen anything quite like it, took the MRI and went and consulted with the other doctor (leaving me in the exam room). He came back and said they were pretty sure it was a fluid pocket between the muscle and the spinal column. He's not sure why it's there, how it got there, but suspects it's related to the accident only because it's the same whiplash/tear/pain area I have.
Lastly, and this was the fun part (sarcasm), I got a cortisone shot where the big red dot is. I've had a few in my knee before. And while relatively painful, they aren't much fun. I would recommend against ever letting anyone stick one of those horse needles in your neck going all the way in towards your spine, squirting the cortisone in as they pull out. It hurts in a way I will not describe. He says I can return to the Chiropractor next week.
On the plus side, every result I've had to date all indicates the damage is the result of this accident. That means I have a good case against the heathens at Progressive (the insurance company of the lady who hit us). Since they refuse to pay so far, there will be a lawyer involved soon. I will find the meanest, nastiest, most expensive lawyer there is. Why? I don't believe in being vindictive when treated fairly, but Progressive has gone out of their way to stonewall and insult me. They have no business writing insurance in the state. I've already filed one formal complaint against them with our state's insurance commissioner after they lied to me. I can see myself filing more complaints. If you know a good accident injury attorney, please e-mail me.
I have a review in four weeks. More then.
Addendum 8-22-08: I must mention that when I first talked to this adjuster "Greg" he really went off on chiropractors and how they don't work. He said he felt that "you get used to them and become dependent on them." I greeted that with silence after which he added "but that's just my opinion." It was on obvious ploy to get me thinking about chiropractors in a bad way. It did make me think: but about how scummy Progressive Insurance is. He asked me to have my doctor send the medical records over when he called today. Honestly, considering their repeated bad-faith efforts, I don't feel it's in my interests.
Addendum 8-23-08: This brings to mind something I discussed with my friends some months ago, not that long after the accident: maybe 6 weeks or so but never posted here. (This was right before I got the letter sending me for the independent evaluation -- the one where they confirmed my injuries were the result of the accident so that really backfired on the insurance company. I'm still amused. That's in a previous blog post.) I thought I'd throw it in because this blog is going to be useful since it's becoming increasingly apparent I will need a lawyer. One evening around 530 or 6pm, I got a knock at my door. It was a guy wearing a uniform much like the Crocodile Hunter guy wore and said he was "from the lawn service" here to give me an estimate. I was immediately suspicious because we have a gated community and I didn't let him in and there was no lawn equipment anywhere and he didn't even have a car. Which means it was parked out of sight. I also know who the community lawn service is and it wasn't his company. I asked him who hired him. He said "I just do work around here for your neighbours" and I asked which neighbours. He couldn't answer any of the questions. Not one. I asked him how he got in. He didn't answer. I asked him where his truck was and he left. It was pretty obvious from looking at the guy he'd never done any lawn work in his life: he was white like an Englishman in December. I probably should have called the cops and made his life hell, but I wasn't overly concerned as he was clearly harmless. I just through I'd throw this out there so you guys can see what I'm dealing with this.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Suckitude: The Legacy of BMW's iDrive
I hate the iDrive in my BMW with a passion. It goes against all common sense. Specifically, a new invention should work the way people think or it becomes a distraction. While you're driving, that's deadly. iDrive is BMW's stupid control-knob which you turn, press, or push/pull in one of four directions to make things happen. My previous vehicle (Acura MDX) had a touch screen so everything is in front of your face. Not on the PASSENGER side of the console. What idiot came up with that?
Why iDrive sucks:
1. Selecting a radio station takes a large number of spins and presses. You can't just "dial" 015 for instance. You dial to Entertainment, then Satellite, then Presets. Or if it's not a preset, you then dial through the entire list. To be helpful, you can select Category, the Rock, and then scroll through the less. Idiotic at best.
2. Dialling the phone encounters the same exact long sequence of events. The thing randomly decides it will or won't work properly with the phone.
3. Navigation, you need to know the address. You cannot look for "Hard Rock" by name. Seriously. I don't know the address of the Hard Rock. So I have to select Navigation, scroll to the correct menu, select Category, then select Entertainment, then select Casino. I assure you I can type Hard Rock faster. Not a choice. Idiots.
5. The voice activation is worthless. I can't say "DIAL" unless I am in the communications menu. Really. So I have to use iDrive to get to the correct menu and THEN say "Dial" -- I kid you not. Worse, even when the address book syncs, it never picks the right name from the list. But wait, there's more. My phone knows that under "First Last" Name there are four phones. Each one has an icon: home, work, mobile, etc. But in iDrive's system, they're all listed as the same so you have to look at EACH one to see which number is stored. Yeah, that helps you keep the eye on the road. Which entry for Dad is his mobile? Horrendous planning. BMW should be shot.
(I like the car. I abhor the iDrive. However I won't get another one when I'm finished with this one. I hate the iDrive that much.)
I am not please hurricane Faye is coming to town. I'll do my shutters tomorrow evening I suppose. I didn't plan on it, but the track is looking for more ominous with the last report.
And Adrian is less reliable than Karen. I'm just going to assume I should always make other plans and then just see him if he's actually available when he says he will be. I think his success to cancellation ratio is well under 50%
WJM is over his first hurdle but the next hurdle is just as bed. I finally got to talk to him at length and he's resigned to the next stage. We all wish him well.
RHPS in one week. Yay.
Why iDrive sucks:
1. Selecting a radio station takes a large number of spins and presses. You can't just "dial" 015 for instance. You dial to Entertainment, then Satellite, then Presets. Or if it's not a preset, you then dial through the entire list. To be helpful, you can select Category, the Rock, and then scroll through the less. Idiotic at best.
2. Dialling the phone encounters the same exact long sequence of events. The thing randomly decides it will or won't work properly with the phone.
3. Navigation, you need to know the address. You cannot look for "Hard Rock" by name. Seriously. I don't know the address of the Hard Rock. So I have to select Navigation, scroll to the correct menu, select Category, then select Entertainment, then select Casino. I assure you I can type Hard Rock faster. Not a choice. Idiots.
5. The voice activation is worthless. I can't say "DIAL" unless I am in the communications menu. Really. So I have to use iDrive to get to the correct menu and THEN say "Dial" -- I kid you not. Worse, even when the address book syncs, it never picks the right name from the list. But wait, there's more. My phone knows that under "First Last" Name there are four phones. Each one has an icon: home, work, mobile, etc. But in iDrive's system, they're all listed as the same so you have to look at EACH one to see which number is stored. Yeah, that helps you keep the eye on the road. Which entry for Dad is his mobile? Horrendous planning. BMW should be shot.
(I like the car. I abhor the iDrive. However I won't get another one when I'm finished with this one. I hate the iDrive that much.)
I am not please hurricane Faye is coming to town. I'll do my shutters tomorrow evening I suppose. I didn't plan on it, but the track is looking for more ominous with the last report.
And Adrian is less reliable than Karen. I'm just going to assume I should always make other plans and then just see him if he's actually available when he says he will be. I think his success to cancellation ratio is well under 50%
WJM is over his first hurdle but the next hurdle is just as bed. I finally got to talk to him at length and he's resigned to the next stage. We all wish him well.
RHPS in one week. Yay.
Friday, August 15, 2008
FIRE!!! (The Saga of the Exploding UPS)
There's a running joke that everything bad happens to me. It seems that way sometimes and let me share with you today's saga.
Every five to eight years we must replace the battery back-up system for our telephone system at work. That's what enables us to stay in business when the power goes out after a disaster. That's important to us and our customers. If you're familiar with the APC SmartUps 750, we have eight of them daisy-chained together (Our current model is white though the picture below is black like the new one, but you get the idea).
Because we're a company, we actually hire someone to hook up a complex power network. Not because it's dangerous, but because if it's not configured properly you don't get the extended runtime you paid for. The guy, named Eric, showed up to do the install.
Now, we almost decided to unpack it prior to his arrival and make it easy on him. But, because I didn't know where he wanted to do the set-up work, we ended it up leaving it for him. A good choice, I might add. (Insert foreshadowing music here).
The APC guy opened it all himself. He hooked it up, plugged in all the wires. I was back there to help him see where we were going to plug the system in. So I'm holding the UPS and talking to him as he plugs it in. We here what sounds like a very rattly cage fan, and we both comment on it (it does have a cage fan, mind you) and then we notice it's orange inside and at the same time it erupts with black, acrid smoke, eight inch high bursts of flame, and loud popping noises. He and I race over, and he manages to unplug it but the flames are getting worse so it wasn't an arc situation. I run to the nearest fire extinguisher -- not a Halon model designed for electrical fires and grab it. I wish to point out, my fingers are already burnt -- medium-rare. I pop the pin on the extinguisher and let loose. It doesn't fully quench the fire because it's an electrical fire, so I get really, really, really close and force pump the gas at highest strength into the cage. That stops the fire but the smoke continues, slowly dissipating, and happily not setting off our fire alarm -- thankfully our fire alarm is only heat sensitive and not smoke sensitive.
My fingers on my right hand are now "medium-rare" with nice little burn marks :/ Plus, I froze my stupid hand with the fire extinguisher: that stuff is cold -- I had no idea. But it was mostly thawed an hour later. The nice little marks on my finger still look I am char-grilled, but they don't hurt.
The APC tech said he's never seen anything like it. APC suspects something was dropped hard in transit though the box looked pretty perfect. I was shaking I was so scared. I mean it LITERALLY blew up in our hands. So here's the picture with the control box removed, though you can see the feet marks where it was when it smoked out.
That brownish tinted plastic looking stuff on the left of the picture is actually a nylon curtain we've always kept there to keep dust from getting into our phone system cabinet. It was clear before the fire.
I cannot begin to tell you how bad it smells in our office. We had to open all the windows and doors to air it out for the remainder of the day but it didn't help that much. Everything happens to me.
Every five to eight years we must replace the battery back-up system for our telephone system at work. That's what enables us to stay in business when the power goes out after a disaster. That's important to us and our customers. If you're familiar with the APC SmartUps 750, we have eight of them daisy-chained together (Our current model is white though the picture below is black like the new one, but you get the idea).
Because we're a company, we actually hire someone to hook up a complex power network. Not because it's dangerous, but because if it's not configured properly you don't get the extended runtime you paid for. The guy, named Eric, showed up to do the install.
Now, we almost decided to unpack it prior to his arrival and make it easy on him. But, because I didn't know where he wanted to do the set-up work, we ended it up leaving it for him. A good choice, I might add. (Insert foreshadowing music here).
The APC guy opened it all himself. He hooked it up, plugged in all the wires. I was back there to help him see where we were going to plug the system in. So I'm holding the UPS and talking to him as he plugs it in. We here what sounds like a very rattly cage fan, and we both comment on it (it does have a cage fan, mind you) and then we notice it's orange inside and at the same time it erupts with black, acrid smoke, eight inch high bursts of flame, and loud popping noises. He and I race over, and he manages to unplug it but the flames are getting worse so it wasn't an arc situation. I run to the nearest fire extinguisher -- not a Halon model designed for electrical fires and grab it. I wish to point out, my fingers are already burnt -- medium-rare. I pop the pin on the extinguisher and let loose. It doesn't fully quench the fire because it's an electrical fire, so I get really, really, really close and force pump the gas at highest strength into the cage. That stops the fire but the smoke continues, slowly dissipating, and happily not setting off our fire alarm -- thankfully our fire alarm is only heat sensitive and not smoke sensitive.
My fingers on my right hand are now "medium-rare" with nice little burn marks :/ Plus, I froze my stupid hand with the fire extinguisher: that stuff is cold -- I had no idea. But it was mostly thawed an hour later. The nice little marks on my finger still look I am char-grilled, but they don't hurt.
The APC tech said he's never seen anything like it. APC suspects something was dropped hard in transit though the box looked pretty perfect. I was shaking I was so scared. I mean it LITERALLY blew up in our hands. So here's the picture with the control box removed, though you can see the feet marks where it was when it smoked out.
That brownish tinted plastic looking stuff on the left of the picture is actually a nylon curtain we've always kept there to keep dust from getting into our phone system cabinet. It was clear before the fire.
I cannot begin to tell you how bad it smells in our office. We had to open all the windows and doors to air it out for the remainder of the day but it didn't help that much. Everything happens to me.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Today's Medical Report 2.0
Got up at 515am, made a cup o' hot chocolate for breakfast, and hiked to my car (currently parked a few blocks away as they've been repaving my street for several days). Drove to the hospital. Arrived at 630am as ordered. Nobody there. At 640am, maintenance man came by and asked why I was waiting there as it didn't open until 9am. I told him I had an appointment and said the MRI entrance is in the BACK of the building and not the front. Went in, checked in, and waited.
They took me almost on time and I got to be the victim in their new fancy MRI machine. You've all seen it. It's that same one the use on the TV show House. The MRI takes quite a bit less time than on the older machines and it takes higher resolution. Afterwards, I got a secondary interrogation -- identical to the one before.
I explained to them I have not slept through the night since the accident and it's gotten much worse in the past few weeks. Which sucks. They handed my the prints to take to my doctor. They're now at home. I went to the chiropractor today and he wasn't that much help today unfortunately, though the massage therapy was good.
Then my Spinal Doctor's office called. He might not be in on my appointment day as he was subpoenaed to testify. So I don't know what happens then. Then, my GI doctor's office called and left me a message cancelling my appointment for December because he's no longer seeing patients in the morning. Now I gotta call them and start THAT mess all over again.
I hurt. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm hungry.
And for my post-birthday event I'm going with some friends to see Rocky Horror Picture Show. I will just pretend I'm not having a birthday. Happily most of them probably don't even know. Birthdays suck. No more.
They took me almost on time and I got to be the victim in their new fancy MRI machine. You've all seen it. It's that same one the use on the TV show House. The MRI takes quite a bit less time than on the older machines and it takes higher resolution. Afterwards, I got a secondary interrogation -- identical to the one before.
I explained to them I have not slept through the night since the accident and it's gotten much worse in the past few weeks. Which sucks. They handed my the prints to take to my doctor. They're now at home. I went to the chiropractor today and he wasn't that much help today unfortunately, though the massage therapy was good.
Then my Spinal Doctor's office called. He might not be in on my appointment day as he was subpoenaed to testify. So I don't know what happens then. Then, my GI doctor's office called and left me a message cancelling my appointment for December because he's no longer seeing patients in the morning. Now I gotta call them and start THAT mess all over again.
I hurt. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm hungry.
And for my post-birthday event I'm going with some friends to see Rocky Horror Picture Show. I will just pretend I'm not having a birthday. Happily most of them probably don't even know. Birthdays suck. No more.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Keeping A Promise
I refer you to a previous post in my blog. In it, I promised I would take my refund and keep half and the other half is going to be donated, in their name, to two of my favourite charities: the Robin Hood Foundation and Habitat for Humanity. BTW, I always encourage everyone to visit and donate to these charitable organizations.
I am a man of my word, and I made out the checks today as I received the WD check. I'll deposit that shortly. I've scanned a copy of the checks, but due to my recent multiple identity thefts, I've removed information from the checks. But you can see I made 'em out and they'll be mailed Monday.
I am bored this weekend. Events include getting a screw removed from my car's tire. That's up first tomorrow morning. Sadly, this is a common occurrence due to where I work.
After that, I'll got to Whole Earth Foods and get more fruit leather. Then, I'll go home. Later I'll go to Publix, and do laundry. Then I'll swing by the Post Office Box for mail.
I think there's no skating this weekend as Adrian appears to be busy. I'll probably see if Erin's free one day so I can entertain her (and me), and maybe see if the Higgi are up for Saturday dinner. WJM is doing better but no more details on that.
And I have scheduled a post-birthday trip to see Rocky Horror Picture Show with some friends (8-23) so if you want to go, let me know and I'll give you details.
Tonight, I shall watch the Olympics opening ceremony. And Happy Birthday to Maury Wilkinson today.
I am a man of my word, and I made out the checks today as I received the WD check. I'll deposit that shortly. I've scanned a copy of the checks, but due to my recent multiple identity thefts, I've removed information from the checks. But you can see I made 'em out and they'll be mailed Monday.
I am bored this weekend. Events include getting a screw removed from my car's tire. That's up first tomorrow morning. Sadly, this is a common occurrence due to where I work.
After that, I'll got to Whole Earth Foods and get more fruit leather. Then, I'll go home. Later I'll go to Publix, and do laundry. Then I'll swing by the Post Office Box for mail.
I think there's no skating this weekend as Adrian appears to be busy. I'll probably see if Erin's free one day so I can entertain her (and me), and maybe see if the Higgi are up for Saturday dinner. WJM is doing better but no more details on that.
And I have scheduled a post-birthday trip to see Rocky Horror Picture Show with some friends (8-23) so if you want to go, let me know and I'll give you details.
Tonight, I shall watch the Olympics opening ceremony. And Happy Birthday to Maury Wilkinson today.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
WJM, come on Dude.
WJM, I'm thinking of you. I hope you pull through okay. If you make it through, I swear I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll forget your name. Dumb-ass.
We're all here for you.
::cries::
We're all here for you.
::cries::
Monday, August 4, 2008
Ow, my neck ::cries::
Today I saw the spinal specialist. He's chiropractor friendly, which I like. He took several x-rays in his office. And thus the accident saga continues. $400 out of my pocket because they don't do auto insurance claims. I'll have to file this.
The good news is my whiplash is probably minor. That concludes the good news. As expected, I have a prescription for an MRI which I will schedule with the hospital tomorrow. I expect it'll happen within the next few weeks.
There is a possibility of a ruptured disc in my neck. That's bad news. There's also another condition that sounded like myofacial sydrome (related to Fibromyalgia) but I am not sure if that's what he said. Don't quote me on it.
Neither one is very good. Physical therapy might be my next choice. More eventually.
That's over three and half hours of my life I'll never get back.
Addendum: In other news, I've just finished the latest Artemis Fowl book The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer. I've liked the other books okay more or less but this one's not as good. I probably am done with this series after reading this one. Quite honestly it was very uneven. It was almost as if two people wrote it. Parts were good and parts were just badly done. It's hard to write a good, believable book in two different times and Colfer isn't up to the task. I hate to write a bad review of a good author, but it happens. If you like Colfer check out some of his other works instead.
The good news is my whiplash is probably minor. That concludes the good news. As expected, I have a prescription for an MRI which I will schedule with the hospital tomorrow. I expect it'll happen within the next few weeks.
There is a possibility of a ruptured disc in my neck. That's bad news. There's also another condition that sounded like myofacial sydrome (related to Fibromyalgia) but I am not sure if that's what he said. Don't quote me on it.
Neither one is very good. Physical therapy might be my next choice. More eventually.
That's over three and half hours of my life I'll never get back.
Addendum: In other news, I've just finished the latest Artemis Fowl book The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer. I've liked the other books okay more or less but this one's not as good. I probably am done with this series after reading this one. Quite honestly it was very uneven. It was almost as if two people wrote it. Parts were good and parts were just badly done. It's hard to write a good, believable book in two different times and Colfer isn't up to the task. I hate to write a bad review of a good author, but it happens. If you like Colfer check out some of his other works instead.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Heavens to Murgatroid
Thanks to Snaglepuss for today's subject line which has no bearing on anything at all!
Two quick book reviews. First, Cruel Zinc Melodies by Glen Cook, another novel in the Garrett PI series. As all novels in this series, it was enjoyable. There has been less and less humour in each successive novel. That's not a bad or good thing, just an observation. If you're into this for the humour fantasy bit, this one isn't for you. It's also swinging more and more toward the detective side and further and further from the science-fantasy side. Still, I enjoyed it. Definitely a nice read.
Next up we have Steven Brust's latest novel, Jhegaala which is the new Vlad Taltos book. I was going to read the new Artemis Fowl book but Jose said this was good and so I changed my reading order. He's right it is good: very good. This one's a full Vlad book and not much else which, to me, is a great thing. Vlad spends the book in the East and I was thoroughly entertained. I read it all in (almost) one sitting except for the last 40 some-odd pages. It's very engaging and introduces a new character, Meehayi, who I hope makes a return appearance. This is certainly a return to the old Vlad Taltos, which I enjoyed because I did not enjoy the Sethra Lavode cycle nearly as much as the traditional books in this series -- I thought the Lavode cycle was a bit long winded and bordering on pretentious. My opinion, certainly. Highly recommended. One of the best yet. Long yet it seemed short, which is genereally a ringing endorsement.
I am looking at a new phone to replace my v330i. No iPhone for me because it's still AT&T only through 2010, asApple just extended the contract. So although I really want an HTC Diamond (their iPhone clone which is not technically available in the USA), I suspect I will end up with either a Blackberry Curve or Motorola Razr2 v8 -- and I'm leaning heavily towards the second unit. Advice and such from friends is welcome. I am sticking with T-Mobile, of course.
My neck is killing me but the spinal doctor is seeing me Monday, and sadly, I am looking forward to going even though I suspect all he'll do is order an MRI.
Happy Birthday (yesterday) to Adrian. I saw Timmy today for the first time in ages -- Wall*E was the last time I saw him and KungFu Panda before that. And I will never get used to this G4 keyboard because I keep making typos. I miss my other one :(
Also as the campaign from Hell wears on, I find myself growing more weary of Mr. Obama. He's starting to backtrack and do other things that make me realize despite all his fancy words, he's not going to bring change or be something new as he claims. He'll be more of the same old politics we've had for decades. Mind you, he's still going to be better than Mr. McCain who will be four more years of Bush: our country cannot survive that, so I will still vote for Mr. Obama. I can't imagine any sane, intelligent person voting for Mr. McCain. If your mind can reason and think, McCain cannot be your choice. Which is why all the religious nuts will vote for Mr. McCain.
Two quick book reviews. First, Cruel Zinc Melodies by Glen Cook, another novel in the Garrett PI series. As all novels in this series, it was enjoyable. There has been less and less humour in each successive novel. That's not a bad or good thing, just an observation. If you're into this for the humour fantasy bit, this one isn't for you. It's also swinging more and more toward the detective side and further and further from the science-fantasy side. Still, I enjoyed it. Definitely a nice read.
Next up we have Steven Brust's latest novel, Jhegaala which is the new Vlad Taltos book. I was going to read the new Artemis Fowl book but Jose said this was good and so I changed my reading order. He's right it is good: very good. This one's a full Vlad book and not much else which, to me, is a great thing. Vlad spends the book in the East and I was thoroughly entertained. I read it all in (almost) one sitting except for the last 40 some-odd pages. It's very engaging and introduces a new character, Meehayi, who I hope makes a return appearance. This is certainly a return to the old Vlad Taltos, which I enjoyed because I did not enjoy the Sethra Lavode cycle nearly as much as the traditional books in this series -- I thought the Lavode cycle was a bit long winded and bordering on pretentious. My opinion, certainly. Highly recommended. One of the best yet. Long yet it seemed short, which is genereally a ringing endorsement.
I am looking at a new phone to replace my v330i. No iPhone for me because it's still AT&T only through 2010, asApple just extended the contract. So although I really want an HTC Diamond (their iPhone clone which is not technically available in the USA), I suspect I will end up with either a Blackberry Curve or Motorola Razr2 v8 -- and I'm leaning heavily towards the second unit. Advice and such from friends is welcome. I am sticking with T-Mobile, of course.
My neck is killing me but the spinal doctor is seeing me Monday, and sadly, I am looking forward to going even though I suspect all he'll do is order an MRI.
Happy Birthday (yesterday) to Adrian. I saw Timmy today for the first time in ages -- Wall*E was the last time I saw him and KungFu Panda before that. And I will never get used to this G4 keyboard because I keep making typos. I miss my other one :(
Also as the campaign from Hell wears on, I find myself growing more weary of Mr. Obama. He's starting to backtrack and do other things that make me realize despite all his fancy words, he's not going to bring change or be something new as he claims. He'll be more of the same old politics we've had for decades. Mind you, he's still going to be better than Mr. McCain who will be four more years of Bush: our country cannot survive that, so I will still vote for Mr. Obama. I can't imagine any sane, intelligent person voting for Mr. McCain. If your mind can reason and think, McCain cannot be your choice. Which is why all the religious nuts will vote for Mr. McCain.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Worthless Information
I pulled my old G4 keyboard out of the closet as my Matias Tactile Pro 2.0 has been possessed by the devil. The space bar randomly works and the Q key works twice each time you press it or zero times. The N works 4 out of 5 times.
Picked up my x-rays at the Chiropractor today. I scanned one and put it on Flickr -- but it's marked private so only my contacts can view it. The spinal doctor rescheduled me for Monday because they had a cancellation so I am happy about that as I'm pretty much in constant pain now ever since my neck decided to go from recovering to deteriorating a few weeks ago.
My replacement shutters are now up. There's plenty of work to be done -- inside wall has to be removed and replaced because it's full of holes. The exterior needs to be sealed and painted. But it does look much better.
I am bored this weekend unexpectedly since everyone ended up with other plans. So I plan to go with Mr. Higgins to see Dark Knight again as he's not seen it. All the locals got an email. Happy Birthday to Adrian who gets nothing since he won't give me a hint. If it wasn't so embarrassing for me, I'd buy him a dildo or something else disgusting. ::laughs::
I got $50 Amazon Gift certificate for participating in a survey. That's truly exciting. I have yet to write my long iDrive missive but I've not forgotten.
Football season starts next weekend. YAY!
Picked up my x-rays at the Chiropractor today. I scanned one and put it on Flickr -- but it's marked private so only my contacts can view it. The spinal doctor rescheduled me for Monday because they had a cancellation so I am happy about that as I'm pretty much in constant pain now ever since my neck decided to go from recovering to deteriorating a few weeks ago.
My replacement shutters are now up. There's plenty of work to be done -- inside wall has to be removed and replaced because it's full of holes. The exterior needs to be sealed and painted. But it does look much better.
I am bored this weekend unexpectedly since everyone ended up with other plans. So I plan to go with Mr. Higgins to see Dark Knight again as he's not seen it. All the locals got an email. Happy Birthday to Adrian who gets nothing since he won't give me a hint. If it wasn't so embarrassing for me, I'd buy him a dildo or something else disgusting. ::laughs::
I got $50 Amazon Gift certificate for participating in a survey. That's truly exciting. I have yet to write my long iDrive missive but I've not forgotten.
Football season starts next weekend. YAY!
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