Cleaning out(and wiring) the closet.
So here we are, in the new place on the isthmus, and the time seems to be flying. Some projects are behind us, with many more ahead. It is going to be an interesting summer.
Everything should be done by this weekend when our lovely roommate Alice is throwing her 50’s themed birthday party which we are hijacking into a housewarming party. Hopefully the landlord won’t mind what I have done with the place, but more on that later.
I have a ton of pictures from old adventures that I hope to have in the gallery as well as some shots of the place up this week, so check back. I should also have the business web pages up hopefully in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for those. Ian has some reclaimed art that made it into a Habitat for Humanity show, which I had the honor of photographing and that will be up as well.
As I wait for Packet Tracer to finish downloading
This iconic photograph of James Dean was taken by Dennis Stock, who died this week at age 81.
About how my brain feels after 4 hours of CCNA studying. Ill get pics of the gear I am currently working on as well as photos from the last 4 months up. Wow, how I have neglected you…
Shipping Fail
It should be no suprise that the items shipped are broken…
No wonder it got lost in the mail…
Detailed Results:
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Delivered, September 10, 2009, 2:31 pm, MADISON, WI 53705 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, September 08, 2009, 8:06 pm, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, September 07, 2009, 8:35 pm, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, September 02, 2009, 8:15 pm, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, September 01, 2009, 9:50 am, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07097 |
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Out for Delivery or Available at PO Box, August 31, 2009, 9:17 am, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY 11419 |
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Sorting Complete, August 31, 2009, 8:47 am, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY 11419 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, August 31, 2009, 7:52 am, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY 11419 |
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Missent, August 31, 2009, 7:52 am |
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Arrival at Post Office, August 31, 2009, 7:52 am, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY 11419 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, August 27, 2009, 2:07 am, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 |
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Processed through Sort Facility, August 26, 2009, 4:59 am, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07097 |
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Acceptance, August 25, 2009, 9:05 am, CARLE PLACE, NY 11514 |
Deadwood!
We made it to Deadwood tonight. This is Laura’s first time, and I am sure we will have a blast. Carl was quivering with excitement the whole way today. Weren’t you Carl?
We hope to hit the farm tomorrow and then Ill be back home in Madison by Saturday. Expect a recap of the last month then…
I hate Craigslist
I think people are just bored off in their own little world and need to mess with sellers to feel fulfilled. It is also very apparent that smart phones are the death of e-mail. Here is a guy that I don’t think I am interested in selling one of my items to…
Hi do you still have the power monkey charger
{craigslist ad URL}
Sent from my iPhone
Yes. The individual that called ‘dibs’ earlier in the week seems to have fallen off the map. If he doesn’t get back to me in the next 6 hours, you are more than welcome to pick it up later on tonight.
{Second Email after verifying the other individual wouldn’t be able to pick it up}
confirmed that he backed out. Are you interested in the powermonkey?
yea are you firm with the price
I bought it for 100 + 10 for the attachment for treo smart phones. I think 30 dollars is fair.
i was wondering because rechargable batteries loose capacity to charge over time
how long have you had it
less than a year
did you use it every day
no
i will be using it for my iphone
do you have connector for that
If an ipod adapter will also charge the Iphone, then yes
how about $25
If you can come by tomorrow before 5, Ill give it to you for 25. {address info follows}
i get out of work around 6 would it work if i come after that
Sorry, I am busy after 5. If you are truly interested in the Charger you can pay me the original asking price and stop by later this week when I am available.
{Wonder how he will respond to that 
}
Above is 15 emails over three days. Good thing I have all this free time… Hell, I’ll probably just sell it to Mouse for 15 tonight at Az’s event.
The “What Else Could Go Wrong” Update…
Long time no update, and for that I am sorry. It has been a rough couple of weeks. First my computer explodes at PDXLAN14, then van explodes during what was supposed to be a trip to Crater Lake, and I maybe running a commando mission to retrieve the LeBaron from a delinquent buyer. I suppose I should address these in order…
After a barrage of back and forth exchanges with my ASUS C90s reseller we seem to have come to an agreement. It seems that when I ordered the machine two years and sixteen days ago, I had the foresight to purchase an extra year of warranty. Where it got fun was using my phone company’s online records and a few macro shots of my own phone’s internal call log to prove that I did call him on the 18th of July(not the 20th which he believed I had called him on), which was a DAY before I received the unit from him two years ago. The video card that he believes is the culprit is currently in his shop, and I am awaiting word from him… Let’s hope this fixes my expensive paperweight. In the meantime I am using a dell I picked up a few months ago from the dell outlet.
So Laura has been spending the last month attempting to sell her business, and pulling both her AND my hair out in the process. This last weekend was supposed to be a relaxing retreat to Crater Lake, but it seems that the van had something entirely different in mind. When we stopped in Eugene to get gas she was making an incredible amount of noise on start up. Taking a look we couldn’t see anything ‘wrong’, checked our fluids finding them to be normal, and then shrugged and continued onward. It felt better to continue on and see what happened instead of giving up and returning to the stress in Portland. The noise continued to get louder with each stop, and when we smelt burnt rubber through our vents we pulled over just south of Chemult to find that our Air Compressor was smoking. Sweet.
We Called Car Care in Wisconsin and Jeff told us it was only a matter of time before the AC unit would seize and snap the belt. That wouldn’t be so bad except we would then be without our alternator and water pump. In 100 degree weather. We confirmed the diagnosis with a ‘mechanic’ who’s sign we saw a mile back for five dollars and two beers and assessed our options. 60 miles from both Crater and Bend, we opted for proximity to a mechanic, and changed course.
Bend turned out to be a great little town and aside from some arguing with the AAA rep about what constitutes a forest road, everything worked out well. The car broke down on Saturday after we visited the Lava River Cave just south of Bend, which left us in town until it could be looked at on Monday. With the repairs mostly completed we limped back into town around 10 PM Monday night. So much for Crater Lake.
So the nice Jamaican fellow that bought our LeBaron… Turns out his name may not actually be Glen Taylor. Come to think of it, the only thing we know to be true about him is that he is currently residing in Lane County Jail on alleged drug and identity theft charges. Where it gets fun is that he was driving some other car WITH OUR PLATES ATTACHED! Lovely. I am waiting to hear from my insurance agent today, and will be giving the officer who handled the case a call later today. Since ‘Glen’ AKA Michael Long never paid the full amount I also wouldn’t mind finding the car… More on this as it develops…
I am hoping to go through all of the pictures taken from PDXLAN14 onward and make a few galleries, but I am not terribly optimistic I will get around to it today… There were some great pictures from Bend, but all of my HDR software is on the broken computer, so it could be a while.
Enjoy the Chipmunk, we did…
Chipmunk at the Lava Tubes
:(
My laptop died… Anyone have like… A computer? 
Seriously, I think I maybe a week out of warranty. Yay entire weekend LAN party with no computer…
Hard Drive weight increasing?
Stuff like this almost makes me miss my tech support job. Linkie for complete thread.
Apologies if this is the incorrect area for this question.
I’ve noticed that as I copy data/install programs on my Laptop, the weight of the Laptop increases. I have a bad back and am medically limited on the amount of weight I can carry so I need to be very carefull not to inflict injury upon myself.
I have also noticed my XBox feels heavier as well (the more games I save or purchase from arcade). I generally don’t travel with my XBox so that is not an issue for me, but note the I am having the same results.
My ask, what is the weight/file ratio? So for example, how many GB’s = 6oz? I dread the day I need a dolly to commute to work with my Laptop.
Thanks in advance!
And the Responses…
Dear friend:
Every Gigabyte counts as 5oz of extra weight for your computer.There has been cases (in computers with 1Tb of Hard drive and more) of people left eMule activated 3 days and when that people returned to the computer,there was a hole in the floor instead.
Maybe you should try a compression software (like 7zip for example) which help reducing the data’s weight.
Take care of those P2P software that quickly increase your data.Watch out and be careful.
Use MS-DOS to drastically reduce data weight.
Greetings from Spain!
Also:
I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on this one. The fact is that the equation to which you refer (discovered in the XVIIII century, by Lineus Torvaldus) involves gigabytes AND giggawatts (as opposed to your “jiggawatts” which have been deprecated). The correct form is “weight of data equals gigabytes divided by giggawatts” or wD=g/g.
Basic algebra shows that g/g=1, so wD=1
Divide both sides by D… w(D/D) = 1/D
thus eliminating (D/D) it renders. w = 1/DWhich reads: “The weight is the inverse of the Data”
This is the formal mathematical proof that the more data you store, the LESS the computer weights. If anything, this person should put his hamburger ON TOP of the laptop, to act as a paperwieght.
<3 the internet.
Local News Coverage at its best… Online!
How do these guys still have jobs?
Dog helps himself to pot in Seattle park, stoned for hours
“His eyes were kind of glossed over, very out of touch, I mean, he didn’t seem to recognize me at first,” Nestor Waddell said. “When he was trying to walk, he was looking at his paw, and then looking at the ground and then trying to get his paw to reach the ground, but was unsuccessful.”
and…
Man reportedly biking around Salem, grabbing female butts
[google cached version, they caught him]
Someone is bicycling around Salem grabbing butts and taking off.A white, teenage male pedaled around grabbing women young and old on the butt and fleeing, Salem police said.
Good to see that weird stuff doesn’t just happen in Portland.
Rabid Slick Dealers Ruin Everything…
So Microsoft has been against the ropes over the last few years for the Vista fiasco, and they know it. They have been working extremely hard to improve their user experience and regain some lost pride and market share. They have been giving out keys and licenses to those that provide feedback and help them improve their software. A while back they offered a free Vista license for participating in their Windows Feedback Program. And eight hours ago you could have signed up for free year’s subscription for Technet access, provided you met certain criteria and were willing to fill out some surveys and give them feedback.
So what do the feral slick dealers do? They couldn’t be bothered to even fill out the initial survey. Someone posted the direct link to the Technet sign-up and these monkeys started generating CD-keys. Technet allows up to 10 keys per product and has almost everything that Microsoft has developed over the last 10 years. With fifteen thousand views in under 6 hours they flooded and generated as many keys as possible, for things they would never need, or most likely had already pirated… Well, the offer is down and those that are interested in providing FEEDBACK for Microsoft on their subscription based RESOURCE for IT PROFESSIONALS are shit out of luck. Here are some of the larger ass hats…
vagetaqtd
Hell yes! Signed up and generated the max # of keys for everything I currently use. I just activated my pirated Vista Ultimate x64!!! Sickest deal ever!!!!Currently dling at 750KB.
Classy…
gstlouis
I think I just requested a billion dollars worth of CD keys.Probably won’t use most of them, but they’re always great to have around, just in case…
Just in case…
But if you hurry now you could get the Rambo box set I-III for only 20 Dollars with FSSS! Deals are fine, but why blindly trash things other people can use productively just so you can say you got this thing for free? Hats off to you guys…
Applying for everything…
It has been kinda tough applying for all of these jobs and not hearing back from any of them… I understand that places like Craigslist draw more applicants than an HR staff can sift through, but I would have expected at least a nibble by now. I am beginning to think that maybe people need to stand out more with their cover letter and resume. Forcing people to think outside the box may cut off most of the lazy applicants and allow you to find the creative individuals in the stack… Check out this posting for a computer repair technician.
RED STAR MACHINE WORKS, most glorious of all Portland computer shops, is looking for new talent. We’re a Mt. Tabor neighborhood shop that repairs and builds computers, provides on-site and telephone support, and sells parts. We are looking for someone special. We need experienced, knowledgeable, conscientious, psychologically stable technicians who take pride in their work and provide excellent customer service. Patience, drive, education, and social skills are a must. We are not interested in basement dwelling virgins. Instead, we are interested in good natured people with a variety of PC hardware, networking, and software experience with a varied background. Apple Macintosh knowledge is prized but not absolutely necessary. Successful candidates can expect long hours, lousy pay, hugs, and an endless supply of company-subsidized caffeinated beverages and cupcakes. Salary depends on ability. Bonus availability. Pay is negotiatable. Flexible hours. Send resume and cover letter to info@redstarmachineworks.com or mail them to RSMW, Division of Information Retrieval, 4505 SE Belmont, Portland, Oregon 97215.
And here is my cover letter:
Dear Recruitment Overlord:
I am writing in response to the Computronic Human listing on Craigslist, and am incredibly interested in interviewing for this position.
I believe that my years providing support to the less technically endowed combined with my ability to handle drunks in a courteous and timely manner makes me the perfect candidate for this position. Having lived for the last few years without a basement and with a girlfriend who detests technology, I find that I am perfectly acclimated to the outside world. While living under these constraints I am still quite capable of sifting through technological problems for solutions. My recent ventures involve building several Wordpress websites and installing OSX on my Dell laptop. The lure of low pay and subsidized calories is an incredibly draw for this systems builder and technical support specialist.
Thank you for taking the time to read and review my attached qualifications. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and a chance to discuss possible cupcake stipends and this opportunity further.
Respectfully yours,
James Schmock
No reply yet…. What do you do?
Wordpress Gallery Testing
Today I have been spending some time working on possible gallery setups for dad’s photography page. You can see the work in progress here.
New Galleries and .Plan
Uggg… After way too much time spent toiling with my new gallery setup, it has finally earned my stamp of approval (lol). If you look at the upper right hand corner of the page you will see a link to visit the Photo Galleries. I highly recommend that you take a look at the new shots from our trip to the Redwoods, especially the Damnation Creek Trail. I am also hoping to add picture from our trip to the Olympic Peninsula in this new style as well, so check back for that. Pending actual employment there is a good chance that I will be adding images on a regular basis!
Aside from the picture work I somehow got suckered into purchasing domain names for Dad. Over time we hope to develop (no pun intended, or was it?) a place for Tom to show off his photos and maybe even look into a small e-commerce unit for prints. Currently I only have his personal page parked and with splash screen, but after seeing how badly Godaddy is murdering his other domain name I am going to move that as quick as possible. All this and Laura is demanding Thai food tonight. No rest for the unemployed…
And finally because no one reads anything without a picture, check out how happy Timbers Joey gets when the Timbers score. I get the feeling he lives for that moment…
No Nudity Allowed, but Enjoy Cheeseburger Porn.
Funny things floating around the RSS feeds today. Seems that no one likes naked people. Certainly it has it’s time and place, but taking the sacred right to play the naked point on the field is just wrong! Is Ultimate really worth playing if you take away our god given right to naked points, beer rounds, and Kevin Draeger style nudity. Ahh the fond memories of the Marti Gras tourney… I think I still owe him money… [Editors Note: I don't have a Facebook account and am not responsible for anyone silly enough to sign up for one...]
Additionally if you have a penchant for hiking wearing only hiking boots you may not want to tackle the Swiss Alps.
Now, you would think that if we are going to put Frisbee teams on probation and discriminate against those who absolutely hate tan lines that we wouldn’t respond so favorably to this sort of stimulation. Without further ado, I present my favorite food critic in the world, Padma Lakshmi.
News Heard Round the Internets
Put your tinfoil hats on, things seem to be shaping up nicely today…
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“Using Prompt Commands” May Be a Sign of Criminal Activity — eff.org Warrant PDF available here
I guess the campus police seem to think that anyone that isn’t using OSX or Windows is probibly doing something illegal. Shouldn’t these cops be old enough to have used DOS? This reminds me of a story from a while back where a teacher threw a fit over a student giving a linux demonstration for class. Remember kids, If you don’t support Apple or Microsoft your a Pirate/Communist/Union Laboror…
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FOX News Says Marijuana Activists are “Internet Trolls” — stopthedrugwar.org At least Glen Beck isn’t pouring gasoline on the internets…
President Obama’s pledge to open the White House up to the public through online forums faces an irksome challenge: a plague of Internet “trolls” — troublemakers who work to derail cyber-conversations through harassing and inflammatory posts.
The problem became immediately apparent last month when Obama held an online “town hall” forum on the economy and invited the public to post questions on the White House Web site.
Those questions, in turn, were voted on by users to determine which ones the president would answer.
Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the “trolls” had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.
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It’s hard to talk when you’re teabagging — youtube
Embedded goodness….
The Job Search Continues…
For a second there I thought that my brother had gone to the darkside. How could it be that there was something relevent on Foxnews.com? After rushing to check out the link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512957,00.html) in his away message, I stumbled on an interesting opportunity. I can haz work with Lolcats! Apparently they need more bad spellars.
Ben Huh, founder of the site and chief executive of Seattle-based Pet Holdings Inc., has received 250 applications since the job was posted on Monday under the headline “Kittehs Want Moar Workerhumans.”
On a serious note, why is it everything that looks interesting happened last year. I look for Job Fairs and other events to help find work and it turns out they already happened… There is next to nothing going on out there
The ‘No Updates for 3 Months!’ Update
Wow, that has never happened to me before, I swear. Life kind of hit a brick wall and I am still trying to pick up the pieces. Upon returning to work in January I was faced with a decision. Should I leave behind all the Pixie Pal’s that I made in Brisby Land’s own Tinker Island to work for a company which produces state of the art graphic design and productivity suites from sun cooked clay? Why did I even have to ask myself that question?!? After applying and scoring higher on the test than my own manager did when he was an agent on the contract, I was in… For three weeks.
Why on earth would a company pay thirteen trainees to complete four of the five weeks of training at a cost of well over two thousand dollars per person only to lay them off? How could that possibly be a sound decision? You could say, lay off your 8 lowest performers on the floor and then weed the bad newbies… More paperwork I imagine. More difficult conversations. On the plus side the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act cut my Cobra payments to 35% so I can afford to have healthcare. Now if only I could find a job…
I have a million pictures I need to put up. There’s Bill’s visit, Dad’s visit, the Olympic Peninsula, the Mount Hood hot springs, and pictures of the MINIVAN WE NOW OWN! That’s right, we are the proud owners of a minivan, what is my life coming to?
I am so far behind. I want to transition the site to Drupal or Wordpress and then add start using flash galleries for the pictures, but can hardly find the time. All I can say is that I am going to try harder to not go three months without putting something up here for no one to read. Until next time…