Apr 2007
Mac OS X Bug, HOT again, & Hypotheticallly...
OS Bug Locating Champion of the worldIf there’s a sound bug in an OS, trust me, I’m sure to find it.
Today I had an appointment at the local Apple Store Genius Bar, to show them a problem I’d hoped they had seen/fixed before. Namely, my PowerBook randomly loses its system sounds upon wake from sleep, and only a restart can cure it. It’s not every time, it’s quite random and intermittent, and I have not been able to detect a ‘trigger’ for it.
And, apparently, neither can they.
Funny thing is, I found a similar problem with a PowerMac Tower I used to have. On that one, if you used the digital out port, say playing a DVD or something, after you used the digital out port, you couldn’t get system sounds to play. Only a restart would cure it.
How do I hate Southern California? Let me COUNT the ways…
95. 95 of them. Late April, and it was 95º.
Yeah, I’m looking forward to wearing a jacket. Hell, I’m looking forward to wearing something other than shorts and flip-flops. It’s too hot right now for anything else, and if you think otherwise, um, think again. Try once more.
How to tell if you’re boyfriend is smart
OK, so hypothetically, let’s say you’re a girl (unless you really are, in which case…. Are you sure?). Let’s say you’re driving to work, and you call your lovely, handsome, tall, well-muscled, genius of a fiancé (that’d be someone like me, say, hypothetical me) to inform him that you think you need an alignment because your truck seems to be pulling real hard to the right all of a sudden. Say – hypothetically of course – that he tells you to check your tires, one of them is probably going flat. Hypothetically. Now, say that you continue to talk about how bad the alignment is, and how it turns really hard one direction, and not so hard the other. Say your boyfriend tells you to check your tires, over the phone, 20 miles away, because one of them is probably going flat.
Now, hypothetically, say you get to work and say goodbye. How does your smart, highly-intelligent, well-muscled, handsome boyfriend know when his phone rings 30 seconds later, that it’s you, calling to say “MY TIRE IS FLAT”?
Let’s say he had a hunch. Let’s just say. Hypothetically, of course. Yeah. Hypothetically.
Peace.
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NBC Video, & Gun rights
Call me Crazy, but I’d rather crack that nut’s shellSo the families of the fallen @ Virginia Tech were outraged that NBC aired this tape they received from the killer, explaining his motives. I don’t get it. I mean, for days, everyone agonized over not having the faintest idea why this kid suddenly went weird and shot everyone to death.
2 days later they get their answer, straight from the horse’s mouth, and they’re upset about it. Look, I know that the guy was a bad bad man, I know that he was despicable, I know that it’s hard to swallow, but still: I think honestly that I’d rather know, regardless of whether or not it was senseless (it was), how the hell this asswipe would try to justify his actions. I think it would be some sort of closure. Awkward closure is better than none. Trust me.
All about gun violence 101 (OK, 101.5)
I don’t agree with the statement “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” guns are a very efficient tool with which to unleash death and destruction upon unsuspecting victims. They’re harsh, they’re violent, they’re death machines… and you had better be damned sure that if someone were to come and accost my family, I’d have one by my side.
It would be really really nice if only the “right” people had guns, and they were never misused, but we live in the real world as I recall. Bad people get bad things, so long as they exist, that's the only stipulation. if a bad person wants a bad tool, they will get it. See N. Korea & nukes, or Iran & nukes, or USSR & nukes if you thought you disagreed with that sentiment.
That being the case, I would like the ability, as a law-abiding, logical, sane person, to carry protection from such crazies. I know I know, guns kill people, right? Damn right. And if some crazy comes knocking on the door, and it’s me or him? I surely hope it’s not me is all I’m saying.
How many guns that are used to commit crimes were bought legally? A lot. illegally? Still a lot. It seems to me if you outlaw guns, you don’t really remove the problem altogether, you remove a possible solution. Guns being banished would surely remove some of them from the hands of criminals, but not all. However, by definition, ti would remove them ALL from the hands of law-abiding, sane, sufficient people. And I’m not saying that I think guns should be sold next to the gum at your local 7-11, don’t mistake me; I wholeheartedly support gun regulations, gun buying waits and other laws, etc etc. I think they should be strict & stiff, much stiffer than they currently are, far more rigid than even the most harsh state currently is. I mean, if you need a gun NOW, then you’re exactly the person we don’t want getting that gun. Now.
There’s crazies on both sides of the gun debate. I’m not crazy, and truthfully, I’m not really on a side. I agree with the “democratic” idea of gun laws, but not to the point of banishment. I agree with "republican" ideals of gun ownership, but not unabated. Somewhere, buried in the text of a USA passed, there’s the idea that if the people of the government feel that it is not working in the best interests of society, then they have the right to abolish the current republic and set up a new government as they see fit. And as I see it, a world where the government is the only one with the guns, is a world of military state in which the people may have a right to set up a new government, but not the ability.
Most people would recognize the saying from the recent popular movie V for Vendetta, though it’s older than that, which goes a lil' something like this: “People should not fear their government; the government should fear its people.” I agree with this sentiment. And as far as I’m concerned, with GWB and his cronies in office, SHIT! We need MORE guns in the hands of the populace! Vote with bullets! And as they'd say in Chicago? Vote early, and vote often!
Found this site; it's funny.
OK, so this site is kind of weird, the humor is off, and it's always the same damn image. Still, I find it rather funny. Here's a couple tips for more off-kilter humor: Hold your mouse over the image, read the "tool tip." Then, click on "Comments" and have another go at it. If you don't laugh the first time, it's OK; no one does the first time :-). Just try it for a week, see if you like it.
And don't worry — there's not, like, anything to buy ever, like crack cocaine or something. Really. I'm not a humor dealer.
Peace.
Why I like Nor Cal, & how to get there....
Apr 14, 2007 / 02:10 PM Filed in: Business Themes | Personal
Why Nor Cal is right for meI hate people. Not all people, and not even all the people I typically hate.
I got caught in traffic yesterday on my flight – I mean drive – home. It could be confused with a flight, because I was flying. See what I was going for there? Anyways. So I make Oakland in record time, getting great gas mileage, and I’m thinking that perhaps I can make it beyond Oakland on to the I-5 (from the I-580) before 2:30pm. Finally, 3:45 rolls around, and I’m just getting to the I-5.
Gotta love traffic. Or in my particular case, hate it with a passion that might just someday cause one to “go postal.” What the frick? I mean, it’s not a holiday weekend, it’s not rush hour, and it certainly is NOT Los Angeles (I know because I was following the signs to there, and the signs told me it was still more than, like, 300 miles away). Well, three accidents later, and we still aren’t clear of the gridlock. An additional 30 minutes of driving, and still not passed the gridlock. So when do we finally get passed the gridlock? Oh, just whenever, no real reason behind it.
Because. It. Mysteriously. Just. Vanishes. Much like any chance of this being an interesting tale, my friends. There was no lane that merged, there was no other freeway that we met up with, there was just… nothing. And then, free & clear all the way home.
So why is it then, that we are all just pack ourselves in like sardines? Just to annoy ourselves? Really, overpopulation has to be a factor.
You damn people better not come anywhere near my beautiful Lost Coast locale, lest ye be sentenced to death for trespassing by I, the judge, jury, and executioner.
At least call ahead first, OK?
No Pictures! Except maybe this one!
I didn’t take many pictures during my trek up there or back. Not that there was nothing worth photographing – oh no – but rather, because I saw that I could get really carried away with it, and still not really get people to understand the inherent beauty of the area. Which of course is probably why that place has remained the way it is; no one ever goes there, and pictures from heaven only make sense to those already there. A forest through the trees sort of thing, if you will.
But obviously I took a few. For comparison’s sake. We’ve been there before during the summer, and I wanted to show The Girl the difference in certain places from summer to winter/spring. For instance, we had come across this cemetery and noticed how brown it was. The grass was dead, the people were dead, it was just really dead all around. Fast forward to last week, and now, only the people are dead! Lush green grass, thanks in large part to water.
It’s this magical stuff that falls out of the sky around there, rather regularly, and keeps things living all year ‘round! Like giant Coastal Redwood trees! And grass and pines and cows and horses and, by extension, people!
Yep, pictures could never do it justice. Except maybe for that one at the top. It’s kind of pretty.
Prospects
So about that job hunt. Didn’t find much that was screaming for me. Like I said before, the job market up there is tight, and it’s really hard to break in to. Plus I’m an “outsider,” and I knew that I was at some point going to have to go up and meet people, let them experience me, and make them aware I’m not just some fly-by-night guy, some So Cal Hottie, but I’m also a Northern Californian trapped – Trapped! I say! – in a southern Californian’s body.
So I beat the streets, and found myself interviewing at Target (who had been a prospect all along), and Walgreens. They both went rather well, and both hinted that they’d like to continue the interview process. But both also said that their hiring process can be lengthy for management opportunities, and that they don’t currently have positions sitting around open.
Walgreens, however, is planning on two more stores in the area. Target has an ETL that’s attempting to transfer to another store, and a Team Leader (a position a little lower than I should be hired into) that’s graduating from HSU and leaving. So there are possibilities. Which is good. Because before the interviews Thursday, I was beginning to wonder.
Nice to shake people’s hands and smile pretty, though. Nice to be taken seriously instead of handed a # through a computer monitor and told that you’ll be contacted. Right… Got the schmooze going, so hopefully things work out OK.
Because like I said, no one wants me staying here. If I stal I’m still going somewhere, even if it’s only Postal.
Peace.
Nor Cal Job Hunt, Lottery, & the News
Apr 11, 2007 / 02:08 PM Filed in: Business Themes | Personal
Had Luck, didn’t know itSo I guess this whole time I’ve been gainfully employed, I’ve been lucky. I mean, I have gone from job I wanted to job I wanted without much hassle. Now that I really need a new job (what with relocating and all), I find I couldn’t get a dog to sniff my butt if I put a T-Bone between the, um, the uh…. Well, my cheeks.
And why is this? Just because I’m moving? Because I’ll tell you, when I initially listed my resumé on monster.com and careerbuilder.com, I got phone call after phone call from Southern California employers who didn’t bother to read the whole thing about relocating to Eureka.
So I changed all my contact info (other than my phone #) to reflect a Eureka address (think 123 any street, Eureka, CA 95501). Then, the phone calls stopped. Because even though I’m desirable in hellish So Cal, I’m basically trash in Nor Cal.
The Solution
I’m going to go back to So Cal this weekend, and play the Lotto. $17 million up for grabs, I think that could pretty much solve the problem.
OK, Just Kidding
Well, sort of. I am going back to So Cal this weekend. Dammit.
And I may play the lottery. Don’t say it.
Some Good News. Sort of
I have two interviews tomorrow. Target & Walgreen’s. Not that I think anything great will come out of it. I have already informed the interviewers that I’m not just some guy, and I’m not looking for some hourly wage job. I’m a CSU Graduate with a BA in Business Administration: Management, and I expect to make something worthwhile! I didn’t put myself through 4 years of college to earn a little more than I could have the whole time than if I had not.
I’ll just have to stay vigilant, stay on the phones, and pull the wool over someone’s eyes. Just kidding… Even though I didn’t walk away with a job this week, I think coming up here was still the right thing to do. I prefer doing stuff face-to-face, and I am hoping that it will show the people up here that I’m not just some guy shotgunning my resumé out willy-nilly. Oh no, I’m actively handing-out my resumé willy-nilly. So I must be serious.
Hopefully it counts for something. Hopefully. Hopefully $40K+ annually. Hopefully.
Oh, and the news. I pay attention, I do!
Imus is gone. Yay. What a douche. The least he could do is apologize without an attitude. Show some remorse and some humility. He said I’m sorry with a furl in his brow and was upset that people were actually demanding one from him.
Duke players officially… what, pardoned? Cleared of charges? Given their innocence that they are legally supposed to have until proven guilty anyways? Yeah, I wasn’t surprised. As details emerged, this case looked more and more like a some high crackwhore out for some revenge because they thought of her as a crackwhore, those crackers. When the girl that was also there with her refutes everything about the story except that they were even there? Not a good sign for your prosecution. Billie Jean, that's all I have to say.
And I hear the Colts won the Super Bowl! How about that?!
Peace.
Lucky Day?, need power, got internet
Wish-eth Me luck. Eth.OK, so I’m on my way out to Eureka, CA this Saturday! Going to meet with some Job Placement locations, see what we can drum up. Let’s cross our fingers that all goes well, because again, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. And So Cal has a peculiar tendency to do that to me.
It was hard as hell to set up this week-long trip, though. Everything seemed to be conspiring against me. I give you exhibit a), Jury Duty. Yeah, they called me up for that shit, can you believe it? They like me. They call my butt down every year. Without fail. So, did I say I was racist and leave? No. They excused me on the first day, sort of. Then they informed me that I had a “30-day obligation” to them, and to call back next Monday. Are you freaking kidding me?! Now they’re groping your balls for 30 days?
This just isn’t right. I called, explained that I’m in the process of transitioning to Eureka, CA, and my current employer has already replaced me, and I couldn’t hang around Riverside-Freaking-County at their whim, and that’s all there is to it.
So they postponed it a week. Yay me…. Ho hum.
But, that’s good enough. Provided I get a JOB when I get up there, I’m golden. No Jury Duty for me! So let’s um, hope I get a job so that I don’t have to do Jury Duty in So Cal. Yeah.
Got wireless internet. Need wireless power
OK, so by now, everyone knows I love my lil’ PowerBook G4 laptop. Take it with me everywhere. Even the bathroom on occasion (hey, can’t change the music from two rooms away, now can I). Take it to work with me. I do lots of work on it, actually. Really, a whole freaking lot of work.
Portable computers are awesome in this regard. Having Mac OS X with me wherever I go is magic to the touch. Not having my power cord with me, that’s not so magical.
I keep saying I need to buy an extra power cord. That way, I’d have a mobile one and a stationary one; Home and Laptop bag. I’d even label them and give them cute little name tags, too.
Thankfully, The Girl is afflicted and I have the cure. One phone call later, and I have Miss Cutie-Pants strutting into work, making me look good and powering my ‘Book. Life is good
About that Wireless Internet thing ⬆
If you have at&t High-Speed Internet (which they’re cutely calling HSI now), you should check out this deal. I have signed up for this before, and it’s really quite a great bargain. It’s what I used last August –when last I was in Eureka – to connect to the internet & email pictures and schtuff. Really. Cool. Nice. You should get.
Now if only we could cut at&t out of this equation somehow.
Peace.
FIRE FIRE FIRE. No, um, Really
Apr 01, 2007 / 01:34 PM Filed in: Personal | In All Seriousness
Today, I looked out my front window when I heard a scream, and what do I see? A fire. Not a BBQ fire, a real, live, “Holy shit! Everyone RUN” type of fire.A house about 6 lots away from us, so needless to say, I was a bit worried that this could easily get out of control; the flames on the structure were at least 20 foot high, peoples – this was no joke, this was no drill!
I did what any good Boy Scout would do (I was never a Boy Scout, so don’t start), and ran to let everyone know what was going on. We have horses. Hell, at least 50% of the homes around here have large animals, and we’re no different. First thought was to get everyone ready to evacuate the horses off the property should it come to that.
From there, it was a rush to grab a few important things, and load them into the 4Runner. I went down there to help, but again, just in case, I was gonna make sure that the things I valued most were in the vehicle with me if that thing spread.
Things I grabbed? The laptops (mine & The GIrl’s), and the dogs. Everything else was left.
I’m sure you want to know about the fire from ground-zero. Later. A different day, perhaps. I have some things I’d like to say, but I may be too biased at the moment; I’ll sit on it for a day or so, then I’ll get back here.
But, back to the laptops for a moment. I was thinking as I ran around getting stuff together, there are definite benefits to having most of your important stuff computer-bound (especially laptop-bound). Family photo albums? All digitized, my friend. Financial Data? All in there, too! This, I thought, was a definite beneficial situation in an emergency, being able to grab one or two items and have essentially everything you need to restart anew, while carrying on with the old in the ways you need.
So yeah, I guess the point is get a Mac: They can save you in case of a fire!
Peace.