I've been really bad this last week with watching my diet. Maybe for the average 'Joe XL', eating out 2-3 times a week is a normal occurrence, but for this guy, it damages my damn body to a point of reckoning. Ya, so maybe I sound like a fucking sissy poster boi for an "Activa" commercial... case in point: I'm not a fast food or restaurant devotee; I'd prefer to make my own healthy food and eat in moderation.
This morning was an absolute test in gurgling intestinal foo. A sudden urge to drop the brown snake anchor hit me like a ton of bricks. So what's a geek like me to do when I know I'm going to be stranded in the handi-capped john stall for a while? Well, a dude like me grabs the nearest book within reach and heads for the can.
Well, out of all books I happened to grab, I took the convenient, yet coincidentally ironic book title of 'Managing Projects with Make' by O'reilly.
What did I learn from all of this? Well I certainly didn't learn how script myself to do a 'make dump' or anything impossibly fantastic, but I did train myself to keep a better set of bathroom-friendly material in case I have another attack of the eatting-out-bowel monster.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
One day sunny is another day... snow
Living in the highly fluctuating, climatic state that I live in, it's a wonder than the population isn't lower than it already is. It's almost a trip on borderline depression! How the hell is it possible to go from taking a country-side hike with a short sleeve t-shirt and sunglasses, writing some melodies with my acoustic guitar on the deck with a cup of tea all in the sunset balance of a warm, soothing 59 degrees, to digging my winter garb out of the closet to cope with the four blistery inches of snow and a -10 degree air temperature (not counting in the wind)?
*Sigh* Where else on the planet could you get such sweet diversity?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Heroin Addict Heroes on my iPod
Over the last couple of months, my iPod album playlist has kind of evolved with my recent rekindling of acoustic tonal love. The downside of only having 8GB to work with on my 2Gen nano is that I can't house the entire coffee-house spectrum of music I want to listen to without putting a sizable dent in my rock repertoire.
I can't help but express another one of my complains: The music arena this decade sucks total shit and I don't see it getting any better any time soon. I grew up on way late 70's, 80's, and early to mid 90's pop/rock/metal side of the tracks; when bands had their own image and weren't cookie cut out to fill a marketing gap and hellbent on polluting the airwaves with more scr(emo) and shitty power chord thrashing.
So, perhaps my album highlight is overpowered by the fact that every one of the lead singers in these bands have died of heroin abuse.
Here's the top three this week:
1) Mother Love Bone - Apple
2) Blind Melon - Blind Melon
3) Alice in Chains - Sap
...these bands need no explanation. They just a very small example of what was good in the music industry when I was growing up.
I can't help but express another one of my complains: The music arena this decade sucks total shit and I don't see it getting any better any time soon. I grew up on way late 70's, 80's, and early to mid 90's pop/rock/metal side of the tracks; when bands had their own image and weren't cookie cut out to fill a marketing gap and hellbent on polluting the airwaves with more scr(emo) and shitty power chord thrashing.
So, perhaps my album highlight is overpowered by the fact that every one of the lead singers in these bands have died of heroin abuse.
Here's the top three this week:
1) Mother Love Bone - Apple
2) Blind Melon - Blind Melon
3) Alice in Chains - Sap
...these bands need no explanation. They just a very small example of what was good in the music industry when I was growing up.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Another affirmation Social Networking is G-A-Y
Yet another credible blog article on the dark facts of social networking and it's infinite stupidity and misconceptions surrounding your so-called "network of friends":
Are you a Facebook friend padder?
Lame.
Are you a Facebook friend padder?
Lame.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
White-space removal goodness with Linux
I've been recently putting together a massive backup of all my digital wares on my network. Problem is, over the years, when I've converted any CD I had over to digital mp3's or made a copy of one of my DVDs, a lot of it was done without a lot of thought that I'd be backing it up to a UNIX box 9-10 years down the road; so a lot of the filenames by pure convenience to the application(s) I was using, uses white-spaces as delineations between fields on a filename.
Is that a real problem? Kinda because white-spaced named files are a hooker to work with under *NIX platforms. Case in point, it does cost me some sleep at night.
So where does Adam go when there's no where else to turn? the *NIX command-line.
...quick and dirty solution.
Is that a real problem? Kinda because white-spaced named files are a hooker to work with under *NIX platforms. Case in point, it does cost me some sleep at night.
So where does Adam go when there's no where else to turn? the *NIX command-line.
sed example: sed -n "s/\s/_/g"
tr example: tr [:space:] _
...quick and dirty solution.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Yet Another Reason Social Networking Technology is... gay
It happened again...
Fears of impostors increase on Facebook
I'm not a fan of social networking. Never have. Never will be. To me, social networking is nothing more than a self-dwindling, sick, unrealistic sense of friendship, popularity and most importantly: a false impression of listening ears of people who give a shit.
There's plenty of excuses why people use social networking. Any worthy excuse I've ever heard usually boils down to "keeping in touch". Stupid reason, at best. If you want to keep in touch with your friends, try 'human contact'. Any one I know who I've befriended has my personal home telephone number. I don't see how you can get more personal than that considering everyone on the planet in any urban-type area has a cell phone.
Perhaps I'm old school or I just don't want to adopt douche-bag adaptations of so-called "great technology", but what happened to e-mail? *Everyone* has it. There's no way you can't have e-mail and even register for any social networking service. Last time I checked, e-mail attachments still worked and most of the working, urban world uses some sort of broadband connection, whether is be wired or wireless, or at home or know where to get access to it. To me, social network sites have pretty much reinvented the already turning wheel that message boards, newsgroups, e-mail distributions and instant messaging clients already have done for MANY years.
I, myself, prefer my privacy, seclusion and "me" time. I don't give a shit about your twitter notification telling me where you are every 5 seconds of the day. Nor do I care if I hurt your feelings if I didn't "shout out" to you on your MySpace message board. I could care less what your likes and dislikes are; your favorite movies; the music you like; what damn high school you came from; why you can't relate to mommy and daddy anymore; what your sexual orientation is; why you choose the religion you do. To me, it's all a sick cry for attention, bragging rights and to get some face time on the internet.
Insecurity makes you embrace social networking. If you had *real* friends, they'd already know the answers to all the intricate questions I mentioned above or that MySpace asks you in your profile. You wouldn't have to leave yourself bleeding in the wind for the whole world to see.
On top of all this, think of all the depressed, confused and spastic people who spend hour after countless hour typing, posting, uploading photos, and keeping their profile up-to-date in hopes that they'll get one "virtual" nibble of friendship. Yes, virtual. Not *real*. I swear that social networking is in a close damn second with NCAA tournament in amount of time wasted. Take all that lost effort and put it into real, tangible friendships instead of a thumbnail photo and a lame profile I wouldn't trust any farther than I could throw it.
In conclusion, on a internet social networking medium, my condolences. I think it's the worst technology this century has created.
Fears of impostors increase on Facebook
I'm not a fan of social networking. Never have. Never will be. To me, social networking is nothing more than a self-dwindling, sick, unrealistic sense of friendship, popularity and most importantly: a false impression of listening ears of people who give a shit.
There's plenty of excuses why people use social networking. Any worthy excuse I've ever heard usually boils down to "keeping in touch". Stupid reason, at best. If you want to keep in touch with your friends, try 'human contact'. Any one I know who I've befriended has my personal home telephone number. I don't see how you can get more personal than that considering everyone on the planet in any urban-type area has a cell phone.
Perhaps I'm old school or I just don't want to adopt douche-bag adaptations of so-called "great technology", but what happened to e-mail? *Everyone* has it. There's no way you can't have e-mail and even register for any social networking service. Last time I checked, e-mail attachments still worked and most of the working, urban world uses some sort of broadband connection, whether is be wired or wireless, or at home or know where to get access to it. To me, social network sites have pretty much reinvented the already turning wheel that message boards, newsgroups, e-mail distributions and instant messaging clients already have done for MANY years.
I, myself, prefer my privacy, seclusion and "me" time. I don't give a shit about your twitter notification telling me where you are every 5 seconds of the day. Nor do I care if I hurt your feelings if I didn't "shout out" to you on your MySpace message board. I could care less what your likes and dislikes are; your favorite movies; the music you like; what damn high school you came from; why you can't relate to mommy and daddy anymore; what your sexual orientation is; why you choose the religion you do. To me, it's all a sick cry for attention, bragging rights and to get some face time on the internet.
Insecurity makes you embrace social networking. If you had *real* friends, they'd already know the answers to all the intricate questions I mentioned above or that MySpace asks you in your profile. You wouldn't have to leave yourself bleeding in the wind for the whole world to see.
On top of all this, think of all the depressed, confused and spastic people who spend hour after countless hour typing, posting, uploading photos, and keeping their profile up-to-date in hopes that they'll get one "virtual" nibble of friendship. Yes, virtual. Not *real*. I swear that social networking is in a close damn second with NCAA tournament in amount of time wasted. Take all that lost effort and put it into real, tangible friendships instead of a thumbnail photo and a lame profile I wouldn't trust any farther than I could throw it.
In conclusion, on a internet social networking medium, my condolences. I think it's the worst technology this century has created.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Poop Birds squatting on Mr Roger's inside shoes?
Poop bird (n): Funny combination of two nouns that just don't belong together, yet the linear conglomeration of them make comical consortum in my kids eyes.
Early this morning, while getting ready to walk out the door for work, my kids are usually just getting up to start their day. As they trot up the stairs still in a sleep induced haze, they are usually cognitive enough to tell me good morning as I return a mere jester of my comical love.
As soon as I utter, "Top 'o the morning poop birds," do I realize that I have done something to my youngest daughter. That 'something' was what all of us have gone though one time or another in our lives. That 'time' where that 'some thing' that you've heard or seen a million time before suddenly makes 'sense'.
I've never seen more combustible laughter in my house like that before. It goes to show that when you observe your child finally understand and get humor is probably one of the best days of your life.
On this very same day, I walked in the door as I normally do after a good ol' day at work, take off my 'outside' shoes and, routine, as always, put on a pair of nice, comfortable old man slippers. What's sad, is that it finally sunk in what I've been doing for the past year: I'm, in a very slight sliver of a way, finding myself putting reminiscent scenes from Mr Rogers in my life with one of them being having a pair of dedicated inside and outside shoes.
In retrospect, I've found that as I'm not as old as I appear, life is worn on a good path in parts of my life. And as I find myself picking up old man habits well before 30, it's nice to know my kids still glow some of that youthful humor anyone with half a pulse can appreciate.
Early this morning, while getting ready to walk out the door for work, my kids are usually just getting up to start their day. As they trot up the stairs still in a sleep induced haze, they are usually cognitive enough to tell me good morning as I return a mere jester of my comical love.
As soon as I utter, "Top 'o the morning poop birds," do I realize that I have done something to my youngest daughter. That 'something' was what all of us have gone though one time or another in our lives. That 'time' where that 'some thing' that you've heard or seen a million time before suddenly makes 'sense'.
I've never seen more combustible laughter in my house like that before. It goes to show that when you observe your child finally understand and get humor is probably one of the best days of your life.
On this very same day, I walked in the door as I normally do after a good ol' day at work, take off my 'outside' shoes and, routine, as always, put on a pair of nice, comfortable old man slippers. What's sad, is that it finally sunk in what I've been doing for the past year: I'm, in a very slight sliver of a way, finding myself putting reminiscent scenes from Mr Rogers in my life with one of them being having a pair of dedicated inside and outside shoes.
In retrospect, I've found that as I'm not as old as I appear, life is worn on a good path in parts of my life. And as I find myself picking up old man habits well before 30, it's nice to know my kids still glow some of that youthful humor anyone with half a pulse can appreciate.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Macgyver's Vengence Against Wal-mart?
I've always had a personal disgust for Big Corporation, specifically Wal-mart. They'd wiggled their ways into our lives and we are all forced to succumb and bow our heads as we shuffle into fucking Wal-mart because it would be a financial stupor otherwise to go to 3-4 different places to conduct the same shopping experience because they stifle competition and harbor any chance local companies have to succeed without having to make their wares less competitive and more expensive.
What Wal-mart provides in low prices and having everything in one general store location they uttery lack in a plethora of other categories: customer service, item availability, satisfaction, accountability, genuine item authenticity, ethics, morals and, point blank, doing what is right.
So, why do I say all this? More importantly, what the hell does it have to do with Macgyver?
Answer: a lot.
I'm a big Macgyver fan, and I happened to have some gift card balance left and I needed one last season to complete my Macgyver DVD collection, so I ordered it on walmart.com. I went to pick it up at the local store late last evening and this morning I opened up the so-called 'newly' sealed DVD series of Macgyver.
What I found in the DVD case was, well... a bit of shock and awe for me. All 3 DVD cases were shattered with plastic bits all over and the most bizarre bit of it all is 4 of the 6 DVDs had finger prints on them! (Yes, I said finger prints)
I call Wal-mart customer service for walmart.com and they were certainly *not* helpful. I was told I could buy a new one again on their online shopping store and then on my own dime, return the DVD set to the store. Not an option for me considering I got shafted the first time buying from their online store.
I then, in turn, called the local Wal-mart store customer service, which started out really promising, offering me exactly what I wanted: My money back so I could go buy my beloved Macgyver season somewhere else in town. I made it clear that they let the customer service department know the arrangement so I'm not wasting my time driving into the store to get the run around.
When I got to my local Wal-mart store, it was a COMPLETELY different situation. Customer service pretended as if I had not called at all and told me I was stuck with only being able to exchange the item because I opened it. After stating that I've called already and getting confirmation I could get my money back because you didn't have that particular season in the store, I was then asked if I understood the quote/unquote "Federal Copyright Act".
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! So not only was I getting treated like an asshole, I was also getting accused of somehow making copies of this Macgyver DVD series and trying to return it to the store. That was the deal breaker and I let loose on the obese, naive and obviously clueless customer service rep who obviously could have given two shits about listening to my situation nor cared enough to get the information on my arrangement I made prior to driving in.
It's safe to assume that perhaps she didn't know about it, however, after getting quite pissed off at the fact that I was accused of DVD piracy, one of her co-workers said, "Hey, is that Macgyver Season 5?" The plump wonder I was dealing with, followed up sharply with, "Yes it is, Season 5 of Macgyver."
...now this is where I finally got justice in a sarcastic sort of way. The co-workers then says, "That's already been approved, so give him his full refund back already." What sweet victory is was.
What the fuck ever happened to the customer is always right? What ever happened to customer service being courteous and astute to customers? What ever happened to the commitment to customers? What ever happened to customer product satisfaction?
The day I am done buying diaper pull-ups. baby wipes and other family items that otherwise are expensive in other stores are over, so are my fucking days of buying anything else at Wal-mart.
What Wal-mart provides in low prices and having everything in one general store location they uttery lack in a plethora of other categories: customer service, item availability, satisfaction, accountability, genuine item authenticity, ethics, morals and, point blank, doing what is right.
So, why do I say all this? More importantly, what the hell does it have to do with Macgyver?
Answer: a lot.
I'm a big Macgyver fan, and I happened to have some gift card balance left and I needed one last season to complete my Macgyver DVD collection, so I ordered it on walmart.com. I went to pick it up at the local store late last evening and this morning I opened up the so-called 'newly' sealed DVD series of Macgyver.
What I found in the DVD case was, well... a bit of shock and awe for me. All 3 DVD cases were shattered with plastic bits all over and the most bizarre bit of it all is 4 of the 6 DVDs had finger prints on them! (Yes, I said finger prints)
I call Wal-mart customer service for walmart.com and they were certainly *not* helpful. I was told I could buy a new one again on their online shopping store and then on my own dime, return the DVD set to the store. Not an option for me considering I got shafted the first time buying from their online store.
I then, in turn, called the local Wal-mart store customer service, which started out really promising, offering me exactly what I wanted: My money back so I could go buy my beloved Macgyver season somewhere else in town. I made it clear that they let the customer service department know the arrangement so I'm not wasting my time driving into the store to get the run around.
When I got to my local Wal-mart store, it was a COMPLETELY different situation. Customer service pretended as if I had not called at all and told me I was stuck with only being able to exchange the item because I opened it. After stating that I've called already and getting confirmation I could get my money back because you didn't have that particular season in the store, I was then asked if I understood the quote/unquote "Federal Copyright Act".
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! So not only was I getting treated like an asshole, I was also getting accused of somehow making copies of this Macgyver DVD series and trying to return it to the store. That was the deal breaker and I let loose on the obese, naive and obviously clueless customer service rep who obviously could have given two shits about listening to my situation nor cared enough to get the information on my arrangement I made prior to driving in.
It's safe to assume that perhaps she didn't know about it, however, after getting quite pissed off at the fact that I was accused of DVD piracy, one of her co-workers said, "Hey, is that Macgyver Season 5?" The plump wonder I was dealing with, followed up sharply with, "Yes it is, Season 5 of Macgyver."
...now this is where I finally got justice in a sarcastic sort of way. The co-workers then says, "That's already been approved, so give him his full refund back already." What sweet victory is was.
What the fuck ever happened to the customer is always right? What ever happened to customer service being courteous and astute to customers? What ever happened to the commitment to customers? What ever happened to customer product satisfaction?
The day I am done buying diaper pull-ups. baby wipes and other family items that otherwise are expensive in other stores are over, so are my fucking days of buying anything else at Wal-mart.
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