Posts Tagged ‘life’

My Macworld (Event Start)

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People milling around. I find Michelle and Michael and a place to plug in

Introductions, Jack Burns, Account Exec for DC to Richmond.

Jason Bevins, the technical guy, Dave Wapada (?) Server guy.

Jason is giving an overview, a lot of financials, some stuff about the company, Apple is a debt free company, who knew.

Apple is becoming a recommended at more schools. They are also becoming really big in government and enterprise

Showing off about the Apple Stores (Michelle brags about the New York mothership). Apple is a $3.5 billion company in retail alone!

Showing off the product line.

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Prosumer apps, more of the pro stuff coming into the consumer apps. “Is there a digital photo lab on campus?” Not here, apparently in the works.

OS, why the changes, who know, but they are saying Leopard in 2007 Spring.

Intel migration, no more powerPC (yup, my macbook). With the intel architecture, Mac is compatible with Windows natively, but they have always been able to connect and do the windows thing.

Bootcamp – Dual boot solution, who knows it (most of the group raises a hand. Parallels – Virtualization, mmmm. It comes from Apple that it’s fact, if you are doing graphics, Bootcamp. Back up Windows with Parallels very quickly. Crossover – Based on WINE, run windows apps without windows. VMware – Mac is now here, virtualization, just like the others.

Enough about windows

Mac Mini, small footprint, great for a small footprint. Taking a look around it, very nice as usual. (Look into for a home PC).

iLife 06, All the usuals, iphoto, iTunes, Front Row. – Small hiccup – Back up and running

Bonjour sharing, through itunes sharing, solution for pushing media around the house

BYODKM – I know the answer! ha ha

My Macworld

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Macbook

Of the people I know, I’m a real geek. Not a hard core, “I live in bash and love the command line” type, like the boys in IT, but I can hold my own in the shell. The other thing is that I’m an Apple fanboy. Again, not the type that has a widget telling them when they can part with their cold hard cash for an iPhone, but I do love the Apple.

The sad thing about this geek is that I don’t have the job or the budget to support me going out to any tech conferences like the Consumer Electronics Show or MacWorld. I am one of the many who gets to drool over the coverages via the web and rabidly hitting the refresh button so I can brag to my coworkers about products that they really don’t care about.

That being said, tomorrow is my MacWorld.

Apple is coming to campus to show off their wares and some of the wonderful new technology. Obviously not the iPhone but their is the promise of some Leopard sneak peeks.

I plan on blogging most of the event, taking some pictures and maybe even doing a little podcast/vidcast stuff.

In a related note, after beginning to talk with my supervisor about professional development objectives for this year, I looked into becoming an Adobe Certified Expert, so that’s what is in the budget. After I looked at Adobe, I started thinking about other companies that I deal with every day. The only other one would be Apple, both at work and home. Apple had a certified technician program that I think I’m going to not just research, but doing. It’s only 150 dollars for the test, with a three day course, which I’m sure is more expensive, but that is something I’m going to do this year.

Tomorrow is my Macworld – hooray!

Hand Wars?

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Fun at Lunch

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A little bored at lunch…
Visit this video on Youtube

Happiness wins wars

Friday night birthdays

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Last night, Esther and I headed up to W-burg to have a joint birthday for two of our friends, Casey and Adele. We went to the Corner Pocket in New Town. After everyone got there we cozied up to a pool table and ordered some appetizers. The pool was amateur, my own included, at best, but a great evening was had. The interesting double entendre started after the social lubricants flowed and after 2 and half games we had a great cake by Esther.

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Not my favorite variety of cake, but it was still really good. So much so that every employee was asking where we bought it, and after telling them Esther had made it, they were all very envious.

Awesome Legos

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I guess I’m still a kid at heart, because I am still really fascinated by legos. This Youtube video is amazing!

Kitty news

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Floyd is back from the vet. He’s doing much better, but is not quite a 100%. He still has to go back to the vet and they have no idea about what is going on with him. Ugh.

Sick Kitty [updated]

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Floyd

Floyd is sick. He’s been sick for a couple of days and he seems to be getting sicker and sicker. Esther has taken him to the vet. I hope he’s okay.

Update

Esther called me from the vet. The diagnosis, while vague, is not good.

The vet doesn’t know what’s going on with him and needs to run some tests, which aren’t cheap. Does that make me a bad pet owner to think about the cost of tests? Esther’s call was fairly gloom and doom, but I told her that we at least need to find out what’s up with him and if after the first round of diagnostics they don’t know whats wrong, we’ll have to have a serious talk.

This really sucks!

First John, then Data, now Floyd. We are having a very crappy 6 months!!!

Sushi Love

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fun, originally uploaded by 弃天.

Now all I need is an OS X sushi!

Working like a falling leaf – Haiku Tuesday

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Falling Leaf, originally uploaded by Stujoe.

Work is picking up,
Deadlines are tighter today,
Some late nights ahead.

Uncle Joey?

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Uncle Joey?

Esther and I are watching Good Night and Good Luck and she keeps telling me that Jeff Daniels is the same guy who plays Uncle Joey from Full House. I think she’s crazy, but you decide.

Longest day in the history of the world

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That’s what today has been. Not in the “Oh my goodness, I’ve been so busy at work that I haven’t had a chance to sit down, let alone think, man, it’s been a long day.” and definitely not, “Geez! I have had no sleep and no stimulants, no caffeine and I can’t wait to go to bed.”

No, its the unfortunate long day when you say to yourself “Ugh, I miss my wife and as much as I want to be a positive influence in my brother-in-laws life, I really would just like a weekend alone with my wife.”

I’m exhausted due to a poor nights sleep and even more worn out by the events of yesterday, and all that is compouned by the fact that I have had to play entertainer number one.

Friday BS

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I was really struggling to find something write about today, that is until 4:30. Our office had been in a “communications lock down” for the past few days and it’s been really weird, the boss not talking, lots of closed door meetings and the like.

4:30 was the time that a co-worker had a meeting, and a 4:30 meeting on a Friday is never good. So not good, in fact, that said co-worker was asked to cancel/rearrange a child’s doctors appointment. So as 4:30 drew nearer, everyone was on pins and needles. As said co-worker left of the meeting at HR, another bad sign, we were all told that we could not leave.

Huh? Can’t leave. Bad things written all over this one.

Five o’clock was getting closer and closer, my co-workers and I were out of our offices, chit chatting and then the boss came back, corralling us into the conference room. “I just accepted your co-worker’s resignation.”

CRAP!

The corpo-speak really bothered me, lots of stuff about grieving, resignation terminations and professionalism, “it’s harder for me than it is for you.”

I guess I’ll have to digest what has happened and figure out how to go forward. The co-worker I lost was an invaluable part of our department and her skills and personality will be greatly missed.

The Great Pillow Project

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Great Pillow Project

Tonight I finished The Great Pillow Project. The pillow is about 55 inches square (see diagram below), is filled with about 20 pounds of stuffing and is one of the best loungers I have ever lounged on. I started two nights ago and finished stitching up the last of it tonight.

Diagram

Design-o-matic

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Parrot? No, Cat!

I have rearranged my office at work, my intern has moved in due to a space crunch. Apparently a couple of VPs are moving down to our floor. They are new, so its not like we are getting babysitters. Anyway, I am really happy with my new setup and I hope that I can use it to infuse some fresh energy into my design. I am looking at getting some plants for my office, using old CD spindles (I’ll take photos), adding some more color to my place and hopefully letting it spread to the rest of my office.

An interesting encounter between two co-workers today. During our staff meeting, a topic was brought up and after a little explanation, it appeared that the two co-workers were on a collision course. One took a tone, the other didn’t think it through. I’m really uneasy with the tension that is permeating the office.

There has been some talk about outsourcing a couple of jobs, the aforementioned tension, some awkward decisions by the management, and a general lack of communication has really started to make work an interesting place. The most interesting thing is that I just turned down a job that would have been at a real design firm, doing some serious design, so that I could stay where I am, not because I love the place, but I like the people and I like my department.

I think I need to talk with the boss about some of my feelings

Haiku Tuesday – iPhone and more

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On this MacWorld day,
we get a new iPhone yeah!
My office, cleaned up.

Math trick about children.

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Whoa. I’m not very good with math, nor am I very good with children and remembering what grade they are in at what age, etc. I just learned this wicked easy way to know a kids age or in the inverse, their grade.

To find age (when grade is known)

Age = Grade + 5

To find grade (when age is known)

Grade = Age – 5

Now I won’t feel like an idiot asking about kids grades and age and such.

The tricky problem of online dating

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I was talking with some colleagues of mine about online dating and this is a conversation I have had with my wife’s friends as well, giving me a fairly large base from which to draw these conclusions. To cut right to the point: All online dating services are broken. I am aware that there are plenty of “success stories,” but for those who continually seem to strike out, I know why they aren’t having any luck.

People lie. It’s an inevitable truth, especially when it comes to the anonymity of the internet. Part of the way that online dating sites encourage lying is the fact that there is now follow up. Let’s start with a scenario.

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Lots of Lost

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Esther and I have been watching “Lost”, like 8 episodes in 2 days. We have burned through two discs of the first season, and we have both decided we are hooked. It’s a great series, so if you have Netflix, add it to you queue.

The other thing is… I’m turning in to my parents. I am getting up early, falling asleep on the couch. It’s very odd.

I’m going to try and be better about blogging earlier in the day so that when I fall asleep on the sofa, I won’t wake up and say “Oh crud! I forgot to blog!”

On the home front, drama has brewed up over Esther’s sister, Sarah. Sarah has floundered after just barely making it out of high school. She’s wasted a lot of money on two failed semesters at community college and has been dating a loser boyfriend, which has been very co-relative to her decline.

The drama is that she now wants to get married, not a real church wedding, but a courthouse hitching. Esther’s mother is very upset because essentially the way the idea was proffered was “So what’s your schedule like? I’m getting married on Wednesday.” Esther’s mother called the boyfriend’s parents and his mother said “Well, they’re in love… it’s going to happen any way.” Wow! Sarah’s boyfriend doesn’t have a job or a car, he just dropped out of college and is living at home and doesn’t have the balls to go out and get any of these things.

As tough as it will be to have her daughter married, without her support, it should make my recently widowed mother-in-law’s life much better. This is how I would address the situation:

  • If she’s married Wednesday, she would have until Thursday at noon to get her possessions out of the house
  • The locks on the house would be changed at 12:01 on Thursday
  • The car that was being held in escrow until Sarah had paid off a debt, would never be hers, that would be her husband’s issue.
  • Sarah’s military ID would be revoked
  • The cellphone that she is using, would be turned off on Wednesday
  • All contact with her would be ceased until she admitted that she was wrong and that her wedding was a mistake.

I feel sorry for Esther’s mother. I would not want this disaster to happen to anyone who was recently widowed, but I think if she can follow my steps, it will make it easier than having to support a newly wed couple, both of whom she despises.