On A Storyteller's Night

Just not enough time in the day…

Mike — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:46:18 +0000

Just not enough time in the day…how many times have you said that? I’m looking at the last time I posted here and can’t believe it’s been since July. I’m active on most of the social sites that I’m a member of but blogging itself has fallen by the wayside. Twitter and Plurk updated via Ping.fm seem to gather more of my attention than this or my other blog. Anyone else finding that happening to them also? And then Chris had to go and start up Geeks! Yet another site to waste my time on! Chris “scolded” me for that remark there but it is said in a good way. I think he has come up with a real winner with Geeks. Must find more time…

Bella Vista

Mike — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:54:58 +0000

The wife’s old laptop started crapping out so we decided to buy a new one. So yesterday the DHL driver delivered a brand new Dell XPS 1530 to the house. I was a little nervous because it came installed with Vista Home Premium and other than seeing it on someone elses machine I hadn’t actually used it. I’ve also read all the horror stories on the web about Vista. So I fired it up, when through the motions associated with a new computer and eventually was up and running. Installed MS Office 2003 and Civ IV with absolutely no problems. At first I had trouble seeing the other computers on the home network but realized I had the Trend Microsystems firewall and Vista’s both running. Once I turned off Vista’s I was up and running on the network. Installed the printer with no problem and it even found the Xbox 360 on its own when my son turned it on and asked if I wanted to network with it also. Easy as cake as they say.

After all of this and playing around with the machine today I have nothing but good to say about Vista so far. It took me a few tries to find where all the settings were since it is a bit different than XP but that is minor. The machine runs great, all the programs work as they should be i.e. fast and smooth, and most importantly my wife is happy. Of course this is just after a few days but so far it’s been smooth sailing.

Bringing the food to the people

Mike — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:45:23 +0000

Transporting crops from farms to cities uses a lot of fuel. With oil prices continuing to rise we can all expect to be paying more for our food. While reading a few of my favourite sites on Google Reader I came across an article about The Vertical Farm Project. The concept sounded interesting and after visiting their website I have to say it is definitely an idea that needs to be explored. While we can’t get away from oil completely in the foreseeable future we can cut back on how much we use. A concept like this would do a lot towards achieving that goal. There are plenty of areas in and around our cities that could be used to build such facilities. The construction, maintenance and running of these facilities would also create jobs for people. Urban farming for urban dwellers.

Bring the food to the people, cut down on transport costs and create jobs for those living around the buildings. Why not, and what do we have to lose by trying?

First impressions of Firefox 3

Mike — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:32:37 +0000

As a regular Firefox user I went ahead and downloaded the latest version to two of my home PCs. I did wait a couple of days to avoid the rush on their servers. Had absolutely no problem downloading it and the installation went smooth. One is my desktop and the other is an older Dell Insipiron laptop. Both computers are running Windows XP SP2. So far so good with both. The majority of my plugins have been updated to work with the new version. Only a couple are still unavailable but I expect that to change quickly.

The first thing I noticed was that the fonts and icons have a different look than before. The auto complete feature in the address bar is interesting but not that big of a deal to me. I know others though that love it. The biggest change I noticed though was on the laptop. Version 3 loads a lot faster on it and runs much smoother. Version 2 would hang or crash quite often on the laptop. I haven’t had that problem with 3. The desktop runs well also but I haven’t noticed as much of a change as I did with the laptop.

Bottom line: go ahead and upgrade, especially if you are running an older laptop or desktop. You’ll like the difference.

Phoenix has landed

Mike — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:24:25 +0000

The Phoenix Mars Lander has touched down. I sat through the two hour live special on the landing on the Discovery Channel. Seeing the joy on the faces of those who have spent years of their lives waiting for that moment was priceless. During the two hour show there were interviews with many of those involved and the enthusiasm, the dedication to the project and their quest for knowledge was inspiring. You can see the latest photos from the lander at it’s site.

I know some people may think that space exploration is a waste of money but I disagree. This is just one of many more missions to the red planet and others. We all look to the sky and wonder. Phoenix will surely answer a few questions but many new ones will come up. I hope we never stop trying.

RSS readers, Twitter, MySpace, & Facebook

Mike — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:18:44 +0000

A few observations and thoughts…

Recently I’ve started using Google Reader for my RSS feeds. I’ve been a Bloglines user for a while but decided to give Google a try after reading some good reviews. It is still a toss up as to which I prefer but as I think about it I’ve realized just how much I grown accustomed to using RSS feeds to keep updated. I remember when Chris started talking about RSS years ago. At first I didn’t get it and didn’t think I ever would. I finally did.

The same can be said for Twitter. I’ve just started playing around with it and while I’m not a heavy user I can see the benefits of it. Blogging sometimes just takes too much time where Twitter is just right. Both seem to have their place and can definitely compliment each other. If you’re a Twitter user and want to add me I’m at http://twitter.com/matneym

MySpace or Facebook? I’ve got accounts on both but right now I have to go with MySpace. Though Facebook’s interface is much cleaner I find MySpace to be more friendly and inviting. I think it is the customization of profiles that gives it that personal touch. I also find that at Facebook I get bombarded with too many plugin requests to add yet another silly game that I have no intention of playing. Plus being a music fan MySpace has Facebook beat hands down. Again if you use either site and would like to add me as a friend feel free to do so. MySpace and Facebook.

TTFN.

Playing with my new GPS

Mike — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:28:42 +0000

I’ve always loved looking at maps. I can spend hours playing around with Google Earth and similar software but I have hesitated on taking the plunge into a portable GPS unit. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t quite bring myself to doing it. But I finally decided to go ahead and spend some money. I was able to pick up a refurbished Garmin C330, and after rebate it will have only cost me $75. Even though the model has been discontinued it has great reviews and at the price I figured I couldn’t go wrong.

So when I got home today it was waiting for me. After charging it up and updating the firmware/software it was out to the car and off for a test. At first it didn’t have the position of where the house was but once I got going on the road it seemed to lock itself in. I had programmed in the house address before leaving so after a few miles out into the countryside I had it point me home. The unit was dead on in its directions. My son who was in the car with me thought it was coolest thing I had bought in quite a while. I’m thinking a trip over to St. Louis this weekend is in the plans so I can give it a good workout. I don’t think I’m ready to give up my paper maps but in tandem with this toy I think I’m going to have a lot of fun getting out there and exploring.

Another try at Linux

Mike — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:46:22 +0000

I’ve decided to give it a go again with Linux. Installed an extra hard drive on my computer and have installed Ubuntu’s Hardy Heron. So far it seems to be working ok. One thing that is irritating is that Firefox 3 Beta is loaded so I can’t use my Foxmarks add on so I don’t have all of my bookmarks at the moment. But so far Ubuntu is working a lot better than the last time I used it. While I’ll still be using XP at least now I can give this a try when I’ve got some extra time. Stay tuned…

Where does the time go?

Mike — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:58:09 +0000

Where does the time go? Hadn’t realized that it had been over a month since I last posted here. Seems I have a million things going on and not enough time. My project to start digitizing my documents has started but it certainly has a long way to go. Just today my wife and I ran into a good friend we hadn’t seen since my birthday. She said the same thing; where does the time go. My weeknights are taken up with karate and with my black belt test coming up at the end of this month I’ll be even busier. You would think that with all this tech stuff I have around the house I could keep up but…thank goodness for marking things down in my Outlook calendar. Just have to remember not to hit the snooze button too many times tomorrow morning.

Freeware to the rescue

Mike — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:11:13 +0000

Wow, where did the month of January go? Seems I put off writing a day or so and the next thing I know weeks have passed. But no more I say, I must write, write, write. But what to write about? Well this post is about a couple of freeware programs I’ve used lately.

First up is a program that I recently used that was extremely helpful. My in-laws were having some problems with their email. I live in Illinois and they are in Wisconsin so I can’t just pop up there and fix it. Tried to walk things through on the phone but that was getting no where. But a little remote access program called Crossloop came to the rescue. I’ve never done anything like this before but the installation was easy for my in-laws and connecting was a breeze. The program worked great and the problem they were having is now fixed. I’m sure there are some other programs out there that are similar. I wish I had done this sooner, it would have saved a lot of time and hassle.

The other freeware program I’ve been using a lot is Mediamonkey, My MP3 collection is quite extensive and its sheer size bogs down Windows Media Player’s library function. But Mediamonkey handles it with no problems. The program also does a great job with the artwork for the tracks and tag editing. You can purchase an upgrade to do more functions but the freeware (no nags) version does what I need it to do. Highly recommended if you do alot of work with MP3 files.

I also recently installed Gimp since I bought a new digital camera and want to do some minor editing. How ever I can’t say I’m too happy with the interface or the program as a whole. I need something that does more than the basic editing that Picasa or Microsoft Picture Manager handles. I’ve read that Paint.net does a good job so I’ll probably be giving that a go.
Might have to break down and spend some money on a more robust program but I’m a sucker for freeware so that is where I’m focusing on at the moment.

So until next time stay safe and if you have any software recommendations send ‘em my way.

Another year down

Mike — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:51:02 +0000

Well, another year down and hopefully many more to go. Sometimes I wonder where all the time went, then others it seems like it has lasted forever. My wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary, our son turned 16, my grandfather died and we had a house full for Christmas. That’s life, the ups and downs.

Blog related, in 2007 I experimented with Linux for a while but I guess I wasn’t ready for that plunge. Maybe later on in 2008 I’ll give it a go again. I just picked up a spare 300 gig hard drive so it isn’t like I don’t have the space. Besides giving out gift cards for Christmas I got a bunch myself. What to buy now is the hard part. I’ve been thinking about a new digital camera yet at the same time I’m thinking of taking the plunge and getting an ipod. Decisions, decisions…

On that note I wish every one who stops by and reads this a happy new year and that it is a good one.

Driving lessons

Mike — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:52:16 +0000

I’ve been teaching my son how to drive over the last few months and it has been an interesting experience. So far no accidents and I’m more patient teaching him than I thought I would be. The law here in Illinois requires that kids have at least 50 hours behind the wheel before they can get their license, 10 of those hours have to be at night. That is a good thing in my opinion. But getting that 50 hours is harder than you think. Also, there is the fact that I love to drive. It is hard to give up the keys and the driver’s seat. I grew up in Oregon, worked on farms and was driving tractors and other vehicles well before I was able to get a license. My son doesn’t have that opportunity so he’s doing most of the driving at the moment. One thing that has helped his driving, or at least prepared him have been video games. He plays a lot of driving games and I truly believe he’s learned some valuable skills while playing. Learning to steer, stay focused and looking ahead down the road have not been problems. But it is still no substitute for being behind the wheel, which is where I want to be but more importantly it is where he needs be. There are too many people out there who shouldn’t be behind the wheel. I’m trying to make sure he isn’t one of them.

25 hours down and 25 to go.

Give The Gift Of Plastic This Year

Mike — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:37:27 +0000

Once again it is that time of year to do the holiday shopping. Not only do I have to get Christmas presents for family but my son, my sister, and a few close friends all have birthdays coming up in December. The eternal question of what to get everyone is annual event.

Trying to get everyone a gift and stay on a budget is hard to do. I know the stuff I want for myself is expensive, heck I can’t even afford it so does no good in telling everyone what I truly want! How ever as we’ve discovered in the last year the one gift that helps keep us on budget and seems to be a hit is the ol’ gift card. To some that may seem impersonal but the nephews and nieces seem to really like them. It allows them to spend the money on things that they want. Plus it costs a lot less to ship a gift card to all points in the country than a big box.

The other bonus is that it you know exactly what you are spending which helps keep the budget intact. I haven’t heard any complaints from the adult family members either. I know I like receiving them, especially the Visa/Master Card type that I can use anywhere. I got a few for my birthday and now I’m waiting to see what I receive at Christmas before going out to spend them all. So if you are stuck with the annual dilemma of what to get don’t forget that plastic just might be the answer. It works in our household.

I’ll Act My Age If And When I Want To

Mike — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:05:04 +0000

Last week was my birthday and besides hearing the “old man” jokes as I turned 42 I also got asked by a few of my friends when I was going to grow up. Now for some that might seem to be an insult but the question wasn’t asked in that matter. Now physically there are times that I feel older but mentally I don’t think of myself as being 42. I’m not quite a baby boomer but I’m not quite Gen-X either. I’m the guy in my circle of friends that still listens to hard rock and heavy metal (turn it up!) instead of country music or easy listening as most now do. I still go to concerts, am active in karate, always exploring new gadgets, still trying to learn new things and not afraid to embrace change. When my friends have a question about mp3s, how to use their new camera, et cetera I am the one they turn to. To my friends I’m still a kid at heart and that makes them feel old at times. When I deal with some of the teenagers at the karate dojo they are shocked that someone my age listens to the kind of music that I do or that I enjoy watching cartoons on adult swim. They don’t expect someone “old” like me to do that stuff. But why shouldn’t I enjoy those things because I’m 42?

Now I don’t want to fall into the trap that I am seeing many of my peers doing because of our age. I refuse to get old. Now physically I can’t stop that from happening but mentally I’m going to put up a fight. Refuse to be old and you never will be.

[tags]age, birthdays, music [/tags]

How Much Would You Pay For Music?

Mike — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:13:22 +0000

Music is one of my passions and I have a large music library. When I was younger and single I spent a good portion of my paycheck buying CDs. But now I’m married, have a teenage son and a dog so my budget for music has shrunk quite a bit. I would buy more music but the price stops me. I know I could go on iTunes and buy and individual song but I’m more of an album guy. What I don’t understand in this day and age is why most bands even bother with a music label. With all the tools and technology out there just eliminate the middle man. Looks like the band Radiohead is doing just that with their latest release. The fans get to decide how much they want to pay for the tracks, if they want to pay at all. The band gets all the money and control over their creativity. I hope their experiment is successful. If it is I expect more bands to follow their lead. The major labels should be worried.

[tags]music, iTunes, Radiohead, [/tags]

There Is A Lot To See Out There, And A Lot Of It Is Closer Than You Realize

Mike — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:36:21 +0000

Discovery can be fun and once again I was reminded of just how we take for granted the area around us. With St. Louis being the gateway to the west this area is particularly rich in things to see and do. My parents were here visiting and having seen all the major attractions in St. Louis it was time to find something new to see. Looking at the map I saw a state historical site listed about an hour south of here so away we went. I had heard mention of Fort de Chartres before but wasn’t expecting much. Was I pleasantly surprised! The place was magnificent and I was sorry I hadn’t visited before. I mentioned that fact to one of the park staff and she remarked that many people say the same thing when they visit. I’ve mentioned the place to a few friends who have lived here all their lives and none of them had ever visited. The same thing with the Cahokia Mounds, less than 10 miles down the road from where I live. Interstate 55 runs right by the place yet many people here in the St. Louis region have never visited or even know what the place is.

That brought back memories of living in England. I don’t think there was a weekend that went by the family and I didn’t go out sight seeing, knowing that we had to take advantage of our time living there. We saw sights and places that most of the locals didn’t even bother visiting, or even knew about. I’ve been guilty of the same thing now that I’ve settled down but not anymore. Now I’m diving into Google Earth and with the Panoramio layer enabled I’ve been discovering places here in the St. Louis region that I will be exploring when I can find the time. So the next time you’re looking for something to do take out the map or fire up your favourite mapping software/site, find somewhere that looks interesting and go visit. Who knows what you will find, but that is the whole point isn’t it?

[tags]history, Fort de Chartres, Cahokia Mounds, St. Louis, Illinois, maps, travel, adventure[/tags]

Taking off for the Great White North

Mike — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:44:27 +0000

With all apologies to Bob & Doug McKenzie the US, Canada, Russia and the other nations with borders in the arctic are heading to the Great White North. With the earth warming and the arctic ice packs shrinking claims to the resources north of the arctic circle are beginning. Russia recently planted a flag on the bottom of the ocean at the north pole. They are also conducting military exercises in the area. Denmark is making their claim due to their ownership of Greenland. Canada is ramping up their efforts to protect their borders and project their presence along the Arctic circle. The US also has a stake in the game and will soon begin a scientific expedition to help assert its rights to claim part of the sea floor.

Will other countries such as China make claims also? The growing demand for resources on a shrinking planet will certainly start causing tensions as countries try to find new areas to exploit. Where is all this going to lead? The implications and political ramifications will be global.

[tags]arctic circle, Russia, Denmark, Canada, United States, oil, sea floor, mineral rights[/tags]

Random Thoughts and Observations

Mike — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:06:41 +0000

Coming up with something to write isn’t always easy. I don’t want to repeat something that someone else has posted here at Lockergnome so today it is just going to be a few thoughts and observations:

Yes I know it is summer here in St. Louis but 100 degrees is just too frickin’ warm no matter where you are, and I’ve been to Saudi Arabia in the summer time. It is supposed to hit 101 today and tomorrow… oh, joy!

I rarely go to a movie theater but the two movies I have gone to see so far this year, Transformers and The Simpson’s Movie have been worth the price of admission.

To the guy in front of me at the stoplight last night: you can text your girlfriend when you get home. In the meantime just drive your damn car.

Never been a fan of yours, but congratulations Barry Bonds.

Are you ready for some football? I am, so bring on the NFL and college seasons!

It is hard to diet when the office snack bar is only 10 feet away. I can hear the M&Ms calling me right now.

Teaching my son to drive is scary at times, and a wonderful experience.

As I get closer to getting my black belt in karate I keep thinking I should have done this 20 years ago. The same can be said for many things.

Gas prices may have gone down this week, but putting $40 into the truck still hurts.

So many cool gadgets out there, not enough money.

I work with a good bunch of people.

The lunch hour goes by too quickly.

Time to get back to work.

Feel free to add to the list.

[tags]summer, movies, Transformers, The Simpson’s movie, rants, observations[/tags]

Listening To The Radio… Not!

Mike — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:21:39 +0000

My drive to work every day is approximately 20-25 minutes so I spend a lot of time listening to music in the car. Today was one of those rare instances where I forgot to bring along a CD and had to resort to listening to the radio. I won’t make that mistake again. I have a few questions for the radio industry:

What happened to music being played in the morning? I don’t want to hear a bunch of DJs and their morning talk shows. If I want talk I can listen to talk radio. Shut up and play some damn music!

There are thousands upon thousands of rock bands out there, so why does rock radio insist on playing the same old songs by the same handful of bands? Please expand your play list.

The big push to buy a HD radio. Why in the world would I shell the money out for that when I don’t want to listen to what you are playing now? Crap is crap whether it is in analog or digital.

So I’ll be sticking to the CD player for the foreseeable future and I’ll ensure my next vehicle will have a stereo equipped for MP3 player support. I suppose I could start a subscription to satellite radio but I haven’t been impressed by the play lists I have seen. Besides I already pay for cable, phone, and Internet, so buying one more subscription to a service just seems excessive. I only have so much money to go around and radio is down the list of things to pay for. The radio stations I do want to listen to only stream over the Internet. I’m sure I’m not alone in my complaints and yet the radio industry wonders why it is losing listeners.

[tags]radio, HD radio, music, internet radio[/tags]

What do I do with all this stuff?

Mike — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:58:32 +0000

The other day I decided I was going to put another phone in the basement near my computer desk. Since I only have one phone jack I bought a splitter. When I got home and dug out a phone cord to run to the wall jack I realized I already had two splitters sitting in a box with the extra cord. But in addition to the splitters I have a rat’s nest of RCA cables, coaxial cable, countless AC adapters, a couple of old universal remotes and countless other cables for devices I haven’t owned in years. In another box I discovered an old Web cam, a Palm Pilot, mice, a couple of CD ROM drives and other computer parts I’ve kept over the years. Not to mention the VCR and old stereo equipment sitting boxed up right next to it. Oh, yeah, that broken digital camera that’s sitting there isn’t going to come to life again.

In keeping with my previous post about getting my digital life a little more organized I’ve decided this is part of that endeavor. Since most of this stuff hasn’t been used in years I obviously don’t really need to keep any of it. Anytime I buy a new piece of equipment it comes with the cords I need. I haven’t used the Palm Pilot in years but it seems wrong to just throw it in the trash. I don’t know of anyone who wants one and it isn’t worth anything. The same with the Web cam and CD drives. I can see keeping a couple of spare RCA cords and coaxial cable around but not in the quantity I have accumulated over the years. I imagine I’m not the only one around who has boxes of old tech in their basement just collecting dust. So I ask anyone reading this just what would you do with all this stuff?

[tags]technology, trash, tech[/tags]