This is a world - - you have read it...

2011-09-23T11:04:00.001-04:00

Jeremiah 17:5-8

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
   and makes flesh his strength,
   whose heart turns away from the LORD.
⁶ He is like a shrub in the desert,
    and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
   in an uninhabited salt land.

⁷ "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
    whose trust is the LORD.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
   that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
   for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
   for it does not cease to bear fruit."

2011-02-13T21:58:00.001-05:00

My phone died so I'm back to my old one.

Here's a rundown of my last week's worth of texting if anyone's interested:

2 SB

2 CE

2 NK

3 HT

3 MH

3 DF

3 AC

3 EW

4 KD

4 JQ

4 JK

4 TS

4 JQ

4 DQ

5 JH

6 CE

9 JM

9 GA

10 JS

10 RB

13 MQ

15 EB

15 JS

17 AH

24 JH

29 JB

29 LM

30 SM

31 SQ

45 LQ

54 CG

67 HQ

223 HS

2011-02-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

This is so tempting... I don't have a bird problem but I would have a friend problem if I did own one of these...

http://absolutebirdcontrol.com/products/scarecrow

2011-02-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

"I have a big God who has promised His blessing. I know He will provide." -BG

Amen!

2011-01-31T13:54:00.001-05:00

"If you're going to risk and maybe fail, fail at something that
matters. Fail gloriously so that even in failure, lives change."
~J. Acuff

"Wrestling with God is not a bad thing. It's impossible to wrestle
with someone who is far away from you. You can only wrestle someone
who is close to you. Sometimes we interpret it as failure, but I think
God sees it as intimacy."
~ Chuck ?

2011-01-14T20:30:00.001-05:00

Same??? I guess I haven't changed much... Or the quiz pumps out the same colors... ha.
http://www.princetonreview.com/CareerQuiz.aspx

Career Quiz - Here is an overview of your results

People with red Interests like hands-on / problem solving job responsibilities and professions that involve practical, technical, and objective activities. Red Interests include: building, implementing, organizing, producing, and delegating, which often lead to work in manufacturing, managing, directing, small business owning, and surgery.

People with yellow styles perform their job responsibilities in a manner that is orderly and planned to meet a known schedule. They prefer to work where things get done with a minimum of interpretation and unexpected change. People with a yellow style tend to be orderly, cautious, structured, loyal, systematic, solitary, methodical, and organized, and usually thrive in a research-oriented, predictable, established, controlled, measurable, orderly environment. You will want to choose a work environment or career path in which your style is welcomed and produces results.

2011-01-14T11:11:00.001-05:00

The 10 Most Beautiful Places in America
Special Travel Report - http://www.usaweekend.com/article/99999999/LIVING01/91015001

January 14, 2011
It's a nation so blessed with sights -- natural and man-made -- that you could ask all 300 million residents for their favorites and expect 300 million different answers. So how do you go about picking the country's 10 most beautiful spots?

2. Nighttime view from Mount Washington in Pittsburgh

In a nation with a wealth of stunning cities full of compelling stories, ranking Pittsburgh as the No. 2 beauty spot is perhaps our most surprising choice. But the Steel City's aesthetic appeal is undeniable, as is its very American capacity for renewal. Standing atop Mount Washington, the steep hill that rises giddily on the city's south side, sightseers enjoy the unforgettable panorama of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers flowing together to create the mighty Ohio, that waterway so essential in the nation's settlement. The rivers cup downtown's lustrous Golden Triangle, where landmark skyscrapers thrust upward like rockets. At night, lights twinkle on no fewer than 15 bridges. Almost as breathtaking as the vista itself is the urban renewal that made it possible. A century ago, a pall of smoke lay so thick over town that streetlights burned all day. As Pittsburgh continues an evolutionary course that has taken it from trading post to transportation hub to industrial goliath, we salute its reinvention into one of America's most scenic and livable communities. In the life of a city, there's nothing more beautiful, or inspiring, than a renaissance. For more, go to pittsburgh.net.

2011-01-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

2011-01-04T23:46:00.001-05:00

Another stolen joke!

A woman in her eighties made the evening news because she was getting married for the fourth time. The following day she was being interviewed by a local TV station, and the commentator asked about what it felt to be married again at that age and would she share part of her previous experiences, since it seem quite unique the fact that her new husband was a 'funeral director.'

A smile came to her face and she proudly explained that she had first married a banker when she was in her twenties, in her forties she married a circus performer, and in her sixties she married a pastor and now in her eighties, a funeral director.

The amazed commentator asked her why she had married men with such diverse careers.

With a smile on her face she explained, 'I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!'

2011-01-02T12:02:00.001-05:00

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven's joys

Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-12-31T08:39:00.001-05:00

Psalm 127
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in
vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the
bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Vain-Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: a vain attempt.

I don't want my efforts to life life to be in vain.

2010-12-20T21:29:00.001-05:00

Not mine but it fits my current juvenile sense of humor:

Once I was driving down the road and ran out of gas. I was able to make it to the side of the road before I stopped. After a moment, a bee flew into my car through the window.

The bee asked, 'What seems to be the problem?'

'I just ran out of gas!' I replied.

The bee told me to wait right there (as if I could go anywhere!) and flew away.

Minutes later, I watched as an ENTIRE swarm of bees flew to my car and into my gas tank. After a few minutes inside the tank, the bees flew out.

'Try starting it now,' said the talking bee.

So I turned my ignition and the car started right up.
'Wow!' I exclaimed, 'what did you put in my gas tank'?

This was the bee's answer.

2010-12-11T14:19:00.001-05:00

"A Chester County girl was shot and killed Friday by a juvenile family
member, according to authorities.

It happened in Westtown Township, near West Chester, Pa. in the 500
block of Coventry Lane around 3:30 p.m.

The girl was taken to Chester County Hospital where she was pronounced
dead. The exact circumstances of the shooting were still under
investigation but police said that the shooting happened in the
family's home.

Police wouldn't give any more details including if the shooting was
accidental or not."

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-11-09T07:43:00.001-05:00

Driscoll Middle School;s Trick Play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIdI8khMkw

Love it.

2010-11-07T12:15:00.001-05:00

Its hard to describe my feeling of thankfulness for my ability to hear
when the band started a beautiful intro and the violinist masterfully
drew notes out of his instrument.

This sense of thankfulness was blown several orders of magnitude
higher when I noticed that the sign language interpreter mimed one
stroke of a bow and casually indicated the violinist.

Let me never take my senses for granted!

~ Luke 11:28 ~

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-10-31T18:59:00.000-04:00

"Oops!... I Did It Again" is on the reformation weekend playlist
because they had spears back in those days???

Nice. :-P

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-10-29T14:45:00.001-04:00

Psalm 107

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-10-12T14:56:00.001-04:00

Delighting (delight)
n.
1. Great pleasure; joy.
2. Something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment.

v. de·light·ed, de·light·ing, de·lights

v.intr.
1. To take great pleasure or joy: delights in taking long walks.
2. To give great pleasure or joy: an old movie that still delights.

v.tr.
To please greatly.

[Middle English delit, from Old French, a pleasure, from delitier, to please, charm, from Latin dlectre : d-, intensive pref.; see de- + lactre, frequentative of lacere, to entice.]

2010-10-07T11:28:00.001-04:00

Happy two year anniversary of being unemployed to me!!

(discounting temp jobs and the like)

2010-09-20T10:11:00.001-04:00

"Every day is a gift. And sometimes gifts are the wrong size or don't fit properly. Or it just wasn't something you really wanted, like a 790 piece puzzle about horses in the mist. Still, it's rude to be ungrateful."
http://warehousecomic.com/comic_595.php

2010-09-12T11:42:00.001-04:00

Ephesians 1:17-18
"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is
the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his
glorious inheritance in the saints"

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-09-02T16:59:00.001-04:00

One of the saddest things I've heard this summer was a little boy's
exclamation while in the midst of a major, pool-based squirt gun
battle: "I wish they made this for the Wii!"

As if playing an electronic version of reality could be better than
the real thing??

Yet I find myself doing that at times... Sad indeed.

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-08-31T23:11:00.001-04:00

"Since September 26, 2006 you have read a total of 9,998 items."
Sweet.

2010-08-20T12:34:00.000-04:00

"Questions about the meaning of your life affect your whole person. They are connected not only with the way you think and act; but also, and even more so, with the way you are a human being, and with the bond between you and everything that is."

(via)

2010-08-17T22:57:00.001-04:00

So apparenly firms like Bennet Research (5033341620) are exempt from
the do not call list since the direct goal is not profit.

I'm still not a fan of them calling me on my cell in the middle of a
movie however.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-503-334-1620/2

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-08-16T11:30:00.001-04:00

At 673 pages, The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas is not a quick
read, but it is quite captivating.

I missed a train, some meetings and several meals over the last few
weeks due to my nose's desire to stay between its pages.

I had believed that I was familiar with the story, from its
introduction to its epilogue but found that I only knew half of the
story.

It starts as a classic tale of swashbucklers doing what they do best:
taking offenses, picking fights, crossing swords and boasting of their
exploits.

It concludes by resolving several threads of revenge and intrigue in
the judgment of one of the book's main characters.

I highly recommend it as I found that it was well worth the time spent
I reading it.

--
Sent from my mobile device

2010-08-14T10:36:00.002-04:00

Getting random phone calls from a mysterious recorded lady who
promises to lower my credit card rate is annoying.
714-244-2302 is not to be trusted.

http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/7142442302

2010-08-11T12:39:00.001-04:00

"I have no fear of drowning

It's the breathing that's taking all this work"

Work by Jars Of Clay

2010-07-23T12:03:00.001-04:00

I think we're coming to a clearing and a brighter day
So far away, still I think they say, the wait will make their heart
Grow stronger or fonder, I can't quite remember anyway

2010-07-19T12:55:00.001-04:00

ZZTop cover, entertaining drummer.

2010-07-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair
The bees are stirring - birds are on the wing

And Winter, slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring

And I, the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.

http://www.orgs.muohio.edu/anthologies/bijou/vissat/Workwithouthope.htm

2010-07-01T13:28:00.002-04:00

I moved out here not knowing what I'd spend. I think I'm doing alright so far.

This doesn't include $750 in rent/ect and an upcoming car inspection.

2010-06-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

The Schuylkill River Trail between Valley Forge and the Art Museum/Zoo
in Philly is wide enough to comfortably pass other
bikers/walkers/runners and is reasonably flat. It is comprised of
almost every type of road surface, from crushed gravel, to wooden
planks, to asphalt.

However, making the 20 some mile trek from the Betzwood Trailhead to
Lloyd Hall Trailhead and back without adequate preparation is not a
good thing.

While much of the trail is shaded by trees, the sun is still a factor
for 4-5 hour trips.
Hydration can be dealt with by bringing along a water bottle and
refiling it at one of the 2 or 3 water fountains along the way.
However, electrolyte and energy losses cannot be replenished with
water and can cause cramps, dizziness, weakness and a degradation of
mental facilities.

It is also important to note that the wind and downhill terrain push
one towards the city but make the effort much more difficult on the
way back.

Having a bike that is adjusted for your body size is also critical.
What can start out as a minor inconvenience at the beginning of the
trip can turn into a game changing element by the end. Make sure you
can use the full length of your downward pedal before you take an
extended trip.

I know these things because of personal experience yesterday
afternoon. The last 5 miles of the trip almost seemed insurmountable.
I started resting for 10 minutes every mile, then half mile so that my
body could try to recover. I made it to my car and slept for 2 hours
before I felt reasonably safe to drive home.

Good times.

2010-06-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

CENSUS DATA RESEARCH ONLINE RESEARCH RESULTS

There are approx. 7 persons in the U.S. with LastName=Q_ and FirstName=M_

http://www.census-gov.us/

2010-05-28T17:06:00.002-04:00

Another clipping from AoM...

...It is, nevertheless, just such dull routine work, done cheerfully and loyally, to a high purpose, through the succession of days, that builds into the human spirit the noblest elements of culture.

What then do we mean by "culture"— some esoteric knowledge or remote adornment of life? Surely not.

Its foundation elements are: loyalty to the task in hand, the trained will that does not yield to obstacles, cheerful courage in meeting the exigencies that come, serenity maintained amid the petty distractions of life, holding the vision of the ideal across the sand wastes and through the valley of the shadows: these are the basic elements of culture, and they are built into the spirit of a man or a woman by the loyal doing of dead work through the succession of days...

These elements should be a goal for any task I am faced with!

2010-05-24T11:28:00.000-04:00

What I want isn’t a job at all.
I want to find a vocation, a calling.

We'll see if that happens...

2010-05-18T00:22:00.001-04:00

"There are two kinds of travelers; the Comfortable Voyager, round whom a cloud of voracious expenses hums all the time, and the man who shifts for himself and enjoys the little discomforts as a change from life's routine."
– Ralph Bagnold, Libyan Sands

2010-05-13T22:55:00.001-04:00

The Car Talk do-it-yourself scale:

There are two kinds of screwdrivers?
I've successfully hung pictures around the house.
I've changed my own oil.
I've fixed things on my car that involve removing more than five bolts.
I've built a working nuclear reactor out of wood.

Made me smile...

2010-05-11T23:47:00.001-04:00

Tonight, while setting up a new volleyball rotation, one person was told "you'll be the first to rotate in" instead of a more cut and dried "you're out for this round".

I thought that was a great way to say that.

2010-04-17T14:50:00.001-04:00

Speed test result:
Download Speed: 15,564 kbps (1945.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 5,258 kbps (657.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

Yay FIOS!

2010-03-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

A dishwasher called off work last night so I went in to cover for him.

Once I got there, we realized one of the servers was out also.

The manager and I flipped for the positions and I got to get a taste of serving.

Not my favorite gig.

While there I also:

Took out the trash for the entire building
Attempted to fix a leaky toilet but needed a part
Set up for dinner (yes I washed my hands)
Made and poured coffee (three times in the meal)
Took orders and served dinner
Answered the phone
Bussed dishes back to the kitchen
Replaced batteries for one of the residents
Cleaned and reset the dining room
Gave advice against a potential scam
Helped a resident fill out tax forms
Set up for a private party dinner on Sunday

In other words, I guess a "fill in" day can be just as busy as a regular day!!

2010-03-27T11:22:00.001-04:00

A recent email I sent to my boss.... :-)

CRITIQUE OF "Re: VA Benefits Visit!" DATED 3/26/2010 1:20 PM PST

My thoughts in a numbered list format:

1. The previous email asked for "Ron's phone number" and approximately 29/30ths of the email contain information unrelated to that subject.
Suggestion: Use separate emails for separate topics.

2. Topics are bunched together, the first sentence is not the same topic as the second one.
Suggestion: Use white space generously between topics

3. Use of two spaces between sentences.
There is much support for the idea that only one space should be used when using anything but a typewriter.
What follows is an excerpt from a few sources:

... the current typographic standard for a single space after the period is a reflection of the power of proportionally spaced fonts.

    "The only reason that two spaces were used after a period during the 'typewriter' age was because original typewriters had monospaced fonts -- the extra space was needed for the eye to pick up on the beginning of a new sentence. That need is negated w/proportional space type, hence [it is] the typographic standard."

While I'm on the topic, here's what one of the folks at The Design & Publishing Center had to say about the history of typographic spacing:

    "In the days of typewriter manuscripts the extra space was necessary to separate the ends and beginnings of sentences. The space character never changed. With the advent of electronic typesetting, the software attempts to 'fit' the type to specific line lengths, it both expands or contracts the available space to make the type fit. Word spacing is where most of this space 'play' takes place."

This same writer went on to tell me that the use of two spaces is visually distracting, and can be a typographic design danger:

    "With two spaces, there is 'more' space to play with, and if space is added (which is most often the case) the results are white spots, and in some cases "rivers" of blank spots in the body of text. This makes the body both unattractive as a visual element, and distracting to read."

From http://webword.com/reports/period.html 3/26/10

4. Indenting paragraphs

... indenting paragraphs is still done in books and magazines. And it's still done in handwritten notes. In these cases, the indenting helps readers identify where a new paragraph begins, since there may be little space between one paragraph and the next.

But in email the blank line before a new paragraph clearly signals the paragraph change. Indenting doesn't make sense. It takes time we don't have, and it looks old-fashioned.

From http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/03/paragraphs-in-emailto-indent-or-not-to-indent-.html 3/26/10

5. When sending contact info in an email, it should be the only thing on its line for ease of copy and pasting into another program such as YGL.
Example:
The contact info for the couple I talked to yesterday is:
L. (80) and G. (68) L.
632 Main St
The Moon GX 99151
(000) 243-3544
and I was able to send them a packet of info today.

6. Instead of saying something like "He actually called back just now", take some time to rewrite and present the relevant information from THIS point in time instead of in two stages, IE "Bob called twice today and (whatever) resulted" or just leave it at one "He called" if having two phone calls doesn't seem relevant. I think two calls would be significant usually.

7. I really like the "Action Ending" at the bottom of the email, it tells the recipient exactly what you are looking for him/her to do with the information presented above. If someone is skimming, they will look at the first sentence and the last one to prioritize the content of the email and you don't want to waste your time and theirs by having "fluff" in those key positions.

8. Old fashioned intros. (a bit out of order, sorry!)
While "Good Afternoon Mike," is great for a letter or a beginning of a conversation, the conversation is already in motion and definitely doesn't require a excessively formal salutation and usually people don't waste time typing anything to a reply. I just looked through all the emails I have from Steve and a simple "Hi All," is the only intro I can find and that's only ONE of his emails!

10. I still don't like the "Hope this isn't too jumbled to make sense, let me know if you have any more questions." sentence. It may be arguable but I believe that neither of the two points add value to the email. Either it was written so that the topic and action points of the email will be obvious or it was not.
Also, I'd assume that most people know to ask for clarity if something isn't understandable.

11. Indenting the signature part of the letter is "so the 90s".
Again, if you use Steve as an example, you can see he uses "Thanks! Steve" or "Thanks, Steve" or even "Thoughts?" to close out his emails.

Honestly I don't mean to criticize the way you write emails or anything, I'm just hoping that some of this input is helpful.

Yours,

MQ, Utility Guy

2010-03-10T18:44:00.001-05:00

He is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of his cold heart
So he sets out on another misadventure just to find
He's another two years older
And three more steps behind

2010-02-18T17:39:00.001-05:00

Lets try this again!

http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/Activities.aspx?id=54593

Not free, oh well!

Lets hope not.

2010-02-07T22:12:00.001-05:00

2010-01-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

I just had to have one of these after I saw this awesome commercial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1h5wgqrdFs

"Once in a lifetime!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0BTI00kxi0

"Like gold!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez1XaHon9mc

"I deserve one!" "I've got one!"

2010-01-08T13:54:00.003-05:00

Its been more than a week into 2010 as of now. Things in life are the same so far.
I brought in the New Year in the oddest fashion I hope I ever go through.

The clock struck midnight as I drove with a girl I've only seen once and can't even find of facebook (ha!) along the top of Mt Washington, watching and listening to the fireworks and the throngs of happy (read: drunk) people. As much as I relish being weird and awkward, that 20 minutes of strange was not my appealing to my desired forte.

While I've been blessed with independent transportation other than owning a car, I think I'm pretty sure I'm going to pull the trigger on something soon. I had my eye on a 89 Chevy Z24 convertible but they wanted too much for it (twice the kbb value). I'm hoping to get something with "flair" but that's a lesser goal than condition/price/economy at this point.

Job-wise, I'll probably keep rolling in the part-timers that I have, some new stuff on the horizon currently but nothing that gives me any long term vibes.

The large chunks of time I spent in 2009 went towards construction in Georgia, computer programing in Harrisburg, road trip out West, volunteer craftsman at TPP, small landscaping jobs, construction in SP, and driving for The Pear. Its been an interesting year but less productive than I really would have hoped. Hopefully I'll be able to look back and see how I've grown during 2009 in a few years.

2009-12-03T00:16:00.001-05:00

I'm glad we never really did TV...

"Postman argued that the medium of television was inadequate for serious, rational communication. He did not believe it was impossible, simply that the medium was not conducive to it. Television's highest priority is to win viewers, and the easiest way to this is to appeal to short attention spans with entertaining fluff. The priority had to be on entertainment, not education."

Aka profit over profitability...
From the Art of Manliness/Amusing Ourselves Out of Our Manhood

2009-11-23T19:20:00.001-05:00

I'd like to "get my dose of God" like I like to get a shave. Quick and
clean, no real effort required and it lasts for at least a day. If the
razor/method gets old, I can just pitch it and get a new one.

Sadly, this "everything when and how I want it" works a lot better
with google and less so with the God who created everything including
myself.

Inspiration from:
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/11/22/staying-sharp-straight-razor-shaving-as-life/

2009-11-07T18:51:00.002-05:00

Ever since I've been "old enough" I've occasionally thought about what I'd get if I were to ink myself.
I got a half decent idea this week and I'm sitting on it while I feel out the pros and cons, but this takes the cake:
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/connectthedots_tattoo_11423.asp

PS. Read the March 18, 2009 comment!

2009-10-24T09:52:00.001-04:00

So way back in July I was asked to help clean out an old church for a film/acting crew.
What started out like this: http://twitpic.com/91y7t
Ended like this: http://twitpic.com/9nbov

During the filming I was security and ran a few errands among other things.

The final product is now available:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS-auZbg3rc

I'm still kinda bummed that I missed skydiving though...

2009-10-12T16:49:00.001-04:00

From a website design perspective, I was shocked that this kind of horrible implementation could exist in the wild...
Say you visit http://www.therapureair.com/shopping.html and you choose to add the Therapure 201M to your "bag".

The link address that shows for the purchase is:
http://www.therapureair.com/add-to-bag.html?redirectpage=order_bag&prod=qty_first2m&qty=1&shipping=22.95&price=129.95&name=Therapure+201M

Using a copy and paste of the link, I was able to edit the price down to whatever I wanted. Ouch.
How about a unit price of $29.95 and a shipping cost of $2.95? I like the way $32.90 sounds.

2009-10-07T09:26:00.001-04:00

Google's ability to compute with dissimilar units is awesome.

For instance, I punched in the distance I am from Mt. Rainier and an estimated MPG and $/gal and got an answer!
Can a regular calculator deal with this:
2,565 mi / (20 mi/gal) * ( 2.50 USD/gal)

Another recent instance was to figure out how long it took to travel 5 km but the problem was complicated by the speed being in min plus seconds/mile. Easy:
5 km * ((8 minutes + 23 seconds)/mi)

2009-09-29T18:23:00.001-04:00

This is weird. I signed up for an a trip and this came in my email:

Thank you for your on-line order.
Your order 9688-9/29/2009-EVT has been shipped from VENTURE OUTDOORS INC

If you have any questions please contact INFO@VENTUREOUTDOORS.ORG

2009-09-29T18:22:00.001-04:00

This is weird. I signed up for an a trip and this came in my email:

Thank you for your on-line order.
Your order 9688-9/29/2009-EVT has been shipped from VENTURE OUTDOORS INC

If you have any questions please contact INFO@VENTUREOUTDOORS.ORG

2009-09-21T22:09:00.004-04:00

Ok. This may be out of context but depending on how much you know this story, you might find it funny too. (Hint, at this point, the kid doesn't know his dad is Zorro)
Play this through and listen for the punchline at 3:06
I got a kick out of it anyway! :-)

Zorro: [to Joachin] But I don't want to see you breaking anyone else out of jail, alright? Without having permission from me, of course.

2009-09-20T21:58:00.001-04:00

I'm like the next guy, I don't like it when my stuff breaks.
However, spending less than expected to repair said item is a bit of a thrill.
Today I happened to need a Epson Replacement Projector Lamp / Bulb
Estimated cost as I realized it was broken: $200-300
Real price after a few searches: $180-$200

Final Purchase: $199.99
Instant Rebate -$50.00
10% Discount: -$15.00
Subtotal: $134.99
Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $0.00
TOTAL: $134.99
:-)

2009-09-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

What might be my new favorite pasttime: running after kids who ring
our doorbell and run away with a car battery in my backpack and a
million candle power spotlight in my hands. Angrily howling gutteral
noises is a blast as well.

--
Sent from my mobile device

End of an Era...?

2009-08-22T10:22:00.001-04:00

Confirmation for Posting ID# 1336278936

Your ad, titled "1995 Geo Tracker," has been posted as follows:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/1336278936.html (cars & trucks - by owner)

Posts will appear in the list of postings and in search results in about 15 minutes.

If you did not post this ad please change your account password asap:
https://accounts.craigslist.org/login/chgpwd

2009-07-27T11:35:00.001-04:00

"Despite the significance and impact a successful attack has, the cracker claims that his primary motivation is a combination of curiosity, exploration and an interest in web security. There is almost a voyeuristic tendency amongst these individuals, as they revel in the thought of gaining privileged access to information about the inner lives of individuals and corporations. The "high" of access and gaining unauthorized knowledge must be big enough to carry a cracker's motivation through the long hours, days and months of effort it may take to hit the next pot of gold."

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/19/the-anatomy-of-the-twitter-attack/

2009-05-25T15:19:00.001-04:00

"Pittsburgh music scene, we have lift-off"
www.JohnBehrensMusic.com
Stay tuned for further developments on John Behrens Music...

--
Sent from my mobile device

2009-05-19T21:57:00.001-04:00

First week in June.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Pittsburgh,+PA&daddr=Cumberland,+Maryland+to:District+of+Columbia&dirflg=w

Will it happen?

2009-05-02T00:39:00.002-04:00

I REALLY liked this song when these guys played at Waynesburg. They totally rock.
So do Vinegar Hill Pictures! David's the man. Mike's the man.

2009-04-28T11:47:00.001-04:00

What does it mean when my cellphone's T9 now defaults to :-( instead of :-) ?

--
Sent from my mobile device

2009-04-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

Not hitting a deer on the Indiana highway in the rain and the dark? Priceless.

--
Sent from my mobile device

2009-04-12T22:07:00.001-04:00

Matt just got a BlackBerry Storm 9530 Smartphone to replace his T-Mobile Shadow (HTC Juno platform) and now I'm jealous... :-)

Ah well, I'll upgrade in a few months and I'll pit the mall booths vs the online sites to see what's out there. If I had to pick now I'd go for the RIM BlackBerry 8700g for $39.99 (w/2YR) from wirefly.com and dump my old Nokia 5300 for another $50 here: http://www.recyclerebates.com/tm-rim

2009-04-02T15:29:00.001-04:00

I just killed my first mosquito of 2009!
(Yup, probably should go twitter soon...)
[re-reading this makes me wonder if I have a life, ha]

2009-03-30T23:51:00.001-04:00

Travel was good.

Housing is good.

Driving on a one way street, the wrong way, is a good way to wake up in the AM

Work was good.

Life is alright.

2009-03-26T16:09:00.001-04:00

Its fun to search for stuff without specific and expected keywords sometimes
http://images.google.com/images?q="Periodic+Table+of"+-Elements

Periodic Table of Video Games
Periodic Table of Cupcakes
Periodic Table of Booze
Periodic Table of Typefaces
Periodic Table of Texting
Periodic Table of Visual Methods
Periodic Table of Logic Operators
Periodic Table of the Internet

2009-03-25T14:26:00.003-04:00

Current thoughts: Ndola, Zambia

(Lusaka is the capital of Zambia)

Don't think its going to happen though.

Not this time.

2009-03-24T15:39:00.002-04:00

Poor geo...

http://mydogischelsea.com/2007/02/23/thank-you-schmuckface/

Oddly enough, mine was broken into at about the same time!

Thankfully the door was the method of entry.

Curse you stealer of my loose change! :-)

(and the St Michael protect us air force medal)

2009-03-20T11:54:00.001-04:00

For the past 16 years, Rita's has been giving away a free, regular size Italian Ice to each and every guest to mark the first day of spring. A Philadelphia-born springtime tradition, the 17th annual Rita's giveaway will be held on Friday, March 20, 2009 from noon to 10 p.m. at participating Rita's locations.

I can tell that I'm old because I'm not taking advantage of this because its too cold outside...

Ouch!

2009-03-19T16:09:00.003-04:00

Some ranges declare me GenX, some GenY but what this white paper says fits me like a glove.

This was a good read to decipher the thought pattern of older generations as well as analyse my own.

instructions

aristan

2009-03-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

Heard this on pandora a few times this week...

Yeah.

2009-03-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

π day was great, thanks for setting it up cool peeps!

2009-03-12T13:19:00.002-04:00

Wow, you can learn a lot by reading and I like this guy's topics and presentation:

Which parts are you skipping?
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/which-parts-are-you-skipping.html

In search of dolphin leather
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/in-search-of-dolphin-leather.html

The panhandler's secret
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/the-panhandlers-secret.html

Good life skills.

2009-03-10T16:02:00.001-04:00

Things I saw on eBay that I kinda want now... (but don't really need)

USB 2.0/ 1.1 Memory Card Reader/Writer SIM/Micro SD
Item number: 220362995919
Price: US $5.29, FREE shipping

SOLAR BATTERY PANEL CHARGER USB for MP3/MP4/CELL PHONE
Item number: 220363068740
Buy It Now price: US $1.00, Shipping: US $5.39

G66 slim 66 Ch Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Item number: 270353113189
Current bid: $23.50, Shipping: US $5.99

2009-02-19T19:16:00.001-05:00

I moved all the 2nd floor wall and stud material to the 2nd floor
today. My uncle said its probably close to 2000 lbs total. No wonder
i'm tired...

--
Sent from my mobile device

2009-02-18T16:19:00.001-05:00

I happened to be listening to Matthew West's More while reading this blog post.
http://beautifullybroken.typepad.com/liberia/2009/02/counting.html

If I may quote a quote:

the drive to significance is a simple extension of the creative impulse of God that gave us being. It is not filtered through self-consciousness any more than is our lunge to catch a package falling from someone's hand. It is outwardly directed to the good to be done. We were built to count, as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways no one else does. That is our destiny.

2009-02-14T22:36:00.001-05:00

I'm totally bummed!
I missed 1234567890 day!

Unix time passed 1,234,567,890 seconds on February 13, 2009 at exactly 23:31:30 (UTC).

2009-02-03T19:58:00.001-05:00

Yes please!

http://jalopnik.com/5127204/kia-soulster-concept-a-korean-geo-tracker

or this:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Pontiac%20Salsa

This one is on its last leg... or half leg...

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1995/geo/tracker/5649/prices.html

This one still cooks: http://1995geotracker.com/

2009-01-30T07:33:00.002-05:00

Ok, it still gets cold down here, 24.4F where I stand right now. Brr

2009-01-30T05:40:00.001-05:00

Whew.
Nothing like healthy meals, a active lifestyle and quality bed to make
a body feel good.

I an a bit sore however :-)

--
Sent from my mobile device

2009-01-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

Sigh.

This was a good read.
http://www.dvorkin.com/essays/unemben.htm

Think Positive!

2009-01-24T12:37:00.001-05:00

Today's personal random wikipedia topic was speed records, focused mainly on water records.

Not to be a downer or anything but when you live in and construct your boat in a garage in Cincinnati can you call yourself an Australian? (Ken Warby and the Spirit of Australia for 317.60 mph)

Such a crazy sport:
"With an approximate fatality rate of 85% since 1940, the record is one of the sporting world's most hazardous competitions."

I was looking at other top speeds and wondered how the rotation of the earth at the equator related to them.

I found this:
"The mean angular velocity of Earth is 7.2921150 ×10⁻⁵ radians per second. The equatorial radius of Earth 6378137.0 m. Multiplying Earth's equatorial radius by its angular velocity yields Earth's rotational speed at the equator, 465.1 m/s or 1674.4 km/h (factors of 2π needed to convert equatorial radius to circumference and angular velocity to rotational period cancel each other)." wiki again

Which converting to "american" gives 1,674.4 km/h = 1,040.42 mph
As a fact check, I found another source for the equatorial circumference of the earth: 24,901.55 miles (2pi * 6,378,137.0 m = 24,901.46 miles) and divided it by the hours in a day to get 1,037.56 mph. This gave an absolute percent error of about 0.275% which is close enough for me!

Now you did it!

2009-01-23T11:09:00.003-05:00

2009-01-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

I just listened to Marie le Prince de Beaumont's Beauty and the Beast from Librivox Short Stories Vol. 005
I found it interesting because the previous stories that I found on this site were ones that I had read in their pure form and Beauty and the Beast had only been viewed through the distorting lens of Disney.

That's all, I think :-)

2009-01-20T17:51:00.001-05:00

Another "unhelpful" song...

2009-01-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

Yay running!
I recently snagged a Garmin Forerunner 205 and believe it will help motivate me to go out more.

Cool article if you care :-)
http://whyrun.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/12-pushing-the-pace-of-physics/

whatcha wanna be?

2009-01-14T22:09:00.003-05:00

newATTITUDE
Magazine
Vol. 1 Number 3 1993 Price $4

whatcha wanna be? how ya gonna get there?
(Inge Cannon Explores Apprenticeship Options)

For good or for bad, this magazine cover has always irked me.
My answer is "I don't know, and who knows?"

2009-01-11T04:50:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all,
If you forget your laptop in the car and wake up in the middle of the night remembering about it, don't go out in jeans/tshirt/bare feet if its below freezing and there is ice everywhere. Why did I think to offer this advice? No reason...

2009-01-09T23:15:00.001-05:00

Ok, some songs are simply not helpful. Caedmons Call - Prove Me Wrong is one of them.
I relate to the lyrics much more than I think I would like to... boo.

2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; -.-.- 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Is what I've been thinkin on lately...

A homeschool mom-alumni said http://finfamnm.blogspot.com/2008/12/perplexed-but-not-in-despair.html

If we are looking at ourselves, Gentle Reader, we will all be depressed: we will have a pessimistic sense of our inadequacy, because, well, we are actually inadequate, with little hope for improvement. And it can appear devastating enough to make us despondent. But when we look to Christ, and realize that [as Christians] when God looks at us He sees Christ, we have no fear of inadequacy in Him. Then we may feel hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted or struck down, but we will remember to fix our eyes on Christ, and that in Him we are more than conquerors.

I feel like reposting some of the verses she used too
Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

2009-01-08T11:23:00.001-05:00

Monthly Service Charges from 11/23/08 - 12/22/08

Monthly Recurring Charges $15.98
Other Charges 0.86
Taxes & Surcharges 1.63
Total Current Charges: $18.47

Available Service
FT Unlimited Msg Picture Messages - Unlimited
FT Unlimited SMS Text Messages - Unlimited
FamTime Unl Nts 1000 1,000 Minutes

Used Service
Plan Minutes Peak: 124; Off Peak: 5; Weekend: 108

Internet Access: 59.5040 Megabytes

Picture Messaging Recd Messages: 16
Picture Messaging Sent Messages: 44
Txt Msg Recd Messages: 629
Txt Msg Sent Messages: 694

2009-01-04T00:17:00.001-05:00

So.... it all started when I decided to watch "cars" from my phone, on my computer.
I wasn't really interested in viewing the movie, more just the quality on a screen larger than the one on the cell.

I had it plugged into the computer via USB in "data transfer" mode and let it rip.

After a few minutes, I needed to move on and yanked the usb cable out instead of killing it via the software first.

Ouchy bad call.

I didn't notice at first but whenever I tried to use the number keys, a single push on any of them would reset the phone.
The phone could receive calls and dial recently used numbers and receive texts but reset when anything but the navigation buttons were pressed.

This had me worried so I googled "reset nokia code" thinking that would help me.
The code is either *#7780# or *#7370# which has numbers in it. :-(

So I tried texting myself the number but wasn't able get the phone to "dial" the numbers.
The next step I was going to try was adding it as a contact through the internet or through my computer. I'm still not sure if that would have worked...

In the meantime, I found this scrumptious bit of info:

The method of performing a hard-format, i.e resetting it completely to factory defaults and removing all data, is as follows:

Switch off the phone.
Hold down the following three buttons: Green (call answer) button, * button, and '3' button
While holding these buttons, press the power button and switch on the phone

When the message 'Formatting' appears on the screen, release all of the buttons
Note that you shouldn't switch the phone off or remove the battery when performing either of these operations, and it's advised that the handset has a reasonable amount of battery charge before performing a format/reset. As data will be lost, you are advised to perform a backup first - http://www.filesaveas.com/series60faq.html

I was able to backup and wipe the phone and the problem went away.
However, it returned when I did a full restore. I wiped and restored the data but not the settings and everything worked. yay!

2008-12-22T19:36:00.001-05:00

Yup, its mine.

I kinda got a 4G EEE lappy...

and I'm kinda typing on it right now.

From: laedelas
Is this yours? http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/12/14/funny-pictures-why-u-touch-dis-when-ai-iz-so-soft/

2008-12-18T12:48:00.001-05:00

Tracking is fun.

Canada Post Xpresspost USA

Date of Event	Time of Event	Location	Description
2008/12/15	15:46	X,USA	Item successfully delivered
2008/12/15	06:42	X,USA	Item has been received at the delivery office in the destination country
2008/12/12	17:12		International shipment has arrived in the destination country
2008/12/11	13:22		International item has left Canada
2008/12/11	07:34	MISSISSAUGA, ON	Item processed at postal facility
2008/12/10	21:15	KITCHENER, ON	Item processed at postal facility
2008/12/10	11:57	LONDON, ON	Item accepted at the Post Office
2008/12/06	18:30	MISSISSAUGA, ON	An order has been electronically submitted

Verses:

USPS Detailed Results:


	Delivered, December 15, 2008, 3:46 pm, X, PA
	Arrival at Local Unit, December 15, 2008, 6:42 am, X, PA
	Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
	Foreign International Dispatch, December 11, 2008, 1:22 pm, TORONTO-A, CANADA
	Foreign Acceptance, December 06, 2008, 6:30 pm, CANADA

2008-12-16T23:11:00.001-05:00

Did you know that google has driving directions from Scotland to Ireland?
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Scotland&daddr=Ireland

Crazy huh?

This cynical manifestation of a literary masterpiece prompted my investigation.
http://www.online-literature.com/stephen-leacock/nonsense-novels/5/
I wonder if I could write a worthwhile essay on this, ha.

I first read http://www.online-literature.com/stephen-leacock/literary-lapses/37/
and was drawn there by reading the following: "I cannot honestly deny that it takes a good deal of physical courage to ride a horse. This, however, I have. I get it at about forty cents a flask, and take it as required."

2008-12-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

146,034 to 155,597. That poor tracker is a oil champ. Stupid me.
(6/20/07 - today if you wonder)

--
Sent from my mobile device

2008-12-12T21:03:00.001-05:00

Ah life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh917UKhBlo

I'm glad my girlfriend doesn't call me a dweeb!

2008-12-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

This cat:
http://calybe.livejournal.com/4556.html
Needs this.

And people tell me I need this.