Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

(by Robert Frost)

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Often true...

“I asked the Lord to protect me from my enemies, and suddenly my friends started disappearing…” (by Rita Lee)

How to be an interesting person.

I was contemplating my own personal life and thinking about people I know when I realized; what makes your life interesting, what makes you an interesting person is not so much what you do but the sum of what you did.

I know, it sounds weird - if not just plain obvious - but think about it for a moment. So what if you have an interesting job? Isn't it far more interesting to have had the opportunity to visit Nepal, for example? So what if your house is built using the latest methods in ‘green living’? Wouldn't it make for longer conversation if it had been built in sacred ground, next to an ancient indian cemetery or burial ground?

I might be wrong or just mistaken but I thinking an ‘easy’ life hardly makes for an interesting one. If you finished your studies, married your high school sweetheart, had a kid or two and lived happily ever after, good for you. That is a good thing, I am not saying it isn't. But… How interesting would a story of your life be if put in a book? Who would want to read about you? Where's the fun? Where's the adventure? And if you find yourself thinking back about your life, like I did, and the most exciting moment you can remember was when you bought yourself your first 0Km car… Damn, isn't that sad?

Sure we all dream with a trouble-free life but you only truly lived if you managed to survive life's tribulations and have plenty of stories to tell.

Then again, that's just me. What do I know?

WTF!?

I am getting old - I know - and that doesn't make me any more accepting of other people's flaws but sometimes I wonder whether I am getting grumpier or people are simply getting more annoying.

Take the gardeners of my village for example. We have four. Their job is to keep the condominium presentable, that is, keeping the swimming pool and roads clean, trimming and caring for the grass, flowers, trees etc and doing small repair/paint jobs when/if needed.

The guys are not bad people. Rather, simple people who actually take pride in their jobs and do it well. They are also, contrary to what some would expect, quite amiable. They, however, carry their radios with them and therein lies the problem…

Why, oh, why can't they keep the volume down so they can hear their music without forcing everyone else to do so with them? I love music too but I do not force them to listen to ‘my’ music. While it would be just awesome to be able to do so, I do not turn my volume all the way to the right when I am listening to classical pieces, let alone when I am in the mood for speed metal!

Can you really be accused of being grumpy when you can't even listen to your own TV inside your home because someone else has their radio playing whatever &$%# they want loud?

I don't know… Seriously, I think I am not asking for too much; Just a better sense of living in community.

On Mankind…

“I hate mankind, for I think of myself as one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.”

— Samuel Johnson

Similarities

Am I the only one who thinks Joshua Jackson, Peter Krause and Jack Coleman look very much alike? Geez, I think these guys have been cloned!

Unsociable, antisocial or sociopathic?

I like to think of myself as a well adjusted person. I do have many flaws but I am honest, hardwoking, respectful and kind. Notwithstanding, I long for a life far from big cities and frequent social contact. I think people are, in their majority, too noisy, too dumb, too selfish and too messed up for me to waste my time with them. Mostly, I just want to stay away. That would make me 'unsociable'.

But people like this girl bring out the worst in me.

If I turn out to be more than just unsociable, I think I am justified...

Hello?! Is this thing on???

I have been feeling the urge to post again. I'm not really sure I will but the 'itch' is there and you know what the best way to get rid of an itch, right?

さようなら Linksysの! (Sayonara, Linksys!)

Sometimes I wish I knew what really goes on inside certain companies...

I understand one cannot be the "best" forever but some companies just go from "crème de la crème" to worthless in no time at all!

Sometimes it is because the company gets accquired by a bigger company, its products abandoned or not cared for until they slowly fade away. Sometimes the new company thinks they 'know too well' how to handle the recently accquired products ("Oh, yeah! Let's make this better!!!") and realize too late they were too wrong.

I guess this was the case with USRobotics, which used to produce the most inovative and reliable modems at its time and simply vanished after being bought over by 3Com.

But, what happens when a company just allows their products and customer base go down the drain? I wish I knew!

Linksys used to be so damned good! There was a time I would not think twice before recommending their products to anyone who asked. Sadly, that is not the case anymore...

My old faithful router was sent to router's heaven after a thunderstorm and, devoted to Linksys like I had been for such a long time, I started searching for a new, more advanced replacement. I ended up with a WAG54G2. Not for long, though.

First, the bloody thing looks like someone ran over an old router with a truck and instead of breaking it, just squashed it enough to make it look... different. It might look good and modern to you but, to me, it just doesn't look right.

The design itself causes a bigger issue: it gets too hot. Seriously! So hot I started having problems with it. What problems, you ask. Well, I noticed there were frequent disconnections while using it (which, for me, is all the time). I thought I ought to upgrade the firmware or something but Google-ing it a bit I found out I was not the only one having problems with disconnections. The stated reason? You guessed it: the damn router gets too hot and stops working.

Perhaps I would not have noticed the problem had I installed it in my previous apartment. I used to have a small room I used to call my 'office' and where I kept all my computers. There, the air-conditioner was always on. It was niiiice. In my new home, I get a nicer office space. Big, spacious, ample office. Gosh, I love it! Unfortunately, having such a big office also means 24/7 AirCon becomes prohibitive.

With no other viable solution to my problem, I replaced the Linksys with a D-Link and must say I am very happy, thank you very much.

I would be willing to forbear my disappointment with Linksys had it not been for other problems I had with the brand.

For example: my wireless sound bridge (WMB54G) doesn't play along with other operating systems. If I elect not to have a Windows machine at home (which is my plan), I simply can't use it. There are no known drivers for Linux or Mac.

My Print Server (WPS54GU2) does not support WPA. I am forced to WEP security for the entire network. Not that I really worry about security - in my neighbourhood everybody's got the same broadband provider and speed, noone has the time/inclination/need to try hacking on neighbour's WANs - but "why oh why" won't Linksys keep up with other vendors and provide the stupid security option everyone else does?!

I got tired of searching for solutions for Linksys problems. So that's was it. Linksys is now officially shunned from my home and my customers will definitely be buying other brands if it depends on me.

Sayonara, Linksys!

Too good not to share...

Not my own experience but I was laughing so hard I just had to pass it on.
Read and enjoy.

Taser

Last weekend I saw something at Larry’s Pistol and Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety…(?) WAY TOO COOL!

Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I’d get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave. Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn’t be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right?

There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh and blood moving target.

I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another.

The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would
purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water; any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.

All the while I’m looking at this little device measuring about 5 inches long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference - pretty cute really - and loaded with two itsy, bitsy Triple-A batteries, thinking to myself: ‘no possible way!’

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I’ll do my best…

I’m sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say “don’t do it dip shit”, reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ol’ thing couldn’t hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and… HOLY MOTHER OF GOD WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION! WHAT THE HELL!!!

I’m pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and ting ling in my legs.

The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to ‘mug’ yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative!

THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!!

A minute or so later (I can’t be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling.

Apparently I shit myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair. I’m still looking for my nuts and I’m offering a significant reward for their safe return!!

P.S. My wife loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!

--
‘If you think education is difficult, try being stupid.’

From http://www.seedmore.org/?p=390

On Being Useful... Or not!

“Let me see if I can make this real clear for you: If this hospital were a human body, you'd be the appendix because at one time you served some function but it was so long ago nobody's quite sure what that was anymore”

-- Dr. Cox to Dr. Kelso, Scrubs S05E05.

FYI...

So you know:

• Sarcasm implies a derision explicitly intended to hurt or offend someone.
• Sardonicism implies a cynical derision expressed either verbally or facially with no necessary intent to offend or cause emotional distress.
• Irony comes from an amusingly provocative disparity between any two seemingly incompatible things, expressed to amuse rather than to offend.

Got it? Good! Now we can talk.

Thanks, Dr. Goodword.

On changes...

“Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything” -- Gregory House, S5E1

Thought of the moment

So much to say; so little time... I've been dying to post but it's been complicated. What to do?

The Wolf And The Lamb

“A lamb was quenching its thirst
In the water of a pure stream.
A fasting wolf came by, looking for something;
He was attracted by hunger to this place.
—What makes you so bold as to meddle with my drinking?
Said this animal, very angry.
You will be punished for your boldness.
—Sir, answered the lamb, let Your Majesty
Not put himself into a rage;
But rather, let him consider
That I am taking a drink of water
In the stream
More than twenty steps below him;
And that, consequently, in no way,
Am I troubling his supply.
—You do trouble it, answered the cruel beast.
And I know you said bad things of me last year.
—How could I do that when I wasn't born,
Answered the lamb; I am still at my mother's breast.
—If it wasn't you, then it was your brother.
—I haven't a brother.
—It was then someone close to you;
For you have no sympathy for me,
You, your shepherds and your dogs.
I have been told of this. I have to make things even.
I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations.”
by Jean de La Fontaine

--
Surprisingly, this particular K9 now finds himself playing the Lamb's role...

SMS, yes! Do we have a problem?

I use sms all the time. Actually, most of the time, I would rather send a text message than call someone.

Some people say it's an ineffective way to communicate and depending on the circumstance, it would be more expensive than actually calling. Well... Yes; maybe. As I said, ‘depending’ on the circumstances.

You see, SMSs are discreet (unless of course you have Wagner's ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ set as a ring tone!); in a meeting it would not be appropriate to answer a call and disrupt the work being done but one single beep can be forgiven and it won't take the recipient much time to check what's going on. They are also unintrusive, giving the recipient the choice to reply immediately or at his/her own convenience.

Its limited size somewhat forces you to organize your thoughts before you hit the send button; you usually strive to convey as much information as needed while remaining concise. Fine, you could argue that can also be achieved with a phone call but it's still not the same. Here's an example:

- Hello, mate. How are ya?
- Yo, my man! I'm cool. Howdy?
- Chilling, man... Just chilling. Listen up. The boys and I are going to watch the game at Fred's house next Monday. Why don't you show up?
- Next Monday... Hmmm... I am not sure, dude. It will depend on my girl being in town. You know she's been traveling and stuff.
- Not an issue, brotha! Bring the girl along if you want. Fred's wife will be there.
- Ok. That could work, then. But I will check and let you know.
- Sure, dude. No probs. Talk to you on Sunday. See ya.
- See ya, bro.
- Hey, wait, wait, wait... I forgot to mention. Bring some beers, eh? We're all bringing some stuff to munch and drink.
- Sure thing. Will do. Bye.
- Bye.

Now, that is not a very long call, right? Maybe it would take a minute? A minute and a half? But if the fellow is on a meeting or doing whatever-it-is-the-fellow-does-when-he-cannot-answer such call, it would be like this:

- Hello, mate. How are ya?
- Bro, sorry but I can't talk right now.
- No, it's ok. It's pretty quick. The boys and I are going to watch...
- Mate, let me call you back. I'm in a meeting right now.
- Ok. It's about the game on Monday.
- I'll call you back.
- Ok. Bye.
- Bye.

Faster, sure. But you just put the guy in an uncomfortable situation. Maybe his boss is looking funny at him right now. Maybe his customer is upset his attention is not on what's being discussed even if there is nothing much going on other than Jill babbling about next years plans for refurnishing the office or whatever.

Let's try with an SMS, shall we?

‘The gang & I will watch the game at Fred's. Monday, 7pm. Bring beer. It's OK to bring your girl. Cheers.’

Fast, easy, succinct. Provides all the information needed and give him the choice to reply with a simple "OK" or call later for details. I guess you get the point.

And now, with Twitter, a whole bunch of nice cool web apps is using SMS in a very professional and creative way. Myself, I found Xpenser and started being able to reimburse all those small expenses I never remember to submit because a receipt is not provided and I can't remember the amount. It's a beautiful solution and it's free! I get out of the taxi, I SMS Xpenser. I pay lunch to my team. I get the receipt and SMS Xpenser. Sent money to my kid? SMS his mom and Xpenser. It works! End of the month, I just login to the site, export my expenses and submit!

I have been working like a horse. Do people notice? Perhaps yes, maybe no. Do I remember? Gee, I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday, do you really think I will remember how many hours I worked lat month? In comes Keeptempo. One sms when I get to the office. One when I leave. And... That's it! I know exactly what I have been doing.

Meeting tomorrow? Hold on, I will SMS 30 Boxes. Or my Google Calendar!

I like SMS. I would rather SMS than call. And you can SMS me any time. I do not have Wagner's ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ set as a ring tone!

Too good not to share...

Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a president who speaks English as if it were his first language.

"Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement," says Mr. Logsdon. "If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist."

The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate -- we get it, stop showing off."

The president-elect's stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

"Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can't really do there, I think needing to do that isn't tapping into what Americans are needing also," she said.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com.

Mobile ramblings:

I ought to start blogging again...

Mobile post sent by Georges using Utterli.

Society

"Can you imagine how liberating it would be to live a life free of all the mind-numbing social niceties?"
-- Gregory House (House M.D. - Third season, Episode 3).

Pearls of Wisdom

No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined. -- Joan Rivers