I decided to play with using my iPhone to give a data connection to a fresh Windows7 install (on my HP Mini 2133, though that shouldn't matter). The following are some notes about how to get it to work and what exactly it does.
First off, be aware that if you use AT&T (as I do) that tethering isn't available to you by default. With Firmware 3.0 they made it very easy to install by using a mobileconfig profile. However I think in 3.1.x (I'm still on 3.0) they locked it out. From what I have read you can re-enable it with a mobileconfig after jailbreaking your iPhone. The jailbreak I know is reported to work with is blackra1n, but who knows what other jailbreak methods may work. Either way, I'm not supporting your jailbreaking issues. But if you've gone there ... (or are using a non-US iPhone that gives you tethering) ... this may be of use.
NOTES:
1) You can tether with USB or with Bluetooth.
2) If you have a fast 3G network, tether with USB, Bluetooth seems to max out around 768Kbs to 1Mbs ... whereas USB is giving me over 3Mbs right now. Uploads on both were the same.
3) If you tether your PC will be getting data from the cellular network EVEN if the iPhone has a working WiFi connection. This is kinda sucky but no way around it using the built-in tethering method, at least so far.
Ok, those notes out of the way ... this is what I needed to make it work:
* Windows 7 fresh install
* iTunes 9.0.2.25 (earlier iTunes will work ... in fact iTunes itself isn't necessary if you can find the Apple mobile device drivers package separately ... but iTunes will bundle it). This is because Win7 doesn't have the USB drivers for the iPhone built-in. You can do USB mass storage without it but not the data tethering. Just grab it from itunes.com.
NOTE: That SHOULD be all you need if you want to USB tether. I'm not 100% sure on that though since I also did the next step before testing.
* Windows Mobile Device Center ... this is a fairly new mobile device driver suite from Microsoft that replaces the old ActiveSync stuff. I used it to get updated Bluetooth connectivity on my Win7 laptop. You can get if from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/downloads/microsoft/device-center-download.mspx
I'm not really sure it was necessary since things still didn't work at that point. I found a post about the problem I was having at this page: http://www.conetrix.com/Blog/post/iPhone-Tethering-Cannot-Install-Driver-for-Bluetooth-Peripheral-Device.aspx
The summary of that post is:
* Pair with your iPhone using "Add a Bluetooth Device" in Win7
* Right-click the connected iPhone in "Control Panel -> Hardware & Sound -> Devices and Printers" and select "Properties"
* Go to the "Services" tab
* Uncheck "Wireless IAP"
* "Apply" or "OK"
Then from that point, to connect to the iPhone for tethering, right-click the iPhone in "Devices and Printers" again and use "Connect Using" and click on "Access Point".
So ... the results of all of this? Yeah this may not be worth it for the average user BUT for someone reliant on data while travelling it may just save your butt:
* USB tethering now works. This is the preferred method since it is both easier to hook up (just plug the cable in) AND supports better download speeds as well as charging your phone.
* Bluetooth tethering now works. Forgot your cable? Just need a quick connection and don't need a lot of speed? Just don't want to rifle through your bags? Great. You're covered.
* Remember: all your data is coming from the cell network. I would like it if it would tether the wifi on the phone, just so you could keep a single connection while roaming the airport (letting your phone switch networks at will while the laptop just plays dumb) but ... it doesn't. So if you're not on an unlimited plan you will want to be careful. And if you can't get a 3G signal be prepared for a slow time. But SOME data is better than none.
NOTE: the previous paragraph is a very sad note when you're near one of those free AT&T wifi spots like a Starbucks. It sure would be nice to use tethering in those spots where you get free iPhone WiFi but not free WiFi on your laptop.
2009-11-26
2009-10-07
Flip Mino Camcorder
"Cisco bought Pure Digital recently and I'm about to start selling the Flip cameras. They have a really fun way of customizing your camera. Yes, that is my face with a little editing to fit the camera. Want to make your own? Hint: Make the picture a ratio of 2:1 (like 1000 px by 500 px)."
Flip Mino Camcorder with Personalized Design - Available only at www.theflip.com. Check out this unique Flip Mino design. The Flip Mino camcorder combines remarkable video quality in a pocket-sized package. Now personalizable - create your
2009-08-07
AT&T / Apple's app policies are plain inconsistent.
So ... it's well known that Google Voice applications have been killed off of the iPhone app store. For the most part I think we can assume this was due to AT&T. The official reason being given was that the apps "duplicated functions already on the iPhone".
Someone please explain to me how, then, the "Comcast Mobile App" not only hasn't been killed off ... but also is in Apple's "Featured" Apps? Right now it is on the "Featured" category under "New".
While the Comcast offering isn't the same as Google Voice, many of the same duplications occur. What doesn't occur? SMS. And even Google Voice apps that did not have SMS were yanked.
Apple ... AT&T ... your motives are obvious. And you're going to lose customers over stuff like this. Customers who pay close to $100/month. Is it really worth squeezing us over SMS messaging?
Someone please explain to me how, then, the "Comcast Mobile App" not only hasn't been killed off ... but also is in Apple's "Featured" Apps? Right now it is on the "Featured" category under "New".
While the Comcast offering isn't the same as Google Voice, many of the same duplications occur. What doesn't occur? SMS. And even Google Voice apps that did not have SMS were yanked.
Apple ... AT&T ... your motives are obvious. And you're going to lose customers over stuff like this. Customers who pay close to $100/month. Is it really worth squeezing us over SMS messaging?
2009-07-16
Google Voice on the iPhone
Yay! I got my Google Voice invite last night. I've been waiting for that for a long time. Sadly it comes just as I am finally migrating to a location with cell service, so I don't need it -as- badly but I know I will use it every day anyway. I already got my phone number assigned and was able to get one that is almost identical to my "real" cell number.
For those not in the know, this is what Google Voice provides (at a very high level) ... all of this is currently free unless otherwise noted::
1) A phone number that will ring all of your other numbers simultaneously so that you can answer from wherever you are.
2) Send and receive SMS messages using that same number (and get the messages forwarded to "real" SMS devices if you wish, but it is a bit messier since you see the GV number on the messages when forwarded). Meaning:
* unlimited SMS messages
* access your SMS messages from your smartphone using a GV app
* access your SMS messages from your not-smart phone using SMS (but not as useful)
* access those same SMS messages from the Google Voice center on any web browsing device like a PC
* SEND messages from any web-browsing device
3) Place calls using your GV number. Free for the U.S., very cheap for long distance calls. See next item for why this becomes INSANELY good for some cell users.
4) If you have a service like T-Mobile you can add your Google Voice number to your "favorites" and then never use minutes when you dial with it (meaning if you use GV to make outbound calls you can make unlimited calls from your cell number).
Sadly for AT&T users like myself we can't do this since AT&T doesn't have a "favorites" type plan. However:
5) If you have some form of free VOIP service that will give you inbound calls then you can have that number ring using Google Voice. Not too shabby ... free VOIP calls with a public phone number. But most VOIP services charge for inbound "real" phone numbers.
6) This is the killer-app part: GV has applications for most smart phones that will do various levels of the above for you on your mobile device.
For the iPhone there are 3 apps (VoiceCentral, GV Mobile/GV Mobile Free (Free doesn't do SMS), GVDialer). Unfortunately none have push notifications which means you need the app running to see things like incoming SMS messages (workarounds to follow in another post, GVDialer doesn't do SMS yet so skip it entirely in my opinion until they add it).
...
I know Google claims to have an iPhone app on the way. My guess is it has been done a while and Apple and AT&T are trying to stymie it as often happens. Well ... STOP THAT ...
My hopes for a Google app is that it will merge the best of the existing applications:
1) For calls we need ways to use the service with and without data access:
... GV Mobile and VoiceCentral need data connections to dial and if they have them they seem to be the most feature-rich way BUT many times we are out of data range in the mid-west. This should be the default dial method when available (or maybe let us configure it to only work when on WIFI, etc, since 3G can be spotty at best in places).
... GVDialer allows you to dial calls without data. I think it must just place a normal call and use timers to send the dialout codes. Seems to work good though, just slower, and would be WONDERFUL for being in no-data areas.
2) SMS and Voicemail MUST ... absolutely must ... have Push Notifications. Email notification isn't good enough since we will often have times that we want Email off or at least not on Push to save battery (OS3 push notifications are significantly less network traffic than email push because with email push you are polling multiple accounts and sending more data back and forth). This would allow GV SMS to completely replace SMS on the iPhone and is exactly what OS3 push was for!
Honestly if VoiceCentral could do push notifications (which I understand why they hesitate, since it means you have to store your GV credentials on VoiceCentral's servers instead of only on your phone ... meaning insecure for you and costly for them ... something Google could fix both problems easily if they had their own app) I would be 100% happy with it's functionality. Google could definitely do worse than immitating it and extending with push.
4) If Google would incorporate some form of true VOIP into the application so that we could use GV SMS with a VOIP call? Magic. And all the components are there since they own the GV number we use now.
5) Have a "smart switch" mode for notifications that, if you haven't checked for push notifications recently, will set SMS forwarding "on" to your cell phone. So that if you go out of data range (like in the middle of Oklahoma and Kansas) or need to turn off your data to save battery, you get SMS forwarded to your cell number until you start checking via the data connection again later.
This would be selectable as a check-box if you had "Receive SMS on this phone" selected.
6) Integrate GTalk into the SMS in Google Voice and vice versa for a single conversation panel. Ideally start supporting MSN and other protocols as well so we can keep all conversations available and sorted.
7) a "Voicemail-only" number that would drop directly to voicemail when forwarded, so that I could set up some of my other devices to drop to GV voicemail if they are busy (like my office line). (not an iPhone item per se, just a GV feature request)
...
My next project will be to see if I can get VOIP service on my iPhone that works in conjunction with Google Voice numbers so that I can get free time on my cell when I'm in WiFi range. It will probably be a bit complicated to set up but should be pretty easy to use if it works.
I'll post details on that once I've finished it or decided it won't work. I need to be in my home area to do all the testing.
For those not in the know, this is what Google Voice provides (at a very high level) ... all of this is currently free unless otherwise noted::
1) A phone number that will ring all of your other numbers simultaneously so that you can answer from wherever you are.
2) Send and receive SMS messages using that same number (and get the messages forwarded to "real" SMS devices if you wish, but it is a bit messier since you see the GV number on the messages when forwarded). Meaning:
* unlimited SMS messages
* access your SMS messages from your smartphone using a GV app
* access your SMS messages from your not-smart phone using SMS (but not as useful)
* access those same SMS messages from the Google Voice center on any web browsing device like a PC
* SEND messages from any web-browsing device
3) Place calls using your GV number. Free for the U.S., very cheap for long distance calls. See next item for why this becomes INSANELY good for some cell users.
4) If you have a service like T-Mobile you can add your Google Voice number to your "favorites" and then never use minutes when you dial with it (meaning if you use GV to make outbound calls you can make unlimited calls from your cell number).
Sadly for AT&T users like myself we can't do this since AT&T doesn't have a "favorites" type plan. However:
5) If you have some form of free VOIP service that will give you inbound calls then you can have that number ring using Google Voice. Not too shabby ... free VOIP calls with a public phone number. But most VOIP services charge for inbound "real" phone numbers.
6) This is the killer-app part: GV has applications for most smart phones that will do various levels of the above for you on your mobile device.
For the iPhone there are 3 apps (VoiceCentral, GV Mobile/GV Mobile Free (Free doesn't do SMS), GVDialer). Unfortunately none have push notifications which means you need the app running to see things like incoming SMS messages (workarounds to follow in another post, GVDialer doesn't do SMS yet so skip it entirely in my opinion until they add it).
...
I know Google claims to have an iPhone app on the way. My guess is it has been done a while and Apple and AT&T are trying to stymie it as often happens. Well ... STOP THAT ...
My hopes for a Google app is that it will merge the best of the existing applications:
1) For calls we need ways to use the service with and without data access:
... GV Mobile and VoiceCentral need data connections to dial and if they have them they seem to be the most feature-rich way BUT many times we are out of data range in the mid-west. This should be the default dial method when available (or maybe let us configure it to only work when on WIFI, etc, since 3G can be spotty at best in places).
... GVDialer allows you to dial calls without data. I think it must just place a normal call and use timers to send the dialout codes. Seems to work good though, just slower, and would be WONDERFUL for being in no-data areas.
2) SMS and Voicemail MUST ... absolutely must ... have Push Notifications. Email notification isn't good enough since we will often have times that we want Email off or at least not on Push to save battery (OS3 push notifications are significantly less network traffic than email push because with email push you are polling multiple accounts and sending more data back and forth). This would allow GV SMS to completely replace SMS on the iPhone and is exactly what OS3 push was for!
Honestly if VoiceCentral could do push notifications (which I understand why they hesitate, since it means you have to store your GV credentials on VoiceCentral's servers instead of only on your phone ... meaning insecure for you and costly for them ... something Google could fix both problems easily if they had their own app) I would be 100% happy with it's functionality. Google could definitely do worse than immitating it and extending with push.
4) If Google would incorporate some form of true VOIP into the application so that we could use GV SMS with a VOIP call? Magic. And all the components are there since they own the GV number we use now.
5) Have a "smart switch" mode for notifications that, if you haven't checked for push notifications recently, will set SMS forwarding "on" to your cell phone. So that if you go out of data range (like in the middle of Oklahoma and Kansas) or need to turn off your data to save battery, you get SMS forwarded to your cell number until you start checking via the data connection again later.
This would be selectable as a check-box if you had "Receive SMS on this phone" selected.
6) Integrate GTalk into the SMS in Google Voice and vice versa for a single conversation panel. Ideally start supporting MSN and other protocols as well so we can keep all conversations available and sorted.
7) a "Voicemail-only" number that would drop directly to voicemail when forwarded, so that I could set up some of my other devices to drop to GV voicemail if they are busy (like my office line). (not an iPhone item per se, just a GV feature request)
...
My next project will be to see if I can get VOIP service on my iPhone that works in conjunction with Google Voice numbers so that I can get free time on my cell when I'm in WiFi range. It will probably be a bit complicated to set up but should be pretty easy to use if it works.
I'll post details on that once I've finished it or decided it won't work. I need to be in my home area to do all the testing.
2009-07-01
Mortgages are a pain in the &*#&!
I'm tired, this will be short and scattered.
* My mortgage agent didn't respond to my emails well for the last week. As in days without replies. Finally got a note from her 3 days ago that I was being assigned to a new agent because she got a promotion. She emailed it to me and the new agent. Too bad she didn't -call- the new agent and tell her this. So I spent 3 days not getting any replies and not knowing the new agent's phone number.
:sigh:
* The people selling my house have 2 mortgages. The company that owns the second mortgage was contacted by the title company over 2 weeks ago to get a pay-off number. They said 'in 7 days'. 7 days later they claimed to never have gotten the request (even though the title agent has a confirmation number from the first request) and said 'in 7 days'. The only reason I even know this is because I asked the mortgage agent to confirm with the title agent that everything was set to close on Monday. The title agent hadn't told me. The sellers hadn't told me.
So ... is THIS why a real estate agent can make 3% commission? Just because people can't be bothered to get off their butts and do their jobs without constant baby-sitting?
End result: if the title company can't get the pay-off number from the seller's mortgage by tomorrow, I can't close on the house come Monday. And if I don't close by -Tuesday- my mortgage application is expired unless I start paying a weekly fee to keep the rate I had.
And if I hadn't been spending most of this week nagging my mortgage company ... and the title company ... and now the sellers? It would have just fallen through without me knowing a thing until I arrived in Oklahoma with a U-Haul full of stuff. Which kills me given how much I've been busting ass to clean/pack and get all my finances in gear ... and probably pissing off my boss for how little I've accomplished lately at work.
Which reminds me, I guess I need to cancel the U-Haul tomorrow unless the paperwork all comes in.
* My mortgage agent didn't respond to my emails well for the last week. As in days without replies. Finally got a note from her 3 days ago that I was being assigned to a new agent because she got a promotion. She emailed it to me and the new agent. Too bad she didn't -call- the new agent and tell her this. So I spent 3 days not getting any replies and not knowing the new agent's phone number.
:sigh:
* The people selling my house have 2 mortgages. The company that owns the second mortgage was contacted by the title company over 2 weeks ago to get a pay-off number. They said 'in 7 days'. 7 days later they claimed to never have gotten the request (even though the title agent has a confirmation number from the first request) and said 'in 7 days'. The only reason I even know this is because I asked the mortgage agent to confirm with the title agent that everything was set to close on Monday. The title agent hadn't told me. The sellers hadn't told me.
So ... is THIS why a real estate agent can make 3% commission? Just because people can't be bothered to get off their butts and do their jobs without constant baby-sitting?
End result: if the title company can't get the pay-off number from the seller's mortgage by tomorrow, I can't close on the house come Monday. And if I don't close by -Tuesday- my mortgage application is expired unless I start paying a weekly fee to keep the rate I had.
And if I hadn't been spending most of this week nagging my mortgage company ... and the title company ... and now the sellers? It would have just fallen through without me knowing a thing until I arrived in Oklahoma with a U-Haul full of stuff. Which kills me given how much I've been busting ass to clean/pack and get all my finances in gear ... and probably pissing off my boss for how little I've accomplished lately at work.
Which reminds me, I guess I need to cancel the U-Haul tomorrow unless the paperwork all comes in.
2009-06-30
I hate my road rage ... but I hate the people who cause it worse!
So tonight I decided to take the scenic way home from Broomfield, which meant Clear Creek Canyon instead of Boulder Canyon (which is scenic, too, I just see it alot more). I am not going to get to see these views on demand once I move so it was a cool thing to be able to do.
I am on the stretch of highway that goes into the mountains. It is a 45mph zone (or is it 40?) but the commuters go through at 65-70mph. I got an email on my phone and I had been expecting a message, so when I get the "ding" of the email I pulled off the road to read it and reply. You know, the safe thing to do.
I was basically here:
View Larger Map
Once I was done sending my reply I locked my phone and put it down, then put the car in drive, waited for an opening and got back on the highway. I saw a white car in my rearview but it was way back, I had plenty of time to get up to speed. Except this guy turned out to be going quite a bit faster than 45 and by the time I hit 40 he was breaking to slow down, right on my bumper.
No surprise, he started to pass me. One problem ... this is a no passing zone, 1 lane going each direction. You can see that from the Google Maps streetview above. And there was a car coming at us in the distance that he couldn't see because he was so close to my tailpipe when he started to pass. I put my left-handed bird in the window, thinking he would go even faster and barely make it (and he did try, he was almost parallel with me when he backed off and got behind me again).
By this time I had not only gotten up to speed but was speeding myself by about 10mph just trying to keep a little space between us. We got to this point:
View Larger Map
And he started speeding up to pass me. Do you see the problem from that picture? Yeah, that's not a damned passing lane or second lane, it is a TURN lane, to TURN left:
View Larger Map
(no, the red car wasn't there ... but there WERE cars in the distance that he once again couldn't see)
So I accelerated to keep him from passing me illegally and moved in to the turn lane on the left so that I could slow and he could pass me on the right. While doing this I looked in my mirrors and I couldn't seem him, he was in my blind spot. I -assumed- on my right. Guess what happens?
That's right, he keeps passing on the LEFT, meaning I'm in the left TURN lane, he's across the solid yellow, no one is on the right at all, and he is so close that when he starts to pull to the right (presumably he's got tunnel vision seeing the cars in front of him and hasn't realized he's about to hit me) and scrapes his way up the left side of my jeep.
I'm pretty pissed off at this point. In fact it was almost max road rage. I hate that feeling. But there isn't an easy way to remind myself to breathe before reacting. I start waving at him from behind to get him to pull over. Which he does ... but as I'm pulling in behind him he slams on his breaks so hard that he fishtails on the shoulder and I have to do the same to avoid hitting him. Yep. Road Rage has increased.
We both get out of our cars and I'm pretty much yelling at him about illegally passing. He counters with how I was going slow because I was on my phone.
Oops. Lesson #2 on how to piss me off: argue that I am in the wrong about something that I wasn't doing while I am mad at you for doing something else.
I told him, as I mentioned above, that the reason I was getting back on the road was because I WASN'T on the phone. And that if he had given me a few more seconds I could have gotten up to speed and he wouldn't have had to hurry that much. He then admitted he was doing 65mph (verbatim) and I challenged him to show me a 65mph sign anywhere around there. His response? "I drive here all the time".
Lesson #3 on how to piss me off: Justify screwing up by saying how you do it all the time.
AND
Lesson #4 on how to piss me off: Drive with reckless abandon in an area where I see people dying because of jerk-off bad drivers every year. These canyons are deadly and we were barely a mile (meaning 1 minute as his speed) away from where the switchbacks start. Do people scream through there at 60+ every day? Sure. And those are the people who tell the officer "but I go through here every day" when explaining an accident (or death).
Do I speed sometimes? Sure. I owe the city of Limon $155 for 79 in a 65 (mostly because Limon is a speed trap in the middle of nowhere BUT I was courteous to the officer and will pay the thing like a good boy). Do I go above the posted limits in the canyons some times in some places? Sure. We all screw up. But I don't defend it as somehow being right and I don't try and pass people on the left in a no-passing zone while speeding 20+ miles over the limit.
Anyway, when he realized he was just pissing me off even more he started backing down and said "I'm sorry". But by that point I was seeing red. No major damage to my car (some white paint scrapes, I can buff them out ... I got good pictures of them though and they -clearly- show the impact on my car was on the left and from behind). His white car has some dashed dark grey racing stripes now (I love having dark plastic body panels right now). I told him that if he'd been sorry he wouldn't have been arguing to begin with and in my face (though, had it been me, I probably would have had a hard time not reacting as he did, no doubt). I got back in my car while he was facing me on the side of the road (beside my car, just to be clear, I wasn't threatening to run him over or anything). I told him to get out of my way and that he was lucky he hadn't done any real damage to my car or I'd be reporting it and he'd be paying for my body work -and- likely getting a reckless driving ticket.
He was quite dumbfounded at this point. I was in full rage. I was flat out embarrassed at myself for not being able to get it under control and be slightly more mellow. If I could go back now I would probably accept his apology and go on.
But you know what? I shouldn't have to.
And he's -real- lucky it was me and not someone who would have turned my shaking hands into balled fists and punched him (or worse) as many other road ragers do.
I do wish I could dampen down these stupid fight-or-flight reactions though.
PS. Yeah, I do still know his license plate. Wrote it down. I sort of wonder if he won't be trying to call it in after he sees just how much paint is on the side of his car. So I might just be printing out this blog as a statement. :sigh:
I am on the stretch of highway that goes into the mountains. It is a 45mph zone (or is it 40?) but the commuters go through at 65-70mph. I got an email on my phone and I had been expecting a message, so when I get the "ding" of the email I pulled off the road to read it and reply. You know, the safe thing to do.
I was basically here:
View Larger Map
Once I was done sending my reply I locked my phone and put it down, then put the car in drive, waited for an opening and got back on the highway. I saw a white car in my rearview but it was way back, I had plenty of time to get up to speed. Except this guy turned out to be going quite a bit faster than 45 and by the time I hit 40 he was breaking to slow down, right on my bumper.
No surprise, he started to pass me. One problem ... this is a no passing zone, 1 lane going each direction. You can see that from the Google Maps streetview above. And there was a car coming at us in the distance that he couldn't see because he was so close to my tailpipe when he started to pass. I put my left-handed bird in the window, thinking he would go even faster and barely make it (and he did try, he was almost parallel with me when he backed off and got behind me again).
By this time I had not only gotten up to speed but was speeding myself by about 10mph just trying to keep a little space between us. We got to this point:
View Larger Map
And he started speeding up to pass me. Do you see the problem from that picture? Yeah, that's not a damned passing lane or second lane, it is a TURN lane, to TURN left:
View Larger Map
(no, the red car wasn't there ... but there WERE cars in the distance that he once again couldn't see)
So I accelerated to keep him from passing me illegally and moved in to the turn lane on the left so that I could slow and he could pass me on the right. While doing this I looked in my mirrors and I couldn't seem him, he was in my blind spot. I -assumed- on my right. Guess what happens?
That's right, he keeps passing on the LEFT, meaning I'm in the left TURN lane, he's across the solid yellow, no one is on the right at all, and he is so close that when he starts to pull to the right (presumably he's got tunnel vision seeing the cars in front of him and hasn't realized he's about to hit me) and scrapes his way up the left side of my jeep.
I'm pretty pissed off at this point. In fact it was almost max road rage. I hate that feeling. But there isn't an easy way to remind myself to breathe before reacting. I start waving at him from behind to get him to pull over. Which he does ... but as I'm pulling in behind him he slams on his breaks so hard that he fishtails on the shoulder and I have to do the same to avoid hitting him. Yep. Road Rage has increased.
We both get out of our cars and I'm pretty much yelling at him about illegally passing. He counters with how I was going slow because I was on my phone.
Oops. Lesson #2 on how to piss me off: argue that I am in the wrong about something that I wasn't doing while I am mad at you for doing something else.
I told him, as I mentioned above, that the reason I was getting back on the road was because I WASN'T on the phone. And that if he had given me a few more seconds I could have gotten up to speed and he wouldn't have had to hurry that much. He then admitted he was doing 65mph (verbatim) and I challenged him to show me a 65mph sign anywhere around there. His response? "I drive here all the time".
Lesson #3 on how to piss me off: Justify screwing up by saying how you do it all the time.
AND
Lesson #4 on how to piss me off: Drive with reckless abandon in an area where I see people dying because of jerk-off bad drivers every year. These canyons are deadly and we were barely a mile (meaning 1 minute as his speed) away from where the switchbacks start. Do people scream through there at 60+ every day? Sure. And those are the people who tell the officer "but I go through here every day" when explaining an accident (or death).
Do I speed sometimes? Sure. I owe the city of Limon $155 for 79 in a 65 (mostly because Limon is a speed trap in the middle of nowhere BUT I was courteous to the officer and will pay the thing like a good boy). Do I go above the posted limits in the canyons some times in some places? Sure. We all screw up. But I don't defend it as somehow being right and I don't try and pass people on the left in a no-passing zone while speeding 20+ miles over the limit.
Anyway, when he realized he was just pissing me off even more he started backing down and said "I'm sorry". But by that point I was seeing red. No major damage to my car (some white paint scrapes, I can buff them out ... I got good pictures of them though and they -clearly- show the impact on my car was on the left and from behind). His white car has some dashed dark grey racing stripes now (I love having dark plastic body panels right now). I told him that if he'd been sorry he wouldn't have been arguing to begin with and in my face (though, had it been me, I probably would have had a hard time not reacting as he did, no doubt). I got back in my car while he was facing me on the side of the road (beside my car, just to be clear, I wasn't threatening to run him over or anything). I told him to get out of my way and that he was lucky he hadn't done any real damage to my car or I'd be reporting it and he'd be paying for my body work -and- likely getting a reckless driving ticket.
He was quite dumbfounded at this point. I was in full rage. I was flat out embarrassed at myself for not being able to get it under control and be slightly more mellow. If I could go back now I would probably accept his apology and go on.
But you know what? I shouldn't have to.
And he's -real- lucky it was me and not someone who would have turned my shaking hands into balled fists and punched him (or worse) as many other road ragers do.
I do wish I could dampen down these stupid fight-or-flight reactions though.
PS. Yeah, I do still know his license plate. Wrote it down. I sort of wonder if he won't be trying to call it in after he sees just how much paint is on the side of his car. So I might just be printing out this blog as a statement. :sigh:
2009-06-08
My impending move
So yeah, I'm leaving the tall mountains of Colorado and fairly soon. The reason why is simple: my immediate family is in Norman, OK and much as they sounded like they wanted to move over the years it won't be happening. I'll definitely miss Colorado BUT I'll get all my vacation time (which was mostly spent visiting them) back to go see Colorado and all the other places I want to.
Progress so far is such:
* I've found a decent house. It is an old fixer upper (yes yes, I know, I keep saying I'm done with those). Built in 1941 and had the same owner through 2006 when she passed. A family with 5 kids bought it then and their dog did a great job tearing up the yard (which was good for me, I think that people drove by and drove on). It is situated right next to a TALL brick building (a catholic church's rec center) and across from a large open field playground for a middleschool. What does that mean? Low cooling bills and few neighbors ... both good for working from home. And if I keep my butt moving fast I should get the remodelling done this year. I'm quite sure the house will sell for 20% over what I'm paying once fixed up a little so I have a good budget to play with.
* The house is cheap enough that I can afford to pay on both places while my house in Colorado is on the market, so I'm buying -first- and then getting this place on the market.
* I got the loan approved today, pending all the typical appraisal hooplah, so at this point it's just red tape holding up buying ASAP. The family there wants to move as soon as they are able.
I'll be back in the area in a couple weeks for my class reunion (in Wichita, about 3 hours north) but I may cut my time in OKC short that week to have more time during moving week. Not a lot of point of spending a ton of time there when I can't do anything with the house yet.
More to come ...
Progress so far is such:
* I've found a decent house. It is an old fixer upper (yes yes, I know, I keep saying I'm done with those). Built in 1941 and had the same owner through 2006 when she passed. A family with 5 kids bought it then and their dog did a great job tearing up the yard (which was good for me, I think that people drove by and drove on). It is situated right next to a TALL brick building (a catholic church's rec center) and across from a large open field playground for a middleschool. What does that mean? Low cooling bills and few neighbors ... both good for working from home. And if I keep my butt moving fast I should get the remodelling done this year. I'm quite sure the house will sell for 20% over what I'm paying once fixed up a little so I have a good budget to play with.
* The house is cheap enough that I can afford to pay on both places while my house in Colorado is on the market, so I'm buying -first- and then getting this place on the market.
* I got the loan approved today, pending all the typical appraisal hooplah, so at this point it's just red tape holding up buying ASAP. The family there wants to move as soon as they are able.
I'll be back in the area in a couple weeks for my class reunion (in Wichita, about 3 hours north) but I may cut my time in OKC short that week to have more time during moving week. Not a lot of point of spending a ton of time there when I can't do anything with the house yet.
More to come ...
Social Networking Confusion!
So I think I've found a pattern that will work.
1) I use Ping.fm to post updates. I used Loopt from my iPhone for awhile but it pretty much only updated Facebook and Twitter. Ping.fm is updating EVERYTHING. I do miss the location option from Loopt though (it would allow me to quickly paste my area based on my iPhone location). A Ping.fm app with location services ... hmmm ... should be doable.
2) I linked Facebook to my blog (this) with the Simplaris Blogcaster facebook app. So all my blog posts there should show on Facebook. Meaning anything that isn't a Facebook-specific note (like viral notes) will get posted on my blog not as a Facebook native note (I wish Blogcaster had an option to paste them as FB notes instead of links).
3) I use my blog (aleatorical.blogspot.com) to archive ALL of my posts. This is good because I have a record. It is bad because my status updates are double-posted on Facebook and people never really know when a blog post has extra content. I might change this, not sure. It would be nice if Blogger had a way to post multiple types of notes so that Blogcaster could only show 1 type.
4) I use Facebook pretty regularly. ALL of the other sites (MySpace, Plaxo, blah blah blah) are just shallow mirrors of my status using Ping.fm.
1) I use Ping.fm to post updates. I used Loopt from my iPhone for awhile but it pretty much only updated Facebook and Twitter. Ping.fm is updating EVERYTHING. I do miss the location option from Loopt though (it would allow me to quickly paste my area based on my iPhone location). A Ping.fm app with location services ... hmmm ... should be doable.
2) I linked Facebook to my blog (this) with the Simplaris Blogcaster facebook app. So all my blog posts there should show on Facebook. Meaning anything that isn't a Facebook-specific note (like viral notes) will get posted on my blog not as a Facebook native note (I wish Blogcaster had an option to paste them as FB notes instead of links).
3) I use my blog (aleatorical.blogspot.com) to archive ALL of my posts. This is good because I have a record. It is bad because my status updates are double-posted on Facebook and people never really know when a blog post has extra content. I might change this, not sure. It would be nice if Blogger had a way to post multiple types of notes so that Blogcaster could only show 1 type.
4) I use Facebook pretty regularly. ALL of the other sites (MySpace, Plaxo, blah blah blah) are just shallow mirrors of my status using Ping.fm.
2009-06-05
2009-06-03
2009-06-01
Moving to Oklahoma? Yep.
Okie doke here's a major update: I'm moving. My residence is currently in Colorado (and has been for 7 years or so). If you're in Oklahoma and wondering why I say I live in Colorado but have Oklahoma listed it is because I'm moving that way ASAP. Looking for rentals now (but hoping I can sell my house quickly so I can just buy one in OK).
Choosing Oklahoma over Colorado? Yeah. Odd choice even for me. But my parents/sister/brother/nephew/niece are in Norman and much as I've tried to talk them out of it over the years they just ain't gonna move. I didn't put down a bunch of roots in Colorado, my parents are starting to have some health problems, I love hanging with my sister and brother (in-law), and I want to watch my nephew and niece grow up. So ... this time the mountains lose the fight :)
I still work for Cisco (who bought the Pure Networks in August 2008) and plan to stay at it. My boss is great and has been very understanding about the move (I have always worked remotely so it really won't impact my job much except for fewer choices of flights when I need to travel).
I do have my backup plan started for when I finally do leave the computer field. If all goes well I've got a pretty good fund going for starting a business in Norman with my brother some day. But for the forseeable future I'm enjoying this job and well ... they pay darned good.
Nederland is a great town, but I WON'T miss 6-7 months of snow and sub-freezing temperatures. I -will- miss not needing an air conditioner.
Choosing Oklahoma over Colorado? Yeah. Odd choice even for me. But my parents/sister/brother/nephew/niece are in Norman and much as I've tried to talk them out of it over the years they just ain't gonna move. I didn't put down a bunch of roots in Colorado, my parents are starting to have some health problems, I love hanging with my sister and brother (in-law), and I want to watch my nephew and niece grow up. So ... this time the mountains lose the fight :)
I still work for Cisco (who bought the Pure Networks in August 2008) and plan to stay at it. My boss is great and has been very understanding about the move (I have always worked remotely so it really won't impact my job much except for fewer choices of flights when I need to travel).
I do have my backup plan started for when I finally do leave the computer field. If all goes well I've got a pretty good fund going for starting a business in Norman with my brother some day. But for the forseeable future I'm enjoying this job and well ... they pay darned good.
Nederland is a great town, but I WON'T miss 6-7 months of snow and sub-freezing temperatures. I -will- miss not needing an air conditioner.
2009-05-31
2009-05-26
2009-05-21
2009-05-04
2009-04-21
2009-03-06
Love the Krystal
I found myself in Atlanta this week on a fairly unexpected business trip. Many people would take a business trip as an excuse to grab expensive food. Not me ... or at least not this trip.
I arrived just before midnight on Wednesday night. Got my car. Got the GPS going. Used the iPhone and looked up a Krystal on the way to the hotel. So many Krystals on the interstate are 24 hours that I didn't even ponder this one being closed. But ... yes ... it was. CURSES! Foiled again.
The next day after my business meeting was over you know what I did. Into the GPS I go. So what if it was only 3pm, I had skipped lunch for this!
15 minutes later I'm blissfully "snacking" away on 2 cheese Krystals (no pickles), a Krystal Chik, and (just to REALLY over do it) 2 Double Krystals with cheese (I swear I only ordered 1 ... the woman taking the order "just knew").
Sidebar: I miss the South :( I know alot of people who haven't lived there don't "get" the area ... but you can actually leave a drive-through with a smile just because the person taking your order had a good attitude and sense of humor plus a big smile. You just don't get that other places. I have plenty of -pleasant- experiences with service everywhere, but only in the south is my spirit raised by the attitude most people have.
Heck ... tell me the last time THIS happened to you. I was staring at the traffic on Peachtree and cringing. It was backed up a mile ahead and half a mile behind. So what did I do? I started sorting my bag of amazing little cheeseburgers. I wasn't even looking at the road. Some stranger saw me waiting there, stopped their car (blocking traffic behind them so that I could get out) and waited for me to look up (which was a good 20 seconds, a lifetime in the traffic pattern) so that I could get out. Here in Colorado you might get that if you eyeball all the people in traffic but if you take more than 3 seconds to start moving then you lose your chance. And most other places? You're just gonna be waiting until a traffic light shows you mercy.
Anyway, back to the food! Krystals are one of those foods best enjoyed in 1 manners:
- While driving
- While drunk
NOTE TO KRYSTAL MANAGEMENT: PUT A KRYSTAL IN THE ATLANTA AIRPORT PLEASE! I've had fresh Krispy Kreme in the airport in Sydney, Australia ... surely I should be able to get Krystals in the Atlanta airport!
It is funny, since when I first moved to Alabama in 1991 I wouldn't THINK of eating at Krystal. I spent 4 years deftly avoiding Krystal even when when it was so late at night that there were only 2 options (needless to say I ate a lot of Taco Bell in those days). Then ... one day ... I caved. My life was never the same since.
Yes, I know just how low the quality of the meat is. In fact I know first-hand since one time in 2003 my (now ex) wife went to Tennessee to visit her parents and I convinced her to stop at a Krystal and buy a full, uncooked, 20-burger pack of meat and buns and keep it in an iced cooler all the way home. I'm not kidding, that 20-pack of patties had enough fat that, when rendered, filled almost 2 mason jars. I was tempted to make tallow candles but decided people would be a bit too disgusted by the candles smelling like onions and hamburger.
I can't explain it. All I know is this: I'm probably better off with no Krystal available to me (I'd have to drive 600 miles ... and I have been known to go an hour out of my way on roadtrips to get some). But I'm not happier because of it :)
2009-03-02
Why I watch even fewer commercials
Ok this is just a little rant posting, nothing serious.
I've been a DVR user for 7 or 8 years now. TiVo for a long time, DirecTV HD DVR for a year now. In that time I pretty much only watched 10% or so of the commercials. Yes, I admit it, I'm one of those people that broadcast TV hates.
Recently I moved my office (I work from home) to my living room. That lets me heat less of my house in the winter and only have 1 room with "loud things" (obviously I'm a bachelor at the moment). As such I have a tendency to leave the news or something similar on in the background throughout the day. Meaning I consume many many more commercials even if I don't actively watch them.
Which leads me to my rant. Why do only SOME commercials seem to be encoding audio in stereo-only? Since I'm using a Dolby PL2 capable receiver (which would convert stereo to a 5 channel output, meaning most sound goes through the center speaker) it is obvious that this is very purposefully done since if it was a "normal" stereo encoding it would go through my center.
This is flat annoying. Stereo sound on these commercials is also significantly louder. And in my case the right stereo speaker is directly over my head. I can bypass it by -forcing- a 5 channel output, but that means the receiver isn't being allowed to adapt to the sound in the best way.
Anyway, I can only assume that they are doing this on purpose as an attention grabber. Especially since they jack the volume up so high as well on these.
The net result?
When these blaster commercials come on I tend to completely turn the system off for an hour or two so I can keep focusing on what I'm doing. Probably better for me anyway.
But surely this isn't what is intended?
I've been a DVR user for 7 or 8 years now. TiVo for a long time, DirecTV HD DVR for a year now. In that time I pretty much only watched 10% or so of the commercials. Yes, I admit it, I'm one of those people that broadcast TV hates.
Recently I moved my office (I work from home) to my living room. That lets me heat less of my house in the winter and only have 1 room with "loud things" (obviously I'm a bachelor at the moment). As such I have a tendency to leave the news or something similar on in the background throughout the day. Meaning I consume many many more commercials even if I don't actively watch them.
Which leads me to my rant. Why do only SOME commercials seem to be encoding audio in stereo-only? Since I'm using a Dolby PL2 capable receiver (which would convert stereo to a 5 channel output, meaning most sound goes through the center speaker) it is obvious that this is very purposefully done since if it was a "normal" stereo encoding it would go through my center.
This is flat annoying. Stereo sound on these commercials is also significantly louder. And in my case the right stereo speaker is directly over my head. I can bypass it by -forcing- a 5 channel output, but that means the receiver isn't being allowed to adapt to the sound in the best way.
Anyway, I can only assume that they are doing this on purpose as an attention grabber. Especially since they jack the volume up so high as well on these.
The net result?
When these blaster commercials come on I tend to completely turn the system off for an hour or two so I can keep focusing on what I'm doing. Probably better for me anyway.
But surely this isn't what is intended?
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