You, Robot

Do you ever tire of calling a business or company only to be greeted by an intractable, user-hostile automated phone menu system? Well, seems that other people who have experienced the same thing have pooled their knowledge about how to circumvent the system (don't you love h4xX0r2?). That information is provided for you here. I can't personally vouch for the accuracy or usefulness of any of this information, but it certainly looks promising. So next time you have to fix an erroneous charge on your whatever bill, or find out if the thingummy that you just ordered has been shipped, or a retailer has wronged you and you want to complain to a real live human, just remember this here and see if it helps you out.

Oh, and by the way - someone else post for the game so I can post again, eh?

Also, if you haven't yet switched to the new blogger, do so so that you can post here once again.

Aaaaaand - justforfun:

Re: code font

here is text

here is code

here is text

The above block of text was created in the Edit Html tab. I just started typing and then put tags around the block of code. After the closing tag, it jumps back into the default blog font, and you don't have to wait until you're done with the entire post to go back and select the sections you want to appear in the code font - just start with the opening tag and close it when you're done and keep typing away. If you're cutting and pasting, then yeah, it's probably about the same to highlight the block and select a font from the dropdown as it would be to go back and stick in the code tags. Catch 22, no?

Blogger Has A Bug

There is a bug in the Blogger interface that I have been fighting with ever since I started blogging on it. I think that Blogger provides a wonderful service and I have really enjoyed being able to participate in it. However, this one bug just burns my hide from time to time.

The problem is that there is no way to specifically publish in the default font for whichever blog you are publishing to. Okay, that was a mouthful. Basically, what I'm saying is that everything is fine and dandy until I decide to change fonts while writing a blog. Occasionally, I want to demonstrate Linux/Unix commands or snippets of code in my blog posting. The convention for doing this is to have your commands appear in Courier font, so as to separate them from the main article. I can do that just fine. But, once I want to return to the original font of the posting, how do I do that? The problem also extends to the fact that the editor uses a specific font that may be different from what the published blog's font will be. See the problem?

I tend to feel that the editor should really have no font specified, and that there should be a "Default Blog Font" option on the Font pull-down menu. This option will allow the user to return to the default font for that particular blog if they have temporarily specified a different font.

Now, I know there's a workaround for the font problem that I'm having. Namely, one would write their entire blog without specifying a font and then go back and specify a font for those parts that need specifying. But, that feels like a workaround.

Anyhow, I just thought I'd vent a bit.

Take it easy, y'all!

Happy Birthday, George and Robert

Washington and Baden-Powell, respectively


It has been a good day so far.


When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there,
I will go there
And back again


Wasn't that a great film?

Song of the day: Breakdown
Quote of the day: "You've been running around like a monkey on drugs all week!"
Fun activity of the day: speed dating

Is It Bad...

...to create your own Googlewhacks?

It appears that I have inadvertently created another one. I used to have the "rootisms" Googlewhack, but that is no longer the case. In fact, my current web site doesn't even show up on Google's search when you search for "rootisms."

The Googlewhack I'm talking about is "gigalizard." If you type gigalizard into Google, it returns exactly one search (i.e. a Googlewhack.) This unique search happens to be located on my web server. Unfortunately, I can't tell you all to go out and try it right away because very shortly, my site will be offline for a while amidst a move. (It's kind of hard to keep my web server server-ing when it's packed away in a moving truck. I also have to transfer my Comcast Internet connection to my new abode so that I can continue to serve web pages and host friends and family pictures.

Anyhow, take it easy, y'all. I'll see you all later.

ps: Gigalizard isn't just some random word I created and posted on a web page. If you install the "Firesomething" Firefox extension, that is one of the possible names it generates.

Laughter is just a smile with the volume turned up

Flute 11
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 27
Trombone 19
Tuba 11
Harp 10

tpt+/flt-

For a good laugh (medicine for the soul), please visit my viral video blog. The latest one just about did me in.

Happy meday

Today is the day that I'm celebrating my birthday with anyone who wants to. I'm throwing a partay at my house this evening. Come if you wish. You are welcome to bring games and/or food. There will be socializing. We will begin at about 7 pm. If you do not receive a phone call from me, please refer to this post for an invitation to the festivities. For those of you for whom this announcement was too short of notice, I give my humble appologies. Yes.... Planning ahead. I'm working on that skill. Also, anyone who wants to can meet me and Jason tomorrow at the Ice Sheet @ 6pm for skating and dinner or something afterwards. Bring a date. I will.

That is all.

Life of a Newly Minted Sysadmin

As you may or may not know, Monday I began work for a company in Kaysville called ABC Office. I am a system administrator for the company. It's actually a job that I have been looking for for quite a long time. I've been slowly getting accustomed to learning a whole new set of people's names, things about them and some things about the company. To date, my head is still swimming a bit. :)

But, the real fun in my job is what I get to do. I start off my day (I'm still learning how this all goes) by changing out the surveillance tape from the day before. I check it to make sure that it did record properly. Then, I change out the previous night's server backup tape. I have to also look at logs from the server and find out what has been going on with it. This is my first real experience with a real server running on a RAID array with a tape backup. It's all new to me and it's kind of fun. This week, of course, has really been an eye opener for me because of the newness of it all. After I do the standard morning things (with great assistance from my supervisor) I proceed to whatever she has me do next. Lately, they have needed me to scour their website for problems because they are in the process of transferring it from one ISP to another. That's kind of boring.

The other day, I had the privilege of taking apart a monitor to see if the fuse was blown in it. It turned out that the monitor was bad and needed to be gotten rid of. So, my supervisor and I went through the building and gathered up all the known bad monitors and tested them out. I must admit that I let the smoke out of one of the monitors when I plugged it it. There's a very familiar and distict smell to burning electronics. :) I also had to call the waste management facility to find out what to do with the dead monitors, since they are considered hazardous waste.

Let's see, I also got to help out with a couple of printer problems in the accounting department. I've also been setting up a script on each machine throughout the company that shuts the computer off should the user forget. Basically, you can instruct Windows to shut itself down by incorporating the following into a scheduled task:

C:\Windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00

Hmmm, that looks strangely familiar to the Linux/Unix way of doing it:

shutdown -h now

Needless to say, I have been having quite a good time so far. I know there will be challenges, but with good training and a level head, I can succeed. Oh yeah, I was also the one who first saw the drive fault indicator on one of the disks in the server's RAID array. So, on Friday, we get to experience changing out a disk on the server. I'm excited.

Chao!!

Hokay...

Here's the Earth. Chilling. You might say, "That's a pretty sweet Earth."

But seriously folks, I hope everyone from Band Land is wonderfully well these days. I can't say I am wonderful, nor can I say I am awful. I just kind of am these days.

I'm most recently frustrated by my car situation. The dang thing is still doing the exact same thing I took it in there to fix!! I guess I'll have to go back down there and hopefully they can pinpoint the problem.

I want to give you all a word of advice: never take an online class (unless you really want to). I have two this semester and being the lazy type that I am, am having difficulties keeping up with it. It's no fun when you can't stay motivated. Maybe I should join Procrastinators Annonymous.

And now, the day's entertainment:

Flute 12
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 26
Trombone 19
Tuba 11
Harp 10

Trumpet +, Harp -.

Happy Blogday

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 24
Trombone 18
Tuba 10
Harp 10
Blog 7

That's right, kiddies! In honor of the blog's third birthday, I'm taking a point away from every section and giving them to the blog as a Robin Hood-style present. Isn't that great?

Naw! Just kiddin'. I really won't do that. Just ignore this post as it doesn't really have anything to do with the points at all. It was just to wish everyblogger a happy day.

VOTE FOR '06 REGIMENT!!!

Ok, here's the deal, DCI has this classics countdown thing every year where people choose their 8 favorite drum corps shows of all time (a few hundred shows to choose from). Then the top 30 out of that few hundred get voted on by everybody again to dwindle it down to 8 that will be shown live, nationwide in movie theaters. The top 30 have already been choosen an what's way awesome is that 2006 Phantom Regiment made it!! Now go here and vote.

Here are the corps that I voted for:
1988 Madison Scouts
1989 Phantom Regiment
1991 Star of Indiana
1995 The Cavaliers
1996 Phantom Regiment
2000 The Cavaliers
2003 Phantom Regiment
2006 Phantom Regiment

Notice I voted for 2006 Phantom Regiment, I hope you all do too :) You don't have to vote for the same ones I did but if you know little or nothing about drum corps, then these are some good ones. And don't be afraid to vote more than once but you do have to use a different email address each time. I voted 10 times! (yes that means I have 10 email address and surprisingly enough, I remember them all....) Oh, and don't worry, all you'll get is an email back saying what corps you voted for and that's it, unless you say yes to their newsletter.

Oh and thanks Jon.

I'll say....

Flute 12
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 11
Harp 11

Yeah, that'll do. (sax -,tuba +)

later.

Happy Birthday John Williams

It is Feb. 8th, and that means it's Johnny Williams' birthday. It's also the five-year anniversary of the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Can you believe that it's been that long?

Anyhow, I just thought I'd remind you of that. He is the Maestro and all. :)

Oh yeah, and I'm starting a new job on Monday with ABC Office. I'll be working as a system administrator. Kristin and I are really excited. Speaking of Kristin, she will be starting a new position at her work starting on Monday. I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing, but it involves training people.

Anyhow, take it easy, y'all. We'll let you know how the house buying turns out. :)

Chao!

Happy Birthday, Jules Verne and BSA

~~~~~ .:And many more:. ~~~~~

Flute 12
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 13
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 10
Harp 11

Tuba's need some love. Flute's will have to provide a point.

Thanks, Kristin. I think I must've fat-fingered the keyboard or something there.

Sounds like the movie world is treating you well, Andrew. As for car's that reminds me I should check my oil.

Definitely.

P.S. the blog is now on the new Blogger. You'll need to switch over to post, if you haven't already. But I'm sure most of you were waaaay ahead of me on the switch.

Life, as 'twere

So, I had a great day today. I got an interview with Instructional Media Services to be a camera operator. It went really really well, and I'll hear back for sure by the middle of next week.

I signed up for a great workshop on the technical side of filmmaking wich will happen on the 24th.

I got my finished film back from the Cinema Lab. It looks pretty darn good, however, they did incorrectly time about four shots to look red, which they shouldn't have. There'll be a show from my 16mm film class coming up in April. I'll let all you band hall denizens know when it is in case you wanted to come see it (hint hint).

Also, I discovered I have not outgrown reading comic books. My love of Batman has been re-kindled after learning that Paul Dini (who wrote for Batman the Animated Series) was hired by DC to be the principal writer of it's Detetective Comics line. I immediately went out and picked up all the back issues (six total) and ran home to read them. While they aren't comic book masterpieces and would work better as episodes of the cartoon, they're still fun reads.

And, last, but certainly not least, I got my car back. Turns out it was the clutch afterall. My mechanic was super awesome though and called Hyundai USA and told them he thought they should pay for it rather than me. Hyundai agreed to pick up $700 and I was left to cover only $300 of total repair work. I thought they did an excellent job protecting my interests at the dealership, and I thought Hyundai was very awesome to pick up that much of the bill. Now I have it back, and it drives like new.

The grand finale:

Flute 13
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 13
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 9
Harp 11

Trumpet +, Flute -

-2

Alas! I have noticed an error. Jon has posted
"Flute 14
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 10
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 9
Harp 11"

But that only adds up to 98! So to fix it, here's what I think it should look like

Flute 14
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 9
Harp 11

And now, since I'm here, my move is

Flute 14
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 13
Trumpet 24
Trombone 19
Tuba 9
Harp 11

Trumpets down, Saxomaphones up.

~Kristin

gg [Ten]

This is just to let y'all know that I ganked another vid link from my boy Duswoo's blog and posted it up on my blog. If you at all appreciate the talent that is human beatbox, you'll love the vid.

Flute 14
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 10
Trumpet 25
Trombone 19
Tuba 9
Harp 11

If life were represented with an instrument, I think it'd have to be brass. I mean, come on - doesn't life sometimes seem like a great big royal fanfare, and other times seem a bit blatty and flat? Brass just about covers the spectrum.

I will feel differently tomorrow. Perhaps then I'll feel that life is more like a Clariharpophone. Or something. But for today, I'm on a brassy kick.

We string players gotta stick together.

Flute 14
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 13
Trumpet 25
Trombone 18
Tuba 9
Harp 11

String players unite! Harp+, Trumpet-