Where I've bean?

I've been busy living life and not updating my blog. Which is more important?

I sometimes wonder about the usefulness of the blog. My friend Mike expressed the same concerns that I have, that is a blog is full of useless information that seems awefully contrived and self-centered. I enjoy it because I can look back upon the writings and remember where I was and what I was feeling. It helps me remember and makes me happy. Sometimes people mention to me things I've written and it gives me reason to speak to friends or strangers about a common experience. Sometimes it gives me reason to reflect upon my buddhist studies and cultivate inner peace and avoid anger and attachment.

Happiness is what it is all about, isn't it?

I'm back?

Well, got a little bit of Pennsic this past weekend. It was fun for a two day event, but I think just one more day would have worked better. I didn't get to see enough of my friend Crystal and also would have liked to browse the merchants some more. I wish the drive wasn't so long.

Camping wasn't bad - although a bit cold. I had a double air bed blowup matress that as basically two layers of air matress on one. I would have liked to have had a real firepit but didn't get the wood and settled on a small grill with charcoal. It was hot enough thanks the the fire priestess (thanks Crystal!)

And we might have a new clan: Clan Noshame is born!

I'm still on vacation.

Whew! Just heading back from Seattle, WA. Sitting in the airport now - wishing I was home already. The mountains were beautiful - wish I could hole up in isolation for a week, but a day was good enough. Enjoying a new book "Meditations on the Path to Enlightenment" which I'm hopful will help me further along the right path.

I look forward to seeing my children and friends back home.

Ack. Ick. Phbbttt. Hack.

Squeemish readers please avoid!

I wanna die - my sinuses are killing me. Woke up not wanting to move or wake up, then coughing and puking up all sorts of sinus evil. It is the blood that scares you most! Auggh! Auggh! And the blood vessels in my eyeballs seem to have ruptured from all the puking. Ouch - feels like thumbs on my eyeballs. Fever anyone?

Did I mention I was supposed to be working on a major presenetation of the status of our program with my co-workers today? It took me ten minutes to type this entry. I can hardly focus. I'm gonna set the clock for an hour and have a lie-down. I *HATE* being sick.

What I do

I'm going against the grain. Up to now, I've been testing web pages with JAWS for Windows and determining where the Section 508 guidelines require certain techniques. I've started trying to prioritize and build statistics on how likely web content is to be inaccessibile. Things like Frames top the list and depreciated HTML are towards the bottom of the list. I hope this statistical approach (maybe just 'data driven' or 'metrics' approach is better?) will also become a *process* that can be used by non-technical staff to help determine which EIT is most likely to be at risk and target manual assessments on these high-risk items.

I started this because I had to review a 1500+ web page site - try that with JAWS! Eeek. I also want to use publicly available (freely available open source) tools and create publicly available tools and an open process that can be used by other agencies or groups at no direct costs. It will either be a complete failure or a new way of doing assessments!

No Respect & A Movie

Went and saw a midnight showing of Spiderman 2. Summary: It rocked! Better than the first one.

The bummer was the theater decided to turn off the air conditioning around 12:30ish. A theater full of geeky bodies in the heat. Use your imagination. Ok, don't if you are eating.

The real problem was *35 minutes* of commercial bullshiite. I'm not going to put up with it anymore. I'm going to demand they tell me when the movie REALLY starts so I can sit outside. Damn if I want to be a captive audience. I'm sure some marketing dweeb is thinking they have all they could want and it will only get better. They keep it up and I'll start splicing nudes into the snow white films ;)

Bluaugh!

I SLEEP NOW! (I still have my skeleton!) I'm tired. Couldn't sleep and ended up with 2.5 hours of sleep total. I wish I didn't need sleep.

Found out paint does not always dry inside of 7 days - 6 weeks! Ack! A month and a half of no wiping and no cleaning - who would have known? All the paints I had growing up were damn near impervious to indelible ink pens inside of an hour. Maybe it was just my parents were smart and encountered this same problem well before I paid attention to it.

Thinking of Dodging beer and watching Dodgeball! tonight.

Government? Cluster!

Heard on Metro: "With the government alert on domestic terror AND
upcoming events in the area.." they make it seem like a government
planned event. Huh. Maybe it is? ;)
--On the way home

Perchance to dream...

Ah, I purchased another Shadowrun Figure at the Game Parlor in Woodbridge yesterday. I promised myself I would start gaming more. I miss gaming but don't have the time.

I am hoping my fascination and purchase of the figures will remind me to stop and play. I also enjoy the figures themselves. They are well done pieces of art that remind me of fantasy gaming and past fun with friends. While at the gaming store I also realized I don't have enough dice ;)

WoW WOW

I saw more pictures of World Of Worldcraft (WoW), this time of Player vs. Player (pvp) combat. I can't wait for this thing to come out and my productivity and sleep levels to go down the tubes!

On another note, I cancelled my Final Fantasy XI account. The game just isn't all that, introductory piece is annoying an not educational about the game, and it really is designed as a controller based PS2 game. The keyboard button config tool was horrible and the navigator interface you went through before playing the game was painful too. Sigh.

--Saardek

Ack.

Well I was sick on Monday. I hate feeling tired and miserable. I went to work on Tuesday and it was so hot and sticky outside I thought I had developed another fever. Icky icky icky.

I played some FF11 last night. I still don't like the interface. The login process interface sucks - hey, I *have* a computer. I understand PS2 users need the interface to check email and board info, but the interface is not only non traditional it sucks. Example: you have messages - choose check messages. Wouldn't it be easier to automatically display them on logon? They already made gross assumptions about the interface and user interaction..it wouldn't be unexpected. They also make you go through several screens just to play the game! Bastards! I understand it may be PS2 focused for development, but you released a *Windows* version (I play games on windows and it won't run on my preferred Linux system(s)). This PS2 concept also fails to properly address keyboard and gamepad configuration. All and all I think this game was money wasted. I'll probably cancel before renewal next month.

--late while on the train to work.

Pumpin' the Cathedral

Jeeze, it is so hard not be cynical when they keep shoving crap at you. Just watching the ceremonies for Reagan and they keep panning into and out of the cathedral. It feels like a sex shot or something.

Now you can say I'm wrong for mentioning it, but it is such a farce that they want to pay respects when they are really off hoaring for ratings. Belittles the whole event if you ask me.

Pitiful Worm Baby!

Went out and enjoyed a beer with a friend last night. It was fun to BS and commiserize over a drink and watch all the people.

I still find I don't like the smoke - it is one of the things that makes going out unpleasant - but we got out early before it was too thick.

Since Friday might be a government holiday, and my offices are closed, I might go to the midnight showing of Riddick on Thursday night, er, I mean 00:01 Friday.

Was planning to go home to NC this weekend but Mom & Pop are away until Saturday night and I wanted to bring the girls to see them. Guess we'll wait another week or two. Perhaps we'll get Invader Zim DVD and watch that instead.

--I demand piggies!

XPeed-off

Well, looky here. Seems XP decided I didn't really want to look at the dial-up connection I was using. I can't see it under network connections this morning. It is still there because when I don't give it a network connection it starts the dial-up dialog but I can't see the actual network settings - nor the connection box in the taskbar.

Go figure.

It's the little things.

I had a shower and bathroom without having to leave the house this morning and it was WONDERFUL! You don't know. Really - yet another thing we take for granted.

I've tried to thing of other things we take for granted and it is an interesting mental exercise. What could you not live without?

Fingers (and legs) crossed...

Here's hoping we have a functional bathroom today. Here's planning; I'm stopping by the gym on the way home. ;)

Feeling: dehydrated and late.

That was a long weekend?!?

Where did it go?! I still don't have a bathroom (grrr...) And we found the shower valve needs to be replaced to use the new shiny handles...after the tile is in. I primed two walls for paint. I also was pissy from being tired and the weather getting sticky. I think I almost bit Anthony's head off. (Sorry A!)

On happier news, I was able to log in and download the Vendetta (www.vendetta-online.com) client and set it running on my laptop. I'm going to setup the other computers with it too..one with linux and another on Win2K.
--I'm on the train headed to work.

Oops. Forgot a day!

Hey you slackers! I didn't get hassled about missing a day! Where are all my adoring fans?

I went to the gym yesterday, did 60lb dumbbells, cable machine. It was easier than expected...I'll try 65 next time! The real reason I went to the gym is the lack of a bathroom at home. That should change by Monday..Yay! You have no idea how much you use something like that until you don't have it.

Have a good Memorial Day everyone!

--Did you know Memorial Day started from the Civil War?

Dammit, dammit, dammit

Forgot my wallet today. Irks me to no end. Now I'm scrounging through the bottom of my backpack and hoping I have enough change in the truck.

Gym Dandy

Went to the gym again today. I'm very happy that I can press more without as much effort. I don't seem to be able to tackle the heavier weight yet though. I'm going to try 60lbs. dumbell presses on Thursday and see how it goes. I did some cable machines (pull the lawnmower type movements) and situps, side situps, back situps mostly.

I *think* I can see myself as bigger than I was. :)