If a tree falls in the forest...

Does it make a sound? I am pretty sure this giant trunk did as Tanner and I found this mammoth trunk cleaved in half in the middle of the woods. When its less than 20 degrees out there is nothing Tanner likes better than to bound though the woods with reckless abandon. That is how we always find the good stuff like this.

Saturday Haiku

Waking up for work.

How cold could it be outside?

Are you kidding me?

My Keys, much like my life...

My Keys, much like my life….Seem overly complicated and un-necessarily busy. Sure I have the rental house keys on there today from recent home inspection but even so it just might me time to sort through and clean a little house. So to speak that is.

iFlop: A dear Steve letter.

Dear Steve Jobs, Apple board, et al….

You have disappointed me. Don’t get me wrong you have come a long way in three short years. A long time since I blogged about the first iPhone announcement but lets face it. So have we. Yes us, the unwashed masses. You know all those you look down on from your benevolent throne.

Where might you have gone wrong? Glad you asked...

I, and a few others, have been waiting for an apple tablet for … well for years. Maybe longer . But here is where you went wrong.

1) Your hype machine was too good this time.
Magical? Innovative? Or just a re-packaged large iPhone? Really you needed an innovative feature, and you did not produce it. Seriously pick one : video chat, innovative input method, multi-carrier (cdma maybe?), or something unexpected. You did not come up with it so: Fail. Just saying "it just works" does not cut it any more we now expect it to just work. Just does something new was needed, and again. Fail.

2) iPad. Really?
If you wanted a product that sounded like a feminine hygiene product I guess you could have done worse. But not much. (vaga-pod perhaps?)

3) Sure you will sell a ton, after all it is pretty. Not to pick directly on you Steve but, but am I the only one that sees the emperor has no clothes? Or at least goofy jeans and sneakers. Seriously we get it your hip and casual but just get some nicer clothes, I am pretty sure you could afford it. What all that crap about being a ka-jillion dollar company. With all that money and talent this is what out came up with?

I guess really I could not have said it better than this guy from switched.com:
Terrence:
It's a mobile Web device that doesn't come standard with 3G. It's an (overgrown) iPhone that doesn't place phone calls. It's an e-book reader that can't last a full day on a single charge. It's a computer that can't multitask. It's a media player you can't put in your pocket. It's a mapping and local search tool without GPS. It's the "best way to experience the Web" without Flash. (OK, maybe they have a point on that one.) The iPad is a lot of things. Sadly, a well-thought-out device does not appear to be one of them.

From the "No Shit" department

U.S. Bans Truckers and Bus Drivers From Texting While Driving

Who was the captain obvious that figured this out.

I hate it when....

I was running late this morning.

I was running late this morning, and I forgot my dry cleaning.

I was running late this morning, and I forgot my dry cleaning, and I was late for work.

I was running late this morning, and I forgot my dry cleaning, and I was late for work and my coffee never quite cleared my head today.

I was running late this morning, and I forgot my dry cleaning, and I was late for work and my coffee never quite cleared my head and I had a client waiting for me in the lobby.

I was running late, forgot my dry cleaning, was late for work, coffee did not clear my head, had a customer waiting for me in the lobby, work was piling up faster than I could clear it.

I was running late, forgot my dry cleaning, was late for work, coffee did not clear my head, had a customer waiting for me in the lobby, work was piling up fast, had to run an errand in the freezing cold today.

Running late, forgot dry cleaning,was late for work, coffee did not clear my head, had a customer waiting for me, work was piling up fast, froze my ass off, stayed late to pay bills reminded how broke I am .

Running late, forgot dry cleaning,was late for work, coffee did not clear my head, had a customer waiting for me, work was piling up fast, froze my ass off, stayed late to pay bills reminded how broke I am, dog wanted to go to the park in the cold.

Running late, forgot dry cleaning,was late for work, coffee did not clear my head, had a customer waiting for me, work was piling up fast, froze my ass off, stayed late to pay bills reminded how broke I am, cold again running the dog, was late for dinner.

I HATE IT WHEN THE DAY SNOWBALLS OUT OF CONTROL.

Special delivery: Foreign Package

Now that we have an wii, the the girl was on a mission to find a cheaper wii-mote and nun-chuck(sic) rather than pay the $60 for the pair everywhere I could find it. After all some games need a second controller to work right, and it does not seem fair to pay 1/3 again the cost of the counsel for another controller.

So her and the little girl conspired and found one on ebay and ordered the damn thing. For about 1/2 of every where else. For the record I dont trust about 1.2 the crap on ebay, there is so much scamming crap out there but to my dismay, WEEKS later it showed at the office, a (apparently new) wii-mote/ nun-chuck combo.

Since this appears to be shipped direct from Hong Kongs infamous black market/counterfeit central I will have to see if it works once I get it home. But the best part is the little blue stamp on the back under the customs info.... apparently I am not the only person who thinks its crazy.

Cool Gear: iPhone app "doodle jump"

Possibly the sillyest game I have ever played... and possibly the most addictive, doodle jump is sure to take up hours of my time. At .99 cents, not a bad buy.

Shop update- quick tour

Here is a quick shop tour.

Shop update- more mortise and tenon *updated*

A few hours in the shop Saturday yielded the these two mortise and tenon drawer faces that will go on double file cabinet project. This was the third attempt to get drawer fronts that I was happy with, and third time seems to be the charm. Now just to glue them up and attach them. This step is harder than it sounds as it will take some bit of engineering to get them married to the front of the drawers securely.

Here you can see the fronts attached to the rest of the drawer.

Last night the dreams that came to me

Last night the dreams that came to me were as cold and unfamiliar as a stranger on the bus.

It was as if they were trying to be my dreams, they had all the right topics and they seemed like my dreams, but only as someone else would have imagined how they would play out.

It was oddly unsettling, and kept me off balance all day.

Overheard inside my Head Today:

Overheard inside my Head Today:

I was thinking: " There is so much energy being created over this new Apple event..."

Then I thought: "Energy is never really created or destroyed... its just re-packaged by Apple for a profit."

Apple Tablet Multi Touch Envy? Try this!

So unless you live under a rock, and hey if you do no offense, you know that Apple has some some sort of big announcement next week.

Honestly I am very interested but in reality I am pretty sure I will not be an early adapter on this new magical product... whatever it is.

What I will do, however, is download the latest Bumptop desktop with multi-touch and a cool GUI. I have to admit its kind of fun, and FREE and I would have to say it made me feel a little better about new products that I will likely not be getting. Did I mention its free.

Get it *here* you wont regret it.

Sometimes it is just Awe inspiring …..

Sometimes it is just Awe inspiring …..

How much crazy there is in the world.

Cool Gear: The Martin Jet Pack

Thank you for reminding me why fate seems fit to keep me poor.

I would just spend it on silly things like jet packs and race cars.

Thanks to *uncrate* for this one

The Network Is Down

Life sucks when the network is DOWN.

Bloody wretched computers.

Photo cred to jmacphoto.com

Park Video

So today I really did not get much done. It was not for a lack of trying. I did get some trim around the new window at the country house. Some work in the shop also, but not enough by my measure.I suppose it does not help I had office hours on Saturday. Short weekends have the effect of adding extra pressure to get things done. I did get to the regular business of taking Tanner to the park. The weather was pleasant considering it was mid January. You can see her here playing a little bit of fetch.

Cool Gear: Log Cabin

I have always liked log cabins, but this little studio is the shit.

I have always wanted to have a log cabin but this guy was made me re think some fundamentals of the design.

You can see more *here* but I am happy I ran across this design.

The Cool thing about an iPhone

Is it can always seem new again as a refresh is just an app store
away. For example this new app brings video sharing to my fist gen
phone. (On the drive home today).

Gods Computer

Nothing like some early morning blasphemy to get the blood flowing.

Thanks again to *giz* for finding this one

Cool Gear: extended Desktop

My techno lust has made me go out and borrow this unused display to extend my laptop "desktop" at work for what can on be described as the coolest thing ever!

OK maybe its just cool to me, but having the extra screen space with the extended desktop IS THE SHIT.

Looking back, sometimes it really does not take much to make me happy.

Seen last night at the park.

In the cold and dark last night, I took Tanner to the park as I do every night and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a brand new *2o1o Ford F150 Raptor* .

It was just sitting there, with manufacture plates on, in the cold under the dim lights just there dirty as mine, perched unassumingly under the inadequate lights giving the whole scene an institutional feel. I went over and surreptitiously grabbed this awful photo and pawed over her for a quick moment and just like that I was away again.

I went about my business but I could not get that truck out of my mind. I really like the Raptor and since it looks like I will be needing a new one in May.... I would really like to swing this one.
The problem is it looks just a little out of my reach. (better photo below)
*sigh*

Printer Issues and other stories of Monday Hell.

Mondays never cease to amaze me.

Today, among many other personal purgatories, even the printer had it out for me.

Thanks t *Giz* for this one.

Shop update- smooth times.

Sometimes things go so smoothly in the shop. Everything falls into place just like I see it in my mind. The wood seems almost to bend to my will, until the project is done.

This was not one of those times.

Even though I should have had time to complete the two drawers for the the file cabinet project, it was like the wood was fighting me all the way. I could see what I wanted but it was not to be.

I guess I have my work cut out for me this week.

So it turned out to be a nice day

After all.

Dawn breaks....

OK it snowed some.

Not to be a sadist., but....

Not to be a sadist., but.... On one hand I am cursing the prosepct of the snow today. On the other hand the kid in me hopes we get *MORE* than expected.

The best thing about a good size TV

The best thing about a good size TV...split screen movie and Wii boxing.

Everything was moving right along...

Everything was moving right along... until I had to drop something off at the post office.
Stupid lines.

Monday Observations:

Monday Status report:

Dear Corporate Overlords:

The printer you sent me sucks balls….sorry to be blunt but damn it… really?

You might as well have sent me a fricken stone tablet and a chisel. WTF?

Does your cousin work at HP or something? Nothing else could explain this crap.

Dear Flight Security Experts (that’s you TSA):

The new flight security rules are super stupid.

You might as well just knock us all out before a flight and wake us up afterwords. Face it all this other crap is just bullshit… sorry but true.

Can’t talk now, have to run. I am going out to buy stock in anesthetics.

To Whom It May Concern at the local building department:

Having to pull a permit for a new water heater is really gay.

My apologies to the gay community.

Your automated phone system sucks.

I am about to change my mind about telling you, where is the f’n form for that?

Hey dumb ass person in line in front of me at Fed Ex.

I only have a thousand things to do, so feel free to bring in a ka-jillian unboxed packages. Oh and thanks for having the nerve to ask me to help you schlep your crap up onto the counter. Loose Fliers? Really?

Dear person who invented Wii Boxing:

I hate you.

You are fricken awesome.

You suck.

No seriously, boxing is awesome.

Dear lottery gods:

A couple of numbers might be nice, just to keep me hooked.

Just a thought as I have kind of lost faith.

Dear inventors of the Calendar:

What are you? Aztec, Egyptian, Sumerian?

More like sadistic. Who the F invents a Monday on purpose?
Hi Mr. Dickey McDickerson:

Thanks for proving you a Dick in more than name.

You’re the only one *today * that lied to me and offended me in one conversation.

You are special aren’t you?

End of Monday observations.

Why is it ...

That I never want to go to sleep on Sunday nights? It's as if by
staying awake I can sqeeze every last bit out of the weekend. Although
in my atempts to savor every minute I just make Monday all the harder
to deal with. *sigh*

Sceen In Ann Arbor

I had to drop off the little girl at her apartment for somthing and I
found these shoes hanging from the line outside her building. Students
are the craIzest peoples.

This new year reminds me...

Its never to early to develop an unhealthy obsession with technology.

Actually it was more of this old photo that reminds me, but I found it today, so that counts for something right?

Thanks to Giz for the photo.