My brother-in-law picked this Landcruiser up from a neighbor. At some point in the future he plans to get it running again. I don't know if it will ever be "restored", but it is such a great rig that I will be happy just to know its been resurrected.
10/23/2007
2/27/2007
Snarfer
I've been using Abilon as my RSS Reader for the last couple years. Unfortunately the company seems to have disappeared and development has stopped. Recently some of my feeds have stopped updating or previewing correctly. I've occassionally searched Versiontracker and Tucows (and other sites) for an acceptable replacement with no luck; either the interface was too poorly designed or the app ran too slow or...something.
Finally today I stumbled across a potential replacement. Snarfer is a free RSS Reader that also supports queries on Craiglist, eBay, etc. I don't expect to use those features but can remove the plugins as necessary. The simple fact that Snarfer supports plugins has some interesting potential and I look forward to some of the options that will be available in the future. The interface is similar to Abilons; clean and simple. Snarfer also seems to be faster and has a better icon(!).
Updated: This is for my laptop running XP. Vienna is my reader of choice on the Mac.
Finally today I stumbled across a potential replacement. Snarfer is a free RSS Reader that also supports queries on Craiglist, eBay, etc. I don't expect to use those features but can remove the plugins as necessary. The simple fact that Snarfer supports plugins has some interesting potential and I look forward to some of the options that will be available in the future. The interface is similar to Abilons; clean and simple. Snarfer also seems to be faster and has a better icon(!).
Updated: This is for my laptop running XP. Vienna is my reader of choice on the Mac.
[Listening to: The Imposter by Kevin Max]
4/11/2006
Feedback Opportunity?!?
I was in a local Petsmart recently buying some flea medication for out cat. The clerk behind the counter had just rung my credit card through when she exclaimed "Oh no - not again!" From my angle I could see a modal window on her computer screen. Since I work in the tech industry I was curious and changed my angle a bit to read the message:
"A feedback opportunity has occurred..." I actually laughed out loud at how my jaded mind translated that into "normal" English - ERROR! Of course the clerk had to restart her (ahem - Windows) computer and lose about six minutes of her day. Its funny how some people are changing the language to remove any form of negative connotation - regardless of its accuracy.
On a recent Podcast about small business startups one of the panelists said these two things: "there are no mistakes and no failures. Failure just means you went down the wrong path" and "there is no such thing as competition. Having competition just means you have failed to properly market yourself". I'm not so sure either of those statements is beneficial in the long run. How can you learn to stand up again if you never acknowledge falling down? How do you learn to run if you already believe you're flying?
I guess what I'm struggling with is the tension between a positive attitude becoming self deception and brutal honesty becoming self disqualification . How do I cultivate a positive attitude while still seeing the stark reality of a situation? How do I face the hard truth about something without becoming discouraged? I'm not a kid anymore, but still have so much to figure out...maybe I'm having a "Feedback Opportunity"!
"A feedback opportunity has occurred..." I actually laughed out loud at how my jaded mind translated that into "normal" English - ERROR! Of course the clerk had to restart her (ahem - Windows) computer and lose about six minutes of her day. Its funny how some people are changing the language to remove any form of negative connotation - regardless of its accuracy.
On a recent Podcast about small business startups one of the panelists said these two things: "there are no mistakes and no failures. Failure just means you went down the wrong path" and "there is no such thing as competition. Having competition just means you have failed to properly market yourself". I'm not so sure either of those statements is beneficial in the long run. How can you learn to stand up again if you never acknowledge falling down? How do you learn to run if you already believe you're flying?
I guess what I'm struggling with is the tension between a positive attitude becoming self deception and brutal honesty becoming self disqualification . How do I cultivate a positive attitude while still seeing the stark reality of a situation? How do I face the hard truth about something without becoming discouraged? I'm not a kid anymore, but still have so much to figure out...maybe I'm having a "Feedback Opportunity"!
[Listening to: New Horizons - The best Christian rock and alternative music featuring bands like DC Talk, The Afters, P.O.D. Zoegirl, Newsboys, Third Day and more. We have a huge playlist which means you won't hear the same songs over and over. Praising God Rocks! by ]
4/03/2006
Brilliant!
The clever folks at macZOT have come up with a brilliant guerilla marketing concept. First, for those of you who don't know, macZOT is a fairly new site that partners with programmers to sell programs at a discount - for one day only. Its a nicely designed site with some good utilities at a discount. Check it daily so you don't miss out!
Today's macZOT special has a unique twist: for every blog that links to macZOT, the price of the daily special (AppZapper) goes down a nickel! Thats right - if macZOT can get enough exposure the software becomes FREE! So macZOT gets a lot of guerilla marketing exposure and buzz, AppZapper gets a ton of new users and buzz, and users get a great utility for FREE!
So go to http://www.maczot.com/ and help us all get free goodies!
Brilliant!
Today's macZOT special has a unique twist: for every blog that links to macZOT, the price of the daily special (AppZapper) goes down a nickel! Thats right - if macZOT can get enough exposure the software becomes FREE! So macZOT gets a lot of guerilla marketing exposure and buzz, AppZapper gets a ton of new users and buzz, and users get a great utility for FREE!
So go to http://www.maczot.com/ and help us all get free goodies!
Brilliant!
3/16/2006
I'm a Winner!!
Maybe it's time for me to play the lottery: in the past week or two I've won over $500 worth of stuff. Just today I had my business card pulled out of the jar at a local cafe for a free lunch - sweet! But even better is that I won an online trivia contest. "What was the Grand Prize?" you ask? Well, it was - wait, it IS - a biometric safe. I got it a couple days ago (man its heavy for its size) and it works flawlessly. "Ya' can get one fer yerself fer a mer $500 or so..."
So now I'm thinking its time to go for it - grab the bull by the horns - reach for the stars - etc. and buy a lottery ticket. I see that Powerball is up to $88 million. Whew - that'd be nice, wouldn't it?! ;-)
So now I'm thinking its time to go for it - grab the bull by the horns - reach for the stars - etc. and buy a lottery ticket. I see that Powerball is up to $88 million. Whew - that'd be nice, wouldn't it?! ;-)
[Listening to: A Winner by Brown, Dennis]
3/03/2006
I Was Mentioned on a Podcast!
Well, I'm feeling pretty special today. An email that I sent in to The Cubicle Escape Pod podcast was read on the air and discussed for a while by the hosts Jonathan Brown and Matt Thompson. Not a big deal to many, but it doesn't take much lately to make my day.
The Cubicle Escape Pod is a podcast for entrepreneurs and those hoping to be. My email was read on Episode 2.008 around 14 minutes and 30 seconds. My suggestions weren't hailed as epic, but hey, they got me mentioned.
So, a little joy to jump start the weekend.
Hmmm - I was trying to go a whole year without posting. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed... :-)
The Cubicle Escape Pod is a podcast for entrepreneurs and those hoping to be. My email was read on Episode 2.008 around 14 minutes and 30 seconds. My suggestions weren't hailed as epic, but hey, they got me mentioned.
So, a little joy to jump start the weekend.
Hmmm - I was trying to go a whole year without posting. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed... :-)
6/14/2005
Blogs got Madlibs?
Got this from Stephen today... so he deserves the mention he gets! Here goes...
A day in the life of bill
On a typical day I wake up, wash the foam insulation tape from my pinky toes and put on my boxers. I say goodbye to Mickey Mouse and I float to Nirvana where I am a systems analyst. I feel crazy excited about what I do; sure, I'd rather be a barista in Pocatello, but this pays the bills and buys me lots of sensitivities that I can shout about. My morning is pretty splendid. Aside from my 22 trips to the hallway to squash zits and my mushy encounter with Jason it's just the same every day.
I break for lunch and draw with Bruce Willis over a heavy plate of magic mushrooms. A quick jaunt to Johnny Oceans to thumb wrestle with Teevio, who's a total Tigger, and it's back to the grind until 1:30 when I jump on my monstrous taupe tricycle and head for home.
My evening is spent balancing the checkbook and listening to jget while romping around the family room wishing I was David Robinson and drinking all sorts of decaf skinny iced mochas. Then it's off to bed where I dream of cockroaches and Elmo in a turban.
OK, so in the spirit of the thing, I'll pass this along to...
David
Jason and
Chance (which should be really interesting because he has no idea who I am - just found his blog by accident...)
A day in the life of bill
On a typical day I wake up, wash the foam insulation tape from my pinky toes and put on my boxers. I say goodbye to Mickey Mouse and I float to Nirvana where I am a systems analyst. I feel crazy excited about what I do; sure, I'd rather be a barista in Pocatello, but this pays the bills and buys me lots of sensitivities that I can shout about. My morning is pretty splendid. Aside from my 22 trips to the hallway to squash zits and my mushy encounter with Jason it's just the same every day.
I break for lunch and draw with Bruce Willis over a heavy plate of magic mushrooms. A quick jaunt to Johnny Oceans to thumb wrestle with Teevio, who's a total Tigger, and it's back to the grind until 1:30 when I jump on my monstrous taupe tricycle and head for home.
My evening is spent balancing the checkbook and listening to jget while romping around the family room wishing I was David Robinson and drinking all sorts of decaf skinny iced mochas. Then it's off to bed where I dream of cockroaches and Elmo in a turban.
OK, so in the spirit of the thing, I'll pass this along to...
David
Jason and
Chance (which should be really interesting because he has no idea who I am - just found his blog by accident...)
On Being "that" Family...
You know the ones. They are always there when you fly. You've been in your seat for what seems like an hour, your seatblet is buckled and the tray table is in its "upright and locked" position, everyone is quiet (except the "professional" in seat 8C) and waiting for the flight to depart...
...and then, out of nowhere you hear some frantic muffled voices and the sound of something big and blunt banging the aisle seats. You know you shouldn't look up, but like a watching a wreck you really have no choice. Your eyes wander to the aisle and up, up, up toward where the front where "that" family is making their way toward you. One car seat, maybe two, carry on baggage and children making mom and dad look like pack animals, ticket stubs scattering like leaves.
If you're lucky they pass by you and drift away, forgotten until the next flight...but if you are the chosen one....
...my apologies. Believe it or not, we did the best we could.
...and then, out of nowhere you hear some frantic muffled voices and the sound of something big and blunt banging the aisle seats. You know you shouldn't look up, but like a watching a wreck you really have no choice. Your eyes wander to the aisle and up, up, up toward where the front where "that" family is making their way toward you. One car seat, maybe two, carry on baggage and children making mom and dad look like pack animals, ticket stubs scattering like leaves.
If you're lucky they pass by you and drift away, forgotten until the next flight...but if you are the chosen one....
...my apologies. Believe it or not, we did the best we could.
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