A few days ago, a friend posted Somewhat Inspirational Sayings.  I have been displaying the following one on my desktop since then and I laugh almost every time I read it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.  If not, take a look at the rest of the, and find one you do enjoy.

Before you get angry with someone, ask yourself, “Will this issue really matter in 20 years, long after zombies have devoured this idiot?”

It’s October already and the Pumpkin Run is only a few days away.  In many ways I just cannot wait!  It will be fun to be with my family, run in an event with my father and my son, and to enjoy running again as I used to as a teenager.  OK … maybe I cannot run as well as I did at 18 yet, but I am getting closer every day.

Back in May, I knew it would be a long road to get in shape enough to run a 5K.  I had not exercised, really exercised, in over five years.  Justyn’s challenge to participate in the Pumpkin Run was just what I needed.  It truly has been an experience I am glad to have gone through.

In June I hurt my back and in August I pulled a groin muscle.  So those aspects were not fun, but my body is stronger today because of these set-backs.  I have learned a lot about myself and about my body just by going through all of these things this summer.  I will be grateful to Justyn for many years to come because I know this is just...

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I often ask people a question to see how their day is going.  Often I phrase it like “How is the morning treating you?” or “Is the morning going well?”.

When asked a question like this, people often respond with “Fine” or “Pretty good”.  While it is an answer, they really have not told me about their day.  Perhaps I am not being specific enough, but that is kind of the fun in asking a vague question like this.  I like seeing how people react to it.

This morning I heard the best answer I have ever received.  I asked, “How’s the morning been treating you?” and this gentleman responded, “It’s the best morning ever!”

Yep, his positive attitude showed  – in his eyes, tone of voice, body language – everything.  He was a true example of how a good outlook can affect you and those around you.

I hope each of you can each experience someone who responds with a “best day ever!” answer.

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This kind of sensitivity just can't be taught.

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I have always liked Boys’ Life.  Here is another reason: take a look at their 20 funny jokes for Father’s Day. Enjoy!

I love it when I find things which mix some of the things I like.  You know, like:

Cold + ice = Stanley Cup Playoffs

boys + camping = Cub Scouting

Star Wars + Geek = this t-shirt on ThinkGeek.



In case you cannot read code, this says:  “Do or do not.  There is not try.” (Yup, Yoda is a geek!)

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Yes, some days I truly do operate at peak efficiency.

I have seen many comments in the past about how good is “good enough”.  Watch this video and see if you think the conductor is able to adequately show the difference.  I think you’ll find he does a good job of showing why an “A” is not always good enough.







...

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After listening to the argument for having a C# version of DotNetNuke for years, I am excited to see the recent announcement that DNN will release as a C# codebase with the 6.0 version.  This is quite a shift for the platform, but I am glad they are moving this way.

I’ve been working for a few weeks to build a new web service which has the ability to contact the web services from several other data provider companies.  My web service then translates the responses from these various companies into a standardized data response for the calling client to consume.  It has worked pretty well in my Unit Tests and Integration tests so I have been confident it would integrate well with the web site client.

This week I have started working on getting the web site to call on my web service and then consume the response.  The nice thing … it’s been pretty easy to handle this.  I am spending more time on the UI and business logic for the client web site than I am on the integration with the web service.

Just as I planned it, right?!

Yep.  I just love it when a plan finally comes together.

In the past three days I have been contacted by about five different recruiters who are looking for qualified IT candidates.  Most of what I am hearing about are developer / senior developer positions, but if these are available then I am sure other types of positions are also available.

If you are looking for an IT job in the KC area, drop me an e-mail message and I will give you the contact information I have on these recruiters.  You never know where it could lead!

I know there are many in the area who are upset about all of the snow we are getting.  They are entitled to their opinion no matter how wrong they may be.

I heard today the KC area has an annual snowfall around 20 inches.  At the end of January, we had received 17 inches and there was another 8 inches on the ground around 2:00 pm today.  So we’ve beat the annual average!�

Yes, this is a good thing.

I have had my interesting experiences today as well.  I met a gentleman as I was leaving the office today who was stuck and trying to park his car.  The car was high-centered, had no traction, and I could tell he was not used to driving in the snow.  A few minutes later he says, “We didn’t have to deal with this in Houston.  I’m just ill-equipped for this.”

Then I met another driver who was trying to get up the snow covered hill and was stuck.  She was driving a rental car which had some form of anti-slip traction control turned on.  Neither of us could figure out how to shut it off, but...

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I want those I work with to like me; I think we all do.  I am pleased to say those I work with at GEHA are quality people.  Since I announced I would be leaving, they have been very good at poking fun at me -- and that is completely expected.

One of them is especially good at it.  The best comment of the week came from this person and I just have to repeat it:

I wish you all the best that the future holds for you. But you're a piece of s**t to me right now.

Yes, Virginia, there are life changes happening in December.

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Some lessons are easy to understand but hard to implement.

I found this classic FoxTrot comic today.  I couldn't agree with Jason more.

I found a geek gift I am going to have to put on my Christmas list.  Take a look at these cool lightsaber pens!

The best part of the description is this line:

A pen for a more civilized era

Have you used one or both of these Internet radio services?  What do you think of them?

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"We control the vertical , we control the horizontal."  OK.  Where did that come from?  Come on ... name it.

During the KC IT User Group Fair I learned a great way to show that multi-tasking cannot be done well. Don't believe me? Let me try to persuade you.

I am pretty sure we have too much candy from Halloween.  What do you think?

   

I saw this today and just knew God has to be a geek too!

Jesus == Way == Truth == Life

Lunch can have a dramatic affect on your life. Especially when you have friends like this.

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Calling all Star Wars geeks!  Have you heard about the latest rumor?

Evidently there are rumors once again going around about a third trilogy in the Star Wars saga.  This rumor has the trilogy happening 100 to 1000 years after Return of the Jedi.

Oh yeah!  Another round of Star Wars.  Count me in!

I'm giong to try out Firefox Sync.  I hope this can be a good solution.  We'll see...

If you haven't heard, XMarks is closing shop in January 2011.

It's been a rough morning.  Code I thought was "perfect" has proven to behave like a two-year-old who is three hours past his naptime, refusing to take a nap, and cannot find his favorite blanket.

Yeah, that's bad.

So I was happy to find this line about how all programmers share one thing in common:

"The one language all programmers understand is profanity."

Happy coding!

Don't miss TLAPD coming this Sunday!

Tonight, after Hailey’s shower, I was helping her dry off when I rubbed her nose and said, “It won’t come off.  There’s something here on your face but it won’t come off!”

“No, Daddy.  That’s my nose.  It stays on my face.”

“A nose?” I questioned her.

“God put it there ‘cuz that’s how he made me.  He used special glue.”

There you go.

God has special glue.

 Today was a blast at KCDC!

Calling all Hitchhikers!  Do you know where your towl is?  It's Towel Day!

 After sixteen nights, Justyn is finally done with having his palate expander adjusted.

My family gave me tickets to Star Wars in Concert for this past Christmas.  The boys and I had a blast.  So, for Christmas 2010 I have an idea.

I mean, come on!  Who wouldn’t love to share this with their kids?

I just learned about a movie which I am now convinced I need to see.  It is called “The Human Experience”.  Be sure to go to the About page and read more.

The movie has already won several awards and my favorite quote about the movie is:

A doc with so much heart in the right place
-Indiewire

If you want to see the trailer, you can find it on the main site, but I think Apple’s site delivers the video more easily.

For my birthday, my parents talked with Julie to determine a good gift idea.  Julie made a good recommendation and I received EA Sport Active.  I only received the gift this past weekend, and I have to admit, I made an excuse on Monday morning and did not start using the program.  So Monday evening I set up my profile and I no longer had an excuse.

Tuesday morning I began the 30-day Challenge.  Granted, I started with the “Light Intensity” but I figure this is enough for my current level of activity.  Hopefully in 30 days I can try out the “Medium Intensity” level.

After two mornings, I can tell you this is not a simple game.  It really does challenge me.  The blasted Wii knows if I hold the position long enough, if I kick my legs high enough, etc.  Sometimes this is frustrating.  I mean, come on, I squatted and jumped but the rollerblade dude on the screen didn’t do these things!  Oh well, I will get more used to the...

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I’ve heard it called “Man speak” and a bunch of other stuff.  But here it is, plain and simple:

It is my birthday and my utopia is crumbling all around me.  To be more precise, it is melting all around me!  It is currently 42 degrees, and there is not a safe place in sight for my lovely snow.

See, if you didn’t know, I love the cold weather.  Big surprise – I was born in the winter during a snowstorm, after all.  So the big dump of snow right after Christmas was wonderful!  Sure, it caused some problems with traffic and schools were closed for two days longer than planned.  But overall, it was cold and there was plenty of snow.  Whoopee!

Then it started.  That nasty warm wind just had to mess with things.  Pretty soon we started seeing green grass where wonderful white snow was showing only the day before.  In the past two days we have lost three inches in snow depth.  And the trend is to stay warm for a few more days.

I guess nothing can last forever.  However, I found out Calvin agrees with me.  So at least there is one other snow lover out there.

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We turned on "Friendly URLs" on the web site and I have noticed a few issues with the blog posts.  So, here is a test to see if I have everything corrected.

Within the past twenty minutes I have been visited by our Chief Executive Office and our Chief Information Officer.  The day before Christmas and these two (and the others on the Executive Board, I am sure) are out and about talking with the employees and wishing them well during the holidays.

Yeah, there are many reasons why I am thankful I work at CommunityAmerica Credit Union.  Having a great group of executives is just one of them.

You will not know these people; I get that.  But what fun JibJab helps us create!  Take a look at people from my IS Division helping to tell a Christmas tale.

One of the things I enjoy about the holiday season is the food.  Who doesn’t?!?  This weekend I received one of my favorite candies:  ribbon candy.

Such a simple delight!

As you may have read, there is snow in Olathe.  I can only come up with one thing better: Star Wars in Concert!  Justyn, Carter, and I will be going to the Sprint Center tomorrow to attend.

I cannot wait!

This is my early Christmas present.  Julie says not to expect anything else under the tree.

Soooooo worth it!!

This evening we received our first “real” snow fall.  I put that in quotes because we did receive snow a few weeks ago but it burned off within 24 hours.  The snow we have now will not.  When it lasts for more than one day, that is a “real” snow.

It does sound like most everyone to the north of us is getting some of the coldest weather known.  While we do not have the cold-to-the-bone weather they do, it is cold and I am loving it!

The kids, of course, think school should be cancelled tomorrow.  Carter received a snow sled for his birthday and he really wants to try it out.  I do not think that will happen as he will be going to preschool just like Justyn will be going to school.  Ahh, the fun they can have at recess.

My co-workers have already told me I am not allowed to gloat about the weather too much.  I guess I can see their point.  But on a wonderfully cold morning like tomorrow will be, I cannot be held responsible for my cheerfulness.

Enjoy the cold!  Enjoy the snow!

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This morning was the first morning of the season where I actually said to myself, “Hmm, it is a bit cold out this morning.”

Finally!

When my co-worker arrived at the office this morning, she said, “You ought to be happy.  It’s snowing outside.”

Sure enough, there were a few flakes in the air.  I think they melted before they hit the ground.  Or if they made it to the ground, they melted quickly after that.  But at least there was snow coming out of the sky.

All of these are signs Old Man Winter will soon visit our area.  Come soon good sir.  Come soon.

I like attempting to answer tough philosophical questions.  Do you?  Ok.  Try this one out:

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a good bench?

I got this from The Grizwells; one of the comic strips I really enjoy.  Here is the original strip in case you want to see it.

A friend of my sent me to a fun page which shows What Stormtroopers do on Their Day Off.  Have a gander!  It’s worth it for all of us Star Wars fans.

It is November, right?  I mean, I think I read the calendar saying it is November.  Everyone I talk to says it really is November.

But around 8:30 p.m. this evening it was STILL 64 degrees outside.  We had the windows open all day and it was wonderful weather for us all to be outside.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful thing to do and we took advantage of it today.

So what, you may ask, is my problem?

It’s November!  Remember?  It is supposed to be cold!

Where’s the snow?  The ice? The freezing breath?  You know … the good stuff?!

Oh, right.  I forget.  Most people are not nuts about the cold weather like I am.  But I have been good.  I have endured the summer months.  I have enjoyed the Fall and now I am ready.

Bring on the snow!  Let the cold north wind blow and blow!  Where’s Jack Frost?  Get him on the phone and tell him he can come to Olathe any time he wants.

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OK.  Chalk one up for the noob!

I figured out how to set my Username and thus, the URL for my Facebook page.  Now, please, hold your applause.  It was nothing a great mind like me would not figure out soon.

You can find me at http://www.facebook.com/NEParis.

And, no.  I will not continue acting like such a smart a**.  I do that well enough with my every day attitude so going over the top as I have here will no longer be necessary.

I am not against social networking sites.  Heck, I have used many of them and continue to participate in several.  My question has always been how many of these I can continue to participate in.

Well, add another to the list.  Yup, I finally bit the Facebook bug.  I remember when this site was begging people to join up.  But I guess the times, they have changed.  ‘Tis about time I joined in.

So, if you are used to finding me in this corner of the ‘Net at www.neparis.com, you can now also find me on Facebook at xyz.  Wish I knew how to give you the direct link, but I do not.  Then again, I am still a noob and will have to learn how to use Facebook.

On Saturday, July 25th, the Cub Scout Pack had a Bicycle Rodeo.  Justyn was so excited about this bike ride and when you consider that at the start of June, he could not ride a bike without training wheels, he knew he had a lot to learn in a short amount of time.

I am so proud of my boys!

Justyn learned to ride his bike as of a few weeks ago and rode the entire distance of the Bicycle Rodeo.  His Grandpa France and Grandma France came down to ride along with him.  I cannot be sure, but I think Justyn enjoyed the ride more than his grandfather … maybe.�

It was great for me to watch Justyn take off and ride.  There were a lot of people around and yet he had no fear of riding at his own pace – whether that was 20 feet ahead of me or one city block.

Carter also decided he wanted to ride his bike.  I thought he would get tired about half-way through the first leg and want to turn back.  Nope.  Not Carter.  He rode the entire...

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My day has been a bit … interesting.  I work at 03:00 AM because one of the servers at work was having problems.  Six hours later I finally had breakfast, cleaned myself up, and went to work.  So, yeah.  Interesting is the best way to describe it.

Then I found the following video on You Tube.�

 







 

It made me laugh to think a demolition team spent time and energy to get this “just right” and they still had errors.  The server not working properly doesn’t seem as important now.

Hope you enjoy.

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Ever since installing Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 I have been having problems with setting my desktop wallpaper / background image.  I like to hide the desktop icons as I never use them.�

While the icons are hidden I can make all of the necessary updates to change the wallpaper but the image will not change.  However, if I go through a full reboot of the PC, the image will change.

While the icons are showing I can make all of the necessary updates to change the wallpaper and the image will change as desired.  However, as soon as I hide the icons again, the wallpaper changes back to whatever image was set when the icons where hidden.

While frustrating, I could deal with this issue.  Until the PC had an error and blue-screened.  Now, when I boot the PC, I receive the white screen telling me to reset my Active Desktop – which I do not use.

After struggling with this for several weeks now, I find out I am not alone.

Wallpaper only shows when icons are not hidden...

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My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were blessed yesterday with the birth of their first child.  Izabelle Lake Ruthie Goracke was born at 04:42 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska.  She was 5 lbs. 7 oz. and 17 1/4 in. long.

Izabelle was born a bit early, so she is getting special care at the hospital.  But she and her mom, are doing very well.

Praise God!  Another life is born … and to a wonderful couple of people.

I saw this on Dr. Dobb’s Code Talk today and laughed.  Thought the geeks out there might like it too.

A programmer started to cuss
Because getting to sleep was a fuss
As he lay there in bed
Looping 'round in his head
was: while( !asleep() ) sheep++;

You have to watch Remi Gaillard. This guy has serious skills...

I may have mentioned it earlier, but I honestly do not remember if I have … so forgive me if you’ve heard about it.

This week my father, brother, and sister-in-law have decided it would be fun to ride their bikes in the Bike Ride Across America (BRAN).  The route takes them from Trenton, NE, to Chalco Hills, NE.  Now, if you’re wondering, this route is roughly 410 miles over seven days.

Today was the first segment (Trenton to Cambridge) and according to my mother, it was fairly cold for the riders.  I wish them all the best.  It sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

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 Han Solo versus Magnum P.I.?  That I gotta see ...

Aldersgate United Methodist holds its Vacation Bible School this week.  This year’s theme is “Little Church on the Prairie”.  The program was written by our own church members and it sounds like it will be a blast!

Then, over the weekend, the church celebrates its 30th birthday.  There will be games, food (of course, we are Methodists after all) and lots of fun.



It always amazes me when I see events like the two I mention above get pulled off.  It is not the fact of having the event.  The church body continues to host great events.  What is amazing to me is how a body of individuals – with all of their own needs, schedules, goals for the week, etc. – can come together so efficiently and organize, staff, and run a large event.  I have a hard time getting the five members of my family...

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I have been working on updating the technology of the web site and, most importantly, of the blog on the site.  The nice thing for me is it is now easier for me to make a post to my blog.  The nice thing for you is you should start to see more postings. 

More to read is always good, right?

Oh, there is that thing about the author making it worth your while.  I will work on that.  Promise.

I have learned a lot this Easter Sunday.  God is an unusual, but highly effective, instructor.  Read on to see what He has helped me learn today.

... but I do not want it to snow this weekend.

OK, so there is only a 5% chance of snow on Saturday, but I really do not want it to happen.  < gasp! >

I know, I know.  Me, who loves the snow and cold.

But Justyn's soccer season starts this weekend and there is so much to do on the lawn and ... well, snow will just get in the way this weekend.

I promise to dance with the Winter Sprites again and sit with Old Man Winter any other time.  But not this weekend.

Well, the Survivor Challenge has come to an end.  Yes, I forgot to post anything about last week.  Sorry about that.

In the final week, I was able to start getting back into the swing of things.  It seems like the first week I was able to stay really focused on all of the various things I could do to earn points.  However, as the weeks went on, more of my normal habits crept back in and I lost points because, for example, I did not focus on eating correctly or drinking my water every day.

Overall, though, I had a good time and was even able to loose 17 pounds!  So I am not complaining at all.

The challenge now is to keep going.  I started my morning walk on Monday with about a 1/4 mile jog.  That was enough.  I cannot say it hurt to run that far, but I was sure doggin’ it by the end.  In many ways, that is hard for me to admit.  After all, I used to run seven miles as my warm-up routine during high school cross country.  I guess I had to work up to that mileage and I will have to work up to...

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OK.  Bad news first.  I blew it this week…

I started out the week well, but I have learned when I am on-call for work and tempted to stay up later at night, there are drastic changes in my daily schedule.  For starters, I do not get up in time to take my long walks in the morning.  Well, I went downhill fast and became lax on my nutrition / diet and even quit drinking my eight glasses of water each day.

Yeah, basically I blew it.

Come on Week 3 … I know I can do better!

As I wind down the first week of the CACU Survivor Challenge, I cannot decide how well I have done.  On some of the days I did really well, on others ... well, let's say not many points were earned.

Overall, though, it was a good week.

Exercise I have had a few really sore days, but that is to be expected.  I keep telling myself that I can work through it.  Only once during the week did I have to quit walking for a couple minutes.  I was able to complete the walk, but I did have to stop and let my ankles recover a bit.

Hopefully by the end of this coming week I will feel like I can start jogging a few mornings each week.  My personal goal is to be up to jogging four days per week by the end of Survivor Challenge.  It is a big goal since I have not done any running since my Sophomore year in college (around 1994).

Nutrition I keep hearing my co-workers complain about this section of the Challenge.  There is lots of talk about eating your three servings of fruit and four servings of...

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From February 23rd through March 22nd, people at CommunityAmerica are participating in our "Survivor Challenge".  Basically, this is a health challenge where we are forming our own tribes and working together to meet weekly health goals.

For example, I can earn one point for every 30 minutes of non-stop aerobic exercise.  Or one point for eating three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables.  There are a few more categories in which I can earn points, but the point is for each team member to earn points each week and then each team's progress will be plotted against all of the other teams.

I am not sure if the team with the most points will win anything, but I know they will have bragging rights.  Around the office, that may be more precious than gold.

I have decided to join the Survivor Challenge.  I am not sure what will happen over the next few weeks, but if everything goes well, I shall at least be a more fit person.  It...

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If you tried to view the Kids' Homework post earlier and could not see the image ... I am sorry.  I had the wrong security permissions set on the image file.  It works now.  Trust me.

A freind sent me this.  It is a good reminder why it is always best to check your children’s homework before they hand it in!

By the way, Mommy works at Home Depot.  She is selling a shovel.

I just learned a high school classmate passed away.

From a friend, I received "The Children's Bible in a Nutshell".  One heck-uv-a good read.

My friend Scott had a post recently titled, The Vocation of Parenthood.  While I am a bit behind contributing to the general conversation, I have finally taken time to get this post out.  I hope you enjoy.

I am watching a Geico ad this afternoon and noticed the beep of the metal detector.  It sure sounded like a drum beat I used to hear on a fall morning ... and no, I can not repeat the words which go to that drum beat. 

All of you band-alumni will know exactly what I mean when I say "____ Beat".

Go Big Red!

Got a favorite Christian music artist or group?  Please let me know, as I am looking for some new music to listen to.

I was looking at a golf magazine during lunch and came across a gadget which I really think I need.  It is called the GClip, and is made by Fine Tune Golf, Inc.

This simple device has spots for everything I tend to carry in my pockets:

• Ball Marker
• Tee Holder
• Divot Tool
• Glove Grip / Holder

I think it is the best priced golf gadget I have seen in a long time.  I checked on Amazon and they have it!  So, add this to my Christmas List.

I just read at Ted's site about the recent changes to House, the movie.  The move received an "R" rating, and while I do not think it is warranted from what I know about the movie, I must say the movie could be scary as heck.

I remember reading the book and getting so caught up in the story that I found myself shallow breathing and sweating a bit during a few scenes.  If my imagination is anything like what the movie makers put on-screen, whew!  This will be a powerful movie.

And, of course, I have to see it.  I am not convinced I will see it in the theater -- mainly because I am cheap and $8.00 for a ticket is terrible -- but I might be convinced otherwise if I can find a few friends to go. 

Yeah, I know.  It looks like an excuse for some moral support during the scary parts.

I'm a chicken.

...

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After changing the name of a tab on the web site, I blew up the URL for my blog.  Read on to learn the latest.

Over lunch, I got a chance to play "The Force Unleashed" and oh wow!

I keep getting asked for gift ideas.  Not that this bothers me, I am just forgetful.  I can not remember who I gave what idea to nor even if it was a good idea.

So, here is my Christmas 2008 wish list on Amazon.com.  I have listed seveal books, CDs, DVDs, and a few camping supplies.  But you're right, it's mostly a book list.  :-)

Take a look, and if you have any questions, please let me know.

What can happen when kids have five minutes alone and a few markers?  Nothing, you say .... oh ye of little creativity.

I am really enjoying Picasa.  It is simple to use, can handle tons of pictures and still keep things organized, and it's actually fun to mess with all of my digital photos now.

Take a look at our Picasa albums if you want to see what is going on in the France family.

OK, if your mind is in the gutter, congratulations! You still think with the mind of a 25-year-old, sleep deprived, beer guzzlin' band geek! But if you are wondering what happened, read on.

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This weekend we headed to Omaha to spend time with my parents. We had a great time. Read the full post (it's a bit longer than normal for me) and learn what we were up to this weekend.

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I learned today about the Google Chrome browser.  I had not heard of it before, so of course, I had to download and run the thing.

So far, it is not too bad.  The install is simple and the options available in the browser are also simple to understand.  The interface is pretty good, although basic -- like many Google interfaces.  The nice thing is you only see what you need to see.

I will keep playing with this browser and see how I like it.  So far, things look promising.

Tonight we went to Justyn's school for Parents' Night.  It was a good time to see the school, learn about things like the PTO, and get a chance to meet with Justyn's teacher.

But the thing I noticed most about being in the First Grade room was how every square inch of the room was about learning and participating in the school day.  In one section they had their spelling words, in another was the math area, another section held the art work, another had the mailboxes, and so on and so on.  Everything was colorful, bright, and made you want to look at it.

So I began to wonder when it was that I quit seeing the bright, encouraging, positive rooms and started to see more of the tan, barren walls which are in so many office buildings.  I know I saw interesting, fun decorations all through high school so, perhaps it was during college or slightly later.

What if we all worked in areas which were built like a First Grade room.  Now, I am not saying we need spelling words on the walls or that we need...

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I know I have been on a comics kick, but here is one more to laugh at.  I just saw a Dilbert cartoon this morning which made me about fall out of my chair.  The discussion around the office table goes like this:

Pointy-Haired Boss: I've decided to standardize the department on a new programming language.

Dilbert: With all due respect, that sort of decision should be made by someone who knows his mass from a black hole.

Pointy-Haired Boss: The vendor warned me that you couldn't be objective.

Now, that was crafty writing on Scott's part.  Getting "...his mass from a black hole" around the censors ... great writing!

And it made me laugh really hard, which is the best part.

You have to love it when you hear a good joke. It is even better when the joke is about your own people ... and the joke is good. Here is one such example recently given to me by a friend at work.

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Poor Jason Fox.  Once again he gets it from his mother.

I was thinking last night about some of the cartoons I watched as a kid.  One of my favorites was Animaniacs.  Here are some classic lines from the two best mice in the business:

The Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: I think so Brain, but burlap chafes me so.

The Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: I think so, but where will we find an open tattoo parlor at this time of night?

The Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: Well, I think so Brain, but if we didn't have ears, we'd look like weasels.

The Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: I think so, Brain, but if the plural of mouse is mice, wouldn't the plural of spouse be spice?

I had not heard about this, but take a look at Gizmodo's "first glimpse" article on Lego Universe.  I did not know anything about this MMOG (that's Massively Multi-player Online Game for those who do not know) but it looks really cool.  I will have to do more research, and maybe buy this game.

After all of the time I spent in Blockland, Lego Universe should totally rock!

Today I grabbed a quarter out of my pocket and it made me think a bit.  I remember growing up and being told by my parents I should try to always have a quarter with me so I could call for help at a pay phone in an emergency.

What kid today will be told to carry a quarter in case of an emergency?  Cell phones dominate the landscape and quarters can be found all over.  So, statistically speaking, it is the pay phone which will be hard to find.  In fact, I am not sure if pay phones even still exist out there in the wild, but I bet they are a very rare beast indeed.

So, after realizing the quarters life lesson will not be taught to my children, I began to wonder what other things my kids will not know.  There are the obvious historical references which they will not know about.  But what social habits or cultural things will they look back and say, "You did that?!?"  I guess recent history says I do not have to worry about those 80's fashions as they may be back in vogue by the time my kids are teenagers.

...

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I spent the weekend with my dad working on bathrooms.  It seemed like such an easy thing to do.  Afterall, we only had to put down new floors. But I learned a full day of cutting carpets, lifting vynil flooring rolls, and crawling on your knees can really put a price on your muscles and back. 

So I have once again said to myself, "Time to get into better shape!"

Now to put my mind to it and actually go out in the early morning to do my exercises.  I had been doing a good job of waking up early and getting used to that again.  Now I am sleeping in until 5:45 or 6:00.  That's too late for me to begin much of a workout as my children are awake within 20 - 35 minutes.

But this week is the week.  I am committing myself to this and I will begin to exercise so I can get back to a healthier status.

The other day I ate at a restaurant which hands out fortune cookies.  My fortune spoke to me of playing more Guild Wars, especially Eye of the North.  However, Julie is not so sure.  The fortune read:

Explore the backroads of the north with a new friend.

So, what do you think?  Am I right or what?

I know Scott had this up on Monday, but I just saw it. This fun stuff is by Tim Hawkins.

The headline may be a bit much, but I bet it caught your attention. :-)

Over the past few weeks I have been watching as birds continue to fly through our neighborhood.  Normally I find their presence quit appealing as I like to watch the birds.  Hailey also likes to point out the birds in my yard, which is fun because you do not know if he "DA!" means:

Dad! There's something in the yard. Man, look at that bird! Oh my!  Do you see the size of that bunny?! Anyway, the birds are not necessarily the problem.  Their poop is.

It is on my swing set, bushes, the swings themselves, my grill, toy shed, and multiple places along the fence.  That's just the back yard!

Last week I looked at the second story windows and noticed a barrage of "bird shots" near the window.  Now, this window is under the roof's overhang, so getting a "shot" in there is rather remarkable.

This morning I walked to my car and noticed the birds have managed to pepper it with several different types of ammo.  The worst...

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While looking at comics this morning -- and yes, I still read the comics! -- I came across one which really made me sit up and pay attention.

I learned that Blizzard has announced Diablo III.  WOW!!  Yeah, WOW and not WoW!

If you have not checked out the Photos tab on the site in a while, please do.  I finally have taken some time to update the Photobucket.com albums I have.  So now you can see some new pictures of the France clan.

A co-worker told me this the other day.  I loved the definition and had to share it.

Stress:  The confusion created when the mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living daylights out of someone who desperately deserves it.

If you use Agile methods, then today's Dilbert comic strip is for you.

Just a few days after I made this post, I found out the guild had been disbanded.  Evidently the GM's account had been compromised and the GM had to rebuild the guild.  The good news is the guild has been rebuilt, and I was invited back!

Here is the new cape, just in case you are interested.