2nd Braves game this week!

We have about 20 minutes until the game starts. The Braves had a devastating loss to the Giants last night. Tonight they face the Arizona Diamondbacks. Atlanta has never lost a game I've attended, so hopefully that will continue tonight.

Life is Good in Round Rock

Blogged with Flock

Auburn schedule wallpaper

It's finally available for the 2007 season! Enjoy.

New pocket knife

For the past few years, I've been carrying a monogrammed Swiss Army Classic SD silver alox knife. It's very small and thin and I bought one for myself and several to give the groomsmen in our wedding. For a while now, I've been wanting a slightly larger knife that was still very small and thin, so last night, I bought a Benchmade Model 10610 (Stainless). I got it at a great Army/Navy Surplus store in Kennesaw.

2006 Polaris Hawkeye 4x4

This is a picture of the model of ATV I'm buying. My brother-in-law had one to sell, and I was looking for one, so it seemed like a good match.

I'll try to supply some pictures of my first ride (provided I am able to protect my enormous melon).

One Industries Kombat Monster Energy Helmet

This is the helmet I ordered this afternoon. There are two questions that might immediately jump to mind. Here are the answers to those two questions.

• I am purchasing an ATV for the heck of it
  
• My huge head is so large that a helmet must be special-ordered. If I only had a normal (or even an extra large) human-sized cranium, then I could have had my pick of 100 different models that were in stock.
  

Barry Bonds loses...

We went to see the Braves beat the Giants last night and that's what happened. Whenever Barry got to bat, some people screamed "Cheat-er!" or "Ster-oids!" or just booed. Others (like Amy and I) didn't react to Barry's appearance in Atlanta and others gave standing ovations whenever he stood at the plate.

There was a sign hanging from The Chop House that showed "758*" and there were people that were holding up asterisks and even wearing asterisks on their shirts. The asterisk, of course, indicate that the record over hometown hero Hank Aaron is tainted.

Is this how you spell heely?

Cheap wheels...

I buy tires at Discount Tire Company because they fix flats for free (even if you didn't buy them there). That's service! I took a flat there to be fixed and saw these 20" wheels for $75 each. Good deal, but my 17" tires are expensive enough.

Jock's & Jill's remove jersey.

Right around the time that Michael Vick was indicted, Amy and I sat at a table under a Michael Vick jersey. The other night, we went there with Anna and Jeff and that jersey has been removed and replaced with that of a different Falcon (sorry, I don't remember which one).

Auburn's Gandy gives up football

Auburn linebacker Steve Gandy is giving up football after sustaining his fourth concussion in eight months.

Bo knows ...

...that you can get awesome nachos at Jocks and Jills in Atlanta.

These seats are awesome...

Tonight, Anna and Jeff are treating us to the Braves game against the Colorado Rockies. We are in the third row behind home plate. Plus, it's Disco Night - I like the nightlife, I like to boogie...

USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll

The USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll just came out and Auburn is ranked 14th. The SEC has 6 teams in the top 20!

This dance video is awesome...

I know that most of you probably saw this weeks ago, but just in case...

Free Art !

This piece of art was sitting on the floor of the common room in our apartment complex that houses the garbage chute. I imagine that it was discarded when the lone wolf who owned it got married.

CONCERT.TV

On our new cable setup, we have a channel on ON DEMAND called CONCERT.TV – live.music.television. They have old and recent concerts that you can watch (with commercials). I watched an awesome Allman Brothers concert (a band that I've never been a big fan of) and a mediocre concert from Little Feat (a band I've loved for years). They also have some live footage on their website, so you might want to check that out.

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time : Rolling Stone

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time : Rolling Stone
There are a couple of obvious (to me) omissions:
Ace Frehley
Ted Nugent

Let me know your favorite guitarist that was left off the list...

Indigo Girls in Atlanta

Indigo Girls in Atlanta, originally uploaded by indigospike.

This weekend, our friend Kerri was in town to visit her Aunt Mary. The four of us went to see the Indigo Girls qt the Atlanta Botanical Garden. This was the second time I've seen them. If you've never seen them, I would highly recommend it.

It was close to two hours of Amy and Emily on the stage alone with their two guitars. They just rock like few acts I've ever seen.

A few words from Coach

Coach Tommy Tuberville of Auburn talks about the 2007 Season on 07/18/2007 at Atlanta Auburn Club's Annual Scholarship Evening & Silent Auction

A less than effective street signed

I scream. You scream...

We all scream for ice cream.

Apparently, even Spidey screams for ice scream.

Correspondence about the Break-In!

Saturday, I recieved the following in a post card.

This notice is to inform you that the report you made to the Atlanta Police Department is being investigated by the Zone 6 Investigations Unit.
It is important that you contact me as soon as possible regarding this report. Your assistance is necessary to bring this case to a successful conclusion.

Please call me between the hour of ___7____ and ___3___ any day except _Sun_ and _Mon_.

Esta noticia es para informarle que el reporte que usted hizo con la Policia de Atlant esta investigacion con el departmento de investigaciones en la Zone 6.
Es importante que usted(es) se comunique lo mas pronto posible sobre este reporte. Su asistencia es necesario para una conclusion prosperosa.

Por favor llame entre las horas de ____ y _____ cualquier dia menos ____ y ____

I couldn't call Sunday or Monday. Tuesday, I forgot to take the postcard with me, so I didn't have the number. Wednesday, I called and the investigator was out. I called Thursday and was finally able to speak to the investigator. She said they were just checking to see if I had any questions and to let me know the report number, which I already knew.

Why would the City of Atlanta waste taxpayers money by sending a stamped postcard and answering two unnecessary phone calls for no reason? If the postcard is deemed to be of some value, then they should change the wording to something like this:

This notice is to inform you that the report you made to the Atlanta Police Department has been sent to the Zone 6 Investigations Unit. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me. Please note the Incident report is listed in the bottom left corner of the postcard.

Este aviso es informarte que el informe que hiciste al policía de Atlanta el departamento se ha enviado a la unidad de las investigaciones de la zona 6. Si tienes preguntas, sentirte por favor libre entrarme en contacto con. Observar por favor el informe de incidente se enumera en la esquina izquierda inferior de la postal.

Why just Spanish and English ? Why not Japanese ?

この通知はあなたがアトランタの警察に作ったレポートが地帯6の調査の単位に送られたこと知らせることである。 質問を有したら、私に連絡すること自由に感じなさい。 以下の事項に注意して下さい:事件レポートは郵便はがきの左下のコーナーにリストされている。

Shattered. Shattered

This morning, I walked out to my truck and saw this. I have to park on the street in our current residence. This is the second window I will have replaced since moving here 8.5 months ago. The new place has a very secured parking garage, so this should be the last one.

Georgia Roots and Music Festival

Amy and I are in Hiawassee, GA watching bluegrass band after bluegrass band. We are here with one of Amy's coworkers.

We saw a canine Frisbee demonstration which was awesome. I have some video that I hope to post later of that.

It ain't like it used to be...

This is one of the things that David's Bridal carries. I would only know that because Amy needed to get a bridesmaid dress for Jeff and Anna's wedding.

My friend, Ken Golden, once said that time never passed as slowly as when you were waiting on a pizza from Chanello's. Ken, I feel sure that you never went to David's Bridal.

It's time for Plymouth to return

I've been a fan of Dodge and Plymouth since I was a kid. Dad didn't buy anything but Dodges or Plymouth's since I was born (except for a Buick Century which was sort of a one-time deal). I've had one Chevrolet, twp Plymouths and five Dodges. This guy has written a lucid editorial on why the Plymouth badge should be brought back. I wholeheartedly agree.
Allpar Weblogs » It's time for Plymouth to return

The view from our new apartment!

We just signed the lease and got the keys to our new apartment in Midtown. This place is so 'off the chain' that the chain itself is just a distant memory.

Flashlight Improvement

I saw this on Lifehacker. He takes a $5 flashlight and hacks it to be superior to a $95 flashlight. I think I'm gonna try it...

$10 Police Flashlight Hack! - video powered by Metacafe

Spaten Optimator

This was a very large pint. Amy drank 2 Strongbows in the same time as my one Spaten Optimator (that's just fun to say).

A grave for A Graves

A grave for A Graves, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Last night, we drove through the Oakland cemetery and I saw this mausoleum. I asked Amy to pull over so I could take a picture of it. It was only after she had stopped that I saw that it had the appropriate name.

Chevrolet Prism - Hustler Version

Chevrolet Prism - Hustler Version, originally uploaded by eschulz.

This was never the most popular Prism version, but it certainly was an important car in the history of the Chevrolet brand.

HBTYHBTYHBDDTFESHBTY

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday Dear Does the fun ever start?
Happy Birthday to you.

Does the fun ever start ? is finally out of the terrible twos. It's had its 3rd birthday.

Beyond Unlimited - It's gonna cost you!

Beyond Unlimited - It's gonna cost you, originally uploaded by eschulz.

Interstate Travel

We live about an hour from Tennessee and about an hour from Alabama. This is very different from when we lived in Central Texas. Austin was at least 5 hours from any other state, so months would pass without crossing a state border. This is my interstate travel for the past week!

05/10/07 Georgia -> Alabama
05/11/07 Alabama
05/12/07 Alabama --> Georgia --> Tennessee --> Georgia --> Alabama
05/13/07 Alabama --> Georgia
05/14/07 Georgia --> Alabama --> Georgia
05/15/07 Georgia --> Alabama --> Georgia
05/16/07 Georgia

Bird hunting

I just drove back from Alabama. I sat down on the couch. The neighbors walked by the front windows, so I looked towards the window and saw this image. I was about 15 feet away and I had no idea what it could be. I walked up to it and it looked like it might be a dead bird. I gathered some weapons and other tools (actually a 32 oz cup and a paper grocery sack).

I positioned the grocery bag under the motionless bird and tried to use the cup as a scoop to move the bird into the bag. It was at the point that I realized that the bird was not, in fact, dead. He shot by my head and flew across the room. I took about a minute to evaluate tools that might be more appropriate for capturing a living bird that is in the house.

At this point, I was armed with a 32oz cup, paper grocery sack and am anxiety that I couuldn't shake. I put the bag on the ground and tried to shoo the bird into the bag. That didn't work. What I needed was a new plan.

I then put the bag on the ground and tried to shoo the bird into the bag. It worked !

I assumed that the bird was injured, so I called Amy to see what she thought was the most humane way to handle it. We decided I should release it and when I did it flew through the neighbor's backyard and disappeared.

Lowered Lincoln

You don't see one of these lowered very often.

Go Braves ! (reprise)

Friday, the Braves beat the Dodgers 4-0. Yesterday, the Dodgers won 6-3. Today, we're at Turner Field to see the Braves try to take the series 2-1.

Elephants

Shake your bootie

Six weeks ago, I injured my foot and it hasn't healed as quickly as I would have thought it should. Yesterday, I went to a podiatrist, who explained that I had torn a ligament. She said I needed to wear this air cast for four weeks. We're going on a cruise in three weeks, so this will be healed by then...

Great Strides

Today, Amy and I were going to walk in Great Strides. For reasons that I will mention later, Amy is walking and I am sitting in the park, waiting for her return. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and money to fight Cystic Fibrosis. This is an awesome display of the love of family and friends. There are teams of up to 30 (just a guess) all honoring a victim of the disease.

The event is being held at ZooAtlanta.

Go Braves !

Tonight we're at Turner Field to see the Braves play the Dodgers. This is the first of a three game series. Hopefully, the Braves will win big.

Life is cheap in Atlanta (and everywhere)

11Alive.com - One Dead in Road Rage Stabbing

A Gwinnett County man is dead after a suspected case of road rage in Midtown Atlanta on Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old Tony Newberry was in his SUV with his wife and 4-year-old daughter when, family members said, he was stabbed to death by a man who followed him down Interstate 85.

Weapons are everywhere. We need to find a way to deal with violence in a more thorough manner. This guy chased down a young family, pulled the guy out of his vehicle and brutally stabbed the father 4 times in front of his wife and child.

Nice rear end...

It's not every day that you see one of these. I believe it's a new Bentley Continental. It was parked outside West Elm, a trendy furniture store in Atlantic Station.

Neato

The Amazing Spider Car

Ouch!

This is the first time I've bought gas in the last couple of weeks. Luckily, I don't have to drive so much in Atlanta.

Jesus Freak

Based on the other stickers and markings, this is our guess for this plate. (This was originally placed from the Q in the parking lot of Raging Burrito in Decatur. I then edited a typo on the PC).

From Georgia to Georgetown

I am writing this blogpost in a friend's study in Georgetown, Kentucky. Amy and I drove up last night (about 6.5 hours from Atlanta). I am using Marybeth and John's computer while seated in a luxurious leather chair with two (of the five) cats sharing the study. They are both sprawled out in the sun.

This is the way a Saturday morning should be enjoyed. I'm not sure what we're doing for the rest of the day, but tomorrow we are going to Keeneland to enjoy some horse racing.

Motorola Q

Well, my faithful readers have been clamoring for information on what phone I purchased it (and then I went ahead and ruined the suspense by titling this post Motorola Q). I appreciate the interest from both of you.

The PN-820 did look cheap and old school, while the Q is sleek and innovative. There is nothing on this phone that doesn't need to be there.

I added a 2GB Mini-SD card that I bought a couple of months ago. I have loaded up some freeware and have been fairly pleased with it. Yesterday, I accidentally turned it off, which takes about 20 seconds. During the time it was powering off, I accidentally called my wife on speakerphone, so she answered and I was unable to respond and then the phone completed powering off and hung up on her. Twice yesterday, I somehow invoked the speakerphone.

It's a learning experience and it's fun.

Today, I get a new phone

I've had my Treo 600 for about two years. Today I can (finally) upgrade to a new device. The two phones in the running are the Motorola Q and the Verizon Wireless PN-820. I'll try to post something later in the day about the one I choose.

Big Man Package

Just so you know: Here 'liquor stores' are called 'package stores' so as not to upset any southern sensibilities. I guess 'Big Man Package' would, huh?

Mexican food in Atlanta

Uncle Julio's Casa Grande – Translation “Big House” – Named appropriately, tastes much like prison food. The décor is nice, the service is good and the horrible food is very, very overpriced.

Zocolo - This is a cool place with great outdoor seating. Even the indoor seating is outside, because the front and right side walls are temporary and roll up. The food is very good and the menu is not standard Tex-Mex.

El Azteca - This is a standard Tex-Mex restaurant, the decor is OK, the service is wonderful and the food is very good.

An oddity about Georgia restaurants: We're used to ordering 'Queso' or 'Chile Con Queso' as an appetizer. If you order that here (even in a Mexican restaurant) they look at you funny and say "Cheese dip ?".

I was scared that we wouldn't be able to replace Chuy's in Texas. We haven't been able to, but we have found a couple of places to satisfy our Mexican food cravings/

The Miracles of Modern Medicine

Two and half weeks ago, I fell in the backyard and injured my foot. That day, I ended up walking 2.5 miles after the injury. When I got home, my foot and ankle were clearly injured, but in my opinion (not to mention the opinion of a dentist and a medical social worker) that my ankle was not sprained. So, ever since then, my foot has been getting better each day (the ankle never hurt after the first day). However, due to my advanced age and fear of hurting something else because I’d been walking like Dr. Gregory House for the past couple of weeks, I decided to go to a doctor. The office visit was $30 and it cost $179 for three X-Rays of my foot. It was worth it, however, because now (well actually in 10 days after my second visit), I feel sure that I will be told that my foot was injured in the fall and will heal in time.

What do you mean by High Gravity?

Tonight, Amy and I went to Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta and I ordered 2 pints of Terrapin Rye Squared. It's brewed in Athens and after the first one, the waitress said "This is a high gravity beer'. Well, about two sips into the second one, my IQ dropped by 30 (and if you know me, you know that I don't have 30 points to spare. It was way too drinkable to have 8.5% alcohol). Be careful. I write this hoping that it will make sense tomorrow when my IQ goes back to a more reasonable number.

RYE SQUARED
Rye Squared

Double the malt, double the hops, and double the flavor of the original Rye Pale Ale recipe. (Hence the name Rye Squared.) With its mammoth hop aroma, bitterness and flavor, this beer is not for the faint at heart. The Rye Squared clocks in at a hefty 8.5% ABV so double your pleasure and double your fun because Terrapin went a little crazy with this one!

Malt: 2-row pale, Munich, Malted Rye, Bisuit Malt, Honey Malt.

Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle, Magnum.

IBU's: 80
O.G.: 22.3
ABV: 8.5%

Get smart

The smart fortwo is finally going to be available in the US next year and you can reserve one today. 40mpg - $12,000. Be the first on your block...

'Coping' with an HIV diagnosis

Coping with an HIV diagnosis: "Apparently overwhelmed by a business deal gone bad and recently learning they were HIV-positive, two men in Midtown Atlanta attempted to end their lives earlier this month by placing their arms underneath a circular miter saw and lowering the blade until it chopped their limbs off.

The men amputated three of their arms before Atlanta police officers and emergency medical personnel rushed to their apartment building near 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue just after 10 a.m. on March 9. "

I wonder how they decided which one would die with two arms and which would die with one (it takes one arm to work the saw). I wonder if this incident will make them re-evaluate their relationship (they both lived). I wonder how traumatized the emergency personnel who entered the room are.

Hypnic jerk

Sometime my legs jerk when I'm falling asleep. I just foumd out that's called a Hypnic jerk.

Atlanta Journal Constitution 2007 Auto Show

Saturday, Amy and I went to the Atlanta Journal Constitution 2007 Auto Show. Check out the photos!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This is how to spend this holiday: Drive from Georgia to sit in a Texas Honky-Tonk in Alabama listening to a band named Reckless from Tennessee. Happy birthday, Terry. You were right: I like 'em!

Ready for St Patrick's Day?

Einstein Brother's is.. They have Green Chili bagels today.

Starlight Six Drive-In - First Time!

You may remember that last April, I mentioned our plan to attend the Starlight Six Drive-In. It was a hoot. Amy had never been to a drive-in and I hadn't been to one since I was in college. We had a second row spot in the center of the screen. We took Amy's car and the sound played through the stereo, so it sounded great.

We saw Daddy's Little Girls and Dreamgirls. Guess which we liked better!

Be sure and look on DriveInMovie.com to find a drive-in in your area.

Daddy's Little Girls

The other night we went to see a double feature, and one of the movies was Daddy's Little Girls. On the surface, it was a pleasant enough movie with a predictable and happy ending. The movie has been very popular here in Atlanta, because it was made here (just 2-3 miles from our house)

As I've thought more and more about it, I've decided that it was a badly written mess. It was clear that it was written by a man who doesn't respect women. Every woman was a caricature of a woman's worst possible attributes. There wasn't one female adult character that I would want to be in the same room with for even a minute.

The film was not the least bit believable. When I went to IMDB to get the link for the movie, I see that it is rated at a 2.1 (and is the 32nd worst movie ever).

Congratulations Eber & Anna!

On Friday, Eber asked his girlfriend Anna to marry him. They're planning a September wedding. Please join me in wishing them all the best. Woohoo!

All the Best Picture nominees

Today, Amy and I are going to an AMC theater to see the AMC Best Picture Showcase. The tickets are $30 each. The tickets include a free large popcorn, free large drink, unlimited refills all day and a collectible pass. These are the movies we'll see:

• Babel IMDB Rating: 7.8
• The Queen IMDB Rating: 7.7
• The Departed IMDB Rating: 8.4
• Letters From Iwo Jima IMDB Rating: 8.3
• Little Miss Sunshine IMDB Rating: 8.1

We've actually seen The Departed, so if we need a break in the middle, we can take one.

Alannis, THIS is ironic

Wimbledon to pay men and women equally, here's an exploitative picture of a female tennis player (brought to you courtesy of Google Newa).

Tagged

Tagged: Wrote graffiti on

Consider this graffiti in response to my wife's tagging me.

Five weird things about me (it was hard to.... (never mind, nobody's buying that))

1. I have a wildly inflated sense of Ego because of my blog.
2. I have never liked, nor been in favor of, moving the headlight dimmer switch to a steering wheel stalk. I liked the button on the floorboard near the dead pedal where God intended it to be.
3. Even now, I absolutely despise getting haircuts.
4. I believe in quantity over quality when it comes to humor (and it shows)
5. I can't set the thermostat at our house and I have to have Amy do it. It's programmable, but who can figure these things out?

I choose to tag Al and Justin. Enjoy!

(Both of them could use some fresh content)

The Letter Zero

User: Do you mean the number Zero or the letter Zero?
Me: There is no letter Zero

Other possible lines:

1. Let's say for the purpose of this demonstration that there is no letter Zero
2. Yes, that's the letter Zero followed by the number Turtle.
3. Turn off the computer NOW!
4. Your pipe is large and holds many stones.

Most Successful Merger of the Year:

Pick just one:

• Chrysler and General Motors
• XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio
• Britney Spears and Crazy

Appropriate name

What would you call the new Cologne from Sean John Combs (AKA Diddy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puff and Puffy)? Keep in mind that in order to fabricate a hit song, he exploited his relationship to the Notorius B.I.G while ruining a Police song.

Unforgivable

For the first time since I was 16...

I find myself without a Texas Driver's License. Saturday, I got my new Georgia DL and they took my Texas DL. It's like Canadian money; it's pretty, but it doesn't seem real.

NJ Based Pinnacle Foods Group Sold

Somehow, Google News decided that a picture of the Unabomber, Theodore John "Ted" Kaczynski, was the most appropriate picture.

Best headline about Windows Vista

Hassle-free Vista or hasta la vista?

Clocks shouldn't run 'fast' or 'slow'

I often hear people say that they set their watch or clock 'fast' or 'slow' for some reason. I don't get it. My watch allows me to set it ahead or behind, but I can't alter the speed at which the mechanism runs. If the clock runs at the wrong speed, then just say it's 'broken' and throw it away.

Songwriters Tour

Last night, we went to the Tabernacle (concert venue, former church) to see the Songwriters Tour featuring Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Joe Ely & Guy Clark. It was awesome. These four great songwriters just sat on stage with 4 guitars and played for a solid two hours. They took turns playing and singing. First was Guy Clark, then Joe Ely, then John Hiatt, then Lyle Lovett. They did that 5 times, and then played a song together, then left the stage. After an encore, they did 5 more songs.

Amy and I have been Lyle Lovett fans for years. He introduced as to Guy Clark via Lyle's Step Inside This House album. Joe and John get a lot of play on KGSR in Austin, so we were familiar with them.

I think Amy and I are going to have to head out on a CD buying spree.

Trip to Stone Mountain

stone mountain carving, originally uploaded by Joelk75.

Yesterday, we took Amy's new car (I expect you can read about that in the next few days at her blog) to Stone Mountain. As some of you may know, I used to work for Stone Mountain Insurance Company and this image was embossed on all my business cards.

This is the second time Amy and I went there (the first must have been 7 years ago). Last time, we didn't have much time, so we took the Skyride to the top, snapped a few pictures and then rode the Skyride back down.

Yesterday, we had more time, so we took the Skyride to the top, then walked around on top of the mountain, then walked down the mountain and back to the car, which was a pretty good hike.

Here's a little bit about the carving:

The Confederate Memorial Carving depicts three Southern heroes of the Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The figures measure 90 by 190 feet, surrounded by a carved surface that covers three acres, it is larger than a football field – the largest relief sculpture in the world. The carving is recessed 42 feet into the mountain. Work on the carving began in 1915 and was finally complete in 1972.

Franchise Record - Thrashers

Tonight, during the first period, the Atlanta Thrashers set a franchise record by scoring 3 points in 100 seconds:

Thrashers vs Islanders

Ilm here. Match is about to start! Sitting in the high dollar box seats at mid-rink!

Chattanooga Auto Show

I went to the O'Reilly World of Wheels Custom Auto Show Saturday and here's the Flickr set of photos.

Not anoher moving day!!!

Today, my mother moves into her new home in Fort Payne, AL. We borrowed a truck and have hired three guysm to move everything, but it's still stressful.

Ramones Mural

Shot with the Treo - Decatur, GA

Bad Kiss Mural

Shot with the Treo - Decatur, GA

Happy New Year!

Woman swallows spoon in laughing fit

New Laptop

To the tune of "To all the girls I loved before"

To all the folks who gave me cash.
I bought a Dell and got a rash

Note: I did not get a rash...

But several people have given me money for my birthday or Christmas. Tuesday, I ordered a Dell Inspiron 6400 (it's the same system as the Inspiron E1505, which is more expensive) . Here are the high points.

• Intel Core Duo processor T2050 (2MB/1.60GHz/533MHz)
• 15.4 Inch TrueLife Wide-screen WXGA
• 512MB, DDR2, 533MHz
• 80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Service Pack 2, English
• 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
• Dell Wireless 1390 802.11b/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
• 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Microsoft Works 8.5
• 3 Year Dell Hardware Warranty Plus Onsite Service
• Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0 + EDR)
• ExpressCard Media Remote for Bluetooth-enabled Notebook
• Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Basic

It cost almost exactly $1000, but that's a great configuration which should last me years (I do plan to upgrade the RAM to 1.5GB).

Bad Marketing 101

So, is the decapitated cat's head supposed to make the food more appealing?

Slow Day E

Yesterday was a slow day at work and I found a completely new use for Notepad...

Mobile Blogging Audio Test

I've already tested the ability to send text and photos from myTreo. This test will be to see if audio and drawings work too.

Lunch at The Vortex

This is a test of the mobile blogging features of Blogger. This picture was snapped the other day in Little 5 Points.

(The above portion of this message was sent directly to Blogger via MMS (this is often called picture messaging). The picture existed on my Treo and I just added the text. I then sent it to Blogger and after claiming the address of my phone, it was placed on my blog with no other intervention. This will enable me to get back to blogging as my schedule hasn't really allowed it, but I have my entire lunch hour to blog now. That means you can expect to see more content (not better content - this has to do with quantity over quality)

Blogger - Out of Beta !!!

Woohoo! Now everyone can add tags to their blogs and take advantage of all of the cool templates.

Another Bad Verizon Experience

You may remember that about 18 months ago, I purchased a new Smartphone (Treo 600). I have never been pleased with the voice quality of the phone, but I generally like everything else about it.

I have had several bad experiences with Verizon Wireless, some of which I have mentioned in this blog before and some I haven't. I will list them here to inform you and refresh my tired memory.

At the time of purchase, I was lied to a couple of times at the store, and contemplated canceling my contract. I didn't because another store made me a believer again.

After I started working for the company where I now work, I learned that I could get 25% off my bill. I filled out the paperwork and started getting the discount. However, I was only getting a discount on my voice service, not the data plan or insurance. I called Verizon when I noticed that they had a plan for $80, which included voice and data, so since it was a single price, I assumed (and customer service assured me) that I would get the discount on the full amount, At that tine, my two year contract had to be renewed to make that change. After this, my bill was virtually the sane and when I've complained, everyone has apologized that I was given bad data.

2-3 months ago, Verizon called me and said that my text messaging had gone over my limit and I should get a different plan, which would provide more sms / mms usage. That change never occurred,

Last week, Verizon called me and said that my text messaging had gone over my limit and I should get a different plan, which would provide more sms / mms usage. I made that change and before the guy hung up, he asked me how I liked my phone and I said I didn't and I was counting the days till I could replace it under the New Every Two plan. He said that I didn't have to wait and if I went by a Verizon store, they would make me a great deal because of the holidays and it would be even cheaper than if I waited until April.

Saturday, Amy and I went to the Verizon Store. I had narrowed my choices down to the Motorola Q and the Verizon (Audiovox) VX6700. I stood and waited for the next salesperson who said that I was due no discounts, so the Q would cost me $419 and the VX-6700 was $519, Now, if I were not a loyal Verizon customer, the Q would have cost me $99,

I really like the phone service that Verizon provides. Most of Amy's family is on Verizon and it works and save my minutes because 'in network' calls are free.

I am sick to death of the price gouging that I am enduring as a long time Verizon customer. I am considering what my options are (as I've discussed before), I could get a new phone from Verizon and get a PDA fron someone else (TMobile will sell me their version of the VX6700 for $24, a $495 savings). My plan is to go to a store and explain my situation and see what they offer me.

High School Football

Last month I mentioned that Amy's high school had completed their season undefeated for the second time in that school's history. A couple of days ago, I learned that my high school also completed the season undefeated. While the Fort Payne Wildcats were defeated in the second round of the state playoffs, the Lamar CISD Mustangs are still winning in the state championship and only have to win two more games to become the school's first state Champions.