Daynotes on a budget

Monday, September 11th, 2000
Ugh.  What happened to the cool fall weather?  Got up this morning to a dewpoint back in the 60s and the threat of noon-time storms, and worse the rest of the day.  Yuck.  Though it should be cooler later.

I noticed today as I was updating this page that a month ago I changed my "full-time" hat for a "sometime association" hat.  Wow.  I'm certain, once I'm fully employed again, that I'll look back on this whole situation, grin, shake my head, and say "gee, I could have used my time sooooo much better."  Oh well.  I'd trade all of the free time for a job that uses my mind.  

I commented a little bit yesterday about the rather deplorable state of the "yout" of this country.  What gives me the right to pontificate upon the sad state of that, you might ask?  Well, I've got two kids, I'm a parent, and it's apparent that I'm not a normal one.  I just don't understand what it is with some people.  When we first put Rhiannon in daycare (the smiling face you see above here) we could hardly wait to get to her to bring her home and watch her.  Other parents, with children in the same daycare, would pick their child up and then deliver them unto an evening daycare where the child would sit until the parents finished their other stuff, then go home.  In that case, who's raising the child?  I would infinitely prefer raising my children myself, but the economic demands on a family, especially ours, these days is such that we have no choice but to be at least a one and three-quarters income family, if not more.  It's what you do with the other time that's important.

Nuff Pontificating.  I've got things to do...  

Well, anyway.  Today is primary election day here and elsewhere.  From the television ads, you get the feeling that we're attempting to anoint the one true king to challenge the evil dragon that is our incumbent senator...  Strange thing we've done in this state - we hold our gubenetorial  election on the off-year for presidential election, to spur turnout.  I dunno if it works or not, but the turnout for today's primary was pretty light - you should have seen the faces light up when Mrs. D and I entered the polling place - the two registrars, the two checkers of pre-registered voters (which we are), the two ballot handlers, and the lady who hands out the stickers.  We were outnumbered seven to two, and never stood a chance.  Though it was, I hope, worthwhile.  When it comes to candidates for US Senate, I can honestly state that I find our current junior senator, Mr. Rodney Grams, to be less honorable than a raccoon - as they're born equipped with masks, you can kinda guess from there.  To be brief and blunt, I just don't trust a senator who can not even be bothered to make sure his kid's out of trouble - he calls the cops instead, and then when the cops attempt to cover it up, they can't even do that right.  Now, on top of that, any fool who would hire idiots so painfully stupid as to attempt to send out e-mail to individuals who cannot even be bothered to figure out how to spoof properly should be booted from office.  I think that either of the two leading candidates (Ciresi or Dayton) could do an admirable job in the senate.  While I'd prefer someone like Ciresi in there doing the job, it appears that Dayton will likely win, and I can support him there.

Enough political mumblings.  Off to do other important things...  Like Catalog shopping.

Got an e-mail from an old friend the other day, struggling with a problem on an NT system.  My reply was a bit hurried, but after I put plenty of thought into it, here's some general NT troubleshooting principles anyone can use...

FIRST - Does the box boot at all?  Some few problems at this level might be related to the OS, but if the box doesn't even boot, it's a hardware issue.  I used to have a programming prof (a good monk, which tells you that computer aren't the Anti-Christ, despite what anyone else tells you) who would ask how many programmers it took to change a lightbulb.  Unenlightened (sorry, I couldn't resist), I had chosen the first day of class to sit in the front row and look both interested and excited (major difficulty given it was an 8 am class in the fall semester, when all other indications were that I should be out somewhere, anywhere, enjoying the day rather than sitting in a classroom).  When I said, "uh, two?"  I nearly didn't duck fast enough to miss the chalk.  Funny how my "friends" had missed informing me of the gentleman's propensity for launching his writing instruments instead of saying "wrong").  Anyway, said prof said "nope, none, it's a hardware problem."  Long way, short joke.  

SECOND - Does the box boot fully?  Does it come up to the login prompt?  If so, then you're in business there with the OS - you're nearly OK.  If the box DOESN'T boot fully, you likely have other hardware problems, such as a failed drive, or worse.  Worse is a YANTI.  ick.

THIRD - Box boots, you log in, and you get the message "a device or system failed to start properly, check the event log."  That's when you head over to the Event Log (Start, Programs, Administrative, Event Log).  Check out the system log first, and the applications log second.  Look for stop signs (very bad) and warnings (might be bad).  Either could give you your problem.  The logs are organized (usually) with the newest information first, when you double-click on the line to see the event detail, you have to go NEXT to get to the event that occurred BEFORE the one you're looking at, and PREVIOUS to find the event AFTER the one you're looking at.  Just another example of Microsoft requiring it's NT systems programmers to stand on their heads while programming.  It just can't be an intentional "feature".

FOURTH - Find the error message/number.  Sounds easier than it looks.  You need to find the error number, and then check out the Microsoft On-line Knowledge Base (assuming one does not have access to a TechNet CD, and even if you do, the on-line one's a wee bit better if you've got fast internet access.  

FIFTH - Error interpretation - Sometimes the first error you find is that "System X failed to start."  Well, there's your error.  However, you work back four or five errors and find "Device Y is not responding."  After a few minutes of head scratching and interpretation, you uncover that Device Y is actually your hard drive, and the damned thing's full.  That could very well be the problem.

Don't know if that above helps.  It has me, over the years, but we shall see what we shall see...  Second interview with the neato keen interesting place, with the cool job, so we'll see.  Callbacks on other things I sent earlier this week, so things are speeding up again.  I'm very hopeful that by the time my birthday rolls around, I'll have something USEFUL to do - making ketchup around here doesn't cut it.

Well, Duh.  I guess on that single point alone Bobby Knight deserved to be fired.  If he couldn't figure that one out...

And I see old Mr. Jobs is trying to build the excitement again...  OS X (operating system ten, for the unclean) is a new version of Apple's Mac-based operating system.  Please note that you must follow the usual rules of the road for adopting ANY New operating system - 

1) If it's in Beta, put it on your beta machine.  If you haven't got a beta machine, or haven't got a powerful enough beta machine, proceed to step 8

2) If it's in release, and ends in ZERO, put it on your beta machine.  If you haven't got a beta machine, proceed to step 8.

3) If it's released to market after a "public Beta", please use step 1 and/or 2 for all versions until the Z.1 revision.

4) If it's released and they open the stores at midnight to sell it, stand back and wait for the Z.12 revision

5) If it's released and they're charging more than the previous version for the "upgrade" you're going to need a new computer.

6) If it's released and they're charging LESS than the previous version, prepare to change to a different tool because the company's likely going to go bankrupt - they shoveled the previous version out the door with too many bugs, this one fixes those, but they're one-half step ahead of a lawsuit.

7) If the released version is a completely new product in the altogether, wait for version 3.  If a Microsoft product, wait for version 5, and pray a lot in the meantime.

8) All other things being equal, WAIT, DAMNIT.

Most people chase the bubble of upgrades, not ever realizing that 90% of the upgrades fix 70% of the problems that 99% of them will never see.  Most of us only use about 10% of Microsoft Office, for example.  I consider myself a power-user, and only use perhaps 40% of the thing.

And I did have to laugh at the Apple people booing Microsoft's Office 2001.  I tell you - give them gold, and they'll still insist it's lead unless Mr. Jobs shoves it out the factory door.  What on earth could make you boo the release of a productivity application that might offer improved access to features you needed?  I mean, Microsoft isn't the second coming of God, but then again, much as I'd like to believe otherwise, Gates isn't the Anti-Christ either...  And Microsoft is learning, finally, that a pretty good product with 10,000 bugs in it isn't as good as a good product with 1000, and a product with 100,000 features that can't be accessed is just about worthless.  Although I do like the box for Office 2001...

Wow, I must be long-winded today - I've been trying to nap for three days now.  Nary a hope there.  Tomorrow (don't tell my son this), after my interview, we're going to go to Burger King and he and I will hang out for a while - unless the weather's nice - in which case we will go to Target or Walmart and find one of those Styrofoam planes I had when I was a kid, take him to a park, and go play airplane...  He deserves it - he's a good kid.  We've spent an awful lot of time with Rhiannon the last couple weeks with school and all, and he deserves a little treat.  He is such a neat little boy.

This post will be short, sweet, and hopefully updated later.  Today's functions are as follows.

Get out of bed
Get cleaned up for interview
Dress for delivery
Deliver the masses
Breakfast
Dress for Interview
INTERVIEW (over lunch, no less!)
Peruse KB Toys
Pick up my Son
Come home, change clothes
Enjoy the afternoon with a three year old with too damned much energy.

I see elsewhere that gas prices are high but coming down.  In the old days when I was driving to work daily, I remember looking at about 19 different gas stations (yes, I counted).  On the way up in the morning I passed between a PDQ and a Kwik-trip, then near a Mobil station, then in between an Amoco and Holiday, then past an SA and a Conoco station on the way up in the morning.  In the evening, I'd pass a Holiday, Amoco, and Fuel-stop, possibly another Amoco, a Food & Fuel, a Sinclair, another Amoco, a Texaco, another Amoco (second pass on this one), Holiday (second time), Mobil (second), Kwik-Trip (second), PDQ (second), another (different) PDQ, another different Sinclair, another different Amoco, and finally, one more Kwik-trip.  That's twenty-four times past nineteen different stations.  I could tell when the gas prices would be going up, down, or sideways.  I remember when the stickers started showing up - "37.4 cents of the price of each gallon of gas is tax".  Then I hear in Britain that their gas prices are around $4 a gallon, and $3 of that is tax.  No wonder we left there.

Of course, it could be worse if you lived in China - who knows who could take a dislike to you.  Then again, I see that Mr. Gates has dropped about 50% in the net worth category...  That's gotta sting.  Then again, what's the difference between $50 billion and $100 billion?  You've got more money than you can spend.  Although if the new Windows ME bombs like it should, he might want to look at less-risky investments.  Windows ME - sounds like an insult.  At least it's not WinMEat...  although give it time...

And before I forget, for those of you planning those dreaded office Christmas Parties, a little "12 Days of Christmas" for the politically correct.

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: Everyone
RE: Christmas Party
DATE: December 1

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on
December 23, starting at noon in the banquet room at Luigi's Open Pit
Barbecue. No-host bar, but plenty of eggnog! We'll have a small band
playing traditional carols...feel free to sing along. And don't be
surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus!
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: Everyone
DATE: December 2
RE: Christmas Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We
recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday that often coincides with
Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're
calling it our "Holiday Party." 

__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: Everyone
DATE: December 3
RE: Holiday Party

After the announcement of yesterday, I have been reminded that the Kwanzaa
holiday coincides with our other celebrations.  Therefore, those of you who
celebrate Kwanzaa will be included, with traditional foods Luigi will attempt
to provide.  

__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 4
RE: Holiday Party

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
requesting a non-drinking table.............. You didn't sign your name.
I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that
reads, "AA Only," you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. So, how am I supposed
to handle this? Somebody?
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: Employees
DATE: December 5
RE: Holiday Party

What a diverse company we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during
daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a
luncheon this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees'
beliefs. Perhaps Luigi's can hold off on serving your meal until the end of
the party - the days are so short this time of year - or package everything
for take-home in little foil swans. Will that work? 
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: Employees
DATE: December 6
RE: Holiday Party

Thanks to yesterday's memo (I just love working weekends), I've
arranged for members of Overeaters Anonymous to sit farthest from the
dessert buffet.  You're welcome.  
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: The Employees
DATE: December 7
RE: Holiday Party

All right, I didn't intend to overlook all of you who are presently
with child.  Pregnant women will get the table closest to the rest 
rooms. Did I miss anything?  I'm sure you people will jump all over 
me if I did.  I'm going to take this Sunday afternoon off, before I 
have to re-arrange the seating again. Happy Holidays. 
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All The Employees
DATE: December 8
RE: Holiday Party

So December 22 marks the Winter Solstice, what do you Unitarians expect me
to do? Fire regulations at Luigi's prohibit the burning of sage by our
"earth-based Goddess-worshipping" employees, but we'll try to accommodate
your shamanic drumming circle during the band's breaks. Okay???
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Of You
DATE: December 9
RE: Holiday Party

People, people, I don't care what your favorite televangelist said. Nothing
sinister was intended by having our CEO dress up like Santa Claus! Even if
the anagram of "Santa" does happen to be "Satan," there is no evil
connotation to our own "little man in a red suit." It's a tradition, folks,
like sugar shock at Halloween or family feuds over the Thanksgiving Turkey
or broken hearts on Valentine's Day. Could we lighten up?
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All of you, damnit
DATE: December 10
RE: Holiday Party

I've been informed by a number of you that you find "barbecue" a misspelling.
Folks, it doesn't matter if it 's spelled Barbecue or Barbeque, it's sauce over
meat.  That's all there is to it.  If you've got a problem with an Italian 
doing BBQ, then take it up with Luigi - I'm not getting in the middle of this
one.  I've got enough to deal with.  
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All you damned Nitpickers
DATE: December 11
RE: Holiday Party

Oh, good grief.  All right, Luigi's has agreed to bring in and roast a number
of Turkeys for you who believe that you HAVE to eat that damned bird or it's 
not an official holiday season.  Aren't you people ever satisfied?  You'd think
this was the end of the world or something.  It's supposed to be a PARTY, folks,
so let's lighten up a little, OK?
__________

FROM: Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: You Nitpicking BASTARDS
DATE: December 12
RE: Holiday Party

Vegetarians!?!?!? I've had it with you people!!!! We're going to keep this
party at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue whether you like it or not, so you can
sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so
quaintly put it, and you'll get your #$%^&*! Salad Bar, including
hydroponic tomatoes... But, you know, they have feelings, too. Tomatoes
scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream, I'm hearing them scream
right now!  In fact, want to hear them scream when dropped from my window?
Come visit - you'll hear them!!!
__________

FROM: Teri Bishops, Acting Human Resources Director
TO: Everyone
DATE: December 15
RE: Pat Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Pat Lewis a speedy recovery from
her stress-related illness and I'll continue to forward your cards to her at
the re-hab clinic. We'd also like to thank those of you who managed to keep
Pat from leaping off that ledge for as long as you did, and especially Mr. 
Walters for calling 911. His speedy action made certain that the fire 
department's "jumper unit" was in place when Pat did jump.  As a recognition
of both that, and for everyone sticking to the "no comment" policy we have 
regarding media inquiries regarding that incident and the ones that 
preceded it, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give 
everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.  Please also note that
you will need to clear your window sills, the building management has hired
a contractor to come in and nail them all shut after last week's incident.

I'd finished a small rant on my downstairs neighbors doing their damndest to ignore General MacCaffery's efforts to clear their sorts of scum out of this country (yes, I find pot just as objectionable as cocaine, and actually moreso.  I do not smoke, but I had parents that did.  I have a son with a pre-asthmatic condition, which means when he gets coughing, sometimes he can't stop.  Smoke is an irritant, one that I don't need, and do not want.  Pot smoke is particularly smelly, and annoying.  If you want to do it that bad, close your damned windows when you light up, you stupid nitwits.  It's in violation of your lease, as well, you walking morons).  I'd also provided some details on my son & my outing yesterday (we went to Walgreens to refill a prescription, went to Walmart where he had an accident which necessitated him getting new pants and underwear, then we went to the park - the $2.99 Naboo Fighter Estes rocket I picked up (on clearance from $21.99) required far more assembly than could easily be done on the back hood of a Tempo in the middle of a windy parking lot (aside from the fact that a 20 mph wind would probably take a 6-ounce rocket that went up 300+ feet sideways by at least twice a similar amount, the large foam airplane kept going eight feet and then slamming into the ground, so we greatly enjoyed the Hot Wheels foam rubber-band-powered airplane (at $4.96, almost the most expensive of our toys for the day) and crackers and water.  You did know that small boys run well on oxygen and sunshine, but they positively tear around at near-light-speed velocity when powered by a simple peanut-butter-covered crackers, water, and chocolate, right?  And before you accuse me of abusing his dietary requirements, he had peas AND corn AND his mother's grilled veggies (including three 1/4" thick by the size of your wrist slices of carrot) with dinner.  He gets a very well-balanced diet - sometimes too well, and it's a father's duty to introduce children to the pleasures of cheese doodles, beer nuts, various unsavory snack foods, and highly sugared drinks.  Part of the program, man.).  And other things.

The interview yesterday went well.  I've become VERY excited about this opportunity.  Seems they're thinking of me in management terms, which disappoints me NOT A BIT, as I enjoy management.  I enjoy technology too, so we'll see what happens.  I've got other irons in the fire...  But at the moment I'm going to have to research laptops - as a consultant working at a client site, I'm going to have to rely on them for equipment.  I'm going to have to have a good solid piece of hardware that I can rely on for managing the project, so I can supply my own tools.  Much as I like Apples, I'm going to look hard at Sony, Toshiba, IBM, and Dell, and see what I can get.  I'm also going to see if I can find decent PC-based video-editing software (like iMovie for Macintosh) so I can do some of this stuff.  Sure, it's not Apple, but that's precisely the point, isn't it?  ;-)

LAPTOP SHOPPING : (for future reference)
DELL : Laptop
IBM : Laptop - I think this link is hosed...

I did some checking - when it comes right down to it, I think it'll be a Dell - they're more customizable, more willing to modify "standards" - hell, Sony gives you a 6 gig HD and won't let you change - you have to pick a "line" first (home, small business, large business) - Dell does, as well, but when you get into Dell's site, it's all configurable.  I like that.  OOPS!  I should check - we've got a kid at Daycare - Tommy - one of my son's friends - his mother sells Compaqs.  That might not be bad to look into...

Anyway.  Relatively easy (HA!) day today.  Got up late, wandered to the Library, then to the bakery in St. Paul for Mrs. D's order (damned good baked goods, at PJ Murphy's), then back to a park for a time, then home for dinner.

I did forget to mention that our current sitting junior US Senator the other night managed to show he's literally too stupid to be allowed to speak in public.  Mr. Grams said "Can you smell not what the Rock, but what the Rod is cooking?"  Let's see.  Can you smell what the Rod is cooking?  Gee, I dunno - how about half-a-hundred innuendos which could be so thoroughly embarrassing as to make a mere mortal hide in terror?  Oh well.  Tomorrow we have the Como Picnic, plus I think we're going to attempt to add to our collection of Snoopy Images.  You haven't seen them yet?

Today, we started the process of breaking our hearts all over the place prior to settling for something we really didn't want - in other words, we're talking about house-hunting.  We checked a few of the Parade of Homes homes.  Specifically, we looked at homes 1, 5, 6, 7, and 11.  And let me tell you, 11 sucks rocks.  Well-build, but your entire front yard is TAR.  Two bedrooms, one bath.  Yuck.  Part of it's the development, not the builder - we really like the builder, but they can't go down more than about 3 feet because of the water table under 11.

We were supposed to hit Como zoo with some friends today, but their youngest decided to explore the joys of congestion last night.  I remember those very first colds - not from personal experience in HAVING them, mind you, but from the poor bastard parent perspective.  Snot and other excretia everywhere, and you just PRAY you didn't drink out of the cup that she'd just emptied the nose squeegee bulb into.

Amazingly enough, we also encountered a vulgar little puppy who managed to completely destroy an inflatable ball merely by landing on the poor thing when it landed within it's fenced area.  Let me tell you, American Eskimo puppies that haven't been properly socialized are real nasty bastards.  This one fell on an inflated ball like the wrath of God.  Popped it in under 7 seconds - literally.  I'm thinking I'm going to avoid the Pet Ranch in Burnsville center when it comes time to get my puppy - I know two people who've gotten dogs from there - this A.E. pops inflatable things constantly.  Buster, this handsome young Beagle puppy our friends have, has this neurotic need to completely sniff the entire yard.  Let's put it this way - he's had his nose rubbed raw from running back and forth over dry grass.  Yuck - I'd rather have a healthy, normal, well-adjusted puppy who's a basic mutt rather than a pure-bread psycho-dog.

Ah, well.  Off to next week.

Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 John P. Dominik
Opinions expressed herein are my own, and my fault.
For further information, check out my other home page.