JOURNAL

Thursday, February 28th

~ 05:00 PM ~

Happy four years to the webspace (02-28-98 to present).

Adbusters

~ 08:55 AM ~

If your curious about how I researched the new components for Mega, I highly recommend Tom's Hardware, articles available at TechTV, and CNET's resources.

Enjoy the Onion? Then try Satire Wire.

~ 04:13 PM ~

Wow... Terre Haute has a good website.

~ 02:12 PM ~

We had fun Saturday night. It was a good dinner party.

I upgraded two components on Mega. I added a new ASUS V7700 GeForce 2 Ti 64MB graphics card and a new Creative Soundblaster Audigy Gamer soundcard. Both are sweet additions to the PC and I can really notice the improvements. I used PC On Call to install the parts. They maybe be pricey but they are efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly. There was a slight problem with the video card conflicting with the controller card but that was solved.

Once again the Cleveland weather amazes its locals, yesterday it was 60 degrees and sunny. Today, it is wet and snowy. Can't wait until spring.

~ 12:20 PM ~

We have a party to go to this evening. Since I was ill last weekend, I missed the last one. But, I am feeling fine today.

Since I have been steady postin' in the journal recently, I will archive the journal every two months and start over with a fresh page. The older entries will be available in case a link or comment was of interest to you. If your curious, updating the journal only takes about 5 minutes. I usually do it while drinking my morning coffee.

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. Hey, baby, what's your sign? Do you think it fits you pretty well?
:: Scorpio and it suits me.

2. What's the worst birthday gift you've ever received?
:: Nothing. If someone took the time to give me a gift I appreciate the thought. But, there have been some questionable shirts and sweaters which never appeared on my person.

3. What's the best birthday gift you've ever received?
:: Recently there has been some cool gifts. The fireplace set looks very nice, money to help pay for our furniture, and, of course, there were some great toys.

4. What's the best way you've celebrated your birthday thus far?
:: Having dinner with friends and family is best.

5. What are your plans for this weekend?
:: Reading, prepping for the my courses, the usual weekend chores (laundry/cleaning), and browsing. Neale is presently at work but when she gets home we are going out.

~ 12:39 AM ~

A Chipolte in Kent? Why yes.

You lot! What? Don't stop. Huh? So get back to work an' sweat some more the sun will sink an' we'll get out the door it's no good for man to work in cages hits the town, he drinks his wages you're frettin', you're sweatin' but did you notice you ain't gettin' anywhere? Don't you ever stop long enough to start? To take your car outta that gear. Don't you ever stop long enough to start? To get your car outta that gear. --- The Clash, Magnificent Seven. Please browse Joe and Strummerville.

TechTV's People Portal

Do you know the price you paid?

~ 09:34 AM ~

These last few weeks I have been traveling down to Akron to discuss sociological methods. I appreciate the help and treat myself to a grilled vegetarian at Baja Fresh afterwards.

A friendly reminder to stop watching TV and do something.

~ 08:36 AM ~

Olympic Ice Skating Scandal cartoons.

An historic moment in time will be marked this evening at 8:02p.m. At that precise time, on this specific date, what will happen has not occurred for 1,001 years and will never happen again. As the clock ticks over from 8.01p.m., time will, for sixty seconds only, read in perfect symmetry 2002, 2002, 2002, or more precisely, 20:02, 20/02, 2002 (the date is in military or European time). This historic event won't have the same poignancy as the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month which marks Armistice Day, but it is an event which has only happened one time before, and is something which will never be repeated. The last occasion that time read in such a symmetrical pattern was long before the days of the digital watch and the 24-hour clock at 10:01a.m. on January 10, 1001. Since the clock only goes up to 23.59, it cannot take place again. Info courtesy of Shag Mail. Please add yourself to their newsletter service for more useful info.

~ 05:03 PM ~

This or That for today.
January or July? July. Despite the fact that I loathe heat, humidity, and drive a car with no A/C, July is my preferred month between the two. There is more to do outside and the sunshine brightens my mood.
Email or letters? Email. It may seem disposable but it is much easier for me to write an email than a letter these days.
Milk or orange juice? OJ.
Brunette or blond? Brunette.
Digital or film camera? The webcam is really handy but I haven't made the move to a digital camera yet. I did check out a Jam Cam the other day.
Camping or hotel? Hotel. I did go camping when I was younger but hotel are much more convient. We are still planning our Florida trip.
Pencil or pen? Pen. I just picked up another pack of Pilot Precise V7 Fine, which is my fav pen.
Rollerblading or roller skating? Rollerblading. I have done it once but Neale and I will be taking this up in the spring.
Fly or drive? Fly. I haven't since 9/11 but I will be flying to Florida in May.
White or black? Black.

~ 11:27 AM ~

I would like to thank the fine products of the Vicks corporation for my recovery. However, I will refrain from any Vicks Nyquil poetry or trying this fine concoction.

You have a registry, I know you do. But, what does it do?

~ 12:51 AM ~

Due to my good diet and exercise habit, I stay pretty healthy. Yet, there are those few days where I cannot ward off the cold germs. I have had a sinus infection these last few days and it got worse over the weekend. I had a few lectures with a stuffed up head but was able to get through the class. Unfortunately, I missed Joe's party last night due to the illness and things were touch-and-go most of last night and this afternoon. However, I think it is almost passed.

What's your color?

A good sign that I kicked the cold bug was being able to have spicy szechuan tofu from Strongsville's Chang An Wok, which is a very good new takeout place.

~ 03:51 PM ~

I finally saw the Franklin castle last night. We drove through Ohio City on the way to Corbo's. I would like to visit the castle before we leave Cleveland but it is currently under repairs.

~ 12:11 PM ~

We had a good time on Murray Hill. Corbo's place was good.

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked?
:: Probably a Swanson's Hungry Man dinner or a Tombstone pizza (if you call that cooking). I actually do not remember.

2. What's your signature dish?
:: I make a very good red sauce for pasta.

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe.
:: I made some barbeque beans that had too much vingear. Very sour.

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal?
:: Very good deep dish pizza at home. Besides going to Gino's or Uno's pizzera, it is very hard to get good deep dish pie on a regular basis.

5. What are you doing this weekend?
:: Dinner with Neale, party at Joe's place, and prepping for my courses. Also, studying for exams.

Brief history of deep dish pizza ~ courtesy of Food Reference ~

DEEP DISH PIZZA
Italians started coming to Chicago from Italy during the 1850s, by the 1940's there was a significant Italian population of Italian immigrants and their descendants. Many had been successful in the restaurant and bar businesses.

There are some stories about U.S. soldiers of Italian descent returning from Europe after World War II and experimenting with different pizza recipes, and eventually creating deep dish pizza. The only problem with these stories is that deep dish pizza was being sold in Chicago in the early 1940's, before the end of the war.

The one story that is probably true is about a man named Sewell (maybe originally from Texas) who created the deep dish pizza in 1943 at his bar and grill, Pizzeria Uno. It was so popular that he soon opened another place called Pizzeria Due. Soon other restaurants were serving deep dish pizza, including several opened by former employees of Sewell. (A former employee of Pizzeria Uno, Rudy Malnati claims to have created the original deep dish pizza too) Deep dish pizza became popular with more and more people, and soon Chicago became known for creating it. Everyone, not just Italians adopted it as a 'Chicago' food.

~ 04:03 PM ~

I have been having a minor shutdown problem. It seems to stem from a decision to trust Windows Update device driver suggestion. Live and learn. I haven't had a problem with any other suggestions from Windows Update so this is probably an unusual case.

~ 01:30 PM ~

Neale and I are having dinner this evening to celebrate Valentine's Day. We are both looking forward to it. The place is Corbo's Golden Bowl Italian Ristorante, read the a Plain Dealer review here.

I highly recommend Newegg.com.

~ 04:03 PM ~

With the four-year anniversary of the webspace upcoming (02-28-02), I decided to submit the webspace to even more search engines. It was really easy to do with AddMe.com.

This or That of today.
Picnic on the beach or picnic in a park? Beach and Neale also enjoys the waves during the evening.
Atlantic ocean or Pacific? Pacific...ah, warm thoughts of Hawaii. Going back in 4 years.
Museum or the ballet? Museum. Art, history, or science is very nice.
Lots of pillows on the bed, or just a few? Six during the day, only two at night.
Home body or not? Yes, I am a home body.
Introverted or extroverted? Introverted. Despite the fact that I talk in front a group people everyday, I am actually shy and keep to myself.
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset. If I am seeing the sunrise, there must be a cause for concern.
Do you prefer ceiling fans or light fixtures? Ceiling fans. I prefer the indirect lights of floor or table lamps.
Lions or tigers or bears? Bears. A favorite when visiting the zoo.
The Beatles or The Monkees? Beatles. White Album, Sgt. Pepper, or Revolver all are excellent albums.

Mountains

Oscars predictions...
Best Actor: Crowe
Best Supporting Actor: McKellen
Best Actress: Spacek
Best Supporting Actress: Connelly
Best animated film: Shrek
Art direction: Moulin Rouge
Cinematography: LOTR
Costume: Moulin Rouge
Directing: Lynch
Doc: war photographer
Short doc: Sing
Editing: Memento
Foreign: Amelie
Make up: LOTR
Music, score: LOTR
Music, song: LOTR
Pic of year: Beautiful Mind
Best animated short: Strange Invaders
Best live action short: Gregor's
Sound: BHD
Sound edit: Monsters
Visual effects: LOTR
Screenplay adapted: Beautiful Mind
Original screeplay: Memento

Black boxes for cars.

~ 08:36 AM ~

On MSN, there is an article of top 10 resume blunders and it is informative. Rezamaze also shared many on the same concerns.

As future parents of a corgi, we watched the Westminster Dog show last night. A corgi named Sammy Sosa won the herding group but a mini poodle received best in show.

~ 11:13 AM ~

I didn't sleep well last night. I had some bad dreams... three actually. Very distrubing but, the day can only get better.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Rejection Line. However, I find it curious that they do not mention the fees involved with this service.

Still no news on a service pack for IE 6 but yet another patch. I also read this morning about a minor problem with MSN Messenger and there should be a fix for that too.

With all this good news, I could use some Homer quotes.

~ 06:31 AM ~

With Valentine's Day approaching it may be time to refresh your language of flowers.

We stayed up later than usual to cheer on the Canadian figure skating pair. They were awarded the silver but understand the Russian pair performed a more difficult routine.

~ 08:23 AM ~

May I recommend that you change your desktop a few times a year? It helps freshen up your screen and add some life to a collection of bytes. Just a suggestion.

~ 03:07 PM ~

Typical Sunday afternoon.

~ 12:01 AM ~

Chop suey - the classic Chinese- American dish. Here are a variety of recipes, made with everything from beef to tuna and soy beans.

~ 12:17 PM ~

Indians tickets went on sale this morning. We were able to get some affordable tickets for the weekend series against the Mets. It will be Alomar's first return to Cleveland after the winter trade. Looking forward to a better and winning Mets 2002 season.

Are you that lazy?

Let's stop scum.

~ 02:39 PM ~

Identity theft happens to 500,000 people a year in the U.S. The Federal Trade Commission says identity theft, up 23 percent, is the number one complaint on the consumer fraud list for 2001, making up 42 percent of consumer complaints. Number two on the list is Internet auctions at ten percent.

Identity theft occurs when someone appropriates your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft, co-opting your name, social security number, or credit card number. Thieves steal crucial information from trash, mail or discarded receipts and bills and then get credit cards, cell phone service, bank accounts, even loans in the victim's name and run up bills. Because bills are being sent to the new address, one may not immediately realize there is a problem.

Criminals are planted in organizations like hospitals to gain access to personal records, then create fake IDs and cash phony checks and rack up loans in someone else's name.

For victims, it takes hundreds of hours of work over years to fix their trashed credit reports. If you become a victim, call the Federal Trade Commission Hotline at: 877-IDTHEFT. Also, contact the fraud departments of the three major credit reporting bureaus--Equifax, Experian and Trans Union--and place a fraud alert on your file.

Equifax: 800-525-6285
Experian: 888-397-3742
Trans Union: 800-680-7289
Social Security Administration Fraud: 800-269-0271
Courtesy of Shag Mail.

dumbly fuming snow
blithe desolation races
cruelly, dumbly, vile

~ 09:33 AM ~

spider embarks, great
rabbits float, rapturous soft
nervous depression

Pointless games

Winter Olympics begin tonight. I am looking to US women's hockey, which debuts next Tuesday.

~ 02:36 PM ~

"We all interpret things according to our own personality and desires."--Anony.

Who doesn't like a good story or tale?

par·a·dox (pr-dks)
n.
1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.
2. One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: “The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears” (Mary Shelley).
3. An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.
4. A statement contrary to received opinion.
Courtesy of Dictionary

Make sure your comfortable before you enjoy some paradoxes and dilemmas.

~ 03:26 PM ~

Happiness is... my choice and I try to remember that...often.

When a smiley can be so much more than just a smiley face.

~ 08:36 AM ~

What percentage of Americans are dehydrated?
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or on a printed page. Courtesy of Shag Mail.

Seriously, drinking water throughout the day is a great habit to have. I have noticed benefits from clearer skin to better memory. Pass on the soda, drink some water.

Tired of CNN? Bloomberg? Then give the Independent Media Center a chance.

If you noticed that the entertainment center looks empty without the plants, we are considering some new decorations to fill the space.

~ 04:14 PM ~

The new television...notice not a plant in sight.

The new living room table centerpiece....courtesy of Noel and Cassie.

~ 06:59 AM ~

If you watched the SuperBowl just for the commericals then will enjoy USAToday's rankings.

Need some new .wavs for your startup or shutdown? Then check out Sound America.

Got kurtosis?

Random Beatle fact.

~ 08:52 AM ~

What is used to measure the quantity of heat in peppers?
The Scoville Heat Unit is used, named for pharmacist Wilbur Scoville who developed a test in 1912 to measure the amount of heat-producing capsaicins in a pepper. Today, Scoville units are measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), more scientific, and less inflammatory, metric. The habañero and its Caribbean cousin, the scotch bonnet, are the hottest peppers, tipping the Scoville scale between 80,000-300,000 units, as compared to 500-1,000 for an anaheim, and 2,500-5,000 for a jalapeño. In 1994, a red savina habañero measured in at 577,000. Courtesy of Shag Mail

The SuperBowl was fun. But, we were cheering for the Rams. Our food turned out well too.

~ 01:43 PM ~

We had an incident yesterday morning. A plant on our entertainment center leaked and the water found its way to the television. I wasn't happy and reconsidered the relationship with the plant. The plant agreed to leave the home. The television eventually turned back on but only showed static. About this time, Neale was curious what the fuss was in the living room and calmed the situation. After a short discussion, we agreed to buy a new television. We had talked about this briefly late last year but decided to wait. Well, the opportunity came in an unfortuante way and this is our new television. Needless to say, it is an upgrade. If anyone would like to know how one person makes a 120 pound television move from Sam's to our home, I have to say patience and leverage are essential.

I made potato salad this morning and used celery salt, which reminded me of Chicago-style hot dogs. The hot dogs reminded me of Green River soda because I use to drink Green River with Chicago-style hot dogs. Odd but happy memory.

Neale and I are watching the Superbowl. We have a tradition of pizza and appetizers. The game should look quite nice on our new television. Go Rams.

~ 09:19 AM ~

Happy Groundhog Day.

Why do fans remember Dave Kingman?

~ 08:31 AM ~

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. Have you ever had braces?
:: Yes, I needed them badly. I don't remember exactly how long I had braces but I believe it started in 5th grade and had them removed in my freshman year. I had a lower and upper retainer for about two years after the braces were removed too. The worse part about braces was having them tightened.

2. Ever broken any bones?
:: Nope. I am unbreakbale and very lucky. Seriously, I am very lucky.

3. Ever had stitches?
:: Yes.

4. What are the stories behind some of your [physical] scars?
:: The most obvious one is the scar on my left forearm, which is from a dog bite. In fact, our family dog. I was playing too rough and received a reminder not too. I also had stitches in the corner of my mouth from an event that happened when I was very young and have no actual memory of it happening.edit 02-11-02

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Reading, prepping, celebrating Groundhog Day, and watching the Superbowl.

The Immortal Agent Scully

If you use google and want to set it as your default IE 6 or 5.5 search engine, please check the Windows Tip from Tuesday's Screensavers.

How much does it cost to advertise during the Super Bowl Game?

The average price of a 30-second commercial in the game is just under $2 million. An expected 130 million viewers will be watching. In comparison, to advertise on a top-rated television show is around $400,000. The Super Bowl is the most heavily viewed program of the year, and some people will watch just for the ads. Anheuser-Busch will be the biggest sponsor this year with five minutes of ads, and Pepsi has three minutes.
Courtsey of Shagmail

~ 12:48 PM ~

Fonts are essential, fun, and useful in creating your own unique documents.

We are still planning our Florida trip. We won free airfare to Florida through Delta last May and are narrowing our choices. I am stopping by AAA this afternoon to see if they have any useful information. We have planned all of our trips through the Internet and it has worked well for us.

~ 07:51 PM ~

Got PSI?

Need some new wallpaper? I recommend Digital Blasphemy

Blogs I read almost daily:
a.lifeuncommon.org
smattering
'twixt joy and sorrow
syrup
out of range

~ 04:46 PM ~

From Ashley at Not Fully Awake

Soap operas or operas? Soap operas. I enjoy an occasional mindless distraction in the afternoons. I really do not find enjoyment in operas.
Flowers or chocolates? Chocolates. Do I need to explain? Just yummy.
Kiwi or strawberries? Strawberries. Dipped in chocolate, in cream, or plain.
Netscape or IE? IE 6 or 5.5 are what I recommend. Netscape really takes up too much screen and does not handle some web content.
Mac or PC? PC. I prefer PCs but both fulfill the same function.
800x600 resolution or higher? Higher. I prefer 1024x768 at 16-bit color. Anything higher really bothers my vision.
NBC or ABC? NBC.
House or apartment? As long as one is a home. We will be looking for a condo in the future.

~ 02:02 PM ~

There is something awful going on and it is certainly not a wacky use.

~ 08:39 AM ~

We both watched the President's SOTU last night and have mixed reactions. As we agree that his position on the "war on terror" is correct at this time, there is still a lack of attention to domestic issues (e.g. the budget and social programs). In addition, we were impressed with the overall presentation by the President.

Some other thoughts:
"The president has put forward an aggressive agenda this evening, but with a renewed commitment to compromise from both sides, I believe that we can put our economy back on track, win the war against terror and meet our nation's great unmet goals." -- Sen. Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, Majority Leader

"The president's economic policies have robbed us of the critical resources needed to invest in homeland security and other domestic priorities, like health care, unemployment benefits, education, protecting the environment and providing America's seniors -- our heroes of the past -- with a prescription drug plan." -- Rep. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey
Quotes courtsey of CNN

Image courtsey of Webshots.

Will we have an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter?

~ 06:59 AM ~

I am looking forward to Bush's SOTU. Here is a preview.

~ 04:29 PM ~

Groundhog Day will be observed by Mustard Seed.

~ 03:46 PM ~

Cleveland's high temp was 61 today, which was very nice and a new record.

~ 11:19 AM ~

Ah, easy like Sunday morning. I am caught up on work and have all the usual chores done. Time for some football. Don't take this to Vegas but: Steelers 24 Pats 14, Rams 45, Eagles 31. NFL Playoffs

Some random questions for Neale
1. Where was I born? Pittsburg, PA
2. Favorite form of transport? Plane or car
3. Tea or coffee? Tea
4. What can I see from my nearest window? Southpark Mall
5. Favorite cheese? Gorganzola
6. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

The Friday Five for Neale ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear?
:: Sung and Ysatis

2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex?
:: Polo Sport

3. What one smell can you not stomach?
:: Vomit

4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird?
:: Gasoline

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Typing, walking, & watching TV with Chris.

The actors/actresses/films listed are just probables IMO. What are yours?

BEST ACTOR: Crowe, Hackman, Smith, Washington, & Wilkinson
::winner: Hackman

BEST ACTRESS: Berry, Dench, Kidman, Spacek, & Waits
::winner: Spacek

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Broadbent, Buscemi, Christensen, Kingsley, & Voight
::winner: Kingsley

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Connelly, Mirren, M. Smith, Tomei, and Winslet
::winner: Connelly

BEST PICTURE: A Beautiful Mind, Black Hawk Down, In the Bedroom, LOTR, & Moulin Rouge
::winner: A Beautiful Mind

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Amelie, Gosford Park, Man Who Wasn't There, Memento, and Royal Tenebaums
::winner: Memento

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: A Beautiful Mind, Ghost World, In the Bedroom, LOTR, & Shrek
::winner: LOTR

BEST DIRECTOR: Altman, Howard, Jackson, Luhrman, & Lynch
::winner: Altman

FOREIGN FILM: Amelie, Amores Perros, In the Mood for Love, & No Man's Land
::winner: No Man's Land

The Oscars. Sadly, the lifetime achievement award will probably not go to El Santo or his work.

Please read Wil Wheaton's blog. Very fun. If you like it, please give it a vote.

Famous Mugshots.

DRINK: Coffee WATCHING: Tomorrow's World

~ 06:03 PM ~

Amaze your friends with the Burning Sugar cube trick.

It's not news, its Fark

~ 01:52 PM ~

Filed under guilty pleasure: The Fog (1980). It is on and I can't help not watching it. It would be much better if this was on late at night but it is still good.

~ 12:18 AM ~

7 radical savings tips To help curb the consumer in you, we've come up with a few of admittedly drastic savings strategies, along with some ballpark figures of their savings potential. (If you're looking for a real no-brainer way to save, arrange to have a certain amount of your paycheck automatically deposited into a savings account. Then, sit back and watch it grow.)...from MSN/CNBC.

1. Hold the mother of all garage sales.
:: Well, we don't have a garage or stuff to sell.

2. Quit smoking.
:: Ok, easy enough.

3. Tame your driving addiction.
:: Well, Cleveland doesn't really have a transit system for me. Neale does ride the bus from the union lot.

4. Buy used.
:: We can do that.

5. Become a homebody.
:: We do have plenty of Chris & Neale time. Plus, Tivo.

6. Cut your housing expenses.
:: The gas and electric bills are down this year.

7. Cut up your credit cards.
:: Well, not yet.

Get odd

~ 07:18 PM ~

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear?
:: Polo Sport

2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex?
:: Neale is wearing Sung and Ysatis these days. It smells great on her.

3. What one smell can you not stomach?
:: Rotting garbage and sometimes the disposable smells rather foul.

4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird?
:: Gasoline

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Reading, preping, and we are visiting Beechwood to spend Noel and Cassie's Christmas present, a Pottery Barn gift certificate.

~ 02:56 PM ~

TRAFFIC
4 a : the movement (as of vehicles or pedestrians) through an area or along a route b : the vehicles, pedestrians, ships, or planes moving along a route c : the information or signals transmitted over a communications system. Merriam-Webster

Arrrggghhhh....There was an accident today on 90 and it slowed traffic downtown for at least a hour. I was a half an hour late for my 8:30 class. I have never been late to class and I missed a giving one of my better lectures (culture).

I needed something funny or amusing to lighten my mood.

~ 07:01 AM ~

Some random questions for Chris
1. Where was I born? Aurora, IL
2. Favorite form of transport? Car
3. Tea or coffee? Coffee
4. What can I see from my nearest window? Southpark Mall
5. Favorite cheese? Stilton
6. Favorite day of the week? Thursday

~ 02:01 PM ~

Sometimes its best when it is homemade.

DRINK OF CHOICE: Homemade Cinnamon Tea

~ 09:23 AM ~

I am watching Live with Regis and Kelly because Leo Laporte of the TSS is scheduled to be on to discuss technology. They just introduced the Virtual Host as a new form of technology. Yet, it bears a striking resemblance to Number 5 from Short Circuit. Wasn't that 1986? Speaking of the 80s, Fox's "That 80s Show" debuts tonight. Ah, television history?? I give it until March. I'll stick with Square Pegs for my 80s nostalgia.

~ 08:43 AM ~

I worked at Budget Rent-A-Car for a short period of time. I started in the summer of '96 and left about April of '97. It wasn't the worse job I have had but certainly nothing I wanted to do a moment longer than I had to for money. In fact, I wasn't really doing for the money. When I worked there I was fond of saying, "you can have any color as long as its black", which is a quote attributed to Henry Ford. This confused some customers but others thought it was amusing. However, I found out this morning that Model T's came in many colors. I won't be saying that phrase anymore.

~ 11:38 PM ~

Neale and I went for a walk this evening. Despite it getting dark halfway through the walk, it was nice to be outside. I enjoy exercising at Bally's but it can seem confining at times. There is also a lack of alternatives. For example, I use to exercise at a YMCA and they had limited equipment & space. But, they had a basketball court and plenty of pick up games. Honestly, I have no basketball skills but it is still fun to play and a change from the hamster wheel, I mean, treadmill. Some other members are also not quite satisfied with their service.

Once again 24 was a good episode. We think it is well worth the time.

Lousy pirates.

Name that bottle.

~ 11:46 AM ~

As you may know, Neale and I are Mets fan. Neale too? Yes, not what brought us together but she appreciates baseball these days. They just made a big, although not blockbuster, trade.

Where does your name rank?

Do you have a favorite bad actor? My favs are: Tom Arnold, Joe Don Baker, Jan Michael Vincent, Corbin Bernsen, Michael Biehn, Brian Bosworth, Wilford Brimley, David Caruso, The Coreys: Feldman and Haim, Billy Drago, Richard Grieco, Shaq, Rodman, Mickey Rourke, & Patrick Swayze.

R.I.P K-Mart.

~ 10:02 AM ~

Please take a moment to remember Martin Luther King Jr. today.

If you have browsed our recipe page, you may have noticed that we use kosher salt instead of regular table salt when we cook. Why you ask? Flavor. But, what is the difference between table salt, sea salt, kosher salt, and rock salt? Table salt is made by driving water into a salt deposit (mine)and evaporating the brine that is formed, leaving dried crystals that look like granulated sugar. Sea salt is what remains after seawater is trapped and evaporated. If you substitute sea salt in cooking or to flavor food, you may need to use more than table salt because it is less dense. Kosher salt is made much the same way as table salt but is raked continuously during the evaporation process. This gives it a lighter, flakier texture. Kosher salt also is denser and more flavorful than table salt, used in pickling and conforms to Jewish dietary laws. Rock salt is table salt that is not refined and is not used in or on food. Morton Salt

Neale was in St. Louis this weekend. She flew there to surprise her brother on his 30th birthday day. With all the planning and situations when the whole surprise party could be exposed, it went quite well. Britt was surprised. Needless to say, there wasn't any problem flying this weekend. According to a flight attendant, the bag matching had been going on for weeks before it was announced to the public last week.

Neale has seen LOTR twice. She said she missed a few things during the first viewing.

~ 01:16 PM ~

Despite not watching more than five minutes of football during the regular season, I am drawn to the playoffs. I watched most of the Bears game yesterday and have the Steelers on right now. I always watch the Superbowl and make my yummy guacholeo.

What kind of drink are you?

Jack Black did a good job on SNL last night. However, The Strokes seemed distracted.

Why are you so spooky?

~ 09:53 PM ~

I am watching CBS's First Monday and this show has promise. I have always been fascinated with the Supreme Court.

Cleveland

Ghosts in the Hallway

~ 09:27 AM ~

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What do you have your browser start page set to?
:: Our homepage.

2. What are your favorite news sites?
:: CNN, Newshub, or Rueters.

3. Favorite search engine?
:: Google, the faster verison.

4. When did you first get online?
:: 1996. I bought my first IBM ThinkPad, a 486 machine running OS/2. Yes, not the best choice in PCs but I have become a more informed user as a result. I did use that laptop for 2 years and type alot of early work on it. I also had an IBM.net account on it.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Reading, preping for my course, and some gaming.

~ 09:00 AM ~

The switch to a new brand of black boxes will probably keep this project alive. Previous boxes in the project were Rogers brand and the new one is Eldon. An Eldon file tote in fact. In the future, when I am established at a university, I can forgo the black box project but it helps keep me organized now.

The new airline safety features go into affect today. The new rule of thumb is to arrive three hours before their flight. Make sure to have a good book.

Neale and I will both enjoy a three-day weekend. We spent sometime last night training our ViaVoice.

~ 12:09 PM ~

I was once told that organization is essential to succeeding in graduate school. I took that advice to heart and found it very useful. I use that advice in my teaching. I keep everything in one place...the (infamous) black box. I was asked last semester by a colleague "what is in the box?" I replied "everything". I meant to say "everything in no particular order" but I was surprised someone was asking about the black box. There have been several black boxes due to failures in the hinges or handle. This morning another black box ceased to useful as a course transportation vessel. I need to reconsider the black box project. I need to go to Office Max. Maybe a collapsible file? Hmmm....

When is the last time you thought about Charles Darwin?

Oprah needs to call Dave.

~ 08:50 AM ~

I returned our Dish Network equipment yesterday. They sent us a self-addressed box with room for the receivers, controls, & LPNF from the dish. However, they did not want the actual dish back. So, I have a grey Dish 500 satellite dish looking for a use.

Random fact: "Catch-18" is the original title of the Joseph Heller novel "Catch-22". The title was changed to avoid confusion with the Leon Uris novel, "Mila 18", which had recently been published.

Time to tune-up the Honda? We are taking Neale's car to the shop this weekend.

Watching: Today on NBC

~ 10:42 AM ~

I had my first class meeting with my Tues./Thur. students this morning. It is an early class (8:30) and I will have to maintain some excitement in the class throughout the semester. Keeping a discussion lively has not been a problem for me in the past but 8:30 is so early. Some students were finishing their coffee and alittle sleepy-eyed. As many of you know, I am not a morning person but I have adjusted to leaving the house before sunrise and driving in the morning rush hour.

Red? White? Check out FoodTV's Top Fifty wines

~ 2:03 PM ~

I had my first class meeting at CSU today. The first class meeting is always tough. I am in a room with a bunch of strangers. Nevertheless, that will change very soon. By the end of the week, I will have my rhythm back. In a few weeks, I will know all their names and have built a relationship. I am in a different classroom than last semester. It is the widest classroom I have seen, it has to be 30 yards wide and four desks deep. Luckily, the students on the edges can still see the overheads.

Neale is working late so I am making dinner. Tonight's dinner is Chris and Neale's potato soup.

~ 12:25 AM ~

I am watching A & E's The Magnificent Ambersons.

I am also fascinated by C-SPAN's British Parliment coverage.

My classes at CSU start this morning.

~ 05:13 PM ~

Neale is at work and I am preping for Monday.

~ 02:01 AM ~

I'd like to close my eyes and go numb
But there's a cold wind coming from
The top of the highest high rise today
Its not a breeze cuz it blows hard
Yes and it wants me to discard the
The humanity I know, watched the warmth blow away

--Incubus, The Warmth

~ 01:08 AM ~

We had fun at the NLRB party with Dolores, Joe, Norma, Ray, Chuck, and Jun.

Drugstore Cowboy

~ 04:33 PM ~

I added Neale's fridayfive.org. See Friday's post below.

~ 02:02 AM ~

Neale and I made biscuits. They were good but maybe a little less shortening next time. Maybe we should remember Alton's biscuits and improvise on that theme.

Stephen Ambrose

Inventions that change history: Higgins Boats

Remeber Napster?

~ 12:03 PM ~

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What was your first job?
:: I worked in a bait shop. Yes, a bait shop. Minimum wage, hot, dirty, and sweaty. Jobs like that are what motivates people to go to college.

2. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
:: 16.

3. What was your first car? What happened to it?
:: A 1984 Pontiac T1000. Basically, a Chevette. It was two door light blue hatchback. It was sold and probably still sputtering down a road somewhere.

4. What was your first concert?
:: Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray, and special guest Buddy Guy at Alpine Valley, August 1990. Great show. Sadly, SRV's last show.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: I have some reading to do. My classes start on Monday so there is some course prep to do. We are also going to an NLRB retirement party Saturday.

The Friday Five for Neale ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. What was your first job?
:: Domino's Pizza's phone chick.

2. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
:: 12. But there was one earlier, an innocent kiss at 8.

3. What was your first car? What happened to it?
:: 1987 Plymouth Duster. We sold it after we moved out of Alton.

4. What was your first concert?
:: Little River Band at 5. I had no choice. But, I did see Van Halen as a semi-adult in 1992.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Working. I am also going to the NLRB retirement/Christmas party.

~ 12:43 AM ~

Neale also picked Ethan on Survivor Africa.

Need the time and date to be visually dazzling? Try the Industrious Clock.

I recommend you avoid the Cinnamon Challenge based on how a previous contestant performed. There are easier ways to gain the admiration of your friends.

Things I learned today ~ courtesy of Craig Kilborn ~

:: Check your negativity at the door
:: Hug a rainbow

Ahh, self-help at its gooey finest.

Something I learned from a person in line at CSU today

:: Sociology is too often confused with social work

Goodnight and sleep tight.

~ 11:30 AM ~

The ABCs of Sight ~ inspired by Quincunx ~

Objects that are in my field of vision at the moment...

Awesome 80s CD
Boston speakers
Compact discs
Diploma
Emile Durkheim "Selected Writings"
Futon
Gateway cow
Hold Everything catalog
Ishii (a note on LA's signing)
Jayhawks "Sounds of Lies"
Knife rack
Lamp
Mets hat
Norton Antivirus from Symantec
OLS test software
Paper clips
Quick glue
Remote
Shot glass
Tape
Utility knife
Veg Times
Web cam from Intel
Xerox paper
Yeats poems from the Yeats Society
Zip disks

Music playing in Wimamp: Jayhawks "The Man Who Loved Life"

~ 01:27 AM ~

I was watching Nick at Night and the Keatons are one of my favorite TV families.

Curious about the Survivor Africa finale? Check out RealityTV fans and Survivor Fire. Some say Kim but my winner is Ethan.

Music playing in Wimamp: John Coltrane "Lush Life"

Like favicons? Try Fav Org

Things I learned today:
:: In every hour that one listens to the radio in the United States, one hears approximately 11,000 spoken words.
:: In the UK, murder is murder. There are no degrees of murder like there are in the US.
:: Euro sounds a lot like Gyro.

Goodnight.

~ 03:05 PM ~

A fish tank? Dog sitter? Must be a web cam at Teveo.

Just when I think I have Internet Explorer 6 all tweaked, I learn something new at 3D Spotlight.

Adobe

Quicktime

~ 10:58 AM ~

Lou Reed sang, "believe half of what you hear and none of which you read", which is an acute perspective but useful when stumbling across sites like Adequacy.org. At first read, it almost seems like a real site of a concerned parent. But, then I remembered that sarcasm is one of the hardest remarks to express online.

Like art? But can't make it to the museum? Then you should like WWAR, the world wide art resource or Artcyclopedia.

~ 06:13 PM ~

Things I learned today:
:: Two wrongs do not make a right, but three lefts do.
:: Firecrackers were invented by the Chinese, as were noodles, but there are no such thing as fire-cracker-noodles.
:: Dogs and cats have been domesticated to act as enemies. In the wild, they are often poker buddies.
~ Courtesy of Jason Edwards of utterly amazing ~

Useless Knowledge

Tired of little ads like this:

Then, try Pop Up Killer.

~ 12:02 AM ~

Chris Hileman wants you to play some games. Longball is tough but its not High Heat.

Tcwo wants you to buy some PC stuff. I recommend the barebones bundle.

Random Neale quote: "Everything is better with cream."

Larry King's interview with Robin Reid, the father of "shoe bomb" was one of the funniest TV moments I have seen recently. Check out the transcript when it is released here.

Goodnight...drive safely and patch often.

~ 02:13 PM ~

It is about time Juan! Decision?

~ 11:56 AM ~

We have a new mayor in Cleveland. She is about to be sworn in. Watch it here.

I added a news page to the journal...see link above.

~ 2:27 PM ~

NEW FEATURE! "What's on Chris and Neale's Tivo?"

As of today, Cider House Rules, Revenge, The Last Boy Scout, and Life is Beautiful. Coming soon: Disclosure and State & Main.

~ 02:13 AM ~

Yes, we saw LOTR with Joe and Dolores and it was ok IMO. Neale was more impressed than I was with the film. Interesting how they leave you wanting the next episode huh?

We went to the Rocky River Brewery in Rocky River after the film. Very nice place. Beer and food were good.

Plus, Joe gave us some homebrew and we will enjoy it.

Need some happiness?

Stilton

Why is Quinn's fridge online?

History of Utensils

Watching: Disclosure. Have I mentioned how much I love Roma Maffia?

~ 04:44 PM ~

We are seeing Lord of the Rings tonight with Joe and Dolores. Probably go out for drink afterwards. At a hefty 178 minutes, we are hoping this is good as Neale nor I have read the books.

Neale has scanned Tivo for the next two weeks and has a few films on the "To Do List". I believe it is finally caught up on its scheduling.

~ 07:03 PM ~

The Friday Five for Neale ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. You've just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor - what actor would you pick?
:: Andy Garcia

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
:: Harry Potter

3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought?
:: Memento

4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of?
:: Dream Alittle Dream

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: Checking out the new Tivo

The Friday Five for Chris ~ Courtesy of Heather of fridayfive.org ~

1. You've just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor - what actor would you pick?
:: Kevin Spacey

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
:: Harry Potter

3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought?
:: Memento

4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of?
:: Malice

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
:: reading and tinkering online

~ 01:32 PM ~

If you use MSN Messenger please check this site to check your security. Highly recommended.

We have had Tivo for a day and it is very nice. The receiver is almost caught up on its programming and its features are starting to follow our choices of viewing.

~ 03:32 PM ~

DirecTV is here! We had Dish Network for a year and I built a tripod for the dish. The dish needs to be stable and stay in line with the satellite signal. Well, the tripod I built is no more. DirecTV comes in at a different angle and the installer was innovative with what the new dish would be mounted on. The new base is a former shoe rack. Yes, a shoe rack. When it gets warmer, I will improve on the mount if I need to but it is working fine now.

~ 08:20 AM ~

The DirecTV installer should be here soon. We are receiving Direct TV with a Tivo receiver for a very good price. We had the Dish Network in 2001 but decided to change because of the deal and Dish Network’s lack of sports coverage. Otherwise, the movie channels are the same.

~ 12:59 PM ~

I have some free time to devote to the webspace. I have updated the look of the pages. I am also learning about CSS code and how to have valid style sheets. I do not want to be mentioned on Webpages That Suck. Look for some more changes in the style of the pages.

Wanted to know more about Big Trouble in Little China than you may need? This webpage goes deep into BTLC.

What is your Ping?

~ 01:22 PM ~

Happy New Year.

We went to Dave & Busters and had a great time. There was a crowd of people enjoying the celebration. It is a large restaurant and bar with a game area focused on interactive arcade games and classic carnival games. We won tickets at the carnival games, which can be traded in for prizes ranging from stuffed animals (ah, no thanks) to electronics like VCRs and fax machines. We believe this Dave & Busters has been open for about 2 months. If last night was any indication of how their business has been, they will do just fine in Westlake. We will definitely go back.

~ 10:52 AM ~

Like what you drink?

We hope you have a safe and happy New Year.

~ 02:41 AM ~

Commericals: Love them or hate them?

New Years's 2002 on EarthCam

2001 Journal

I made a few changes to the webspace. I decided we could use some new pictures on the site.

Blog in the New Year.

Saturday, December 29th

Could I find something even more mundane than reorganizing the closet? Why, yes I can. I decided to caulk the shower. The original caulking was wearing away and getting rather nasty. A quick trip to Target, $4.00, and 45 minutes of labor, the shower looks much better.

Four Questions for Chris:

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year? Our first wedding anniversary.

2. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions? Nope, not a one.

3. Where do you wish you were celebrating? Groundhog Day. It is only 32 days away.

4. What do you plan to do for New Year's Eve? I'm not sure yet. We have a few options and are waiting to see if some of our friends have plans. If not, we are going to Dave & Busters.

In mundane activities, we reorganized our closet. It just needed to be done. Neale mailed Debbie her Christmas gift so we are almost caught up on gift giving.

Are you safe?

The Golden Age of Usenet is remembered by Google. Hard to believe but the web is young.

Friday, December 28th

Staying In For New Year's Eve? Here's What's Rockin' On TV

T O P