December 2005

Burrr....

December 16, 2005

Stepping into the hot shower this morning the water pressure seemed a little lower than normal but not badly. Turning around I picked up the shampoo and clicked open the lid. Lifting the bottle to encourage the flow of shampoo the water stopped coming from the shower head. It just petered out and stopped. Dry as a desert summer day. Now comes the fun part, wet and in cold air I try to try off as best I can while gathering some clothes to head outside. Every faucet in the house shares the paucity of water flow. Going to the well it seems the top of the well is frozen. Fortunately not broken or busted open by the pressure of freezing, but none the less, frozen. Returning to the house I test the adage about whether watched pots boil. This one did not. Not that it didn't try or wouldn't have but that I lack the patience to wait for a full boil. Headed out with a kettle full of hot water and turning the pump back on, the hot water softens the icy plug in the pipes and water begins to flow.

Time for more winterizing.

Arrrg!

December 15, 2005

I've had fewer posts of late thanks to the assistance of DirecWay.

It seems each time I get on a roll, get working and ready to do some uploads their web proxy server heads south and won't resolve any names. Perhaps, one might wonder, it is a problem with my setup. Alas, no, it is the DNS on the proxy server that seems to head south with alarming frequency. All-and-all I'm about to make the leap to dial-up, a bit slower but far more reliable service.

Lady's Luck runs out

December 13, 2005

The holidays won't be so bright for employees, or former employees, of the Lady Luck casino in Las Vegas. Eleven days before Christmas the hotel fired 125 employees. A total of 689 employees are expected to loose their jobs by February. The cutbacks come as the casino plans a major renovation. Hopefully some of them can get picked up by the South Coast in time for its year-end opening.

Mac Observer: Nearly everyone on board with Blu-ray

December 13, 2005

Just last evening I was asked about high definition DVD's. "Wait for the format war to die down," I advised. Today comes a report that Blu-ray high definition DVD format is inching closer to being the eventual format. The report says that 90 percent of the consumer electronics segment is supporting Blu-ray, including the major film studios. However, the major holdout is a little computer software company called Microsoft.

Against the law?

December 12, 2005

Interested in joining an gym in Las Vegas? A stop at the website of the Las Vegas Athletic Club says "Our specials change all the time". Going in isn't much better. They will tell you that you need a contract but you can't get a copy of the contract ahead of time in order to look at and review. It's sign up now or don't sign up at all. In fact when asked for a copy of the contract so it could be taken and reviewed the response was that it was "against the law," to do so.

Clubs like 24 Hour Fitness seem to be able to post their prices online and have information. All this leads one to wonder what the game is? Is it just snake-oil sales at its best? What secret clause in the contract is it that members aren't meant to learn about ahead of time? Oh, you want pricing information, that too is something you'll have to write down because the club doesn't put it in writing ahead of time.

In the end there is probably nothing wrong with this business. But it does make one wonder (and look for another club) when there is so much secrecy about joining a club.

Last Movie?

December 11, 2005

We went last evening and saw what will be the last movie I'll see in theaters for a long time. The problem isn't the movie - the latest Harry Potter movie is pretty good - it is the lousy experience of theaters today. Somewhere along the line the teenie-bopper behind us was never taught manners. Simple little things like not yelling throughout the movie. Mind you I'm not saying one shouldn't scream or laugh, rather that editorializing on the movie throughout in a loud voice is not conducive for the rest of the audience having a good time.

Throughout the movie I found myself wondering at the parent that would raise such a child. Imagine my surprise to see, after the movie, that one of her parents was sitting next to her. Thanks, I think I'll continue to wait for the DVD to come out. Sure I have to pop my own popcorn but it's healthier anyway.

Friday!!!

December 10, 2005

It's finally Friday. The end of the National Finals Rodeo is this weekend. Not having taken time off this week the weekend will be full of working on projects including doing some testing of the new Drupal beta.

Calling in sick

December 8, 2005

KGW TV has a report (video) about the abuse of sick leave in government employment. The report found that several employees had between 35 and 60 sick days a year. The report selected only employees who called in 1-2 days at a time and still managed to rack up major amounts of time. It is frustrating to see people take advantage of a system designed give people a necessary benefit in a way that will make employers less likely to provide such benefits in the future.

OK, but Sirens of TI?

December 8, 2005

The National Finals Rodeo is going on this week in Las Vegas. WIth the side events, christmas sales etc. the town is pretty well packed. Witness the big names who appear to present the national anthem. Reba McEntire, Clay Walker and Sirens of TI. What? Even the opening acts are big, Ricochet, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels are amongst the names. But Sirens doing the national anthem tonight? I don't know how much MGM/Mirage paid for the privilege, but let's hope that at the end of the evening it was worth it.

On the verge of winter

December 7, 2005

Less than a month from the start of winter the southwest has turned colder. The thermometer at the ranch this morning dipped into the teens. Of course it could be colder, like it was in Denver.

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