Apr 02

iLugger Review

This won’t be long, but I wanted to share my initial view of my new iLugger desktop carrying case.

There have been a few discussions about the best way to transport desktops, and I think most of us are just carrying them around with little to no protection. While I haven’t had any incidents, I feared it was only a matter of time, so I began looking around for a better solution. There are lots of straps out there, but very few actual protective cases. I went with the iLugger T (large), which was $159 before taxes. I ordered it on Sat, March 27th, and it arrived today, Wed the 31st. Not too bad!

It came in a nice large box (I actually had no idea what it was when FedEx dropped it off), and upon opening, it was just the bag. I really liked the fact that there was no packaging or anything, just a box with a bag in it.

It’s very big, but really, it has to be.

It’s very well padded, and construction seems good, with strong seams and 2 inch webbing for straps and reinforcement. There is a (seemingly) removable padding at the bottom, but I don’t know why you would ever want to remove it.

It has 2 handles that velcro together if you want to just carry it around by the top (which doesn’t seem practical as heavy as it gets with a computer inside). But the shoulder strap and accompanying handle are great. The 2-inch wide shoulder strap is removable, with large plastic clasps securing it to the sides. It has a nice large padded section that rests on your actual shoulder that is slightly rubbery so it doesn’t slip. It felt comfortable, unlike some messenger bags I’ve used.

The top opens wide, and it seems to stand up nicely on it’s own, though it took a few tries to get a mid-size tower in (a third hand to keep it open would’ve been nice). I’m confident that even a full-size tower would fit in this thing, albeit snugly.

I hope to get the front embroidered with my name and logo, and I’m sure customers will be very pleased to see the extra care that’s taken when picking up and delivering their systems. More than anything though, I feel better knowing I’m taking every precaution to protect their equipment.

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Posted in Technology

Jul 03

An Open Letter to McDonald’s

Dear McDonald’s

Your new McCafe drinks are disgusting. I had assumed you put them through some taste testing and marketing analysis, but when I took my first drink I knew that wasn’t the case. Were you trying to emulate gas-station-powder cappuccinos? If so, then congratulations, SUCCESS! However, if your goal was to create a coffeehouse quality drink a la Starbucks (or any of the other fantastic REAL coffeehouses), then I have to say McFAIL.

I don’t know if it’s sub-quality syrup, stale/low-par espresso, or employee incompetence, but something needs to be done if you hope to actually compete. And these dozen FREE McCafe coupons I have? They’re not even worth it.

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Posted in Life

Feb 07

Google Latitude

Have you guys heard of Google Latitude yet? If not, it’s an update to Google Maps for your cell phone that allows you to share your location via GPS with selected friends and colleagues. Interesting concept, not sure how I feel about it yet.

Go check out the intro and come back and leave your imressions in the comments. Make sure and notice the location of the map when you click the link.

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Posted in Technology

Oct 08

How Congress Failed America

There are obviously thousands upon thousands (if not millions) of postings scattered across the internet decrying the passage of the economic bail-out. There are also, I would imagine, a fair number of articles supporting it. Here are the thoughts of another random, typical American that will unfortunately never make a difference in Washington.

Firstly, I’m obviously not an economist – heck I’m not even that good with my own money, but I think there are several glaring atrocities that make this plan doomed for failure and ripe for corruption. America was undoubtedly in need of economic stabilization, but more than that we need reform and to stand up and make examples of some people. Let’s take for example the current hot topic of AIG. While the money AIG received was not technically part of the $700 Billion bail-out (or rescue plan if you prefer that wording), they spent part of the millions they received to keep themselves afloat on a lavish retreat for executives. Meanwhile, 5 rural counties in Oklahoma were just denied $9 Million requested to assist in recovering and restoring everyday lives following recent flooding. This is unacceptable. You tell me what Americans would prefer – giving billions to companies that were mismanaged and squandered their wealth, or re-routing some of those funds to actually help Americans?

I was delighted to receive a response from one of my representatives (Mary Fallin) when I wrote in urging her to vote against the first draft of the bail-out. She responded that the majority of her constituents felt the same as I and would be voting NO on its passage. She did, and it failed. I was elated that there were politicians who, seemingly, wanted to stand up against giving companies limitless funds that lacked oversight and consequences.

This is the kind of reform and assistance that should have been discussed. Do you want government funds to stay above water? Fine, your executives that got you into this mess receive a 5% pay cut and your CEO receives nothing when they leave. You’re found to be scandalously using the money for things other than business-related expenses? You pay it back. Poor actions equal rough consequences and the bail-out should equal sacrifices on the company’s behalf, not the American public. So what happened a week later to change so many Senator’s minds into voting “YES”? Convincing arguments and number crunching? Did the everyday American’s take on this situation change? No, they filled the second bill with special projects and lots of pork. America at its finest.

How much of those billions meant to stabilize the economy is pork? Some estimates put it at as much as $100 Billion, one seventh of the overall amount. So let’s go ahead and give $2 million for wooden arrow manufacturers in Oregon, it’s not like the folks in Alfalfa, Grant, Kay, Major and Woods counties really needed any help. Of course, they could always move to Wall Street, rumor is they just received a large injection of capital.

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Posted in Life

Aug 28

Digsby – The Best Windows Messaging Program Around

I’ve been a huge proponent of Trillian for years. At one time it was really the only big player in the Multi-Protocol Messenger Arena (meaning it’s one program that can connect to many IM programs at once). I had friends on AIM, family on Yahoo, and no one on MSN (but I still logged on) so it was great to have one program instead of three. But over the years Trillian hasn’t kept up with the times. Missing features and things that just flat out didn’t work – Video Chat, I’m looking at you – caused me to yearn for something better. So I looked around. Meebo, who wants to be have to open a web page to use IM? Pidgin – ugly and an incredibly small feature set. Then I ran into Digsby.

Digsby has it all. AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, Jabber, ICQ (does anyone outside of Europe still use ICQ?), and the nicest addition – Facebook chat! But wait, there’s more! It also does email notification: Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, or ANY POP3 or IMAP email account. It even has Facebook and MySpace integration so you’re notified of friend updates. Whew, that wore me out.

The facts can’t be refuted. If you use Instant Messaging, you HAVE to give Digsby a try.

Seriously. Go download it.

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Posted in Technology

Aug 14

Worn Out

Holy cow I’m worn out!

Training for an entirely new position, learning a whole new skill and tool set, and taking care of 2 kids, a house, and a dog by yourself is tiring!

Hats off to any single parents out there. I can’t wait for Kari to get back!!

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Posted in Life

Aug 10

Ubuntu Linux – Not Ready for Primetime

First off, for those of you not versed in Operating Systems let’s have a brief overview of the top 3 currently being used.

  1. Windows. Seriously, there’s not a lot to say. With over 90% of the world’s computers running Microsoft Windows in one shape or another, you’re probably using it now so there’s no reason to dwell on it.
  2. MAC OS. The second most popular operating system (with a whole 8% market share) is the Mac Operating System. Touted for it’s ease of use and good looks, you can find this on popular systems like the MacBook and iMac.
  3. Linux. Free and OpenSource (meaning it’s free and built and maintained by volunteers, not a big company) this operating system is most popular amongst do-it-yourselfers and real computer geeks. Linux comes in many different varieties with Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Suse being some of the most popular.

Now on to the meat!!

Installing Ubuntu is pretty easy and straightforward. You either download it for free and make your own installation DVD, or you order a free disc from the Ubuntu website. A much needed upgrade from previous versions, Ubuntu now supports most devices natively, and even has some amazing visual effects that surpass Windows Vista. In addition to sporting good device recognition out of the box, it also has just about every program you could need, including free alternatives to Microsoft Office (OpenOffice), a web browser, media player, instant messaging program, games, and more! Seriously, it comes with all that when you first boot it up.  It’s so good, you could almost give it to someone without telling them it’s not Windows and they could get going right away. Almost.

There are just a few too many problems preventing Ubuntu from taking on Windows or Mac. While it comes with a great suite of applications, adding new ones isn’t straightforward. You can get a lot of great software by using Add/Remove programs (It’s a utility named Synatpic if you’re curious), but some of the more commonly recommended programs weren’t actually available that way. I was forced to go find and install them myself, which wouldn’t be an issue if Ubuntu made sense when it installed things, but it’ doesn’t, because  programs don’t install into a main folder like they do with Windows. While the Linux people I’ve spoken with say this is by design (you control what Linux does, not the person who wrote the software), it’s not convenient for the average user. Then there’s customization issue. Windows ships with at least a handful of different themes and backgrounds. Not so with Ubuntu. Want to change a theme? Good luck. Background? No so hard, but you’ll have to find the picture yourself. Screen saver? There are several to choose from, but they’re horrible. And the final reason I wouldn’t recommend anyone switch yet? The “Terminal”. Remember DOS, remember the Command Prompt?  There’s a reason we don’t use Command Prompt anymore. It’s not intuitive. People like to use a GUI (Graphical User Interface – windows and preferences screens) to make changes to programs, configure settings, and install stuff. Until Ubuntu somehow removes the necessity to use Terminal for more complex chores, the average user won’t be interested.

Ubuntu is free to download, free to use, and has LOTS of free programs available for it. While it is very easy to install and generally configures itself correctly the first time, there are just too many issues preventing it from being mainstream.

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Posted in Technology

Jul 10

600 Starbucks Closing

By now you’ve probably heard that Starbucks is closing 600 US stores. But is your favorite Starbucks one of them? Here’s a useful map from the Seattle Times that shows (unoffically) which stores are closing, based on employee response.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Jul 05

Wii Boxing

I realize it’s  been a while since I’ve posted a video, so here’s Gracie enjoying a new found game:

 

 

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Posted in The Girls

Jun 25

2 Great Articles to Make You Think

I ran across 2 fantastic articles this morning at Relevant Magazine’s website that were both timely and convicting.

The first article discusses remembering the basics, here’s an excerpt.

Each of us, to some degree, fools our friends and family about who we really are. But it’s impossible to do that with God. He knows each of us, deeply and specifically. He knows our thoughts before we think them, our actions before we commit them, whether we are lying down or sitting or walking around. He knows who we are and what we are about. We cannot escape Him, not even if we want to. When I grow weary of trying to be faithful to Him and want a break, it doesn’t come as a surprise to God.

The 2nd, regarding the search for “bigger and better”, reminds us:

Usually each next big thing is a modified copy of the past big thing. It’s a little different, but the same. It’s a sleeker, more modern model, but ultimately, it really is the same thing. A car is still a car, and a pair of jeans is still, well, a pair of jeans. You can still play with old toys; walkmans still play music; your beat-up car can still get you from point-A to point-B, and those jeans that don’t have holes in them, yet still fit and might even be more stylish if you wore them out a little bit more.

If you have a few moments, I encourage you to read them both –  it could be the best 20 mintues you spend today.

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Posted in Life, Religion

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