Merry Christmas (or appropriate greeting of good cheer according to your beliefs)

Well, another year almost gone by.  Here I am, working yet another Christmas.  Not so bad though, it lets the people with kids have the day off, it will be nice if they return the favor a few years down the road!  It's also normally a slow day here in the office (unless you get a snow storm that buries most of the state under a foot or so of snow, but that isn't even remotely likely this year).  So, I'll spend the day listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and looking for things to keep me busy until 3PM.  Then I get to go visit my family at my father's house and do the whole holiday thing. 

To all of you, have a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season!

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Vox Hunt: Holiday Decorations

Show us some holiday decorations.

christmas tree 2006

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QotD: Books From My Childhood

What books did you love as a child? 
Submitted by hearts. 

I had a few favorites that I would read over and over when I was young.  Sadly I cannot remember the titles.  One was about a steam shove that did it's last job too well and it got itself stuck in the hole it dug.  All ended well for the big guy, he got a nice cushy job as the heating system in the building that was being built there.  Beyond that, just about anything by Doctor Seuss or featuring Curious George held my attention early on in my life.  Even now I enjoy sitting down with my nephew and reading Doctor Seuss books.  I hope to pass the love of reading onto my own children one day as well.

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Vox Hunt: My Pets

Show us your pets.
Submitted by Prakash Daniel.

The vet said they don't usually get this large.....

Boru (P1010105)

My Ocicat, Boru.  Named for Brian Boru, my family's namesake.

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Because.... well, just because!

I wish I could be a better speaker, better writer, better communicator in general.

Part of my problem comes from my lack of confidence, part of it from a brain that switches track in the middle of a thought.  I can force myself to write clearly when I take my time, but I'm talking about the ability to have a live debate and still be coherent and complete in my reasoning.  To those of you who can do this, I envy you.  That is all. 

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QotD: Tasty Thanksgiving Treat

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Submitted by Brennan.

Definitely not Jones Soda's Holiday Pack.  Tried that last year, out of misguided curiosity.  Never again.  Well, unless I get curious.  Maybe I should?  It could be that THIS year, one of the flavors will be like dying and going to heaven, right?

Anyway, my favorite turkey day dish actually comes down to a close run off between filling/stuffing and pumpkin pie.  I love stuffing.  I'm from a region of Pennsylvania where Pennsylvania Dutch foods are still popular.  I love dutch potato filling.  Even among dutch potato filling there are some drastic differences and I love them all.  Don't think I don't also like traditional bread stuffing, I do.  I could make a meal of just the various kinds of stuffing people make!

Even so, I think the winner is Pumpkin Pie.  My wife has spoiled me on this.  Fresh made crust, made with fresh pumpkin.  Can't be beat.  Don't settle for store bough crusts or canned filling, it isn't the same.  I can't reveal the secret mix of herbs and spices.... no wait, I'm thinking of KFC.  But the spices definitely make the pie.  If you're going to be in my neck of the woods, let me know.  I'll let you watch me eat a slice.

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Vox Hunt: Autumn Where I Live

Show us what autumn looks like where you live.
Submitted by Miss Parker.

wraight030

This is a view from Bake Oven Knob on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania,  looking southward over the Lehigh Valley.

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Ground in 5...4...3...2...1...

Ok.  I'm not a cruel person, really.  I don't think I'll be able to convince a local bat of this, no matter how hard I try.

My wife and I were out walking yesterday afternoon, just before sunset.  It was a warm day for November in eastern PA.  Warm enough for bugs to come out for a quick buzz around the neighborhood.  Warm enough for a local bat to take advantage of the bugs flying around and grab a quick snack.  He was traveling up and down the road between the trees, minding his own business.  For some reason I decided I would try to trick him into catching a stone I threw his way.  Odd enough as this is not an activity I ever remember partaking in before in my life.  What made it even more odd is that it worked.... all too well.  Not only did he try to catch the stone, he apparently focused on it so intently that he never noticed the ground approaching.  He flew into the ground, not six feet from us, in a full on dive.  He seemed OK, if a bit shocked.  He flopped around for a few seconds and then flew off, probably cursing us the whole way back to his home. 

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QotD: A Tip About Tipping

What's your method for calculating a tip?

Start with your waiter's height, divide by weight.  Multiply by the cost of the meal, divide by the number of minutes from when your order was taken til when it arrived.  Add in the number of calories consumed and divide by the number of mistakes made in your order, multiply by the number of trips the waiter has made to your table.  That is all meaningless, forget the result.

Take the total for the meal, drop off the last digit.  That's the low end, bad service (unless it is exceptionally poor).  Multiply that by two, that is exceptional service.  Actual tip is somewhere in between, usually the upper end of the scale.

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Vox Hunt: Crazy Hat

Show us a crazy hat.
Submitted by Mindy.

Proud member of the Green Banana Hats....

certifiable

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QotD: Pizza Preference

How do you eat your pizza:  folded, flat or with a fork and knife?
Submitted by danimass.

Yes.

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QotD: OS Preference

Windows, Mac, Linux - What's your preference and why?
Submitted by ramblingsbymark.

Windows.  I know it is the least stable of the three.  I know it is a resource hog.  Whatever.  I spent the 80's working on a TRS80 Color Computer II  and III.  I loved the computer.  I think the CoCo III was superior to anything else in its price range (basically Commordore 128 and one of the Atari ST models).  Problem was, there was little software available.  What was there was good, but there was little choice.  It was frustrating.  That is why I am a Windows user.

I know that Mac and Linux are technically better OSes, but I find my windows machine to be stable.  I rarely need to reboot and might have a few crashes a year.  I've never had a serious virus infection (knock on plastic).  If that were not the case I'd be more tempted to switch.  I also know that both MAC and Linux have many apps available.  Windows still has many times more.  I like having the options there.  End of story.

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QotD: My Vox Name

How did you pick your Vox name? Does it mean something? 
Submitted by LeendaDLL.  

Here we go again.  There actually is a bit of a story here, let me start at the beginning.....

When I was in junior high school (mid 80s), I started using BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems) using just my first name + last initial.  Boring.  Didn't like that.  Started trying to come up with a cool sounding name and decided to go with the name of a character on a cartoon I was watching.  The show was Robotix, the character: Nemesis Enforcer.  I just used Nemesis as my name.

I continued using that for many years, until I started having trouble using the name at most sites.... too many other Nemesi (Nemesises?)  So I started to think of a new name.  I wanted something unique, so that I wouldn't find myself using different names at various sites (as I had to do with Nemesis).  At the time I had also been reading up on my Celtic heritage, so I decided to look for a Celtic name.  I figured I would look for something Celtic that related to the name Nemesis.  Well, Nemesis is the Greek goddess of justice, so I started looking for Celtic words with similar meanings.  I came across Ceart which is Celtic for correct or right, which was close.  I also liked the look and sound of the word, so I decided to choose Ceart.  One concern I had was that the username would be too short for many sites, so I decided to add some digits to the end.  The year I chose the name was 1999, so I became Ceart99.

Remember, you asked.

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Faith, Loss, Clarity

Why do I have a feeling that when someone says "O ye of little faith" that they are referring to me?

I was raised a member of the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination.  My parents were not avid churchgoers, my attendance was sporadic as well.  I never felt a "calling" to the church, I never truly believed much of what I was being taught.  Personally I always felt like the members of my church had their hearts in the right place but not for reasons of their own.  They literally seemed to be sheep of the flock, going whichever way their shepherd led them.  My beliefs have not changed much over the years.  However, I had always kept quiet about my lack of faith, I would occasionally attend church and acted as if I believed, although it was painfully obvious that I was not enthusiastic.  Most of these actions were out of respect for my mother's and aunt's beliefs and the respect I had for each of them as a person.

In the past two years I've lost both of these special people.  Each of them knew the end was near for some time, and each of them encouraged me to embrace the church and the beliefs on which the church is founded.  In my heart I knew (and I think they did as well) that I could never do that.  They feared for me, for my soul, for the loss they would feel if they were unable to reunite with me in some great beyond.  A part of me fears that I have failed them, but that is a small voice, drowned out by my own larger belief that the claims of the Christian church and any other religions I am familiar with are inaccurate. 

I am an atheist.   Now that  I don't feel that I have to play a part for someone else, I am more certain of this than ever.  I  don't believe in any god.  I don't believe that any religion is true.  I am happier and stronger as a person now that I feel free to make these statements.  I don't intend to make this a challenge to those of you who do believe, either a challenge to change your mind or a challenge for you to change mine.  This is simply a statement of my belief. 

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QotD: Well, I'd Never!

What did you think you would never ever do... but did? 
Submitted by Murky.  

I never thought I would give blood, but I did.  I know that there is little pain involved.  I know that it benefits lots of people.  But, as with many people, I dislike needles and the people who want to place them into my body.  When I was young I was very thin and didn't meet the weight requirements so I used that as an excuse (good one, but still).  As I got older I lost that as an excuse but still stayed away.  It wasn't until my wife, who is a nurse, asked me to go with her to a blood drive that I finally gave in and donated.  I have even gone back on my own since then and survived!  I'm still uncomfortable during the whole process, but will continue donating.  If you haven't done so yourself, you should.

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Vox Hunt: Dangerously Cute

Show us something dangerously cute.
Submitted by Indy Bunny.

I found you! (P1010103)

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Backup, just a little bit more....

Family, love it or leave it.  Especially when it is your in-laws.  Fortunately, in my case, I am happy to say I love it.  As a matter of fact, sometimes I think I fit in better with them than with my own family.  And this weekend is a weekend of family. 

Saturday was a get together in my neck of the woods, Pennsylvania.  After gathering at my home and meeting my wife's aunt Sharon for the first time (visiting from California), we headed out to Jim Thorpe to visit the shops and have some lunch.  From there we drove and then hiked to Bake Oven Knob (see pics at left).  The views from here were spectacular as always, if only the clouds would have broke to allow the sun to light the leaves and show off their colors.  A final stop at Bear Rock Junction to explore a corn maze and pick up some pumpkins topped off a great day.

Today we'll be on our way to New Jersey to attend a wedding.  We'll be staying there with family for the night and travelling into New York City for some sightseeing on Monday. 

All in all it'll be a busy weekend, but an enjoyable one.

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QotD: Home Sweet Home

What is your browser's default home page set to?
Submitted by Kelev T. Cat.

Years ago I grew tired of trying to keep bookmarks updated on various machines I worked from so I decided to make a links page where I could store and organize my links precisely how i wanted them.  That has been my home page for about 7 or 8 years now.  It's been purposely kept simple, no graphics, text organized by table only, so that it would load quickly when I start the browser.  The most drastic change to the page occurred on election night when President Bush II won his second term.  The next day I dropped all colors from the page.  It has been done in shades of grey ever since and will remain so until his term is over.  My little way of mourning our nation's loss.

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QotD: I'm reading (or about to read)...

What books are on your nightstand?

Jon Stewart's America.   Bought it when it first came out but am just getting around to reading it now.  Not the best of reads but good for a light humourous read.  I'm also studying for my CCNA right now so Cisco's self study books are never far away.  I plan on schedulin the test for two weeks from now.  Wish me luck.

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A picture is worth a thousand words?

I've been lax lately (Ok, for quite a while) on adding my pics to flickr.  Don't know why, I just hadn't had the drive to do so.  I'm playing catch up now.  A bunch of new photos added in the pst few days.  Check them out if you have some time to spare: Ceart's Flickr Photos

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QotD: Bring Back the Snack

Are there any snacks, food or candy that are no longer made that you desperately miss?

God yes.  A locally made brand of potato chips that was called Golden Sun.  They were unlike any other chips I have ever had.  They stopped making them a few years ago.  I was also upset when Peanut Butter Twix disappeared a few years ago.  Thankfully, they are back in production.  

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Ahhh, vacation.

No, I'm not on vacation right now, I just scheduled myself for the last week of September though.  It'll be mainly a working vacation this time though.  Mrs C and I plan to use a few of the days to paint the downstairs rooms.  Even so, we'll be taking a few days to enjoy ourselves.  A daytrip to NYC is in the works and we plan on visiting a few semi-local restaurants that we've never made time to do.  We'll also be taking a hot air balloon ride if the weather permits.  Anyway, the countdown starts now and I am thoroughly looking forward to the time off.

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QotD: My Intro to the Big Screen

What was the first movie you remember seeing in a movie theater? 
Question submitted by mainmor.

I only remember bits and pieces of the experience.  I was six or seven and I went with my sister, her now ex-husband (boyfriend at the time), and several of his brothers and sisters.  I remember going to the theater in the Whitehall Mall in Allentown, PA to see the original Superman.  Beyond that my memories of the experience are very blurry.  I know I had a good time, I was looking forward to going again, but I don't remember much of what happened inside the theater itself.  I've seen the movie several times since then though, so I do remember the plot and many scenes now.  Since then I've probably seen hundreds of movies, some memorable. so I wish I could forget.  I just wish I could hold onto memories of that first time in more detail.

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What's in a name?

For quite some time I sat back and watched friends, aquaintences, and complete strangers start up blogs at various sites around the net.  For the most part I thought to myself "do they think anyone really cares about what they have to say?"   So I read a few friends blogs to see what they did have to say, to see if I could figure out why so many people have turned to this avenue of expression.  As I did this, I realized that I had just answered my own question.  Does anyone really care?  Apparently so!  While I wasn't reading these blogs because I was afraid of missing out on some earth shattering development, I was reading.  And I was enjoying the time I spent reading.  And obviously I'm not the only one. 

So, with the above realization in mind, I decided it was time to start my own place for my thoughts.  I'm not expecting to solve the worlds problems or provide the masses with the answers to their prayers, I'm just going to share a bit of what's on my mind from time to time.  It may end up simply contributing to the background white noise of the internet.... so be it.  Heck, this whole endeavor may be nothing more than "a hodgepodge of things better left unsaid," but I'll be saying them anyway.  I suppose I could just adopt a pet rock but, you know, "pet rocks don't listen."

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QotD: Weekend Goal

What's one thing that you'd like to get done this weekend? Is there anything holding you back?

One thing?  Ok, I've got the laundry out of the way.  That's one thing.  I should cut the grass in my yard this weekend also, I'm trying to convince myself to go out and do it.  I also have to study for my CCNA cert test.  I plan to take that by the end of the month.  Recycling should be dropped off.  But these are all things I SHOULD get done this weekend.  What I'd like to do this weekend is to get out of the house and enjoy myself with some friends.  Last month was rough and I could use a break.  But I shouldn't do that.  I should be staying home and gettng things done.  Right? 

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Fed up with FedEx

So tell me, FedEx, do you really expect someone to take a day off from work to stay at home and receive a package?  Seems like that is the case.  Yesterday I came home from work to find a FedEx tag on my door telling me that they were there to drop off a package.   It seems the package required a signature so they could not just leave it, no even with specific instructions to do so.  My choices were to be there the next day (or the day after that, they try to deliver three times before returning the package) or to pick it up at the "local" distribution center located about 45 miles from my home. 

This time I was in luck.  My wife was off of work today and was able to be here to receive the package.  This time my anger probably shouldn't even be directed at FedEx, but at the company I purchased the items from.  When I ordered them I had selected USPS shipping.  Not sure why they decided to use FedEx and require a signature.  Even so, this is my second experience with this type of a problem, and the last time it was FedEx that was at fault.

About two years ago I ordered a system from Dell.  Their site offered FedEx Home shipping with delivery after 5PM.  There was an extra charge for the after hours delivery, but it worked well with my schedule, so I paid it.  When the item was delivered, the driver came at 1:30PM.... guess what... no one home.  That time there was no note about needing a signature, so I left a note saying they could just leave the package on my deck.  The note was left at the same spot I had found their note.  I came home the next day to find another note, this time in my mailbox at the base of my driveway.  Apparently they saw there was no car in the driveway so they didn't even bother coming up to the house.  Nice.  This note warned me they would try one more time before returning the item.  I spent the entire night trying to call Dell & FedEx.  The FedEx driver hadn't bothered to leave a tracking number so FedEx couldn't help me.  Dell had failed to properly record the tracking number, they couldn't help me.  I asked FedEx why the package wasn't being delivered after 5PM as I had requested.  I was told that the service was not available in all areas.  I asked why they accepted my payment for the service if it wasn't available, they had no answer.  In the end I took a personal day the following day so I would be home to receive the system.

I am so fed up with FedEx.  I rarely use their services.  If it is not the only option I will always choose UPS or USPS over FedEx.  It's about all I can do to address my displeasure with them. 

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QotD: I wish I could...

Play any instrument or speak any language, which do you choose?
Question submitted by cruftbox.vox.com.

I'd choose to speak any language.  Music is a huge part of my life, but I'm satisfied with being part of the audience, not the star of the show.  I'm an information addict.  As such the ability to speak with people of other nationalities would provide me with even more opportunities to learn, and do so with more direct access to varying viewpoints. 

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Don't tempt me I just might

Civilization IV : Warlords came out yesterday, in case you didn't know.  The first expansion for Civ IV and it has my interest peaked.  I'm saving it for reward though.  I've been putting off studying for my CCNA for too long.  Some thigs have come up that demanded attention but a lot of the delay has just been my normal procrastination.  I determined that I would not buy this expansion until I pass the exam.  May not seem like major motivation, but for me it will probably work.  Civ is by far my favorite gaming franchise and I think Civ IV is one of the best iterations of the game.  The expansion is something I've been looking forward to.  So, I spent much of my evening yesterday studying.  So far, so good.  Hopefully I'll be ready for this in a week or two.  Now, so long as no one tries to talk me into just buying the expansion, I should be OK.

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QotD: Sugar, Sugar

What was your favorite candy when you were a kid? How does that compare to now?

Sugar Daddies were one of my favorites when I was a kid.  Thinking about them, they still would be appealing to this day, but I can't tell you the last time I had one (or even sugar babies for that matter).  I still have quite a sweet tooth though.  Now I am most likely curb my yearnings with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  Whoever came up with the idea of combining sugar and chocolate should be a god (or at least a saint).

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QotD: It's hot in here...

What's the most extreme weather you've been in? A memorable storm? Heat wave? Or something else?

I live in eastern Pennsylvania, not an area prone to extreme weather.  Hurricanes that reach us are not severe, especially since I don't live in an area prone to flooding.  Snowstorms here would seem like flurries to people in Wisconsin, Maine, or many parts of Canada.  We rarely see tornadoes, and those that we do are small.  Earthquakes barely rate the name.  Heat waves suck as they often bring lots of humidity along for the ride, but again, our worst is probably par for the course in Gulf Coast states.  So my weather stories would be very tame compared to others.

One of my most interesting weather stories was when I was taking a flight from Raliegh to Charleston to make a connecting flight back home.  There were severe thunderstorms in the area and we were stuck waiting on the runway for nearly an hour before being cleared for takeoff.  Seeing the storms from above was one of the most memorable weather experiences I've had.  Of course, once I landed in Charleston, I found out that our flight had been the last to take off before from Raleigh the airport was closed due to tornadoes nearby.  Explains the bumpiness of the flight, I suppose.  I'd love to experience that again.

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QotD: Midway Through

What's one thing that you hope to do or accomplish before the end of this year?

I honestly don't currently have one major goal I'd like to accomplish that I expect to complete by the end of the year.  I'm working toward an addition on my house, but plan on having all of my debts except for my mortgage paid off before I undertake that endeavour.  I hope that will be done within a year from now, but not by the end of the year.

More minor goals? 

Paint the basement.  When we bought this house (just over two years ago now), we painted the entire upstairs but have yet to add some color to the basement.... it's still plain white. 

Get my CCNA.  I've been in the industry for several years, but have never actually taken the exam.  Studying for that now.  Should be ready to take it in a month or two, wish me luck.

Take some time to relax.  This year we've decided to take a week and just explore some of the things our local area has to offer.  When I was a teenager, I would go out to eat, see movies, hit local attractions all the time.  As an adult I've tended to plan vacations that have taken me ar from home and I haven't experienced much of what has emerged in the local area (no time to get out with work and other things taking up my time).  Time to catch up.

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Random thoughts

I was thinking earlier: What should I post about? 

I thought back to myself: Just post some random thoughts.

But what random thoughts?

My mind started going through a chain of ideas: Banana daiquiri, alcohol, drinking, abstinence, cell phone ring tones (don't ask me, it just popped in there).  Then I started thinking about the chain of thought itself.  What made me think of banana daiquiri in the first place?  Was it truly just a random thought?  Was it predetermined by electrical impulses in my brain that were influenced by everything in the world around them?  Is there such a thing as a random thought?  I guess it depends on your definition of random and in your beliefs of how the world and your mind work.

I'm generally a logical type of person.  I'm an atheist, I believe in evolution, I believe I have free will, but I believe that our thoughts are electrical impulses that can be affected by the chemicals in our body and input from our senses.  So, does that mean that we really have no free will, that our body is basically a huge computer that is following a set of rules and reacts to countless types of input and influence to act in certain ways?  Are we acting or just reacting?  Who knows?

Look at it this way.  If you roll one ball down a track, you can predict where it will go pretty easily.  Roll a million balls down the street and who knows where they will end up?  Still, give a powerful enough computer a detailed enough description of the scenario and it will be able to come up with a pretty accurate estimate of what will happen (think weather prediction).  Even so, the results, for all intents and purposes, are random.  So, even if your mind is just an extremely complex computer, and there is some algorithm that can predict how you will react to any situation, it would still appear that you are acting with free will to you and any other person.

Is all of this important and life changing?  No, it's just a bunch of random thoughts.

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QotD: Celebrational Muppetational!

Who is your favorite Muppet? Why?
QotD submitted by knitwitology.vox.com.

My favorite muppet?  Heh, never really thought about this one and it hard to choose.  Kermit has to rank up there, the little guy that come from the swamp to make it big.  Fozzie was great, always there for his friends.  Gonzo, trying to figure out what he was and here he fit in.  I have to mention Statler and Waldorf as well here, they always made me laugh with their heckling.  But my favorite?  I'll have to go with Beaker.  No matter what he was asked to do, he would do it.  He knew the outcome was going to be bad, but he'd get in there and do what was expected of him.  He may not have been the most popular. he may not have had much to say, but I loved him. 

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Welcome?

So I'm here.  I've been avoiding this place for a while, even though I've been hearing so many people talk about it.  Nothing against you vox, I'm just generally not a blog type.  But like I said in my request for an invite, I guess resistance is futile and I will be assimilated.

I'll get more posted here soon, For now I just wanted to get the "this loser has nothing to say" default message off of my blog page.  Time for me to sleep now.  Call me in about seven hours, OK?

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