The Internet Is Broken

The life of an I.T. guy is an interesting one. Until people stop being people, we will always have a need for I.T. guys. I have heard everything from My printer is broken (when it's really just in need of toner) to My Computer is broken (when it's really just turned off). So while I'm happy that there are extremely computer illiterate people in this world, there are some of you who are extremely funny with computers.

As you will see in the following video, some people just can't function with a little change. I have met a bunch of people like the ones you are going to encounter in this video, and that goes for both the I.T. guy and the person(s) on the other line.



Too funny...

Everybody Loves Chris

There are those who talk about doing it, and then there are those who actually do it. On Sunday, our buddy Chris made his stand up debut at Caroline's Club in New York City.

At the office Chris is your regular clown making us laugh with the silliest of things, but I think that we are all proud of Chris as he embarks on this rather difficult but rewarding path to success.

Chris started this stand up routine by going to "Stand Up Comedy School". Yes folks, there are even schools for this. The grand finale was at Caroline's and while we got to see the rest of his classmates, I must say Chris along with two other comedians were the highlight of the night.

Some of the other people were somewhat funny, but you can't expect much considering this was their first time. If nothing else, Chris has inspired me to follow my dreams and has proven yet again that if you work hard enough for something it can come true.

Congratulations Chris!!

The Wisdom Answer

So I'm sitting in the dentist's chair getting ready to meet the guy who will be using instruments of pain in my mouth and I begin thinking of the worst scenarios. I think he won't be able to pull out the wisdom tooth, and in turn it'll require more injections inside my mouth.

As I meet the doctor I notice that he is a chubby fella in really good spirits. He proceeds to talk to me about how the longest part of this procedure is filling out the paper work and we strike up a conversation about technology. Being that I'm a tech geek I mention to him how it would be great if there was such a thing as a wireless tablet with a touch screen where all the info entered on there automatically goes to a database rather than writing it out on paper then entering all the info on a computer terminal.

The doctor proceeds to tell me that, that technology is already in place but in big hospitals. He tells me that perhaps in another 10 years we might start seeing all that in regular offices like the one I was in. While we're having this convo the doc proceeds to start the numbing procedure and we continue talking.

I ask the doctor "Why do they call it Wisdom Teeth?" The doctor then explains that wisdom teeth start to come out between the ages of 18 and 25 when we are supposedly "wiser" or when we supposedly acquire wisdom. I don't know if that's the absolute correct theory or explanation on why they're called Wisdom teeth but I like it and I'm sticking to it.

My next question to the doctor is "If we really don't have a need for these teeth why does our body produce them in the first place?" The doctor's answer: Evolution. Yes folks evolution is partly responsible for those extra set of teeth we have. The explanation is as follows.

Back in our primitive days we had a different diet where our body required the extra set of teeth to break down the kind of meat we ate along with the kind of greens we had as well. You have to remember that for a long long time we didn't have fast food, or for that fact cooked food. As we have evolved into what we are now, we no longer have a need for those extra set of teeth because our mandibles are receding thus it explains why most people have all set of wisdom teeth removed.

By now my mouth is numb and the doctor explains that I will feel a little bit of pushing here and there. He asks me if I want to put on my iPod and listen to music while he's doing this so I take out my iPod and start listening to music. By the time a third of the song goes by he turns around and starts packing up. He then says to me "you're all done". To my amazement the procedure took less than a minute and my worry had been for nothing.

Of course I couldn't really eat the first day but that was no biggie for me. So as I left I wondered who in the world came up with the idea of calling it Wisdom teeth in the first place. I ask this because you encounter things in your life that somtimes question what Wisdom really is.



So, you still think we acquire wisdom between the ages of 18 and 25?

Terrible Tuesday

So today is a terrible Tuesday for me. First, let's begin with the bunch of fun I will be having shortly at the Dentists office. Getting this damn wisdom tooth removed proved to have no wisdom. UGH!

Secondly, as a HUGE New York Mets fan I woke up to terrible news today. The manager for the New York Mets was fired last night after the Mets actually won a game. While there might be some understandable reasons for firing your manager in the middle of the night, after a win, I can't help but really be mad at the Mets hierarchy right now.

I don't think they conducted themselves in a manner that is due to someone like Willie Randolph. Willie had shown a lot of class and poise during the good and bad times he managed the Mets. Who knows what will happen to this team now?

To Willie I say this to you: Hold your head up high. You always did your best and if you're the one to take the blame for old players not being able to play to their potential, so be it. You know in your heart of hearts that it wasn't you who lost the games after your relievers couldn't throw a strike to save their lives, it wasn't you who struck out with your bat on your shoulder with one game to go to the World Series. It wasn't you who blew three consecutive saves with tons of runs on the scoreboard. And it certainly wasn't you who decided to let go of Ruben Gotay, Brian Bannister, Paul LoDuca, and many other stinkers Omar Minaya has done up to this point.

If this team no longer performs on the level it's supposed to, I say look at Omar Minaya as he's the one who assembled this team.

Good Luck Willie!
Thanks for all the Amazin' Years as the Mets Manager.

Pulp Fiction

They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere...
Who knows.
Maybe one day you'll see this at your corner news stand.
:-)

Wisdom

When I think about diving with Great Whites, jumping out of airplanes, or any activity like that I don't normally get scared. Sure there is a sense of fear, but that fear eventually turns into fun and you want to do it over and over again.

So explain to me how in the world I am terrified to get my wisdom tooth pulled out? Yup, out of all the things that I have done in my life, getting my tooth pulled out has me scared like a little girl.

This brings me to something about the tooth itself. Why do people call it a Wisdom Tooth? If these supposed Wisdom teeth always end up getting pulled out, where's the wisdom in all that?

So now I eagerly await the fun filled day of numbing and pulling.
Ouch!

Cult of Personality

How many faces do you have?
After attending a wedding last Friday I realize that we all have multiple faces. We have our "work" faces, where we are always serious and trying to get the job done. We have our "partner" faces where we are different with our partners in crime. We have our "party" faces where we are always smiling at the same people that perhaps you wouldn't necessarily talk to at work.

So I ask myself... Why the need for so many faces? Is it hypocritical? I don't think so. I think it's necessary because you wouldn't behave the way you do at work, the way you behave with your friends.

So, how many faces do you have?

A little tweak

If you're an avid user of Youtube, you might like this little tweak.
Some current videos have links like "Watch In Hight Quality" underneath the video screen. Some videos don't. For those that don't you can still somewhat force the video to play in high quality.

The next time you're watching a video look at the address bar and at the end of the address add the following text &fmt=18.

So the original link would look like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9W55utXqwTw
After you've added the text it should look like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9W55utXqwTw&fmt=18

It really does make a difference.
Happy hunting.

Metered Internet: Time Warner is Greedy

As I was reading yesterdays newspaper I came across and article that was extremely disturbing. As a current Time Warner customer I am very disgusted that they have implemented a trial plan in Texas to measure the amount of internet one uses.

The idea behind a metered internet service means that you are given a cap of internet usage and if you should happen to pass the cap they give you, you pay extra. Rather than making technology better and figuring out a way to go with the times Time Warner has decided that their greediness comes first. Anything to make an extra buck.

Who will this affect? If you are someone who uses iTunes, Netflix, Youtube, or if you're a video game fanatic who plays online, this will directly affect you. The majority of us don't really use the internet to the point where a cap would affect us, but that's only because most of us aren't using intensive online media services yet.

Say you're a Netflix user, and rather than have the DVD shipped to your home you use one of their upcoming features of watching the movies online through your computer. Well, if you did this you'd easily pass the cap set by companies like Time Warner and in turn pay the extra that they want to charge you.

What about if you like watching tons of Youtube, Break, Dailymotion, videos online? You better watch what you watch because it'll cost you if you pass the limit set by your ISP. Forget about purchasing movies through iTunes, as well as music.

The thing that I don't understand is that we already pay for the SERVICE, so how is it that any ISP can justify a pay per use fee? What's more ludicrous is that AOL already tried this a long time ago with their Pay Per Hour fees and we all saw how horrible that went for them.

So if Time Warner Cable brings metered internet service to New York, rest assure I will no longer be a Time Warner cable user. I would rather buy an aircard and use that for my internet, or switch to Verizon FIOS/DSL which I believe won't be part of the greedy trip.

Perhaps this video can explain a bit more how messed up it is what Time Warner is doing.
2012: The Year The Internet Ends


If you live in Texas and you are part of this "Trial" period for metered internet, make sure you don't give Time Warner any of your money.

There is an online petition, so make sure you sign up.
www.petitiononline.com/UHSICP01

Four More Years?

Have you heard of 2012?

No, that's not the extension to my phone number at work but rather a number that suggests we only have four more years to live. Yes, yet another prediction that the end of times is here (once again).

Do you remember all the people who went crazy in 1999 when they thought that the end of the world was coming in the year 2000? I remember them too. In particular I had a friend who really thought that his appliances were going to "wake up" and start taking over his life. If you think I'm exaggerating, think again.

So what should we make of this latest prophecy? Should we really start packing up our things and get ready for the world to end? The answer is of course, no. End of the world predictions have been going on since we could read and write.

So why are so many people on the 2012 boat? My thinking tells me that we are all obsessed with an eventual end. When we watch movies, we can't wait for the end to come. When we take a train ride to work, we can't wait till our stop (the last stop) comes along. When we're at work, we can't wait for the end of the day to come along, etc..etc....

So, are we really obsessed with the finality of the human race or are we all just buying into something that seems plausible in any time of our existence? Just so you know, in the year 2012 we are supposedly going to get hit by either a comet or asteroid. The problem I have with that statement is that, that can happen at any time. It can happen tomorrow, or it can happen in 100 years. That in itself is not a prophecy. There are also a bunch of other things said about the year 2012 but they all lead to a supposed End.

What if I told you that next year there will be huge climate changes to the world? Would I be a prophet if there was a natural disaster like the ones we have been experiencing lately? Of course not, natural disasters have always happened and will continue to happen.

It would be very different if anyone that is "predicting" the 2012 prophecy to specify a day and time, but you will never see that happen. I guess we'll see in 2012. I for one will be relaxing and wondering who I'll be voting for president then.

You can find some info on 2012 at Wikipedia and just about any other blog out there.

I'm Gray

So perhaps the stress of all the events that occurred over the last month led me to finally get to the point when you know you're getting old. Yup, I finally got a gray hair. I actually got two to be exact and I'm hoping those are the only ones for now.

I realize that this is not a life and death situation but accepting that you're getting old is on fun at all. The first few sings of age started appearing in the form of small pains in the knees, the back, the arms, you name it... it has a tendency to hurt at some point in my life.

When I was much younger I never thought that getting old would be this tough but the major differences we go through is quite incredible. Just based on our faces alone, the wrinkles, the bags, the hair, everything changes.

So is gray hair a sign of age, or maturity? Is gray hair sexy, or yukky? I wonder if I'll ever use that hair product called "Just For Men"...

A perfect example of how we age would be the following image:

Do you remember the National Geographic Cover with the Afghan girl on the left? Well, the women on the right is that very same girl.

Similar but different you say?

Back from the DL

After about a month and a half of being on the "disabled list", I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. While I was not literally disabled, or playing for a baseball team, I did have a few bumps in the road that I had to deal with.

As you saw in my previous post, I did lose someone very near and dear to me but the healing process has been rather long and unexpected. I guess everyone has their own way of dealing with things. In my case I guess I just needed some time before I can return to being "normal".

So what has changed? What is new? Mmmm... let's see.
I've gained weight
I've been cooking more lately (that's probably why I gained weight)
I've been at work about two hours earlier every day
I've been in yoga mode everyday (stretching everything)
I've realized we have too much junk at home
I finally got gray hair (an entire post will be dedicated to this)
I've come to the realization that family is numero uno.
and lastly...I no longer live alone

Being that this is my first post in a while I won't dwell too much on the negative stuff but rather the good stuff. All the experiences in the past month or so have only strengthened my belief that we should live this life to it's fullest every day. I have no clue what will happen tomorrow which is why I live my life like today is my last day. No regrets.

Thanks for all the well wishes to everyone that dropped by during my absence. Even if I haven't met you in real life, it's still awesome to know that you're out there wondering.


This picture has sort of been on my mind all this time. It makes me wonder if we're really all that different like most people think?