The Red Eye

I'm off to MN tonight on the Red Eye with lots of golf planned. I may make a tour of the Central MN area. I've been missing golf since my clubs got stolen. Now that I've got a new set I'm ready to break out the driver again.

Mouse Pointer

Ever wonder what's going on with your mouse pointer. Here's a demo zoomed way in.

http://www.1-click.jp/

Ducks

I thought I'd try the new video feature of this blog site so here goes. This is a video of Hayley and I feeding ducks.

New Driver

I've been looking for a new driver for what seems like forever now. I've been debating on buying a top of the line used one or go with a new one. Last night I saw a deal on Dick's Sports online for a R5 Taylor Made driver for $149 with a free box of balls that retail for $39. It was last years model that sold for $349. Since there is no Dick's Sports in CA I was faced with the dilemma of waiting until I got to MN to buy or order it online. I slept on it and in the morning I thought I'd check Sports Authority to see if they had the same deal. Sure enough they did. I was about to head out to the store to pick it up and I decided I better print it out so the sales person new what deal I was talking about. When I got the store I found the driver and hit it a few times in to the net. It's a great driver so I told the sales guy I'd take it and asked where the free golf balls were. I showed him the printout and he went and found the box of balls. He didn't believe it so he went to the office to check online to see if it was real. After spending about 15 minutes in the office he came back to say that the deal was only online. While he was in the office I noticed a sales sign with the deal on it and showed to him. He was in shock cuz of the price of the balls. Why would they give away a $40 box of balls for a $149 driver but he went with it. While I was checking out I had to deal with the cashier cuz the deal wasn't in the computer so she had to call back to the guy and figure what to do. After another 10 minutes of waiting I finally was on my way out of the store with my new driver.

Now it was on to the driving range. I found a range online that allowed golfers to hit off grass. (Most ranges around here are mats only) I bought the jumbo size bucket and hit mostly irons trying to figure out my swing. After about 110 balls I figured it out so I pulled out the driver and my first hit was a monster. I duffed a few after that but eventually I was hitting it long with a little slice. But I'm a duffer so I was happy with it. We'll see how it goes when I get it on the course.

So if you're in the market for a new driver check out this deal at Sports Authority or Dick's Sports. The deal is for any driver over $149 so if you want an upgrade you'll still get your free box of TaylorMade TP Black Golf Balls.

The Price is Wrong...

If Rosie O-loser is the new host of the Price is Right I'll never watch the show again. Although I probably won't anyway since Bob Barker was the show. But seriously they can't even be considering Rosie. She'd be the worst host ever!!!! The last thing anyone wants to hear one the show is how the government set up 9/11 so we could start a war with Iraq. She's such a friggen explicative. There needs to be an online petition started to make sure she doesn't get the job, let alone another job ever.

Fathers Day

Fathers day was great. I spent the morning walking around with Hayley, feeding ducks, and playing at the park. After her nap the family went to Great America to check out the kid rides. After riding a few rides we thought there weren't any more kid rides until we hit the jack pot somewhere in the middle of the park. I'm not sure why the had two scattered kid rides in the middle of no where but we were happy to see there were a lot more. Hayley seems to love these rides. We got a yearly pass during the company day there for $20. It's about 3 miles from us so we'll be back there a few more times before this year is over.

The weekend wasn't all family though as I bought a set of irons and hit Target yesterday to reload on golf equipment. When I think $$$ for golf I think clubs. Man after buying balls, towel, bag, and a travel bag there's a lot of other areas that $$$ is spent. It was a pretty hefty price tag after we checked out. Man getting my clubs stolen is getting more and more expensive.

New Computer

I've been semi eyeing a new PC for some time now. It's been five years since I bought my last computer. It starting to feel slow. I've contemplated upgrading the RAM but then I see new computers from Dell for only $500 that would smoke my current computer. If I spent a little more I can get a pretty fast one. Spent a little more then that and I can get a Mac. I don't know why I find a Mac intriguing but every time I see a Mac store I'm compelled to go play on the Macs. Jen loves the iMac cuz there's not cords and there's not a big box in the way. I've almost pulled the trigger a few times but I just can't do it because I can't play my favorite games... game Command and Conquer. With a new C&C coming out soon I definitely need a faster PC and one capable of running C&C. So that pretty much put the ca bosh on the Mac until it was announced that EA is going to release C&C on the Mac. Now I really have no excuse not to get a Mac. So maybe after Leopard comes out I'll get one, and if the prices come down about $400. For now I'll have to go back to eyeing the 5-6 hundo Dells and upgrade the graphics card.

Podcasts

Here's a list of podcasts I listen/watch. Pretty geeky crap but it keeps me entertained while coding at work.

Minnesota Radio
- 93X Sports – Updated about 3-4 times a week
- 93X Stupid News – Updated about 3-4 times a week
- KQRS Morning Show – Updated Daily ** I love the podcast, it’s a day late but there’s not comercials

Tech News
- Diggnation – Updated weekly, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht discuss some of the top stories of the week from Digg.com while drinking beers, available in video and audio (semi funny)
- This Week In Tech – Updated weekly, Leo Laporte and Friends discuss tech news.
- Buzz Out Loud – Updated Daily, Molly Wood, Tom Merritt, and Veronica Belmont (Supposed Diva of the Tech news biz) discuss daily tech news and take phone calls
- MacBreak Weekly - Updated weekly, Leo Laporte and Friends discuss tech news related to Apple.
- Windows Weekly – Updated weekly, Leo Laporte and Paul Thorrote discuss tech news related to Microsoft.
- Apple Phone Show – Updated weekly, Scott Bourne and guests discuss iPhone stuff.

Sports News
- ESPN: PTI Updated Daily
- ESPN Radio: Daily podcast
- ESPN Radio: The Big Show
- WCCO Sports

Comedy
- Tiki Bar TV (Video Podcast)
- Comedy Central: Stand-up (Video Podcast) -

Random Podcasts
- ABC News Medical Minute – updated daily
- ABC News Money Minute – updated daily
- Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing – updated weekly,
- Money Girls’ Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life – updated weekly

Kids and TV

Jen and I have been watching the series Lost after Hayley goes to bed. Last night we started it after I got Hayley ready for bed. I figured letting her stay up for a few minutes while we started the show wouldn't be a big deal. After all at 20 months kids don't know what's going on while watching TV.

The show started out with a guy yelling at his wife to let him in the house. The woman consoled her son and told him to get under the bed and to stay there no matter what happens. The mom closes the door and the camera shows the kid watching the door while the background noise has the dad breaking the door down to the entrance of the house (not the kids room) and yelling at the mom. All of a sudden Hayley burst out crying reaching for Jen or I. I scrambled to turn the show off and Jen grabbed Hayley. Hayley started yelling naughty, naughty at the TV. After a minute we got her calmed down and let her stay up for about 15 minutes to make sure she was OK before putting her to bed.

Both Jen and I were in shock afterward. We could not believe that Hayley understood what was going on. I'm actually still in shock this morning. I feel terrible for putting Hayley through that. From now on we'll be a lot more observant to our surroundings and we'll make sure we read to her instead of watching TV with us before bed.

Tech Reporting

Listening to all these tech podcasts has got me thinking that being a tech reporter would be a fun job. These guys get to try out all these new products all the time for free. Imagine getting an iPhone for free just to write a review on it. I wonder if I could it part time just to get free stuff. Fatty Ryle would make a good reporter name. I'm on it. As soon as I get an iPhone I'll write a review and show off my mad skills so someone will hire me.

Weekend Recap - A's vs Twins

Watching the game in Oakland was great. I worked until about noon and then we hit Wal Mart for a portable grill and food. After the fiasco in Milwaukee last year we put the grill together right away instead of waiting until we got to the ball park. Every piece was put on and taken off two or three times because of crappy directions.

The tickets for the game were only $12 which I was pretty happy about. I figured the gang I was with would want better seats but right field was fine with them. After sitting out there for a few innings we started freezing our butts off. I thought I had learned my lesson from the San Fran Zoo but I guess not. Next time I do anything outdoors in Oakland or San Fran I'm wearing my frigeen winter coat. Spring atire doesn't cut it. We eventually moved along the first base line about 30 rows up. We were out of the wind so the game was a little more enjoyable. The game went into extra innings and all I was hoping was to get the thing over with soon. I didn't want to sit there for 14-15 innings. After the Twins scored 2 in the top of the 10th Joe Nathen made it a nail bitter by letting in a run and leaving two on before finally ending the game on a strike out.

The game was fun but I decided I had enough of Oakland so I didn't go to the game on Sunday. The stadium is worse then the dome as far as seating goes, but it's outdoors and they have plenty of room to tailgate. Throwing the football around and grilling is just about as fun as the game itself. I'm still bummed about the new Twins stadium not having a tail gating parking lot.

Google Maps Street View

Call it creepy or whatever but Google has released a "Street View" as part of it's Google Maps package. You can basically drive your route and see actual images of the streets. Some are calling it an invasion of privacy since you may be caught in these images or pictures of open apartments and what not may be shown. I think it's pretty cool, especially in large cities where directions can get harry when you don't know which turn to take on a five road intersection. Using street view you can see all the intersections ahead of time and see what the buildings look like around your destination so you know if you're getting close or not. Check it out.

Twins vs Oakland

The rematch is on this weekend. The very team that swept the Twins plays just up the road and we're going Friday and possibly Monday. I really want to see Santana but we'll see what happens. Slowely pitches Friday, I believe he's making his debut as a starter. It should be a fun weekend. We're going to tailgate Friday in the parking lot next to the stadium. Hear that!! Tailgating before baseball... something that won't be done in MN even after they build the new stadium. I wish MN would've taken after Milwaukee and built the stadium with plenty of parking so fans could tailgate. We'll have to live with visiting the visitors stadiums for tailgating purposes.

Eagan Town Center

The location of work here in Sunnyvale is not great for eating lunch out. We have two selections within a mile, Subway and Togos, both sub shops. Any drive over a mile away requires at least 10 stop light interceptions, requiring an hour or more for lunch. Kind of makes us Eaganites miss Town Center in Eagan, or just having so many food joints within a short drive.

Freezen' San Fran

Thinking it's a great day out in Sunnyvale, we'd head up to San Fran and hit the zoo with Hayley. The zoo their has been highly recommended by friends who've been there. It's been great weather around here and it's almost June so the weather in San Fran would be decent too. Jen dresses Hayley in a warm jump suit outfit, I'm thinking "that's way to hot, doesn't she have shorts or something in her bag?" But I just move on. Jen as also grabbed my coat and she's dressed very winterish. I'm in shorts and a tee-shirt expecting a sunny summer day. In about a 20 mile stretch it went from 75 and sunny to 50 and cloudy misty crap. We got to the zoo and I was very thankful we had winter clothes and I was very thankful Jen grabbed my coat. Parking there was brutal as usual for San Fran. We parked about a mile away and walked in a gail force wind to get to the entrance. Inside the zoo we were sheltered by trees and what not so it wasn't so windy, but it was fricken freezen. After about 3 hours of it I'd had enough and we headed home. But we were what seemed a mile into the zoo, about where we parked, but there was no exits on that end of the zoo so we had to walk all the way across the place and then walk a mile back to the car. Not that I mind the walking but the friggen gail force winds sucked. As we started the trek back to Sunnyvale the clouds started to clear and we watched the temperature rise about 1 degree per mile. When we got back to Sunnyvale it was 70 degrees and sunny. From now on we'll be spending our days South of San Fran. If I wanted to be cold I'd live in MN.

This is like the 10th time we've went to San Fran and it's been the same thing. Why are people so fascinated with this place. I think it's the most overrated city ever. The weather sucks there.

Timberwolves Lottery Luck.... Conspiracy ???

Although my interest in the Timberwolves these days is just about zero, I had a glimmer of a hope that they'd get a top 3 pick this year. We've been in the stupid draft lottery for years and never got anything higher then 3. This year it's the same. Read We're not moving up. I think it's funny how the public never sees the lottery selection rather just the announcement of the results. I'm pulling the conspiracy theory out on this one. I think there's a pretty good chance this thing is rigged and Mr Stern hand selects the draft order based on market size. Even if he felt it was Minnesota's turn to get a good pick he wouldn't do it because of the Joe Smith deal a few years back. It's pretty clear he doesn't like Taylor and he'd rather have Taylor sell the team. I will never watch the NBA again if the Timberwolves move up the next two years when we have to forfeit our draft picks.

Simply Google

Google is great. When I was shopping for an MP3 player I mentioned that Ben loves the Zune... the response I got was "If Google had an MP3 player you'd love it, even if it sucked." I use many Google features and I could probably be considered a Google fanboy. I dream of working for Google as well. Most software engineers dream of workign for Google. But I digress.

Most people don't have a clue just how many features and tools that Google actually has. The kind of hide stuff away on the site since most of it is Beta. I was listening to the Podcast Buz Out Loud and they mentioned this website. It rolls up all Google tools and features into one site. It's some third party dude that put this together so I'm not sure how long it'll be there but check it out.

Simply Google

Another Traffic Rant

I went to pick Jens brother Nick and his girlfriend up from the airport last Saturday at midnight. Thinking that there would be no problems with traffic I gave myself about 35 minutes to get there. Low and behold about 15 minutes into the drive the traffic was dead stopped. It's friggen midnight for crying out loud. As I'm driving in this stopped traffic, that was not caused by an accident just dumb driving, I'm witnessing the normal driving behavior where people don't let people merge and when drivers need to exit they stay in the left most lane until the last minute and then stop in their lane until someone in the lane next to them stops to let them in, and when you're crossing 4 lanes to exit the snowball effect is a traffic jam 5 miles long. It's just wonderful driving in this crap. Other drivers need a mile worth of open space to merge so even if they start merging 5 miles before their exit it never happens so they stop next to their exit, again waiting for drivers in the adjacent lanes to stop for them. And I won't even bring up the drivers that need to switch lanes over and over to try and move up 3 car lengths before their exit.

My solution to the problem is to hurry the production of flying cars. Although flying cars cause a bigger problem since people will now be flying stupid instead of just driving stupid each car would need to be outfitted with a autopilot and the car would then fly itself based on a flight planned entered before taking off. This got me thinking as to why with all the technology we have today why don't we force stupid drivers to use autopilots in their cars. When they need to exit the car will force them to start merging over many miles before the actual exit so they don't slow traffic. Merging would not force drivers to stop to let other dumb drivers in.

Happy Mother's Day from Dad and Hayley

Headache Fixed??

The last time I saw the chiropractor about a month ago he said based on my activity of running 3-5 days a week was probably causing my headaches. He said when most people run they tend to look down at where they're running which causes tension in the neck. He told me to concentrate on running with my neck straight and to do more cross training activities besides running. He also asked what else I do when I work out. I told him I pretty much just run. He said running mainly works out the muscles on the back side of the body and this could also be causing strain on the back and neck. So he also recommended working my abdominal muscles. After this discussion he worked out the knots in my back for about 40 minutes and then adjusted my neck. He said just adjusting the spine without working on the muscles would cuz the spine to go out of alignment. This was by far the best adjustment I've ever had.

Since this appointment I've started going to 15 minute abs we have here at work Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings that ends with 15 minutes worth of stretching. I used to think that I know what exercises it takes to work out but I'm finding out that I know very little. I had no clue the number of exercises one can do to work out abs and back. We have a different instructor for every class so that keeps it interesting too. The stretching is great. I've also started cross training so I'm running maybe 2 times a week mixing in biking, roller blading, and the elliptic machine.

Since I've changed my routine my head has been feeling a lot better. I don't know if it's one thing I've changed or the combination of everything I'm doing but I'm much happier without the headaches.