You may recall that we ordered Theresa's iPhone (see... I've learned how to spell it!) two weekends ago. She got an email yesterday from AT&T that her phone was in, and that her local AT&T store would be contacting her to set up an appointment to pick up her phone. As of this morning, they had not called, so Theresa decided to call them. I asked her to call me back from her new iPhone so that we could talk for free. (I prefer not to spend money that does not really need to be spent.) (Unless it is something that I want.)
Ring...
"Good morning new iPhone owner"
"Hello?"
"Good morning new iPhone owner"
"Helloooo?"
"Hellooooo?"
"I can hardly hear you"
"Turn the volume up. It's the little rocker switch on the side."
"I can hardly hear you"
"USE THE LITTLE ROCKER SWITCH TO TURN UP THE VOLUME"
"I can only hear you when I put you on speaker phone"
"Let me call you back"
"OK"
Ring...
"Hello?"
"Can you hear me now?"
"Yes, but you're on my old phone. The new phone can make calls, but my phone number is not ported over to the new phone yet, so I can't receive calls for a couple hours"
"Use the little rocker switch on the side to turn up the volume"
"That just turns up the ringer"
"No... that turns up the volume too, when you are on a call"
"Is there a settings button?"
"Yes. Right on the screen. Just hit the "Settings" icon"
"There is no settings icon"
"Yes there is. Right there on the screen"
"I'm looking at the screen. It just has Phone, Mail, Safari and iPod icons."
"You should have a bunch of other icons on the screen"
"I'm looking at the screen and there are no icons"
"Turn your phone off and back on and perhaps that well reset it"
"OK... Ok, that got the icons to come on."
"Good. Take your phone back while they are still likely to have a couple more"
"OK. I'll call you back"
Ring...
"Hello"
"I am such an idiot"
"Why?" (Notice, that I didn't add "this time")
"I didn't want the screen to get scratched up, so I didn't take the plastic wrap off of the phone. The plastic was covering the earpiece. Fortunately, I figured that out before I took my phone back to the store."
"So everything's working ok?"
"Yeah"
"Ok. I'll talk to you later..."
This from a woman who makes good money working in a technologically advanced industry...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I am NOT a golfer
Don't get me wrong. I have attempted to play the game. Once, I think. But I am not a golfer.
I find it difficult reading the newspaper without reading, or at least looking at, every page. This makes reading the paper, for me, sometimes an hours long proposition - if I have the time. It is an unfortunate habit, but it does provide me with grist for the occasional blog post.
USA Today - Wednesday, July 30, 2008
For the record
FedExCup leaders Through Sunday
1. Tiger Woods $5,775,000
I take it that this is the amount of prize money that Mister Woods has earned thus far this year. It is only the seventh month of the year. And, if I recall correctly, Tiger (if I may call him Tiger) may not play in any other tournaments due to a knee injury. Not a bad years work.
But this list had 50 names on it.
50. Aaron Baddeley $1,190,937
Who?
Now granted, I don't follow golf. But looking down the list of these top 50 names, I recognized only a handful:
Phil Mickelson - third - $4,034,550
Vijay Singh - tenth - $2,582,531
Ernie Els - twenty-eighth - $1,689,465
Bubba Watson - forty-seventh - $1,186,093
I've never heard of Bubba Watson, either, but how could I not put a guy named Bubba on my list.
Granted, these are (apparently) the best 50 golfers around.
But then I read this mornings' paper.
USA Today, Thursday, July 31, 2008
For the record
Champions Tour money leaders Through Sunday
1. Bernard Langer $1,499,428
Who?
50. Bruce Lietzke $212,272
Nationwide Tour money leaders Through Sunday
1. Jarrod Lyle $291,021
25. Arjun Atwal - $135,976
I remind you, this is just through the first seven months of the year.
Noah... Grayson... want to learn how to play golf?
I find it difficult reading the newspaper without reading, or at least looking at, every page. This makes reading the paper, for me, sometimes an hours long proposition - if I have the time. It is an unfortunate habit, but it does provide me with grist for the occasional blog post.
USA Today - Wednesday, July 30, 2008
For the record
FedExCup leaders Through Sunday
1. Tiger Woods $5,775,000
I take it that this is the amount of prize money that Mister Woods has earned thus far this year. It is only the seventh month of the year. And, if I recall correctly, Tiger (if I may call him Tiger) may not play in any other tournaments due to a knee injury. Not a bad years work.
But this list had 50 names on it.
50. Aaron Baddeley $1,190,937
Who?
Now granted, I don't follow golf. But looking down the list of these top 50 names, I recognized only a handful:
Phil Mickelson - third - $4,034,550
Vijay Singh - tenth - $2,582,531
Ernie Els - twenty-eighth - $1,689,465
Bubba Watson - forty-seventh - $1,186,093
I've never heard of Bubba Watson, either, but how could I not put a guy named Bubba on my list.
Granted, these are (apparently) the best 50 golfers around.
But then I read this mornings' paper.
USA Today, Thursday, July 31, 2008
For the record
Champions Tour money leaders Through Sunday
1. Bernard Langer $1,499,428
Who?
50. Bruce Lietzke $212,272
Nationwide Tour money leaders Through Sunday
1. Jarrod Lyle $291,021
25. Arjun Atwal - $135,976
I remind you, this is just through the first seven months of the year.
Noah... Grayson... want to learn how to play golf?
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I am NOT my brother
Grayson, did not say exactly that. Not using those words anyway.
But what he did say, meant the same thing.
The boys were overdue for a haircut. I had meant to cut it the previous weekend, but, as usual, I got sidetracked and did not get to it. So this past weekend, before I came home, I scheduled my Saturday so I would know exactly what I needed to do, and have the time to do it. As I had a long drive on Friday night, I did not fly home until Saturday morning. The first thing scheduled upon my arrival was cutting the boys' hair.
Theresa (and kids) picked me up at the airport Saturday morning at about 8:45. We were home before 9:30, and on the way home I asked who wanted to get their hair cut first. Noah piped up quickly, so he was the first in the chair in the middle of the kitchen, which is our primary hair cutting station. When I asked him how he wanted it, he said that he wanted tiny hair. Tiny hair is fine with me, because it's easier to cut it that way. Put the 3/8" guard on the clippers and just start shaving away.
With newly shorn tiny hair, Noah got up and headed upstairs to take a bath, as there is always hair everywhere after I get done with them. When Grayson was asked how he wanted his hair cut, I fully expected to hear that he wanted tiny hair also. I was more than mildly surprised when Grayson said that he wanted long hair.
Noah and Grayson turned 5 on March 31. This is the first time that either has expressed an interest in separating himself visually from his brother. We have never really made an effort to dress them alike, although we have from time to time. We almost always buy two of everything for them, but they rarely wear the same thing on the same day. Sometimes we will get them different colors of the same pattern, and sometimes we will get them similar, but not matching, items. But this is the first time that one really wanted to look different from his brother.
Actually, that is not quite exactly true. Last weekend, when we tried (yet again) to get a new iPhone for Theresa, and (yet again) were not able to (we just ended up ordering one at the AT&T store), we went over to Mervyns in search of some new shoes for Noah and Grayson. Noah wanted Wall-E shoes and Grayson wanted Spiderman shoes. They were both on sale, so the boys got lucky! But this was the first time since they have started requesting their own clothing items that they wanted different shoes.
So with Grayson, I put on the 1" guard and started cutting. I had to do additional trimming around the ears, as well as in the back so he didn't end up having a tail. But it turned out reasonably well. As I've said since I started cutting their hair - it'll always grow back. And this is the first time since they were born that you can look at them and instantly tell them apart, even from a distance, which wasn't always possible before.
We think what has prompted this new desire is the transfer from their previous day care center (which they had been attending for five years) to their new school (where they will start kindergarten next month). Not all of their teachers can tell them apart. And I'm pretty convinced that not all of the kids can tell them apart either. The other day I asked them if they liked it when they got called by the wrong name, and they both said no. So, in his own style, I think this is Grayson's way of saying "I am NOT my brother".
By the way, pictures were meant to be included in this blog post, but I forgot to take them. They weren't on my schedule.
But what he did say, meant the same thing.
The boys were overdue for a haircut. I had meant to cut it the previous weekend, but, as usual, I got sidetracked and did not get to it. So this past weekend, before I came home, I scheduled my Saturday so I would know exactly what I needed to do, and have the time to do it. As I had a long drive on Friday night, I did not fly home until Saturday morning. The first thing scheduled upon my arrival was cutting the boys' hair.
Theresa (and kids) picked me up at the airport Saturday morning at about 8:45. We were home before 9:30, and on the way home I asked who wanted to get their hair cut first. Noah piped up quickly, so he was the first in the chair in the middle of the kitchen, which is our primary hair cutting station. When I asked him how he wanted it, he said that he wanted tiny hair. Tiny hair is fine with me, because it's easier to cut it that way. Put the 3/8" guard on the clippers and just start shaving away.
With newly shorn tiny hair, Noah got up and headed upstairs to take a bath, as there is always hair everywhere after I get done with them. When Grayson was asked how he wanted his hair cut, I fully expected to hear that he wanted tiny hair also. I was more than mildly surprised when Grayson said that he wanted long hair.
Noah and Grayson turned 5 on March 31. This is the first time that either has expressed an interest in separating himself visually from his brother. We have never really made an effort to dress them alike, although we have from time to time. We almost always buy two of everything for them, but they rarely wear the same thing on the same day. Sometimes we will get them different colors of the same pattern, and sometimes we will get them similar, but not matching, items. But this is the first time that one really wanted to look different from his brother.
Actually, that is not quite exactly true. Last weekend, when we tried (yet again) to get a new iPhone for Theresa, and (yet again) were not able to (we just ended up ordering one at the AT&T store), we went over to Mervyns in search of some new shoes for Noah and Grayson. Noah wanted Wall-E shoes and Grayson wanted Spiderman shoes. They were both on sale, so the boys got lucky! But this was the first time since they have started requesting their own clothing items that they wanted different shoes.
So with Grayson, I put on the 1" guard and started cutting. I had to do additional trimming around the ears, as well as in the back so he didn't end up having a tail. But it turned out reasonably well. As I've said since I started cutting their hair - it'll always grow back. And this is the first time since they were born that you can look at them and instantly tell them apart, even from a distance, which wasn't always possible before.
We think what has prompted this new desire is the transfer from their previous day care center (which they had been attending for five years) to their new school (where they will start kindergarten next month). Not all of their teachers can tell them apart. And I'm pretty convinced that not all of the kids can tell them apart either. The other day I asked them if they liked it when they got called by the wrong name, and they both said no. So, in his own style, I think this is Grayson's way of saying "I am NOT my brother".
By the way, pictures were meant to be included in this blog post, but I forgot to take them. They weren't on my schedule.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
One mans' opinion on why Barack Obama will be our next president
I have no college degree.
I have completed enough college level classes to put me somewhere near an associate (two year) degree.
I mention this now, because something that I learned in one of those long ago community college night classes that I took comes back to me now to inform this opinion. It is not what you say - it is how you say it.
When an individual looks to attach meaning to a verbal communication, the words only convey about seven percent of the message. Body language, facial expressions, intonation, inflection, intensity - all of these make up a greater portion of the message perceived.
Keeping this in mind, I would ask you to give up a few minutes of your time to watch these two videos. One is of Barack Obama. The other is of John McCain. I chose these two clips as they were both presented to large groups of supporters, and both candidates were speaking with conviction to these supporters.
Barack Obama at a rally in Virginia (about 4 minutes)
John McCain at a rally in New Hampshire (about 2 minutes)
Now if you have the time, watch them again (or a portion of them) and turn the sound off.
I make my living communicating with people on a daily basis. I have good days, and bad days, just like everyone else. On the good days, there is no doubt in my mind that the humor, the enthusiasm, and the attitude contributed more than the words. Because the words are the same words that I use when I have a bad day.
Ronald Reagan was called The Great Communicator. That was a skill instrumental in President Reagan achieving the White House. And I believe that Barack Obama will be our next president based on a similar set of skills.
I have completed enough college level classes to put me somewhere near an associate (two year) degree.
I mention this now, because something that I learned in one of those long ago community college night classes that I took comes back to me now to inform this opinion. It is not what you say - it is how you say it.
When an individual looks to attach meaning to a verbal communication, the words only convey about seven percent of the message. Body language, facial expressions, intonation, inflection, intensity - all of these make up a greater portion of the message perceived.
Keeping this in mind, I would ask you to give up a few minutes of your time to watch these two videos. One is of Barack Obama. The other is of John McCain. I chose these two clips as they were both presented to large groups of supporters, and both candidates were speaking with conviction to these supporters.
Barack Obama at a rally in Virginia (about 4 minutes)
John McCain at a rally in New Hampshire (about 2 minutes)
Now if you have the time, watch them again (or a portion of them) and turn the sound off.
I make my living communicating with people on a daily basis. I have good days, and bad days, just like everyone else. On the good days, there is no doubt in my mind that the humor, the enthusiasm, and the attitude contributed more than the words. Because the words are the same words that I use when I have a bad day.
Ronald Reagan was called The Great Communicator. That was a skill instrumental in President Reagan achieving the White House. And I believe that Barack Obama will be our next president based on a similar set of skills.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Ya gotta love kids
Especially mine.
I had a birthday this past weekend and was able to fly home for it. This is probably the first time that I've been home on my birthday in a few years.
I don't really feel birthdays carry any particular significance in life. True - they mark the date of your birth. And? This is worth signifying why, exactly?
I know, I know... you are another year older. So what?! The day before and the day after... do they carry any great meaning for you? Didn't think so.
"But it's my birthday!"... I hear you saying. "The anniversary of my birth!"
Yeah... I guess I'm not real big on anniversaries, either. Ask my wife. Or my ex-wife, for that matter. Not that that's the reason that she's my ex, but I guess you never know.
The whole age thing has never had a lot of meaning to me. 18. 21. 30. 40. 50. I remember my 40th 'cause Theresa took me to a go-kart track with some of my friends. We had a lot of fun that night. I don't remember any of the other benchmark birthdays. (And no... it's not because I am becoming senile in my old age.) (Well... maybe a little.)
I guess I just don't see age as being pertinent to most situations. Certainly, you can be older and wiser. In fact, I think that I am perhaps a touch wiser than I used to be. But I have seen many young people think circles around their elders.
So there you go. My thoughts on age and aging.
So... what's this got to do with loving kids? Glad you asked.
On Saturday, I woke up to children sprawled around the bed with Theresa and me somewhere in the pile. They greeted my with a bright and cheery "Happy Birthday Daddy!" So I wished them all a happy birthday too.
Then came the gifts. Mattea gave me a gift bag that contained a box that she had made for me from wrapping paper. Well not really a box. Kind of like the bottom of a shirt or blouse gift box that you might get from a department store, but without the top. That was my gift... there was nothing in the box. And she hand made a lovely card for me.
The boys had combined their efforts, as they do with many things. They found an old Bitty Baby box, or some box that held a toy of some sort at some point in their childhood history, and colored in portions of the exterior design and wrapped it with a ribbon. But by the time I actually got to it to open it, the ribbon had disappeared.
"Here's your present, Daddy!"
So I opened the box, and inside I found a clear bouncy ball with stars in it, a bath toy, some markers and a stuffed rhino, which they've had for quite some time. In fact, they have had all of these toys for quite some time. I think they were dumping all of the things that they no longer wanted into this box, and making a gift of them to me.
Ya gotta love kids.
I had a birthday this past weekend and was able to fly home for it. This is probably the first time that I've been home on my birthday in a few years.
I don't really feel birthdays carry any particular significance in life. True - they mark the date of your birth. And? This is worth signifying why, exactly?
I know, I know... you are another year older. So what?! The day before and the day after... do they carry any great meaning for you? Didn't think so.
"But it's my birthday!"... I hear you saying. "The anniversary of my birth!"
Yeah... I guess I'm not real big on anniversaries, either. Ask my wife. Or my ex-wife, for that matter. Not that that's the reason that she's my ex, but I guess you never know.
The whole age thing has never had a lot of meaning to me. 18. 21. 30. 40. 50. I remember my 40th 'cause Theresa took me to a go-kart track with some of my friends. We had a lot of fun that night. I don't remember any of the other benchmark birthdays. (And no... it's not because I am becoming senile in my old age.) (Well... maybe a little.)
I guess I just don't see age as being pertinent to most situations. Certainly, you can be older and wiser. In fact, I think that I am perhaps a touch wiser than I used to be. But I have seen many young people think circles around their elders.
So there you go. My thoughts on age and aging.
So... what's this got to do with loving kids? Glad you asked.
On Saturday, I woke up to children sprawled around the bed with Theresa and me somewhere in the pile. They greeted my with a bright and cheery "Happy Birthday Daddy!" So I wished them all a happy birthday too.
Then came the gifts. Mattea gave me a gift bag that contained a box that she had made for me from wrapping paper. Well not really a box. Kind of like the bottom of a shirt or blouse gift box that you might get from a department store, but without the top. That was my gift... there was nothing in the box. And she hand made a lovely card for me.
The boys had combined their efforts, as they do with many things. They found an old Bitty Baby box, or some box that held a toy of some sort at some point in their childhood history, and colored in portions of the exterior design and wrapped it with a ribbon. But by the time I actually got to it to open it, the ribbon had disappeared.
"Here's your present, Daddy!"
So I opened the box, and inside I found a clear bouncy ball with stars in it, a bath toy, some markers and a stuffed rhino, which they've had for quite some time. In fact, they have had all of these toys for quite some time. I think they were dumping all of the things that they no longer wanted into this box, and making a gift of them to me.
Ya gotta love kids.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
I am not an activist by nature, but...
When an individual has been trampled, solely because another has taken morally unacceptable actions, sometimes activism is called for.
USA Today, July 10, 2008
Feds knock; a business is lost
In a nutshell - a secretary working for a government contractor forged checks to herself. To protect herself against prosecution, she provided false allegations against her employer. The government prosecuted and lost its case. The business is unlikely to receive future government work. Dozens are now unemployed and the government lost a contractor that actually worked to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The company's future is uncertain at best.
Because one person forged less than $13,000 worth of checks to herself, and then likely falsified company documents in order to protect herself, an immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and founded a successful business, had a good reputation - now sullied. The business is ruined, or nearly so, and dozens of families that relied on the income of employees that are no longer working are suffering.
It's not quite that simple, of course. One must keep in mind the civil servant that was so focused on his own situation that he totally ignored the basic procedures of any investigation: uncover all of the facts, and verify those facts. Oh, and perhaps question the reliability of your source.
And what about the U. S. Attorney, Alice Martin, who pursued this investigation, and filed charges based on a known forger's testimony? The possibility exists, based on U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson's observation, that Martin knew that evidence existed showing the innocence of the accused.
I don't consider myself to be an activist but when blatant greed, and the behavior of self-serving civil servants, harms this many people how can a certain amount of outrage not be felt?
After reading the article, I went online to find the company website to contact Alex Latifi, the company founder and CEO to offer any assistance that I might. I found none, but I was able to find the company's address. So I sat down and wrote an old-fashioned letter and dropped it in the mail.
Don't get me wrong. I have no belief that I can help this man right the wrongs that have been perpetuated against him. I'm just a guy that trains car salespeople. But, as I told him in my correspondence, I felt compelled to at least offer any assistance that I might. In all likelihood, nothing will come of my offer. I just felt that he should know that I was available to help him, in any way that I might.
I'm not an activist by nature, but...
USA Today, July 10, 2008
Feds knock; a business is lost
In a nutshell - a secretary working for a government contractor forged checks to herself. To protect herself against prosecution, she provided false allegations against her employer. The government prosecuted and lost its case. The business is unlikely to receive future government work. Dozens are now unemployed and the government lost a contractor that actually worked to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The company's future is uncertain at best.
Because one person forged less than $13,000 worth of checks to herself, and then likely falsified company documents in order to protect herself, an immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and founded a successful business, had a good reputation - now sullied. The business is ruined, or nearly so, and dozens of families that relied on the income of employees that are no longer working are suffering.
It's not quite that simple, of course. One must keep in mind the civil servant that was so focused on his own situation that he totally ignored the basic procedures of any investigation: uncover all of the facts, and verify those facts. Oh, and perhaps question the reliability of your source.
And what about the U. S. Attorney, Alice Martin, who pursued this investigation, and filed charges based on a known forger's testimony? The possibility exists, based on U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson's observation, that Martin knew that evidence existed showing the innocence of the accused.
I don't consider myself to be an activist but when blatant greed, and the behavior of self-serving civil servants, harms this many people how can a certain amount of outrage not be felt?
After reading the article, I went online to find the company website to contact Alex Latifi, the company founder and CEO to offer any assistance that I might. I found none, but I was able to find the company's address. So I sat down and wrote an old-fashioned letter and dropped it in the mail.
Don't get me wrong. I have no belief that I can help this man right the wrongs that have been perpetuated against him. I'm just a guy that trains car salespeople. But, as I told him in my correspondence, I felt compelled to at least offer any assistance that I might. In all likelihood, nothing will come of my offer. I just felt that he should know that I was available to help him, in any way that I might.
I'm not an activist by nature, but...
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