We started our number port to ooma today. Despite the big outage Monday (which we didn't even notice) and the smaller outage on Tuesday, I still feel it is going to be a wise move going Internet-only. We'll still have our cellphones as backup, but ooma's call quality and premier services convinced me it was time to try something different. By my calculation, it'll take nine months of "no AT&T" to make up for ooma ($199), a UPS ($34.97 after tax) and the first year of premier services ($99.99), but after that, we'll be spending about $100 a year for a service that was costing more than $400. Sweet!

Celebrity Endorsements: Does Anyone Really Care? - HUMAN EVENTS

Celebrity Endorsements: Does Anyone Really Care? - HUMAN EVENTS: "Trust me, one’s view of the world isn’t any clearer from the back seat of a limo." - Pat Sajak

Montevallo, Alabama, native Robert Lightfoot Jr. becomes acting director at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center - al.com

Montevallo, Alabama, native Robert Lightfoot Jr. becomes acting director at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center - al.com

Amanda's cousin has been named Director!  Congratulations to him!

CADIE: Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity

CADIE: Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity

Google's annual roll-out.  This is the best one yet - better than Pidgeon Rank!

We hooked up Ooma this weekend.  It works great!  There is no loss of quality in our phone calls, I was able to easily do a three-way conference, the voicemail works, and you can listen to the messages via the Ooma Lounge, which will be handy when we are traveling.  I even inadvertently enabled the DND (Do Not Disturb) feature and the next call went straight to voicemail.  XD

If we continue to be happy with it, we'll be dumping AT&T in favor of a lifetime of free (or cheap, if we continue with the Premier Services) phone service.  We currently spend $36.95 per month for a single phone line + Caller ID and Call Waiting.  All that comes free with Ooma for the initial outlay of $200.  In other words, it pays for itself in less than six months.  Six months!  If we stick with Premier, it means we save $343 per year (assuming rates change on neither side).

The only other equipment I'm going to add to the mix is an uninterruptible power supply to insure we have phone service when the power goes out.

Obama wants high-paying, high-skill jobs in future (AP)

I understand what he means. "President of the United States" just isn't a good job anymore. (LOL)

ooma: Free home phone service. Unlimited US calling with no monthly fees.

ooma: Free home phone service.

We're going to give ooma a try, to see if it lives up to the hype.  Since they are scheduled to release new hardware later this year, it's a good time for cheapskates like me to join - I'm sure they'll be here till at least the end of this year, so I am very likely to at least recoup my investment.

And the 30-day free trial helps me make sure my wife is satisfied. :)

Energy Information

Google Power Meter - Google.org

This is just the kind of thing that can transform the world.  Schoolhouse Rocky says, "Knowledge is Power!" (pun intended).

Converting an application from Ruby on Rails to Java and other misguided decisions

Inauguration Will Set A Port-A-Potty Record

The new Fisker Karma

Who says Hybrids can't move?

Barack Obama's family gets a Wii video game system

Quote:

"It gives me an amazing amount of warm fuzzies knowing there's going to be a game console in the White House," wrote Mike Fahey, a blogger for Kotaku.com, which tracks gaming. And the GameCulture.com blog crowed, "Remember that… your chief executive, and the leader of the Free World, now wears a wrist strap."

Solve the Credit Crisis from the Bottom up - Change. org

Social Lending (something I'm a part of via The Lending Club)  is a great way to make a little money off of savings, and help others at the same time.  Interest rates are typically lower than what a bank would charge, but higher than you could get somewhere else.

Vote for this idea to be presented to President-Elect Obama at the link above, and while you're there, browse for other ideas that resonate with you.

Where the hell is Matt? | Blunt Wit

Where the hell is Matt? Blunt Wit
The DMZ was the first to make me laugh, and then it continued...

Aegisub: If programming languages were religions...

Aegisub: If programming languages were religions...

A very funny read for us geeks!

Finch Elves Snowball Fight

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The Middleman - TV.com

The Middleman - TV.com
Save the Middleman! I don't know if anyone who reads my blog (all three of you) watch "The Middleman" on ABC Family, but it is a smart, funny, way-out-there TV show that Amanda and I love. And it may be in danger of being canceled!

Go to http://abcfamily.go.com and ask them to bring back this show!

Official Google Blog: Sorting 1PB with MapReduce

Official Google Blog: Sorting 1PB with MapReduce

This seems like the kind of work I'd enjoy doing...

Culture Clips for September 8, 2008

Culture Clips for September 8, 2008: "In July, Americans spent 302 billion minutes online, according to Internet tracking service comScore. That equates to 6,760 lifetimes, give or take. [forbes.com, 8/20/08 stats]"

(September 8th? Yes, I'm a little behind on my reading.)

Buy Nothing Day | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

Buy Nothing Day

The Cave » Blog Archive » How The Mighty Have Fallen

Howard Kapustein has begun cataloging people he knows who were affected by Tuesday's layoffs.

I don't view the layoff as a bad thing, I view it as parole from a self-imposed inprisonment. It will be the start of something bigger and better!

Multitasking In The Car: Just Like Drunken Driving Don't just read the story, listen to it. The example with the concert pianist is great!

I, for one, welcome our pixelated Google overlords

Nonsense in Nashville

FactCheck.org looks into the candidates' claims.

YouTube - Large Hadron Rap

YouTube - Large Hadron Rap

Neither here nor there

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_obama.html

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_mccain.html

clarkhoward.com - Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs

clarkhoward.com - BusinessWeek: 25 ways to save more each month

Steve Finch for President
Vote for me on November 4th!

The Club For Growth - http://www.clubforgrowth.org

Good news for all those bowel disease fans out there.

(Here's the whole blog.)

Goodbye, Caramel
Emily's pet hamster, Caramel, died Thursday morning as we gave it medicine. It was 1-1/2 years old. She had been sick for about a week; unfortunately, we didn't realize she was sick until she had progressed too far. Emily has been devastated, but her friends have been great to her, supportive in so many ways.

Caramel, our first family pet, will be sorely missed.

The Six Dumbest Ideas in Computer Security

The Six Dumbest Ideas in Computer Security

Priceless.

Grandmother Finch's 96th Birthday

Alex doesn't have to wear an eyepatch for five months! As you can guess, he is really excited! It's been more than three years since he started wearing the eyepatch, and during that time he's stopped twice. We're all very hopeful that it stays off this time.

Propertius

Let each man pass his days in that endeavor wherein his gift is greatest.

Bad Day at Black Rock

The Atlanta Airport is a mess due to bad weather.

Hybrid Vehicles Not Best Value According to Edmunds.com

Hybrid Vehicles Not Best Value According to Edmunds.com
What?!? My Prius isn't the gold standard for cheap cars? Well, I already knew that... while it is cheaper than most cars, it's the principle of the matter than counts!

Santa Rosa Beach

We are here at the beach where it rained a bunch today. Four separate showers, each with thunder, probably adding up to more than an inch. The kids have been pretty disappointed, but at least they have their cousins to play with. I spent too much time on the computer at Topcoder, practicing my algorithm skills. Boy, that site can be pretty harsh on the "30% unused code" rule. I never could figure out which code it thought was unused.

Happy Birthday Dennis (and Giri)

Steve in India

Steve in India

Another FairTax Argument
This is one of the best comments I've seen in a long time!

Whoever thought that bath time could be so much fun!

Catalog Choice - Eliminate unwanted catalogs you receive in the mail

Catalog Choice - Eliminate unwanted catalogs you receive in the mail

Here's a website that will help you get rid of catalogs you aren't interested in receiving. A few minutes at the keyboard might add up to keeping a tree from being cut down.

Note: it works best when you have an actual copy of the catalog you received in the mail.

People of the Web - High Wire Act

People of the Web - High Wire Act

A Physics Teacher @ MIT is highlighted. He makes Physics fun!

Spelling Bee

Emily represented her class in a multi-school spelling bee today. We are very proud of her! She and Sammie were very supportive of each other; having a good friend by your side goes a long way.

Springing forward saves energy? Not in Indiana- mlive.com

Springing forward saves energy? Not in Indiana- mlive.com
I think we all knew DST sucks, we just didn't know how much.

wsbradio.com: Inside wsbradio.com

wsbradio.com: FairTax Webinar
While I hate the word "Webinar", here's a 1-hour introduction to the Fair Tax straight from Neal Boortz. A good educational tool for those who have the time. I'm in the process of listening to "FairTax: The Truth: Answering the Critics" on CD right now, so be sure to quiz me when you see me. :)

garfield minus garfield

garfield minus garfield
I find this hilarious!

HEMA - online winkelen

HEMA - online winkelen
Go to the website and wait. These Dutch, they sure know how to sell a product.

Legend of Zelda: Link's Weapons

Legend of Zelda: Link's Weapons

Alex lost an upper front tooth today - alright, Amanda pulled it out at Alex's request. He's starting to look like a hockey player!

We got a note from school today telling us that Emily will be representing her class in a multi-school spelling bee! She's already won two rounds, one against her regular classmates, and one against the Encore (gifted) students. We have always known that language is one of Emily's greatest gifts!

Impact Lab - Would You Lick A Magazine?

Impact Lab - Would You Lick A Magazine?

Well, would you? Welch's is going to start running ads that allow you to taste the grape juice. Just be wary of picking up magazines in doctors' offices...

Sing Ho for the Life of a Bear!

Amanda's Mom's Birthday present to Emily was tickets to see "Winnie the Pooh" at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. It was adorable; these actors are still students but they get into these parts with such energy!

Ron Paul Supporter Cites ‘Driving While Republican’ as Reason for Fines - You Decide 08!

Ron Paul Supporter Cites ‘Driving While Republican’ as Reason for Fines - You Decide 08!

I'm not a Ron Paul supporter, which is why I can laugh at this.

Find Your Candidate for the 2008 Election

Find Your Candidate for the 2008 Election
Candidate Calculator to help you make those "informed decisions".

We saw "Beauty and the Beast" this afternoon at the MAC (Murray Arts Center). The Kristi Lynn Theatre is truly a professional theater, so it's a little funny to see a high school production of B&B. But these kids did a great job and were treated like stars after the production. Claire really wanted to meet Belle, then was so shy when it was her turn. Adorable, isn't it?

A Sunny January Day

M.M. has brought a sun hat for Claire to prepare us for a suny winter and spring. As usual, Claire can wear anything and look good!

Well, goody for you

We had the yearly R&D kick-off meeting yesterday here at MANH (well, it was actually at the Rennaisance Waverly Hotel) and one of the contests was a slogan for your group. My coworkers submitted my tongue-in-cheek slogan, "SCPP (pronounced 'skippy') - the peanut butter that holds the sandwich together". I got a second one for personal contributions but the one for the slogan was sweeter.

Thanks to Pete Davis for this hilarious overview of the primaries > SundayPaper.com > Editors' Blog

Sunday Paper
Funny summary of the Presidential candidates

It was a terrible picture, but a great evening. The Colin and Brad Show is an evening of improv comedy where people from the audience help play the games. It was at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre- a great facility, by the way. If they come to a town near you, it's worth the money. Amanda says she hadn't laughed that hard for that long for quite a while!

MusicPlayer Forums: OT: Led Zeppelin Setlist

MusicPlayer Forums: OT: Led Zeppelin Setlist:
Heard it on NPR this morning:

Been A Really, Really, Really Long Time Since I Rock 'n Rolled
Goin' to California At 40 M.P.H. In the Passing Lane
Whole Lotta Lipitor

And the big encore -

Stairlift to Heaven

We've completed our Disney trip and it was a blast. Emily and Alex were far more adventurous than in the past and got to experience new things. Claire sure enjoyed meeting The Mouse at Chef Mickey's, too. And the Oompah band at Biergarten was a hoot! Amanda fell and hurt her knee on Friday, which was (and is) a downer, but we got her an electric scooter on Saturday so we could still enjoy Magic Kingdom one more time. We were traveling with the Lathams, who are staying until Christmas, and it has been a good experience. Vacationing with another family (one not related to you) is good for bonding.

Check out our pictures on Webshots (see the sidebar).

'Nuff Said

We're at Disney MGM Studios (soom to be Disney Hollywood Studios) and Alex loves Star Tours. We have ridden a lot of great rides today, stuff I've not seen for many years.

We're at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see a production of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. The house is packed with young and old alike (perhaps some a bit too young, we'll see). This is a present from MM to us all- well, not Claire, who is home with a sitter. (Maybe next time, Claire.)

Happy Thanksgiving

and we mean it.

Poll Shows Colbert Gets 2.3 Percent Of Democratic Vote - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago

Poll Shows Colbert Gets 2.3 Percent Of Democratic Vote - News Story - WMAQ Chicago

During his abbreviated run for President, Stephen Colbert was able to get more than 2% of the vote in opinion polls. Unfortunately, his candidacy was cut short, as his application to be on the South Carolina ballot was rejected by the S.C. Democratic Party. (boo)

Could you imagine a Presidential debate with Stephen Colbert on the panel? That would be a hoot!

YouTube - Why Dogs Hate Halloween

YouTube - Why Dogs Hate Halloween
... and why they sometimes bite us Humans, too.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween 2007

A Beautiful Morning

This is the view from the window near my cube. It is a chilly morning (around 40 degrees) and there is fog around the Chattahoochee. Very nice.

Saturday yielded Eagle Fest at Mt. Paran. We got to see friends while the kids played games and rode the rides. Emily and Emily Lorenz (pictured) had a mishap and had to be bandaged. As Emily L. said, "Ooouuww!" (FYI: the are fake wounds which cost about $1.50 :)

Emily and the Horse

We are still at the Corn Maze and Emily got her first pony ride. She thought it was awesome (as all little girls do).

We're outside Canton, GA, at Cagle's Dairy Farm doimg the corn maze. We were going to go to Resaca but it was an hour away versus the less than twenty minutes to this one. the maze is 10 acres- that's more than enough maze for our kids!
(FYI: Alex is not crying in the picture)

Amanda and I went to Medieval Times to celebrate or 11 year wedding anniversary and took the kids with us (they ate free during the month of September). A good time was had by all! If you've not experienced it, it is worthwhile- two hours of continuous entertainment, plus some tasty but messy food (they make you eat with your hands).

FW: Happy Labor Day!

As always, we're at the pool, having a great time. We hope you are, too!

She Loves to Swim and it Shows

Claire turned 21 months old yesterday. Can you believe that she is already a fish? She has virtually no fear in the water and doesn't mind getting water in her face. And she looks cute, too!

Emily took her yellow belt test today. We won't know for sure if she passed until Monday, but we're all very proud of her and are sure she'll be yellow next week!

Emily Yellow Belt Test

AND A ROLLER-COASTER!

What a monumental day! Emily finally tried a roller coaster (albeit a mini one) and she loved it! On to the the... barnstormers and tea cups?

Tilted and Whirled

Make that eight!

One Last Hurrah

Today it's Em's turn to take a friend to American Adventures. Sammie and Emily are having lots of fun together. Just like Alex did last week, Emily decided to try the Tilt-a-Whirl - and loved it! She and Sammie are riding it for the third time right now.

Another Disneyphile

I believe you can tell from the picture that Claire enjoys her Mickey. And Minnie. And Pluto. She wants to take them everywhere right now. I guess we'll have to be sure and see M&M&P the next time we go to Disney World!

AHN | Eco-Vandals Tag Hummer In DC; Neighbors "Smug" About Incident | July 21, 2007

AHN | Eco-Vandals Tag Hummer In DC; Neighbors "Smug" About Incident | July 21, 2007

This is taking things a bit too far...

Howdy, Pardner!

Emily sends a big Hey out to all you prairie dogs.

Emily earned her white belt in Tae Kwon Do. Ever since Alex decided to stop last year, Emily has been telling us that she'd like to try it. And from what I hear, she loves it!

Alex lost his first tooth

Yes, today Alex became a man. Well, he's at least less of a baby, as the first of his baby teeth has come out. boy, they grow up so fast...

Land of the Rising Sun

Our company is consolidating employees on the upper floors of our building. I was moved from a third floor "corner cube" facing the parking deck to a tenth floor window cube facing the woods with a pole- a so-called "obstructed viewbicle". It would be better if the pole weren't there; but then the morning sun would probably give me a tan.

We're back from vacation, but the fond memories remain. We had loads of fun and a good amount of rest on Jekyll Island. I can't recommend it enough, especially if you have the chance to go with an expert like June McCash. We learned a lot and enjoyed family time to boot. Go! Soon!

From Vacation

Jekyll Island

We're spending the weekend at Jekyll Island with Amanda's mom, her Uncle Richard, and her Aunt June. June (McCash) is an expert on the history of the island, having written several books on the subject; we are fortunate to be able to learn so much about the building and people here. Yesterday we went to the ocean and the kids had loads of fun. It is quite different from Ft. Walton Beach, with fewer people around. You can really enjoy it. This morning we went to brunch at the Jekyll Island Club, which was delicious. It is hard to imagine the amount of power and money that once dined in that room. Later today we will probably return to the ocean or go to the sea turtle hospital.

Alex Graduates

Today is Kindergarten Graduation Day at Mt. Paran. Alex is having lots of fun at the after party. It's at Acworth Beach. Can you believe we have a beach?

Georgia is on Fire

I don't know if the picture does it justice, but there is a thin veil of smoke hanging over Atlanta today. South Georgia is on fire, and the winds have brought a reminder to us. And it's not just fog_ no, you can *smell* it in the air.

Happy Mother's Day

We're at American Adventures celebrating a mom and her kids. Claire can't participate much but she and I are amusing ourselves. Just think, all you moms- you, too, could be riding bumper cars with your offspring!

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Alex's class trip to Turner Field. What an experience! The whole class is loving it! After this we're eating at the Varsity Jr. Grease will be had by all!

Hybrid Cars And Fuzzy Math - washingtonpost.com

Hybrid Cars And Fuzzy Math - washingtonpost.com

Finally, a clear rebuttal to the "Hummers are more environmentally friendly than Priuses" garbage. It was so obvious in the original article that they made glaring errors, yet so many people took it at face value. Come on- they said the energy cost per mile over 100K miles was over three dollars- yet the cost of the car is only $25K and the cost of the gas for that 100K miles is less than $8K. So who's paying the rest of that $300,000?

Alex, Emily, and I are off to a banner start, enjoying the rides at AmerAdvent. Planes, Trains, and Teacups- no automobiles, but the obligatory slide, of course. Come join us!

Alex's birthday was yesterday (at Monkey Joe's), and today we are at Burger King for his birthday dinner. Can you believe these kids are growing up? I can...

Lego my Wii - Joystiq

Lego my Wii - Joystiq

Seems that some people would rather play with Legos rather than play with their Wii. I don't think I know these people.

Be sure to peruse the image library by following any of the links in the article. Browse around via Next/Previous to see some great shots of the Lego Wii.

Radioactive Boy Scout | Technology | DISCOVER Magazine

A Michigan kid achieves fame - and fusion- in his basement.

My favorite quote:

“These kids are studying much more useful physics than what the country is spending billions on... They’re not going down the mainstream path to oblivion.”

Lego Sofa - Gizmodo

If this doesn't take the cake (or at least allow you to build one out of Legos). It's amazing what people will buy.

But I know one five year old (almost six!) that would love to have this in his room. :)

No Fluff Just Stuff Podcast

No Fluff Just Stuff Podcast

NFJS is a developer symposium (mostly Java) that roams the country educating developers. They've hosted the best seminars I've attended. They now have a podcast where they talk to the very smart people who present at NFJS and give a sample (or sometimes a whole seminar) of the kinds of stuff developers need to hear.

Lego MMO Revealed - Kotaku

Lego MMO Revealed - Kotaku

Sweet! "Lego Universe"! If done properly, this could be an amazing experience, ready to waste the childhoods of most American children!