Pauls Rants and Revelations

In the latest fun fun things my XP system has been doing, today it decided to disconnect all of my access to any form of network. That means no home network, no wireless, no direct cable connections. This, as you can imagine is not good (currently I’m ranting using my laptop and a neighbors wifi). There something wrong with a network bridge that I didnt setup in the first place but I am well past the point of caring about that.

So, I am now making it my mission to get a Macbook Pro that has every pimped out spec I can manage. I want it to replace my desktop so I am going for the 17″ widescreen job and as much power as I can squeeze into it (or at least as much as I can afford).

Why switch you ask? Well, if you are asking why then you are obviously a Windows user. But the reason is that I am just fed up with Windows and since XP is being pushed aside for Vista I feel that its just time to make the move. Besides, with Parallels I can still get XP so I would have the best of both worlds.

If you would like to help out in the “Get Paul a Macbook Pro” fund (and I’m talking to all of you Mac users out there) please drop me a line. Maybe Ill set up a donation thing through Paypal if enough people wish to help me get free of the MS beast.

-Cheers

Since my server nearly ate itself, I have been perusing some of the backup services offered by a variety of companies. The results, so far, are unremarkable.

As it happens, I found out about this online backup provider called iDrive-E. For a few bucks a month ($4.95 currently) you can have unlimited backup space for your files including movies, images, documents and everything else you are either too lazy to get rid of or too scared to lose. They offer a free service also that is limited to 2 gigs.

Among their already nifty services they have increased their speed to offer near-real time backups. Of course, if you are backing up a 5 gig movie, its not going to be instantaneous (not yet, at least). I for one am seriously going to get a premium account as I have a lot of work that needs to be saved should something, shall we say, f-ing earth shattering, happen to my data. Again.

Perhaps I’m being paranoid… I mean, the same thing couldn’t happen 4 times in a row, could it?

Perhaps Ill sign up for an account right now, just to be safe.

-Cheers

As I am now firmly in my late 20’s, I thought it about time to re-examine my life and see where I am compared to where I want to be.

For better or worse, this took about 10 minutes (which is the amount of time it takes me to walk to the nearest all0night Starbucks; go figure).

Anyways, I thought about what I have in life and what I lack. I have, in no particular order, my (mostly) perfect kids, what most would consider a trophy wife, a job I love (usually), and a sense of internal satisfaction.

When I examined what I lack, I found that the only thing missing is winning the lottery. My wife said, strangely, that this will happen very soon as she has a “special feeling” about this ticket which is totally different than the other special feelings on the last 50 or so tickets.

So, from where I thought I would be, I can firmly say that I will never be an astronaut, my rock star dreams were really just dreams, and being a ninja in todays world is just plain not practical. I can also say, with equal firmness, that I am perfectly fine with that.

Can you say that same?

-Cheers

Now a lot of you don’t know this, but I am a part time professional backgammon player…

OK, no I’m not. But I do love the occasional game here and there so I was a little jazzed about blackjack being offered from Backgammon Masters. For those of you who don’t or haven’t played backgammon before, you probably won’t be interested, but to those cool people who do, this is a very exciting game.

The wonderful, funderful (is that a word?) folks at Backgammon Masters have now added Blackjack to their family of products (which also include perudo, poker, and of course backgammon ) in the 4-in-one room for those of us who want something a little different as a break from the tables. The same rules apply thought when it comes to cash values and betting. Your money is still your money but now you can lose it in a new, and fun, way.

This newest release from Backgammon Masters just goes to solidify their commitment to providing a great playing atmosphere. I myself have had a fairly fun time (except of course when I lose) but am considering their real money accounts for a bit more of added fun.

Well, perhaps I’ll get a bit more skilled first, them play for real money. Just whatever you do, in the Blackjack table, never split 10’s. You will really regret it.

-Cheers

From my never ending source of advice and opinions, I have the second tip for those of you wanting to kick the habit. Its a rather simple truth and will put at least a few of you at ease.

Tip #2: Its OK to slip up

Really it is!Its not the end of the world like I thought it would be. Hell, I did it myself more than I will admit to my wife (sorry honey).

The truth is no one is perfect and occasionally you are going to succumb to the oh-so-pleasant aroma of burnt tobacco and charcoal at least a few times before you quit for good. Its been well over 6 months and I have slipped up here and again, but its really not that huge a deal. At least, its not that big a deal to me. Your signifigant other, however, may have some more to say on the subject so to keep things civil at least try to do well and not slip up and have a smoke.

-Cheer

Since we had kids, insurance seems to be of a greater and greater concern for us in case something happens; cuts, broken bones, you know, normal kids stuff.

Our insurance right now is rather high in my opinion so I am looking for a more reasonable service. Lo and behold I find USA Health Insurance which from the simple site doesnt look like much, but is, like most things, more than meets the eye.

After submitting some basic information about myself and our family for the family health insurance quote, I was presented with a list of quotes from Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, Kaiser & Aetna agents for all the great states. The Blue Cross one was the lowest but that may be just for my situation, but its still a lot better than what we are paying now.

Best of all, all of these quotes are free from the site. Just submit your info and you are off to the races. Its good that at least one good thing in life is free.

-Cheers

When I decided to quit smoking (more like had the decision made for me) I tried a number of the “tried and true” methods for kicking the habit. Perhaps I didn’t follow them correctly, or perhaps I’m just special, but none of those methods worked out even slightly.

With much struggle, and with the support of my wife and others, I can say that I am a “mostly” non-smoker. I say mostly because I cant be a real non smoker as I still get cravings. But these are getting fewer (if not stronger) so I think the end is near. All in all, I call it a success.

In the next few posts I will talk about the things I did that worked for me and will hopefully work for others wanting to quit. So without further ado, here is the first tidbit of info.

Tip 1: Quit by yourself

There is a train of thought that if you and a friend quit together then that way you will be able to support each other through the rough times. On this one I’m calling bullshit.

My mate and I tried to do this and it failed miserably. After a few weeks we got so short with each other that we actually came to trading punches, we were so annoyed with each other. Shortly after our brawl, we split a pack of smokes and wondered why we even fought in the first place.

The point is that if you are going to quit, do so on your own. If you are quitting, then ask your family for patience and, if need be, a slap in the face now and again because you will start getting snippy with everyone. If your significant other is quitting, please be patient with them. And if need be, deliver the occasional boot to the ass.

I’m not saying that you should do it all alone, just that you should do it yourself. Does that make sense? If not than perhaps the next post will be of more help.

Until next time,

-Cheers

This is, possibly, my most favorite word to use (yes, even more than “foobs”).

The origins of the word are simple enough. Its basically a contraction of “grab” and “yank” and refers to the somewhat underhanded appropriation of things, usually without the permission of the owner.

Example: My friend said of someone “He ganked my style”, meaning his mate took his look instead of making one up for himself.

Also, this word always takes me back to 1997 for some odd reminiscent reason.  Probably because that was where its use in everyday conversation was so prolific.

Feel free to use it at work once in a while. Just be sure not to gank my credit for it.

The rather overly complicated world of banking, specifically loans, can be frightening on the best day. If you are like me (and hey, don’t you all wish you were) than you are a little put off when going into the bank for Auto loans or, heaven forbid, a home loan.

I happened upon Rebuild.org though that I believe can help a fair amount of the apprehensive population when it comes to these complicated, and sometimes hair raising propositions.

While cruising their site, I saw that they help me refinance as well as assist with mortgage loans. This is especially appealing to me as I need help (my wife would say desperately) with both. I haven’t contacted them yet as I need to gather some info so I can at least appear semi-intelligent when I call them, but I’m guessing they deal with folks like myself on a regular basis.

Check them out if you are in need of loan or refinance info. You’ll be at least a little bit happier once you do.

-Cheers

In the ever increasing use of the internet to find everything, search engines are the new card catalog, newspaper, news cast, even the new digital water cooler. And now, with a bit more tweaking, that water cooler will tell you whats near you just as if it read your mind.

Radiux is now beta testing their Geo-IP search technology that will allow you to see local, relevant results for your searches. For instance, search for flower shops, and it will tell you the nearest 10 withing walking distance. It can also search eBay and Craigs list in case you are partial to those lists.

You can try out their distance search yellow pages here so you can see for yourself. I was surprised (pleasantly mind you) with the results and think this will be a big hit soon.

Now if only my browser can spit out my morning coffee, that would be killer.