This morning Absolute Zero hit my home internets. Nothing. Dead. Silent. DAMMIT. Oh well, who needs information in this Information Age anyway?
The DVR-less Era Has Begun
Yesterday I not only received on of my digital-to-analog converters (hoping UPS delivers the other one soon and without me having to track it down, as well as my new ViP222k Dish Network (beta) receiver. The ViP222k will provide me with more HD channels than my previous beta receiver, but sadly lacks a hard drive so I can no longer record television. You’d think that the lack of recording would be the most devastating feature loss, but it’s not; once I realized that I no longer have the ability to pause and skip live television I shuddered as if I was experiencing detox (or so I imagine since I’ve never actually detoxed).
I’ve reentered a Brave Old World of television.
Back In The Twenty-First Century Realm
I have created a Google Calendar for the Black Sheep Hash. Why have I done this?
- Because the calendar name “Black Sheep Hash” was available and I could.
- I will post the hash number in each entry
- I will post the sign-in list in the notes for each hash
This Black Sheep Hash calendar is a public calendar, hopefully only editable by myself and those I choose, and will serve as a recorded history of the hash. This should help me keep “accurate” stats and resolve future conflicts. Hopefully this won’t also add a load of painful extra work to my life.
ITP Flickr Pic
Semi-dormant wasps resided inside the abandoned house we shot at last Sunday.
This is the hand of HamWithCam getting an up-close and personal shot of one of the wasps.
‘Tis The Season To Give
Believe it or not I am not referring to Christmas, but rather the end of Fiscal 2008. It’s time for Paulie to check his list of charities twice and open up to coffers to those who have not been naughty, but instead nice.
One of the better offers I’ve seen recently is from singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton. Coulton has partnered up with the Electronic Frontier Foundation so that if you donate $50 or more you will receive a USB drive containing twenty of Coulton’s favorite songs (of his, of course).
Also on my radar for potential financial support this year, in no particular order
- Trees Atlanta
- Camp Eureka!
- Horizon Theatre
- NPR (or one of Atlanta’s affiliates)
- High Museum
- and of course, Paulie’s Plumbing Fund
See anything that I should be considering? If any of you readers run a non-profit and are 503c 501(c)3 (thanks non-birthday Stacy) compliant (I get a tax credit) feel free to post the charity’s name in the comments or send me an email at the address shown in the right-hand galley.
It’s Birthday Time For One Of My Long-Lost Friends
Today is the birthday of my friend Stacey. Stacy belongs to that group of friends with whom I’ve lost too much contact because they procreated. I seriously doubt that she’s an ITP-reader as she’s a hoity-toity Executive over at Turner.
If any of you out there know her and still see her, please tell her that Paulie says “Happy Birthday, Yo!”
And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Daily
Current Mood – okay, although I thought today was Sunday
Current Music – listening to the “This Week in Tech” podcast
Website Of The Day – Google something for someone and he/she has knowledge for a day. Use Let Me Google That For You and he/she has knowledge for a lifetime.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Monthly
Foot Mileage – 4 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 9 (9)
Vegetarian Days – 6
Carnivorous Days – 2
Marta Rides – 0
Ongoing
Books To Read To Earn Kindle – 4
December Goals
1) Lose no fewer than two pounds
2) Drink no soda
3) Run no fewer than 50 miles
4) Completely read no fewer than one book
5) Write at least one program using Ruby on Rails
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
That moulding in the picture is the exact same stuff as in my house, but mine is painted a little better.
I don’t think I could live without the pause, backup, fast forward feature on the TV anymore. I just couldn’t do it. If I was you I’d be at Best Buy, curcuit City wherever buying a DVR.
I have a philosophy…Better Living Through Chemistry — er– THERAPY, I mean. (well, okay, both!)
And I’m actually being serious. This is an organization you can consider (if you want!)…here at work folks are involved with it and I actually think it’s a really great cause, especially on a personal level right now. (I’ve recently been going through something where someone close to me has attempted suicide. It makes me wonder if there had been some place he could go, someone he could talk to, that the horror could have been stopped.)
On a not-quite-so-personal-level, I truly think that organizations like this do provide a wonderful service, in many different ways. We’re fortunate: we have groups of close friends; we have blogs and art and other outlets with which to cope. Some folks do not.
It’s local, too! (Sandy Springs / Atlanta)
It’s 501(c)3 — not 503c — I’m not sure how that affects you.
http://www.thelink.org/
I don’t expect you to choose this charity….but I know if I don’t mention it, there’s not even a possibility, right? 🙂
Two of my local favorites, I think the names say it all:
Basset Hound Rescue of Georgia http://www.bhrg.org
Atlanta Community Food Bank http://www.acfb.org
damn, I knew 503c sounded wrong but I forgot to check. I’m going back to fix this now.
Here is my sales pitch..
Samaritan House of Atlanta, founded in 1986, transforms lives by helping homeless men and women achieve self-sufficiency through personalized employment readiness and life stabilization programs.
http://www.samhouse.org
And yes, this is one where I put my money where my mouth is.
And of course, SMHG.org – The Stone Mountain Highland Games supports and encourages learning about your Scottish heritage, because after all if it’s nae Scottish, it’s CRAP!
Don’t get me started on supporting Atlanta’s NPR affiliate!! Grrrrrr…
-FP
You know what’s weird about today’s entry? I thought with my plea for charities I thought there’d be tons of comments. I wonder if people have stopped reading the blog…
Let’s see… you had 21 comments on yesterdays. I doubt people aren’t reading.
Agree with Steve. 🙂 I think some people sometimes feel a little odd asking for support for their interests…even when it’s obvious you’ve asked for ideas and even more obvious that they don’t benefit from it personally (in most cases).
Also…since your blog was up a little later than normal today, maybe you missed some of your early readers? I almost forgot to check back. I say mention it again in the next week or so sometime…you might get more response? 🙂
You can just give the money to me, we need to pay for the windows we ordered! I can make up some sort of official looking receipt? They will be energy saving windows, there has to be a way to make this work.
There is always the many different breast cancer charities – cuz I know you (as a guy) ought to want to save the boobies!
I’ve been on the phone with our IT department all day, they did some sort of upgrade that screwed up my computer last night, and all I needed was a Java application to run, and it took them 6 hours to figure it out. This has been one boring day watching as the IT guy does stuff on my computer from chicago.
My organization is a 501(c)6, but we’re well on our way to feeling like a charitable entity in this economy! Maybe the Day Spa needs to establish a charity, hmmmm….. 🙂
I’m a regular contributor to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospitals. I have a friend with a seriously ill child and have witnessed firsthand how financially devastating it is. In fact if you were interested in knowing exactly who you were helping, you can donate to the American Liver Foundation in the name of Aiden Hawk. His website is http://www.carepages.com/fl/aiden. It’s a very inspiring read. Aiden is the sweetest, most insightful kid and he’s gotten the rottenest damn hand healthwise.
I am an occasional, Atlanta (OTP! Yikes!) reader (can’t even remember how I found this site…), who used to work with nonprofits before unemployment! My money goes to…
– The Atlanta Community Food Bank http://www.acfb.org/
– Georgia CASA: http://www.gacasa.org/ The work and dedication these folks do for abused, neglected or abandoned children isnt well enough known.
– The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (www.BGCMA.org): Sure they are big and reasonablly well funded, but almost every club is at capacity with waiting lists for kids who have no other place to go. Progam cuts across the board at all clubs. The hard times we are all seeing now are still better than the average days most of the kids here know.
Thanks for an entertaining site!
Elizabeth, my declaration “ITP-reader” is used to identify those who read this blog; whether they do so inside or outside the perimeter is irrelevant as all readers are welcome here. I don’t remember when I started outing people as being readers (either full or part time) of this blog, but it entertains me to do so.
Thank you for reading and commenting!