Lew's Mind

Dancing robot!

2012-01-19T10:09:00.001-05:00

Obama reelection slogan

2009-01-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

4 more for 44

You heard it here first!!

Introduction to Google Reader

2008-08-26T16:23:00.005-04:00

Do you have a group of websites that you like to visit often? Do you wish there was a way you could know when new stuff was added to those websites? Don't you wish there was a way that you could get all the new stuff without having to visit every site, every day?

Well, there is. It's called RSS. And it's been around for quite awhile. In face I mentioned it over three years ago.

RSS can be a little confusing to get started with, but recently I ran across a great little company called Common Craft. They make simple to understand videos about techno stuff. Here is the one explaining how to use RSS and how to use it with Google Reader, too. Awesome!

They also have another video with more specifics about Google Reader. Also worth a look.

RSS will transform the way you browse the web. So please check it out!

While you're there check out the video for Google Docs. It is a free and easy alternative to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, et al.)

Netflix on Xbox 360 Confirmed

2008-07-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

Back in February I wrote about some exciting rumors involving Netflix and Xbox. Well, it turns out that the rumors are true!

Microsoft announced that sometime this fall the Xbox 360 will be able to stream on-demand Netflix movies over my internet connection. No more waiting for the mail envelopes for me. Awesome!!

The Xbox 360 has become my media center device. I play slideshows on it, I play DVDs on it, I rip movies to my PC and access a movie jukebox with it. It is an amazing device that just keeps getting better. Oh, and I can play video games on it, too! Someday I imagine I could convince myself to dump cable and use it for TV shows too. Someday…

Blog Layout Changes

2008-05-15T16:23:00.002-04:00

I moved things around a little bit. I'm trying to make the items that I frequently update more prominent on the page.

I browse a lot of different pages everyday via Google Reader and I share what I think are the most interesting in the Interesting Links area.

Under that is the area that lists my tweets from Twitter. That is usually stream-of-conscious whatever sort of stuff.

Then I have the Flickr and YouTube items.

Hopefully that will make visiting my blog a little more interesting even when I don't have new posts.

Where to install Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors?

2008-04-17T18:11:00.004-04:00

Carbon Monoxide detectors are an important life-saving device, but where do you install them: on the ceiling, at chest height, or near the floor? I've been trying to get a definitive answer on this. I even called the Gas/Electric company. They didn't have an answer, but the guy anecdotally suggested that he always saw them at chest height.

Well, the few websites that say anything suggest that on or near the ceiling is actually best. However, Wikipedia says that it doesn't matter where they are, because CO has almost the same density as air and will circulate throughout the room.

So there you go. Hopefully this makes it into Google and helps someone else looking for answers.

I'm going to hang mine on the ceiling and be done with it.

Skybus is dead

2008-04-07T11:15:00.002-04:00

Well, the great experiment that was Skybus is over. Skybus ceased flying on this past Saturday. The failing economy and rising jet fuel costs are the main reasons given.

I was hesitant to trust Skybus when it first came out (see this post), but I had a few friends and family try it and they were pleased. The low prices were the big draw, but they said the flights were fine and there weren't any big problems. The biggest complaints were the odd flight times, few direct flights, and strange destination cities.

I'm not really surprised, but it is too bad that yet another competitor has fallen by the wayside. Flying is bad enough already and less competition is just going to make it worse.

More Credit Card News

2008-04-01T14:24:00.001-04:00

Now they don't even need to steal your card.

Check out this article about Credit Card Shaving.

Credit Cards and Driver's Licenses

2008-03-10T10:44:00.000-04:00

I found out today that according to the Visa and Mastercard contract, a merchant can't require an ID before accepting a credit card. This means that you are well within your rights to refuse to show your driver's license if asked. Of course this doesn't apply to purchases that require I.D. (drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.).

So here are some things to keep in mind when trying to protect your credit cards:

1. If you leave it unsigned the card is technically not valid.

2. If you leave it unsigned, the thief can sign it and use it even easier.

3. If you just write "Ask for ID" then the thief can still sign it, and then refuse to show ID.

The best course seems to be to sign your name and hope that it is tough to duplicate. Other than that, make sure that you're not responsible for fraudulent card uses, and keep track of your statements.

Netflix On the Xbox 360

2008-02-21T09:37:00.001-05:00

There are some exciting rumors going around that Netflix could be in talks to partner with Microsoft.

The rumor is that this would allow Netflix subscribers (like me) to watch movies instantly via an Xbox 360 (like the one I have). The awesome part is that this would be part of the normal Netflix subscription (ie. no extra fees).

I've been waiting for a service like this. I thought I would be buying an Apple TV to make it happen, but this would be an even easier, and cheaper, solution.

I hope it's true...

Blu-Ray is the New HD King - Updated Again

2008-02-12T13:49:00.002-05:00

I waited and waited to see what would eventually decide the winner in the High Definition format wars. Who would come out on top, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray?

I think I can safely say that Blu-Ray is the winner. So sorry for all you HD-DVD users out there. It really could've gone either way, but some recent events have sealed the deal.

The first big blow to HD-DVD was Warner Brother's announcement that they were going over to the Blu-Ray camp. By most estimates that meant that over 70% of all movies would be on Blu-Ray.

The second (and I think final) blow came recently when Netflix and Best Buy stated that they are moving forward with Blu-Ray and leaving HD-DVD behind. Netflix will continue to use it's current stock of HD-DVDs until they are rotated out. They will not be purchasing any new HD-DVD titles. Best Buy will continue to stock HD-DVD titles, but will prefer Blu-Ray when making recommendations and when creating store displays. Now everyone who was waiting can feel confident in their purchases.

That's good for me, because I'm soon going to be fully HD. A new camcorder, a new TV, my Xbox 360, and maybe sometime soon a Blu-Ray player. What a wonderful world of consumer electronics we live in!

UPDATE: Wal-Mart has ditched HD-DVD, too.

UPDATE: Toshiba throws in the towel completely. HD-DVD is dead!

TiVo wins on appeal; Dish Networks DVRs could be turned off

2008-01-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

TiVo wins on appeal; Dish Networks DVRs could be turned off: "Dish Networks' DVRs infringe on software patents held by TiVo"

Well, that could pretty much ruin my life. We'll see what happens.

A last-minute push to save e-voting before the November election

2008-01-18T00:42:00.000-05:00

Every once and awhile I see something about the upcoming election (I know, right?). What seems to go unsaid is the potential catastrophe of electronic voting. Take it from someone who works with technology, it is not the way to run a successful election.

This Ars Technica article highlights a new bill in congress that will make it easier for states that don't blindly trust the magical voting computers. I'm all for it.

Here's another article that will keep you up at night.

Minor Tweaks: Conversation with Italian guy who was fixing my dishwasher this morning

2008-01-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

I love Minor Tweaks. I imagine it is what I would write if I wrote well. Alas, I can only point to my betters.

This one is particularly apt due to my current location. Enjoy!

Macworld 2008

2008-01-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

So I'm out here in San Francisco, attending the Macworld Conference and Expo 2008.

So far it's been a mixed bag. This morning was a fiasco. Before this year they would mail your conference badges to you. This year they required everyone to pick them up. Apparently they didn't realize how many people would need to pick up badges on the first day. The line was verrry long, and no one was happy. Thank goodness it didn't rain or there might have been a riot. They ended up having to push back the first classes to accommodate the delay.

The lunch line was just as bad, because they let everyone out at the same time. So again they tried to process hundreds of people in less than an hour. Bleh!

Our sessions are good. We're learning all about OS X server. Lots of good info. And there are a bunch of other classes this week that I'm looking forward to.

Tomorrow is the big event. The Keynote! I'm very excited to be able to attend. We're getting up early to try and get as close as possible. Wish me luck!

You can check out pictures in my Flickr. Or follow me on twitter.

Go Topless in Columbus City Parks

2008-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Prompted by this ABC story, I found out that it is legal to sunbath topless in Columbus, OH. city parks.

Doesn't that seem completely unbelievable? I would've called you a liar if you had told me that.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Many city parks in Columbus, Ohio allow both sexes to go topless."

Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use

2007-12-31T10:47:00.000-05:00

Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use - washingtonpost.com: "the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer."

I can't believe they think they can get away with this. This battle was over back when the VCR came onto the scene. The courts have said time and again that it is legal to make a copy for personal use.

I do my best to stay legal and compensate artists fairly, but I won't stop myself from ripping CDs I own onto my computer. I'm not sharing them online (or at all) and I didn't steal them in the first place, so I don't think there is anything wrong with making a copy for my iPod and as a backup.

I'll be following this case closely...

New YouTube video

2007-12-30T19:17:00.001-05:00

There a new YouTube link on the right. It is a compilation for Anne's first Christmas. They'll be some pics up on Flickr soon.

Check it out.

Catalog Choice

2007-11-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

This free service helps you to quickly and easily stop receiving catalogs you don't want.

Sure it keeps your life less cluttered, but it also cuts back on a lot of waste paper that would probably just end up in a landfill.

It can take as long as 10 weeks to get off a list, so this is too late for all the Christmas catalogs that have gone out. But at least all that junk will give you a good list to start with on Catalog Choice.

Useful Ways to Waste Your Time Online

2007-09-10T16:50:00.001-04:00

Do you sometimes feel as if you are just aimlessly surfing the web? Don't you wish you could be accomplishing something worthwhile, maybe even important? Most people would tell you to get off your lazy butt then. But not me. No, I appreciate you and I'm here to give you another option.

The Latter-Day Saints have a thing for family trees. I don't know why, but they consider it their personal mission to catalog and index everyone's genealogy. Luckily for us, they give all the info away once they index it. This means that everyone can benefit from those plucky Mormons. Wouldn't you like to give back a little? Now you can.

Family Search Indexing is a piece of software that allows volunteers to index information found in scanned historical documents. This makes that information much easier for everyone to search, and it becomes a backup for all those old records.

The software itself is a little intimidating, but they have some nice tutorials to step you through the process. The most difficult part is deciphering the handwriting on the documents, but I imagine you get better as you go.

So if you have some extra time, try it out.

Oops, Blockbuster Screws You Again

2007-09-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

For awhile there I thought Blockbuster might have turned its back on all its rotten ways. They had banished the late fee (of course, not really, but it was a step in the right direction) and they had moved into online movie rentals to give Netflix a run for its money. I really thought they were coming around. I should've known better.

To make its online venture enticing, Blockbuster allowed customers to rent the same number of movies as Netflix at a similar price, but with the added bonus of being able to swap the movies in their store. That's something that Netflix couldn't offer. I love Netflix, and I'll admit that it was a good deal.

Unfortunately Blockbuster can't stand to give customers a good deal, so they've started changing customer's plans or outright canceling some users accounts. The reports suggest that the practice is varied, but it is definitely happening. Most are seeing three otpions: their rates go up for the same level of service, the rate stays the same with less service, or their account is canceled. Any way you do it, Blockbuster is giving you a raw deal.

I'm glad I stayed with Netflix, which incidentally recently lowered my monthly rate by $1.

Find a Great Lunch

2007-08-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

I believe I've posted about Yelp before, but if not let me give a quick rundown.

Yelp is a website that allows users to review any place. It leans heavily toward restaurants, but there are plenty of reviews for other establishments. The fun part is that you can create a group of friends that have similar tastes and learn about new places to visit. It is a lot of fun.

Well, Lunchbox is a new site that unites Yelp with Google Maps to quickly give you Yelp reviews based on a zip code. So now I can type in my work zip code and quickly find a place to eat nearby. I can quickly look at the number of stars Yelp reviewers have given it or even read the full reviews. It is better than other restaurant searches, because I get better reviews from people I trust. Yes, I've developed a trust in Yelper's opinions.

I've been waiting for something like this to come along. And to tell you the truth I had been kicking around putting something together myself. But now I don't have to. Excellent!

Nobody pays for Amp'd Mobile

2007-07-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

I find this hilarious.

Amp'd Mobile had to file for bankruptcy because almost half of their customers didn't pay their bills. That's a great way to run a business. Ha!

Of course, Verizon is out of luck, too, because they were the ones leasing Amp'd their wireless spectrum.

So nobody gets any money, but hopefully we all learned a lesson.
Don't advertise your company to deadbeats that don't pay their bills.

A Trip Through the Clouds

2007-07-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

Flying through the air in a lawn chair kept afloat by over a hundred helium balloons. What an amazing trip it would be. An Oregon man did just that recently. He flew 193 miles in 9 hours to fulfill a childhood dream.

Part of me wants to do it, but part of me ponders the fall to earth.

Link me...

Video Link

2007-07-08T13:22:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start posting some videos for everyone to enjoy. Look to the right under YouTube Videos to get the links.

First up is Anne's first taste of rice cereal, and her first experience with a spoon. Exciting stuff!

2007-06-29T13:44:00.000-04:00

I would be remiss if I did not mention that today is the launch day for the Apple iPhone. At 6pm local time the masses will finally get their hands on this mythical product.

Unfortunately I don't have the scratch to purchase one myself. But first generation products always leave a bit to be desired. That's my rationale anyway.

Steve Chabot is on Board to Save Net Radio

2007-06-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

Ohio representative Steve Chabot is on board to save net radio. There was a hearing yesterday in the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business concerning the royalty increase. Rep. Steve Chabot is the co-chairman of that committee. His opening remarks showed his support to find a fair and equitable plan that works for both net radio and the music companies. He was also surprised that congress was revisiting this issue only 5 years after reaching an agreement in 2002. That's a big surprise to me, too. It sounds like Congress is starting to see that the music industry is always looking for the best deal, and never is concerned about the public interest.

I was also excited to see some local guys putting in their two cents. There was Richard Eiswerth (President, General Manager & CEO of Cincinnati Public Radio) representing the interests of National Public Radio. There was also local net radio broadcaster Bryan Miller, the General Manager of WOXY.COM here in Cincinnati.

The general consensus seemed to be that they may not be able to stop the rate increase from happening on July 15th, but they are committed to making sure Net Radio finds a way to survive and thrive.

Bodies: The Exhibition

2007-06-22T15:34:00.000-04:00

I've seen news about Bodies: The Exhibition before, but now it is coming to Columbus. I'm not sure if I want to visit this exhibit or not. The idea is fascinating. Human bodies dissected and preserved, so that you can view how it all works in-the-flesh (pun intended).

On the other hand it definitely is a little creepy.

Mr. Wizard Passes On

2007-06-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

I just found out today that Mr. Wizard (aka Don Herbert) died last week. For those that don't recall, he was the star of Mr. Wizard's World on Nickelodeon. It was a science show aimed toward educating kids through fun, at-home experiments. I'm sure it prompted many kids to think about science as a career, and at the very least helped them realize science could be fun. I know I loved it.

Are there still shows like that on TV now? It is a shame that kids aren't encouraged to experiment anymore. I feel a backlash coming though (consider the recent popularity of this book). So hopefully the spirit of Mr. Wizard will live on.

Father's Day

2007-06-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

I found this hilarious, so I thought I'd share it:

(posted over at PostSecret)

When I was little my Dad told me that the tune played by the ice-cream van was the ice-cream man letting everyone know that he'd run out of ice-cream.

Great News for Internet Radio

2007-04-27T13:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks to your support a bill has been introduced to reverse the ruling that would have destroyed Internet Radio. This is an amazing breakthrough and shows the huge support behind Internet Radio.

So we did it! BUT... we need to keep the ball rolling. The more Representatives that we can get on board to co-sponsor this bill, the more likely it will pass and pass quickly. To that effect, I'm suggesting you call your Representative (click here to get their number and sample scripts) in Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act H.R. 2060. I know calling can seem intimidating, but check out this article to see what last week's effort did to Capitol Hill. It is inspiring.

Skybus Airlines Promises $10 Fares

2007-04-24T16:38:00.000-04:00

Skybus is a new airline that is offering low-low fares by cutting costs everywhere it can and then nickel-and-dimes you for the rest.

I like the idea of $10 one-way tickets; especially considering that they fly out of Columbus and into Richmond, VA (close to my parents). But I'm not so sure I like all the cost-cutting. According to this Wikipedia article, the majority of the cost-cutting comes from paying everyone a lot less than normal (that includes paying pilots half the normal wage) and not having any customer service to speak of. You're probably thinking that still isn't enough to be able to make a profit off $10 fares. Actually you're right, they'll also inundate you with advertisements (inside and outside the plane), and pressure you to buy all sorts of things during the flight (i.e. snacks, drinks, entertainment, etc.).

I'm certainly fed up with high prices and poor customer service for airline travel, but I think I would be happier with paying a reasonable amount and actually getting good service. It's been a long time since I enjoyed flying.

The low fare is definitely intriguing, but it all seems just a little too risky for me. Oh, if I was young and fancy free, maybe. But now? ;)

The "Likely Killers" List

2007-04-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati is taking profiling to a new low recently. I wouldn't doubt if this makes national headlines eventually, but for now it just has the local media in a tizzy.

The city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County have compiled a "Likely Killers" list. This is a list of the 1500 most dangerous criminals in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The 1500 people that are most likely to commit murder according to the creators of this list.

For me, there is a huge difference between "most likely" and definitely, and I don't think a list like this is a good idea. As soon as this list gets out the people on it will be ruined. If you're on the list, good luck finding someone to give you a job or rent you an apartment. Your life will go down the tubes so fast that the list will become a self-fullfilling prophecy.

I understand protecting our streets is important, but I also understand that people shouldn't be punished for actions they may never commit. First there will be list of violent criminals; then there will be a list of potential violent criminals; and so on and so on until one day you or I will end up on a list. And don't think it can't happen. As Cardinal Richelieu said: “If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them that will hang him.”

Save Net Radio

2007-04-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

I meant to post about this earlier, but I forgot.

Recently there was a ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board to raise internet radio royalty rates between 300 and 1200 percent over the next few years. Obviously this is a huge jump and to make matters worse it is retroactive to January 2006.

For most internet radio stations and other webcasters this will mean immediate bankruptcies and an end to their transmissions.

This is not a plea to stop compensating artists, but simply to find a fair deal for everyone. The new rates are double the satellite radio rate; which suggests that the RIAA is out to destroy internet radio.

We need to do all we can to support the diversity of Internet radio. Millions of Americans enjoy, some might say depend on, internet radio each day. If this ruling is allowed to stand, internet radio will become just another tool for the big music companies to push their music on us. Is that the kind of internet radio you want? I know I don't.

So here's the petition. Go sign it, and if you feel particularly feisty, print out a letter and mail it. Please join the fight for the preservation of Internet radio.

Thanks,

-Lewis

PS - It's Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. Oh, and your taxes are due, or not.

If You Don't Know the Answer at Least Be Creative

2007-04-11T10:27:00.001-04:00

Take a look at this page with copies of student's test answers. It made me laugh quite a few times.

-Lewis

Heimlich Maneuver Losing Ground

2007-04-10T16:06:00.001-04:00

To continue with posts about altering long-held beliefs...

I've been reading recently about Henry Heimlich and his very famous maneuver. Heimlich is a Cincinnati native and is positively adored locally. I suppose that is why it has taken me so long to find out about his suspect medical career and the recent reversal of fortune for the Heimlich maneuver.

The tipping off point was an article in this month's Cincinnati Magazine called "A New Maneuver" by Pamela Mills Senn. Unfortunately it is not online, but I did find a scanned version of it for you all to take a look at. In it, she details the history of the Heimlich maneuver from its creation in 1974 to today. From 1985 to 2005, the American Red Cross advised that the Heimlich maneuver be used first on choking victims. Last year, they rather suddenly decided that back thrusts should be used first, instead of the Heimlich maneuver. Not a huge change, right? But man what a back-story.

I'm not going to outline the whole sordid tale, but here's the quick and dirty history. In 1974 Henry Heimlich describes a technique to dislodge obstructions in chocking victims using abdominal thrusts. He dubs the technique the Heimlich maneuver. Unfortunately he can't get the medical community to believe his "research" (mostly on dogs and friends of Heimlich), so he decides to go straight to the public. For the next few years he goes on talk shows and collects as much anecdotal evidence as possible to support his maneuver. He then makes a pest of himself to the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association until they finally adopt his maneuver; mostly because there was nothing better out there and they wanted to shut him up. Then for the next 20 years Henry Heimlich mounts a campaign to slander anyone who tries to mess with the Heimlich maneuver; at one point almost losing a doctor his license. During this time he also starts a dangerous side project infecting people with Malaria in a bizarre and completely unscientific attempt to "cure" AIDS. Finally his son, Peter Heimlich, begins collecting evidence and getting the word out about his father's dubious medical career. Unfortunateley his site is horribly designed but it is filled with good information.

And now we're up to the present.

But during all of this, the local Cincinnati media have remained amazingly silent. In fact numerous local big-wigs and corporations have actively promoted Heimlich and his shady, dangerous practices. I just can't believe it! We're talking about people's health and safety here. So I'm doing my part to make people aware of the Heimlich saga and hopefully get people to adopt the new Red Cross standards.

Glass Doesn't Settle or Why Williamsburg Made Me Look Like an Idiot

2007-04-09T16:39:00.000-04:00

Maybe this is common knowledge with everyone, but I found out today that glass does not settle over time.

I guess my incorrect notion came from growing up in Williamsburg, VA. There you'll see all sorts of old glass that is thicker at the bottom of the pane than at the top. The common story was that it was because the glass had slowly settled over time. Apparently the correct story is that window makers spun the glass to create as flat a plate as possible. Well the centrifugal force would cause the outside edges of that plate to be thicker than the inside. Couple that with the common sense approach of installing windows with the thicker part down, and you get the result often seen in Williamsburg.

For further enlightenment check out this article.

3rd-party Epson Ink Cartridges may be a Thing of the Past

2007-04-09T08:29:00.001-04:00

From this Ars Technica article:

Printer and cartridge maker Epson is a step closer to completely barring third-party manufacturers from selling Epson-compatible cartridges in the US.

So if you have an Epson printer and you buy the cheap ink instead of the Epson brand. You might want to start stockpiling now. In fact I would worry if you buy any 3rd party ink, because I would expect other printer manufacturers to follow Epson's lead here.

This is just another example of a patent system that has run amok, stifling innovation instead of promoting it.

EMI Music goes DRM-Free

2007-04-02T08:41:00.000-04:00

A little geek news, but in reality this affects everyone.

Today EMI Music, the third largest music label, announced that they will begin offering DRM-free music from the iTunes Store starting in May. This is great news, and will hopefully be the jumping off point for the end of DRM.

DRM, Digital Rights Management, took a serious hit today, and that's great news for every consumer. DRM is silently crippling every area of digital content available today, and is hamstringing any new developments from moving forward.

DRM is a big and complex topic, but basically it is how the movie industry and the music labels control what we consumers can do with the content we buy from them. DRM is what keeps music bought from iTunes from playing on anything but an iPod. DRM is what keeps you from quickly and easily making backups of your DVDs. DRM is what keeps you from doing what you want with your purchases.

And despite what the music and movie industry says, DRM is what causes normally honest people to pirate music. Who wants to pay for content that has all these restrictions? Not many people. Now we honest folks have an option. I can do what's right and compensate the artists for their work, and still enjoy my music or movies on any device and wherever I want.

Finally!

Skywalk over Grand Canyon

2007-03-22T08:43:00.000-04:00

Have you seen this?!

This is a glass walk way that goes out into the abyss of the Grand Canyon. Allowing you to walk out and look down into it. This blows my mind and is sure to make the Hualapai Tribe (who own the land and built the skywalk) very rich.

Take a look at these pictures and try to tell me that this would not be an amazing (and possibly terrifying) thing to do.

March Madness = Fun Times

2007-03-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Its that time of year again. March Madness!!! (yes three exclamation points).

So I've setup a group on ESPN.com for everyone to join and pick their teams. Here's how you do it:

1. Click on the link.
2. Once the linked page opens you will be prompted to sign in to ESPN.com. If you happen to already have an account then sign in (if you played last year you can use that). If you do not have an account click on the create an account link.
3. You will then click on the Create New Entry and Join this Group button.
4. You can then make your selections, and everyone will be able to follow everyone else's picks as we move through the tournament.

So get to it. You only have till Thursday, March 15th!!!!

How Things Go from Good to Bad to Worse

2007-02-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

Time taken to take Betsy "almost" to work = 30 min.

Time taken to get down that last street = 1 hour

Time taken to get home from taking Betsy to work = 3.5 hours

I'm not liking snow too much right now...

You Got Zune-ed

2007-01-18T16:13:00.000-05:00

This was too funny a story not to pass along.

My co-worker Paul has some friends who work at the Apple Store. The other day they had a customer call with a unique problem. Here's how it went down (more or less):

Customer: Hi, I'm having trouble syncing my iPod with iTunes.
Apple guy: That's odd. When you plug it in, it should just pop right up.
Customer: Nope, I get nothing.
Apple guy: OK, what model iPod do you have?
Customer: I don't know. How can you tell?
Apple guy: If you look on the back it should say the model there. Something like 40GB.
Customer: I turned it over but it doesn't say anything like that.
Apple guy: It should be there somewhere.
Customer: Nope. Nothing like that.
Apple guy: OK. Read me what it does say.
Customer: It says "Hello from Seattle"
Apple guy: That's not an iPod. That's a Zune.
Customer: But I asked for an iPod for Christmas.
Apple guy: Sorry, you got zune-ed.

So it looks like not only is the Zune not selling, the people who get them didn't even want them. Hilarious!

MacWorld 2007

2007-01-16T20:45:00.000-05:00

The whole office went out to MacWorld in San Francisco this past week. It was a great trip. The conference itself was great, but the city was awesome, too. I had never been out to the west coast before, so it was nice to add that to my list of places I've been. I was amazed by the hills and all the water. It is a very dramatic location. In fact the whole of San Francisco seems to be surrounded by places to appreciate it's beauty. We went up to Twin Peaks, over the Golden Gate bridge, and the view from Nob hill. All give spectacular views of the city.

The conference was eye-opening. I'd also never been to a big conference like that. It was cool to see everyone using an Apple instead of the normal PCs you see everywhere. And of course being around so many other people who are basically a lot like me was great. We saw a lot of new products. A few that we might even find useful. The iPhone was unfortunately tucked away under glass, so I didn't get to play with it. It still looks very impressive though, and the new Leopard OS looks like it will have a lot to offer, too.

It was a great trip, and I would really like to visit San Francisco again (with Betsy along of course).

Check out the pics.

Scared of Santa

2006-12-11T09:34:00.001-05:00

Despite considerable evidence to the contrary many parents still think it's a good idea to take little children to sit on Santa's lap.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a collection of pictures depicting terrified children with jolly old Saint Nic! You can almost hear the screams.

Enjoy!!

Link me...

This is how Big Brother starts

2006-11-29T08:41:00.001-05:00

OK, I'm not too political, but it's comments like these that make me uncomfortable and quite a bit worried.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.
Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message.

It's a slippery slope people, so stay vigilant.

"Those who would give up their freedom for security will have none and deserve neither." - Ben Franklin

What's the Word....?

2006-11-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Ever had one of those moments where you can't think of the right word. You know there is one, and its right on the tip of your tongue, but you can't...quite...think of it.

Enter the Reverse Dictionary.

You enter in the general concept and Reverse Dictionary spits back a list of words that match that concept. For example, lets say you just watched that movie with Ashley Judd and that guy from The Fugitive, but what was it called? You remember it was about being tried for the same crime twice. You enter that into Reverse Dictionary and Bam! there's "Double Jeopardy". It will also answer simple questions, too. Like state capitals or fact-based trivia. It also makes a good crossword companion. Enter the clue and get back the answer. Really simple and really useful.

A New Life for Old Books

2006-10-26T14:48:00.000-04:00

If you're like me then you hate to get rid of books. I keep books that I'll never read again, just because I can't bear the thought of getting rid of them. Lets think about my options.

• Sell them to a used book store. I've never liked shopping at a used book store. I get this orphanage vibe. It's like all these books weren't good enough and now they sit on the shelves hoping someone, someday will pity them and buy one. I don't want my books to end up there.

• Give them to the library. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the library has enough books already. In fact I have it from a very good source that if they don't need your book it gets "recycled" or worse! Again, I don't want that to happen to my books.

• Give them away. I'm sorry, but pushing books onto family and friends is not my idea of a good time. Especially since I probably didn't like the book to begin with.
Me: Hey I think you'll like this book. In fact, just keep it.
Friend: Oh, cool. So it's good, eh?
Me: No not really, but I don't want it anymore. So you take it.
Friend: You're a jerk, and I hate you.
See! Not a good scenario.

Finally, the internet has come to my rescue. BookMooch.com

At BookMooch you type in some books you want to give away. People email you to request your books. When you send your books you receive points. You then use your points to get books you want from others. It's really easy, and best of all your books go to people that actually want them. In fact they've been waiting and hoping to get them. That feels pretty good.

So clear out some of those old books that you'll never open again, and get some new books that you've been wanting. It's great fun.

Birthday Wishes

2006-10-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

Since my birthday is coming up and Christmas right after that, I thought I would post a link to my wish list on amazon. There is a basic wish list, a parenting one, and a tech one.

Happy shopping.

Fun Web Comics to Pass the Time

2006-07-25T16:56:00.000-04:00

Here are some web comics that I've been enjoying lately. Now this is some serious "Lewis" funny stuff. Not your "normal" type of humor. Nothing disgusting or offensive, just insane.

Enjoy!

Dr. McNinja
Dinosaur Comics

Hi-larious...

Cheviot: My New Hometown

2006-06-26T16:04:00.000-04:00

So, I'm becoming more enamored with the whole idea of Cheviot. Some of you may recall my initial dislike for this strange little city right outside of Cincinnati proper. The yards were too small, the folks were too redneck, and it was just a matter of time before the whole place slid down the hill into poverty and neglect.

Well, I'm beginning to see the light. Cheviot is a dying breed. Its a lost Mayberry on the west side of Cincinnati. You can quite literally walk to the hardware store, the drugstore, and the local library. We have our own world, complete with police, fire, and garbage pickup. I find it amazing! And I can't wait to learn more about it.

I found this article from the Cincinnati Enquirer to be a good start.

Here is Cheviot's website. It's pretty bad, but what can you expect from a small town.

One of these days soon, I'm going to go on a photo safari through Cheviot. I think it will prove to be very illuminating.

Home Improvements

2006-06-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

Recently Betsy and I have been doing a lot of work around the house. Since we don't have any kids at the moment, we have some extra cash to invest in the house. My thinking is we should spend the money while we have it, right?

So we got termite protection from Terminex, installed the Gutter Shutter system, and are getting our trees trimmed by Arbor Design in the next week or so. I don't think I need to tell you that's some serious "investing." But its a one time cost that will hopefully keep us from disastrous costs down the line. I mean how much money would we have to spend if the house was infested with termites, or the shoddy gutters caused a leak in the basement, or even (god forbid) a tree fell on the house. After I weighed those possible outcomes the costs seemed reasonable.

In addition to those big additions, we made a few fun asthetic things. We created a nice little garden in our backyard. There was spot that was just asking for it. We ran some electric out to it in order to run a fountain, too. 90 feet of cable for one fountain seems a bit of overkill, but the fountain brings it all together, so what can you do?

We also finally got a porch swing. It was amazingly difficult to find a wicker/resin porch swing in the greater cincinnati area. I finally got a hot tip that Eastgate Pool and Spa had some. It seemed unusual, but it turned out they did. Of course once we had the swing, we had to hang it. That didn't turn out to be so easy either. Our front porch has a beautiful wood-paneled ceiling, and crown molding around the edges. All of this made it very difficult to track down the studs to hang the swing. I certainly didn't want to destroy any part of our amazing porch ceiling to hand this swing. Eventually Gary had the bright idea to take a section of the molding off to get a look at what's going on. Thank goodness the paneling didn't go all the way to the edge, so we were able to get a bead on those studs. After that it was quick work to get the swing hung.

I just added a great pic of Carla, Theresa, and I all staring up while sitting on the swing. Basically we all look like we're saying "will this hold us?" No worries though, its very secure.

Take a look through my recent Flickr pics to see some of the improvements.

The Story of Oxford, Iowa

2006-06-08T08:34:00.000-04:00

In 1984 Photographer Peter Feldstein took photos of every resident of the small town of Oxford, Iowa. Twenty years later he went back and did it again. A few had died or moved away, but the majority still lived in Oxford. The photos show how long and short a time 20 years can be. For some not much has changed, and for others too much has changed. In addition to the photos Mr. Feldstein enlisted the help of Stephen G. Bloom to gather the stories behind the faces. Here's the link.

Snapshots in time are powerful. To look back and see yourself, and remember your dreams and aspirations makes you take stock of where you are. Hopefully you've made some progress, but either way it will make you think, "how did I spend my life?" and "did I make the right decisions?"

On a related note, check out FutureMe.org. You can write an email that will be delivered to you in the future. You can set the date for as soon or as far away as you wish, just make sure you still have that email address.

Guitar=I'm only an egg

2006-06-07T20:49:00.000-04:00

I've begun taking guitar lessons (again).

My guitar has been very lonely since my brother abandoned me. Who chooses South Carolina over Cincinnati!? OK, maybe everyone, but that's not the point. I was no longer playing guitar, because I had no teacher to guide me and punish my laziness.

Now I do. I'm taking lessons at the Earl Neiheisel Studio Of Music. Mr. Neiheisel is a classical guitarist (Whit should appreciate that). Of course that means he has the freaky long nails that all classical guitarists have. I think a lot of coke-heads have them, too. Is there a connection there? Hopefully not.

I'm really excited to be learning again. My job is fun, and I do learn a lot every day, but this is a different part of the brain. Its music, its fun, and it doesn't involve me sitting in front of a computer. Awesome :)

So once I have something great, maybe I'll post an audio file or two.

Parent Hacks Link Added

2006-06-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd let everyone know about the new link I added to my blog.

Underneath the Flickr link, you'll find the Parent Hacks link. I first introduced you to Parent Hacks back in January. It is an awesome and fun site devoted to sharing parenting tips and tricks. Even without kids, I find it interesting. And of course once we do have kids, I'll have all sorts of neat ideas already stored away.

So definitely check it out.

Indy 500 Recap

2006-05-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

What a race!!

This past Sunday I was very lucky to be able to go see the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row (here's the post from last year). I think I've been hooked. Nothing compares to the speed, the crowd, the noise, and the excitement of being in those stands to see the biggest racing spectacle in the world.

This year's race day was the hottest since 1978, and the third hottest ever. I was a little concerned that it would be too much for me to handle. Fortunately, Betsy's family knows the ins and outs of race day, and were completely perpared. We had plenty to drink, plenty to eat, and plenty of sunblock. My seat also managed to be in the shade through most of the second half of the race, which was a huge plus!

It was a very exciting race, too. We had 7 crashes (the first was on the very first lap!), and a photo finish. For the majority of the race Dan Wheldon kept the lead, but the final pitstop completely shuffled the lineup. In the end it was down to Marco Andretti (yes, that Andretti) and Sam Hornish, Jr.. Hornish managed to pass Marco on the inside just in time to take the win. It was the second closest margin of victory in Indy 500 history. And I saw it!! Awesome!

What a day. I hope I can get a spot next year.

Get a Mac

2006-05-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

Apple came out with some funny new commercials to try to get Windows folks to switch over to Macs. I love me some Macs, so I simply had to post a link to the commercials.

Enjoy!!

Link me...

House-Warming Party

2006-04-30T14:52:00.000-04:00

What a great time we had last week! Thanks to everyone who came, and especially for everyone's help. Brian was the grill-master, David and Chris ran to the store quite a few times to get more supplies, everyone helped get the house and yard cleaned up (or transformed). All in all it felt like a group effort. Thanks for all the help!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic time. Betsy and I loved seeing everyone, and we were so proud of our house. Thanks for your kind words and enthusiasm for our humble abode. I think a spring party is a great way to get all the planned spring-cleaning done. In fact this might become a yearly ritual. See the family and clean up the yard. Sounds good to me. What do you think?

I'll be posting some pictures of the festivities. Betsy took a lot of good shots. She really has a knack for capturing people. Of course with digital, you just keep shooting until something good comes out. But she still has some talent. I'll post the link when they are up...

Lew Mows Lawn...End of World is Near?

2006-04-19T12:42:00.000-04:00

So I mowed the lawn for the first time this week. Here's a blurry pic taken by an innocent bystander.

Support My Friend, Cliff, in his MS Walk!

2006-04-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

My friend Cliff is participating in an MS Walk here in Cincinnati to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

His goal is to raise $1000, but any donation would be helpful (even $5). So if you think you can help out, visit his page to learn more.

Reds Opening Day

2006-04-04T16:34:00.000-04:00

Cold...

That's a good way to start this post about the Cincinnati Red's Opening Day.

My boss invited me to go along with him and a couple of his friends to the Reds Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs. I'm not a huge baseball fan, but the idea of sitting outside on a nice day watching your hometown team win a great game sounded appealing. Unfortunately none of that happened yesterday.

As we learned from the jumbotron, the record for the coldest opening day was set in 1901 (35°F), but we came pretty close yesterday. I would say that it felt around the low to mid 40s. I wore an undershirt, long-sleeve shirt, and my winter jacket to this game. And I wished I had my gloves and a hat. At least it didn't rain. Thank God for small favors.

We managed to score the first run, but from there it went pretty badly. Both pitchers were terrible, but somehow we weren't able to capitalize on their mistakes. They, unfortunately, exploited our every weakness. The final score was an embarrassingg 16 to 7. I stayed, and froze, till the very end. Because you just never know when an amazing comeback will happen.

I guess I lost that finger to frostbite for nothing...

Visiting Shawnee State Park

2006-03-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend we are taking our annual "Cousin's Trip" Every year for Spring Break (oh, wait no one has spring break anymore) all the cousins get together and take a long weekend for hiking and bonding. This year we are going to Shawnee State Park. We've got two cabins to fit all of us, and enough food, beverages, and games to keep us going for quite awhile. It'll be a good chance for us all to take a few steps back from reality. Especially nice considering some of the unfortunate recent events in our family. I think we're all really looking forward to it.

I'll be posting some pics once we get back. Hope you have a great weekend, too!!

March Madness Fun Times

2006-03-13T09:10:00.000-05:00

Free Pancakes at IHOP!!

2006-02-26T19:47:00.000-05:00

"On February 28, 2006 from 7 AM to 2 PM IHOPs across the country will celebrate National Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) by offering our guests a free short stack of pancakes"

Mark your calendars!!

The Answer is: Bonsai

2006-02-25T19:57:00.000-05:00

The question is:

What is the strangest thing you've ever seen sold on the side of the road?

How 'bout you?

The Amazon Rating Game

2006-02-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

My friend Paul just turned me on to a fun way to waste some time. And this being the internet, I figured I'd pass it along.

Go to Amazon.com and do a search for a universally applauded movie. For example, The Wizard of Oz. Everyone likes the Wizard of Oz, right? Let's find out. Once I click on The Wizard of Oz DVD I get all sorts of details about that product. Such as the price, release date, similar items, etc. But I'm interested in Customer Reviews. Click on the customer reviews link to the left of the movie title. This will change the page to give you all the customer reviews. Now normally it shows them from newest to oldest, but you can change that. The fun part is to sort them with the lowest rating first.

Its amazing what people will write about a classic. For example

So you think this is good eh? Well,it stinks! There isn't much point in watching it. This movie should be a movie only babies watch. For some reason,my sister likes this movie!?! Now tell me,what could be more pointless then watching a little girl and other stupiod characters (tin man,scarecrow,etc) going to a castle where the Wizard turns them back to where they belong. Boring!

Graphics 0/5
The worst graphics in history. Even movies like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer had cooler graphics. When I'm watching it,I force myself to see once I get to the castle part..... woooosssshhhh I run out of the room so I don't see this totrure.

Sound 1/5
The sound is okay. But difinitly not the best

Overall 0/5
Whatever you do,don't buy this If you do,you are giving me your money and I'm going to buy you the Increbles. You will and I mean WILL be sorry if you by this

Spectacular stuff, huh? This guy really needs a dictionary.

So go ahead and waste some time delving into the minds of idiots.

Discover New Music Picked Just For You.

2006-02-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

I've emailed this link and a brief explanation to a few people already, but I feel it should be spread out a little more.

Pandora is an amazing website. Their sole purpose is "To help you discover new music you'll love." To that end, they started the Music Genome Project. The Music Genome Project is working to identify the specific characteristics of every song. What makes that song unique, musically speaking. It might be the instrumentation, or the rhythm, or even the lyrics, but it is definitely not what "genre" they're in, or how many records they sell.

This extensive analysis and categorization allows Pandora to expertly link together music that is similar. When you go to the site you type in a band or a song you like and Pandora will play songs and bands that are musically similar to your selection. For example, I like Ben Folds, and when I type Ben Folds into Pandora's website it chooses songs that match the sound of Ben Folds. It tells me that it is looking for songs with mellow rock instrumentation, mild rhythmic syncopation, acoustic rhythm piano, acoustic sonority, and extensive vamping. Now I know that is a lot of musical mumbo jumbo to some of you, but believe when I say its right on the money.

And if Pandora isn't getting things quite right you can refine the music that it plays. You can give each song a thumbs up or down, and it will take that feedback in mind as it continues to choose music. If you really find a song you like, Pandora also has links to buy that song online. Or you can simply add it to a list of favorites for future experimenting.

It is a wonderful service, and it is always running in the background when I'm working at my laptop.

Link me...

Hold On To Your Hats!!

2006-02-03T18:33:00.000-05:00

Sorry just couldn't help myself...

Who Likes DVDs?

2006-01-27T19:44:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'm going to buy any more DVDs...ever.

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and I realized that I haven't bought a DVD in a couple years. I've been given a few, but I've never bought myself one. Then I started thinking about how many times I've watched any of the DVDs I do own. I could count it on one hand. I spend $20/DVD to have them sit on my shelf basically. That's not a sound investment.

Don't get me wrong, I love movies. How could I not, with the upbringing I had. When your dad runs a movie theater you grow up watching a ton of movies. I guess the variety and sheer volume of my early movie-watching has made me always hungry for a new experience, a new movie. If I have my choice I will always watch something new instead of something I've already seen. Is that strange? I don't think it is.

So why spend my money on movies I've already seen? From past experience I know I won't watch them ever again. My money would be much better spent on renting movies, maybe through Netflix or that Blockbuster Online program.

Does this seem crazy? How often do you watch your DVDs?

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Just a Bunch of frauds?

2006-01-19T13:07:00.000-05:00

During a conversation recently I mentioned how much my wife and I enjoy Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. We really love the heart and sincerity that everyone on the show exhibits. Much to my surprise my friend replied that ABC had been sued a couple times over shabby work on the Extreme Makeover houses. Has anyone else heard this? I did some searching online, and all I could find was one completely ridiculous lawsuit. This lawsuit has nothing to do with the level of workmanship on the houses, but I don't need to explain it, read the article in the link.

So does anyone know of any lawsuits concerning quality of work in the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition houses? I'm really interested to find out.

Coffee Makes You Smarter

2006-01-13T08:47:00.000-05:00

Does it feel as if caffeine makes you more clever, upbeat and alert? Maybe that's because it does. At least according to this Time magazine article.

read more | digg story

King Kong thoughts

2006-01-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

I went to see a couple blockbuster movies recently: King Kong and Chronic-WHAT?-cles of Narnia. I enjoyed both of them very much.

I was amazed at the technical mastery of King Kong. They have broken through the realism barrier. Everything looked so real. The climatic sequence on top of the Empire State building made me feel a little uneasy, because it just looked so high up. It was moments like that, where I realized how realistic everything looked. Peter Jackson has quite a company, and skilled artists, to be able to accomplish this kind of work.

Jack Black did a really great job. I think this role will open up some other avenues for him. He did have a couple moments of "Jack Black-ness", but it fit the character well. Of course it was a little hard to take him seriously with that final line of the movie "Twas beauty that killed the beast." I mean it sounds like something right out of a Tenacious D song.

Naomi Watts barely had a line in the whole movie. Well, unless you count screaming I guess. She let her face do most of the acting. A lot of people are saying that the relationship between she and King Kong was like a owner and pet relationship. It seemed to me to be a little more intimate than that. She was in love with this ape. I mean really in love. I thought she was going to go down with the King at the end. Wouldn't that have been a twist?!

It is definitely a movie worth seeing on the big screen. So don't wait till it comes out on DVD...unless your house looks like this guy's.

Parent Hacks

2006-01-05T16:54:00.000-05:00

This is a great website that I found today. With all these new babies this year, I thought any helpful tips about parenting might be appreciated.

The site is called Parent Hacks. It sounds techy, but its not. This blog is all about getting everyone's good ideas and experience together in one place. They have a great fun tone that made me feel comfortable with their advice. It isn't preachy, like a lot of parenting advice can be. Unfortunately I don't have any children to test these ideas on, yet. But for everyone else I hope you get some good suggestions.

Here's an example post:

How did we travel before Bibsters?
Expensive, single-use, disposable sanitary items aren't usually our thing (except for the, um, THOUSANDS of diapers we've added to the landfill over the last few years), but oh, the wonder that is the Bibster.
Pampers Bibsters are disposable paper bibs. Here's why we love them for restaraunts and travel:
They have a waterproof backing, so yucky liquidy foods won't soak through.
They stay put via a nifty velcro closure at the neck.
They have little fold-up pockets that catch spills
They are soft enough to use as a face-wiper at the end of the meal (provided they're not too covered with yuckus)
They have cute Sesame Street characters on them, which keeps the bib-wearer entertained for a few minutes.
They (and all the muck they collect) are thrown in the garbage at the end of the meal, unlike their non-disposable counterparts which must be wadded up, placed in a plastic bag, tucked into the diaper bag, forgotten there for several days, and later discovered and either thrown away, or unfolded (urg) and washed.

Oh, and they would love to hear your suggestions and ideas, too.

Order Prints of my Photos

2005-12-30T16:42:00.000-05:00

So I already love Flickr (the website where I post all my pictures), but it has added a new service that makes it even more amazing! I, or anyone, can order prints of my pictures (or any pics on Flickr).

Flickr.com is basically a place where you can store and share your photos. You can organize them into sets (aka albums), use tags (aka keywords) to describe them, and do a ton of other amazing things. You can try this link to learn more about Flickr. And/Or you can read all the glowing press reviews here.

But to get back to what I was saying. So now if you want a copy of one of my photos you can order one right through the website (you will have to sign up for a free account, but hey, Flickr rocks so you should join anyhow). The best part is that you can pick up the prints at any Target store in as little as an hour! No need to wait for shipping, or pay those shipping charges! Great!

It is very easy. You can just click on the picture to the right. It will take you to my area of Flickr. Once you get there you can click on the link to the right that says "lewisriley's photostream." Browse around and see if anything strikes your fancy. If you find something you like, click on the picture to get a closer look. At the bottom of the screen there is a link to sign up for a free account. Once you do that, you'll see an "order prints" option above each photo. When you click on that you'll get your size and quantity options. Select your options and add them to the cart. Its so easy.

My mom can probably expect some photos to be coming in the mail. Unless she decides to try and do it for herself...Give it a try mom. You can't destroy anything, I promise.

Virginia Christmas 2005 - The Cedars Bed & Breakfast

2005-12-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

First off, for those who experienced it, you can go straight to the photos here.

Betsy and I went down to Virginia this past week. It was a wonderful trip, and we hit two birds with one stone. We celebrated our anniversary at The Cedars Bed & Breakfast, and we had a big family gathering for Christmas.

The B&B was great. We had picked it out as the B&B for us a few years ago. We just love its style, and how homey and cozy it looked. And it was definitely both. I found that in just those two days we spent there I had already started calling it "home". We stayed in the cottage, which is a little carriage house behind the main house. We chose it for a few reasons: beautifully decorated, private, and a gas fireplace. Of course we didn't need to worry about privacy, because we were the only people in the whole B&B for those two nights. We found out that we were the calm before the storm. From this past weekend to the new year, they are booked solid.

When we arrived they had sprinkled rose petals on our bed and had chilled some sparkling cider for us, a dozen roses also perfumed the air. It was very romantic. And of course the gas fireplace was wonderful, especially for Betsy. It felt perfect, it was perfect. I would highly recommend The Cedars Bed and Breakfast to anyone.

We also spent Thursday touring CW (Colonial Williamsburg). Unfortunately, it rained all day. We had a good time though, and I learned a good bit. Poor Peyton Randolph would've been a name we all know today, but he died too early. Too bad.

It was a great anniversary all-in-all. Now its time to start planning next year...

Everybody Don't Limbo

2005-12-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

The Pope is set to abolish the concept of Limbo, overturning a belief held by Roman Catholics since the Middle Ages.
Limbo consigned to history books - World - Times Online

The original commision to examine Limbo was ordered by Pope John Paul II, but its conclusion has only been recently reached. Limbo is (or was) that in-between place where unbaptized babies would go when they died.

I just find it interesting when the church decides to do an about-face like this. Apparently the whole Limbo thing was "a theological hypothesis" according to our current Pope. Of course the new "hypothesis" is that those souls who were classified as being in Limbo now only have the "hope of eternal salvation" All that hope and no place to go. That doesn't sound too good to me.

I Heart Presents

2005-12-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would put a direct link to my wish list on Amazon.com

A place where I add things I would like to own. Nothing huge, a lot of books, and a few other odds and ends. But it might give some people some ideas. I'll be adding more as I take a look around Amazon's amazing selection.

Link me...

Lew is in the House!!!

2005-11-28T09:28:00.000-05:00

Just a little note to say that we are moved into the house. Once I get the internet installed, I'll put up lots of info.

Later...

Winter has Arrived

2005-11-23T09:55:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that it is snowing. I guess that means my pipe dream of jumping straight from fall to spring is over.

Cincinnati winters are wonderful. For a place that always gets snow, no one seems to know how to drive in it. I know already there are quite a few accidents from this snow "storm" that isn't even accumulating on the roads. Get it together people!

Of course I think it's good luck if it snows on your moving day...
So lets hope it snows again on Saturday. Yep, that's the big day. We can't wait. I'll upload tons of pictures once we get things situated.

The Amazing Wovel (Wheel+Shovel)

2005-11-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

Now that I own a house, I will have to shovel the driveway myself. So of course I would need the absolutely most amazing snow shovel available. The shovel that takes snow removal to whole new levels. It sounds like I need the Wovel!!

"The first major improvement in the personal shovel since the Middle Ages" (Doctor's Quote)

Seriously though, this looks like a pretty smart invention. No more bending over and breaking your back. Less stress on your heart. Curious stares from the neighbors. There are tons of great reasons to get one. I may be tempted. Or maybe I'll just borrow my Father-in-law's snow blower.

Of course no snow-blower could give me the amazing retro/antique look of the wovel. It looks like some mid-19th century device. I'll need a bowler and a huge mustache to complete the look.

What do you think? A good investment in my health?

Oh, check out the video of the Wovel in action. Wonderful!!

Halloween

2005-11-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

Betsy and I went over to her cousin Michelle's house for Halloween last night. We took Jacob, Theresa, and Austin around the neighborhood. It was a fun night. But all I could think about was our house.

You see, Michelle lives right down the street from our new house. The new house that we are still waiting to get into. As I saw all the boring houses with no halloween decorations, I pictured the scare-fest that could be. Or will be I should say.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy Halloween. We used to really throw down a good show on Halloween in my family. The whole haunted house thing. And I can't wait to try some of that myself. Since I have a house now and all.

Of course, I did see a lot of younger kids on the streets. So what do you say? Is Halloween still allowed to be scary? Or are we doomed to all treats and no tricks?!

Halloween is Busiest Night for LaRosas

2005-10-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

I just got a promotional email from LaRosas that informed me that Halloween is the busiest night of the year for them. Who knew?

They said that you should call 2 hours before you want it delivered. Wow!!

The No. 1 Song on My Birthday was...

2005-10-26T21:19:00.000-04:00

Woman In Love - Barbara
Streisand

I know, not so great. Try your luck.

Link me...

Found Forgotten Photos

2005-10-26T15:38:00.000-04:00

This site I just found really speaks to me. It is a collection of photos the author develops from old cameras. He gets the cameras from thrift stores or junk shops and tries to develop the used film that is sometimes inside.

The interesting thing is that the people who took these pictures never saw them, because the film was never developed. That seems really amazing and strange to me. To have me see these personal photos and know that the person who took them never will. It just makes me think...

Link me...

Closed on the House

2005-10-25T10:54:00.000-04:00

Well we own the house. Of course we aren't in it yet, but we'll be in within the next month.

We are both very, very excited about it. If you haven't taken a look at the pictures I posted earlier, do so here. It is an amazing house.

Below is a picture with our realtor from Hoeting Realtors. She was a saint. It was a sell by owner, and they weren't very sure of what they were doing. So we had to bend over backwards to get this house. But we're so glad we did. It turns out that after they accepted our offer (a full price offer!), they received quite a few other full price offers. They had the nerve to ask Tina, our realtor, if they should tell them that they have another offer. She was like "YES!!". I mean how dumb can you be.

Well, I'm sure they just wanted to do everything right, and were being overly cautious about it all. But it was a wild and crazy ride no matter what.

Free Music From Stanford University

2005-10-25T08:32:00.000-04:00

I found this via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). Free music from itunes is always worth posting about. And if you don't have iTunes (PC or Mac), now is a great time to try it out and get some free music.

Here's something I haven't seen before. Stanford University are currently offering 69 music tracks and 30 classical concerts for free via the iTunes Music Store [iTunes link]. The tracks include performances by Stanford students, faculty, alumni and guest artists.

It's a great idea, and I'd like to see other performance spaces follow suit, from universities to museums to theatres (especially my old school, Berklee College of Music in Boston). Check it out.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Test Post from within Flock

2005-10-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

Flock is a new browser that I'm taking a look at. It integrates blogging and my flickr account right into the browser interface. Making it a little easier to post quickly. Since everyone will love to read my stream-of-conscience posts, right?...right?

Eric and Lauren are Engaged

2005-10-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

With all the other stuff that's been going on I forgot to mention it, but my friends, Eric and Lauren, are engaged.

They are looking to get married in September 2006 in Cleveland. I can't wait, it should be a rockin' good time.

I wish them all the best, and I will say that they got off to a good start. Eric told me all about how he popped the question, and it was a good story. He definitely did it up right!! Romance, flowers, John Mellencamp. It had everything.

So good luck to them, and I can't wait to see them and congratulate them in person. Of course they might be married by the time I get to do it. We'll see...

A New Addition to the Family

2005-10-13T15:51:00.000-04:00

My cousin, Chris, and his wife, Angela, had a baby girl on Tuesday. Her name is Fiona Allison Woodford and she weighed in at 8lbs. 11oz and 21 inches long. That's a good sized baby!

Congratulations to the new parents, and to the new grandparents. And hey lets throw a shout-out to the new great-grandparents, too.

Happy Birthday, Fiona!

New Apple Products

2005-10-12T14:31:00.000-04:00

Apple made some amazing new product introductions today. A video-capable iPod, a new iMac (with a built in iSight, that's a webcam for those who don't know), and a new version of iTunes which allows you to purchase videos and even some TV shows.

Once I read up on them, I may post a more in-depth analysis, but either way go check it out!!

Photoshop Fun for Grandmum

2005-10-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

My mom suggested that I do some more photoshop fun with Grandmum, and then upload them for everyone to see. Well, that seems like a good idea, so here you go.

Enjoy, and let me know if you have any good ideas for backgrounds, or whatever.

Photoshop Makes Happy Prisoners?

2005-10-05T10:35:00.000-04:00

This article on Wired caught my interest. It outlines a company that takes pictures of prisoners and their families and uses the graphics program Photoshop to put them in exotic locations, instead of the visiting area at the prison. It seemed like a nice idea.

What really caught my attention though, was that I did this exact same thing as a joke to my Grandmum. My brother and I, and our wives took a group photo in mom's front yard. Then I took the photo, cut out the background, and stuck us in a field of flowers. Like so:

I sent the photo to Grandmum's Cieva picture frame and waited to see what happened. Well she wanted to know where we had taken that amazming photo. I let the cat out of the bag and told her it was a fake. I had grand plans to slowly make each picture more and more unbelievable, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

I could've been making some money, but I couldn't make the leap from tricking Grandmum to catering to convicts. I never see the potential...

The Other Announcement: New Car!!

2005-09-24T12:16:00.000-04:00

So here's my new car. A Malibu Maxx!! That's right, you've never heard of it, but trust me, it's amazing.

Good gas mileage, tons of storage room. And just a ton of little details that let you know that the designers really thought about every part of this car. I've never bought a car, so this is a huge new thing for me. I still can't believe that I own something as nice as this.

So what do you think? Click the photo for more pics.

Another Announcement

2005-09-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

There is another thing I've been keeping back as well. Once I get some necessary pics, I'll post all about the other big announcement!!!

Here It IS

2005-09-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

I've been sitting on this one for quite awhile. After the last house fiasco, I thought I would play this one a little close.

But they've accepted our offer, so here it is:

That's our new house!!!

This is just a teaser. Lots more info will be coming. Stay tuned...

Free 30-Day Macintosh Trial

2005-08-31T13:54:00.000-04:00

Apple is running a promotion online. You can order a Mac Mini, try it out, and if you decide you don't like it, return it within 30 days. No questions asked.

Now would be a great time for everyone to try a Mac. Put in that order for your Mac Mini. When you get it, you can reuse the monitor, keyboard, and mouse from your PC on your new Macintosh. Try it out for a few weeks, and enjoy the world of Macintosh. I don't think you'll be returning it. Trust me.

Link me...

Update: Apple has mysteriously pulled this promotion as of sometime last night. I found out first via a comment to this post, but you can read more about it in this article.

That's So Raven

2005-08-30T18:27:00.000-04:00

Betsy and I went to a concert this past weekend. The Raven Simone concert of course!

We went with our friends Kerri and Carlee, and Carlee had been looking forward to this concert for quite awhile. She's 10 by the way.

The concert was held at Kings Island, a theme park here in Cincinnati. We went a little early to ride some rides. I forgot how much fun roller coasters can be. I particularly like screaming really loud. Good fun.

The concert was pretty fun actually. Maybe you've been to concerts populated by preteens, but I hadn't, so this was all very new. Apparently the big thrill is to get the performer to wave and/or see you. Every time Raven even looked our direction, every kid would jump up, screaming, waving, and holding up signs. Then when she turned away, back to singing and dancing.

The other fun part was the dancers. She would sing and the dancers would perform some sort of storyline in the background. Sometimes the story they danced out would relate to the song, sometimes not. But it was always entertaining. It was like two shows for the price of one!

The only bad thing was the stereotypical high-pitched screaming. Girls at concerts really do that!! Amazing, who knew?

See some more photos here.

New Orleans ready in 3 years?

2005-08-30T15:49:00.000-04:00

My family has a tradition (if you can call something we've only done twice a tradition) that on your 21st birthday you go down to New Orleans.

All I can say is thank goodness Kaitlin isn't 21 this year. New Orleans is a disaster right now. Browse through the stories at NOLA.com to see what I mean. Massive flooding, and the water is still rising. Then there is the complete breakdown in communications and power infastructure. And then, to top it off, looting.

Judging by what I'm reading and seeing, I'm not sure when New Orleans will be back to its original splendor. It's going to be a long and difficult rebuild. Hopefully it will be ready for 2008. That's when Kaitline does turn 21.

UPDATE: One reader commented that this post was selfish. Upon re-reading it, I have to agree. I apologize for making light of what is a horrible tragedy for thousands of people. I certainly hope no one was too insulted. And I certainly wish no ill-will to the citizens of New Orleans and the other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

To further make amends, I'm going to make a donation to the Red Cross. I suggest you do the same.

December Plans

2005-08-29T19:14:00.000-04:00

When Betsy and I were down in the 'burg (williamsburg) recently, the Riley's decided that it was time to plan the holiday get-together. I've always loved big family shindigs, so I was all for it. Of course I actually get two big family parties now, because Betsy's family loves the big gatherings, too.

Anyway, the weekend before Christmas was chosen. And all agreed that good times would certainly be had, and perhaps details would be ironed out, but that was for another time.

Once Betsy and I returned to dear old O-hi-o, we pondered the close proximity of the christmas gathering to our 2nd wedding anniversary. As we thought more about it, we decided that now would be an excellent time to do something we've talked about for a long time.

So for our second anniversary we will be spending two nights at The Cedars of Williamsburg Bed and Breakfast. There's just something about B&B's that says Romance (at least I hope so). We've always loved the look of this B&B, and I will admit that their stellar website also swayed me. I wasn't expecting to be able to see descriptions and pictures of all the rooms, and even be able to request a reservation online. I was very impressed. Oh, and they have an email newsletter, too. Nice work!

We are staying in the Peyton Randolph room, which has a fireplace in the bedroom. There's that romance I mentioned earlier. But we couldn't stop there, so we got the Anniversary package, which includes dinner at The Whitehall Restaurant. Betsy and I are very excited.

Then after our wonderful anniversary celebration, we can flow right into our wonderful family holiday celebration. Now that's a good plan.

Let's hope it works.

Sex Offender Map Site

2005-08-19T08:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, I thought this would be an interesting site to visit. Just to see who was out there in my area.

Well, I think most people will be happier if they don't check out this site. I was very surprised by the sheer number of offenders near to people who are dear to me. So I'm putting it out there, but if you'd rather not look, I don't blame you.

Basically the way it works is that you put in the address you want to search around. Different states allow a different radius of search, so you may want to search nearby addresses to see the real scope of people. Here in Ohio the radius seems to be very small, only a few blocks. For me, just because they might be a few blocks away doesn't mean I don't want to see them on the map.

You can also click on their names to go to their page in the database, so you can see how heinous the crime was. Yeah, I'm sure you wanted to know that.

Well, good luck sleeping at night.

Link Me!! (Seriously you may not want to)

PS - its still in beta, so its a little buggy.