Author: Gerry

Categories
Computers

Yay Printing

I’ve got an HP Deskjet printer attached to my computer that inexplicably stopped working. Since the printer is housed on a sliding shelf inside my desk and the power light was still on, I immediately began trying to figure out what might have gone wrong with the software. So I turned debugging on and somewhere in the middle of the debug stream, was a line that basically read “Unable to open device.”

Hmmm. What could that mean? I had initially thought the problem was with one of the many layers of software between my on-screen page and the device driver. This error message indicated something much more fundamental. Well, I’d had an issue with the fan and there had been some power blips recently, perhaps the USB cable had disconnected from the computer or I had a bad USB port.

So I check the back of the computer and the USB cable is connected. Next, I switch the cable to another port. But I still getting the same error. Now, I figure I’ll just delete the printer from CUPS and try to reinstall it (This is not the recommended way to fix a printer connected to a Linux box. But it wasn’t working anyway, so I figured I had little to lose.) Now I discover that CUPS can’t find the printer, so I restart cups and try again.

Still nothing.

How can that be? Toggle the printer power; restart CUPS; try to find the printer again.

Same result.

Alright, time to look at the back of the printer.

The USB cable came unplugged from the back of the printer. Grrrr. Stupid bad assumptions. From there, I had everything running properly again in less than 5 minutes.

I’m blaming the kids for this one. They did … something … somewhere along the way. I know it.

Categories
Family

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Never underestimate the ability of kids to turn something simple into something not so simple. Perhaps it’s a superpower. Parent’s insert themselves into a situation and kids immediately begin deploying their “Obfuscation” ability by making their eyes wide and using the words “But she…” or “But he…”

The boy was supposed to take a shower. But when the Wife made the request to him, he just stood there and stared at her, rooted to the spot. Since the lass also needed a shower, and the boy seemed to be in some kind of temporary state of paralysis, she asked the lass instead to go.

Which was all the boy needed to snap him out of his self-imposed stroke. He took off like a shot to be the “first” in the shower. The lass, not to be outdone, also took off. Unfortunately for her, she is not a physical match to her brother and he beat her there easily. So she now launches into a frustrated, tearful “Heeeee butted in front of meeeee….”

Continue reading “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”
Categories
Misc

Thought for the Day

There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you.

– Bruce Lee

I found that in an article about memories and how far the average memory can be pushed. Naturally, I memorized it.

Categories
Family

Life Imitates Art?

You know those Snickers commercials where there’s some grumpy, whiny celebrity complaining about something to his “buddies” and then one of them tells him/ her to “have a Snickers” because they always act like that when they’re hungry? Like the last one with the loggers? You know the ones I’m talking about?

I wonder if the inspiration for that came from some ad exec’s 5 and 6 year-old kids. Another Dad told me he won’t even speak to his oldest in the morning until the child has had a glass of OJ. Consequently, he’s convinced that OJ is the best elixir for such problems.

Maybe I’ll go plant a tree…

Categories
Family

February Vacation Begins

Well, technically it began for the lass at 11:45 or so and for the boy at 3:50 or so on Friday. Regardless of quibbles, they are not in school today, nor will they be until next Monday.

The boy’s vacation started out with a sleepover at a buddy’s house. The word is that they went to bed at a reasonable time, fell asleep at a reasonable time and then woke up at a completely unacceptable time. At least we had fair warning. If he doesn’t nap then he’ll likely sleep well tonight. Otherwise, he had fun and behaved himself. They didn’t even play much in the way of video games the whole time.

In an unusual turn of events, the boy’s gain was also the lass’. She makes the most of her alone time with Mom and Dad- especially Mom. She helped make dinner; helped me shovel the little bit of snow we got this morning; got to watch *Horton Hears a Who” (the original, non-Jim Carrey-ized version); and got to eat some pumpkin pie. Total angel the whole time. Well, almost he whole time. She likes to be difficult in the morning, but she snapped out of it quickly.

Not sure what to expect for the rest of the week. Perhaps some bowling (non-Wii), perhaps a day-trip or two. She’ll get the day with Mom on Thursday and the boy has a day at camp coming up. There will probably be some play dates as well.

Somehow, I’m sure we’ll muddle through.

Categories
Politics

Medical Fraud in Wisconsin

Ann Althouse lives in Wisconsin and interviewed a doctor signing medical excuses for the protesting teachers. After hearing a few seconds of this guy talk my first thought was “Really, this guy’s a doctor?!?”

OK, cheap shots aside, an amusing thing happens towards the end of the interview when a protester asks if these doctors will be around on Monday. The guy’s reply is, basically, “No, because I have to work.”

Oh the irony.

Categories
Computers

Holy Spam-Buckets Batman!

I was cleaning my spam folder out just now and noticed that I had upwards of 10000 pieces of spam. The number seemed hard to believe because I typically keep about a year’s worth of spam around in case I need to retrain my spam filter. Usually, that means I’ve got around 4000 spam mails.

So I checked things out: for the 11 months from January 2010 thru November 2010, I had about 4000 spam mails. Since then, I’ve had almost 6000. So in less than 3 months time, I’ve received over a typical years worth of spam.

Guess the spam generators have kicked into high gear.

Categories
Family

5-Year Old Diva

A list of complaints from the lass more or less from the time she woke up this morning:

  • I supposedly put the wrong “cheese” on her egg. Never mind that the allegation was false; never mind that I took the time to make sure she had a healthy breakfast to start her day; never mind that I took the time to make it for her. IT’S THE WRONG CHEESE!!!

  • She didn’t get to finish watching her cartoons this morning because she had to go to a skating lesson. Never mind that she wanted to learn to skate; never mind that we have to get up early every Saturday to make sure she has breakfast and is ready to get to her lesson on time. SHE WANTS TO WATCH HER SHOW!!!

  • Her shoes are to tight. This complaint is actually legitimate. But when looked at from the perspective that they’ve likely been that way for a couple weeks during which time she never complained and couple that with the fact that the Wife took her to look for new sneakers last night making her aware that her sneakers were too small; plus, her “sunny” mood this morning and it’s hard to have too much sympathy.

  • The Sun was shining in her eyes on the way to skating lessons this morning. Stupid, inconvenient Nature!!! (She has sunglasses, isn’t that what Diva’s wear?)

  • Apparently, the Wife doesn’t get her skates on tight enough, so I have to be the one to finish putting on her skates.

Top that all off with an attitude that far exceeds her body size and you’ve got a lovely Saturday morning with the lass.

It’s scary to think that someday, she’ll be a teenager with a cellphone.

Categories
Politics

Jefferson on Debt

Via Daily Pundit, words about the perniciousness of public debt from Thomas Jefferson. Nothing to add as it is timeless and pithy.

(Via Instapundit)

Categories
Family

‘Cause I’m the Dad

Getting the kids ready for school in the morning is kind of like an informally scheduled activity period. There’s the initial wake-up period when they first make their way down. After that is breakfast followed by helping out with any chores like feeding animals, emptying the dishwasher or what have you. There’s the brushing of teeth and if there’s any left over time they can sit and watch cartoons. There’s also making the boy’s lunch, but he’s not responsible for that. Yet. Everything culminates in the ride to school. Followed by silence. Sweet, blissful, silence.

And a bonus cup of coffee, but I digress…

Over the course of these various events, they do their usual shucking and jiving with one another. My tolerance for it largely depends on how much sleep I got the night before. Luckily for them I slept well. But their antics can lead to procrastinating as they get more wrapped up in their extra-curriculars. Usually I end up barking at them to finish their food, or refocus their attention on whatever the task as hand might be.

This morning wasn’t too different from the usual. I had to do a little more traffic directing than normal today. Typically, I’m polite about it and use “please” and “thank you” because I’m trying to set the example and because I think that’s the right way to do it. But after breakfast when they didn’t go brush their teeth, I told them to go do so and omitted the pleasantries, prompting the boy to ask:

“How come you keep bossing us around?”

This comment is one that frustrates the hell out of me. There are a number of moving parts behind it. The boy repeatedly attempts to “boss” his sister around. The Wife and I both push back against him when he does this and we specifically use the phrase “bossing around.” My own impression is that he’s patterning off of how the Wife and I deal with them when they aren’t doing things we’ve asked them to; when they are doing things they shouldn’t be; or when they are being difficult. My attitude is that “we” are the parents- meaning we are authority figures. The kids are not authority figures, excluding some wiggle room, thus they cannot get away with using the same behaviors we do.

So, in the boy’s mind, he’s not allowed to boss people around. He seems to generalize this notion to everyone else; especially where he’s concerned. Therefore, I’m not supposed to boss him around.

The nuance that I’m his father is lost on him in his internal reasoning.

Also, it’s not coincidence that his question immediately followed my first request that wasn’t prefaced with a “please.” I’ve realized the kids are really good at picking up on slip-ups, no matter how minor, on my or the Wife’s part. Ironically, they lack the requisite level of self-awareness to notice their own transgressions.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in good enough form to come answer him with anything better than “Because I’m your father.” At least he went and brushed his teeth though.

Categories
Misc

The Singularity Doesn’t Sound So Great

Via Instapundit, The Speculist has some thoughts about “Watson”- the latest computer to be humans at their own game. In this case, the game is Jeopardy. In the course of doing so, Mr. Gordon writes:

A key feature of the Singularity will be our inability, as normal humans with normal human intelligence, to foresee the future. Why? Because after that point the goals and desires of more intelligent entities will be calling the shots. They will be doing all the inventing, and making judgements as to what goals to pursue. Normal people will be on the sidelines.

If this is what the Singularity entails, we’re in deep doo-doo. First of all, we’re not so good at predicting the future as it is. Will there be a Super Bowl next year? Who will Instapundit link in his next post? What’s tomorrow’s high temperature going to be at my house? Ask the Obama administration how easy it was to predict events in Egypt. Since predictions aren’t our forte, I fail to see how a “singularity” makes much of a difference here.

But if some “more intelligent entities” will be calling all the shots, then why so confident that “normal people” will just be on the sidelines? Isn’t that just a PC way of saying “extinct”? Or are Singularity enthusiasts, despite their current lack of ability to predict the future, confident in predicting that these “more intelligent entities” will have a completely different view regarding “survival of the species”? What’s to keep “normal” people from becoming slaves to these new entities?

I’m not a Singularity expert by any means and I doubt I’m the first to ask these sorts of questions. Also, Googling the term “singularity” brings up a number of different possible definitions. So, as with everything it seems, it depends on the definitions in play. That said, generally I see references to a “singularity” that imply great, benevolent outcomes as a result. But looking at Mr. Gordon’s paragraph above, I’m more skeptical now about such an event.

Categories
Family

Winter Catharsis

The boy and I were on our way down the driveway. The bus had just dropped him off and he was explaining the intricacies of his day- math, recess, snack, lunch. Apparently we send him to school for lots of leisure time.

The driveway still has lots of ice on it. Even after a couple of days with temps in the 40’s. But there are enough bare spots to safely negotiate a path down it without incident.

Unfortunately, the boy didn’t take such a path.

While he was lying there, I asked him if he was OK. He didn’t respond, but I did hear a sob come from him. Then a second one burbled up and he lifted his head at last. He showed me his hand, which had a small scrape on it.

When he had picked himself up, he began to bellow:

“I … HATE … WINTER!!! IT’S THE WORST SEASON OF THE YEAR! I CAN’T WAIT FOR IT TO BE DONE! IT’S SO STUPID!”

I think that gets the point across. He continued like that all the way to the house.

Six year olds are such drama queens.

Categories
Politics

General Ramblings on Budget Pundits

Instapundit linked a Bruce Bartlett piece this weekend in which Mr. Bartlett essentially dismisses current attempts to cut the budget as stupid, uninformed, dangerous and whatever other negative adjective might fit. Generally speaking, it’s not all that different from anything else I’ve read regarding how to address the Federal government’s fiscal responsibility.

With regards to Mr. Bartlett in particular, I’m sick of hearing from him. Supposedly, he backs smaller government that doesn’t rely on 5% annual growth and more taxation. But every time he pens an opinion, it seems all he ever has to say is “No” along with a list of reasons why the people trying to instill some fiscal sanity are, in fact, insane. It seems only people such as Mr. Bartlett are suited to the task of fixing things. Never mind that, from the perspective of supposed fellow travelers of Mr. Bartlett’s, the government situation has done nothing but get worse on his watch. Perhaps he’s more afraid that other’s might succeed where he’s been, well, incompetent.

Personally, I’m still waiting for some politicians to say it straight and to the point- there’s no easy way to do what must be done. Politicians would go a long way towards treating the American people as adults with such a simple gesture. They’d also go a long way towards gaining some much needed credibility on the topic.

I don’t expect to hear these sorts of things from backers of unlimited government. In fact, I’d expect people of that persuasion to continue to tell us how we can’t cut things willy-nilly; that there isn’t as much slack in the budget as people seem to think; that “crucial” services will be cut. I expect them to air every excuse imaginable to not cut government spending. Americans are too addicted to their programs; poor people will be disproportionately screwed; we’ll be sacrificing our future.

It would just be nice if they weren’t aided and abetted by people whom, like I noted earlier, are supposed to be on the same page concerning the size and scope of the Federal government.

UPDATE: Well, I stand corrected on “waiting for some politicians to say it straight…”. Congratulations to Mitch Daniels. I guess I’ll get something of a test-case for whether Americans respond to be treated like adults.

Categories
Misc

A Tough Winter

This week will be our first probably since November where we have temps consistently above the freezing mark. We also have no major storms forecast, a first since before Christmas. This week’s weather will certainly bring a measure of hope that the worst is behind us. The youth hockey season is winding down and talk is already turning towards Little League, spring soccer and even lacrosse. Some are even talking about Summer camps.

It’s hard not to appreciate the notion that, regardless of what happens between now and the beginning of Spring, this will be a Winter to remember. In fact, it’s literally true that things won’t be the same after this one. Locally, 4 buildings have collapsed due to the snow load and there are scores of stories about people falling off roofs and damaging digits in snow-thrower mishaps. Everyone is already concerned about “the Melt” and grabbing sump pumps or making sure the ones they have are operational.

It’s fitting that even as Ol’ Man Winter begins to leave the scene, he’ll still leave challenges with his parting. Even then, none of us will forget his handiwork this year.

Categories
Family

Babes on Blades Update

The Wife finally had her second practice today. More importantly, it was her first practice with all of her own hockey equipment. Luckily we were able to procure the majority of it as used equipment so we didn’t have to spend a small fortune. I didn’t get any major details other than she practiced skating backwards, there were more Moms there than last time, and she’s very tired.

But she had a smile on her face, so clearly she had fun in spite of herself.

Oh, and she’s been granted a team nickname already! Honors already after 2 practices, not bad.

Categories
Misc

Speaking of Boondoggles

How ’bout that iPhone on Verizon launch yesterday? Can you say oops? Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field had better be bug free this time around.

Of course, if that doesn’t interest you, there’s Nokia’s decision to do, well, nothing. I guess that’s not entirely true. They’ve decided to hitch themselves to the Microsoft bandwagon and will be using Windows Phone 7 for their smartphone line. But otherwise, it’s full speed ahead straight into oblivion…

And just for kicks and giggles, how ’bout the President’s dealing with events in Egypt? At least he’s staying on top of things.

At the current boondoggling pace, I’d expect the mother-of-all snowstorms to start winding up in the Pacific so it can hit the East Coast sometime late next week. You know, what with global-warming … I mean climate change (another boondoggle) and all. Perhaps we can throw a solar storm in their for good measure… or the government can fix healthcare.

Categories
Football

Boondoggle

The NFL’s handling of the 400 or so fans at the Super Bowl is officially awful. It’s just been a slow motion train wreck ever since word first leaked that there was a problem. It’s very unfortunate as well because it was really a fantastic game that capped off a great season of football. People will unfortunately remember this aspect of the game as much as the play on the field.

With $9 billion in revenue, the owners could pay each of these people their annual salary as compensation and it would barely dent the bottom line. But the fantastic wealth that owners enjoy didn’t come to them because they gave stuff away and I suspect that’s what we’re seeing in action here. It’s “penny-wise, pound foolish” personified. The thing is that the fans will get what they want in the end. There’s no other way for it to end, and the owner’s will only cement into the public conscience the massive PR hit every day they delay. Throw in the methodical nature that owners conduct NFL business so as to wring every last penny from their fan base and there’s just no excuse I can imagine.

On a slightly sadder note and zooming out a little, I wonder if we haven’t witnessed a peak in the game. The NFL enjoyed the most successful ratings season ever this year. The Super Bowl was the highest rated TV event in history (it eclipsed MASH and two previous Super Bowls). The playoffs were full of compelling games that were watchable to the end.

But now they’ve botched a fan-relationship; they’ve got a labor dispute on their hands; they’ve got lingering safety issues related to the game that most people believe they are unserious about. In short, they’ve got some major hurdles to deal with right now that will require difficult solutions. Including the very real threat of a shortened season. And make no mistake, a shortened season due to disagreements between millionaires and almost-billionaires will not set well with fans. See the last baseball strike. It will set the game back.

Uncertain times for America’s game. No doubt about it.

Categories
Football

Holy Crap

Via deadspin, here’s a trick shot video featuring UConn’s backup QB.

I’d like to know how many times some of those shots took. Particularly the ones in Gampel Pavillion. Even so, WOW.

The next question is: can he do that sort of thing with 280 pound defensive lineman breathing down his neck?

Categories
Misc

Returning to Normal?

The past couple of days have been a bit above average temperature wise. Topping the 40 degree mark 2 days in a row in fact! For some perspective, the beginning of January was the last time we saw weather this warm. And, at this point in the Winter, I’m not being one bit ironic when referring to highs around 40 as “warm.”

Aside from the temperatures, it’s been a physically demanding Winter as well. I’ve probably used the snowblower as often as a lawn mower. Even then, I still use the shovel to clean off our deck and a path to the wood pile. The wood also requires a fair amount of effort to keep a ready supply and at-hand. Yesterday I chopped up the ice on our driveway with an adz. All the snow that had been on the roof was pulled off with a roof-rake and then moved again with a shovel because once it landed, the snow was too hard to push a snow blower through it. The sum total of all this is I’ve lost about 10 lbs from all the extra work. Who needs a gym membership?

Finally, though, it appears our recent pattern is about to be broken. We have some more cold coming later this week, but there is another warm up coming afterwards. We’re forecasted to get some light snow tonight, but there are no further storms in the immediate future. At this rate, the kids may actually have a full week of school!

Of course, it’s New England. Give it five minutes, the weather will change.

Categories
Football

The Super Bowl

Alright, it’s official. The “Excessive Celebration” penalty has jumped the shark with the call just made against Green Bay. Totally, completely pathetic. I can’t believe the NFL didn’t take the zebra’s aside and order them not to call that penalty during the game. Simply amazing.

We need a full-fledged fan revolt against the most ridiculous penalty every devised for football. Really. If Florio wants to try and exert some clout, he should get on that bandwagon now.

UPDATE: YES!!! Packers 31 Steelers 25

I don’t know if it’s one of the greatest, but it was a great game to watch. Two evenly matched teams that brought their best games for 60 minutes against one another. Hard to ask for more than that. Fantastic. Plus the Steelers lost- the best I could hope for from this one.

Nothing better than knowing there’s a bunch of depressed Steeler fans stomping around tonight. Now I don’t have to listen to Harrison talk about how he beat the league; or how Roethlisberger overcame all his adversity and all the other silly BS storylines the sports media was working up.

As far as the commercials go, easily the Volkswagen commercial with Mini-Vader was the best one. The first couple of Pepsi Max commercials with the can off the noggin routine were good, but Mini-Vader takes it. The force was strong in that one.

UPDATE II: Here’s a link to that Volkswagen commercial: