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Not that I have much to say, but seriously though. I always stop when I’m sending a text message.

Apparently in Britain, they do not. So they are putting big foam pads around things like lamp posts. Seems like the pads would be kind of ugly though.

read more | digg story

written by Chris \\ tags: text messaging, weird

Alright, so a couple of days ago I went over some of the great things about iTunes. And believe me. I still think its great. But at the end of the post I alluded to a couple of things that I wish worked a little bit differently, or that I wish that it would do for you which might make everything a little better.

Now, I am by no means an expert. I like to think I have a better than average understanding of computer stuff, and that I catch on quick to most things, which is a definite advantage in my field. But these days with work, I mostly end up database and web programming and have little time for learning some of these trivial software packages that many people use every day. Now, I probably could given the time and energy, But I haven’t had the time to dig deep into the inner workings of iTunes, nor the XML file that contains the library data, or the help files that explain all the little tiny stuff stashed here and there. So if one of these things is already taken care of in some way, or with some 3rd party plug-in or something. Please feel free to let me know.

But in the mean time. Here goes.

For one, I wish I could sync iTunes libraries between two computers. Maybe I can but I haven’t gone through the internets looking to see if that’s possible yet. But it would be nice for changes I make on one computer to automatically show up on the other. Mostly I use my Macbook. But the desktop has iTunes on it as well, and that library is way out of date. I know I can share my libraries on one machine and listen to everything from the other, but it doesn’t keep up with changes in playlists and statistics, etc. And I know I can import/export my library and the associated XML file to do the same thing periodically, but it would be nice if something did this over my network automatically. Maybe something does and I just haven’t run across it yet… Let me know.

And the other big thing that bugs me. I wish I could add songs to multiple albums. I have quite a few “duplicate” songs. I always keep the full album for certain things on iTunes, mainly because a lot of the time, that is my favorite way to listen to things. I’m still from that Generation that went into the store and came out with a CD. I never bought “singles” really (maybe a couple). Albums feel comfortable, and sometimes, when I’m driving, I like to listen to them in this way.

Now I know that you can show duplicates in iTunes. It’s a good way to clean up some disk space, and make sure that when you’re shuffling your entire collections, you only hear Let it Be one time instead of two. So I have a couple of songs that are on two or three albums, that are the same song… Alright, maybe more than a couple. Nowhere is this more prominent than with all the Beatles stuff I have. I have The White Album, which has a bunch of songs, I have the Red Album (the 1962-1966 compilation) album, I have the Blue Album (the 1967-1970 compilation), and I have the Beatles “One” album (Which has all their number one hits.) What this boils down to, is that I’ve got a lot of songs one two, or maybe even three albums (especially with the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Fleetwood Mac). Now, I understand that I can Show Duplicates, and remove these tracks which are exactly the same (I’m not even considering the ones where some are live, and the duplicate is a studio recording.) I mean these particular tracks are exactly the same in every way shape and form.

If I take that duplicate track, and remove one of the copies. It removes it from iTunes. Problem solved right? Well, later, when I go to play an album, that track will be missing (It’ll be tied to the other album that you didn’t delete the track from.) I don’t want that. I want to be able to tie the same mp3 file to two different albums, so if I play it from one album playlist, it’ll play from the other. That will also mean that each file would need to hold extra track data (I’m track two on such album, but track 16 on this other one). I don’t want to have to create playlists for tons of Albums, just to be able to select and play things in this way correctly. There must be a way to handle this.

Oh well, I suppose that’s all my gripes about iTunes for now. I suppose I’ll get off this Music Kick I’ve been on in a little while and get back to family issues and other stuff pretty soon.

Till next time.
Chris.

written by Chris \\ tags: computer, iTunes, weird

Our Society as we know it is doomed. There is just way to much rampant stupidity in this world that it cannot continue in this fashion. I have a couple of stories that I would like to share with you today.

USB Cables
We had to replace a printer that went bad at work. So I had a quote for a printer sent to me and we bought a LaserJet P2015. It’s a light duty printer. Most of the heavy stuff goes to our network printers. This one handles some specific labels, and is in a more convenient area for one of the workers.

So It’s the first time at work I’ve bought a printer that was USB only. Up till now they’ve all been parallel port or ethernet printers. Lately they are all pretty much network printers. The last “personal laser” type printer I’ve purchased was like 3 or 4 years ago. So they are due to be dying soon.

Anyway. I had a USB cable quoted to me as well, since I don’t have any of those lying around at work. I knew I would have to get it. The quote for the cable was $3.99. I turned in the Purchase Requisition and waited.

When the printer came in. I didn’t find the cable. I went back and realized that though I had quoted the cable. I forgot to add it to the Purchase Requisition. No problem. I’ll just go and buy a cable at Office Depot. So I grabbed the company card and went.

The cheapest USB Cable that they had was $24.99……… $24.99….. For a USB Cable. A USB Cable. We’re talking about a cable with four wires and a shield in it.

So I left and went to Radio Shack. They had one for $19.99. So I went to Walmart. They had one for $10.97. Which I ended up purchasing cuz I was tired of driving around town. But I’m disappointed. Why don’t they have a ziplock back with a cable in it I could buy for $7.00 or something.

As an aside, as I was leaving. I was going to get a diet coke too. They were $1.25 plus tax in the cooler for a 20 oz bottle. I went to the Vending Machine. Where they are $1.00 even (including the tax) for the same thing.

Buying a Game at Gamestop
A couple of weeks ago I borrowed an Xbox 360 game from a friend. The game was Forza Motorsport 2. I tend to like racing games. And was always a fan of those Gran Turismo games on Playstation and PS2. But since I don’t have those anymore. He let me try this one to see if I liked it. (It came with his Xbox as a pack in- along with Marvel Ultimate Alliance, which I don’t have any interest in).

I enjoyed the game quite a bit. It had the feel of Gran Turismo, and I liked the “career” mode and everything. It was a good game. So I decided I was going to buy a copy.

I wasn’t really in any rush to get it or anything. They were $59.99 in most of the stores, and I was hoping that they would go down in price. I hate paying $60.00 for a video game. I like when they go on clearance at $20. It’s very, very rare I pay for a new game.

Anyway. Last week I was in Gamestop. (Trying to buy a wavebird to use with our Wii so Sarah and I can play Super Monkey Ball and Mario Kart Double Dash). So I went ahead and looked. They had several used copies of Forza Motorsport 2 for only $29.99 each. That was just to good a deal to pass up I usually pass on used copies at stores like Gamestop and EB because they typically charge $54.99 for games that retail at $60. Or $44.99 for games that retail at $50. At those rates I typically feel it’s worth the extra $5 bucks to go ahead and get a new copy.

But $29.99 for a game that’s retailing at $59.99 Well that hits a critical threshold for me allowing me to go ahead and buy a used game. So I decided upon my purchase and took it to the cashier.

She was about to ring me up when she looked at the game and did a double take.

Cashier: You’re buying Forza Motorsport 2?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: For $30
Me: Yes.
Cashier: You know… you can get Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance for only $20
Me: *inquisitively* Huh? No I didn’t know that.
Cashier: Let me show you.

At this point, she grabbed the game and went to the shelf I was just at. Below the copies of Forza Motorsport 2 were a bunch of copies of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. But if you turned these boxes around to the back. They had the cover of Forza Motorsport 2 on the back of it. In fact. This was the pack-in game which I referred to above. Apparently several people sold their pack in games to Gamestop.

So, thanks to a very nice and observant cashier (Which says something good about society), I got to walk out of the store with Forza Motorsport 2 for $40 dollars less than I had intended to pay for it. Along with another game to pass the time with. (Even though it still doesn’t really interest me.)

Anyway. That’s all I’ve got for now. Till next time.

written by Chris \\ tags: economy, Video Games, weird, Wii, Work, Xbox

Anybody that knows me well, knows I’m a big fan of socializing the medical industry in this country, and I have been pretty much since the end of High school and early college. I even emailed Bill Clinton early in his presidency (Back when email was a new thing for me) in 1993 stating that I supported Hillary Clinton’s efforts at overhauling the medical industry way back when.

It’s only gotten worse over the years. This is absolutely even more evident with the hold the insurance companies and drug companies have over the medical profession. What’s worse, is even many doctors are insane when they insinuate that we should support tort reform in order to slow down the rising insurance costs.

Doctors, don’t take any of your advice from Insurance companies, they don’t have you or your patients best interest at heart. I always thought doctors became doctors because they wanted to help people who were sick. I know that there are some who do, but there are many who no longer care, or never did care.

Michael Moore’s new movie Sicko! is a very good one. It shows some of the darker sides of the insurance industry. And the lengths that they go to. One caveat, I am a fan of Michael Moore, (have been ever since I saw Roger & Me back in high school) I know he stretches the truth sometimes, and only tells half truths sometimes to make a point, but everything he states does turn out to be factual in his movies. At least, everything I’ve ever checked on.

Personally I feel as long as their is a for-profit system of healthcare in this country. It will never be Universal, and accessible to those who want or need it.

I normally wouldn’t post something like this, but my daily reading of Digg pointed me toward this story. Which made me feel truly sick when I read it. Anyway, a short description is below. You can follow the link to the original article for the full story.

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This story deals with a woman whose health insurance provider denied her emergency room medical claim after she suffered a late night miscarriage. The basis of the denial, they say she had an elective abortion. Its this kind of stuff that makes Americans hate the health insurance industry. Digg this and let em’ feel the burn.

read more | digg story

written by Chris \\ tags: Healthcare, weird

Well, Ole Miss Homecoming weekend was this past weekend. That means that Val and the Girls got to ride in a cool car and wave at people, while pelting them with sugary sweets. To bad her aim isn’t as good with the candy as it is with a rifle.

For the first time in a while, I got to go see the parade. Usually I can’t quite make it there. But Val needed me to pick her up at the end of the ride, this year. So I made the time and took off.

While I was there, I did snap a pic. But the parade moved so fast I almost missed her. Anyway, this is the only shot I was able to get.

Also of note. This was the winner of “Best Float”. I don’t think the competition was very fierce, and this one would have been my pick as well.

Ole Miss did finally end up winning an SEC game this weekend. Got past Vandy 17-10. Now all we need is to come up big against Bama this Saturday. Unfortunately, I have to work. So I won’t be able to make it to Tuscaloosa this year.

On a more personal note, our Lawn Mower finally gave up the ghost this past week. It has definitely been through a lot over the past few months. (Read back over earlier blog entries if you don’t remember. It’s back there somewhere). So we ended up finally breaking down and getting a new one. Sadly, since I sold the truck, I didn’t have any way of getting it home. So I ended up doing the most rednecky thing I’ve ever done in my life. I drove the mower home from the store. I’m sure I got some strange looks driving down Jackson Ave. Sidewalk, but oh well, it got home and I didn’t have to pay a $50 delivery fee. Besides, Home Depot is only 7/10 of a mile from my house, so it only took about 10 minutes to get it home.

It has a bit more kick than the old one did. And it does cut way more evenly. Finally got the yard cut after almost two weeks tonight. It looks good.

Take care everyone, till next time.
Chris.

written by Chris \\ tags: Football, Homecoming, Ole Miss, Pictures, Valerie, weird