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Archive for the ‘my life/after college’ Category
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Monday, February 1st, 2010To be discontinued
Sunday, June 21st, 2009Apparently, according to technorati, and as heard on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, most blog owners have abandoned their blogs.
Tsk tsk.
Is this going to be one of “those blogs” ?
Possibly. Very possibly.
I was thinking today of the many events of my life that this blog has spanned… cars, bus captains, elections, college, jobs, computers, travels, sporting events, VBTs, hot summers, cold winters, crazy storms, ins and outs, ups and downs, and, yes, even a girlfriend or two.
Has there been a dearth of topics to discuss? No, not at all. I could tell you about my experiences with W7, what’s going on in politics, events at my job, things I have learned, things I have bought, things I’m considering buying, what I’m reading, what I’m coding, what I’m downloading, what I’m uploading. There’s always something going on around here. If I were to pick a word to describe my life, one word that would not come to mind is “boring.”
In the approximately 5 years this blog has been around, there has certainly not been a lack of events to talk about. People have come and gone. Some I follow, most not really. I’ve turned many an event round and round in my head, inspecting it from every angle and failing, time and again, to come up with an answer.
So as I finish up this post, I wonder what I should say in closing. Who or what should I quote… myself? A book? A person of great renown? A video game? Or a person of no renown? Maybe one of those witty statements that no one really knows where it came from…
Canceled due to lack of interest.
Thank you very little. -Corey Cove
Fade to black. Just like the header.
101
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Real education must ultimately be limited to men who insist on knowing.
The rest is mere sheep-herding. -Ezra Pound
So I’ve been listening to Jason Lewis of late. He’s been stating things and then saying, “That is economics 101.” It has made me quite aware of the fact that I know pretty much nothing about economics. Well, I am certainly thankful that I have listened to his show and become enlightened. But that brings me to my point: Why, after seventeen years of schooling, do I not know anything about economics? Ok, I knew one thing: high demand and low supply = high prices. Of course, everyone knows that since gas prices have been a hot topic of late. Oh, and then there’s a college graduate that I work with who didn’t know how to do percents. Her excuse? “Math wasn’t my strong point.” Yes, another public school fail… oh, wait… she went to a Christian school? Never mind. What in the world are we doing during twelve or thirteen years of schooling? Not to pick on this certain graduate because I am quite sure there are many more that are in the same position as her, but I’m pretty sure I’ve also heard her say, when I have corrected her English/grammar, “English wasn’t my strong point.” Soo… it wasn’t English… it wasn’t math… may I ask what was your strong point? (Please note: If you know who I’m talking about, none of the rest of this applies to her. I’m just going to rant now.) I know. I bet it was government… or maybe accounting? Science? Biology? Surely history. Hmmm. My guess would be “none of the above.” It was probably more along the lines of… sports, entertainment, being cool with your friends, talking the latest TV show or movie… well, congratulations. I’m glad that I, as a taxpayer, am paying for your education.
Which brings me to my next point… why are we mandating a K-12 education anymore? I’m sure at one time it might have been a good idea, but now? Think about the average cost per student. Think about the money saved. You want to be a doofus flipping burgers for the rest of your life? No problem! No need to waste my money on forcing you through school! Of course, now that the (“public”) schools are government brain-washing centers, this will never happen.
Which rolls me right into my third point… the nanny state. That’s right. Think about it. Why are you told you have to buckle up or you’ll be fined? What difference does it make to the guy you crash in to if you are buckled up or not? That’s right, none. If you are not buckled in, no one will suffer except you. Now, of course, if you die or are injured, people will be sad… but shouldn’t that be your choice? Or take the smoking ban. Now, I’m all for not smoking. But why do we need the government to tell private businesses what the business can or cannot do on their property? Sure, it’s fine for them to ban smoking as long as you don’t smoke, but what happens when it’s time for the government to ban your “right”? Guess what? If you don’t smoke and don’t want to be around smoke, don’t go to a smoking restaurant. If enough non-smokers do that, business will be hurt and they’ll have to make the decision to go non-smoking or to close down. They, not the government, should make that choice. But, no, we have a RIGHT to go to our favorite restaurant and not be around smoke. What an inconvenience! To go to a different restaurant or to just stay home – why, what an injustice, a tragedy! A blow to the American dream…
I really could go on and on, but I’ll close with this, from Jason Lewis:
In a free country, you have the right to be foolish.
In an oppressive country, you give up the right to be foolish.
Ban foolishness! Sounds great, until going to church and hearing a preacher preach the Bible is considered foolishness. Whatever happened to freedom and personal accountability?
Oh, notice the new category: “rant.”
new job
Saturday, January 10th, 2009So, it’s been a long time. I got a new job working for Belron US at Safelite Auto Glass, Mon-Fri 8-1; Mon-Fri 8-12 + Sat 8-2, alternating weeks. It’s been interesting. I think I’ve gone through about 4-5 hours of training covering various things, from information about the company to driving classes. I’m certified for cherry picker, also known as "stand up order selector." I will probably also start going on runs to deliver glass, hence the driving training. I work with Chuck, 38, and Matt, 23, with Chad, 34, being our supervisor. Matt lives in El Reno and Chuck lives in Del City. I’ve been assigned a Nextel walkie-talkie/phone with direct connect. Pretty nifty. It’s not really the type of job I was looking for. Work is sporadic – there’s quite a bit of standing around involved. Matt reminds me of Mr. Mattick and Chuck reminds me of Bro. Margheim. How weird is that? Also odd is the fact that they both have Zune MP3 players. I guess I could go on listing random facts in paragraph form, but I think I’ve covered most everything. News at 9.
WEP, WPA, WPA2, and Windows XP
Thursday, December 11th, 2008I found out this morning around 4AM that my old Belkin router actually works just fine. The problem is Windows XP, not the router. Windows XP doesn’t natively support WPA2. A little quote from Neosmart:
The only problem? Windows XP isn’t compatible with WPA2-secured networks without a special update for WPA2 encryption support. That’s understandable, after all, WPA2 didn’t come out until after Windows XP SP2. But the problem is, it’s not even on Windows Update! Windows Update, always quick on the mark with the monthly Malicious Software Removal tool and other recommended updates surprised us by not showing the littlest inkling that there was an update as important to security as WPA2 available for download. It’s been available for manual download – only with Genuine Advantage validation – from Microsoft since May 2005… That’s a long time to be waiting! ((Direct Download Link: KB893357))
So, I didn’t know that I had turned on WPA2 and that XP didn’t support it. I know I had turned on WPA on my router because I knew that WEP is worthless, but I guess I must have tried WPA2 also. After turning on WPA2, I couldn’t connect to the network. Quick conclusion? Something’s wrong with the router. So I dropped $40 on one and I didn’t have too. Hurray.
re-enrolling
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008Well, looks like I’m going back to college.
Just kidding. I’m in the process of acquiring a part-time job, M-F, 8-noon along with hours every other Saturday. It’s not really like college, because:
- I’ll be making money instead of giving money.
- I won’t have to show up for choir at 7.
- There’s no homework.
- And a bunch of other things, really…
But I should be pretty busy.* Hurray. Now for that 40" HDTV so we can have bus parties at my place…
Ok, not really. I need to talk about my podcast-listening experience. Soon. Very soon.
*That’s the one similarity in case you’re not bright enough to get it.
Stoled From Emily’s Blog
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008Copy the list, highlight the ones you’ve done, post it on your blog, and let me know if you do.
1. Started your own blog (since summer of ‘04. what a ride it’s been…)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (good times. would love to again.)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (Twice in Montana)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo (Ambassadors Quartet, Summer 2005 – Spring 2006; Messiah, Fall 2006)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Coding is Art 
)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (Helped the parents count?)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (Possibly, when I was very young)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort (Calvin and Hobbes)
25. Held a lamb (Possibly…)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (I was there, but I can’t really say I saw it)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (Probably kicked a few too, kickball)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (Might have seen, don’t really recall)
36. Taught yourself a new language (See #14)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (Kinda…)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (I think we did… or maybe we were just planning on it?)
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (eh, I could have… passed up…)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (Israel)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (Ummmm?)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (and saw the guy next to me pass out )
65. Gone sky diving (but I’d love to!)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Well, maybe being to both Holocaust museums – USA and Israel – counts?)
67. Bounced a check (long long time ago)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (Ahhh, senior trip’in)
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (eh, not that stupid. got a 2006 in 2007 though)
83. Walked in Jerusalem (see http://icynemo.us/israel/ )
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (NT and OT Survey, funfunfun)
86. Visited the White House (I think we did… 2004 was so long ago)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Congressman…)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Made a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (Choir tour – twice. Meh.)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (I’m on #3)
99. Been stung by a bee (K or 1 grade – very long ago)
Would like to hit a few and miss a few of the remaining unbolded ones 
Italics for the would-be-hits
A story
Saturday, November 1st, 2008This happened Friday, Nov 1, 2008. Yesterday.
Warning. This will be long.
I’m getting ahead of myself. In the past, my posts have sometimes or even often showcased:
- poor English
- overuse of parenthesis
- non-flowing form, as in, oops, this happened way back there but I forgot it so let me put it here.
Now my English is not the best, but I will try to improve it by actually using what I know. So, I offer my apology and promise to try to improve my posts. Now, on with the story.
Bethany got a new cell phone. To be more accurate, her family got new cell phones, but her family is in Iowa and she is in Oklahoma. Her phone was mailed to her. I believe she received it last Friday after work. She was ill Saturday so I believe she activated the cell phone over the phone on Monday. Maybe it was not Monday, but that does not really have a significant bearing on the story.
Now the problem that probably many people face – getting the contacts off the old phone and on to the new. Most people probably just go in to the store with both phones in hand and demand the current phone company help them. However, considering our past experience with US Cellular (note – my parents and sister and I are with AT&T; when I say we/our, I mean Bethany and I), I thought that alternative routes should probably be sought out first, with US Cellular being the last resort. I do not believe I have told the story of “last time we went to US Cellular,” but, trust me, you do not want it included here. Suffice to say it was not good; perhaps I will post that story some other time.
Sorry, I did it. I got ahead of myself and forgot something. I pardon myself with the excuse that I do not remember exactly where this goes in the story, but I got the model number of the phone from her so I could look it up to see what it offered. Whether this happened before she actually got the phone or not I do not remember. I looked at several sites, and nothing extraordinary jumped out at me, but considering the kind of phone she had, it did offer some improvements. For those interested, the old model is an LG ux245 and the new one is an LG ux300 – blue. You can compare the models if you wish, but the most noticeable improvement to me seemed to be the blue tooth – it now claimed to support file sharing, among other things.
This is where things get very complicated. To say that a device supports blue tooth doesn’t really mean much – the question is, what blue tooth “features” does it support. There are many: serial port, audio gateway, file sharing/object push, dial up networking, PIM/vCard… there is no point in listing them all. Then, once you know it supports a feature, there is the question of how it supports it. For example, Ben Jordan’s phone supports file sharing but will not accept MP3 files. Also there is the question of whether it supports sending/receiving multiple files or contacts – and those two are not the same thing.
So, Bethany comes to work, and I want to see what her new phone/blue tooth actually does. She has no contacts on her new phone, so I turn on blue tooth on both our phones, pair them, and send a contact. Success. I try sending multiple contacts. Success again. Wonderful! Later I tried sending several photos and, again, it received all of them. Again, wonderful! So the new phone supports receiving multiple contacts and multiple files. Oh, but if things were only that simple…
remember
Sunday, October 5th, 2008As I was standing outside the auditorium today, waiting to go in, I remembered something from middle school, I believe. It had to do with waiting for the right time to enter a room, that’s why I remembered it.
Shawn McKinney was playing the piano for something during chapel. Maybe it was a special, or maybe it was just the regular singing, I can’t remember. No, actually, I think it was a violin special, because he left the room (band room) to put it away then came back in. I believe Brit and Cat were singing a special when he came back in and sat down. Well, Shawn must have put his Bible next to me, because I knew he was sitting next to me, and either during Shawn’s special or maybe even before chapel, I switched his good metal chair for one that was broken… oops! Like I said, he came back in during a special, and well, I think he stole the show… kaboom! Down he went!
profiling…
Friday, September 26th, 2008I must say, I was a little concerned that whoever came to get our wonderful recliner might not want it…
It is a bit beat up, lopsided, old… etc. And considering the only thing I had to go by was that the lady who wanted it had a Blackberry… well, they aren’t that expensive, but it’s not your average run-of-the-mill cell phone either.
Well, no fears. She drives a truck that you can hear before you see (although it’s not that loud) and lives in a trailer. Oh, and the Blackberry? She works for ATT. Bummer. I coulda traded that piece of junk for a coupla Blackberrys… after all, she works on them… Her birthday is Monday and she wanted a recliner, so she got a free birthday present. Nice. I guess people in trailer homes can have internet access too… and we have more room in our semi-small apartment. For those bookshelves… that are coming in a week…