Your Learn Something New Every Day

So I head to the store for a caffiene run. Walk up to the counter with my straight-from-the-tap caffiene of choice, and the lady behind the checkstand was getting trained. So I listen in, and they say that if I hadn’t put my straw in my cup, I could’ve used food stamps on my soda, but since I put my straw into my cup, I couldn’t (not that I was using food stamps, but she was getting trained).

The trainer nor the trainee had any idea why that was the case, but that’s just what they were told.

Anybody have a clue?

November 14, 2006

I Hate This Time Of Year

If you didn’t know already, this area is getting pummeled with nasty weather, and while I don’t mind the Winter that much (if I did, I would’ve moved a long time ago), I do have the first major Winter storm as nobody (including me) is ready for it. The tarp covering our firewood wasn’t secured well enough, so it ended up in the neighbor’s yard (and I know my neighbors read this, so if you guys notice foot prints in your yard along the fence, those were mine from tonight). The roads are a total mess, and people are driving like idiots.

I commute to Sunriver to work Sunday-Thursday and it’s this time of year I really wish I worked in Bend. Not only does Sunriver typically get nastier weather than Bend, but the stretch of highway between the two cities is arguably one of the most dangerous in the State. Every year I witness at least one accident, usually more. People, commonly tourists or folks new to the area, think they can drive that stretch of highway at normal speed, despite the fact that the road is coated with ice and snow. Those are the people I’m genuinely scared of: the out-of-towners driving their SUVs that fly around with their four-wheel-drive summer tires on, thinking they’re invincible because they have four-wheel drive. Nevermind that having four-wheel-drive really doesn’t help you in this weather — it just makes it so you lose control and slip with all four wheels instead of two. I don’t have a problem driving in the nasty weather, taking my sweet time, if it wasn’t for nut-jobs like those people.

Unfortunately I don’t work at home like I used to (or like Dave, who lives out in that area, does currently), but boy I sure wish I did. Wish me luck tomorrow …

November 12, 2006

Stupidly Hard Game For The Day

A simple premise: you’ve given a hex color value along with two color swatches, and you need to pick which swatch goes with the displayed color value. I only managed to get seven points. I suck.

November 9, 2006

Beck Does Percussion

I’m a percussionist, as many of you know, and I always appreciate when unique percussion hits mainstream (the puppets are a bit weird, however). So here’s Beck on SNL (which apparently Hugh Laurie hosted, whose work I’m a huge fan of).

(more…)

November 9, 2006

2GB and 4GB SD Card Reader Fix

This was driving me crazy. I was sitting here trying to copy my parents pictures from their trip to Thailand’s using my laptop’s built-in SD card reader (as I couldn’t find the cable to their camera). I had no trouble at all with their 256MB card, but their 2GB card wouldn’t work at all.

After hunting down new drivers and googling, trying to find solutions, I’m obviously not the only one that’s had this problem. I had actually installed the newest drivers, but it wasn’t I applied the registry tweaks here that I was actually able to get it to work.

So if you’re running into the same problem, that was the solution for me.

November 8, 2006

Google Takes A Shot At PayPal

Google Checkout has been around for a while, and Google’s been trying to encourage merchants to use their payment processing service instead of the far more established PayPal and other third party processors. My one gripe with Google Checkout is that its API isn’t nearly as powerful as PayPal’s so it’s harder to tie shopping cart systems and the like to it. But Google’s latest move might encourage more folks to use it or try to use it:

As you may know, for every $1 you spend on AdWords, you can process $10 of Google Checkout sales for free. Just in time for the holidays, we’re giving you even more by processing all of your Google Checkout sales for free through the end of 2006! Here’s how it works:

* From November 8 through December 31, 2006, we’ll process all of your Checkout transactions for free, even if you aren’t an AdWords advertiser. If you’re already an AdWords advertiser, we’ll process your Checkout transactions for free regardless of what you spend on AdWords.

* Valid Checkout orders you receive during the promotion will automatically qualify.

* There’s no limit: we’re processing all of your Checkout sales for free.

* You can take full advantage of this promotion by encouraging your buyers to use Google Checkout on your site.

Anybody using Google Checkout on their site? Anybody know of a automated Web host billing/management software that will work with it?

November 8, 2006

Worst Oregon Sports Injustice Ever

You know, I was pretty miffed back in the day when Joey Harrington and his Oregon Ducks were forced by the BCS to play in the Fiesta Bowl instead of the Rose Bowl, despite being ranked #2 in both the polls. But I think what the Oregon women’s soccer team just got smacked with is far worse.

After the Ducks’ emphatic 3-1 victory Sunday over USC – a team that ended the season fifth in the Pacific-10 Conference standings but received a tournament bid Monday – Oregon was so sure of its postseason chances that coaches cautioned the Ducks to take care of homework because they would be traveling Friday to a first-round NCAA Tournament game.

But the team’s tournament dreams came crashing down Monday when the brackets were announced and Oregon discovered that it hadn’t been picked, putting an abrupt end to the Ducks season and leaving Oregon coaches and players bewildered.

[…]

The team beat No. 24 Arizona 2-1 and No. 3 UCLA 2-1, winning eight out of 10 games to end the season.

It ended the season as the No. 17 team in the Soccer America rankings – the first time an Oregon team had ever been ranked.

There are 64 teams in that tournament, the Ducks were 2nd in the conference, and they didn’t get a bid.

Worst. Injustice. Ever.

November 7, 2006

’57 Chevy With Built-In Hot Tub For Sale

Matt just sent me this from our local craigslist:

1957 chevy with a hot tub in it! Runs and Drives GreatThis 1957 chevy was made for hot august nights in reno nevada. It has a working hot tub in the car(all plumbing is in the trunk). You can literally sit in the hot tub and drive down the road. It was originally a 2 door hard top (still have the hard top if needed) Please email me with any questions you may have. Thanks for looking and have a great day

That’s the weirdest, yet coolest thing, I’ve seen in quite a while (there are pictures). And for just a hair under $16K, it can be yours.

November 6, 2006

Flash Time Killer For The Day

I’m still busy with my concerts, with the final one tonight (there are tickets available at the door, for free, so please do stop by!). Meanwhile, here’s something to totally waste away your Monday. I managed to get up to 2400 pounds before running my snowball into a house. I’d probably get bigger, but I actually have to get some stuff done today after taking yesterday off because of a concert.

Hopefully I’ll see some of you tonight!

November 6, 2006

Heading To Eugene For The Game

I always make the trip to Eugene every year to watch the Homecoming game, and that would be this weekend when Oregon takes on Washington. So my dad and I are heading over the pass in the morning.

If anybody is going to be at the game, I plan on hitting the Emerald/J-school alumni tent for a few minutes so come by and hunt me down.

November 3, 2006