Friday, 29 January 2010

Lessons learned in a dark hall

Monday my wife had a photo shoot for Decclo.  It went fairly well and you can see all the picture online in various places.  One of my Wife's model's, a friend of hers, stayed the night with her little one. Some stuff ended up in the hall but I didn't think anything of it.  It isn't unusual for some stuff to get left out after a shoot.  Shoes, lights, props, those sort of things get left out and eventually get but away.  Everything did except for a pair of shoes with a tupperware lid.  I knew they were there.  I walked past them every day for most of the week.  I even tried using the lid once, which was too small for the container I was trying to put it one.  What did I do with the lid?  I put it back with the shoes of course.

It was last night when I learned my lesson and I am sure that most of you have guessed a portion of what is going on.  I was really tired and fell asleep a couple of times during a TV show my wife and I were watching.  I was so groggy.  I walked down the hall then remembered I had a great story idea so I walked back into the living room to write down the idea.  By the time I finished my wife was ready for bed.  We turned out all the  lights and I was going to guide her down the hall.  I could in my mind's eyes see all the obstacles littering the hall floor.  My wife, being cute, started using her cell phone as a flash light.  Proving I didn't need the light to see where I was going I promptly walked off away from her and stubbed my toe against the high heeled shoes in the hall.  Muttering and nasty thoughts ran through my mind.  I limped to the bedroom and checked my toe.

It was warm and slimy, and felt as if my toenail had been half ripped off.  I'm pretty sure I turned chalk white but I don't know seeing as a mirror was not around and the wife was too busy laughing at the end of the hall to see.  I walked into the bathroom where I would remove my toenail.  Fortunately when I turned on the light and inspected my toe it was only skin that had been damaged and not the nail.  My wife eventually got her laughing under control and was able to help.

Moral of the story don't leave your shoes in the hall.  On the up side of all this even when I was hurting I didn't blame my wife for what had happened.  I knew it was an accident and it was my fault for not moving the darn things.  Next time I will move the shoes though...

Thursday, 28 January 2010

What were they thinking...

So today I saw an ad for the newest addition to the macitosh/apple line.  I think it is a great is idea.  I like the looks of it and may even consider purchasing one because of how useful it would be.  It is a tablet computer that, depending on how much cash you want to fork over, can do a plethora of things.  I'd like it to be known that I am a PC guy and I am really excited about Mac's new computer.  The cool thing is there cheapest model is $500 dollars and is touch screen.  Not much more expensive than the iPhone and has more features.  I think it may blow Amazon's kindle right out of the water.  You can read books on it and for a couple of hundred dollars more than the kindle, can surf the net, take notes, download apps, etc.  I really like the product.  I really have to wonder what the heck they were thinking.

It's no surprise that the letter I would end up in the name as the first letter.  We kind of expect it.  I don't know why it crept into their naming scheme but it has and it stick, so be it.  The problem is foresight.  You don't make a product and stick I in front of it and Kill at the end. iKill would not be a very popular computer in my opinion.  We can also eliminate such things like iHate, iDye, iWish, or any other bad combinations.  And as seen with the iPhone and iPod other manufactures are taking advantage of the i- naming scheme.  Like the iDock, speakers for the iPod, or iVibe, a massager that is regulated by music on your iPod.  Now MadTV saw the humor in this (I haven't seen the skit but I did find it) about two years ago and created a skit using the name of the new product just released.  Apple's new tablet computer is called iPad.  Yes it does sound like a feminine product that can connect to your iPod (which is what the MadTV skit is about).

Why on earth would you name your product like a product that is associated by both genders as a bad time of the month?  What is wrong with the name iTab?  or iWrite?  What about iAm-A-really-handy-portable-computer-that-is-super-light-weight-with-multilateral-functionality?  Granted that last one is a mouth full but it is infinity better than the name iPad.  Whoever is in charge of coming up with names needs to be fired.  If it is a committee of people the whole group needs to go, even the ones against the name because they weren't competent enough to get the idiots for the name to see how bad it was going to be.

That being said I really do like what it claims it can do and I am seriously considering purchasing one.  I think it would be very useful for doctor's offices to eliminate paper work.  If the doc needed case history, instead of a file he has the tablet computer.  Oh well maybe after this naming shenanigans the i will slowly be pushed out of the naming process, but probably not.

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Exercise

So today was the first midterm in systemic physiology for me.  It was harder than I thought it would be.  I forgot the professor likes to ask choose all that apply questions.  I'm just hoping I passed.

I've been working out with my wife.  It has been a lot of fun.  We laugh a lot because of some of the ridiculous motions I make when trying to get down a certain sequence.  Fortunately it is my wife so I don't feel awkward about it.  I like exercising at home rather than in a public area.  I hate the feeling that everybody is watching me.  Granted probably nobody is and everyone else may feel exactly the same but I still dislike the feeling of being watched.  Especially if it is one of those class type thing, aerobics or the like, where I feel like a goof ball for doing the darn movements.  Bleh.  I hope to trim my gut down a bit, I mean it would be nice when I do a curl if a keg doesn't appear.  Also I have been told that chiropractic is an athletic event that we need to be in shape for.  I think I'll just invent a machine...

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Politics... what I usually try to avoid.

Well for the first time today while I have been going to school I listened to the radio on the drive over.  I normally don't, I like the quiet thinking I'm able to have during the drive.  I was behind someone with a bunch of bumper stickers, one being a radio station, so I tuned the radio in to the station curious as to what my fellow commuter's taste in music was.  As I tuned in it was a debate about something related to Prop 8.  I think the trial to determine if the courts will overturn the vote is about a week in.  A common thread though that was brought up was that prop 8 violated the constitutional rights of homosexuals, as relating to the 14th amendment.  Sadly it is quiet an abused amendment but that is a different matter all together.  The point is the 14th amendment was based on racial discrimination not sexual orientation.

I really don't want to delve too far in to the politics of things.  I understand politics are necessary but I really can't stand them.  What I typically see is a difference of opinion degenerate into a bickering, nit picking, childish argument over opinion and not fact resulting in the loss of good relations.  All I'm trying to point out is that a new stance or argument needs to be made not using the 14th amendment as a basis.  I will also freely admit that I am not a lawyer but I thought the amendment to be pretty clear in stating what it was for.  I guess all I am really saying is I don't think marriage for same sex couples is a constitutional right from the 14th amendment.

I often hear we should celebrate diversity.  If that is the case why is everyone trying to be the same?  Why the uniformity?  Why are some of the most intolerant people  I know (with regards to people thinking differently from the way they do) are the one standing under the banner of diversity?  I was really impressed with the columnist the radio show host was interviewing.  I'm not sure who he was but he was a person who I could respect.  While he was against prop 8, often on the ground of amendment 14, he still allowed others to have their opinion.  He wanted to change opinions through education and not through an eye for an eye mentality.  Of course I only caught part of the show but that is how the guy came off.  If more people could be level headed like this guy I think we could get a lot more done.

Anyway I guess it is about time I start making the stances that are important in my life.  Which I guess is the real reason for this post.  I don't care if you have a same sex couple.  It is their choice to have that relationship just don't tell me it is a constitutional right they are fighting for.

Monday, 25 January 2010

Productive Weekend

So I've been keeping up with my three goals I made for the year.  I am quite happy with myself.  Usually by this time I have already given up my resolutions and moved on.

This weekend I finished writing a short story, only a couple of pages long, and did some work on another.  I think it is now approaching the four page mark.  I know it doesn't sound like much but I had a lot of studying for school to squeeze in as well.  I'm working on looking at every situation as a possible story idea.  In fact one just walked up to me.  I'd explain all the details but it would require a lot of back story, which sadly I don't have the time to write just now as I'm trying to get this finished between classes.

Saturday my lovely wife began prepping for a photo shoot she is doing today.  The shoot is to advertise as clothing company a friend is starting up.  The company is Decclo.  The idea is that designers submit a design, which are then voted for.  After the votes come in the most popular in the voting gets printed and sold.  They will only print if they reach 100 votes.  The designer then gets a lump sum of cash for winning and then royalties for every shirt sold.  They've had some hiccups with all the logistics of getting the website up and running proper but they are selling through there blog right now.  Anyways my wife put a lot of time into preparing for the shoot so hopefully the weather plays nice for her.  If it doesn't I know she'll manage.

Midterms are upon us here at school.  My wife has also made it through the halfway mark for her classes.  From here on out for me it is going to be exam after exam.  Well I am away to study for the exams I have this week.  I just hope I do well with them.

Friday, 22 January 2010

First of the flood of exams...

Well to start off I just took my first exam in BioChem.  It was really easy.  It wasn't biochemistry really.  I have a the second test, which will be a take home, to do next week.  It will be easier than the first because it is open notes and open book.  If I can't pass this class with a B I think I need to really reconsider my career path.  Granted a Chiropractor is not a biochemist but if I can't pass a gimme class what the heck am I doing?  I think I would face a mad depression and become a ditch digger.  Sadly that means my wife would be the real bread winner with her graphic design skills while my degree in biology decays away without my using it.  I don't think I would deserve the right to use it, in fact I think I would be forced to give the degree back to my alma mater.  Maybe they ought to refund me for failing me so badly.  Really though digging ditches wouldn't be that bad.  I'd get to use lots of cool toys and I'd be out in the weather.  So long as I wasn't digging ditches in Seattle I'd have a tan that would make the wife jealous.  Also through the use of manual tools I'd end up ripped, with biceps the size of a small child's head and abs you could do your laundry on.  With abs like that I could make a little extra cash by hiring myself out as a washboard.  I'm sure there are people out there that still use washboards, like the Amish.  You know this ditch digging thing is beginning to sound really good...

I'm trying to get my mind wrapped around the fact that I need to study for a harder exam coming up.  The problem is my mind is all abuzz with biomolecules preventing me from focusing.  You may think with the pretty colored balls that chemist use to make pretend biomolecules are cute but I assure you the blasted things won't leave you alone once you start thinking of them.  The incessant buzz is deafening.  Unlike flies you can't spray or swat them away.  I suppose one could try and vent them from the mind through a pressure release like valve, if you have such a thing installed of course, but that would leave the wild things open to attack or infect others and that is just unacceptable.  If any of you become infected from the biomolecules running amok in my brain I apologize right now.

I'm off to see if I can get my mind to settle.  Maybe a relaxing game of zombie bash will do the trick...

Thursday, 21 January 2010

Ranting!

I need to rant right now.  Which I think makes for a blog first for me.  Not the ranting but that I have two posts in a single day.  I was looking at one of my wife's tweets about the weather being akin to Scottish weather.  Her reference to Scotland made me really missed it at that moment.  I was curious to see how much tickets would be.  Fortunately it would be cheaper than last time we flew ($2000 just about) at a grand total of 1550 for the two of us.  I looked at the taxes and fees section and that was 478.51 per person, so 957 for the two of us.  Over fipping half of the ticket.  Why on earth must I be charged that much in taxes and fees?  I don't fly first class, can't afford to and I don't know anyone who could either, so the trip itself is quite taxing.  If I were to go by boat at least I would have some leg room.  Granted it would take me a week or two to get where I wanted to go but that is a lot of leg room.  I think the thing that really bothers me is that when you go to a site offering cheap airfare they hide those fees until the end.  Do yourself a favor and book directly from the airline's website. For the most part you can can the same price and better service.


I think next time I try and book a flight I may try booking it on the phone or in person with the airline and see if I can haggle the price down a bit.  I love flying and I really think airlines get a bad deal with having to pass the fee's and taxes they get charged onto the passengers.  Maybe someday I will develop that quantum transporter I talk about so we can travel places around the world almost instantaneously.  Now that would be fun trusting your life to a highly powerful computer to break you down into data and reassemble you on the other end of the line.  Better make sure the machines and communication lines are well maintained...