Moby Files: Blog – Page 54 – Blogging to bring the 'real' to reality!

New

*First, sorry for all the emails. I was working with my Hosting provider on an image upload error and forgot to turn the damn subscribe plugin off. Apologies.

Anyway, I bought a new bluethooth keyboard for the Nexus 10. Who knew there were so many to choose from now? There were easily 10 or 15 different choices. I even found an ergonomic one I plan on getting later for home. Anyway, here is my shiny new keyboard. lol I love that the case doubles as a stand.

Since the Nexus 10 and the Tab 2 (10.1) are basicaly the same size, I could have opted for the zagg keyboard like I had with the iPad. The zagg actually irritated me though. The keys were scrunched up too close and aggrevated my carpal tunnel after only a few minutes. This one is more spread out (I wrote this post using it) and comfortable to type on. I almost opted for the rubberized one that would roll up but it looked a little too flimsy and didn’t get the best reviews.

It’s funny how rarely I use my laptop anymore. I’m sure as the OS matures, I won’t even need a laptop soon. The nexus has a video port so I cactually plug it into an external monitor and use it like a computer.

Truth

I used to think that the fundies and the repugs were the only ones making up gross exaggerations to support their ideals. Unfortunately, after the round of comments regarding the nudity ban here in SF, I no longer feel that way. You would have thought the sky was falling from what some were saying. To be fair, there were also some who were eloquent, thoughtful, and respectful. Sadly, it seemed the later was the exception.

The most humorous comment came from a guy on the huffpo site who said I was ‘un-American’ for expressing a lack of support for the nudists. Yes, you read it right. I had a difference of opinion so I’m immediately labeled un-American. Of course, at various times I was also labeled a liar, a bigot, a homophobe, and a prude. ^[1]On the last one they obviously don’t know me! It seemed the preferred method to just attack anyone who disagreed, regardless of the content.

I’m sad to see that we are succumbing to the same failed tactics of the conservative crazies. Gone are the days of actually finding out details before spouting facts based on hearsay. And no, reading it on FB or twitter doesn’t make it true! I was very dismayed at the mob mentality that presented itself over this issue. ^[2]And this is not the only issue but since it’s recent and relevant, I’m using it. Many had no idea what the reality was or only knew what they had read or heard. Some only acted on the idea w/o knowing details. And still others appeared to just make stuff up out of personal bias.

IMO labeling someone the enemy (or a variety of other names) over a simple difference of opinion is not an acceptable form of discourse. Refusing to listen to opposing arguments and/or making personal attacks simply because you disagree should be beneath all of us. A man’s word is his bond. We should not stoop to the level of those who truly hate us by lying or making every issue the end all of issues. By doing so we make ourselves no better than those who do hate us. And speaking of, the most disappointing to me were all the hate labels. I (and others) were accused of hating the so-called nudists because we disagreed with him. When exactly did hate and disagreement become synonymous?

We can all disagree, even strongly, and still treat each other with respect. Just because someone has a difference of opinion doesn’t automatically make them a hater. And frankly, if your ideal can’t stand up to scrutiny then it obvisously isn’t that strong of a case to begin with. And over-exaggerating (ok, let’s be honest, flat out lying) serves no purpose other than making you look like a fool.

References[+]

References
↑1	On the last one they obviously don’t know me!
↑2	And this is not the only issue but since it’s recent and relevant, I’m using it.

Meaning

After my last dating rant, I was reminded of something I used to tell Apple guy. It was awhile after we’d split and he’d started dating other guys. He would get frustrated because no matter what he told said guy, they always seemed to end up wanting more. Basically I told him, “no matter what you say, actions speak louder than words. When you spend quality intimate time with someone, they are prone to getting the wrong idea.”

When I look back at my previous dates with the 2nd guy, I broke my own rule. lol As mentioned, I’d told the guy several times that I wasn’t looking for anything serious. We discussed it openly and I even said if it came down to it I’d prefer him as a friend first. But, we’d also spent so quality intimate time together. ^[1]Several times actually… hehehe So in a round about way, I can sort of see how he might have gotten the wrong idea. Of course, he could have handled it a lot better and “communicated” with me instead of getting pissy and breaking off contact.

The irony here was it all started because we were having issues with both of us being mostly top. ^[2]We actually flipped for each other. Yes, you read it right, I gave it up. lol He did much better than I did though. We’d also discussed the option of finding a willing third to accommodate our situation. This is where he got jealous. I’d found a willing third and was expressing that he would not ‘work out.’ This is primarily why I got so frustrated with him for his behavior.

Anyway, next time I’ll have to make sure to not break my own rule and keep the boundaries more defined I guess.

References[+]

References
↑1	Several times actually… hehehe
↑2	We actually flipped for each other. Yes, you read it right, I gave it up. lol He did much better than I did though.

Moved

I’m all moved to my new site now. Unfortunately, I was unable to merge the old blog. Apparently, WordPress only supports xml imports up to 2megs and mine was 9megs.

*sigh* I just set it up the way it was before so nothing has really changed. All the old links were kept intact as well so I guess there is that.

Now I get to finally fire 1and1.com and their shitty customer service!

New

For those few of you who still visit my blog via the web vs RSS, mobile, etc, you should notice a (hopefully) unobtrusive first time visitor message right before the first post on the blog. As soon as you reload or revisit it should disappear. I hate popup windows so opted to make it show as easily as possible w/o interfering w/your visit.

It sets a small cookie ^[1]which you can delete anytime showing you’ve been here before. For you security minded folks, I’ve examined the cookie and it only collects enough info to function.

As my site visits increase, I felt the need to post messages for new visitors. I’m just experimenting for now. This one seems the most stable and the least intrusive so I’m trying it out first.

References[+]

References
↑1	which you can delete anytime

iGone

It’s official, I ditched the iPad for the Nexus 10. My beautiful new beast arrived today! I’m so excited I can’t sit still. lol I’m still a multi-OS household but down to two now. lol I still have Windows on my laptop ^[1]No, I will not be upgrading to Windows 8. First time in MS history I haven’t upgraded when a new version came out. However, I rarely crack open my laptop at all anymore. Usually, it is to write a really long email or more intensive work. If I could, I’d totally run Android on my laptop too.

This is my xmas present to myself this year. I’m still not caught up all the way yet so can’t justify spending a lot money on holiday stuff this year. It’s a wash on price so not bad for a self-gift. I’ve already pre-sold the iPad. I sold it for just enough to cover the cost of the Nexus. I would have felt guilty making a profit, considering I won it from work. It’s going to a coworker’s little girl as a Christmas present. I threw in the Zagg keyboard/case since it won’t fit the Nexus. I’m sure she’ll love it, it’s in excellent condition.

I’m not kicking Apple & I gave it a good run. In the end, I just prefer Android. Apple gets props for setting the standard. To me, Android is more user friendly and provides for better functionality. It’s also a lot less restrictive on what I can & can’t do with it. This is my first foray into Android tablets so I’m hoping the Nexus 10 measures up. The specs are impressive and carrying the Nexus branding means it runs pure Android. ^[2]Which also means I get updates right away vs waiting for carrier tweaks for Android phones So far, it’s a beauty. The display is amazing and it’s blazing fast so far. Even better, Google backs up not only your apps but also their working files. All my programs installed with all the working data! The only thing I had to manually setup was my email accounts.

My only complaint so far is some of my apps aren’t tablet ready. A minor annoyance but I can live with it. I’ll list out any big issues if anything major develops.

References[+]

References
↑1	No, I will not be upgrading to Windows 8. First time in MS history I haven’t upgraded when a new version came out.
↑2	Which also means I get updates right away vs waiting for carrier tweaks for Android phones

One

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of little Cooper coming to live with me. Apple guy and I drove up to Folsom, CA to pick him up and bring him home. I still remember sitting in the visiting room at the animal hospital and him bounding into the room. He was (and still is) a little dynamo of energy bouncing and jumping. He was so excited and cheery, it was love at first sight. It was obvious from that first moment he was just in need of a good home with lots of love.

He didn’t have much training back then and was recovering from being malnourished. We originally thought his growth might be stunted but he is doing quite well in size now. He has reached a healthy weight of 63lbs and holding. His only real problems so far revolve around skin irritations. His little bob tail has to be cleaned with a wet nap every couple days to prevent irritation and booboo’s. He is also prone to skin infections. I’ve taken to dosing him with a little bit of Benadryl every night before bed and he gets sprayed down with an anti-fungal about once a week. Together, these keep his skin looking clean and ‘purdy.

It still angers me to this day that someone could abuse such a wonderful loving animal. Even the staff were quite taken with him. They were very happy to see him go to a good home. I’d like to think I’m giving him a good life. He has all but completely stopped trying to test me for dominance. He responds to commands very easily and for the most part is very well-behaved. He still has his hyper rambunctious moments but that just adds to his charm. hehehe He certainly seems happy. And like a good daddy, I am very protective of him. ^[1]Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

The pic is from a few months ago. He was actually under the MUNI bus seat. It is one of my favorite pics of him. He is my little munchkin and I love him very much. Here’s to another healthy loving year ahead!

References[+]

References
↑1	Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

Cents

Sometimes my beloved SF can be a bit over the top with ordinances and other times they can be front-runners on really good ideas.

One particularly new good idea was an ordinance that passed recently that requries all businesses to charge a .10 cent fee for every bag given out. The idea obviously was to encourage people to bring their own bag(s) and cut down on landfill/waste. And so far it has worked pretty well. Pretty much every store I shop at regularly has reported a massive drop in the number of bags given out.

Some have grumbled a bit and others have just gone off the deep end complaining that SF is passing too many nanny laws. Forgetting for a moment, these are the same folks who spend $4 – $6 a day on coffee drinks, it’s 10 cents! lol Even if you walked away with 10 bags full of groceries it’s a whole dollar extra. Then you have people complaining it’s incovenient when you forget to bring a bag. Well silly, that is the point!

My favorite complaint was that stores should be required to eat the cost. Why exactly is that? They already have to pay for bags so why should they pay again for you? I’m all for corporate responsibility but this isn’t about the stores, it’s about us (as consumers) and needless waste. The law was meant to curtail waste.

I’m a huge supporter of the new ordinance and glady fork over the .10 anytime I forget to bring a bag. I’m glad SF is working to reduce the amount of waste produced by the city. It’s better for the city and better for the environment.

Banned

I’m slipping this rant into the scheduled posts. Only because it was time-relevant. lol

I didn’t sleep well last night at all. I have no idea why but I kept waking up like every hour on the hour. I must have worn Cooper out as well because he slept right up till I crawled out of bed at 10:30 today. Usually, he is up and fidgeting and moving around the bedroom out of boredom. lol I called off to work today. I’m a bit cranky and feeling tired. After I’ve had some food in me, I’m gonna try to take a nice nap.

In other news, the proposed ban on public nudity here is scheduled to be voted on today. I’m at Cove cafe right now and several tables are discussing it. Every table had pretty much the same theme, “why do they have to force it on everyone?” Ironic, considering it was mostly locals doing the complaining. As mentioned, the issue really isn’t about nudity anymore IMO. Instead, it’s about people being forced to endure behavior they don’t like. That is the real crutch of the issue. SF has coexisted peacefully with the real nudists here for decades. Oh they get a few random complaints but nothing major. It’s known and even expected at some of the parks, beaches, bars, and various events here. It is tolerated well for the simple reason people who didn’t want to see it could avoid it. It wasn’t forced on you. With the exhibitionists setting up shop in the plaza smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood, people no longer felt it could be avoided. And that is when the complaints started rolling in, in earnest.

The issue has been conflated and twisted so much by both sides it borders on the ridiculous. Not to mention, something so silly & foolish has divided the community in many aspects. Not that I’m surprised, good or bad, SF always tends to be controversial. And it won’t be over today unfortunately. I read the ban is being challenged in court as a violation of freedom of speech. I say good luck with that. You’d have to prove some sort of harm for it to pass muster. And considering it only covers public spaces, I find it a stretch to claim it somehow restricts people but whatev. I’ll be glad when it’s over so we can all move on to bigger more important issues.