http://www.flannelchef.com ...embracing chaos... en-us FlannelChef.com - 2005 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:50:21 EST http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=537 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:56:55 EST Working away at the home office and I have a couple of iPad items to comment on. -GoodReader is an excellent application for anyone who finds themselves marking up PDF printouts with notes, only to loose the printouts. GoodReader allows you to make notes on the PDF and works with a DropBox, Google Docs, etc. I did use it today when listening to a discussion of application mockups and made notes on the PDFs via the iPad with no problems. The option to use text to add notes is nice since my handwriting is crap. -The search for the ideal organizer book is getting tricky. I have carried an organizer book for almost 20 years now (with the half sheet 5.5 x 8.5 inch size paper). I have used it with several models of Palm Pilots in the pre-smart phone era, a few BlackBerries and my iPhone. But the iPad is the first of these that meets more of the requirements of a replacement of an organizer book. But here is the issue: The iPad has a battery and paper does not. Plus, sometimes you need to jot something down to give to someone, or something to hold some papers in, etc. That and a few other things is what I would be leaving behind if I went to just a folio for the iPad. Oh...and the "organizer book" style of case helps to hide the iPad from thieving eyes. So, It will be a search for a while. I am good with that. db http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=536 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:16:11 EST No entries over the weekend or yesterday. But here are the things that have been discovered: -The "OpticClear Anti-glare screen protector" made by Cygnett for the iPad 2 is junk. In order to keep the home button from being covered, the forward facing camera gets covered (making all things fuzzy for that camera). The installation was a very annoying process and the material creases very easily. The claim of an "Anti-fingerprint finish" is a joke. Roughly $25 out the window. But I am leaving it on until Power Support releases theirs (Power Support iPad 2 Anti-Glare ). I have had good luck with their products in the past. -Save your songs in Garage Band on a regular basis. I have had it "blink" off and all tracks or edits since the last save are naturally gone. -But, I do like Garage Band. It is not Ableton Live, but it is a portable and easy way to scratch down ideas. -The bluetooth keyboard sync is really nice. I am using it now, which explains why I am typing more. I could even see myself coding ColdFusion templates on this thing. Hmmmmm....I wonder if the folks at the Eclipse project have through about porting that to iOS? That is enough for now. I have been rocking a migraine today, so I am done staring at this screen. db http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=535 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:19:56 EST Trying to find a screen cover. Particularly one that is anti-glare. Trickier than I thought it was going to be. On hold with an Apple Store near my office...I have two callers ahead of me. One call ahead of me. They don't carry them. The Apple Store does not carry screen covers for the iPad 2. This bears repeating: The APPLE Store does not carry screen covers for the iPad 2, a product that was birthed from it's loins. Wow. db http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=534 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:27:19 EST FedEx rang the bell and I answered. Two small boxes (iPad in one, Smart Cover in the other). I signed for them, took them upstairs and slowly unpacked each, taking care to put the different pieces of packing material in a separate place from things I needed to save. I snapped the Smart Cover to it (which is freakin' amazing to watch it snap onto the iPad), turned it on, and it told me to connect to iTunes. Or else. So, it is connected, registered with all of the other Apple products in the house (total is now 8, not counting a Apple IIc from 1987), and is synching away. So additional patience is required. I can deal with that. So far so good...but so far not much done. We will see... So, this is day one. db http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=533 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:21:44 EST According to Federal Express, there is an iPad 2 headed to the house for delivery today after a long trip from China. Not being a fan of 1st generation products, I held out when the iPad was first released and was impressed at how well it actually held up. So, getting a 2nd generation model was a natural progression. I am going to be repurposing this site to document the process of integrating the iPad into my personal and work life. Already my iPhone has made a significant change in both, so I am interested to see what will happen with a "giant iPhone." I am going to write about what I like and what I don't like about the iPad. This will probably include quite a few entries on which apps are helpful and which ones plain out suck. So, it begins. db http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=532 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:05:14 EST Hmmmm.....December. I have ignored this site for the most part because it does not feel all that good to type that much, and keeping this site up involves typing.But, I noticed today that the site had gone blank and needed a swift kick of text to make something show up. So, here is the swift kick.That is all. You may return to your regular surfing now. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=531 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:46:26 EST It really is amazing how much of your personal perspective of yourself can be influenced by your job. This week, I am a steaming turd. db_______________________remotely logged http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=530 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:48:12 EST Flash db_______________________MoPhoBlogged http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=529 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:35:26 EST What the hell am I doing anymore? db_______________________remotely logged http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=528 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:18:57 EST Trust me...I don't know either. Here is what is going on: I am in mental crisis mode I am overloaded yet not in constant motion (I am trying to compensate...HA!) I am in pain (still with the arm!) most of the time. When I am not in pain I am sleeping. I am in a spiritual drought but am starting to turn the corner I have gained somewhere between 10 to 15 pounds just in the past month In the past month I have been named in an investigation In the past two weeks I have been "interviewed" (aka, interrogated) I am too self aware I am tired So. I have a bit of complaining but don't really want to do that so I won't. You know, I never really understood why I started blathering about my life on this thing. It was started as a way to give people info about the Deuce after he was born (which means this thing is over 5 years old). Then it was where I posted crazy stuff. Then I got all narcissistic and needy and starting whining. Then it became a way to warn the people around me that I was about to have a "moment" and that distance was a good idea. I have shut this thing down once and then opened it back up (flake!) and am considering what to do next. Does it matter and does anyone really need to see this stuff? http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=526 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:03:22 EST The long road. db_______________________MoPhoBlogged http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=525 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:20:50 EST Ahhh!A new Haiku from MrReRe! I miss you guys too. Since the move there has been a bit of a sense of disconnect for us since we are looking for a new church. A long but necessary process. I do miss playing in a band and all the time we got to just hang out. For anyone who cares, Giggles and are doing a 365 day challenge on Flickr. Mine are all shot using a camera phone and uploaded from the camera phone (personal rule I have set). You will notice in some shots some black spots and smudges. It turns out that some crap has gotten under the lens and is not about to move. But, I am not getting a new phone just so I can make the black spots go away, so they stay in the picture. Also, sometimes the title of the pic will not have 'Day whatever' because I have not logged in and changed the title (I don't know how to send the title from the phone yet, just the text. So, the link is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flannelchef/tags/365days/ I figured it would be a good way to document this year of change I am going through. It has been tough so far but worth it. Some of this things the Dr. has started with me have made me sick for several days in a row on two occasions...but again, worth it when the sick is over. Geez...I think my boys are trying to beat each other up again... http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=524 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:18:29 EST What do you expect? I have been busy! Ok...not completely true, but I have been rather busy. It just turns out that most of the time that I have to think about sitting down and writing something on the computer (other than the seemingly constant writing I have to do for class), I just don't want to do it. That and the fact that I have been in a bit of a deep funk for a few weeks. I am really trying to shake it, but it is fairly pervasive. But I can be persuasive to the pervasive and hopefully reach a point of perverse persuasion. Oh, and the doc jacked one of my meds up quite a bit so I have moments where I say stupid stuff....like that last sentence. Oh, I got whipped on a project management class assignment and lost 3 out of 15 points for how I did the dependencies in my MS Project file. After looking it over after getting it back for review, I deserved to loose 3 points. Man! Swing-and-a-miss! Well, as part of my new sleep schedule, I get up at 4:30 am. So, I probably should be heading to bed about now. See you in about 15 days! HA! http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=523 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:22:10 EST Yep...back to the office in the morning. And on top of that, school starts back on Tuesday. Sadly, even with all of the time off, it has been a struggle to keep my mood balanced as much as possible. But, I am trying. Trying, trying, trying. I got a new Haiku from Mandy the other day (nice surprise). Yes, in a manner of speaking I did disappear and I will explain more later. I will also open up the comment section for those that care after I writea patch to block those nasty mass comment crawlers (I did have an "authorize" admin function but it became me against web crawlers that don't sleep and took too much time). Other things are afoot. But I will chat about those later. For now I am going to pack my lunch and go to bed. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=522 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:32:23 EST Giggles and I are spending the next two days just hanging out. I took leave for Thursday and Friday and Lex and the Deuce both have school these two days. But, then I have to go and check my email and see that there are more demands, more stuff that has to be done, more, more, more, more, more. Deep breath. How do you catch up when more stuff keeps getting piled on top. Not only that, but how do you maintain a level of passion about trying to dig out of that pile. I have to figure that out this year. This "deep in a pile" condition is not going to change anytime soon in my life. It is something I bring upon myself. I have to learn to deal with it better. Ok...now to go and enjoy the day. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=521 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:16:55 EST I turned 39 today. Not a particularly momentous age, but a point in time. As the date approached and a number of changes in my life began to take shape, it came to mind that I might want to document the process a bit.This documentation will not just be about 'life stuff' but will include anumber of work and school things as well. But, there will be much about how I am trying to reach sane and healthy balance in my life. For the most part, there were parts of 38 that were not good and there were some parts that were very good. I would like to think there was some balance overall, but that is just the human urge to want to reconcile everything. I am going to have to let go of that urge from time to time. So I am 39, blessed with an unbelievably awesome wife, two great kids and a job that provides for us. Not bad at all. Yes, I am reopening the site. Nowoffto work on reaching a healthy and happy balance. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=516 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:00:00 EST Four years of comments (filled with some empty gaps) needs to come to a close. What was once a rather vibrant site needs to go quiet. There are reasons! Really! Such as: After the surgery, my arm can only do so much on the computer. I have not even picked up any of my guitars for 9 months (depressing!). I have not played in a band for about 10 months (more depressing). I have gone back to school to get a masters degree and am devoting much of my time in that direction. My attitude towards some things really does not need to go on display online...at all. I have lost interest in trying to write how I feel about things and entertain at the same time. A little known fact. When I started this "blog", I didn't know what a blog was! It was a way of tracking the activities of my youngest kid as I spent many nights up with him. Some of you may remember the dynamic charts that tracked his feeding amounts. Anyway...with little fanfare, it is time to shut this thing down. Take care. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=514 Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:51:22 EST You know how some projects really take up your time? And then you don't want to do anything else that has anything to do with computers and mice and keyboards? Well..that is where I am at right now...in that kind of project...and have been for over two months. This would explain the lack of anything on this site. I want to start writing here again, if only to put in some of the successes and techniques in cfml that have worked so well, but that takes time. At least I have partially convinced myself to not feel so guilty about not working a home each night and part of the weekend...that part of the project is over for now. I hope. So...still here...kinda. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=513 Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:17:27 EST That says it all. http://flannelchef.com/default.cfm?entry=511 Sun, 16 Apr 2006 18:33:12 EST Today was the day Giggles got to ride in a NASCAR stock car (one of the ones that Dale Jarrett used to drive - #88) at the biggest and longest track on the NASCAR schedule (Talladega SuperSpeedway in Talladega, AL). Here she is suited up and ready. And here she is getting loaded into the car. When we get to a place with a faster network connection, there will be more posted.