Laughing Wolf
Monday, April 07, 2008
I Won’t Even Need Canvas and Quicklime…
I like good products, and my Emerson alarm clock has done fair since I got it not too long before moving up here. It is supposed to automatically detect the local time and update itself. Well, not so much. It seems it sprang forward this weekend and I didn’t catch it. So, I get up this morning feeling like I haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep, get downstairs, start answering e-mails from work and such, and… get one heck of a surprise when I finally see the time. I am more than halfway tempted to get out one of the sledges this afternoon when I get home…
LW
thinking more caffeine might be needed today…
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It Comes In Threes? Breitling Problems
Well, they say interesting things happen in threes, and this morning I woke up to find that my Breitling pilots chronograph was dead as a doornail. I did not see the signs that are supposed to indicate a battery is getting low, but I do admit I presume that is what is going on. Or I hope so. Not what I needed or wanted right now. I’ve contacted via e-mail a Breitling dealer in Indy (rather deal with Indy traffic than Chicago) to see about service, but seem to remember that the last time I had it changed it was about $90.00. Meantime, think I am just going to use the watch that goes with the Polar exercise monitor. More soon.
LW
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
RipIt Good!
Yeah, same title as a previous post, but the good news is I found RipIt energy drink in the area. I finally called the distributor, and found out from a very helpful lady that Wally World doesn’t put it with the other energy drinks, but in the deli! Don’t know why, doesn’t make sense to either of us, but she was right. The bad news is, I found a new flavor (Gin-zing-r) and they don’t sell the 8 oz. cans in the US—those are provided only to the military. 16 oz. cans and me may be interesting, and my hope now is that they will make this flavor in carb free one day soon…
LW
nursing a 16 oz can right now…
Monday, September 24, 2007
Apple Power Adapters Suck
Sorry, don’t feel terribly PC right now. The very nice folks here at the CPIC had an electronics tech check it out, and it be dead. They have also loaned me someone’s personal adapter to charge the computer up for now. Apple has no good way to get to support, much less send a message, so… I may try to find someone who will go buy one and ship it to me from an Apple store, online taking potentially weeks to get a new one over here. For now, video, photos, and more on hold.
If I had read all the reviews of the new power adapters on the Apple site, I would have brought about three with me. My old adapter never had a real problem that I remember, so this was very unexpected. Have to say, it bites. That said, however, necessity is the mother of invention and I will find a way to get all I can posted here, at Blackfive, and at PMI.
LW
Saturday, September 08, 2007
John R. McDonald Group and Doug Ellison—Do Not Hire
Since the lawsuit is settled, I will now say that hiring John McDonald was the worst mistake I’ve made in hiring a contractor, ever. There were some warning signs once work started, but by that point it was too late and I was slow to recognize them for what they were. The long and short of it is that he and his partner/subcontractor Doug Ellison did not do what they were contracted to do in putting on the new roof. These contractual failures included, but are not necessarily limited to: not installing flashing around the chimney and putting in a ridge vent and/or other roofing vents. They also managed to damage some of the decking boards, failed to flash around some windows, and there are now questions in my mind about the installation of valley/ice roll as specified given some other leaks that have occurred. If John or Doug want to contest these statements, I am most willing to post all the relevant files and inspection reports here.
John had some good references, as I did check more than one before hiring. That said, one of those references did contact me later to say “bail out” but it was far too late at that point. Had I been aware of this site, I could have saved myself some trouble it seems. For when you do a search on John McDonald, 19 cases come up and 18 of them appear to be relevant —I admit I have not searched them all. When you do a search on Doug Ellison, quite a few cases show up too —and I haven’t searched all of them either.
The settlement was not with either of these people; rather, the insurance company that covered Doug Ellison at the time of the work (but is no longer providing coverage) has paid me to go away. The agreement says that they contest the case, that they admit to no wrong doing or liability on anyone’s part, are prepared to contest in court, etc. and are paying to “... merely to avoid litigation and buy their peace.” I accepted it because, while it was nowhere near what I sought in the suit, it was better than a sharp stick in the eye and will allow me to fix the worst issues immediately. The mitigation that is in place is wearing thin (mitigation being a point of contention betwixt me and the insurance company, to be fair and honest—they feel more should have been done and sooner, and I state that I am not a psychic) and I want the work done right. So, I will get the immediate done to the roof, and then work on remediation that does not involve continuing damage later.
I am getting one more quote and then hiring a reputable company and people in to do the immediate work. Yes, I will be checking them through the site. I also figured that while I could reject and go for the whole amount, the number of suits in place, the parties to those suits, and the apparently very finite amount of assets available to all parties meant that this was the best deal. Not to mention that I fully expected the insurance company to play hardball. Something is much better than nothing, stress is reduced, and I can take care of what has to be done now.
All said, check contractors you hire very, very, thoroughly and ask for proof of insurance, licensing, and bonding up front. Make copies of same, and check references. For what it may be worth, I also don’t recommend John R. McDonald, Doug Ellison, or the John R. McDonald Group if you live in NW Indiana (or anywhere else they do business).
LW
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Just One More Reason I Will Not Fly American Airlines
There are many. I may even post a list of links, but this finishes them. Multiple people made the same promise, and not one of them kept it. It is more than them breaking faith and oath to customers, it is American Airlines from the CEO on down showing that their word is not worth the breath behind it; it is showing that from the CEO on down, they don’t care in the least about their passengers, the ones who keep them in business; and, it is showing from the CEO on down that they don’t deserve my business or to be in business. Not only will I not fly on them, I am going to be encouraging others not to fly on them as well.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In The Completely Frelling Ridiculous Department
I’ve not been blogging on the fact that I’ve had to file a lawsuit against someone for work not done to contract. It has been an expense, a pain, and more. I may change that after today, however. An insurance company representing one of the parties being sued made an offer to settle part of the suit. Said offer is not great, but is at least a bit better than a sharp stick in the eye; however, it came with an attachement. Not only was I to drop their party from the suit, but they wanted me to agree to defend them if anyone else sued them/their client in regards this matter. I’ve asked for a clarification on that, because if that is the case—not so rich me to pay to defend an insurance company against any and all out of my pocket—then it is the most fucking ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever heard.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
A Quick Grubmle
Time is short this morning, but a thought to those who make products used for a purpose, from cell phones to exercise equipment.
If you can’t turn a feature off, it is a bug, not a feature
When it comes to excercise equipment that incorporates electronics, I want it to read out critical information, not feel-good messages. I want to be able to see time, distance, heart rate, and other without having to guess what is going on because you want to encourage me, or spend thirty seconds telling me that I’m X percent done, etc. Since they can’t be turned off, they are a bug; and, even if they could be, they still are not a good feature for someone who is doing a serious workout.
Grumble.
LW
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Harry Potter: OoTP
Short review, as time is short: Very nice. They did a good job of converting the book to screen, and no one could have put in all. The book is a major transition in the story line, and so is the movie. Liked it, might like to go see it again sans boor to do more technical analysis; but, enjoyed it. Well worth seeing.
LW
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Book Review: Hell’s Gate
The second book David gave me last summer was Hell’s Gate. It also poses a most interesting question: what happens when two civilizations, one founded on magic and the other founded on technology (and psi) encounter each other under the worst possible circumstances?
This collaboration with Linda Evans looks at what does happen, and is simply outstanding. It is richly textured, with outstanding characters and characterizations, imagery, and all the historical and realistic underpinnings that can take a novel to an even higher level. It simply is one of the best fiction/action books I have read in some time, with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction woven into a delightful tapestry that enthrals, entertains, and even teaches a bit. The collaboration between David Weber and Linda Evans brings out the best in both, and works on a level I’ve not seen since Jane Lindskold collaborated with the late, great, Roger Zelazny.
No more, for to get into why I like it so much would spoil. Simply trust me and go read it, and while you are off doing that, I plan to read the next book in the series.
LW
Friday, March 23, 2007
Book Review: Off Armageddon Reef
Crossposted at Blackfive.
A joke of sorts: How do you tell the difference between a Weber novel and a Ringo novel? David kills off humanity in large cataclysmic events. Ringo hunts them down and kills them individually.
The basic concept of the joke is stolen (thanks David!), but is in some ways not far off the mark. The question to my mind is who is the more devious about it and has the most fun with it…
That said, David Weber has outdone himself on that and other areas in Off Armageddon Reef. The book in some ways goes back to some of the plot and underlying concepts in his Empire from the Ashes series. Indeed, one will find enough similarities that it can cause concern; yet, those would be misplaced. While part of the plot is very similar to the series, and many names and considerations are similar to the last book in particular, it is not simply a rehash. Rather, many of the characters have similar names because of historic and philosophical issues and people that underlie the concepts.
What has been done is the creation of a new universe and a new series that explores a variety of concepts in a new and novel fashion, from religious and military history to gender identity, from the rights of individuals to ways in which power is so often abused by those who find themselves with what appears to be absolute power. By the end of the book, the major characters are fully fleshed and any concerns about rehash are out with the trash.
The read is compelling, informative, and fun. It is still in the bookstores as a hardcover, and I do recommend it—and not just for Weber fans. As with most Weber books, though it is well grounded in history and philosophy, it also echos the events of today on a level that reminds me very much of the Honor series. Go check it out.
LW
Who also says “Thanks David! Sorry it took so long!!”
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Book Review: A Deeper Blue
Crossposted at Blackfive
This is going to be a difficult review, for two large reasons. First, I never did post my review of Unto The Breach that I promised a long time ago (on a blog far, far away?). Second, there is a safety issue that throws me for a loop. Your mileage will vary, but for me it broke the suspension of disbelief.
The first part is easy to deal with: Unto The Breach is one of the best, if not the best, thing I’ve ever read by John Ringo. It all works together and comes together with authority and power. The parts that offend some are not out in full force, though there is a scene which, though quite funny, did leave me desiring some minds-eye bleach for the visual it inspired as the wrong person was in chaps. At least in my, highly biased, opinion. That said, it was the best written, best balanced, best nuanced book so far—and it continues the tradition of exploring facts and philosophy behind any number of topics including combat.
Yet, this is a problem too, for it was so well done that I expected that and more with A Deeper Blue. The book is a good read, and continues the Ringo traditions including discussions of fact and philosophy. There is a high body count, scum get what they deserve (some wonderful twists there), and we are treated to seeing even more character development and set-ups for what is to come.
My problems come from two scenes that break my suspension of disbelief.
The first one revolves around a high-level staff meeting. Having sat through some fairly high-level meetings, I will say that I would pay cash money to see what happens in the book happen at some such meetings. It is a dream, and, for me at least, the dream did not work—no matter how much I wish it could.
The second issue involves electrical safety. Yes, electrical safety. There is a scene that if done in real life will kill the person involved, and is done only by amateur idiots (as in the plot to this mystery) or those who don’t care/want to kill a person.
When you work with electricity, from wiring a house to working on electronics, you get taught a number of important lessons. The prime one being that one does NOT create a path across the heart, for if you disrupt and/or fry your sinoatrial node, you are toast. Period. Doesn’t matter if it is household current or radio frequency, if you set up a path that takes the current across the heart, bad things can and do happen. Trust me on this, as I have been incredibly lucky on that count. As a cocky high school kid, I didn’t bother with those rules doing some “quick work” on a silly scope that ended up sending me flying across a room (and I am lucky did not damage or kill me). A somewhat older and more cautious me has still had a couple of things happen that did interesting things—and made me even more cautious.
For that reason, this particular violation really blew things for me. It not only pulled me out of book space, it also raised a number of other questions for me and rather dimmed my enjoyment of the book. That said, I would urge you to read the book and decide for yourself. Most people are not going to get the same knock to suspension of disbelief as did I, and the book is indeed well worth the read. While I don’t think it was as good as Unto The Breach, it is still a good read and shows growth for characters and for author.
All-in-all, it is a good read and I do recommend it. If you have not yet read Unto The Breach, then you really, really do need to get it and read it first. Trust me on that. While I don’t think A Deeper Blue is up to that level, I also think it is a hard standard to meet. Enjoy both of them, and let me know what you think.
LW
Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.
