Welcome to my Blog!

I am a man of many hats. By day I have been tech support, a web Developer and currently act as a Software Developer. My movie collection is extensive (by some) with a combined total over 350 DVDs and Blu-rays. I am frequently found in the lobbys of the PC game "Left 4 Dead 2". When all else fails and I can find the time, I'm out shooting nature and product photography. I run an associated website and look to expand my business some day. So, as you can see I don't have much time to get out but when I do there's usually a smart ass remark to follow. Happy reading!

NFL Championship do-over
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Normally you feel a sense of pride when your team makes it to the Super Bowl. While I am happy at who made it to the final game, I can't be as proud of either team as I feel I should be given the honor they have of representing their conference as the best team of 2011/12. Neither team made it to Indianapolis because they beat the other team; they made it because the other team lost it. Whether it was the missed field goal by the Ravens or the fumble of the 49ers in OT, those plays were the screw up that won it for the Patriots and the Giants. This started me thinking that the playoffs should be "best of" series like they do in baseball. Football teams play a fraction of the games other sports teams must endure. Adding a couple of extra games to make sure one team doesn't make it just because their opponent has a bad night shouldn't be too much to ask.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the NFL playoffs should be a "best of" series? Let me know.

Bigfoot Networks Killer Xeno Pro and iTunes
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I updated my iTunes to 10.5 not too long ago and began to have problems with it not connecting to the store. The library worked just fine but nothing else. I looked online and found reports of people having similar problems with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 after this update but they all appeared to be receiving an error message which I was not.

I left it it alone for a while figuring that Apple would become aware of the problem and release a patch to fix the issue. Well, about a month went by and still nothing. I decided to continue researching the issue online and found nothing so I contacted Apple's customer support.
They were very quick to respond and I was pointed to an article describing my particular symptoms and what they suggested as a fix. [http://tigurl.com/fF]

I read the article and was able to come to the conclusion that it was my network card interfering. So began my research into other complaints from users in the same boat. [Read More]

60,000 miles
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I currently own a 2008 Ford Escape and this past week past 60,000 miles. "Big Deal?!?" you might be thinking but for me, it kinda is. This is my first vehicle I have owned long enough to put this many miles on. It's not that I haven't owned one long enough but in the past I've held jobs that were usually within a couple of miles from my home. This was the first one where I was working more than 20 miles away for the life of the car so far. Our other car is a 2001 Nissan Maxima and while it has more than 60,000 miles on it, my wife was kind enough to put some of those miles on there. I'd love to hear other people's stories or adventures with their automobiles.

Davis Mega Maze
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My family and I took a trip to Sterling Mass a couple weeks ago to visit Davis Mega Maze. Were we ever disappointed...

It is a huge maze which is great but they block off sections in an attempt to "change up" the route. However, there are no clues as to which way you are supposed to head. We ended up seeing the same spot three times by taking completely different paths. You can apparently ask the staff for helpful hints but on many occasions people were getting frustrated as their helpfulness was somewhat un-helpful. Walking the grounds I can't even count how many times I heard "I hate this place" mixed in with a couple of "I don't even think the workers know how to get out of here".

When you first start out and hear those comments you kind of laugh because you think there's no way that it could be that hard or that they would employ people who were just as lost the quests. Let me tell you, by the end of the experience, which lasted a couple of hours, I was making the same comments. [Read More]

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple dead at 56.
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Steve Jobs, a co-founder of Apple died at the age of 56. He has been suffering from various health issues following his surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. Jobs had stepped down as CEO of Apple in late August for his self-stated "inability to meet my duties and expectations" stemming from his health.

RIP Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

Dear Netflix (instead of John)
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I feel as though I have been very patient with you over the years. We started off as a perfect match. You supplying an endless chain of movies via mail with quick response and me eager to rent, watch and rate those movies. As time went by you slowly started to let yourself slip. First it was a scratched disc here or there which quickly turned into a rash of consecutive failures and frustrations. But then you made up for it with the promise of Blu-ray and I had fallen for you all over again.

Again, you toyed with my emotions and began charging me extra for the pleasure of high-definition. I felt I could live with this since we had been through so much and for so long. I'm not quite sure when but streaming fell somewhere in there during our relationship which to me wasn't a real turn on or off but not an inconvenience either so it stayed. Time passed and Blu-rays began to skip as the DVDs in the generation before it had.

Then, the final blow...

You began charging WAY too much for what you now considered to be two services. [Read More]

Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 Kayak
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So we've started looking into get a couple of kayaks. We haven't been particularly active people up to this point but are trying to turn over a new leaf. I've started walking almost every day at lunch and we've been really excited to get this kayak thing off the ground. We went to our local EMS store last weekend and wer pointed to the Pungo 120 kayak; both for stability and for it's excellent tracking.

I've started looking online for reviews and can't think of bad thing said about it. It was also recommended to us by a couple of customers in the EMS store who said they had one for a couple of years and loved it. My only concern would be trying to fit a 6' adult and a 5 year old in front. We were also shown a beginner kayak that wasn't expensive but had an open cockpit just for this purpose but my feeling is why should the person paddling with an extra body also have to deal with the back and forth tracking as well. I figured get everyone a good kayak to start with.

My other thought is getting a multi-person kayak but what would I do if I ever wanted to go out by myself? It'd be kind of much to manage that big of a kayak by myself. [Read More]

Let LinkedIn assist in your next job search
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I was recently part of a layoff at a job I was at for almost 5 years. While I have no hard feelings toward the people I worked with I think you can all guess my feelings toward the company as a whole. Anyway, I digress... that's not the point of the this post.

Linkedin! While all the social networking sites have their place, in this situation I found this site to be of the most use (even more so than Monster). Prior to the events that recently transpired I was a so-so user only linking to those people who I knew really well and I was semi-selective about who I would add as I didn't really see its true potential. I relaxed my requirements a bit and began to add people who I had worked with and thought were ethically in the same place as me to their career approach (hard working, honest, etc.).

Doing this allowed me to connect to a number of recruiters via 2nd and 3rd level links from those that were linked to my profile. In addition I could see those in my network's network and begin to research companies for job openings that I wouldn't have necessarily thought of prior. [Read More]

Charlie Sheen gets inspiration from "Dr. Evil"
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I know this story broke a week ago but Charlie Sheen has decided to sue WB and Chuck Lorre and his production company for $100,000,000 (100 million dollars). I can just see his pinky going up to the corner of his mouth as he tells people. Now on the surface you might be thinking that this many is crazy and he probably is but after reading the court documents on TMZ's website I also think he's crazy SMART.

In the documents it claims that WB and "friends" said that Charlie was at the time suffering from a mental and physical disability. During this time they released him from his contract a.k.a they fired his booze laiden, drug filled ass. However I am pretty sure it's illegal to fire someone suffering from a disability or at least due to it. I'm sure the lawyers for Charlie will argue that his recent rants were a result of his condition or his detoxing in the public eye and therefore are grounds for the suit.

It also claims that WB/Chuck Lorre already had plans to fire him but this gave them the excuse they needed to pull the trigger. [Read More]

New Year's Resolutions - What's yours?
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It's that time of year again. Time to throw away the old calendar and break out the new one, start counting down to those special dates in the upcoming year, and begin working on those things you vowed to start or complete as part of your New Year's Resolution. Most times it's to lose weight, become more active, clean those places of your house that you don't normally clean, etc. What ever your resolution, it most likely won't be easy. Otherwise, why would you have made the resolution in the first place?

While it is a sad statistic, 25% of resolutions won't make it past the first week. However there is some good news... 46% will make it 6 months or more. Those who make a resolution (or two, or three...) are 10x more likely to attain their goals than those who don't.

So break out that pen and paper. Write down your ideas for things you'd like to accomplish in 2011. Narrow it down to 1 or 2 and make yourself some kind of reminder to keep you on track. Post a note by the door, fridge, or next to the bed. [Read More]

Sharon Richard - Columbia, CT
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Sharon “Sue” A. (Hill) Richard, 67, of Columbia, passed away Sunday after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving husband of 11 yrs. Michael L. Richard of Columbia, and her daughter Kimberley (O'Brien) Martin, son in law Kendall Martin and grandchildren, Nichole, Anthony, Cassidy and Gracie Martin of Scotland. Her mother Anne K. (Gedraitis) Hill and brothers John, Clifford and Charles of Maine. She was pre-deceased by her father Clifford J. Hill of Maine, sister Annette L. Wilson of Windham and her husband of 23yrs. Thomas P. O'Brien of Columbia. She was an avid fisher woman who loved spending time with her family and friends at her home on the lake. Sue was a beautiful woman who will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.


Sue will be greatly missed by all who knew her and my prayers are with Uncle Mike and the rest of Sue's family.

You can sign her memorial guest book at potterfuneralhome.com

Happy Thanksgiving
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Thanksgiving is coming in a couple of days. Whatever you're doing, hopefully it will be fun and safe. I will be spending the day with family and eating until my pants button pops.

MA Safe Driving Law should be extended
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On September 30 Massachusetts imposed a new law that makes it illegal for motorists to "text while driving". This includes texting, sending or reading e-mails or searching the Internet. The first offense will land you a $100 fine and up to $500 if cited three times within a year.

The new law also takes aim at drivers under the age of 18 by making it illegal for them to use a mobile phone or electronic device while driving. Think the elderly are clear from this law? Think again... it also requires anyone over the age of 75 to pass a vision test prior to having their license renewed.

Finally!... a law that is heading in the right direction. Personally, I don't think the law imposes a heavy enough penalty and I would like to see the use of a mobile device prohibited for all drivers. I understand why this law imposed the harsher restrictions on young drivers but I can't tell you how many adult drivers I see on a daily basis talking on the phone and driving who can't concentrate on both. [Read More]

America's got talent?
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If so we don't recognize it when we see it. I've been following the show this season and was extremely disappointed last night when Nick Cannon announced that Michael Grimm was this season's winner. It just goes to show that the American viewer's memory can't span more than a week.

There were four talented acts in the finals but Michael had some not so good performances leading up to the finale. The opera singer doesn't do much except stand and sing opera. Don't get me wrong, she's a phenomenal singer but not worthy of a Vegas act.

Fighting gravity is neat to watch but their performances have been deteriorating each week and they are just another spin on an act we've already seen... Blue Man Group. Could they get a Vegas show? Probably but is it worthy of one as a result of America's Got Talent? I don't think so.

Prince Poppycock... His performances were original and he came up with something new and spectacular each week. I will give you that his finale performance wasn't his best but we are supposed to be looking at the talent as a culmination of their performances and ask ourselves if they have been improving, if we would go see them in a show, and what they could potentially do with a bunch of production money behind them. [Read More]

BP oil spill - some thoughts and how you can help
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I watched a show about the oil rig explosion and subsequent oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico. They were interviewing different people who all had different opinions as to why it was bad... some were concerned about losing their shrimp or oyster businesses; others about the loss of the wetlands. There was a common theme that ran throughout most their interviews...

BP (British Petroleum) was to blame and the government was not stepping up to hold them accountable and get the issue resolved in an appropriate manner. How can a company that does business in the U.S. not adhere to the demands (wishes) of our government? The politicians are in their pocket, that's how. Why can't the government force them to get their act together and live up to their responsibilities? Again, the politicians are in their pocket and they have something we can't go without.

We can't go without... that is very scary. We are so dependent on oil that we have no leg to stand on to offer an ultimatum. If a major player in the oil industry left us life would change drastically. [Read More]