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Thanksgiving Update

It has been an interesting week, a busy enough one that I have not had time to reflect on it much until now.

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Thrilled to recover 13GB of space on my laptop

One of the very few problems with my MacBook Air is that the solid state disk in my original model has only 55.45GB of capacity after formatting. I’ve been running nearly full for months and decided to purge some old data if I could find it this morning.

I discovered a duplicate iPhoto Library nested below my existing iPhoto Library and that modern versions of iPhoto (v6 or newer) can load alternate Libraries (only one at a time) by holding down the option key when you start iPhoto from icon or dock. I’d forgotten a botched attempt to edit many photos from the trip to Japan (editing is very fast on solid state disk), and apparently when I re-batch edited iPhoto could not figure out what do to about the old Library so it created a new one. Between deleting the old and redundant Library and emptying trash from within the iPhoto application, I managed to recover over 13GB of free space!

Much faster machine, much less concerned about being unable to save due to full file system.

Kitty Logic

If the outside is too cold out the front door, we must try the back door to see if it’s warmer out there!

The kitties are so cute and affectionate today; I think they sense the cold too.

For those of you near Great Falls, check out Mediterranee Restaurant on the South side of Colvin Run Mill Road for excellent French food and wine in a warm, friendly environment.

Angry about a new kind of telemarketing

I have started getting calls on my cell phone during the daytime that are telemarketing calls. What makes this particularly annoying is that the company or companies have figured out how to spoof the caller-id system into showing what appears to be a legitimate phone number the call is coming from (real examples):

  • 248-758-9138 (called November 20th, 2:28pm)
  • 313-924-7021 (called November 12th, 2:28pm)

They are using disconnected numbers, when you try to call back to read them the riot act for burning up daytime minutes you get:

    “The number you have reached is not in service, please check the number and try again.”

Since the sales pitch is itself a recording, there is no way to strike back. I am furious and can only try to get my cell phone provider to no charge me for those calls – but that really does not solve the problem. Essentially the assholes who deliberately misrepresent their credentials when calling you, like those who do the same when sending you email, may make calls and emails equally useless as the noise level grows.

I am thinking of moving to a mountain with no gadgets where people have to come talk to you face to face, and risk having you send your bear to attack them if they are too annoying. There is a special place in hell for telemarketing types who do not clearly and correctly identify their credentials.

Update: I added the second number I was getting called from. It is interesting to note that both calls came in at exactly 2:28pm on business days, both times the caller spoofed a fake number that happened to be a real number that was recently cancelled. Both times the real number appears to have been an individual who is now getting blamed by an angry mob for telemarketing calls they may not even be aware of… Potentially very dangerous. I filed electronic FCC complaints and contacted my provider, but the FCC form is pretty broken and it’s clear they don’t really know how to accept complaints about telemarketers who are being dishonest about caller-id info.

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm (warning, their online form is pretty broken – field jumps back to Information you were able to obtain too often)

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Extortion Spam!?

This is new… I am getting blog comment spam (caught in Akismet filters, thankfully) on my WordPress blog that claims I can stop this particular spamming my blog if I send them an email and some money…. I suggest the extortion minded-spammer not hold his or her breath awaiting my response…

In fact, I am now encumbered with a moral/ethical decision… should I subscribe the address they send me to every spammer and dubious porn site on the planet so they get their own treatment?

Mine is an evil laugh.

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Testing WordPress for iPhone

This is just a test, only a test of the iPhone WordPress application.

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Georgia Senate Race

Saxby Chambliss is running for re-election… he’s not a nice man. Let’s help Jim Martin challenge him in their special runoff election and win.

Excellent Weekend

Things are finally beginning to slow down from the frenetic pace of political campaigning, preparation for ballroom dance showcases, and launching a major new product at work. The election is over, and great progress was made. The dance showcase event is over, and we had fun and no dance partners ended up on the floor. Work continues to be overwhelmingly busy, but we should launch soon (within weeks) and then schedule goes back to normal, thank goodness.

I love being busy “doin’ good works” (as Jayne would say) but I also like having time to keep up with the aquarium, visit friends, attend Buddhist meetings and attempt to maintain the garden. Friday, Erci and I visited a new dance studio, the Fred Astaire studio on Lee Highway, and we got an incredibly warm welcome though the traffic was a monster. Part of the traffic snarl was because of exceptionally pretty warm, moist fog in the area.

Saturday we both fought headaches all day, and I made the run up to the La Belle Compagnie meeting at Rob and Sam’s home where they fed us royally and living history planning was done. This morning we finally got to a Soka Gakkai Buddhist discussion meeting and did some much needed grocery shopping together for the first time in ages, then I did some gardening while she got her nails done.

Erci has finished her business law class and has only two more 6 week classes to finish her MBA, and I finally see light at the end of the long dark tunnel of MBA widower status… yippea!!! I think I will have to take her on a drunken, debauched, dance cruise someplace warm where you can wear almost nothing and drinks have little umbrellas in them… anyone want to come along?

The cats have been very cute and affectionate lately, it is very nice. There is the smell of beef stew permeating the house, and excellent music on the stereo (“Aux Cyclades Æ’lectronique” by Bertrand Burgalat) and life is very, very good. I am very grateful.

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Dressed up all in black

My half-hearted attempt to be a beatnik for tonight’s sock-hop and 1950s party at the Tyson’s Corners’ Dance Studio. Black pants (could not find black jeans), black turtle neck, black button down over it, gelled hair. I don’t own any birth control glasses (military issue like Elvis Costello wears) anymore, or I’d switch to those today.

Could not find Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black” on Ruckus, so I am listening to The Doors to get my beatnik mind on.

It is raining heavily which helps a lot, perhaps I can recite some poetry later.

Who comes up with these costume party ideas anyway?

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Weekend Update

It was a pretty spectacular weekend. Friday night after work I hit The Ballroom Studio for one last practice for showcase routines with Michele and Cassandra and attended the dance party. Saturday, Erci and I hit practices with our different formation teams, and I snagged lunch with Pranu; then Saturday night was the big showcase event at The Ballroom Studio where Dave amazed us all with his “Big Spender” routine and the ladies stole the show with their “Candyman” diva (all-girl) routine. I had trouble with timing my West Coast patterns with “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman and was so excited I did not really hear any music at all in my Mambo to “Ran Kan Kan” by Tito Puente.

Drunken ribeye and Malbec were an awesome way to end the evening talking to dancers and Eve about her upcoming trip to Japan. Mentioned to her the trip we did in 2005, documented here in detail.

Sunday we spent skimming leaves out of the pool, raking leaves out of the heater/air-conditioner mechanicals, and doing yard work preparing for the changing seasons, then ran a few errands we needed to get done. We curled up to catch up a little on TrueBlood episodes.

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