The Gang, Christmas 2001

The Gang, Christmas 2001, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This is a picture of my whole extending family, circa 2001. The only person you can't see is Byron, who is taking the picture.

I miss the days when my grandma was a little more together. My poor dad has to take care of her on a daily basis.

If Life Were Like The Internet 2: The Retirement

WARNING: SALTY LANGUAGE. NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
See the original here.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Well, I know I've mentioned it before (way back in April), but I needed to get some stuff together on my end... Today, I'm available at one easy-to-remember address. I bought the domain back when I was unemployed, thinking it would make a cool company name. It was inspired by a shirt I had bought for my friend's wedding. My wife asked me to describe the color, and I told her 'Deep Mustard'. Sure enough, the domain was available, so I snatched it up.

http://www.deepmustard.com/

From there, you can access this blog, Five Things (my other blog), my Twitter 'tweets', and my Flickr pictures.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Mason and Elena

Mason and Elena, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Mason and his friend from school, Elena are caught in a moment of childhood bliss. Before hormones come along and spoil it for everyone

If Life Were Like The Internet

Wow, whoever made this video got it so dead-on it's scary.

Watch, enjoy, have a super weekend.

WARNING: SALTY LANGUAGE. NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
Now in higher definition

Phoenix Building

Phoenix Building, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Hartford CT's Phoenix Building, famous for being lenticular in shape.

The Sniffles

The Sniffles, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Yeah, I gots a cold.

The Super Mario Theme: Totally Overdone

This guy decides to take one of video game's most beloved themes and bury it under waaay too many percussion instruments. Enjoy.

We Have Liftoff!

Shouldn't these firefighters be doing something more important, like saving kittens, washing their trucks, or cooking chili?


http://view.break.com/365181 - Watch more free videos

What American Accent Do You Have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast   Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

My Lil' Slugger

My Lil' Slugger, originally uploaded by macfixer.

My son takes a hearty swing at a ball in his first little league game. He eventually got a double this at-bat.

Mountain Dew Game Fuel

Mountain Dew Game Fuel, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This orange concoction tastes a little bit like Code Red, but a little more lime (sorta like a Cherry-Lime Rickey).

It's also supposed to have more caffeine than regular Dew. We likey.

Dell-Balls

Dell-Balls, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I love Dell, Dell be good.

Introducing the ZunePhone!

This cracks me up...

This looks like it could be *very* interesting...

Then again, I was jazzed by the Segway, but I digress...

Pixar's newest movie, coming soon:

Sarah and Sonia touching noses

Sarah and Sonia touching noses, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Not quite sure why they're doing it, but it's nice to see these two having fun together.

Whole Lotta Quark

Whole Lotta Quark, originally uploaded by macfixer.

A shelf containing a lab's worth of QuarkXPress 7 -- the wrong version needed, of course. I needed the lab pack, not individual copies...

Frozen Hummingbird

Frozen Hummingbird, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I set my camera to the highest shutter speed to see if I could capture a picture of the hummingbirds at my mother-in-law's house. When they arrived, I had no idea that it would produce such a spectacular shot!

Me Fuzzy Hat

Me Fuzzy Hat, originally uploaded by macfixer.

A moldy oldie in my iPhoto library. Taken in 2004 at "The Big E" wearing my midway-won prize on my head: a fuzzy top hat that was *the* thing to wear that day.

Don't Worry...

Just really, really busy at work. In the meantime, check out some stuff at Five Things (aka 'the other blog'), my Twitter feed, and my Flickr photos. That'll keep you busy for a while.

Astute readers might remember me promising something cool in the near future. Was that really back in April? Yeah, about that -- kinda took a back seat. Still working on it... sorry!

I Rock

I Rock, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Yeah, it's true. I shall not be mocked, either...

<== New Poll!

There's a new poll up on the main page (http://macfixer.blogspot.com). It's open until 8/6. Vote now!

Deck Umbrella

Deck Umbrella, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Taken while sitting on my mother-in-law's deck, enjoying a summer evening.

Shrunken Head

Shrunken Head, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Man, I love you Photo Booth...

Ahh, NetBoot... The Bane Of My Existence!

I'm not sure if you've been reading my Twitter posts recently, but I've been struggling for a while here to get our various Macs on campus here imaged. Originally, we had a lab full of Macs, and while NetBoot didn't work exactly as predicted, we could finesse it enough to get the job done.

Enter 2007, and not only do we have a lab full of different Macs, those original Macs now have to be reimaged for use elsewhere on the campus. The setup we were using on the Xserve refuses to boot any of the Macs, old or new.

...and don't even get me started on the whole Quark 7 thing!

It's all an exercise in frustration, all exasperated by the fact that all of this needs to be done around August 9th.

 

Has Harry Potter Jumped The Shark?

Hmm, my sister-in-law just finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" yesterday, and said that, "the ending sucked." and told her sister to read it, "just up to the epilogue" -- since I have to get through book 6 still, it has me wondering...

Update: You can read the quick overview (ending and all) on Wikipedia

3 Heads

3 Heads, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This is a totally posed shot at John Dempsey Hospital I took while waiting to visit my wife's grandmother. She was rushed there after suffering 2 strokes. She eventually pulled through and is now in a rehab center in Connecticut.

Reese's Peanut Butter "Elvis Collector's Edition"

Reese's Peanut Butter "Elvis Collector's Edition", originally uploaded by macfixer.

I saw this yesterday at my local Walgreen's drug store. Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Creme. I'm sure it's "Officially Licensed".

On the back is "Elvis Trivia": "Elvis got his first guitar on his 11th birthday — January 8, 1946"

Wanna Job?

My good buddy Brandon was instrumental in making this video (he's the guy eating the money). Silly kid, doesn't he know you shouldn't put money near his mouth?!?

Some Of Our Users Are Like This...

This is Jim Henson's "Computer Monster" from 1967 -- the prototype of Cookie Monster, which would appear years later. Enjoy:

5 Year Anniversary!

Today (July 13) marks 5 years I've been married. I'll probably scan some wedding pictures later today and throw 'em up on Flickr to celebrate.

Wow, 5 years. That's like half of Mason's life! Amazing how time can slip away from you like that. Not that I'm complaining or anything. With all the crap we've been through these last few years, which reads like a wedding vow: happiness, tears, sickness (oh, the sickness!), and health. After all that, I can't imagine spending it without my mate, my wife.

I love you, Sweetpea.

Update: I posted some crap entries up on Five Things. Go check it out!

Don't Eat The Hummus!

Well, this sucks: More than 120 people got sick after eating at the "Taste of Chicago" food festival. Seems they all had some Persian food. Dick Cheney would somehow link this to terrorism, I'm sure of it.

We Got A Newsman Down!

Chuck Storm (that can't be his real name, can it?) takes one for the team, live.


http://view.break.com/329276 - Watch more free videos

UPDATE:More Chuck Storm:

Mike Pitching Stones

Mike Pitching Stones, originally uploaded by macfixer.

On our lunch break at Harkness, Mike took the opportunity to add stones to the coastline. What an environmentalist.

Happy Fourth Everybody!

Just wanted to wish everyone in the USA a happy fourth (don't blow any fingers off, now!). Those of you outside the USA, you're all terrorists and you're jealous of our freedoms.




...just kidding!

iMac Mosaic

iMac Mosaic, originally uploaded by macfixer.

A mosaic I took with my Samsung Sync phone

Some Good News...

Well, Sonia's Grandmother is out of the hospital and into a rehab center. Yesterday, she was able to walk to and from the bathroom with assistance, plus stand and brush her teeth without help.

She's not out of the woods yet, but she's getting there.

Doodle

Doodle, originally uploaded by macfixer.

A quick doodle that I made at work, while waiting for a machine to update (thanks, Windows Update!).

Whoooo Is The Cat With The Beeeeeeeak?

Sometimes, life reminds you that all is not fair with the world; that the odds are forever stacked in favor of the House.

1. Yesterday, as my wife's grandparents were to leave for their home in Florida, her grandmother complained that her left arm couldn't move and her tongue "felt heavy". My mother-in-law tried to contact her doctor, and when she couldn't, made the Executive Decision to take her to the hospital. Good thing she did, because they later found out she had had a stroke. I dashed home (cancelling a doctor's appointment in the meanwhile) to be with the family and all. Sonia's abuela is doing OK. She's still able to talk, and is still as ornery as ever. The doctors, meanwhile, are trying to find out how much damage has been done. They did a CT scan yesterday, but it was foggy, so today's agenda is an MRI. Here's hoping she sits still enough for that.
2. Today, I just found out my favorite show on TV, Cartoon Network's "Harvey Birdman" is going off the air come the end of July. Man, I can truly say I absolutely LOVE that show, and seeing it end after only 39 episodes really hurts.

Now, obviously, event #1 is worse than #2 -- but, man -- they both are pretty crummy.

 

We Interrupt This Blog...

Sonia's grandmother has been hospitalized with a stroke.

5 x 3

3 new entries over at my other blog, Five Things. Check them out!

Raining Crab

While walking between buildings here at work, I heard a rustling in the tree above me. A large, dark mass fell with a 'thud' in front of me. Apparently, the local birds like seafood.

Wow, This Guy Is Totally Fired

In a "blink and you missed it" moment, this guy just said, "skin flute" on the air. Live.

Gotta love newscasters...

5 x 2

I posted 2 updates on my other blog, 5 Things. Check 'em out!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, originally uploaded by macfixer.

This is me and my Dad. I hope you all were able to celebrate with your loved ones this weekend. I love you, Dad!

WWDC "Leopard" Wallpaper

WWDC "Leopard" Wallpaper, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Everyone's new favorite desktop wallpaper!

N00b can't drive!

Normally, I'd write something about how this guy can't walk and chew gum (or in this case, drive and wave) at the same time... but the voiceover guy has it all down pat:

Flea and Hack

Flea and Hack, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Flea (on right) and her brother Hack (on left) when they were just kittens. We got them from a co-worker when they were abandoned by their mother. They needed antibiotics, and we eventually needed to give Hack up, because his cough wasn't going away.

Flea eventually got better, although she lost most of the vision in one eye. She's a great cat, though -- and she looks at me like I'm Mom, which is kinda sweet.

Back To The Metal

Wow, I don't remember Marty McFly rocking this hard before...

Aaron Dozing

Aaron Dozing, originally uploaded by macfixer.

My "uncle-in-law" caught napping

Mason Swings

Mason Swings, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Mason enjoyed just barely kicking me in the head while trying to capture this scene. Thanks, kid.

Me at the Dentist

Is it safe Kyle?, originally uploaded by wyntir.

Well, looks like Mrs. Macfixer decided to put some pictures up on Flickr also. Take a look around.

"Theo! Rudy! Puddin'!"

Funny story, here. My wife and I saw this on VH-1's "Acceptable TV" (a TV show where viewers vote to keep 2 of 5 mini shows).

This particular show is called "Kosbees" (a parody of "Gremlins"), and it makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. At the time, we were both all, "meh." -- but found ourselves repeating phrases and laughing for days afterwards. Real stealthy and sneaky, Acceptable TV people... enjoy!

Microsoft 1978 (before and after)

Microsoft 1978 (before and after), originally uploaded by macfixer.

Stuck my coworker (rather poorly, IMHO) into a Microsoft photo from 78. Apparently noone at work noticed. Yeah, I'm that good.

Extra Extra Extra Lucky!

Extra Extra Extra Lucky!, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I found 3 four-leaf clovers today while trudging through the rain. Looks like I'm going to have a good day!

Humorous Cards

Humorous Cards, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Why does the local supermarket require a separate sign just for humorous cards? It's not like they have a sign for juice and another for grape juice. Weird.

"Wiht Eeg"

"Wiht Eeg", originally uploaded by macfixer.

To find a sign with one misspelling is a great find. Finding two in the same sign? Priceless.

Man, McDonald's ain't what it used to be.

At This Rate, I Could Become A Vegetarian... Or Grow Feathers

Being broke is rough. One of the things you learn to give up is meat. Let's check this week's shopping cart:

• Black beans? Check.
• Sliced turkey for lunch? Check.
• Ground turkey for dinner? Check.
• Turkey bacon for breakfast? Check.
• Rice? Check.
• Eggs? Check.

No hamburger, no fish, strictly turkey -- which is going for ~ $1.99/lb in these parts. Much cheaper than $4.99/lb for beef.

Mike Jackson's Punch-Out!

I'm Afraid... (Update)

It was bad. My grandmother has passed into another realm, where she speaks in a different language, and doesn't understand when you're talking to her. She doesn't know who I was, or who my wife was, but she seemed to have this slight idea of who she was. She treated Sonia with love.

I'm Afraid...

Grandma Is Fading Fast, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I'm actually afraid to visit my parents' house this weekend.

For Memorial Day, my sister is having everyone over for a cookout, and my grandmother will be there. She's been living in a nursing home now for a few years, and she's become less like the 'Grandma' I remember as a kid, and more like this... this... this different person -- one who speaks a different language, who doesn't have any recollection of the family, and is just slipping away slowly from this world.

I know she's aged dramatically since she's moved out of her house, but my Dad warned Sonia to expect a 'very, very different' Grandma come this weekend.

I'm afraid.

Transform and Roll Out

The new "Transformers" trailer. This looks SO overdone, SO over-the-top, I just have this feeling that it's not going to do well. Who knows? Maybe I'll eat my words later...

Great Googly Moogly! Rambo Is Back!

Holy love of all that is, umm... holy! This looks like it might be a LOT better than the crap that was Rambo III (warning: this video contains decaptitaions, beheadings, blood, guts, and all that cool stuff that makes movies like 'Rambo' a lot of fun to watch)

A Little Bit About Me

I also posted this over at PDALive.com, where I am a moderator:

1. Name/Username?
-- Kyle / Macfixer

2. Occupation?
-- Technical Tomfoolery

3. Where do you live?
-- Farmington, CT, USA

4. How did you get involved with PDALive?
-- I probably needed some question answered

5. What do you like best about the PDALive community?
-- All the news that's fit to RSS feed

6. How many PDA's do you own?
-- Three: a broken Treo 600, an m515, and my LifeDrive

7. Favorite PDA?
-- My LifeDrive, easily :)

8. What makes it your favorite?
-- That 4 GB hard drive strapped to the back.

9. What is your stance on Palm verses PocketPC devices?
-- Whatever gets the job done. Just don't dis my LifeDrive

10. What other hobbies/passions do you have?
-- There are others?

11. Favorite food?
-- A toss-up between a good NY bagel and a slice from Lombardi's in NYC.

12. Favorite dessert?
-- Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk

13. Favorite season?
-- Spring or Fall, they're both seasons in transition

14. Are you a "morning" or an "evening" person?
-- for 90% of my life, I was an evening person. Now I have to get up early, and I guess Benjamin Franklin was right.

15. Do you have any pets?
-- Four cats. You want one?

16. Favorite places to go?
-- Anyplace with an open WiFi router

17. Favorite movies?
-- "So I Married An Axe Murderer", "The Hulk", "History Of The World, Part I", "Road Trip", anything by Pixar (and I do mean *anything*)

18. Favorite book?
-- "Piloting Palm" by David Pogue and Andrea Butter

19. Favorite band?
-- Run-DMC

20. Favorite song?
-- "Hollis Crew" by Run-DMC

21. What makes you smile?
-- Being with family

Aluminum Foil: Solved!

"Tinfoil has a shiny side and a dull side. Why is this? My co-worker says you should put the shiny side down when covering something in the oven. This doesn't seem plausible to me. What are the facts?"

Learn the answer here

PWN3D!!!

Sorry, kid -- stay away from the performers:

Groovin'

Have you had a chance to listen to Q-Tip's "Kamaal the Abstract" album? According to Wikipedia, it was never released -- and I got a [cough] legal copy of it to listen to. Man, is it good! He does some rappin', some singin', and it features more live instruments than the usual Tribe Called Quest stuff. Sounds a billion times better than anything else I've heard all year.

What does that say about today's hip-hop if I am more into a bootleg from 2002?

Listen here

Got Joost?

Hit me up and I'll send you an invite!

UPDATE: I should have made this a LOT clearer, stick your request in the comments!

Harkness Wallpaper

Harkness Wallpaper, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I made the panorama into a wallpaper. Click on it and enjoy!

UPDATE: Yeah, I know, the picture needs some tweaking. I'll post an update when the correct picture is up on Flickr.

George Clooney Can Do No Wrong

Courtesy of famousfacesinrandomplaces.com:

In true nice-guy fashion, thirsty Clooney whipped out a twenty spot, purchased some lemonada, and told the little guys to keep the $19.75 change.

Nice to see Mr. Clooney doing the right thing.

Harkness Panorama

Harkness Panorama, originally uploaded by macfixer.

At Harkness Park in Connecticut, I took this panorama (my first!) of the incredible vista from the lawn. A terrific way to spend my lunch break.

Dare I say this looks best at full size? Click on it to get to the flickr original.

Best. Headline. Ever.

I swear you couldn't make this up (well, you might -- but what are the odds?):

Skywalkers in Korea cross Han solo

Market Proves Tough Target For `Ninja' Attack

Green Ninja Day, originally uploaded by macfixer.

Their target, state police say, was the store's office. Once inside, they expected to find enough cash to buy a computer. They were familiar with the terrain, since one of them used to work at the store and his mother still does.

Plan A, in which one of them hid inside a sealed cardboard box that was carried, Trojan Horse-like, inside the store by the other two, failed when the would-be burglar burst from the box before the store was empty.

Plan B, four days later, was less subtle: A masked, ninja-wearing, machete- and-baseball-bat waving frontal assault. That didn't work either.

There won't be a Plan C.

When your robbery plan sounds more like a "Blue Collar Comedy" skit than "The Italian Job", you might want to rethink it ju-u-ust a little.

Virginia Tech Shooting w/ Life Insurance

Virginia Tech Shooting w/ Life Insurance, originally uploaded by macfixer.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed this, but on the same page as the horrific shootings going on at the Virginia Tech campus, CNN ran an advertisement for Life Insurance with copy that reads, "Dad, What would happen to me and mommy... if you died?" (not that kids actually talk like that, mind you)

AccuQuote, it's bad enough to guilt people into buying your product using kids, but the advertising companies need to realize that having "Death" in the story shouldn't automatically throw up a life insurance ad.

Enough shame to go around here, CNN, AccuQuote, and whomever did the sell for that ad!

Wanted: Rhinos

Is this guy for real? I mean, really?!?

My current staff is the laziest group of individuals you'll ever meet. They manage to drag themselves to work every day to complain about the coffee, weather & the manager. When that's done, they struggle to organize themselves, get in their cars & show up at preset, prequalified appts & suffer their way to earn $55K-$70K per year.

I can't wait to sign up!

Top Ten 8-Bit Games

2 x 5

FYI, I posted 2 new lists over at Five Things. Get it? 2 lists -- 5 Things?

Anyway, check them out!