Month: May 2013

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Not a good morning.

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Because last night I didn’t sleep very well.

What can you expect when you’re in a sleeping bag on the floor? I guess I’m getting too old for “roughing it”

Why was I sleeping on the floor?

Well, the older of the two dogs had some sort of seizure last night about 10PM. The only thing I could do was hold him and talk to him.

The seizure passed after maybe two or three minutes but the dog was still panicked by it. I laid with him on one of the dog cushions just talking to him and petting him. 

The other dog who is normally such a jealous guy seemed to know something was wrong. He let me cuddle and talk to Butch without interference.

Around 3 hours later Butch decided he wanted to get up. He walked around tentatively but as obviously still weak.

By around 1:30 I’d decided that I wasn’t going to leave him alone, so I pulled my sleeping bag out and had just settled down when Butch laid down beside me and drifted off.

That’s when I discovered a couple of things.

One, fat as I am I have no padding on my hips and Two, the carpet I was sleeping on has some kind of lump right in the small of my back.

I’m not moving, I don’t want to disturb the dog. I cat napped through the night.

This morning the dog is moving slow but according to the web that’s not completely unexpected. He’s going to the Vet this morning to see if there’s anything that can be done or if this is simply a function of him being an old dog.

Then I’m going to do Poo patrol in the yard and some weed whacking (Which is overdue). That will give me to opportunity to see if there’s anything in the yard that may have acted like a poison. I’m concerned about one or two of the neighbors who may have indiscriminately used poison trying to control moles or other rodents.

If one of those came to my yard to die that could be a source of poisoning as well.

Sounds strange that I’m hoping it’s poisoning… But that’s something that time, care and plenty to drink can repair. There’s not much I can do about it if its just old age. 

I hate making end of life decisions, but don’t want the Dogs who have been my loyal friends for so many years to suffer. 

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Oh Goodie Goodie Goodie!

I just got a box from Amazon!

Whoo Hoo!!!!

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Season Four and Five of TrueBlood. 

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And Cinemax Season One of Strikeback.

And the very cool parts are that They include Digital copies, and DVD copies!!!! 

Alright… so I’m a little excited. I’ve really gotten into watching programs that I like on my iPad or over the Apple TV.

I really like being able to Buy Once and watch on whatever the hell device I decide to watch on when I’m damn good and ready.

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Software Sucks!

It’s been a day of software woes in this household.

It started with my partner handing me their cell phone which was clearly in a loop. Every 15 seconds a message was displayed that said Genius has stopped responding press OK to close the application.

So you’d press the helpful OK button and the message would disappear then come back 15 seconds later. After fiddling about I managed to get deep enough into the layer upon layer of menus till I finally could clear the cache for the application that was misbehaving.

Problem Solved.

Mind you this was before my first cup of coffee. It’s nice to know that my digital interfaces appear to come online before the rest of my brain.

On the other hand it’s kind of scary that my computer related information is at that low a level in my brain. I mean what happens if someone asks me a question while I’m sleeping? Do I start spouting free technical support information? 

Humm gotta change the programming so that tech support information is only available after sex… I’d get laid a lot more often!

Then my partner said they’d been trying to fix it on their own for 3 days. So I felt guilty for making it look so damn easy.

You’d have thought that someone would have encountered this in testing and had the programming folks build in an automatic clear of the cache.

I’ve been dealing with software issues of various types for the past couple of days but all those issues came to a head today.

In general dealing with musicians, composition software, mixing software, or simple recording software, is absolutely nothing like dealing with normal software.

Imagine if you will the annoyance factor of someone like myself who sits down at a piece of software and is presented with a button that looks like a waveform.

When I press that button instead of a nice waveform graph that I can edit, the volume goes up.

But that makes no sense because right next to the waveform button is the master volume slider but moving that does nothing.

Because by “volume” the creators of the software actually meant Input level. 

And so on until I’m pulling my hair out because absolute nothing is intuitive except that what I would intuit is completely incorrect every single time.

So I decide this software is not for me…

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I download another manufacturers demo version. Before they allow me to download their software they want me to create an account. Then they allow me to download the DEMO.

I could understand it if I’d purchased the software, but it’s a DEMO.

That’s like having to fill out, and have a credit application approved before you go on a test drive.

After jumping through their hoops, I have the software downloaded. I install it. Guess what? It doesn’t install.

It goes through the motions, it modifies the shit out of my computer, but the installer of the main application throws an exception ON INSTALLATION and my system shuts down the extraction of the file.

After fiddling with it for an hour I gave up, then spent another hour painstakingly removing bits of their software and backing out their changes out of my system.

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Next manufacturer… Was a completely no way in hell. They wanted 1000.00 for their application and there was no demo available. This manufacturer ended up doubly on my personal shit list because of what was going on in the next room.

My partner had been trying to upgrade a version of composition software. From the same company that wanted a grand for their mixing software. 12 hours later my partner successfully completed the upgrade.

First, their system wouldn’t acknowledge the email address. The serial number was fine but the email address wasn’t in their system. Then phone calls to their offices resulted in conversations like:

“Hi could you give me the number to your sales office? Thanks.  Did you know that your web site has the wrong number listed?“

Their answer: “Yes” CLICK!

“Hi I’m trying to upgrade my notation software Sibelius First Note… It’s notation / composition software… Yes I’m sure you sell this… I’m looking at your web site… Well that’s the problem… your web site won’t process the purchase… Hello? Hello?” They hung up.

“Hi I’m calling from California, is this the corporate office of AVID Technologies? Good, could I speak to someone in customer service? Yes, I’m having trouble completing a transaction. Yes I’m trying to upgrade some software I own.

Customer service? Hello I’m having trouble upgrading some software. Yes I know I should be calling your California office that’s part of the problem. They’re not answering their phone. I’ve tried your web site, it’s not processing the transaction.

Look, I’ve been on the phone and on your web site looking for assistance for the past 6 hours, isn’t there some way you could just take the $40 and send me a link to download the software?

No, I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just trying to complete this business so that I can get on with my day. Hello? Hello?” GRRRRRRRRRR!

After spending most of the day talking with these people and getting nowhere my partner tried the website again and this time the serial number and the email address worked.

My recommendation at about the 4 hour mark was to just go to the competition.

The point of all of this is to highlight the ever increasing frustration caused by arrogant attitudes, and frankly shitty software testing.

Android applications that are part of the CORE Android OS and can’t be removed that obviously weren’t tested with corrupted caches.

Installers for DEMO software that don’t work. Really? do you think I’m going to BUY your software after such an obvious failure?

Overpriced software which might work but that I can’t even try before buying. ( I notice today that there are demo downloads available) 

Nasty people on the phone who think nothing of hanging up on an existing customer?

I’ve gone back to the irrational piece of software that I’d decided to abandon in the first place.

Maybe it isn’t so bad after all.

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Scandal in Washington OMG!!!

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I’ve been watching with considerable amusement Twitter feeds about the spate of scandals rocking Washington.

The folks on Twitter are coming up was some witty comments and in an epic demonstration of freedom of speech many of these comments are directed squarely at the White House, and various representatives.

I’ve added my 2 cents from time to time but for the most part I’ve just been reading the comments.

On the one hand nothing happening in Washington is anything new. Abuse of power comes with the territory. Kennedy, Nixon, Clinton, Roosevelt, Bush, all of them abused power to greater or lesser degrees. I suspect that part of the sitting Presidents problem is that regardless of political affiliation. 

We All HOPED it would be different.

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In that regard, even those who have axes to grind with President Obama were hoping they were wrong. For them now I’d bet that they feel doubly betrayed even though they’ve been proven correct.

That dichotomy really pisses some people off.

The IRS has in my opinion been an abusive, hostile organization from it’s inception.

“PAY UP! You don’t have money? We’ll put a lean on your home, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL SUFFER!”

“Your wife works? We’ll garnish Her paycheck too. Your kids are going hungry? Not our problem, pay your taxes!”

“Oh your company made a mistake in your W2 reporting. We owe you money? Yeah… Uh we’ll get around to that refund in 6 -9 months.”

“Interest? HAHAHAHA NO Dumbass! YOU pay US Interest… We don’t pay you interest!”

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That people are just NOW realizing the IRS is a corrupt entity who uses strong arm Mafia collection tactics is astounding to me.

Wiretaps on AP phones?

That surprises anyone?

Did you bother to even skim The Patriot Act? You know… The act that should have expired but that President Obama signed the extension on? 

When you have laws on the books that allow wiretaps without warrant if any remote case can be made that national security is threatened, are you really surprised that power was abused?

Really folks? 

If the President calls you a terrorist YOU’RE a TERRORIST! If you spoke with or worked with someone from the MiddleEast you meet the national security requirement to have your phone records monitored. 

Monitoring isn’t necessarily listening to your conversations… it appears this is more like being able to see the numbers you’ve dialed and received calls from on your phone bill. It’s still a violation of privacy. My concern isn’t that the government can do this. 

My concern is that the bar that allows this kind of monitoring is set way too low. 

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Of greater concern is that it’s just now an issue to our lawmakers.

Benghazi?

Uh Hello?

All you had to do was listen to the news coverage during the event. The story changed before our eyes. It was obvious some kind of spin was being applied. The question is WHY?

Why was it somehow inappropriate to say terrorists attacked the embassy? Who cares if those terrorists were motivated by a dumb, poorly acted, less than complimentary film about Muhammed, or as Hillary said “They just wanted to kill Americans?” Terrorists they were, are and will remain.

So why not use the word? It’s descriptive and accurate.

More importantly are little issues;

An attack on an embassy and the murder of an Ambassador has traditionally been an act of war.

We should have treated this attack as such. Yes we’re spread thin, but move special forces in immediately if they’re available. Start hunting the perpetrators down and leave them dead in the streets as an example to others. The Libyan government was doing all in it’s power to assist us until we publicly humiliated that government with our UN ambassador telling the world a fiction about a movie.

It made the Libyan government appear to have no control over their population and further, bringing worldwide attention to the movie sparked riots all over the place.

The truth was a better more stabilizing and compelling story. Ambassador Rice could have said something like;

“This was a terrorist attack, the Libyan government has provided us with excellent intelligence and while the information is still coming in, we are impressed with and appreciate the assistance the Libyan government has give to us in this matter.”

That simple acknowledgement would have opened many doors and allowed everyone to do their jobs.

That the State Department didn’t get it worries me more than the apparent obfuscation. 

I find myself wondering what else the State Department has overlooked or misinterpreted. 

Fast & Furious?

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Why the hell does Holder still have his job?

Really? In what universe does it make any sense to sell guns to known criminals to find out where those guns go?

How about a simpler method? collect all the serial numbers of guns stolen from law aiding citizens and then compare how many of those stolen weapons end up being used in crimes… The percentage that end up in Mexican Drug Cartel hands will tell you how much of a problem gun trafficking is.

You’re still having to track the serial number of the gun(s)… RIGHT?

The Obama administration is a world wide joke.

It’s time for the President to get his ducks in a row, put and end to rogue elements in his administration and get to the business of being The President.

The first step is prosecuting every single person that’s been involved in wrong doing. 

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4:15 WTF am I doing up?

Lights come on in the hallway.

Who? What?

“What’s going on?” I call out in the general direction of the lights.

No Answer.

Dimly aware of one of the dogs standing on the bed near the foot.

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Funny smell, can’t place it, wondering if I’ve got a sinus infection, smells kind of like that.

Briefly i consider the Gothic wonder I’m in for later this morning when I blow my nose.

Dog gone from foot of bed. I hear alarm being disarmed, sliding door opens.

Partner comes into room turn on light low (that was nice).

“What’s up?“

By way of reply, “Damn, Dog vomited on the comforter and foot of the bed.“

… … 

I’m awake now!

Yep, one of the dogs has been well…  sick as a dog.

What a lovely mess…

Partner tromps downstairs to garage for paper towels. I sit on edge of bed shaking the rest of my weird nightmares away to be replaced with this mornings disaster.

Tromping comes back up stairs. I pull shorts on.

I watch as paper towel disintegrates turning an unpleasant greenish yellow mess into an even less appealing greenish yellow pulpy mess with happy printed flowers.  I watch as partner chases vomit down the inside of the footboard past the protective barrier of the comforter.

RIGHT! Time to act.

“Stop“, “MOVE!“

I grab a handful of small cheap cotton towels from the linen closet. These towels are handy for quick cleanups of anything but are usually used to clean up the aftermath of sex or masturbation.

The first one I use to come up under the fibrous wad of grass, bile, and the previously shredded paper towel in an attempt to prevent the mess from coming into contact with & permanently staining the mattress.

Mission accomplished! Mattress and foundation unscathed! I wad dirty towel up and toss it on another one I’ve opened up on the floor. 

Next step. “Grab the comforter, we need to get it off the bed before we end up having to wash the sheets, and the mattress pad”

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Step completed partially successfully. The sheets and therefore the mattress pad will have to be washed. However the comforter is off the bed.

I’m working to get the comforter cover off the comforter when I look up and see partner standing with bottle of Shout! at the ready. 

Suppressing my first reaction (which by the way was to Shout!) I suggest that it might be more helpful if I was assisted in removing the comforter cover which due to it’s size is rather like trying to remove a used condom from a raging Rhino without spilling the contents

Cover removed, using Shout! is now a reasonable course of action.

Cover in washer, 1:45 of partner fiddling with the four or five controls on washer most of which are PRESET by the use of the main control knob and cannot be changed. Finally partner presses Start button, the washer comes to life.

Comforter is still sitting in middle of hallway, now folded over with wet/stained spot in contact with dry / non-stained part. I’ve been waiting for some assistance in getting the comforter squared away so that the stain and liquid don’t end up on the floor making a bigger mess to clean up… for the past 2 minutes…

I’m beginning to get annoyed but realize that partner is probably not fully awake and certainly doesn’t think the same way I do. 25 years later and it still chaps my hide, ain’t gonna change and the annoyance is my problem. GRRRRRR!

Comforter secured.

I go back to the bedroom and the stack of cheap towels, wet one down with warm water and I start cleaning the remaining puke off the footboard. 

Humm, not too bad. The finish is undamaged. 

Come back into hallway with now wet / dirty towels and notice partner has stepped in sick, and has been tracking it all over the rest of the house! 

Jaw clenches involuntarily. 

“Umm, take off your shoes.” 

Partner keeps walking around.

“STOP! Take off your shoes! You’ve stepped in puke and have now succeeded in tracking it all over the house!“

Partner ” Oh… Wonder how that happened?”, continuing to walk into kitchen.

GRRRRRR!

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I’m not going to blow my stack, I’m going to remain calm.

I’m also going to get to scrub all the floors in the house and then get to my self assigned task of re-grouting around several tiles in the hallway.

Oh wait… I can’t do that today, because with laundry being run the grout wouldn’t be able to set up undisturbed.

Re-grouting must wait.

Rest of my day shot to hell. On the plus side, Partner realizes that the comforter will not fit in the washer. Upon realization volunteers to take comforter to laundromat great! 

Day is looking up! I don’t have to deal with people.

Vomit I can handle. Dog has tummy ache & can’t help it. I’m cool with that.

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I can remain calm in the face of someone who doesn’t think, reason, or plan like me. Or someone who can’t process cause / effect information.

I can avoid shouting about someone that’s oblivious to their actions

But combine them all before 5AM and well I need a wide open place to vent my frustration. Ain’t gonna happen today!

I can’t leave the house… Hows that supply of towels?