Fun Blog Addition – sitemeter

I hadn’t thought much about the little sitemeter tag that’s been at the bottom of my blog for the past 6 months until I was playing with it this morning. My surge of posting in past few days made me curious whether increased activity led to increased viewership. For those not familiar with sitemeter, you create an account and then submit your blog/website to be monitored for traffic with the option of having reports sent to you on a regular basis. You even get the html code for sticking a little logo tab somewhere on your page.

Since my report is scheduled for Monday morning, I received mine today – thus creating the aforementioned curiosity. I started to look at some of the more obscure facts which are available and was simultaneously amazed and slightly disturbed. With this account, I am literally able to determine the geographic location, network, operating system, browser type and even the resolution of the monitor being used by a visitor to my site. I know how they found my site, what content on my blog was viewed and how long they were they were there. Truely interesting and scarey. I felt like a character from “Hackers”! I highly recommend you check this out if you care at all who and how many visitors are viewing your page.

The iPhone or something like it

Since its release, Slick and Kacie have blogged their delight about the new iPhones and, feeling a little left out I decided to write about my high end handheld.  Here it is, the true Crackberry:

This particular piece of electronics (with the emphasis on piece) was somewhere near middle-of-the-line when it was purchased 2 1/2 years ago.  It has a state of the art abacus calculator, email only matched by that of machines 1/4 it’s size, a processor that rivals first generation Ataris and a full 3- or 4-shade color screen.  Its web-surfing capabilities function at nearly twice the speed of smell (credit for that quote to comedian Ron White).

As you can see in the advertising photo above, it can be upgraded in many ways.  I opted to remove 3 of its 4 main screws to shed valuable ounces while adding a strip of lightweight duct tape to maintain the structural integrity of the hand held.  For a touch of uniqueness and individuality I added the reflective patches on all sides of the massive 3 inch display through a special process of “pumice shining” (achieved by keeping the phone in my pocket with warehouse grime).  For additional grip when making speedy calls, I “drop roughed” all the corners, utilizing the pavement of countless warehouses and storage facilities around the country.  As part of my contract with Verizon, I am informed fortnightly about my outstanding balance which occasionally gives me a period of peace from those pesky (though important) emails, voice mails and phone calls.

All in all, the RIM Crackberry is a phone of epic capabilities and aesthetics.  If you’d like to own this PIECE of custom electronics, you can pick it up in the bottom of my office trash can on December 11th. 

Formerly Broken Torres Lifts Reds

Fernando Torres made a successful early return to the Liverpool side, subbing in 71 minutes into today’s game against Fulham.  After leaving the Arsenal game 2 weeks ago with an injury said to keep him out for at least 3 weeks, Torres returned to the training field unexpectedly earlier this week.  While not able to participate in the record-setting 8-0 Champions League victory against Turkish side Besiktas on Tuesday, the Spaniard was eager to play at Anfield today.  Manager Rafa Benitez, seeing points slipping away midway through the second half, decided to bring in Torres to give the offense a much needed boost.  The move appeared to be a stroke of brilliance when, in the 81st minute Torres controlled a long pass from keeper and fellow Spaniard Pepe Reina and beat Antti Niemi to the near post to open scoring.  A questionable penalty on Red’s Jolly-Green-Giant striker Peter Crouch gave captain Steven Gerrard the opportunity to bring the game to 2-0.

The win represents only the second time this season that LFC have been victorious at what was once known as “Fortress Anfield.”  An international break threatens to slow the Reds momentum drawn from a 2-0 record and a 10-0 goal differential in the past week.  Next on the schedule are struggling but still dangerous Newcastle on November 24th and a must-win meeting in Champions League qualifying with FC Porto on November 28th.   Go Reds!

I can’t believe I survived bachelorhood

Sarah and Campbell left for a week in Michigan on Wednesday, a departure that in conjunction with the tail-end of my vacation that I didn’t need for hunting, leaves me in a position similar to my single, young-adult years.  After dropping her off at the airport I took the opportunity to hang out at Bass Pro in Denver until only the prospect of getting stuck in traffic induced me to leave.  In short, I’ve had the past few days completely to myself.  No responsibilities, curfews, checking in, asking for opinions or permission and after 48 hours of total freedom I have decided that it is…BORING.  I have no idea how I made it through my roughly 3 years of adulthood prior to meeting Sarah.

It has also brought me face-to-face with the reasons behind my former troubles with alcohol.  The lack of daily responsibilities – even if only being aware of the physical and emotional needs of your wife – retard a man’s ability to mature and without maturity freedom is destructive.  I thank the Lord that he brought Sarah into my life to give me an object of focus outside myself and thereby drawing me toward a healthy maturity.  Had He not, I shudder to think of where my behavioral patterns would have led.

I make these observations in order to give greater emphasis to this point:

I need my Sarry back!  I know she’s having a great time in Michigan so I will wait patiently for her and little Campbell-cito to come home.

Sorry for the delay…

I know you’ve all been waiting patiently for me to give you a full update on my new computer, but I’m not going to bore you with it.  I do need to tell you that though I now have a computer, I’m not working all week, thereby rendering me incommunicado in the internet arena.  Being resourceful person, I’ve come to Slicky’s place to use his wireless while trying not to seem like a complete mooch.

The purpose of this particular post is to inform you that buried in the hubbub surrounding the new computer, I neglected to mention that this past Friday I left for my last hunting trip before we embark for our time in Ukraine.  This particular trip was rifle hunting for mule deer bucks in northern Colorado.  To ruin the surprise, I successfully took a buck that was larger than last year but not so big as to spoil me for future hunts.  I was also successful in not taking a single picture of the event, save the one from Marshall’s phone.

I apologize for the semi-graphic nature of this particular photo, but as I mentioned before, it’s all I have (it’s for this reason that I kept it purposely small).

So here is my second successful deer hunt in as many years and the third big game animal in the past year – in fact, all of my successful hunts have been within 365 days which ended on Saturday with the taking of the animal that you see at left.

Mac Today?

I was hoping to have written my next post on my new MacBook but it seems that this isn’t to be. I couldn’t keep waiting and leave my blog responsibilities unfulfilled so I am writing ABOUT but not on my new computer for what I hope will be the last time. I am now even more excited to receive my Mac since I have discovered via the FedEx tracking page that Apple actually has the ability to bend time (a power that I hope is standard on my laptop as I didn’t purchase any upgrade in this respect).

According to FedEx, my package arrived in Anchorage, AK at 8:47pm yesterday evening. I found this odd primarily because I happened upon this information at roughly 10:30am yesterday. Before any of you make fools of yourselves and mention time zones, let’s recall that it is always earlier in Alaska than here. As a further trick, my computer proceeded to depart Anchorage yesterday at 3:30pm; a full 5 hours before it supposedly arrived in said city. It’s on the internet, it has to be true!

I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that Apple CEO Steve Jobs can manipulate time as his company guaranteed me that my computer would arrive 7 days from the time of my order via FedEx ground service from Shanghai, China. Now that’s amazing!

Upon my arrival at work I checked with the mysterious FedEx tracking system and both my MacBook and the international adaptor kit (separate shipments) arrived at the FedEx location in Colorado Springs early this morning, giving me hope that they will be delivered to my house today. Please cross your fingers with me.

Update: I have heard from my wife that the MacBook has arrived and will be in my hands at the office today at 11 or so. Good news!

Update 2.0: During the period of time between last Saturday and today when my MacBook arrived, its graphic capabilities have become obsolete. Luckily for us, Apple is pretty cool about these things so tomorrow I am doing a straight swap for the upgraded version at the Apple store at Park Meadows Mall in Denver. If you get a chance, give these people your business because they understand customer service.