This week in Tweets

  • Seriously, Disney, when are posting your May park hours? We need to make our reservations on Sunday, but May park hours aren’t posted yet. #
  • Loving the fact that the latest version of Twhirl has spell-check built in. #
  • While at my parents’ house I picked up some old family photos to scan. I really wish I knew more about the one w/ my great-grandparents. #
  • Unfortunately, my grandfather (whose parents they were) passed away many years ago & my grandmother’s memory’s not the best. #
  • Wow. A member of my digital photography group not only published a coffee table book with his great astrophotography shots, … #
  • …but he also got forewords written by Sir Arthur C Clarke, Sir Patrick Moore, and Dr. Brian May (Queen guitarist w/ PHD in Astrophysics). #
  • Link to the incredible Astrophotography book: http://is.gd/i6qz #
  • Thinking about webcams. If my parents got 1 & we got 1, the kids could talk to Bubbe, Grandpa, & Greatgrandma on screen instead of by phone #
  • Close call this weekend. I downloaded photos from my friend’s wedding to show my parents. Forgot I had a “TechyDad” stamp on them. #
  • Luckily, I only showed them to my mom (not computer literate) then deleted them. When dad asked about them I said that quality wasn’t good. #
  • Parents don’t know about my “TechyDad” moniker & although I don’t use this name to badmouth them, I’d rather they don’t know about it. #
  • How many Twitterfolk keep an online identity (Twitter, Facebook, blog, etc) that their parents/family doesn’t know about? #
  • I find this hilarious though I’m sure families watching the Super Bowl didn’t: Porn clip penetrates Super Bowl broadcast http://is.gd/i5Vq #
  • Phil the Groundhog sees 6 more weeks of winter. In related news: http://ushotstuff.com/wg/GroundhogSmp.htm #
  • Some people recorded the “Super Bowl Porn” & put it online. Highly NSFW so not even going to think about watching it now. #
  • My great-grandparents. http://twitpic.com/1awb7 Undated photo. Only clue is print on the back: “Albert Murdus Photographer 524 Grand St NY” #
  • Back of that mystery photo: http://twitpic.com/1awgb Is there a Grand Street Historical Society or something? #
  • My twitter profile is worth $287. I ‘m only 2.8% of the worth of @guykawasaki. http://www.tweetvalue.com/ #
  • People book #DisneyWorld reservations 90 days out. 90 days from today = May 3. Last posted schedule as of now = 4/28. Disney Schedule FAIL! #
  • Punky Brewster’s on Twitter? I loved that show! (Ok, not Punky, but the actress who played her: @moonfrye) #
  • Man do I hate #Heroes! How could they end like that & make me wait a week for more?!!! Seriously, though, *GREAT* episode. #
  • Almost forgot about my #WiiFit workout. Might make things simple and just do 50 minutes of Free Step with my ankle weights on. #
  • Non-PB items recalled now. Execs from the company should be brought up on criminal charges. They knew about the Salmonella & ignored it. #
  • Video game playing linked to breastfeeding. http://is.gd/i2Pq (No, not really. The “link” is used to show how ridiculous some studies are.) #
  • Wondering if there’s any way to figure out how old a photo is. Got an undated photo of my great-grandparents. #
  • So tired. Stayed up way too late last night. Would anyone notice if I closed my office door and took a 3 or 4 hour nap? #
  • Why does the new version of #Twhirl insist on adding multiple spaces when I hit the space key once? #
  • Special K Bliss bars are so not worth it. They taste good, but FiberOne bars taste better, are almost 2x the size, & are the same points. #
  • I found out on Sunday that you can’t bring Trader Joe’s Sunflower Butter on an airplane. They count it as a liquid and confiscate it. #
  • Luckily, my parents were nearby & were able to take it back with them. I’ll have to pick it up when I drive down one day. #
  • Just got another “Your car warranty is expiring” robo-call. Should have pressed 1 & yelled at the rep. Just wasn’t motivated enough. #
  • Don’t you hate it when you think “Well, the day’s almost over now” and then you look down at the clock & see you still have over 2hrs to go? #
  • Anyone know of a guide to the different blogger conferences? (Where they are, when they are, what activities go on at them?) #
  • In an attempt to date my great-grandparent’s photo, I found this page with lots of old photos for reference: http://is.gd/igqy #
  • Anon. [Husband and wife, she is standing, he is sitting, fringe beard. c.1870] http://is.gd/igqP Looks sort of like the photo I have. #
  • Here’s the photo that I’m trying to date: http://twitpic.com/1bdwf Any leads would be greatly appreciated. #
  • Headed to bed. Don’t feel so good. Not sure if I’m coming down with something or if my body is just exhausted. Either way, I need some rest. #
  • Won a giveaway & didn’t receive prize due to sponsor mix-up. Person hosting giveaway isn’t answering my e-mails. How long should I wait? #
  • Thinking of restarting an old website I once ran that had Infomercial product reviews. Might make it more blog-like w/ guest reviewers. in reply to classymommy #
  • Why is it, when I’m feeling sick, that I get insanely hungry. Trying to keep to healthy snacks so as not to rack up points needlessly. #
  • On the hunt for someone who can catch an injured bird & take care of it. #
  • Some of my co-workers suggested hitting it w/ a tennis racket to “put it out of its misery.” I most certainly WILL NOT! #
  • Those were female co-workers, BTW. #
  • If I re-opened my infomercial review site, people could send me products to review and give away. Any infomercial product vendors out there? #
  • Time Warner expanding their metered billing trials. You get 20GB per day then get charged $1 for each GB you go over. #
  • Just ate hummus on a flat roll with Fiber One and then cottege cheese w/ crushed pineapple. Why am I feeling extremely hungry? #
  • Running a report that usually slows my computer down. Add in McAfee & my computer’s just not responding. Driving me nuts. #
  • I want to be productive. Really, I do. But I just can’t if my computer takes 5 minutes to do each thing I tell it to do. (Like Right-click.) #
  • Just found out that two Amie Street artists that I like are on Twitter: @shannonhurley and @marinav #
  • In case anyone’s interested, @marinav’s music can be heard here: http://is.gd/io61 @shannonhurley’s here: http://is.gd/io9S #
  • Another bad day for NHL. His teachers said it’s like he’s not in control. He knows it’s wrong, apologizes after, but can’t stop himself. #
  • Last time this happened to NHL, he was on Singulair. Wondering if one of his new allergy/asthma medicines could be causing his bad behavior. #
  • RT @Twitter_Tips: WARNING–WordPress Warning: If you have TweetBacks plugin installed uninstall it— it has a spam backdoor (via @DaivRawks ) #
  • Fell asleep last night w/ laptop reading twitter. Skipped WiiFit workout for a 2nd night in a row. Feeling a little better this morning. #
  • My computer doesn’t want to work today. ARGH! Think it’s time for a reboot. #
  • A delivery just arrived at my office. I didn’t order it though. 1st name & Surname’s 1st 3 characters correct. Going to right person now. #
  • Computer didn’t want to work. Rebooted and now it does. Ah, the reboot: The fix for nearly all computer “mysterious problems.” #
  • Animal Control called me back about the bird… over 24 hours from when I first called them. Nice to see quick response there. #
  • I swear the hospital intercom just said: “Peter Griffin call the operator.” If a talking dog & a homicidal baby walk by, I’m going home. #
  • Feeling shaky. I sometimes get this way if I’ve put lunch off for too long. But I just ate lunch. I should prob get my blood sugar tested. #
  • Diabetes runs in my family (mom has it, grandfather had it, etc) so blood sugar issues aren’t something to be ignored. #
  • Can anyone recommend any good WordPress plugins to help handle reviews? Categorizations, Star rankings, Searching, etc. #
  • RT @stargardener’s dad: I think Congressmen should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could identify their Corporate sponsors. #
  • Headed home now. *slides down dinosaur’s back and glides into car* #
  • Ok, *WAY* past my bedtime. Did my #WiiFit workout & prepped some photos for tomorrow’s blog post. But for now I’m off to bed. Goodnight all! #
  • Not feeling too good today. Nose is all stuffed up & I feel like I’m in a fog. #
  • Sinuses killing me. Not sure if it’s a sickness, allergies, exhaustion, or all three ganging up on me. #
  • Last night I tried to get my router (Netgear WRT614) to e-mail me its log files so I could figure out how much bandwidth we use. No success. #
  • Any recommendations on Webcams? Thinking of getting one so my kids can video chat with my parents & grandma long distance. #
  • Was looking at this webcam: http://tinyurl.com/8ucpy4 #
  • Is it bad that I’m hungry and want to eat lunch at 11:40? #
  • Have one single item in my inbox. It looks so lonely in there, but I’m moving on to other projects. #
  • Feel like Sushi for dinner but don’t know how many points it’d be. #
  • About an hour to go until the weekend is officially here. #
  • RT @BuildingCamelot: 100 Foods To Aid in Your Productivity http://tinyurl.com/8l5vnx #
  • Shutterfly running very slow. C’mon Shutterfly! I need to add this batch to my work’s gallery so I can go home in 20 minutes. #
  • Anyone else running the #Twhirl beta getting doubling spaces? I hit 1 space & 2 appear. Seems to be random, not everytime. Quite annoying. #
  • Other than the doubling spaces thing, I’m loving the #Twhirl beta. #
  • Interesting how Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood showed a nipple in the context of breastfeeding while Facebook bans them. http://is.gd/iMEs #

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This week in Tweets

  • Pope reinstates bishop who denied the Holocaust. http://is.gd/hdxI What was he thinking? #
  • Slipped on the ice and slammed my finger in the car around noon today. Now it’s really hurting & sore. #
  • Today’s going to be tough. Finger’s still hurting from slamming it in the car door yest. But my job entails much typing. Not a good mix. #
  • Said yes to one feature for this person and now they’ve added 3 more. #
  • Leftover Spaghetti Soup for lunch. Well, it used to be spaghetti soup, but the pasta absorbed all of the soup & now it’s spaghetti in sauce. #
  • To all #WiiFit enthusiasts: The WiiFit Workout Generator is now live! Stop on by and try it out: http://www.techydad.com/WiiFitWorkout/ #
  • RT @BadAstronomer: Vaccines don’t cause autism! Who knew? Oh, right: science knew. http://is.gd/hjhd #
  • Little known fact about me: I don’t curse. At all. Ever. #
  • Ok, there was that 1 time while driving w/ a friend. Wanted to get max reaction so I said the C word. He almost drove off the road in shock. #
  • Do you have a #WiiFit ? Then why not try out my new WiiFit Workout Generator: http://www.techydad.com/WiiFitWorkout/ #
  • Running late on my WiiFit workout. Had to look through old photos of NHL for a class project of his #
  • Just put my ankle weight on for the first time. Wow are they heavy. And only 5 pounds. #
  • A little shaky with these things on. Guess I need to get used to them. #
  • I completely underestimated how tough workouts would be with ankle weights. Can do 30 Jackives w/o them just fine, but with them I’m wiped. #
  • Going to make it a “short” workout today. Only 45 minutes. #
  • Free Run is next in my #WiiFit workout. Can’t do 10min w/ ankle weights so I’m switching them to my wrists to give my arms a workout too. #
  • 45 minute #WiiFit workout done. Ankle/Wrist weights really do kick the workout up a notch. Time for bed now. #
  • Latest #Heroes web comic is about our favorite pair of Twittering Heroes: Matt Parkman and Daphne Millbrook aka @greggrunberg and @breagrant #
  • Anyone know of any dishwasher safe, plastic bowls with lids? Something I could take to work, use, then bring back home (lidded) to clean. #
  • They need to be microwave safe also. Dishwasher & Microwave safe bowls with lids. Anyone know of any? #
  • Have you tried the #WiiFit Workout Generator? http://www.techydad.com/WiiFitWorkout/ If so, what was your opinion of it? #
  • So tired #
  • Need to work out in a half hour but just want to pass out right now #
  • #WiiFit age last night was 29. Tonight it’s 27. Boy am I young! #
  • Cosby Show retrospective on TV now. “I put you into this world, and I’ll take you OUT!” I’ll have to remember that line for NHL/JSL. #
  • JSL was squirming in my lap yesterday. I tell him sit still. He shoves a hand at my face & says “No!” When did he learn “Talk to the hand”? #
  • Heading out into the snow to converse w/ @stkulp about various projects and stuff. #
  • RT @mike_elgan: Congress discovers Twitter. http://tinyurl.com/caknnc #
  • RT @BadAstronomer: You can point Hubble! http://is.gd/hx7r #
  • The Point Hubble site doesn’t think my e-mail address is valid. Is it because TechyDad appears in the UN and site portions? #
  • RT @wendilynnmakeup: The show has been picked up & is in no danger of being cancelled. Let me clarify heroes lives on…ignore the rumors #
  • RT @thinkgeek: “Hackers Crack Into Texas Road Sign, Warn of Zombies Ahead” http://is.gd/hyzI Film at 11? Plz? #
  • 101 days until Disney World! #
  • RT @BuildingCamelot: You know we’re in tough times when porn takes a hit http://ping.fm/KrPLx <= Those poor, unemployed strippers! #
  • Was going to comment “Anyone have a job for an unemployed stripper”, but it sounded too dirty. #
  • We have WebMD articles on our Employee Portal. Wonder how many complaints this 1 drew: Masturbation & Prostate Cancer Risk http://is.gd/hzGy #
  • So exhausted. Fell asleep at my computer. Going to skip my workout tonight & go to bed early. #
  • Got tele-spam message from (702) 520-1126 about renewing my car’s warranty. Looks like this Telespammer’s been busy. http://is.gd/hFJV #
  • RT @TheAngelForever: Hard to believe but true. 100 days to go –> http://is.gd/hFNh <= 100 days from now we’ll be Disney-Bound #
  • Too funny! View this if you need your screen cleaned: http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf #
  • Tomorrow at this time I’ll be in the air. Happy to soon be seeing parents & grandmother, but I already miss my wife & kids. #
  • Is it possible to be homesick before you even leave? #
  • Firefox, why do you demand 400MB+ of my memory and 70% of my CPU? #
  • Computer slowing down/freezing up again. Taking my frustrations out on the pedal machine under my desk. #
  • 2nd priest denies Nazi gas chambers used to kill http://is.gd/hHC3 Disinfect? Sure, if by that you mean kill everything including people! #
  • Computer freezing up again. This time I think McAfee Anti-Virus is to blame. That wouldn’t be on my computer at all if I had my way. #
  • 14 weeks and 2 days from now I’ll be in Disney World. #
  • Only an hour left before I go home. Need to finish some more things, but I think I just saw my brain pack up & leave. Come back brain! #
  • Ew. Sectorlink’s new plans stink compared to the one I have. Definitely going to hold onto the one I have for as long as possible. #
  • Sectorlink doesn’t offer PHP on Windows servers anymore. I’d need a Windows server for ASP/SQL & a Linux server for PHP/mySQL (eg WordPress) #
  • Installing OpenOffice Portable onto a thumb drive for my trip to my parents. #
  • Got Portable FireFox, Portable OpenOffice and a portable version of Password Safe on my flash drive. Now if only there was Portable Twhirl. #
  • I think I’m all packed now. Postponed my workout, so I think I’ll just do a 30 minute free step on the #WiiFit with weights on my ankles. #
  • 50 minute #Wii Free Step workout. 5011 steps with ankle weights on. Time for bed. #
  • Getting on the plane now.
    http://tinyurl.com/c89n3d #
  • At my parents’ house in Long Island visiting them & my grandmother. (Dinner time now.) Made crockpot pot minestrone soup for them. #
  • I miss my wife and kids though. Just talked with them on the phone, but it’s just not the same as being there with them. #
  • Showed videos of the boys to my grandmother. Was nice to hear her laugh and smile. #
  • http://twitpic.com/19zt2 – My grandparents’ wedding photo. (“Scan” taken by taking a photo of it with my digital camera.) #
  • I’ve agreed to do scans of all of my grandmother’s old photos. That was one of them. The digital camera shot came out pretty good. #
  • Munching on some Kashi Heart 2 Heart cereal as a late night snack. #
  • Think I’ll turn in. Tomorrow is my last day with my parents & grandmother before I head home. #
  • Headed to the airport in a 1/2 hour. My weekend with my parents & grandmother is nearly over. I get to see my wife & kids again. Can’t wait. #

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This week in Tweets

  • I’m exhausted this morning. Got to bed late, then NHL woke up which woke up JSL. Then NHL. Then JSL. etc. Only got about 3.5 hrs of sleep. #
  • To make matters worse, the AC was shut off & the ants are back. I shouldn’t have to choose between ants & being frozen out of my office. #
  • Shoot. Forgot we have a staff meeting today. Lunch is going to be served, but I brought my lunch. #
  • Might not take the served lunch anyway. It’s going to be pizza & that’s high points. #
  • RT @BrettTrout: TiVo senior programmer programs washing machine to tweet when clothes are done. @PiMPY3WASH http://is.gd/fHjT #
  • Staff meeting time. Is it good or bad if they bribe your attendance with food? #
  • There’s a poll being run by @redwhiteandnews on suggestions for Bush memoir titles: http://is.gd/fJ7G Please vote for mine. (4th one down.) #
  • BTW, my title was: “Buy This Book Or You’re Part Of The Axis Of Evil” #
  • RT @BuildingCamelot: How to hallucinate with ping-pong balls and a radio http://tinyurl.com/7guxwj #
  • Thinking of doing weekly freeware reviews. Making a list of programs to review so I can work on them ahead of time & schedule the posting. #
  • What are some of your favorite freeware programs? #
  • RT @eworkouts: Are you a cheater? http://tinyurl.com/9zthyu with tips from other Twitterers 🙂 <== Contains a tip of mine. #
  • Morning all. It’s freezing here. It was 7 as I dropped NHL off at school this morning and that’s not including wind chill. #
  • Teen shoots parents. Judge claims he didn’t know killing his parents meant they’d be dead forever because of videogames: http://is.gd/fQJM #
  • RT @jquery: jQuery 1.3 is released: http://bit.ly/tUzE Happy 3rd Birthday, jQuery! #
  • RT @BuildingCamelot: Time waster: 19 cool generators from Specky Boy http://tinyurl.com/7m38gg #
  • Almost passed out just now. Not sure why I’m feeling exhausted when I slept for much longer than usual last night (6hrs). #
  • 2 massive searches across our code to check for jQuery 1.3 compatibility issues are slowing my computer down to a crawl. #
  • Curse you jQuery Team for coming out with must-have new features! #
  • Looks like it’s official. My in-laws’ will be joining us at Disney World. I’m fine with it. Disney World is big enough for both of us. #
  • Just because we’re there at the same time doesn’t mean we *HAVE* to do everything together. #
  • So far I have a 8 point surplus. 15 points if you count Activity Points. #
  • It’s a race. Long running text search to check for jQuery compatibility vs. The Work Day. Which will end first? #
  • Got my WiiFit Workout Generator functional. Now I just need to work on the styling to make it look nice. #
  • Ok, almost time to do my WiiFit workout. The Generator’s not ready yet, but I can still use it to generate tonight’s workout. #
  • Last night’s workout was great. My WiiFit Workout Generator (coming soon) took all the guesswork out of which exercise to do next. #
  • Instead of sitting around between exercises trying to choose the next one, I just charged ahead and kept my heartrate up. #
  • SC is trying to pass a bill that would make the use of profanity in public a felony. http://is.gd/fQAK Good luck with that! #
  • SC’s bill includes publishing items containing profanity or of an “indecent nature.” Publish a book that contains a curse word & go to jail. #
  • More on the SC anti-profanity bill. It was submitted by 1 senator (Robert Ford) who keeps submitting the same thing over & over. #
  • It never passes. Moveover, this senator has ZERO general bills passed on which he’s the primary sponsor. #
  • In other words, he’s a nut & the anti-profanity bill has no chance of getting passed. #
  • Why must my computer freeze up when I feel the most productive? #
  • Vista sales must be low. Just got an e-mail from Tiger Direct offering me a 500GB HD if I buy Vista. No thanks though. #
  • Speaking of Tiger Direct, I keep unsubscribing to their e-mails and yet they keep sending them to me. What do I need to do to stop these TD? #
  • RT @phdinparenting: RT @momlogic: BREAKING NEWS: USAir Passenger Plane Down in Hudson River – no fatalities. http://tinyurl.com/7sfz3y #
  • Yum. Half of a brownie. A nice treat and not too bad on points. Still have 2 points left for the day. #
  • Any WiiFit users out there want to beta test my WiiFit Workout Generator? Would like some input on what’s good & what needs changing #WiIFit #
  • 15 minutes until workout time #
  • Great 45 minute WiiFit workout done. Now it’s time to get some rest. Goodnight all! #
  • Dropped NHL off at school & the thermometer read -6. Way too cold to go out today. #
  • Ah, the simple joys of huddling over a warm spaceheater after coming in from the CHILL-YOU-TO-THE-BONE-FREEZE-THE-MUCUS-IN-YOUR-NOSE cold!!! #
  • Yay! I won an online contest for a DS game! 🙂 #
  • Is it the weekend yet? #
  • RT @debworks: RT @TechGlance: Circuit City fails to be wanted, will now be liquidated http://tr.im/8id7 @bestbuyremix check out the comments #
  • RT @lorelleonwp: WordPress Plugin: Viper’s Video Quicktags http://tinyurl.com/ynofba <= I should put this on TechyDad & TheAngelForever. #
  • Got 2 beta testers (3 really since 1 is a husband/wife team) for my WiiFit Workout Generator. Anyone else want to beta test it? #WiiFit #
  • RT @debworks: http://snipr.com/a6w5z I like #5. <== Uh oh on #2. (Just kidding!!!) #
  • RT @TheAngelForever: How can I resist you? –> http://www.theangelforever.com/?p=794 #
  • rt @ProActiveDads Parenting.com thinks Dads are inept compared to Moms. http://is.gd/giSR <= Quite heavy handed. Not all dads are like that. #

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This week in Tweets

  • Ok, this game was really cool. Can you make it to the end? http://tinyurl.com/8bxawj #
  • I feel left out. No Phishing DMs sent my way. Either I’m unpopular with phishers (possible) or I just happen to follow some smart folks. 😉 #
  • Bed time. Weekend is over already. Why can’t we have 5 day weekends and 2 day work weeks? #
  • Ants are back. Worse than before. They’re all over my office floor including where I sit. They’re in my co-worker’s office. #
  • I called housekeeping 20 min ago and no response so far. We’ll see how long it takes them. If it gets to 1 hr, I’m going to call back. #
  • *Great* start to day. 1st ice everywhere. Almost slipped & fell. Next, ants. Then computer logged off & I lost FF session/all my open tabs. #
  • Office vacuumed. That should keep the ants at bay for a little while. No doubt there are ant-reinforcements waiting to march in, though. #
  • Ok, I needed a laugh. Thanks Stone Soup!!! http://www.gocomics.com/stonesoup/2009/01/05 #
  • Interesting. I tried to purposefully go to the fake twitter login page (just to see it). Site Advisor blocked it for being a phishing page. #
  • Then, when I bypassed Site Advisor, my office’s web filter blocked it as a phishing site. (Duh!) Nice job by both Site Advisor & Websense. #
  • Twitter Phishers coming from China? Access-Logins.com (the phishy domain name) is registered to zhang xiaohu in Hunan, CN. #
  • More evidence. His e-mail is listed as a “126.com” address. That domain name is registered to “Netease.com, Inc.” in Guangzhou, Guangdong CN #
  • Whois Record for Access-Logins.com: http://tinyurl.com/7kzzd4 For 126.com http://whois.domaintools.com/126.com #
  • Still laughing at this. http://twitpic.com/zwj9 #
  • Felt creepy-crawly. Checked the floor. Ants are back! Time to call housekeeping! #
  • Is thinking that, since @stkulp is home today. I should really move into her office for the day to get away from the ants. #
  • RT @onezenmom: Just in case you live under a rock and haven’t heard about the Twitter Phishing scam: http://preview.tinyurl.com/9rmfy6 #
  • Banana bread muffins in the oven. #
  • Banana Bread Muffins are done. Putting them away and then it’s WiiFit time! #
  • My WiiFit age is…. 24!!! I rocked those tests. I’m a whole 9 years younger. 🙂 #
  • Taking a couple minute break in my workout. Up to 41 minutes, but my legs felt like jelly on that last one. #
  • Not only am I working out, but I’m gathering data for a WiiFit web app. #
  • Did 47 mins of workouts. I’m going to put away the WiiFit & yoga mat & then head to bed. If my legs will carry me. Maybe I can crawl there. #
  • Body doesn’t want to move this morning. Could I have overdone my workout? [bugs_bunny]mmmmm…… Could be.[/bugs_bunny] #
  • Another morning spent huddled over my space heater to warm up. Turning the AC full-blast keeps the ants under control it seems. #
  • What a choice: freeze myself or be overrun with ants. #
  • Awful law to be passed in New Zealand. If you’re accused of copyright infringement/sharing files, your Internet is disconnected. #
  • Not proven in a court of law, accused. And there’s no appeals process either. #
  • I hereby accuse everyone in New Zealand of mass copyright infringement. #
  • Interesting. Found out that a co-worker might have Jewish ancestry. Her great-grandfather’s name was Mordechai. #
  • Ugh. Gmail won’t load for some reason. #
  • Yum! Banana Bread Muffins came out great! #
  • Anyone have any Must-Read articles I could show someone who isn’t up to speed on the Facebook-breastfeeding controversy? #
  • Thinking that I’ll need some extra SD cards for the Disney World trip. Might order a few from NewEgg.com tonight. #
  • Man, this game is just soooo challenging. http://www.mazapan.se/games/BurnTheRope.php 😉 #
  • Searching for how to rinse lentils. Making Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew for tomorrow night’s dinner. #
  • Anyone know of any good articles on the Facebook/Breastfeeding controversy? #
  • Working on a blog post about it and I wanted to link to some other articles on the subject. #
  • Found this while looking for breastfeeding photos that Facebook banned: http://is.gd/e8EP None look indecent or sexual in any way to me. #
  • Goodnight. Need some sleep to recharge and refocus my mind. (Here’s a hint: Never try to write a blog post while exhausted! 😉 ) #
  • Got into work ok. Saved some URLs in my draft post as refreshing would surely trigger work’s filter. Breastfeeding pics considered NSFW. #
  • The Ant-Slayer is here. Of course, with the freeze-out, I haven’t seen a single ant today. #
  • Is wondering how much Verizon charges for mobile web use. Probably more than Disney does for Internet use. #
  • To answer my own question on Verizon Wireless mobile web use, it’s billed by the MB, rounded up, at $1.99/MB #
  • A day of Disney World Internet costs $10. That’s 5MB of Verizon Wireless Internet usage. We could easily hit that. #
  • Plus, our cell phone would be tough to use for browsing. (Not a smartphone, just a LG 8350.) #
  • Need to find out whether we could get Disney Internet for some days and not others. #
  • Asked the office’s Resident Disney Expert and you *can* turn on Disney World Internet Access for some days & not others. #
  • Going to test wife’s camera’s batteries w/ a voltage meter at work tomorrow. Are batteries are really drained or is camera’s sensor wrong? #
  • I like big butts & I cannot lie. All you other brothers can’t deny. They’re healthy! … Wait, that’s not how it goes? http://is.gd/eLJI #
  • Working on my Facebook/Breastfeeding controversy post. My problem now isn’t rambling, but that I have a lot to cover. The post is too long. #
  • Think I’m going to break it up into parts. #
  • Ok, you know the country is in trouble when the Porn Industry needs a federal bailout: http://is.gd/eNPf #
  • Rethought breaking up the article. Going back to single article format. Almost done with it too. #
  • FF went back a page & I lost some of my Facebook/Breastfeeding post. Retyped it & almost done now. #
  • Think I’m going to turn in rather than complete it now, however. Getting really tired and hard to think straight. Night all! #
  • Morning all! Ant-Slayer was her yesterday, put down ant-bait, so of course tons of ants greeted me this morning. #
  • RT @TheDisneyBlog: The cast of Disney ABC’s Pushing Daisies is on Twitter – http://is.gd/eRHn – Is it too late to save the show? #
  • Trying to shake off sleepiness and get some work done. #
  • SQL Server is down here which means much of my development work can’t be done. ARGH! #
  • 121 days until Disney World, 121 days. You take one down, pass it around…. #
  • RT @OwenC: Looks like Twitter had a “Delivery Delay” glitch they fixed yesterday: http://status.twitter.com/ Still seems whaled to me #
  • Calling all Pushing Daisies Tweeters! Tweet @abcinnercircle “Please bring back Pushing Daisies” #pushingdaisies #
  • Update: Calling all Pushing Daisies Fans! Tweet “@abcinnercircle Please bring back Pushing Daisies #pushingdaisies” (leave out the quotes) #
  • Finally finished my Facebook/Breastfeeding Controversy: A Dad’s Perspective post: http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 #
  • Forgot to work out last night thanks to writing my blog post ( http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 ). Got to make it up today w/ a 45min workout. #
  • WiiFit Workout done. 45 minutes of exercise goodness partially interrupted by JSL waking up. #
  • Rumbling tummy is insisting on a midnight snack, but I’m going to ignore it & instead drink some water before headed to bed. Goodnight all! #
  • QOTD: “We have to do it in the Facebook, with the Twittering, the different technology that young people are using today.” http://is.gd/eHWN #
  • Have you read “The Facebook/Breastfeeding Controversy: A Dad’s Perspective” yet? http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 #
  • Facebook’s Code Of Conduct ( http://is.gd/eZdL ): “you may not post or share Content that is … obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit” #
  • Breastfeeding isn’t obscene. It isn’t pornographic & it certainly isn’t sexually explicit. #
  • Some “barely there” bikinis show more breast than breastfeeding pics do. #
  • Can hardly keep my eyes open today. Freezing cold in my office & being huddled over the space heater isn’t helping. #
  • Is wondering if anyone would notice if I dozed off for a bit. My office door is closed thanks to the AC & I’m way in the back. #
  • Brother-in-law visiting & asked us to bring the Wii/WiiFit to my in-law’s house. Haven’t transported it before. Any Wii Transport tips? #
  • TweetBack plugin for WordPress looks interesting. I might just try it out http://is.gd/eY1S #
  • Wonder how automated Facebook’s banning procedures are. If I marked a scenery or topless guy photo as obscene would it be taken down? #
  • Is there any way to change what website Twhirl opens hash tags in? HashTags.org keeps giving 503 Service unavailable. #
  • Man did I overeat today. Why is it when I go to my in-laws’ house I lose all willpower? (Not their fault, mind you.) #
  • Definitely going to need my WiiFit workout tonight #
  • The WiiFit Plank is so not worth it. I spend 30 tortuous seconds doing it & only get 1 WiiFit minute credit? #
  • Ok, I know it was only a half minute workout but still it’s a tough one. #
  • WiiFit workout done. 47 minutes put in. Now to burn a photo-CD for my BIL & SIL. Oh yeah. And go to bed sometime before 1am. #

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Is Settling A Good Life Lesson?

The other day, I was driving with NHL. We were on our way to get some food for Thanksgiving and NHL was talking about one of his passions: video games. Ever since the Nintendo Switch was released, NHL has wanted one. This desire only intensified as he watched some videos on YouTube showing Super Mario Odyssey being played on the Switch. Now, I’ll admit, the game looks amazing. The worlds are open and varied and the game mechanic of taking over your enemies to solve puzzles is inspired. That said, though, the price is steep. The game system itself costs $300 and Super Mario Odyssey costs an additional $60.

The price isn’t deterring NHL. He’s pledged to save up until he has enough money to buy a Switch and Mario Odyssey. There’s only one problem with this: He doesn’t really have any income. He’ll get some money for birthdays or Chanukah, but that’s about it. It would take him years to save enough for a Switch. By then, there would likely be a new game system that he really wants.

As an alternative, I suggested buying a used copy of Super Mario Galaxy 2. He had recently taken it out of the library and played it a bit so he knew he loved it. In addition, it’s a Mario game so it could scratch that particular itch. No, it might not be as good as Odyssey on the Switch, but it might be good enough.

“That’s a horrible lesson to teach me!” NHL shrieked in horror.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Settling,” he said.

Now, it’s true that you should always reach for your dreams. If you want to be a writer, go for it. If you want to act, go on auditions. If you want to start your own business, by all means pursue it. However, sometimes, you’ve got to realize when a desire is unrealistic. I would love to take a week off of work every month and fly to Disney World. The main problem, though, would be the cost. Well, that and the fact that I don’t have twelve weeks of vacation time a year. I simply couldn’t afford to fly down to Disney World every month. So what do I do? I settle. We can go to Disney World for a week every so many years. In the meantime, we can find other activities that are fun but cost less.

I told NHL that, sometimes, settling was not only an acceptable lesson, but a good one. It’s nice to have dreams and pursue them, but it’s also good sometimes to be a realist. There are times when you need to realize that what you desire is out of reach. When you come to find that out, you can either keep trying fruitlessly to grasp at it, mope about being unable to attain it, or set your sights slightly lower.

This “settling” doesn’t even have to be a permanent detour. It could be a temporary step that eventually leads to your dream. When I published my first novel, I didn’t quit my job to pursue a dream of having a best selling book. I could have quit and spent all my time writing. My second novel definitely would have been done faster. However, sales of my novel haven’t reached anywhere near enough to replace my full time job. Had I quit my job to write full time, we would’ve gone broke before my novels took off. You could say that I “settled” by not pursuing writing full time. That might be true, but I’m also keeping the stable income while working on my writing. If the writing takes off and I can live off of it exclusively, great. If not, I still have the pleasure of writing.

I’ve always thought of myself as an idealistic realist. I have ideals and want to pursue them, but I temper those ideals with the facts of the real world. This keeps me grounded and stops me from following my desires when it would cause ruin. NHL might have thought that “settling” was a bad lesson to teach, but I think it’s imparting a little real world into his idealism. Saving for the Switch is nice, but perhaps he could get more enjoyment – for less money – if he used his spending money elsewhere.

What do you think? Is settling a good life lesson or was I imparting a horrible piece of guidance upon my son?

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