Month: May 2008

Mixing Music with MixWit

A few months ago I created a mixed tape using MuxTape that requires you to upload your own MP3s. It’s a fun service but only allows you to upload 12 songs. As best I can tell, the only way to upload more music would be to create another account.

Today I heard about MixWit which allows you to create similar mixes but, instead of uploading your own MP3s, it searches other services for the music you want and creates a mix on the fly. I like how MixWit allows you to change the look of the tape and create a number of different tapes. Very cool!

Here’s the first mix tape I created tonight with a few of my favorite tunes from the 70’s.

 

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Elka Turns Eight

Eight years ago Kim held a cute and very squirmy boxer puppy on her lap as I drove north towards Seattle. We’d just picked up our new baby from a breeder in Chehalis, WA. I believe she was about eight or nine weeks old at the time and we’ve enjoyed her exuberant and attentive personality ever since.

She’s not as active as she used to be, but she still loves to play with the kids, chase squirrels, and watch over our home. I can’t imagine having a better dog for our family. I hope she’s with us for many years to come, although we understand that boxers, on average, don’t live as long as many other breeds.

Kim took this picture of Elka enjoying the sun in our backyard today.

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Friends

Last week wasn’t one of my better weeks at work. I won’t go into details here but dealing with HR over personnel issues about as fun jumping into a pool full of push pins. I spent most of the week writing and justifying and writing some more.

So I was pretty down all week. The only thing I was doing well was keeping to myself. I kept my office door shut at work which I seldom do. I ate lunch at my desk and I skipped the vanpool a couple of times. I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. About anything.

But the kindness of two friends jolted me out of my self pity on the same night.

Thursday evening I missed my ride home and Kim had locked her keys in our van so I was stuck at work at 7 pm while most of my coworkers had gone for night. One of my employees who recently accepted another job (with no incentive to impress me) offered to give me a ride home at 10 pm and a good 60 miles out of his way.

Another friend IM’d me at work to say it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Who knew? But his wife had baked cookies and they were on their over to our house to drop off a bunch. I love the fact that I have a friend who has the wherewithal to know when National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is and takes action.

Here’s to a better week. It can only go up from here. Thanks to two friends for lifting my spirits when there wasn’t much to be lifted last week.

Attempting To Convert Some Germans

Many years ago, I served a two year LDS mission to Germany. I realized today that I’ve not written much about the experiences I had during those years and then it hit me why: IT WOULD BORE YOU TO DEATH.

It’s not very interesting hearing how a church plunks young 19-year old kids into a different country and sets them off to convert a group of people who believe that church is something to attend on Easter and Christmas Eve. Telling these people that, in order to join my church, all they need to do is:

  1. Attend church every week for 3 hours
  2. Tithe 10% of your income to the church
  3. Stop drinking beer

The first two on the list are difficult but not impossible.

But #3 is a deal breaker.

Try telling a German he can’t drink beer anymore and see how well that goes over. Might as well tell him to stop breathing air. That would be the equivalent of banning SportsCenter, Scooby Doo and Days of Our Lives in our home. There’s no way that’s happening. Game over.

Trying to convert people to a religion that requires a good deal of participation is a difficult prospect. Add to that that most Germans had only heard of Mormons in conjunction with plural marriage or Donny Osmond and you have all the ingredients for an entertaining discussion.

On more than one occasion we’d find someone who appeared interested in our teachings and was progressing towards baptism. That is, until we told him that plural marriage was banned in 1890. The idea of having more than one wife was something these guys could get excited about, and we dashed their hopes as quickly as you could say “Oh Heck”.

Most days on a mission consist of attempting to talk to people who don’t want to hear what you have to say and handing out books nobody wants to read. And riding a nerdy looking bike with a ringer bell on the front and a wire basket on the back. It’s a miracle I didn’t get my butt kicked riding this embarrassment around town. This bike was so bad that it was stolen one night and returned two days later. Even a bike thief couldn’t be seen on this clunker.

I’ve had many years to think about what I learned during those years spent in Germany. I’ve come to the conclusion that, more than anything, I learned to handle rejection. I’d speak to dozens of Germans telling me I’m an idiot for spending my own (ok, my parents) money to come to their country and teach them about a tiny, US based religion. 

And yet I did it. And not only did I do it for two years, I was happy to do it. At least most of the time. I got spit on a few times and had a few beer bottles tossed my way. But nearly all the Germans I met were very kind. Even those that called me crazy for thinking I could convert them told me they respected my conviction in my beliefs.

So next time you see those crazy guys riding bikes while wearing dark suits in the hot weather, give them a break and don’t make fun of them. They’ve probably had 50 doors slammed in their face that day and will be thrilled to to be acknowledged by your wave or smile compared to other gestures they regularly see.

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Calling Comcast at Midnight

When we moved into our current home I had a choice between Qwest DSL service and Comcast Cable for high speed internet. Qwest service was less expensive and we had good luck with our DSL service when we lived in Seattle. So I decided to try DSL since we needed a phone line for our DirecTivo receiver anyway and the bundled price (phone + DSL) was reasonable.

But the DSL service hasn’t been as reliable as I expected. Flashing the DSL modem with the latest ROM from the Qwest website hosed the modem and our speeds have been in the 150k down/550k up range. We’ve never approached the 1500k download speed that Qwest advertises. On a good day we might reach 1100k although the upload speeds have been consistently over 600k till lately.

So last night Kim and I finally had it with slow internet speeds. Running a number of speed tests confirmed we weren’t getting close to the speed we are paying $42/month for. Here’s what I’m getting as I write this.

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I went to the Comcast website to see what type of service they have at our location. Their website is easy to navigate although not very helpful. When I fed it my address it gave me the option to order high speed internet online but only if I were a current Comcast cable TV customer which I am not. I eventually located the customer support number and called expecting to hear a message stating their offices were closed given it was midnight.

I was surprised when a man answered the phone and offered to answer my questions. Yes, high speed internet is available at my home. Yes, I can supply my own cable modem. I can even have it installed as early as Monday. The only confusion came when I asked about prices. I heard him shuffling papers around for a bit. He said he needed a few minutes to locate the “pricing chart” for customers who don’t bundle phone or TV service. I can’t be the only person that does this, and why wouldn’t the prices already be loaded in system? He asked if I wanted to order service which I did, but not without a solid price quote.

For a split second I pictured myself signing up for some exotic broadband service that includes satellites, underwater fiber lines and unmarked black vans for $3000 a month.

He eventually found the pricing chart, but his voice didn’t instill much confidence when he said, “It’s about $42 a month…oh wait…it’s ten dollars more since you only have internet”. I said, “So it’s $52 a month?” and he replied, “Let me see what the computer says”.

Can someone at Comcast introduce the computer and the pricing chart to each other?

He typed some stuff into his computer for a bit. He then said, “It’s normally $99 to install your service, but I’ve got some coupons around here”.

Coupons?

More paper shuffling.

At this point I started to wonder if I had called the wrong number and got some kid playing World of Warcraft in his mother’s basement.

More typing as I now wondered if maybe I shouldn’t have removed that 56k modem from my PC a few years back.

Eventually, he enthusiastically exclaimed that the “coupon worked!” and that I would only be charged 20 bucks for the installation. “That’s great news”, I remarked to which he replied, “Funny how nobody minds the wait when I’m saving them money”.

I had to cover the phone while I giggled a bit. This kid is a crack up. 

He then asked me the weirdest question of the night which is saying something: “In order to access your account in the future I’ll need the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. But my system will only allow me to put the last 4 numbers into the computer if you give me all nine digits”.

WTH????

It was past 12:30 am by now. I decided to give him what he needed to place the order and hope my identity is safe.

Comcast internet is scheduled to be installed on Monday between the hours of 8 am and Noon. If nobody shows up, I’ll know there’s at least one more Brett Nordquist running around.

What’s Taking So Long?

I’ve uninstalled hundreds of Windows programs over the years. Most just take a few seconds to remove. Maybe a few minutes to get rid of a larger applications like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite.

But I’ve never had a product tell me it’s going to take OVER 2 HOURS to uninstall itself like Tunebite did tonight.

I could install a fresh copy of Windows XP in 148 minutes.

I could watch the extended version of the Blue Brothers in exactly 148 minutes.

I could burn off about 2000 calories on our treadmill in 148 minutes.

I could do 4 loads of laundry and still forget to add fabric softener in 148 minutes.

I could listen to Pink Floyd’s, Dark Side of the Moon 3.5 times in 148 minutes.

That’s almost enough time to round up my kids and tuck them into bed.

But not quite.

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Microsoft releases the Worldwide Telescope

Microsoft released the Worldwide Telescope for download this weekend. This is the coolest product I’ve seen come out Microsoft in years. Maybe ever. This is the product that made Robert Scoble cry the first time he saw a demo and now I understand why.

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I can’t stop clicking around the galaxy. This is very addicting. Work can wait while I zoom around the cosmos.

It’s breathtaking. Amazing. And freaking cool.

Hey, Microsoft just created something cool that doesn’t have a big green X on it.

I like that Microsoft put out a product just because they can. I have no idea if they will attempt to create a business or service. But there’s no doubt that my kids will have the opportunity to learn about space and the universe in a manner that wasn’t available to me.

Mom’s Influence

I didn’t get to see my mom in person this Mother’s Day like I did last year. But I just got off the phone with her after nearly a two hour chat. I wish she lived closer. I was raised in a home where my dad worked long hours and my mom worked even longer hours at home. I don’t recall a time when I needed her and she wasn’t there. She was there at the door reminding me to wear a jacket as I left to school. The rule was the temperature had to be a firm 60 degrees or higher in order to go jacketless so I spent a lot of time calling the time and temperature number. I called that number so often I’m surprised they didn’t have a recording customized for me that went something like,  “Too bad. It’s only 55 degrees this morning. Try calling back when the sun’s out”.

Mom attended hundreds of my baseball, football and basketball games. We lived in Utah so many of the games were played in rainy, cold temperatures. No matter how I played she was proud of me. She was always there for me. Yet she knew when I needed to talk and when to give me space. It was uncanny how she practiced this delicate balance in reacting to the ups and downs of school, sports and girls.

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Dad & Mom in Ogden, Utah

She’s a voracious reader and possesses an amazing range of knowledge. She also had this weird skill where she could guess the puzzle on Wheel of Fortune when only a few letters were showing. I swear she should have gone on that show because nobody would have been able to hang with her. We used to watch the early versions together when the winner went shopping for overpriced gifts like the his and hers baby blue jogging suits for $300. Those were sweet!

I’ve been thinking about the many areas where my mom has influenced me. Here are a few of them:

Organized Minimalist– My mom never kept a bunch of sentimental crap around our house. She hated clutter, and I learned early that my homework, wallet, and paychecks had better find a home other than the kitchen table or I’d be spending the next morning searching for them in the garbage can. I’m the same way now and it drives Kim crazy.

Outspoken – My mom always spoke her mind. Often in blunt terms. I’m the same way which means I end up offending some people. Although it wasn’t always easy to hear, I appreciated knowing where I stood with her.

Love of Music – My mom always had music playing in our home. I’ve teased her about her taste in music but, looking back, it wasn’t bad. She listened to Abba, the Bee Gees, Roberta Flack, Simon and Garfunkel and the Beach Boys. She’d let me stay up late listening to my music while I rocked back and forth in her rocking chair eventually leaving permanent marks in the shag carpet.

Classy Dress– Although my dad didn’t approve of some of the clothing I wore, my mom was normally very supportive in my choice of attire. She allowed me to experiment and find my own style. My mom always looked great when she left the house. Something she learned from her mother. She also taught me to iron my own clothing at an early age which came in handy when I served a Mormon mission and wore white dress shirts for two years.

Dedicated Writer – I wish my mom would start a blog but I’m not sure her health would allow it now. But she’s kept a journal for as long as I can remember and is a fantastic writer. Her writing style is very unique and her penmanship just cool looking. When she had something to write that she didn’t want us kids to read she’d write it in shorthand. As a kid, I’d find a piece of paper full of short hand except at the very top of the page where she’d written, “Christmas List”. Ingenious yet pure torture for us kids.

At church today, Luca, Lincoln and Anna Lynn ran up on stage with the rest of the primary children and sang my favorite children’s song (I Often Go Walking) as a tribute to mothers. They sang. They smiled. They even waved as us a few times. I wish their grandmothers could have been there to see those cute grinning faces.

I’m certain they will be influenced by many of those same traits and skills I learned from my mother.

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Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I thought about you all day and was thrilled tonight when you told me that you read my blog every day.

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400 Days

Today we had a celebration at work for a young man who works as a technical specialist for me.

We gave him an Xbox 360 Elite and a number of games.

We had a cake made in his honor.

You may wonder what this young man did to deserve the party the gifts and the recognition.

It’s not because he worked late last Friday crimping cable for an event long after all but one other technician were enjoying the weekend.

It’s not because he’s one of the most polite and respectful young men I’ve met nor is it because he’s a solid technician.

No, we celebrated today because this young man is leaving us to serve our country in Baghdad for 400 days.

400 days. In the heat of the desert. In a country where soldiers are killed every day.

This is his second assignment in Iraq. He’s works on the water as an Army boat mechanic running up and down the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

As I shook his hand today I noticed he was wearing a pair of glasses with thick lenses. I asked him if he wears contacts while on duty. He responded, “No, we can’t wear contacts because if we come under gas attack the plastic lenses will melt to our eyes”.

What does one say to that?

I told him how proud I am of his dedication and service to our country. I told him that we’ll be praying for his safe return.

I’m overwhelmed by this kids bravery. He’s half my age but has twice my courage.

When he returns we’ll have another party. With an even bigger cake.

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