Blog

Finally!

Some quick announcements.

This is post 330.

The word “Alpina” has been removed form all posts, and exists only in this one. They have all been changed to the correct spelling of “Alpena”.

All links to pages on the old site (homepage.mac.com/nslyax/…) have been either removed to changed to point to the same page on this site (hooji.nfshost.com/…).

All 296 old blogs have been edited, and as far as I know, have the correct dates. Oddly, all the ones mis-dated to 12/31/1969 @4:49pm were from December 2003 or 2004. Anyway though, it’s finally done, and only took 89 days.

After 16 years of asking her, Dave Letterman has finally convinced Oprah to appear on his show, airing December 1st at around 11:35.

I finished my F@H unit for 241 more points, for 3045 points total.

That is all.

Woohoo

In case any of you don’t know, I am at Delta pursuing an AS degree in Manufacturing Engineering (my second AS, I already have Pre-Engineering) in preparation for transferring to Ferris for a BS in man. Eng. Tech. So, last week I emailed Ferris checking on a few class transfers and had nearly decided the message was lost to a spam filter somewhere. Today though, I got my response, and it cut nearly a semester off. Woohoo! I am excited, since I am already on my 4th year of a 2 year college, so moving along toward a degree I could have already had if I started toward it after HS is a very good thing.

In other news, posted a new poll, and edited more old blogs. Not much else though.

nick

Still More Site Updates

So after looking on search engines, I have found that I am listed on Yahoo, Altavista, and the google blog search, but not on MSN, Lycos, or main google. I did find that it can take 5-8 months to exit the google “sandbox” though, and since site in only 3 months old, and last site took about that long, I have decided everything is OK, though I would prefer to be listed. Also, I am wondering when the old site will be removed from search results, since it hasn’t existed in a month and a half.

I added a site history page, including screen shots of the old sites. I also updated the site’s front page and to-do list, and tinkered with the style sheet. I am liking it much more now, but still requires more work. Also, I changed to a different poll, and think this is the one. It is actually a WordPress plugin, so integrates very well. Easy for me to edit, and seems to work well for you too. We will see how it goes.

As far as Sarah’s comment on the weather, no, I cannot like this weather. Yes, today is better than the past few, but high winds and snow just aren’t for me. Like I said a month ago, I like Autumn, it’s just too bad it’s only a month long season. Thank you for commenting though.

Still More Changes

So yet more changes on the website. I changed the colors some, and the headers, and the sidebars are next. I moved the links on the top, and added a path listing under the header. I actually got into editing it because I finally got the template for the blog working, and it was rather hard to read due to colors. So, the new blog template is coming, just so you know.

The other day I realized I passed $0.50 in hosting fees. It took me 4 months, so thats pretty damn good. That comes out at $2.00 a year, which is $97 less than .Mac. Woohoo.

I am now obligated to complain about the weather. Lets face it, it rather sucks. First, it was windy. Then, it was windy but from the other direction. Then, it rained. then, it sleeted. Then, the wind calmed down, but then it snowed. Then, the snow accumulated. it’s crazy. The water in the river was a foot or more higher than normal yesterday, today it was at least 3ft low, probably more. You could walk from the middle grounds to the riverwalk pier all on dry (well, exposed and mucky anyway) ground. Anyway, this is our first real snow, and though it’s, so far at least, not accumulating on concrete yet, it is accumulating on about everything else, and that’s more than the only other snow this season (actually, it was debated that that first snow was actually a frost, which is possible, since I never saw it fall, only white on various surfaces).

In school, hmmm…

I had another math test. Only 1 more of those left thankfully. Not bad on this test, but certainly could have been better. Also, I might lose one of my classes for next semester. Right now, there are only 2 people signed up, out of 25 seats. I will still have 12 credits, so no worry there, but still, it is a required class, I need it at some point.

OK, thats all for now.

Ohh, I will go for another poll soon too. But you all need to comment more I think.

nick

General Updates

We sold the Grand Prix. It was kind of sad, cause it was a good car, and has actually be running pretty well, but we didn’t use it, and had no reason to keep it. Besides, after just trying to sell a car, you become ready to burn it if needed, just to get rid of the hassle. Anyway though, it turns out we sold it to a granddaughter of a friend of my grandmother’s.

I switched to the new poll. As I think I said, i gave up on making my own, but will modify the hell out of this one. Eventually, I may switch to a different one again, but this one seems to do what I want. For now anyway.

I registered for classes for winter. My schedule shall be as follows:

Monday: CAD-226 5-8
Tuesday: EET-235 2-4, SPH-112 4-6
Wednesday: QA-244 5-8
Thursday: EET-235 2-4, MS-114 4-10

Yes, thats 2-10PM on Thursdays, I am a little afraid, but think I will survive. And for those of you who don’t have Delta’s class codes memorized, those classes will be:

CAD-226: Parametric Modeling – A 3D CAD class
EET-235: Electronic Circuits – amounts to a 15 week review to my 2 years at Skill Center
MS-114: Machine Tool – how to use mills, saws, grinders, etc…
QA-244: Statistical Process Control – Quality control and assurance, I’m really not totally clear on what all
SPH-112: Fundamentals of Oral Communication – How to talk and write to people and not look stupid (more people should take this I think)

OK, I think that’s it though.

nick

More Updates

I made a lot of updates to the website. First, was the addition of a poll in the blog sidebar, though I may be swapping that out for a better one soon. Next, was the addition of links in the blog sidebar to the gallery and homepage. These were both by request. Then I got into the bigger stuff though, and added a header to all the site pages and changed the sidebars to only show links within the section, rather than a dauntingly long list of links you didn’t much care about. So now section links are on top, and inter-section links on side.

Also, I added all-new galleries, as well as finally getting my resume up, a to-do list, and more. There is a list of updates on the front page too. You can keep track of what I am working on on the to-do if you like, or email me with anything you want added, or just IM me.

Anyway, something else…

I finished a work-unit in folding@home finally. I got 138 points for it too. Hopefully I get smaller ones for a while now.

Jenn got me a cellphone, cause working at Covenant gets her a good deal on an add-a-phone.

OK, I think that’s all for today, probably bored you more than enough with an all-tech update.

ttyl

nick

Quintoquadagintillion

Math test today was not good. I knew 99% of the stuff, but I couldn’t finish due to spending too much time on a problem I didn’t remember how to do. Will see on Monday how I did.

Apple released updated Powermacs and PowerBooks, and a new program. Program sounds like somewhere between iPhoto and Photoshop, and is $499. Powermacs are now dual core 2.0, 2.3, and dual dual core 2.5GHz (thats 4 2.5GHz processors). Also have 16x PCI Express graphics and an open 8x and 2 4x PCI Express slots, dual Gigabit ethernet, and support for up to 16GB DDR533 RAM and 1 TB of HD. Powerbooks had 2 models dropped (those with combo drives), and the 15″ and 17″ got graphics updates as well as higher def displays and DDR 533 support,. Still no 13″ widescreen though (my dream to replace the 12″, not that I will buy till intel switch and I have $$ anyway).

Speaking of GB and TB, Scott found this cool numbers site. Sexoctagentillion, hah!

Not a lot else.

I am overall liking my current update schedule, approx. every Sunday and Wednesday, give or take. Let me know what you think.

I have work planned for the site over the weekend, so if you have troubles or see something weird, no worries. And I have a surprise for you all coming too. 🙂

Homework, Yuk

So, I am sitting here, almost done with homework, and it’s only been about 5 hours. Yuk. I need to start keeping up with it better I think.

I mowed the lawn today, and yesterday Jenn and I tried going to the Columbus Avenue Day thing, but missed it by 90 min. It probably wasn’t all that anyway. We considered going to Caro for the Tuscola County Pumpkin Fest. They were making a 16 ft pumpkin pie, the world record. We decided it was too far of a drive though, so made ham, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. Friday, I had to go in for a Man. Proc. test. And Thursday was normal school, except no Man. Proc. class.

I was flipping through today and saw that the new season of This Old House has started. I am very happy about this. I have been waiting over a month for it. Yay!

I started playing with making a new template for WP. It will be a few weeks still though. By the time I get it figured out though, I will know some more PHP and will be able to make some small changes around the rest of the site.

Speaking of the site, I have pics of our most recent camping trip up now in the gallery.

I think that’s everything. I must say, I thought it would be nice to not need to blog every 3 days, but all day yesterday I felt like I had to. Maybe I will get used to it, or maybe I will go back. We will see.

Like a Phoenix, rising from the asses.

Lots of Misc Stuff

So first up is stuff I forgot last time. Saturday evening there was a rabbit that snuck up on us while camping. It sat about 10 ft away eating something. We tried to get a picture but it camouflaged in rather well Also, we tried to go for a walk to check out the mini cabins, but the one we chose was in use. The gate in the road going up to it was locked, so we thought was vacant, but apparently the DNR gives whoever takes it the keys. Maybe someday we will rent one, that could be cool.

The new site schedule. OK, rather than a strict 3 days, I will now post all willy nilly, but within reason. There will be a 5 day maximum between posts, and no posts like “nothing” and that’s all. That just doesn’t count. With any luck, my posts will improve due to not “needing” to post at certain times.

The old site is now gone. It ended with a Yahoo search bot at 11:57pm. Is funny Yahoo would spider the site for searching 3 minutes before it becomes unavailable. Anyway, that was the 6017th, and final, visitor. The total visitor marker list is:

Jul 06 03 – 0 Counter Installed
Sep 21 03 – 100
Oct 12 03 – 200
Nov 15 03 – 400
Dec 16 03 – 600
Jan 15 04 – 650
Feb 17 04 – 750
Mar 09 04 – 850
Apr 03 04 – 950
Apr 07 04 – 1000
Jul 16 04 – 1500
Aug 21 04 – 2000
Mar 07 05 – 4000
Jul 06 05 – 5000
Aug 31 05 – 5744 switch
Sep 28 05 – 6000
Sep 30 05 – 6017 final

And that’s all for the old site. Eventually, I will rescue the old comments. It just might take a few months.

Jenn got a call on Friday, that she was hired at Covenant in Saginaw. She will be a nurse’s assistant in post-op on 3rd shift. It’s 3 days every 2 weeks, but pay is better than staples, and their 12 hour shifts. She is very excited, but a little scarred.

In the last, ehh, 72 hours, I have applied for Co-ops at both Saginaw Metal Casting and Bay City Powertrain. I hope I get one, it would be nice to have a job, especially a good one. Having been in MTP should help, but I will be the first to admit I don’t have the best GPA.

Other than all that, Jenn and I rented A Family Guy Movie: Stewie Griffin, the Untold Story. It was pretty good, basically 3 Family Guy episodes back to back that all were interrelated. Good though.

I think that’s all.

Keeping it real, real crappy.

Happy Fall

Fall is my favorite season. It’s cool out, all the trees change to cool colors (technically, yellow, orange, and red are warm colors, but you get it, right?). The air smells good (yes, even the sugar beet plant, I can smell the sweetness inside there somewhere), the last of the produce comes ripe, including the wonderful squash. It’s all just so nice. I need to go out camping in it. Maybe in 2 weeks. I love fall.

I am a little bothered that I haven’t done much here lately, but I have been busy with school and homework, so at least I wasn’t just being lazy. I need to update some webpages, work on the gallery, and fix more old blogs. At least I changed the theme. Not now though. Maybe later tonight.

Speaking of the site, Apple updated .Mac. See, long ago, .Mac was called iTools, and was free. Then, evil spammers started using the service (and Apple saw a chance for profit) and it had it’s name switched and a $99/year fee applied. So, on the day this happened, many people all signed up at once. Now, each year in September, all these people fret and complain that they, 70%-ish of the .Mac subscribers, used to get the service free, and that Apple better upgrade the service if they want them to stay members. So, Apple does. And, being September, they just did. From the original 100MB, to last years 250, and now 1GB of space, along with a few other things. Now, granted, GMail gives you 2GB, but it’s just for email, .Mac lets you use it as a remote disk. So that’s cool, but I don’t need 1GB, nor do I have $99. If there was a $20 100MB and it came with PHP and MySQL so I could keep WordPress (which I vastly prefer over iBlog) I would consider it. But, since that didn’t happen, Apple will be 1 more member short come next Saturday.

School is OK. I had a Pre-Calc test Wednesday, so no homework for the weekend, woohoo. I have a major, and a plan, and it excites me. I need to talk to a counselor at Ferris though I think, or maybe one of the counselors at Delta could help me, I don’t know.

I am running Folding@Home again. Only as a screensaver though, not the full background app. I haven’t completed a work unit yet though, after like 3 or 4 days of running it.

River of Time is this weekend. You should all go, because it’s cool. It’s another good part about fall.

Not sure what else.

I guess that’s it.

Yeah, that’s it.

Enjoy the fall.