Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Moving -- Update
Basically, it took me nine hours to load the truck (five last night and four this morning), and I packed it as full as I could possible pack it. We left behind at the old house all of our outdoor furniture as well as several items inside the house that I'll be going to retrieve tomorrow while my wife continues to unpack in the new house.
After making the drive to Indy, it took me less than four hours to unload everything into the garage, where it's all staged to be brought into the house and unpacked in an orderly fashion. As orderly as my wife can manage, anyway. I haven't been able to reassemble our daughter's crib or put the couches back in place because my wife, who was put in charge of keeping track of the hardware for the items, either packed it away in an unknown box somewhere or left it behind, as well. So our daughter will be sleeping with us tonight.
Right now, I'm about worn out for the day. It's still early, really, and there's so much that could still be done tonight, but my body's telling me it's time to take it easy. I may listen, I may not.
Tomorrow I head north to Fishers, Indiana, to pick up a table that my wife found on Craigslist for our breakfast nook. Then it's back west to the old house to retrieve as much of what we left behind as possible. And, again, we'll be heading back west on Sunday (the entire family) to clean up the old place, hand over the keys, and go to church.
I've always hated moving, but this time, as much as I hate it, it's a great feeling to be moving into our own house. Now, I better get back downstairs and see if I can give my wife a hand.
Joe
Fred Thompson
Joe
Moving...
Once I pack up the router, etc., which will probably be one of the last things to get packed, my only connection to the digital realm will be SMS posting via Twitter. Until then, I'll be putting progress updates in both Twitter and Pownce (more detailed).
You can check out both to see how the move is progressing.
The Average Joe Radio 1-year anniversary /SLASH/ New Year episode should (I hope) be posted on January 1, 2008 -- the actual anniversary date of the show -- from our new home.
Joe
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Setting Up the Services
So I contacted all of the various utility companies that service the area. Electric, no problem. Water, no problem. There is no gas, which is definitely not a problem. The only area of choice in the utility business these days is in telecommunications -- phone, cable, internet.
My wife assembled a listing of various companies, and I began calling them. First on the list was SBC (formerly Ameritech, Southwestern Bell, or any one of probably a million other names they've used in the past). When I called the number listed online for SBC, I reached a company called White Fence. The agent described the company as a sort of broker of communications services that could set me up with service from any of the providers in the area. The first clue that you aren't dealing with the best person is when that person is a reseller of the service you are looking for. This White Fence agent told me that SBC was not available in our new area (Indianapolis), and that the only provider she listed that could offer all three services (phone, cable, and internet) to us was AT&T (which, of course, is formerly SBC). She offered me a package that included unlimited local and long distance phone service with "the ten most popular phone features," broadband internet with a 3 megabyte upload/download rate, and "the 100 most popular channels" from Dish Network, for $104.98 per month, including HBO and Cinemax for free for six months.
I have no desire to have HBO and Cinemax in my home, and a 3 megabyte upload/download rate would actually be a downgrade over our current service with Time Warner/Road Runner. I also have no desire to switch to satellite television service. They said they could upgrade me to 5 megabytes for $10 more per month, but dropping the satellite television from the deal would change my phone service from unlimited long distance to ten cents per minute.
I also called Brighthouse Networks, which is apparently a local provider of the same services. For $99 and change they can offer me a similar package with a 1.5 megabyte upload/download rate. Wow! At that speed, I might as well connect with NetZero or Juno dial up service for free. Could you imagine trying to host a podcast at that speed? They, too, could upgrade my speed for an additional $10 per month, but only to 3 megabytes.
I finally settled with Comcast. For $102 a month we have the most basic digital cable package available, broadband internet with a 6 megabyte rate, "unlimited" bandwidth (I'll be testing that one, for sure), and digital phone service with unlimited local and long distance service. And they can have everything hooked up the afternoon that we're moving into the house.
Anybody out there have any experience with Comcast internet and phone service?
Joe
Monday, December 24, 2007
Why I Pownce My Tweets
Social networks abound. There's Twitter, Pownce, and Jaiku; MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster; iLike, LinkedIn, and Utterz; and who knows how many that I didn't mention. It seems that, to stay connected in the digital world today, you have to dedicate a huge portion of your day to just updating the several social network sites available.Which is why I've started Powncing my Tweets [posts made to Twitter, if you aren't familiar, are commonly referred to as "tweets"]. What exactly does that mean, you might ask?
Well, there are many social networking sites, as I've said, but it seems that the most popular one of all is Twitter. And there are many, many ways to post your "tweets" to Twitter. Of course, you can simply post them directly from the site at Twitter.com. Or you can use one of the many third party applications, one of the most popular of which is Snitter. Snitter allows you to have a separate window on your desktop to update and stay updated without actually having a browser window open.
One nice and simple feature of Twitter is that you can use Google Talk to post tweets and follow other posts. With the very simple Google Talk interface, this means that you hardly have to use any additional system resources to have a Twitter window open, since you probably already have Google Talk open all the time, anyway. No separate program to open, nothing new to learn or install.
And if you're any kind of a techy -- which you probably are if you're reading this site and a frequent user of Twitter -- then you probably use Mozilla Firefox as your internet browser of choice, and can easily use the TwitterFox addon and FoxyTunes to keep up on Twitter. This, when I'm just following Twitter independently of other social networking sites, is probably my method of choice.
There's also the Firefox addon, Twitterbar, which allows you to post a link of any site you're browsing to Twitter by simply clicking a small icon in the address bar of your browser.And if you've spent any time browsing in this internet, digital age, then you are probably completely familiar with the concept of mashups, which is simply a term which means putting two or more different Internet services or technologies together to create a more useful, or easier to use service.
One such service is Twitku. Twitku is a mashup that combines Twitter, Jaiku, and now Pownce, into one simple site. Currently you can post simultaneously to both Twitter and Jaiku, but can only view your Pownce feeds. Surely expanded use of the Pownce service on Twitku is just around the corner.Now, all of the above assumes that you're a Microsoft Windows user. I haven't (and won't) mention any third party programs or browser addons designed for use on Apple OS-X. I'm not an Apple fan, and admittedly know nothing about the hardware or the operating system.
But I am a newly converted user of Ubuntu Linux. And there are a couple of third party applications available for use in Linux, such as Twitux. Like most applications for Linux, Twitux is much more basic than it's Windows based counterparts, but nonetheless provides a convenient way to stay up to date on your Twitter feed without having to have a browser window open all the time. It's easy to post to and easy to follow.
As is the Linux version of Google Talk, Pidgin, which allows you to sign in to your Google Talk account using Jabber and follow and post Twitter updates from the chat client. The only thing missing from the Pidgin interface is the Twitter avatars that people tend to be so creative with.But I've been spending all of this time talking about Twitter, and have yet to get to the meat of what this post is all about. Why I have switched to posting my Tweets via Pownce.
Pownce is a social networking site very similar to Twitter. It is, in many ways, much more powerful than Twitter, while in other ways it could stand to learn a thing or two from the Twitter team.While you cannot yet (as far as I have been able to figure out, anyway) post to Pownce via SMS, as you can so easily do with Twitter, you can submit much longer posts to Pownce than the 140 character limit of Twitter. You can easily post links and pictures and even events to share with your contacts.
One thing that makes Pownce the perfect tool for me is TwitterFeed. By simply signing in with an OpenID account, you can set up any RSS feed to automatically be pushed to your Twitter account at a predetermined interval. Using this service, I post to my Twitter account my blog entries as well as my Pownce entries. Which means I can write longer posts to Pownce, including links, events, and pictures, and my Pownce entries are automatically pushed to Twitter by TwitterFeed.com. This means that when I'm sitting at my computer, I usually post to Twitter via Pownce.
It's a lot to digest, I know, and it seems there are new social networking sites/tools available every day. It's nearly impossible to stay caught up. But for me, for now, I'll be using Pownce to make most of my social networking posts (because Jaiku pulls my Twitter feed in automatically, meaning that a Pownce post eventually hits all three of the most popular short message networking sites), and I'll be staying up to date with my contacts on Twitter using TwitterFox or Snitter mostly, but occasionally by following directly at Twitter.com. I just wish Pownce would enable SMS posting.
Joe
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Christmas - What Do You Believe?
Crossfire: TKO
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Kevin Dremel: A Christmas Story
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Feedback Line: (206) 600-4JOE
Email Feedback: joe@averagejoeamerican.us
SUBSCRIBE
Add to ZuneFriday, December 21, 2007
Average Joe Radio Show 54: Joe Knows Google
I'll Be Home For Christmas by Twisted Sisterand the podcast debut of:
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Let It Go by Brett Mikels
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
This Feeling by Malcolm Singleton
courtesy of Malcolm Singleton
You Hold The Thunder by Scot Longyear
courtesy of Scot Longyear
God Speaks and He Lives by Charlie Catura
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Bye Bye, Baby, Bye Bye by Ron Rutherford
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Born In America by Neil Brian Goldberg
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
October Skies by Sidewalk Prophetsplus some great content from Utterz.com:
courtesy of Sidewalk Prophets
*Robert
zooks
newmediajim
jasontucker
Feedback Line: (206) 600-4JOE
Email Feedback: joe@averagejoeamerican.us
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Fwd: Oklahoma Atty Gen Bans Christmas. Seriously.
| Dear RedState Reader, Drew Edmondson is the Oklahoma Attorney General. Recently he rounded up conservative activists and threw them in jail for circulating petitions to get conservatives on the ballot. Now, however, Oklahoma Atty Gen. Drew Edmondson has done something even nuttier. He has issued an advisory opinion from the Attorney General's Office directing universities and public employees in Oklahoma to refrain from using or writing the word "Christmas." Mark Tapscott with the Washington Examiner has the details . Mark notes, "Edmondson issued an advisory opinion to officials at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford advising them that the word "Christmas" should not be spoken by any employee of the state school, not written in any official holiday decorations." Attorney General Edmondson can be reached at 405-521-3921. Please call and wish him a Merry Christmas and ask why he banned Christmas. All the best and Merry Christmas to you, Erick Erickson |
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Matthew Ebel - Goodbye Planet Earth
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Connection Timed Out Error
I've been having a little trouble with my Domain Registrar lately. I have domain forwarding/masking set up so that when you type or click on a link to go to http://www.averagejoeamerican.us, you're taken to the actual Blogger hosted location of my site, http://averagejoeblogs.blogspot.com, and the address bar on your browser still displays http://www.averagejoeamerican.us. It's a pretty basic and simple service involving the use of an empty frame in which the actual page is loaded.Anyway, over the past couple of days, there have been problems loading this forwarding page, and you get something like the error pictured above. This infuriates me on one point (you can't access the page via the domain I paid for and registered), and makes me glad at the same time that the page isn't actually hosted by the registrar (you can still access the page at it's Blogger location).
So for those of you reading this in an RSS reader, or via email, please, for the time being, point your browsers to http://averagejoeblogs.blogspot.com. I will update you when things are working properly again.
Joe
Connection Timed Out Error
I've been having a little trouble with my Domain Registrar lately. I have domain forwarding/masking set up so that when you type or click on a link to go to http://www.averagejoeamerican.us, you're taken to the actual Blogger hosted location of my site, http://averagejoeblogs.blogspot.com, and the address bar on your browser still displays http://www.averagejoeamerican.us. It's a pretty basic and simple service involving the use of an empty frame in which the actual page is loaded.Anyway, over the past couple of days, there have been problems loading this forwarding page, and you get something like the error pictured above. This infuriates me on one point (you can't access the page via the domain I paid for and registered), and makes me glad at the same time that the page isn't actually hosted by the registrar (you can still access the page at it's Blogger location).
So for those of you reading this in an RSS reader, or via email, please, for the time being, point your browsers to http://averagejoeblogs.blogspot.com. I will update you when things are working properly again.
Joe
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Fred Supports Florida Marriage Amendment
"I applaud the work of Florida Coalition to Protect Marriage. Their efforts will give the people of Florida a voice on this very important subject. I strongly believe in the time honored principle of marriage being a union between one man and one woman, the foundation of any civilized society. Florida’s Marriage Amendment will have my support in 2008. As President, I will appoint judges who apply the law, not make it up from the bench. We should not be held subject to judicially created social policy, and I will use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to defend the institution of marriage."
Average Joe Radio Show 53: Merry Christmas
Show 53 is posted early this week, in anticipation of sending my computer into the shop to have the system board and USB board replaced. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!
Intro music provided by:
RICH PALMER: I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
LORD WEATHERBY: Santa Claus Is Freaking Me Out
Courtesy of Airplay Direct
THE GROOVE BARBERS: O Christmas Tree
Courtesy of IODA Promonet
BOB BURGER: Gonna Be Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
DAN THE AUTOMATOR: Jingle Bells Remix
Courtesy of IODA Alliance
LEE HARRIS: Citizens Band - The Day The Truckers Saved Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
BRENT BURNS: Santa's Gone NASCAR
Courtesy of Airplay Direct
JIMMIE BRATCHER: Man It's Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
SLAU: If Everyday Were Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
GEOFF SMITH: My Own Merry Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
MATTHEW EBEL: Christmas 2004 Live - Walk A Thousand Miles
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
JAY GOEPPNER: A Soldier's Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
KEVIN REEVES: Mother
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
RONNIE: Christmas Time of Year
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
WOODY PHILLIPS: The Twelve Days of Christmas
Courtesy of the IODA Promonet
GEOFF SMITH: Christmas Time Around The World
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
LITTLE THOM: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Feedback Line: (206) 600-4JOE
Email Feedback: joe@averagejoeamerican.us
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Four Reasons to Vote for Fred Thompson
Thompson Unveils His "Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense"
Proposes Building "million-member Army"
McLean, VA - Fred Thompson today unveiled his "Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense" at The Citadel, where he called for increasing defense spending, building a "million-member" Army and Marine Corps, modernizing our Armed Forces, and ensuring better treatment for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and veterans. Below are a summary of his remarks as prepared for delivery.
Fred Thompson's "Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense":
· First, the U.S. must increase spending on defense. The U.S. must be prepared to increase defense spending to at least 4.5 percent of GDP, not including what it takes to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
· Second, the U.S. must increase the size of our military and proposes building a "Million-Member" ground force.
o Increase Army end strength to 775,000 organized into 64 brigade combat teams.
o Increase active duty Marine Corps forces by 50,000 to 225,000.
· Third, the U.S. must modernize its Armed Forces. We must fully field and fund the next generation of military systems to ensure U.S. forces retain dominance in the full battle space: On the battlefield, in the skies above it, and in the waters surrounding it. The investments we make today provide the means to defend our nation tomorrow.
· Fourth, the U.S. must take better care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Whether they are active duty, Guard or Reserve, they are entitled, as well, to expect the best pay and benefits our country can afford. They also deserve the best healthcare, education benefits, and support possible for their families.
Joe
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Another Ted Dekker MUST READ
Chosen
Reviewed by Jake Chism, Bookshelf Review
It’s been thirteen years since the evil Teeleh has laid waste to the beauty of Elyon’s creation. The Horde roams the desert-filled earth seeking to destroy the followers of Elyon that remain. Thomas Hunter is the commander of the Forest Guard, warriors who have given their lives in service to Elyon and fellow believers. The Horde greatly outnumbers the Forest Guard, and Thomas is reluctantly forced to encourage sixteen and seventeen year olds to fight. Out of this group four have been chosen by Thomas himself as special leaders: Johnis, Silvie, Darsal, and Billos.
These new recruits are sent on one last training mission to prove their worth to Thomas and the Guard. They soon discover there is an even greater mission in store for them, and the survival of Elyon’s followers depends on their success. They must seek out and collect the legendary Books of History before they fall into evil hands. Along the way Johnis discovers that not only was he born to lead, but his destiny is greater than he could have ever imagined.
Ted Dekker is one of the most prolific and successful CBA authors to date, and with the beginning of this great new series he only continues to elevate his status. Chosen is an extraordinary tale that builds upon the unforgettable world Dekker created in Black, Red, and White. Adventure, action, and suspense abound, and the world and characters of Elyon are rich and skillfully fashioned. The subtle connections to Dekker’s previous works are a clever and fun addition to the enjoyment.
Chosen is being marketed as Young Adult Fiction, but young and old alike will enjoy this latest offering. Dekker fans will love this new story from the Circle universe and new readers will undoubtedly be sucked in to the greatness that is Ted Dekker. This is a superb beginning to what is sure to be a fantastic series.
Stretched to their limits and celebrated as heroes, the chosen will wish they'd never been given the thankless task of finding the seven lost Books of History before the Dark One can.
Continuing against all odds their journey will now take them into the Horde City itself, to face an adversary that not even Thomas Hunter has faced. But there in the most desperate straights, new hope is found and love takes root.
And for the first time it becomes clear that their journey will take our heroes into the books themselves. Nothing will ever be the same, not for these four.
Average Joe Radio Show 52: Rockin' The House
Again I struggle with inoperable USB ports, recording this show on an analog mic. Please excuse the less than par audio quality.
Intro music:
Jazzy Intro by Charlie Catura
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Radio by Big Bang Radio
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Autumn Song by Manic Street Preachers
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Fifty Cent Millionaire by Stripwired
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Hurry Home by Tin Foil Phoenix
Courtesy of IODA Promonet
House Fire PromoTell Me The Story of Christmas by Ray Greene
http://www.karmyntyler.com/housefire.html
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/localnews/2007/11/28/house-fire-95.php
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Addicted by Strangers In Wonderland
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Calm Before The Storm by Mountain Mirrors
Courtesy of Magnatune
All The Things I Hate by Secrets In Stereo
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Nothing's Impossible by Strive
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Fire by John Jackson
Courtesy of Magnatune
Me and Billy Barnum by Josh Woodward
Courtesy of Josh Woodward
The Person In The Balcony by Charlie Catura
Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Battleship by Shane Beales
Courtesy of Shane Beales
Feedback Line: (206) 600-4JOE
Email Feedback: joe@averagejoeamerican.us
HACKED! Transfer $25,000,000.00 From mr Habib Kamran
(Re: Transfer of $25,000,000.00)
(Twenty Five Million USD)
Email: khabibdk@yahoo.fr
Good Day ,
I am Mr Habib Kamran, the Senior & Auditor General of a Bank, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an accountopened in the bank in 2000 and since 2003 nobody has operated on this account again.
After going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urge
ntly it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is a foreigner, a miner and an industrialist. He made millions of dollars before he died victoriously .Since DEC 26 2003 website details as follow: <http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/>
and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it.
My investigation proved to me that the account has no other beneficiary and that until his death he was the manager director of aluminium & steel industries (PTY). SA. We will
start the transfer with the total sum involved {twenty Five million dollars [$25,000,000.00 only, into your account, as a safe foreigners bank account abroad, but I don't know any foreigner abroad that's why I have contacted you to bear the legal sole beneficiary of the fund.
I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business. Also send your private telephone number and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I need your strong a
ssurance that you will never let me down in this business proposition.
With my influence and the position in the bank, as an official whom is working in our favour we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for sharing.
The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately you receive this fund leaving and they will be no trace to any place and to build confidence y
ou can wrote immediately to discuss with me the modalities,after I will make this remittance in your presented account and fix my resign date, to fly down to your country at least 7 days ahead of the fund transferred and confirm into the account.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 45% of the total amount, 50% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses might have incurred during the process of transferring. Reply to my private mail, khabibdk@yahoo.fr
I am waiting for your reply.
Best Regards,
Habib Kamran.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
The New House
The deal is done, and my wife and I will be moving into our new home on January 4, 2008. This is our first home purchase, and we're very excited about this beautiful home.
Mobile post sent by averagejoe using Utterz.
Posts
