techno.blog("Dion")

I heard a most bizarre story last night when out with some friends. It is so bizarre that for a sick reason, I thought I would share it with you all :)

A couple friend used to have ferrets as pets. The word “ferret” is comedic itself, let alone the strange looking animal. I am sure already the fact that this couple were in charge of ferrets says something about them.

Well, their last ferret had the misfortune to get cancer (which I hear is common for a ferret). This ferret fell out of where it was sleeping, and hit its back on a podium that it played on.

This caused a paralysis from the mid point of the creature down to its back legs. All poor Mr. Ferret could do was crawl, dragging itself around with its front paws. There was also a bad side effect. The bladder and intestines are in that lower half which wasn’t working at all. This is where the title of this entry comes into play: Juicing the Ferret.

Juicin’ is the phrase that our friends used to try to bring humour into a painful, and gross situation. They had to find the ferrets bladder and push out the urine. And, of course, it got worse. I don’t need to spell that out. Oh, what we do for our pets!

So now, if I am having a bad day I can think back, and be happy that I don’t have to juice anything, or anyone.

Dion

ps. The ferret got better again, and was pulling through the cancer, until “an accident in the home” made it all for nought :/

I had to watch the Bush speech tonight. I knew I would cringe, but you have to watch what everyone is saying.

It is amazing how little content we get on policies. Anyone can come out and say “I WILL GET MORE JOBS IN MY NEXT TERM”. What about this term? What have you done in your four years? Nothing good.

It is painful to hear him talk about items such as education and claim good things. “No Child Left Behind” is a fantastic slogan, but it has been a nightmare. It is a mandated program with NO funding. It is crippling schools. Just testing kids isn’t going to do jack.

What was most disgusting was hearing people cheer after Bush talked about detaining and killing people. These large speeches look and sound like Hitlers. Really scary stuff.

The sad part is that some people eat this stuff up. I hope there is enough time for real debates, and for us to get into real policy issues. When it gets to the meat, the president has no legs to stand out.

Let’s get him out. I can’t take four more years. I will have to move to Canada aye?

I feel like I am following in a bit of a tradition here… talking about seeing a movie :)

I saw Garden State, and thought it was the best film that I have seen in a long time.

Zach Braff is the main guy from Scrubs, which I have always liked too. Not only did he do a quality job acting, but when the credits came down, I saw that he wrote and directed the damn thing! I am very impressed.

The music was top class too, so I had to grab the soundtrack (which was produced by Zach too. Where does he find the time???). I really love Zero 7 “In the waiting line”.

Great stuff. I am looking forward to his next.

So, Man Utd finally got Wayne Rooney to join the club.

I wonder what Alan Smith, Paul Scholes, Louis Saha, and Ruud think of that. How do you find room for all of these people? Can Alan move back to mid field?

Great to have quality like Wayne… but he is young, and I hope he can pull it off!

A new national study re-ignites the debate over the promise and limitations of charter schools. Created as alternatives to failing public schools, charter schools were supposed to offer more innovation and less bureaucracy. But what about academic achievement?

A new AFT study came out: Charter Schools Underperforming, Results Repeatedly Delayed

The study argues that IN THE WHOLE public schools are doing very well compared to charter schools.

This is just one study, but it is important to have the debate. Charter schools are GOOD alternatives to “mainstream” public schools (since charter schools are public themselves).

We definitely need to support all of our public schools. We need to take charter schools on a case by case basis. There are amazing ones, and bad ones (like anything else). Since a charter school can run things how they want, you have to take even more care.

I got a Vonage VoIP setup, and it has proved to be a pain in the arse, mostly NOT to do with Vonage.

The local phone company obviously doesn’t want to lose out, so what have they done? If someone in my area code dials either: XXX-YYYY or XXX-YYY-ZZZZ it is meant to come through (7 digits still work here which is nice).

However, ONLY 1-XXX-YYY-ZZZZ seems to actually work from a local land line in the same area code. The company will NOT route another number through. This is just another PITA things that they are doing to drag their heals. I have also heard that although you are meant to be able to transfer your numbers around, they sometimes make it REALLY hard. :(

As you mow the lawn you get time to think (and now I have the mower working I can!).

I was thinking about how I am excited to have started my own company, Adigio. I get the freedom to do my own thing. Make my own mistakes. And only have one idiot boss (me!).

Then I remembered back in time, when I was over here on various VISAs (student VISA, then company sponsored). At that point I didn’t have any flexibility. As a student I could only work for a short period of time per week. When sponsored by a company, I was tied to them. As I think about it now, that seems really painful and risky. What if the company had tanked? What if I really wanted to move on?

The idea of freedom is an interesting one. As an “alien” in “someone elses” country, I definitely felt “different” at first. It was quite upsetting to realise that I had NO RIGHTS to be on this piece of land, on this part of a moving sphere. That felt so strange to me. How can someone NOT let me be in this space!

I understand that you need some laws (”I don’t want everyone moving [insert where I live here!”), but now I empathize a lot with any immigrant wanted to get to a better life…. especially if they aren’t allowed.

I am thankful for now having all of the freedoms that I am allowed.

Maybe I will discuss the craziness that I went through to get my green card, and get past the “protectors of our soil” :/

Today was my first day at my new home. Already the “oh shoot, I am a home owner” has set it :)

Gas Mower

I needed to mow the lawn, and have a new gas mower. I am only used to electric ones (from England), and had a nightmate getting it to start.

My father in law came over after work, and I went through the “I did this, and it didn’t… er why did that just start?”

I am such a wally. I was starting it ON the grass, and that was why it didn’t work!

Broadband

Getting broadband is meant to be simple these days, no? Well, 5 hours later, and it wasn’t working. The cable guy was trying hard, but didn’t seem to really have a clue. He was on tech support, and they kept telling me that I had to “reinstall my computer”. Come on.

As something obviously wasn’t right, I asked him to try a new cable modem. “That isn’t the problem”, “Just humour me”. You can guess the rest.

Finally, back up and at ‘em.

TiVo

I plugged in TiVo (via my wireless phone system), and it can’t dial out correctly. I have tried multiple numbers and to no avail. Luckily I found that I can use a USB wireless card, and will join my wireless network. First, I have to haul my TiVo to a real phone, get the update, and then setup the network!

I saw a trailer for Wimbledon the movie, which is done by the Notting Hill / Bridget Jones Diary folk.

It basically seems to be about Tim Henman. A brit doesn’t reach his potential… yet comes through in the end (which is what people WANT to happen with Tim).

After the trailer finished a bloke behind me said “Wow the english are ‘different’”. I think I shocked him when I said “We aren’t that different mate!”

I ran across the Amazon Plog.

Everyone is getting into the blogging act!

Or should I saw Plogging act :)