August 31, 2002
Good Weekend
New England 28 - Washington 14 (yeah it was pre-season, but a win is a win)
I think I sold my house. We are negotiating some details - but they are minor so I'd be shocked if they killed the deal.
And best of all - I'm on vacation next week. I'll probably post a time or two from the beach.
Later.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 29, 2002
Columbia Gas Sucks
I'm trying to establish an account with Columbia Gas for my new house. The customer service rep requests my social security number. I know I have the legal right to refuse, but its really not worth the effort. Do the credit check, leave me alone.
For some reason, the omnipotent "IT" says that my SS# and name do not match, and that I must verify my identity by faxing my social security card and drivers license to them. Since I'm buying a house and have been credit checked to death, I know there are no anomolies in my credit record. This is a system error on their side. After having them double check the spelling of my name and number, I politely refused. No organization has ever required my social security card, even the INS form you do with a new job has several options to prove your elgibility. I'm certaintly nox faxing copies to an unknown fax number where some $8 an hour loser can use it to hijack my identity and make my life a living hell for the next few years.
A little web research has indicated that as a public utility providing a regulated service, they can not require my social security number for anything. I've already got the number for the county utlity manager, and the CEO of Columbia Gas, ready to go. I'll give "the supervisor" unitl 9 AM tomorrow to return my call - then I'm going to get ugly in a hurry.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 28, 2002
What will they drive in Smokey & The Bandit 8?
The final Chevy Camaro is scheduled to roll off the assembly line today, and the assembly plant will be closed.
In related news, the entire state of Alabama will shut down Friday for a day of mourning.
When we were in college, my wife had a camaro, a black Z28 with T-Tops and the small block V8, to be exact. Yeah baby.....
Update - FamousJames sent me an email commenting that Burt actually drove a Trans-Am in the movies. He's right - its a cousin of the Camaro. They are still shutting down Alabama to mourn though.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 27, 2002
Your Tax Dollars At Work
We received a late notice from the library today. Eight of them to be exact. One for each book. Sent individually. First Class.
That's $2.96 of Loudoun County tax receipts gone. From a library that does not charge late fees.
We returned the books yesterday.
Government.
Permalink | Comments (1)The True Meaning of baseball
Kieran Lyons absolutely nails the true meaning of baseball - although I bet this story can be applied to every sport known to man.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 26, 2002
Compared to this, game winning field goals should be easy
Read this amazing and heart wrenching story of Purdue's new field goal kicker.
The little boy stood alone in the center of hell, wearing his own blood and the blood of god knows who else, and he was spattered with dirt from the explosion of a mortar rocket fired by Serbian soldiers...continue
Permalink | Comments (0)Hot off the grill
This is the best BBQ site I've ever seen. Great tips on how to grill perfect steak, chicken, fish, etc. Get yourself some Gates BBQ sauce and you will be all set for the final cookouts of summer.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 25, 2002
Dog on a Cycle?
As I was toolin' around town today, I saw some guy on a motorcycle, with his dog somehow attached to the bike behind him. I only got a brief glance , but it looked like the poor animal was strapped in place somehow behind the driver. And no, the dog was not wearing a helmet!
I wish I would have thought to call the cops, that can't be legal. And it certaintly isn't safe, for the dog or the driver.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 24, 2002
Regulation by any other word...
Eugene Vokolh, whom I usually agree with, is way off base when he comments that "he has no problem with government imposing certain output based requirements on homeschoolers." He sees "input" requirements, such as California's phantom certification requirements, as silly.
My question for Eugene is, what is the difference? Who is to say if my child is learning or not? Whose standards of learning take precidence? If we accept that somebody should the final judge of learning (and I don't accept that by the way - this is just a thought experiment), why would we ever trust the government to be that judge?
My wife and I (mostly my wife!) are far more qualified than any teacher working for a school. And it has nothing to do with the 4 college degrees we hold between us. Its because we care more than anybody else, and we certaintly care more than a government employee working in a school.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 23, 2002
The Great Google Experiement
A couple a weeks ago, I created a google text ad to advertise my house that I'm selling. The results are:
Keyword / Clicks / Impressions / Percentage
Leesburg VA------------------- 61 / 3899 / 1.5%
Northern Virginia Homes----- 11 / 1286 / .8%
loudoun real estate----------- 5 / 665 / .7
loudoun homes---------------- 3 / 263 / 1.1%
northern virginia real estate-- 5 / 1802 / .2%
dc homes----------------------- 0 / 851 / 0%
Total of 85 click-thrus in 8766 impressions, for a .9% rate. However, not a single person emailed me or contacted my agent for additional information. The campaign cost me $21.
The click through rate wasn't bad, and given my search terms you'd think somebody would have been interested enough to follow up. I don't think the real estate industry has much to fear from Google for now.
Permalink | Comments (0)Global Warming finally verified
In a stunning development being lauded by tree hugging environmental wackos everywhere, NASA scientists have announced that the results of a study in Anarctica,where ice flows have increased over the last 20 years.
A Greenpeace spokesperson said that this is the smoking gun they have been waiting for. Water flows downhill, and since South is usually down on a map, all the ice that is melting in the Arctic has ran down the globe and refrozen in Anarctica. The spokesperson continued on to say that is only a matter of time before we all boil, and that only the "chosen ones" would be allowed on the mothership.
Permalink | Comments (2)August 21, 2002
Bill Simmons on The Strike
A comment in the article compares the fans continuing to support baseball, even though the product essentially sucks, with a guy who keeps going back to a girlfriend that cheats on him.
Good analogy. The guy usually gets smart sooner or later. Maybe this time will be "later" for baseball fans.
I know my interest in professional baseball has waned in the last couple of weeks. Its a combination of my beloved Red Sox annual August swoon, the upcoming draft in my fantasy football league, and Purdue football being ranked in the Top 25 to start the season.
The Little League World Series, however, has been a complete joy to watch.
Permalink | Comments (0)California Dreaming
Over in the People's Republik of California, the state is notifying parents that homeschooling is illegal unless the parent has a state issued teaching certificate.
I guess that is one way to improve the state's education ranking. Forcing all the homeschoolers into the public school system would certaintly raise average test scores across the board!
Permalink | Comments (1)August 19, 2002
NEA advising teachers to "not assign blame" for 9/11
And people wonder why we homeschool
Permalink | Comments (0)British Academia & ODonnellWeb
Way back in early 1999 somebody with Loughborough University in England wrote a paper on Web portals. They used ODonnellWeb as an example of a "humorous antidote to the web portal."
So, I guess this can now be "The internationally acclaimed ODonnellWeb ;)
Permalink | Comments (0)Homeschooling on Slashdot
Interesting homeschooling discussion on Slashdot this weeekend. It started as a question regarding where to find public domain curriculum materials, but like most Slashdot discussions, quickly veered off course and became more of a "why homeschool" discussion.
Best comment in the thread was "Homeschooling is free as in speech, not as in beer."
That may be the ultimate definition of homeschooling.
Open Source Education - I sense an idea here worth expanding.
Permalink | Comments (0)Happy Anniversary to Me
Michelle nevers reads this site, so I guess I have to wish myself a happy anniversary! We were married 11 years ago today, at Waimea Falls Park on the island of Oahu. That picture looks like it was taken from the exact spot where we were married.
By the way, the traditional wedding anniversary gift for year 11 is steel. You try and find something cool, unusual and romantic that is made of out steel, for under $50. (our self imposed spending limit this year). As per our standard operating procedure, we have absolutely no special plans for today. What I really want is a contract on this damn house that I'm selling!
Permalink | Comments (2)August 15, 2002
Flaming Lips Fizzle
I listend to the new Flaming Lips album online today. It didn't do too much for me. It struck me that I had heard the sound before. It reminds of the ELO album Time. Weird...
I'm listening to Time right now - the vibe, and the sound is similar. I had forgotten just how good the Time album was.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 14, 2002
Trademark this buddy
The Davezilla - Godzilla brew-ha-ha has got me wondering... when is Chris O'Donnell, or the Actors Guild, going to come after me? After all, people do still come to this site and think it has something to do that other Chris! I've got the email to prove it!
Permalink | Comments (2)Diamonds are forever
Did you buy the love of your life a diamond engagement ring because you love her, or because the De Beers diamond cartel is pulling your strings like you are a muppet?
The comments in the Slashdot conversation are pretty interesting too.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 13, 2002
Is Homeland Defense Making Us Less Secure?
Security guru Bruce Schneier argues YES in this long, but very compelling article from The Atlantic.
Bruce's primary point is that people are the key component of any security system, and all the technology in the world won't make us more secure if the people component is not there. And in the USA, almost 1 year after 9-11, the people component is getting worse by the hour.
Permalink | Comments (1)Air Jesus
Inspirational sports statues featuring Jesus playing basketball, and other sports too.
One-on-one, MJ vs. Jesus, who would you pick?
They are being marketed as First Communion or Confimation gifts for Catholics. I think I prefer the wads of cash I got from Grandma!
Permalink | Comments (0)August 12, 2002
15 Point Plan to save baseball
CNNSI has this 15 point plan to save baseball. Some ideas are good, some not so good.
Permalink | Comments (1)Web Pages that don't print correctly
I was going to print my house for sale page to show my agent what I'm doing to help. However, it does not print correctly. Take a look at the page and then print preview it if you have a recent browser. See what I mean? The HTML validates as good 4.0 code, and the CSS, although not perfect, did not have any errors that affect layout. ( I have one error, typo'ed color, and a bunch of warnings about not specifying background colors).
Any idea what is causing the problem?
Permalink | Comments (0)August 11, 2002
Real Baseball
I just watched back to back little league baseball games on ESPN2. I saw:
* Players who really care if they win or lose
* Baserunners who run out every ground ball
* Outfielders who understand the concept of a cut-off man
* Umpires who actually call the strike zone as its writen in the rule book
I didn't see:
* Players arguing with umpires, players, or coaches
* A fight break out after a hit batter
* The word strike used, except as the result of a pitch
* Pitchers take forever between pitches
* Batters calling time every other pitch
I saw two extremely well played, fast paced, baseball games. Screw the Major League Players Association, its Little League World Series Time!
Permalink | Comments (2)Paranoid
I got an email this weekend from a guy looking for a particular song from the band Axe. I own some Axe stuff, which puts me in a very very small minority, so him stumbling into ODonnellWeb looking for something related to Axe is believable.
What did I do first? I googled his name looking for evidence he is connected to the RIAA. Is that sad or what? He never asked for an MP3 of the song - just if I had any info on it. Is it scary that my first thought was RIAA sting operation against consumers?
I don't have the song, and I could not even find the song in the CDDB. I supect he might have the title or band wrong. But still....
Permalink | Comments (0)August 09, 2002
No More Free Delivery
Coming to your town soon, delivery charges from Domino's, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut. (use cypherpunk/cypherpunk to log into the LA Times site).
Won't affect me at all. I love good pizza, which rules out any of the above mentioned. By the way, I worked for Papa Johns for a year, the secret spice in their sauce is sugar.
Permalink | Comments (0)Sky Tax
I was just looking at flight prices - I haven't flown much on my own dollar in the last couple of years. Holy skycabs Batman, taxes are adding 17% to the cost of the ticket. Screw that, I'll drive to Atlanta. Taxes for air travel have always sucked, but I don't remember them being that bad. Must be all those new highly qualified, highly trained, government union members at the airports.
Permalink | Comments (2)August 08, 2002
Homeschooling Bad - Government Indoctrination Good
Rob Reich, from the Poly Sci Dept. at Stanford, has authored a tome detailing his concern that homeschooling parents are not providing a proper, broad, worldview in educating their kids. Oh, the horror of it, Christian parents instilling Christian values in their children. We can't have properly raised, respectful, moral children running around this country.
HSLDA has posted a response. They do a good job picking apart Reich's arguments and presenting them in an understandable way.
My Take On This
Darryl pretty much hit it on the head. It's just the tired old socialization argument dressed up in 4 and 5 syllable words. It's really the liberal response to everything.
- Parent's are too stupid to educate their own children, governments must do it for them.
- People are too stupid to save for their own retirement, government must do it for them.
- People are too stupid to take care of their health, government must do it for them.
Feel free to add you suggestions in the comments.
Reich might want to check with the admissions department at his employer. Stanford proactively recruits homeschoolers and admits them at twice the rate of their private and public schooled peers.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 06, 2002
Argentina! Yikes!
I guess its easy to get to insulated in our middle class existence here in America. While I stress over the decline of value in my IRA, hungry people in Argentina, recently the crown jewel of the South American economy, are fighting over roadkill.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 05, 2002
2" GI Joe Gun confiscated at LAX
If GI Joe is really that dangerous we should be able to launch the Iraq invasion from my basement, and win quickly!
Permalink | Comments (0)August 02, 2002
Review: Butch Walker - Left of Self Centered
I mentioned this CD a couple of weeks ago, but now that I've listened to it a few dozen times, I want to do a proper review.
If this album doesn't sell several million copies somebody at his record company should be castrated. Butch Walker is everything Sum 41, SR-71, and every other "pop punk with metal roots" band wants to be. Butch actually wrote several songs for SR-71. If you are a fan of his previous band, The Marvelous 3, consider this the next Marv album. Hook laden rock with with witty, intelligent lyrics. I know most of my reviews are good, but that is because I scour the web for MP3's and info before I buy CD's, so I usually known what I am getting. If you are a rock fan, buy this CD. It's THAT good!
The web site kicks too.
Look and Feel: The navigation interface is a bit clunky and confusing, but visually it supports the "Butch Walker" brand. Links open in a small window on the existing page and if your not paying attention you won't even notice.
Music: One full length song from the album, and samples of every other song on the CD. Same thing for all four Marvolous 3 albums. And when you buy the CD from the web site, they send you a bonus MP3, which IMO is better than anything on the CD. Also, video and interview clips are available online,as well as various live performances.
Tour info: Its there, prominent link on the home page.
Interactivity: Monthly "Ask Butch" feature updated in July. A diary section that was also updated in the last couple of weeks.
Other: Flash splash page didn't load in Mozilla, no big deal. Also the pop up window to sign up for the mailing list seems to have Mozilla problems.
Review: John Dee Graham - Hooray For The Moon
I'm starting a new tradition today with the music reviews on ODonnellWeb, all reviews will also include a review of the artist's web site. If this convergence thing is going to happen, web sites will become the primary portal to our favorite artists. Let's see how many of them get it.
Horray For The Moon is the third solo effort from this former guitarist for the True Believers. And what an effort it is! Gritty Texas blues mixed with a few rootsy, countryish ballads makes for a very fine listening experience. A southwestern feels flows through many of the songs, with one sung in Spanish. I can almost see myself hanging out on the San Antonio Riverwalk as Jon Dee Graham plays the blues from a flat bottom boat on the river.
The web site, however needs help.
Look & Feel: Its very simple, which is fine. You don't really expect a lot of glitz and flash from a Texas bluesman.
Music: Pitiful. He offers up a grand total of 4 MP3 samples from three albums.
Tour info: The tour schedule is up to date, which is good, but the "booking" link leads to a 404 error.
Interactivity: None.
Other: How about some content from the True Believers? I am not familiar with them at all, but given how much I like this album, I am a prime candidate to buy more. Make it easy for me!
I suspect the web site is something the record company threw up. I suggest they turn it over to a fan and do it right.
August 01, 2002
Invoking St. Joseph
There is an old Catholic tradition that when selling a house, you should ask for God's help via St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of Carpenters and other workers. There are several ways to do it, the most popular is to bury a small statue of St. Joseph in your yard, while praying for help. My step-mother-in law insisted that we should have done this a month ago. She's Catholic, and she is a real estate agent. Who am I to argue? Every Catholic knows somebody who knows somebody whose house was on the maket for 10 years, and then magically sold the week they buried the statue.
So we did it today. Breck said the whole thing sounds like a myth to him. I agree, but is was a cheap way to to appease Michelle's step-mom.
So, if I get an offer on the house tomorrow will I change my mind? Of course not! God doesn't care if my house sells, and if He is going to directly intervene in the affairs of man, I would prefer He focus on that little issue of an entire religion large group of Islamic terrorists dedicated to killing Christians. If He takes care of that, then my house should be next ;)
Rose to Coulter to Buckner
It's not quite Tinker to Evers to Chance, however Keith Olbermann does manage to connect Pete Rose, Ann Coulter,Bill Buckner and September 11. Not a bad piece of writing...
Permalink | Comments (1)