I know that the photoblog has been slipping a little bit. The fact that I only posted on picture in September is proof of that. However I wanted to let you know it is back on track, there while be a new photo everyday for the next two weeks. So please check it out and don't be afraid to leave a comment or two.

  When you're a kid you know who your enemies are. It's the kid in your class you don't get along with class and any one deemed a "bad guy". However as you get older, who your enemies are gets a little blurry, but there is one guy I know for sure is my enemy. The Ice Cream Man! Oh yes, don't be fooled by his innocent looking brightly colored, cartoon wrapped wares, he is evil, pure evil. Like McDonald's he markets to children. Here's what happened, once someone bought the Little Boy an ice cream from The Ice Cream Man, or Dr. Evil as he is referred to around here, we've also suggested that his parents were never married. Anyhow like feeding a stray animal it only takes once for it to become a habit. Now when we here "pop goes the weasel" the whole house goes to defcon 5, because the Little Boy hits the door at about 300 mph. It's amazing and sad how Little Boy reacts to that song. Its like pavlov's dog meets a crack addict. The crazed look in his eye, the way he runs so fast his feet can't say underneath him. It so scary to see. You don't dare stand in his way, getting hit by a 70lbs blur in the stomach at 300 mph will land you in the hospital. So if it isn't bad enough that Dr. Evil sales sugar from a van he has recently started selling toys as well. Does he have no soul!

So tonight, I was watching TV and pretending that it was interesting, which it wasn't when the Little Boy came in to our room and asked, "have you seem my ttoodoolllee(something completely unintelligible)?". To which I replied "seen your what?" a little louder he says "have you seem my ttoodoollee?" Well I still don't really understand what he was asking me for so I say "I don't understand what you are asking", so at almost a yell he says "have you seem my ttoodoollee?", to which I reply, in a firm but calm voice, "We don't yell, I don't know where it is but I will help you look". Ten minutes later, three adults are search the house for "ttoodoolee", As the Little Boy is  muttering "my only toy" as he search through one of his two large toy boxes. My Beautiful Wife finally finds it and I realize that I had no idea what I was looking for!

Two days ago I learned that Writely was now open to all GMail users. I've had a gmail account now for a little over two years, and I know use it as my primary email address. I don't have a email client installed on my computer. I've gotten use to the idea of the applications I need and want to use being online (I think being a web developer helps with this). About two months ago I started using Google Spreadsheet, and I have to say that it is amazing. I am so impressed with all that I can do with it. I track data of my rides, and of course I use Google Earth to help me figure out my distance and elevation changes.  I schedule things in Google Calendar, and I write my resume and other inportant documents in Writely. Google earth being the exception, the rest of the applications are all online. No installs. So now I have my data, wherever I want it, no matter what computer I'm on. Mac or PC, Home or Work its there. So again I think, do I need Microsoft Office?

Well yes and no. For work a standardize Office Suite is needed. Besides doing things in anything other than MS Word or Excel seems to melts some peoples brains. The concept that a spreadsheet, or a .doc can be created in something other than a Microsoft product send them ready for the EAP number. 

However for home, I only use the online application, it just make sense for me when I work on and from so many different machines. So heres a quick little rundown of the online equivalents of the Microsoft Office Suite.

• Microsoft Word - Writely
• Microsoft Excel - Google Spreadsheet
• Microsoft Outlook - GMail , Google Calendar & Ta-da List
• Microsoft Messenger - Meebo
• Microsoft Publisher - Google Page Creator
• Microsoft PowerPoint - Still Looking
• Microsoft Visio - Gliffy

ZDNet has a great blog post on their picks for Office Suite Replacement Applications.

Happy Computing

I know I haven't posted in a while. I don't know, I just haven't feel terribly creative or like I had anything to say. So, I just didn't say anything. However I did come across something while surfing the "Net" that I had to share. Growing up I was a huge fan of "The Muppet Show". Getting to watch it every week was something I always look forward to. And of course I identified with the stranger characters on the show. I am sure my Mom remembers consoling me as I cried my eyes out because Gonzo was going to leave. He didn't leave of course, which is good, because my Mom would of headed down to the studio and taken those executives out for making Gonzo leave, and upsetting here son so bad. Of course I grewup and like all geeks liked sci-fi movies, like the matrix. Well apparently some art students must of had a similar background as mine, and have created an animated short called "the Muppet Matrix"... Enjoy.

Scott Hanselman has a great post about his Dad and Granddad. If you are a Dad, Son, Grandson or Granddad, his post is a must read. Check it Out

 So today I went with some of my co-workers to LA's Chinatown and had Dim Sum for the first time. For those of you that haven't been to Dim Sum, it is quite an different dinning experience. A hostess shows you to your table and as you sit down you are pounced upon, by the servers/food pushers. Before I was even seated we had a vegetable dish, and some kind of deep fried shrimp creation on the table. Durning the first round of attacks by the food pushers there was no less then four carts of steaming hot food, that had everything from pastries with pork and shrimp to things that I could barely be identifed with my untrained eyes. The food pushers were sticking the plays of entrees in your face fast and furiously, while telling you you'd like it. Fortunately Yvonne and Eggman knew was to eat and what to let walk away. If you are a first timer to Dim Sum I highly recommend going with a pro, otherwise you'll have 800 dollars worth of food on your table before you know what hit you.

I decided that I'd start off this culinary adventure with a simple plan. I'd start with the foods I recognized and progress to dishes I couldn't quite identify and or would make my coworkers laugh. First round was a little bock choy and seaweed salad. Both of course were very good. I had a little bbq pork and short ribs, and then Eggman dropped the food bomb. He ordered the chicken feet. Well, when in rome right? So I tried me some chicken feet. I'm going to have to say not my favorite thing on the menu. The flavor was surprisingly good, but I just couldn't hang with the texture or having to contiunely tell myself that I wasn't eating chickens feet, when in fact I was. But hey I tried it right! However I did try something called porage, its a soup that is made from rice pork and green onions, it was absolutely delicious. Ed man stole the show when he ate the shrimp with spicy salt whole, in two bites, head, tail and everything inbetween. The man likes his shrimp, that is for sure, not to be out done the Left Handed Texan, followed suite.

So we got through most of our meal and it was time to get some desert, again Eggman was up to bat for ordering, and he choice sweet tofu. Its appearance left a little be desired. Mike said, "when something looks like that in the frige, I was taught, its time to throw it away." But I tried it anyway, It was good, I actually finished off the huge bowl that Eggman served me up. All in all a nice adventure in food.