Thursday, November 29, 2007
I'm Just Sayin'...
Every sign points to a sure Tennessee loss in this week's SEC Championship Game. Statistics all favor the Bayou Bengals. So does sheer talent. You can argue about the intangibles such as motivation, injuries, etc. But of all the things I've seen this week, here's the one I have found most interesting.
Tennessee is 6-2-1 against the spread in its last 9 games and LSU is 1-7-1 against the spread in its last 9 games.
The spread - LSU by 7 1/2.
Again, I'm just sayin'.Labels: Vols
.: posted by
Dave
5:36 PM
Saturday, November 24, 2007
In case you missed it, the Vols are the SEC Eastern division champion after their spectacular 52-50 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. Lots of coverage here.
And for some sour grapes coverage, see here and here. One particularly amusing article stands out in the Athens rag. The reality-challenged sportswriter penned this hilarious item:
"If Georgia's players saw the Tennessee-Kentucky highlights after the Bulldogs' seventh straight win over Georgia Tech, they had to realize how badly they played against the Volunteers on Oct. 6. Bottom line? If Georgia played Tennessee in a week, the Bulldogs would win by two touchdowns. Tennessee, as the rest of the country saw in Lexington, Ky., is nothing more than an average team."
This ilicited the following response from me:
Do you really believe that? You think that the Dawgs just played poorly, and that the Vols' effort in the 35-14 pasting in Neyland Stadium had nothing to do with the result? That's more than just arrogant. It's stupid.
Look, I've watched every available SEC game this season. The Dawgs had their moments. So did the Vols. Who is the better team? There's only one way to know for sure, and that's to look at what happened on the field.
It bears repeating (since you firmly believe that the Dawgs are far superior to the Vols) - 35 to 14. In case you are numerically challenged, that's thirty-five for the Vols, and fourteen for the Dawgs.
So when you're sitting at home years from now recalling your BCS invitation, remember this - only one thing matters in competitive team sports, and that's championships. And in 2007, the Vols won the SEC East. The Dawgs did not.
Now excuse me while I go to the TiVo and watch the 35-14 Vols win over Georgia. It bears viewing again, for old times' sake.Labels: Vols
.: posted by
Dave
9:19 PM
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving: Today, I am thankful for... - God's mercy
- My wife
- My boys
- God's healing hand which touched my youngest
- The 37+ years that I was able to spend with my Granny
- My Mom, who took such great care of her even to the end
- The skills that God gave me to be able to support my family
- My wonderful church family
- My native land, the United States of America
- Our forefathers, who fashioned the most successful government in world history
- Our freedom (or what's left of it anyway)
- Our military, without whom our freedom would not be guaranteed
And some less important things, such as...
- The foodstuffs that my wife miraculously produces
- Naps for babies
- Naps for adults
- Naps in general
- Holiday football games
- The digital age, which both introduced me to my wife, and allows me to make a living
- TiVo
- Big screen TVs
- Chicken patties, Diet Mountain Dew, and grilled cheese sandwiches
- The 2007 Super Bowl (Go Colts!)
- Bruce Pearl (Go Vols!)
- Everything orange (carotene orange, not the fake "burnt" orange)
Labels: Holidays
.: posted by
Dave
2:03 PM
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Property Rights? What Property Rights?
So a couple buys a swatch of land in the 80s, maintains it, pays taxes and homeowner's dues on it, then decides to build their dream home on it. Sounds pretty typical, right? Well, this story is far from typical. A local judge and his wife have designs on the land. They even have parties and create their own trails on it. They like it so much, they decide to pull a few strings and have the land given to them. Absurd? Yes. Not possible? Think again.
Using an old common law doctrine called adverse possession, former Boulder, Colorado District Judge Richard McLean and his wife, attorney Edith Stevens claimed the land that rightfully belonged to Don and Susie Kirlin. McLean and wife have been admittedly trespassing on a parcel of land for which the Kirlins had been paying taxes, and McLean has the nerve to claim squatters rights? Finders, keepers? This makes the Kelo case look logical in comparison.
Perhaps the Kirlins should have fenced their property, but did the HOA allow them to do so? The article doesn't say, but if it's like my HOA, the answer is no. This is a story that deserves national attention, and that attention needs to be directed at the McLeans, and the judge that ruled in their favor. With all of the feigned outrage these days, I would think people from all walks of life, from all political ideologies could get justifiably exorcised about this.
UPDATE: See video of a picnic protest at the Kirlin's property here. Note the rendition of "This Land is Your Land". Heh.
.: posted by
Dave
12:47 PM
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I love college football. It's in my blood. I was born into it, you see. And I do understand the rivalries that exist (Alabama/Auburn, Michigan/Ohio State, Tennessee/Florida, etc.) and how intense they are.
But nothing compares to Kansas/Missouri. Think otherwise? Take a look at their gameday shirts. here, and here. Then read a little about the history of the two states.
All I can say is that, as much as I love the game, I don't take it this seriously, and I hope I never do.Labels: Football, History
.: posted by
Dave
9:53 AM
Sinus Surgery:
Previously, I referred to the hectic three month period that has transpired since I last posted here. One of the reasons cited was because of sinus surgery.
Since I can remember, I have not been able to breathe completely through my nose. I've learned to live with it, but recently, I decided to have an ENT specialist look at it. Not only was I diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, which is now being treated with BIPAP use, but I was told that I was a definite candidate for sinus surgery. It turns out that a portion of my sinus area, called the inner turbinates, was too large and effectively had narrowed my nasal passage quite significantly. This was obvious when the doctor was unable to even insert the scope into my nose. It was also determined that I had a severely deviated septum. Surgery to correct the septum and to reduce the inner turbinates was recommended, and I agreed with the assessment. After all, any possibility that I might be able to breathe normally was worth the trouble.
Last week, I went to an outpatient clinic in the morning and was prepped for the procedure. The most annoying thing about the pre-op process was filling out redundant paperwork, and not being able to drink anything 12 hours prior to surgery. I was parched, and hungry, and not in a good mood due to lack of caffeine/liquid/food. My mood was further worsened when the medical tech spent 10 minutes looking for a vein, and finally settled for my knuckle, this while an unnamed R.N. asked me myriad questions that I had already answered.
(An aside here: why can't someone invent a standard process whereby medical consumers can collect this information, enter it into a system, and hand it off pre-op to those who may require it? It shouldn't be hard to have an encrypted database of medical information on a jump drive, should it? I mean, sheesh... I answered the same questions three times that day.)
Anyway, this attitude quickly subsided when the anesthesiologist brought a concoction that she called the "I-don't-care-juice" and injected it into the IV line. I recall events in this manner:
- Ms. Anesthesiologist asked me several questions along the lines of "how are you feeling? do you have kids? are these the droids I'm looking for?"
- An unrecognized individual came in and wheeled me away to the elevator.
- Fade to Black...
Next thing I know, I awakened in a large holding area for folks with bleeding and lacerated sinuses. My mouth was painfully dry, and my calves were literally in a knot. Dehydration was much more evident than any nasal pain. Shortly, they wheeled me into another room where my wife met me. I was still groggy so I don't recall much conversation. I do recall the joy of drinking a Diet Coke just after she arrived. Ami drove me home to rest (we stopped at DQ along the way for some much needed steak fingers). Home isn't particularly restful when you have three kids aged 4 and under, but I was glad to be there nonetheless. As far as my condition after the surgery, I didn't really have much noticeable pain during the post-op period, other than my throat and my teeth. Apparently this is typical when a breathing tube is inserted during surgery. More bothersome to me was the fact that my nose was essentially useless. Inside the nose were inserted two splints made of plastic. They were rectangular with tapered corners, wound into a cylinder so that their tension would keep the nose in place during recovery. The remaining opening was completely insufficient for breathing, but just wide enough to allow bleeding to occur. This meant that I had to wear gauze on my upper lip, which was fine. However, I wish I had thought to shave beforehand. Ami ended up helping me shave my beard and moustache. The bleeding just wasn't cooperating with my facial hair. Day two of the post-op period was very anxious for me because I just couldn't seem to clear out my nose or my throat, so it felt like I was being suffocated. I had slept very little and at a 45 degree angle no less. At this point, admittedly, I wondered if it was worth the effort. Ami took me to the ENT office to have a nurse suction out my sinuses. This was a tremendous relief. The nurse could detect my anxiety, and I admitted my aversion to being enclosed in any way. Not being able to breathe is definitely a feeling of enclosure. Once cleaned up, I was able to more easily identify the opening into my sinuses and how best to irrigate and flush out the area. I found that irrigation on an hourly basis was necessary to both remove any blockage and to soothe the sinus area. With the feeling of suffocation no longer a problem, I was more able to notice the irritation around the nose itself, not pain so much as a dull feeling of discomfort. From watching my wife manage pain during three c-sections, I learned to try to get ahead of the pain instead of dealing with it after it arrived, so I took my prescribed Hydrocodone and left it at that. On day three, the presence of the splints was much more noticeable. I had the inconsolable urge to yank them out and cast them away. This was akin to the madness of Poe's writings, echoing in my head - "What is that? Oh, you damnable splints! You wreak havoc on my nose! Be gone, evil! The fury that rises within me! I can no longer live like this!" Etc. When the morning of day four arrived, I was jubilant inside, but exhausted to the point that I could not demonstrate my happiness. Still, I went to the ENT knowing that soon, my nose would be free. The tech took me back to the exam room and promptly inserted some industrial-strength Afrin into my nasal passages. Several minutes later, she suctioned the area and used a weird-looking tool similar to those in the movie Dead Ringers to extract the splints. With a yank and a twist, they were removed, first one, then the other. What struck me initially was the size of these plastic beasts. How they fit into my nose is beyond me. Then the clots and tissue that emanated forth from my nose caught me by surprise. After a little cleanup though, I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of airflow into my nose, and by the clarity of my sense of smell. Suddenly, I was able to smell things that had long escaped me. To me, this was a pleasant unintended consequence, for the real joy I experienced was in my ability to breathe. Normally. Without my mouth. Astounding. The doctor examined me before I left, expressed his pleasure in the outcome, and gave me a rinse kit to keep my sinuses flushed out. I went home pleased, all the while paying close attention to the smells around me. Flora. Restaurants emanating the odors of their foodstuffs. Nearby lakes. As I said before, astounding. As for my present condition, I have found that the presence of tissue and congestion is still cause for breathing difficulty, especially at night. I still snore without my breathing machine. I still have swelling in the sinuses. And I still have enough pain to require me to take an occasional Hydrocodone. My nose is very sensitive to the touch, and to the air around it. Nose-blowing is required with more frequency. But this is part of my recovery, I am told. It is encouraging that for the first time in my life, I can actually blow my nose. Smells are magnified. I can breathe with my mouth closed (when the sinuses aren't swollen, anyway). I realize many people take these things for granted. I certainly don't. I actually find myself stopping to "smell the roses". I'm hopeful that I can eventually lose the BIPAP entirely, and that I can eliminate any reliance on pharmaceuticals to relieve sinus issues. This might be too optimistic, but then again, it's easy to be optimistic when you can now experience things for the first time that you never have before.
.: posted by
Dave
8:27 AM
A note to developers and vendors working in our corporate environment:
- No, we absolutely cannot host IIS on a shop floor DESKTOP device. There is a reason this device is placed in the shop environment, and servers are placed in the server room. If your software cannot accommodate connectivity to a physically separate internet server, and a logically separate SQL server, then quite frankly, the architecture of your software is poorly conceived. Please understand that these are corporate guidelines as well as personal ones. If you cannot abide by them, we cannot deploy your product.
- When we say that we cannot use your process ID on the server to write events to the event log, we mean it. We're not just "teasing you". Additionally, we are perplexed that you choose to write to the event logs when only the process ID and the admin user has access to them in the first place (e.g., no one will ever look at the logs). When we suggest writing any logs to a text file, scoffing is not acceptable. We take our jobs seriously. You should too.
- We cannot give you our wireless encryption key without first waterboarding you.
- No, we cannot connect your Windows Smartphone to our Blackberry Enterprise Server. We will someday be using Windows devices on Exchange, but since BES is what we are stuck with, you will need to obtain a Blackberry-compatible device. One of the values of MIS in the corporation is its capacity to advise the end user. In this case, asking us a few questions would have alleviated any embarrassment you might experience when you return to your wireless provider and explain that you really intended to buy a Blackberry. Oops.
- There is no acceptable reason for requesting an FTP server to be installed in the corporate data center, and then expecting it to be outward facing, with RWCD privileges. Even in the most basic, least secure environments, this is unacceptable. Please use better judgment in the future when planning enterprise-level data connectivity. And try to go away from the flat files if you can. RDBMS have been around for years now. Make use of them.
Thank you, and good day. Labels: MIS
.: posted by
Dave
8:12 AM
The Apocalypse Is Upon Us:
The Times has something... er, positive to say about the situation in Iraq.
.: posted by
Dave
8:11 AM
Whither Thou?
Wow, has it been three 2 1/2 months since I last touched the blog? How easy it is to be distracted by... well, real life. Besides the 60 or so projects I am managing at work, and adjusting to the presence of a third baby boy, I've managed to take on other things in my "free time", such as: - Implementing Active Directory and Group Policy for my church's private school
- Porting 100 GB or more of personal data from 5 PCs to a new NAS device
- Upgrading my wi-fi setup from B to G, and hacking the WAP to enable more functionality
- Porting my blog to a new server, and to new blogging software
- Hosting my oldest son's 4th birthday party
- Welcoming "Grandma" to Texas to see her grandsons
- Having sinus surgery that has been needed for 20 years or so
Somehow, I just wasn't able to fit blogging into my daily routine. Hopefully, I will be able to do so going forward. Labels: Blogging
.: posted by
Dave
8:01 AM
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