So - does anyone else out 'there' have cats? Of the mainly indoor variety? Good. I have a question for you. I currently live in an apartment that is space efficient, meaning my residential life has again returned to the Two Rooms Concept. [sigh]

I now have two cats, one more than was the case the last time or two that we shared a Two Rooms Concept apartment. In the interests of keeping the incidental irritations which the two cats have been experiencing since the recent down-sizing, and for which I have been the audience, there are now two cat litter pans in our shared space.

These pans are not in the room that houses the bed for obvious reasons. Recently I have noticed a pattern that puzzles me somewhat. When I have been out of the apartment for a non-trivial length of time and enter through the Not The Bedroom Room entrance, it is more likely than not that at least one of these feline pals of mine will decide to 'use the facilities'.

The resulting change in aroma within the Not The Bedroom Room is both dramatic and less than enjoyable.

I know that they must use the cat pans for this and it is really what I want them to do. But why the he** do they wait until I have recently arrived to do it? Is this some kind of 'gift'? (Please let it not be.) Or are they just relieved, in several senses of the word, that I have returned?

Surely someone out there has some insight into this perceived pattern. I'll just spray some air freshener while you figure it out.

posted in Oliver | Dixie | Oliver & Dixie        Discuss This Post 
  

This week I was privileged to be in attendance at the event under discussion on my son's blog at this moment. I've known him to be an exceptional child, boy, son, teenager and man for a long time, longer than most I dare say. Exceptional people, and children in particular, if one is the parent involved, gift those with whom they spend time with memories of exceptional moments.

I have been blessed with a book's worth of exceptional memories of this man who is now being acknowledged for one aspect of his contributions to others' lives and endeavours.

One of those is the moment I learned of this honour being in the works. It was difficult to be 'quiet' about this (publicly at least) for the many weeks of my prior knowledge. Only those who know me well can appreciate how difficult. I fairly wanted to shout my pride and joy at this public accolade about to be presented to my pride and joy. But I promised not to.

Now that the secret is out, I can share something else with those who read this.

My book of exceptional memories now has a wonderful new entry. A moment that left my pride and joy touched to the point of tears and brings me close to that as I recall it.

It's the standing ovation that still gets to me. A moment I'm very grateful I was allowed to witness.

posted in Progeny        Discuss This Post 
  

Over 8 million downloads as of 11:19 PDT on my PC. Setting the bar mighty high for the next contender, huh?

Should be a lot of snoring in Mozilla-land tonight. After the partying is done.

posted in Technology        Look: Comments! 
  

Awesome.

[ Update: According a very informed source, the cutoff time has been extended again, so the title's wrong - but the snapshot at the time of the post is correct. ]

posted in Technology        Discuss This Post 
  

Congratulations to the Firefox team at Mozilla!

This extremely cool link shows interested people in the webosphere a Guinness World Record being broken and another being set in real-time. Found the link on Tristan's very aptly titled blog post I hear servers screeching. [ But they didn't fall down! ]

As I said - extremely cool. Only the internet and some really complicated^ software could bring this to your home (or other - poor you!) office or library internet access point or, even, your wireless PDA (presuming you've paid for that service).






** From a song made popular by none other than Barry Manilow. [ For shaver. ]

^ Seriously. The people who write this stuff are brilliant. It's magic only because they make it look so easy. Worth their weight in loonies at least. Not just the browser folks, either - (virtual) piles of software are involved on servers, PC's, and that darned PDA.

posted in Technology        Discuss This Post 
  

This is my last Download Day post. I promise. I've downloaded Firefox 3 to all three of my O/S's. The server that was serving the downloads was a lot more approachable later in the day here in PDT.

First, I downloaded** the new, spiffy version to Ubuntu 7.10 (about an hour into the official start time).

Next, I tested the usefulness of the backup tool I'd located called MozBackup because once, a long time ago, I managed to lose all of my bookmarks during an upgrade and I was determined to avoid repeating that mistake, or worse, lose all my passwords too.

The test went swimmingly: managed to install the saved settings and data from my XP partition (and older version of Firefox at this point) to the Ubuntu partition. BTW: MozBackup does more than just the bookmarks.html file. It takes care of your passwords and extensions, too. Nice.

Then, back to the XP side of my geek world to download and install and successfully run Firefox 3. And, wouldn't you know it? Being all prepared as I was with MozBackup at the ready - nothing went missing! Except that a couple of the add ons I'd been using were not compatible. At least I was warned, in a manner of speaking. And, Firefox promised to alert me when my missing add ons became compatible. So, no huge complaints there.

Here's the message I received after upgrading my existing Firefox Windows XP:



[ Ed: more to come in this saga, but I have to switch PC's now ...]

Last, after some hardware incompatibilities were acceded to (my wireless keyboard and mouse are not happy working with my KVM - or vice versa. sigh) and the system started for the first time since its delivery, the browser of the Day was downloaded, installed and run on Windows Vista as well.

A different message was received after this (dare I say 'virgin'?) installation:



So, yeah - 3 fer 3 fer me. How'd you do?




** I didn't get the Ubuntu version actually running, because there's some things to be adjusted that I didn't have time to spend on today. But it was "Download Day" not "Download, Install & Run Day" so everything's kosher in my books.

posted in Technology        Discuss This Post 
  

Earlier in the Firefox 3 Download Day, I managed to successfully download a version for Linux onto on partition of my system.

After some digressions of attention during which various parts of my small, messy (but it works ... so far! :-P ) home office was slightly reconfigured and parts set up for the first time since the recent move of household, I rebooted into Windows XP to take a shot at downloading the newest browser version on that O/S.

Thought I'd give the "Check For Updates" selection under the "Help" menu list a whirl. Found the resulting informational box amusing, if not a bit predictable. Hope they make their record, but ...



... good luck with that alternative suggestion, folks.

Patience really is the word for the day. Along with persistence, of course. Where would we be without persistence?

posted in Technology        Look: Comments! 
  

posted in Technology        Look: Comments! 
  

Looks like my buddy and his fellow motorcycleheads might have made their hoped for Guinness World Record, unofficially at least, with their Friday the 13th event last week.

Tomorrow, my son and his fellow Firefoxheads will be trying to set another with their Download Day event.

I'm doing it. You doing it?

posted in Technology        Discuss This Post 
  

I recently attempted to have Purolator attempt to deliver a package by shipping from my timezone to an address in the third timezone to my left (if I am standing facing North South). I took the box to a Purolator Service Centre due to a complete lack of understanding of Purolator's services at an advertised business operating as an Agent for them.

Special (read: extra charge) Services were selected by myself, the shipper, to allow for the package to be delivered on a Saturday. Before 5 pm. That's what their service information says I should be able to expect for the extra fee.

[ Ed: I know, I know... expecting a lot, but Canada Post's Express Post 'Service' cannot even entertain the thought of such a thing as Saturday service. How I long to be residing south of the 49th parallel - again. ]

Tracking information on the courier's web site is only as good as the frequency of scanning of the label by the many and various people handling the item. It was singularly uninformative as of 9 pm Saturday in the destination timezone, publicly willing to admit only to the following (even now, almost two days after the paid-for delivery date):

---------
PIN: 29109283217
Status: Shipment In Transit
Date/Time: June 13, 2008 at 18:14
Tracking Phone #: 1 888 SHIP-123 (1-888-744-7123)
-----
Status: Picked up by Purolator at PUROLATOR SHIPPING CTR, 1109 LONSDALE AVE
W, N.VAN, BC
Date/Time: June 13, 2008 at 16:15
Depot: BURNABY, BC
Tracking Phone #: 1 888 SHIP-123 (1-888-744-7123)
-----
Status: Payment Received
Date/Time: June 13, 2008 at 15:30
Tracking Phone #: 1 888 SHIP-123 (1-888-744-7123)
-----
Status: Picked up by Purolator
Date/Time: June 13, 2008 at 15:30
Depot: BURNABY, BC
Tracking Phone #: 1 888 SHIP-123 (1-888-744-7123)

Given my understanding of the ability of automated tools to only display what data they have been given, I didn't assume the package had NOT been delivered until I spoke with the recipient, long after 5 pm in that timezone and discovered it indeed had not.

Phoning the numbers above is only valuable during their hours of operation. It was past that on Saturday when I first made an attempt at a complaint and request for redelivery. Sent an email to them which has been acted upon today: a response and request for more information from me followed by my response with lots of information and another email response giving me the reference number of the now ongoing investigation into my problem along with a promise that someone would call me within two hours.

Sure enough, I just got a phone call from a woman at Purolator. She asked a few questions about the item and my expectation that it was to be delivered on Saturday. I told her I paid the extra fee for that service. She then asked whether I had affixed a "Saturday sticker" to my parcel.

[ Ed: This is where the "Huh?" comes from - in case you're wondering. ]

I reiterated that I shipped the item through the Purolator Service Centre, that the Bill of Lading label clearly has the "Saturday" box checked and that the whole thing was processed by Purolator - it was not a self-service drop box - and I was charged the Saturday deliver fee by the person processing the transaction.

She said she'd get back to me.

No guff.

But still: huh?

posted in Not Amused        Discuss This Post 
  

A buddy from my high school days (yeah, back in the Dark Ages, kids :-) is taking part in a (possibly) record setting event, today in Port Dover, Ontario.

The Toronto Star article Port Dover goes to the 'hogs' will make you smile I predict - even if you're not a biker.

I've been enjoying Phil's pictures and blog entries during his Awesome Road Trip from Florida to Port Dover for this ritual gathering.

Looks like a ton of fun. Hope they get the record they're after.

posted in Wheels        Discuss This Post 
  

Spoke with a couple of relatives back in the Eastern Time Zone who told me it was extra warm there. Send some of that heat over here.

Ttttthhhhanks, eh?

posted in Bowen Is        Discuss This Post 
  

So, yeah, I was sending a Very Important Email to my current legal counsel about a Very Important (to me at least) Undertaking for which immediate information and/or adjustment in direction and/or action needs to be taken. And wouldn't you know it - Murphy got involved.





At least there are 'engineers' working on it. That's gotta be a good thing, right? Musta been some other folks who created the possibility of this glitch. Musta.

posted in Technology        Discuss This Post 
  

remarkable things. Well, I am remarking, so that proves it.

posted in Progeny        Discuss This Post