Phil's Synaptic Misfires

No, I really AM alive!

Okay, so I'm going to get back into this thing, whether you like it or not. I know my grand total readership numbers around 2, but that's okay by me. I'm going to take the gloves off and start filling this thing up.

I'm Alive and Blogging

So I took a little hiatus as the technology I use settled down. I went from literally no social networking to trying Jott, Twitter, Typepad, and a few other websites. I simultaneously tied this into my new N95, iPhone, MacBook Pro, and other tools. (Lest you think I'm rich, much of this was gifted to me)

Finally, things have settled down and I can use a consistent set of tools: MBP, iPhone. Yep, I'm pretty much an Apple convert now, but that's only to say I prefer using Mac -- I certainly don't mind XP or Vista, which get crapped on way too often to be fair. My XP and Vista experiences have been overwhelmingly positive, I just find the OS and usability of my MBP to be much more satisfying, especially with that new fancy OSX Leopard! Yowza!

So, yes, I heartily recommend Macs, despite the face they're a bit pricey, kinda like the Sony of the home electronics world (back when Sony != Sh*t, anyway).

Later!

More on the Mac

Second day at work, and I've discarded the old PC (well, not discarded it, getting it ready to give to dad). When I bought the laptop, I also grabbed a copy of VMWare Fusion, a virtual machine utility which I've used extensively on the PC. The main competitor on the Mac, Parallels, had been getting some flak in the press lately, so I went with my old standby. Good thing I did, VMWare runs perfectly.

So, my Macbook now has OSX running, and when I need to, I pop open my Windows XP vm for programming, or my Vista vm for email/tasks. (Mac doesn't have a very robust "enterprise" email app like Outlook; Entourage doesn't quite cut it)

Thus far, no major issues, and I don't have a single complaint. And it's true -- the more I use OSX, the less I want to use Windows. Windows XP anyway; Visa puts up a really good fight, I'd say Vista puts a PC nearly neck-and-neck with OS X.

Apple Guy

Well, I finally took the plunge and bought an Apple MacBook Pro. DAMN these things are nice. I grabbed a copy of VMWare Fusion and I was able to copy over my current WinXP virtual machine, and voila, instant developer environment. I have to admit, I'm duly impressed. Granted, these things are damned expensive, but I'm starting to see why -- it's totally focused on the user, and their experience with the computer. VERY good purchase for me.

Talk is Cheap

As I get older and a little more experience under my belt, my old lessons come back to mind over and over: talk is cheap.  Actions speak louder than words, and so on.

In the martial art I practice, actions are usually given favor over speaking, and for good reasons, IMHO.  Sometimes you can talk your way out of things, but if not, you'd best be prepared to deliver. 

What I'm finding is that as I take more action, I get more impatient with the sweet-talkers.  In fact, I don't necessarily hate talkers (I'm one myself), but I just find my patience wanes thinner and thinner. 

To prove my point, I think my classes this week will be silent.  I can't permit rationalization of things that people can only suppose about, including me.  Few, if any, of us have been in real fights, and even if we had, few are the same. 

I've known some great talkers, but they fell down hard when it came to acting.  Everyone skips a few beats, some more than others, but when it really counts, they step up to the plate swinging.  Let's see who fits that bill this week.

New tattoo: Electric Dragonland

I was able to get out this past Friday and finally get my tattoo done on my right shoulder (9 kanji, traditional style, all verified).  As I've been telling friends, "It's my name in Japanese, so the authorities can identify the body."  It hurt as usual, but I was able to tolerate it fine.  It's only my second set, but I was also able to set up a consult for the Big One with the owner of the place, Shahn.  That one will span my upper back, and my consult is in early October.  (My two current tattoos were done by Thad, and done extremely well.)

If you're in Minnesota and interested in tattoos, run -- don't walk -- to Electric Dragonland.  By far, the nicest group of guys, and fun.  They've won something like a zillion awards and been featured a number of times in professional magazines.  It's clean and safe, and very professional.  Don't let the grunge/biker/etc motif fool you -- cool people, cool place.  The talent is amazing.

Right now, it hurts like a bruised, sunburned part of my body, so no touch-y.  As I type, my sleeve is rolled up to take the brushing of the cloth off, but it'll be fine in a couple days, I'm sure.  I'm just not used to this stuff, but I will be soon!

Day 3 - iPhone on TMobile

There was no day 2, since things were so boringly easy.  :)  I'll stop blogging about it, for those who are "in the know" are sick to death of iPhones, iUnlock, and fake hackers who claim others' work as their own.  It's really not a bad phone, but I'll log my first official complaint: the predictive entry on the keyboard is WAY wayWAYwwwaaaay too lightweight.  They need to improve that bad boy, maybe more like the Crackberry.  Not enough suggestions, and it often doesn't suggest even the simplest of alternatives for typos.

No sweat.  Anyway, done yapping about it.  I like it a lot, and the stuff the devs are coming out with is awesome.  I don't wanna be another iPhone blog, so that's that!  :)

Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

I think so, but -- wait, no no no.  We'll never get Gary Busey in a leotard at this hour.

New blog coming?

Since we have Ellefson sensei's "blessing", I thought it would be a good thing to move our antics from the message board into a martial arts blog.  Nothing big, and it could be fun.  In there, we'll track all the crazy crap we find on the internet or read about in the news, etc.

UPDATE: Yup, here is where it'll be for now: MABlog

Day 1 - iPhone on TMobile

I'm on my first day of using the iphone on TMobile and it works great. Wireless internet works, calls, the works. While the device itself has some nagging limitations, I really enjoy it, and I honestly didn't think I would. The screen is great, and the web browsing experience is awesome compared to most other mobile devices, even WinMo phones. And I'm not even an Apple fanboi.