My 1st Prediction for MacWorld 2009

Apple will introduce a new Mac Mini with a new form factor.
1. They will drop the optical drive.
2. It will be able the size of an iPod Touch, just a bit thicker.
3. It will use a display port for the video interface.
4. It will have an interface port on the bottom.
5. Additional components can be mated to this port.
6. For instance, an optical drive could be added and the new Mac Mini will dock to it with the optical drive underneath it.
7. Apple will introduce a Blu Ray optical drive accessory.
8. The new Mac Mini with 250 GB drive and 2 GB of RAM will sell for $399.
9. It will come in Nano colors.
10. It will have 1 USB port, Bluetooth and will suport 802.11n WiFi.

Lest Anyone Forget the Current Balance of Power in Congress


2007 House of Representatives
233 (or 53.5%) Democrat
202 (or 46.4%) Republican

2007 Senate
49 Democrat
49 Republican
2 Independent

Also, while the president may lead the nation, it is congress that makes the laws and decides how our money is spent!

Mac Idea

Actually this ID could be for any PC, but it would be really neat if it appeared on the Mac first.

I wish Apple would build a computer that has an 8/16/32 GB SSD reserved for the O/S and applications. Then the regular hard drive could be reserved for data. The cool thing about this is that it would be very easy to pop out the hard drive and setup another without having to reconfigure the O/S and applications.

Even cooler would be to have a copy of the O/S and applications kept hidden from everyday operations that could be used to restore from if the O/S or applications were ever corrupted. For that matter, the backup could just contain installers rather having installed applications.

What do you think? Should we lobby Apple to move in this direction?? If you agree with my idea, spread the word and ask Apple to do it. Maybe if enough of us do it, it will happen.

Another idea is that all the data could be kept in the cloud, then it would always be available and backed up. If your suspcious that the cloud may not be accessible, then the cloud could just be a copy. Your data hard drive would just need to synchronize whenever the cloud was available.

Dear President-Elect Obama,


As a citizen of the United States, you are soon to be my leader for the next four years. Even though I did not vote for you and that I have concerns about your leadership and positions, I do sincerely wish you well. I hope that you will prove me wrong. I hope that you will be the greatest president that the US has ever had.


Best of luck and God Bless the United States of America,
Danny Spell

The Presidential Election: Regarding Obama's Tax Plan

See WSJ opinion piece: Obama's 95% Illusion

I guess a lot of people feel the need for government to be Robin Hood since it appears that the rich get rich by screwing over their fellow man. Corruption exists in every society, but I'd like to think that most rich people got rich by working hard and building something of value. The greatest asset America has are people that are willing to risk everything to start a business and make something of it. The evil lies in corrupt, greedy business people and power mad politicians. That said, I think a small percentage, like 10% of the rich are truly evil. Still that adds up and it makes the other 90% look bad. Just my 2 cents.

As for Obama this or McCain that, does it really matter?? They both promise everything and neither will be able to deliver. My advice is to vote for neither and to always vote against the incumbent. If you like a third party candidate, vote for them. If no one serves more than one or two terms, it might reduce the power of the lobbyists or at least make it more costly for lobbyists to buy favors.

Fortune Cookie

It is impossible to please everybody please yourself first.

Sounds a bit selfish, doesn't it??

The Jackass Equation

Have you heard of this equation?
Good Person + Internet + Anonymity = Total Jackass

Fortune Cookie

Be both a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.

Fortune Cookie

From the floors of the ocean, the waves of the tide, a vacation awaits you far & wide.

Fortune Cookie

Luck helps those who help themselves.

Strive for Something Greater
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
Michelangelo

iPhone 2.0 New Feature

I have a source deep within the bowels of Apple, I'll call her Deep Booty, and she says that the killer new iPhone feature that Steve Jobs will announce on Monday is that the phone will have a special reality distortion capability.

Whenever someone whips out the new iPhone, especially at a bar, whoever is within 10 feet of the person using it, will be immediately attracted to that person. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on persuasion), the phone will attract both men and women regardless of your orientation.

Gotta Read This

Microsoft to deactivate DRM servers

Koyaanisqatsi

1. Crazy Life
2. Life in Turmoil
3. Life Out of Balance
4. Life Disintegrating
5. A State of Life that Calls for Another Way of Living

The Akbar & Jeff Mystical Chant

O Akbar, O Jeff, by the power of your enchanted fezzes, help me gain the love I deserve, help me get a job with long coffee breaks, and above all, help me to get rich quick. I thank you in advance even though you've done nothing for me yet. See ya tomorrow.

Fortune Cookie

Happier days are definitely ahead of you.

Fortune Cookie

Honesty and friendship bring you fortune.

Well, I can't argue with that.

Fortune Cookie

A friend in the market is better than money in the purse.

Yes, but a lot of money in the purse can buy a lot of friends.

Fortune Cookie

It is sometimes better to travel hopefully than to arrive.

Now I'm not sure about the use of the word "hopefully" in this fortune. It probably could have been left out.

Fortune Cookie
You were born with a "sixth sense" and superb insight.

Sign the Petition to Ask Congress to Pass the FAIR TAX

Click here to sign the petition.

Blowout
Here's a creative way to celebrate:
Candle Cannon

Fortune Cookie
Be on the alert for new opportunity.

New Car

Well, I traded in my 2004 Highlander and got a 2008 Avalon from Toyota of Plano. See maps below to see where they're located.

My salesman is Matthew Merrell. Everybody at the dealership was very nice and accommodating. I'd recommend them to anyone wanting to buy a new Toyota. If you do buy, just tell them you found out about them from me.




View Larger Map

Finally, I have reached 290 lbs.

This took longer than I thought it would given the progress I was making, but I know it was having to do with the bad foods I was eating.

Hopefully, I'll reach 280 sooner rather than later.

Books

I just finished reading some books.

Click the links below to see them on Amazon.com.
Start Small, Finish Big: 15 Key Lessons to Start--and Run--Your Own Successful Business

Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies

New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer

Scientology

"I do what I can and I do it like I do everything." -- Tom Cruise

He's so freakin' awesome! (heavy sarcasm)

Silly Clip Art
...as seen on CompUSA Business and enhanced by me. :-)

Failing Dogs
To err is human, but a failing dog is divine.

Fail Dogs

McCain on the Attack!
I realize this is coincidence, but I just saw this on Nightline. When they cut to commercial, they ran a tease about John McCain's lobbyist problem. As you can see, the graphic started pouring out of his mouth like he's expelling hot plasma. Odd, eh?

Snacks



Now that I'm dieting, I know it is important to not go hungry. Yet, I have to be careful what I eat in between meals.

Right now, I've been eating Dole's Mixed Fruit in Peach Gel. It tastes good and it has 90 calories per serving. A case of 16 at Sam's costs less than $7. I eat two per day during my work days, so that's about a week and a half of snacks.

Here's the ingredients:
Water - Good

Fruit (Peaches, Pears, Pineapple) - Good

Sugar - Okay, at least it is natural

Carrageenan - What the? -- *** UPDATE: According to Wikipedia, this is the gel. The article says that it could be used as a sexual lubricant and may help prevent herpes! Also says that it may cause intestinal inflammation that leads to inflammatory bowel disease. Yowsers!

Natural Flavors - Good

Malic Acid - Don't know? -- *** UPDATE: Source of "extreme tartness", although in this food, I don't taste much tartness.

Locust Bean Gum (LBG) - Huh? -- *** UPDATE: Derived from the seeds of the Carob tree. Used as a thickening agent. Also used in ice cream to prevent melting.

Fumaric Acid - Don't Know? -- *** UPDATE: In medicine, used to treat psoriasis. In large doses, may cause kidney or gastrointestinal disorders. In food, used to add sourness, similar to malic acid.

Sodium Citrate - Don't Know? -- *** UPDATE: Sometimes referred to as sour salt, this is a common ingredient in lemon-lime drinks. Successfully used as an anticoagulant for blood transfusions, but in this case, it is used to control acidity.

Potassium Citrate - Don't Know? -- *** UPDATE: Can be used as a non-irritating diuretic and to treat gout by reducing uric acid. My guess is that it is used in this food to offset the acids.

Cochineal Extract (color) - Don't Know? -- *** UPDATE: This scarlet or orange dye comes from boiling Cochineal insects.

Asorbic Acid (Vitamin C) - Good

Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) - Good

I guess I need to do some research. Too many "don't knows" with these ingredients.

*** UPDATE: Well, now that I know all this, it does make this fruit cup much more interesting and less appealing, but is it bad? Hmm.... it tastes good. I don't think they could market something that would kill you, so it is probably, relatively harmless. Maybe I shouldn't eat too much of it.

Shore Leave 30
July 11-13, 2008

Here are the guests scheduled for the next Shore Leave convention:
Shore Leave

Two Self-Defeating Habits of Otherwise Brilliant People
...from O Magazine, September 2006

According to author Anna Maravelas (How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress), people are enraged in this day and age with the result that they blame others (BO) or blame self (BS). The solution is BIBS, or baby in the back seat, which refers to a story about a woman in traffic who sitting at a light. When the light turns green, she doesn't go. Instead she gets out of her car, opens her back door and starts digging around. The other drivers are ticked off and start honking their horns. They blame her for keeping them from their appointments and they blame themselves for having taking the route their on, but the reality is that the woman's baby was choking. Thus the acronym BIBS.

The point is that when you get frustrated with someone and you don't understand what their deal is, there may be a good reason for their non-compliance.

Something to keep in mind when you feel like people are slowing you down.

Project Management
Three men, a project manager, a software engineer, and a hardware engineer are in Ft. Lauderdale for two weeks helping out on a project. One afternoon they decide to take a walk down the beach on their lunch break. Halfway up the beach, they stumble upon a lamp half buried in the sand. As they're brushing off the sand, a genie appears and says, "Normally, I grant one person three wishes, but since there are three of you I will grant you each one wish."

The hardware engineer spoke first. "I would like a huge house in St. Thomas, and have no money worries and be surrounded by beautiful women who worship me." The genie granted him his wish and sent him to St. Thomas.

The software engineer spoke next. "I want to sail around the world on a huge yacht, and have no money worries and be surrounded by beautiful women who worship me." The genie granted him his wish and put him on a huge yacht in the Mediterranean.

Finally, it was the project manager's turn. "And what will your wish be?" asked the genie.

"I want them both back after lunch," replied the project manager.

Fortune Cookie
A single kind word can keep one warm for years.

Fortune Cookie
Your happy heart brings joy and peace where there is none.

Scientology is probably dangerous...
You Decide

Losing Weight

My weight loss has slowed as I've begun to eat somewhat normally now that I'm off the liquid phase.

I guess the most significant thing that has happened is that I've busted the 300 lb. mark. It was weird, though. Even though I know I shouldn't, I've been checking my weight every morning just after I get up while I'm still in my underwear. For about two weeks, my weight would go up 2 lbs., then drop 1 lb., then another, then up a 1 lb. Then on Thursday this week, I finally hit 300 lb., but given how my weight was fluctuating, I thought it would go up a pound. It didn't. It just all of the sudden dropped 5 pounds. Huh?

I didn't believe it. I thought something was wrong with the scale. I weighed myself 3 times with the same result. So I proceeded to get ready for work and took a shower, then I weighed again. Still the same. This morning, the scale reads 294, so I guess 295 was for real.

Now my next mini goal is a ways off, but if things keep going well like they have been, I might be at 250 well before June 30th.

I see my WLS doctor next week for my first fill.

Les Misérables
from Computerworld, February 4, 2008, page 37

The "three signs of a miserable job," according to author Patrick Lencioni in his book of that name:

Anonymity: The feeling that your manager has little interest in you as a human being and knows little about your life, aspirations and interests.

Irrelevance: The feeling that your job doesn't make a difference in the lives of others.

Immeasurement: The feeling that you cannot assess for yourself your contributions or success and that your manager is of little help.

[Note: Immeasurement is not a word. -- Danny]

Aaaarrrrrggggghh! Gout sucks!
I finally experienced a gout attack. It happened last Tuesday. As of today, I'm still suffering. I went to the doctor when the attack happened and was prescribed some medicine, but I started having a side effect. So yesterday, I had a follow up with the doctor and prescribed a steroidal medicine that I started taking today. I hope this works.

Quotes

People have been known to achieve more as a result of working with others than against them. -- Dr. Allan Fromme

Weight Loss
Well, I'm now unofficially 305 lbs. My weight loss is still on a downward trajectory, but it is slowing. Now that I'm lighter, I need to start exercising.

For now, that means I'll be walking the dog. I used Google maps to plot out a route in my neighborhood. By doing so, I now have the distance of the route. I setup a 1 mile circuit. If I want to do more than 1 mile, I can just do more than 1 loop.

How did I use Google for designing my exercise route? I first established my starting location, then I set a second location just down the street. Then I stretched the route and added way points to control how Google plotted the route. I eventually stretched the route back to where I started. Google automatically calculated the distance.

The neat thing about doing this is that you can play with the route. So later, if you get bored with your route or you want to make it bigger, you can just revisit Google and design a different or longer route.

Morbidly Obese No More
Today, I am no longer morbidly obese. I've lost 40 lbs. since I've been banded. This is not typical. Normally people lose at a much slower rate.

I think I'm losing as fast as I am because I'm not eating much of anything. I might be getting about 300 to 500 calories per day which is far less than the recommended 2500 calories. It also helps that I'm a man. Men lose weight faster than woman because men have more muscle than women.

I haven't done much of anything except follow the liquid protein diet, drink lots of water and try to stay active.

This is my first mini goal. My next mini goal is to hit 299 lbs. At the rate I'm going, I should achieve this by early February.

The Most Important Thing...
...that you can do for your health is to breathe through your nose. Huh? Yes, it is true. Instead of breathing through your mouth, you should breathe through your nose. Why? Because breathing through your nose will give your body nitric oxide. This is very important to your health. Nitric oxide will help move the toxins out of your body. It helps dilate your blood vessels. This is according to the two doctors that authored the book, "You: Staying Young".

I'm 4 Days Post-op...
...and I feel fine. Now my surgical wounds just need to heal. I'm on a liquid protein diet that I haven't quite gotten the hang of yet. I'm having a hard time just accepting the fact that I should only have 2 oz. to eat three times a day. I called the doctor's office and left message to get a clarification. I want to know if this is a guideline or a rule.

I don't understand how having 6 oz. of yogurt or 11 oz. of Slim-Fast will ruin my lap band.

So far, unofficially, I've lost 14 lbs. My goal is to weigh 180 lbs. by January 1, 2010.

Lap Band Surgery

Well, on December 31st, I had an adjustable lap band put around my stomach. Now on January 2nd, I'm home and dealing with the aftermath. I'm optimistic that this will help me lose all of the weight I've gained since I was 18. On Thursday, December 27th, my official weight was 350 lbs. My next doctor's visit is the 15th. I hope to be down at least 10 lbs. by then.