Last week’s Dock meme, started by this O’Reilly story and given legs by this Kottke posting was neatly summarized by this Gruber bit. I indeed found some new applications and have started using Launch Bar as a result. I also added several new blogs to my daily read list.
I got to wondering what people have in their menu bar. I find that I have two sets of applications, those that have good menu bar access and those that work better from the Dock. The image below is my menu bar.
{{ $image := .ResourceGetMatch “menubar_items.png” }}
from left to right: Tiger Launch, Location X, CodeTek Virtual Desktop, Konfabulator, AppleScript, iChat AV status (or Proteus when it is running), Keychain access, sound control, display control, charge indicator, iSync, clock, and Launch Bar.
Between the menu bar and the Dock I have immediate access to 40 applications. Maybe I need a life beyond computers…. nah.
I finally got around to deleting the accumulated spam from September, a mere 5009 messages this time around. This brings my annual total up to 52,711 spams.
My averages are now 5,856 per month and 193 per day. I expect to get just over 70,000 for the year now.
I’ve been reading a lot of good things about C-Command’s SpamSieve . The latest release works with Apple’s Mail.app, but only if you are using IMAP. Currently I am using POP3. I am thinking about researching IMAP servers for OS X once Panther is released. If I could run my own IMAP server at home, then I could set my Mail client up for IMAP and only see the messages I wanted.
I’m also considering getting an IMAP server for Linux and adding it to the Linux box I am planning on setting up this fall. Having there would allow my wife to convert her e-mail protocol as well, and neither of us would have an IMAP server running on our daily use machines. Of course this requires that I get off my duff and setup the Linux machine. Which means stringing CAT-5 through the crawl space, or buying wireless router and a PCI-wireless card for the Linux machine.
Or I could just vegetable out on the couch and watch Survivor.
Yesterday Michele and I finally took the HDTV plunge and bought a 57" Sony for our home. We asked the salesmen about next-day delivery and were pleased to learn that our local Best Buy had just instituted a program guaranteeing next-day delivery for an extra $15. We plunked down our money and signed the paperwork.
This morning we started by removing the old television from the room and by moving the component stand to the side to make from for the new cabinet. One thing led to another and we ended up rearranging the entire living room, and slightly modifying our bedroom by adding a chair displaced in the process. While we were on a roll it was decided that getting the surround speakers into their proper position would be a good thing. Michele had the great idea of using two existing wall plates and their accompanying wire chases to run the speaker wires into and out of the crawl space. After two quick trips into that nether region we had fully functioning surround sound. Hubba hubba!
As the day wore on we weren’t hearing from Best Buy. Supposedly we were to get a call indicating what two-hour time range we could expect delivery. So I called and was told they were running late. I should call back in an hour. When I called back I discovered that the store’s truck was broken down. Obviously I was very frustrated at this turn of events as it meant not getting our new set today.
I was able to tell the sales person in no uncertain terms how upset and unhappy I was about this situation. I was able to do this without attacking him personally. To his credit he was able to let me say my piece without trying to defend the store or get me to feel sorry for their situation.
In the end they agreed to return the one-day delivery up-charge, and $10 more as compensation for the delay. They also agreed to put me first on the list for tomorrow and to call shortly after 7 am with an estimated time of arrival.
On the whole I am pleased with the day; the new living room arrangement makes the room much bigger and more open. And we have our surround sound speakers in place. It felt good to work with Michele on our home and we are both pleased with the result. The disappointment at not getting the HDTV this afternoon is there, but we are anticipating an evening of wonderful movies and shows tomorrow.
Michele and I just had a wonderful vacation. Along the way we discovered what makes travel a vacation and not a trip. For us, anyway, trips have goals and constraints that are beyond our control. Going on a cruise, or flight reservations, or having to accommodate family all make it more of a trip.
A vacation is about freedom from the normal, regular routine. We had three destinations, and only one that was fixed in time. Once we accomplished that we were free to go where we wanted, when we wanted. Instead of grabbing a quick meal at roadside fast-food franchises, we ventured into town and tried out restaurants we’d never heard of before. We allowed ourselves to get out of the car and relax. Without any deadlines, time wasn’t a factor, and we felt no pressure to get there and get back again.
We also had time at home before the trip with no work or other commitments. In the past we have been good about giving ourselves a day or two at home following travel, but this was the first time with time-off up front. The added relaxation and break from routine made the away portion of our vacation even better.
I know that we’ll be taking many more of these unstructured, and free to do as we please travels in the future. And I know that we finally understand what truly means vacation to us.
This afternoon my wife and I decided to purchase a new television set for our living room. We watch an increasing number of movies at home and wanted a bigger and better screen for viewing.
The local Best Buy had the set we wanted and we had them write it up for us. I filled in a check and the sales associate entered it into their system. The approval, through “Certegy” was denied. We called the 800-number to find out why. After working my way down through several layers of menus I got to listen to a recording saying that “negative information had been reported against my identification information.” For more information I could call this other number.
Calling the second number connected me with the Office Max Payment Service Center. Huh? Re-calling the Certegy number again I double checked the digits of the more information number. Calling it again I was again connected with Office Max. Working my way down through their phone system menus I eventually was told that their operators were too busy, and I was told to leave a detailed message.
Nuts.
We left Best Buy and drove the few blocks to the local Office Max and talked to the manager there. While sympathetic, there was nothing he could do to assist us. He did look up the corporate phone number for Office Max. Calling that number I was able to (eventually) speak with a live human being in the customer service area. She said that I would need to talk to someone from the Payment center and gave me the same number I had gotten before. She did offer to send them a fax asking for priority service for my call-back.
After visiting the bank and getting cash for the purchase (how odd to use cash these days) we returned to Best Buy and made our purchase. I even got them to lower the price another $50. Ha!
While loading our things in the car my cell phone rang and it was Office Max. After verifying my identity, the service representative reviewed my account and discovered a 2 1/2 year old issue that had been cleared to the satisfaction of Office Max. Obviously, Certegy hadn’t gotten their database updated properly. I asked Office Max to re-notify Certegy immediately. He said they would and that I should call them again in 2-3 business days to verify that our account had been updated.
What chaps my ass about all of this is that a mistake on the part of some company I’ve never done ANY business with, prevented me from making a purchase without the embarrassment of a refused check, the extra hassle of a bank withdrawal, and the trouble of calling several automated phone “service” centers.
One of the themes that Michele and I talk about frequently is the idea of being responsible for everything that you do or say. I think one of the major problems with our society today is the increasing reliance upon third parties to be responsible for ourselves. Sure it would cost Best Buy more to have their own credit/check verification service. But nearly losing a sale because two unrelated companies failed to properly communicate almost 3 years ago seems to be foolish.
Furthermore, shouldn’t there be some kind of penalty or watch-dog group looking out for my rights in all of this? I’m sure that there is an Association of Credit Reporting Agencies and that they are protected from lawsuits when they make a mistake that costs me. I think this is backwards.
Last Thursday evening we went to see Eddie Izzard in his new show “Sexie.” In a word it was fantastic. Michele discovered him several years ago through his HBO special, “Dress to Kill.” Since that time we have collected all of his available videos and he has become our favorite comedian.
We always said that, if he ever played anywhere near us, that we go no matter what the cost. When we discovered that he would be in Chicago, less than 4 hours drive away, we immediately got tickets.
His new show was brilliant and devastatingly funny. I haven’t laughed so hard and so long in my life. Ranging from fake breasts to a ban on assault weapons, with a screamingly funny encore about riding horses in movies, his material was superb.
And judging by the audience there are a lot of devout Eddie fans here in the US. Never before at a comedy concert have I heard a deafening roar of approval when the comedian walked on stage like I heard Thursday evening. It was like the opening of a rock concert.
We can’t wait for the video release of this show.
O’Reilly is running an article about the contents of various peoples docks. Being a switcher from Windows I tend to think of the dock as a the task bar. I keep my most frequently used applications and folders there, and in order from most used to least, left to right. I have slight magnification and bounce turned on, and the dock is at the bottom of the screen.
Here then is my dock and its contents:
{{ $image := .ResourceGetMatch “mydock.png” }}
Finder, Safari, iTunes, Mail, iCal, NetNewsWire, Proteus, iChat AV, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Calculator, Comictastic, Sherlock, Address Book, System Preferences, Terminal, BBEdit, Transmit, CSSEdit, Word, Excel, Mozilla Firebird, Camino, Enigmo, DropZip, iPulse, harddrive, Home folder, Applications folder, TitanTV shortcut, MT Blog Entry shortcut, and the Trash can.
Whew!
I have Proteus, and the 4 native chat clients as I am unable to use Proteus behind my client’s proxy server. Hopefully someday I’ll be able to eliminate the 4 native clients from my dock and use just one application for chatting.
Update: (10.10.2003) All the attention towards the dock got me thinking about the menu bar. In addition to all the goodies I access from my dock I have a dozen or so icons in the menu bar that keep me informed and give me access to other applications. So I started a thread on my site about menu bars.
Okay. I order a lot of stuff online. Books, DVDs, software, linens, you-name-it. No lines, shop when I want, wonderful convenience. That is until some pez-head company finds a way to make this process fail.
One month ago I ordered a keyboard skin for my wife’s iMac. We still don’t have it. After lunch today I called the company and asked if they could track my purchase down for me. It seems it was “shipped” within days of my order. Further discussion uncovered the fact that a signature was required for delivery.
When I asked why, the customer service representative said “to ensure that our customers get their products.” I asked her if I had my package she said, “No.” Hrm.
Guess your plan to ensure that I got my package failed then, huh?
I have to send the company (iSkin) an e-mail requesting that I be allowed to leave a letter to the delivery person indicating that the package can be left without a signature. Give me a break!
The kicker in all of this is that my wife works out of the house… if the delivery person rang the bell or knocked she’d have gotten the package. I suspect that they drove by, and assumed no one was home, and returned the package as not signed for.
It just shouldn’t be this hard to get a $24 piece of moulded plastic mailed to your house. Believe me I’ve had far more expensive and valuable things delivered with no signature woes.
How pez-headed.
Last night Michele and I had the great good fortune to attend a talk given by columnist Molly Ivins. It was invigorating to be in the company of so many like minded people. Ms. Ivins’ talk was at times funny, at time serious. But through out her message was clear: we, the ordinary citizens of the United States are the owners of this country. The elected officials in Washington are just the hired help.
Some tidbits from her talk:
Good mothers will make the best politicians. They know what to do when there are two children on only one cookie. They also know how to handle two children fighting in the back seat. Most of the this nation’s problems and be reduced to one of those two paradigms.
You should have fun above all else when involved in politics. Otherwise you’ll get burnt out long before accomplishing your goal.
Decisions aren’t made by the best or brightest people, but by the ones who show up. Don’t think your vote or voice doesn’t count, it does.
Campaign finance reform shouldn’t be about limiting soft money, but rather about energizing donations from regular citizens so that campaigns can be run without ties to special interests.
As a relative new-comer to the whole politically active scene I was inspired by hearing Ms. Ivins talk in plain English about our political process. I think the most important new understanding for me was learning what it felt like to be among a group of people who are all motivated and headed in the same direction.
As Ms. Ivins would say, “get out there and raise some hell.”
This evening, in my inbox, there was an email notification of some new postings on the Illinois state procurement web site. I pointed my browser at the site and started down through the list of posting. Second from the end was DHS, my client agency.
Downloading the PDF file of awards, I was thrilled, excited, immensely pleased, and relieved to see the name of the company I subcontract through listed. And further relieved to see the same rate as I have been billing.
How do I spell relief? C-o-n-t-r-a-c-t