B-Ball dreams

Seems like I've recently had a couple dreams about basketball. It seems like in one dream, I was playing 3-on-3 and on my team was Dirk Nowitzki from the Dallas Mavericks. Seems like I was doing ok in the game although I don't remember taking any shots. Of course, with a guy like Dirk on your team, you don't need to take any shots.

Seems like I had another dream where I was taking public transportation to get somewhere, but managed to miss the stop where I should have gotten off the bus. Can't say I remember too much else, though.

Teaching my dad

I had a dream where I was teaching my dad something on the computer. He had to step out for a bit and in my dream, I was noticing that I wasn't getting as frustrated teaching him... Most likely because he already has a background knowledge of what I was trying to teach him, so that he is able to understand it easily. While my dad was out, I got a call from Steve F from work and he had some questions about our application. Funny thing though is that Steve has not been involved in our project for a long time. The place where we were was not any place I could recognize. It seemed some type of residence, though.

New phone...

Since I was disappointed that the Google phone was not available yet, I went ahead and got the Sony Ericsson w580i. It's by no means the perfect phone which I was looking for, but the main selling point is that it looks good.

Anyway, in comparison of my old phone:




You can see that the main difference in size is the thickness. It's about 1/2" thick. Also, there's no comparison functionality with my old phone:

• Java-based programs
• Internet
• Not 3G, but "2.5G"...
• 2 megapixel camera plus video
• mp3 files can be used as ringtones

The access to the Internet has already been handy because of being able to look up addresses and phone numbers on the Internet.

This phone does not come with GPS, but thanks to Google Maps, they have a My Location function which utilizes the location of cell towers to which your phone is connected in order to approximate your position. Any approximate position is better than not having any idea where you are... and also when you want to do a Google search for businesses, it can use your "My Location" position to find the businesses near you rather than you having to type in the address of your current location.

Finally, disappointingly, there's no Japanese support for this phone, but I have found websites which describe how to re-flash the software on your phone to use the Asian version... I am looking forward to trying this out!

Playing ball with "W"

I've had a wide range of dreams recently and have not been logging them. This one is worth logging though. In my dream, it seemed like I was watching a U of I basketball game. Then, it seemed like I was playing in the game... and on my team was George Bush. At one point, I passed the ball to him, but he didn't make a clean catch. Somehow, the ball ended on his head, but he didn't know where the ball was. Finally it fell off of his head, but he still didn't know where the ball was. I was either thinking or saying to him, "Just listen to where the ball is bouncing..." but poor George, he still didn't know where the ball was. Anyway, it does remind me of what happened in real life to Danny Blammy in a basketball game at Uni High where he managed to have the ball hit him on the head 3 times consecutively... and was called for traveling. And our JV coach, Mr. Ball, tried to convince the ref in vain it was not traveling. Somehow I don't think one of my dreams would be as wild as that.

Rats!

The 1.6TB storage device (over 80% used) I was using (which was a Stardom Sohotank U7-4-B2) to archive my recorded shows is not working anymore. I’ve not had a chance to verify it’s only the hardware device and not the drives themselves which is not working. (I don’t even want to think that it may be the drives.)

_{Good news, it looks like all the data on the drives is ok.}

Anyway, so I’ve now ordered a 4TB storage device which supports RAID5, which means in theory, I should have 3TB of usable storage while still having complete recovery capabilities in case of a bad hard drive (just not two at the same time).

_{OK, it’s not much for looks, but anyway…}

However, RAID5 also means if something happens to the hardware, I would have no way of recovering the data except buying another storage device which supports a 4-drive RAID5 set up…

I decided not on the Drobo as someone had a bad experience losing all data using one… so although it may have been a fluke, it’s kind of sad when the device which is supposed to automatically provide redundant storage capability fails on you. I am hopeful that with future versions of Drobo, they’ll work out this flaw.

See more progress on: set up my home theater PC

External hard drive failure

External hard drive device failed. It was a Stardom U74B2 which I bought in June 2006. This means it lasted one year and 4 months. Warranty for this device was one year.

Moving offices at work

OK, last night I had a dream that we were moving offices. This actually mimics real life except in my dream, the offices were in Dallas. It seemed the office we were moving from was RTC, which was where I worked approximately 15 years ago. We seemed to be moving into a taller building which would be the type of building where the current "office" is now.

I was moving some things on my own. It was nighttime and the office was empty except someone was working late. In my office (which was an enclosed office, not a cubicle), there was a closet and dresser. In the dresser, I already had some clothes there, some clean and some dirty! I was wondering around the offices and discovered that the guy next to me is someone I know... so I was thinking I would be having lunch with him frequently.

Then I am not sure when it was but then it turned out I would be sharing my office with someone and it turned out to be Thomas S!

In another part of the dream, it seemed like I had to go somewhere, but for some reason, it seemed like I was trying to get to a different floor. Unfortunately, I don't remember too much else.

Custom cabinet ideas

From countertop.com, found some custom cabinet stores like:

http://dfwmsp.com/
http://www.qualitycabinets.com

Stock options

Called today to get my password reset. Address they have on file is my home address. I also put in a limited sale order of $108 which would net only $26. Better $26 than nothing. Stock options expire in summer of 2010.

In addition, determined that reporting of incoming through stock option sales are handled through W2.

How much should deck slope away from house

About 1/4 inch per foot. For example, a 10 foot deck should have a 2 1/2 inch drop.

Vanity lights in house

Vanity lights in house are based on:

P3044-15 from Progress Lighting

SKU: P3044-15
Category: Bath & Vanity
Finish: Polished Chrome
Glass: Partially-Etched Crystal Cut
Family: 14
Price: $149.70

http://www.progresslighting.com/search.cfm?currPageNum=112&search=search&category=2&finish_id=&family_id=&minprice=0&maxprice=3000&sku=

In Powder Room:

P3259-06 from Progress Lighting (3 light is P3260-06).

http://www.progresslighting.com/search.cfm?search=search&sku=P3259-06&category=&finish_id=&family_id=&minprice=0&maxprice=3000

Cold?

It's amazing to me to see medical advice given by people who are not professionals. I was looking up whether or not people still advise to put people in cold baths in case of a fever. In general, you don't see that advice anymore, but you see people who say they shouldn't take hot baths either.

From http://www.seattlechildrens.org/child_health_safety/health_advice/fever.asp it suggests sponge baths starting at 90F and then raising the temperature of the water in case the child feels chills. It doesn't seem to warn against the temperature getting too high.

Also, from a cold's perspective, University of Illinois McKinley Health Center, http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/colds_self_care_guide/colds_self_care_guide.html, says that baths may make you feel better and they don't give any warning about the temperature. If it would be a bad thing, I would think that they would provide warnings.

Making a photo look like a painting

To make a photo look like a painting, on an episode of Double Take, they made a photo look like a painting by getting the photo enlarged on flat matt paper for $15, then take a heavy gel medium, a semi-gloss, with small brush strokes dries clear and leaves a texture,

Googling this!

Google has the tendency to remove duplicate pages. Therefore, using Blogger for the home pages has a fault that once Google finds the Blogger version of the home page, it may delete the reference to the home page itself.

So here's how I've set URL forwarding:

@ home.comcast.net/~japanese_tutor_in_texas/temp URL forwarding
www japanese-tutor.blogspot.com URL frame

Then in Google webmaster tools, I listed japanese-tutor.com (without the www) as a separate website for the home page for Japanese Tutor in Flower Mound.

Ideas for sconce

Hampton Bay
1 Light Sconce in Brushed Nickel with Etched Opal Glass
Model 28046

HomeDecorators.com and LampsBeautiful.com also have some interesting choices.

Daiyoukin (大腰筋)

On an episode of Tameshite Gatten! , they showed the current technique in improving running is utilizing the muscle named daiyoukin (大腰筋). In English, this muscle is the “Psoas major” muscle. Web site which shows this muscle is http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/thighmuscles/anteriormuscles/psoasmajor/tutorial.html