Archive for August, 2007
August 29, 2007 at 6:08 pm · Filed under Blog
I write this post while sitting in my car in Atlanta traffic. It reminds me of why I moved away from here in the first place. Fear not, fellow drivers. I’m only typing one word in between looking up at the road. John Mayer is singing about the beauty wrapped up in the female mystique. The guy in the car next to me is focused on something well beyond the confines of his windshield. A cigarette butt flies out the window. Another day in paradise etched upon his face. There is hope, my friend.
Ahh, Atlanta…
August 29, 2007 at 8:44 am · Filed under Blog
From eWeek.com:
The New York Taxi Worker’s Alliance is scheduled to meet with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office to discuss cab drivers demands that the Taxi and Limousine Commission cancel its mandate that all city cabs be equipped with Global Positioning System links.
Bill Lindauer, a spokesman for New York Taxi Worker’s Alliance [NYTWA] confirmed that representatives from the group, which represents New York taxi drivers, are meeting Aug. 28 in the afternoon with representatives from the mayor’s office. Also at the meeting will be representatives from the Taxi and Limousine Commission [TLC], which oversees New York’s cabs.
In addition to providing an interactive map for taxi riders [along with a TV screen that will display advertisements and entertainment] the system will also enable cab drivers to accept credit cards from customers, and instant messages from TLC.
The issue with installing GPS in taxicabs, according to Lindauer, is that it amounts to spying on cab drivers. For TLC the technology is more about automating cumbersome paper processes, particularly those involved in collecting and maintaining so-called trip sheets, where cab drivers record each fare on paper. It’s also about helping passengers better find lost goods, according to a spokesman for TLC.
Ever felt like you were taken for a ride by a taxi, especially in an area where you weren’t familiar?
August 18, 2007 at 6:08 am · Filed under Blog
My wife was talking with my daughter’s Sunday School teacher about our daughter. She had been complaining about not wanting to go to class anymore. Not completely unexpected for a 7-year-old I guess. So I suggested we talk to her teacher. As my wife was talking to her, the teacher said that during prayer request time, my daughter prayed that mommy and daddy wouldn’t get divorced. My wife did a little double take and said “Really?” We had never brought up the word at home or anywhere for that matter. How do you continue following a conversation once you’ve had that bomb dropped? A few minutes later and the teacher pointed to a girl in the class and said “oops, I’m so sorry, that other girl was the one, not your daughter”. Talk about a mix-up. I of course heard about it second hand and didn’t hear the punchline right away, so I’m thinking the same thing. “Do we appear to our girls like we are having difficulties? Did I say something at some point that could have been taken wrong? Is she serious or did she hear a friend talking about it?” These all passed through my mind in the split seconds that it took for the punchline to finally arrive.
I was left with a bit of relief. But that only resolved half of the problem for me. Some little 7 year old has parents talking about divorce right now. That, I suppose, is a lot for a 7 year old to handle. I have lots of friends and acquaintances who’ve been divorced. Some only lasted a year, some lasted 25 years. I don’t suppose for the ones that made it so long that it was an overnight thing nor an easy decision. I imagine a building up of unresolved issues that finally just burst. I’d be lying if I said marriage is easy or always fun. It is probably the hardest relationship to grow in the world. Most in trouble fake it pretty well, especially those of us who claim to be Christians. Living up to a perfect relationship standard that we are “supposed” to have is daunting. In fact it seems impossible. From what I’ve seen, I don’t know too many married couples who are best friends any more. Missed expectations, dashed dreams, unmet needs. Kids, pets, friends, work, addictions, and hobbies can provide a great distraction for a time. When it comes time to face the music though, like when the distractions are gone, real life is a scary thing. Couples are left saying: “What happened to the guy I married?” “Where did that beautiful girl go that I fell for?”
If I’m ever in one of those rare moods that I get thinking there’s gotta be something better out there (poor me), the great equalizer for me is just simply looking at my kids and realizing that I’ve got it pretty good. Because it is usually my own self-centeredness that craves its own version of self-love and self-fulfillment over true self-sacrifice. Once I recognize it for what it is, and I’m willing to come down off of my high horse, it usually turns out that I’m the problem after all.
August 17, 2007 at 4:28 pm · Filed under Blog
Here’s a great blog if you are a fan of Starbucks. Here is a great blog is you are not a fan of Starbucks. OK, they are one and the same. Whether you visit Starbucks every day or if you prefer coffee that doesn’t have that burnt taste, you are sure to enjoy this lite fare.
August 16, 2007 at 11:49 am · Filed under Blog
Kinda warm
Originally uploaded by icon tact.
This was the actual temperature yesterday at one point in Spring Hill.
August 14, 2007 at 7:32 am · Filed under Blog
With these consistently high 3 digit temps, I’ve got lots of friends whose A/C units are struggling to keep up. Ours is no exception. Most new homes are built with major systems being installed by the lowest (cheapest) bidder. A/C units are not exempt. Many installed A/C units are bottom of the barrel when it comes to overall quality and reliability. They are supposed to last 10 - 15 years. Since air conditioning and heating are such a obscure science to most people (very much like automobiles today), when something goes wrong, you have no choice but to believe what the repairman says. And this is where the dishonesty sometimes gets its start. Your thermostat needs a new battery. The repairman, seizing an opportunity for a major sale, conjures up some story and tries to sell you a whole new unit. You go get a home equity loan to cover the expense. The repairman gets a good profit. You get a new unit. But the unit was only 5 years old when it “failed”. How could that be? For the cost of a pack of “AA” batteries, you could have saved the hassle and kept your hard earned money for better things.
This may sound like the whole A/C industry is in cahoots. But there are a few good ones out there. I’ve just found one. Domonic Cuccia owns Air Solutions of Tennessee. Domonic worked at Home Depot and started his A/C business on his off days, getting advanced training, and putting a good, honest work ethic into it. Now some three years later, he has a thriving full-time business, doing only what is required to get your home cooling at optimal levels again. He is technically competent and will show you what he is doing each step of the way. The service is reasonably priced too. You also won’t have the feeling that you just got burned.
Give Domonic a call today and mention my name. 615-474-8399.
August 13, 2007 at 7:43 am · Filed under Blog
Matt Bronleewe’s first novel Illuminated is stellar. I got a copy from Dave his manager after reading the back cover and begging him to let me read and review it. I was blown away by the creativity of the plot and the incredible character development. From the very first page, the reader is drawn into this story of intrigue, history, flawed relationships, murder, as well as detailed descriptions of the life of one of the most influential people who brought the written word to the masses through his movable type printing press, developed circa 1450.
If you like good history thrillers, you will not be disappointed. In fact you’ll probably finish in a few days and wonder when the next book by Matt will come out. Purely from the standpoint of writing genius, I would put this on par with Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, John Grisham, and Clive Cussler (a few of my favorites).
Kudos to Matt on a great read.
You can get this book at Amazon
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August 2, 2007 at 2:16 pm · Filed under Blog
The simple things are sometimes the most meaningful. Take a typical sunrise. And there is the tricky part. A typical sunrise doesn’t exist. Each is unique. That in itself should be reason enough to be filled with a sense of wonder. Though the pattern is the same, the reality of what’s visible is not. Such is the case with us humans. I remember once waiting to board a flight. I watched the folks who had just landed come streaming off the jetway. I was struck by the fact that you could tell who takes the landings well and who doesn’t by the eyes. We each respond differently to the landings of life. You may see someone today whose plane nearly crash-landed. Rather than responding by appearances, ask how the landing was. Each one is different.
I write this post while sitting in my car in Atlanta traffic. It reminds me of why I moved away from here in the first place. Fear not, fellow drivers. I’m only typing one word in between looking up at the road. John Mayer is singing about the beauty wrapped up in the female mystique. The guy in the car next to me is focused on something well beyond the confines of his windshield. A cigarette butt flies out the window. Another day in paradise etched upon his face. There is hope, my friend.
