"Dingo" Dave's rants and raves

I got an email alert last night on my IPhone, but when I went to turn it on via the on button, nothing happened! I was dismayed.. I tried holding the power button in for a couple minutes, to do a reset. Nothing. I tried putting it on the charger cable, but again, nothing.

That's when I decided I had to go to Apple. I got up early this morning, and went into the local (somewhat, it's a fair distance from where I live) Apple store.

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Saw an update saying they were starting to drill the hole for the men to get out through... Had to say something about this, it's such a historical event. So far, they've equalled the longest surviving group in a mine accident, and seem poised to keep going strong.

My thoughts are with them, and I hope that, which ever god(s) they pray to, will listen and let them get out safely.

I know I could never do what they do, especially since the last few years, when we've seen collapse after collapse of mines both here in the USA and other countries.

Good luck guys!

Well, so much for the lady in Vegas... She wanted to do a backgound check AND a credit check...

I'm sure I'd pass both with flying colors, but hey, what the heck. I'm no bank for anyone... She admittedly was well-off, and didn't want to get hooked by a gold-digger, but she could have at least MET me first...

Oh well, lots of fish, and all that guff! LOL

At least work is keeping me busy enough that I don't have to think about much else... We're onlinle to go live sometime in November, I think, and things are really ratcheting up.

I received my new case, gratis from Apple, although the case I picked from the FreeCase application was from Speck (The PixelSkin model). It looks and FEELS really nice. The back is a checkerboard style that really gives you a good grip, and the case over all doesn't increase the size more than 1/8 inch.

But the good news is, it definitely stops the Death Grip loss of signal. I tried several different grips on the phone and watched the bars stay where they originally were.

I did notice over the past few weeks that I no longer have a full 5 bars all the time, so the software fix they put in iOS 4.0.1+ is definitely making a difference in how it shows the availability of signal.

Friday was Dad's 80th birthday, and we celebrated with the family on Saturday. It was a good turnout, with my brother Mike and two of his three kids, Calvin and Sean. My daughters, Denise and Andrea, were both there with their beaus, Mike and Sean. And my ex-wife Wilma came along, since she and Dad were close.

The pictures above are from the party. The present Dad is holding in one is an "anti-squirrel" bird feeder, spring loaded so if the squirrels try to get to the seed inside, it closes down automatically. Kinda neat idea... LOL

Mom went out of her way to make some good chow for everybody, a creamed chicken concoction for sandwiches, the ever-present deviled eggs, and pasta salad. It was really good, thanks Mom!

It was good to get the family together for a while. Don't see much of Andrea since she and Sean moved to Pueblo, and Denise and Mike are constantly working, so it was good to have a day together.

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Today the California ban on gay marriage is still in effect, but Proposition 8 has been ruled as unconstitutional.

Personally, I'm not gay, never have been, never will. But to deny people the right to form unions in marriage with the ones they love just seems wrong. What right do we have to say that two gay men can't love each other with the fervor that the heterosexual couples do?

To me, this is a slam dunk. To say otherwise is to say that well, maybe cross-racial marriages shouldn't be allowed either, or cross-religion, or any other mix of cultures... Equality means just that, equal and open to all people.

OK, so I've got the latest and greatest tissues from a major company, and went to wipe some tears out of my eyes... (The reason was I poked myself in the eye! )

Lo and behold, the tears were just smeared across my cheek instead of being absorbed by the tissue like they should be!

After a little time, I was able to see clearly,  and looked at the bottom of the box at the "ingredients"... Hmmm lotion contains... (drumroll) PARAFFIN! What idiot decided that the lotion in the tissue was supposed to WATERPROOF the damn tissues???

Here's a case of the hype not telling the whole truth! Besides the paraffin, the lotion in the tissues also have ALCOHOL! Yeah, that sounds like something I want to wipe my eyes with!!!

Come on K*******, get your research assistants off your laps, and THINK about the product and how it's supposed to be used! You can make it soft enough without waxing the damn tissues and including a painful (in the eyes) ingredient!

Am I the only one who looks at the box???

Finally got all the work on the backyard completed. Here's a few pics to show the end result!

I ended up hiring out the job because it was just too big a job to do by myself...

The Senate and House finally passed the Unemployment benefits extension! It's about time!

Personally, I don't see why they held off. Yes, it will further bloat the national debt, but this is people's lives we're talking about. This is just as much an emergency as Hurricane Katrina! People are losing their homes and everything they own.

I must say I agree, I don't LIKE extending the national debt, but hey, I was unemployed myself for quite a while, and the unemployment I received just barely kept me afloat. And all the talk about "it will just enable people to not search for work" is a load of bull.

I don't know of anyone that doesn't look for work while they're unemployed. Sure, it's a great time (if you can afford it) to take some time off for vacation, but other than that, I'm seeing the same people on the same websites looking for work all the time.

As I sit here in amazement, several large firms are compiling statistics that say that Apple will have to spend nearly $1 billion in a recall of all the IPhone 4's already sold.

Now I ask, WHY would they do that? The easiest solution is to give each IPhone 4 owner out there their "rubber band" edge case. It may cost US $29 to buy one, but I can almost guarantee, the cost to Apple would be from $1 - 2!

Plus, how would a recall work? Would Apple require the return of the (allegedly) defective IPhone after which they would send us the replacement? Could we do it online, by "promising" to send the (allegedly) defective IPhone back once we receive the replacement? I, for one, couldn't do without my IPhone for a typical 6  week turnaround time on a replacement...

It'll be interesting to see how it turns out, after Consumer Reports listed it as defective... But now people are coming up and saying that Consumer Reports' tests were flawed in the first place. Peer pressure? Bad reporting? Who knows?

I see in the news that a FOURTH tape has been outed on Mel Gibson, allegedly to show that he was threatening to burn down his g/f's house if she didn't give him oral sex!

We shouldn't, but most of us hold celebrities to higher standards than the rest of us, simply because they have the money to be able to hold themselves to those same higher standards.

But time and time again, we see actors/actresses, politicians, etc. doing things that even WE wouldn't do. I mean, come on, threatening to burn down her house? Sheesh. If I made a threat like that, I'd be in jail faster than you could say Jack Sprat!

Just a BIG pet peeve with me. If I had half of Mel's money, I would be sitting back VERY satisfied and happy. Not demanding oral sex or else!

I just made 60th level with my Alliance hunter on World of Warcraft!!! YEAA!!!!

I never thought I'd want to play an online role-playing game. I'd tried several before, and they all seemed to be lacking something.

But WoW definitely has it. After a year of playing, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that, while it occupies a lot of my play time, it's got enough diversity in the play to keep me amused and interested...

Can't wait for the new version "Cataclysm" to come out this fall!!

After having the IPhone 4 for a couple weeks, and having bought a case for it from Incipio, everything's settled down, and I've learned the tips n tricks to using it more efficiently.

The double-click on the home button (the only button on the face) leads you to a small pop-up menu of apps you've run recently. The trick is to try to keep this to a minimum number of apps, otherwise your battery time suffers.

And the Grip o' Death that so many people reported on various websites is no longer an issue, since the case edge where the antenna is, is insulated from my hand, and I haven't been able to get it to drop bars for any reason...

So, so far so good. I've got my basic apps (iBook, Palm eReader. Slpash ID) all set up and running well, and updated my music collection to over 2800 songs now. Kinda nice to be able to go three-four days without repeating a song!

I'll write more later. Time for bed!

Well, I decided it was time to get back in the game... So I subscribed to a well-known website and filled out all the information about me that was ever known.

I'm scared to death, because I've done this before and look where it got me. But I think this time will be different. For one thing, I've got my depression under control (better living through pharmaceuticals!) and for another, I'm more stable now than I was then.

I'm looking forward to meeting new people though. I love my parents, but they're not exactly the kind of company I want to be isolated with...

I've already had a couple exchanges of info with a lady in Las Vegas. So far, so good. I'll let you all know what happens, good or bad... Should be interesting, to say the least.

I received my Incipio IPhone 4 case, the DermaShot rubber case, and I've got to say, with the little time they were in development, they definitely got it right. The case fits nicely, the holes for the earphones and cameras are all clear and not blocking the pictures, and I can still feel the "click" when I press on the volume buttons.

AND, the big test results are in, it fixes the Death Grip problem with the phone losing signal when you hold it "normally" (Sorry, Jobs, but switching a lifetime of holding a phone this way doesn't make me want to change!).

So, for now, I'll put off suing Apple for breach of warranty (Apple iPhone 4 'Death Grip' Prompts Lawsuit), and just enjoy the crisp, clear screen graphics and lightning speed. Why can't people just accept that sometimes there are problems with products, and not go off the deep end (class action suits)?

After all, it's only been two weeks, and the consumer protection act allows for a 30 day return! If you don't like it or the way it works, TAKE IT BACK!

I keep reading in various news articles about the infamous death grip when holding an IPhone 4. I can get it to do it on my IPhone, but only with some forethought.

But this brings us to the fixes. There's always the scotch tape deal, but I don't think taping my phone up is a good alternative. So the other way is to put a case on it.

But from what I've seen online, there aren't many cases built for the IPhone 4. My favorite manufacturer (Incipio - http://myincipio.com ) has a bevy of cases described on their website, but only one right now is available. The others "are coming shortly"...

Well, I'll just order what I can get now, and let you know if it fixes the problem. Stay Tuned!

Had to check out by 11AM, so I stored my bags with the bellhops, and walked around for quite a while. I had 6 hours to kill before I had to leave for the airport, and didn't want to spend a lot of money doing it.

So I ended up at Harrah's, figuring I could take in a few hands of No-Limit poker. Well, they were just starting a tournament, so I went ahead and joing in.

Did pretty well, considering I was knocked out in 7th place out of about 300. Not quite good enough to collect any winnings, though.

Afterwards, I went back to the Imperial Hotel, and searched for an easy way to spend the hours left. Luckily as I walked up to the blackjack tables, a customer got up and left, so I quickly slid into his chair and spent the next few hours just breaking even in blackjack. The dealer was a riot, she was one of their "dealertainers", who dressed up and looked like famous singers. Her persona was Joan Jett (taking me back a few years, to say the least!).

She was a lot of fun as a dealer, and the time went quickly. Pretty soon I had to give up and go grab my bags for the ride to the airport.

So here I am at home and at work again. It was a pleasant trip, and definitely something I'd recommend to anyone with a few extra bucks.

Spent the morning/afternoon exploring the southern strip. Amazing!

Started off by taking the monorail from the Imperial Palace station to the MGM Grand. What a difference in culture and ambience... The MGM Grand is just that... Grand! Of course, it's also HUGE! It took me a good twenty minutes (albeit with stops to gawk at the decorations and exhibits). I'm going to see if I can get into a Chris Angel (MindFreak) show tonight or tomorrow. That would be cool.

One thing I'm grateful for is the proliference of Starbucks coffee shops! I counted three in the MGM Grand alone. I couldn't live without my Starbucks and their mocha frappucino (with extra coffee shots) in the heat of the day. I think I've seen at least one, sometimes two, shops in each of the casinos, and one every block on the strip.

Across from the MGM Grand, of course, is the New York New York resort. I looked at the roller coaster ride, and decided against it. It's WAYYY too high, and my fear of heights just diminishes the thrill, from past experience at Elitch Gardens in Denver. But it LOOKED fun!

Of course, I stopped and paid homage at the Firefighter's memorial out front. Amazing the number of people that were just hit with the enormity of 9/11 all over again. I heard one lady snifflling as she scanned the exhibit of t-shirts from the various fire brigades in New York. You'd think after 9 years it would have worn off a bit, but I found myself tearing up a little just remembering how it all it went down.

Anyway, from there I crossed the street, and came to the Excelsior resort. With my background in the medieval fairs (Primarily the Rennaissance Festival in Larkspur, Colorado), I had a vested interest in seeing if this lived up to its reputation.

And it certainly did. The architecture and interior of the casino/hotel were exquisite, and even though the employees should have been dressed in medieval garb, it didn't detract from the experience. I wandered for over an hour just checking out all the exhibits, games, etc. It even had a kid's arcade downstairs for the younger crowd. That's one thing I've noticed missing in the other casinos.

Riding the moving walkway across to the Luxor, I went from Medieval times to the Egyptian. This was definitely a change in environment, as the Luxor was about as kid-friendly as the least of the casinos. Not that that's a bad thing. Just not someplace you'd want to take the kids on vacation. A lot of places like the Cat House bar would definitely raise questions in the pre-teen crowds.

Another moving walkway (after navigating up and over the main casino floor) to the Mandalay Bay resort. Very swanky and elegant lobby and casino. I'd heard about/seen the Mandalay Bay on several TV shows (CSI for one), and was interested to see it for myself. Definitely a top-notch resort, with a large open casino floor and quite a few employees just standing around to answer questions. Every time I stopped to look at something, one would ask me if I needed help. Now THAT is service... Although it got a bit annoying after a while.

I spent a good hour there playing the slots and cooling off the doggies (feet). It's a LOT of walking even if you take the monorail to get in the general area of where you want to be. Just to get to some of the resorts you have to walk for ten minutes just to get to the front doors. Which isn't a bad thing, with all the lush vegetation and scenic waterways to look at on the way. I don't think any other town in the USA could have as many fountains and waterfalls in the same square mileage!

I'm back at the hotel now, and cooling off a bit before I go get some lunch (I think I saw a McDonalds up overhead just down the street. (Mom, sorry, I HAVE to eat McD's at least once!)

Also got some work to do online. Can't let the work stuff pile up too much or I'll be overwhelmed when I get back to actual work. <grin>

Had a great meal, surf and turf with all the fixings, at Embers in Imperial Palace. I can highly recommend this restaurant, on the 5th floor of the Pagoda Tower. The steak was perfectly done, and the lobster, well, let's just say I haven't had such good lobster since I was in the Navy down under....

Afterwards, I caught the variety show at Planet Hollywood. Good show, a lot of laughs, and the magician was amazing. I caught myself all night long trying to figure out how he did the things he did!

I wanted to check out the local night life, so I wandered around a bit, and finally found Harrah's casino and hotel. I had looked it up earlier, so I went in to find Toby Keith's "I love this bar".  Harrah's is a HUGE place, and I had to ask directions several times. "Go straight back, hang a left at the poker tables, then straight until you see the escalator. Up the escalator then left to the bar". Seems easy, but given that the paths between the tables and slot machines are never "straight", it's easy to get confused...

Finally some music I could get into!

The place was packed, being a Friday night, as expected, but the music was great. At one point, they played "I Love This Bar" (Toby Keith's signature song), and the bartendress got up on the bar and poured free shots for everyone while dancing... The band was definitely on par with what I expected from Toby Keith, and the lead singer sang her lungs out!

I met up with a few 20-somethings who were in from Texas, so I got the chance to ask for a dance or two. Haven't two-stepped in quite a while, but they were very obliging, and kept me going the right ways... LOL They were headed to a hip-hop place afterwards, so we parted company. Boy, to be that young again. I was worn out, so I just came back to the hotel and played a few slots, then headed up to bed.

I'm definitely getting worn out by all the walking and the heat, I figure I've probably lost 5 pounds since I got here. Not sure what I'm going to do today. Maybe take the monorail (yes, monorail! Amazing) to the MGM Grand so I can say I was there too...

Laterz!

Had to get out of the heat for a while, but before I did, I made it up to Circus Circus, one of the mandatory stops. Nice casino, interesting props and decorations. Spent a little time there before heading back south to the main strip.

Gonna take a nap, cause I have tickets to a variety show tonight, and don't want to fall asleep. Amazing how the heat can drain you...

Laterz!