Another PLAN increase

Well, today I found a letter from PLAN in my mail box. My first thought was did the child I'm sponsoring move away again. Since it happened the last two years (2005, 2006).

But, it was PLAN asking for an increase in my sponsorship from $24/month to $29/month. This'll be my second increase in the time that I've been participating. When I originally signed up, it was only $20/month.

At the time, still is...the magic threshold was (up to) $250/year. That's the amount I normally allocate to my selected causes each year. And, PLAN (Childreach as it was known at the time) was under this magic mark at $240/year. When it increased to $24/month, or $288/year. I tolerated, because I didn't want to drop support for the child I was sponsoring....unlike when I was first laid off and relocated, etc. The organization took the child away from me, even though at no time was I not able to continue making my contribution. But, simple because I had moved.....from Canada to the US. In Canada, it was still known by the old name of "Foster Parent's Plan". Note sure why I stayed with the same organization...but I did. Though it was 6 months before I signed up...which was largely based on the fact that it was supposed to be a 6 month contract to hire (though it actually took 16 months).

Now it'll be like $348/year. But, I'm gonna do it anyways....even though I'm making a lot less money than what I was making before (as well as what the average for my occupation is).

What does remain to be seen is how this'll impact how many other 'select' causes I give to. And, whether or not I follow through on that thought of sponsoring more than just one (at the time, and still is, largely a matter of what other organization would I sponsor through.)

Amnesty Wireless powered by Working Assets

Amnesty Wireless powered by Working Assets

Sounds like a good deal, except that I'm addicted to my Blackberry....and haven't reached the point where I'm ready to have a 3rd phone....;)

What I saw this morning...

Yesterday, it reached a high of 70F!

This morning it was 30F and....

Nearly There... I Think....

 
 

I Think I Can....I Think I Can....darn I forgot my swipe card, now I have to go back down the icy slope and enter through the front..... :`( 

The Wintery Walk To Work 3

 
 
 
  

The Wintery Walk To Work 2

 
 
 
  

A Wintery Walk To Work

 
 
 
  

The Scene Around Home This Morning

 
 
 
  

Walking Home From Work?

 
I kind of wish there was a way to capture what I was seeing....probably just seemed worse walking into the wind (and snow). 

EWB-KSU, Mondialogo: South Africa Bioreactor Project

Many existing sewage plants discharge waste material that could be harnessed for the production of energy. Biogas digesters can eliminate this problem through the production of methane by bacterial degradation of biological material. The methane produced can then be used to generate electricity. Many parts of Africa face poverty and lack the materials necessary for traditional energy generation. Most do, however, produce some type of waste. A team of engineering students from Stellenbosch University is looking to design and implement a biogas reactor. This reactor will not only provide energy for the surrounding community, but serve as an example for other African cities. In order to assist the research, we are assembling a team of engineering students and professionals interested in bioreactor design and international experiences. The project will be sponsored by Engineers Without Borders (EWB), an international organization that partners with developing communities to improve their quality of life. We are also in the process of writing a project proposal to obtain a Mondialogo grant that would substantially assist in the completion of the project. If interested in this project, please contact Gilbert Malinga c/o ewb@ksu.edu.

Finally got lots of snow in Manhattan

 
 
 
 
It still isn't what a heavy snowfall advisory/warning/watch means to me....but at least there is snow. Now I can't wait until spring ;D 

Facebook | Engineers without Borders - KSU

I have now created a group on Facebook for Engineers without Borders - the KSU Chapter....

That's in addition to their web site at http://www.ewb-ksu.org

donteatpoop.k-state.edu

Among the many things I do as a Unix Systems Administrator at K-State, is doing updates to our DNS server. And, from time to time see the stuff that comes across our internal listserv for DNS requests.

Today, we got the request for the 'top-level' name of "donteatpoop"....it fits into the 4 usual suspects of with and without 'www.' in front of it, and with both ksu.edu and k-state.edu as the domain name.

Kind of a strange name to request, considering where it redirects to, etc....and being an ex-Canadian, it hasn't escaped me that its also a .ca site....

I don't however take care of the web content, so it is kind of strange looking redirect, etc.... Which only stood out because earlier this morning (while getting ready to leave home for work) I happened to do some googling on web redirection. Though I was looking on how to best implement the masked variety. Because the library would like to have a nicer domain name than the current exposed host name, port number and long (application revealing) URI that currently shows for one of the many growing digital content related stuff that the library now offers.

I have two approaches that came up to try, only somebody else should decide on what the 'nice' name should be....

This is a test

Well, this is only a test to see if I can post to by Blogspot blog via my Sprint Blackberry, which for reasons unknown doesn't generate plaintext Emails... Which my other mobile blog won't accept.

This does also serve to be that somewhat more substantial test of typing on my new Blackberry. The learning curve does exist, but it isn't as bad as what I went through with SureType. It is mostly about the differences from that, though there are some adjustments from a 'real' keyboard and from what my fingers seem to expect for placement and feel.

Anyways, we now return you to....
--
You may be a dreamer, but I'm The Dreamer, the definite article you might say!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

this is the samaBlog » 888-322-2785

I was thumbing through my caller ID the other day...and noticed this toll free number had been calling me, while I've been at work. And, not leaving any voice mails.

Good thing I turned of Simulring, because it was costing me every time somebody called me whether I answered the call or not. Mainly because of a bad circuit at AT&T...kept dumping calls to my landline into noise. Even though its just a basic local only service, so when I don't answer...nothing else should.

Anyways...just got the call again...decided to see if Google would shed any light....usually it doesn't for these kinds of calls.

But, looks like Discover is phishing again. I wish they'd stop....

The last time I answered a phishing call from Discover...the pitch person said because I have never missed a payment and always pay my card in full each month...for completely free and no charge, I could have credit protection on my account. I didn't sound right, but he offered to send me the information in writing. So, I agreed to that.

The next month...I found charges for credit protection, etc. I called and yelled at Discover about it. They claimed that I had said 'yes' to getting the service, though they don't really record any of their calls....that's just a legal disclaimer incase they did. So, there's no proof that what I said 'yes' to was to get information in writing. Which I didn't get on the following week.

And the credit protection service assumes you won't pay, so they can make money off of the people that never miss a payment and always pay in full...to cover themselves against the people that use the service so they don't have to pay them.

I wish I had a recording of the pitch conversation....then I'd have evidence to back up a complaint against them. But, that's probably why they don't really record any of their calls for quality purposes....

Tough Enough to Wear Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

So, for this month I've been wearing my 'special' badge lanyard...its light blue with pink ribbons all over it.

And, there's this polo shirt in my collection...though I won't be wearing it this Friday, since I picked up a "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" shirt...but perhaps one of the other Friday's this month.

For me...its because I had an aunt....

What is my local calling area?

Or more importantly, is 785-304 in my local calling area?

Why is it that this kind of information seems absolutely impossible to find. Can't seem to find it via Google. Can't find it on my phone company's site (AT&T)....there was a localcalling form on an SBC site, which I found using Google, but it refuses to accept 785 as a valid area code.

I suppose the obvious thing is to try calling the number from a toll restricted phone and see if it works. Though I don't currently have access to one....the one on my desk here at work still doesn't work.

But, it would be nice to find out if the number that T-Mobile assigned me can be reached from work, without being blocked for being non-local. Since it is kind of the point of why I switched my T-Mobile number from the Columbus, Ohio number I was using.

It is one of the strange backward things about landlines these days. With my cellphone and VoIP, I can call anywhere in the US...as easily as locally. And, VoIP extends my reach further....

But, a basic local toll only phone line from AT&T is double the 500 minute plans from Lingo or Vonage. And, way more than the Broadvoice's BYOD-lite plan. Though I'm probably gonna easily exceed the 100 minute allotment that it gives. While I've had trouble exceeding the 500 minute allotments.

I suppose what I might look at is the use of simulring or call forwarding. Actually, this sounds like a good thing to test selective call forwarding on...and I wonder if there's a limit on how many different numbers to selectively call forward. IE: all my co-workers and all the different numbers they might call me from.

Hmmm....

Microsoft wants to buy back my shares

I've gotten two letters and at least 4 urgent emails telling me that Microsoft wants to buy back shares...and that I need to respond if I want to get on this deal, or just ignore if I don't want to.

Well, obviously I'm going to ignore the offer....they are like only offering $24-22 a share in the buyback. And, my basis is $30 a share.

And, I don't need the capital gains loss this year...since I just made a major relocation for a new job....(and not to work for Microsoft, who had recruiters calling me regularly to ask if I'd come work for them....and then never hearing back, except to hear from people that were at Microsoft that it wasn't unusual to be interviewed and then not hear back for over a year....)

Actually, there was a time where I thought that if they dropped to $20...I might double my position (to bring my basis down to $25 ;D)....but it never got that low and now I don't have the disposable income to do it.

Meanwhile, I'm still slowly catching up on my email backlog....in Outlook I'm up to July 20th and there's more than 1700 messages ahead .... It is worse in Thunderbird, because there are things I skipped over that I intend to go back and read....like "This is True" and "DNRC" newsletters....that history goes back to when I was first informed of my lay off.... I also hope to someday make some gain from the employee stock that I had acquired.

Is it really August already?

In as many times these past few days...I keep writing 7 or 07 instead of 8 or 08 for the month.

Strange how time just seems to be sliding past lately. Must be the whole living in a new city, working a new job, etc.

Or maybe I'm just trying to avoid facing the crunch of projects that need to get done before the students come crashing in....

Let's have a reunion....

Actually, my 20 year High School Reunion will be on September 9th. I had said I would attend, though that was before I transplanted myself to Manhattan, etc.

But, at least I told my boss about it, so it is still a possibility.

Meanwhile, feeling accomplished....I went to Yahoo! and created a couple of groups related to this. One for SWC86 and the other for Zoo90 ;D

Click to join SWC86

Click to join Zoo90