What excites your senses?

This may seem to be a little but of an odd question, but it came to me this morning as I sat in the chair at JC Penney’s hair salon getting my hair cut. I was immediately relaxed as Becky (my haidresser) started to cut my hair as I usually do. This led me to think about other things that create a very relaxing feeling in my body and mind. In fact the first thing that came to my thoughts was the dentist. Yes, the dentist! I am one of those weird people that love to get my teeth cleaned at the dentist. In fact I also prefer to have a hygienist that doesn’t talk a lot while cleaning my teeth so that I can sit back and enjoy the process of my pearly whites getting scrubbed. I love to hear people complaining about the fact that they have to go to the dentist. I actually have my teeth cleaned more often than usual because I enjoy it so much. This brings me to my hair cut. The icing on the cake to getting my hair cut is the shampooing of my hair. I love to have my hair shampooed when at the hair stylist. Becky and I started talking about this with a story I told about a high-end salon I went to in Dallas where my two sisters frequented. This story of fancy to do salons led Becky to give me a hair shampoo/massage that lasted at least 15 minutes. I was in heaven. There is just something unexplainable about the relaxation of someone shampooing your hair.
I tried as I began to write this blog entry to think of other things that excited my senses, but nothing hit me immediately. I know there are more things, but most likely I take them for granted. So I pose you this question and request. What excites your senses? Do you take those things for granted? Lets all take a moment each time we get to experience one of these great enjoyments of life and really appreciate it. Its these moments that make everything come full circle for what this life is all about. I will be paying close attention to things throughout the day that bring me great enjoyment. I hope you do the same. 
P.S. As I sit and write this, I am at the local Starbucks enjoying a great cup of coffee. This excites me and I very much appreciate it!

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Here's the deal on the Pergo floor thing.

I recently decided to take on a project at Dina's in the form of some renovation work. Dina had some Pergo floor that she had ordered for one of the spare bedrooms quite some time ago. The kids had finally moved out of that area of the house, so it was time to enjoy a nice new floor. I volunteered to take on the project along with one of her daughters boyfriends who enjoy taking projects on with me. We started by pulling all the carpet and padding out of the room. WOW - what a dust and debris container carpet turns out to be! I would rather have a hard floor in my house any day of the week. It also seems to be perfect flooring for people with electronic gadgets. My computers and other devices seem to create a lot of dust. After removing all of the old carpet and the removal of the base molding we began to lay out the plan on the new floor.

We had to place a moisture barrier between the concrete floor and the new Pergo. This comes from Home Depot in 3 foot wide rolls and is essentially just plastic. We cut strips and overlapped them until the entire surface had been covered. The seems where taped with special tape that resembled the same material as the barrier only with sticky backing. It was time for the wood flooring. I expected the process of actually laying the floor would be much more complicated. You decide the direction and start laying the planks. Everything is interlocked using a proprietary tongue and groove system. When you reach the end of a row, you measure the length need for the last board. Cut to fit! You then start the next row with the leftover piece of the last cut. This helps create a random pattern so that one can not see the seems. Pretty cool. The only other exciting part of the project where some areas that required detailed cut ins form the jigsaw. We completed the entire project in 6 hours. Not bad for our first time.

Well, that was my exciting Thursday. Bye.

Another cellphone...huh?

As everyone knows the Apple iPhone was released yesterday at participating stores near you. You can stand in line to pick from two choices of iPhones that offer 4gb or 8gb of storage space. I have only the information on the web and other media resources I use to have any understanding of what the iPhone is capable of doing. It is certainly a beautiful product that Apple always manages to pull off. If money was not an issue for a product I really have no need for, I would love to go out to the store and pick one up. It has such an interesting interface that you can't help to want to get your hands on one. Rate plans on At&t are actually quite reasonable compared to my Blackberry through Alltel. Perhaps this will help drive competition with other companies. Two reporters on the local station here in Punta Gorda, Florida where showing off there iPhones on the morning broadcast. If this isn't the perfect example of hype, what else could get this type of play. The biggest excitement this new phone from Apple brings to me is a chance to see a new upcoming iPod. The iPhone offers the perfect interface for a large storage wide screen iPod. I don't need a new phone, but I would love to have a new iPod. I will be in line for the release of a new iPod, which I hope to see before the holiday season.

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Pirates 3....Come on Calypso.....

I recently went to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean. I have been a big fan of the Pirate movies since there inception, this is partly do to my family obsession with Disney World. I really enjoyed the movie but realize that it was much different than the previous releases. Many people have ridiculed the plot line not offering more excitement. I am always entertained by a movie so I don't like to critique story's too much. The definite problem I had with the movie was with the character Calypso. Throughout the movie they depicted the story of Calypso and Davey Jones. I think they portrayed a larger than life creature from the ocean in Calypso's pre-human form. So as the movie ended and Calypso was released form her curse by the pirate board, I anticipated the arrival of what bad ass creature to reek havoc on the arsenal of boats on the seas that day. Up arose from the deck of the boat a giant version of Calypso's body, followed by a transformation into a hundred million crabs that descended there way off the boat into the depths below. What came of this transformation to battle all the pirates that did her wrong for so many years under the curse......a giant...whirlpool...... This is the only disappointing part of the movie for me, but was very anti climatic. Don't miss the chance to see it in the theaters, the visual experience is always better on the big screen! Till next time, yo ho yo ho, a pirates life for me.

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This is a test with Flock!! Very Cool

I just decided to try out a new web browser that I am using on my Powerbook. Its called Flock and one of the many features it offers is lots of extensions related too all the Web 2.0 stuff we do. ie: blogging. I can press a button for new blog and it opens a simple text window and posts it directly to my blog. Wow! It has many similar features to this for photos and other services. I know the blog has been a little boring lately, but I have been consumed with lots of other projects. Please check back, because I will be updating with more stuff. Bye!

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I have been consumed with Web 2.0 ....

I apologise with the lack of new posts, but I have been consumed with all these new Web 2.0 products that I have been learning about in my podcasts. The theme of the web is communication and these new ventures are exploiting this communication to the fullest! I have been dabbling with Jaiku. What a weird name, right? Well this is the example of Web 2.0 in the form of micro blogging. It allows you to be connected to friends and family with snip its of your day in the form of 200 characters or less. Its like instant messaging for the web.

I look forward to continuing with my frequent posts to the blahblahcrusade. I have some recent events that have provided me with some story ideas. Check back frequently as I will be updating soon! Until then, enjoy!

Well it took a little longer, but A+'d

I really wanted the time from beginning to end to be a bit quicker but I can't complain because its over. I have officially completed and passed the 2006 CompTia A+ Certification objectives. This basically indicates to an employer that I have a competent knowledge of computers. It covered areas in hardware, operating systems, laptops, printers, networking, security, and ethics. My next step is to begin studying for the 2003 CompTia Network+ objectives. I have decided to switch training companies for this new task. I felt a little under educated from the materials that I received from the first training. I will keep you updated on my progress. I am requiring a strict schedule for this test to improve my time to finish. If you have any questions about my fun please let me know. Till next time.....

Oranges, Lemons, Peaches, APPLE

Well I have taken on a new project. I have always wanted to learn the Apple line of Mac computers. I haven't been exposed to these computers very much, so there is definatley a learning curve ahead. The reason: just to broaden my abilities for future jobs I wanted to learn the basic ins and outs of the operating system. The easiest way for me to make this happen is to get my grubby hands on one of these beautiful machines. Well, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend who works for an Apple based company I have been blessed from her IT department with not just a Mac but a G4 Powerbook. Its a beautiful piece of art crafted from aluminum and sports a huge 15" widescreen display. I will admit that if PC's looked this good then you wouldn't have anybody looking at any other choices. I don't know why one of the mainstream PC producers hasn't copied the looks and tried to capture some of the people looking for a pretty PC. The computer in the PC world that even comes close would probably be the Sony VAIO. Anyways, I also have picked up my favorite starting book, Mac OS X for dummies. I find these books to be the perfect intro to any software because of the common language they use and the easy to follow outline. For the next two weeks I will be trying to do most of my work on this computer in order to force feed my learning. So as you read this post I am using the Powerbook for this very entry. It seems so foreign to me compared to my natural ability in Windows. However I can see that after just a short time I will be well on my way to enjoying the Mac life.

Cell phone carriers are unlike any other company.

I was hopeing to get a little information about everyones cell phone service. Its funny how cell service is one of those things that can still hold you prisoner with things like two-year contracts and expensive equipment without service sign-up. I wish cell phone companies had to compete the same way many other services do in our lives. Who would have there oil changed if they had to sign a contract and get there oil changed from the same place all year, or if you didn't opt to sign-up then the oil was $18.00 per quart. Or better yet, buy a new Saturn for $3000, with a contract to buy all your cars and service from us for the next 10 years. If you opt out, the Saturn is $91,000. I would prefer that all cell phones would be sold like phones for the house. You go into a store and pick out a model from all the different choices, you then could choose a carrier that offers features that you like ( this would drive new technologies) and sign-up over the phone. The cost on the phones would be regulated and discounted the same way plasma tv's, and dvd players. I enjoy changing phones when new technologies fit my needs but I can't do it as often as I would like because of contracts. This really URKS me!!

In addition please leave a quick response in the comment line about the quality of your service and the typical monthly charge for your service.

Have a great day.......

Need I Say More ..!?!?

This confirms why I am a huge Volkswagen Fan!!!

How many more Joe's are there?

I was looking at some of the domain names I own through registerfly.com the other day. I haven't done anything with these sites but have decided upon there renewal I will be transferring them too godaddy.com hosting. I have heard many good things about the company and enjoy there affiliation with IRL racing league. In case you don't know, they sponsor the car that Danika Patrick drives in the IRL. Yes, a smoking hot girl driving an Indy car, it doesn't get much better than that.

I currently do not own a domain name that features my own name. At some point I would like to have a web page based on my name that could link people to the different email addresses, blogs, and other such interaction devices. My first thought was to just try for josephschneider.com No luck that name is already taken. So after trying a few other choices I decided to take a look at the site for josephschneider.com It happens to be someones personal website. There is a limited amount of information on his site but enough to get a glimpse into his life. Its very weird to look upon another human that travels around there home as the same name as you. Each time this person introduces himself he uses the same name as me. Every time he starts to sign a receipt he thinks the same letter process as I do. I guess if I had a name like John Smith it wouldn't be so unusual but I have been graced with a name that I don't run into all that often. You might be thinking that Joe is a very common name, but in fact I have found that without the last name Schneider most Joe's are very different in nature. Joe seems to be a favorite name of Italians. The Italian demeanor is very different from my German lineage.

So have you looked up you name as a domain name to see if there is somebody out there operating just as you do. Its pretty weird stuff. The owner of josephschneider.com likes Star Wars, Disney, Cake Decorating ,and he is a web developer.

Until next time......

Are you ready?

It has been almost 3 years since the last release of Spider-Man. So when tomorrow the doors open to your local theaters we will have the opportunity to step back into the streets of New York City. The new Spider-Man 3 places our hero into the middle of even more super villains and a true battle with himself. This new mega film has surpassed the production of each super budget Spider-Man film prior to its release. What does all this money bring to the screen for this release? Well , I have heard rumors that some of the last scenes in the movie gives you a birds eye view of what it is like to fly through the streets as Spider-Man. How did they create this super shot? None other than a SpiderCam. Its these types of purpose built technologies that can run the budget up of a film of this magnitude. We are sure to be on the edge of our seats as our Peter Parker fights off the antics of villains like Sandman, the New Goblin and Venom. I can't wait to see this movie and how Spidey gets himself out of all of these crazy scenarios. I hope you have the same excitement as I do, so get your butt out there and see this film.

Be on the lookout for more blogs like this for the month of May! There is a lot of action in the month of May for Mega-Movies!!!!

I love Ice Cream. Just like my Gangy.

I broke the seals on two new flavors recently released by Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. It isn't uncommon for me to rush out and try new flavors when they are available at my local store. It was in these few moments that I remembered a fond memory of my father and grandfather. It seems just like yesterday that I can remember loading up in my fathers Suburban and heading over to pick up my grandfather so that us guys could get our fill of homemade ice cream at Cubby's. It wasn't unusual for my grandfather to eat ice cream throughout the day. My grandmother was great about it, because she figured what can it hurt a ninety year old man to have some ice cream. I agree and hope that who ever is taking care of me at that point will keep that in mind when I raid the freezer for a fresh pint. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's in his late years. The only good thing that ever came out of it was his inability to remember if he consumed more than the recommended amount of ice cream for a human in one day. It was this lapse in memory that secured him another spoon and dish full of our favorite treat. My fathers taste buds leaned towards famous flavors like butter pecan and caramel cashew. I tended to experiment with a mixture of coconut, chocolate and a few toppings to build my ultimate sundae. My grandfather was fine with whatever you set in front of him, but being a traditionalist when it came to the frozen stuff, I think he just preferred vanilla. I don't know what caused somebody to try and freeze flavored cream, but I know it has added a dimension to my memories that I will never forget. So thank you ice cream crusaders. So to celebrate my excitement, please go out and pick yourself up a pint at the grocery, or stop in your local dippery and have a nice big cone for me, my father, and especially Gangy!

Baskin Robbins
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Blue Bell
Cold Stone Creamery

Crocs, alligators, frogs....the shoe.

>


I have personally witnessed the popularity of a weird little shoe move too international size interest. I was working at the local pool store when we received our first shipment of the unusual shaped shoes. I can remember thinking I wonder how the public will take to these. The first example was from the other employees. Everybody hated these crazy clogs. I had come from a history of culinary arts and kitchen footwear so this was not unusual footwear for me. In fact I made the first purchase after we setup the racks in the store. They where very comfortable and most interesting was there lite weight. We had the shoes in our stores for about 2 years before the craze really happened. We sold out of the first cases of shoes over two years. Near the end we thought that this shoe idea was over and that we would end our stock. Then a huge demand for the shoes showed up all over town. People would call on the phone and enter the store just long enough to check colors and sizes. I started seeing them on the younger generation. Boat stores would stand by there great tac on a boat. Everyone was consumed about these shoes. Rumors mentioned there popularity had spread to the big city. People described the craze as a box of Skittles exploded on the streets of New York. I still wonder if anybody really likes the way they look or if it is just a perfect example of our minds being conjured into a fad. I'm on my second pair. The originals are still going, they've just been passed down. As far as the shoe company that started this wild ride. There going strong and still growing. International sales in 2006 have sky rocketed them even bigger. The model line has increased with many models of available styles. You can get Disney edition or even your favorite college team. They also have a huge sponsorship with the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. It was fun to watch a company with a good idea start from zero. They sold the first pairs they ever made at the Miami International Boat Show within the first few days. I bet they had no idea what was about to be instore for them. Congatulations.

Quick---->Work+No iPod= No Fun!

This is a quick post. Nobody reads my blog so it doesn't really matter. I have been without an iPod for approx. 7 days and it really isn't fun. I had become use to getting through my nights at work with the podcasts that I regularly listened too. Now at work the nights go by slow and I sort of feel alone. Its interesting how we become dependent on something so quickly. No worries though, my iPod will be here soon.

One other thing. Here is the official list of carrier preferences for shipping:

1. USPS Priority Mail AAA+++ Super fast and very dependable.
2. UPS Ground B++ Not fast but for ground shipping it works.
3. FedEx Home Delivery C- Slow. These people still ship with horse!

Enjoy!!

Certified junk. Thank you, come again.

After leaving Books a Million, I decided to wander into Big Lots for some super glue gel that I needed for some coral propagating I would be doing later. After making my way through the endless isles of junk, I realized how fooled as consumers we can be by the idea of big savings. I found super glue gel near the office supply isle. After checking out the specs on the package I noticed at the bottom the official Big Lots logo from the store. This obviously was a special made product just for Big Lots. After wandering through several others isles I noticed a high percentage of products in the store had the Big Lots logo place right on the front. I guess there is a similar trend happening at many of the dollar stores. At one time when you entered a store like this you where on an adventure to find that over looked super bargain hiding on the shelf everyone passed by. Yes, most of the time the items you sifted through where nothing more than junk they didn't sell at the big fancy stores. Now, the unfound deals aren't really there. The junk is readily available, but it is even worse than before. Because it's not left overs, it's produced on purpose junk! Anyways the fun began when I got too the check out line. One register open! So there was 6 people in line waiting, so they decided to open another register. This caused an absolute cluster, which resulted in me throwing the super glue on the register rack and exiting the building without purchase. People have no respect! Everyone is in such a hurry to get things done regardless of who or what is around them. I always hear the statement about "respect your elders". Let me tell you something, since living in Florida with the majority of "elders" I have learned a few things. Sure I have a good moral fiber that keeps me within the appropriate actions towards my elders, but outside of this I lose care for there respect. It seems many of them feel they have achieved the right to do whatever they want regardless of how they treat others around them. This is not right. Gone is the days of old when "elders" where respectful to the youth and where always caught doing something right and kind. Its a fast paced world out there, including our elders. They can be as aggressive and dangerous as the rest. I will add one foot note to this subject, a large portion of the "elders" in Florida are from New Jersey or New York. Do you think that has anything to do with it? Hmmmm

Sorry about the negative blog, but things needed to be said. Oh and check back about the mention above of "coral propagation".

Folding....its not just for dough and laundry anymore.

As many of you know I am into podcasting. One of my favorite shows is the Buzz Out Loud CNET podcast. I always run into some pretty interesting things on this show. So I will share with you one of the more interesting finds recently. Everybody has heard of the new Sony Playstation 3 (PS3). Well its a big fancy super fast gaming rig with loads of power. In fact it blows away your computer for any type of gaming. I am proud to say they have found something good to use all that power for, especially when your not using it. Many complicated calculations are needed for different types of research projects. Typically this type of computing power is made up of a bunch of computers working together like one. (hint hint hint) So if you have a PS3 and would like to help out the greater cause, you can! Its called folding. With a built in software tool in the PS3 you can leave the unit on when not playing you favorite game and it will fold its power together with other idle PS3 across the globe to compute problems. It is specifically being used for one such task right now. Most of what I have just mentioned came from the podcast as well as my own personal understanding of folding in the networking world. Here is a quote from the website.



"Our goal is to apply this new technology to push Folding@Home into a new level of capabilities, applying our simulations to further study of protein folding and related diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington's Disease, and certain forms of cancer. With these computational advances, coupled with new simulation methodologies to harness the new techniques, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, and make even greater impacts on our knowledge of folding and folding related diseases."



You can visit this page at: http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-PS3.html



What a great way to make a difference.



I will leave you with one last picture. My two plants. I have them in my room next to my computer. I take care of them everyday! Enjoy!

Pictures...are they really worth a thousand words?

Here are pics of the tank!! The first pic is of the whole tank. (Its very difficult to get good pics of an aquarium.) I also include a pic with two of the gouramis. The large one with the better paint job is Dudley. The smaller one with fewer stripes is Minnie. You will also see a couple of pics up close of the two rocks that my tank has, a white one and a red one. They create nice caves for everybody to hide in. You will also see a picture of Waldo the shrimp on one of the leaves. His name is Waldo because, you guessed it Where's Waldo. He is very difficult to find sometimes. And last but not least, a blurry picture of the neon crew. They like to "cruise cooper" together. I don't think they're bullies though. Its pretty peaceful in there ecosystem. The only famous person not featured in the pics is my apple snail. His name is Dozer. ( Yes like Fraggle Rock!) He doesn't like the camera. Plus he is very busy. Well enjoy. OK well I seem to have trouble uploading the pictures. Too many maybe...so if this is in two parts thats why....gesshh

Aquariums.....yeah there pretty addicting.

As some of you may know I have reenlisted myself into the wild world of hobby aquariums. I remember having a 10gl tank in my room when I was quite young. It eventually turned into an opaque green box of water, I even think there was a hardy angel fish that survived all the new found fungus. Since then I have been the proud owner of a few tanks. I started with a 6gl eclipse which was setup in my venture to Charleston SC during culinary school with my sister Tracy. We had an unusually good spot for the tank in the apartment and enjoyed having the fish for company. But as usual I didn't embrace what the fish really brought and never was able to keep the tank at tip top shape. I moved around with that tank and eventually went for a new try while visiting with a stay at my parents house. I finally realized during the first 6 months of having the tank established that possibly the tank wasn't handling the load of fish that it really should be able too. So I moved to a larger tank. I have taken the plunge and have a 20gl Long with a Marineland Penguin 150 filter that is capable of filtering a lot of water. I have been up and running for a few months and I have loaded it up with fish. It looks great and I love having the fish to take care of. I will be posting some pictures of it soon. If you remember in my last blog I referred to meeting people at work with all types of interest. My boss and several other employees are big fish heads. The guy running the place has a 12gl nano reef tank in his office. So I have enjoyed talking with friends at work about the hobby. I have also decided that it is time for me to dive head first into the nano reef aquarium world. They have made many advances since the first days of saltwater aquariums. FYI: nano reefs are typically tanks from 2-24gl that contain mainly corals and other reef type inhabitants. I will keep you posted on this new venture. If you are interested in the hobby you should check out the many forums and websites available on the web. Liveaquaria.com is a great place to see all the different specimens you can order.

I have finally reached the Nano - Video dilemma. No not fish tanks! Ipod. I had started with an iPod Nano last year to see if I would enjoy using this little mp3 player. Well I have fully embraced the fun of having one and now need more room. My Nano holds 4gb of info right now, and I have over 10gb of stuff on my iTunes. As many might comment, no I don't need everything with me at the same time. The problem is that it is very difficult to pick what mood of music or other content you are into prior to being in that moment. So I would prefer to just carry everything with me. So my Nano is currently for sale on Ebay. I will be buying a used Video model with 30gb. Due to Ebay I will be making the move with very little money out of pocket. I love Ebay. Plus, I'm recycling! Oh and on one last note. I have decided that when I can order my new iPod Video, I will be going with a black model. I don't know why but I have decided I want to step away from the norm and go black.......black Apple. Hmm. I'll keep you up to date.

Thank you for reading and check back soon.

Back on the airwaves....and getting a degree in Nerd...

It has truly been too long since my last posting. I wish I could force myself to sit down each day and post at least a few notes on my blog. I'm sure this is the type of dedication we are all looking for, so I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir. This will be a fairly brief update but I will continue this throughout the week. It's always amazing the type of people and new experiences that you will run into at a new job. I am currently an employee of Always Fresh Bakery in Punta Gorda, Florida. What am I baking you might ask?? Well, this bakery is the sole baking facility for my area for Dunkin Donuts. WOW! Donuts! As glamorous as this might seem it comes with very little exposure to the human population. Located in what appears to be an abandoned road just up from my home, is the nerve center for a mass production of donuts. We bake all the varieties; filled, eclairs, powdered, old-fashioned, sprinkles, seasonals, chocolate, cake, cinnamon rolls, coffee rolls, jelly, creme, etc. I am in charge of the pre-frozen and bake department that includes bagels, muffins, croissants, and cookies. Yes, I am the muffin man. (This will save everybody from using there post to notify me of that.) The job happens to be perfect for what I am trying to do right now. I work from four to midnight, which leaves a lot of great time during the day for studying.

Studying? What am I studying.....no no no no ..not studying donuts. Actually I am on the road to a better life in computers. I finally gave up the fight and embraced what I enjoy so much. I am currently finishing my A+ certificate. This is the first of many more certs and tests you will be hearing about on this blog. So far so good though. My first part of exams has landed me a 795 score. (0-900 ; 650 is passing) http://www.comptia.org

I have many more things to talk about so please check back this week. I will be updating. Before I go though I will leave you with one thing. If you don't have an ipod then buy one. If you do have an ipod then get into podcasting. I discovered it a few weeks ago and I am truly hooked. You can find info about anything! I highly recommend the NPR series This American Life!! This is a stellar show. I happen to listen to the CNET Buzz Out Loud podcast which includes all kinds of techy updates for us nerdy variety. This is what I leave you. If you are true movie buff then you remember the Back to the Future series of movies featuring Michael J Fox and many others. Well on the movie where he returns to the future he is greeted by many new technologies found in 2015. McFly puts on some Nikes from the future in order to fit in with all the new styles. Wouldn't you like to have a pair of those Nikes?? Hmmm...wouldn't you? I would!! I want the Back to the Future Nikes!!! (for you noobies click on the funny colored link to the left of this parenthetical note, its the one that says "I want the Back to the Future Nikes!!!")

Until next time.....keep you cell phones away from the Bees!
Oh and if you have too, build your computer in a beaver!