Andy's Blog

Its been a few months since you posted this. So h...

2011-10-06T21:17:14.292-04:00

Its been a few months since you posted this. So how did the beer turn out? Did you get the carbonation right for what you were doing?

Love a good campfire

2011-09-06T15:36:25.999-04:00

Love a good campfire

I think the Facebook HTTPS thing is great. :) I lo...

2011-02-09T23:46:43.497-05:00

I think the Facebook HTTPS thing is great. :) I look forward to hearing what you have to say about virtualization. We have been doing lots of virtualization @ work. Servers, apps, & desktops. It has been quite an experience so far! :)

I have not had any issues with voice quality or si...

2009-11-28T22:54:23.049-05:00

I have not had any issues with voice quality or signal strength on my Motorola Droid. I live several miles from my nearest tower.

How is the voice quality and voice signal strength...

2009-11-27T23:44:39.620-05:00

How is the voice quality and voice signal strength?

On Verizon and the droid voice calls are not made over 3g, that is data only. Prior to placing a call I have great signal strength,many times 4 bars and pages etc load fast, but as soon as I place a call it usually drops to 0 or 1 bars and you can notice the call is not that great. Only time I get good 1x voice calls is when I am very close to the cell tower, and I mean close, within 1/8 to a 1/4 miles.

I really like the new features coming in 3.0 also....

2009-05-17T10:57:00.000-04:00

I really like the new features coming in 3.0 also. I have the 3G version because I had to wait for some apps to be ported to the iPhone.

Vivat Jesus!

I really like the new features that 3.0 is bringin...

2009-05-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

I really like the new features that 3.0 is bringing to the iPhone also. I was lucky in that I had to wait for some apps to be ported to it and didn't get one until the 3G version.

Vivat Jesus!

2009-04-09T07:10:00.000-04:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

2009-03-18T02:48:00.000-04:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Just adding some, if your SAP setting using logon ...

2009-01-17T23:44:00.000-05:00

Just adding some, if your SAP setting using logon balancing
your ~/Library/Preferences/SAP/connection file can be set like this:
{Description_name}:conn=/M/{IPaddr_of_message_server}/S/{port_number_of_msg_svr_use}/G/{name_of_the_group}&clnt={client_number}&user={your_userid}&fast=true

You can edit that file using nano or vi ... but in effect after restarting SAPGUI ...

Nice blog Andy!

(Can us who knew you so lo...

2008-12-04T08:08:00.000-05:00

Nice blog Andy!

(Can us who knew you so long ago as kids still call you that? Or are you Andrew now? hehe)

Great to see your still around, I saw pics of your children, they are beautiful. We just had Aiden (our 4th) in August. I've read a few posts here so far and its awesome to see your both a tech junkie and a conservative, you are apparently just as awesome now as you were so many years ago.

-Aaron R.

Hey, Andy, I like the idea of a Johnson County Bue...

2008-11-15T17:32:00.000-05:00

Hey, Andy, I like the idea of a Johnson County Buell Group. Unfortunately, you and I are the only two I know who would qualify.

I did find out about Cycle Outfitters. I stopped there earlier this week to pick up a cheap rainsuit for $30, but didn't have much time to look around. I'll check them out.

The SouthSide store is almost pointless in visitin...

2008-11-15T15:34:00.000-05:00

The SouthSide store is almost pointless in visiting for ANYTHING Buell. The most info on mods that I have found was on BadWeb. www.badweatherbikers.com. Click on the Thumper Forums. I picked up my BikeMaster SuperBars online, but I think that Cycle Outfitters also carries them. They are at Epler and Madison on the southside. They also have quite a bit of stuff, but not much Blast specific stuff. Also, the superbike bars do not cut down on the wind resistance. I had thought about getting a windshield, but the $200 price tag seemed a little steep. Sounds like we need to get a Johnson County Buell Group going.

I took the MSF class offered by Harley Davidson in...

2008-11-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

I took the MSF class offered by Harley Davidson in Bloomington in September. That was my first exposure to the Blast. I decided to continue my learning on the same bike by buying the Blast.

I stopped by the Southside HD today to talk about replacing the handlebars. The man I spoke to was unaware of Blast owners doing this and was of little help. He did suggest that the cables (clutch and front brake) may need to be replaced with different handlebars. Did you need to do this?

I did add the windshield myself, but the idea of changing the handlebars is a little more intimidating to me than swapping shields. Also, does changing the handlebars make for noticeably reduced wind resistance? I wonder if the windshield would be redundant and look odd with the change in bars.

Since I cannot ride today, at least it's fun to think about modifications/upgrades.

This is my first foray into motorcycles as well. ...

2008-11-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

This is my first foray into motorcycles as well. I picked up the Blast around the first week of August, and have been loving it. I originally purchased it to save gas money on my 50 mile daily commute to work.

Have you taken the ABATE class yet? I just completed it back in early October, and picked up my endorsement. If you haven't I would highly suggest it. Its decently cheap, and is full of great life saving tips.

When I purchased this motorcycle, I convinced myself that I would take a stab all the repairs/upgrades that I wanted to do before calling in the experts. So far, it has been a super simple bike to work with, and hasn't given me much in the way of trouble.

My Blast is a yellow 2009 model. The only modific...

2008-11-14T18:24:00.000-05:00

My Blast is a yellow 2009 model. The only modification I have made was adding the windshield. I didn't like the feeling of the wind pulling me off the bike at 50+ mph. Adding the windshield made it much more comfortable for me to ride on the local highways.

I would like to see your modified bike--unfortunately, this weekend looks a little chilly for riding.

Do you have much experience with motorcycles? This is my first foray into the hobby--my wife says it's my midlife crisis. I don't care what she calls it, as long as she is supportive of me trying it.

Scott,

Yes. Installing the BikeMaster Supe...

2008-11-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

Scott,

Yes. Installing the BikeMaster Superbars basically made it an entirely new bike from a fit and feel perspective. When I changed the bars, I put on some new Buell Traction grips. These are available at the HD store, Southside has them. They are $18 for a set. I picked up the bars from Motorcycle Superstore online. The swap was fairly easy, once you figure out how everything actually goes on the bike.

What year is your Blast? I'm down in Bargersville, and if you would like to see what the superbike bars look like, or how they feel, you could check mine out. But, to answer your question, yes it works, and it is probably the most bang for the buck mod I have done so far.

Andy, I found your comments about your Blast in th...

2008-11-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Andy, I found your comments about your Blast in the Buell Blast Motorcycle Forum and traced you to here. Ironically, we seem to be kindred spirits. I just bought a Blast 5 weeks ago from HD in Bloomington and live in Greenwood. I too am tall for the Blast at 6'1" and am curious about your project to change the handlebars. Do you agree with others that it is an improvement and how easy was it?

Rylie,

Sorry, once the videos of ACORN's bi...

2008-10-20T10:08:00.000-04:00

Rylie,

Sorry, once the videos of ACORN's big convention from the summer came out, that included key ACORN leaders pledging that the group support Barrack Obama for president, all credibility and non-partisan mission of the group is gone. With that, they should also lose their tax dollars. Not the first time my tax dollars are being used to fund something that makes me want to vomit.

But does hold thier employees accountable. Just t...

2008-10-17T16:30:00.000-04:00

But does hold thier employees accountable. Just to reiterate:

Fact: ACORN has implemented the most sophisticated quality-control system in the voter engagement field but in almost every state we are required to turn in ALL completed applications, even the ones we know to be problematic.

Fact: ACORN flags in writing incomplete, problem, or suspicious cards when we turn them in,. Unfortunately, some of these same officials then come back weeks or months later and accuse us of deliberately turning in phony cards. In many cases, we can actually prove that these are the same cards we called to their attention.

Fact: Our canvassers are paid by the hour, not by the card . ACORN has a zero-tolerance policy for deliberately falsifying registrations, and in the cases where our internal quality controls have identified this happening we have fired the workers involved and turned them in to election officials and law-enforcement.

Fact: No criminal charges related to voter registration have ever been brought against ACORN or partner organizations. Convictions against individual former ACORN workers have been accomplished with our full cooperation, using the evidence obtained through our quality control and verification processes - evidence which in most cases WE called to the attention of authorities

Rylie,

Points taken, however there is still...

2008-10-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Rylie,

Points taken, however there is still a fundamental flaw with any law that allows a someone to vote, before the local government can verify residency, and citizenship like we have in Ohio.

No matter how stringent ACORN's controls are, they are still responsible for the actions of their employees.

Come on.... how is that even comparable to the ARM...

2008-10-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

Come on.... how is that even comparable to the ARMY of folks that the main stream media sent to Alaska, and their missions to grab as much dirt on the Palins as possible? You know, if some actual investigative reporting was done on Barrack in the first 6 weeks of his campaign, as has been done against Sarah, he wouldn't have made it out of the primary season.

***This is a long response, but my aim is to have ...

2008-10-16T23:37:00.000-04:00

***This is a long response, but my aim is to have a discussion about something that interests the both of us, the political culture in our Great Country. I encourage you to read the entire post, links and all.

As far as the national debt goes that is all on Republicans. Regan, Bush I, and Bush II all ran us into the red with major budget deficits. While Clinton gave us a surplus. You talk about spending being brought under control but where was Bush II/Republicans on this durign the last eight years? They were on a spending spree. where is the accountability? McCain has voted with Bush 95% of the time, how will he be any different? I honestly don't understand why fiscal conservatives haven't been screaming bloody murder about this.

So McCain was for ACORN before he was against them?:

http://www.mdc.edu/Home/Press/rally.htm

Here is a fact sheet from ACORN:

Fact: ACORN has implemented the most sophisticated quality-control system in the voter engagement field but in almost every state we are required to turn in ALL completed applications, even the ones we know to be problematic.

Fact: ACORN flags in writing incomplete, problem, or suspicious cards when we turn them in,. Unfortunately, some of these same officials then come back weeks or months later and accuse us of deliberately turning in phony cards. In many cases, we can actually prove that these are the same cards we called to their attention.

Fact: Our canvassers are paid by the hour, not by the card . ACORN has a zero-tolerance policy for deliberately falsifying registrations, and in the cases where our internal quality controls have identified this happening we have fired the workers involved and turned them in to election officials and law-enforcement.

Fact: No criminal charges related to voter registration have ever been brought against ACORN or partner organizations. Convictions against individual former ACORN workers have been accomplished with our full cooperation, using the evidence obtained through our quality control and verification processes - evidence which in most cases WE called to the attention of authorities

Fact: Most election officials have recognized ACORN's good work and praised our quality control systems. Even in the cities where election officials have complained about ACORN, the applications in question represent less than 1% of the thousands and thousands of registrations ACORN has collected.

Fact: Our accusers not only fail to provide any evidence, they fail to suggest a motive: there is virtually no chance anyone would be able to vote fraudulently, so there is no reason to deliberately submit phony registrations. ACORN is committed to ensuring that the greatest possible numbers of people are registered

ACORN will not be intimidated, we will not be provoked, and in this important moment in history we will not allow anyone to distract us from these vital efforts to empower our constituencies and our communities to speak for themselves

Here is a post from a different blog that I think gets at the real issue (imo)

Get Out the Vote vs. Suppress the Vote: Who Will Win?

Image © Austin Cline
Click for full-sized Image

Speculation and debate over who will win the 2008 presidential election has become popular, but it's not necessarily productive unless you focus in on the most important issues that will influence the election outcome. Obviously a lot of burden falls on the candidates themselves: stellar performances will increase their chances, while huge blunders will shatter their chances. However, there are also important factors well outside their direct control which, barring any major developments, may be decisive. The largest and possibly most decisive factor may be the competition between Democratic efforts to get out the vote and Republican efforts to suppress voting.

The Obama campaign is relying heavily on their work to "get out the vote" to win the election. This tactic worked very well for them during the Democratic primaries and they are expanding on it across the nation. Volunteers and paid campaign staffers are working hard to register new voters and find ways to actually get them to the polls on election day. Above all they are focusing on the demographic groups which traditionally swing Democratic and which are even more heavily inclined towards Obama this year: African-Americans, Hispanics, young voters, and college students.

If the Obama campaign is successful in getting these groups to the polls in large numbers, he should win the election handily — and maybe even by a landslide. Even small increases in the right demographics in the right regions could help tip the scales in Obama's favor in a couple of key swing states, allowing him to edge out McCain, but a decisive victory alongside strong Democratic gains down the ticket would be preferable for many reasons. There is little that Obama is likely to say or do to drive these voter groups away, so in many ways just getting them to the polling stations to vote is more important than any speech he gives between now and election day. Pay close attention to how much of what he says connects to encouraging people to vote.

The problem for the Republican Party is the mirror opposite of the Obama campaign's: there is little John McCain or Sarah Palin can say or do to attract the support of large numbers of the aforementioned demographic groups, so their hopes rest on those groups voting in numbers as low as possible. Fortunately for them, the Republican Party has a lots of experience with successful voter suppression going back decades. Under the guise of preventing "voter fraud," a problem no one can prove is much of a real issue, Republicans pass laws and expend significant resources on preventing the "wrong" people from voting.

The "wrong" people are, naturally, rarely if ever white. Republican campaigns for voter suppression can be traced directly to efforts by white supremacists and white politicians to prevent African-Americans from voting. The earliest methods were more overtly discriminatory, like poll taxes and literacy tests, but the courts struck them down. Today voter suppression relies on challenges to voters because they change residence, because they fail to respond to misleading mailings, etc.

This year Republicans are actually targeting whites in significant numbers on the basis of home foreclosures — they anticipate that people who have lost their homes are more likely to vote Democratic. Students targeted by voter suppression efforts are also often white. Yet despite these efforts, racial minorities will remain the overwhelming losers. The Republican Party fails over and over to attract any significant numbers of minority voters by offering positive policies, so all that's left is to disenfranchise them through lies, loopholes, and antidemocratic activism. Authoritarians and fascists always benefit by reducing the number of people who have a voice in how they are ruled.

It is my belief that the election contest between Barack Obama and John McCain will, in the final analysis, prove to be a contest of Democratic efforts to expand voting through as many different parts of the population as possible, against Republican efforts to suppress voting in those parts of the population they regard as unworthy of having an equal say in government — particularly racial minorities. This also means that, in effect, a vote for the Republican Party is a vote in favor of voter suppression efforts against the "wrong" sorts of citizens — a vote for disenfranching minorities as well as a vote for perpetual war, for Christian supremacism, for white supremacism, for patriarchy, and worse.

Posted by Austin Cline

"Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome - good government. They want everybody to vote. I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."
---Paul Weyrich, 1980 (you should look up who he is if your not sure) Basically a founding father of the "Conservative Movement"

His comments only further validate the post above by Austin Cline

But don't the children become fair game when their...

2008-10-16T22:38:00.000-04:00

But don't the children become fair game when their own mother uses them as a political shield? Example: Philidelphia Flyers puck drop.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/11/palin-drops-puck-at-flyers-game-receives-mixed-reaction/

(Please note that I again used same source as you)

My favorite line from the article:

"The GOP Vice-Presidential nominee said at an earlier fundraiser that she would stop some of the booing from the rowdy Philadelphia fans by putting her seven year old daughter, Piper in a Flyers jersey. She said, “How dare they boo Piper!”

Not the first or only time, just an example.

Rylie,

I agree with you that, yes, the nati...

2008-10-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

Rylie,

I agree with you that, yes, the national debt is a humongous problem. Why it isn't getting much spotlight in this time of economic crisis baffles me. The spending has definitely got to be brought under control by the next administration be it Democrat or Republican.

My issue with ACORN is brought to the forefront in states like Ohio, where folks can register and vote at the very same time with absolutely no identification. Folks from ACORN are literally driving around downtown Cincinnati, and picking folks up off the street getting them to fill out a registration form, and then TELLING them who to vote for. Some people interviewed have voted several times under several names, and using fake addresses.

That is where I have a problem with ACORN. I also have issue with the Secretary of State, and Governor of Ohio, who have sat back and done nothing. Perhaps because this type of fraudulent activity benefits their candidate.

Andy's Blog

Its been a few months since you posted this. So h...

Love a good campfire

I think the Facebook HTTPS thing is great. :) I lo...

I have not had any issues with voice quality or si...

How is the voice quality and voice signal strength...

I really like the new features coming in 3.0 also....

I really like the new features that 3.0 is bringin...

Just adding some, if your SAP setting using logon ...

Nice blog Andy! (Can us who knew you so lo...

Hey, Andy, I like the idea of a Johnson County Bue...

The SouthSide store is almost pointless in visitin...

I took the MSF class offered by Harley Davidson in...

This is my first foray into motorcycles as well. ...

My Blast is a yellow 2009 model. The only modific...

Scott,Yes. Installing the BikeMaster Supe...

Andy, I found your comments about your Blast in th...

Rylie,Sorry, once the videos of ACORN's bi...

But does hold thier employees accountable. Just t...

Rylie,Points taken, however there is still...

Come on.... how is that even comparable to the ARM...

***This is a long response, but my aim is to have ...

But don't the children become fair game when their...

Rylie,I agree with you that, yes, the nati...

Nice blog Andy!

(Can us who knew you so lo...

Scott,

Yes. Installing the BikeMaster Supe...

Rylie,

Sorry, once the videos of ACORN's bi...

Rylie,

Points taken, however there is still...

Rylie,

I agree with you that, yes, the nati...