Reality Me

Awesome Weekend

Doug McCaughan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:36:33 +0000

The kids were away so the wife and I played.

Suggestions? iPhone password/data keeper

Doug McCaughan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:30:53 +0000

When my beloved Motorola v3xx bit the dust, I bought an iPhone with the promise to myself that I would use it as a business tool to facilitate building iPhone apps for my clients. I have not talked about my iPhone experience much but that’s coming. In the meantime, know this: 1) Steve Jobs is a user interface genius! and 2) I love my iPhone!

Over the past few years, I endeaved to eliminate paper from my life using cloud tools such as Google Docs. The iPhone seems to be the missing link and has helped me take the last steps toward cutting the umbilical cord to paper. Meeting notes go straight to my iPhone. Todo lists, via Jott, straight into the iPhone. The iPhone has helped make my already digital world even more digital.

Now I need a secure password/data keeper for the iPhone. I’m considering SplashID, 1Password, and iAccounts. What are your recommendations?

Internet Access a Fundamental Right

Doug McCaughan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:31:56 +0000

In 1988, I was introduced to this thing called the Internet. At the time, I was told there were 25,000 nodes on the Internet. I have since tried to confirm that number and come up with a number more like 66,000. The Internet at the time was somewhat elitist. Today, the BBC published an article suggesting that 4 out of 5 people believe access to the Internet is a fundamental right. Even the UN agrees. This line of thinking places Internet access on par with roads, waste, and water.

It’s fascinating to have witnessed the growth of such a world changing technology. I’m embarrassed to admit that around 1992 when commercialization of the Internet was being discussed that I was among those saying commercialization would destroy the Internet. When the Internet moved from strictly the domains of the universities and military in 1994, I was proven wrong.

Seeking Referral – Surveyor

Doug McCaughan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:48:49 +0000

KNOXVILLE: I’m about to start some landscaping projects. Can anyone recommend a surveyor? I want to reconfirm the boundaries of the yard, easements, and underground utilities.

Liberals say… Conservatives hear…

Doug McCaughan — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:53:38 +0000

What liberals are saying	What conservatives think it means
Capitalism is a good system that works very well in cases where demand for a particular product is elastic, and the barriers for entry into the market are low. It fails in cases of monopolies or highly inelastic demand (such as health care), because offering a better product at a lower price isn’t always the best way to accomplish the ultimate goal, namely maximization of profit. In these cases, it makes sense for the government to step in and regulate heavily or provide the product or service itself.	WE HATE CAPITALISM! SOCIALISM FOR EVERYONE!
While we understand that in some cases a higher tax burden can reduce investments in new business, we also know that providing services to the poor often causes money to "bubble up", as the poor spend almost all of their income, whereas rich people tend to accumulate mroe money. "Redistributive" policies such as the New Deal and its ilk have been shown time after time to help us recover from serious economic trouble. This is evidenced by the coorelation of economic expansion with said "redistributive" policies.	WE WANT TO TAKE EVERY PENNY AWAY FROM THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS AND GIVE IT TO THE POOR PEOPLE!
A three to five percent tax increase on the wealthiest ten percent of the country would go a long way toward funding a universal health care system.	WE WANT TO TAX RICH PEOPLE 100% OF THEIR MONEY AND USE IT TO HAVE THE GOVERNMENT CONTROL EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES!
While there is certainly dishonesty in science, it is notable that the scientific process resulted in virtually all of the conveniences that we enjoy today. While it’s possible (and frankly unsurprising) that a few researchers out of the many thousand investigating climate change altered their data to fit their conclusions, these isolated cases don’t disprove global warming. Furthermore, moving away from fossil fuels would not only mitigate the very real problems of global warming and ocean acidification, it would also free the United States from its economic dependance on foreign (and often hostile) countries. Additionally, fossil fuels are a limited resource, and it makes a lot more sense to move away from them now and endure a little pain than go through the inevitable, massive crash when they run out completely.	WE HATE BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY AND WANT TO MAKE THE U.S. FAIL!
We live in a world community, and it’s not our place as a nation to step in and take things that rightfully belong to others. That being said, we strongly believe that America remains the greatest nation on earth, even when we disagree with the wrong-headed foreign policy that causes other countries to hate us. The United States should be leading the world by setting an example, not by bullying other countries.	WE HATE AMERICA AND WANT OUR COUNTRY TO FAIL!
One of the main notions of the founders of this country was the idea that people are entitled to certain inalienable human rights, regardless of their citizenship or religion. Among these rights is that of a trial by jury. When government officials are able to freely label anyone an "enemy combatant" and deny them said human rights, we are violating one of the core principals on which this great country was founded. Our court system is time-tested, and is quite capable of dealing justice to the guilty, including terrorists. Allowing the executive branch to serve this function in lieu of the courts is a dangerous breach of the separation of powers, and can lead to further erosions of civil rights.	WE LOVE TERRORISTS AND HATE AMERICA!
Source: http://i.imgur.com/UfxoF.jpg

Stressed Beyond Words

Doug McCaughan — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:24:11 +0000

…but stress sure does make for some vivid and bizarre dreams!

Open letter to the designers of men’s restrooms

Doug McCaughan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:35:06 +0000

Dear designer, If you are going to install a mirror perpendicular to the urinal, that is such that a man clearly sees his side view in the reflection, please do not use a regular mirror. Instead use a carnival mirror that shrinks the size of our stomach and increases the size of other things. Thank you!

Still ticking

Doug McCaughan — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:21:35 +0000

I’m not dead yet.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Doug McCaughan — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:09:21 +0000

Cathy is my favorite.

My Life as a Comedy - Sarah’s Car Accident

Doug McCaughan — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:07:17 +0000

Preface

To fully appreciate the events you are about to read, you must understand that Knoxville had a snow and ice storm over the weekend. The forecast was so certain that announcements on Thursday night declared all area schools closed for Friday, except Pellissippi State Community College where my oldest son attends. The snow came Friday afternoon and PTSCC closed early.

We are a seven person household with five children attending five different schools: pre-school, elementary, middle, high, and college. We have one functioning vehicle.

Setting

On Monday, schools delayed opening two hours due to icy roads. Normally, Sarah gets a ride to the high school with a neighbor who teaches at the high school. To protect identities, let’s call her Tonya. For the past decade, I have worked out of my basement, telecommuting to answer my client’s needs around the world. On this particular Monday, I actually had a rare onsite appointment from 8am to 5pm downtown. Before leaving, I asked Sarah, "Do you have a ride?" She replied, "I called last night and Tonya wasn’t there but they said she’d call back if she couldn’t give me a ride. She didn’t call back so I’m good." I left. At 9am, with 30 minutes left before Sarah’s 2 hour delayed pickup, Tonya’s husband called. To protect identities, let’s call him Randy. Randy explained that Tonya went to the high school early. I knew Cathy, my wife, was fighting a migraine and sleeping in so I called Sarah directly. Sarah explained her boy friend, let’s call him Zach, would drive her to school.

Calamity

Cathy calls me a little amped, "Sarah and Tonya have been in an accident! Air bags went off and Sarah won’t call an ambulance because she’s waiting for the police. You’ve got to call Randy and tell him that Tonya’s been in an accident."

Confusion

I stare into my half finished first cup of coffee trying to shake the fog out of my head and process what I’ve just heard, "Tonya. Sarah. Accident. Call Randy." That doesn’t make sense. Other thoughts: "The woman is always right" "Yes dear" "Want a happy life, keep a happy wife!" I call Randy and about the time his very confused question, "Tonya was in an accident?" hit my ear, I realized Cathy didn’t know Zach drove Sarah so I apologized to Randy for the confusion and called Cathy.

Enter Larry, Moe and Curly stage left

If Cathy could be sheepish over the phone, she pulled it off, "Whoops. I just told the elementary school they had a pregnant woman in a car accident in the parking lot and they needed to get her to a doctor." Later that night I apologize to Randy again who chuckles and asks, "Did you know I was in an accident today?" No way! Then he explains, "See, Tonya took my car in today and I drove hers. So when her principal, let’s call him Dr. Barlett, checked on her because he’d heard she’d been in an accident, probably from the elementary school, she just knew someone had seen her car in an accident, assumed it was her, she knew it had to be me, and called to see if I was okay." Cymbal crash.

How long does it take for universal health care to destroy a society?

Doug McCaughan — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:33:09 +0000

Apparently, more than 40 years…

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

The Apparent Trap

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Red car syndrome for my heart

Doug McCaughan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:53:05 +0000

Over the weekend I was messing with my father-in-law’s blood pressure cuff and it came back with a reading of 216/119 for me. This put many people up in arms. When the cuff gave its reading, my inlaws and wife were staring at me like I was the walking dead. After HIPPA was broken and my numbers broadcast to the world, I committed to get back on blood pressure medicine. That hasn’t happen yet. Turns out the prescription which I ran out of 4, 5, or 6 months or more ago expired on January 29. Despite the tension in my chest, I cannot get a refill until I see the doctor. Let’s talk about that tension. Prior to the reading, the tension was there but I didn’t think about it. Now I feel like Fred Sanford. “Elizabeth I’m coming to ya!” How much tension? I just stretched and my ribs popped like cracking knuckles. Nothing has changed but perception. I’m fine but aware.

So you want to work for youself

Doug McCaughan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:17:55 +0000

The grass is always greener on the other side. If you dream of escaping Cubeville to work as a freelancer or consultant taking business calls from the beach, setting your own schedule, working in pajamas or nothing at all, and taking vacations whenever you want, I am here to warn you about the brown spots in that greener grass. The biggest brown spot will be cash flow. That 8 to 5 job which you view as a prison to escape provides something unknown to the self-employed…predictable income. For instance, I expected a full payment from one client last night; instead, I received a half payment today. That should be no big deal since another client was scheduled to deliver a full payment today but instead delivered a message that the payment should come tomorrow. These scenarios are why people recommend keeping 6 months of income in the bank. If you don’t have that, the greener grass is too dangerous. Stay in Cubeville! If you are venturing over here from Cubeville with that 6 month income in the bank, your exit plan from self-employment back to Cubeville better be well before that reserve hits zero. Exit plan? Don’t have one? Well, that’s for a different post, but if you don’t have an exit plan, you aren’t ready for self-employment.

LOST Thought

Doug McCaughan — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:57:23 +0000

For the record, I have thought for a long time that Season 1 was the middle of this story and not the first time that the main characters had been to the island. But there’s holes in that theory.

Of Being Dad – Smack Talk

Doug McCaughan — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:59:40 +0000

There’s something wonderfully amusing in listening to the four year old talk smack with the thirteen year old.