the horse's mouth

Happy New Year + 5 Days!

Thank you for the upgrade, AT&T!
You know that new router that you sent me, it has celebratory flashing red indicator lights. Let me tell you how thrilled I was waiting on the phone for 2 hours for someone to tell me, "Yeah, you're router is defective."  I also want to thank you for sending out a technician who also said, "Yeah, you're router is defective." Then he added to my joy by telling me, "Your phone line needs to be rewired in order to have the upgrade. Did I mention that this service call is $100 an hour?" Ka-ching! Can you say Xfinity?

I really wish the Luddites in San Francisco hadn't blocked Google from giving us free Wi-Fi.

Thanks to an unsecured network from a nieghbor's house and a spot in my kitchen, I have snuck back onto the web.

Can You Solve These Simple Problems? X + 6 = 14 Solve for X, 3/4 Convert To Decimal.

I hope you can. 

Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them, a CUNY report shows.

During their first math class at one of CUNY's four-year colleges, 90% of 200 students tested couldn't solve a simple algebra problem, the report by the CUNY Council of Math Chairs found. Only a third could convert a fraction into a decimal.

We are doomed!

Tillerman Tuesday. Did Someone Mention Pottery?

This is what I'm talking about! An ancient Greek wine cup that proves the Tillerman has been around a long time. Look as he sails downwind in search of a caipirinha. Unfortunately for ancient Tillerman, the search would last another 2,000 years.

The kylix, or shallow wine cup was a table-top piece used at all meals. Many were highly decorated to adorn banquet tables and spoke of the good taste of the host. This kylix of Dionysos Crossing the Sea was painted by the famous 6th century artist, Exekias, and the original is found in the Museum Antiker Kleinkunst, in Munich.

The scene depicts a Homeric hymn of Dionysos’ first appearance in Greece. On his journey he was seized by pirates, and frightened the pirates away by making wine pour from his boat, and the mast spring with grape vines. The pirates jumped overboard and were turned into dolphins. Dionysos’ appearance in Greece as a striking young man with “flowing hair” was the beginning of the long-lasting Cult of Dionysos centered around the gift of wine that he brought.

Technorati Tags: pottery? really?, silly, tillerman tuesday

Where Ya Bin Joe?

I've had some connectivity problems.



Fortunately, AT&T has stellar tech support.
They managed to waste hours of my time reading their script to me.
me: "Listen, I have a static IP address."
monkey: "No sir, you do not have one. We changed it to DHCP."
(I installed a new router, the old one went belly up.)
me: "Are you sure? I'm looking at my setup guide from Pacebell and it says that I have a static IP. I think the DNS has changed.
monkey: "No sir, you have DHCP."
I don't know how may times they had me go to the DOS prompt and type in ipconfig/release?



And God said, "Let there be connectivity;" and there was connectivity.

Days later. my case was upgraded to second tier support. 2 minutes after talking to the technician, case closed, connectivity reestablished. Guess what? I have a static IP and the DNS had been changed. Thank you for using AT&T!

Technorati Tags: connectivity, brain dead, pour me another drink barkeep

Friday Flyover.

What do you mean I have to pay to go to the bathroom?

Technorati Tags: fish on fridays, silly

Math On Mondays.

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111=12345678987654321

Tags: math, math not sailing

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It's Just One Of Those Days.

I'm out of it today. The little grey cells just can't get up the will to start firing.