2009 December 23

Possible GMail / Droid Spam and Scam

WARNING: "Christmas is coming" spam

I and several other people I know received an email message today with the subject "Christmas is coming", and the contents as follows:

Christmas is coming,
How recently it?
I bought a Canon camera, the price is very cheap, very fast delivery.
They have many kinds, if you need to, go and see.
Website: Rightwholesele.com
I am sure you will be able to save a lot of money!
Best regrards!

I did not send that message. I'm not sure how the message got sent. It may be that my gmail account was compromised. It may be that an application that I had installed on my Motorola Droid, which runs Google's Android operating system and has direct access to my gmail account. I have since changed my gmail password, and I tried to send out a follow-up email to everyone in my gmail contacts list.

If you received this message from my gmail account, I do apologize. Hopefully I will have stopped the continued abuse from my gmail account.

2009 December 11

Somber Friday

I present a special haiku for today:

upcoming goodbye
oppresses my faculties
weight of winter clouds

This afternoon, I have a funeral to attend. Michaela "Kayla" (Lanz) Larson passed away on Thursday, 2009 December 3 as a result of injuries suffered in a pedestrian/motor vehicle accident on Friday, 2009 November 20. She was 38 years old, and leaves behind two children. We didn't keep in much contact over the years since high school. In fact, we haven't communicated in two years. But our last exchanges were delightful, as reconnecting with old friends so often is. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman, and I have nothing but fond memories of her. While we really weren't close friends, I feel the loss. Whether good, bad, or simply sometimes uncomfortable, I am highly empathic. When my friend, Jennifer, lost her mother to cancer, I felt her and her family's pain at the seemingly permanent separation of someone so near and dear. I feel the same pain today, for Kayla's two kids (whom I believe are in their early to mid teens), and for her best friend of over 30 years (and fellow North Central High School classmate), Michelle.

For a while, I will feel bad for not keeping in closer contact with her. For a while, I will miss her. But I don't suspect that I will ever forget her.

To her family and friends, I pray for your peace. Grace upon grace to you. I can only hope that you will see her again on the other side.

2009 November 20

Facebook Fan Pages

If you're a prolific facebook user, you may have become a fan of various people, music groups, activities or what-not.  Whether you are or are not, or have or have not, I thought I'd share people, places, and things of which I have said I am a fan. Here's a sample:

The entire list can be seen on my facebook fan page.

2009 November 17

Droid: Good — Verizon: well....

Well, now that I'm almost two weeks into the Droid experience, I think I can say with some certainty that I'm mostly satisfied the smartphone. I am also pleased that I didn't have to switch networks to get such a phone. My satisfaction with the Droid just ever-so-slightly takes an edge off my disgust about paying for Verizon's ridiculously expensive data plan. My fellow co-workers and I aren't completely convinced that Verizon and AT&T are really "competitors" in fighting for data plan dollars. We're quite sure they could lower their data plan rates without going broke. After all, shouldn't true competition drive prices down at some point? I don't think I've seen Verizon lower their data plan rates for a few years. I can get cable internet and browse the internet on a much larger screen, download movies, music and everything else without a 5GB cap for $29.99/month. But Verizon is going to charge me $29.99/month for moderate speed downloads to a small screen with a less-than-full-desktop experience, then cap me at 5GB, unless I want to pay an additional premium for another 5GB (or some other arbitrary cap add-on). Really? That doesn't even include text messaging.

I know: my rant is useless. Over the years, I've added data plans to four phones (two of mine, and two more on my account), but cancelled the plans after a month or so. I've told Verizon that the price was too high for the experience, but I don't know that they really listen or care. So for now, I'll keep the data plan. I make no guarantee how long that will last after the first month. But at the of the day, I still dig the Droid.

2009 November 11

Getting Used to the Droid

So I'm figuring out the Droid more. I have a "widget" on my main screen that allows me to quickly toggle the WiFi and the GPS components. I've added several free applications: Chess; Droid48 – an Emu48/HP 48GX calculator emulator; an Advanced English Dictionary & Thesaurus; Google Sky; Aldiko book reader; Shortyz – a crossword playing program; and even a program that has the United States Constitution with all the ratified amendments and other pertinent historical/foundational documents. I haven't purchased any apps yet, but one small game on my list is a great game that my boss showed my co-workers and me a few years ago: "Set", which has been made for iPhone, Blackberry and Android. I'm still looking for a good application to track my vehicle service records and gas mileage.

I don't necessarily like the layout of Android Market – the Google/Android equivalent of the iPhone "App Store". It seems to be minimally organized, but doesn't break down application categories enough. Searching for specifics is fine – after all, it is Google-powered. But if you're just browsing to see if there's anything interesting, you have a lot to browse through to find things. I haven't found an option that allows me to filter out low-rated applications.

If you're a Verizon fan who refuses to switch to AT&T just for the iPhone, you should check into the Droid.

2009 November 10

WiFi – Droid Battery Killer

While I dig the Droid and very much anticipated its arrival last week, I am not what you might consider a "fanboy". I haven't browsed every Droid site and forum. I haven't read every bit of documentation I can find on how it works or how to develop programs for it. So I was quite surprised this morning when I discovered that the phone seems to continue to power the WiFi radio even if the screen is off. The phone is technically on, but I figured that when the screen was off, the phone would power-down the WiFi. Last night, I was using the built-in WiFi to access my home network. When I went to bed, the phone's battery was probably around 65% charged. When I woke up, I saw a flashing red light at the top right of the front of the phone. I turned the screen on to see a message alerting me to the fact that the battery had approximately 15% power remaining, and that I should put it on the charger. I figured out very quickly what the culprit had to be, turned off the WiFi and put the phone on the charger.

It is true that I can't say with 100% certainty that the WiFi radio really was the power-sucking culprit. My phone may have a faulty battery. My phone may have some odd power fault. So I'll make sure it's charged tonight and turn off the WiFi before bed. If that doesn't solve the problem, I may be on the phone with Verizon.

2009 November 9

Droid Crash?

I'm not sure exactly what happened. I sent a text message then turned the screen off and set the phone down on my desk. About half an hour later, I picked up the phone and tapped the power button to turn the screen on, but nothing happened. I hit the button another couple of times - still nothing. I opened the slide-out keyboard - nothing. I held the camera button - nothing. The machine would not turn on. I held the power button down for a few seconds - nothing. I pulled the battery and put it back in - nothing. Finally, I plugged in the machine to a power strip. It powered up and apparently re-started. Although I charged the battery fully before going to bed last night, the battery was already down to 80%. I'm not sure how good that is since the only real work it's done was to stay on overnight, and handle a few text messages in the first couple hours of the morning.

Hopefully this was an isolated incident. But if it continues, it may be the beginning of the end for my Droid.

2009 November 7

Droid – First Impressions

I managed to get the first Droid available from Spokane's north side Costco on Friday morning. The purchase and setup process was quick and easy, and Costco threw in a car adapter and a stereo headset. Of course, I had to sign up for Verizon's data plan. But with a smart phone that can actually handle real web pages, facebook and a whole lot more, I'm not going to complain too loudly about that just yet.

The phone has a wide, slide-out keyboard that some people have complained about. But I find that it's pretty usable - especially when it's double the size of the Treo keyboard. Could Motorola have designed the keyboard a little better? Sure. But I'm sure in a week or two, I'll be sufficiently used to it that any major design issues really won't be an issue.

The 854x480 pixel screen is quite nice, and the auto-brightness works well in most situations. I would prefer that the screen go a little darker when in the dark, but that's probably just me.

I haven't loaded any tunes or videos on the machine yet, nor have I even watched a single YouTube video yet. But I have synchronized all my contacts and calendar events via Google's GMail and Calendar.

So far, it's a keeper: a much needed update to the Treo with its antiquated operating system.

2009 November 5

Cell Phone Upgrade

It's just after midnight, so technically I have one day left until Verizon Wireless unleashes the new Motorola Droid. I'm not sure how Spokanites are when it comes to snapping up the next big thing as soon as it comes out. That is to say: I don't know if I have to worry about local stores running out of stock before I get there. People might line up for possible early store openings, or they might not. We're a difficult market to predict. But I'll make an attempt this Friday, 2009 November 6, to upgrade my almost 3-year-old Palm Treo 700P running the now defunct PalmOS, with no WiFi, miserable 320x320 resolution and 64MB (yes, that means "megabytes" - remember those?) of RAM for a snazzy new Droid, running Google's Android 2.0 operating system with 16GB (now we're talking relatively current memory sizes), WiFi, GPS, 854x480 widescreen resolution. I'm hoping for good things.

2009 October 22

Site update

From the "I'll take 'Big Whoop' for $200, Alex" category, I got a little tired of the look of this site after ten months. So I tried some small design changes that wouldn't require significant programming changes. So the content hasn't changed, and the layout hasn't changed a ton. We'll see how long this design lasts.

2009 June 12

Facebook update

Facebook is very particular about account names. I requested three times that I be allowed to change my account name from "Charles Fishburn" to "Chazzz Fishburn" (yes, with 3 z's), and the facebook administrators denied my request three times. They don't allow nicknames, but they apparently allow short forms (e.g. "Tom" instead of "Thomas", "Steve" instead of "Stephen", even "Chas" instead of "Charles"). I couldn't convince them that my "Chazzz" was a short form more than it was a "nickname" – I wasn't asking them to change my name to "Slick" or something that had nothing to do with my name.

Fortunately, the facebook powers that be decided to allow users to specify a "username" that had a little more flexibility than the actual account names. So, being the acutely obsessive-compulsive person I am, I waited for the instant the username feature went live and pounced on "chazzz" as fast as I could. So now at least the link to my facebook page is friendly and more directly refers to "me": http://www.facebook.com/chazzz.

2009 June 10

Small updates

I updated my Nikon Photo Gear page, changing my opinion on the 28-105mm lens. I also updated my Ganine Gothic Chess Set page to include piece heights.

2009 April 21

Haiku by Proxy

© 2009 Jeanne Gustafson. All Rights Reserved.

The above haiku were written by my friend, Jeanne Gustafson, as part of National Poetry Month. She posted them on facebook, but I figured I'd post them here because they're fun. I especially like #3.

2009 April 20

Где Хаику – Where's the Haiku?

Well, that's a fine question. The short answer is that I lost interest. The long answer goes like this:

I spent a good amount of energy trying to work with the words, and trying to get the feel for the haiku form, and trying to be unique, creative and interesting. I'm not entirely certain how well I managed on the last trifecta of objectives. But, while the exercise was mentally stretching, I realized that after two weeks, I'd experimented enough with that. I know April is "National Poetry Month", but I'm not married to the concept. So now, I'm on to other projects.

But thanks for stopping by and checking out the little bits of poetry I molded. Thanks to Goat and Scott for letting me play!

2009 April 14

Haiku #14 – Untitled

raindrops splash en masse
chaotic rhythm beckons
your name resonates

2009 April 13

Haiku #13 – Writer's Block

the wind said to me
"you have no haiku today
words vanish with me"

With the conclusion of Holy Week, I decided to switch back to less strictly-themed haiku. But, as you probably have read by now, I don't have one for today.

2009 April 12

Haiku #12 – Resurrection Day

weary flower pines
then clutches tight to new hope
A lamb hears its name

John 20:1-18

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

2009 April 11

Haiku #11 – Leaves

Spring whirlwind scatters
uncertain leaves lost adrift
gathering awaits

In the Bible, we read the story of the crucifixion followed almost immediately by the story of the resurrection. But for two days – almost three – His disciples had to do something. What was it? Where did they go? What did they think? Where was their faith? Did they remember He said he was going to rise in three days? I think the death of Jesus was a tornado that flung the disciples far and wide, figuratively and spiritually. I can't say with certainty that I would have fared much better.

2009 April 10

Haiku #10a & #10b – In my hand and Witness

iron iron pulse
down force of soldier's burden
my hammer pounds nails

Who crucified Jesus? Who was responsible for His death? Jesus didn't get up on that cross by himself. He carried the wood, but someone put him on the cross. Some Roman soldier took a steady hand and unflinching will and drove nails into the hands (or wrists) and feet of Jesus. Iron hammer to iron nail, strike by strike, nails penetrated deeply and securely into a rough hewn beam.

But the question comes around again: who was responsible for His death? To answer that, we need to ask another question: why did He die? The quick answer is that He came to offer His life as a perfect and complete sacrifice as payment for the sins of man. More personally, He came to pay the price for my sins. Obviously, I didn't pound those nails into His hands. But it may as well have been me, because I am just as guilty as the next person.

darkness falls midday
universe gasps shudders stills
all behold God's Lamb

Friday's here, but Sunday's a-comin'!

Again, don't miss syniad style and Rock Wood Wire blogs for more haiku goodness!

2009 April 9

Haiku #9 – Jehovah Jireh

solitary ram
piercing thorns entangle trap
God provides Himself

In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham by telling him to take his son, Isaac, to a mountain and offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham and Isaac traveled for three days with at least one donkey and two other young men. On the third day, the two of them left the others to continue on to the place the Lord specified. Abraham put the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac's back, then took the knife and fire himself. Isaac said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Hey, where's the lamb? We have wood and fire, but something's missing." Abraham replied (using King James translation here), "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

They arrived at the place God directed them, and Abraham prepared the altar and the wood. Then he bound Isaac and placed him on the altar. As Abraham raised the knife, the angel of the Lord called out for him. The Lord saw that Abraham was not going to withhold his only son, and thus Abraham passed that test. After the angel of the Lord stopped him, Abraham looked behind him to see a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. God had provided the lamb for the sacrifice.

The story is a foreshadowing of the crucifixion, a pointer to Jesus and his willingness to become a sacrifice on a wooden altar. In Jesus, God provided not just any unblemished lamb for a sacrifice: He provided His only Son ‐ part of Himself. Roman soldiers mocked Jesus, flogged Him, put Him in a purple robe, and crowned him with a tangled ring of thorn-laded branches.

Jehovah Jireh is often translated "the LORD will provide".

2009 April 8

Haiku #8a, #8b and #8c – Thrice Denied

cool night air asks but
boldness cowers embers pop
illuminating

rough blue moonlit stones
as exit avails itself
destiny calls out

smoke aroma wafts
inquiring huddled crowds press
tears reveal a truth

You can read the pertinent passage, Matthew 26:69-74, here.

Jesus tells Peter, "... this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Immediately, Peter declares, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" The other disciples followed suit, but Jesus warned Peter directly. Jesus wasn't placing odds, betting that Peter most likely would deny Him. He was saying that Peter, of his own volition, would attest publicly that he had no knowledge of Jesus. Peter means well, but the pressure of the unfolding events will reveal a gap in his fortitude. He was going to stumble not once, but three times, back to back to back. The rooster crowed, and Peter "wept bitterly".

But Luke, in his gospel, gives us an extra glimpse of one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Jesus, before warning of the denial, gives even worse news: Satan is on the hunt for Peter. Jesus reassures him with an amazing statement (I'm using the King James here only because I like the sound):

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not

Even though Peter was headed for turbulent hours, Jesus prayed for him. He petitioned the Father on Peter's behalf for perseverance of faith, knowing that Peter – bold, impatient Peter – would otherwise be "sifted as wheat." How could such a prayer fail? It couldn't. And Peter would go on to be a hero of the faith... just not yet. And the passage is so great, I'm going to say it again:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not – Luke 22:32

2009 April 7

Haiku #7 – Peter

friend bolts flails inflicts
harm awry misguided blade
lightning in clear sky

At the end of John 6, many disciples stopped following Jesus. And He turned to his chosen twelve and asked, "Do you also want to go away?" And faithful, impulsive Peter replies, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Well done, Simon Peter! In the middle of Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" And again, it is Peter who is first to respond, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Right again, Peter! Yet, for as many times as Peter has the right answer, he seems to come up short other times. This poem recounts one of those not-so-shining moments.

Each of the four gospels record the arrest of Jesus. Impetuous Peter jumps the proverbial gun and determines to stop this miscarriage of justice with a show of force. He thinks he knows the scheme of things to come but he doesn't really quite get everything. Even the things he knows he quickly forgets when an unexpected situation presents itself. Here, he draws his sword and swings, cutting of the ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest. I can imagine the burly fisherman, whose calloused hands were more familiar with oars and nets than with an implement of war, rushing forward, off balance, and wielding an awkward sword toward whomever was closest. Poor Malchus, aghast, tries to evade – to no avail – the blade. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away, and He restores the ear to Malchus. Well-meaning but ignorant, Peter struck "out of the blue".

I don't condemn Peter. On the contrary, I sympathize with him. How often do I impulsively draw my sword, whether by word or by action, and get in the way of God's plan? I can only pray that the Lord continues to be patient with me, healing "ears" along the way, and that He chooses to use me for His glory.

2009 April 6

Haiku #6 – "Fig Monday"

excoriated
roadside fig disappointed
may I bear much fruit

In response to Susan's mention of this Monday of Holy Week being "Fig Monday", I came up with this one a day late.

2009 April 5

Haiku #5 – Triumphal Entry

rustling chattering
green standards raised announce He
who comes to redeem

2009 April 4

Haiku #4 – Hope of Spring

paper covers rock
scissors cut paper at last
sharp blades of sunlight

I almost forgot to post this one for the day. Don't forget to check the Scott Nicks Blog and the Rock Wood Wire blog where the haiku assignment started.

2009 April 3

Haiku #3 – The Nature of Clouds

clouds play masquerade
as the breeze sets them aloft
shape shifters aloof

2009 April 2

Haiku #2 – Hail

hail stings my fingers
outstretched to receive their due
basking in the pain

2009 April 1

Haiku #1 for National Poetry Month

Inspired by my friend Scott Nicks (click here to see his blog), I started writing a haiku or two to participate in some way in National Poetry Month.

Here's my first entry:

Winter stays the day
when flakes dance writhing downward
where are you oh Spring

Oh, and no: this is not an April Fool's joke...

2009 March 4

Random Note About Pronunciation

This is mostly just a pseudo-random "rant" about how some people pronounce a few select words in the English (maybe "American") language.

2009 January 26

New Site – Finally

Well, this has been quite an ordeal. It has taken months for me to figure out just how in the world I wanted to design this site. The design you see here is essentially version number 7. I think I'm relatively satisfied enough with this to get me going. Now I should be able to concentrate a little more on content.

For those of you viewing this on Internet Explorer, I will apologize in advance for any formatting issues you may be experiencing. I designed this site using Camino, and double-checked it in Firefox and Safari browsers, but not Internet Explorer at this point. I will get around to it, so bear with me if things look a little out of place.

2009 January 26

Previous Attempts

While it's not really crucial to anything, I may post my previous design attempts for posterity sake. Feel free to check back.