http://doug.finalownage.com/actionDouglas Kavendek will always have a home on the Internet.Copyright 2006, Doug Kavendek 8831http://doug.finalownage.com/action/img/rss.pnghttp://doug.finalownage.com/action/ whowantsbacon@hotmail.com http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=495 Almost was in an accident on the way to work because some dude thought I was going too slow by going five miles above the 25mph speed limit. Just as we reached the point where it transitioned to 45mph (and I mean precisely), I saw him start to merge over into the oncoming lane. Figuring I was already about to give him what he wanted anyway, I sped up to 45. He stayed in the oncoming traffic lane. There were cars coming! By the time he actually started to pass me, we were already both going about 45, .. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:21:31 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=494 There does seem to be at least a little merit in having someone who hates interacting with strangers man the support lines. It really inspires a dude to work hard to make sure the software can do its best to work around even the most difficult customer. Making the customer happier is just a nice by-product of reducing the number of times people have to call me. / I can't even get mad at some of the people I've dealt with -- it just seems to be a facet of human nature to not actually read instructions. .. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:11:16 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=493 It's 2011! Almost 2012 I guess, maybe I can slap one entry in before the year rolls over. I'm always getting angry at stupid interfaces, so here we go again, pretend I actually update this site! / A decade ago, I did a lot with various Linux type junk, most of my work at college was on some BSD thing, and I have always liked the idea behind free software, apart from the price aspect of it. My major gripe with it, though, was its almost willful disregard for being even slightly user friendly. I don't m.. Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:30:17 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=492 I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner, but while out hiking/exploring, I lifted a final log before starting to head back. I first noticed a bit of a depression under the log, then saw a really large worm that intrigued me, and then I realized there was wasps all up in my business, which was definitely a more pressing matter. I then found myself acutely aware of the sensation of several things now crawling on my skin, and combined with the knowledge of what they actually were, commenced freaking out.. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:45:04 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=491 The great sandal/AC experiment was... delayed. It has rained yet again. Maybe there's a pattern? It rains a lot in the summer? You know, you'd think that'd be something I'd notice, but I never really pay that much attention to the patterns of precipitation. / My great lifetime quest is to actually make non cruddy pancakes. A few times I have gotten close, making pancakes that just are so fluffy and crispy and tasty that is hard to believe that I created them. And every single one of those times, wit.. Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:44:45 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=490 My friggin sandals are always getting wet. My last pair lasted two years of near-constant wetness, and never had a problem. These ones, even though they're nearly identical Keen sandals, take the slightest drop of moisture and start smelling like dead buffaloes. It's a little embarrassing. / I've tried quite a few things. The main "solution" found online has been to leave them out in the sun for a while. Maybe some people have magic sandal fairies in their yards, but even if I leave a pair of sandals.. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:12:48 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=489 When I moved into this house, I no longer had the option of using a bath tub to fill and empty buckets of water for aquarium water changes. Considering I have five tanks that are primarily aquatic, I had to have some way of cleaning the tanks without carry five gallon buckets up a flight to the main bathroom. So I was forced to buying this overpriced Aqueon water changer. A hose with special sink attachment, a good idea in practice, but every part of it is plastic. Even the threading and such that you.. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:35:34 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=484 Just got back from diggin'. Doing a lot of diggin' at this house. Dug up some space for a garden on the side of the house, dug up a space by the back door for some more gardening, dug up a hole for the hose holder, and now just dug up the clothesline hangers so as to make them actually usable. Nothing really makes you appreciate modern technology more than washing clothes the old fashioned way. / Margot and I filled up the tub and washed a bunch of clothes last night. Then we had to both rinse and wri.. Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:24:25 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=483 After four months connecting to the internet through a USB wireless network adapter that talked to the router two rooms over (which itself was connected to the main outside phone box with a phone line running out a window), I am now finally connected through good old cat5. I am putting off running a speed test, to savor the anticipated increased bandwidth and lower latency and dropped packets. It'll probably be minor, but I can hope! / The new setup, I am sad to say, still involves running a phone line .. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:48:48 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=482 I made the mistake of setting up my log viewer here to better facilitate the exploration of referrer data (or referer if you are the HTTP spec creators -- the web was off to a good start with that one!). There's some crazy nonsense out there. About 95% of the referrer data points to obvious spam site, due to high occurrence of drug names, sexual terms, stuff about finances or credit, or just completely preposterous domain names that were generated by just banging a keyboard. Plus at least half of all t.. Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:54:03 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=481 Got the next Verizon bill today, and no surprises there: they're still charging me too much, and there are no credits for past charges even though my last correspondence insisted that there would be. I was so angry with impotent rage, I just had to go out walking, after both calling and emailing them about their continued incompetence. I keep fighting this goddamned thing because I know if I cancel the service outright, I definitely won't get any money back. This feeling of helplessness in the face of .. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 23:40:05 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=480 Everyone always complains about the latest degradations. I certainly do, when I lament about how friggin' textspeak finds its way into publication, seemingly in an effort 2 appeal 2 the youngin's. But nope! Sorting some of my old records, I realized it's being going on at least thirty years, judging by some Prince gems, such as "I Would Die 4 U". At least it's not AlTcApS. Get off my lawn. / And he's also guilty of gratuitous font over-use. These are not new things, and what's more, they're not goin.. Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:48:30 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=479 Before moving, I called Verizon. At the old place, I had a FIOS internet connection for $55 per month, so I tried to transfer service to the new address. Unfortunately, the dude on the phone said FIOS was not available at the new place, but he could set me up with 'high speed internet' for $50, which would also include phone service. I made sure to write this down, $50. I was alright with downgrading a little to DSL (we were at the lowest tier of FIOS already, so it wasn't a huge step down), especiall.. Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:25:25 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=478 We moved into a new place! For the same monthly payments, we went from a one bedroom apartment to an actual house, with three floors, two bedrooms, two wood stoves (though one turned out to be a gas impostor!), and a room made entirely of wood. Margot and everyone want to dub it the 'mancave', but all these 'man-' appellations kind of annoy me. I keep trying to formulate exactly why it bothers me so; maybe it's because they sound like something you'd hear coined in a sit-com in an attempt to sound hip .. Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:14:08 -0500 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Pictures&cat=93 All day in Brooklyn. Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:22:53 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=477 Previously, I made a chat system on here that used text files and constantly refreshing iframes. It was awful, but for some reason a lot of discussion happened inside it. Of course, that was back when people still visited this site! / Anyway, I figure that I may as well give AJAX a try, and though I started by just yoinking someone else's code, it's already given me a good idea of how it works. So, you may notice a new navigation item on the left; click it at once! / It'll probably break if you do anyt.. Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:03:37 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=476 I caught a mouse at work today, using a cough drop box and a paper towel. I was very proud, and I did not get bitten or pooped upon. It is amazing how fast a mouse can run; in a straight running contest, I could not keep up, but he was foolish and sought refuge in the corners. He did have some good climbing skills, but obviously they were not enough. I showed him around the office and then let him go under a gazebo. A good distraction from doing all the programming ever. / Oh, and I suppose we did go.. Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:08:11 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=475 I've got a new salamander, and in my efforts to find him things he'd actually want to eat, I have made a disaster. He's a northern slimy salamander (the name fits perfectly, I was still washing my hands hours after catching him), which apparently has ants as its primary diet, and after realizing how readily ants will swarm anything sweet, I devised a plan: leave a paper towel with a dab of syrup on it outside, and collect a swarm of ants later. This part of the plan worked ferociously well, and I stuffe.. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:56:39 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=474 The super scoop net that has served me well since childhood is no longer. Its hoop and handle remains firm and true, but its netting is beyond repair. It had begun to rip in various places, and I have been mending it with twine, but tonight, a dinosaur ripped it to bits. / I've got too many turtles. I keep scheming ways that I can redistribute them throughout my tanks, but they either require me to let quite a few of them go, or for me to purchase some expensive filters. Given my financial straits, th.. Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:08:39 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=473 Sometimes my subconscious surprises me by its level of competence. There are times where my mind seems to subtly hint at the importance of some seemingly inconsequential thing, and a lot of the time it turns out to be valid. An example: I was at the pond today, and was walking through some tall grass. I felt something fall between the side of my foot and the sandal strap, and paused to try to dislodge it, figuring some grass or whatever fell in there. As usual, it's really difficult to get anything li.. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:43:19 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=472 I finally took the time to determine, based on ranges, what other types of frogs I might find around this area, because obviously it'd be neat to find some different kinds. The answer was somewhat unsettling! In this area, there are bullfrogs, green frogs, wood frogs, pickerel frogs, and spring peepers. That's pretty much it. I've caught them all and there really aren't any left to be surprised by. There are a few miscellaneous tree frogs in areas that would be somewhat nearby, but tree frogs are kin.. Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:46:37 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=471 Let me see if I can write something quickly. It's past 11 and I just finished making dinner. / First of all, I found a fantastic confluence of ingredients. Make a roux with pine nuts and some herbs. Add chicken broth. Meanwhile, cook up some chicken, and then steam some broccoli and onions together. Mix all that stuff in with the sauce, and grate some parmesan into there. Maybe add some cream or milk, but the chicken broth is the main liquid already. Put it on some dang pasta, and well look at that.. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:08:31 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=470 I just spent the entire time, from coming back from work until now, reworking one of the aquariums. It was the one in which I was again foolishly trying to mimic some kind of ecosystem. I say foolish not because it wasn't successful (I raised almost 15 frogs and numerous toads from tadpoles, while a turtle, newts, salamander, and a few other frogs took up the rest of the tank, with moss and plants growing and all that) -- rather, it was an extraordinary bit of work getting the dang thing clean, which I .. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:53:46 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=469 I slow cooked a chunk of beef the other day; I had it on low for the entire time I was at work. When I got home, for some reason it didn't seem done enough, so I turned it to high, then went out to get supplies. I guess I figured that after a whole day of cooking, it would have just fallen immediately to pieces if it was done enough. This was obviously mistaken, for when I got back, it pretty much did fall to pieces when I tried to lift it out of its broth, and the final consistency ended up being less.. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:39:25 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=468 A lesser known aspect of housing creatures in your apartment is that you've got to deal with all the incidental hangers-on. If you've purchased your aquatic friend from MegaPets, and gave him some sterilized, pre-packaged plant product then you can be fairly confident that that is all you're getting. However, if you have no interest in that nonsense (seriously dudes, your tortoises look sickly), and catch the creatures who will then find themselves as temporary freeloaders, then you need to be prepared .. Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:36:33 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=467 I just spent about an hour trying to catch a fairly large bullfrog. I had initially almost snuck up on him a few days back, and since I was already out with a net (to catch a bunch of tiny bugs for my tiny toads and peeper), I figured I may as well see if I could get any closer. / In fact, I got just as close before he made a very squeaky getaway. Two things: when he jumps, he sounds like someone stepping on a dog toy, and he does seem to favor a specific spot at the pond. The latter fact means I can j.. Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:06:49 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=466 Alright you dudes. It is time for more stories about creatures. / There are several ponds near here, and even though I have been going a little crazy trying to catch stuff in the nearby waterways, I neglected to visit one particular one, because I remembered not being able to find anything there. A few weeks ago I figured it was worth a try regardless, and holy cats -- that thing is teeming with life. I have no idea why I was badly misinformed. / It's actually two ponds, with one much smaller pond situ.. Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:09:50 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=465 Margot and I went out looking for a geocache that was a quarter mile from the pond and stream we go walking at often. I led her and I down a rather treacherous rock pile along the bank of the stream (treacherous in that it was a man-made slide of rocks to preserve the bank, and so each one would move when you stepped on it), based on the assumption that the glowing, pulsing, concentric-circle-emanating sphere represented the target and not the phone we were using as a guide, but after reaching the bottom.. Thu, 20 May 2010 23:44:44 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=464 I bought a new net. It was awesome! Sturdy, long handle, rigid hoop, super-fine mesh. Took it down to the stream, and about five minutes in, the handle broke in half. So, a shorter net! And after all the various adventures, I noticed that the mesh was fraying all around the hoop. So, a terrible net. I'm out $13 or so, which could be worse, but: I have two nets that I have had since I was a kid, and they still work just fine. I had to sew up a hole or two, but they're still kickin', still sturdy, s.. Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:21:33 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=463 I'm extremely tired, so I'll keep this quick! I just wanted to post something so I remember the precise time of year. / Margot and I went over to the pond by the trail (by the creek by the forest by the road etc etc). I figured, enough warm days have passed, it was exceptionally warm today, and dangit I wanted to catch some creatures. Shortly upon arriving, she noticed a toad jump into the water, and since it was a toad and no match for me, I figured I'd just reach in and grab the guy. I was quite sur.. Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:46:19 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=462 I don't feel despair too often, but I felt this hollow disappointment for a while after completely failing to catch the snapping turtle yesterday. It could've been really neat to get a closer look at him, and I mean, it was a small stream, a big turtle, and what the heck was so hard about catching him? I felt a strong sense of loss. / Today, I figured I'd stop at the creek on my way home and see if he was there again. Now, I'd imagine a big snapper could have the run of the place, coming and going as h.. Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:06:58 -0400 http://doug.finalownage.com/action?nav=Journal&id=461 Always wear your sandals. Always bring your camera. / On the road between work and home, there's a pond and various streams that I've never really explored, because it seemed like the kind of pond that is inhabited by geese and little else. Since I walk past the dang thing each day, I figured I should at least check it out. / Immediately upon approaching, I find a frog in a small contributing stream. Since the stream was perfectly clear, and there were nice big rocks in it, I figured I would hunker dow.. Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:02:47 -0400