March 2006 Entries

I recently got this new Pocket PC phone, (actually, I picked it up off of ebay, which is a much longer story than I wish to address here; a story that involves fraud, theft, Paypal claims, etc.) and have really been digging it.  Problem is, the Windows Mobile 2003 Internet Explorer doesn't really cut it.  It's cumbersome and many websites recognize it as an old version of regular Windows IE and won't load up.  So, I went in search of a better browser.  My search first lead me to Minimo, which is a mobile version of Firefox.  I'm pretty well sold on the non-mobile version of Firefox so I figured that would solve my problems.  In some ways it's better than IE but it has some stability issues and doesn't quite run as smoothly as I'd like it to (although there's a new version that I'd like to check out a bit more).  So, today I continued my search and the first Google result, Opera for Windows Mobile, seems to address my desires for a great Pocket PC browser.  I just installed it and am already very impressed.  Tabbed browsing, ala Firefox.  Easy secured website viewing...good for viewing my bank account info.  Works with sites that IE wouldn't, i.e. Southwest.com, and generally loads pages much more quickly.  Very nice product, and it's still only a Beta release, so I'm looking forward to the final version.  Pretty cool.  I think the Minimo deal will be something to follow as well, but so far Opera looks to be the best browser for me...or at least as long as it's a free beta download.

Ok, so this kindof stuff always bums me out.   Being a Christian myself, I have to wonder what angle these folks are taking.  The most telling line in the article states that these so-called Christian leaders are telling the Republicans in Congress that they "did not feel that Congress was advancing their interests."  But what are their "interests"?  Or, more importantly, what should their interests be?  Is the Christian interest merely good, ethical behavior?  Sheez, I hope not.  That's like putting a bandaid on a gangrenous wound.  It makes it pretty and palatable for a time, but the inside turns rotten and eventually dies.  The Bible's pretty clear as to what's right and what's wrong, but it's also very clear that the real issue is not the wrong we do so much as it is the reason for the wrong we do.  I'm not going to get all preachy here (because I'm guilty of the very thing I'm criticizing, both in expecting others to deal with symptoms rather than root causes and in applying bandaids to my own gangrenous wounds), but I just have to wonder what the motivation is.  Are we trying to enforce ethical behavior or is the goal to actually change hearts.  If our goal is the latter, then we had better start looking somewhere other than Congress for our catalyst for change.

This is the type of thing I'm planning on posting while on my motorcycle trip.  I recorded a track from my car's GPS deal and then used a site called gpsvisualizer.com to display that track on Google Maps.  Let me know if you have any cool ideas for working this into the site.

My brother, Keith, and his family lived in Naples for a few years and I had the opportunity to visit them a little over a year ago.  Naples actually spreads up the slopes of Vesuvius, which is crazy because an eruption of Pompeii proportions (or worse) is nearly inevitable, according to this article.  Visiting Pompeii was one of the highlites of the trip, but it provides a frightening look at what an eruption can do, and sadly, probably will do again.

Pretty sad... Prudhoe Bay is where I'm planning on going on my trip.  There's a little town up there called Deadhorse, AK.  Anyways, this is the largest spill ever recorded on the North Slope.

ok, so i figured i'd try to explain the name of the site, "carotidbattery."  honestly, i mostly just like the sound of it.  it rolls off of your tongue rather nicely, don't you think?  it's a play on words, as i'm sure you all picked up on; a combination of "corroded battery" and "carotid artery".  ok, so, what does that have to do with a person's website?  well, i like the symbolism of the heart as the body's battery, our power source, both physically and emotionally/spiritually.  well, if that's the case, then mine's corroded.  it's imperfect.  it needs work.  the corrosion needs to be removed, constantly, and it returns if the battery is left unattended for a long enough period of time.  but it is still my power source, for good or for bad.  simply put, it needs constant attention.  the carotid arteries, on the other hand, are the most important arteries in the body and, while your heart may be in perfect condition, it does no good if the link to the rest of the body (namely, your head) is in disrepair.  i have become increasingly aware of the importance of the link between my mind and my heart.  i can know something thoroughly and believe it completely, but if that doesn't seep into my heart, into my power source, that which makes me actually get up and move, then that knowledge is next to useless.

ok, so to be completely honest with you, i came up with most of that after i had chosen the name for its sound, but the more i think of it the more i like it and the more i can see how appropriate it is for me, today.

much thanks to brother jon and phil for the help on this.