hecklejar.blogspot.com

Whither Chrome?

2009-10-16T00:54:00.002-05:00

Anyone else having trouble with Chrome on Google websites? Logging in to Gmail gives me the message "too many redirect loops" forcing you to refresh the page. After that, the service loads ok. Today, logging into Blogger I was told my "cookies were not enabled" (they most assuredly were turned on, thank you very much). How is that Google's own browser is having so many issues with Google's own

We have a name ...

2007-11-13T23:18:00.000-06:00

We settled on Leonidas. Some interesting "Leo" facts:Leo was named after Leonidas I. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeonidasLeo is actually a Scorpio, not a Leo. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpio_%28astrology%29There is a Belgian chocolatier named Leonidas. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_(chocolate_maker)

Welcome, Baby X ...

2007-11-09T23:55:00.001-06:00

IMG_2048.JPGOriginally uploaded by JochemClarke. Boy, 9 lbs, 3 oz. 20.5" long. Name, TBA.More Pictures

Mischief Managed

2007-10-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

It would appear that most of the fires have burned out in and around our area now. If you look at this map you can get an idea of how things have gone. We're located pretty much smack dab in the middle of square 1106.This morning started out with another ashfall. Our neighbors charmingly called it "California Snow". We had smoke pretty much up until noon, and after that the wind died down and

San Diego Wildfires

2007-10-24T02:53:00.000-05:00

Laurie woke me up this morning since ash was falling from the skies. Conveniently, since we've just settled in, all our cardboard boxes and wrapping paper were "stored" on the side of the house. Needless to say, I spent a good hour this morning moving boxes and enjoying the brisk outdoor smell of a campfire. After that we pretty much have had to seal up the house, and I've rigged together a

Sopranos. Fin.

2007-06-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe last night was the last Sopranos episode for all time. It was contrite, boring and crawled along slowly. The plot was, at times, unbelievable. The lowlights:New York had New Jersey on the ropes, knocking out both the #2 (Silvio) and #3 (Bobby) before sitting down to a settlement. That's right, New York sold out it's own acting boss, Phil Leotardo, rather than face any more

Colts win!

2007-02-04T22:38:00.000-06:00

The Colts have won Super Bowl XLI, against the Chicago Bears. It was a bit of a challenge for me, personally, since I am now living in the Chicago area.A poster over on Stampede Blue had a good point, however, did Manning really deserve the Super Bowl MVP?http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2007/2/4/232155/1715

Merry Christmas!!!

2006-12-26T13:17:00.001-06:00

Just the two of us Originally uploaded by JochemClarke. And Happy Boxing Day to you all.

Bon Voyage, Vonage

2006-12-01T13:44:00.000-06:00

Vonage, you're fired. I'm tired of your static - it sounds like the other person is sitting right next to a roaring campfire. I'm tired of you cutting out on me in the middle of a critical sentence. I'm off to AT&T and their quadplay - Phone, DSL, Satellite and Cellular service. Landline, here I come!Bon Voyage, Vonage!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ...

2006-11-26T10:29:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Oh yeah, one more thing ...

2006-11-02T00:32:00.000-06:00

Google maps is out for the Treo (Palm, of course) now!Google Maps for Treo

Prosper ... lots of fraud recently?

2006-11-02T00:21:00.000-06:00

I'm a light user of Prosper.com, the peer-to-peer lending, Web 2.0 startup. Lately, I've noticed there are a lot of loans that are going to funding, but then are getting shut down by the Propser review team. I don't know whether to marvel at all the fraud going on, or whether I should feel secure that the Prosper team is preventing these bad loans from being funded. All in all, my personal

Halloween!

2006-11-02T00:20:00.000-06:00

Cheezzzz! Originally uploaded by JochemClarke. Family picture for the season. Look at those teeth!

I've started my MBA ...

2006-08-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

I'm now officially a student again. I'm going to UIC's Liataud Graduate School of Business for my MBA. I will concentrate in Management Information Systems (MIS). The semester started on August 28th. I'm also about $6,000 poorer after tuition. This is going to be one expensive degree (8 semesters * 6,000 = $48,0000). Anyway, with the time commitment and all, I may not be around here as much. I

I'm flying again tomorrow ...

2006-08-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Time to enter the security zone. I wonder if the TSA is going to go fingering through my toothpaste and shampoo in my checked luggage as well?

What is the deal with people who brush their teeth at work?

2006-08-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

Today I saw someone brushing their teeth in the office bathroom at nine in the morning. Not to get all Seinfeldian, but what is the deal with brushing your teeth at work? Did you forget to brush your teeth this morning? Did your teeth get so dirty on the trip into work, that suddenly they need a brushing? Where does the toothbrush come from? Is this guy running around, carrying a toothbrush in

Tetanus Booster Anyone?

2006-07-26T22:34:00.000-05:00

Today I received my first tetanus booster in nigh 20 years. Everyone talked it up so much I was expecting a 10 inch long needle, but it turned out to be a pretty innocuous small one. Now, it's about 10 pm, it feels like somebody gave me a good hard sucker-punch to the left shoulder. So why the suffering? Because I've been admitted! No, not to the mental hospital, but to graduate school. One of

Wego Recalled

2006-07-19T00:52:00.000-05:00

We had a Wego. Luckily, none of us were hurt. Turns out videos like this one started to appear. Or this one. Or this one. Or this one. Maybe Mr. Mainway should pick up the Wego.

Amazon.com won't honour the price ....

2006-07-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I saw a price on Amazon I could not believe. I had been eagerly awaiting a good price for the Motorola HF850 Bluetooth Car Kit. While other retailers were listing the kit for $100+, Amazon had the kit for $19.96 plus tax and shipping. I ordered the product, and minutes later received an order confirmation.This morning I got up to check my email and noticed this email in my inbox:We

I love Q, I hate Q

2006-06-16T15:50:00.000-05:00

The love hate relationship is over. It's time for Q to get out.The Motorola Q is a pretty nifty form factor for a phone. It's too bad that the software just isn't up to snuff. I bought one on Verizon on 6/1 and have just returned it to them this morning via FedEx. A Treo 700p is on it's way to replace the Q.I wanted to love the Q so badly, that I had considered keeping it. Then, last night, while

I have not abandoned my blog ....

2006-06-08T00:52:00.000-05:00

Things have just been really crazy with work lately. More to follow ... in time.

You learn something new every day ...

2006-05-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

I didn't always believe that there are still "simple" things out there to discover, but these two guys take the cake with the finding that you can create geometrical "holes" in water with a special bucket.Reported by Nature, via /.

Hummer is making ... shoes?

2006-05-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's come to this. Hummer is actually making shoes. I can't believe I actually like them. I just picked up a pair of sandals at Sierra Trading Post, my new favorite site for discounted clothes and shoes.I have officially "sold out".

Wernham Hogg vs. Dunder Mifflin

2006-05-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

As I watched the season finale of the U.S. version of The Office last night, I realized that while I enjoy the U.S. version that the U.K. original is a far, far better show. My arguments in favor:David vs. MichaelDavid is much more of an idiot. He is also charmingly unaware of his idiocy. Michael, while dumb, seems to recognize his idiocy when others confront it. Watching David's antics can make

Bring Back My Black Jack

2006-05-10T15:30:00.000-05:00

Who knew the story of Black Jack gum was so convoluted? Who knew that it was the world's first flavored chewing gum?From Victory Seeds a call to bring Black Jack Back:"Please contact Cadbury Adams Consumer Affairs Department to let them know that these are favorites. Call at 1-800-524-2854 weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST."

I am better than Slashdot

2006-05-10T13:15:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. I beat Slashdot by two days on the Vonage story:Slashdot does the Vonage IPO storyI rock.

Windows XP Automatic Updates Reminder is Annoying

2006-05-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Do you have automatic updates turned on in your copy of Windows XP? I hate the stupid little reminder that keeps popping up to restart my computer. Every 20 minutes or so, another ridiculous reminder. Look, Microsoft, I hate you enough already without you bugging me every 20 minutes to reboot my computer. My workday is around 8 hours long, so it may just be that I don't want to reboot until the

Vonage IPO - Customers can get IPO shares

2006-05-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

In one of the first IPO's I've been interested in since the roaring Nineties, Vonage has filed to go public in mid-2006. What's interesting, though, is the Directed Share Program, which will allow customers of Vonage to purchase IPO shares. If you were a Vonage customer from December 2005 to February 2006, you are eligible. Personally, though tempted (and eligible!), I'm going to pass on the IPO.

U.S. Shows Zarqawi Propaganda Video Outtakes | Chicago Tribune

2006-05-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

Don't ya think, that if this guy is such an idiot we might have caught him already? I'm guessing this was produced by the U.S. as some anti-Al Qaeda propaganda for the Arab world. U.S. Shows Zarqawi Propaganda Video Outtakes | Chicago Tribune

Back to work

2006-05-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

It's my first day back at work since my daughter was born. Hopefully that'll help me keep the blog updated. I'm working on a top secret project for an "unnamed" customer. How cool is that? I could tell you who it is, but then I'd have to kill you. har de har har.

Krugle Beta Komes Through ...

2006-04-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Krugle Beta access came through. Initial reaction is it looks pretty neat. Further review once I get a chance to play around with it (which may be a while with the birth of my daughter and all)

More Pictures of Lorelei

2006-04-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

More Pictures of Lorelei ...

It's a girl! Lorelei Elisabet Louise Clarke

2006-04-14T22:50:00.000-05:00

7 lbs, 5 oz. 19 in. in length. Born 4/14/2006 at 1:59p CST.

Whither Krugle Beta?

2006-04-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

The Krugle Blog is reporting that they think this week will be the next wave of beta testers. Hope I'm on that list. Let's hope this doesn't turn into Vaporware, as we were promised expanded beta access over a week ago.

Inducing Labor : American Pregnancy Association

2006-04-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

We're going into the hospital tonight to induce my wife for our first child. We both don't know what to expect, so I found a good resource on the web that has some decent information about inducing labor: Inducing Labor : American Pregnancy AssociationWish us luck!

Drive an Audi ... for Free

2006-04-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

While I probably will never buy an Audi (IMHO, they're overpriced - and right now I am more of a "value" guy), you can test drive the new Q7 for free. Audi has their "Streets of Tomorrow" road show hitting a major metropolitan near you this Spring.

HP hw6900 series

2006-04-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

Mobility Today is reporting that the hw6900 will be offered on Cingular. It's referenced on a Cingular help screen as well as on the HP website. Supposed to go under the designation hw6920.If you've read my smartphone posts before, you know I'm looking for the flip n' fold form factor. Since no one will be doing this in the interim, it appears the hw6920 will be the next best thing.

The More You Know

2006-04-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

NBC is famous for their Public Service Announcements (PSAs) using the tagline "The More You Know". On April Fool's Day this year they released a bunch of "The Office" themed PSAs. They're hilarious and available on the web here.

Krugle goes Beta

2006-04-04T08:59:00.000-05:00

Just got an email this morning indicating that Krugle will be expanding it's beta test to 35,000 users over the following week. "We started the beta last week with the first 1,000 testers. So far, it's lookinggood. Those of you in the 34,000 left will begin getting login credentials (in theorder you signed up) beginning April 5. We hope to get the lot of you in the testbefore April 14 or so,

If false then true, if true then false ...

2006-03-27T22:09:00.000-06:00

I came across some Java code today that made me grin because of it's sheer inanity and kludge factor. There's a JSP page that is being used to show products from a catalog. On the page, there is a little flag (a checkbox) that controls whether or not to show product images. Inside the Java file that controls the JSP is this beautiful snippet:String showImages =

Crazy Site Design

2006-03-24T14:40:00.000-06:00

This is one of the coolest site designs I've seen.

5 R's has some original flash stuff ...

2006-03-20T17:25:00.000-06:00

This one is my favorite, but they have many more where that came from.

A reinvented anachronism: The Slide Rule

2006-03-17T09:23:00.000-06:00

This digital slide rule is pretty cool. In case you want to do things the hard way. For those that are curious here is the wiki on the slide rule.

You can stop time ...

2006-03-14T10:57:00.000-06:00

There's a post over on grasshopper about stopping time. I tried the expirement and was able to stop the clock for myself. What does it all mean? I lean towards the illusion explanation, but it does make it hard to explain why the clock starts again where it left off.

Happy Pi Day Everyone

2006-03-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Mmmm mmm. pi.

Google Mars? C'mon guys do something useful!

2006-03-13T15:34:00.000-06:00

I can't disagree with the coolness of Google Mars, but I can say this: what's the point? Google Mars has all the practicality of the original hampsterdance. I wish they'd quit wasting time on that kind of stuff and do something concrete, like make some improvements to Google Maps - What kind of improvements you ask?1. How about waypoints? Nobody does waypoints in the online space yet that I am

NBC posts Natalie Portman Hardcore Rap ...

2006-03-08T15:01:00.000-06:00

NBC has posted some of their "viral" videos on their website for all to enjoy. You can find the Natalie Portman Gangsta Rap Bit here ... If you poke around a bit, you'll find some other good stuff, like the "Lazy Sunday" skit by Andy Samberg. I really hope that Samberg and Parnell represent the next renaissance of Saturday Night Live, it's been dully plodding along for far too long.

Irony ...

2006-03-06T23:24:00.000-06:00

Can someone remind me of the official definition of irony?

Posters rock ...

2006-03-06T00:48:00.000-06:00

Normally I wouldn't endorse whitehouse.org, but this is far too funny...

I refuse to join iTunes ...

2006-03-02T14:40:00.000-06:00

Why isn't there a music service out there that does it all? Why isn't there a music service I'm just dying to signup for? Because the modern services don't have the features a consumer really demands. I envision those features as:1) Make it easy for me to load my existing library. I want to be able to pop a CD into my computer, have it be recognized (like CDDB) and all tracks automatically added

There's some consensus on Bush in Illinois

2006-03-01T22:40:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's just the crowd I run with, but I've noticed a sudden surge in the amount of President bashing lately. At dinner tonight, my friend Stacy pointed out Film Strip International, which has a hilarious video of the current administration set to a tune of ... well you'll just have to go there to see. Bush or Chimp has been around since 2000, but I've seen a few forwards bandied about with

The Ultimate Smartphone ...

2006-03-01T01:44:00.000-06:00

The ultimate smartphone doesn't exist yet. I suppose that's a perennial truth, in that any smartphone that is now available couldn't possibly be the ultimate smartphone since it's missing feature X, which is the latest and greatest got-to-have-it feature. Putting aside technology, however, and we can laser in on what the ultimate smartphone should have: an incredible form factor.It seems like

Engadget giving away free phones ...

2006-02-28T15:51:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up that Engadget Mobile, the new gadget blog is spending 30 days giving away phones. They're onto the SLVR iTunes phone now, Day 16 of the giveaway. You can find the contest here ... I sign up everyday, but of course so far am an unlucky loser in the big gumball machine of free phonedness.

So, I'm blogging now ...

2006-02-28T14:18:00.000-06:00

Keeping up with the Joneses. Too reserved (and probably too old) to create a myspace listing. So here it is, a blog for me. I suppose I can fill this with all the interesting and funny things I find these days. Anyway, here we go ...