Hey Apple! Thanks For Nothing!

A social media post caught my attention recently.  Apple is no longer supporting QuickTime for Windows.  While I was uninstalling QuickTime a few things occurred to me.

Apple stopped supporting a program without notice to it's users.  We only found out through social media due to a warning from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). Really?   That's a "dick move". But now I'm wondering why a company concerned about it's user base  would behave this way.

First there are other programs that will play QuickTime content in Windows that do a better job of handling the data and communications with the Operating System and connected servers. But still the issue bugged me until a couple of ideas came to mind.

1. Perhaps they're just backing out of the media player business?  If they were, a notice to users would be in order. If this is the case it's a real "dick move". Are you really that nasty to the competition that you would slight their users at the cost of losing business?
   
2. Maybe Apple is developing a new media player to package with iTunes that they want to keep secret?  Well now that's an idea that might be understandable but the way this is being handled will not foster any level of trust.
   
3. What if they're developing an OS for the PC?  Naaah!  We'd know about it by now if that was the case.  It would be BIG NEWS and near impossible to hide a project that large.

There might be another reason that I can't foresee but it's not looking good for Apple.  I won't be buying a new iPhone or a Mac for that matter. People expect honesty from companies. We don't expect them to endanger their computers by stopping support for software without notice.  That's the real "dick move".

Back in the Blog

So it's been a while since I've blogged anything.

Today I'm at work and doing OK. Had to take a leave for a while because I'm more of a nutcase now than ever. I wish it wasn't the case but there ya go!

Today I'm thinking about Bigfoot.  I think about a lot of things but I worry about Bigfoot.  Yes I said worry! I know they are out there and have even seen one myself and tracked it.  My son has seen one track that could not be explained away as a bear's double-step.  This was near the Grand Canyon.  I do not want to track or the Mogollon Monster as it is reported to be more aggressive than the northwest counterparts.  I'll leave that for the folks with no common sense.  You know, the ones that go climbing into perceived nests regardless of danger or regardless of whether it would force the BF to go to another location.  I wish people were smart enough to keep a respectable distance.  That's why they're never found.  That and in early days it is suspected that Gigantopithicus was hunted to near  extinction as Indian legends from several tribes point to the existence of these creatures.  Since they were hunted, they've taken to avoiding humans at all costs. Including hiding wherever necessary and using forest cover. I just wonder about this  Bigfoot/Giganto theory cause there is no evidence to back it at all and no evidence that primates ever existed on the North American Continent.

I find it interesting that we're so F-ing stupid they don't understand how science really works.  When Jane Goodall was alive she found Mountain Gorillas.  She used patience and time to build trust with them. Since we can't be trusted, and BF knows this, they will destroy their own homes and move elsewhere in effort to avoid humans. I love it!  Some actually migrate where others seem to stay fairly stationary.  Either way I believe I have a way to find them and a way to track them that will make their actual discovery eventual rather than if  ever.

Agressive drivers and Instant Gratification

On my way to work this morning I realized the sad state of humanity here on Earth.

I am referring to people driving agressively.  Today I was followed very closely by another car, commonly called tailgating.  While I maintained my speed the other driver started to go around and purposefully rode the line next to my lane to try to make me react and swerve away.  I've been driving way to long to fall for that however it happened a second time on the freeway with another driver.  I was not going too slow and was doing a little above the speed limit. Technically it was 74 in a 65 mph zone. Are we that impatient that we have to try to endanger others as we pass them?  I hope not but I know the answer to that too.

Look around. You'll see it in everything. 

Hello all. My name is David Weverka.

I am currently working for Apollo Group Inc. as a Technical Support Specialist. I decided to return to school since I recognize the need to move onward in my career and be proactive to the industry that I have chosen.

I was born and raised in Hillsboro Oregon where I held a variety of blue collar jobs until I eventually attended the Computer Career Institute to learn about computer programming. I excelled in programming and ended up in a variety of contract positions enabling me to program in COBOL, BAL, and RPG4.

After moving to Arizona for personal reasons I worked for the Circle K Corporation and parlayed a temporary position into fraud investigations for their Risk Management Department. As companies go so did Circle K. They were acquired in turn by Tosco Marketing Company, Phillips 66, and finally Conoco. It was a long and bumpy ride which I’m quite glad to be finished with. I spent a couple of years doing miscellaneous jobs here and there from brick laying to technical support.

I now work in Internet Technical Support for the University of Phoenix and Axia College of University of Phoenix. It has been a very rewarding position which I enjoy very much. I work third shift from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday so contacting me in the daytime isn’t likely. I’m mostly available on Thursday evenings through Sunday mornings. Of course I work all night and do check the classroom forums the rest of the week so I’ll likely know if you’ve posted a reply.

I have a wife (Maria). She’s legally blind but is working in Tech Support just like me and is one of my heroes! My kids are three boys’ ages of 21, 19, and 12, and 10 (our little girl). The older boys no longer live at home but I’m still a full time parent with the 10 and 12 year-olds. My kids are the driving force in my life.

My days mostly consist of getting home in the morning and starting everyone else’s day. I get the wife off to work and the kids off to school then I can finally crash for the day (about five hours) in time for the kids to get home and I can start my day along with their homework and dinner. It’s a busy life but I would never change it.

I skateboard as a hobby and enjoy a good movie or video game when I hold still long enough. A health issue this year has shown me what a wonderful family I have and I am so proud of all of them for the effort they put forth during that time.

This is my first online degree and I’m looking forward to learning singly and cooperatively with all of you.

He Brakes for Midgets

I found this article at The Smoking Gun website.

The headline is hilarious. At first I wondered why the guy just didn't remove the shirt but then this being a DUI, I suppose he was lucky to be able to be wearing clothes at all.

Grasshopper....Try this new protein tea!

I came in from smoking at the end of my break a while ago and there were many grasshoppers sitting on the ground by the door bathing in the light from the entryway. When coming into the doorway, several of the insects took flight and one landed in my cup of ice water. Hmmm...I thought. Grasshopper protein drink.

Well I came in and dumped out my passenger into the sink and refilled my cup. Later at lunch time, I came in from smoking and went about getting a cup of tea. Well I got the water and tea bag in my cup and while at the sink, I felt something on my head. A grasshopper had jumped off my head, bounced off the cupboard door and landed in my tea. Well now. I've got a protein tea.

I wish they would consult me on their insect diet plan before trying to make me drink them but what can you expect from swarming grasshoppers?

What purpose does it serve?

From the AlJazeerah Newspaper comes a story about children and American GIs being bombed.

How does this serve any religion? How does this serve any cause? At least they're starting to turn their own people against terrorism.

This is one of the most cowardly acts I can remember. This even beats the Oklahoma City Bombing. I know that those that deliver these explosive payloads are considered heros to their religious sect or whatever you'd like to call it but heros save lives. Heros don't take them from the innocent.

The Alarm Clock Dance

As any reader here knows, I work nights. Sometimes on especially hot days in Arizona, I will get up early in the afternoon and pick up my wife at work so she’s not waiting in the heat.

Today I had to chuckle at myself as I got ready for bed this morning and set my alarm for 3:00 p.m. My alarm clock is in my bathroom (to ensure I will get out of bed to shut it off). I then climbed into bed and watched a little tv to relax then lay there wondering if I had set my alarm. Now I know that my wife worries about me sleeping through the alarm or setting it for the wrong time so of course I worry too! Of course I had to go back and check it!! How annoying!!

After getting settled back in bed, I tried to relax again. Just about achieved unconsciousness and wham!! I had to check it again!! Damned alarm!!! Damned memory!!!

Well I went back to bed and had passed out momentarily when of course I had to check it again just to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. Ridiculous as it sounds, each time I ended up wondering if I had set it correctly! Well there you have it. The alarm clock dance. It’s almost a bedtime ritual for me.

Maybe I’ll actually remember and have the confidence that I did it right!!! The funny thing is that while I worry about that, I have never stranded my wife due to oversleeping! Well at least she’s home tonight!! He he.

Saying the right thing.

I spent a few minutes with a co-worker tonight who has a drug problem. He's addicted to Meth and has just reached out to his family for support (which we all know is a very difficult thing to do).

Why is it that sometimes no matter how hard you try it's hard to remember just what to say to someone to offer support?

Another co-worker approached me as I was off to lunch to ask me if I could take his car and credit card to get gas in the car. I agreed. It was for the young man with the Meth problem. He apparently had trouble understanding why this co-worker would have me fill the car and not him as he was the one to borrow the car to move with.

He asked me on the way back from the gas station, "Do you think I'm dishonest?" My immediate response was "No, Not as far as I can tell." In retrospect I should have told him that it's not him that people will worry about but the effects or rather "lack of effect" when deprived of the drug. It's an insidious drug. Everything appears to be fine but I just watched another friend ruin his life over it. He ended up homeless with his son who is five.

When we got back, I shook his hand and told him that I really enjoyed working with him and we parted ways. I gave my co-worker my email addresses to give to the young man in hopes he'll lean on me a little. He's going to need all the friends he can get!