A bitcoin experiment

Hard times have hit us this time. I have been unemployed for a really long time!
The money may not be there for us to keep the house we have lived in for over 20 years.
I am taking online classes with WGU Washington for the BSIT degree, with an emphasis
on network administration. No job yet, but the classes are fun.

At this point I would like to invite you to help us out in a unique way:
If you own any bitcoin and wouldn't mind parting with a small part of your holdings please donate
what you can to my bitcoin address below.

You can ask us to send you something from our house, perhaps a cup or dish from our cupboard.
If you'd like that then please include your mailing address with your request and include enough for postage.
We would be happy to send you something as a thank you present

Here is the address to send your coins to:

miquiT6kkt3UQB9vYvEZnWfgYhe22JD883

Thank you very much!

1-27-2017

Losing a Cataract

Losing a Cataract

Here’s the idea: Find the lid from one of those old Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers, should be frosted white; or get a an actual piece of frosted glass from an old glass shower door and look through it using only one of your eyes. If you can keep the other eye open and free from the lens that you are using, then so much the better.
Go ahead, I can wait.
Got it? Good. Now, try to read this document on your computer screen. Take a look at the photograph of my eye surgeon standing next to me. If you were to do that then you might get an idea of what I had to deal with for about the last year or so. That is what living with a cataract is like. Only, I couldn’t just take the plastic dish or frosted glass away from my eye. I had to live with it and deal with it on a daily basis.
I had to look well behind me to discover the vehicles in my blind spot while driving. I had to figure out how to do simple tasks like tying my shoes with a skewed sense of depth perception.
It wasn’t until I got an eye surgeon to remove the cataract that I could actually get a glimpse of what the real world looked like through that eye. Admittedly, my vision isn’t back to normal just yet. I still cannot read fine print through that eye, for instance, but I am confident that my body will adjust to the new lens that the surgeon inserted.
I am almost ecstatic over the detail that I can see through my left eye right now.
My ophthalmologist told me that cataracts are a malady that almost all of us will experience in our life if we live long enough. Diabetics are far more likely to get them and glaucoma another nasty disorder that reduces eyesight.
Having been a diabetic for over 20 years I think I might have had this coming.
I gave myself my first self-administered insulin injected within minutes of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s disintegration on January 28, 1986.
I did not see it at the time, but a nurse came in and informed me of it shortly after it happened. Though knowing the date of my first insulin injection helped me remember how long I had the illness, it could not prepare me for the work involved in managing it.
is a kind of “patient managed” illness that requires close guidance from a team of medical experts that includes a family doctor or personal physician and an endocrinologist that specializes in diabetic treatment. One of the core requirements for effectively managing the treatment of diabetes is for the patient to closely test and monitor his or her blood sugar levels. When the patient is able to do that and report those results to his or her personal medical team then an effective plan for treating the disease is possible. It took a long time for me to get this kind of treatment and to give my condition the kind of attention that it deserved.
Though I don’t want to waste an ordinate amount of time beating myself up over this. I do understand that I might not have had to suffer from the blinding effects of a cataract in my left eye if I had taken more care to closely monitor my blood sugar levels and stay in better contact with my team of medical professionals.
While I can bask in the luxury of my newfound eyesight in my left eye, I must now make the effort to adjust to this newly implanted lens as I also have been told that I have a cataract slowly forming in my right eye as well.
I can still see rather well out of it, but I also know that I will probably have to visit my eye surgeon again sometime in the future.
I will keep you posted.
About the author:
Frank Austad is an insulin dependent diabetic who works with his wife repairing computers and other IT equipment in her business, in Everett, Washington.
He holds a CompTia A+ certification, as well as the Network+ for computer hardware, software and Networking technology. He has also completed training for the MCITP and CCNA certifications, and holds a Microsoft Technology Associate certification.

Frank's online resume

Desktop Support Engineer World class Desktop Support Engineer who brings sound problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with a thorough understanding of Remote Desktop, Terminal Services and over 5 years of experience working with Microsoft Windows Desktop and Server Operating Systems to your organization. Outstanding support specialist certified in CompTIA’s A+, Network+ and the Microsoft Technology Associate, trained for the CCNA and MCITP. Unlike other System Admin candidates who lack the necessary competence to manage an IT network, I bring training, experience as well as a combined expertise in: Leadership, Management, and Business • Effective strong team player. • Incident documentation/resolution • Continuous Process Improvement • Excellent customer service skills and rapport • Training & Development Technology • Hardware problem resolution • Multi-user computer systems • OSI level 1-3 proficiency network cabling • Network and Systems Architecture • Enterprise Architecture • Server and Network Deployment PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AUSTAD COMPUTING 08/2013 to Present Technical Support, Repair Engineer Install, configure, administer, maintain and monitor appropriate technologies for home and business users Provide and implement complete application support of Windows 7, Windows 8, MS Office products Receive, prioritize, document, and resolve end user help requests Maintain, analyze, troubleshoot, and repair computer systems, hardware and computer peripherals DELL COMPUTER/F2ONSITE 07/2013 to 08/2013 Technical Support, Repair Engineer Install, configure, administer, maintain and monitor appropriate technologies for home and business users Provide and implement complete application support of Windows 7, Windows 8, MS Office products Maintain hardware, software licenses, warranties, maintenance agreements, and vendor contracts Receive, prioritize, document, and resolve end user help requests Maintain, analyze, troubleshoot, and repair computer systems, hardware and computer peripherals CHASE BANK/NATIVE STAFFING 05/2013 to 06/2013 Windows 7 Migration Specialist Migrate, Implement and support Windows 7 Desktop units for large multi-national client Ensured software installation and network connectivity during mission critical multicast over IP routes THE BOEING COMPANY/DELL MGMT 07/2010 to 09/2011 LEMS Support Specialist Responsible for the organization, implementation, administration and support of local area networks (LANs) wireless, intranet systems, as well as hardware/software systems for Laser Exterior Marking System (LEMS) over Virtual LAN (VLAN) structure Performed installation and connectivity for major router platforms using IP networking fundamentals and extensive experience in the application of IP protocols Collect data to evaluate the network’s or system’s performance and help make the system work better and faster Train users on the proper use of hardware and software when necessary Solve problems quickly when a user or an automated monitoring system lets them know about a problem Authored, updated training materials and system documentation upon company intranet using HTML ZURICH, INC./COMPU-COM 05/2010 to 07/2010 Desktop Support Technician Facilitated OS/software install on Windows XP workstations, notebooks Troubleshooting hands-on problem mitigation at the desktop and server level Supported large scale network content and network service provider environments Installed and upgraded software, installed hardware, implemented file backups Configured special applications, migration to new versions of software K&H PRINTERS/TERRA STAFFING 03/2010 to 05/2010 Digital Print Operator Supported/assisted in operation of Xerox digital printer at on call publishing facility AT&T/APEX SYSTEMS 05/2007 to 02/2010 Access Management Specialist Provisioned network access to computer applications for AT&T employees, representatives and dealers utilizing MS Internet Explorer, Oracle, Citrix, Active Directory, MS Excel, SQL Noted for process improvements using MS Excel, SQL, Perl scripts Supported and maintained user account information including rights, security and systems groups Improved process time working with management/internal representatives through holiday season EDUCATION DCSE F2Onsite, Dell Computer 2013 MCITP – CompTIA Network+, MTA certifications TLG Learning 2012 BS Computer Science South University Online 2012 MCSA, CCNA, CompTIA A+ certifications Strategy Computers 2003 Electronic Technology w/Microprocessor Labs CIE 1986

What happened to the Hyundai

Frank's personal blogspace
So here is what happened.
I was driving to the store to pick up some items (kitty-litter most notably) and while making my way to a nearby Kmart store I looked away momentarily. Upon looking back I noticed that a white car had stopped in front of me. I responded by locking up my brakes, naturally, but the effort turned out to be too little too late. I collided into the car in front of me.
The gentleman driving the car in front of me ignored me as he was talking into his cel-phone. He later was loaded into an ambulance on a backboard while wearing a neck brace. His car had superficial damage to the rear bumper. The front of my car looks like this!
What worries me is that I am not sure of doesn't know whether or not my insurance company will total my car and then come after me for whatever ails the driver of the other car.
Has this ever happened to you? Let me know how it went.

Time for a cool change...

Time for a cool change...
On July 1, 2006 MarketWatch will discontinue its support of the original (start with 1 million v. dollars) Virtual Stock Exchange. In its place will be the game I am currently playing; $100,000.00 for a limited time: I am not sure how much time I started with (90 days, I think), but I do know I have less than 69 days left to the contest.

A little late but...

A little late, but perhaps just in time…
Let me share something about myself with you. It’s about this time of year that I take a look at my life, sit down and write out my annual goal list.
I have done this on and off for about 25 years. That’s right, just about the time that John Lennon died at the hands of an insane fan, Marc Chapman.
For all of the crap it had sometimes invited me into, I am rather glad that I took the time to think ahead and make crazy statements about what I perhaps half believed that I could accomplish.
Of course, very few of those dreams ever realized themselves into the sometimes excessive results that I expected (like so many young people my age, I tried very hard to become a rock and roll musician. The closest I would ever reach that target was to play guitar in a bar band. Yeah, I know you’ve heard all that before…) but at least I allowed myself to experiment with the boundaries of the world around me. It is rather weird to talk to kids today about what they plan for their future. More often than not, they have no plans. They live their lives as I used to: as spectators of their own existence.
So it is here that I look back at my old goals, read them and cringe, mostly. More often than not, I will find myself revising my old statements, usually in a rearward direction.

Now I can pull out this year's list and share some of it with you. You can tell me if I am aiming a little too high or way off my mark.

What follows is a short excerpt:
GOALS

Frank Austad December 18, 2005

Goal Date Status (1/7/06)

1. Keep thejob; improve performance Always Tomorrow Still working
2. Pass MCSA exams Mar. 15, 2006
3. Pass CCNA exam April 15, 2006
4. Find job that pays 60,000/year with benefits May 15, 2006
5. Invest $25,000 in stocks Jan. 1, 2007
6. Retire with assets of over 2 million dollars Jan. 1, 2010
7. Run Ebay business with income over $100K Jan. 1, 2008
8. Publish first book June 1, 2006
9. Find/implement means of surviving super storm April 1, 2006
10. Clean office Now
11. Implement workout routine Jan. 2, 2006
12. Volunteer to work with charity Jan.1, 2006
13. Create liberal/scientific/artistic think tank Jan. 1, 2006
14. Finish Julie’s bass amp Dec. 15, 2004
15. Build fuzz-tone, treble booster, business Feb 1, 2006
16. Record music Dec. 28, 2005
17. Form band Mar 15, 2006
18. Clean house Now
19. Rebuild fence Mar. 15, 2006
20. Become a Teacher Sept. 5, 2006
21. Dig sump in front yard June 15, 2006
22. Play blackjack, winning $600/week. June 1, 2006

Intelligent Design or ?

Intelligent Design or (just scientifically proven, accepted by everyone except the religious right and the Foo Fighters) Evolution?

Like you have to choose!!

This is a link to an open letter to the Kansas City School Board concerning their adoption of the “Intelligent Design Theory” to their curriculum. It should put a smile on your face.
Follow this link: http://www.venganza.org/