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	<title>TheJoe &#187; TheJoe</title>
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	<link>http://thejoe.com</link>
	<description>No Drama, No Drugs, &#38; No Means No!</description>
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		<title>tumblr</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2010/08/27/tumblr/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2010/08/27/tumblr/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:53:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tumblr]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know in the past, my blog posts have been few and far between.   I am a creature of convenience.  I have thoughts at times of posts I&#8217;d like to make, by the time I sit down at my computer, I loose that brilliant flash of a possible post I once had. Recently, I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I know in the past, my blog posts have been few and far between.   I am a creature of convenience.  I have thoughts at times of posts I&#8217;d like to make, by the time I sit down at my computer, I loose that brilliant flash of a possible post I once had.</p>
<p>Recently, I found tumblr.  It&#8217;s a very interesting blogging platform.  No comment system and you can post anything.  The other thing that is interesting, is that you can reblog things that interest you.</p>
<p>I have been spending a lot of time on tumblr.  I am looking at ways to integrate it into thejoe.com or transfer to it all together.</p>
<p>I have a few tumblr&#8217;s that are separated by certain rules.  My alter-ego&#8217;s if you will.  They are:</p>
<p><a href="http://thejoedotcom.tumblr.com/">http://thejoedotcom.tumblr.com/</a> &#8211; My general &#8220;tame&#8221; tumblr that will not have nudity and cover topics that I find particularly interesting.</p>
<p><a href="http://suchaperv.tumblr.com/">http://suchaperv.tumblr.com/</a> &#8211; My &#8220;XXX&#8221; tumblr that will have extreme nudity and cover topics that I find sexually arousing.</p>
<p>There will be a third tumblr.  I will post it and what it&#8217;s for when I finish it.  It will be tied to one of my new endeavors.</p>
<p>I am hoping to find a way to tie my tumblr posts to this site.  I am looking at a few possible plug ins.</p>
<p>In the mean time, the two links above will give you insight into my psyche.  :)</p>
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		<title>On a Sunday Afternoon</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2010/07/23/on-a-sunday-afternoon/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2010/07/23/on-a-sunday-afternoon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 06:49:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=299</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let me start by saying, for those of you that don&#8217;t know me well, I am like Lane Meyer&#8217;s little brother in &#8220;Better Off Dead&#8221;. I&#8217;ve always sorta been this way. Things just kinda happen for me. With that said, I&#8217;ve got an experience that happened to me that I have to share. I can [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let me start by saying, for those of you that don&#8217;t know me well, I am like Lane Meyer&#8217;s little brother in &#8220;Better Off Dead&#8221;.  I&#8217;ve always sorta been this way.  Things just kinda happen for me.   With that said, I&#8217;ve got an experience that happened to me that I have to share.  I can care less whether you believe it or not.  But I gotta share this.</p>
<p>Last Sunday, I was on my way home.  I decided to stop by KFC and pick up a bucket of chicken for the boys at home.  (Angel was in Vegas working)  I walked into KFC and it was kind of dead.  The workers were kind of just sitting around chatting and there was only one other customer there.</p>
<p>She was about 5&#8217;4&#8243;, china doll hair cut, nice boobs, great ass.  She was wearing just a simple t-shirt (not to clingy, just clingy enough), a loose greyish blue skirt, and some tennis shoes.</p>
<p><span id="more-299"></span>While we were waiting for our food, I struck up some small talk and found out she was Korean and lives in the area.  We chatted for maybe 5 minutes more, nothing special about the conversation.  Her food came, we said good bye, and she walked out the door.  My food came a few minutes later and I went out to my car.</p>
<p>When I got to my car, I saw her standing next to hers (which happened to be parked next to mine).  I said &#8220;Hey!&#8221;.  She looked at me and said &#8220;Hey there, you know what, if you have a condom, I want you to fuck me RIGHT NOW!&#8221;</p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t even flinch, it was kind of surreal.  (I happen to carry condoms in my ipad bag) I said, &#8220;As a matter of fact I do.&#8221; and I pulled a condom from my bag.  We were between her car and my car, with her car&#8217;s driver&#8217;s side to my car&#8217;s passenger side.</p>
<p>Her driver door was open, she sat in the driver seat and pulled my pants down and proceeded to swallow me.  It was intense!  After a minute or so of this, I lifted her out of her seat and put her left foot on the driver&#8217;s seat and bent her over her rear passenger window with her one hand on the trunk of her car and entered her from behind.  It was so frantic and wonderful.  I had one hand on the back of the arch of her back and the other hand on the back of her neck.  We thrust like this for just a few minutes and we both climaxed.</p>
<p>Afterwards, she gave me a kiss and sat in her front seat. I asked for her number.  She declined saying, &#8220;We both live around here, if it&#8217;s meant for us to get together, we&#8217;ll run into each other.  If that happens, I&#8217;ll give you my number then.&#8221;  She thanked me for the good time, gave me another kiss, and drove away.</p>
<p>Wow. I was floored.</p>
<p>There is one thing made this super interesting for me.  For those of you that know me well, you would know that I generally can not perform sexually in public or when there is a camera around.  This whole thing happened so fast that it could not have been longer than say 10 minutes tops. (if that)  It was so intense that I don&#8217;t think I had time to think about what was happening.  So I was able to perform and perform well.  I am quite proud of my prowess in this moment.  <img src='http://thejoe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>I know things like this only happen in people&#8217;s imaginations.  Like I said, I can care less if you think it&#8217;s true or not.</p>
<p>All I can say, it was a good day.</p>
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		<title>On being 40 and my life now</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2010/04/14/on-being-40-and-my-life-now/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2010/04/14/on-being-40-and-my-life-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:29:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A lot has happened since I last posted. On March 8, I turned 40. It was on a Monday. I decided to invite a small handful of people that I considered some of my closer friends and a few new people that I felt I had the potential to become better friends with. It was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A lot has happened since I last posted.  On March 8, I turned 40.  It was on a Monday.  I decided to invite a small handful of people that I considered some of my closer friends and a few new people that I felt I had the potential to become better friends with.  It was a good turn out.  Twenty-five people showed up, two drove in from Las Vegas, one from San Diego.  It was good times.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="490" height="298" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LhNl9vaYYo0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="490" height="298" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LhNl9vaYYo0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>My son turned 8 years old on March 19th.  We had a lot of people that wanted to come for his birthday, but since it was to be at Benihana&#8217;s, it was limited to 16 total.  He got a lot of presents.  He&#8217;s big into LEGO this year and boy, did he score.  This was good times as well.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-295" title="DJ's 8th Birthday @ Benihana" src="http://thejoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100319223128_25-copy-11-e1271318674535.jpg" alt="DJ 8th" width="488" height="329" /></p>
<p>Back to me being 40.   I really enjoying getting older.  Especially since I&#8217;m actually getting healthier.  Ironic eh?  I still haven&#8217;t had a cigarette since the beginning of November.  I&#8217;m spending a lot of time walking on the beach. I&#8217;m looking forward to the wind again so I can whip out my kites.   We&#8217;re looking to get some bicycles.  These things are really contributing to my health in a positive way.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m starting to look at what&#8217;s important to me with more clarity and working towards solid goals.  I&#8217;ve got some new projects I&#8217;m going to start working on soon.  Life&#8217;s pretty good.</p>
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		<title>Congratulations and Be Prosperous! 恭喜发财</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2010/02/14/congratulations-and-be-prosperous/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2010/02/14/congratulations-and-be-prosperous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 09:16:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=279</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy New Year!   (The Chinese characters up there mean &#8220;Gung hei faat choi&#8221; the common greeting during the Chinese/Lunar new year. &#8211; Which is today, Valentines Day 2010) I was going to post something on January 1 but our lives were in a bit of a turmoil.  (We lost a major revenue stream &#8211; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Happy New Year!   (The Chinese characters up there mean &#8220;Gung hei faat choi&#8221; the common greeting during the Chinese/Lunar new year. &#8211; Which is today, Valentines Day 2010)</p>
<p>I was going to post something on January 1 but our lives were in a bit of a turmoil.  (We lost a major revenue stream &#8211; Don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;ll be fine)I was going to wait until my 40th Birthday in March but I was up and about tonight.   SO, I decided to post some random thoughts now.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s been a slow start to what I think will be a great year.  This is another reason I chose now to post.  Nothing major has been going on.  I&#8217;ve been spending a lot of time with my wife and my son.  Family time has been good.  With that said, I want to wish her a very Happy Valentines day!  (I love you my dear)</p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard to believe that this is our 11th Valentines day together.  WOO HOO.   I think most people would not have thought I could or would have been married for this long.   Well you nay sayers, I have to say&#8230;  We&#8217;re in it for the long haul.  :)  I know a lot of you can&#8217;t make sense of our relationship and how we function, just know that there is much love and we are there for our child.  That&#8217;s what&#8217;s most important ya?</p>
<p>I am still a non-smoking &amp; non-drinking pervert. Angel and I have been attending some group parties to see how they are done here in L.A.  We&#8217;re still on the fence about when we&#8217;re gonna do our own.  But, we&#8217;ve found a good group in the Valley and have been having a ball. (literally)</p>
<p>We&#8217;re starting to look for a new place.  We&#8217;re planning on staying in the Santa Monica area.  Looking closer to the beach.  However, I have to admit, Venice still calls to me <img src='http://thejoe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> .</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve been playing a lot of WoW lately.    Just am not too impressed with other MMO&#8217;s that are being released.  I&#8217;ve been playing around with my multibox teams etc.  It&#8217;s been fun.   Angel and I both have been on a mount kick.  We&#8217;re shooting for that 100 mount mount!  :)   Oh, to you idiots that speculate about my life from watching my multibox videos&#8230;  get a fucking life&#8230;  you don&#8217;t know even a tenth of the story, and you don&#8217;t need to!</p>
<p>I AM working on some new websites and possibly some new video work.  I may post about them here.   phht</p>
<p>I am planning to be prosperous this year,  I hope all of yours are as well.</p>
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		<title>One month ago, I smoked my last cigarette</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/12/01/one-month-ago-i-smoked-my-last-cigarette/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/12/01/one-month-ago-i-smoked-my-last-cigarette/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been a smoker on and off for the last 27 years.  I am not sure why I started smoking. Be it Rebelliousness, thinking it was &#8220;cool&#8221;, or some other reason.  I just remember that I started when I was about 12 years old.   I used to go out to the back yard and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have been a smoker on and off for the last 27 years.  I am not sure why I started smoking. Be it Rebelliousness, thinking it was &#8220;cool&#8221;, or some other reason.  I just remember that I started when I was about 12 years old.   I used to go out to the back yard and sit in the far corner and try to smoke.  Eventually, I got hooked.</p>
<p>In that time, I have never WANTED to quit.  I have had times that I needed to quit. (incarceration, hospital time, etc)  I had one time that I &#8220;tried&#8221; to quit for a living arrangement I was in.  (that didn&#8217;t work out because my room mates hated my mood swings so bad they actually bought me a pack of smokes and asked me to start again)</p>
<p>This is the first time I have made a conscious decision to quit.  On the evening of Nov 1, 2009  I was walking up to the local convenience store from my home.  I lit up a cigarette and said to myself, &#8220;This tastes like shit&#8221; and put it out.  That was my last cigarette.  I decided that I just didn&#8217;t want to smoke anymore.  That was that.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s been a month.  No patch, no pills, no nicotine gum.  Surprisingly, no major mood swings.</p>
<p>I get a lot of people going CONGRATS! etc etc.   For me, that&#8217;s not the point.   I did not do it for my health or for any &#8220;guilt&#8221; reasons.   I just decided that I didn&#8217;t like doing it anymore.  If I decide that I miss it enough, I may just start again.  But, they do taste bad and I hate the aftereffects.  So, for now, I am a non-smoker.</p>
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		<title>Driver&#8217;s License &#8211; I Actually Got One</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/09/25/drivers-license-i-actually-got-one/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/09/25/drivers-license-i-actually-got-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:22:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Believe it or not, it&#8217;s been almost 15 years since I have had a driver&#8217;s license.  I did a lot of traveling and had been using my passport for identification.  Most places I&#8217;ve been, I never really needed to drive.   Angel also loves to drive, she had been driving me pretty much anytime I needed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Believe it or not, it&#8217;s been almost 15 years since I have had a driver&#8217;s license.  I did a lot of traveling and had been using my passport for identification.  Most places I&#8217;ve been, I never really needed to drive.   Angel also loves to drive, she had been driving me pretty much anytime I needed to go anywhere.</p>
<p>The other reason is purely superstitious.  Any time I have had a driver&#8217;s license in the past, shortly thereafter, I&#8217;d get in some sort of legal trouble.  So, I had been afraid to get one LOL.</p>
<p>Why after all these years did I decide to get one?   Well, simple really, Draylan (my son).   There have been times that I&#8217;ve needed to drive and usually during those times, Draylan is with me.   I never want there to be a situation where I am doing something illegitimate and Draylan would have to suffer or be confused about what is happening.</p>
<p>I think it&#8217;s time as well.  It&#8217;s been very interesting to me that I&#8217;ve gone this long without one. LOL</p>
<p>I went to the DMV today and was amazed at how easy it was to &#8220;renew&#8221; my license.   I only had to take an 18 question test and that was it.   If you get more than 3 wrong answers, you fail the test.  I took the test and was worried about 3 questions that I was unsure about.  Ironically, I got all of those 3 right.  I got ONE that I thought was right, wrong.  LOL</p>
<p>So, I am legal again.   Watch out for me on the roads,  I&#8217;ll smash you with Angel&#8217;s suburban.  <img src='http://thejoe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>In Being an Alternative Family and dealing with Religion</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/09/22/in-being-an-alternative-family-and-dealing-with-religion/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/09/22/in-being-an-alternative-family-and-dealing-with-religion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:57:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Draylan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=265</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My immediate family is very alternative in regards as to how most families function.  First and foremost in my family, the priority resides with my son.  All our decisions and choices ALWAYS take him into consideration first. When Angel was pregnant with Draylan, we spent several hours a week discussing how we would deal with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My immediate family is very alternative in regards as to how most families function.  First and foremost in my family, the priority resides with my son.  All our decisions and choices ALWAYS take him into consideration first.</p>
<p>When Angel was pregnant with Draylan, we spent several hours a week discussing how we would deal with various situations that might arise with our son.  A lot of it was discussion on how we would deal with various potential situations as they arise.  Since we could not predict for EVERY possible situation, we spent a lot of time laying out guidelines on how we would deal with situations as they arise.</p>
<p>We know that our views and lifestyle are not the norm.  But do know, that we do love and cherish our son dearly.  I KNOW that we are very good parents.  My argument to most people is simple.  Do not question US as to our viability as parents.  Take a moment and talk to my son, his words, actions, mannerisms, and personality will speak volumes as to how we are as parents.<span id="more-265"></span></p>
<p>One of the choices we made before Draylan was born, was how we would deal with Religion and the belief in God.  Both Angel and I believe in the overall good in people but do not ascribe to a &#8220;Higher Power&#8221; or a particular belief in &#8220;God&#8221;.  Instead, we are trying to instill in our son good judgment and general decency without having to resort to &#8220;God&#8221; this or that.  I believe we&#8217;re doing a pretty good job of this.</p>
<p>What prompted this blog post?  Tonight, Angel and I went to our local Cub Scout group meeting to see the viability of Draylan joining.  We met some very nice people and felt comfortable with the general vibe of those that ran the group.  We were very forthcoming and honest with the people about how our views were, they were very gracious and fairly understanding.  It seems they had been questioned in the past about various beliefs.   However, I do not think they were prepared for the idea of raising a child with a philosophy instead of a belief in a &#8220;Higher Power&#8221;.</p>
<p>It saddens me that it is very difficult to find a well organized group for children that truly separates God from the equation.</p>
<p>I will have to do more research.  There has to be something out there.  More on this later <img src='http://thejoe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>Drupal &#8211; Finally I see the light!</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/25/drupal-finally-i-see-the-light/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/25/drupal-finally-i-see-the-light/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:54:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[drupal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hosting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Linux]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[OSX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=260</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For some time now, I&#8217;ve been looking for a web framework that I can work with.  I&#8217;ve been a huge proponent of WordPress, vBulletin, DZOIC, and phpFox.  Those allow for very specialized types of sites.  Lately, I have been looking for something that is very configurable without me having to re-invent the wheel or code [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For some time now, I&#8217;ve been looking for a web framework that I can work with.  I&#8217;ve been a huge proponent of WordPress, vBulletin, DZOIC, and phpFox.  Those allow for very specialized types of sites.  Lately, I have been looking for something that is very configurable without me having to re-invent the wheel or code it from scratch.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d been looking at Joomla for some time but it just seemed too constricting for MY tastes.  I had looked at Drupal in the past and was not impressed.  Recently, about a week ago, I decided to take a look at it again.  My it has come a ways.  <span id="more-260"></span></p>
<p>I still love WordPress for what it is.  A great blogging platform.  It&#8217;s also a great basic to medium content management system.  If you want to get a decent static site up, it&#8217;s still the way to go.  But, what if you want to do a bit more.  Multi-user blogging, extensible user profiles, forums, etc.  I think Drupal is the next step.  Of course, you can do some of this with WordPress but in my opinion, not as cleanly as you can with Drupal.</p>
<p>I have been working with websites on many different levels for about 15 years.  Pretty much since the internet was opened up to commercial and private endeavors.  I&#8217;ve gone from coding sites on my own to the point where I don&#8217;t believe in reinventing the wheel and using various web frameworks to build sites.</p>
<p>I consider myself a big iron guy.  I know how to install, secure, and maintain a server quite well.  When it comes to designing and building a site, I like to use stuff that&#8217;s already out there.  I am an intermediate coder at best.</p>
<p>My experience with Drupal thus far allows for an established and fairly mature framework for me to use.  Especially in designing sites that have a specific purpose.</p>
<p>For example, currently TechnoChubby.com is running wordpress.  It does the job well, but as that site is growing, I find that I need to add some forums, an easy way to manage multiple contributors, the permissions what each of those contributors can post, and a better way to organize the site in general.  I believe Drupal will be the answer to growing that site into a robust community.</p>
<p>Another one is this site, for what it is, (just a personal blog)  I don&#8217;t see the need to update it to Drupal.  It will remain using WordPress for now.  (but who knows)</p>
<p>I went to the Drupal LA Meetup tonight here in Santa Monica, I was impressed by the level of discussions and the overall &#8220;community feel&#8221;.   I think I can learn a lot from this group.  [ <a title="Drupal LA" href="http://groups.drupal.org/la" target="_blank">Drupal LA group at Drupal.com</a> ]  Hopefully, within this group, I&#8217;ll be able to expand my knowledge of Drupal and find other uses for this framework.</p>
<p>I am still new to Drupal and what it has to offer, so far I am liking it.  Time will tell.  <img src='http://thejoe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>2 years ago, I was a drinking fool</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/15/2-years-ago-i-was-a-drinking-fool/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/15/2-years-ago-i-was-a-drinking-fool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:54:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week 2 years ago (in 2007) I stopped drinking. I woke up one morning and decided it was time to stop.  I have not had a drink of alcohol since.   Prior to that, I was a drinking fool!   I was drinking like mad.  I had gotten to the point in my drinking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week 2 years ago (in 2007) I stopped drinking.</p>
<p>I woke up one morning and decided it was time to stop.  I have not had a drink of alcohol since.   Prior to that, I was a drinking fool!   I was drinking like mad.  I had gotten to the point in my drinking where I didn&#8217;t remember what happened for DAYS in my life.</p>
<p>I can definitely say I have an addictive personality.  I&#8217;ve been addicted to every drug you can think of.  (I&#8217;ve not used any narcotic drugs in almost 20 years)  Drinking was my last real negative addiction.  It slowly spiraled out of hand till one day in August 2007 I said to myself &#8220;Enough is enough&#8221;.  I stopped.</p>
<p>The amazing part is that I don&#8217;t really miss it.  Plus, I don&#8217;t have any issues being around others that are drinking or being around alcohol in general.  I still like to go out and have a good time with friends, I drink juice or water and am still able to have a good time.  I believe that I am able to do this because I have replaced my addiction to alcohol with a new addiction,  <span id="more-253"></span>focus and clarity.</p>
<p>Slowly over the course of the last two years, I&#8217;ve been getting a real sense of clarity back.  Some serious focus and function.  It&#8217;s almost intoxicating.  I look back now and see what I have been missing.  I really enjoy, and dare say, am addicted to this re-awakening of focus and function.</p>
<p>When I was drinking, I made some very poor decisions that affected me and those around me.  Especially my immediate family.  My thought processes were not 100% and I made bad choices. (no surprise there)  But now, I have this crazy sense of clarity.  I feel my choices and thought processes are great and am able to make great decisions about my life and those who rely on me.  That is addicting.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t regret my choice to stop, in fact I am glad that I did.  Don&#8217;t worry, I am not on a soapbox saying &#8220;Drinking is bad&#8221; etc etc.  It&#8217;s just not for me.   If we hang out, feel free to imbibe, get inebriated, and get down right drunk.  You&#8217;ll always have a designated driver with me.  Hell, I&#8217;ll probably partake in the mayhem.  But, I&#8217;ll do it sober.</p>
<p>PS   To those that were negatively affected by me during my drinking and drunk phase of my life.  I truly apologize.</p>
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		<title>TheJoe gets a Unibody 17&#8243; MacBook Pro&#8230; Twice</title>
		<link>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/05/thejoe-gets-a-unibody-17-macbook-pro-twice/</link>
		<comments>http://thejoe.com/2009/08/05/thejoe-gets-a-unibody-17-macbook-pro-twice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:47:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TheJoe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[act of congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apple store]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macbook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MacBook Pro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unibody]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thejoe.com/?p=236</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let me start by saying, &#8220;I did not NEED to upgrade my laptop&#8221;.  I did so because I promised Andrew that when certain things happened, that he would get my late 2008 17&#8243; MacBook Pro.  Those things occurred and I made good on my promise.  So, I had to get a new computer.  This is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let me start by saying, &#8220;I did not NEED to upgrade my laptop&#8221;.  I did so because I promised Andrew that when certain things happened, that he would get my late 2008 17&#8243; MacBook Pro.  Those things occurred and I made good on my promise.  So, I had to get a new computer.  This is where the adventure begins.</p>
<p>After some hiccups at the Santa Monica Apple store (idiot clerk and manager), I have a unibody MacBook Pro 17&#8243; with the Anti-Glare (matte) option in hand and take it home.  It sits on the shelf for a couple of days while I get the stuff that I normally add to my MacBooks when I buy them.  Palmguard, keyboard protector, etc. (this took an act of congress because everyone was out of stock and I had to order it all)<span id="more-236"></span></p>
<p>Finally, I start to prepare it for my daily use.  This time, I decide that I am not going to do a migration of my old mac to my new mac using the Apple migration tools (Time Machine restore or the Migration Utility).  I decided to install everything from scratch and start with a &#8220;clean slate&#8221;.  I spend a good day or so installing everything one by one.  I even bought a new G-Drive Q 1TB for my backup volume.  It all goes pretty smooth.</p>
<p>Once all of the stuff I use to get my work done is all installed, I start using the new machine like I did my old one.  I started to notice that it was kind of sluggish and various intermittent problems started to happen.  (the main problem I noticed was that it would &#8220;hang&#8221; at various times with the spinning beach ball of death for a few seconds to a couple of minutes and then start humming along again like nothing happened)  I started to regret my purchase.</p>
<p>I did all the usual stuff, verified disk, permissions, etc etc.  Again, you must remember, I installed everything from scratch.  No remnants from the previous machine.  The one thing I should note, is that the Time Machine backups on the new G-Drive seemed to be going fine.</p>
<p>After all of that, it still seemed kind of buggy/sluggish/just not right.  I know, I had read some of the issues that others were having.  So, I figured I&#8217;d give it a couple days and see what I can do, if not would call support or take it back to the Apple Store and see what they could tell me.  I was still able to use it, albeit somewhat frustratingly.</p>
<p>The next morning, I get up and it&#8217;s still running, but I can&#8217;t get the screen to come back on.  I hard reset it and nothing. (OH, I got the signature Apple startup BONG!  Then nothing)  The system seemed like it was going through the boot process but nothing on the screen.</p>
<p>I then proceed to go through all the troubleshooting steps.  Forcing boot from CD, attempt to get it to go into Hardware Diagnostic mode, firewire boot, etc etc  all to no avail.  I decide to pack it up and return it.</p>
<p>This took an act of congress!  The clerks at the Beverly Center Apple store were very inflexible.  I won&#8217;t go into all the details, but I received a lot of attitude from the clerks and &#8220;lead on the floor&#8221;.  Finally, a manager &#8220;Jenny&#8221; was able to help me and provide me with a replacement and an explanation of what my options were and why some were not possible.  To be fair, I have gotten used to a certain level of service from the Las Vegas Town Square Apple Store because of the amount of business I have done there in the past.</p>
<p>I take this SECOND MacBook Pro home and fire it up.  At the appropriate portion of the initial login, I plug in the G-Drive and restore my settings from the Time Machine backup.  (I tested this backup  on another Mac here and verified it with no issues)  The restore to this new machine all goes smooth.</p>
<p>Now this machine so far seems to be running great.  It&#8217;s definitely not sluggish at all.  I&#8217;ve not seen the previous freezing.  I installed a couple games on it, World of Warcraft (of course) and Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3.  These are blazing fast on this machine.</p>
<p>Then I go to my Screen Saver settings&#8230;  FREEZE, CRASH, BANG&#8230;  BEACH BALL!  The first App I have to force quit is my System Preferences.  LOL</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t panic.  I notice that everything else is running smoothly BUT this ONE thing.  I figure it&#8217;s an isolated issue.  I spend hours googling and doing research.  My diligence pays off!  I fix the issue&#8230;  (<a title="Preference Pane hangs" href="http://technochubby.com/2009/08/05/os-x-leopard-screen-saver-preference-pane-hangs/">this is covered in depth on the TechnoChubby site &#8211; Click here to read it</a>)  Compared to the issues with the last Mac, this was nothing.</p>
<p>I just fixed that issue a few hours ago.  I&#8217;ve had this SECOND unibody MacBook Pro 17&#8243; for a couple of days now.   Everything is going smooth it seems (knock on wood).  All in all, it&#8217;s a slick ass machine.</p>
<p>I am liking my new setup.  Andrew&#8217;s happy he got my old (LOL) 17&#8243; MacBook Pro (late 2008).  Mike got his 15&#8243; and I think he&#8217;s happy with that.  I am using Mike&#8217;s old white MacBook (early 2009) to test out the idea of getting an Air or a unibody 13&#8243; MacBook Pro for my take everywhere machine.</p>
<p>I need to note, that this posting could have easily been three or four times longer.  There were several other hiccups that occurred.  They were very minor compared to what I shared here.</p>
<p>Just to touch on a couple of things:</p>
<ul>
<li>Santa Monica Apple Store &#8211; Won&#8217;t go back unless I absolutely HAVE to.</li>
<li>Beverly Center Apple Store &#8211; Thanks Jenny for your patience and understanding.</li>
<li>Century City Apple Store &#8211; Thanks for your help</li>
<li>iTunes Support &#8211; Thanks Jesse for getting my authorizations squared away</li>
<li>Power Support Retail outlet Burbank &#8211; Thanks Steven for your help with my accessories</li>
<li>Thanks swmbuk for the FIX!</li>
</ul>
<p>Alright, that&#8217;s it.  Thanks for letting me share (and vent).</p>
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