johnsettino.com

Obama Trap?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:03:29 -0400

Federal agents have uncovered what they say may have been be a plot to kidnap Barack Obama!

What can I say? Stereotypes always seem to play themselves out.

johnsettinocom mailing service

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:38:02 -0400

Just thought I'd share this spam email that I sent myself this afternoon (read: it's spoofed, duh). Note the URL pointed out in red.

I'm too lazy to make a thumbnail, so enjoy it at full size for what it's worth:

For reference, here's the WHOIS of whoever owns the domain they're attempting to send me to:



Domain name:

        ffffefdl.co.uk



    Registrant:

        Alessaned Moreto



    Registrant type:

        Non-UK Individual



    Registrant's address:

        Silvia Neto 78

        Sao paulo

        HY89 3GE

        United Kingdom



    Registrar:

        Webfusion Ltd t/a 123-Reg.co.uk [Tag = 123-REG]

        URL: http://www.123-reg.co.uk



    Relevant dates:

        Registered on: 19-Oct-2009

        Renewal date:  19-Oct-2011

        Last updated:  19-Oct-2009



    Registration status:

        Registration request being processed.



    Name servers:

        ns1.post-trek.com

        ns1.systrey-port.net



Disclaimer

WHOIS lookup made at 21:24:09 19-Oct-2009

T-Mobile Admits Data Loss

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:04:38 -0400

This is an update to my previous post where I spoke about the ongoing Great Sidekick Outage.

T-Mobile has officially announced they lost all my data. Oops. I'm pretty pissed, and will be calling to discuss options tomorrow. What follows is the update from T-Mobile, retrieved a few minutes ago (10/10/09, 9PM EDT)

T-MOBILE AND MICROSOFT/DANGER STATUS UPDATE ON SIDEKICK DATA DISRUPTION

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:

T-Mobile and the Sidekick data services provider, Danger, a subsidiary of Microsoft, are reaching out to express our apologies regarding the recent Sidekick data service disruption.

We appreciate your patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on maintaining platform stability, and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers.

Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger's latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device - such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos - that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger. That said, our teams continue to work around-the-clock in hopes of discovering some way to recover this information. However, the likelihood of a successful outcome is extremely low. As such, we wanted to share this news with you and offer some tips and suggestions to help you rebuild your personal content. You can find these tips in our Sidekick Contacts FAQ . We encourage you to visit the Forums on a regular basis to access the latest updates as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.

In addition, we plan to communicate with you on Monday (Oct. 12) the status of the remaining issues caused by the service disruption, including the data recovery efforts and the Download Catalog restoration which we are continuing to resolve. We also will communicate any additional tips or suggestions that may help in restoring your content.

We recognize the magnitude of this inconvenience. Our primary efforts have been focused on restoring our customers' personal content. We also are considering additional measures for those of you who have lost your content to help reinforce how valuable you are as a T-Mobile customer.

We continue to advise customers to NOT reset their device by removing the battery or letting their battery drain completely, as any personal content that currently resides on your device will be lost.

Once again, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger regret any and all inconvenience this matter has caused.

Danger, Danger!

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:20:48 -0400

Welcome to the Great Sidekick Outage.

This was to be the Great Sidekick Outage of 2009, except this is from what I can tell, the single, largest failure of T-Mobile/Danger in history and thus no need to specify a year.

For those who don't know, I'm a T-Mobile Sidekick user and have been since March of 2006. It's been good and bad, but mostly good, and I liked the fact that all my contacts, settings, messages, et al were saved on Danger's backend servers. This means that any time I got a new Sidekick, or lost/broke one, I wouldn't have to be one of those people with a throwaway "New Phone, Need Numbers" Facebook group we all know and love so well.

Well, last week (10/2), data service went out. It remained out for the weekend and returned sometime the beginning of this week. A lot of people reported losing their contacts and data by doing a hard reset or turning their phone off, which I was sure not to do. Then, yesterday, in the middle of web surfing, my phone reset itself and took my contacts, settings and data with it. The second-to-worst thing that could happen, happened: My local device was reset, and the backend servers are down.

Now if you've been following along, this means that I have no contacts, no emails, etc, until the Danger servers resync back to my phone. There is no way to force this to happen. All you can do is wait.

Worse is Danger (acquired by Microsoft of all companies, in 2008) and T-Mobile's communication or lack thereof, to the customers. Save 3 or 4 forum posts in the past seven days, we have no idea what's going on. All we know is that they're "working" on it. Suffice to say this is not nearly good enough. I've only been without my data less than 24 hours, but there are some who haven't had their information since last week. While T-Mobile has auto-issued a credit for a free month's worth of data to its Sidekick subscribers, we're way into the "unacceptable" realm.

I'm doing my best to remain calm about the situation and wait it out, but it's really quite irritating when the company won't even give us anything more than "just wait". I can't say I can reasonably justify the cost of a new phone and higher data plan due to this, but if my contacts and settings don't come back and I do have to rebuild from scratch... I'll consider it. That was one of the primary reasons I stayed with my Sidekick; 3 years of data were there, and I wasn't going to have to re-enter it by hand.

The clock is ticking MSDanger.

Relevant links:
T-Mobile Sidekick Forum
T-Mobile Forums: The Epic Data Disruption Thread
Powered By Danger: T-Mobile USA General Forum
Powered By Danger: Sidekick Service Issue Sticky
Sidekick Desktop Interface (Log In to My T-Mobile before clicking) (Currently down)
Official T-Mobile Twitter

News flash; Patrick Swayze

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:16:44 -0400

Patrick Swayze has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Sources: 1. FOX St. Louis, 2. ABC News

A Licensing Nightmare

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:26:13 -0400

I'm sure at least some of my nerdy friends have heard of Drupal, but I'm sure you didn't know the ridiculous lengths and conditions of their Trademark and Logo Policy. It's nuts. I probably need to acquire a license just for this blog post.

Dreadful Creeper

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:17:56 -0400

Sometimes things on the Internet get taken way too seriously, which leads to people saying things that make only a little bit of sense.

Disclaimer: For the purposes of this blog post, I'm going to blow something completely out of proportion simply because I can. Do I really care what this person thinks of me? No. Do I think they're completely ridiculous for saying it? Yes.

Tonight, I got called a "DREADFUL CREEPER" in a comment thread on Facebook by someone whom I've never met or spoken to before. The summation boils down to this image:

Those interested in reading the full thread can view it by clicking here.

Later!

Return from California

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:12:20 -0400

I arrived home last night after a short (is 4.5 days short?) and not nearly long enough vacation in California. I had a blast out there with my good friend Seb. Met some other cool people and finally met a long-time Internet friend in real life.

I have pictures up on my Facebook profile and will be compiling some video to upload to YouTube.

Prior to the trip I purchased a new Canon HD video camera; their Vixia HF20 model. It's pretty nice and I'm happy with it so far.

Also, my Internet is crawling at a snail's speed and as my ISP can find no fault on their outside wiring, I am lead to believe my 5~ year old Motorola Surfboard has bit the dust. I ordered their new(ish?) SB6120 DOCSIS 3.0 compliant model and it should hopefully be here Wednesday.

internetless

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:02:05 -0400

Thanks to my ISP (Broadstripe) being a complete failure, I haven't had internet access at home since sometime on Wednesday.

What's worse is I have a cripped phone browser, so I can kind of do things, but not much.

Broadstripe will be out to "fix" the problem tomorrow, a full 4 days after we reported it. Believe me, I'm thrilled.

Also, I saw District 9 today. While the premise was far-fetched, it was good for what it was.

Going to California

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:13:42 -0400

In just over two weeks, I will finally be making my way to the west coast. While I'm not going to be visiting everything over there I want to see on this trip, I'll hopefully get to experience a little bit of it.

In typical nerdy fashion, I set up a countdown so I can watch in real time just how much time is left until I leave.

So without further ado, I give you: The Time Until I Leave For California Countdown.

News flash; John

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:35:32 -0400

I received word yesterday that an old friend of mine and mutual friend and acquaintance of countless others, John Orem (known to many as "Slinky", the bassist of former MD band Hybred), passed away on Sunday. I waited to post anything until I had further info, and now that his Obituary and viewing info has been made public, I'll be posting it here:

Obituary and viewing information can be found here:
http://www.mccullyfuneral.com/sitemaker/sites/McCull2/obit.cgi?user=121973Orem

A second obituary is here:
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/obituaries/2009/07/2646/John-C-Orem.html

The viewing will be this Saturday, August 1st.

A Break In Chaos will be dedicating our set to him when we play Scream The Prayer the following day.

Interesting Google Query

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:01:55 -0400

Click here and enjoy.

Read this, thanks.

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:16:07 -0400

I have Scream The Prayer tickets. If you or anyone you know wants to go to the show in the flyer below, consider buying a ticket from me. They are $20 presale (and it's more expensive at the door).

If you have previously expressed interest (months ago) in a ticket and want one now, I have them NOW and I will deliver. All you have to do is give me the money when I get there.

To anyone who has expressed an interest in a ticket but didn't actually plan on buying one: FUCK YOU, you're the reason I hate doing this shit.

Long story short is my band has to sell a lot of tickets and we can't afford to pay out of pocket for the ones that don't sell, so help us out.

If you want more info, get in touch with me.

PS: I need cash in hand BEFORE the end of July. So no, I can't hold a ticket for you. We turn our money in before the show, and I've already said I'll deliver. Don't wait til the last minute and complain about paying a door price if you go without a ticket because I won't give a damn.

Microsoft Updates Windows XP EULA

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:45 -0400

Microsoft has updated their End User License Agreement for Windows XP.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/eula/pro.mspx

In case they change it, here's a screenshot:

(Via Chris Rowe at Twitter)

Irony or Coincidence? You decide.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:12:36 -0400

Congratulations to my Mom (Joan Elizabeth) on marrying her boyfriend, Rob today at 4:56pm (456789).

Congratulations to my Dad and Step Mom (Elizabeth Joan) their 9th wedding Anniversary. Also today.

Yeah, I can't make this stuff up.

Countdown to 123456789!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:46:35 -0400

Today in just under an hour, it's going to be 12:34:56 07/08/09, making the collective timestamp 123456789. This will only happen once a century and as such, I felt it necessary to setup a live countdown which you can view here:

http://nion.be/789

If you have Twitter, please click the "TWEET THIS!" link!

News flash (another one, holy crap)

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:52:53 -0400

Billy Mays (Oxiclean informercials, "Pitchmen" TV show, et al) died today.

I can't believe how many people have died lately, this is nuts.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529328,00.html

News flash: This is serious, read it. I'm not joking.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:52:54 -0400

News flash entries have been, since 2006, my way of "announcing" celebrity deaths. Well, this week, a trifecta of big name celebrities have died, and I posted about them. However, I received word tonight that someone else died yesterday that was not necessarily a celebrity to everyone; but for those who knew him, he was.

Yesterday, Dr. Raymond Peter Srsic died. If you don't know who I am talking about, he was my doctor for over 20 years, my best friend's doctor just as long, my vocalist's kids' doctor... he was jokingly "half of Maryland's" doctor, and amazing. He will be missed by the hundreds, if not thousands of people he served (children brought their children who brought their children to see him). He was 81 years old and still practicing up until the time of his death.

Obituary, viewing and funeral information can be found at this link:
http://fhnfuneralhome.com/visitations/View.php?id=27521

Rest in peace, Dr. Srsic. We love you.

News flash; official

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:30:23 -0400

Michael Jackson is dead.

Okay, now that I've blogged it, we can all stop talking about it.

News flash, maybe

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:13:10 -0400

Michael Jackson might have died.

CNN doesn't know yet, but TMZ says he's dead. I believe CNN over TMZ.

Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/25/michael.jackson/index.html
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/

Edit: He has officially died. Link.

News Flash

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:38:40 -0400

Here's a double whammy.

Ed McMahon died Tuesday (age: 86), and Farrah Fawcett (age: 62) died today.

Metal Sludge

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:47:15 -0400

The following was written by Trent Reznor (from NIN fame, in case you have been living in a box and/or underground since the 80's) and posted on the NIN.com forums. I got a good laugh out of this, and am reposting it.

Looks like the Metal Sludge contingency has discover [sic] Twitter! Finally! For those of you that don't know what this is, please let me explain. Metal Sludge is the home of the absolutely worst people I've ever come across. It's populated mainly by unattractive plump females who publicly fantasize about having sex with guys in bands. Kind of like a role-playing game where people NOBODY will fuck make up stories about their incredible sexual encounters with people they WISH they could fuck. It would be kind of funny in a sad and pathetic way except the fun doesn't stop there - hate and good old-fashioned outright blatant racism are also encouraged to spice things up and remind you how truly ugly these scourges are. TRULY ugly on the inside (the outside is obvious).
Cutter's tip for my friends there: remember to cut along the length of vein, not across. Bigger payoff.

Source: http://forum.nin.com/bb/read.php?9,731489

wtf hotlinks

Thu, 07 May 2009 13:39:45 -0400

I've never heard of this website before, but apparently, it somehow correlated from my blog that I am a Broadstripe customer and subsequently yanked my header image.

http://www.weblo.com/property/real_estate/Broadstripe_Media/2177032/

(click for larger)

Hindu Women

Sat, 02 May 2009 15:18:01 -0400

For centuries, Hindu women have worn a dot on their foreheads. Most of us have naively thought this was connected with tradition or religion, but the Indian Embassy in Washington has recently revealed the true story.

When a Hindu woman gets married, she brings a dowry into the union. On her wedding night, the husband scratches off the dot to see whether he has won a convenience store, a gas station, a donut shop, a taxi cab, or a motel in the US. If nothing is there, he must remain in India to answer telephones and provide us with technical advice.

Breaking News

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:31:18 -0400

Don't go to Mexico or you'll get the Swine Flu.

That is all.

10 reasons why you shouldn't support gay marriage

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:41:22 -0400

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

* Disclaimer: This is a joke. If you take me seriously for posting this, you are an idiot.

Internet Fail

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:32:12 -0400

Well, I moved back to my Gramda's yesterday and conveniently enough, the Internet went out. Well, it didn't totally go out, but my cable modem is throwing lots of errors in the log and speed is at a crawl. Googling these errors indiciates either a problem on the line or a failed modem.

I am waiting for Broadstripe to come inspect the line outside that runs directly from the pole to my modem (no splitters), though I am betting the problem lies with the 5 year old modem itself, for which I will inevitably end up buying a replacement.

An advantage of owning your own modem is that you don't have to pay an additional monthly modem rental fee. A disadvantage is that you can't get a new one from the cable company for free if it just randomly breaks, or to troubleshoot problems.

I'm posting this from my phone, as the v4 layout is somehow automagically allowing me to login, whereas v2/3 did not. Hooray.

My thoughts on the legalization of marijuana in the US

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:43:25 -0400

I've noticed a lot of talk lately about the proposed legalization/decriminalization of marijuana. I figured it would be acceptable to voice my opinion.

I am for the legalization/decriminalization of marijuana for controlled, age-restricted medicinal use and/or other approved purposes. Examples include pain relief for cancer patients, helping to control ADD in children when other drugs (Ritalin, Stratera, etc) or treatments have proven ineffective or as an appetite stimulant for those with weight gain problems—among others.

I am against the legalization/decriminalization of marijuana for casual, recreational use. This means 4/20, rollin' a blunt and gettin' high with yer budz and all of that other nonsense.

In the event that somehow, it is legalized for recreational use, I feel I could only be okay with that if some conditions were put in place. Examples include possession only being legal to those 21 years of age or older (unless the person has been prescribed by a doctor—see above), the illegality of being inebriated in a public place or while driving (in any state), et cetera.

To put it simply, my reasoning for wanting an age requirement is that we still need to enforce a "drug-free America" to children, and allowing children (namely teenagers) free access to drugs when they should be focusing on their education and future career is just absurd and unnecessary.

Then again, it's illegal to buy or smoke cigarettes if you're under 18 and buy or consume alcohol if you're under 21, but I encountered peers who did all of those things long before we were of age; some of whose parents didn't seem to care much at all; though that's a different topic entirely.

And there you have it.

PS: A Break In Chaos at Arundel Mills Hot Topic this Friday for an acoustic set, and Penguin's Pub / The Igloo in Arbutus on Saturday.

johnsettino.com v4

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:03:18 -0500

Okay, you're probably reading this post through some feed aggregator (probably my Facebook) and if that's the case, you should check out my actual blog. Why? Because I just spent a couple hours whipping together a new, snazzy template, and it's freakin' sick. Well, I think so at least. Anyway, you should check it out... I'll even give you a link:

http://www.johnsettino.com/

Click it and tell me what you think. :)

Woops

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:58:26 -0500

Well, johnsettino.com expired on 1/17/09 and enom.com never reminded me... Thankfully I needed to purchase a domain today for a client and renewed it; boy do I need to turn on auto-renew.

I recently (e.g. today) joined the ranks of Xbox 360ers everywhere and as such, my Xbox Live Gamertag is HXC Nion. Friend me!

Customer Disservice

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:23:06 -0500

I visit the Starbucks on Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie, right by the Citiback (previously Denny's) in Governor's Plaza, every Monday - Friday on my way to work. They know me there and are always courteous, aside from the one girl who has been there for months but still has no idea what the heck she's doing---irrelevant for this rant.

Anyway, I was out running some errands this evening, near that location, and decided I'd stop in on my way home. I was in Target however, and noticed they had an in-store Starbucks, so I opted to get my drink there because of the convenience. I ordered my drink and found out that the 10% off Gold Card would not work because their "system" wasn't set up to use it, because they weren't a standalone location. I was unhappy about this, because obviously, I paid for the darn thing and would like my 10% off for doing so, whenever I visit a Starbucks. That was the point of getting it, right?

I know you're saying to yourself, "Why get upset about a $0.30~ cent discount, but it was the principle of the thing. I asked to speak to a manager, who very rudely declined my polite request to just take the 10% off as a courtesy, due to not accepting the cards. I figured it was a reasonible request--I was due 10% off $3.87, not 10% off $20 worth of coffee, or something else more expensive. It was thirty-something cents.

I inquired as to why she wouldn't do it, and was first told that she couldn't give discounts. When I mentioned that I had received courtesy discounts at other stores and said, "So you're telling me that for no reason at all you are unable to give any discount on a purchase, not even as a courtesy?". She then very rudely replied "That, yes, we can, for other reasons, not this one."

It was at this point, I informed her attitude was inappropriate, her customer service was horrible and I was appalled she was being so rude about a $0.30 courtesy. I asked for my gift card back, told her she could keep her latte (the one I'd ordered) and left. I went to my regular Starbucks and the employees told me, after I explained the experience, that she was a horrible manager and a bitch.

We shared a laugh, I got my latte (without being charged for the syrup, as well as having the total discounted by 10%) and went home.

Moral of the story? If you work retail or customer service, don't get an attitude about less than a half a dollar, piss off your customer and lose business. You might even get reported to a superior, even if you're a manager.

A Break In Chaos, January 18th and 25th @ Penguin's.

Have Twitter? Follow me!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:49:13 -0500

If you are a Twitter user, you should follow me!

My current Twitter status is now displayed at the top of my blog; you can click here or on my status above to visit my Twitter page.

Additionally, I updated the navigation style and added a couple links. I might do a few more tweaks, but not right this second.

Furthermore,
A Break In Chaos, 1/18 @ The Igloo in Arbutus, MD.
We have tickets and they are $5. We'll deliver.

Holy crap!

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:10:46 -0500

It's December already and man do I hate winter; specifically cold weather. I mean, damn, it was snowing today!

Not much has been going on lately. I've been working weekdays at SAGE and it's awesome. I love my new job. It's a complete 180 from Office Depot. It's funny though; I thought I'd "escape" OD after leaving, but SAGE orders all their office products from them. How ridiculous is that?

Full disclosure of the situation is coming soon, I promise. I just need to clear some things up with my counsel of sorts first. I'll make an announcement when it's all up.

I've been practicing a lot with my band; we're playing shows occasionally and writing some new material. I want us to gear up for recording an EP in a semi-professional studio. No offense to the several friends I have (or others) who run "homebrew" or "basement" operations--I'm just looking for something a little better.

Other than that, not much else is really going on. I'll try to post a little bit more to keep this blog active (only another month before I've been using it for 3 years!), but no guarantees.

Thoughts on the Election, etc.

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:04:14 -0500

I've been fairly softspoken about the 2008 Presidential Election; this is contrary to the 2004 Presidential Election where I clearly supported John Kerry and despise[d] George Bush. What follows is are some thoughts about yesterday's Election.

(For the record, I still have great dislike for our outgoing President, but I digress--this is not about him.)

Friends and family know that I am opposed to both Barack Obama and John McCain, as well as Joe Biden and Sarah Palin (their respective VP Candidates). I freely and proudly admit that I cast my vote for "John Settino" as President in the 2008 Election. My Grandma said to me a vote for anyone but McCain is giving your vote to Obama; I agree--Maryland hasn't voted Republican since Nixon. I, however, feeling that none of the candidates were qualified to head our Nation, typed in the name "John Settino" (myself) on my ballot. As I am not 35, the vote will go to my Uncle who, with no political experience and no military service record, could in my opinion, run our Nation better.

I was told today by an Obama supporter that I had no "choice" but to vote for either Obama or McCain, and subsequently wasn't allowed to "bitch" about Obama winning. I presented the fact that if no other choice existed, there wouldn't have been non-bipartisan candidates nor a write-in option on the ballot.

Regardless of this or any other person's opinions, I felt it was my duty as an American citizen to exercise the freedom granted to me by my nation's Constitution: cast my vote for President of the United States of America. Thus, I did so. I'm not going to talk down to you or insult you for how you voted and I would expect the same from you about my choice.

Continuing on, I must say that it seems to me that this year, I was not the only one softspoken about their views--in some aspects. For the 2004 Election, I saw vehicles of every shape and size displaying signs or stickers for the candidates they supported. The same goes for homes, buildings, businesses, etc--they all showed support for their candidates. In my travels to and from here and there, I personally haven't really seen anything close to 2004's level leading up to this past Election. With such an apparently high voter turnout (estimated 119,101,930 bipartisan votes as of 1:00PM EST 11/5/08) this year, I'm surprised I hadn't seen more displays of support.

In topic closing, I leave you with the following statement, to be taken as you wish: Welcome to the Obamanation.

New topic:

My band (A Break In Chaos) is now a 5-piece strong rock machine, and we have a show in 2 days (Friday, November 7th). Visit the band's page for details.

Syndicated on LiveJournal

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:31:49 -0400

My journal is now syndicated on LiveJournal, thanks to my friend Kevin (ktm)

The url is here:
http://johnsettino.livejournal.com

Also, if you have Twitter, follow me: http://www.twitter.com/JohnSettino

That is all.

Another Update!

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:55:11 -0400

Tropical Storm Hanna passed and everything went okay. It is currently raining as I type this, though radar says this storm should past within an hour.

I started a new job Monday as a Web Developer at SAGE Dining in Towson, MD. I love my new job and I think I've finally found my niche in the Technology world. Where else can I engage in constant nerdery and be paid for it? Shout out to Katherine Sexton for being the only other person I know to use the word "nerdery".

Also, this is the first entry that will automatically update my Twitter.

Hanna Update

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:20:34 -0400

Well, the rain is here, but not too bad so far. My area is still under a Tropical Storm Warning and a Flash Flood Watch, though. Below are images of the predicted path and current radar as of 1:30pm today. Click either to enlarge.

On a good note, our sump pump is currently bone dry--so no worries there.

Weather

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:09:57 -0400

Those of us in Maryland may remember the hurricane season of 2003, which gave us the wonders of Hurricane Isabel:

(click to enlarge)

While we didn't get devastation or catastrophic results like the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (My heart still goes out to all the families and people affected by that storm!), we are still gearing up for our next storm: Tropical Storm Hanna

(click to enlarge)

I really hope I don't have to remove the carefully placed metal stakes in the ground and transport my backyard windmill into the garage again! I'd also like to miss out on being without power for several days (followed by subsequent, intermittent Internet outages that my provider was unable to explain, determine a tentative fix date and unwilling to credit the bill for the outage). Ironically, I had a 2 minute power outage today; my UPS saved my computer from total loss of power, yay.

Abrupt end of entry... now.

15 Minutes of Fame

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:44:02 -0400

You never know when you're going to get it. It took my Uncle Ron 63 years, but he made the news in his town by catching an Alligator when he was out fishing.

No lie; here's the link: Gallery @ Newsday.com

Congrats!

Broadstripe

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:32:50 -0400

When Millennium Digital Media became Broadstripe, they somehow magically increased my approximate 6mbps Internet connection to 16mbps: yay. I felt the need to take the below screenshot of my download speed from nVidia:

Facebook Applications

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:35:12 -0400

I understand the reasons why they exist and yes, I even use some. Unfortunately, there are a ton of applications that to me are either useless, stupid, or immature. Some of them reek of spyware, too. I try to be careful about who/what I let "know who I am and access my information".

The options presented when adding an application.

You will notice below the applications I have added to my Facebook profile:

And below you will find the absolutely inane amount of applications added by a person who shall remain nameless:

(click to zoom)

Am I the only one who thinks this is absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary?

Housekeeping

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:22:19 -0400

In an effort to clean up my blog, all older, non-relevant or useless entries were archived. I apologize if this screws up the RSS feed in any way.

The only YouTube video I will ever post.

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:49:29 -0400

This borders on the line of one of the most amazing feats of computing I have ever seen in my approximate 15 years of computer use.

News flash

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:04:37 -0400

Bernie Mac died.

CNN link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/09/obit.bernie.mac.ap/index.html

Rest in peace, Mr. Mac.

If you work for Office Depot, you aren't reading this.

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:06:40 -0400

I've noticed a large amount of requests and hits to my site from officedepot.com domains and IP addresses lately.

In response: Anyone who attempts to access my website via an Office Depot hostname or public IP will be greeted with the following page:

The Judgement Cometh

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:52:04 -0400

I chose honesty and integrity over lying and covering my own ass; although you accused me of having neither. When all is said and done, I will be the victor regardless of the outcome, because I, unlike you, conduct myself as a mature, intelligent human being. I'm a fairly smart individual and, this may come as a surprise---I can see right through you. Your Mickey Mouse operation will soon be exposed.

I hear that you've been bragging about what you've done; that I wasn't cautious or careful enough and you caught me? Congratulations. Lesser men will brag to hide their childish, shrew-like nature. Your repeated attempts at intimidation have done nothing but fuel the fire that will set you ablaze and char your good name to ash.

You dared me to lie, but I did not, and will never give you the gift of a subterfuge.

It's okay, you didn't believe me to begin with. Because you caught me, right?

Real Men Of Parking Genius IV

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:22:19 -0400

Here is the 4th installment of my "Real Men Of Parking Genius" series! All of these were taken by me.

#11 - Columbia, MD (Snowden Square United Artist Theatres)

#12 - Glen Burnie, MD (Friendly's; Parked in the "no parking" yellow lined section)

#13 - Eastern Shore, MD (Produce Stand on RT50; parked randomly crooked, nowhere near a marked spot)

News flash

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:18:31 -0400

Normally the subject "News flash" means that the post will contain the text "_____ died."

This is a News flash post, however, it was George Carlin. Which just sucks. I can't even make jokes about that. He was one of the most amazing comedians I've ever seen or heard.

CNN story here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/23/carlin.obit/index.html

Rest in Peace, Mr. Carlin

Shared thoughts on co-workers

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:08:18 -0400

Seb: "your IQ challenges those of ordinary garden tools."

Real Men Of Parking Genius III

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:43:28 -0400

Part three in my "Real Men Of Parking Genius" series brings us images from here in MD, Richmond, VA and one picture in Savannah, GA courtesy of Ms. Irene Hepler.

Part four to follow once I've acquired some more pictures. Feel free to send me some (only ones you've taken yourself--nothing found on the Internet).

The lyrics to this song still have meaning

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:00:49 -0400

I never will understand the glimmer in your eyes. Moments die down as a revolving sunset. The flicker inside, plain site. Two sides tell another story of sinking. I can't let you see me tearing up, eating from the feeding screen of static. It's you, it's me. Moments that never were, remain the same. It's painfully numb to live from this day forward.

I was told that the heart is nothing that leads into misery. Why feel someone without feeling phases and position? Nothing is real and I ask each time it comes. It lies to me until god screams to pull away. Wouldn't you rather walk through each breath because you charge through walls?

So lost and losing. Losing control. Losing all control. Losing all control of everyone I know. Losing all control of myself. Losing myself. Losing. Lost.

There is no end in sight

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:40:36 -0400

Yet I know how it will end. The inevitable outcome is all too familiar. I wish this wasn't so; I wish I could change it. It is no one's fault. It is not your fault. Your apologies are not necessary (because I know you will feel compelled after reading this).

I am but a simple sea creature in comparison.

I am cryptic to a fault on purpose.

If this world were utopia

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:59:46 -0400

"it would be shit, because a thousand happy people all walking around in blissful happiness, never having known sadness, would be no state of happiness at all."

Courtesy of Justin Lloyd

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:51:12 -0400

"Life is not about convincing people who you are. Life is being who you are."

Every once in a while he writes something in his livejournal that makes me think.

RSS

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:44:15 -0400

My blog now has an RSS feed. I use it on Facebook and a couple of people actually asked for one, so I'm publicly announcing the URL.

http://johnsettino.com/rss/

News Flash

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:50:29 -0400

Charlton Heston died.

I want to be a mermaid when I grow up.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:55:37 -0400

You can't help who you love. Your mind doesn't control your heart. Maybe some subconscious neural shit does, but not your conscious mind. Sometimes though, your heart controls your mind.

What you think, what you feel, what you do; it will encompass everything. It will become every aspect of your life until you live and breathe the person that you love. You will become your love; your love will become you. You will be known by your love. It will cloud your thoughts, it will make your heart palpitate as it never has before. It will be the air you breathe, the food you eat. Every sound, smell, sight and touch will be a stimulus, a constant never ending reminder. Never questioning. Never faltering.

I have been there and it was amazing. People thought I was insane. But being in love like that is the best feeling in the world. It is pure mental ecstasy. Never questioning. Never faltering. It just was, and it was perfect. It's ended and it's gone and it's been years since I've had any semblance of the bliss it was, but I will always remember. I will never forget the feeling.

The future is unwritten, undetermined, uncertain. Spring is coming and that is certain; a new season; out with the old and in with the new, or maybe even in with the old. Summer is soon to follow and I will surely breathe easier; with my lungs, with my mind and with my heart. Will it bring a refrain of some past? A lost love? A stolen kiss? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: I will live. I will be whole with you. For there is hope and love of such proportions that no one will comprehend. Never questioning. Never faltering.

Epic.

News Flash

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:12:44 -0500

Heath Ledger died.

Real Men Of Parking Genius II

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 05:44:37 -0400

Real Men Of Parking Genius

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:22:31 -0400

Milestone

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:36:00 -0500

Three years to the day.

obvious

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:40:00 -0500

Merry Christmas.

Tidbit

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:07:00 -0500

Dongle is a funny word.

PS2

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:53:00 -0500

I bought a PS2. My first adventure was God of War, which I beat in 8 hours, 52 minutes. Sweet game.

My next undertakings are Sly Cooper 2 and 3.

LLOOLLOOL

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Brokeback Depot.

Congratulations

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

To Lindsay Johnson, for being the only proven reader of my blog.

To everyone else, step it up with the comments.

NEW FLASH

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Steve Irwin died.

orly?

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

unfindable: adj The exact opposite of findable, e.g. "Can't find it."

First Official Entry

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0500

This is the first official entry in the johnsettino.com blog, despite the fact I haven't finished coding my personal scripts just yet.

Yesterday, I went for my second tattoo. I spent 4.75 hours at Dragon Moon Tattoo in Glen Burnie, MD of which 3 were spent being tattooed by Mick. The tattoo isn't completely finished as I have another session to do, but the results of the first can be seen below (click for larger versions). The design is of a Phoenix drawn by my good friend Natalie (and tweaked some by Mick).

I got off work at 5, and I will most likely be staying home this evening; I have nothing else to do.

Until next time,
John