I figured Alex would like these in the spirit of the UF- Bama game.

http://gatorsfirst.spreadshirt.com/alabama-game-C97378

Happy Birthday Rory

And thank you Florida GNN Birthday reminder :).

Hope you have a happy birthday man.

Gears 3

For those of you who are cool and play video games you should be aware that Gears 3 is out. I found out that Newegg is running a promotion where you get a $20 gift card with purchase [L]. If you ever buy anything through Newegg this is a hard deal to beat.

Netflix site/business split

If you haven't already heard, Netflix is dividing its company into two different sites, Netflix and Qwikster. Netflix will now be a streaming only service with Qwikster handling the DVD by mail. Current customers of both services will have an account created at Qwikster and will be billed separately at the current rates. Qwikster will also add video games to the library. Extreme downsides include separate sites, separate queues, separate ratings and separate bills. This just screams "Let's disassociate ourselves with the DVD business that's taking a nosedive." With this new information, which side are you choosing? Anyone staying with both services? As it stands right now, I'd be a customer of both services, but I'm going to have to reassess how much I use each service.

Italy Trip

Those of you that have been.... If you could go for a week, would you spend the week in Rome or half a week in Milan and half a week in Florence?

Wknd Predictions

Well since we finally all have a decent game (AU had one last weekend) let's have some fun and make a couple of predictions. There is finally a full Saturday of decent games to watch!

UT @ UF - Gators take this one by a close margin, if it were on the road I would go with UT, but since it is in the swamp. Gators win. 21-17

Auburn @ Clemson - Seems pretty clear to me that Auburn has a productive offense and unproductive defense. While Clemsons D has looked bad and their offense unspectacular. If this were at home I think Auburn takes it to them by a good margin, but since it is a road game Auburn wins by a closer margin. 34-24

OU @ FSU - With what happened last year many people think it will be a repeat performance. However, that was only the second game under a new defense coach and we got smoked by a good team. This year I expect our defense to fair much, much better. Offensively it is hard for me to tell. If we play like we did the first two games I will not be happy then again we played the most basic offensive sets you could possibly play. Personally I think this game will be decided by 7 pts or less. With FSU and the home crowd and NICK D in attendance I am predicting a FSU win 27-24!!!!!!!

Yea I am drinking the kool-aide, but can you blame me. By the way we are setting up our tailgate at 7AM going to be cooking all three meals out there. I have Bloody Marys ready to roll with a couple of mandatory water chug/alcohol breaks scheduled for the afternoon.

GO NOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NICK D

FSU/OU Sleepover!

Okay not really a sleepover (unless you want to), but I am thinking of having a game watch party on Saturday night. Figure it'll be madness to try and go to a bar but I would definitely prefer to watch it with a group. Anyone free & interested? Nobody's seen my place yet... understood that it's a bit of a trek up to Clearwater, BUT we just got a new couch! Let me know your thoughts.

Random Thoughts

I'm feeling super lethargic and gross after a gluttonous weekend and am not particularly motivated to finish my work, so here are a few things I thought I'd share while killing time:

1. Happy Anniversary (yesterday) Eric & Christina! Three years of just livin' the life :)

2. Happy (two month) B-Day Avery! Time is flying...

3. I won an award at work a few months ago and got a free round-trip ticket for Southwest. I booked my flight today to Denver - so excited as I've never been west of the Mississippi (except Iowa). If anyone's been and has tips I'm all ears!

4. I'm very unhappy about Cougartown not being on the fall TV schedule. When the heck is it coming back?

5. Also regarding television, I'm pumped about James Spader joining the cast of The Office. He's the new CEO (aka replacing Kathy Bates), but no word on who the new manager will be. I did read that no one else was hired on this season though...

Happy Hump Day kids - have a great day!

Another one bites the dust

Happy Bday Logan hope you enjoyed your 20's.

Tigers and House

Opening Weekend

Hope everybody enjoys opening weekend to College Football season. While most of the games will not be very close or entertaining at least you can watch for a half or so. Would say good luck to all of our teams, but to be honest they probably do not need it. I will be in Tallahassee for opening weekend basking in tailgate glory. Let's hope our teams get off to a injury free successful bashing building our confidence for tougher games in the coming weeks.

PS Rory and Alex enjoy the beer.

GO NOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nick to the D

HGTV Is FOS

Cristina and I have successfully navigated the oft times precarious activity of buying a short sale. The task was accomplished in no small part with the patience enhancing effects of Tequila. I have watched all the homebuying shows and as far as I can tell our experience is unique in its trials and tribulations. It is a story too lengthy for the blog, but it does come with a happy ending. The end result is that we now own a 2,000 sq. ft. 3/2.5 home in the seminole heights area of Tampa. The shows never mention the last minute changes of heart the seller experiences, or the fact that the bank doesn't actually do any work on your loan until exactly 30 minutes prior to the scheduled closing time. I look forward to having everyone come by and see the new place once the new furniture arrives and we have painted our walls some such shade of greenish blue, and yes punch and pie will be served. The house also came with 4 kittens who have laid claim to the backyard and will only agree to leave if I find them suitable lodging in a home with a magic Turkey Box(refrigerator containing turkey). I can't post pictures from my iPhone so it will have to wait till I get home.

FYI

If you haven’t heard, apparently there was an SSL certificate falsely issue for all of Google’s domains last Month, possibly to an Iranian source:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/239112/google_says_gmail_attack_focused_on_iranian_targets.html

They’ve since revoked the certificate but not before it was successfully used to perform several man-in-the-middle attacks. Given the seriousness of the breach, removing the offending certificate authority (DigiNotar) from your browser’s list of trusted authorities (both at home and at work) is probably reasonable.

Some instructions to help:

* *

*Firefox:*

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/deleting-diginotar-ca-cert

Chrome:

go under options -> under the hood -> manage certificates -> trusted root certificates -> edit DigiNotar and disable all the trust settings.

Internet Explorer:

http://www.gainesvillecomputer.com/blog/fake-ssl-certificate.html

Nick the job man

Well folks I am on the move again and have accepted another job, but this time I will at least be in the same city. Reason I was looking for a job was because the company I was working for is not financially healthy. I knew it was a risk when I accepted a job at a start-up, but it was a great learning opportunity for me. My new position is with Raymond James and I will be doing some accounting for them. I am very excited for this for multiple reasons, but mainly being I will be finally moving out of the insurance industry which is something I have been wanting to do for a while. Obviously they are secure and respected company and it should provide me with a wealth of opportunity going forward. I will be starting my new job in two weeks so prepare to be work neighbors soon Amanda!

PS Football starts in one week let the trash talking begin. We can probably find plenty of trash in Charlie Weiss's garbage can as he consumes as much food in a day as a family of 5 eats in a week.....

Some August Pics

Braden & Ava watching TV:

New Security Door:




Farmer Braden & Mom:

Monsoon double-rainbow:

Divorce Agreement for the US by Law Student

Matt found this - I thought you guys would appreciate it :)


Dear American leftists, social progressive, socialists, Marxists, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep The hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. - but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya, or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickledown economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it so often offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.


Sincerely,

John J. Wall
Law Student and an American


P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda with you.

The Mindset List

Came across a reference to the MindSet list that Beloit College comes out with each year. It lists some facts about the incoming class as information for the faculty.

It makes for some interesting observations:

• Ours (2004)


• Most Recent (2015)

HP Touchpad Firesale

Anyone get (or looking for) an HP Touchpad this past weekend? HP is discontinuing them and the price has been dropped from $499 to $99. I bought one from amazon but I'm still waiting for the shipping notification. If you're interested, click here for a listing of places with them currently in stock.

[L] WWJD

Sure says something about the Japanese when you compare this to Katrina...

Verizon 4G coverage in Sarasota/Bradenton

It was reported that Verizon would be expanding their 4G LTE coverage today to include the Sarasota/Bradenton area. I've tested my connection as far northeast as my house and as far southwest as Blake Hospital and I can confirm that the new network is indeed up and running. Bad news is if you don't already have an unlimited data plan from Verizon you're stuck with their new tiered plans. Thankfully my plan was grandfathered in!