#Unfit2BTied - The Vasectomy Live-Tweets

From December, 2011:

It being my first vasectomy, I didn't know what to expect…aside from wanting to tweet the event, of course.

To read this properly, begin at the bottom and work your way up through the document.

I did not think to capture these until a while afterward, and I think I may have missed a few, but whatteva.

My twitter: https://twitter.com/ebsewi

The Tweets:

ebsewi ebsewi 

@ 

@vlmedina To be clear, the 'blows out the gunk' comment was with regard to positive #writing effects & not the #Unfit2BTied thread.

5 minutes ago 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Too soon for the standing desk apparently. A day of pillows commences. #Unfit2BTied

9 minutes ago 

ebsewi ebsewi 

To those of you who Facebook-poked me today, know that I am not allowed to poke you back for several days, per doc's orders. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

And before I take a tweet break, my final #Unfit2BTied (or is it?): Go forth and DIVIDE BY ZERO ERROR

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

For some reason I'm feeling less of an affinity with bunnies.#Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

A friend advised an underwear-based supporter from the hockey store. Was going to buy it but it didn't come with a goalie mask. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

When I retire I'm thinking a return to the work force as a surrogate is now off the table. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Whoever started "No White After Labor Day" was a frickin' prophet. #Unfit2BTied.

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

1 more for the playlist-end: 'Swing low, Sweet Chariot'/'Lay Down Sally' mash-up. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Those worms from Dune were awesome. I wonder if they minded those hooks. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

That couple with 19 kids can afford to expect less, proportionately, from each kid. #LoweredExpectations #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

"So, what attracted you to this line of work, Doc? Moments like this, or the money?" #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

I wonder why no one offers me giblets at Thanksgiving. Always dug 'em as a kid. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Should have worn a big red nose & brought a buzzer. #Unfit2BTied #Operation

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

"Expect a brief prick." Sounds like my mother-in-law's advice to my wife. #Honeymoon #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Humming "It's Cold Outside" & thinking I should have made a playlist. #Unfit2BTied #Pandora

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Should have worn shades. Feeling naughty when I make eye contact #Unfit2BTied #CatholicUpbringing

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Is it inappropriate to ask my doctor what scent he is wearing? #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

Entering the building. I had expected thunder & lightning. Seems too cheery. #Unfit2BTied

23 Dec 

Live-Tweeting, during the procedure, begins above this line.

ebsewi ebsewi 

Off to bed, People. Look for #Unfit2BTied around 10:30AM CT/ 4:30PM Greenwich time 2011-12-23 for my live reporting from my vasectomy.

23 Dec 

ebsewi ebsewi 

#Unfit2BTied will be thoughts that occur to me during my vasectomy but they may not be directly related. 2011-12-23 apx 10:45 AM CT forward

22 Dec 

"Portal", "Portal 2", and Steam

Below is information I sent to a friend of mine recently.  I've had a few messages from people asking me "What's this Portal game you've been going on about?", and "What's this Steam thingie?"  

Some background for you before diving in the links:

Portal

"Portal" and "Portal 2" are multi-platform games capable of being run on PC, PS3, Linux (I think), Xbox, and Mac.  Players on any platform can play the multi-player portion of "Portal 2" with each other.

The game is non-violent, unless you count the various AI entities trying to kill you.

"Portal" and "Portal 2" are often available on Steam for crazy low prices.  One can even buy multi-packs so as to gift copies to friends.  As I type this, "Portal" is $9.99 and "Portal 2" is $19.99, but I bought both of them, as a package, for under $10 over the holidays.  All you need to do is add them to your wishlist, on Steam, and then you'll get an email when they go on sale.

"Portal" has no multi-player, but "Portal 2" has one that is great fun.  Voice works across platforms, by the way.

 Steam

I play the game via the Steam gaming network (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_(software) ) .  Steam happens to be owned by Valve, which also created "Portal", but this is a coincidence.  That is, I play other games that are simply downloaded and played, via Steam, that were not created by Valve.  Steam is a free online service via which you can buy and download games and connect up with your friends, within Steam, for playing the games.

A Steam account is FREE.  Several games, such as "PlanetSide 2" (hilarious review at http://angryjoeshow.com/2012/12/planetside-2-angry-review/) are amazing...and again, FREE.  To get the hang of Steam, I suggest creating an account, installing their client software, and downloading a free game.  

Note that the client software has a low overhead.  I set mine not to launch at Windows boot and only launch manually, but it can of course be there all the time if you want it to be.

Steam often has enormous specials where games are .99 or a couple of bucks.

Links:

Portal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_(video_game)

Portal 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_2

Official Site at Valve: http://www.valvecorporation.com/

Sign up for a Steam account: http://store.steampowered.com

To My Wife, on her birthday, a love letter

Happy Birthday, Kristie
-------- ----------- ---------

To she who has been my companion throughout the years,
I love you.

Others say "To my dearest ____, you are the most wonderful wife/husband/mate/F-buddy in the whole wide world!", but they are wrong.

Their mates are whores, a-holes, douche bags, pricks, meanies, compared to you.  On Facebook, they profess thanks, to God, for having the presence of their loved one, bestowed upon them, when in actuality, God had been busy elsewhere, when the couple hooked up, and like in Bryan Singer's 'Superman Returns' movie, when Superman had been off on a mission to [the blown up?] Krypton, and returns to Earth, to find some very boring, nondescript, vanilla dude had been bangin' his old lady, proclaims "WTF?!".

They think they've got it great, but they don’t.

Compared to being with you, they might as well be living in a Pearl Jam song.

They've settled. "This person is so great," they think, yet everyone - especially their parents and college friends - knows better, wondering how they could have chosen such a tool.

So, thank you for, via your very existence in the universe, and my life, for making it easy for me to see how everyone else’s relationships really suck. I don't cry for them, because I really don't care, having no horse in their race, but I do enjoy my life all the more, knowing mine is so much better than theirs (even if they are ignorant of that), because of you.

Others close their eyes and think of Ryan Gosling, or Scarlett Johansson, or that guy from Mad Men, or a cheerleader, but I don't have to do that, cuz I've got you, not being saddled with someone I met in a bar, back in the day, to whom I got hitched because I had nothing better to do, and I was getting old, and what the heck.

Love Always,

- me

http://www.1happybirthday.com/play_song.php?name=Kristie

2012-10-04 Obama vs Romney_Debate 01

As posted to my sister's page in response to a thread there, I place this item here, in my notes, so I can refer to it as needed.
- d.r.

I am judging the performance, in my posting, not the content. I thought both candidates were great debaters. Romney avoided directly answering several of the questions, and he did it deftly. Jim Lehrer, whom I've watched since the '70's, immediately lost control of the proceedings. I shed another tear for the loss of Tim Russert, who would have eaten both of those guys for breakfast, lunch, dinner, shat them out, and eaten them again.

I did not see Romney as either maniacal or psychotic, but as cool and professional. He operated extremely well within the confines of the rules*. That is, he got away with what he was allowed to do.

Obama performed well, but he looked tired. His words were well chosen, but his professorial approach hurt him here.

Make no mistake, Obama is my guy, but performance wise, Romney was the cooler cucumber.

That said, Obama was much FUNNIER. For that reason alone I'd vote for him, because comedy is my number one election issue.

As for content, it will take me days to read all the fact-checking stuff. For me, that's like pawing through the stats after a great game, and I love the task. I feel like Asimov sitting on the floor of his apartment and indexing his books manually, for fun.

*This sentence was written due to the assertion that "Romney looked maniacal and nearly psychotic", with which I disagree.

Webkey (ROOT REQUIRED) Remote Control Android App - Mini-Review

    I had been looking for an app to "take control" of my Android phone's SCREEN, and not just its functions.  Prior to trying 'Webkey' I had been using 'AirDroid', the latter of which, although great, did not give me a true screen control.  Webkey does just that.

    Currently (2012-10-02), however, my Samsung Galaxy Nexus' on-screen keyboard is disabled after running the app, requiring a restart of the phone prior to regaining on-screen keyboard functionality.

    My Google play review:

Information for Creating a Google+ Account

    To participate in a Google+ Hangout one needs a Google+ account, freely obtainable by Google.

1. If you already have a Gmail account...
2. Click the pull-down menu, on the upper-right portion of your Gmail screen, then select 'Join Google+', as shown in the screen shot below.

If you do not already have a Gmail account...

1. Navigate to https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=oz&continue=https://plus.google.com/?gpsrc%3Dgplp0&hl=en
2. Choose the "SIGN UP" button in the upper-right corner, as shown below.

Google+ Hangout & Other Phone Video Conferencing - Beware the Restroom Click

Yesterday, after working with a coworker and my boss, helping the latter familiarize herself with Google+ hangouts, I went to the restroom.  Sitting there, checking my phone's status updates, it looked like my boss had sent another hangout request.  I went to click it, with the idea of removing it from the droid notification list, but instead I launched Hangouts.  Since my last camera-related action had been using the forward-facing camera, I found myself looking at my startled self, upward from my lap.

I scrambled to turn off the hangout, before she signed-in, and in so doing, I was waving the camera around.  'Oh no!!!!', shrieked my mind, as the point of view blazed across my chest, my distressed face, and the walls.  Even navigating to my phone's home screen did not shut down the client.  I managed to find the appropriate command, and I exited the hangout, prior to anyone signing in, but it was touch and go (no pun intended) there for an eternal 20 seconds.

Beware, oh ye user of Google+ Hangouts, Skype, and FaceTime.  This could happen to you.