immediacy tag:www.engel-cox.org,2007-07-26://1 2008-04-05T23:40:13Z ephemeral thoughts on the immediate environment Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.01 The BIG News! tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1643 2008-04-05T23:35:05Z 2008-04-05T23:40:13Z J and I are very happy to finally announce that we will be changing jobs and moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia sometime in the next few months. We will be supporting this project as employees of Battelle Malaysia. We've been... this project as employees of Battelle Malaysia. We've been sitting on this announcement for weeks, and that's after sitting on knowing that it was a very strong possibility since the first of the year. It feels good to be able to tell people now that all the negotiation is complete and the paperwork has been signed. If you need details, email me. You may have already received an email from me about it, in fact.]]> Notes on Our Gaming Hobby tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1635 2008-03-05T22:00:32Z 2008-03-06T03:12:37Z Two separate items of note this week related to gaming. First off, I have to mention the passing of E. Gary Gygax. I can still remember when I first discovered Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing gaming with the first edition... Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing gaming with the first edition of the blue box set and the Temple of Elemental Evil dungeon. No RPG game that I've ever played has ever matched the sheer joy of discovery that first adventure supplied. Gygax, it seems, was "one of us," a fellow who loved games and gaming, not to mention science fiction and fantasy, much of which he incorporated into the game, albeit with credit only, rather than royalty payments, which got him in trouble when TSR released the Dieties and Demigods book with entire pantheons lifted from Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock. I don't know what happened to my first edition of that book; J had her Advanced D&D books stolen at a garage sale, which is like adding insult to injury. Second, the Agitator mentions a new Chicago ban on "self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width," ostensibly a new front in the never-ending "war on drugs." That's most unfortunate for Chicago gamers, who will have to use larger ziplocks to bag and separate all those little chits that profligate in nearly every wargame ever released from Avalon Hill or SPI, but we all must make sacrifices.]]> Web 2.0, Glen 0 tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1634 2008-03-04T04:08:41Z 2008-03-04T04:27:33Z The first indication I had that something was wrong with my 43things account was that I couldn't log in. I can't remember now when that first occurred, although it was probably last September or October. I have so many logins... 43 Things users administer the site and suspend accounts that they believe violate the terms of service. More reading on that here: http://www.43things.com/city_hall/doc/guidelines If after reading the community guidelines you believe your account has been suspended in error, please send us your username and an explanation so we can further investigate. Suspension? Moi? Did I do something against the terms of service? Upload content that wasn't mine? Don't think so, but maybe I uploaded a picture I found on the web...if so, I only did it once. Surely that wouldn't have been enough to garner a suspension? Spam the site? Nope, wasn't trying to sell viagra 43 ways. Be creepy? As if. I wrote back, stating that I would have been surprised to find myself in violation of their terms of service, and that I thought it was in error. And the response was:
Thanks for replying. In this case people are likely reacting to the repeated URLs pointing to a blog with ads on it. Lots of spammers do this to promote their site, drive up traffic and generate ad income. Users also see this as an issue if an account doesn't have a lot of other activity (other goals, cheering of other users, commenting earnestly on other entries, etc.). I'm basically describing to you how your account was suspended ... hope it helps demystify things.
Well, that flabbergasted me. Sure, my posts that went along with some of my 43things goals pointed back to my own blog, and my blog does have ads on it. I have a small Google Ads account that basically pays back the hosting fees for engel-cox.org. I think the ads are pretty innocuous, though, and take less than 5% of the page space on any given page load. Was I not supposed to link back to my own blog? That seems kind of anti-Web, doesn't it, especially given that one of my 43things goals was "Write 52 album reviews in 2007." I had been posting the links back to my blog for every review written to show my progress on the goal (which hadn't been going very well in 2007, after a good start, but that's the way with most of my 43things goals). And then I started to get annoyed. Some idiot 43things user had viewed my posts as spam, as opposed to, say, what I get from Trackbacks and Comments that link to sites which scrape their content off Wikipedia or Amazon and repurpose it with a page that is over 50% ads. What crazy draconian moderation is that? I wrote back saying that if that was the issue, then I guess I was better off without 43things. And what the hell was with a suspension that never sent a message saying, "You are in violation, etc."? So that's the story of why I no longer have a 43things account. You can find me at plenty of other Web 2.0 places that don't mind me pointing you back to this spot. (And, yes, I didn't link 43things on purpose. Hell if I'm going to give them a link back after this.)]]> Barboursville Wine Tasting tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1633 2008-03-03T01:20:45Z 2008-03-03T01:36:36Z As I mentioned last post, we stopped by Barboursville Vineyards on our way to Charlottesville. While I am normally annoyed by any charge for a wine tasting, and at $4 the charge at Barboursville is quite high, at least they... As I mentioned last post, we stopped by Barboursville Vineyards on our way to Charlottesville. While I am normally annoyed by any charge for a wine tasting, and at $4 the charge at Barboursville is quite high, at least they give you a glass for that, and future tastings are free if you remember to bring the glass back. Plus, we tasted twelve different wines, and could have tasted an additional four to that. Most everything we tasted we liked (as we skipped the sweeter wines which we knew wouldn't be to our particular tastes), but some were real standouts. Here's my notes from the session: Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - good dry finish, very citrus bouquet, sweet beginning but not cloying. Would drink a glass of this, but not a bottle. Pinot Grigio 2006 - nice, slightly bitter (almond?), clean finish. Another that a single glass would be sufficient. Chardonnay 2006 - nice, worth a bottle, but you really miss the oak which would have given it that additional dimension of flavor Viognier Reserve 2006 - somewhat slight, acidic, but dry at least -- not sweet at all Merlot 2006 - light but flavorful -- not heavy at all -- nice bit of pepper in the back of the tongue Sangiovese Reserve 2006 - like it, but price/value not quite there, a little watery Barbera Reserve 2006 - heavy, earthy, strong flavor throughout (STAR) [we ended up buying a bottle of this] Cabernet Franc Reserve 2005 - "chewy," heavy flavor, nice and strong (STAR) Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - too light, might age well with time Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005 - needs more time, potential is there, though Nebbiolo Reserve 2004 - very wood, strong and flavorful! Full taste (STAR) Octagon 2004 - 7th Edition - Incredible (TWO STARS) [we bought a bottle of this at the restaurant where we celebrated our twelve years of marriage--straight out of the uncorked bottle it wasn't as impressive, but after it breathed a while, it became heavenly] You likely won't see too many of these outside of Virginia, although Barboursville's production run is growing. I was impressed overall by the strong range. Unlike some local wineries, which may have one decent wine, they had several that I would have purchased and nothing that I would have turned away had someone served it to me. Our "Third" Anniversary tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1632 2008-03-01T17:12:00Z 2008-03-02T13:27:08Z This past Friday, J and I celebrated the third "anniversary" of our wedding. We both took the day off from work and had a leisurely morning, sleeping in a bit, then going to visit J's horse, then working our way... our wedding. We both took the day off from work and had a leisurely morning, sleeping in a bit, then going to visit J's horse, then working our way to Charlottesville, VA via Highway 20. Along the way we stopped off at James Madison's Montpelier (picture below), which is now open for viewing although the restoration work isn't set to be complete until September 17, Constitution Day. In many ways, seeing it in the middle of restoration was more interesting, as you could see the details of construction first hand as well as understand exactly what it took to "find" the original house after a century of renovations done to it by the duPonts, the last owners. Montpelier Our next stop was at Barboursville Vineyards, which I'll try to say a bit more about later, as I took fairly good notes on the twelve (!) tastings we had there. For the night, we stayed at High Meadows Inn in Scottsville (picture below), about 20 miles south of Charlottesville, and had dinner at the Downtown Grill in Charlottesville. I'd highly recommend the B&B, and only recommend the Grill if you wanted "all midwestern, corn-fed beef." We managed to put together a dinner to our taste, but it was difficult, although we did get to enjoy a full bottle of the 2004 Barboursville Octagon, of which I stated on my tasting notes a single word: "Incredible." High Meadows Inn Thanks to all who sent congratulations, including our parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends. Most people's wedding anniversaries seem to only be remembered by themselves or their parents/children, but it's fun to have ours be so memorable for more people that they send notes. That's the little village our marriage has created and we love to be a part of it. ]]> The Genteel tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1629 2008-02-24T04:44:25Z 2008-02-24T17:47:30Z Had some freshly brewed tea available last night when I was making drinks, so I thought I'd try it out with some gin and limoncello. The first sip was a bit surprising, but I quickly warmed to the drink, or... I thought about naming it the Sweet Gin Tea, except it really isn't that sweet, so when J suggested something more refined, what better name to christen it with but "The Genteel." The Genteel Recipe: 2 parts gin 1/4 part limoncello 1/2 part freshly brewed tea shake with ice and serve in cocktail glass]]> Ziggy Needs a Home, with lots of love and extra kibble... tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1627 2008-02-11T02:50:33Z 2008-02-11T03:23:20Z (sing that to the tune, if you know it) Our latest foster cat, Ziggy Stardust, is now available for adoption. When she joined us a couple of months ago, she was extremely scared and skittish, running under the couch and... Ziggy Stardust PetConnect has placed an ad for her on Craigslist, which I think is a first for them. She's extremely photogenic, if you can get her to stay still long enough to take a picture.]]> Won't You Be My Neighbor? tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1625 2008-02-02T20:56:34Z 2008-02-02T21:00:31Z The house next door to us at 601 Dartmouth Ave has just been placed on the market, with an Open House tomorrow. Since we share our driveway with this house, we're hoping for someone special to buy it. I can... Open House tomorrow. Since we share our driveway with this house, we're hoping for someone special to buy it. I can truly recommend the location, as it is within walking distance of some nice shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and the Metro, not to mention convenient to the Beltway if you need to get somewhere not accessible by Metro. Plus, just think of your neighbors!]]> Ban Private Ownership of Sports Teams tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1622 2008-01-22T18:36:22Z 2008-01-22T18:44:52Z I'm disappointed that the Green Bay Packers didn't win this past weekend. Not that I care much about sports or football in general, or even the Superbowl, but because the Packers are the exception to the rule when it comes... why private ownership is bad in his review of conflicting claims by the Seattle basketball team, which wants to get out of its arena contract in Seattle so it can move to Oklahoma City, where it wants the city to build it a new arena. If teams were owned by the public in each city, these kinds of shenanigans wouldn't be commonplace--and there'd be a little more reason to root for the home team.]]> Sons and Daughters in DC tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1618 2008-01-11T22:47:42Z 2008-01-11T22:58:14Z Just on the off-chance, since they have a new album coming out soon, I clicked on over to the Sons & Daughters web site to see if they were going touring in support of it. My day was made when... Just on the off-chance, since they have a new album coming out soon, I clicked on over to the Sons & Daughters web site to see if they were going touring in support of it. My day was made when I discovered not only were they touring, but they were coming to DC and playing a venue that hadn't yet pissed me off, the Rock and Roll Hotel. And tickets were inexpensive, only $12 each, and I didn't have to buy them from TicketBastard. I quickly grabbed the wallet and ordered two tickets, pleased as punch. After I completed the transaction, I thought, I should post this--those few people who read my blog might actually be interested in this show, too. And that's when it hit me. I looked at the date again, and swore. March 19. When we'll be out of town on our trip to Chile and Easter Island. Gah. Does anyone want to buy two tickets to see a very cool Scottish band who sound like what you would get if you crossed X with Big Country?]]> A Bass Purchase tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1615 2008-01-06T04:33:24Z 2008-01-06T04:46:52Z For the last couple of months, I've been talking about getting an electric bass guitar. "What do you want with that," J would ask, "Why don't you just play your keyboard?" A good point she has, but I'm anything if... For the last couple of months, I've been talking about getting an electric bass guitar. "What do you want with that," J would ask, "Why don't you just play your keyboard?" A good point she has, but I'm anything if not a dilettante, and it's been nearly 25 years since I last owned a guitar, and I've been wanting to try the bass guitar because you only worry about one note at a time instead of chords. "Well, then, why don't you borrow one to see if you actually play it before you buy one?" Unfortunately, none of my musician friends had an extra, although I did get an offer of an electric guitar from one. "Then buy a used one--don't go buy a new one for so much money." And that's the reason why I began to research eBay as well as the used rack at Bill's Music and, just recently, the classifieds for musical instruments on Craigslist. A couple of days ago a fellow posted a listing for a Ibanez Bass guitar at a very reasonable rate--third off the list price and half of what it cost from the deep discounters. I contacted him on Friday and arranged to meet with him today to look it over and see if it was in good shape. "Don't buy it if it doesn't look good, or has been dropped or something." Turns out the guy was a guitarist who bought it a couple of years ago to teach himself the bass guitar but never really did anything with it. Rather than continuing to gather dust, he wanted to sell it. It's in perfect shape--not the best bass out there, but one that is a perfectly good learner model and in pristine condition. Maybe this is just a phase, like the rest of my recent musical travails, a part of my middle-aged crazy, but I'm kind of excited about learning how to play it. Matt and I "jammed" a bit this afternoon, and it was fun to repeatedly play the riff from "Seven Nation Army"--a riff that I can play on the keyboard, but was much more rewarding somehow on the guitar. Dead Again tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1614 2008-01-03T05:11:59Z 2008-01-04T05:17:33Z For most of this decade, I've been playing role-playing games off and on with a small group of friends. I took a break from it for the last four months or so because I was feeling a little burned out... Deadlands Reloaded setting of Savage Worlds. I spent about two hours creating my character and making sure I understood the rules for the abilities I had selected for him, but I failed to review the setting so was unsure of the situation I was adding my character to, and then forgot that my character really needed to stay away from the center of action. In the final climactic scene, I ended up rushing forward too soon and, several unlucky dice rolls later, was dead on the table. The good thing about losing a character that you had only just created is that I hadn't invested much into him--figuring out how he spoke, what motivated him, and creating a lot of experience and back story. Compared to the D&D game that we spent nearly two years on and which my character was the only original survivor (albeit, much changed), tonight's death was minimal and unaffecting. Still, as things go, dieing in your first game back in action takes some of the fun out of the whole thing. I'm not sure that I'm ready for a weekly game, unless I can somehow energize my interest in the game.]]> Iowa Caucus Prediction tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1613 2008-01-03T03:58:12Z 2008-01-03T04:36:52Z "Oooo, you're brave," says J. No, just foolhardy. "Oh, that's much better." Anyway, it's Caucus Eve and I'm prepared to put my foot in my mouth and predict whom I think is going to do well tomorrow. As with any... Democrats 30% Obama 29% Clinton 24% Edwards 10% Richardson 4% Dodd 3% Biden 2% Kucinich 1% Gravel Republicans 30% Huckabee 25% McCain 20% Romney 10% Paul 7% Guiliani 3% Thompson 1% Hunter The big losers tomorrow are going to be Guiliani and Richardson, and while no one will quit after tomorrow, the results will start writing some names on the wall.]]> Caucus the New Year tag:www.engel-cox.org,2008://1.1612 2008-01-01T17:43:45Z 2008-01-01T18:41:17Z We had a small gathering of folks over for New Year's Eve last night, and as I do on such occasions, I created a bar menu for those who wanted a mixed drink but would like to try something different... Happy New Year! Like the Iowa Caucus, your selection only indicates your taste at the moment, and does not require your allegiance in the general election. (Ballot placement was done by random draw.) Hillary Clinton (sugar cube soaked in bitters, 1 part cognac, 7 parts champagne) Barack Obama (4 parts champagne, 1 part applejack, dash of grenadine) John Edwards (4 parts applejack, 2 parts lime juice, 1 part grenadine) Tom Biden or Chris Dodd (2 parts rye, 1 part red Dubonnet, dash of Gran Gala, dash of Peychaud bitters) John McCain (muddled white grapes, 3 parts gin, 1 part grappa, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part simple syrup, 2 dashes of orange bitters, garnished with grape) Rudy Guiliani (7 parts rye, 1 part sweet vermouth, garnished with black cherry) Mike Huckabee (scoop of lemon sorbet, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part grenadine, soda) Mitt Romney (7 parts ginger ale, 1 part grenadine, garnished with black cherry) What? You wanted a Dennis Kucinich or a Fred Thompson? None of the above? Let me know your choice and it might also be on the ballot! Wine, beer, and soda available for those who are still undecided. Yes, I was repeatedly informed that it's Joe Biden, not Tom. Guess that tells you something about his chances, doesn't it?]]> It's a Simple Life tag:www.engel-cox.org,2007://1.1610 2007-12-27T20:06:11Z 2007-12-27T20:11:20Z At the close of every year we write a letter to friends and family that tries to summarize what we've been up to since the last letter, and this year is no different. What is different is that the letter... we write a letter to friends and family that tries to summarize what we've been up to since the last letter, and this year is no different. What is different is that the letter is very simple, based on a family joke about how some family members have "simple tastes." So, from us to you, A Simple Christmas Letter from Glen and Jill Engel-Cox. Have a great holiday season, and if you're in the DC area this New Year's Eve, drop us a line!]]>