Monthly Archives: January 2004

Major Code Update

[Update:] Yeah, its really screwed up. I’m working on it…

I’ve made some major update to the CSS of the site. Cleaning up the HTML and rearranging the CSS positions primarily. You may also note that I am experimenting with a “theme switcher”. Have to thank Michelle for the inspiration for that. It’s not all set up and working right. So if you try to use it and get unexpected results don’t be surprised. I will be fixing it through the weekend. The only way I could test it was by putting it up live on the site.

I’ve had a website in some form or anther since about 1994. I first signed up on dial up with AMUG. My website located at http://www.amug.org/~a121 (web archive). Oddly enough my redirect page is still there. I learned to code my first page by just getting on the net and looking for help on HTML. Since then I have learned a lot about HTML but many years ago I lost interest. Since that time many new technologies have appeared including CSS in which I have had no idea how to code.

So this is an opportunity to get aquatinted with web design and code again. 

It Hurts

I’m tired and I’m in pain. My butt and my arms hurt. Despite my pain I had a good time because today I made a feeble attempt at snow boarding. I already know how to ski, more of a advanced beginner – no where near a professional, I thought I could use that experience to snowboard. It turns out that the experience of each foot having a board strapped to it is far different then having a bigger board strapped to both feet at the same time.

When I first learned to ski I fell down a lot. Having to pick yourself up a couple of hundred dozen times in less then 8 hours with muscles that don’t get used a couple of hundred dozen times in less then 8 hours is where the pain comes from. I suppose if I exercised more (or fell less) that wouldn’t be a problem.

Speed equals control, more or less. The faster you go the more you can control your skis. But if you do loose control your going really fast into a tree or something. When your first learning to ski it’s scary to go fast because you (or at least me) are afraid of loosing control, so you want to try to take is slow. Then there’s that whole balance thing, however I believe that you only get good at that with practice. So your slow and you have no balance. You fall a lot. It’s the same deal with snow-boarding. But balancing on a snowboard is different from balancing on skis (as I learned the hard way). I had no balance and was afraid to go fast. And I fell a lot.

I went out with a good friend from work who is also learning to snowboard. He’s a bit farther along then me as in he doesn’t fall nearly as much. He has been going out with his 7 year old son who also went with us today. Since we spent our time on the bunny hill we didn’t need to buy a lift ticket because you can hike up the hill in snow board boots with relative ease (relative being the key word). His son did get a lift ticket and as he passed me up while I was lying on my back he said if I need help just holler. Uh that’s ok, I’m nice and comfortable here.

Ski Santa Fe was the location of this trip and it costs $32 to rent the snow board and boots. 

A Look At Incoming Web Traffic

It’s interesting to see what people have been reading on my site. Here is a breakdown:

  1. 48% AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION!
  2. 23% Main Page
  3. 7% Sony iPod Killer
  4. 5% Unknown
  5. 3% Another Theming Utility
  6. 2% MacOS on CF
  7. 2% Sim City 4
  8. 10% Others (each 1%)

In the case of the “Another Theming Utility” just about every link comes from a search engine with someone looking for a serial number for ShapeShifter or Fruit Menu. (Shame on them). In the case of “Sim City 4″ people are either looking for a serial number or graphics card information.

I am most surprised at how many people are coming here looking for info on the AWED scam. If you do a Google search for this lottery scam my site will for usually come up in the first page (depending on what exactly you searched for and when). Very strange and I hope people leave my site knowing that it’s is indeed a scam. 

36 DUI Arrests New Years Eve In Albuquerque

36 People were arrested at a DWI checkpoint on New Years Eve. This checkpoint was located near downtown Albuquerque and was well advertised where it was going to be. I am amazed at how many stupid people continue to drink and drive in this town, “New Mexico has hovered between fourth and fifth worst in the nation for alcohol-related deaths from 1998 to 2002.” The govenor has said that enforcement has stepped up, but I would expect more checkpoints if this is the case.

I recall several years ago driving home from work. It was beginning to get dark. In the lane lane opposite to me I observed a man in a Chevy Dually pickup drive his truck off to the side of the road. He was going pretty fast and it bounced as it came to a stop. He got out and walked into the middle of the road, the “no mans land” in the middle in between the orange stripes, and proceeded to take a wiz. I’m pretty sure he was drunk. Scarry stuff. Anytime I see someone driving irratic I have to wonder if they are drunk.

New Mexico’s DWI fatality national ranking through the years.

1990: First worst (19 deaths per 100,000)
1991: First (15.9 per 100,000)
1992: First (16.5 per 100,000)
1993: First (13.7 per 100,000)
1994: Second (12.6 per 100,000)
1995: Second (12.5 per 100,000)
1996: First (12.6 per 100,000)
1997: Third (11 per 100,000)
1998: Fourth (9.5 per 100,000)
1999: Fourth (9.8 per 100,000)
2000: Fifth (9.7 per 100,000)
2001: Fourth (10 per 100,000)
2002: Fifth (10.2 per 100,000)
Source: DWI Resource Center, 2003

STATES WITH LEAST DWI FATALITIES

1. New York
2. Utah
3. New Jersey
4. Massachusetts
5. Hawaii
Source: DWI Resource Center, 2003; statistics are for 2002

STATES WITH MOST DWI FATALITIES

1. Wyoming
2. South Carolina
3. Montana
4. South Dakota
5. New Mexico

Source:DWI Resource Center, 2003; statistics are for 2002