i-rant

WP to Twitter

Jim Charanis | 1 Comment » Posted on June 01, 2010

Now I’m going to try the WP to Twitter plug-in for my wordpress.org blog. I’ve created a post and now will go ahead and publish it – should go to my twitter account with a shortened url.

Just installed Twitter Tools

Jim Charanis | No Comments » Posted on June 01, 2010

My weblog i-Rant is updated. So I’ll start writing again. Changed the theme to a simple one that can be read on a Blackberry or other smart phone. I’m experimenting with Twitter Tools to automatically update my Twitter status as well. Want to do Facebook as well. We will see

Site deconstruction

Jim Charanis | No Comments » Posted on February 06, 2010

I completely messed up the vistered little theme that ran this site when I upgraded. Management console is cooler but I can’t find a Theme I like and I’m too lazy to edit one and make it new. These days motivation is sparse.

Rewarding Obama (Nobel Peace) for saying the “correct” things.

Jim Charanis | No Comments » Posted on October 12, 2009

I had a FB post about Obama getting the prize for simply talking about issues rather then executing. Its just a little too political for me. He hasn’t done much yet – and by comparison, the scientists and other recipients all do so much to prove their work. Did Bush get an award for all the work his administration did to combat Aids in Africa? No, very little coverage. Interestingly enough, U2 did mention it in their recent speeches during concerts as they went on and on for 45 minutes mostly around social programs. I love that band thought I don’t always agree with their politics. Everybody is entitled to their opinion – I just prefer rational thinkers.

Anyway, giving this to Obama did piss me off; I don’t know who he was up against though. My post on FB read: "and the king of the world is anointed yet again, oh come let us adore him" It was meant as a joke. But what really amazed me was friends immediately commenting online and in person saying "you are blaming Obama for this?" or "Should he give it back?" – so damn defensive of the guy. He is a demagogue. And that is dangerous. And I’m really wondering if people are going to think I’m racist for thinking this way – some people go to the extreme of saying that any word against him or his plans is racist. That’s not fair. In fact, I’m really concerned for him, making him such a demagogue puts his life in danger – lets keep him human for God’s (the real God) sake.

My response of course was somewhat verbose; but for one I thought it was wrong that he would disrespect the Dali Lama in one week and get the prize in the next; this proved how political this is. And further, my point back to them was that I wasn’t blaming him, I’m blaming the Nobel committee and the "world" for thinking he walks on water - he is just a man but the socialist and anti-American world is using him to "reward" us for socialist moves or those that reduce our power.

Honestly, he is doing a lot of subtle things that really scare me. Refusing to meet with Israeli leaders when he meets with Palestinian and Saudi leaders. This move with China vs. Tibet. It’s not outwardly against our traditional friends, just ignoring them and reaching out to "everyone" seems to really be specific former enemies. I do think he is using his demagoguery to create inertia to get him more power – I do think he has privately even considered the chess moves to make him president of the world – or at least the UN (okay, now don’t call me a conspiracy guy – just thinking its gone to his head).

And what I worry about, that he might sell us out to get there "for the greater good" I can see the blind socialist bleeding hearts in this country saying – "that’s okay, we will give up some of our freedom for world peace" and then we have a big void with only Allah to fill it with another dark age. And the moderates sit by and watch – like the eastern Europeans did as Hitler walked through and slowly changed to more and more evil policies - watching the moderates to see if they would act. No – I am not calling him Hitler – I’m not at all, but this kind of blind faith is what eats away at democracy; I question everything, I fear complacency.

And that is the really scary part – are we a crumbling empire? Are our rivals chipping away at our economic power, our military strength, our will to stay united? The Greek Empire was a loosely held group of city states eventually led by Alexander, a strong leader bringing their democracy to the world (admittedly whether those he conquered liked it or not). And the Afghanistan people loved him (as he loved them), as did much of the world. It was the empires that followed, the Syrians, Romans and others that turned into true theocracies and dictatorships. The Christian and the Muslim religious movement grew from crumbling empires as methods for bringing central power to them again, and suppressing those who disagreed with them. These Bishops and Mullas were the power behind the kings and emperors. They still are today. I’m not saying religion is bad – its when you warp it to dictate power that pisses me off. Obama is at the point where he could become his own religion. The people who "love him" follow him blindly, look beyond his flaws and rationalize or compromise for "the greater good." Compromise is not good for long term – you need a shared vision and to have a shared vision you have to have rational thinking about all issues. We don’t have that today.

That’s my rant for today. For all our forefathers have done and strong young men and women have fought for, we don’t want to end up like Italy, Greece or Iran, shadows of great empires – some good, some bad but definitely gone. Yes, I admit we are a living empire – one that has brought great things to the world and one that has done some damage. But I see nothing better in the world. And I still see the possibilities it can continue to create.

Replace the Color Wheel on my Samsung DLP TV

Jim Charanis | 1 Comment » Posted on September 05, 2009

Weeeeeee…. that’s the sound of the color wheel on my Samsung DLP 43" TV. Its been good to me, had it for years and have yet to replace the bulb. Amazing. But the sound is just too much. Scott Jangro’s blog has instructions. The PartStore has the part – should be all in for less then $120 and a few hours of labor. Thank you Scott

Don’t Judge a Facebook by Its Cover

Jim Charanis | 2 Comments » Posted on July 19, 2009

A couple of things led to today’s rant. Considering the fact that my daughter will be 14 this fall and watching her friends become more and more concerned with their style, wearing makeup, and the friends they have and how many. Considering this forum and a recent funny on my “Preppy” look in high school – and how quickly this defined me for the current audience, it became clear to me how incredibly powerful this social networking technology shift just is.

There are other areas in my professional life that have changed and continue to change based on both the web development tools available and the platforms that these applications can now reside. Specifically SaaS (Software as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service) are removing barriers to creativity and extending the reach of new ideas exponentially. When you combine that with the emotional impact of social networking sites it really changes the social dynamic of our culture immensely.

On Facebook it really is very comparative to middle and high school. We are all trying to create our image, define our personality, and express ourselves in one picture, description or witty comment. Just like my daughter and her friends seek to create the right image with the clothes they wear, the amount of makeup they put on or the company they choose to keep (or exclude). This happening on social sites is very unnatural – at least in traditional social circles.

Think about how we all shifted our self image from this superficial fragment of what we are to deeper understanding of ourselves and the friends we kept either in college or our first jobs out of high-school (I’m talking about my generation of course – in my case the “Tweenies” that are not Baby Boomers nor Generation X). Today we have all these FB or MySpace friends that are really acquaintances, mostly irrelevant to our daily lives – but becoming increasingly more relevant.

Think of a Book and its Cover. We were all taught to not judge a book by its cover – usually in Middle School and then High School when these self centered and socially judgmental habits formed. No one was more conscious of this then me, I went to three high-schools and friends (many of you now connected to me on Facebook) all saw a different “cover” in each of them. Seeking to be cool in 9th grade I was a bit of a “freak” as I rebelled against the shitty social situations I dealt with in Middle-school and my parent’s divorce. But moving to Rochester in 10th grade I realized that I had a chance to get a new “cover” deciding that being “Preppie” and a “Jock” would help me to shake some bad habits. It was so irrelevant really – I was still who I was inside (and I continued to pickle my brain in different clothing – often still enjoying my zip up sweatshirt, painters pants and shit-kickers over alligator shirts and chinos). What became apparent to me only at my going away party was what really mattered were the few amazing people I had met and the friendships I managed to develop in only 18 months.

By the time I hit my last high school in 12th grade I was still thinking about my cover but already thinking more of the book inside. I was still a “Prep” and I hung out with a handful of “Jocks” but looking back the combination of this “cover” and my shyness probably seemed like arrogance and definitely prevented me from gaining friendships from some really great people. I did, just like before, make some very close friends – friends that had nothing to do with what we looked like and everything to do with how we treated each other. What I didn’t know was what to do with what I had; and I often made stupid choices based on the image I had created and wanted to maintain, or the pressure to be socially accepted. This correlation to a book and its cover are so relevant here on the internet on social websites from Facebook to the simplest “blogs” in that there is so much pressure we often forget to stay true to what really matters inside: Being “real” vs. living in the moment for an image or a self serving response.

I’m just rambling here – vomiting a bunch of thoughts rattling around in my head. I don’t have anything really profound to share and am not asking nor expecting myself to change. What I need to do is use this to help my kids get thorough the next few years as they make this discovery about the lives they are living and the people they become. My simple rules for them include “Look for Good”; "Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood”; and “Treat Other People the Way You Want to be Treated" (or “That Which is Hurtful to You Don’t Do to Others”). Can I practice this in my daily life, not get distracted by having the right look or to worry about what others think about me – as I ask them to do the same? Is it a mistake to be this personal here or should I be worrying about what you all think? Can you do the same?

Change is good, it is growth, it is the opposite of death

Jim Charanis | No Comments » Posted on June 21, 2009

I’m so torn in commenting on the energy for change in Iran. This article got me there finally.

Gauging Obama in Iran – NYTimes.com

This isn’t George’s or Obama’s country, it’s ours:

"On one side, a handful of supporters of President Bush said Iranian protesters had taken to the streets because they were emboldened by President Bush’s pro-democracy stance, and the example of Shiite democracy he set up in Iraq. On the other side, some of President Obama’s backers countered that the mere election of Barack Obama in the United States had galvanized reformers in Iran to demand change."

This is what makes America great – while I don’t agree with many of the approaches and policies of our current administration I accept his election and love my constitution and country. For no other country can have such debate, transformation and consideration for freedom. The fringe in our country is simply the fringe – while it rules in other countries as there is no mechanism for changing leadership so. Look at what we have done. This is why the world loves Americans, and what our constitution represents.

Why hate Steve Job’s for getting a liver transplant?

Jim Charanis | 1 Comment » Posted on June 21, 2009

So Jobs has been in Memphis, TN for a while now, it seems. A blog posted this speculation months ago, an update appears there now:

Steve Jobs May be in Memphis

"Apple CEO Steve Jobs lives at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in a swank part of downtown Memphis in a yellow house with white trim and a pool in the backyard. Or maybe he doesn’t."

Many articles like this one in the NYTimes about Jobs’ liver transplant.

Apple Chief Reportedly Had Liver Transplant – NYTimes.com

Most have been without much information and much reference to direct sources. The reader comments on these articles show that the topic inspires incredible, irrational passion for some. They have no idea how long he was waiting or really why it was done. Or really if it was done. They simply assume. Other articles speculate on the timing of the news release in relation to the new iPhone 3G S and "distraction". Maybe but who really knows?

I was particularly disappointed in the extrapolation of this event to be the manifestation of the common social challenges we have in medical treatment and the plight of the poor. Some even seem to “hate” him for his wealth and success. To trash the iPod, the Mac and the things Apple create as "useless gadgets." I don’t get this scorn. Speculation on time to get a liver has led many to this odd spew against capitalism and an entrepreneur that has created more jobs and wealth to so many people. My life is easier, my investments healthier, my ability to give to charity more likely because of the tools he has in part created as part of Apple, his ability to inspire me to invest in his company.

Without companies like Apple or the people who create them we would not be the country we are. And if you don’t like this country or the capitalism that created it, then you really don’t get it. Move to Cuba or China. Oh, wait, they are changing too. I expect that it’s all of our responsibility to create a better way for people to get healthcare in the US. I’ll wait for the article that uncovers his pay-offs to Memphis hospitals and the donor with the cash that saved him to make speculation. The reality of it is unknown so all of this speculation is based on emotion, not facts. I’m sorry that some are self described “poor and insolvable,” but I believe the angry are bitter and missing the idea that he wasn’t raised with a silver spoon or given any of this. I value every life, even the ones that I admit I sometimes envy. I’m sorry for these angry souls’ distress and I hope that they find something in the news that inspires them to build a small business, find work or a social organization to help. But this may not be the place to look for it. The key is to let the billionaires in these pages inspire you and with that inspiration help you find a way out of the poverty of the mind as well as the poverty of the wallet.

Why arent my tomatoes turning red?

Jim Charanis | No Comments » Posted on June 09, 2009

Why arent my tomatoes turning red?

Here is a web-page that makes some pretty strong comments about garden-center grown Tomatoes and the challenges they present. Lucky for me I planted mine early and have a long growing season here in Atlanta. I hope my tomatoes do turn red soon – I have plenty growing now. Will take his advice next year and plan on building a hot-house in the basement under artificial light for Tomatoes and other seedlings.

you must start your plants from seed eight weeks before your last frost date. Even if your local garden center carries the variety you wish to try, it will be weak and spindly, and considerably behind schedule. Finally, the manner in which you bring your seedlings up to the setting-out stage is of critical importance. Ideally, the plants will be about 14 to 16 inches tall with dark green leaves and sturdy stalks almost 5/8 inch diameter so that no protection or staking is required to insure initial survival. The roots of the plants ready to set-out will be in a phase of rapid growth. How is this possible? These seedlings need strong light at least 14 hours per day. The tops should be gently brushed on a daily basis to persuade them to grow hard outer cells on their trunks. Ventilation should be constant 24 hours per day, but you do not want to see actual leaf movement. Seedlings must be potted-on when any portion of their leaves extends over and beyond the sides of their pots. At the time of setting-out, my seedlings are always in 8" pots. They are dark green and very sturdy. When I give a few plants to other people, they are always amazed at the size and shape and health of the plant.I do not pinch suckering growth. Keep in mind that tomatoes ripen in the heat from the sun, but not in direct sunlight, so a lot of pruning prevents the plant from shading its fruit. My plants are spaced on 36" centers for good air circulation and grow straight up inside 24" diameter cages of concrete reinforcing mesh. When they reach the top of the cages, I trim them a little bit so that the plants do not become too top-heavy. I allow the plants to do pretty much as they please as long as they stay inside the cages where the fruits will be shaded. More…