Identity Crisis-part 3

After careful consideration of the problem, I have not come to a decision. Partly because the option which I prefer to use is not available. It would be the easiest, most simple solution by far. That is if Google would allow one to change their primary email used as a sign in for their services. This would solve so many different problems it's just not funny, but Google refuses to allow this. I suppose they prefer that you keep the same email address for the rest of your life!

The only real options I have are to 1) stop using Google services, or 2) create a new Google account. Number one is pretty much out of the question as I have way too much invested in Google services, so that only leaves option two. Now for the downside to this option, I lose all of the current settings, past blog posts, plus the docs I've created either need to be copied over to the new account or lost forever!

Good news, it seems that Google has made some changes to their long standing policy of not being able to change the primary email. I had not tried this in some time so it was pretty much a shock to me. The option to change your primary email has been there for some time, but it never did anything before. I guess they finally got around to fixing it.

So now at least part of my problem is solved. Unfortunately, I still don't have things the way I want them, but it's a start. I may revisit this problem sometime in the near future to see if any other options have changed. For now at least I no longer have an unusable email address as my primary Google log in, and that's a good thing!

Identity Crisis-part 2

So with all of the choices available today, I decided to do away with my premium email services. Yes I said services, plural. I also got another one while I lived in Vevay, which made sense at the time. Turns out it was the same company where I got the first one, but as this one is dougburton@vevayindiana.net, it made no sense to keep it anymore. As far as I know, at least my postman@writeme.com will continue, but I will no longer be able to check it using my email client.

As a lot of you know, my internet nom de plume is mosslack, so that was the name I chose when I decided to get a gmail account. Unfortunately, this decision came about after I had already established another email account for Google services when I started the Hackintosh Questions-Answers group. This was the one I came up with as my ISP at the time offered the option to establish alternate email addresses which were included with the service.

As a result, hackintosh@embarqmail.com came about and was my primary email account used for all of my Google services, which included Google Groups, Google Docs, YouTube and this blog on Blogger. No problem so far, right? But wait, I moved, and now I no longer have Embarq DSL service, but instead I have Comcast! Believe it or not, hackintosh@comcast.net was taken, but hackintosh1@comcast.net was available, so that was the one I chose.

At this point, I think you will begin to see where the identity crisis is becoming apparent. Google, in it's infinite wisdom, does not allow you to change the primary email address used for it's services, so I am stuck using a non working address for that. In addition, when I recently signed up for yet another Google service (Google +), I had to use that same address or log in and out each time I wanted to use a different service. That is not a fun thing to do, I can assure you.

In the meantime, I have been changing my email address on all of the different sites I wish to continue receiving mail from. For security and spam reasons, I had always used postman@writeme.com as my internet mail address, so that is being changed to mosslack@gmail.com. I think you will agree that it should make perfect sense to want my Google sign in to use the same address. So in lies the quandary.

In the final section (part 3), I will examine some of the possible solutions and hopefully work this all out in my head. Wish me luck!

Identity Crisis-part 1

Back when the internet was new and sites were handing out free for life email addresses with custom domains, I decided to take advantage of this to create for myself an email address which could be used no matter which ISP I happened to be using. It was common practice in the early days as internet service providers sometimes didn't stay in business for long, or a cheaper service would come along which provided better/faster service.

As a rural mail carrier,  I wanted something that would reflect that in an email address, and so I chose postman@writeme.com. I gave this address out to my friends and family so that no matter what ISP I happened to be using, people would know that they could always reach me at that address.

This worked well, for awhile, but soon it became a chore to check a web based email account in addition to my regular ISP email as it could be easily checked using a dedicated email client like Eudora. I didn't even have to think about it, Eudora checked the server for mail on a regular basis and happily alerted me if I had new mail.

At some point, the web based services began to offer premium services, some free, but some for a low annual fee. The one I used offered free forwarding, so I just set up my postman account to forward to whatever ISP service I happened to be using, and this worked very well, at least until they apparently figured out they were losing money on the deal and began charging for the service.

As I recall, the service charged $9.95 a year to forward your web email to another address, but for the same price, they would allow you to use their server as a POP based server, so that email clients could be used to download your web mail. I figured this would be easier to keep track of so I signed up. Of course you needed a credit card so they could auto charge it each year and make sure they got paid.

Fast forward to today, the service is now $19.95 a year and I'm retired, so I've had to make some changes in my spending habits. Not that twenty bucks a year makes that much difference, but it's the principle to me now as there are too many free services like this available not to take advantage of them.

Gmail and Hotmail are probably the two biggest names which come to mind, so in part two, we will examine just what happens when you have the ability to choose a name to use for this identity which will follow you on your journey through the interweb...

Cold day at the ballpark

Made our way out to the ball game today. As you can see by the graphic at the right, which is from when I got home, it was COLD! Before the game the temperature was 43 degrees with a wind chill of 37! The Seymour Owls hosted a double-header with the Clarksville Generals, and Seymour won both games, improving their record to 10-1. Billy pitched the entire first game and was of course credited with the win. I would have gotten some pictures, but it was just too cold to do any camera work.

Was planning to work on the Buick this weekend also, but I think I will wait for warmer temps. I like to work with the garage door open and it's just been too cold to enjoy working on it. I still need to buy a couple of thermostat gaskets so I can install one to drive it out to Randy and Autumn's place to work on it and then have one for when the work is complete and the thermostat is reinstalled. Hopefully Hagerty Insurance will get back to me soon on my application for insurance as they now have all of the documents that they need to determine what coverage is needed.

Baseball, babies, and more!

Baseball

Attended a game in Madison yesterday afternoon. Once again, Seymour was victorious over their rivals, to the tune of 10-0. That, combined with their win (3-0) over Bedford North Lawrence on Monday puts them at 7-1 on the season. Thought maybe Billy would pitch, but it wasn't to be as he was not needed. Next game is Friday and it is here, so I will report more baseball news after that.

Babies

After the game we went over to the hospital to check on my granddaughter Carly, who went into labor earlier. At that time, her water had not yet broke so we came back home. Apparently that changed over night as the proud new grandmother (Kathy) posted on Facebook sometime after 5 AM that Carly did in fact have the baby. Trevyn Edward Bailey made his appearance at 4:37 AM, weighing in at 6.14 lbs., and measuring 20.5 inches long! Mother and baby are doing fine as far as I know.

And more...

Got a call last evening from my brother-in-law Jim, who was just getting things back to a somewhat normal  condition after Melody's hospital stay only to discover that he himself was having difficulties. All part of a wild and crazy Friday the 13th inspired weekend, it seems he now has kidney stones! But he is back home now with meds for pain and such, so we wish him a speedy recovery.

Also just wanted to mention that I did receive my monopod the other day and was able to test it out at the game Monday. It works great for stabilizing the picture and it will be ideal for use on our trip in June. I have posted a short video demonstrating the difference between holding the camera in my hand and mounting it on the monopod. You can see the difference here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXS4HZIL0nM

No game today.

I was all set to film yet another exciting Seymour Owls baseball game today, but the weather is not cooperating. Temps were supposed to be in the low 70's today, but so far it has only managed to hit 60! At least Billy stopped by after the game was cancelled to talk with me awhile. I showed him the footage I had shot at the last game and he gave me a rundown of what was said by the players who visited him on the mound. I can't repeat what the coach told him after he walked 2 straight players, but it must of worked as he struck out the next 2 to end the inning!

Not much to do on a rainy cold Saturday. Supposed to be warm tomorrow, but windy. I did manage to get a little work done on my Buick yesterday. I have the transmission line repaired and also removed the thermostat in preparation to drive it out to Randy and Autumn's place, where I can finish flushing out the cooling system and then use K&W Block Sealer to repair the leaky head gasket. Hopefully that will allow me to at least make the car run well enough so it can be driven down to Lexington for some work which needs to be done on the firewall.

Speaking of Lexington, guess who is out roaming the streets of that town once again. That's right, it's none other than my sister Melody. She is out of the hospital and reportedly doing just fine. She is already out running around town with Jim as he diligently works to rid the city of it's junked vehicles. So if you happen to see a big burly guy and my lovely sister riding around in a beat up ol' Chevy pickup truck with a car caddy on the back, be sure to blow the horn and wave "hello" to them!

Had my semi-annual visit with the doctor yesterday. Could not believe it when the nurse told me my weight was 285 pounds! I've been on my low carb diet for over a week now and I know I must of been at least 300 prior to starting that. I can tell a difference in the way my clothes fit so I know it's working. Just wish it would work a little faster! Maybe if I put my Gazelle exercise machine to some good use, I might just make that happen. We'll see...

Batter up!

Yep, another chilly afternoon at the ballpark as Billy takes to the mound once again. It was a bit difficult to film the game as the cold was more than unbearable. But we got through it, and Seymour won yet another game. They are 5-1 now after splitting a double header last weekend in New Albany. Not bad, go Owls!

Melody continues to improve and is supposed to go home tomorrow. This is certainly good news for everyone. Hopefully I will get to see them as soon as she is able to travel as they plan to return to Belterra soon after that. She didn't have a great visit the last time they came up as she was very sick.

Did some work on my Buick the other day. Managed to get one of the transmission lines off that was leaking. My plan is to visit the local Autozone and buy a foot of the proper sized steel tubing and some new fittings to make a new end that hopefully won't leak. Would have done that yesterday or today, but it's been too chilly as the lows have been below freezing both days. Warmer, but wetter, whether is forecast for the weekend, so hopefully I can get that done.

 I've now been on a low carb diet for the last week. So far I can tell a little difference, but not a lot. Can't expect miracles after only a week! I go back to the doctor on Friday and then I can get to find out my current weight. Hopefully it will show some improvement.

Surprise, surprise!

It's kind of funny, but the other day when I was picking some photo's to add to my post about Graceland, I was very shocked to see how well the photos taken with my old Ricoh RDC-300 digital camera stood up against the ones from later digital cameras. The size is limited to 640x480, but the image quality is excellent for an early digital photo, IMO. The one at the right was taken at Wall Drug in South Dakota on our trip out west about 13 years ago. I've gained a little weight and lost more hair since then, but I'll bet this girl would still be attracted to me! As pale as she is, she may no longer be with us on second thought...

One of the many highlights of that trip was our stop at the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, also in South Dakota. On our upcoming trip in June, these two places will also be stops, so I hope to get some even better pictures. I plan to take along a tripod and possibly a monopod to aid in taking some much better pictures. I found a nice monopod at NewEgg for less than $18, which I plan to purchase. Between the two, I should be able to get a stable shot in most any situation, using either of my current cameras.

Of course no trip would be complete without photos of your traveling companions, and so here we see my mother standing at one of the many roadside pull off spots along the route. This trip was a very spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, and I was happy to have someone along for the journey. The upcoming trip will be even better with 3 traveling buddys. And with them being closer to my age, that should add a lot to the enjoyment I'm sure. Not that mom wasn't a good traveling companion, but I just wasn't into the same things as she was, which is only natural.

No trip out west would be complete without going through Yellowstone National Park and seeing Old Faithful. Hopefully this new trip will have an unobscured photo of the geyser, but if nothing else, maybe at least the heads in the shot might be of someone I know! One of the things I regret the first time was not taking enough time to enjoy the surroundings, but I think the people I'm with this time feel the same way, so perhaps we can really soak up some of the true ambience from our journey. This time around the whole limited time thing won't be a big problem, so look out people of the wild, wild west, we will be headed your way before you know it!

This view of the Grand Tetons was truly breath-taking live and in person. I'm hoping to get a little closer this time around as these mountains are very special indeed. Mostly because they are magnificent, but partly because the origin of the name means large teat in French. Come to think of it, I may have a hard time convincing my sister's that the real reason I want a closer look is strictly because of their beauty. If you all are reading this, I really do want a closer look so I can better appreciate their beauty, not because I'm a pervert. Really!

Hoover dam won't be a part of the trip at this time as we plan to go through Salt Lake City and see the salt flats and Reno, NV on the way out. We do plan to see it on the return trip though when we stay in Las Vegas, NV. I do hope to get some better pictures this time also as the ones I have are not that good. I guess it depends on the shape I'm in though after a night or two in Vegas. But then what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, so you all may never know. I'll leave the gambling to my siblings though, I don't have the stomach for that. Playing the stock market is all the gambling I plan to do here on in, and the way it's going, that may not be for long!

Sadly, this is one site we won't get to see on this trip. This is my friend Dan, who I met through a mutual interest in computers and corresponded with for many, many years. Dan was the primary reason for my trip out west the first time. Although we wrote letters back and forth and spoke on the phone a number of times, I only met him in person this one time and we ate the lasagna he fixed for my visit. He gave my mother the recipe for that dish and so I have had his lasagna many times since, but sadly we no longer correspond. Dan passed away a few years after this photo was taken. I miss you Dan, RIP.

Melody on the mend, YAY!!!

Spoke with my sister last night for the first time since her operation on Tuesday. She seemed to be okay, but somewhat loopy, even more than normal! No doubt from the medication, so hopefully that will soon change for the better. Get better soon sis!

While she has been relaxing in her lavish hospital suite, I have been busy planning our upcoming June trip. I did find a helpful website to aid looking for the out-of-way and lesser known attractions along our journey path. For anyone planning a trip, looking for these type of sights to see, check out RoadsideAmerica.com.

Another useful site for letting you know what amenities are located along your route of travel is OnTheWay. I like it a lot, but found it to be only useful while on the trip either using a wifi or 3G connection to the internet. To me, it would be much more usable if one could print out the list before the trip as not everyone has a 3G connection to use in the car.

Also want to mention here that I attended my grandson Billy's baseball game last evening. As a junior in high school, Billy was the starting pitcher for the varsity game and pitched 5 solid innings. He was credited with the win in the Seymour Owl's 4-3 victory over the Columbus East Olympians. Congrats to Billy and the Seymour Owls, who are 3-0 on the season!

Trip to California put off

We were supposed to be California bound on the 6th of April, but now that trip has been put off until June 1st. Seems my sister, Melody, had an issue with a medical problem which she thought she could put off until after the trip. Unfortunately, a trip last week to Belterra in Indiana made her realize it would not be possible to put it off.

So today, she is having a procedure at a hospital in Lexington, which will fix the problem. Once that is complete, she will once again be able to function properly, or at least as proper as is possible for Melody! JK, I love you sis and hope for nothing but the best today.

Hopefully we can once again go back to more planning for this trip soon as I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with her and my other sister, Kathy, as well as my brother-in-law, Jim. For those who are interested, the tentative route of travel can be seen at this link: http://bit.ly/HtCfsD

I will post more on the trip once we have definite plans, so stay tuned!