I've posted some pictures from the Love Festival. It was ok. There must have been about 6 dozen LARGE speaker spread around Civic Center. Each set of a dozen or so were playing different music. Mostly, you just heard a bunch of noise and was hard to distinguish between different sources as there was LOTS of bass and thumpy. Mostly, the Love Festival at Civic Center in SF was really good at giving you a headache from just the shear volume of noise. We stayed for about an hour or so because we were all getting stressed out from the noise.

Here's the Labor Day rafting pictures. Please keep in mind that these were taken through my "camera bag". It's basically a glorified ziplock bag for camera. They don't come out as clear through the plastic, but it's better than not having any pictures at all. We also didn't take many pictures, but here they are.

I'd like to take a moment to introduce the newest member in the Schwenk household. His name is Cody. The adoption process with finalized on Saturday afternoon when he came home with me. He's 26 weeks old and is a bundle of energy, thank goodness his energy doesn't last for very long before he's down for the count.

My allergies are doing good so far. This time of year, I can leave the windows open half the day (evening through morning). My HEPA filter is on it's way from Costco.

Right now the cat lives in my room to get used to me, and his new place. We go on "adventures" through the house a few times a day, but he gets a little scared and tends to hide a lot when he's outside my room. He'll usually follow me back to my room where he can be himself after a short excursion.

I'm still kitty-proofing my house. I've been taking all the fragile glassware and such (stuff from Venice, etc) off the mantel, shelves, end tables, etc. I'm sure when Cody gets to exploring, he will be EVERYWHERE.

I've managed to snag a few pictures so far as well as a couple of videos. Click the image above for Cody's first album, click the images to the left for the two youtube videos.

This was pieced together from http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Rabbit.htm

I agree with lots of this, except for:
* I'm not fashionable
* I'm not organized

The Rabbit

Rabbits are private individuals, a bit introverted and withdrawn. People born into this sign would rather work behind-the-scenes instead of being the center of attention in any situation. Do not misunderstand…the Rabbit is not a recluse. In fact, he is a reasonably friendly individual who enjoys the company of a group of good friends whether at a business dinner or a holiday party. Rabbits just like to be a part of the gang as opposed to the leader of it.

Years of the Rabbit

Rabbit Years are fourth in the cycle, following Tiger Years, and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Rabbit Year actually begins.

THE SIGN OF THE RABBIT

Rabbits, like their animal counterparts, are quite calm people who do not exhibit aggressive behavior and will avoid confrontation at all costs. When angry about something, a Rabbit will approach it calmly and considerately, hardly ever raising his voice or becoming visibly annoyed. Because of their serenity, Rabbits seem to miss things, whether they are confrontational in nature or not. However, the Rabbit is quite keen and pays close attention to the situations developing around him. He is intelligent and quick and can talk himself in or out of most situations with no problem.

The Chinese Rabbit is one of the most stylish creatures of the Chinese Animal Signs and finds interest in different cultures. He is classy and sophisticated, and can be found adorning one of the latest fashion magazine cover looks. Rabbits also like artistic ventures, such as painting and music and are generally quite present in these worlds. They love top express themselves, which is evident when joining them at home for a function or a cup of coffee.

RABBIT FACTS:

People born in the Year of the Rabbit share certain characteristics. The Rabbit Sign is an abbreviated way of characterizing that individual’s personality. Following are features associated with the Sign of the Rabbit.

Fourth in order, Chinese name-TU, sign of peace

Hour—5am-6:59am Month—March

Western Counterpart—Pisces

CHARCTERISTICS

Keen, Wise, Fragile, Tranquil, Serene, Considerate, Fashionable, Sneaky, Obsessive

IN YOUR ELEMENT

The characteristics of the Rabbit are tempered by one of the five Chinese elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth overlaying a 5-year cycle of characteristics on the original 12-year cycle.

THE WOOD RABBIT 1915 AND 1975

Wood Rabbits tend to be the least bit indecisive. This is probably due to their always wanting to play the peacemaker and not wanting to hurt other people’s feelings. Wood Rabbits are incredibly generous souls and like to avoid the spotlight instead preferring to live amongst others. These people are always kind enough to help you move into a new house, make you a hot cup of coffee or to listen while you rant and rave about your latest character flaw. The Wood Rabbit can sometimes be too kind for his own good, thus causing him to be taken advantage of and sometimes even used by others unknowingly. Rabbits have to learn to say no and to put their feet down or their cups will overflow.

HEALTH

Rabbits are apt to be sensitive to ailments and to have bad allergies. Stress or conflict will detriment the Rabbit’s health. Exercise could take off unnecessary stress and strengthen the Rabbit’s physical condition, but he tends not to work out regularly. Rabbits have to learn to incorporate more action into their everyday routines.

AT HOME WITH THE RABBIT

A Rabbit will become depressed and withdrawn if his home does not consist of beautiful possessions that make him comfortable. They are extremely organized and the best way to throw a Rabbit off is to remove something from its sitting place. They are so orderly and their homes and offices so clutter-free that it is sometimes a point of humor with their friends. Rabbits are modest in their decorating choices and choose different shades of green such as sages and turquoises.

THE RABBIT ON THE JOB

Rabbits have really good communication skills and are best utilized in positions of management. They make great teachers and PR people because they are so diplomatic and well-organized. Even so, they can also make great painters or musicians due to their sense of beauty and their love of creativity.

MONEY AND THE RABBIT

Rabbit people are usually relatively careful when it comes to their finances. And that lucky rabbit foot didn’t just come out of nowhere…Rabbits are pretty lucky folks! They use much of their money for possessions such as their homes, cars or furniture. They would rather invest their money in gadgets and things than in the stock market. They love hunting for antiques, arts and crafts and will tend to make sound investments in these types of things.

RABBIT CAREERS

Those born in the Year of the Rabbit share the same kinds of goals and objectives in life.

LIKES AND DISLIKES

Since Rabbits are born under the same Animal Sign, they often share likes and dislikes. Following are similar likes and dislikes of the Rabbit personality.

Color Preference: Pale Green

Gems and Stones: Crystal, Emerald, Pearl

Suitable Gifts: Tapestry kit, CD, fine wine, easel, lyrics book

Hobbies and Pastimes: Writing poetry, hiking, planting gardens and trees, chatting with friends

Rabbits Dislike: Touchy-feely people, abrupt curves in their routines, disorganization

THE RABBIT ON VACATION

Rabbits love to indulge in different cultures and spend a lot of their lifetimes trying to find inner peace. Sensitive and careful by nature they would be just as happy shopping for hidden treasures at the local flea market or yard sale to display in their delicately decorated homes. Rabbits tend to want to travel to traditional places such as Europe and Asia when they have time off. In addition, taking a course to release their creative energies such as photography or instrument lessons would make the Rabbit feel well-rounded and accomplished.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

Rabbits, although outgoing, are definitely not the leaders of the pack or the spotlight thieves. They like to be associated with a group or a club, where they find comfort in the company of others. Rabbits just happen to be low-profile people. Perhaps this is because they tend to be rather picky about who they pal around with. Rabbits love their friends and offer them all a warm refuge and a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. They enjoy catching up and hanging out more than anything.

Compatible Friends

Best Friends: Sheep and Pigs

Mortal Enemy: Roosters

RABBIT PARENTS AND BABIES

Many Rabbit people have large families. The Chinese say this is due, in part, to them being the sign of fertility. Despite the record-breaking number of children any Rabbit person may have, the happiness of his partner and family is essential to his own well-being. Although they love their children intensely and take care of them quite affectionately, sometimes Rabbit parents can come off as looking uninterested or distant. Still, Rabbits are so defending of their children that they often appear strict and overbearing.

When their children are little, Rabbit parents will dress them in cute little outfits and will insist they act mild mannered and politely. Rabbits often find themselves wrapped around the tiny fingers of their kids and will do anything for them, too make them happy and to keep the peace. Rabbits despise arguing with their children, as conflict makes them quite uncomfortable, and they will avoid it at all costs. Rabbits will always be there for their children and will help them even as they grow and mature. They find themselves there for their kids throughout their lives.

RABBIT INFANT AND CHILD

Young Rabbits are very sensitive children. They tend to let their emotions get the best of them and will cry with no remorse. At school, these children often get teased for being so sensitive and become branded crybabies by other boys and girls. Rabbit children are especially close to their mothers and maintain a wonderfully close relationship with them throughout their lives. They depend on their mothers for advice and support and will reciprocate when necessary. Rabbit children are desperate for stability and routine and require a sort of scheduling to do their best work. Like the adult Rabbit, Rabbit children are likely to be quite interested in the arts, particularly in music, a subject in which most Rabbit children thrive.

RABBIT PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS

Some parents immediately click with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matter how hard they try to make it happen. Following are the compatibility ratings between Rabbit parents and their children.

Rabbits with Under the same roof Compatibility Rating

Rat a bit of incongruity **

Ox pretty supportive **

Tiger conflicting views **

Rabbit very well-established ****

Dragon creativity thrives ***

Snake a solid, affectionate relationship ****

Horse not much communication *

Sheep easygoing ****

Monkey a bit of restlessness ***

Rooster argument-prone *

Dog a deep commitment ***

Pig stable and loving ****

*uphill struggle **some complications ***easy bonding ****on the same wavelength

Lovers and spouses

THE RABBIT LOVER

The Rabbit lover would never dream of wearing his heart on his sleeve. The Rabbit seems aloof, yet underneath is sensual and loving - a tough facade protects a tender interior. Rabbit folk are romantic yet realistic, generous yet mercenary. Rabbits are strongly Yin and, whether male or female, are in tune with the feminine part of their psyche. Their mothering instinct compels them to nurture others, and they have an innate love of home and family.

MARRIAGE

Rabbits are easily moved to tears through words, thoughts and actions. They are deeply sensitive people who shun conflict. Rabbits tend to be a little moody and are sometimes influenced by the friends they have. Despite their cool exterior, they have a reputation for being very sexual and intimate beings. Although they may go a little crazy in their youth, they will commit themselves readily to a partner for life.

THE RABBIT LOVE PARTNER

The Rabbit needs a partner who is affectionate and loving and who will pamper his mate a bit. A partner who shares the style and suave of the Rabbit will make a good lover for him as well. Chinese horoscopes are very specific about which partnerships have the potential to be successful in love and in business. Yet, though destiny can pint us in the right direction, we must still make all efforts to maintain loving relationships. Following is a brief description of how a Rabbit will affect a relationship with other Animal Signs.

PARTNERS IN LOVE

Rabbit*Rat

The Rat will aggravate your nerves. Better steer clear.

Rabbit*Ox

Calm and quiet…your kind of romance.

Rabbit*Tiger

You’ll make a good duo.

Rabbit*Rabbit

Destined for success…same outlook and relaxed lifestyle will keep you both quite content.

Rabbit*Dragon

Your differences cold either drive you apart or make your bond that much stronger.

Rabbit*Snake

Intense romantic ideals and heated passions make this pairing exotic and exciting!

Rabbit*Horse

You can handle it…if you want to.

Rabbit*Sheep

You share love, affection, truth…you’ll be great for each other!

Rabbit*Monkey

You’ll probably end up hurting each other irreparably.

Rabbit*Rooster

You can’t stand each other…why risk romance?

Rabbit*Dog

You’ve got potential.

Rabbit*Pig

Absolute bliss. You’re good friends and great lovers.

Love Partners at a Glance

Rabbits with Tips on Togetherness Compatibility

Rat too different *

Ox caring and sensitive ***

Tiger your differences make you closer ***

Rabbit best of mates ****

Dragon learn to compromise **

Snake intensely sexual ***

Horse pretty hard **

Sheep heavenly ****

Monkey don’t try *

Rooster no way *

Dog strong and healthy ***

Pig shared understanding ****

*dispute **keep working at it ***intense sexual attraction ****angelic

EAST MEETS WEST - PISCEAN RABBIT

The Piscean Rabbit is quite a complex person. He is creative and will work best in relaxed, peaceful situations where his creativity can be explored and put to good measure.

As you know, I don't write a lot of personal information about me, my experiences, and my personal thoughts on this blog. However, I do want a place to vent, keep some journal, and still allow my friends to read. So, I've created a private blog space for this. If you want the address, just email me and I may send you a link.

I was talking to some people about searching for stuff they have posted on the web. Well, this got me thinking and started played with some Google searches. Here is what I have come up with so far, the following are the the actual strings (without quotes as part of the search):

Search: mitch schwenk
Results: the first 9 entries are all mine! 5 hits on the second page are mine.
Significance: I have too much stuff out there. :-)

Search: drupal smugmug
Results: most of the first page
Significance: I wrote a Drupal module that integrates Smugmug galleries and images into a Drupal site, including a gallery and easy ways to create links and display images in posts.

Search: dcc tutorial
Results: half way down the first page
Significance: A wiki site I started for DCC (Digital Command Control) about two years ago. It's been a slow start, but people have started to use it.

Thanks goes to Andy Lee for pointing this out to me. Hot guys, appears to be funny, and campy. More details at: http://cutsleeveboys-themovie.com/index.html

Many of you have seen those Monster brand cables at your local big box store selling for at least $40USD. The cost on those cables to the stores appears to start around $9USD. Why buy them? Because they are just as over marketed as Bose audio. Check out
this review for yourself.

On another note, Aquafina announces that it will label it's water as coming from "public sources". So yes, tap water is still drinkable in the USA - just need to remove the excess chlorine smells/taste.

I finally upgraded to Drupal 5.1, which meant that I had to upgrade my smugmug module to be Drupal 5.1 compatible. Brian Foley did most the work in getting it going, I just fixed a few loose ends. For those that care:

The Smugmug module for Drupal 5.1 has been freshly released (a few moments ago) as version 1.05b (beta). I've only tested it a little bit. There are many changes that need to be done for menu/config placement as well as the on-website help.

If you are currently using the module, you'll need to drop all the smugmug_* tables and import the new ones from the smugmug_databases.sql file. I don't have time to write the update scripts, and I don't even know how (yet). I'm currently packing my bags to leave for Europe next week. If you find find a bug, please let me know. I'll only address critical ones for now, and any cosmetics, I'll fix later.

The address for the nightly build remains the same:
http://www.warmy.com/smugmug-nightly.tgz as of right now, it's version 1.05b

I have some new features planned for when I return. Keep an eye on the change logs.
http://warmy.com/sm-changelog.txt

As many of you know, I've had a VOIP phone for the last 3 years. Up until Monday, I've been using SunRocket as my VOIP provider. However, Monday morning, SunRocket suddenly pulled the plug and my phone lines went dead.

So, now as a stranded SunRocket user, I started a seach for a new VOIP provider. After browsing through various forums, it came down to Packet8 or VoicePulse. I choose VoicePulse because 95% of my calls are made on my cell phone. Of the 5% remaining, 95% of those will fall within what VoicePulse calls my "local calling area". This allowed me to opt for the cheaper VoicePulse plan and save money over Packet8. I realize Packet8 has a SunRocket survivor special, but I thought that the reviews of various boards rated VoicePulse higher. I'm looking for quality now.

I want to rave about the VoicePulse service thus far. I was trying to sign up online, and I selected California, but didn't see my area code on the sign up page. I saw it on the "check availability" page. I called them, was on hold for 15 seconds, and spoke with someone. Explained the problem, and they said they are receiving many new accounts from SunRocket and that there were no more 916 numbers avail. He said "let me check on something, I'll be right back". I was on hold for about 25 seconds (or less). He told me to refresh and try again - wala - there was a 916 number. He said that was the last number in 916 available due to the high number of sign ups and that more were already on order.

So far, I'm very impressed. Within 1 minute, they had this problem solved. So far, I'm a happy customer even though I've been a customer for 15 minutes and don't have my hardware yet.

And for those of you wondering why I need a local "POTS", it's for those random occasions when you need E911, house burglar alarm, or whatnot. Plus, over seas calls are _much_ cheaper than my cell phone.