tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304073902024-03-12T21:39:08.856-05:00A Little Bit 'o TruthMatthew Nowlin's Blog. I am a Christian, entrepreneur, web developer, SEO/SEM consultant, and a student of life.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-36818987917176895932014-01-16T11:56:00.001-06:002014-01-16T11:56:16.149-06:00Goodbye Little Guy. Our Poodle Died.My wife and I adore miniature poodles. Their personalities are incredible, they're smart, and playing with them brings about a very gratifying type of bonding.<br />
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In 2009, we adopted what had been a very abused chocolate poodle. We named him Jack Bauer in a twist of irony - he was incredibly shy and fearful of nearly everything. We didn't know he had a tail for the first couple of months we had him - no joke. I don't think he kept it down on purpose, I think it was frozen in place.<br />
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Over the next five years, Jack Bauer changed from that fearful dog into a happy, loving dog. He even tried to become a protector. If he thought someone was going to hurt my wife, Jack Bauer would charge that person in a barking fury. We had to work with him, in fact, to keep him from becoming too aggressive.<br />
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I've been married two and a half years. Jack Bauer has spent more nights with me than my wife has!<br />
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This little dog will always have a place in our hearts. Helping him heal helped us as individuals and couples - we're thankful for that little dog. And right now, there is a hole in our home.<br />
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Jack wasn't a person. If he was, we know he would have wanted us to help other dogs in need of rescuing. That's why even though we are hurting, we are moving forward to try and adopt at least one other dog. We have applied for a pair of poodles - brothers. If our application is successful, we will meet the dogs and make a prayerful decision on whether or not to bring them in our home <br />
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Jack Bauer, and Midnight I and II before you - thanks for the memories!Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-44134263250123649072013-10-13T11:54:00.001-05:002013-10-13T11:54:06.759-05:00Wife, How I Miss You!My wife has been out of town this weekend. Having her gone is always a reminder of how much I depend on her. I'm not talking exclusively in terms of having a heavier workload when she's not here.<br /><br />I just flat out miss her.<br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-81594794072133505972011-10-13T11:54:00.005-05:002011-10-20T08:06:56.045-05:00Did Steve Jobs Create the iCloud to Eternally Hold His Consciousness?In Star Trek: The Next Generation's <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Schizoid_Man_%28episode%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">Schizoid Man</span></a>, a brilliant researcher who is conscious of his impending death meets Data, sees the potential of his advanced neural net, and uploads his consciousness to the android.<br /><br />The theme of eternal consciousness through a computer or artificial life form is not limited to Star Trek. The Dr. Who episode <a href="http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Silence_in_the_Library"><span style="font-style: italic;">Silence in the Library</span></a> is about a girl trapped in a computer; it is a simulation created by her family to store her consciousness alongside all information in the universe. Literature, music, and art are to be her companions.<br /><br />Steve Jobs knew he was dying but did not seek appropriate treatment; he distrusted modern medicine. But he had a tremendous amount of trust in <span style="font-style: italic;">himself</span>. He worked on revolutionary new technology towards the end of his life. Jobs was also <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> cognizant of his impending death:<br /><blockquote>Remembering that<span style="font-style: italic;"> I'll be dead soon</span> is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, <span style="font-style: italic;">leaving only what is truly important</span>.</blockquote><br />What is more important to a man than his own essence? Very few things. Steve had ample time to create a system that would capture what was truly important to him.<br /><blockquote></blockquote>Is Steve Jobs in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">iCloud</span>?<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />The storage technology does perhaps exist for such a system.<br /><br />The ability to read and transfer the mind's information almost certainly does not. This obstacle would be enough to prevent even the most technologically genius billionaire from uploading themselves to an artificial device. Steve was not a doctor, an his statement regarding his pancreatic cancer, "I didn't even know what a pancreas was" reveals that he most certainly did not have the medical background to create a secret piece of technology. If he hired someone to attempt such a feat, the news would have almost certainly leaked out.<br /><br />More difficult than that would be the provisions for processing power. The mind functions differently than traditional computers, with many more parallel operations. The mind isn't necessarily <span style="font-style: italic;">faster</span> than a computer, but it has more hauling power, the way a dump truck would compared to a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">NASCAR</span> vehicle. It is difficult to believe that anyone would have the control technology to parallel enough processors to simulate a full human mind, even if we did understand the mind enough to design such a system (which we do not).<br /><br />Steve Jobs most certainly does not live in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">iCloud</span>, but it is a testament to his visionary genius that such a theory is even being circulated.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Addendum: Since this was originally published, some have begun to claim that Siri stands for "Steve is really inside."</span>Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-51061837584779995442011-10-12T10:10:00.003-05:002011-10-12T10:11:56.003-05:00My Most Wanted Itunes FeatureI have a simply request for Apple: Let me choose where I save my iOS backups. Right now, they dump to the C partition by default, and there is no in program way to change that (you can set up what are essentially redirects, but that's no good, really).<br /><br />What I really want is the ability to save my backups on an external or cloud drive - just like I can with my library.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-914542725505053742011-10-05T22:04:00.000-05:002011-10-06T10:55:10.705-05:00Steve Jobs' Death<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://trevinwax.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Steve-Jobs-to-Drop-the-Bomb-on-the-iPhone-300x214.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 214px;" src="http://trevinwax.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Steve-Jobs-to-Drop-the-Bomb-on-the-iPhone-300x214.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" ft="{"type":3}">"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose." - Steve Jobs</span></h6></blockquote><br />It is incredibly humbling to consider that one of most successful and wealthy men in the world has died from one of the most common killers in existence: cancer. In my family, cancer has been a major killer. Thus, I look at Mr. Jobs' as a dark mirror into what could one day happened to me.<br /><br />Most likely, I won't die a millionaire, my death will make national news, and I will not be considered a world changer.<br /><br />This realization does not trouble me, because I know that I was created for purpose and I will always do my best to fulfill that purpose with the help of the Lord.<br /><br />It is important to remember that even the wealthy suffer in death. Mr. Jobs' family will miss Mr. Jobs as much as the family of a poor Chinese labor would miss its patriarch. It is also important to remember that death has a great equalizer: judgment before the Almighty. I will be treated no differently before God that Mr. Jobs or you would be.<br /><br />Mr. Jobs' spiritual quest has been well documented. Jobs pursued <a href="http://www.examiner.com/holistic-science-spirit-in-national/apple-s-steve-jobs-has-died-today-a-look-at-his-spiritual-life">Buddhism and psychedelic hallucinations</a>. It is possible that Jobs rejected Christianity by lumping it together with the religion of his biological father (Islam) as a "desert religion".<br /><br />As Mr. Jobs family suffers, we can only pray that Mr. Jobs was found by grace some point before his death. Were this the case, he would have found true and eternal success. Success at the foot of the cross. Success over death!Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-39475454362238780662011-07-28T10:28:00.002-05:002011-07-28T10:30:32.909-05:00RIM vs. Apple: RIM Wins in THIS AreI sell a product that is used primarily on cell phones, and making a demo video showing it being used is just logical. On RIM, there are tons of free apps that allow this to be done. On the iPhone, one must jailbreak the phone and then use a Cydia app.<br /><br />I am somewhat surprised that Apple doesn't make this process easier.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-62168742924423859042011-07-27T17:00:00.001-05:002011-07-27T17:00:39.807-05:00Thank You, DentistI went to visit my dentist today to have a tooth "filled". <br /><br />However, this was in all actuality the trip to fill in a tooth chip that I got several years ago. The original filling fell off at some point in the last six months. However, when I got the dentist he informed me that filling the area would require him to take off more tooth than the feeling would protect! So, after conferring with him, I left.<br /><br />Thank you Mr. Dentist. <br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-60010713031793730562011-07-26T20:45:00.002-05:002011-07-27T08:47:04.056-05:00HusbandingIf I can end the day with my wife knowing that I love her, then despite what may have happened at work, or whatever other kinks may have happened in the day - that is a good day.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-80623633824313933452011-07-24T22:11:00.002-05:002011-07-25T11:19:20.047-05:00Things Are Settling Down NicelySarah and I had a laid back, fun weekend.<br /><br />We had a blast listening to whatever we wanted on <a href="http://www.spotify.com/">Spotify</a>. The free version of Spotify meets our needs for now (and makes them money, apparently, via advertising). The library is truly impressive. The only music I couldn't find were obscure Vineyard Winds of Worship albums. But who knows - I may have simply been searching incorrectly. I was even able to find Christ for the Nations albums on Spotify. If I ever make more time to listen to music, or resume a heavier traveling schedule, I think that I will spend the money on Spotify for a premium account.<br /><br />I tried out several contract apps. I can take customer order signatures directly on my iPad for contracts now. There is a cost to doing this that will limit how often I do so; the contract app wants to charge 1.99 per contract. That isn't a big cost, but if I was ever in a scenario in which timing did not matter, I would not use it. 1.99 per contract is significantly cheaper than overnighting a contract. The quality of the document will be much better than it would with a FAX. I personally hate faxing.<div><br /></div><div>Saturday, I went to the Gunshow in Memphis at the agricenter. While walking in, I was treated to what was perhaps the best signage I have seen in my life. Let me qualify that. By best, I mean most amusing. I will let the sign speak for itself. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ2D4cfTSDa4D4rKKDfygKBwGBD4vZ7qgvSsJTYuLg3oYk5FEQruPb_cW7yvKMvCwfEqo3ZubsbiyOm-PAsdlXUdF29ejSxL-ZDxHHaFaVX-TvHxQkz4nXLZvpSUwZcCNEaxW/s1600/IMG_0946%255B1%255D.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ2D4cfTSDa4D4rKKDfygKBwGBD4vZ7qgvSsJTYuLg3oYk5FEQruPb_cW7yvKMvCwfEqo3ZubsbiyOm-PAsdlXUdF29ejSxL-ZDxHHaFaVX-TvHxQkz4nXLZvpSUwZcCNEaxW/s200/IMG_0946%255B1%255D.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633320675091560818" /></a>As you can see, it starts out with a gun and knife show and lightens up with Kids Town and a Foam Party before coming out strong with Amber's Fight for Life Wrestling Event (I hope the wrestling even raised a lot of money. I'm sure it did, the name is very attention getting).<br /><br /></div><div>In many areas of the country, having these events together would have made the news. I'm glad that in this respect Memphis is <i>sane</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of my friends ended up buying a nice Ruger Super Blackhawk. I've never shot one. One day I want a big bore single action hunting pistol, but I have no way to justify that now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Church was nice on Sunday. Sarah played in a string quartet and the music was wonderful. The quartet had piano and organ accompaniment. It was very peaceful and soothing. The choir did an nice job as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>After church, Sarah made a great chicken salad which we had on sandwiches. </div><div><br /></div><div>We recently read through Hebrews, and are now going back through it with a commentary. We will use several commentaries as we approach the book. I've always been fascinated with Hebrews.</div><div><br /></div>Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-34871436838154624722011-07-01T09:13:00.001-05:002011-07-01T09:13:23.002-05:00My Wishlist for IOSI am pretty excited for iOS 5. The state of the smartphone and tablet world in general pleases me and things will only get better. I have a wish list, and since I'm not a developer, I don't know which of my wishes I will get!<br /><br />1. Ability to create new albums on each device. Even blackberries allow a person to create a new folder! iOS limits you to dumping each picture in the same folder. That stinks - let me organize them ON my device!<br /><br />2. Profiles (for iPads). I'm not talking about two logins, but something more like driver memory as found in luxury cars. If a car with this feature has two drivers,each can program their seat preference. iPad profiles could include browser favorites, icon/folder locations, push/location preferences... And be synced with the cloud.<br /><br />3. Better video. I have been on several networks (Sonic Wall and Watchfuard) that allow YouTube playback on PCs but struggle with iOS devices. The H.264 standard is great, and not an apple standard, but apple needs to push better adoption practices. Too many companies have issues with standard firewall settings, video, and iOS.<br /><br />4. Buy Nuance. Seriously apple, buy Nuance. Reap the benefit of their voice technology. Beat Android on this key mobile interface issue. <br /><br />5. Better calendar alert options. When I make a calendar appointment in Microsoft exchange and sync it to my iPhone, I have far more options regarding the alerts. I can specify that I receive notifications 1 min., 3 min., 17 min., 42 min., or 984 days prior to a calendar event occurring. But this level of flexibility is not available when I input calendar appointments directly into my iPhone. Instead, I have canned options that I can scroll through available to me. For some people, the ability to scroll through these options is amazing. For customers like me who heavily utilized their calendar, there should be the option to allow direct text and put in this field. <br /><br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-31742278431511244972011-05-15T23:42:00.003-05:002011-05-16T09:11:51.960-05:00Ah, HuntsvilleYesterday Sarah and I made a quick trip to Huntsville. Quick, as in we left church early and spent less than 4 hours in Huntsville before heading back around 5:55 PM, CST.<br /><br />I'm glad we went. I think it made Sarah feel a lot better to get home one last time before the wedding, and we of course had a trunk full of items to bring back. The real reason this was good is that she knows we're close to her parents. A four hour jot over to her parents is nothing; a day trip is easily accomplished.<br /><br />The dog even seemed to enjoy it. And he's crazy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNBnDAs5M0SFm4l7eI3e6p5N4VY-fPrsh_e2wDA2NsgD3I1qCzb4sDC5y8qnn17a4pov6AxZl65QmV_l166VD_LibcNltoGIZhtTV3y0iwbwacd90iQ35Un7hG3S0zOvgAlXw/s1600/IMG_0604%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNBnDAs5M0SFm4l7eI3e6p5N4VY-fPrsh_e2wDA2NsgD3I1qCzb4sDC5y8qnn17a4pov6AxZl65QmV_l166VD_LibcNltoGIZhtTV3y0iwbwacd90iQ35Un7hG3S0zOvgAlXw/s400/IMG_0604%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607316394536464642" border="0" /></a>Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-69936537800052294672011-05-14T15:48:00.003-05:002011-05-14T17:58:56.365-05:00A Little Bit 'o Nostalgia - OR - A Saturday Afternoon Scanning Wedding PicturesI have a job, I guess. The women in my life have told me this. It is to scan all the pictures of my childhood, and of Sarah's childhood, and then to make some sort of fancy slide show.<br /><br />Of course, I should know how to do this and do it without complaining, because I'm a man, and this isn't as important as everything else the women are taking care of. And in case you can't tell, I'm poking fun at everyone.<br /><br />Going through these pictures is causing me to feel nostalgic. To be honest with you, I simply have not thought much about my childhood recently. I've been feeling a drive to go forward and conquer. Also, in many ways I didn't enjoy my childhood. I had good parents and all, and I can't really tell you why, other than I really disliked school and school makes up the bulk of a kid's life.<br /><br />There are a lot of good times in these pictures though. Prom dates I thought I might be really interested in down the road. Cleaning guns. Fishing with Dad. Christmas with cousins. Pictures I could use to get relatives thrown in prison. All the good things of growing up. Looking at my pictures and looking at Sarah's, we could have been in the same regiment in Jr. Montana Freeman Militia School.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-61890236957767494432011-04-30T23:13:00.001-05:002011-04-30T23:13:49.995-05:00Mud Island<br />Today we went to Mud Island to the Mississippi River walk. The river is in flood stage which made the presentation seem even more powerful. <br /><br />Here is a picture of Sarah and her brother taken at the River Walk:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/matthew.nowlin/ALittleBitOTruth?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Ese_Tk5DOWw#5601596114229005202'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNbMdKLsSm7ywbAHLeMu6Htawy7E4fWC4YCSxJu4gfKWCuUDSPuO64OkVBO1AptiNbNp86OGcXeM1rBvxjrB1W33kCj9L_OuVIyMJkMRFB6lEN8Be_S13WjFJgQYUo0YVXDbY/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-35948210175337316222011-04-24T14:29:00.001-05:002011-04-24T14:29:09.244-05:00Today, I Was the Idiot in ChurchEvery Sunday in church, someone's phone rings. Everyone looks offended, gives the half look of disapproval, and thinks "What an inconsiderate idiot!"<br /><br />I was that guy today in church. Ironically my parents were visiting our church today. We met them before service and I tried to get my dad to allow me to put his phone in airplane mode. He Would not, but put his phone in vibrate mode. <br /><br />I use my phone as my bible in church and also to take notes. As the pastor opened the 9:15 service, the 9:20 alarm I put on my phone for one day but meant to take off sounded. Because alarms bypass vibrate mode on iPhones. <br /><br />Yeah, I was the idiot today. :/<br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-2849528305622462152011-04-21T09:26:00.003-05:002011-04-21T09:40:25.738-05:00I Am GLAD I Don't Have Comcast Phones!I use Comcast for my primary business internet connection. In addition to Comcast, I have an AT&T DSL backup connection. I run my phones on a PRI; the T1 for this is provided by AT&T. Of all my local services, telephone is the most critical (I of course host my web sites off site at a data center).<br /><br />Comcast regularly calls my business trying to sell phone service. They have great rates on phone service, but they do not offer guaranteed up time according to the reps.<br /><br />Memphis had a serious wind storm the evening of April 19, 2011 (Tuesday). You can see what it did in my area in one of my earlier posts.<br /><br />I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">glad</span> I don't use Comcast for phones because I would not have phones right now with Comcast. It's that simple! Several businesses in my building use Comcast's phone service, and they have effectively been out of business since yesterday morning. I pay more with my current method of phone service, but I am ALWAYS up. In the event of an outage, AT&T guarantees a work crew will start fixing my system within 4 hours.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-15318763546899723892011-04-20T08:07:00.001-05:002011-04-20T08:07:50.258-05:00That is NOT My Car... Thankfully.As I went to my vehicle today, I could not help but be glad that I has parked my car a few car lengths behind it's normal position. That was almost me! Yikes. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/matthew.nowlin/ALittleBitOTruth?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Ese_Tk5DOWw#5597651787545315330'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mkfjtcT0ELT3s5bOUnf6a1hrXa-VdErl8Kl0jPG8H2AnaarMjabnFAF-fvAryq96AD3Uys58vKqGp7tANrhVGE87T-ocfV3VMayOAPj7K408F53EZ82lK1iOURHOLYWqu64n/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-534507075145764112011-04-08T12:51:00.002-05:002011-07-27T16:56:42.198-05:00Upgrading to Watchguard 11.4I've been planning the upgrade of my XTM505 to Watchguard's 11.4 release for some time now. This version of came out in March and I have been waiting to see if any major issues were noted. It appears stable, so I'm making the upgrade.<br /><br />This was my first Watchguard upgrade, and as such there were a few things I didn't understand.<br /><br />My questions were:<br /><ol><li>What is the preferred order of upgrade?</li><li>How does the software get to the actual XTM 505?</li></ol>The preferred order of upgrade is Watchguard System Manager (This will also upgrade the Server Center) on all systems running System Manager. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes, </span>The 11.4 System Manager can control your device while it is waiting for the upgrade and still running an earlier version (11.3 is the only version I can confirm 11.4 will run from personal experience).<br /><br />The software "gets" to the XTM 505 by you downloading the update and "installing" it one the box running Server Center. You don't install to the Firebox, you install to Server Center, in other words. Then, you connect System Manager to the Server and schedule the upgrade. Pretty nice!<br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-43926980156864488532011-04-08T08:19:00.001-05:002011-04-08T08:19:57.128-05:00Sticking to My GunsI have had great luck with diet change in the last couple of years, but I've always gotten to a certain point and then started to fail. This is normally the holiday season (imagine that).<br /><br />I made a grocery store trip last night and did some healthy cooking. Packed my bags for work... And then forgot them. Oh well... I won't just give up!<br /><br />To home at noon go I!<br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-3298771455756887172011-04-06T15:57:00.000-05:002011-04-06T16:13:08.601-05:00I Still Can't Believe the UCONN / Butler GameI enjoy championship games, but I was very disappointed in the NCAAB Championship game. the 2011 Championship just didn't deliver. <br /><br />I don't have much time (I'm on lunch) but the reason for the disappointment is that Butler just wasn't a well rounded team. They were fantastic on defense - majestic even. but they shot something line 18% from the field. <br /><br />Any team that lopsided will fail eventually. I can't help but admire Butler, but what a low-scoring, disappointing game!<br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-53509262863789700842011-04-06T05:54:00.001-05:002011-04-06T09:15:54.679-05:00Personal ImprovementI have been thinking about the subject of personal improvement lately. Like most other things that I spend a lot of time thinking about, this has been sparked by my upcoming marriage.<br /><br />I believe that improvement requires an honest assessment of the current state of that which a person is attempting to improve. I suppose that technically one could improve something without understanding the degree of improvement that is taking place, but personally I don't feel that there is any point to improving something if a difference cannot be noted. Improvement requires a before and after comparison point to be fulfilling and worthwhile.<br /><br />Benjamin Franklin wrote about several of the methods he used to improve himself in his autobiography. My favorite method was his systematic documentation of his flaws. He divided his life up in the 13 areas and would daily document his feelings in each area. One week he would focus on area A and document only his flaws in that area, the next week he would focus on area B – again only documenting his flaws in area B. He called this his path to virtue.<br /><br />While Benjamin franklin and I would most likely disagree on the source of virtue, I appreciate his efforts to be virtuous, and feel that what he learned offers a lot of insight. Of particular interest to me is his admittance that after he documented his flaws he realized they were far greater in number then he had ever thought possible. Documenting his flaws allowed Franklin to successfully identify trouble areas, work to master them and, finally, to verify his mastery of them. Of course, as a Christian I don't believe that true defeat of vices is possible with out the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, but that is an issue for a separate post.<br /><br />Enough about Franklin: what are my personal flaws? What areas do I, Matthew Nowlin, need to improve on?<br /><br />I'll keep this to fairly nonpersonal issues – but know that more introspection is going on here then is readily obvious.<br /><br />The first area that I feel I can improve on is my physical fitness. The serious and an ongoing battle for me and I'm going to attempt to use Franklin's method of daily journaling and analyzing to help me here. I am also going to rely on Sarah's help in this area. Honey, please hold me accountable!<br /><br />The second area that I feel can be improved using the methods discussed here is overall discipline. I'm not a loose cannon or a rebel without a caused by any means, but I do not feel as disciplined as I would like to. I do immature things and I flat out do not like that.<br /><br />A subset of discipline is mastering my time. I hope that in time I can develop a much greater discipline in this area and master my calendar. Like a child, I often have difficulty doing basic things like going to bed on time and waking up early in the morning. Sure, I get everything done that I need to, but those two basic daily tasks left unmastered have left me with a feeling of immaturity. I think that when Paul said " I beat my body and make it my slave" he probably did so with a sense of glee - if his body was indeed a slave to him, he had to feel incredibly empowered.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-7754181051292493402011-04-04T05:16:00.007-05:002011-04-04T09:02:53.947-05:00Lesson Learned: Be Quiet and Go Away (sometimes)Sarah and I had a great weekend in Chadron, NE. My former youth pastor and good friend is performing our wedding June 11, and we needed to spend some time counseling. Sarah and I both come from good backgrounds, but just like every other person in the world, we have preconceptions that can add baggage to a relationship. Our goal has been "To do things right" throughout the relationship, and the purpose of this was to be another stone laid in that relationship.<br /><br />So we flew into Rapid City, SD and then drove down to Chadron, NE. By the way, if you need a <a href="http://www.dollar.com/Locations/gen.aspx?locationId=RAP">car rental in Rapid City, SD</a>, I recommend Dollar Rent-A-Car. They had a price that was about half of what the airport based rentals were charging because they didn't have to pay airport fees, and it only took us 7-10 minutes to get from the airport to the car rental place (yeah, I know, great job timing there Matt). I have family in the area in addition to the friends we visited, so I can say with some certainty that I will use them again.<br /><br />We got in midday on Friday and received some counsel. Part of our homework for the evening was a test that involved us answering questions about ourselves in several areas related to marriage, and also answering how we felt o<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span>ur to-be would answer. Saturday was grading day for the questions, but I'll jump the gun and let on that having dated for four years, we were both accurate guessing what our to-be would answer.<br /><br />Saturday, we hopped in the Subaru rental (which I loved, by the way) and went to Mount Rushmore. The goal was to have an enjoyable day and knock out the counseling we went to get. Doing the counseling in the car was a fantastic idea for me at least. The scenery offered me something different to look at constantly, and relaxed my mind. I felt much more "involved" with the conversation at the end of the day than I would have if we had simply stuck ourselves in an office and yelled "Go."<br /><br />I learned a lot and was reminded of a lot in counseling, but had one truly <a title="Yes. Epiphanic is a word!" href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/epiphanic">epiphanic </a>moment when we were talking about conflict resolution and handling emotions. To be honest, this wasn't even only about conflict between Sarah and I, but also helping the other person work through conflict with others.<br /><br />Anytime Sarah has had any type of problem with me, another person, or a situation, I have tended to want to destroy/fix (same thing) that problem. Whether it meant sitting down right away and talking about it, making a run to Wal-Mart at 3:00 am, or having a <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001218">come-to-Jesus talk</a>, I have wanted to solve the problem <span style="font-weight: bold;">now</span>. That is a personality strength and weakness of mine.<br /><br />Through this weekend, I came to an understanding that Sarah needs time to process things and that I am not abandoning her or shirking my duty if I simply <span style="font-style: italic;">leave her alone</span>. This is perhaps obvious to many people, but to me it was a revelation of humongous importance.<br /><br />Also, I haven't worked out since Thursday, so I'm going to hit it hard this afternoon.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-85427393649018878202011-04-04T04:29:00.000-05:002011-04-07T14:55:20.176-05:00The Memphis Storms of April 5, 2011Memphis had bad storms on Monday, April 5. While the storms weren't as bad as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Summer_Storm_of_2003">Hurrican Elvis</a>, there were extensive power outages and a lot of property damage. We had to shut our business down due to an extended power outage. That speaks to me, since we have invested a lot in battery backup. :|<br /><br />Our power was out until close to 10:00 PM.<br /><br />On the home front, a car was destroyed near my home. A tree landed on it. I was interested in this since the tree hit a car parked where Sarah normally parks when she visits me.<br /><br />Yikes!<br /><br />Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-41631764084040835712011-03-31T13:32:00.004-05:002011-03-31T13:36:38.277-05:00Is Comcast Blocking SSH?There have been suspicions in the past that <a href="http://digg.com/news/technology/Comcast_Blocking_SSH_Traffic">Comcast blocked SSH</a>. This was supposedly selective, and geared towards blocking users "abusing" SSH for file sharing.<br /><br />Well, I use SSH for work, to log into a linux box I host websites on, and I dont' share files doing this. Today, after a long successful history of use, I can't SSH into the box on my Comcast Business Class connection. Nothing on my network has changed, and I was able to connect a terminal as late as yesterday.<br /><br />I can get a terminal through my AT&T Business Class DSL connection, my iPhone's 3g connection, and my Air Card's 3G connection. I rebooted my Comcast modem, and still no dice.<br /><br />Is Comcast playing dirty poker and blocking SSH connections on Port 22?Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-77928967892686673732011-03-31T06:39:00.006-05:002011-03-31T11:26:27.993-05:00It Is Indeed HappeningThat time seems to go by more quickly the older a person gets is no uncommon knowledge. Children, enamored with life, often live with an undirected joyful, aggressive enthusiasm that adults envy. Were children to have the knowledge and experience to match their enthusiasm, they would conquer the world in short order.<br /><br />I find myself feeling like a child the closer I get to marrying Sarah. Our goal has always been to do things right, and I think that for the most part we have. We've had our share of arguments and emotional pain, but after four years of pursuing her I'm confident that we can work through anything with the Lord's help. Beyond ability, I'm confident that we <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> work through anything.<br /><br />With this confidence, and with the expectations of marriage growing on me every day, I can freely say that I feel like a little kid in many ways.<br /><br />The first reason I'll say that I feel like a little kid is due to the sense of timing that I have. The days seem to be going by me <span style="font-style: italic;">slowly</span>!!! This isn't a complaint, because slowness of time allows the mind to solidly articulate thoughts and accurately analyze what is happening. Right now though, when my first desire is to marry my bride, slow passage of time seems more difficult to bear than it actually is.<br /><br />I listened to a John Piper <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/staying-married-is-not-about-staying-in-love-part-1#/listen/full">sermon on marriage</a> last night. In it, he states that God had Adam name all the animals before he made him a helper Genesis 2.<br /><br /><sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-49"></sup><blockquote><sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-49">18</sup>Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone;<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-49R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)">(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#cen-ESV-49R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)</sup> I will make him a helper fit for<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-49e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#fen-ESV-49e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]</sup> him." <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-50">19</sup><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-50S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)">(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#cen-ESV-50S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)</sup> Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-50f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#fen-ESV-50f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]</sup> every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-50T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)">(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#cen-ESV-50T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)</sup> brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-51">20</sup>The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-51g" title="See footnote g">g</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#fen-ESV-51g" title="See footnote g">g</a>]</sup> there was not found a helper fit for him. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-52">21</sup>So the LORD God caused a<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-52U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)">(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#cen-ESV-52U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)</sup> deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-53">22</sup>And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-53h" title="See footnote h">h</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=ESV#fen-ESV-53h" title="See footnote h">h</a>]</sup> into a woman and brought her to the man.</blockquote>Piper notes that God observed man's loneliness in prior to creating a helper for him (verse 18 was the notation of loneliness, 21 and 22 were of the sleep and God BRINGING the Bride to Adam). Sadly, until I listened to Piper's sermon I did not understand that God paraded the animals in front of Adam and had Adam name them in the middle of this story. Was it to show Adam that there was no helper for him without another created in the image of God? I believe it was. Adam's loneliness must have been compounded as he looked over all of creation's animal life and realized that he was completely unique.<br /><br />The passage of time was required for Adam to see his need for a bride - because the passage of time is required for the order of God's plan to come to fruition. It would be wonderful if I could pass the time over the next few months learning those things that I need to learn to have a successful marriage: to serve my bride, please the Lord, and be a good example to others.<br /><br />The second reason that I feel like a child is my sense of expectation. This is a new adventure. Though I've heard "the big kids" speaking about marriage all my life, the only thing I'm confident of is that I can't fully know what to expect. I will be challenged as a man. My bride will be challenged as a woman.<br /><br />The third reason I feel like a child is due to my fear of sacrifice. Marriages that take place with a Christian understanding begin at an altar. On an altar, blood is spilled. From the temple sacrifices to the altar represented by Golgotha, altars have brought new life from pain.<br /><br />No one will die due to my marriage. No animals will be killed to incur a blessing. We both live under the new covenant of Christ's sacrifice.<br /><br />And yet <a title="Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%205:25&version=ESV">Ephesians 5:25</a> says I am to follow the example of Christ. I must give myself up for a bride. There is strong potential that sacrifice and pain will be involved in that. Lord, help me to take that seriously.<br /><br />I often think that the reason we have so few men willing to make sacrifices for their marriages is that we have so few good examples in our society of this happening. We require good examples, which is why our civilizations have been built around sacred texts (with the best civilizations being built around The Bible), why fables and legends are taught to children, and why we prize the examples of heroes.<br /><br />Currently, there are many bad examples of marriage. By talking about these in an "objective" manner, we make them seem acceptable to children. Just because something is <span style="font-style: italic;">normal</span> does not mean it is acceptable.<br /><br />It is with this challenge that I must enter marriage: The challenge to be Christlike to my bride. I fear I am woefully inadequate to meet this challenge. It might just be time for a personal revival.<br /><br />So, I am fearful, expecting, and have a bad sense of timing. God help me!Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30407390.post-15014816602478106882011-03-30T21:23:00.000-05:002011-03-30T21:23:04.874-05:00"I Cannot Learn Under These Conditions!"There is a nice couple who lives below me. Until tonight, I've only met the husband. As I was coming back from work, he caught me and informed me that the noise from my apartment was getting out of control. Since my neighbor's wife is in school, it is important to him that she have a quiet environment to study in.<br /><br />I live in a world of headsets, and the loudest things I do are run the dishwasher, run the washing machine, and misstep when I get out of bed.<br /><br />That fact doesn't solve the problem that my neighbors have though, which is that they think I'm being loud. In the spirit of dealing with that, I gave them my phone number and told them to text me when they were hearing loud noises. I tried to be sincere, but like I said, I'm pretty quiet about my place.<br /><br />I want to be a good neighbor, so I certainly hope they'll contact me if they perceive loudness.Matthew Nowlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724665687123205487noreply@blogger.com1