The Things Men Have to Do...

So look, I know we have all been in this position and it's not really anything new, or anything that you haven't heard before. If you have been in a relationship you know that you have to inevitably change certain habits or ways of doing things to make the significant other happy. My current relationship with my Lovely Girlfriend is no exception. But as I was shopping in Bi-Lo today for a few groceries, I think it finally hit home just how much a woman can influence your buying habits.

First, let's go back to yesterday. We are in Walmart together, and I mention that I need to pick up some deodorant. No sweat, huh?... Ok, sorry, I know that was just bad. Anyway. I go straight to my usual antiperspirant/deodorant. As I'm grabbing it off the shelf, the critique begins. Now understand, I'm alright with some constructive criticism. If she doesn't like a certain smell, I don't care to change. She is a person that is very aware of things in the news, and proceeded to remind me of how certain deodorants contain aluminum, which has been proven to cause breast cancer. Don't laugh, I had a great uncle that died of breast cancer. With that information, I successfully found a stick that does not contain aluminum (FYI: apparently it's the combo of antiperspirant/deodorant that contains aluminum). Of course, this was not until after a Soddy-Daisy NASCAR tshirt/jort wearin', mullet sportin' red laughed at me for her suggesting I try a stick that smells like "lavender". No harm though.

Back to today. I'm shopping for a few groceries, browsing through the produce section trying to find any fruits or vegetables I might actually consume. Whoa. That's not something I used to do. I turn the corner to find a freezer bunker full of packaged chicken. It was then that I finally caught myself, as I looked at a bag of frozen grilled chicken patties, thinking how many preservatives each piece of meat contained... "Dude, she's changed you." What I would have normally considered to be a fine microwavable meal, I pass up, searching for something a bit more natural that I don't have to nuke (something else she doesn't like to do).

Like I said, nothing earth-shattering here. And don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. It's nice to have somebody that is looking for ways to live a little healthier and will influence you to do the same. Lord knows most of us guys wouldn't do it on our own. It's a change for the better.

Now, excuse me while I go to my 3:15 hair appointment, something I avoided like the plague until about eight months ago when we started dating.

SERUG and Charlotte

Due to what was, actually, an unfortunate series of circumstances, I find myself in Charlotte, NC, as I write this blog post. What am I doing here? Well, SERUG is not a German pronunciation of something you'd find on the living room floor. It's the ESRI Southeast Regional User Group Conference. In the GIS world, it's one step below going to San Diego for the national conference. And while Charlotte isn't quite San Diego, I had never been here before this week. So not only was I anxious to attend the conference and get my learn on, but I was also excited (as a good geographer would be) about seeing some place new.

I actually made the drive over from Chattanooga on Sunday. Let me tell you... a roughly 300 mile drive has never taken so long. Seven hours after I left, I managed to make it to the Queen City. That's what happens when the interstate you planned to take is shut down because our esteemed president decided to visit Asheville (which I was driving through since my GPS told me that would be the fastest route). As if I needed another reason to not like the guy. I just happened to take a detour that wound up down about three mountains. Did I mention that the brakes on my car were already starting to go? Oh well. I did get some nice views, as the weather was beautiful.

Charlotte itself is, from what I've seen, pretty nice. Downtown there are several tree-lined streets. The one thing I keep noticing is, everything seems very clean. Now, I don't mean to make it sound like Chattanooga is filthy, but... spend some time in the heart of downtown 'Nooga, and you'll notice it's not the cleanest town in the world. Charlotte is trash-free and (thankfully) beggar free. Those are good qualities. As far as entertainment, the Panthers' stadium looks nice. The Bobcats are actually playing a playoff basketball game here tonight, but I assume it's sold out. There are a lot of restaurants, as you might expect. My dining choice tonight (Monday) was a place called "Fujo Asian Bistro". I ordered a sumo steak and had a desert of cheesecake. Wasn't the best I've ever had of either one, but they were alright. I'm sure there are some better culinary choices.

Now, on to the conference. After Day 1, I feel there is one central theme of what's happening in GIS. Well, two. First, ESRI is dead-set on beating into our heads that ArcGIS 10 will be the single greatest piece of software in the history of mankind. Maybe, but let's wait and see on that. It sounds like 10 will have tools that we use every day - for instance, the toolbox itself - a lot better integrated into the working environment. It sounds good. But I'm a creature of habit, so part of me fears that the changes they make will be just for change sake and will just serve to frustrate me (and others). The guys that I heard speak from ESRI-Charlotte seemed pretty knowledgeable, however. One even invited all of us to follow him on Twitter: @DaleLoberger. Appeared to be a nice guy. Follow him, I did.

The other theme of today's presentations was the ultimate goal to tie what we GIS professionals do in ArcMap or other applications, to the web itself. We saw several websites where local governments have put a gluttony of data out there for the public to digest if they so desire. I was particularly impressed with the City of Greenville, SC. While they DO offer a lot of data to the public on their (somewhat clunky) public GIS site, it's what they do behind the scenes that was way cooler. Their GIS department put together a program used by emergency management officials that allow them to see weather stations around the region, track the movement of fire trucks, see police incident reports - all in real-time, as they happen, and put into an easy to comprehend map layout. It's something that I can see every local emergency management organization eventually latching onto.

So that sort of wraps up the first day of my GIS odyssey. The conference continues until Wednesday. If anything else of note happens, I'll be sure to blog about it.

Of course, me saying that is ironic, since my previous post was Part 1 of what was supposed to be a two-part series. Obviously, I never wrote Part 2. Let me sum it up here: we had a delightful breakfast with an entertaining Australian couple, we attended an Easter service at a mega-church, we ate some good food, and we drove home. If you need more details, just ask.

And oh yeah, more Charlotte pictures can be found in my Picasa album.

Asheville, NC... Part 1

Last weekend, April 3 and 4, my lovely girlfriend and I decided to make the four hour drive to Asheville, NC. We have season passes to the Biltmore Estate and wanted to visit it (for the second time). We also wanted to explore downtown Asheville, since we had heard good things about it but didn't have the opportunity to get down there the last time we went to the Biltmore.

We got into Asheville about 11 on Saturday and quickly got into the Estate. If you haven't been there, once you go into the "Estate" you have to actually travel several miles down the "driveway" to reach the actual house. Once there, the house is... well, beyond words. It is the single largest private residence ever built in the U.S. There are four floors in the house, as well as a basement that is as large as the entire house. The total square footage is over 175,000. In other words... this place is really freakin' big. This picture at left is from our first trip there back in November.

Being season pass holders, we were able to immediately get into the house, for "free". Unfortunately there are no cameras allowed inside the house, so I can't show you just how awesome it really is. George Vanderbilt built the estate in the late 1800s. Today it is still owned by his 86 year old grandson. If you aren't familiar with the estate I recommend you read up on it here.

After leaving the house we drove another few miles across the estate to its newest addition, titled "Antler Hill Village". It was built between the estate's winery and working farm. We were able to do free wine tasting before proceeding down the hill to the actual village. Here you can tour the winery, or several shops and eateries. From there, a short walk up another hill leads to the old farm area. It was here the estate's horses were kept. Today you can view the original barn, see a real blacksmith performing demonstrations, visit a petting zoo, etc. We had a great time, and I would recommend to anyone, but especially families.

Before leaving we checked prices at the Biltmore Hotel. With prices starting at over $300 per night (!) we decided it was just a bit out of our price range.

Leaving the estate we decided to try out downtown Asheville. First, let me say that if you ever get to Asheville and need some info on the area, check out the visitor center. It was extremely modern (including free wifi) and gave us a lot of ideas on places to stay. In fact, it led us to the awesome bed and breakfast we eventually stayed for the night. Neither Amanda nor I had ever stayed in a B&B, so we really didn't no what to expect. And most are pretty pricey. We were lucky to be checking into the Wright Inn about 3:00 in the afternoon, and with only one room left, the owner gave us a reduced rate. It turned out to be a price that was comparable to most boring, "pillbox" hotels. I will say that after staying in an awesome old house like this, I never want to stay in a conventional hotel again.

After checking in we headed to downtown Asheville. Living in Chattanooga, I thought our downtown area was pretty cool. While Asheville is smaller than 'Nooga, the central business district has a lot more to choose from when it comes to dining options. There are a ton of local restaurants. Amanda was in the mood for Mediterranean food. I was apprehensive at first, but we eventually decided on a place called the Jerusalem Garden Cafe. I was impressed. My food wasn't exactly 100% Mediterranean - I had a crab-covered filet with smashed potatoes - but I loved the atmosphere (which included belly dancing!). Amanda loved it as well. I think we concluded that it was certainly worth 4 stars out of 5.

So after an exciting first day in Asheville we were pretty tired. We headed back to our incredibly comfortable room and crashed for the night. We had a great night of sleep and woke up on Easter Sunday ready for a great second day, of which I'll write about soon.

If you're interested in seeing my entire photo album of Day 1, check out my photo sets on either Flickr or Facebook.

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

Well it's spring once again. How do I know it? It doesn't matter what the temperature is. It doesn't matter that it's been in the high 80s earlier in the week, or that it will only be in the 50s late this week. Blooms on the Dogwoods and Bradford Pears could happen in mid-March, but it still wouldn't mean it's spring. Nope... the beginning of spring, for me, is when I first hear that legendary Dave Loggins instrumental tune simply entitled "Augusta". The Masters golf tournament, played every year in early April, signals the turn of the calendar from the cold winter months to the rebirth and renewal of the spring season.

Alright, now that I've waxed poetic for a few moments... yeah, it's time for the 2010 Masters. I'm excited. I absolutely love this golf tournament. Simply put, Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Period. If you disagree, you must have a bias against the game of golf. The lush green grass set against the vibrant reds, pinks, and whites of the azaleas are just visually stunning. The music is classic, calming, optimistic even. And of course, the golf is some of the best that you'll watch. I haven't been too happy with the winners the last few years, but regardless, it has made for some exciting viewing. Last year's final round dramatics where Kenny Perry let the Green Jacket slip through his hands was ultimately fun to watch, but so heartbreaking at the same time.

So now the big storyline this year, as it is almost ever year, is Tiger Woods. He's returning from therapy for his "sexual addiction" and promiscuity. His wife has apparently left him, and Tiger is trying to pick up the pieces from both his marriage and his career (especially his sponsorships). He hasn't played since November. Nobody knows how the crowd will respond to them, though most assume it will be positive. Still, there could be demons haunting him when he takes to the first tee tomorrow.

Honestly, I was a big fan of Tiger. I liked his competitiveness. I'm not an "underdog" kind of guy. I liked seeing him when tournaments, and by large margins. He didn't seem like the nicest guy in the world, but hey, I don't know him personally. All he has to do is entertain me when he's on TV. Now, was I mad at him for what he did? Yes. Cheating on your spouse is something the lowest of people do. Forgiveness does not and should not come easy. I wish Tiger hadn't done it, both for himself, his wife Elin, and myself, so I wouldn't feel so bad for still liking him. But like him I do. I want to see him win. I want to see him dominate. Then, I want him to cry at the press conference and show actual emotion while again begging his fans, and his family, for forgiveness.

That being said, my official prediction for the 2010 Masters Champion? Ernie Els. No specific reason why, but it seems like he deserves. My alternate pick is Ian Poulter. I wouldn't be happy, but it could happen. I will say Tiger finishes in the Top 10.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I have written several negative blogs over the last week. If you are a conservative like me, it's hard not to have a pessimistic view of the country at the moment. Heck, I'll say that everybody should at least be fearful of what the current administration is doing. Liberals used to yell that Bush was "stripping away personal liberties", which is laughable at best when you compare Bush to the current yokel in office. Actually, it's hard to call Obama a yokel; he's a very intelligent man, just an intelligent man that likes the idea of power. And our government is quickly gaining way too much power over the people. But I digress.

Chattanooga is an amazing place to live. To me, it represents the perfect combination of "big city" amenities, shopping opportunities, restaurants, things to do, and just overall funness (to coin a word) with a small-town atmosphere. Geez, that sounds like something that could be in a travel brochure. But seriously, it's pretty awesome. So take that awesomeness and combine it with a sunny day, not a single cloud in the sky, and temperatures around 70. Man, talk about a beautiful day. That's exactly what we had today.

For a geographer, Chattanooga is the perfect combination of different landscapes. As I took a drive today I was able to follow a path along the Tennessee River, winding around small inlets and bays and up and down hills. The Bradford pear trees are in full bloom, so that is a nice change from the mostly prevalent bareness on the branches of other trees. As I turned west and headed over to the Soddy-Daisy area, I was able to drive along the base of Mowbray Mountain and Walden's Ridge. More beautiful scenery. Then I looped back east through Red Bank and traveled up and down the narrow residential streets that criss-cross the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. You can literally look eastward from the tops of these ridges and see mountains in North Carolina. That is powerful. It's the kind of view that makes you stop and just thank God that for a small moment in time you were able to gaze at His creations and forget about your daily struggles. That's actually something I recommend that more people do, whether you are looking at mountains or whatever it may be.

I didn't get a chance to take any pictures today. I actually went with my girlfriend and her beautiful daughters as they shopped for Easter dresses. Yes, I'm that domesticated. But I love 'em all and enjoy it. I'll leave you with a picture I took last year about this time, on an equally beautiful day. It shows one of my favorite places to go in Chattanooga, Coolidge Park. I've shown it on the blog before, but it is one of my favorites.

Until next time, y'all...

Franklin Pierce (yes, he was a president) Was Right

I know that Franklin Pierce is not generally regarded as one of our finer presidents - actually, I'm guessing most people couldn't even start to guess what number he was (14th). But I think his comments in an article in this morning's Chattanooga Times-FreePress were rather apropos. Actually, it wasn't so much an article as a slideshow that showed various healthcare bills and proposals that have been passed (or rejected) by Congress over the decades. You can see it here. It's an interesting look at how healthcare has been an issue since even the early 19th century, and has been a platform for both Democrats AND Republicans. Of course, one need only look at Abraham Lincoln to see that not all Republicans are in favor of small government. But Lincoln is a topic for another day.

Back to Pierce. After vetoing a proposed national mental health bill in 1854, he said it would be unconstitutional to regard health as anything but a private matter, and something in which government should not become involved. He then challenged Congress as to where the line would be drawn if the government were to indeed start to meddle in the people's health concerns. "I can not find any authority in the Constitution for making the Federal Government the great almoner of public charity throughout the United States," he wrote in his veto letter. If only we had somebody with his mental capacity - or at the very least, reverence for the Constitution - in the Oval Office today.  

The Constitution, in fact, was written for a collection of states that all had the autonomy to govern their people as they saw fit. It was only through the Civil War that Lincoln succeeded in his (un-Constitutional) goal to centralize the federal government and strip power from the individual states (is it any wonder Obama idolizes the "founder" of the modern Republican party?). On Sunday night, the traditional southern states (plus Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma) left no doubt whether they wanted to bear the burden of this healthcare bill. Of the sixteen, the bill was voted down by their representatives 104 - 44. Under the auspices of the Constitution, we southerners should be able to opt out of the federal bill. Try getting Washington to agree with that though.

Liberals will argue that the Constitution is out-dated, or is a "living" document that is supposed to "change with our times". I'll argue that most liberals are idiots and horse's asses.

Yay for Socialism

Well, for a year and a half we conservatives have been dreading this day. Late last night Obama and his minions/cronies were finally able to push their healthcare bill through the house with a vote of 219-212. All that's left is for the Senate to pass this final version of the bill, which they undoubtedly will. The United States is one step closer to having the health of the people be controlled by the government. A government that, for example, runs the Postal Service, an entity that is bleeding millions of dollars per year. "But oh", say the dimocrats, "that's completely different". Yeah. Sure it is.

What does this mean for the average Joe Schmoe, like you and I? Well I try to always be positive about things, I really do. I like to say that things are never as bad (or as good) as they seem to be on the surface. If (and this is a really big if) this plan somehow improves healthcare in America over the next decade, I'll gladly eat my words. No, seriously. Save a link to this post somewhere in your e-filing cabinet, and throw it in my face in ten years. I'm pretty confident that you won't have to.

I found an excellent commentary that scratches the surface on what you can expect from this bill: http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/index.html.

Basically, it's like this. Anybody that doesn't currently have insurance will be forced to buy some, or pay a penalty when tax time rolls around. What's that, all you dims thought that you would be "given" free healthcare. LOLZ. Guess again. But of course, we all know that the illegal immigrants and current welfare-recipients won't be paying for insurance OR the fines, either way. More on that in a moment.

Insurance companies will be forced to provide insurance to people, regardless of pre-existing conditions. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, necessarily; everybody needs access to SOMETHING. But let's be honest. The fact is, the insurance companies will have to shell out a ton of money to new insurees. Who do you think will bear that burden? Those of us that already have policies. Our premiums will sky-rocket, and if you don't believe that, you have your head up Nancy Pelosi's ass.


So when the public begins to cry out to Washington AGAIN, because of insurance premiums that they can't afford, what do you think the dimocrats will do? By George, they'll put in that public option. That's right. Everybody WILL have "free" healthcare then - or as I like to call it, socialized healthcare. But it won't be free. Those that still have a job - small businesses will be severely penalized by this healthcare bill, so there goes a large segment of available jobs - will be forced to bear the (ever-increasing) tax burden. There will be an ever-widening gap between the upper class and the lower class. The middle class will be all but gone, forced to bear the toughest burden of taxes to pay for the nation's healthcare.


Once the government is completely in control of your health, just think of all the taxes they'll impose. Let's see... sodas, candy, chocolate, etc.? They're all sugary foods that make people fat and increase healthcare costs. We'll tax those to keep people from buying them. Going to XYZ country may be a potential health risk, as statistics show diseases are a higher risk there? Why, we'll simply forbid you from going there (or you'll have to pay a stiff penalty if you do). Some lab somewhere develops a new medicinal supplement that "increases resistance to disease"? It won't be an option - you'll be forced to take it. The government will literally be able to inject you with anything they desire. If you think this feels very science-fictiony, you're right. But if you think it's out of the realm of possibility (somewhere down the line), refer to the above statement about Nancy Pelosi's derriere.

The thing that chaps me the most? Unless it was removed at some point that I'm unaware of, there is a provision to using taxpayer money to fund abortion. That's right, I will now get to pay for a process I consider to be murder. Lovely.

And if the American people somehow wake up to what's going on, and fiercely demand change in Washington? The dimocrats will just go and implement immigration reform, where they can literally declare millions of illegals to be US citizens so they can have their votes.

If you are still on the Obama bandwagon, that's fine. I doubt at this point anything I can say will change your mind. But I do hope this somehow wakens the American people to the liberties that are slowly being taken away from us. This is a small step towards the government controlling every aspect of our lives. And some of you may be alright with that. If so, you have a hell of a lot more confidence in the people we send to Washington (both dimocrat and Republican) than I do. I will never trust the government.

And now, having written this, if I disappear in a few days you'll all know why. It was nice knowing you.

Back in the "Swing of Things"

I'll admit that I am notoriously bad at updating this blog. It's been over three months since I had the hankerin' to do a new post. I don't suffer from a lack of things to talk about, by any means. I'm just lazy. But anyway, I'm back today, and as the title implies, I really do hope to get back to updating this thing semi-regularly. Today I present a series of thoughts and opinions that I currently have on the state of the world. Without further adieu...

1.) Current Events: Well right now you have natural disasters and our boob of a president dominating the news. The earthquake in Haiti was, well... bad. The earthquake in Chile, at least according to the Richter Scale, was badder. So bad, in fact, that it moved cities. Look, I feel bad for any and all people affected by these disasters. But at the same time, from a geographer's standpoint, the effects these earthquakes had on our planet are just really freakin' cool. A local GIS guy here in Chattanooga had some interesting thoughts on the subject that sort of sum up mine. I invite you to check out his thoughts (and his entire blog) right here.

2.) Current Events, Part II: Like I mentioned above, I guess the other big story capturing the headlines is the ongoing debate over the Democrats' healthcare reform proposals. Anybody that knows me knows that I am a pretty conservative guy. I am an avid supporter of smaller government (and yes, I know the fact that I work for the government is ironic). I could go on a several-thousand-word rant about this subject. The topic is talked about so much now, that I am starting to just not care anymore. I've lost the will to fight it. And maybe that was the Democrats' plan all along, I don't know. What I do know: our country is bleeding money by the millions. China is inching closer to owning us, in a very literal sense. We have the highest unemployment since, what, 1984? And yet, President Obama doesn't know how to talk about anything other than healthcare reform. Does healthcare in America need change (har har)? I certain areas, I'm sure it does (though I'm far from an expert on the subject). It just seems to me that there are more pressing concerns in our country right now. Like, oh I don't know... the economy (more on that in a moment). If the Democrats had tried to push through reform over the course of a few years, I think they could have been a lot more successful. Hopefully this all-or-nothing attempt will ultimately fail and they will be forced to go back to the drawing board. If it doesn't? I'll try to forget about it and go on with my life. I can't let politics dominate my day-to-day life and how I feel when I wake up in the morning. You shouldn't either.

3.) Economics (or Current Events, Part III): Hey, did you notice the price of gas is creeping back up again? Buying groceries is now outrageously expensive? That, kiddos, is what we call the beginnings of inflation. I'm no economics major, and I would be lying if I sat here and tried to explain the processes of inflation (or stagflation) or whatever it may be that's happening. But I can understand that when the government is giving away billion-dollar stimulus packages left and right, expanding government services whenever possible, and running the printing presses double-time to produce all this extra cash... it can't be good. The value of the dollar will naturally drop. When you couple that with that fact that most businesses (or in my case, a county government) can't afford to give their employees raises... uh oh. Can I rewind about five years and choose a different major? One that doesn't leave me hovering near the poverty line? Crap.

4.) Entertainment: Oh well, on to happier subjects. Like television, our escape from reality. Well, unless all you watch is reality shows (personally I hate them all). My recommendation for what to watch currently centers around the CBS network. Specifically, Monday through Wednesday is full of all kinds of win. My personal favorites at the moment: How I Met Your Mother. Two and a Half Men. Big Bang Theory. CSI Miami. NCIS. NCIS: Los Angeles. Criminal Minds. All of those shows are worth your time, in my opinion. At the movie theater, the last flick I caught was Sherlock Holmes, though I admit that was two months ago. Holmes gets two big thumbs up from me, and is worth checking out on DVD here soon. Just a note: I neither saw Avatar, nor have any desire whatsoever to do so in the near or distant future. It just LOOKS stupid. Call me crazy (or worse), but sometimes, I simply base decisions that I make in life on the "stupid test". Does it look, sound, or appear to be stupid? If so, I probably won't do it.

5.) Sports: Finally, let's take a look at the sports world. Since I last wrote, our beloved Crimson Tide of Alabama won the 2010 BCS National Championship. To see I was happy about that was a bit of an understatement. The basketball team was far from replicating that same success, but hey, I'm trusting Coach Grant to get things turned around eventually. The NCAA tournament is now upon us - a time of the year that gamblers everywhere look forward to like Christmas morning. Baseball is next up, with spring training having already started. While I usually get bored with it by the time August (and football) gets here, I'm usually excited this time of the year. I'll try to get my look at the 2010 Atlanta Braves up within a few days.

Finally, I'll leave you with a few things that I am diggin' right now, and a few other final, random thoughts...

• I'm diggin' Thai food. The spicier, the better. I'll blame my not knowing about this until my 26th year to the fact that Florence is a culinary wasteland when it comes to anything outside of Applebee's, Chili's, or various local catfish restaurants.
• I'm diggin' this blog. It's called "UniWatch", and is one guy's look at all things uniform-related when it comes to sports. It may sound cheesy or boring at first, but I promise, it's got some really cool stuff. Paul is an interesting writer, even though he is a damned Yankee that gives way too much love to hockey and curling, of all things.
• I'm diggin' The Sims 3. Geeky? Sure. But man, is it an easy way to kill an hour or five.
• Random thought: Florence is boring, unless you have kids. I've learned that children love Deibert Park, and to a lesser extent, River Heritage Park. Watching them have fun can bring you joy. But when a 27 year old male goes to Florence alone and tries to find something to pass the time? Oy. Good luck. There's only so much fun to be squeezed out of going to Regency Square or, gulp... Wal-Mart (shudder at the memories).
• Random thought: There is a new thang called "Moblogging", which is basically, updating your blog via your mobile phone. I might be giving this a shot, since my attention span (being that of a monkey on crack) rarely allows me time to update the site.
• Random, final thought: Geotagging, or the art of assigning a geographic location to a blog post, tweet, Facebook status update, etc.... it's really cook. 'Specially for a geo-geek like me. 

Final, final thought/shameless plug... if you aren't already, please follow me on Twitter (@chrisholder) and Google Buzz (chrisholder262@gmail.nospam.com), removing the "nospam" in that Gmail address there. Thanks, and until next time, my friends...