One of my favorite discoveries is Google Apps. I'm currently using it for several things. For example, I setup my dad's store with Google Apps, which allows them to receive their e-mail to a web-based mail account that is basically Gmail. They are able to use mail addresses for their own domain, but still take advantage of the excellent Google spam-filtering. Also, the management of e-mail addresses can be done by people other than me, including password resets and new account creations. It's done through the Google tool so no extra privileges are necessary on the local network.

I personally use Google Apps because it allows me to setup several e-mail addresses for different domains, which I can manage from a single mailbox. I can easily choose which account e-mail should be sent from by simply picking the name from a drop-down menu. Also, it uses Google's storage, so if I don't check my messages frequently it doesn't eat up the storage for my web page.

It may seem stupid to most people, but I have to say that this is one of my favorite tools. Best of all, it's free to use. NOW, on to the gripe (you knew there was one coming, right?).

A few nights ago I was consolidating several e-mail accounts. I had some mailboxes that I accessed using Thunderbird, some through Yahoo! Mail and some through Gmail. I ran into a problem as I was setting up two particular mailboxes. As I was testing the setup I discovered that both mailboxes would not receive mail from Yahoo! Mail. I could send the e-mail using any other method - standard POP, Hotmail (blech), Gmail, etc. and it would go right through. When I sent the message using Yahoo! Mail it never made it through. To add to the mystery, the non-functioning addresses both consisted of only two letters. Addresses at the same domain with more letters worked fine.

After spending too much time trying to find the problem I finally gave up and went to bed. The next night I sat down to try again only to discover that strangely all the mail came through and I had about two dozen e-mails sitting in my inbox. Another odd thing is that the mail had apparently come in over the course of an hour or two instead of all at once.

So, everything is working now but I have no idea what the problem was or how it was resolved. Oh, well.

Next up - Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Linux and the words I thought I'd never say.

And now, on to the inane ranting.

I recently decided to upgrade the memory on my computer. There are a few computer parts that I'm picky about: I only use Crucial memory, Intel processors and Western Digital hard drives. I used to use Maxtor drives exclusively, but they were acquired by Seagate and one thing I've learned is to never trust a Seagate drive with your data unless you make very regular backups. Anyway, I was talking about upgrading memory...

I'm not sure why, but I used the Crucial online memory scanner to detect my current memory configuration. It detected the memory correctly and I placed an order based on it's recommendation. When the memory actually came it was PC2700 instead of the PC3200 I currently have in my system, even though the scan tool correctly identified my current memory as PC3200. I called Crucial and had them issue an RMA for the PC2700 and asked them to ship PC3200. It took about a week to receive the new memory, but it finally arrived and I installed it right away.

After installing the memory the computer wouldn't boot. It wouldn't even give a POST beep. I took out the old memory and it worked fine. It worked with only the new memory and only the old, but not with both.

I called Crucial again and the tech indicated that they could send me some Crucial memory instead of Samsung memory. I was under the impression that when I bought memory from Crucial that it would be Crucial memory, but apparently this is not the case. Anyway, the tech said he was confident that the new memory he was going to send would correct the problem.

The new memory came surprisingly fast. I installed it and eagerly started up my computer. I had the exact same problem. New memory works, old memory works, but they won't work together. After removing the new memory from the computer to put it in the anti-static package I realized that they had sent me PC2700 memory again. This time when I called them I just asked for a refund.

I was further annoyed by the fact that I paid to shipped the first two orders back. While waiting for Customer Service to provide an RMA I asked them why I should be expected to pay to ship two incorrect orders and one incompatible one. The answer was that they would send me a return label for the third order. This is something that they possibly should have mentioned the first time I had to make a return. Anyway, now I have to decide whether to order Crucial memory from somewhere else, try another brand or just forget the upgrade altogether.

Well, this went on longer than I planned. Stay tuned to read about the struggle between Google Apps and Yahoo! Mail.

I'm going to break up my postings since half of the recent happenings will be uninteresting to a large segment of you. Family stuff will be discussed now - other stuff later...

We had our first opportunity to call Poison Control recently. I'll probably be reported to CPS, but Chase got his hands on a bottle of Lysol Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner. He had only been out of the room for a very brief moment, but when I went to check on him he was walking down the hall carrying the bottle and seemed to be offended by a taste in his mouth. The cleaner had a very distinct minty smell, so we smelled his breath and, sure enough, his mouth had the same minty smell. We didn't know the extent of ingestion, so we called Poison Control. Fortunately, it appears that he may have put his mouth on the bottle, but didn't actually get any in his mouth.

In other news, we recently acquired a new vehicle. We weren't planning on another car for several years, but when we tried to fit three car seats into the back of our current car they just wouldn't fit. The process of dealing with a car dealership is dreadful at best. We liked the salesperson we worked with at Bill Pearce Honda, but I think there was an honesty/integrity issue with the guy that was "helping" her. When all was said and done, we came out okay, but the experience exemplified why we hate shopping for cars. Unfortunately, Bill Pearce Honda will not see us again when we need another car and they definitely won't be recommended by us.

In miscellaneous news, Chase is still diggin' the nursery at church and Emilie is hangin' tough with the pregnancy. We've been lucky to have Emilie's family over regularly to help with Chase and housework. I think Emilie's going a little crazy since she doesn't know when to expect the babies to come. Emilie doesn't like surprises and this is a big one.

We can all pretty much agree that movie offerings have been lacking this year. Spiderman 3 (more of the same), Pirates 3 (more of the same) and a lot of blah blah. Everything changed this week as the most anticipated movie of all time hit theaters. Transformers has received lacking reviews from critics, but normal viewers seem to think better of the movie. I finally took the time to go see it today. This movie may be the best movie ever. Seriously. There are some gaping holes in the story and plot, but the movie seemed aware of that fact and moved right along. Honestly, I'm surprised the plot was as cohesive as it was considering it was based solely on bunch of toys.

Mike went to see the movie on opening night and tipped me off that I was going to be ticketed by one of the trailers before the movie. On the contrary, I was actually intrigued. Mike's assumption was based on my reaction to the ClearStar/Sierra Schools Credit Union campaign. The trailer for the unnamed movie was actually really cool. It has obviously generated a lot of interest. The big difference here is that no one cares about a credit union. To make such a big deal about changing the name of a credit union is akin to creating a billboard announcing that it's time for me to trim my toenails.

My main worry is that it would be difficult for the movie to live up to the hype it is creating - especially when it is being put right next to Transformers.

Anyway, what's up with the heat? It's stinkin' hot.

I've been anxious to write an entry about how to order a Jr. Cheeseburger at Wendy's, but the truth is that I have no idea how. You would think that it's as simple as asking for a Jr. Cheeseburger; however, experience has shown that this is not the case.

A while back I ordered a Jr. Cheeseburger but mistakenly received a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. I was disappointed, but didn't think much about it. The next time I ordered a Jr. Cheeseburger I received a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe. As I choked down (literally!) my erroneous burger I decided that every time I go to Wendy's I will order a Jr. Cheeseburger to see how many times they give me the wrong thing. Before your finger starts wagging, I will tell you that I always make a reasonable effort to get the right item. These efforts include using phrasing such as "I would like a regular Jr. Cheeseburger. Just the regular one, not deluxe" or "I would like a Jr. Cheeseburger. The .95 one. The regular Jr. Cheeseburger." Nothing works. I think I've probably received the wrong burger about 10 times in a row since I began my experiment.

I had a limited amount of time for lunch yesterday, so I hit Wendy's again (it's close to the office). I ordered the Jr. Cheeseburger. As soon as I took it out of the bag I could feel that it was too thick and too heavy. I unwrapped it and my worst fear was realized. I experienced a moment of rage and I started to go back to Wendy's with the intention of confronting the manager. I started to chicken out, but then strengthened my resolve and went in. As a result, I got the correct burger and they let me keep the "deluxe" burger, too.

I don't want free burgers! I want a Jr. Cheeseburger!

If I ever figure out how to get it I'll be sure to let you know.