Video Blog: 11/27/07

This is my first shot at video blogging. Leave me a comment and tell me if you love it or hate it.

Here’s some companion links from the video blog:

What to do when Firefox bites the dust

CNN - No StylesheetLast night the power went out at our house. Not once, but twice. After the first outage, I restarted my computer and set out to do a little web-surfing. When I opened FireFox and went to CNN.com, it was immediately apparent that something wasn't quite right. CNN looked like the image to the left. Other sites  I visited were having similar issues. I went through every possible option screen and was not able to solve the issue. When the power went out the second time, I decided to pack it in for the night. 

When trying to fix the issue the following morning with a clear head, there was still no luck. At this point it's looking like there is a corrupted file that's causing Firefox to act up. I was left with one option: re-install Firefox. As easy as that may sound, there's more to it than you might think.

The problem is, if you go to Control Panel and use the Add/Remove programs feature to get rid of Firefox, after you are done, there are still several files and registry entries remaining on your machine. If you then re-install Firefox, it's possible that the corrupted file may not get updated and your Firefox install will still be messed up. This is what happened to me the first time.

Here are the steps you need to take in order to completely remove Firefox from your machine BEFORE reinstalling:

  1. (optional) Export your bookmarks (video how-to)
  2. (optional) Create a list of currently installed extensions
  3. Uninstall Firefox using the Add/Remove Programs function in Control Panel
    [Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Mozilla Firefox]
  4. Remove application data that's not automatically deleted in the previous step be deleting the Firefox directory located here: c:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Mozilla\
  5. Delete the previous Firefox install directory located here: c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\
  6. Remove registry entries for Firefox using Regedit [Start -> Run -> regedit]. Search for and remove the following entries:

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxHTML]
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla]
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MozillaPlugins]
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Mozilla]
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MozillaPlugins]

Once you've completed these steps, restart your machine. Use Internet Explorer to http://firefox.com/ to download the latest version of Firefox. Once you've installed the new software, you can import your bookmarks, reload your extensions and if all goes well, your Firefox install will be good as new. Thankfully, mine was. 

rarely usedAs smooth as I made this sound, my battle with Firefox last night/this morning didn't go as smoothly as it should have. To start with, I forgot to backup my bookmarks so they are all gone. However, one funny thing did come up. When using the "Add/Remove" programs, menu, I had to chuckle when I saw the status for how often I used FireFox says "rarely". Considering I use the software for several hours every single day, it makes me wonder exactly how much time you must put in for that rating to say something like "often".

Hopefully you won't need this information any time soon. But if you do, I hope this helps you out.

Poker & bloggers


Two of my favorite things….

While walking the floor at blogworldexpo, i met the folks from utterz.com. Their service lets you post text, photo, video or audio directly to your blog or social networking profile directly from your phome. Everything you post within a 10 minute window gets put together as a mashup post.
Mobile post sent by Vegasgeek using Utterz.  Replies.

Happy Birthday geeeek.com

It’s hard to believe, but it was seven years ago today that I purchased geeeek.com. Several people over the years asked why I came up with geeeek.com with four “E”s and not some other random number of duplicate letters. The reason had to do with the purchase of a car. I had just bought a pick-up truck and was trying to come up with a personalized license plate idea. “geek” was already taken. I had already seen “webgeek” and “netgeek” driving around in my area, so I figured I would just fill up all 7 available letters that California lets you have. So, I tried to purchase “GEEEEEK”. It was taken. I was a little bit surprised. So, I shortened it by 1 and a “GEEEEK” was born. I followed it up by purchasing the domain name shortly after without having any real plan for what I was going to do with it.

Over the years the site has gone through many a design change. I used the WayBack machine to walk down Amnesia Lane. One of the first designs for the site was “borrowed” directly from eudora.com. The first recorded page is from April 1st, 2001.

While browsing archive.org, I realized that some of my earliest blog posts were actually written about a year before their dates that are listed on the current site. At some point during a switch over, some dates must have gotten munched. Oops.

It took just over 2 full years before geeeek.com became a blog. Back then I went through several different tools for producing the blog. It wasn’t until 1/21/2004 that I installed WordPress and then migrated all the posts over. At the time of this writing, geeeek.com has 276 posts. Here are some of my favorite posts from over the years.

My first blog post is still one of my favorites, and, the annoyance of the Ketchup Burger still plagues me today! Actually, looking back at my first month of posting, I wrote a lot about my annoyances with fast food. Here is another gem from the fast food industry from 2005.

One post that has consistantly driven traffic to my site since the day I wrote it was a short post from November of 2003 about the game show Press Your Luck and the guy who basically held the show hostage and won over $110,000. Much of that traffic is from my #1 listing on Google for the search term “No Whammys”.

Back in Feb of 2004 I got the tattoo that will forever tell the world that I am a geek.

While going through my history, I realize I complain about the medical profession quite a lot. Some examples: Here, Here and Here

Ahh, the story of my first ever live No-Limit poker tournament. I had been playing poker for a while and this was certainly not my first tournament, but, I always had stuck to limit poker and I had even played some Omaha tournaments. It’s a shame that Nevada Palace will be gone in less than a year from now and will be replaced by a new casino. Actually, it’s not a shame at all. What was I thinking?

It was in August of 2004 that I realized how scary the word “Cancer” can be when the doctor is talking you you. This turned out to be cancer round 1. Round 2 happened in May of 2007.

Back in April 2005 I got to drive a race car 130+ MPH and didn’t have to worry about the police chasing me.

I played in my first World Series of Poker event in June of 2005. I realize now how little I knew about the game back then…

In January 2006 I found out that my wife has the tendency to be way tougher than I am at certain times…

In February of this year I went on a diet and started exercising. I’ve since lost over 30 pounds.

In June of 2007 I wrote the post that got the most comments so far. Catching somebody stealing turned out to be a hot topic.

Over the years I have written about so many different topics. My site has gone from being a personal blog to a poker blog, to a collection of movie and book reviews and recently it went on a little trip to being an Internet marketing blog. I can’t say for sure where it’s going to end up. I like writing about Internet marketing and the cool tips and tricks that are out there. But, I also like writing about so many other topics that it’s hard for me to stay focused. I’m pretty sure what I need to do is settle on one main genre for this site and then create different blogs for different purposes. I have already started a new one for my dieting / fitness and a different one for writing about poker. I’ll have to see what topic comes up next.

I hope to see you all still here in 7 more years.

Thanks for hanging out.

The race to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

After nearly 10 years from when it all started, the final book in the Harry Potter series was released this past weekend and I, like so many others, had my copy delivered that first day. My plan was simple: read the book as quickly as possible before hearing too many spoilers (Snape Kills Dumbledore) from every news source on the planet. This includes blogs, forums, myspace, youtube and the sometimes loudmouthed coworkers who read faster than I do but can’t help talking about the book within earshot.

Well, I can gladly say that I have made it through to the end of the
book and had avoided hearing too many secrets the book had in store! However, James from my office had downloaded and read (prior to release day) a fake version of the book. Today, while giving him a ride home he recounted how the fake was different than the real book (which he scanned, but did not read fully) and then proceeded to tell me some details of the fake version. As I was closing in on the end of the story, some of the details he talked about were happening in the book. While they were some really minor points, they started to mount up and I was certain that I was going to have to greet him Monday morning when he returns from vacation with a swift kick to the nuts. Had that become necessary he would have gladly accepted the punishment as it had been clearly stated that this would have been the price for spilling the beans prior to me having finished the book on my own.

The book is quite good and I don’t think any of the Harry Potter fans out there are going to be disappointed by it.J.K. Rowling says this will be the last book in the Harry Potter series, but if you simply can not get your fill, you can always go the route of Fan Fiction.

Watching a site grow

The process for launching a new website is, to me, pretty fun. First you come up with the idea of what you want to do. Then you have to decide on the design, what software is going to run it, do you want to use somebody else’s or write your own, how are you going to make it popular, how are you going to maintain it, etc, etc, etc…

So, by the time you get it launched, you are usually tired of seeing the design, you aren’t sure your idea is that great, you doubt anybody will want to see it, and so on. But, you have to push past all that and keep your enthusiasm up in order for your site to have any chance of making it.

That’s where I’m at right now with wellwtf.com. I’ve launched it, shown it around and have even brought on half a dozen other authors in order to keep the site fresh with new content at least on a daily basis, and usually more like 2-4 times per day. So far, so good. There has been a steady flow of content. Now, the trick… getting other people to see it!

I’m obviously trying to drive traffic to the site as cheaply as possible. I don’t want to go out and spend a bunch of money at this point since the site really isn’t making anything. Plus, I’ve set it up where I only get a very small amount of the revenue potential from the site. I’ve got it set up where the other authors are all able to share in the profits from the site which makes it worth it for them (in theory) to keep posting fresh content. Plus, the other authors all work as excellent viral marketing machines! They do just like they would with anything else they find on the internet, pass the link on to their buddies. There’s no better form of marketing in my opinion.

Still, you need to get your site linked from other sites that have traffic. The site has already been referenced from a few other sites who have found stories they have re-posted which is the first baby steps in the process. You can check out our incoming links at Technorati.

I’ve found a couple traffic generating sites that are pretty slick ideas. The first is a site called Tag-a-cloud. You place a banner on your site and the more clicks you get on your banner going to their site, the more points you earn. The more points you have, the bigger/better/brighter your link on their site becomes. They increase your font size, the color, the weight, etc.. for your outbound link. You also get points for people clicking on your link from their site. So, basically, it’s a win-win situation for the site.

The other site I found is a newer site, but one that I think has HUGE potential. I’m getting in basically on the ground floor of this one. The site is called LifeTimeTextLink.com. Basically what you are doing is bidding on placement for your link in their link directory. But, the really cool part is, your site visitors, if they like your site, they can help out by also donating to your text link. To check out the process (and, hey, to help out Well, WTF?), Click here and check out how the process works. You simply bid any account ($1.00 minimum) and your payment increases the bid for Well, WTF?. The more bids it gets, the higher it ranks on the list. The top 5 links remain on the front page, and also, you are ranked on the alphabetical listing page. It’s a pretty sweet idea and I’m excited to be a part of it.

So, there ya go. A quick update on my little project. It’s just now getting it’s legs and I’m really looking forward to what the next few months have in store for it. I’ve got a really good feeling about this one.

But tattoos are permanent

In June, my wife and I will celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Holy crap, that’s a long ass time!

We’ve had this long running joke, which isn’t so much a joke as it is common sense. It usually starts off with somebody asking me if I have my wife’s name tattooed on my body. The response is always the same, “What, are you crazy? Tattoos are permanent.”

So, it’s sorta been a mutual agreement that no matter how long we were together, we wouldn’t cross that line and tattoo one-another’s names on our bodies. Well, this past Monday, I broke that agreement.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Chris didn’t seem upset when I surprised her with it Monday night. Actually, I think she was just short of giddy.

To answer your obvious questions:
- No, it wasn’t the most painful tattoo I’ve ever received (actually, it was barely even uncomfortable)
- It healed in about 3 days
- No, my lip did not swell up like a balloon
- Yes, I am crazy to be getting the inside of my lip tattooed

My tattoo artist put a photo of the tattoo up on his blog taken minutes after it was done. You can check it out here if you’d like.

Total product satisfaction

Rarely do you find a product that, after the pre-sale hype and after you’ve plunked down your money and got the new product home and some time goes by and you find yourself 100% totally happy with a product. Well, it’s happened to me with my Samsung Blackjack phone.

Here’s a list of some features & benefits I’m enjoying:

- For starters, it’s thin enough to carry in the pocket of any pair of jeans, shorts or even slacks without feeling like I’m carrying a brick. This was a big issue for me as I recently had a pocket PC phone that was just too bulky to carry around on a daily basis. I found myself leaving it at my desk whenever I walked away. Not with the blackjack. I take it with me everywhere.

- Internet speed. On my old pocket PC phone, the internet access was so slow, I basically stopped using it. I don’t know if it’s just Cingular boosting things up and it’s all just nice timing, but I don’t really care. My access is quick and that’s good enough for me.

- Superior photo and video capabilities. I love being able to shoot a quick video whenever we are out. My last phone had a camera built in but it didn’t shoot video and the photos were terrible. Now that I’ve gotten used to taking photos with it, the quality is really starting to show through.

- I’m able to check my pop3 geeeek.com AND my gmail account. This is so great. My previous phone allowed for one connection. Who the hell has only one email address these days? sheesh!

- Bluetooth. I realize this feature is basically standard on nearly all blackberrys, etc… but I really love it. I have a bluetooth connection in my car so it’s quite simple to have a conversation and keep both hands on the wheel.

- It’s durable. I’ve already dropped it about 5 times and there isn’t a scratch on it and nothing internally wasdamaged.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. I’ll just leave you with this… if you are in the market for a new phone, I strongly suggest you check it ou.

Addictive personality? Who, me?

I had a very funny conversation today with my buddy Scott. He was telling me how he had sold part of a collection of items related to a hobby he had purchased a while back but doesn’t use any more. The thing that made me laugh is that he’s exactly the same as I am when it comes to hobbies. If I’m in to it, I am WAY in to it. There isn’t such a thing as “testing it out.” If the idea strikes me, I go buy it all. And, I’m also real quick to pick up new hobbies. If it looks like fun, I want to try it. After buying all the accessories first, of course…

So, what’s the hobby of the week, John? Guitar Hero 2, thanks for asking.

I had seen the game a while back and it looked like fun. I wanted to try it out, but didn’t. Then, last Saturday we were at a party and just as we were leaving, Hargrove was showing up with his PS2 and Guitar Hero. On Monday I found out that Justin played until about 4:30 am. This, to me, was an indication the game is worth trying. So this means, of course, buying it right away.

After my dental appointment on Wednesday, I slept on the couch for about two and a half hours before eating a small dinner, watching Lost and then heading up stairs to bed. Then, on Thursday, after my dental appointment, I didn’t take a nap, but instead tried to get some work done. With the amount of novicane still in my body and perhaps the fact that I had taken some Tylenol with Codine prior to the dentist, my head was just not clear enough to get any work done. So, I told Chris, “I want to go to Toys R Us and buy Guitar Hero.” 10 minutes later we are in the car and on our way.

After getting back, I sat down and tried to work for a while… That, of course, went nowhere and I ended up playing Guitar Hero until about 12:30. Then, today I won an auction on eBay for a new Guitar Hero controller. It’s a wireless flying V guitar. Freakin’ cool! Can’t wait for it to show up.

Last night while playing on the easy level, I was able to hack my way through the songs. I didn’t do great on any of them, but I did OK on most of them. I then moved up to the medium level and my results weren’t as good. It’s going to take some practice, that’s for sure. Then, for a completely humbling experience, I put it on Expert and lasted approximately 16 seconds before they booed me off stage. Then, to top it off, I found a video on you tube of an 8 year old kid playing a song on the expert level and just shredding. At one point, he turns around isn’t even looking at the screen and is STILL shredding! I hate that little brat!

But, I did get a bit of a reprieve, though. I was sent a link to a video of Scott Ian of Anthrax playing an Anthrax song on Guitar Hero on the easy level and getting booed off stage. Sweet!

Well, gotta go. Rock super stardom awaits.

Hockey, dentists & nipple tattoos

How’s that for a title, huh?

It’s been a while since I’ve written so I have a few things to cover…

I spent the weekend playing in a hockey tournament with my buddies from California. That was a lot of fun. We managed to go undefeated in the round robin portion but ended up losing in the finals. We still had a great time hanging out with friends, drinking and gambling. I hadn’t played hockey in about 6 months so I was seriously feeling drained. Then, I ended up with a major head cold starting Saturday morning, so that didn’t help much, either. We got together for a poker tourney at my place on Saturday afternoon and the guys were nice enough to put a bounty on my head. Somebody said it was a sign of respect. I just thought it was a way for Dom to draw all attention away from himself so he could go on to the victory (he split first place with my wife, who knocked me out). I’m on to you, Dom. Next year, I’m personally putting up a bounty on your head. Oh, and as per usual, Dar and I shaved mohawks for the tourney. A tradition that goes back a few years. This year, Pat decided to join in the fun. You can check out a photo of it here.

On Monday night I went and had a tattoo session with Austin. We pretty much finished the work on my chest. I thought for sure I was going to wimp out and only be able to do an hour or so. But, somehow I sat through the entire 3 hour session without once begging for a break. Hot damn! I’m just stoked that it’s finished. You can check out some of the tattoo project photos here. The most fun part, of course, was the area around the nipple. Yikes that is a painful spot. You can check that video out here:

Then, to finish things off, tonight I had a dentist appointment to replace the temporary teeth they had put in place while making my crowns. Sucky part #1, no anesthetic. Just walk in, sit down and they start yankin’, scrapin’ and pullin’. No fun at all. Sucky part #2, while the crown on the bottom feels perfect, the two on top feel odd. I can’t describe exactly how it feels, but it doesn’t feel right. If things don’t get better by mid day tomorrow, I’m gonna have to head back. I certainly don’t want to be going the whole weekend with my teeth feeling less than great.

UPDATE: After waking up in the morning, my teeth no longer hurt or feel odd. Woo hoo! All seems right in the world, again.

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