word!

I’m disappointed in Geni.com. They have all the makings of a neat, Web 2.0 company that just happens to focus on genealogy.

But I can’t get behind it. I realize it’s in beta, but there is one small thing that irks me and I’m sure it’s a deal breaker. As I have played around extensively with genealogy software like Legacy here and PHPGedView here, I’ve tried and test drove most genealogy software out there.

The one and only thing that has me not investing more time/effort into Geni is the fact that when you add women it does nothing about maiden names. It assumes whomever you add them off is their name. I for one recognize women by their maiden names and don’t appreciate typing/ retyping in every maiden name because of a software shortfall.

Geni is promising. But I’m waiting for them to work out all their beta features. Maybe then I dip my toes back in.

Surprise, surprise.

With a giant eye on the future of technology, the government has decided it no longer needs analog TV signals transmitting a loved and long cherished obsession. So out with the old and in with the new – digital TV.

Oh, but wait, the populous will need to either a) buy new TVs with a digital tuner or b) get a setup converter to dumb down digital broadcasts. This in itself has led to a great reason for most people to ditch the old clunker TV that in many cases would still work fine for years to come. This is regardless if they actually would need a digital TV for general viewing, do to the fact that cable and satellite TV are already digital pictures.

That leaves the rest of us, namely the poor and/or rural left with the other option – convert the digital to analog. The government in it’s wisdom decides that since these boxes will sell for 40+ that it will offer a discount on these boxes, which for almost obvious reasons will never cost just $40. Rather than provide the masses these setup converters free via a local federal institution (i.e. Post Office), they sell them at any electronics shop.

Wal-mart, the king of cheap, promptly has a run on these as they are about the only company willing to sell them near cost. This pushes the rest of the suckers out to the high priced outfits that sell these units for greatly inflated prices.

While a fairly easy device to set up, the devil is in the details. Now instead of one remote for a TV, you must either juggle two or figure out a quasi universal remote to function as your goto TV manipulator. Yuck. I don’t really wanna power on/off two things just to watch my old TV. No doubt this in itself is another great ploy for you to go out and upgrade TVs as well.

While is awesome to have a weather station affiliated with KARE TV and a FOX affiliate out of Mankato, it’s just another bunch of fairly useless TV options to flip through.

I can’t imagine what the uproar will be when all those poor, unenlightened and/or old people find next that things don’t work like they had. After all, that’s who will be the most effected by this turnover. The government will be to blame for selling out this demographic in return for the millions they can make by auctioning off the old TV spectrum we loved. They will also be giving the electronics industry a second boost by people scrapping out their old TVs for something that just plain works without all the trouble and pain this transition.

What a joke!

Wow is that a plowed field or a gravel township road?

Kinda hard to imagine having to drive through such a ‘plowed field’ just to get to town. Ah, only in Sibley Township,Sibley County Minnesota could we pay for such a convenience.

I like the township supervisor’s advice. That we should drive to the west, a few miles totally out of our way until they take down the road closed signs. Not to mention to the west is another township.

Good work boys. Maybe you can plow the furrow down the middle of our road before the next big downpour like you always do…

I have recently had the divine opportunity for smuggling of a little known product back from across the Mason-Dixon Line. It’s Cheerwine and it’s a nectar from the gods.

Well, maybe not. It’s a great soda (not pop mind you) that’s like a Cherry Pepsi and Dr. Pepper mixed.

How did I find out about this stuff? My sister had some when she was in Carolina and said it was okay, but having heard it hyped a few places, I needed to see what the deal was about this beverage. So I had the sister pick some up on a recent trip to the Carolinas. And I was not disappointed!

Now if I can find a constant supply/supplier, I can maintain my fix on this wine. Word is it’s available in Duluth, Bernicks from St. Cloud,Mn; and Iowa. I do get to these locales, just not often enough to actually scout out where Cheerwine may be sold.

Just would like to tell you that I have asked Elyssa, my girlfriend of 19 months from Brownton, Mn to marry me. And she said yes!!!

The special occasion occurred on Friday Feb 29th. By much surprise, I took Elyssa down to the Nicollet Island Inn on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, where I had a horse drawn carriage waiting for us.

The carriage took us down to the Stone Arch Bridge and stopped in the middle. So with the Minneapolis city skyline as a backdrop and the St. Anthony Falls as background music, I asked for her had in marriage. She fought back tears, because they may have just froze that night. We continued on our carriage ride through the Warehouse District and back to Nicollet Island Inn where we celebrated with dinner.

No dates or other arrangements have been yet made, but we shall keep you in contact. Please forward as you see fit.

—
Michael & Elyssa

From Enagement

From Enagement

From Enagement