DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN HVAC ENGINEER

New Photoshop Features...

2010-03-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Server Room A/C units

2010-03-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

Logorama... Worth watching

2010-02-11T21:09:00.001-08:00

How does Bruce Lee play Ping Pong? With Nun-chucks(sp?) of course.

2009-03-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Running Stuff

2009-03-11T14:26:00.001-07:00

New toy... Livescribe pen

2009-02-24T10:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.livescribe.com/

So it has been a while since I bought a noteworthy toy.

I purchased the livescribe pen the generally records your handwriting and voice/sounds. It has the added feature of syncing the written notes to the lecture. I am not sure how it does it, but it requires special papers to work well. You can print the special papers or purchase notebooks and journals at target or online.

I will play with it some more and post. Take a gander at the website.

Stress relief guide...

2008-11-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

From

http://www.thechangeblog.com/stress-relief/

Stress is bad, right? Or is it good? Well, if you talk to the experts, they’ll say both are true. You need some stress to just get out of bed in the morning. And when you drive to work in your car, you need stress to stay alert and respond to what is in front of you. So stress has its place. But what if a high level of stress goes on and on? The doctors tell us that ongoing stress becomes Chronic Stress. Chronic Stress is bad news. It shuts down your immune system so you are susceptible to illness, and it robs you of a good night’s sleep.

Fortunately there is a solution. The key is to learn how to inhibit the Stress Response and enter into the Rest Response. If you want to change your stressful-ways, you need to develop and use new stress relief skills. Learn the techniques to direct your mind and body away from stress and into a restful state. Notice I said, “Learn.” That is because stress is automatic; it comes with the human operating system. However, rest and relaxation need to be learned and practiced — they do not come naturally.

So What is Stress?

Stress is your body’s response to the fear perceived by your mind. There are many fears and stresses we as humans have in common — pain and humiliation, to name a couple. There are also many stressors that are particular to each individual. For example, I think spiders are kind of cool; I like to see them crawl on my arm. I know a lot of people who freak out about this and run away screaming. Big stressor for them! You should become aware of what your own particular stressors are.

When your mind recognizes a stressful situation (spiders or 700 point drop in the Stock Market), it immediately alerts your nervous system and endocrine system. From there, every cell in your body gets on the stress express. Everything nonessential in your body shuts down: immune system, cell regeneration, creative thinking processes, etc. Your heart speeds up, breathing becomes rapid, and blood is diverted from your internal organs. You are ready to fight or flee. All this is good if a deer just jumped in front of your car, or you have to dive for the telephone to call your stockbroker.

When Stress Goes Wrong

When stress continues from one crisis to the next, or happens frequently, then your body does not have a chance to fully recover from the stress. If stress continues for a day, or a number of days, then you can expect serious health problems will follow.

During times of chronic stress, stress hormones are released in your bloodstream. Serotonin in your brain (that is your happy brain hormone) is inhibited by excess cortisol, so you feel depressed more of the time. Chronic Stress adversely affects just about every cell in your body. It can even unravel the strands of your DNA. (Don’t ask, you don’t want to know.) Getting to the point, about 90% of all illnesses today are caused by stress. Not a pretty picture. But don’t let me scare you. All of this can be managed with a good set of Stress Relief Skills.

The Need for Stress Relief

So what do we know so far? We need stress to make it through the day. Chronic stress makes us sick. And rest does not come naturally; you have to learn it. So where is the balance between stress and rest? To maintain balance in your workday, you should regularly cycle between moderate stress and rest. After major stressful encounters your body and mind need to reenter a deeply relaxing state. This cycle between stress and rest may happen every few hours or even several times in one hour during your workday.

Stress followed by rest is the key. Fortunately you do not need to take a long nap or go play a round of golf every time you get stressed. Stress relief really only takes a few minutes and needs to become a habit. Once rest is a habit, you will be able to recover from stress in a few minutes, and you will not enter into Chronic Stress.

Stress Relief Skills

Briefly, here are three Stress Relief Skills you should learn and practice.

1. Relax your muscles: say the word “soft” in your mind, picture things that are soft, and in your mind feel the quality of softness. Place that soft image and feeling in all the tense places of your body: your forehead, neck and shoulders, lower back, hips, legs and feet. Use your imagination to search everywhere in your body that is tense and replace the tension with the feeling and image of “softness.” This will cause your muscles to relax and let go. With practice you can easily relax your whole body in 20 seconds while sitting at your desk.

2. Pay special attention to relaxing all the muscles you use for breathing. As you breathe, your rib cage should expand front, back, and side to side. A deep natural breath should move your whole torso and easily fill your lungs. Breathe naturally and not too deep. Allow your breath to slow down, keep your throat open, and make a slow smooth transition between each inhalation and exhalation. Do this breathing practice for at least two minutes. Done properly, this type of breathing will shift your Autonomic Nervous System to a relaxation response and increase your Heart Rate Variability — that is a good thing.

3. Give your mind a rest. When your mind is not thinking about the past or future, or not thinking at all, then you will avoid the stress response. Relax your eyes, look straight in front of you and slightly down, and do not move your eyes. In this way notice your entire field of vision, left to right, and top to bottom. Do not focus on any object, rather be conscious of your entire field of vision. You should feel a little “zoned out.” This practice will slow your mind and even allow it to stop briefly. Your mind needs to rest just as your muscles do.

Once you have learned these skills individually, you can practice them all together at once. This makes the process deeply restful and practical, as it should take only a few minutes — less than five. You should practice these skills several times a day and be sure to use them after every stressful experience.

EVERYONE should watch this at least once...

2008-06-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Why don't we know?

2008-05-28T07:13:00.001-07:00

10 things Science Can't explain... #8 is pretty good.

Jon Interview Techniques

2008-04-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.creditcardcompare.com.au/blog/jobseekers-toolkit-50-job-interview-techniques-tips-tricks.php

No.. Einstein never failed Math...CLICK to link to other lies we learned from school

2008-04-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

This guy has the best job in the world...

2008-03-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

http://view.break.com/175421 - Watch more free videos

Turth About Relationships...

2008-03-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Sad Truth About Relationships

Microchip sized fan....

2008-03-19T07:26:00.001-07:00

robotic snakes....

2008-03-06T09:24:00.001-08:00

Stupid is... as stupid does...

2008-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious..

A little late... but funny none the less..

2008-02-20T09:44:00.001-08:00

Water Gun Relay..

2008-02-20T09:35:00.001-08:00

I'm stealing this...

2008-02-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Not because I don't want to link to it, but because his server is slowwwwwwwwwwwwww...

20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life

“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” - Jean-Paul Sartre

I’m nearly 35 years old, and I’ve made my share of mistakes in my life. I’m not a big believer in regrets … and I have learned tremendously from every single mistake … and my life is pretty great.

However, there are a few things I wish I had known when I was graduating from high school and starting out as an adult in life.

Would I change things? I’m not so sure. I might never have gotten into a mountain of debt, but then I wouldn’t have learned the amazing satisfaction of getting out of it. I might have made better career choices, but then I wouldn’t have all the work experience that makes me the blogger and writer that I am today.

I might not have gotten married that first time, so that I would never have gotten divorced … but then I wouldn’t have my first two beautiful wonderful incredible children from that first marriage.

I don’t think I would change any of that. However, looking back, there are some lessons I’ve learned that I would probably tell my 18-year-old self. Do I share them now to share my regrets? No, I share them in hopes that younger men and women, just starting out in life, can benefit from my mistakes and my lessons.

What follows isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s one that I hope proves useful to at least a few people.

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it.” - Jack Handey

How to control impulse spending. If there’s anything that got me in trouble financially, it’s impulse spending. Buying clothes when I don’t need them. Buying gadgets because I gotta have them. Ordering stuff online because it’s so easy. Buying that new shiny SUV because … well, because it was going to help me with women. I’m not proud of any of that. I’ve learned to control my impulses, at least a little better. Now, I give myself some time to breathe. I think over my purchases, see if I’ve got the money, think about whether it’s a need or a want. That would have been a useful tool 15 years ago.
You gotta stay active. I was in track, cross country and basketball in high school, but once I started college, the running and basketball began to slowly fade away. Not right away — I played pick-up basketball for years after high school. But even that went away, until I became sedentary. Playing with my kids outdoors winded me. And I began to get fat. I’ve reversed that trend, and am very active now, but I’m still trying to burn the fat I gained in those inactive years.
How to plan finances. I always knew that I was supposed to budget and track my spending, when I became an adult. I just was too lazy to do it. And I didn’t have a good idea of how to actually do it. Now, I’ve learned how to plan, and how to stick to that plan. Sure, I deviate from my plan, but I’ve learned how to handle that too. Maybe that’s not a skill you can learn from book reading. You just gotta practice. Well, I hope to teach it to my children before they go out on their own.
Junk food will come back to bite you in the butt. Yeah, it wasn’t just the sedentary lifestyle that got me fat. It was all the damn junk food too. I would eat pizza and burgers and Twinkies and sugar cereal and desserts and donuts and … well, you get the picture. As someone used to being able to eat whatever I wanted, it never seemed like it would be a problem. Bad health was something to worry about when you got old. Well, my jeans began to get way too tight, and to my horror, I climbed several pants sizes and developed a gut that only now is going away. I wish someone had shown me an “after” picture when I was young and downing the Big Gulp sodas.
Smoking is just dumb. I didn’t start smoking until I was well into my adult years. I won’t go into why I started, but it didn’t seem like a problem, because I knew I could quit anytime I wanted. Or I thought I could, at least, until several years later I gave it a go and couldn’t do it. Five failed quits later and I realized with horror that my addiction was stronger than I was. Sure, I eventually beat the habit (quit date: Nov. 18, 2005) but it took a piece of my soul to do it.
Fund your retirement, son. And don’t withdraw it. This piece of wisdom, and probably all the ones above, might seem blisteringly obvious. And they are. Don’t think I didn’t know this when I was 18. I did. I just didn’t pay it serious attention. Retirement was something I could worry about when I was in my 30s. Well, I’m in my 30s now and I wish I could slap that little 18-year-old Leo around a bit. What money I could have invested by now! I had a retirement plan, but on the 3 occasions when I changed jobs, I withdrew that and spent it frivolously.
All the stuff you’re doing that seems hard — it will be of use. This is the first one that might not be as obvious. There were times in my life when work was hard, and I did it anyway, but hated it. I did it because I had to, but boy did it stress me out and leave me exhausted. Hard work isn’t as easy as I wanted it to be. But you know what? Every bit of hard work I did without knowing why I was doing it … it’s paid off for me in the long run. Maybe not right away, but I’m using skills and habits I learned during those times of high stress and long hours and tedious work — I use them all the time, and they’ve made me into the person I am today. Thank you, younger Leo!
Don’t buy that used van without checking it out closely. I thought I was being smart by buying used, but I didn’t check it out carefully enough. That dang van had loads of engine problems, a door that nearly fell off when I was driving, a door handle that snapped off, a side mirror that fell off, no spare tire despite three tires that were ready to blow (and did), windows that didn’t roll up, rattling noises, an eventual blown radiator … I could go on and on, but let’s just say that it wasn’t my best purchase. I still think buying used is smart, but check things out closely first.
That guy you’re going to sell your car to? On a gentleman’s agreement? He’s not gonna pay you. I sold another car to a friend of a friend, who I was sure would pay me even if I had nothing in writing. That was smart. I still see the guy once in awhile on the road, but I don’t have the energy to do a U-turn and chase after him.
Make time to pursue your passion, no matter how busy you are. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and get a book published. I just never had time to write. With a family and school and a full-time job, there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Well, I’ve learned that you have to make those hours. Set aside a block of time to do what you love, cut out other stuff from your life that take up your time, and don’t let anything interfere with that work. If I had done that 15 years ago, I could have 15 books written by now. Not all would be great, but still.
All that stuff that’s stressing you out — it won’t matter in 5 years, let alone 15. When things are happening to you right now, they mean all the world. I had deadlines and projects and people breathing down my neck, and my stress levels went through the roof. I don’t regret the hard work (see above) but I think I would have been less stressed if I could have just realized that it wouldn’t matter a single bit just a few years down the road. Perspective is a good thing to learn.
The people you make friends with are so much more important than your job or the things you buy. I’ve had a few jobs, I’ve bought a lot of things, and I’ve made a few friends over these last 15 years. Of those, the only thing that still matter to me are the friends. And I wish I could have spent more time with friends (and family) than on the other things.
All that time you spend watching TV is a huge, huge waste of time. I don’t know how much TV I’ve watched over the years, but it’s a crapload. Hours and days and weeks I’ll never have back. Who cares what happens on reality TV, when reality is slipping by outside? Time is something you’ll never get back — don’t waste it on TV.
Your kids are going to grow up way faster than you think. Don’t waste a minute. I just had an Oh My God moment recently. My oldest daughter, Chloe, is 14 going on 15 next month. I have 3 years left with her before she leaves my house and becomes an adult. Three years! I am floored by that single fact, because it really doesn’t seem anywhere near enough time. I want to go back to my younger self and whack that younger Leo on the head and say Stop working so hard! Stop watching TV! Spend more time with your kids! These last 15 years with Chloe (and my other wonderful kids) have gone by much, much too fast.
Forget the drama. Focus on being happy. There have been many things that have happened to me, professionally and personally, that seem like the end of the world. And while these things were bad, they get blown up in our heads so that they become major drama. They caused me to be depressed from time to time. What a waste of time. If I realized that it was all in my head, and that I could be happy instead if I focused on the positive, on what I did have, and what I could be doing … I could have skipped all the moping about.

Pay more attention to blogs when you first hear about them. They’re more than just journals. I first read about blogs 7-8 years ago, but when I took a look at them they didn’t seem like anything of interest. Just some people’s journals about stuff they read on the web. Why would I want to read those? I have my own thoughts about the web, but I don’t need to share them with the world. I spent a lot of time on the Internet, on various sites and forums, but every time I happened upon a blog I would brush past it without interest. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I discovered what wonderful things they could be (I mentioned some of my early favorites in my list of influences). If I had gotten into blogging years ago … well, I wouldn’t have been wasting all that time.
Speaking of which, keep a journal. Seriously. Your memory is extremely faulty. I forget things really easily. Not short-term stuff, but long-term. I don’t remember things about my kids’ early years, because I didn’t record any of it. I don’t remember things about my life. It’s like a lot of foggy memories that I’ll never have access to. I wish I had kept a journal.
Tequila is seriously evil. I won’t go into details, but it should suffice to say that I had some bad experiences, and I’m not sure I learned very much from them or benefited in any way except to learn that tequila is the drink of the Devil.
Yes, you can do a marathon. Don’t put this goal off — it’s extremely rewarding. Running a marathon had always been a dream of mine, since high school … something I wanted to do but thought was out of reach. Or if I ever did it, it would be years and years later. Well, I learned that it’s not only achievable, it’s incredibly rewarding. I wish I had started training when I was young and light and fit … I could have had some good finishing times!
All these mistakes you’re going to make, despite this advice? They’re worth it. My 18-year-old self would probably have read this post and said, “Good advice!” And then he would have proceeded to make the same mistakes, despite good intentions. I was a good kid, but I wasn’t good at following advice. I had to make my own mistakes, and live my own life. And that’s what I did, and I don’t regret a minute of it. Every experience I’ve had (even the tequila ones) have led me down the path of life to where I am today. I love where I am today, and wouldn’t trade it for another life for all the world. The pain, the stress, the drama, the hard work, the mistakes, the depression, the hangovers, the debt, the fat … it was all worth it.

“Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” - Mark Twain

CNN Sucks..

2008-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

Check out this site to see how bad CNN is..

Cockpit of A380 in VR

2008-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/cockpit1.htm

Really genius... real engineers/designers

2008-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

If Love was always like this...6k steps?

2008-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Time to learn a little about C and F...

2008-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

What does the 0 and 100 in the Fahrenheit scale have to do with anything?... click to get some type of explanation

Or this???

2008-01-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

How do we survive this?

2008-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

A Good list of atheist quotes..

2008-01-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Arguing about God's existence isn't something I am smart enough to do... However, some of the most intelligent people in the world make some good arguments...
Read here...Top 50 Atheism Quotes

I personally like #4
4. Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?
Friedrich Nietzsche

Fight to win... or at least don't cry...

2008-01-09T14:39:00.001-08:00

How to win a fist fight... or at least good pointers

Bill being bill...

2008-01-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

http://gizmodo.com/341472/this-video-makes-bill-gates-look-cooler-than-steve-jobs

Crazy accidents...

2008-01-07T15:49:00.001-08:00

Senator Barak Obama's Speech... How a real president should speak...

2007-12-28T07:07:00.000-08:00

I don't propose anyone pick a US presidential candidate based on a speech, but based on past actions and informed knowledge of potential. This speech is a demonstration of how to speak and inspire people of our nation. I am not sure I will vote for him, but I will certainly spend more time reading and following his footsteps.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7577.html

Sen. Barack Obama's remarks

By: Politico Staff
Dec 27, 2007 11:59 AM EST

Ten months ago, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., and began an unlikely journey to change America.

I did not run for the presidency to fulfill some long-held ambition or because I believed it was somehow owed to me. I chose to run in this election — at this moment — because of what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.” Because we are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our health care system is broken, our economy is out of balance, our education system fails too many of our children, and our retirement system is in tatters.

At this defining moment, we cannot wait any longer for universal health care. We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait for good jobs, and living wages, and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to halt global warming, and we cannot wait to end this war in Iraq.

I chose to run because I believed that the size of these challenges had outgrown the capacity of our broken and divided politics to solve them; because I believed that Americans of every political stripe were hungry for a new kind of politics, a politics that focused not just on how to win but why we should, a politics that focused on those values and ideals that we held in common as Americans; a politics that favored common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin.

Most of all, I believed in the power of the American people to be the real agents of change in this country — because we are not as divided as our politics suggests; because we are a decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations; and I was certain that if we could just mobilize our voices to challenge the special interests that dominate Washington and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there was no problem we couldn’t solve — no destiny we couldn’t fulfill.

Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated that faith. You’ve come out in the blistering heat and the bitter cold not just to cheer, but to challenge — to ask the tough questions; to lift the hood and kick the tires; to serve as one place in America where someone who hasn’t spent their life in the Washington spotlight can get a fair hearing.

You’ve earned the role you play in our democracy because no one takes it more seriously. And I believe that’s true this year more than ever because, like me, you feel that same sense of urgency.

All across this state, you’ve shared with me your stories. And all too often they’ve been stories of struggle and hardship.

I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses, and from those who still can’t afford their prescriptions because Congress refused to negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price.

I’ve met Maytag workers who labored all their lives only to see their jobs shipped overseas; who now compete with their teenagers for $7-an-hour jobs at Wal-Mart.

I’ve spoken with teachers who are working at doughnut shops after school just to make ends meet, who are still digging into their own pockets to pay for school supplies.

Just two weeks ago, I heard a young woman in Cedar Rapids who told me she only gets three hours of sleep because she works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister with cerebral palsy. She spoke not with self-pity but with determination, and wonders why the government isn’t doing more to help her afford the education that will allow her to live out her dreams.

I’ve spoken to veterans who talk with pride about what they’ve accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq, but who nevertheless think of those they’ve left behind and question the wisdom of our mission in Iraq; the mothers weeping in my arms over the memories of their sons; the disabled or homeless vets who wonder why their service has been forgotten.

And I’ve spoken to Americans in every corner of the state, patriots all, who wonder why we have allowed our standing in the world to decline so badly, so quickly. They know this has not made us safer. They know that we must never negotiate out of fear, but that we must never fear to negotiate with our enemies as well as our friends. They are ashamed of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and warrantless wiretaps and ambiguity on torture. They love their country and want its cherished values and ideals restored.

It is precisely because you’ve experienced these frustrations, and seen the cost of inaction in your own lives, that you understand why we can’t afford to settle for the same old politics. You know that we can’t afford to allow the insurance lobbyists to kill health care reform one more time, and the oil lobbyists to keep us addicted to fossil fuels because no one stood up and took their power away when they had the chance.

You know that we can’t afford four more years of the same divisive food fight in Washington that’s about scoring political points instead of solving problems; that’s about tearing your opponents down instead of lifting this country up.

We can’t afford the same politics of fear that tells Democrats that the only way to look tough on national security is to talk, act and vote like George Bush Republicans; that invokes 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a challenge that should unite all Americans to defeat our real enemies.

We can’t afford to be so worried about losing the next election that we lose the battles we owe to the next generation.

The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. And that’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high.

In this election, it is time to turn the page. In seven days, it is time to stand for change.

This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must be catching on, because in these last few weeks, everyone is talking about change.

But you can’t at once argue that you’re the master of a broken system in Washington and offer yourself as the person to change it. You can’t fall in line behind the conventional thinking on issues as profound as war and offer yourself as the leader who is best prepared to chart a new and better course for America.

The truth is, you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. I believe deeply in those words. But they are not mine. They were Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when Washington insiders questioned his readiness to lead.

My experience is rooted in the lives of the men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I fought for as an organizer when the local steel plant closed. It’s rooted in the lives of the people I stood up for as a civil rights lawyer when they were denied opportunity on the job or justice at the voting booth because of what they looked like or where they came from. It’s rooted in an understanding of how the world sees America that I gained from living, traveling and having family beyond our shores — an understanding that led me to oppose this war in Iraq from the start. It’s experience rooted in the real lives of real people, and it’s the kind of experience Washington needs right now.

There are others in this race who say that this kind of change sounds good, but that I’m not angry or confrontational enough to get it done.

Well, let me tell you something, Iowa. I don’t need any lectures on how to bring about change, because I haven’t just talked about it on the campaign trail. I’ve fought for change all my life.

I walked away from a job on Wall Street to bring job training to the jobless and after-school programs to kids on the streets of Chicago.

I turned down the big-money law firms to win justice for the powerless as a civil rights lawyer.

I took on the lobbyists in Illinois and brought Democrats and Republicans together to expand health care to 150,000 people and pass the first major campaign finance reform in 25 years; and I did the same thing in Washington when we passed the toughest lobbying reform since Watergate. I’m the only candidate in this race who hasn’t just talked about taking power away from lobbyists, I’ve actually done it. So if you want to know what kind of choices we’ll make as president, you should take a look at the choices we made when we had the chance to bring about change that wasn’t easy or convenient.

That’s the kind of change that’s more than just rhetoric — that’s change you can believe in.

It’s change that won’t just come from more anger at Washington or turning up the heat on Republicans. There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. And although the Republican operatives in Washington might not be interested in hearing what we have to say, I think Republican and independent voters outside of Washington are. That’s the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have in this election.

For the first time in a long time, we have the chance to build a new majority of not just Democrats, but independents and Republicans who’ve lost faith in their Washington leaders but want to believe again — who desperately want something new.

We can change the electoral math that’s been all about division and make it about addition — about building a coalition for change and progress that stretches through blue states and red states. That’s how I won some of the reddest, most Republican counties in Illinois. That’s why the polls show that I do best against the Republicans running for president — because we’re attracting more support from independents and Republicans than any other candidate. That’s how we’ll win in November and that’s how we’ll change this country over the next four years.

In the end, the argument we are having between the candidates in the last seven days is not just about the meaning of change. It’s about the meaning of hope. Some of my opponents appear scornful of the word; they think it speaks of naiveté, passivity and wishful thinking.

But that’s not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. Yes, the lobbyists will fight us. Yes, the Republican attack dogs will go after us in the general election. Yes, the problems of poverty and climate change and failing schools will resist easy repair. I know — I’ve been on the streets; I’ve been in the courts. I’ve watched legislation die because the powerful held sway and good intentions weren’t fortified by political will, and I’ve watched a nation get misled into war because no one had the judgment or the courage to ask the hard questions before we sent our troops to fight.

But I also know this. I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a president to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope — to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.

That’s the change we seek. And that’s the change you can stand for in seven days.

We’ve already beaten odds that the cynics said couldn’t be beaten. When we started 10 months ago, they said we couldn’t run a different kind of campaign.

They said we couldn’t compete without taking money from Washington lobbyists. But you proved them wrong when we raised more small donations from more Americans than any other campaign in history.

They said we couldn’t be successful if we didn’t have the full support of the establishment in Washington. But you proved them wrong when we built a grass-roots movement that could forever change the face of American politics.

They said we wouldn’t have a chance in this campaign unless we resorted to the same old negative attacks. But we resisted, even when we were written off, and ran a positive campaign that pointed out real differences and rejected the politics of slash and burn.

And now, in seven days, you have a chance once again to prove the cynics wrong. In seven days, what was improbable has the chance to beat what Washington said was inevitable. And that’s why in these last weeks, Washington is fighting back with everything it has — with attack ads and insults; with distractions and dishonesty; with millions of dollars from outside groups and undisclosed donors to try and block our path.

We’ve seen this script many times before. But I know that this time can be different.

Because I know that when the American people believe in something, it happens.

If you believe, then we can tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over.

If you believe, then we can stop making promises to America’s workers and start delivering — jobs that pay, health care that’s affordable, pensions you can count on, and a tax cut for working Americans instead of the companies who send their jobs overseas.

If you believe, we can offer a world-class education to every child, and pay our teachers more, and make college dreams a reality for every American.

If you believe, we can save this planet and end our dependence on foreign oil.

If you believe, we can end this war, close Guantanamo, restore our standing, renew our diplomacy and once again respect the Constitution of the United States of America.

That’s the future within our reach. That’s what hope is — that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state.

There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through.

This is the moment.

This is our time.

And if you will stand with me in seven days — if you will stand for change so that our children have the same chance that somebody gave us; if you’ll stand to keep the American dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for justice; if you’re ready to stop settling for what the cynics tell you you must accept, and finally reach for what you know is possible, then we will win this caucus, we will win this election, we will change the course of history, and the real journey — to heal a nation and repair the world — will have truly begun.

Thank you.

Video if a loner playing foosball...

2007-12-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, we know engineers don't have friends, so this is the best way to play foosball...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Autonomous-Foosball-Table/

Not sure if they are the worst logos... but quite funny...

2007-12-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's a japanese house in the foreground of the rising sun... you sick nut job...

http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/top-10-worst-logos/

I WISH I WENT TO A PARTY COLLEGE.. OR WAS BACK IN COLLEGE..

2007-12-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

THOUSANDS STRIP FOR UCLA RUN... WHY DIDN'T THIS STUFF HAPPEN WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE... OR WAS I SUCH A PRUDE?

Brains in a dish...

2007-12-13T08:29:00.001-08:00

This is a rather amazing and scary scientific achievement. They grew a biological brain in a little dish and use it to pilot an F22 in hurricane force winds... So our robot overlords are well on their way to taking over our world. Which is fine, because after an all out world war and this whole global warming thing and with the sun expanding, humans can't live in this world for another few million years. Life will go on in the form of machinery. Maybe this will be the way to explore new worlds.

I, like many others, welcome our new robot overlords.

How to make a simple electric motor... and break a combo lock

2007-12-13T07:21:00.001-08:00

Unexplained Phenomenon - Simplest Electric Motor - Celebrity bloopers here
How To: In 12 Seconds Get All 3 Numbers To A Combo Lock - The most popular videos are a click away

This is an actualy movie... It's going to be awesome! Those funny little japanese people...

2007-12-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1320122413

Ha....

2007-12-07T06:58:00.001-08:00

Dilbert's genius, again...

2007-11-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Procrastination flor chat.

2007-11-19T07:32:00.001-08:00

This looks like a ton of tun...

2007-11-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

New Frontier Demolition! - video powered by Metacafe

2007-11-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Nike+ stuff

2007-11-05T14:43:00.001-08:00

BadAss Popes...Catholics were pretty corrupt in the day... Well they are today also...

2007-11-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween....

2007-10-31T10:06:00.001-07:00

Maxim voted most beautiful newscaster...

2007-10-30T16:15:00.001-07:00

Most Depressing jobs... #21 should be much much higher...

2007-10-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/depressed-workers/20071017115909990001

Simplified explanation of Santa Ana's

2007-10-23T08:36:00.001-07:00

For non so-cal types. The wind normally blows from the ocean to the east (onshore flow) but we currently have hot desert air blowing from the east to the west over the ocean (santa ana).

Don't say I never post anything useful... How to survive street fights..

2007-10-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

FIRST THING... SHAVE YOUR HEAD... Here is a bunch of videos on how to survive fights.

Family guy episode ... detailing the wekaness of deathsquad and architects.

2007-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/clips/family-guy-explains-the-death-star-flaw-310583.php?mail2=true#mail2friend

Average job tenure.. mine is probably half of that...

2007-10-10T15:59:00.001-07:00

I've seeminly have been at my job for about close to 7 or so year. I've been in the same industry, but 3 different companies 4 different times. I can't really say it is my fault. When i stop learning or believe i truly have a better option somewhere else I move on. PLus working for someone just sucks.

Gold digging woman gets an MBA lesson...

2007-10-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is a rather interesting answer to a gold digger..

Days I miss...

2007-10-03T08:35:00.001-07:00

I know most of my Californian friends don't understand this kind of weather, but it's bliss... Except for the snowboarders and skiiers, but they have a different appreciation of snow.
Some of you my never have the feeling of waking up to a land of white. I am saddened about knowing my children will miss and not appreciate winter as it was truly meant... unless there is an ice age in our time.

Top 5 Things Every Extrovert Should Know About Introverts

2007-10-03T07:28:00.001-07:00

Interesting write up on extroverts and introverts..

Time for my public service announcement.

2007-09-28T11:34:00.001-07:00

The answer to your Keg problems.

2007-09-28T08:13:00.001-07:00

War Games... Too much Tech?

2007-09-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

"He was given nothing but small planes and ships-fishing boats, patrol boats, that kind of thing. He kept them circling around the edges of the Persian Gulf aimlessly, driving the Navy crazy trying to keep track of them. When the Admirals finally lost patience and ordered all planes and ships to leave, van Ripen had them all attack at once. And they sank two-thirds of the US fleet."

So, those of you who know me, I'm into tech. But when it comes down to war and enemies, I know absolutely nothing, and those of you reading this are in the same boat as I am.

Fighting away with stealth bombers, night vision robotic legs, droids and robots are great it you are trying to fend off an alien invasion. But for an all out war in our world, this tech option doesn't seem to fly. It might be more about position, understanding the enemy and old fashioned strategy. Fighting an enemy with laser guided missiles is useless when the enemy sends at you 50 women and children and 3 of them have bombs strapped to them. Sure they might have nukes...Dirty little bombs they use to fire off their shoulders, while our nukes are nicely contained in lead casings with failsafes and detonators strapped to a $100million jet fighter. Seems a little unfair, until you realize the dirty little nuke probably made more of a statement.

Life I said though... I know nothing about war, how to fight it, or how it feels to stair down at someone with a gun... I am no Jack Bauer, and those that know me can attest to that.

Back to Tech.. Sony's getting back to design...

2007-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

So Finally Sony is putting out products worth buying... well, at least in Japan...

WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH OUR GOVERNMENT???

2007-09-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/26/breaking-lieberman-kyls-iran-amendment-passes/

2007-09-25T07:36:00.001-07:00

One of the better mom jokes I've see.

2007-09-24T06:53:00.001-07:00

Not safe for work...for the first few seconds... then Safe

2007-09-20T10:45:00.001-07:00

Economy is on a roll... Downhill

2007-09-20T10:29:00.001-07:00

So if Bush got a c- in econ 101...He should at least know what a chart looks like... Yes our economy is in deep doo doo...

Interesting quotes... Never wear a suite..

2007-09-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

No one has ever had an idea in a dress suit.: Sir Frederick G. Banting (1891 - 1941)
- More quotations on: [Ideas]
In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.: Fran Lebowitz (1950 - )

What is your choice?

2007-09-19T07:15:00.001-07:00

More evidence our nation is run by unsavory people

2007-09-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

- 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
- 7 have been arrested for fraud
- 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
- 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
- 3 have done time for assault
- 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
- 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
- 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
- 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
- 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?

Give up yet?

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Pictures to live by

2007-09-19T06:57:00.001-07:00

ipod spoof...from SNL

2007-09-18T14:23:00.001-07:00

SNL iPod Sketch

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Milky Way from Death Valley

2007-09-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

3D effects

2007-09-13T14:05:00.001-07:00

I hate this game... but I can't stop...

2007-09-12T08:24:00.001-07:00

Whatever happened to my life... Wasting away as an HVAC person...

2007-09-11T14:21:00.001-07:00

How to make a multitouch pad... by yourself. approx $2

2007-09-11T08:59:00.001-07:00

Holes in our world...

2007-09-10T07:27:00.001-07:00

Interesting Stuff...

2007-09-07T12:44:00.001-07:00

Sign by Dealighted - Coupons & Discount Shopping

Radical Honesty.... a good read...

2007-09-05T08:52:00.001-07:00

So.. what does a bull in a china shop do?... to sum it up... nothing

2007-08-28T07:31:00.001-07:00

How to make a sl;ip and slide from a house...

2007-08-24T09:26:00.001-07:00

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/slip-and-slide/how-to-mod-your-parents-house-into-a-60%20foot-slip-n-slide-293159.php?autoplay=true

Mmmmmmmmmm... BEER...

2007-08-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

Instead of water coolers at work... we need this...

Bored of sandwiches? Got more time on your hands? Do this...

2007-08-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

How to make a laser...

2007-08-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ties for dorks.... or engineers.. same thing

2007-08-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

Pretty interesting video... Buffalo come back to defend the young one...

2007-08-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Life in a nutshell...

2007-08-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Marginally not safe for work viewing.., But this is how terminators reproduce

2007-07-30T11:29:00.001-07:00

CEO package...

2007-07-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.portfolio.com/infographics/2007/06/salary_comparison

Going to school this way is bad ass...

2007-07-26T08:57:00.001-07:00

Very Strange stuff... Non-newtonian fluids... creepy

2007-07-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Click Here for other video

Setting up your car mirrors... yes you.. you dumbass

2007-07-24T12:47:00.001-07:00

Yes I know.. Story of every engineer's life

2007-07-20T07:10:00.001-07:00

Sooo.. Mid life crisis time..

2007-07-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

If Charlie Brown was drawn in Anime...

2007-07-18T16:22:00.001-07:00

The iPhone is a piece of sh*t and so is your face - other side of the story

2007-07-17T07:38:00.001-07:00

Maddox update on the (in)famous iPhone. - This guy is the most mature person in the world.../sarcasm

read more | digg story

Fire Departments Rule..

2007-07-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

time waster... great game for simpson fans

2007-07-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.gameshot.org?id=1507 SIMPSONS WRECKING BALL GAME

Cheney/Bush... Cheats and Liars...Betting on US Collo

2007-07-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13851.htm

So... not to get all political on everyone now... but I'm a little more than worried about this Cheney and Bush Administration. Bush looks like your normal monkey... Typical idiot that the nation voted into the office. But, I don't think Al Gore is any better.
Cheney is the big fearsome factor here. He just looks like an a-hole. I'd hope congress gets their act together and starts the impeachment process on both these people. Not as if it matters. They made their money and ruin the country. They will live in utter obscurity and well funded for the rest of their lives. The american people and the rest of the world will suffer for their mis-managing of the country.

So many countries laugh at us for impeaching a president for getting a little something on the side from an unattractive female, but allow tyrants to run the country into the ground. I guess sun sets on every major power. I am sorry that my kids will have to live with the decline of America.

An Awkward situation...

2007-07-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Before going to eat in CHINA.. read this...

2007-07-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-6-19/42846.html

Kidz got Skillz

2007-07-06T16:01:00.001-07:00

Can You Spot the Tiger?

2007-07-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

Watch as a Tiger comes out from nowhere to attack a dude riding on an elephant.

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