I had a meeting recently and when I entered the lobby, I noticed a picture of the guy I was going to meet with.

I personally found it a bit strange to see a picture of the individual in his own lobby. It is not like this company is a talent agency or something. They do very technical stuff, in a very specialized market. To have a picture of this person in the company's lobby, just seemed out of place.

I was thinking, maybe I should hang a picture of me (see up and right) in the lobby of RustyBrick. Think it would be a good idea?

It kind of reminds me of that show my wife likes, Flipping Out. The guy, I forget his name (update, Jeff Lewis), has a self-portrait of himself behind his desk (see image 8 of 11). So when you are sitting at his desk, facing him - you are forced to look at two of him.

Maybe that is a good intimidation factor? Maybe I should do that? Hmmm.... Or maybe not.

SEO Side Note: That episode I saw had Jeff Lewis and his "partner" of some sorts argue about his web site. Supposedly, his partner bid on his name in AdWords. He basically showed ads for this guys name and drove them to his web site. Then when Jeff made his own web site, he used a .tv TLD, and Jeff said, he learned the hard way that .tv domains don't rank in Google. LOL - funny all the myths in SEO. .TV domains do rank in Google, but .tv is a country level top level domain (TLD) for islands of Tuvalu and thus Google geo-targets it for that region, unless you specific you do not want it to be geo-targeted in Google Webmaster Tools. Ah, SEO - too much fun.

Posted at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (2) (0)

I was driving back from a client this afternoon and on Interstate 287, right about over here, a copy was in his car, with his door open, looking like he was going to shot a moving car.

As we got closer, it looked like a laser speed gun. I've never seen a cop on the highway have his door open, looking behind him, shooting a speed gun before. I've only seen it when a copy was in his car and his door was closed.

As I passed him, I saw that he clicked the trigger. Not at me, but at someone behind me. I then saw his blinker and sirens go on. Then I saw him pulling over a car.

I was about to make a break for it, since my exit was just about 500 feet from that location. But I noticed that he pulled someone else over, which is good for me, bad for them. I did recently get a ticket, which seemed to turn out to be a way for my town to earn money.

The above picture is the closest image I can find of a cop doing something similar to what I saw. It is funny, because this is an Israeli police officer.

View Larger Map

Posted at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Category: Motor Vehicle | Comments (2) (0)

This is a cross post with the RustyBrick Blog:
@Gartenberg tweeted a picture of the Apple Store being pretty busy and he snapped a picture of the iPhone App Holiday Trees on display in all the Apple Retail Stores. @BGribin noticed the picture and saw that our iPhone Siddur was one of the 100 icons on display on the tree.

So I ran down to my local store to see if I can take some better pictures. I found the tree in the window, but it took me a while to find the icon. Apple apparently mixes up the icons on the tree and at my store, my icon was deep inside the tree. Here is a picture:

Skip this, show me how I can win free iPhone Apps and RustyBrick Schwag?

In comparison to the picture Gartenberg snapped:

How Can I Win Stuff?

Let's get to the point, how can you win stuff from RustyBrick?

Simple, go to your local Apple Store and find the App Tree, snap a picture of the tree and then snap a close up of the icon. Then email us at siddur AT rustybrick DOT com with the picture or write a blog post (blog posts are cool). We will give you a free app of your choice from the RustyBrick iPhone app collection.

What else can you win? RustyBrick schwag, either a RustyBrick laptop bag or a travel bag or some other schwag. How can you win that? Either get us the tree or we will hold a vote on the best picture or video of the tree. Winner gets the awesome RustyBrick schwag!

Anyway, here are more pictures from my local store - I doubt I can win with these. :)

My wife went to the Apple Store at Tice's Corner and our app is display right in front. She snapped some pics, which I will post here later.

Outside Tice's Corner Store:

Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island:

Posted at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (0) (0)

I have a bunch of Google Wave invites to send out.

If you want one, leave a comment below using the email address you want the invite to go to. Also, make sure to follow @rustybrick on Twitter.

Keep in mind, when I send you an invite, you might not get it right away. Google said:

Google Wave is more fun when you have others to wave with, so please nominate people you would like to add. Keep in mind that this is a preview so it could be a bit rocky at times.

Invitations will not be sent immediately. We have a lot of stamps to lick.

Happy waving!

For more info about Google Wave see wave.google.com and check out this awesome video:

Posted at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (110) (0)

Parents of three children in Canada have sued their children's school to stop them from having to do homework. CBC News reports the parents, who are both lawyers, felt the homework being sent home to their kids was just a "lot of it was busy work."

The article said the family and school signed a "differentiated homework plan with their children's Catholic school." That means they no longer have to do homework, instead their kids are graded based on work done in the class.

On the radio I was listening to this morning, they said the parents showed how homework did not help kids with their grades. I don't see this in the report above, so maybe they exaggerated on the radio.

Homework, from what I understand, keeps not just the kids busy at night, but also parents. I assume these busy parents didn't feel it was worth their time, nor their kid's time, so they did what they do best, and sued the school.

This takes the meaning of we don't need no education to a whole new level.

Posted at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Interesting | Comments (1) (0)

Last night, our latest crazy iPhone app was approved. It is named Bleeper and all it does is allow you to record yourself and click on the "bleep" icon to play that bleep sound. Yea, kind of funny and pointless - but perfect as an iPhone App, don't you think?

The neat part is you can share you "bleeps" on Twitter, Facebook or via email. That is where it can get fun. Let me take you through the app, step by step.

Here is the main screen. You basically click "record" start talking and then click the "bleep" icon in the middle to make the bleep sound where you want. When you are done, hit the "stop" icon (which is what the record button turns into after you hit record):

When you are done, you can hit "play" to listen to your most recent recording. If you are happy with it, hit "share" and you are given three options. Share on Twitter, Facebook or E-Mail.

Sharing on Twitter requires you to enter your username, password and a short message to be sent in your Tweet.

Then you hit share and it sends it:

You can then access all public Tweets from Bleeper by clicking on the Tweets icon:

Clicking on the arrow on the right of the shared Tweets plays the audio right in your phone using the movie app:

If you listen to the Tweet in the timeline on Twitter.com, such as displayed here:

If you play it from here, on your desktop, it takes you here:

How about Facebook? We use Facebook Connect to send a status update to your Facebook profile.

Type in a message:

Hit Publish:

It is then shown on your Facebook profile page:

With a little audio player:

Sharing it via E-Mail basically attaches the wav file to your outgoing email:

That is basically how Bleeper works. You can download it for free on iTunes now.

Posted at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Category: iPhone | Comments (0) (0)

My Verizon FiOS Router died last week, Verizon shipped me a new one overnight and I installed it last night. There was an issue where the router was not connecting to the Internet. I tried to kick it myself but I needed tech support.

I called Verizon last night on my main home phone. I was on hold for 30 minutes when I decided to try calling from my cell phone. I called via my cell phone and within a minute or two of hold time, a tech support representative answered. I told the support guy that I am still on hold for 30 minutes on my main line. Of course he had no response to that. There must have been a glitch in the phone support routing, which put me in some endless hold pattern. Who knows if anyone would have ever picked up.

That type of stuff upsets me. How can that happen!

Anyway, the issue was resolved after a hard reset, which I should of done myself. But since I am too tech savvy, I likely skipped some troubleshooting tips where I could have avoided calling anyone.

How the heck can I get in a hold line for 30 minutes and then call back and get an answer (while on hold on the other line) within minutes? I don't get it!

Posted at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Category: Rambling | Comments (6) (0)

On my flight back from Vegas last week, I did something I never did before, I forgot something on the plane. I left my Bose earphones on the plane, in the seat pocket in front of me.

I remember placing them there when the flight attendants asked us to turn off our devices. I actually thought to myself, I better put it in my bag but I didn't want to bother people by getting out of my seat. At 5am in the morning and not sleeping, I actually forgot it.

I arrived at my office at about 6:15am, right from the airport and did not notice that I forgot the earphones until I dropped off my bags at my house at about 9am.

When I got back to my office at about 9:20am that day (yes, I live like 10 minutes away from my office) I reported the lost item online. On Sunday, they called me in my office to tell me they found the item.

I was a bit shocked. Even though I have my business card in the bose earphone case, I thought there was no way I was getting these back. I was wrong! I am told they will ship it to me, of course, I will pay - it was my mistake.

These are expensive headphones and I had them for years. Would have hated to buy new ones, since these work just fine.

Thanks Continental!

Posted at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (3) (0)

The NY DMV announced that they are replacing the old white and blue license plates with these new "Empire Gold" and blue license plates.

Personally, I think they are nice. I assume when you put them on cars, they will likely not look so great - for most cars. But I still like them.

Most people will need to get these new plates with registration renewal after April 2010. Not all people need to get them, such as special group or profession plates - they get new ones, but different ones. It will cost an additional $25.00 for most people to get these plates.

For more questions about this, see the NY DMV's FAQ on this topic.

Do you like them?

Posted at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Category: Motor Vehicle | Comments (6) (0)

Can't believe this, just cannot believe this.

Posted at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (2) (0)

I just don't get it. I get the weirdest phone calls ever. Seriously, you got to read this. Here is how the phone call went...

Caller: Guy calls our 800# and asks, do you know how long it takes to get from Suffern to some city name.

Me: Excuse me?

Caller: Yes, do you know how long it takes to drive from Suffern to city name goes here?

Me: First of all, I never heard of that city name. Second of all, why in the world would you call RustyBrick to get that type of information?

Here is the kicker people...

Caller: Well, I "Googled" companies in Suffern, hoping they would know.

Me: You what?! Did you ever hear of Google Maps?

Caller: Yes, I have.

Me: So, just go to Google Maps and type in [Suffern to cityname] and it will tell you.

Caller: Oh, okay - thanks.

Seriously, I get the weirdest phone calls. Ronnie told me, this is what you get for ranking too high. I don't think that is the reason we get so many weird calls...

Posted at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (1) (0)

I normally do not hesitate before writing a blog post, but this time I did. In the past ten days, I have heard about three suicides. These are from people I know who were impacted by this - thankfully I personally did not know them, but this was not just blatant news. Before this, I think I knew of one suicide in my life time. Thankfully, I have never had a direct friend or family member who went that route.

Suicide is something I simply cannot understand. I just can't comprehend it. No matter how bad life is for you - I just can't understand why someone would do it. Don't get me wrong, I am not judging anyone - I am just saying, I don't understand the rational.

No matter how bad things are, committing suicide hurts so many more people. I hate to say this publicly, but to me, it seems like a selfish act. Of course, I cannot comprehend how bad life is for people who think about doing such acts - so me saying that, is easy for me to say and does unjust to those who suffer with these conditions (if it is a condition).

I just wonder, do sane people commit suicide?

Religiously, I know both in Judaism and Christianity, suicide is frowned upon. In the Jewish world, someone who commits suicide technically should not have a eulogy and should not be buried in the main section of a Jewish cemetery. I think similar rules apply in other religions. But many Rabbis get around this rule due to the sanity claim. If a person was not him/herself then it really was a sickness and thus the person can be given a proper funeral. I get that.

Which gets me back to the question, do sane people commit suicide?

There are certain, but rare, circumstances where Jews are allowed to take their own life. I forget all the situations, but they are rare.

Tough topic - just incredible that three people that I know have experience a friend or family member take such extreme action to end their suffering.

Posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (12) (0)

Yesterday morning I got a nasty paper cut on my middle left hand finger. I am not exactly sure where it came from, but I am pretty sure it happened between 6:10am and 6:50am.

All day yesterday, it was bugging me when I was typing. I complained on Twitter once.

I am not the type to take meds when I am sick or put on bandages when I feel a little annoyances , but last night I decided to go the neosporin route. Before going to sleep, I put on a bit of neosporin and a bandaid and drifted away.

This morning I repeated. I can say, I think it is helping.

So - for all of you out there with paper cuts, try neopsorin and a bandaid - it can help you too!

Posted at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Category: Daily Grind | Comments (2) (0)

As you know, we are looking into getting OGIO layover travel bags and embroidering them. The thing is, they are expensive, so I need to find cheaper gifts as well.

On Sellout.Woot today, they have Sharper Image 24" Rolling Duffle bags. I called my guy and he said he can embroider them. These bags are only $20 a piece, even though they retailed for $150. So I purchased a bunch of them and when I get them, I'll send them to be embroidered.

I still plan on buying some of the OGIOs. In fact, the replacement one should be coming today. I hope to bring it to Vegas next week to make sure they are solid bags. If so, I'll buy some of these and also more RustyBrick laptop bags for those new clients that did not get them.

This is not the first time we bought gifts after finding them on discount racks. The RustyBrick mini Fridges were at discount at Staples, major discount/clearance.

Posted at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (1) (0)

Tamar sent me this video. You have to watch it:

Posted at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (3) (0)