Once again, I must thank r-tools technology for their wonderful (in features and price) product, R-Studio.

I was trying out one of those SD slots that a lot of new computers have and mistakenly made the assumption that I could just yank the SD card out (which you can do with a USB device on Windows XP) without “safely removing” it. Unfortunately, doing so seriously jacks the filesystem on the SD card, or at least the partition table. Unfortunately, this meant that I lost all the pictures I took over Christmas. Bummer, but not something to get too distraught over…my brother, sister, and father all had a Pentax camera at hand during the week as well.

But this morning, I finally remembered I wanted to try doing a little data recovery. After spending half-an-hour finding my old registration key and the install files, I loaded up R-Studio, scanned the disk and amazingly two partitions showed up - one jacked up, and the other the original, valid partition! A right-click and Recover All Files later and I had my pictures back, properly dated and everything! Although they haven’t updated their software in years, it is well worth the $180 I paid for their top-of-the-line version that can even recover files on a remote computer.

Note: R-TT also just released a new firewall product, R-Firewall! I’ll have to test it out and see if it’s any good. I’m always on the hunt for good personal firewalls. My current personal favorite…Kerio.

I recently heard somewhere about new corrective lens technology that only required an incision in the cornea and the insertion of something like a contact. In the most recent issue of Outside, I found more details.

For around $8,000 and 15 minutes per eye, you can now have corrective lens implants that will make you feel like you were born 20/20. And unlike Lasik surgery, which may impair night vision, the procedure improves your view in all conditions. Common in Europe for five years now, intraocular lens technology (IOL) involves inserting a five-millimeter-diameter plastic lens through an incision in the cornea and then clipping it to the iris, which makes it extremely durable…Whereas Lasik requires an irreversible cutting away of corneal tissue, these implants are removable and upgradable.

I can’t wait until the price drops on that procedure! I’d love to not have to take my eyes out each night.

Time to blog about my trip to Disney World!

So I went to Disney World on vacation back in October. Being a deprived child, I had never been to the most magical place on Earth before. I think it certainly lived up to that name. ;o) As they say, on with the show!

After a quick flight down to Orlando and a pretty cheap shuttle ride (thank you MEARS Shuttle Service), we arrived at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. When you walk in the front doors, the lobby itself is simply amazing. The detail you see in some of the beams is indicative of what Disney is all about - an amazing amount of attention to detail to ensure that you truly have a great experience. We didn’t get to the hotel until around 10pm, but nevertheless we found the pool pretty quickly. I didn’t get to go down the slide until the next day, but I must have gone down it nearly 100 times by check-out time…I love waterslides.

The first full day took us to Disney’s MGM Studios, competitor to Universal Studios and home to rides such as The Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (more on those later!). It was here, though, that I quickly adapted to the world of FastPass. Now gather ‘round and listen closely, for this may make your Disney experience just that much better.

FastPass is the method with which Disney has come up with in an attempt to alleviate long lines at the park. Certain high-volume rides in each park make use of the FastPass distribution. This allows you to take a ticket at a given ride that tells you to return to the ride within a specified time period. When you return and present your FastPass, you get to wait in a line that is significantly shorter than those who have chosen not to use FastPass. There is one catch, of course. You can only have a certain number of FastPass tickets at a time (usually one). What you can do, then, is get FastPass for a popular ride, go catch a less popular ride and maybe a quick bite to eat. By the time you are done, it’s time to return to your FastPass destination. It’s an excellent way to cut down on those long waits. Back to the rides.

The highlights of the day were the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and the Tower of Terror. The Indy Stunt Show took actual scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark and showed how the stunts were done. Pretty interesting to get a backstage look at that stuff.

The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, like the infamous Space Mountain, is a roller coaster in the dark but with a little more loops and quick turns. The best part is probably the beginning where you are shot from 0-60 mph in about 3 seconds. The line goes right past the start, at which point most people kind of turn around and raise their eyes to the strangers around them, appropriately impressed.

Based on an old Twilight Zone episode, The Tower of Terror is one of Disney’s Big Thrills, which they’ve had to add in recent years to appease the short-attention-span MTV generation. The concept is pretty simple - board an elevator and shoots you up 13 stories…then back down…then up again….then maybe down a few and up one; it changes every time! I actually enjoyed waiting in line because it takes you through the basement of a faux hotel that the elevator is in, with all kinds of interesting stuff to look in.

Let me reiterate that Disney is not Six Flags or your other run-of-the-mill amusement park. Lines are not simply herds of people getting too much sun with nothing to look at but the other poor saps. Even the lines are an experience, taking you through interesting settings, different stages, and Disney does their best to maintain interest all the way from the point you step into line until you get off the ride. All the employees at each ride, for example, are dressed according to the theme of the ride. The line for The Tower of Terror winds you (if necessary) through amazingly well decorated portions of the faux hotel including gardens, an entry-way, and everything in between. To further this point even more, it’s time for lunch!

Lunch at the 50’s Prime Time Caf

Thanks John. I had no idea Windows Key + Break would bring up the “My Computer” Properties Dialog.

Leslie Michael Orchard hit it right on the head. In his post, Beginner’s Mind versus Teacher’s Mind, he tries to determine if he is the teacher or the beginner. I frequently face the same question. There’s so much that I do know, but at the same time there’s so much that I don’t know…

I love learning. I love taking things I don’t know about and figuring them out and learning how to best take advantage of them. But where does that get me? There’s no possible way I can become an expert in every area. So do I specialize? Do I focus on one area, devote my life to it, and try to pass on the knowledge to other people as best I can? Or do I maintain the excitement of learning something new each week? At this point, I can do no more than quote

If I

From what I’ve heard, Starbucks’ new drink, Chantico, is pretty darn good. The Chicagoist thought so too.

Update: I had one, and with the near mistake of ordering a Grande (I probably would have died…) it was goooood. Like drinking chocolate. Thanks for the recommendation, West Coast! ;o)

Chicago got pounded by a almost a foot of snow in the past two days.

Thankfully, my father always insisted his cars have good tires. Following in his steps, I had my Blizzak’s on and ready for this storm. Definitely a good choice! There were way too many people spinning out and stuck on side streets this morning and I didn’t want to be one of them. With an extra couple hundred pounds in the trunk, I had no problem getting around.

Somebody bought me a Worst-Case Scenario Daily Calendar last year, which has provided me countless (or 365, to be exact) days of humor.

Oddly enough, though, on Wednesday, December 22 the worst-case scenario was: How To Survive a Tsunami. Four days before one actually occured. How crazy is that.

Check out this nice list. I love putting useful apps on my new phone.

That’s great…there’s a better chance of an asteroid hitting Earth in 2029 (1 in 37, currently), then there is of me winning the lottery. By then we should have a colony on Mars anyway, right?