I posted a while back about SocialVibe, and thought with it being the 4th of July (at least for another hour or so) that it’d be appropriate to post about it again.

Basically SocialVibe is a services that brings many different companies together (Apple Computer, Coca-Cola, Sprint, Nike, and UFC to name a few) in order to raise money for your favorite charity. For example, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the charity I’m helping raise money for. That’s just one, there are many others that you can select like WWF, Invisible Children, OLPC, and Do Something.

It’s simple to participate. Create an account, select what your cause is, select who you want to sponsor you, and then place the SocialVibe “ad” on your blog or social network profile. Each time the SocialVibe ad is viewed, you help raise money for your cause. And if that wasn’t enough, some sponsors even offer perks where you can earn or win rewards for your participation.

You know me, I wouldn’t be asking you to do something like this if I didn’t believe it was for a good cause.

d3bruts1d invites you to SocialVibe.com

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful Independence Day. As you celebrate this July 4th, take time to think about the men and women serving our country oversees so that others can enjoy the same freedoms we often take for granted.

I’m sure many people will spend today with alcohol and fireworks. While both things can be a lot of fun, they don’t mix well together. Have fun, stay safe, and God bless!

Anyone who knows me should be well aware of the fact that I love food. I love to eat and I love to cook. While I can do it, I’ve never really been much of a baker… that was always mom and grandma’s thing. Though I did win a blue ribbon in 4H many moons ago for some drop biscuits I made from scratch.

Today, since it’s nice and cool out, and we’ve got the windows open, I decided I’d try to bake a loaf of Guinness Bread. No, not from scratch… I didn’t have that much time to put into it today. I actually used a pack of Guinness Bread mix (yes, I cheated!) that I picked up a few months ago from ShopIrish.com.

So, how’d it turn out you ask? Pretty damn good. It probably could have used a few more minutes in the oven, and cooling after that, but I was hungry and like my bread a little doughy.

Farrah and I made it home a few hours ago from our vacation in North Myrtle Beach, SC. we had a blast, at too much, and spent lots of money that we didn’t have. I’m sure one of us will be updating our MySpace pages with photos in the coming days.

Looks like all of my software on my PC is needing updated now… isn’t technology grand?

Friday afternoon I got my first tattoo. I say first because I do have a couple others that I would like to get eventually. The tattoo is a shamrock done in a Celtic knot pattern and is located on my back between my shoulder blades just under the collar line.

I had a basic idea of what I wanted, and Jon of Alter Ego Tattoo made it come real. He did a fantastic job, and I’m extremely happy with it.

The picture was taken on Friday shortly after removing the bandage. I chose this because of my Irish heritage (Mayo and McDaniel), as well as my love of Celtic knotwork.

Life, Love, Luck!

WordPress 2.5.0 was released back at the end of March, but I’m just now getting around to doing my update (been busy, remember? :P). Actually, I’ve upgraded the site to WordPress 2.5.1, so I think that makes it a 3 version update (one was major).

As with any update, it’s possible that you may run into something that acts a bit odd. If you encounter anything, let me know and I’ll take a look into it. I did a quick run though the site, and I didn’t notice anything. Hopefully, everything will work flawlessly.

Yesterday evening while at Target I picked up Guitar Hero III. This is the first video game I’ve purchased since well before Christmas. Ever since our New Year’s Eve robbery, I’ve just really not had the urge to play video games… that, and as I said earlier, I’ve been making an effort to get back into shape, which doesn’t exactly mix well with video games. :p

I loved Guitar Hero II, and have missed playing the game (it was stolen). Well, the game and the music actually. So, I finally after months of delay picked up the sequel.

This morning, I connected up the wireless Les Paul controller and popped the game in. The system said there was an update, so I downloaded it. After that, the game restarted and froze. I rebooted my Xbox 360 only to get the dreaded ‘Red Ring of Death’. With all the reports and complaints I had seen over the years, I was hoping mine would be one of those very few that would never have a problem. Sadly, that turned out not to be the case.

Good news is, the system is still under warranty, and I’ve already contacted Microsoft. With any luck, I’ll have a replacement in… about 2 months. Does anyone know what the turn around time is for 360 repairs?

This sucks… but it gives me more time to exercise.

Wow, I have been seriously slacking. I only posted twice in the last month. Everyone must be thinking I’ve fallen off the end of the Earth or something.

Well, I am still alive. I’ve just been busy. Busy with what? Well work mainly. House work, yard work, work work, and getting back into shape work. Yes, I’ve been focusing hard on getting back into shape. I’ve been inactive for far to long, and I’ve finally gotten tired of it. In the last 4 weeks, I’ve managed to lose 9 pounds… though my goal isn’t exactly weight loss, that is a good sign that I’m doing something right. I feel better, look better, and have more energy.

I’m not alone in this either. My wife is also working on losing weight and getting back into shape. It’s a lot easier to do this when you’ve got someone helping keep you honest.

The New York Giants have upset the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII. Final score 17 - 14. Congrats to Eli and the rest of the Giants.

I really don’t care for either team, I just didn’t want to see New England win. lol