Quantcast
Channel: Ellis.FYI
Browsing latest articles
Browse All 104 View Live

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

1000Bulbs vs. Amazon: A Tale of Two Orders

The Need After 3,723 hours of service, the lamp in my projector literally exploded one Friday night (01/25) a few weeks ago in the middle of 30 Rock (okay, technically I think it actually imploded)....

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Wallet Overload on Kickstarter

I’ve become quite a fan of Kickstarter over the past year, having backed 26 projects since joining a year ago. One of the projects I backed last month was a modern, leather minimalist wallet, the...

View Article


The 100 Peeps Challenge: “How can something so simple be so delicious?”

Time to share another of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite television shows of all time, Malcolm in the Middle, in which Francis takes on the 100 Peeps challenge (okay technically they’re...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

LA Man Collects Data on 6,000+ Chinese Restaurant Visits

I love stories of people or companies using data in interesting ways, and today I came across a great one. From the Los Angeles Times: 6,297 Chinese restaurants and hungry for more [Los Angeles...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Salmon, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, & Eggs – Tim’s Daily Paleo Breakfast

For most of this year I’ve been making the same Paleo breakfast every morning when I get to work. During that time, I’ve been asked some variation of “What are you making?” or “That smells delicious,...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Sharknado: Has the “Shark Genre” Reached its Logical Conclusion? NOPE.

Today on a group chat at work, the topic of “Sharknado” came up. Because of course it did. In said chat, someone linked to an article in which the writer of “Sharknado” claims that “the shark genre has...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

“Double Stuf” Oreos Actually Only “1.89x Stuf”

Here’s another great story about data, this time on a small scale. Dan Anderson is a high school math teacher. As part of a class exercise, he had his kids measure the “stuf” content of regular Oreo...

View Article

Video Games + Home Improvement = Porch Launch

In honor of the launch home improvement network Porch (my employer), I created this Internet-meme-ish slideshow that ties together video games and home improvement. Enjoy… OR ELSE. P.S. – I also posted...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Incredible Shrinking PAX Medals

A few weeks ago I attended my eighth consecutive PAX Prime. While there are many things to love about PAX, one of my personal favorites has become the PAX medals. All weekend long there are various...

View Article


Mmm… Flies!

The post Mmm… Flies! appeared first on Tim and Jeni.

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Amazing ’80s Technology Gems of the Markline Catalog

A few months ago one of my coworkers at Redfin unearthed a long-lost treasure lurking in his garage: The Fall 1983 Markline Catalog. This amazing book contains a cornucopia of cutting edge technology...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Kickstarter Idea Generator

Dying to cash in on the Kickstarter craze, but can’t come up with a compelling idea? I have hand-crafted just the thing for you! Behold: Kickstarter Design Project Idea Generator You’re welcome. The...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Don Adams, 86 in Get Smart & Inspector Gadget

I got the recently (finally) released “Inspector Gadget Megaset” for Christmas, and I noticed a familiar number on the box… Don Adams’ “Get Smart” character Maxwell Smart was Agent 86. Don Adams’...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Gordon Sands Threatens Seattle Bubble with Google Disavow in Misguided...

Last week I got an email from Gordon Sands, “a principal” of BankruptcyAction.com—a website I’d never heard of—claiming that Seattle Bubble contains “link(s) to BankruptcyAction.com.” The claimed...

View Article

Introducing META: The Idea Generator

P.S. – This is 100% real. If META is funded on Kickstarter, I will really be building META. The post Introducing META: The Idea Generator appeared first on Tim and Jeni.

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Which is More Dangerous: Climbing Rainier or the “Deadliest Job”?

With the news a few weeks ago of the death of six climbers on Mount Rainier, I found myself wondering… just how dangerous is climbing Rainier, anyway? Is it really more dangerous than other risky...

View Article

Adoption Updates

I’ve been trying to come up with an easy way to update everyone who wants to be updated. So, what we’ve come up with is this adoption section on our site synced with a Facebook group. Why not just...

View Article


Where we’re at in the process

Almost everything we did for Maezie’s adoption is no longer valid. We’ve started pretty much from the beginning – including even filling out the initial application for Antioch. Here’s what’s left to...

View Article

Part 1 of CCT done

We’ve completed the first segment of the new Caregiver Core Training. In case you are wondering, this is a whole different curriculum from PRIDE. CCT was written specifically for WA State,...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

How Much Paint Would it Take to "Cover the Earth"?

If you’ve done any painting lately, you’ve probably encountered the Sherwin Williams logo: The visual of a can of paint larger than the moon being poured over Earth has always been something of a...

View Article

CCT Complete!

We finished up the last class today. It’s nice to have that done and out of the way. And, I got the satisfaction of crossing it off our list! The post CCT Complete! appeared first on Tim and Jeni.

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Why I’m Skeptical of Jibo, the Overly Cute Robo-Servant

There’s been quite a bit of press recently about a new “family robot” called Jibo. The squat, Pixar-esque robo-assistant has raised over $2 million so far on Indiegogo and spawned dozens of effusive...

View Article


Plugging Along

As you can see (above) we’re just plugging along with the paper work. Almost done with the homework packet. Feel free to bug Tim about finishing his part. I’ve already copied and pasted what I can! =)...

View Article

Windows 10 No More Nonsensical a Name Than Previous Versions

Today we learned that the next consumer version of Windows will be called Windows 10. Some people are a bit confused at this name, since the current version is called Windows 8.1. I say that “Windows...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

One Step Closer

Yup, that’s our completed homework all ready to be mailed tomorrow! The post One Step Closer appeared first on Tim and Jeni.

View Article


Not my plan

I wrote this a while ago, but it still feels true: I’m feeling vulnerable, so you get to get a peak at my thoughts & fears. If I’m honest with myself there is a part of me that doesn’t want to keep...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Everett to Seattle Traffic Is Blowing Up

Has Seattle traffic suddenly gotten a lot worse, or is it just my skewed perception? I take the Sound Transit 510 express bus from Everett to Seattle every day for work and in the past few weeks I’ve...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Forget Red Light Cameras, We Need Yellow Light Lines

Red light cameras are sold by the companies that install them and the cities that use them as a “safety” feature. Whether or not they actually improve safety is up for debate, but there is no doubt...

View Article

Waiting with a little confusion

Outside of one remaining reference, our homework for Antioch is officially done. I’m still halfway expecting another “one more thing” email. For those of you who we haven’t talked with lately: we found...

View Article



Case Worker Assigned!

Yay! We got assigned Dani as our case worker! Due the holidays, our home study will start early January. I’ll let you know when we get a specific date and more details. =) The post Case Worker...

View Article

Home Study Appointment #1

Our first Home Study visit will be Jan. 14 and 3pm. One prayer request that we have is that Tim’s new bosses will be supportive of Tim leaving a bit early, in order to be home on time. It will be his...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

First Home Study Visit Completed!

Our first meeting with Dani was today. She was here for a long while; 3-6:30 or so. This is the first of 4-5 visits. Her next visit will be on Wed. the 28th. I don’t know if they’ll all be as long as...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

New Furniture

So it’s not the cheapest solution, but Tim fell in love with the bed. It’s a loft bed with a fold out twin. We’ve learned our “Costco Lesson”: If you see something you like, buy it now and assume it...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

New Bed Set Up

Got the new bed set up today. Here it is with the lower portion in “seat” mode: And here it is in “bed” mode: It’s starting to look like a kids’ room! The post New Bed Set Up appeared first on Tim and...

View Article

Changing Direction

We’ve changed our course a bit. Instead of working with Antioch, we are going straight to the state. We’ve connected with a lady from Fostering Together, who is helping us get our paperwork ready to...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Giant Cedar Tree Repurposed as a Little Free Library

Just up the street from my house (near downtown Everett) there was a large cedar tree. a majestic giant cedar tree just up the street from my house (photo via Google Street View) Recently, the owners...

View Article


Best Protein Shake Ever

I had to post this excerpt from the Malcolm in The Middle episode “Malcolm Holds His Tongue” (Season 4, Episode 7) for my buddy Phil. Best protein shake ever. The post Best Protein Shake Ever appeared...

View Article


Instead of refunding my money for a defective DVD, Target lied to me about...

I originally shared this story about attempting to return a defective DVD to Target back in 2008 on the personal finance site Get Rich Slowly. However, at some point this year the original post seems...

View Article

New things are happening!

We submitted our paperwork to the state a week or so ago. The first visit with our case worker was this past Monday. There will be at least 3. This one was mostly getting our paperwork in order. She...

View Article

More Hoops

We’ve now had 3 home visits. They’ve all gone well. Our case worker did speak with Antioch. I’m still unsure of what was said. It seems like each time Antioch is brought up she says they said something...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Dangerous Everett Neighborhood Intersections Result in Predictable But...

Earlier this month I emailed the City of Everett Transportation Engineering department about a pair of dangerous intersections on my street: 36th & Wetmore (which I live on the SE corner of) and...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Ellises Get Approved!

Look what came in the mail today! The post Ellises Get Approved! appeared first on Ellis.FYI.

View Article

City Of Everett Continues To Declare Dangerous Intersections “Appropriate”

Still more dangerous driving persists right in front of my house. The city of Everett traffic engineering department refuses to make any modifications to the flawed designs at this intersection that...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

I logged every cup of tea I drank in 2016

For no particular reason, I decided to keep a detailed log of every cup of tea I drank in 2016. I kept track of the time I started drinking each cup, what time I finished the cup, the brand and flavor...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Listen to the tugboat’s stuck fog horn at Port of Everett that kept my...

Sunday night just as I was about to go to bed, I heard a strange noise coming from outside. It wasn’t too loud so I didn’t think much of it, but then I got a notification that someone had just started...

View Article


Even more collisions and near misses at the intersection the City of Everett...

Enjoy (?) this collection of near misses and collisions collected over the past year and a half. The City of Everett has declared the existing traffic controls at this intersection to be “appropriate”...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Best Time Loops & Why Time Loops Aren’t Time Travel

In the spirit of Groundhog Day, I’d like to share my personal ranking of the best time loop movies/TV shows: Groundhog Day Russian Doll Cause and Effect (ST:TNG episode) Edge of Tomorrow Palm Springs...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Tough Reality of Running an Independent Retail Shop in Downtown Everett

It’s been just over two years since my wife and I opened the doors at Chai Cupboard, our loose leaf tea and spice shop in downtown Everett, and I thought it would be a good time to share how things are...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Why do most microwaves have such a terrible user interface?

Most microwaves that you find in the store have a user interface that is so terrible, I can only assume that it was designed by a committee of middle managers who don’t even know the meaning of the...

View Article


🪦 R.I.P. My Tech Career: 2010-2022

It’s time to call it. Pour one out for my career in tech. It’s dead. It was killed by the one-two punch of layoffs and the worst job market I’ve experienced in my entire professional life. At my former...

View Article

Browsing latest articles
Browse All 104 View Live