Jenny Craig: Week Forty Seven Results

Lost 0.6 pounds this week! Not bad for the holiday season. This coming week, however, is the real challenge :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Six Results

Ok, down one pound this week! Hey, better than gaining! :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Five Results

Ok, I'm outta control! Gained another 2 pounds this past week! That's 4 in two weeks! This has to stop. I have to survive the holidays and work on minimizing the damage.

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Four Results

Yup. Thanksgiving gave me two extra pounds last week...but oh so worth it! And with all our leftovers, this week is also in jeopardy. Ahh, the holidays :-)

Looks like I'll have to be careful and try to throw in some activity to balance things out a bit.

Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side trailer

Awesome

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Three Results

Lost a pound this week. Total is now 40 pounds exactly. Of course, with Thanksgiving, this can't last ;-)

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody in 1080p!

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Two Results

Man, I've really hit a wall here. Up 0.8 pounds this past week, so my total is a solid 39 pounds lost. I think I'm bored with the food right now, so I cheat. Trying a "two days on my own" thing so I can mix it up but it's gonna be tough for a bit, especially with the holidays coming up.

Jenny Craig: Week Forty One Results

Down 1.2 pounds this week! Total lost is just a hair under 40 pounds...39.8 to be exact. Onward and downward!

Tattoo Session #3 Complete

My third tattoo session is complete, and here are the results! This picture shows my PRS tattoo after each session. Amazing progress...but it's still not finished. I still need at least one more session to finish up the details of the guitar, including the chrome, whammy bar, and highlights.

My tattoo artist, Jesse Deering, is doing an amazing job! Check out this blog post on how he became a Zazzle and Artsprojekt artist after working on my tattoo, then check out his online store and buy something...support your local tattoo artist! :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Forty Results

After basically cheating all week, I only gained 0.4 pounds. But now I have to make sure I make up for it! Definitely stuck in a little rut here. Whatevs...I'm not too worried. I'm still down ~39 pounds and as long as I don't keep climbing, all is good!

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Nine Results

Down 1.8 pounds this week! Finally took off that vacation weight :-) So now I'm back to my halfway point...total of 39 pounds lost.

Good mileage day

Got 70.7 MPG on the way into work today! Not too shabby :-)

Testing Pixelpipe on Android.

Pixelpipe is an app that let's you post in one place and it gets sent to all your social sites, blogs, etc. Seems cool so far and well integrated into Android. Sending from my phone now.

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Eight Results

Down another 0.4 pounds. Better than nothing!

Jazzy Guitar Improv

This is just me goofing around over some slow jazz. One take, so there are mistakes. I'm playing my PRS SE Custom through my PodXT Live and into my laptop. Recorded it with the laptop's built in camera...not great quality...so I added the old time effects to make it look a little better :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Seven Results

Down only 0.4 pounds this week. Slow, but the right direction :-)

My Hero!

Best Buy had an early bird sale of the Sprint Hero for Reward Club members and I managed to get mine early! Been playing with it all night (it's now 3:45am!) and it rocks! It's smaller than I expected (that's a good thing) and it feels quite peppy...they absolutely fixed the lag issue everyone was talking about on the earlier European version. This thing is super smooth!

This phone was meant for me...it's on Sprint, which is the carrier I've been on for years, my 2-year contract for my old phone recently expired, allowing me to get the retention discount (basically same price as a new user contract), and it's Android, which has great potential! It's the perfect "eat shit, Apple" storm!

I've always said that the iPhone was revolutionary, but due to my irrational hatred of all things Apple, I'd never own one. Stupid, I know. But true. So I've been harboring some minor touchscreen jealousy for a while...until now :-)

With the recent announcements of all these fancy new Android phones on the horizon, I think Google is on its way up in the mobile world. Go Android!

Top 10 Reasons I'm Getting Sprint's HTC Hero

Here are my top 10 reasons for getting an HTC Hero Android Smartphone from Sprint:

1. I'm already on Sprint and have great service (great coverage in the Bay Area, and EV-DO is peppy. Also love the all-you-can-eat Everything plan)
2. Flash support
3. Oleoresistant screen (minimal fingerprints and face grease)
4. Multitasking Android OS has potential
5. HTC Sense UI improves Android significantly
6. 5 megapixel camera is better than my current Motorola Q
7. Android Market - Cool apps and more coming
8. I kinda prefer real keys, but a soft keyboard will help curb the temptation to answer texts while driving. Sad but true.
9. Wi-fi/Bluetooth/EV-DO/CDMA - Many ways to connect
10. I hate Apple and won't buy an iPhone. And I hear AT&T is...not so good.

There are actually many more reasons I want this phone, including that my current Motorola Q9c is showing its age running Windows Mobile 6.1. Ok, yes, I have touchscreen jealousy.

Check out this review and the cool pictures of this phone. Looks pretty elegant. Personally I prefer Sprint's candybar version (above) to Europe's chinny Jay Leno iteration.

Is it October 11th yet?

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Six Results

Down 0.8 pounds...going in the right direction. Still making up for the vacation weight but all is good :-)

PRS Guitar Tattoo: Session #2

Here's a pic of how my PRS Guitar tattoo is coming along. The first session was just the outline (left), and the second session filled in the muscle tissue (right).

The next and final session (scheduled for October 31st at the San Jose Tattoo Convention) will color in and shade the guitar, and finish up all the final details.

The artist (Jesse Deering from Lucky Stars Tattoo) is doing a great job on this! I came to him simply with a picture of my Paul Reed Smith SE Custom and the idea that I wanted it somehow coming out of my arm and attached with veins...and he went off and designed this!

I'll post another picture when it's finished :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Five Results

I took a week off of Jenny Craig since we were going to Atlanta and Florida to visit family last week. I knew this would be a trip full of wonderful foods...and boy was I right.

Beef ribs, ham, Indian food, Italian, BBQ, fast food, you name it, I ate it. You could almost say I was on a bender...fell off the proverbial wagon...damn near ate the wagon!

The day after we got back, I weighed myself and my scale said I had gained just over 9 pounds. NINE POUNDS! In one week! Luckily, the next day it was only 4.6 pounds gained...the 9 pounds included water weight and bloat. I had several days to go before my next Jenny Craig weigh-in, so I followed the plan and behaved.

So I had my weigh-in yesterday (Tuesday) and I was still up 3.6 pounds, but considering how I ate, that's not too bad. Now I'm back on track, in my normal routine. :-)

"Now We Run" (Full song) - New Steve Vai DVD OUT NOW!

Wow. Simply amazing! Steve Vai is a freak of nature...ridiculous! And the violinists are insane!

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Four Results

I did it! I lost two pounds this week, passing my halfway point! 39.2 pounds total so far, and another 39 to go! Go Jenny go! :-)

Of course, I'm taking a week off since we're going to the East Coast to visit family, and our families LOVE food! But I can bounce back as long as I'm a little careful and don't go completely crazy :-)

Zazzle's Bug Eating Friday!

Zazzle does more than just fix bugs...we EAT them! Check out our Bug Eating Friday video where we partake of giant water bugs, crickets, bamboo worms, buffalo dung beetles, roasted scorpions, chocolate covered ants, and scorpion vodka! MMMM MMMM GOOD!

Zazzle Bug Eating Friday from Zazzle on Vimeo.

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Three Results

Woo hoo! Lost 1.4 pounds this week, and that's with cheating one day with pizza ;-) So this brings my total now to 37.2 pounds lost.

I am now 1.8 pounds away from my halfway point. Yes, when I lose a total of 39 pounds, I have yet another 39 to go to reach my goal weight. I don't mind losing it slowly...easier to keep off that way. I'm learning to eat in a more balanced way, and to not consider my intake as a diet but rather a new way of eating.

That one day of pizza can still happen in the future, but not like I used to do it...pizza one day, burritos the next, then Indian food, then wings, then Taco Bell, etc. It's no wonder I used to have heartburn all the time!

This next week is all Jenny Craig (oh, and bugs on Friday...yes, a work event where we eat bugs...I'll post separately about that!), then next week we're off to Georgia and Florida where I'm sure the food will be delicious and plentiful...I'll just have to take it one day at a time.

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Two Results

After our company picnic BBQ and tailgating at a Giant's game, I actually gained 0.4 pounds this week. I'm actually surprised it wasn't more than this considering what I ate :-)

In any case, I may be reaching my first real plateau. And with our Florida/Georgia trip coming soon, there are some challenges ahead.

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty One Results

Well this week I broke even and didn't lose any weight. But still down 36.2 pounds total. Of course, our company picnic is this week plus a Giant's game on Saturday...gonna be a tough week!

Apple - Bunch of Filthy Liars

Is it petty of me to enjoy seeing Apple caught in a scandalous pickle? TechCrunch reports how Apple lied to the FCC about blocking the Google Voice app. This just makes them look jealous and sneaky. Awww, Apple fanboys will now have to admit that there's a blemish on their golden savior. Kool Aid not tasting so good?

Sorry, I must sound absolutely terrible rooting for Apple to fail. Nah, who we kiddin'? :-)

Translationparty.com's Zazzle integration

Last week I posted about Translationparty, a fun site that translates an English phrase into Japanese, back to English, back to Japanese, etc. until hilarity ensues.

Well this week we find out that they added a Zazzle API integration all on their own! After you enter your phrase and the site does it's translations, you can buy a t-shirt, mug, or other products, with the final phrase on it! Cool!

Here's an example...when entering the phrase "What would this look like on a t-shirt?", the final translation becomes "In this case, tshirt?"

Jenny Craig: Week Thirty Results

Wow, thirty weeks of Jenny Craig. This week I dropped 1.2 pounds for a total of 36.2. This was more than I expected for this week :-)

My average per week is 1.2 pounds. Slow and steady. They say taking it off slow makes it easier to keep off. Here's hoping!

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Nine Results

Down 0.4 pounds this week, even after "cheating" on Saturday. Of course, I was up 0.6 last week, so I'm still making up for it :-) Total = 35 even.

Let's have a Translation Party!

1. Enter a phrase in English
2. The phrase gets translated into Japanese, back to English, back to Japanese, etc...until the translations reach equilibrium and match.
3. Hilarity ensues.

http://translationparty.com

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Eight Results

Well, after tailgating before a concert, with some yummy food I might add, I'm up 0.6 pounds. And this coming week isn't looking too promising, but heck...I'm still down around 35 pounds, so as long as I can make it up, I'm good.

It's ok to fall off the wagon every now and then...keeps me on my toes. I have to learn to simply keep a balance in what I eat. If I go up a bit, I'll take it back off.

Around the World on a Motorcycle in the 1960's, Carlos Caggiani Writes About His Adventure

PRESS RELEASE:

Around the World on a Motorcycle in the 1960's, Carlos Caggiani Writes About His Adventure

"Huellas y Horizontes" now available on Amazon!

My dad's book (previously announced in this post) is now available on Amazon.com! If you speak Spanish, I highly recommend this read. It chronicles a two year period in his life (1964-1966) when he embarked on an adventure to travel around the world on an old Indian Chief motorcycle.

He suffered many hardships, including being caught in the crossfire of a Bolivian revolution, being chased by the FBI in New Jersey, instense heat/cold/hunger, and a few accidents.

If you don't read Spanish, stay tuned for the English version, hopefully sometime this year. I am working on the translation...a slow but very rewarding process. Kindle versions will also follow.

Check out the book's webpage at http://www.huellasyhorizontes.com

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Seven Results

Down 1.2 pounds this week for a total of 35.2! Slowly but surely...

Zazzle's Friday Caliente!

On Friday, July 24th, 2009, Zazzle held a little hot sauce and spicy food tasting party. We brought in hot Hooters wings, which ended up being the least spicy thing there!

Hot sauces ranging from mild to OMG WTF were tasted. And Eric brought in his own special recipe...homemade fire he calls W263 (it's about the hottest thing I have ever tasted!)

Check out the vid!

Zazzle's Friday Caliente! from Zazzle on Vimeo.

My dad's book is published!

My dad wrote a book in Spanish, called "Huellas y Horizontes" ("Tracks and Horizons"). It's an autobiographical story of a trip around the world on a motorcycle in 1964. Very entertaining read! I designed the cover art and helped him publish it online.

The Spanish version is now available through CreateSpace, and soon to be on Amazon as well. I am currently working on the English translation.

Check out the book's webpage at http://www.huellasyhorizontes.com

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Six Results

Ok, down 0.6 pounds this week...short week, but nonetheless :-) Slowly clawing my way back after gaining last week! 34.2 total.

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Five Results

Yup. After our fun long weekend in Bodega Bay and Point Reyes, I expectedly gained 1.4 pounds. Still down 33.4 though :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Four Results

Down 1.6 pounds even after tailgating my butt off at the Giants game this weekend! That's a total of 34.8 pounds so far. I'm wearing my 38 jeans that I haven't fit into in a long time. I'd love to get back into 34's, but I think that's still a long way away! :-)

String Cheese Incident on Austin City Limits

This is just...awesome!

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Three Results

Woo hoo! Lost 1.6 pounds...that's .2 more than I gained last week! 33.2 total :-)

After Near Miss, New RAID is Bliss

As I stated in my previous post, I recently purchased five 1TB drives to expand my home NAS system (a Thecus N5200). I had two ways to set this up:

1. Replace each of my old drives separately, one at a time, with a new drive. Rebuild the RAID with each drive replacement. When all new drives were in and all old ones out, I would click "EXPAND" in the NAS's admin screen and it would use all drive space.

2. Remove all old drives, and replace with all new drives. Build a new empty RAID5 on the new drives. Then copy over all my data from an external backup.

#1 has the advantage of keeping all my data and NAS settings intact during the process, but would take infinitely longer since I would have had to rebuild the entire RAID at least three times, most likely 5.

#2 would be way faster, but would require copying all the data from backup, and the files would not be accessible until the upgrade was complete.

So I chose #2. I didn't want to rebuild the RAID tons of times, when each time could take many hours, if not days.

Now here's the kicker...my backup included everything from the NAS, including NAS system files. I figured copying those back could keep my settings and modules intact.

Long story short...I replaced all drives at once, started copying the files back, and all seemed fine. Until I rebooted the NAS.

After a reboot, I noticed that all the data was there, but it was read-only. I couldn't write any files onto the NAS at all. Plus, all the modules I had installed (like SSH support, FTP server, etc) were showing as installed, but would not work. I couldn't even uninstall and reinstall modules. When I tried, nothing would happen.

I quickly realized that copying the modules back from my backup probably overwrote the proper permissions/ownerships on all those files, causing the NAS not to be able to read them correctly. If I had SSH access into the box, I could fix that, but SSH access was only available as a module. Crap.

Plus, why was it all read-only? Uggg!

Anyway, after resetting to factory defaults, updating the firmware, and other non-successful rescue attempts, I did some research. Luckily, I found a script someone wrote that I could install on the NAS (through the firmware upgrade screen) that would simply rename the old modules database, causing the NAS to create a new empty one. Perfect. This would allow me to reinstall all my modules and get SSH working. (Script is named Renmod and can be found here)

That worked beautifully. Now I was able to SSH in and start changing permissions and such. Well, I changed all the permissions and owners of the data, but the filesystem was still read-only.

So last thing I did was edit each share through the NAS admin. I had to disable the public flag, edit the ACL to add all my users to the share, then re-enable the public flag. That did the trick!

Now I have all my data, tons of space, and a scripted nightly backup to an external 1TB drive connected through the NAS's esata port. Sweet! I'll have to create a How-To at some point to explain how I got the nightly RSYNC to work. It's an interesting bunch of scripts :-)

Expanding my NAS

For the last few years I've been using a Thecus N5200 NAS storage system. I've been very happy with it, but I've actually underutilized it. It has five drive bays, and I've only ever had three 500GB drives in it running in a RAID 5 configuration. That's a total of just under 1TB of usable space.

Well, the price of hard drive storage has gone way down, and I finally decided to go the distance. I purchased five 1TB Western Digital Caviar Green drives from Amazon for a total of $424.95. Not bad!

Haven't installed them yet, but it will be nice to have 4TB of usable space!

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Two Results

Yup. Bad week. Gained 1.4 pounds. But I kinda knew that was coming since I ate a lot on Saturday. Good food, great friends...it was worth it! Still down 31.6 total :-)

Sometimes you need these little setbacks to break the monotony and keep you sane. Plus, it's really hard to say no to cheese, guacamole, steak, and brownies!

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty One Results

Down another 1.8! So total now is 33 pounds :-) Slowly but surely!

Jenny Craig: Week Twenty Results

I finally passed the 30 pound barrier! I lost 1.4 pounds this week, bringing my total to 31.2 pounds lost!

Chickenfoot - Tastes Good!

Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith have formed a new rock band named Chickenfoot...and it's pretty rockin'! Check out the video of their song "Oh Yeah", then head on over to their site to hear more!


visit chickenfoot.us for more info

Jenny Craig: Week Nineteen Results

Woo hoo! Lost 1.8 pounds (one of which I gained last week). Down 29.8 total...geez, should I just say 30? ;-)

Look ma! No hands!

As this video shows, Microsoft unveiled an amazing new technology for its Xbox 360 platform. It's called Project Natal...and it looks amazing! Have a look...

Bing! There it is!

Microsoft's new search engine is actually pretty good! I haven't done side-by-side comparisons with Google yet, but I'm digging the features so far. Image and video searches rock. Nice job, Microsoft!

Jenny Craig: Week Eighteen Results

Yeah so I gained a pound this week due to tailgating at a Giants game, and going out to dinner one night. So 28 pounds total. Maybe next week will be better :-)

Ride the Google Wave

This has got to be one of the coolest things Google has done since Google Earth. It's called Google Wave, and this video shows how it turns what we know about Web communications on it's ear.

New Dog Apparel at Zazzle!

Last week we launched dog apparel at Zazzle! Yes, now your pups don't have to be naked all the time...they can wear a cool t-shirt with a design that matches their personality!

Here's a few of my first doggie designs:

Hello My Name Is Dog Shirt by ecaggiani
Create your Pet Clothing online with zazzle.com

Get Outta My Grill by ecaggiani
See more Dog Pet Clothing

Jenny Craig: Week Seventeen Results

Good week! I lost 2.8 pounds, even with the chocolate and cheese we had at work last Friday. Mmmmmm, chocolate.

So that brings the grand total to 29 pounds so far! Onward and downward!

Jenny Craig: Week Sixteen Results

This week went a little better. Lost 1.2 pounds, bringing my grand total to 26 pounds. Yay! Almost 30!

Jenny Craig: Week Fifteen Results

Posting this late, but last weigh in was a 0.2 pound gain. Must have been because of our little "gross food" party we had at work (beef hearts, raw snails, durian fruit, head cheese, etc.) That, plus the tacos I had for lunch on Cinco de Mayo.

Oh well. I knew what I was getting into, and kinda figured it would be a bad week :-)

Maybe this coming Tuesday will fare better!

Jenny Craig: Week Fourteen Results

I guess I forgot to post here last week (week 13), but it's ok because I broke even and didn't lose or gain.

But this week I lost exactly 2 more pounds, bringing the total lost to exactly 25 pounds!

Reb Beach Cuts It Loose

This just rocks!

My Fiji Pictures!

Jenny Craig: Week Twelve Results

Phew! I lost exactly 2.2 pounds (the same 2.2 I gained in Fiji)! So let's pretend my vacation never happened. Total: 23 pounds.

Jenny Craig: Week Eleven-ish Results

Back from Fiji, and after eight days there with no Jenny, and only being able to eat the delicious rich food of the Nakia resort, I gained 2.2 pounds.

It could have been way worse...probably was, actually, but I didn't get to my Jenny weigh-in until three days after we got back. So I probably lost a bit those three days since I was back on the diet.

Anyway, nothing to be upset or alarmed about. I'm back on track now, and very happy to be back in the States!

Jenny Craig: Week Ten Results

This past week: down 1.6 pounds.
Ten week total: 23 pounds even.

Wow, that's an average of 2.3 pounds a week! Of course, the first week I lost 6.6 pounds, so that brings the average up :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Nine Results

Down 1.6 pounds this week for a total of 21.4! Finally broke the 20 pound barrier :-)

Jenny Craig: Week Eight Results

Down 1.2 more pounds this week! So that brings the total to 19.8 pounds...just missed 20! There's always next week!

Jenny Craig: Week Seven Results

So this past weekend I had to fly to New York for my aunt's funeral. It was a short notice trip and I decided to not worry about bringing my Jenny food or even finding a center in NY.

I tested myself to see if I could make good choices on my own. Since we were only going to be there for a few days, I thought it was safe.

Overall, I did well, except on the last day I just HAD to get a slice of NY pizza! IT...WAS...AWESOME!

Anyway, the bottom line: I still lost 1.8 pounds! That's a total of 18.6 so far!

Jenny Craig: Week Six Results

Week six came and went...and so did two more pounds! That brings the total so far to 16.8 pounds in 6 weeks! So far, that's an average of 2.8 pounds per week. Not too shabby!

Jenny Craig: Week Five Results

Only lost 0.8 pounds this week, for a total of 14.8 pounds in 5 weeks. At least it's still going in the right direction!

What Would Jason Do?

WWJD? by ecaggiani
Get t-shirts from www.Zazzle.com
See other Humor Sayings T-Shirts

Jenny Craig: Week Four Results

I was pleasantly surprised this week! I lost another 2.6 pounds bringing the grand total to 14 pounds!

Jenny Craig: Week Three Results

I really excpected less from this week, but luckily I still lost 2.2 pounds, bringing the grand total for 3 weeks to 11.4 pounds! Still a looong way to go, but this keeps me motivated!

I actually took a walk at work the other day...yes I actually did an activity! I need to keep that up!

Superbowl Commercials

Jenny Craig: Week Two Results

Ok, so after last week's wonderful 6.6 pounds, I didn't expect much for my second week. This week I lost 2.6 pounds, bringing my total to 9.2 pounds in two weeks. Every little bit helps!

The differences between the Windows 7 Taskbar and the OSX Dock

I recently installed Windows 7 Beta on an old laptop of mine (Pentium M, 1.69 GHz, 1GB RAM) to see how it runs on older hardware and basically test out the new OS from Redmond. I'm very impressed at the overall feel (it's quite snappy!) and seems to be running great.

The most noticeable change is the Taskbar. Here's an article from arstechnica.com that does a great job outlining the functionality of the new Windows 7 Taskbar, and even talks about how it's different than Apple's OSX Dock. Worth a read!

George Bush Top 10 Moments - David Letterman Show

Jenny Craig: Week One Results

Ok, the results are in! On my first week on Jenny Craig I lost...

6.6 pounds!

A good start! Now I have to just keep doing what I'm doing :-)

Back on Jenny...

Yes folks, I am now on Day 2 of Jenny Craig. A few years ago, before starting at Zazzle, I joined Jenny Craig and lost nearly 40 pounds. Then I kind of dropped the ball and slipped back into my old eating habits (Zazzle's wonderful kitchen didn't help!)

But now it's 2009. A fresh start. And I need to do this for me. For my health as well as for my self image. I turned 39 this month, and I don't want to go into my 40's being overweight and lacking energy.

I'm blogging this simply to make myself accountable. The more people I tell, the more I feel obligated to follow through.

I'll post some results when I have any ;-)

New bill to add warnings on games

Just as Jack Thompson fades into oblivion after being disbarred, we get CA Congressman Joe Baca who picks up the torch. He introduced Bill HR 231, which states that ALL games rated T or higher by the ESRB need to carry this warning:

“WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/01/12/new-bill-congress-would-add-cigarette-warning-labels-video-games