Many of the web users today are too young to remember the years of having to use a specific browser to view the site the way it was intended by the person who made the website.

The years of the visiting sites with “Best Viewed in [enter Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator logo here]” images have been gone for a while.

In brief

During the years of the “Browser Wars” or the years that I like to call.

The years of Marquee and Blink Tags on every website you visit

We had to deal with special HTML Tags that only worked in one browser and not the other and we had two versions of Java Script. You had one browser for some sites and another browser for the rest.

I am starting to see that again in the move towards HTML5. When you visit Apple sites that want to show off HTML5 they tell you to get Safari. When you go to Google sites that show case HTML5 they push you to Chrome. Now Microsoft is trying to showcase HTML5 and they push you to use Internet Explorer 9. The rest of the sites are nice enough to give you a list of browsers that you can upgrade to and offer you Opera or Firefox.

I wont go into more detail about those practices. But, you can read more about it here.

But, I digress

What I wanted to talk about is how I am finally excited for Microsoft again. Yes, you can call me a Microsoft Fanboy and I will accept it. But, it is weird when Microsoft is the underdog when it comes to moving forward with technology.

I understand the push for HTML5 especially from Microsoft as we move towards the release of Windows 8. It is still unclear how much we will embrace Windows 8.

Apple has the ability to make drastic changes and Mac users, for the most part, accept the drastic changes and embrace it how the company wants them to embrace it.

But, PC users are unlikely to accept a major change without question. So, Windows 8 with the Metro interface will be a big test and might even be a huge fail for Microsoft. But, I sure hope it grows on all of us because I would like it succeed.

Here is a video if you want to get a glimps of Windows 8 and the new Metro Interface.

To many platforms not enough time.

I understand that I am not like most users. I use a mobile Apple iOS device, with my primary computer running Windows, and I use a laptop running Lion, while I play on remote Linux systems. But, I expect that a normal type user in the near future will be dividing their computer experience from a handheld device (an ipad, tablet, or mobile device) and a computer (a laptop or desktop). We have been sold the pipe dream of having a uniformed platform across many platforms before from IBM and the idea of Java. The idea and some technology has been around for a while. But, it has taken the latest web standard project of HTML5 to finally bring different companies together and be on the same page (for the most part) on moving forward with a standard that all browsers will be able to run.

I have hope that this time around is not so much a pipe dream with Microsoft pushing the use of HTML5 in their next major operating system.

I hope that I can have the same experience with my game or application on any of my devices. Granted, major applications such as video editing, development, or design wont run natively with web standards. But, the majority of small apps and addicting games will run from the web using web technologies.

Enter Cut the Rope

Here is one game that I am addicted to on my iPhone. Now, that the game was ported over to HTML5 I am able to enjoy it on my computer and other none iPhone devices through the use of a browser the supports HTML5.

Although, this game was ported over to HTML5 with the assistance Microsoft to showcase Internet Explorer 9. You can enjoy the game in Chrome, Safari, and Opera.

I can’t wait for the next logical step of mini games to enable a way to save my progress. I would like to start playing a game on my iPhone, continue playing it on my home computer, and then finish up the game on my work computer.

I am still looking forward to the day that I can run Microsoft Office with a better version of Office 365 through my Opera Browser on my Linux PeppermintOS distribution.

For many, the year starts with a long list of items that you want to check off before the year ends. Well, in the case of 2012 it would be checking things off before the world ends.

On a side note: If the world does end this year. I am going to be really annoyed that I paid off all my bills when I did not have to!

This is the first year in a very long time that the year has started great for me.

Although, I have a mental list of things I want to accomplish this year. They are not written down nor will I have be keeping score by crossing them of as I get them done.

DO MORE!

The last few days I have simplified my goals for 2012 to two simple words – Do More

Do more with my family. Do more with my kids. Do more with my friends. Do more with my self. Do more with my projects. Do more in the community. Do more in life.

Having more time now seems to be an ongoing theme when I talk to people and write my posts. But, free time has been something that I have not had in a very long time. Sadly, we can not add more time to our lives. Everyday that passes is a day lost. We are all counting down – never counting up to days we have left.

The new memories I am making with my kids always bring up the memories of my own childhood and the few memories I have with my parents of actually going out and enjoying life. Now, that I am older I understand the challenges my parents had to overcome and I am sadden that they sacrifice their own dreams in order to give me a chance to a future in a new country. I will always be grateful for that.

The picture above if of my son Hex that was taken at recent hike my wife took our kids to. I was not part of that initial hiking group. I am happy that I was not part of the group because my kids benefited from it.

I am the first to admit that I am an overprotecting father. If it was up to me I will force them to use bubble wrap and walk in a bubble as they go outside and I must always be within arms reach to catch them fall. – Okay, I am exaggerating. But, as they grow and learn the lessons of life. I must also learn to be able to let them go, fall, hurt, but always reassure them that I am here when they need me. They are only 3 and 6 years old and I am already dreading their first heart break, their first disappointment, and their fist issue that they will feel the world is coming to an end.

So, how did they benefit from me not being part of their hiking group?

Well my wife has a bigger comfort zone with them. She lets them do things that I struggle with letting go of their hand to do.

The image above is one example. This is picture taken of my wife and my brother-in-law going up the same path my kids undertook a week earlier.

I would have strap both of them to my back and climb this hill side with them. But, my wife let them test their own boundaries and allowed them to climb this hill side using the fallen tree as a bridge and the roots of nearby trees as rope.

Hearing my kids speak of the hike and re-enacting every moment with excitement and seeing a smile from ear to ear is one of the memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

This is where I realize why 2012 is not about checklist and how simply doing more will lead to more #awesome memories.

Do More with my Trek

It is early Friday morning and tonight is my first attempt to get back on my bicycle. It has been a very long time. So, I will need to make sure my travel kit has spare tubes, my tires have air, night lights work, and ensure the Cadance counter still works my bike computer. (Yes, a gadget geek also has a gadget for his bicycle)

Depending on how quickly I can go back to riding 50 miles under 3 hours. I hope I can get ready for the 100 mile bike ride in March.

I now work in Hollywood and I decided to ride my bike to the North Hollywood Metro Station and take the Subway to Hollywood. I started to wonder how far it was. After mapping my route using Veloroutes I was really surprise it was only about 16+ miles and the elevation graph confirms an easy ride.

I am eager to get back to riding. I use to have a 90 minute commute with my former employer and had to figure out how to schedule my bike riding. Once I start riding I suspect my commute to work (even with the bike riding and taking the metro) will be under 60 minutes. I am looking forward to having a 30+ mile bike ride worked into my daily commuting schedule. It will lead to one less thing that I have to figure out how to schedule into my free time.

But, I am still in search for an #awesome messenger bag.

After Effects is my favorite new app

I attempted to put my Mac Mini into good use for my new video projects and with the amount of tutorials and how to videos available for After Effects CS 5.5 I decided to use that application. But, it appears it only runs on 64bit. The Mac Mini I have is a Intel Duo Core 2 (non 64bit). But, my primary computer is a i7 Windows 7 64bit so I have been using my PC and I am happy to report that I have made the following intro for my future videos.

Video Description - Disclosure
Mediatemple – Hosts my silly site http://davemora.com/mt
Barnes and Noble – Helps you buy me stuff http://davemora.com/wishlist
You can subscribe on Youtube here – http://davemora.com/subscribeyt

I hope to start my silly weekly videos up again and I am currently lining up interviews for DMS-OnLocation and I am looking into local non-profits for my new series DMS-NonProfits. (If you work for a non-profit please feel free contact me. I would love to learn more about your organization)

LA Times and me

So, yesterday I received a call from LA Times and it was a reporter interested in learning how people felt about the recent Google search results changes. The article is informative and I recommend that you check it out http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/privacy-google-search.html

I encourage you guys to read the article but if you just care to know what was quoted from me. I can save you the click / time.

Dave Mora, 31, an analyst for a Los Angeles entertainment company, said he now gets more relevant search results and consequently is using more Google services.

“Your experience is even that much richer,” he said. “How many times have you asked a friend that knows about computers a tech question, you car enthusiasts friend a car question, or even that doctor friend a medical question? It is the same idea, just presented differently.”

Are you a Blogger?

Recently I have been asked that question. I have been blogging before it was called blogging. Before Google, Youtube, PayPal, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter were even companies on the web. For the very few of you that have found me and went to High School with me. You might remember the little page I use to post a summarize of the High School baseball games at the end of week. That was 1996-1997 and having .midi sounds on your page was the coolest thing you can do.

I think the meaning of being a blogger has change. What feels like decades ago a blogger was someone who put their ideas, opinions, and passions in long form text on a website. Never looking to make money, push out their e-book, or call them self a guru in whatever the trending word of the month was.

To me a blogger is someone who writes what they feel at that time and embraces a conversations with its reader regardless of having 1 reader or 1,000,000 readers. So, when I say I am blogger that is meaning I refer to.

That is one of the reasons my posts deal with a wide range of things that I find the need to write about.

If you made it this far. I thank you for finding it interesting enough that you finished this long post. Thank you for that.

I have been using WordPress as my blogging platform for years. It might be safe to assume that I started with the first initial release.

I have seen it evolve to handle templates, plugins, widgets, power over 70 million sites, and host half of those through WordPress.com

I champion for WordPress all the time and I trust it to power my silly blog. I have come to love it but it hasn’t been a smooth road. Trying to customize your site was a pain, slow, generic, and most plugins would break after you ungracefully upgraded your WordPress,

Upgrading WordPress was a dreaded task for me. It seems like it was decade ago that you had to back up your Sql database, copy down all the modification changes you made, delete your copy of WordPress and replace it with the new version, point your database to the new version, and pray that everything will work.

I’ve had some nightmares when upgrading and learned that backing up your Sql database is worthless if you don’t confirm that the database is not corrupted. That is one of the reasons that I have come to embrace the simplicity of how WordPress upgrades now. Today the process is a simple click.

A few versions ago they added an Autosave. I welcomed that feature because I write when I am watching TV. So that means a post usually takes either two 30 minute shows or a 1 hour drama for it to be completed. In the past I have written some really good posts only to get lost either because I closed my browser in error or the browser crashed.

But, I quickly encounter a problem. I have no control on how frequently or how many revision copies would be saved. No thanks to Netflix streaming of shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood, or Battlestar Galactica my post can take a whole day to complete and eventually get published.

So, I started to see multiple drafts copies by the time the post got published.

I am disappointed that WordPress does not have a simple option in the Admin section where I can state how many copies of drafts I would like to keep at any given time.

Could it be that I am the only one that doesn’t type without distractions?

Could be. But, thanks to the internet and finding others with the same problem. I found a solution.

It appears my problem can be fixed in two parts. Both, have to be done manually.

Here is what I did to fix my problem. If you have the same problem and are thinking about doing the same. I will recommend that you make a copy of the files that you have modify. Back up your database and ensure it is a good copy. I am also assuming that you already know how to edit your wp files and familiar with using PHPMyAdmin to handle your database.

The first thing is determining on how frequent you want to autosave to happen and how many drafts you want to have total. I decided on the frequency of 300 seconds (5 minutes) and a total copy of 3.

Located your wp-config.php file in your WordPress installation and located the section that reads

/** Sets up WordPress vars and included files. */

Then enter the following. You can change the secconds and number of revisions that fit your needs.

define('AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL', 300 ); // seconds

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 3); // number of revisions

Two lines of simple code fixes the Autodraft Revision issue.

Your done. Unless you are like me and like to keep the .SQL database as clean and small as possible. You can use PHPMyAdmin and remove the entries of the drafts that you do not want. An easier and the step I took was to delete all the Autodrafts Revision entries.

Simply execute this SQL Query in PHPMyAdmin:

DELETE FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = "revision";

I ended up deleting 666 rows of Revision data. I guess you can say I have taken the devil our of my blog

I lowered the size of my database by almost 50% and I have not been a heavy blogger. If you blog daily and notice multiple revisions. Don’t be surprise to see your database reduce up to 80% in size.

I hope this information was helpful. If it was not. I just want to say thank you for reading it

Prior to this year. The end of the year was always awkward for me.

As a kid I remember the holidays as a big gathering with friends and family members. The memories I cherish are those of trying to stay up late with the adults only to fall asleep on the couch, under the table, or in the closet while playing “hide and seek”.

When I turned 18 I moved away. Unlike many of my friends who moved away for college and still got to go back home to enjoy the holidays with their family. I moved away and started my independent life. I spent that last decade working jobs that had little consideration for family time.

So, even on holidays I spent them working.

The years went by and the holidays I remember, a house full of family, kids, laughter, remembering those who are no longer with us, and talking about the good old days were long gone for me.

I end 2011 ahead of schedule.

Last year I wanted to move towards a job that would allow me to take time off with the family. I had planned to make that move next year. But, for the first time it feels that a lot of things are falling in the right place at the same time.

I end 2011 extremely happy.

I left my job (Well more like the job left me. Due to a settlement I won’t be able to say more. But, I will say. Dave Mora +110,000 – Evil Empire 0) and found a perfect job that fits my lifestyle.

I am ending this year and starting the next year closer to my family (The family that wants me closer – that is.), The perfect job that allows me to spend more time with my kids, wife, and I now have the free time to start work on my projects from helping people with technology to this silly blog.

Today, the last day of 2011, I am doing a lot of reflecting and looking forward.

Family, Humbled, Grateful, and Super Duper Happy seems to be the topics that I have been reflecting on the most. I have missed out a lot with my kids. Only a few truly understand the strained that a demanding job put on my kids. I left my house early in the morning and they were asleep. I came home and they were asleep. They truly saw me only on my days off. Some months I had 1 day off a week. I had that type of schedule for almost 5 years. Over the years I started to understand the phrase. “Don’t be a prisoner of your wage!”. The last 6 months I have spent almost every waking moment with my kids and as a parent that has been the best part of 2011.

Having the job that fits my lifestyle comes at a major cost.

I now make 60 percent less. But, being dept free has made it possible to embrace my job. (Maybe one day I will go into more details of the true struggles of being what people have described as underemployed) But, without my current job many of the things that I will be doing in 2012 would not be possible.

Making less money has humbled me, my family, and even those around me. Now every cent is budgeted and I spend a lot of time trying to justify a purchase of a video game. Even my kids have started to understand that although we have less their are those in our community that have nothing.

I am grateful that I can still provide to my family, I am grateful that I can spend another day with my family, and I am grateful every morning when I wake up to see my kids another day.

So, on this final day of 2011. I am ending it Super Duper Happy.

What am I thinking about for the 2012?

Assuming if the world does not end on December 21, 2012 I am truly looking forward to the holiday season for 2012. Even if I have to work, the fact that I can work from home and the workload is extremely light compare to my previous positions, I can have family and friends over and stay up with them while working. I am really looking forward to drinking eggnog, spending time with friends and family, while I am working.

Prior to this year. I always ended the year with the same list of things I wanted to accomplish. I always listed

“A job that works around my schedule and life style. Start the journey for a Healthier Dave. Spend more time with my kids and wife. Travel more outside of California with the family. Work on my projects and pay off all my bills.”

This year I get to change that list around. Because I have completed many of them and have started work on the rest.

2012 is less about a list of items that I will try to check off. But, it will be more about actions. I will give thanks, teach my kids the act of helping through local charity work (such as helping out in food banks) through out the year, and truly embrace the idea of “Don’t think it. Just do it” (yes, I think it was inspired by Nike)

I think most of us have heard the term “Inbox 0“. If you live in your e-mail client; having to deal with the large influx of e-mails is one of the biggest challenges you may have to deal with every time you decide to check your e-mail.

I have been dealing with e-mail for almost two decades. The first e-mail address that I got that did not end with a .edu was with Yahoo!. The first day that Yahoo! launch their free e-mail service I got my first and what I thought would be my only e-mail address that I would ever have.

Before Social Network sites the services such as Instant Messaging and E-mail were the social networks of that time. But, a major drawback of instant messaging was that everyone was on separate services and you were force to open e-mail accounts on every service provider. This started the trend of people having multiple e-mail accounts.

Then I started the habit of using separate accounts for separate things. My @yahoo.com was used to chat with friends and family, @hotmail.com was for the services I signed up for; so they can spam all they wanted, and my @isp-provider was to gain access to newsgroups and shell accounts.

I spent the next few years moving from provider to provider as new features came out. Thanks to an invite I received from someone who is always an early adopter in everything. I made a move to @gmail.com.

Then I moved to my own @domain.

So, why this whole story about my e-mail history?

Well, I enjoy talking and typing and if your still reading. I thank you for that

I just wanted to give an explanation on how I ended up with 8 separate e-mail accounts that I actively used. For me, achieving “Inbox 0” was the second battle. The first battle was to consolidate my e-mail life to just one inbox. This was also needed as people started to impersonate me online.

A single e-mail address seemed like the first logical step to provide the first level of verified communication.

It took almost a year of mail forwarding, updating my contact information, reminding everyone of my e-mail, setting up auto-responders and informing people of my new primary e-mail address.

I am a mail hoarder what can I say!

Not only did I simplify to a single e-mail address. I spent months combining all my e-mail messages. Moving e-mails out of all the web based e-mail providers was an unexpected tedious task. Getting them back to my new mail provider was easier but it just took a very long time.

Now that all my e-mail existed in a single mail box I was able to start my “Inbox 0” quest.

Who started the term Inbox 0?

Although, I have heard the term for a while I was not aware of who actually coined that term.

I am embedding the video below of the talk that Merlin Mann gave part of At Google Talks.

So now my mail inbox shows 15,547 new messages. Now What!

All my e-mail was labelled unread and that new icon taunted me. It was overwhelming at first but now I had to focus on stopping the floods of e-mails and tackle the inbox.

I spent almost a decade signing up for newsletters, websites that required you to created accounts to view their content such as news sites, and countless more online newsletters.

I did not want to block such e-mails with spam filters.

So, I spent the next five days manually reviewing every e-mail and following their unsubscribe links to ensure that I would not receive any more e-mails and I deleted them as I unsubscribed.

I then prepared my self to tackle the remaining e-mail. All 9,287 of them.

Many people set up mail rules, filters, or auto association macros in their e-mail clients. I used Outlook for years and that is what I did. I had a folder for each project and as my mail came in for those projects my mail rule moved my e-mail into those folders. What I discovered at this point in trying to achieve Inbox 0 was that mail rules do help your inbox seem organized. But, you end up having multiple folders acting like multiple inboxes showing you the same amount of unread e-mails and the e-mail problem continues to exists spread across multiple folders.

That was the main reason that this time around I decided to manually manage my e-mails. I will delete e-mails, and move e-mails to folders after I reply to them. Any e-mails that is not part of a conversation or contain crucial information will be deleted. The rest will be tagged and archive.

It took another two weeks to delete, reply, tagged, and archived my e-mail manually.

Although, I use my own domain for may e-mail. The mail part of domain is managed by Google for Business. Google has been great for me because their advance MX record and PTR Authentication features are things I have wanted from other providers. But, the best feature is IMAP Support. Most providers offer IMAP support for an extra fee and the rest don’t offer it at all. What IMAP has allowed me to do is keep my e-mail SYNC across all my devices.

When I get an e-mail. I can view it on my phone and reply to it. When I go to my home desktop my e-mail client would show that e-mail read and already have the e-mail I sent in the sent folder. If I login through GMail the web interface will reflect all that also along with showing me my new e-mail.

So, when I check my e-mail I can manage it the same way on any platform.

My move to a single e-mail and a single inbox took almost a year. But, I understand I am different because I had multiple inboxes with e-mails that date back to 1996 when HoTMaiL was a small company started by two former Apple Employees.

The Awesome Surprise.

When Google+ was released I had to deal with a frustration. When I was in Google+ and wanted to check my e-mail through the Google website. My Google+ session would be terminated. Logging back into Google+ would cause my e-mail session to be terminated.

That frustration was eliminated when Google allowed me to use my own domain login credentials to use all of their products. That included Google+ and Google Voice.

So, I can finally say that I have a single place of communication and I achieve Inbox 0 everyday with ease. When I spend less time with e-mail I have more time to enjoy life.

Plus, it helps that I set an expectation of 24 hours for all my e-mail replies. I check my e-mail twice a day. When my day starts and two hours before my day ends.

Now, if I can only figure out how to achieve “Bank Account +10,000 Dollars”.

If you read this whole post. I thank you for not falling asleep. Feel free to leave a comment. I might e-mail you a gift card to

I sat here typing this post over, over, and over again. This post started and ended in so many different ways only to have me delete it.

Why has it been so difficult?

I think one of the biggest reasons was my failed attempts to write a single post about everything that I have learned and realized about my self, my soul, and the direction of this site in the last few months.

I finally realized that it will just be best to do what I’ve learned and write about it in segments as I am move forward.

So what is next for DaveMora.com?

I really thought that by the time BlogWorld Expo started here in Los Angeles. I would be joining my blogger / vlogger friends as a fellow full time blogger. But, that wont be the case because my original plans of re-launching all my blogs no longer felt like the right decision. I stopped writing regularly years ago and during the last few months as I began to write posts I felt out of touch with them. I have evolved as a person over the last few years and my blogs did not evolve with me. So, I decided to re-launch DaveMora.com as the single place for all my blog posts with topics that reflect who I am right now.

Letting many of my domains expire and removing most of my blogs was the first step forward on my new journey.

If you really miss the old posts please feel free to search for them as I am leaving them archived.

What about all the old podcasts?

Sadly, I lost many of them between hardware and provider failures. But, many of my guest podcast appearances can still be found on the podcast that I was a guest on.

I decided to only keep and continue my DMS-OnLocation video vlog series. But, feel to google for my old video vlogs they can be found all over the place.

So what is next?

I want to do so many things that would take me in so many different directions. I want to go back to school, get fit, finish my time machine, travel back in time, start writing my biography, start a non-profit, write short stories, start up my vlogs, re-connect with friends, master programming, spend time with family and my kids, run a marathon, cycle 100+ miles, travel the world with the family, learn how to shoot (to be ready for the Zombie Attacks), and finally become more internet famous. The list actually continues for many pages.

But, I can’t do all of that since I discovered a day only has 24 hours.

Do what makes you happy.. Don’t think just do

“Do what makes you happy” and “Don’t think just do” are two terms that my wife suggested when I told her about my anguish on wanting to so many different things at once. I am not sure why but the moment I heard those words I realized what I wanted to do, needed to do, and how to go about it. I looked at my long list of wants but this time my list seemed shorter and sections seemed highlighted.

Do what makes you happy – Besides spending time with my kids, wife, and family. One of the things that made me happy growing up was having an active lifestyle. As a kid my bike was my freedom, the mountain trails were my sanctuary, and the basketball court was my social network. The last decade I became a victim of my job (I will write more about that in later posts). My work required me to be stagnant and it allowed me to revert back to an unhealthy life style.

I entered the never ending circle of unhealthiness. I was sadden about all the weight I gained and to make me feel better I ate more ice cream. Unless you lived through that cycle. I feel is something you might not understand. I wont dare to talk about it in detail since health is topic that has millions of blogs and it’s own industry. I will just speak about what applies to me.

Don’t think just do – So, I wont think about it. I will just go out and be active, eat healthy, and feel good about my self.

I recently discovered Drew Manning. (@fit2fat2fit) If you have not read about Drew. He is a fitness trainer that spent that last six months eating unhealthy and not working out. 60+ pounds later he is starting his journey to become fit once again. You can follow his journey at http://www.fit2fat2fit.com/blog/.

I find it interesting that my journey to a healthier Dave began at the same time as I discovered Drew Mannings’s journey to a healthier Drew and the one and final domain that is set to expire this month was “Blogofagordo.com“. So, with out thinking I decided to write about my own journey to a healthier Dave and call that section “Blog of a Gordo“. I decided the fist achievement from my long list of things I want. Should be a happier and healthier Dave.

Honesty starts from the heart and from within.

I have always been honest in my views towards things, people, and I’ve been known to where my emotions on my sleeves.

But, I have never written about my own internal struggles and obstacles that I have overcome or are currently trying to tackle.

So, as I move forward with my first item in my to do list. I will be writing from the heart about my own struggles to a healthier Dave through “Blog of a Gordo“.

So I welcome all my readers back and for the new ones that just discover this silly blog. Well, I welcome you too. You can follow me at @davemora and on Google+ here.

My childhood was filled of epic adventures. I was a ninja, a dragon slayer, and a member of the A-Team. Like many kids of my generation I had few toys and the ones I did have were primary hand-me downs from my older cousins that out grew them. My imagination became the best toy I had.

Even now as an adult my imagination is the best source of entertainment. Maybe that is the source of why my kids have such games as “Help the Dragon” and “Rocket Ship”. One of the best things of being a father is spending the free time with my kids. As they are getting older their imagination is allowing them to have those epic adventures that I once had as a kid.

Recently, my brother in law came over and made a house for them our of an empty cardboard box. Similar to the video above. That box has been the center piece of our recent adventures.

I have no scientific data to back up my theory. But, I suspect giving your children the ability to use their imagination will not only give them a better childhood. But, it will make them a better person.

If you don’t want to encourage your kids to have a creative imagination. I encourage you buy them this grappling hook.

You can thank me later. When they become Ninjas!

With the recent changes in both my career and personal life. I started to make plans for my return to blogging. I eliminated many of my blogs and combined the remaining ones into a single site. I set a date and selected my topics and began to count down to my return.

Within the last few weeks I started to wonder what content will be in my first post back.

Would it be an awesome new leaked picture of a new Gadget? – No
Would it be the retirement of someone who has changed the world? – No
Would it be my own discovery in the final component that allows for time travel? – No
Would it be the firing of a CEO or the fact a CEO would cash out and retire? – No

The post that marks my return is a Rant and it feels like it was meant to be.

Ten years ago my blog eUNKNOWN Rants entertained readers and it allowed me to express my anger towards the things that called for a blog post. Just around the same time I open my very first UPS Store Mail Box. I needed a place to receive correspondence from readers and someone to sign for my UPS / FedEX deliveries.

The UPS Store #4036 was a perfect match. I was one of the first customers and it allowed me to pick a Mailbox Number that had special meaning to me. Is not very often that I can say that I have been with the same company from the day they started to the day they ended.

Sadly, thanks to The San Fernando UPS Store #4036. I am able to say that now.

You may be wondering where is my rant?

Well I am looking at you Mr. so called Mayor of San Fernando. Mario F. Hernandez sits as the current Mayor of San Fernando and used his UPS Store as one of the reasons why he could relate with local businesses and residents. With his so called business experience he convince people he would be an ideal mayor.

His own bio page states the following:

His customers entrust him with the care of their property and he strive to maintain the highest level of accountability and responsibility.

As much as I dislike the guy with his poor customers service I did entrust him with my mail. This relationship worked for many years.

All that came to a sudden stop when I went to get my mail on August 31st. I was welcomed with a sign on door that read that they were evicted.

That was it. No special instructions on where I can go get my mail. Not even a suggestion to visit the Post Office to have my mail held while I get situated with a new address.

It sucks to hear when a business has to close. But, a business owner always knows in advance when a financial problem is developing. While getting evicted sucks. That notice tells me that Mario (The POS Person that I will now refer to him as) knew at least a few months in advance that he might have to close his doors. He probably spent a few months trying to negotiate something with the landlord. (Assuming that he cared enough about it)

But the core of what is making me write this post. Is the fact that he allowed people to pay 6 to 12 months in advance without informing them that he was in financial trouble. That to me was a POS thing to do.

He took our money knowing that he might not be able to open his doors on September 1st. He even failed to leave a note on the door with some important information that would have made us (The customers) remain calm and keep us from going into panic mode.

I would have suggested the following notice.

- Sorry, I ran this place to the ground but please remain calm and do the following.
1 – Please visit the Sylmar Foothill Post Office located at 13700 FOOTHILL BLVD SYLMAR, CA 91342-9998 (because as silly as it sounds the San Fernando Post Office does not deliver mail to most of the city of San Fernando.
2 – Asked the Post office for your mail (It seems that the UPS Store took some of your mail to them.
3 – Set up a P.O. Box / Ask the Post Office to hold your mail / Have the Post Office forward your mail to your new UPS Store box.

The fact that he took my money for the unused months that I prepaid for is not the reason why I now call him a POS person. Is the fact that as small business owner you should have been more considerate about your customers.

Even the people at the UPS Store Headquarters seemed upset because they could have try to make the transitions easier for everyone involved. After speaking with someone at the corporate office it appears they learned about the closure on 9/7/2011. They mention that if they would have been advised of the financial problem they would have tried to help UPS Mailbox renters move to another UPS Store. I open a new Mailbox at a different UPS Store and even they were shocked by the fact that the POS gave us no warning that they gave me some additional free months.

The UPS Store is a Franchise. So, if you are owed any money you will have seek that money from the POS him self. You might want to e-mail him first at MHernandez@sfcity.org and you might want to CC: info@ci.san-fernando.ca.us just in case he did not get the e-mail asking him how you can get your money back. Since he serves as our Mayor you can call 818-898-1201 (San Fernando City Hall) and leave a message for him to call you back. (I have left two messages and I have not received a call back) If you want to catch him while he is working. Maybe you can visit him during a council meeting. They are held the first and third Mondays of each month at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

At the publishing of this article I have not received any calls, e-mails or even post card from Mario. Although I will call him a POS. I respectfully would have a discussion with him and give him the platform where he can address his customers. I would even go as far as having him as one of my first DMS-onLocation video interviews of the new season. So, if your reading this and are shy about talking to me. Have your people call my people. I feel we deserved more then just an eviction notice.

If you were a customer and you have not visited the post office. I urge you that you do that as soon as possible. The postal service will start returning the mail back to senders soon.

For those that paid attention and are now asking why I wrote it was meant to be.

The chapter of my life that I have closed. Started with the opening of the San Fernando Mailbox. Now that chapter is closed and I am staring a new one with the re-launch of my blog and my Stealth Consulting Company. It almost feels right that I start my new chapter at a new mailbox with a new box # that now has another special meaning.

For those of you that remember my old tag line. – This is my Rant, My Site, and My life. Deal with it! – I thank you for sticking around. It’s been years since I posted an eUNKNOWN rants and I have notice that many of the bitter and angry words that use to fill my rants are missing from this one. I am curious. Do you really miss those words?

UPDATE: on 9.29
I thought the POS Mayor owned the UPS Store. But, it appears that a company by the name of HOB’s Deli Inc. is the debtor. Why do I say that? Well I received a notice from the United States Bankruptcy Court informing me that I am listed as someone this business owes money too. The address and description listed seem to the be UPS Store in San Fernando.

But, can the HOB’s Deli Inc. listed be the same business known as the House of Brews? Every time I call the House of Brews and ask. I am put on hold or told to call back later to talk to the manager.

The notice gives you 15 days to go and request a hearing to request the courts to require them to pay what they owe you. It was filed on 9/15. I received it today the 29th so it appears tomorrow will be the last day to go to the court and informed them that you would like a hearing.

The address is in Woodland Hills. You must see the Clerk of Bankruptcy and request a hearing. The address is 21041 Burbank Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California 91367 (It is located in an office building. Just in case you go looking for something that resembles the San Fernando Court house)

Some of you have contacted me earlier. If you have not receive the notice you might eventually since it was sent to our old Mailbox addresses. Lucky for me I was able to put the forward quickly. Just go to the court house and informed the clerk that you are owe money. The Case number is 1:11-BK-20093-AA

For those wondering. I have not heard back from the so called Mayor. I wonder if he would call me back if I mention I am interested in donating money to his campaign?

For those wondering. I am listening to

I can’t help feeling that today marks the begining of my new chapter. I have written a post to update everyone on what is going on but it must remain as a “Draft” because of pending litigation.

I hope to get make that chapter of my life a small footnote in my so called “My life book”. But, it is not a footnote because it is not important. Infact that footnote was one of my major life lessons I learned. It forced me to realized that the things I want to accomplish now are the same things I wanted to accomplish 15 years ago. But, the reason I consider that part of my life a footnote. It’s because is a part of my life that did not define me as a person.

The new chapter begins with a clearer and more enjoyable path ahead of me.

For those of you that have been searching on Google for “When will eUNKNOWN return“. I think you can now google for “Did eUNKNOWN return as Dave Mora?” But, you can continue to google for “DJ Mori” because I don’t think he is returning as “Moriboy”.

(If you are a @rhapsody user you can click here to add her music to your playlist)

The news of her death starting filling up my social streams and a sadness came over me. I was sad because someone never willingly chooses to be have their life overwhelmed by drugs. I am no expert (I will leave the expert talk to Dr. Drew) but I speak from my own life experience. We all have inner demons that we have to deal with. Some find a substance that allows the pain to hurt less and offer the ability to get lost in a place where you don’t have to deal with the true cause of that pain.

Her death is tragic and sad because of how the majority of the people process the her death.

Many people are quick to forget she was a human being and brush her death off as a “crackhead who got what she deserved“.

I am sadden by those who assume that an addiction problem makes you less valuable as a human being. Every post I come across the internet regarding her death contains comments from other strangers calling her a “crackhead”, “she got what she deserved”, or “waste of a life”.

Everyone has the right to their opinion. Although I disagree with their opinion that is not the source of why I am writing this.

I write this because at what point do we stop seeing people as human beings?

I know it is unrealistic for me to want everyone on earth to care for each other. But, I do want a better world for my children.

My journey in life has taken me to see the journey of someone who is lost to the world of addiction and someone who started a new journey after hitting rock botton. But, all the success stories I know come from having people that did not see an addict but instead saw a person that needed help.

Her death is tragic to me because in todays age help is available. Her death is sad to me because I feel as a society we failed her, those before her, and sadly those after her. Because when when our first comment from hearing the news of someone passing is “well I am not surprise” or “I expected it” means to me that we failed to extend a helping hand.

I understand my view on her death consist of an issue beyond her death but the reaction of people is what prompted me to write this post.

So, as most of the internet commenters have selected to remember Amy Winehouse as an addict that killed her self. I choose to remember her as a talented singer that we failed to help her.