Just Say No to Freeloaders...

So, the latest thing I've been getting into is Yahoo! Answers.  I was bored on one lunch break and was just surfing Yahoo! when I came across it.  If you've never seen it, or heard of it, essentially, it allows a user to ask a question (any question at all) and then allows Yahoo! users to answer them to the best of their abilities. Answers get rated by the person asking the question, and so on and so forth.  I personally like taking a look at the questions in the Computers and Internet section since that's what I'm most interested in.

Anyway, one thing that I find completely obnoxious is people abusing this system to try and get other people to do their homework for them.  These people don't even bother re-phrasing the question, or anything.  Something like:

Write a user-defined function to evaluate this mathematical function: f(x) = 0.1 x2 – x ln x ? 

 

Are you kidding me?  Are you trying to convince anyone that you didn't just copy/paste that from your homework?  At least say something like, Hey Guys, I'm having trouble with my homework and I'm stuck on this one question I can't seem to figure out.  But, instead, they're just pulling the question straight in and expecting someone to answer.  Out of control.

Guitar Hero World Tour Rocks My Socks Off

One thing that I love is the guitar. I've played since I was a freshman in high school, tried to learn some of my favorite songs, and always listen for sweet riffs in the music that I listen to. Another thing I love is video games. I've been following the game world since original nintendo and since computer games were on floppies (of course, that's not completely impressive to the older generation... but it's basically my whole life). So, you can imagine that when Guitar Hero came out, I was all over it. Now, we own a Wii, so the first Guitar Hero available for it was Guitar Hero III (which some people apparently don't like as much as the first two, but since I don't know any better, I was happy with it), and I played through that one and loved it! I kinda passed on the Aerosmith version just because I never really was a huge Aerosmith fan. But, as soon as Guitar Hero World tour was announced, I was stoked because not only did it offer the full band option, like Rock Band, it would finally allow downloadable content for us Wii owners!! So, like a hawk, I watched for the end of October to come so I knew when I could go out and obtain the glory -- so the same day it came out, I got it. I haven't had too much time yet to play around with the music studio portion, but even just doing a quickplay song is fun. My wife likes singing along, so the addition of the microphone was also a very welcomed feautre. And who doesn't like banging on a drum set? Even if you don't know what you're doing, or you want to have your kids play along with you, you can put it in "beginner mode" which allows them to hit anything and it won't affect the band's progress during a song -- which also makes it fun at parties and family get togethers! Anyway, if you're thinking (or debating) about getting it, you definitely should!

The Not So Mighty Macbook

I decided to give Apple a try about a year ago when Leopard came out and bought a brand new Macbook.  From the moment I got it, I liked it -- the usere interface, the applications, etc.  Now, I wouldn't go as far as to say that I was a complete "convert" joining the cult of Mac, or anything like that.  Anyway, all was well until last weekend, I had the laptop sitting on my coffee table, doing nothing more than spitting out live Fantasy Football stats, when all of a sudden I hear a clicking noise.  "Uh oh," I thought to myself, "This can't be good."  Why isn't this good you may ask?  Sure, if I was typing, or using the touch pad, some kind of clicking sound may be acceptable -- but in this case, I wasn't even touching the machine.  So, if it's not something user-induced then it usually means one thing: your hard drive is about to die, or may already be dead.

I ended up using the nifty online reservation system for setting up an appointment at a local Apple store, so I was able to walk right in and get the problem taken care of... but it cost me about a day in re-configuring everything, reinstalling applications and transerring all of my data back on to it again.  Luckily, I back up my music and photos in three different places, so I know I shouldn't have one of those really bad moments where "all is lost."  It's just all kind of frustrating since I've owned the laptop for less than a year.... while my Dell laptop (going on 5 years old) has been going strong with anything I throw at it...

Convenient? I think not!

My wife and I decided that it might be a good idea to switch banks (thank you, financial institution melt down) and we finally settled on Bank of America for a couple reasons: 1) We figured it's stable enough to survive this market madness and 2) There's one about half a mile from our house. Last night, for the first time we decided to make a deposit into our Bank of America checking account at the ATM and we were blindsided. The startling fact: no envelopes required. Now, at first, this may seem like a great idea (as marketed by BoA): save the planet by not wasting paper on envelopes, it even scans your checks and uses OCR to determine the amount and then prints out a receipt with the scanned images of your checks as proof of deposit.

Yeah, that's all well and good -- but here's the problem: you can only put one check (or bill in the case that it's cash) in the machine at a time. It then goes on to scan what you inputted (assuming it didn't reject it like an old vending machine) and then asks you to verify the amount. Now, this is great if you have one check or a couple bills to deposit... but what about small-business owners, waiters/waitresses (let alone regular customers) who may have a decent number of checks or bills to deposit at once? I'll tell you: it's a bad experience. The whole time you're standing there (which ends up being the time it normally takes to make one deposit TIMES the number of checks/bills to deposit), the ATM starts making loud beeping noises like a video game or something... drawing even more attention to yourself. And then, if the ATM can't figure out (via OCR) the amount on the check, you have to type it in manually, from memory... so if you don't remember the amount of a particular check in a series of checks, you're in trouble, because you could then be looking at fines from the bank... yikes.

While I do think some of the new "features" are cool -- it really doesn't add up to being beneficial most of the time. My proposed solution:
1) Keep the new "no envelope" system as a "quick deposit" type feature that you can use when your deposits are minimal.
2) Bring back the envelope system for users who have a lot to deposit at once.... so we can do one deposit, instead of 10 or 15.
3) Display the scanned image of the check when OCR fails, so you can read the amount, rather than have to recall it from memory.

That shouldn't be too hard, should it?

Texting While Driving? Stop it now!

... and not just because I say so. Because, I definitely say so. Have you ever been behind a car in which the driver is sending a text message on their phone? I have a few times, and it's easy to spot (without actually seeing the driver). You look for a few things:

1. The car seems to be accelerating and decelerating for no apparent reason (they slow down as you approach a green light).
2. The car is swerving (by the way, that's not how I thought you spelled that word) within their lane, and sometimes into other lanes... can't keep a straight line? Texter alert!
3. They just don't seem to be paying attention to the world around them (they slam on the breaks when they realize what they're about to do)

Anyway, me yelling at them from within my own vehicle doesn't seem to have much affect, so I'm glad the governator decided to put some legislation into effect that will make it illegal to text and drive (in addition to already being able to hold the phone to your ear and drive -- hooray for hands free).

For more info, check out this article.

Although, I do think it's funny that the article states that this law is completely unnecessary since it's "common sense." While I would agree that it should be unnecessary since we should be able to assume no one would do such a thing -- I think we all know how many people use common sense!

The Fashion

My brother recently moved back to our home town, which is awesome because I get to see him more often now. We usually have plenty to talk about since our interests are fairly aligned: Music, Video Games and Football... among other things. Well, one of his new roommates introduced him to a band called "The Fashion" which he in turn introduced to me. I had never heard of them, but I thought I'd give it a listen -- it turns out that they're from Denmark (but the lyrics are all in English). I'm not sure what their official classification is, but I'd call it some kind of Alternative Pop Rock, but with a beat. Anyway, the first time I listened to it, I liked a few songs and thought it was okay... but the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me and the more I can't get it out of my head. In the process of finding one of their music videos I also learned that they're on the Madden '09 soundtrack... so they must be somewhat known -- I'd just never heard of them. Either way, it's definitely worth checking out if you haven't heard them before!

Chargers Are Disappointing...

So, Week 2 of the NFL season has completed (minus a Monday Night Football game) and the Chargers are 0-2. I'm not completely surprised; however, I don't think any Charger fan was ready for losing by 1 point in the final seconds of the game two weeks in a row. Sure, there were some questionable calls in the Denver game yesterday, but we can't just blame losses on the referees. If that were the case, there wouldn't ever be a legitimate win! Anyway, I must say that I am disappointed in the Chargers' performance... especially our defense. What is going on!? If we don't beat Favre and the Packer--um, I mean Jets--next weekend, I see our Superbowl dreams slowly fading away. But, with that said, if anyone can pull off a come back season, the Chargers can!

Go Chargers!

Hooray for the return of Football (and Fantasy Football) season!

It's been awhile

Well, I've definitely been out of commission (in terms of writing) for a couple months now it looks like. July and August definitely came and went ridiculously quickly for a couple of reasons. The first being that we were finally able to get into a house. We've been seriously looking at properties since May and just a couple weeks ago we were able to move into our new home (with the help of some great people)! However, as anyone who has bought a home can attest to this, buying a home is one of the most stressful and time consuming things you can ever do! First, you have to find the house. Once you find the house, you put an offer in on the house. Once you put an offer in, that offer has to get accepted (which ours definitely didn't on the first few houses we liked). Once you have an accepted offer you have to work with the seller, which in the majority of cases now is a bank due to the situation in the real estate market, and an escrow company. For the record, banks are slow. They are very, very slow. Once you work out all the details, and escrow has everything they need from every party, including third parties, like Homeowner's Associations and Lenders -- then, and only then, escrow closes. If you got tired reading about the process, just wait until you live it :)

Anyway, we are completely blessed to be in a new home and are really excited about the room for growth...

That's Just Gross...

My wife and I went to go see the new Indiana Jones movie this past weekend (which could in itself warrant its own post -- but I won't go there. All I have to say is, aliens? Really?). While we were there, there was a couple behind us loaded up with all the concession snacks: popcorn, nachos, sodas, the whole deal. Throughout the movie, kind of off and on, I noticed crunching noises, etc. but nothing too bad (my wife on the other hand cannot stand mouth noises). But that wasn't the worst part. About 3/4 of the way into the movie, the guy behind me sneezes and then I feel my hair move. Now, if that's not gross, I'm not sure what is -- especially considering the fact of how much food he had already put in his mouth... I told you. Gross.

Firefox 3

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of 10am today, Firefox 3 is available for download. They're trying to set a record for the number of downloads in a 24 hour period... so if you get a chance, head over to the site and download it (assuming it's not being overwhelmed with other visitors). Now, if you have no idea what Firefox is, it's just a web browser (like Internet Explorer, but good) and the latest version, Firefox 3, is only adding to the goodness. So, if you've lived in the dark with the Microsoft wool pulled over your eyes until now -- time to switch!

Edit: Here's a link directly to the download page: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?p=downloadday

News Tuesday - 4/22/08

Since there hasn't been one in awhile:

• Psystar office exists, but not yet open to the public (2008-04-21)
• From Win32 to Cocoa: a Windows user's conversion to Mac OS X (2008-04-21)
• Questions swirl around Mac clone maker Psystar (2008-04-16)
• Report waves caution at shadiness of would-be Mac clone maker [u x2] (2008-04-16)
• Man Reprograms Bejewled to Propose to Girlfriend (2008-04-16)
• IBM's racetrack memory seeks 100x boost in density (2008-04-10)
• As IT departments expand control, new clashes emerge (2008-04-09)
• [+5731] The New York Mets Have Been RICK ROLL'D!! (2008-04-08)
• College Student Builds His Very Own Tank (2008-04-08)

Microsoft Office Live Workspace Sweepstakes

So, I signed up to use Microsoft Office Live Workspaces -- which is kinda like Google Docs in the sense that it makes your documents available online -- well, kinda. Anyway, I guess I automatically got entered in the associated "sweepstakes" and I won! I got an email (to my junk email address, since I use it to sign up for ANYTHING online) letting me know that I had been chosen as a daily winner... here's what I won:

The Daily Prize is: One (1) 12 pack of 12 ounce cans of Diet Pepsi MAX. Daily prize to be awarded in the form of a product coupon good for one (1) free 12 pack of 12 ounce cans of Diet Pepsi MAX. Coupon may be redeemed at participating U.S. retailers. Coupon expires July 31, 2008. (Approximate Retail Value "A.R.V." $3.50 each).

Unfortunately, I don't check my junk email account very often, so I didn't redeem it in time. However, I don't really like Diet ANYTHING, so it's all the same to me. Not to mention -- WHY is Microsoft giving away Diet Pepsi MAX as a prize in a sweepstakes?? Odd Indeed.

Wii play games on the Wii

So, I have officially given in and purchased a Wii. And let me tell you, obtaining a Wii is no feat to be brushed off as some easy task. You can't just waltz into your local Stuff*Mart and pick one of these things off the shelf. Two Sundays ago, I woke up and decided -- hey, why don't I check out all of the weekly ads for the local area and see if anyone is advertising the Wii. It turned out that Target had them, and it turns out that target is basically across the street from where I live, so I got in my truck and drove over there -- not to mention the bonus fact that I had a gift card to Target. When I got there, my heart was still rushing because I knew they opened over an hour ago, and the would have a limited quantity available. As I arrived at the electronics department, I noticed a woman purchasing one, with a huge smile on her face, and almost tears of joy as if she had just won a gold medal in the olympics. Anyway, I asked the trusty staffer if they had anymore, and as it turned out they still had three (note: the guy later told me that they started with like 25 about an hour ago)... and after I purchased one, another customer came up to by one -- those things go like hot cakes! On a side note, I forgot to use my gift card in the process.

Busy-ness vs. Lazyness

So, as anyone may have noticed -- assuming that anyone does in fact read these posts besides myself -- I haven't made a post in over two months. Keeping up a blog is a great idea in theory, but when it comes down to putting that theory into practice, it takes a lot of dedication :) While I have been busy, and that's always everyone's excuse for everything (yes, I know that was using a lot of absolutes there), I must say that I'm also lazy... since it doesn't really take THAT long to post something. However, thinking of what to write does take a little more effort. In any case, I'm not gone, and have no plan on giving up any time soon. I will continue to update as often as I can/feel like.

News Tuesday - 1/15/08

• Hasbro Sues Scrabulous For Being Too Scrabble-ish (2008-01-12)
• Images: Linux gets a taste of Windows and Mac (2008-01-11)
• Rogue Black Holes May Be Wandering Through Galaxy (2008-01-09)
• Rain and shine hit Google Maps and Google Earth (2008-01-09)
• New Line Confirms It Will Move To Blu-ray Exclusively As Well (2008-01-08)
• Apache Wicket 1.3 set for Java Web development (2008-01-04)
• [+1380] Stop-Motion Human Tetris (2008-01-02)
• 'Conan,' 'Pirates,' 'Warhammer': Three New MMOs Challenge 'World of Warcraft' in 2008 (2008-01-02)
• Clinton, McCain or Paul? New Website Tells You Who to Vote For (2008-01-02)
• Mac market share breaks 8% mark in 2007's final days - Computerworld (2008-01-02)
• A roadmap for ending the high-def format quagmire (2008-01-02)
• New Dell PC Design Rivals the iMac (2008-01-03)

Remember When?

Remember awhile ago when I said that the Chargers were the most frustrating team to watch in the NFL? Well, while they were at that time (we were close to 50% on wins), it is no longer the true! In case you've been living in a hole for a couple of days, the Chargers successfully defeated the Colts on Sunday. Not in a way that could have been considered lucky, or a fluke, but a legitimate win (when at times it seemed like even the refs were against them). Now, I know that everyone has already counted them out against the Patriots, who are currently playing a perfect season, but you just can't count them out. On any given day, any team can win, even against the Patriots! Of course, I'm not expecting it, but I believe that it's possible, and really, I'd just like to see a close game. Go Chargers!

News Tewsday (A week plus a day late) - 1/2/2008

• After home-sales drop, what to watch in 2008 (2007-12-29)
• Junk Science: Top 10 Climate Myth-Busters for 2007 (2007-12-27)
• [+2068] Lego Portal (2007-12-27)
• [+3945] The coolest animated .GIF tiled background perhaps ever (2007-12-27)
• New Dell PC Design Rivals the iMac (2007-12-28)
• Apple Stock Breaks the $200 Barrier for First Time (2007-12-26)
• GOP Race Wide Open (2007-12-20)
• Apple Rumor Site to Shut Down in Settlement - New York Times (2007-12-21)
• Shave time off your Web searches by using operators (2007-12-20)
• Toyota Wants to Make Sure You're Never Too Old to Drive (2007-12-19)
• Who should have made the Pro Bowl? - FOXSports.com (2007-12-19)
• Microsoft co-founder looks to add to spectrum cache - MarketWatch (2007-12-22)
• South American Ants Eating Way Across California (2007-12-19)
• Judge Sides With Man Fired for Posting 'Dilbert' at Work (2007-12-19)
• Fantasy Real Estate Game Lets You Play Realtor (2007-12-19)
• Vladimir Putin Named Time's 'Person of the Year' (2007-12-19)
• Bush Signs Bill Boosting Auto Fuel-Efficiency Standards (2007-12-19)
• The 7 most annoying developments in software (2007-12-19)
• New Net neutrality proposal planned for January (2007-12-19)
• Is Apple in danger of becoming Microsoft? (2007-12-19)
• CNET's Top 10 games of 2007 (2007-12-19)