Picture on Woot
Woot has this curious item for sale. I don't really care what it is, but the photo they are using is just hillarious. Everyone knows Betty White? Good.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Merry Christmas
Or whatever.
By popular demand, here's our Christmas tree, finally decorated.
Flickr is on the fritz, so this image is up here thanks to Blogger.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
WTF?!
What is wrong with people?! "India has killed 10 mln girls in 20 years". Yes, there's a bit of a hassle associated with bringing up a girl in India, such as the (banned) practice of dowry and social pressures that basically shaft women when it comes to education and finding a job. But you're "solving" this issue from the wrong end! How much sense would it make to demolish all roads, just so that people wouldn't get motion sickness while riding in a car?
China has similar issues. Boys are much more sought-after, so a large percentage of newborn girls mysteriously die. At the bottom of a ditch. The fact that much of China is rural makes disposing of children that much easier.
Ironically, one of the first steps is to change the world to one that welcomes women. Not with sand in the mouth and nostrils or being thrown into a ditch, but with open arms and acceptance. Or is that too much to ask?
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Ah, Microsoft
We were just told, at our weekly Dev meeting, to look up technical conferences and try to attend one. This includes any week-long game-related conferences in Hawaii. Which, of course, Dan was quick to mention. Ah, sweet, sweet injustice.
A true geek
You're not a true geek unless you participate in the great Trek-Wars debate.
Oh, and of course you get 100 additional points for being on the Star Wars side. But that's just obvious.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Star Fortune
See what the universe has in store for you. Click and ask a question.
Click expand to see the applet.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
A good evening or: how I feel asleep 20 minutes after downing 3 shots of espresso.
Today was a miss. In a life of hits or misses, this was a definite miss. Except for a few sparse and far-in-between instances of "whoo" and "yay" and even "hell yeah", this was a day to be erased. Sad and depressing are two words to describe it. Finally, to get over the failure that was today, or just to do something, I went to Tully's at around 8:10. Got there at around 8:20 and noticed that they are open until 10. Whoo. I'm still sick, so I decided to skip the usual bi-monthly espresso-and-Oreo shake and went with a large mocha. Good stuff, too. So, there I am, relaxing in front of the fire with Vonnegut's "Timequake". I begin to feel tired. And I fall asleep. I gotta say, this is one of the best sleeps I've ever had. I woke up warm, not knowing where I am and genuinely content. What else can you ask for?! Then, I had that shake that I first skipped. That sleep did wonders! I forgot about all my troubles and could concentrate on the moment. By the time they began to kick us poor bastards out, I put away a few more chapters of Vonnegut's strange-but-entertaining book.
I took the long way home. This included the 520, NE 8th street, NE 148th street and then 520 again. Did I mention that revving up my car makes me happy? While I was driving around, I came up with a few more things to say.
In "Replay", Jeff marries Diane, a socialite, born into old money and brought up with the explicit understanding that she was to be the wife of a rich man with excellent standing in the local country club. There was nothing else. She was brought up in this environment, taught, parallel to learning to walk, to think and act like what she would become later in life: the exact copy of her mother. She would have no "real-world" talents. Her hobbies include socializing, shopping in Paris or New York and arranging parties. Perhaps she would be slightly knowledgeable in the first profession. This is largely irrelevant. The point is that she is a wife that a member of the upper echelon is expected to marry.
Fast-forward from the late 1960's to 2006. My team is made up of a variety of family men. Men, because unsurprisingly Microsoft is a male-dominated community. My boss, Nik, has a baby on the way, due in February. Tad's first child was born at the beginning of September. Dan, my mentor, has two girls, ages 5 and 8. Chuck has a daughter who is 17. How many of the girls born into these families will be geek-wives? Similar to the nausea-inducing debutantes of high-society, these women can hold a game-themed conversation, are well-versed in high-tech lingo of the day and display an almost-real dislike for the competition of Google or IBM. Their knowledge of the first profession is most likely not irrelevant.
I am not suggesting that this is all but inevitable. But maybe it's already happening, right now, all across the Puget Sound area and Silicon Valley. Actually, what I speak of is not some fantasy or little bits of nothing that I happened to imagine. Doesn't the world abound with "trophy wives"? Maybe someday geeks will draw the attention of gold-diggers just like actors, sports stars and rappers have managed to do.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Meebo
If you're viewing this on the website, and not RSS (nudge nudge), you'll notice a nifty little feature on the right. It's a Meebo Widget. Meebo, for those who don't know, is a wonderful website that brings IM's to you without needing to install a multitude of clients. Now I'm trying out a little feature of theirs that allows people who visit this blog to talk to me if I'm using Meebo.
Still sick
Yeah, I'm still slightly sick and still too damn tired to write a good post. So, I'll just post a few gems of insight (IMNHO) that I wrote on QuestionSwap. Some of these are edited. Mostly it's places where I removed some personal tidbits from the question/answer.
Q. Do you believe in 'true love'?
A. Do I believe in 'true love' in the sense that somewhere in the world there is my one 'true love' and that when we meet everything will be alright and happily ever after? No, I don't.
I am an atheist. I don't believe in God. I don't believe in Fate. Either one of those has to exist for the concept of 'true love'. How else does one explain it that there MUST be that one person, living at the same moment as you (comparable ages, or at least close enough), who is perfect for you. How do you define a person who is perfect for you? There has to be some power that works to create the perfectly-balanced duo of Adam and Eve, where their combination is heavenly.
I believe we, as people, can find people with whom we 'work'. We find people with whom we can spend a long enough time and be happy. That's the ultimate point toward which I strive, happiness. Happiness, first with myself, then with another. How can you be happy with someone else if you cannot be happy with yourself?
Most people can be happy with most other people, if the cards are played just right. Walk into a crowded room and consider that you could live a lifetime of happiness with any one of these people, if only a few things had happened, or will happen, that will move you toward one another.
Personality-wise, we can be happy with just about anyone, as long as our timing is right. You could have been "best friends forever" with that kid in elementary school if only it wasn't for that unfortunate mis-understanding when you first met. Now, you sit at home and sharpen your pencils, hoping to "accidentally" poke him in the hallway. But enough about myself.
Q. I love you.
A. Thank you. I'm flattered. But I also realize that you don't really mean that. Certainly, you don't mean that you love me personally. Maybe you love the idea of me: a QuestionSwap user who gives you well-thought out answer, someone who's always there to answer your most embarassing questions, someone not afraid to speak their mind. For that, I thank you. I try and be that person. Sometimes, I succeed. It's good to know someone appreciates it.
Q. What makes you happy? Do you feel you could be a happier person?
A. My dog makes me happy. A good book. Some quiet alone time. Being with someone who wants to be with me. Rain. My car, revving up through a turn on a rainy night.
I could be happier if I stopped getting in my own way. The things that make me unhappy are usually caused by something I myself did.
Q. What's the easiest way to sneak a trunk full of cocaine through the Canadian border?
A. First approach is not to hide it in a trunk.
Second, packaging does matter. Wrap your cocaine in plastic. Tightly. Submerge it in a rapid river. Wrap it again. Repeat half a dozen times. This cleans the outside and makes sure there is no trace of cocaine for dogs to pick up.
Third, be original. Avoid going through an actual border post. Or go through the border post, but in an RV packed with three or four generations. Having grandma and the little ones will make you seem less suspicious.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Rainy piano
If you're an angsty-Asian, or have your sister's login information, and are able to sign in to Xanga, check out this beautiful piano piece.
I have it playing in the background whenever I don't want to listen to Sinatra or Rosemary Clooney, but still need some music in my life.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Sick
I think it was during that same dinner that I got sick. Boo! I'm certainly not going back to Claim Jumper for a while. Well, I'm not going anywhere, except MS, with this damn cold-sinus-whatchamacallit. My nose is stuffy and runny, my eyes hurt, my throat is dry and scratchy and I have no energy to do anything but watch Scrubs, complain about being sick in a blog and read Vonnegut. Hooray for life.
And this is the quote I am nominating for being the best quote in a TV show. Unsurprisingly it's from Scrubs. Like I said, I'm too weak to do much else.
Janitor: I remember the bordello being a little-bit bigger, and there were probably a few more prostitutes, but maybe I just remember it that way 'cause I was a kid, it was my twelfth birthday. I asked for a bike, I got a 48-year old whore.
PS: Doesn't it follow that The Janitor's name is actually Neil Flynn, from his confirmation that he's the cop on the subway from "The Fugitive"?
Monday, December 04, 2006
Best movie quote ever
Yesterday, over the course of dinner, I came to the conclusion that "The Proposition", a film seen by all of eight people in the world, has the best movie quote ever. Ever.
Samuel Stote: What's a misanthrope?
Two Bob: A misanthrope is a bugger who hates every other bugger.
Samuel Stote: Are we misanthropes?
Arthur Burns: Lord no! We're family.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
A comment - turned into a post
I was writing a response to the comments left on my previous post and it seemed to turn into yet another post, so here I am.
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As long as whatever company steps up to the plate and makes a good e-book reader that's open to standards and, this is something I don't think will happen for a while, nice programming tools, I'll buy it. Wouldn't it be neat if you could (easily) program the multitude of consumer devices coming on the market? Imagine adding meat to the skeletal structure of the iPod, like the ability to play WMA's and OGG's or run games, without flashing the whole thing to the penguin OS.
The fact that Sony is being an arrogant asshole when it comes to standards is a flaw in the Reader, but I'd still buy the damn thing, if only there was a wide array of sci-fi available to purchase. As soon as I can buy Larry Niven's novels (only short stories are available so far) and Steven Gould's "Jumper", still my favorite after all these years, I'm walking into the closest Borders and slapping down 350$ and my dignity for the chance to hold that beautiful device in my hands.
[About there being many ebooks online, like at Project Gutenberg] Yeah... See, I'm not all into Dickens and Faulkner. At the moment I'm plowing through yet another strange novel by Vonnegut, but normally it's Heinlein and Niven (though I think I've read all of Niven). Next on my list is picking up the first of a trilogy by Robert Sawyer. Which, of course, isn't available in ebook form. Seems that either I change my reading habits and get the oh-so-cool Reader or continue to lug semi-weighty paperbacks around.
This is somewhat off-topic, but it's yet another reason I am avoiding ebooks: it's not standardized. I was just on Fictionwise, a place that actually has a fair amount of sci-fi, even if they are mostly short stories. But there's no set standard! Some books are in Palm format, others are in Microsoft's own format, and there are quite a few that are audio books, sold as 14-hour MP3 files. Blech! No thanks. This is coming back to that programmability thing I mentioned: once you can easily modify the software on one of these readers, someone will come up with an elegant (and illegal) program that allows you to read every single format without bothering to figure out what it is and how you're supposed to convert it to Sony's own format.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Is the future epaper?
I was just at Borders, doing a bit of holiday research. Yes, you're probably getting a carbon-based gift. Anyway. I saw the most beautiful (non-sexual) sight ever: the Sony Reader. The damn thing is just called Reader. Hey, corporate assholes, there should be a happy medium between the Reader and Wii. Try and find it! Wow, side-tracked again. OK, time to start a new paragraph.
The Reader is a portable e-book reader. The thing that sets this puppy apart from the readers of a few years ago, IMO, is epaper. See, I picked up this thing and thought to myself "hmm, not bad, though it would have been nice for them to put a real reader on display, not this plastic prop that's too light to be real and has this fake screen that looks like it's just printed paper under a cover". Then, the damn printed paper changed. This thing is light as hell, looks like it's actually printed on paper, is visible from every angle I tried and is tossable. See, that last part is something my dad remarked on: electronic readers will not be popular until you can toss them down like you would a paperback. He was talking about the e-readers a few years ago, the mostrosities that would crack if you dropped a feather on them. While I didn't try dropping it on the floor, it seems that this model can withstand more anger than anything before it. However, the best part of the whole deal is that the screen actually looks like paper, while allowing you to push a button and skip a dozen pages at a whim or rotate the page and read it in landscape mode.
I'd have bought the Reader right there and then, but something stopped me. See, it's something I like to refer to as reason. For all its pluses, and these are pretty big ones, the Reader does have quite a few flaws.
The first, and a semi-serious one, is the 350$ price tag. While the coolness and the high-tech factors almost make it a bargain, my wallet would hurt afterward.
Second, the fact that the Reader is made by Sony. See, Sony has this most un-nerving quirk about them: "proprietary standards" is tattooed into every employee's left butt-cheek. Sony can't help but to attempt to convert the entire consumer base to their brand of crap on every product release. Memory stick and minidisc spring to mind. The Reader is no different. While you can read PDF's, DOC's and TXT's, you first have to convert them to Sony's proprietary format. "Even TXT's?" you say? Yes, even TXT's. It's not that I have that big a problem with converting a couple files, it's the whole idea that makes me want to puke. Standards are good. Proprietary or closed standards are evil. It's that simple. Microsoft standarads are yet another breed of evil. And that's another type of post altogether.
Third, and this is the most important one, is the fact that I don't read main-stream books. You won't find "Da Vinci Code" in my library. Or Chrichton. Or Rowling. My favorites are Niven, Heinlein and Vonnegut, to name the most popular ones. Sony's Connect e-book service has 1 Niven (read it), 1 Heinlein (read it), and 3 Vonnegut's (read 1 of 3). Either I have to start in on Oprah's Book Club (*sound of me vomitting*) or develop a serious need to be accepted and load up on self-help books for idiots. That's not the "Idiots" series of books, BTW: I do mean self-help books that are written specifically for idiots. Go through a shelf of these next time you're in a bookstore and see if you can go 5 minutes without laughing or crying. Seriously, there are like 10,000 e-books out there, and very few of these are sci-fi. I don't want to change genres, I like what I read.
Honestly, how hard is it to release electronic copies at the same time as carbon ones? You already have the book in an electronic database somewhere, just convert it to PDF (or whatever) and you're practically printing money. It's the same rip-off as the cell-phone company charging a dime for every text message: the infrastructure is there and sending a piece of data costs you nothing at all. I'd like to see someone step up and offer my favorite sci-fi paperbacks and a way to download that same book in electronic format, once you've purchased the hard-copy. After all, does it make a whole lot of sense for me to have to buy the PDF's of "The Playboy Book: Fifty Years" and "Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense" when I already have them in hardcover?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Snow advice from a Microsoft dude
This is an e-mail that some people at MS are sending around. It's helpful and doesn't (to my knowledge) contain any MS-only information, so I'm posting it here. It's rather long, so I chose to wrap it. I'm also testing out this new wrapping code, since the old one didn't transfer when I switched to Blogger Beta. Click below to expand the post.
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So, in a sense, it took me from 10:00pm last night until 4:30am this morning to get home from work (including the detours). I have to say this is probably my longest commute I have ever faced, but for the first time, I actually enjoyed it.
Some tips on driving in the fresh snow (based on my experience in Alaska):
1. Always have a full tank, you never know when you will be stranded in a snow bank or traffic jam.
2. Keep emergency supplies in your trunk, water, clothing, jumper cables, etc
3. Many people have been making comments about speed where ice and snow are an issue. I have learned that it is not the speed that will get you, it is not properly managing the vehicle that will get you. When on ice and snow (fresh), your focus should be on how you control your vehicle not on how fast or slow you are going. These tips will help you to figure out what works best for you.
4. Keep both hands on the wheel, turn down any excess noise maker you got going, including passengers. In Alaska, I learned that you can tell what is going on with the road conditions by feeling the vibrations in the steering wheel and listening to the sounds your wheels make on the road. When the vibrations are normal, you know what it feels like and sounds like. When the vibrations are rough (like driving on a dirt road), this means you are on crushed ice or snow. When the vibrations are low and/or your wheel has a slight slip and/or your wheels sound like they are spinning and not grabbing, then you are on ice. Having this information from your vehicle will help you to determine how to deal with the road conditions you are facing.
5. MOST IMPORTANT ALASKAN RULE I EVER LEARNED: If it's black and shinny, it is dangerous, if it is white and powdered, it is fairly safe. Why is this so important? A black and shinny road means ice or water on the road. White and powdered (or dull colored) means snow or road sludge. In the snow or road sludge you can obtain better traction. On the ice of course you have the obvious. This is why when I was on my way home, I was able to go 45 while others were putting away at 20 to 25 mph. I was being insane or a lunatic driver, I was using what I knew about the road and what it was telling me.
6. AVOID USING BRAKES. When you have one set of wheels in the snow, you reduce your risk of danger. By increasing your distance from other vehicles in front of you to about 5 or 10 car distance (a good way to judge distance in weather like this is if the vehicle in front of you is kicking up rain, snow, sludge, or any other goodies, and it sprays onto your windshield, you are too close), you are providing yourself some recovery time before the risk of collision. The car in front of you will also provide you with another indicator. If they go out of control, you can bet you will find ice in that area when you get there. Instead of using your brakes to avoid the situation, glide through it by taking your foot slowly off of the accelerator. This will stop you from sliding on the ice or going into an un-controlled spin. If you use your brakes, you will only make the situation more difficult to handle, in fact, it could increase your odds of not surviving the incident.
7. GENTLE ON THE ACCELERATOR. When you are going from a stand still to motion, just take your foot off the break, let the engines idle state start you in motion, then gently depress the accelerator. If you are already in motion, gently apply the accelerator to increase your speed, if you get warning signs from the road, steering wheel, vehicle wheels, sounds, or other vehicles, just ease off the accelerator until the situation has ironed itself out. This method alone will steer you to safety by creating time for reaction to the situation. In addition, you will be decreasing your speed to one that will be easier to get you out of the situation.
8. When you feel the vehicle losing control, first remove your foot from the accelerator, then if you need too, tap your brakes, BUT ONLY IF YOU MUST USE YOUR BRAKES. When tapping your brakes, you want to do this in a 4/4 time in quarter notes (for the music folks) this is roughly a second to two seconds on the brake gently, when you feel it tugging on the vehicle to slow it down, you have applied all you want to apply nothing more. Take your feet completely off the brakes in between to give yourself proper timing. Then re-apply it for another second or two. Repeat as needed. You will find that just taking your foot off the accelerator is usually more than enough to regain control of your car.
9. Another vehicle is out of control and you are behind them, then take your foot off the accelerator and watch which way they go. If they are on the left side and slide to the right, then you know that you will want to go to the left side. Careful to avoid the same slick area. If you head into the same direction they are going, you will run into them.
10. Curves can be deadly. On the freeways around here, the outside of a curve will typically have the higher elevation. If you ride a set of tires into the powdered snow areas on the high side of a curve, you may slide a little, if you find ice, but because you are on the high side of the curve, you should have enough time to regain control of your vehicle. If you are coming into a curve and there is a car beside you on the low end, ease off the accelerator and let them through first, this way, if you slide you will not slide into them and pay for their repairs. This was the situation last night in the Puyallup area. Just at the 410 interchange, there is a high elevation on the curve there and people were sliding from the top left of the road to the bottom right. The semi that went through and caused the delays went right off the side of the road there and I believe the vehicle to the left slid into him to help make the situation worse. When I went through this same section, myself and the van in front of my went through it. We both slid, but regained control by the time we entered the passenger lane.
11. Elevations, hills, etc are the worst. Hills and ice are not good friends unless you want to go sledding. Avoid them at all costs. If you live in an elevated area and there are no other paths to get home, consider a hotel, it's not worth your life. Think about a route that may go around the area and come back to your area. If you must take the hill, then use the powdered snow idea and avoid going straight up the hill. Especially stay out of vehicle paths where someone else just plowed through it with their wheels spinning. They have just turned it into a race track for you, right to the bottom of the hill. Look for dirt in the road, snow, rough terrain. Anything to give you traction. Seek out the smallest hill to get you up instead of the biggest hill. When going down a hill, use the brake tapping technique to keep you crawling very slowly down the hill. If your speed continues to increase, then just increase the seconds you spend on the brakes. Stay close to the side of the road for any traction you may be able to find. All else fails, stay close to any high rise hill beside the road. If you cannot stop, then head for that hill beside the road, it will slow you down some, maybe enough.
12. Semi trucks are your friend, but you can make enemies of them. If you are passing a semi or beside a semi, they may splash your windshield with snow or ice and make it very difficult to see what is going on with the road. If you must address one, pass as fast as you can without putting yourself in danger. If you cannot get past them, then fall back to a safe distance and wait out for the right time to do it. Truckers are professional drivers, they have many years experience on the road and have had to deal with weather conditions that you may not have. Their experience would be a wise choice for you to follow. What I am saying is that if you have doubts in reading the road and you are nervous, get behind a trucker and follow them to safety. Not only do they have the experience, they also have a higher view of the road ahead and can see warning signs that you may not be able to see. With truckers though, you want to have an even bigger distance between you and them. This will allow you time to react if they "Jack-Knife" the rig. This will allow you enough time to navigate around them.
In addition to all this, it is a good idea to have chains for your vehicle in the trunk. If you have time to prepare, consider snow tires, they help nicely.
All this information is good for fresh snow fall, but if you are heading home today, you have a new enemy to deal with and the road conditions will be different. Instead of powdered snow you will have ice and sludge on the sides of the road, this may not be good. Look for dull grey areas in the path. This is the dry pavement. Use the powdered idea if you are in a situation where you cannot find dry pavement. If you find dark wet appearing areas, that can either be water on the road or it may be black ice. This is the worst ice condition to face. Black ice is hard to see at night and is even more slippery than fresh snow ice conditions. You still use the same techniques above, but you need to identify it quickly and approach it with even more caution. This ice will usually be found in the normal vehicle tracks in the pavement, so try and keep your wheels straddled on either side of the vehicle tracks. This condition changes when you deal with curves, it can be a strip that goes from the top of the curve incline to the bottom. Just ease off the accelerator and let gravity do it's thing. Don't fight it, just glide it. Always keep your tires pointed in the desire direction. When they grave some of that dry pavement, it will pull you right out of the situation.
Rear wheeled vehicles, put extra weight in the back, this will help you with traction.
If you find you are still nervous after all this information, stay mostly to the right lanes, except to pass, provide extra space between you and others when passing.
Overall, gentle actions will provide you with time to address the situation. Speed does effect you, but not as severely as the news broadcasters would have you think. Today, a King5 news reporter called a people lunatics who were driving faster than others on the ice. While there may be some really bad drivers out there, to generalize a faster driver as a lunatic may not have been called for. Personally, if this was his opinion, I am concerned about any other advice he had to offer about how to drive in this weather. If you are driving along and comfortably under the speed limit and you feel the conditions in the road and listen to what it tells you, you should be able to make a healthy decision and address the issue by adjusting your speed (taking your foot off the accelerator). This does not make a person a lunatic, just knowledgeable.
Hey I hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday. I also hope these tips are helpful to you. Trash them if you want, your call, just some things I learned growing up in Alaska that have saved my life many times on the freeways. That says a lot when you consider that I have been contracting here off and on for 10 years and 8 contracts and I have spent most of it commuting from Mount Vernon or Puyallup. I have endured ice, snow, water over the roadways where I found myself in a 360 spin, etc. Take it for what it is worth.
Larry E. Hayes (Volt)
Lab Run Manager
Microsoft Visual C Sharp Team
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Microsoft is closed
Seriously. The whole Puget Sound campus is shut down because of the weather.
Yesterday I left work at 5 and got hit with some curious hail on the way home. No biggie, the commute wasn't longer than usual. It was weirder, but not longer. Then, around 8, I get a call from Suresh, saying that he can't leave work. Apparently, he's been sitting in the car 15 minutes and hasn't moved an inch. People of Seattle must realize that this is snow and it's nothing to be afraid of.
Today, it's worse. Seems they have no idea that ice on the roads helps melt the snow so that Microsoft can stay open. So, the roads are iced over, half the team has already e-mailed saying they won't be in, while the other half just read the e-mail with the subject "BUILDING NOTICE: CAMPUS CLOSURE" and decided to stay home, playing their Xbox 360's. Which is what I should be doing! That e-mail mentioned a few more things (none of which I hope are corporate secrets):
- Building lobbies are closed, no receptionists
- The shuttle service is not operating
- No mail
- No food in the cafes (which is the reason that I'm staying here until 2 or 3)
- Corporate calls are automated. I think this means that I'll get a machine if I try and call to find out about Health Benefits or my stock options.
Now, the part where I'm pissed off: What the hell is this crap?! I left Chicago only to get Chicago weather in Seattle? Apparently, according to the Verizon Wireless techie who has no idea what she's talking about (in respect to my Treo 700p), this snow is very unusual. Winters are supposed to be 62 degreess, not the 23 that my car says it is. 23!
So far, half my team sent e-mails along the lines of "WFH", working from home, "WAH", work at home, or "OOF", out of office (don't ask me, they tell me that's the acronym and that I should RTFM and STFU). One of the guy was more original: My reindeer are on strike. I think this is the older guy with a white beard, the one I've been internally referring to as Santa.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Facebook and Russians
I'm on Facebook. Yes. No, I'm not an addict. No, it does not run my life. I check it every few days, to see if anyone poked me or wrote on my wall or whatever. I barely ever write on people's walls. I don't accept invites to events or groups. In short, Facebook is next to nothing to me.
OK, now that that's over with, moving on to my actual post.
Taty recently joined this curious group called You know you're a "nice Russian girl" if... (you have to sign in to Facebook to see this one) There's a whole list of stereotypical things associated with being a "nice" Russian girl. Sort of like one of my favorites, What Kind of Asian are You? Now, this group sent shivers down my spine. Unlike most foreigners in America (don't know how foreigners behave in other countries), I don't hang out or associate with Russian people. You know what I'm talking about. There's that table in the cafe that you swear is actually Chinese territory. That group of Indian kids in front of you at the movie theater doesn't include people who've never heard of Murli Prasad Sharma. The black-leather-jackets walking by your office are all speaking Russian. I don't like big gatherings of Russian people for one reason: most of the Russian people I've met are nuts. There are a number of exceptions, of course. But there's such a high rate of weirdness, I just steer clear of that whole group-mingling thing.
What are the things that bug me about these Russians? Lets do it with a nice bullet-point list:
- The only people they know or socialize with are other Russian immigrants
- They care more about money than anything else
- They care more about image than anything else, except money
- They treat all-things Russian as the best-and-only choice (stick a Russian flag into a pile of manure and they'll follow it off a cliff)
- They never try anything non-Russian (try suggesting Italian for dinner or going out to dim sum)
- They despise other nationalities/cultures/whatever to the point of being offensive and racist (I once heard of a Russian immigrant complaining about immigrants from Mexico)
- They bitch and moan about how crappy America is and how the old country is the pinnacle of civilization
- They adore gaudy fashions: purple hair, too much make up, leopard-print shirts and a track suit are perfect church attire
If you're Russian and are offended by what I said, ask yourself, do three or more of the traits I've listed describe you? If so, maybe you should be more concerned about working on your own issues than with one stupid blog being written by an asshole in serious need of sleep.
Oh, and if you're one of those people whose opinion of themselves depends on what other people think about them, go jump off a cliff. That's what we all think you should do. It's certainly a better alternative to what you have going on right now.
Extreme Geek
One geek asked another if it was possible to build an Xbox 360 laptop. The second geek took this challenge on and three months later, this glorious monstrosity was born.
Link
Link to the step-by-step assembly blog
This thing weighs 14 lbs. Regardless, I'd buy it in a heart-beat.
Chinese restaurants, the bane of my existence
I was at Jeem yesterday, for dim sum, and was asked twice if I needed a fork. Whaa? This is the first time this has happened to me in a few years. I think last time someone said this was at Bobo in Champaign.
I wasn't even struggling with the chopsticks or anything. Certainly I wasn't sticking them in my nose, confused as to their use. I'm here for dim sum and you assume this is the first time I've ever encountered chopsticks? Should I offer my waiters a dictionary when they don't understand me? Would that be racist? Isn't their assumption toward my chopstick familiarity also racist?
Here's a question I got on QuestionSwap:
do you consider even positive stereotypes racism? (ex: black people are good at sports, asian people are good at math)
My answer:
Going strictly by the definition of racism (1. The belief that members of one race are superior to members of other races, 2. The belief that members of one ethnic group are superior to members of another ethnic group, 3. The belief that capability or behavior can be racially defined), positive stereotypes are indeed racist.
Not going by the strict definition, I believe positive stereotypes are still racist. A statement "Asian people are good at math" implies that race determines, to a certain extent, a person's intelligence. If this is assumed to be true, it follows that while Asians are smart, some race has to be dumb. This is racism.
This is somewhat off-topic: these stereotypes exist for a particular reason. Saying "Asian people are good at math" is racist and inaccurate. However, saying "on average, Chinese students attending urban schools exceed their counterparts from other parts of the world in the subject of math" is not racist and is factually correct. So, there are "acceptable" ways to express your sentiment, as long as you don't base things on race and present factual arguments.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Minesweeper
My dad and I had a little competition over the holidays, trying to beat each other's time at Minesweeper. When I left, I held the high-score with 131 seconds. My dad just sent me this picture. I responded with "what the hell?"
Honestly, how does one go about getting a score as low as 31 without digitally manipulating the screen shot?
It's snowing
Zoom in to make sure, or just take my word for it.
Guess tomorrow Microsoft will be empty as people try and cope with this disaster.
Flyin' around
I'm on the plane right now, flying from Chicago to Seattle. It's Alaska Airlines, a decent alternative to American or United, both of which I hate with a passion. At least with Alaska, if you choose to buy a meal, it's warm and looks like real food. Last time I flew one of the other airlines you could purchase a box of packaged snacks, like Oreo's and chips. No thanks.
Honestly, flying has gone to hell. Recently, I went to the Boeing Museum and saw what planes looked like 50 years ago: they had enough leg room for an NBA player and the seats were wider than a Laz Boy. I think the next step will be to now allow carry-ons and sell the over-head compartment space to Japanese travelers. And shut up about stereotypes and all that. I saw a picture of a train where people slept in holes in the wall, exactly like in Fifth Element, and it happened to be in Japan.
I'm sitting next to a cool, or possibly gay, guy. He's wearing a very nice suit-looking outfit. He's got a hat. A hat, not a cap. Remember hats? Gangsters from the 30's used to wear them. The guy has two rings, a bracelet, earrings, designer glasses, a sleek phone, an Ipod in a leather case and a copy of The New Yorker magazine and National Geographic. Oh, and one of those stylish unshaven looks that appear on people who appear in People. And here I am, blogging on my Treo and wearing a "Keep out of direct sunlight" shirt. Isn't there a law that uncool goobers must stay a certain distance away from cool people?
Taty managed to send me a message just before I had to turn off my phone: "Scream BOMB for poops and giggles". I gotta agree, that would be funny. Being arrested, charged with aiding and abetting Al Queda, spending time in prison, possibly losing my job and needing to declare bankruptcy by my next birthday, however, isn't fun.
Speaking of cell phones, why exactly is it necessary to turn them off? Ever hear of a rogue cell phone bringing down a plane? I had my phone on for half of a 4-hour flight once, by accident, and nothing happened. The engines didn't fall off. Bright red lights and a booming god-like voice didn't say "that Russian by the window is endangering the plane".
Hmm, all this brought me back to ponder about everyday things that can be harmful on a plane. And that thinking brought me back to "Snakes on a Plane". If the bad guy has resources to put hundreds of pounds of different, wildly-varied snakes on a commercial flight, why not just scrap the Bond-esque plan and sneak on a bomb? So much more effective.
I think that people are uncomfortable with ooh-we're-on-a-plane-and-I-have-a-bomb jokes because plane crashes and explosions aren't that common. If they were an everyday thing and our society learned to distance itself from that death like we've done for everything from suicide to cancer, you could make jokes about explosions an d crashes on an airplane or in an airport. We wouldn't have to use substitute words: while traveling, I use "shampoo" instead of "bomb". Never mind the reason for why I need to talk about explosives in these situations.
Sorry that this is such a random thing, I just typed whatever came to me when I woke up. I actually got a bit of sleep on this flight. Must have to do with no one sitting between me and the cool guy, so I'm actually fairly comfy.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Hooray for Dan!
Dan, my mentor, earns the coveted "Dude of the Week" award for alerting me of a bug and fixing it on the spot, thus saving me time, worry and embarasment (almost none, actually). Go Dan!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Bible Belt
I just realized something. Or maybe I made an observation. Or I found it ironic?
I think it's interesting that a rather important part of the Bible Belt is in the Midwest, an area of the country where you really have to wonder "Does God exist, or was he too damn lazy to give us anything but these damn corn fields?!" I was wandering around the hallways and came to a window pointing North-West, towards the mountains. If I wasn't an atheist, I'd yell out Hallelujah right about now, because what I saw was almost obscenely beautiful. The sights around Washington can be described as God-like, awe-inspiring, monumental or overwhelming. Never boring.
Monday, November 13, 2006
More proof that China sucks the big one
10 years in prison for sending an email - Link to Amnesty
I nominate China, along with Yahoo! and Kim Jong-il for the coveted "Wow, you're a turd" award.
Kim Jong-il is not nominated for the nuke incident or anything of that sort. No. I nominate him for having a major Napolean complex: only a man with a serious inferiority complex would need to organize almost Shakespearean in magnitude celebrations, like the one the world saw after the nuclear test. Only a man seriously trying to compensate for something would tell the world that during his first golf game he scored 11 holes-in-one.
Also, here's a curious oxymoron: Human rights in the People's Republic of China.
Here's a bit of information on the subject.
Human Rights in China?
Try not to vomit. Oh, what am I talking about, go ahead. This is, after all, a free country.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Sushi Land
Sushi Land is awesome. First off, Sushi Land is this sushi place by my apt. It's great: there's a conveyor belt that has plates of sushi on it, and the color of the plate determines the price. First off, I love sushi, so any place that serves it is good in my book. Second, this sushi is really good. Not your usual grocery-store sushi. This stuff is made right there, right in front of you, and to your order if it's not already on the belt. Also, Sushi Land is quite cheap. Their plates are 1$, 1.50$, 2$ and 3$. Every time I go there, my bill is under 10$. Can you tell me the last time you went out to a restaurant, had exactly what you wanted, in a nice atmosphere and paid under 10$ for it? Because of all of these reasons, I find myself at Sushi Land something like twice a week. I think the people over there are starting to remember me. I'm just waiting for the day when I can come in, sit down, and get a water and a hot tea without asking for it.
Apparently, it's quite good as a date-place, since I see a lot of couples there. It's a family place as well. A few times I've seen just an adult and a young kid there, like a grandma and a granddaughter, having a girls' night out. For them, Sushi Land is perfect, as the whole thing comes to being just a few bucks.
Halo
I was playing Halo online today. Quite interesting.
See, in Halo you get to pick a nickname, any nickname. Most people choose names that are dangerous-sounding, like Assassin or Blade. Some people choose stupid names, like YourMama. You've got no idea how many times I've been killed by Your Mama. Then, there are people who choose stupid names that are a play on words. Let me explain: in Halo, when one person is killed by another, a message pops up in the form of "Bob was killed by Sam". Well, some people choose names like "a papercut", so the message looks like "Bob was killed by a papercut". Hmm. Amusing. The first few times you see it. And, finally, there's my nickname: fuzzy. I chose it because it's short, simple, and makes people think of a wimpy player. Think about it: you'd expect a lot from a guy named Scorpion and not so much from someone named Winnie Pooh. So, I went with fuzzy. People don't expect much, but when I start womping their asses like there's no tomorrow, they perk up. It's especially great to see my name in the final battle summary, as having made the most kills. See, the whole theory on this stems from "White Men Can't Jump". Good movie. In there, the white guy says that he's dressed like a sucker, so if he loses, no big deal. On the other hand, when a sucker beats a reigning champion, that is a big deal. Same thing here. Somewhat. That, and I really like "Get Fuzzy", so this is a bit of an homage. Anyhow, to today's game.
Today, we were playing on Infinity, a giant map of canyons shaped like the infinity symbol (rotate the number 8 sideways). In the game there were the usual people with the usual nicknames: "an act of stupidity" ("fuzzy was killed by an act of stupidity"), "Killer", some guy named "Moroni", "Hitler". Usual collection: play on words, a name, and two "scary" nicknames. There was also "IRS". It's funny to see "fuzzy was killed by IRS". Guess I didn't pay my taxes. The best part was that there was also a guy named "OJ". I think the player was going for the scary theme, so he used the name of a killer. :)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
I think I hear four sets of hoofbeats
I was just doing a search for a breakfast restaurant and stumbled on this sublime sight. Mmm, goes well with thoughts of pancakes and Eggs Benedict.
This is just sad. Microsoft is, apparently*, renting out virtual space on its Virtual Earth server. As if the net doesn't have enough ads, now they are showing up in games (the game downloads up-to-date ads and shows them on computer screens, walls and sides of trucks inside the game) and in map searches.
*I am not speaking on behalf of Microsoft. Most of the time that I comment on the company's products, such as bashing Vista, I am speaking as a user. I'm not going to divulge any secrets or in any way use my status as an employee to talk about the company's financial doings. I don't think it would be nice to say something like "Don't use Notepad. It's a second-rate product. We actually put a virus and a few backdoors in it. Oh, and we don't wash our hands after using the bathroom." If that wasn't an example, I might have hurt Microsoft. So, not going to do that. I will, however, make plenty of references to my co-workers, the office environment, the various toys I keep in my office and the hilarity that ensues whenever a bunch of sleep-deprived geeks get together.
Friday, November 10, 2006
The joy of an office...
The joy of an office...
Originally uploaded by FuzzyGamer.
Having alone-time for The Beatles and a bottle of vodka.
Which one's odd?
Hi-larious
tsafro: dude, you ask her out and when she agrees you can harvest her for organs
it's win win
me: HAHAHAHAHAHA
tsafro: ... you win and some kid without a kidney wins
me: ok, now i'm regretting not getting the "i'm blogging this" t-shirt from thinkgeek
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Well, at least they have a rule about that...
It's against the law to pawn your dentures in Las Vegas.
Definitions...
Definition of pain: going to lunch with Vincent and Eran who attack every statement I make and make me prove anything I even remotely think.
Definition of masochism: scheduling another lunch with them.
Borat
Thanks to Taty for the informative link.
Seems Russia banned "Borat" on the basis of it being offensive and "because the film could potentially humiliate different ethnic groups and religions". Following this ground-breaking decision, any film depicting citizens of Russia exhibiting anti-social characteristics will be banned. This group includes, among other things, films showing Russian people commiting crimes, lying, not being considerate to others, drinking milk straight out of the carton and not holding doors open for women. The only two films that have not made the new-and-updated ban list are both three-hour long explorations of butterfly mating patterns. Almost as an after-thought, the Russian culture ministry notes that it has no sense of humor and cannot tell the difference between a documentary and a fictional film showing grotesquely over-the-top humor.
I saw "Borat" last weekend and literraly laughed my ass off. Quite possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen. But it's more than slapstick. Borat does not make fun of people just for the hell of it. The entire film is a slapstick/satire piece. My favorite scene illustrates the beauty of his humor: the audience at a Texan rodeo cheers for Borat as he makes statements in support of President Bush. They applaud wildly as Borat suggests that the Middle East should be bombed until not even lizards can live there. They practically give him a standing ovation when Borat says that George W. Bush will drink the blood of his enemies, which in this case happens to be the people of Iraq. A few seconds later, Borat goes on to sing the Kazakhstani national anthem to the tune of America's national anthem. Within moments of hearing Borat say that Kazakhstan's leaders are great while all others are little girls, the crowd starts to boo and hiss like a bag full of snakes. Apparently, by the end of the anthem, Borat was led off because the producers feared for his safety. Seems Texans don't mind in the slightest the mention of cannibalism but are ready to pop a cap in your ass at the slightest hint of criticism. Which is not all that unexpected.
Back to the topic at hand, if you went to see "Borat" and thought "Hey, people in Kazakhstan live like this", you should be taken to the city square, castrated (just for the hell of it) and shot in the mouth. We don't need idiots like you.
PS. If you think I am entirely serious, you should be taken into the city square...
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Nostalgia? So soon?
Saturday seemed surprisingly like college.
I woke up, played some games, did the usual morning stuff. Then, I went to the lab and worked for a few hours. Finally, something actually went right and my code worked. I went to Qdoba where I had a chicken burrito and read "Replay". Then, I went to see a movie in the movie theater. Afterwards I went to a coffee shop and had the usual combo of caffeine and book (still "Replay").
Overall, a good Saturday. Great nostalgic value. Though why am I feeling nostalgia over something that I did as recently as mid-May?
She's probably right
me: dan (my mentor) keeps complaining how i get paid too much because i buy all these toys (he was playing around with that sniper rifle)
tsafro: lol
yoou're living out the materialistic childhood you never had
me: you know what, you might be right about that one
Monday, November 06, 2006
What would make a mild-mannered Briton swear like a sailor?
What would make a mild-mannered Briton swear like a sailor?
Originally uploaded by FuzzyGamer.
This puppy!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Carrots
Someone once told me that Scott Summers (aka Cyclops of the X-Men fame) ate a lot of carrots as a kid and that's why he shoots lazors out of his eyes. I'd be pissed off at them, seeing how I've been scarfing down carrots non-stop for about two months now and my urine is bright-orange, but I'm saving so much money on electricity. It's great not needing to turn the lights on anymore. Apparently, carrots are like powerups in a game: eat enough and all of a sudden you hear this loud gong sound and you've got superpowers, like nightvision. Now if I could solve this whole tail and fuzzy fur issue, I'll be set.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Softcore porn
Just watched a trailer video for Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 and I've got some opinions (yes, I'm an opinionated ass).
Ever heard of Dead or Alive? It's this series of fighter games that famous for their well-endowed fighting beauties. And, while fighting has been emphasized to a fair extent, most people will agree that the games' main features are the female characters. Somewhere, there was a full department dedicated to coding breast physics. Seriously! In fact, in this new game, each breast has its own physics.
Now, I'm the last person to say that games should be sterile entities made of bright colored blocks chasing other bright colored blocks in a blue maze. In fact, I'm fully supportive of laws to restrict Mature (not to be confused with Adult Only) game sales to underage, unsupervised idiots for the sole reason that it will allow developers to cram more "offensive" content into the games. But some of what Team Ninja (the makers of the series) is doing is just too much. I played the demo of Dead or Alive 4 and I gotta say that while the femmes fatales are breathtaking and not lacking in any department, the game is a brilliant fighter and would have captured my attention just the same if all the characters were your usual stock males from the Mortal Kombat fame. But, from what I've seen of the 8 minute trailer, Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 is softcore porn with the pretense of being a video game. The whole trailer is nothing but nearly-naked CG characters running around on the beach, playing on a blow-up Orca and tossing crabs back into the ocean (where did that one come from, really?).
If you're making a video game and sexual or violent content makes sense to be present there, go nuts. When you're making a game about inner-city gang warfare, I expect to see plenty of violence. I also would like some sort of indication that these people aren't asexual worms.
History is repeating itself, actually. It just shifted mediums: from TV to video games.
I think the kind of censorship that existed in American television in the 1950's is offensive to common sense and logic: a married couple had to be shown to sleep in separate beds and the toilet was as hard to find on screen as WMD's in Iraq. Are the networks working under the assumption that their target audience consists of people who are unaware of intimacy and have never had to use the bathroom? I hear "I Love Lucy" is really popular with the hour-old-infants crowd. You can't just ignore something because it might offend a few people. In this case, you can't just ignore something because you got it into your head that showing something that everyone has seen and knows about is, for whatever reason, an immoral and obscene act. And who the hell is offended when people even talk about going to the bathroom? You do it. You know that everyone else does. Everyone on the planet, with the exception of single-celled organisms (correct me if I'm wrong on this one, Taty) and Bonsai Kittens goes to the bathroom.
How about this: instead of making reality TV, trying making TV that feels real. Toss away the "reality" shows where a dozen pissed off, unusually beautiful and very confrontational people compete for an idiotic prize. Try something that shows real life, with all of its imperfections and flaws. I'm sick and tired of Armani-clad civil servants solving murder cases by interpolating grain-sized evidence to paint the crystal-clear picture of the crime scene. I'm bored of watching a top-notch government unit battle terrorists for 24 non-stop hours while never needing to use the bathroom and always staying within the PG-rated swearing rules of "damn it, we're running out of time!" How about "Shit, Tony, I gotta go take a piss before we hit the bad guys. You know how a full bladder can spoil an entire operation." Yes, I expect reality out of a show that jumped the shark a few seasons ago. But you gotta start somewhere. Why is it that violence is perfectly acceptable (thankfully) but a bad word, the kind that daddy says after pounding away four shots, is completely and utterly out of order? Sorry, I shouldn't try to draw this already-drawn-out post into the entirely too-easy bash-post about American culture.
If you want to take a look at the game, here's an 18+ (surprised?) trailer. It doesn't actually have any nudity in it or anything, but... Anyhow, watch it, if only to ask yourself "how can these people, with an entire department dedicated to breast physics, still manage to screw it up so bad?" And they do.
BTW, this is not the 8 minute, 400 MB trailer that I got from the XBOX Marketplace. This trailer shows more games and is quite shorter, clocking in at only 2 minutes. Though it still manages to clearly pass along the basic idea of the game. If you can, download or view the high-def version. Really, you ought to.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
On photography
This is a photo gallery one of the guys on our team made from his trip to Italy - link.
Really amazing pictures. Something after my own taste. Artistic, simple, beautiful.
That's the thing about pictures that people don't entirely understand: they don't always have to include a person to make them good. Look at the long shots of Rome and tell me why having some bozo in the middle of the shot, blocking the view, would be a good thing. Ever seen a photo gallery (online, in this case) where every picture features the same group of people with different backdrops? What's the point of that? Yes, I got it, that's you and your friends. OK, here you are posing in your apartment. Here you are posing in front of a fountain. And here again. And again. I've seen you enough times to draw a portait blind-folded. Is the purpose of your gallery narcissism or trying to photograph every possible occurence of people smiling? Or, not smiling, as may be the case of goth or emo galleries.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
I got a date!
Well, actually, not just one. About 50. At 4.49$. Without tax. At Safeway. Well, it's still something.
*Evil laugh*
Today, I finally received my first and only Wal-Mart purchase. It had to be Wal-Mart because no one else sells this, and it had to be online because I'm not stepping into the store for any reasonable amount of money.
Anyways. So, it's here.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Especially if you work in my building.
Highway fog
Highway fog
Originally uploaded by FuzzyGamer.
It's still foggy as hell at 10am. Kinda glad I took the small roads to work today.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Poor, poor Art
I was just complaining to Art that I had to go to work on Saturday. He's still in school, getting his 18th Doctorate. He sent me this link.
Art, many apologies. I know how hard it must be for you. That's one of the reasons that I'm here. The other reason is that Microsoft made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Seriously! Oh, and I wouldn't have gotten into any Master's program except at Bob Jones college where they give free hats to newbies.
Asian restaurants
This isn't new news, just more observation from the pissed off dude writing this blog: the people who work in New Kowloon Seafood Restaurant are either racists or incompetent. Or both. It took half an hour and about four reminders that I'd like a glass of water! Sad part is that it's not going to change. I'm a white guy going to a Chinese restaurant. They treat the main customers (Chinese people who come back time and time again) really well, and screw the guy in the corner. I've had the same crap pulled on me at Jeem Asian Restaurant on 24th, by Safeway. The second time I went there they stuck me in the corner where the server with the food (I go there for dim sum) had to try harder to come over. It's not that it's impossible to stop by my table, it's just that it's in the corner and tight, so it's basically a one-way street for a Hummer: turning around is out of the question, so back up. So, practically no servers ever stopped by. Not like they ever do. At New Kowloon the servers skip my table and go for the large 8-person parties. Overall, my experience with Asian restaurants leaves me contemplating choosing a new favorite cuisine. If I'm alone, or there are no Asian people with me, or they're the "wrong type" (Chinese people getting Korean BBQ or Japanese people going for dim sum), the service is gonna suck and, in some cases, the quality of the food suffers. What kind of crap is that? I'm white, so I probably don't know good Chinese cooking from Panda Express? And while we're on that, yes, I do eat "fake" Chinese food. I even like it. But when I go to a Chinese restaurant and ask for authentic food, bring me authentic food just like you would if I asked you in Chinese, and don't ask me "Are you sure you want that?" Yeah, I know, most people order the orange chicken. They're entitled to make bad choices. I'm not them. So bring me those pig tongues!
Seattle and then some
Contradictory to most of the world, today I found out that Seattle is the sunny city. Leaving from Redmond, it was raining. Not buckets, not drizzle, somewhere in the middle. The closer I got to Seattle, more blue skies and less rain. Later, on my way back, just as I turn off from I-5 to get on the 520, it starts raining like before. And I wish I had my camera with me! Oh, and a few extra hands to drive and take pictures at the same time. I was on the 520 bridge, the one that spans the water, and it was like sitting in the middle of Armageddon: on the right side, blue skies, sunny weather; on the left side, rain pouring down and it's pretty dark. The rain looked absolutely amazing, since it's over water and it makes this really strange edge where on one side it's calm water and just a bit over there's this strong rain coming down and this mist holding just above the surface.
Actually, today there were lots of opportunities for great photos. Mostly thanks to the rain. Ever seen a rainbow following a car? It actually keeps up, even though it doesn't have legs. It has to be like this: the sun is on the left, you're in the left lane and ahead and to the right of you there's the target car; the road has to be pretty wet and the car has to be going fast to kick up a fair-sized mist. The mist catches the sun and you see this mini rainbow, following right behind the car. Gorgeous!
Oh, and this is entirely off-topic, but this is the funniest picture I have ever seen: link.
Friday, October 27, 2006
BillG e-mailed me!
Walking into the office at the late hour of 8am, I am amused by this most beautiful sight: Bill Gates, The Big Guy Himself, e-mailed me! Obviously, he also cc'd 30,000 other MS employees so they wouldn't feel left out, but you know for a fact that he was just doing that to be polite to them. He really just wanted to talk to me. And he did! Whoo!
Curiously, BillG was asking for money. See, us poor MS peons apparently donate more, per employee, than any other company. Seems like we hold the lead by quite a large margin, as well. And, personal donations are matched by the company, up to 12,000$. For a second there I had a great scheme in mind for others to donate through me and have MS match the amount, but apparently The Big Guy frowns upon that, so there, into the void, goes my plan of world domination.
Next week, new plan.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Thank you Nik
Nik, my boss, just pushed a document deadline (that was imposed on me by some goobers) from Monday to Wednesday. Thanks ever so much.
Yeah, I know he doesn't read this (or anyone, for that matter), but still, a thanks is deserved.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The slow child
Using Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is akin to roasting yourself over an open fire.
Microsoft really screwed the pooch on this one: practically no driver support (they helped this one out, keep reading), no promotion of the actual product, very narrow user-base thanks to clever marketing, no support for a number of Microsoft products (imagine the support for third-party software), no connectivity between XP 64 and Microsoft's own entertainment flagship XBOX 360 and almost-total third-party ignorance of the existence of XP 64.
Had Microsoft laid out the red carpet and gone all hog-wild about the release of this OS, things would be different. As it is, very few non-hardcore-geeks even realize that it's out there, and many companies ignore it like the annoying over-achiever cousin at a family function. "What? Drivers? Sure, we got drivers up the ass! Check it out. Works with everything under the sun: XP, 2000, Vista, 98, 95, 3.1, MCE, ME. Yup, works with every version of Windows in existence. Move along now, you're holding up the line."
The sad part isn't what Microsoft has done wrong in the past, it's what they're doing wrong now. Try downloading Windows Media Connect (software to allow you to stream music to your XBOX 360) for your XP 64. It doesn't exist. Microsoft has a copy of the program for XP Home, XP Professional (32 bit), XP Media Center and XP Media Center 2005, but nothing for XP 64. Not even a mention of the OS on the website. You get to find out that the program is incompatible once you download it and try to install. Whoop-de-doo! XP 64 has been out for a year, in beta for yet another year and in development far longer, but in all that time Microsoft hasn't even tried to get their act together. Windows Media Connect is something that they started working on after XP 64, so why not develop a version for it? Are they burying this OS on purpose?
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Oh, that Solo
"That's not what the Empire would have done... What the Empire would have done was build a supercolossal Yuuzhan Vong-killing battle machine. They would have called it the Nova Colossus...Galaxy Destructor or the Nostril of Palpatine or something equally grandiose... And you know what would have happened? It wouldn't have worked. They'd forget to bolt down a metal plate over an access hatch leading to the main reactors, or some other mistake, and a hotshot enemy pilot would drop a bomb down there an blow the whole thing up. Now that's what the Empire would have done."
Wikipedia
There are ways of marking articles in the Wikipedia as "biased" or "needing clarifications" or "needing references" and others. I wish there was a "de-Asian-ify" flag.
Dim sum - Wikipedia article
Read the first paragraph and tell me who wrote the article. Yeah, a Chinese person with a Chinese-English dictionary.
Normally, I don't care who writes an article. Because you usually can't tell. And, while this article is well-done and is very informative, the style is clearly different from a similar article written about high tea.
High tea - Wikipedia article
The purpose of all those flags is to make the Wikipedia be a uniform, homogeneous body of knowledge. Articles that are biased, not well written, exhibiting different reference models or particular styles should be modified to conform to particular standards.
That, and it bugs me to be reading Chinese translated (badly) into English. I mean, look at the following segment from the dim sum article:
Dim sum is a Chinese light meal or brunch served with Chinese tea. It is eaten some time from morning to early afternoon with family or friends.
With "family or friends"? You don't say. I was gonna invite that asshole from corporate affairs so we could talk smack while enjoying chicken feet. Oh, and I was gonna stick him with the bill.
Also, while we're on the subject of Wikipedia, I found a new Wiki that is quite awesome. The Wookieepedia! Link. It's the Wikipedia for Star Wars, named Wookieepedia because of the name similarities.
Que?
Scenario: Anna doesn't want to marry her long-time boyfriend Ben. In fact, she doesn't wanna get married at all. She comes from a broken home. Hmm, I wonder if that has anything to do with her decision. Anyways.
So, Anna and Ben agree that they continue going out, blah blah blah, but no marriage on the horizon. Ever. At least that's what I was told. Now, here comes the turn: they just bought a condo together.
As is usual with my blogs, I bash stupidity and traditions (which are often times one and the same) about the head and shoulders like a madman. Here it comes again. You're living together, you're in an intimate and a monogamous relationship, you made a major purchase together, there's no end to the relationship in the foreseeable future: yup, you're married! I don't care what the courts or the Republicans say. Marriage is not a contract and a piece of paper, it's a state of mind.
Anna, do you not want to get married because you believe that the piece of paper will ruin your life? Cause you certainly don't appear to think that it's anything else that comes with being married. Do you think your parents split up because of a few items of jewelry and a long-winded sermon?
Most people who don't want to get married for the reason of being married usually try to keep distance from the other person in some way: they don't buy houses, they don't get pets (unless the lifetime of that pet is under a year), they certainly don't make commitments for the next 5-10 years. Hell, there are married people that do this. But, like I said, marriage is a state of mind. Two people can be married in the eyes of the state (and your various gods) but basically be two strangers living in the same house. Or not even the same house.
I feel a marriage-bashing post coming up. Soon.
Monday, October 23, 2006
You know it's gonna be one of those days...
...when you see this online:
Bulletproof iPod
Someone actually shielded their iPod in 5mm aluminum. In theory (owner's theory) this could stop a 0.22 bullet. Nevermind the obvious question of "who put the contract on your MP3?", this is just plain funny. Inevitably, the new iPod now weighs half a kilogram, 446 gm or 1lb, and is considered by most to be a lethal weapon.
Adventures in my apt
So there I am, being sweet and cute, playing LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, and I hear this click-clacking sound coming from the kitchen. It's like a rat got into a cupboard and can't get out. Scared me. So, I pause the game and look over there. And the sounds stops. So I continue playing and hear that sound again. What the hell?! I pause the game and finally figure out that it's my speakers scaring the hell out of me. In the game, there's a brain-spider walking around, making noises, and this one walked behind and to the side of me, so he was technically "in" my kitchen. His sound was certainly coming from there. Freaky, but awesome.
MS Internal Auction
MS Internal Auction
Originally uploaded by FuzzyGamer.
4ft.long x ~3.5ft.tall, ~50lb. soft, gray stuffed elephant toy formerly used in an advertising shoot is now looking for a wonderful family to retire--ideal for children's playroom or family room! In excellent condition!
The bidding started at 50$ and is now at 130$. The auction ends on Wednesday. Apparently, the elephant really costs 500$. Yikes.
I'm thinking, somewhat not seriously, of acquiring said elephant and placing him in my office. There's enough space in front of my desk, I think. But I also have to consider that I may be making a hypothetical child cry. Or maybe it's a child only in the figurative sense: maybe the guy who's trying to buy this is buying it for himself and he's really a 30-year old kid. Or a 22-year old kid. Whatever.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
The Prestige and others
Apparently, this post is going to be a stew of entertainment reviews. Go figure.
Saw "The Prestige", and I gotta say, I certainly didn't expect that. Not the ending. That I figured out. But I just didn't expect the characters to be such rivals. I was expecting to see them be friends for a while and then, slowly, they just drift apart and end up hating one another. But no, it basically starts off like that.
It's a great movie. Better than "The Illusionist". It really reminds me of Niven. Niven's "Crashlander" and "Flatlander" series of mystery stories are a perfect analogy: Niven hands you a self-contained mystery. You can actually solve the mystery with the information he gives you. And it's certainly satisfying to see the elements mentioned almost without reason, all of a sudden being brought back and seen in a different light, together with the rest of the plot. "The Prestige" is like that. You see the parts and you start to put them together. They give you everything you need to know, just apply it.
It's also great to see an artistic, well-made movie have an engaging and action-filled plot. Doesn't happen a lot: either the movie is all action and no plot, or all plot, but the characters just sit around the table and it's about as exciting as reading a phone-book. Certainly gives me hope for the Jumper film, as the same guy is making that movie as well.
I'm tired, so this may seem like rambling. Sorry.
I'd also like to point out that "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Layer Cake" (also spelled "L4YER CAK3") are two of the best movies I've seen. Nevermind the resemblance in style, characters and plot to "Snatch", which I saw first and have seen many times before, the movies are great. Just listen closely. Those British accents can really screw you up sometimes.
Daniel Craig was in "Layer Cake" and I like him as an actor. I've seen him in multiple parts, from "The Jacket"'s mental patient to "Layer Cake"'s drug-world Bond, and it's clear that the guy is talented. Now, we'll just have to watch what he does with Bond. It's really refreshing seeing a good actor play a variety of roles, small, bit parts as well as leads.
"Smith", the show about heists, was cancelled after only three episodes. Whoops. Not like I didn't see that one coming. I wrote a bit of a review earlier, and while I do think that "Smith" got what it deserved, I would have liked to have seen the story grow and become something more than a drawn-out introduction. Oh well.
Dane Cook's stand-up is on right now, and I really gotta say this: does anyone else think the guy is a conceited bastard? He's up there, in some weird circular auditorium, and he's acting as if he's the king of the world. He's not even funny, yet it seems like he sees himself as the next, I don't know, Oprah. Dude, you're not gonna have a following. Stop. You're not entertaining. Stop annoying people with crappy movies and horrific stand-up routines and fade into obscurity. Please.
That's it. I'd write more, and more coherently, but I can't keep my eyes open.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Here's a hypothetical...
What would you rate a movie where a character gets their arms ripped off? Where it's actually seen as a good thing. Where the protagonist does it fairly often.
How about a video game? What rating does a game that does this deserve?
Ponder that while I ramble.
So, I bought this game today, and I must say, one of the best and most enjoyable games I've ever owned. Yeah, it's up there with San Andreas and the rest of the GTA siblings.
It's LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. I've been playing the first game, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, for a few weeks now and just today decided to get the sequel. I think that the developers decided to pull out all the stops and packed the game with as much craziness as they could possibly fit on a single disk. The original had shorter levels and not as many classes. With the sequel, I find myself spending close to an hour per level!
The developers considered the LEGO Star Wars player and asked themselves "what would they like?" Obviously, their answer was "a Wookie that rips off his opponents' arms and more swag". Yes, in this game you can rip arms off your opponents (at least the Storm Troopers) when you play as Chewie. (And the game is rated Everyone 10+. Don't ask me about the oxymoronic rating.) And, knowing that Star Wars fans liked swag, like being able to buy lots of extra features in the game, the levels are jam-packed with money. In the original game, the bonus level at the end went above and beyond the average 30-40,000 "money" pieces by allowing the player to get as many as 100,000 pieces. The sequel offers that much per each level. Usually, a lot more. This last level I acquired close to 200,000 pieces. Oh, the swag I'll buy with that one! First on the list, improved light-sabers. Second, mustaches for everyone!
The game improves on the predecessor in many areas. Visuals are outstanding: not only is the game in glorious wide-screen, it also features light-bloom and beautiful depth-of-field effect, though I seriously suspect that they took the cheater's way out with that one. (Possibly the same approach I'm thinking of taking in my ray tracer. It gives gorgeous DOF results while increasing the cost by less than double, as opposed to other alternatives that can cost 4-16 times.) No longer are the Jedi/Sith restricted to building contraptions: anyone, except a droid, can assemble LEGO pieces now. Vehicles! After driving an AT-ST through the streets of Mos Eisley, I can truly say that this game earns a permanent place on my shelf. Ripping arms out of their sockets! Come on, who doesn't enjoy that? It's hella long (so far) and the levels are varied. Also, you have to come back in Free Play mode to complete a fair piece of the game, so I guess I've only seen about 2/3 of the level. The shooters, characters with blasters, are also much better. Or maybe I just think so. In the original, I didn't use them much. Didn't really see the need. Now, half my time is spent running around with a blaster. The other half is spent as a Jedi splicing enemies to pieces, which is relaxing in its own way. Yeah, I know, I'm weird. Whoo!
Friday, October 20, 2006
Traditions
On the way to work I was listening to stand-up and one comedian was describing the idea of marriage: "Hey, guys, me and Sara are gonna have the same relationship we've had the last three years and we're throwing a party next year to celebrate it. Put on your best clothes, give us presents, tell us how great we are, get completely smashed, and the day after that everything is going to be just the way it's been, we're just going to get a different title for our relationship. Yay! Please, no little kids."
I've had the same opinion of marriage for years, but this guy put it quite nicely: it's the same thing, just with a different name.
I guess you can consider me an anti-traditionalist. No, I don't do the opposite of what the traditionalists do, I simply consider traditions to be at best pointless and at worst dangerous. A tradition is something done because "it's always been done that way". Even if there is a reason, not many people consider it.
Consider the tradition of saying grace at the dinner table. It dates back to the hunter-gatherer societies when dinner was at the whim of "gods", and the people were thankful for anything and everything that came to them, as it was actually a challenge to get the food. Who are you thanking now? You're thanking God that Bubba smashed a cow's head in with a hammer and then cut it up for processing? Unless you're actually catching your own food, and it better be hard work, why say grace at all? If you're thanking god for your food, why don't you also thank god after crossing a street? He kept you safe, after all. Or thank god after a hockey game for not having your teeth knocked out. Why thank god for some stuff, right there and then, but not others? Thank god at the end of the day, if you're still thankful.
Traditions can be as pointless as throwing a bouqet or as dangerous as a religion. What, don't believe me? I mean, we know religions are dangerous, but it's also tradition. Or do you think it's a coincedence that Catholics come from Catholic families and Muslims from Muslim families? The kids are doing what the parents are doing. Why? Because the parents are doing what their parents did.
I think that the next step should be this: look at a traditions, ask yourself "Is there a real reason for doing this?", and disgard the tradition if your answer is "no". That's it.
Of course, people are going to have a big problem with this. Especially societies based on nothing but traditions. Middle East. Asia. Washington, D.C. Boeing. Vatican. India. Corporations. Imagine what the world would become if traditions were stripped away. Social status would be gone. Fake-giving "to be nice" is forgotten. Monarchies disappear overnight. Corporate red-tape and BS fades from memories. Sexism, racism, religion-ism? (53% of America wouldn't vote for a well-qualified Atheist and American families are more upset by their children dating Atheists than anyone else. Not that either of those mean anything to me, but it's sickening how we're seen in this country.) Racism is a tradition. So is most people's belief that we are better than the rest of the Animal Kingdom because we have Jerry Springer and microwaveable hot-dog-wrapped-in-a-chocolate-chip-pancake-on-a-stick. I have more respect, and love, for my dog Sherlock than for some representatives of my own species.
Think that the world will be too sterile and boring if traditions are abolished? No more gifts at Christmas or Valentine's Day makes you sad? Do something for the hell of it, then. Don't feel you're obligated to be nice to a person just because the planet made another revolution around the sun since their birth, be nice to the person year-round. Don't just get nanna from the home on Thanksgiving, come and thank her whenever. You know she'd like to see you. So why hold off? Because you've always done so?
Matrix Hillarity
Link - Matrix Hillarity
Yes, some people have a lot of time on their hands. Good thing they're making these animations and not dealing drugs or burning down embassies, though. Right?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Websites and blogs, oh my
Are websites on their way out? Certainly not the big-people businesses and porn websites, hell no, but how about personal sites?
Which one is simpler:
- Register a domain, get a host, create a unique layout, create content, add extensions to count your visitors, create a forum and a guestbook, make a photoalbum, design a template to make your site have a continuous theme, etc.
- Sign up for a blog and start posting. Post text, pictures, multimedia, games even. Individual feedback is already enabled. Practically no setup cost, aside from the time to choose a template.
The internet is moving away from the old static format to a much more involved, interactive and communication-based existence. No longer are users satisfied to read lines of text on a screen and click a link once in a while. They expect an experience. They want to reach out and talk with others. That's why sites like Facebook, MySpace and the multitude of blogs (or journals) are enjoying such popularity: they give the user a simple way to put ideas on the web, allow other users to comment on those ideas and make communication as easy as writing on a person's virtual wall or leaving a quick comment.
The new, "interactive" sites are here to stay. And that's a pretty sad thing. Everything is getting easier. A "site" can be run by anyone, be they 6 or 91 years old. Such a wide user base produces a lot of content. And a whole lot of it is pure drivel. Crap. A decade ago, a person had to be more than slightly determined to make a website. It wasn't as simple as signing up for an account and jotting down some thoughts. Naturally, this weeded out the not-so-serious crowd and created a much better crop. In the end, there were websites with content and meaning, not just another pre-teen bemoaning their existence and complaining about the hard life in Orange County. Give me a break.
This is true for anything, really. At the Microsoft-wide company meeting I was "fortunate" enough to see new technology that will allow a game to be made in as little as half a minute. Will the game be absolute crap? You better believe it. Will we see hundreds of minute-games within a week of the release of this tool? Yup. And they will suck! No originality, no replay value, just a quick app put together by the last person in the world who should be designing games: the user.
Am I being too forward? Not nice? Pessimistic? Spend enough time on the internet and you will be convinced that the last thing we need is an easier way for idiots to be heard. Sure, with the multitude of morons "creating" content, we are bound to find a gem. It's a statistical inevitability. Unfortunately, on the internet, it means shoveling 10 tons of manure to find 4 grams of gold.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Worm Insanity!
Click "Read More" to see the game.
Click applet to get focus. Control the worm with the arrow keys. Space bar pauses and unpauses the game. Reload to restart.
The field wraps around, so go toward a wall and you'll come out on the other side.
Red apples grow the worm one length.
Yellow apples grow the worm five lengths.
Green apples grow the worm ten lengths.
Blue apples... well, figure it out.
Solid black things are walls.
There's an ending, as well as multiple levels. Sorry, not fireworks at the end, just the end. The apples appear based on chance. The probabilities change. Some apples earn more points. Some are really helpful but rarely come out to play. Dying takes away some points. You can get more points by stacking bonuses.
You need to have an updated version of the JRE. Download JRE 5.0 at this link: http://www.java.com
Did I mention I hate spammers...
I'll also mention that I hate it when people can't speak English, yet try really really hard to get their point across. Well, the following e-mail I got really makes me mad (Hulk-mad, even).
From: Trina Babb
hi Trina i hope this is your mailbox.
I was like to see you the other day. I expect you are really had like the New York.
So much so much happening all the time, lots of great opportunities.
And speaking of opportunities, the deal I was speaking you about day before embraces a company
called Tex-Homa (TXHE).
It's already growing up, but the big info isn't even
out yet, so there's still time. I have got this shares already and made
2000. I suggest you to do the same today.
Hope this helps you out. I'll see you this weekend.
Yours Trina Babb
First, Trina is sending an e-mail to her friend Trina? Weird, but moving on.
Second, Trina seems to have an IQ of 60 and a well-used Nigerian-English dictionary.
Third, who's the stupid bastard who keeps these people alive by taking the advice of idiots that can't put a sentence together? This particular scam is meant to inflate the price of the stocks of Tex-Homa, so the spammers who bought the stock for pennies can sell their stocks for big-people money and make a crap-load of money off the idiots who invested in Tex-Homa.
Fourth, I reiterate my hatred for spam and the butchers of the English language. Hmm, I guess that includes most of America. Oh well. Bollocks to that.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
The Departed
Hot on the heels of Martin Scorsese's critical success "The Departed", the legendary director is filming his next masterpiece, "The Deported", a story of a poor Mexican family in a Republican-controlled version of the United States.
Note to self
Building 17 is a ghost-town at 9 am. Come in early and you can play Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" as loud as possible.
PS. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is #100 of Rolling Stone's [the magazine] 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list of 2004.
PPS. Does anyone think it's weird that on that same list, "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan is #1 and "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones is #2. This is a list made by Rolling Stone magazine.
PPPS. Supposedly (according to Wiki) this is the site offering the streams of the songs. There are only 237 of them, but it's still worth to check it out. I'm listening to "Stayin' Alive" by Beeg Gees right now.
Link - Streaming "500 Greatest"
PPPPS. Have a nice day.
EDIT: For all the unwashed masses, listen to this song and be happy.
Link - Free Bird
Monday, October 16, 2006
Lets try this again
Easy one to start the ball rolling:
For 10 points, name George Carlin's Third Commandment.
Spam
So, I'm sitting here, erasing e-mail, and the more spam I see, the more I am convinced of human stupidity. 95% of the spam has horrendous spelling or grammar errors. And yet there's so much of that it suggests that someone out there is falling for it. Otherwise, these assholes would go and get a real job. Well, maybe not. But the point is that there are people out there who see "Buy a replica Rolex at a faction of the price", "works MySpace Xanga etc.Flash" and "V1agra 10 P1lls 100 mg $69.95" and actually open the e-mails and after reading more crap decide "hey, I'll give them some money".
I'm pissed off at the spammers, and the idiots they convince to somehow give up their money and people with extremely bad English. Bah.
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