Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Links From Today's Lunch Break.
Since I posted a small rant last night and have yet to get any comments, I figure I'll dazzle everyone with a small list of links that I stumbled on today while taking a break from the research I'm doing for one of my software projects.
Rhapsody Music is selling 114 songs in DRM free 256kpbs MP3 format from the smashing pumpkins. That's $.18/song. Its all rarities or B-sides. This won't last long, so if you're got the $20 to spend on the album, go for it.
This post on the consumerist gives the skinny about the "non-mechanics" at a Jiffy Lube intentionally wrecking a new Pontiac G6's oil plug when the owner requests that they leave it a little loose now that "her husband will be changing her oil from now on". It goes without saying that places like Jiffy Lube and Grease Monkey employ people willing to work on cars all day for $6/hour and have no vocational school training (at least, none is required) or any certifications. That's why its always a good idea to either do it yourself (if you're capable) or take it to a trained, skilled, and (hopefully bonded) mechanic. Consider any difference in price "piece of mind".
If you are in the market for a new car, say because you've found out that Mazda, Honda, and Mitsubishi are all offering 0% APR for 60 months (that's a long time) for qualified buyers, or because you're getting married and need to lay the old clunker to rest before its wheels fall off, Consumer Reports has published a list of the top 10 most fuel efficient cars in price per mpg. That means getting the most fuel bang for you buck. The Honda Fit Sport leads the pack, with the Mazda 3 and Toyota Prius following close behind it. Not seen on the list: Any American made economy cars. Let's hope GM's still around to release the Chevy Volt in 2010.
Speaking of the Chevy Volt, if the idea of a plug in series hybrid car that's almost as aerodynamic as the Honda Insight that can get nearly 40 miles range on its electric motor, there's an "Unofficial Wait List" to indicate interest to GM. They also want to know what you think the Volt is worth (as in your ideal MSRP) and what you'd put down on one as a down payment/deposit.
Even though the Volt is planning on being released in 2010, don't expect to see too many of them. GM is having them built by hand just like the EV1. That means production is going to be limited to 10,000 vehicles the first year. And it means its very easy to shut down production because the labor is costly (making the car more expensive) and the factory doesn't have to be re-tooled. Expect GM to bet that the price of oil will drop, gas will level out at $3.50/gallon for a year or two, and people will feel comfortable with a V6 Chevy Tahoe "CrossOver". The American auto industry's tombstone will read "They just didn't get it".
On a lighter note, here's a post titled "10 Things You Should Know About Asian Girls...Revised". If you're well adjusted, this is going to read as "common sense". Things like "Don't assume I speak bad english. I could be faking it to get away from the creepy old guy." and "Don't assume I get turned on by you knowing Kung Fu." and "My family will want to see if you're interested in just me, or also interested and accepting of my culture."
So it may not be an interesting read for you. Its the tone that I like. Its written like its talking down to the kind of D.C. douchebag that bemoans that "dating is sooooo hard" and that from now on, he's only dating Latina or Asian women exclusively, because white women figure out his passive-aggressive bullshit before he could even mention that he "used to be a millionaire on paper". Old soapbox postings like that get me all choked up, if just because the level of pathetic and stupid mixed in such a douchey way.
Lastly, after that rant, I'm going out on a classy note. Here's an article talking about the easiest income source for hot chicks: Internet Money. You don't even have to get naked or be a cam-whore. These days, so many people are online, that a video of you playing Wii Fit in your boyfriend's t-shirt and a bikini bottom might be enough to earn you some crazy AdSense cash. Didn't really watch any of the videos since YouTube is kinda "not acceptable use" but I'm sure someone, somewhere is offended at the idea of "hinting about showing your boobies == money".
Rhapsody Music is selling 114 songs in DRM free 256kpbs MP3 format from the smashing pumpkins. That's $.18/song. Its all rarities or B-sides. This won't last long, so if you're got the $20 to spend on the album, go for it.
This post on the consumerist gives the skinny about the "non-mechanics" at a Jiffy Lube intentionally wrecking a new Pontiac G6's oil plug when the owner requests that they leave it a little loose now that "her husband will be changing her oil from now on". It goes without saying that places like Jiffy Lube and Grease Monkey employ people willing to work on cars all day for $6/hour and have no vocational school training (at least, none is required) or any certifications. That's why its always a good idea to either do it yourself (if you're capable) or take it to a trained, skilled, and (hopefully bonded) mechanic. Consider any difference in price "piece of mind".
If you are in the market for a new car, say because you've found out that Mazda, Honda, and Mitsubishi are all offering 0% APR for 60 months (that's a long time) for qualified buyers, or because you're getting married and need to lay the old clunker to rest before its wheels fall off, Consumer Reports has published a list of the top 10 most fuel efficient cars in price per mpg. That means getting the most fuel bang for you buck. The Honda Fit Sport leads the pack, with the Mazda 3 and Toyota Prius following close behind it. Not seen on the list: Any American made economy cars. Let's hope GM's still around to release the Chevy Volt in 2010.
Speaking of the Chevy Volt, if the idea of a plug in series hybrid car that's almost as aerodynamic as the Honda Insight that can get nearly 40 miles range on its electric motor, there's an "Unofficial Wait List" to indicate interest to GM. They also want to know what you think the Volt is worth (as in your ideal MSRP) and what you'd put down on one as a down payment/deposit.
Even though the Volt is planning on being released in 2010, don't expect to see too many of them. GM is having them built by hand just like the EV1. That means production is going to be limited to 10,000 vehicles the first year. And it means its very easy to shut down production because the labor is costly (making the car more expensive) and the factory doesn't have to be re-tooled. Expect GM to bet that the price of oil will drop, gas will level out at $3.50/gallon for a year or two, and people will feel comfortable with a V6 Chevy Tahoe "CrossOver". The American auto industry's tombstone will read "They just didn't get it".
On a lighter note, here's a post titled "10 Things You Should Know About Asian Girls...Revised". If you're well adjusted, this is going to read as "common sense". Things like "Don't assume I speak bad english. I could be faking it to get away from the creepy old guy." and "Don't assume I get turned on by you knowing Kung Fu." and "My family will want to see if you're interested in just me, or also interested and accepting of my culture."
So it may not be an interesting read for you. Its the tone that I like. Its written like its talking down to the kind of D.C. douchebag that bemoans that "dating is sooooo hard" and that from now on, he's only dating Latina or Asian women exclusively, because white women figure out his passive-aggressive bullshit before he could even mention that he "used to be a millionaire on paper". Old soapbox postings like that get me all choked up, if just because the level of pathetic and stupid mixed in such a douchey way.
Lastly, after that rant, I'm going out on a classy note. Here's an article talking about the easiest income source for hot chicks: Internet Money. You don't even have to get naked or be a cam-whore. These days, so many people are online, that a video of you playing Wii Fit in your boyfriend's t-shirt and a bikini bottom might be enough to earn you some crazy AdSense cash. Didn't really watch any of the videos since YouTube is kinda "not acceptable use" but I'm sure someone, somewhere is offended at the idea of "hinting about showing your boobies == money".
Labels: blogging, cars, gas prices, links, music, Reddit, soapbox, video, youtube
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Soapbox Discussion Chart
A brief version of how every discussion on my Soapbox mailing list begins and ends.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Four Things
Inspired by Lina's post on soapbox:
A) Four Jobs I've had in my life.
1. All around Floral Assistant (deliveries, cleaning, wedding set up/tear down, and other non-design work)
2. Resident Network Guy (only at a college will you be able to parley a backwards worn red visor and minimal networking skills into hooking up with girls.)
3. Nuclear Utility Software Subcontrator (Don't forget that the new TPS reports have a coversheet. Did you get the memo?)
4. Defense Contractor
Four Places I have Lived:
1. Seattle, WA (Go Seahawks!)
2. Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers/Go Pens)
3. Wichita, KS (Home of the shockers! Go Shockers!)
4. Morgantown, WV (Go Mountaineers!)
Four TV Shows I like to Watch:
1. Battlestar Galactica
2. The Office
3. Family Guy
4. Futurama
Four places I've been on Vacation:
1. Chicoteague Island
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Rickets' Glenn, PA
4. Ohiopyle, PA (Home of FLW's Falling Water)
Four of my favorite foods:
1. White Pizza
2. Sushi
3. Chili
4. Grilled Salmon
Four Places I like to shop:
1. Amazon.com
2. Ebay.com
3. Journeys ( I <3 Diesel's shoes)
4. Barnes and Noble.
A) Four Jobs I've had in my life.
1. All around Floral Assistant (deliveries, cleaning, wedding set up/tear down, and other non-design work)
2. Resident Network Guy (only at a college will you be able to parley a backwards worn red visor and minimal networking skills into hooking up with girls.)
3. Nuclear Utility Software Subcontrator (Don't forget that the new TPS reports have a coversheet. Did you get the memo?)
4. Defense Contractor
Four Places I have Lived:
1. Seattle, WA (Go Seahawks!)
2. Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers/Go Pens)
3. Wichita, KS (Home of the shockers! Go Shockers!)
4. Morgantown, WV (Go Mountaineers!)
Four TV Shows I like to Watch:
1. Battlestar Galactica
2. The Office
3. Family Guy
4. Futurama
Four places I've been on Vacation:
1. Chicoteague Island
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Rickets' Glenn, PA
4. Ohiopyle, PA (Home of FLW's Falling Water)
Four of my favorite foods:
1. White Pizza
2. Sushi
3. Chili
4. Grilled Salmon
Four Places I like to shop:
1. Amazon.com
2. Ebay.com
3. Journeys ( I <3 Diesel's shoes)
4. Barnes and Noble.
Monday, August 13, 2007
New York City and Pittsburgh
Last week in Pittsburgh with Megan:
Me: "I'm so bad at line dancing it's not funny" (said while at a swing dancing lesson).
Her: "Really?"
Me: "Actually, it IS funny."
--Before learning (for like the 5th time) how to dance the charleston.
Now:
I'm in NYC. For a java developer conference. My trip took like 10+ hours because of PennDOT's decision to close 3 lanes of I-78E 50 miles before Jersery. I know one of my co-workers boyfriend works there -- everyone else associated with PennDOT, I wish painful, nasty things upon. It took me two grueling hours to travel something like 2 miles. All for fixing a few potholes on the interstate. Its 1:30 and I'm going to bed, I have to be up by six so I can make the registration. Then its 12 hours (give or take) of presentations.
But Nick, my friend who's putting me up for the night seems really cool.
I'm sleeping late tomorrow. But I might cut my shopping short so that I can beat the construction on I-78 (its nighttime only construction) back and not have to spend 12 hours driving.
All the best to everyone. I'm also in grad school for the readers who didn't know via Soapbox.
Me: "I'm so bad at line dancing it's not funny" (said while at a swing dancing lesson).
Her: "Really?"
Me: "Actually, it IS funny."
--Before learning (for like the 5th time) how to dance the charleston.
Now:
I'm in NYC. For a java developer conference. My trip took like 10+ hours because of PennDOT's decision to close 3 lanes of I-78E 50 miles before Jersery. I know one of my co-workers boyfriend works there -- everyone else associated with PennDOT, I wish painful, nasty things upon. It took me two grueling hours to travel something like 2 miles. All for fixing a few potholes on the interstate. Its 1:30 and I'm going to bed, I have to be up by six so I can make the registration. Then its 12 hours (give or take) of presentations.
But Nick, my friend who's putting me up for the night seems really cool.
I'm sleeping late tomorrow. But I might cut my shopping short so that I can beat the construction on I-78 (its nighttime only construction) back and not have to spend 12 hours driving.
All the best to everyone. I'm also in grad school for the readers who didn't know via Soapbox.
Labels: late night thoughts, new york city, personal, ramblings, road trips, soapbox, swing dancing, traffic
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Point/Counterpoint: Having Kids
A lively discussion on my soapbox mailing list has sprung up about whether or not some people on the list are 'rational' in their decision to be 'child-free'. 'Child-free' is an expression used in Europe to denote that a couple is not childless, but they choose not to have children.
My former supervisor and CS204 team-mate had this to say:
Its Sunday, July 29th (as the post date will tell you) and I find that statement pretty representative of my thoughts/feelings at this particular moment. However, another close friend has raised this point:
Also food for thought.
I think many people do have children because its considered the traditional thing to do: Settle down. But I don't think its right to have kids unless you know its possible to experience boundless love for a person. A love that grows day after day. A love that is so certain you know it will not fade with the passing of time. It resonates out from the core of your very being.
In essence, tawdry, paperback romance novel fairy tale love.
I can honestly say I have never experienced a love without an upper bound. And were I in to the future, I believe I would be too risk adverse to risk 'rocking the boat' to change that 'success formula' that is working out for me so well.
I think to feel comfortable having a child with someone I would need to be a completely different person or it would slowly kill me inside. I would need to be transformed in a better me. But I'm not one to swallow my pride and seek help. I'm not one to admit any need for salvation. So here I stand, aware, finally, that I'm not the last in my line (since I made contact with my father's two brothers that he never told me he had in the past year) and meekly stare out to the future. I'm predicting more of the same.
And at the same time, less of it.
My former supervisor and CS204 team-mate had this to say:
My wife and I never had kids because there didn't seem to be any reason *to* have them. I notice that, in the great majority of cases where people do have them, they didn't think about it much, they had kids just because 'that's what you do, you get married and have kids'. That doesn't seem to me like a good reason. Actually, I'm not convinced that really wanting kids is even a good reason. Many people who think they really want kids really want unconditional love, or someone to control, or they think it will strengthen their marriage (in my quite possibly non-representative
observation). So I'm childless for basically the same reason I'm atheist:
By default.
Its Sunday, July 29th (as the post date will tell you) and I find that statement pretty representative of my thoughts/feelings at this particular moment. However, another close friend has raised this point:
Well I have to say one thing,
It would be a bit of a bummer if [deleted] didn't have kids... insofar as I'd much rather have someone like you raising a kid than most of the people who crank out the ankle biters like skittles. At least if you raise a kid they will probably have a level head and the ability to think critically and make intelligent decisions. MANY kids aren't taught that, even ones from semi-educated families.
So.. moving on. When I was young I wasn't sure if I wanted kids or not. Now I am sure I want to have children. I've put tremendous amount of thought into this subject, and I realize how it's a mind boggling amount of work, time effort and emotion and will probably be more draining sometimes than anything I can imagine. However, just about everybody I know that I would say is an older but similar version of me seem happier than I've ever seen them with their kids. They say it's the greatest learning experience of their life.
So for me at least, I think if you realize that you probably can't even grasp the gravity of it and you are prepared for it, having kids is probably the most rewarding and most difficult thing you will ever do. My parents put great time and thought before they had me, and they opted to not have another I think because they felt like 1 was more than enough to try and get right. I can say that my mom, knowing her, would probably not know what to do if she didn't have me as a project.
I think (and I can only speculate here and draw from those that have kids) but if you are aware that you can never be totally prepared to be a parent but that it will surprise you more than anything you can imagine, you are probably ready to have kids and probably should.
Personally I'm excited to have kids and I've put a lot of thought into it over the last few years. I've tried to observe for the last few years those parents whom I admire and mentally noted what they've done that seems to work. I think the beauty of kids is that they will always surprise you and you probably will grow more in the process of trying to raise both a dynamic individual and instill in them the lessons you've learned. For most people I know that have kids, they basically say that kids will make you more angry and frustrated than you've ever been and they will also bring you more joy than you've ever known. If you want an even keel life, don't have kids. You won't however, get bored.
-[name deleted]
Also food for thought.
I think many people do have children because its considered the traditional thing to do: Settle down. But I don't think its right to have kids unless you know its possible to experience boundless love for a person. A love that grows day after day. A love that is so certain you know it will not fade with the passing of time. It resonates out from the core of your very being.
In essence, tawdry, paperback romance novel fairy tale love.
I can honestly say I have never experienced a love without an upper bound. And were I in to the future, I believe I would be too risk adverse to risk 'rocking the boat' to change that 'success formula' that is working out for me so well.
I think to feel comfortable having a child with someone I would need to be a completely different person or it would slowly kill me inside. I would need to be transformed in a better me. But I'm not one to swallow my pride and seek help. I'm not one to admit any need for salvation. So here I stand, aware, finally, that I'm not the last in my line (since I made contact with my father's two brothers that he never told me he had in the past year) and meekly stare out to the future. I'm predicting more of the same.
And at the same time, less of it.
Labels: kids, life is short, love, personal, soapbox
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Everything that's wrong with Wal-Mart Culture in one photograph
My Friend Don took this picture at the Wal-Mart in my home town. He recently shared it with me and a group of friends for a laugh. Notice that the decal (probably bought at Wal-Mart) states "Your a Moron" not "You're a Moron".
I'm wondering if it the jeep owner's intent to kill us with irony.
Labels: lewisburg, me trying to be funny, pictures, soapbox, wal-mart
Sunday, March 18, 2007
No post in almost 2 weeks? What's up with that?
I've gone deep, and gone silent. I'm as horrible a blogger as I am a human being :).
Anyway, to entertain everyone while I cook up a post (fresh and hot, just how you like it) I thought I'd post a link to a hilarious clip from youtube: Pinky the cat. Its an old internet classic, and it just blows me away with laughter every time I see it.
Pinky The Cat.
Enjoy! (And yes, I got this link from soapbox -- thanks Alan)
Anyway, to entertain everyone while I cook up a post (fresh and hot, just how you like it) I thought I'd post a link to a hilarious clip from youtube: Pinky the cat. Its an old internet classic, and it just blows me away with laughter every time I see it.
Pinky The Cat.
Enjoy! (And yes, I got this link from soapbox -- thanks Alan)
Labels: cat, Reddit, soapbox, video, youtube
