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someplace hard to lick, I find it really funny to "sweep the leg". Bewilderment GALORE! |
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About a year ago I started working on some custom blogging software. I would work on it here and there. When I moved to CA I knew I didn't have much left to do but I didn't get back to it till yesterday. I wish I had realized how so very little work left there was to do. My last post to that blog was over a year ago because it was such a pain to do manually. Now, it's going to be pretty fantastic.
For anyone who wants to check out the 10 or so posts that have drawn in a few hundred people doing web searches in the past year, you can go to http://www.playinggamesatwork.com
Playing Games at Work discusses four topics:
Video Games to play when bored (along with stealth rating)
Office Toys to have on your desk
Pranks to pull on your coworkers
Office Politics and how to navigate them
The main issue with blogging software is that I need to post when I want the post to come out. Also, the free options don't allow me carte blanche over how I want things displayed. What I would like is to be able to write 4 or 5 posts on the weekend and have them trickle out. From what I could tell that wasn't possible before, but now it is. :) Plus, good resume builder.
So, what does that take? Here are all the parts:- Have everything in a database
- Provide custom secure login and password reset features - this alone makes it better than a variety of websites - including Monster.com who lost 1000s of passwords, in plain text, because their plain text storage of passwords was hacked.
- RSS feed generator (by request)
- Custom Date Picker
- Ability to post, on any given date
- Ability to modify a post
- Ability to delete a post
- Kicking you out of the secure side of the system if you directly navigate without logging in - this is a feature that other commercial websites don't always get right.
- Auto-updating copywrite - FTW!!!
- Getting this to work on my web hosts computers - DYAH!
Todo:- Post Preview
- WYSIWYG?
- Uploading of pictures/attachments
- Contact page
- Terms of use - orly? ysrly! probably "read but don't copy"
- Permissions for different users so I can...
- Add commenting
- Allow others to post
- Have more than one blog in the db at a time with differening permissions
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with Facebook!
I'm heading out there in a couple of weeks. |
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Confused Baby Whale to be Euthanized.
Ridiculous. Why waste all the money on medication to kill it when it is supposed to die within 24 hours? I could at least understand if it's pain was man-made like getting hit by a boat. But it was attacked by a shark. That's nature. When it dies it will become food for other sea life. If you don't like the natural process, why aren't you fighting to euthanize every fish bitten by a bear, every elk maimed by an alligator, every fly caught in a web, or every human being that is in agonizing pain due to debilitating illness?
Also, why go through the effort of creating a nipple for the calf? They should already have one at SeaWorld. Also, it's supposed to die in 24 hours. By the time you make one, it will probably be dead. Let's just put a life jacket on a cow and call it good. |
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They gave robots brains! http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/13/frankenrobot-brain.html
And they made one that could walk: http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog
Check out the video. Halfway through it slips on ice - one of the funniest robot things I've seen. |
| » Warp Drive? |
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Seems that a warp drive although possible is still beyond our grasp. Why can't we just use a tesseract?
Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 07:57 pm
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| » New Glasses? |
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There was a large shabbat potluck, so I wanted to get my new specs before I went. Mine are pretty scratched up. I had a really good experience at the Lenscrafters in Redmond so I decided to go there again.
I get there at 1:30. The optometrist immediately leaves till 2:30 to go on his lunch break. No problem, I'll pick out the frames while I wait. There was an ad in the window that said free lenses with frames, details inside.
I told the girl I needed the thinnest lenses they made, no Anti-Reflective coating, asked if the frames I picked out cover the lenses and was told yes. So, at 2:30, I get my checkup. First they had me look in a machine with my glasses on. It’s a white glowing background with black letters. I could read the bottom line. Then they had me look into the machine without glasses. I can't see any letters. Not just I can't make them out, I can't see them. All I see is the white glowing background.
I go to get the lenses - the machine that makes the lenses as thin as I need them doesn't exist in the Lenscrafters I'm at. I'm told that there's one about 5 miles away. I’m a bit tiffed at this because in the hour I was waiting for the optometrist, I could have just driven to the other store.
No, they can't just call in my prescription. I still need to get back home to change for the dinner, btw. They can't call it in because they need the frames - which they don't have at the other store. The girl at this store, calls in and sets everything up to make it as painless and quick as possible. She writes the name of the girl at the other store on a card and said the other store's number was on there also. She then proceeds to put the card in a bag and staple it shut.
I get it out figuring I'll call the store and see how long it will actually take to cut the lenses. I was told it actually only takes 15 minutes, but there can be a line. I figured, maybe I can have them put me at the front of the line, I can get changed first and that way I don't have to go back and forth several times in rush hour traffic.
I call the number on the card, "is Sue there?" "Sue doesn't work at this store she works at the Fiesta Mall store." <Click>
Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 06:02 am
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| » Pineapple Express |
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I got to see a sneak preview of the movie Pineapple Express. It was one of the funniest movies I've seen. I highly recommend it.
Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 05:56 am
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| » Katamari Comic |
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Katamari Damacy is a simple, odd, yet highly entertaining game. It was highly recommended to me by a card counter to play while high. It was still fun without chemical alteration. Basically you're the prince of the cosmos in charge of creating stars that have disappeared. You do this by rolling around a little ball which picks things up. The bigger your ball gets, the bigger the stuff you can roll up. This comic used to be posted in the the game room at Zillow.
Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 05:51 am
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| » A solution for the extra arm. |
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When spooning, there's always an awkwardly placed arm that is usually in the way. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) devildoll298 once linked to a comic where they cut a hole into the mattress to make room for it. I believe this "anti-snoring pillow" actually gives us a real solution.
Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 05:45 am
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| » Good Choice |
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When I started working at Microsoft I got a set of stock options. They would be completely vested in 4 years and I'd have a total of 7 years to use them. That 7 years is up by a few months now. For those of us with underwater options, we were given a choice. We could cash in the underwater options for a couple bucks per option (depending on your strike price) or to just ride it out.
Strike price of my options: 70 3/4
MSFT (adjusted for splits): 55
That's right, if I cashed in my stock options I would lose $15 per option.
Good thing I chose the cash.
Jun. 7th, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
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| » Sanksrit |
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Recently a friend had a post that mentioned Sanskrit. I felt my response was funny enough to share...
I know someone who knows Sanskrit. He would test stuff at Microsoft in it when we would be working on Internationalization. Yes, Windows does Sanskrit. Take that Linux and Mac. I can see the Mac/PC commercial now...
PC: [standing there all dorky]
MAC: [standing there all smug]
PC: So, I like that commercial you did of us a while back.
MAC: Which one was that?
PC: The one were you spoke to all the peripherals easily.
MAC: You mean the one where I got to hold hands with the hot Asian chick who doesn't know English?
PC: Yep.
MAC: Yeah, I got to hold her hand. I couldn't understand what she was saying though. I wonder what happened to her?
PC: She's back at my place.
MAC: WHAT?!
PC: Yeah, when I left she was checking her email. In a couple clicks I can have Windows display in just about any language imaginable. Even Sanskrit.
MAC: [dejected] Isn't Sanskrit a 10,000 year old dead language?
PC: No. Stop believing every movie you see. But thanks for watching "PCU". Are you sad they never made a "MAC U"? [smirk]
Apr. 15th, 2008 @ 05:55 am
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| » I'm a reviewer? |
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So, I decided to add a person as a friend to my NetFlix account. It's supposed to be a way of sharing reviews, ratings, movies you've seen, etc. I never used the social side of NetFlix before so I was astonished to find that I actually wrote a DVD review at some point in my 4 years of being a customer.
Some set of DVDs I get are educational. This one promised ways of being able to do complicated math in your head. My review was pretty funny so I think I'll post it here. The DVD was EZ Math Trix. As an aside, if you make a DVD, and it's educational, and you spell tricks with an X, you're definitely a douche bag.
Review, 1 Star:
I rented this DVD because I was thinking it had math SHORTCUTS. I would love to be able to multiply large numbers in my head or add multiple numbers very quickly, etc. Although, it did have one or two shortcuts, this is NOT what the DVD is about or what it leads you to believe it is about. Unfortunately the majority of this DVD really is about TRICKS. Given a particular sequence of numbers, you can tell what the sum is because of the type of sequence it is. Given a deck of cards, you can do a few card tricks. Given some dice, you can do a trick with dice. Same with dominos, same with age/date of birth.
If you want to figure out the day of the week a particular date is, you need to use a chart to look some numbers up. If I need to use a chart to look some numbers up, I might as well just use a chart called a calendar. This will NOT help you get better at math unless you are only multiplying by 9 or 11 or 10. If you can't multiply by 10, just add a 0. Now you don't have to rent this DVD.
19 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 08:33 pm
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| » "Hanging Around" |
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Video of me just "Hanging Around".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnjbdfzeGYI
Mar. 9th, 2008 @ 01:00 am
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| » Smallest Pterodactyl |
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Funny comment about the smallest pterodactyl found from an article from the Discovery Channel.
"In other words, some dinosaurs eventually learned how to fly and that is when birds originated. From this picture, you can see that pterosaurs and birds are quite different and are not directly related."
First look at their picture of the pterodactyl. Then look at a picture of a dinosaur I found. You be the judge of which one looks more like a bird.
Feb. 12th, 2008 @ 12:19 am
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| » My current happiness... |
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...is my new 22" monitor! Yay! Oh, and I didn't change the resolution so now I can point it out the window and read my email while I'm walking Lucy. This post is coming to you from the the BBQ 20 feet outside my apt.
Jan. 17th, 2008 @ 08:05 pm
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| » Mad Wheelbarrow |
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So I got this in a podcast. If you absolutely need some new, mad wheelbarrow skills, particularly where you have to switch places half way, look no further.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvASnyOy5B4
Jan. 15th, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
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| » Beginning of Year Update |
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Last night I went to the Tempe Block party. Seattle has better fireworks for the new year. But, in the 4 hours leading up to midnight, Tempe has WAY better entertainment. Huge, several block fair, with carnival rides, food, and bands... like the Barenaked Ladies.
I was as close to the stage as possible and was on TV a couple of times. I've missed seeing them a few times so I'm glad I got to see them last night. They put on a really good show. On top of their good songs, they played a couple I hadn't heard before as well as improving a couple of songs.
Oh, one more thing, I've decided to start a couple of web sites. The main one of interest to anyone reading this (and the one I've been keeping most up to date) is a blog about games, toys, pranks, and politics at work. It is aptly named: http://www.playinggamesatwork.com. So, feel free to check it out.
Jan. 1st, 2008 @ 09:13 am
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| » End of Year Update |
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I just realized it's been a pretty long time since I updated this blog.
I got laid off from my job after 6 months. I was supposed to come in, help finish up their current project, learn an older product, and become a lead for a team of developers working on that product. Instead, 2 months after I got there they sold off 75% of the company. They claim to have been "profitable" every quarter since they started. The numbers I saw for their quarterly report showed a negative with some liberal "fudging" to show a profit. Very questionable. I was also told that the CEO & President had no interest in making it a "real" company. They are doing it as a fun project to get out of the house. I had a suggestion early on that would more than double their customer base and would take very little time to implement. They just kind of pushed it under the rug. I was told that was the reason why. Towards the end, they were trying to get me to quit and then suggested reading a book on software - a particular book, that my boss handed me. I read the book and in the first chapter it told me I should have never taken the job because it was going to suck.
Ah well. After that, I went on a vacation to the West Caribbean. It was a 7 day cruise to Grand Caymen, Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel. I got to swim with sting rays and dolphins, I went zip lining down a mountain, I had a monkey jump on my head, and at the end of it, we actually picked up some Cubans trying to get to the U.S. (to be returned to Cuba by the Coast Guard).
I started my own company, but haven't really done much with it since I accepted a job shortly thereafter. I'm working for a local grocery chain. I am NOT a bagger. I'll need to work my way up to bagger from cart boy. Actually, I'm working at their headquarters where I work on all of the business data.
As far as dating goes, Phoenix is way better than Seattle. I was used to lining up several dates and maybe one of them I would get a second date out of. Here, not everybody works at Microsoft and isn't living with their parents, and has there own car, and house. Here, some 30 year olds are actually still pizza delivery guys. So, when I lined up a few dates, every girl wanted a second date. I wound up dating one girl seriously for 4 months but I broke up when I realized I was doing all the compromising.
My apartment is coming together. When my stuff made it down here, the movers said it was the most stuff they've ever seen for one person. They actually filled the entire second bedroom wall to wall, back to front, floor to ceiling with boxes. I've gone through most of the 300 boxes and only have about 10 or so left.
Dec. 30th, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
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| » Poker againly! |
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So here's the payouts of the tournament by places:
1st - $250,000
2nd - $100,000
3rd - $50,000
4th - $15,000
5th - $10,000
6-45th - $Poop
Guess how much I got: $Wish I Won Poop
Ah well, 4 hours of Q-3 and it was more a testament to how long I could stay in getting horrible cards hand after hand. I did get a nifty card protector (a large button thing that sits on your cards to prevent them from getting taken by accident).
Fort McDowell Casino is doing open auditions and they said if I had any skill, they would hire me on the spot. Funny chat transcript I just had:
Evan: sweet! I'm going to be a poker dealer soon. auditions on sept 5 David: wait, why would you want to be a dealer? David: I know you're there anyway, but you have a real job Evan: yeah, a crappy job, not like throwing paper at people over and over again, hour after hour. David: I would hold out for crumpled paper and unwilling people
Aug. 22nd, 2007 @ 03:02 pm
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