Saturday, October 30, 2004

Wacky Site 8: Search for Halloween

I decided not to just pick out one Halloween related site because there are so many to pick from. I began my quest by doing a Google search for Halloween. The was a large quantity of results but I had expected that. I decided to check out a couple. Here are two you might be interested in visiting:

Halloween Online - It claims to be "your guide to Halloween". Basically this site is a bunch of links to other sites. There are links to sites about fog machines, Halloween news, coffins, toys, films, and a safety guide. Everything and anything relating to Halloween.

Halloween Magazine - Yep, there is an online Halloween Magazine. Although, I am really not surprised. The holiday is heavily celebreated in the US. If you are looking for last minute ideas this might be the site you were looking for.

Happy Halloween! Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

October Music Playlist

This is the "I don't have any other blog topic" topic. I have no idea if people ever find this interesting or not. But, just about everyone else has a blog entry about their playlist so I am going to as well. Without much further ado - here is the list:
  1. Run Away by the Real McCoy (yes, it is the song from a recent car commercial).
  2. Last Thing by Diana Anaid
  3. I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme) by John Rzeznik
  4. Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
  5. Footloose by Kenny Loggins
  6. Trouble by Bonnie McKee
  7. Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
  8. One More Murder by Better Than Ezra
  9. Against All Odds by Phil Collins
  10. Listen to Your Heart by Roxette
  11. Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits (I heard this first on The West Wing)
  12. I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt
  13. Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx (I heard it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently)
This is my list of songs I have been listening to. Most of these songs are available on iTunes. Thanks for stopping by and taking time to read my blog!

Thursday, October 28, 2004

I never knew a class about algorithms could be so funny...

I am taking an algorithms course this semester. As our professor pointed out this morning the names the book used must be some sort of inside joke. Due to the greatness of Google I was quickly able to find a great list. Even if you don't have the book this list is pretty funny. All of these names are used in the examples/excersises in the book. I think textbooks written by authors with a sense of humor are better. A little humor here or there adds a more relaxed feeling to the subject.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

iPod Photo

I wonder what Apple will bring out next? Displaying photo's on an iPod sounds pretty cool. Of course, if you already own an iPod you will have to purchase a new one ($499 for the 40 GB model, $599 for the 60 GB model). It states that the new iPod has a longer battery life - not that I thought there was a problem with the battery life of the old iPod. The thought of a color screen is pretty cool. Apple is right in time for the holiday season. Plus, they have been running a lot of commercials on TV (the new U2 one). There is even a new limited edition U2 iPod for only $349 plus some iTunes gift certificate for U2 music ($50).

Now I leave you will a puzzling question: Do customers really think that $3.49 sounds cheaper that $3.50? Even if we talk about $200 vs. $199? I always wondered if that marketing scheme worked or maybe it doesn't and they just want us to think that it does. The other day when I was in Target I noticed that all their prices end with either $0.99, or $0.49. Does that really get me to buy more?

Tough questions and I certainly don't have all the answers. I will let you pounder of that for a while. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Wacky Site 7: "Never Threaten To Eat Your Co-Workers"

"Never Threaten To Eat Your Co-Works: Best of Blogs" is a book written by Alan Graham and Bonnie Burton. The title alone is extremely funny. This is the site associated with the book. I suggest checking it out. Currently, it looks like they are want submissions of blogs.

Oh wait there are two parts to this - make sure you check out both parts. Anyway, I figured this would make a good seventh wacky link. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

Monday, October 25, 2004

Wacky Site 6: Would you believe....

Hello again! It is Monday and I have brought you another wacky site - The Get Smart Page. I know you are asking that always important question - Why? And this time I have a good answer.

This weekend I was home visiting my parents. My mother told my father to "86 it" when we were looking for through some apples (so we could make carmel apples). My thought was - is that why Maxwell Smart was agent 86? Max Smart was the main character in the 1960's TV show Get Smart played by Don Adams. It appears that I was correct (or at least someone else believes it too). I think that is just extremely clever (or maybe that is just me). The internet is just peachy for finding out information.

Now I just have to find were the phase "take a gander" comes from a phase I just don't understand the origin. A gander is a duck and "take a duck" doesn't make any sense. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog.

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Na-No-Blog-Mo

Blogger has decided in honor of National Novel Writing Month is having a site containing a list of people who are planning to blog their novel. It is an interesting idea. Writing installments at a time. Of course, it is a lot harder (I would think) then it sounds. There would be a lot of people giving you feed back, so that would be a plus. A lot of the novels sounded sci-fi related when I check the site a little bit ago - witches, wizards, trap doors into other worlds and things like that.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Also, a thank you to a person who actually left a comment on my post about desktop google. Hope you are having a good weekend.

I am glad to know Einstein was correct...

It appears (according to this article) that Einstein was at least correct in his theory about relativity. This really is a great thing for science. It has been debated and until this experiment difficult to prove. There is still a long way to go before all of his theories can be proven. Einstein is a remarkable scientist. He had a vision very few have. The article is pretty short if you want to check it out.

Wacky Site 5: 404lounge.net

Here is a wacky site - 404lounge.net. I would highly recommend checking out the gallery and some of the interesting 404 pages. 404 pages are funny in general. I saw some in the gallery that were very funnier. I thought this site easily qualified as wacky. Good, but wacky.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this installment of my blog. Hope you come back again. I am going to try and post more during the week. School and work keeps me rather busy.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Geeks Trying to Make a Difference

Last year, I was impressed and surprised. The guys who write Penny Arcade started a charity drive called Child's Play. The idea was to purchase items from Amazon to be donated to the Seattle Children's hospital. This year they have expanded the charity to five hospitals. Penny Arcade has a huge following and a very generous following. Follow this link and get all the details.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Great Mac Hall Comic

Ok, you have to check this Mac Hall comic out. Anyone who has ever been in school can relate to this comic strip. Mac Hall is an excellent comic about a bunch of guys in college. There are lots of computer science and video game references. Because it is written by students, updates are not on a regular schedule. So you have to check back often to see if there has been updates.

Wow, lots of blogs today - its not a bad thing. I have had a difficult time finding things to blog - but today there were lots of great things to post in my blog. Well, thanks for reading.

Wacky Site 4: iPodlounge.com

I learned this afternoon from MacBlog.com that there is a special U2 iPod is going to be released (or so it says at iPodlounge). From following the link I learned about a new site! Basically, a site all about iPods! This seemed like the idea wacky site number 4. I will have to wander around this site and check out what kind of cool stuff is on it. It appears to mainly be articles and reviews. So to check out the latest information on iPods visit iPodlounge.com today.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out today's wacky site!

Google-rific!

Google has something new - Desktop Google. It allows you to search for stuff on your PC. The program indexes Outlook mail, your documents, and even websites you have visited recently (so you can view them later without being online). Ain't that sound cool?!?

One problem - only available for Windows 2002 (service pack 3) and Windows XP. Well, it is pretty cool anyway. Plus, since it is a product of Google we know it must be good.

Monday, October 18, 2004

Wacky Site 3: The West Wing Cookie Jar

This is someone's site all about The West Wing TV show. The site is named: The West Wing Cookie Jar. Which would be an odd name for a site - unless you remember certain things from season 1 of the show. Personally, I thought the site name was pretty clever.

The site was some excellent quotes from several seasons of The West Wing show. OK, so I have this obsession about West Wing. I admit it. Anyway, check this site.

As always, thanks for stopping by. Until the next wacky site.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Wacky Site 2: Great TV Quotes

Another wacky site is Great TV Quotes. Don't get me wrong - I think this site is well done and includes some really great quotes from some really great TV shows. I just think a site with only TV quotes is wacky. (Note: wacky is not negative, just different). Check out all The X-Files quotes - those are some great moments from that show. I decided to include a couple quotes for your entertainment:

THE X-FILES:

SCULLY: But, Mulder, the new millennium doesn't begin until January 2001.
MULDER: Nobody likes a math geek, Scully.

SCULLY: You know, on the old mariners' maps, the cartographers would designate uncharted territory by writing "here be monsters."
MULDER: I've got a map of New York City just like that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MURPHY BROWN:

JIM: Perhaps you need to be clearer.
MURPHY: Clearer? Jim, the other day I rolled up my car window while she was still talking to me! I drove away and she actually ran alongside the car until she was able to pull her hair free at the onramp! I'm telling you, the woman cannot take a hint!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GET SMART

MAX: I'm sorry I'm late, Chief, but I was stuck in the car for almost twenty minutes.
CHIEF: I know, 86. The traffic.
MAX: No, the seat belt. I can never get that darn thing unbuckled.

I selected just a couple from the massive number of quotes posted on this site. I highly recommend checking this site out. Of course, I really like quotes - which may be why I like this site so much.

Wacky Site 1: HP Calculators Museum

HP Calculators Museum is a site all about HP calculators. I stumbled upon this site looking for something else entirely. I thought this site really fit in the wacky catagory. If you are into seeing pictures of old computer related stuff - well this is a prefect site for you. I was unaware of HP's prevalance in the calculator industy. I am more familiar with TI (Texas Instruments) calculators, but then I did live in Texas a long, long time ago.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog today. I appricate the interest. Until next time.

New Week, New Theme

Hello!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I thought I would post a quick note on my blog theme for next week: Wacky Sites. Yep, that's right. I actually know of many wacky sites and I am going to post one each day (or so I hope). As a graduate student you never know your actually schedule until after it happens ;-) Although, I am have a feeling that being a grad student is easier than having a real job (or so I have heard).

Well, now I have to go find the first wacky site I want to post. So many out sites, so little time. Choices, choices, choices...

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Quote 12: "...if it was so, it might be..."

"'Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, 'if it was so, it might be; if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'" -- Lewis Carroll (Through the Looking-Glass: And What Alice Found There)

This quote was in a programming book back with I was just learning C++. Lewis Carroll's books are full of wonderful quotes. Another one I like is:

"'When I use a word,'" Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'"

This quote is also from Through the Looking-Glass: And What Alice Found There. Lewis Carroll was a mathematician which to me makes his books quiet interesting. The books are very entertaining to read. However, I find it interesting to look at the contents of the books. The logic discussed in both books is really quiet interesting. Read the first quote again and thing about it.

Well, I will leave you with these interesting food for thought quotes by Lewis Carroll. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog! Have a great weekend.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Quote 11: "When you have eliminated the impossible..."

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)

This is my favorite Sherlock Holmes quotes. Why? Because it is an extremely truthful statement. When you have miss placed a book you need and you look in all the places it should be - you have to look in the places it shouldn't be located. So, really I like this quote because we can easily be applied to our life on a day to day basis.

The Mirror Has Two Faces is a movie that has similar theme. But I won't spoil it for you. You can watch the movie yourself. I really like the movie. The main characters Rose and Gregory are played by Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges. There are lots of funny parts in this movie - which is why I like it so much.

Well, thanks for stopping by today and reading my blog!

Saturday, October 9, 2004

Quote 10: "We must have ideals and try to live up to them..."

"We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them. With them it's grand and great." - Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Avonlea)

I picked this quote because my last blog was all about the future and stuff like that. As part of my grad school orientation we have to some interesting sessions about various things. I am watching video taped sessions. Anyway, I decided to watch ones about job seeking. Anyway, it makes me think about me goals and what I want to do. Of course, I am still fuzzy on all that stuff. What can make my life wonderful? What kind of things do I want to do with my degree? Of course, I am totally off the topic of todays quote.

I think we all have ideals of what life should be like. We are always trying to live up to what we think is these ideas. Ideals are like goals, sometimes we reach them and other times we don't. What are your ideals? I am not sure what mine are exactly. Well, that will give you something to ponder for the weekend.

Completely off the subject - links you might like to check out (or avoid):
Mac New Network - a site all about Apple
Zappos Vegetarian Shoe Section - for all the vegetarians out there
ProfQuotes - very funny to read
Jon's World o' Squirrels - yes, there is a site about squirrels

Well, thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Have a good weekend!

Thursday, October 7, 2004

Quote 9: "Not all who wander are lost"

"Not all who wander are lost." -- J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)

(Subtitle: Where am I going next? The major question of grad school).

Every weekday evening I get home from school and make dinner. I set aside dinner time to be my chance to watch a little TV and checkout my favorite sites online. Today as I watched TV I began to wander - what is it that I want to do with my life? I know what you are thinking - why did she starting thinking about this while I was watching TV? Isn't watching TV suppose to numb the brain?

I know, how dare I think and watch TV at the same time. ;-) Of course, this is not the first time I have thought about it. As I am finishing a year's worth of graduate school I am starting to get to the point were I need to pick what I am going to do next. I have planned to go on in my studies - actually I pick that part first before I even knew what I was going to major in!

Now after working on my masters, I have to narrow down what is it about computer science that I really like. What is it in computer science I want to study even more? These are difficult questions to answer. I know several things I don't want to study. I like a lot of areas of CS. Maybe if I can figure out a way to combine these areas and then throw in a little classic civilizations (a totally outside area that I happen to enjoy, more like a hobby at the moment).

Why do I need to figure this all out? The school I am currently attending doesn't have a phD program in CS, just a masters. I am trying to look for next schools to go and one of the things you have to fill out on the application is area of study and interest of research. When I applied for masters programs it was easy to put a broad area. You would think after almost a year I would have a better idea wouldn't ya? But the reality is, nope. However, I am not going to worry to much. One of these days I will figure it out.

I thought that the J.R.R. Tolkien quote fit right into this topic and is the reason why I selected it. It is one of my favorite lines written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is short, simple, and easy to understand. What more could you ask?

Thanks for stopping by and reading yet another installment of my blog. It was extremely nice of you. Until next time.

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Quote 8: "They all pretend to be very high-minded..."

"They all pretend to be very high-minded. They claim that their sole aim in excavation is to uncover the mysteries of the past and to add to the store of human knowledge. They lie. What they really want is a spectacular discovery, so they can get their names in the newspapers and inspire envy and hatred in the hearts of their rivals." -- Elizabeth Peters (Deeds of the Disturber)

This quote is from another great author - Elizabeth Peters. She writes a great series about Amelia Peabody. I have not read all the books - yet, but the ones I have read are wonderful. Why did I pick this quote? Because I think this quote is about a truth of human life. As humans we get a lot of satisfaction out of doing well and getting recognized for it. It maybe the darker side that we don't really want to think about, but it is still true. I have seen this a lot in my years of school. We compete to be the best, to get the A, to get the highest score, etc.

Well, thanks for stopping by today and reading my blog! Until next time.

Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Quote 7: "Well I am sorry, but I find Iceland extremely fascinating..."

"Well I am sorry, but I find Iceland extremely fascinating, and I will not rest until I have visited the ice hotel" -- Meg Cabot (Princess in Love)

You didn't think I could bring up books and not point out one of my favorite authors did you? OK, so yes I have this weird obsesssion with these wonderful books. I remember high school and it is a difficult time in a person's life (and I went to an all girls high school). It is nice to look back at it and laugh about it. Maybe that is why I like these books so much.

Now I know the question you are thinking is - why? Why on earth did she pick that quote? I picked it because well I have often had odd fascinations with topics. Yep. Several in fact. Including: witch craft in Salem, Egyption history, Egyptian writings, Roman lifestyles - just to mention a few. While I was taking a class on Roman lifestyles, I would tell people about it all the time. I think everyone was tired of hearing about it. I have made similar statements - including the one about one day owning a large house in Florida or another warm climate on the ocean (or the Gulf of Mexico). It is like a goal in life to one day live there.

So now you know two things: 1) My goal to live in FL and 2) That I am more wacko then you thought. Well, I feel that this blog has served it's purpose ;-) Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Monday, October 4, 2004

Quote 6: "Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day..."

This week I will focus on quotes from books (with a possibility of later in the week switching back to TV and movies). However, I am going to focus on books - or at least try darn hard to. It is one of those things, I have a couple great ideas, but by Wednesday I have used up my ideas and can't think of anything. Then the following week I think of all these great things I could have done. It is like when someone asks you a question and you just can't think of the answer. You know you know the answer you just can't think of it at the moment. Maybe it is just me, but that is what happens. Anyway, without further delay, here is my first book quote to start us out:

"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" -- Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

I really like all of the books by Lucy Maud Montgomery - especially the Anne series. The books are well written. The characters are great. Anne has an imagination and even makes mistakes. I highly recommend these books to anyone. The quote I selected is one of many possibilities from the Anne of Green Gables book. There is an important idea Montgomery put into this simple sentance of dialog. Everyday is new and we have a chance to start the day off with nothing wrong and try again. Sometimes we make mistakes, we are only human, but tomorrow we can try again.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I enjoy writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Sunday, October 3, 2004

Quote Grab Bag

For my Saturday/Sunday blog, I decided to have a bunch of TV, commercial, and movie quotes that I like. Most of the quotes are in this blog because I think they are funny or I just like them for some odd reason. Unlike the other quotes this week which were useful and thought provoking. So without further delay here are the funny quotes:

"Nobody ever poses with their toaster" -- Mercedes-Benz commercial

"True or false, if I were to stand on high ground in Key West with a good pair of binoculars I'd be as informed as I am now?" -- Leo (West Wing)

"As always, this is as good as it's going to get." -- Mia (The Princess Diaries)

"Can we take a direct flight back to reality, or do we have to change planes in Denver?" -- Scott Calvin (The Santa Clause)

"Sometimes the only sane response to an insane world is insanity." -- Mulder (The X-Files)

"Ohh, what's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything?" -- Oracle (The Matrix)

"Hey, Hong Kong Fooey. Watch the fists of fury." -- Shaggy (Scooby-Doo Movie)

"If lack of attention to personal finances is a mark of refinement, then the Marches must be the most elegant family in Concord!" -- Jo March (Little Women)

"I'm an engineer! I stopped running when Nixon was president!" -- Jerry O'Neill (Space Cowboys)

"There has to be a mathematical explanation for how bad that tie is." -- Nash (A Beautiful Mind)

"I've flown with you twice and you've crashed half the time." -- Robin (Six Days Seven Nights)

"No, that's silly. The man who *lives* in my finger hired the crew. " -- Fozzie (Muppet's Treasure Island)

"I am invisible, and I am wet." -- Mia (The Princess Diaries)

"I'm not going to ask you if you just said what I think you said because I know it's what you said." -- Scully (The X-Files)

"You know, I have a theory that hieroglyphics are just an ancient comic strip about a character named Sphinxy." -- Harry (When Harry Met Sally)

"For the last six months, he's gone to Harvard and Berkeley. I'm betting he can get a passport." -- Carl Hanratty (Catch Me If You Can)

"I am the same color as the Department of Motor Vehicles..." -- Lavinia (The Banger Sisters)

"I'm a homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else." -- Wednesday (Addams Family)

"Well, I told him I work for the Bureau of Internal Revenue." -- Max (Get Smart)

"It couldn't have gone far, right? Somewhere in this building is our talent." -- Toby (West Wing)

"Gee. Do they still make wooden Christmas Trees?" -- Lucy (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

"Yes I've heard how difficult it is to work with Judy Garland. Do you know how difficult it is to BE Judy Garland? I've been trying to be Judy Garland all my life! " -- Judy Garland (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows)

"LeBeau, this is a prison camp. Nobody's trying to break in!" -- Hogan (Hogan's Heroes)

"Not all who wander are aimless. Especially not those who seek truth beyond tradition beyond definition beyond the image." -- Betty Warren (Mona Lisa Smile)

"Bob Vila would have a field day with this place!" - Jim (The Haunted Mansion)

"Why is it that everytime I think I know the answers, someone goes and changes the questions?" -- Mulder (The X-Files)

"I have never worn pantyhose but it sounds very dangerous." -- Joe (The Princess Diaries)

"It looks like the inside of a raincoat!" -- Tony (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)

Well, that is all the quotes I have for now. This coming week I will continue with my quote blogs and other random tidbits. I figured I would publish one blog for the weekend. It took awhile to find the quotes. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

Friday, October 1, 2004

Quote 5: "Remember, the shadows are just as important as the light."

"Remember, the shadows are just as important as the light." - Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre, 1996)

Although this quote did not appear in the book, it is one of the best quotes from the movie. The timing is also extremely forshadowing of later parts of the movie. In the movie Jane is teaching Adele to draw. Jane states this to Adele after Mr. Brocklehurst asks to speak with Jane. It is a statement that completely fits in context with the action, but has a hidden meaning. (Which was driven by Mr. Brocklehurst next statement - but I don't want to ruin the whole movie for you so I won't tell you what it is). I like statements with a double meaning. It is like a two for one sale. Who could turn that down?

Anyway, the real question is: Are the shadows and dark parts of one's life as important as the lighter and happier parts? I think that there are. If there were no shadows or dark, then how would we really enjoy the happy times? Of course, I (like the rest of the world) wouldn't mind less dark and more light. But, I don't think I really have many skeltons in my closet as they say. Which leads me to my next question: who really are they? I have heard the term "as they say" and I have always wondered about that. I think that is one of those unanswerable questions and totally off my topic.

So before I divert further from the topic I will end my blog here. Hope you are having some light parts of your life today. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

And to steal a classic line from SNL and rewrap it - "I am Stephany Coffman-Wolph and - you're not."