Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Happy Holidays!

"Light the lamp, not the rat, light the lamp." - Rizzo the Rat (The Muppet Christmas Carol)

I finally finished sorting out grades and submitted them! Yippee. Now I can claim to be completely done (although I haven't had to do much for the past few days). Anyway, I have been busy with holiday activities - shopping, decorating, packing...

Yes, I have been packing for the family vacation. Where are we going? Florida - Orlando Florida to be exact. We are going after my graduation from BGSU :-) I am getting very excited - over both things. But enough about me...

Here are some articles you might enjoy:
"First vortex 'chains' observed in engineered superconductor"

"Printers to produce life-saving organs"

"Scientists' 'recipe' to help build a quantum computer"

Want to wish you all happy holidays! Because this may be one of the last chances I have to post a blog before the holidays start. Anyway, have a wonderful time. I will write an entertaining blog about my vacation when I get back.

Friday, December 2, 2005

The precious has returned to it's master...

"So bright... so beautiful... our precious. " - Gollum (Two Towers)

I dropped of the precious (CD) that was forged at Mt. Doom (the CEA lab) today (i.e., I turned in a CD containing the final project for one of my classes - however, doesn't the first way sound so much cooler?). Through out the project code there are references to thePresious, theOne, theString, theCookie...you get the idea. Basically, that is what happens when you decide to write code in the early hours of the morning after having large quantities of caffine.

I left school after 4 AM and drove to my apartment in the 3 inches of snow covering the ground. Of course, they hadn't gotten around to salting or plowing so it was a never interesting drive (i.e., not one I am looking forward to making again anytime soon). It is snowing still. According to the local news channnel it is lake snow effect flurries (i.e., really big chunks of snow). I am sure it will add nicely to the 3+ inches already on the ground. So, Miata + 3 inches of snow + ice + hills + 4 AM = un-fun

I really think I have been working to hard, I am turing my life into a math equation - ohy! Anyway, here are some links. Have fun. I am going to go give a presentation (5 minutes, not much time to really talk about anything - just bottom line it) and then I can actually try and catch up on sleep...oh and study for finals...maybe that will be tomorrow...

Some people are fans of this guy: "Exclusive: Professor X Talks X3"

Have you smelled your car today? "Safer cars through touch, sound and smell"

When will they learn to not mess with google?

"First quantum byte created"

Thursday, December 1, 2005

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Look! An Update!

"Got the wrong script from the teleprompter. As you know this is really the Humphley/Brinley report. No no. The Bullwinkle Show. And I am your moose-ster of ceremonies for the next half-hour: Bullwinkle his-self. As if you couldn't tell. I mean what other show has a host who sings, dances, recites poetry and has antlers? Well, on this network anyway..." - Bullwinkle (The Bullwinkle Show)

I haven't gotten around to updating this blog in the past few days. Why? Because it is the last week of classes, I have 2 projects due on Friday, and I am still at the computer lab :-P Yes, I am still at school and I got here in the morning. (By the way, I had left at 2 AM on Tuesday morning). This is nothing new and has been going on for ...ugh...weeks now.

Anyway, during various 5-minute-breaks-to-keep-my-sanity (which I have to say are not really keeping me all that sane) I found some articles you might find interesting. Of course, I am kind of in that so tired you are a little slap happy mode at the moment. Anyway, here are the links:

I just post the links: "Baaa humbug: singing sheep fight Crazy Frog for Christmas crown".

Someone find Rocky because Bullwinkle got loose from the retirement home.

I so glad to find out they did this study: "Seasonal Depression, Anxiety Affects Hamsters, Study Finds"

Another study that, well frankly, I can't believe someone actually did: "Study: Women exects must avoid sexy dress". (Seriously, I wonder what would happen if they did the same study with males?)

Everyone is going WiFi and we really mean everyone: "New Orleans's New Connection". More cities should do this...well not the hurricane part...

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Geeky Arts & Crafts

No I am not kidding. You can check out the one here and the whole page over here. You can checkout the Apple Collection for more fun Apple related stuff.

Not all mouses are created equal.

"Core Evidence That Humans Affect Climate Change"

Open mouth, insert foot

The perfect gift for the non-Walmart shopper

I better get back to my projects and such. Lots to do this last week of classes! I can't believe this semester only has two weeks left (1 week of classes, 1 week of finals). It went by so very fast...

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Music, Music, Music

"Silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things" - Maria (The Sound of Music)

I got the 2-Disc special edition of The Sound of Music. I have been watching the special features. Anyway, all of the songs are now stuck in my head now. Like many of the Rodgers and Hammerstein creations, the songs are simply and easy to remember (hense why the lyrics get stuck in your head). There has been a lot of work to restore the movie (the faces don't seem so blurry). Anyway, if you have never scene it - you should. Even if you don't like musicals you should see it. Yes, there is singing, but there is a complex story line mixed in.

Speaking of singing: "Scientists discover singing iceberg"

Science meets archaeology: "Man from 1,500 years ago had violent death"

Maybe I have been approaching graduate school the wrong way...

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Flybooks

Edit: For some odd reason I want to run out and buy one of these. (No not really, but I am sure any yound kid would think it was really, really cool).

Wow! The New York Times article about them. I really like the way the article started the part about Dell, Apple, and Microsoft. (I also wanted to note that I didn't actually make fun of Microsoft here, I just pointed you to an article. I am the innocent one. I was just trying to ...umm... encourage education, broadening of horizons... that sounds pretty good doesn't it?)

This looks pretty cool too. You can visit LaCie's site for more info.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Leftovers

"Wait, we can not break bread with you. You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play golf, and eat hot h'ors d'ourves. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims, especially Sarah Miller. And for all of these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground." - Wednesday (Addams Family Values)

It is snowing! Again! In Novemeber? What is this?!?

The new Enya CD (Amarantine) came out yesterday! Been listening to it and I highly recommend it. It is great background music. I have a feeling it is going to be one of those CDs that I listen to over and over. But you don't have to take my word for how good the CD is...

Latest from Google: Google Book Search. I really have tried it and found some useful info this way. (Of course, it wasn't that important of information).

Another one of those weird news article titles "Movie studios, BitTorrent sign anti-piracy pact"

No comment.

New gadget for your cell phone.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all know your turkeys personally (it is times like these were I am glad I don't eat meat).

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Funny Titles Cause Massive Thoughts?

Have you ever actually stopped and really read the headlines for news articles? I know that the purpose is to grab your attention, but have you ever really thiought about the titles? I found when I really thought about them they seemed funny and a little off the wall. The titles do the job, they tell you what the article is about and as long as you don't think about them too much I find that you really don't notice. Maybe because we are so use to seeing this kinds of titles and because of their purpose it really isn't something you notice. Of course, I could be completely wrong about the whole title thing and you don't see the humor in them at all...

Maybe I find the following news article titles to be fun becuase it is after 2 in the morning and frankly I haven't had a lot of sleep recently. So anyway, I figured that I would share a few of these titles with you. For (I hope) your viewing pleasure:
(I was attempting to find a wide range of articles - local news, scientific, and some that are just plain weird...)

Total side note: Snow is predicted for the west side of Michigan tomorrow with a high of 38. Snow? Again?!? I can't believe it, I really can't believe it.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

I don't blog during class...

...just group projects. Actually, I am kidding. I am just taking a short break from by JSP/servlet project. In reality I should be working on a different project for a different class, but clearly I'm not since I am typing this blog.

The title to this blog comes from my reading of this article and the fact that during the last lecture I gave about 20+ people (out of 58) had laptops and clearly none of them were paying the least bit of attention. Which of course might explain their confussion on their current assignment...

I am sure that a couple of the students were actually following along with the notes - the ones sitting in the front couple rows. However, all the people in the back I know were playing online games. I really do know since the grad student I co-teach with sat in the back of the room last lecture and was therefore able to confirmed my suspicion. Maybe if I incorporated gaming into my class more people would pay attention. Hmm... that gives me an idea for next lecture.

The inch of snow that the west side of Michigan had last Wednesday/Thursday night has melted (it is 53 degrees today). Of course, thenext couple days is suppose to be in the mid 40s and drop to 35 on Tuesday. Then we begin the up-and-down weather typical of Michigan. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Yikes. Two weeks of class left and then I can catch up on important stuff like sleep and write the final exam for my class. Several of the students were asking me about the final on Thursday. It was funny when one of them finally stated "you haven't written it yet have you?"

Some other links you might find interesting:
"30 million years ahead - how the butterfly beat technology to it"
"No new federal funding for Great Lakes"

Thursday, November 17, 2005

OK, so I Lied

Ben: You don't need someone crazy, if you're one step short of crazy, what do you get?
Riley: Obsessed?
Ben: Passionate.
(From the movie National Treasure)

Well, just about the snow. We didn't get a 1/2 inch. We got a whole inch and it is still snowing! The other side of the state doesn't have much snow. They are getting flurries (whenever I hear that word I think ice cream but that is here nor there) but not snow. The snow is really quite pretty. However, I still can't believe that there is snow in November before Thanksgiving! Maybe it is snowing lots of other places right now and I just don't know about it because I am busy obsessing over the fact that it is snowing on the west side of the Michigan in November. Anyway, moving on from the snow issue...

The reason I started this blog in the first place was I wanted to point out this article:
"MIT Is Crafting Cheap -- But Invaluable -- Laptops"

Now if you will excuse me I have to go teach a class, obsess over snow, and work on a project (servlets, JSP, and all that jazz). Ta-ta for now!

(Yes, I really am beginning to believe that I have gone a little wacky, have a few loose wires, a couple fries short of a happy meal, stated to act like a misconfigured router, nuts-o...)

Holiday Season = Shopping Season

"I know what you mean. I went down to buy a turkey tree and all they have are things for Christmas." - Sally (A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)

It has continued to snow on the West side of Michigan. We now have like 1/2 an inch (or maybe a little bit more) of snow! It is actually kind of hard to imagine.

This of course got me thinking. Thanksgiving is coming up. This also means that the day after Thanksgiving is coming up. We all know what is special about the day after Thanksgiving - right? It is the day of shopping! Yeppers. I always go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. So that got me thinking...how can I turn this into a blog. (OK, really I didn't have any other topic in mind so I decided that I could claim this next part relates because really who was going to tell me it didn't?)

Lets move on. Where was I? Oh right, shopping. So I decided in this blog to point out some really wacky stuff that they sell via the Internet. So here it goes:

Beer For Dogs
Silver Soda Can Bracelet
CelebriDucks
Cup-A-Cake
Weasel Balls
Pod Brix
Pizza Fork and Cutter
Heads Up System
Pod Shirt

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Let It Snow!

"It's too early. I never eat December snow. I always wait 'til January." - Lucy (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

It is snowing outside! I can't believe it. Well, I saw in the weather report that it was going to snow I was shocked. It was like 60 over the weekend. Now that I see the snow, I am still surprised. It has been snowing on and off all day. Not tons of snow, just little spits of snow. It is like 30 out and it is going to get colder when the sun goes down.

Now I have to get back to JSP, servlets, and all that stuff. Got project to do for this software engineering class. We are building part of a video rental store. I say part of because we are concentrating on the UML diagrams (and corresponding documents) to sketch out the project. We are using IBM's websphere to do the project. Websphere is a very interesting product. It works well. However, it is one of those pieces of software that you start up, go get a cup of coffee (or a bottle of pop), come back, check your email, and then it is ready. Of course, this probably is majorly influenced by the fact that we are on the university computers in a large computer lab. Shoot, it takes a long time get get firefox to start up!

Where was I? Oh right, snowing, JSP/servlets, and a bunch of student programs that I need to look at...<::sigh::>

Not Really Aimless Blog

"But not all who wander are aimless, especially those who seek truth beyond traditions, beyond definition, beyond the image." - Betty Warren (Mona Lisa Smile)

I have finally finished debugging a bunch of students assignments. The assignment is due tomorrow at midnight. I had 4 hours of office hours today in which I stayed pretty busy which was nice. Anyway, I haven't had a lot of time to pull together much of a blog. Sorry about that. It is the end of the semester - I have a feeling that this kind of blog is going to become a regular thing (until the semester is over anyway). On a complete side note: it is getting colder, windy, and rumors of snow. Yikes.

This just sounds so cool: Researchers develop hybrid silicon evanescent laser

Look: it's all google-y (Google Base)

"Australia pioneers energy from hot rocks"

I am glad to know governments support important studies like this one ("UK 'has high-quality wind supply'")

Sunday, November 13, 2005

I Really Don't Have a Point

"Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy." - Charlie Bucket (Charlie and Chocolate Factory)

Microsoft is finally moving to the 21st century software development methodology!. Yes, I like Extreme Programming and Agile software methodologies. I think they are better than the old way of doing stuff. Are the agile software development methodologies perfect? Nope. But here is the thing: the traditional methods have been shown repeatively to not work, so why not try something else? What have you possibly got to lose? It doesn't make sense to use the same broken method. Agile might not be perfect, but at least people are thinking and trying new things. That is the excitment associated with agile methodologies - trying new ways and approaches.

Alright, I think I have ranted enough for one day. Lets move on shall we?
"IBM 3D TV"

Looking for a study break? Visit the Botshop

What do lemur's and Monty Python have in common?

What you won't see on the "Can you hear me now? Good." TV commercials

Now I have to get back to all that homework I should be doing right now, but I'm not because I am writing a blog instead.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Get Into the Holiday Spirt

Christmas with the Kranks can out this week on DVD. The movie has some really funny parts in it, so I thought it was totally worth purchasing.

This is a short blog because I have a lot of work to get done. Lectures to prep and projects to work on. Oh a sleep to catch up on! Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

It's Gonna Be a Long Day

Opps. Forgot to post this yesterday! Silly me.

"Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog." - Doug Larson

Maybe I should change the title to "It's Gonna Be a Long Week". It is November and there aren't that many weeks left in the term. I try not to think about it actually. Because then I would have to acknowledge all the work I still have to jam into the next weeks. I also am trying to avoid thinking about final exams, because I really don't like taking exams. I like studying for exams, I am a huge fan of studing for exams. It's the taking part I don't really like. Speaking of exams - I have one on Thursday (in computer networks).

I finally figured out what class I want to take in the Spring. It is going to one wild semester. I am going to take a class in computer architecture and a class on analysis of algorithms. Hmmm...I am going to need to hunt down my books on the topic over break so I can review some stuff. I think it is going to be 2 fun classes. They are going to be in the morning this time, which is nice because them I will actually get up. Wait here is a funny thought, I think the algorithm's class I am taking this time is being run at the same time is the class I took at a different university. Wacky.

OK, so enough about me. Lets move on to what you really came for - links.

Child's Play has started up again this year. If you are a fan of Penny Arcade then I am sure you have heard about it.

"History's Worst Software Bugs". I took a class about reliable computing when I first started grad school and we discussed several of the cases here. I think we also covered a little of it during a class I took about ethics for software engineers. Anyway, good article.

Interesting little article: "Flash Memory Boom"

Well, I better get going. I have to work on preping lecture for my class next week and studying for my exam.

Saturday, November 5, 2005

"Not to worry..."

"Not to worry, we are still flying *half* a ship!" - Obi-Wan Kenobi(Star Wars: Episode III)

It's the weekend again. Like most weekends I have my large quanitiy of things I need to do - homework, lecture prep, and project stuff. This weekend I also have to study for a test in computer networks. It is over the TCP/UDP layer and a little on the IP protocol. Fun stuff.

The lecture I am preping for is arrays. Arrays are a lot of fun to teach and a very important part of programming. However, I am really looking forward to going over sorting, but that is for the following week. I am trying to narrow down what example I want to use in-class. I am also trying to figure out some good practice problems to have the class do. I am hoping that this will lead them to a better understanding of arrays. Of course, as I told someone else - it can't hurt. It's not like they are going to learn less from my example.

Like the rest of the world I purchased and watched the DVD (which was released Tuesday but I didn't have a chance to watch it until Friday night) for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Overall, its a good movie. Haven't watch much of the special features - just a few deleted scenes. My favorite part of the movie? The fact there is lots of Yoda. Lots of Yoda with a light saber...

Anyway, moving on:

"'Molecular Legos' Net Professor, Student Nanotech Prize"

I wonder how I missed this? (Google Talk)

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

It's Something

I don't have much time to write a blog tonight. So I am going to just going to give you a link to "Change Mozilla's User Agent" article. It was discussed during one of my classes this evening. I thought it was interesting idea anyway.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Links 'n More Links

"All great writers begin with a good leather binding and a respectable title. " - J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland)

So it's Sunday again. The part I enjoyed the most? Getting that extra hour of sleep! Fall is really here to stay I think. It has been between 50 and 60 around here. The upcoming week appears to be more of the same. It is time to get out those warmer clothes and jackets. The leaves on the trees are turning lovely shades of red, orange, and yellow. We have maple tress in front of my parents house that are this wonderful fall red color.

You know kind of music I like to listen to during this time of year? Enya. I really like listening to the Paint The Sky With Stars CD. Did you know that there is a new Enya single out? Yep, I downloaded Amarantine from iTunes. The whole CD (also titled Amarantine) will be released on November 22.

It has actually been a pretty good weekend actual. I have a quiz on Tuesday to study for (my computer network class). Of course, I have a bunch of homework/projects to be working on, but it was a lighter weekend. Still need to finish my lecture for Tuesday's class. We are in the thick of loops currently. Well, I better get back to it.

Well, here are some links for ya':
I so understand this comic.

What will you being doing this halloween? To bad I have a quiz on Tuesday because this sounds like quiet a show.

Technology in schools - a never interesting article.

Latest on the quantum computer front: "Nanofabrication to lead to Quantum Computer"

If fuel prices keep going up these could become very popular ("The car that makes its own fuel")

Friday, October 28, 2005

Good News

Very good news. Of course, if they stopped having this show - I would stop watching TV.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Random is Good, right?

"Everybody makes mistakes once in a while. The trick is learning to live with it." - MacGyver

It's Sunday. I have a bunch of homework to finish, a lecture to finish preping, and a quiz to study for. So this will be one short blog (so that I have time to watch West Wing later). Did watch Batman Begins on dvd on Friday. Good movie - especially some of the humorous dialog. It gives it that "anti-movie-yet-we-all-know-it-is-a-movie" feel to it. Ok, that sounded a lot better in my head...

Anyway, links:
Another good reason I am not from Michigan

In to computers and history? This is the festival for you.

Funny comic

Friday, October 21, 2005

Umm...was I suppose to be surprised by this?

"Game Developers Are White, Male" - I am so not surprised that 88.5% of the game developers of male and frankly I really can't think of anyone who would be. Have they looked at the statistics of male/females in computer science recently? Of course, I think you would get similar (but not as high) of results if you looked at other parts of computer science...but that is just my thoughts on the subject.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon

"When you're finished changing, you're finished." -- Benjamin Franklin

Moooo: "Newest Bluetooth Gadget: Cows"

Just when you thought you had it all figured out - turns out you don't ("Craters in Planets and Moons Not What They Seemed")

This just had a cool but weird factor to it: "Time Machine: Will a clock that works flawlessly for 10,000 years become the greatest wonder of the world?"

Wednesday Crispness Brings Fall

"Another day, a whole 'nother set of fresh possibilities . . . I'm a sucker for mornings." - MacGyver

The evenings are getting darker and colder. Cold in a good way. During the day it is in the 70s, but there is a good amount of wind. You can feel fall in the area. Halloween approaches and stores start selling Christmas decorations. Yep, right next to the Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff. It is a little weird when you are at the store. One section of orange and black, another of fall colors, and then several of red and green. Looks like gold is a big accent color this year. Personally, I like silver. It makes me think of snow. Yeah, I have no idea why silver makes me think of snow - but it does.

Anyway, here are some links you might find interesting (and then again maybe you won't):
"Free American broadband!"

Felt I had to post a link: "Professor says today's vampires are more about style than gore"

What is one step past crazy? ("How Katie put the science back into songwriting") - this is a joke - right?

Monday, October 17, 2005

So I Went to the Store...

"Brace yourself. This could be fun." - MacGyver

Before heading back to school I stopped by the mall for lunch and to use a coupon I had received in the mail. Now, I went into this store to get my free item (no purchase necessary). Of course the salesperson could hardly believe I was only there to redeem my coupon. So then I go to "check out" and the same salesperson tries to talk me into getting a credit card for the store. I hate to break it do these people I only shop there when I have a coupon. Why? Because the stuff is expensive and not that good.

I have no idea why I am even mention this here. I guess it was the only thing semi-interesting I could come up with to write about here. I spent my weekend trying to get my homework done, get midterms grades, and do lecture prep. Sounds exciting does it? Oh and I sleep a lot. I think I might have finally caught up a little. I think I need to cut back on the caffine - seriously. Well, I better get to studying for my quiz this evening.

Some news articles - which you might be interested in (but probably alredy read):
Wow - "Plasma pencil kills germs"

A must read on-line comic.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

News 'n Stuff

"The great thing about a map is that it gets you in and out of places in a lot of different ways." - MacGyver (MacGyver)

It's funny the stuff that runs through your mind when you sit down to write a blog. However, the bigger question is how most of it disappears when you actually start writing the blog and you realize you can't really thing of anything to write. So you end up writing a bunch of rambles about writing a blog. Talk about irony. So now you are reading my rambles. The interesting part over the whole thing - I now have a nice written blog for today. Alright, lets move on...

Some links (you might enjoy):
"The World’s Smallest Fountain Pen?"

"IBM Research turns 60"

"Atoms Under Control"

Sunday, October 9, 2005

10 Minute Break...

and then back to 'Gone Studying'

I saw these two articles that I felt I had to post links to:

"A History of Apple's Lisa, 1979-1986" (and how it changed computers forever)

"Nanotechnology catches on at Ford"

I did take an hour off to watch The West Wing which I thought was a very good show (just not as funny as last week). The previews for next week looked interesting - it so can't be CJ who leaked the information.

Back to being: 'Gone Studying'

'Gone Studying'

"Its not about the actual fish, themselves. Fish are not important in this context, its about FISHING, the act of fishing itself." - Jack O'Neill (Stargate SG-1)

I have a midterm in computer networks on Tuesday. (Not to mention giving my presentation on Friday). Therefore, I have gone off studying (sort of like 'gone fishing' only instead 'gone studying'). This, of course, gets me in the over explaining everything mode - which you have already seen in this short blog. So, lets move on.

Looking for something funny to read? Here read this comic.

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

"High" by James Blunt

"Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me." - Lyrics from High by James Blunt

This week iTunes is offering High by James Blunt (warning the splash page has music) as a free download. Anyway, the song has been added to my list of songs I will listen to repeatively. (In other words, go download it - I highly recommend it). It's not your everyday song sound. OK, so maybe that explaination really didn't make much sense to you, but it made perfect sense to me.

Listen to the song and form your own opinion of it. Isn't that the cool part about music? You could quiz a dozen people what they thought of a song and you would probably get many different responses. Music seems to mean a totally different thing to different people. One little piece of music can have so much meaning. It simply boggles the mind - well my mind that is.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

"Dolphins sing 'Batman' theme"

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. " - Joe Fox (You're Got Mail)

Isn't science a wonderful thing? "Dolphins sing 'Batman' theme". I really don't have time to write a whole blog - but for some reason I felt I should post this link. It seemed to fit in to the nature of my blog.

On a complete side note: Last week Thursday I was wearing a sweater and it was crisp outside. Monday I was wearing short sleeve shirts because it was around 87 out! Today it was in the low 80's. Tomorrow it is suppose to be 82 and Thursday they think it is going to be 63. They are predicting a 20 degree drop?!? What is it with the weather? Or maybe it is just Michigan. Michigan always had wacky weather.

Well I better get back to studying. So much to do and only so many hours during the day to do it. It is October already! I can't believe it. September went flying by and the holiday's are just around the corner.

Monday, October 3, 2005

Why I don't Claim to be from Michigan

"I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time." - Charles M. Schultz

Which is true - I wasn't born in Michigan. So I am really not from Michigan, I consider this to be a temporary location. Anyway, moving on to my point...

Saw this article on Slashdot regarding the Michigan SB 0416 bill. It's that bill regarding those violate video games (if you were wondering). No I am not agreeing that it's a good (or bad) idea. I just don't think it is going to make any difference what-so-ever. But that's just my opinion. Anyway, the article is well written and I think is worth a read.

Well, I have to end this here and get back to studying for a possible quiz in my class this evening. Ugh.

Sunday, October 2, 2005

Huh

Everyone once in a while I check on CMB (game for the gameboy advance) over on SourceForge. I haven't been in a while - but I decided to take a peek at the stats. Interestingly, we have had a bit of traffic recently. I wonder if the guys realize that...or maybe I am the only one of us who ever looks at that site anymore.

Moving on...

Watched The West Wing this evening. It's the only TV show I have left to watch. Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Battlestar aren't showing new episodes until January. Anyway, back to The West Wing. It was a good show - they brought back the funny part (which they were missing a little bit at the end of last season). Of course it makes one wonder about real campaigns...

Saturday, October 1, 2005

Saturday Fun

"I like nonsense -- it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope... and that enables you to laugh at all of life's realities." - Dr. Seuss

"Google offers S.F. Wi-Fi -- for free" - wow.


"Kodak Ships Computer-Free Wireless Camera" - again wow.

This article really makes you think: "Did Rising Oxygen Levels Fuel Mammal Evolution?"

Well, I should get back to working on all of my homework. By the way have you taken a look at the movie site for Elizabethtown? If you haven't you should.

Friday, September 30, 2005

What is it exactly?

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." - Charles M. Schultz

The latest concept car from Nissan appears to be egg in shape and makes getting out of parking spaces easier.

For laughs read: "Did you say dogging or blogging? Brits confused"

Thursday, September 29, 2005

"Its always something"

"My father always used to say, it's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another" - Gilda Radner

Today is Thursday - which means lab day. Or as I like to thing of it - disaster class day. My day started very nicely. I slept in and got up shortly after 9:30 am. (OK, so really I got up closer to 10, but that is not the point). I eat a small snack for lunch and watch MacGyver (it's a pretty funny show). I loaded up my car for going to my parents over the weekend. It was so nice outside - peaceful and the air had a crispness of fall. It was colder today then it had been (the high today is 62) and there was a gental breeze. I enjoyed my nice day - until (play scary music here) lab!!!

Well, I better end this and review for my computer network quiz at 5:30. I have to look at DNS stuff, IP addresses, network layers, and email protocols. I think I got the main ideas, but I always like to review right before the quiz. Get it fresh in my mind and all that. Hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy the fall.

Cost Cutting

A friend of mine Ken posted a link about Georgia schools having 2 days less days in order to save gas.

This struck me as pretty funny? Why do you ask? Because on Tuesday Western Michigan altered their schedule by 1 week. It is stated that: "with recent national events expected to lead to substantial increases in winter energy costs, Western Michigan University's administration and faculty agreed Sept. 26 to implement changes to the 2005-06 academic calendar designed to curtail those increases."

So WMU will start 1 week later, end one week later, and all that. However, they didn't alter the Spring Break week. I have no complaints - an extra week in January means less driving in the snow time. It will also give me longer to catch up on sleep (and shopping). I found it funny that they changed the calender in the middle of the year. Universities are usually so slow to change and then every once in a while they surprise you - like with this whole pushing back the calender by 1 week thing.

When it Rains, It Pours

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." - Roger Miller

I think Kalamazoo is going to wash away. No really. Don't laugh (to hard). It has been raining since 6:17 P.M. How do I know the exact time it started raining? I was on my way home from class when it began. It has been raining ever since. Around midnight it showed into a lighter drizzle, but it is now back to a what I consider a medium rain. I can hear the rain falling off the roof, which is a sound I find very soothing. I like when it rains. I like watching the rain falling down hitting the pavement and bouncing ever so slightly. OK, I am weird but everyone already knew that.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Funny thing happened to me...

Quote from Stargate SG-1:
Jack O'Neill: So what's your impression of Alar?
Teal'c: That he is concealing something.
Jack O'Neill: Like what?
Teal'c: I am unsure - he is concealing it.

On my way to office hours I was driving behind this weird SUV thing. Anyway, they had a "hidden hatch". How do I know they had a "hidden hatch"? Because it stated so - in three places. Now wouldn't you think if you wanted a "hidden hatch" for your car you would want it like I don't know - hidden?

This was on my mind my whole drive to school (which is like 5 minutes tops so I didn't think about it that long). Then I got this great idea to write about it in my blog. Why? I have no idea. I am guessing you really don't even care. (But that doesn't stop me from telling you about it did it? hehe).

So I am hanging out at my office hours. No one has come to see me. I have working on review problems/questions for my class (CS 1060 - Intro VB programming) for next Tuesday. I had finished the review sheet for my students on Monday. So, anyway, I was making up these problems and qustions for the review and yikes. I remembered when I took intro programming and thought these problems were difficult. It was an odd realization - but in a cool way.

Anyway, I better get back to my actual "work". Hope you are all well and having fun.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Google-y

"I have always wished for a computer that would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish came true. I no longer know how to use my telephone." - Bjarne Stronstrup

Google Turns 7. You can also read all about Google's history.

Google just might be getting a little competition ("MSN takes on Google AdWords"). I swear some people have no original thoughts of their own.

Monday, September 26, 2005

"Don Adams of 'Get Smart' Dies at 82"

Very sad news.

Better GPS

"GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch". You can read all about the actual launch here.

So it's Monday again - back to the ... well school stuff I guess is the best way of putting it. I am here holding "office hours" - but I am highly doubting anyone is going to come (well at least not in the first 10 minutes). Assignment #1 is due this evening and I figured it would be good to hold a few extra office hours for those last minute questions. This way I can cancel a few hours in October before I present my project (see BGSU's CS calander for date and topic).

Hmm...I think it might be time to pick up some lunch. The only thing I brought from my apartment was an orange. (I think it was actually a clementine but still...)

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Well, Spam Comments

I had to turn word verification on for the comment sections because it appears that I am getting comment spam. Yikes. I am surprised that anyone found it - let along want to spam it. Wacky.

Hurricanes and Global Warming

It appears that some believe there is link between more hurricanes and global warming. However, as the article points out - it might not have any correlation what-so-ever: "One problem is that not all of those answers exist. Another problem is that some scientists - not to mention lobby groups, environmental organisations, politicians, newspapers and commentators - will go much further in their public statements than the data allow."

Other unrelated stuff:

Reasons we all laugh about the wacky stuff on the Internet: Number 184. No comment.

Watch out for those squirrels, you never know what they might be planning next.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Favorite Song of the Week: "Dreams"

According to my iTunes play count I have listened to "Dreams" by The Cranberries 233 times since I downloaded it Tuesday night. The counter would probabily be higher, except I am still listening to "Ice Cream". Anyway, moving on...

Have a bit of homework to do this weekend. I have been busy getting ready for class on Tuesday. I am covering reading a file in Visual Basic, input boxes, message boxes, and output this week. I am also beginning review (they have an exam in three weeks). Funny, I am giving my class an exam on the same week as my presentation. I have working on writing up a review sheet for the exam - give them a place to start.

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding "Dim" in Visual Basic. It is a difficult to explain "optional" to a bunch of new programmers. Dim in visual basic is used to "declare" variables. However, it is not a requirement of the language (unless you state so using Option Explicit which we haven't covered yet). To make things even more interesting I program in a very different style then the other grad student I am teaching with. OK, so I know that none of you are surprised by this - but the students in the class find this (at times) confussing. I am some what of a "if it works its good" type where the other grad student programs in a very structured manner.

The horrible part - I didn't realized that this was a issue until I was helping people in the lab on Thursday and a student mentioned that the other grad student's code looked totally different than my examples in class. I just hadn't even thought about it. I am use to working with several people who code differently from me and the thought hadn't even crossed my mind in the least. So I went and change all my examples for Tuesday lecture on Friday afternoon. Then I realized that I didn't want to because that was going to compound the problem. I decided it would be way better to show them that both parts of the code of equal. Now if I could just figure out a way to make strings clearer to the class... well I have until Tuesday morning to figure something out. I already tried by example (in lecture and part of the homework). Maybe if I just explain it again and use another example. Anyway, enough about my class.

Some links:

Noooooo......"Palm to unveil cell phone with Microsoft software" (everything is becoming Microsofted...grumble, grumble)

I saw this ("Top 50 Science Fiction TV shows") over on Slashdot.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

I Still Don't "Get It"

"Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one. It got on at 42nd, and off at 59th, where, I assume it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake - as almost all hats are." - Kathleen Kelly (You've Got Mail)

So I have decided that today is "funny link" day. That's right. So sit back and let your mouse do all the work:

Hey, I just post the links. I don't force you to click on the links. If I could figure out how to do that then I would.... Anyway, moving on....

"One product more than any other has overwhelmed the relief effort: pet food".

Walk your elephant everyday - or buy him a treadmill

It's for the birds

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Sometimes, I Just Don't Get It

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino. " - Joe Fox (You've Got Mail)

It is Wednesday. The middle of the week. The time when I begin to breath and sleep again. The first part of the week I always feel behind - like there are twenty things I should have done over the weekend and didn't, twenty more things that professors have assigned for me todo in those last two days, and on top of that I have to give a lecture to about 60 students on Tuesdays. By Wednesday I have finished up the work, I have given my lecture, prepared the next lecture, and have already started on all the new stuff. So like I said, it is the time during the week where I start sleeping again.

Of course, this time during the week I always start feeling insightful and really I am just rambling. Like this whole blog - one long ramble written by me which has probably some sort of reading audiance of like 5 whole people. That's the part you really don't know isn't it? I place my blog out here on the Internet where anyone can see it, but how many people actually read it? I am still guess about 5. Of course, I am always hoping I am wrong. OK, I am guessing this is all of my rambling you can tolerate for one day. Now on to the part you came for:

"Nature gives a lesson in armor design"

"The Free Standards Group has released its third version of the Linux Standard Base"

For the extremely busy, yet religious type

"Challenging the World's Largest Computing Grid"

I feel so much better knowing they did a whole study on this (I am of course being as sarcastic as one can possibly be in a blog)

"Most of the city may be without clean drinking water, but US coffee chain Starbucks has still managed to reopen its first outlet in New Orleans since the city was pounded by Hurricane Katrina".

Monday, September 19, 2005

Yes, it will fix anything

I always have a large supply when I start any new programming assignment.


I am back at school after a lovely weekend at home. It is the beginning of apple season in Michigan, which also marks the beginning of cinnamon donut season! Yummy. Apples are OK, but really I like the donuts.

Anyway, I have to get to class soon. Both of my classes are in the evening and I teach in the early afternoon which works really well for me. I don't have to get up early and I can have my office hours in the afternoon (before my evening classes). Tomorrow I give my fourth lecture for CS1060. Ducky.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

One Small Step...

"NASA to replace shuttle" - it appears that NASA has been working on big things, a new spacecraft. Wow.

Of course, this ("Purdue scientists treat cancer with RNA nanotechnology") sounds like something out of Star Trek. It is really ducky, but it really sounds like the plot line for a Sci-Fi show.

Speaking of Sci-Fi shows - I did watch the 2 episodes on Friday and thought they were just excellent. Was it just me of was it very "old style" Stargate SG-1? If you don't understand that last statement - never mind. I also watched this weeks Battlestar Galactica and the preview for next week's (Summer Finale) episode. Of course, I thought it was amusing that Beau Bridges is on Stargate SG-1 and is the son of Lloyd Bridges who appeared in a couple of episodes of the original Battlestar. If you ware wondering why I mentioned this watch the preview for next weeks episode of Battlestar Galactica.

Well, back to all that homework I have piled up...

Friday, September 16, 2005

Hackers and Legos

"When Lego executives recently discovered that adult fans of the iconic plastic bricks had hacked one of the company's new development tools for digital designers, they did a surprising thing: They cheered". (Very ducky article).

Still listening to the song "Ice Cream" (and I am up to a play count of 390 - wait 391). I have to have something to listen to while I do homework, prep for CS1060 lectures, hangout at for my office hours, and checking my email. Hope you have a fab weekend. I better get back to making Visual Basic example for my lecture on Tuesday (currently teaching numbers and strings) - fun stuff. Anyway, have a good weekend!

Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Nose Knows...

"Researchers Create DNA-Based Sensors for Nano-Tongues and Nano-Noses". Applications? "domestic security to medical detectors". Interesting - never interesting. What will they think of next?

Ice Cream

This weeks song obsession: Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan. Why? I have no idea but I can tell you that I have listened to it 281 times since Tuesday night. (Gotta love iTunes 'Play Count').

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

New Stuff

"Fix this, would you please? There's a story out there we're obstructing justice, and another -- we're like in a Ray Bradbury yarn. These things make me crazy." - Leo (The West Wing)

Microsoft has a new product: Microsoft® Expression. What is it? It is a bunch of "tools for the design and production of enhanced user experiences and rich content for the Web and Windows Vista(TM) platform". Yikes - it does what again?

Now you can search for blogs on Blogger. Ducky. Of course, I know where my blog is and don't find it that useful. But still - it might be handy and some point.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Death by Hard Drive...

Sounds like some sort of mystery novel.

Anyway, the point is "Samsung predicts death of hard drive". They have created a 16Gbit NAND chip. This little chip contains 16.4 billion transistors. Yikes. If this becomes true we will not only learn Moorse's law, but Samsung's NAND law as well (i.e., "doubling every 12 months"). OK, so not so funny now that I write it. Oh well.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Funny Comic

I just had to post a link to this comic because of how funny I thought it was.

Well, I have to get back to homework and coding in Visual Basic. I have figured out two examples to do during my lecture on Tuesday. Hopefully, I will have time for both. Also, I have a project proposel (for my computer networking) course to write. Oh and I am also writing the use case descriptions (for my class on software requirement anaylsis) for Monday. I heard we are making a sequence diagram next...

I love grad school! (no I am not being sarcastic). This stuff is fun. Plus, teaching is a blast. Happy weekend!

Thursday, September 8, 2005

iPod nano

The newest member of the iPod family: the iPod nano. It only weights 1.5 ounces and it has a color display. Ducky.

Apple also announced the the the first mobile phone with iTunes. It works with a Motorola ROKR phone. You get the phone from Cingular Wireless.

Well, I better get back to work. Lots to do. If I don't post again, have a nice weekend! Enjoy the warmer weather while it lasts.

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Manic Wednesday

Just got my cable installed in my apartment. Now I surf the web and check email at my apartment. Not being able to do so was starting to become a pain. Next I need to set up my router and I am all set. Of course, I have a router, but I never used it in BG. It wasn't wireless or anything - maybe that was why. Anyway...

Found the following. Maybe you will find it interesting:
"Tiny computers go where no computer has gone before"

Well, I am off to have office hours (i.e., sit around and doing other work). Then I have class this evening. We are working on UML case diagrams (and descriptions) at the moment. Yep, a software engineering course. The assignment (due today) for the class had me a little confussed - I hope I did the right thing...<::sigh::>

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Space the final frontier...

to boldy go where no one has gone before...and all that jazz...

Today's blog is all about Space news. Hope you find something you enjoy!

"Phoenix Mars Lander: Strong Arming The Red Planet "

"Starbirth Reconsidered"

"Space Penguin could hop around moon to explore"

"Only Minor Damage at Fuel Tank Plant"

"Making the Universe Shake"

I actually wrote most of this blog on Wednesday, but I couldn't post it. So it has become my Thursday blog. Hope everyone has a happy weekend! I know I am going to - I get a nice 4 day weekend to relax and do homework. Yes, doing homework is going to fun. I have to make this UML diagram for Wednesday. Anyway, I won't bore you with the details.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

CS1060

The fact that I am teaching becomes a reality when there is a website. Of course, this is a very plain website. I figured it would suffice for what I need. I think this is one of the plainest website I have done in the longest time.

Anyway, don't laugh at it. OK, don't laugh to hard that you fall out of your chair or anything ;-)

Assorted Rambles...

"A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn't even know existed can render your own computer unusable." - Leslie Lamport

Here are some links you just might enjoy, but you don't have to take my word for it:

"Five reasons NOT to use Linux"

"Unique Polymer Coating - Made of Silica Nanoparticles Eliminates Fogging"

The internet has a little bit of everything and I mean that in the most sarcastic way.

"Kangaroo stays a jump ahead in Germany"

Monday, August 29, 2005

I'm Here...Well Maybe

I just wanted to thank everyone who sent me emails and best wishes regarding grad school. I will email you back as soon as things calm down. In the last week the following events have occured:
1. I got accepted into Western Michigan's PhD program
2. I find out that I am joint teaching a class (CS 1060 introduction to Visual Basic)
3. I find out that CS 1060 has 60 students and I am doing the lectures
4. I find in two days
5. I move into new apartment (and hope to finish unpacking soon)
6. I wrote my class syllabus, figured out my lecture schedule, and did a ppt presentation for first lecture
7. Realized my new apartment is nearly twice the size of my old apartment
8. Registered for classes
9. Had the admission department of new school ask me to send transcript from a university I never attended

OK, so I could make the list longer - but I won't. Anyway, be nicer to your professors. Do you know how much work they had to go through to prepare material for your classes? Of course, be even nicer to your graduate student instructors who had to but in all that effort and start their own classes.

Well, I have to get going. Lots of stuff I still need to do before the day is over. Hopefully, when I get internet for my apartment I can post regularly - or more often.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Complete Duckiness

"Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land" - Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

Monday was a great day! Why? I got accepted into a PhD program! I am starting at Western Michigan University next Monday. Of course, this Thursday I am going to orientation and apartment hunting. I am really excited about the whole thing. They are going to let me go ahead a start this semester even though I haven't completely finished my master's degree (but that is only 1 credit hour). Oh and I got an assistantship as well with the CS department (so close to free tuition). Could it get any better than that? I think not.

A couple of links, totally unrelated:
Google Desktop 2, an upgrade of Google Desktop Search, came out

"New Radar System Developed To Monitor Space Weather"

Well, I better get back to working on my project. Rough draft of the paper is completed. I have a little bit of data I need to run and see what that does, but I am seriously getting closer to being done. More duckiness. Happy Tuesday everyone! Thanks for reading my blog!

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Sunday News Bulletin

"The primary purpose of the DATA statement is to give names to constants; instead of referring to pi as 3.141592653589793 at every appearance, the variable PI can be given that value with a DATA statement and used instead of the longer form of the constant. This also simplifies modifying the program, should the value of pi change." - FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers

Happy weekend! Of course, I feel bad for all of you who start school on Monday/Tuesday. OK, let me be honest - I don't feel that bad ;-) Sorry. Of course, I might be around later in the week to drop off a rough draft of my paper (yep, still working on it - mostly because I am obsessive and insane). However, it is really wacky not taking classes. I sort of miss it actually. (Again, yes I am insane). I like taking new things and having new problems to work on. OK, so I think I will stop rambling about it before you all get mad at me for enjoying grad school. Here are the links I know you really came for:

"Spacewalkers Retrieve Radiation Monitor"

"Fine Fabric: New, fast way to make sheets of nanotubes"

Watch out for the squirrel because "the claws are very sharp"

I wanted to point of out this article specifically: "US women still face bias in science-report". I understand this is a problem - heck I was in engineering. The only problem I have with their suggestions - I have to hear "you are only in this area because you are female" comments. These comments arise because there are special "conscious efforts to recruit women" and then you are right back were you started. I don't know the solution. Actually, I am beginning to think there is no solution other then the passage of time. One day there will not be a need for these kinds of programs. Until then, women need to go into these fields and stay in these fields. Never give in - because that's how the "other people" win.

Friday, August 19, 2005

The Short Blog Strikes Back

"Sorry, I was - door was a little sticky. Did you see that? I'll get one of my boys up here with a can of WD-40." - Fred Kwan (Galaxy Quest)

Here is the sad sad truth: I have spent the last week or so working on my project. I spent the break inbetween semesters to work on my project of all things.

Here is the really good news: My presentation slides are 96% done. I have a rough draft of my paper. My paper is about twice as long as it needs to be. See I have 10 pages single spaced and the minimum is 10 pages double spaced. Of course, I view this as a very good thing. Anyway, I am excited. I can see a glowing light at the end of the tunnel...or maybe that is some weird sci-fi thing. Either way, the point is I am getting closer to being done! Ducky.

On a complete side note - you know at least a couple people visit your blog when you start getting "spam" comments.

Anyway, here are some links for you to take a look over:

Who Wants to Be a Scripting Guy? - my favorite quote from this page: "Trust us: the folks here at Microsoft wish you – or just about anybody else – had our jobs, too". Anyway, have fun.

"Viking ship built with 15 million ice cream sticks"

"Lions stalk little Smart cars in English big game park"

Have a fun weekend! See some of you in the up coming week when your back a school. (Insert evil laugh here).

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Face Down by Kate Todd Band

"Face Down" by Kate Todd Band is available via iTunes for free this week. I have a new song to listen to over and over again while working on my project. Anyway, it's a good song. No, I take that back it's a great song. Go listen to it on their site.

What are you still doing here? Go forth, listen to the song, and be merry ;-) And I will go back to working on my project presentation and paper... I need chocolate first. Yes, chocolate sounds really good right now or maybe one of those strawberry frozen fruit bars.

Monday, August 15, 2005

10 Ways to Know...

10 Ways to Know You are Working to Hard on Your Project

1. Any time some asks "How are you?" You give them the status of your project

2. Your "To-Do-After-My-Project-Is-Done" List has more than 10 items on it

3. You have a "To-Do-After-My-Project-Is-Done" List

4. Some piece of computer equipment vital to your project has decided not to work anymore

5. Printing off papers, slides, and collected data has caused you to change the ink cartridge in your printer (possibly more than once)

6. You have started to consider take-out pizza and candy bars as "finer dining"

7. You cut your caffine in-take in half back in May - but you are now back to your original amount

8. You leave to go to lunch with your parents on Sunday you realize it is the first time you have been out of the house in at least 48 hours

9. You consider more than 4.5 hours of sleep a really good night

10. You write a list of "10 Ways to Know You are Working to Hard on Your Project" and think it is funny

Nope, not done with my project yet. Thought of this list on my drive up to BG. Wrote the list waiting to meet with my project advisor. Back to my 10 page (minimum) paper.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Today's Blog? All Wacky New

I fixed the link from yesterday's blog. (Thanks Ken for pointing it out).

Today's blog will be about wacky and funny news stories. Why? I have no idea. I guess it just seemed like a good idea. Plus, I have to get back to working on my presenation and paper for my project. I just keep repeating to myself - "two more weeks, two more weeks". I am sure it will take me four weeks to actually get done, but I am trying to optimistic. So if you don't see many blog updates or have a difficult time getting a hold of me you know why. It would be a good guess that I have gone completely round the bend. I know I was already pretty far around...

Anyway were are some links you might find funny:
Is it really hacking if the school tapes the password to the back of the computer? You can also read about it here. Favorite part: "The administrative password that allowed students to reconfigure computers and obtain unrestricted internet access was easy to obtain. A shortened version of the school's street address, the password was taped to the backs of the computers".

Just a suggestion: Never try to steal cars on live TV unless you want to get arrested.

I guess he didn't see this coming.

Live near cows? Watch out! It could be dangerous.

Mice that surf.

It seems it just wasn't these criminal's day either.

"Police chase goat off beach". Maybe they wanted to learn how to surf?

You can also read all about the Second Annual Dress the Chicken Contest. It was a real crowd pleaser - it "drew an amused crowd of about 40 people beneath the beer tent".

Friday, August 12, 2005

"Mac Hacks Allow OS X on PCs"

OK, it's offical I have been working to much on my project! Someone had to point out this little news item to me. Just the thought of Mac OS X running on a PC is amazing.

Return of the Really Short Blog

"End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad." - Aughra (The Dark Crystal)

In the rare event I get to read I have started Sophie Kinsella's new book The Undomestic Goddess. So far it is really funny. To bad I don't have time to read more.

Here is a funny comic I thought you might enjoy.

Interesting news indeed - maybe I just might buy an Xbox after all ;-)

Alright, well I better get back to data collecting for my project since I want to watch Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar this evening. Hope you have a happy weekened. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Blog Gone Crazy

Edit: OK, so I started this blog and never finished/posted it. Opps. Well, better later than never.

Hello Again! I am being lazy. Well, I am being lazy about my blog. I have been spending a lot of time working on my project. Yes, my first week off from classes and I am actually doing work. What can I say? I am just a little bit wacky. OK, OK, I am a lot wacky. However, I want to get this project finished up! I want it to be done! So I have spent the last days running data, working on my slides, running more data, researching temporal difference (reinforcement learning), and running even more data. I have made so many print outs that I had to change the ink cartridge in my printer!

Anyway, here are some links:
"As Yoda might put it, 'Really a 'Star Wars' geek is he.'"

People will research anything won't they?

Monday, August 8, 2005

Can Monday's really be happy?

"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place. But believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact, be the first steps of a journey." - Violet Baudelaire (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Happy Monday! Can Monday's really be happy? Yes they can! Especially, when you realize you are done with taking classes (for my masters) and you just have to finish your project. I am collecting more data, working on my slides, and all that jazz. On a complete side note: Yes Chad I did watch Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Battlestar on Friday. I thought they were pretty good.

Spend the weekend moving back to Michigan (from Ohio). It only took 2 mini-van loads (excluding all the stuff I brought back earlier in the summer). I figured that wasn't too bad. I still have food (rice, pasta, etc) that I purchased with the remainer of food money from living in the dorms more than a year ago. How sad is that? Actually, do you think they make you buy too large of a meal plan? (Yes, I got the smallest one they offered).

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here are some links you might enjoy:

I was going to buy an Xbox, but now I am not sure. OK, so most likely I will still buy an Xbox but it isn't going to be nearly as exciting.

Guide for buying an inkjet printer (cough, cough).

"Schrodinger's cash" - interesting, most interesting read.

Really ducky: "Robot catcher grabs high speed projectiles"

"Tandem Ions May Lead the Way to Better Atomic Clocks"

I thought this was an interesting little article (by cnet.com): "Top 10 tech we miss"

By the way, according to this article, "Quantum information can be negative". "The discovery, that quantum knowledge can be negative was made by three researchers, Drs Michal Horodecki, Jonathan Oppenheim and Andreas Winter, of the Universities of Gdansk, Cambridge and Bristol." Wow.

Friday, August 5, 2005

Motorola Razrwire

Today I saw this (Motorola Razrwire) featured in the New York Times article "Hands-Free Calls and Music. Great. But What's That on Your Shades?"

So what is it you ask? It's "a small Bluetooth headset attached to a pair of Oakley sunglasses". This allows you to "connect wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled phones and music players". So what do you get for $250? "6 hours of talk time and 100 hours of standby". Ducky.

Of course, I am not going to get one or anything. I don't use the phone while driving and hardly ever while outdoors, but the concept is pretty cool. I just don't have that kind f need (and hope I never do). This is one of those "saw it, don't want to buy it, but felt I needed to blog about it" type things.

Happy Friday! (I am done with summer classes!!!) By the way, I have rescheduled my presentation - Friday, October 14, 2005, 3:30 PM Hayes 111. Well, that is the current plan anyway.

Thursday, August 4, 2005

Wow!

"...the law of large numbers says we gotta win one one of these days, right? Let's make it a good one" - Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

As of today, I have finished up the class work for my masters in computer science. Wow. It's so cool and yet a little wacky feeling. I still have to complete my project - but I have taken all the classes I need to graduate. OK, I take that back - it's a very wacky feeling, but in a good way.

This got me thinking about a lot of things. I started my masters in January of 2004 and now I am getting so close to the end. Maybe that is what got me thinking in the first place. I am also busy getting my stuff ready to move back home. I think my personal belongings expanded while I was living at school. Seriously, I don't remember having this much stuff :-) I have been taking home stuff I didn't need since summer began, but there is still a lot of stuff here. Tomorrow I plan on working to getting the rest of it home. Today I am packing a little, working on my slides for my project, and just relaxing. It has been a very busy 6 weeks, but I am pretty happy with it. (Of course, I am even happy that it is over).

But, I digress from my original point...oh wait I never had a point in the first place. OK, well here are some links I have been meaning to post and just hadn't gotten to yet. Also, a few I saw while looking for these. Hope you enjoy!

Apple Related News:
Microsoft Related News:
Other Stuff:

Chad sent me these links the other day and I thought I would share them with you (thanks Chad):
If you are grad student friends of mine then enjoy your 2 weeks between semesters else hope you are having a nice day!*

*OK, that was just sad. I have been doing way to much programming recently!

Oh Look, an Actual Blog...

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

I finally got around to actually writing a whole blog! OK, so I have my final today so I sort of put blogging on a back burner for this week. Anyway, I have finished the take home portion of this exam and figured I had a little time to throw a couple links up. Hope you enjoy:

A good read for any computer programmer

"The Eyes Of The Space Shuttle"

Anything that supports the idea of eating chocolate is healthy has my support.

"Masked robbers stole three worthless copies of pictures".

iTunes goes to Japan

This comic is very funny and so is this one.

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter

Bad Day by Daniel Powter is the free song being offered by iTunes this week. Excellent song! You can watch the video here if you are interested. This is one of those songs I will listen to over and over again.

Monday, August 1, 2005

Hair Ball Theorem

Nope, not kidding on this one.

You can amuse yourself with that until I have a chance to write up a real post. (Hopefully tomorrow, but no promises)

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Wandering Around...

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there" - Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)

Poor Microsoft: "Windows Genuine Advantage cracked" and it only took hackers a couple of days to do it.

How we know it is a slow news day: "Variety of big fish in oceans decline".

Space Related News:
"Cassini confirms a dynamic atmosphere at Saturn’s moon Enceladus"

"Ice Lake Found on Mars". However, "there is no convincing evidence for martian biology".

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog! Happy Sunday! (...not looking forward to tomorrow being Monday)

Saturday, July 30, 2005

"Empty Room"

Music to blog by: Empty Room by Marjorie Fair

Quote for today: "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Weekend! I actually had a chance to catch up with my sleep - I think I sleep like 9 hours or something. It was pretty ducky. Now I am trying to actually get some homework out of the way - take-home and my project slides. But I figured I would post a little blog entry for your reading pleasure.

On a complete side note: I have been listening to Empty Room by Marjorie Fair over and over again. I get that way with songs. I will listen to them over and over again. Next week it will be something different. Empty Room by Marjorie Fair was available last week from iTunes (one of those free downloads). I am tempted to purchase the whole CD.

News You Might Use:
Lost a planet? It is believed that a 10th planet has been located. It is located 9 billion miles away from the sun and larger than Pluto. Ducky.

HP and iPod are no longer going to work together.

Now, the US wants to mess with time. Favorite part of the article "The plan would simplify the world's timekeeping by making each day last exactly 24 hours. Right now, that's not always the case". Of course, the U.S. had proposed this in secret to the UN - so of course everyone and their dog knows about it.

Friday, July 29, 2005

The Da Vinci Code Movie

If you haven't been yet you should go to the The Da Vinci Code movie website. It takes a little bit to load, but it really ducky. The music in the background is ducky as well. You can check out what they have of a trailer here.

What are you waiting around here for? Go forth and see totally ducky stuff...

You've Got to Be Kidding

"I realize as an adult that not everyone shares my view of the world. And with an issue as hot as gun control, I'm prepared to accept a lot of different points of view as being perfectly valid. But we can all get together on the grenade launcher, right?" - Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

Hello! It's Friday - I don't have class today. I can stay home and work on the my last take-hone for the class. Ok, that's just sad how much of a "life" I don't have. Maybe one of these days I will - nay probably not. Anyway, I decided today's blog will be about odd or weird stuff. So enough rambling from me here are the links:

News:
Non-News:
Hope you enjoyed a link or two from above. Oh and I almost forgot - here is a link to a funny comic you might enjoy. Happy Weekend!