Laptops Replace textbooks.

This is the coolest implementation of Technology in schools that I have ever read. I makes me want to be a teacher again.


Click here to check it out

Stupid article. Sad Reality.

I read an article yesterday that proved to be no less than a joke. It was a survey that said that rich people are happier than poor people. Although I don't agree with the article, I found the article to be funny. Who does a poll like this anyways? In any case, I can't agree that rich people are happier than poor people. I don't think happiness comes from wealth or material things. The only advantage there might be with money is that you can use it to distract you from dealing with the real problems in your life. Its just another medium for filling an empty void that everybody has already. A void that can only be filled by God alone. However, what riches and wealth can do is destroy you and blind you from the reality that life does end and you can't take it with you.

Yet another Apple Commentary

I read yet another article discussing the new switch for Apple from IBM Procs to Intel Procs. What was interesting was the comment on Apple's motivation. Many were saying that it has to do with making Macs run faster in the future to be able to compete with the current trend in PC speed. But this article pointed out something really interesting they essential said (paraphrased) : "The reality is that what keeps people from buying a Mac is the cost and software availability. Apple's move to Intel has really not addressed either of these issues." He further goes on to explain that putting Intel Chips on proprietary Mac hardware really does nothing for costs of a Mac. And that even though the processor is now x86, it still requires new software to be re-written. This is an essential "back to the drawing board" for programmers. Unless all of the conspiracies about Steve Jobs wanting to create a PC version of the Mac OS are trye, then I don't think anybody is really sure where Apple is thinking of going with this. Right now it just looks like Apple has just changed it shoes, but is not really walking in any different directions.

The Beginning of the End?

Hines Ward needs to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.They can't afford to lose such a caliber player. Who cares if he wants more money? He's worth it. He knows it, the fans know it, and I'm sure the team and owners know it. If they blow this one, they might be staring at another 6-10 season again. What is worse than not having Hines Ward on the team is the thought of him on another rival team, like the Baltimore Ravens. Good grief!! Somebody work this out before its too late!!!!!

How LOW can you go?

I just read an article talking about a neat back to school deal where you can buy a computer from curcuit city for as little as 199.99. It comes with a free 17 CRT Monitor and printer. The catch? You have to sign up for a whole year of AOL service.

It seems that AOL is becoming desperate for promoting their service and software. I mean, just by the fact that you get bombarded every month with at least one or two promotions from them in the mail, plus you get ads on tv. And if you buy any kind of new software, it always seems that AOL is weasleing their way onto your desktop with icons and offers. And now to take the cake they corner you into deals of signing up for their service for a full year in order to get a new computer that is probably LOADED with AOL software. Come on, AOL! Give it up. Your marketing strategy is doomed to annoy and not to gain customers. The world of customers that needs your type of help and support is waning by the day.

I once bought a PC and the person who sold it to me told me that I HAD to sign up for the 6 months of free AOL even though I didn't want it or need it. I told him that I didn't want to, and he told me that he couldn't give me the "best" deal unless I did. I remember cancelling that trial service with AOL (like the same day) and after the usual harassments from them about why I should want their service, I told the rep about being forced to sign up for it. They were surprised that a store would do that. Why? Their company does it all the time! Go figure.

A New Name for Windows

The news of the recent name for the new Operating System soon to be released by Microsoft has had mixed reactions. The new name, formerly known by its codename "Longhorn" will be Windows Vista. As we've seen in the past, Microsoft rarely takes to continuing any sort of naming scheme that makes sense. Look at the list: Win 2.0, Win 3.1, Win 95, Win 98, Win 98 Second Edition, Win NT, Win Millenium Edition, Win 2000, Win XP, and now Win Vista. If you can see any sort of rational pattern in that, let me know. Anyways, I have some ideas that I've come up with or seen others suggest that might perhaps be a better name for the new Operating System from Microsoft:

1. Windows Contaminated
2. Windows Security Vulnerability Edition
3. Windows Patches
4. Windows OS X Elephant
5. Windows Two-Thousand-Something
6. Windows Crash
7. Windows Shiny Blue
8. Windows Virus Lovers Edition
9. Windows Limited Support Edition
10. Windows Service Pack Collector's Edition

Got any more ideas for names? Feel free to add a few.

The Danger of Babies

Two days ago I was giving my 19 pound 11 month old baby girl a bath when, as I lifted her out of the tub, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my lower back immobilizing me temporarily. Several minutes later, I would foolishly attempt to something of considerably less weight only to make things altogether worse for me. The pain was so bad I couldn't move. The only two positions I could tolerate were standing or lying down. As I write this blog, the pain still exists to a point where I find that I can only tie my shoes or put on socks with the accompanied severe pain surging through my lower back. Despite the fact that I'm a 28 year old guy complaining about back aches due to the stress of lifting 19 pounds, what was even more humorous was the look on my daughter's face as I screamed out in pain during that initial injury. She had this, "Uh, Dad? Are you okay?" look on her face. All of this is written to warn those of you who don't suspect it. Babies are dangerous. So if you're considering having any children, just keep that in mind. And I suspect that the more children you have, the more maimed and injured you will become. Just a word of caution.

Making the World a Better Place

I was listening to a quote from an astronaut today, talking about the launching of the space shuttle. The news was that the shuttle launch was delayed due to repairs, etc. What struck me was how he mentioned that they were eager to get back to doing their jobs and "making the world a better place". Excuse me? So, sending an astronaut into outer space to examine rocks and study radio waves is going to someday prevent massacres in Kenya, and feed the starving in India, and save unborn children from being aborted? Maybe it will stop the terrorist attacks? Nah. None of that. But perhaps they might find a new moon rock that could prove that the moon used to be a part of the Earth or something. And then maybe I can take that moon rock and throw it at their head. Sorry, call me when your billions of dollars in expenses pay for themselves or for things a little bit more crucial saving lives and promoting peace.

Shut it off!!!

I was reading an interesting article discussing The PCTurnoff initiative which is being promoted for the week of August 1st through 7th. The plan is to keep kids from spending their entire summer in front of a computer screen and promoting them to do something most kids don't do much these days: Play. The site leads to a few articles and facts of interest on the benefits of play.
This article discusses the benefits and rewards of play for children. I totally agree with this. As a child, I remember spending a lot of time playing with my friends and my brothers in our neighborhood. Exploring woods, playing football, baseball, climbing trees, etc. Those are things that I remember and wouldn't trade for anything. Some of our kids today will be spending most of their adult lives in a cubicle in front of a computer screen. Why start them early? Why create a social and interactive culture that grows only via the internet? Get em' out there! Let them play? Un-plug that computer!!!

Pathetic

Some people have no line as to what they will do for money.

This story is yet another example.

News and Rants

This morning the nation learned that NY City will NOT be hosting the 2012 Olympic games. It appears that a recent poll of New Yorkers has revealed more of a sigh of relief. Now they won't have to deal with epic porportions of gridlock traffic, and serious security lock-down issues. From what most people are saying, despite its grandeur in the past, the Olympics don't quite have the appeal to Americans as it used to. Reasons being that now, without a cold-war, we no longer have a big rivalry with Russia, and that most of the major sports in the olympics are not as big in the U.S., as they are in the rest of the World. They say that for most other countries, the Olympic celebration lasts for weeks. Its a grandeur sporting event. For Americans, its little more than a two-week entertainment venue.

NFL training camp for the 2005 season begins in about a month. I can't wait. Baseball season just drags out too long to keep my interests, and golf just isn't a sport most people can follow week by week. BRING ON THE FOOTBALL!!!

I'm going to start riding my bike again. I'm going to try and commit to a plan of getting up every morning at 5am and biking two miles around my neighborhood. If I somehow find the willpower to do this, two things will happen for my benefit: 1. I'll lose weight, which is something I've been wanting to do for the past 2 years. 2. I'll start my day with some exercise, which is sorely needed. I sit all day long at work as a programmer.

Our out of control technological age

Today I received a forwarded article from a friend discussing the topic of downloading songs onto cell phones. To be honest, I'm usually a proponent of new technology. I like how technology has helped us to enhance communications with one another, and get us information at a faster rate. But as usual society continues to take things as far as they can go, even if it borders on the stupid. Having a cell phone is a nice luxury. Some would say that it our current day, it is a necessity. No way. Unless you have a job that requires you to travel often, you'r not going to suffer without one. I mean, think back 20 years ago (if you can). We weren't using mobile phones. People were happy, things were getting done. It all worked. So now the cell phone comes along and enhances communication and adds to our luxurious lifestyle as Americans. So now what? Let's add video games, streaming tv shows, music downloads, and e-mail and Instant Messenger to the phone because God-forbid that we would actually use it to CALL somebody. Who has the kind of life where they need a phone to watch the next batman movie trailer? Seriously. The fat, spoiled american thinks, "Man, it would be so great if I could cram every sort of entertainment media onto my cell phone so that I can go anywhere in the world and block out any sort of human interaction. Where's the line?

Lancaster Baseball

I finally got the opportunity to go to a Lancaster Barnstormers Baseball game last night. What was interesting was the comparison to a major league game. Surprisingly, things are run very similar to Major League games in terms of the typical fan activities and interaction of the music, organ, etc. It seemed like there was a fan contest every half-inning, which got old after a while. The game pace seemed to go by a lot quicker. There was not much time in between batters, or pitches. The pitchers threw between 77 - 90mph, which is still pretty darn fast. Another thing that clearly stuck out was how the small the players were. There was one guy for the Barnstormers who was a former Major League player for the Orioles. He was HUGE compared with his teamates and even guys on the other team. It kind of reminds me of a comment I once heard about when the Yankees played the Pirates, and how the Yankees looked like giants next to the Pirate players. Overall, I'd say the Barnstormer's game was a neat experience. Baseball is so much more interesting to watch when you're there, as opposed to watching it on tv and falling asleep to the drone of tv announcers.

NBA Finals Game 7

Surprisingly, the Spurs pulled it off. I actually stayed up until 12am to watch the whole thing. To my satisfaction, it was a very good game between the two of them. You really didn't have any idea who was going to win the match until the final 20 seconds of the match. The game was so close. I would have to say that I would have given Manu the MVP for such an awesome performance. But then again, MVP doesn't have anything to do with awesome performances, but your value to the team. Certainly, Tim Duncan was that.

Browser Fairness and the NBA Finals.

This article just goes to show you exactly why you can't trust any windows product these days for total security. But what really gets me is this quote: "Firefox security is an ongoing process."

Now we know that if Microsoft said something to the effect of "Internet Explorer security is an ongoing process", they would easily get butchered by their critics. I all fairness, we need to approach security in any windows application as an "ongoing process". Right now, everything is a target and browsers have proven to be one of the more lucrative ways for thieves to take advantage of users.

In other news, it seems Detroit has pulled up even against the Spurs again in the series. With what I've seen of the lackluster performance of Tim Duncan, and the terrible shooting from the field for the whole team (They took 28 3-pointers last night and made only 8), I don't see any reason why they deserve to win game 7. Detroit has seemed to play with more consistency over the whole series, and they look much more like a team to hold the credibility of another NBA Championship. Sorry, San Antionio, but unless you guys start playing up to your potential, there's no chance you're gonna win this one Thursday night.

With Just a HINT of jealousy

This article makes me laugh. I've used Opera before with very paltry results. I wasn't impressed at all. The interface is overkill, and the ads are annoying to say the least. And they actually want you to pay for the browser to get rid of the ads? Sorry, but I'd rather have IE and pay for a 3rd party browser security software. Then I get the security I want as well as the compatibility. Or wait, better yet, I'll use Firefox, get no ads, get no spyware, and pay nothing at all! Sounds like a better deal to me. :-)

The NBA Finals (Game 5)

I got home late, and thought: "Bummer, I'm missing Game 5". But then something in my brain said, "Remember the last couple of games? They were crap. Just go to bed." and so I did. Then I woke up this morning and got the highlights, just to find out that the game went great with overtime play and a win by 1 point. Of course, at first I thought: "Darn, I missed a good game." But then I realized something: I will probably miss any of the games that are good. They all go way later than I am willing to stay up, so I'll probably never see the end of any of them. Thank whoever planned the schedule on that one. Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm sure life won't be any different if I see the games or not. So let this be my last entry on the NBA for the season, unless I somehow mistakenly catch a game this week.

The San Antionio Bricklayers (NBA Finals Part 4)

I have to agree with what I heard today: This is a good series, but bad games. Let's hope it keeps up. I can't believe what I saw last night though. San Antonio got schlacked by Detroit. It didn't even look like they were a pro team against Detroit. They shot 37%, and from what it appeared, they had no idea how to defend against Detroit whatsoever. It was sad. I'm kind of rooting for San Antonio, just because I like their humble approach to the game. However, if they continue to play this terribly they certainly don't deserve to win. Detroit clearly dominated last night from what I saw. Larry Brown said that it was the best any of his teams have ever played in his 33 years of coaching. I think San Antonio helped out with that one. I also found out that when they say the game starts at 8:30pm, it really means that it starts about 9:15pm.

Do we really need another one?

This article kind of annoyed me. Do we really need another web browser? I mean, what's wrong with what we have? Unless Yahoo or Google can come up with some nifty browsing features not yet discovered or invented, I'm doubting they will go very far. Of course, its pretty likely that they would build in their own website features into the browser to make it more appealing. The only interesting thing that might draw my attention is that I do use a lot of Yahoo's current content for e-mailing, etc. Still, my message to both Google and Yahoo and in quoting one of my favorite movies, "Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here."

In other news, all that I can say about this article:
Mac-Intel Aftermath is WOW! If this prediction turns out to be true, then this guy is a genius and we should elect him president.

NBA Finals (part 3)

Now that curiosity has the best of me, I think I might be watching a little of every game. Not because I like the NBA, but because I want Detroit to go down in flames. Last night I caught the the first half of game 3 and to my dismay, it seems Detroit has finally showed up to play basketball. Even Ben Wallace proved that he plays on the the team last night with some impressive first-half stats. San Antionio looked a little stunned by this defense that didn't seem to exist in the first two games. Their shooting was also off in the first half. I'm thinking that Manu Ginobili's thigh injury really slowed him down because he did NOT look like the player he was in the first two games. That being said, I think that he has to be my favorite player thus far of these two teams. What I hated about last night's game were the awful passes and turnovers that San Antonio gave up. They did not seem to be in any rhythm in the first two quarters.

Besides the game, I would have to add to my recent blog commentator's complaint:


If you feel the need to complain; Complain about the start time. 9pm tip-off?!?!? Come on Mr. Stern, some of us have to get to bed at a decent hour.

That's a very good point. But even further is the fact that is seems that there must be some sort of unwritten rule about not having an NBA finals game on a Friday or Saturday. Excuse me? If you are going to have these games this late for the East Coast, at least have the decency to move the game to decent time and day for us to watch. Now I understand that Stern is trying to hit the prime-time hour for the Central Time Zone, since most of the watchers are going to be from those two cities, but come on. Put the game on a day when most people don't have any competing shows to watch. So far the first two NBA finals games have lost in the tv ratings to CBS shows. I seriously doubt that there would be as much programming competition on a Friday or Saturday night, and people could have parties and stuff and watch the whole game. If this keeps up, I'm just gonna bag the whole thing and start watching my professional wrestling pay-per-views I taped. * (jk)


*Disclaimer: Unlike basketball, Albert does not acknowledge pro wrestling as a legitimate sport (at least as it is currently broadcasted on tv) nor does he believe that any form of this professional wrestling is anything more than acting and shock-value entertainment, and thereby does not encourage or endorse its viewing. However, if you have a fascination with watching Jerry Springer shows or drinking moonshine out on the porch of your double-wide, then perhaps professional wrestling is just the right form of entertainment to keep your motor running.

NBA Finals (part 2)

Okay, I broke down and watched game 2. What I saw was nothing like game 1. It was fast-paced with exciting shots, passes, steals, fast-breaks and more. Very entertaining. With that being said, it appears that my negative comments on game 1 got some attention:

"For years, sports radio people said the NBA had no defense. Now you'™ve got the two best defensive teams in the NBA battling to the championship. They said the same thing about fundamentals; no fundamentals, just big dunks from big athletes. The current teams stars are some of the most fundamentally sound players in the world. They represent huge amounts of practice, patience and hard work."

While I am inclined to agree with most of the what the comments said, I have to say this: Who cares? I am not a loyal NBA fan. I am the causal sports fan. I watch sports to be entertained like most people. If I had some sort of long-standing experience playing "fundamentally sound" basketball, then perhaps I would like it. Let's face it. I tune in to be entertained. Low-scoring basketball games are anything but entertaining. This is why not many people like watching golf. Unless you have a true appreciation for the "fundamentals" of the sport, you aren't going to watch. Why do people watch sports? They want to see stars, they want to see exciting offensive plays and big blocks and swats, they want to live on the edge of excitement. Fundamentals are overrated. Most people don't put their butts in seats, buy season tickets, or tune in to watch "fundamentally sound" players. They want to be entertained. We all do.

That being said, there will always be fans of the fundamentals. Just like there are fans of the exciting dunks, etc. But when you break it down, the NBA is not making money and getting tv ratings because of fundamentally sound basketball. How else can you justify fireworks, famous singers doing national anthems, cheerleaders and contests between all the time-outs? David Stern knows he has to sell more than the fundamentals to keep people watching the NBA.

The NBA Finals (Yawn)

I have not watched even 1 minute of one NBA game all season. I don't really care much for NBA basketball. I DO however listen to sports talk radio all day long at my job, which means that I keep up with just about every sport thats in season and worth mention in the sports media. Because of this, I happen to know more stats, and game times, and other sports info than I usually would. So last night I decided to check out the first game of the NBA Finals: The San Antionio Spurs vs. last year's NBA Finals winners, the Detroit Pistons. Needless to say I was extremely dissapointed. The game was so boring. I watched the entire first half and was "wowed" by maybe one or two made shots. I also saw what people meant about the NBA having very few talented mid-range shooters. It just stunk. The most interesting part of the whole thing was the mini-biography on Manu Ginoboli during halftime.

Apple Purism and the MacIntel debate

So it now has been revealed what people were waiting for for a long time: Mac budges into the direction that many Mac purists hoped that he would never go: Towards Intel. I'm actually kind of happy for this change. Not that I know enough about Macs to evaluate the situation on an equal level of both a Mac and a PC fan, but at least I can see that this will open up plenty more possibilities for the future of Apple. I don't own a Mac, nor do I intend to in the near future, but I like the idea of Mac moving onto a platform that makes it able to compete closer with other x86 pc makers. What I find most interesting is how Steve Jobs had this planned out for a while by enabling the OSX operating system to ALREADY be compatible with x86 architecture. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that Mac should change its hardware platform entirely. The world always needs an alternative to the Microsoft-dominated PC. But the possibility of producing a Mac that is competitive on a price level with a similar pc would be nice as well. Perhaps Intel can help Mac with this.

P.S.

By the way, why in the world do people chase after "ancient" methods, tricks and recipes? I mean, think about it. People in ancient times didn't live very long, so what makes the methods or herbs they used any better than what modern medicine offers today? Does "All natural" really matter? Were people living longer 1000 years ago? I doubt it. If mankind has increased his life expectancy over the years, why in the world would some ancient buddhist method do anything for anybody?

I'm a Browsin' Flip-Flopper

I have to admit: When it comes to internet browsers, I am the most undecided guy I know. I guess that I find limitations in everything, and so no one thing can completely satisfy me. For instance, I once went on an anti-Mozilla campaign after Firefox failed to work properly while I was doing my taxes online. For about two or three months, I used only Internet Explorer, figuring that everything works well with it. Well, unfortunately every does, including pop-up windows, flash ads, and other annoying stuff. Even the new security measures are annoying with the XP2 Service pack.

So I have jumped ships again, and now use the Firefox browser with its many featured plug-ins to eliminate annoying ads, and streamline my web experience. I still use IE for sites where I want no compromise of functionality, but most of the time, I use the great features available in Firefox. I guess it really IS the best browser out there, because I just can't seem to stay away for long.