POW... Beta Is Coming

I'm in the process now of creating a brand new stylesheet for POW.

 

My new layouts are in Beta form, and will be ready to be released to the public soon.  Get ready for big changes!

Google Groups

I simply must give a shout out to someone that really helped me out today.

You see, today I realized that Firefox was simply not rendering my blog correctly in Blogger.  Must I mention again that I'm an enormous Firefox, and for that matter, open source fan?  Imagine my horror.

Enter Google Groups.  Enter the Blogger Help Group.  From "wasted":

Incorrect commenting in the Stylesheet.

What?!  Isn't this in HTML?!

That's the way HTML comments are written, but NOT css comments. CSS
comments begin with /* and end with */ as the lines above it are.

Either remove that line or comment it out correctly.
/* below main changed from 410px t0 400px, sidebar changed from 210px
to 180px */

Different browsers handle errors differently, in Firefox's case, that
error causes a lot of the CSS that follows the error to not render.  

Oops.
So, for this gem of information, you wasted, and you, Google Groups, get a plug from Clark.  wasted, I wish that you had a website for me to plug.  Thanks for your help.

Recovery

Have you ever accidentally deleted a file from the recycle bin?  God knows I have.  Most of the time it can be retrieved, but it can be a pain.

Hail Eris!  Hail Lifehacker!  Hail Recovery!

Free Windows software Restoration is a data recovery program for you PC.

Similar to previously-mentioned data recovery software, PC Inspector File Recovery, Restoration is quick and does exactly what it says. Another bonus: Restoration doesn't require installation, meaning you can add it to the list of apps for your thumb drive.

Mark this on the due to be downloaded, and, quite simply, used, even if it only works half the time.  This software is going on the list.

Casual aside, yes, I've known for several years that the recycle bin doesn't really delete your files.  Try to use this particular software for good, not evil.  I might just shred some files and try to recover them with this and see what happens.

Stolen ID Search = What A Cunning Plan!

Let's pay attention, here.  There will be a test immediately after this post.  For multiple choice responses, only more one (1) of the letters A, B. C, or D with a number two pencil.  Essays should be legible, if you need additional paper, raise your hand and your test proctor will issue extra paper to you.  As this is a midterm exam, it will only count for 35% of your final grade. 

 

Shall we begin?

 

I'd like to introduce a new service:  Stolen ID Search.

 

Has someone stolen your social security or credit card number? StolenIDSearch is a new site aims to answer this question that has tickled the back of most American's minds at some point, especially in light of the recent spree of retailer breaches and stolen laptops containing reams of personal information.

StolenIDSearch provides a free online search engine. All you have to do is enter your Social Security Number or credit card number into the box and they'll look it up to see if it's on the stolen list.

Thanks be to The Consumerist.  See?  They are on the sidebar!  Also, I should show some linkage to the new service themselves:  StolenIDSearch.

 

Now for the bad part.  If you're paying attention, you can see this coming.

 

Is Stolen ID Search attempting to insinuate that in order to check and see if my social security number or credit card numbers have been stolen, I actually should enter my social security number or credit card number online?  Again?  Really? 

 

Clark:  Gee, Bob, does that seem prudent?

Bob:  Hm.  Somehow, I don't think you've thought your cunning plan all the way through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know Your Realtor

You should always remember - in many cases, your realtor is not necessarily your friend.

 

Productivity blogger Jay at Dumb Little Man has compiled a list of questions that he recently used to interview four different real estate agents.

Not all real estate agents work the same way, so it's best to get your expectations right out on the table from the beginning.

Found in Dumb Little Man.  Hat tip:  Lifehacker.  Of course.

 

Anyone that's ever dealt with real estate buying or selling real estate should be completely aware that it truly IS about the money.  The original link deals more with selling, but the same idea goes for buying.  Due diligence.  Live it.  Learn it.

 

Don't Eat That!

Oddly, I came across a couple of fairly interesting food related items today.

 

First there's this from Nutrition Action - Ten Foods You Should Never Eat.  Here's a excerpt:

 

7.  Snack Attack

Unless you're suicidal, why on earth would you want to wolf down a Burger King Quad Stacker – 4 hamburger patties, 4 slices of cheese, 8 strips of bacon, plus sauce and a bun? That's half-a-day's calories (1,000), one-and-a-half-days' worth of saturated fat (30 grams), 3 grams of trans fat, and more than a day's sodium (1,800 mg). Urp!

 

and...

 

9.  Tortilla Terror

Interested in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa)? Think of its 1,180 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat as three 6-inch Subway Steak and Cheese Subs. Getting the burrito with no cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat by two-thirds, but you still end up with 950 calories. Yikes!

I'd like to note these items for the record.

a.  I like cheese.

b.  I like bacon.

c.  I'm very impressed, but not surprised, by the fact that one Chipotle Chicken Burrito can have as many calories and saturated fat as THREE 6 inch steak and cheese subs.  I once watched a guy attempt to eat five Chipotle burritos in an hour on a bet.

 

He didn't make it. 

 

Those things are huge.

 

In light of this important health information, imagine my surprise when I came across this gem.

The Bad Foods For Dogs List

Here is a list of common foods that are bad or poisonous for your dog. If you suspect that your dog might have eaten any food that might be toxic, contact his/her vet immediately.

 

You can thank Moore's Haven for this.  Me, I thank the Internet.  It's not a bad idea to go check this out either.

Did I learn anything?  Yes.  Don't feed the dog booze, apricots, baby food, grapes, baby food or onions, among other items on the list.  It would seem, though, that steak, which is what every dog really wants anyway, is the ticket.

 

Just don't add salt.
 

Obama Smokes. Won't Someone Think Of The Children?!

Can political discourse in the media possibly get worse?

 

On the January 17 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson, during a discussion with Manhattan Institute senior fellow John H. McWhorter and Young Democrats of America's Malia Lazu about Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) -- who on January 16 announced his decision to form a presidential exploratory committee -- said: "And [Obama's] team works overtime trying to hide Obama's dirty little secret. He is -- get this -- a cigarette smoker. The point is: What else do we not know about Barack Obama?"

 

I got this from Media Matters..via Digg.

 

I hate smoking, even though I've been known to do it.

 

Yet, somehow, I don't see how Senator Obama smoking has anything to do with anything.  Why should I, or anyone else, care?  Do political opinion pieces really have to grasp at straws so badly?

 

Oh, and check out this graphic:

 

 

Dear LORD.  You have GOT to be kidding.  Obviously, that must be a joke.

 

Josh Gibson:

Obviously, your team does not work overtime to conceal your dirty little secret - that you are a political hack of the worst possible kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Labels

By the way, I've noticed that a bug in my label code means that not all posts for a particular topic always appear when you click one of the labels in the sidebar of this blog.

I am attempting to tweak it, and it should be corrected shortly.

Dreamgirls - Saturday Night Live Style

Jake nails it. Put on the headphones and give this a watch and listen.




Thanks be to YouTube. Yes, I said YouTube. I'm going Web 2.0, baby.

Free Online Education

Culled from the web, and in keeping with my responsibility to keep the world informed and educationed (ok, it's merely a goal, not a responsibility), here is a whole page devoted to free online education which might prove valuable to many.

 

Here's are the topics:

Berkeley Courses With Video Lectures

Sites Offering Free Courses

Free Online Documentaries

Learn Languages on iTunes

Educational Videos

Education With Podcasting

Useful Free Software For Students

Web 2.0 For Students

Reference Sites

Ask Questions

Tiny Flash Freeware

Free Ebooks

Learn Languages

Free Ear Training Software

 

Not kidding.  This is a valuable resource.  Use it. 

Give your thanks to this guy.  Jimmy Ruska.  Many thanks, indeed.

 

He Who Controls The Spice Controls The Universe

Eat turmeric.  Clue:  It's in curry, people.

Recently a number of natural compounds--such as resveratrol from red wine and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil--have begun to receive close scrutiny because preliminary research suggests they might treat and prevent disease inexpensively with few side effects. Turmeric, an orange-yellow powder from an Asian plant, Curcuma longa, has joined this list. No longer is it just an ingredient in vindaloos and tandooris that, since ancient times, has flavored food and prevented spoilage. A chapter in a forthcoming book, for instance, describes the biologically active components of turmeric--curcumin and related compounds called curcuminoids--as having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties, with potential activity against cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic maladies. And in 2005 nearly 300 scientific and technical papers referenced curcumin in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database, compared with about 100 just five years earlier. Scientists who sometimes jokingly label themselves curcuminologists are drawn to the compound both because of its many possible valuable effects in the body and its apparent low toxicity. They ponder how the spice or its derivatives might be used, not just as a treatment but as a low-cost preventive medication for some of the most feared ailments. As a treatment, it also has some enticing attributes. Because curcumin targets so many biological pathways, it could have benefits for cancer therapy: malignant cells may be slow to acquire resistance to it and so might have to go through multiple mutations to avoid the substance's multipronged attack. That's from Scientific American.  Not kidding, this is for real.  Can curry help prevent cancer?  Diabetes?  Alzheimer's?  Zing! I have a sudden urge for Indian food.

Blog Optimization

I accidentally stumbled across an article on how to optimize your blog.  Oddly, I was compelled to write about it.

 

Also, when you optimize your blog for the user experience, you make it easy for users to return and engage in your blog without dealing with any of the hassles that can cause them to abandon other sites or blog entries. Repeat visitors are the cream of your blog, so by following these tips you have given them the tools they need to return as well as the user experience that makes them want to come back.

 

Search Engine Land came up with this list, which I will keep for future reference and for hours and hours of future blog mania, which I usually reserve for the weekends.

 

By the way, probably a few of you have wondered why I haven't been blogging as much lately.  Just started a new gig (one of several things that I'm working on at the moment, since I'm presently looking to become the Next Big Thing), and my time has been woefully short.  Don't run away though - I'm still around and kicking.

 

 

 

Myths On Personal Finance

Not a bad finance article here.

 

Someone once said that if you were to make a list of your 10 closest friends and acquaintances and order your earnings and theirs from smallest to greatest, you'd probably find yourself somewhere near the middle. All that this means is that we are subtly influenced by our friends, even when we're not aware of it, especially in matters of money. Being somewhere in the middle is probably more comfortable for the average person.

If you are that rare person at the high end of the list, then you probably don't need to read this article. If you are not, then find out what's holding you back. There are hundreds of personal finance myths which are either misunderstood, taken out of context, or just plain incorrect. Here are our top 25.

From Your Credit Advisor.

 

Take a look at the article.  Read it, process, and your mileage may vary.  Check on the section on Investing.  I found it more than mildly interesting.

 

 

 

Whoa!

Psst!  Hey kid, wanna buy a laptop?

 

The backers of the One Laptop Per Child project are looking at the possibility of selling the machine to the public.

One idea would be for customers to have to buy two laptops at once - with the second going to the developing world.

 

Says the BBC.  Word.

 

I have to say it.  This is a good idea.  I would probably get into it, seriously.

 

 

 

Surge and Accelerate?!

Well, according to The Today Show this morning (link does not go to the story), our President George W. Bush is about to unveil his new plan for Iraq.  And it is:

"Surge and Accelerate".

 

Surge and Accelerate?

Are you kidding?

 

Has anyone noticed that major plans that emerge from this Administration for the Iraq War tend to come in little sound bites?  Shock and Awe.  Surge and Accelerate.  Who's writing these soundbites?  A business graduate of NJ Jesuit High School?  President Bush needs to fire his marketing people and start again with someone that wants to do a bunch of proposals with puppies.  Everyone likes puppies.

 

Seriously, though, the idea of Surge and Accelerate is to actually send more troops and equipment to the area under the theory - and I do say theory - that presumably the U.S. can achieve a final victory in Iraq.  My bet is that the American people will not want a surge of more troops; in fact, it seems to me that the results on Election Day 2006 probably show that the American people are not interested in putting MORE bodies into Iraq; they are probably more interested in putting LESS bodies there.  No one wants to see more U.S. casualties.  Americans as a whole don't like to see body bags or Humvees blowing up on a daily basis in our supercharged national, cable, local, and Internet media. 

 

I wonder if Surge and Accelerate will actually happen.

Although I'm not sure that it can be stopped.

 

The Best of 2006

Kottke.org has compiled a list of the Best Links of 2006.  Seriously funny, informative, and interesting stuff. 

There are too many highlights to name, but I do have favorites (so far):

 

 

The Simpsons intro done with live actors.

 

A story about 40-year-old men and women who look, talk, act, and dress like people who are 22 years old.

 

Details on how to speak to a live customer support person for hundreds of companies.

 

How one man fell for a Nigerian email scam.

 

MotherLoad,

 

There are so many others.  Go check it out.

I Can't For The Life Of Me...

...figure out what's happening to my Blogger posts.  They're dropping again.

 

I'll puzzle it out and get back to you soon.

I Still Don't Know What Web 2.0 Means

...but it seemed like a good idea to keep this around.

 

Here you are the most interesting web 2.0 site all over the internet, please if you have more sites add them to the comments

 

Via, who?  Web 2.0 Magazine.

 

I still don't know what Web 2.0 means though.  Is that like a WebX or something?  Web to the extreme?

 

Generation Web?

 

Doesn't matter.  All that I know is that YouTube, Weblogs, Inc., Digg, Skype, and whatnot are kind of the future for the Internet.  Wise to check out the article and probably bookmark it.  I know that I'm waaaaay behind the curve on the proper use of internet tools.  If I have some time I'll try to catch up.

 

 

 

Darrent Williams

As I'm sure that everyone knows by now, Darrent Williams, cornerback for the Denver Broncos, was shot and killed the wee hours of New Years Day.

 

According to Denver Police, Williams was killed in an early morning shooting after someone with a gun pulled up alongside the white Hummer stretch limousine he and wide receiver Javon Walker were riding in and fired multiple shots.

Police say 16 people were in the stretched Hummer at the time of the shooting, including Williams and Walker. Authorities say Walker was not shot.

Via 9news.

 

Here's what you don't know.

1.  The club that the players went to where the altercation began is a mere blocks from my house.  In fact, I've probably been there on past occasions.

2.  My significatant other and I PROBABLY SAW the player's limo a mere two or three hours before the shots.

 

That's just wrong.  This is my neighborhood. 

I won't be going to any more clubs anytime soon.  Maybe ever.