Knowing is Half the Prattle.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Ok, So Why Would I Agree To This?



Got this install notice on my PC. It wants to install "Windows Genuine Advantage". It basically sets up a program that regularly scans your computer and tells you if your version of Windows is "genuine and properly licensed". So here are the two possibilities....

1) I know my computer is properly licensed and I don't need some program periodically spinning on the computer taking up processing time just to keep reconfirming what I already know.

2) I know my computer has a pirated copy of Windows and I don't need some program giving me periodic reminders to buy a real copy of Windows.

So, why would I agree to this?


More information on Windows Genuine Advantage

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Fiscal Year in Review



Those kids today and their internet are killing magazine publishing. All the publishers are feeling it. So what do you do when you have flagging magazine sales? Well you know that special editions sell well and end of the year wrap up issues also sell well. Why wait for the end of the year for yearly wrap up issue?

How do you explain a "2007 Yearbook" edition in March? OK, lets say that they are giving you a preview of what they think is going to be hot this year. Ummm.... well ... Steve Irwin (the aligator guy on the cover) died in September 2006, so he's not going to be doing much this year.

The only explanation..... fiscal year wrapup! Maybe the bean counters are getting a little to involved in the magazine publishing process.

Oh and by the way, if it's a fiscal year wrap up it should really be "Yearbook 2006".

Monday, March 19, 2007

Drawing of the Week (183. CNC Router Factory)



For the 700 Robots Project. OK, so even though I made up this robot name I thought it was funny and had to draw it.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

More Than Just Hoboes

So the artists involved in the 700 Hoboes Project decided to expand the universe of lists to 700 groups of 700 things a piece. Well I doubt that you're going to get close to 1/2 a million drawings out of these people but I'm sure some great stuff is going to be done. Right now people are trying to come up with lists of names for various categories. I just submitted some to the 700 Robots Project. Here is the list of robot names that I submitted so far which is 10% of the total number robot names. For those counting, it's 70.

165. Jenny Bot model 8675309
166. Heinz 57
167. s3-e3
168. Mandelbot
169. Humorous Musings Unit
170. Toastmaster General
171. Channel Number 5
172. Dental Droid 4 (out of 5)
173. 1st Generation B.O.B.
174. Cyborgasm
175. Vibro-bot
176. Dan Electro
177. Mutex Matroid
178. Screwmaster 2000
179. Machine Head
180. Chip Silicon (electric eye)
181. Tuborg
182. Cuddle-O-Matic
183. CNC Router Factory
184. Hemorrdroid
185. H.G. Weld
186. Nano Nano the Shaz-Bot
187. Front Tword Enemy
188. Max Power
189. Open Source Blendo Bot
190. Asimower
191. Touch Sensitive Turd Bot
192. Isaac Asim Off Switch
193. M.C. Jack Hammer
194. The Micro Controller
195. Rube Gold-Borg
196. Nameless Faceless Recognition Drone
197. Project Huygens Maven
198. Project Zed A (of Canadian Origin)
199. J Robot
211. E Robo Bot Com
338. Johnny Bot N (the Steam Punk)
339. Right Wing Nut
340. Left Wing Nut
341. DARPA Doodle Doo
342. Botswana
343. Jumbotron
344. Jed Clamp It
345. Under Funded Claire
346. Autonomous Botched
347. Guy Gynoid
348. Gunter the Knockwurst Hybrot
349. The Dominos Biomechanoid
350. Ferrous Bueller
351. Galvenized Unionized Erok (Local 52)
352. Pneumatic Matt
353. Ten Ton Tin Toes Tom
354. Animatronic Pirate Number 3
355. Archimedes Screwed
356. Michelle Quantum
357. Discontinued Roy
358. That Chick from Metropolis
366. Mech C Can
367. Anodized June Tron
368. Digital Joe the Finger Implant
369. Xerox the Replicator
370. HR Geiger Counter
371. Intolerant Galactose
372. 42 Ohm
373. The R.T.F.M. Manual Controller
374. Son of S.A.M. (the 44 megawatt killer)
375. Jehova's Android
457. Roy Rogers the Singing Cowbot
458. The Robomination
459. Sub-Optimal Prime

I have about 10 hoboes in the original 700 Hoboes Project. Here is the last one I submitted.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Drawing of the Week (happy hippo)



Time to lighten the mood of the blog a little bit. Nothing beats a cartoon hippo saying hi.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

A Typical NYC Pan Handler Story



People have told me that when I ignore pan handlers I'm being cold hearted. Here's the reason why I don't give money to anyone on the street anymore, no matter how they look or how pathetic their sob story.

About an hour ago, I was standing in line at Mc Donalds. I almost never go there, but hey, sometimes you want a small fries. I notice two guys standing in line in front of me. One fairly well dressed with a bluetooth phone Borg attachment in his ear and another guy, in dirty basic clothing. Overhearing the conversation, I find out that the shabby guy is "homeless" (pictured above). He's in line with the well dressed guy because the well dressed guy agreed to buy him a meal. The "homeless guy" has dirty hands, fingernails etc. but he has on brand new sneakers. He explains that some other do-gooder just bought him the sneakers. They have a discussion about what the "homeless guy" is going to have to eat. They first decide on a chicken sandwich and fries. Then on two chicken sandwiches and fries. Then on three chicken sandwiches and fries. The well dressed guy says he's getting hungry from the thought of all this food (har de har). The well dressed guy is not ordering anything for himself, since he's on his way to dinner. After the order has been placed and paid for, the well dressed guy leaves to go to dinner. The "homeless guy" is waiting at the counter for his food. He watches the other guy walk out the door, he makes sure the coast is clear, pulls out his cell phone and starts checking his messages. He gets his food, and walks out the door. By this time I have my small fries and I follow the action outside. The "homeless guy" walks to the corner, tosses the food in the garbage, sits down on the street and then begins yelling. "Can anyone spare me some change? Just a penny. I need to get something to eat".

So why did he get the guy to buy him 3 chicken sandwiches and then throw them all out? I think he was trying for the big score. He was trying to figure out how to get the guy to break a larger bill like a $20 and then let him keep the change. To little food and you get to much change so the guy will take it. To much food and either the guy won't go for it or he won't get much change at all. That's why he was feeling him out. Will he go for two sandwiches? Will he go for three?

I've seen variations on this scene dozens of times. I even have favorite homeless people and sob stories.

There is one guy that I see once in a while that always "just had his bag stolen from a bar with his laptop and all his money inside and he just needs a few dollars to get home". He'll even give you his business card so he can pay you back.

There is the woman who I used to see every Wednesday night on the 6 train at Astor Place who "was just robbed". Holy Crap! You get robbed every Wednesday night at around 7:30 in the same place? Its time to change your schedule.

I usually don't even acknowlege people on the street who try to get my attention anymore. For pan handlers who are persistent, I recommend you yell ... "Hey! You're that guy!"

Monday, March 12, 2007

If I Believe it, It Must Be True.

I hate when people do this and feel free to smack me when I do it. People take their personal preference, belief whatever and believe it so much that they feel the need to go about proving that it is true, regardless of weather or not it actually is true. I came across this blog entry after navigating there from metafilter.

So this guy is a nudist and writes musings in his nudist blog and in his blog post he goes about trying to bust the myth that clothing is required for survival. Um ask anyone who's had hypothermia or lost a toe whether or not clothing is required for survival. Well in order to prove his point that clothing is merely a cultural affectation imposed by a puritan society he drums up the scientific evidence. Ah, here we go with the evidence. Rather than maybe looking at any source of medical cold related injury information he points out that "the natives in Tierra del Fuego in South America's southernmost region have lived nude in a climate with 43F (6C) degree average weather". He's actually quoting from the well respected journal of medical information The Complete Guide to Nudism and Naturism by Liz and James Egger. He (and probably Liz and James) go on about how even Charles Darwin (himself!!) documented this. Um maybe you should have actually read Darwin's notes or barring that taken a quick look at a drawing of a native Fuegian made during Darwin's expedition. Um... looks like he's wearing clothes to me. But then again, you shouldn't let reality get in the way of what you're trying to prove.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Nightmare at Walter Reed Hospital



Of course Walter Reed Hospital is the scene of nightmarish conditions. Just look at the guys they've got working there. That guy on the left has got to be evil. Anyone can see that! (found on the cnn.com homepage).

Modern Literary Influences.

In the past, great works of literature have spawned other adaptations. Homer's Odessy, the plays of William Shakespeare and various other great works of literature have inspired other adaptations to film, theatre etc.

What are the modern great works of literature that now influence adaptations?

A comedy film is adapted to the stage.
Legally Blonde the Musical

A TV commercial is adapted to a television series.
The Geico Cavemen

A video game is adapted for film.
Pac Man the movie.

This is truely a golden age.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Switzerland Invades Liechtenstein!!!

THIS MEANS WAR!!!

Oh.... actually it's no big deal. Link.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Save 0% on Everything in the Store



Oh Evan, you're just making fun of one sign where the number fell off. They really aren't having a 0% sale on everything in the whole store....

Oh yeah?





(Found at Michaels in Nanuet).