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November 29, 2006
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
So it snowed this morning. Not much, and it was very light and melted before it even hit the ground, but it was still "snow." It was raining at home, but in Albuquerque it was snowing as I walked from my car into the store. Signs of things to come?... Let's hope so!!
Posted by djkay at 8:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 27, 2006
Caffeinated to the max!!!!
So Chris has outdone himself over at his blog. He's got three videos clips in one post!!! Each one hosted on one of the 3 major video hosting websites: YouTube, Google Video, and Revver. I don't know much about Revver, but the way it works over there is that if you've got a popular video you can make a bit of money as the website will pay you based on video views. You have to check it out as it is extremely funny. Make sure you click on each one and then hit pause right away. Wait for each one to finish downloading. Then click play on the top, the middle, and the bottom, in that order as quickly as you can so they all play at the same time.
I'm not sure but when I did it the Google video just stopped while the YouTube and Revver videos continued to play so I don't think I got the full effect, but I watched each video and even on their own they were hilarious.
Chris.Pirillo.com.
Posted by djkay at 8:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 25, 2006
Thanksgiving 2006
Pictures of our second Thanksgiving feast are posted here: nm.computerdave.net.
Posted by djkay at 9:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 24, 2006
Can't get any respect
More often than not, the IT guy at your company has felt under-appreciated. This is becoming an alarming trend in large companies trying to take shortcuts by hiring under-qualified or undedicated people and paying them ridiculously low wages. I can say from experience that it definitely is becoming a problem; the only time you hear anything from people is when things don't work. I hardly ever hear anyone say thanks for keeping things working so well.
This article talks about this very subject and rather than reiterate what he says, here's the article:
TWEAKNEWS
The problem is that the PC tech companies put little to no store in their techs, and then pay ridiculous wages and still expect premium service.
Posted by djkay at 12:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 20, 2006
NINTENDO WII!!!!!
I sat in a hard plastic chair for 6 hours on Saturday night in the layaway department of my local Walmart to have the privelage of purchasing one of the first Nintendo Wii's for sale at 12:01am Sunday, November 19. I was #9 in line and let me just say that before you ask... "YES, IT WAS WORTH IT!!!" This thing is the most amazing game experience I've had in a long time. It's got some of the coolest features you could ever ask for:
- Standard wireless controllers that are as comfortable as holding your TV remote, except they have gyros in them so you not only can swing them in the air to make on-screen moves, you can twist them like a key or a screwdriver and it senses that as well!
- Built-in WiFi; it took me a little bit of tweaking to get my wireless router setup correctly, but once it was the Wii found it and connected no problem; then it proceeded to download several updates and I was off and running.
- It came with a game from Nintendo... INCLUDED IN THE CONSOLE PRICE
- You can send messages from one Wii to a friend's Wii once you each register your friend's console's unique number
- YOU CAN DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS NINTENDO/SEGA GAMES ONLINE (prices range from $5 - $10, with 12 games available on launch day)
- All Gamecube accessories/games work in the Wii; i.e. controllers, memory cards, and game CDs
- My wife played this bundled game (Wii Sports) with me as soon as we got it setup (12:30am) for 2 hours!!!!! That's unheard of, she's not a gamer much, but she said as long as we buy/download the original Mario Bros. she'll be happy.
Read more about the experience after the jump...
So here's how it worked at the store I bought them:
- Walmart got 20 units.
- They set out 20 chairs numbered 1 to 20.
- You sit in the next highest number chair and you get to buy them in that order.
- New Mexico has no law allowing stores to limit purchases to one per person so if their gone before you get to buy one, tough luck.
- I was #9, and only 3 people in front of me were buying 2 so I was good.
- The people in chairs 17, 18, 19, and 20 got nada.
- I got there around 5:30 pm.
- They handed out numbered tickets at 10pm, basically serving as a guarantee that you could leave and come back at midnight and keep your spot in line.
- I left and Erin came back with me and we wandered around Walmart for an hour and then they took 2 people at a time and they got to buy their Wii's and any accessories/games they wanted from what Walmart had at the time.
- I got an extra Wii-mote, extra nunchuk, Zelda: Twilight Princess, and a classic controller, but I might return that after I found out that gamecube controllers will work with the downloaded classic games.
- Got home around 12:30am and played until 3am!!!!
YEAH WII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by djkay at 11:25 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
November 7, 2006
Still Think Standardized Tests are Good?
So you're a young 4th grader and you have to answer a bunch of questions on a state standardized test in Washington State; you're asked to write a brief essay about a particular scenario. Normally you would just write it and get on to the next one, but what if you weren't sure you wanted to answer the question. Most people would say just don't answer it and finish the rest of the tests. That's exactly what this student did, he's in 4th grader remember, and he got suspended from school for refusing to answer the question! What kind of message does that send to our kids?
I'm no fan of standardized testing and I think that too much emphasis is placed on the results from and performance on these tests... The question that this student didn't want to answer was this:
While looking out the window one day at school, you notice the principal flying in the air. In several paragraphs, write a story telling what happens.Well, I wouldn't just write that I thought they were a witch on a broom without thinking about whether or not the principal would see it. What kind of question is that anyway? I think it's inappropriate and should not have even made it into the test.
Read the article here: Bloomberg.com: U.S.
Posted by djkay at 8:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)