You tell a really good joke to someone over your favorite chat application, and you want to know how funny you were.
heh/hehe < haha < hahaha < flol < soq < loq < lol/rlol < LOL < rofl/lmao/roflmao
Of course, there are other variations that you may run into. This is simply a high level overview.
A few words of wisdom and explanations:
1. flol = fake lol. This is used when you would type lol, but in reality you are not laughing.
2. loq = laughing out quiet. This is used when you find something funny and you're smiling. You probably would chuckle if they were in the room with you, or if you weren't at work where people can hear you.
3. soq = smiling out quiet. Same as above, but only in terms of facial expression. You probably wouldn't be laughing even if you could, but you have a big smile on your face.
4. rlol = real lol. This can be replaced by simply lol if you don't use flol. lol should be used only when you are literally laughing and it is audible. A chuckle is ok, but you may want to consider a lower form in this case.
5. LOL. You are laughing. If you're not laughing, don't type LOL. If you're not smiling, you disgust me. This should be the highest form of laughter abbreviation you should need. If for some reason it's not enough, consider adding exclamation marks, or even better, give details about your laughing. "Oh man, now everyone around me is asking me what is so funny because I was LOL" or "You almost made milk come out through my nose. I'm not even drinking milk!"
6. rofl/lmao/roflmao should never be used. For one, it's not true. Where's your integrity? If for some reason it was true, you should use it in the past tense, and give some explanation that it was really true. "I was rofl, and I hit my elbow on the wall."
Now most of you will probably think I'm adding new abbreviations here, and you're probably right. I find it gives me a few more levels of variation in describing how funny I think something is, while not sacrificing my integrity by lying. But... YMMV, HTH, TTYL.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Facebook Phishing
Be on the lookout for this one: http://informednetworker.com/blog/2008/08/09/danger-facebook-phish/
This just happened to me, someone wrote on my wall with a link, I click on it, and it leads to the Facebook login screen, only it's a phishing site attempting to steal my password. I, luckily, realized what was going on by checking the URL (it goes to http://www.faceilbook.com). I'm not sure if this is new, Google gave me only one search result, and it was from another blog post 53 minutes ago, the one that I linked to above. Keep your eyes open people.
The message looks like:
Somebody wrote something really funny in their blog about you . everybody see it here http://charleneko***.blogspot.com
The URL is different each time, but it redirects to http://www.faceilbook.com.
This just happened to me, someone wrote on my wall with a link, I click on it, and it leads to the Facebook login screen, only it's a phishing site attempting to steal my password. I, luckily, realized what was going on by checking the URL (it goes to http://www.faceilbook.com). I'm not sure if this is new, Google gave me only one search result, and it was from another blog post 53 minutes ago, the one that I linked to above. Keep your eyes open people.
The message looks like:
Somebody wrote something really funny in their blog about you . everybody see it here http://charleneko***.blogspot.com
The URL is different each time, but it redirects to http://www.faceilbook.com.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Some thoughts on transportation
Last weekend I was able to take a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. Here are a few of my thoughts from the trip regarding transportation.
1. SFO - San Francisco International Airport.
My only other experience with this airport was when I flew here from Salt Lake City, Utah, to connect to a flight to Munich, Germany last December. I remember being appalled at how disorganized the airport seemed and how far I had to walk to get to my connecting flight. It turns out there is an electric train in the sky that circles the entire airport and makes it relatively easy to get around. So what was a "wag of my finger" has turned into a "tip of my hat" to SFO, with the caveat that they need to advertise the train a little more clearly to hurried passengers trying to make it to the international terminal in less than 15 minutes.
2. BART and mass transit
Outside the U.S., public transportation is very much a way of life. Growing up in the U.S. though, I very rarely had any encounter with any form of public transportation. The question of public transportation has been a tricky one in Seattle. I would be pleased if we arrived at something similar to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). This electric train system made traveling around the bay area quite simple and cost-effective, especially as gas prices continue to rise.
3. Airports
I've loved airports since I was a kid. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my dad took me flying when I was a kid. Maybe it was because there were escalators and huge indoor spaces to run around and play in. Maybe it was because of my fascination with airplanes. Whatever the reasons, I loved it.
Things have changed in the past 20 years. Security restrictions have closed off most of airports to only those who hold a boarding pass. Gone are the days where you could meet your loved ones as they walked off the jet bridge, or see them off at the gate. The security aspect of airports has made them more and more a genuinely unpleasant experience. This is really unfortunate, as I feel it would be impossible for a kid growing up today to have the same experience in an airport that I had as a kid.
No other place has the same appeal of reuniting loved ones and connecting people all over the globe. Even when you see someone off at an airport, it reassures you that they are really only a flight or two away. They really have made the world smaller. And for me personally, they bring back those exciting memories from my childhood.
Seatac's central terminal is a great place to sit back and watch the planes takeoff and land. This was originally supposed to be open to the public without a boarding pass. Security said otherwise, which is a most unfortunate blow to aviation and the public's opportunity to enjoy it. I still love airports, but it makes me sad that we're forced to give up something special in the name of security. The awe-inspiring world of aviation has been limited, and I can only hope that after another 20 years, we won't be continuing down this same path.
1. SFO - San Francisco International Airport.
My only other experience with this airport was when I flew here from Salt Lake City, Utah, to connect to a flight to Munich, Germany last December. I remember being appalled at how disorganized the airport seemed and how far I had to walk to get to my connecting flight. It turns out there is an electric train in the sky that circles the entire airport and makes it relatively easy to get around. So what was a "wag of my finger" has turned into a "tip of my hat" to SFO, with the caveat that they need to advertise the train a little more clearly to hurried passengers trying to make it to the international terminal in less than 15 minutes.
2. BART and mass transit
Outside the U.S., public transportation is very much a way of life. Growing up in the U.S. though, I very rarely had any encounter with any form of public transportation. The question of public transportation has been a tricky one in Seattle. I would be pleased if we arrived at something similar to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). This electric train system made traveling around the bay area quite simple and cost-effective, especially as gas prices continue to rise.
3. Airports
I've loved airports since I was a kid. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my dad took me flying when I was a kid. Maybe it was because there were escalators and huge indoor spaces to run around and play in. Maybe it was because of my fascination with airplanes. Whatever the reasons, I loved it.
Things have changed in the past 20 years. Security restrictions have closed off most of airports to only those who hold a boarding pass. Gone are the days where you could meet your loved ones as they walked off the jet bridge, or see them off at the gate. The security aspect of airports has made them more and more a genuinely unpleasant experience. This is really unfortunate, as I feel it would be impossible for a kid growing up today to have the same experience in an airport that I had as a kid.
No other place has the same appeal of reuniting loved ones and connecting people all over the globe. Even when you see someone off at an airport, it reassures you that they are really only a flight or two away. They really have made the world smaller. And for me personally, they bring back those exciting memories from my childhood.
Seatac's central terminal is a great place to sit back and watch the planes takeoff and land. This was originally supposed to be open to the public without a boarding pass. Security said otherwise, which is a most unfortunate blow to aviation and the public's opportunity to enjoy it. I still love airports, but it makes me sad that we're forced to give up something special in the name of security. The awe-inspiring world of aviation has been limited, and I can only hope that after another 20 years, we won't be continuing down this same path.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Me so sleepy
I just saw a commercial that was talking about the need for sleep research. That was all fine and good, until they brought up this reason:
"Even Tiger Woods said of his Stanford days that he didn't get enough sleep."
Are you kidding me? A college student not getting enough sleep? It must be something genetic! Or some other sleep disorder! I can't think of any circumstances that would prohibit an otherwise normal college student from getting enough sleep every night!
"Even Tiger Woods said of his Stanford days that he didn't get enough sleep."
Are you kidding me? A college student not getting enough sleep? It must be something genetic! Or some other sleep disorder! I can't think of any circumstances that would prohibit an otherwise normal college student from getting enough sleep every night!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Google, please fix Gmail
Dear Google,
You've made good products in the past. In general, your products have a very polished feel.
Why, then, must I tolerate a change in design and functionality in this latest "version" of Gmail? Now when I click in the empty box below a conversation thread, the default behavior is to reply to all instead of reply. This has caused me to accidentally reply to dozens of people. This has the unfortunate side effect of automatically adding dozens of people I don't know to my contact list.
Google lists this as a "known issue" but I'm not sure how this could be a known issue and not simply be fixed. The workarounds are "click reply" or "use the older version of Gmail". It seems like it would be an easy fix. But then again, it's not happening to everyone that uses Gmail.
It certainly happens to me though. Maybe this is what we get for using a "beta product"...?
Gas prices
With rising gas prices, everyone is concerned with fuel efficiency and finding ways to cut back on gas consumption. In true Stephen Colbert fashion, I'd like to encourage everyone to burn as much gas as possible before it becomes prohibitively expensive! It's our duty as Americans.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The new place
Some people have asked to see pictures of my new apartment. (You know who you are!) For you, I dedicate a small portion of my blog.
I was somewhat surprised at how hard the decision was to find an apartment. I figured I would look at several options, and one would stand out as being "the best". It turned out that it was hard enough to narrow it down to 3 or 4, much less one. Regardless, I made my choice, and here is where I live and why.
One of the main reasons I chose this apartment was because of the size. The living room, dining room, and kitchen areas were much larger (up to 50%) and much more open. The apartment also boasts 11' ceilings. Some may consider that too open for an apartment, but I enjoy it. What I would like to change would be to have one of the walls painted, and to add some throw pillows to the couch. Oh yeah... a coffee table or dining room table wouldn't hurt. See for yourself in the following pictures: (If you don't want to click on all the links, you can see the whole album at http://picasaweb.google.com/smerkerg/Apartment)
Living area from the entrance
Living area from the back
Living area from the kitchen (most apartments had the kitchen very separated, not open like this)
Pantry in the kitchen (no other apartments I saw had as much storage space, especially in vital locations like the kitchen)
Kitchen from dining area
Kitchen - proof that it is my apartment!
"Dining Room" - further proof that it is my apartment!
In-wall bookshelf, more storage space
The bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing amazing compared to other places I looked. If they had some of the amenities here that were to be found in other apartments, it would have made this apartment that much more appealing.
Walk-in closets
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
2nd bathroom
The other downside to the apartment is the location. It was a little farther from work than I was hoping for, but so far the commute really hasn't been too bad. I don't mind driving too much, and I am exploring some other bus options as well. Hopefully I will get to the point where I can be on a work schedule that starts and/or ends during non-peak traffic times.
All in all, I've been pretty happy with my choice, and I'm enjoying the experience of having my own place!
I was somewhat surprised at how hard the decision was to find an apartment. I figured I would look at several options, and one would stand out as being "the best". It turned out that it was hard enough to narrow it down to 3 or 4, much less one. Regardless, I made my choice, and here is where I live and why.
One of the main reasons I chose this apartment was because of the size. The living room, dining room, and kitchen areas were much larger (up to 50%) and much more open. The apartment also boasts 11' ceilings. Some may consider that too open for an apartment, but I enjoy it. What I would like to change would be to have one of the walls painted, and to add some throw pillows to the couch. Oh yeah... a coffee table or dining room table wouldn't hurt. See for yourself in the following pictures: (If you don't want to click on all the links, you can see the whole album at http://picasaweb.google.com/smerkerg/Apartment)
Living area from the entrance
Living area from the back
Living area from the kitchen (most apartments had the kitchen very separated, not open like this)
Pantry in the kitchen (no other apartments I saw had as much storage space, especially in vital locations like the kitchen)
Kitchen from dining area
Kitchen - proof that it is my apartment!
"Dining Room" - further proof that it is my apartment!
In-wall bookshelf, more storage space
The bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing amazing compared to other places I looked. If they had some of the amenities here that were to be found in other apartments, it would have made this apartment that much more appealing.
Walk-in closets
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
2nd bathroom
The other downside to the apartment is the location. It was a little farther from work than I was hoping for, but so far the commute really hasn't been too bad. I don't mind driving too much, and I am exploring some other bus options as well. Hopefully I will get to the point where I can be on a work schedule that starts and/or ends during non-peak traffic times.
All in all, I've been pretty happy with my choice, and I'm enjoying the experience of having my own place!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Hungry? Open that bag of charcoal
This is sad stuff of course, but what's with the picture? The article is about food stamp recipients starving because of rising food costs, but the most prominent item in the picture is a bag of charcoal? I think there may be more wise investments for food stamps if you're worried about starvation...
Read the article here.
Read the article here.
Monday, May 19, 2008
B- for life
I recently graduated from college. During my last semester, I eventually grew tired of one of my courses, and felt it no longer as necessary. So I didn't go for the last 2 weeks and stopped completing the assignments. It was an empowering feeling, one that I had not previously felt during my college career. I felt good, until I realized that my A in the class had turned into a B-...
It was then that I began to consider what I had done. Was it worth it? I had always been diligent in my studies, and received good grades for my effort. Was this something I would regret for the rest of my life? It turned out that while it may have lowered my GPA, it didn't change my graduating status at all. I graduated magna cum laude with my B-, and I would have graduated magna cum laude without it.
Of course, no one should want to lead a B- life, and that's not what I'm condoning. If I had a B- average, I obviously wouldn't have been able to graduate with academic honors. So when is it ok?
Life is all about balance. What did I do with the extra time, effort, and attention that became available when I gave up on that course? Did I devote those resources to something more meaningful? Unfortunately not. And that made me think.
What does my life's report card look like? Do I have an A in my career and a C in my relationships with friends and family? Am I graduating with honors in my plans for the future while having to take remedial classes for serving and caring for others? Who will look at my life 50 years down the road and give me a B-? What am I doing about that?
Who would have thought that my decision to be a slacker would cause so much introspection? I may have got a B- in the class, but if it helps me to earn an A from those I interact with... I'll consider it the best grade I ever got.
It was then that I began to consider what I had done. Was it worth it? I had always been diligent in my studies, and received good grades for my effort. Was this something I would regret for the rest of my life? It turned out that while it may have lowered my GPA, it didn't change my graduating status at all. I graduated magna cum laude with my B-, and I would have graduated magna cum laude without it.
Of course, no one should want to lead a B- life, and that's not what I'm condoning. If I had a B- average, I obviously wouldn't have been able to graduate with academic honors. So when is it ok?
Life is all about balance. What did I do with the extra time, effort, and attention that became available when I gave up on that course? Did I devote those resources to something more meaningful? Unfortunately not. And that made me think.
What does my life's report card look like? Do I have an A in my career and a C in my relationships with friends and family? Am I graduating with honors in my plans for the future while having to take remedial classes for serving and caring for others? Who will look at my life 50 years down the road and give me a B-? What am I doing about that?
Who would have thought that my decision to be a slacker would cause so much introspection? I may have got a B- in the class, but if it helps me to earn an A from those I interact with... I'll consider it the best grade I ever got.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Computer troubles
It appears that my computer troubles may finally be over... for now.
I'll do my best to briefly explain it, considering most of you don't want the details, and those who do will criticize me the more details I give!
It all started last summer. I moved from Utah to Washington. Along with other belongings, I brought my computer with me. Within a couple weeks of setting it up, the system would no longer boot. After running Seagate's SeaTools diagnostics, it told me that one of my three hard drives was bad. I figured the jostling involved with the move could have caused a hard drive failure. I initiated the RMA process, and some $20 and 3 days later, I had a new hard drive. All was good again in the world, or so I thought.
Several months later I attempted to install Windows Vista on one of my hard drives. Immediately I began to have problems with the system locking up for a few seconds, and then it would respond again. I turned to the Event Viewer (Start | Run | eventvwr) for answers. The System log was filled with events such as the following:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: atapi
Event Category: None
Event ID: 9
Description:
The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort2, did not respond within the timeout period.
There were varying errors (I believe there was also error ID 11, but 9 was more frequent), but all were disk related. Doing some searching for others with this problem led me to believe that Vista and my on-board RAID controller were not compatible. After trying a few workarounds, I decided I would remove the RAID setup and just have 3 independent hard disks.
I reinstalled the operating system, and by this point I knew that I could diagnose the problem by the sounds the hard disk would make. The hard drive audibly made a clicking sound, spooled down, and spooled back up. At this point I was beginning to wonder if it was some other driver that was not compatible with Windows Vista, or if it was possibly a failing SATA controller or cable.
I reinstalled Windows XP and forgot about Vista and my troubles seemed to disappear for a time. Soon though, the hard drive sound returned, and once it did, all sound was messed up. Windows startup and exit sounds were incredibly garbled. Even music played through Windows Media Player or iTunes would be distorted. I had all sorts of theories about how the sound driver could be corrupted by the hard disk problems, but the fact was I didn't know how to fix it. I would reinstall XP, but the problem would keep resurfacing.
I searched and searched on the Internet under different forums for people having similar problems. SeaTools was showing that one hard drive was failing the diagnostics now. Another failed hard drive in a year? One person had suggested that it might be the power supply, which for some reason, I had ignored until now. I decided that this may fit the symptoms, seeing as how the third hard drive had been added last year, and Windows Vista could have demanded slightly higher power output from the power supply. I postulated that this increased demand could have led to a degrading power supply that would now not even support Windows XP with 2 hard drives.
Whether or not any of my assumptions were right, I replaced the 2-year-old 420W power supply with a new 550W power supply. It's been several weeks now, and I'm glad to report that there have not been any disk errors! Maybe one of these days I will get around to installing Vista again on one of the drives, or configuring the on-board RAID again, but for now I'm just happy that I can go several weeks without reinstalling the operating system, hearing the hard drive restart, or hearing garbled sound in Windows XP!
So if you've had any of these symptoms, don't forget to consider the power supply, especially if your power load has recently increased!
P.S. For those interested, here are my system specifications:
ASUS P5GD1 motherboard
Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0 GHz dual core LGA775 2M
Kingston 1 GB (2x512 MB) DDR RAM
3x300 GB HDD (Maxtor/Seagate)
PowerColor Radeon X800GTO 256 MB
550W (now) power supply
I'll do my best to briefly explain it, considering most of you don't want the details, and those who do will criticize me the more details I give!
It all started last summer. I moved from Utah to Washington. Along with other belongings, I brought my computer with me. Within a couple weeks of setting it up, the system would no longer boot. After running Seagate's SeaTools diagnostics, it told me that one of my three hard drives was bad. I figured the jostling involved with the move could have caused a hard drive failure. I initiated the RMA process, and some $20 and 3 days later, I had a new hard drive. All was good again in the world, or so I thought.
Several months later I attempted to install Windows Vista on one of my hard drives. Immediately I began to have problems with the system locking up for a few seconds, and then it would respond again. I turned to the Event Viewer (Start | Run | eventvwr) for answers. The System log was filled with events such as the following:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: atapi
Event Category: None
Event ID: 9
Description:
The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort2, did not respond within the timeout period.
There were varying errors (I believe there was also error ID 11, but 9 was more frequent), but all were disk related. Doing some searching for others with this problem led me to believe that Vista and my on-board RAID controller were not compatible. After trying a few workarounds, I decided I would remove the RAID setup and just have 3 independent hard disks.
I reinstalled the operating system, and by this point I knew that I could diagnose the problem by the sounds the hard disk would make. The hard drive audibly made a clicking sound, spooled down, and spooled back up. At this point I was beginning to wonder if it was some other driver that was not compatible with Windows Vista, or if it was possibly a failing SATA controller or cable.
I reinstalled Windows XP and forgot about Vista and my troubles seemed to disappear for a time. Soon though, the hard drive sound returned, and once it did, all sound was messed up. Windows startup and exit sounds were incredibly garbled. Even music played through Windows Media Player or iTunes would be distorted. I had all sorts of theories about how the sound driver could be corrupted by the hard disk problems, but the fact was I didn't know how to fix it. I would reinstall XP, but the problem would keep resurfacing.
I searched and searched on the Internet under different forums for people having similar problems. SeaTools was showing that one hard drive was failing the diagnostics now. Another failed hard drive in a year? One person had suggested that it might be the power supply, which for some reason, I had ignored until now. I decided that this may fit the symptoms, seeing as how the third hard drive had been added last year, and Windows Vista could have demanded slightly higher power output from the power supply. I postulated that this increased demand could have led to a degrading power supply that would now not even support Windows XP with 2 hard drives.
Whether or not any of my assumptions were right, I replaced the 2-year-old 420W power supply with a new 550W power supply. It's been several weeks now, and I'm glad to report that there have not been any disk errors! Maybe one of these days I will get around to installing Vista again on one of the drives, or configuring the on-board RAID again, but for now I'm just happy that I can go several weeks without reinstalling the operating system, hearing the hard drive restart, or hearing garbled sound in Windows XP!
So if you've had any of these symptoms, don't forget to consider the power supply, especially if your power load has recently increased!
P.S. For those interested, here are my system specifications:
ASUS P5GD1 motherboard
Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0 GHz dual core LGA775 2M
Kingston 1 GB (2x512 MB) DDR RAM
3x300 GB HDD (Maxtor/Seagate)
PowerColor Radeon X800GTO 256 MB
550W (now) power supply
Friday, February 15, 2008
Hole(s) in the Wall(s)
Sometimes the best restaurants go unnoticed. Low advertising expenditures. No franchise or name recognition. There are many reasons why these "hole in the wall" places fold and disappear. But often it's not because of the food.
My friends and I ate at a good little Asian spot the other day, if you're looking for something a little more authentic. It's called Fusion Asian Grill, located in the same complex as Dallas Roberts. Give it a shot if you're looking for something new, before it goes under as well.
In addition, my trusted colleague "bird on the lawn" tells of a great Mexican place as well. I haven't been here yet but I've heard from 2 or 3 people that it's worth exploring.
So get out there and try something new. After all, this may be a limited time offer...
My friends and I ate at a good little Asian spot the other day, if you're looking for something a little more authentic. It's called Fusion Asian Grill, located in the same complex as Dallas Roberts. Give it a shot if you're looking for something new, before it goes under as well.
In addition, my trusted colleague "bird on the lawn" tells of a great Mexican place as well. I haven't been here yet but I've heard from 2 or 3 people that it's worth exploring.
So get out there and try something new. After all, this may be a limited time offer...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Forgotten memories
It's nice to talk to family and talk about memories that I have since forgotten. It just goes to show how easy it can be to forget about something that happens in your own life, and how helpful it can be to write it down, whether physically or virtually.
There was the time when my dad was mowing the lawn and out of nowhere the sliding glass door shattered. We assume it was a rock, but I like to think the sound coming from the lawn mower reached just the right pitch to match the glass door's natural harmonic frequency.
We went to Disney World several years in a row when we lived in Ohio. We then moved to Florida, and my parents were thinking of taking us to Disney World again. They asked us if we wanted to go and, much to their surprise, got a ho-hum response. We ended up going to a nearby hotel, had some fun on the beach, and we each got $50! My parents still tell that story to other families that talk about taking such vacations, and they get a kick out of it.
I should make a habit of writing down stories like these so I don't forget them like I did these. So one other one that I haven't forgot: we went to play at the beach during Hurricane Georges. Of course, we only went down to the bayou behind our house, but it was still a lot of fun. There were waves nearly 6 feet high in a location where 1 foot waves were considered big. I can only imagine what the waves were like on the Gulf coast. We also jumped on the trampoline during the hurricane. Now that's a good memory.
There was the time when my dad was mowing the lawn and out of nowhere the sliding glass door shattered. We assume it was a rock, but I like to think the sound coming from the lawn mower reached just the right pitch to match the glass door's natural harmonic frequency.
We went to Disney World several years in a row when we lived in Ohio. We then moved to Florida, and my parents were thinking of taking us to Disney World again. They asked us if we wanted to go and, much to their surprise, got a ho-hum response. We ended up going to a nearby hotel, had some fun on the beach, and we each got $50! My parents still tell that story to other families that talk about taking such vacations, and they get a kick out of it.
I should make a habit of writing down stories like these so I don't forget them like I did these. So one other one that I haven't forgot: we went to play at the beach during Hurricane Georges. Of course, we only went down to the bayou behind our house, but it was still a lot of fun. There were waves nearly 6 feet high in a location where 1 foot waves were considered big. I can only imagine what the waves were like on the Gulf coast. We also jumped on the trampoline during the hurricane. Now that's a good memory.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The most influential dates in my life
1. December 1983, in a military hospital
2. July 1995, in a military hospital
3. Spring/Summer 1997(?), in a Florida forest
4. December 1998, in my backyard
5. December 1999, in Kent stake center
6. June 2001, in Kent, WA
7. October 2003 in Seattle, WA
8. December 2003, in Provo MTC
9. February and September 2004, in Миасс, Russia
10. February 2005, in Челябинск, Russia
11. October-November 2005, in Пермь, Russia
12. June 2006, at Provo airport
13. December 2007, in Provo, UT
Many of these events are very personal, and some are events that many have gone through. It was an interesting exercise thinking of these events though. Which events are responsible for who you are?
2. July 1995, in a military hospital
3. Spring/Summer 1997(?), in a Florida forest
4. December 1998, in my backyard
5. December 1999, in Kent stake center
6. June 2001, in Kent, WA
7. October 2003 in Seattle, WA
8. December 2003, in Provo MTC
9. February and September 2004, in Миасс, Russia
10. February 2005, in Челябинск, Russia
11. October-November 2005, in Пермь, Russia
12. June 2006, at Provo airport
13. December 2007, in Provo, UT
Many of these events are very personal, and some are events that many have gone through. It was an interesting exercise thinking of these events though. Which events are responsible for who you are?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Phobia(s)
I don't know the technical term for each of my fears but here they are in no particular order:
1. snakes
2. the unknown
3. water beneath me in lakes and oceans (may be related to #2)
4. dying alone
5. sterilizing myself or developing cancer from use of electronic devices, specifically cell phones
6. sticky hands (not so much a fear as a manifestation of OCD - see also sink eater/trash eater for those familiar with the terms)
That's all I can think of but it's been a long day. I'm in Italy now.
1. snakes
2. the unknown
3. water beneath me in lakes and oceans (may be related to #2)
4. dying alone
5. sterilizing myself or developing cancer from use of electronic devices, specifically cell phones
6. sticky hands (not so much a fear as a manifestation of OCD - see also sink eater/trash eater for those familiar with the terms)
That's all I can think of but it's been a long day. I'm in Italy now.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
German efficiency on the freeway
In the states we're #1 in a lot of things. Some good, some bad. One area where we're close to the top but need to improve is our freeways.
There are two things that the German autobahn system has figured out, which I would love to see in the U.S.
1. We already have the signs, but no one seems to get the picture. SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. The left lanes are for passing. It's amazing how much more smoothly traffic flows in Germany, because people abide by this concept. The right lane may be going 100 km/h and someone in the left lane may be going 180 km/h, and it just works. Nothing is worse than being on a 4 lane divided highway and two cars are driving the same speed, right next to each other, making it impossible to pass. OK, OK, two trucks would be worse.
2. Areas with no speed limit. You're not near a city. You're not near a major exit. You're not ascending or descending a mountain or navigating a tricky pass. It's a straight road. You could go faster, but you see some sign telling you otherwise. It's the same sign that you saw during the dangerous areas. At least while traveling in the dangerous areas, you could understand the purpose, but now it's simply mocking you.
My mom was afraid to even drive in Germany. Now she won't hardly ever go less than 160 km/h (100 mph) when the conditions allow it. It just works here in Germany. I wish it worked in the U.S. as well. All we need are some of these signs on those nice straight stretches of highway (it tells you the speed limit has been removed):
I'd also settle for one of these babies:
Here's an actual shot of my mom driving on the autobahn:
Not bad for an 8 passenger van.
Hat tip to Google Images for making my work easier.
There are two things that the German autobahn system has figured out, which I would love to see in the U.S.
1. We already have the signs, but no one seems to get the picture. SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. The left lanes are for passing. It's amazing how much more smoothly traffic flows in Germany, because people abide by this concept. The right lane may be going 100 km/h and someone in the left lane may be going 180 km/h, and it just works. Nothing is worse than being on a 4 lane divided highway and two cars are driving the same speed, right next to each other, making it impossible to pass. OK, OK, two trucks would be worse.
2. Areas with no speed limit. You're not near a city. You're not near a major exit. You're not ascending or descending a mountain or navigating a tricky pass. It's a straight road. You could go faster, but you see some sign telling you otherwise. It's the same sign that you saw during the dangerous areas. At least while traveling in the dangerous areas, you could understand the purpose, but now it's simply mocking you.
My mom was afraid to even drive in Germany. Now she won't hardly ever go less than 160 km/h (100 mph) when the conditions allow it. It just works here in Germany. I wish it worked in the U.S. as well. All we need are some of these signs on those nice straight stretches of highway (it tells you the speed limit has been removed):
I'd also settle for one of these babies:
Here's an actual shot of my mom driving on the autobahn:
Not bad for an 8 passenger van.Hat tip to Google Images for making my work easier.
Mind exercises and mental math
You've no doubt seen the ads for the Nintendo DS game that gives you puzzles for your mind. Something pops up that says 3 ? 4 = 12 and you have to figure out that the operation here is multiplication. I find that a little primitive, but I think the concept here is important.
Too often we don't exercise certain areas of our mind anymore. Especially in math. Of course, I am a little biased, seeing as how I used to be a mathlete. But I've noticed that in the 8 years since I've taken calculus, I've forgotten a lot. I was helping someone recently, and found that some of it did come back, and it was exciting to revitalize those brain cells.
Even simple math can be invigorating for the brain. It wasn't that long ago that people balanced their checkbook and figured out tips in their head. Now we have online banking and tip calculators on our cell phone. I think it's healthy to multiply numbers by 0.15 in your head (or 0.2 or 0.25, sheesh don't get angry, here in Europe it's 0.05-0.1 you know) to figure out what tip you want to leave. Quadrupling a recipe is good for the brain, 1 1/3 cup of flour for one batch, how much for 4? Recently, I decided to use my brain to figure out how to convert between mpg and liters per 100km. Often on trips I'm tempted to figure out how much faster I will arrive at my destination if I go 90 mph instead of 85 mph... assuming the speed limit is 85 mph of course...
Helping my sister with science has been another way of re-energizing those long-dormant brain cells. There are so many interesting things that we learn, even in grade school, that we should really try not to forget. Bringing them up in conversation, or just going over them in our head, will hopefully help keep them in our long-term memory. Then when your dad leans over on a Swiss train and asks what 134 times 5 is, you'll be able to give the exact answer instead of a rough guesstimate.
(P.S. Don't forget, multiplying by 5 is the same as dividing by 2 and adding a 0 - 134 / 2 = 67. Add a 0 on the end and you get 670. 134 X 5 = 670. If you're not good at dividing by 2, or you want to check your answer, break it up into smaller parts. 134 X 5 = (100 X 5) + (30 X 5) + (4 X 5) = 500 + 150 + 20 = 670.)
Sometimes I miss being a math nerd.
Too often we don't exercise certain areas of our mind anymore. Especially in math. Of course, I am a little biased, seeing as how I used to be a mathlete. But I've noticed that in the 8 years since I've taken calculus, I've forgotten a lot. I was helping someone recently, and found that some of it did come back, and it was exciting to revitalize those brain cells.
Even simple math can be invigorating for the brain. It wasn't that long ago that people balanced their checkbook and figured out tips in their head. Now we have online banking and tip calculators on our cell phone. I think it's healthy to multiply numbers by 0.15 in your head (or 0.2 or 0.25, sheesh don't get angry, here in Europe it's 0.05-0.1 you know) to figure out what tip you want to leave. Quadrupling a recipe is good for the brain, 1 1/3 cup of flour for one batch, how much for 4? Recently, I decided to use my brain to figure out how to convert between mpg and liters per 100km. Often on trips I'm tempted to figure out how much faster I will arrive at my destination if I go 90 mph instead of 85 mph... assuming the speed limit is 85 mph of course...
Helping my sister with science has been another way of re-energizing those long-dormant brain cells. There are so many interesting things that we learn, even in grade school, that we should really try not to forget. Bringing them up in conversation, or just going over them in our head, will hopefully help keep them in our long-term memory. Then when your dad leans over on a Swiss train and asks what 134 times 5 is, you'll be able to give the exact answer instead of a rough guesstimate.
(P.S. Don't forget, multiplying by 5 is the same as dividing by 2 and adding a 0 - 134 / 2 = 67. Add a 0 on the end and you get 670. 134 X 5 = 670. If you're not good at dividing by 2, or you want to check your answer, break it up into smaller parts. 134 X 5 = (100 X 5) + (30 X 5) + (4 X 5) = 500 + 150 + 20 = 670.)
Sometimes I miss being a math nerd.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Buying America's Future on Credit
My 10-year-old sister doesn't get mail that often. So imagine our surprise when she was pre-approved for a credit card! I tried to convince my parents to let her get it and start building up her credit, but I don't think they bought into the idea. I suppose the "preapproval" may have disappeared when she put a monthly household income of 5 euros.
Seriously though, from whence is my sister's name appearing on the list of financial institutions? It blows my mind. Maybe we can get 10-year-olds to default on their payments and ruin their credit score before they get into middle school...
Check out some credit/debt trivia here from 2004. Personally, I've never understood how people can become slaves to their own debt, particularly when the reasons behind the debt are TVs, new cars, and just living outside one's means. Start setting aside money now for the future! Better to have interest working for you than against you.
Seriously though, from whence is my sister's name appearing on the list of financial institutions? It blows my mind. Maybe we can get 10-year-olds to default on their payments and ruin their credit score before they get into middle school...
Check out some credit/debt trivia here from 2004. Personally, I've never understood how people can become slaves to their own debt, particularly when the reasons behind the debt are TVs, new cars, and just living outside one's means. Start setting aside money now for the future! Better to have interest working for you than against you.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A fuel efficiency nightmare
Alex turns to me and asks, "What kind of fuel efficiency does a Hummer get anyway?" Right when I'm about to answer, he suggests, "27 or 28 liters per 100 km?"
Oh... right... metric measurements.
Don't be caught with egg on your face like I almost was!
Convert between mpg and liters/100 km by doing the following. Take 235 and divide by one measurement to get the other. For example, if I get 20 mpg in my Mustang GT, I get 235/20 = ~12 liters per 100 km. At least it's not 27 or 28 liters!
I forgot to take a picture today, but it took 90 euros to fill up the van with diesel gas. Gas was 1.30€ per liter. That's $7.25/gal!
Oh... right... metric measurements.
Don't be caught with egg on your face like I almost was!
Convert between mpg and liters/100 km by doing the following. Take 235 and divide by one measurement to get the other. For example, if I get 20 mpg in my Mustang GT, I get 235/20 = ~12 liters per 100 km. At least it's not 27 or 28 liters!
I forgot to take a picture today, but it took 90 euros to fill up the van with diesel gas. Gas was 1.30€ per liter. That's $7.25/gal!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)