Back Up
Posted by Graham T.
Website has been down awhile, had a minor hiccup. Will start posting again soon.
Sarah Palin Blames Environmentalists For Gulf Oil Disaster
Posted by Graham T.
Sarah Palin Blames Environmentalists For Gulf Oil Disaster
Why? Why, why, why why is this woman still around? She is a complete moron of a human being. This has to be one of the dumbest things I have heard. Once again, there are people out there applauding her for this too, I think those folks are even worse. She needs to hire someone with half a brain to write for her, then maybe I could at least tolerate her presence. Maybe this is all for publicity, I don't know. I can't imagine someone is really that stupid, oh wait never mind. The people that follow her are the same ones that think Obama is a terrorist. This is the equivalent of your child sticking a fork in an electrical socket, then blaming whoever built the house for where the socket was placed. Every time I turn on the TV or get on the internet, I am bombarded with stupidity. It is tolerable from your everyday Joe, but this woman has been in a position of power, and could have been the successor to the biggest position of power. People are even talking about her still being considered as a candidate. What a joke.
Vile Voice Mails Cost Agency $1.5 Million
Posted by Graham T.
Vile Voice Mails Cost Agency $1.5 Million
This is just plain stupidity on the part of the collections agency. I actually find it pretty hilarious though. No business should perform these types of actions. If someone cannot pay, they cannot pay. No reason to call and harass someone, and definitely no reason for the collections agency to use racial slurs. I think this is just part of the decay of society. Customer service has gone down the toilet everywhere. What is even more amazing is the fact that they left messages life this, that is evidence. At least now he can pay his debt. "Just take it out of what you owe me."
Top 10 Shows for Children on Nick Jr.
Posted by Graham T.
I like this channel, it has some good programs for my children. It was once Noggin, now it is Nick Jr. There are a few annoying ones, but generally it is good television for children. There is one thing that has to go though. The Nick Jr. spokesman and all around annoying headache, Moose A. Moose. I understand that this thing is probably very appealing to children, but the mere sound of his voice makes me cringe. What is worse is when he sings. His singing voice is horrendous, and he sings often. Anyway, lets get to it. Here are 10 shows that are good for your children on Nick Jr.
1. Yo Gabba Gabba
Yes it's weird, and yes it doesn't make much sense at times. This offbeat show is colorful and looks like the creators are possibly on drugs. I didn't think much of it at first, until I saw my young son mimicking the dances and gestures. They offer good lessons about being clean and good behavior. There is also nothing better than watching your young child do a dance on television. Give this weird show a chance.
2. The Backyardigans
Cute show with a bunch of singing animals and an alien, or maybe it's a bug, or maybe a spotted deer. Not sure what it is. generally the show has some sort of theme, like a western setting, or Robin Hood. The characters play different roles as the antagonist or protagonist in the setting they are in. Of course it is appropriate for the children always. It generally teaches children to work together.
3. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan
This colorful show teaches manners and how to deal with frustration and anger. I like this one because it has minor conflict which I believe is important to show children because they will face it later in life. Children shows that show everyone getting along all the time give kids unrealistic expectations. This show also throws in a bit of Chinese culture. The only thing I do not like is that now my son stomps his foot when he is mad, and it can be rather loud. He picked it up from this show.
4. Wonder Pets
I'm a little partial to this one. It also has minor conflict at times. The show teaches teamwork and how to get along with others. It also shows children how to be helpful. Through teamwork and their individual strengths brought together, the Wonder Pets save the day and help others. Good show and one of the more tolerable ones to watch with your child. They also throw in real world references sometimes such at the "Rat Pack", big band singers that are actually rats.
5. Little Bear
A mellow show that shows a polite young bear as the main character. Little Bear often uses his imagination to have adventures with his friends. I like this one because the main character is so polite. This show will not have your child bouncing off the walls either as it is pretty calm. Both bear parents are present and offer love and attention to Little Bear. An all around good show.
6. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!
A colorful cartoon with unique characters. Often, the premise of the show is about actions and their consequences. The main character, Wubbzy, will often do something that he has not thought through entirely. Trouble usually follows and his friends must help clean up the mess, and in the end, Wubbzy has learned something. I think the main point behind this show is teamwork and accountability.
7. Little Bill
Another show with a polite child main character. This one is also rather calm and mellow. This one is generally about making a difference through individual actions from what I can tell. I have also seen that it promotes compromise when it is appropriate, and using ingenuity to solve problems. There is also a bit of imagination thrown in.
8. The Upside Down Show
Another weird show with two weird men. I also did not think much of this one until I saw my son mimicking their activities and laughing hysterically. It is an interactive show that asks the children to perform gestures to help the two men out, such as using the remote to alter their environment. The pair travel through different rooms that have different properties, such as being upside-down. They ask the viewer to use a remote to turn the room right side up.
9. Blue's Clues
An oldie but a goodie. This one teaches kids to use their imagination and observe their environment. The show has a puzzle, and Blue leaves clues around to decipher the puzzle. The main character (Steve or Joe depending on how old the episode is) at one point will sit down and think about what he and the audience have discovered.
10. Team Umizoomi
I don't know exactly why, but I really like this one. It is only a few months old. This show has the main characters using math to solve problems and use shapes to form things. My son loves this show and is glued to it when it comes on. He also likes to mimic the dancing on this show too. I believe this show offers a lot and will only get better with time.
Well, that's it. If you didn't see a show on here, I probably didn't mention it for a reason.
Tight Pants Ban
Posted by Graham T.
Tight Pants Ban In Indonesia Should Be Extended To Hip Hoppers
Another government hard at work. This is absolutely ridiculous. We need to be careful about what we ask a government to ban. The more bans and laws that are placed by governments, the more freedoms people lose. Now, I know this is not in the United States, but it sets a bad precedent everywhere. It is clothing for crying out loud, a few thousand years ago, people were wearing nothing but loincloths.
Not long ago I wrote an article on banning cell phones in restaurants. Sure it is annoying to hear someone else talking loudly on a phone, but it should not be a law. The government is supposed to protect the people, not control them. This is another case of people just needing to leave each other alone. Something I think humans are incapable of though. A minor annoyance should not invoke a law. What needs to happen is the enforcement of the important ones already in place.
The other thing too, is that this article references hip-hop artists. Very few rappers wear tight crap, how about the cowboys wearing wranglers? That has been the usual stereotype from what I remember. I still don't think the government should make a law but lets be honest, if anyone is guilty of wearing tight pants, it would be the cowboy types. To the people who support a law like this, just think if they banned one of your styles? Bet you would be pretty upset. You can be on the side of the government when they ban something you dislike, but it is not far-fetched to think they could do the same to your style of clothing. After clothing, possibly hair. After hair, maybe the way you talk. See where I am going with this? People need to think things through.
Unsolicited Parenting Advice
Posted by Graham T.
I cannot stand it when other people want to try and tell good parents how to be with their children. Parenting can be difficult, and trying to raise children in today's society is a tough job. There are so many bad parents out there, but why is it people tend to try and offer free advice to the decent ones, and stand by while the worst continue to raise future criminals.
I get all types of unwanted advice from people that do not have kids, or think they know better. I have to admit, this strikes a nerve, as it brings into question my parenting abilities and how I am raising my children. It is a sad state where people who should not keep their children do, and the decent parents get harassed. That link there is a story about a dad at a sporting event who bought a Mike's Hard Lemonade for his child, thinking that it was regular lemonade. He had no idea that it was an alcoholic beverage. The kid landed in foster care temporarily, probably doing more damage then one alcoholic drink could ever do. This is the story over and over. These are the parents that get their children taken away. I am not condoning giving alcohol to a child, but if you did not know, I do not think it is a big deal.
There are parents that neglect and abuse their children, yet most of the time people are too afraid to say anything because the parents are probably unstable or criminals. Bravery towards parents who are doing their job, cowardice when it actually matters. This is not always the case, as there are countless examples of people stepping in when they need to. It just seems like the former is more common.
I think the main thing I am trying to get across here is shut up. Seriously, I don't want to hear how you think I should teach or discipline my children. If a child is fed, clothed, and not abused, people need to keep their noses out of the parent's business.
Google Pac-Man Doodle
Posted by Graham T.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20005528-52.html
This is pretty cool. I can't help but play it when I go to Google. I don't want to let Pac-Man die, must play. Seriously, Pac-Man just sits there like he has given up on life if you don't play, and the ghosts come and get him. I find myself forced to guide him out of his deep state of depression and away from the ghosts.
Insane
Posted by Graham T.
Inspired by http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/05/13/lewis-black-glenn-beck-has-nazi-tourettes/
Top 10 Free Programs for Windows
Posted by Graham T.
There is usually a free alternative to a commercial product out there. If you are just using a program for personal use, the brand names are good, but the free ones do the job usually just as good. I am listing completely free software, not programs that have a trial period, then you must purchase. These are programs for Windows. In no specific order, here are some of the ones I use:
1. OpenOffice.
This program suite is very good. It is a free alternative to MS Office and functions much the same. OpenOffice Writer is like Word, OpenOffice Calc is like Excel and so on. If you want to check it out, you can find their website at http://www.openoffice.org/.
2. Mozilla Thunderbird
This is a nice email client if you don't want to use Outlook. Completely free and functional. Website: http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/.
3. GIMP
GIMP is image editing software comparable to the brand names that are out. I have used it many times and can say it is very high quality. Their website states "GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages." http://www.gimp.org/.
4. Audacity
Very nice sound editing program. I have used it to create ring tones and a few other things. Best part, it's free. Found at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.
5. Spybot Search and Destroy
This is a very good anti-spyware application. It also has an anti-rootkit option. I have used it for several years. It can pick up viruses and worms, but it is not an alternative for an anti-virus program. http://www.safer-networking.org/en/home/index.html.
6. iTunes
Even if you do not like Apple, iTunes is a good program for organizing music. It is free as long as you don't buy anything from their store, which you don't have to in order to use it for it's main purpose. I used it even before I had an iPod and have always liked it. http://www.apple.com/itunes/.
7. 7-Zip
Free file archiver. Not much to say here, it zips and unzips. It's great. http://www.7-zip.org/.
8. Blender
3D Content Creation suite. This is a great program if you have the need to create models and such. Good for games I have played where you can insert models. http://www.blender.org/.
9. Amaya
Web editing software that produce great results. This is a great program that also functions as a browser. Found at http://www.w3.org/Amaya/.
10. WinSCP
Free SFTP, FTP, and SCP client. Easy to use and figure out. I have been using this one for awhile. http://winscp.net/eng/index.php.
These are the free programs that I use and find most useful. There are plenty more free programs out there, you can look for yourself. I think these are some that a wider range of people would be interested in.