Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Microsoft Surface demo

Trevor skyped me this url: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

After checking it out, I wasn't impressed. So the user wants to resize pictures and rotate them. Ewww, so neat. Not. So they want to drag them individually to an external device sitting on the screen. Ewww, so natural.

So I need to map out how to get to the restaurant and plan it out on my phone. This might be neat if I was a moron and didn't know where I was going. Which probably happens rarely. Do I just need to get out more and experience places and things that I've never done before? If so then I guess this would be good. But I bet the price for the software and new hardware needed, would be for the types of people shown in the demo.

Want to make new technology? OK - my list of priorities would be:

1) Robotics - how long have we been dreaming (reading and watching movies) about robotics and all we have is an unobtainable (Pardon my language)Honda Assimo.

2) Fuel Cell Technology - We need fuel cell and hydrogen powered vehicles now!!! I'm sick of waiting for this type of technology. Get it into high gear and make this a reality faster!

3) We need a cheaper way to get into space. I read this article on Wired and it seems so expensive to get into space the traditional "Send up a rocket" way. We need ways like this, or this.

Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but I'm sick of visual and interactive hype. And we don't yet another human - computer interface. It surely won't increase productivity. Entertainment isn't a top priority.

Interactive software is cool and trendy, but if you want to really impress me, hit something on this list. I know Microsoft isn't in the robot, energy or space industry. But somebody has to step up, and spread their wings. The government sure isn't going to.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Oliver came

On Friday Cathi and I went in at 7:00 am to the Davis County Hospital. She was hooked up to some medication that induces labor. It was slowly increased to the full amount and then Dr. Spencer came in and said he had surgery at McKayDee Hospital at noon and that we should stall. He was to arrive back @ 2:00 pm. Cathi got an epidural at 1:30pm and then when Dr. S arrived he broke her water. He then had another delivery at McKayDee so they took her off the medication. She wasn't progressing to a 10 as fast as we had hoped (with the stall in water break, and going on and off the inducing medication).

She went from a 7 to a 10 really fast, but getting to that 7 took forever.

Oliver was born @ 9:10 pm and weighed in at 8 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. Here is his formal announcement.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Feeling excited and nervous

Well this is it. This is the last day I'll be a father of six. I'm feeling like I did when I was about to swim in a meet, or bench press at the Utah Summer Games. Excited and nervous at the same time. Hoping everything goes well. Will update when we have news.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Cathi's thick ankles

Cathi and I have noticed that she has in the past couple of months developed some fairly thick ankles. This is normal during the last trimester of pregnancy and is just fluid build up. More information on it here. We've been enjoying the strangeness of it and I did a little video of it here. Yesterday she confirmed the inducement date of 5/25/07 at 7:30 in the morning. So we should have some news to you on Friday afternoon(or earlier).

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Found yet another version of Engel

Today I found another version of Rammstein's Engel, but this version was done by "Gregorian". So with four different versions, I would say this is second. Here is the order I would put them:

  1. Rammstein's original Engel from Sehnsucht album in 1997

  2. Gregorian's Dark Side Engel

  3. "Engel" by Peter Schilling

  4. Engel by Scala

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Love of Money is the root of all evil

I've been a bigger Survivor fan than I was this season. The personalities this season weren't as vibrant as in the past, and I've also been more busy so I haven't been able to watch as much as I wanted to this season. However the past several episodes I've been more excited about it. My favorite guy this season was Yao-man. He is funny, is a software developer, an avid table tennis player, has a strong work ethic, and isn't a complete liar like many of the other players.

One thing he did this season that was interesting was a public deal he made with another player. Dreemz comes from a lower income state and there was a challenge in which Yao Man won a brand new super truck. Dreemz wanted the truck badly. Yao-Man made a public deal with Dreemz so that he could have the truck if he could give him the immunity necklace if down to the final four. Dreemz said in a private interview later with the camera man how he would honor his word and how important it was to follow through on his promise.

When the time came, he did NOT keep his promise. He kept saying how he planned to not keep his promise the whole time. He blames his dishonor on the "game" and that it was about being deceitful and outwitting his opponent. That excuse has been played many times, and in fact those people who have done the most deceiving have rarely won. Another game participant, Boo, challenged Dreams to come out with the truth. Dreemz failed then. He denied that he turned from his original plan to give up the immunity neclace and planned to betray Yao man the whole time.

I was pretty angry at Dreemz, but was shocked when Yao man said that Dreemz should not feel guilty and should keep the truck and enjoy it. Yao man forgave him for the lie and didn't seek vengeance. The guy who won did so by unanimous decision. He won the game without being outright dishonest and won with honor. Dreemz on the other hand, hoped to win (with dishonor), and didn't even get a single vote. It goes to show that those who use deceit and backstabbing to win the prize rarely do so. Their methods don't naturally lead to positive results. Congratulations to Yao man for being an example for good, and forgiving the misdeed despite not winning the game.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Moving up in Table Tennis Rating

Finally got the results of my rating with the new Utah Valley Open Tournament. I was given a new rating of 1354. I had the most improved rating in that tournament. I went up over 350 points.

There are several people that I beat at the tournament that are still a few points ahead of me. But that is understood. For instance, David To beat Austin, but he has a lower rating that Austin (even though Austin lost 33 points at the Utah Valley Open Tournament). I don't think I'll inform Austin as his attitude is already quite spoiled with the sport.

With all the stuff that's going on this summer it won't be until the end of July that we get to go to the club again. But I have been playing nearly every day at lunch time which has been good for me.

My next goal - consistently beat Varghese, Carol and Craig Z. Get into the 1500 range.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

To hell with rebates! TigerDirect and OnRebate.com you suck!

This is the second time I've had serious problems with rebates and ultimately did not get a rebate. This time it was for $40. I ordered an external hard drive from Tiger Direct. Printed out the rebate form immediately afterwards and put it in my bag.

My item comes a week or so later and I get my rebate form and it is all beat up and ripped from being loose in my bag (not very smart on my part I know). So I went back and reprint the rebate from the same item and send it in. Come to find out that the form that I printed the second time is for another rebate. Mine was purchased at the end of March and the one I reprinted was for purchases in April. So OnRebate denies the claim.

I go back to Tiger Direct and find the OLD March rebate form and email it back to OnRebate and they respond saying they cannot make corrections over email and that it has to be mailed. However the actual rebate form is found at OnRebate.com's website and the link no longer works. Now what?!!! $40 down the drain.

If you have don't have problems with rebates, you must be a lawyer or Software QA guy. But for me, I will boycott buying items that are on Rebate. Give me the saving up front you cheap manufacturers!! The way you get your money is counting on people like me to mess one little thing up and then the whole thing is screwed.

TigerDirect and OnRebate you suck! I used to be a very loyalty TigerDirect customer. Not anymore. Shame on them for enticing you with low prices (after rebate) and then hand you off to some tight-ass stickler! Oh I know On rebate..... "We're only enforcing the manufacturers rebate conditions." Shut the hell up and I hope people realize its just a gamble in getting their money back and a scam.