Signing off....Kinda

This will be my last blog entry regarding my Informational Studies class on Social Issues in a Networked Society, but it won't be my last blog entry. I know I haven't really been posting as often as I would like, but I will be changing that in the near future. Recent times have been hectic with school and all, but I am adjusting. Either way when something interesting comes along, you'll be the first to hear about it.

Cheers!

Craiglist is Cool!

Okay, so I'm sure most of you have heard of Craigslist. In my honest opinion, one of the greatest websites and free services ever!! I mean, sometimes it's fun just to browse regardless of what city you're living in. Especially the rant & rave part of it. Holy Shit some of those can be funny as hell, take for instance this rant and rave that got nominated into the "best-of" portion of craigslist:

Hey CRACKHEAD!!!

Let me just say that if you ever need something random and/or need or want to sell anything or get rid of anything or just bitch about something, go. to. Craigslist.

Second Life Revisited...

Alright, so I have taken a second look at Second Life. After all, I did kinda judge the book...well you know the rest of it. Anyway, I am still not that impressed with it but it isn't as bad as I made it out to be at first. I know it's free, so don't start with that, but it still isn't all that.

Actually the class through which I heard about the game met in Second Life rather than the physical class room. I must say, it was a weird experience. Of course it was nothing like meeting in real life and discussing topics was a little difficult. However, our instructor did show us around and took us to some very interesting places. One of them being the Virginia Tech memorial (my sympathy to you and yours), which was honestly a very odd experience. Everywhere else we went I was flying around testing the game, but in here it was morbid and quiet, as if being compelled to show respect for the departed.

I have to admit, I have a new found respect for Second Life and maybe one day I will devote enough time to really appreciate the game, but in the end it's still just a game and have to attend to my first life for the time being.

Peace.

Second Life?

So Gabe Greggan is now a newly birthed citizen in the virtual world of Second Life. To be honest, I don't think I had ever heard of Second Life until we discussed it in my Informational Studies class. Shit, even for a while, since I had missed a few classes, I almost thought they were talking about a literal second life considering the hype they were building around it.

But I digress... Second Life is a cool concept and it is quite amazing the things that one can accomplish there, but not really my type of game. Although I did play World of Warcraft (WoW) for about a year and half since its last beta, I never was one to fall into games like SIMS. It was just too realistic and not enough fantasy, but then again, that's just what I like. Fantasy games where you can look like an animal or go and ring someone's neck without consequence is more my cup of tea. Not to mention the engine that runs the game. I'd like to think that my computer is fairly up to date and can run most games out there whether they be online or not, but second life has got too much goin' on for it to run smoothly. I know, I know... you're sittin there with raised brow sayin', "Whatta y'expect? It's FREE!" I realize that and the great, just not for me. I am patient guy when it comes to real life situations, but when it comes to bandwidth my road rage gets the better of me. So suck it, I'm out.

Are we moving towards cybernetics faster that we should?

I recently saw a special on pbs called "22nd Century."

You can watch the video here:
http://www.pbs.org/22ndcentury/

So I guess I am on the fence about this subject. It's kinda hard to draw a conclusion when both sides have valid points.

Do we really want the "I, Robot" society? I mean, how lazy do we need to get before we have robots doing all of our work for us. I realize there a select few of us that will be fortunate enough to have the occupation of designing these things and creating prototypes before a machine is built to mass produce them.

My biggest beef with the idea and humans as a whole is that we are no longer creatures of moderation and I am guilty of this too. Everything has to be done to the extent of it being too big, too much, too loud, too quiet, too much!!! Anyone with an iota of common sense knows that too much of anything is bad. Yet, we persist on the acquisition of "more."

When it comes to machines or computers, I love them and I believe they are some of the bes things we have ever conceived, but as Benjamin Franklin would put it, "Tis easier to see, than to foresee." Think about the consequences, people.

Here is Lucy. She is currently a 6 week old Cherrier (Chihuahua - (Rat) Terrier) that I picked up from a private seller. She is an awesome little dog with the best personality. I have been looking for a dog for a while, but had very specific criteria for the type and size of canine that I wanted. She will grow to around 10 pounds, her tail has already been docked (personal preference), and being the mix that she is, will be very easy to train and extremely intelligent. I look forward to raising her and will keep you posted.

Cheers,
Gabe

Back to Technology, this is awesome!!

i really can't wait for this new upcoming keyboard, fully customizeable with led keys depending on your application.

Check it out!!

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

I just hope it isn't as expensive as people say it wil be.

Cheers!

My Chili Recipe

Vegetables:
2 medium sweet onions, peeled, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, washed, grilled, peeled, cored, chopped
3-4 small Hungarian yellow peppers, chopped (if you can't find them, use yellow bell instead)

(for extra heat and great flavor, you may add your choice of 1, 2 or all the following)
1 poblano pepper, washed, grilled, peeled, cored, chopped
2-3 Serrano peppers, washed, grilled, peeled, seeded, chopped
7-10 chili pequins (preferably dried and salted)

(optional)
3 stalks of celery, washed, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper to the vegetable part, washed, chopped with seeds
1 habanero pepper, washed, grilled, peeled, seeded, chopped

Meat Mixture:
2 1/2 pounds of sirloin, cubed
2 pounds of lamb, cubed
1 pound of beef stew meat
1 small white onion, peeled, chopped
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Tomatoes and spices:
3 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14 ounce) zesty diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (I prefer Kosher or Mediterranean)
1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder

On a gas or charcoal grille, chop the 2 sweet onions in half and place on the grille cut side down for about 4-5 mins. Roast all the whole peppers until black; remove everything from the grille and set peppers aside in an enclosed container. (This will sweat the peppers and aide in the peeling) Finely chop the grilled sweet onions and set aside.

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and the butter and brown the sirloin, stew meat, and lamb with the white onion, leaving the fat in the pan. This is your chance to start peeling and chopping the peppers and the sweet onions, but keep an eye on the meat so as not to burn it. Add the minced garlic cloves to the meat about 1-2 minutes before adding the liquid. Add the roasted and peeled peppers and sweet onions to the large stock pot with the meat. Add all the tomatoes, sauces and spices. Let simmer 3 hours.

Makes 20 generous servings.

A Brotherly Tradition

This past weekend marked what I believe to be the 10th annual BSW camping trip of which I have attended the last four. For all the men out there (and women if you so choose) BSW is a time of relaxation where you are able and encouraged to forget all about the daily routine/grind with which you have probably become so accustomed to. For my comrades and I, we take a camping trip the weekend before the superbowl, which is usually the coldest weekend of the year to a predetermined destination. We choose this time in order to avoid the crowds and the bugs and can unleash any energy without much incident, if any. Park rangers are less likely to hassle you also, because you are utilizing the park at a time that it is hardly ever used. As our pass time activities, we will enjoy poker, a casual game of washers, vent our frustrations, tell (stupid) jokes or try to make the fire as big as possible. It is always nice to "hang" with your closest of friends and the only catch is you are not allowed to bring anyone from the opposite sex to your time of rest.

Friday afternoon, evening is obviously setup and drink up till the wee hours of the night.
Saturday is started off early with what we call shit-ass breakfast which is a combination of eggs, jalapeño (first 2 ingredients are required), and whatever else your little heart desires. Shit-ass breakfast is followed up with a chili cook-off in which any camper is encouraged to participate. (i will post my chili recipe soon)

Keep in mind that all the aforementioned is happening with beer in hand.

This year we also brought games including chess, washers, cards, etc.

...and remember, what goes on at BSW, stays at BSW.

Let me know what you think or if you have any comments or ideas.

Anyway, until next time...

Link Out!!!

A Mob in a Flash

Hey everyone. I was in my informational studies class one day and started talking about flash mobs and how elaborate they can become (almost in an instant). Flash Mob?! WTF? Well, I am sure most of you know or have an idea of what flash mobs are, but for those of you who don't, a "flash mob" is basically exactly what it states. It is a large group or mob of people that congregate in an instant (flash) to perform some task, usually mischievous. Anyway, with that out of the way I stumbled across a website that is dedicated to pulling pranks using flash mobs. Their latest mission being 'No pants 2k7' in which 300 pantless people rode the subway while performing normal activities included reading, carrying on a conversation, or even just standing/sitting there while clueless others looked and laughed, scoffed or ignored. The whole point being to stimulate some kind of reaction from the public community. See if maybe you can be a part of a flash mob in your neighborhood.

In the meantime check out the website, it's cool: http://www.improveverywhere.com/

Until next time....

Link Out!!!

Dairy Queen a Wi-Fi spot?

Okay, so I might be a little behind, but I recently discovered that one of the two Dairy Queens in Austin just got renovated, but that's not even the big deal. When the renovation was complete the fast food joint had a whole new and updated look, AND it is now a Wi-Fi hot spot!! Yes, I am talking about the one and only fast food joint that you will ALWAYS see in the smallest of towns across Texas. Some of these towns only have a population of a couple hundred folks, and one of the few things you will see is that Texas Stop Sign - Dairy Queen. Apparently they are going to add the Wi-Fi feature to the majority of the DQ's across Texas, which I think is a great idea for those driving travelers such as myself to stop in, grab a bite, play a pc game, check my e-mail, surf the web, etc. all while I eat. Those who have ever driven across Texas know exactly of these tiny towns I speak of. Also, if you're like me, DQ doesn't enter your mind a whole lot, and I think it was because it never changed, or "out of sight, out of mind", but their new place has me eating more DQ than I was before and taking a computer while I'm at it.

Peace out!

Link Out!!

A New Reader

I recently found about this new technology where a device uses "inkblots" or "electronic ink" to print to a screen while using minimal energy. I don't know too much about it but I saw an ad for it on gmail and in caught my attention. If it catches on, and I DO think it will, it will be a new way to read novels, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, or anything else you can think of that requires reading without lugging around a heavy satchel teeming with books. It can even print pictures, so comic books are welcome!! The best way for me describe how it works is think of a classic etch-a-sketch where two arms with points at the end were controlled by two knobs on the frame scraping material off the back side of the screen. The images stay there until you shook the whole thing to "resurface" the screen powder charged with static electricity. Well, the "Sony Reader" works much the same way except at the push of a button, positively charged ions form shapes, letters, pictures or symbols pressed between two sheets of polycarbonate or plastic and will stay that way until changed or removed by the user, even if the power is shut off. Crazy!!
Here is an info link: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/sony-reader-gizmodos-hands-all-over-203185.php Check it out!!

See you later!! Link Out!

Velocity Credit Union Sucks

Okay, so some back story here. When I moved to Austin I got a bank account with Wells Fargo and it went well and I was very impressed with their electronic banking services - very impressed. This was about the time that banks were just starting their electronic banking services, so for me to actually see it and use it was great. I was with them for about three years until I got the dreaded credit card. I needed to pay for school and I didn't have the money at the time, so I figured...get the card and use ONLY when you need it. Well, sooner or later you start justifying transactions like, "Well, I will use it just this once... it's only $20 and when I get paid I will pay it...no biggie." So after coming into debt and experiencing high interest rates for really the first time in my life I used a second credit card with a much lower interest rate to consolidate my debt, pay off Wells Fargo and close my accounts with them. It's an unstoppable snowball - I know.

In comes Velocity Federal Credit Union. Austin based, local business, seemed like they had their stuff together. So I open an account with Velocity and during this period I held about 3 different jobs - you know just to pay rent and other bills and have the occasional recreational time. I'm basically living paycheck to paycheck. Now before being stabbed in the back, by Velocity, I assumed that their services would be the same as any other bank, but better because they are a credit union - lower interest rates on loans, higher rates on savings, NEW facility that would technologically be up to date!, etc.

Now that you know that, this is why Velocity sucks:
I had gone to a seafood place and ordered. When it came time to pay, I gave them my debit card from Velocity. The waitress comes back to me stating the card was declined to which my response was, "That's weird. I just deposited money into my account two days ago and haven't used the card since." After trying to come up with other options I asked her to please try it again. This time it was approved....thank God!! Little did I know that this incident would haunt me later.
I went to go and pay some bills and my card get declined again, so after cursing my credit union, I tell the person I will be back later. So, between the seafood place and the bill place i had made a series of transactions from buying gas and snacks to cigarettes and groceries. After the bill place I went home to check my account and discovered I was in the hole more than $600 because of all the overdraft fees Velocity has charged me!! WTF!!! After some of my rage dissipates, I phone velocity to see how this has happened and explain to her that the very first overdraft fee was charged to my account while it contained a positive amount of money in it. She states that she would be happy to refund my money if they can prove it was the credit union's mistake, to which I replied, "...fine, but hurry, because I have to work."

What happened? you ask.

Well, that first declination that happened at the seafood place apparently got passed through for authorization from my credit union, but the credit card machine lost its connection and as a result of it not receiving a response from my credit union, declines the card. However, that amount is now being held as a pending transaction by Velocity. The reason they suck so bad is because I never knew about this alleged "pending transaction." This pending transaction NEVER ever shows up on your electronic banking services, whether it be online or on the phone. The only ones that ever see it are the employees at Velocity. They consider this to be my fault and they are not to blame in the slightest (rage returns right here). After speaking and yelling with the Vice-President and arguing with him for over an hour, he agreed to refund 90% of my money to me and he still, to this day, has yet to refund the other 10%. Rather than waiting for that, I have since closed my account with them and opened it with another bank which I trust.

This experience has taught me not to assume people know what they are doing or know how to run a business, just because you have seen a standard out there and expect everyone to meet or exceed that standard. I love technology, but in this case it was not used to its fullest potential and I got stiffed. Velocity's customer service has much to be desired especially in the field of electronic banking services. The customer should have FULL access to view his/her account or listen to it on the phone. For someone like me who doesn't like to manually keep track of my transactions, this can be very dangerous. However, in my defense, even in this situation a manual log have failed miserably. So, unless you are able to watch your expenses like a Hawk on a rat in an open field, don't bank with velocity.

I apologize for the lengthy post, but it has been a while since I have talked about this, and I have to admit, blogging it feels pretty good. Cheers!

The First Blog

Well, I finally got this thing up and working for my new INF class at UT Austin. Funny thing is, I have never had a blog before and never really desired one. Interestingly and oddly enough before I started this class, because I started late, I was playing around with the idea of starting my own website and creating a blog within it. Well, hopefully, this will encourage me to start up a rhythm of keeping a blog and being consistent with it. My reason for wanting one now is mainly because I don't get to keep in touch my friends and family as much as I would like to (especially since I hate talking on the phone) and I am hoping I can keep them up to date with this blog and I hope I am able to get to my webpage up and running sooner or later. Until then...good to see you.