My new favorite thing is to play the song, “You’re the Best” from”Karate Kid” while Windows Updates are running.
Let’s make Windows Updates inspirational again!
The Light Side
Humor and humorous topics
Thought for the Day
Every Decade Has a Letter.
Each of the last three decades had a “letter” that defines the branding of online services:
1990’s: “e” (Electronic)
- eCommerce
- eMusic
- eWeb
- eSearch
- ePortal
- eOnline
- etc…
2000’s: “i” (Internet)
- Apple products: iPhone, iTunes, iPod, etc..
- iWeb
- iSearch
- iPortal
- iOnline
- etc…
2010’s: “x” (???)
- xWeb
- xSearch
- xPortal
- xChange
- xOnline
- etc…
I hereby predict that the 2020’s letter is “q” (quantum / quick):
- qWeb
- qSearch
- qPortal
- qOnline
- etc…
Guns are a pure expression of physics.
In addition to bad gun physics, movies and TV tend to depict handling or firing techniques that wouldn’t work, wouldn’t be effective, or could even be dangerous.
Selecting Tax Software, 2017 (Tax year 2016):
Do you need to file a State income tax?
- Yes: TurboTax Deluxe
- No: TurboTax Deluxe
Selecting Tax Software, 2018 (Tax year 2017):
- Pick a Kanji pictogram
- Convert it to ancient Chinese
- Speak it in hushed whispers to Cthulhu
- Cthulhu will, in turn, flash a gang sign to the ancient Egyptians
- The ancient Egyptians randomly pick a hieroglyph
- The hieroglyph has nothing to do with anything
- Pick some TurboTax edition at random
- Pay $30 more than you planned.
In movies, we often see technology myths that get repeated and propagated until they become “common knowledge”.
The technology of bombs and bomb-diffusal is no different.
Please note: This has NOTHING to do with pizza coupons nor discount codes. If you want pizza coupons, click here.
Every now and then, I run across the Geek Code, a compact notation for sharing basic profile and personality information.
I recently ran across this again, while looking for something else, and it inspired me to answer these questions:
- Could you define a compact yet robust notation for ordering a pizza?
- Could you order any pizza within an 80-character text message?
- Could you manage a single order with multiple pizzas within an 80-character text message?
Let’s find out…
(Credit to my son, Morgon)
The Next Indiana Jones Movies
- (Raiders of the Lost Ark) Supernatural artifact from God
- (Temple of Doom) Set of supernatural artifacts related to an ancient religion
- (Last Crusade) The most famous supernatural artifact, related to King Arthur, the Knights Templar, and the Crusades
- (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) Supernatural artifact related to Aliens
- PREDICTION: Supernatural artifact related to time travel
- PREDICTION: Star Wars Cross-over
:-)
The Danger of Artificial Intelligence
AI Done Properly:
“I know that you have selected several items colored red when buying things online. Therefore, I assume that your favorite color is red, and I automatically selected the color red when you asked me to purchase new curtains”
AI Done Poorly:
“I know that you have selected several items colored red when buying things online. Therefore, I murdered 200 people because blood is also red.”
The Coffee-Muffin Death Spiral
Step 1: Mmmmm this nice, warm muffin is delicious. You know? This would go GREAT with a cup of coffee…
Step 2: Obtain coffee.
Step 3: Finish muffin.
Step 4: This is great coffee… it sure would go PERFECTLY with a nice, warm muffin…
Step 5: Obtain muffin.
Step 6: Finish coffee.
Step 7: Repeat Step 1.
MacGyver was a 1980’s TV action hero, known for being able to quickly apply his extensive math / science / engineering skills in order to save the day.
MacGyver always carried standard gear on his person that included his iconic Swiss Army knife, duct tape, paper clips, and chewing gum. In every episode, he employed creativity, his gear, and science to re-purpose common items in order to build a machine or otherwise develop a solution for some major problem.
Fast forward to fall 2016 – CBS is about to release a modern reboot.
What skills and technology would a “modern” MacGyver employ?
(Note – this is being written without any advanced knowledge of the reboot, except, having seen the trailer)
Read on, to find out.