Nice Artwork!

So, while browsing around, I came across this nice piece of artwork...not 100% clear on the text, but it did say something like they saw this on a well respected business structure. Kinda neat, I would say...though I don't condone graffiti, I have to admit, it looks pretty good. Not as original as I would have liked to see, as I know a lot of graffiti artists are original in some way...it would have been better, in my opinion, to have a battle scene or something...as I don't play a Troll Shaman, I can't rate this pic as best...hahhah! But, again, that's just my opinion and I'm sticking to it...

In case you're wondering, click on the pic above to go to the original post/article about the drawing...I can barely read it but it looks like they were saying something like after eating and walking home, they came across the picture...but other than that, it's all a little sketchy...

First Day of Kindergarten!

My little angel in her school uniform on her first day of kindergarten! We had to scramble last night to buy her a pair of navy-blue tights since, for some reason, we didn't get the tights but we got the uniform. Not entirely sure WHY we did that...oh well. Anyways, she got to class OK.

We all had to meet in the cafeteria before class and the four teachers would call out names of their respective students. My baby's teacher was so soft-spoken that we didn't hear her name being called. That sucked since it would have been a nice photo-op for her. But, in any case, she eventually got to her class and was enjoying it.

It was a little warm but I think the classes had A/C...

You know you played too much when...

Ok, last night we had a company meeting, supposedly, to pass out our success-sharing checks but the checks won't arrive until the first week of September...ok, no biggie. So the meeting went on about appreciating workers for their hard work and such and they had a raffle for a 42" LCD TV. I was like, whoa! I wanna win! And, wouldn't you know it, I didn't. But, the funny thing is that, during the raffle drawing, it felt like I was playing WoW and was rolling for an epic! Which, BTW, I don't usually win, either...but! It was funny and I laughed at it cuz of the feeling I got when they were doing the drawing. HAH! Uhm, yeah...that was funny to me...

The Adventures of Messy Cow

Just as a WoW addict as I am, I love to read books, magazines, you know...anything with pictures and words. And not just about gaming, but about cars and parenting, too. Yes, I am a parent and I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can for my little angel. But, anyways, this isn't about being a parent...it's about, you guessed it, WoW! Muhahaha! erum...yeah...anyways...click on over to Messy Cow and read up on her adventures as a new WoW player! And yes, most, if not all of us, have gone through what she has gone through while playing WoW...all except the dwarf part...but, I won't spoil it for you! Go on, read!

A little snippet about the manga she wrote...

"The Adventures of Messy Cow is a manga (Asian comic) about Wonn's World of Warcraft character, Messy Cow. Wonn (Weng Chen) has been playing for almost a year, and this is her first MMO. Most of her friends were long time online game players, so she had some help getting started, but she still had her share of funny and interesting experiences, this being her first time.

There's not really a cronological order to things, it's just whatever she decides to write about when she sits down to create a story. Everything is based on real events though, at least in it's basic idea. Messy Cow developed quite a reputation in her guild for her "interesting" experiences, but is now is quite a productive member of the guild. This manga will serve as a record of events along the way...

Messy Cow plays on the server in Shanghai, although if you are reading this in English that probably means you will never meet her."

Might As Well Face It You're Addicted To WoW...

Hahahahahahahahah! I can't laugh hard enough when I came across this article over at WikiHow...and article about how to break your addiction to WoW. First off, I'm in no way saying that WoW isn't addictive, in fact, it's prob more addictive than any other game out there on the market except for Pokemon or Mario. This article is funny in that I think the writer doesn't even know the steps in itself to break an addiction. Here's an example:

"Play a different videogame. Sure, you might just find yourself in another addiction, but at least you're not paying 15 bucks every month."

WTF is that about? Why would you try to break an addiction with another? To the best of my limited knowledge, breaking an addiction means to free yourself from the binds that hold you to what you once hold dear. Besides, $15 is relatively insignificant when you're breaking it down to, roughly, 30 days...that's about 50 cents a day. You waste more than 50 cents a day by talking or texting on your cellphone. At least with gaming you get some sort of enjoyment. Granted, gaming isn't something you can take with you all the time and flaunt to everyone on the streets about your gaming accomplishments.

Everyone is an addict when it comes to playing WoW. Even me. I have to admit, I truly enjoy playing WoW. However, I do not HAVE to play it on a daily basis for hours on end. After all my responsibilities are completed, there's nothing wrong with playing WoW, or doing anything else that I enjoy. Addiction has found itself in many other things, such as gambling, drinking, smoking, etc, and everything, and I do mean everything, CAN be addictive. The trouble is, with most other addictions, so many people are doing it that it's hard for people to spot that particular addiction. Take sports for example. How many people watch sports whenever it's on? That in itself can be called an addiction for the simple fact that those who crave watching sports, will go to any length just to be near the broadcast, whether it be watching or listening to it. All those who participate in this won't realize that they're an addict. Or how about drinking alcohol? How many do you know that feel social drinking is acceptable? That in itself can be called an addiction, too, since those who do social drinking, find it hard to socialize, or fit in, without drinking along with everyone else. And, here's the flamer, how about religion? I know of many religious individuals that feel bad whenever they miss going to church. How's that for withdrawal symptoms?

This article, I truly hope, is meant to make people laugh cuz if it were supposed to be serious, the writer has failed...

Fool GPS Tracking Devices?

Ever get the idea that you're being followed or tracked by someone using a GPS device? Well, look no further than this device! I'm guessing it's suppose to jam the GPS signals and render the device inoperable. Kinda cool idea. Dunno what's the use of it, though...I mean, really, let's put it this way, if you're afraid of being tracked, you're doing something wrong. I, personally, don't care if people know where I'm at at any given time. Though I don't feel the need to be connected in any way, I don't see the reason why someone can't know where I'm at. But, I guess there are people out there that are doing the bad-things that don't want to be tracked...hahaha! Uhm, yeah...in any case, I still think this is a neat idea...though I won't condone its use, I do realize that there are people who need to be in stealth and this device might do them well...

The way this thing works is by plugging into your car's cig adapter and within seconds, it's operational. Now, it claims to only disable the GPS device that's on your vehicle and not the ones next to you...but what about cars that are close to you or devices, such as a NexTel phone, that has built-in GPS? Would this device render those useless, too, at the same time?

Special Edition Nokia N73

Since I have an N73ME (Music Edition) I always want to know what I'm missing...missing as in since I purchased mine fairly early in the game, there are sometimes newer versions that come out that have more built-in features that I may, or may not, want/enjoy. It would seem that Nokia has come out with a new Limited/Special Edition of their N73.

According to CNN, the N73 will come in "soft" white color with some built-in apps tailored to the needs of the Arab consumer...more specifically, for the Holy month of Ramadan. Please excuse me, since I'm Chinese, I do not know as much about the Holy month so I cannot comment much more on what it includes or how it functions...but, CNN has more details on the specifics...

"In addition the Nokia N73 Special Edition offers unique Ramadan Greetings, a very special customized e-card application that enables families and friends to send greeting cards through SMS or MMS in celebration of this Holy month' said Neil Gordon, Vice President for Multimedia, Nokia, Middle East & Africa, 'This new edition is a reflection of Nokia's commitment to continuously provide consumers with tailored services, based on their needs and requirements."

The soft white color is what I'm most interested in, since I like the color white. I was originally thinking of the original white version but it didn't look right with the red that they used...so I eventually went with the black Music Edition version...

Study shows no link between car accidents and cellphone use...

Well, according to an article on Wired Magazine, it looks like there's no connection between talking on a cellphone while driving than those who don't. Granted, the general public cannot do more than two things at once, but as a whole, most people on cellphones are more careful than you might expect. I have to admit, sometimes I am not as careful while I'm on the phone while driving as I would normally be, but that doesn't mean I'm wreckless; I haven't been honked at while I'm the phone...I still signal when I'm turning or changing lanes.

I would have to say that I, personally, think that having a child in the car while driving is more distracting than talking on a cellphone. Think about it, you can always end the conversation on the phone but you cannot end the conversation with a child. When my little angel was a baby, she would do everything in her power to get my attention (cuz she wants daddy's attention) and I would have to, sometimes, put my arm back there to comfort her...but imagine a car full of kids that are screaming, talking, etc...granted, I don't think people who get into accidents due to their kids being distracted actually say that it was their kids being distracted, so we can't actually use this as a fair comparison...most people just assume that people who talk on cellphones are careless...

Like they say, do not assume, it makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me"...

iPhone Unlockable?

Give them time and anything is possible, right? Accord to The New York Times (and various other sources), a 17 year-old from New Jersey has successfully unlocked the iPhone. He claimed he spent the entire summer to develop the unlocked process. The entire unlock process takes about 2 hours to complete and requires soldering. Kinda cool, considering that Apple said that their software is secure and unhackable...pfft! Like I said, anything is possible...where there is a will, there is a way...

The way I see it is that, you can't control what people use and where they want to use it. This is exactly what we're seeing here. As the example above, the 17YO is using his iPhone on T-Mobile, instead of Cingulat/ATT. A lot of people want to jump around with services to get the best deal for a few months and then move on. I, personally, don't care about that because I usually purchase my phones outside of contract through other distributors, instead of going directly to Cingular/ATT. Not that Cingular/ATT do not have nice phones, which they do, but I'd rather not have to worry about it being customized with provider crap. I'd rather purchase an unlocked phone to customze any way I see fit...but that's just me...

The Jungle!

We decided at the last minute to go to The Jungle over in Concord yesterday for my little baby's birthday party...sorta. We didn't stay long, just long enough for her to play around a little bit. I went inside to play with her. It was extremely cramped inside! But that might be cuz I'm a little bigger than all the other kids in there! Hah! Anyways, we were about to stay to eat some pizza but we eventually decided to go out to eat at a buffet. I knew she would enjoy it but we had to leave and she didn't want to go...=( Oh well. Next time we'll stay longer. Today, actually, is her birthday, so we didn't do much celebrating last night...

Fring

VoIP is the rage these days and I have to say, even my mom is using it! She's subscribed to this service my aunt suggested to her. Anyways, if you don't know what Fring is, fring is a mobile application for Windows and Symbian phones that uses VOIP to make inexpensive/free mobile calls and instant message. Unlike Jajah, but like Truphone, Fring sends calls and chats over Wi-Fi internet access or your 3G or GPRS Internet data plan. Like Skype, users are charged a nominal fee to call standard phone lines. However, calls made to other internet phones are free. Fring connects to standard phones, other SIP based VOIP clients, and chat applications (Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, and even Twitter).

Now, this is also very similar to the other service I mentioned before from Palringo except with fring, you make an actual call (which you would have to give out your number) whereas with Palringo, it's PTT (Push To Talk). Both uses data. I prefer Palringo since I don't make any international calls but I'm sure fring has its uses...just not me...

HTC Kaiser/AT&T Tilt

Wonderful new offering from HTC. Not that I'm 100% into those texting devices, but it is nice to see something that has a full QWERTY keyboard...even though this is only half-assing it...the screen slides out, very similar to the other devices, except this one also tilts up slightly, hence the name, Tilt. Click on the picture for full details on the phone...

Ouch!

Cracked iPhone just from dropping it on a concrete floor...I guess that's all it takes...click on the pic to read the full article...personally, I would have bought a damn tough case for it if I did have an iPhone...I wonder if the screen is all glass? I guess it is, considering that it's a full-touch screen and is almost scratch resistant...but, it's funny how Apple would use all glass on such a unit that can be so fragile...oh well...I guess you have to have it all glass, considering it is much better as a touchscreen than plastic...but still...

Duels!

I haven't actually tried this online game, yet, but I hear it's all the rage at the moment. No, it's not an actual replacement for WoW or anything else, for that matter, but it's something you can play with while at work or want something to take your mind off WoW...hahaah! Or something else...anyways...

www.duels.com

It's a PvP type game where you HAVE to fight aginst others...at least that's what I gathered from reading it...but it does have some quests so I think that's another way to level...or get items...who knows...anyways, check it out and see how you like it. I will give this a try, later, when I get home from work. But in the meantime, I'll just mosey along...

(Edit: I didn't get to register on my lunch so I'll try it, again, when I get home after work...not that I don't want to try it at work, but I would rather not do those things while at work...just in case, ya know...)

WTF?!

Now I dunno about you, but WTF is this?! A flashlight that makes you yack?!



I guess this is good for the riot police...or for a good gag...hahah! The exact specs of the flashlight aren't know but I do know that it's capable of inducing nausea at whomever it's flashed at. It has a range finder to measure the distance to the target’s eyes, so it adjusts the energy level of the light to an acceptable level as to not damage the recipient's eyes. I think it said it shoots pulses of light rapidly from an array of ultrabright LEDs that causes the nausea. Dunno how this would work or how effectively it will keep riots down but I'm guessing it's relativey safer than mace or pepper spray...but imagine the mess it would make...ew...

Mario on the iPhone!

Not that I have an iPhone nor do I have the urge to get one, here's something interesting I found on the web...



So, even after how Apple toughts its proprietary software/hardware kinda deal, it's only a matter of time before someone hacks their OS...officially, the OS is what they called “closed”...what that means is that only Apple or Apple-approved developers can program apps for the iPhone. Hackers, on the other hand, have found a way to get their own programs onto the iPhone without being approved.

“Stepwhite” has managed to get the InfoNES core up and running on the iPhone. Now, all you iPhone users will be able to run emulated NES Games, such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. Don't get excited, yet, cuz the emulator runs way too slow for a decent gaming experience. With the iPhone's touchscreen, the controller image on the screen works poorly so it doesn't give you the best NES gaming experience.

What does all this mean to you and I? Practiaclly nothing...at least not yet since almost everyone owns a GameBoy of some kind...but it's nice to know that, given the time and effort, you'll soon see InfoNES, or a counterpart of some kind, work properly on the iPhone in the future...how soon, I dunno, but if it there's enough motivation, anything is possible...

BlizzCon!

I know very few of you are actually interested in BlizzCon but for me, is kinda exciting! You can see all the upcoming (and current) Blizzard games and ideas...I'm mostly interested in their new expansion, the Wrath of the Lich King. I didn't get to attend but I'm reading up on it from various websites and from people who are there, already. =( Sucks that I cannot attend...but then again, maybe next year, I'll try to make it there...maybe it'll be more fun in person than just seeing the pictures...I heard there was a dance contest, too, where you try to dance as one of the characters in-game...I heard that the blood elves won the dance contests, one male and one female, and that the male wore a shirt that said "Vote For Kael'thas"! Of course there were more contests, such as a character sound-alike, but the dancing one really drew my attention!

So, anyways...uhm, I'm starting to get very irritated at the shop that's handling my car. To be as professional as I can, I won't mention the shop's name, but it's taking almost FIVE (5) years for them to work on my car. And no, it's nothing custom...my engine blew compression and they're resizing it slightly instead of buying a new block. Works out for me but it's taking an extremely long time. They keep telling me that parts are backordered or not available. I will get the part #'s of the parts they need and do some research on my own. If all else fails, I guess I will have to contact the BBB and/or a lawyer to see what my options are. I don't mind paying him the money for the work that he's already done, but if that's the case, I would like for him to pay for the inconvenience that he's caused me for almost FIVE (5) years.