Well, the new Windows operating system is out. Windows Vista. Long awaited codenamed Longhorn, with a complete graphics makeover and great new eye candy. Well…great in some peoples’ point of view anyway. But what upgrades do we get as far as functionality goes? Umm…well…hmmm…that’s a toughie. Well, they added the application “Windows Defender”! But…well, that works in XP and isn’t actually part of the OS. Same goes for Office 2007.

So what upgrades DID Vista get? Well, I can’t find any information except for two upgrades. A search function which copies Mac OS X’s Spotlight outright…but performs very poorly from what I hear. And a desktop widgets application that outright copies Dashboard and widget applications that have been available from Google, Yahoo, and more for a very long time.

Well, it may not be that great, but it’s bound to be the most popular OS. So you’ve just got to upgrade to it…so, let’s see which version you’re going to want…hmm, well, pick your favorite from this list:

Home Basic 32
Home Basic 32 Upgrade
Home Basic 64
Home Basic 64 Upgrade
Home Basic 32 Developper Pack
Home Basic 32 Upgrade Developper Pack
Home Basic 64 Developper Pack
Home Basic 64 Upgrade Developper Pack
Home Premium 32
Home Premium 32 Upgrade
Home Premium 64
Home Premium 64 Upgrade
Home Premium 32 Developper Pack
Home Premium 32 Upgrade Developper Pack
Home Premium 64 Developper Pack
Home Premium 64 Upgrade Developper Pack
Business 32
Business 32 Upgrade
Business 64
Business 64 Upgrade
Business 32 Developper Pack
Business 32 Upgrade Developper Pack
Business 64 Developper Pack
Business 64 Upgrade Developper Pack
Ultimate 32
Ultimate 32 Upgrade
Ultimate 64
Ultimate 64 Upgrade
Ultimate 32 Developper Pack
Ultimate 32 Upgrade Developper Pack
Ultimate 64 Developper Pack
Ultimate 64 Upgrade Developper Pack

That’s right, folks. 32 great editions to choose from! Choice is a good thing, right? Isn’t that what all the Linux dudes are always on their soapboxes about? “More choices! Free as in free speech, not free beer!!!” Well, when we apply that phrase to Vista, I’m not so sure about free speech, but one thing’s for sure: It’s NOT free beer! Vista Ultimate 64 will run you $400!

Yeah, umm…I’m getting a Mac. No, really, I am. See…my computer’s on eBay. I’m getting a Mac Pro.
And with that, I refer you to this excellent comic, the author of which is clearly kinder than I since he spared his readers of many of the available versions of Vista.

http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/915.html

The computer I call Discover Seattle is for sale. It has been an excellent machine for me for about 6 months. I built it myself and did not abuse it. It is in excellent shape for a used computer. I have constructed a video to show you some of its features.

(Check out the full ad at www.thefuriouspc.com)

A long time ago (a few hours) in a classroom far, far away (a few miles), I had a conversation with a man named Mark.  Minutes later, I documented my thoughts on this conversation.

I was having my semi-regular argument about how poor an actress Dakota Fanning is just a few minutes ago.  Today, it was with Mark Davis, Junior English Instructor who I hold in a somewhat high esteem.  It was very disappointing to me that he hasn’t the judgement to see that where Dakota Fanning is, a movie is not.

But far more disappointing than that is the way he declared victory in our argument.  He used what I consider to be a very poor, very weak technique.  I have always held a very hostile attitude towards this technique.  It’s a cheap and unfair way to win an argument.  When you use the same simple fact to win every time, what’s the point of arguing at all?  Every single debate ends the same way: “I’ve got more experience than you, and so I know more, and so you’re wrong.”  It’s a ridiculous attitude on the very surface, but it’s even more insane if you look at what’s really being said: “I’m older.  You aren’t worth a damn.”

It just isn’t true, and try as I might, I can’t avoid being frustrated at this concept.  I may be younger than you, but I’ve been around just as long — indeed, longer — than Dakota Fanning!  I have seen her just as much as you!  My opinion is just as valid as yours!  Even if I hadn’t been here to see the start of Fanning’s career, I have had just as much opportunity to research it, and to watch the movies that were created before my time.  Moreover, I should have just as much a right to free speech as you.

It’s the same way with every subject.  The same essential argument: I’m older.  But you know what?  It just doesn’t matter.  Because if your argument is so weak that you have to pull that card, then I’ve already won.

I have been contacted by the great and noble Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game, its sequels, prequels, and parralex novels, the Tales of Alvin Maker series, and the Homecoming series in addition to many other great novels. I’m totally psyched! The dude actually emailed me personally to answer a question!

Unfortunately, the context of my question is lost (I didn’t save it anywhere, and the email he sent did not contain it). However, it was something to the effect of:

Q: What is the correct pronunciation of Han Tzu? In Ender’s Game and the Shadow series, the nickname “Hot Soup” suggests that it would be “Hon Zoo”. But in your short story, Cheater, you point out that it is pronounced “Ze”.

A: The answer is embarrassingly simple. When I first created the character of Hot Soup, I had no idea how Romanized Chinese words should be pronounced. I assumed Han Tzu would be pronounced as written. Then the Chinese government rationalized the romanized writing system to conform with actual pronunciation today (the old system was invented by Jesuits, I understand, and so long ago that it does not reflect changes in pronunciation since that time). Now Han Tzu’s name is written Han Ze. Bummer, huh?

So I had to have the family deliberately use the OLD spelling of the name, and then the kids in battle school, seeing the name WRITTEN, would make the joke; and the joke name would continue despite Han Tzu’s attempts to explain the correct pronunciation. In other words, I made the other kids as ignorant as I was when writing the book [grin]*.

*Originally the word grin was in greater-than and less-than characters, not brackets. However, Wordpress is for whatever reason not allowing me to use greater-than and less-than. You would have thought that would be a glitch they could have remedied.

I can’t believe he emailed me. I have OSC’s personal email address!!! Wow! (I won’t give it away or sell it by the way, sorry guys.) Heh

I just finished my massive 10-page research paper on why marijuana should be legalized.  It is titled “Cash Trumps Freedom”.  Since it is so long, I will put it up as a page rather than an actual blog.  Click here for Cash Trumps Freedom.

There’s a new energy drink on the block.  Cocaine.  The real question is how long our oh-so-awesome government will stand for it.  Of course there are immediately claims of the drink corrupting our youth and even accusations of Cocaine being a “gateway drink”.  But the truth is, Cocaine is one of the best energy drinks I have ever had.  It does what it says it is supposed to: it gives you energy.

More importantly, Cocaine is one of the first energy drinks that does not contain high fructose corn syrup!  It also omits several other terrible ingredients! This energy drink does not provide a crash like RockStar and Red Bull, my previous favorites.  This energy drink is good for you!!!  So of course the government will want it banned.
I obviously hope that the drink continues to be allowed in this world, but I know too much about our government to think that there won’t at least be an attempt to put them out of business.

My suggestion?  GO BUY COCAINE!  Make it so valuable to the economy that it can’t be made illegal!  Show your support!  And while you’re at it, have fun with the extreme energy boost and mild euphoria that comes with massive amounts of caffeine!

Tonight I viewed Charlotte’s Web, a movie adapted from a children’s novel. I must say the movie was very well pulled off…except for one thing.

Get Dakota Fanning OFF the screen.

She can’t act. She never could, but now it’s worse. She gets worse in every single movie she does! She IS NOT AN ACTRESS! How is it that so many people just fall for her? They love her! She has way too many fans, and it’s getting out of hand. Everyone just sees a cute little girl on the screen, and they think, “aww, she’s cute, and she’s young, and she’s a girl, and she’s on the screen! She must be good!” No one seems to stop to think about the fact that during the movie, instead of thinking about the movie, they are thinking about HOW CUTE DAKOTA FANNING IS!

She takes your attention away from where it should be, and that is because she is not real! There are very good actors out there, whose faces are all over the place, who haven’t got a problem with this! Because they can act so well, that even though their face is so familiar to us, we still see them as the character during the movie and not as the actor.

But this isn’t so with Dakota Fanning. She’s a semi-decent actress, I’ll give her that. But she isn’t nearly good enough to overcome the fame that makes her face so recognizable…so NOT the character she is supposed to be.

What other little girls do we have for roles like these? Well, I suggest AnnaSophia Robb, whose stunning performance in Because of Winn-Dixie didn’t get as much attention as it deserved. She isn’t popular enough yet to be tested, but when she is, I think she will pass the test of overcoming the familiarity of her face.

In short, Charlotte’s Web was a great movie, but could have been 87 times better with a good actress in the lead role.

Had to do this as a means of pwning someone.  Figured I might as well share it