Have you heard of this yet? Colbert is a god! This is the same man that has a bridge named after him and has won numerous awards (good ones too!). His show has become one of the smartest, and funniest shows on television; and that's quite hard to achieve.
The Decemberists are also a band that you folks may want to keep your ears tuned into. I'm practically in love with their song O' Valencia, that came out on their new album The Crane Wife and featured the infamous green screen music video. They've been gaining some steam lately and their huge appearance on the Colbert Report will do nothing but help them.
p.s make sure you watch all of the Comedy Central videos so you can learn the background, and take in all of the hilarity.
Labels: Link to something, Rambling
By: Desmond |
Monday, December 25, 2006 at 6:25 PM | |
Alright so the stuff I had here before was way too short so I figured I would "elaborate" a little bit more. 1st of all, Merry Christmas (or is it happy holidays?) to everyone out there that bothers to read this. Mine wasn't too bad, scored a Gamecube, Fifa 06 for Xbox, a bunch of clothes, some stuff I needed like a new xbox headset and some screen protectors for my pda. I didn't really get into the spirit as much as I usually do this year though, which was kind of disappointing. I mean, apart from the pretty much mandatory Christmas wallpaper (or wallpapers for me, runnin' on duals over here :-P), I didn't really get into it all that much. Perhaps it was just the fact that this was one of the first years of many that we in Rochester didn't have a white Christmas. Usually its green (or brown?... gross) until the last couple days leading up to the big day; then we get about a foot or so of the white stuff just in time for it. This year was different though and I can't really remember the last time we didn't have a white Christmas (damn global warming!).
Alright well thats enough of that, let me know who else had a sweet holiday!
Labels: Rambling
By: Desmond |
at 8:15 AM | |
Yes, it's that time of year again. So pull out the old aluminum pole, gather your friends for your airing of grievances and see if anyone can pin you, the host, in the feats of strength. Because until they can, Festivus will not end!
Labels: Rambling
By: Desmond |
Saturday, December 23, 2006 at 2:35 PM | |
I emailed
Greg, a veteran developer for the AIM team with some questions and here are the responses that he sent back to me. It's a little peak into the life of an AIM developer and some background information on new projects that are goin on behind the scenes at AOL. If you have questions for him, please post them on his blog. If you have questions for me, you know how to get in touch with me.
1. How long have you been working at AOL?7+ years.
2. What is the most rewarding thing about working on the AIM project?The people I work with are terrific, from the engineers to the testers to our managers. Though, I think the most rewarding thing is how AIM is used by so many people all across the world to keep in touch with each other. It has made the world a much smaller place.
3. What does your daily routine at AOL include?I get in to work around 9AM. Typically I have a few hours of meetings a day going over various things like bugs we need to fix, new features we are developing, etc. The rest of the time I am working on code, some of it is code that AIM 6.0 UI developers need, code for Open AIM, or working with our Open AIM partners/developers to make sure they have all the support they need. I usually head home around 6PM, but I work until about 10PM every night. During that period I do things like post on my blog or answer questions on the developer message boards.
4. Can we expect any new features for AIM in the future?Well without giving away all the details, and what fun would that be, I think we will continue to give our users the best experience in instant messaging. We plan to do this by continuing to support Open AIM and by making AIM 6.x the best it can be. Open AIM allows 3rd party companies and developers to build AIM clients that can focus on extending specific features to a specific community. For example, Super Computer International built a client called Playlinc that gives gamers a way to meet other gamers to play MMOGs. In the near future I think we will see some features that we have had on the shelf for many years make their way out into Triton, you will have to stay tuned to see what they are. Lastly, we will see some cool new things associated with Open AIM.
5. Aside from the recent update on AIM 5.9, do you intend to update 5.9 at all with any fixes or features?The AIM 5.9 update was related to a patch Microsoft released for ActiveX controls. That code based is effectively retired.
6. How big is the team that works on AIM?Many people work directly on AIM, but even more work indirectly with AIM. It would be unfair to give a number, because I might leave people out, but it would be fair for me to say the entire company has a stake in the success of instant messaging (AIM and ICQ).
7. Do you have a certain job in the AIM developement, or is it kind of all over?I work on the core client infrastructure of AIM. What that means is that I work on the cross platform Open AIM code that AIM 6.0 was built on, in addition to other AOL products and of course 3rd party developers. Think of it as the instant messaging client side engine.
8. Can expect any new plugins for AIM Triton to be developed by AOL?Absolutely there will be more plugins for AIM. Between our Facebook Plugin, AIM QuickBuddy, the Location plugin, and AIM Gadgets we continue to extend the features for AIM 6.x. In addition, I would expect to see more 3rd party developers coming out with plugins. We are continuously adding new support for plugins in AIM, and as always any plugin written for AIM 6.0 will work with any Open AIM client. We are also adding a new type of plugin for AIM called AIM Widgets. You can make widgets now for the AIM Lite client.
9. Are there any new projects in developement by AOL for AIM?We continue to work on AIM Express which is our web based solution, in addition we just did a release of AIM Lite which is part of our experimental technology my group does with AIM. Included in our Mac SDK there is client code that when compiled is a nearly full fledged Mac client.
10. Do you guys have any goals for AIM?I have the goal of trying to deliver the best IM experience out on the web.
11. Last one: Are you pleased with the way AIM has progressed over the years?Definitely. We have gone from a one-size fits all model, to one now where we will always try to deliver a great experience via our flagship client (AIM 6.0), but also give people who are into playing video games (Playlinc) or are enterprise users (AIM Pro) an option other than AIM 6.0.
Labels: Interview, Writing
By: Desmond |
Monday, December 18, 2006 at 9:29 PM | |
Link
This made me chuckle. All I thought of while I was reading this was the accounting person Office Space with the high voice.
Labels: Link to something
By: Desmond |
Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 1:45 PM | |
Link
Can't believe I didn't pick this up, usually I'm pretty up-to-the-day with these AIM updates. This one comes straight from the AOL developers blog. The new buddy list limit for AIM is now 1000 buddies, which, to me, sounds absolutely crazy because I can't even think of having more than 300. I remember back in the day when the list was only able to go up to 200.
Labels: Link to something, News
By: Desmond |
Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 5:39 PM | |
I would think that a mouse that vibrates to give you a hand message while you use it would be a hot item. Perhaps I should go into the business and manufacture one. Although, I'm sure some person in like Japan has already come up with this idea, but whatever it still rocks.
Labels: Rambling
By: Desmond |
at 3:46 PM | |
Back in the beginning of October I had to write a controversy on the topic of my choice for AP English. I chose internet censorship. I thought maybe since this is the internet and you are using it, that you might want to read this.
Nearly everyone has been on the internet sometime in their life whether it is to watch videos, or check the news, nearly everyone has been to a webpage before. Technology has taken off in the last decade, including the introduction of new software and the internet. By the end of the 90’s most people had used a computer before and the internet was just starting to be born. The internet will never peak, information is added at an almost constant stream and new, dynamic content will always change the way it looks and acts. Anyone can upload or say anything on the internet in minutes. Many people, especially bloggers, look to the internet as the epitome of free speech. But the internet is not free and just like in real life; it is very easy to offend someone online. There have been many instances where documents, videos, and messages have been posted on the internet without the willing consent of someone else to which they belong. Pictures and videos of death, pornography, and images intended to shock those that see them. With all these videos, images, and messages being posted on the internet, and the growing number of people that have access to the internet, should the United States, or the world, regulate the internet by censorship?
This question is asking us to lock the only total form of free speech we have. When the internet we use today was created in 1991, its general purpose was to share information, all information, across a broad network of computers. The world has come a long way and the internet has become exactly what it was created to be. Diversity in the news has also increased and although many sources may contain a biased view, there are plenty of sources to choose from, which ends up including every perspective in the end anyways (Current Media Ownership Rules Promote Freedom of Speech). Many feel that the government should ban indecency, but this is a violation of the 1st amendment. Pornography is a popular topic when it comes to indecency. Many fear that children have access to it too easily, and that it affects the minds of adults. Under the 1st amendment, it is stated clearly that “sexual expression which is indecent but not obscene is protected by the First Amendment” (Banning Indecency on the Internet is Unconstitutional). Taking action and the enforcement of indecency would cost millions and thats money that could be used for other, more important things such as foreign aid or settling domestic problems. Everyday students and others use the internet to research legit information. The wealth of available knowledge is beneficial to society.
But to what length should the internet be allowed to host anything people desire? The challenging dilemma is the fact that people are uploading illegal and controversial files and information. Many people fear that people go too far when they upload pictures or videos of injuries, or of activities generally deemed immoral every else besides the internet. One of the latest instances includes Steve Irwin. Some believe that the video shot by his cameraman should be posted online, but many believe that it should not be shown. Studies have shown that exposure to pornography is damaging to adults behaviorally (Indecent Material on the Internet Should be Censored). Shyla Welch makes the point that the easy availability of pornography for children can corrupt their mind at an early age and will ultimately affect the next generation's society. Specific data on this subject is not available because any experimentation with children would be unethical, but adults that have been exposed show signs that this is in fact true (Indecent Material on the Internet Should be Censored).
Without a doubt it would be great to have the internet censored, but it is not practical in my opinion. The high cost of enforcing rules for the entire internet is not a reachable goal, but enforcing rules on servers and internet hosts individually could be obtainable. The government should be making sure that the people that run the internet service providers, and the servers that host the websites and files that are indecent. This will be a less costly, and more effective solution. I absolutely agree with this compromise because I feel it would help society and not put a burden on the already huge national debt.
A solution that we as a society should look into for the future is to follow the compromise view. It provides the only means of solving the problem of indecency while at the same time using as little money as possible. It will require the “hosts” to regulate their own servers which means the government won't have to worry about watching as many people and the people and resources can be used for other, more important matters. This answer should be put into place sometime in the near future though, otherwise the children of today will be affected and the society of the future will in turn be affected.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the things in parenthesis are the names of the sources that I used. Don't worry about it because I'm not going to include a bibliography.
Labels: Articles, Writing
By: Desmond |
Wednesday, December 06, 2006 at 4:52 PM | |
Check this out. Apparently some whiney bitch got upset because I hotlinked one of his images. This is the kind of thing that almost makes me want to hotlink more. Just so you know, I could care less about who, what, or how I hotlink. He never did do anything, I believe he just left a comment or something, which was really all that was necessary because I changed it right afterwards. And guess what, I hotlinked the next image too and since most people that use the internet are fucking retarded, they don't do shit when it comes to hotlinking. So guess what, suck my balls vitalsecurity or whatever the fuck your website's name is...
Oh btw, I hotlinked that picture in the corner too :-)
Labels: whiney bitch
By: Desmond |
at 3:39 PM | |
I put together this little cutie on Sunday. It's about four feet tall and has lights and ornaments.
Be jealous.
Labels: Rambling
By: Desmond |
Tuesday, December 05, 2006 at 6:41 PM | |
click on the picture above to enlarge it
The new crazy story on the internet right now is this painting that a Russian professor posted on his website. The story behind it is that it's a replica and it was painted by a man with a very rare mental disorder. In the painting lies one detail that betrays this mans insanity. The professor shows it to his students every year and in the 15 years he's been teaching, only one person has been able to figure it out.
Here are some hints that he has left us so far:
- the keywords are
water and air-
look at the painting as a whole; if the houses and horses were removed
-
what would you hear in the painting?
We were originally told that the professor would be online yesterday and the day before but he never showed but he is going to be on today and he said he will read through the almost 4,000 comments left on
his website to determine if anyone has come close or better yet: guessed what the correct answer is. If you want, leave a comment on what you think it is on my blog and perhaps we can have a go at it. You can leave a comment by clicking on the link to the right.
Edit: Looks like this was just another hoax. The professor has taken his website down and this is a message left on another site that has been following this for quite some time. Labels: Article
By: Desmond |
Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 2:13 PM | |
