It's been a personal point of shame for our company - we beat the competition to market by a whole year for the next generation gaming console, but we wouldn't even sell them to our own employees. Now, with the recent (and very sold out) release of the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3, I suppose that those in power finally decided that they couldn't live with the Nintendo and Sony employees talking wise about us poor Microsofties as they picked up their respective consoles on or before the release day (yes Kyna, I know you're thinking it... :p).
At our company meeting, they made a promise to us. "By Thanksgiving, you will be able to buy Xbox 360, and the new Zune music player at the company store."
[ed. note: for you Canadians in the audience, down South, Thanksgiving is in November - see this editorial for an analysis of the American significance of the holiday]
True to their word, the very last day before the Thanksgiving holiday, the store was filled with thousands of both. And I don't mean like 100, like your average Toys 'R Us getting a new Wii shipment - I'm talking shelves full, entire pallets stacked with them - where no matter how long the line, there's more for employees to buy.
Sadly, the Zune has little appeal to it in its current version, and the Xbox 360 came bundled with crap, but I couldn't help my selfish impulsiveness, so I picked the Xbox 360 up. And thus the Lords of Metal were displeased, for this purchase was no tribute to them. So, of course, the hard drive didn't work. And being Thanksgiving, I don't get to take it back until Monday.
Let me tell you something about the Xbox 360. It's very friendly - everything is designed around a Gamer Profile of sorts. This, of course, must be stored, normally on a hard drive or memory card. Without a profile, most things just don't work.
So, sadly, I have a box that pretty much does nothing but play Geometry Wars.
Ironically, and more than a little sadly, that's more or less what I bought the console for. A $435 bundle for a stupid and ridiculously addictive arcade game.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista RTMs!
Yes, that's right folks, as of November, the new big beast out of Redmond, Microsoft Windows Vista, was "released to master"... "went gold"... or for you non-software folks.... IT'SA DONE!
We had a party to celebrate. Sadly, with our head Windows exec leaving, it was one hell of a lame party. But, on the plus side, as a reward we get this whole next week off. ... of course, I have three weeks of work both at home and at work to accomplish, so not much of a holiday for me... but whatever...
Today, I'm going to address the one big question I've been getting a lot: do you want Windows Vista?
Well, for you folks buying new computers, it's a moot issue - they'll be installing Vista on them, and you might as well partake. For you folks who aren't upgrading for awhile, it'll be on the retail shelves in January for around the same price as XP, or very cheap if you're a friend of mine and ask for a copy.
First off, does your machine have the power to take advantage of Vista? Odds are, surprizingly, almost all of you do have more than enough computing power to run it at the same speed as XP. While a lot was added, they did put in a lot of effort into performance. While a few things may seem slow, overall, things will be plenty responsive. If you don't have a good video card, the "glass" eyecandy can be turned off easily enough, processor requirements are not unusually high, and hard drives are huge anyways. You will need a DVD reader to install - Vista comes on a DVD. One thing I don't suggest you skimp on is RAM - Vista is very sensitive to low memory conditions, and it just eats up the memory like no tomorrow. At home I use 1GB, and I'd suggest 2GB in any corporate environment that requires you to run a lot of management software, and/or you're running a 64-bit machine.
Now, what does Vista give you that you're going to want?
Well, first off, a lot of the Windows add-ons for XP are now included - the final version of Windows Defender (hey, I work on Windows Defender, it has to be first on the list) for awesome lightweight spyware protection, and an enhanced version of Internet Explorer 7 that has additional security protection. For you less-than-safety-conscious people, the thing you'll enjoy most is that they finally have support for tabs, a search bar, and RSS feed support..
For those of you with media center PCs (or wanted one), you're probably well aware that you can't buy Windows XP Media Center edition from stores - it's only sold with new Media Center computers. Well no more, Windows Media Center is included with Vista, allowing you to record and watch live TV, store movies, etc. It's hella slick, and will make you want to get a TV tuner and remote control.
Those of you lucky enough to own tablets, they also bundle all the tablet goodies into the OS too.
Have a 64-bit processor? You're likely aware that the 64-bit functionality is useless without a supporting OS. If you're one of the rare few who ran Windows XP 64, you know how painful it can be to get drivers and deal with app compatability. Well on Vista, they REALLY want you to have proper 64-bit support, and most of the OS has 64-bit versions binaries. 64-bit drivers are widely available. Support for 32-bit apps is rock solid on the 64-bit machine too.
There's an integrated search, similar to Google's Desktop Search, that very quickly finds files on your hard drive. The cool part is things like Outlook automatically tie into that, so your emails will even show up in your search, right from the start menu.
There's the Windows Sidebar - a little side panel with gadgets including a weather display, calendar, stock ticker, sticky notes, and a bunch of other neat things.
... and finally, a bunch of UI updates, some of which are confusing, others of which are very cool. They genuinely want things to be easy for you.
Downside? The big one people talk about is that they don't like User Account Control. Basically, when you want to run something that needs admin rights, it greys out the screen and asks permission to do so. This includes things like installing programs or new Internet Explorer plugins, using parts of the control panel, etc. Many people whine a lot that this is annoying, and in fact represent it as the key failing of Vista. But I look at it this way: IT SHOULD BE ANNOYING! Each time you get the prompt, you're doing something to significantly change your machine, and you should be aware of it. I'll get no more "I didn't do anything, the computer just stopped working right", because YOU'LL KNOW you did something because it grays out the screen and gives you a warning. I almost never get prompts after I installed everything. I'm very happy.
So, I didn't really answer the question of whether or not you want Vista. Not directly anyways. But if the things I said above seem to appeal to you, let me know and I'll pick up a copy.
... and yes, you can upgrade from XP. We all tested that... a lot... a lot a lot.
PS. Get Office 12. It kicks ass. The new ribbon UI takes a lot of getting used to, but it's a serious improvement on the old Office. Especially Outlook 12 - I'm a huge fan of the new Outlook, and I think you will be too.
We had a party to celebrate. Sadly, with our head Windows exec leaving, it was one hell of a lame party. But, on the plus side, as a reward we get this whole next week off. ... of course, I have three weeks of work both at home and at work to accomplish, so not much of a holiday for me... but whatever...
Today, I'm going to address the one big question I've been getting a lot: do you want Windows Vista?
Well, for you folks buying new computers, it's a moot issue - they'll be installing Vista on them, and you might as well partake. For you folks who aren't upgrading for awhile, it'll be on the retail shelves in January for around the same price as XP, or very cheap if you're a friend of mine and ask for a copy.
First off, does your machine have the power to take advantage of Vista? Odds are, surprizingly, almost all of you do have more than enough computing power to run it at the same speed as XP. While a lot was added, they did put in a lot of effort into performance. While a few things may seem slow, overall, things will be plenty responsive. If you don't have a good video card, the "glass" eyecandy can be turned off easily enough, processor requirements are not unusually high, and hard drives are huge anyways. You will need a DVD reader to install - Vista comes on a DVD. One thing I don't suggest you skimp on is RAM - Vista is very sensitive to low memory conditions, and it just eats up the memory like no tomorrow. At home I use 1GB, and I'd suggest 2GB in any corporate environment that requires you to run a lot of management software, and/or you're running a 64-bit machine.
Now, what does Vista give you that you're going to want?
Well, first off, a lot of the Windows add-ons for XP are now included - the final version of Windows Defender (hey, I work on Windows Defender, it has to be first on the list) for awesome lightweight spyware protection, and an enhanced version of Internet Explorer 7 that has additional security protection. For you less-than-safety-conscious people, the thing you'll enjoy most is that they finally have support for tabs, a search bar, and RSS feed support..
For those of you with media center PCs (or wanted one), you're probably well aware that you can't buy Windows XP Media Center edition from stores - it's only sold with new Media Center computers. Well no more, Windows Media Center is included with Vista, allowing you to record and watch live TV, store movies, etc. It's hella slick, and will make you want to get a TV tuner and remote control.
Those of you lucky enough to own tablets, they also bundle all the tablet goodies into the OS too.
Have a 64-bit processor? You're likely aware that the 64-bit functionality is useless without a supporting OS. If you're one of the rare few who ran Windows XP 64, you know how painful it can be to get drivers and deal with app compatability. Well on Vista, they REALLY want you to have proper 64-bit support, and most of the OS has 64-bit versions binaries. 64-bit drivers are widely available. Support for 32-bit apps is rock solid on the 64-bit machine too.
There's an integrated search, similar to Google's Desktop Search, that very quickly finds files on your hard drive. The cool part is things like Outlook automatically tie into that, so your emails will even show up in your search, right from the start menu.
There's the Windows Sidebar - a little side panel with gadgets including a weather display, calendar, stock ticker, sticky notes, and a bunch of other neat things.
... and finally, a bunch of UI updates, some of which are confusing, others of which are very cool. They genuinely want things to be easy for you.
Downside? The big one people talk about is that they don't like User Account Control. Basically, when you want to run something that needs admin rights, it greys out the screen and asks permission to do so. This includes things like installing programs or new Internet Explorer plugins, using parts of the control panel, etc. Many people whine a lot that this is annoying, and in fact represent it as the key failing of Vista. But I look at it this way: IT SHOULD BE ANNOYING! Each time you get the prompt, you're doing something to significantly change your machine, and you should be aware of it. I'll get no more "I didn't do anything, the computer just stopped working right", because YOU'LL KNOW you did something because it grays out the screen and gives you a warning. I almost never get prompts after I installed everything. I'm very happy.
So, I didn't really answer the question of whether or not you want Vista. Not directly anyways. But if the things I said above seem to appeal to you, let me know and I'll pick up a copy.
... and yes, you can upgrade from XP. We all tested that... a lot... a lot a lot.
PS. Get Office 12. It kicks ass. The new ribbon UI takes a lot of getting used to, but it's a serious improvement on the old Office. Especially Outlook 12 - I'm a huge fan of the new Outlook, and I think you will be too.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Retraction: The Two-Hour Vancouver Run
I've said to many people over the past year that the fabled two hour run to Vancouver is impossible. 2:30 maybe? Three hours easily, even in realistic traffic conditions. But two? No way, not without risking serious injury and death.
Lownewulf, on behalf of lownewulf.com would like to issue a retraction.
1:40 to the border.
< 20m to the edge of Burnaby.
This is a Saturday morning run - it's not even comparable to the Friday afternoon runs. Less than HALF the time of my four hour marathon the previous weekend. And daylight no less, which is actually kinda nice.
Now, the observant will call me out, saying Burnaby is a poor man's Vancouver run! But, one must admit, if *I* can do 2hrs to Burnaby, someone with some guts could easily do Vancouver. But, just to prove my worth: TOTAL TIME - North Vancouver to Kirkland, door to door. 2:15. Yes, including the border. A mere 1:25 on the US side! That's at least as much a trek as Vancouver downtown core. So I conclude, that with a bit more confidence in speeding, one could easily approach the two hour mark.
Sadly, I doubt I'll do better, at least not without high-grade radar detection and laser jamming. And, realistically, traffic will still limit me.
Lownewulf, on behalf of lownewulf.com would like to issue a retraction.
1:40 to the border.
< 20m to the edge of Burnaby.
This is a Saturday morning run - it's not even comparable to the Friday afternoon runs. Less than HALF the time of my four hour marathon the previous weekend. And daylight no less, which is actually kinda nice.
Now, the observant will call me out, saying Burnaby is a poor man's Vancouver run! But, one must admit, if *I* can do 2hrs to Burnaby, someone with some guts could easily do Vancouver. But, just to prove my worth: TOTAL TIME - North Vancouver to Kirkland, door to door. 2:15. Yes, including the border. A mere 1:25 on the US side! That's at least as much a trek as Vancouver downtown core. So I conclude, that with a bit more confidence in speeding, one could easily approach the two hour mark.
Sadly, I doubt I'll do better, at least not without high-grade radar detection and laser jamming. And, realistically, traffic will still limit me.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Lawsuit against UPS over Brokerage fees
HOOOORAY! What a wonderful day!
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/061024/K102418U.html
A (hopefully) class action lawsuit against UPS in B.C. (and potentially Ontario too), because of the brokerage fees they like to charge receivers in Canada. Having been dinged by this crap many times, I look forward to seeing how this goes. I wouldn't horribly mind being included in the class too if they make it that far and I'm eligible.
(I'll update the post if I find they're actually ready to form a class)
Basically, UPS provides a brokerage service which handles all the quirks of getting your package through customs. Of course, with free trade to the US, this is nothing more than 7% GST and maybe $5.00 in admin fees. Which I'm cool with. However, unlike other couriers who may just ask you to pay the actual cost plus some small admin fee, UPS charges an all-encompassing brokerage fee (and often the acutal GST on top of their all-encompassing fee), which can at the worst case, reach 50% of the item's value! They even have the gall to charge you for the convenience of charging you (the COD charge)!
Of course, the same problem doesn't exist for US receivers. Probably because Americans would just shoot a delivery person who tried to feed them crap like that.
My worst story was when I rejected a package (an ebay retailer had sent me something by mistake). UPS then MAILED me a bill telling them I owed them the brokerage charge anyways. Needless to say, I told them where they could shove that bill. Just goes to show how ridiculous their process is.
I hope they burn.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/061024/K102418U.html
A (hopefully) class action lawsuit against UPS in B.C. (and potentially Ontario too), because of the brokerage fees they like to charge receivers in Canada. Having been dinged by this crap many times, I look forward to seeing how this goes. I wouldn't horribly mind being included in the class too if they make it that far and I'm eligible.
(I'll update the post if I find they're actually ready to form a class)
Basically, UPS provides a brokerage service which handles all the quirks of getting your package through customs. Of course, with free trade to the US, this is nothing more than 7% GST and maybe $5.00 in admin fees. Which I'm cool with. However, unlike other couriers who may just ask you to pay the actual cost plus some small admin fee, UPS charges an all-encompassing brokerage fee (and often the acutal GST on top of their all-encompassing fee), which can at the worst case, reach 50% of the item's value! They even have the gall to charge you for the convenience of charging you (the COD charge)!
Of course, the same problem doesn't exist for US receivers. Probably because Americans would just shoot a delivery person who tried to feed them crap like that.
My worst story was when I rejected a package (an ebay retailer had sent me something by mistake). UPS then MAILED me a bill telling them I owed them the brokerage charge anyways. Needless to say, I told them where they could shove that bill. Just goes to show how ridiculous their process is.
I hope they burn.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Life and Some Links
300 Miles of driving: $425 (*)
All-you-can-drink beer: Free.
Trip to Scrape Records: $120
Weekend in Vancouver with the Irishman and Popple: Priceless
(*) It's a lengthy calculation. Take my word for it.
Oh yea, and don't forget: Valid H-1B status through August 2009: Priceless!!1!
That's right, travel lockdown is officially over. USCIS gave me one of those RFID I-94 cards, so now I just wave my passport at the sensor, and enter the US with minimal hassle. I may have a couple of questions coming back from Singapore, but for trips to Canada, I'm golden.
I intend to make full use of this privilege - I'll be in Vancouver at least twice between now and Christmas. Perhaps again for New Years too!
As for post content:
An interesting 'rebuttal' (well not really, it more just presents the positive side of the same points) by another officer of the guild featured in my previous post; this highlights how it is indeed possible to achieve balance between the game and life, and the benefits being involved in an MMO can bring.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/warcraft-another-point-of-view.html
And finally, try this - it's quite amusing:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/
check out YouTube after you've played a bit, and see what talented people actually did with it.
All-you-can-drink beer: Free.
Trip to Scrape Records: $120
Weekend in Vancouver with the Irishman and Popple: Priceless
(*) It's a lengthy calculation. Take my word for it.
Oh yea, and don't forget: Valid H-1B status through August 2009: Priceless!!1!
That's right, travel lockdown is officially over. USCIS gave me one of those RFID I-94 cards, so now I just wave my passport at the sensor, and enter the US with minimal hassle. I may have a couple of questions coming back from Singapore, but for trips to Canada, I'm golden.
I intend to make full use of this privilege - I'll be in Vancouver at least twice between now and Christmas. Perhaps again for New Years too!
As for post content:
An interesting 'rebuttal' (well not really, it more just presents the positive side of the same points) by another officer of the guild featured in my previous post; this highlights how it is indeed possible to achieve balance between the game and life, and the benefits being involved in an MMO can bring.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/warcraft-another-point-of-view.html
And finally, try this - it's quite amusing:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/
check out YouTube after you've played a bit, and see what talented people actually did with it.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Warcraft Destroys Lives... or do YOU?
hey all! Post #50! (well... 49.... one post never quite saw the light of day)
And yes, I'm alive, though you'd not know it from this blog. For those following along, my travel lockdown is nearly done! I've obtained the keys from the lawyers of Microsoft, and I'm ready to fight the final instance boss - the Archduke USCIS. If all goes well, I'll be in Vancouver by Friday, and by Monday I'll be back in the US on a newly-activated H-1B visa.
But I digress. On to my point.
An interesting article today on another blog, about the destructive soul-sucking nature of World of Warcraft. And why we still play.... often.... for hours.... DAYS... at a time.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top.html
... and already a follow-on (Slashdot makes you popular enough that you get to do followons).
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top-redux.html
This article interests me for a few reasons reasons. First, it highlights the destructively addictive nature of WoW, while highlighting the escape of one soul. It acknowledges the role of the player in the sad consequences. Finally, it brings up some interesting design questions in gameplay in general - one must ask about the things he describes in WoW, and wonder if those are the right ways to do things.
I won't rant, you can draw your own conclusions. Give it a read.
And yes, I'm alive, though you'd not know it from this blog. For those following along, my travel lockdown is nearly done! I've obtained the keys from the lawyers of Microsoft, and I'm ready to fight the final instance boss - the Archduke USCIS. If all goes well, I'll be in Vancouver by Friday, and by Monday I'll be back in the US on a newly-activated H-1B visa.
But I digress. On to my point.
An interesting article today on another blog, about the destructive soul-sucking nature of World of Warcraft. And why we still play.... often.... for hours.... DAYS... at a time.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top.html
... and already a follow-on (Slashdot makes you popular enough that you get to do followons).
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top-redux.html
This article interests me for a few reasons reasons. First, it highlights the destructively addictive nature of WoW, while highlighting the escape of one soul. It acknowledges the role of the player in the sad consequences. Finally, it brings up some interesting design questions in gameplay in general - one must ask about the things he describes in WoW, and wonder if those are the right ways to do things.
I won't rant, you can draw your own conclusions. Give it a read.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Snakes on a Plane
Yes. I went.
Imagine every concept of every B movie you've ever seen rolled into one. Marginal plot. Completely flat and undeveloped characters. Every single action and reaction easily predictable from the first scene onwards. An utterly standard ending. Ridiculous dialogue delivered in complete seriousness.
Now, imagine that movie, with the protagonist as Samuel Jackson, and the antagonist being a few hundred enraged snakes going on a killing rampage on a plane.
They don't deliver a single punchline, but you'll come out of there doubled over with laughter.
Best. Movie. Ever. It's so bad it's good.
Imagine every concept of every B movie you've ever seen rolled into one. Marginal plot. Completely flat and undeveloped characters. Every single action and reaction easily predictable from the first scene onwards. An utterly standard ending. Ridiculous dialogue delivered in complete seriousness.
Now, imagine that movie, with the protagonist as Samuel Jackson, and the antagonist being a few hundred enraged snakes going on a killing rampage on a plane.
They don't deliver a single punchline, but you'll come out of there doubled over with laughter.
Best. Movie. Ever. It's so bad it's good.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Software Amusement
For you software types, a new site has been added to my daily reading.
http://thedailywtf.com/
Once a day, they post a real-life story from an employee of some software firm or another, describing incompetence and embarassing mistakes witnessed by that employee. It's truly horrifying some of the stories they tell. After reading a few of these, you may find yourself less surprized the next time your app crashed.
Now if only they weren't anonymous - I'd love to see some of these companies publically shamed.
http://thedailywtf.com/
Once a day, they post a real-life story from an employee of some software firm or another, describing incompetence and embarassing mistakes witnessed by that employee. It's truly horrifying some of the stories they tell. After reading a few of these, you may find yourself less surprized the next time your app crashed.
Now if only they weren't anonymous - I'd love to see some of these companies publically shamed.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Mike the Environmentalist!
This week, I've been trying something new. Novel. Dangerous even. A new paradigm in the history of mankind.
I took the bus to work.
"What's this madness?" you say? "Don't you have a sexy coupe that you got specifically so that you'd never have to rely on a bus again?"
Well yeah. But I thought I'd try it anyways. Consider
I took the bus to work.
"What's this madness?" you say? "Don't you have a sexy coupe that you got specifically so that you'd never have to rely on a bus again?"
Well yeah. But I thought I'd try it anyways. Consider
- Incremental cost to drive to work: $1.60 in gas. While others (namely my family) would assert, "OH plus insurance, maintenance, etc. etc.", lets face it, I need a car anyways, so the ADDITIONAL cost to work is mostly in gas.
- Incremental cost to take the bus: $0.00. Microsoft provides every one of it's full-time employees a free transit pass, good for a year.
- Time lost on bus: from -5 to +15 minutes over driving each way. Worst case: $20 worth of time a day (far less if there's even a hint of traffic). But on the other hand, that is time that can be used reading tech magazines and other productive pasttimes, as opposed to driving where the vast majority of time is committed to the driving act itself.
- The bus departs from my doorstep, and drops me off mere moments from work, taking a more or less direct route between the two. The bus runs every half-hour.
- No worries about driving on the rather common days where some group or another is providing free beer.
Friday, July 07, 2006
I'm published!
It's official. Despite some 'attendance issues', with some of the conferences, I was included in the proceedings of all three conferences to which I was accepted. That means I now have a publication history (as first author on all three), and am now part of the social elite of the academic research world.
Well not really - nobody in their right mind would cite my work. But hey, a group of academics accepted them, so they must have been worth something.
I'm not putting these papers online, in deference to IEEE's right to sell the conference proceedings. I have no idea if I have the legal right to put them online or not, but why cut IEEE out of potential business? If you want to read these, but do not have access to IEEE's Digital Library through your local institution, I can get you a copy to read.
Well not really - nobody in their right mind would cite my work. But hey, a group of academics accepted them, so they must have been worth something.
I'm not putting these papers online, in deference to IEEE's right to sell the conference proceedings. I have no idea if I have the legal right to put them online or not, but why cut IEEE out of potential business? If you want to read these, but do not have access to IEEE's Digital Library through your local institution, I can get you a copy to read.
- M. Jarrett and R. Seviora, "Constructing an Autonomic Computing Infrastructure Using Cougaar", Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Workshop on Engineering of Autonomic and Autonomous Systems (EASE 2006), March 2006, pp. 119-128. [IEEE Xplore link]
- M. Jarrett and R. Seviora, "Diversity to Enhance Autonomic Computing Self-Protection", The First International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2006), April 2006, pp. 295-299. [IEEE Xplore link]
- M. Jarrett and P. Ward, "Trusted Computing for Protecting Ad-hoc Routing", Proceedings of the 4th Annual Communication Networks and Services Research Conference (CNSR 2006), May 2006, pp. 61-68. [IEEE Xplore link]
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Portable Aircon
"What? But why would you want an aircon in Seattle? Isn't it cool and rainy all the time?"
Well no. Sometimes cool and rainy, often sunny, and for a short time in summer, very warm. Whether or not AC is worth buying for that short period is something one could argue... but only when it's cool. When it's 97'F and you want to sleep, I shall be snug in my chilled bedroom, and you will suffer, and I will laugh, and you will cry.
As a compromise, I bought a "portable AC". Unlike the wall-mount or in-window units these just roll around on wheels, much like R2D2. You hook a vent hose to your nearest window, and tada, instant cooling. The downside is, of course, that it takes floorspace, and tend to be less efficient (the guy at sears said 50%, but I have trouble believing it's that much).
Back around the time of our last heat wave (after it cooled down), I bought a 9000BTU Royal Soverign portable for a cool $500. from Sears. And sure enough, plug it in, run the hose, and tada, cold air comes out. But there's a catch: it's loud like a freakin' jet engine! This thing is NOT pleasant to have running while you sleep. Plus, they are not exaggerating at all when they tell you the size of room they can chill - if you plan to chill a full apartment with this single room AC, think again. I can get my bedroom cool over time, but the thing won't make so much as a dent on my living room.
But on the plus side, it has a remote, and, my primary concern, it makes things cold. The main concerns.
A friend waited until now before buying one. They're nearly impossible to find now, but my friend lucked out and grabbed an Everstar 10,000BTU portable at Home Depot. It's a bit larger in size, but it cools amazingly - far more than you'd guess from a 1000BTU difference. Plus, it has a removable condenser tray and a few more modes. But on the other hand, the remote is rather finicky. The biggest bonus though: it's QUIET! Far quieter than mine. I'm now officially jealous.
... but at least I'm still cool.
Well no. Sometimes cool and rainy, often sunny, and for a short time in summer, very warm. Whether or not AC is worth buying for that short period is something one could argue... but only when it's cool. When it's 97'F and you want to sleep, I shall be snug in my chilled bedroom, and you will suffer, and I will laugh, and you will cry.
As a compromise, I bought a "portable AC". Unlike the wall-mount or in-window units these just roll around on wheels, much like R2D2. You hook a vent hose to your nearest window, and tada, instant cooling. The downside is, of course, that it takes floorspace, and tend to be less efficient (the guy at sears said 50%, but I have trouble believing it's that much).
Back around the time of our last heat wave (after it cooled down), I bought a 9000BTU Royal Soverign portable for a cool $500. from Sears. And sure enough, plug it in, run the hose, and tada, cold air comes out. But there's a catch: it's loud like a freakin' jet engine! This thing is NOT pleasant to have running while you sleep. Plus, they are not exaggerating at all when they tell you the size of room they can chill - if you plan to chill a full apartment with this single room AC, think again. I can get my bedroom cool over time, but the thing won't make so much as a dent on my living room.
But on the plus side, it has a remote, and, my primary concern, it makes things cold. The main concerns.
A friend waited until now before buying one. They're nearly impossible to find now, but my friend lucked out and grabbed an Everstar 10,000BTU portable at Home Depot. It's a bit larger in size, but it cools amazingly - far more than you'd guess from a 1000BTU difference. Plus, it has a removable condenser tray and a few more modes. But on the other hand, the remote is rather finicky. The biggest bonus though: it's QUIET! Far quieter than mine. I'm now officially jealous.
... but at least I'm still cool.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Rikki Rikki
I love good food. Sadly, I find myself able to eat less and less of it, but that just means I must work extra hard to find those top bites.
But, even more than I appreciate fine meals, I appreciate service. Where I do business may not be the best quality place, or even the cheapest place. I will do business at the place that treats me respectfully. This applies to everything from my financial institutions to my web provider*, and more than anything, to food.
(* BTW, 1 and 1, if you were wondering, and yes, they get the seal of approval)
So, today, I'd like to recommend you all have one meal at Rikki Rikki, on Central Way in Kirkland, a sushi place I frequent due to it being literally on my doorstep. I really appreciated the fact tonight that the matron of the establishment greeted me warmly and recognized me right away. That, despite the fact that I was entering as the sushi chefs were cleaning up, that they were eager to serve me whatever I wanted, for however long I wanted to eat. That they brightened a long day by feeding me excellent sushi and a chilled glass of top quality Mu sake (nice brand, quite sweet to my inexperienced palate). That they made pleasant smalltalk and were friendly instead of rushing me out the door.
... and a waitress that could have been a stunt double for Lucy Liu. Wow, if all my food was served by waitresses as cute as that, I'd probably be a very fat man by now.
But, even more than I appreciate fine meals, I appreciate service. Where I do business may not be the best quality place, or even the cheapest place. I will do business at the place that treats me respectfully. This applies to everything from my financial institutions to my web provider*, and more than anything, to food.
(* BTW, 1 and 1, if you were wondering, and yes, they get the seal of approval)
So, today, I'd like to recommend you all have one meal at Rikki Rikki, on Central Way in Kirkland, a sushi place I frequent due to it being literally on my doorstep. I really appreciated the fact tonight that the matron of the establishment greeted me warmly and recognized me right away. That, despite the fact that I was entering as the sushi chefs were cleaning up, that they were eager to serve me whatever I wanted, for however long I wanted to eat. That they brightened a long day by feeding me excellent sushi and a chilled glass of top quality Mu sake (nice brand, quite sweet to my inexperienced palate). That they made pleasant smalltalk and were friendly instead of rushing me out the door.
... and a waitress that could have been a stunt double for Lucy Liu. Wow, if all my food was served by waitresses as cute as that, I'd probably be a very fat man by now.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A real visa, all for me!
Just a quick note - I've been accepted for this year's H1B quota! As of October 1st, I'll have three years in the US, or until Microsoft realizes I'm lazy and inept and tosses me out*. Should I decide that the USA is just a place to visit, I can renew it once (giving me six years total). However, the whole point of this visa is that, should I desire it, I'll be allowed to begin the process of obtaining a green card here in the United States.
Of course the green card is a long, complicated, drawn-out, painful process, with many of its own pains. And potentially more periods of travel lockdown. Great. And it's not even all that good - it's one of those "use it or lose it" things.
... and don't even get me started on citizenship. I already have plenty of rants on that.
What this means:
1. I will definitely be off travel lockdown on October 1st.
2. Since it's a port-of-entry application, I will HAVE to travel sometime between October and December.
So start planning the party, folks! Mikey's coming to town!
(* I'm not actually inept. I actually do many good things for Microsoft. Both in my own work and my almost constant scathing criticism of the work of others. But I mean well.
... please don't fire me. )
Of course the green card is a long, complicated, drawn-out, painful process, with many of its own pains. And potentially more periods of travel lockdown. Great. And it's not even all that good - it's one of those "use it or lose it" things.
... and don't even get me started on citizenship. I already have plenty of rants on that.
What this means:
1. I will definitely be off travel lockdown on October 1st.
2. Since it's a port-of-entry application, I will HAVE to travel sometime between October and December.
So start planning the party, folks! Mikey's coming to town!
(* I'm not actually inept. I actually do many good things for Microsoft. Both in my own work and my almost constant scathing criticism of the work of others. But I mean well.
... please don't fire me. )
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