ChaCha Repairs Our Internet Connection

Just now, our internet connection went out for a bit. I asked ChaCha what was wrong:

Me: "What is wrong with our internet connection?"
ChaCha: "There could be many things wrong. What exactly is the problem with it? Make sure your internet is turned on. Do you have wireless?"

That was a pretty disappointing answer. ChaCha, why are you asking me what is the problem with our internet connection - I just asked you that!

But then suddenly, our internet connection came back! ChaCha fixed it!

Me: "Ah, its working now. You fixed it!"
ChaCha: "Great! Thanks for using ChaCha, we can help you in the future!"

I don't doubt it! What a great friend.

ChaCha Told Me To Skip Pam & Toby's

Today is the Pam & Toby's Lunch & Learn since it is Thursday. I asked ChaCha:

Me: Should i attend the pam & tobys lunch & learn?
ChaCha: What exactly is the Pam Tobys lunch learn? Is it something that you want to do? Will it benefit your education?

The answers to the last two questions are, "Not really" (I would much rather go ride my motorcycle) and "Probably." So, if I translate that, it says to me, I should definitely skip it.

ChaCha Told Me To Get A Twitter Account

I friend introduced me to ChaCha, an all-knowing being who can answer any question you text to him. Or her. Actually, with a name like ChaCha, I really hope ChaCha is a girl.

Anyway, I asked ChaCha if I should get a Twitter account:

Me: Should I sign up for a Twitter account?
ChaCha: Twitter is a service for family, friends, and co-workers to talk and stay connected through the exchange of quick questions.
Me: Yes, I know, but should I sign up?
ChaCha: If you love to share what you're doing with other people, or find out what others are up to, absolutely!

Gee, thanks ChaCha! What enthusiasm! With an endorsement like that I literally could not avoid signing up.

Alen told me if I got a Twitter account, then I could follow him, and he would follow me. That sounds like a circle to me.

Housing "Crisis"??

Good commentary on what is currently being referred to as the "housing crisis." Maybe Dennis is right - we probably just need to stop panicking and be smart.

Another Reason DRM is Bad (In Case You Needed Another Reason)

Ars Technica wrote "DRM Still Sucks" in this article that you should read at least briefly.

Saying that DRM still sucks is not exactly news - pretty much everyone knows it by now. Hopefully you are not still buying your music encumbered by DRM. This isn't about being able to do something illegal - I love music and yearn for more good music, and am willing to pay a fair price to support people who produce good music - rather, it is about being able to listen to the music I buy. What happens to your music when the provider of the DRM technology disappears? Will you lose your ability to listen to your music, or have to buy it all over again?

That's why I'm buying all my music from Amazon.com now. Yeah, I still think it is more expensive per song than it should be, but it's worth it to me to support their anti-DRM venture. Buying from Amazon.com sends the RIAA a message that Napster and AllofMP3.com were not about piracy, but rather about DRM-free music. Perhaps if enough of us buy there, they will eventually come around.

Yeah, I know, it is a lot to hope for - probably unreasonably so. But I'm going to be optimistic and use my money to vote for DRM-free music. I hope you will also.

Choose Your Children's Names Carefully

I firmly believe that the name you choose for a child seals their earthly destiny - primarily, in what career they are going to have. For example, if you name your son "Hank" he will be forced to become an automobile mechanic; if you name your daughter "Janice" she will be forced to become a receptionist.

As evidence I point you to this webpage. What else could this person grow up to be but a lawyer??

Yes, that is a VIP Concert Pass

I've been meaning to blog about this for about a week now but I just haven't received all of the necessary pictures yet. So let me just send out a teaser, and say that yes, that somewhat-blurry image above is a picture of my very own Cheap Trick VIP Concert Pass to the Cheap Trick/Heart/Journey concert at USANA amphitheater last week in Salt Lake City.

Yes, of course, it was completely awesome. Stay tuned.

Essential Albums: Van Halen "1984"

It's about time we had a new feature here on the Half Bad Boy blog. I thought, probably most of you are thinking, "Will someone please tell me what is good music that I should be listening to?" The easy answer to that is, Almost nothing even remotely current. But that doesn't help you spend your money.

So I thought it might be time to try a new feature: the Half Bad Boy Blog Essential Albums. Every month or so I'll try to list an album that is part of any half bad boy's essential music collection. And if a month goes by and I don't post anything, feel free to just wait longer.

Artist: Van Halen
Album: 1984
Best Song You've Probably Heard: Jump
Best Song You Might Not Have Heard: Panama

It probably comes as no surprise to readers of this blog that a Van Halen album would be the first selected Essential Album. But some might be wondering, why 1984?

Well, it isn't because it is my favorite Van Halen album, although it is right up there. It isn't because of album sales, although at ten times platinum, it is one of the best selling Van Halen albums of all time. In my opinion, 1984 is a landmark album for Van Halen because it was the first to show that they could be successful as a mainstream American band, not just as a hard rock band.

For all the talent that Eddie possesses, I think his biggest talent is amazing songwriting, not guitar virtuosity. "Jump" shows that in spades. It is upbeat enough that you might hear it in a grocery store, but it rocks hard enough that it tends to close out every Van Halen show. Play "Jump" with the volume turned up - you cannot help but smile. It is such a great song.

There are a slew of great songs on 1984. It is hard for me to envision that there is any living, hearing person, besides my own parents, who have not heard this album clear through a number of times. So selecting a "Best Song You Might Not Have Heard" from 1984 was tough. Odds are you've also heard "Panama," and just about every other song on this album. But just in case you haven't, check out "Panama" - it is a great time.

1984 peaked at number 2 on the charts, behind "Thriller," one of the top selling albums of all time. And now, it is the Half Bad Boy Blog's first ever Essential Album.

(Image Credit: amazon.com)

Mac OS X Installation Tip

At work I've been trying to install Mac OS X Tiger on a Mac Mini for testing purposes. I have to say I was really having a tough time getting it to work and had even begun wishing I was on a Linux machine again.

At this point, I realized that probably there is a built-in loyalty detection device in the Mac hardware that can tell whether you are truly sincere or not. And since I had given fake devotion to the Cult of the Mac before, that is probably why it was not letting me install Tiger at all.

As a final straw, during installation I completely reformatted the hard drive and renamed that volume "ILoveSteve_Really". The installation worked. I'm not making this up.

So, to all you Cult of the Mac people, whom, as far as you are concerned, I love, respect, and admire beyond comprehension, if you ever have any trouble getting OS X to install, try showering some evidence of devotion upon your installation volume, and perhaps you too will find success.

Political Compass Test

I took the Political Compass Test today. My score was:

• Economic: -0.75
• Social: -0.92

That's about as centrist as you can get. No wonder I can't find a political party that I agree with.

Corvette ZR1 = Awesome

A bone-stock Corvette ZR1 apparently just set a 7:26 time around Nurburgring, one of the fastest times ever by a production car. Check out the video: