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SimCity 4

SimCity 4 has been shipping for awhile for the Mac, but is now available at local stores. I think I'd like to pick up a copy, but I've got four jobs right now, and I think I should really concentrate on those instead. What to do, what to do… I still haven't even opened the last Zelda game, and I've only been slowly trying to finish (complete every task) in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 game before the 2004 version comes out. Mario Kart will get some play when it comes out, but another computer game? Sadly, I think I'll have to pass for now. 🙁

MRAM

I didn't know that MRAM was something that existed, but apparently, it's nearer to release than most people would expect.

Basically, MRAM is a high-speed hard disk/CompactFlash card replacement for RAM. It can store its contents without power (like your hard drive or a CompactFlash card, both of which use magnetism, instead of electricity), which would allow you to shut down and turn on your computer (or cell phone, PDA, etc.) in lickety-split time. Other benefits: it's denser (4 GB chips, anyone?), it's cheaper (so they say), and it's faster - up to six times!

We'll see. I leave my computer on 24/7, not because I don't like the startup time but because my Mac(s) draw so little power in sleep mode that it's just silly not to.

QotD: Credit Cards

Question: How many credit cards have you got?

My Answer: One (and a check card). It's the same card I've had, well, since I turned 18, really.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

Mac Key Shortcuts

From Bill Bumgarner I found this: the Magical Macintosh Key Sequences. Useful indeed.

QotD: Options

Question: If you could have any single option added to your car, what would it be and why?

My Answer: I'd take a moonroof. I've craved a simple audio-in port, so that's a close second, and on certain days I'm sure they switch positions.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

QotD: Nickname

Question: What's your favorite and least favorite nickname (for yourself)?

My Answer: "EB" because my hockey team called me that, and so did my high school soccer coach, and those were good times. "Brainy Smurf" because the dickhead bullies at school in fifth grade called me that, and those were bad times.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

Hungry

A few days ago I had a headache. It was a headache I've had before, and so I remedied the situation and ate some food. Then I got to thinking about the state of "hunger" and how, for the past year or two, I've basically become a stranger to that feeling.

I'm never hungry.

I don't eat much - even less than in college, which was even less than I ate during high school - and yet I'm never hungry. I'm just as active. I still crave food - a steak, some ice cream, whatever - but I honestly can't remember the last time I was hungry.

I vaguely recall what being hungry was like. I have gone a entire days without anything more than a few Cokes, so I've got to actually be hungry. I play tennis, I skate, I work, I bike. Yet I'm not hungry. My body never says "feed me!"

I miss being hungry. From what I recall, food tasted better when you were hungry. I hope I'm hungry sometime soon…

Crabs

Friend: We cooked crabs on the fourth, that was an interesting experience. Those little suckers get excited when they get thrown in the pot.

Erik: Ha, yeah. How long does that last?

Friend: After about a minute they stop moving, actually, they pretty much stop moving when they've been doused with Old Bay (a crab seasoning).

News to me. 🙂

Odd Dream

I had a very odd dream last night. iBook, SJ, military people, black curtains, my piano, Greg, my mom. All sorts of other things. I'll fill this out later - just wanted to write down enough that I could (hope to) remember.

And actually, that's all I'm going to say about it.

QotD: Statistics

Question: How often do you make up statistics?

My Answer: I make up statistics only 14% of the time. That's funny. 🙂

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

QotD: Relationships

Question: What is the most important thing in any relationship?

My Answer: Communication. Honest communication.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

How Not to Ask a Question on a Mailing List

Safe to say, I won't be visiting torellasoft.com for software any time soon.

From: Luca Torella <(removed)@torellasoft.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 20:03:44 +0200
To: cocoa-dev
Subject: toolbars in Cocoa

Could somebody help me with Toolbars?

Thanks,
Luca.

I'm reminded of some phrase with "helps those who help themselves"…

XPlat Look and Feel

From a gentleman named Thanh Ly, who's sticking up for his use of Qt on a mailing list:

I hear a lot of people saying that Cocoa is much better, etc. It's all
subjective. Well, no one can deny that it's better in the sense that
it's native to OS X. Same goes for UI look and feel issues. People have
different opinions on that. I rather like the way Qt apps behave and
they seem to have brought that behavior with them to OS X. A consistent
UI look/feel for cross platform apps is essential.

I'll agree with him righ up until that last part, the "consistent UI look/feel for cross platform apps is essential." Bzzzt: wrong. Leveraging each platform's look and feel is the better way to give your app an edge. Mac users are very keen: if your app feels at all like a Windows app, they'll hang you in the center market. Mac users appreciate the style, grace, and elegance that its developers have brought to the table.

Grammatical Peeves

"Please bare with me."
"I like there house. & I went their yesterday. & Their coming soon."
"We think your hot. & We like you're hat."
"We want too."
"Prepositions are bad things to end sentences with."
"The rules of the game is simple."
"Its not going to end. & I took it's cloak."

And many, many others.

Stupid Spammers

You know, I might be more inclined to open spam with the subject "Nice meeting you" or "Software Idea" or "Hey, It's Mike" if I didn't tend to receive about fourteen copies at a time, all with different sender names.

Spammers are stupid, but the people that continue to open spam, thus making it a profitable and effective marketing tool, are "stupider."

If I'm suspicious that an email is spam, I export the email and open it in BBEdit, thus avoiding any "tricky image" callbacks that mark my address as valid. I rarely have to guess, though: spam is just so obvious.