Disqus - Latest Comments for rodaniel

Re: Tip – Taking Self Portraits Easier with the iPhone

rodaniel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:27:30 -0000

Mobile Mechatronics' Blur is a promising shutter-timing delay app for this sort of thing. At $1, it certainly seems worth a look...

Re: Contest – Win 1 of 3 Cases from Cases.com

rodaniel — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:25:09 -0000

I'm a new iPhone owner and have been scouring around for a case. I'd love to win the first (left-most) case you showcased in the video.

Re: Movie Notes: The Break-Up

rodaniel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:33:29 -0000

This movie was just awkward and painful to watch. It was almost exactly like having 2 real friends going through a messy split-up, only with this movie, you have to witness all of the bitter, nasty, petty behaviors during the relationship's end rather than just hear about them second-hand.

I like Vince Vaughn - although he has become something of a one-trick pony - and really like Jennifer Aniston, but I'd never endure this movie again.

Re: Movie Notes: Back To The Future

rodaniel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:38:05 -0000

Love, love, love this movie! I can even identify the scene from which that hilarious almost-animated photo of Christopher Lloyd comes from - right after he says, "You'll have to excuse the crudity of this model..." and the little model car bursts into flames, dives off the table, careens into the pile of rags. and starts an even bigger fire.

There's just so many fun details woven throughout. You can watch it a dozen times and still find new little things. This was Zemeckis' finest!

Here's fun nugget o' trivia...

Huey Lewis had a cameo in "Back To the Future," where he played one of the talent show judges at the high school in the fictitious California town of Hill Valley. Although he was born in New York City, Huey grew up in the non-fictitious California town of Mill Valley. Hill Valley - Mill Valley - kinda cool, eh?

Re: Does Your Netbook Scream?

rodaniel — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:06:24 -0000

The Dell Mini netbooks feature the Atom Z5xx processors running at 1.6GHz with 533 FSB. Any idea what the difference is between the Atom N series versus the Z series?

Of course, the other thing to factor isto this is the amount of RAM. Some bargain netbooks only offer 512k which is sure to cause some pretty nasty performance issues. I'm a bit surprised that the mfrs haven't upped the ante yet to 2GB standard RAM. Seems like that'd be a (relatively) cheap way to boost overall performance.

Also, I wonder if the netbooks that use solid state drives see any performance kick as a result. I haven't had the opportunity to do any real world comparison on computers running with SSD drives versus traditional notebook hard drives.

Re: noodad » When You Need A Cup of Coffee

rodaniel — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:04:51 -0000

If we're getting fancy and breaking out the espresso maker at home, I make our toddler a "Babyccino," which is slightly warmed milk with a dash of sugar-free vanilla syrup that I froth with a little Ikea gizmo. Makes him feel all grown-up to be drinking something special like Mom & Dad and I feel extra good that I've gotten a little more milk into him, since he doesn't drink it often.

Re: Movie Notes: Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith

rodaniel — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:04:51 -0000

I was really disappointed by Palpatine's physical mutation. Ian McDiarmid is fiercesome enough an actor to have easily pulled off the psychological transformation with only minimal makeup effects and the more subtle approach would've made for far greater impact.

Once again, the politics were all but incomprehensible. Much too busy. Anakin is much too snotty and Obi Wan goes from being cool to weak & whiney.

Killing children? C'mon, George. That's low.

Overall, blech!

Re: Movie Notes: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

rodaniel — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:33:38 -0000

Lucas himself was lurked to the dark side with this heap of poo.

Back when George & Co. pioneered the incredible effects in the the original movies, they were costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, so they were used sparingly and specifically to propel the story forward. With the 2nd trilogy, effects had become so easy & cheap that he peppered the movies too liberally and needlessly with eye candy that offered nothing in terms of plot advancement or support. It became fluff rather than substance.

Technology within the timeframe of the 2nd trilogy's storyline is a generation older and therefore should be -less- advanced, yet everything - with the notable exception of the pod racers - looks much -more- polished. And I suspect it's because few (if any) physical models were used and CGI can't do imperfect nearly as well as it can perfect.

I was very bothered by the science versus religion BS where Lucas spoiled the mysticism of the Force with the whole Midichlorian symbiosis crap. This was such a jarring contrast to the way it was presented by old Ben Kenobe and it really left a bad taste in my mouth.

And you're right - Darth Maul was all swagger and mystery for a brief while but a complete dud in no time at all.

The introduction of the pointless layers of jumbled politics to attempt to fill in more story was grating and it only got much worse with the Episodes 2 & 3. It was almost impossible to follow and didn't fit well with the type of storytelling used in the original trilogy.

All together, a terribly disappointing waste of an opportunity that Star Wars fans had been waiting decades for. Lucas is done. And after the crap they pulled together on Indy 4, Spielberg's on thin ice too!

Re: Rage Against The Assembly Line

rodaniel — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:30:41 -0000

I'll tell you for a certainty that I do business with people - even if it their services aren't the least expensive - who treat me as a human, a friend. I've been using the same dry cleaners for more than a decade simply because they know my name and greet me with a smile. They're not the cheapest dry cleaners, but they're the ones I stick with.

I aspire to generate that same kind of loyalty with the people who I work with and for. And it takes so little to make others feel so valued - as a friend, customer, business associate, whatever. Make a little eye contact, ask a sincere "How're ya doing?" and take a dab of genuine interest.

Re: I Love the Livescribe Pen

rodaniel — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:22:33 -0000

I'm still holding out hope that more innovative products like this, the
LeapFrog FLY - and maybe the forthcoming Apple "iTablet" - can save handwriting.

I've been teetering on the edge about one of these Livescribe pens for my wife and I do think I foresee a Christmas gift in the works...

Re: A Different Kind of Blogger Outreach

rodaniel — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:09:40 -0000

It is refreshing to see some new attitudes forming about us Dads. Many of the assumed gender stereotypes simply don't pan out any longer. In fact, I suspect that lots more of us Dads take the LEAD role in domestic duties than you'd imagine. Dads of the new millennium change diapers, fold laundry, wash dishes, doctor scrapes, read books, and handle all sorts of stuff that's typically attributed to Moms.

And I'm excited that you've got the DadLabs guys involved - they're great!

Re: noodad » Idiot Parents Put Three Year Old in Situation to Shoot Six Year Old

rodaniel — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:51:33 -0000

I'm also not a Birkenstock-wearer and I cherish my rights as an American, but still, the time has long since passed that there's any legitimate need for citizens to own handguns. We can still fully 'enjoy' the right afforded us by the 2nd Amendment with rifles and there's so much, much less a chance for senseless shooting accidents & deaths.

Handguns need to be reserved for military personnel, law-enforcement, and other civic officials. In much the same way as (I imagine - and please tell me that I'm not wrong about this) citizens cannot legally purchase and use a bazooka, we should also not be allowed to buy handguns or the ammunition with which to use them.

Re: noodad » Are Your Kids Wimps?

rodaniel — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:30:43 -0000

It seems that there's much more "helicopter parenting" going on these days.

And so many parents are scared senseless over the notion of their child getting hurt. I'm all for safety, but at the same time, bangs and bruises are natural byproducts of kids learning new skills and discovering limitations. (It's called the "school of hard knocks" for a reason.) There's an interesting theory called "risk homeostatis" that I blogged about that supports the idea that when a play area is made "safer," kids simply find new ways to use it, thereby negating much of the safety improvements.

Also, I believe that cell phones steal children's ability to reason and solve problems. Kids no longer have to ration or reason their way out of sticky situations - they just dial up helicopter Mom who'll swoop down and rescue them at a moment's notice.

Re: noodad » Appropriate Move or Overreaction?

rodaniel — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:38:58 -0000

This, in contrast to Disney's reaction to Miley Cyrus' scandal last year certainly does seem like an incredibly overblown reaction. These were obviously spoofs and not aimed at the mass viewing public.

In Miley's case, not only did Disney ignore her practically-nude Annie Leibovitz photos on the cover and within vanity Fair - a magazine clearly not aimed at teens - but they in fact ramped up on Hanna Montana promotions at Christmastime.

And here's my thing: Disney may not specifically say, "We're a wholesome and positive influence for your kids," but they absolutely do bank on that implied rationale. They ply that perceived image of themselves holding to a higher grade of family-friendly morals and reap millions of dollars in doing so. Yet, they do nothing to set an example when a teenage girl poses for provocative photos on an adult publication. And somehow, the public (for the most part) doesn't take them to task for their failure to adhere to a better moral standard.

We love the Little Einsteins show and I support that brand because I do think it's a quality show that encourages learning and interaction. But at the same time, I grudgingly do so, knowing that I'm feeding dollars into the Disney machine, which promotes - and profits insanely off of - the trampy likes of of Lindsey Lohan & Miley Cyrus.

Re: Top 10 Signs You’re Not Worth Following on Twitter

rodaniel — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:23:27 -0000

I Tweet for a variety of reasons - it's a convenient brain dump, so my timeline tends to be a little link heavy at times.

It's a quick & easy tip that someone isn't worth following if their Following / Followers ratio is skewed by hundreds or thousands.

Also, if you look at someone's timeline and find few (if any) Tweets that begin with @ - that is, they only spew, never converse or interact - they're not worth following.

I'm definitely guilty of one or two of these "signs." I've been guilty of posting what I'm going to have for lunch - just in case anyone else is in the area and stumped.

Re: IE6 MUST DIE: 70+ Sites Unite to Kill IE6

rodaniel — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:11:42 -0000

Point well taken, Ron. I didn't exactly mean "hobbyist" in a derogatory sense.

But you can't seriously compare the heft of, say eCrated, TextSendr, or Weebly with that of, say AmerisourceBergen or Cardinal Health - companies whose applications serve as the backbone for (in this example) major hospitals. No offense intended to the hard-working folks at those "sites," but it might be something of a stretch to say that applications by smsfun or twitluv would be considered "mission-critical."

Re: IE6 MUST DIE: 70+ Sites Unite to Kill IE6

rodaniel — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:19:11 -0000

Agreed - when a site urges you to upgrade your browser so it can display correctly, that feels a lot like developers placing their needs or desires above that of their customers.

Re: IE6 MUST DIE: 70+ Sites Unite to Kill IE6

rodaniel — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:16:03 -0000

It’s worth mentioning that there are lots of business-grade, mission-critical web-based apps that only run on IE, either due to actual poorly-written, hard-coded design limitations or in some cases, simply because the vendors won’t certify those apps on any other browser.

Sure, you can try to run those apps in another browser but if there’s a problem you need support on - regardless of whether the problem has anything to do with the browser from which it’s being used - you run the very real risk of being denied support from the vendor. So, noncompliance with vendor requirements can have very real consequences - the likes of which few businesses can afford (literally) to weather. And in some cases, it’d be not only fiscally irresponsible for companies to disregard vendors’ regs, but ethically as well.

It’s easy enough for home or hobbyist end-users to be cavalier about browser (and OS) choice but it’s worth remembering that companies are usually painted into a corner by the applications that they need to do their business and the limitations imposed by those apps & the vendors behind them.

I applaud these "sites" (most of whom are more at that hobbyist level than corporate) and their efforts to educate & encourage users to migrate to a more secure browser. But their practices seem to demand that the users meet their needs - and that's just bad customer service.

By the way, putting more pressure on IT staff isn't going to solve anything - those guys are just as fed up with IE6 as you are. But they have to play by the rules even more so than the end-users.

Re: The Best/Perfect Way to Mow A Lawn

rodaniel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:46:08 -0000

Same thing here, Jared! Despite extensive manual efforts, we had sandburs running rampant in our back yard a few years ago. So I got TruGreen to come out a few times and now we play freely in the backyard without shoes - and without fear. And the TruGreen treatments definitely have helped the St. Augustine spread much more quickly into the back yard, taking over the weaker, more weed-prone Bermuda grass that originally occupied the lawn.

Re: The Best/Perfect Way to Mow A Lawn

rodaniel — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:21:54 -0000

My toddler & I mow each weekend (he uses his bubble mower, of course) and it's a great bonding time.

I've had heated discussions with lugnuts at work who insist on scalping their yards at the beginning of Summer. Doing so, however, stresses the heck outta the grass and makes it much easier for weeds to move into your lawn. We have predominantly St. Augustine grass and I have my mower set on the maximum height. This allows the grass to hold in moisture much better and helps the thick gras choke out weeds without having to use a buncha chemicals.

I never, ever bag, preferring to let the clippings be mulched up instead. I alternative change directions each time but then about every 3rd time, I mow both directions in a grid pattern to thoroughly chop up any larger pieces of mulch. Once in awhile I mow diagonally, but that's kind of a chore with the shape of my yard.

Yardword truly is kinda like therapy for me. I'm not an especially handy or mechanically-inclined guy, so it feels really good to have this one thing that I've completely mastered and have immediate, noticeable results.

By the way, I think it is worthwhile to use a dedicated edger (rather than using a line trimmer to edge) because it digs out that nice deep trough next to the drive & walkways that gives it a professional appearance and also gives any runoff water a place to go other than down the driveway and into the street.

Re: First Tron Legacy trailer appears online

rodaniel — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:32:39 -0000

Here's a link to this year's formally-released HD version of that trailer:

http://www.cinemablend.com/video/previews/Tron-...

Re: Contest: Identify The Movies #7

rodaniel — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:09:42 -0000

Hey Jason, been having some intermittent flakiness with my email lately but I don't -think- I got the Amazon email notification..

Re: First Tron Legacy trailer appears online

rodaniel — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:22:20 -0000

Awesome, to be sure, but this is a handicam rip from the '08 Comic-Con. From what I can tell, there was no new trailer or video released this year. They did release a bunch of concept art and show off a life-sized replica of the new lightcycle.

Re: TRON Sequel Viral So Far

rodaniel — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:34:28 -0000

I'm hooked! Can't wait until the sequel is released!

By the way, here's a really low-quality version of the leaked teaser trailer for "TR2N:"

http://tron-2-trailer.blogspot.com/2008/07/tron...

Re: Personal Branding, What’s In It For You?

rodaniel — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:57:53 -0000

So, how do you take it to that next level - to convert a personal reputation into a personal brand?

Aside from kickass work ethic and a dogged persistence in quality, how can I make sure I stick out in the smaller, but still crowded sea of an IT department with 45+ employees, how do I establish myself as a brand? I've been toiling away - mostly a labor of love - for more than a decade and still I feel as though many of my core philosophies, strengths, & values are not well known or appreciated by most.