Crazy People

Have you ever noticed? Some people are just not right in the head.

* Catching Snowflakes, Photo courtesy of Corbis.com

Of course, by "not right in the head", I mean they don't view the world the same way I do.
And over the years I've discovered.. there's a lot of them.

There is no doubt in my mind that the young lady in this picture is -- at least temporarily-- insane.
And probably.. not very bright.
Completely out of touch with REALITY. (aka "nuts"/"bonkers"/"cuckoo")

It is perfectly obvious that this person has chosen to ignore the FACTS.
* Snow is the cause of fatal highway accidents.
* Snow requires strenuous exertion to shovel (or plow) out of your way. Which can waste hours of your precious time.
* Snow cost us $ millions a year in salt and Highway Maintenance crews and specialized snow removal equipment.
* Snow and ice interferes with commerce.
* Has she ever had to put chains on her tires???!!!???
* Snow buries people alive and kills  them in sneak avalanche attacks.
* Snow is wet and it is dang cold! Frostbite cold.

Yes. In my view, snow should be outlawed. Feared and Respected.
Look at that picture again, will you? You agree with me.. right? Nuts?

Tip of the day: Let's "get right" today, people. Let's not be like this young lady. Let's all start becoming more in tune with the FACTS of this planet we live on.
Step 1: Watch the infotainment (oops.. I meant "News") religiously. I don't mean just the Evening news.. or the "Top of the Hour" news headlines. I mean, start your day with the news; eat your lunch to the news; and eat your dinner to the evening news.
Then watch the World News. The 10 o'clock news, and the 11 o'clock news. You have a lot of catching up to do.
(In a pinch, such as a power outage, you can read a "newspaper".. but choose one that has lots of pictures.)

Step 2: Reprogram your car's radio preset buttons. Get rid of the music, and start listening to NPR, at least one all-news-all-the-time station, and both a left, and a right-wing talk radio station (one for even numbered days, the other for odd).

Step 3: Frown and avoid eye contact everywhere you go. This shows the world that you are a sane and responsible person. And it's infectious. You can help others become sane and responsible with a really professional frown.

Today's free download: CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs)

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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General advice for purchasing a new digital camera*

I have been receiving e-mails here at Tech–for Everyone that have been regarding my recent article about the fella who went traveling, and for the first time left his 35mm gear at home. (He only carried a digital camera.)

These e-mails have been asking me which digital camera it was. The reason they wrote is, they want to buy the same one. I had very carefully avoided naming a specific make or model of digital camera, as (believe it or not) I am not in the business of promoting sales.

But I understand perfectly why people want some advice when it comes to buying a digital camera. There is a whole gaggle of them to choose from– an overwhelming variety.. and when you start shopping, it’s easy to become confused by the jargon.
A “mega” pixel is better than an ordinary, everyday “pixel”.. right? (You bet it is. It contains more vitamins and minerals.)

A long, long, time ago I wrote a three-part advice series on buying a new computer, and today I am going to reiterate a bit of advice from there– when buying a digital camera, you have to hold it in your hands. The “right” camera for you will just, well, “feel right”. If you keep accidentally pushing a button, or put your thumb right on the viewer screen.. that’s not good.

Tip of the day: General advice for purchasing a new digital camera.

* Optical zoom is better than digital zoom. Make sure that the “zoom” feature of your camera is handled by a moving lens. Digital zooming is okay in very small amounts, but the way it works will cause funny-looking “pixilation” when really put to work.
* You want image stabilization. Image stabilization is in my opinion simply a “must have”; fortunately, almost every manufacturer provides it. I won’t spend time, here, describing the different types. If you’re curious, click the link.
* The Megapixel. Folks, there is a lot of confusion regarding the camera jargon word “megapixel”. A higher megapixel number does not necessarily equate with “sharper image” or “clearer picture“.. in fact, they usually have nothing to do with each other.
Megapixels refers to the image (data) size and determines how big an enlargement you can make before you start to experience distortions (think of it as being a bit like film sizes). If the largest prints you ever make are 5 x 7, a three-to-four Megapixel camera is all you need. A 10 Megapixel camera is overkill for the vast majority of uses, and it will simply fill your memory card faster, with fewer shots. (But, you can make poster-size prints.)
* LCD “viewfinder”. I think it is important to have a manual viewfinder, as well as the LCD screen.. but that is personal opinion. In terms of LCD, the two factors to consider are placement and size. It should be big enough that you can see what it is showing when you hold the camera away from your body, and, it should be positioned on the camera in such a way as to not cause you to hold your hand in a funny/odd way so that you can see it.
Important: The LCD screen not only needs to be large enough to see, but it needs to be bright enough that you can see the preview when you're outdoors in sunshine. If the image looks kind of dim in the store...
* And I’d like to repeat, your camera should just feel right in your hand.
* Don’t buy features you won’t use. If you are not a photography buff, and don’t want to memorize a 200-page owners manual, then you don’t want to buy a D-SLR; you want a “point-and-shoot”, (You won’t impress anybody with it anyway) and you don’t need 24 “settings” if you’re only going to use one. Right? Right.

Today’s free link: If you are like the fella I mentioned in the original articles, and like to read reviews and technical specs, or if you just want more information about digital photography (maybe it’s your hobby), check out http://www.pcphotomag.com/.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Hey! I'm rich!

English e-Lottery (info@win.net)

165 FULHAM PALACE RD . W6 8JB UNITED KINGDOM.This E-mail is to inform you that you emerge a winner of$2,500,000 USD, on our online draws which was played on the20th of June, 2008. For further Information contact our claims Agent Sir Moro Williams(Esq) via email: rowchamsuk@hotmail.com. You are to provide him with the information's below via email 1.Name:,2.Address:,3.Marital Status:,4.Occupation:,5.Age:6.Sex:,7.Mobile:,8.Country Of Residence:Congratulations once again.
----------------------------------------------------------------This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

Two and-a half million!!!
Let's see.. first, I'll buy a new car (I've always liked those Dodge Vipers) .. and then, maybe go see Disney World...

Do people still fall for these scams? Is anyone that dumb naive and gullible? They must be, because this was in today's mail.
Ah, spam.. don't you love it?
To read my article on how Monty Python is responsible, click here.

I hope all of you are ready to enjoy a long Holiday weekend, which we Americans will have thanks to one little piece of paper.. "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Today's free link: The Constitutional Resources Project Learn about it, see the original, take inspiration. A great website for teachers.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix


*Image courtesy of PlanetMoron.

Sometimes, it's hard to be me.

Here it is, Monday again, and yes, Dear Reader, it's true-- sometimes it is a little bit tough being me. Maybe you have felt that way yourself a time or two. (If so, feel free to use my title line... properly attributed, of course.)

Being an Internationally Renown Tech Blogger isn't all a bed of roses and glamour. No! It is a lot of work; and requires a 24/7 by 365 dedication. And sometimes, Dear Reader, (hold on to your hat) I don't feel like writing.. about tech or about anything else. Hurrumph.
Perhaps, sometime in your distant past, you have felt a similar feeling.

A really smart fella I happen to know, tells me there's all kinds of reasons (and I mean, medical, and other scientific-al-type reasons) why a person might experience such a sensation. And the best part is he has a "cure".. which, because he and I are such great pals, he gladly shared with me. Because you and I, Dear Reader, are such great pals, I'm going to share it with you.

Vacation.

And he has a certain point: the way the dollar is shrinking? Might as well get away to somewhere while it'll still buy you a ticket. Six months from now might be too late.

It has been a very long time since I went on a real vacation.. and perhaps some of you can say the same thing. It just hasn't seemed to work out that the extra money and the extra time have been as plentiful as the bills and the Things That Need Doing Today (list).
Oh well. I ain't complaining, nor sniveling.

Tip of the day: If you're like me, and it's been a little too long since you gave yourself a real vacation, go online and find yourself a real deal. Do a little searching, and I bet that you'll find an offer too good to pass up. Then.. actually book your reservation.
That way, you won't be sitting there feeling like I feel right now.. and, you'll have something to look forward to (before the trip), and then something new to talk about (afterwards).

There are, literally, hundreds of traveler's websites. I suggest you "play around with" more than just one (planning is, after all, half the fun).
And I suggest to you that you "explore" the possibility of a Destination other than Disney World or Honolulu. Do something really.. extraordinary this time. (Like what, you ask? Well.. hmmm.. how about Vienna? Or, Moscow? Or,.. Kuala Lumpur. Or include some semi-dangerous activity.. like, para-gliding in Rio? Or, white-water rafting in Australia?) That will give you great conversation pieces when you get home again!

Today's free link(s): Great trips come from great research and planning.. and feeling good about them comes from getting good prices. Start out with some of the better-known travel websites, such as Travelocity, Priceline, and SmartTraveler.com. Be sure to click on any User Reviews-type links you find, and take a look at the hotel's reviews, too.
Once you've spent a little time there, then hop over to Wikitravel. Click on a continent, or type in a keyword, and start getting excited.. because this year, baby, you're going to do it! (I hope.)

* If you know of a must-look-at travel website, please let us know by leaving a Comment.

Copyright 2007-8 Tech Paul. All rights reserved.

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