Gas Hacking

With gas prices teetering to $4 a gallon in some areas, we are all feeling the pinch at the pump and looking for an easy way out. Unfortunately, the easiest way out is not legal. Let me introduce you to "gas hacking". Using a computerized device similar to a credit card, "gas hacking" allows you by bypass the pumps and essentially dump unlimited amounts of gasoline into your vehicle. This technique started in Florida and is currently being investigated.

Do I know how to do this? Yes, but because stealing is a punishable crime, I’m not going to give specifics on how "gas hacking" is actually done. Sorry. I can’t supply you with these electronic devices or any of the other tools and techniques used. So why am I sharing this vague information with you to begin with? Because I enjoy informing you about the latest geek news (incomplete or in its entirety)...and teasing you with something you can’t have.

Will I use "gas hacking" to my own benefit? No, I won’t. I will just continue bending over at the pump and taking it up the tailpipe with the rest of America. Besides, I rather take it at the gas station than in prison.

Just Do It Already!

God damn it. Sell me those Pens vs Rangers playoff tickets now or the kitty gets it!

Sorry. I'm feeling a teeny bit hostile today. Scoring tickets to a sold out playoff game is never exactly easy, but I never thought it would be this f-ing difficult. What's wrong with this dude? I've offered him $300 OVER actual ticket price and STILL no sale! I think he's just being spiteful now.

Comeon man, help a guy out. If you were trying to impress a girl, I would help you out. Not that I think Pens playoff tickets are going to impress her, but I suppose it doesn't really matter if they do or if they don't because it doesn't look like this guy is going to sell no matter what I offer him. And no, I am NOT resorting to giving him sexual favors. I want the tickets, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

I've been pestering this guy about the tickets all week, trying to give him excuses as to why he DOESN'T want to go. It seems the plan has backfired though. At the last minute, the very day of the game, he is holding onto his seats for dear life...like a chubby kid holds on to his king-sized Hershey's bar.

I'm just going to say it - rich people suck.

Hillary Hell

***WARNING!***
Some may find this post to be sexiest and politically offensive. Do I care if I offend you? No, not really, especially considering you’ve been given fair warning. If you are overly sensitive and lack a sense of humor, I suggest you stop reading here.

"And don't tell anyone I said this, but I really don't think a woman should be president. We're a little too emotionally unstable for a job like that." - identity being withheld

I love it! I’m not even going to comment further on this because anything I say would only detract from such a classic statement.

50 Clean-Tech Tips and Going Green Facts

Today, April 22, is Earth Day. So, I thought I would supply everyone with a little Ecotech news. Here are "50 Clean-Tech Tips and Going Green Facts" to help greenify the geek in you. (And don't ask me why those annoying little icons are beside every item on my numbered list. I'm feeling too lazy to find out why they are there and remove them.)

50 Clean-Tech Tips and Going Green Facts

1. Selling refurbished PCs is now a $6 billion-a-year business.
2. The "phantom load" (electricity consumed by "switched-off" appliances like TVs, radios, microwaves, etc) can add $200 a year to your bill.
3. Switched-off devices account for 40% of the energy consumed by electronics in an average home.
4. The U.S. government could save $330 million over a 4 year period if its data centers complied with Energy Star Version 4.0
5. Extra heat generated by computers means more heat in the office, which translates to more use of air conditioning.
6. Companies that sign for the WWF's Climate Savers Computing Initiative could reduce CO2 pollution by 10 million tons annually by 2010.
7. At the 2008 CES, Fujitsu showed a laptop PC whose outside plastic shell is 50% vegetable-based polymer alloy.
8. Creation of a desktop PC usually requires ten times the PC's weight in fossil fuels and chemicals, most of them toxic.
9. 15 billion batteries are made and sold across the globe every year.
10. If you're not sure where to donate out-of-use electronics, Recycles.org can match you up with nonprofit agencies that use old equipment.
11. By 2011, more than 400 million PCs will have been purchased as replacements for current home and office computers.
12. Typical U.S. cell phone users replace their phones every year and a half.
13. 130 million cell phones each year go into retirement.
14. Recycling 100 million phones would recover 3.4 metric tons of gold - gold that would not have to be mined.
15. PCs contain gold too: 1.2 tons of PC scrap electronics has more than can be extracted from 17 tons of gold ore.
16. Only 15% of Americans are aware that local recyclers will take old electronics and computers.
17. Each year, the world generates 20 million to 50 million metric tons of e-waste.
18. E-waste makes up 2% of solid waste in the U.S. and is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. garbage.
19. Flaws in Windows XP's sleep mode and Microsoft's choice of "High Performance" as the default performance option may have added $5 billion to power bills annually worldwide.
20. NASA, the Department of Defense, and the General Services Administration are all now committed to buying only EPEAT-certified computers.
21. Manufacturing 1 desktop and 1 monitor requires 530lbs of fossil fuel, 58lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water.
22. 12% (25 million) of Americans would pay extra for greener electronics. On the other hand, 41% (90 million) are not willing to pay extra.
23. Wii is the power-saving leader of game consoles, consuming only 18.4 watts. Compare the hogs: Xbox (186W), PS3 (199W), and a PC (209W at peak usage).
24. While old CRT monitors use more energy to show white than black, LCDs spend slightly more energy to show black than white.
25. Don't recycle, Freecycle. There are 4,226 Freecycle.org online groups helping more than 4 million users give away "junk" to others who can use it.
26. The average office drone uses up 10,000 sheets of paper - about a whole tree's worth of wood pulp per year.
27. 2.05 million tons of electronics were put out as garbage in the U.S. in 2005. Only about 18% of that was recycled.
28. The U.S scraps about 400 million pieces of consumer electronics equipment, e-waste per year. It's the fastest-growing waste stream.
29. If you buy a new system, Apple and Dell will recycle your old computer, regardless of manufacturer.
30. Search EPEAT.net's Product Registry to find computers and monitors that are certified green.
31. There's 4 to 8lbs of toxic lead in all CRT TVs and monitors. Flat-panels have less lead, but more mercury.
32. It's estimated that as much as 80% of U.S. e-waste is shipped overseas or to Mexico to be dismantled in unsafe working conditions.
33. As much as 50% of the power most desktop computers use is wasted as heat jettisoned by fans on the power supply.
34. A survey by Staples in November 2007 indicated that only 23% of U.S. residents recycle electronics.
35. Between 2000 and 2007, as many as 500 million computers became obsolete.
36. To create just 1 kilogram of consumer goods, manufacturers on average create 5 kilograms of waste.
37. Shopping for a new HDTV? Plasma TVs consume far more energy than LCDs and they waste it as heat energy.
38. Shopping for a surge protector? Buy one of reasonable capacity. The bigger it is the more energy it consumes.
39. Bamboo is the most sustainable of all materials. Look for laptops encased in it, such as the ASUS Ecobook.
40. By 2001, e-waste already accounted for 70% of the heavy metals and 40% of the lead in U.S. landfills.
41. Some LCDs are built using plastic rather than glass, which is far easier to recycle.
42. If all commuters worked from home just 1 day a week, we could save 5.85 billion gallons of oil each year.
43. If you listen to your CD player 2 hours a day, you can save $200 a year by switching to rechargeable batteries.
44. The energy saved by recycling 1 plastic bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes.
45. Take an HP, Lexmark, or Dell printer cartridge to Staples for recycling and you will get a $3 coupon for ink or toner.
46. Energy Star 4.0 is quite stringent, demanding highly efficient power supplies and very-low-power idle modes.
47. Unplug! Each year in the U.S., electronic devices that are turned off but not unplugged use electricity worth $3 billion.
48. Blog, it eliminates the need for paper, thus saving a tree.
49. Or better yet, turn off your laptop or PC and go outside. If we are going to having global warming, you might as well enjoy the warm weather it brings.
50. Last but not least, paint your laptop and/or PC green. It will trick the components inside into running at a more energy efficient level. Ok, fine, this last one is a lie. But using a green colored computer will make you look hip to all those that have jumped aboard the "going green" bandwagon.

Now go hug a tree. It's Earth Day!

My Little Black Book

The people who you look up to have one with them at all times. You can’t understand it (yet), but you can't deny it looks cool. You look for alternatives. There are none. If only you had a good enough reason to buy one. And then you do.

Hard cover or soft cover? Reporter or classic? Large or small? Sketchbook with thick paper? Watercolour notebook with even thicker paper? Choosing the right Moleskine is a difficult process, but with time and careful practice, you will find "the one".

You're now part of something bigger than yourself. A culture. A club. Your thoughts are suddenly more valuable, so are the things you say. Even your blogging has improved (or so you tell yourself whether true or not). When you see another Moleskine owner, you give each other a nod of approval. Good thing she doesn't know that you haven't written a single word yet.

You peel off the thin plastic protection film. The crackling sound fills you with excitement. You feel the oilskin cover for the first time. You snap open the elastic band and flip through the pages. Your future flashes before your eyes. Your dreams waiting to burst out onto the blank pages. You bookmark an empty page, then snap the Moleskine shut. You wait for the right moment to start.

In the pocket of your new Moleskine is a small leaflet that brings you into the world of the Moleskine and shares its legendary story from Italian roots. You are the next part of that history. It’s the very notebook you now hold in your hands, that plain looking little black book which you covet.

The pages are too perfect. It's difficult to start. "What shall I write or draw?" At first there is no answer. And then, inspiration strikes. It happens more quickly for some and slowly for others. But once inspiration strikes, you start taking notes...and you never look back.

Finishing a Moleskine fills you with a sense of satisfaction, but it also makes you feel vulnerable, naked. Suddenly your ideas don't have a home. The good thing is that wherever you are, you know you can pick up a Moleskine, a notebook of the exact same quality and size from any good book or stationery store. Once you become part of the Moleskine story, it's hard to imagine using any other notebook.

Side Note:
As of late, I absolutely hate my writing. I hate everything about it and I don't know why. I just know what I write sucks. It sucks so much that after I write it, "I" don't even want to read it. Even after one revision, two revisions, three, four...I still hate it. Sometimes just the thought of writing in my Moleskine or continuing this blog seems almost painful. Perhaps I should just stop writing all together to stop sickening myself. Problem solved then.

Throwing Yourself At Men, Literally

Ahh, the single life. The art of being a bachelor or bachelorette. It’s all about meeting someone. Flirting. Dating. Hooking up. Breaking up. And maybe, just maybe, somewhere in there you will find yourself in a real relationship and possibly fall in love. I’ve been on both ends, approaching a woman and having a woman approach me. I can’t say I prefer one way over another, but I can say that I do enjoy a woman making the first move. It’s refreshing. It takes the pressure off. Quite simply, it’s very flattering. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? But there is a line that needs drawn. There is a difference between hitting on someone and being a super freak! Perfect example, "naked photo girl", that is what my friends and I refer to her as.

Notice the hands stuffed firmly in his pockets. This dude clearly isn’t interested in catching her.
Be cautious when throwing yourself at men. A warm reception is never guaranteed.

She’s the girl who a few years ago made very innocent, nondescript conversation with me in a club. Our chit-chat only lasted a couple minutes, but as I went to leave, she ran her hand down my arm and said it was nice meeting me. Perfectly normal behavior, right? Well next thing I know she stuffs something into the front pocket of my jeans and without a word, she turns around and walks away. At first I think it’s probably her number, but the paper feels pokey (insert your own pokey pants joke here). Then I think it’s a condom, but that seems odd because why would she give me that while departing? I decide to reach in my pocket and see what it is. I find myself pulling out a naked photo of her in a very graphic and suggestive position. On the back of the photo, written with a Sharpie, is her name and number. I feel somewhat turned on, but at the same time grossed out. Think about it. I’m sure I’m not the first guy she’s done this to. Most people don’t carry around naked photos of themselves and hand them out at will, unless maybe you are a hooker or an aspiring hooker? Or maybe she was an undercover cop throwing out the bait and waiting for a bite. Whatever the case may be, her method of coming on to me was just a tad over forward. I never called her, but I did keep the photo.

So how far would you go to get the attention of a certain guy? Would you be subtle and just make eye contact while shooting him a sexy smile across a crowded room? Or would you show no restraint and no shame and literally throw yourself at him? Throw yourself at him so strongly that he has no other choice than to open his arms and accept your advances...or be pummeled to the floor.

Meet Lilly McElroy, an artist who takes photographs of herself throwing herself at men. She takes things literally and can't help being clumsy. As a performative photographer, McElroy seems to have a lot of fun making refreshingly spontaneous pictures. The work she produces is a cross between physical comedy and earnest confessional. She throws her whole body into it and often leads with her chest. There are videos of her hugging strangers without asking their permission and photographs of her literally throwing herself at men. The gestures that Lilly performs for the camera are simultaneously loving and cruel. They are an attempt to discuss the desire and difficulty involved in making a connection. When asked to explain the procedure behind her photographs, this is what she said...

"I started the project by placing an ad on Craigslist looking for men who would meet me at bars blind date style and let me literally throw myself at them. This worked fairly well, but limited the number of photos I could take. Now, I go to bars with a friend/photographer and approach men who are physically larger than I am. I ask them if I can literally throw myself at them. If they say yes, I have myself photographed doing it and buy them a drink afterwards. If it seems like they want to hang out, I'll have a drink as well. Sometimes we talk about the project and sometimes we just chat. I don't have a specific set up for the photos. I just want them to look as much like snap shots or party pics as possible."

The photographs she produces while trying to interact, acknowledge the possibility of failure – that someone might not catch her, that a connection might not be made. It is that possibility that keeps things interesting. In the end, Lilly wants to make the viewer laugh, but she wants them to understand there is more at stake, that everyone is implicated including her.

Apart from all the heavy gender-socio-dynamo analysis these images inspire, they're also just fun to look at. See for yourself at www.LillyMcElroy.com

You Weren’t Cursed, You Just Sucked For 86 Years

You don’t have to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan for that matter, to be aware of the long bitter rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. However, if you are unfamiliar with "The Curse", then let me explain. The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited, often jokingly, as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 until 2004. While some fans took The Curse seriously, most used the expression in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The Curse was said to have begun after the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth, sometimes called "The Bambino", to the New York Yankees in 1920. Before that year, the Boston Red Sox had been one of the most successful professional baseball franchises, amassing five World Series titles. After the sale, the once-lackluster Yankees became one of the most successful franchises in North American professional sports. Now were the Sox cursed or did they just plain out suck for 86 years? I tend to believe the latter.

Let’s be rational. Babe Ruth was an amazing player, perhaps the best there ever was to play the game, but he was only with the Red Sox for 5 years. So even if they lost their star player to the Yankees and let’s pretend for a minute that losing Babe Ruth was the sole reason for the Sox’s downfall...how do you explain the other 81 consecutive losing seasons? Cursed? No, "suckyness" is more likely the answer. Sorry. I’m not a Yankees fan. I’m not a Red Sox fan. I’m not even a baseball fan for that matter. But you do the math and be reasonable. "The Curse" is just a silly superstition which was most likely fabricated by some jaded Boston fan as a means to calming/explaining his frustrations with his home team being losers and watching his most hated team rise up. I suppose if I witnessed my favorite team losing for nearly a century, I too may start believing in witchcraft.

Now with that said, I have to hand it to one Boston Red Sox fan for his devious and rather humorous antics. It was his attempt of "getting even" and reversing The Curse...

A Red Sox-rooting construction worker, Gino Castignoli, bid to curse the New York Yankees by planting a Boston Red Sox jersey in their new stadium (currently being built) along the 3rd base line. The plan was foiled after the shirt was located in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium. Construction workers spent 5 hours jackhammering through 2 feet of concrete on Sunday to remove the offending shirt from its burial spot. In shreds from the jackhammers, the shirt still bore the letters "Red Sox" on the front. It was a David Ortiz jersey, No. 34.

Castignoli did a little bragging of his good/evil deed to co-workers and friends. And when question about it, he said..."It's not like I snuck in there. It didn't do any structural damage. I didn't put anyone in harm's way. It was worth it." It’s not likely any criminal charges will take place, although this has definitely left some Yankee fans extremely angry. Steinbrenner himself was quoted as saying..."I hope his co-workers kick the shit out of him." Priceless.

Rumor has it that the jersey will be auctioned off and all proceeds, along with the $2,000 the NY Post paid Castignoli for the story, will be donated to a Boston charity. Personally, I would have found it hilarious if Castignoli would use the money to buy Boston Red Sox season tickets, box seats preferably. However, seeing that is he already is a diehard Sox fan, chances are he is already a season ticket holder. And I suppose givnig the money to a Boston charity is the kinder thing to do. It’s nice to know that some good can come out of loathing the Yankees. Well done Castignoli! This will go down as one of the my favorite sports stories ever.

When I’m Dead And Gone, This Blog Will Live On

I can't be the only one who has ever had this thought cross their mind. I would think that anyone who keeps a personal blog, a diary or any type of journal has pondered this same question. "I wonder what people (family, friends and even total strangers) will say as they read this blog...when I am dead and gone." Anyone else ever thought about that? Perhaps it's a morbid thought, however I tend to have morbid thoughts sometimes. There are some things I have written about in this blog that even my closest family and friends are clueless about. If they did know about it, I worry that it might scare them, that they would be unable to handle my raw truths. Or perhaps a bigger fear is that I couldn't handle what they would think of me, what I would leave behind to be remembered by. I suppose for my Moleskine journal, I could lock it up in secure storage – a safety deposit box or safe. That way nobody could have access to the pages while I was still breathing. And as far as my blog goes, I suppose if I could foresee my inevitable upcoming death, I could delete all I've written on the web. Although as we all know, a delete key never fully erases your electronic trail. Whether I like it or not, my blog will have a way of living on, long after I'm dead and gone.

For people who allow themselves to be totally and completely honest about who they are and their lives, any form of a personal journal can be very hurtful or confusing to loved ones. And I imagine that pain would only intensify after one's death. Because let's face it, to be truly honest with oneself is to admit to the multifarious aspects of one’s character in all its humanity, both well-intentioned and malicious.

Your reactions to life's events, the experiences you have lived, your genuine opinions of friends, acquaintances, strangers...it all requires a great deal of resolve. Not to mention releasing one's deeply held thoughts and feelings. To release genuine honesty from one's own mind and heart, from your very being and to share it with others, it's not only brave but also complex given that the repercussions can resonate infinitely.

And then sometimes a journal is simply a place to vent about a situation, confrontation, or misunderstanding which soon after it occurs is resolved and even forgotten. I'm reminded of the scene in the chick flick "Bridget Jones' Diary" when, after she and Mark Darcy admit their mutual feelings, Mark finds Bridget's journal and reads her initial opinions of him. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who has yet to see the film (even though it's an old movie), but those who've seen it know what follows.

The All New Blog Redesign For 2008

Drumroll please.

As you can see, I’ve given my blog its yearly redesign. The XML template I’m using is called "SoSuechtig", named after the original German designer who runs www.sosuechtig.de

It has 3 columns and a wide 1024x768 display which gives it plenty of space. Because it was intended to be used with WordPress, the code needed to be implemented in Blogger and of course translated into English. Once that was done, I created a custom header and changed a couple other things. There are still a few tweaks I need to make here and there, but for the most part it's complete.

I was never really thrilled with my last blog template. It just felt pieced together and didn’t match up the way I would have liked. So this time around I wanted to keep it simple – less is more. This new black theme is clean and smooth. It utilizes bold contrasting colors that are energetic, but still pleasing to the eye. And I’m hoping the design will flow with my writing.

I’ve only tested this in IE 7, so if you are using another browser and experiencing any difficulty with the new design, please let me know. There may be some glitches I still need to work out. As always, all feedback is welcome. Let me know if you love it or hate it. How could I make it better and what you would like to see in the future?

Clicking Publish – The Life Cycle Of A Blog Post

Remember when you were in the 4th grade and the school sent home a permission slip for your parents to sign that allowed you to attend the upcoming Sex Ed class lecture? For many parents, including mine, I’m sure it was a relief to be somewhat "let off the hook" when it came to having "The Birds & Bees talk" with their kids. Although I think I was more uncomfortable and embarrassed for my parents to talk to me about sex than they actually were about approaching the subject. I think my biggest fear was that they would use their own relationship as an example in explaining certain aspects. That alone horrified me! It would start with the phrase..."When two people love each other like your Dad and I do, they want to show..." Even to this day, I DO NOT want to think that my parents have sex! It grosses me out to see my parents hug, hold hands or kiss. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy my parents have been married for over 30 years, but as far as I’m concerned, they’ve only done it 3 times in their lives – once to produce my oldest sister, again to produce my other sister and a final time to produce me. And that is it and that is all the information I need from them.

Apparently public schooling was doing something right because it saved me from the horror of having to hear how babies are made from my parents. I remember coming home from class that day, hoping my Mom wouldn’t ask how school went. Hoping she wouldn’t want to go over the somewhat confusing and messy lecture I endured in school. However, being the good Mom she is, she couldn’t resist asking me if I had any questions. She knew my Dad would be more squeamish talking to me about sex, so she took it upon herself to engage me in the topic and leave herself open to any and all questions I may have. Sensing that I wasn’t going to share with her what I learned in school today, my Mom decided that the best thing to do was to just ask me if I had any questions. My reply..."Yeah, what’s for dinner?"

It was rather apparent, I had no interest in knowing how babies are made. I didn’t want a baby. I wanted a puppy and maybe a new skateboard. Watching that baby being delivered was f*cking gross! So disgusting in fact that I vowed right then and there that anyone who wanted to have a baby was certified crazy! Even the making of the baby was gross. Who would want to touch a girl? Girls are dumb and I didn’t like them. They did stupid stuff, like scream while running in a game of tag. I didn’t understand them so I kept them at a distance...and they seemed like nothing but trouble. I protected myself with a nice thick layer of cootie spray. It was my shield from icky girls trying to touch me. And I certainly didn’t want to accidently touch a girl or she would become pregnant! Then I would never have time to ride my skateboard.

Over the years, the cycle of life became less scary to me. Sure the getting a girl pregnant part still frightens me, but the touching a girl part is a lot more fun than they made it look like in that Sex Ed video. So now that the truth is out, that the stork doesn’t deliver babies, I started wondering about life’s other great mysterious. Like whether or not the tale my Dad told me about a miniature man living behind the traffic lights is true or not. I pictured him to be roughly 6 inches tall and dressed like a lumberjack (why a lumberjack I have no idea). He wore overalls, a red flannel, a knit cap, construction boots and sported reddish/brown curly hair and a mustache - like the Brawny paper towels dude. He was in charge of turning the lights from red to green. He only switched them to yellow momentarily because he was a prankster and was just trying to see if people were paying attention. If we encountered a traffic light that wasn't working, it meant that one of the miniature men called off sick. This is the tale my Dad filled my head with, I more or less ran with the story and gave it so much detail that it was really believable. I was so sure this was true that I began telling my friends about the traffic signal phenomenon and wondered why their parents would chuckle at me.

Sadly though, not everything in life is run by midgets or occurs via a sprinkling of magic pixie dust. The only true miracle in life is the miracle of life itself, and even it is more or less a scientific process that evolves over a series of stages. So if you are thinking that an Ompa Loompa, MiniMe, WeeMan, Gary Coleman or even Webster is behind the magic of how your blog post gets published instantly the moment you click your mouse, you’re wrong. Perhaps you take the instant gratification of publishing your words on the web for granted, but I don’t. I’m rather curious about the life cycle of a blog post. Is a tiny lumberjack or the stork behind it? Think about it. I've looked into it and this is what I've learned...

You have a blog. You compose a new post. You click Publish and lean back to admire your work. Imperceptibly and all but instantaneously, your post slips into a vast and recursive network of software agents. From there it is crawled, indexed, mined, scraped, republished, and propagated throughout the Web. Within minutes, if you've written about a timely and noteworthy topic, a small army of bots will get the word out to anyone remotely interested, from fellow bloggers to corporate marketers. Thanks to search engines and aggregators that compile lists of interesting posts, you can reach a lot of people. And thanks to the folks at Wired Magazine, you can see how the whole process unfolds - The Life Cycle Of A Blog Post