myTooSense

Archived Posts from this Category

Tue 2 Nov 2010

Father of the Internet Arrives 195 Years Ago

Posted @ 8:56 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
On November 2, 1815 the man considered the father of modern logic, George Boole was born.  In 1848 a paper on the mathematical basis of logic, written by Boole, was published in Mechanics Magazine.  Boole is credited with being the first to realize that logic was more closely related to mathematics than philosophy.
 
Boole founded what would much later be understood as the basis for the field of computer science.  All it took was a man named Claude Shannon to understand that Boolean algebra could be applied to an electric circuit in order to solve problems, all based upon whether a circuit was on or off.  Out of this spawned the modern digital technology we cannot survive without.  Calculators, e-mail, web pages, video games, and even that picture on your phone owe their accomplishments to the mathematics of 1′s and 0′s to solve the most complex of problems.
 
Al Gore can wax philosophical about his role in the Internet, but we all know better – it wasn’t what philosophy did to logic that gave us the Internet, it was something only mathematics could do.
Share on Facebook
 

Mon 25 Oct 2010

Top Movies by Gross Ticket Sales

Posted @ 3:01 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
For years I have pondered what so many seem not to notice.
 
I can honestly say ranking movies by gross ticket sales was very high up on my list of top annoyances.  Maybe I’m odd, but as soon as I heard the newest hype my mind would go to the fact that 1980 ticket prices were no where near matinee prices of 2010.  If that were the case movie studios would long ago have gone out of business.
 
The reason this interested me is because I wanted to see how the populous-at-large rated movies in comparison to my perception.  The current studio system is all built around making their current flick sound like the hottest thing since pop-up toast.  Sure it just broke a record in ticket sales but then ticket prices are at an all-time high.  Guess that’s the game but it left me without a standard.
 
Finally persistence and the Internet paid off.  Thanks to Box Office Mojo I can now see such a list.  Finally!
 
Ok, so I have seen 86 of the top 100 domestic films.  The list is very interesting in that it is so far removed from the typical fare.
Share on Facebook
 

Thu 7 Oct 2010

Oft misgquoted

Posted @ 2:35 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
“Money is the root of all evil,” or is it “The love of money is the root of all evil,” or is it “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil?”
 
I can only say for sure it’s NOT “Money is the root of all evil.”  The other two are possible translations.  Which is right?
 
Does not matter?  Yes and No.  In application of the basic principle, no, but if trying to determine if all evil is related to the love of money it does make a notable difference.
 
Why do I care?  Not sure I really do, just thought I’d bring it up.
Share on Facebook
 

Wed 6 Oct 2010

Deception of a Young Mind

Posted @ 1:00 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
For more than 4 decades I have puzzled at the expression “sail the seven seas.”  I have vivid recollection of searching the globe, counting each “sea” indicated.  No matter how I sliced and diced it I would usually arrive at a number significantly more than 7 but sometimes less, never seven.  I recall being very close once in having counted six but I was left unsatisfied.
 
After all these years I realize Google was created to give me the answers I sought (only little self-centric).
 
I’ve always said,  ”be careful what you ask if you might not like the answer.”  Well, I don’t like the answer… life would have been better without asking.  I won’t call it quits but I am pretty disturbed at the lies perpetrated on my young mind.
 
After a search of many authoritative sites the basic conclusion is no one knows what the seven seas were, or if they were even actual bodies or simply a use of the number seven to show completeness.  At best, the seas can be identified as seven bodies of water in the locale of the mariner.  In other words the phrase was never used in context of the entire earth.
 
To my scientific mind, this is more disturbing than finding out the Easter Bunny doesn’t really like chocolate.
Share on Facebook
 

Thu 30 Sep 2010

Too Little Yabba Dabba Doo!

Posted @ 10:33 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
 
The Flintstones.jpg
Google brought to my attention that today is the golden anniversary of one of my childhood staples.
 
Fred found himself in many a self-imposed pickle, but you know what?  He loved life and lived it to the fullest no matter what he was dealt.  He was upbeat and optimistic.  Yes, he did some goofy things – but don’t we all.  He laughed at himself and moved on.  He slept well at night.  Life was an adventure.
 
Where’s my Yabba Dabba Doo?
Share on Facebook
 

Thu 23 Sep 2010

Working Harder or Smarter or Not Working At All

Posted @ 10:02 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
Forbes 400 richest people in America list for 2010 has been released.
 
As expected a significant number made their wealth from oil, tech companies, transportation, investments, hedge funds and Walmart.  Unexpected were a few who made their wealth from the likes of chewing gum and salsa.
 
Name
Position on list
Age
Net worth
Source of wealth
William Wrigley
170
46
$2.1 Billion
chewing gum
Christopher Goldsbury
308
67
$1.3 Billion
salsa
 
I have better ideas than salsa!  Why can’t I hit that $1,000,000,000 mark?
 
It’s gotta be my charm.  Maybe next year – better keep your eyes open Forbes.
Share on Facebook
 

Sat 1 May 2010

Development Tracking

Posted @ 12:01 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
Today heralds the 4th year of this blog!
 
Before I look at blog milestone statistics I’d like to take a few lines to compare my blog against the development of a typical 4 year old child.
A Four Year Old Child
This Four Year Old web log
Requires 1,700 calories daily
Creating a post can burn more than 1,700 calories
Can walk in straight line (on tape or chalk)
A few series of posts followed their theme
Hops on one foot
Did you see the posts on marriage?
Jumps over 6″ objects with both feet together
Some posts were created with both hands tied behind back
Reproduces some shapes and letters
Old posts have been copied and updated
Becomes more accurate at hitting nails w/hammer
Some posts nailed it
Can run on a circle
Many posts chase their tails
Delights in creating silly language
There have been a few words coined
Understands the sequence of daily events
All posts are chronological
Very good storytellers
You got me there…  maybe next year
 
Now that the fun is over…
In the last 365 days I have read 7 books!  We won’t mention the one book was started 3½ years ago.
I have posted 111 articles, some good, some bad and most ho-hum.
I added the jeep-o-meter.
In the life of this blog:
    • Served 28,148 visitors
    • Killed 25,083 pieces of spam
Share on Facebook
 

Tue 23 Mar 2010

Not Mine… If the Shoe Fits

Posted @ 10:57 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
This thought came to me via “TrueFaced Resouces” on my FaceBook account.  Good food for thought.
 
<blockquote>The more influence we have, the more we are tempted to hide our true self for fear we will lose that influence.</blockquote>
Share on Facebook
 

Thu 18 Mar 2010

Watch Out for the Obvious

Posted @ 9:05 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
 
I guess this post is more of a rant than I want to admit.
 
What do you think about all those warnings we find in our inboxes warning us of this virus and that scam?  I will not argue that it is not important to provide information but don’t you think that at times it borders on alarmism?
 
I mean does someone need to remind me over and over again that a drunk driver could be driving down the road and even though I am within a crosswalk and the “pedestrian walk” hand is a come-forward shade of green that the same drunk driver could run me over and end my life?  There is some basic knowledge I have learned over the years about crossing the street and it didn’t take me until adulthood to figure it out.  So why do I need to be reminded to look both ways, listen up and be so very careful lest I get broken by a speeding automobile?
 
There are “babes on the Internet” they don’t have the common sense.  This is always the case in anything and everywhere in life.  The newbies need to be taught how to cross the street.  Does this require inundating the majority with this warning and that alert?  At point should I expect not to be overloaded by even more information in this information age.  Information is a powerful tool, but misused it can cause high anxiety.
 
Maybe the solution for those who should know better is to let them stumble a bit.  To paraphrase the old saying, maybe I need to a little hunger to motivate me to fish.
 
Not all things are “common sense” to all but exercising some judgment and discerning the babes from the “gray hairs” could go a long way.
Share on Facebook
 

Mon 1 Mar 2010

My Retail Foray

Posted @ 3:27 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
Several months back a coworker pointed me to a bargain hunters bargain.  Brand new GPSr’s for 80% off the suggested retail.  A five minute check of eBay and related Internet sites revealed a nice profit could be made with a conservative retail price point.
 
I figured I could turn a tidy 100% profit in 2 weeks.  Invest $300 for a return of $600!  The Christmas season was only weeks away – that would only aide my endeavor.
 
That was the plan.  You have guessed by now that that plan turned out less than ideal.  After 2 weeks of listing my retail inventory on email for a steal of $199 plus free shipping I did not even get a nibble.  Craigslist, nothing.  I notice there are more than a few competitors on eBay selling for almost cost and even a few under my cost.  eBay finally says they’ve given me enough free postings so I began listing solely on Craigslist.
 
Today I finally sold the 3rd and last unit!  Total profit for all three units was approximately $100.  $300 invested $100 profit.  Not bad if it hadn’t taken ¼ of a year to sell the units.
 
Future forays will likely be more cautious.
Share on Facebook
 

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Dave's Cabin

Dave's Jeep

    Jeepometer
    - $6500
    - $6000
    - $5500
    - $5000
    - $4500
    - $4000
    - $3500
    - $3000
    - $2500
    - $2000
    - $1500
    - $1000
    - $500
    - $0
    0%
    Began: Sep 11 '09
    Last $: Aug 6, 2010
    Goal: Jul 4 '11

Daily Detour

    Today's History

    Born This Day

    Article of Day

    Today's Quote

    Word of the Day

Dave's Dream

Archives

    May 2012
    S M T W T F S
    « Apr    
     12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    2728293031