Spotlight on: Wikipedia

Wed Nov 14 21:20:20 2007

I've actually been meaning to put this up for a while, but I found some gems on Wikipedia a bit ago:

Recursive Acronyms

Recursive acronyms are well-known in the tech world, with some fine examples such as PHP ("PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor") and GNU ("GNU's Not Unix"). I do feel that some of them could be more creative though, as most follow the form "XINY Is Not Y" or similar.

RAS Syndrome

I love this one - I wouldn't say it is something that has bothered me per se, but I have been constantly aware of it for some time. RAS is Recursive Acronym Syndrome (so RAS Syndrome is Recursive Acronym Syndrome Syndrome). Some amazingly common examples of this are "PIN Number" and "ATM Machine."

List of tautological place names

This is somewhat related to RAS Syndrome because of redundancy. Usually, though, the redundancy comes from multiple parts of a name deriving from different languages. The best one is definitely Torpenhow Hill, which (in four different languages) comes out to "Hill Hill Hill Hill." Check it out.

Genericized trademark

Genericized trademarks have always been something that has fascinated me, although I didn't know there was a name for it until recently. We use Kleenex, Band-Aids, Rollerblades and many many others to refer to whole classes of products, even though these names really refer to specific products put out by specific companies. The ultimate result of dominant mindshare.

I admit that I can spend hours on Wikipedia. Just go and check out these articles.

Back to school, for a short while

Sun Sep 23 13:36:27 2007

It has been too long since I've posted something here, so here are some things on my mind at the moment:

I must say that I am loving it now that I'm back in college for one more semester. It's amazing being around my closest friends from the last 4 years, something I missed dearly over the summer. I get to go to football games as a civilian now and that is also amazing. I have even been enjoying going to classes, which is something I haven't done for nearly a year.

The thing that weighs on me constantly is that I really won't be around for much longer. After I graduate, who knows where I will end up? There is a very good chance that I will be going far away from here for the rest of the foreseeable future; does that mean I will be leaving behind this life and all the people in it? I was able to delay real life for eight months, but even now at the beginning of the semester, I can feel it pulling on my sleeve. Even when everything seems to be going your way, life ain't easy.

California Weather

Tue Jun 5 23:47:26 2007

I have been in the San Francisco Bay area for almost two and a half weeks now, and I must say that I adore the weather. It has been a consistent low-70's and sunny every day except two. Combine that with the fact that we have a pool in our apartment complex and it makes for some very enjoyable living conditions.

(X)HTML Slideshow

Sun Apr 29 05:46:27 2007

While scouring Google for some html info, I came across an online presentation built on a single html file, CSS, and javascript. The app used is called S5, and it's pretty darn cool. Check it out!

Dick in a Box Redux

Wed Mar 14 18:13:41 2007

Wasting time on YouTube today, I came across two great videos related to the infamous Dick in a Box SNL short:

• DIAB Live - Apparently JT actually did the song live with Andy Samberg at Madison Square Garden. Awesome.
• "Dick and a Box" - A great original video inspired by the skit. "Get the fuck out of my room!"

Enjoy!

Jury Duty

Tue Mar 13 00:17:43 2007

Today I served my first jury duty. I was called in for one of the first cases of the day, although I wasn't selected for the initial 14. After the judge and prosecuting attorney said their bits, we took an extended break. By the time we came back from the break, they had settled the case and the trial was canceled! After that I got to go home. Sometimes you just get lucky I guess...

Stranger Than Fiction

Mon Mar 12 17:13:55 2007

I just finished watching this movie, and I must say it's one of the best I've seen in a while (not that I watch movies very often). Highly recommended by me!

Summer Plans

Thu Mar 8 15:54:16 2007

After making the internship search a full-time job since early January, going through interviews with about 10 companies, sorting through offers, and spending 24 hours trying to make a final decision, I have finalized my plans for the summer: I'm going to Cupertino to join the lovely folks at Apple! I am obviously very excited, both to work at a great company and to check out life in the Valley.

As a PC user, it will certainly be an interesting experience and a potentially challenging transition, but I am excited to see first-hand what all the hype is about OS X, especially since Leopard will be coming out soon. Add to that the release of the iPhone, as well as a chance to attend the WWDC, and it's shaping up to be a pretty exciting summer. If anyone has any Apple products they'd like to loan me in the meantime, certainly let me know!

Unique Indoor Show

Fri Mar 2 15:22:00 2007

There has been some discussion on the DrumHard forums about Timber Creek HS's debut show. It's very odd and artsy, yet strangely appealing. And of course those high school kids are smokin' their quad licks.

Apparently this school petitioned to get out of their circuit's debut show (who knows why) and were denied. In response, they put together this show in a couple days both in protest of the decision, and so they would be eligible to compete in the rest of the season with their real show. As you are watching, notice that the show fits the bare minimum requirements to compete (number of members, movement, etc). Brilliant!

Great tip from W3C

Tue Feb 27 16:38:40 2007

I was validating some pages today when I happened upon a very good tip from W3C. Please, for those of us who prefer a light-on-dark color scheme, follow this advice!