Bamboozled

The title really doesn't have anything to do with this blog entry (like I've never done that before), but for whatever reason, bamboozled popped into my head so it's the word of the day for me :)

Any way, long ago during a drunken Napa wine tour, I came across these *delicious* crackers. They were at some winery and they were FREE. So after drunkenly having one, (did I mention I was drunk?) I loudly declared just how great they were and ate several more in quick succession (think Cookie Monster style). Then I looked up and saw the proprietor with a very interesting expression on his face. It was disdain slash horror slash disgust slash trying to be nice all at the same time (and in that order). So of course I stopped – until he went to go help someone else and then I ate a bunch more. Sadly, I remembered the look of the box, but could never figure out the flavor.

Fast forward to last weekend when Cathryn and I wandered around at the Market Place in the Ferry Building. We were buying cheese at the Creamy Cow (or something like that) when I once again found my beloved crackers! I lucked out and chose the correct flavor that I had forgotten - Seed! So do yourself a favor if you're a lover of wine + cheese + crackers (or just the last two) and pick yourself up a box from your local chi chi cheese shop and enjoy some cracker luxury!

bam·boo·zle /bam-boo-zuhl/ verb, -zled, -zling.
–verb (used with object)
1. to deceive or get the better of (someone) by trickery, flattery, or the like; humbug; hoodwink (often fol. by into): They bamboozled us into joining the club.
2. to perplex; mystify.
–verb (used without object)
3. to practice trickery, deception, cozenage, or the like.

You had me at hypercube, Bejeweled 2

I was thinking about posting a player's guide for Bejeweled 2, chronicling the stratagem I developed for high scorin' antics, but after the lengthy RAZR post, I decided "nah". And instead decided to post pics of the most hypercubes I've ever gotten (7!), and a screen shot from my best game to date (it finally ended at 6,754,330 points and 202 hypercubes later). I think I leapfrogged a few ranks and am now a "Master Gemologist" (personally, I preferred the title of "Master Polisher" because I felt it was a more accurate title).

Do yourself a favor and just start over after about level 50. In my opinion, it just gets tedious after that. It seems as though the game decides to find the best way to deliver the worst combination of gems with every step, so it just becomes more work than fun. But of course before level 50, I still think it's one of the most easily entertaining and addictive games I've played in recent memory :)

How to set up your Motorola RAZR

PREFACE

This has been a long time coming and I'm finally getting around to it! I've had numerous family members and friends purchase a RAZR only to discover upon their first use that its initial set up utterly and completely sucks big donkey ass (and then you know who deals with it). What a lot of people don't realize is that while a team of monkeys were responsible for the default settings, most of the UI can be customized to make this physically fantastic phone suitable for actual everyday use.


CHAPTER I

Basics
So we have a common point of reference, I labeled a picture of the venerable RAZR with the following letters:

A) Soft key - that means this button's function will change depending on what you're doing.

B) Soft key - that means this button's function will change depending on what you're doing.

F) Action/Option Menu key - this button's function also changes depending on what you're doing, but it's important to note that it will always perform an action or show you options for what you may want to do (ie. If you're viewing a picture, pressing this key will bring up options to send it, delete it, etc).

Q) Dirctional pad & okay/selector button - the outer circle moves cursors and the highlighting box thorough menus, the selector button in the middle confirms selections

S) Smartkey - why this is on the phone, I'm not really sure. It's like a third nipple, largely useless, but for those who are into them, is a great extra button.


CHAPTER II

Setting up your RAZR buttons
Yep, that's what you're all here for, right? Please let me say that I will be going over how "I" like my phone set up. Mileage will vary depending on your uses and particular tastes. But I think what I'll be going over will be a great starting point for you to massage your RAZR to just how you like it.

- Press the Menu Key (F) from just opening the phone to get into the Main Menu.
- Select Settings by using the Selector Button (Q)
- Select Personalize (you can do a LOT of customizing from this point on)
- Select Home Screen
- Select Home Keys (and you wonder why you never found this area)

My Home Keys settings: (adjust options by using the left or right using the Directional Button (Q) or using the Right Soft Key (B) to bring up Change options)
Icons: Hide (I just need to read options, not see tiny icons)
(the next four settings refer to the directional pad short cuts which are accessed from your home screen)
Up: Recent Calls
Down: Pictures
Left: Calculator
Right: Datebook (I can sync my iCal with my phone, so I'm sure PC users should be able to find a way to sync with Outlook calendars as well)
Left Soft Key: Camera (B) (this probably the only default setting I kept)
Right Soft Key: Address Book
Smart Key: Bejeweled (S) (I've also set this up as my bluetooth access but for my purposes, I've never really found anything that's been super useful to attach to this button).

You could have also set up your Main Menu from the Personalize screen which allows you to reorder your Main Menu items and make then show up as words rather than giant icons (not that I really use the Main Menu any more since the phone has been set up).


CHAPTER III

Setting up/Using the Address Book
This is another thing that drives people crazy. The Motorola Address Book has a lot of short falls, some can be fixed, others you'll just have to live with.

- Press Menu Key (F) from the Address Book
- Scroll all the way down (or scroll up and warp) to the conveniently located Set Up option

My Phonebook Setup settings: (adjust options by using the left or right using the Directional Button (Q) or using the Right Soft Key (B) to bring up Change options)
View by: List (viewing by picture is nice, but the assigned pictures are too small, or if you have a lot of contacts, the amount of space that viewing by picture takes up is not very practical)
Sort by: Name
View: All Contacts
Search Method:Find (this setting is paramount, as it will now allow you to enter more than one letter to find a contact, rather than being greeted with every person under "b" and then having to scroll through them all).


CHAPTER IV

SIM Card Monte
A lot of people are happy to have all their stuff on a SIM card (the thin Chiclet wafer you surgically shove into the back of your phone's innards) but then find that they cannot assign ring tones or photos to a particular contact. This is because they're told "to keep all their info on the SIM card so that it will be easy to swap phones". Of course this is pretty useless advice because it's easy to transfer your contacts to your phone and then back into the SIM card should you ever need to swap phones (which rarely happens). Also, I think cellular reps are told to tell customers to keep everything on their SIM because it's easier for THEM when you bring in your phone with a problem. But in the meantime, you can't take advantage of fun features like caller ID ring tones and photos!

So how do you do transfer your contacts from your SIM and into your phone?
- Go to your Address Book
- Press the Menu Key (F)
- Select Copy
- All to Phone (if all your info is in the SIM)
- All to SIM (this option shows up if any info is in already in the phone)
- When asked, I would suggest selecting Replace instead of Merge, so you don't end up with a bunch of duplicate entries.

Easy, huh? The process takes a minute or two depending on how many contacts you have. Please also note that if you transfer contact info to your SIM card from your phone, all the extra info you have in your contacts (attached ring tones, photos, id info such as mobile, work, home etc.) will be stripped off, so only the bare bones of the contact info is kept in your SIM.


CONCLUSION

Well that's all I can stand to write about the RAZR. There are few more things you can customize, but the above info should at least get you through the night. Also, it's more than likely this info will work for other Motorola phones as their set ups are all the same or very similar across their product lines. I hope this post has been as helpful as it is enlightening, and that a cult-like religion is developed from it.

Fun on a lazy Sunday afternoon

I'm starting my own fashion craze that combines with the cooking craze.

Cathryn was hastily packing away her "Italian seasoning" when I swooped in with the camera.

Fate is trying to tell me something!

Pass me the explosives laden Hello Kitty duffel please. It's in the overhead bin-laden.

I've been having weird luck when running my errands of late. I finally got off my ass to go to the post office for my passport and when I get there on time for my appointment, they make me wait. And wait. When they finally invite me into the secret passport room, check to be sure I have an appointment, and then have me sit down, they proceed to tell me that they're out of film. Ensuing is a completely unnecessary circular discussion ("We're out of film, you can go to Wolf Camera or Walgreens which are really close, take photos and come back." "I don't have time for that, plus I want to do everything at once to avoid screw ups." "Sorry, we ran out of film today but you can go to Wolf or Walgreens and come back." "I DON'T want to go to either place, I don't like them. Plus, the reason why I made an appointment today is because it's when I have time." "We're out of film and don't know when we'll be getting more, so you can go to Wolf or Walgreens and come back." Pause... "How about I come in another time?" "Sure... I think we can do that..." to myself in my head while postal employee starts writing slowly on a giant desk calendar, "Holy christ almighty Rosemary's baby in a bonnet!") So I'm rescheduled for next Monday and leave to my next errand.

I went to renew my membership at 24 Fitness and what should have been a 30 second transaction stretched out to 10 minutes. It just so happened that on my credit card transaction, the receipt machine runs out of paper. So that of course puts into motion events which include at no extra charge: managerial expertise called to the scene, several changes of receipt paper, voiding my original transaction, and then finally doing another one. I burn off some calories and stress by furiously pedaling up a sweat on the elliptical machine.

Today I went to Costco with a nice digital shot of my own doing for the passport (in your face no film post office!). Along the way I purchased three items: a giant Pepsi case of 36 cans, a fillet of salmon, and 2 gallons of vinegar (for my vinegar fetish). When I get to the door to leave, the receipt checker notices that I've only been charged for 2 items and I was going to walk out the door with a free giant case of Pepsi! I'm thinking, "Hmm... this seems familiar..." The Costco episode ends with me paying for the Pepsi with managerial help and just catching the one person who could let me out the door before she was going to go on a break (she was "keeping an eye" on my stuff left at the door by wandering off to do something else). I probably would have lost it if I couldn't find her and had to explain to another employee why I was trying to LEAVE Costco.

Basically, I think fate is trying to tell me to do less than I'm doing. I think it's telling me to watch hockey while drinking a strong alcoholic beverage and eating something that is both salty, oily, and oh so crunchy. I'm listening fate! I think I'll go do that right now...

Update: The Sharks won (GO SHARKS :) !!) 5 to 1 against the Oilers and I watched it while eating kettle chips from Trader Joe's and drinking Nigori Sake :D

Someone feed this woman a burger

Could someone please tell me the appeal of this woman? I can't get away from Misha Barton! She seems to be on every advertisement for clothing, jewelry, and "beauty". Seriously, who decided that this woman is beautiful? UGH!! Her face looks all distorted and in some shots, she just looks plain retarded and starved. I'm sure she's very nice, and everyone loves her, but please, for the love of god, can someone hit the buzzer on her 15 minutes already???

Seriously random

I think you can get almost anyone to do something out of spite if you goad them enough. It's such great motivation.

The forming of the United States? Spite.
Pyramids? Spite.
Static electricity? Spite.

Fun with Blogthing

You Are 80% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn't you? You have "the gift" - and you use it daily to connect with others. You're very tapped into the world around you... Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

Hee hee. This site is fun :) Thanks Krissy!

If I ever figure out how to use my powers for evil, um... I'd recommend that y'all stay inside, less you meet some unfortunate, but hilarious fate, caused by yours truly.

more old stuff...

This comic is from when I had aspirations to become the next Jim Davis. He went on to make millions with all things Garfield and I ended up being a graphic designer. I think that makes us about even.

ps. In order to read it, you have to click on the thumbnail to enlarge it (or have Superman optical prowess).

Shun the non-believers!

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just because

This weekend...

I woke up early Saturday morning to use the bathroom and my mouth tasted TERRIBLE. So I decided to brush my teeth before returning to bed. But of course, being so tired and out of it, didn't do such a great job...

C: (upon my return) "How did you rest?"
W: "Okay I guess..."

C: Suddenly turning away, "Did you brush your teeth?"
W: "Yeah, I did. But I don't think it took."

C: "No... it didn't."

Let's keep poking the giant and see what happens :D

Apparently China has successfully tested a space weapon by firing an ASAT (anti-satellite) missle and taking down one of their old weather satellites. They're still trying to confirm exactly what they did and when they did it (you can read the whole story here). Unsurprisingly, this event is most likely a response to George W. Bush's revamped policies for what basically amounts to the possibility (and thereby probability) for the militarization of space by the United States. Thanks a lot, jackass!!!

Of course, I don't have the all the facts (just the article). But still, if China develops a space death-ray, I hope they vaporize him first.

a digital memory lane

Today I went to the computer recycling center in Berkeley and got rid of two monitors, a scanner, a syquest drive (a free lunch to any non-designer who emails me with what that is), two zip drives, and about 60 zip disks. Why am I boring you with what I recycled you might ask?

I just found it interesting to unearth all this really old data off the disks before I wiped them. It was just like looking through old boxes. I found mostly school stuff, so I thought I'd post a few images I created during that time to share with you some of the work I made when I was young and brash.

ps. If you like the black and white photos, click on them - I made the larger versions 1024 wide so it's possible to use them as your desktop :)

It's easier to have their hearts and minds when you have them by the short and curlies

I haven't felt like blogging of late. I think the optimistic fervor I had for 2007 has passed and I'm quickly coming to the realization (yet again) that hard work is what gets results, whereas waiting around for a huge pile of diamonds with zero inclusions to fall in my lap is less likely to yield anything (though I'm still waiting if fate is listening).

In my continued support of Apple, I bought another batch of iTunes music. I've completed my collection of guilty pleasure listening by getting the last few Loverboy tracks that I liked but was "missing". Ahhh... 1985 how I remember you so fondly :)

In the category of music that might actually interest everyone else but me, here are some suggestions...

Stinging Sitars X 9 - Anjali (as featured in the Samsung Blackjack commercial)
New Year's Prayer - Jeff Buckley (old theme song to Dead Zone - lots of touching comments for him regarding his passing)

And for the music masochists... here's my list of newly acquired Loverboy songs...
Queen of the Broken Hearts
Gangs in the Street
Jump
D.O.A.
Always On My Mind
Little Girl
Teenage Overdose

It's not my job

Ha! I got this image from another blog which also got it from another blog (ahhh... the internet age). I'm sure I've seen this before (probably from Julienne), but I never get tired of it. Cathryn found it one day while surfing around... gotta love the American work ethic these days!

Technolust

By now I'm sure many of you heard the announcement from Apple (the many of you that is that would care for Mac products). I never thought in the million years that I'd consider purchasing a cell phone for $499 much less considering it a bargain (just when I started to think about purchasing the Garmin Nuvi or the Archos 504, too - whew!). The Apple iPhone is without a doubt going to change everything about how cellular products are made and sold in the US and will be effecting other similarly capable products as more functionality is brought to it.

I actually sat through the entire keynote speech about this product and was transfixed! Jobs is such the salesman extraordinaire and it was interesting to see the other charismatic CEOs from Google and Yahoo! contrasted with the old old old school dude who runs Cingular (he seemed like a nice guy, but not very prepared for such a big event). And inextricably, the whole thing ended with a song from John Mayer.

The phone is due to be released in June later this year :) Now if I save a quarter a day...

Happy 2007!

For every year in the new millennium that I am privileged to see, I am filled with anticipation for the heretofore promised jet packs, transporters, and laser beam guns. Sadly, every year I am disappointed. I say, what's the point of the "future" if you can't take your jet pack, transport to the park, fly around and vaporize some pigeons, and come home in time for you favorite program on the TV?

Instead, we have links on the internet like this one! (for the less curious who don't wish to click, it's a link to HowStuffWorks.com that explains how Death By Hanging works). I'm sure not EVERYone is privy to the many intricacies of a death by hanging, but seriously folks, who writes this stuff? It's pretty gruesome subject matter (although quite topical!) and I'm sure even the most pedestrian of the general populace understands what happens in a death by freakin' hanging. I think it should be good enough to simply file it away under "things you really don't want to experience" and move on.