Who Wants to Be a Superhero is Serious…

… and that is pretty much the problem.

 I guess it was probably a little naive of me to think that anything Stan Lee produced would poke a little fun at superheroes, or its fans for that matter.  But c’mon now, this show has comedy written all over it.

And only Major Victory achieved any sort of comedy relief.

Because the show is basically more a test of mettle, courage, and other superhero qualities, it bypasses what is arguably the biggest selling point of the show… the audition process.  Hundreds of men and women prancing around in tights and, somehow, feeling cool about it.

Seven Deadly Gummi Sins

Blogger, Elliot Back, helps sinners remember the Seven Deadly Sins by connecting them to something everyone can relate to… food.  Gummi Bears specifically.

Personally, I live in fear of Gummi-anything

RIAA Sues XM Radio

Once again, the RIAA looks for ways to sue the legitimate users of music.  This time they are going after XM Radio for development of the Pioneer Inno, a device which allows users to record songs they hear on XM Radio.

I guess the RIAA simply does not care who they sue until they can get a monopoly on all monies.  It certainly doesn’t matter what laws are already in place.  In 1992, the Audio Home Recording Act was passed allowing users to record radio broadcast and songs.  Strangely enough, the law was endorsed by the RIAA at the time.

More so, it is one more way that the RIAA is treating users like criminals.  This type of lawsuit seems to say that the RIAA wants people to buy music on their terms, legislation and users be damned!

It makes me wonder what their next exploit may be.  Personally, it would not surprise me if they tried to create a jukebox law; one which states that people must pay every time they listen to a song.

No tagging jokes here… the RIAA is just not funny.

Robot Eat Flies

No, no, no, it’s not the name of some post industrial band, but it is a new method of re-fueling British scientists are research in their endeavors for alternative fuels as well as playing god.

The Bristol Robotics Laboratory have created several versions of robots to use biomass energy as a means of fuel. Bugs, being so darn yummy, is naturally the next step.

 Actually, the applications for these developments are pretty great.  It helps bring biomass energy into light as a viable means of alternative fuel for many of our day to day products, such as automobiles. 

Really, the only downside to this will be with the restaurants.  I mean, I know you have to wait for a seat on a Friday night, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna wait for some robot to finish their tuna nicoise!

Exercise Machine?

It looks like a portable mechanical bull… or possibly something with more kinky applications.

However, the brochure insisted it was an exercise machine, one which allows the excerciser the convenience of sitting down while working out.  Is it just me or does this sound kind of like an oxymoron?

Whatever the purpose, it is just one more reason why I love looking through the Hammacher Schlemmer magazine.  Pointless inventions for the rich and wanting.

On a side note, if anyone is thinking ahead to my birthday, I wouldn’t mind if you chipped in a bought me their Hover Scooter… it’s a steal at $17,000!

Budgeting Help

With the ever increasing price of… well, everything budgeting has become an important issue for many more people.

Adam Pash, a previously terrible budgetor and writer for Lifehacker, has written an article about how to help create a budget for yourself.  Overall, it is fairly handy, but nothing new.  But then again, budgeting usually comes down to the person’s ability to actually follow the guidelines they have set aside for themselves.

But, if you are like me, you hate budgets and restricting to payments.  Make the budget work for you as a reward… consider this:

Take $50 from each paycheck and have it automatically deducted into a savings account; you will not even notice it missing from your paycheck.  If you do not touch this money, it works out to $1200 a year… and that is one healthy treat for yourself and others during the holiday seasons.

Using Cell Phones to Fight Crime

New York Post, and several other newspapers, are stating to post articles about the use of cell phones as a means to deter crime.  In this particular article, author Jennifer Fermino talks about the using cell phones in order to publicly humiliate offenders by posting their picture as they are in the act of committing their misdemeanor/crime.

 It is amazing what a little humility will do to an offender.

DOPA- Useless and Ineffective

DOPA is an iceberg theory fix that simply fails to look at ways to actually address the root of the problems.  Simply banning social networks doesn’t actually fix anything and is based on inaccurate assumptions. 

First, it generalizes the problem to public systems, as if children only get into trouble at school or the library.  Children will use these social networks at home, and some parents will not watch them.

Next, it also assumes that censorship actually works at protection.  Censorship only tried to hide the issue and drive it underground.  That doesn’t mean the problems don’t continue to exist.  

Furthermore, sometimes the children themselves are also setting themselves up; creating accounts that claim they’re over 18 and posting scantly clad pictures of themselves.  I would love to think of children as angels but, frankly, I remember middle school and am well aware that the loss of innocence started then.

DOPA puts the blame on networks, not the users.  Its the guns don’t kill people argument.  Technically accurate as these networks require the participation of the individual. Social networks are not the culprit.

As much as these reasons play a factor in my disagreement with DOPA there is actually a much bigger issue that makes me dislike it.  The use of bully-tactics to put it in effect. 

Supposedly, public systems have a choice of whether to implement DOPA or not.  But if libraries and schools do not comply to DOPA they will be ineligible for certain funds and grants.  So, really, the “choice” of whether or not a library uses DOPA is based on dichotomy and doesn’t actually give a choice to many public systems who desperately rely on these monies to keep afloat.

Can you say “forced conservatism?”

So how can a school or library look at more effective ways of addressing social network issues?  

In a computer club, perhaps a social network could be used as a learning experience with the students.  Teachers and librarians could show children how to create a “safe” chat-room.  Maybe even the kids would be able to have a discussion on ways we could make the social networks safer.

In other words, educate and have the children think critically.

How to Spot Fake PayPal Emails

I don’t have a PayPal account, I’m scared of what I would do to my checkbook if I had the ability to unleash it on my consumer needs.  So, I chose not to get one, it’s just easier than self-restraint.

 However, this doesn’t stop me from getting about one fraudulent PayPal email a day in my Gmail account.  Fortunately, I am in a rather easy position to know these are fake, but they look convincing enough to be taken seriously.

For anyone else that wants to know how to spot a fake PayPal email, the company has put out a tip sheet on their website.  Some of the advice is pretty obvious but others could come in quite handy.

Cellphones and the Insane

I think we need to start giving the insane population cellphone earpieces.  Since every other person starving for constant attention seems to wear them as a fashion piece now, no one would be able to tell who suffers an affliction and who is just talking loudly in public.

On a slightly different topic, Infoworld offers the Ten Commandments of Cellphone Etiquette. 

Please read and try to obey… sinners.