Monday, May 30, 2005

Arcade Bubbles

Usually I am not too interested in games because most of them are shoot 'em up type or magical role-playing games, neither of which interest me in the least. However, I do like puzzle-type games if there is an element of intelligence to the game. If the game is based totally on chance, I lose interest quickly, but if I have a chance to pit myself against the computer. I easily become addicted.

I downloaded the free version of Arcade Bubbles. The bubbles look more like multi-colored cans of paint or candles (the wick being the highlight that is suppose to make it look round, I guess). My eyes play tricks with me inverting the dark background while I am playing.

The object of the game is to get three like-colored bubbles in a row. Two clicks of the mouse swap two bubbles. When you accomplish the objective, the three bubbles disappear. The remaining bubbles fall into the empty spaces and create a new arrangement. The process is timed, and if you get multiple triads of bubbles to fall at once, a cascade effect from falling bubbles making new three-in-a-row colors, then you get extra time. Each level of the game, you get less time to accomplish this.

There are two screens to play, one is arranged horizontally and the other is arranged diagonally. I found the diagonal arrangement the easiest because there are more options for getting three bubbles in a row.

The game tracks the high score and it came with several fictitious names for you to beat. So far my high score is 869.

Eventually the game started having a nag screen between each level. Then you have to wait 4 seconds, then 8 seconds, then 10 seconds, and so on between each level. Before you can continue playing, you have to click on an x to remove the nag screen. While the time is counting down, you are losing an equal amount of time to complete that level.

For $45 U.S. you can write to them in France and get this game as well as all their others on CD. I was seriously considering buying the game until the nag screen appeared. Now I am not so sure. If they don't trust me, then why should I trust them?

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Netcraft and Rackspace

Scanning over the Netcraft News for April, I saw that the Most Reliable Hosting Company Site during March was Rackspace. So I went to Rackspace, and while I was browsing the site, a chat window popped up. Even though there was quite a lag between Fairbanks and the U.K., I had a nice chat with Gary, one of their Live Persons. (I surely wouldn't want to chat with one of their dead persons. !grimace! ) I found out that I could have my own webserver for about $400 a month. Hmmm... maybe I'll do that when I run out of other things to do, my rich uncle gets out of the poor house, or I need to get a job, whichever comes first. In the meantime, I'll keep browsing and learning just for me.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Magnet Therapy

So which is correct?

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

HiJacked Browsers

First I read an article by Tony Klein that was posted at the Tech Guys forum, Spyware: So How Did I Get Infected in the First Place?

At the recommendation of tellco from The Tech Guys forum, I visited Browser Hijacking and How to Stop It - This beginner's article from PC Stats.com covers

• The worst case scenario
• Use Anti-virus programs regularly
• Repairing a browser hijack
• Antivirus Scan in safe mode
• Manual system search; HOSTS file
• Manually Checking the registry

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

The Backend of My Domain

A Server of Your Own by Todd Troutman written 18 Feb 1999. In the article he mentions how a 486 could be found in a trash and that charities won't take them. I still have my old Epson 486. Hmmm.. maybe I should make it a server.

Ins and Outs of DNS by Paul Adams written 19 July 2002. Apparently this article has been updated since 2002. I snickered when I read that he changed his mind about calling DNS simple. However, he clearly explains the meaning of CName, MX, and A records which I found helpful since I can change these values on my Rivalpro account.

Monday, March 22, 2004

Apache/PHP/MySQL

Once I got that far I didn't really know where to go next.  Eventually I found a forum that mentioned IBServer, and that I needed to put my PHP files in C:\IBServer\www  So I put columns.php in there and sure enough the program attempted to parse the PHP.  Except that I use absolute URLs in my includes, and I got an error instead of the include.  Apparently the server wouldn't parse an online link to an include.  I can't remember the error I got, and now I'm not getting anything.  Even changing the includes to relative URLs, the PHP includes are still in the source unparsed.

In the meantime, I'm going to read this tutorial:  PHP From the Ground Up

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

.htaccess

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

I'll Bet on the Baye

Sunday, February 01, 2004

Brain Burst Dot Net

After reading a few entries in his weblog, I wanted to contact him.  However, I didn't find an e-mail address handy on his site.  I can't really blame him for not wanting people to e-mail him.  Spam notwithstanding, this guy sounds like he really knows his stuff.  I have a few computer questions that I'd like to ask him myself.

Brun.net is in French.

Lorg.net is in Norwegian, but I did understand the English words, GAP (Good Aviation Practice).  Of course, lorgnette is pronounced 'lorn-yet'.  So it doesn't really fit.

Fish.net is in use according to Who-Is, but no website is at that URL.  Isn't there a law against people buying up domain names, and then not putting anything there?

At least Badminton.net is about the sport.  That brings to mind Tennis.net which redirected to PWP.com, Europe's racket specialist.

Of course, we have all heard of drag.net.  Update:  The countdown code from http://www.javacoffeebreak.com/ that was on this site has been removed.  I've heard from the domain owner, and they plan a site about Dragnet, the television show.

I even tried http://www.brainburst.net/.  Apparently the domain name is purchased, but no site has been created for it yet.

Saturday, January 10, 2004

An Essay After 9/11

A Martinez writes about his experiences and thoughts of New York before and after September 11, 2001.

Sunday, December 07, 2003

Free Webhosts

Saturday, September 27, 2003

Eielson Air Force Base

Even though this article was written in 1992, it contains much information of interest to someone who is considering moving to the Fairbanks area, and especially if they will be stationed at Eielson AFB.  The article compares the advantages of the F-16 over the A-10's operating in cold weather and icy runways. 

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Grandparents Rights

Grandparents Rights to a Visitation - an article by By Maury D. Beaulier, Esquire. Grandparents Rights - a pbs documentary and summary of the case that went to the Supreme Court upholding the parent's right to raise their child without government interference.

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

Health Alert! MICROWAVES AND PLASTICS

However according to Cornell Cooperative Extension, this is a hoax.

• Research found no papers published by Dr. Edward Fujimoto.
• The FDA has cautioned about plasticizer migration during microwaving of foods, not dioxins.
• The Urban Legends Reference Pages makes a good point.  Just because a doctor "appears on TV does not mean he's a leading practitioner in his field; it generally means only that he has something to say that a news director considers newsworthy, accurate or not ."
• It turns out that this doctor is a PhD working at Castle Medical Center in Kailua, Hawaii.
• If dioxins in plastics were causing an outbreak of "cancer, you'd be hearing about it somewhere other than an e-mail forward of an anonymous summary of a morning news spot on a Hawaiian television station."
• Dr. Ed Machuga, Consumer Safety Officer at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition says that there is no evidence that plastic can produce dioxins when heated in a microwave becaues they don't have the chemical composition

So come on, people, don't forward e-mails unless you have substantiated the facts.  Otherwise you are just adding to the spam in my Inbox.

For the truth in this matter, check out Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven on the USDA website.