internet

, ,

Best Web Junk (August 20)

, ,

I have been getting this same 3-part red-ring pretty much every other time I turn on the X-box lately so I enjoyed this.  But my NES was definitely done years ago Such a sad story

In other news.  Apparently guys will check out girls even if it is dangerous

I am fascinated by how stuff works and how stuff is made, so this link is right up my alley

This is world yo-yo champion Jensen Kimmitt and this video is pretty much amazing.  Like 10 times in this thing I thought he had the yo-yo in an unrecoverable knot.  Seriously, it's amazing.  Also, where did the world go for awesome yo-yo videos before youtube was a thing? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knYCilujrFM&feature=player_embedded]

If the yo-yo didn't impress you, this definitely will [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtztrcGkCBw&feature=player_embedded]

,

Best Web Junk (August 13)

,

This is an awesome and creative win I'm obviously not a woman, and I don't even know what Ann Taylor is, so I have a hard time getting terribly outraged.  But if the woman on the left in this picture is not acceptable to that company, then nobody on earth should buy their clothes because nobody on earth will look good enough to wear them properly.

I know I say this often, but I love my Android phone.  However, I really enjoyed this list of things that droid does not do.

This is not the typical kind of video I post in Best Web Junk. It's a little more artsy than my usual video game or Star Wars related stuff, but it found it to be really neat[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0HfwkArpvU]

This parody of The Social Network trailer is more like the stuff I usually link to.  It's funny and awesome.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=putQn89TQzc]

,

Best Web Junk (July 30)

,

Today is an all video edition of Best Web Junk.  Lots of good videos this week. Without question, this is the best video of the week.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHJwgA54Gqk]

I pretty much guarantee you have seen this by now.  But it is definitely some of the best web junk this week [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hvaeHllwtw]

Some of these are brilliant and hilarious[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZRLpc2egoQ]

, ,

Best Web Junk (June 25)

, ,

Lawyers...It's a good thing they are earning their high salaries.  Otherwise the makers of unicorn meat would be out of control.  We can't just let them go about all willy-nilly infringing upon the slogan for pork. If I saw this in my local supermarket I'd be inclined to think it was the best grocery ever [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCUJrn68uSM]

If the question is, "how may Mario themed videos can you have in your best web junk?"  The answer would be I don't know, but here's one more[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjcFQquHipE]

, ,

Best Web Junk (June 11)

, ,

This is probably the best news I read this week.  Even though it'll probably only destroy the memories from my childhood As far as I know no human has ever completed a game of Monopoly.  But it turns out that it is theoretically possible in under a minute

This video is great for 57 seconds.  Don't waste your time after that

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7ClM]

This is why I don't ever want a job doing computer customer service

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3FhJocDLKg]

, ,

Best Web Junk (May 28)

, ,

Most important link this week -> Go Here and vote for Danny so one of my former students can win tickets to some country music thing that is apparently a pretty big deal These buildings are teh awesome

I am ashamed to even live in a country where this hat is a possibility. (Warning, it has a swear)

On the same week as the Lost finale there's really no more appropriate video to share than this one

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iggE4ImYwyc]

But if that video doesn't do it for you, enjoy Iron Baby which is awesome

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyoA4LXQco4]

,

Facebook & Privacy *an addendum

,

Yesterday I posted about my approach to Facebook in light of all the recent uproar over the lack of privacy and Facebook’s seeming desire to make its information more public and make it more difficult to change or understand the privacy settings.  My approach is simple.  I will just assume that every single piece of information on the site is public, just as this blog or Twitter.  (Just for the record, so you will not all think I am incapable of original thought, I wrote the bulk of yesterday’s post before reading this post by Ed Stetzer or hearing yesterday’s TWIT) Facebook?Today is an addendum to that post.  It includes a few thoughts about privacy.  I have noticed over the last few years that there are two distinct ways of looking at privacy.  I have also noticed that the line of demarcation for these two views is somewhere around 1973.  If you were born prior to 1973 you most likely think, “Why would anyone want to share info about themselves?  The world is full of people out to get you and you have to protect yourself.”  If you were born post 1973 you most likely think “Why not share all that info?”

Although I think it is wise to be careful, I’m definitely in the latter category.

Why?

Because nobody really wants to stalk me, or you.

And if they do really want to stalk you they will find some way with or without Facebook.  I believe we all have a natural tendency to think people are looking at us all the time.  We are naturally narcissistic.  In reality, only the people who care, will be interested in what you post.  Advertisers want to sell you stuff. (Which is why my Facebook ads are all for fishing and church-functions.)  Otherwise you are only sharing info with friends because strangers don’t care.  43% of identity theft is from people who know the victim, so it’s not like you are protecting yourself by leaving Facebook.  Your uncle is more likely to take out a credit card in your name than a stranger that learned about you from Facebook.

I guess that is really only one thought about privacy and Facebook.  Feel free to tell me in the comments why I am wrong and how dangerous it is.

,

What do I do about Facebook?

,

There is an increasing movement of displeasure with Facebook as articles pop up every day lately regarding their terrible privacy policy and the fact that nearly all of your profile information has now been made public in one way or another.  You can read this article, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, or this one.  But the best way to see it is to look at this graph of how public Facebook made info in the old days versus now.

Facebook Comparison

The people who are concerned are right to be concerned.  There is a major problem with any company that wants your information as badly as Facebook wants it being as irresponsible with it as Facebook is.  Also, Facebook has a frightening amount of your information.  They have everything from pictures of that one night in college when you were tripping on shrooms and had a conversation with an imaginary owl, to your child’s kindergarten graduation date.  I am not at all happy about the situation and I am, admittedly, as Facebook addicted as anyone.

Let’s face it though, unless something truly drastic happens, like maybe, Facebook begins selling your info directly to the mob, you are not going to leave.  I am probably not going to leave.  Honestly, I don’t know how it could get much worse than it is now.  Although, if I had children I would be very strongly considering making them close their account.  The thing that allows Facebook to be so cavalier with your information is the same reason you are probably not going to leave.  Everyone is on it.  In reality it has nearly killed the need for high school reunions.  There are people that I have lost track of for years that now I know how to contact easily.

So here’s the question.  If I am concerned about Facebook’s use of my information, but not planning to leave, what am I going to do about it?  In short, I’ll treat every piece of information on there as if it were completely public.  All my pictures, all my contact info, all my likes, and all of the links I post I will assume that everyone on the internet can see them, especially advertisers.  In short I will treat Facebook as if it were twitter.

I have always known that whatever I posted on twitter could be seen by everyone.  That doesn’t mean I have never tweeted anything that I should probably have kept to myself, but that knowledge helps me moderate myself.  And that is how I will treat Facebook in the future.

Tomorrow I have a few thoughts about the loss of privacy.

, ,

Best Web Junk (April 30)

, ,

This week in best web junk all you get is you get two very different videos. First - A really neat effect caused by a frame rate in sync with a helicopter blade.  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8_6NRXfRVE]

And second - An acappella group singing Lady Gaga.  It is quite entertaining.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8PAuvxCZuM]

, ,

Best Web Junk (March 19)

, ,

UFOs over Paris? The only thing on TIWYF I have ever wanted to attempt to make

I think more businesses should have this requirement.

Once again researchers learn something in a study that the Bible already told us

If you read my post on Wednesday you know I am unhappy with the greed of Delta Airlines.  Well, apparently I am not he only one with an airline horror story

In light of that airline rant earlier this week I'll post the third in the series of United Breaks Guitars videos.  I posted the previous two here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P45E0uGVyeg]

,

Internet Thwarts My Plan

,

For today's blog post, I was going to write an open letter to NBC about their Olympic coverage.

I would have complained about how ludicrous it is that ESPN or even local NBC affiliates cannot show highlights, and the stupidity of suing everyone who refers to an olympian or who dares to promote the games in any way.  But Stephen Colbert already beat me to it here in this clip (Which I cannot embed because wordpress.com doesn't play nicely with Hulu)

I would have talked about how unspeakably angry I would be if I lived on the West coast and had to wait 3 hours to see an event that is happening in my timezone.  But that has been done already.

I would have asked NBC if they have actually seen their website for the olympics. Because surely if they had they would be too ashamed of it and just take it down.  I won't link to forums about that because of the trolls.  But let's just say the internet has already got that covered.  i think this Alyssa Milano twitter is about the website.  I would have wondered aloud if they think we live in an age without the internet.

I would have complained about all the figure skating coverage and the lack of Hockey.  But that is just preference and I can deal with that.

I cannot find an article about the volume of commercials so I'll just say this.  Any non-live event has a volume of commercials that makes it not worth watching.  I cannot tolerate 1 bobsled run, followed by 7 minutes of commercials followed by 1 bobsled run, followed by 6 minutes of commercials, followed by 1 interview, followed by 9 more minutes of commercials.  It's simply unacceptable.

Since the rest of the internet has already ranted on my topic for today, this is all you get