Google is dumb. Here is what they said to me earlier today when I was doing a search:

We’re sorry…

… but we can’t process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.

We’ll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we’ll see you again on Google.

Given the fact that every computer on this network is a Mac running OS X, and that there are absolutely NO viruses or spyware for OS X - I wonder what kind of crack Google is smoking. Maybe it should check what operating system the user is using before making such stupid assumptions.

Of course, Google is on my “Companies I’m starting to hate” list recently… so maybe I’m easily offended by them.

Lego has once again proven that they have too much time on their hands. They have a fairly long (longer than my attention span) video on their website called “Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick.”

It’s pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, there is no epic battle scene near the volcano (or of there was I was bored and skipped it.)

Check out the Lego website with the video here

A Wal-Mart employee saved up money for a long time to buy her son a 5G iPod. On Christmas morning when he unwrapped it - he was extremely happy when he saw the box. Inside the box, however, was no iPod. It was a hunk of mystery meat.

Wal-Mart is going to replace the iPod for the person.

Given Wal-Mart’s return policy, I think I’m going to head down there with a hunk of meat and exchange it for a new one myself

read article here

A German businessman whose camera was stolen was relieved to find the same model for sale on eBay. When it arrived after he bought it however, he discovered it was his OWN, stolen camera!

Given that this is eBay - he likely left positive feedback anyway.

View article here
(more…)

Today is Christmas eve. I am still with my inlaws and participating in their family traditions. One of them took place this morning - the family basketball game.

Basketball has never really been my game, and my 3% shooting while we were warming up helped me realize that it is still not my game. I mostly stuck to defense and setting picks against my 6-foot-9 brother-in-law. I think I dribbled once.

We are now at the movie theater waiting to see the Chronicles of Narnia. This theater redefines ghetto. It’s not bad, considering we are here on matinee price ($4 - and if you need help figuring out how much it would cost for 9 people, they have a chart. I know because I saw the guy using it.)

The movie is about to start, unless the roof caves in on is, or the in-window air-conditioner that they have protruding from the wall falls on us.

due to limited internet access, I will only be able to post updates every once in a while. Fortunately for you, this was one of those times.

Elementary School Band concert: afterthoughts

As you may have already realized, last night I went to a concert public performance of an elementary school band. two of the performers in the band were my young brother-in-laws. Here are some of the hilights of the evening:

• the 4th graders playing jingle-bells
• the 4th graders playing an encore of jingle bells immediately after having played it the first time. (I was careful how much I clapped after that)
• the entire audience clapping to the beat (under the influence of the conductor) and the drummers almost managing to keep time.
• the school principal dressing up like an old goose and making quacking noises.
• some teacher dessing up like Santa and skateboarding across the stage behind the chorus.
• waking up to the drumline part, not knowing how much I slept through
• realizing it must have been a lot
• the afterparty

I had forgotten that kids play in bands, and that those bands perform in public. I can hardly wait for our little one to start rocking out.

You can file this under: “Useless Tricks”. Google has added yet another feature to integrate an existing third party web service. If you enter a UPC code, it automatically references a link to the UPC Database project to perform a lookup.

Of course - for 99% of the users out there - if you have an item and the UPC for it - chances are you already know what it is you are holding on to. Perhaps if you were blind, and you had a screen-reader program - you could use this to identify the CD you are holding (if you had a barcode scanner).

I’ll give a high-five to the person who can come up with the funniest actual product simply by typing in random numbers into that website (Cheaters will be shot)

Test it here

If you read my earlier post you would know that there is a girl that virtually lives in front of her locker in the Eyring Science center. While most people use lockers as a temporary storage area - this girl uses it to define the nexus of her universe. This past semester, it was a rare occasion that I would go to my lock and not see here ten feet down - sitting by her locker.

I’ve always been tempted to take a picture of her to show the dedicated RyeBlog readers exactly what it is I am talking about. I’ve never really wanted to interact with this girl, however, on the off chance that she would sputter a curse in a strange elven language and force me to also live out the rest of my existence within arms-reach of my locker.

This week being finals week, my locker-visiting schedule was changed and I ended up getting there durring her dormant period. I managed to snap this picture… sorry it didn’t turn out well - I didn’t want to use the flash and wake her up.

Yes, this is real. This girl really does spend almost her entire life next to her locker.

I found out Sunday night that Microsoft isn’t going to hire me. My recruiter was nice enough to at least slightly personalize my rejection letter - and use words such as “regret” and “unfortunately” incorrectly - but at least politely.

I knew all along that Microsoft’s hiring process was going to be more a gentle form of hazing than an objective selection process (although I treated it very seriously - as if it really were objective) - but I thought that would work to my advantage. I may not have been fast enough in coming up with a correct solution in the third interview - but I think the biggest factor contributing to my demise was that my last interviewer and I didn’t click well. Oh well. (From what I hear, all it takes is one guy not liking you for you to not get hired)

I was thinking of solving the problem my second interviewer asked me (one that is as-of-now still unsolved) as my capstone project, and then patenting the solution. I would do this for two reasons. First, I need a good capstone project that will keep me motivated. Second, I could start making small cubes for myself that say “Thank you from yourself” and put them next to my computer. Then I would have almost all of the benefits of working for Microsoft (the cubes for patents) in the privacy of my own home.

In all seriousness, if Microsoft were to call me up in the future I would still consider working there - but I’m probably not going to pursue them again on my own. (Certainly not under the College Recruiting scheme)

For now, I will just rely on CareerBuilder.com with Over 1.3 Million Jobs Available