I managed to get Linux working on my laptop!
I’ll be sure to go into greater detail in a later post.
Archive for the 'News' Category
Day after day, countless individuals spend their time on social networking sites, whether they be Facebook, MySpace, or even FaceSpace. Actually, especially FaceSpace. That aside, given their addictive nature, there’s evidently quite a bit of money to be made in social networking ventures, particularly from advertising. This, of course, leads me to the only possible conclusion: I should be getting in on this! But how can I infiltrate an already saturated market?
Before answering this question, let us examine another internet phenomenon: Nigerian scam emails. Here’s a heart-wrenching excerpt from one sent to me:
BEFORE I START, I MUST FIRST APOLOGIZE FOR THIS UNSOLICITED MAIL TO YOU, I AM AWARE THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO STARTING A RELATIONSHIP, BUT AS TIME GOES ON YOU WILL REALIZE THE NEED FOR MY ACTION.
(…)
PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR CONFIDENTAIL PHONE/FAX NUMBERS SO THAT I CAN FAX TO YOU ALL THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE BANK AND ME.
Starting a relationship? This sounds like social networking material! But confidential phone and fax numbers? Surely they don’t belong in a social network! Or do they?
Welcome to the Numerical Network
Imagine it: you’ve always been searching, waiting, for that someone to come along. But how can you find them? Search for similar interests? Go out and talk to people? What if you hate talking and have no interests? Just enter your name, phone number, fax number, social security number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and anything else you can think of, and let the computer take over. You’ll be with that numerically-similar person of your dreams in no time!
The use-cases don’t end there, however. What if you’re a number theorist who has a list of their favorite numbers, and wants to share it with the world? Or what if you’re a lonely math student looking for someone who’s favorite number is 7.5?
And there you have it. The future of social networking. Coming this summer.
Facebook, everyone’s favorite social networking site, added a new feature, Lexicon! With it, you can view graphs of how often a specified word or phrase is used in wall posts, messages, and the like. You can even compare graphs against each other! Now, without further rambling, let’s move on to what we’ve all been waiting for: the graphs!
Let’s start with “happy birthday.” Note that no one was born on February 29th.
How about something more morose…so who died on January 22nd, anyway?
And finally, one suggested by Facebook. Note the two spikes on December 31st and January 1st.
Recently, a new statically-positioned grey bar appeared at the bottom of my Facebook screen! While static grey bars are all the rage these days, this one had a purpose–it was the interface for the new Facebook instant messaging system that’s currently being rolled out! (Apparently, not everyone has it yet, limiting its usefulness and the quality of my screenshots somewhat.)
The system, which looks very similar to the Gmail chat interface, allows you to chat in real-time with other Facebook users who happen to be online. Users’ current status messages are shown below their names, and a a user’s current published activities (wall posts, etc.) appear in the chat window as they occur.
Additionally, the bar provides a new interface to the Facebook notification system; new notifications (messages in your inbox, friend requests, and the like) appear in the bottom right corner of the screen.
At first, such a utility might seem like a nuisance, and, worse, an invasion of privacy. But, like the news-feed and mini-feed, it shows no more information that one could already access via browsing Facebook. (Indeed, for the last year or so, a user’s online status has been available on their profile, unless explicitly disabled.)
The chat presents an even more interesting concept–while instant messaging has been around for quite some time now, Facebook’s system allows you to instant message those who don’t use conventional IM services, or perhaps are just acquaintances. While this could present an annoyance for those who don’t want to be bothered (don’t worry, there’s a setting to disable it in the privacy settings), it seems that it generally, could make keeping in touch easier and more efficient than ever before.
Indeed, the new Facebook notification bar/instant messaging tool promises to become the WAVE OF THE FUTURE!
When Community Commons served its first meal almost sixteen years ago, its amenities–from its diverse cuisine to its luxury second and third story guestrooms–immediately became the stuff of legend among its esteemed clientèle. However, its mysterious companion establishment, a venue specializing in fine dining as opposed to the cafeteria style arrangement of its sibling, remains somewhat of an enigma.
This venue is, of course, the 1855 Room, named for the founding year of the college on whose campus it was constructed. Among the few restaurants of its kind in the Ewing area, the 1855 Room, located just over two miles east of the Trenton Mercer Airport’s main terminal, enjoys a privileged position among similarly-priced establishments.
The main dining room’s décor, echoing that of perhaps Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, can only be described as a triumph of form and function. Glass coverings on tables, for example, both enhance the appearance of the tablecloths and prevent them from becoming stained, a small but important step towards a more sustainable restaurant. Artwork adorning the room’s walls proudly displays images from the establishment’s heritage, lending the entire area a historical ambience greatly differing from the cold, sterile look of most competing chain restaurants.
The menu at the 1855 Room is fairly nonconventional, presenting only a limited selection of food. However, while seemingly disappointing, this limited selection allows the 1855 Room to achieve its legendary rapidity of service, the speed of which rivals even that of the quickest fast-food establishments.
The meals available included classic restaurant staples such as Shrimp Scampi, Flank Steak, and Grilled Tilapia. Garnished with a sprinkling of parsley, the steak is quite excellent, as is the shrimp. One would do well to punctuate any meal at the 1855 room with an item from the restaurant’s dessert selections, which include pies and various types of cookies, a refreshing diversion from the mundane menus found at similar establishments. The cookies, served from an impeccably arranged platter, feature a supreme variety of colors and flavors, ranging from classic varieties like chocolate chip to the more exotic such as fudge cookies interfused with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.
After a meal at the 1855 Room, one may do well to visit the various nearby attractions, such as the noteworthy Alumni Grove nearby, or the historic Green Farm House located just up the road, all whilst enjoying an after-dinner mint, provided courteously by the establishment.
You may remember it–several months ago, Congressman and 2008 presidential hopeful Ron Paul was at the top of his game: the grassroots momentum, the vast influx of donations from supporters, his pro-constitution views, and the rest. However, times change, and sure enough, as the first results came in, things didn’t quite go as planned: Paul, while receiving over 10% of the vote, failed to win the Iowa caucuses. A setback, to be sure, but after all, what’s one state? However, as the primaries went on, things began to look grim: first, the Wyoming caucuses went to Romney, then New Hampshire, thought to be a bastion of support, fell to McCain. More states followed.
Then came super Tuesday. Many of us were hopeful that Paul would be able to stage a comeback, and enter his rightful place as Republican front runner. However, as the results slowly tricked in throughout the day, it became clear the this wouldn’t be the case. With the majority of states voting that day having turned against Paul, chances of his nomination grew slim to none. Furthermore, in a move of supreme foresight, Paul declared that, while he would remain in the race, he would not pursue the presidency as a third-party: (perhaps a certain other individual could learn a thing or two from Paul)
Of course, I am committed to fighting for our ideas within the Republican party, so there will be no third party run.
–Ron Paul, in a February 8th blog post
Fast-forward to today. Ron Paul while winning over 42 delegates from various states, is now presented with a particular challenge: the mathematical impossibility of his nomination. While his selfless commitment to not running as a third-party is certainly noble, it considerably decreases the probability of his becoming president–or does it?
Let’s look back in time a bit. Anyone remember Henry Lodge? No? In the 1964 Republican Primary, Lodge was notable for having won in three states: New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Massachusetts–without campaigning! In fact, he was serving as an ambassador in Vietnam during the primary, and wasn’t even in the United States at the time–many still refer to his “campaign” as “walking for President”. However, his winning of these states was no accident–a group of dedicated individuals had worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to the primary to promote Lodge as a viable candidate. Now, you may be asking, what does this all have to do with Ron Paul?
It has, in fact, everything to do with Paul’s 2008 campaign. Keep in mind that, in 1964, the Internet didn’t yet exist. All the campaigning by Lodge’s supporters was done without the aid of social networking, email, instant messaging, or even cellular phones. If such a tactic could be applied in modern times, Paul’s support could indeed skyrocket, regardless of whether or not his name appears on the ballot! So keep on Digging, and maybe, just maybe, there can be, to quote Paul’s campaign slogan, “Hope for America.”