Miguel Carrasco's Real World

How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

Some funny videos from YouTube. They are meant to be funny, but have some good points I thought.

How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

How to be the Perfect Boyfriend

Technorati Tags: perfect boyfriend, perfect girlfriend

Digg Down?

Last time Digg went down it took a few hours to get it back up.  At least they had a Digg Down screen.  This time there is no screen, and the site simply doesn't load.  Not sure what is going on yet, will keep you posted.

Digg went down today at approximately 8:15pm, and is still down. came back up at 8:48pm!  If anyone knows what happened, please post in comments.

It's bad timing for our blog, as one of our postings made it to the top of Digg today, and was on its way to breaking a record for most Digg's in a day.  Last time Kevin Rose blogged about Digg being down, he explained they had to take it down to finally put in some redundant systems.  Apparently, they are not that redundant yet.

Looks like the reason Digg was probably down was to get ready for their new "ALL" page.  Kevin Rose talks about it on his blog.  Looks like it will be awesome, however I wish the site would stop going down whenever they have new upgrades.

 
Earlier Today Software Development in the Real World was on Digg's Front Page!

Now Digg is completely down and all traffic from Digg has stopped.

 

Hopefully they get these issues resolved.  Otherwise, I wonder if another Digg like service will emerge?

 

Update at 8:40pm: Digg still down, but Digg Man is up, progress?

Digg came back up at 8:48pm.

 

Technorati Tags: Digg, Digg Down

Facebook Etiquette Guide

Facebook keeps growing, but as it keeps growing, it’s starting to lose its ease of use and usefulness to me.  It's almost becoming more like a mySpace clone more than anything.  Every time I login, I get invites to millions of useless applications (some are good), and messages from friends are in there somewhere but hard to see with everything going on.  It's possible that the main reason for this is the lack of any Facebook Etiquette! Let's see if we can correct that.

10 Rules To Use Facebook By

1. Thou shalt not add someone they have never met, or have no association with.
2. Thou shalt not overpoke.
3. Thou shalt not freak people out that you are stalking on Facebook when you see them by saying "Oh, how was that camping trip last weekend?"
4. Thou shalt not use Facebook while under the influence.
5. Thou shalt put up a picture, and not use the default picture.
6. Thou shalt not write on their own wall.
7. Thou shalt not place photos on your Facebook you would not want your employers to see!
8. Thou shalt not join every Facebook group on the planet.
9. Thou shalt learn how to use the privacy filters and protect yourselves from stalkers.
10. Thou shalt not add millions of useless third party Facebook applications and invite everyone to use them.

That's what I have.  Please add yours in the comments.  To give you some time to process this, please watch Facebook Stalker:

 

Technorati Tags: facebook, facebook etiquette

Kevin Rose's Top 10 Diggs This Week

Kevin Rose is the founder and Chief Architect of Digg.  Digg is one of the most popular sites on the Internet, ranked 104 most popular on the Internet by Alexa.com, an Internet research company.  Kevin frequently uses his creation to find great articles online.  Below are some of the most popular and interesting articles he found this week!  Enjoy!

1. iPhone Unlocked, AT&T loses iPhone Exclusivity
   Until today, there was no way to use an iPhone in Canada, or on any other network than AT&T.  Read how some clever people have cracked the iPhone!
   
2. Plain Soap as Good as Antibacterial
   I always thought I was cleaner if I used the Antibacterial soap.  Turns out, nope.  Although there are other benefits possible from Antibacterial soap, Plain soap is just as good for the killing of germs.
   
3. Weight Training Workout Sheet
   Are you tired of using the old yellow sheets of paper at the Gym? Download this awesome looking pdf that has two high-tech looking sheets to help you track your workouts!
   
4. How to Buy a Cheap Airline Ticket in First Class
   I love this tip, I'm going to try it in a couple of weeks!  It's A step-by-step guide to finding and purchasing cheap first class seats.
   
5. Web Site Screenshot Tool
   Have you ever wanted to take a nice screenshot of a web page?  instead of taking it yourself and cutting around the edges, use this tool, its super fast!
   
6. The Dog Who Waited for His Owner Everyday For 11 Years
   "During his owner's life, Hachik ō saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Even after Ueno's death in May 1925, Hachikō returned every day to the station to wait for him, and did so for the next 11 years."
   
7. How To Beat YouTube
   Once you get on top, everyone wants to take you down.  This article focus's on how someone could potentially take down YouTube.
   
8. Suprnova.org Comes Back
   Suprnova was the original most popular Torrent site on the Internet.  It was given to The Pirate Bay, with a promise from TPB to bring it back.  It is now back and better than ever!
   
9. Transparent Glass Lettering in Photoshop
   "In this tutorial we're going to use some super layer effects and a bit of extra magic to make a lettering style that looks transparent and stunning."
   
10. Google Rethinks its Google Video Termination Plan
    I actually had bought a few videos, to try and support online media, and I was really ticked that Google was going to pull the plug on the videos!  Google has changed its tone after an outcry from users.  Good thing, since its starting to seem like they are forgetting their own golden rule "Don't Be Evil".

 

Technorati Tags: Kevin Rose, Digg, This Week, Popular

Top 10 Reasons Firefox "Owns" Internet Explorer

Ok so I was a Firefox "late bloomer" but after just completely getting fed up with the bloatware that is IE7, I decided to give it another try.  I sheepishly went to the fox's web page, and clicked on the download button.  After two weeks of using Firefox, Microsoft will have a tough time getting me to ever switch back to Internet Explorer.

Here are my Top 10 Reason's Firefox is better than Internet Explorer!  Please add your comments and thoughts!

1. Tabbed Browsing
   Firefox rocks at tabbed browsing.  Not only does the tabbed browsing work really well, but it also is blazing fast!  Tabbed browsing in Firefox completely dominates and should embarrass the tab browsing developers at Microsoft.
2. When Windows Crashes, Firefox Recovers Your Tabs!
   If you use Windows, you will have lots of crashes!  I love how Windows is CLUELESS on what the heck was open after recovering from a crash.  I mean, on top of it crashing on me, it makes me log back in, re-launch whatever I had open, and then make me want to kill myself.  The saving grace I have now is Firefox saves all the latest tabs I had open, and asks me if I'd like to open them!  What a concept!  Thanks Fox for making my Windows Blue Screen of Death experiences slightly more enjoyable.
3. Find Stuff On Web Pages Without A Pop Up Box!
   I hate when I try and find something on a web page in Internet Explorer!  It creates a "pop up box" for me!  which I then type in, and it try's to show me where it found things...  Firefox Find is not intrusive at all, and super fast!  It will even highlight multiple instances of the search term, so I can skim the document quickly.
4. Way Faster than Internet Explorer
   Firefox is super fast! Even after Windows crashing, Firefox will load your many tabbed pages instantly at the same time, and your CPU does not get totally used and destroyed, and you have plenty of RAM left!  I dare you to load 10 Internet Explorer 6 windows, or even load 10 windows in "tabbed" browsing in Internet Explorer 7.  I hope you have an infinite supply of RAM. 
5. Customizable, and Plug-In Friendly
   It's so easy to download awesome plug-ins for Firefox!  It's easy to install them, and it's easy to remove them if you don't like them.  Internet Explorer didn't even have this ability until Internet Explorer 7, which is useless anyway for another 100 reasons I'm not even going to bother going into.
6. Great Download Manager
   Firefox has an awesome download manager that shows you the progress of your downloads, lets you specify default download locations, and lets you keep things clean.  Try downloading multiple items in Internet Explorer and your poor taskbar will start sucking wind fast!
7. Simple User Interface
   Simple is awesome, and Firefox understands this.  Internet Explorer is freaking complicated!  The way I rate a user interface successful is by the interface behaving how I expect.  If I click things, and they don't do what I think they should do, I get upset because that's a bad interface!
8. Less Crashing
   Internet Explorer crashes all the freaking time!  You'd think the browser made by the company that wrote the operating system, and integrated into the operating system, would not crash!  Wait... I get it.. lol.  I have yet to see Firefox Crash!
9. Small Install!
   Internet Explorer is the biggest browser I have ever seen.  Firefox is a 5MB file, and Internet Explorer is at least a 20MB download depending on your options.
10. Built-In Google Searching
    Google rocks, so does .  Internet Explorer does not rock, and neither does MSN Search.  If you use Internet Explorer, you have to know how to change the default search provider, where as Firefox comes built in with Google Search, and the Google Toolbar!

 

So make sure you download Firefox now!  You won't be sorry, and you will be helping Firefox gain market share over Microsoft Internet Explorer, a terrible piece of software when compared to Firefox!  You will also be taking away cash from Microsoft!

If there are any users out there that are still on Internet Explorer, please try downloading the software, and leave your comments below on how the experience went!

Gota Love CNN

So I am trying to stay up to date on Hurricane Dean since I have some family and friends in the area, and its just brutal how CNN covers the news.  They try and glamorize the death and how bad it is, almost like its a good thing!  Does anyone else find this?  I mean, I'm watching right now and it seems like they are saying:

"Don't worry, before landfall it will be like an ice skater and tighten up and be a cat 5... don't worry.. it will be awesome.. people will die... hang in there viewers, CNN will keep you up to date!"

That's not an exact quote, but it's basically what they are saying.  I mean, come on, people are going to get hurt!  I would switch to MSNBC but they can be just as bad.  What's wrong with people.  I guess it's what sells.  What are your thoughts on this?

 

Technorati Tags: Hurricane Dean, Weather, CNN

Best Comment Thread Roundup Summer 2007

There have been quite a few posts in the last 6 months that have stirred controversy that's for sure!  It's always fun to take a trip back in time and read some of the comments left behind.  Some are flat mean, some are funny, and some will teach you a thing or two!  Enjoy!

10 Biggest Computer Flops of all time
I decided I would try and rate the 10 Biggest Computer Flops of all time!  It actually took a lot of research!  Next thing I knew it, I woke up the next day to feel the Digg effect, and had millions of visitors reading my post.  Check it out!  And post something after you laugh and learn!

Linux Crash Top 10 Images
This is why you should never post anything negative about Linux!  Join in on the bashing!  It's all part of the fun of having a blog.

Blue Screen of Death Top 10
Everyone loves to hate Microsoft.  Showing people some of the funniest blue screen of death images around was great fun.  Although if you read some of the comments, some took it a little way to seriously.

Vista Microphone and Line-In Issues?
Having problems with Vista and your Microphone?  You'll find the answer here!

Watch TV for Free - Part 2
Want to watch T.V. on the Internet for free?  This posting has probably the most free television channels to watch I have ever seen.

 

Technorati Tags: computer flops, linux, blue screen of death, vista, free tv

Wanderlei Silva Signs With UFC

All eyes will be on the UFC in December, 2007, as Wanderlei Silva, as the Brazilian Legend returns to the ring!  This has been years and the making, and will probably permanently put the UFC over the top for Pay Per View Sales over Boxing.

Dana White was quoted on Friday night as saying “He reminds me of Chuck Liddell, and he’s the kind of fighter that all fight fans love to see fight. He’s a gunslinger.  He will get in harm’s way to inflict damage and pain.  This guy comes out like a speeding train and never stops.  He goes for the finish, he likes to knock people out, and I just think he’s going to bring so much excitement to the UFC, I feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin.”

With over 31 wins, 21 by knockout, Wanderlei will bring a new level of excitement to the UFC that has never been seen before!  I'm sorry boxing fans, but with this acquisition, and recent signings of Mirko Crocop, Dan Henderson, and the existing UFC crew of Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Georges St-Pierre, there is just no contest between UFC and boxing anymore.  MMA is here to stay.

Skype Restores Service

After nearly 14 hours of being in the dark due to a log-in problem, Skype has restored service to its users.  Early speculation was that Skype had been a victim of a cyber attack or server crash, turned out to be false.

During the turmoil, Skype owner eBay, lost nearly 1 Billion dollars in market cap.  This is the first time Skype has gone down since it's creation.

Just a quick update:  Apparently there is still some areas that are affected by Skype being down, so everything is not 100%.  Also, there have been outages before, however non that took out the entire Skype service at once, and for this long!

Download StarOffice For Free!

Google's war against the evil Microsoft is getting hotter.  Google has just announced it is now bundling StarOffice for free with the Google Pack Download! 

StarOffice includes the following applications:

1. word processing application
2. spreadsheet application
3. presentation application
4. graphics application
5. database application
6. library of images and 3D effects

How much does StarOffice usually cost?  Well it's normally available for $70!  This really shows Google's commitment to compete with Microsoft on every level.  Up until this point, Google has pretty much stayed away from the desktop, and mostly focused on the web.  With this powerhouse addition, Google is completely invading Microsoft's turf!

What's more, the free version of StarOffice that comes with the Google Pack, actually comes with more!  One feature is the Microsoft Office migration tool that comes built in!.So if you have been looking for a reason to switch to something cheaper that Microsoft Office, Google Pack is the way to go!