I Still Try To Think Of Myself As A Nice Guy

Smithsonian Magazine | Travel | You got a problem with that?

I have to say that after moving here I think a lot of the stuff that I would have found rude before, I now tend to overlook. Listen when your trying to get out of a packed subway, you are just going to have to push some people.

It definitely has made me more closed off then I used to be. When I first started coming in the NYC on a regular basis, I would offer to help carry bag or strollers down subway/ train stairs all the time. Now I don’t even bother stopping. Not because I no longer want to help, but because I got so many people shouting, “No!” at me that I’d rather not get yelled at for just trying to help.

I think the only thing that I find really rude is when the people in my building don’t hold the door open for me when I am coming in and they are on their way out. To explain, we have two doors that you have to go through to get into our building. Both require you to unlock them to get in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been unlocking the first door while someone is walking out the second door, only to have them let that door slam, yet expect me to hold the first door for them on the way out. It is clear I have a key to get in since the locks are the same and I am opening the first door, would it kill you to hold your door open so I don’t have to unlock that one as well?

If it happened once, OK, then I could say it was just that one person, but it happens almost everyday when I get home from work, no matter who is walking out.

Do you see why we don’t like the other people in our building?

Eww On Both Fronts

Does that new Mentos commercial where Mentos ‘mouthwatering” gum works so well that the woman decides to drink the guy’s spit instead of from the watercooler creep anybody else out too?

First off, do you really want your gum to produce that much saliva? And second, as a manufacturer, do you want people to equate your gum tasting other people’s spit?

While I’m on the subject of gross commercials, I’m not sure if it is just a localized ad for a national campaign, or if it’s only for the NY State Lottery, but they have been running these commercials here with a cute girl at a speed dating event, who then hits on various founding fathers who are on dollar bills.

It starts off pretty tame with her saying something along the lines of, “I can feel electricity between us,” to Benjamin Franklin, but then get’s worse as she say’s, “Hey my Dad’s fifty too,” to Grant. I know she’s supposed to be saying it because she likes money, but I can’t get past the fact that she seems OK with going out with someone as old as her father.

The line that really get’s me is when she say’s, “I always like to have a twenty on me,” to Jackson, who just coyly smiles.

I don’t know why but the image of this girl making out with Andrew Jackson just churns my stomach. (Shudder)

Thanks NY Lotto Commission. Thank you for creeping me out and not being able to look at a $20 bill the same way ever again.

Ars: NBC-Vista copy-protection snafu reminds us why DRM stinks

(Image from Ars Technica)

NBC-Vista copy-protection snafu reminds us why DRM stinks

This just plan sucks. Listen, people who were going to download these shows were still going to do it anyway, and all this did (even if it was a mistake) was to screw with with the non-downloading fanbase.The exact opposite of the people you want to stop.

Although if all it stopped was people recording American Gladiators, I’m surprised anybody caught it.

I’m no expert on these things, but I still don’t see why the network just don’t give away downloadable content, and just throw up the occasional ‘lower 3rd’ ad on the screen. You could still charge for the ads, and it would be part of the show so no one would skip past it. Hell, it would be no worse then all the dancing crap they throw on the bottom of the screen when you’re watching the show at home.

The people who watch shows at home on TV are still going to do so, and all you would be doing is givng an ad suported video to people who were going to go get in on Bittorrent anyway.

Again, I’m no expert, but it would seem like you would be making money from a market where you weren’t before, and probably adding to your fanbase to boo.

Comcast Lied to FCC, Blocks BitTorrent Traffic 24/7

TorrentFreak: Comcast Lied to FCC, Blocks BitTorrent Traffic 24/7

No wonder so many people hate Comcast.

I Think There Should Be A List For People Who Buy This

Gerber Gator Combo Axe from REI.com

I saw this on uncrate this morning, and for the life of me I can’t think of a single, non-serial killer, use for this.

I can see having an axe. I can see having a knife. I can even see why
you might need both at the same time, but why would you need an axe and
a hidden knife?

Maybe if you were a secret agent and you wanted to go, “Fine, I will surrender my axe… but not my knife! Hi-keeba!”

(10 nerd points if you get the reference.)

In Finland, Internet Disconnects You!

(Photo by killermonkeys)

Wait… that wasn’t a Yakov Smirnoff joke.

Too bad this isn’t either: In Finland, Government Disconnects Itself

I like the irony of the government disconnecting itself after an employee was caught downloading music, but how scary is the thought of being cut off because you downloaded an album?

I’m sure you get a few strike and warning letters first, but since there seems to be some confusion about what copyrighted material is OK to share, this could get sticky quick.

Mashable: MobLogic Host Lindsay Campbell Arrested

MobLogic Host Lindsay Campbell Arrested

Wow.

A friend pointed me to MobLogic awhile back and, while I liked what I saw, I sort of dismissed it as another major network podcast.

However, after seeing this I think I need to add it to my podcasts.

Not Eating A Bag Of Dorritos Would Help Too

Get fit at your desk: Part 1 – Times Online

A couple of classic moves, but it never hurts to get up and strech when you’re stuck at a desk all day.

‘Scrubs’ Near the D Train – New York Times

‘Scrubs’ Near the D Train – New York Times

I’m not sure how I stumbled across this article, but when I read the blurb about a Nebraskan trying to make is way in NYC, I figured I owed it to Mom to read it.
Coming from a NYC suburb, the transition wasn’t that bad for me, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to come from NB strait into a NYC ER.

I’ve been to the ER a couple of times since I moved here (never anything serious), and let me tell you it is nuts. And that was at late at night.

More power to these doctors, and thanks.

Yet Another Reason To Just Steer Clear Of eBay

Nigerian Scammers: It’s Now Completely Impossible To Sell A Laptop On Ebay

I want to like eBay, but it always seemed so shady with it’s customer feedback system, auction poachers, and, well, anything that involves that many money orders is always a little suspect in my book.

It always seemed like someone could do a better job in this space. Shame no one has.