Aaron's Blog

Something to smile about

aaron — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:31:00 GMT

They say you learn something new every day. Well, today I indeed did. About a year ago I learned that more people are born on my birth date than any other day. Why’s that? Other than being a Virgo is really cool, the answer is probably more so that it is about 9 months from New Years. What does this have to do with what I learned today? America’s most popular birth date is also the birthday of the emoticon. That’s right, September 19th was the first time a colon, hyphen, and closing parentheses were put together to form an expression of an emotion. The three-character sequence to express a smiling face via plaintext was proposed by Scott Fahlman on a Carnegie Mellon University message board in 1982.

He wrote:

19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman
From: Scott E Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-20c>

I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers:

:-)

Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark
things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use

:-(

The complete thread surrounding the innovation of :-), now known commonly as the “smiley”, can be read here. Scott is a Research Professor of Computer Science at CMU, and it is only fitting that his personal webpage shows him smiling much like a portrait version of his text creation.

On his site he has written an article reflecting on the birth of his infamous sideways smiley face and the evolution it has taken. Check it out here .

An interesting read about emoticon usage in our present society can be read here. And as always a plethora of information can be found on Wikipedia in this article.

On behalf of all Virgos I wish the smiley a very happy upcoming 25^th birthday.

American Idol Audition Coming To San Diego

aaron — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:18:00 GMT

American Idol will be kicking off its seventh season right here in San Diego on July 30th! For complete details visit here.

And stay tuned to Fox in the Morning weekdays 5-9am because we are working to guarantee you an audition. You could become the next American Idol!

Microsoft Surface: A digital table that will change the world.

aaron — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:08:00 GMT

Microsoft has developed an interactive coffee table, a "Surface PC". Popular Mechanics took a behind the scenes look at it and in addition to an article covering it as the future of computing, there is a video showcasing just how cool it is.

"[Surface showman Jeff] Gattis took out a digital camera and placed it on the Surface. Instantly, digital pictures spilled out onto the tabletop. As Gattis touched and dragged each picture, it followed his fingers around the screen. Using two fingers, he pulled the corners of a photo and stretched it to a new size. Then, Gattis put a cellphone on the surface and dragged several photos to it — just like that, the pictures uploaded to the phone. It was like a magic trick. He was dragging and dropping virtual content to physical objects. I'm not often surprised by new technology, but I can honestly say I'd never seen anything like it. "

Check it out, I guarantee you will be amazed: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html

San Diego Casting Call for "Don't Forget The Lyrics"

aaron — Wed, 23 May 2007 18:25:00 GMT

If you love to sing in the shower, or at work, or in the car, or anywhere at all, then this is your chance to be a JUKEBOX HERO and win $1,000,000.

Looking for fun and interesting contestants who know the lyrics to the biggest hits. This is NOT a talent contest, however you must be willing to sing your heart out!

Click here for complete information.

Top 100 Facts about Jack Bauer

aaron — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:02:00 GMT

In light of the finale of this season's 24, here is a collection of top 100 facts about Jack Bauer from TwentyFour.tv

1) There are two hands that can beat a royal flush. Jack Bauer's right hand and Jack Bauer's left hand.

2) On Jack Bauer's Tax Returns, he has to claim the entire world as his dependents.

3) Jack Bauer never retreats, he just attacks in the opposite direction.

4) The city of Los Angeles once named a street after Jack Bauer in gratitude for his saving the city several times. They had to rename it after people kept dying when they tried to cross the street. No one crosses Jack Bauer and lives.

5) When a convicted terrorist was sentenced to face Jack Bauer, he appealed to have the sentence reduced to death.

6) There are three leading causes of death among terrorists. The first two are Jack Bauer, and the third one is heart attack from hearing Jack Bauer is coming for them.

7) When bad things happen to good people, its probably fate. When bad things happen to bad people, it’s probably Jack Bauer.

8) Some people see the glass as half full. Others see it as half empty. Jack Bauer see the glass as a deadly weapon.

9) Most people would need months to recover from 20 months of Chinese interrogation. Jack Bauer needs a shower, a shave and a change of clothes.

10) Once, someone tried to tell Jack Bauer a "knock knock" joke. Jack Bauer found out who was there, who they worked for, and where the goddamned bomb was.

11) Passed out, surrounded by terrorists and nerve gas, and handcuffed to a table leg, Jack Bauer laughed to himself and said, "I have them right where I want them."

12) If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.

13) Withholding information from Jack Bauer is now classified as a suicide attempt.

14) Jack Bauer definitely loves his daughter; he wouldn't let anyone else who made that many stupid decisions live.

15) When Jack Bauer ran out of ammo, he caught 3 bullets in his chest and used them to reload.

16) If everyone on "24" followed Jack Bauer's instructions, it would be called "12".

17) Jack Bauer does not get taken prisoner. He puts himself in a disadvantageous position so as to make his next several killings more dramatic.

18) Jack Bauer is the only human in the world with the ability to make Chloe O'Brien drop the personality disorder and patch him through.

19) Chained to a chair, tortured, and with the threat of death hanging over him, Jack just wanted something to eat.

20) Jack Bauers calender goes from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Jack Bauer.

21) Jack once shot himeself 10 times, just to prove 50 cent is a ***. He proceeded to wrestle and aligator while talking to Chloe about schematics.

22) There have been no terrorist attacks in United States since Jack Bauer has appeared on television.

23) Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.

24) The 2007 budget for the US Military covers Jack Bauer, two pistols and four billion rounds of ammunition.

25) Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.

26) Jack Bauer doesn't need to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom because his organs are afraid of making him angry.

27) Jack Bauer signs his autograph with bullets. So don't ask him to sign any part of your body.

28) After Season 6 of 24, the Chinese will be on the Endangered Species List.

29) If Jack Bauer was president, he would protect the secret service.

30) If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Jack Bauer says its beef. Then it's beef.

31) Jack Bauer could strangle you with a cordless phone.

32) Jack Bauer sleeps with a pillow under his gun.

33) 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.

34) Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

35) When Kim Bauer lost her virginity, Jack Bauer found it and put it back.

36) If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life.

37) Life doesn't give Jack Bauer lemons. Life asks him which fruit he wants.

38) When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.

39) There's one only shift when Jack Bauer works for CTU: the graveyard shift.

40) The only reason Jack gave Nina mouth to mouth in Season 2 was because he had to kill her himself.

41) Jack Bauer quit for just five minutes, and a nuclear bomb went off.

42) The state of California plans to reduce violent crime by changing the method of capital punishment from lethal injection to Jack Bauer.

43) My husband doesn't wish he was Jack Bauer. He wishes I was Jack Bauer.

44) ...and on the seventh day Jack Bauer said, "I'll take it from here."

45) MTV once tried to 'Punk' Kiefer Sutherland by staging a robery in a store. Sutherland smiled and pulled out his SIG and shot 3 actors in the head. This is why there was a new cast on Punk'd after season one.

46) When Jack Bauer says, "I don't know if I can do this anymore", the statement must be loosely translated as, "I can still rip off your head, I just don't know if I feel like I can breath down your neck at this time."

47) Jack Bauer thinks the word mercy just means "quick interrogation."

48) Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.

49) Jack Bauer played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

50) If Jack Bauer's gun jams, it's because he wanted to beat you with it.

51) A standard deck now contains 48 cards. Too many people were getting hurt for trying to play Jack.

52) Jack Bauer doesn't laugh in the face of danger; Jack Bauer is the face of danger.

53) It's no use crying over spilt milk... Unless that was Jack Bauer's milk. Oh you are so screwed.

54) Jack Bauer doesn't have a refresh button on his web browser. All events take place in real time.

55) The Berlin Wall fell because Jack Bauer needed to get to the other side.

56) Only Jack Bauer can fly a plane from the luggage compartment.

57) Jack Bauer doesn't have a firewall on his PC. He has a Bauerwall. It's basically just a JPEG of Jack Bauer. No virus has ever attacked Jack Bauer's PC. Ever.

58) On a high school math test, Jack Bauer put down "Violence" as every one of the answers. He got an A+ on the test because Jack Bauer solves all his problems with Violence.

59) Jack Bauer let himself be drugged, beaten and captured inside a crate on a Chinese ship heading out of the USA with no way for help to find him. Now he has them right where we wants them.

60) If Jack Bauer gives you his word, return it immediately and run.

61) Jack Bauer can pronounce the name "Ahmed" however he wants.

62) The only reason the Chinese kept Jack alive is so that he could bring down the population.

63) In order to control illegal immigration in the United States, the president installed cardboard cutouts of Jack Bauer along the US/Mexico border.

64) Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

65) Jack doesn't believe in Murphy's Law, only Bauer's Law: "Whatever CAN go wrong, WILL be resolved in a period of 24 hours."

66) Tony was once shot in the neck, rushed to the hospital, underwent emergency surgery and was back on the job in just a few hours. Jack Bauer still can't believe that *** went to the hospital first.

67) Jack Bauer is the leading cause of death in Middle Eastern men.

68) Bauer is not word, it is a sentence...A death sentence.

69) Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.

70) RIP Edgar

If you see this give it a 10.

Just cuz it's what Edgar would have wanted. :(

71) When someone asks him how his day is going, Jack replies, "Previously, on 24..."

72) Jack Bauer doesn't need a receipt to return something to a store, just a gun.

73) Jack Bauer is currently involved in a complex law suit with the California Department of Justice due to their attempt to ban Jack Bauer as an "Assault Weapon". Jack maintains he is primarily used for hunting and target shooting, and is quite safe to have around families.

But statistics don't lie.

74) Superman's only weakness is Kryptonite. Jack Bauer laughs at Superman for having a weakness.

75) Jack Bauer has the heart of a terrorist. He keeps it in a jar on his desk.

76) On a high school math test, Jack Bauer put down "Violence" as every one of the answers. He got an A+ on the test because Jack Bauer solves all his problems with Violence.

77) When Christopher Henderson tried to shoot Jack, his gun was, in fact, loaded. The bullets were just too scared to come out.

78) When Santa Claus asked Jack Bauer what he wanted for Christmas, he snapped his neck. No one interrogates Jack Bauer and gets away with it.

79) If you try to make Jack Bauer sacrifice himself for nothing, he will eat you.

80) Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice. Jack Bauer would meanwhile do something important.

81) "You don't know Jack" is a blessing among terrorists.

82) There is the right way, the wrong way, and the Jack Bauer way. It's basically the right way but faster and more deaths.

83) Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.

84) In 96 hours, Jack Bauer has killed 93 people and saved the world 4 times. What have you done with your life?

85) When Jack says "I won't take no for an answer" you better not say no.

86) When Jack Bauer goes to the airport and the metal detector doesn't go off, security gives him a gun.

87) When faced with multiple nuclear threats to the country The President Of The United States said, and I quote, "Get me Jack Bauer." He didn't say, "Get me the guy who sells the Total Gym."

88) Don't ever ask Jack Bauer what is going on. He'll explain in the car.

89) Jack Bauer doesn't take fingerprints, he takes fingers.

90) Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.

91) Jack Bauer doesn't speak any foreign languages, but he can make any foreigner speak English in a matter of minutes.

92) Jack Bauer arrested RoboCop. Think about that.

93) Jack Bauer arm once wrestled Superman. The stipulations were the loser had to wear his underwear on the outside of his pants.

94) The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Jack Bauer's methods were "cruel and unusual punishment". The next day the Supreme Court had nine vacancies.

95) Jack Bauer teaches a course at Harvard entitled: "Time Management: Making the Most Out Of Each Day."

96) When Jack Bauer used Herbal Essences, the shampoo had an orgasm.

97) When 24 airs on the Spanish channel everyones lines are translated except for Jack's. The reason for this, nobody speaks for Jack Bauer.

98) "Jack Bauer Camp" makes "Guantanamo Bay" sound like a weekend retreat in the Hamptons.

99) Kim Bauer was an accident. Not even the pill can stop Jack Bauer.

100) Jack Bauer set an ordinary flash memory card to self-destruct. Don't ask how he did it, he's Jack Bauer.

Got a fact about Jack? Submit it here.

Using The Web To Find The Best Deals

aaron — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:18:00 GMT

Tis the season for lots of shopping to be done. Now in your quest to find the best deals, wouldn't it be nice if the deals came to you? Well guess what, now that is a reality thanks to the power of the web. New sites such as Offertrax, StyleFeeder, and Mpire are using web technology to automatically check throughout the day for bargains on items you personally tell it your interested in. When it finds a great deal, it automatically will alert you electronically.

This type of thinking and development for how the internet can be used to extend beyond what it is usually used for, is termed Web 2.0. And this term includes those sites you find that use the latest in web technology and have a sense of "coolness" to them. Web 2.0 has features that stand out enabling you as a real person to interact with them, and/or the features integrate into your life, hopefully for increased productivity, efficiency, and relief.

Wired Magazine has recognized just cool the automatic deal hunting thru the web is, and have published a great article about how it works here.

An early pioneer of Web 2.0 is the popular site Digg, which uses the concept of "social bookmarking" to enable internet users to share links and collectively comment and vote for them.

Web 2.0 sites are constantly being developed. If you have created, or have a favorite, such site, please let me know about it. I'll post a collection of links in an upcoming blog.

Community Calendar

aaron — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:25:00 GMT

There's now a new addition to this website, a new and improved community calendar.

Just click on Calendar in the navigation or the direct link: http://community.fox6.com/calendar/

If you are signed-in, you can add your event to the calendar.

Patent for teleportation device filed

aaron — Sat, 13 May 2006 15:36:00 GMT

Make of this what you will... someone has filed a patent for what they claim is how to teleport someone.

"This invention is a system that teleports a human being through hyperspace from one location to another using a pulsed gravitational wave traveling through hyperspace."

His patent includes the inventor's personal experience with being teleported while he was walking past a bus stop. The detailed description reminds me of 'Back to the Future' where Dr. Emmett Brown slips, hits his head, and gets the idea of the Flux Capacitor making time travel possible.

This patent has been filed with the U.S. Patent Office, but what do you think, is the applicant serious?
Read the Patent Application

A car that will change its shape before an impact

aaron — Sat, 13 May 2006 15:32:00 GMT

A car that can anticipate a side-on impact and subtly alter its body shape to absorb the force of the crash is being developed by researchers in Germany.

The car will use hood-mounted cameras and radar to spot a vehicle on course for a side-on collision. Once it realises an impact is imminent it will activate a shape-shifting metal in the door. This reinforces the bond between door and frame, which is normally a weak spot, and distributes the force of the blow more safely.

Read Full Story...

Inventor says his car can do 8,000 miles per gallon

aaron — Sat, 13 May 2006 15:28:00 GMT

A British inventor claims he has built the world's most fuel-efficient car - which does a staggering 8,000 miles per gallon.

The thrifty three-wheeler will cover ten miles on just one teaspoon of unleaded fuel. Inventor Andy Green built the ten-foot-long vehicle, called Team Green, in his spare time for just £2,000 to compete for the world fuel-efficiency title.

It is powered by a tiny 35cc single-cylinder engine, but is capable of reaching 60mph because it stands just 60cm high and is super-aerodynamic.

The carbon fibre car weighs just 30kg, 2 per cent of the average car, and can travel for 60 miles on a full tank of 36 millilitres - or six teaspoons - of petrol.

Mr Green, 45, built the vehicle by himself in his university workshop for the Shell Eco-Marathon event in southern France later this month. He is the only British competitor among 250 teams from around the world who are competing for the title of the world's most efficient motor.

Source: http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=714682006

Airlines use new "smart" boarding techniques

aaron — Tue, 09 May 2006 18:10:00 GMT

Airplanes only make money in the air, and if they can reduce turn around time from an hour to 40 minutes, they could get more flights in a day. While some airlines are using mathematical models, some have decided to just let people sit where they want. Full Story

Online Maps

aaron — Mon, 08 May 2006 17:54:00 GMT

Do you need a map that you can print at home, at school, or in the office? The National Atlas has prepared reference and outline maps of the United States that you can print or download online for free. The reference maps display general reference features such as boundaries, cities, capitals, major highways, rivers and lakes, and terrain. Outline maps showing county boundaries, State boundaries, capitals, or other basic features are also available. http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/reference.html

Free Local Coupons

aaron — Fri, 05 May 2006 19:10:00 GMT

Looking for a good restaurant or store to go to? Want to try it out at a discount? Head on over to our section of coupons where you’ll be able to download coupons for local San Diego businesses and services, all for FREE! And it is also free to add a coupon yourself. Just go to http://sandiego.fox6.com

Here's direct links to the different coupon categories:

Get ready San Diego to blog and message board

aaron — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:15:00 GMT

FOX 6 has continued to be an integral part in helping San Diegans and strengthening the San Diego community. Our role has been found thru a variety of the following:

Our #1 rated newscasts
Having a top-notch news team that knows San Diego
Bringing you television's favorite shows such as American Idol, House, 24, Seinfeld, Simpsons, and the list goes on (full list of our shows and schedule is here)
Providing Couch Potato to bring San Diegans together and give you free stuff
Producing San Diego's only local music show FOX ROX
Offering a service of free classifieds and coupons

Proudly, we have been at the forefront of using technology and aside from being the first television station in the country to have an entire digital news operation, we were also among the first to offer video-on-demand thru our website. We are also currently working with a company exclusively on a technology which will no doubt revolutionize the internet and television watching experience. We are all very excited at the opportunities this will bring and what it will mean to our viewers. All I can say for now is stay tuned for more details as we get closer to launching it.

Many of you are frequent users of our viewer feedback page, and know that we take both positive and constructive feedback to heart. We have had many ask us about blogs, particularly in response to the ones GM/VP Richard Jones, and San Diego's favorite weather person, Chrissy Russo maintain.

Keeping technology close to our side, we are now proud to be able to offer you the ability to have your own blogs and forum message boards. That is this site.

Happy Internet surfing, and thanks for reading my first blog,

-- Aaron