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I've started the process of changing around the site in order to get it more "Andrew Friendly". Nothing overly drastic, but sometimes things get broken (such as last nights attempt at installing the Mobile Output plugin) and I figured I should provide some forewarning for future breakages. I have also run a complete backup of both the frontend files and the backend database, just to be on the safe side.

My hope is to get all my back-dated changes up on the blog over the next week, including some sort of "About Me" page. I have not decided yet, but I am leaning towards a sticky entry that explains I Am. When? for newcomers who happen to wander over this way. With a few billion people in the world, there have got to be a couple of people left out there who don't read my blog. I think it would be nice to present them with a short blurb in the form of a sticky post.

I also need to find a new picture for over there -->

Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for me.

I know I am a little behind in the times, but a few weeks ago I discovered the Fox television show House. To be honest, it was actually the reruns on USA. I've known about the show since the first commercials started appearing on the Fox network during an episode of Family Guy or the Simpsons or some such thing; I just had no desire to watch another medical drama.

There have been a million medical shows on television and if you watch the network lineups it actually seems like the medical industry is in competition with the law enforcement sector to see who can get the most number of television shows produced each year. The majority only last a short while. Some of these shows I have watched (both on the medical and law enforcement sides of the line), most I skip over completely. For me, some work great (CSI as an example), while others fail miserably (CSI Miami as an example).

House is one of those shows that work great for a number of reasons, and despite being late to the show I am going to cover them. For anyone who has seen the show, the number one reason it works so well is the main character, Dr. Gregory House, played exceptionally well by actor Hugh Laurie. How can anyone not love House? He has all the qualities everyone looks for in a friend. He's antisocial. He's outspoken. He's arrogant. He's brilliant. He's self righteous. He's almost always right (can you really be self righteous if you are actually right all the time?). Now that I think of it, those qualities do remind me of someone. Hmmmm. Not sure who. It's right there on the tip of my tongue. Oh well, if I think of it I'll let you know.

The second reason House works so well is that the show is about the people and their interactions. While their interactions mostly focus around a medical topic, it is not about the medicine. It's also not about the drama (like E.R. was after the second season). It's the people. M*A*S*H was like that, and everyone loved MASH.

Another way House is like MASH is that despite having a continuing storyline, or rather continuity in the storyline, you do not have to watch every episode in order to enjoy the show. You can catch a brand spanking new episode and it is enjoyable. Flip the channel and watch an episode from two years ago, still enjoyable. I currently have no idea when or why the first team left (or was fired or whatever), but I get to continue to enjoy every episode without knowing. It's a nice thing.

My last reason that I enjoy House, and this is an Andrew twist and the real reason for this blog entry, is that you could replace the entire medical setting with an Information Technology setting and it would be exactly the same show. Get rid of the lab coats, switch the medical jargon for technology jargon, and swap out people patients for computer patients. The rest stays the same, which gives me something I can relate to.

House's team consists of several specialists, and as he actually explains during one episode, "you pick your specialist, you pick your disease." The same thing happens with IT specialists when dealing with any computer issue. In the end, it takes a diagnostician (someone whose specialty is that they are not specialized) to figure out the real problem and solution.

Of course as an IT show it would never work. No one would watch it. The moment someone said "corrupt hard drive" during an episode, the viewer's eyes would glaze over and they would change the channel. A doctor on television says "Cyclophyllidea" and people sit up to pay attention all the more. Yet everyone knows what a hard drive is, but how many of you know what Cyclophyllidea is? By the way, it was actually on an episode of House.

I was told by a friend that the real reason it wouldn't work as an IT show is because doctors are glamorous while IT people are not. What is not glamorous about the top richest people in the world for the last 20 years? None of them were doctors, most were IT people. Name two famous doctors. Most people can't, but they can all name Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. We have them. Right? Fine. Maybe Bill Gates is not sexy or glamorous. Ok, he's definitely not. Maybe doctors are. At least on television they are. And maybe an IT drama on television wouldn't work.

What did we learn from all this? Well, I like the show House. I will continue to chuckle to myself over replacing medical jargon with tech jargon as I watch the show. And I should change my title to "Information Systems Diagnostician", as it would solve my whole problem of not being specialized.

Before you read on down further I would like to point out that I was told by an old friend that I have rather liberal views. She might be right, but I am pretty certain that this blog entry will see me firmly seated in both liberal and conservative hell. Not something I am proud of, but this has to be said...

It has just been brought to my attention that I owe some people an apology. I have never been very good at apologizing because, well, I am so rarely wrong. So here goes: I am deeply sorry for ever saying that any creature, whether it be plant, animal, bug, human or whatever, came into existence or its current form of being through evolution. There, I said it. Whoo. Glad I got that off my chest.

Apparently, I was wrong about that whole evolution thing, so I am sorry to all the creationists out there for saying I was correct about evolution. I was wrong. But so were all you creationists. We were all wrong. The worst part of it all is that the Pastafarians were wrong as well; the Flying Spaghetti Monster did not decide, in Its Noodley Wisdom, to make each creature the way it is. It was, in fact, PETA. Yes, you read that correctly. PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Who knew ecoterrorists were that powerful of beings, right? I certainly didn't.

I know what you are thinking, "Andrew has finally lost his mind." I can assure you, one and all, that there is no "finally" about it, as I am pretty certain I never had it to begin with. I digress though. To get back on track, you should take a quick look at this website PETA has put together. Go on, I'll wait. Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmm. Mmmmmm. Back? Oh sorry, I'll wait while your jaw reattaches. Mmmm. Mmmmmm. Mmmmmm. Mmmmm. You can read on, the awe doesn't go away. Really.

In their supreme power, PETA has not only managed to remove the scales from the animal formerly known as "fish" and replace it with fur, but have also turned them into warm blooded creatures. Just like that. Poof. Are you as amazed as I am?

While I, a mere mortal, am certain that the great and powerful PETA have thought this entire thing through, I do have a few questions to ask of them. Being such powerful beings, I would expect them not to take the time to answer, but maybe they will have a preacher in their cult, I mean organization, that can provide some answers. I will also admit that some of these may be answered on that website as I did not see myself as worthy enough to read their divine words and closed the browser window very quickly, lest my jaw become permanently detached.

Anyway, questions.

1. How did you solve the whole hypothermia problem that other Kitten species succumb to when placed in water for too long? Does this mean global warming has really been a PETA plan all along to keep the Sea Kittens nice and warm?
2. About that whole kittens breathing air thing? Or should we expect mass Sea Kitten kills to start floating to the surface of our lakes and rivers?
3. I live in Florida, and currently if an Alligator were to eat someone’s Land Kitten that gator would be relocated or possibly killed. Will there be the same enforcement for alligators eating Sea Kittens?
4. Do you have any statistics available of the likelihood of being attacked by a large Sea Kitten while swimming versus, say, being killed by a falling coconut?
5. When people go fishing. Wait. Am I still allowed to call it fishing or is it something else now?
6. When people go Sea Kittening they use a rod and reel to get their dinner. Does this mean they can now use their rod and reel to catch and eat Land Kittens?
7. Will you be petitioning the government to require Land Kittening permits, and if so when does the season open?
8. Do Sea Kittens now taste like chicken or do they still have that fishy taste? I only ask because I never ate fish in the past because I don't like that fishy taste, but if they taste more like what I would imagine Land Kittens to taste like (i.e. chicken), well then I will have to get me a Sea Kittening Pole and permit.
9. When I go through the drive-thru should I now be ordering a Filet McSea Kitten?
10. Will PETA be killing off, I mean euthanizing Sea Kittens now, just like they do Land Kittens?
11. What is wrong with you people?

I have a few more questions, but these should do for a start.

I guess I did have a few words after all.

I just got done watching the Presidential address to Congress and immediately followed this up with a quick view of the online major networks new sites. Overall I thought the speech was very good and showed the President Obama that was lacking from his press room speech a few weeks back. The one part I cringed at was when President Obama gave credit to the United States for creation of the automobile. This was no major cringe, however, because really we were the first inventors of the automobile. But then again we weren't.

I figured I would let it all slide until I saw the Fox News website article "Obama Errs in Saying Americans Invented Automobiles". Being a Republican I hate being represented by a news outlet like Fox News. Their views and misinformation not only tend to make Republicans look bad, but make me ashamed. Anyway, that is another story.

The real story is that Fox News was quick to point out, "...his grasp of automotive history suggests he could use a refresher course...The problem: The credit for internal combustion engines generally is given to German engineer, Karl Benz, who designed and built the world's first practical automobile in 1885." Frankly, that is inaccurate. Apparently, the Fox News people, Gary Gastelu and Mike Majchrowitz in particular, need a refresher on automotive history. So here ya go Mike and Gary...

As the article did point out, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot invented the steam powered automobile in 1769. Unfortunately, that is up for debate as Ferdinand Verbiest reportedly built a steam powered automobile in 1672, almost 100 years prior to Cugnot. So maybe Cugnot didn't invent it. For sake of argument, we will stick with speaking about internal combustion engine automobiles; otherwise we wind up going back even further.

The first internal combustion engine automobile was invented by George Selden in 1877 (a resident of Rochester, NY; which if I am not mistaken is in the United States. Or maybe I need a geography refresher). Several years prior to Karl Benz' four stroke combustion engine. The problem was that George Selden's automobile was never put into production and he eventually lost his patent rights. If I am not mistaken, that would make the United States the "nation that invented the automobile." That is the actual quote from President Obama, incase you were wondering. Not built; "invented."

And now to correct Fox's quote. The internal combustion engine was invented by François Isaac de Rivaz in 1806. If you cannot do the math that is 38 years prior to the birth of Karl Benz. Not only was Benz an inventor, but according to Gary Gastelu, Mike Majchrowitz and the Fox News network, he was also a time traveler.

So was President Obama right or wrong? Well, both. It is easy to assume he was referring to internal combustion engine automobiles. Thus, he was correct. This nation did invent them. But the automobile in general, well there he would be wrong. No matter which way you assume for that particular section of the President's speech; Fox News, Mike Majchrowitz and Gary Gastelu were wrong. And I can live with that.

It is a beautiful Saturday morning and your friend Stacy has invited you to stop by and check out her new shop at the Space Book Bazaar. As it is such a beautiful day you decide to walk the few blocks, take in the sights and get a little exercise. You head out on your way, but figure you should probably stop off at the bank and deposit your tips from bartending the night before.

Being such a gorgeous day you get a little caught up in day dreaming and wind up taking a right towards the Tenth National Bank instead of a left. You catch yourself and think that this might not be the correct street, but up ahead you see a building with a big sign that reads "Tenf Nationel Bank". Do you go in and hand them your money?

You move on down a side street when a man wearing a mask runs up to you, hands you a box and runs off. You think to yourself, "That kind of looked like my friend Bob." Do you open the package?

You continue down the side street and come out at the entrance to the Space Book Bazaar. Not entirely certain where Stacy's shop is, you start meandering around the other stalls. Just then a man jumps in front of you screaming, "You have cancer! For $19.95 I will cure you." Do you believe him? Do you pay him?

Deeper into the bazaar you wander. The sights and sounds and smells are overwhelming. Some pleasant, others disturbing. The shops are as varied as the products they offer; ranging from neatly laid out fresh fruits in proper wooden stalls, to Genuine Rolex watches for sale in tents, to who-knows-what being sold from inside a van with dark-tinted windows. Do you stop at any of the stores and go in? Which ones?

Out of nowhere a crowd of people pass around you screaming and hawking their wares; a hand reaches out towards you from the crowd and you feel the sharp sting of a hypodermic entering your arm. Then the crowd is gone. Was that a pinch or a needle prick? You can't be sure now. Do you look for a police officer? Do you seek medical attention?

Welcome to the Internet.

I am fairly certain that most people would apply a little common sense to each of the above scenarios (I would hope at least). You would turn around and go to the correct bank, you wouldn't open the package, you would pass right by the lunatic shouting about you having cancer (and certainly wouldn't pay him), you would pick and choose which shops, if any, that you would browse through, and, hopefully, you would be a might bit concerned about possibly being injected with some foreign substance and would report it. Yet on the Internet, you don't. Well, maybe not you, but most of you.

For years people have used the excuse of computers being intimidating as a rationale for not applying common sense. Instead they say, "I didn't know," and are strangely happy with that. When the Internet was new that was an excuse. Now? Well now you shop, bank, date, and look at nude people performing all sorts of strange acts on the Internet. You are no longer intimidated by it. That excuse is gone.

Common sense applies everywhere. Not just on the streets. Not just at work. But on the Internet as well. That is what makes it "common", instead of street-smarts or business savvy. You do not need to be a technical genius to apply common sense to computers and the Internet. All you need is... Drum roll please... Common Sense.

This has been a public service announcement. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogcast.

For some strange and unknown reason, the world did not stop with my lack of posting for the past however-long-it-was (huge blow to my ego there), likewise my life continued on even without posting about it in a blog entry. I figured I should take the time to dump out a quick entry to cover some of what I know has to be on everyone's minds.

First, and most importantly, my daughter was accepted to Johnson and Wales University (N. Miami Campus) in the Food Management (Culinary) program. I can not express enough how proud I am of her, not only for getting into a top university for culinary arts, but for following her dreams of becoming a chef. There have been a few hurdles here and there since she was initially accepted, but she has continued on despite these obstacles. So everyone join me in saying, "Yea Phaide!"

As to the subject of my own higher education, that has been a waiting game and will continue to be such until sometime after Feb 21, 2009. Despite having submitted my application and all required paperwork back in November, I am a distance learner candidate, which puts me into the part-time student pool. Apparently CMU Heinz College has been up to their eyeballs with applications and has been following their admissions policies that go: fulltime early admissions candidates (those who apply before Dec 1), fulltime regular admissions (application deadline of Feb 1) and finally part-time candidates. Therefore, I must wait and be patient for all of the fulltime applications to be processed before I find out if I have been accepted or not.

On the robotics front, I have started my robotics evolution project, but that will be covered in a separate entry. The "You Design It" project is still being worked on, slowly but surely. Currently, there is a small lack of funds to progress too far on either of the robots. Rest assured, they will continue at some point once income goes up; most likely between the "I no longer have to live on oatmeal" and "I can buy that new plasma TV" financial phases. The evolution project is still at a very inexpensive phase (basically left over parts that are floating around) and as such, will keep me active in robotics.

In the mean time, I thought I might share a few of the pictures from the "You Design It" VTOL robot (the hoverbot is not cosmetically ready for a photo-op). Enjoy.