Nerd Corner: no longer trying out Opera

two weeks ago, i wanted to dig up a picture, so i hit up the trusty Google image search (via keyword search which Opera already had). lo and behold, something looked off. every image no longer showed any information below it (requiring a mouse hover instead). i was a bit annoyed, but it didn't bother me enough to search for a workaround. the next day i stumbled upon one anyway, courtesy of Google Operating System (via Lifehacker) and implemented it immediately.

what struck me was not the idiocy of Google Image interface designers, but the ease of correction in the web browser i am using (Opera). where Firefox users had to dig up their user profile in hidden folders and edit javascript files (granted that there are many firefox users very willing to muck around in their hidden folders and edit javascript files) and Internet Explorer users had to open a menu regarding Security (every time i see that word in a menu dialogue, i get antsy), Opera users merely had to right-click for site preferences and uncheck a box.

Opera wins.

here is a comparison from extremetech of Firefox 2.0, IE7 and Opera 9. the FF2 and IE7 tested at the time were still in beta. i have all three final versions and most of the obvious observations are still there in the final versions (particulary the Acid2 Test).

so i was hopping along the intertubes...

when i came across this loverly post:

Tips for liking someone better (or disliking that person less)

Some notables:

1. Seek contact. You may feel like avoiding that person, but because of the psychological phenomenon known as the “mere exposure effect,” we tend to like people better the more we see them.

5. Act friendly. We think we act because of the way we feel, but often we feel because of the way we act. So act the way you want to feel. This is uncannily effective—just try it.

6. Resist criticizing that person. When you voice your complaints, they assume a solidity in your mind that’s hard to eliminate. When your thoughts remain unspoken, they can more easily be changed.

i have no thoughts on it yet, as i can't think of anyone that i particularly do not like. it is also very buddhist.

the sophisticated nerd

i've taken a shine to documentaries recently. two of my favourite shows (The Office and Arrested Development) follow and mock the genre. there is nothing quite like a comedically timed flashback to contextualize and augment the humour of an innocous voice-over. my film class has also enlightened me to the cinematographic aspect, so i can find enjoyment there as well (i just noticed that the opening scene of Serenity has one really long single-take that was quite masterfully done both as character introduction and expository).

come to think of it, i've always enjoyed documentaries as a kid watching TLC and Discovery (mostly about astronomoy and dinosaurs and other cool animals). the difference now is that my pallette has expanded with my interests. i am very excited about Wordplay. not quite sure how wise it is to do so, but i'm going to gut it out and watch The Root of All Evil too, which features an atheism bordering on fanaticism. you can find it online if you are so inclined.

this craving for documentaries has also led to a mild craving for interesting essays. i picked up John Stuart Mill's Three Essays on Religion, Sigmund Freud's Dream Psychology and Sun Tzu's The Art of War. i had a good time editing out the project gutenberg copyright drivel and formatting the layout for concision. i will be reading them after i plow through my course readings. still hunting for Carl Jung's works though; i might have to go physically to a library (note how i avoided splitting the infinitive). i heart the public domain.

certain events have transpired...

and i've thought about certain things, and i'm sorry for the way those certain events transpired, and i would just like to make some changes about certain things and certain situations...

i feel much discontentment with the direction of my life. i have no hope for the future. i believe no one will be my life friend and gene-co-contributor. wail, moan, etc. i don't wish that i could have made this more lengthy and clever to bring into question my level of sarcasm, thereby causing those who care undue distress and worry.

blogspot is mad at me because i don't blog about my life, therefore not allowing them to spy on me. sometimes, i try to be like paris hilton, and leave false information lying around to see if nicole will blab it to the press. since blogspot is a computer sitting on the intertubes, it does not understand sarcasm or any other powerful human techniques of motive-masking (i.e. courtesy, political correctness); it is not a truck.

so utterly amazed, i threw up

from the guys that brought you the hilarious video about Things You Can't Do While Not In a Pool...

The Contortionist


The Story of Anthony Razz (The Contortionist Part 2)