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February 28, 2008
PHP Stupidity
This is pretty stupid.
<?php
echo date('Y-m-d', '2007-01-01 23:12:24');
?>
This will return an error:
Notice: A non well formed numeric value encountered in ....
Yet, return a date of ' 1969-12-31'. Making it @date(...) shuts it up, but returns wrong data. However, this works:
<?php
echo date('Y-m-d', strtotime('2007-01-01 23:12:24'));
?>
Why should I have to go through the extra typing? Why doesn't date() implicitly know to at least try strtotime() on the string BEFORE telling me any warnings? It's a string, here... give me what I want. And, why does it return 1969-12-31 at all? If it was bad data, just return nothing. Don't return bad data.
Posted by Kevin at 3:48 PM | Comments (0)
VOA News - US Lawmaker Switches Support From Clinton to Obama
This sort of goes along with what I just said. People listen to others endorsements (I guess), but then they can just switch. Either you support person A over B until A is no longer a factor and B is your only choice, or you don't say you support anyone. Going from A to B shows your decisions must be based on something other than policy. I don't believe Clinton has changed her policy ideas since John Lewis originally supported her. So, he now swings his support because people in his district do? Sounds pretty lame and fishy to me.
Posted by Kevin at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
All Eyes On Bloomberg's Choice For President
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=78922
With any question of a possible run for the White House now firmly laid to rest, the question remains who Mayor Michael Bloomberg will endorse in the upcoming general election.
An endorsement from the mayor could possibly steer a wealth of independent voters toward his chosen candidate, perhaps even propelling that candidate toward victory.
Do people really really care about who endorses who? I've now been voting for some time, in every local election, primary and presidential race.. and never ever thought "Oh, [some well known person] likes so-and-so, so they must be the right choice!" No, I do it the old fashioned way and listen to what they say, try to cut out the bullshit, look at records, and try to research as much as I can. But, I've never been moved towards anyone, or away from anyone, when someone endorses them.
Do people really do this? Did anyone swing from Clinton to Obama when Oprah endorsed him? I really hope not. I hope people listen and read and don't care about who is supporting who.
Are there really independent voters sitting around saying "Well, I'll decide when Bloomberg says who he likes. I like who he likes. *baaaaaa*"
Posted by Kevin at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
So True
Posted by Kevin at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)
I'm F*cking Matt Damon
This is brilliant. If you haven't seen it, here is Sarah Silverman's message to her boyfriend, Jimmy Kimmel:
And, his response:
Posted by Kevin at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
Strike Fallout: A Complete Guide to How Your Favorite Shows Are Affected - TV Decoder - Media & Television - New York Times Blog
A few things on there I don't agree with. I'm not sure if it's because of the strike, or ratings. The ones it says may not, or are not, returning that I want to are: Journeyman, Carpoolers, ok.. I guess that's it. I don't like 'Fate is unclear' next to Prison Break. They really need to wrap that show up with an ending, not just an end-of-season cliffhanger.
Shows which I don't understand why they would come back; Pushing Daisies and Samantha Who? Journeyman is better than Pushing Daisies (for a drama) and Carpoolers is just hilarious.. while Samantha Who? isn't (even Suzy didn't like it).
I'll also note I hope Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles gets picked up, for at least one more season. I've been enjoying it. And, I must admit.. I enjoyed the first episode of Knight Rider. I was pretty weary of it, but I thought it was actually watchable.
Posted by Kevin at 9:23 AM | Comments (0)
To accommodate Muslim students, Harvard tries women-only gym hours - News
Aljawhary said that she does not believe that the women-only gym hours discriminate against men.
"These hours are necessary because there is a segment of the Harvard female population that is not found in gyms not because they don't want to work out, but because for them working out in a co-ed gym is uncomfortable, awkward or problematic in some way," she said.
They will try to spin this as being for women, but it's really not. It's for Muslim women. Because there are plenty of men who don't go to the gym because they feel uncomfortable or awkward. Nobody is making a special "dorky, overweight man" time slot for the Quad.
Don't want to work out around guys? Go to Curves. Feel that it somehow isn't modest to work out around men? Step out of the dark ages. And, I think the modesty is somewhat BS anyways. Muslim women or not, 80%+ are probably exercising to "look good", which isn't modest on it's own. They other 20% are probably doing it for strictly health reasons.
I don't think it'd be a big deal if they had a special section for a few hours a week, but closing it off to another gender is a bit much.
Posted by Kevin at 9:13 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2008
A little snow
Taken this morning after doing the driveway. And, it's still snowing. I must say, it's quite beautiful outside.
Posted by Kevin at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Box with Typo
I'm admittedly not the best speller, and if I didn't have spell check (spell check just told me 'spell check' isn't "spellcheck" as I wrote it), I'd certainly spell many (more) things wrong. But, if I had a company which printed things and sent them to the public, I'd spend the extra $5 to have someone look over a simple sentence.
The funny thing is, there was another box from the same company with a slightly different product right next to this one, with it spelled ok.
Posted by Kevin at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)
February 26, 2008
Dummy Dads
Generally, I sort of hate it that dads are usually portrayed as stupid, NASCAR loving, beer swilling idiots who can't do anything aside scratch their ass and burp.
However, this stereotype does come in handy at any medical office when you're there for your kid. The receptionist is generally a woman, and when they ask those tough questions like "Do you have a co-pay", or "did you insurance change?" I can shrug and say "I don't know, I'm just the dad". I usually get back a knowing look, and am sent on my way.
So, although I am pretty far from the stereotypical "guy", I guess I can try taking advantage of it in certain cases. I just need to figure out what other ways to take advantage of it. Maybe, whenever dealing with a woman, just shrug, have deer-in-headlight eyes and see what happens.
Posted by Kevin at 1:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2008
Clinton says Nader run bad for Dems -- Newsday.com
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/politics/ny-usnader0224,0,6060514.story
Gotta agree with her. He basically ruined the election for Gore, and people will surely again throw their votes away on him this time. For someone who, likely, would rather see the Democrats take the White House, it seems pretty egotistical for him to again enter the race. One of two things can happen; it'll not mean a thing, or he can take just enough votes away (again) to lose the election for someone who could actually win. Anyone who would vote for Nader would either not otherwise vote, or vote for the Democratic candidate.
But, depending on who the Democratic candidate will be, it may not be a bad thing.
Posted by Kevin at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2008
Where to go?
There is a tradition on Suzy's side of the family that when you become 10, you go on a trip. And, Kyla will be 10 this summer, so there is sporadic talk about where to go. I said Japan, but that didn't meet much fanfare. Paris was mentioned, but if I were to go to Europe, France isn't high on my list. Germany has been mentioned, which I think I'd be fine with, since that is on my list of places to go. England? Eh. Ireland may be cool, but not sure how great it's be for a 10 year old to wait for daddy outside of the Guinness factory. Holland would be nice. Spain could be interesting. Of course, the good ole U S of A has plenty to see.
So, I'm not sure where to go? Argentina was recently brought up, and it not only seems inexpensive (compared to anywhere in Europe), but seems pretty interesting and beautiful. Maybe Australia, but that's just a long ass flight. I need some places to decide from which are a) affordable, b) fun for adults and kids and c) safe.
Right now, I think these are my top choices, in no particular order:
Japan(got nixed)- Argentina. Seems inexpensive, beautiful, and interesting.
- Spain. Could be OK. And maybe easy to satisfy "I've been to France" for people if we go to Barcelona.
- Germany. Castles.. beer.. history.. beer!
- Holland. Tulips and windmills.
- The USA. We have plenty of places to go. Maybe a Las Vegas -> LA -> San Francisco trip.
If we're to really go somewhere, we need to figure it out before summer creeps up (and I need to get moving on a passport!).
Posted by Kevin at 5:33 PM | Comments (0)
When you take your kids bowling
Please people, when you take your kids bowling make sure you teach them the, basically only, etiquette rule; wait for people next to you.
I took Kyla bowling yesterday, and after a few minutes a woman with 5 kids (seemed in ages 10-12 or so) came next to us. No common sense, no etiquette, and simply no care that we were there at all. You could be in the middle of a throw, and BAM they come running up. Kyla and I aren't pro bowlers, but it's very distracting when all of a sudden you have a blob 3 feet from you as your about to release the ball. We have the "right of way", and I've been teaching Kyla to respect the people in the two lanes around us and their "right of way".
Now, if the kids were 4, it's not as big a deal. The parents should still pay attention, but things happen. These kids, however, were about 10 or 12. They didn't look retarded (and even retarded people can learn this basic rule of the lanes), and didn't appear to be either blind nor deaf. They just didn't care, and the parental unit there didn't either.
The mix was there... bad manners and inconsiderate people + me - Suzy to tell me to bite my tongue. I tell her "Do you mind asking the kids to wait their turns?" I simple request, certainly not out of bounds to ask. At first, she says "I've tried, but some kids are just slower than others." Well, that got me since she not once tried while she was there, and the kids didn't look retarded. So, I said "I've worked with mentally challenged people who know to do this." This is true, I have, and they did.
On my next frame, I'm getting ready to roll. Well, not just ready, I'm actually in motion. And what do I see? A blog going past my left eye again. I stop, and shake my head. Next thing I know, trailer-mom is in my ear "You shouldn't talk like that about other people's kids." I turn and say "Don't lecture me about kids, my 9 year old understands how to be considerate. You've obviously failed to understand or teach manners."
Well, some words went back and forth, yet her wit was not sharp enough and she was battling the wrong man. I think what finally shut her up was "When you go back to the trailer, you can think about how a bowling alley and NASCAR are different sports and have different etiquette." Not a peep from her after that.
I did speak to the guy at the front desk. The first guy didn't seem to care. However, I think he thought I was talking about the little little kids two lanes over. But, another guy knew who I was talking about, and gave us a free game.
Don't get me wrong, we still have a great time. I didn't let it ruin our time. But, having a little courtesy isn't too much to ask. So please, parents, when you take your kids to the bowling alley, have some respect for those next to you. They are there to bowl and have fun, and you have no right to mess with their games. Bowling aint free.
Posted by Kevin at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2008
What's with girls these days?
The link is to the photos which got Miss Nevada de-throned. Honestly, I don't understand why girls these days are so loose with themselves. Don't get me wrong, the "I'm a guy" side of my says "that's pretty hot", but the dad and logical part of me just doesn't get it.
Why do so many girls seems to want to lick each others boobs, crotches and kiss? Then, on top of it, let it be photographed?? You have to know it'll end up on the internet. And, you have to know that at some point, having a picture of you on the internet licking the breasts of another girl will one day, most likely, not help you out or at the very least come back to embarrass you.
Any why do it anyways? What's with the bi-sexual exhibitions? If you're really bi-sexual, great. But, I'll bet 98% of the girls you see doing this, are just doing it. They aren't dating women, just doing sexual acts with them. In public. On film. And not even getting paid to do it. I don't get it.
So, all you girls who want to *be* something, think twice before you start making out with that chick at the party. You'll end up on someones MySpace page.
Posted by Kevin at 5:08 PM | Comments (0)
Muslims again offended
FOXNews.com - Muslims Protest Wikipedia Images of Muhammad
Nearly 100,000 people worldwide have signed a Web-based petition asking Wikipedia to remove all depictions of the Prophet from its English-language entry
I'm telling you, the news of Muslims being offended is becoming about as common as "The sun will rise tomorrow" news. That is, it's now expected, not-news, and should be ignored (aside to point out how sensitive these people can be). I will say, at least it's starting as a petition. I'm just waiting for it to escalate to a riot. Which, again, would be expected.
I'll note that some of those "signatures" are really comments from people against taking it down. Also, the images are very old, and should be celebrated by Muslims that we get to see them.
Posted by Kevin at 3:17 PM | Comments (0)
So, what would they do?
The Associated Press: McCain Faces Conservative Test
I hear a whole lot of talk about how conservative Republicans don't like McCain since he isn't conservative enough, since he's more of a moderate. And, I hear talk about how he has to win over these more right-wing people. But, I think.. why? Chances are he'll get the nomination, not the more favorable to the less-moderates, Romney. So, what exactly would the conservatives do? Vote for the Democratic candidate? You may say "Well, they just will stay home and not vote", but in the general election, that's like voting for the Democratic candidate. When you don't vote for someone who can win (like all you people who voted for Nader), it's essentially not voting. You may feel warm and fuzzy for doing you civic duty, but you really help the person who you'd rather NOT win.
Do right wing conservatives really want to see Clinton or Obama in the White House? Of course not! I guess I don't see what the issue really is. I think these people will vote for the Republican candidate. That's what they do, they vote for the party, not the person. And, they know not vote they don't cast is a vote for the other party. If the general election turnout is anything like the most recent primaries, the Republicans have to start car pooling to the polls or the Democrats would win based on turnout alone.
Any more conservative folks who don't like McCain out there? What's the reality of the situation? Would you stay home, or vote for McCain? Shouldn't McCain be spending more time trying to get undecideds and moderate Democrats to swing his way, instead of the hard-core people in his own party?
(I don't expect an answer, or one to my Obama question.. but one day I'll look back and know I at least posed these questions)
Posted by Kevin at 12:28 AM | Comments (0)
February 6, 2008
Why Obama?
Can someone explain to me why they want Obama as President? Honestly, I can't figure it out. When I hear him speak, I hear a lot of "change" rhetoric, but I believe you hear that from someone every time there is an election. Someone wants to change the "status quo of the broken government in Washington." It's always "broken" and someone will always "fix it". But, why *really* vote for Obama?
My main issue with him is that I don't think he's ready to be President in the current state of the world (in 2000, maybe.. but not 2008). Here is a quick list of 10 very large, very important, issues the next President will need to be able to juggle on day 1 (no particular order, and the list is not complete).
1. Iraq
2. Iran
3. N. Korea
4. Strained relations with Russia
5. Oil prices
6. Global terrorism
7. Healthcare
8. Recession, maybe recession? At least, the falling dollar.
9. Border control
10. Illegal immigration.
But, the list can certainly go on...
11. Israel/Palestine (different than usual as Hamas has some control)
12. Lebenon
13. "Global warming"
14. The housing "crisis"
15. Hugo Chavez
And, of course, it could go on...
16. Possible death of Castro
17. China getting even stronger
18. India/Pakistan
19. Afghanistan
20. Deficit
It could go on, but those are some of the major issues of right now. On day 1, the next President needs to get to work on almost all of them (16, 17 and 18, maybe not day 1). How do people really believe Obama will be able to handle these issues? Is his draw really the fact that he wants to pull us out of Iraq? If so, what's his plan for the impending intensified war between the Sunni, Shia and Kurds when that happens? The unfettered Iranian and Syrian influence that will happen?
I'm sorry, but I really don't see that he's ready for the job. Not withstanding the fact I may not agree with his politics, even if I did, I don't know that he can really do it.
I did read his website. Not all the issues, but some of them. Most I don't see an actual plan laid out. A lot of "Obama will fix XYZ", but nothing detailed as to how. What I did see that I didn't like was this, in his "plan" for Iraq:
Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months.
That right there shows a pretty naive view of the Iraq situation. What if things deteriorate while this "plan" is in action? Will he still remove the troops, or keep them there? What happens if some are right, and as soon as we're gone (or enough gone) what's left of us is slaughtered because the opposition knew in advance when to plan for it? I simply don't like this "plan", and don't see any indication that Obama knows he may have to keep this plan adaptable to the real-world situation on the ground.
The 'Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile' section also seems a bit naive. These people have hated eachother for ages. All many of them know is hatred of eachother. It's not just a regional thing, it's a deep rooted religious difference. This isn't the US, where a Christian and Jew can agree to share something, this is where nobody wants to give an inch, because it would show "weakness", even if it were the right thing to do. It's a culture we don't understand logically, and it's a mindset so engrained that "pressing" anyone doesn't seem like a working strategy. Not to mention it seems like these people don't like being "pressed" by the West. They don't want us meddling, and I think that's somewhat clear. We should support things, and the pressing should be done by countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.
So, Obama supporters, 'splain it to me. What do you see in him beyond being a good orator and saying "change" many times? How do you feel that in today's world he is really the best person to handle all these major issues in tandem? Assuming you vote for a party and not a person, why do you think he could do it better than Clinton?
Posted by Kevin at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)
February 4, 2008
R8
Audi: Piranha | Creativity Online
Daddy like.
Posted by Kevin at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)
February 1, 2008
Berkely is looney
U.S. Senator Wants to Revoke Funding From City of Berkeley, Calif., for Vote to Boot Marines
This is something that bugs me about far-from-center liberals. They have the rights they have, and the rights to fight for more rights because of people like the Marines. Code Pink, who the city is essentially helping antagonize the Marines, only can exist because of the brave service men and women through history. These are the same people who if, God forbid, had a terrorist attack or natural disaster in their town would raise hell if the military wasn't there to help.
C'mon people. Just because you don't agree with Iraq (you know that's the issue here), doesn't mean you should disrupt a military office or try to kick them out. That's the thing about war, you can't always pick and choose which ones you like. You have to take the good with the bad. If China were invading us, you'd hope there were plenty of Marines. If Americans were taken hostage somewhere, you'd want Marines. So, what's your problem?
And, I think I agree with Sen. Jim DeMint. If you want to kick out a federal office, then you may not deserve some federal money. People forget where they came from, how they got there, and who did it for them.
Posted by Kevin at 1:40 PM | Comments (0)
Cooking
Went to a cooking class last weekend, and had a great time. If you know me, you know I love to cook. Now that there are some cooking classes, I'll be taking some to help take my food to the next level. This is an action shot of me! And yes, I kept the hat and now wear it when cooking.
Posted by Kevin at 9:33 AM | Comments (0)
Political Button
Posted by Kevin at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)