tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88574702296510691232024-03-12T15:39:11.005-07:00Patrick Coston's Generic BlogPatrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-9341741452747151972010-08-16T03:24:00.000-07:002010-08-16T03:57:29.325-07:00Deleting my Facebook Account (Part 2)I'm still trying to delete my Facebook but it appears Facebook lied to me. Once I delete it, I will signup again. This is just a reboot so I can start fresh. I opened my Facebook account when they first opened it up to general public so I've had it a long time and it has collected a lot of junk I'd like to purge. Since it's hard to purge that stuff, deleting my account seemed like the simplest way to remove everything and rebuild.<br /><br />They said that my account would be deleted on <a href="http://patcoston.blogspot.com/2010/08/deleting-my-facebook-account.html">Saturday August 14</a>. It's now Monday August 16 and I tried to signup and it said "There is an existing account associated with this email".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUGXUzUhI/AAAAAAAABv8/EWPLSXDOZds/s1600/facebook4.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUGXUzUhI/AAAAAAAABv8/EWPLSXDOZds/s400/facebook4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505954119010177554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So I logged in and saw this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUF99UNqI/AAAAAAAABvs/4p7u1M-_d0Y/s1600/facebook2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUF99UNqI/AAAAAAAABvs/4p7u1M-_d0Y/s400/facebook2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505954112200783522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I clicked Confirm Deletion and saw this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUGGpkBKI/AAAAAAAABv0/0vEom7HByDk/s1600/facebook3.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 124px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TGkUGGpkBKI/AAAAAAAABv0/0vEom7HByDk/s400/facebook3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505954114533852322" border="0" /></a><br />They had me wait 14 days until it got deleted. I waited 16 days and discovered they lied. My account has not been deleted now they are having me wait another 14 days. This time I will wait 30 days before I attempt to signup again.Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-15428511413986759262010-08-01T19:27:00.001-07:002010-08-01T19:54:32.140-07:00Deleting my Facebook AccountI've had a Facebook account since they opened it up to the entire Internet. I've subscribed to tons of stuff, installed tons of apps and accumulated nearly 150 friends. It's time for a reboot. The unfortunate thing is that all pictures tagged with me will get un-tagged. Oh well. This time I'll just invite about 50 of my closest friends instead of every one I know.<br /><br />I discovered that it's not easy to delete your account. The first thing I tried was to visit my account settings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvBUTmZoI/AAAAAAAABqE/xWv4-IafvLE/s1600/fb01.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvBUTmZoI/AAAAAAAABqE/xWv4-IafvLE/s200/fb01.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635694556931714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />but I discovered that you can only deactivate your account there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvB9AHeuI/AAAAAAAABqM/cVXmJmHhBHQ/s1600/fb02.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvB9AHeuI/AAAAAAAABqM/cVXmJmHhBHQ/s200/fb02.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635705481067234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is what they say about deactivation.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you deactivate your account from the "Deactivate Account" section on the Account page, your profile and all information associated with it are immediately made inaccessible to other Facebook users. What this means is that you effectively disappear from the Facebook service. However, if you want to reactivate at some point, we do save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.), and your account will look just the way it did when you deactivated if you decide to reactivate it. Many users deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and expect their information to be there when they return to the service.</span><br /><br />I clicked on Deactivate Account and I saw this screen showing me who would miss me and asking me why I'm deactivating.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvC-WBCEI/AAAAAAAABqU/D8lOVMT_YqI/s1600/fb03.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvC-WBCEI/AAAAAAAABqU/D8lOVMT_YqI/s200/fb03.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635723021224002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So then I went to the Help Center searched for "Delete My Account" and still they tried to bury the most obvious and best matching link.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvDD65XjI/AAAAAAAABqc/lK3Gcef3CXA/s1600/fb04.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvDD65XjI/AAAAAAAABqc/lK3Gcef3CXA/s200/fb04.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635724518088242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When you finally do click "Delete My Account" it warns<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, please keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. If you would like your account permanently deleted with no option for recovery, log in to your account and then submit your request by clicking here.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvDdACxLI/AAAAAAAABqk/gEGEPfVucAg/s1600/fb05.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 79px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvDdACxLI/AAAAAAAABqk/gEGEPfVucAg/s200/fb05.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635731250562226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />You then have to put in your password and prove you're a human.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvODBpKoI/AAAAAAAABqs/neS2OrVLc-M/s1600/fb06.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvODBpKoI/AAAAAAAABqs/neS2OrVLc-M/s200/fb06.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635913256512130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When you finally pass that, you learn that your account has not been deleted. It's only deactivated for 14 days then it will be deleted. You see this text<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Your account has been deactivated from the site and will be permanently deleted within 14 days. If you log into your account within the next 14 days, you will have the option to cancel your request.</span><br /><br />The sent me this emails<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi Patrick,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We have received a request to permanently delete your account. Your account has been deactivated from the site and will be permanently deleted within 14 days.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you did not request to permanently delete your account, please login to Facebook to cancel this request:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">http://www.facebook.com/login.php</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Facebook Team</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvOvFEdvI/AAAAAAAABq0/jWzbHjnOfQc/s1600/fb07.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 64px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvOvFEdvI/AAAAAAAABq0/jWzbHjnOfQc/s200/fb07.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635925082044146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I then logged in and saw this<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvO2YFY9I/AAAAAAAABq8/PZLi4XgtEZM/s1600/fb08.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 54px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvO2YFY9I/AAAAAAAABq8/PZLi4XgtEZM/s200/fb08.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635927040844754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I clicked Cancel Deletion and saw this<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvPFWt_DI/AAAAAAAABrE/NvXr91eprZQ/s1600/fb09.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 54px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/TFYvPFWt_DI/AAAAAAAABrE/NvXr91eprZQ/s200/fb09.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500635931061648434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />saying that I canceled the deletion but my account was still deactivated. While it was disabled, I had people check to see if any photos of me were still tagged and they weren't. I also was not listed in anyone's friends list. Once I canceled deletion, everything went back to normal and I was once again tagged in photos and showed up on people's friends list.<br /><br />I repeated the steps and canceled my account again. Now I have to wait until August 14 for it to actually delete. Then I can sign-up again and start fresh and new. I'll post back to this blog once I do that.<br /><br />BTW, when I was logged into Facebook, I listed all of my friends and used a Firefox plugin to save the page. Now I can open that page locally on my PC and pick and choose which friends I want to re-invite.Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-71512228698937890652009-05-25T05:59:00.000-07:002009-05-25T06:12:42.576-07:00Driving in Los Angeles, California (Part 2)Notice in the map below how 101 North becomes 170 North and 134 West becomes 101 North. It makes no sense. 101 should have continued North and 134 should have continued West and there should be no 170. This is one of the strangest highway intersections I have ever seen. Try going from 101 North to 134 East or 134 West to 101 South. It's not possible as I have shown in <a href="http://patcoston.blogspot.com/2009/05/driving-in-los-angeles-california-part.html">part 1</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqXtvdFT8I/AAAAAAAABDE/i5UDRr-0yEg/s1600-h/map6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 396px; height: 308px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqXtvdFT8I/AAAAAAAABDE/i5UDRr-0yEg/s400/map6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339747120289501122" /></a>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-44796594728216753382009-05-25T05:19:00.000-07:002009-05-25T06:36:45.990-07:00Driving in Los Angeles, California (Part 1)Most of the time two highways intersect, you have the option of transferring but it's not always the case in Los Angeles, California. Sometimes it feels like the highway planners decided to save money and not make certain connections.<br /><br /><table><br /><tbody><tr><td>170 North to 5 East?</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqO-1IF-xI/AAAAAAAABCE/NDdiXzw-uDQ/s1600-h/map1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 383px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqO-1IF-xI/AAAAAAAABCE/NDdiXzw-uDQ/s400/map1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339737518265203474" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td>5 West, Exit, 5 East</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqO_C_d5dI/AAAAAAAABCM/Tt0NpuJq-8g/s1600-h/map1_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqO_C_d5dI/AAAAAAAABCM/Tt0NpuJq-8g/s400/map1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339737521987118546" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table><br /><tbody><tr><td>101 North to 134 East?</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQudEG6sI/AAAAAAAABCU/EfxjejXZ7xo/s1600-h/map2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 372px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQudEG6sI/AAAAAAAABCU/EfxjejXZ7xo/s400/map2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339739435951385282" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td>170 North, Exit, 170 South to 134 East.</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQug97NPI/AAAAAAAABCc/-RgTTdvEjDk/s1600-h/map2_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 324px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQug97NPI/AAAAAAAABCc/-RgTTdvEjDk/s400/map2_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339739436999193842" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table><br /><tbody><tr><td>134 East to 5 North?</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRkhyrVhI/AAAAAAAABCk/-FR2Xi5gAFQ/s1600-h/map3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRkhyrVhI/AAAAAAAABCk/-FR2Xi5gAFQ/s400/map3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339740364933387794" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td>Exit before 5, take back rode to 5 North</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRkjLq_DI/AAAAAAAABCs/HlHrmwBVrSU/s1600-h/map3_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRkjLq_DI/AAAAAAAABCs/HlHrmwBVrSU/s400/map3_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339740365306657842" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table><br /><tbody><tr><td>101 North to 134 East?</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQudEG6sI/AAAAAAAABCU/EfxjejXZ7xo/s1600-h/map2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 372px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqQudEG6sI/AAAAAAAABCU/EfxjejXZ7xo/s400/map2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339739435951385282" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td>Exit before 134, take back road to 134 East</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRk-LJVYI/AAAAAAAABC0/o-arCvqn00I/s1600-h/map4_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 217px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wg2_0uY0z6I/ShqRk-LJVYI/AAAAAAAABC0/o-arCvqn00I/s400/map4_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339740372552209794" border="0" /></a></td></tr><br /></tbody></table>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-83954256460925320772009-04-28T19:23:00.001-07:002009-04-28T20:04:24.945-07:00Celebs followers on TwitterHere is a list of some of the celebs I'm following on Twitter and how many followers they have as of Tuesday 4/28/2009 7:30 pm PST.<br /><br />3,674 - <a href="http://twitter.com/TheRealStallone">Sylvester Stallone</a><br />5,297 - <a href="http://twitter.com/stevewozniak">Steve Wozniak</a><br />17,771 - <a href="http://twitter.com/andydick">Andy Dick</a><br />22,896 - <a href="http://twitter.com/TherealWill">Will Smith</a><br />24,183 - <a href="http://twitter.com/JJ_Abrams">JJ Abrams</a><br />25,182 - <a href="http://twitter.com/RealJessicaAlba">Jessica Alba</a><br />30,201 - <a href="http://twitter.com/Steve_Buscemi">Steve Buscemi</a><br />53,254 - <a href="http://twitter.com/KristenjStewart">Kristen Stewart</a><br />60,079 - <a href="http://twitter.com/WilliamShatner">William Shatner</a><br />92,524 - <a href="http://twitter.com/richardbranson">Richard Branson</a><br />151,216 - <a href="http://twitter.com/JohnCleese">John Cleese</a><br />152,519 - <a href="http://twitter.com/KevinSpacey">Kevin Spacey</a><br />194,048 - <a href="http://twitter.com/nicolerichie">Nicole Richie</a><br />277,360 - <a href="http://twitter.com/alyankovic">Al Yankovic</a><br />307,592 - <a href="http://twitter.com/BrentSpiner">Brent Spiner</a><br />335,350 - <a href="http://twitter.com/TinaFey">Tina Fey</a><br />354,917 - <a href="http://twitter.com/freddurst">Fred Durst</a><br />437,703 - <a href="http://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith">Kevin Smith</a><br />404,114 - <a href="http://twitter.com/trent_reznor">Trent Reznor</a><br />470,206 - <a href="http://twitter.com/pennjillette">Penn Jillette</a><br />502,782 - <a href="http://twitter.com/wilw">Wil Wheaton</a><br />516,828 - <a href="http://twitter.com/drdrew">Dr. Drew</a><br />529,721 - <a href="http://twitter.com/tonyhawk">Tony Hawk</a><br />551,636 - <a href="http://twitter.com/rainnwilson">Rainn Wilson</a><br />565,506 - <a href="http://twitter.com/kevinrose">Kevin Rose</a><br />682,318 - <a href="http://twitter.com/Oprah">Oprah</a><br />688,610 - <a href="http://twitter.com/algore">Al Gore</a><br />733,244 - <a href="http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong">Lance Armstrong</a><br />774,296 - <a href="http://twitter.com/mrskutcher">Demi Moore</a><br />832,050 - <a href="http://twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ">Shaq</a><br />847,569 - <a href="http://twitter.com/jimmyfallon">Jimmy Falon</a><br />1,014,764 - <a href="http://twitter.com/BarackObama">Barack Obama</a><br />1,223,110 - <a href="http://twitter.com/britneyspears">Britney Spears</a><br />1,492,967 - <a href="http://twitter.com/aplusk">Ashton Kutcher</a>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-36777219943918031882009-04-02T07:52:00.001-07:002009-04-02T08:44:03.680-07:00NextEver notice how the word "next" is ambiguous?<div><br /></div><div>I signed up for the gym yesterday (April 1) and the woman said "Your next payment will be March 1. I assumed she meant that my first payment was at the end of month. Should she have said "your next payment is today"? I intepretted the word "next" as "first". So does "next" mean "first" or "the one after"?<br /><div><br /></div><div>Another Example</div><div><br /></div><div>Today is Monday and I say "I'll see you next Friday". Do I mean this coming Friday or the one after?</div><div><br /></div><div>Most people would say it means "this coming Friday".</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Today is Thursday and I say "I'll see you next Friday". Do I mean this coming Friday or the one after?</div><div><br /></div><div>Most people would say it means "the Friday <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">after </span>this coming Friday".</div><div><br /></div><div>Aha! There it is! Ambiguity based on proximity and a common mis-usage of English.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=next&r=66">Dictionary.com</a> defines "next" as "nearest or adjacent in place or position" so it never means the one after.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So if it is Friday and I say "I'll see next Friday", it actually means "I'll see you today" since today is the nearest in time position.</div><div><br /></div><div>The American Sign Language sign for "next" implies "the one after".</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/n/next.htm">http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/n/next.htm</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>You leap-frog one hand over the other to indicate you're skipping the up-coming thing for the one after. That sign gives the wrong idea about the meaning of the word "next".</div><div><br /></div><div>The sign should actually closer to the sign for "near".</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/n/near.htm">http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/n/near.htm</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Your two hands move toward and away but in a close proximity but they don't touch. So in my mind, the right sign for "next" would be to have the front hand stationary and the back hand move toward the front hand and touch. Unfortunately that is the sign for "arrive".</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/a/arrive.htm">http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/a/arrive.htm</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So even sign language perpetuates the ambiguity of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">next</span>.</div></div></div>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-70349946742970954942009-03-28T21:27:00.000-07:002009-03-28T21:32:41.737-07:00Idea for banksI would love the ability to create as many virtual savings accounts as I wanted to. I need to save money for dozens of things so when I get paid, I can transfer small amounts of money into these many small virtual accounts.<br /><br />Let's say I want to save money for a new PC, a new bicycle and a new couch. I would log into my account on the web and create new V-Savings account with names<br /><br />PC<br />bicycle<br />Couch<br /><br />I could then transfer money from any account into these accounts and vice-versa.<br /><br />This way I can easily track how much I have saved for each item. I can delete a V-Savings after I transfer all the money to another account. I would still have a primary savings account.<br /><br />This would make my life easier. Currently I'm saving money for a dozen different things but all the money goes in one account so I have to keep track of how much I've saved for each item.Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-46450806165431821432009-03-22T21:44:00.000-07:002009-04-02T08:20:36.820-07:00Thing-a-holicThis rock station I listen to had these ads for becoming a rock-a-holic. They had a parody of an alcoholic anonymous meeting. Instead of a cure, these meetings supplied their addiction. They implied that cure for a rock-a-holic is more rock.<br /><br />Next I heard this ad for Carl's Jr. for their new Bourbon Burger. These people talked about how they cannot function without a Bourbon Burger saying the things a typical alcoholic might say. Of course the cure was to eat more Bourbon Burgers for these Bourbon Burger-a-holics.<br /><br />I'm afraid I'll be hearing more companies advertise their products thinking it's funny to talk about addiction to their product and acting like their the drug dealers encouraging their addiction.<br /><br />I know it's supposed to be funny but I can't help wonder how all these people feel who are addicted to something or who have been addicted to something.<br /><br />I just feel these ads are stupid and insulting my intelligence. The cure for addiction is not more of the drug.Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-12718645787626409332009-01-23T19:26:00.000-08:002009-01-24T12:59:35.514-08:00$1 BurgersThanks to the recession we're seeing great deals in fast food. It may be good for my wallet but most of it is bad for my health.<div><br /></div><div>Here are the deals I've seen on TV so far</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>McDonalds - Dollar Menu: 8 ways to eat like a champ for just a buck<br /></li><li>KFC - get a bucket of chicken or 7 for $3.99<br /></li><li>Quiznos - over 20 sandwiches for under $5<br /></li><li>Wendy's - 3conomics - 3 sandwiches for 99 cents each</li><li>Subway - $5 foot long</li><li>Burger King - choose from 10 items starting at a buck each</li><li>Sonic - Everyday value menu with a variety of food for $1 each</li><li>IHOP - All you can eat pancakes</li></ul><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-15819899820484573422009-01-22T09:38:00.000-08:002009-01-22T09:42:01.020-08:00Random traffic slow downs for no good reasonYesterday I was driving down the highway at 75 mph then suddenly traffic slowed to 5 mph. After 5 minutes it sped back up to 75 mph and I could see no reason why it should have slowed. This page gives a reason why this happens.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://i40.tinypic.com/ay6d55.png">http://i40.tinypic.com/ay6d55.png</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>All it takes is one person to hit their brakes and cause a ripple effect which <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">propagates</span> like a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">domino</span> effect to the cars behind it.</div>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-84895756578089580112009-01-08T00:17:00.001-08:002009-01-08T00:50:07.780-08:00Real Life PuzzleOur motel is right next to the highway off exit 14. I need to go one exit west to exit 13 but the west on-ramp is under construction.<br /><br />The back route options to the next exits are ...<br /><br />Head East along North side to exit 15 (10 minutes)<br />Head East along South side to exit 15 (20 minutes)<br />Head West along South side to exit 13 (30 minutes)<br />Head West along North side to exit 13 (40 minutes)<br /><br />The travel time between exits on the highway is 2 minutes.<br /><br />What is the optimal route?<br />How long will it take?<br /><br />See next post for hint.<br /><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-87040061788318164702009-01-08T00:16:00.000-08:002009-01-08T00:51:25.837-08:00Hint to PuzzleHint: I can get from my motel to exit 13 in 7 minutes. What is the optimal route?<br /><br />See next post for answer.<br /><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-28794038530944758822009-01-08T00:04:00.000-08:002009-01-08T00:58:32.140-08:00Answer to PuzzleAnswer: Take the on-ramp East to exit 15 then take the on-ramp West to exit 13.<br /><br />This was a real life puzzle I had to solve. Here is the actual map.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1154+7th+Ave,+Hacienda+Heights,+CA+91745&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.766543,67.851563&ie=UTF8&ll=34.027909,-117.985182&spn=0.010974,0.016565&z=14&output=embed&s=AARTsJpqQPExQG_b5GatqRNY9cp_1KMLXQ"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1154+7th+Ave,+Hacienda+Heights,+CA+91745&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.766543,67.851563&ie=UTF8&ll=34.027909,-117.985182&spn=0.010974,0.016565&z=14&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-79654055539647481412008-12-12T11:10:00.001-08:002008-12-12T11:10:35.394-08:00C++ and C#<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">It occurred me to the other day that the name c# is nearly identical to c++ in that the # sign is two + signs overlapped.</span>Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857470229651069123.post-42128474222047709612008-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:002008-10-25T17:03:13.623-07:00Generic BlogI've created a lot of blogs in the past for <a href="http://patcostonmoviereviews.blogspot.com/">movies</a>, <a href="http://patcostonhobby.blogspot.com/">hobbies</a>, <a href="http://patrick-james-coston-asian-adventures.blogspot.com/">adventures in Asia</a>, <a href="http://link-a-rama.blogspot.com/">links</a>, the Christian <a href="http://holy-bible-batman.blogspot.com/">bible</a> and being a <a href="http://a-bright.blogspot.com/">bright</a> and <a href="http://tekalicious.blogspot.com/">technology</a> but this blog is simply my random thoughts. It's about time!Patrick Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12754495015537181958noreply@blogger.com0