Fried Computer
by Chris Cunningham
Unlike last month's post of the same name, this is actually the recipe for a delicious robot snack.
Do you have friends who think they're robots? Do you have friends who don't accept that they're robots? Well, you're in luck. What follows is the traditional Cleverpork recipe for Fried Computer, a delicious robot snack.
...continue reading Fried Computer
I’m Back!
by Chris CunninghamMy computer is now restored to it's original greatness (thanks to the help of Mr. Pat Cunningham) and it is in fact much faster than it has been in the last...year maybe? Anyway, installed a new hard drive today, restored my old files and Im back on track. Perhaps I will blog some more in the coming week. I am going on a field trip to the Newport Aquarium, and it has been a long time since I've live blogged something, so keep your eyes peeled!
Fried Computer
by Chris CunninghamNo, this is not a cooking article for a delicious robot treat (though that is a good idea...), this is an article about how my computer has gone from functioning to not over the weekend.
Sunday something happened and I had to hard restart my computer (it was going hella slow) and it would not restart. Not knowing what to do, I called pat and we spent a while working with the computer (and by we I mean mainly he). We ended the night reformatting my drive and restoring from a January 4th backup.
Monday I got it working enough to get some homework done. But by the evening it had froze up again. I reformatted one more time, this time zeroing out all the data. It froze up almost immediately upon startup.
Now, in the present, Pat has ordered me a new internal hard drive to see if that does the trick. If not, then I guess I'll reformat and start from a clean install of OS X (after pulling off selected files that I want and possibly going through and making sure I have all my passwords.
what does this mean for you readers? Sadly, I expect low article rates to continue (in conjunciton with thesis and grad school application work) for the foreseeable future. However, I hope my compatriots will continue to strive to entertain you all!
How To: Procrastinate When You Should Be Working On Your Thesis
by Chris CunninghamI should be working on my thesis. Specifically, my Thesis Prospectus. However, instead I am taking this time to educate you all on a few tips that will help you to procrastinate when a time comes that you all have a huge important paper that requires a lot of time, planning and effort.
1. Fill your evening with events
I have told people that I will attend events they are putting on. Planet Earth is playing at 7? I'll be there! Complex Government? I'll be there! because of this a significant portion of my night is booked with important engagements. This allows me to not feel guilty about wasting the little time between those events
2. Pick up a new hobby
I've never known how to use photoshop or illustrator, but I've been working on my skillz instead of writing a thesis. With this noble goal in mind, I can feel good about spending my time advancing my knowledge of a variety of topics. I am still awful with these programs, but that just means more time can be devoted to things.
3. Have friends who want to play video games with you
This one is harder unless you have friends willing. I am lucky enough to have just such friends. I am a firm believer that socialization is an important part of developing a well rounded person, so these video games with friends produce excellent opportunities.
4. Make a Blog
What better way to waste time then to write about wasting time? I say none. I'm here for that purpose and it seems to be working pretty well. I've now spent at least 20 minutes of potential thesis time on this post and that is quite an accomplishment I must say.
Why Does Discovery Ruin Good Shows
by Chris Cunningham
Sigourney Weaver wasn't an awful narrator for Planet Earth. I, unlike some(who protested the show), watched every episode on the Discovery Channel. Then I got the BBC version as a gift and if I ever heard the Discovery version after that I needed to turn it off. David Attenborough is so much better at it.
At this time, Attenborough is pretty much the spokesman of macro biology. He is quite qualified to narrate a special on biology. In fact, BBC knows this and uses him to narrate their shows. He writes the narration then speaks it. Sure he humanizes animals more than necessary, but he has a good voice for narration and presents information in a way that people understand.
Discovery, for some reason, doesn't get this. Instead, they try to feed the American desire for celebrities and give us Sigourney weaver, and now Oprah.
Yes, you read that right, the sequel to Planet Earth, Life, is being narrated on Discovery Channel by Oprah Whinfrey. No disrespect to Oprah, but what is the chance that she truly understands the words she is reading from that script? Why does Discovery think that we need a different narrator for this show exploring the diversity of life?
I got really excited about this new "sequel" to Planet Earth, but then I saw the words "narrated by Oprah" and decided that I need to buy the BBC version before I watch it. David Attenborough wrote the narration for the show, and I want to hear him say his words.
You can already Preorder the BBC version on DVD. Why wait for a sub-par version to come from Discovery Channel, when you can buy the original version now. That's what I'm going to do, I'm not going to wait and watch the show just to hear an overused celebrity narrate it. Instead I'm going to watch it with someone who has been making nature films for 30 years.
