January 14, 2013: Bingoogle

Who doesn't know search engines?  We use them practically every single day, and they almost always lead us to the results we seek.  But, does every search engine do their job with the same level of quality and efficiency, or do they differ? To answer this question, I have decided to compare two big ones:  Bing, the more recent reincarnation of Microsoft's Live Search, and Google, perhaps the most well known of all search engines and a veritable titan of it's field.  LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!!!

Bing, being the reborn form of Live Search, is a Microsoft-backed search service that provides for all the usual amenities.  It offers a usually reliable search performance, and the images aren't too bad either.  Searching within other sites with it, such as using the little search bar that appears under YouTube's top search result, will take you to that site's own search page, which is nice.

Google, the most well-known of all search engines, has a bit more going for it.  You can customize your search results based on relevancy, how long ago the search result was discovered by Google's bots, and by size if you're searching through the images.  There's also a few fun little easter eggs to be found (type in 'askew' for example, and the results page will be tilted).

My personal vote in all this goes to Google, honestly.  Sorry Bing, I just don't like you as much!

January 11, 2013: Time's Natural Keeper

Hold your tongues just one moment, as I've a question for the lot of you.  What mostly comprises dry, arid deserts, and warm, humid beaches?  What do you usually find in an hourglass?

  
The fate of all rocks that succumb to erosion is to slowly, but surely, be turned into the granulated substance known as sand.  There's more grains of it in a single desert than there are people on the entire planet, and it can all provide for very grainy fun.  Handle it correctly, and any number of things may be created from it, including castles and perhaps even large sand statues!  It's also perfect for living beings who prefer dryer habitats, too.

January 10, 2013: A Certain Breakfast Food

Welcome to the most randon post you will likely ever see on this entire blog.  Remember that 'likely', though.  What is this about, you may ask?

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSST

Or just the quaint 'toast', for short.  Buttered, smothered with jelly, sugared, and even frenched, toast is a staple of our mornings.  It is surpassingly easy to prepare (unlike buscuits) and nearly anything can be applied to them.

Have you ever needed a partner for your cereal/grapefruit and/or bacon/eggs combinations?  Then look no further than your pack of bread, and your toaster.  Don't forget the butter!

January 8, 2013: Dig Yourself a Mineshaft

Yes, you heard right.  I am a Minecraft fan, so if you don't like this game, get out while there's still time.

ROIGHT THEN, on we go with this blog entry!  What is there NOT to like about this game?  You can build practically anything you want (if you're in Creative mode...it'll be harder to do in other modes), you can blow things up, you can charge straight into Hell (or as it's called here, The Nether), and dig however much you like...until you hit bedrock, that is.  Even then, you can bypass it in Creative mode...wait, what is that under the bedrock?

Say hello to The Void, ladies and gents.  Should you be able to dig past the bedrock, you've basically dug through the entire game world and made an entrance to the infinite plane of nothingness and darkness that preceded all creation.  Jumping in will cause you to die quickly, so it's never a good idea to fall in.  You can FLY in on Creative mode, though.

Also, have I mentioned the building aspects enough yet?  You can basically build whatever you want, from a tiny hut to a massive castle.  If you find yourself able, you could even create a vast, world-spanning structure of excellence!
 

January 9, 2012: Three Certainties

(Note: Any similarities to any real people living or dead is entirely coincidental. This is merely a piece of fiction, as far as I'm concerned, so hopefully there isn't someone here who reads this who happens to share the same name and situation as the protagonist here!)

If there's any three certainties in life, it's life, death, and taxes.  Certainly, this is something the nineteen-year-old Scott, an African-American college student, knew very well.

All his life, he and his family have been pursued by the IRS, as they were quite poor and rarely could afford to pay most of their taxes, just enough to keep a roof over their heads and keep their boy Scott in school.  They've done a respectable job thus far, as their son has managed to graduate and is now seeking a part-time job to help support the family and get some bills paid.  That's when they drop the bombshell - they've scrounged up enough to pay what Scott's scholarships do not cover so that he may attend college.  The night of the discussion is an emotional one, as the young man is ready to burst into tears of joy.  He's always wanted to go to college, but never thought he'd be able to go due to rampant financial issues.

The month after he graduated from high school, Scott arrived on college campus.  He's kept his old part-time job so that he can help his family pay tuition throughout his run of the college gamut.  His interactions with other students tend to be mixed, as about a third of the people he's talked to have become his friends, another third still remain on the fence about him, and the last third have become vicious bullies to him.  His job doesn't exactly have a friendly atmosphere about it, either, as his manager is quite ruthless.  Scott has come very close to being fired for trivial matters on multiple occasions, but at least it pays well for something part-time.

Scott remains at college for four years until his graduation, from which he walks away with a Bachelor's degree.  He manages to obtain a full-time job which has great pay and aligns well with his interests, and he quits his old job.  One year later, many of his family's bills are paid.

January 7, 2013: Like Trying to Fit a Sphere In a Square

Circles, squares, what base shapes they are...not to mention their three-dimensional counterparts, too.  They both find themselves being vital parts of many designs, so should it really matter much at all which one a single man prefers?  Well, considering the stipulations for this entry's creation, such specifics are not only required, but are at the forefront of focus here.

If asked, I would side with circles and spheres, with my declaration that they are preferred over squares and cubes a loud and clear one.  There's just something about a rounded, smooth shape that has no abrupt edges that satisfies me.  Call me a hypocrite if I make designs in the future with jagged edges and many sharp points, but eh...it's still personal preference, and it's difficult for one to change another's personal preferences.

January 4, 2013: Sitting Room Only

Ah yes, chairs.

 

Perhaps one of the most important tools mankind has ever invented.  I could never imagine life without the chance to sit my rear in a seat and be lazy all day!

*COUGH*

...so yes, chairs.  They make school life a bit easier, obviously, considering how he need to at least be a bit relaxed during our day-to-day activities.  Could you, readers, imagine going to classes, or perhaps the office (if you're employed), and standing up all day long without the comforting reprieve a chair can provide?  I didn't think so.

We commonly take chairs for granted, and understandably so seeing as their main purpose is for sitting upon, one of the most mundane tasks a human is capable of.  Perhaps, however, we should be a bit more considerate of the importance of our four-legged friends.  They're quite a bit more comfortable than hard rocks, at the very least.