Last week (I think), I noticed for the first time that Windows Live/MSN Messenger's Xbox tab no longer displayed online friends. Back just before E3, Xbox.com debuted a feature that allows PC users on the site to send and receive messages over the Xbox Live service. And Windows Live Messenger, the biggest update to Messenger in, well, a while, will likely exit Beta sometime this summer. And Microsoft has always talked about increasing PC-to-Xbox connectivity, especially at E3 with the news that "Live Anywhere" would essentially give cell phones and Windows Vista PCs Xbox Live functionality.
Together, all of this points toward one thing: that the final release of Windows Live Messenger will display your Xbox Live Friends as part of the main buddy list, and that you'll be able to carry on limited conversations with them. At least, that's what I think... and hope. Equal parts educated guess and wishful thinking, perhaps. But it certainly seems possible, considering the evidence.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Fon
Check out Fon. Very cool, and potentially quite useful too. Basically, if you set up your WiFi router with their software, you essentially donate your WiFi coverage to the Fon network, and in return you get free access to everyone else's Fon-enabled routers. (Conversely, you can choose to pay for access elsewhere and get paid when people use your router.)
Friday, May 12, 2006
Halo 3
For the past three days, Halo 3 is practically all that I can think about. Well, not really, but I have thought about it a lot. Why? See for youself. (NOTE: Prepare to be confused if you haven't played 1 or 2.)
E3 is underway now, and so far it's yielded some pretty incredible stuff. Take, for example, Microsoft's new "Live Anywhere," which will bring Xbox Live to your PC and cell phone. Whenever Vista finally launches, it'll do so with basic Live capabilities and at least one game, Shadowrun, capable of being played across platforms - PC vs. Xbox 360. Very cool... very cool indeed.
I'll update with more later, if I can remember... in the mean time, go watch the H3 trailer again. :)
E3 is underway now, and so far it's yielded some pretty incredible stuff. Take, for example, Microsoft's new "Live Anywhere," which will bring Xbox Live to your PC and cell phone. Whenever Vista finally launches, it'll do so with basic Live capabilities and at least one game, Shadowrun, capable of being played across platforms - PC vs. Xbox 360. Very cool... very cool indeed.
I'll update with more later, if I can remember... in the mean time, go watch the H3 trailer again. :)
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Fun Links
360 Voice
Give your Xbox a blog of its own.
ROBO-ONE in the Space!
Actually planned for 2010.
David Hasselhoff
Singing.
Leonard Nimoy
Singing some more.
Give your Xbox a blog of its own.
ROBO-ONE in the Space!
Actually planned for 2010.
David Hasselhoff
Singing.
Leonard Nimoy
Singing some more.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Back from Disney World
Mere hours ago I returned on a Song 757 from Orlando, Florida, where I had been at Disney World since Sunday. Go Mickey! :) Here are some of the rides I went on:
Epcot
Test Track
Get in a car. Go fast.
Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safari
We saw lions, elephants, alligators, rhinos, hippos, and much more.
Magic Kingdom
It's a Small World
Creepy yet classic.
Big Thunder Mountain
The biggest rollercoaster I'm willing to go on. I actually videotaped the whole thing -- well, videocarded I suppose, since it's on a xD card instead of a tape -- so with luck I'll get that online for all to see sometime soon.
Disney MGM Studios
Star Tours [x4]
It's Star Wars. Need I say more? Now complete with a giant water-blasting AT-AT standing guard outside in a recreation of one small piece of Endor, take the vacation of a lifetime to the idyllic forest moon. Along the way, though, there may be a detour or two... :) First you board the Star Tours Express, a ship seating maybe 50 people (they have six of them). All the action is seen throught the forward viewport, aka a large screen. :) The entire ship is mounted on a gimbal so that it can shake and move with the action onscreen.
Backlot Tour
Take a look at some of what goes into making a movie. See prop warehouses, costume design shops, and live pyrotechnics and water effects. Watch a select few lucky parkgoers make their own "Harbor Attack" minimovie.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Similar to the Backlot Tour, we saw many of the stunts and action pieces from Raiders of the Lost Ark, live.
Lights Motors Action [x2]
Cars! Motorcycles! Stunts! Jumps! Explosions! Again along the same lines as the Backlot Tour and Indiana Jones, this show takes you behind-the-scenes of producing a movie car chase scene. It'll give you a whole new level of appreciation for what goes into that kind of thing.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Play It! [x2]
In an authentic Millionaire set, complete with music, spinning lights and everything, compete for the chance to sit in the hot seat. No, you're not playing for a million dollars, but you are
Downtown Disney
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba
Wow. Very cool bicycling, trampolining, spinning, jumping, and so on. These people are incredibly skilled.
Epcot
Test Track
Get in a car. Go fast.
Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safari
We saw lions, elephants, alligators, rhinos, hippos, and much more.
Magic Kingdom
It's a Small World
Creepy yet classic.
Big Thunder Mountain
The biggest rollercoaster I'm willing to go on. I actually videotaped the whole thing -- well, videocarded I suppose, since it's on a xD card instead of a tape -- so with luck I'll get that online for all to see sometime soon.
Disney MGM Studios
Star Tours [x4]
It's Star Wars. Need I say more? Now complete with a giant water-blasting AT-AT standing guard outside in a recreation of one small piece of Endor, take the vacation of a lifetime to the idyllic forest moon. Along the way, though, there may be a detour or two... :) First you board the Star Tours Express, a ship seating maybe 50 people (they have six of them). All the action is seen throught the forward viewport, aka a large screen. :) The entire ship is mounted on a gimbal so that it can shake and move with the action onscreen.
Backlot Tour
Take a look at some of what goes into making a movie. See prop warehouses, costume design shops, and live pyrotechnics and water effects. Watch a select few lucky parkgoers make their own "Harbor Attack" minimovie.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Similar to the Backlot Tour, we saw many of the stunts and action pieces from Raiders of the Lost Ark, live.
Lights Motors Action [x2]
Cars! Motorcycles! Stunts! Jumps! Explosions! Again along the same lines as the Backlot Tour and Indiana Jones, this show takes you behind-the-scenes of producing a movie car chase scene. It'll give you a whole new level of appreciation for what goes into that kind of thing.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Play It! [x2]
In an authentic Millionaire set, complete with music, spinning lights and everything, compete for the chance to sit in the hot seat. No, you're not playing for a million dollars, but you are
Downtown Disney
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba
Wow. Very cool bicycling, trampolining, spinning, jumping, and so on. These people are incredibly skilled.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Spring Break, Oblivion, & Disney World!
I just saw the Godfather (part one) for the first time. Good movie... pretty long, too. It must have had half a dozen different climaxes. In the car ride home, we were all kind of checking the seat behind us nervously to make sure no one was going to... uhh... get revenge or anything....
---
For the past week I've been on Spring Break... woohoo! :) I've been getting some good web site work done... maybe by the end of next week I'll have put some parts online.
That's going to be waylayed, though, by a "trip out of the country," as my dad calls it -- a trip to the self-contained, totalitarian microworld known as Disney World. (Seriously, they should secede from the Union.)
What'll my favorite attraction be? Why, same as last year, of course - Star Tours! :D
If I have a chance, maybe I'll report live from the Mouse Front. Or not. We're being airlifted in at 08:00, or something like that. I'll send in a little report afterwards, at least... well, if I remember. :)
---
So what have I been doing for the past week, aside from web work and prepping for insertion? Living in an entirely different world. Well, in the few spare minutes when my brother isn't. :)
That world is Nirn, specifically the 16 square mile Cyrodiil province as seen in the RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, available now for Xbox 360 and PC. (The second installment is remembered for an environment twice the size of Great Britain, but the land in Oblivion is much more varied.)
This game has earned almost universal 9/10 reviews or higher. Complaints about framerate or load times are not totally without reason, but are an utter non-issue. If you play this game, trust me, you won't care either. It's just... well, HUGE, and it presents endless possibilities. Buy and sell; barter; buy a house; buy a horse; steal a horse; go to jail; break out of jail; repeat.
Jail is actually kind of fun, which I suppose is a bad moral for kids to learn. ;) You can try to pick the lock, which is hard -- harder in the bigger prisons, like the Imperial City Prison. You could also try pickpocketing the key off the guard. (But if you do and you're recaptured, watch out, 'cause they're not dumb enough to give him the key the second time.) In smaller cities you might be paired with a jailmate. I once escaped by starting a fight with another prisoner and then running out the door as the guard came in to intervene.
I could go on for hours. Many reviewers do. Google it; you'll find some. If you have an Xbox 360, I highly recommend it; if you have a PC, chances are you won't be able to run it. But if you have a state-of-the-art computer that can handle the graphics and physics, go for it. :)
---
For the past week I've been on Spring Break... woohoo! :) I've been getting some good web site work done... maybe by the end of next week I'll have put some parts online.
That's going to be waylayed, though, by a "trip out of the country," as my dad calls it -- a trip to the self-contained, totalitarian microworld known as Disney World. (Seriously, they should secede from the Union.)
What'll my favorite attraction be? Why, same as last year, of course - Star Tours! :D
If I have a chance, maybe I'll report live from the Mouse Front. Or not. We're being airlifted in at 08:00, or something like that. I'll send in a little report afterwards, at least... well, if I remember. :)
---
So what have I been doing for the past week, aside from web work and prepping for insertion? Living in an entirely different world. Well, in the few spare minutes when my brother isn't. :)
That world is Nirn, specifically the 16 square mile Cyrodiil province as seen in the RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, available now for Xbox 360 and PC. (The second installment is remembered for an environment twice the size of Great Britain, but the land in Oblivion is much more varied.)
This game has earned almost universal 9/10 reviews or higher. Complaints about framerate or load times are not totally without reason, but are an utter non-issue. If you play this game, trust me, you won't care either. It's just... well, HUGE, and it presents endless possibilities. Buy and sell; barter; buy a house; buy a horse; steal a horse; go to jail; break out of jail; repeat.
Jail is actually kind of fun, which I suppose is a bad moral for kids to learn. ;) You can try to pick the lock, which is hard -- harder in the bigger prisons, like the Imperial City Prison. You could also try pickpocketing the key off the guard. (But if you do and you're recaptured, watch out, 'cause they're not dumb enough to give him the key the second time.) In smaller cities you might be paired with a jailmate. I once escaped by starting a fight with another prisoner and then running out the door as the guard came in to intervene.
I could go on for hours. Many reviewers do. Google it; you'll find some. If you have an Xbox 360, I highly recommend it; if you have a PC, chances are you won't be able to run it. But if you have a state-of-the-art computer that can handle the graphics and physics, go for it. :)
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Office Live: New Web Site
Remember how I mentioned Office Live in my last post? Well, on Thursday I was lucky enough to get into the beta. The result is a new web site: www.tucklyne.com, for my family's ultrasmall business that does virtually nothing.
The online site-building tools are easy-to-use, powerful, and flexible. I was able to get a fairly good-looking site online in minutes. You can add images, documents, and little provided modules that give weather info, maps, stock quotes, slide shows, and more. You can create infinite pages, and organize them all under different sections and such.
You can give other people permission to edit the site, and create up to five email addresses "@tucklyne.com". You also get detailed reports of site traffic. See either visits or unique visitors with bar charts -- per hour, per day, per month, or during whatever time period you specify. See pie charts of what percentage of your visitors use what operating system, browser, and screen resolution.
And remember: all of this is for free. I didn't pay a cent for anything mentioned above. There's a waiting list for the beta now, but apparently already over 10,000 small businesses have been let in. Once this launches for real, it'll be a great resource. If you want even more, you can pay for it -- more storage (like you'd need it), more email addresses, additional domain names, online business management software, shared online storage, and more. Very, very, very cool.
A note of warning, though: Office Live hijacks your Hotmail somewhat. While you're logged in to Office Live, the Hotmail logos change to Office Live Mail and the MSN links change to Office Live links. This may now be one of the issues preventing me from entering the Windows Live Mail beta, which is really too bad. Overall, though, it's a great service, and awesome for small businesses with no previous web presence.
---
It's interesting timing for me, because my main web site (tophtucker.com) just went down. I'm working on a new version now... I'll report back as I make more progress.
The online site-building tools are easy-to-use, powerful, and flexible. I was able to get a fairly good-looking site online in minutes. You can add images, documents, and little provided modules that give weather info, maps, stock quotes, slide shows, and more. You can create infinite pages, and organize them all under different sections and such.
You can give other people permission to edit the site, and create up to five email addresses "@tucklyne.com". You also get detailed reports of site traffic. See either visits or unique visitors with bar charts -- per hour, per day, per month, or during whatever time period you specify. See pie charts of what percentage of your visitors use what operating system, browser, and screen resolution.
And remember: all of this is for free. I didn't pay a cent for anything mentioned above. There's a waiting list for the beta now, but apparently already over 10,000 small businesses have been let in. Once this launches for real, it'll be a great resource. If you want even more, you can pay for it -- more storage (like you'd need it), more email addresses, additional domain names, online business management software, shared online storage, and more. Very, very, very cool.
A note of warning, though: Office Live hijacks your Hotmail somewhat. While you're logged in to Office Live, the Hotmail logos change to Office Live Mail and the MSN links change to Office Live links. This may now be one of the issues preventing me from entering the Windows Live Mail beta, which is really too bad. Overall, though, it's a great service, and awesome for small businesses with no previous web presence.
---
It's interesting timing for me, because my main web site (tophtucker.com) just went down. I'm working on a new version now... I'll report back as I make more progress.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
A Good Couple of Weeks for Microsoft
Microsoft seems to be on a roll. Over the past couple weeks they've launched a lot of new stuff, including a fair amount today alone.
---
WINDOWS
1) Windows Vista February CTP
Microsoft released a generally feature-complete version of Vista. It's now looking pretty good... very good, actually. :) I just watched a video on its speech recognition capabilties; very cool. You can browse the web, open programs, and (of course) dictate easily. You don't need to switch between commands and dictation, like you do in today's Office (to an extent).* Just say "Start... Microsoft Word... the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," and it'll know what to do. Of course, that's just one of tons of cool features, from improved security (build-in spyware protection, firewall, kernel improvements, etc.) to better graphical capabilities (Aero) to more multimedia functions (WMP 11, Photo Gallery) to lots lots more.
* I have Office 2002; I'm not sure if anything's been improved in Office 2003.
WINDOWS LIVE
1) Live.com
This is one of the more minor upgrades; it's been getting little aesthetic updates here and there, which bring it more into line with other coming products. But, due to the open nature of Gadgets, the capabilities of this page are growing all the time.
2) Live Contacts
"Subscribe" to your friends' Live Contacts, and your info will automatically be updated whenever they get a new phone number, address, job... whatever. It's like Plaxo, only integrated into the rest of MSN and Windows Live.
3) Windows Live Local Tech Preview
This is very rough, occasionally glitchy, and incomplete, but it sure is cool! Drive around Seattle or San Francisco at street level. Very neat. Check it out.
4) Windows Live Messenger
They just rolled out a new update today, with a cleaner look, Live Contacts support, and more. Since the first beta, WLM has let users share files in Sharing Folders -- when one or the other person updates the file, it updates for both of them. Perfect for collaboration on group projects.
5) Windows Live Expo
Think craiglist + social networking + other stuff. I'm new to it, and not exactly an expert on all the craigslist stuff either, so I can't make any fair comparisons. But it's pretty neat. Search for product listings, and filter them by geographical or social (friends etc.) proximity. Get all results listed on a map. And drag stuff around. Like dialog boxes. Kinda pointless, but kinda cool. :)
OFFICE LIVE
While at the moment a pretty limited beta, get on the waiting list now, 'cause it's looking like an extremely useful product. Microsoft will actually give you your own domain name (www.youname.com, whatever...) for FREE and help you build a slick corporate online presence. You get email addresses and traffic reports too. For a small fee you get even more... check out the site to learn all about it and sign up quick.
---
It's a pretty exciting time... :D
---
WINDOWS
1) Windows Vista February CTP
Microsoft released a generally feature-complete version of Vista. It's now looking pretty good... very good, actually. :) I just watched a video on its speech recognition capabilties; very cool. You can browse the web, open programs, and (of course) dictate easily. You don't need to switch between commands and dictation, like you do in today's Office (to an extent).* Just say "Start... Microsoft Word... the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," and it'll know what to do. Of course, that's just one of tons of cool features, from improved security (build-in spyware protection, firewall, kernel improvements, etc.) to better graphical capabilities (Aero) to more multimedia functions (WMP 11, Photo Gallery) to lots lots more.
* I have Office 2002; I'm not sure if anything's been improved in Office 2003.
WINDOWS LIVE
1) Live.com
This is one of the more minor upgrades; it's been getting little aesthetic updates here and there, which bring it more into line with other coming products. But, due to the open nature of Gadgets, the capabilities of this page are growing all the time.
2) Live Contacts
"Subscribe" to your friends' Live Contacts, and your info will automatically be updated whenever they get a new phone number, address, job... whatever. It's like Plaxo, only integrated into the rest of MSN and Windows Live.
3) Windows Live Local Tech Preview
This is very rough, occasionally glitchy, and incomplete, but it sure is cool! Drive around Seattle or San Francisco at street level. Very neat. Check it out.
4) Windows Live Messenger
They just rolled out a new update today, with a cleaner look, Live Contacts support, and more. Since the first beta, WLM has let users share files in Sharing Folders -- when one or the other person updates the file, it updates for both of them. Perfect for collaboration on group projects.
5) Windows Live Expo
Think craiglist + social networking + other stuff. I'm new to it, and not exactly an expert on all the craigslist stuff either, so I can't make any fair comparisons. But it's pretty neat. Search for product listings, and filter them by geographical or social (friends etc.) proximity. Get all results listed on a map. And drag stuff around. Like dialog boxes. Kinda pointless, but kinda cool. :)
OFFICE LIVE
While at the moment a pretty limited beta, get on the waiting list now, 'cause it's looking like an extremely useful product. Microsoft will actually give you your own domain name (www.youname.com, whatever...) for FREE and help you build a slick corporate online presence. You get email addresses and traffic reports too. For a small fee you get even more... check out the site to learn all about it and sign up quick.
---
It's a pretty exciting time... :D
Monday, February 20, 2006
The Popcorn Guy ("Popcorn Bob") is back!
Today I discovered the most amazing and wonderful thing. Now, you faithful readers of this blog (if there are any) will know that I have long lamented the tragic loss of the Popcorn Guy when AMC bought General Cinemas almost four years ago.
That was March 2002. At the beginning of the new school year that fall, a couple friends and I noticed workmen dismantling the once-glorious Popcorn Bob sign on the face of our local General Cinemas 5. Today the pretentious - even downright EVIL - Filmstrip Man "Clip" stands atop Popcorn Bob's rightful throne.
As a sidenote, I just now noticed that AMC has just closed a deal to acquire Loews, too. Who knows what poor animated cartoon mascots will be mercilessly murdered in THAT transaction.
In any case, back to my wonderful discovery -- a copy of the mini-movie that used to precede every GCC movie. Here it is now, for all to see, courtesy of the kind and generous "pugpapaokc":
Enjoy. I know I have.
Until next time,
Toph Tucker
Loyal Devotee of the Church of Popcorn Bob
That was March 2002. At the beginning of the new school year that fall, a couple friends and I noticed workmen dismantling the once-glorious Popcorn Bob sign on the face of our local General Cinemas 5. Today the pretentious - even downright EVIL - Filmstrip Man "Clip" stands atop Popcorn Bob's rightful throne.
As a sidenote, I just now noticed that AMC has just closed a deal to acquire Loews, too. Who knows what poor animated cartoon mascots will be mercilessly murdered in THAT transaction.
In any case, back to my wonderful discovery -- a copy of the mini-movie that used to precede every GCC movie. Here it is now, for all to see, courtesy of the kind and generous "pugpapaokc":
Enjoy. I know I have.
Until next time,
Toph Tucker
Loyal Devotee of the Church of Popcorn Bob
Friday, February 17, 2006
Web Site Version 5.0 & BSEC
I am happy to report that I am now hard at work on the next version of my web site. "Wait," you say -- "you haven't even finished upgrading 3 to 4!" I know, I know, but version four was already showing its age, and the design needed to be cleaned up. The new Flash home page improved things (certainly in terms of design, at least), but a couple people told be they couldn't see it for lack of Flash. It was a hard choice to abandon Flash for version 5.0, and I'll miss the animation capabilities, but in the end I think it will be nicer and more useful.
Gone is the strange color scheme, replaced by a theme reminiscent (for me at least) of Windows Live. Gone is the bad navigation, which improved in 4.0 but became pointless when 2/3 of the pages didn't yet exist. And here for the first time is a live feed from this very blog. This will make it easier for me to update the home page, and easier for you to stay up-to-date on all things Toph... not that anyone wants to... :)
Also, I've lapsed somewhat in my blogging efforts lately, averaging about one post per month. The BSEC blog, on the other hand, is doing pretty well. (BSEC stands for Beaver Science and Engineering Club, the rocket & robotics club at my school.) Check out the site for some new videos of our recent egg-drop (more like egg-smash) contest.
Gone is the strange color scheme, replaced by a theme reminiscent (for me at least) of Windows Live. Gone is the bad navigation, which improved in 4.0 but became pointless when 2/3 of the pages didn't yet exist. And here for the first time is a live feed from this very blog. This will make it easier for me to update the home page, and easier for you to stay up-to-date on all things Toph... not that anyone wants to... :)
Also, I've lapsed somewhat in my blogging efforts lately, averaging about one post per month. The BSEC blog, on the other hand, is doing pretty well. (BSEC stands for Beaver Science and Engineering Club, the rocket & robotics club at my school.) Check out the site for some new videos of our recent egg-drop (more like egg-smash) contest.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Homework: A Neccessary Evil?
It's certainly evil, and it's certainly not ALL neccessary.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050731/NEWS010202/507310367
"'Usually I get home and I eat dinner and do homework until I go to bed,' which is typically 9:30 p.m., Rebekah said. ... Such is the plight of today's active student ..."
9:30!? I wish... even in 8th grade that would've been pretty early for me, and I was getting home at 3:40, not 6:00.
"Lucian Doyle said he gives reading assignments to his biology students at Fairdale High School so they will seek answers to homework questions in the text. That reinforces what he's teaching in class and, he hopes, encourages students to seek more information on a subject."
How in the world are we supposed to seek more information when we barely have time to get through what we have!? I'd love to study more about quarks, or the histroy of Belgium, or the Iroquois Confederacy, but I have no time. Homework eats up hours that could be spent researching more interesting things -- not to mention, well, sleeping for once.
"'It seems like teachers don't realize we have other classes,' Stephanie said."
Quite true. At least, they don't seem to talk to each other enough.
"Many students hold part-time jobs and participate in extracurricular activities, and Doyle said he wouldn't necessarily encourage them to drop those. In fact, he said he wishes more students had extracurricular activities."
Yes! So do we! But we can't because of your homework!
"Doyle's advice: Never get behind."
Again, quite true, but easier said than done. What do you do when you have pneumonia, miss a week of classes, and return to find three different huge projects going on at the same time?
Now, the article says, "Teachers give homework for several reasons, the National PTA says. The reasons include helping students review what's covered in class and giving teachers a way to check whether students understand the lessons." Right. Got it. So how about making amount of homework inversely proportional to class performance?
And while you're at it, base it on the Xbox Live TrueSkill Ranking system. After all, you shouldn't neccessarily be overwhelmed with homework after one little slip-up, and with TrueSkill it can all be a bit more steady. If you get a bunch of homework for, say, Science -- and do it all -- you're probably going to do well on that test, since you know the material so well. So then you won't have homework for a while. Then, when the next test comes along, you'll do badly because you haven't been doing anything on it. That's why you don't want sudden jumps and DO want pretty frequent evaluations -- the TrueSkill rank can take into account homework, too, not just quizzes and tests. So, yes, homework must remain in some form -- but perhaps the load could at least be lightened somewhat.
All in favor say "aye."
(Aye!)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050731/NEWS010202/507310367
"'Usually I get home and I eat dinner and do homework until I go to bed,' which is typically 9:30 p.m., Rebekah said. ... Such is the plight of today's active student ..."
9:30!? I wish... even in 8th grade that would've been pretty early for me, and I was getting home at 3:40, not 6:00.
"Lucian Doyle said he gives reading assignments to his biology students at Fairdale High School so they will seek answers to homework questions in the text. That reinforces what he's teaching in class and, he hopes, encourages students to seek more information on a subject."
How in the world are we supposed to seek more information when we barely have time to get through what we have!? I'd love to study more about quarks, or the histroy of Belgium, or the Iroquois Confederacy, but I have no time. Homework eats up hours that could be spent researching more interesting things -- not to mention, well, sleeping for once.
"'It seems like teachers don't realize we have other classes,' Stephanie said."
Quite true. At least, they don't seem to talk to each other enough.
"Many students hold part-time jobs and participate in extracurricular activities, and Doyle said he wouldn't necessarily encourage them to drop those. In fact, he said he wishes more students had extracurricular activities."
Yes! So do we! But we can't because of your homework!
"Doyle's advice: Never get behind."
Again, quite true, but easier said than done. What do you do when you have pneumonia, miss a week of classes, and return to find three different huge projects going on at the same time?
Now, the article says, "Teachers give homework for several reasons, the National PTA says. The reasons include helping students review what's covered in class and giving teachers a way to check whether students understand the lessons." Right. Got it. So how about making amount of homework inversely proportional to class performance?
And while you're at it, base it on the Xbox Live TrueSkill Ranking system. After all, you shouldn't neccessarily be overwhelmed with homework after one little slip-up, and with TrueSkill it can all be a bit more steady. If you get a bunch of homework for, say, Science -- and do it all -- you're probably going to do well on that test, since you know the material so well. So then you won't have homework for a while. Then, when the next test comes along, you'll do badly because you haven't been doing anything on it. That's why you don't want sudden jumps and DO want pretty frequent evaluations -- the TrueSkill rank can take into account homework, too, not just quizzes and tests. So, yes, homework must remain in some form -- but perhaps the load could at least be lightened somewhat.
All in favor say "aye."
(Aye!)
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Logo Craze
What's up with all these logos popping up everywhere? Sprint I can understand; that was a merger, and I think it compares the two company's former identities pretty well. AT&T? Same thing. But then Intel, and now Kodak? What's wrong with old logos!? I liked them!
(In other news, more substantial news is hopefully coming soon. Maybe. If you're lucky.)
EDIT: And how could I forget AOL!? Cingular, too, to some extent. This may be going on all the time, but I feel like the past year has seen an unusual turnover in corporate identity. And they all update it in much the same way.
EDIT 2: And how could I forget LucasArts and much of the rest of Lucasfilm? And what about UbiSoft -- how long ago was that? Nah, too long ago to count... but do you see my point? Some of these updates are good, but some -- Kodak and Intel, I'd say -- go too far.
(In other news, more substantial news is hopefully coming soon. Maybe. If you're lucky.)
EDIT: And how could I forget AOL!? Cingular, too, to some extent. This may be going on all the time, but I feel like the past year has seen an unusual turnover in corporate identity. And they all update it in much the same way.
EDIT 2: And how could I forget LucasArts and much of the rest of Lucasfilm? And what about UbiSoft -- how long ago was that? Nah, too long ago to count... but do you see my point? Some of these updates are good, but some -- Kodak and Intel, I'd say -- go too far.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Last night I went to the 12:01 showing of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Quite good, I'd say! :) The theater was packed, the crowd was excited, and there was one movie trailer that I'll never, ever forget... hehehe, it was hilarious. But I can't say what it was... because that would spoil it!
I'll update with more impressions later.
I'll update with more impressions later.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Happy Birthday Toph!
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to Toph,
Happy Birthday to me!
--------
Woohoo! Today's my birthday! And, in honor of that, I though I'd give a long-overdue update on the state of things.
=====
MOVIES That I've Recently Seen
=====
Flightplan
Flightplan really capitalizes on the current national state of mind, and it ended up as a pretty good, if not spectacular, movie. There are a few very thought-provoking moments, and it sure keeps you guessing.
Well, it kept me guessing, at least. :)
Serenity
The first thing I thought about this movie is, "Wow. That doesn't sound like a sci-fi movie name." I'm suppose I'm used to something as blunt as "Star Wars." :)
Speaking of which, Serenity has a number of sequences that appear to be largely inspired by SW, and it has a similar overall feel, albeit with some very, very brief moments that lean more towards the "horror" genre. A few things for SW fans to look out for:
- Serenity itself is very Millenium Falcon-esque, and the captain is very Solo-esque.
- Space sequences seem very reminiscent of the Episode III space battle...
...especially the end. - Highly recommended for any sci-fi fan.
In Her Shoes
This isn't typically the kind of movie I would go to. Quite the opposite, in fact. And I won't waste too much time describing it, aside from saying that it does a pretty good job of what it's meant to do.
Elizabethtown
Again, I probably wouldn't see this normally. But I did like it. It's awfully reminiscent of Garden State in a number of ways, while remaining unique and funny. And an excuse for popcorn is always enjoyable. :)
======
WEBSITE Version 5.0 on its way
======
As I've said before, I'm somewhat dissatisfied with version 4.0 of my web site (which I haven't even completed, by the way). So I'm abandoning it. It didn't really accomplish the task at hand -- that is, to clean up and organize the site -- and I don't quite like the design, although I do think it's an improvement in many ways.
Just like the early stages of version 4.o, expect 5.0 to come in bits, starting with the mere skeleton of a site and then building up to its v.3 glory and beyond.
--------
I must be off now, so fare thee well. :)
Sunday, September 25, 2005
School, Rockets, Segways & Websites
Well, school has started again. It's been pretty good so far -- and the BSEC has been born. :D
Standing for either "Beaver Science and Engineering Club" or "Beaver Society for Environmental Catastrophe," the BSEC is a new club I've founded with a couple friends. We're focusing primarily on rocket, potato guns, and robots. Hehe... it should be fun. :)
However, the most exciting news of the past few weeks is that I got to ride a Segway! Last weekend the Third Annual AltWheels Transportation Festival took place at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. My Phyiscs teacher suggested I go at the last minute, and I sure am glad I did! Seascoast Fun Rides (website under construction) was giving 5-minute Segway demos on a p-Series. I got to go on one -- it was really, really fun!
==========
I'm currently in the conceptual stages of redesigning my website... again. Yes, I'm unsatisfied with version 4.0, which isn't really even done yet. The new site will feature a more unified look across all pages, including the home page, which is currently a random Flash thing. I think I'll have a quick Flash intro, but have the regular site be mainly just good old HTML.
I'm also hoping to get this blog on the front page, if I can ever figure out how... I need a web-based RSS newsreader... hmm...
Standing for either "Beaver Science and Engineering Club" or "Beaver Society for Environmental Catastrophe," the BSEC is a new club I've founded with a couple friends. We're focusing primarily on rocket, potato guns, and robots. Hehe... it should be fun. :)
However, the most exciting news of the past few weeks is that I got to ride a Segway! Last weekend the Third Annual AltWheels Transportation Festival took place at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. My Phyiscs teacher suggested I go at the last minute, and I sure am glad I did! Seascoast Fun Rides (website under construction) was giving 5-minute Segway demos on a p-Series. I got to go on one -- it was really, really fun!
==========
I'm currently in the conceptual stages of redesigning my website... again. Yes, I'm unsatisfied with version 4.0, which isn't really even done yet. The new site will feature a more unified look across all pages, including the home page, which is currently a random Flash thing. I think I'll have a quick Flash intro, but have the regular site be mainly just good old HTML.
I'm also hoping to get this blog on the front page, if I can ever figure out how... I need a web-based RSS newsreader... hmm...
Monday, September 05, 2005
Last Day of Summer
Three posts all summer long. Not so great, eh? Well, school -- yes, dreaded school -- is now upon me. I have just over eight hours left until I begin. It's been less than one since I finished my summer reading. Fortunately, I ended on a good note -- Rocket Boys, which inspired the movie October Sky.
While I haven't been a reliable blogger, I have still kept track of my summer. Oh yes indeed. It's probably my most well-documented summer ever. It's just that the documentation has yet to be sorted out. Perhaps, if I ever find some free time, I shall "retro-blog" as I said I would in my last post.
One last thing, before I retire for the night. In honor of the summer of 2005 drawing to a close, I have renamed this blog from the faux-egotistic and initially-temporary title of "Toph's Awesome Blog." It is now entitled, quite simply, "Toph Tucker." It matches my website better, and -- with luck -- eventually this site will match that one in style as well.
That is all for now. Happy September, and fare thee well.
While I haven't been a reliable blogger, I have still kept track of my summer. Oh yes indeed. It's probably my most well-documented summer ever. It's just that the documentation has yet to be sorted out. Perhaps, if I ever find some free time, I shall "retro-blog" as I said I would in my last post.
One last thing, before I retire for the night. In honor of the summer of 2005 drawing to a close, I have renamed this blog from the faux-egotistic and initially-temporary title of "Toph's Awesome Blog." It is now entitled, quite simply, "Toph Tucker." It matches my website better, and -- with luck -- eventually this site will match that one in style as well.
That is all for now. Happy September, and fare thee well.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Two Years Old
As of Wednesday, my blog is exactly two years old! Wohoo! Wanna know why I missed it? Probably 'cause I haven't posted here in over a month. Sorry about that. :( Here are some quick updates.
---
Half Blood Prince
I went to Barnes & Noble at midnight and got the new Harry Potter, and finished it three days later. That's the fastest I've ever read a Harry Potter book, and (I think) the second-fastest I've read any book. It was quite good, albeit sad... well, that's all I have time for now.
Website
I uploaded some minor changes to my site yesterday, including a revised home page. Check it out. More changes coming at the end of the summer, although I'm thinking of giving up on this version -- too messy, really, and I still haven't gotten it all working -- and skipping on to a very similar version 5.0.
Taconnet
Mere minutes from now I'll be on the road, heading for a wedding in New Hampshire. From there, on Sunday, we'll be going on to Taconnet. So I'll be relatively out of touch for the next month or so.
Retro-Blog
I have been keeping track of what I've been doing this summer... just not here. :) So I've been thinking of "retro-blogging" -- altering the time & date manually to make it look like I actually have been posting all this time. If I do, though, I'll put a little disclaimer towards the bottom.
---
Okay, gotta go. Fare thee well.
---
Half Blood Prince
I went to Barnes & Noble at midnight and got the new Harry Potter, and finished it three days later. That's the fastest I've ever read a Harry Potter book, and (I think) the second-fastest I've read any book. It was quite good, albeit sad... well, that's all I have time for now.
Website
I uploaded some minor changes to my site yesterday, including a revised home page. Check it out. More changes coming at the end of the summer, although I'm thinking of giving up on this version -- too messy, really, and I still haven't gotten it all working -- and skipping on to a very similar version 5.0.
Taconnet
Mere minutes from now I'll be on the road, heading for a wedding in New Hampshire. From there, on Sunday, we'll be going on to Taconnet. So I'll be relatively out of touch for the next month or so.
Retro-Blog
I have been keeping track of what I've been doing this summer... just not here. :) So I've been thinking of "retro-blogging" -- altering the time & date manually to make it look like I actually have been posting all this time. If I do, though, I'll put a little disclaimer towards the bottom.
---
Okay, gotta go. Fare thee well.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Last Day of School
Wow... I've been so busy lately I've barely been updating at all. Since my last update, I've studied for endless hours for exams, taken my exams, gotten my exams back, and -- today -- had my last day of school. I'm now, officially, a 10th grader... at least, that's what they say. I'd actually lean towards calling myself a 9th grader.
Gotta go... bed time. Late, it is. To bed I must go.
Gotta go... bed time. Late, it is. To bed I must go.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Xbox 360, Movies, and More
It's been an extremely exciting and busy time lately. For the biggest reason, head over to my new Star Wars blog, which is replacing the old Blogger one. Yes, Episode III has come out, and yes, it's awesome!!! :-D
In addition to seeing Revenge of the Sith six times so far, I've been swamped by homework, projects, and exam review. Here's my attempt at a worthy blog update.
---
Xbox 360
You know it's been a long time indeed when a whole new console has been announced and I haven't said a word about it.
Xbox 360 was officially launched during an MTV event that aired May 12th. Then, at E3, they revealed more information... kind of. The launch has been somewhat underwhelming, but there's sure to be plenty of new information as the launch -- this fall -- approaches.
It seems like X360 is going to be slightly less powerful than the PS3 this time around, but they're very, very close. That's interesting, since PS3 is launching 1/2 a year later. Hopefully the power differential will be balanced out by X360 being easier to develop for than the PS3.
A couple of promising games thus far include Gears of War, Project Gotham Racing 3, and, of course, Perfect Dark Zero. (What a weird name.) Also, it's been suggested that Halo 3 will launch day-and-date with PS3, which, personally, I find hilarious. Take that, Sony!
Backwards compatibility? Check... kind of. Word is X360 will support compatibility with only the best-selling games from the original Xbox. No, that makes no sense, but whatever. ;-)
One category in which X360 clearly has PS3 beat is online gaming. From micro-transactions to the marketplace to downloadable content to video chat to Live Arcade, persistent Gamer Card, reputation & stats... X360 looks to blow PS3 out of the water. You'll be able to create your own content and put it online for others to "buy" from you, as well as buy other people's custom work. Having one unified online persona really has its benefits.
Every connected X360 will have access to "Xbox Live Silver," which is basically all the features of Xbox Live but online gaming. "Ha ha," you say, "well what does that leave?" Stats, gamer ID, content download... a lot more than non-Live subscribers have today, that's for sure! Subscribe and you'll get Xbox Live Gold, which adds actual online gaming. It looks like some X360 games could get as many as 64 gamers per game, and I have no doubt someone will exceed that after a year or two.
Xbox 360 will also have Media Extender functionality built-in. Basically, that means you can stream video, music, photos and more from your Media Center PC and access it all from your Xbox. That means that, even without the optional, removable, upgradable hard drive, you can get Custom Soundtracks in every single game.
X360 versus PS3, I'd definitely go with X360. I expect the power & graphical differences to be negligible, and online/Media Center capabilities make up for all that. For more information, check out...
- IGN Xbox 360
- TeamXbox
- Xbox.com
- Xbox360.com
Movies
No, I won't mention a certain sci-fi epic. You can read plenty about that at my other blog. However, a couple weekends ago -- Saturday the 14th of May, if I'm not mistaken -- I saw Kicking and Screaming in theaters with my friend, and then went back to his house and saw Collateral. I couldn't find two more different movies if I tried. The former was pretty funny, although not extraordinary. The latter was very serious, though, and rather gruesome. It was good, though. Well done.
Constitution Day
"WASHINGTON - The Constitution long has ensured that Congress can’t tell schools what to teach. But that’s no longer the case for at least one topic — the Constitution itself."
That just about says it all. Click here for more.
Dreams
Last night I dreamt a little group of neighbors, including me, cleansed the neighborhood of all wildlife and then re-introduced only our favorite animals -- which, strangely enough, happened to include a giant man-eating frog. It got loose and started scaring people off. I think that's when I woke up.
---
Gotta get back to History now. I've probably spent too much time on it as is. Fare thee well... and do yourself a favor and go see Episode III!!!
In addition to seeing Revenge of the Sith six times so far, I've been swamped by homework, projects, and exam review. Here's my attempt at a worthy blog update.
---
Xbox 360
You know it's been a long time indeed when a whole new console has been announced and I haven't said a word about it.
Xbox 360 was officially launched during an MTV event that aired May 12th. Then, at E3, they revealed more information... kind of. The launch has been somewhat underwhelming, but there's sure to be plenty of new information as the launch -- this fall -- approaches.
It seems like X360 is going to be slightly less powerful than the PS3 this time around, but they're very, very close. That's interesting, since PS3 is launching 1/2 a year later. Hopefully the power differential will be balanced out by X360 being easier to develop for than the PS3.
A couple of promising games thus far include Gears of War, Project Gotham Racing 3, and, of course, Perfect Dark Zero. (What a weird name.) Also, it's been suggested that Halo 3 will launch day-and-date with PS3, which, personally, I find hilarious. Take that, Sony!
Backwards compatibility? Check... kind of. Word is X360 will support compatibility with only the best-selling games from the original Xbox. No, that makes no sense, but whatever. ;-)
One category in which X360 clearly has PS3 beat is online gaming. From micro-transactions to the marketplace to downloadable content to video chat to Live Arcade, persistent Gamer Card, reputation & stats... X360 looks to blow PS3 out of the water. You'll be able to create your own content and put it online for others to "buy" from you, as well as buy other people's custom work. Having one unified online persona really has its benefits.
Every connected X360 will have access to "Xbox Live Silver," which is basically all the features of Xbox Live but online gaming. "Ha ha," you say, "well what does that leave?" Stats, gamer ID, content download... a lot more than non-Live subscribers have today, that's for sure! Subscribe and you'll get Xbox Live Gold, which adds actual online gaming. It looks like some X360 games could get as many as 64 gamers per game, and I have no doubt someone will exceed that after a year or two.
Xbox 360 will also have Media Extender functionality built-in. Basically, that means you can stream video, music, photos and more from your Media Center PC and access it all from your Xbox. That means that, even without the optional, removable, upgradable hard drive, you can get Custom Soundtracks in every single game.
X360 versus PS3, I'd definitely go with X360. I expect the power & graphical differences to be negligible, and online/Media Center capabilities make up for all that. For more information, check out...
- IGN Xbox 360
- TeamXbox
- Xbox.com
- Xbox360.com
Movies
No, I won't mention a certain sci-fi epic. You can read plenty about that at my other blog. However, a couple weekends ago -- Saturday the 14th of May, if I'm not mistaken -- I saw Kicking and Screaming in theaters with my friend, and then went back to his house and saw Collateral. I couldn't find two more different movies if I tried. The former was pretty funny, although not extraordinary. The latter was very serious, though, and rather gruesome. It was good, though. Well done.
Constitution Day
"WASHINGTON - The Constitution long has ensured that Congress can’t tell schools what to teach. But that’s no longer the case for at least one topic — the Constitution itself."
That just about says it all. Click here for more.
Dreams
Last night I dreamt a little group of neighbors, including me, cleansed the neighborhood of all wildlife and then re-introduced only our favorite animals -- which, strangely enough, happened to include a giant man-eating frog. It got loose and started scaring people off. I think that's when I woke up.
---
Gotta get back to History now. I've probably spent too much time on it as is. Fare thee well... and do yourself a favor and go see Episode III!!!
Saturday, May 07, 2005
SAT IIs
Today I took the SAT II Physics test. Fun. Not. I didn't even finish the test. Oh well... I'm glad it's over.
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