Andy Wonders Archives - Page 5 of 19

Have You Shot Off a Model Rocket?

Going for a walk the other day in a nearby park I saw a group of kids in the middle of the field, huddled around something. They then scattered a bit, and I saw it there, that little stand with a long rod, and then heard that familiar “Swooooosh!” sound, and saw the rocket take off. Immediately I was taken back to my childhood, model rockets, and uber-coolness, at least for a nerd want-to-be. I remembered days of chasing down rockets caught in the wind, hoping it didn’t land on a nearby rooftop, searching the fields where we thought it touched down, and just all-in-all being amazed, and thinking it might be possible to strap more motors to the body of the rocket to get it to go even higher (it doesn’t work).

I don’t know if it was because I was smaller, or because they used a lame rocket motor, but their rocket didn’t go up that high, to the point that when the parachute deployed even I knew there wasn’t enough height to let it open up and give the rocket a soft landing. It was up, it was down, and as disappointed as I was in the height of their launch I was thrilled to see kids still launching a model rocket, they just might need some help on their choice of motor and rocket.

I’m guessing for most of the girls out there the answer is “No,” but I’m wondering: Have you shot off a model rocket?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!

Have You Changed Your Passwords Since News of the Heartbleed Bug Came Out?

A mantis praying that you change your passwords. When Target had their security breach effecting credit and debit cards you would have thought the world was coming to an end. Every news channel carried the story, new credit and debit cards were being issued, and people became afraid to shop at Target out of fear their identity would be stolen. On top of that when other places were hacked there were the same stories, especially the ones where we should change our passwords because Yahoo/Google/Adobe (that PDF viewer thing we all use)/LinkedIn were affected, and the world was coming to an end.

Now, though, when a hack that actually seems to be the mother of all hacks, the Heartbleed Bug, affecting nearly every website that used secure connections, it’s almost like no one seems to care. I heard a quick blurb on a news station when it was first announced and said to myself, “Self, that’s pretty bad,” but it was buried about five stories down into the news. A few days later the major news outlets started reporting it, but it was kind of the same “Yea, something was hacked, you should change your passwords” story, but nowhere with the “internet world is coming to an end” immediacy of other hacks.

I’m blaming the name of the bug: “The Heartbleed Bug.” Why? No one can relate. We know Yahoo. We know Google. We know Target. But what the hell is “Heartbleed?” For what is actually a hack that should entice people to change their passwords a little more diligently than the others, no one except for geeks can identity.

I’m not sure what a better name might have been to get people to care, or maybe we’ve just gotten so used to the “Change the passwords” stories we don’t care anymore, but I’m wondering: Have you changed your passwords since news of the Heartbleed Bug came out?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!

Did You Do Something “Bunny” Related for Easter?

The Easter Bunny is pooped! I know this post might be a little more religion-specific, but around Easter there are always the posts about what a bunny has to do with what is supposed to be the celebration of resurrection of Jesus after he was dead for three days. Supposedly it goes back to something about rabbits and kids, similar to Santa Claus at Christmas time, and then somehow eggs because involved, related to the rabbit even though rabbits don’t lay eggs. It’s also the time of stories about your favorite way to eat a chocolate Easter bunny, for example, to you eat the ears first, or maybe the head, or the feet. And alas, we also hear the stories about parents who rush out to buy rabbits to give their kids as a pet for Easter, quickly realized “Why in the hell did I buy a rabbit?” and then having to figure out what to do with it.

Me, it’s my time to post one of my favorite pictures, that of a giant, blow-up Easter Bunny, that, like most rabbits, had to take a potty break. With that I guess my answer is “Yes,” but I wonder: Did you do something “bunny” related for Easter?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!!

Do You Have a Twitter Account you Don’t Use?

Loading ...

I tend to forget how many Twitter accounts I have. Yes, I have my personal one at @aplabis, there is @enteravenue, and then there is the slew of accounts I set up to A) Help promote some iPhone apps I have. B) Save them from squatters so someone can’t pose as names close to mine, because, you know, I’m a famous person in my own head. C) I thought they might be cool names to have someday. In all I probably have a dozen accounts, of which I really use two.

The reason I’m bringing this up is there was a report out showing that 44% of Twitter users have never sent a Tweet. I think, much like Facebook accounts people don’t use, Twitter is a bastion of accounts that people set up, followed a few people, looked at a few times, and from this report, 66% maybe even sent a Tweet, something like “Hey, this is my first Tweet!” Then, I’ll bet, most of the people go away.

Will I ever use some of those Twitter accounts? Probably not. Do I even remember the passwords? Hmm? I’m part of that 44% who haven’t sent a Tweet, but I’m wondering more about those who have an account they used before, but forgot about. With that, I’m wondering: Do you have a Twitter account you don’t use?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!!

Do You Plan to Buy a New iPhone if They Launch One With a Larger Screen?

Loading ...

With the recent announcement of the Apple World Wide Developers Conference set for June 2nd thru 6th, the Apple rumor-mill has gone into full-blown high production. Sure, there are the rumors of what iOS 8 will have, the spotty “Apple will update its line of iMacs / laptops / Mac Mini,” the continued rumor of the announcement of Apple putting out a TV, smattering of “this will be the year for the iWatch” (which is nice, because I could use a new watch), and, of course, Apple will finally be putting out an iPhone with a larger screen.

The consensus is that the iPhone 6 will come in two sizes, a 4.7″ and a 5.5″, and will be faster because of new stuff inside. Still in the “we really don’t have a clue but will throw it out” are things like NFC capabilities so we can finally start paying for things easily with our phone, some wacky atmospheric sensors because everyone wonders about the current atmospheric pressure on a daily basis (Yes, I’m mocking, even though I would probably be “that guy”), and in conjunction with the iWatch, a slew of health sensors so we can instantly know we are out of shape.

Am I excited about whatever Apple is going to announce? Hell, yes! Since the original iPhone I’ve been a fan, and for me, I’m up for a new phone so the larger screen would be nice, I’m curious and would probably be an early adopter of the iWatch, and as my laptop is chugging along at a 5+ year old pace, a new Mac Mini might be a nice addition.

June 2nd is about a month and a half away so the rumors will most likely solidify by the time the WWDC comes around thereby ruining some of Tim Cook’s thunder, but I don’t care, I’ll still be wishing I were at the conference in person (maybe next year, if I can win the lottery), and then wish whatever he announces will be available the next day instead of having to wait a couple of more months. Then again, patience is a virtue, or so they say, or at least necessary when it comes to Apple.

I’m going to guess you can figure out my answer, but I wonder: Do you plan to buy a new iPhone if they launch one with a larger screen?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!

Do Thunderstorms Freak Out Your Dog?

Loading ...

With Spring finally seeming to arrive yesterday here in the Chicago area as the temperature shot about 80 degrees, also comes the talk of spring storms, and a winter of Milo only barking at things like the snow plow guy and the few times kids played outside in the -10 below temperatures will quickly turn into his notifying us of an oncoming storm.

Milo isn’t a fan of noise, getting even more grumpy in his old age, and whereas he used to be a little more calm when a thunderstorm hit, he’s starting to change his tune and be even more barky as the thunder rolls. He doesn’t technically freak out when a storm comes, being one of those dogs that hides under a bed and wimpers, although that might be nicer than the barking, but he does make storms a bastion of “It’s okay. Be quiet.”, and looking at the radar to know when we can expect him to be over the storm.

We’ve tried the Thundershirt, and it kind of helps, we’ve tried treats, and that just makes him more demanding, but Milo is Milo, and Milo likes to bark. If you’ve got any sure-fire solutions that helped you with your dog in a thunderstorm I’d love to hear them, though for now I suppose it could be worse, and thankfully the storms don’t last too long (usually), and aren’t every day, but I wonder: Do thunderstorms freak out your dog?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!

Do You Have a Bumper Sticker on Your Car?

Loading ...

The other day I’m at a stoplight and there is a car ahead of me, and to the left. On their bumper is a sticker, and I think, “Oh, how quaint! A bumper sticker!” I know people still like to advertise their kids are honor students, or how they hate people who advertise their kids are honer students, or piss off the people behind them with different political leanings than they do, somehow thinking they’re going to change someone’s mind about a political candidate because they have a bumper sticker on their car for John Blowhard, but in checking out the bumper sticker on this car, though, at first I think, “That’s odd.”, but then I realize, “Ohhh!”

The bumper sticker read: “No! I don’t want to play the flute!”

I’m not sure if I should explain if you don’t have that “Ohhh!” moment like I did, or are just reading it thinking it’s a bumper sticker a teenager might have on their car, upset that their parents want them to learn the flute, but I’m thinking it’s not someone who hates musical instruments.

Odd enough someone would advertise their dislike of “playing the flute,” but more than that I wonder: Do you have a bumper sticker on your car?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!!

Have You Seen a Semi with Sprewells?

Loading ...

As winter breaks here in Chicago, the “summer” cars have started to appear, especially last weekend when we sort of had our first “nice” day of the year. You know those cars, the fancy ones, the Corvettes, or classic rides that the dude won’t bring out in the winter because he doesn’t want the salt damage to the underbody. I’ve also started seeing, for whatever reason, more cars with Sprewells on them. Okay, they most likely aren’t true “Sprewells,” just spinner rims, but kinda like Kleenex becoming generic for tissues, I’m using Sprewells in the generic sense of the word, those rims that keep spinning when the car comes to a stop.

Maybe they’re on the uptick in popularity again, or just one of those things I’m seeing nowadays, but I’m generally fascinated by them. First there are the good Sprewells, the well-maintained (also read “expensive”) ones that spin freely, are clean enough to probably eat off of, and generally on a car someone seems really proud of. Then there are the “poser” ones, on junker cars where the cheap spinners probably cost more than the car, they don’t really spin well, and look like they’ve been through, well, a Chicago winter.

This seems normal enough, especially in the urban-ness of Chicago, but the other day, driving down the expressway, I look to the side of me and there it is, a semi, big-rig, 18-wheeler if you will, and on it were Sprewells. The best part was it was sort of stop-and-go traffic, so I got to see his spinners in action, and my man seemed to take good care of them as they seemed to spin freely, and had a good shine. That or he just busted them out of winter storage for the summer months.

Sure, maybe you’ve never actually seen a car with Sprewells on it, so I’ll leave an option in the poll box for even seeing spinners, but really, this one is about seeing an 18-wheeler with spinners, because, really, who doesn’t like a trucker whose hip, or stuck back in the 2000’s.

That’s it for this one! L8R!!!

Do You Buy Any Music on CD Anymore?

Loading ...

The other day I get an email from one of my favorite music folks, Michael Stanley. Alright, it was technically from the record company releasing his music, Line Level, and it was announcing that Michael Stanley had a new CD coming out called “The Job,” and that I should get it now!

Sweet! Or so I thought.

I go to the link, and sure they have some mail order options to pay them money, and they’ll send me a CD, but I’m there looking for a link to iTunes, or at least Amazon, because, like the kids, I don’t have time to wait for new music, let alone want the trouble of paying online and waiting for a CD to arrive in my mailbox that the mailman might damage. No, I want my new Michael Stanley now!

Okay, no link. I’ll head directly to the sources. iTunes. Nope, no listing. Amazon. There it is! Wait, it references a CD available, but on a release date of May 6th?

Jumping over to the Michael Stanley message board there are people who seem to have gotten the CD, so right now it looks like the old-fashioned way is the only option of getting a new music fix, or trying to find someplace to download it illegally.

Now I’m sure there is some metric about the profitability of selling the CD yourself, via mail order, before releasing it on the digital platforms, and some folks still won’t put things out there on the digital realm (Garth Brooks – please, for the love of all things big and small, let me pay you more money to get clean, digital copies of your music), but alas, it looks like if I want to actually download some new Michael Stanley, it’s going to be a while.

It’s weird, because as the computer life is changing, and laptops aren’t coming with DVD slots anymore, let alone people who live by the tablet and smartphone only, it seems limiting to release things on CD only anymore. I know “The Job” will be on iTunes eventually because his other release have ended up there, I just hope Michael sends me an email letting me know so his new CD doesn’t become an afterthought. In the meantime, if he wants to send me one to review, I’ll be happy to listen to it in the car, I suppose, since that’s the only place I really have a CD player anymore.

Okay, this wonder was a little lengthy to get to it, but I wonder: Do you buy any music on CD anymore?

That’s it for this one! L8R!!!

Should a Men’s Haircut Place Advertise Waxing and Pedicures?

Loading ...

Driving down the road the other day, I regularly pass a men’s haircut place, and although it has changed names a few times, it always seems to stay a “men’s haircut” kind of place. I admit I’ve never been there. Now, I know recently there has been a larger push for men to be pampered when they get their haircuts with places like Sports Clips offering TV’s at every station, a little scalp massaging/shampoo, and a hot, steamed towel treatment to make you feel a little more manly. Ok, I admit it, I’ve been to a Sports Clip once, but skipped the massage and the steamed towel just seemed a little weird.

In any case, as I’m driving by this other place, I see a banner under their sign, and I was a little perplexed. Right there, under “Haircuts for Men” was a banner touting 20% off waxing and pedicures. Yes, I know some men get some waxing done, or at least Steve Carell did in “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” and I know some men will go and get a pedicure with their wives, kind of a “couples” thing to do, and maybe I’m a little crotchety as I get older, or maybe I’m wondering if men actually do it on their own, or I’m wondering if maybe I should start, but I’m wondering a lot in this post mostly because, I guess, I’m wondering if dudes are going out on their own, maybe not so much for the waxing as that seems like a more personal experience, a necessity even sometimes, but a pedicure?

Brad Paisley has a song, “I’m Just a Guy,” with the lyrics, “These days there’s dudes gettin’ facials, Manicured, waxed and bottomed,” so I’m guessing I would know Brad Paisley’s answer to this question, but I wonder: Should a men’s haircut place advertise waxing and pedicures?

That’s it for this one! I’m Andy!! L8R!!!