Some Kinda Rambling

Oh SKRambling... You've been good to me..

2011-08-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

When I first started blogging, I had no intentions of being a professional blogger, nor was I intending on being a very active one. I am by no means a professional blogger right now, but I think I've become much more active than when I first started out.

When I first started, I started off with Somekindabored.com. It was just a place for me to share everything I thought was interesting when I was browsing the internet. Apparently, I'm a classic case of ADHD so I tend to get very caught up in whatever it is I find interesting at the time.

Somekindabored never made it. Although I had a lot of topics to share, I was so caught up in it that I forgot to share. I started with a second attempt at blogging with Somekindarambling. I was much more active this time, but my topics were very spread out. Alot of what I said had to deal with Android, so I split the blog and created SomekindaDroid.

I once again returned to Somekindarambling for all my other non Android related postings. When Google launched Google+, I found myself talking more and more about Google+. Not only that, Google+ kinda opened up a whole new world for me by introducing me to all of their other products: Gtalk, Google Reader, Gmail, Google Documents, etc. The activity I had going on for Google was enough for me to once again split the blog and create a separate one for Google topics, SomekindaGoog. I once again returned to Rambling for all other postings.

I didn't want to use Rambling to post all my personal thoughts and things that weren't useful. But I wanted a place online where I could vent, share pictures, and things people wouldn't really care too much for. I didn't want to flood a blog people would go to to learn with stuff they wouldn't be able to learn anything from. So I created BooeyOnline.com, my own little hangout place online. I don't really use it much, but it's nice to know I have it there for me if I needed it.

Somekindarambling started to get more postings from me. Most are of the techy / geeky variety, stuff that interest me, and a few other non-tech stuff that I found interesting enough to share.

I started to think today while I sat on the, just off the party strip in Vancouver, trying to re-focus my life. I started to think that if I'm going to post about things that interest me, I should stick to the theme. Not everyone out there is like me. Not everyone will find what I find interesting interesting. So, today, I decided to start with a blog more focused towards the “geeky / techy” stuff. I shall call it..... get ready for this......

…. drum roll................. High Geek Valule …

Oh yes... It’s a term Ive been using for a long while to describe the stuff I find interesting. Back when I was in computer school, when me and my friends would be talking about something extremely geeky or extremely technical that no one else would find interesting, we would say that it had some “High Geek Value”

So.... today is the birthday of HighGeekValue.com. This will also be the last posting here on SomekindaRambling. All the posting found on here will still be around. I’ll be moving all the geeky stuff I’ve written over to HighGeekValue.com, and all the non geek stuff over to BooeyOnline.com

If you have a tech blog and you want me to link it on HGV, send me an email at Booey@HighGeekValue.com. I have no problem linking ya’ll.

That’s all. One of the thoughts I’ve come up with while I was trying to re-focus and re-organize my life.

Later Gators, and Cheers !

Booey

Shortcuts: My most used keyboard shortcuts that will help you save time !

2011-08-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

This post as been moved over to HighGeekValue.com

You can get to in one of few ways:

Click HERE !
Enter the URL: http://goo.gl/GqwZH or http://www.highgeekvalue.com/2011/08/shortcuts-my-most-used-keyboard.html
or scan !

Cheers !

I made t-shirts =o)

2011-07-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

I had fun making these. You can click on the picture and then customize them on the site. You can change the style of shirts and color.

Google+ Blocked Circle by somekindabored
See more Google T-Shirts

Google+ Hottie Circle by somekindabored
See other Google T-Shirts

Google+ Blocked Circle by somekindabored
Browse Google T-Shirts

Cheers !

OLD SCHOOL: Nintendo, Game Dr, BBS, Pirates, and much more !

2011-07-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

This post as been moved over to HighGeekValue.com

You can get to in one of few ways:

Click HERE !
Enter the URL: http://goo.gl/I6xMM or http://www.highgeekvalue.com/2011/07/old-school-nintendo-game-dr-bbs-pirates.html
or scan !

Cheers !

Why are people complaining on Google+ ?

2011-07-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

What does it matter ? Who cares !?

I'm starting to see alot of comments from people complaining that Google+ has quickly turned into a Tumblr. Why? Because people are posting single animated GIFs and it's getting reshaped everywhere?

I'm starting to see people complain that Google+ has quickly turned into a Twitter. Why? Because people are making useless posts telling the world they are sitting on the can?

My question is: Who cares? Why do you care?

I understand the early adopters became addicts on Google+ because it wasn't Twitter or it wasn't Tumblr. Not in terms of what they do, but the atmosphere. Most of us early G+'er have stopped using the other platforms almost completely because G+ was different. I know it is true for me. I will still make those useless posts letting the world know I just let out a massive burp, but I'll do it on Twitter. I will share that will the Twitter world because that is what they are used to seeing on Twitter. I won't do it on Google+ because the way it was designed. The streams can get pretty noise on Google+ even if you are just following a few people, and if I don't want my stream cluttered, why would I do it everyone else?

But why do you care if Google+ has quickly turned into Twitter or Tumblr? Google has given you the power to choose how you view your streams. If Tumblr like post bug you, stick them in another circle, or don't follow them at all. You, and I'm talking about those complaining, are the one following them to begin with. Why are you complaining about something you chose to do?

I too have noticed a trend, and I have updated my circles accordingly. I anticipate a large group of people migrating over to Google+ from Twitter, so I made a Twitter circle. I stick everyone in that circle who always makes Tweet like posts. That way, if I’m not in the mood for it, I don’t have to see it. If I’m in the mood for it, I will click on it... or log on Twitter.

My point is, there is no need to complain. You were the one that decided to follow the poster from the start, you didn’t have to. If you didn’t like it, you wouldn’t have followed. If you didn’t follow, you wouldn’t be complaining. If you’re not making use of the tools Google has given you to control what you want to see...... well then you’re doing it wrong.

There is no right or wrong way to use any of the Google services they provide. If you are interested, I'm writing a series on how I use Google's products. Maybe you'll find your own creative way to use what they offer. You can follow that series HERE.

Thoughts ? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

While you're at it, give it a +1 too =o)

Are there any bored artists out there ?

2011-07-21T07:08:00.001-07:00

Are there any bored artists out there willing to volunteer their time to create an awesome logo for me ?

I realize my gimp skills are lame, but I just wanted to put something in my header so it didn't look so stock and boring.

I'm looking for one for this blog, SomeKindaRambling, one for my blog about Androids, SomeKindaDroid, and one for SomeKindaGoog, a blog about Google.

Please contact me if you can offer you time.

Thank you in advance.

Archive Google+ post: How to watch HULU outside of the United States

2011-07-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

This post has moved to www.HighGeekValue.com. You can find it again by clicking here, or scanning:

How to sign up for Google Music Beta outside of the United States

2011-07-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Google Music Beta stores all your music on the cloud.

But you can't request an invite if you are not from the United States!

Post as moved. I figured it made more sense to have a tutorial on how to sign up for a Google service on my Google blog (SomeKindaGoog), than to have it on my person blog where I ramble about random randomness.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Please click on the following link to navigate to your originally intended post "How to sign up for Google Music Beta outside of the United States"

Death of Blackberry Messenger (BBM)

2011-07-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

This post has moved over to its new home at HighGeekValue.com. You can find it again by clicking here.

How scared is Facebook ?

2011-07-06T04:21:00.000-07:00

WOW, is Facebook really that worried ?

They were gonna pay someone to write a bad story about Google+'s circles ? Even if someone took them up on their offer, if someone was to start writing crap about the circles, they would start to see how AWESOME it is. How would having the power to control how private you want to be a bad thing ?

FOR SHAME !

* EDIT *
This wasn't about the Circles in Google+. This was about a different service offered by Google. Here is the service they are talking about:
http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=1224171&answer=165228

Here's a Youtube video explaining it:
Google Social Search Update

Read the email after the jump:

Here is the link to the Email exchange: http://pastebin.com/zaeTeJeJ

For your convience, I pasted the Email transcript below:

from Mercurio, John <John.Mercurio@bm.com>
to Christopher Soghoian <chris@soghoian.net>
date Tue, May 3, 2011 at 10:38 AM
subject RE: Op-Ed Opportunity: Google Quietly Launches Sweeping Violation of User Privacy
mailed-by bm.com

Thanks for the prompt reply. I’m afraid I can’t disclose my client yet. But all the information included in this email is publicly available. Any interest in pursuing this?

From: Christopher Soghoian [mailto:chris@soghoian.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 10:11 AM
To: Mercurio, John
Subject: Re: Op-Ed Opportunity: Google Quietly Launches Sweeping Violation of User Privacy
- Hide quoted text -

Who is paying for this? (not paying me, but paying you)

On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Mercurio, John <John.Mercurio@bm.com> wrote:

Mr. Soghoian,

I wanted to gauge your interest in authoring an op-ed this week for a top-tier media outlet on an important issue that I know you’re following closely.

The topic: Google’s sweeping violations of user privacy. Google, as you know, has a well-known history of infringing on the privacy rights of America’s Internet users. Not a year has gone by since the founding of the company where it has not been the focus of front-page news detailing its zealous approach to gathering information – in many cases private and identifiable information - about online users.

Despite an unprecedented rebuke from the Federal Trade Commission last month forcing Google into a government mandated two-decade privacy review program, Google is at it again – and this time they are not only violating the personal privacy rights of millions of Americans, they are also infringing on the privacy rules and rights of hundreds of companies ranging from Yelp to Facebook and Twitter to LinkedIn in what appears to be a first in web history: Google is collecting, storing and mining millions of people’s personal information from a number of different online services and sharing it without the knowledge, consent or control of the people involved.

The Federal Trade Commission made it clear last month that Google had agreed to change its ways, and in so doing, the United States government gave Google an imprimatur of credibility and trust amongst the American people. As FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz stated not four weeks ago: “When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them…This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations.”

Unfortunately the ink was barely dry on the settlement before Google rolled out its latest tool designed to scrape private data and build deeply personal dossiers on millions of users – in a direct and flagrant violation of its agreement with the FTC.

In light of the recent agreement between the government and Google, Congress and the FTC must immediately investigate this latest violation of online privacy. The American people must be made aware of the now immediate intrusions into their deeply personal lives Google is cataloging and broadcasting every minute of every day– without their permission.

I’m happy to help place the op-ed and assist in the drafting, if needed. For media targets, I was thinking about the Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call or the Huffington Post.

Please let me know your thoughts. Also, I’m available to discuss this by phone, if you’re available.

Many thanks,

John

LESS THAN ONE MONTH AFTER FTC PRIVACY VIOLATION SETTLEMENT, GOOGLE QUIETLY LAUNCHES SWEEPING VIOLATION OF USER PRIVACY

About Google Social Circles

Recently, Google quietly introduced its latest attempt to enter the social space with a new feature called Google Social Circles. The idea behind the feature is to scrape and mine social sites from around the web to make connections between people that wouldn’t otherwise exists and share that information with people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it. All of this happens without the knowledge, consent or control of the people whose information is being shared. Here is how Google Social Circles works:

1) Google’s robots scour the web for people’s social connections on different websites. These connections are then stored in a collection people’s connections on different websites. This collection is then mined, creating connections between people on different websites, that those people never intended and can’t control.

2) This information is then shared with anyone who has a Google account, whether it is Gmail, Chat or another Google service that includes a personal profile -- more than 146 million people have Gmail accounts alone, and some estimates say as many as 400 million people have at least one Google account.

3) Google Social Circles automatically enables people to trace their contacts' connections and profile information by crawling and scraping the sites you and your contacts use, like Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Yelp, Yahoo and many others, likely in direct violation of the Terms of Service for those sites, unless those sites have partnered with Google on this “service,” something else users ought to be aware of.

4) Even if you are not a Google account holder, your information is still mined, stored and shared as long as you have some connection on any site Google scrapes to someone who has a Google account. You don’t even have to have a direct connection to the person with a Google account. If someone you are connected to is connected with someone with a Google account, your information will be shared.

5) To find out if your own Social Circles direct and secondary connections that Google has indexed to your account, visit: http://www.google.com/s2/u/0/search/social#socialcircle, and https://profiles.google.com/u/0/connectedaccounts

Privacy Violations

The ability to abuse this information and violate the privacy rights of millions of Americans is clear:

No notice: Google does not notify people that their information is being used in a way that the person would not expect—to connect different groups of people within an Internet-wide database Google created.

No consent: Google Social Circles does not ask “permission” from individuals who will have their profiles, connections and other personal data shared in the new network. Google will simply “scrape” their information from dozens of sources and compile the data into one massive dossier aligned directly with user’s personally identifiable information.

No control: On all of the sites Google scrapes, you can change your mind. You can delete your account. You can make or break connections to other people. How do you remove this information from the database that Google is sharing with hundreds of millions of people? You can’t.

Serious real world risks: Google is taking different parts of people’s lives—parts they deliberately separated onto different sites—and presenting the collage Google created to other people. Reminiscent of Google Buzz, Google’s latest plan totally disregards the intimate and potentially damaging details that could be revealed, including sexual orientation, political affiliation, personal connections, etc…

Steals from other sites: Dozens of private companies will have their own privacy rules and regulations violated by the Google information fishing intrusion.

Disregards FTC agreement: Despite the clear direction from the FTC to the contrary, Google has again created a program without a clear path for users to “opt out”.

References

· FTC Statement on Google Settlement

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/03/google.shtm

· Google Shows Off How Well It Knows Your Social Circle

Switched.com (HuffingtonPost Tech)

http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/google-shows-off-how-well-it-knows-your-social-circle/

· “Do you feel like big brother is watching you now?”

About.com

http://marketing.about.com/b/2011/03/31/google-wants-you-to-1.htm

· Google’s Social Circle & Social Search May Not Violate Any Privacy Laws But It Gives Me The Creeps

LibrarianByDay.com

http://librarianbyday.net/2010/03/30/googles-social-circle-social-search-may-not-violate-any-privacy-laws-but-it-gives-me-the-creeps/

----------------------------

The information, and any attachments contained in this email may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is intended solely for the use of the intended named recipient(s). Any disclosure or dissemination in whatever form, by another other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please contact the sender and destroy this message and any attachments. Thank you.

----------------------------

Apology Wall Vandalized !

2011-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

After the riots, people went and wrote tons of THOUGHTFUL messages on the strips of plywood used to cover up the broken windows of affected shops. Then today someone did this to the wall. Who in their right mind would think that this is a good idea ? What kind of THOUGHTLESS prick would paint I LOVE YOU and ERASE other peoples messages ?

I'm so pissed off right now.

I hope someone finds this moron. Maybe Social Media can do what they did with rioters and find this asshole so we can bring him to justice. Maybe our justice system can charge the dickhead with vandalism ?

I am speechless.

This is a step back... This was a place of healing. We, the people of Vancouver needed this wall to move forward. And now this asshole, who by the way has been spray painting the same I LOVE YOU message all over Vancouver, makes Vancouver take a step back in our healing process..

Thanks douche !

We Hate You !

Here's a link to a video done by CTV : http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110621/bc_spray_paint_wall_110621/20110621/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

PS: I'm pretty sure the person in the photo was not the person that vandalized the wall.

UPDATE: They just put up a new wall. The new wall is basically a new sheet of plywood covering the old wall to help protect and preserve it. Obviously they want to try and stop vandales from further ruining the message the Apology Wall represents. People have started signing this new wall.

Do you think they will save and/or display this new wall ? Do you think this new wall will carry the same message as the first ? What do you think ?

If you still want to get you message in on the original walls, there are still a few sheets around the city that have yet to be covered/protected. Hurry and you still might be able to catch it before it's too late.

Camille Cacnio : Idiot

2011-06-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

"Dear City of Vancouver and all its residents,

Yes, this is me in the picture above, dumbest person ever"

That is how Camille Cacnio should have started her original apology. As everyone already knows, Ms. Cacnio was one of the rioters that participated in the 2011 Vancouver riots and got caught. She then went online and wrote an absolutely amazing apology on a blog she just created for such an event. The apology was amazing not because it touched readers hearts all across Canada and made us all sympathize for her. No, the apology was amazing because it made everyone HATE her more.

I guess she realized how stupid her original apology was because with in hours, she jumped back online and revised her blog post, shortening it, and taking out all the stupid, mindless, brain vomit that came out in a form of a blog, and was labelled an "apology".

There has been TONS of people online as of late going back into whatever social networking site they've used to try and erase their admission of guilt or even their whole profile. Everyone knows that it doesn't do any good because there is already a screen capture of it floating around the interweb. You would think... WOULD THINK Ms Cacnio would take this into consideration before she spewed her crap online and clicked on the "Publish Post" button.

Maybe she thought it was a good idea. Maybe she thought it was a good post. Either way, it just shows us how stupid she really is.

You can find her original post HERE and her revised one HERE.

Notice how I stopped referring to her blog post as an apology?. Can you really call it an apology and say you accept responsibility when you are still trying to justify your actions?.

I guess she was trying to shed some light and help us understand what was going through her head at the time. She says:

"I want to shed light onto the thought process that was in my head so that maybe you can all get a little bit of an understanding and sympathize for people like me"

Alright. Shoot !. I'm down to open my mind a bit and try and step into your shoes. Let me have it.

"I had no intentions of defiling the city. I love Vancouver as much as you do – I’ve lived here since I was 7 months old. But in my immature, intoxicated perspective all I saw was that the riot was happening, and would continue happening with or without me, so I might as well get my adrenaline fix"

Hmmm.. OK.. Go on...

"I’m a UBC student, and an adult. Shouldn’t I know the difference between wrong and right?

Well yes, I should…but in certain circumstances our perspectives get seriously skewed. It was extremely hard to see the consequences in taking a couple pants, when around me people were lighting up cars, smashing windows and inflicting physical pain on one another. My train of thought at this point was that “the place is already broken into, most of the contents of the store have already been stolen, so what difference does it make if I take a couple things?"

..... Bitch, you're stupid !

I would be amazed if anyone is going to hire you after you tried to justify your actions with THAT. I don't know if it was your intention to admit to the would you are stupid or not, but MY GOD are you stupid. So basically you know what's right and what's wrong, but because you were drunk, and everyone else is doing it, it's OK ?

She obviously didn't take any blame here. Instead she passed blame, saying we shouldn't be so hard on her because everyone else was doing it to. She ruined any chance at getting a job anywhere. I can't help but wonder how she would answer an interviewer if she were to be asked something like: "What would you do if you caught a co-working stealing ?". LOL.

If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you jump to ?

...... You probably would if your name was Camille Cacnio and you were intoxicated.

BTW. Someone made a hilarious spoof of her post. Go check it out here: My Apology for My Role in the Great Cereal Riot of 2011

Tutorial on how to set up permanently pinned tabs in Google Chrome

2011-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

This post and its video has moved over to its new home at HighGeekValue.com, where everything is only of value to us geeks. You can find it again by clicking here.

Cheers.

I Love Sarah Palin, She Makes Me Smile.

2011-05-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

I love it when Sarah Palin gets asked a question that require her to give her opinionated view. Simple right ?

Whats my favorite food? :
Pho

Whats my favorite TV show? :
House MD

Right ? Simple, but then there's the Sarah Palin answer, which closely resembles that of a high school student when asked which part of the book he was suppost to read, the most moving for him, and he answers: ALL OF THEM. LOL, oh how I love it.

When she was asked which newspaper she reads, she answers:

ALL OF THEM !.

When she was asked by Glen Beck, who is supposed to be on her side, which of the founding fathers is her favorite, she again answers: ALL OF THEM !.

You can hear Beck in the background utter BULLCRAP, as she stutters to find words to fill her rambling. Just like in highschool, you know when someone didn't do their assigned reading when they answer a question with every possible answer that pops into their head. Very entertaining to watch.

Why does she do this to herself ? My girlfriend said "ppl like her, I don't understand". I don't know why she does this. Maybe she is out to prove to the world that she isn't dumb, but in the process does the opposite, and then has to go and prove to the world again, thinking that "last time was just a stupid slip up, this time will be better". Maybe its a carefully calculated move on her part to keep her name in the media.

What ever the reason is, she makes for good entertainment. Kinda scary when you actually take a step back and realize that this woman could have been the Vice President of the United State isn't it ?

You think McCain is realized that Sarah Palin cost him the presidency ? Maybe it was that he was old and his views were crappy ? Maybe it was ALL OF THEM.

Sorry if this made no sense. It's 5:17am, my eyes are half open, and I am totally rambling, I just wanted to get this down so I don't forget about this tomorrow.