8/1/08

That Would Be So Sweet


Things that would make the world a cooler place.
Have you seen any of Improv Everywhere's videos? I especially like Frozen in Grand Central. What they do is pretty awesome just because it's something unexpected that takes you out of your little bubble where you spend your time isolated from anyone new and you suddenly realize that there are moments outside of what you're used to. Events like these turn your average, everyday into something interesting and interactive. It makes you feel like you're in the largest hands-on museum but instead of just a building you have the whole world to experience; you just have to make it happen. I feel like we're lacking in fun interactions with one another and the following is a list of things that would help this problem:
  • Neighborhood Social Network - Technically, there was a site called FatDoor that was exactly like this but it wasn't successful enough. I would love to see every neighborhood have a website where neighbors could chat, plan events, buy/sell items, and just have fun with one another. I don't even know who lives two doors down from me.
  • The Game - Maybe you've heard of this where everyone is already playing "the game" and the object is to not think of "the game" which you lose and must say aloud that you lose whenever you remember "the game." Basically you have to forget that it exists. I wish everyone would want to play this because it would be fun to set off chain reactions of people shouting "I lose!"
  • Breaking Out into Song and Dance - Come on, you've all seen at least one movie where suddenly everyone is sucked into singing in harmony and moving to perfectly synchronized, choreographed dances at a seemingly random time. Wouldn't that be sweet if that happened even if it was just once?
  • Global Scavenger Hunt - Actually, there is such a thing as GeoCaching but hardly anybody seems to know it exists. You wouldn't believe how exciting it is to discover someone has hidden a container of surprises right in your area that you can search for, add to it, write a message, or be inspired to hide your own treasure.
  • Life Swap - Like Wife Swap only everyone does it. People get stuck in a rut far too easily and I think switching lives with another person for a week or even for just a day would put one's life in perspective so that they can appreciate what he/she has or get a feel for how others go about their typical day. They should make this an international holiday.
  • Congressional Idol - Politics are pretty dull but they don't have to be. I mean they have a show for everything else, why not have a show where you can vote on actual laws like a real Democracy. Although you'd have to have some sort of registration system to keep out the ones who have no idea what they're doing but I think it would give power back to the people.

7/29/08

Craigslist: What You're Looking For


Free online classifieds site Craigslist can help you find or sell just about anything in a flash.
I love craigslist. I think it's simple yet so functional but I haven't really used some of its features until now. When I ask others about craigslist I get one of two responses: craigslist is great and what's craigslist? A lot of my friends aren't computer literate like I am which is probably why they're my friends. It's hard to embrace craigslist because at first look at the site you're like "what the hell's this?" But once you get some guidance on what it can provide you'll be amazed at what it can do. In April, my family had a subdivision sale and we always advertised by putting signs at the entrances to the sub and paying $50-100 for a small note in each local paper which usually brings a decent turnout. This year, I suggested we use craigslist too. On the day of the huge garage sale, there were calls every hour asking directions to our subdivision from all over the place even in the heart of Detroit. It was apparent to all of us that there was way more people then we've had before. Normally, our family would have made about $400 in profit (we have a lot of stuff to sell) but after using craigslist we made almost $900! That's the power of craigslist. Just yesterday we posted our wooden playset on Craigslist and within two hours of publishing the post we got an urgent call basically saying "SOLD!" He came over the next day and gave us the money. Now he just has to take it apart and haul it away. My parents were shocked at the results. Suddenly I have a list of things to put up on craigslist. In all, if you want to sell something, buy something, find a job, find romance, have a laugh, or get free stuff then go to craigslist first.

7/28/08

MOAR NINTENDO!


Despite it's success, Nintendo needs to step it up.
I'm sure you're at least aware of Nintendo's huge hits, the Wii and the Nintendo DS. But even though the DS is still selling well fours years after its first release and the Wii system is still hard to find anywhere, Nintendo hasn't been satisfying the masses as pointed out by Wii Fanboy. First of all, both systems have totally revolutionized how most of us live now and that's no joke. Both systems are easy to use, fun, and cheap. It's a killer combination. Because the Wii offers gamers the chance to move rather than button-mash Nintendo has increased its demographic to nearly anyone. They're putting Wiis in physical therapy centers and retirement homes because it's great, fun exercise for them. I mean, my 90 year-old Grandpa has a Wii! You can surf the net, check the news and weather, and interact with other players in a safe environment on the Wii. The DS is similar in that you can also surf the web, chat with other players, and just about run your whole life with its fantastic line of games. My Weight Loss Coach, Brain Age, My Spanish Coach, Flash Focus, and Cooking Guide (UK) are just the beginnings of how the DS is going from game system to life system. But, like I said, people keep demanding more so I've come up with a list of things Nintendo needs to improve on.
  • Wii storage shortage - after a few games saves, channels, and Wii Wares installed on your Wii you've suddenly run out of room to put it all! Most have suggested playing straight from an inserted SD card but we'll see how they solve this problem.
  • Cooking Guide (USA) - for some reason this game is predicted to only sell well in Europe but I think they need to give North America a chance and offer it here. I would certainly buy it in a heartbeat and I'm sure others would too if they saw its potential.
  • Balance board games - Sure the Wii Fit is an enormous success but I want to do more with my $90 dual-scale accessory than just yoga. I want my moneys worth!
  • DS Novel - If I want to bring a few books with me while I travel and I'm already going to take my DS why not combine the two by packing a bunch of classic literature pieces on a DS cartridge?
  • Animal Crossing Wii - The Gamecube version was like The Sims on crack but the Wii is lacking it's own version and if they make one it's going to be ten times better than its predecessor.
  • Pokemon Platinum - For a company that comes out with 100 new characters and not one, but two new games about them practically every year it sure seems strange for them to be so late on one of the most anticipated Pokemon titles for the DS.
  • New Wii colors - The DS has about a 1,000 different colors and designs yet the Wii just has plain ol' white. What gives?
  • My (insert language here) Coach - It's great that we have French and Spanish and English in Asia, but what about the other 500 languages in the world? I'm looking forward to My Chinese Coach myself.
  • More DLC, please - So far, the downloadable content (DLC) for the Wii has been slow and not all that great. I'm sure once they fix the storage problem the Nintendo servers will crash from all the downloads.
  • DS redesign - This is why I still have my Original Style "Phat" DS. The Lite is great and all but I know the next system version will be twice as good.

7/27/08

List of Funny Sites


A growing list of websites guaranteed to make you smile.
  • Cyanide & Happiness - This webcomic on explosm.net has some of the best crude and inappropriate jokes I've ever read. It's tough to predict where the punchline is going which makes it so original.
  • Not Always Right - You think you've witnessed some of the stupidest conversations between customer and employee? You haven't heard nothin' yet.
  • I Can Has Cheezburger & I Has A Hotdog - How do you make a picture of a cute cat, dog, or other animal funny? Add poorly spelled captions.
  • My Roommate Is Such A Dick - We've all had a house guest at one point that drove us insane so now you don't have to feel like you're the only one with roommate issues when you read these funny letters. Although it hasn't been updated in a while, but maybe you can change that by submiting your own story.
  • Zero Punctuation - This is for the video game freaks who want the honest, uncensored truth about their next potential purchases before playing them first.
  • Funny or Die - Unlike most "funny" video sites, Funny or Die leaves the hilarity levels up to you where voting determines whether a video is so funny that it is deemed immortal or be so bad as to never see the light again.
  • Computer Stupidities - Similar to Not Always Right but it's mainly for computer geeks who can understand the absolute idiocy of PC users. If you have trouble figuring out any part of your computer then it's best to keep away from this site unless you want to be embarrassed by reading a situation that sounds familiar to one of your own experiences.
  • Pun Of The Day - Ah, good ole dry humor. Some of the phrases are pure gold while others....what's the total opposite of pure gold?
  • Quote Database - Bash.org brings you the best quotes ever to come up in IRC chats. A bunch of them are so funny that you'll have to take a laughing break between each quote.
Feel free to criticize what I've listed or add your own funny links in your comments, but keep it appropriate.