League of Legends

League of Legends (often abbreviated as LoL, and sometimes as LofL) is an action RTS video game developed and published by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows, inspired by the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) map for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. It was first announced on October 7, 2008, and released on October 27, 2009. The game was in a closed beta from April 10, 2009, to October 22, 2009. It then transitioned to open beta until release.

Players are formed into 2 even teams with 1–5 Champion(s) on each team. Each team starts at opposing sides of a map in an area called the "fountain", near what is called a "Nexus". A match is won when either the opposing team's Nexus is destroyed or the other team surrenders. To destroy a Nexus, each team must work through a series of towers called "Turrets". Turrets are often placed along a path to each base referred to as a "Lane". Along the way, each player gains levels from killing the opposing team's champions and "Minions" (small NPCs that constantly spawn and attack the other team) and defeating neutral monsters (some of which grant buffs known as crests upon death). Killing enemies allows champions to purchase "Items" with in-match gold to improve their statistics. In League of Legends, each player starts at level 1 at the beginning of the match and can obtain the maximum of level 18 with their champion, leveling 4 different champion-specific abilities. 

Maps in League of Legends are called Fields of Justice. There are currently two Fields of Justice that the players can choose from:

• Summoner's Rift resembles the DotA map. It has 3 lanes and supports 5 players per side.
• Twisted Treeline is a smaller map with only 2 lanes. It supports 3 players per side.

There are two other maps, the tutorial map called Proving Grounds and the new map that is in development with the name of Magma Chamber.
A match puts two teams with a fixed number of players against each other. Each team has its base, which contains the re-spawn point, item shop and nexus. The two bases are connected by lanes. Periodically, waves of minions spawn from the nexus. Minions are AI-controlled troops that walk down the lanes, engaging any enemies they encounter. The lanes are lined with turrets that engage enemies within range. Once a turret is destroyed, it cannot be rebuilt. A new element in League of Legends is the inhibitors. Each lane has an inhibitor on both ends. If a team destroys the enemy inhibitor, more powerful "super minions" will spawn for that side. Unlike turrets, inhibitors respawn after a fixed amount of time.
Besides the lanes, the maps also contain "jungle" areas. Neutral monsters inhabit the jungle. These monsters can be killed by a champion for bonus gold and experience. Some powerful neutral monsters grant the killer a temporary buff that will help them in battle (such as slowing the enemy and gaining more attack damage, increased damage and increased health regeneration, or an increased mana regeneration and spell cooldown reduction). Another special terrain feature is the brush. Brush blocks the line of sight of units, allowing champions to hide and set up an ambush.
The goal of each team is to destroy the enemy Nexus. The first team to achieve this is the victor. Victory is also attained if your opponent surrenders, using a voting system, but only 15 minutes (Twisted Treeline) or 20 minutes (Summoner's Rift) or more into the game.

Summoners

The Summoner acts as the persistent element in the game, to be used to track statistics and scores for each player.
Summoners gain experience points and Influence Points for each battle they participate in. They level up by getting enough experience, unlocking new ways to influence battles.
The Summoner can also choose two summoner spells to bring with it into an in-game session on the Fields of Justice. These spells significantly impact gameplay, and have a high cooldown while costing no mana. All spells can be improved by masteries.

Masteries

 

Masteries are perks that affect gameplay, they are commonly referred to in other games as "skill-trees". All of the masteries are passive effects although some augment summoner spells, which can be activated. They are grouped into Offensive, Defensive, and Utility categories. Each group has 6 tiers, within a group all but the first tier are locked when you first start, with a successive tier opening with each 4 points spent in the same group. Lines in the mastery tree imply additional unlocking criteria. The summoner can put one point per level (up to level 30) into masteries. Masteries can be re-distributed at will between battles. As of May 23, 2011, players were allowed to have multiple saved mastery pages.

Runes

 

Similar to masteries, runes affect gameplay in minor ways. Runes are categorized into Marks (offensive), Seals (defensive), Glyphs (magic) and Quintessence (all-purpose). They are also grouped into 3 tiers, higher tiers requiring a higher Summoner level. Runes must be unlocked in the Store and it is possible to have more than one copy of a rune. Summoners must arrange their runes in the Runebook to benefit from them. The Runebook has limited number of slots for each rune type. The book has two pages, allowing two different rune builds to be saved and the appropriate one chosen before a battle. More rune pages can be purchased from either Influence Points or Riot Points, however the 7 rune page combo can only be purchased with Riot Points. A combining system exists for runes: combining two equal-tier runes produces a random rune of the same tier, while combining 5 equal-tier runes produces a higher-tier rune.

If you enjoy spending your time playing competitive games, League of Legends is perfect for you. You can download and play for free at  http://www.leagueoflegends.com/ Just click "Play for free"!

2012 prophecy

So i'm sure everyone has heard of at least one type of crazy "2012 end-of-the-world prophecy" by now. With the current "war" going on between the US and Libya, and Libya having Nuclear weaponry, I think if things go bad, one of those prophecies might just come true.

 Scary times we're in.

Nice things to know when dealing with the Police.

If the Police stop you... 

• -Ask, "Am I free to go?" If not, you are being detained. If yes, walk away.
• 
  - Ask, "Why are you detaining me?" To stop you, the officer must have a "reasonable suspicion" to suspect your involvement in a specific crime (not just a guess or a stereotype).
• 
  - It is not a crime to be without ID. If you are being detained or issued a ticket, you may want to show ID to the cop because they can take you to the station to verify your identity.
• 
  - If a cop tries to search you car, your house, or your person, say repeatedly that you DO NOT CONSENT TO THE SEARCH. If in a card, do not open your trunk or your door - by doing so you consent to a search of your property and of yourself. If at home, step outside and lokc your door behind you so cops have no reason to enter your home. Ask to see the warrent and check for proper address, judge signature, and what the warrant says the cops are searching for. Everything must be correct in a legal warrant. Otherwise, send the police away.
• 
  - The cops can do a "pat search" (search the exterior of one's clothing for weapons) during a detention for "officer saftey reasons." They can't go into your pockets or bags without your consent. If you are arrested, they can search you and your possessions in great detail.
• 
  - DO NOT RESIST PHYSICALLY. Use your words and keep your cool. If officers violate your rights, don't let them provoke you into striking back. Wait unil you are out of custody and organize for justice.
• 
  
  - Police can arrest someone they believe is "inferfering" with their actions. Maining a reasonable distance. and if cops threaten to arrest you, EXPLAIN THAT YOU DON'T INTEND TO INTERFERE, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBSERVE THEIR ACTIONS.
   
  Know your rights, protect yourself. Don't let police officers violate them.

People & Power - Blood and dust

This video contains violent material, please take caution before viewing.

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

I know it's a little long but it's definitely worth watching.

This video has left a lasting feeling within myself. You never realize just
how much these soldiers do to save another human life. It also makes me
realize just how cruel and stupid war can be. I don't understand why it
has to come down to something of this extent. There are other ways
to solve issues besides killing each other. Sure, other animals in nature kill
each other but they do it for more important things. They do it for food, they
do it for mating, survival of their kin. We do it for things that don't even exist.
We do it for money, we do it for power. We even do it for political points to be
proven. I for one, am against war in every aspect of the term. Not to say I
wont defend myself or those I care for but I won't go so far as to take another
human life.

I heard a quote from a movie once, it's stuck with me. It went something like
"Fighting without weapons may not win you every fight, but you'll be alive."

Why are you still single?

If you’re single, I’m sure you’ve asked yourself more than once: “Why me?” As for the answer, chances are your friends and family may have been more than, ahem, generous in offering their opinions, and I’ll bet that little voice in your head has had a say, too. But before you find fault in what you’re doing on the dating scene, take a look at what you’re thinking. You may simply be suffering from a slight spell of dating pessimism.

I look at dating this way: sometimes it’s not about what actually happens on dates; rather, it’s your explanation of what happened that makes all the difference in your attitude about love, your dating style, and the energy you’re radiating in the presence of your matches. It’s a theory that Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of positive psychology and author of Authentic Happiness calls your “explanatory style.” He says that pessimists explain their problems as pervasive (“No one likes me”), permanent (“I’ll be alone forever”) and personal (“I’m not gorgeous enough”). But you’re far more likely to land in a great relationship if you’re an optimist, which means it’s time to start looking at your negative dating experiences as “atypical,” “temporary” and “not about me.”

Here, for example, are some of the most common (and frustrating) reasons that people believe they aren’t going to find someone to date. If you’ve ever said any of the statements below, I’ll help you pep-talk yourself through the pessimism and remind you of qualities to focus on instead in order to prepare yourself for a successful relationship.

“Nobody is looking for someone like me.” This is a “pervasive” way to look at your situation, declaring that your single status is both far-reaching and without exceptions. But look at what you’re really saying: nobody is looking for someone like you. That is just plain wrong! Take the “specific” point of view instead: for whatever reason, the last few failed dates you had were, indeed, looking for someone different — but so were you! You want someone who loves and appreciates your unique qualities and one-of-a-kind laugh, right? Then keep your eyes peeled for that person. You two just haven’t met yet.

“I’m cursed. I’ll never meet anyone.” This your way of thinking of your current single status as “permanent” — and it’s obviously not true. You meet lots of new people all the time. You just haven’t met anyone lately that inspired romantic feelings in you, which is more common than you think. As a dating optimist, look at your permanent “table for one” reservation as a “temporary” seat at the bar instead. From now on, tell yourself the truth: “I haven’t met anyone I like yet, but I will.”

“I’m not attractive/smart/rich/young/hot enough.” Here’s what’s wrong with this reasoning: You’re taking the opinions of strangers too personally. I don’t blame you — it certainly feels personal because it’s not your résumé or pencil drawing that someone is rejecting; that someone is rejecting you. But if someone doesn’t want to date you, it’s not about you personally, it’s about the connection (or lack thereof). I’ll say that again because it’s important: It’s not about you, it’s about the fact that you don’t share a romantic connection with this particular person. You might be face to face with someone who has all the qualities you want in a partner on paper — smart, funny, attractive, driven, comes from a good family — but no matter how many matches you strike, you can’t seem to fire up that crucial spark that sets your hearts aflame. That’s all the proof you need to know it’s not about you; the right partner will be just as into you, too. Forget about what people might think of you and focus on the connection you feel instead.

“Men/Women just don’t like people as _________ as me.” Yes, they do! Let me ask you this: Do you have a friend? Does one human being out there enjoy spending time with you? Then people do like you — you just haven’t made that specific romantic connection with anyone… yet.

“I’m better at being single. I guess I’m just supposed to stay single forever.” Just because one failed relationship brought you down doesn’t mean you’re meant to be alone for life. You’re allowed to be “good” at being single — i.e. you enjoy time alone, you fly through your to-do lists and you can handle being dateless at a wedding. Your single status is only “permanent” if you choose to keep it that way! Whatever is making you feel bad about yourself is temporary — it’s one person (or maybe it’s a string of them) who can’t make the connection with your fabulous self, not the whole human race. You’re currently single because you haven’t found a specific person you want to settle down with who loves you completely. That’s the real reason you’re single. But if you want a relationship (because you can be good at that, too!), decide right now that you’re meant to be in one and watch the dating world flock to you and your aura of optimism.

Don't worry, be happy.

Attention Yugioh Players!

A new Banned/Restricted List has been confirmed!

Keep in mind that this is a JAPANESE banned/restricted list. Although the TCG list will be almost exactly the same, it will have a few differences. Mainly in those cards that haven't been released here in the TCG.

With no further adue, here's what to look forward to for the next 6 months of Yugioh!

Forbidden:
Goyo Guardian
Cold Wave
Mass Driver

Limited:
Honest
Dandylion
Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
Book of Moon
Gateway of the Six

Semi-Limited
Card Trooper
Archlord Kristya
Spirit Reaper
Debris Dragon
Royal Tribute
Overload Fusion
Megamorph
Solemn Warning
Icarus Attack

Unlimited:
Chaos Sorcerer
Demise, King of Armageddon
Snipe Hunter
Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier
Gold Sarcophagus
Skill Drain
Ultimate Offering

Here are a few images confirming this list.

What to do?

Oh what to do, what to do! I've been actively seeking employment for the past few months. I check back with the places I apply to all of the time. I don't know if i'm doing something wrong or not but it seems that they just don't want to hire me! I've got a ton of Customer Service skills along with a few years of Technical Support in a computer technology field. I know California has one of, if not the highest unemployment rates in the United States but sheesh. A person would think that with my qualifications I would be able to find SOMETHING!

If you have an idea that you think might help me, please feel free to comment below.

More philosophical quotes

"Imagine an infant lying in it's cradle and the window is open. Into the room comes something marvelous, mysterious, glittering, shedding light of many colors, movement, sound, a transformative  heirophamy of integrated perception. The child is enthralled by it's beauty and then the mother comes in and she says to the child, "That's a bird baby, a bird"."

"If there's a Demon inside the human nature, there is surely an Angel of equal power."

"If no fruit flies died for six months, the earth would spin out of it's orbit due to the weight of fruit flies."

"Ideology always paves the way to Atrocity."

"A certain level of alienation is the cost of sanity in this society."

"If you don't contradict yourself, your position isn't complex enough."

"We are so much the victims of abstraction that with the earth in flames we can barely rouse ourselves to get up across the room to check the thermostat."

Tall Painting

Guitar Hero finally dead!

  Did you hear that? It's the fat lady, singing her heart out.


Activision released a bombshell today during their latest earnings report by announcing that the once-vaunted Guitar Hero franchise will be unceremoniously put to rest for the forseeable future.
"Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011," the company said in a statement.
It's just the latest bad news to hit the ailing music game genre. The most recent Guitar Hero game, Warriors of Rock, failed to ignite the sales charts, and in December of 2010, media giant Viacom sold off Rock Band developer Harmonix. Just last week, longtime Rock Band publisher MTV Games was officially shut down.
In addition to Guitar Hero, Activision has halted development on its True Crime: Hong Kong action game.
"These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world's best interactive entertainment experiences," they explained.
In a conference call, Activision said about 500 employees -- roughly 7% of its work force -- will be laid off by the cancellations.
It's not all doom and gloom, however, as Activision also revealed plans to support its Call of Duty franchise by forming a new internal studio. Dubbed "Beachhead," the team is tasked with creating a "best-in-class online community, exclusive content, and a suite of services" for the best-selling shooter series. The company will also be investing in a new online multiplayer game from World of WarCraft makers Blizzard.
First released on 2005 for the Playstation 2, Guitar Hero ushered in a lucrative era of music gaming. According to Activision, its 2007 iteration, Guitar Hero III, set an industry record by being the first video game to earn over $1 billion in retail sales. It's all been downhill from there, however, as the one-two punch of an economic downturn and an oversaturated music game market resulted in stagnant sales and dwindling consumer interest in the franchise.

Duel Terminal 4, The easiest way to make money in the game of Yugioh.

 


To anyone playing Yugioh. If you want to make a quick buck, visit your local hobby/card/comic shop and pop a couple of dollars into their Yugioh Duel Terminal! (If they have one)

Here's how it works;

You put money into the machine in $1,$5,$10 and $20 increments. For each dollar, the machine spits out a random "Duel Terminal" card. These cards can be of any rarity, from Common, Rare, Super Rare and Ultra Rare. Obviously, the higher the rarity of the card, the more money it's worth.

In the newest Duel Terminal set (known as DT04 "Duel Terminal 4") there is a very illusive card. This card is so rare and so sought after that it's selling on Ebay for upwards of $170-$200 a piece. Incase your wondering, this card is called "Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier". The chances of getting this card are 1 out of every 300 cards. That means you would need to sit there and put at least $300 into one of these machines in order to get even a single copy. Some people get lucky however, spending minuscule amounts (as low as a single dollar) to receive this treasure. The card you receive per dollar is random, after all.

This isn't the only card in DT04 that's worth more than a dollar. Other common/foil cards range from $5 to $25 a piece. Many of the cards in the set (most of which are common in rarity) aren't worth the cardboard they're printed on.

So far, I've dropped around $80 into a few different Duel Terminal machines. I've been lucky enough to get 2 "Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier" along with a handful of other cards worth over $5 a piece. Easily worth the time invested into getting these cards.

So if you play Yugioh and have a local shop that has one of these Duel Terminals, I suggest calling them up asking if they have Duel Terminal Set 4. If they do, It would be a good idea to go and pop a couple of dollars into the machine. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a Trishula!

Good luck bloggers.

The Hang Drum

 Like a 1950s flying saucer, the Hang's sound is out of this world !

Hang (pronounced Hong) Drum

Hang means "hand" in the Bernese language, and is pronounced "hung or hong". The Hang was developed in Switzerland. It was the result of many years of research on the steelpan and the study of the diverse collection of instruments from around the world, such as Gongs, Gamelan, Ghatam, drums, bells, etc. The instrument is played with the hands. Udu-like sounds are produced with the air resonance, the sounds of the clamped shallow shells sound like bells or harmonically tuned steelpans. The inner note on the bottom dome is the bass note, and when played in a dampened way allows change in pitch like a talking drum. Seven to nine notes are tuned harmonically around a central deep note. The hemispheres are hardened by a process known as gas-nitriding. This is a thermal treatment process in which nascient hydrogen atoms diffuse into the steel and form nitride compounds with many of the alloys in the steel. Look up video's on Youtube, the music is beautiful.

The Many Wisdoms of Terrence Mckenna;

"Whats so progressive about the media? It spreads darkness at the speed of light."

"What blinds us, or makes historical progress very difficult is our lack of awareness of our ignorance."

"Western Civilization is a gun pointed at the head of the planet."

"We must stop this consumption of culture and start creating it."

"We're told No, we're unimportant, we're peripheral. "Get a degree, get a this, get a that." And then your a player. You don't even want to play in that game. Reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that's being manufactured out of the bones of a dieing world."

"The world we perceive is a tiny fraction of the world which we can perceive, which is a tiny fraction of the perceivable world."

"The reason we all feel alienated is because our society is infantile, trivial and stupid."

13 Things your Mailman won't tell you.

1. Maybe your dog won’t bite you. But in 2009, 2,863 of us were bitten, an average of nine bites per delivery day. That’s why I wince when your Doberman comes flying out the door.
2. Remember this on Valentine’s Day: It takes our machines longer to read addresses on red envelopes (especially if they’re written in colored ink).
3. Why stand in line? At usps.com, you can buy stamps, place a hold on your mail, change your address, and apply for passports. We even offer free package pickup and free flat-rate envelopes and boxes, all delivered right to your doorstep.
4. Media Mail is a bargain, but most of you don’t know to ask for it. Sending ten pounds of books from New York City to San Francisco through Media Mail costs $5.89, compared with $16.77 for Parcel Post. Besides books, use it to send magazines, manuscripts, DVDs, and CDs; just don’t include anything else in the package.
5. We don’t get a penny of your tax dollars. Really. The sale of postage, products, and services at our 36,000 retail locations, and on our website, covers all of the post office's operating expenses.
6. UPS and FedEx charge you $10 or more for messing up an address. Us? Not a cent.
7. Paychecks, personal cards, letters—anything that looks like good news—I put those on top. Utility and credit card bills? They go under everything else.
8. Sorry if I seem like I’m in a hurry, but I’m under the gun: Our supervisors tell us when to leave, how many pieces of mail to deliver, and when we should aim to be back. Then some of us scan bar codes in mailboxes along our route so they can monitor our progress.
9. Yes, we do have to buy our own stamps, but a lot of us carry them for customers who need them. If we don’t charge you, that’s because we like you.
10. Use a ballpoint pen. Ink from those felt tips runs in the rain.
11. Please dress properly when you come to the door. A towel wrapped around you doesn’t cut it. And we definitely don’t want to see you in your underwear!
12. We serve 150 million addresses six days a week, so we’re often in the right place at the right time. We pull people out of burning cars, catch burglars in the act, and call 911 to report traffic accidents, dead bodies, and more.
13. Most of us don’t mind if you pull up to our trucks while we’re delivering and ask for your mail a little early. But please get out of your car and come get it. Don’t just put your hand out your window and wait for me to bring it to you.

IPhone 4 comes to Verizon! Finally!

It’s here. After almost four years of speculation, the iPhone will finally come to Verizon’s network on Feb. 10.
And to answer everyone’s question, the Verizon iPhone is nearly the same as AT&T’s iPhone 4 — but it doesn’t drop calls. For several million Americans, that makes it the holy grail.
I took the Verizon iPhone to five cities, including the two Bermuda Triangles of AT&T reception: San Francisco and New York. Holding AT&T and Verizon iPhones side by side in the passenger seat of a car, I dialed 777-FILM simultaneously, and then rode around until a call dropped. (Why that number? Because I wanted to call a landline, eliminating the other person’s cell reception from the equation. Also, Mr. Moviefone can carry the entire conversation by himself, so I could concentrate on the testing.)
In San Francisco, the AT&T phone dropped the call four times in 30 minutes of driving; the Verizon phone never did. The Verizon iPhone also held its line in several Manhattan intersections where the AT&T call died. At a Kennedy airport gate, the AT&T phone couldn’t even find a signal; the Verizon dialed with a smug yawn.
Most impressively, the Verizon iPhone effortlessly made calls in the Cellphone Signal Torture Chamber of Doom: my house.
The Verizon iPhone did drop one call — in baggage claim at the Los Angeles airport. And, of course, there are regions where AT&T coverage is better than Verizon’s. But in general, my testing matches the conclusions of Consumer Reports and RootMetrics.com: the Verizon iPhone has more bars in more places. (Hey, that might make a good slogan! Oh, wait...)
In general, the Verizon and AT&T iPhones are identical. Same sleek, thin, satisfying, plastic-free body — all glass and metal. Same gorgeous, high-resolution screen — 960 by 640 pixels. Same battery life — you’ll need a recharge every night. Same camera on the back, which can take 5-megapixel stills or excellent hi-def video — the flash doubles as a video light. Same low-resolution camera on the front, suitable for Wi-Fi videochats, using Apple’s FaceTime software for iPhone or Mac.
Even the prices are about the same. The 16-gigabyte phone costs $200 with two-year contract. The monthly service costs, for example, $70 for unlimited voice calls, plus $20 for 5,000 text messages, plus $30 a month for unlimited Internet use. (Verizon says that it will soon eliminate that unlimited plan, just as AT&T recently did. Instead, you’ll pay something like $25 a month for 2 gigabytes of Internet data. Good luck figuring out how much that is.)
The single new feature in Verizon’s iPhone is Personal Hotspot, where the iPhone becomes a Wi-Fi base station. Up to five laptops, iPod Touches or other gadgets can get online, using the phone as a glorified Internet antenna.
That’s incredibly convenient. Many other app phones have it — AT&T’s iPhone gets it on Feb. 13 — but Apple’s execution is especially nice. For example, the hot spot shuts itself off 90 seconds after the last laptop disconnects. That’s hugely important, because these personal hot spot features are merciless battery drains.
The hot spot feature costs $20 a month extra, and buys only 2 gigabytes of data for all of those laptops. Think e-mail, not YouTube. (AT&T will charge $45 a month for 4 gigabytes of data.)
Now, there are two kinds of cellphone networks in this country. They’re known as C.D.M.A. (Verizon and Sprint use this technology) and G.S.M. (the system for AT&T and T-Mobile). Making an iPhone that works on a C.D.M.A. network entailed four adjustments, some of which you won’t like.
First, Apple moved the volume and Ringer Off switches a fraction of an inch to accommodate the C.D.M.A. antenna inside. It’s not a big deal, but those buttons no longer fit existing AT&T iPhone cases. (Contrary to blogger belief, the redesign doesn’t help with the famous Death Grip issue, in which holding the phone in a certain way makes your signal bars drop. Then again, the problem emerges only when you’re in a very weak signal area, so you’ll see it less often on Verizon. I couldn’t reproduce it at all.)
A second C.D.M.A. difference: When you exchange long text messages with non-Verizon phones, they get split up into 160-character chunks. G.S.M. phones are smart enough to reconstitute those chunks into one more readable, consolidated message.
Third: You can’t talk on an C.D.M.A. phone while you’re online. That is, if you’re on a call, you can’t simultaneously check a Web site or send e-mail over the cellular network — and, annoyingly, the Personal Hotspot feature cuts off. (It reconnects when you hang up.)
If the top of your screen says “3G,” an indication that you’re in a high-speed Internet area of Verizon’s network, incoming calls take priority and interrupt your online connection. If you’re online in an older, 2G area, you stay online and the call goes directly to voice mail.
It’s not such a big deal. Continuing processes like downloads, Personal Hotspot and GPS navigation resume automatically when you end your call. You can still send text and get messages when you’re on a call. And none of this applies when you’re in a Wi-Fi hot spot; in that case, you can call and surf simultaneously, no problem.
For business travelers, the fourth C.D.M.A. difference is the most disappointing: not many other countries use C.D.M.A. The Verizon iPhone works in about 40 countries, including Mexico, Canada and China; AT&T phones, on the other hand, work in 220 countries. (In both cases, you pay through the nose if you use them overseas.)
Still interested? Here are a few final points to ponder before you plunge.
Even if Verizon’s network is the best in America, its policies and prices are still among the worst. This is the company, after all, that admitted to billing $2 every time you accidentally hit the up-arrow button. (Verizon refunded $52 million and paid the Federal Communications Commission a record $25 million fine.) This is the company that just eliminated its “new phone every two years” discount policy, that just cut its new-phone return policy to 14 days from 30, that doubled its early-termination fee (to $350 if you cancel your two-year contract before it’s up).
Consider, too, that if surveys are any indication, Verizon can expect an enormous stampede of new iPhone customers. Last time this happened — to AT&T — the weight of all those bandwidth-sucking iPhones swamped the network, causing interruptions that persist to this day. The same thing might happen to Verizon.
Verizon swears that it’s prepared for the onslaught. Then again, that’s what AT&T said, too.
Remember, too, that so far, Apple has released a new iPhone model every July. Apple won’t say if there will be an iPhone 5 for Verizon this summer. (“Let’s put it this way: We’re not stupid,” is all an Apple rep would say.) But if it does, and you buy an iPhone 4 now, you’ll be stuck with an outdated phone in only five months.
Finally, a lot has changed in the years it’s taken the iPhone to come to Verizon. Phones that run Google’s Android software have eaten a lot of the iPhone’s lunch. A huge part of that, of course, was the AT&T factor; people bought Android phones so they could be on Verizon’s network.
Even now, though, Android phones are superior in some ways. For example, they offer amazingly good spoken GPS navigation, you can dictate text into any text box, and you can get one with a bigger screen. Of course, the iPhone still wins on battery life, simplicity and both the quality and quantity of the app store. (Google doesn’t screen or supervise what’s on the Android store, as Apple does. Some call that a blessing, others a curse.)
Yes, that’s a lot of footnotes and “yes, buts.” Even so, most people don’t care about overseas compatibility or simultaneous calling and surfing or Verizon’s tactics. They want an iPhone — an iconic, beautiful, fast, elegant iPhone — that doesn’t drop calls.
Now, after years of pining, they have it at last.

Chinese New Years caught me off guard!

So I was sitting up late last night, watching TV when I heard a series of loud POPOPOPOPOPOP outside. I don't live in the greatest naborhood so I assumed the worst. My Girlfriend was about to pick up the phone to call the police when I remembered it was New Years for the Chinese. I felt so dumb that I thought it was gunshots. Haha, I guess everyone learns something every day. right?

Just watched a friend of mine get rid of his whole collection..for almost nothing.

A friend of mine plays Yugioh. He traded away his whole collection of cards to someone for a handful of cards that are worth a lot of money. (For those of you know don't know, many Yugioh cards are worth from a range of $20-$200 per card, no joke. Check Ebay)

I hope he can make money off of these cards, if he doesn't he'll probably hurt himself, haha.

Amazon tribe still exists?

– Tue Feb 1, 6:08 am ET

BRASILIA (AFP) – Brazil has allowed the release of rare photographs of an uncontacted Amazonian tribe to bring attention to the plight of indigenous people who rights groups say are faced with possible annihilation.
The astonishing images, showing curious adults and children peering skyward with their faces dyed reddish-orange and toting bows, arrows and spears, were taken by Brazil's National Indian Foundation (FUNAI).
Rights group Survival International, which accompanied the government agency on the overflight near the Brazil-Peru border, said their baskets were full of papaya and manioc grown in a communal garden.
"Illegal loggers will destroy this indigenous people. It is essential that the Peruvian government stop them before it is too late," warned Survival's director Stephen Corry.
FUNAI has released similar photographs in the past and acknowledged that Peruvian loggers are sending some indigenous people fleeing across the border to less-affected rainforests in Brazil.
The coordinator of Brazil's Amazon Indian organization COIAB, Marcos Apurina, said he hoped the images would draw attention to the plight of the indigenous peoples and encourage their protection.
"It is necessary to reaffirm that these peoples exist, so we support the use of images that prove these facts. These peoples have had their most fundamental rights, particularly their right to life, ignored -- it is therefore crucial that we protect them," he said.
FUNAI says there are 67 tribes in Brazil that do not have sustained contact with the outside world. Some are often referred to as "uncontacted" tribes even though they have some kind of, albeit limited, contacts.
A year ago, rights groups sent a letter to then president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voicing concern that the very survival of indigenous groups was under threat.
Brazil's latest census counted more than 500,000 indigenous people among more than 190 million Brazilians. Millions in the country, however, have some indigenous ancestry.
Most indigenous people in the Americas descend from Asian people who crossed a land bridge from Siberia, an estimated 13,000-17,000 years ago. One notable exception: the indigenous people on Chile's Easter island, in the Pacific, are ethnic (Rapa Nui) Polynesians.

Has anyone seen Epic Beard Man?

A 67-year-old man with a T-shirt declaring himself "a mother*#***r" bloodied a younger man in a Muni bus fight in Oakland on Monday, and the video was posted to YouTube Tuesday.

While this incident happened in the East Bay, the tiff is reminiscent of not one but two YouTubed fights on Muni lines in San Francisco last year.

In this video, the older man, who says he's 67, exchanged words with the much younger passenger at the back of the bus -- the argument centered around a misunderstanding over a comment made when the two younger man boarded the bus.

The older man walked away but continued to talk with the younger passenger, who followed the old man to the front of the bus and appeared to throw a punch. The old man responded with a flurry of fists, leaving the younger man bent over on the ground with blood dripping from his face and covering seats.

The older gentlemen wore a light blue t-shirt that reads "I am a mother*#**r." After the fight, he walked off the bus while the younger man deals with his injuries, including a fairly bloody face

What I had for Lunch today?

Incase anyone is wondering, I had a nice Milk Tea with Large Bobo from Lollicup, spent some time with a few friends of mine at Metropolis Comix and then went to Good ol' Hawaiian BBQ for some Chicken Katsu.

I wonder why they call it Katsu in the first place? Sounds like "Chicken Catch You". :D

Could the Nintendo 3DS's technology lead to the Wii 2?

Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian believes 3DS's worldwide rollout over the next couple of months could pave the way for a new Wii console in 2012.

In a research note distributed yesterday, Sebastian cited "Google and (just maybe) Nintendo" as his picks for 2011's winners in the games space.

"We expect a strong 2011 launch for Nintendo's 3DS, which offers game-play and video playback differentiated from existing portable devices," he said.

"We believe that initial popularity of 3DS will offset recent steep declines in DS sales, and could also set the stage for a debut of a new Wii in 2012."

Sebastian continued: "However, we would also anticipate the adoption of 3D technology in Android handhelds in the future.

"Additionally, we see Google as another likely winner in the video game market in 2011, given the rapid increase in Android device sales, and the potential for Google (along with Apple) to open up a new market for game apps on connected TVs."

Fellow analyst Michael Pachter suggested last month that Nintendo has "completely blown it" with its Wii 2 strategy by waiting too long to launch a successor to the original console.

A Climber falls 1,000 feet and lives!

Adam Potter, a 35-year-old mountain climber, is lucky to be alive.
This past Saturday, Potter fell about 1,000 feet after he lost his footing near the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor, a Scottish mountain. Potter didn't just survive the fall -- when rescuers found him, the adventurer was "standing up and reading a map."
Potter was standing on an icy part of the mountain when he slipped and began his terrifying fall. The other climbers saw him tumble and quickly alerted authorities. While the search and rescue helicopter was being deployed, Potter was falling down a nearly vertical cliff at a frightening level of speed.
When the rescuers found Potter, they couldn't believe their eyes. At the bottom of the cliff, the man stood on his own two feet, examining his map, as if to say, "Now, where did I take that wrong turn?" In fact, the rescue team thought they might be looking at the wrong guy. Lieutenant Tim Barker remarked, "We honestly thought it couldn't be him, as he was on his feet, reading a map. It seemed impossible."

Wanting to be sure, the crew retraced its steps, and found bits of Potter's vertical line along the cliffs. It was then that they were sure. According to a piece from the AFP, Potter was clearly shaken up by the time rescuers got to him: "He was said to be 'shaking from extreme emotional shock and the sheer relief at still being alive.'"
Amazingly, Potter only suffered minor injuries, including some superficial cuts and bruises and a "minor chest injury." He is recovering in a Glasgow hospital.