Scrap Brain

I've abandoned this blog, but if you're interested in what I have to say, check out my Tumblr blog (see link).

I recently made a usability (one of my many interests) post at: http://estebanuribe.tumblr.com/post/4316477127/doorknob

I expect to do more serious writing on scrap brain my Tumblr blog.

For inane occasional ramblings, find me on twitter @estebanuribe

random!

Transcendentally Powerful Imaginary Irrationally Simplistic

e^i*(pi) = -1

DIAF Spammers

Ok, not that spammers will ever read this but if you spam the comment section DIAF. I'll do whatever it takes to keep your filt off my blog.

WoW or how I learned to live without my powerbook for 2 weeks and counting

So finally I decided I should throw a bone in here and write something else.

First of all if you are here to lurk and stalk me..well you will be disappointed as my friends already do that...sort of...I hope...please...(?)

Anyway, I've come to the specious and shocking conclusion that Blizzard (www.blizzard.com) has dedicated their full resources to keep a copy of World of Warcraft from me.

First off I end up buying a copy, but alas because of undisclosed circumstances it failed me.

Here is some of my evidence as to why Blizzard is conspiring against me.

1) I go to my local Apple Store and they've got no copies left!
2) I go to Kmart on the rare chance they might carry it. They do not.
3) I go to Circuit City (surely they must have it), and they don't either...

The one constant is that a Blizzard game is sold out, and thus unavailable to me. Ergo Blizzard is at fault!
Ergo Blizzard is out to get me! Ergo I'm insane or a genius.

Anyway I'm giving Amazon.com a chance and I will see how they fare. They say they can get it to me before the 24th.

In the meantime I'll have to settle for Warcraft III. I love Blizzard...I love Vivendi.

Oh yeah if you care check out the genius that is Cookies et Créme

Lynn Browers or OMG You Know My Evil English Teacher! What a small world!

Last Friday, I was sitting in the 2nd floor conference room stuffing envelopes over at the public relations office I work for.
It was not a routine day...not too much IT stuff or tech support stuff to do, but lots of mailings to go out.

Had my powerbook g4 open, keeping an eye on my e-mail in case someone needed something ASAP!

One of the account executives and co-workers drops by to help out. I'll call her Flora.
As we sit there stuffing envelopes and chatting, she asks if I can play some music through my powerbook.

As 80s classics play through iTunes, Flora then asks me what high school I went to.
I tell her I went to Belmont Senior High School (in Los Angeles). She then asks if I know a teacher named Lynn Browers.
I put on my serious face and say "Oh...her...", feigning deep resentment.

Flora laughs, and I mention to her that I'm kidding (about the hating Ms. Browers deal.)

Flora tells me that her mother is a long time friend of Lynn Browers.
We then start to talk and share stories about Lynn Browers

I explain that on the last day of class (at least the last day the whole AP English class was together) - after all the hard work, all the essays, all the reading, and two years worth of being in her class - Ms. Browers asked "So you are all majoring in English right?"

Funny, I have contemplated this sometimes. I do have a love of the written word, at least when I have time to sit and read in peace. I dont presume to write well at all, but at least well enough to make myself come across clearly, or confuse people. I tend to do the later much more. At least my spelling skills and grammar skills prove to be an asset at times.

I do love language though. How it evolves and how it is used. Some of my favorite memories are learning a few phrases of the beginning of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, how we as a class created our very own "Canterbury Tales" describing each other, and a few excerpts from Beowulf. I later purchased Beowulf with both Modern English and Old English side by side. I would love to be able to read the Old English :-)

There really is a lot of stuff I remember about her class. It certainly gave me a good background and understanding of the English language, literature, and a bit of the culture associated with the language.

Later on, I asked Flora to please say hello for me to Lynn Browers.

The following Monday, Flora comes to my desk and tells me she talked to Lynn Browers. Flora tells me that Ms. Browers remembers me, and had nothing but good things to say about me.

I thought it great that Ms. Browers remembered, and she still seems to be at Belmont. I have a sister who will start there next year. I might try to get her into one of Ms. Browers' classes. :-)

Also, I hope I did a good job with my grammar here. Would be embarrassing if I wrote about how great an English teacher is and have her read this page and have her be in shock at my lack of skill.

w00t! iMac G5!

So finally the iMac G5s started arriving at the stores. I arrived at the store last Friday, hoping that I could get my hands on opening an iMac G5 and staring at it's guts. I was disappointed :-(

They had all been sold, and all RAM and Airport card installs had been taken care of. I resigned to wait until next weekend and see how things fared.

Fortunately, on an unrelated topic I asked if I could come into the store on Tuesday to help out. Turns out there were a couple of iMac G5s in with need of RAM and Airport cards. My friend and co-worker Erin guided me through the basics of the first one, and the rest were mine.

I could not stop staring at the inside beauty of the iMac G5. Simply beautiful :-) And so incredible.

I need an iMac G5 now. :-)

And so the iCoaster saga begins...

So here I am Sunday morning ready for another fine day of work in beautiful sunny Santa Monica on Third Street Promenade.
It's quite hot, compared to other days. You'd thing the beach would be much cooler than downtown Los Angeles from which I just came.

I decide to go into Infusion Cafe, order a Thai Boba Tea. (Yum!)

Arrive at work and delight in the tea. Clock in to work. Ready to take care of some hardware and software installs.

After almost having gone through nine-tenths of the tea, and trying to find a good place to put my tea cup dripping with moisture from the chilled drink, the greatest idea and inspiration of the day hits me!

I need a coaster. Not just any coaster, but THE iCoaster!

Quickly plans formulate in my mind. I confiscate a piece of to be recycled card board, a piece of 8.5x11 paper with a huge apple logo printed on it, some plastic to water-proof the cardboard coaster, and set to work on the greatest thing that man ever created. I tape down the logo to the cardboard, and proceed with lackluster precision (or lack thereof) to cut away at the primitive but promising cardboard with the standard box cutter. Then proceed to wrap the creation in plastic.

And finally I proclaim to co-workers Alex, Joel, and Jennifer: "They said it could not be done! But here it is the iCoaster!"

Waves of disinterest or unexcitement pound through the room.

To be great is to be misunderstood.