Monthly Archive for July, 2007

Browsing in a window

Published
by
Mark
on Sunday 29th July 2007
in Software
. 3 Comments

Am I the last person who continues to browse the web in a window that isn’t blown up to full screen? I have noticed in the past several months that when I visit other people’s computers, or if someone else uses mine, the browser opens up maximized. My personal preference is to browse with Firefox in a non-maximized window, usually around 1000×700. My screen resolution on my desktop at home is 1280×1024, so it’s not like I don’t have the screen real estate there. At work, I’m working at 2680×1050 on my laptop screen, and 1600×1200 on my secondary display. Again, I am not lacking in screen real estate.

One of the other things I notice when I browse the web is that I tend to leave my browser window on the right side of the screen, leaving the desktop or other windows partially visible to the left of the browser window. Then, I will still find myself using the taskbar buttons to switch between applications, rarely using the Alt+Tab (or in Vista, Win+Tab) task switchers.

The sites I usually browse to fit most, if not all, of their interesting content within the confines of my windowed browser. On some sites, I am actually spared from viewing obnoxious flash ads on the right side of the page, because they are hidden off screen. The content, however, is still rarely obscured by the size of the window. There are times, however, that some content does get cropped from my view. In those cases, I just expand the window that tiny bit to let me see what interests me on the page.

Of course, there are times when I’m viewing pictures or other multimedia that might be best viewed with a larger window. I tend to hit F11 and expand the browser to full screen mode with minimal intrusion by the chrome. Then, when I’m done, I restore the windowed state of the browser and continue on with the rest of the internets.

So, does anyone else browse the web with a windowed browser instead of a maximized or full-screen browser?

I am the Great Cornholio!

Published
by
Mark
on Friday 27th July 2007
in Entertainment and News
. 6 Comments

Have you cornholed lately? I know a few people who have.

That sounds bad, doesn’t it? I thought so, which is why I had to read the story that accompanies the headline Windy City Cornhole Classic lets everyone compete. The Daily Southtown reports:

One hundred courts, 800 cloth sacks of corn, 200 target boxes and 1,000 expected competitors will transform Chicago’s Soldier Field Saturday into a battlefield for the Midwest’s largest organized cornhole event.

Or if you prefer — largest organized bean bags or bags event.

"It’ll be like World War II, with bags dropping all around," said Aaron Del Mar, organizer of the first Windy City Cornhole Classic, which is open to all ages and skill levels.

That’s right, the game I have heard called bags or bag toss by various drunks is apparently more widely known as cornhole. The name comes from the object of the game: toss a bag filled with corn into a hole in your opponent’s box. Did I just type that?

The Windy City Cornhole Classic had online registration available at www.chicagocornhole.com until Thursday. If you go to Soldier Field Saturday, you can register in person from 10 am to noon for the competitive singles or doubles divisions, the social singles or doubles divisions, or the singles or doubles first-time throwers divisions. There are more than $5,000 in prizes.

If you don’t want to compete, admission is free, but they do ask for a small donation to a non-profit.

I need TP for my bunghole!

Sia’s Buttons

Published
by
Mark
on Wednesday 25th July 2007
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

I don’t watch very many music videos these days (does MTV even air music videos any more?), but I caught this one at YouTube (where else?). The music is catchy enough for the video, but not enough for me to put it on the iPod. The video is interesting in its use of stop motion photography/editing. Take a look:

Carey to host TPIR

Published
by
Mark
on Tuesday 24th July 2007
in News and TV
. 1 Comment

I am happy to report that Drew Carey was tapped by CBS to be the next host of The Price is Right. Carey will be host to both TPIR and The Power of 10, another CBS game show to start airing next month.

What makes me most happy about this announcement is that Rosie O’Donnell was not chosen to host the show.

My photo in Schmap

Published
by
Mark
on Thursday 19th July 2007
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

DSC01461Like Herschell, I also have a photo appearing in Schmap. A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail via Flickr from the people at Schmap saying that they were considering one of my photos for use in their travel guide for Chicago, specifically for Water Tower Place. I completed the submission form, and today I found out that my photo was chosen (I actually received the e-mail just a couple days after submitting my photo, but I don’t usually check my Flickr mail).

One of the funny things is my caption for the photo, which reads, "Water Tower Place looks kind of like Woodfield, but without any of the useful stores." My photo appears in the Chicago Stores & Arcades section, and it’s supposed to help promote Water Tower Place. I’m not changing my caption, mostly because of the irony of the situation. I just wish I would have adjusted the color of the photo to remove the yellow hue from the sodium lights. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Coming soon to a Wii near you

Published
by
Mark
on Wednesday 18th July 2007
in Video Games
. 0 Comments

I can’t wait to get my hands (and feet) on a Wii Fit :-> This video shows you just how great it will be:

Dunn speaks at Motorola

Published
by
Mark
on Wednesday 18th July 2007
in News and Work
. 3 Comments

David Dunn is the Chief of Staff to US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. This pair is partially responsible for the No Child Left Behind Act, legislation that is interesting at the very least. Dunn was at Motorola’s Schaumburg headquarters last Friday to talk to teachers from across the country about NCLB. I’m not sure that anyone from a local school district was invited, and you’ll see why.

The Daily Herald published a Q&A with Dunn and Staff Writer Erin Holmes. I am finding it difficult to get past this question and Dunn’s answer to it:

Q: In Schaumburg, where we’re sitting, the two nearest high school districts and several elementary districts have opted out of taking Title I funds, which bind them to the federal [NCLB] ramifications, simply because they can afford to. Frankly, they don’t get a lot of Title I money. Do you believe that kind of thing curbs the effect of NCLB, in districts that can afford to not take the money?

A: We certainly find that disappointing. [But] we’re not seeing it. It happens that we’re in Schaumburg, and there are a couple high schools that have done it here. It’s not prevalent across the country. In New England, there are a few schools that have elected to do the same.

Frankly, we think it’s disappointing. Not just because of the money. But the key thing is, in doing so, these schools are - I don’t know if it’s rejection - but they’re not accepting the goal that the president and the Congress have laid out. And that’s what’s truly disappointing.

They’re not accepting the goal of 100 proficiency. They’re in effect saying, "We’re willing to leave children behind." That’s what disappointing.

Holmes follows up Dunn’s answer with this:

Q: I’m sure they would argue that they’re not, and their biggest defense is that they’re still held to the state’s own set of [NCLB] ramifications.

A: Fine, don’t take the money. But accept the challenge. Accept the expectation. It seems to me they’re saying they’re not willing to do that by not taking the money.

I’m not familiar with the specifics; I don’t want to comment specifically on what’s happening in the high schools here, but in general, it’s disappointing.

I am not writing this on behalf of the school district, nor am I writing this as an official representative of the school district. I am writing this as a graduate of one of the high schools in District 211, and as a citizen and taxpayer of Schaumburg. I find Dunn’s answers to be insulting. I am especially peeved by his view that districts like District 211 are failing their students simply by not accepting the federal funds, a sweeping generalization he makes while simultaneously admitting to not knowing the specifics of our situation.

How does one even jump to that conclusion? Dunn does not base his view on fact, just rhetoric. Our school district is working very hard to ensure that every student leaves with a solid foundation upon which to build their knowledge and skills. We promote life-long learning at all levels of education, not simply at the college-bound level. We have implemented programs to assist students who are failing to meet educational standards. There are a number of other ways in which we support our students, and I believe not accepting Title I funds is one of those ways.

While I agree with Dunn that NCLB is not a perfect law, and that there has yet to be a perfect one on the books, I wish Dunn and those like him could see that there is a reason that there hasn’t been a perfect law: the education of our youth is a complex matter that cannot be solved by underfunded legislation. How would you improve education in the US?