Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Book Review: Michael Vey #1

By

On January 24, 2013

In Book Review

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey, #1)Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

My [rating: 4]
(Click here to read this review on Goodreads.)

As strange as this may sound, this book was a recommendation from my parents, who are already reading the second book. I decided since I take recommendations from complete strangers (i.e. A Confederacy of Dunces) I should consider reading a recommendation from my parents 🙂

I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed this book. It kind of has an Avengers, comic book feel to the story. It’s entertaining. I enjoyed how most of the book is actually told from the first person, which is the book’s hero, Michael Vey. I also like that the main characters of the story are young adults, in their teens, who have to struggle not only with high school, social issues, but resisting the temptation of using their powers publicly.

If you need a pretty cool story, I would recommend this book. It’s a pretty quick read. I do plan on reading the second book, which is already available.

View all my reviews

Are Certifications Still Worth It?

By

On January 22, 2013

In General Cogitation, Programming

geek-300x300I have been working, post-college, as a programmer for going on 9 years now. I have been working for the same company as a programmer over 5 years. I have not earned a single Microsoft certification. Every year I try to set a goal to complete a certification and every year I never do it. I do not feel that not having a certification has had a negative affect on my career or my job. In fact I’m beginning to wonder if continuing to try to get certified is moot.

There has to come a point where years of experience provide a better measure then certifications. I cannot conjure up a scenario for a standard programming job where someone with just a certification and little to no experience will be a better selection then someone will several years of experience and no certifications. Perhaps if the job were entry level and the job wouldn’t really benefit someone with lots of experience, after all I remember what its like to be right out of college and trying to find a job with very little experience under my belt. Those entry level jobs are a godsend.

I have gotten as far as actually taking a certification exam but missed the cutoff by one question. I remember studying the material and thinking that it will be extremely unlikely that I will even use two-thirds of it. In fact, 5 years later I still have yet to even use half of the material covered and it was “fundamentals”. It’s kind of like reading material on how a combustion engine works when all you will really be doing is changing the tires.

Furthermore, it feels like its not worth completing a certification when it seems that every couple of years Microsoft changes what each certification means and what tests are required. Sometimes even the tests themselves are changed or retired. MCSE, MCSD, MCIT, MCPD, do all of these still exist? Are any of them still prudent? Speaking of Microsoft, they really aren’t the industry leader anymore so wouldn’t that also affect the value of their certifications? They are starting to become the old senile relative in the room who only thinks they are still relevant when really acknowledging their existence is more patronizing then recognition.

Perhaps certifications are good for those folks that don’t have a lot of experience and need to build up their credentials, but if you are a seasoned developer, I really don’t see the point in spending the money.

Cheers!

No Gimmick Needed to Lose Weight

By

On January 18, 2013

In General Cogitation

rocky_lSo I woke up to a pleasant surprise, I have lost enough weight that I am now the lowest I have been probably since I was in college!

The best part about my weight loss so far is that I didn’t use any of the latest weight loss gimmicks and fads you see on television and the Internet. I used good old fashioned perseverance, exercise and portion control. I still eat a lot of the same foods that I’ve always enjoyed, I’ve just learned to eat smaller portions. I still drink pop and coffee but I have thrown in 24-48 oz of water. I also feel that the techniques in self-discipline and pushing myself I learned in martial arts also played a role (Thanks Tom).

I’ve been exercising 3-4 days a week for 25-30 minutes working upper and lower body. I mean, basically I’m ensuring that I’m burning more calories then I consume. Granted I may have had to give up a couple of foods that I like, but those have mostly been foods that I don’t have very often anyway. For example, I will probably never order a Baconater from Wendy’s again but I did eat at LaRosa’s for dinner the other night and I still dropped a pound the next day.

Everybody’s body chemistry is different so this method may not work for others so I’m not suggesting that those other programs are bogus, just not for me. It’s easier for me to follow a regimen that I’ve designed instead of a regimen dictated by someone else. I think my advice for anyone that is trying to lose weight, if programs like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig doesn’t work (or its too pricey) then just try a more rational approach. Count your calories, try to walk more (I bought a Fitbit) and find exercises that you enjoy doing. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Your body needs time to adjust to the new way its burning  fat and building muscle.

Cheers!

The MMO Times: spider mechs, pandas and black bisectors

By

On January 17, 2013

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

mmotimesheaderIssue 61: Glorious Greetings Gamers! It’s time again for some more MMO news that I hope you find useful and interesting. This issue is kind of patch-centric as more details for the upcoming WoW patch are coming more and more frequently. It’s not all focused on Warcraft though. SWTOR, MechWarrior Online and Age of Wushu are also in the news this week. So while you are waiting for that dungeon or pvp queue to pop, take a look at these brief headlines to pass the time. Read on and game on friends!

(I also provide The MMO Times in an e-mail. If you are interested in receiving the e-mail version please click here to subscribe.)

Read More

Soapbox: Makeb It Gay

By

On January 16, 2013

In Soapbox, SWTOR

overworked-290x290I couldn’t decide if I wanted to post this under the SWTOR category or a Soapbox. I ultimately decided on a Soapbox because I’m going to focus more on that folks are making a big deal out of it. I mean, this game mechanic even made it to main stream news.

First I am going to give a quick back story. In an upcoming expansion for the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic a new planet, called Makeb, will become available to extend character storylines and questing to reach the new level cap. Apparently the NPCs on the new planet will allow same sex flirtation. In my opinion, and keep in mind I’m pretty conservative, who frakking cares! In fact I want some lesbian flirtation action so it’s only fair to allow the males to do the same thing.

And in all fairness, both sides of this conflict are going to drive me crazy. Those that are adamantly opposed to it need to learn that SWTOR is just a game so there’s no reason for any kind of outrage over a bunch of pixels “flirting” with another bunch of pixels. Threatening Bioware that allowing same-sex romance will ruin the game and force you to leave makes you intolerant. Now, as far as the LGBT community is concerned, you don’t need to flaunt it. Yes, they know you want to be recognized as normal human beings just like everyone else but constantly throwing it in their face only pisses them off and makes you insufferable.

Bioware is simply trying to appeal to a specific demographic and their decision to do so isn’t necessarily “selling out”. This game mechanic should not be viewed as a “win” for the gay community or a “loss” for Christianity (I picked Christianity assuming that religion is the basis for their defense). The only way to win in this situation is for both sides to stop being so intolerant of the personal beliefs and choices of the other side. Acceptance is the only true winning scenario.

Less then a month ago all we talked about was the illusion of the Mayan Apocalypse. Life is too short to get all worked up about such insignificant minutia. I’m an avid gamer, and I’m the one that needs to get a life??

/facepalm!

Biggs On: Plethora of Social Media

By

On January 15, 2013

In Biggs On

thinkingmanSo apparently Myspace has re-imaged itself and relaunched now with celebrity endorsements (i.e. Justin Timberlake) and a focus on music and media. I once had a MySpace page many years ago. I never kept up with it. In fact, I hated it. It felt like another iteration of GeoCities. When I read about this the first thought that came to mind is “Do we really need another social media outlet?”

Let’s name off a few of the social media platforms out there: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr, Instragram, Pinterest, Myspace – these are just the ones that come to mind immediately. Last year Apple and Google were under heavy scrutiny because many felt like their privacy was violated by some functionality built in to the  mobile devices of these companies. This is a classic case of cognitive dissonance if I’ve ever seen one. How can we chastise one company for allegedly infringing on our privacy and turnaround and celebrate another means of putting your life on the Internet?

I use Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and I feel like that’s too many. I’ve often considered reducing how much I use Facebook. Granted I know that I have more control over what can be seen publicly but most of it isn’t default functionality. In fact I wonder how many people actually know how to lock down their social media accounts and/or restrict what posts people can and cannot see on news feeds and timelines. So it really comes down to who wants to accept the responsibility and it’s always easier to blame someone else especially when you can point fingers at “evil corporations” like Apple and Google.

Cheers.

Page 142 of 181

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén