As I study for finals and write final papers, I decided that I needed some new "study music" to replace the that I have been listening to for the last three weeks or so. I wanted something ambient again... so I decided to go with another orchestral score from a film: . The soundtrack has its own , which informs me that the music is composed and conducted by John Williams, perhaps the most famous film composer of all time (Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, etc.).
Looking for a new soundtrack reminded me of all of the movies that are coming out soon that I want to see. I saw on Friday night (the comes out Tuesday) and it was awesome. Upcoming movies I want to see:
Am I forgetting any? Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze one or two of these in sometime during winter break.
Partly inspired by 's post about his "," but more so by recent events in my life, I'd like to discuss the increasing role coffee is playing in my everyday life.
For a long time I wondered why anyone would want to drink coffee at all, for several reasons. First, because when I was in junior high, I remember trying the coffee that my church offered between the service and Sunday school. Actually, what I really remember is that it tasted like I was drinking liquefied ashes. I added a ton of milk and upwards of twelve packs of sugar and even then it just tasted like thick, sugary, liquefied ashes. I figured that I just wasn't a "coffee drinker." Second, people say that coffee is an aquired taste. Why would you want to have to aquire a taste for something when you can just enjoy a drink that already pleases your palette without having the akward adjustment period? Such was my opinion of coffee throughout my teenage years.
Something inside of me, however, really wanted to be able to go to a coffee shop and order something besides a frozen cooler or something equally lame. Late in high school, I discovered chai at Border's book store. I remember thinking that it tastes like liquefied graham crackers. And if I could choose between the liquid version of the remains of a bonfire or a delicious cracker, I choose the latter. Chai not only tasted good, but it made me feel good because I could go to coffee shops with actual coffee drinkers wihout being self-conscious about ordering something lame (again, the frozen cooler).
Shortly after, at an unknown point in time, I discovered that I enjoy cappucino as well... but not real cappucino - no - gas station cappucino. Even though it tastes nothing like actual cappucino, it is nonetheless called "cappucino" and I was drinking it. Again, this was the state of my relationship with coffee for most of college. Chai and gas station cappucino.
In the last month, as far as coffee is concerned, I have gone from zero to hero. I began drinking mochas and carmel mochas and similar drinks which I found out have two shots of espresso in them. They didn't taste too bad, either. I started ordering them with an extra shot of espresso. I started drinking them all the time. Even at the movies. For a completely unknown reason, I decided that I wanted to aquire the taste. Then, about two weeks ago, I bought some Folger's® coffee singles, which are like tea bags but for coffee. I didn't have a coffee maker, but I did have a hot water pot, so I forced three or four cups of it down to try to get used to the taste.
Last night Tom gave me a coffee maker for Christmas. Tom's an avid coffee drinker. In , taken in August, I am faking it and he isn't. So far I've brewed1 two pots. One with some Caribou coffee from a friend and employee of the shop, and one with regular store-bought coffee. I actually enjoy the taste now. I can't believe it. Two nights ago I got some chocolate covered espresso beans... they're delicious. This could get ugly... nah. It will be beautiful.
It's a good thing, too, because I'll be the first in line to buy some , the company's new coffee-infused soft drink.
*Coffee cup image care of on Flickr.
I feel like the past tense for "brew" should be "brown" (rhymes with throne) or "brewn" (rhymes with noon). "I've brewed" just sounds really wrong. [↩]
Hi son. I read your blog (or whatever it is called) daily. Do you think I would like the Firefox web browser? If I download it, can I still use Internet Explorer if I want? Will it take a lot of my memory? How long does it take to download on a dial-up modem?
Give me some info and advise please.
Dad
I immediately responded asking permission post his question here, feeling that it might be beneficial for others to read what I would have to say. Obviously he gave me permission.
In response to his first question, "do you think I would like the Firefox web browser?" I give a vehement "yes!" It actually pains me when I am forced to use Internet Explorer (IE), partly because I have become accustomed to Firefox, but mostly because it pales in comparison to Firefox's features. A quick visit to the will give you a listing of its features, but I'll list a few of my personal favorite here.
Tabbed browsing: You can "use tabbed browsing to open multiple Web pages in a single browser window, and quickly flip back and forth. Drag and drop open tabs to keep related pages together." This is by far my single favorite feature of Firefox. I despise having tons of windows open at the same time.
Pop-up blocking: Instead of having to install a third-party software to block unwanted pop-up ads as in IE, Firefox's pop-up blocking is already integrated into the software. Besides tons of windows being open simultaneously, repeated pop-up ads were my least favorite thing about IE.
Integrated search: Firefox has an integrated search box in the upper right-hand corner (that can be moved anywhere or removed) that lets you search Google or any other search engine, dictionary, etc., without having to go to the website. I probably use this handy little box to search Google 10+ times per day, and that's not an exaggeration.
Security: IE is very succeptible to being attacked by any number of malicious programs. This was more than apparent as a friend of mine recently used his girlfriend's laptop which still ran IE. It running really slow and IE had 3 or 4 unwanted "helpful" toolbars installed. Firefox will have none of that. "Firefox keeps you secure when you’re browsing the Web, closing the door on spyware, worms, and viruses. The Firefox community of developers and security experts works around the clock to monitor security issues and release updates to better protect you."
In response to his second question, yes, you can use IE even if Firefox is installed. You have the option of whether or not to make Firefox your "default browser," which means that it will be the browser all other applications will use for the internet.
Question three, "will it take a lot of memory?" No. In fact most of the time it will use less memory than IE.
The download for for Windows is 5mb, which means that it will probably take about a half hour to download on dial-up.
I have been a proponent of Firefox for a long time. In fact, I used it when it was called , before they got in trouble for using that name, and even though IE's next version is supposed to be more like Firefox, there's no way I will ever switch back. Dad, I hope you found this helpful.
If you use Firefox and think that it is better than IE, why don't you leave a comment and say so? There's nothing quite like actual user testimonials to sway someone's opinion. Let's show my Dad that he really should switch to Firefox.
Check it out: The editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected the word "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005 (). It's a good thing Tom and I jumped on the bandwagon early. If we'd started podcasting after this momentous occasion, we would look like followers - certainly not pioneers. Two thousand[1] listeners can't be wrong.
And you thought I made it up...
[1] Give or take 1,975[2].
[2] Okay, just take. Maybe someday.
I just finished downloading and installing the new next-generation instant messaging1 service by AOL called . I've only been using it for a short while and I have mixed feelings about it.
First of all, you have to download a stupid AOL Downloader which then downloads the new software for you. That's pretty annoying... something I liked about AIM made it simpler than AOL. The whole look and of Triton is completely different than past AIM versions. I made a screenshot of what it looks like on my desktop. It feels more like a watered-down AOL program than a standalone, simple instant messaging program.
There is a new feature for keeping addresses. AIM apparently with , an online address book service. I could see how this would come in handy, but I don't think I'll be using it. Of course Triton also comes with its own browser ("AOL Explorer Browser"), because we already don't have . At least give me the option not to install the dang thing. Besides, is the . Ever. And then there are other various features that I haven't tried yet. It's just so... different.
At least it doesn't uninstall the old, trustworthy version of AIM. What do you think?
Since the beginning of instant messaging, I have wondered why the final word of "AOL Instant Messenger" is "Messenger" and not "Messager". After all, you're sending instant messages, right? You're not sending messengers. Is it because the program itself is the messenger; the deliverer of said instant messages? Either way, I still hold that it should be "Messager." [↩]
JakeBouma.com is a weblog maintained since 2005 by Jake Bouma, an ecclesial junkie and (imprudently) aspiring polymath who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
