April 2009

Fun with Google Voice

As some folks know, GrandCentral got bought by Google and has been transitioning into Google Voice. One of the fancy new features they just added is voicemail transcription. This seems like a good idea, but a requirement for that to be good is it needs to work. Turns out, it’s still a little buggy. I called Jason the other day and left him a message addressing him as “Fucknuts” to which GoogleVoice decided I must have meant “Paul.”

Give that, I thought I’d show off some of the other fun translations that have come through. While I was laughing about this Tara called me and said “Get your sorry ass off the couch and make me dinner!” the message GoogleVoice sent me was “if you’re sorry ass up off because i can make make a it’s” – pretty clear eh? Or how about this one from Erica:

hey john it’s erica so i’m gonna leave you a tongue twister and let’s see how google translated it any bar has some butter but she said this but is better if i date is better but it would make my daughter better but i did of that the her better that’ll make like that are better she got a divider better than her better better and she’d be getting her daughter and the battery was not that it’s the trying better that any bother quite a bit of a better butter i hope that translates to something holy terrible bye

So yeah, I’m thinking that still needs a bit of work…

Doubling Up

Back up plans. I don’t know exactly why but they have always been appealing to me. They are the reason I joined the BoyScouts as a kid, the reason I learned how to fight, and could never pick just one course of study. I don’t think it’s a lack of commitment as some have suggested as much as it is a lack of faith in anything ever working out exactly as I’d planned. I learned how to make fire from two sticks in the BoyScouts not because I didn’t believe a lighter wasn’t a better option, but because no matter how much I liked lighters and how superior I thought they were – one day I might find myself without one and in need of a flame.

It’s for that reason that I’ve been looking into dual citizenship and getting a second passport, specifically an EU member. If you’ve been following me online for a while you know I tend to travel a bit and I’ve certainly been in situations in the past where using a US Passport subjected me to additional screenings and wait times where as the EU Passport holders I was traveling with flew by unscathed. Also, as the US continues to subject travelers visiting this country to more and more restrictions other countries are turning the tables and putting US travelers through similar headaches. If there was a way for me to skip all those politics and go from place to place without worrying about what the administration of one country thought of the policies of the administration of another that would certainly be appealing. And in the ultimate doom and gloom prepare for the worst, given the continuing trainwreck that is the US economy, if things should get really really really bad here, being a citizen of somewhere else might help deflect some of that fallout.

While there are quite a few options available to the average person looking to gain citizenship with a second country, the vast majority of those come with quite large price tags. Larger than I have laying around anyway. After a bit of research I’ve got another plan in the works, we’ll see how it goes…

Changing the world in 5 easy steps – Stop Buying Crap

[This is part three of the changing the world in 5 easy steps series]

You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you’re satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you’ve got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you’re trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

Stop. Buying. Crap.

As a recovering collector this is something I struggle with on a regular basis. But struggling with it is a step in the right direction, because at least it’s trying. This series is about things anyone can do with a little effort, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say this is the one that takes the most effort for me on a regular basis. Rather than run off a list of pros and cons for this I’m going to tell you a (rather long winded) story and maybe you’ll relate to it somehow.

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Changing the world in 5 easy steps – Ride A Bike

[This is part two of the changing the world in 5 easy steps series]
BikesThis is possibly the most obvious of the five topics being discussed in this series. The good thing about it is the benefits and arguments for it are pretty obvious, the bad thing about it is the benefits and arguments for it are pretty obvious. This means it makes a crappy discussion topic, though to do this series and not include it would be stupid. But obviousness and arguments aside adding a bike to your playlist of transportation methods is pretty much one of the best things you can do. For you, and for everyone.

It’s good for you. Chances are you aren’t as active as you should be and probably tell yourself all the time that you should be doing something but never get around to it. Excuses not to exercise are easy to come by, mostly who has the time? A bike is a great way to run small errands in your neighborhood and a few short trips leads to a few longer trips. It really is that simple, the more you do it the easier it gets and the more you want to. Additionally, when you suddenly realize how nice it is to run tot he coffee shop and not have to worry about parking or pay the $50 ticket you got while inside the shop a bike becomes much much more attractive. But this isn’t about you, it’s about the world.

If you are biking someone where there’s a very good chance you aren’t driving there. This means less pollution, less gas usage, less support of the gas industry, less congestion on the streets and parking lots, and more efficient use of your personal energy. It’s also hecka cheaper.

But most importantly you don’t have to go from never riding a bike to riding everywhere all the time to make a difference. Start small, get a bike and ride around your neighborhood. You’ll see how fun it is and start adding short errands. Ride to the corner store or to a friends house. If you work less than 5 miles from your house, try riding your bike to your office and see if that’s something you could reasonably do once or twice a week. I bet it is, and small steps like this lead to bigger one, and one person sets an example for others. Like I said, this one is the obvious topic in the discussion, but it’s important. So give it a shot.

Previously: Part 1 Go Vegan
Next: Part 3: Stop Buying Crap