10 thoughts for December 2, 2013

It's official: I'm a lazy bum who prefers to jot down these 10 daily thoughts than write long form.

1. This is a major annoyance, and I was actually contemplating making an entire post to critique it: Google Keep.  The Android app allows you to shuffle the position of each note in your stack of notes, and each list item within a note.  But go over to the browser-based version via your desktop computer, and you can't do any of that.  Talk about damned annoying!
2. Staying on Google, now that the Nexus 7 FHD 2013 edition has been out for some time, the 2012 accessories are available on the cheap.  If you know where to look, you can grab that pogo plug (contact) charger for less than half the official price.  Same goes for some of the official Asus covers.
3. By the way, speaking of shopping, you can get the Studio Ghibli Movie Collection DVD collection via Amazon for fairly cheap.  No, they're not from Disney so don't expect English dub, not that you'd want to listen to that junk anyway.  They do come with English subtitles.
   
4. Speaking of Amazon, they're looking into the possibility of using drones to deliver packages within a limited radius of its fulfillment centers.  Apparently they have some 89 warehouses...I guess none near me, though, as I've never seen anything shipped from within Oregon to me.  (Note that the original story comes via CBS' 60 Minutes, but I've got an active boycott on 60 Minutes for its failure in meeting basic reporting standards, and worse, a failure to correct their protocols.)
5. People who use Androids are, for the most part, using Windows or Linux PCs, and not Apple computers.  I just can't see how Microsoft plans to win market share (in tablets and smartphones) by targeting the Apple crowd and their closed garden with their own closed garden.
6. It's about to get a lot colder this week, or as I told some folks: Winter is already here and this'll be a snowy Winter.  Ranges for overnight lows in Portland are from 18°F / -7.8°C to 22°F / -5.6°C with daytime highs no more than 35°F / 1.7°C.  Even though this doesn't disprove anthropogenic global warming, you just know there are going to be a lot of fools remarking so.  (Hint: They're the same people who shut up and ignore the record heat days.)
7. Moo.com has another 25% off sale going on, today and tomorrow (Dec. 2, 3).  Actually, they've got 24 days of Christmas Countdown announcements.  If you've never used them to get stuff printed, you're missing out.  Their paper stock and print quality far exceeds Cafepress, even if they're limited in what type of items they're able to print.  I'm hoping one day they'll get on to printing out stationary sheet sizes and envelopes with full bleed -- that way, you'll be able to easily produce complete ID packages for people across the country from your home or office.  Once you've tried their Luxe, you'll never go back.
8. Cyber Monday's meaning has been lost on Dell -- they're using it to advertise business-side deals.  Nonetheless, most of the deals out there in cyberspace are not extreme bargains.  If you shop online enough and know how to track prices, then you'll figure out how to get similar prices throughout the year.
9. Speaking of Cyber Monday, a lot of online sites have their stuff staggered so they don't reveal everything at the start of the morning.  Rakuten and others have been sending me multiple emails all day long with different deals.
10. Holy cow, did you hear?  Steve Sarkisian was offered and accepted the head coaching job at USC.  Now, he's obviously wiser than Lane Kiffin; to wit, he declined the same Oakland Raiders head coaching job that Kiffin took, then lost in less than 2 years.  Ed Orgeron is the patriarch of the team, though, so keeping him on board is the highest priority.