Tips on Photos for Online Dating Services
The best way to come up with a photo of yourself for an online dating site is to get a digital camera (there are even disposable ones now, it doesn't have to be super high quality), then stand in front of a mirror and take a bunch of pictures of yourself. Dress nice, of course. Snap the picture when you think you're looking your best. Take as many pictures as you need. Then go through them and pick the one or two you like the most.
This shows you as fresh and honest about your appearance. You have nothing to hide. You're telling the world, "Hello! Here I am!"
Keep them to a resolution of around 640 x 480 pixels, or what they call standard VGA. If it's a close-up head shot, you can even take it down to about 320 x 240 pixels. Bigger sizes make files that are slow to download over a modem (not everyone has broadband). Make sure there's plenty of light and you're close enough so they can see the color of your eyes.
While you can use other photos, it's best to avoid specific types...
Professional glamour photos: They usually doesn't show the real you, which may be disconcerting or even misleading when you finally meet your dates face-to-face. Remember that you want to attract someone to YOU as you are, not to some photography studio's fantasy version of you.
Photos of you with another person, even if that person is cut out or scribbled over: These photos raise doubts, as in, who is that other person? Why are they scribbled out? Will I be scribbled out next?
Old photos of you from when you were much younger, thinner, had more hair, whatever: Face it, that's just not honest. Unless you look exactly the same, or better, you're not projecting who you are NOW. Stick to the photo in the mirror technique, you'll be much better off.
No photo at all? Talk about a blind date! Look, no matter how little you think of your own looks, someone out there will think you're pretty darn cute. As my girlfriend (who I met via Yahoo Personals) says, "there's a lid for every pot!" Me, personally, I think my head looks like a lumpy potato with fuzz, but my girlfriend thinks I'm adorable.
Go figure.
I Uninstalled Windows Vista
Microsoft's new operating system "Vista" has a lot going for it, and it's beautiful to behold. The things you'd normally have to add are already part of the operating system: anti-spyware, disk-imaging backup, a screen capture utility, etc. I was very excited to get a evaluation copy of it.
Installation on my HP laptop seemed to go smoothly. Seemed to. Unfortunately my system, while rather fast and with plenty of memory, did not have the sticker on it that read: "Vista Ready."
Now, I'm always up to a technical challenge, and so when my wireless network adapter didn't work, I simply tracked down the beta drivers directly from Intel. I got everything on the computer working except for the memory card reader. And in doing so, while also installing software (Office 2007 rocks, by the way) I also began to realize something...
Windows Vista took my zippy and cool XP laptop and turned it into a moderately slow and slightly crippled laptop.
The turning point for me was when I discovered that no one, anywhere, had bothered to write even beta drivers for the memory card reader. I use that reader a lot, as it's how I get info on and off of my camera and PDA. And I know if I am patient, someone will eventually write the driver to make it work. But still...
With XP, it already worked. Everything worked. It worked great, it was fast, and it had the benefit of running an operating system that Microsoft had been working to perfect for several years now. Why on Earth would I want to replace it with something brand new, full of bugs, not completely working, which made everything run much slower?
I uninstalled Windows Vista.
When I get a new computer that comes with Vista, that is when I will use Vista. Maybe. Or I might uninstall it and load XP and make that machine really fast.
Five Tips for Backing Up Your Data
I'm somewhat famous for having erased an entire novel, and since then have become a fanatic about safely backing up my files. I use a combination of methods, all of which has saved my butt a number of times.
Tip #1: Invest in a USB Hard Drive
This is your first and foremost defense today against losing files.
Don't bother with a tape drive, because those are so slow and unreliable it makes backing up nearly as painful as losing the data. If performing the backup is such a horrid experience you'll end up putting it off, and you don't want to put it off.
Burning data to CD's or DVD's is a better answer, but as our hard drives get bigger and we accumulate more stuff over the years, even that can become tedious. So a nice big external hard drive -- which have become fairly inexpensive lately -- is the fastest and easiest answer. Most come equipped with backup software, too, but if you are like me and you put together one for yourself, go get a free copy of SyncBack and use that. I have yet to run across a better file-based backup software.
Tip #2: Invest in a Good Disk Imaging Program
If you want to backup your computer as a whole, and not just the data you've created, I highly recommend Norton Ghost. It's not free but the expense is worth it, and you'll be thanking yourself for spending the money the first time you have to use it. Ghost has rescued me more times than I can count. This will put your computer back exactly the way it was, operating system and all. Windows Vista users won't need it, as Vista has that built in ... but all you XP or earlier users will find it a godsend. With either, though, you'll want that external USB hard drive.
Tip #3: Backup Data Among Multiple Computers
If you've got a home network with two or more computers, and those computers have some extra space on the hard drives, you can use a synchronization program such as SyncBack to automatically back up data files from each computer to the other. Obviously you don't want to do this with private data, but if you're in a trusted environment and others in your family understand not to go in and mess with those files, then this is a good way to keep all the computer data backed up without having to have a separate system such as the USB hard drive.
The trick is to create shared network folders on each computer, usually in the root directory, so that the other computer can map to it and use it as the destination for the backed up files. If you don't know what I'm talking about, or are nervous about sharing files on your home network, then I would instead go with the USB hard drive.
Tip #4: Use Off-Site Storage
There are many free and paid services on the Internet where if you have broadband access you can store gigabytes of data. The two I use (even though they're still a bit buggy) are XDrive.com and Jubii.com. XDrive offers 5 gigabytes of space for free, with an optional 50 gigabytes (not free), and also offers backup software as part of the deal. Jubii offers 10 gigabytes free if you sign up during their beta (hint, sign up now). I use both these sites to back up irreplaceable data, such as manuscripts etc. (Remember what happened to my novel?) That way you're protected even if you get hit with a disaster and lose your computer and the USB hard drive.
The added benefit of these online systems is, if you are away from home and need a file, you can log in from any Internet connection and access what you need. That recently saved my butt at a SF convention where I was scheduled to do a reading -- and forgot to bring the story! Lucky for me I had it online and also had my Wi-Fi enabled PDA with me ... I downloaded the story at the very last second and was able to do the reading.
If you are uncomfortable storing files on the Internet, or if you don't have broadband, the alternative is to back up select files to CD or DVD disk and put them somewhere else, like your office, a friend's house, or even a safe deposit box. If you already have a box, then, there you go. Here's something else to store inside it.
Tip #5: Remind Yourself To Actually Do It
Why? Because your computer hard disk WILL FAIL. It's not a question of if, only of when. They are mechanical devices that experience wear and tear, and even though they're more rugged and reliable than ever before they are still the Achilles heel of your computer.
I use Yahoo Calendar to send my cell phone various reminders via text messaging, and one of them is to do a backup every Thursday night. You don't have to be so high tech. A calendar or even just a post-it note might work just as well. Just remember to do it, because ... and I have seen this so many times ... people usually lose their hard drives the day before they intend to back it up.
You have to perform the backup while everything seems to be running fine. Don't wait, just do it. You will thank yourself.
Electricity from Pee, Poo, and Toxic Waste
Ironic to write an article about alternative energy and making myself sound like a potty-mouth, but it's the truth: Scientists have discovered ways to turn human urine, cow feces, and toxic waste into energy.
I discovered this little factoid while surfing through a series of fascinating articles on LifeScience.com. It turns out it's possible to make a battery that, as far as tests have shown, will continue to produce a set amount of energy as long as you keep dropping in bits of cow poop. They originally created this cow battery from the microbe-rich rumen fluid from a cow's stomach, but later on found that the stuff in plain old cow patties does the trick as well.
The toxic waste battery is powered by an organism that does double duty, eating the noxious industrial leftovers and, in the process, turning it into electricity. Now, that's what I call a win-win situation: clean the environment and produce cheap, clean power. Not only that, it can do it under harsh conditions, including extreme heat and in the presence of radiation.
The pee battery, though, gets my vote for being the most practical. Imagine being in the middle of a blackout, with no batteries in the house, and your one flashlight starts going dead. What do you do? Open the cap on the bottom and pee into it. Instantly the bulb burns bright again, and hopefully you'll be able to wash your hands in the light it provides.
So, you think your poop doesn't stink?
One of the fun things about Google Ads is you never know what strange thing is going to pop up. For example: Take a Whiff. A pill to make your poop smell fresh and clean.
No, it's not a joke.
Siler Grilled Salsa
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 Beefsteak Tomatoes (or sub any other variety, but make sure the volume is the same)
- 1 Large Onion (Red Onions are always good, Vidalia's too)
- ½ Large or 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper
- Peppers (use about 5-6 medium to large Jalapeños. I mix it up with different types)
- 1 Lime
- ½ Teaspoon Salt (or more)
- 1/8 Teaspoon Pepper (or more)
- Chopped Cilantro to Taste
- 1 Shot Tequila (Optional)
VINAGRETTE
- 2 Parts Olive Oil (1/3 cup about)
- 1 Part Balsamic Vinegar (eyeball it man)
- 2 Large Cloves of Garlic Minced
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- Dash of Pepper
A word or two about Ingredients:
DON'T SKIMP ON THE INGREDIENTS. If you can help it, use the freshest vegetables. I grow my tomatoes and peppers. Romano's are pretty good as they cook well. But any flavorful variety will work. Don't use those crappy boiling onions. Experiment with the peppers. I use combos of Serrano, Jalapeño, sometimes Habanera's. Don't sub on the vinaigrette. Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic, not Canola Oil and Heinz. You can sub Italian Parsley for the Cilantro if you prefer.
PREP
- Slice Onion in ¼" discs, place in a glass baking dish.
- Slice and core Red Bell Pepper in 2" wide sections. Place in same baking dish.
- Slice Tomatoes in half if they are Romano's, or Quarters if the Tomatoes you're using are Larger and place in a large glass bowl.
- Slice the tops off the Peppers, then make a lengthwise slice and remove the seeds. Place in a separate bowl or container.
- Assemble the Vinaigrette and Mix.
- With a Spoon, drizzle the Vinaigrette and coat the Onions and Bell Peppers. Add a spoonful of the Vinaigrette to the Peppers, and the rest should go on the tomatoes. Mix and coat the peppers and tomatoes. Cover all Veggies and let marinate.
GRILLING
- Grill the Onions and Bell Peppers first and any other veggies you are having for the evening. Onions should have nice grill marks and should be caramelized and cooked to limpness but not clear. If you have crispy sections, that's ok. Same with the Bell Pepper.
- Grill the Tomatoes. Watch cooking too long. They can get too mushy and you can't get them off the grill.
- If you are grilling anything else for the evening, steaks, burgers, etc., do so at this time.
- The last things to grill are the peppers. They don't take too long.
At this point you can put the veggies in the fridge and wait to assemble until the next day if you want.
ASSEMBLING
If you like your Salsa thick, you can drain some of the Tomato Juice. Otherwise, throw the Tomatoes, Onion, and Bell Pepper in a blender. DO NOT LIQUEFY! Pour the mixture back into your large bowl. Chop and mince up the Hot Peppers. The blender ain't gonna do it right. Using a few large spoonfuls of the tomato mixture mix in the blender with the Hot Peppers. Saving a spoonful or two, pour that back into the bowl with the tomato/onion mixture. Stir it up. Squeeze in the lime juice, and add the salt, pepper. At this time start tasting. Adjust the hot peppers if necessary. If it's too hot, you can add a mixed up non-grilled tomato if necessary. You can also adjust your salt, pepper and lime juice. Finally, add the Cilantro and Tequila. Stir it up.
ENJOY!
From my old buddy Pat!
Word 2007
I've been a fan of Microsoft Word ever since Word for Windows 2.0, the version that won me away from WordPerfect 5.1. However, in their struggle to improve it over the years, they've bloated it with a plethora of features only a few specialists could appreciate. Each successive upgrade always had some small thing here or there that made me think, "Okay, that's cool." But it's become so much more than a word processor ... you could use it to do almost anything.
All I want it for, is to write.
This upgrade, however, has got to be the smartest in years. Instead of throwing in another truckload of extraneous features, they concentrated on making the experience of using the software much better. The more I use it, the more I appreciate what they've done. And that helps me to concentrate on what I want to do.
The features they did choose to add, though, are also smart. Big case in point ... I'm writing this review in Word 2007, and it speaks directly to my Content Management System (in this case, Drupal). I post directly to its API from the word processor.
That rocks.
This is not to say that I wasn't lost for the first few days. Everything has been rearranged, and that was -- at first -- aggravating. Some things that I couldn't find were hidden from me in plain sight. I looked all over the place for the word count feature only to discover it's right in front of me, on the bottom left-hand corner. Some other controls, like the AutoCorrect options, are buried deep in a very non-intuitive place ... but you only have to find it once.
The most common controls are right at your fingertips. Literally. Across the top in their new "ribbon" interface, and also ... and this is the real winner ... almost everything you could possibly need when creating text is available in a pop up right-click menu, including the most common formatting controls. For those of you who like to keep your fingers on the keyboard and not use a mouse, you're in for a treat. Hit the alt key and watch what happens.
All I can say is that it's intelligent, a pleasure to use, and the working space is 100% oriented toward helping you concentrate on what you're doing.
Very well done, Microsoft. Indeed. Kudos to you!
Dying From The Bird Flu
A while ago, a man in the medical field told one of my friends, "Say goodbye to most of the people you know. This bird flu is going to kill a lot of them off." Needless to say, this struck fear in her heart and gave her some sleepless nights.
Let's put this Bird Flu into perspective. According to the CDC it's very hard to catch this flu. It doesn't spread easily from human to human. The CDC only knows of a few cases -- one example was a mother and an infant. You have to be that close for it to spread.
Also, according to Reuters, the reported deaths from Bird Flu in Southeast Asia stands at around 60 people.
I checked the CIA World Factbook for population statistics. There are an estimated 1,646,803,377 people in Southeast Asia. That's over one point six BILLION.
Sixty out of 1.6 BILLION people. According to my Excel spreadsheet, that gives you odds of about 1 in 27,000,000 of dying from the Bird Flu.
Those are lotto odds, people. Even if it were 1000 people, or 10,000 people, it would still be lotto odds.
Don't worry about the Bird Flu. Worry about eating healthy and wearing your safety belt while driving.
The most dangerious thing we do every day is drive a car. No one seems to be in a blind panic about that, do they?
Get Free Stuff, and Get Rid Of It Too
Got an old washer and dryer that still works, but you don't know what to do with them? Or are you just starting out and could really use a washer and dryer, but can't afford them? Or, how about a refrigerator? Or a computer? Or a bed?
How about clothes for that washer and dryer? Yes, it's all there.
Go to Freecycle.org and sign up to your local group. People are giving away just about anything you can imagine. I've seen cars and houses given away for free. It's amazing.
And to think, this grassroots movement started in my old hometown of Tucson, Arizona. The idea is to promote waste reduction and to keep our landscapes from being taken over by landfills. "One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!"
It's true.
Got Game Theory?
Leave it to Hollywood to do something so unexpected as to popularize a brilliant idea that otherwise would never have been mainstreamed.
Until a few years ago, I'd never heard of John Nash. Then the movie A Beautiful Mind came out, featuring the most unlikely of characters -- a schizophrenic mathematician -- and it introduced to the general public John Nash's revolutionary game theory for economics. It did this in a spectacular way -- by illustrating its use in a bar, and how it could help him and his fellow college students pick up women.
Now, the example in the movie is flawed, because it doesn't consider the women as part of the players in the "game." They are merely portrayed as the prizes won through cooperation between competitors. Still, the point comes across loud and clear: the best strategy is to do what's good for you AND the others in the contest.
Apparently this works in both economics and in dating. But the point is, this little tidbit of a brilliant idea has been gestating in the minds of everyone who's watched the movie, myself included, and I've found myself making day-to-day life decisions based on the principals of Nash's game theory. Why? Because it works.
In everything, do what's best for yourself AND those around you. Not just for you, and not just for them. Everyone.
How could something so simple be so brilliant? I guess it took a genius to prove it mathematically before anyone would pay attention to it.
Books by Jerry J. Davis
The Mojos
- CreativeMojo (20)
- FearlessMojo (7)
- HealthyMojo (10)
- InfoMojo (21)
- MerryMojo (33)
- MoneyMojo (12)
- MusicalMojo (32)
- PsycheMojo (4)
- RomanticMojo (2)
- ScienceMojo (8)
- TechMojo (17)
- WeirdMojo (11)
- YummyMojo (6)