Monday, September 26, 2011

Add Jewish Holidays to Google Calendar

Here's how to add Jewish Holidays to Google Calendar:
In left column, click on the down arrow, right of Other Calendars.
Select Browse Interesting Calendars.
Scroll down to Jewish Holidays and click subscribe.

To add Jewish dates, in Interesting Calendars, click the More tab and subscribe to Hebrew Calendar.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Simanim

This is a repost from last year.

Our shul follows the kabbalistic version of the order in which the simanim are eaten on Rosh Hashanah. It makes more sense halachakli too, why would you eat an apple before a date. The order is taken from Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer's book Kaf Hachaim.

First, the brochot are made, haetz on the dates and haodama on the leek.

After the brochot, the order is the following:
  1. Silka (beets) - Sheyistalku oyveinu umastineinu.
  2. Karti (leeks) - Sheyikartu soneinu.
  3. Temarim (dates) - Sheyitamu soneinu.
  4. Kra (yellow squash) - Sheyikoru roa gzar dineinu, vayikoru lefoneiha zehuyoseinu.
  5. Rubiya (black-eyed peas) - Sheyirbu zehuyoseinu.
  6. Rimonim (pomegranates) - Shenarbe zehus k'rimon.
  7. Rosh Keves (head of sheep) - Shenihye l'rosh v'lo l'zonav.
Yellow squash can be eaten raw. You can buy black-eyed peas in Glatt Mart and probably in Pomegranate and Mountain Fruit, look for Eden Foods.
Best looking lamb's head is in Avi Glatt. Though this year it looks kinda meh too, not full half of head.

Shana Tova!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

FaceBook games filter for the new news feed - 09/2011

Can't make heads or tails of the new FaceBook news feed which now has everything in it and seemingly no filter?
Here are the links:
CityVille
CafeWorld

For other games, get the ID by going to the game, scrolling all the way down and getting the ID from one of the links at the bottom.

Monday, September 19, 2011

I got a 101 on my CS test!

Binarily Graded
If you're 1 of the 10 people who understand binary, you should know that a 100 on a CS test is nothing to brag about. What you should really aspire for is a 101.

Don't be satisfied with a B, you know you could do better!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

4D and 3X

Happy Feet 4D
This morning went to the NY Aquarium with kids.  We were there early enough that there was no line for the 4D show and decided to attend.  Shlomo got scared of the cartoon orca in the middle and Nochum got scared of the real animals in the beginning.  I got mostly annoyed.

What is Happy Feet 4D?  It's 108 minutes of Happy Feet cut into 19 minutes of random scenes, with 3D and random, annoying, "4D" effects.  The 3D glasses were dirty and came in only one, extra-extra-large size, which was barely holding on Nochum's nose.  The screen seemed to be dirty too.  The compression of a 108 minute movie into 19 minutes failed miserably.

A particularly annoying "4D" effect was the chair poking you, hard, in the back.  This was done twice.  Once, when baby Mumble buried himself between his dad feet.  Why does that translate into poking the audience in the back I have no idea.  The other time was when Mumble grabbed onto the fishing net with his beak and was poked and yanked by the sailors with a metal hook, which does make sense but does not make any less annoying.

Random audience members had jets of air blast into the back of their heads at random times.  How this had anything to do with what was going on on the screen I have no idea.

Several times bubbles were jetted at the audience in order to simulate the already 3D bubbles shown on the screen while the penguins were swimming under water.  Also, one time got sprayed with water, which was also relevant to what was on the screen and the only effect that made sense.

I would definitely not recommend watching this movie, especially if you're not a member and are paying for it.  However, this is a very good way to test whether your kids are ready for a regular 3D movie.  Even if you paid the $6/ticket cost, if your kids freak out, better that you lose $6/ticket, rather than $18+/ticket.

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
In the evening, we went to see Bucky Larson, sans the kids, obviously.  Critics hated the movie, rotten tomatoes hated the movie, we liked the movie.  It was funny.  It was stupid funny, but it was funny.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seemed to be a parody of the usual going to Hollywood movie.  The guy wants to be a porn star and the girl wants to be a waitress and their not doing these jobs while waiting for something better.

The movie portrays pornography as a regular, respectable, profession.  There are actors, directors, awards and gala award ceremonies.  And if your parents were porn stars, they will be very proud of your career choice.

Watch it as a parody with boobies and you may enjoy it.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Inserted Evil Clue 2

Someone in Raccoon city got inked.
Find the IP?
Profile number what?!

How to add an image to fb, kmy style

How to add an image to facebook:
GIS what you need, right click, save image as, save.
On FB, upload pic, browse, select image.

How to add an image to facebook kmy style:
GIS what you need.
Copy image to word.
Save image as a document.
Try to upload a document as an image.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Of mice and stars at the AMNH

Bought $5 tickets for the American Museum of Natural History.  Yeah, I know admission is a dollar, the tickets included free admission to one of the specials.  We went with kids and friends.  Unfortunately, there's no B train, but there are elevators and ramps on 42nd for the transfer from Q to C.

We were supposed to go to the main entrance with our vouchers but the guard let us through and walked us halfway to the Will Call desk where we got tickets for the shows.  We bought tickets for the Journey to the Stars at the Hayden Planetarium.  Was afraid the kids would freak out at Tornado Alley at IMAX.  The staff at the planetarium were also very nice.  We came right after the show started and were let in for next show without having to go exchange tickets and the women and kids were let into the line without a ticket while I was in the bathroom.

The fun started at the planetarium.  They tell you that it doesn't matter where you sit, and yes, it doesn't.  You can't see no matter where you sit.  The sits are not reclined enough and are not reclinable more, while you have to look straight up.  Also, maybe I'm blind, but the movie seemed blurry.  Around 25 years ago, on a school trip, 3rd or 4th grade, I was in a planetarium in Moscow.  It had an old style projector, no movie, no lasers.  The show was interesting and informative.  The show was about specific stars and constellation and where they appear.  Journey to the Stars, on the other hand, is tailored towards two year olds.  A better and more informative zoom out was done at the end of MIB for years ago.  Planets inside the solar system are shown with their orbits (vectors) but are too small and shown too fast to recognize and no labels provided.  Different types of stars are mentioned but very broadly.  One constellation is mentioned and a few stars are named but not shown where they appear in the sky.  The movie was not informative or interesting and not even visually stunning.  Replacing the whole movie with pictures from the Hubble telescope would be a great improvement.  Considering the movie was narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, they could've at least started it on the Enterprise with Guinan.  Unfortunately, the whole movie, fail.

After the show, we went to eat.  Outside food is not allowed in the cafeterias, but there is a School Lunchroom where the Hebrews may eat their food.  As we walked in, a mouse ran across the lunchroom.  The kids were duly entertained, the wife was not.  While we were eating, around 45 minutes, same or several other mice ran by.  Well, at least I got to see some live exhibits.

I did not find special (pay per show) exhibits being placed in the middle of key connecting areas to be particularly amusing.  As it is, the abysmal layout of the pavilions requires too much backtracking, especially if you're unable to use the stairs.  As far as the elevators, too few and too small and you have to wait for 10 minutes because of assholes who can't be bothered to use the stairs.

The animal sections confuse me.  I understand showing extinct animals, but what's the point of dioramas of animals you can go look at at the zoo, which is 10 minutes away.  Laziness and instant gratification.  I'd rather look at live animals, even when they're not one foot away.