Curtis Granderson has hit more than 40 homers in both of the last 2 years and is hitting 8th for the Yankees today in the playoffs. He finished 2nd this year in the MLB in homers and only 6 guys had more than 40 homers this year. Doesn’t seem right to have him so low in the lineup but that’s the luxury that the Yankees always seem to have with their huge payroll. You can bet he would hit cleanup or there abouts every night on pretty much any other team.
Author: Munro Stewart
Polyprax
Make your life better & happier
Soul Writer • Life Learner
Tech Planner • Play Viewer
Screen Size Of iPhone 5 Is Still Too Small
- I think Apple might have messed up with the new design of the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch.
- The one thing they really needed to update after 5 years was the screen size, and I don’t think they did that correctly.
- It should have a 1280x720 screen from 4.3 to 4.6 inches and there should be no home button on the front.
- They needed to change the design and screen more, making the screen cover most of the device.
- The home button could be a button on the side.
- Yes it would hurt compatibility with old apps a bit more, but they would still run.
- And this is finally the device they made with a bigger screen.
- The new design feels half-hearted with just the longer 4.0 inch screen.
- They really needed to make a bigger change.
- And why not move to a more common resolution like 1280x720 when finally making the screen larger.
- A much larger screen covering most of the device and no home button is what they needed to do in my opinion.
iTunes Festival Concerts
My award for best iTunes Festival concert that I watched goes to Mumford & Sons. I have watched them 3 times so far. Sorry Jack White, you were brilliantly awesome and I especially liked the all female band but you have to settle for runner up. P!nk gets 3rd for her honest performance where she talked after every song and didn’t care if she messed up lyrics. Loved how she acknowledges everyone in her band and all of her fans. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some women would buy an Apple TV just to watch the Usher concert.
North By Matchbox Twenty Album Review
Matchbox Twenty was one of my favorite bands and I love their first 3 albums. I thought Exile on Mainstream was pretty good too even though it had more of a pop feel. I was hoping that this new album might go back to the roots of Matchbox Twenty's alternative rock albums that I liked so much. I haven't listened to any of the songs on this album before this including any singles. Here are some of my thoughts on each song without looking anywhere else or knowing what songs other people like.
Outline
- 1 Parade 8/10
- 2 She's So Mean 3/10
- 3 Overjoyed 5/10
- 4 Put Your Hands Up 4/10
- 5 Our Song 6/10
- 6 I Will 5/10
- 7 English Town 8/10
- 8 How Long 4/10
- 9 Radio 5/10
- 10 The Way 3/10
- 11 Like Sugar 5/10
- 12 Sleeping At The Wheel 5/10
- Conclusion
1. Parade 8/10
Great start. Feels a bit like old Matchbox Twenty songs that really make you think about something in your life even if the lyrics are slightly different. And it hits you hard emotionally like those old songs. Good to hear something more like the old Matchbox Twenty than the more pop songs on their Exile on Mainstream "short" album.
2. She's So Mean 3/10
Too much pop for me. Not my favorite song. Good lyrics though if it was sang with more alternative music. Even more pop than Exile on Mainstream. Actually made me laugh and reminded me of boy bands from 90s. Honestly they never would have gotten as popular if they started playing songs like this in the late 90s. But the chorus and the last part of the song does get a bit better with at least a little oomph. It could grow on me even if it's overproduced pop, but initial impression is it's too much pop and I don't really like it. And I still have to laugh a little that this is Matchbox Twenty after songs like on their first album.
3. Overjoyed 5/10
Shows off Rob Thomas' voice like he used to sing. I like his singing in it, but the song is just ok. It's a simple song with a nice lyrical sentiment but doesn't really hit you emotionally like the old Matchbox Twenty. But still gives you a good feeling listening to it. In general, women will probably like this song more than men, and it could be a favorite on the radio or with women.
4. Put Your Hands Up 4/10
Whoa is this dance music? I don't really like it, only because I was hoping for the old Matchbox Twenty. For a new sound I guess it's a decent song but not really my thing. Maybe this will be an eclectic album showing off lots of different styles because the first 4 songs all seem to have a different feel. Might not be a good sign. It's after listening to this I'm thinking this will be more of a pop album than going back to the old sound of their first 3 albums, even though the first song sounded good.
5. Our Song 6/10
Yeah this looks to be a pop album. Out of the tracks 2-5 pop songs I think this would be my favorite after the first few listens, as it isn't as crazy as the others. But none of these songs hit you emotionally like the old Matchbox Twenty even if the lyrics are still pretty good like the old Matchbox Twenty. Yeah this song is pretty decent for a pop song. Reminds me a bit of the songs on Exile on Mainstream, because even though it is a pop song, it at least has a bit of a rock feel and sounds ok.
6. I Will 5/10
Similar to Overjoyed. It's an ok song, with the best part being Rob Thomas' voice and the way he sings. If you wanted some pop ballads this and Overjoyed would make you happy. But I'm pretty sure at this point that I'm not going to love this album, even if I try to accept and embrace a new sound. Even their last album which was at least ok, Exile on Mainstream, had a harder pop feel to it that made you feel good. It's kind of a sweet song though. But the difference between a feel good pop song like this, and a more emotional ballad like 3 am or Last Beautiful Girl is large. And those are the songs I love, not simple pop tunes like this.
7. English Town 8/10
OK here we go. This is ok. A second song, like the opener, that has more of a heavier rock feel to it like the old Matchbox Twenty. I kind of like this song. The chorus hits you hard and you can actually hear guitars like a rock band instead of synthesizers or whatever you hear on the pop songs on the earlier tracks. The lyrics are vague so they don't tell a story as good as the songs from the old albums, or even some of the pop songs on this album. But this is definitely another song that I like, along with Parade.
8. How Long 4/10
I just can't like pop as much as rock. If I liked pop I bet I would like this song a lot. Still the synthesizers or whatever are a bit much. I just want to hear the melody and the singing, not a special effect. Once again good lyrics though. Considering their age, they are coming up with some good stories to tell. It's just too bad that the people that will like these songs will be 12 year old girls that wear dresses and go to church instead of 16 year old boys and girls that hate their parents and the world; that drink and try to figure out how to have fun; like any normal adolescent or young adult growing up in the 90s and listening to alternative music did. Yeah I don't like this song much and I'm just waiting to see if there are any more real songs on this album like Parade and English Town.
9. Radio 5/10
Maybe listening to this much pop starts to make you accept and like it, but I actually like this song more than most on this album. I guess there are a few different styles of pop on this album too which is interesting. The verses on this song feel like it has a bit of a 50s or 60s vibe to me. It's an ok song with a bit of a swing feel to it. Still can't endorse this as a great Matchbox Twenty song though. They definitely have a different style now, and for me it's for the worse, even if I had a feeling they may lighten up this much as they matured. Exile on Mainstream was ok, but this is too much pop for me to be a great album.
10. The Way 3/10
On this song, not only is the song soft without much soul, but Rob Thomas' voice is also countryized. If they continue down this path, I could see their next album being pop country with Thomas voice sounding like this on most songs. But yeah I don't like this song much. At least on some of the other songs you hear Rob Thomas' cool voice, but this just sounds like any generic pop or country song by anyone on the radio.
11. Like Sugar 5/10
OK at least we have the real Rob Thomas back here. This one may grow on me as it has a bit of soul to it, but it just doesn't seem to come together. It starts out ok, but the chorus just isn't good enough, and the whoa-oh-oh-oh and the effects that come in after the chorus ruin it a bit. At least it has a bit of soul to it, unlike most of the pop songs on the album.
12. Sleeping At The Wheel 5/10
Nice song to finish. Good build-up to the later part of the song. More good lyrics with a good message. Regardless of the rating I gave this, it could end up my third favorite songs after a few more listens, but like most songs on this album, I sadly don't love it and probably won't even after a few more listens.
Conclusion
I like the opener, Parade, and the other track that sounds like the old Matchbox Twenty, English Town. If I could embrace the new pop sound of the band maybe I could open my musical tastes and enjoy the album as it is a decent album of pop songs probably. But I can't recommend this album, and certainly not to an old Matchbox Twenty fan like myself. I like the alternative Matchbox Twenty that sang songs with emotion, soul, and a lyrical story that hit you like a ton of bricks. This is pop. And even though this album is listenable and I could learn to like it, I have to admit that I just like rock songs a whole lot more.
Thoughts On Apple's Courtroom Win Over Samsung
Maybe I don't value law as much as most people do or understand how and why patent or other laws work. But all I can think about after hearing of the $1 billion verdict awarded to Apple is that I don't think Apple should have chose to sue Samsung in the first place.
It may help them to survive and prosper over the short term and allow them to feel justified that it was proven that someone copied their design. But in the end it just doesn't feel right to me how they handled it, and regardless of the law, I don't think it was the right thing to do.
They come across as a big company that is greedy and willing to criticize other companies and people who are trying to compete and create companies and products that allow people outside of Apple to earn a living. Even if everyone is stealing from them, I just don't feel that going to the extent they have will be rewarding in the long haul for them or for others. I guess, really what I'm saying is that the patent system is flawed. But even though Apple is playing by those rules, suing other companies may not be the best strategy.
You can now bet that other companies will go after Apple whenever they can. It will turn other companies and people against them and create more of a 'It's everyone against Apple' attitude. It may make other companies more likely to partner with competitors like Microsoft or Google, just when Microsoft needs a boost. It may make it harder for Apple to work with companies and get good prices on hardware.
Some good advice that I've read before is that you generally should never criticize, condemn, or complain about others, or about anything really. And even though they feel they are protecting themselves, all I can think about is it seems to me like Apple is criticizing and condemning Samsung. While that may be within the law it just doesn't feel like the way it should have been handled. And suing other companies may not be the best strategy or attitude to have for a company like Apple, or for any other company.
Samsung ordered to pay Apple $1-billion for patent violations
September 1st, 2012
Thanks To Everyone - Company Anonymous
Thanks Company Anonymous
Hey all you people from Company Anonymous. And to everyone else who might read this, hi Mom. I'll probably remove this post in a couple weeks so get it while it's still here. It has sure been a crazy, overwhelming, fun, exciting, monotonous, difficult, challenging, and rewarding experience moving to Town Anonymous and working here this past year. I really have learned a lot and I certainly didn't know what I was getting into. It was a great challenge to work here and I had a lot of great days and learned a lot of different things about people, consultant businesses, sales, GIS, and most importantly about software development. I think I probably listen and pick things up a lot more than people realize.
The most important thing I want to say to everyone is that when I was given something to do and really work on something with you or for you, I enjoyed it way more than you'd realize. I know I can seem like quite a curmudgeon sometimes, but I really am a person who likes doing things, and working together on things. I really like to try and focus on work and enjoy getting into it, whether it's working with someone or by myself. And I did have some difficulty trying to do that here sometimes with some different distractions. But honestly, the only thing I didn't like doing was when I was doing data entry and finding reports all by myself. Even making maps for a little bit was kind of fun as it felt like I was helping out, especially the one weekend to try and meet a deadline.
One thing that I enjoyed here that I haven't always had at jobs is that it was really fun working with such a good group of intelligent and thoughtful people. It was neat to work on things together where you know the other people are pretty capable and are able to work together to get things done. And whenever I was working on any project with people, especially anything to do with software development, I really enjoyed working on it and trying to do a great job. I certainly struggled when I was asked to do data entry and find reports all by myself because that is not what I wanted to do or felt I had been hired to do. I tried to make the best of it when I was asked to do that and still do a great job.
There were certainly a few reasons why I felt I needed to move on at this time, which I just couldn't ignore. I took a couple of unpaid weeks off on my own to think about them and then decided to resign after returning from that break. But even considering them, the most important reason I decided to leave is because I really want to work in software development and I want to make that happen even though it might not be easy. For different reasons that wasn't really happening here. Everything that happened there, good and bad, is just a part of working towards that and a part of things I have to overcome to make that happen. I would like to get a job with a specific and focused role as a software developer or quality assurance analyst. I have to continue to work towards that goal and to keep my energy positive. And ultimately to stay happy while working towards that, because I know I'm a great employee and will work hard to learn anything if given the opportunity.
I want to thank everyone involved in hiring and managing me here. I really appreciate the opportunity I was given, and I realize the lengths you go to at times to try and keep everyone happy, working, and use the abilities of different people to run a business and get different projects done. There are a lot of great people here, and I for one realize what a great job Bart, Tanya, Karl, and Jeff do and how difficult their position can be.
And to everyone, I hope you all continue to find people and things in your life that bring you happiness and not stress, because as far as I've been able to tell that's all that really matters in the end.
Thanks People
Now here's the part where it really gets even more boring and if I was giving an Oscar speech I'd be cut off long ago. But this is my blog so I can do whatever I wanna do. So, roughly in the order that I remember working with people or getting to know you a bit personally.
Amber - Wow you're awesome. I was lucky to get to sit by you and work with you a bit when I first got there. Your bubbly personality was definitely missed when you had to leave. I didn't get to hear you and James talk about all kinds of crazy things anymore and James started talking to himself sometimes 😉 jk. I really liked helping you out with some of the web development stuff and I can tell you now that I even actually enjoyed working on TVic stuff or anything else you had me do. Plus, it's also fun for a guy anytime they hear a girl say boobies, and I still remember the first day you making an important note while I was reading the harassment policy that I make sure that I don't touch anyone's. I was like, OK this place is going to be an interesting experience 🙂
Neil - You wanted to be buddies right away. I didn't get to know you too well, but I could tell right away that you have a kind soul. I was often like this I know, but definitely at that time I was way too busy working and focusing on what I had to do than to talk to you much.
Matt - I think you're probably a lot smarter and better at everything you do than you think. I'm sure you know this, but you should realize that a lot of other people don't really work like you or get as much work done as you do. It was neat to be working upstairs with someone like you for a bit and I don't know what you're doing but I hope you kick yourself in the butt enough at some point in your life to do crappy things like going to interviews or whatever else to get what you deserve.
Alex - Honestly, the biggest thing I remember about you when I started trying to do some work for you was probably how burned out you were at that time. I was really trying hard to do some work on my own and help with as much as I could as I learned Unity really quickly. I didn't expect to start off doing game development, but what a great challenge for me and that was so much fun. I still remember the day I got the sliders for the sun and shadows working and showed you. Felt good to show you I could actually figure things out and I might be able to help with some things you didn't know how to do. It was fun for me trying to work together with you though, and seemed a little odd to me to just stop cold turkey after I had started to learn that. As I've told you before, it's amazing how you have figured out how to get some things done and into the projects you are doing. You probably feel bored sometimes, but don't forget to take a look back and realize everything you've learned and how great a job you've done to figure all of this stuff out.
Rohit - This is going to sound a little weird, but I'm just being honest, and you honestly have a smile that lights up a room. Man, if everyone could smile and laugh half as much or half as big as you do, we'd all be happier people. I know that's one thing I should work on for sure. Thanks for inviting me to things even though I pretty much always said no. It was nice getting to know you a bit more just after we moved to the new office and you stopped in a bit more to see me and to chat about MapSocial or other things.
Rob - Thanks for being a person that didn't work around me but still realized I might not be a jerk or stupid just because I can be quiet around everyone. I really appreciated you coming to say hi all the time and check in on what I was working on. Thanks for bringing up with a couple different people at times some of the things I was doing, like making it possible to position and move the buildings in the 3D model app, when nobody else but Alex had a clue what I was working on or had done. You're a grade A guy.
Aaron - You were a really cool guy to chat with once in awhile. Kudos to you in a similar way as Amber. You did a great job with the move to the new office. But I know it's old hat to you, and that's the kind of stuff you deal with all the time. I remember being the first one in and coming in the first day that we had the new office. You hadn't slept and were like "Watch out I might not show any tact on this little sleep." My reply "That's why it's great to work at a place like this where you don't have to worry about that." Anyways, yay new office. It was a fun time and you got us all hooked up and ready to go with some prodding and a few stressful days. And I enjoyed a few chats we had at both the old place and the new place.
Cole - I really try to take my time to get to know people generally, but you were another person I met like Neil where I knew after talking just a few sentences what a great guy you are. Glad we had a few more chats at the new place and thanks for making a point to come and talk with me after you heard I was leaving.
James - You have that ability that I sadly don't have, to be friendly and talkative with anyone. Someone like you is so important to a team and so great to be around. Sitting here not sure what to say to you or about you. I guess more than anyone, I wish I'd gotten a chance to get to know you a bit more at times and made the effort to talk to you a bit more. To continue talking to you about tech and software. I guess looking back, that as soon as I was put on data entry I didn't feel I could fit in with you guys, especially since it was a little crazy and hard enough to begin with. It was fun trying to work on the software development side with you, Devon, and Amber while it lasted. But for many reasons it just didn't work out, which was certainly disappointing to me. Thanks for working with me as I was learning some different things like unit testing, Silverlight, and automated testing. All the work I did with you guys was fun and I appreciate your effort especially of trying to have a quiet guy like me fit in with you guys. You guys should really be proud of the work you've done to create Insight on Silverlight and it came together in the end better than I thought it was going to honestly. Not easy to make a piece of software like that with just two guys like you guys did. I truly was happy to be a part of that.
Devon - I envy your ability to have fun and enjoy your work. Just so you know, most people aren't having as much fun at work as you do. You are in like the .01 percent of people in the world who have a good job and can get into their work and enjoy it that much. That was the thing that struck me most about you and James and why I wanted to try to get in and work as a wingman in some way. I figured if I put my head down and actually worked I can learn anything and I might be able to help out but it didn't work out. I really enjoyed working for a few months with you and James, especially doing QA for you guys. You can bet I'll never forget working with you back and forth on bugs, because it was so much fun for me. And I appreciated the positive comments every once in awhile about the good work I was doing. Also, your attitude and the way you handled your wife's health problems really was inspiring to me at that time and made me think about some things in my own life a bit at the time. I like how you just continually dealt with it in a positive way as much as you could, and I know that your attitude towards something like that has made it much easier for her. My mom has MS and I have seen firsthand my father's support and how much he has helped her accept that even though it's not easy.
Bart - I can't explain how great it was to work for you. I got so much enjoyment out of trying to do a good job for you, even if I was a bit run down near the end. I felt good when I felt like I started showing you enough of what I was doing with Devon and James, where you felt you could just say hey Munro have a look at this. Thank you for everything, some of which I'm not even smart enough to understand or know, because I don't know what all you did for me. Like if you had to convince people it might be worth me doing some QA or whatever. But I appreciate a great deal your effort to try and work me into things. I'll never have the people skills or be quite smart enough to do what you do, but I learned a bit from the management side of things watching how you did things. We think a lot alike and I really know how difficult it's been in your position. I wish I could explain a bit better this note to you, but that will have to do. I often wished I was more capable for you as well where I could have found a way to do more. Obviously, you're just a great guy too. I was too busy either working hard when doing software development, or feeling like I didn't fit in doing data entry, to get to know you better. Good luck with everything.
Laura - It was really fun learning from you when I had to tackle that one project on my own, and also when everyone was makin' maps. I mean Devon, James, and Amber are great, but getting to work with someone else for a bit was a good change at that time since other people rarely came upstairs to the crazy world up there. You're just a great person all around. Glad I got to know you, and when I heard your laugh around the office I couldn't help but smile for some reason. Again, I really liked when I worked with you and had fun helping you hard working GIS crew out a little bit.
Amber - You are superwoman. You honestly deserved a trophy for everything you did to move the office downtown while you were pregnant. I saw a lot of people do a lot of good things there, but from my perspective nothing was amazing as that. You'll always be underappreciated and that's just the way it goes. People, including me, just don't realize how difficult your job is and all of the things you have to do to make the office run smoothly, and being asked to do so many different things. I'm just remembering things, and it sure was funny the day you told us about getting into the wrong side of your car to drive or something like that, while you had pregnant brain or whatever. I liked how you had the honesty to come in and tell that to everyone at the meeting. If you handle being a mom like everything else, you're a great one already. I hope it's all been going well for you guys.
Jeff - If more people like you were running businesses there would be a lot more happier people at their jobs. I often wondered if you creating a work atmosphere like that just happens naturally, or if you really were always working at or learning how to treat people. One thing I learned from listening to you is how you aren't afraid to not be the expert, and let other people sound like they are smart while you learn from them. Friendly, talkative, and still very humble; a pretty great combo. If I was a client, I know I couldn't resist that easy going charm of yours. It's really amazing to someone like me to see someone like you and how you treat everyone that comes into the office. That was something I got to see more at the new office that was really neat.
Tanya - You and I are nothing alike. You are awesome and fun. Oh crap, that makes me not awesome and boring. I can admit it. I remember thinking a couple times that you must be some mythical creature and I wasn't quite sure if you were real. I also remember in one of my first morning meetings where I said "I'm writing some scripts" and you said "What you're eating chicken strips?" I laughed every time I heard you do a similar thing in the meeting, sometimes just on the inside. The last one I heard, and definitely one of the funniest: "Panda application?!? We're getting a panda?" Thanks for kindly putting up with my boring update emails about what I was doing and how many reports I'd entered, where I tried to sound like I was doing something important. Also I'm obviously not a natural in meetings with clients and it was nice sitting in a few with you running the show and knowing you'd bring it all back to normalcy if I did something stupid or didn't know what the heck I was talking about.
Sarah - The funny thing about people who are quiet sometimes is that they sometimes never get to know other people who are quiet, for obvious reasons. I'm glad I finally got to know you a bit more. Thanks to the new office where I wasn't stuck upstairs working by myself, and a troll doll. Even though we crossed paths a bit at the old place too. I guess this is something I should say to everyone else and not you, but I think you're probably way smarter than people would realize. I think we are kind of similar in some ways and I envied you sometimes thinking about what different situations we were put in and how we were treated very differently simply because of our job titles and working in different parts of the office. We had two completely different experiences all in the same office and at times it would have been neat to swap places with you, or work with you guys maybe. Hope you enjoyed your vacation.
Brandon - I'm not really able to evaluate someone in your position like some other people there just because I don't know everything about what you do. But from everything I know, you are someone I'd recommend right now to any company. I don't really know what you've done before this, but you actually surprised me quite a bit and it was fun working with you. I like how you get focused and prepared for things. I like your attitude towards everyone. Keep your eye on whatever prize you want. You have good ideas, treat everyone well, and also follow through. I could not do your job and I don't know how you stay motivated like you do. For someone who's stuck to it and continued to work hard through some adversity, I have to give you big props. I liked the one day you sent an article about companies being more truthful or open about things. If I was to give you any advice it might be to focus in on what really matters and find people and situations that allow you to focus on those things. Find what works and really brings value and not just on appearances. Not just because that is what could really work best in the end, but maybe more so because that may be what will bring you more joy in your work. That's way too vague to be helpful, but anyway keep plugging along. You're a really cool dude in my books.
Brij - Just like working with Alex, Amber, Devon and James, I really had fun when I finally got a chance to work with you while I was testing and doing QA for MapSocial. Kudos to you for taking seriously every single suggestion or feedback I had. Man that was fun for a month or so. I guess I felt I found my role a bit there when I was working on QA yet again and really felt I was helping out more because of what I had learned doing for Devon, James, and then Alex a bit with testing. I have Bart to thank for that I know. There is a reason everyone likes you. You are flat out just a great guy. I wish I was a more well rounded and friendly person like you at times, and you were a really cool guy to get to know, mostly from afar as I was busy working.
Chris - Man you're a great guy. Maybe in some alternate universe I had a little more experience when I came to Company Anonymous and we somehow got together and were work pals. I don't think I ever became comfortable enough there where I could have been myself more and get to know you. But it was sure fun doing some testing and other suggestions for MapSocial while you were half way around the world. Just like Devon and James, I was surprised with how much of the suggestions I made that you respected and worked on. Especially when it was tough enough for you to be working on a project pretty much by yourself. It was fun to see MapSocial come together with you and Brij for that month or two. Sadly, I was too overwhelmed with different things at times and also just the way things worked out didn't get to know you a bit better. Here's another weird one to admit but right from early on I always looked forward to what you had to say you were working on in the morning meeting. I'd wish you luck in life if I thought you needed it, but I think you'll do ok.
Jeff - If you are anything like me you might wonder sometimes why people feel the need to talk about everything, and announce everything they do. Just do it! But we can both admit I'm sure that the office might be a little boring with just people like you and me. It's probably a tough call, but I'd have to say you are the hardest working person in the office if I had to guess. Not that I got to know you much, but I could also tell that you're a great listener, which probably makes you bring some peace and contentment to other people in the office and in your life at times more than you'd realize.
Nicole - I was glad I got a chance to work with you early on and maybe make you feel a little more comfortable in your first couple of weeks when you might have been a little nervous like anyone. Glad Bart had me help you out with that too. That week we worked on that Insight sales guide together a bit happened to be a very difficult week for me personally as well and you actually cheered me up quite a bit. I enjoyed it and it made that time easier working with you a bit since you appreciated me helping you out and I got to work on something with someone again. You're a pretty smart cookie though. I was really happy when I saw you get a little more comfortable and weren't as nervous. No more 4:00 breaks for you to look forward to and know that you are on the home stretch of the work day.
Hailey - Well you sure had a crazy first week. You are really a trooper. I enjoyed working with you for sure. Seemed almost easy for me to just work with you right off the bat and I liked how you weren't afraid to really get going and get something done. I'm sorry that project isn't as well together as it should be. I certainly struggled with it at times and didn't leave it in the best of shape for you in the end. I really wish you the best with all of the big changes in your life, like this new job.
Conclusion
I don't really expect people to read this post and I know that it's way overkill and a little weird. But it's more my way of saying thanks to everyone and looking back on the last year at work and remembering some of the good times and the positive qualities of different people I met there. You work towards things but you never know exactly what life is going to throw your way next, and working at Company Anonymous the last year was a journey I did my best to enjoy and it was a pretty good one a lot of the time.
Thanks everyone.
Favorite Female Rock Singers
Listening to the new Metric album this weekend I started thinking about some of my favorite female singers of the last twenty years. The women who’s voices are so original and unmistakeable and that I liked immediately the first time I heard them in one of their great songs. Here are ten of my favorites. For rock singers and women that are mostly in bands, five of my favorites would be Emily Haines (Metric), Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine), Tegan and Sara, Doloris O’Riordan (The Cranberries), and Left Eye Lopes (TLC). And for singer songwriter and vocalist types, five of my favorites are Joss Stone, Frazey Ford, Norah Jones, Jewel, and Natalie Merchant. Those ten cover quite a few different genres and styles of music too. Any time I hear one of these voices it generally puts me in a pretty good mood.
Ban Body Checking From NHL Hockey
Call me a wuss, a wimp, or whatever you want. I don't think there should be any hitting allowed in the NHL, or any other level of hockey for that matter.
Being able to deliberately hit someone as hard as you can should be completely taken out of hockey at all levels. In fact I think this idea is way overdue. To me, it's almost like stating the obvious at this point. I'm surprised I haven't heard more people suggest that body checking should be completely removed from hockey. Here's why.
Outline
- Hitting Is Barbaric
- Hitting Is Unhealthy
- If It's Bad For Kids It's Bad For Adults
- More Protection Only Makes People Think They Can Hit Harder
- Players Skate Way Faster Than They Used To
- Intelligent And Talented Athletes Will Choose Not To Play Hockey
- Hitting Causes More Injuries And Is As Harmful As Fighting
- Fighting Would Not Be Needed If Hitting Was Removed
- There Is More Talk About Concussions And Suspensions Than The Game
- Hitting And Fighting Are Psychologically Unhealthy Too
- Conclusion
1. Hitting Is Barbaric
Physically hitting someone else when you can hurt them is both barbaric and cruel. I just looked up the definition for cruel and the first definition said "willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others." To me, it's pretty clear that you are knowingly causing distress to someone when you hit them in any way. But I don't care what the definition is, it just doesn't seem right to me to hit someone else. I don't care if it's part of a sport, or if they've agreed as part of the game to let them hit you. It's just not civilized to hit someone else in my opinion. To me, it doesn't really matter if it's your wife, a co-worker, a friend, or someone you play a game against for money. Hitting people is bad. Boxing is barbaric. Football is barbaric. Hockey is barbaric. The more we can move to a society where hurting other people for sport is not accepted, the better off we are in my opinion. In boxing and football, it's hard to get around the idea that you have to hit someone, but hockey could completely remove hitting, and still keep the main part of the game as it is. There is no reason hitting can't be completely removed from NHL hockey.
2. Hitting Is Unhealthy
It's quite clear that hitting in hockey is unhealthy. It's just bad for our bodies. I don't think we needed all the talk and reports about concussions recently to realize this. Broken shoulders, broken legs, damaged internal organs, and various other serious injuries over the years should have been enough. But with more and more reports about concussions it has certainly been making the point better known. I'm actually writing this point last out of these 10 points, as I was thinking of what to say to make people realize how bad that hitting is in hockey. But I don't really want to go research to make as strong of a point as I should. But I do think it's pretty obvious that concussions are bad, and hitting is bad. Enough said hopefully as I think it's pretty obvious at this point how harmful hitting in hockey is, whether you are a kid or an adult.
3. If It's Bad For Kids It's Bad For Adults
The debate I've most often heard so far about hitting in hockey is at what age level body checking should be allowed for kids. Though I'm sure it's been brought up, I haven't heard that much about completely removing hitting from hockey. But while we may like harming our bodies or feel we need to relieve stress in certain harmful ways as adults, it doesn't mean it's healthy. And what is bad for kids is generally bad for adults. Of course this can turn into a much bigger topic about whether people should be able to do things to their bodies even if it's harmful. But hockey is a sport, not mainly a stress reliever like smoking, drinking, or doing drugs. It should be fun. Instead of trying to figure out what age we allow kids to harm themselves by hitting each other as part of a sport, we should take it out of the sport altogether. It solves the debate of what age kids should be allowed to hit, and instead admits that hitting is harmful for anyone at any age and has no place in a fun sport like hockey.
4. More Protection Only Makes People Think They Can Hit Harder
"Back in the day when I used to play hockey in the 1940s, we didn't hit as hard as the guys nowadays". I'm sure some smart old guy without a big ego has said that. And do you know why he's said it? Because he didn't wear a helmet or nearly as much equipment or protection as hockey players do now. If you didn't have a helmet then you have to protect your head. If you don't have on three inches thick of plastic and padding on, then you have to think about how hitting someone as hard as you can will affect your body as well. The problem is that even though players have more protection, the impact is still great on their bodies. Players are less likely to get cuts or small injuries, but even with all of the equipment they wear they are still very likely to suffer a concussion, a neck injury, a broken shoulder, or a broken leg by being hit hard. This can occur when they hit the other player, hit the ice, or get hit into the boards. And when an impact does make it through a chink in their armour it can cause horrible injuries because the plastic and metal protection for one guy turns into a brute force object hitting the other guy if it makes it through his equipment.
5. Players Skate Way Faster Than They Used To
Besides having more protection now, players are also in better physical shape. They can skate faster than they used to and are stronger physically. It's bad enough to run as fast as you can into someone and hit them, such as in football. But when you are skating you can go at even faster speeds than two linemen hitting each other in football. And because players are now skating at even faster speeds and are much stronger than they used to be the result it pretty damaging. When two players are skating as fast as they can now and hit each other as hard as they can, which is completely within the rules, the impact is very big. And the damage is way worse than in the past and worse than we could have realized when the sport was first created.
6. Intelligent And Talented Athletes Will Choose Not To Play Hockey
Athletes aren't all stupid, and athlete's parents aren't stupid either. Hockey was already a rough sport to play 20 years ago as fighting is pretty much allowed, and often encouraged. Plenty of parents kept their kids from playing hockey. But with all the attention given to concussions and how unhealthy it is in the last few years, more and more parents should and will stop their kids from playing hockey; at least from playing hockey at any level with body checking. And more and more kids may even realize in their teens that they should maybe choose soccer, or baseball, or basketball over hockey when all they see in the media is their favourite player sitting out again with a concussion.
6.1 Parents Of Athletes May Not Let Their Kids Play Hockey
I remember when I was young and living in a small town on the Canadian prairies, pretty much anyone who was good enough at sports and had enough money played hockey. There were kids who were good athletes whose parents wouldn't let them play hockey and I never really understood. I felt like playing hockey was just this inevitable thing you did if you were good enough. I thought parents concerns were probably just about fighting, but I always figured you could stay out of fights if you really wanted to. As I grew up, I began to realize many of the reasons people wouldn't play hockey and now I understand completely why people would choose not to play hockey, or why parents wouldn't want their kids involved in hockey. Just as they similarly might choose not to be a boxer, play football, or ram their head as hard as they can into other people when walking down the sidewalk.
7. Hitting Causes More Injuries And Is As Harmful As Fighting
I personally feel that taking hitting out of hockey is way more important than taking out fighting. If two guys want to fight, whether it's on the street or in a hockey rink they will. It can even be banned and it will still sometimes happen. But hitting probably causes more injuries and affects every single person that plays the game. You can't avoid it, as every time you are out on the ice five other guys are allowed to hit you as hard as they can to take the puck away from you. There has been so much talk about fighting in hockey in the past. But I think removing hitting from hockey is much more important as it causes more injuries and doesn't just happen once in awhile, but constantly as part of the game.
8. Fighting Would Not Be Needed If Hitting Was Removed
Fights can happen sometimes even in sports even when there is no physical contact. I mean, I'm sure we've all had one or two bowling games where things got out of hand. But I think the main reason fighting is popular in hockey is because there is hitting in hockey. Fighting is just a balancing act, mostly because hitting another person is allowed in the game. It's legal. I understand that people can jab someone with a stick and get away with it too. But that is against the rules, and the guy should get a penalty. Hitting is legal, so you are allowed to hit someone as hard as you can, even if it's the other teams best player. And you do it all the time. Because of this, the talented players have needed to be "protected". But if hitting was removed, I think the need and desire to fight in hockey would go down dramatically.
9. There Is More Talk About Concussions And Suspensions Than The Game
Unneeded media stories about player's personal lives and the finance and business side of hockey are inevitable. They detract from the game sometimes and there is too much talk about both of them in the media. I don't think that will ever change as the media needs any stories they can find. But the amount of media attention and talk about concussions recently has reached a pretty high level. The first story in the hockey news always seems to be about what great player is out because of a concussion whether it's Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya, or Sidney Crosby. If it's not that, it's about showing the three big hits from five different angles where a guy got hurt. And if it's not about that, it's about a hit that they aren't sure should be legal or a talk about if the guy should be suspended, and how many games. What's the common theme with those three types of stories? It's all about hitting in hockey, and nothing to do with the score in the game, or the skillful plays in the game.
10. Hitting And Fighting Are Psychologically Unhealthy Too
Harming our bodies physically is unhealthy psychologically and causes us emotional and mental stress. I don't know that the previous sentence is a fact as I sit here and I never actually remember reading this specifically but I'm pretty sure it's true. Go look it up somewhere and I'm sure you'll find articles by doctors about how hurting our body physically isn't good for our minds either. Do a search for torture and mind, or cutting and emotions, or boxing and stress. In just one offseason, a number of hockey players who were known as enforcers committed suicide. This is one possible example of the mental stress that hitting and fighting can cause in hockey. I'm not going to look for more proof now, but I think we all just know naturally that hurting our bodies physically or having to do something that hurts our bodies physically can cause us quite a bit of stress and affect us poorly, mentally and psychologically. When you know you are going to be hit every day it can be tough on you psychologically, whether you are a boxer, a football player, or a hockey player.
Conclusion
I played hockey competitively until I was about 21 and enjoyed it. It's fun. But as I've grown older I've realized that the hitting and fighting parts of the game have just been accepted, but it doesn't mean that allowing them is right. Looking back at these points, I think I'd have to say that the first two points are certainly the most convincing in my mind and really all that needs to be said. Why do we think it's ok to hurt other people and to do something to our bodies that's completely unhealthy just because we call it a sport and people pay to watch it? Whether enough people would watch the game without hitting and fighting is another debate, and I've decided to focus this article not on that aspect of the debate at all and just think about what is right, healthy, and civilized. Hitting in hockey needs to go. I'm pretty sure that its part in the game will be questioned and debated more in the coming years.
May 13th, 2012
Josh Hamilton Hits 4 Homers
It’s really too bad that Josh Hamilton doesn’t know how to hit a baseball. And it’s scary how good he might have been if he didn’t have all the personal problems he has had and miss like 6 years of playing baseball because of drugs basically. He’s who I now think of when I think of a real ballplayer that I’ve watched that might be like the guy in The Natural. Him and Ken Griffey Jr.
Apple Hardware Predictions For 2012
Here are 5 predictions for Apple hardware and devices that could be released this year at various Apple events. I'm leaving out any thoughts about an Apple TV, partly because my guess is that it still might not come this year.
1. iPhone 5
Apple releases iPhone 5 in July with 4.6 inch screen and all new 1280 x 720 resolution display with new aspect ratio and curved glass. If they keep the same aspect ratio as the iPhone 4, the resolution would be something like 1200 x 800. Either resolution would have 300+ ppi display, which is similar to the iPhone 4. Previous iPhone apps would work at their original resolution covering only 3.5 inches of the screen and all new apps for iOS 6 would fill the screen. 4.0 inch display for the iPhone with the same 960 x 640 resolution is my second, more realistic guess, and much more likely.
2. iPod Touch 5G
iPod Touch released in September with same sized screen as iPhone 5 and a 3-5 megapixel camera. Possibly renamed to simply iPod. Likely won't happen but could finally get GPS and 3G version with some kind of data plan or new type of 3G plan that pleases carriers enough to make some money off iPod users while encouraging most people to still get an iPhone because of LTE or better and more powerful cell plan features.
3. iWatch 1G
iWatch 1G is released in September with iPod Nano OS and possibly a curved glass screen. It will have Bluetooth 4.0 which allows it to work with iPhone and other iOS or Mac devices in interesting ways and will focus on some built in fitness features. I've thought for years that Apple would get into the watch business and this could be the year. Good chance it may not happen until 2013 though and the Nano stays around for another year or two.
4. New iMac
The new iMac is introduced in the summer with Mountain Lion OS X and a new slimmer design similar to the Apple Thunderbolt Display. Ivy Bridge and maybe even 8 GB RAM standard. Possibly also bumped to 23.5 and 30 inch displays. Comes with no optical drive or hard drive, or even an option to install an internal hard drive. 128 GB or even just 64 GB SSD standard, especially if Apple also markets a new external drive peripheral or Time Capsule for always on networked media libraries. New Bluetooth 4.0 peripherals including keyboard with even slimmer profile, new Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad. Possibly a keyboard with integrated Magic Trackpad that will also work well as a single peripheral to have on your lap when using AirPlay Mirroring from a Mac to an Apple TV 2.
5. New Time Capsule
Though I don't think this one will happen, I wish Apple at some point would release a new external drive peripheral or new version of Time Capsule used for always on, Internet connected, networked storage. It would be a person's or household's own file storage and media library that could be connected to from their Wifi network or over the Internet from any Apple devices. If everyone had their own personal storage device that was always on at their home and Internet connected then they would only need 64 or 128 GB flash storage in all of their devices and would not need to pay for higher storage capacities on services like Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive, iCloud, and iTunes Match. Because of the money they can make and the investment in iCloud and iTunes Match they likely won't do this, so this is more my own vision of the way I wish things would go. But Apple could change the game if instead they switched course from everyone else and instead offered hardware for a person to host their own simple always on file library and server at their home instead of relying on pay cloud storage services like Dropbox and iCloud.
What I'll Buy
I'd probably buy an iWatch if it was made and sold for $199 or less as it would be pretty cool, though I might wait for version 2 like I did with both the iPod Touch and iPad. I also have an iPad 2 and the new Apple TV, so Apple is obviously reeling me in to buy their stuff like they are much of the population. But really what I'm excited for and really ready to buy is a new iPod Touch if it comes out this year with an all new design. I still have a 2G iPod Touch, which is the only iPod I've ever bought and of course it runs too slow and is getting old. Mobile computers dating back to the early Palm Pilots are really what has always fascinated me. Even with how common they've become as they've evolved into subsidized smartphones it is still fascinating to me to have a powerful computer in your pocket and hand, and it always will be. Before my iPod Touch I had a simple Palm Z22 that I liked just as much or more than my iPod Touch.
There is an outside chance I might spend the extra money and finally make the switch to Mac OS X from Windows 7 with the new iMac this year. I've wanted a completely silent desktop computer since only about 1992 and have been disappointed that computers have been so loud and hot in the last 20 years, and that it has taken so long for quiet and cool computers to be common. Though I know they are already very quiet, the new iMac or Mac Mini could finally offer a really silent desktop at a reasonable price if they are sold with an SSD as standard at their current price and with Ivy Bridge bringing some more improvements in thermal efficiency. That, along with so many other well known reasons that have made Macs a much better option in the last 5 years, I might finally be pursuaded to make the Switch and get my first Mac. But maybe I'll just stick with Windows 7 for a couple years until about 2014 when some new version of Mac OS or Windows 9 are running on 64 bit ARM processors, don't even need any fans, and 256 GB SSD drives are in cheap machines. But I just don't know if I can stand my current Windows machine sounding like a jet engine is on all the time under my desk now that I'm used to completely silent iPods, iPads, and Apple TVs.
Blue Jays Spring Training Record
After winning yesterday here is the Blue Jays record so far in spring training. They've just won 8 in a row and have 7 games left.
- 20-4 - .833 - TOR - 2012
Here are the 4 best records in spring since 2003. These are the only records above a .700 winning percentage. Also, the least amount of games lost by a team in spring in those years is 8.
- 26-9 - .765 - LAA - 2009
- 20-8 - .714 - TB - 2010
- 24-10 - .706 - NYY - 2009
- 19-8 - .704 - KC - 2003
Also this article says that spring can mean something, at least when you look at all the records combined. It doesn't mean the Blue Jays will have a great year but according to this article if they have the best record in spring they probably have a good chance of at least having a good season and finishing over a .500 winning percentage.
Spring training records really matter
Well, a 10-year look (it didn’t take me 10 years to do it, I just looked at numbers over a 10-year period!) at MLB’s spring training records reveals some interesting trends. You might have heard that “the numbers never lie;” the numbers I discovered should give baseball fans a little more reason to pay attention to spring training standings.
Here are some of the tidbits that I unearthed while looking at spring training records over the past 10 years:
• Out of the past 20 World Series participants since 2002, only six had a spring training record worse than one game under .500.
• Seven of the 10 teams that had the worst overall spring training record went on to finish last or next-to-last in their division that season.
• Only two of the 11 teams (two teams tied one year) with the best overall spring training record had a losing record that season.
Little Black Submarines Song
Little Black Submarines by The Black Keys really deserves to be an epic song of about nine minutes long. That’s why they aren’t Guns n' Roses or Queen. It’s typical Black Keys. At just over four minutes it’s long for a Black Keys song and hits hard and fast once it gets going. By the end of it you think you’ve heard about four different songs and all the guitar riffs leave your head spinning with more pleasure than a kid playing with a toy top. - 9/10
Could Apple Make A Pocket Size iBook?
- If Apple does release a new 5-7 inch iPod Touch this Thursday I think it could have a resolution of 1920x1280.
- That would be double the current retina display. All of the iPhone apps would work on it, but not the iPad apps.
- A possible name for the device could be iBook, the name previously used for their consumer and education focused laptops in the early 2000s.
- If they release an iPod between 4-5 inches it will probable stick with the same 960x640 resolution.
Blue Jays Logo Changes
And here is a look at the Jays logo changes over the years. I wonder if the 90s and 2000s will be known as years where designers and everyone else tried to be extra cool, but we go back to designing classic, simple looks over the next 20 years. I guess we’ll always need a bit of both; new and old. But in this case, I sure like the simple classic looks the best.
Blue Jays New Uniforms Look Great
I couldn’t be happier with the Blue Jays new logo and uniforms. Best decision they could have made. I never liked any of their designs in between the classic uniforms and this new update to it. Good chance I’ll be buying some new Blue Jays apparel come next year. Goodbye Ricciardi era, hello Anthopoulos era.
Airplay TV Or Simply Apple TV
This is a response to a great blog post by Joe Hewitt entitled Airplay TV.
Thoughts
- I agree that it won't matter if people have cable or DVDs in the future when the real IPTV comes, which looks to be more about apps on smart TV devices which could eliminate the need for a traditional set top box with "On Demand" or "IPTV" services.
- However, I wonder if Airplay isn't just a temporary solution, though a pretty good temporary one.
- The real improvement to some of the limitations he talks about may come with a new version of Apple TV that doesn't need Airplay and another iOS device to work, but just works on its own with its own user interface improvements.
That Apple TV May Have The Following
- A wand gyroscopic remote with trackpad.
- A version of iOS with an improved user interface which works with the remote from 10 feet away.
- Its own App Store for apps and games which work with the remote.
- Possibly a "TV" app that has a guide with content providers for live channels as well as previous archived shows for a price.
- Possibly a camera and microphone for FaceTime and Siri input as well.
The Wand Gyroscopic Remote May Have The Following
- A single power button to turn on the TV.
- Tilt up, down, left and right to highlight items on screen.
- Other waving gestures could perform different commands.
- Trackpad to perform clicks and other gestures with thumb.
- Possibly a touchscreen on opposite side of trackpad for keyboard, landscape game controls, and other controls when needed.
- Possibly remotes that include the touchscreen on the opposite side could be sold as an accessory since the cost would be more than with just a trackpad and people would need multiple gaming remotes.
Sports Stars Names Then And Now
Realized one interesting difference between sports stars from 20 years ago and today. They used to be known or referred to by their last names instead of first names or hyphenated names. Gretzky, Jordan, Bird, Bonds, Griffey vs Sid, Lebron, A-Rod, Pedro, Tiger. Miss the old days when the coolest name for someone was just using their last name.
Good News For Cubs Hiring Theo Epstein
Just heard that the Cubs have hired GM Theo Epstein away from the Red Sox. My first thought is that he will do what it takes to sign Albert Pujols and make him a Cub. They probably weren’t really in the hunt for Pujols but my hunch says he wants him and could get him since the Yankees have Teixeira, the Red Sox have Gonzalez, and Fielder is also a free agent for another big market team to get.
Posting To A Blog Should Be Easy
I expect that I am going to be writing posts to this blog more often. It's not that I have a whole bunch of more ideas that I want to post. I do have a pretty big list of ideas to write about which I have kept for a couple years even though I haven't written many posts yet. It's just that I've been thinking about writing on my blog a bit more and realized that the biggest reason I don't write on it is because it takes me too long to make a post. So I've decided if I actually want to use my blog a bit more, which I do, that I will have to make it simpler to make posts.
Ways I Will Make It Simpler To Post To My Blog
1. I Removed All The Pictures And Won't Be Using Pictures
Having pictures really makes a blog better for people who are reading it. But this blog is more for me to write down my ideas and thoughts anyway. Not having to deal with making pictures for all the posts will save me a bunch of time and will allow me to quickly make posts. When I removed the pictures I also went through my blog posts and formatted them all similarly and decided on how I would format my new posts. I won't have to think about adding pictures or formatting my posts anymore, but can just focus on what I want to write.
2. I Will Keep My Blog Online Only And Use The Built In Editor
I used to write blog posts offline in text files or word files and keep them on my computer. Then I would just copy what I had written and add a picture online. Editing offline has advantages but it's not nearly as simple as just posting online, and keeping it online only has other advantages too. I can also edit from any computer now obviously which is a plus. I deleted all the offline copies of my posts and will edit and keep my blog online only. This is the main change that will make it easier and quicker to make posts. I've given in to just keep my blog entries online only, just like when I switched to GMail for my mail a †few years†ago. I don't really know why I thought I needed a copy in text files offline. Writing this blog post was a lot easier to get done than my old system of editing offline and then posting after. To make this easier I also made a couple changes to the online editor such as adding more lines to it. Now it feels a bit more like editing offline.
3. I Installed The Wordpress App On My iPad
Just in case I want to edit on my iPad 2, which I got a couple months ago when it came out. I always thought the iPad would be good for journalling or blogging as long as you are writing smaller posts. I've made writing posts simpler by not having pictures and keeping my files online only, which allows me to make shorter posts using my iPad if I want.
Why I Made These Changes
Simply, doing all of the steps above will make it way easier for me to post to my blog. I'm excited and think I will do more writing on my blog now. Making this post took way less time than I used to take writing a post, so I'm sure that by storing my blog online only and not using pictures will make we want to post more. Like I've found with many things in life, simplifying down to what matters most makes it easier to get things done and makes you enjoy things more in the end. In this case, simplifying the process to post to my blog will make me want to write in it more often and enjoy doing it.
Why Tooltips And Mouseovers Are Poor Design
I don't like pop ups, tooltips, mouseover menus, and information popups used in the design of software and websites.
On Windows 95 and 98 I used a program called TweakUI to disable tooltips throughout the operating system, but I miss it when using Windows 7. So I don't think I have ever really liked tooltips or mouseovers, but having used iOS for a couple years now I feel even stronger about this. I feel that tooltips or anything that automatically pops up in a little window or changes the interface when you move your mouse over it is distracting to the user interface and gets in the way of the user interacting with the computer. I think if software and websites were designed completely without mouse rollover effects and tooltip popups that the user's experience with computers would benefit greatly.
What Is A Tooltip Or Mouseover?
First of all I'll define what I mean by a tooltip or mouseover so you know what I am talking about. I am referring to any time you move your mouse over an object on screen and anything on the screen other than the mouse cursor changes. A simple mouseover effect on a menu or button can be useful and not too intrusive, but it is the simplest type of mouseover. A link on a website being underlined when you move your mouse over it is another example that isn't too annoying. A tooltip such as used often in Microsoft Windows supposedly to provide you help with what you will be clicking on is a bit annoying. A little window popup of information when you move over a link or other object is even more annoying. Special OS features like a small window of an application showing when you move your mouse over it on the taskbar is also a mouseover. All of these I refer to as mouseovers and while it may seem extreme I think all of these should be eliminated from user interface design.
1. The Interface Actions Should Be Simple And Clear
We simply don't need extra information coming up on a mouseover because the interface should clearly show where the user should click the mouse to provide actions or more information. We can now design interfaces that are more simple and clear so that people understand where they need to click. They can see the menu, the buttons, the links, and any other information that they need to click. Rollovers might look fancy but at this stage in human computer interaction and software design if a user does not know where to click simply by looking at the screen then the design of the software is very poor.
2. Users No Longer Need A Guide
When computers were text based like DOS we didn't have tooltips. Then the graphical user interface was created and became extremely popular especially with Windows 95. When the graphical user interface was created it provided so much for designers and developers of software. There was no limit to what they could do. They could provide all kinds of features, more information, and special effects. I suppose they thought we needed to provide people help for what they were clicking on or what they might want to do. However, now that users have been using computers for at least fifteen years we no longer need to be held by the hand. People know where they need to click to access menus or get more information.
3. Popups Get In The Way Of What You Are Doing
This is the real problem with any kind of mouseover. Remember when you would browse the internet in 1998 and all these windows would pop up with advertisements? It was extremely annoying and became a real problem. It got in the way of what the user was actually trying to do. While they aren't quite as annoying, tooltips and mouseovers have the same problem. Often the user is just moving their mouse around on the screen and something changes or pops up on different parts of the interface. This happens way too often in many operating systems, applications, and websites. It simply gets in the way of what the user is actually trying to do and the actions they are trying to initiate themselves.
4. The Visual Change In The Interface Is Distracting
Two of the common principles that I have read about technology, and life in general, over the last ten or more years is that things need to be simpler and less distracting. My first point above addresses the fact that mouseovers don't encourage simplicity, but mouseovers are also distracting. Just like everyone talks about multiple applications, instant messaging, and other multitasking as being distracting, interface changes within a single piece of software is distracting. All of the visual changes in the interface that happens when the user simply moves their mouse on screen very subtly distract the user from what they are doing. By the way, I also feel that the blinking cursor on screen should go for this same reason and I don't understand why we need it to blink.
5. Mouseovers Rarely Provide Really Useful Information
Besides being unneeded and annoying I find that mouseovers often don't provide much useful information anyway. Menu and button effects simply jazz up the interface but the user should already know to click there anyway. Even worse, buttons or links with tooltips and information popups could just be clicked on nearly as quickly to find out what they do or to find more information. I also don't really care to see a small little window of a video or a small screenshot of an application when I move my mouseover the taskbar. With all of these, the little bit of information given isn't worth it when it would take just as long to click on the object myself.
6. I'll Click It Myself If I Want To
The basic principle for my suggestion of possibly eliminating all mouseovers or popups is that clicking the mouse or the screen is simply better in all cases. The effort to click the mouse makes sure that the user is initiating the action and it is also not a time intensive action as it takes not much longer than moving your mouse over something. If I want to launch a menu I'll click on it. If I want to see more information on a link I'll click on it. If I want to switch applications I'll click it. We don't need things changing all over the screen trying to help us.
Conclusion
I think that the touch interface of iOS has brought many improvements. One of these has been the elimination of mouseovers since there is no mouse. Any changes of the interface are a direct result of the user touching the screen and initiating an action themselves. I believe this is a good design of software and that all operating systems, applications, and websites should adopt this behaviour. If the user always has to click or perform some other definite action to get something to happen the interface is less distracting, more simple and clear, and doesn't inadvertently get in the way of what the user is actually trying to do.