SoapBoxRants.net » General

Thank you, Steve Jobs

Michael — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:39:57 +0000

My mom got an Apple ][e when I was 9 years old. During these formative years she taught me BASIC programming on Apple DOS 3. I used that computer for games and learning and even as a presentation tool for my elementary school project that year. Over the years I played around with a huge [...]

Big Tobacco – Little Minds (an e-cig story)

Michael — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:25:08 +0000

Last year the FDA put out a report about how e-cigarettes (personal vaporizers) are toxic and dangerous. Their unbiased tests and fair results reflect a huge cross-section of – oh who am I kidding. They tested two brands that are generally regarded as crap and found faint traces of a couple of potentially harmful substances [...]

An e-Cigarette Story

Michael — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:02:36 +0000

I have a 13 year old daughter. She has been on my case for years for me to quit smoking. Now understand that I started smoking Marlboro Reds when I was 15. I’m 35 now and over the years my list of brands includes Marlboro Reds and Lights, Camel Filters, Wides, Lights, and No. 9′s, [...]

Women Are Frustrating

Michael — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:31:06 +0000

No, I don’t have a witty title for this post. I know that’s out of the ordinary. Yes, I am making a new post. I know that’s also out of the ordinary. But with the start of a new year and me having some time on my hands to contemplate life, the universe, and everything…I [...]

I Cannot Call Myself A Frugalista

Michael — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:57:45 +0000

So if you have been following the saga of the “Frugalista” trademark silliness, then what I say here probably won’t surprise you. That is especially true if you are a frequent reader of my blog. This has irritated me and I feel I need to explain why.

Let’s start with the fact that the term [...]

I Don’t Own Words Like Frugalista

Michael — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:49:01 +0000

So the current viral story is the Jackson, Mississippi blogger being targeted by the Miami Herald for use of a word. That word…which will assuredly earn me a C&D of my very own…is “Frugalista”. I’m not opposed to branding. I also understand that if you have a trademark, you are required to defend it or [...]

Tech Support – We’re People Too

Michael — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:05:50 +0000

Nobody likes calling tech support. There are droves of sites that recount horror stories of dealing with various companies and their failure to provide the help that is wanted and needed. This will probably never change. I, too, really try to avoid calling any tech support line as long as possible. I will beat Google’s [...]

Hollywood Never Gets It

Michael — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:42:20 +0000

I am an otaku. For those that don’t recognize the term, it means someone obsessed with something. In American slang it means someone obsessed with things Japanese. I love the culture, the food, and anime. Anime really isn’t a cartoon in the normal American sense. I’ve covered that before. The stories are deeper and the [...]

Of Things SBR

Michael — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:52:50 +0000

I had an apostrophe today. Lightning just struck my brain. SBR is my site. It’s whatever I want it to be. SBR is a reflection of whatever is going through my mind and whatever has my attention at the moment. So I’ve decided to stop worrying about where to focus this site. I think what [...]

Still Alive

Michael — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:59:46 +0000

No, I haven’t abandoned SBR.Net. I’m still here but life has been busy and I’ve been considering whether or not I want to continue technology commentary here. There are already a ridiculous number of tech sites out there but not so many that cover humanology as my occasional rants do. So that’s why I’ve been [...]