Some Blog Site

A while back, Microsoft partnered with Ford to create their Sync platform.

Recently, the computer people at work added Microsoft Lync to all our computers.

I’m beginning to see a trend here. I think the Microsoft naming department might be staffed by the same people who have been creating spelling variations for baby girl names – just find an existing word and replace the letter “i” with the letter “y” and you’re good.

I thought I’d propose some new product names for Microsoft. I’m not sure there will be much of a market for each of these products, but that’s their problem.

• Microsoft Blync – not sure what this does, but it involves closing both of your eyes quickly.
• Microsoft Clync – their version of a jail.
• Microsoft Drync – in case you’re thirsty.
• Microsoft Jynx – if two people use this product at the same time, it locks up until you contact customer support.
• Microsoft Mync – their version of faux fur.
• Microsoft Pync – in case they invent a bright new color
• Microsoft Rync – where their hockey team plays, of course.
• Microsoft Stync – perfume?
• Microsoft Thync – mind-control device. No, not for controlling your mind – for you to use your mind to control other things.
• Microsoft Wync – the half-price version of Blync.
• Microsoft Zync – their proprietary metal alloy.

Any other product name suggestions? Or better uses for or descriptions of these names?

Here’s a story that Gamma wrote for kindergarten.

There are 5 pages in the story All About Rabbits.

For each page, I’ll type out what he wrote then I’ll translate it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some thoughts I jotted down that aren’t quite sufficient for their own individual blog posts. If you’re the type of person who likes Twitter, pretend each of these are tweets.

• It’s amusing to watch people when someone tells “heads up!” at a ball game – everyone looks up. That is the worst thing to do. If the ball were aimed right at you, it would smash into your face. Instead, you should cover your head with something.
• I ran past a turtle in the road during my morning jog the other day. He was about the size of a dinner plate. In both diameter and height. Poor guy had been run over.
• If you make your own bread, you know there’s sourdough starter. But no one ever has sourdough stopper. I bet there’ll be a big demand for that if someone invents it.
• Sometimes there’s wisdom in crowds. Other times there are stampedes or riots. You need your own wisdom too.
• When I see the names of the new soccer teams here in the USA, I have to remind myself that FC doesn’t stand for “fight club”.

When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace.

Deuteronomy 20:10

Anyone else disappointed at how solar walkway lights perform?

I don’t want to see the lights – I want to see the path, the area around the lights to be illuminated.

They were the police, the jury, and the executioner all in one.

They were The Commissioners.

So maybe he’s not the executioner. But he will approve your sentence and then hear your appeal and decide if he agrees with himself or with you.

I found some promotional material for Cedarville University.

These VHS tapes are still wrapped in their original plastic. I’m sure they’re in good shape.

I have one from while it was still called Cedarville College and one from after the name change to Cedarville University.

I recognize some of these people from when I was there:

I also recognize that computer from the mid 1990s.

If you know anyone who might be interested in Cedarville but is stuck somewhere with only a VCR, let me know and I’ll see about having these tapes shipped to him.

Subtitle: in which I improve the government’s records

Allow me to introduce to you the 2014 SFS List of Baby Names that Combine Similar Pronunciations. That baby name list is the place to go in case you are wondering what are the most popular baby names in 2014 regardless of how they are spelled. The Social Security baby name list does not adjust the rankings based on alternate spellings (like Catherine/Katherine), but SFS does.

It was just Mother’s Day, so the SSA released the name rankings for 2014. Coming out of nowhere, Jackson is the most popular boy’s name in the US. The reigning champion for the last 8 years, Aiden, has been defeated. No controversy for the girls – it’s Sophia again.

Some Stats

• There was a lot of change at the top for the boys. Not only did the top name change, but 2 names left the top 5 and were replaced with different names.
• The top 9 names for the girls are the same as 2013, it’s just Emma and Olivia swapped spots
• Noah is once again the highest-ranked boy’s name that has no spelling variations.
• Girl names still have more spelling variations than boy names (291/1000 vs. 207/1000 alternates)
• The boys still have the name with the highest number of alternate spellings (Aiden with 9 vs. Madelyn/Liliana/Layla/Kaitlyn with 6 each)
• Sophia is still the runaway favorite for the girls, but the gap is closing. Sophia is on the decline

2014 Improved Baby Name List

Click on the link above and peruse to your heart’s content!