Why are people so stupid?

I just got back from getting breakfast at McDonald's and ran into yet another idiot loose in the world. When I walked in, there was a single line of people despite there being three registers. So instead of ignoring the people waiting in a civilized line, I got in that line and waited my turn.

Soon, I was to be the next person in line getting served when this guy walks in and goes straight to the counter and starts putting in his order. I confronted him and pointed out the fact that there were 5 or 6 more people behind even me all in line. He did not care, said there was three registers and proceeded to place his order.

Why is it that people think they are entitled to everything and that they are above everyone else? Why should he get to ignore a line and get served above everyone else? Why is this guy such a moron?

Yeah, this is not a huge deal, the world will not end because of it, but this sort of mentality by people just drives me nuts. I hope the guy has a really bad day and may a pigeon lay a nice little package on his head at some point today.

Sears Tower now called Willis Tower

This week saw a big change in Chicago. The mighty Sears Tower has finally been renamed. Sears actually vacated the building about 11 years ago but the name remained the same as it had been since the building was completed in 1972.

As of July 16, 2009, the Sears Tower is now known as Willis Tower after a company in Europe that is an insurance broker. Many people in my office, which happens to be right across the street, call it Big Willy.

Despite the name change, I think I will always call it Sears Tower. This building has had a history of that name for almost 40 years now and it seems odd to change it.

Government Health Care is a joke

I know that President Obama is all about a Government Health Care program, but do we really want that? I say HELL NO. Now before you dismiss this, please read why I say this.

I served in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years and during that time I got to see exactly what a Government Health Care program is like. I can sum it up real easily by saying IT SUCKS.

You can only get sick at certain times, you can't go to the Emergency Room if you are sick during those off-times, and as time goes on, Uncle Sam will continue to cut services, medications, and coverage. I watched my medical services dwindle to almost nothing during my time in the service. I watched families struggle as they were forced OUT of the Government plan and forced to use an insurance provider which was horrible and covered very little.

Now you may want to write me off like I don't know what I am talking about and that is fine, but try asking ANYONE who is retired military and how their military health care is going for them.

My grandfather spent thirty-three years in the U.S. Air Force and fought in numerous wars. After all that time on a Government Health Care plan and the years of his retirement, they have continued to cut medications, services, operations, visits, etc. Despite his medical requirements, they continue to cut and force him to pay or find other means to get what he needs.

Is this what we want? And how can President Obama stand there and tell everyone that we will all get health care coverage when we can't even cover those in our military?

Stop believing in the pipe dream that he is selling you and look at the facts that are all around you. Think for yourself.

Google OS on the way

We have seen Google literally explode as a company from being just a search engine to move on to bigger and better things by offering the best web based email ever (in my opinion), Chrome which is the best web browser (again my opinoin), offering up free document applications via the web, Instant Messaging, and much more.

We have seen the Android OS from Google being used on cellphones and now it seems that the company has their eyes set on our desktops. Google is working on a desktop OS according to Ars Technica. The software is named Google Chrome OS and will bring cloud-based, OS experiance build around the web browser. This is due out in the second half of 2010.

Personally, I love Google products and look forward to this new OS. Windows is really wearing on me after using it for so many years. I have watched it grow into a continually worse experiance and I am not a command line type of person so Linux does not interest me. Yes Linus has GUI interfaces, but I use them at work and you still are required to know a lot of command line to really use the system.

The Mac is something that I would like to try since I love my iPhone, but Apple products are so expensive so I look forward to what Google will bring to the game. The OS is going to be open source and lightweight, allowing users super quick access to the web.

Goolge claims that the OS will be virus free (the security architecture is entirely new), and run a newly-designed windowing system on top of a Linux kernel that will be compatible with x86 and ARM processors alike. Google says that Chrome OS is intended for "power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems."

Can Google grab a big chunk of the OS market? Can they be a threat to Apple and Microsoft? I say YES. They have become a name that everyone knows and I bet just about everyone uses some type of Google application today.

Bring it on Google, I look forward to trying it out.

Post Office or GameFly...who sucks more?

Just recently I cancelled my GameFly subscription due to there not being any games this summer that I really care to play. So I cancelled my subscription and sent my two games back. Over a week later and GameFly is claiming they still don't have them which means they are going to bill me for games I do not have.

My initial concern was that the post box I used maybe did not get checked, but that is not the case since I sent out a couple NetFlix movies in the same mailbox and all of those arrived at NetFlix the following day.

So that makes me wonder if GameFly is lying in an attempt to force me to stay a member to avoid getting billed, or did the Post Office simply lose or steal both games? Either way I am the one getting the short end of the stick and neither company cares about the missing items.

So note to anyone who has GameFly and plans to drop your service. First clear out your queue so nothing gets sent, mail your games back. When they have them, then cancel your service. This will help you avoid this issue.

Sears Tower adds The Ledge to the Skydeck

The Sears Tower has always granted visitors a very nice view of Lake Michigan and Chicago from the 103rd floor. But I guess the janitors got tired of cleaning the glass from people pressing their heads against it to look straight down.

Now you don't have to do that as you can now walk out into a glass box and look straight down at the street 1,353 feet below you. And people are flocking to take a look. You see, I work right across the street from the Sears Tower and I look out onto the entrance to the Skydeck so I can see the huge throngs of people linining up each day to check out The Ledge.

I think this is a really neat idea and I am surprised that it has not been done before now. I guess I may have to schedule a trip to the top myself to check it out. If you plan to make a trip to Chicago then check out the official page for The Ledge and the Skydeck tour.

Been gone for awhile now

UPDATE: I am back and will be posting to this blog again. All Xbox related items will still be over at www.thisxboxlife.com, but my thoughts on other things will be posted here.

Yeah, I have not been around much. I don't think anyone is even reading this so I just keep my blog entries posted over at www.thisxboxlife.com.

So if you are wondering what happened to me, just look for me there. Later.