Just Like (a) Human

Well, as some of you remember, I’ve been investing some time and blog space into using [tag]Project Wonderful[/tag], giving it a spin, in comparison to the older ad systems such as [tag]Google[/tag]’s [tag]AdWords[/tag], or Chitika’s [tag]eMiniMalls[/tag].

What I like about the system is that it is easy to set up, and the ads are usually in good taste.
The system isn’t like Google, where people have to go clicking on the ad they see for me to earn anything (but please, click on them if you are so inclined — let these nice people who have chosen me as a venue for advertising see that the money they are spending isn’t in vain). The advertisers pay a steady daily rate. This means that they could be paying a penny a day for 30 unique views, or 300, or 3000, or even 300000, if they’re lucky to catch something like that.
The system is more of an auction system. You bid for a number of days at a maximum price that you are comfortable with, to keep yourself showing. As long as you aren’t outbid, your ad shows at the lowest price. If someone tries to bid, but doesn’t beat your bid, you simply pay per day at this point:
If your maximum bid is 1 cent per day, and no one has bid, you pay nothing for your ad to show.
If someone suddenly bids on the slot for a free two day run, then you start paying the 1 cent per day, until that person retracts their bid, or the period they wished to run it for expires.
That’s what makes it inexpensive.

Thanks to Project Wonderful, I’ve also discovered a pair of webcomics that I read now (I need to add Biff to the list of comics I read here).
It seems that you, the users, haven’t blocked them with AdBlock, and I truly thank you for that.

The question at the moment is this: Have you checked out any of the ads, or even enjoyed the material?

Sometimes, video games can be used for parody videos, among other things.

I’d like to share a few of the videos that I found humorous.

The first video is a parody of the old “Captain Planet” cartoons that used to air back in the… early 90’s, I believe it was. I grew up on the show, and used to (this is embarassing) sing along with the opening music.
The game of choice for this video was Sega’s Phantasy Star Universe.
Enjoy.

Captain Planet~

This second video goes back just a little farther, to one Michael Jackson. In NCSoft’s Guild Wars, this dance should take you back to the 80’s.
Enjoy.

[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pem783iENnU[/video]

And finally, an old classic that I’m sure many will enjoy, and someone will be offended by:
The Internet is for Porn. The game of choice for this was World of Warcraft, which everyone is so obsessed with, it seems.
Please, wait until after the short film to unzip your flies.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWEjvCRPrCo[/video]

180 channels, and all we get are dog shows?
We're going back to cable!

We sorta joked around with the dog, about his cone shortly after they neutered him. He would run into the backs of our legs with that dish on, as well as other objects. :)

It seems that I spent the week upgrading things around me.

Earlier this week, I spent some time upgrading WordPress, and most of my plugins to the latest versions that I could find. I added in OpenID support (there is a rant that goes with this, if I’m ever in the mood to write about it).

Today, I spent the afternoon upgrading my uncle’s computer. He’s very computer illiterate, and brings it to me every time he messes something up. While I’m flattered and honored, it’s slightly annoying, since he forgets to bring all the power cords, assuming that I actually have enough to work with.

It took him weeks to finally bring the power cord for his tower, since I told him I didn’t need a monitor. I had a couple spare monitors that I received from a local freecycler, to which I am thankful for. I had a power cord for either my monitor spare, or for his tower. I needed both. So, he finally brings me a power cord today, so that I can finish up the work I started on his computer — prior to that, I had actually unplugged my monitor, and connected it to his computer so I could plug his in, and install Windows 2000 on that.

So, this computer is sitting next to me now, in perhaps the most optimal configuration ever — Now that I have a router, I can plug him in, get it to do what it needs to do (Windows Update like MAD), and be able to tell him in a couple of hours to grab his computer. I’ll finally have that space back again. Now, of course, I have to do this without a mouse: I broke my spare mouse, and I am not going to plug my current mouse in on his computer — his USB ports are in the worst place ever, with none on the front.

At this rate, I should have him up and running at full speed, including network drivers, etc. on a CD for the next time I have to reinstall everything for him in the next 90 minutes.

Then I can take my painkillers. X_X;

It is with great happiness that I inform everyone of these news tidbits.

First: I have been struggling with my practice exams, with the Superman class exam consistently knocking me on my arse.
It is with great delight that I inform you of my passing that practice exam on Sunday. I am currently waiting for my paperwork in the mail, so that I can move on to take the state level exam for becoming a [tag]Life Insurance[/tag] agent.

Second: This one pertains mostly to you LiveJournalers, and anyone else that participates in OpenID.
Thanks to the WPOpenID plugin, I am now able to support users using OpenID for comments.
I’ll need to update my comment form slightly to show support there, but for now, please use the sidebar to log in via [tag]OpenID[/tag]. You may comment this way, with relative ease.

Well, I was going to log in and blog a disturbing little animation, when I noticed on the dashboard that WordPress 2.1 is finally available to the rest of you.

I’ve been running it from Subversion for quite a while, because I like to live dangerously on the edge, and things like that.

So, I chose to jump on the WP2.1 banner and point it out instead. ;P

I keep missing the last test by just a few points. It’s frustrating the absolute mess out of me.
I only have a few more days that I can take that test on, too.

After that, I think I’m still allowed to take the state test, but I won’t have Saturn’s guarantee to back me.

On top of that, my car seems to have given her dying breath.
Mom and I have poured so much money into that car to keep it running, despite the fact that we both knew we should just junk the car and get another one.
It seems to be one more thing that needs to be worked on, and I can’t afford to pay for that.

This makes things much more difficult.