ChrisWCollins.com
Written by a teen tech lover.
By Chris Collins
I would like to start off by apologizing for my absences lately. I have been sick, busy, etc. and have not been performing up to par. Hopefully I can make up for it. 
The other day I was sitting in class and noticed my teacher had just set an interestingly titled book on his desk. Having never played the Halo Games or read any of the Halo Books, I just picked it up and read a few chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and so I went and bough the first two books for myself. These were The Fall of Reach and The Flood
The Fall of Reach was a great book, in my opinion. It gave a lot of great information and was nice for a start to a series. The author, Eric Nylund, was sadly not the author of the next book. It was written by William Diets, whose story was not quite on the same level. His writing just did not seem to flow, with him mentioning “Semper Fi” and Dog Tags in a world set over 500 years from now. The Marine slogan and the ID Tags would probably have fallen out of use by the time this story takes place.
Interestingly, the first novel is actually a prequel to the Halo video game. After playing a bit of the game and reading the next book, I see that Nylund did a fine job of giving the reader backstory. How did the SPARTAN Program come into being? Who was in charge? Where did Cortana come from? etc.
Overall, I think that game lover or not (and I am definitely NOT), you might like these books if you are a sci-fi fan. They are rather military oriented and I noticed some grammatical error and hard to follow dialog, but they weren’t bad, really.
Overall Score: 6.5/10
I would like to give a little introduction to the plot here. Basically, it is set in the future. The United Nations Space Command controls all Earth colonies but is dealing with some rebellion. A new enemy, the Covenant, comes onto the scene. The Human Race is being whittled down.
The SPARTANS, biologically and mechanically altered super-armor wearing soldiers, were created to keep Humanity safe, and the Covenant was their perfect enemy. One man, the Master Chief Petty Officer John - Spartan-117 became the leader of this elite group, and the story focuses on him, mostly.
In the second book, he is paired with an Artificial Intelligence System (Cortana) inside his suit. She guides him through his missions etc. The book moves on to find the Chief and some others (he is presumed the only Spartan left) on a planet called Halo. Long story short- vicious creatures that spread throughout and take over sentinent beings are released, finally destroyed, along with a good portion of the Covenant, and the Chief is the only one to make it off alive.
That is one problem I have with these books- The Master Chief is a wee bit too generic and his personality leaves the reader wanting more.
Chris
By Chris Collins
I have taken some photos that I really liked over the past few days, and I wanted to post a few of them here, for those of you who don’t look at my Flickr feed. The above is just a rosepetal. If you right click and press view image, you can get the full sized version and it isn’t bad for a wallpaper.
I LOVE this picture. I have no idea how it happened, I was just snapping shots of my cat in the grass, and he licked a plant! I have never seen my cat lick anything before and I was very surprised. It is sorta neat. It made me laugh when I saw it.
The above are just roses. The plant life is all just in front of my house. I love this part of spring…The part I hate includes bees, wasps, and all other insects. 
I have not been twittering as much as I should be lately but I guess I have been…busy. I hope to have a review of something new up on the blog by Monday. I am debating what to review right now…Picnik is one option I am considering and Facebook Chat is another.
By Chris Collins
I recently downloaded ObjectDock for my computer…I have used it in the past with XP, although I really don’t use it as much with Vista. One of the biggest things I have always wanted for ObjectDock has been a Stacks Simulator, because they really do come in handy!
So I found one. This one is a small docklet and allows you to customize the icon just like anything else on the Dock. Above, you can see my Pictures Stack. When you click it, you get the following:
It is pretty cool. It just flies out and shows you thumbnails of whatever is inside the folder. This is just a pictures folder. When you add more objects it displays them in a grid, just like on the actual Mac Dock. So it is pretty handy and the graphics are definitely nice. I felt like I should post it here because it took me quite a while to find a good Stacks Docklet online. The link? Right here. (Note, this is a direct link to the Zipped file. It is safe.)
Overall Rating: 7.8/10
I would also like to point out that I will be appearing as a guest panelist on The Apple Juice Show, Episode Four!
Chris
By Chris Collins
I am so glad that you have posted this link. I am a student, a representative (in the form of a State Officer) in a CareerTech Student Organization, and both of my parents teach at my High School. Needless to say, I am exposed to the public school system. A lot.
I would like to voice my opinion about this: No Child Left Behind and focus on testing is, in my opinion, bringing up a generation of students who truly do not know the meaning of independent thinking. Those who do are very lucky to have someone other than the average educator there to push them forward.
I myself recently took the Algebra I End-Of-Instruction Exam. While I do understand the need for testing, it is completely unfair to punish teachers for the scores of their students. There are some students who simply do not wish to learn and will not try. They are going to make low scores regardless of the teacher’s skill.
To dock the pay of the School staff or to not renew their contract because of these children is absolutely ludicrous. Anyone who supports these measures obviously has not been very involved in the Public Education system and must be rather ‘clueless’.
So, we are taking out technology, art, drama, music, and anything with culture. We are also taking out organizations that need any sort of funds. These are organizations that provide education and skills for our future workforce.
So since we are cutting out culture and freethinking, what is left? Drones? I dread the future. Hopefully there are enough people left who care that can lead the others…Because (even though some of these people are perfectly nice) I don’t want them leading anything.
Chris
chriswcollins.com
http://blog.newsok.com/educationstation/2008/04/14/to-the-tune-of-the-test/#comment-176
From a recent comment I made in the Daily Oklahoman Education blog.
By Chris Collins
I originally learned about Dogster as I was scouring the net for info on what caused Tear Staining, especially in Shih Tzus. I found the information I needed and I also found Dogster. This was way back in December…And I am still a user and almost a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I still recognize some flaws (not many, but…).
When you first visit Dogster a news box will probably draw your eye. It shows recent blog posts (Dogster hosts several blogs including one from a licensed Vet), and news across the site. It also features a video of the week (Dogster allows video uploads, more on that later.)
Dogster features overall profiles for each dog breed which are very similar to the profiles for each individual dog. They show temperament, size, etc. Very useful for potential buyers or curious people.
After you login (notice that there is also a counterpart called Catster in the above login shot), you will see a new info box that tells you stuff that involves you.
The first thing you see is Paw Mail. This is just direct messaging, person to person. One of the neatest things about Dogster (in my opinion) is Group Mail. I HATE getting loads of mail from Groups on Facebook when I forget to disallow it. Dogster has come up with a solution! They all go to one special folder (which, you can see, I never check).
Friend Requests are pretty self explanatory and My Forum Posts just takes you to the most recent posts you have made in the Dogster Forums (which are rather large and helpful) so that you can see if there are any replies.
Zealies are the currency used at Dogster. You can answer questions on Dogster Answers (Much like Ask Yahoo!) and if you are voted the top answerer, you get three Zealies. You can also go Dogster Plus and get a set amount each month. These are used to purchase gifts (some of which you can see there under “New Shop Items”) for other users.
Dogster Answers is, in my opinon, a neat little service. Loads of questions all involving dogs or the site. Posting a question, answering, or browsing is made really easy.
When you click the “My Family” tab of the user info box on the home page you see all of the dogs who you have profiles for. I only have one, Bandit.
Further down the home page you can find even more information, including a list of who is online. If you click the “I’m Online” text below their names you can actually instant message them. A new window pops up and they will receive word that you want to chat. Once they too have opened chat, you will be notified, and you get to talk. They even used a decent IM system.
Each dogs profile is decked out with lots of great information about the dog.
Videos, Pictures, info boxes, and more are all put here automatically. If you want to purchase more text boxes (which can accept HTML Codes) you can get the Dogster Plus subscription.
The buttons below the Profile Picture (called Play Toys) you see above do a lot of different things. You can add them as a friend, corral them (Make them show up on your main page), message them, or give them a bone. Bones are free gifts which you can give to any dog and which do not include messages.
Other gifts include various ‘Rosettes’ which are generic or themed. For example, during Christmas, you could give away Red Bows, sleds, snowmen, etc. These gifts last one month and can include a message. They cost several Zealies.
Stars are rosettes that last forever. You can choose from several colors and attach a meaningful message. These Rosettes cost a few more Zealies.
The best part of the profile is the Dynamics Box, which shows a lot of neat info about the dog.
These Dynamics boxes give a lot in a little. People prefer to quickly glance at an image to reading an entire page.
Uploading Video requires download of an application. I didn’t like having to do that…It annoyed me. The video player works fine though is provided through VideoEgg.
The only other flaw that bugs me is the site design. It is a bit clunky and sometimes pages load slowly.
Overall, the site has a lot of neat features, some of which I didn’t even mention here.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
P.S.: Other than being for cats, Catster is like…exactly the same. Oh, and you can expect a review of a neat little ObjectDock Docklet to simulate Stacks very soon.
Chris
By palm9999
Hmm, I must say I disagree about this. The United States of America must learn to keep to it’s own affairs and not meddle so much. It is honestly not our business if this or that nation are democratic or not. If they are a genuine threat, then fine.
On the other hand, I do not blame President Bush for leading us into a war with Iraq. I honestly believe that the intelligence he had at that time pointed towards this being the best possible solution.
So should we stay in Iraq now? Yes, definitely. Iraq would destabilize without the US Military to guide it forward. Eventually, we can leave. But we would have made the situation far worse if we were to pull out immediately.
Is it good that we are bringing democracy to Iraq? Yes. Should we invade every nation with a different form of government? Definitely not.
I am glad to see this sort of thing being discussed here. It is one of the reasons I love TSA so much: there are people that understand and people that care about the world and the things happening in it. Too many teenagers are oblivious, lately.
As far as Global Warming is concerned…I honestly don’t feel as though there is much to be done. It will be interesting to see what happens, but, I doubt that it will be stopped or slowed much anytime soon. Nor do I think that we will reach the ’sun burning us to death’ etc. point within our lifetimes. Is it an issue? Yes. Most assuredly. We can do our little part to help, sure. Buy a hybrid car, etc. But will we stop it? No. The Government needs to crack down incredibly on companies. As do other governments around the world. Then there might be a chance…that it could be slowed, stopped, and reversed.
One thing that we all need to do is try not to worry about these things constantly. We should do our little parts and discuss it, but do not become obsessed with it or allow yourself to believe that the atmosphere is about to disappear and your going to be radiated to death. Because that won’t happen. It probably won’t happen to anyone for many, many, many years.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think we should care, definitely. We should send letters to politicians (To be honest, this is the BEST way to fight Global Warming. Contact your political representatives), monitor the news, and make sure we know what is going on. We should be prepared to adopt new technologies and mindsets in the future. We may need to buy a new sort of car or stop using our normal power provider someday, and we need to make sure we are prepared to do it.
People like Al Gore and websites like stopglobalwarming.org are helping to fight and are giving us great resources to join in the battle on Global Warming. You may also want to visit this site:
http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/solutions
It provides various solutions to the climate crisis we are facing. A lot of people complain about Global Warming but have no solution. I have been one of them. That site can provide you some info about what needs to be done.
Anyway, sorry to talk about two of the topics at once. I am very interested in Current Events and just thought I would share my opinions and those sites. There isn’t a lot we can do, other than this. Perhaps some of us should run for office some day and really make a difference.
I wish America would finally freaking ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Would be very progressive.
Something else…James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Delegate to the United States Senate, has firmly opposed the Kyoto Protocol and says that Global Warming is a myth.
Interesting how he received nearly $290000 from oil and gas companies, (like ExxonMobile) for his 2002 campaign.
Also, we should all convert to compact fluorescent bulbs. They look cool AND they are good for the enviroment.
Overall, I think we should focus more on issues like US Foreign Policy and International Politics because they effect us much more than minor environmental changes.
Sorry for the rant.
Taken from a conversation on some forums I participate in. You can probably expect more quotes from this conversation. Sorry it is a bit ranty because I jump around a lot with it.
By palm9999
Chriswcollins.com will be moving over to Hosted Wordpress sometime within a week or two. This means a new RSS feed, etc. so make sure you take note of this. This hosting is from Teen Media Productions. They are offering a very good deal and I do recommend that you check them out.
In other news, I have added a few pictures to my Flickr account. You might want to check them out. Just some pics of my setup and of some hedges in my front yard.
Also, I have decided to write a review of the online social networking website for Dogs, Dogster. You can expect a review of this soon. Since Catster works in almost exactly the same way, you could consider it a review of that site also. 
I will try to have this review up (with screenshots, which are habit forming) very soon.
So, according to CNN, someone has stolen some military items and they are now for sale over the internet. We’re talking uniforms, jet parts, and special goggles. Hmm, sort of interesting. Thank god it wasn’t major blueprints for some secret project or something…But I wouldn’t be surprised if very sensitive stuff had been stolen in the past without the public finding out.
Chris
By palm9999
On Facebook I have put up a few of my favorite quotes. I want to examine them a bit more closely. This is mostly just for me to have a look at my opinions on them, not really to entertain anyone. Oh, and the site has a new simpler design.
“I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Jesus, this quote…I don’t know how to explain why I love it. The man was showing some humor with a hint of arrogance and a resounding ring of truth. I love it. I only wish that I was the sort to say something like that, and believe it.
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
This is one of those quotes that makes me worry about humanity.
“Imagine that the Earth - 4.6 billions years old -was a 46-year-old woman… The Earth Woman was 11 years old when the first single-celled organisms appeared. The first animals, creatures like worms and jellyfish, appeared only when she was 40. She was over 45 — just eight months ago - when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The whole of human civilization as we know it began only two hours ago in the Earth Woman’s life.”
– Arundhati Roy
And this one makes me feel better about humanity.
“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”
– Walter Bagehot
Yes, it really is. I love the way it makes you feel. Is that a bit arrogant? I don’t know. Regardless, I absolutely LOVE doing things people don’t expect me to do or say that I cannot do.
“Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.”
- W B Yeats
Maybe I just love this one because my parents are teachers…but education holds a special place in my life.
By palm9999
I am probably the only person on earth who didn’t already know about this stuff, but…I was browsing through my start menu earlier and found some neat stuff that actually made me want a tablet PC. I knew the built in Inkball game was GREAT for tablets, but Microsoft has included some more goodies!
As you can see, they have included three options. The first, Sticky Notes, is sort of like the notes option on the Vista Sidebar, except with a pen…The Tablet PC Input Panel allows you to use a pen to write things and have them converted into text for you…
My favorite of the three nifty goodies is the Windows Journal, which is actually sort of neat, and is perfect for taking notes in class. You can insert normal text, draw, highlight, insert pictures, etc. It is really neat. Below is a screenshot of a few tests I did with it. My handwriting might actually be better on this than it is with a real pen!
Overall Rating: 6/10 (Nifty but not really useful for me)
By palm9999
I have some news for you guys. A few pieces, actually.
First, I have been elected as the Oklahoma Technology Student Association State Reporter. This will be my second year as a state officer in the organization and I am really excited.
Second, I have been appointed as the Director of the Teen Blogger’s Network. I have a lot of new ideas for the network and I hope to take it into some new waters very soon. I have a lot planned and hope to make TBN more than what it is today. TBN, by the way, is owned by Teen Media Productions, which also owns the Teen Podcaster’s Network.
I am open to any ideas from members of either of these organizations and I will try to implement them as best as I can. As far as TBN is concerned, we have a lot going on. Lot of stuff is being planned.
Chris
