Java Forever!

Alright kids, this one’s an inside joke that’s probably only going to be funny for Uncle Frankie and a small circle of his geeky friends who do programming and web development. But I had to post it nonetheless because it fulfilled my Rule #1: it made me laugh out loud.

While employed at a certain large company in the American Southwest, Your Friend Flicka (that’s me) engaged in a long-running battle with a German-born IT Director over using an a server running an open-source operating system instead of Microsoft .net, which this computer-controlling Kraut insisted on.

Believe me when I tell you, it was a six month-long corporate pissing contest of the highest order between me as the new guy and the long-established IT wonk who simply would not even consider any software or OS that didn’t come from Redmond. Long story short, I won the battle but lost the war.

I apologize to all of you who don’t get the humor of this one and demand to hear from that small number of you who are currently laughing your asses off.

IBM Supercomputer to Appear on Jeopardy!

This is pretty spooky. According to this article on cnet news, an IBM supercomputer named Watson will compete against two human opponents on the game show Jeopardy! as soon as this fall.

I’ve been a fan of Jeopardy! since back when Art Fleming was the host, but never thought I’d see this day come. I also “auditioned” for Jeopardy! recently using their online testing and failed miserably.

If this machine can not only come up with the answers, but understand and process human speech, vet through the puns and hints, convert the answer to the form of a question – and click the button – faster than a couple of the best trivia players in the world, we’re all in big trouble.

Sick Of All The iPad Hype?

Then you will absolutely LOVE this video!

Now that’s one tough blender!

Homeless Frank, Macintosh Man

When it comes to computers, Uncle Frankie swings both ways. I’m equally adept with Macs or PCs.

Of course, just like our hero in this video, I prefer Macs. But, as you will see, PCs have their uses as well.