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Keep people out of your workspace

It happens to everyone ... you're trying to finish some work, but that crazy guy/boss/stalker chick/cougher/obnoxiously loud lady keeps pestering you every five minutes. How do you solve this crisis?

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to CubeGuard. It's essentially a banner you stretch across your cube entrance to keep out unwanted souls, which enables you to "Protect Your Productivity." Choose from a few standard messages or even create your own custom message?

News Corp going 2002 and charging for all content

Rupert Murdoch, the only reason I can think of that you would change all of the News Corporation websites to a pay-for-content model is that you got your hand stuck in the intertubes.

Are you trying to limit the amount of traffic to your websites? Would you prefer that only rich people read your content? Do you think people will pay not with money, but with Coke Rewards points?

'Corporate Ties' rewrites completed

I've made a few adjustments to my new book, "Corporate Ties." While almost completely factually accurate, I have decided to change the names of most of the people involved with the story. Because a few years have passed since the happenings, I think I can be a little more open with people's responses to certain things that occurred. The story line involves following a few individuals through a corporate relocation/layoff process, mixed in with a love story and a large amount of shenanigans. I'm hoping to have the first copies out by Christmas, if plans go accordingly!

The engagement story

The news of my engagement should really not come as a surprise to those who know me. I have been contemplating asking my dear Lena for at least a few months, although I could never be sure it was the right thing to do. I also did not want to make the engagement trivial, nor did I want to partake in the request in any typical format. I devised pieces of a plan long ago in an attempt to be both surprising and unique, and I'm proud to admit now that I succeeded in these tasks.

Book review: "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy

I wouldn't imagine a non-baseball fan would actually pick up a baseball book and read it from cover to cover. If there was a book I would recommend to a person who was interested in history but not a huge baseball buff, it's "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy. And for a baseball fan, this is one book you wouldn't want to be without.

From the Archive

Cell phone all you need to compare prices

During a normal week, I probably receive circulars from 15 different grocery stores, which I assume are in my area. I have visited many of them; others are a little too far out of my way; and still others are no where to be found. One reason I've tried a few of them is to compare prices. More often than not, there are good enough sales to warrant specific trips. Although, sometimes that backfires, as was the case in a recent trip to SuperFresh.

Berners-Lee on the good and the bad of the World Wide Web

While it's easy to find numerous things wrong while surfing the Web today (popup ads, no consistency between how browsers work, a lack of sites devoted to applesauce), there's one man who has a right to throw in his qualms.

This man is Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web (trumpets should sound now, so turn up your speakers). From the Wikipedia, he is also the director of the World Wide Web Consortium, which oversees its continued development.

Lo and behold: the first words on the Internet

Most people know of the Internet only from the mid '90s on. But actually, the Internet started long, long ago, in a galaxy, well, that you live in.

I recently came across a page on UCLA's website that showed the first words uttered on the Internet. The day was Oct. 29, 1969, which also happens to be my mom's birthday. The researchers sent an "l" and an "o" before the system crashed. Apparently they were trying to login, and, much like any old computer I've used, it crashed almost immediately.

Buying, selling cars online made simple

To prove once again you can buy and sell anything on the Internet, I have decided to put a bunch of my old business cards up for sale. You can buy them directly from me for $.01 per card or $.25 for a whole box.

Computer programming is not just for geeks anymore

Instead of saying, "Look at this cool thing I found on the Internet!" what if you could say, "Look at this cool thing I made on the Internet!"

On top of that, you don't have to have an extensive history with programming languages, either.

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