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Nels Wadycki

Month: August 2009

  • Songs In Code

    Nels W

    Only the obvious ones have been submitted to the SongsInCodeDB.

    worldAsWeKnowIt.end(); self.feel = “fine”;

    Wish skeelo = new Wish[]; skeelo[0] = “taller”; skeelo[1] = “baller”; skeelo[2] = “girl who looked good”;

    if (ready) { hereICome = true; } else { hereICome = true; } you.hide = false;

    if ( !woman ) { cry = false; }

    temperature = temperature + 100; clothes.off();

    Guitar g = new Guitar(); g.color = “#CCCCCC”; if ( picasso.know() ) { buy(g); g.play(); }

    if ( romeo.makelove(juliet) ) { juliet.cry(); }

    public boolean bringDown(landslide) { if ( reflection.see() ) { landslide–; bringDown(landslide); } }

    Problem[] jz = new Problem[99]; for (int p=0; p<jz.length; p++) { if jz[p].equals(Bitch) return true; } #songsincode

    dc = chillin; pg = chillin; if (this.name == wale) { kill(it); }

    if ( me.hasWorld() ) { empire.build(); }

  • Fraud “Protection”

    Nels W

    Evidently buying a plane ticket for Thanksgiving and then signing up for Google AdWords (to use a free credit) within 3 days of each other is frowned upon by Capital One. At least I used Skype to call their 800 number and saved myself 20 minutes on our cell phone plan (more time for my wife to talk on the phone). And they give good rewards, so I can’t complain too much.

    What scares me a little bit, though, is that they didn’t have a phone number on file for me. Yes, I did just change it recently to my Google Voice number since we’ve decided to cancel our landline, but I got a confirmation email that it had been changed, so it’s worrisome that it wasn’t showing up.

    What scares me more is that though they didn’t have a number on file, someone who was “from the Capital One Fraud Department” called my Google Voice number and left a message with a different 800 number to call. I checked that number on 800notes.com (cool site, btw), and it seemed to be split about whether it was a scam or a real number. I called a number from Capital One’s website and got through to their Fraud Department, verified charges, and got back access to my card, but I am still wondering if that person who called my GV number was really from Capital One or if The Scammers have figured out a way to know when your account has been held up for fraud and use that as an “in” to get you to give them all your information.

    It’s not frightening to me on a personal level because, as you can see from my story, I am not about to call someone back who says they’re from a credit card company (or bank or any other financial institution) without checking the number and going to the company’s web site first. But I am scared for all the people who are more trusting (and/or worried about their credit and credit card fraud) and will call that number back without hesitation.

    credit-card-scam

  • My Sharona… er, Persona

    Nels W

    From My Persona:

    persona

  • How Overestimation Leads To Procrastination

    Nels W

    Rhyme time, baby.

    The subject line is in regard to a fault of mine when it comes to personal commitments (like cutting my hair, mowing the lawn, going to the grocery store).

    I tend to overestimate the amount of time and effort that are required to do simple activities like those mentioned above, and as a result, I tend to put off doing them.

    For example, cutting my hair (I do it myself) takes about 40 minutes including a shower to wash all the excess hair off. I just did it myself recently and it looks a lot better than when I let it grow out and get shaggy. It’s always taken me 40 minutes to do it. Even when I first started more than 10 years ago. And I only do it every 6-8 weeks, so it’s not like it’s a huge time sink, but I often tend to do it closer to 8 weeks when it should be done after 6 just because I “don’t want to take the time” to do it.

    This especially applies in the summer time because there are not a lot of higher ROI activities that I can do to make myself feel better than cutting my hair, and still I don’t do it because, in my mind, it’s a chore that takes a lot of time and energy.

    Takeaway: Be realistic about the length of time it takes to do tasks that you do on a regular basis. I’m even thinking about making a spreadsheet just so I can stop fooling myself by storing the numbers in my mind and manipulating them “telephone” style whenever it comes time to do them.

    boys_telling_secrets

  • Speaking of The 4-Hour Work Week

    Nels W

    Speaking of The 4-Hour Work Week, there is a pretty accurate review over on Startup Blog.