welcome to daily dose of geek!!!
a blog that chronicles one man’s love-affair with technology, science, comics and computers…
my name is frank and this is the electronic home for my obsessive rants on off-beat cinema, television, culture and cult-classics…
enjoy your stay
-frank
as open source software development continues to grow in popularity, many have found free alternatives to the expensive closed source applications that were once considered essential. however, despite this progress, there are still programs out there that have not yet been bested by the offerings of the FOSS community. here a few of them:
Quicken 2008 - while alternatives do exist (see GnuCash), you will be hard-pressed to find a more feature-rich money management program. I especially like the built-in financial calendar and the CashFlow summary features.
Photoshop CS3 - I have never found another tool as powerful and versatile as Photoshop. Many will protest that GIMP is a suitable open source alternative to Adobe’s expensive software, but, in a side-by-side comparison, it is clear that GIMP doesn’t hold up against the pure power of PS.
Microsoft Office Suite - Depending on your needs, Office may or may not be worth the money. If you are just looking for some basic word processing and an email client, then save the cash and go open source with Open Office and Thunderbird. However, if you plan on using advanced feaures, crafting presentations or creating databases then you should proabably opt for Office. (Open Office’s databasing component is dreadful)
Encarta - This one may strike you as a bit superfluous, but Encarta 2009 is one of my favorite new programs. Despite the availability of huge online encyclopedias like Wikipedia, I prefer to use Encarta because I find the info it provides to be better-written and more authoritative. I also appreciate it’s desktop integration and massive multimedia components.
My Advice: Save money where you can and support open source software, but always remember that you get what you pay for…
this weeks words are:
ca·thar·tic [kə thrtik]
adjective
purifying: producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique
pa·thos [páy thòss, páy thàwss]
noun
1. quality that arouses pity: the quality in something that makes people feel pity or sadness
2. expression of pity: feelings of pity, especially when they are expressed in some way
e·the·re·al [i three əl]
adjective
1. exquisite: very delicate or highly refined
ethereal beauty
2. airy: very light, airy, or insubstantial
Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence.
3. heavenly: belonging to the sky or the celestial sphere
ef·fi·gy [éffəjee]
(plural ef·fi·gies)
noun
1. dummy representing somebody disliked: a dummy, often roughly made and intentionally amusing or insulting, representing somebody disliked or despised
2. carving: a carved representation of a person, used as an architectural decoration or a monument
quix·ot·ic [kwik sóttik]
adjective
1. excessively romantic: tending to take a romanticized view of life
2. impractical: motivated by an idealism that overlooks practical considerations
3. impulsive: tending to act on impulses
es·o·ter·ic [èssə térrik]
adjective
1. restricted to initiates: intended for or understood by only an initiated few
2. abstruse: difficult to understand
3. secret: secret or highly confidential
pet·u·lant [péchələnt]
adjective
sulky: ill-tempered or sulky in a peevish manner
*all definitions taken from Microsoft Encarta 2009
(spoiler alert)
Secret Invasion #4 -Bendis has a knack for creating stories that are predictably unpredictable, and this series is no different. In this issue, we see the humans win some and lose some. Nick Fury and his new commandos carry out a successful assault against the skrull army in New York, and it is hinted that Ms. Marvel may not be a skrull, as previously thought. In the Savage Land, Tony Stark/Iron Man is rescued but, after skrull brainwashing, is left with doubts at to his identity. In the Bermuda Triangle, the SHIELD Helicarrier is taken over by disguised skrulls. The super-villains, led by The Hood, decide to join the fight, and will, apparently be temporarily putting aside there differences and fighting beside the heroes in future episodes. But, in true Bendis style, the triumph of this issue does not come until the final page… a large blast from out of nowhere takes out several super skrulls, issuing the return of two Marvel icons: Thor and Captain America. My Rating: A+
Cable #6 - This issue starts out by making it seem that Bishop has finally done Cable and the mutant messiah baby in. The rest of the issue covers a late night conversation between Cyclops and Emma Frost. Cyclops expresses guilt over what he has done, and his worries that Cable, his son from the future may not be coming back. At the end of the issue, it is shown that Cable and the baby are still alive and still on the run. In my opinion, this comic is starting to get a little boring. We need to see the story progress more in each issue… instead of just seeing Cable (who used to be such a powerful character) constantly running from Bishop (who i hate). My Rating: C
Powers #29 - I can not say enough about Oeming’s artwork in this series… it is simply gorgeous. In addition, Bendis delivers a solid story, as always. Truly a great comic. This issue follows the story of Callista, Triphammer and Deena. At the end, Triphammer somehow “cures” Deena of her powers. My Rating: A-
Punisher War Journal #22 - In this issue, the Punisher is in custody and the formerly wimpy Clark is dead-set on freeing him. Clark calls in a mysterious favor, before being shot. G. W. Bridge gives a speech about how pathetic the Punisher is and how he is merely a human weapon without any sense of morality. At the end of the issue, the convoy carrying the Punisher and Bridge is attacked in an apparent effort to free the Punisher. I liked this episode and I understand that the Punisher is an anti-hero, but i would like to see him as a little more than just the used up shell of human being that he seems to be turning into. My Rating: B-
Ultimate Spider-Man #124 - A consistently awesome comic. Truly great story, realistic dialog and laugh-out-loud humor. This issue deals with Spider-man’s encounter with a mysterious man in a super advanced metal bug suit. My Rating: A
Grimm Fairy Tales: The Piper #4 - To put it simply, the original Grimm series was awesome… The Piper SUCKS! My Rating: D
*comics i am looking forward to: The new Deadpool Series (coming in september)!!, Future issues of Warren Ellis’ “Fell” series, The remaining issues of Secret Invasion……
