Bitcoins

Bitcoins are a digital currency created by "Satoshi Nakamoto" (a pseudonym for the actual unknown person) in 2008. Bitcoins function as an Internet-based currency that is equivalent to actual physical currency, such as 1 Bitcoin= almost $900 US dollars. There is a function that keeps private keys and addresses in something called a "wallet", like a typical wallet it keeps hold of money (or Bitcoins, in this case) and various other personal dealings, but in a private sector of the Internet, print-outs, or on hardware, like mobile devices or flash drives. Theft of Bitcoins is not uncommon, though, as it is open to anyone, if they know the right way to get to it. It is thought that Bitcoins are so popular is simply due to its availability of seedy practices, such as the use of things like the Silk Road, where you can buy various illegal things, such as drugs or guns. Like all things, Bitcoins do come from somewhere: It comes from various people who take the time to construct them for the masses, but in compensation, they get their own fresh mint Bitcoins transactions as a reward.

Most sources consider it a viable source of new currency, but discredit it due to its use in illegal activity and how it cannot be monitored by the banks/governments; despite that, many critics praise the way it came into being, and support it existing, even if there are some problems they would prefer to be sorted out.

Cracked v Geek Culture v The Oatmeal

Cracked.com is a humor site that specializes in list type entries. The basis of the comedy on the site is an organized list (to some degree) of information, but presenting it in a humorous manner. It was founded in 2007, and still by some miracle has new content every single day. The content can come from the lists, videos, and Photoshop photo; all of which revolve around some type of comedy. The comedy is mostly lowbrow; toilet humor, with a dash of pop culture references and dark comedy. Meaning it never gets too heavy to handle. The lists are easy to read, humorous (which it should as a comedy website), and simple enough for any kind of person to read.

Geek Culture is another humor website, but this one specializes in various "geeky" media. The main draw of the site seems to be something, but I can't quite find it. I honestly have no idea why anyone would use this site. The layout isn't very appealing to look at, and it doesn't seem to update very often. It's also not very funny; just various somewhat interested geeky things from around the web, but since it isn't updated very often, I wouldn't consider it reliable as a portal to the web.

The Oatmeal is yet another humor website (getting repetitive, I know) that specializes in web-comics. The site seems to be updated fairly often, but I can understand due to comics being a more time consuming activity then simply writing a list. The variety of comics is also astounding; you could probably get trapped in your house for a few weeks straight if you attempted to read all of them on the site. This is actually a quality site, especially with its nice and easy to use layout and it's ton of content to peruse through.

Grooveshark v Pandora v Spotify v Slacker

Grooveshark

Grooveshark is the first of the free Internet radio websites. This one specializes in finding specific genres of music and making your own playlist of songs you like. I personally don't have much of a preference for it, as the genres for the music can be slightly vague, but the playlists work just fine, so it's all about preference.

Pandora

Pandora is probably the most known of any of the Internet radios, but it's aslo probably the weakest on a quality scale. It does excellent in suggesting music that you would most likely enjoy, but if you happen to not like a string of sounds, well tough luck, because you skipped too often and now you're stuck. It also does not have a playlist feature, so it's just random songs played on repeat, but in all honesty, it's only player that I plan on using, just because it happens to be the simplest and easiest to pick up.

Spotify

Spotify is Pandora's biggest rival, as t has had the most success of any of the competitors. It is the radio that downloads itself onto your computer for easy access when ever you need it. That's also the reason I don't like it. My computer's memory is awful, considering I seem to have had to download tons and tons of things that I just cannot be bothered to delete as of the past few months. Regardless, it works fine. You can have playlists and another interesting feature none of the others have, is that you can play the music offline, if you pay for the premium.

Slacker

Immediately, my first complaint was how long it takes for the site to load. It is practically ungodly slow. Nitpicking though. The site is set up nicely, where the genres are defined, and you can even find song titles and artists with just a simple search. It's quite effective. If there was anything I would try, it would be Slacker. The site even shows popular music, which seems to be the radios MO. While Grooveshark was for those that like the classics and out-of-the-box, Slacker seems to service to those popular and well known artists and songs. I have no sense of originality, so I like it because it's easier to find popular songs, which I like. Call me shallow; I am prepared.

My Experience with Google Maps v Yahoo Maps

Google, you lovely beast. I feel I just cannot get away from you. Anyway, my experience with Google maps is pretty simple. It's easy to mark where and how you get from Point A to Point B. It's hard to describe the process. I am horrendous with computers, so I was horribly flabbergasted at all the locations I had to look at, but after a few minutes of staring I gradually learned what to do. Think: a caveman discovering how light fire and not burn off their knuckle hair. Are there alternatives to Google Maps?

Yes. I chose Yahoo Maps. I cannot ever bear to look at it. It is so much harder to use and not nearly as interactive. I didn't realize it, but I was just having a fun time playing with Google Maps, but Yahoo is ugly to look at and I could barely figure it out. Cue me singeing my knuckle hair.

How Social Media Has Changed the World

Social media is defined as the way a website is used in circulating information between individuals or groups. There are tons of social media sites, all with some kind of purpose given to the public. Want to talk to a friend? Facebook. Want to see them and talk? Skype. Upload a funny song you wrote? YouTube. There are literally limitless amounts of social media on every site these days. And with more interaction between each of the sites, sharing information from one site or person is just as easy as clicking a button.

How has social media changed the world, though? It's just a way to talk to friends right? Kinda, but there is so much more. First: the world is closer than it has ever been. Different languages, customs, and information that used to be much more difficult to find, are just a click away. You can go on a random chatting site and casually talk to someone thousands of miles away from you. Two: You can find opinions and thoughts from just regular people easily. This very site is an example of that: All the things I've been writing could be read by anyone in the world, but I'm still just a regular guy with a not-very-good blog from Nowhere, West Virginia. My views wouldn't have any way of being heard. Even if nothing I say is the slightest bit important, at least I'm saying something and being out there, which is more than the thoughts I've said to myself and lost could account for.

Social media is not some holy gift from God, because it can be sued negatively in many ways, as well. Such as the obsession with pop culture and vices that would be harder to find. The human constitution can be weaker and more volatile by the exposure to these sorts of things. "I don't look like that, I don't talk like that, I can't do that" becomes more heard that actual things they are. The simple amazement of life are dulled in comparison to the affordability of what this person may be doing or saying. I've seen it, people begin focusing on what's wrong and the thoughts of others too heavily; it takes away their own sense of identity.

All in all, social media is a marvelous thing, even with its faults. The ways your mind and views can be stretched beyond what little things and little people may have influenced you is simply amazing. And I have to say that I wouldn't be the guy I am today without it. I always say, start with the best and never finish.

5 Interesting DIY Projects for Me and Only Me

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll

These are fun activity to do with your family on a special occasion. The time to do them lasts 4 hours, so not something you should be doing everyday, unless you're getting paid. If you are, you better bake your ass off, little Mandy won't be going to college if you don't. The recipe isn't terribly complicated; I certainly seen worse, but it can get a little pricey, considering you have to get a lot of ingredients. I'm interested in this recipe because I love delicious things and this certainly looks it. I would probably do this for someone's birthday, because it's relatively easy, just time-consuming, and everyone likes sweets. (And I have a friend who's allergic to cinnamon and she would freak, it would be hilarious. She'll be laughing too once she gets off of her asthma pump)

Flying Paper Lanterns

I would do this project simply because I'm none to experienced with crafts and I've always found paper lanterns to be absolutely beautiful, especially on a starlit night. This is a project I would embark on only on special occasions, such as going away parties or graduations. I'd say this would be best done as a group project, as it takes time to do all the steps, but releasing a good number of these into the air, light blazing in the night, would be simply magical.

Sucking an Egg into a Bottle

This is cute little science experiment that is best done with children. I have a nephew and his mind would be absolutely blown at the sight of this sort of thing. I wouldn't be very interested in it on my own time, but if I had the time, and resources, to do this sort of thing with my nephew. It would be fantastic.

Scarecrow Mask

This is my kind of Halloween costume. I've always been attracted to the types of costumes on Halloween that are mostly just bland faces with holes. It's a bizarre and utterly devoid subgroup of Halloween. Never the less, I already have plans to make this my Halloween costume of next year. I'll be terrorizing the children even more than I already do.

Broken Glass Cupcakes

 

I think these cupcakes look absolutely phenominal. I love the sugar glass, the "blood", and the entire idea of them. These would be great for a Halloween party. I just have to work on getting invited to one first. If I were, I would be the weirdo that doesn't bring beer. I'd be casually carrying in a tray of these with my scarecrow mask. I can just imagine it now.

Tor and Darknet

Tor is a search browser that is impossible to track its route through the Internet. It takes random search, each different every time, to search for something. It works fine, but seems to take a little longer to search for anything, but that's the cost of having to do a brand new web crawl every time. I don't have much use of this product, since I'm not buying meth over the Internet, but if you are, you're more than welcome to try it out.

                                        

I may have used it as a joke, but Tor is often used in the use of "Darknet", basically illegal anonymous file sharing on the Internet, but it can be extended to so much more. Notably: The selling of illegal things on the Internet, such as guns, drugs, even organs, if you search hard enough. Think of it as the shady Chinese market place that has a front of being fish market. If I'm not making much sense, which I never do, it's kind of the black market of the Internet. Specifically, it's the Silk Road. Such a pleasant name too. Tor allows these sort of practices to avoid being tracked by things like the NSA, because obviously it's illegal. It works by using false web sites that avoid detection due to a low web count and a variety of other means. I barely understand it myself, but it's just the dark part of the Internet, the parts that aren't My Little Pony porn and anorexia blogs. Arguably; I'd say those are worse.