SixFeetOver version 4.0

Winter is Waning

This semester so far has been one of drama, both personally and otherwise; let's discuss the otherwise (Less interesting? Perhaps. More web-worthy? For sure.)

First, there is the Laptop Drama. Many of you know all of some of this already, but here's the story. Last summer I purchased my computer from Xmeld Computers in Utah. I made the switch to a laptop for the convenience of bringing it back and forth between school and being able to use it in places like the library and such. The laptop looked like a steal for the money - great specs, etc. When I got it the left speaker died immediately - a loud, static filled death. Attempts to contact Xmeld were in vain since they disappeared from the face of the earth. Months later, they reemerged, with a new store and having undergone "financial restructuring" (read: bankruptcy?) So, I sent them my computer at the beginning of this semester, around January 15th or so. It was chronically overheating, rebooting, had sluggish keyboard response, everything. So they sent it to MSI (the manufacturer) for motherboard replacement. SIX WEEKS later I get my laptop back, having been quoted a 7-10 day turnaround. And ZERO communication from Xmeld. They didn't answer there phones, emails, anything - not even threats to file complaints with the BBB. By some miracle we had a cell number for the store owner, so I contacted him and he didn't know where the laptop was. MSI said they shipped it to me directly. Come to find out it had been sitting in their warehouse for God knows how long, with neither business bothering to figure this out. So now I have the laptop back - new motherboard, which is nice, but they still didn't fix the speaker, which blows my mind. At least it isn't overheating, although it still runs hot. And the battery still only lasts an hour. (Not that I expected that to change.) Moral of the story: don't buy from small companies without calling them first, or just don't in general; and don't buy MSI laptops. They suck. (But pray mine lasts at least another two years!)
So that's that. Classes are going well - actually quite well, they are all very interesting and I'm doing a lot of great math and programming, my two favorite academic things. I'm actually coding up a suite of numerical algorithms in Python, which is a blast.

Speaking of being a geek, Mike and I almost started a website, www.geekshui.com. By almost I mean there's something there, but not much to speak of. However, once we do get it going it will be a repository of all things Mike and Jeff, geeky and funny and otherwise. I've been toying with the idea of posting the source files for my python code once we do have it up and running.

Anyway, that's all for now. One thing of interest though: A clip of Albert Einstein himself briefly discussing E=mc²: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/lega-audio.html.