02.28.09

Software Testing and QA Outsourcing at Pay4Bugs

Posted in Technology at 4:38 pm

Today I’m pleased to congratulate my good friends at Attigo in launching Pay4Bugs.com.

Pay4Bugs is a site with two personalities and was designed for two different kinds of people: 1. Software engineers, program managers, and web/application developers who want low-cost, high-quality, on-demand beta testing and bug-finding; and 2. Self-motivated people who want to play with new technologies and get paid for spotting problems.

Pay4Bugs allows software developers to post projects and assignments for other people to test. They can put money into the account (which can be refunded!) and choose the price that their bugs are worth. Pay4Bugs’ software testing pricing scheme even allows developers to try to get their applications tested for free with a $0.00 bug-finding assignment. I love this because as more and more developers join the site, there will be worldwide competition, and bug-testing prices will reach a market equilibrium — capitalism at its finest! — something this country no longer seems to understand.

On the other end, people can make money from home by testing software. As there are more testers out there, software developers will get to lower their bug-testing prices and the competition will get their testing done faster and more thoroughly!

I have both a developer and a tester account on Pay4Bugs and they’re both very well-designed, clean, and easy to use. In fact, if you already have a Google, AIM, Yahoo, or OpenID account, you can already sign in using OpenID! I’ll be posting some side-projects and have people look for typos on this website as well, so see you over at Pay4Bugs.com!

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01.20.09

How to Disable Root Logins in phpmyadmin with Ubuntu

Posted in Technology at 7:58 am

This took me a bit too long to figure out. Using Ubuntu 8.10 on a server, I wanted to use phpmyadmin to graphically manage my MySQL databases, but disallow root logins for security reasons.

There are two things you must do:

1. Change the ‘auth_type’ to ‘cookie’. This will be under the /* Authentication type */ comment. The line should read as
   

   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = ‘cookie’;

   Make sure it is uncommented by removing the “//” before it, and then change the parameter to ‘cookie’ if that’s not already set.

2. Add a new line below this, that says
   

   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowRoot'] = FALSE;

That’s it! Very easy but was tough to find in the forums.

Happy administrating!

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01.08.09

Good Riddance to James Laurinaitis and the 2008 Ohio State Senior Class

Posted in HUMILIATIONS, Rants, Sports at 12:16 am

This post is a follow-up to last year’s article, James Laurinaitis: Ohio State’s Most Overrated Linebacker Ever.

This post has three main messages:

The first message is one giant middle finger to every brainwashed, spiral-eyed zombie Ohio State fan who sent me hate mail regarding the aforementioned post. I was right and you were wrong. James Laurinaitis is not only overrated, but he sucked in every big game he played for us, including this week’s Fiesta Bowl disappointment. I may have seen him make about two impact plays since I wrote that, and one of them was during a Michigan State rout.

The Fiesta Bowl was over the second Texas figured that they could simply pass it over the middle a few yards over #33’s head time and time again. He was absolutely lost in coverage, and got schooled by Colt McCoy his thousand-yard passing entourage. I won’t bother posting pictures or videos, someone else can go prove me right. I’m sure whoever does it will find a few good pics where JL is jumping on piles after the whistle and is somehow upside-down too, for good measure. That is, when he’s not standing around like an idiot with his thumb up his ass during passing plays.

My second message is good riddance to the 2008 Ohio State football senior class. You have continually let us down, you never played with ANY heart, and you have diminished the respect of this University (note to spiral-eyed zombie Ohioans - I’ve lived in Texas and CA. We have zero respect and I’m getting sick of defending my degree.)

I should have known there’d be four years of disappointment from these clowns when I saw punter AJ Trapasso starting fights at a local campus bar before he even enrolled into the school. Or when perpetual-disappointment Alex Boone got a DUI and hasn’t made a block since. I’ve never seen an offensive line so out of shape as they were in the second-half of the Fiesta Bowl. I’ll lump Malcolm Jenkins in on the blame too - you all go down together - Jenkins perhaps you should have stepped up as a leader after #33 failed us the first 3 big games?

My third message is that I refuse to enter the Shoe until some major changes are made. I’m not supporting this bullshit. Fire Bollman and every other lopsided Tressel cronie, get an offensive coordinator who knows how to call plays, and find someone who knows what to do with Terrelle Pryor, who is possibly the best player in college football for the next three years unless you continue to waste him. Until then, I’ll fly to Columbus, wear my OSU shirt, hang with friends, and laugh at the morons who pay $800 to watch a truly elite team like USC obliterate us.

I’d rather go 8-4 and show some heart than beat up on the pathetic Big Ten and leave nothing on the table against real teams. Good fucking riddance.

GO BUCKS 2009.

PS - To the thousands of people who found my blog by searching for James Laurinaitis’s girlfriend - GET A LIFE.

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01.01.09

My Top 15 Albums of 2008

Posted in Music Reviews at 2:30 pm

Happy New Year! It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, my top 15 albums of 2008!

2008 was great (although I didn’t blog much) - there could easily be 20 albums on this list. Links to past lists: Top 15 Albums of 2007, Top 15 Albums of 2006. Here we go:

1. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder Gods
   Last year I said European Death Metal was dead? Think again.

   Not since Opeth’s Blackwater Park in 2001 has there been such a runaway race. This album crushes everything in its path. Brutal rhythm and the concert was one of the best I’ve ever been to. These guys are the real deal.

2. Death Angel - Killing Season
   The old school rebellious thrash masters are back with a dominating album that will leave you in pain. You know that any album with a song whose lyrics are “screw your countries and fuck your states” is going to sit well with me.
3. Testament - The Formation of Damnation
   Chuck Billy recovers from freaking cancer, Alex Skolnick re-joins the band for the first time since 1992, and the gods of Thrash put out some of the best weightlifting music you’ll hear anytime soon.

   This band is as old as I am, but 500 times more badass. When are some young bands going to step up?

4. Opeth - Watershed
   Anytime Opeth puts out a new album and it’s not my #1, it’s a disappointment. The fact that this album has two, maybe three of their best songs ever, but still isn’t in the top 2 tells you how boring the rest of the album is. I’d celebrate a Top 5 album from anyone else. But sorry Opeth, this one gets minimal praises. Time to bring back Steven Wilson?
5. Danko Jones - Never Too Loud
   Good ol’ rock and roll from a band I’d never heard of until this year. These guys, despite their cheesedick lyrics, have the riffiest hooks of any band I’ve never heard. Every song has an original catchy rhythm with such consistency that even the best musicians are impressed. Danko Jones is my ultimate surfing warm-up music as I’m driving to the surf spot. Danko fans hate this album.
6. Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
   It is now quite clear to me that Steven Wilson is the greatest all-around musician on this earth. Here’s a guy who goes to a church in Mexico, sits down at the piano, and writes possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard… out of thin air.
7. Metallica - Death Magnetic
   Who would have expected Metallica to put out good music? I didn’t, and despite Larz Ulrich’s garbage drumming, this album rocks! I am happily surprised after the past few duds they’ve put out. Congrats to Metallica!

8. Warrel Dane - Praises to the War Machine
   You can consider this “Nevermore Lite”. Warrel Dane’s first solo album doesn’t stray too far from his other music, but it’s a formula that works and 10 times better than anything Nevermore’s done lately. The cover of Lucretia My Reflection is phenomenal.
9. Sordal - In Fort Knox With a Penny
   Sordal is the first one to put out some good music after the very, very unfortunate breakup of Green Carnation. This is a beautiful album, but a bit long. It’s even better when you drop track 11 - that song is horrible. Looking forward to more from Sordal!
10. Firewind - The Premonition
    Finally a great prog metal album! Good hooks, solid vocals, and a perfect speed. They even cover Michael Sembello’s She’s a Maniac - LOL!
11. Tiamat - Amanethes
    All of my favorite songs are at the end of the album. One day I was listening, and the album died into the background. Then all of the sudden, the 9th track was on, and I realized that this was awesome music! Compare the ending it to Agalloch.
12. Hammers of Misfortune - Fields / Church of Broken Glass
    Why isn’t this higher? I’m not sure. It’s just not doing it for me this time… Hammers needs Scalzi back. But it’s a double-disc and there’s some sweet music on it. I like the Fields album best.
13. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
    Soft, unique music with female vocals. There’s no way to describe it, it’s a bit weird but completely original and catchy. Check out a few clips.
14. Mötley Crüe - Saints of Los Angeles
    The Crüe is back! After Nikki Sixx’s awesome performance of 2007 (my #1 album, which I still agree with), this is catchy, fun music and should be higher on my list, but I forgot to buy it until too recently. Welcome back Mötley Crüe!!!!

15. The Haunted - Versus
    
    Any number of albums could have gone in this spot. But just like last year, the #15 album goes to the one that provided some solid weightlifting sessions. This is good, but not great death metal.

Honorable Mentions

• The Hellacopters - Head Off
  It’s a cover album, but it’s the same good ol’ reliable music we’ve come to expect from The Hellacopters. This is their final album, kind of a gift to all of their fans. You guys will be missed!!! :(
• The Pineapple Thief - Tightly Unwound - Very interesting…
• Avantasia - The Scarecrow - The song The Scarecrow is phenomenal
• Hate - Morphosis - Whoa this will get you going
• The Company Band - Sign Here, Here & Here - Kind of like a mini-Clutch EP!
• Trivium - Shogun
• In Mourning - Shrouded Devine
• Jon Oliva’s Pain - Global Warning

Biggest Disappointments
Iced Earth and In Flames. It’s getting to the point where we’re no longer surprised and should retire them from the disappointment list.

A ton of great albums! What a good year! And 2009 should be bringing us a new Iron Maiden album, so get ready to rock!

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11.28.08

Happy Birthday Mom! I Love You!

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:52 pm

Happy Birthday Mom!

I figure, why only tell you when I can publicly humiliate myself and do it in front of everyone!

You are the best and don’t look a day over over 40!

Here’s a pic of me after winning the yodeling contest at Oktoberfest last month.

See you in 24 days!
-Mikey

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