AtomicInternet Archived News

Archived News starting from 12-10-2012 and earlier

For my 35th birthday, I wanted two things: to see the recently re-opened Belle Isle aquarium, and the new Wreck-it Ralph movie. Both dreams came true today, with Lila patiently making it through each one in order. The aquarium was much smaller than I expected, with only half the tanks containing fish of some sort but the empty ones helped keep Lilas excitement in check. Wreck-it Ralph was able to hold her attention for 90% of the movie, after which she played "wander the theatre" until it was over.

My status as an internet millionaire has its perks, as today I received my annual Google check and was surprised to find it was double it's normal value. While the content of this site is more than enough draw to account for the entire check, I think this time I'll have to credit the random cross-link of destiny for the extra amount.

Today I learned I will not be moving to L.A. to work for SpaceX. I had a feeling the interview went south, but now it's officially confirmed. While I'm obviously disappointed, it's also a relief to know for sure. Hopefully I can re-apply sometime in the future once I ramp up learning and become an expert in the areas they're looking for. The facility itself was amazing, with the Dragon capsule hanging from the soon to be completed cafeteria ceiling, which was located on the factory floor. Watching space hardware being tested and assembled would have made for an amazing lunch break, and the people I spoke with would have been great co-workers, but the sureal atmosphere felt too good to be true. The trip was far from a waste, as I got to visit my cousin and tour the area with Lisa who had never been before. We hit all the major attractions including the observatory, chinese theatre, Beverly Hills and Fry's electronics. Of course the trip coincided with the only 3 day rainy period of the month, but I like to think that helped lessen the disappointment of not getting the job.

6 months ago, the SpaceX Dragon docked with the IIS and made history as the first private space vehicle to do so. Ecstatic, I immediately went to their website and was amazed they were hiring for a C# web developer. I immediately sent in my resume expecting to hear nothing. 2 weeks ago I received an email asking if I was still interested in the position; fast forward to today and I'm being flown out to Hawthorne for an interview. Needless to say I'm terrified of getting the job, as it would mean moving to L.A, but I'm also terrified of not getting the job and missing out on this opportunity. Regardless of the outcome, I get to enjoy a whole weekend in L.A, and possibly a job at SpaceX.

Today my HTC Windows Phone 8X finally arrived; bringing dual 1.5Ghz processors, 720p screen, NFC, 8MP camera and LTE speeds. AT&T managed to lock down my first choice of the Nokia Lumia 920 (for now), but Verizon did manage to get wireless charging added to the 8X as an apology. The 8X benchmark claims the new phone has a CPU over 5x faster and storage memory over 3x faster than the ancient HTC Trophy it's replacing. It's also nice to finally have LTE speed, but after months of waiting for this upgrade I'm not as excited as I thought I'd be. The WP8 OS has a few new features, but surprisingly lost group SMS and bluetooth SMS support. Verizon also managed to cripple the new wallet by not providing a secure SIM, which means NFC payments are on hold until they decide to stop being jerks. Hopefully the next update fixes some of my disappointment, as WP is still my phone OS of choice, but I fear I'll never be that excited teenage girl again when it comes to new phones.

Over 3 years ago, the Red Dawn remake was being filmed in Detroit. It was scheduled to release a year later, but MGM went bankrupt and China threatened not to show the movie if they were the enemy. Two years later, post production turned all the Chinese references into North Korea/Soviet references and today it finally sees the light of day. Despite continuing the lazy trend of remaking classic 80s movies, I was excited to see it and can truthfully say it didn't disappoint. Lisa was also on board with approval until the last few scenes, which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the movie, but I'm sure you'll piece it together.

With the bankruptcy of Hostess having been announced several days ago, I was not expecting to see this bounty at the Detroit CVS. I instinctively purchased $10 worth on my first visit, then saw several auctions starting at $10 each on eBay and promptly returned to buy out the rest. $50 later, I now have more twinkies than I'll ever eat in my lifetime, but hopefully the investment will pay out in the next few months. My plan is to unload them in a month or two when the saturation has died down but the expiration date isn't too far gone.

Despite dedicating the better part of 5 years to my Xbox 360 obsession, it's not long enough to warrant one of the giveaways going to 10+ year veterans. I did, however, receive a code for a fancy XBL10 helmet as a consolation prize, which should keep me going for another 5 years.

In honor of veterans day, Michigan decided to gift us with a sunny 70° day. I took full advantage of what could possibly be the last warm and sunny day of the year and got my suntan on. I can think of nothing more patriotic than laying shirtless in the sun enjoying a beer, free from the forced labor camps of North Korea.

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