The History of IM

There are only a few insightful LiveJournals, and the Nugget is actually one of them. The LJ's latest post is a really comprehensive article on how instant messaging has evolved and how Google Talk stacks up. I actually got caught up reading it this morning despite having a bus to catch to campus. If you use an IM client of any kind I highly recommend reading it because he is completely and utterly right. Google Talk really is a let down in that they use Jabber as a cheap banner to tout their service as being open when, in fact, they're just an isolated part of the Jabber network. I have Gaim so I'm always on all the different IM services, but isn't it sad to have so many different protocols. There should be more standards and more progress rather than things staying where they are and have been for what will soon become a decade. Maybe Google will disavow their strange ways and end up starting an IM revolution after all. Until then though, read up on its history and try to become part of the future. Maybe IM will become respectable one day.

Again, I'm aiming for shorter posts so they'll be easier for me to right and I got it right with movies yesterday so let's try it with tech stuff today. I'm notorious among some relatives of having an iron stomach because I'll eat food my mom sends after it's been in the fridge for a couple of weeks (it tastes just fine), so I thought it was only appropriate for me mention that NASA is developing food that can last years. It's meant to be nutritious and artificially tasty (food has many positive psychological effects) so it should be something to look forward to. While I'm on health I might as well mention that coffee may soon be a health drink because of its anti-oxidants, but I'll still stick to tea myself. Lastly, I wanted to mention Apple's new chip purchasing deal with Freescale just because it's an Austin company.

The picture you see before you is miraculously from the set of X3 and the characters are Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Kitty Pryde. That's significant since it's the first look we have at the movie at all and shows that it's at least started filming. Oh, and Shohreh Aghdashloo will not be Dr. Kavita Rao in X3 despite previous rumors but will instead play Hispanic mutant Dr. Cecilia Reyes in a really weird and stupid move. It seems like a waste of talent. AICN's Quint reviewed The Secret Gardener and it sounds like a pretty decent movie. It may be Academy material after all. The first Pirates of the Caribbean 2 teaser poster is out there for your viewing pleasure, though it seems like it's missing something. Lastly, here are some more Serenity pictures to whet your whistle.

Now for an odd Monday Madness:

1. Do you own a dishwasher (and if not, do you even want one), or do you have to do your dishes by hand?
Yes, but I typically do them by hand. It seems like it takes a lot of Cascade to do what I can easily do in a couple of minutes.

2. Do you put your dishes away immediately after washing them?
I let them dry in the drainer pan first and put them up when I notice that they're dry.

3. In the warm weather, do you like hanging your laundry out on the clothesline to dry, or do you prefer a dryer?
At home we would do both depending on how thick the clothes are, but we'd even use the dryer for those clothes for a bit to get the lint out. Over here, in Austin, I'll use the dryer and a folding clothesline thing for the ones that don't get dry.

4. How many loads of laundry are done in your household each week?
One in Houston, and in Austin I'm only going to do a load every two weeks.

5. Do you own a pet? If so, do you buy them presents for holidays? Do you consider your pet(s) spoiled? If you don't own one, do you think you will one day?
Nope. Maybe someday though!
6. It's Friday evening and you're planning your weekend. What's on your agenda?