Team Fortress 2 Is Now Free

So guys, I've never actually played it yet but I have been debating for a long time. It's been getting cheaper and cheaper for a long time but now it's finally free. Team Fortress 2.

This announcement comes as kind of funny to me because just the other day a couple friends were playing TF2 and telling me to get it because it was a measly $10. Well I guess I'm glad I waited, now I can pick it up for free and so can you.

Make sure you at least check it out. This is a huge game that doesn't look like development is stopping anytime soon. And it's free! Go! Now!

Are Password Managers A Good Idea?

So I've been toying with the idea of using a password manager for a while. As you all know I love passwords and the human thinking that goes behind them but this is a weird step for me. It takes all the thinking out of it.

The question is, do you put all of your passwords to your computer life behind one master password that can be cracked? But if you do then you can have amazing, super-complex passwords on everything that you have. I've made a pro and con list over on The Tech Blender that is a little more specific/in-depth.

I personally am going to be giving KeePass a try. It looks to me like the easiest, safest and cheapest route. Let's see what happens. Can I make it through the week?

Monitor Commotion

For most of my posts on The Tech Blender so far I've tried to be very informative and provide some sort of useful information. This post is going to be a little bit different. I've made an observation and I want your feedback. I want to know what you think.

At my place of work, we are upgrading all of the computers to have widescreen, 22 inch monitors. At first I thought this was a great idea. Who wouldn't want a bigger, newer, widescreen monitor? Then I got to thinking. Why does everyone here need a widescreen monitor?

In general, widescreen monitors seem to be taking over the market and I can't figure out why. The only thing that a widescreen monitor would be nice for is to watch video or play high-end video games. Neither of which should be happening at work. Have you ever seen a webpage that scrolls horizontally? Most things typed in Word still flow vertically. Is there a reason our monitors are becoming widescreens and not taller?

What do you think? Do you have a widescreen monitor at home or at work? What do you use it for?

Fact: Everyone Likes Puppies

Everyone likes puppies, right? Of course, they are just so darn cute. That's why you should check out PrettyPuppyPals.com. It's a site that my girlfriend, Katie and I started a while ago when she wanted to blog with me.

You can go and check out all of the ridiculously cute puppies there and even submit your own! The process is pretty painless and it can even get you more exposure for you blog or Flickr stream or however you would like us to give you credit.

So go check out our little project and let me know what you think.

Steve Schreiner for President 2012

Alright, so here's the deal. My dad has always been been saying how politics is so screwed up and that when he runs he will fix it all. He has been saying things like this for as long as I can remember. Finally, he's doing it.

This morning via a Facebook post he announced his candidacy:

"That's it. I've had it with Washington. I'm announcing my candidacy for President. I will focus on jobs, energy, economy and border security. I will repeal the healthcare reform legislation and introduce legislation that will allow no bill over 5 pages long to bring politics back to the people. More details to follow as soon as my Schreiner for 2012 website is up. Thank you for your vote."

I have thrown together a quick Facebook page for him which you can find here. I am also working furiously on getting a website up for him so look out for that soon.  

Looking For Tech Bloggers To Collaborate On A Podcast

A good friend of mine, Brad Merrill, owner of UnitedTechGuys.com, is looking to start up a laid-back technology podcast. I've been wanting to get backing into podcasting for a while now and I think with Brad's help I'll be able to get back in and stay in. Here is what Brad said in his post:

I’d like to round up some other tech people out there in the blogosphere and start doing a group podcast every week, or every two weeks.  I’m looking for some varying opinions (e.g. Apple fanboys and Google fandroids).  I want it to be a laid-back, non-scripted conversation about web 2.0, Internet companies, gadgets, computers, and technology in general.

If you're interested, give Brad a shout at brad@unitedtechguys.com. It should be a fun time had by all.

Ramblings of a Blogger

A while ago I was surfing the web and started reading this young man's blog. Now it was fine, it was a small, personal blog and he was blogging on it. Then I noticed the title: 

The Ramblings of a College Kid.

It hit me. Why do so many blogs use the word "Ramblings" in their title?

Now I admit, my first blog was titled something along those same lines. That's another reason it boggles my mind. Why is the word "Ramblings" such an enticing word to use as an amateur blog title?

Has anyone else ever noticed this coincidental word choice? Do you know why people use this word on blogs but no where else? Have you made a blog with "Ramblings" in the title?