Oh, Internet... {56}

Happy Hallowtide! 

Speaking of death, my computer is dying a slow and painful death.  I got this laptop as a graduation gift from my parents at the end of 2010, so I guess it's time.  It's starting to overheat and the screen is doing this weird thing where black pixels turn red and white pixels turn blue (er, cyan).  Sort of impossible to edit pictures when you don't know what color things actually are!  But never fear- I've got a brand new computer arriving today!  Mr. Geek has had a Microsoft Surface for 2 years now (he got the original RT, then last year upgraded to the Surface Pro 2) and he LOVES it, and I've been a little jealous so...now I've got a Surface Pro 3 :)  Hurray for living in the future!

Anyway, all of this is to say that I haven't been reading many blogs on my dying laptop lately, so this edition of Oh, Internet... will once again be a little thin.

But still awesome!

Vader's Little Princess has been turned into a 2015 wall calendar.  I WANT.

Kate Spade is collaborating with Gap Kids!  I feel like baby clothes are so much more fashionable nowadays than when I was a baby...

Carrots for Michaelmas shared a beautiful reflection on the vocation of motherhood.  (Who am I kidding- everything Haley writes is beautiful!)

Matt Walsh once again stated the obvious when he pointed out that the best time to have children is when you're young, even if it doesn't feel like the most convenient time. 

What happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Answer Me This: Spicy Food

Once again, I'm linking up over at Catholic All Year for her Answer Me This series!

1. Do you have a land line?

Nope!  I haven't had a land line since I moved out of my parents' house.  And when my parents realized that the only people who called their land line were telemarketers, they got rid of theirs, too!  (That's one of the only 21st Century things they've ever done.)

2. What's your least favorite food?

I don't like spicy food of any kind.  My delicate tummy just can't handle it!

3. What's on your summer reading list?

I really want to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series (or, you know, as much of the series as is currently published) this summer...hopefully that's not too ambitious?  I'm almost done with book 2, and June has just begun, so I may actually be able to finish by September!

4. Is there something that people consistently ask you for advice on?  What is it?

I'm not so sure people ask me for advice, necessarily, but people are constantly asking me parenting questions.  It tends to be childless people asking me these questions though- people who will likely be childless for quite a while, too.  It's more like an endless, one-sided game of trivial pursuit, where I'm quizzed on everything from from breastfeeding to bedtime routines.  I don't know if anyone will ever model their potential future parenting styles on what I've shared with them, but they keep asking, and I keep answering.

5. What's the most physically demanding thing you've ever done?

Well, based on what the recovery was like, I guess giving birth is the most physically demanding thing I've ever done.  Is that sad?  Millions of women give birth every day, and it's the most physically difficult thing I've ever done?  Does that make me a wimp?  Probably.

6. How do you feel about massages?

So, I really like the way my feet feel after Mr. Geek rubs them, but I don't particularly like receiving a foot massage.  I feel awkward and kind of guilty because he's touching my nasty feet!  And as far as shoulder and back massages are concerned...they end up hurting more than helping.  Not really a fan.

Blog your answers and link up over at Catholic All Year!

Much love,
The Geeks

Answer Me This: Of Slacking and Smartphones

Yeah, so, remember that one time when I told you that having a full-time job (being a mom), another full-time job (one that I get paid for), AND blogging 5 days a week is just a bit too much for my plate right now?  And I told you I'd cut it back to just 3 days a week because that would be more manageable?

And then I dropped off the face of the planet AGAIN almost immediately after telling you I wouldn't?

OOPS.  My bad.

I could make excuses, but I won't.  Basically, my dreams of turning this into a "monetized", serious, all-the-time (but not full-time) blog have been shattered recently.  But I won't let that bother me too bad.  From now on, I'll try my hardest to post 3 days a week, and I hope that those of you who are still interested in what I have to say will drop by on those 3 days and take a peek.  And if I don't show up on those days...try not to hate me for it, and I won't write long-winded apologies.  I'll just pick back up at the next available opportunity.

Like now.  With what's becoming my favorite link-up party.

1. Do you have a smart phone?

Yes, yes I do.  Mr. Geek has finally stopped mocking me about it, but I used to rant about how no one could possibly ever need a smart phone, why would you waste all your money on such a gimmick, I'd never buy one, blah blah blah... But that's probably because that ranting happened back when the iPhone was the cool kid on the block (because it was the ONLY kid on the block) and I was rightfully skeptical of all things Apple (and still am).  A few months after I started my big-kid job after college, when my parents' contract ended, I went to the Sprint store and bought the HTC Evo 4G while my parents and sisters all 'upgraded' to the next available flip phone (or Blackberry in my dad's case).  And then maybe a year ago (I think?  I can't remember any more) I traded it in for the Samsung Galaxy S4.  Mr. Geek had a first generation iPhone because his dad bought it (which I still mock him for) and then I bought him the Samsung Galaxy S2 for a birthday present and he just recently upgraded to the S5 which is a mind-blowing phone, I must say.  Neither one of us is necessarily a Google fanboy, we just hate Apple.  I really like the look of Windows Phone, but Sprint doesn't carry them.  (One day we'll probably succumb to the siren song of Verizon and its incredible coverage, but we're Sprint people because of the principle- the principle of unlimited data.)

I think it's important to note that I never owned a smart phone until I could purchase one myself and pay for the plan.  If "dumb phones" still exist when Chief is in high school, that's what we'll buy her- because I do see the utility in a teenager having a phone once she starts driving, but I don't see the point in said teenager having a $600 phone.

2. What is your favorite meal of the day?

It's funny, because I think breakfast food is my favorite genre (just go with it) of food, but I rarely ever get to eat proper breakfast food for breakfast.  During the week, my breakfast is a granola bar (or a protein bar) in the car on the drive in to work and then second breakfast is a cup of microwave oatmeal (because I'm still a breastfeeding mother and breastfeeding mothers, much like pregnant mothers, are hobbits).  But my favorite actual meal of the day is definitely dinner.  Dinner is when I get to go all-out with my fancy recipe experiments (though nowadays it's generally only on weekends) and dinner is the only meal we eat as a family.  Dinner is when Chief gets to taste new foods (banana, avocado, and egg yolk so far- the only one she doesn't like is banana).  And sometimes we eat breakfast for dinner, which is like the best of both worlds, so, yeah.

3. Shower or bath?

Shower, because it's faster.  I just don't have time to sit around and soak.  The only time I've ever preferred a bath is when I need to shave my legs, but now that I use those razors with the built-in soap instead of needing smelly pink shave cream, it's faster to do that standing up, too.  And since the master bathroom in this house only has a (tiny) shower, it's basically the only option- I'm not hanging out in the guest bathroom every night, especially if we have actual guests.

4. Think of a person you love.  How many days have you been in love with that person?

I'm writing this on Sunday (and it's posting on Sunday, so I can add it to the link-up) but it's technically Monday's post, so as of Monday 2 June 2014, I've been in love with Mr. Geek for 2199 days.  (Sunday 25 May 2008 was when I first told him I loved him...I think.  It's kind of fuzzy.)  I'm not one to remember things like the exact day we "became official" or whatever, but Memorial Day weekend 2008 was when I realized I was in love with him, and I'm pretty sure I vocalized it that Sunday.

5. What's the best church you've ever been inside?

*personal photo*

 I've been to Mass in the Vatican so...yeah, that wins.  Hands down.

6. Has anyone ever come to help you?

All the time!  My parents are about the most loving, helpful people I know.  They came to visit last summer, just after we signed the lease on this house, to help us finish unpacking our stuff and get everything all pretty.  My mom came back in October to throw the baby shower and buy all the last-minute things we needed before Chief arrived.  Then she came again the week before Chief got here to stay for an entire month, helping with last-minute baby prep, labor and delivery, and Chief's first month in our little house.  Then she came to visit again in January, just before I went back to work, to give Mr. Geek and I some date nights, help us practice leaving Chief with someone, and help me get ready to go back to work.  Of course, Mr. Geek's parents have been immensely helpful, too- his mom stayed with us the whole month of November as well, and she came to visit a few months ago and helped us clean this house that is too often neglected.  And his dad constantly showers us with gifts and has also come to visit to help with Chief.  Basically, when you have a baby, everybody wants to show you how much they love you.

Head over to Catholic All Year and share your answers to these questions!!

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {49}

Somehow, I feel more rested today than I normally do on Thursdays.  And somehow, the internet was more awesome this week than it normally is.  Take a look!

I cannot WAIT until Chief is old enough for toys like these! // via Think Geek

via Cheezburger

What do you pack for a day in the Disney parks? // via A Pinch of Pixie Dust

 Allie at Everyday Adventures blogged about our culture's obsession with infidelity in love stories.  Why can't we cheer for a happily married couple, for once? 

Kendra at Catholic All Year blogged at Carrots for Michaelmas about becoming a family of prayer.  She makes a really good point- it's important to try to maintain your prayer life, rather than waiting for the perfect moment to pray, because that perfect moment may never come!

7 ways to support a breastfeeding coworker.   Hint: snarky comments about productivity is NOT one of them.

Being a mom is hard.  Being a dad is hard, too.  Why must it be a competition?  (Also read the sequel to this post.  I agree- parenthood is more joy than suffering, though I realize we're still at the beginning of this journey.)

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Change ALL the Passwords! A Brief Overview of Heartbleed

I'm going to go all technical on you for a second, but please don't skip this post.  Also, I'm not actually a programmer (I just play one on TV) so if I get something slightly wrong or don't explain something clearly enough, PLEASE CORRECT ME!  (Yes, I am actually telling you to let me know if I'm wrong about something, because I'd like this post to serve as a resource for people curious about this bug.  An accurate resource.)  Ok so here goes:

What is Heartbleed?

To answer that, I need to first answer this:

What is OpenSSL?

The OpenSSL Project is a collaborative effort to develop a robust, commercial-grade, full-featured, and Open Source toolkit implementing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols as well as a full-strength general purpose cryptography library managed by a worldwide community of volunteers that use the Internet to communicate, plan, and develop the OpenSSL toolkit and its related documentation.

Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security protocols are, simply put, methods for keeping information secure on the internet.  SSL/TLS provides an encrypted connection between a user and a website, so that sensitive information- including usernames, passwords, and any other data the user and the website may be exchanging- is not viewable by anyone who should not view it.  You know that the website you're connecting to is using ssl if the url starts with https instead of just http.  You will also see a little lock icon just to the left of the url.  In general, if it's a website that you log into, it probably uses ssl.

If you're setting up a website, you can buy an ssl toolkit- or, you can use OpenSSL, the open source implementation.

Is Heartbleed a virus?

No, it's not, contrary to what your friendly neighborhood morning radio program may have said, or any other media source who wants to sound smart but has no idea what they're talking about.

What is it, then?

Two years ago, an updated version of OpenSSL was released.  Within the update was a small change to an otherwise trivial line of code which ended up being not so trivial at all.  This bug in the code allows an attacker to view information that would otherwise be protected.

Why is this so scary?

It is estimated that 2/3's of the internet uses OpenSSL.  This means that pretty much everything is vulnerable to an attack.  Exploiting the Heartbleed vulnerability could reveal everything- usernames, passwords, bank accounts, contents of emails, even private crypto keys- to those who are up to no good.  And it's a very, very easy attack.  And- here's the kicker- if an attacker exploits the vulnerability, you would have no idea.  Well, okay, the website would have no idea.  If your bank account suddenly had no money, you'd know something had happened.  But you wouldn't know how they did it, and the website being attacked wouldn't know it was being attacked.

So how does the attack work?

from xkcd

 This comic explains it beautifully.  Basically, an attacker can't grab specific information- it's just whatever happens to be in the server's memory at the time.  But the vulnerability allows an attacker to obtain up to 64kb of information from the server- information that should be protected.

So should I change all of my passwords?

If the website in question has not yet patched itself, then changing your password basically does nothing, because an attacker could, potentially, grab your new password.

Which passwords should I change?

Mashable has an incredible list.  Ask them.

And that's about it.  Obviously I didn't go in depth here, because my intention was just to correct some things you may have read and put the accurate things in plain ol' English.

Sources for this post:
The OpenSSL Project
SSL.com
Ars Technica
xkcd
Mashable

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {48}

Our baby girl is 5 months old today!!  What???  Why is she growing so fast?

Another thing that happened this week?  The internet was awesome.  Just take a look!

I'm sure I'll need this book in a couple of years... // via Think Geek

I mean, it's funny, but it's not funny... // via xkcd

I need to find time to make one of these! // by Grandma's Chalkboard via Make It and Love It

Emily shared some hilarious sh!t her kid says.  I cannot WAIT until Chief starts talking...

A Jennuine Life shared this tutorial on how to match patterns.  Super helpful!

What awesomeness happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {35}

I'm not gonna lie, this week was pretty crummy.  Well, at least until my mom and MIL showed up yesterday evening because a certain party in honor of a certain Miss Chief is happening tomorrow!!  We're going to spend all day doing some last-minute grocery shopping and preparation for a very special tea party :)  The internet was pretty awesome this week, too- check it out:

I find this absolutely hilarious // via xkcd

I must get this Neil Gaiman book for me...I mean Chief... // via BoingBoing

And then of course, there was this:

John Green says "almost every line" of dialogue from The Fault in Our Stars is included in the movie script (and millions of fangirls just died with happiness).

This post from A Pinch of Pixie Dust came at just the right time.

Author Tom Clancy has died.  He wasn't my favorite author in the world, but I did enjoy some of Jack Ryan's adventures.

Silk Road, one of the "success" stories of the Dark Web, has finally been shut down, and the story is pretty fascinating.

What happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {33}

Phew, it's Friday!  I'm excited to get some rest this weekend (and run a few errands, as always).  You know what didn't rest this week?  The internet.  Here are some awesome things the internet provided this week:

I didn't think I was a loafer person, until I saw these... // via ModCloth

the official logo for the TFiOS movie // via Hypable

I love this homemade dollhouse in a suitcase! // by My Poppet, via Ohdeedoh

Make It and Love It shared a great tutorial for French Seams which is almost enough to make me want to go the extra mile on my sewing projects...almost...

This wasn't posted this week, but I discovered it this week- The Pioneer Woman's recipe for Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken.  I'm salivating just typing that.

A Beautiful Mess shared a recipe for a pumpkin spice syrup which looks easy enough that I might actually make my own instead of relying on Starbucks for my fix...

I hope we can raise our daughter to be strong the way Carrie Anne at Little Big has raised her daughter.

OMG according to BoingBoing Cyanogenmod is going commercial!  This is a huge deal and will definitely shake up the mobile market.

What happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {32}

Boy am I glad it's Friday!  This has been quite the busy week- we made a lot of progress in the nursery (which I promise to blog about once it's finished!), Mr Geek bought me flowers for no reason, and I've grown even closer to resembling a small whale.  All this busyness means that this post is a bit late this week :/ The internet was pretty busy this week, too- here are some of the things that happened on my internet this week:

Tomato Pesto Bites via Delightfully Tacky

via xkcd

Mixed Berry Buttermilk Bundt Cake via The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Miss Emma at A Pinch of Pixie Dust talked about her conversation with Belle, who is apparently also a Jane Austen fan!

Curbly shared a round-up of DIY serving trays.

Apple thinks they're so fancy with their fingerprint scanner on the newest iPhone, but Boing Boing shared an article on why this is actually not the best authentication idea.

Kelly at View Along the Way turned a headboard into an adorable bench!

And, of course, the best thing that happened on the internet this week: WB is making a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie.  More importantly, Jo herself will be writing the script.

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {25}

Friday Friday Friday!  Woohoo!  This was a pretty awesome week on the internet:

Yes. // via Hypable

Aly at Breathe Gently has an ADORABLE new baby girl who makes the most awesome facial expressions!

via Lighthouse Catholic Youth on Facebook

I wish I were going to Black Hat this year to see Karsten Nohl present his work about a major vulnerability in the crypto used in some SIM cards.

The Kitchn shared a method for making bread in a slow cooker- I'm going to have to try this!

Check out this Engadget article about Bing's new search suggestions.  (This item was Mr. Geek's idea!)

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {24}

Our house is slowly starting to look like a home, and I love it.  One of the good things about renting as opposed to buying is that I have to keep my RENOVATE ALL THE THINGS!-instincts in check.  For example- we can paint the walls (so long as we paint them back when we move out) but we can't exactly paint the kitchen cabinets.  (Grey, if you're curious.  That's what I would do.)  Or remove the mirror wall in the dining room.  (Yes, one whole wall of the dining room is a mirror...)  Or change the light fixtures.

Not that any of these things are horrible or too ugly to live with.  I would just change them if we owned the place :)

Anywho, one thing I definitely don't want to change is the internet!  The internet always gives me pretty, smart, and awesome things to look at every week :)  Here are some of those things from this week:

-I love these Dove commercials.  This one is especially awesome!

WANT. // from Etsy seller TRoweDesigns via BoingBoing

ThinkGeek has a pacifier that looks like a volume knob :)

Check out this interview on Ars Technica with the man who invented the first video game console!

Obviously the most important thing that happened on the internet this week- Jo Rowling's new book!  She published The Cuckoo's Calling under a pseudonym several months ago and is just now coming out as the real author.  We bought it literally the moment we heard about it!

I recently discovered the sewing blogs Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing and Camelia Crinoline and as much as they inspire me to want to really start sewing clothes, they also kind of intimidate me- these ladies are sewing superstars!

What  happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... is inspired by Kaelah Bee's Things I Love Thursday posts

Shopping! ...for Cell Phones!

If you walk into your local mobile provider's store today (or Best Buy, if you prefer, you know, actual unbiased information) because it's time to upgrade your phone, you really only have two reasonable options:

The HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Last weekend, I was faced with just such a choice.  So what did I go for?  Let's break down the options.

image via Sprint

HTC has always been an underdog in the cell phone market- they make decent phones, but they've never been able to beat out the other major manufacturers.  Some say it's because they spend nearly no money on advertising, whereas the other heavy-hitters throw all they have at clever commercials and brand recognition.

Slick advertising or no, this phone is a game changer for HTC.  First of all, it's beautiful- a sleek, metal, one-piece design just looks...futuristic.  That sounds cheesy, but it's true.  Then it's got all the little bells and whistles to make it really stand out from the pack- front-facing speakers that really, honestly do make an amazing difference in sound quality, and brand-new camera technology that takes arguably the best pictures of any cell phone ever.

But there have to be cons, right?

Unfortunately, yes- and they're actually pretty big cons.  Although this phone sports a 2300mAh battery, that battery is impossible to get to.  Remember how I said it's beautiful?  Well that solid case means you can't open it to replace the battery.  Now, extreme optimists will tell you that it's highly unlikely that you'll ever have to replace a battery like this.  I'm proof of this, actually- my HTC EVO 4G lasted 2 years on its battery.  After one year, I thought it was starting to die and bought a replacement, but it never actually went kaput.  So maybe I could make it to my next upgrade with no need for a replacement.  But what if something happens?  What if you've got some sort of faulty battery that poops out just after your warranty runs up?  Or what if your phone sits in the sun for too long and overheats?  How do you replace the battery?  Well...you send it back to HTC and they charge you butt loads of money to replace it for you.  Butt loads, I tell you.

But maybe you've never had a phone battery completely die out on you before, so you figure this one will be even better.  Sounds like the perfect phone, right?

Well, there's one more con.  For some ridiculous reason, this phone has no expandable storage.  There is no micro-SD slot.  You're stuck with the storage on the phone- not that 32GB is anything to snub your nose at, but still, if you need more room...tough luck.  Sometimes "more room" isn't the issue, though.  If a phone is completely destroyed- drowned in water, dropped from a great height, or smashed with a hammer- it's highly likely that among the wreckage, you'll be able to salvage the micro-SD card because it's so darn tiny.  And then anything you've saved on it- photos or video clips that are probably not saved anywhere else- is also salvaged.  Of course, the lack of expandable storage in the One is probably due to the fact that they expect everyone to use some sort of cloud storage nowadays and literally not store anything locally.  So be sure to back up everything every time you snap a photo!

image via Sprint

Now in my opinion, this is a beautiful phone.  Apparently not beautiful enough for some, though.  Gadget critics the internet over have stated time and time again that Samsung loses this round to HTC, and more often than not, they point to the aluminum case of the One over the plastic of the S4.

Well, I'm sorry folks, but I don't buy smartphones on looks alone- which is why I'm not an Apple person.  (Although who am I kidding- iPhones aren't all that aesthetically pleasing either).  So yeah, I'll settle for the "less-pretty" plastic if I have to.

Because frankly...I'm a sucker for a removable battery and expandable storage.  It's that simple.  I want to be able to change my battery if I absolutely have to- or even just pop it out if it feels like it's starting to get to hot- and I want to be able to save things to a memory card which can be removed and transferred to another device, in addition to cloud storage options.

Also, even though I lived for 2 years with HTC's version of Android...I like the Samsung flavor better.  It's got fewer ridiculous hiccups and seems to be more customizable. 

And the camera?  It's a freaking cell phone camera- and it's good enough for me.  I took some great pictures at a concert this weekend!

So yeah, spoilers- I bought the Samsung Galaxy S4.  It's a wonderful size- huge screen, but it still fits comfortably in my tiny hand.  It's wicked fast (did I just say wicked?) and just all-around...cool.  AND I CAN POP IN A BIGGER STORAGE CARD ANY TIME I DAMN WELL PLEASE.

So, how about you- the One or the Galaxy S4?  Or something else entirely?

Much love,
The Geeks

*This post is in no way sponsored by Samsung.  I just really like my new phone!