Best.. summer... ever. But somehow its just not quite good enough for the MPAA who swears they could have eked out another $10.50 if the Simpsons Movie hadn't been leaked in Australia. Right.
Four billion dollars is nothing to sneeze at, and I'd like to think I was part of the phenomenon. Of course, judging from my movie going experience, the malt liquor and rum industries should have had record setting Q2s too.
Techdirt: Biggest Box Office Summer Ever... And Yet All We Hear About Is Piracy?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Squeezing Every Last Dime.
Hmmm... how to get even more money out of the Star Wars franchise? Oh, of course! Lets start launching props from the movie into outer space to try and drum up hype for the non-too-terribly exciting 30 year anniversary of the series. Now before you go getting too excited, they're not really jettisoning Luke's lightsaber to float through the galaxy forever. They're just throwing it into the glovebox of a space shuttle and ferrying it around the block. Yeah, less cool than you imagined. But wait; there's more!
"Chewbacca... will officially hand the lightsaber over to officials from Space Center Houston during a ceremony at the airport."
Awesome, I can't even remember the last time I've seen some guy dressed up in a wookiee suit. Of course he won't be alone, both the Fetts, R2-D2, numerous stormtroopers and basically anyone without a face that has aged 30 years will be helping out with the Olympic Torch-like relay across the country.
Give me a freaking break, George. I've bought 5 of the 6 movies on DVD, I'm not sure what else you want from me. Ok, yeah I know. You want me to buy episode 1, but I just can't throw down $8.50 for that red-headed step-bastard of a Star War that you call son.
Give me a freaking break, George. I've bought 5 of the 6 movies on DVD, I'm not sure what else you want from me. Ok, yeah I know. You want me to buy episode 1, but I just can't throw down $8.50 for that red-headed step-bastard of a Star War that you call son.
In Case Of Emergency...
Pull this bookbag over your head. Ah, yes, fall is in the air (at least I think it is somewhere) and the kiddos are back to school. Of course you wouldn't send your little trooper into battle with any less than the best; and in this case its a bulletproof backpack. So that... you know; just in case the maniacal taunting finally gets to that quiet kid and he goes all shooty-uppy. We never had this kinda stuff when I was a kid, good thing there wasn't a problem with people getting shot or I never would have made it through. Oh. Wait someone did get shot at my school. And that's how I got into Catholic school. Ah, I remember those two years. So, the lesson is its either long pants and ties, or bulletproof backpacks for the lot of you.
Bonus Joke:
In the mid nineties The Washington Bullets were tired of being associated with crime and decided to change their name to The Bullets.
Bonus Joke:
In the mid nineties The Washington Bullets were tired of being associated with crime and decided to change their name to The Bullets.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Its All Up Ons Now.
How many times has a great idea just passed me by because I wasn't in close proximity to a coputer? I dunno, maybe six or so. Anyway, that doesn't need to happen any more, cause I've finally taken the plunge and sprung for a helio. So aside from being able to check my email and upload geotagged pictures(look on the sidebar), I can send in my brilliance from virtually any location. I know, a load like the weight of the world has just slumped from your shoulders. Ain't it great?
-sent from my helio ocean
In Case You Were Wondering.
There are penguins in Africa. I know there are penguins in South America, and I have no idea why I never considered that they are probably in Africa too. Apparently they are covered in oil right now, which immediately lead me to wonder: "how does one cook a penguin?" Seems like covered in oil would be a good way to start off; deep fried? Of course they're probably a very fatty bird already. How do you cook duck? Alright, that's enough speculation, bring in the experts!
You know, there are surprisingly few websites on cooking and eating penguins. Maybe its cause they taste terrible. Or maybe its cause some populations of penguins are a little threatened. But I think mostly its just inappropriate to eat them because of the penguin marketing machine's work to endear the little buggers to us. Sure, I could think of more inappropriate things to eat, but honestly you should be able to get served penguin somewhere... What was that martial arts movie where they were smuggling in rare animals so that rich people could eat them in a secret restaurant? Ah, yes, Tom-Yun-Goong. Good movie.
They are very fat, so a method that melts the fat off is better, like a roast. The blood is very rich in oxygen so the meat turns an un-appetizing dark as it cooks. The breast can make decent steaks. For doing an omelet, you need to remove some of the white of the egg otherwise it's not tasty enough
The penguins FAQ
You know, there are surprisingly few websites on cooking and eating penguins. Maybe its cause they taste terrible. Or maybe its cause some populations of penguins are a little threatened. But I think mostly its just inappropriate to eat them because of the penguin marketing machine's work to endear the little buggers to us. Sure, I could think of more inappropriate things to eat, but honestly you should be able to get served penguin somewhere... What was that martial arts movie where they were smuggling in rare animals so that rich people could eat them in a secret restaurant? Ah, yes, Tom-Yun-Goong. Good movie.
Torrential Waste Of Time.
So I've got this phone that you can make your own ring tones for, which is good cause the built-in ones suck with fury. I was looking though my iTunes for songs with kickass openings and remembered that a friend wanted a Home Movies ring so badly it nearly hurt. So I decided to make her jealous. I searched for clips on Google and various other sites and all I could find was a torrent of a Bonus CD that listed the track I wanted. I looked around some more and found various other confusing torrent links at sites that may have been pay-for-service deals. So after a while I installed the Azureus torrent client and started to initiate the link. Slow going. The file is 78 MB and only like 5 people in the world have it. Add in the fact that I only want about 21 seconds of it and this starts to seem not worth the trouble. So I sit and wait; and wait. About ten minutes go by and there's no progress.
At this point I start to ponder the legal ramifications of this action. I'm not trying to download the whole CD, just a portion, which could be considered fair use. (I just have to download bits that I don't want and delete them later) I also own all four seasons of Home Movies on DVD; they're downstairs right now, so I technically own a copy of this song already... Bonus CD... Bonus CD... Do I? ... I have this CD in the basement right now. Why the FUCK am I trying to download it from these non-existent users?
So I go get it, rip the track and email it to my phone in about 25 seconds. That was a lot easier than screwing around with torrents. I guess I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather pay for some things rather than screw around and waste my time trying to get them another way. Course, its helps that I'd already bought this one months ago.
At this point I start to ponder the legal ramifications of this action. I'm not trying to download the whole CD, just a portion, which could be considered fair use. (I just have to download bits that I don't want and delete them later) I also own all four seasons of Home Movies on DVD; they're downstairs right now, so I technically own a copy of this song already... Bonus CD... Bonus CD... Do I? ... I have this CD in the basement right now. Why the FUCK am I trying to download it from these non-existent users?
So I go get it, rip the track and email it to my phone in about 25 seconds. That was a lot easier than screwing around with torrents. I guess I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather pay for some things rather than screw around and waste my time trying to get them another way. Course, its helps that I'd already bought this one months ago.
Hold The Line!
You might think there were important things I haven't told you about in the past week. Well, there weren't. Absolutely nothing happened so just relax your clenched sphincter.
I did have a thought last Wednesday as I navigated the surface streets between the red and orange lines downtown. See, I'd been reading up on the Spartans to see how much of that movie was based on Wikipedia and I eased my way into the Phalanx article seeing, as I'm not too familiar with primitive warfare.
The formation was basically impenetrable by known means other than by flanking or by ramming another phalanx into the front of it. Which basically degenerated into a pushing match with stabbing. And the side with more guys pushing usually won out. Of course things got more complicated with schemes to overload one side and break the rank to flank the formation, but in the beginning a bunch of guys standing shoulder to shoulder was the most fearsome site around.
So I was standing at K St waiting for the light to change. Person after person stepped up to the curb all around and behind me. And when that walk sign changed we all stepped in unison into the street, charging at a similarly arranged opposing force of determined young urbanites. Up until the very last step I almost expected some kind of rumble to go down right there in the middle of the sidewalk. Good thing it didn't though, cause I totally forgot to bring my xiphos with me that day.
I did have a thought last Wednesday as I navigated the surface streets between the red and orange lines downtown. See, I'd been reading up on the Spartans to see how much of that movie was based on Wikipedia and I eased my way into the Phalanx article seeing, as I'm not too familiar with primitive warfare.
The formation was basically impenetrable by known means other than by flanking or by ramming another phalanx into the front of it. Which basically degenerated into a pushing match with stabbing. And the side with more guys pushing usually won out. Of course things got more complicated with schemes to overload one side and break the rank to flank the formation, but in the beginning a bunch of guys standing shoulder to shoulder was the most fearsome site around.
So I was standing at K St waiting for the light to change. Person after person stepped up to the curb all around and behind me. And when that walk sign changed we all stepped in unison into the street, charging at a similarly arranged opposing force of determined young urbanites. Up until the very last step I almost expected some kind of rumble to go down right there in the middle of the sidewalk. Good thing it didn't though, cause I totally forgot to bring my xiphos with me that day.
You may not realize this...
But Linus is a godamn ladies man. Look at his irresistible ruffly hair, that pimp-ed out stri-ped shirt and those legs that just seem to go on forever. Also, how long are Sally's arms? Sweet mother of jeebus, that's... unnatural.
![The image]()
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
He Said, She Said.
Varying points on why liberals tend to read more than conservatives.
Liberal argument: The world isn't as simple as 5 word slogans make it out to be. It takes complex arguments to flesh out the details of complex issues. That simply can't be done in terse oversimplifications that leave out many of the essential details.
Conservative counter: More words are more confusing.
Liberal rebuttal: You're an idiot.
Conservative response: So?
Liberal argument: The world isn't as simple as 5 word slogans make it out to be. It takes complex arguments to flesh out the details of complex issues. That simply can't be done in terse oversimplifications that leave out many of the essential details.
Conservative counter: More words are more confusing.
Liberal rebuttal: You're an idiot.
Conservative response: So?
Fire With Fire.
The EU is urging Texas to stop employing the death penalty. Oh silly EU, Tejas is the least likely of all the colonies to be cajoled with common sense and reason. There's no way they'll take their hand off the switch and dismount (yes, I assume they carry out electrocutions on horseback) just because some lily-livered euro-liberals are complaining. You've got to take a more forceful stand. Lethally inject Texas, that way it will serve as a deterrent to all the other states that sponsor execution. 'Don't kill people or you'll get killed' , now that's a message Texans will be able to comprehend.
Friday, August 17, 2007
The NEW "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy.
"Don't ask us about the secret (probably illegal) programs spreading all around you and we won't tell you.
Sounds like a super foundation to build a global oligarchy on, doesn't it? The mere fact that the US government refuses to acknowledge whether certain secret (probably illegal) programs exist makes me suspect that they are illegal. This slate article details the trials and tribulations of plaintiffs and judges who feel as if the world has gone crazy -- while trying to flesh out the details of "secret" (probably illegal) government programs that everyone knows exist.
Huh? That's a bit of flawed logic, I'm afraid. I know defendants don't usually have to prove innocence, the burden typically lies upon the plaintiff. But its rough going when the defendant keeps confiscating and destroying all the evidence. Its an odd legal climate where the government doesn't just falsely deny something, they tell us that they can't tell us, and that its for our own good. We should start asking questions about the secret (and probably illegal) program to paint all ducks purple with q-tips and see if they have the same "national security secret" response.Q: "[How can it be] "a state secret" that that the government is not intercepting millions of customers' communications illegally. How can the absence of an illegal program be a secret?"
A: "If the government had to prove that something that doesn't happen, doesn't happen, it would have to divulge everything that does happen."
"I'm sorry, but the NSA can neither confirm, nor deny, the existence of a secret federal program to paint ducks purple with q-tips.
Grain By Grain.
These rice fields are a little ridiculous. You thought corn maizes or crop circles were meticulous agricultural art? Think again. These patties in Japan are planted with yellow, purple and normal green leafed rice to recreate famous paintings. They're informal competitions amongst the farmers that have grow more and more detailed over the years. I'm not really sure what the equivalent would be in the US; turfing stars and stripes into your neighbor's yard with your 1992 Ford Explorer Sport?That's Not A Polo Helmet.
The world is becoming more dangerous every day. the opposition is threatening our way-of-life from their straw hovels half a world away. More than any other demographic, babies are vulnerable and unable to defend themelves from terrorist attack. Until now. Protect your baby with a flak jacket or baby taser from bulletproofbaby.net. High quality defensive apparel and equipment are sure to nurture your baby with the feeling of safety that only a fleece-lined ballistic fabric can provide. Make sure to watch the video demo of the bullet-proof stroller with retractable blast shield.Ree Rawt Row Ra Reet...
A lot of times dual purpose items do two tasks half as well as they should. Which means that the usefulness of one item is compromised into two almost half items; not really a good trade-off. But I have to say this transformer couch looks pretty nice. It actually looks like a couch, and it actually looks like a bunk bed. (although I bet those bunks are pretty narrow.) Now lets see it morph into a ghetto blaster whose tapes turn into animals.P.S. Ever thought about how you'd spell the transformers sound? Yeah, me neither. Luckily the Internet is an indefatigable wealth of knowledge. Also this couch would be 4.7 times cooler and nearly irresistible if it transformed of its own volition accompanied by that noise.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A Finely Choreographed Brain Hemorrhage.
Holy Bejezus. What in the world was going on here that you decided to create the traffic control equivalent of a black hole? My brain is swelling up just trying to figure out what is sposed to happen in this thing. But that may be because everyone is driving on the wrong side of the road. Be warned, spend too much time thinking about this and your brain may explode. I have no idea what would happen if I came across one of these in a car. I guess I'll just avoid Swindon like the traffic circle plague.Put A Sack Of Bricks In The Trunk.
I've often thought that we need different classes of license for driving. Like some people would be relegated to driving only between 3-6 in the morning every other Thursday, while others would be restricted to special low speed tunnels constructed under every city. I know, lofty goals, but you gotta have dreams. Well the UK is thinking of instituting another type of licensing policy. This would require more training as a car's weight to power ratio drops. I think mostly they're getting tired of people crashing up Veyrons; something no one likes to see. Extra lessons would include how to properly set up for turns and handle the frothy power-crazed beasts they've laid out for.
Of course your ratio changes based on the weight of the car, so you might be in an odd situation where you're licensed to drive 4 of your fattest friends around, but not to drive yourself to the store. Heck, that sounds like some great carpool legislation right there. See that? I'm so full of good ideas, they just fall out of my brain.
Sample Weight to Power Ratios:
Of course your ratio changes based on the weight of the car, so you might be in an odd situation where you're licensed to drive 4 of your fattest friends around, but not to drive yourself to the store. Heck, that sounds like some great carpool legislation right there. See that? I'm so full of good ideas, they just fall out of my brain.
Sample Weight to Power Ratios:
- Formula One Racer - 1333 lbs (with balast and driver) / 750hp (mandated smaller V8 engines) = 1.78 lb/hp
- Bugatti Veyron - 4162 lbs / 1001 hp = 4.16 lb/hp
- Porsche Carrera GT - 3043 lbs / 612 hp = 4.97 lb/hp
- Corvette Z06 - 3132 lbs / 505 hp = 6.2 lb/hp
- Dodge Viper - 3380 lbs / 535 hp = 6.32 lb/hp
- Lotus Exige GT3 - 2050lbs / 271 hp = 7.56 lb/hp
- 2007 BMW M3 - 3386 lbs / 420 hp = 8.06 lb/hp
- Audi RS 4 - 3634 lbs / 414 hp = 8.78 lb/hp
- Boxster S - 2987 lbs / 295 hp = 10.1 lb/hp
- WRX Sti - 3351 lbs / 293 hp= 11.44 lb/hp
- Honda S2000 - 2835 lbs / 240 hp = 11.81 lb/hp
- BMW Mini Cooper S GP - 2579 lbs / 214 hp = 12.05 lb/hp
- Mitsu Evo IX - 3086 lbs / 255 hp = 12.10 lb/hp
- Mazda RX-8 - 3029 lbs / 237 hp = 12.78 lb/hp
- Acura RSX Type S - 2775 lbs / 210 hp = 13.21 lb/hp
- VW R32 - 3256 lbs / 241 hp = 13.51 lb/hp
- 2006 BMW 330ci - 3450 lbs / 255 hp = 13.53 lb/hp
- Celica GTS - 2500 lbs / 180 hp = 13.89 lb/hp
- Lotus Elise S - 1896 lbs / 134 hp = 14.15 lb/hp
- Miata MX-5 - 2414 lbs / 170 hp = 14.20 lb/hp
- Acura TSX - 3318 lbs / 200 hp = 16.59 lb/hp
- VW Jetta TDI - 3197 lbs / 90 hp = 35.52 lb/hp
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
By YOUR powers combined...
I like to think that captain planet is directly responsible for the rise of ecologically minded young adults in America today. I mean any show with classic villains like "Looten Plunder" "Dr Blight" and "Verminous Skumm" has got to be fantastic. But to be fair those guys' mothers relegated them to lives of villainy from birth with names like that. Oh to be back in early 90's cartoon land... Although I'm not really clear on what the 'heart' ring power was all about. What a pussy superpower.Welcome To Picture Country.
So it seems like I haven't posted many pictures lately, and that's probably cause I've sucked it up at taking pictures this summer. Here are a few shots from San Diego a while ago.
Where's The Cheese?
Do not purchase Philadelphia cream cheese "Jammin' Swirls." You may say to yourself, standing in the cheese isle, "I like cream cheese, and I like fruit, so this is for me". Wrong. Don't be fooled by the image of fruit on the package, there are no blueberries within. And swirls? Ha! You want swirls, go look at a toilet. This is mostly a few pie pieces of cheese with some kind of blue flavored goop in between. The result is a fairly disgusting compote that you choke down because you paid four bucks for the privilege. I should be more skeptical of things that say "NEW!" on the box. I mean, "NEW!" isn't good. "NEW!" is untested; a maverick. "old." is way more exciting because its still on the market after all these years, so it must be good or people wouldn't buy it and no one would keep making it. Next time I'm at the shop, I'm gonna note how many products say "NEW!" on them and see if I can overpower the marketing cabal that's trained us to think newer is better.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
For The Goth Playboys.
Keep your eyes open for this bleak black Porsche Cayman "Design Edition". It's black on black on black color scheme denotes it as one of a limited 777 car run. It also comes with a black briefcase containing a black watch, black pen, black sunglasses, black keyring and pocket knife. (Black, of course.) I guess Porsche agrees with Wesley; "Always bet on black."Be Wary Of Any Man Who Keeps A Pig Farm.
That's Snatch, for those less adept at identifying movie quotes:
You're always gonna have problems lifting a body in one piece. Apparently the best thing to do is cut up a corpse into six pieces and pile it all together. And when you got your six pieces, you gotta get rid of them, because it's no good leaving it in the deep freeze for your mum to discover, now is it? Then I hear the best thing to do is feed them to pigs. You got to starve the pigs for a few days, then the sight of a chopped-up body will look like curry to a pisshead. You gotta shave the heads of your victims, and pull the teeth out for the sake of the piggies' digestion. You could do this afterwards, of course, but you don't want to go sievin' through pig shit, now do you? They will go through bone like butter. You need at least sixteen pigs to finish the job in one sitting, so be wary of any man who keeps a pig farm. They will go through a body that weighs 200 pounds in about eight minutes. That means that a single pig can consume two pounds of uncooked flesh every minute. Hence the expression, "as greedy as a pig".
The prosecution in murder trial of a Canadian pig farmer rests, after hearing 98 witnesses. The farmer (57) has been charged with 26 murders, mostly prostitutes and drug addicts. Over the past 7 months witnesses have detailed the gruesome murders and disposal of bodies. Beware the pig farmers.
You Want Fries With That?
"Other states are trying to ban the death penalty, my state is putting in an express lane." ~Ron White.
Yeah, that's a good one, but somehow the Bush administration is seeking to destroy humor as we know it. Its a clever plan, just implement the punchline of every joke you hear and bam- no more jokes! They're just statements now. Like the justice program setting up a death penalty - i kid you not- "fast track". Apparently we just can't execute people fast enough in this country. Maybe a drive through window would be a better solution.
We're not just gonna hold and torture people, we're gonna kill them too, consolidating the final decision in the all too fallible attorney general. Is this sounding more and more like the Spanish Inquisition to anyone? NOBODY EXPECTS THE WAR ON TERROR! Our chief weapon is fear. And surprise. And wiretapping. Our three weapons are fear, surprise and wiretapping. And torture. And immoral war. Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, wiretapping, torture, faster executions, and an almost fanatical devotion to Gonzales.
Monday, August 13, 2007
But Did You Bring A Flag?
Ah, remember the good old days when you could steal an entire country with the mere of gesture planting a flag? Russia does. They've planted a flag in a bank of under water mineral deposits under the North Pole. The claim would effectively double the energy resources of the country if the claim holds up in court. Now that's forward thinking; by the time we've melted off the icecap, we'll need a new drilling ground and the newly opened up deposit will be just the thing to keep our fires burning.
See You At 'Two Minutes Hate'.
Well, the Chinese are getting a leg up on everyone else in the race to an oppressive and bleakly government controlled future. 1984, Minority Report, Impostor, Gattaca, Equilibrium, Aeon Flux, THX 1138, Animal Farm (wait that was animals); pick whatever dystopian film you want, they all start with tracking the populous.
So China is taking that first leap and issuing id cards to the majority of its citizens. I know, you have an id card in your wallet right now, but it doesn't have your "name and address... work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status... landlord's phone number" and "personal reproductive history" on a wireless chip. Officials are hoping to keep crime under control and enforce their "one child" policy.
They're really making no bones about it, they want to stay in control. "If they do not get the permanent card, they cannot live here, they cannot get government benefits, and that is a way for the government to control the population in the future," Combine this with the 200,000 cameras hooked to a facial recognition algorithm and you'd think twice about going to protest the benevolent and glorious Communist Party of China. Yeah.
So China is taking that first leap and issuing id cards to the majority of its citizens. I know, you have an id card in your wallet right now, but it doesn't have your "name and address... work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status... landlord's phone number" and "personal reproductive history" on a wireless chip. Officials are hoping to keep crime under control and enforce their "one child" policy.
They're really making no bones about it, they want to stay in control. "If they do not get the permanent card, they cannot live here, they cannot get government benefits, and that is a way for the government to control the population in the future," Combine this with the 200,000 cameras hooked to a facial recognition algorithm and you'd think twice about going to protest the benevolent and glorious Communist Party of China. Yeah.
I Could Tell You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You.
You know what's a shame on the Internet? No, not flaming hamster racquetball. Its a shame that really cool sites get shut down just because enough people start using them to attract the attention of some party poopers. Long story short, I just found this awesome website that is like a search engine with a ghetto blaster taped to the side. It searches all the intertubes for mp3s with details that match your search string. That's not a new trick, Google will do that with the right string modifiers. (So one would hope there aren't any DMCA violations or copyright infringements from just linking to search results.) But this site does you one better, they stream the mp3 from the host site directly on to their flash search results, so you can listed to the song without even leaving the search. They even let you make and save playlist of all the awesome free (as in beer) songs you'll find. No more searching for one song at a time and no more hunting to the end of the web. Pretty sweet, right? That's why its a shame I'm not gonna tell you what this site is. The less people that know about this the better. I know that may seem selfish, but trust me, its for the benefit of everyone who already knows about it. Later, chump.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Star Search.
Well, we're in the process of picking out a new roommate. Its quite the ordeal. At first we thought we'd get lucky enough to have a friend or acquaintance move in there, but that didn't pan out so we released the listing into the wilderness of craigslist. I don't really craigslist (and when I say don't really, I mean really don't) and its not because I don't like it. And its not because it doesn't work; in fact the only thing I might have against it is that it seems to work too well and there's no way that it'll work so well if I tried it. Sound logic, I know.
Anyflu, we've gotten a downpour of inquiries, all from pretty much the same person: laid back, respectful, neat, outdoorsy, non-smoking, young professionals. So I guess craigslist is hitting our target demographic, but now the trouble is trying to pick one. And I've begun to realize part of my selection process is name discrimination. If I can't imagine myself saying the person's name on a daily basis, they get the axe. Sounds rough, yeah, but lets face it. I'm not good at ranking things or evaluating people's flaws, so this is pretty much the only metric I have to go on. Hopefully we'll get this done with so we can get down to business. Getting a house team together for foosball, shuffleboard, and Super Mario Strikers.
Anyflu, we've gotten a downpour of inquiries, all from pretty much the same person: laid back, respectful, neat, outdoorsy, non-smoking, young professionals. So I guess craigslist is hitting our target demographic, but now the trouble is trying to pick one. And I've begun to realize part of my selection process is name discrimination. If I can't imagine myself saying the person's name on a daily basis, they get the axe. Sounds rough, yeah, but lets face it. I'm not good at ranking things or evaluating people's flaws, so this is pretty much the only metric I have to go on. Hopefully we'll get this done with so we can get down to business. Getting a house team together for foosball, shuffleboard, and Super Mario Strikers.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Sweet Mother Of Scrollbar.
Holy Bejezus! I know I get excited about trivial things but this is fantastic. You know how there are multiple pages of search results and you have to click through all these pages to find a site that looks like it has what you want? Well the "Customize Google" Firefox extension now has an option that's called "stream search result pages [BETA]". It puts all the search results on a single infinitely scrolling page so you don't have to keep clicking next page for more results. I'm not sure if I'm so excited because of what this does, or because I already had it installed. Head on over and try it out, I'm pretty sure you won't miss pages of search results.
Customize Google
Customize Google
World's Largest Super Soaker.
Yes, big news today as I keep reading from source after source that some microbes got unfrozen in a lab. Unfortunately non of the articles are as amusing as my write up, or as informative as the Damn Interesting article I read first thing this morning.
In 1990 the Russians were taking ice samples in Antarctica and came across an anomaly about 2 miles deep. The temporally marked layers had stopped, and a single pristine layer persisted. They had no explanation until some aerial radar discovered that it was an under-ice lake. The water is under extreme pressure and would have burst up the drilling shaft had the Russians continued. Luckily they were convinced to stop and did not, as far as we know, contaminate this completely pristine (and maybe sterile) ecosystem. So that's why its so exciting that these guys are being reanimated. Not only are they really old and frozen it gives hope that the submerged lake does indeed have a viable ecosystem that has evolved in a separate system for millions of years. Creating god-knows-what.
Yes, I know this is the premise of Alien vs Predator.
In 1990 the Russians were taking ice samples in Antarctica and came across an anomaly about 2 miles deep. The temporally marked layers had stopped, and a single pristine layer persisted. They had no explanation until some aerial radar discovered that it was an under-ice lake. The water is under extreme pressure and would have burst up the drilling shaft had the Russians continued. Luckily they were convinced to stop and did not, as far as we know, contaminate this completely pristine (and maybe sterile) ecosystem. So that's why its so exciting that these guys are being reanimated. Not only are they really old and frozen it gives hope that the submerged lake does indeed have a viable ecosystem that has evolved in a separate system for millions of years. Creating god-knows-what.
Yes, I know this is the premise of Alien vs Predator.
July Purge.
I know, I've got a whole bunch of stuff still from July to get rid of, but it seems a shame to just junk it all. So here's a big sloppy link dropping fest.
Yeah, astronauts were drunk. How else would any of these endeavors seemed like a good idea? And everyone knows that Mir was the party space station, hurling vodka bottles at the ISS. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. If I need to unwind a little after a basically stressless day at work, these dudes need to get freaking tanked on the job.
We should watch out for dolphins, they're smarter than we think. And we already think they're pretty freaking smart. They use tools, they communicate, they're motivated, and they're training humans. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Some articles just scream Seinfeld to me. Garbage collection stoppage (it appears Jerry's theory was wrong) and the Today Sponge is back.
The RIAA hates everything that doesn't make them money. That's right, the RIAA hates puppies and wants to destroy them. So its no surprise that they hate and want to destroy webcasters. Especially since webcasters tend to play non-RIAA music. In a very mafioso "you'll use our service or no service at all" move the RIAA is backing royalty hikes. So smaller webcasters will be unable to pay the higher fees and driven out of business (even if they don't play RIAA music), further solidifying th RIAA's monopolistic grasp on what music is to be marketed. They don't care if they get the royalties, just that the webcasters get taken down; which makes less competition for the distribution of music whereby strengthening the RIAA's -say it with me- monopoly on the music industry.
Techdirt: Why Does The RIAA Hate Webcasters? Webcasters Don't Play Very Much RIAA Music
Iron Man the movie. Kick ass. I do enjoy how they're taking all my cherished childhood memories and turning them into usually bad theatrical representations. No, really I do. Cause it tells me there were a bunch of other dorks who were into it too; and we're all cool now cause we remember. Plus sometimes the movie doesn't suck too hard. Anyway, Audi has bought the rights to all the cars in the upcoming Iron man movie. I've got no problem with a company paying to get their car into the movie (Tony Stark can drive an R8, that's cool) buy it really cheeses me off when they buy the rights to ALL the cars in the film. I mean, come on, like for that hour and 45 minutes I'm going to forget that there are other cars in the world?
Mad props to this guy, who turned down $5,000,000,000 (AUD) for the mineral rights to his ancestral land in Australia. He said, nah mate, I've got a job and I can hunt and fish, what else do I need. The energy company who was interested in Lee's Uranium deposits is probably twisting its evil mustache right now trying to figure out another way to get "moose and squirrel" off land.
Every once in a while I'll get a wicked case of meat sweats, or some other feel-no-so-good condition. (I thought my brain was gonna turn off after a 42oz slurpee this weekend) But I rarely actually injure myself while eating. I guess that's the difference between me and the big dogs.
Yeah, astronauts were drunk. How else would any of these endeavors seemed like a good idea? And everyone knows that Mir was the party space station, hurling vodka bottles at the ISS. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. If I need to unwind a little after a basically stressless day at work, these dudes need to get freaking tanked on the job.
We should watch out for dolphins, they're smarter than we think. And we already think they're pretty freaking smart. They use tools, they communicate, they're motivated, and they're training humans. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Some articles just scream Seinfeld to me. Garbage collection stoppage (it appears Jerry's theory was wrong) and the Today Sponge is back.
The RIAA hates everything that doesn't make them money. That's right, the RIAA hates puppies and wants to destroy them. So its no surprise that they hate and want to destroy webcasters. Especially since webcasters tend to play non-RIAA music. In a very mafioso "you'll use our service or no service at all" move the RIAA is backing royalty hikes. So smaller webcasters will be unable to pay the higher fees and driven out of business (even if they don't play RIAA music), further solidifying th RIAA's monopolistic grasp on what music is to be marketed. They don't care if they get the royalties, just that the webcasters get taken down; which makes less competition for the distribution of music whereby strengthening the RIAA's -say it with me- monopoly on the music industry.
Techdirt: Why Does The RIAA Hate Webcasters? Webcasters Don't Play Very Much RIAA Music
Iron Man the movie. Kick ass. I do enjoy how they're taking all my cherished childhood memories and turning them into usually bad theatrical representations. No, really I do. Cause it tells me there were a bunch of other dorks who were into it too; and we're all cool now cause we remember. Plus sometimes the movie doesn't suck too hard. Anyway, Audi has bought the rights to all the cars in the upcoming Iron man movie. I've got no problem with a company paying to get their car into the movie (Tony Stark can drive an R8, that's cool) buy it really cheeses me off when they buy the rights to ALL the cars in the film. I mean, come on, like for that hour and 45 minutes I'm going to forget that there are other cars in the world?
Mad props to this guy, who turned down $5,000,000,000 (AUD) for the mineral rights to his ancestral land in Australia. He said, nah mate, I've got a job and I can hunt and fish, what else do I need. The energy company who was interested in Lee's Uranium deposits is probably twisting its evil mustache right now trying to figure out another way to get "moose and squirrel" off land.
Every once in a while I'll get a wicked case of meat sweats, or some other feel-no-so-good condition. (I thought my brain was gonna turn off after a 42oz slurpee this weekend) But I rarely actually injure myself while eating. I guess that's the difference between me and the big dogs.
That's Why We Can't Have Nice Things.
Ah, its good to see thieves getting back to basics. A gang of masked robbers stole 4 paintings at gunpoint from a museum in Nice. Those inside jobs are so played out and boring, how about a little gun waving and thrilling escapes? Of course there wasn't any planning involving a Trojan horse and cutting security wires or disabling cameras. The museum doesn't have any. Ouch, are you guys serious? No wonder these things get stolen so much.
Official statements indicate that the paintings probably won't be sold but were stolen for someone's personal collection. Hmm... If I learned anything from the Thomas Crowne Affair, this was just a cover for a different and more interesting crime somewhere else in the museum. These four will turn up but you'll find that Magritte curiously missing.
Official statements indicate that the paintings probably won't be sold but were stolen for someone's personal collection. Hmm... If I learned anything from the Thomas Crowne Affair, this was just a cover for a different and more interesting crime somewhere else in the museum. These four will turn up but you'll find that Magritte curiously missing.
Encino Bacteria.
Microorganisms found in Antarctic ice that range from 100,000 to 8 million years old have been reanimated in a laboratory. When warmed and given nutrients samples of bacteria slowly regained life. The newly thawed microorganisms learned from younger specimen in the area who helped the newcommer adapt in hopes of increasing their own survival chances. Females were attracted to the microbe's primal instincts and seeming rebellious defiance of societal rules. Subject was last seen "wheezing the juice" at a local 7-11 store.
States Balance Budget.
Brilliant! We'll just stop properly maintaining our bridges and when they collapse congress will just buy us another, bypassing disaster relief limits. Sounds like a plan to me.
Friday, August 03, 2007
G.T. Phone Home.
Great, I've been reading rumors all day about the will-they-won't-they GooglePhone. And just after I just read a bunch of wireless crap and psyched myself up enough to maybe change carriers. I'm not gonna let this dissuade me though, cause if its anything like the iPhone rumors, it should roll out just about the time my 2 year contract expires.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
My Kingdom For A Contact Manager.
Also phone related today, I've backed up my contacts with Verizon's Backup Assistant. This might be the most impressive thing to come out of Verizon since the wireless telephone call. You download an app on the handset, set some options, and then head to a website where all your contacts are there, just begging to be managed in a more efficient way. There are automatic backups and two way syncing, so there's no way I'm gonna lose all my numbers again. Plus I just pasted them all into a csv and uploaded them to my GrandCentral account, so now it knows all the numbers that might call me and can set up filters accordingly. Very exciting.
Makes me think about getting a new phone. So I went over to the Helio site again to drool over the gps enabled maps and web searches they have there. And just to be fair I priced out a Verizon plan. Helio for two years at $65 a month (gotta get the data plan) plus a $245 phone puts me at $1805, while the Verizon $39.99/ month with a $69.99 phone totals out at $1029.75. So the question is, do I need to have access to my email, blazing fast Internet, IM, gps, buddy beacon, and streaming media; and is it worth $800 to me? The adult in me says no but the "goddamn that's cool shit" in me says pony up.
Makes me think about getting a new phone. So I went over to the Helio site again to drool over the gps enabled maps and web searches they have there. And just to be fair I priced out a Verizon plan. Helio for two years at $65 a month (gotta get the data plan) plus a $245 phone puts me at $1805, while the Verizon $39.99/ month with a $69.99 phone totals out at $1029.75. So the question is, do I need to have access to my email, blazing fast Internet, IM, gps, buddy beacon, and streaming media; and is it worth $800 to me? The adult in me says no but the "goddamn that's cool shit" in me says pony up.
I'm A Screener, Are You A Screener Too?
So I got a call this morning from my GrandCentral number. (Grandcentral is a servivce that forwards a call to numerous phones, and provides voicemail with other options) I was using my mouthwash and gathering my items for the day when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I didn't recognize the caller ID, so I raced to the bathroom and spit before answering. When I answered I was glad to hear the GC voice remind me of my options: hit three to send the call to voicemail and listen in. Which is the option I picked and then heard a sheriff's deputy begin to leave a voicemail for me. Odd. I pressed * to break into the call and identified myself for the officer.
"Good morning sir, I'm looking for a Jose {something-or-other} do you have any information on his whereabouts?"
"Uh... No officer, I don't."
"I see, well he gave this number as a point of contact so we could reach him."
"This... isn't even a real number. I mean, this is an Internet forwarding service. I live in DC."
"Oh, so you don't know Mr. {something-or-other}?"
"No I've never heard of him before."
"...hmm"
"...yeah"
"Alright, sir, thank you for your time. Have a nice day."
"My pleasure."
Odd.
And Jose {something-or-other}, if you read the DP, as I assume you do, quit giving my fake phone numbers to the cops. Its not a nice way to start your day; even if they're not really after you.
"Good morning sir, I'm looking for a Jose {something-or-other} do you have any information on his whereabouts?"
"Uh... No officer, I don't."
"I see, well he gave this number as a point of contact so we could reach him."
"This... isn't even a real number. I mean, this is an Internet forwarding service. I live in DC."
"Oh, so you don't know Mr. {something-or-other}?"
"No I've never heard of him before."
"...hmm"
"...yeah"
"Alright, sir, thank you for your time. Have a nice day."
"My pleasure."
Odd.
And Jose {something-or-other}, if you read the DP, as I assume you do, quit giving my fake phone numbers to the cops. Its not a nice way to start your day; even if they're not really after you.
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