Clays Days

AP Wire | 05/23/2006 | Nike, Apple team up on iPod running gear

2006-05-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

Nike, Apple team up on iPod running gear

And yet another stupid lawsuit

2006-02-03T16:27:00.000-05:00

I hate reading articles like this. I can't really express how irritated this makes me. People as stupid and ignorant as this guy shouldn't be allowed to buy iPods. Frankly, I think he should be put on an island somewhere so his absolute lack of common sense can't be spread to others. A "class action suit"...give me a break. How can someone listen to an ipod at full volume long enough to let it damage your hearing. If this guy listened to it at full volume, did anyone consider that maybe his hearing was already bad and that's why he had it cranked up so high. That guy should be embarrassed to be himself and the lawyer(s) representing him should be embarrassed or better yet disbarred.

Google Video

2006-01-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

According to this press release, it seems that Google's new video service will rival iTunes. Personally, if they're the same price I'll probably just stick with iTunes since it's convenient. However, the idea of being able to just "rent" videos for 24 hours is tempting as long as they're cheap.

Google Pack

2006-01-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here's the link for the Google software pack I mentioned a few days ago. It's called Google Pack and it's not really that exciting but it's convenient in that you can download several useful pieces of software at the same time.

New Google software package today?

2006-01-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

According to this article from Forbes, Google is supposed to release a software package today with lots of online service goodies. I would imagine that Google Labs will have a link when it's released.

Also, check out Google Transit and Google Reader...very cool

Google PC? Google OS?

2006-01-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

I'm not really sure what I think of this. Initially I thought that it was great and I think I still do. But I wonder how good it will really be. I don't mean how good will the computer be, because I would imagine that Google would only put their name on a quality product. The thing that I wonder about is how popular will their PCs be. The fact that they are teaming up with Wal-mart is a good thing. Alot of people shop at Wal-mart and it seems that there is one in every town I've ever been to.

I suppose at this point in technology, if anyone could take on Microsoft (besides Apple), Google would be the company. If Google and Apple could continue to take away market shares from Microsoft I think that would be great. Maybe we could be witnessing the beginning of true OS options. Not just options, but good options. Also, the fact that Google had announced a partnership with Sun could be a good thing since Sun already has experience with operating systems. On the other hand, something about Google making computers sounds like the Atari Jaguar or 3DO, remember those...exactly, well it seemed like a good idea. We'll see, power to Google and I hope it works out.

Dec 30, On This Day...

2005-12-30T07:17:00.000-05:00

1922 Vladimir Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
1999 Former Beatle George Harrison fought off a knife-wielding intruder who broke into his mansion west of London and stabbed him in the chest.
2005 Tiger Woods is 30
2005 Jay Kay, frontman for Jamiroquai is 36

My online hero

2005-12-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

1) Check out this site 2) Read the article from Reuters I tried being cynical and thinking of why I think this idea is stupid, but I can't come up with anything. It's a great idea. A great idea making this kid a millionare. I wonder how many more of these sites will pop up...hmmmm.

The concept car with a stupid concept.

2005-12-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

USA Today has this article about Nissan's new video game car. Since it's just a concept car it most likely will never be made...and that's a good thing. At first I thought, "that's a pretty cool idea" then I realized that it's actually a stupid idea. I know the idea of using the steering wheel, brake & gas pedals would be realistic but it's not really that great considering the screen is like 7" wide. If it were some kind of holographic or OLED screen across the windshield that would be a little better. Plus, I don't really see when they would expect people to use this. Would you be playing it in your garage or go park in some parking lot during your lunch? And what's the difference between this and going to the arcade and using a steering wheel, brake pedal and gas pedal and racing against your friends. For the amount of money something like this would cost, only people that had too much money than they knew what to do with would buy it.

OK, OK, so maybe I'm taking this too literal but the point I'm making is that this is such an absurd idea that it shouldn't have even been considered. Just think about how much time & money they spent to design and build this car. What a waste! If they have that much money to burn they could reinvest it in other more reasonable areas.

THIS JUST IN: Reality TV drops to 2nd place....

2005-12-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

I came across this article on Wikipedia about Sealand and it led me to read more about Micronations. I can't believe these people think that they are so important that they pretend to make up their own nation. If they weren't obsessed with being in the news and being different they could just immigrate to another nation...a real nation I mean. I'm going to do more research on the subject but I think Micronations have now topped my list of ridiculous things. Anyone who knows me, knows that the number 1 slot has long been occupied by Reality TV. While I still hate Reality TV, I think this is much more asinine.

A blog that needs to be read

2005-12-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

I read the Dilbert comics daily, however, just today I found out that Scott Adams has a Dilbert blog also. I've only read a few of the posts and so far they all carry through on Scott Adam's line of humor, which I might add, I think is great.

New low for reality

2005-11-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

I really thought reality TV couldn't get any worse and by worse I mean more stupid and by more stupid I mean senseless and by senseless I mean unintelligent and by unintelligent I mean a complete waste of time. Obviously according to this article I was wrong.

Man glued to toilet seat

2005-11-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

funny story

Stay tuned...

2005-10-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

Right now I have alot going on and I don't really see myself posting much for a little while. I'm still going to try to keep up on things and possibly just post links that I find interesting...we'll see (translation=it probably won't happen) Anyways, for anyone that is reading this, you can keep checking back if you want but don't hold your breath. I really enjoy making posts, but in an attempt to keep my priorities in order, I'm taking a break, so......

Stay tuned.

Leave it to Fox News...

2005-10-13T15:07:00.000-04:00

In this article written by John Prendergast, the faults of OpenDocument file formats are listed to show why Massachusetts should use Microsoft. What Fox failed to mention was the following...it appeared a few weeks later in a follow up article
The column "Massachusetts Should Close Down OpenDocument" that appeared on FOXnews.com Sept. 28 identified author James Prendergast as executive director of Americans for Technology Leadership, but failed to disclose that Microsoft is a founding member of that organization.

Well, at least Fox is consistent in their biased reporting.

Down with reality TV - Part 1

2005-10-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I hate reality TV. When I say hate I mean it irritates me and makes me mad. I find it mind numbing and an insult to my intelligence. I think it is awkward and uncomfortable. I don't understand why anyone would want to watch real life. We watch TV to be entertained, how can we be entertained by watching other people struggle, act stupid, yell at each other or have their insecurities magnified in front of milions. Many times reality TV relies on playing on people's fears or personality differences to boost ratings. The problem is that it's not really reality. People get an image that they have to uphold so even if they don't want to act a certain way, they have to because they're supposed to be that way. Some will say to me that all movies are made up and staged. Wow! Thanks for the update. Of course movies are staged and made up, that's what makes them fiction. When I watch a movie, they tell me it's fiction and I watch it and it's fiction. The stupid thing about reality TV is that they say it's real but its not. Do they really think I'm so dumb that I don't realize that they are going off a script. It irritates me just thinking about it. Here's a news flash...REALITY TV ISN'T REAL.

Anyways here's an article that gave me some light at the end of the tunnel.

I have more to say but I'll leave it for another post...stay tuned.

Fun for the whole family

2005-10-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

Microsoft is marketing to the whole family with XBox 360. They probably figure that since it's going to be $400 for the upgraded version, there will need to be some extra motivation for wives and mothers to allow it.

Oct 11, 2005 - New music

2005-10-11T08:59:00.000-04:00

Here's some music worth checking out this week:

Some new music that's not worth listening to:

Hanson and Ricky Martin. (I don't know what their albums are called and I don't care...I don't have links because I don't want to promote listening to that kind of music.)

Oct 4, On This Day...

2005-10-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

1957 the Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, into orbit.
1895 The first U.S. Open golf tournament was held at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island.
1931 The comic strip ''Dick Tracy'' by Chester Gould made its debut.
1957 ''Leave It to Beaver'' premiered on CBS.
1958 The first trans-Atlantic passenger jetliner service was begun by British Overseas Airways Corp. with flights between London and New York.
1970 Rock singer Janis Joplin, 27, was found dead of an accidental heroin overdose.

In case you care...I've been blogging for a year.

2005-10-04T09:29:00.000-04:00

As of October 1st my blog is 1 year old. I've learned alot in a year and I've enjoyed posting my thoughts and things I found interesting, strange,...etc. I don't really want to turn this into a post about reflecting on the last year but I thought it was worth mention.

Big things over at OrigenXBox360

2005-09-27T07:54:00.000-04:00

With just about 4 hours before we find out the details, OrigenXBox360.com gives us more clues as to what this is all about. First off, here is a press release from MS with hints as to the big announcement.

Now on to the site...

The first thing I noticed is that there is a load screen with 2 rabbits running, it looks like they're running on a treadmill. When the site finally loads you'll notice a tree with little flags dangling like ornaments. You'll also notice that they are all european countries which would go along with this quote from the press release

"The European race for entry into Origen starts on 27 September 2005"

Does this mean there will be an American race as well? I hope so. Unless you speak another language you'll want to click on the British flag since they speak English. When you do, the rabbits will start talking to you...I won't spoil it for you but they have names, the big one is Boss and the little one is Didier (French?). They talk about the fact that Origen XBox is a place. There's more but I'll let you find out on your own.

EDIT: Ok I'm an idiot...when I said that just 4 hours remained I was wrong...in fact that countdown had ended about an hour before I posted...it was 12:00 GMT which means 7:00 am here. It the video under the section for "What is Origen" looks like it will be on an island but I can't even get the time right so see for yourself.

The Gmail that wasn't

2005-09-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

Here's a GMail ripoff and here's an article that talks more about it.

Microsoft and Google to collide?

2005-09-23T09:33:00.000-04:00

Here is a really interesting article on the future of computing. It takes an interesting look at the path Microsoft has chosen and how Google is on track step up as a major threat. It goes back to memos circulating at Microsoft a decade ago. Microsoft is now realizing that Google is just the competition that they worried could come about with the increasing popularity of the Internet.

Microsoft, Google, Internet,

Sept 23, On This Day...

2005-09-23T07:20:00.000-04:00

63 B.C. Caesar Augustus was born in Rome.
1846 The planet Neptune was discovered by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle.
1930 Musician Ray Charles was born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany, Ga.

: history, Caesar Augustus, Rome, Science, astronomy, Ray Charles,

LOST - my thoughts

2005-09-22T08:05:00.000-04:00

"They're dead...They're all dead!" (what movie?)

I think everyone on the island is dead and this island is some type of testing thing.

EDIT: So I guess this isn't exactly a new theory, alot of other people think the same thing. for some really interesting observations/theories about the show, check out this forum also there is good info on the show from the official site here.

: Lost, ABC, TV series, entertainment

Twice the price, 4 times the capacity

2005-09-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

The article from Tom's hardware explains the details but the thing I like the most is the price. The 4Gb model will sell for $100 which is almost twice as much as 1Gb drives sell for now but you're getting 4 times as much storage space...and it comes in orange...I like that too. The article says that the drive is 6mm thick which for those of us that still use English units its about 1/4 inch.

: Lacie, flash memory, gadgets, USB hard drive, portable hard drive

The search for a 4 star bathroom

2005-09-21T07:38:00.000-04:00

Because Beijing has been chosen to host the 2008 Olympics, officials of the city have decided that it would be a good idea to clean up their restroom situation. They have assigned 400 workers to make sure the toilets are clean and in working order. To show their progress they've even started to rate some of the bathrooms with a star system, 4 being the cleanest and most comfortable with running water and everything.

So I wonder if soon there will be 'bathroom critics' that go from restroom to restroom to test the toilet paper dispenser and rate the softness of the paper or list which toilets flush completely and which ones leave 'floaters'. Maybe they can even have reviews in the newspaper where the critics can relate their experience and rank bathrooms in a list of "Must-use toilets" They could even set up terminals throughout the city on the streets where you can find the closest 4 star restroom. Or perhaps there could be comment sheets and a drop box in each stall. People will probably have their favorites and wait out side for minutes on end to use the "clean" stalls.

Or maybe they won't do any of that.

: funny story, Olympics, Beijing

Revolution controller is...well...revolutionary

2005-09-16T07:13:00.000-04:00

So after months of speculation and rumors about a revolutionary controller from Nintendo (no pun intended), we finally have answers. I know it's not that answer I was expecting but my curiosity is definitely peaked. Nintendo seems to like thinking out of the box for their controllers. In the past I complained because they add odd buttons in strange places and its tough to get used to. However, I got to thinking, maybe Nintendo is leading the way. Maybe they've been trying to show us a better form of controllers for years. The reason I say that is this...

Think back to NES...aaahhh yes...old school. Some of the best, most addicting games ever. They developed the controller layout with the D-pad on the left and the buttons on the right. They moved away from the joystick and single button interface and started us on to a path of controllers that have been modified to the standards we see today.

So I say it again. Maybe all these years with the range of "odd" controllers, they've been on to something. Maybe Microsoft and Sony are just too stuck on the "old school" layout to catch up with Nintendo. Could it be that Nintendo's new system will be so revolutionary in its interface and design that it becomes the iPod of the video game scene. Maybe Nintendo is trying to show us again, the best way to play video games. Perhaps they are the innovators that everyone else should have been following all along.

Or maybe not.

As my own devil's advocate, I'll say that it's very possible that this remote control idea will flop. It's a very real possibility that people will think the idea is too out of the ordinary and stick with the standard style controllers.

Either way, one thing is for sure, the controller is holding true to the name of the system.

Thanks to James W for the link

I have found the worst song ever...IMO

2005-09-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big 311 fan. I only know some of their singles and any songs I have of their's have been off compilations. So, that in mind, I just heard "Transistor" for the first time a few minutes ago and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I think I could say that is the worst song I've ever heard...and I've heard alot of songs. When I say "worst", I don't mean vulgar, I mean stupid...very stupid...insult-to-my-inteligence-stupid. How can people listen to that stuff. I know they have some catchy tunes but how can you respect yourself and sing along to songs like "Transistor". After hearing that song, I have just ranked 311 with Creed...and I hate Creed.

EDIT: My problem is with the lyrics...they're just dumb.

Origen XBox 360 update

2005-09-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

origenxbox360.com

There are now 2 green rabbit cutouts and 6 apples on the tree. There is definitely a theme of green and it looks like the tree is growing out of a hole in the ground. Any ideas?

Thoughts on the Nano

2005-09-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting article from Tom's Hardware.

Sept 14, On This Day...

2005-09-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

1901 President William B. McKinley died in Buffalo, N.Y., of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin eight days earlier. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, 42, was sworn in, becoming the youngest president in U.S. history.
1959 The Soviet space probe Luna 2 became the first man-made object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface
1982 Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly actress Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries suffered in a car crash the day before.

Future Springer stars

2005-09-14T09:14:00.000-04:00

This story has Jerry Springer written all over it.

To make a short story shorter...A girl in India wasn't legally allowed to marry her boyfriend but she wanted to live with him so she married his older brother who lives in the same house as her boyfriend, with the agreement that they will be divorced when she is finally able to marry her boyfriend.

Media I want to check out

2005-09-14T08:06:00.000-04:00

Music (in no particular order...new releases this week)

Spin Doctors - Nice Talking to Me - yes, I'm serious
Sigur Ros - Takk...
The Dandy Warhols - Odditorium or Warlords of Mars

Books (in no particular order...not new but they sound interesting)

"1491 : New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" - Charles C. Mann

"The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City" - Jennifer Taft

Useless fact #1 - Cary Grant

2005-09-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

I know you've probably thought it a thousand times. "Is Cary Grant a real name or did he rename himself like so many actors do?" Well your suspicions were correct. The actor known as Cary Grant was born as Archibald Leach. Can you blame him for changing it?

Now for those of you saying, "who the heck is Cary Grant?" Here's a link to his filmography.

Camp Greyhound Angola South

2005-09-13T07:31:00.000-04:00

What would you think about prisoners being held in a bus station. As I was reading this article I thought it was a pretty good idea. I figured the buses can't run so why not make use of the buildings that are still standing. However when I got to the end of the article and read the following, I wasn't sure how good of an idea it actually was.

Those held in the temporary jail are not only criminals that took part in the crime spree after the hurricane, but also prisoners from the city's Angola prison -- America's largest maximum-security prison notorious for its hardened criminals and tough guards.

I know there probably aren't many options but it just seems to me like they should put some less dangerous prisoners in the bus station and move the hardened criminals to an actual prison. Even if it isn't a maximum security prison, IMO any prison would be better than a bus station.

Sept 13, On This Day...

2005-09-13T07:22:00.000-04:00

1788 The Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election and declared New York City the temporary national capital.
1990 ''Law & Order'' premiered on NBC.
1996 Tupac Shakur died at a Las Vegas hospital six days after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting; he was 25.
1997 Funeral services were held in Calcutta, India, for Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa.

Sept 9, On This Day...

2005-09-09T07:13:00.000-04:00

1956 Elvis Presley made the first of three appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show".
1971 Prisoners seized control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, N.Y., beginning a four-day siege that claimed 43 lives.

New Orleans satellite image

2005-09-08T11:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Google Maps, its possible to get a birds eye view of a section of the destruction from Katrina as of August 31.

Here is a link to one of the worst area's I found. To get the full effect, click back and forth from "Satellite" to "Katrina" to get a before-and-after view.

iTunes 5 improves on search feature

2005-09-08T10:36:00.000-04:00

This morning I decided I wanted to listen to the Tragically Hip so just as always I typed in the band name to the search box, hit enter and all my Hip songs popped up. The difference is that now there is an option bar that comes up so you can select what type of media you are searching for (i.e: audio, podcast, video, etc) as well as what part of the song file you want to search in (i.e: artist, song, album, etc).

Thanks to Ian for the heads up on the new iPod and iTunes 5.

Sept 8, On This Day...

2005-09-08T07:07:00.000-04:00

1952 "'The Old Man and the Sea'' by Ernest Hemingway was published.
1966 The TV series ''Star Trek'' premiered on NBC.

iPod Nano...Consider the bar raised

2005-09-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

Sit down, take a deep breath and prepare to be amazed...

Words won't do it justice but if you want words, here is an overview of Apple's latest addition to the iPod line.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here's the gallery...

And if you want all the technical details, click here.

Apple also released iTunes version 5 and it can be downloaded here. I just downloaded it myself so I don't have much to say about it now but I'll post my thoughts as they come up.

High fives are over-rated

2005-09-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

So here's something that bugs me. I've been to my share of concerts and at many of them I find people giving each other "high-fives" when the band starts playing a popular song. This irritates me about as much as reality TV does(BTW, my reality TV post is way overdue but it's coming).

When you're at a concert you have nothing to do with the band except being a fan. If you personally knew the band and requested the song and then made a bet with one of your friends that the band would play a certain song and they actually did...well then congratulations to you and here's a high-five. But I don't think that happens for most of the people giving high-fives at concerts.

This brings up another point, and something I've been guilty of. Sometimes when you're at a sporting event and your favorite team scores a goal, people might give high-fives. After considering the matter, though, I don't think this is the proper time either because you haven't done anything to help out. Sure you've helped the players income by paying for the ticket and you've helped keep the lights on in the arena by buying an overpriced drink and snack so give yourself a pat on the back or maybe give your buddy a high-five for helping out the sport but don't give anybody a high-five for someone on the team scoring a goal...you weren't directly involved. The only reason it would be ok to high-five after a goal would be if you said to your friend, I think so-and-so will score a goal next...then here's a high-five for you for guessing it correctly. It would also be ok to give a high-five to the player that scored the goal...he actually did sometihng.

The State of my Blog

2005-09-06T10:12:00.000-04:00

I never really thought of myself as an "all-or-nothing" person but maybe I am and maybe this blog is a prime example of it. A couple days ago my wife made a statement that got me thinking. I don't really think I'm a perfectionist but I think that when I get a vision of how something should be, I'm disappointed if it doesn't turn out the way I wanted. I think that might be what's happening here. I really want to keep the posts flowing with my latest rants and raves but due to work and a painfully slow connection at home it doesn't always happen the way I'd like it too. I don't think I need to justify my actions but I guess I'm just giving an explanation. I'm going to try to make a conscientious effort to post at least one interesting thing everyday, even if I don't write a lengthy opinion or description, at least it will keep the content fresh.

And yes, Jared, this is in response to your post. At least I know one person that looks forward to my posts :)

August 26, On This Day...

2005-08-26T07:22:00.000-04:00

1961 The International Hockey Hall of Fame opened in Toronto.
1974 Aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh died at age 72. (First, hum the Twilight Zone music to yourself....ok, how's this for coincidence. This is the second day in a row that I've talked about something on it's anniversary...well not exactly, but last night I was talking to someone and Charles Lindbergh came up and then today I find out that it's the anniversary of his death...Isn't zat veerd.)

Pogue reviews Google Desktop2 and Google Talk

2005-08-25T08:11:00.000-04:00

I didn't have much intelligent to say yesterday about Google Talk because I hadn't really used it. Now I have used it and I think it's pretty cool but I'll leave the reviewing to someone who does it for a living. Here's a link to the review from this weeks Circuits in the NYT. David Pogue also talks about the latest version of Google Desktop which I didn't even know was out until yesterday when Ian told me about it. I downloaded it but still haven't used it yet but it looks pretty awesome. In case you want to skip the review and just download the software here are the links

Google Talk
Google Desktop

Aug 25, On This Day...

2005-08-25T07:30:00.000-04:00

2001 R&B singer Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas at age 22. (Here's something weird...this morning while I was getting ready for work I was humming one of Aaliyah's songs, I don't even know the name of it and I don't even listen to Aaliyah so it's not like I had just heard it. In fact my wife even made a remark asking if I knew that she was dead...I did know that...but I didn't realize it was today 4 years ago. I'm not saying its a premonition or anything, I just think it's ~~ironic~~ a coincidence.)
2003 Pete Sampras announced his retirement during a news conference at the U.S. Open in New York. (I was at the US Open the previous year when he defeated Agassi in 4 sets and I thought he might have retired after that but obviously he went another year. Even though it would have been pretty awesome to see Sampras in his final tournament, it was still great to see Agassi and Sampras play their final match.)

Google Talk

2005-08-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

I just downloaded it a few minutes ago and don't know any details other than what I read on the Google Talk site so check it out.

Microsoft's next viral campaign

2005-08-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Microsoft has begun to peak our curiosity once again with this site. "What does it all mean Basil?" Who knows, maybe a secret release date for XBox360 or a new game. What does a tree a green rabbit cutout and 12pm on Sept 27, 2005 (assuming that the countdown is to a date) have in common? I have no clue, but stay tuned and I'm sure this will be all over the web soon.

Christopher Walken running for president

2005-08-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

At first I thought this was a joke, but I'm pretty sure it's serious. I don't really have an opinion either way but if he becomes the President it will be hard to not think of one of his SNL characters when he's giving his speeches and who could forget his dancing in Moby's Weapon of Choice video. This should be interesting. An upside would be that he could play himself in the made for TV movie about his rise to the Presidency.

Using Excel as a calculator

2005-08-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

Normally if you want to perform a simple calculation like 2+2 you would have to either type "=2+2" (without quotes) or open up the calculator. This may not seem like a big deal and it really isn't but I've always found it irritating that the equal sign isn't on the number pad so you have to take your hand off the number pad, hit the equal sign then go back to the number pad (If you use the number keys above the QWERTY section this may not pose an issue).

As a solution for this, I've found that if you type "+2+2" you get a solution. It seems that Excel reads this as "positive 2 plus 2" and it calculates it just as if you used an equal sign. This also works with negative numbers. For instance if you were to type "-2+2" it would be the same as "negative 2 plus 2" and will return an answer of 0.

The Price is Right promotes idiocy

2005-08-11T13:06:00.000-04:00

IMO this fiasco on the Price is Right is quite a bit funnier than that lip-synching dutch kid. I would hope that this guy is just putting on an act but I have a feeling he's for real...which is very, very, very sad...but also extremely amusing.

July 20, On This Day...

2005-07-20T07:16:00.000-04:00

1969 Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon when he stepped out of the lunar module.
1881 Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull, a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrendered to federal troops.
1917 The World War I draft lottery began.
1976 America's Viking 1 robot spacecraft landed on Mars.
1999 After 38 years at the bottom of the Atlantic, astronaut Gus Grissom's Liberty Bell 7 Mercury capsule was lifted to the surface. (I wonder if NASA schedules all these things to take place on the same day on purpose)

July 19, On This Day...

2005-07-19T07:22:00.000-04:00

1834 Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist painter and sculptor, was born.
1969 Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin ''Buzz'' Aldrin and Michael Collins, went into orbit around the moon.

July 14, On This Day...

2005-07-14T08:16:00.000-04:00

1789 During the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille.
1881 The outlaw known as Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, N.M.
1933 All German political parties except the Nazi Party were outlawed.

Neogentronyx Mech NMX04-1A

2005-07-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

Wow. I don't know if I think this is cool or sad. It's cool because it's actually pretty decent looking and it's pretty awesome that this guy built it himself. It's kind of sad because he spent so much time and money on such a useless project. When is he ever really going to use it? He says he's planning on designing these mechs for arena fighting. At least he didn't name it Gundam X or something stupid like that. It seems to me that $25K could be spent more wisely in any number of things. I'm impressed with the skill and knowledge it would have taken to build this project and I guess as far as hobbies go, some people probalby spend even more, but a mech? It just seems silly. Anyways it's up for auction on Ebay so if you've got $40K laying around that you don't know what to do with, here's the link

Danny Way to take on the Great Wall

2005-07-08T14:41:00.000-04:00

Danny Way (professional skateboarder) will be jumping across a section of the Great Wall of China tomorrow at 5PM (Beijing time). CNN and ESPN will be covering it and you can read more about it here

ITMS hits 500K songs sold

2005-07-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

Not much to say really but here's a link

The Attics

2005-07-08T10:28:00.000-04:00

Four of my friends are in a band called The Attics. They're a rock band that dip into several genres. Three of them alternate singing and I believe all four contribute songs. They're defintely worth checking out and you can find out more here at their blog. I'm adding the link to my 'band' section as well.

July 7, On This Day...

2005-07-07T16:29:00.000-04:00

1981 President Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court. (Interestingly just last week she put in her resignation...maybe it's not that interesting...maybe it's more coincidental...definitely not ironic)
1954 Elvis Presley made his radio debut when Memphis, Tenn., station WHBQ played his first recording for Sun Records, ''That's All Right.''
1987 Lt. Col. Oliver North began his public testimony at the Iran-Contra hearing, telling Congress that he had ''never carried out a single act, not one'' without authorization.
1990 Martina Navratilova won a record ninth women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Zina Garrison 6-4, 6-1.
2005 Ringo Starr turns 65

2012 Olympics

2005-07-06T10:32:00.000-04:00

London beat out Paris, NYC and Moscow among others to host the 2012 Olympics...just thought you should now.

July 6, On This Day...

2005-07-06T07:27:00.000-04:00

1957 Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title, defeating fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2.
1483 England's King Richard III was crowned.
1535 Sir Thomas More was executed in England for treason.
1885 French scientist Louis Pasteur successfully tested an anti-rabies vaccine on a boy bitten by an infected dog.
1928 The first all-talking movie feature, ''The Lights of New York,'' was shown in New York.
1957 Teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time at a church in Liverpool, England, following a performance by Lennon's band, the Quarrymen.
1997 The rover Sojourner rolled down a ramp from the Mars Pathfinder lander onto the Martian landscape to begin inspecting soil and rocks.

July 5, On This Day...

2005-07-05T07:31:00.000-04:00

1975 Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.
1946 The bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.
1954 Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place, at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.
1997 Martina Hingis, 16, became the youngest Wimbledom singles champion in 110 years as she beat Jana Novotna in the women's final.

5440 show tonight

2005-07-02T22:57:00.000-04:00

So as I posted earlier, I went to see 5440 tonight. I've seen them before but it was only for about 6 or 7 songs. It was great to finally see a complete concert of theirs. It wasn't the best concert I've ever been to but they were good performers and they played all their singles. The only downside for me was that the crowd was full of a bunch of drunken, gyrating 40 somethings...it was pretty scary. I would definitely like to give 5440 another chance at a normal concert where people actually have to pay to get in. And another thing that was irritating is that one of the rent-a-cops told me I couldn't take pictures...so I only took a couple and they aren't good but I'm going to post them anyways.

In the beginning there were board games...

2005-07-02T11:58:00.000-04:00

Recently I've started enjoying board games again. As you can see from my other posts I'm still interested in video games but there's alot to be said for gaming with boards, cards and dice. Besides that, the recent rumored announcement of how expensive the next gen consoles will be have forced me to reconsider how much money I'm willing to invest into video games.

I've always liked playing board games but it's only now that I'm really starting to realize how many games are out there. Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley etc. have created a load of mainstream games to keep a large portion of people content. What many people don't realize is that there is a whole other world of games out there.

I've known these games are out there, but I never realized just how popular and extensive they were. If you go to Toys 'R Us or Target you won't find them, but if you visit gaming stores, hobby shops or online retailers you can get your hands on them. I'm still fairly new to all this so I probably don't have all the proper terminology, thus, if you're reading this and you're a hardcore gamer, bear with me and take it for what it's worth. If you're new to gaming, I encourage you to check out the links.

After thinking about it and talking it over with others, I've started to realize what I like and what I don't like when it comes to games. I like games that involve thinking and strategy where not just anybody can win on accident. I don't like games that are completely random or fully rely on dice for the outcome, many of these games are quite juvenile anyways. I don't mind most party games but they aren't my first choice. The enjoyment I get from games depends on the people that are playing. I don't like playing when some of the people are just playing to have something to do, I like playing with people that want to play and are going to put their mind to it and not just mess around.

All that said, here are some games that I currently like and others that I am planning on checking out. If you have any opinions on the any of the games listed, especially the ones I'm thinking about checking out, please post a comment.

2 player games I currently enjoy

Othello I have yet to beat James at this but I love it anyways. The instructions say that it takes "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" and while I don't think it really takes a lifetime, its taking me a while.
Chess I'm not very good at chess at all. I know this but I still love playing it. As far as strategy goes, just take a look at the library or a bookstore to see how many books are dedicated to improving your skills at this game.

I know other games can be played with just 2 players but this section was just for games that are for only 2 players.

2 player games I plan on checking out

Backgammon I've never played it but I'd like to learn. It might not even be fun but I want to at least give it a try
Rubik's Checkers I can't remember if this is the correct name or not but it's something like that. It's similar to checkers but with extra maneuvers, it looks like it will provide a decent challenge.

Mulitplayer/Party games I currently enjoy

Monopoly Definitely my favorite game so far. The problem is that this is many people's least favorite game so trying to find someone to play with is usually difficult. Just as with any game there are alot of things you need to know to make a success of this game. I find it is only fair when playing with other people at the same level. Not that I won't play with people that aren't good, but it's just not fair and it's frustrating to see people trade away property that would win the game for them.
Acquire This game has been around for a while but I was only introduced to it within the last year. It's all about buying and selling hotels. You have to know when to buy, when to sell, how much stock to purchase how much to trade it etc. It's not really hard to learn the basics but it takes a little longer to understand the strategies. I can play the game at a decent level now but I'm still slow and have to really think out every move.
Risk There's not much to say about this that I'm sure you don't already know. It's been around for a while and I think most people have either played it. I'd say the things I don't like about this game are (1) the setup time and (2) the fact that the battles are so random due to the dice. My friend Jared and I are currently working on coming up with a different system that will hopefully make things a little more realistic. If you have come up with anything from your own experience, please post a comment.
Pit Another game that has been around for a while...over 100 years, but I have just recently found out about it. This might also fall under party game but I like it better than most party games so I'm listing it here. It's based on the idea of trading goods. It's fast paced, loud and takes quick thinking.
Scrabble Not very exciting but I love it all the same. It's not usually my first choice to play, but if others are playing and they talk me into it I have a great time. I like it because its fun and it really makes you think and thinking is what I enjoy most about board games.
Axis & Allies Like Risk but more involved. I like the gameplay and I think it has more realistic options

Multiplayer/Party games I plan on checking out

Settlers of Catan Everyone I've talked to and all the reviews I've read say this game is one of the best out there. It has several expansions and versions so it seems like it has a great replayablity as well as alot of opportunity for growth.
Triopoly Jared W recently bought this and it looks like an interesting idea for a game so I'm looking forward to playing this.
Blokus I wish I could provide more details about this game but I can't...it just looks cool. Google it if you want more information.
Ticket to Ride I'm not sure if this game will be stupid or not. The goal is to visit as many cities as possible on the map traveling on the railroad. I doesn't seem like it would be a really difficult game but something about it makes me want to try it out.
Fluxx I think this seems like a great idea. You start by flipping one card over and then every card you lay down changes the rules. from some of the reviews I've read, I guess this game gets boring fast if people aren't really into it. We'll see, I'm definitely going to be getting this game and I'll let you know.
Plague and Pestilence This has been described as a beer and nuts game. It only takes about 1/2 -3/4 hr. but its really fun. I don't remember all the details because I havent' played it in over 4 years but at the time I remember thinking that it was a great game. The problem is finding a place that sells it.
Shogun Here's another game I've played but its been several years so I'd like to check it out again. It's pretty much like Risk or A&A but in Japan.

This isn't really a complete list by any means, but its the games that come to mind. If you have any suggestions please feel free to post.

I always wanted to...

2005-07-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

Try this.

Think about your life so far.
Make a list of things you'd like to do.
Make a list of things you've already accomplished.
Go to 43things.com.

What a great idea for a website. Here you can get or give advice on thousands of things from learning a language, traveling to another country, making friends, or wanting to floss more. It definitely has an online community feel to it, which I'm not really big on, but still I've found several of the suggestions helpful.

Google cheat sheet

2005-07-02T09:37:00.000-04:00

So we already know that Google has some of the most useful utilities on the internet. Here is a page to help you get even more out of your Google searches. Some of the tips are old, some new, all of them helpful. The rest of the site has alot of other Google related information also.

I'm not dead yet

2005-07-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

I'm still blogging...just not as much. I'm being trained for a new job at work so I haven't had much time to keep up on the news and the fact that my computer at home has been jacked up for almost 2 weeks doesn't help either. As much as I love posting 6, 7, 8 or more times a day, I don't think that will happen much anymore, at least not right now... I'm working on a couple big articles and I still hope to post at least 3-4 times per week besides my "On this day" posts.

Some friends and I have a cable access TV show that will be starting next week. We're going to have fun with it and we're going to try to make it as quality as possible with the resources and time that we have available. I think it's on at 9pm on Thursday. When I find out more details I'll post them here. I know I'll be having a segment which will be pretty much the same stuff thats on my blog but it will be on TV. I don't want to give away many more of our ideas yet, but if all goes well it should be quite entertaining.

I'm going to see a free 5440 show tonight in Tonawanda, NY so that should be fun. I'll try to take some pics and post them.

That's all for now.

July 2, On This Day...

2005-07-02T07:56:00.000-04:00

Today is the 183rd day of the year, 182 to go so we're pretty much half way through the year...in case you were wondering

1890 Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act
1947 An object that the Army Air Force later said was a weather balloon crashed near Roswell, N.M. Eyewitness accounts gave rise to speculation it might have been an alien spacecraft.
1961 Author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
1994 Colombian soccer player Andres Escobar was shot to death in Medellin, 10 days after accidentally scoring a goal against his own team in World Cup competition.
1997 Actor James Stewart died at age 89.
2005Lindsay Lohan turns 19 years and Larry David turns 58

more at the NYT

June 16, On This Day...

2005-06-16T07:18:00.000-04:00

1903 Ford Motor Co. was incorporated.

And that's all I was interested in for today. I'm hoping something exciting happens today so that next year I can have 2 events for my list. For more, check out the NYT

June 15, On This Day...

2005-06-15T07:41:00.000-04:00

1215 King John put his seal to Magna Carta at Runnymede, England, granting his barons more liberty.
1844 Charles Goodyear received a patent for a process to strengthen rubber.
1923Lou Gehrig made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.
1992 Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously told an elementary school student to spell potato as ''potatoe'' during a spelling bee.
1996 Ella Fitzgerald died at age 78.

The Rocket Summer is awesome

2005-06-14T14:58:00.000-04:00

Mike B recently told me about The Rocket Summer and since I first heard the new album, "Hello Good Friend" I have been listening to it at least once per day, sometimes 2 or 3 times and I'm still not sick of it. Its upbeat, catchy and makes me feel good everytime I listen to it. I was impressed with the music before I found out that Bryce Avary is only 20 and from what I've read so far, plays all the instruments (at least he did on the debut album "Calendar Days"). If I were to make a comparison to other artists, I would say he's somewhere between Ben Kweller and Ben Folds and maybe a little Dashboard Confessional every now and then. I really hope to see TRS live at some point because if he can transfer even some of the energy from the recorded music to a live act it would be highly entertaining. If you don't check out TRS you are doing your ears a huge disservice.

June 14, On This Day...

2005-06-14T07:46:00.000-04:00

1775 The United States Army was founded.
1777 The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.
1940 The Nazis opened a concentration camp at Auschwitz in German-occupied Poland.
1943 The Supreme Court ruled schoolchildren could not be compelled to salute the flag of the United States if doing so would conflict with their religious beliefs.
2003 I got married

DHTML Lemmings

2005-06-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

Why are the old school games so addicting and fun. I can't figure it out but I know alot of people that feel the same way. Anyways, I'll save the rest of my thoughts for another post. Here's a link for a Lemmings game in DHTML

Pink Floyd Reuniting for 1 show

2005-06-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

I'm not a huge Pink Floyd fan but I have a couple albums. Still I think it's impressive that they'll be doing a show together again after 24 years. This is the kind of band, that if you like rock music and you can get tickets, you almost have to see. If this turned into a world tour I know I would be in line for tix but I have a feeling this will be a one time thing.

The Gates Estate

2005-06-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

Here is a virtual tour of what .$53M will buy. I'm not jealous, but I am annoyed. Nobody needs a house that big. Even if a person can afford a massive estate, they shouldn't be allowed to build it. Not only can they not enjoy it all, its a waste of energy and resources. I know it's a status symbol and he probably doesn't know what else to do with all his money. Here's a thought, give more to charity or starving people. I know that he already does this but if he has the money to buy himself a $53M estate then he's not giving enough. He could live comfortably with a lot less money, but then of course, he wouldn't be one of the richest men in the world and that would be terrible. What a joke! Just this fact alone makes me not want to buy Microsoft products. I don't feel that I need to be adding to Mr. Gates' paycheck.

June 13, On This Day...

2005-06-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

1966 the Supreme Court issued its landmark Miranda vs. Arizona decision, ruling that criminal suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights prior to questioning by police
1967 Thurgood Marshall was nominated to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
1983 Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to leave the solar system by crossing Neptune's orbit.
1986 Benny Goodman, the clarinet-playing ''King of Swing,'' died at age 77.
1997 A jury voted unanimously to give Timothy McVeigh the death penalty for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Two great bands, one great show

2005-06-11T18:05:00.000-04:00

Of the 9 or so times I've seen Sloan, I'd say the show last night ranks near the top, possibly the best, of course the fact that they played so many singles has something to do with it. In my opinion, there was a bit of a slow part for a few songs and while they were good songs, they weren't my favorite songs. Here's a few songs I'd love to hear live, some of them go a ways back so I'm pretty sure I won't hear them but it would be awesome.

Worried Now
Who You Talkin' to - I love the harmonies at the end of this song
Same Old Flame
Pretty Voice
Sugartune
Junior Panthers
Autobiography
C'mon C'mon

After I got looking through the collection I realized that there are alot more songs that I love but I'd say these are some of my favorites that I've never heard live. Post a comment if you've ever seen any of these songs live or if there are any other songs you'd like to hear live.

I'd also like to say a few words in regard to The Capitol Years. They were great. I had never heard of them before this show. I read reviews from some of their other fans and my expectation was built. I have to say, they surpassed what I expected. I really hope these guys come around again, next time I'll have brushed up on their catalogue because I'm definitely planning on getting their albums and I encourage others to do the same. I hope they get the recognition they deserve.

BTW...here's a link to an article on MTV.com a couple months ago about Sloan's new release

Some pictures from the Sloan concert

2005-06-11T01:43:00.000-04:00

Sloan

Chris getting ready to play the next song

Getting a little crazy on the drums

Making sure everything's in order

Chris

Patrick

Andrew

Jay

Chris getting everyone involved

The setlist signed buy the guys from the band

Jay talking to fans after the show

Sara got her picture taken with Chris

Sloan tonight in Buffalo

2005-06-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

Tonight my favorite band is playing in Buffalo and I have tickets for the show. This will be the 8th time I've seen them and if anyone out there hasn't heard of Sloan, you need to check them out. If you've heard them but never saw them live you need to go to a show. They've been around for 15 years yet are still relatively unknown to many, especially in the US (they're from Canada). Last year they opened for Jet which is sad. From what I've read, they blew Jet away. They have such an amazing stage presence and musical ability and many of today's bands should be opening for them. I have their 8 albums and 1 ep and love every song, there are some songs that are better than others but IMO, they are all great.

I'll be taking my camera and hopefully getting some pictures up on my blog...I know I've said it before but I really do plan on posting pics at some point.

June 10, On This Day...

2005-06-10T08:54:00.000-04:00

1922 Judy Garland was born.
1977 James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from prison in Tennessee with six others; he was recaptured three days later.
2002 John Gotti died in prison at age 61.
2004 Ray Charles died at age 73.

June 9, On This Day...

2005-06-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

1870 Charles Dickens died at age 58.
1891 Cole Porter was born in Peru, Ind.
2005 Natalie Portman is 24, Johnny Depp is 42 and Michael J. Fox is 44

My Blog (PLEASE READ AND COMMENT)

2005-06-08T09:07:00.000-04:00

When I first started this blog, my plan was to find an article or event and write my opinion about it. After a while I started just posting about gadgets or news events but I wasn't making any comments about them. So here's my question to anyone that reads this, even if you aren't a returning reader...Would you rather read several news/tech/gadget events of the day or 1 or 2 posts that I've given thought to, for example, what music I've been listening to, what movies I enjoy, etc.. Please comment. Your opinions will help me determine the direction my blog will take. Also, if you personally know me, please still post your opinion on the blog so that others can read it and hopefully it will serve as a brainstorming session.

June 8, On This Day...

2005-06-08T07:07:00.000-04:00

1861 Tennessee seceded from the Union.
1867 Frank Lloyd Wright was born
1968 The capture of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, was announced.
1969 The New York Yankees retired Mickey Mantle's uniform No. 7 during ''Mickey Mantle Day'' at Yankee Stadium.

June 7, On This Day...

2005-06-07T10:06:00.000-04:00

1939 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, arrived at Niagara Falls, N.Y. on the first visit to the United States by a reigning British monarch.
1892 Homer Plessy was arrested when he refused to move from a seat reserved for whites on a train in New Orleans. The case led to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ''separate but equal'' decision in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.
1848 French postimpressionist painter Paul Gauguin was born in Paris.

Another day of not much exciting. If you want, you can check out the NYT for a longer list of events and birthdays from today, maybe you'll find more that interests you.

June 6, On This Day...

2005-06-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

1925 Walter Percy Chrysler founded Chrysler Corp.
1933 The first drive-in movie theater opened, in Camden, N.J.
1934 The S.E.C. was established.

I guess today just isn't very exciting.

Some bands worth checking out

2005-06-03T09:30:00.000-04:00

Here are some bands I've been listening to. You may have heard some of their music already but if not you should.

Recovering from my vacation

2005-06-02T09:28:00.000-04:00

I love going on vacation but I hate coming back. I don't just mean that I hate going back to work, but it seems that many times I go on vacation and I end up pushing myself to get in as much as possible in the short time that I have. When I get home I end up recovering from my vacation for a week, trying to catch up on my sleep, email, snail mail and other miscellaneous things.

I got thinking about it and I've decided that the best stress-free vacations are to either stay home and do whatever you want or go somewhere where you don't know anybody (cruise, resort, etc.) I think that when you visit friends or family there is stress to stay occupied the whole time. I really do enjoy visiting family but I think that "visiting" vacations are the most busy. I don't want it to sound like this is a bad thing, its just different and it can be irritating if you haven't prepared yourself for it.

In October I went on a cruise and I read two books, got a nice tan, stayed up at night and still felt rested in the morning because I wasn't pushing myself. Two years ago my wife and I went to a resort in Cancun for our honeymoon, besides getting sick, it was the most relaxing vacation I've ever been on. In contrast I thought about some of the vacations I've taken to visit friends and family and I realized that I don't get a chance to read a book and if I stayed up late, I still had to get up early (relatively early) for breakfast or just to get the day started. On the plus side I had an opportunity to see people that I care about that I may not have seen in several years.

After putting the two types on a scale, I've decieded that a vacation is a vacation, you get time off from work to do something different that you would normally do in your everyday life. Whether you visit people or not you can have a good time but before you go you have to prepare yourself for the type of vacation you're taking so that you're ready for it ahead of time and don't have to spend a week recuperating after.

That said...I will get back to regular posting soon.

I'm back

2005-05-31T07:24:00.000-04:00

I've been away for the last week in Atlanta but I'm back now so once I catch up with life I'll start posting again (probably later today or tomorrow...bear with me)

I'm going to Toronto today

2005-05-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

I'll be leaving in about an hour and a half. I'm going to take my camera and I'll post some pictures when I get back tonight or tomorrow...stay tuned.

May 21, On This Day...

2005-05-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

Not a very exciting day.

1927 Charles A. Lindbergh landed the "Spirit of St. Louis" near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1881 Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.

Some news from the last week or so

2005-05-20T19:20:00.000-04:00

Here are some things I didn't get around to posting as they happened.
5/18/05 A woman had an iPod, a laptop and other things stolen and was able to get them back by looking them up on Ebay. The theif sold them to a pawn shop who in turn put them up for auction. article from The Register

5/16/05 I actually didn't even know that it was illegal to buy wine online until a couple days ago when it was announced that it was ok now. article from ArsTechnica, article from CNN

5/13/05 If you've always wanted to fly in space and you've got an extra $150,000 laying around, click here

5/12/05 Forbes had a really interesting article on the science of Star Wars

5/12/05 I know this is probably really geeky of me but I really want to try this. It involves a PSOne LCD, a computer tower and some other tools.

5/12/05 Don't even get me started on this one. I know its been around the internet for a couple days now but I found it really irritating that Bill Gates is so into himself that he really thinks iPods are going to fade away. I know it's probably a PR move and he has to say it but I still think its dumb. He's probably just jealous and annoyed that he didn't think of it first. article from Beta News

Google Portal now, Google Earth soon

2005-05-20T08:39:00.000-04:00

For a while now I've thought it would be great if Google offered more of a portal and I know other people have felt the same way. For those of us looking for such an addition to Google, click here. *Note: In order for the Movie and Weather options to work, you have to click on edit and add your zip code.

Google Earth will be similar to the satellite feature on Google Maps but more detailed. The NYT talks about both new features here.

May 20, On This Day...

2005-05-20T08:19:00.000-04:00

1506 Christopher Columbus died in poverty in Spain.
1927 Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1939 Pan American Airways began regular trans-Atlantic air service

Doesn't it seem ironic or coincidental (I can never figure which) that all these "first in flights" happened on the same day. Also, along the lines of airline news, America West and US Airways officialy announced today that they will be merging over the next few years.

1993 93 million people watched the final first-run episode of ''Cheers'' on NBC.

Lion > 42 midgets in Cambodia

2005-05-19T13:52:00.000-04:00

If this story wasn't from the BBC I would have thought it was a joke. Not that it's funny for people to die, but its just so unbelievable that the government would allow it to happen, let alone ask for commision from the ticket sales.

I saw Star Wars III, but I won't tell what happened...yet

2005-05-19T12:44:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw "Revenge of the Sith" at midnight. We got to the theater about 10 and waited for 2 hours for the movie to start. Thankfully we were able to actually get into the theater and get seats, by the time we got there the seats were about a third full which still left us plenty of choices, which is what we wanted. There were a few people dressed up, but they had to leave their lightsabers and blaster rifles in their cars. I waited in line for popcorn and pop for about 25 mins so that was a little irritating but it also killed time. There was a preview for "The Chronicle's of Narnia" to be released on December 9th. The trailer for the movie showed a couple scenes that were exactly as I pictured they would be when I read the book back in Elementary School. Some of the other trailers were for "The Longest Yard", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Batman Begins" and "Stealth".

I was thinking about posting my opinion of the movie, but I was talking about it with Ian and he made a good point that it might be nice to let everyone see it before I give my opinions so as to not build too much anticipation for it. So I'm going to hold off until Monday. I figure that will give everyone an oportunity over the weekend to see it.

Netscape 8.0 released

2005-05-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

CNET has a review of the new version, Netscape talks about some of the new features here, and if you like what you see, here's the link to download it .

May 19, On This Day

2005-05-19T07:55:00.000-04:00

1935

(I didn't even know it was a real person)

1925 Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Neb.
2005 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released at midnight.

When you're desperate for filtered water.

2005-05-18T11:08:00.000-04:00

If you have clay, fire, coffee and cow manure you're all set. That's right, Australian Professor Tony Flynn has developed a way to purify water if a normal filter isn't available. I'll stick to my Brita and take his word for it, but if you feel like giving it a try, click here.

Nintendo Game Boy Micro

2005-05-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

If you've been following E3, and maybe even if you haven't been following it, you've probably heard that Nintendo announced the latest member to the Game Boy family. It's called Game Boy Micro and at just over the size of an iPod Mini, its the smallest Game Boy yet. It will have a metallic "shiny" finish with a changeable faceplate so like the XBox 360, it will be customizable. As far as games go, it will be released with hundreds since it will be compatible with Game Boy Advanced SP games. Its due out later this year.