Reserved for Frank
Parking space reservations don't get much better than this!
November 08, 2005
November 02, 2005
Save some money, help the environment
"The smallest things can add up to a real difference. We encourage you to change out the light fixtures or bulbs at home that you use most with ENERGY STAR qualified models. If every American home changed out just 5 high-use light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, each family would save more than $60 every year in energy costs, and together we'd keep more than one trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of our air – equal to the emissions of 8 million cars. That's a $6 billion energy savings for Americans, equivalent to the annual output of more than 21 power plants."
Simple enough, just buy Energy Star bulbs as your current lights burn out.
October 23, 2005
Remember The Milk
"Remember The Milk is the easiest and best way to manage your to-do lists online."
To do lists and reminders have never been so simple. Can't wait for it to hook into Outlook.
October 12, 2005
Smurfs 'bombed' in UNICEF campaign
(apologies to those of you that saw this in its "raw form", I was having trouble with the connection to Flickr and didn't think the picture upload had gone through. (and no, my nickname "Flick" predates Flickr by at least a decade, for those wondering.))
Well I didn't expect my first posting in just over a month to be a picture of the Smurf village being air bombed but hey, that's life on the 'net! Anyone have a link to the actual commercial? Leave me a comment. Sorry, comments don't appear to be working again, I'll have to look at that later. Use "JAFT.Journal overat gmail.com" instead, with the obvious mod to make that work. Anyway, aren't the terrorists wining if now my only mental image of Baby Smurf is him covered in shrapnel? Bah!
Ok, A quick note on where I've been and what I've been up to:
- Studying for, taking and passing PMI's PMP Exam. My daughter says this makes me a PiMP.
- As noted in the last entry, the Fall TV Season has arrived. This causes your average TV Junkie to disappear for a few weeks. I'm not as bad as I was so that's not as big a factor as it has been in years past around this time. That and, of course, the power of Tivo.
- Bit of a re-org at work, been a little preoccupied with that.
- Miscellaneous little stuff that took my attention.
So that's it for now, stay tuned for more random wanderings and musings...
September 06, 2005
Thinking Outside the Box
"Now's a little late to rethink how Telecoms could respond to the Katrina crisis. Still..."
Great idea, won't happen, telcos are too old school.
August 07, 2005
2014: A Look Back
"In the year 2014, The New York Times has gone offline. The Fourth Estate's fortunes have waned. What happened to the news? And what is EPIC?"
A documentary about how Google took over.
July 24, 2005
PETA kills Animals
The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It is Copyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted here with permission:
"Ethical" Defined
After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster over four weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptacle behind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watched the occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two people in the van and found 18 dead dogs in plastic bags in the dumpster, including puppies; 13 more dead dogs were still in the van. Police say the van is registered to the headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, and Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsy performed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed. Police say PETA has been picking up the animals -- alive -- from North Carolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook and Hinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. In response to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it's against the group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "that for some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option than euthanasia." (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) ...Oops, my mistake: that's "Playing God" Defined.
In his author's notes section, Cassingham had more to say about this story:
The more I learn about PETA, the less I think of them. The story of them killing animals isn't even unusual. According to PETA's own filings, in 2004 PETA killed 86.3 percent of the animals entrusted to its care -- a number that's rising, not falling. Meanwhile, the SPCA in PETA's home town (Norfolk, Va.) was able to find loving homes for 73 percent of the animals put in its care. A shortage of funds? Nope: last year PETA took in $29 million in tax-exempt donations. It simply has other priorities for the funds, like funding terrorism (yes, really). But don't take my word for it: I got my figures from http://www.PETAkillsAnimals.com -- and they have copies of PETA's state and federal filings to back it up. The bottom line: if you donate money to PETA because you think they care for and about animals, you need to think some more. PETA literally yells and screams about how others "kill animals" but this is how
they operate? Pathetic.And you know what I wonder? PETA's official count of animals they kill is 86.3 percent. But if they're going around picking up animals, killing them while they drive around and not even giving them a chance to be adopted, and then destroying the evidence by dumping the bodies in the trash, are those deaths being reported? My guess: no. While 86.3 percent is awful, the actual number is probably much, much higher. How dare they lecture anyone about the "ethical" treatment of animals!
(This is True is a weekly column featuring weird-but-true news stories from around the world, and has been published since 1994. Click the link for info about free subscriptions.)
July 22, 2005
Birds imitate mobile phone ring tones
"Birds have learnt to imitate the ring tones of the omnipresent mobile phones, say German ornithologists."
Life imitates art imitates life...
July 09, 2005
PCs Infected in 12 Minutes
"The speed with which PCs can become infected has now shortened. If your Windows computer is not properly protected, it will take 12 minutes before it becomes infected."
Scary. The first thing you do on a new PC before connecting it to the Internet is load protective utilities such as a virus scanner and an anti-spyware app, right?
July 06, 2005
Got Gmail?
June 28, 2005
The Internet transforms modern life
"In 1994, people had to call the bank to check their balances. Or inquire in person, or wait for a paper statement to arrive in the mail. Baseball box scores were found in the newspaper. Weather forecasts came over the phone from the weather bureau, or on TV.
"Back then, most Americans still had to lick a stamp to send mail."
Wow, seems like the Dark Ages, doesn't it? Amazing that that was just 10 short years ago.
June 25, 2005
The Credit Card Prank
"In my lifetime, I have made nearly 15,000 credit card transactions. I purchase almost everything on plastic. What bugs me about credit card transactions is the signing. Who checks the signature? Nobody checks the signature."
Scary that he got away with this.
May 31, 2005
Latest contest winner
2nd runner up this week. The winner did have a great entry, can't complain.
May 28, 2005
Dressed up and ready to graduate?
For Tracie:
"When and where did graduating students begin wearing mortarboards and tassels?"
May 24, 2005
Chicago crime database
"A freely browsable database of crimes reported in Chicago."
Pretty neat, be nice to have this for every community. Check out the use of Google Maps!
May 23, 2005
Of U2, Java and text messaging
"We received an odd press release today concerning U2, text messaging and Java.
"According to the release, at U2 concerts "During the song 'One' Bono and Sun Microsystems are asking fans to participate in their mission to build support for the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa by text messaging the word 'unite.' " "
Yup, and at the concert I went to so few people did it that the names on the video screen started repeating pretty quickly.
Runner Up
I was a runner up this week in my quest to complete a trifecta.
May 17, 2005
Rise of the Blog
"Millions of the easy-to-publish online journals have been created in the past three years, and their impact has been rapid and widespread. Bloggers helped drive Dan Rather from the anchor desk at CBS, and they played a prominent role in the 2004 elections. Corporate culture is no exception to this trend, but much of the action is taking place beneath the radar of IT managers."
Good article.
May 12, 2005
Pathetic Virus Attempt
Gosh, my thanks go out to this guy who took the time to send me my bank's documents. That was very thoughtful of him!
Geez, does anybody fall for this crap anymore? I can understand (maybe) falling for one of these sophisticated phishing attempts (heck, I missed one on the phishing test), but this garbage?
-----Original Message-----
From: shrinath999@rediffmail.com [mailto:shrinath999@rediffmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 05:45
To: peter
Subject: Hello
Attachments: ‹deleted›
Here are your banks documents.
May 10, 2005
AZ Chain Gang
I wonder if I could hire these guys to do some yard work. ;-)
April 21, 2005
My Arcade
"Welcome to the "Luna City Arcade", our home gameroom!"
This is why I want a basement in my next home. Well, one of the reasons; the other being a home theatre. Guess I need two basements in my next home.
April 19, 2005
Twenty-Five Years of Post-it Notes
"On April 6, 1980 . . . a remarkable new technology arrived in stationery stores around the nation. It was so simple to use, even a CEO could master it. It was so perfectly designed, it didn't require semi-annual upgrades. It was so versatile, it actually performed better than advertised. It was the Post-it Note."
A detailed history of the Post-it Note. And to think 3M didn't want to produce it!
April 13, 2005
Conjuction Junction, What's Your Function?
If that title makes any sense to you, you'll like this.
April 08, 2005
Poop flinging has evolved
"Why are so many people turning to Fecalgram.com when they need a gift for that "Special Someone"? Because we send 100% natural, freshly squeezed, human-made turds to anyone in America completely anonymously. Guaranteed."
March 30, 2005
Apples and Oranges -- A Comparison
"We have all been present at discussions (or arguments) in which one of the combatants attempts to clarify or strengthen a point by comparing the subject at hand with another item or situation more familiar to the audience or opponent. More often than not, this stratagem instantly results in the protest that "you're comparing apples and oranges!" This is generally perceived as being a telling blow to the analogy, since it is generally understood that apples and oranges cannot be compared. However, after being the recipient of just such an accusation, it occurred to me that there are several problems with dismissing analogies with the comparing apples and oranges defense."
March 28, 2005
TiVo's ripple effect: Water-cooler chill
"As more Americans buy into DVR technology, they turn a deaf ear to morning-after gabfests - and that can be an
issue."
Myself, I just figure out what shows get discussed the day after and make a point of watching them the same day they air.
Internet Anagram Server
"Did you know that parliament is an anagram of partial men? Or, Clint Eastwood an anagram of Old West Action? Someone once said, "All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie." Here is your chance to discover the wisdom of anagrams. Enter the word or phrase in the form below and press button."
Cool.
March 22, 2005
Online Seat Guru Helps Pick Your Jet Seat
"Travel agents and Web sites allow to me to select a particular seat when I fly, but other than window or aisle, I have no clue about my options. How do I make an informed choice?"
Don't remember if I've posted this before, so tossing it up just in case.
Leno's Johny Carson Tribute
Somehow this sat in draft mode, whoops!
"In tribute to Johnny Carson, tonight's telecast of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" featured Jay Leno reflecting on the life of Johnny Carson with Ed McMahon, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart and Drew Carey. k.d. lang closed the show with a performance of "Simple."
The following is a transcript of host Jay Leno's comments at the top of the show."
March 18, 2005
Ancient Astronauts
UFOs over the ages as depicted in paintings.
February 15, 2005
Lake Superior Property For Sale
"Here is a 'superior' lake home and retreat just minutes from Thunder Bay, and under one hour from the border. The home is of exceptional quality and was built in 1998. It is situated on a premier point overlooking the Sleeping Giant, Caribou Island and Isle Royal, with 300 feet of accessible ledgerock shoreline. Salmon fishing, kayaking and rock hunting are just steps out the door."
Anyone have $600K CDN I could borrow with no hope of returning in my lifetime? ;-)
January 31, 2005
NHL season is dead
"Cancel the season. Now. Don't wait any longer. It is past the point of saving. As we enter February without a new collective bargaining agreement, it is time to put the season on ice. Thanks for nothing, Gary Bettman."
Amen.
January 25, 2005
DEDICATION
"Jay Leno presided over an hourlong tribute to Johnny Carson on last night's Tonight Show. In addition to memorable clips of the late-night legend's 30-year Tonight Show run, the show featured appearances by longtime Carson pals Ed McMahon, Don Rickles and Bob Newhart. Leno kicked things off with a heartfelt monologue in which he described Carson as "the best — plain and simple." Ellen DeGeneres, meanwhile, dedicates today's Ellen DeGeneres Show to Carson as well."
Shoot, I forgot to set the Tivo for this last night. Anyone have a copy???
January 20, 2005
Where's George? 2.0 Bill Tracking Report
"This bill has travelled 128 Miles in 191 Days, 7 Hrs, 6 Mins at an average of 0.67 Miles per day."
Very cool, that's the first hit I ever got on one of my bills. Ok, I only put out about 30 before getting discouraged, but still! Funny that this is one of the only ones that I "released" near home. The rest I released in Cancun last summer.
January 19, 2005
Tiger Beat Gates
"Look, we all do things we're not proud of - up to and including using a Mac. Most of us don't pose in Tiger Beat, though, then go on to be the richest man in the world. And only one of us does it in blue slacks."
Bill Gates like you've never seen him before.
January 17, 2005
Google Stock
"Google's stock priced at $85 a share, much lower than the company's initial estimate of $108 to $135. But the stock has soared since: On Jan. 3, it reached a new high of $203.64, for a 140% gain." (out of this article)
Bah! At $110 I thought "Man, too much, it can't last" and passed. Harumph!
iPod My Photo
"Transform your photos into colorful and exciting iPod ads. iPod My Photo will customize any photo and once you've seen the amazing results, you can print your own unique iPodified photo on t-shirts, greeting cards and much more. iPod your photo - give it a try!"
Kind of cool, although you're just generating advertising for Apple and one would think they could afford to do it on their own. I wish I could have them do a picture *without* putting the iPod in. I'd love to have a silhouette of me with my paintball gear. ;-)
January 11, 2005
Man auctions ad space on forehead
"A 20-year-old US man is selling advertising space on his forehead to the highest bidder on website eBay."
He didn't think big enough, like this guy did. Then again, he's leaving it on his head for 30 days and walking around with it.
Thanks Eric!
January 08, 2005
Virgin Galactic
"By the end of the decade, Virgin Galactic - the most exciting development in the story of modern space history - is planning to make it possible for almost anyone to visit the final frontier at an affordable price."
Ok, I'll just save for this instead...
Zero Gravity Experience
"For the first time in United States history, you are invited to experience Weightless Flight. We apply the highest standards of safety, FAA approved activity offers everyone the chance to enjoy the fun and exhilarating dream of weightlessness, which is how astronauts have been trained by NASA for 40 years and how Tom Hanks floated in Apollo 13. During a Weightless Flight you can experience what its like to walk on Mars and the Moon and be weightless like you are in Earth orbit."
Oh man, it went up $800 this year. Now I'll never get to do this...
December 22, 2004
Times Solstices & Equinoxes 1992-2005
"Winter Solstice Dec 21 2004 7:42 AM EST"
In other words, the days are going to start getting longer again here in AZ. Good, I hate going to work in the dark and coming home in same.
December 21, 2004
Custom Neon Sign
"5 easy steps to create your own Neon Sign Online!"
Always wanted a neon sign. More fun to find one then to make one, though.
December 08, 2004
Amazon.com: Software: Microsoft OneNote 2003
Amazon.com: Software: Microsoft OneNote 2003 [Capture all your information in one place]
List Price: $99.99
Price: $49.99
You Save: $50.00 (50%)
$100 rebate is still available!
December 02, 2004
Cereality
"Cereality is more than a place to get cereal. It's a new way of thinking about cereal. A new choice in fast food. And an idea whose time has come. In fact Cereality is so unique, we have a patent pending."
All cereal, all the time. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the one in Arizona is on the ASU campus.
December 01, 2004
Free credit report Web site launches
"Consumers eager to learn about their credit history began asking for free copies of their credit reports Wednesday, but some said they were having trouble using the Web site built by the nation's three credit bureaus.
"Starting Wednesday, consumers in the western United States were entitled to one free credit report each year beginning Dec. 1, using a Web site called AnnualCreditReport.com. Visitors then pick which of the three bureaus - Equifax, Experian, or Trans Union - they want to obtain their report from, and they are redirected to the individual company's Web site."
Definitely do this at least once a year! Identity theft is reaching new highs every day.
November 11, 2004
Integrating TV with the Online Experience
"I've recently read a couple of interesting brainstorms about the future of TiVo, television, search engines, and the relationship between the three. Convergence has gone from a cheesy buzzword to a simple fact of life in a remarkably short time, and shows every sign of continuing to accelerate. With that in mind, here are a couple of good thoughts that seem like mere ideas today but could very well be product announcements tomorrow."
Googling for TiVo?
October 21, 2004
Acronym Finder
"Find out what those acronyms and abbreviations stand for..."
Handled everything I threw at it.
October 07, 2004
""Creative Class War" by Richard Florida
"How the GOP's anti-elitism could ruin America's economy."
Interesting (but LONG) article on how creative talent is draining from the US and that that, more than any outsourcing issue, is the death of the US's dominance. Did I mention it was long?
October 06, 2004
What are you trying to say?
From a spam I just received: "When impresario around is mitochondrial, deficit beyond trade baseball cards with sandwich from nation.[3"
Wow. That is very, um, profound.
September 20, 2004
Internet Archive
"The Internet Archive is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public."
Quite a few gems tucked away on this site.
September 11, 2004
Cadavers Steal the Show in L.A.
"With a basketball in hand, arm stretched forward and one foot off the ground, the man on display at a Los Angeles science museum looks like he's dribbling toward a two-pointer. But a half-second glance reveals that he's missing a few things. Like a pair of shoes. A uniform. And, incredibly, just about every last bit of his skin."
Sounds fascinating. I wonder if this will come to Phoenix.
September 08, 2004
Light beer, good; light beer, bad
"I bought a few cases of cold beer for a party to be held in a few weeks. It was cold when I bought it, but I have had to store it at room temp, and plan to ice it down on the day of the party. A friend said this is a no-no, as beer once cold, then warmed up, then cooled down becomes bitter. Is this true?"
Clay Thompson writes the "Valley 101" column for the Arizona Republic and does so in an almost "Dave Barryish" fashion. Greatly enjoyed, too bad he doesn't have an RSS feed.
Today's column made me realize that I need to relocate my beer!
September 02, 2004
Internet Urinal
"Shopping, gaming, chat rooms, cyber-dating - the internet is such an addictive and time-consuming force, who's got time to go? With the Internet Urinal, you'll never have to leave your computer again. Imagine the freedom - destroy your opponents on network Quake without taking a break; drink as many cans of Jolt as you want and still be able to make that last important trade before the market closes. Each urinal is made with hard plastic and comes with a handy female adapter. Holds 32 oz. of liquid (same as a Big Gulp!)."
Amusing. Looks like the guy took a hospital bed urinal and stamped "Internet" on the side.
August 18, 2004
It's Just the 'internet' Now
"Effective with this sentence, Wired News will no longer capitalize the "I" in internet. At the same time, Web becomes web and Net becomes net.
Why? The simple answer is because there is no earthly reason to capitalize any of these words. Actually, there never was."
Will this catch on the way "e-mail" vs. "email" caught on when Wired made a similar decision back in 2000? Time will tell.
Making Free IPods Pay Off
"Unless you're extremely gullible, the promise of getting a free iPod from FreeiPods.com looks extremely dubious.
"But surprisingly, the site appears to be legitimate. The program almost certainly isn't a dodgy pyramid scheme; it's a new form of online marketing supported by companies like eBay, AOL and Columbia House."
I've seen people promoting this before and figured it was some sort of scam. Well, Wired News took a look at it and it turns out that it's a legimate venture, one that spends advertising dollars on rewards rather than on the medium. Viral marketing, in other words. So, what the heck, I signed up for the free iPod, even though I'm happy with my Nomad Zen Xtra. I opted for the 45 day AOL Broadband trial, since I have 45 day to cancel without getting charged and I am rather curious what AOL looks like nowadays. Last time I was on AOL it was at v3.
Oh, and yes, all of the freeiPods.com links contain my referal ID. No secrets here, I figure if you found it through me you may as well use me as your referal!
UPDATE: For the love of all that's holy, make sure that either your spam filter is up to date or, better, you use a throwaway e-mail address if you sign up! I guess in addition to the one sign up they have you do, they also sell your email address to spammers. For me that's fine, 'cause I use SpamGourmet to its fullest extent, so I won't see any of it. I just want you to be warned!
‹chandler›Could they *send* any more spam?‹/chandler›
Amber Alert Network
"The nation's Amber Alert system will be connected to the Web starting today, a major technological boost that users say should make it easier for the system to thwart child abductions by transmitting messages over pagers, cell phones and BlackBerrys..."
Sign up folks. 'Nuff said.
August 11, 2004
Cashier Confidential
"Ever wonder what grocery store clerks think about you? Their reaction to your inane and nonsensical demands, absurd purchases, hostilely unfashionable mode of dress, and willingness to pay out the nose for what could be gotten, with a little extra driving, for less than half the price? Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the other side of the looking glass: your little peek into those who facilitate your day to day eating."
So, JRO, how close to the money is this?
August 06, 2004
List of company name etymologies
"This is a list of company names with their name origins explained."
Interesting for those of us that like trivia.
August 03, 2004
Modern subway tunnel 1
"This tunnel deep beneath Manhattan was bored in the 1970s as a provision for the still-unbuilt Second Avenue subway and has only rarely been used by passenger trains. Here, in one of the deepest portions of the New York subway system, a W train, far from its assigned route, snoozes on an abandoned platform; its lights are off but its air conditioning occasionally kicks in."
Very cool pictures. I've always wanted to go down into these places, but they're rather lacking here in the southwest desert.
July 23, 2004
Free FHM Subscription
"You heard you could get one years of FHM Magazine with our compliments, right? Is that where you're going with this?
Well, you've arrived at the right place, and so has FHM."
Another free mag offer.
Poor Little Rich Dog - Ernie is healthy, wealthy, and abused
"Nobody is likely to talk much about Ernie, the kind of dog I saw frequently while researching several books. His abusers aren't lowlifes who mercilessly beat, starve, or tether animals. Quite the opposite: His owners are affluent, educated people who consider themselves humanistic and moral. But they've been cruel nonetheless, through their lack of responsibility, their neglect, their poor training, and their inattention."
July 13, 2004
The Gyrocopter
"I have been interested in flight for many years. My first gyrocopter was assembled a few years ago.
"This is the gyrocopter I built, at the flying school in Kentucky."
I wanna build one!
July 10, 2004
Foundphotos
"These were found by doing a search using p2p programs. people share their own personal digital photos in their shared folders, i guess they put them there for friends or family to download or just select their whole my documents folder as shared."
Almost like a slice of American life art exhibit, but more voyeuristic. I found it fascinating.
For the Diligent, a Soft, Furry Reward
"The biggest mistake a parent can make is to promise a 6-year-old a special reward if she works really, really hard at school."
Yep, a bunny. We got suckered into this one as well. Don't all parents?
July 07, 2004
CollectiveGood
"CollectiveGood is the mobile devices recycling resource. If you have spare mobile phones, pagers or PDAs sitting on a shelf or in a drawer, you can recycle them here in an environmentally and socially responsible manner."
They give you a charity donation receipt, too. Time to clean out my drawers.
July 06, 2004
Salute To Soda
"Welcome to Salute to Soda. This site was started with the intent of keeping track of all the new innovations in soda and to take a walk down memory lane to sodas past. We are constantly updating and upgrading this site to provide the latest sodas and soda news."
Everything you ever wanted to know about soda but were afraid to ask.
July 02, 2004
Some Constructive Criticism for Apple
From this week's WinInfo Short Takes:
"Many people think I dislike Apple, which isn't the case. In fact, I'm a fan and a customer. But what I don't like is the way Apple goes about its business. While touting its supposed innovation, the company often steals or borrows ideas from elsewhere and implements technologies that other companies have either completed or are actively working on, then doesn't give credit where credit is due. But Apple's problems are pretty clear: As a small company with an ever-declining PC market share (the Mac is down to an all-time low of 1.7 percent), Apple needs to bolster its perception among potential customers, not just glad-hand its installed base. Sadly, Apple executives--primarily CEO Steve Jobs--often lie or at least exaggerate and do so in Jobs's trademark smug fashion, tweaking the very competitors who often outperform the company. So here's my advice: Liars are always caught, so dispense with the baloney, and sell Macs as the often-excellent products they are. In other words, tout the fact that you can act quickly to move to technologies such as instant searching far more rapidly than slow-moving companies such as Microsoft, which is struggling to get Longhorn out the door. Push the areas in which you're innovating, and do so honestly. That means no more crazy claims, whether about performance or anything else that can easily be disproved. Then watch the people who really care about this kind of stuff--young people who are enthusiastic about technology for technology's sake--flock to your platform. Your digital-media technologies--the iPod and iTunes--were successful because people wanted to buy into that lifestyle. The Mac could be equally successful if you simply settled on a similar lifestyle strategy. Sadly, the only lifestyle I equate with the Mac today is one that's condescending and smug. It doesn't have to be that way. You're not embracing PC users; you're distancing them. But that's just my opinion."
June 30, 2004
Does Kazaa matter?
"The owners of the popular Kazaa file-swapping software have withstood assaults from the record industry for years, but now they're facing a new enemy that may be even harder to fight: competition."
June 29, 2004
Free WIRED Subscription; 1 Year, 12 Issues!
"Discount Mags is proud to offer you a free complimentary 1-year subscription to Wired magazine. Please allow up to 14 weeks for the arrival of your first issue. Offer subject to availability. We will do our best to take this offer down once our quota has been met. Your address will not be distributed to any 3rd party whatsoever. Your address is used solely for the magazine subscription."
FREE: 25 Digital Prints from Target
"AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FROM TARGET PHOTO FINISHING. Shop at a Target store, use the coupon below to purchase digital prints and save! Just present this coupon at time of purchase. See coupon for details."
For those of you that might want to print out some of your digital pictures.
June 21, 2004
Welcome to Gmail
"A Google approach to email: Gmail is an experiment in a new kind of webmail, built on the idea that you should never have to delete mail and you should always be able to find the message you want."
Looks like I've earned a couple of invites. Anyone interested in trying it out? This is the only place I'll offer them. Use the "Comment" feature to request; first come, first served.
June 16, 2004
Coca-Cola Unexpected Summer
Too bad I'm not a Coke drinker. This sounds pretty cool.
June 15, 2004
An 'oddball' moon of Saturn captivates astronomers
"Phoebe is an ugly duckling among Saturn's natural satellites. Its dark surface is heavily cratered. It orbits the planet backward. And it refuses to swing around the planet in the same orbital plane as other moons do."
Town Hall: Conservative Hall of Fame"
June 12, 2004
The Virtual Pet Cemetery
"Over the years, the Virtual Pet Cemetery has grown to become the world's best-known online burial ground. Thousands of visitors from all over the world come to the cemetery every day to read and share the epitaphs."
"All of us, at one time or another, have had a pet we loved and lost. If you wish to immortalize your pet in the tombs of cyber-space for eternity, now is your chance."
June 09, 2004
D-Day Cartoons
More here.
June 08, 2004
An Open Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Average Pet Owner
I found this at the New Hope Cattle Dogs website, whilst my wife and I were researching what to do with a dog we found lost out in the desert, and I thought it was worth sharing: (full text on website, for those reading via RSS or Bloglets)
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Average Pet Owner:
Thank you for contacting us animal rescuers, shelter volunteers, and foster homes about your inability to keep your pet. We receive an extremely high volume of inquiries and requests to accept surrendered animals (and none of us is getting paid, OK?). To help us expedite your problem as quickly as possible, please observe the following guidelines:
Continue reading "An Open Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Average Pet Owner" »
April 18, 2004
Roger Ebert on Howard Stern
"Like millions of Americans, I listen to Howard Stern on the radio in the mornings. I think he is smart, quick and funny. Sometimes he is ''offensive,'' but to be quite frank, I am not ''offended,'' because what he says falls within the realm of words and subjects that, as an adult, I have long been familiar with even without the tutelage of Stern."
April 11, 2004
Free legal downloads for $6 a month. DRM free. The artists get paid. We explain how
"Imagine a world where music and movies could be freely exchanged online, where artists are recompensed and the labels don't lose a cent, and where 12-year old girls need not fear harboring an MP3 of their favorite TV show theme tune on their PC."
April 04, 2004
Phoenix Arizona
Why doesn't Arizona practice daylight-saving time?
"Arizona, along with Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and parts of Indiana, remains steadfastly attached to Standard Time. The Navajo Nation, however, with the exception of some state offices, does recognize daylight-saving time. In 1967, Arizona adopted daylight saving to go along with the Uniform Time Act, which tried to put the entire nation on one time system. But, after a summer of sunsets that didn't come till nearly 9 p.m., residents realized they needed another hour of evening sun the way they needed more snakes, scorpions and snowbirds. So Arizona abandoned the plan."
And that's why I didn't fiddle with my clocks last night!
15 things you didn't know about: Daylight saving time
"Spring forward, fall back . . . If you didn't set your alarm clock ahead one hour last night before going to bed, you're late! Not until the '60s was daylight saving time fully regulated in the United States, but the idea of changing the clocks to give people another hour of daylight in the summer evenings goes back to one of our founding fathers."
About Daylight Saving Time - History, rationale, laws & dates
"Come learn the history of daylight saving, from Benjamin Franklin to the present..."
March 14, 2004
Crazy, Random "Chris Rock Thing"
"Omigod! I have Chris Rock's old cell phone number!! But it's not that old, because people are still calling!! This is such a crazy, random thing that's happened to me!"
An amusing story of recyled cell phone numbers.
February 27, 2004
We're Living in a TiVo World
"How do you feel about the fact that Janet Jacksons boob was the most replayed/reviewed moment in TiVos history? You should feel pretty good, not so much for the content itself, but for what it was telling us."
February 19, 2004
Flip Flop Socks - true comfort, classic style
"For as long as we can remember weve been wearing flip flop socks. Occasionally stared at, often unnoticed we crunched our socks between our toes and put on our flip flops no matter what the temperature.
"Knowing there are other sock crunchers out there and tired of this uncomfortable system, we decided to design a classic, stylish solution and Flip Flop Socks were born. The response has been awesome and we're excited to be developing Flip Flop Socks to supply all who love them."
Woo-hoo! Now I can't get to get old and retire, I'll be all over these puppies! ;-)
February 12, 2004
Printing Postage from your PC
A friend of mine, who knows that I use my PC to print out postage, asked me what I would recommend for her to use in her SOHO. After determining her basic requirements I checked into some of the various offerings. After reviewing the major players, of which there aren't many, I decided that the one that I use, Stamps.com, makes the most sense for her, as well as for anyone else doing non-sorted mailings from their home or small office.
So I checked to see if Stamps.com a> offered an affiliate program and b> that that program gave something more to the people I might refer than if they just went to the site directly. I wanted to provide value on both sides of the equation, so both a and b had to be "yes". If not, then I'd just post a direct link and be done with it.
Well, they were both "yes", so here's my brand spanking new affiliate link, which gives you $5 extra in free postage when you sign up, and gives me a referal fee that I will use to help defray the costs of this site:
Why this one over some of the others? Primarily two reasons - 1> Stamps.com has been around for a long time (I've been using it for years) and was started by the USPS itself, and 2> the integration with Office 2003 is tight. By that I mean that, once you set up Stamps.com, you can print postage within your normal processes. Print envelopes from Outlook and Word, for example, and the postage goes right on at the same time. Very handy!
Feel free to Comment Back if you give Stamps.com a go; I'm interested to see if everyone else finds it as handy as I do! Also, having used it so long, I can probably answer specific questions about it as well.
January 28, 2004
What You Should Know About the Mydoom Worm
"W32/Mydoom@MM spreads through e-mail. This worm can disguise the sender's address, a tactic known as spoofing, and may generate e-mail messages that appear to have been sent by Microsoft. Many of the addresses Mydoom uses are valid addresses that are being spoofed for malicious purposes."
Let's be careful out there!
January 27, 2004
Metal grommets
"Metal grommets, also known as cable hole covers, help organize your desk top electrical wire management."
So I'm at my wife's office today and I'm staring at the front of her desk. She's got two of these things, one on each corner, and both on the "client side" of the desk. They stick up a little bit, so you can't slide papers across them and they just get in the way. She tries to disguise them by putting a business card holder in front of one and a little puzzle toy in front of the other, but it comes across contrived.
So, I found myself wondering if anyone makes something decorative that fits in the hole. A Google search didn't turn up anything, at least that I could find. Anyone seen anything like I'm describing?
Maybe a little vase or something? Hmmm.
January 11, 2004
E-Mail--Hideously Unreliable
"A recent test by InformationWeek columnist Fred Langa shows that up to 40% of valid E-mails never reach the recipient. Here's what it all means to you."
Ouch! That's pretty bad.
January 09, 2004
Calendar Updates - Free Holiday and Sport Team Schedules for Microsoft Outlook
"Now you can conveniently add holidays and sport team schedules directly to your Microsoft Outlook calendar."
I've mentioned this before as a great service, but wanted to highlight it again as they've just posted several new calendars:
2003-04 NFL Divisional Playoff schedule
2004 PGA Tour schedule
2005 U.S. Holiday schedule
2005 Canadian Holiday schedule
2005 Moon Phase schedule
January 07, 2004
Cell Phone Hegemony
"Cell phones now rule the world's collective unconscious in untold ways. What astonishes me about all this is the sociology that has crept up on us. Why do we have this incessant need to chat on cell phones all day long all of a sudden? Test out this thesis. Make a note of a friend who calls you from both a cell phone and a land-line at different times. Time the calls and note the content. The cell phone calls will always be longer and more inane - with no exceptions!"
January 03, 2004
That Parent-Child Conversation Is Becoming Instant, and Online
Link (NY Times, free registration required)
"Nina Gordon types out an instant message and sends it. The data travels some 500 miles, from the computer in her living room in Queens to America Online's servers in Northern Virginia, and then to her son Schuyler's computer, which just happens to be in the next room - about 20 feet away from where she is sitting. "
A timely article, as my daughter (10) has just started IMing her mother and me like mad.
December 31, 2003
The list of lists
This page contains links to all sorts of lists having to do with 2003. Saves me the trouble of posting the ones that I find, although I will still do so if I run across a good one. Enjoy!
December 30, 2003
Collaboration
"2003 won't likely go down as a banner year for either messaging or collaboration. Much has been made of the unilateral nature of President Bush's Iraq conflict, and blended threat viruses repeatedly brought e-mail to its knees. But behind the scenes, collaboration technologies such as Groove accelerated our military effectiveness, and 2003 saw the emergence of syndication technologies as a disruptive force across the technology world.
"Here, then, are ten of the best, and the worst, of 2003."
The Eight Biggest Tech Flops Ever
"Some of the greatest flops of all time have come from high tech. Millions of dollars and countless person-hours have been wasted creating products so bad, so misguided, and so difficult to use that entire companies have been destroyed."
I still have a Sony Magic Link tucked away somewhere.
The 10 Dumbest Quotes of 2003
Ah yes, the traditional end of year lists are starting. Here's a good one to kick off the batch. I like #2 the best, I think.
December 13, 2003
The World of Private Islands
"We are offering these selected island properties at special US Dollar prices until January 30, 2004."
I've always wanted my own island. Some of these are actually affordable, too.
A quick way to track your holiday packages
"Parcel tracking IDs, patents and other specialized numbers can be entered into Google's search box for quick access to information about them. For example, typing 'fedex' followed by a space and a FedEx tracking number will return the latest information on your package."
How Magnatune is fixing the music industry
"The Plan: problems with the music industry and how Magnatune is trying to fix them."
Another legitimate music download site, this one professes to be more discriminating.
acme (ak'me) n. the highest point, summit, perfection... Webster's Dictionary
Someone just asked me about the origin of the ACME name in a comment to an article I had posted back in July. Having a few moments, I did some quick research and found this:
(click the picture to read an interesting bit of trivia/history)
December 08, 2003
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
eBay item 2968030322 (Ends Dec-11-03 07:00:00 PST)
"You are bidding on Tidings of Comfort and Joy for the holiday season."
It's official, I now think that I've seen everything.
December 04, 2003
Too Big to Ignore
"As technology becomes a driving force across so many facets of marketing today, Joseph highlights the power of DVDs in influencing television network programming decisions."
Imagine that, using hard metrics instead of voodoo boxes, er, I mean, Nielson boxes.
December 02, 2003
'Up From Zero' DVD
" 'Up From Zero' is a documentary film that pays tribute to the brave men and women of the New York City building trades who put themselves on the line on September 11, 2001 and for nine months afterward to reclaim Ground Zero."
November 26, 2003
Black Friday 2003
This is a list of everything that's going to be on sale the day after Thanksgiving, for those that like to plan ahead.
Why do they call it Black Friday? Because, for a lot of retailers, it's when they go into the black on their profit/loss sheets.
November 18, 2003
Where would you like to go on holiday?
"In April 2002 we asked you to tell us about the places you think that everyone should see in their lifetime. This is how you voted... "
I've only been to four. I'm screwed. (Or I'll have to live a mighty long time!)
November 14, 2003
Wireless Number Portability
"Beginning November 24th, 2003, wireless number portability will be available in the 100 largest metropolitan areas nationwide. Wireless number portability simply means keeping your phone number and choosing a new carrier to provide your service. Wireless carriers have been working overtime for months to make wireless number portability as pleasant and swift as possible for you. Part of the wireless industry's commitment to its customers is helping you understand and prepare for the porting process.
"That's what this Web site is all about. It's chock-full of information so that if you decide to move your phone number to a new wireless carrier, you can plan ahead. Here are some basic guidelines you should know before you go to transfer your home or mobile phone number."
Everything you need to know to properly transfer your cell number from one carrier to another. Strongly recommend that you read this before attempting to do so! (I'd also suggest that you wait a couple of weeks after the go date, to let others work out the kinks in the system!)
November 13, 2003
Wanna buy a skeleton?
November 11, 2003
Veterans Day
Links reminding us what today is all about. A lot of people have forgotten, it seems, including a lot of companies. Mine included, as I'm typing this from work and looking out at a parking lot full of cars.
LOTR Trilogy Feature
Did you consider buying tickets to the back to back to back showing of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy? Did you decide not to, because you didn't want to sit in a theatre for 10 hours straight?
Well, from an investment point of view, perhaps you should have? At an average price of, what, $40 a ticket, you could have made a tidy profit!
October 27, 2003
Homeland Security
"The Five Things We Can Do Right Now To Make America Safer"
A little radical, perhaps, but certainly thought provoking. Comments?
October 23, 2003
Child's Play
"Would today's tykes tolerate the classic games you grew up with?"
The short answer is no, no they wouldn't. The kid's answers are more amusing, as they are forced to play games that I grew up with and considered cutting edge at the time.
Oct 24: Take Back Your Time Day
"TAKE BACK YOUR TIME DAY is a nationwide initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment."
Reading the stats, it makes me want to move to Europe.
Expletive deleted
"It has been taboo for more than 500 years. But from 'fcuk' to 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' the f-word has become so commonplace it now seems acceptable in everyday conversation. Is it no longer obscene? And if it isn't, what is? Jonathan Margolis investigates."
Interesting how what is considered vulgar changes over the years. Myself, I tend to curse using terms from overseas, Britain primarily, such as "bloody hell", but then use "American" words, such as "fuck" or "bullshit", for emphasis.
"Paradoxically, it is often ill-educated people who are the more loath to say it - for fear of appearing ill-educated."
Quite true, as I've personally noticed that the higher the education, the higher the likelihood to use expletives within structured sentences. Likewise, illeterate/ill-educated people tend to use expletives in more of a standalone fashion.
Thoughts?
October 16, 2003
The Downside of being a Gadget Addict
Seductive Electronic Gadgets Are Soon Forgotten
"Adam Lipson cannot decide which of the many gadgets he bought in the last couple of years proved most useless."
Been there, done that.
October 09, 2003
100 DVD-R Blanks, 4X, for $150
"100pcs of DVD-R 4.7 GB @$125 and 100pcs of Single DVD Case @$25. Compatible with Pioneer, Toshiba, Sony & Panasonic DVD Writers."
Great price on blank DVD-R media, for those of you with burners. Man those things are coming down in price! (Thanks Jesh)
September 18, 2003
P2P, RIAA and MPAA
The Ankle Biter @ Quibbling.net: DVDs- a bargain?
"I bash on the RIAA a lot, but I'm of two minds on the whole thing. On one hand, I agree that downloading a CD rather than buying it is wrong, and so my capitalist principles tell me that protecting one's copyrights is a perfectly legitimate thing to do. I certainly don't agree with the extreme "Information Should Be Free" people- I think copyrights, when they aren't being abused, are a great way to make information and art part of the free market (and free markets are GOOD)."
Good article. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Spam is crap, literally
Techdirt:WSJ Discovers Spammed Enlargement Pills Contaminated With Crap
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Yet another reason to get rid of the spam problem.
September 17, 2003
Ever want to talk like a pirate?
About Pirate Day - TalkLikeAPirateDay
"While not as popular as Christmas or Armistice Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day is a recognized and heartily celebrated international holiday. On September 19th, people awake transformed: their voices deeper, their usual pedestrian walk repalced by a seaman's swagger, and whenever they speak, they speak with the voice of a pirate."
'Course, people will look at you like you're messed in the head, but some of us are used to that anyway.
September 05, 2003
These kids don't know anything!
Beloit College Releases the Mindset List for the Class of 2007
"These entering students were born into a world that had developed a screening test for AIDS and where managed healthcare was gaining its first foothold. The Middle East had replaced the USSR and Eastern Europe as our greatest challenge to security. It is a generation which believes in technological innovations and solutions and where digital devices, PIN numbers and calling cards are an integral part of their lives. Despite the fears associated with AIDS and divorce, we should remember that this is a generation that has grown up in a largely successful, prosperous society . . . I believe they are fascinated and vexed by the results of the world they have made."
Take a look at the full list.
August 21, 2003
16 hours a day
"I enjoy squirting my cat with a water pistol if I find it asleep during the daytime. I do this in retaliation only when it has woken me up the night before with its meowing. Is this considered animal cruelty?"
August 19, 2003
One of those wierd little things
Don't trust 6-year-olds who read
"While sitting in a chair, make clockwise circles with your right foot. While doing this, draw the number 6 in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction. I tried very hard not to change the direction of my foot but couldn't. Can you explain this?"
August 10, 2003
Photo Retouching
"It doesn't seem natural to me to take out every curve, to airbrush out every blemish, but what the Art Director wants, the Art Director will get. This shows an extreme example of how far an image can be taken."
Ever look at the cover of a magazine, such as Cosmo, and wonder just how much air brushing was done to the mode's picture? Well, check this page out for an example of how extreme this retouching can be.
August 05, 2003
Spam Contests
"The popularity of SpamAssassin for filtering out unwanted mail has given birth to a new pastime for many of its users -- poring over their deleted mail to find the most egregious spam, at least as ranked by the software."
Um, doesn't this defeat the whole purpose of not having to see spam? I mean, it sounds fun and all, but I want to avoid spam, not seek it out!
August 01, 2003
One Possible Future for a Music Business That Must Inevitably Change
"When I mentioned in last week's column that I would this week be writing about a legal way to do a successful music downloading business -- a business that would threaten the Recording Industry Association of America and its hegemony -- dozens of readers wrote to me trying to predict what I would write." - This idea is brilliant! Where do I sign up?
How Bad is Spam?
"If you're not sure that spam is an ever-escalating problem, consider this statistic: More spam was captured by spam filters in July 2003 than in all of the year 2002." - There has been quite a bit in my inbox lately; glad (sad?) that I'm not the only one.
July 30, 2003
Monsoon storms finally arrive
"The year's first large monsoon storm roared through the Valley on Tuesday evening, snapping telephone poles, setting houses and trees on fire and forcing Sky Harbor International Airport to shut down for 40 minutes." - Took it long enough to get here. We were two days from declaring the driest July on record; this after already declaring it the hottest July on record.
Anyway, it wasn't as bad out at the outskirts of town, where I live. In fact, my daughter and I sat outside with swim goggles on and watched the show. Seemed like a good idea, 'cause inside she said she was scared so I figured I'd show her there wasn't anything to be afraid of. (Yes, if it had gotten bad we would have darted inside.) We saw a lot of dust fly by, along with a lot of contstruction materials from a house up the street, a little bit of rain and a lot of neat lightning off in the distance. Nothing close enough for us to hear the thunder clearly, though.
Free Magazine
"To get your one-year subscription to Wine Enthusiast (and to find out what other FREE magazines you could receive), simply complete the forms below." - Here's another offer for a free magazine. Note that this one is not from Magazine City, as the others that I reported were, so I can't comment on how good the offer is. I can say that, as usual, I used a SpamGourmet throwaway email address when signing up. Had to use real information for the rest, since its a paper magazine . . .
July 29, 2003
Mars Attacks!
"On Aug. 27, 2003, Mars will be less than 34.65 million miles (55.76 million kilometers) away -- closer to our planet than it's been in nearly 60,000 years. The view will be stupendous. Track Mars' growing brightness with SPACE.com's exclusive Mars viewing maps and charts." - Get out the telescope and the camera.
Time to try Cox telephone service?
For the longest time I've been debating whether or not to transfer my phone service from Qwest to Cox. At first Cox didn't offer everything I wanted and was pretty basic, with outage issues. Nowadays, however, they seem to be a viable contender. However, there are two features that I greatly enjoy with Qwest that I don't see offered by Cox. Convinced that they either do offer them but don't have them listed, or are about to offer them, I sent Cox Customer Service this email:
July 25, 2003
For anyone wanting to upgrade their CD burner
"Cendyne 48x12x48 Internal CD-RW Drive - Limited Time: FREE after $9.99 Instant Rebate, $50 OfficeMax Mail-In Rebate, and $20 Mfr's Mail-In Rebate. Mail-In Rebate Valid 7/20 - 8/23 Only!"
July 21, 2003
A German Safety Video
This safety training video from Germany follows Klaus as he careens from one safety violation to another, leaving a trail of death and carnage in his wake. It's so over the top that it's somewhat entertaining. Any training videos I've ever had to sit through only went as far as someone slipping on a wet floor. This one goes so far as to have a decapitation section, something that wouldn't be out of place in the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movie. (Thanks to Jesh, sick puppy, for sending this my way.)
Warning: It's 9 mb, it's over 9 min, it starts slow and it has semi-realistic carnage, so be warned!
Magazine City at it yet again
Back in April (and again in June) I reported that Magazine City was giving away free subscriptions to 'Stuff' magazine. I used an alias and a SpamGourmet email address to subscribe, and I'm pleased to say that a> the magazine showed up as promised and b> my account didn't receive any spam! On that latter I did check the "do not send me any promotions" box, so that does work.
This time, when I signed up I left the box unchecked. After all, how am I going to find out about more free magazines if I turn down their emails? (Thanks to Jesh for giving me the heads up on this, btw.)
Anyway, here is the free one year subscription offer:
Note, too, that once you fill out the form you will be given the chance to get "Stuff" and "FHM" Magazines as well.
July 18, 2003
Attention Elvis wannabes
"One day as I was trimming my sideburns, I realized how difficult it was each day to get the clean, fresh look of even sideburns. One side would look longer, so I would trim some more, than it seemed the other side was longer." - This is for Jerry, with whom I've had the "why can't the barber get my sideburns even" discussion many, many times. (And no, I don't have Elvis sideburns, they're only maybe 1/2" from my hairline.)
July 04, 2003
Happy 4th of July!
June 27, 2003
Your own personal concierge
"Infone is 'All that is good and wholesome about the telephone business.' Well, actually, it's a group of telecommunications services, the centerpiece of which is Enhanced Directory Assistance." - This takes me back to the early days of cellular, when the operator would do everything from look up a number to read you a movie review. Check it out, there's no down side that I can see.
June 19, 2003
Jump Stilts
"The adult model Powerisers give users from 130 lbs to 220 lbs the ability to jump up to 6 feet in the air and take running strides of up to 9 feet in length." - I want a pair!
Youth Nudist Camps
"Here at the Youth Leadership Camp run by the American Association for Nude Recreation, the dress code for regular volleyball - and for the pudding toss, mini-golf and campfire sing-alongs - is the same as it is for skinny dipping." - Never had anything like this when I was that age, that's for sure. I miss out on all the good stuff!
Seriously though, something like this seems to be a good idea. After all, what causes more problems in kids than anything else? Curiousity, of course. In the area of sexuality that's very dangerous. Something like this removes that factor and lets the kids become comfortable with themselves and the opposite gender. I think that's a good thing.
June 16, 2003
Triple-Threat Chocolate-Mocha-Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are rather unique, not to mention quite tasty. Do something a little different the next time you decide to whip up a batch of cookies:
P.S. For an interesting twist you can change these into "energy cookies" by substituting caffeinated coffee for the decaf listed in the recipe. My wife did this once, albeit by accident, and when I brought them into the office we all started flying high!
June 11, 2003
Switching cell phone carriers?
"If you don't already have vacation plans this summer, perhaps you might want to buy a cell phone. I mention this because it seems the average customer can either spend a week researching prices, plans, and phones or just accept that some cellular carrier is going to get the better of them." - I'm not a big Coursey fan but he makes some good points in this article. Number portability is the only thing that has kept me with the same carrier for quite some time now.
June 07, 2003
187,000 new words in the Oxford Dictionary
"Khazi, minging, bling-bling? Not some crazy new dialect, but standard British vocabulary, according to the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, published Friday."
May 30, 2003
A blog Parody
"I decided to take a short break from the tasks I was carrying out. I found a chair and sat idly for a few moments. When this time had elapsed I continued with my activities." - I typically don't like the journal-style blogs, the ones that talk about what they did, how they feel and so on. However, I've got to make an exception for this, the dullest blog (by design) I've ever read. It takes the "what I did" blog to new levels.
I expect his next entry to be something like "I watched paint dry today".
May 29, 2003
Video games improve visual skills
"Keen video gamers now have one more excuse to keep on playing. US scientists have found that regular players of shoot-em-ups, such as Half-Life and Medal of Honour, have much better visual skills than most of the population. The researchers have shown that gamers were particularly good at spotting details in busy, confusing scenes and could cope with more distractions than average." - Finally, a legitimate excuse I can use with the wife!
May 22, 2003
Wanna Subscribe to this Site?
Just testing this out. Give it a go! It's free! No spam! (If you're concerned that Bloglet might spam in the future (doubtful), use a throwaway email address! Subscribing is an easy way to keep track of what's new without having to remember to come back to the site, which is the classic "Push vs Pull" issue.
April 30, 2003
Free Ice Cream Night!
"Now in its 4th year, Free Scoop Night is our way of saying THANK YOU to our loyal customers who have supported Baskin-Robbins for more than 55 years. Visit one of our participating stores on Wednesday, April 30, 2003, from 6 to 10 p.m. and get a FREE 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream. Choose from any available flavor." - Free ice cream, you can't beat that!
April 27, 2003
Choosy People Choose GIF!
"The GIF graphics file format was invented by CompuServe in 1987. In the years since, a debate has been raging as to the correct way to pronounce "GIF": like "jif", or with a hard 'g' as in "gift" as a majority of Mac users seem to prefer. With this page I intend to clear this up once and for all...
It's pronounced like "jif". Period. The end. That's final. End of story."
The article goes on to substantiate this claim in a factual yet amusing manner. Myself, I've always been one of those people that say it one way at one point, then another at another point, always questioning myself. Another technique was to wait for the person with whom I was speaking to pronounce it then emulate them.
Well no more! I'm going to pronounce it as the author intended and if anyone's got a problem with that I'll just refer them to this page.
April 19, 2003
How do you handle your computer issues at work?
"IT staff waste an average of 20 hours a month solving "simple" problems such un-jamming a printer or deleting emails." - Yeah, that sounds about right. It's amazing how otherwise intelligent people will just freeze up when faced with even the simplist of computer issues.
March 31, 2003
BooksFree.com: borrow unlimited paperback novels
This sounds pretty cool. Looks like somebody liked the Netflix idea and got creative.
March 30, 2003
Different article style
Just a quick note, I'm just trying different styles in my links and titles, I'm not out to confuse anyone. Any thoughts on the different styles?
March 29, 2003
When's the last time you cleaned your keyboard?
ABCNEWS.com : Keyboard Cooties Could Make You Sick
If you suddenly discovered that something you touch almost every day is riddled with bacteria and germs, filled with greasy food bits, skin flakes, and other nasty unmentionables, you'd probably wonder why it never gets cleaned, right?
March 25, 2003
Bomb Saddam
Broadband users only, it's pretty big.
GrouchyMedia.com Presents... Bomb Saddam
With a war in Iraq almost certain, it's time to pump up the troops and get America ready to support them in their fight. There's no better song than "Bombs Over Baghdad" to do just that. Take one fast-paced rap song by Outkast, remix with some Rage Against The Machine, add killer video, and you've got "Bomb Saddam".
March 07, 2003
World of Ends
An interesting white paper on exactly what the Internet is and isn't. Good reading, if you're into that intellectual sort of thing like I am.
What the Internet Is and How to Stop Mistaking It
for Something Else.
February 10, 2003
THE RIAA IS LYING TO YOU!
I highly recommend that you read this article!
MacWizards Music -- RIAA Statistics Don't Add Up to Piracy
Late last year, musician George Ziemann published a well-researched article about the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). When the RIAA isn't busy fending off intruder attacks on its Web site, the organization is apparently busy spreading misinformation about the effects of Internet piracy on the recording industry. According to data outlined in Ziemann's article, the record industry has cut its inventory and artist investments by 25 percent but sales have dropped only 4.1 percent. Considering the shape of the economy, that number is pretty impressive. More important, online file-sharing services don't appear to be having as much of an impact on music sales as the RIAA would like us to believe.
January 20, 2003
THE mobile phone is a paradoxical device. Its primary function is social: to enable its owner to communicate with other people. At the same time, though, using a mobile phone can seem profoundly anti-social, not least to people in the immediate vicinity. In restaurants, theatres and museums, on trains, or even standing in the supermarket checkout queue, there is no escape from chirping and bleeping phones, nor from the inane conversations of their owners. Last year Philip Reed, a New York councillor, proposed a law that would prohibit the use of mobile phones in “places of public performance”, such as theatres, art galleries and concert halls, punishable by a $50 fine. But his proposal has been derided as unenforceable. Might a technological approach to taming the mobile phone, and the behaviour of its users, be more successful?
January 13, 2003
Skip that coffee and take a shower instead!
ThinkGeek :: Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap
Tired of waking up and having to wait for your morning java to brew? Are you one of those groggy early morning types that just needs that extra kick? Know any programmers who dont regularly bathe and need some special motivation? Introducing Shower Shock, the original caffeinated soap from ThinkGeek...
January 12, 2003
Dell's Expansion
Business 2.0 - Magazine Article - The Dell Way
Michael Dell's famous business model made his company the world's premier computer maker. Now he's branching into new fields and taking on virtually every other hardware manufacturer. Can "the Model" stand the strain?
January 06, 2003
Meetup organizes local interest groups
Here's a cool idea.
Meetup is a new, free service that organizes local gatherings about anything, anywhere.
December 24, 2002
Cat-a-Pult
I can't believe I'm advocating something that throws cats. At least the cats are made of foam!
Personal Tornado
Is that a tornado in your pocket?
Spin this toy and create your very own tornado. See the science behind how tornadoes take shape.