Facebook: In honor of the mother of the octuplets, Denny’s is offering a new breakfast meal: The Octo-Slam. You get fourteen eggs, no sausage, and the guy next to you has to pay the bill.
Ha!
Not Alone
This isn’t the first blog post that you’ll see with a “Whoa, where did February go?” and probably won’t be the last. I just noticed two things today: a) there’s new Apple hardware that’s been released and b) I haven’t posted in well over a week. Some random observations:
– I have way too many inclosures for backing up data for someone that doesn’t back up data too often
– A busy work life can make for a lack of blog posts
– With new iMac’s having been released, is there a way to turn off the monitor and still be able to use VNC?
– Why does Apple tease me by putting in Shuffle By Album support into the iPhone and then hide it from the UI a la Emoji? And then when someone actually discovers this, why was it replaced by the Genius Playlist that I’ve yet to find anyone using? Meh.
– The Watchmen is going to be The Hit of the first half of 2009, which is interesting. I expect the hardcore fans that have waited over 20 years for this movie to be confused by the reception; I only read it in the last few years so I didn’t have to wait long. I also expect the mass populous to be confused because they won’t “get” the movie but will love it because they were told to… I can’t imagine trying to follow the story without having read the book…
– Live Mesh continues to thrill me in its ability and simplicity; I’ve often thought about coding Client/Server apps in the days before Terminal Services and how painful it was… and how easy it is to take RDC for granted now a days. Mesh has had this same effect on me. No matter which machine I go to, I have access to certain files and I now expect them to be there and up to date at all times. Simply brilliant.
– Halo Wars popped out the door today. Having played the Alpha, the Beta, and the Demo, I know I suck horrifically bad. We got our copies last night and I’ve been too shamed to try the RTM bits so far… *sniffle*
– Halo 3 recently logged it’s one billionth online game which equated to about 64,000 years of online play. Cheers to Bungie!
Wonder how fast March will scoot by… and how many games of Halo 3 I’ll be contributing to that ongoing total.
Perspective Please!
CNN.com: Sharpton blasts Post cartoon linking stimulus bill to chimp
Right, because politicians of all color are never compared to chimps or rhinos or donkeys or elephants.
Where was Sharpton when Bush was being compared to Hitler? Isn’t being compared to a genocide-supporting, sadistic fuckwad far more insulting than being compared to a “dumb” animal? Or Clinton, whose own cigar-related activities had him compared to an adulterous lounge lizard or a presidential Hugh Hefner in many comics?
…or is Al-baby simply being more transparent in his racist remarks as usual? Because yes, call it whatever you want, this is classic Sharpton: crying out based on skin tone rather than actual insult or issue. Business as usual for Al-baby: it’s all about what press he can get simply by pointing at himself and crying, rather than supporting human or civil rights…
There’s nothing civil about discrimination and that’s the ongoing Sharpton motto: what can I gain from this and how can we favor one group above all others, rather than equality for all.
Wii Fit: Mini-update
It seems that putting a fourth generation Japanese woman onto a Wii fit with a kawaii dressed-as-a-penguin Mii will cause her to burst out into what could easily be any average conversation from Akihabara… I think Nintendo has tapped into something primal here.
So, yes, you can give a Wii fit without insult, even on Valentine’s Day. I’m sure the flowers helped too – always good to have a backup plan.
The best comment Jolene has made while standing on the Wii Fit? Well, in English, I mean…
“Wow, these graphics suck – why aren’t they as good as the 360?”
What’s More Insulting For Valentine’s Day: Chocolate or a Wii Fit?
This weekend I wandered into Circuit City and said “Whoa, they got the Wii Fit in stock!” For “social games” – i.e. Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Wii Fit – the liquidators are only offering 20% off, but in all honest, that’s far better than nothing and it’s even enough to cover WA extortion sales tax… and it’s not even that I wanted it, otherwise it would be moot because it would have been an insta-purchase.
The problem was that Jolene wanted one. Or at least to try one out and see what it was like… having been to yoga classes before, she was skeptical that a) you need a video game console to learn yoga and b) that the board did anything. Frankly, I’ve agreed with her 100% on this because I’ve yet to see one at the ProClub. And as a gamer, I still see the Wii as a whole as being a) a gimmick and b) a limited console with two titles: Wii Sport and Wii Fit. And I say that as a Wii owner.
The tricky part for me is how do you give someone a Wii Fit for Valentine’s Day without implying anything about her physical appearance.
Yes, I bought it. Yes, there will be a follow up in five days.
Assuming I don’t bollocks the whole thing up, that is…
Howard Stern: Role Model
TVSquad: Michael Phelps recently went from big-time role-model to big-eared pothead in about the time it took for some d-bag with a cameraphone to press “send.”
This got me thinking about role models in general. Like it or not, most of us wind up choosing role models from television, probably because we see the people on TV more often than we do our own family. Considering the amount of alcohol-fueled Thanksgiving fistfights in my own family, that’s probably for the best.
So, seeing as my son is going to be raised by TV, I decided that I needed to pick out the best role model on it. My choice?
Howard Stern.
After reading the article, and being reminded of the years I’ve spent listening to Stern [on terrestrial radio] I have to admit it: he’s right.
Oh For Fuck’s Sake: Italiano Edition
New York Times: Four executives of Google begin trial Tuesday in Milan on criminal charges of defamation and privacy violation in regard to a video posted on Google’s Italian site.
It’s because of cases like these that hosting companies want little or nothing to do with user-contributed content… the cost of having to monitor and control an upload feed is extraordinarily expensive in terms of resources but it’s also an extremely muddy pond to swim in. Imagine if you had to weed out every piece of video that everyone might find offensive… you’d end up a with Sputnik-like soundtrack and a test pattern for a display. Especially since this very thing has been proven over and over again with chatroom experiments: you always need moderation. Can’t be helped, but humans can’t be trusted if left to their own judgement – human nature, some call it.. It is further proven by into John Gabriel’s Internet Dickwad Theory…
Either way, it’s very weird to cheer for Google for a change.
Art Mimicking Reality
Penny Arcade: New Hotness
It’s only funny because it’s actually pretty true.
Just not as bad as it used to be.
Note To Self: Browsers Still Suck a Decade Later
Note to self: not matter how big a file is on a remote server – i.e. a 7.37GB .TiVo file that I’m attempting to download over my local network – the following applies:
| Browser | Version | Max Download Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Explorer | v7 | 4GB |
| Firefox | v3 | 6.75GB |
| Safari | v3 | 6.75GB |
| Chrome | v1 | 4GB |
| Opera | v9.6 | 6.75GB |
I have no idea how any browser team can find this as an acceptable limitation. FTP can handle a monster download – it’s just streaming bits, be it HTTP or otherwise. Obviously TCP/IP has no limitation – neither should the HTTP protocol since I’m finding different limits with different browsers. IE also get tagged because it inherently limits your downloads to two at a time, unless you tweak the registry…
Dial up software limits living in broadband times? Pft.
Windows 7 Beta: Lenovo S10 and Me
As I mentioned earlier, I picked up a Lenovo S10 over the weekend… I wish I had a short answer on how it is, but between getting used to a new processor, form factor, and beta OS… well, there simply isn’t a short answer to the question. But one thing is certain:
It’s full of win.
Continue reading Windows 7 Beta: Lenovo S10 and Me
If Bedlam Means “Accidental” Sale, I’m All For It
c|net: Bedlam breaks out at Circuit City After Best – Buy mega-stored Circuit City to oblivion, the hapless retailer has quickly gone to pieces. On Friday, Circuit City said it was liquidating all of its stores. Then, on Saturday, there was a big liquidation sale at my local Circuit City–up to 30 percent off. The checkout line was almost as long as the lines you encounter on a typical Saturday at Fry’s–the mostly California- and Texas-based sprawling electronics warehouse. (The line actually snaked to the back of the store.)
I was witness to something similar: Jolene and I leeringly went to the Circuit City in Bellevue and poked our heads in, seeing as I’ve been lurking around for a new camera and she for a new TV. The line for the front registers went straight to the back and people were everywhere yet not a “SALE” sign in sight. I asked a guy in line: what’s the sale like? “20% off games and movies; 10% off everything else.” Based on that, the TV’s and cameras were actually more expensive than most other stores: regular price – 10% = more than an average online or sale price for electronics.
On a whim, we wandered into the computer section… number of notebooks were still in stock. Including some Lenovo S10; their in stock model sells for $399 online and they had over ten of them in stock… I’ve been thinking about getting a netbook – and Jolene has been dying for one – so I said “ah, it’s still pricy, but no sales tax… I’ll get one and see what Windows 7 does on it.” Looked in a few corners to find a guy to help out – he brings it to a register in the back, so I didn’t have to wait in line. Asked him to tell me the price before swiping the Visa – he puts in $269.
I had to go find Jolene after seeing this, but first I had to push my eyes back in. I found them rolling around near the KVM switches, popped them back in, and ended up with each of us getting our own. Seems that the kid thought the regular price was $299 – even 30% off $399 isn’t $269… 10% off $299 is. So, after getting screwed by Circuit City for so many years – including many stabs in the spleen by a 10% restocking fee on unopened box returns (damned buyer’s remorse from my late teens) – I’m feeling rather satisfied that I finally got a sale priced item from them.
Damn shame their best sale is their last – I would have started shopping there again.
Fading Memory
Maybe it’s just because I wasn’t around for Kennedy or that we didn’t have all today’s technology for past presidents, but either way, I have to ask: are we having an inauguration or a coronation on Tuesday?
In all honesty, I’m having a hard time figuring it out…
Windows 7: Tips and Tricks (For Beta)
Tim Sneath: The Bumper List of Windows 7 Secrets
Great list of tips and tricks!
Vista: How To Enable Vista UX in Windows Server 2008
Support at Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947036/en-us – “How to enable Windows Vista user experience features on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008”
Bookmarked for future reference.
Mission Accomplished
Ahhh…
Yes, after ten years of looking at the back of coins in three different homes in two states, I have a complete of [moderately good conditioned] state-backed quarters, in a very Geeky paper coin holder thingy. I only need another five to have two more complete sets, but those are hanging out in a Ziplok bag.
Anyone else keep up with this? Most people I know dropped off by the second year…
Ahhhhhh.