For being billed as a "fake news" program, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is incredibly insightful, informational, and, yes, intriguing. (I knew I could get three adjectives beginning with the letter "i" in there!)

Take Monday, June 16, 2008 as an example. First, Mr. Stewart blasts the mainstream media for what he labels Baracknophobia: the fear of hope. While ceaselessly funny, it serves as a great commentary on how the mainstream media plays up silly, unfounded, and often false rumors about a political figure (Barack Obama in this case) and presents them under the guise of "fair and unbiased" reporting.



Later, Mr. Stewart interviews former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias who talks about his job and subsequent termination under the Bush administration. Those out there still arguing that this administration did nothing wrong and that there's nothing suspicious about those dismissals should watch this.



I lfind it intriguing that Mr. Iglesias speaks of using mob infiltration tactics in terms of prosecuting the Republicans responsible for this, but the best quote of this interview?

I thought I was working with the Jedi Knights, and I was working for the Sith Lords.

Keep in mind that this is coming from a U.S. Attorney who considered himself a Republican. Unfortunately, his sense of following due process and honoring the Constitution cost him his position. By the way, here's his book on Borders.com if you are interested.

Tags: politics, silly

ABC News Political Punch: Barack Obama Explains the Meaning of Life

A young man asks what life means for Senator Obama, and, after a little stammering, I think he comes up with a pretty good answer:

What life means to me is that every day I wake up trying to figure out how can I secure their futures and the futures of all children … How can I make sure that we are giving a planet and a country to them that is better than the one we got? And, you know, so I guess what I’ve discovered is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re somehow giving yourself to something larger to yourself.

Neocrisis: Classic game scenes recreated with Lego

I had fun with this trying to guess what game was being recreated before looking at the caption. The only one I couldn't immediately identify was Bionic Commando.

Tags: video games, silly, politics

Okay, so I've been pretty rough on Microsoft for some of their more blatant ripoffs, but I've also defended them when the so-called rip-offs were natural product progressions. This is why I didn't say anything when the Republican party unveiled their new slogan: "Change You Deserve," even though I had some initial reactions.

1. Isn't the basis of conservatism a resistance to change? Is this slogan supposed to be sarcastic?
2. Or is it more like, "I'll give you the change you deserve?" Perhaps it's a threat.
3. Maybe it's commentary on the Republican stance on taxes. "You deserve change, but we'll save you dollars!"
4. Wait a minute, I've seen that slogan in the doctor's office. It's used for an anti-depressant! I wonder if they think I need one. What side-effects do they come with?

Yes, the Republican Party adopted a slogan that was already trademarked by a pharmaceutical. Still, it's the type of mistake that anyone could make. "Change You Can Believe In" was already taken, and I highly doubt any similar tag-lines exist that aren't. Silly? Yes. Big deal? No.

Um, speaking of things we can believe in…


image from johnmccain.com

Does that look/sound familiar to you? Like this familiar:


image from barackobama.com

Like most copies, the McCain version is inferior in many ways. Color usage, typography, image quality, general composition – the original beats the imitation. Still, I find it amusing that McCain would be asking us to believe in him as a leader through a splash image that bears such close resemblance to his opponent's image. In fact, his whole site seems to have taken cues from the Obama camp in its recent redesign.

You'd think differentiating one's self from the competition wouldn't involve imitating the look and feel of the competition's campaign, especially a campaign with such a signature look. Hm, perhaps this imitation makes the statement that, "The Change You Deserve Is More of the Same."

Tags: politics, silly

iTunes: The Official Barack Obama Video Podcast

Did you know Obama offers some of his speeches as free downloads through iTunes? I didn't.

The link opens in iTunes.



The Metal Gear Retrospective: Part One



GameTrailers.com is beginning a multi-episode look at the Metal Gear video game series as Konami readies the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This video looks back at the MSX and NES days of the series and the birth of the stealth genre.



Davis and Company: The End of the Star Wars / Star Trek Debate

Well, I'm glad that's settled.

via John Gruber



YouTube: Apple Mac Music Video



Bizarre, but cool. via TUAW.

Tags: politics, video games, macintosh, silly

This is quite possibly the best Aril Fools' prank of the day:

Tags: silly, video games

Ars Technica: With HD DVD dead, Blu-ray's next threat is digital downloads

This format war is finally over. Lots of consumers got the short end of the stick. Some companies are poised to lose bucket-loads of cash. I'm not a fan of format wars.


Apple: iPod shuffle Updates

The current 1GB model is dropping to $49, and a 2GB model is coming at $69. I am a fan of the iPod shuffle.



Scribd: Meet iPaper

It's kind of like YouTube for documents. Scribd has been around for a while now, but this software revision looks cool. I'm definitely trying this out!



College Humor: Irish Beatles



Hilarious.

Tags: technology, itunes/ipods, silly

Here we go again!


image from The Cult of Rapture

Signs you've been playing too much Bioshock:

• You start speaking like a 50s radio show.
• You buy brightly colored juices in the store in hopes that one will make you telekinetic.
• People catch you trying to mess with vending machines in hopes they will lower their prices.
• You begin hoarding rubber tubes, steel screws, and other random items to invent your personal arsenal.
• You think weapons in vending machines is a pretty good idea.
• Capitalism begins to scare you.
• Seeing little girls alone in public now sets you on edge.
• You begin taking random pictures of people you don't like in hopes of gaining combat advantages over them.
• You begin collecting books by Ayn Rand.
• You start pointing at things and wondering why they aren't catching on fire.
• You freak out every time you see a security camera in public.
• You stop trusting doctors in general.
• You take up eating slugs.
• Searching corpses becomes a new hobby for you.
• The phrase "Would you kindly" takes on a whole new meaning to you.

Tags: video games, silly

Ars Technica: Yahoo to Microsoft: talk to the hand, we say Nohoo!

Yahoo! turns Microsoft's lucrative offer down. At this point, Microsoft can either try to come up with more cash or attempt to overturn Yahoo!'s board. For the record, I called this one completely wrong.



YouTube: The Dark Knight Trailer. IN LEGO!!!

Tags: silly, microsoft

Gizmodo: LEGO Brick Timeline: 50 Years of Building Frenzy and Curiosities

Happy Birthday, LEGO!



The Atlantic: The Autumn of the Multitaskers

This is an incredible narrative of one person's journey through the frenzy of multitasking and his emergence from the mania. I often quote chunks of articles to give you a taste or some part I found important, but, in this case, lifting even one sentence from context would damage the content. It's a long article but worth the read (while doing nothing else).

via Daring Fireball

Tags: multitasking, silly

BBC News: Arctic summers ice-free 'by 2013'

Discussing the possibility for an open Arctic ocean in summer months, [Dr Mark Serreze] told the meeting: "A few years ago, even I was thinking 2050, 2070, out beyond the year 2100, because that's what our models were telling us. But as we've seen, the models aren't fast enough right now; we are losing ice at a much more rapid rate.

While the ocean-supported glaciers will not affect ocean levels, land-bound glaciers and ice sheets (like those on Greenland) will. This on the same day I read about failing penguin populations in the Antarctic...



Jim Hill: A special "Where's WALL-E" edition of Why For?

On a much more trivial note, in this blog post, Jim Hill tries to create a definitive list of the in-references and self references found throughout Pixar's films. Needless to say, this makes for a long read.

via Daring Fireball



Ars Technica: RIAA: Those CD rips of yours are still "unauthorized"

< soapbox > In other words, the RIAA would rather you not make mix-CDs for use in your car or put music you already own on your iPods. Why? Because you are no more than potential revenue to them rather than a human being. < soapbox / >

Tags: riaa, environment, silly

NYT: The Dr. Seuss Jumble: Naming Web Sites

David Pogue wonders if the web has run out of creativity in site naming – specifically citing numerous startups with completely nonsense names. From the article:

But here's a little wakeup call: People will learn to love your site's wacky name only if they fall in love with the site itself. Google and Yahoo became household nutty names only because everyone loved their services. They did not succeed because they had silly names.

As long as no more sites put random dots in the middle of their names, I'll be happy. (I'm looking at you ma.gnolia.com and del.icio.us!)



Ripten: Rose-Tinted Nostalgia: The Top Five Franchises That Nintendo Forgot

Not only has Nintendo forgotten about these franchises, I had too. However, seeing The Adventures of Lolo and StarTropics on the list brought back some fond memories, and I don't think Super Mario RPG was forgotten. It just had to go in a different direction once Square was no longer involved, and we ended up with Paper Mario as the spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG.



Ars Technica: Apple, AT&T dial up patent infringement lawsuit with Visual Voicemail

Yes, this case has merit, but I still don't like it. It's not like Apple was exactly secretive about Visual Voicemail in the months leading up to iPhone's release. Why didn't this company sue back in January of this year?

Tags: silly, technology, video games

Rands In Repose: The Nerd Handbook

This is a great write-up helping you understand the nerd in your life. Some of his points can also translate to interacting with your high-functioning autistic children and peers. I really think I need to add this blog to my sidebar links.

via DaringFireball



YouTube: Cartoon Firefox

Completely charming animated ad for Firefox.





NYT Sunday Book Review: A Galaxy in Your Face

Artistic pop-up books are one of my autistic obsessions that emerges every time I'm in a bookstore. (I am a Robert Sabuda fanboy.) This piece of work by Matthew Reinhart brings the Star Wars universe to the magnitude of pop-up art.

(Books like this are also great examples of how children's literature truly transcends generational gaps. Everyone should spend time browsing the kid's section of their favorite bookstore!)

also via DaringFireball

Tags: literature, browsers, silly

Indecision 2008: Stephen Colbert for President?

It's like Man of the Year without the lousy techno-thriller subplot. If this goes anywhere, I wonder if he'll shed his Colbert Report persona in any interviews or (gasp) debates. On the other hand, he communicates well through his satire. Hey, if Arnold can be governor...

By the way, if you like Colbert, you'll love his ice cream.



Freeverse: Periscope 1.5

Freeverse updates their $40 webcam utility with some refined features and a completely redesigned UI (thank you). The demo period lasts for 50 hours and does not limit functionality.

via TUAW



Macworld: Apple says iPhone complies with eco standards

Apple tells Greepeace to go stick their heads in some hazardous materials themselves.

“Like all Apple products worldwide, iPhone complies with RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances], the world’s toughest restrictions on toxic substances in electronics,” an Apple spokesperson, told Macworld. “As we have said, Apple will voluntarily eliminate the use of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2008.”

Macworld: Jobs: iPhone SDK coming in February

I don't think I quite believe Jobs' spin on why the SDK is coming so long after the phone, but at least it is coming. Oh, and it will also work with the iPod touch.

Tags: politics, silly, software, environment, apple inc, iphone

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

I don't think I've giggled so much since I found Engrish.com!



Daring Fireball: The ‘Un’ in ‘Unsupported’

I think I finally understand a certain misguided mindset that I’ve been baffled by for a decade. This mindset is exemplified by the sort of person who thinks that Apple “screwed them over” with the release of the iPhone 1.1.1 update.

The mindset manifests in many forms, but what it boils down to is this: a sense of entitlement that users should be able to do unsupported things and yet still be supported. That it makes no sense to expect support after taking unsupported actions is why I’ve found it baffling.

I also think more people are going to be affected by this mindset as these unsupported hacks become more accessible to the general public. What was once accomplished by only the most hardcore is now freely downloadable with easy-to-use interfaces that typical users can understand. Personally, I don't understand why you would want to take the risk with such an expensive purchase, but to each his/her own.



Mac Mojo: Welcome to Word Publishing Layout View

On the one hand, I'm glad to see this evolution of Word, but, on the other, I've already been doing this in Pages for a couple of years. Also, I find some of the design decisions baffling. Custom background surfaces? Who knows, maybe it will grow on me if I pick this up. I'm living sans Office at the moment, and it's not impossible, just inconvenient at times.

Tags: silly, technology, microsoft, iphone

I received a brochure for a company that makes custom t-shirts for school organizations at work today, and this was the first design I opened to.

I forgot who makes this. Link forthcoming.

This makes my day. I think "gnomealicious" has become my new favorite adjective.

Tags: silly

A Collection of Apple Lock-In Posts
• Wil Shipley believes Apple's strategy of lock-ins will soon collapse upon itself.

• John Gruber agrees and goes so far as to say...

The best thing that could happen to Apple this year would be for Microsoft’s Zune 2.0 to be a kick-ass product, both technologically and in terms of being designed to make customers happy, not entertainment conglomerates. Apple needs competition.

• Paul Thurott says, "I told you so."



Engadget: NBC to offer free "NBC Direct" download service, iTunes competitor
from Engadget:

The company is going to start testing a new NBC Direct service in October with full, free downloadable episodes which can be stored up to seven days on Windows PCs. The shows will be on offer for a week as soon as they've aired, and will include imbedded, un-skippable ads.

Wow. That sounds like the company is putting customers first. Wait, what was that? Oh, battling the 0.01% of consumers who pirate programming is your number one priority! Now it all makes sense...

I like John Gruber's take:

So his number-one priority is piracy. Not making high-quality shows. Not forging a sponsorship or advertising model that is less annoying and distracting to viewers, such that they (the viewers) would be less likely to want to fast-forward the advertising messages. No, piracy, that’s his top priority.

Infinite Loop: OpenOffice Aqua still a year away
Sigh. Mac OS X has been out for how long? Seven-ish years now? How long did it take to figure out this whole OS X thing was more than a fad?



Google Video: Conspiracy Theory Rock
Awesome parody of School House Rock.



Apparently, this video has only been broadcast once, and it was back on March 14, 1998.



Flickr: 24 fps

This photoset features the last frame from several classic movies. Neat stuff. (See how many of the films you can name from the pictures! I could name ... like two.)

via DF

Tags: software, silly, apple inc, iphone, itunes/ipods, politics

Sci-Fi Lists: Top 100 Sci-Fi Lists

I've read most of the top 20, and I'm pleasantly surprised by number one.



Ars Technica: AACS DRM tentacles reach far into operating systems

So, when thinking about this issue, we have to ask ourselves: is a company like Microsoft or Apple likely to tell Hollywood to jump off a cliff? No, because both companies know that users will want to play HD DVD or Blu-ray discs on their computers. Microsoft didn't tell AACS LA to stuff it, and Apple won't tell them to, either.

Marcello's Homepage – Comics – Calvin & Hobbes

Every Calvin and Hobbes comic strip ever published. I can now sleep better at night just knowing these are here.



PagesUser: A Huge Saving of Space

So that's where all those megabytes went... I had a hunch.



Red Sweater Blog: We're In This Together

It’s pretty awe-inspiring to sit in the same room while the makers of competing products such as BBEdit and TextMate, or Transmit and Fetch discuss product design issues, laugh at each other’s jokes, and yes, withhold some of their more strategic plans! But almost everybody in the room, competitor or not, is respecting each other’s work, and having a great time.

This is something I really like about being a Mac user. The third-party developers (especially the indies) are generally nice people, and the cut-throat feeling pervasive in the Windows software market is all but absent.



Infinite Loop: The secrets to Apple's success in marketing to teenagers

In addition to the reasons listed in the article, I think another factor in Apple's success with young people is that Apple doesn't talk down to them or try to create a blatantly corny atmosphere of "hipness."

Tags: silly, keynote, literature, software, drm, apple inc

Internet Nexus: Electronic Arts delays OS X games

Paul Thurrott is absolutely right in this case. The Mac is not a gaming machine. It's great at many things (otherwise I wouldn't be on my second Mac laptop and desktop), but gaming is a lost cause here.

So what's a Mac user to do? Well, you can forget about this EA silliness, for starters, and grab yourself a real video game machine, like an Xbox 360 or a PS3.

Yup, we got a PS2 back in 2002, and we haven't missed gaming on the Mac since. (Well, except for Cro-Mag Rally perhaps.)



Engadget: Samsung files patent app for fertility measuring phone

Okay this has to be at least the third strangest thing I've seen today. (And quite possibly the most bizarre use for a cellular phone I've ever heard of.)



Ars Technica: Row brewing over attorneys' fees in RIAA loss

Why does this not surprise me?

Tags: video games, silly, riaa

I don't drink, but if I did, I would have to make a shot game out of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Prelude to Dune novels (House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino). The rules would be simple. you would take a shot whenever:

• the adjective "surreptitious" or the adverb "surreptitiously" is used.
• the adjective "sinewy" is used.
• Prince Rhombur says, "Vermillion Hells."
• Kailea brushes her, um, bosom against someone's arm.
• "doe-like" is used to describe a female's eyes.
• "creamy" is used to describe a female's skin.
• "generous" is used to describe a female's mouth.
• a grown man begins crying uncontrollably.
• you feel like the next chapter should begin with the words, "And now for something completely different."
• a character fits into a shameless stereotype.

Okay, you can pick any two or three of the above conditions, and that should put you under the table within a few chapters. Really, I think Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have created some fascinating additions to the Dune universe, but those initial three novels...

(If you're like me, Jell-O cubes or a favorite candy make a nice substitution for alcohol. Read with a friend. It makes the game more enjoyable! Yes, I'm a geek!)

Tags: silly, literature

#open.ended: OLPC project tests WebKit on the XO laptop

And WebKit continues to gain momentum as a viable alternative web rendering engine.



Insanely Great News: Paperclip: Designed by Apple in California

This has to be the most hilarious thing I've seen today. The "instruction manual" is priceless.



Opposable Thumbs: A look at the possible racism in Resident Evil 5

Personally, I prefer Silent Hill over Resident Evil any day, but this still an interesting issue to watch.

From the article:

The game is being designed by Japanese artists, not white Americans. The game uses a well-established character from the Resident Evil series who is white, Chris Redfield. Capcom wanted to move the setting to Africa, where most people are black. I don't think Capcom ever sat down and thought about the political reasons for having a white soldier against black zombies, it was simply an organic continuation of a story and a character that began years ago.

Tags: silly, software, video games

You know you've been playing too much Chibi Robo when...

• You scout out the locations of all electrical outlets when entering a room.

• You play army games with hard-boiled eggs.

• You wish you had a flip-top head.

• You expect your dog to give you money when you feed and water it.

• You wonder which eggplants in the grocery store are royalty.

• You think Happy Points are legal tender.

• You try to equip a helicopter attachment when you jump.

• You find yourself randomly squirting people with various liquids just to see their reactions.

• You wonder what your toys are really doing when you're asleep.

• You end every conversation with, "Spread the happiness."

Tags: video games, silly

Ars: Technica: Gaming has no significant effects on schoolwork, sociability: study

From the article:

Instead of turning kids into loners, gaming largely fell in line with general trends of social interactions. Although there was some variability between the sexes, children who gamed with their friends generally spent more time with friends in every other activity.

and:

If people are concerned about the lack of reading done by adolescents, the fact that non-gamers spend only eight minutes a day reading should be a far larger concern than the fact that gaming causes that figure to drop by a little more than two minutes.

Yet the mainstream media put this study in a far more negative light.



YouTube: iPhone: The Music Video

This is hilarious, and no tech writer but David Pogue could pull this off! (By the way, is that New York representative John Hall at 2:16 in this video? If not, the guy bears an uncanny resemblance!)





RealMac Forge

Realmac Forge is an open-source portal for Realmac Software products. Realmac Forge was set up so users and developers can collaborate and produce new and exciting plugins for RapidWeaver.

Tags: video games, education, silly, software, iphone

Kwik-E-Mart - a photoset on Flickr

Brilliant marketing. Absolutely brilliant.



Perian: The Swiss-Army Knife for QuickTime

Perian is a free open source plug-in that greatly expands QuickTIme's file compatibility. This is a must-have for every Mac use.



Playlist: iTunes loses lock on Universal music

I can't tell if this is really a big deal or not. Basically, Universal is giving Apple the same treatment they give other music retailers now. The quote from an Apple rep in this article makes absolutely no sense. I think someone forgot to proofread:

“We are still negotiating with Universal, the music is still on iTunes, and their not resigning is just not true,” said Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr.

Internet Nexus: Apple apparently sold a lot of iPhones

Three sources, three widely different sales projections. Apparently Apple sold somethere between 200,000 and 700,000 iPhones this weekend ... give or take a few.

Tags: silly, software, itunes/ipods, iphone

My fellow Americans and potential Americans, feast your taste-buds on the greatness of Ben & Jerry's truthy new flavor: Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream!

x
With a face like that, how can you not love his ice cream?

The ice cream container (whom I feel to be fair and unbiased in my heart) claims Americone Dream is "sweeter than the Bill of Rights, colder than Valley Forge, and with twice as much caramel as the Louisiana Purchase." But I say it tastes like a spoonful of freedom swirled with the succulent nectar of liberty. I advise you to stay the course to your favorite ice cream vendor (that sells Ben & Jerry's) and liberate a pint from the oppressive clutches of the grocer's freezer.

If the goal is tastiness, this ice cream can claim, "Mission Accomplished."

(Wow, between this link and my Links tonight, I am absolutely on fire!)

Tags: silly, media

Wired: Homestar Runner Rejects TV to Stay True to Web

The Brothers Chaps have rejected deals from both Cartoon Network and Comedy Central in favor of keeping Homestar Runner a webtoon. That's investiga-awesome for fans of the site!



1UP.com: Microsoft Suing Immersion

Immersion sues Microsoft over rumble features and wins. Immersion sues Sony over rumble features and wins. Now Microsoft is suing Immersion because Immersion sued Sony and won. What now? I'm lost.

Tags: silly, video games, microsoft

SatireWire: Americans Annoyed By All This International [Bleep] on the Internet

(Warning: language.) The disclaimer at the bottom is perhaps funnier than the story itself.

Tags: silly

Some students and parents are protesting in Fort Worth on behalf of seniors who failed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Exam (aka TAKS). Even though the students will not receive diplomas, the protesters want the failed seniors to still have the chance to participate in the commencement ceremony. I think the sign below says it all.

Tags: education, silly

Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo all had very lucrative financial statemets last quarter. Apple was the quietest of the three with a quarterly profit of (only) $770 million. Nintendo didn't break out their last quarter from the statement, but they raked in about $1.5 billion in yearly profits, and Microsoft continues its profitable enterprises with nearly $5 billion in quarterly profits. The only bad news in the Microsoft statement is its entertainment division (home of the XBox 360 and the Zune), which posted a $200 million loss.

Can you imagine being so filthy rich that you can swallow a $200 million loss? I know I can't.

• Apple Reports Second Quarter Results
• Ars Technica: Nintendo reports monster profits, promises increased Wii production
• Microsoft Reports Record Profits – Robust demand for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system drives 72% growth in earnings per share

Ars Technica: We come not to bury Kutaragi, but to praise him

The "Father of the PlayStation" is stepping down from his position as chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment for unannounced reasons. Kazuo Hirai will be taking his place.



Daring Fireball: Interview: Dino Dai Zovi

Gruber has a nice and thorough interview with one of the individuals who recently hacked a Mac at CanSecWest. If only Maynor or Elich had been this open to discussion a year ago...



Engadget: Meizu updates miniOne: clearly, it's no iPhone clone

Uh-huh... Even the order of some of the icons are the same.


left: iPhone, right: miniOne (in case you couldn't tell)



Flickr: Photos from etchasketchist

Just wow! I could never get past geometric shapes on an Etch-a-Sketch. This person must have tons of patience.

Tags: technology, video games, apple inc, microsoft, security, iphone, silly

Presentation Zen: PowerPoint: sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying

This is a great collection of humorous PowerPoint related videos. My favorites are "Is there life after death by PowerPoint?" and "Chicken, chicken, chicken."



Andrews McMeel Publishing: Fans From Around the World Interview Bill Watterson

It's a nice set of questions. Unfortunately, no one asks when on earth he's going to return from the sky and save us from the sheer banality of recent comic strips. (I mean, come on, Garfield hasn't been funny in ages; Zits is fine; but the funniest comic is Peanuts ... by a dead guy!)

PS - Calvin is my hero.



The Inquirer: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. not nicking art after all

Well, that's good. I still don't like typing that title...



Flickr: Steve Jobs on the cover of April 1993 UnixWorld

He looks so much different with hair...



Apple – Final Cut Studio 2

This is a pretty big update to Apple's professional film editing suite. Along with all existing components receiving new and upgraded features, a new application called Color has been added. I'm not going to tell you the price here. It's too high risk for people with heart conditions, who are pregnant, or who could possible have blood pressure – of any kind.

Tags: powerpoint, silly, video games, software

freshome: Furniture Inspired by Scrabble Game

D'oh! I wish I knew about these BEFORE we began redoing our living room!



TUAW: Our Favorite Easter Eggs

TUAW writes about some fun hidden goodies in Mac OS X (but there aren't as many as in the good old days of the classic Mac OS. grumble, grumble, kids these days...). I have to admit, though, I didn't expect –

"Nooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

Tags: silly, tiger, os x

SFGate: Bad behavior in the blogosphere

The San Francisco Chronicle has a decent overview of the events surrounding the abuse aimed at Kathy Sierra and the subsequent hiatus of Creating Passionate Users. Again, of all people, I have such a hard time believing she was made into a target.



Playlist: iTunes Completes Me

...and this wasn't a feature from day one because?



Scribd: They didn't study

Here is a small but amusing collection of "creative" answers from students who either became too frustrated with the material or just had no clue what they were doing.



Infinite Loop: Minireview: NeoOffice 2.1 for OS X

All in all, this is a highly-recommended download. But that doesn't mean there aren't any downsides. This Aqua version is a far cry from early X11 StarOffice ports that looked like they were running on Windows 98, prehistoric save dialogs and all. But if you're one to complain about UI consistency, you may be less than impressed by by the look and little things, such as the way the home and end keys on the keyboard behave like they do on a PC (or a Microsoft application). And NeoOffice's look is very much inspired by Microsoft Office.

Also, performance was sluggish on his PowerBook G4. On the other hand, it's pretty zippy on Intel Macs.



OpenOffice.org: Press Release – OpenOffice 2.2

This update patches some newly discovered vulnerabilities, improve on-screen text appearance, and has other small improvements.

Tags: blogging, silly, neooffice, software, itunes/ipods

iFilm: Slinky Couch



I have no idea how this thing holds up in less controlled situations, but it's very mesmerizing to watch in this video!

Tags: silly

YouTube: Pachelbel Rant


Comedian Robert Paravonian energetically and humorously illustrates the sameness of popular music. This has been around for a little while, but I thought I'd post it here as well for those of you who might not have seen it. (Warning: There is some bad language toward the end of the video.)



Pixel Designs: French Roast

x

This is a nice free theme. It's very visually appealing, but I do recommend that you download the suggested font.

Tags: silly, keynote

Our local Fox News station has started a new segment in the evening called "Survive Alive," and all I can wonder is "how can you survive in any state other than alive?"

Fox: ever appealing to some kind of common denominator.

Tags: silly, media

Star-Telegram: Exxon leader: 'Climate getting warmer'

Someplace really warm just froze over, and it's probably already thawing. Despite admitting that climates are growing generally warmer, the Exxon chairman still basically says that he owns our pocketbooks for the next quarter-century.

Still, any progress is good progress.



YouTube: One – A Space Odyssey

The story of 2001 told in about one minute using Lego. Brilliant!

via Daring Fireball

Tags: silly, environment

Viidelectrix

Homestar themed Flash games optimized for the Wii browser and the Wii remote. (They also work in browsers. Secret Collect is my favorite!)



AppleMatters Interviews the Macalope

The Macalope has become one of my favorite bloggers recently, and this interview is just classic. The only problem is that the interviewer tries to be as funny...



Ars Technica: Adobe announces pricing, availability for Lightroom

Ars Technica posts details about the official pricing and availability of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. It costs the same as Apple's Aperture, but the system requirements are not as steep. I wonder how it will actually perform on those lower-end supported machines.



Infinite Loop: OpenOffice.org (Aqua) needs you!

Ars blogs about the development of the Aqua version of OpenOffice. What I can't understand is why they don't put resources into helping the NeoOffice project rather than insisting on reinventing the wheel.



CPUs: Sensemaking 4: Summary of your comments

In this final post on making sense of complicated information, Dan Russell sorts through the numerous comments made about his posts and draws out some of the most helpful and interesting.

Tags: technology, silly, software, adobe

Okay, this nearby house's decorations are not terribly gaudy, over-the-top, blinding, or a particular eye-sore, but the lights give me the heebie-jeebies every time we drive past them


Yes, friends, what you see is the scripture, "The Word became flesh," in lights above a Nativity scene. To top things off, of course the word "flesh" has to be in bright red just above the baby!


I don't know. This doesn't give me feelings of comfort and joy. It makes me feel like Mary and Joseph are getting ready to feast upon the Baby Jesus, and that's just not an image you want in your mind for Christmas. To reiterate: Creepiest. Lights. Ever.

Tags: silly

I haven't done one of these posts in a while! You know you've been playing too much Final Fantasy XII when...



• You want to visit the Playboy mansion just so you can see a real life Viera.

• You harbor a strong distrust of cute bunnies, onions, and tomatoes.

• You wish your real friends could be controlled by gambits.

• You believe there is a direct correlation between how much you sell to the local consignment shop and how awesome their stock is.

• You talk to no one who doesn't have a smiley-face icon above their head.

• You berate chess players for wasting Licensing Points.

• You go to your favorite bookstore to try and buy spells, gambits, and techniques.

• You check public bulletin boards for notices on monster bounties.

• You know you could ask him/her out on a date if only you unlocked the right Licenses.

• You expect colored arcs to travel between others and yourself depending on if they are planning on being nice or attacking you.

• You visit jewelry stores looking for Teleport Stones and Save Crystals.

• You begin to think metal thongs and fez vests are stylish.

If you liked this list, check out this one as well: Too Much DQ.

Tags: video games, silly

The following post is completely unreliable speculation based on the fact that I've been wanting to use the name "MacBook mini" in a sentence for some time now:

Some predict the processor in this machine will end up in the upcoming Macbook (successor to the iBook). I disagree. I say this processor will be in the MacBook mini. 11"-widescreen TFT, 1.2 GHz ULV Core Solo, 512 MB DDR memory, 60 GB hard drive, Combo Drive, Intel Integrated Graphics, $999 USD. A tablet version will be available for $1,299 USD. (Oh, and the enclosure will resemble the finish of the iPod nano!)

Oh, yeah. You heard it here first. (Initiate Emperor's New Groove-style dance.)

Tags: silly, technology

Ten reasons you know you've been playing too much Dragon Quest VIII (in no particular order):



• For some reason, only green books interest you (bonus if said book is on the second shelf).

• You wish you could add skill points to your charisma or sex appeal.

• You see a cow in a field and wonder if touching it will give you a bottle of milk.

• You go to Victoria's Secret looking for a "dangerous bustier."

• You start randomly entering houses and rummaging through cabinets and other possessions. When the police cart you away, you retort, "You don't understand! The goddess put those there for me!"

• You begin mistaking Chuck E. Cheese tokens for mini medals and demand a Staff of Divine Wrath from the poor kid working at the exchange counter.

• You think more girls should go around wearing bunny suits.

• You randomly throw clothing and objects into a boiling pot hoping that something better will pop out in 30 minutes.

• You collect "cow-pats."

• You secretly want a pony, hoping it really turns out to be a princess.

Bonus: You go to 11 if you ordered the $40 PS2 controller that looks like a blue slime!

Tags: video games, silly

So I got this weird phone call a couple of night's ago. I was cleaning at the time – more accurately, I was fixating on some unusual spots on our kitchen floor – so the call caught me off guard. Slightly shaken, I picked up the phone with the usual, "Hello?"

"Hi, David. It's [some name I don't remember]. Blah, blah, blah..."

"Um, I think you have a wrong number. I'm not David, and I don't recognize your name."

Now, at this point, I expected the usual apology for a wrong number, and I was getting ready to hear a hasty "good-bye." Only, it didn't happen. The lady kept talking. I don't even know what she was saying – nor did I at the time – I was so knocked out of kilter by the fact that her voice was still going.

"Can I speak to your lovely wife?" My wrong-number-who-wouldn't-shut-up asked.

"Wife? She's out of town." At this point I should mention that I have a high-functioning ASD and was having a hard time making heads or tails of the situation. I didn't know why this person was still talking, clearly ignoring the fact tat I was not – nor am I now – David. I didn't know if I had perhaps misheard her name. After all, I had been fixating just prior to the call, so my brain might not have caught up with the auditory information I was receiving. All I could do was answer her question.

Presently, the woman went on to explain that my (David's?) wife had been invited to some party, and she had not RSVP'd. Things were still not adding up, so I ask for the woman's name again. She tells me, and I answer, "I don't know that name." By now, frustration was beginning to creep into my voice.

"Okay, whatever," my masked caller responded. "I'll talk to you later."

I hung up the phone, mildly confused, and wondering what the kitchen floor thought of the whole ordeal. I crouched back down with my Lysol and 409, getting back to my obsessive scrubbing when it suddenly dawned on me that the lady on the phone had thought I was lying to her. It made perfect sense – the way she kept going on after my first attempt to disengage, the "whatever" and the "I'll talk to you later." She must have thought I was just trying to avoid her! I couldn't clean for the rest of the night ... well, except for some dusting and vacuuming ...

Now I'm sure there is some moral to this story, but I haven't figured it out yet. It was so strange, though, that I had to tell someone about it!

Tags: silly, asd

I'm convinced stop signs have some kind of weird improbability field hovering around them.

Don't believe me? Case in point: I'm driving home late at night. No one else appears to be on the road ... until I reach a stop sign, that is. We both reach the stop sign at the exact same moment, and we both awkwardly wait for the other to go. FInally I go, and the same thing happens at the next stop sign. This happens at three out of four stop signs near our neighborhood.

It's unnatural, I tell you. This has happened before. Despite the absence of any other visible traffic, the laws of probability seem to bend around stop signs, bringing two improbable objects to a single point in space at the same moment. It's more powerful than the Reality Distortion Field that surrounds Steve Jobs, and I believe Douglas Adams had it all wrong – You don't need a hot cup of tea to make the Infinite Improbability Drive. You just need a stop sign!

Tags: silly