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January 31, 2007

Consumers yawn with release of Vista OS

At long last, Vista is here. But Tuesday's San Francisco launch of Microsoft's new computer operating system, which it hopes will revolutionize the technology world, didn't pack much punch according to Ryan Blitstein in an article today in the Mercury News. The Redmond, Wash., company spent $6 billion developing Windows Vista, plus billions more on Microsoft Office 2007, which officially launched Tuesday. Microsoft's Exchange Server 2007, the software for e-mail and calendars, was released last month. ...

Says Ryan, "So far consumers don't seem that excited about Vista, especially compared with the much-hailed release of Windows 95, when thousands of buyers lined up at stores for a midnight release. ..."

Vista arrives with limited fanfare

"Twelve years ago, Microsoft introduced a new operating system, Windows 95, in a frenzied global marketing blitz that was unlike anything the industry had ever seen," say Jeremy Peters and Thomas Crampton in an article today in the International Herald Tribune's Tech section. "But Tuesday, shortly after midnight, when Microsoft put its latest Windows successor, Vista, on sale, there was considerably less hoopla."

"The lights on the Empire State Building were not changed to hues of Microsoft red, yellow and green. The lines at stores were much shorter. In many ways, the change reflects how much Microsoft's influence in the computer technology marketplace has faded as the fortunes of rivals like Google and Apple have grown. ... "

Bill Gates' Vista Media Blitz

If you've been following Bill Gates' media tour this week (I have, with mild interest) you may have watched him on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night and nearly every other outlet in the last 24 hours. Most bizarre for me has been watching him highlight features of Vista and pretend that Microsoft "innovated" them.

Still on the Vista media blitz, Gates appeared on CNN only to be asked the question of questions: "Were you going after a specific look there, the Mac look?" The following YouTube clip from CNN is entertaining as the host pushes Gates toward admitting his continued inspiration in Cupertino...

As Cult of Mac puts it, "Bill Gates occupies [an] alternative universe where Vista is innovative." Amusing.

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January 30, 2007

Photo Imagery by Noah Kirchner

Noah is Michael and Sisko's son and a budding photographer. Having recently acquired a Nikon D80 shooter and taken up the hobby, he's already showing a natural eye for it. I've selected a few of his images and posted them for your consideration. I'll post more as he makes them available. I think you'll agree he has the makings of a fine photographer. Click here or on the image below to view them all. (11 images)

                                                                                                                                                                                 ©Noah Kirchner. All rights reserved.

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January 29, 2007

Hasta la Vista, Baby

Good Morning Silicone Valley reports that when Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates appears tonight on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, it won't be to celebrate "Microsoft Spend Your Entire Day Installing Printer Drivers Day," but to plug Windows Vista an hour before its official midnight launch. Seems Microsoft has found wisdom in the words of former "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel, who once whined, "A lot of television viewers -- more, quite frankly, than I'm comfortable with -- get their news from the Comedy Channel on a program called 'The Daily Show.'"

Quite the PR stunt, no? It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Certainly there's ample room for hijinks; Stewart's had his way with Microsoft before, and John Hodgman (Apple's "I'm a PC" guy) is a correspondent on the show...

In other Windows Vista launch news, The Associated Press reports that NBA star LeBron James is slated to make cameo ads for the product.

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January 29, 2007

The Mysterious Number 6174

At first glance, it might not seem so obvious but, as you are about to see, anyone who can subtract can uncover the mystery that makes 6174 so special.

In 1949, mathematician D. R. Kaprekar from Devlali, India, devised the process now known as Kaprekar's Operation. Here's how it works:

First, choose a four digit number where the digits are not all the same (that is, not 1111, 2222 ...). Next, rearrange the digits to get the largest and smallest numbers these digits can make. Finally, subtract the smallest number from the largest to get a new number and repeat the operation for each new number. ...

Continue reading

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January 29, 2007

E. Howard Hunt

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January 29, 2007

Super Bowl XLI Tickets

What a system. From the official NFL site:

The demand for tickets to Super Bowl XLI greatly exceeds our ability to accommodate the majority of our fans interested in attending. Most tickets are made available through the two teams competing in the game, and to a lesser extent through each of our other NFL teams. Remaining tickets for the general public are made available through a random drawing. There is no other means for the general public to purchase tickets. The NFL does not sell tickets to travel or ticket agents. Entries for the random drawing are accepted between Feb. 1 and June 1 of the year preceding the game in question. ...

Of course, scalpers always manage to get tickets, presumably from the teams based on the forgoing, and I've heard they're going for upwards of $5,000.

Say what? For that much I could buy a whale of a plasma HD TV, have my lovely wife whip up some great snacks, not have to pay $10 a cup for beer, sit in a comfy room with family and friends and get much better coverage of the game! So who pays that kind of dough to sit a mile from the action between a couple of slobs slinging their beer during every play and then have to spend three hours getting back to an overpriced hotel room? I can't imagine.

I married into a Chicago family so, as much as I like the Colts, I'll be rooting for Da' Bears. And I'll admit I'd love to be in Chicago during and after the game, especially if Da' Bears win. Chicago is a football town and they love their Bears, so the city will be filled with electric energy and wild parties.

Hopefully, though, I'll be watching the game with family and friends in front of a big screen TV while nibbling hot wings and home made chili and maybe playing a little touch football during halftime...

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January 26, 2007

Renovation - 3

The house has a hollow, empty appearance and a slight echo without furniture in the living, family and dining rooms. It was all moved out yesterday in two truckloads; one destined for the consignment store and the other for storage until our repainting and recarpeting is completed. It was a long day and, although I didn't do much of the heavy lifting, I was beat.

And I was as nervous as a cat the whole time as I watched the movers lug our heavy brass curio cabinets down the stairs from the landing, dismantle our piano and flip it on its side (terrifying!), and dolly our heavy furniture across the uneven walkway and into their truck.

In the midst of movers coming and going, our tile contractor came to measure the entry for new marble; turns out I'll only need 400sf of 16-inch tiles instead of the 500sf we'd originally estimated. I called the supplier and gave him the revised quantity... and my credit card number (Ouch!)

And the upholstery company that re-covered our dining room chairs delivered the window seat cushion they'd made. It had been a little short when they brought it out the first time so I'd sent it back. This time it seems to fit perfectly. (Sigh of relief!)

The three young guys that will be dismantling our exercise machine came by around 6:30 last night to give me an estimate on the job. They'll dismantle the machine and move the parts, along with some other exercise equipment, to our storage locker, then return and reassemble it all in the gym after the renovation (Ouch again!) They've been somewhat unreliable about keeping appointments and returning phone calls but promised to be here Saturday morning at 8 sharp. (Pending sigh of relief.)

It felt good to be closer to a state of readiness -- the demolition is now scheduled to begin Wednesday instead of Monday -- but I was exhausted last night and, after a wonderful dinner (bless Dawn's heart), fell off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Of course, we're still not entirely ready for demolition. There's still a lot of "stuff" to be boxed and hauled to the storage locker and various charities. It's amazing how much we accumulate and hate to part with even after realizing it no longer fits or we no linger use it. So we'll be taking this opportunity to purge.

But, as my cousin Mike advised, we're keeping our eyes on the prize; our "house" is becoming our "home."

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January 26, 2007

Another Saddam Video?

...if you're keeping score.

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January 25, 2007

Our own local cigar aficionado, Michael Darling, sometimes sends me cigar "tips" which I publish for those of you who like to enjoy an occasional "stick." With today's contribution (and subject to the editor's gentle hand,) Cigar Talk becomes a regular monthly AFP feature. As always, comments are welcome.

Herfin' USA

Long ago (circa 1967-68) in a Galaxy far, far away (my friend Jay Well's 1964 baby blue Ford, as I recall) I was introduced to my first stogie thanks to my Uncle Stinky.  As a young child I always wondered why my uncle had that name, but it may have been something to do with his frequent requests for me to pull his finger... Regardless, on one occasion when he caught me smoking Marlboro's with a friend around town, he handed me a White Owl and told me to start smoking like a man.

For those of you unfamiliar with my history, I hail from Northern Idaho. During the time I grew up, the only smoke people got upset over was too much wood smoke in the valley. Smoking cigarettes? Well, it was just something you did. Period. So Unk handed me this "thing". It was long, brown, and smelled kinda funky. Being suspicious of my uncle and his nickname, I was naturally a little alarmed but, lo and behold, it was a cigar! Now, up until that night, I hadn't realized you could actually turn green. But that's another story for another time.

Well, cigars are just fat smelly cigarettes, right? Like most people, you know cigars exist, you know they can be danged expensive, you know they're becoming trendy, and you may even have tried one. But you're still not sure which end goes in your mouth, how you clip off the tip, and what about the whole "don't inhale" thing? Fortunately, thanks to Doug Arrington allotting some valuable space on this site, I'm here to help. Regular readers will, over time, learn your wrappers from your binders and your Upmanns from your Ashtons. You'll either learn how to get the most out of your sticks and tell the difference between a quality cigar and a "dog rocket" or, at the very least, look like you can.

And you'll finally understand why it's less appropriate to compare cigars to cigarettes (highly inappropriate) than to compare them to fine wines (slightly more appropriate.) Before we move into this, though, I have to say this. I'm not going to get all preachy or anything because you already know that cigars are bad for you. Still, at this point, you probably don't care. But do remember all the bad stuff - nicotine is addictive, smoke kills unborn babies, cancer risks go up and not everyone around you likes cigars - so be conscious of where you light up. But you're an adult. You'll do whatever you want anyway, so we might as well help you make sure that you do it right. And on that note, on to learning about stogies!

Cigars are made of three or more kinds of tobacco leaf from many different strains of tobacco plant. The three leaves are wrappers, fillers, and binders:

• Wrappers  are the part of the cigar that you see,  the  long, supple leaves that come from the widest portion of the tobacco plant. They'll range from green in tint (the rare Candela, loved by JFK) to almost black (the Oscuro, loved by people with no remaining sense of taste.)

• Fillers are the meat of the cigar, the rolled up bunches of leaves in the middle.

• Binders are elastic leaves that hold the filler bunches together.

The magic of cigars comes from the various strains of tobacco. You get a tremendous variation in both flavor and quality of tobacco with the best arguably coming from the Vuelta Abajo region in Cuba. Of course, Cuban cigars haven't been sold in the USA since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis, so you have to run up to Canada these days to enjoy these cigars. Fortunately, very fine tobacco grown with Cuban seed is coming from places like the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras and even Connecticut. These can all be purchased and enjoyed here in the states so you can herf "Cubans" to your heart's content.

The most visible characteristic of tobacco is its color and, fortunately, this will tell you a lot about the cigar you are about to purchase. The colors range from claro (light brown) to oscuro (almost black). If this all sounds Greek to you, well, it's probably because these are Spanish terms. If the words still mean nothing to you, don't worry. All you need to know is that tobacco is either grown in the sun or in the shade (well, duh!). Typically, tobacco grown in the sun is more robust. It will be heavily veined, usually much darker, and you'll get a much more powerful and robust flavor from these tobaccos. These are not the types of cigars you should start with. These are better suited to seasoned aficionados or my Uncle Stinky who, at this point, has one remaining taste bud.

Shade grown tobaccos, on the other hand, tend to be much more delicate and much lighter in both color and flavor. If you're smoking your first cigar, it might be wise to begin with a lighter colored claro.

So what's next? Well, next time I'll tell you how to choose your cigars and, in the future, how to light, smoke and store your favorites. 'Til then, keep herfin'!

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January 24, 2007

Bianca Ryan

Those of you that watched "America's Got Talent" last season are already familiar with 11-year-old singing sensation Bianca Ryan who went on to win the $1 million show finale. Her audition performance of Jennifer Holiday's "And I'm Telling You (I'm Not Going)" from the 1982 Broadway production of "Dreamgirls" brought everyone to their feet as you'll see in this video:

Incidentally, if you haven't seen the now-showing movie version of "Dreamgirls," Jennifer Hudson's performance of this song is alone worth the price of admission.

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January 24, 2007

Sandwich Art

I'm always interested in unique art forms, so when Shannan brought "sandwich art" to my attention, I wasn't surprised. Someone is always at the ready to make things out of unusual objects. Some will call it art, others will see it more as playing with food. Either way, here are 27 examples; let me know what you think.

Via JibJab (Thanks Shannan!)

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January 23, 2007

Renovation - 2

I got this today from High Desert Wanderer and, given our soon-to-begin renovation project, thought it worth sharing...

Painting a room in 30 seconds or less

Had a little home improvement mishap today. I was actually cleaning the kitchen when I knocked something over. I’m still not sure what it was, but I do know that it knocked my power drill off the back of the counter into the dining room. That drove the Phillips head screw driver tip right through the side of an aerosol can of red primer. A hiss, a rattle, and a cloud of dust later, and my toolbox is red. The carpet is red. My new end table is red. The walls and part of one kitchen cabinet are red. And my DeWalt drill is red (That’s just wrong, if I’d wanted it red I’d have bought a Milwaukee drill).

Mineral spirits took most of the paint off my end table. The walls and cabinets will have to be primed and repainted. The carpet is shot, but it was scheduled to be replaced anyway. I think my drill is unfortunately red for good.

I learned my lesson though… Never clean the kitchen.

And from Mike:

Athalie and I have done all that (remodeled our kitchen from the floor to the ceiling including the walls and appliances.) To say it's frustrating is, at best, very understated. Home wrecking is more like it.

Now that you’re all cheered up, there is one bright side: the finished product. Keep focused there and, as you say, “Let the countdown begin.”

And this apropos 'toon from Shannan:

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January 22, 2007

More Phil Sidran Wildlife Imagery

Phil Sidran is a Miami optometrist and fellow kayak paddler with a good eye for photography (pun intended.) I especially appreciate his images because many were taken while paddling near where I grew up -- in and around Miami and the Florida Everglades -- and are of quite notable quality. And based on your enthusiastic comments, you like them, too! So here's another group of Phil's fine bird imagery taken January 13. Click here or on the image below to view them all (8 images).

You can view previous postings of Phil's excellent work here and here. You can contact Phil directly at psidran@bellsouth.net.

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January 22, 2007

Renovation

Our long awaited renovation project is scheduled to begin next Monday and we've still so much to do in preparation -- moving furniture to storage or consignment; bubble-wrapping and packing myriad loose and delicate items; hauling the endless stream of boxed "stuff" to our storage locker -- what we'd pictured as a relatively simple task now seems more as though we're moving across the country.

And in a way, I suppose that's not so far from the mark, the only difference being we're planning on living in our home during the renovation. I say "planning" because doing so seemed logical to us -- we're "only" replacing the marble in our entry and having the interior repainted and recarpeted -- but the contractor raised his eyebrows when we mentioned our intentions. Something about the smell, the noise, the mess...

We still need to choose carpet and paint colors. They were dependent on the marble tiles we selected which turned out to be an enormously frustrating and time-eating task that I won't even go into. Suffice it to say that we've chosen the marble and can now move forward with complementary colors for paint and carpet.

In that regard, I should mention that Dawn and I live with two cats. Gracie, the tuxedo cat, is what I'd call a comparatively minor shedder. But Georgie, our straight-eared Scottish Fold, sheds so much that we've joked about choosing our carpet color to match his shaded silver hair. Not so far fetched an idea, right? But then we remember that Gracie's hair is mostly black. I guess there's just no getting out of weekly vacuuming.

A project like this, I've learned, is like toppling dominoes. What started out as picking out a few pieces of furniture for the family room evolved into painting, new marble tile in the entry and new carpeting. Everything is "connected" so it's difficult to replace one thing and not that which is right next to it. So it goes without saying, I suppose, that we're also replacing the chandeliers and wall sconces. And when it's all finished and the contractors pack up their tools and equipment (and the smell of paint dissipates) we'll be taking delivery of new furniture for the living and family rooms and having new window treatments hung...

And that's when the big empty house will finally become a home. We can hardly wait to "settle in." So let the countdown begin...

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January 19, 2007

Friday Flyby - "Jetman"

This week's "flyby" comes via Dave...

Forty six year old Swiss born Yves Rossy is a professional pilot and "polysportsman." A former Swiss Army pilot, he flew the Mirage III and, later as a corporate pilot, Airbuses. Over the past seven years he's not only created and developed wings which allow him to fly, but also built and personally tested them. Since last Autumn, with the aid of four model-engines attached under his wing, he's been able to fly at over 200km/hr.

During flight, Yves's body works much like that of a bird and, other than employing a fuel control, he does not ride his wings but truly flies them, controlling the wing using various light body movements. Though the most important part of this project has been achieved, there still remains some necessary fine-tuning to allow Yves to take-off, perform aerobatics, vertical climbs and participate at air shows...

This has to be somewhere near the ultimate adreneline rush. Watch more of his amazing performances here.

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January 19, 2007

What's wrong with this picture? My $0.02

A Mexican drug smuggler sneaks across the U.S. border carrying 743 pounds of marijuana in his van. He's confronted by two U.S. Border Patrol agents who order him to stop. After a scuffle with one of the agents, the drug smuggler abandons the van and takes off. The agents give chase and shots are fired. The smuggler runs for the border but is wounded in the buttocks before escaping to the safety of Mexico. Sounds like a typical day along the U.S.-Mexico border, right? Give the agents a commendation, maybe a pay raise.

But that's not what happened to the agents. In what makes me think we've slipped into some parallel universe where everything is backwards, the agents are arrested and charged with felonies including violating the drug smuggler's civil rights. It seems a Homeland Security agent heard about the episode, went to Mexico and offered the drug smuggler immunity if he testified against the agents. The drug smuggler was treated at taxpayer's expense in a U.S. hospital and told he can sue the U.S. government.

You see, our Border Patrol policy prohibits chasing terrorists, drug smugglers or anyone crossing illegally into this country and who are fleeing. And our courts have ruled that it's illegal to shoot a suspect who is running away if he is unarmed. To do so violates the suspect's civil rights. Never mind that the agents believed him to be armed and that, when interviewed shortly after the incident, his family said that, yes, he's a drug smuggler and, yes, he always carries a gun. He now knows to claim he was unarmed in order to sue the U.S. Border Patrol for $5 million for violating his civil rights!

The agents? They've been sentenced to 11 and 12 years in federal prison under a rule of law that requires a mandatory minimum 10 years if a firearm was used while committing a violent crime. The crime? Assault with a dangerous weapon, discharge of a firearm during a violent crime, obstructing justice, lying about the incident (The agents failed to file a report stating that they had fired their weapons, and one of them picked up his spent shell casings) and willfully violating the drug smuggler's Fourth Amendment right to be free from illegal seizure.

Sounds preposterous, I know, but that's what happened. Congress won't intervene and President Bush has refused thus far to grant a pardon for the agents. I can't fathom U.S. policy concerning border security. Agents are apparently there to "patrol" but can't "chase" bad guys (without first getting permission from a supervisor.) Oh, and don't use their guns. They can yell, "Shoo! Shoo!" and can apparently send bad guys back across the border if they voluntarily surrender, but it sounds like that's about it.

I've provided links to two articles you should read. The first is an article by Debra Saunders for the SF Chronicle. The second is an October 20 article in WorldNetDaily. What's been done to these two agents is a serious miscarriage of justice and we need to let our elected officials know we won't stand for it.

What's going on along our border is wrong on every level and our government has shown absolutely no interest in fixing the problem. Want something done? Write or email ALL your elected officials including the President. Keep writing. Demand justice for the two agents and that the border be protected. Pay attention to which officials turn a deaf ear and vote them out of office!

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January 18, 2007

John Hodgman and Jon Stewart discuss Net Neutrality

John Hodgman (The "I'm a PC" guy) explains on The Daily Show what Net Neutrality means and elaborates on Sen. Ted Stevens' insightful lecture on the internet being "a series of tubes..."

Find more (serious) information on Net Neutrality here and here and more Daily Show (heh) on the subject here.

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January 18, 2007

More on Cisco's iPhone suit against Apple Inc.

I've been corresponding recently with Adam Richardson, Strategy Director at frog design. Turns out he worked for a startup company called Infogear in the late 90s and was part of the team that designed its first product, a desktop phone/email/web affair with a VGA black and white touch screen, a speedy 56k modem and a slide-out keyboard.

Like quite a few PC/phone/appliance gadgets (Webphones) at the time, it seemed a good idea but ultimately collapsed under the weight of high cost relative to rapidly falling prices of full-blown PC’s that did a lot more. Infogear struggled for a while and was ultimately acquired by Cisco Systems in 2000. With it, Cisco inherited the trademark on the devise's name: iPhone.

So now you know how Cisco ended up with the iPhone trademark or, as the saying goes, "the rest of the story."

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January 17, 2007

This Flash drawing comes from Dave who says, "I could not help but be mesmerized by this 'show'." Makes me wish I'd continued those art classes...

Pencil Drawing 1

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January 17, 2007

OSU Marching Band

The Ohio State marching band is famous for its script “Ohio” formation. This obviously manipulated photo sent to me by my brother Larry portrays what the marching band might have spelled out after the recent BCS game... 

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January 16, 2007

Armed & Famous -- My $0.02

Have you watched this? It's okay, you can tell me. Confession is good for the soul. "Armed & Famous" debuted last Wednesday night with a viewership of 8.2 million, generating a 2.9 rating. Its second episode was seen by 7.8 million viewers and generated a rating of 2.7. A downward trend? Let's hope so. If not, I fear our society is doomed.

The show, which clearly exists mainly to be ridiculed, features five B-list celebrities (Erik Estrada of "CHiPs," singer La Toya Jackson, wrestler Trish Stratus, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna of "Jackass" and Ozzy Osbourne's son, Jack) pretending to learn how to pretend to be policemen on the Muncie, Indiana force. In the words of the ABC website, "They will [be] arresting bad guys including drug dealers, hookers and johns, wife-beaters, burglars, the drunk-and-disorderly and more."

All in a night's work in Hollywood, California, one might think. But, no, it turns out our celebs are serving as reserve cops in Muncie, Indiana. And a good thing, too; having has-been celebrities arrest current ones like Hugh Grant and Mel Gibson would have been unseemly and unfair.

The website continues, "Funny? Often. Emotional? Yes, and in surprising ways. Serious? Always. To these five celebrities, serving the people of Muncie is an honor that equals or surpasses anything they've experienced previously." Come on! The show has "they can't be serious" written all over it!

It's hard to believe that anyone would deliberately create programming like this. And even more incredible that anyone would watch it. But, of course, many will. Why? I think because it's grotesquely fascinating even when it isn't even remotely funny, emotional or serious. Programs like this are like third-generation parodies; in a reversal of show-business tradition, they're bad on purpose. Not only does no one expect them to be good, no one wants them to be.

The producers hope instead that viewers will get a certain satisfaction from hooting and howling at the awfulness of it all. But "Armed & Famous" (even the name is bad) rushes by "awful" and heads straight for "abominable" -- it's not even that much fun to laugh at.

Admittedly, most TV shows are little more than time-killers. But there's killing time and there's beating it to death with a stick. Or a billy club. Or shooting it in the head -- because, yes, the "celebrity" cops in "Armed & Famous" are truly armed if not actually famous.

"Muncie is quite different from L.A.," observes "recording artist and author" (huh?) La Toya Jackson, who insists on a tablecloth and a finger bowl (honest!) when her partner takes her out for peanuts at the Texas Roadhouse. "Midnight!" says the narrator. "On the streets of Muncie, crime doesn't sleep, and neither do our celebrity cops!" Oozes suspense, doesn't it?

When "international television icon" (really?) Eric Estrada finds himself inside Muncie's version of a crack house, he's surprised to discover the dealer is a toothless granny in her 80s. "This is the wrong way to meet you, Ponch," she says, laughing all the way to the police station in the back seat of the cop car. Oh, puleez!

These details may inadvertently make the show sound mildly amusing. It isn't. As Tom Shales points out in the Washington Post, "in addition to epitomizing the trend toward cheaper and cheaper prime-time programming, "Armed & Famous" represents another unhappy trend: The insane business of trying to pass off game-playing as entertainment on a massive, inescapable scale. Games are a vicarious experience in the first place. Watching people play games -- whether the game is poker or make-believe cop -- is vicarious vicariousness. It's a form of "reality" that only makes television less real -- and, inevitably, less worth having around."

The midseason now belongs to Fox and "American Idol." That gives rise to a "what-have-we-got-to-lose" mentality that in turn makes shows like "Armed and Famous" possible. What can we do? Read a book. And pray that the already cast second season is mercifully put to sleep even before they pull the plug on the current one.

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January 15, 2007

iPhone Humor

Stephen Colbert Gives Apple a "Double Wag of the Finger"

From The Conan O'Brien Show: "It's More than just a Phone" Commercial

And Gizmodo offers these mockups (Oh yes, tongue-in-cheek mockups continue even after the iPhone's announced release!)

There's bound to be more iPhone humor between now and the iPhone ship date in six months. Stay tuned.

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January 13, 2007

Happy Birthday James

It's sometimes difficult to believe but, like us, our children do grow up. And when they grow up with good character, a keen sense of humor and, most importantly, kind hearts, they make their parents proud. Today is youngest son Jamie's 36th birthday and we celebrated with a family luncheon at Mimi's Cafe. It seems like only a few short years ago that we were laughing at the way his diapers drooped when he played in the little wading pool in our back yard - he was a trendsetter even then! And now he's grown. He's still cute and funny - thank goodness he's no longer wearing droopy drawers!

Happy Birthday, Son

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January 12, 2007

15 Surprises for 2007

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January 12, 2007

Cisco sues Apple over iPhone name

I suppose you could say this is number 16, but it's really no surprise. Cisco Systems is suing Apple Inc. in federal court for trademark infringement over the naming of Apple's new "iPhone", Cisco announced in a press release Wednesday. Cisco has held the trademark on the name "iPhone" since 2000. The company is seeking an injunction preventing Apple from using the "iPhone" name, according to this CNN report.

Some are speculating that Cisco obtained the trademark amid the flurry of rumors of a forthcoming Apple iPhone in order to muscle some money out of Apple. After all, most folks have been discussing a possible "iPhone" from Apple for years and most, including the media, had already dubbed it the "iPhone" knowing that Apple likes to use the "i" designation on many of its products. And indeed, Steve Jobs has been trying to "buy" it from Cisco for some time.

Anyway, amid speculation that Apple would announce an iPhone during Tuesday's keynote address at Macworld, Cisco announced another VoIP telephone devise three weeks ago and dubbed it "iPhone." And since Apple didn't accept Cisco's offer to sell the name before Tuesday's announcement, Cisco is seeking an injunction barring Apple from using it.

Apple believes Cisco's trademark is "tenuous at best", that Cisco's product and Apple's are sufficiently different (VoIP v. cell phone) to negate trademark protection against Apple's use. Cisco argues they might decide down the line to produce a cell phone. (Not likely, but they clearly want to show similarity.) Without knowing how the "product" was described in Cisco's trademark application, I can't say either way. However, it's likely that the trademark application would have been denied had it been overly broad, i.e. "any phone-like thingy or service." So we'll just have to see how it all works out.

Cisco, of course, has a bundle of cash on hand so they can certainly afford to pursue the matter although I can't imagine why they would care to. Jobs, I suspect, would pay a reasonable amount in order to avoid protracted litigation so, if Cisco is reasonable, they still might strike a deal. Meanwhile, I guess the game is afoot.

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January 12, 2007

Cellswapper

Here's a tip from Ami at Cool Hunting: Capitalizing on the loophole that lets most mobile users out of unwanted contracts by transferring them to someone else, Cellswapper, a new online service, allows cell users who want to abandon their current cellular plan to offer it on the new site it to others looking to pick up a short-term plan. To provide the win-win exchange (neither party has to pay a fee for starting or canceling service) Cellswapper uses a Transfer Tracking system to keep users informed about the exchange and helps facilitate the legal transfer. For users hoping to ditch non-Cingular contracts in order to sign up for the recently announced Apple iPhone and its multi-year exclusive deal with Cingular, Cellswapper may be a viable solution.

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January 11, 2007

From Dave with the caption, "Wow, this looks like fun!"

Learn to Fly Here

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January 11, 2007

2007 Hooters Calendar

You know you want one. Click here to get yours.

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January 11, 2007

"I'll do it when I get a..."

"I'll do it when I get around to it." Sound familiar? Here's a miracle cure for procrastination! Simply print out this token and keep it in your pocket. You'll be able to take care of all those things you've been putting off because you've finally got a Round Tuit!

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January 10, 2007

Scary Mary

This recut of the Disney classic "Mary Poppins" was made by Chris Rule with assistance from Nick Eckert. Chris apparently took clips from the movie, rearranged them, applied some spooky music and...

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January 10, 2007

Dave Barry reflects on 2006

Decades from now, our grandchildren will come to us and say, ''Tell us, Grandpa or Grandma as the case may be, what it was like to be alive in the year that Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears and Katie whatshername all had babies, although not necessarily in those combinations.'' And we will smile wisely and emit a streamer of drool, because we will be very old and unable to hear them. ... read more

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January 10, 2007

Demetri Martin

Here's an unusual site promoting (I think) Demetri's Comedy Central special airing January 14 and 29. It's apparently also intended to plug Windows Vista which must have had a hand in creating the site. It's curiously, well, curious. Takes some exploring... Click on the image below and see what you think.

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January 9, 2007

Macworld San Francisco

Macworld kicked off this morning with Steve Jobs' much anticipated keynote address. As predicted, the really big news was the iPhone and the Apple TV.

UPDATE 3 : Here's the new Apple iPhone; no click wheel or navigation buttons. It's all touchpad controlled and is filled with everything from your music, photos, movies, podcasts, the internet, email, contacts, calendar... and a 2mp camera. It runs on Mac OSX so it functions much like a desktop Mac including Safari HTML browser (with tabbed browsing and full html views of websites including images), Google Maps and Widgets. A 3.5" widescreen monitor features Apple's highest resolution yet, 161 ppi. Definitely "outside the box." Engadget has more details and photos from the keynote:

The new Apple TV devise is a set top unit that wirelessly syncs with your Mac or PC, then streams movies, photos, music, podcasts, slideshows etc from your computer(s) to your wide-screen TV in HD:

UPDATE 2 : Here's the link to watch either (1) the entire keynote address, or (2) just the segment introducing the iPhone.

UPDATE 1: Steve Jobs' keynote is over and focused almost exclusively on iPhone and, to a lesser degree, iTV. It looks like the next several weeks/months may include additional product introductions and announcements that weren't addressed today... But iPhone? That's big news. (Comments Cisco?)

Macworld kicks off today at Moscone Center with Steve Jobs' keynote address to begin in less than two hours. A dual-quad processor for the Mac Pro? The much anticipated Apple cell phone? A 50-inch monitor for iTV? The rumors have been running rampant but, true to form, Apple has kept security tight. I'll watch the keynote and post a link to it once it's available for streaming. Meanwhile, you can check the MacRumors site for photos and updates from the floor at Moscone.

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January 8, 2007

Clear the Air

Uh oh. Not good...

The scene: Everyone breaks out the cigars. What could be toxic?

Cigars are a greater source of secondhand smoke than cigarettes, and not just because they're bigger, says Michael Thun, MD, vice president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society. The aging and fermenting involved in manufacturing cigars, along with their nonporous wrappers, also makes their smoke dangerous.

Compared with cigarettes, the National Institutes of Health estimates, a large cigar emits up to twenty times more ammonia, five to ten times more cadmium (a carcinogenic metal), and up to ninety times as much of highly carcinogenic nitrosamines. ...

Excerpt from an article by Allison Van Dusen for the December issue of O Magazine

UPDATE 1: A lot of you are apparently quite passionate about this subject. I'll post some of your comments as soon as I get a few minutes. Meanwhile, keep them coming, keep them brief and keep them on point.

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January 8, 2007

Resolution Generator

Having trouble rounding out your list of New Year resolutions? Perhaps this resolution generator created by Jim Hoffman will help. Simply select whether you want to start or stop something, click "What's my New Year's Resolution?" and there you have it.

Hmmm... Looks like Jim's generator gave me a toughie... Wait... Maybe not...

It also gave me "Stop dancing on tables right now." Now, that's going to be a challenge!

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January 5, 2006

Patchwork-inspired Finery

The Quilts of Gee's Bend exhibition at San Francisco's de Young Museum ended December 31 after being held over for an additional couple months due to popularity. Dawn and I were fortunate enough to see it during our visit to the museum in October. Those of you that were able to catch the exhibit saw a piece of our not so distant history and a unique American art form.

Gee's Bend became an important part of the mid-1960s Freedom Quilting Bee, an offshoot of the Civil Rights movement designed to boost family income and foster community development by selling handcrafts to outsiders. The women of Gee's Bend had for generations made quilts, mostly to keep warm during the long, cold winters, out of old work clothes and seed sacks. Today they're considered works of art.

Purlbee brought to our attention an interesting footnote in the January issue of Vogue Magazine: "[Diane] Von Furstenberg loved the Gee's Bend Quilts she saw in the De Young Museum."

Why is this notable? Because Von Furstenberg, an elemental designer of feminist fashion in the 1970's, inventor of the wrap dress, champion of the working woman, is now the president of the Council of Fashion Designer's of America and continues to adapt colorful ideas into fashion and call attention to the artists that inspire her.  Here are a few of her "crazy-quilt" creations for Spring 2007:

Joelle & Jennifer obviously have a good eye for fabrics and design. They looked through some other Spring 2007 collections and found plenty of patchwork-inspired finery, including (from left to right) these pieces from Chloe, Stella McCartney, and Anna Sui:

I'm no fashion aficionado, but I'm a follower and collector of art, especially modern, and its influence is clearly reflected in the world of fashion.

You may also be interested to know that the USPS has issued postage stamps commemorating the Quilts of Gee's Bend. If you've received letters or notes from Dawn, or purchased stamps at the Post Office, you've probably already seen them. Art is everywhere!

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January 2, 2007

Procrastination: It's a Good Thing

One reason so many people fail to keep, or even start, their New Year resolutions is procrastination. Most of us, myself included, are procrastinators to one degree or another. I'd venture to say that some of the most accomplished people I know are procrastinators. So is procrastination really such a bad thing?

There's certainly no shortage of articles published on how to cure the problem of procrastination. But I would argue that, except in extreme cases, curing procrastination may be undesirable if not impossible. Think about it. At any given moment, there are any number of things we could be working on. And no matter which we choose, it will be to the exclusion of all the others. So the question becomes not how to avoid procrastination, but how to procrastinate well. With me so far?

Expanding on this concept, let's postulate there are three types of procrastination depending on what you choose to work on. You could either work on (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important. The last type, I'd argue, is good procrastination.

Consider the absent-minded professor who forgets to shave, eat or perhaps even notice where he's going because he's thinking about something more important. His mind is absent from the everyday world because it's hard at work in another. That's the sense in which I referred to accomplished people being procrastinators. I'll call them Type-C procrastinators. They put off working on small things in order to work on more important things.

What are small things? Well, sometimes it's hard to say at the time, but a list might include things like doing the laundry or cleaning the house, things that would more correctly be classified as errands. Good procrastination is avoiding errands in favor of more important work. Errands interrupt creative productivity. Still with me?

The most dangerous form of procrastination is unacknowledged Type-B because it doesn't feel like procrastination. You're getting things done, just the wrong things. In fact, any advice about procrastination that concentrates on crossing things off your to-do list is not only incomplete, but positively misleading if it doesn't consider the possibility that the to-do list is itself a form of Type-B procrastination. In fact, possibility is too timid a word. Unless you're working on the biggest things you could be working on, you're Type-B procrastinating no matter how much you're getting done.

Here's the bottom line. People who've managed to make themselves work on big things all blow off errands and, surprisingly, all feel guilty about it. I don't think they should feel guilty; there's more to do than anyone possibly could. But realistically, someone doing the best work they can is inevitably going to leave a lot of errands undone. It seems a mistake to feel bad about that, don't you agree? Instead, let delight pull you instead of letting a to-do list push you. Work on an ambitious project you really enjoy, sail as close to the wind as you can and you'll leave the right things undone.

You can read more about procrastination here, here and here. You may also find it interesting to take this short quiz to evaluate whether you're a procrastinator and, if so, why you procrastinate and what areas of your life are most affected.

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January 2, 2007

Time's 25 Top 10 Lists

It's again that time of year when we become inundated with "Top", "Best of" and similar lists from Forbes, Time and many others. Doing our part to prevent readers from finding themselves uninformed and embarrassed at their next cocktail party, the crack reporting team at AFP brings you Time's 25 Top 10 Lists.

And while you may not be particularly interested in some of them (Does anyone really care about the top 10 Hollywood breakups?) you're probably chomping at the bit to learn which web sites made the Top 10 (Hint: AFP unexplainably failed to make the cut. Go figure!) But check out the sites that did, then explore some of the other lists like podcasts or children's books. All good stuff...

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January 1, 2007

A New Year Resolution

Here's one of my resolutions for the new year: I'll be redesigning this web site. Yes, it's been a learning experience and it's helped me narrow my vision as to what I want the site to look like and how I'd like it to work. But the fact is, it's become big and cumbersome, a result of trying to be too many things. So the redesign will likely yield two or three separate web sites: one for family, another focusing on some of my key interests like art and photography, perhaps another for humor...

During the redesign and construction phase (Another learning experience!) there may or may not be regular postings to this site. All new software will add a steep learning curve but I'll enjoy the process. Bear with me, please.

And by all means, this would be a good time to let me know what you like and dislike about the current site and what you'd like to see on the new ones. This much I know: they'll all be interactive in that they'll allow comments from readers. I may even have collaborative bloggers. Let me know if you'd interested in posting directly to any of the sites.

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January 1, 2007

New Year's Resolutions and Reflections

New Year is that time when we look back in retrospection and evaluation of where we've been, and forward in hope and anticipation of where we may be going. This two-fold vision is reflected in the name of the new month, January, for Janus was a two-faced god, the god of portals and thresholds, of coming in and going out, of past and future held simultaneously in a single, encompassing perspective.

Standing between old and new years, between what has been and what could be, we form our resolutions for the future in a spirit of possibility and potential. We celebrate the sense that we can step outside of the normal flow of time, touch a creative and visionary source within us, and shape the world, or at least our own lives, afresh.

The past is a creative force in our lives, something much more than memories. Likewise, the future is an evocative force, inviting us towards more possibilities than we might otherwise recognize or imagine. The past whispers, "This is that from which you are forming yourself." But the future beckons, "This is what waits for you to form yourself, to help you explore what it means to be a dreamer of visions and a shaper of worlds." And so the past and future become allies to the potentials within us. They enable us to see ourselves as a formative force within the world.

T. S. Eliot said, "... to make an end is to make a beginning." So last evening, Dawn and I opened our well worn Day-Timers and, page by dog-eared page, reflected on all that we remember about 2006. The process evoked wonderful memories and highlighted some of our accomplished goals. We lifted a glass to a departed friend who left us unexpectedly and all too soon. And we talked about our resolutions for 2007, taking care not to confuse them with intentions. There are a great many things we "intend" to do but only a few we "resolve" to accomplish. You'll recall that Bridget Jones began her famous diary with 33 "resolutions" and 364 days later wrote, "Number of New Year resolutions kept: 1..." We resolved not to fall into that trap.

Which brings us to today and a fresh New Year. Janus stands at the threshold between an ending and a beginning, a past and a future. But he doesn't close the door to either. Rather, he flings the doors open, looking in both directions, inviting a relationship, a blending, between them. He is a catalyst that brings the formative forces of past and future together, a symbol of the soul in all its creativity and coherence, its unity and power.

Ben Franklin wrote, "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man." Sound advise then and now. Yet every year, people make countless resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. So this year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourselves.

Happy New Year. May the blessings of Janus be with you throughout 2007!