Bark All Day

Get Free Downloads on the iTunes Store!

2006-09-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Get Free Downloads on the iTunes Store!

Free schwag!

The 5 Day PM Computer Fast: Why I Got More Done In Less Time at LifeDev

2006-09-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

The 5 Day PM Computer Fast: Why I Got More Done In Less Time at LifeDev

This guy at LifeDev seriously knows what he's talking about. Computer all the time = bad! Go running, go outside, call your mom or your friend in Boston... just do something else.

Zune Marketplace to keep your Zune player happy - Engadget

2006-09-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Zune Marketplace to keep your Zune player happy - Engadget

iZunes, uh, iMean Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnne the Store, not to be confused with Zuuuuuuuuuuunnne the Player (or the Playa) also reared is black, well-polised veneer today. Looks slick, I guess. Apple goes white with iTunes, Microsoft goes black with iZuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnes. I wonder if you can skin it, like Winamp, to get rid of the kinda depressing industrial motif MS has got going on.

Apparently there's something called Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnne Pass. I think that let's you to the front of the line when new music is released. Maybe?

Microsoft launches the Zune! - Engadget

2006-09-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Microsoft launches the Zune! - Engadget

"Introducing the i... Pod... Killa... / No one could get illa!"

Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnne (it's more fun to say it like that) was officially launched today. 30GB hard drive, FM player (meh), 3" screen, WiFi, music/picture/video playback.

Will it be cool? Probably. Will it be buggy? Almost certainly. Will it unseat the iPod? Probably not. But it looks like another solid entry into the DMP arena.

Look at the picture of the Zuuuuuuuuuunnnnes though. See the one on the right? It looks like it's lima bean green or something. Gross.

From Gizmodo: "No pricing information or launch date yet."
weaksauce!

iTunes 7 turning out to have major glitches - Engadget

2006-09-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

iTunes 7 turning out to have major glitches - Engadget

Apple pwned by userbase? Naw, not really. But a lot of people, myself included, are underwhelmed after the promise the iTunes 7 showed. My favorite new feature, album art, doesn't seem to work well unless you have the name of the artist and album EXACTLY like it is in the iTMS. Plus a lot of my songs are thrown in "generic" album names like "Rock Singles" if only have one or two songs by the artists (makes browsing by album much cleaner), so there's no real way for me to get album art for those.

Read the article to see what else people are complaining about.

Unboxing the 2G iPod nano - Engadget

2006-09-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Unboxing the 2G iPod nano - Engadget

Me so horny. Gaze, ye, upon the blue iPod Nano (scroll down on the link, stupid) and be fulfilled.

Mmmmm... scrumptious. 4GB capacity doubles my current Nano's 2GB capacity. And it's blue aluminum. Yay! Christmas in September!

Sony's PRS-500 e-book reader in the wild - Engadget

2006-09-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sony's PRS-500 e-book reader in the wild - Engadget

Face it: books aren't cool. They're thick, hardbacks can be heavy to tote around all day, and if you want to read more than one at a time you have to carry two around with you.

eBooks, however, are cool. They're not thick, heck they aren't even thin, they're digital. You just dump them on Sony's little eBook reader and, well, read.

The eInk technology is supposed to make the experience more like reading high-contrast paper as opposed to a computer screen, so hopefully it won't dry out my eyes like staring a computer monitor or PDA screen can do.

New visions from Google Earth: Friggin' Sweet!!!

2006-09-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Images: New visions from Google Earth | CNET News.com

So the first couple images of this slideshow give us the impression that Google Earth has teamed up with Discovery to cover all the major wonders of the world like the Pyramids at Giza and the Taj Mahal, providing info and video on the sites.

While that's relatively nifty, the cool thing is that the US National Parks Service has teamed up with Google Earth to overlay information on something like 10,000 trails, as well as "select vistas and general park information."

How cool is that?

Cool Tool: Pictopia

2006-09-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Cool Tool: Pictopia

I have a lot of pictures that I'd love to turn into poster-sized prints and frame at various places in my house.

Specifically here, here, here, here, and here.

Pictopia uses high-quality chemicals and advanced algorithms to make this possible and not too prohibitively expensive. $60 for a great-looking customized poster really isn't a bad price.

NFL - San Diego Chargers/Oakland Raiders Recap Monday September 11, 2006

2006-09-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

NFL - San Diego Chargers/Oakland Raiders Recap Monday September 11, 2006 - Yahoo! Sports

BOO-YA! I don't need to say a damn thing else. What a game!

Chargers blank the Raiders, defense gets 9 sacks, Rivers looks good, Tomlinson rushes for almost 90 yards in the first quarter, etc.

Blackberry Pearl 8100 Let Loose! Plus Samung t719 and new HTC Phones

2006-09-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Blackberry Pearl 8100 Officially Shot Out Of A Cannon - Gizmodo

Everybody (and I mean every body) is hard up for RIM's new BlackBerry Pearl.

Mmmmmm... blackberries. In case you haven't heard, the Pearl is the first BlackBerry aimed at the comsumer rather than the tightass in the business suit. This BlackBerry plays music and movies, has a memory expansion slot (finally!), and has a 1.3MP camera on board. While none of this is necessarily groundbreaking in the cellphone realm, never before have all these cool options been available on a BlackBerry, with all it's communication goodness.

I've been stuck with the POS Moto RAZR from T-Mo for a while now. While the call quality and reception ain't that bad, it's sorely lacking in cool features (no expandability, no music, crappy video) and the slimness factor can only take you so far. Not to mention the fact that I have so much dust on the right side of the screen that it makes it difficult to see.

T-Mo's (and others) solution to my dust under the screen problem: don't put the phone in your pocket.

Excuse me? What's the point of making a superslim phone if not to hide the "brick in your pants" look? Oh that's right, so it looks cool. Form, no function, right? If I'm going to have to go with the utility belt nerd look, at least give me some functionality with the phone!

And it looks like the CrackBerry Pearl provides that functionality. So it looks like I might again be trying to get a cheap upgrade via my T-Mo homies and jumping on the RIM bandwagon.

The Samsung t719 is also coming soon from T-Mo. It's the first non-RIM phone with BlackBerry Connect capabilities that allow it to use Blackberry's email. Decent phone, but the Pearl is just sexier.

HTC, the makers of the cool Cingular 8125/T-Mo MDA and Cingular 2125/T-Mo SDA also announced 4 new phones coming out. One has built in GPS! Schweet!

Dual Booting Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP on a Toshiba Laptop

2006-09-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Matthew J. Miller's HOWTOs: Dual Booting Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP on a Toshiba Laptop

Since I'm convinced that my schedule is not quite full enough, I've talked myself into wanting to throw Ubuntu on my laptop at home.

My laptop at home already has Windows XP so Matt J Miller's article on dual booting the two OSes should hopefully guide me through the event without problems.

And just in case you wanted to know my not quite full schedule it looks a little something like this:
cramming for the GMAT on September 20th (possibly one of the most important test's I've ever taken), 5+ business school applications to complete and submit within the next month and a half, MBA Tour conference in Los Angeles this Sunday (missing NFL opening weekend!!!), college football this Saturday (I HAVE to!), 27 laptops coming in the next few weeks at work that will require dualboot configuration with 98 and XP (don't ask), I need to brush up on my Systems Management Server skills for tracking those laptops once their deployed, Barr Systems Print Server issues between ourselves and our customers, general IT support at work, trying to keep the blog up to date, several family birthdays towards the end of September, a trip up to San Francisco to keep the girlfriend happy, and more and more.

Phew!

How to defeat writer's block - Lifehacker

2006-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

How to defeat writer's block - Lifehacker

Since I'm preparing to write my B-school essays on why I deserve to go to a school that I probably don't deserve to go to, writer's block is a big issue.

With all the stresses accompanying me right now, with GMAT studying, B-School applications, work just happening to be ramping up at the same time, and the desire to always be in better shape, my plate is pretty full. Not to mention there's a long-distance relationship, communication with the family (which I suck at!) and friends, and everything else that life throws at you... where was I going with this? Oh yeah, I'm stressed and stress can lead to writer's block.

This article (first in a series) deals with what to do when you are inevitably stricken with the debilitating mental brain fart known as writer's block.

Tracking your buzz

2006-09-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Tracking your buzz

Lifehacker has a link to an article on tracking your buzz. This is very important to many bloggers and webmasters. Me, not so much since I can pretty much guarantee that I have no readers, and therefore no buzz.

But if you want to know (I don't know who I'm addressing here) how buzz-worthy you are. Read THIS article.

Oregon Scientific DP100 | Daylight Projection Clock with Indoor Temperature Display

2006-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Oregon Scientific | U.S. | Product | DP100 | Daylight Projection Clock with Indoor Temperature Display

Yes it's nerdy, but Gizmodo had it featured and it just looks cool. I know, I know, it's a stupid alarm clock. Why would you spend $90 on an alarm clock? My answer: I don't know but loooooooook at it! It's a friggin' alarm clock with friggin' laser beams attached to it.

Treehugger: The Eat Local Challenge: Coming in October

2006-09-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Treehugger: The Eat Local Challenge: Coming in October

Tuesday, October 3rd. Save the date!

The Eat Local Challenge, sponsored by the Bon Appetit Management Company, encourages chefs and patrons to support locally-produced food by creating and consuming a meal made entirely of locally grown/caught/raised/reared/etc eats.

According to BAMCO, most food now travels 1500 to 2500 miles before it reaches your table, and could have been in transit for upwards of a week. Locally-produced food, however, can make it to your table in less than 2 days! That's fresh!

So if you live near a participating eatery (check BAMCOs website) be sure to take advantage. Also, enjoy fresh produce at farmer's markets to support your local growers. This is especially important in California, with so much of the central valley used as farm land.

Apple plans "showtime" for Sept. 12

2006-09-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Apple plans "showtime" for Sept. 12 | News.blog | CNET News.com

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Stevie!

So after the news that no keynote was planned for Apple's event in Paris, today Apple sends out notice that September 12th is "showtime."

So many possible meanings behind that but you'd have to figure it will be something big. Gizmodo points to the recently leaked iTunes Movie Store list which is, understandably, Disney-heavy. News.com.com.com.com.com takes it one step further and wonder if the "true-video" iPod will be, ahem, "feature presentation" (sorry i couldn't help myself!) of the announcement.

The true-video iPod, if you were unaware, is supposed to be the sex or the tits depending on your perspective. But it's supposed to play video across the entire face of the iPod and sports a touch screen/heat sensitive screen (depending on your Mac rumor mill) that activates a virtual click wheel. Seriously, I'm sporting a stiffy just thinking about it.

Of course those are all rumors, so we'll have to wait till next Tuesday before we find out what's really happening.

Apple's stock price is up almost $2.00 as of this writing to over $70.00.

DIY T-shirt Designs

2006-09-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

MAKE: Blog: Weekend Projects: DIY T-shirt Designs

Who doesn't like MAKE?
And who doesn't like making their own t-shirts?

How many times have you seen a design and said, "That would look sweet on a Hanes Beefy-T?" I know it's not just me.

So MAKE tells you how to, um, make your own t-shirt.

Talk about discumbobulation

2006-09-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Vegas from Thursday night to late Sunday night. Gainesville, Florida from very early Monday morning to Friday afternoon. Back home, finally.

I was so tired yesterday I couldn't think straight. I'll get back to posting more regularly as I catch up on news and the sites I read.

Later skaters
B

Ubuntu Wiki entry

2006-08-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ubuntu dapper

So I don't want to be too behind the times, and since it seems to me like Ubuntu will overtake Windows (kidding!) in about a year and a half with all the hype it's generating, I should cover this Ubuntu article.

If you don't know what Ubuntu is, then asking the question "Is Ubuntu for you?" is probably pretty pointless. But if you read the Ubuntu wiki, then the Wired article is probably right up your alley.

I got a test system lying around, maybe it's time to see if Ubuntu is for me?

Wal-Mart Aims To Sell 100 Million Compact Fluorescents In One Year

2006-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Treehugger: Wal-Mart Aims To Sell 100 Million Compact Fluorescents In One Year

TreeHugger, thy name is awesome. TH always has the coolest stories, and that's not a global warming pun no matter how weak you think it is.

So apparently the evil empire (not Starbucks or McDonalds) that consumes mom'n'pop profits whole is trying to be a little green around the edges.

Not that there isn't still a lot of other things wrong with them, but Wal-Mart, where I recently purchased some cheap CFLs, is trying to get EVERY CUSTOMER that shops at Wal-Mart to buy ONE compact fluorescent bulb. That would add up to 100 million (try not to use your Dr. Evil voice when you read that) energy-saving bulbs THIS YEAR!

I love the article because GE, one of the makers of both standard halogen and CFL bulbs, is said to be "swallowing hard." Sexual connotations aside, I would love to see big business getting behind the idea of selling Americans on something that reduces pollutants and our energy dependence. Now if they could only figure out a way to get rid of that "fluorescent hum" that accompanies the bulbs, my entire house would be CFL whether they like it or not.

Your guide to green electronics

2006-08-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Your guide to green electronics | Greenpeace International

I guess you could also call this article "Rotten Apples" or "RAZRs and Mach 3 cartridges fill dumps," but it's easier to simply state that most of the electronics companies out there suck ass when it comes to the three R's.

Not reading, (w)riting, and 'rithmetic. I mean reducing, reusing, and recycling. Maybe once Apple decides to use compact fluorescent bulbs as the backlit displays on their iPods it will be cool to buy one again.

Until that or Motorola makes a green RAZR whose OS doesn't suck ass, stay away from those guys!

Wired News: New Engine Combusts Old Ideas

2006-08-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wired News: New Engine Combusts Old Ideas

So I've been a travelling man these past couple days, hitting up Las Vegas for fun and Gainesville, FL for work. Gainseville is, of course, home of the Florida Gators and not much else.

We landed in Jacksonville, about 1.5 hours outside of Gainesville, and drove down the rambling interstates (there were so many I can't remember!). I thought that I was a traveller (50,000 frequent flyer miles in the past two years), but apparently I've never really experienced the flat, swampy northern Florida environment. And tropical-hurricane-storm Ernesto is bearing down on us and dissipating at the same time.

What a place to live! Outside it's 11pm, 104*F with 85% humidity, there's mosquitos the size of small planes, 8 foot gators hanging out by the pool, and sixteen baptist churches per square mile. If you haven't yet found God, he probably lives in one of these little churches down south.

If you haven't found a Ford F-150 that can get 25 miles to the gallon, however, you probably haven't read this article from Wired. And apparently you've never heard of Carmel Scuderi.

I'm always sketchy about articles I read online that promise to double gas mileage or give free energy to the planet. It's not that I don't want to believe in these ideals. It's just that I believe that Big Oil or Big Auto would squash the shit out of anything that attempted to change the status quo by either having the inventor assassintated and burning all their notes, or just throwing so much money at them that they don't want to work on the problem anymore.

So not that I don't believe, but, uh, God willing.

7 Idea Dumping Tips (How To Manage Diarrhea of the Brain)

2006-08-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

7 Idea Dumping Tips (How To Manage Diarrhea of the Brain) at LifeDev

Although "diarrhea of the brain" is about as unpleasant a thought as can be, the idea behind the article is sound.

How many times have you had a great idea? A sudden occurrence or reminder to do something that pops in your head. Only, by the time you actually get somewhere that you can take note of it, *POOF* it's gone from your head and you're sitting there thinking "what was I just going to write?"

The most important lesson? Always carry paper. 'Nuff said.

Vegas baby, Vegas!

2006-08-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Vegas until Sunday night, then travelling to Gainesville, Florida early Monday morning to do some training for work. My posting will be slim to none probably until Monday night, maybe Sunday night if I'm feelin' frisky.

22 Black!

10 tips for keeping your desk clean and tidy

2006-08-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

LifeClever ;-) » 10 tips for keeping your desk clean and tidy

Besides myself, I'd imagine my desk is what people most take note of as the walk past the entrance to my *shudder* cubicle.

Maybe I'm not the cleanest person in the world, but I like to present at least an air of tidiness. If you're the same way, read this article. Chanpory over at LifeClever does a great job of helping you get organized.

The 5 Most Successful People-Powered News Sites

2006-08-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

The 5 Most Successful People-Powered News Sites - and 30 Failures

Here's a quick read on the Top 5 of social news websites. Digg.com is obviously number 1. Reddit comes in at number 2. Care2 and Shoutwire run 3 and 4 with Netscape trailing by a pretty wide margin..

If you've looked at the pattern of the stories I post, I'm obviously a Digg fanboy. I read through all the sections (with the exception of Gaming), usually read several articles under each section, and then repost several of the most interesting stories in my blog. Naturally my stories come from several places, but Digg plays a huge role.

As for Reddit, they have advertising all over LifeHacker (another one of my favorite sites), their interface is just so bare. I'm all for fast-loading sites that don't unnecessarily drown you in Flash ads and the like, but c'mon, give me something here.

Netscape I don't even really look at. I know I've talked about Calacanis in the past, and while I respect his business mind, I don't really respect the Netscape site because it seems like it tried to steal Digg's posters and then tries to look like Digg looks.

Care2 and Shoutwire I don't think I've ever even visited. Digg and my other sites I have over on the left keep me busy enough.

Treehugger: Businesses Unite Against Kimberly-Clark

2006-08-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Treehugger: Businesses Unite Against Kimberly-Clark

Kleenex may be synonymous for "facial tissue", but apparently now it's also synonymous with "greedy corporate conglomerate who chops down old growth forests."

Kimberly-Clark, the parent company of the Kleenex brand, was exposed for using wood fiber from US federal forest lands, Canadian rainforests, and other old growth arboreal lands in North America.

650 companies responded with a big F*CK YOU to K-C and refused to use any of their paper products. Treehugger urges readers to do the same. As soon as this box of Kleenex on my desk is done, so am I with Kimberly-Clark products.

I echo Treehugger's sentiments and say ditch Kleenex and Kimberly-Clark. There's plenty of other ways to wipe your nose and ass.

NASA World Wind

2006-08-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

NASA World Wind

Programs like this and Google Earth are really very cool ways to explore the planet. It's funny because watching TV a lot of the real-time maps and zoom-ins that we see on the news now are done with Google Earth.

It will be interesting to see how well this program works in comparison. Download it and try it out!

Schwarzenegger signs solar power bill

2006-08-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Schwarzenegger signs solar power bill | Politics News | Reuters.com

Always nice to see the Governator taking a step towards a more environmentally-conscious state. The advent of more efficient solar panels hopefully should really help push this initiative forward. I wonder if there are any subsidies in place for businesses or residences to install solar power at their locations and either supply the power to themselves or sell it back to the grid.

Introduction to Socially Driven Political News

2006-08-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Neothoughts » Introduction to Socially Driven Political News

I haven't chosen to cover politics too often in my bloggings. The most political I tend to get are my left-leaning views in the Evolution vs Creationism debate and my support of environmentalism and social activism and awareness.

I don't think there's been a conscious effort to shy away from politics on my blog, it's just that politics as it is right now seems to be dominated either by moderates who are too afraid to express an opinion that differs from the generally accepted norm, or right-wing fundamentalists who are doing anything they can to get face time on the tube. In other words, politics just isn't all that interesting to me.

That's not to say that I ignore it; far from it. I actually really enjoy reading political stores and even found myself agreeing with an editorial in the WSJ by someone who works at the Discovery Institute, a Creationist-oriented thinktank based out of Seattle.

This quick examination of the new phenomenon of social bookmarking and how it interacts with the political stories of our day is very interesting though. It touches on the abuse of the "Bury Story" and "Mark as Inaccurate" functions of Digg, and points out that Netscape's own Digg-inspired site shares none of the complications.

AmateurIllustrator Takes on DeviantArt - Mashable!

2006-08-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

AmateurIllustrator Takes on DeviantArt - Mashable!

Wow my first link to a story from Mashable, I finally feel like I'm plugged into the Web 2.0 social circle. ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod!

Actually it's a cool little piece of coverage on a new site called Amateur Illustrator, which already looks like it'll face some heavy pressure since every article seems to call it a DeviantArt clone. Amateur (is it me or do the French spell funny?) Illustrator features an interview with Si Clark, who has some very cool drawings on his personal page. I just discovered him but I'd already feel comfortable rocking a t-shirt with one of his drawings on it.

Need a Writely invitation? No you don't

2006-08-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

» Need a Writely invitation? No you don't | Googling Google | ZDNet.com

I've been using Writely for about a month now. I got an invite from someone on Digg, I think. I use it to write my longer articles, I use it to write To Do Lists, I use it to save some of my old MySpace rantings, etc.

I love Writely, very cool online application. It's definitely not a mega-word processor like, well, Word, but it gets the job done for 95% of the things I need to do and I can just launch it inside Firefox instead of having yet another app open.

It pulled me away pretty quickly from ajaxWrite, even though they're based in San Diego and you gotta support local companies, because it offers the convenience of network storage without all the errors I was getting with ajaxWrite.

What does your browser reveal about you?

2006-08-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Terminally Incoherent » Blog Archive » What does your browser reveal about you?

Funny post that breaks down your personality by the type of web browser you use. I like his lynx mention. I haven't used lynx since I was in college but man did that browser give me problems. Where were all the pretty buttons I could click on?

20 Great Resources on Entrepreneurship

2006-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

20 Great Resources on Entrepreneurship - lifehack.org

I'm not sure if it's the route I'll want to go, but entrepreneurship is always a good quality to have.

Speed-reading techniques

2006-08-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Teach yourself speed-reading techniques - Lifehacker

This should come in handy for all those GMAT paragraphs and b-school case studies I'll end up reading.

Costco Eliminating Some of Those $%^#&* Bubble Packs

2006-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Treehugger: Costco Eliminating Bubble Packs, Ups Recycling Potential With MeadWestvaco’s “Natralock”

Very cool news for anyone that: A) cares about the environment or B) has lost a pint of blood from having their skin ripped open on the jagged edges of the pacakaging. Costco will be replacing some of those BAD BAD BAD uber-sealed plastic packages with a new package called Natralock that's made from recycled paper.

I try and throw anything and everything I can in the recycling bin: beer bottles, plastic 2 liter bottles, junk mail, newspapers, etc, but even so recycling plastic means it's got to be melted down and remanufactured. And since plastics are made from petroleum, that's more dependence on foreign oil.

But all environmentalism aside, why the hell do companies think it's necessary to sell you something that is packaged so ridiculously? It seems to mainly be electronics, and I'm sure it's much more difficult for theives to steal them if they're so difficult to get out of the package, but good lord!!! I should not have to worry about accidentally amputating my fingers trying to get my PDA out of it's hermetically sealed enclosure.

Hopefully this will be successful and Costco will go with Natralock for all it's packaging needs. Hmmm, potential investment opportunity?

iTunes Movie Store By The End Of The Year?

2006-08-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Podophile » iTunes Movie Store By The End Of The Year?

Fellow iPod fanboy and runner Podophile is reporting on a story that a lot other folks are reporting on as well. Apparently the CFO of Lionsgate confirmed that the company will be selling full-length movies via the iTunes Store.

10 definitions of Web 2.0 and their shortcomings

2006-08-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

10 definitions of Web 2.0 and their shortcomings at twopointouch: web 2.0, blogs and social media

Since I was blathering about Calacanis and Web 2.0 yesterday, I figured I'd put this article up that offers 10 definitions for Web 2.0

Ryan Leaf coaching West Texas A&M (for free!)

2006-08-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

FOX Sports - COLLEGE FOOTBALL - Leaf coaching QBs at West Texas A&M

Every football fan knows the name Ryan Leaf, but not for the same reason that they know Peyton Manning, Ladianian Tomlinson, or Deion Branch. No people know the name Ryan Leaf for the same reason they know names like Ki-Jana Carter and Todd Marinovich. Because they were such colossal failures that they left their mark on the organization in question for years.

Ryan Leaf's organization in question? The San Diego Chargers. Me, I'm a Charger fan. So when he says things like this, my blood boils over:

"The people in San Diego did not move on," said Leaf, who was booed and benched regularly while losing 14 of 18 starts with the Chargers. "They would never say anything to my face. It was always behind my back, or little punches in the paper."

You know why people didn't move on? BECAUSE YOU SCREWED THE CITY OVER BY BEING SUCH A SLOBBERING FAILURE! And I think the reason no one ever "said anything to your face" is because after you quit the NFL you went into hiding.

It would behoove the San Diego Chargers organization and the city as a whole to NEVER forget you, because if we do we might repeat the mistakes of the past. Any first-round QB we pull in the draft is compared to you for a reason. Because all the NFL analysts want to know if lightning will strike the same place twice, and if the suck-bug will bite another San Diego Chargers QB.

Enjoy your coaching for free in your cramped office in West Texas, using a styrofoam cup as a spitoon. Don't come back to San Diego, you aren't welcome here.

Sincerely,
A Chargers Fan

Web 2.0 short sellers: Arrington, Calacanis

2006-08-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

» Web 2.0 short sellers: Arrington, Calacanis | Digital Micro-Markets | ZDNet.com

Quick article on Jason Calacanis (Wiki) of Netscape and Mike Arrington of TechCrunch, who seem to be quietly waiting for a stronger downturn in traditional media and slowdown in the hype over Web 2.0 so they can scoop in and make some profits.

Admittedly, I'm somewhat green when it comes to the idea of Web 2.0 sites. I've had a MySpace page for a while, but I'm kind of over it. Digg is a great site because the users create the front page by voting on the "interestingness" of news articles. I borrow "interestingness", of course, from Flickr, the popular photo-sharing site that allows users to comment on other user's photos.

Jason Calcanis is actually a pretty interesting person, in my opinion. He's a new media entreprenuer that is willing to take risks. Obviously he caught some flack over trying to buy out Digg's users, but I still have to give him credit because he's only making the offer to further his own site. While it seems capitalistic and greedy, establishing a profitable web community seems to be his focus and he's not shy about getting his way. You can hate on it, but you can't really disrespect his attitude.

Long Awkward Pose

2006-08-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Long Awkward Pose

The idea of this website is too funny and I've acually done it to a couple people without realizing the prank had it's own moniker and creepily-devoted website.

Nevertheless, the idea of putting your digicam on video mode and pretending like you're having trouble taking a picture, all the while filming your subject looking like a dork, is pretty hilarious.

Brightnets vs. Darknets

2006-08-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

OFF System Development » Brightnets vs. Darknets

I'm not sure that I 100% understand this, but it certainly sounds exciting.

Blogger.com unveils new beta version

2006-08-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Techcrunch » Blog Archive » Blogger.com unveils new beta version

How do I post on BlogSpot using Blogger and not mention tje substantial upgrade that's in the works?

eBay Sniper School

2006-08-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

How long has eBay been around now? 7 years? 10 years? It seems like forever to me. I've been a member since at least 1999 and there's a thing or two I know about eBay.

It's been on my mind for a long time, but it's come to the point where I've got to get it out in the open or my skull will fracture and my gray matter will spill out.

**People who bid on an eBay item whose listing doesn't expire for 4 1/2 days, are WASTING THEIR MONEY! **

There's really no other way to put it. If the auction for the uber-rare collector coin / fake Coach purse / bootleg designer jeans / Chinese-imitation iPod doesn't end for over 100 hours, why bid on it now? All bidding that far in advance does is make the item more expensive in the long run. For any item on eBay with a modicum (modicum: A small, moderate, or token amount) of popularity, you can almost guarantee that the unintelligent hordes will overbid it. In fact it seems to be the CARDINAL RULE OF eBay!

Case in point, I've been trying to buy a 2GB iPod Nano off of eBay. These things sell for $199 + tax at the Apple Store, but on eBay you can find a nearly new one for about $150-$170. If you factor in the fact that I live in a city where the sales tax is nearly 8%, that's a savings at least $40, and quite possibly more.

HOWEVER, this iPod Nano would be another $20-$30 cheaper if so many people didn't bid on the iPod 10 minutes after the auction listed.

LISTEN UP FOLKS, this isn't a difficult concept. eBay has two main types of auctions: a standard auction and Fixed Price auction. If you're bidding on a standard auction, one in which the price increases as the number of bids do, there is NO CONCEIVABLE REASON to place a bid before the very end of the auction. If you're bidding on something with even a remote possibility that someone else might want it, you NEED to watch the auction until the end or you probably won't win it. eBay even has the decency to show you the exact second when the auction ends so you won't forget. If you bid on something two days before the auction ends, you are 99.9999998% guaranteed to be OUTBID. Why does this still seem like a great mystery? A bid placed any time prior to about 1 hour before the auction expires is an exercise in futility and only serves to make what you're hoping to get your paws on more expensive. Why? Because others are out there doing the same damn thing! Why else would a used Old Navy sweater have 37 bids when the auction still has 42 hours till expiration?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everything should cost next to nothing on eBay. I realize that without a certain profit to be made on eBay, the Power Sellers would stop selling and the eBay economy would suffer. Shoot, I sell stuff on eBay all the time and love turning over my used books, DVDs, video games, underwear, or whatever else is on the auction block. Here's the thing, the early-bidders will always be there. But if you step on over to the shooting range I'll teach you one of the dark arts of eBay; a way to exploit the hard-close auction system, and help you score more schwag for less paper. I'll teach you how to be a sniper.

Welcome, recruit, to eBay Sniper School...
Even if you wait until there's less than an hour before your auction ends, chances are that somebody else wants what you want and is waiting to snatch it from your hands. This process is called sniping. It's efficient, lethal, and boy does it piss people off. eBay says they frown on the practice, but they don't ever do anything about it. After all, a winning auction is a winning auction, and eBay gets a cut regardless of whether it was sniped or not. Depending on who you talk to, sniper can be like a cuss word. If you've had any regular amount of experience on eBay, chances are that you've been sniped.

I'll admit, I'm a sniper. No not the kind that hangs out in trees in South American jungles with Tom Berenger filing down my fingerprints and waiting to blow the lids off of Colombian druglords. I'm the kind that waits until about 10 seconds before the auction ends and then throws down my bid in hopes that it's just high enough to steal the auction. There are automated sniping systems, and people you can pay to snipe for you, but I guess I'm a little old school. I'd rather do it myself.

Why snipe? Because it's the most efficient way to get win an auction for the least amount of money!!! I don't waste my time throwing out bids 3 days before an auction ends because that makes no economic sense. The smart play is to wait in the wings, using your Watch List.

Here's my strategy, and once I finally win an iPod Nano, I promise that it will be for $25-30 less than most of the other people are paying for them on eBay, and a good 40% less expensive than they are in the store. And just for simplicity's sake, I'm going to stick with the 2GB iPod Nano as my example for the rest of the article. MSRP on a 2GB iPod Nano is $199 or around $214.50 after tax in California. That means we're shooting for around $130 as the final price. This works because the average price range for the 2GB Nanos that I've seen go from about $150-170 with shipping on eBay. This process requires you to invest a little time, but if it's something you want and you want it for less than most other people pay, this process WORKS.

1) Recon (Part 1): Find something you want but don't really need, basically anything for sale on eBay.
Once you know what you want but don't really need (but are going to buy anyway), determine what's acceptable regarding the condition of the item and specifics about the seller. In the case of the iPod Nano, I know they get scratched pretty easily but as long as it doesn't look like it got run over by a truck, I'm cool. I'm also OK with refurbished merchandise as long as some type of coverage associated with it. I also want to buy from a US-based seller with a good feedback rating. If I bought an iPod Nano from Hong Kong, I'd be too worried about receiving some Chinese knockoff and not having any recourse through eBay. So figure out what's important to you about the item itself and the person who's selling it.

2) Recon (Part 2): Figure out what it's worth and comparison shop.
A quick tour through the listings should get you a general feel for how much the item you're after is going for. Shipping prices tend to vary widely, especially on technology and electronics, so make sure you factor that and insurance into the equation. Some eBay Storefronts also like to pretend they report their taxes, so they'll charge you sales tax if they're in the same state. Look out for this! Once you've got a price range figured out, set a goal to pay NO MORE than the low end of that price range. First check a site like PriceGrabber.com to get an idea of the cost of your item at an online store. Because there's no brick & mortar to pay for, these stores generally sell merchandise cheaper than the big stores you're familiar with. Now go to a site like FatWallet.com and search the Hot Deals forums for the item you're looking for. Sometimes you can find coupons that will knock 10-20% or more off the cost you found on the pricing websites. A good example of the savings is with digital cameras; places like Circuit City and Best Buy generally sell cameras at full retail price, using PriceGrabber.com you can almost certainly find a site that will save you 10% or more and not charge you tax. With the iPod Nano, Apple makes resellers agree not to stray from their pricing model to keep prices on the iPods artificially high. If the reseller strays, their contract with Apple can be terminated. So it looks like I'm sticking to eBay here.

3) Initial Surveillance (Part 1): Search through listings, using Categories to filter, but not too specifically.
If you're looking for a 2GB iPod Nano, search under "MP3 Players only" but don't go all the way to "MP3 Players Only > Apple > Ipod Nano > 2GB". Why? Because some of the sellers will miscategorize things even if eBay holds their hand through the selling process. This can sometimes help you find cheaper merchandise because it's in a place where not as many people are looking. The downside is that you may have to sift through more listings, but this is initial surveillance and it should move quickly.

4) Initial Surveillance (Part 2): Open up potentially promising auctions.
Using a tabbed browser like Firefox with the All-In-One Gestures extension, open interesting auctions as tabs in the background. Don't know what a tabbed browser is? You're missing out! Go to Mozilla.com, install Firefox, and then come back and read this! I usually like to have about 10 tabs open at a time. Once you've opened 10 promising auctions, review them and add them to your eBay Watch List if they fit your needs. If they don't, close the tab and move on.
Using the 2GB iPod Nano as an example, auctions that "fit your needs" should be ones that meet the criteria outlined in Recon (condition and price range).
"But how do I know if it will end up in my price range," you ask. That's an excellent question, and I'm going to use the iPod Nano yet again. Remember my seemingly pointless rant about early bidders? They're the key! If there are a lot of early bids, that means either a lot of people are watching this auction or a few people really want to win this auction. Either way that's a warning sign to a bargain-hunting sniper! Bidding can quickly become psychological if you aren't careful. If you get sucked into a bidding war with another eBay member, you can end up spending much more than originally intended. So instead of focusing on the auction that has 25 bids and 17 hours left, look at the auction that has 8 bids and 10 hours left. Believe it or not this type of disparity is quite common on eBay and shows up if you pay attention.

5) Narrow Surveillance: Populate the Watch List with potential targets.
The Watch List is the well from which your cheap schwag will spring. All the auctions in your Watch List should have met your criteria when they were added, meaning you don't have to sift through anymore crap. One of these auctions will be yours, and because it met your criteria, you should end up satisfied with your purchase. Most of the information you need is right there in the Watch List. Things to pay attention to include:

* What's the price of each item at?
* How many bids does each item have?
* How much time is left on each auction?
* Does the seller have a lot of feedback?

The Watch List is great because it's dynamic, a living and breathing thing. If none of the auctions you've got in your Watch List end within the next two hours, forget about eBay for right now. Go for a walk, eat some Flamin' Hot Cheetos until you've got the red ring of fire around your mouth, or consider actually doing something to earn your paycheck if you're at work. Come back to eBay when the auction has 15 minutes left and check your Watch List again. Is the item still within your price range? If it is, great! If not, delete it from the Watch List and smile knowing that someone is going to pay way more than you.
It's all... about.. patience... and earning your reward. Have you heard the metaphor about the bulls standing over the field of cows? The young bull, eager to blow his load (of cash) says, "Let's go run down there and f*ck one of those cows!" The older bull, calmly listening to his 2GB iPod Nano he scored on the cheap, says, "Naw youngin', let's walk down there and f*ck 'em all." Contrary to what you're thinking, I did not just advocate sexual acts involving beastiality and Apple products. In fact I don't really know how that would be possible. It's a metaphor! The point is you don't NEED the thing you're buying on eBay, you just WANT it, which means you might as well take your time and be selective about how you spend your hard earned cash on it.

6) Acquisition (Part 1): The target is in your sites; stay calm and don't reveal your position.
So you've got a potential winner on your hands? An overlooked, underappreciated piece of eBay gold in your sights is destined to be yours, right? Not even close. Don't panic, but the fight may have just begun. If you want to be a successful, bargain-hunting eBay sniper you've got to realize that there are thousands of other snipers out there. They're waiting in the wings, and they want to win the auction as much as you do. Eventually the paths of snipers will cross and so here, on the bloody battlefield of the virtual auction house called eBay, do we separate the haves from the have nots.
Remember: You are a sniper. Many people will not like you because you are a sniper, but that's OK. The people that don't like you are the same people who bid on an auction 3 days in advance, unnecessarily inflating the price of merchandise on eBay. They'll say you don't play fair, but that's because they don't understand all the rules and take advantage of everything at their disposal. In the end that's no ones fault but their own.

7) Acquisition (Part 2): To avoid detection the sniper fires once, and once only.
Remember: You are a sniper. Once your target is scoped out, your method of victory is one shot, one kill. Your patience is about to pay off if you are careful and do not reveal yourself too soon. A good sniper does not just line up a shot and pull the trigger, a sniper surveys the terrain, takes into account the distance from the target, makes note of the number of guys with M16s ready to fire at him if he's spotted, etc. Luckily, an eBay sniper doesn't have to deal with guys with M16s, but an eBay sniper must have the timing down to an art.
When I've found the auction I want to go after, I have the page up 2-3 minutes before the auction ends. I make sure, in another tab, that I can move around in My eBay which shows that I'm logged in and won't have to authenticate when I place a bid, wasting valueable seconds. I refresh the page every 15 to 20 seconds until it gets under a minute, then I refresh every ten seconds or so. I watch to see if the price is changing, if this target has other snipers who pulled the trigger too early. When there is under 10 seconds left I make my move.

8) Victory/Defeat, No Matter: They should feel the shot before they hear it.
If you slip and reveal your position to another sniper too early, you may as well close the browser and wait for the next auction. Your bid should be finalized as the auction closes, meaning others hoping to snipe your target won't know what hit them. Waiting until there is under 10 seconds to place your bid will make it very difficult for other potential snipers to react. This is why it's very important to make sure you're logged in, and it's where The Maximum Bid, the final element of being a sniper, comes into play.
How much more than the Current Bid will you go? Do you play it close, setting your Maximum Bid as low as possible above the Current Bid to try and secure the absolute best price? Or do you wager loosely and give your Maximum Bid a comfortable cushion over the Current Bid?
There are benefits and downfalls to either position. Playing it close has the benefit of possibly saving you some money if the Current Bidder's own Maximum Bid is not higher than yours. The risk is that you'll lose the auction if the Current Bidder's Maximum Bid is higher than your close play, and eBay automatically kicks their bid in. Because you played it so close with so little time left, you won't have time to up your bid even if you wanted to. Playing it loosely has the benefit of automatically upping your bid if the Current Bidder's Maximum Bid was higher than yours. eBay will end up taking whoever laid down the highest Maximum Bid since eBay will get a larger cut as their percentage. The risk to this is that if you get too loose with your Maximum Bid you could end up spending more than you wanted to.
I actually prefer the Loose Method as long as restraint is applied to the Maximum Bid. Remember: You are a sniper. Throw your emotions out the window. Do NOT bid more than you planned on spending in Reconnaissance. It doesn't matter how badly you want to win THIS auction because there are so many other auctions. What matters is how much money you spend to get it (unless you're rich, in which case, stop readind and go spend your money to stimulate the economy!). Remember, eBay has millions of listings so whatever you want is almost guaranteed to be out there again.
The Loose Method with restraint just means you take the words "Maximum Bid" to heart and do not bid ONE CENT more than you intended to spend in Step 2. No emotions, just cold logic. It will end up saving you money.

Conclusion
Congratulations, you're now ready to climb some trees outside the eBay compound and snipe some auctions. There are also automated bid-sniping systems out there that will do the job I've discussed. Just type in 'ebay sniper' into Google and you'll get several tools and services. This article was not intended to be a review of those. I don't use them, I don't know if they're free or not, and frankly I don't care. After all, there's no satisfaction for a sniper quite like pulling the trigger on their own kill.

As I wrote this article, I had my Watch List up in the background, checking on auctions for my 2GB iPod Nano. As I was wrapping this up I managed to win a gently used 2GB Nano from someone with over 250 positive feedbacks, better than a 97% positive feedback rating with no negatives in the past year. The final closing cost with shipping: under $125, about 41% less than the same 2GB Apple iPod Nano would have cost me at the Apple Store.

Bound for Glory: America in Color, 1939-1943

2006-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Online Exhibition - Bound for Glory: America in Color, 1939-1943 (Library of Congress Exhibition)

Just a truly fascinating exhibition of photos from the years taking the United States from the Depression andleading up to World War II. These standout photos are part of a MUCH larger collection of photos from that time (160,000 B&W photos and 1600 color photos) All photos are hosted on the Library of Congress website.

I did a little digging in the color photo section and some of my favorites are listed below:
Painting the American insignia on airplane wings...
Candid view of one of the women workers touching up the U.S. Army Air Forces insignia
The kind of man Hitler wishes we didn't have
Man of the Fort Story, Va., coastal defense
Portrait of a farm boy
Colored, white and Chinese Boy Scouts in front of Capitol
Rural school children, San Augustine County, Texas

Google Video is the Future of Google

2006-08-14T10:04:00.001-07:00

Search Engine Journal » Google Video is the Future of Google

Well I commented on the addition of "Video" to Google's Homepage a couple days earlier.

The above article at Search Engine Journal is a much more detailed write-up of the impact that Google Video will have on future revenue for Google and possibly for YouTube. It's an interesting article, I recommend it.

Justin Long: Not strictly commercial

2006-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

Not strictly commercial - Los Angeles Times

Yeah he's the "Get a Mac" guy, but I've been a fan of Justin Long ever since he played the goofy high school kid on "Ed" with Tom Cavanaugh... And don't even get me started on the fact that CBS (you suck!) cancelled Love Monkey, that still pisses me off.

Anyway, I really became a big Justin Long fan after Dodgeball and Waiting kind of cemented it for me. Yes, he plays second fiddle while letting Vince Vaughn and Ryan Reynolds take the spotlight, but his characters have a lot of personality and just seem like an actual person.

He's got a new movie coming out, Accepted, where he creates his own college. Apparently it's the South Harmon Institute of Technology (SHIT), which is just funny.

If you have the time and you like "people" articles (as in the actual person and not the crapass magazine), then this is well worth the read.

Some revisions to the Google homepage

2006-08-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Official Google Blog: Some homepage revisions

When I first saw this, I freaked thinking maybe Google finally broke down and got rid of the blessed simplicity that is the Google.com homepage. But no, they just replaced one link with another (Video!)

Hoarders vs. Deleters: What your inbox says about you

2006-08-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Northwest Florida Daily News: Hoarders vs. Deleters: What your inbox says about you

I don't know what it is about the Northwest Florida Daily News that makes their articles so fascinating, but this seems like the second NWFDN article I've seen on Digg in as many days. It's interesting in that it relates the state of your inbox to other facets of your life.

If your inbox is overflowing, you may have excess clutter in your life, for example. Or if you inbox is empty from you constantly clearing it, you may be too quick to react and miss important things that someone who spent a little more time with the messages may have noticed.

I wonder if I've missed some opportunities to enlarge my manhood ot my breast size, or if I've missed out on that penny stock sure to soar?

Apple's Jobs falls flat

2006-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Jobs falls flat - MSN Money

An intersting article giving one perspective of Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote. Robert Walberg, who wrote the article, says that investors were disappointed that there were no new announcements about the iPod even though WWDC has the words "Developer's Conference" right in the title.

I guess it's understandable that some people were upset, but WWDC has focused on Mac issues in the previous years with iPod announcements usually being made separately. That being said, there were some significant announcements pertaining to the Mac side:

Dual Xeon-based Mac Pros

Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" preview

Big price drops in Mac Studio Displays

I think the most surprising thing for me was the fact that Core 2 Duo (Merom)-based MacBooks weren't announced. Since most other major manufacturers are moving towards Core 2 Duos, it would've made sense for Apple to make the shift as well. Maybe there's still some bugs to work out?

In the article, Walberg mentions the internal investigation pertaining to stock options grants to executives, Jobs being one of them. I read the WSJ article he mentioned yesterday citing a profit from options of $7.5 million in one day based on possible back-dating.

Walberg goes as far as questioning whether Steve Jobs will need to resign as Apple's CEO because of the scandal. While I seriously doubt that happening, his charisma has been a driving force in the resurrection of the Apple brand and the company would be in a lot of trouble if it came down to that.

Engadget, Gizmodo, and MacRumors all have their WWDC coverage.

After some more, um, Digging I found out that Wired also had a similar article begging the question "Has Steve Jobs Lost His Magic"?

The 10 easiest ways to GREEN your home

2006-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

The 10 easiest ways to green your home - Improve & Repair - MSN Real Estate

These are some good tips because most of them apply whether you're a renter or a homeowner. I've advocated using compact fluorescent lightbulbs for a while now, I always try and recycle whatever junk mail we receive at the house, I've put bricks in the toilet basin to lower the water used, and I try and tell my roommates to use the heater a little as possible during the winter (we live by the beach, who needs a heater?) and we don't even have A/C at the house.

I've known about the dangers of chemical pesticides and cleaners for a while now, and try to use them as little as possible. I do have to admit I do have a can of Raid under the kitchen counter and we always use bleach to clean our counters. Maybe I'll look for some natural alternatives to that.

The junk mail problem is the one that's always bothered me the most. We have easy-to-apply spam filters for email that do a good job of blocking unwanted advertising, why can't we do the same with snail mail? The thing that frustrates me are the mailings that are addressed to "Resident" and are put in every single mailbox the USPS delivers to. How much paper is used to print those? How much added weight and space do those mailings take up inside delivery vehicles that are burning oil to bring those unwanted advertisements to us? Why not make the mailings available at strategic locations, like the grocery store or in front of Target and Wal-Mart instead? I think out of the thousands of PennySavers and Valu-Paks and whatever else junk mail there is that I've tossed over my lifetime I've used the services once or twice. That's doesn't seem like very effective advertising to me.

The article also links to another site which I didn't know about OptOutPreScreen.com, which allows you to opt out of the credit card offerings. I signed up for a 5-year hiatus, hopefully that will reduce the unwanted flood of credit card offers that I seem to receive.

If any readers have any other suggestions for GREENing up your home I'd love to hear them.

The Audobon Society also has a collection of natural methods to get rid of pests.

Also there's an interesting article about how Fidel Castro, through "default or design" has left Cuba a pristine environment and conservationist dream with the "richest biodiversity in the Caribbean."

And just to prove that Mother Nature can still kick ass, here's an article that shows the explosive growth of kudzu, a vine that can grow up to 1 foot in a SINGLE DAY. There's some great pictures of the kudzu (Japanese for "vine") just completely engulfing houses down in the southern parts of the United States.

Soloist universal media dock (from Engadget)

2006-08-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Directed unveils Soloist universal media dock - Engadget

If this thing sounds half as good as it looks, I'm buying it. No questions asked. I don't even have Sirius anymore, but I could plug my iPod 4G or Nano into it and listen to tunes while getting lost in the sleek black exterior. It looks like the sexy spawn of the monolith from 2001 and the a high-end audio system.

*Droooooool*

Mac Rumors: WWDC 2006 Rumor Roundup

2006-08-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Mac Rumors: Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2006 Rumor Roundup [Updatedx2]

Just in case you're hard up for your WWDC rumors, here's a link to MacRumors.com covering the big ones. Might be time to buy some AAPL, no matter how embroiled in an options scandal they are. Most likely a quick flip for 4-5% or so over the week, possibly more if no big negative news about the options comes out.

Also here's ThinkSecret's list of WWDC Rumors and Speculation.

One thing I have to agree on with ThinkSecret is the bit regarding new Nanos. There were so many complaints about the Nano being a giant scratch magnet if you weren't painfully careful with it, so I'd have to believe Apple has plans on debuting a Nano with a Mini-like aluminum covering. However, like ThinkSecret, I agree they won't be rolled out until later in the year. My main thinking for was agreement with a comment I'd read about a month or two ago saying that because Apple's current education promotion of buy a Mac, get a Nano free, runs until September 16th, it would be confusing for Apple to release new Nanos now. That's mainly considering the fact that Apple usually runs promotions like this to clear out inventory of hardware that will be replaced soon.

Regardless of when Nano announcement is made, with all the excitement this conference is generating, I can't imagine Apple's shares not being affected in a positive way. Only the rest of the week will be able to tell.

Craigslist becomes a place for pot peddlers

2006-08-06T23:53:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times: Local News: Craigslist becomes a place for pot peddlers

I've never seen "the sticky icky" used in an article before. Of course my subscription to High Times ran out a couple years ago, so maybe I just don't remember. And call me crazy but the few times I've used Craigslist it's been to sell a monitor, or golf clubs, or an mp3 player. Some people just apply that entrepreneurial spirit and apply it in the wrong places.

Nike+iPod Sports Kit + Shoe Hack Review

2006-08-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

With the recent arrival of Apple and Nike's co-branded Nike+iPod campaign, excitement built up in the iPod community about what kind of functionality it would bring. While some saw it as nothing more than an excuse to sell more iPods and more Nike shoes and clothes, the announcement of Nike+iPod Sport Kit really got me excited. With an iPod Nano and the Sport Kit you'd effectively have a virtual running coach and personal motivator to push you to finish your workouts faster than before. This article represents my intial impressions of the Nike+iPod Sport Kit and Nike's Nikeplus.com website which provides a graphical representation of your workout data.

In the beginning...
So I recently started running because I'm a bit of a masochist. I guess I should preface that by saying I'm "in shape" in that I've exercised off and on since college, and since I live in San Diego I need to be able to take my shirt off at the beach without feeling too much shame. That being said, I've never enjoyed running. I actually was a decent runner in high school, and finished a sub-6 minute mile once (5m 59s!). But I only ran because I had to in PE, so once I didn't need to run anymore, I stopped. When I tried to pick it up again in college it was a miserable experience. You know how some people can just throw on some Vans slip-ons and run a mile? Yeah, I found out the hard way that wasn't one of those people. I did actually try and run in cross trainers, but I got shin splints and my lower back hurt and I wasn't enjoying myself like I did when I was lifting weights, so I quickly lost desire.

Fast-forward to about a month ago. It's San Diego, it's nice outside, I see people running, I'm sick of working out with the ladies on the elliptical trainer and running in place on the treadmill staring back at my sweaty self in the mirror. "Dammit," I say, "I'm gonna go running." So I lace up my cross trainers figuring my many hours of little- or no-impact exercise had to have paid dividends and my lower body should be ready. Not so much. After about a mile my lower back was tightening up and my shins were so tender I didn't want to breath on them. Not to be defeated I decided to suck it up and venture some place I'd never been: the running shoe store.

What's so weird about the running shoe store, you ask. Well mainly it was the image of those old sweaty guys wearing shorts that are shorter than most guys should be wearing. Hey grandpa, if the tanline from your Speedos is showing maybe you should look for something with a little more material next time! Here's a hint, if your orange running shorts and white tanktop make you look like a Hooters girl... you get the idea.

So I went to Road Runner Sports and had the shoe techs check me out. I'd just come from work so I had on dress pants and work socks. You know work socks, the colored ones with goofy little designs that you like but probably don't want anyone else to see. That wasn't awkward. It went a little something like this:
RR Guy: "Take off your shoes for me."
Me: "OK."
RR Guy: "Wow. Hmmm. OK, pull your pant legs up and walk over there." (he points half-way across the store)
As I'm walking shoeless across the entire display of running shoes, he shouts "Lift your pants higher!"
Me: *sigh* "OK."
RR Guy: "You need motion control shoes."
Me: "What?"
RR Guy: "Your feet are flat. You probably get shin splints and have lower back pain, right?"
Me: "How did you..."
RR Guy: (rolls his eyes) "Hold on, I'll get some shoes for you to try."

So after he brings me out some Brooks that look like my 77-year old grandfather would pick out at Marshalls, and some running shoes that are so hideous I think even the blind could sense their colors clashing (what is it about running makes shoe manufacturers think "the uglier the better"?), RR Guy brings me out a pair of Mizuno Wave Alchemy 6s. They look pretty much like a regular shoe and RR Guy says they'll help so I buy them.

I was skeptical when I first bought them, but I wanted to run so I took them home and tried them out. And you know what, the very first day my shins hurt a lot less, and my lower back barely hurt at all. So if you want to try running and you've had the same problems I have, go to a running shoe store and they should be able to help you. It was well worth the humiliation of parading around in my goofy socks.

"I just felt like run-ning..."
So after I got used to running, got a pair of decent Under Armour running shorts, some Nike compression tights to keep my junk in place, and one of those sweat-wicking shirts I found on the cheap at Target, I actually felt like a more competent runner than I ever really had.

And to make sure I stuck to my running program I gave myself a little motivation. I signed up for my first 5k, the America's Finest City 5K at Balboa Park here in San Diego. I bought a digital watch with a chronograph to time myself, created a Google Spreadsheet of my times running various differences including one a little shorter than a 5K (about 2.75 miles), a little longer than a 5K (about 3.6 miles), and right around the 5K distance (around 3.15 miles), and everything was good. But something was missing: music. For as long as I've worked out, I've had music to motivate me. Whether it's my CD walkman back in college, my 4G iPod now, or the crappy 80s music my gym plays when I forget my iPod, I've always had music to make the experience more enjoyable. And since running with a hard drive-based music player is generally considered a no-no because it can cause undo wear-and-tear on the moving parts, and I've had a personal experience with my iPod's skip protection running out, I wanted a new flash-based music player to get things going.

Right when I was about to settle on a cheaper player like a SanDisk Sansa or Creative Zen Micro, I heard the news about the Nike+iPod cross promotion that Apple and Nike cooked up, and the cool little gadget called the Nike+iPod Sport Kit that was designed to work with runners to measure things like distance, time, and pace on the fly, I knew I wanted it. So I waited until I had verification that it would work in my new Mizuno's and not have to be in a Nike shoe, and that came thanks to the brave soul at Podophile. So I bought a used iPod Nano off eBay (you can read about that experience as well as how to be a bargain-hunting eBay sniper in an upcoming article), bought the Nike+iPod Sport Kit from the Apple Store in my local mall, and set to work.

Nike+iPod Sport Kit Review

See you think from the commercials that you just load up your Nano with songs to keep you motivated while running, plug the adapter into your Nano, and drop the receiver in your shoe, and you're off to the races. Not so, but to get it going is no big deal.

To get the Nike+iPod Sport Kit working on my new (used) iPod Nano I had to:
1) Update iTunes to 6.0.5.
No big deal there, that's what broadband is for. Less than 10 minutes to download and install.
2) Update my iPod Nano with the iPod Updater that came out on June 28th.
Not really a problem; go to Apple's iPod website, download the updater, install it and let it update the Nano.
3) Connect the adapter to the unit and figure out how to use it.
Again, pretty simple. The navigation is intuitive, you set a "power song" to keep you motivated, pick a time or distance or custom setting, and start running.

My problem of not having a cool little slot under the insole like the Nike+ shoes do caused me a little stress. I'd seen Podophile's solution (wrapping it in his laces and securing it with velcro), and read about some other crazy folks who were just going to cut into the shoe's cushioning to dig out a place for it. I didn't have any velcro handy and I wasn't about to butcher my news shoes, so I figured I'd just tuck it in my laces and glance down every 10 strides or so to make sure I hadn't lost it. After trying it up by the knot I came to the realization that the base of the tongue was probably the best place, and the picture should illustrate why.

As you may or may not be able to see, the loop at the bottom that the laces are fed through acts as a catch for the receiver. It simply can't slip out through the bottom of the laces because of that loop. The picture isn't actually as secure as I have it when I running, it's pushed down a little farther, but is just an example. I've run about 10 miles on three separate occasions using the receiver, and I have yet to have a problem. It's definitely something to look into if you're like me and don't want to slice and dice your running shoes. If you want to more securely attach the receiver to your shoe, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND following Podophile's detailed 'shoe hack' that he lists on his page. I haven't had problems with the placement of the receiver and I've already made a habit of a quick glance down to make sure it's still secured in my laces every 20-30 strides or so. This may work for you, it may not.

You can calibrate the Sport Kit for greater accuracy if you want, but the instruction manual says you don't really need to. I went ahead and ran a route I already knew the distance to thanks to GMap Pedometer just to compare. The difference by the end of the course was that the Sport Kit told me I completed my 5K distance at a point about 100 meters (about 1/16th of a mile) shorter than what GMap Pedometer told me. And to be honest I have no idea how accurate that website is. Today I ran the long route around Fiesta island, which is 4.4 miles including the causeway. I started it right at the causeway and with under half a mile left to finish the route the female voice came over my headphones and told me I'd completed my 4 miles I'd set it to. That's accurate enough for me! Podophile also did a follow-up article on the accuracy of the Sport Kit.

To say that I'm pleased with this thing is an understatement. It's a great idea, I love it, and it is definitely motivating me to run more! Depending on what you're running (meters or miles), a voice will chime in giving you updates along the way. When I ran my 5K distance, it announced every kilometer completed. When I ran my 4 miles, it announced every mile. And to motivate you at the finish of each route the voice chimes in during the final 400 meters, 300, 200 and 100 meters, and then announces you've completed your route. I find myself sprinting the last 100-200 meters trying to finish strong to please the soothing voice coming into my ears. Once you've finished your route and stopped the workout (IMPORTANT: the Sport Kit collects info until you manually end the workout, meaning if you slow your pace dramatically without ending the workout, your results will be skewed!), the voice tells you how far you ran, how long it took you to run, what your average pace over that time was, and even how many calories you burned.

The real fun begins though, once you upload the data to the nikeplus.com website.

NikePlus.com
Creating an ID with Nikeplus.com was simple. I didn't have to enter some serial number on the bottom of a Nike shoe or anything, just give Nike the basic information, create a username and password, and you're on your way.

Synching the data from your workout really couldn't be easier. You plug your Nano into your computer, iTunes opens up, and it asks you if you'd like to connect to Nikeplus.com to synch your data with the server. You supply your username and password the first time, tell it to save the login information for future synchs, and away your data goes.

The Nikeplus.com website gives you a great Flash-based visual representation of your run graphed as a function of distance (x-axis) vs pace (y-axis) with mile markers as points plotted along the way. If you mouse-over those points, it tells you what distance it represents on the graph, as well as your pace from the previous point, meaning if I mouse-over the third point in my 5K workout, it tells me that it's the 3rd milage point and my pace for the mile from point 2 to point 3 was 9m:52s. Very cool stuff!

The Nikeplus.com site also compares all your runs side-by-side, allows you to set goals for yourself, and allows you challenge and accept challenges from other runners. The goals area still seems a little incomplete to me. You choose one of four options, whether you want to run: more often, a distance, to burn calories, or faster. The goals aren't very customizable though; Nike has provided you with a limited number of choices for the timeframe you can achieve the goal in. For instance, if you choose to run distance you can only select 4, 8, 12 or 16 weeks. At first I misinterpreted this section as "I want to be able to run a certain distance by the end of 4 weeks" instead of "I want to run a total distance by the end of 4 weeks." I ended up setting 4 miles for myself, and subsequently was given a goal of running 4 total miles over a 4 week span, not exactly a lofty goal and one that I accomplished.

The Challenge section is a neat idea also. Other runners from around the world have the ability to challenge you to "races" to see who's faster. Theoretically, someone in England could challenge me to a 10K; they would run the distance and post their time and I would run the distance and post my time. The two times would then be compared and shown against each other, with the winner announced. It's a fun way to motivate people to run even more, I haven't tried it in practice though.

Currently my new, more lofty goal is to run 40 miles in 4 weeks. I'm sure 10 miles per week is chump change to a lot of runners out there, but not to a new runner like me. A side effect of all this milage tracking is that Nikeplus.com records the total miles you've run in their system. This should allow you know when your shoes are becoming worn. Maybe you'll want to trade them in for a rocking pair of Nike+'s.

I found a couple other reviews via Technorati of the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, an initial impression at Pyslent.com, and a short write-up comparing the accuracy of the Sport Kit vs a Garmin Forerunner over on Brian (hey you spell your name wrong!) Chesney's blog.

One of my favorite magazines, Wired, also has an interesting write-up on the accelerometer used in the Sport Kit

Again, inspiration for this article and TONS of credit have to go to Podophile. Without his initial testing of the Sport Kit in non-Nike shoes, I would never have bought any of these goodies. Hmmm, on second thought maybe I should send him a bill.

SDBryan is not a runner, nor does he play one on TV. He does enjoy running distances under 5 miles and may someday work up the courage to run a 10K. 5Ks are good enough for now though.

Proof that even Jesus hates the Yankees

2006-08-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

From Fox Sports MLB Power Rankings:

And here come the Yankees. No team had a better trade deadline, and they now must be regarded as the favorites in the AL East. To crystallize the astounding collection of offensive talent the Yankees now enjoy, consider this: once Gary Sheffield returns, the Yanks could potentially trot out a lineup that has combined for 2,252 career homers. Think about that for a second.

Bobby Abreu seems to have been in a slump since winning the home run derby last year. He's hitting 20 points below this career average and has just 8 homeruns this year. But still, you look at their lineup and it's just ri-god-damn-diculous how stacked it is. It really is like looking at an All Star team every game.

You've got Johnny "I'll never play for the Yankees" Damon leading off, Derek Jeter batting two, Bobby Abreu third, Alex Rodriguez cleaning up, Jason "Deflated" Giambi batting in the five spot, round that out with your choice Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Miguel Cairo, Hideki Matsui, and Gary Sheffield. That's just sick. But the fact that they haven't won the World Series for the last 20 years in a row is testament to the fact that money can't buy you victory in baseball.

But that stat, about a lineup with 2,252 career homers, that's just mindblowingly disgusting. That means the average person coming up to the plate has 250 career homeruns. Ugh. See that's why I think even Jesus hates the Yankees, because Steinbrenner doesn't play fair. The guy's got so much money that he just sees someone he thinks might make a good fit for the Yanks and he throws a shit-ton of money at him. That should not be what baseball is about. And before you mockingly reply that baseball is should be about steroids, no, baseball can move past that and be America's pasttime again. But not as long as one organization skews the playing field so much in their favor. The Yankees payroll is an UNGODLY (see Jesus hates them!) FOURTEEN TIMES more than the lowest-ranked Florida Marlins, and is almost THREE TIMES that of the average MLB team.

As for the whole Jesus hates the Yankees thing. It's a funny t-shirt. Relax. And besides, even if Jesus doesn't really hate the Yankees, I do.

And where are the Padres? #11, with Arizona, Los Angeles, Colorado, and San Francisco still in striking distance. Man I love the NL West, excitement to the end and you can win the division going 82-80!

The 10 Best Will Ferrell Skits of All Time

2006-08-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

The 10 Best Will Ferrell Skits of All Time

Hilarious YouTube video collection of SNL skit starring Will Ferrell to help spotlight his new movie coming out this Friday, Talladega Nights.

Yes the always popular Cowbell skit is on there. No it's not #1. Check it out!

Electricity-Free, Portable Bamboo Speaker

2006-08-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Treehugger: Bird-Electron EZ-TAKEGTF2: Electricity-Free, Portable Bamboo Speaker

Utilizing the natural resonance of bamboo, this Japanese engineered speaker not only projects quality sound but also is an stylish interior design deco... Unit can be used with any audio device through its stereo-mini plug. No power source needed.

If this thing could actually deliver decent sound using just the electricity draw from the line-out like headphones that's pretty sweet. Apparently the bamboos resonance enables high-quality sound, but that's a pretty subjective statement right there.
I'm no audiophile but I'd question the range that a tube of bamboo acting speaker box could produce. Of course, I'm no audiophile so I really am just talking out my ass. $200 list price and it has to be imported though.
Maybe someone could just let me know how they sound?

Apple news and rumors like crazy!

2006-08-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Apple in deals to connect iPod in new car models:

Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday said it has teamed up with three major automakers to link its popular iPod music player with car stereos, laying down a new challenge to a fragmented radio industry.

Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. will offer an easy iPod connection in the majority of their brands, allowing drivers to charge the digital music player and store it in a glove compartment as they listen to its songs.

This seems to me like it's really only two big car companies (Mazda is 1/3 owned by Ford and the companies often rebrand vehicles like the Escape/Mariner or Ranger/B-Series), but it's still good news for Apple none the less. More exposure for the iPod and more reason for people to buy iPods. I really missed out not buying AAPL when it was down in the low $50s less than a month ago. It's seen a 25% increase in share price since then. Maybe I'm a little late to the party, but with the new iPods that should be announced pretty soon this stock should head up even further. And while this seems like a good move for Apple, it seems like GM and FoMoCo are grasping at straws, trying to get any kind of boost in sales that they can.

Speaking from a massmarket consumer standpoint, build attractive, reliable, fuel-efficient (but not underpowered) vehicles like the Japanese are so good at doing. I traded in my 2003 Ford Ranger with a 3.0L V6 for my 2004 Honda Accord Coupe with the same size engine. I know there's different aerodynamics involved in the two, but I would get no better than 18mpg in my Ford while I get better than 24mpg in my Accord. That's a 33% improvement in gas milage in an engine with the same displacement, and the Accord has better acceleration, handling, fit & finish to boot. If I have to end up paying $3.25 for a gallon of 87 octance gas, I'd much rather do it getting solid gas milage in a peppy coupe than a sluggish, no-reason-to-be-a-gas-hog compact pickup. And I seriously doubt that I'm alone in that feeling.

As a side note, Ford carries Sirius satellite radio while GM carries XM. It will be interesting to see what, if any, effect this has on people activating the satellite radio service in their cars.

Also the Apple fanboy community is buzzing with Mac Attack rumors coming in far and wide in the days before Apples World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Engadget has a good collection of all the rumors which range from aluminum iPod Nanos (like the old Minis) that avoid scratches (a common complaint abou the Nano), Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros, an iPhone (pleh), and maybe some Leopard news.

From the Engadget rumors link:

Managing all the information in all these damned Apple rumors that everyone is so insistent upon proliferating is no small task, but we know that there exists a vast amount of people hungry for any WWDC 2006 launch information they can get

Apple did finish the day up $1.43 or 2.1%. The stock touched $70, for the first time in almost 3 months, and is up 6% on the week.

Today's articles

2006-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

There's just so much out there to read on the internet, and I haven't even checked out Digg, My Yahoo, MSN, or Engadget yet! Looks like a couple posts today. :)

Some interesting articles:

Geek to Live: Choose (and remember) great passwords (LifeHacker)

Everywhere you turn you've got to come up with a password to register for something or another. Whether it's the dozens of web sites that require you log in to use them, or your ATM card PIN, or your wireless network login, how do you decide on a new password? More importantly, how do you remember it?

Geek to Live: Securely track your passwords (LifeHacker)

A KeePass database stores all your passwords inside of it in an encrypted state, and uses one master password and/or a key-file to access that database. KeePass has fields for username, password, URL and notes associated with each login, and you can create login groups (like, Windows, web sites, Wifi networks) to organize your passwords. KeePass is highly secure; if you keep it running, it will lock its workspace after a certain amount of idle time and require you enter the master password again to access the database.

Picture of aborted fetus to be flown over Cleveland (Cleveland.com)

The California-based group, which has an office in Columbus, is best known for displaying on college campuses giant photos of mutilated bodies of genocide victims or lynchings next to photos of aborted fetuses. The group advocates nonviolence, but its displays often set off aggressive protests that result in vandalism and lead to arrests.

Yeah, this sounds like a real crowd pleaser. I love these activists groups that come out and say "We don't care how much this offends you because we have something to say."

Looking up in the sky and seeing a picture of an aborted fetus has to be some sort of violation of my constitutional rights though. And because this is apparently some hardcore pro-life group, I'm sure the image that they'll fly over everyone's head will be a late term abortion, which is already illegal anyway. But I'm sure it's much more dramatic to show something that actually looks like a dead baby, than to show something that just looks like a pink blob of goo. I selected the text of this article carefully because I didn't want the name of this group on my blog since I absolutely disagree with the fact that they're doing this. Woman's body, woman's choice. Don't you religious zealots have some science to misinterpret?

Kentucky Creationism Museum: A Scientific Sham!

2006-08-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

It really won't ever stop will it? The Creation Museum being built in Kentucky (where else, right?) was officially announced earlier this week:

From High-tech museum brings creationism to life (MSN):

Like most natural history museums, this one has exhibits showing dinosaurs roaming the earth. Except here, the giant reptiles share the forest with Adam and Eve.

That, of course, is contradicted by science, but that’s the point of the $25 million Creation Museum rising fast in rural Kentucky.

Its inspiration is the Bible — the literal interpretation that contends God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them just a few thousand years ago.

Are you f*cking kidding me? The only way this place could be called a "museum" is if the animatronic dinosaurs had some intrinsic artistic value. The desire of Christian Fundamentalists who are continually pushing the conservatives of this country to recognize and accept Creationism as science is part of the reason our nation is so bad at science. If our adults can't comprehend that mysticism like Creationism is not science but mythology, how can we expect our children to understand it?

From Wikipedia's (hold the Colbert/elephant jokes for now) entry for Science:

Scientists maintain that scientific investigation must adhere to the scientific method, a process for evaluating empirical knowledge which explains observable events in nature as a result of natural causes, rejecting supernatural notions.

If it's not observable, it's NOT science. Simple as that. The supportive ideas behind Creationism, like Intelligent Design, are not rooted in science even though they attempt to present themselves as such. If you step back and simplify the argument though, Intelligent Design can be summed like this: "This natural thing is so complicated that there is no way that it could have evolved in nature, it must have been created by a higher power."

While the thought that some great being in the sky created everything is an easy way to explain things, it doesn't have any scientific rooting because it's not observable. If it can't be tested, it can't be proven or disproven, and therefore it's simply conjecture. But it gets tricky here again because Creationists turn around and say, "Well it's a theory, like evolution."

This is where the average layperson gets confused. The Creationist theory is not a scientific theory like evolution. Evolution is a proven scientific process based on gene mutation and other factors. It has been observed over extended periods of time. Intelligent Design is theory in the sense that it's a conjecture, a layman's supposition based, not on empirical evidence, but on an engrained system of beliefs that will not let them accept alternate ideas as truth.

And this is where scientists and creationists differ: If tomorrow someone came forward with proven, empirical evidence that a higher power had designed some aspect of the natural world, it would be retested many times over, but if ultimately verifiable it would be embraced in the scientific community. However, as scientists have come forward showing evidence that evolution is a proven event in the natural world, the majority of creationists have denied the truth behind it without presenting any scientific evidence to the contrary.

Comments are always welcome.

Update: Looks like the a Digg kids are all over this story also. I originally saw this on Yahoo back on August 31st. Searching Google for the story's title yieldsover 10 pages of similar reports.

Also through the Digg kids comments, I found a link to another page detailing a (the?) Vatican astronomer naming Creationism as a form of paganism. Even the Catholic Church rejects the idea of the literal word of the Bible!

BAD Blog... Bark All Day

2006-08-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I'm Bryan. I'm 27, I live in San Diego, and this is my blog.
I could tell you all about myself, but I have a MySpace page for that.
So instead, I want to tell you about what I want this blog to be.

See there's some websites I really like:
Digg,
LifeHacker,
Google Labs,
My Yahoo,
Engadget,
Flickr,
FatWallet

There are others too.
Some of them are those new-fangled Web 2.0 sites that let you interact with other people.
Some are mainstream media, news articles, etc.
Some are just cool websites that I've been looking at forever.

So I'll probably do a lot of linking to articles that I find across the web.

BUT I can also be a bit of ranter. Usually it's to either rebutt something stupid I read, or to respond to something else that's annoying me.
So I'll rant a lot on this blog also.

Hope you enjoy!
B

And yes, I did get the name of the blog from Mr. Blonde's now famous words to Mr. White in Reservoir Dogs:
"Are you gonna bark all day, little dog, or are you gonna bite?"
Harvey Keitel, pwned!