Spacecraft spies probe parachuting to Martian surface

Very Cool! You can actually see the Phoenix parachuting to the Mars surface!



http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn13981-spacecraft-spies-probe-parachuting-to-martian-surface.html?feedId=online-news_rss20

The Republicans Have Ruined Us

The war, now absurd gas prices? What next -- or should I tempt fate by asking??

Yee ha!

From Joke of the Day

M&M's

An old man and a young man work together in an office. The old man always has a jar of peanuts on his desk, and the young man really loves peanuts.

One day, while the old man is away from his desk, the young man yields to temptation and scarfs down over half of the contents of the jar. When the old man returns, the young man feels guilty and confesses to his crime.

"Don't worry, son. I never eat the peanuts anyway," the old man replies. "Since I lost my teeth, all I can do is gum chocolate off the M&M's."

Need a reason for an HDTV?

Well, you have a few hours to go get one before Discovery HD channel starts its 5-week run of the series 'Planet Earth' tonight at 8pm.

The whole series is done in HD, and as USA Today says, 'it could be that only an IMAX will be enough' to show how great the picture is.

My TiVo is ready and waiting.....

Source: Engadget HD

New "Floating Towers" Project in Singapore

This is insane!! Would YOU live here??





Source: World Architecture News

Vista 90-Day Report

Jeff Jones has published a review of several operating systems during their first 90 days of existence, including Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

Here's his chart:



And here's the link to the full report: http://www.csoonline.com/pdf/Vista_Vuln_Report.pdf

Source: CSO OnLine

Ergonomics?

A theory called the "Healthy Worker Effect" supposes that when someone performs a repetitive task for a long time, like lifting heavy boxes or surfing the Web, the person can develop a resistance to problems associated with the activity. The effect may be developmental, according to Harwood, in that children could develop a body structure to handle more ergonomic stress than they would have if they started the task as an adult.

Kids nowadays can spend hours cradling a cell phone with a crooked neck, slumping over a computer game, slouching in front of a PC while text messaging friends and listening to music. And that's on top of time they might spend in school on a PC surfing the Web to research topics and do homework.

Source: News.com

What a Difference 50 Years Makes

Here's the opening quote of the article:

The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race. - Don Marquis, poet, artist, newspaper columnist, humorist, playwright and author (1878 -1937)

Some of the listed scenarios:

- Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school
- Mary turns up pregnant
- Pedro fails high school English

Harmless back then, but boy, do they get it now!!

Check it out!

Source: Wikipedia

Bumper sticker

If you aren't completely appalled then you aren't paying attention.

Man dies from crab he was about to cook

Didn't know THIS could happen:

A man died after getting cut by a live crab he was about to cook up for dinner. Apparently, he was infected by a flesh-eating bacteria that the crab was carrying. The bacteria, Vibrio, can also turn up on fish and prawns. From the German Press Agency:

Cooking destroys the bacteria, making the seafood safe for consumption. Doctors advised people preparing meals to use tongs or gloves when handling the live crabs. The claws should be brushed and washed with water before cooking, they added.

Source: rawstory.com

Oh, Get This Kid Some Prozac!

Ever been in the store, and some kid is acting up? You ain't seen nothin' yet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkWcwJyagW4

Source: YouTube

A Halloween Costume Microsoft Would Be Ashamed Of!

Analog is dead - Long live analog!

Starting February 17, 2007, analog TV only has 2 years to live. After that, unless you buy some sort of set top box or a new TV, you won't be able to see anything or get signals from the air like now. If you buy a new TV after March 1, 2007, you should have the ATSC tuner (the one that gets digital signals) in addition to the NTSC signal we've used for years and years.

If you're planning on buying a TV, I'd wait until April to make sure that an ATSC is included in the TV.

Robert Adler, co-inventor of the TV remote, passes away

In his lifetime, Mr. Adler secured over 180 patents, one of which we in modern times couldn't live without.

He won an Emmy in 1997, for his contribution to the invention of the TV remote control in the 1950's. Wireless remote control, that is -- remember that the first remote controls were hardwired directly to the TV.

Unlike today's remotes, though, his device didn't need its batteries replaced every few months because it used a strip of metal and a hammer (think of a xylophone) to send signals to the TV.

The name of this device? The Zenith Space Command remote control. Sooo 1950's.....

Source: CNN

Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives

Check it out. Pretty interesting stuff, and the article's been around for awhile.

Topics:

The Arguments Against Gay Marriage
The Real Reasons People Oppose Gay Marriage
Why This Is a Serious Civil Rights Issue
Why Does Conservative Politics Find Gay Marriage So Deeply Threatening?

Source: Scott Bidstrup, a free-lance writer and political activist with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a concentration in broadcasting from Brigham Young University (1971).

Enough Said

New Album: Democustico

Got an e-mail from DanceTracks Digital, which included a link to an album from Far Out Recordings called Democustico. Gave it a listen for a few minutes from their website and liked it. Went to Napster and there it was. I'm streaming it now, a nice fusion of Brazilian samba, folk, Indian vibes, London beats, and global breaks and noise. Highly recommended!

Can I Get That Squirrel Made into a Gravy?

As we gear up for another season of holiday shopping, we grit our
teeth, head to the mall ...and take our lives into our hands dealing with
traffic, parking, crowds, harried salesclerks ...and killer squirrels.

At least, that's what Marcy Meckler had to deal with at the Old
Orchard Mall in Skokie, Ill., one Friday morning in December 2004. (A
tough punk squirrel, that is.) She says she stepped out of the Tiffany &
Co. jewelry store at the open-air mall and was making her way toward
Nordstrom's when, she says, she "had a squirrel jump up and attach itself
to her leg." Startling, to be sure, but "while frantically attempting to
escape from the squirrel and detach it from her leg, [Meckler] fell and
suffered severe injuries."

The injuries were not described but Meckler's lawsuit, filed in Cook
County Circuit Court with the help of attorney Glenn Guth, says they will
cause her to "in the future endure pain and suffering in body and mind."
The suit demands damages in excess of $50,000.

So how in the world is that the mall's fault? Mall owner Westfield
Corp., "by and through its agents, employees, servants and security
personnel, was aware of the longtime presence of the said squirrel on the
premises and allowed the squirrel to remain on the premises, despite the
fact that the squirrel had previously attacked and harassed other
customers, a fact known to Westfield," the suit says. Worse, the suit
alleges mall employees "encouraged the squirrel to remain on the premises
by feeding and caring for the squirrel, despite the dangerous conditions
that arose from allowing said animal to remain on the premises." Even
that may have been OK, except, the suit complains, the mall failed "to
warn the plaintiff of the squirrel's presence."

Yep, Westfield surely knew there were squirrels in the open air mall
area. And I'll bet they even know for a fact that birds fly by overhead.
Heck: even bees, which some people are deathly afraid of, probably visit
the flowers planted around the stores. Some of those people have severe
allergic reactions to bee stings, too, and could literally die from it.
AND YET THEY DIDN'T WARN anyone of these things. Bah. All wildlife "could
be" dangerous sometimes, but most of it is fine if we just leave it the
hell alone and admire it, rather than harass it. Yet Meckler's suit
demands that they must harass it.

We share this planet with other living things. If we killed everything
else to keep from inconveniencing petty, spoiled brats who spend their
days buying bling, the planet would wither and die. So we deal with it if
we want to go out in the world. Malls can't -- and shouldn't -- control
scurrying wild animals any more than they can stop birds from crapping on
windshields as shoppers' cars sit in the valet parking lot. But maybe we
can do something about why-me crybabies who expect someone else to pay
for overreacting to normal situations, even when they fall down and go
boom. Significant monetary fines for filing frivolous actions comes to
mind....


SOURCES:
1) "Mall Sued over Squirrel Attack", Chicago Sun-Times, 15 August 2006
(no longer available online)

2) "Lawsuit: Shopping Center Aided Attacking Squirrel", Sun-Times News
Group Wire, 14 August 2006
http://StellaAwards.com/cgi-bin/redirect5.pl?77a

Amen to That!

From a bumper sticker:

"Yee-Hah" is NOT a valid foreign relations policy.

Crazy Bumper Sticker

"Some people are like Slinkies... not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs!"

What's on my playlist now?

Basment Jaxx's Crazy Itch Radio

What's on my playlist now?

Randy Crawford 's Feeling Good with Joe Sample.

Very nice.

50K

Well, I just broke 50K miles on my li'l red TT.

If mom moves to one state over next year like she wants, I'll be putting *a lot* more on it.....

New Intel Corehowmanyaretherenow Commercial

If you've seen the commercials, the hotties are um, hot, the dancing is great, and the music is, well, wow. Reminds me of my joy at first hearing "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas for the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

The first one is Mr. Dabada -- Carlos Jean is the hep cat with this jam -- and did I say the dancers are hot?

The second is Ice Cream by New Young Pony Club -- more laid back, more suggestive.

Check 'em out!

What a Mess This Foley Scandal Is!

So, Foley is suggestive with an underage page. At least he didn't have sex with the kid, unlike a certain Republican back in the 80's who actually *had* sex with an underage girl page. And a Democrat who around the same time had sex with an underage boy. Both were censured by the Congress.

Ah, mores back then were quite different from today. A teacher who had sex with a male student went practically unpunished, while today they'd be calling for her head.

Oh, and for those that keep comparing the Clinton/Lewinski scandal to this -- remember, Miss Monica was well into her twenties, and had done that before. It's a TOTALLY different animal from a child who may/may not know any better.

Music Subscriptions? Great Idea Explained!

Been using the Napster service for several months now.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2005-05-25-subscriptions_x.htm

Seen on a bumper sticker

It's 95% of the lawyers making the other 5% look bad.

But I used to have good eyes, REALLY!

So, you watched movies on a 13" portable TV. Too big.

Then you watched movies on a 7" portable DVD player. Too big.

Then you watched movies on a 4" PMP. Too big.

Then you watched movies on an iPod. Too big.

Not blind enough yet?

Well, now you can watch movies on demand on your 2" cellphone screen. Yep, you can. Really.

Check it out.

Digitally Imported and Groovin'

http://www.di.fm

If you've not been here to see the streaming radio music they provide, you're truly missing out on a good thing. They offer free streaming at lower quality in 3 formats, but for only about $5/month, you can be a premium member, support their great stations, and get streaming music at like 128k and 192k quality!

There are over 30 stations to listen to, and they all work (unlike some other radio portals where a good number of the links don't respond). My favorites are Deep House, Smooth Jazz, Country, Hit 70s, and Classic Electronica.

Even better, they've optimized their webpage for mobile devices so it's extremely easy to select a station. I'm connected most of the time to their stations either with my tablet or my cellphone. (Of course, I'm also connected to XM64--The Groove when I'm not connected to di.fm.)

Definitely recommended as a site to keep your good eye on! Try it out!

Well this is messed up!

Today, we have a $9.2 trillion budget deficit.

To break down the national debt into comprehensible numbers means that every American carries a “birth tax” of $30,000.....

Some 40% of the deficit is owed to China.

(from OMB)

West Texas Cowboy - Joke

A West Texas cowboy was herding his cows in a remote pasture when suddenly a

brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a
young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL
tie,
leans out the window and asks the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how
many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me a calf?"

The cowboy looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his
peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer,
connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA
page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation
system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to
another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and
exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within
seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has
been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database
through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his
Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech,
miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and
says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves,"
says the cowboy. He watches the young man select one of the animals and
looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then the cowboy says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly
what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says,
"Okay, why not?"

You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says the cowboy.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even
though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already
knew, to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much
smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing
about cows........

Now give me back my dog."

Suing over iPods? 14 year olds!?

So I don't know whether to file this under stupidity or lack of personal responsibility or poor parenting. Maybe I should file it under all three!

Seems an iPod was loaned, the iPod was returned, but the unsupervised iPod was stolen, and now we get to see the whole thing play out in court. Too sad (if it weren't sooo funny).....

Need a new way to remember the 8 planets in the solar system?

Use this mnemonic of the first letters to remember the order of the planets in their new configuration (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune):

My very exotic mistress just showed up naked.

(Could've been said by Prez Clinton, eh?! )

Definition of OCD

A Stanford Medical research group advertised for participants in a study of obsessive-compulsive disorder. They were looking for therapy clients who had been diagnosed with this disorder.

The response was gratifying; they got 300 responses the day after the ad came out.

All from the same person.

Who Are YOU A Fan Of?

Two boys in Boston were playing basketball when one of them was attacked by a rabid Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy ripped a board off a nearby fence, wedged it into the dog's collar and twisted it, breaking the dog's neck. A newspaper reporter from the Boston Globe witnessed the incident and rushed over to interview the boy.

The reporter began entering data into his laptop, beginning with the headline: "Brave Young Celtics Fan Saves Friend from Jaws Of Vicious Animal." "But I'm not a Celtics fan," the little hero interjected. "Sorry," replied the reporter. "But since we're in Boston, I just assumed you were."

Hitting the delete key, the reporter began "John Kerry Fan Rescues Friend From Horrific Dog Attack." "But I'm not a Kerry fan either," the boy responds. The reporter says, "I assumed everybody in this state was either for the Celtics or Kerry or Kennedy. What team or person do you like?"

"I'm a Houston Rockets fan and I really like George W. Bush", the boy says.

Hitting the delete key, the reporter begins again: "Arrogant Little Conservative Bastard Kills Beloved Family Pet."

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, um, uh, what's next??

The number of planets around the Sun could rise from
nine to 12 - with more on the way - if experts approve a radical new
vision of our Solar System.

Nice!!

Batteries Exploding All Around You? Try Aluminum!!

Found some articles about using aluminum (or aluminium for you Europeans) combined with air to support fuel cells. Most are old (early 2000's), but here's a fairly technical, more current article about using this process.

"Creative Evolution"? Protect the Kids' Futures Instead!

The people determining the curriculum of our children in many states
remain scientifically illiterate. And Kansas is a good case in point.

(Need a NYTimes login? Check here.)

New Writings from Archimedes Revealed

Check out the scanning of the Palimpsest. Be sure to check out the video of the scanning and of the project's background.

Quite fascinating, especially if it reveals new mathematical theories and formulae!

Coolness: NASA Shuttle Wing Video

Have you seen this?

http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-121/right_forward_srb_camera.asx

Most interesting, about 3 minutes into it.

Enjoy!

XM 64 - The Groove . . . Is Groovy!

Hadn't listened to this station before. GEE! Listen to what I've been missing. Right now, my favorite song You're Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else by The Jones Girls has just come on. Plus they've been playing some disco from back in the day!! It bills itself as old school R&B. Definitely highly recommended as a new favorite station.

XM 64 - The Groove

73.5% Increase in Fat Babies?!

And medical folks say it's raising alarms. I WOULD HOPE SO!!

Guys: Middle Age? No Degree? No Wifey? Well, You're In for It...

Seems social norms are achangin' faster than they used to.....

Read all about it.....

Why Can't They Just Increase the Minimum Wage?!?

Geez, all this jockeying for position. Give the people a break. Damn Republicans. Bring back the Dems.

Great Quote!

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
Fred Allen

Monopoly ditches cash, goes plastic

Can you believe it? A Visa card for Monopoly. Go figure!

See more about this.

Lance Bass of `N Sync -- Who Knew!?!

Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a "very stable" relationship with a reality show star. Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.

More at Yahoo! News.

Seen on a bumper sticker

Modern aircraft have heaps of redundancy built
into their design. Why do you think they have TWO wings for example?

Should the US Go Penniless?

Read the article and cast your vote here.

More Bumper Stickers

Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

Marriage changes passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it. So I said "Implants?" She hit me.

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America?

A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Wow...that was fun!"

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping," now I just "chunky dunk."

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over? AMEN, AMEN !!

Wouldn't you know it... Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FATcells live forever.

Starr Jones - House Hunter?!?

It appears that Starr Jones is hosting House Hunters on HGTV tonight.

Ah, wee, now we're cookin'!!

Google Wants All Your Data? Cool!

So, Google is working on a project called Platypus that seems to be the same as GDrive. The idea is that any work you do on a computer gets synced to your Google storage, any work that you do on the web gets synced to your computer, and if a computer crashes, the data can be downloaded from Google in a heartbeat. This is great if you work on many different computers and want the data to be the same on all of them.

This is future, and for now, Orb is doing fine for me, to allow me to get my files from home whereever I'm at.....

Joke

A visitor to a mental hospital asked a doctor how they decide whether to admit a new patient. "We fill up a bathtub and offer them a spoon, a teacup, or a bucket to empty the tub." The visitor nodded. "And a sane person chooses the bucket?"

"No," said the doctor. "A sane person pulls the drain plug. Would you like a bed near the window?

Ted Stevens, Alaska Republican . . . and Moron

Here's an interesting post from John Dvorak of PCMagazine fame re Net Neutrality. If you don't know what this is, or how important it will be to your Internet access, read on:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1985071,00.asp

CNN Expose on North Korea

Did you see the report? Hidden camera, journalist talking, recordings of beatings, and all..... The conditions are horrible, yet NK leadership keeps telling the world how utopian life is there.

CNN sent a query about the conditions shown on the film to the government. Their reply: How can anyone be sure that the filmed footage was of North Korea?

This from a government out of touch with reality, IMO. Remember that satellite they tried to send up a few years ago, but it didn't even get into orbit? Well, to this day, they claim it is in space and broadcasting speeches from government leaders.

Too sad.

Gordon Biersch Brewery -- Beer Sampler! WooHoo!

If you're ever in Tyson's Corner, check out this restaurant in the mall. Really good food, sure.

But the beer sampler was my favorite. I tried it and found several really good beers that they make on the premises. What they do is bring a booklet with 6 beers listed, and along side the booklet, they present the beers in individual shot glasses. Gave me a chance to sample their wares, and also to order one that I really liked. One was a "coffee" beer that's really good.....

Check it out at http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/ -- or better yet, get up from behind the computer and check it out in person.

Dump the Don't Ask Loophole

Seems that hetero guys and gals are using the Don't Ask, Don't Tell loophole to get outta the armed forces. Many are stationed in warzones such as Iraq.

Yet another reason to get rid of the stupid rule.....

High Pitched Tone

Hear that?

No?

Well, your kids can. The newest craze is to use ringtones with really high-pitched tones that young ears can hear, but that us older folks can't.

Ingenious, if you ask me.....

Bush Bounce?

CNN is saying that the Rove issue resolution (not even something under Bush's control) and Zarqawi's death could help his poll numbers. Hopefully the American
public isn't THAT gullible.

Bush policy still sucks.....

An Extra Special Crackberry!!

Seen in Las Vegas, USA, at the Nextel store:



(Source: engadgetmobile.com)

The Country's in Worse Shape Than It Was When He Became President Six Years Ago

Poll Gives Bush His Worst Marks Yet

Unhappiness about gasoline prices and Iraq have created a grim political environment for the president, according to the latest Times poll.

Tossing Out the Election-Year Bones!

Interesting article on Slate: The Gay Panic Button - Why pressing it won't work this time.

http://www.slate.com/id/2143208?nav=wp

We Are Small and Insignificant

Wow.

How humbling.

The Joshua Tree National Park is huge, the boulders are huge, the vistas are huge, and the trees are ancient.

Me with one of the Joshua Trees:



The size of the boulders that push up out of the Earth during seismic events are indescribable. Look closely and you'll see a person (in a white shirt) on the boulders in the lower right-hand corner:



We were about a mile high at the Keys Point, and when we looked out over the edge:



The plants were diverse, bushes were green, and some plants had yellow and purple flowers. They didn't seem to care that we were about a mile up and in the middle of the desert:



I have videos of the Joshua Trees. There are literally thousands of them in fields around the park. Like the 4,000 windmills we saw the other day, the view of them just goes on and on.....

Princess of Monaco HERE?

So the latest news in Palm Desert (just down the street) is that Monaco's Prince Albert has a daughter here. The kid's poor school has been swamped all day with the press, tying up traffic, and making a nuisance of themselves. Seems they were trying to get a picture of the kid, but they didn't - she left the school in a heavily window-tinted SUV under the protection of the Sheriff's office.....

The Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum, Part 2?

Oh, and another quick detour:

The NYT reports on deep core samples from the Arctic Ocean showing that 55 million years ago—during a big global warming period—the sea was downright toasty and much warmer than scientists have long estimated. That suggests current simulations aren't accounting for some mechanism in global warming. "Something extra happens when you push the world into a warmer world," said a researcher from the Arctic study, "and we just don't understand what it is."

(Source: Slate)

The desert here in Palm Springs is hot enough now! It doesn't need any further help, especially from the Arctic - well, no, wait, maybe if we could bring some of the arctic coolness here.....

Profile in Fairly Steady Disillusionment

Taking a momentary detour from vacation:

In a recent Rolling Stone profile, one of America's leading historians sizes up the Dubya. It's kinda long, but has lots of info.

Seems that a friend's Iraq stay has been extended by several months. Also seems that Bush has moved about 1500 troops "temporarily" from one place to another. I'm sure THEY've been extended, too. Lie after lie after lie.....

Get Out and Vote 2006 and 2008

The San Andreas Fault

Live from Palm Springs:

We toured the Fault today for a few hours with a tour company. It was very interesting to see all the different rock formations, actually see where the Japan tectonic plate and the North American plate are pushing past each other, and see some wildlife.

Getting out of the Jeep to walk around:



Our tour guide:



Me in my gear:



Hanging out in a crack:



Here's a great shot through the Fault to another mountain range in the back:



Ending the tour, the sun sets over a ridge:



There are hundreds of photos that I took, but these are just a sample.

Don Quixote Would Be In Heaven

Check out this windmill farm just outside of Palm Springs:



Pretty impressive! They're really tall, the highest at about 150feet, and there are smaller ones about 75feet. Seems each of the big ones generates enough electricity in a day to power an average home for about a month.

The Heat Is On

Here's the next few days' weather forecast in Palm Springs:



Luckily the humidity is going to be about 10% the whole time. We've been drinking a lot of liquids and Shawn's been eating like a freakin' horse the whole time. It's impressive to see him eat about 3 meals at a single sitting.....

Thank You for Smoking

Live from Palm Springs:

We went to dinner at this great seafood restaurant called Fisherman's Market & Grill. The food was great, and plentiful. We sat outdoors, with the warm breeze blowing over us as the sun set for the evening:



So, there's a movie theater called Cinemas Palme D'Or (how chichi is THAT?) in one of the shopping malls (a Westfield, like the one in Silver Spring). We went there to see Thank You for Smoking. It was pretty good - full of irony, some comedy, and overall quite entertaining.

Cartoons and Mr. Magoo

Live from Palm Springs:

We're having a discussion at dinner about cartoons. We're coming to a conclusion that guys who watched Mr. Magoo as kids seem to have stopped watching cartoons at an early age. Those who didn't like Mr. Magoo (like me) still seem to enjoy cartoons as adults.

Whaddya think? Does this hold for you? Add a comment and let us know in an informal poll!

Internet Addiction?? Nah!!

Live from Palm Springs:

When I picked up my latest cellphone, I didn't realize how handy the high-speed modem function would be!! I've been able to be on the internet the entire time I'm here at anytime I want either using just the phone to look up something when we're out and about, or when using my laptop at the condo for full-fledged activities.

Even better, I've figured out how to share out the connection so that me mates on this trip can have their computers on the internet at the same time. The connection is only 230kbps, so things are a bit slower than cable modem, but it's been amazingly useful for us all to be doing our own thing at the same time. Because the local network I set up uses the internal wireless modems on each machine, we can be in our own rooms, or surfing on the patio, or all playing with our computers in the living room.....

Palm Springs Aerial Tram

We went up in the Palm Springs Aerial Tram yesterday. Being scared of heights, I went anyway - me mates in this voyage said I was a trooper for hanging in there. Uh, yeah. We went up about 6:30pm to take advantage of the light, with the idea to look at the night-time scene coming back down. It was magnificent and scary - this is the scene looking back down as we were going up:



The new round tramcars rotate on the inside so that passengers can stand in one place and be rotated 360degrees to see the entire view. The entire trip was about 10 minutes, and the tram rotated fully twice during the trip up. They said we were moving about 21mph.

We started from the bottom at about 2600 feet (where it was about 85degrees) and at ended up at the top at about 8500 feet (where it was about 55degrees). The view from the top, as the tram docked, was beautiful and even scarier:



We had dinner at the Elevations restaurant, where the food was excellent. Going up the stairs to the restaurant was a chore. Because the air was so thin, we got out of breath pretty quickly. On display in the restaurant was some of the mountain wildlife. They didn't move, so I guess they were stuffed:



It got even colder as the sun went down (into the 40s), and we caught the 9pm tram back down. The lights of the different cities was amazing.....

We Are In Bake Mode

The Palm Springs weatherman just said that the weather was so hot and dry here that we are in "bake mode." Never heard THAT on the East Coast!

Doesn't feel like 100degrees, but the humidity is only like 7%, so that's probably why.

Can't believe they're mowing the lawns outside of the condo in the middle of the day.....

We're HEEeeere!

The weather here is beautiful. The landing yesterday evening was pretty turbulent because the winds were moving about 40mph. There were sandstorms everywhere. Take a look at the palm trees blowing in the wind at the airport:



By the way, the first airport building was pretty much totally open when we came off the plane. The building was really just an outdoor area with a roof. Weird. As we walked through to the second building to get our luggage, here's the view of the mountains with the sun setting:


Here's the welcome sign in the second building (this one was enclosed):



By the way, subtract 3 hours from the posting times while we're here to get the local California time.

Off to Palm Springs!

We're on the way to Palm Springs, California! Turns out a neighbor, Vanessa, is from Palm Springs. She had lots of recommendations for things to do.

Pictures to follow!

USO Today

We did USO support again today. We were trying to finish up all the painting and stuff from the last time. Empire Carpet came in to give us an estimate to recarpet the entire house. Everything's shaping up nicely!

ASD's photographer of all our events took a group photo of us. Hopefully I can get a copy soon and post it here.

Quote - Conscience

There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience or none at all.

-Ogden Nash, author (1902-1971)

Potato Chip Bags

Ever wonder why there are so few potato chips in those huge bags? Turns out that there are two reasons: (1) the bags get a squirt of nitrogen before sealing to help protect flavor and inflate the bag, and (2) the inflated bag helps keep the chips from getting crunched when they're packed in their shipping boxes.

I never knew that!

(Seen on the Food Network)

Bumper Sticker

Where there's a will . . . put me in it!

Aloha, mon, friend of batty boy going to Hawaii

Interesting writeup about what the author calls Caribbean carnage. Seems these little hotbeds of intolerance are alive and kicking!

Teena Marie is 50 YEARS OLD??

Man, do I feel old now! I can't believe it, and she still looks stunning! Her new album is pretty good, and she still has great vocals.

Quote - Happy

We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same.

-Carlos Castenada

Got a GPS-Enabled Phone?

Starting in the Fall, you'll be able to use your phone as a navigation system by using Mapquest. I can't wait! It'll work in the car or even when walking around.

The Cameron Column: Yoga Puts Me in a Bad Position

SICK!! Do you hear me? This is too funny! Mr. Cameron is a great comedian. I always laugh at his antics, but this one made me pee a little.....

_____________________________________

Yoga Puts Me in a Bad Position

Copyright 2006 W. Bruce Cameron

Experts tell you that to stay in top physical condition, you should keep your strength and cardiovascular workouts in even proportion with your stretching exercises. For years I have done this, keeping all three at the same level, which is to say, zero. But when a newly opened yoga studio sent me a letter telling me I could come in for a free lesson, I was eager to go because it stated the program would be tailored very specifically for my personal needs, which I took to mean there would be a wine-and-cheese party afterward.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word for "smarter than the average bear." It is based on the belief that if you lie twisted up on the floor, one arm behind your neck and the other sticking out between your legs, ankles on opposing shoulders, your knees grinding into your backbone, you will find yourself in a state of mental and physical serenity that only a chiropractor can fix.

When I arrived at the yoga studio I was disappointed to see that I wouldn't be able to take a lesson after all, because a new Mexican cafe had opened up across the street and was giving out complimentary samples. One has to have priorities in life, and my priority is free food. While I was in the restaurant, however, I ran into two yoga students who enthusiastically sold me on the number-one benefit of yoga: Each lesson ends with a nap! It's called "kielbasa," I think they said--the instructor turns off the lights, gives everyone a blanket, and lets you lie there like a kindergartener at rest time.

I told the woman at the yoga center that I wanted the lesson that ended with the nap that sounded like sausage. Within a few minutes I was led into a large gym and guided to a flat mat on the floor.

The instructor was a painfully slender and fit woman whose arms and legs glowed with fake muscle tone. "Before we begin," she announced, "are there any special needs or requests?"

"I'm not sure if it is a need or a request, but I'd like a pillow," I told her.

She laughed--apparently this wouldn't be "full service" yoga kielbasa. "Let's begin," she said, and within minutes was talking us through a series of complex exercises like this: "Take the outer part of your inner right thigh and push it toward the center of your lower left knee, opening your hips" I fell to the floor as if I'd been tossed from a moving bus. "Now reach for the ceiling," she coaxed softly. "Try to feel your rib cage shatter, as your ligaments snap and your muscles shred. That's right. Feel your organs fail and your brain stem swell."

This might not be exactly what she said in her quiet, evil chant, but it is how I interpreted it. Then she had us bend at the waist, feet and hands flat on the floor, at which time it occurred to me that I'd eaten a bean burrito for lunch--and that I was just moments away from having it occur to other people as well.

The sensation was similar to what happens when you swallow an air hose and then become a professional contortionist. Nearly sobbing with effort, I concentrated on not becoming a human Hindenburg while the instructor continued her sadistic drills without any hint of the promised Polish sausage.

"Up down," she commanded. "Ache hurt. Pain die." (Again, this might not be exactly what she said.)

Finally she had us twist ourselves into a position for which the word "impossible" was invented, and I experienced what I suppose might be termed "explosive decompression." It sounded like a tuba player being sat on by an elephant. Everyone looked at me in alarm. "It's okay, I feel a lot better now," I assured them. The people closest to me were so relieved they had tears in their eyes.

By nap time nearly all the students had left, which I thought was rather odd. After all that work, why wouldn't they stick around for kielbasa? It was the best part!

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A FREE Internet Newsletter brought to you by W. Bruce Cameron every blue moon without fail unless he fails.

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Write to me at Bruce@wbrucecameron.com

Where do your gas dollars go?

Got this note, included in my Mobil credit card bill:

The biggest component of the price of gasoline - recently around 60% - is the cost of crude oil. Worldwide, crude prices have more than doubled in the past two years, causing gas prices to rise.

Refining, transportation, and marketing account for another 20% of the pump price. Then there are federal and state taxes: currently about 20%

Today, the U.S. has around 170,000 service stations. ExxonMobil owns - and sets pump prices - at less than 1,000 of them. The vast majority are independent businesses, whose gross profit per gallon is around 5% - that's less than 12 cents, based on the average price in January.

Of course, the prices you pay at the pump goes up and down. This is due to supply and demand: for crude oil globally, and for gasoline locally. But the way the money is split - between governments, suppliers, refiners and station owners - has hardly changed in 25 years.

During 2005, we invested an average of almost $50 million every single day to meet future oil and gas demand. Since 2001, we have invested $74 billion, on six continents, in projects designed to secure long-term energy supplies. In fact, over the last fifteen years, we have invested more than we have earned. Naturally, our earnings go up and down with the business cycle. But our commitment to plan and invest for the future does not.

Hmmmm.....

Portia de Rossi Gay!?

Never knew that, but I just read that she's hooked up with Ellen DeGeneres!

She was great on Ally McBeal!

Gene Robinson, Anglican Bishop, Speaks

"The notion that my love for my partner somehow undemines another person's marriage is just idiocy. Isn't it?"

By the way, he's gay.

(Source: Washington Post)

Computer Books Based on Pictures

Interesting concept. Several free books offered (like Microsoft Office, Linux, XP, and Open Office).

Oil Cartoons

(Source: Slate Magazine)

Democrats Introduce New Net Neutrality Bill

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday introduced a bill aimed at preventing broadband carriers from discriminating against competing Web content or services. Compare this to the Republican horror of last week.

Case for My New Phone

The standard case that came with my new phone is pretty basic. I've found that a great case for the XV6700 is the standard case that came with my Archos 4100 (which has been safely residing in its Executive case). Take a look at these pics:

It's perfect for me: compact, easy-to-carry, and its has a belt loop on the back of the case.

You can see that it holds my phone, plus my Plantronics headset is attached to the closing strap for easy portability.

My only issue is with the belt loop; because it's attached to the case on both sides, I can't easily remove it without taking off my belt. That's a minor issue, though, since I rarely attach stuff like this to my belt. On the other hand, the belt loop is stretchy (like the closing strap) so it's easy to slip onto two fingers for a better grip on the case.

My friends say that I'm obsessive about collecting bags and cases, but here's an example where holding onto one of these really paid off.....

The DaVinci Code

Finally getting around to reading this book. Pretty good so far. I'm trying to get through it with speedreading, but there's a lot of dense places where I have to slow way down. I've only gotten through about 160 pages in about an hour and a half. What's that, less than 2 pages per minute? That's pretty slow for me - guess I need more practice.....

Seen on a bumper sticker

Low IQ is not an excuse.

Amen to that!!

2006 Honolulu AIDS Marathon

Ha! Betcha thought I was gonna run in the marathon, eh? No chance! Over time, gravity will pull all my body parts Earthward - no need to help it along.....

However, James (a co-worker) is running in the marathon. Check out his link, and donate freely!

Linux v. Windows

Man I was frustrated last night. Tried to install a PDA app using ActiveSync. The app wouldn't load because the account I was using wasn't an administrator of the machine.

I had like 30 windows open in the middle of some research and wasn't about to log off, so I tried to find the runas command on the file. No go. Don't know why - just another stupid Windows "issue" I'm sure. Microsoft wants people to not use admin accounts for daily use, yet they put up roadblocks all over the place if the logged in account is a regular user.

I finally gave up and closed all the open windows, logged in as an admin, and provided admin rights to my normal login. AT THAT TIME I FOUND OUT that if I tried loading the app in Active Sync logged on as an admin, that just created a whole other set of issues because the PDA wasn't attached to that account, blah BLAH blah BLAH blah BLAH. Made me wanna have a STROKE!!

Oh well. I logged in as myself with my new admin privileges and installed the app. Fuck it - I'm gonna leave the admin privileges there.

I tell ya, when they have pen input for the tablets completed (which I read they're working on), Windows on my home computers will be so history.....

Caught up with a friend yesterday

I hadn't seen her for probably a couple of years, since she moved to New Mexico from the East Coast. It was nice; we stayed in an IM session pretty much all day, just casually chatting and randomly IMing. She's happy to be back in her homeplace, found a good job working with international clients, and has an office space overlooking the mountains. My view overlooks a bunch off office buildings. Nice, but not nearly as good as the mountains.....

Operation USO

So in addition to the Veteran's Home renovation this past weekend, we have the upcoming Operation USO: Care Package project. We'll be working as a group in a "stuffing party" to assemble care packages. No details yet, but it should be in May or June.

These, of course, are dedicated to my Military Buds, far-flung though they may be! (Hi, Maykel! Hi, Sandra! Hi, Dave! And everyone else, too!)

Napster is already paying for itself

I've listened to Bruce Springsteen's new album, The Seeger Sessions, today. Highly recommended! I downloaded it from Napster last night, along with a couple other albums. And some albums last week, and the week before. All for $15.00 - based on what I downloaded, I would've spent like $80 at iTunes or the other music stores.

I don't know how they do it, but I'm enjoying the freedom to pick and choose these as I wish. If they suck, I trash 'em without having to worry that I've wasted money.

I'm slowly getting over the I have to buy the music so that I own it on my hard drive and it's mine all mine issue. As long as I subscribe, the music IS mine, all mine.....

Bush Survived!

Says he at a Congressional Dinner last night: "Ladies and gentlemen, I feel chipper tonight. I survived the White House shakeup."

Says me: "How unfortunate."

Get Out and Vote 2006 and 2008