The Know-Nothing-Know-It-All

Four more years of war?

2005-02-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

So......Bush will give his State of the Union Address tomorrow, February, 2. This is also Groundhog Day here in the US where we entrust Spring's approaching timeline to the cuddly Groundhog and his oh-so-telling shadow. Here's to hoping that Bush doesn't see his shadow, and that we won't be subjected to 4 more years of war!! One can dream, right?

Eaglecam....

2005-01-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

I found a REALLY cool site today where you can watch footage of an eagle with a camera strapped to its back. Tilly is a golden eagle that has been trained to fly with a small, 1oz camera attached to her back, and has helped to capture some amazing footage. Check out the "dogfight" footage where she is approached by a buzzard in mid-air. Absolutely incredible, and amazing that the camera doesn't impede Tilly's ability to fly!!!

Beaver, party of 6.....

2005-01-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

Well, we added to our family portfolio this past weekend with a new puppy. We got a very cool 5 month old Lab-mix puppy that we are tenatively calling Mia. Her "foster parents" had named her Caroline, which is about the DUMBEST name for a dog you could ever come up with. This new addition brings the tally up to 2 dogs and 2 cats, plus the 2 humans for a total of 6. So far, so good. She seems to be very intelligent, and plays well with our 3 year old Lab-mix named Milo. Let the wee-hours-of-the-morning-let-the-dog-out games begin!!!

Currently listening to...

2005-01-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

The Roots - Tipping Point

So far, so good. Got this album from a buddy today, and so far I'm enjoying it!! One thing that is really attractive about The Roots is the fact that they actually play instruments. Imagine that, a musical group that actually plays instruments.....something that is typically overlooked in today's popular culture.

Currently listening to...

2005-01-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

Foo Fighters: There is Nothing Left to Lose

I ignored this band for the longest time, chalking them up to just another pop band that would disappear within 2-3 years. I finally gave them a chance about 2 years ago at the urging of one of my friends, and I'm glad that I did. Dave Grohl is simply a musical giant, and his production skills are incredible. This album gets heavy rotation in my CD player, and makes a perfect addition to the soundtrack of my workday. Highly recommended if you don't already own it!!

Planes, Trains, and Plantains

2005-01-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this Link to an alleged essay submitted by a university student. It's an essay on The Story of Oedipus, but it reminds me a bit of the latest version of Romeo and Juliet, because I had NO CLUE that current pop-culture had such an impact on this old, old story. Check it out, and dig the rhyme on page 5.

Whatchu got on my 40, Craig?

2005-01-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a GREAT site for all the info you could ever need on 40oz malt liquor. Thanks to my buddy Ajit for passing this along......he's always got my best interests, AND my liver, at the top of his list of concerns. Maybe I'll buy a couple 40's this evening and pour a bit on the curb out of respect for all the dead links on the web.

Currently listening to...

2005-01-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

I'm far from being gangsta (BWARK!!!!!!!!!), but I still loves me some Outkast. I'm currently listening to Outkast: Aquemini. This album is INCREDIBLY awesome, and by far, IMHO, their best work ever. Very few hip-hop albums catch my attention, but I've recently begun to give that genre a bit more play. Outkast makes the cut with their meaningful lyrics and good beats, and it's a perfect soundtrack to afternoon java development. Check it out sometime if you've never heard it.

The only winning move is not to play

2005-01-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Can't quite wrap my mind around this: Voluntary Human Extinction Movement

iPod Shuffle.....ALMOST what I'm looking for

2005-01-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting a portable MP3 player for a couple of years now, mostly to have with me on bike rides and for yardwork. iPod has been the brand I've found most attractive (even despite the big stink about the non-replaceable battery), but I've held off mostly due to the price constraints I have placed upon myself for such a device.

The new iPod Shuffle comes close to what I'm looking for in terms of price, size, and capacity (I don't need a whole lot of disk space, just enough for a couple hours worth of music), but there's one kicker to the unit that's a showstopper for me: the only playback method is random. I've got tons of albums that are best when listened to from beginning to end, and this is also true for the hours upon hours of live concert recordings that I have. Sure, there's lots of music out there that is GREAT to throw into a CD changer and hit the random button, but I just don't think I'd be truly content with my purchase if it had this inherent limitation. Maybe Apple will get enough complaints or feedback about this limitation and will make some changes in the coming months/years, but I doubt it. I'm sure that to add a tiny LCD display to the unit would drive the cost up at least 50 bucks, and then the price loses its luster..

One thing I've learned about myself is that I'm entirely too picky.

Flixville!! Never lose another movie.

2005-01-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

My buddy Mark pinged me today with gripes of no new blog content, so that gave me an idea for a post: his website Flixville, a really sweet site that allows you to keep track of your DVD/VHS collection, as well as find other people near you so you can start trading movies...........LEGALLY!!
I assisted Mark with the initial development of this site (as well as an overhaul to the framework), but he's quickly gotten very good at Java and Web development, so much so that I need to start learning some new tricks just so he continues to look up to me. Right, Mark? :)
One of the many cool things that Flixville provides is the ability to post all or some of your video collection on any other site on the web. This provides a convenient, centralized, linkable online video collection so you can show off your collection anywhere on the internet. Here's my entire video collection, courtesy of Flixville.com:

Check it out, and start your online collection today....registration is FREE!!

Greetings!!!

2005-01-10T16:47:00.000-05:00

Hiya! I decided it was finally time to start blogging, as opposed to just consuming the blabberings and ramblings of others. Hope you find something here that grabs your attention, and please let me know of any comments/corrections/insults that you'd like to throw my way.

Enjoy!

Rum induced rants...

2005-01-10T16:18:00.000-05:00

I bring you a post that I received in email format from my wife's cousin's husband (who saw Ferris pass out at 31 flavors last night...I think it's pretty serious). Zach is a very bright person (who I am trying to convince to start blogging....URL to come) who has lots of ideas that just make sense. He's particularly on-point when drinking, and that is the very setting which led to the following email:

Yesterday, a person said to me, "Your ideas sound good, but so does
communism." The implication, of course, was that old fallacy that "communism
sounds good--on paper." Let me offer a few words on this. First of all, yes,
my ideas sound good. Freedom is good. Men have rights, and those rights
ought never to be violated, not even by a government (even a democratic
government). A free-market (laissez-faire) is good. Some fail, but more
succeed. Those who fail deserve to fail, and those who succeed deserve to
succeed. Whoever best caters to the wants and needs of consumers profits,
which is as it should be. Furthermore, a free-market knows best how to
utilize the talent of individuals for the benefit of all. Also, all
governments, even democratic ones, are an abomination, designed by ambitious
and proud men who wish to exalt and enrich themselves at the expense of
others. John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you,"
but he followed with the incorrect clause. Instead of "Ask what you can do
for your country," he should have said, "because your country cannot do
anything for you."

Yes, I understand that I'm ranting, but it just irks me that people argue
that the others cannot be left to take care of themselves. Think about how
arrogant that statement is. What does it really mean? It means that someone
should lord over everyone else. It means that the typical person is too
misguided to take care of himself. What then, should we reinstate the
monarchy? Bring in the kaisers or the tsars? Get a clue. There are no
batuishkas. There are no benevolent philosopher kings, and something is
inherintly despicable about the man who wishes to rule over his fellow
countrymen. Let's not forget what God told the Jews when they asked for a
king. No person should have control over another. Since government is made
up of people who have control of others, government is an abomination.

Many retort to my arguments with, "So, if you don't like things here so much
than why don't you move to Russia?" Well, for one thing, my rights won't be
respected there either. For another thing, I shouldn't have to move
elsewhere in order to enjoy the unalienable rights with which I was born.
Secondly, who's the better patriot, the guy who waves a flag and cries, "My
country, right or wrong," or the man who wishes for his country to be just?
If you ask me to stop pissing and moaning, then you'd better think that
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, et al.
were a bunch of cry babies.

As to the comment that communism looks good on paper, let me turn for a
moment and cough. Communism means theft. It means the destruction of
individual rights. It is a recipe for widespread slaughter (see any general
history book for evidence), and it completely misinterprets human nature.
The only person who says that communism looks good on paper is someone who
has never looked at communism on paper. It's not good. It's evil.

Well, I'm done ranting. Thanks for bearing with me. If you at all wonder
what possessed me to whip this e-mail out, I have one word for you: rum.

Here's to Zach, his ideas, and most importantly rum!!

Currently listening to...

2005-01-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

My friend Brian has inspired me to try and keep you posted on my music listening habits and patterns via "Currently listening to..." posts.

In terms of listening habits and patterns, there has been strange lack of Phish in the rotation lately......mainly because I'm still pissed at their performance in Coventry, but also because I feel that I missed out on a lot of good music over the past 15 years while being totally immersed in the world of jambands. With that being said, I'm currently listening to "Joe's Garage" by Frank Zappa: an ecclectic, genre-spanning album that tells the story of a nation in which music has been made illegal. Highly recommended album for any lover of music.