WYSIWYG Blogin on Jindog.com

Cloaking devices possible?

2006-05-27T14:28:00.000-05:00

A cloak made of those materials, with a structure designed down to the submicroscopic scale, would neither reflect light nor cast a shadow.

Instead, like a river streaming around a smooth boulder, light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it, continuing on as if it never bumped up against an obstacle. That would give an onlooker the apparent ability to peer right through the cloak, with everything tucked inside concealed from view. Source: USA Today

Now all they need to do is make it!

LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-05-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts... Life has been all that I handle the last month or so.

Oh and before anyone asks this is NOT a picture of me back at retard school... I'm not saying it wasn't a class mate however...

Flashbag USB Drive - Grows with Data

2006-04-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

This thing is cooler then sliced toast! It's a USB thumb drive that plumps up when you put data on it! While being a completely useless feature it's got a huge novelty factor!

Needless to say... I want one. :)

LINK

UPDATE: BLINGO! I won again!

2006-04-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

UPDATE:

I just thought some of you might like to see that it is real! My friend who I signed up under got a ticket in the mail a couple days ago as well.

Pics on the left are of the letter I got.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I won again on Blingo today! Free Movie Ticket for using GOOGLE!
Plus I won a friend of mine a Free Movie Ticket as well!

Sorry that's just too cool.

Please sign up under me. If you win we will both get the same prize.

For those of you who don't know this is completely free, completely spyware free, and very, very real. You use Blingo to search Google instead of Google’s main home page and if you click "search" at the randomly set times throughout the day then you win!

LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-04-13T01:08:00.000-05:00

The Blind Can See

2006-04-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

This is 16'th blind person to have a pinhole camera "jacked" in directly into her brain allowing her to see again. Not breaking news but it doesn't get much cooler.

LINK

The Saga that is "JACK"

2006-04-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

So our new dog Jack is great.... But he's taking a LOT more training and time to get the whole "DON'T CHEW UP STUFF" thing then Luna did.

House breaking is going extremely well however! So well that when he craps at the front door he gets some Toilet Paper like a good dog should!

o.O

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-04-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

New pics on Flickr

2006-04-02T17:04:00.000-05:00

I put some new pics up on my Flickr Account.

LINK

I never could figure these things out...

2006-04-01T11:47:00.000-06:00

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!

New Wireless "N" Standard might kill B/G networks

2006-03-31T12:53:00.000-06:00

The next phase of passing the 802.11N Wireless standard is going into effect shortly. This is good news for use all as it will allow us to have wireless access points that are about 8 times wider ranged then the current G standards. Plus they are much MUCH faster.

But according to the latest drafted design a 802.11N router will all but kill any 802.11 b/g networks within close range of it. That means that 5 of my neighbors would have problems accessing their own wireless networks if I put one in the house. I'm in a single family home, just think about what happens in apartments!

LINK

Ashes and Snow

2006-03-19T23:49:00.000-06:00

Check out Steph's Blog for more details... I was floored when I saw this guys stuff.

LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-03-15T20:12:00.000-06:00

Our puppy "Jack" ate Stephs sandal straps and part of Justin's leather coat in the last 3 days. Today it all come back up. (Click the image to Enlarge ;-)

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-03-01T00:10:00.000-06:00

My next car will get 157MPG

2006-02-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

So this car gets 157MPG...

Sure it's not super fast but I'm not 18 anymore and speed isn't as important as it once was. My current car doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles and I'm fine with this lacking a bit.

The thing is I since moving into the north-end I put 4500 miles on my car last year. If I had this car I'd need to fill up 3 times a year... That's about $90 bucks a year for gas. Or I could drive to Cali for about $35 bucks or Florida and back on 3/4 of a tank or so.

With all these new cars with super high gas efficiently you kind have to wonder what the @@!# the car companies have been doing the last 30 years besides getting there pockets lined by the Oil Companies because the turbo diesel engine has been around for a very long while....

Oh did I mention they only cost about $13,000 US?

LINK

Cheers for Stacy!!

2006-02-26T13:03:00.000-06:00

I'd just like to say WOOHOO(!) to my longtime friend Stacy for making an awesome choice on one of the only Gadgets I've ever seen her purchase in the last 8 (or is it 9?) years of knowing her! You did good buddy! ;-)

UPDATED I'm running Windows Vista

2006-02-21T20:12:00.000-06:00

So I finally got around to installing the Windows Vista Beta... Actually I read some reviews that it was stable to the point that you could use it without to many problems so I figured it was time to jump in!

I'll keep my thoughts brief as I've got too many too tell on the subject. But I will try and kill a few impressions and concerns that I had when reading about the OS over the last year or so.

First off Windows Vista is a more then a simple graphic upgrade to XP. It's not whole lot more but there is more to it then that.

Microsoft is laying the ground work for an entirely different way to think about the files on your computer and more importantly they are going to change the way you use your computer...

They're moving away from the "tree" based file system (c:\ being the root and all the folders and files below being the rest of the tree) to an SQL based file system that will not care where the software is installed or where your My Document folder actually is, just that's it there. This allows you to access your data in a lot of different ways that were slow and inefficient with a tree based file system. It will also add a lot of flexibility in the corporate and security world. Word on the street is the SQL file system will not be part of Vista but it's smart to get us used to using our systems in a way that seems like we are using the new file system... Yeah..

A couple other things that the press has been harping on is that we'll all need these beastly computers to run Vista due to the 3D interface... Fact is the Beta which is always slower then the final product is as fast and in a lot of ways faster then XP. It will require more ram then normal but honestly everyone should be considering 1 gig as a standard now days. It also handles ram much more efficiently than in XP so while it says you're using more ram then normal but that's because it's actually speeding up your system.

Next thing is this "3D" interface that they keep pushing.. The picture about is the only thing "3D" about the interface in the way you think of 3D. The tilted look above is just a way to select a window that's open. You can't tilt windows on the fly or anything. What is 3D about the interface is the window borders, menus, and a lot of other things have this awesome frosted glass look to them. You can even see through them. It's really nice looking. There are some really cool animations that make switching between windows a lot smoother. Over the graphic changes are really great.

My biggest issue with the OS so far is the new "security" features they have built into it. They are completely over the top. On a default install every time (and I mean every time) you click on ANYTHING that launches a program you get a pop up window that asks if you want to permit the action... I want to use my damn computer and don't have time to click "permit" every time I click on something! If I didn't want to launch it I wouldn't have clicked on it! This is still in beta so hopefully they will listen to the cries of the testers and change this before the final release.

Anyway, there are some other things that are good and bad but overall once the new interface started to click and I started to think differently about how I access my data I find my self really liking it. I think it's going to be extremely difficult for the average user to get used to but honestly.... What isn't?

Sorry. I'm an IT guy what do you expect? ;-)

*Update*

So the latest version of the Vista beta was released yesterday. This the first one with all the features that Vista will have built in. And more importantly the user interface has had a huge update done to it and is much easier for the average user to get around in.

Things feel a little more like the XP interface only much nicer looking, the access to data as changed back to a better mix of old and new allowing for the everyday user to adapt much easier to the new system.

Windows Explorer still does some odd things like once you go a few folders deep the quick access links on the left side go away and it becomes a single view of the folder you're in.. That's fine and all but it doesn't allow for easy copy and paste from one folder 3 levels deep to another folder a few levels deep. And what if I want to copy a few files from a folder into a number of other folders? I'd have to open another window or navigate all the way to folder and then back just to copy the one file. The left panel shouldn't go away just because I went a couple folders deep.

The 3D effects are fully working now and IMO it looks really good. I'm sure they will only get better... It seems the effect that you see in the first screen shot that tilts all the windows has been removed or at least haven't found it yet. It was in the quick launch bar in the last build. I can't say this is a bad thing, while it's cool looking it honestly had little use. At least for me.

The same windows security features are still on by default which is a MAJOR mistake on Microsoft’s part and it's difficult to disable as it has to be done via group policy. The OS should not ask you to permit the action every time I double click on ANYTHING. That's just crazy and I really have no clue how someone can use it for more then ten minutes and think it's a good idea.

Oh one other thing is all of my laptop's drivers are support on the default install expect for my sound card and oddly my modem! This is HUGE to us who reformat hundreds of machines a year and have to go dig up drivers for everything.

Once again I'm much more impressed then I expected to be with the OS. See the screen shot above for a little better view of the new Aero Glass 3D desktop.

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-02-21T20:02:00.000-06:00

Top Twenty Myths

2006-02-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

Myth: A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's

Despite a habit of licking things no human would dare, Fido's mouth is often touted as scientifically more sterile. Truth is, oral bacteria are so species-specific that one can't be considered cleaner than the other, just different.

See! Sharing a beer with Luna isn't as gross as you all make it out to be! Sure she licks the bottle more then me but come on she's a dog! :)

See the rest of the myths here: LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-02-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

Video Games make your Brain better.

2006-02-12T14:59:00.000-06:00

I've personally felt that video games are good for you for a long time now... If you've followed my blog over the last year or so you'll have seen a number of posts supporting this idea. Below is more of the same, however I've noticed that over the year the studies are more detailed and have stronger possitive results in favor of video games. So once again if you don't play, you should, Plain and simple. Video games have long since left the "Kids toys" arena, Hell they haven't been for only for kids since I stopped being a kid. (Techincally that is. :)

I'd just like to say "I grew up in the heart of the Video Game era and I'm better off for it."

Better living through video games?

CAROLYN ABRAHAM

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

When he snags downtime from his schoolwork, Ryerson University student Brad Evans gabs with friends, grooves to Kanye West on his MP3 player and races virtual hotrods on his Sony PlayStation. All at the same time.

Before you assume gadgets and video games fry the minds of the future, consider this: Canadian researchers are finding evidence that the high-speed, multitasking of the young and wireless can help protect their brains from aging.

A body of research suggests that playing video games provides benefits similar to bilingualism in exercising the mind. Just as people fluent in two languages learn to suppress one language while speaking the other, so too are gamers adept at shutting out distractions to swiftly switch attention between different tasks.

A new study of 100 university undergraduates in Toronto has found that video gamers consistently outperform their non-playing peers in a series of tricky mental tests. If they also happened to be bilingual, they were unbeatable.

"The people who were video game players were better and faster performers," said psychologist Ellen Bialystok, a research professor at York University. "Those who were bilingual and video game addicts scored best -- particularly at the most difficult tasks."

The York study, which tested subjects' responses to various misleading visual cues, is to be published next month in the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. Three other studies published in the past two years have also concluded that action video games can lead to mental gains involving visual skills and short-term memory.

No one is certain how this translates to general learning or everyday life. But Mr. Evans, 21, an aerospace engineering student, said years of gaming have added valuable dimensions to his thinking.

"I grew up with video games, starting with Nintendo and SuperMario . . . from the age of 8 or 9," he said. "I know it helps with my dexterity; it's good for co-ordination and faster reflexes."

Prof. Bialystok suspects video gamers, like bilinguals, have a practised ability to block out information that is irrelevant to the task at hand.

"It's like going to the gym," she said. "You build up the ability to control impulses with practice."

Brain-imaging research released this week shows that the physical inability to silence mental noise is key in making the elderly prone to distraction and poor multitaskers.

That study, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, shows the elderly lose the ability to power up brain regions, such as the frontal lobe, needed to focus on a task, and to turn down activity in inner brain regions that are most active when a person is in idle or default mode.

"You can't turn off the extraneous things . . . the areas involved in thinking of the self -- 'What do I have to do? . . . Gee, I have a really bad headache," said study leader Cheryl Grady, senior scientist and associate director at Toronto's Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest.

In contrast, the brain images of people between ages 20 and 30 displayed a far more dramatic see-saw effect activating and de-activating regions as they shifted out of idle to task. The study found this pattern begins to dull in middle age and actually results in cognitive deficits beyond age 60.

Dr. Grady said the results suggest that the brains of today's youth might grow up differently.

"Young people using all of these gadgets all of the time, at the same time, it may actually make a difference when they're old, like bilingualism does," she said. "We know that practice changes the brain, as with playing an instrument, a motor task -- it makes physical changes in the brain. Maybe those kids who play video games and who are also bilingual will be the best of older adults at filtering out distractions."

Neuroscientist Shitij Kapur, chief of research at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said "it would be quite reasonable to expect that these teens are good at multitasking, because they grow up in a world that demands it."

But, he noted: "Today's teens may be better than their grandparents, but when they are in their 70s, their grandchildren will say, 'Hey, he can only play three games at the same time and I play seven.' It's relative impairment. Their grandchildren will not think any higher of them."

Prof. Bialystok first noticed bilingual children were proficient in blocking out irrelevant information about 20 years ago. When asked to identify a grammatically correct sentence, for example, both bilinguals and monolinguals are, by age 5, able to choose, "Apples grow on trees," over "Apple trees on grow" as the correct one.

But when it came to asking "Apples grow on noses" versus "Apples nose on grow," only the bilingual children were able to choose the right answer. Although the first sentence is grammatically correct, monolingual children could not get over its silliness. "That's crazy," they'd shout, "You can't say that!"

"We have been able to show on a huge range of cognitive tests that bilinguals are always better at problems with tricky, misleading information," Prof. Bialystok said.

On average, she said, monolingual children take a year longer to learn to block out irrelevant information and focus on a specific task.

Skeptics have argued that this matters little since monolingual children eventually catch up to bilingual ones. As well, children fluent in two languages can take slightly longer in tests identifying objects and also go through a period when they might have smaller vocabularies than those fluent in just one language.

But for anyone of two minds about learning a second language, researchers are finding that bilingualism -- be it in French, Greek, Portuguese or Hindi -- has lifelong benefits.

"Does bilingualism protect you from cognitive decline? Every study we've done suggests that it does," Prof. Bialystok said.

The York team recently compared 94 bilinguals and monolinguals between the ages of 30 and 80. It found that while both groups started showing cognitive decline by age 60, the rate of slowing for bilinguals was much slower.

Now young people who play video games are showing this similar pattern of high performance in resisting irrelevant impulses. The current report compared 50 avid players against 50 non-players and then subdivided each group between bilinguals and monolinguals.

When asked to describe the colour of the word "blue," for example, when it is written in green ink, non-players were far more likely to choose the dominant impulse and say "blue," though the colour is green. "The [video game players] are much harder to mislead, to trick," Prof. Bialystok said.

Although Prof. Bialystok is a strong proponent of bilingual education, she is less enthusiastic about video games. Recent studies have found overexposure to violent video games may desensitize children to violence and that gaming can become addictive enough to distract from other activities.

"I'd still be plenty concerned if my child played them all the time," Prof. Bialystok said. "Sure, they're getting better at rapid search and response problems, but I really would prefer my child read a book."

Scource LINK

Verizon charging $417,949.73 for 3 way Calling!

2006-02-12T14:26:00.000-06:00

"Holy Drunk'in Coder Debug-Man!"

You read the title correctly. Verizon charged a large number of people $417,949.73 (carry the 1) for 3 Way Calling!! The Picture above is a real shot of the bill. You just have to wonder when things like this happen. If the smarter ones are adding 10 cents to every customers bill a month who would know it? Who would care? They would make a TON. We're very trusting of our computers and automatic billing systems.

That's one of the reasons I haven't switched over to automatic debit for my bills. Once it's gone then you have to ASK for it back. You have no leverage if they screw you, mistake or not!

Check out this LINK for a little more info.

Yeah.. Bored.

2006-02-11T18:53:00.000-06:00

Microsoft is Milking it again

2006-02-11T16:37:00.000-06:00

It seems Microsoft is milking the Halo franschise for everything thing it's worth. First 'Gates says they will release Halo 3 on the same day as Playstation 3 to stab a final blow to Sony. Now this! It's shamless guys.

Halo 2 Coming to Windows Vista, not XP

>> From bbc.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Halo fans will have to upgrade their computer if they want to follow Master Chief's adventures on the PC.

Microsoft has announced that the PC version of Halo 2 will only work on the new version of Windows called Vista.
The decision could make it expensive for many to play the game if they have to buy the new version of Windows and extra hardware for their PC.
Microsoft has given no definite release date for Vista but it is expected to be available by the end of 2006.
[/QUOTE]

Read More: bbc.co.uk, bungie.net and the official pressrelease.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com

(Thursday 09 February 2006 16:33 EST) - (direct link to article)
XanTium)

Self Portrait

2006-02-11T15:41:00.000-06:00

So I've been sick for a week. Haven't left the couch for a week! Getting BORED. So I'm playing with my new camera again.. This time shots of my self. I've been sick so I look a little ruff. But hey. :)

The red shot is basically my blood lighting my face. I put my finger over the flash. :)

Top Ten ADD Advantages in a Hi Tech Career

2006-02-10T18:58:00.000-06:00

1. The Ability to Hyperfocus.

Hours of full engagement and concentration in a task, IF you find it interesting. You can get into the zone and be totally immersed in what youÂre doing while the outside world disappears. When I went on the net for the first time in 1993 at an Internet cafe I got on the machine at 8 pm and around 4 am decided it was time to go home.

2. Rapid Fire Mind.

Your brain processes information at hyperspeed. You can do things in 30 minutes on a computer that might take other people hours. Downside if youÂre stuck with an old machine and not enough RAM youÂll be frustrated cause it canÂt keep up with the speed of your brain.

3. Multitasking at Will.

Able to run 14 apps at a time and effortlessly switch between each without breaking a sweat. Able to do several projects at a time with ease.

4. High Energy Level.

YouÂre able to keep going on a project (if itÂs interesting, ADDers are more into creative and entrepreneurial activities than clerical and repetitive ones). 14-hour days? No problem. Adrenaline is my fuel source:)

5. Highly Creative.

Able to think beyond the idea of a box. This comes naturally for ADDers, while others pay thousands of dollars to try and learn this. Since you take in more information than the average person, and youÂre easily distractible, youÂre more likely to view a problem from many different angles than vanilla people (non ADDers), and therefore come up with more possible solutions to a problem. Need an idea generator? Find an ADDer.

6. Quick Learner.

IF itÂs something youÂre interested in. ADD is mainly a condition of boredom; you have no trouble paying attention to something if itÂs interesting. Most people find it difficult to do boring or repetitive things but these can often totally shut an ADDer down. Your rapid fire brain + highly creative mind + the ability to hyperfocus equals fast absorption of new information quickly. Dr Ed Hallowell, who has ADD and has written several Delivered from Distraction : Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder, said he stopped teaching Psychiatry at Harvard University because the non-ADDers brains were just to slow and they took so long to get it. He got tired of being continually frustrated waiting for them to catch up to the ADD students.

7. Stimulus Seeking Brain.

A perfect match for the wired world, an under stimulated brain and an over stimulated virtual environment. Being an info junkie can be a good thing. Well, not always:)

8. Constantly Scanning your Environment.

Allows you to notice more and find information and resource that others miss. Also allows you to see possible problems before they arise, and opportunities that others may not see because they have tunnel vision vs. multiplex vision. An ADDer invented the electronic ticket.

9. Great in a Crisis.

High energy intense situation? Lots of chaos and change? Sign me up; I thrive on stimulation, change and chaos. We can create order from chaos effortlessly. We can also create such an environment as well if needed.

10. Risk Taker.

Impulsivity means youÂre more willing to take risks and have a bias for action, act now while the opportunity is hot instead of getting into analysis paralysis. Many entrepreneurs have ADD i.e. Paul Orfalea who founded KinkoÂs, JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman who attributes his creativity to ADD. Both are Billionaires. Imagine how successful a high tech CEO would be if they didnÂt take many risks.

These are just a start of the advantages of ADD, for more go to the list of 151 positive characteristics of people with ADD at my ADD Resource website.

This is not to say there are no disadvantages or real problems associated with ADDers in a high tech career, there most certainly are, and if you donÂt learn to manage them, they can a great deal of trouble and grief to your life (and those around you), but thatÂs another article.

Source link

Check out this guys page if you have any interest in ADD. It's a good resource.

Fun stuff with a new camera

2006-02-09T20:48:00.000-06:00

Normal Shot

Color swapped Red for Green

The Camera lets you pick a color and then a second color to "Swap" with the first one. So I selected the red blanket and the green on a Gatorade Bottle. Turned out pretty good! Fun stuff. Don't know how useful it is for everyday shots but you can make things almost invisible.. See below. :)

So I color swapped Luna with the Blanket... Looks like she's part of the blanket.

You can also select a color and make everything but the color Black and White. I'm sure it works better with some define colors but I'm just playing around and I've been sick for a week so the house is all I've been taking pictures of lately. :)

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2006-02-08T15:06:00.000-06:00

Honda is making a fuel cell car!

2006-02-07T22:41:00.000-06:00

It's about time! Everyone now "NO MORE GAS! NO MORE GAS!"

Link

So I got a new Camera

2006-02-07T20:56:00.000-06:00

I finally got a new Camera it's been 6 years since my last one and that's like time going back to a time before the light bulb in the Digital Camera world!

I read a LOT of reviews and actually thought about how I would use the camera and didn't just look at the best specs I could afford. I did that last time and hated the camera from the day I bought it and I paid $1000 bucks for it as well...

Dell had a damn good deal on a Canon A620 ($288 after shipping and tax) which fit the high mega pixel, small compact size, and most of all a good set of features but without all the advanced ones that the pro-versions have. I'll honestly never use most of the advanced features and if I need them I'll buy a Digital SLR. I also feel that I'll never carry a full size SLR around with me, the A620 is a little bigger then than a true pocket camera but the added optical zoom, higher quality lens, plus higher over all image quality make up for it slightly bigger size. It's by no means large regardless, fits in one hand just fine.

I've taken a few shots just messing around. Still haven't gotten all the controls down, while it has less advanced features that doesn't mean it doesn't have more than I can keep track of. :)

Mmm... Buttons...

I65 While Steph is Driving #2

Shot of Downtown from while driving #1

Shot of Downtown from while driving #2

My Keyboard

Stuart & Jack

Model Jet 280 MPH!!

2006-02-05T21:48:00.000-06:00

Aaawwww Top Gun... Such a BAD movie with such good memorys....

LINK HERE

Just shoot me now

2006-02-05T21:27:00.000-06:00

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2626

When will our government wake up and smell the technology? My laptop is more powerful then the computers the IRS uses to compute our tax returns.... And you wonder why you have to wait so long for that refund...

Why do I live in this country again? I think it's just about time to leave again....

Luna has a Brother

2006-02-05T13:28:00.000-06:00

Everyone, meet Jack! He's Luna's new baby brother!

Xbox 360 - Hard to hack

2005-11-28T12:48:00.000-06:00

Check out the link but here's the tech bits on some of what has to happen to crack the Xbox 360.

The flash is encrypted with a per-box key
The key is stored inside the CPU
The boot ROM is stored inside the CPU
Also inside the CPU is a hypervisor that verifies the running state of the kernel, making sure there is no modification (RAM checksums), else the Xbox 360 panics and blows up!
The CPU contains RAM inside of it to store the checksums
All interrupt/exception handling is done by the hypervisor
All code runs in kernel mode
The emulator for first generation games can be updated via an official Microsoft download burned to CD by the user, though the CDs’ content will be encrypted and signed with public key cryptography. The boot ROM is stored inside the CPU.

LINK

Poopsadaisy - "You Dump it, you haul it"

2005-11-28T12:20:00.001-06:00

Aahh yes.. Can you smell it?! That's the large "load" that your dog dropped off 2 blocks back... Why you ask can you still smell it?! Well, that's all thanks to the wounderful new device called the "Poopsadaisy"!

I think the picture says it all....

WYSIWYG Blogin - Ver. 2.0

2005-11-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

So my blog has been dead for a month or two. I've been hermit and my blog has suffered.

- Sorry Bloggy, I'll try and do better.

I'm still a hermit but my blog has gotten a face lift!

Gone are the adds who won me a whole $3.50 that I'll never see.
Gone is the old heavily modded template!

I've started to mod this template to my liking... The whole relearning HTML again, again, again, again is taking some time but you should notice some small and maybe large changes over the next few days.

Anyway, let me know what you think of her and I'll get some new content up soon.

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-10-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-10-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

Submitted by: Stephanie (My sexy wife who spends way too much time on google! ;-)

Say Cheese!

2005-10-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Cannon is designing new technologies for there digital cameras that will automatically take a picture when the subject is smiling.

This just seems like something that will produce some odd pictures… If someone doesn't want to smile you'll just force them into really sarcastic looking half smile with plenty of malice behind it instead of actually getting them to produce a real smile. Of course there are times when this could be rather funny… LINK

Japan celebrates “Robot Dog Dress-Up Day”

2005-10-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

HEY!! Don't shoot the messenger!

LINK

High Dynamic Range... It's just stunning.

2005-10-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

The guy on the bed is a 3D image from the video game Half-Life 2... The Scene he's in is real... The Technology that makes him look like he's actually sitting in the room is called HDR.

It's not only a new way to digitally process light but also a new way to display it. A HDR LCD TV or monitor produces an image like nothing we've seen before. This is light years beyond HDTV and it's here now. The cost (as with all new technology) is high but there is no reason why we will not see this become a standard over the next 10 years or so.

After you get done trying to figure out if I'm lying or not. Check out the following links for more info and more pictures. :)

Good starting point Info LINK
Info on HDR LCD Monitors LINK
Still shots LINK

1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio

2005-10-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

OMG, Just read this!
LINK

I'll be moving to South Korea in 2014

2005-10-05T22:44:00.000-05:00

This is a technology research *CITY* that is being built in South Korea right now. Needless to say it just become very high on my "I must go there before I die" list. Check out the link for more details. LINK

Xbox 360 support USB Storage!

2005-10-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

Microsoft... The Modders thank you! Apparently the Xbox 360 will be able to access any mass storage device via the USB ports. This means you just have to plug in your USB hard drive to store your games instead of having to fool with installing a whole new hard drive! This is great news, can't wait for the modchips to start rolling! LINK

Buying a hybrid will not save you money... (Sorry Justin!)

2005-10-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

Everyone is looking to these to be our saving grace from the Gas prices these days. The reality is a good train, bus, sidewalk, and some European city planners would be a much better investment... But that's a totally different rant all together.

This one is for the hybrid which iMO doesn't live up to what it should with all the money that has been put into researching these things. Honestly 35-38mpg sucks. My Mom's 5 year old Diesel VW gets 50mpg and it’s larger, faster, and more comfortable. Now with this latest bit of common sense applied we see that you don't save money until somewhere around the 16th year of owning the vehicle. So like I've said for years just go buy a Honda Civic!

Slashpad is as pointless as the rest!

2005-10-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

Looks great right? Put all your devices on this thing and poof it's charging no more stupid connectors that for some unknown reason are all a different design... Well, come to find out that the stupid thing causes more of the same problem that it's trying to fix! It's not universal! The companies that make the devices that need charging have to make them compatible with this thing. So basically it's just another charger to keep track of only this one 40 times as large and not travel friendly... See more info here. LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-09-25T19:05:00.000-05:00

Open Source Beer. Let me repeat that "OPEN SOURCE BEER"

2005-09-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

Read the title, read the link and know that God is good. We should all stop and give these people a monument of silence to show them honor and respect.

To anyone who knows me, I'll be brewing some of this soon and you're all welcome to have some in a couple months once it's ready. (Let's just hope I work out the over hopping problems I've had in my last couple brews)

LINK

LINK2

R.I.P. Nintendo

2005-09-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

Well… It was nice knowing you Nintendo, sorry to see you go…

LINK

LINK2 (Pictures)

Update: (See comments)

Well, picture it. 4 guys sitting around ready to kick each others virtual asses and they pull out a red, yellow, blue, or white remote control! Then they all start waving them all around pointing them at the TV and smashing buttons all the while talking shit to each other… Honestly, who’s going to take this seriously, it’s just stupid.

Nintendo’s last attempt at making a controller might as well had been designed by Fisher Price and sold in the toddler section of Toy’s “R” Us. I really don't see how Nintendo has any kind of a chance with the neXtgens that are about come out.

New blog worth checking out!

2005-09-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

Our friend Mary has just started a blog! Have a look here and follow up in my links section later! LINK

This just in!!

2005-09-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

In a press release by its Supreme Deity and Governor “Moo_Cow” earlier today Jindog.com has officially been declared “The State of Jindog.com”. Moo_Cow was quoted has saying “Things will more or less remain the same… Unless of course I see it fit to change them…”

That’s all for now, but the Mostly-Free MooTimes will be sure to keep you uptodate as the story progresses.

Windows Vista to have SEVEN Versions! Shoot me now!

2005-09-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

You read that title correctly Microsoft’s new OS is slated to have seven different versions. This does nothing but confuse the customers and make them pay that much more when we have to tell them they got the wrong version and will have to spend another $100 bucks + our install time to be able to use there computers.

You have no clue how many business owners we deal with that bought XP Home for $90 bucks and then had to turn right around and upgrade to XP Pro for $175 because XP Home will not join a Windows Domain. Mind you if they would have purchased XP Pro when they bought the machine it would have only cost them $125, now they are stuck paying about $550 for the OS and our time to install it. That’s half the cost of a new computer!!

Check out the details of each of the new OS's here. LINK

Put Windows on a 256MB Flash Drive!!

2005-09-10T18:11:00.000-05:00

Man you have no idea how many hours I've spent trying to do this and never got it to work right!! Well, here it is! LINK

UPDATE: It works! I've got to install my laptops network card drivers into the thing before I can use it to get on the net but I booted my machine off my thumb drive! Pretty slick.

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-09-10T17:39:00.000-05:00

"McNipple"
Submitted by: Stephanie

Nerd TV on PBS-DOT-COM gets WAY ahead of the game!

2005-09-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

Nerd TV, is a PBS show that is not broadcast on the air but instead is only available on the net... This is not a short couple minute clip of video but a full length TV show and while not the most appealing subject matter for a wide audience PBS has put it self in the forefront of the future of TV. The cable and broadcast TV companies are so far behind in this area it’s not even funny.

I’ve been downloading *ALL* the TV I watch for the last 3 years commercial free and I can watch it when ever I want. I watch way more TV now then I ever did before I started downloading it and I enjoy to much more. I’m not thrilled about the fact that there is not currently a way to do this with out breaking copy right laws. I would be more then happy to watch 2 minutes – 3 minutes of commercials at the start, middle, end of the show if I get this for free and legally. This whole stop the show every 8 – 10 minutes is just stupid and really lowers my interest in TV as a whole.

Anyway, for those who care check out Nerd TV. I’m really interested to see the interview with the CEO of Google in Nov! LINK

New Firefox Beta!

2005-09-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

Firefox has just released it's new 1.5 Beta. This is a beta version of the next major point release for Firefox due to come out in late Nov, early Dec. Also, for those bloggers who noticed that Blogger.com's editor doesn't work with lastest stable release will be happy to know that they have fixed what ever was messing it up and it's working great again!

DOWNLOAD HERE

It's never dull in Salemtown!

2005-09-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

We're sitting around watching TV on a peaceful Sunday night when we hear a huge "WOOOOSSSHH!!" outside. I snap my head up and look out the window to see what just happened and see nothing... It takes a second to register what had just happened and then it strikes me that was a car!

I’m not sure I’ve been stationary when a car going that fast has pasted me, they were FLYING! I reach for my cell phone on the coffee table to call the police and before I can get to it one of Metro’s finest comes up close behind. (Well, close is all relative at these speeds.) I stepped out front and looked down the street past the 2 stops signs that were just blindly run and saw nothing…
There isn’t much street left for them to go down before the neighborhood ends so they had to turn or hit trees and go flying down on to 65N. I assume that the police stopped them because another cop car drove by (this time as a normal speed) heading the same way as the last about 10 minutes later.

It really isn't dull living here in Salemtown…

Moovie urban vehicle

2005-08-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

Since moving to Salemtown a year ago I've put a total of 4000 miles on my car. This includes trips to my business clients which are all around town and a number of trips to the paintball field which is 60 miles each way or so.

My office however is only about 3 miles from my house. So I have a great interest in the "Moovie" or something like it. This would be perfect for intercity travel and while I don't know if I would take it on the interstate (at least until the Nashville drivers learn how to DRIVE) most of the traveling I do now days is on back roads or larger city roads anyway. See the full story here... LINK

UPDATED: Digitally Check out Audio Books from Public Library.

2005-08-29T13:09:00.000-05:00

Most of my friends know I’m an avid (and I mean *avid*) consumer of Audio books. I listen to 15 + Audio books a year. I’ve got a MP3 CD player in my car with a really nice subwoofer and 300watt amp that does nothing put play 32bit MP3 files of audio books.

I listen to them while I drive and at home when I want to relax and be entertained by something other then TV or Video Games. I must say I don’t know how I ever made the “20 minutes to anywhere” drives that Nashville is so famous for, with out listening to audio books in the car.

So when read this article about being able to digitally check out an audio book from the public library, I got very excited. I’m all for this and have sent a e-mail to the suggestion box at the Nashville Downtown Library. (Is that not the ugliest and most useless website you’ve seen in a long while?)

If you would like to see this service available at the Nashville Library please post a suggestion to the library and reference the Overdrive link below.

The company in the article is OverDrive's library service seems like from there slightly hard to navigate website that they are a pretty major player in the market. Seems like a little research could be done and this could be implemented pretty quickly…

UPDATE: After sending the information I'd gathered to the on-line suggestion box I got the following reply back with in 12 hours or so. Good to know the Library is actively monitoring the suggestion box! I'm excited to hear they are already moving in the right direction! I asked if there was any kind of time frame for this project and I'm awaiting Susan's replay. I'll post again when I find out.

---------------
Librarian 2: Hi Benjamin,The Library is already looking into an audiobook downloading service. Thank you for your suggestion. It feels good to know we are on track.

Susan EarlMain Library Administrator
---------------

UPDATE 2: I just got a reply back from Susan Earl at the library. Sounds like it's a ways off but that's not surprising considering the Library is not privately owned. I know from working closely with Metro IT while being good at what they do, they aren't the fastest at what they do... Susan's reply follows.

---------------

Librarian 2: Well, it is still in the planning stages. I wish I could give a timetable, but we are dependent upon many factors--budget, Metro IT dept., etc. that has to be worked out. We think it is really a cool idea ourselves. It really all part of the future of how libraries can provide better service.

---------------

Thanks again Susan for getting back to me so quickly!

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-08-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Want to Rent First run movies? It's coming.

2005-08-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this today as well. LINK
(I especially like the comment about hearing a song on the radio and having to wait a month or two before you can buy a CD.)

This is just about the best idea I’ve heard yet to combat Movie Pirating. I personally don’t care to see a lot of the movies that come in the theater (or have the cash to) and would much prefer to rent them and invite our a few friends to watch along. A six pack of Red Stripe and good friends are better way to spend my movie money. (

There are some movies of course that you just don’t get the full impact of unless seen on the big screen but that’s only a hand full a year IMO. So currently we have no choice but to wait 4 – 6 months for the DVD… I would much rather be able to rent or buy the movie the same day it hits theaters. I’m willing to give them the renal royalties but honestly who wants to spend $9 a person for most of the crap that hits the theaters?

Now we just need is to break the downloadable renting barrier.

BellGoogle?

2005-08-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

I’m sure some of you have heard already but Google has done it again. The new “Google Talk” engine is based on the Jabber network which apparently is also Google’s new IM network as well! At this point it’s got pretty basic functionality but if it’s anything like the Google Desktop V2beta that just got released we’ll see huge advancements in a short time.

It has a clean interface that we expect from Google and is free as always. You can now make internet calls to any other Gmail users for free and apparently it sounds great.

I’m going to test it with my friend in Newfoundland, Canada if he’ll ever wake up and get on his PC. ( I’ll update this post after I’ve done an overseas (or large landmass and little bit of sea) test and give you my thoughts on the new service.

Interesting article on the new service as well. LINK
Download Google Talk

UPDATE: WOW! Well, I tested out the new Google Talk with my glorious friends who are currently in Newfoundland, Canada. (And who need to get there asses back to Nashville, it's not funny anymore! Jokes over! COME HOME!)

I've got to say it's the easiest to setup, easiest to use, and best Internet Phone application I've ever used. We were both behind firewalls and making a call is as easy as single click on the persons name and we’re instantly connected and with no lag or choppiness. The audio quality is better then the standard phone. I've never been a fan of these app's but this is a whole new world. I highly suggest you at least give it a try.

I must say however if you have a studio mic hooked up to your PC like the Newfoundlanders did it sounds like you’re talking to a radio talk show host. You can have some fun pretending to be Howard Stern. ;-) So yeah it’s good-

Crye-Leike agent = Immoral and Unethical

2005-08-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

I was reading my nieghbors blogs and say these two posts. I'd like to add my two cents to the mix as well.

Salem's Lot's Post
Enclave's Post

------------------------

I've spoken with some of the residents that have been approached by Crye-Leike's Realtor, Terry Rymar and IMO she's extremely manipulative and does nothing but hurt the Real Estate Market in Salemtown by introducing a false inflation on the houses in the neighborhood.
She also out right lies to the people in the process of getting new business, anyone can go on-line and see that the older homes in need of repair are NOT selling for anything close to what Ms. rymar is telling they are. Also, keep in mind these are people who trust her as there Real Estate agent to provide them with accurate information that they themselves might not know how to get access to. It’s immoral and unethical. I’ll be asking around to find out what can be done about her as well as writing a formal complaint to Crye-Leike about her. (However knowing Crye-Leike’s reputation I don’t know how much good it will do.)

Where is Village or Legacy International?

If there is something to take to the Press it’s this. I’ll be sure to tell her how I feel next time I see her next door in the house that she manipulated her way into listing.

neXtGen - Lite-Brite

2005-08-24T00:10:00.000-05:00

Lite-Brite

Good Stuff...

New Blog worth adding to your Daily Blog Wander

2005-08-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

John and Lynn, are our extremely hip next door neighbors, here in Salemtown on the North Side of Nashvegas.

John started a blog (Salem’s Lot) a while back and I just got around to really digging into it over the last week or so. I must say that he finds some of the coolest stuff on the net that I've seen in a long while as well as some great personal thoughts and write ups that make me Laugh Out Loud about every time I hit the blog.

So check it out, you can find the link in my list “Salem’s Lot” or just click here. LINK

It's good to be a North Sider

2005-08-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, so there are now 4 very active bloggers our *block* of 5th Ave N, here in good old Nashville, TN.

It’s been interesting to actually get to know my neighbors over the last year of living here on the North Side. Only when I was very young did we have any interaction with our neighbors and since then I’ve hardly known there names. I honestly never really cared to get to know them or felt it was important.

Mind you I’m 25 so I didn’t grow up when the then classic (now ancient) TV shows from the 50’s and 60’s told me that life in America used to be all Tupperware parties and gee-golly great neighborhood cookouts in the back yard.

So as I was saying it’s been an interesting year. I must say I really enjoy all the neighbors I’ve gotten to know! (For those that know me, enjoying new people is not one of my strong suits. It takes me a long, long time to get used to new people.)
It’s awesome to see how like minded we are in lot of areas and how we all live very different life styles and lives. It’s great that I’m asked if I would water there garden while they’re out of town and they ours when we leave. Its significant how we came together to bless someone when they had a death in the family.

I think it’s great we all have blogs as well, I feel that it makes getting to know them that much easier. As I read their blogs I get a little insight into who they are, what they are interested in and it really makes it much easier to get past that awkward initial stage of getting to know each other. Plus it gives you a lot to talk about when you see each other on the street. (Yes we here on the North Side actually see our neighbors outside of there homes often. I know this is hard for all you Southern-Greater-Nash outlanders to understand. Do what’s right people LEAVE BRENTWOOD, it’s just not good for you!)

So yeah things are good here on the North Side, it’s a true testament to how things can be if a people are just willing to step out of there houses and say more then “hello” to the people who live next door.

Google is (g)od.

2005-08-20T17:39:00.000-05:00

Yeah so was just reading another one of my neighbors’ blogs (who I will give some props to in a later post). I ran across this link that he had posted.

“Free Wi-Fi? Get Ready for GoogleNet.”

All I have to say is “HURRY UP WE ALL WANT IT!” and I would also like to give props to Google for becoming the next Microsoft only in playing a Paladin character instead of the Necromancer.

And before anyone says anything: “Yes I know I should lay off the RPG games and stop reading Harry Potter, but didn’t you get the memo? Being a nerd has been cool for years.”

THE KATIES ARE BACK!!!

2005-08-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

That’s right those three burry people on stage are none other then The Katies!! It’s been 5 years since I last say them play a show in Nashville and after they all moved to Cali to make it big, only to breakup, they’re back years later playing as strong as ever at none other than Exit/In!

I went to the show last night with my long-time friend Stacy and Bex met up with us in line for tickets. They played an extremely long set for an opening act, pulled out all the old favorites and some new material that proves they still have it together. We got a treat with the unreleased but much loved “Sideways” as well!
I must say that this was the most energetic crowd I’ve ever seen in a Nashville show, the entire crowd was singing along to every song and was louder than the band with claps and cheers a number of times throughout the performance. I was a bit taken back as you’re lucky to get a “Woohoo!!” and 10 people clapping at the end of a song in this city normally.

The three of us left the show with large smiles, ringing ears, and were hit with huge waves of nostalgic feelings and memories from the JJ’s Crowd days. It was a great show but I must say it was a bitter/sweet reminder of days past. That’s not however to say that I was left with a bitter feeling about the state of things today, more of an encouragement to continue to move forward into what is next and a rocking reminder that it will be that good again.

If you’ve never heard The Katies before check out there website (LINK), they have a LOT of unreleased songs for free download. I would suggest starting with “Sideways” as it’s one of their best. You can also buy the released album on Amazon for $0.01 used (that’s right 1 cent) right now. It’ll cost you $2.50 or so to ship it.

The record is great but it’s put to shame by there live performances. They will be opening for someone at 12th and Porter (yes it’s open again) on August 30th @ 8:00pm. I would highly encourage everyone to check them out live, it’s worth the time and money.

Nintendo Game Boy Micro this fall... WHY?!?!

2005-08-19T01:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is nuts. Nintendo is coming out with yet another Game Boy model based off of the 4 year old Game Boy Advanced/SP technology. Mind you they just got done releasing the Game Boy SP 1.5 years ago!?! LINK

Why do we need another portable super Nintendo? Get with the program guys we can want portable NeXtgeN's! Not 14 year old technology in 10 different cute plastic cases! (NOW WITH CHANGEABLE FAEPLATES! o.o )

Honestly I feel that Nintendo is stuck too much in the Japanese audiences’ mind-set to be a true player in the hardware gaming market today. And before you point out the 94% market share in portable gaming, remember that Sony is the first competition in this area of the market since the Sega Game Gear in what? 1992? The Game Gear kicked the GameBoy Advanced/SP’s ass then and completely shamed the black and white original GameBoy. The Game Gear just lacked the right marketing, games, and drank batteries to really push ahead in the market.

What really needs to happen is Nintendo becomes a Software only company and starts sharing some of that game making genius that it currently forces into its sub-par hardware; only allowing for small percent of the game to be seen when a much richer and more complex game could be realized on a more powerful and larger user base platform.

Final Pricing for Xbox 360

2005-08-19T00:55:00.000-05:00

Looks like you'll need $399 if you want to get your hands on a Xbox 360 with the must have extra options. LINK
On a side note: I'll be taken donations to my Paypal account if your interested in giving to "Ben's Helpless Gamer(s) fund" all profits of course go to a helpless broke gamer(s) exactly like myself…

I can't wait for the "I-Urine"!

2005-08-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

"Researchers in Singapore have developed a paper battery that is powered by urine."
I guess this is cool for a digital pregnancy test but do you how hard it is to cleanly get 0.2 millilitres of urine on to something that’s 3cm X 6cm?? And who wants to put pee onto something they are needing to power in the first place? Let's see this thing work with a drop of water and I'll be more impressed...
Honestly, who sits around and says "Hey!! I've got an awesome idea! Let's make a battery! Yeah a battery that uses urine as it's catalyst!!” and then actually convinces others to pay them good money to make it work?! Sigh…. LINK

Pictures from our trip to Florida

2005-08-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

We took a week long trip to Florida this month with our good friends Justin and Audra. Here are some pictures from the trip. Sorry about the lower resolution ones they are from my new Motorola Razor phone and while they look great for a phone picture they aren't the best for desktop viewing. Check them out here : LINK

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-08-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Submitted by: Vinny
(Sorry Bro forgot to give you the credit)

I'm not dead!

2005-08-09T20:35:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say that I haven't died! I've actually just been out of town for a week or so! Sorry for the lack of posts and no explanation. I'm back now and will get back into my normal posting habits before too long.

I just need to get out the "I've been at the beach for a week and would rather still be there, then here." mind set I'm currently being controlled by.

Thanks all!

PS: If anyone would like to submit any pictures for the weekly “And Now.... Your moment of Zen...” post please e-mail them to me. If I select your submitted picture I’ll show credit for it on the post.

moocower@gmail.com

UPDATE: Win Prizes while you search google. It's a Win, Win.

2005-07-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

So basically these guys are really smart... They setup a front end to the all powerful and knowing "Google.com" and then charge advertisers lots of money for space on the site. Then they take a % of the money they make from all that advertising and buy real prizes for people to win.

So basically all you have to do is search Google like you always would except now you have a pretty good chance at winning free stuff. And if you get others to sign up and they win something you win as well.

So what’s the catch? Spam? Spyware? - Not that I can see, I've been using it for a little bit now and it's clean. I've also read some reviews from others that say the same! I normally *NEVER* suggest things like this but Blingo.com is finally doing what all the others should be, they're honest, straight forward, and people really do get prizes!

Now I can't take all the credit for stumbling across this one my friend Tav actually found it and I'm just riding on his coat tails. So I feel it’s only fair that if you know me personally then follow this LINK and sign up under him.

However! If you don’t know me and you would like to help a guy out then please click the Blingo Picture or this LINK.

UPDATE: I've been using this since July 16th and with in 10 days I Won movie tickets for me and my friend Tav today!

That's pretty good for searching Google! I told Tav and he said he won the same a couple days before!

So with that said please click the link above and sign up! Free stuff is good!

Enclave, posts facts that get my brain and blood boiling.

2005-07-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Enclave posted a quick post today about TN cutting after-school and summer reading programs for children due to budget problems. LINK [READ FIRST] I normally don't say or think much about how this kind of thing would affect someone it all seems so "somebody else’s problem” {BVH, waves to all Hitch Hickers fans and says prepare to see the problem as it will soon be yours!} this time however I stopped and thought about how it might affect someone and in the end I got pretty upset… So here are my thoughts:

It's shocking how important using your reading and writing "muscles” can be. I've never been a big writer or reader however since starting my blog and picked up a couple books over the last 5 months I've noticed a huge increase in my ability to read and write. What's more shocking is that my vocabulary has gotten back in shape I notice my self not having to stop and think of the correct word to fill in a sentence and it’s easier to express myself correctly and thoroughly.

Reading and writing has to be fun for children for it to be affective I believe but removing these programs all together will be altogether destructive.

The unfortunate reality is our children have to get this from the school systems because they aren't getting it from the people who are actually responsible for teaching them to enjoy and respect things like reading and writing. Face it the parents of this country (as a whole) suck.

There are lots of places to divert the blame of them being bad parents but the reality is it’s your choice to educate yourself on being a parent and most importantly it your choice to actually spending time with your children, get to know them, and teaching them the things they need to know to be a healthy balanced person. No one expects perfection but we’re just laying around in our own self absorbed, workaholic, fat ass TV pop culture laziness at this point and our kids are taking the fall for it.

Audra's Birthday Pictures

2005-07-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

This was a weekend of birthdays! We had dinner with friends and family for Audra's 25th tonight.

I tried posting these on Flickr.com but they said I have pay $25 bucks before I can add more... So screw that website I'll just host it my self. (Don't they know services on the web should be free? What is the world coming to!)

This is really about Audie and I'm getting off subject so with out further delay here is the LINK.

And Audra congrats on making it to 25! We love you much!

STACY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!

2005-07-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

Pic's from our awesome and loving friend Stacy's birthday party!! WE LOVE YOU STATCHI!!! LINK

Pictures from Paintball

2005-07-24T00:12:00.000-05:00

Yeah so we had a great and VERY VERY VERY *HOT* day of paintball today. I'm so tired I can hardly type! Here's a few pics from us setting up. Sorry about the lack of action shots but I kind of forgot to take pictures once we started. (!!) Oh well. Next time I'll have some better ones. LINK

You're so Nashville if...

2005-07-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

"You stand around in the parking lot of JJ's Market for 2 hours after it closes trying to figure out what the other five people who are standing around with you want to do for the rest of night."

Yes! That's right it's the 17'th "You're so Nashville if"

Damn good stuff.

"Crazy Drunk Guy!" Dot Com (ish)

2005-07-18T17:49:00.000-05:00

I know a few of my friends have seen/heard this before but I just found it again and I thought I would share it with the rest of you who maybe haven't heard this guy. Basically this random crazy guy starts calling this guy every few days around 9am and has these insane conversations with him. Well, the guy recorded the calls and posted them on the net for all to hear.

After listening to them all I think this guy is pretty much nuts, I'm sure a little lonely and IMHO a great way to spend 20 minutes of your life...
LINK

PS: If you're like most of us and can't stand Real Player. You can always download the Real Alternative Player. It's clean and doesn't have all the spyware and junk that Real Player has.

Stunning Photograph! (Stumbled across this)

2005-07-18T17:46:00.000-05:00

Credit goes to: LINK

Playing Paintball this weekend... Wanna join?

2005-07-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

We have a small group that plays every two weeks. We meet up with who ever else happens to be playing that day and normally have about 20 people or so total. We play at Red River Paintball field in Clarksville, TN. It's only about 35 minutes from downtown Nashville. Check out their site they've got some good pic's of the place, directions, and a price list. If you don't have a gun you can rent one so don't let that stop you.

If you've never played I would highly encourage you to come and try it out, it's a lot of fun and can be a very good father / son or your-self and a good friend looking for something to do type of an event. Most kids 12 and older have a blast and don’t have any problems with getting hit. I won't lie it stings pretty good when you get hit but you hardly notice in the heat of the game and once the game it over the worst of the pain is gone as well.

Come join us we'll be playing next on July 23^rd. Ask around for "Ben" or for anyone from "Net Works" in Nashville we're pretty easy to find and are more then willing to show you the ropes if you’re a first timer.

thetalkingtoaster.blogspot.com is pretty great!

2005-07-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

I ran across this blog on Nashvilleistalking.com and enjoied it quite a bit. The post about "Scootchy-Scootchin" is great. Check it out. It's fun and worth the read. Very Nashville. :)

LINK

Selomtown needs to get a damn job!

2005-07-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I don’t normally write about my frustrations with my neighborhood. Overall I love it here. I love the mix of cultures, my neighbors are great, and I feel very comfortable living here. There is one thing that has really been bothering me and I’m about to tell the next person that approaches me about it just how I feel. (I’ll be the “get your fucking dog out my house!” Ben that all my friend know and loath)

The thing that has me so worked up is people coming up to me while I’m standing IN MY OWN YARD and asking me for money! I normally weight each homeless person that asks me for money on a case by case basis and react according to what I feel is right, but this something all together different. These people are healthy, housed, feed, drunk, high, and lazy-ass--jobless-on-there-own-accord--bums!

The very idea that it’s ok to walk up to someone while they are in their own yard and ask them for money or if they want to buy some burned CD that stolen off the internet is completely unacceptable! When did these people get it in their head that someone else is suppose to take care of them and why the hell do they think I’m willing to support them in being the stereotype they're all so adamant about not being!?

Come on Selomtown you’re all better then this! I know you are, I’ve met your families (who are great!) and they all tell how much potential you have. They also make it very clear that I’m not the only one that’s sick of you sitting around on your ass feeling sorry for yourself and blaming “The man” or your women who left you!

If you want to come in my yard and ask me for help finding a job or just want to shoot the shit with someone you don't know then I’m more then happy to invite you on my porch give you a cold drink, listen to your story, get to know you, offer you any non-monetary help I can or simply talk to you like the normal human being you are. But DO NOT ASK ME FOR MONEY- it pisses me off and I work hard for the debt I have!

Interesting post about Sex Offender Clusters in Nashville.

2005-07-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

I was just reading my neighbors blog and ran across this post. It’s an interesting post on the cost and burden of Sex Offenders in the Metro Nashville area. Also has a link to a pretty slick use of Google Maps. It’s worth the read. LINK

Sharp's new LCD is like nothing we've seen before!

2005-07-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

Oh yes... That is a SINGLE Sharp LCD TV displaying two different images depending on what side of the screen you’re viewing it from... Can you say Ultimate gaming TV!

Found this at Realtechnews.com check out the article here. LINK

AEROBIE® Dogobie™ Disc

2005-07-13T20:26:00.000-05:00

I don't really know why I'm writing a review about Dog Disc but here we go!

I got 2 of these for Luna last week. I've always liked the Aerobie products so I figured these would be pretty good but I was a little unsure about the size of the disc. (Luna trips over standard sizes discs and as funny as it is to watch it really doesn't work!) The “Dogobie” is 7" round disc, the soft fabric one I've been using is 6" and it's a perfect size for Luna but a little too small to throw it any distance. Another concern I had is how soft the material they are made of is, as it can hurt the dog’s gums if it's too hard. (Plus the first time I threw a standard Frisbee at Luna I hit her in the head with it and she was scared of it for a few weeks...)

So I got them in and was really surprised at how soft but durable they are. They are kind of floppy and bend easily but hold there shape unlike the fabric one I have. I took it out for a few test throws and these fly much better then the fabric ones. This helps a lot because if I can’t throw the disc at the right height and direction then it’s really difficult for Luna to catch.
The real test was to see if Luna could handle a 7" disc and while she can't run at full speed with it in her mouth she can easily carry it around. She also has an easier time catching it air because I can throw it more accurately.

The only negative thing I've found with these is that they are harder for her to get off the ground due to how flat they are. But if you let her work at it a couple seconds she's gets it in her mouth pretty quick and she’s good to go.

Anyway, I would recommend these for anyone who’s looking for a good Dog Disc.
I got mine from https://www.appleheart.com and at $4.50 a disc it’s a great deal.

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-07-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

New Time Shifting Drug...

2005-07-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Found this on Realtechnews.com. It's Provigil Imodarinil a new drug that was just approved FDA. Basically it keeps you awake and fully alert for 40 hours with very little side effects... Maybe it's just me but wasn’t your body made to sleep every 16 - 20 hours? SO WHY ARE WE MAKING DRUGS TO STAY UP FOR 40!!!

We've lost our minds I tell you. Now what they need to be doing is getting a "Home Pet Cloning Kit" (As seen on TV) to market. My dog only has about 13 more years left in her and I want another when she kicks it.. ...

Wireless Hot-Spot Fashion... (I think I want one!)

2005-07-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

Hotspot Bloom is a wearable flower that glows and changes color to indicate the signal strength of a nearby wireless network (802.11b/g). With its mobile interface, Hotspot Bloom allows people to immediately identify hotspots and become vehicles of information by simply walking through a public space.

OK... It could look better but honestly, I think this is a great idea. It's so Cyberpunk meets Japanese school girl.

2 HUGE Thumbs Down to Middle Tennessee Paintball! (YOU SUCK!!!)

2005-07-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I'd just like to tell everyone that Middle Tennessee Paintball is the worst field I've ever been to. I think the picture above and my review on PBReview.com says pretty much everything. Review: LINK

Paintball - Come out and join us! (July 9th)

2005-07-08T21:02:00.000-05:00

Once again we're going to play paintball this Saturday. If anyone would like to go the info is below.

We normally go to Red River Paintball Games in Clarksville but they are having a huge scenario game this weekend so we're hitting MTP tomorrow instead. None of us have played here yet and we're all interested in seeing how it is.

*If you want to meet up with us just ask for Benjamin, Vinny, or Tommy.*

http://middletennesseepaintball.com/

***UPDATE: 7/09/05 This place sucks don't waste your time or money.***

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

2005-07-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

"Sam" was just named "Worlds Ugliest Dog" for the 3rd year running... (Yes... This is real...)

4th of July Weekend Photos!

2005-07-05T15:54:00.000-05:00

So we went camping for the 4th of July weekend. We stayed at "Green Brier Island" Campground in the Smokey Mountains. It was only about 2 miles from Gatlinburg and while it had good access to the river and to Gatlinburg the facility itself was heavily lacking. I would not suggest going to this campground if you're planning a trip, the sites are too small, the bath house was nasty, and they nickel and dime you for everything.

Besides the campground itself being less then good it was a great trip we went tubing down the river (and have black and blue butts from all the rocks), we spent a few hours in Gatlinburg showing all the Cali' people what a real tourist spot looks like (;-) and we ate *way* too much (VERY) good greasy camp food. (Thanks to Tom our Campsite cook!)

We took Luna as well; she did really good but was a little overwhelmed by the car ride, living in a tent, and being tied up all or on a lead all day. :) Needless to say she's a little spoiled when it comes to being comfortable. (See the photo of her in the green chair) It was good for her to get a little dirty and she even walked in the shallows of the river for a little while. (OK, I pulled her into the shallows and she stood there with an “OMG THIS WATER IS COLD!” look on her face…)

Anyway, check out the photos here: LINK
PS: Please let me know if anyone has any problems accessing the link above it’s my first attempt at using flickr.com and I’m a bit rushed.

Picture for Tavius (Gatlinburg)

2005-07-04T23:42:00.000-05:00

Now remember kids... Buying knives on church youth group trips is not allowed and if you break the rule then you'll be in trouble...

No knives? Well, that's ok... We just made napalm in our hotel room instead. The rule book doesn't say a single thing about napalm!!

Seems like the ski lifts are best shared with another as well…

Home from Camping!

2005-07-04T23:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we're home from our weekend camping in the smokies. It's late and I need sleep in a bad way. Had a blast, have lots of pictures... Will be posting them to flickr.com and posting the link soon.

PS: I haven't found a better place to post a large number of pictures other then flickr.com... It's "OK" but if anyone else has any other suggestions I'm all ears... Expect for myspace.com that place is nothing short of useless.

Women gear up for gaming invasion

2005-06-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

Interesting article sent to me by my dear friend Audra.

It states once again what we've been hearing for years about women and video games but this one has some interesting facts: "The Sims has sold in equal quantities to men and women". It's worth the read but leaves me wondering if anyone is actually going to start making games that appeal to women?!

We've been talking about it for the last 10 years but only a handful of games have really made any impact. It's a little surprising because one of them (The Sims) is the top selling game EVER. You'd think the game companies would start ravenously hunting the globe for creative women who can design a game! But they seem content sitting around making the same damn game over and over and OVER.
Get a clue gaming industry even the guys are sick of the lack of innovation, we're just too addicted for it to hurt sales!

(+10) Anti-Sexist Brownie Points
(+4) HP
(+6) MP

;-)

Me and Luna-Tuna!

2005-06-29T14:57:00.000-05:00

This is my self and our Jack Russell-Dachshund "Luna". She's a sweetie, but can be a little stuck-up at times... I have no idea where she gets it from-

She just learned how to catch a Disc! (Frisbee) I'll try and get some pictures of her being the hip new “Disc Dog” on scene! (She's not competing or anything but she's already starting to do stuff like the "disc" link!)

We got her from the Southern States Dachshund Rescue. You can check out there website here. LINK

Also, check out my Archives for more pictures of Luna when she was 4 months old.

Google Earth! "The Final Frontier"

2005-06-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

(Above is a Google Earth view of our Office Address)

Google has done it once again with it's new "Google Earth". This is a free download and I believe there is a $20 a year fee for an upgraded service. Basicly they've taken a *LOT* of the satilight imagery of the Earth and put it into a GUI searchable interface like only Google can. Clean, simple to use and one of the coolest things I've seen this year!

Keep in mind that there are different levels of detail depending on where the satilights have scanned at a higher resolution or depth. If you look San Fansico and I believe New York City you'll see just how close to the earth you can get! It's pretty amazing. LINK

WYSIWYG Blogin on Jindog.com

Cloaking devices possible?

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Flashbag USB Drive - Grows with Data

UPDATE: BLINGO! I won again!

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

The Blind Can See

The Saga that is "JACK"

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

New pics on Flickr

I never could figure these things out...

New Wireless "N" Standard might kill B/G networks

Ashes and Snow

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

My next car will get 157MPG

Cheers for Stacy!!

*UPDATED* I'm running Windows Vista

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Top Twenty Myths

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Video Games make your Brain better.

Better living through video games?

Verizon charging $417,949.73 for 3 way Calling!

Yeah.. Bored.

Microsoft is Milking it again

Self Portrait

Top Ten ADD Advantages in a Hi Tech Career

Fun stuff with a new camera

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Honda is making a fuel cell car!

So I got a new Camera

Model Jet 280 MPH!!

Just shoot me now

Luna has a Brother

Xbox 360 - Hard to hack

Poopsadaisy - "You Dump it, you haul it"

WYSIWYG Blogin - Ver. 2.0

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Say Cheese!

Japan celebrates “Robot Dog Dress-Up Day”

High Dynamic Range... It's just stunning.

1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio

I'll be moving to South Korea in 2014

Xbox 360 support USB Storage!

Buying a hybrid will not save you money... (Sorry Justin!)

Slashpad is as pointless as the rest!

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Open Source Beer. Let me repeat that "OPEN SOURCE BEER"

R.I.P. Nintendo

New blog worth checking out!

This just in!!

Windows Vista to have *SEVEN* Versions! Shoot me now!

Put Windows on a 256MB Flash Drive!!

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Nerd TV on PBS-DOT-COM gets WAY ahead of the game!

New Firefox Beta!

It's never dull in Salemtown!

Moovie urban vehicle

UPDATED: *Digitally* Check out Audio Books from Public Library.

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

Want to Rent First run movies? It's coming.

BellGoogle?

Crye-Leike agent = Immoral and Unethical

neXtGen - Lite-Brite

New Blog worth adding to your Daily Blog Wander

It's good to be a North Sider

Google is (g)od.

THE KATIES ARE BACK!!!

Nintendo Game Boy Micro this fall... WHY?!?!

Final Pricing for Xbox 360

I can't wait for the "I-Urine"!

Pictures from our trip to Florida

And Now.... Your moment of Zen...

I'm not dead!

moocower@gmail.com

UPDATE: Win Prizes while you search google. It's a Win, Win.

Enclave, posts facts that get my brain and blood boiling.

Audra's Birthday Pictures

UPDATED I'm running Windows Vista

Windows Vista to have SEVEN Versions! Shoot me now!

UPDATED: Digitally Check out Audio Books from Public Library.

2 HUGE Thumbs Down to Middle Tennessee Paintball! (YOU SUCK!!!)