Jumping on the Bandwagon
Bandwagon, going live in two days, is an iTunes backup for Mac users. They're offering free one-year subscriptions if you blog about them, and like Eric, I can be a cheap date.
Frenzic
Tired of Tetris™? No good at first-person shooter games? Want something quicker than world-building or war strategy games? Frenzic may be the answer you're looking for. A joint release from The Iconfactory and ARTIS Software, Frenzic is an addictive puzzle game that you can play solo or against others online. Jobs and company should seriously be looking at getting this game on the upcoming iPhone. Sorry, Windows users need not apply. Update, 1:00 PM CST: If you decide to register Frenzic, feel free to add me as a friend.
links for 2007-02-19
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"AuthSight uses your Mac's iSight camera to take snapshots of the nut behind the keyboard whenever an invalid password is entered, either at login or in a screensaver. AuthSight can also (optionally) email photos to you."
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Mactactic aims to help you figure out if you should buy a new Mac now or wait, given when current models were last released. My advice remains the same: if you really need the new Mac now, then buy it now and buy as much Mac as you can afford. There's always something new coming down the pipe.
links for 2007-02-18
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Currently just the New Testament, but work on the Old Testament is underway.
A pair of fatherhood quotes
"The guys who fear becoming fathers don't understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man." --Frank Pittman "We have evidence that in our own society men can rear and nurture their children competently and that men's methods, although different from those of women, are imaginative and constructive." --Kyle D. Pruett [Courtesy of the Mr. Dad newsletter.]
"Shameless Mac OS X imitator"
Julio Ojeda-Zapata, for the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
I praise Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system, and I also curse it.
[...]
But after waiting five years — as in half a decade — for this thing, I think I should get something revolutionary, a PC operating system so astonishing it makes the competition look laughably primitive. The almighty Microsoft made this, right? So Vista--being released to consumers Tuesday--has to be jaw-droppingly superior, right?
Well, it's not. Vista hardly rocked my world during weeks of testing. It's a fine Windows upgrade, but it's also a shameless rip-off (and not quite the equal) of another major operating system, Apple Computer's Mac OS X.
That begs the question: Why not just use OS X?
Those upgrading from XP likely will have to get a new computer anyway because Vista doesn't work properly on most older PCs. [...] So, instead of purchasing a Windows PC, they could--and typically should--get an Apple Macintosh computer running OS X. [Emphasis in the original. --R]
She knows!
Well, well, well. The cat is out of the bag. I told you it might not be long. So the missus calls me while Brent and I are still at lunch, and in the course of the conversation informs me I'm "busted", that she's activated her WalkAmerica site, and she's already started emailing her friends. Now, you have to understand the different circles my wife and I run in. She's an attorney (pipe down there in the back; it's corporate law, not ambulance chasing or class-action cannibalism), so naturally a lot of her friends are attorneys, which, as a group, tend toward the wealthier side of the populace. I, on the other hand, am unemployed. You can see where I'm going with this, can't you? Given my past, most of my friends tend to be in the IT and creative fields, or in some sort of service area, and thusly, as a group, tend toward the less-wealthier side of the populace. Thus, I have to make up for this disparity in numbers of donators, and would appreciate all the help I can get. To top it all off, that minx I'm married to set her goal forty bucks above mine!
A thought while driving
So. Returning from lunch, as I drove by the KFC/Taco Bell our burg is privileged to have, I noticed the three US Postal Service delivery trucks parked next to one another near the entrance. And the thought that ran through my head was: "I'm glad they have to stay in those trucks to deliver the mail." (See, because it's Taco Bell, right? And Taco Bell serves...oh, never mind.)
Happy Birthday, Brent!
Wishing a joyous and loving birthday for you, my friend. As I stated in my comment to your post, I shall celebrate with some Lost And Found and by starting This Beautiful Mess. See you at lunch. :D
Job posting of the day
"Paris Hilton Magazine - Resourceful Customer Service Representative" Here's a couple of amusing bits (beyond the fact that Paris is using daddy's millions to start yet another meaningless "fashion" magazine):
- Process orders that come from the internet, mail, and phone calls for paris hilton.
- Data base upkeep for paris hilton trend.
- Reply paris hilton to customer emails. Gosh, atrociously bad grammar aside, it sounds like you'll be working side by side with Ms. Hilton herself, doesn't it?!?! Oh! Joy of my heart, be still! In response, I shall employ 1980s Valley Girl linguistics: like, gag me with a spoon.
WalkAmerica 2007
Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any... Fundraising for the March of Dimes' WalkAmerica has begun, and once again, the missus and I will be walking with the tyke (who will be riding in a running stroller). In an attempt to get the jump on raising donations over my wife (we have a friendly competition), I'll point you to my personal WalkAmerica page. (Said jump will likely last as long as it takes from this post's publication to her reading it, so we're talking sixty seconds to a couple of weeks, folks.) Any amount is greatly appreciated. I've also placed a March of Dimes badge at the top of the blog's sidebar, so you can come to my site at any time and click on that to donate. You were all very generous last year, blowing through the first, second, and third fundraising goals I set, so I'm raising the bar this year: $400. Yes, four hundred measly dollars, but four hundred bucks that could do a world of good. And I'm starting with $25 of my own, so that only leaves $375 for the rest of you to pick up. Should be a snap, right? Right! The walk is in April, so you have plenty of time, but why wait for me to annoy you to make a donation? ;-) Thanks, all!
Beyond the Ultimate
I missed this when it went out a couple of weeks ago, prior to the Super Bowl, but better late than never, right? Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith:
On Sunday, one of us will be a world champion. We may have reached the ultimate goal for a football coach, but we know that there is more to life than football. Even when you have achieved the ultimate, someting better lies beyond.
As pro football coaches, we are also men of faith. Our faith drives us every day to seek excellence. It comforts us in the worst of times and produces hope in adversity. It is through our common faith in Jesus Christ that we have individually experienced God's love and forgiveness.
We would love to tell you more. Visit www.BeyondtheUltimate.org, and discover how you can live "BEYOND" the ultimate. The coaches have partnered with Athletes in Action to produce the site, which includes stories from players on both the Colts and Bears teams.
Genealogy meets social networking
I believe genealogy fascinates a lot of people. We've all thought about "Where did I come from?" Most of us have no memories of family beyond our grandparents, maybe our great-grandparents. (I was able to know two of my great-grandmothers, both on my dad's side, as a child.) I came across Geni through some random blog readings, and I started a family tree with myself, in the hope I can help my son understand our family history a bit when he gets older. The cool thing about Geni is that as you add people to your tree, you can invite them to sign up for the site (it's free, at least for now), and they can add to their own tree, which in turn adds to yours. Think of it as MySpace meets the family tree, social networking making genealogy more practical. After all, my dad knows a lot more about his grandparents and great-grandparents than I do, and he can add a lot more information himself that I might not even think of.
links for 2007-02-07
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Shorten up those incredibly long Amazon, Google Video, or Flickr URLs. Great for sending emails to those whose email clients break multi-line URLs. I especially like the handy bookmarklet provided on the main page.
I confess I really like it
"What's this?"
"Viewer mail."
"It's been opened."
"I pay Suzanne an extra five dollars a week to check our mail for anthrax." Dialogue like this is why I watch Studio 60. And don't we all wish we could be so clever with the snappy talk in real life?
Some food for thought
No political slogan or hand-held sign has ever changed someone's convictions. Protests, shouting, and political battle will only polarize people on an issue. Regardless of which side wins or loses a political struggle, people will continue to believe what they did before. If you want to change your community, your nation and your world, the most effective action you can take is to introduce people to Jesus, and to demonstrate His love and compassion to them. Through His death and resurrection, all of us can be free from the effects of sin, and enjoy unlimited and joyful relationship with God. This is where changed lives come from.
It is a good thing to participate in politics as God leads. Vote your conscience. Respectfully voice your convictions in the political arena. But don't expect the election of a politician or passage of a law to change people's minds and hearts, much less their lives. Political power and law rule only through fear of consequence, not love. Let's make our focus the same as Jesus'. People are transformed when they experience love in relationship with Him.
links for 2007-02-06
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I'm not sure I would agree that all 13 of these photographs "changed the world", but they are certainly iconic.
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Great two-man band, the inventors of the "speedwood" genre of music.
Rex Defeatus Maximus
Well, the Rex Grossman Chicago fans have grown to fear and Colts fans have grown to love was the Rex Grossman that showed up for the Super Bowl™. And the Colts' defense Colts fans hoped would show up did. Take away that the opening kickoff run back, and you have a blowout, ladies and gentlemen. Had some fun geeking out on the technology used to show the American Professional Football National Championship™. (See NFL? Two can play the trademark game. Disclaimer: I graciously allow the use of this trademark by any and all persons in the United States and abroad except the National Football League™.) Our church, like many others, decided to have a Party Which Shall Not Be Named™ to view the American Professional Football National Championship™ game. The kicker was this: said game would start whilst many members, notably the myriad teenagers who would be the prime audience for viewing of said game, were still in attendance of the 5 PM worship service. So, technology to the rescue. Enter a church member's TiVo, slaved to his Slingbox. This same fellow's ThinkPad, with the appropriate Slingbox interface software, resides in the Dungeon, where the above-referenced game was going to be shown. The ThinkPad is hooked up to the Dungeon's projector unit, resized to a viewing area of 55 inches to comply with NFL regulations. Voila! Kickoff for us was at 6:15 PM CST, and we didn't have to endure Prince at halftime. (Much to the displeasure of some of the yoots in attendance; it was about a 50-50 split in the vote.) It was a lot of fun listening to the cheers and jeers of the crowd for the commercials. For instance, the commercial featuring K-Fraud, er, Kevin Federline, was roundly jeered, until the end, when K-Fraud, er, Mr. Federline, is shown working as a fast food fry guy. The jeers quickly turned to cheers. Such is the opinion of most yoots, it would seem, of the former Mr. Britney Spears. (And sorry, Toyota, I can maybe buy that your new Tundra can haul that big load up that steep of a grade from a dead stop, but there's no freaking way I'm buying it not sliding down the other side when the brakes are applied, anti-lock or not. Your commercial met with wide disapproval from our polled viewers.) Budweiser didn't get any props from our yoots; apparently they don't care how "old school" Jay-Z is, August Busch IV, you don't show up Don Shula. As a copyright holder myself, I wholeheartedly agree with Brent: the NFL was perfectly within their right to enforce their trademark against the church in Indiana. They just look like royal jerks for doing so. The 55-inch restriction is a joke; if I had 300 of my closest friends over to my home where they, at no charge whatsoever, could consume beverages and food I purchased and cooked while they watched the Super Bowl™ on my 60-inch plasma (yeah, I wish), what's the difference between that and the viewing at Fall Creek Baptist Church? (Trademark infringement and the church's proposition to raise money for a mission trip aside.) That's still 297 (or however you want to divvy up the households) Nielsen ratings the NFL and CBS aren't going to get because these people are at my house, where the two are only getting a Nielsen rating of one. (And this is one they're not even getting, because to have your home counted in the Nielsens, you have to sign your life away to get a little Big Brother Nielsen box.) I'm not sure why the NFL chose this year to flex its muscle as it did against Fall Creek Baptist Church. I'm sure the NFL has been aware of churches and other non-profit institutions holding Parties Which Shall Not Be Named™ in the past. The American Professional Football National Championship™ has been around for too long, and Super Bowl™ Sunday (is that a trademarked phrase, too, NFL?) has become so ingrained in the American consciousness that I would be quite surprised if no one in the NFL hierarchy was aware of this practice. Again, they just look like royal jerks this go-around. I, for one, had an enjoyable Super Bowl™ viewing this evening, even if we were limited to 55 inches when we could have gone to 72 or more. It was fun seeing and hearing the reactions of the teenagers, and watching my little phisch tear around the Dungeon while hocked up on watered-down--intentionally so--orange soda and cookies. I didn't have to endure an obnoxious and overly lavish half-time show featuring a has-been artist. I got to hang out and joke around with Brent, and to a lesser degree, Nathan and Steve. I ate way too much pizza and way too many cookies. I got to see Tony Dungy get the Super Bowl shot he deserved, and he led his team to victory. I'm happy that Peyton Manning will not become the next Dan Marino. I was glad former LSU Tiger Joseph Addai had a solid game, even if the rookie didn't score a touchdown. No matter who's playing, I'm looking forward to the Party Which Shall Not Be Named™ next year.
Beating the odds
I opened the drawer of the desk in the kitchen. I lifted out the sheet of peel-and-stick stamps. I carefully pulled a single stamp off. As I replaced the sheet in the drawer and closed the drawer, the stamp I peeled off fluttered from my finger toward the floor. Have you ever had a thin, sticky-on-one-side something get stuck on a wood floor? Not so easy to get up, is it? I did not have to attempt that today. The stamp landed face down. That is, sticky side up. Thank you, God.