Robo Soldiers Coming Soon?

This is the Berkeley lower-extremity exoskeleton (Bleex). The Bleex 1 has been in the works for a while and it seems they have begun work on the 2nd prototype, the Bleex 2. The exoskeleton system has two hydraulic leg braces that include 40 electronic sensors, a monitoring computer and an internal-combustion engine. The exoskeleton is attached to the legs of the soldier and allows for backpack loads upwards of 220 lb. to be carried with ease.

Circuitboard Coasters

Made from REAL circuitboard and not painted on, these coasters are the epitome of geekdom. Now I know this is not the first time you've seen a circuit board used as a coaster. But all hues of the PCBoard rainbow are represented here - amber, green, blue, and others. You can net a set of six coasters for only $20.

Circuitboard Coasters

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot ....OVER!

Remember the decade where people wanted to cram all sorts of devices onto their watches? Well here's a device that would have been a big hit back then. Indian company Telson has introduced the TWC 1150 camera watch phone.

Yep, its a wrist watch first then a phone second, and a digital camera third. This GSM handset includes lots of standard features including an infrared wireless earpiece, 256 color LCD, plug in camera, photo caller ID, a speaker phone, and support for polyphonic tones and voice recognition.

Via Slashphone.

Sony Walkman best gadget of the last 50 years

What's the best gadget of the last 50 years? The iPod? The mobile phone? The USB flash drive? The TiVo? No, no, it’s none of these, according to PC World magazine - the best gadget of the last 50 years is in fact the Sony Walkman.

As the magazine notes, no one had quite seen anything like the Sony Walkman when it first appeared. The battery powered blue and silver cassette player changed the social landscape, with people suddenly listening to music on the move, whilst they walked down the street or sat on the train or bus.

Its interesting to note that now, some 26 years after the Walkman appeared, Sony is updating the little device. Reincarnated as an MP3 player, the new Walkman will be available in two capacity sizes - 20GB (NW-A3000) and 6GB (NW-A1000).

We Got Sobered!

Today at work, we got slammed by the Sober email virus. It hit our server at least 10 different times today. Timing is everything becuase we just upgraded our entire system here and if it wasn't for that it would have made it through.

The work load is bad enough without having to compete with viruses.

Is it Friday yet??

Maglite Goes LED

Just ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I have a fascination with flashights (could be because they are shiny), I really love LED flashlights. The problem with most is that the light just doesn't carry very far. Well a few days ago while doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I stopped and looked at possibly getting my dad a new flashlight and I found a LED conversion kit for the "AA" Maglite for $5 (Wal-Mart) and since I keep one in my car I picked one up. I love it! Then I found this article today.

Maglite, makers of all things police and security guards use, is venturing out into the world of LEDs. Seems a brighter, better MAG is in the works, as the company's website is saying that in early 2006, MAG will start introducing MAG-LED products with LED technology. Made for both professional and consumer use, the new MAGs will be stylish, brighter, and are designed to last a lifetime.

MAG Product Page

Specs and pricing for Maglite LED converter Amazon

RIAA in Mother Russia?

When will the RIAA crusades ever end? In their latest move, the association is putting pressure on the US Senate to help deal with the piracy situation in Russia. According to a letter the RIAA has managed to get a bill sponsored in the Senate that will get Russia thrown out of the World Trade Organisation if it doesn't take action to purge the nation of its piracy antics. The RIAA wants Russia to know that unless it submits to its demands to stop acting as a safe haven for pirates then there is no chance of it getting decent trading conditions with the US.

Bill Gates Strikes a Pose for Teen Beat Photospread, 1983

Bill was one hip looking guy. LOL, look at him throwing the old floppies around looking cool

Wishing on a Star

This hasn't been the best of years for me. Don't get me wrong, I have been blessed with a good job and a wonderful family, but I feel like there is more awaiting for me somewhere. As I sit out on my front porch, I often look to the heavens and gaze at the stars (a habit I developed while out in the field in the Army), and I feel as if there is a peace up there that guides me to my decisions. Over the past few days I have seen two shooting stars and to me that is amazing. I can't remember ever seeing one here other than when I was a child only 6 years old, hopping off of the school bus to find my neighbor with a telescope, telling me to come see this. It was 1986 and for the first time in my life I saw a shooting star, but it wasn't just any star, it was in fact Haley's Comet. Imagine know being 25 years old and realizing that the next time I get a chance to see that comet will be when I am 82 years old. Seeing Haley's Comet twice in one lifetime is an amazing opportunity and maybe I'll get lucky. However seeing two comets so close together here recently has really been awesome. You have to be looking at just the right spot at just the right time to see one.

This speaks to me. It means something, what, I do not know, but there is a wave of change surrounding me now. I have to make some difficult decisions in the months to come and I have prayed about these matters and in my mind it all seems so clear. There is a chance to start all over with my life and progress in my career.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!

The Internet musical from WOW

How bad to you want a 360?

Looking for the perfect gift. Well for the low low cost of $314,159.26 (with free Shipping and handling), you can buy this Xbox 360 Package from Ebay.

Xbox 360 Premium Game Console - (includes Hard Drive, Wireless Controller, Free Xbox Live Silver Membership, Xbox Live Headset, Ethernet Cable, Component HD AV Cable (for crisp picture on regular and HD TVs)
Madden NFL 06 - New in Plastic
Call of Duty 2 - Tested For Three Hours On System, Awesome Game
Need For Speed Most Wanted - New in Plastic
64 MB Memory Unit for Xbox Live Play - New in Plastic Case
Headset for Xbox Live Play - New in Plastic Case
Media Player Remote Control - New in Plastic Case
Three Extra Wireless Controllers For a Total of Four - New in Plastic Case
Play & Charge Kit (Recharge Wireless Controllers While Playing) - New in Plastic Case

But hey, 90% of Sale goes to Habitat for Humanity

8 Cool Firefox Plugins You Never Knew Existed

Are you a Firefox user, well here are some cool plug-ins that you might want to check out.

8 Cool Firefox Plugins You Never Knew Existed

Hackers decode Xbox 360 discs

Where there is a will, there is a way!


Some folks who have been busy hacking apart the new Xbox 360 console from Microsoft claim to have worked out how to dump the contents of game discs for the system, allowing them to be copied and examined. However, the hackers have yet to work out how to get these copies to play. Team PI Coder - a Dutch hacker group - has posted details of the file system for the game discs, along with a program to extract files from them and example source code. Should Microsoft be worried? Well, not too much, according to Gamesindustry.biz.

At present, there is no way to run copied games or any form of unauthorised code on the Xbox 360, and the cracking of the disc format is a relatively simple move - since the Xbox 360 merely uses a modified version of the discs used by the original Xbox, whose format is widely understood.

In fact, although several teams around the world are known to be working on breaking the security of the Xbox 360, so far little progress has been made in this regard. The original Xbox was one of the most widely hacked consoles ever, thanks to its PC-style architecture and weak security - both things that have changed on the Xbox 360.

WOW Reaches 5 Million Users

World of Warcraft, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game has surpassed 5 million customers worldwide, according to its creators Blizzard. Seemingly the world's most popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft continues to exceed the expectations of Blizzard, who claim it has a strong presence across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. The game has an add-on pack, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, set for release next year.

Lexar Media to add Google apps to their USB flash drives

Lexar Media Inc. is to add Google applications, including a toolbar and search function, to its USB flash drives. The new drives will be available starting in January 2006. The company claims the move will make it easier for customers to find data on their drives.

"While these popular applications have traditionally been available on the Web directly from Google and other Web affiliates, offering them on a Lexar JumpDrive provides a new channel to reach customers," said Steffen Hellmold, vice president of USB flash drives at Lexar.

It's Time

Tonight, the Carver is finally revealed on Nip/Tuck. I think it's the son.... but then I had an idea. What if it is both Sean and Christian? Doing it all for the work and publicity. I'm not going to miss this episode!

MAD CATZ HITS THE HARDWOOD WITH NEW NBA CONTROLLERS!

Customized Controllers for all 30 NBA Teams to Feature Team Colors and Logos

SAN DIEGO, Jan 18, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "Mad Catz", the world's leading third party video game accessory provider, announced that it has signed a license agreement with the National Basketball Association to produce customized NBA team controllers for the PlayStation(R)2 and the Xbox(R) gaming systems.

Mad Catz will produce a unique and stylish video game controller for all 30 NBA teams, each featuring the team's colors and logos. The NBA licensed accessories, expected to be available in March 2005, will feature rubber grips, poly-carbonate finish, analog joysticks and an action d-pad.

"Basketball fans show support for their favorite NBA teams and players when they wear their jerseys to the game," said Darren Richardson, President and CEO of Mad Catz. "Now they can show the same pride when they play as those same teams and athletes at home."

"The new Mad Catz controller continues to capture the enthusiasm of basketball and videogame fans," said Greg Lassen, Senior Director of Electronic & Interactive Licensing, NBA. "With a controller for every NBA team, sports videogame fans can now play NBA videogames with their favorite team and matching controller."

This marks the second such announcement to date by Mad Catz; the company recently formed a similar partnership with the NFL.

For more information on the Mad Catz line of NBA licensed controllers, or for high definition photos of the controllers, please visit the Mad Catz website at www.madcatz.com.

USB HDTV Tuner

So you want to dabble with HDTV but aren't too keen on spending the money for a new television? This HDTV Tuner will turn your laptop or PC into an HDTV and will let you record HDTV shows directly to your computer! Pause, fast forward, and rewind live HDTV and setup scheduled recordings with the electronic program guide. You can even backup your favorite episodes to DVD and watch your recorded shows over your home network. If it works as well as it sounds, this could be the perfect solution HDTV solution for those who want HDTV but don't want to shell out several grand for an HDTV set.

USB HDTV Tuner with Remote :: ThinkGeek.com

Ipod Hoodies

Thanks to a UK company, you can now fancy up your iPod to match you when you don't feel like dressing up. These mini hoodies are gray, and could protect your iPod from droppage. The regular iPod model will cost you $20 with the iPod mini version running a couple bucks cheaper.

Product Page

Never where I should be

You know the saying always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Well I'm not saying that pertains to me, but it seems that I am never in the right place at the right time. I'm always a minute away from from being in that "right" place. I guess one of these days I may find myself in the right place. I just hope once I'm there.....I'll realize it!

Finally

DAMN this week has went by slow. It's time to unwind and let loose for a while. I'm going to a hockey game tonight (yes Hockey in the South), Hang out with some friends, drinks some beers ehh and forget about the week from hell. I'll have some pics from tonight up later.

Drink one for me!

Where is the F-ing weekend?

This pic is for Lex

What a hell of a week it's been. Two finals in college and work has been too damn busy. Today we had our Christmas Lunch. It was pretty good actually. Steak and Potatoes, can't complain there. I won a "door prize" got a coffee travel cup, ball cap and this cool little snowman (which Angus already molested).

I want a Rubber Radio!

This little all-rubber radio from Lexon is water-resistant and you can browse through stations by turning the antenna that pokes out from the top, adjust the volume or band on the front, and turn it on or off on top. That's it. No equalizers, LCD displays, or tape decks. Just good old-fashioned radio fun for when you're in the shower or on the beach. It runs on four AA batteries and is available now for $69.00.

Lexon Rubber Radio

Sprint brings full-length movies to mobiles

Sprint has been working to bring a full-length, movie-streaming service for mobiles for some time. The service currently features 10 full-length films customers can stream to their Vision phones serially in roughly five-minute increments. The movies are somewhat out of date, with titles such as "Short Circuit"(1986) and "One-Eyed Jacks"(1961) being on offer. However, MSpot's content library is currently growing.

"The closer you get to the theatrical release date the more complicated the negotiations with the movie studios," MSpot CEO Daren Tsui said. "We'll eventually get to the point where we'll be able to get movies soon after theatrical release."

Glutton for Punishment

I know I said I would only take one class this next semester, but they have a really cool class (to me) coming up, System Analysis and Design. I had to take it, the class is basically designing computer systems based on a need. I also decided to take the next level of Networking. There goes $700. It seems that with as much as we pay to go to college it should be easier right?

I'm serious, we pay their wages and we should get credit on effort!

Part of the Process

Business process management, a method of mapping out a work process, tracking who does what, and automating steps is a supersized version of shared disk drives. Not only can managers look over employees' shoulders and check up on their actions, but they also can reassign tasks, identify holdups and see how work is getting done.

Appian Corp., a Vienna, Va.-based BPM provider, offers software that helps agencies manage their procurements. The product, which is similar to other business process management offerings, features a "dashboard" that tells users where requests and tasks stand and includes potentially useful information, such as a pie chart identifying funding sources. Managers have access to a customized workflow map, which visually shows the steps in the process, from opening a new acquisition request to validating funding and notifying vendors. "The tools we provide . . . connect people and data systems, and measure how well they work together and optimize them," says Michael Beckley, vice president of Appian's product strategy.

If there's a delay, the manager can call the person responsible, or reassign tasks if an employee is overburdened; they also can check that the rules are being followed. Some steps, such as the submission of information to FedBizOpps, the government Web site for posting bid solicitations, are automated. Business process management programs usually are Web-based and interact with applications already on clients' computers, such as e-mail and spreadsheets.

1 down 1 to go

I took my final for this semester in the computer class tonight and if I didn't score perfect, I'll demand a recount. It was a cakewalk of a class about the internet and was a new requirement for my degree, so I went ahead and took it.

My math final is Wednesday night and it will take nothing short of a miracle for me to pass it. I suck at math and hate it for the most part.

Next semester I think I'll only take one class to give myself a little break. I should have stayed in college the first time. Kids, let this be a lesson to you. GO TO COLLEGE FIRST, then get a job!

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Sprint Power Vision

Sprint is set to unveil a new service that will let subscribers watch full length movies on their phones. Like DVDs, the movies are divided into short sections, allowing users to jump to where they left off when last they had a chance to watch. The service will launch with a few classic movies, but Sprint claims it will add seven movies every week as well as TV shows, concerts and comedy acts. The service will be available to EV-DO Power Vision customers for an additional $6.95 per month.

Full Story...

5.1 Sound - USB Style

Eliminate the need for a traditional sound card with this USB to Audio adapter. Real USB plug & play to upgrade any on-board soundcard to 5.1 Digital Surround Sound without any hardware installation. Connect a speaker or headphone directly to the adapter and enjoy 3D positional sound and virtual 5.1ch sound track. Use the USB port power directly.

BAD Angus

I woke up this morning to find Angus in my stash. The little Fecking Eejit was all langers (drunk you idiots)


Well I guess we all have been there before. Waking up in a strange place surrounded by beer bottles, with a weird fucking hat on. Ok so I may be all alone there, but dammit at least I admit it!

It reminds me of the time (times) I would start out partying in the barracks and then just realize that I'm sitting on someones porch chatting away still drinking, then awake to find myself in a strange _______ (fill in the blank, Bed, Car, Ditch).

Ahh, good times.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

I never thought I'd see the day. Denny's no longer has a smoking section. My once favorite place for the late night snack has took away one of my only pleasures.

It's time for a boycott. Since I do not cook, I used to spend more money here than anyone, hell I paid the damn wages around here.

This is the last time I darken their doorstep!
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

RIAA Bans Telling Friends About Songs

The onion.


The Recording Industry Association of America announced Tuesday that it will be taking legal action against anyone discovered telling friends, acquaintances, or associates about new songs, artists, or albums. "We are merely exercising our right to defend our intellectual properties from unauthorized peer-to-peer notification of the existence of copyrighted material," a press release signed by RIAA anti-piracy director Brad Buckles read. "We will aggressively prosecute those individuals who attempt to pirate our property by generating 'buzz' about any proprietary music, movies, or software, or enjoy same in the company of anyone other than themselves." RIAA attorneys said they were also looking into the legality of word-of-mouth "favorites-sharing" sites, such as coffee shops, universities, and living rooms.

Looks like I may have killed a few kittens in my time.

USB Powered Air Darts

How cool are these!!! USB Powered Air Darts. Aim and fire with your mouse. I have this grand vision of a "Cubicle Defense System", use three of these turrets strategically placed with motion censors and protect your desk with an invisible perimeter alarm system with these lazer trip wires

Go ahead....step into my cube!

Banned Xbox 360 Commercial

I guess I could see why people would not want this commercial aired. I think it's pretty clever and ought to be on every station out there.

Check out the video

Sober now one in 13 emails

One in every 13 email messages is infected with the latest variant of the Sober worm, according to a leading online security company. Postini has quarantined 218 million Sober-infected messages over a seven-day period last month, and has said that it has intercepted 29 million copies of the virus in a 24-hour span.

"We typically quarantine about 50 million virus-infected emails in a month. This Sober virus generated close to a 1,500-percent increase in virus-infected email traffic in the past week," said Scott Petry, Postini founder and vice president of products and engineering.

Podcast - Word of the Year

NEW YORK -- Only a year ago, podcasting was an arcane activity, the domain of a few techies and self-admitted "geeks." Now you can hear everything from NASCAR coverage to NPR's All Things Considered in downloadable audio files called "podcasts". Thousands of podcasts are available at the iTunes Music Store, and websites such as iPodder.com and Podcast.net track thousands more. That's why the editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005. Podcast, defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," will be added to the next online update of the New Oxford American Dictionary, due in early 2006.

Runners-up for the 2005 Word of the Year include:

bird flu (an often fatal flu virus of birds, esp. poultry, that is transmissible from them to humans, in whom it may also prove fatal)

ICE (an entry stored in one's cellular phone that provides emergency contact information)

IDP (internally displaced person; someone forced to relocate within a country because of a natural disaster or civil unrest)

IED (improvised explosive device, such as a car bomb)

lifehack (a more efficient or effective way of completing an everyday task: "I found a great lifehack for getting a cheap hotel room.")

persistent vegetative state (a condition in which a patient recovering from a coma retains reflex responses and may appear wakeful, but has no cognitive functions or other evidence of cerebral cortical activity)

reggaeton (a Latin American dance music which combines elements of reggae music with hip-hop and rap.)

rootkit (software installed on a computer by someone other than the owner, intended to conceal other programs or processes, files or system data.)

squick (cause immediate and thorough revulsion: "was anyone else squicked by our waiter's piercings?")

sudoku (a logic-based puzzle consisting of squares that form grids within a grid. Into each smaller grid, the numerals 1 through 9 are entered but not repeated, and they may not be repeated in any row or column of the larger grid.)

trans fat (fat containing trans-fatty acids, considered unhealthier than other dietary fats.)

Erin McKean, editor in chief of the New Oxford American Dictionary, said: "Podcast was considered for inclusion last year, but we found that not enough people were using it, or were even familiar with the concept. This year it's a completely different story. The word has finally caught up with the rest of the iPod phenomenon."

"Choosing the word of the year is incredibly difficult," said McKean. "Not just because of the enormous amount of data we look at-everything from blogs to technical journals to suggestions sent to dictionaries@oup.com-but because everyone has such strong opinions about what makes a word Word of the Year material. You'd be amazed at how hard our editors campaign for their favorites. I'm surprised nobody tried to bribe me -- except that the only thing I really want is more cool new words!"

Martha the Lush

On Wednesdays I don't have to be at work until 9:30, so I was watching the Today show this morning. They were having Martha Stewart give a recipe for homemade egg nog and dear lord did she load it down with liquor. I guess a few months in jail without the sauce made her get a little wild for the sauce.

Katie and Matt watched with their eyes wide open as she dumped 4 cups each of four different types of alcohol into her homemade egg nog and she even said that is was great for entertaining, just serve this to anyone over the age of 18 as they come in for the party and they will be having a great time.....NO SHIT, they would be drunk off their asses after 1 glass, and she even seemed to encourage that. A few moments later she realized what she said about the drinking age and corrected herself.

The funny part was when Anne and Al tried her egg nog and nearly spit it out because of all the alcohol. Al even said, please do not drink this near an open flame.

I think the jailbird may be off her rocker just a little and if I was a betting man I would say she had already had a few glasses before the show, she just kept rambling on and on and they had to keep interupting her. I guess you had to see it, but it was funny.

Lovin me some Winter

It's about damn time! I love the clean cold air. Wrapping up in a robe, sitting on the porch enjoying a strong cup of coffee and cigarette. One of my favorite things is pulling out the winter clothes. It's like finding a whole new wardrobe. Finding all of the sweaters I have forgotten about. Pulling out the winter coats and jackets and finding stuff in the pockets left over from last year. I have already found two lighters and a bottle opener (don't ask).

The only downfall is having to remember to go out and start your car before you leave for work or else you're left shaking violently halfway to work until the engine warms up.

Verizon To Offer TV Together With EV-DO

Verizon today announced they will use Qualcomm's Media FLO (forward link only) technology to bring TV to their EV-DO networks. FLO is a streaming protocol that allows a carrier to broadcast to many subscribers simultaneously by letting the subscriber grab a stream that is already in progress and any user can instantly start viewing. Verizon will launch the service using a 700 MHz network owned by Qualcomm, the final specs and standards of which were only recently ratified. They will begin by launching FLO broadcasts in about half of their EV-DO markets and then slowly expand the network to cover all EV-DO areas. The initial launches should begin sometime next year.

Full Story...

Cybercrime pays off more than drug trafficking

Proceeds from cybercrime in 2004 topped $105B

(REUTERS) - Global cybercrime generated a higher payback than drug trafficking in 2004 and is set to grow even further as the use of technology expands in developing countries, a security expert said today.

No country is immune from cybercrime, which includes corporate espionage, child pornography, stock manipulation, extortion and piracy, said Valerie McNiven, who advises the U.S. Department of the Treasury on the problem. “Last year was the first year that proceeds from cybercrime were greater than proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, and that was, I believe, over $105 billion,” McNiven said. “Cybercrime is moving at such a high speed that law enforcement cannot catch up with it.”

For example, Web sites used by fraudsters for “phishing” -- the practice of tricking computer users into revealing their bank details and other personal data -- only stay on the Internet for a maximum of 48 hours, she said.

Asked if there is any evidence of links between the funding of terrorism and cybercrime, McNiven said, “There is evidence of links between them. But what’s more important is our refusal or failure to create secure systems. We can do it, but it’s an issue of costs.”

McNiven, a former electronic finance and security specialist for the World Bank, was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at a conference on information security in the banking sector. Developing countries that lack the virtual financial systems available elsewhere are easier prey for cybercriminals looking for quick gain.

“When you have identity thefts or corruption and manipulation of information [in developing countries], it becomes almost more important because ... their systems start getting compromised from the get-go,” McNiven said. “Another area that begins to expand is human trafficking and pornography, because both of these become so much available once you have a communication ability.”

BAD Sony BAD!

Select Sony Music titles (listed below) have a copy protection scheme that installs software, referred to as "xcp", on computers.

The following CDs from Sony/BMG could infect your computer and should not be played. (They can be safely played on audio systems such as in a car or stereo system).

Do not play the following CDs on PCs. Check both the name of the album and the item number (found on spine of CD). If you have one of these CDs, see http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/ for how to exchange it.

ARTIST / ALBUM / ITEM NUMBER(S) / UPC(S)
1. A Static Lullaby / Faso Latido / CK92772 / 827969277225
2. Acceptance / Phantoms / CK89016 / 696998901629
3. Amerie / Touch / CK90763 / 827969076320
4. Art Blakey / Drum Suit / CK93637 /827969363720
5. The Bad Plus / Suspicious Activity? / CK94740 / 827969474020
6. Bette Midler / Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook / CK95107 / 827969510728/ CK74815 / 828767481524
7. Billie Holiday / The Great American Songbook / CK94294 / 827969429426
8. Bob Brookmeyer / Bob Brookmeyer & Friends / CK94292 / 827969429228
9. Buddy Jewell / Times Like These / CK92873 / 827969287323
10. Burt Bacharach / At This Time / CK97734 / 827969773420
11. Celine Dion / On Ne Change Pas / E2K97736 / 827969773628
12. Chayanne / Cautivo / LAK96819 / 037629681921/ LAK96818 / 037629681822/ LAK95886 / 037629588626
13. Chris Botti / To Love Again / CK94823 / 827969482322
14. The Coral / The Invisible Invasion / CK94747 / 827969474723
15. Cyndi Lauper / The Body Acoustic / EK94569 / 827969456927
16. The Dead 60's / The Dead 60's / EK94453 / 827969445327
17. Deniece Williams / This Is Niecy / CK93814 / 827969381427
18. Dextor Gordon / Manhattan Symphonie / CK93581 / 827969358122
19. Dion / The Essential Dion / CK92670 / 827969267028
20. Earl Scruggs / I Saw The Light With Some Help From My Friends / CK92793 / 827969279328
21. Elkland / Golden / CK92036 / 827969203620
22. Emma Roberts / Unfabulous And More: Emma Roberts / CK93950 / 827969395028/ CK97684 / 827969768426
23. Flatt & Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Jamboree / CK92801 / 827969280126
24. Frank Sinatra / The Great American Songbook / CK94291 / 827969429129
25. G3 / Live In Tokyo / E2K97685 / 827969768525
26. George Jones / My Very Special Guests / E2K92562 / 827969256220
27. Gerry Mulligan / Jeru / CK65498 / 074646549827
28. Horace Silver / Silver's Blue / CK93856 / 827969385623
29. Jane Monheit / The Season / EK97721 / 827969772126
30. Jon Randall / Walking Among The Living / EK92083 / 827969208328
31. Life Of Agony / Broken Valley / EK93515 / 827969351529
32. Louis Armstrong / The Great American Songbook / CK94295 / 827969429525
33. Mary Mary / Mary Mary / CK94812 / 000768353721/ CK92948 / 827969294826
34. Montgomery Gentry / Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005 / CK75324 / 828767532424/ CK94982 / 827969498224
35. Natasha Bedingfield / Unwritten / EK93988 / 827969398821
36. Neil Diamond / 12 Songs / CK94776 / 827969477625/ CK97811 / 827969781128
37. Nivea / Complicated / 82876671562 / 828766715620
38. Our Lady Peace / Healthy In Paranoid Times / CK94777 / 827969477724
39. Patty Loveless / Dreamin' My Dreams / EK94481 / 827969448120
40. Pete Seeger / The Essential Pete Seeger / CK92835 / 827969283523
41. Ray Charles / Friendship / CK94564 / 827969456422
42. Rosanne Cash / Interiors / CK93655 / 827969365526
43. Rosanne Cash / King's Record Shop / CK86994 / 696998699427
44. Rosanne Cash / Seven Year Ache / CK86997 / 696998699724
45. Shel Silverstein / The Best Of Shel Silverstein / CK94722 / 827969472224
46. Shelly Fairchild / Ride / CK90355 / 827969035528
47. Susie Suh / Susie Suh / EK92443 / 827969244326
48. Switchfoot / Nothing Is Sound / CK96534 / 827969653425/ CK96437 / 827969643723/ CK94581 / 827969458129
49. Teena Marie / Robbery / EK93817 / 827969381724
50. Trey Anastasio / Shine / CK96428 / 827969642825
51. Van Zant / Get Right With The Man / CK93500 / 827969350027
52. Vivian Green / Vivian / CK90761 / 827969076125

I smell a lawsuit brewing!

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Professional Driver

Have you ever noticed that on almost every automobile commercial, the fine print says "professional driver, closed course". I want that job. Even when the car is just driving down the road, nothing special, no high speeds, just cruising down the road. I wonder how much they get paid?
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Wendy and Darian

Celebrating their 15th anniversary. She spent the whole day away from home and had no idea. When she came home and seen all the cars outside, she started to cry. As she came into the house Darian asked her to marry him again.

It was a good party and it meant the world to her. I'm very proud of them both and thanks Darian, for taking care of my little big sis.

Worse than a woman

I swear... I live in a 3 bedroom house all by myself (three closets, all full). I have more clothes than any man should. I'm getting ready to go to my sister's surprise anniversary party and I bet I have went through 4 outfits, trying to decide what to wear. Shoes are the easy part but jeans and shirts runneth over.

I'll have some pictures from the party, but I do want to say congradulations to my sister and my brother in law. It will be there 15th wedding anniversary. My sister is my best friend and as we grow older we also grow closer.

Love ya Sis!

Note to Self:

1. Throw it away and start all over.

2. Stop wondering about the past.

3. Don't trust so easily.

4. Look out for number 1.

5. Just keep on keeping on and it will get better.

6. Get a haircut.

7. Pick up some beer.

Give it a try!

Section A:First, recommend to me:

1. a movie:
2. a book:
3. a musical artist, song, or album:

Section B: I want everyone who reads this to ask me a questions. Ask me anything you want.

Section C: I want you copy and paste this on your site, allowing your friends to ask you anything.

Hide and Seek

I came home and Angus was playing Hide and Seek. He's not very good at it, he always chooses the same place over and over again. Someplace cold and with lots of good beer (same place I wish I could hide).

Man my fridge really points out the fact that I'm single huh. Water, Coke, and beer.....that's all I have in there. But I guess it's all I need!

Flexible LCD

Samsung has unveiled the next step in LCD technology in the form of a flexible 7" screen. The display is not the first ever, but is the largest available, with others including a similar offering from Samsung that is 5". Using non-brittle plastics and a very thin construction, the LCD is capable of being configured in a variety of situations, and is the largest of its kind. These differ from standard LCDs, which typically consists of hard plastic or glass sheets to organize the array.

"Samsung said the plastic LCD module is designed to maintains its thickness uniformly even when it bends as well as enabling higher-definition quality than the firm’s five-inch products, the biggest one up until now."

A few years ago the first roll-up keyboard was demonstrated, and as aesthetics play an increasingly important role in the realm of computing and technology, flexible LCDs sound really great on paper, and will probably be even better once in our hands.

Terabyte home storage

Iomega announced the release of their Desktop Hard Drive XL Series, a small form factor drive enclosure for four hard drives, with a storage capacity of 1 Terabyte. The new device touts 4 250GB SATA drives internally, with a default configuration of RAID-0 for 1TB of fast storage. It connects via Firewire 800/400 or USB 2.0/1.1, although to really make any good use of the available transfer speed, Firewire 800 is your only option. USB 2.0 and Firewire 400 are both limited to a transfer rate that is well under what a single modern HDD can achieve. The device is pretty small, at 6.42x7.99x12.52 inches, making it easy to put anywhere as an addon storage device or a backup unit. It joins a growing crowd of other high-capacity multi-drive portable storage devices, and of course is geared primarily towards home theater and video enthusiasts, as well as home file storage.

"Projects like video editing push the limits of today's storage drives, particularly as the market shifts towards high-definition video, so Iomega created the XL Series to erase the bottleneck that a single drive represents in terms of power and performance," said Lee Williams, Vice President, Product Generation, Iomega Corporation. "Whether it's editing and managing digital video, photographs, music or work files, the Iomega XL Series hard drive takes advantage of today's fastest interfaces and most advanced storage technologies to deliver a uniquely powerful device for the next generation of applications."

It is already available, retailing at around $900. It lists compatibility with Windows 2000, Windows XP and Mac OS 10.1, and features disk imaging and archiving software as well as compression.

Tending the farm

Dad has gone hunting for the weekend so I am feeding the ducks and geese while he is away. Dad has his own dog but he has taken over my dog Aspen. Mom and Dad live next door and dad is retired so he takes my dog with him all over the farm and has actually started to train him to help with the cattle. He even has Aspen treeing squirrels.



It's very scenic around here and sometimes I forget how great it is to live out in the country.

This is my dad's dog Prissy, she's the "farm dog". Small but fiesty, she loves to smile, very loyal and very independent.

Aspen runs all over the place, chasing the geese and being chased by the geese.

Well, that's all for now. I'm helping my sister move into their new house so off I go.

Checking up on the 360

Angus and I was checking out what the world had to say about the Xbox 360's release and here is something interesting.

Xbox 360 'Overheating' Problems EmergeThe forums today include some irate Xbox 360 owners who are experiencing overheating problems, likely to do with the hard drive. One owner claimed Microsoft had stated it had "received numerous calls".Here's what they had to say. We're awaiting a response from Microsoft."I play Kameo (interesting game) for about 30 minutes and the 360 crashes!!! Ugh.... Power adaptor goes from solid green to a flashing orange.... What next? Well, shoot off an email to MS, get one back not too long ago, find out that the flashing orange means that Xbox has overheated! ""I just received my Xbox 360 today. It was freezing cold so I let it sit for about an hour. Plugged everything in got it up and started playing COD 2. I completed training and while it was loading it just went to a black screen. I waited for awhile and nothing happened so I turned it off, let it sit and turned it back on. I turned it back on to 3 red flashing lights. The top left and the two bottom. "I found out that it's the hard drive. They said they have received numerous calls already. I unplugged my hard drive and it worked fine. Put it back on my box and red lights again.""All five of the games I bought freeze up after a few minutes, I am assuming because of the 360 heating up. It gets unusually hot, the game discs as well are red hot.

I think I'll wait a while, let MS get some of these problems worked out. I knew they would be some problems, and shelling out a few hundred bones for a system that runs like this is not on my list of things to do.

This is me.... PISSED!!

Yeah it's 9:00PM on Thanksgiving and I had to respond to an alarm at work. False alarm at that! I love my job, I love my job, I love my job. Now it's time to go and get some beer!

20,000 Hits!!!

Wow! Over 20,000 hits, I guess people actually take the time to read my mindless rambling about technology and the occasional insight to my life. Thanks to all my readers!

So I'm finally home after dicking with that whole false alarm issue at work. I went ahead and filled the fax machines with paper and distributed the orders that came in since yesterday. I took a moment to check my email and it looks like Monday is going to be a bitch of a day.

I think a pay raise is in order. I live the closest to the office, so I am the one who gets called when the alarm goes off. Sometimes at 2 in the morning! Granted it is always a false alarm (ADS sucks ass). Look people, I started my career in the security industry and I know alarms. My last job was doing this kind of shit for jails and prisons, so I know the security business pretty well. The upside to my professional background is that if I ever go to jail, they HAVE to put me in a maximum security cell (which means I have no bunk mate). Give me 1 minute in a regular cell and I be out of that bitch in no time!

On another note, I have a few new opportunites at my current job and I am really considering one of my options. I can stay where I am at for as long as I want. Or, I can transfer to a different location. My first pick is Brantford Canada; I can move up there and do international sales for a while and maybe move into the European market.

Meeting of the minds

The real kicker is that the little asian guy is actually the robot. We preserved Einsteins head so we could bring him back as a Honda Humanoid.

BlackBerry 7130e offers CDMA EV-DO

Verizon Wireless has introduced the BlackBerry 7130e. Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess service on the company's CDMA EV-DO is available to a BlackBerry for the first time. The device delivers all the e-mail and other functionality available with the BlackBerry wireless platform, and can also serve as a modem. The company claims that when used as a modem, the device can download large documents to a laptop at speeds averaging 400kbps to 700kbps. The device also includes support for "push-based" wireless e-mail, Web browsing, text messaging, personal organizer and other corporate applications. It also features a SureType keyboard technology from RIM, and can integrate with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

Sprint Nextel Buys Largest Sprint Affiliate

Sprint Nextel announced an agreement to acquire former Sprint affiliate Alamosa Holdings for approximately $4.3 billion. Alamosa provides Sprint PCS services in 19 states, serving approximately 1.48 million direct wireless subscribers, making it the largest Sprint affiliate based on number of subscribers. With this acquisition, Sprint has announced agreements to acquire more than 2.3 million Sprint PCS affiliate customers. The deal is expected to resolve pending litigation that also involves AirGate PCS. The acquisition is subject to regulatory and shareholder approval, and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2006.

Full Story...

XBox 360 Supports XLink

XLink is a framework that allows local multiplayer gaming devices like the PSP, XBox, and Nintendo DS to emulate a local network over the Internet. The result? Instant on-line multiplayer without having to invite 20 of your friends to roll in every weekend. Saves on chips and beer, basicially.

Apparently the folks at XLink tested Halo 2 and Perfect Dark Zero, two XBox games, and both run on the 360 perfectly. This means that you won't have to pony up the $8 a month for XBox Live. Luckily, MS isn't as crazy as Sony about shutting out deviants and perverts who dare attempt the sin of Fair Use, but keep your eye open for a security patch.

TeamLink [XLink]
Play Xbox 360 Online Without Xbox Live [GamingHorizon]
Be notified when Xbox 360 is in stock [Amazon]

Albums on Flash Drives

In what appears to be a first-ever attempt, a music group is opting to replace the CD with a 128MB USB Flash Drive for distributing their next album. Costing at around $30, the re-usable flash drive, for its first album release, will tote 29 songs in mp3 format along with having photos, album art, video clips and apparently more. It seems that 128MB might be incorrect, as squeezing 29 mp3 songs along with other content would be very difficult on a size that small, but the very idea of releasing an album in this way is completely novel. Based on whether or not it is DRM'ed beyond usability might make this become the saving grace brick and mortar music sales. The popularity of online downloading is only increasing, but with a gadget like this, smaller than a CD and more functional, it's definitely piqued interest.

I would buy more albums, if they came that way. You can never have too many thumbdrives and it would be a cool way to add extra items like wallpapers and bios from the band.

BAD ANGUS!!!!!

HEY HEY HEY! I know you like the beer but I think you're taking it to far!

I can't say it enough. Thanks Lex

So I'd like to plug a site of a friend of mine K-Ray you know you're missed, and please keep in touch. We sometimes get so caught up in life, that we forget some of the people who made us who we are today.

"Life is what happens while we are making other plans"
John Lennon

Strange Neighbors

Every day for the last few days no matter what time I come dragging in, my neighbors are in there car with it in reverse and the minute I park and get out they leave. Maybe it's a coincidence but odd nevertheless. I new something was off about them when the husband sleptwalked his way out of a window..... no wait, let me rephrase that to what he actually did. He dove out of the fucking window in his sleep! He cut himself all to pieces leaving a blood trail that looked of a violent murder scene and walked to the front door and knocked for a while.

Anyway Angus found another one of his relatives in Canada, turns out he enjoys beer as well.

Obviously they are distant relatives, Angus would never drink Coors Light. At any rate Angus was happy to see a relative. His name is Rat Bastard and Angus had to get a closer look.

Hello RB, greetings from Alabama!

I Heart my new monitor

I received my 19" ultrasharp yesterday and put in place. WOW! I may have overdone it a bit. Going from a 17" CRT to this monster is unreal. I really didn't have a space issue with my CRT, because I have a corner desk where the monitor sits in the corner, but it made a difference in the look thats for sure.

After hooking everything up, I played some Doom 3 to check out the quality and I am impressed indeed. So I think it was worth every penny.

To 360 or not to 360 (right now, anyway)

There isn't any doubt as to if I am going to get a 360. The real question is, do I wait until the first release comes out and wait for the masses to test to the next-gen console and maybe give MS some time to work out the bugs.

I already have a buyer for my Xbox and I could wait in line for 3 hours and may get lucky enough to get a voucher to obtain one at the stroke of midnight. The word is, every retailer has a very limited number in stock, and I know this to be true because of some inside sources at different retailers.

I'm anxious like a kid, wanting to dive right in and get one, but I would hate to get one, only to find a lot of bugs and end up wishing I would have waited.

Perfect Dark Zero Tops Most Anticipated Xbox 360 Game List

According to GamerMetrics, which is used by IGN Entertainment to track the tastes of about 25 million gamers, according to their press release, Perfect Dark Zero tops the list of most anticipated Xbox 360 title. It tops ours too - we haven't seen a review build of it yet. We should be getting it today, though, so stay tuned for a review.



Here are some of the most wanted games:

Perfect Dark Zero
Dead or Alive 4
Call of Duty 2
Kameo: Elements of Power
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Peter Jackson's King Kong
QUAKE 4
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Ridge Racer 6
Condemned: Criminal Origins
GUN
Amped 3

Nintendo Revolution to feature parental locking system

The Nintendo Revolution will feature the ability to give adults more control over which games their children are playing, thanks to a new parental locking system that the company has introduced. Parents will be able to adjust the console's settings and choose whether to block games with higher PEGI ratings. These settings are, of course, password protected.

There are five different ratings - 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+ and 18+ - and each piece of Revolution software will include a code which indicates the game's rating. The feature will be included in every Revolution worldwide.

In making this move, Nintendo has confirmed its commitment to producing family-friendly hardware and software. The company believes that even although most Nintendo games are appropriate for all ages and the game ratings are clearly displayed on the front of every game package, the option for parential control is still required to ensure a family-friendly gaming experience.

Video Game awards

Reuters- Capcom's "Resident Evil 4," "Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie" from Ubisoft and Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron were among the winners at the 3rd Spike TV Video Game Awards held in Los Angeles on Friday.

A partial list of winners from the awards follows:

Game of the Year: "Resident Evil 4"
Best Game Based on a Movie: "Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie"
Best Action Game: "God of War"
Best Individual Sports Game: "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland"
Best Team Sports Game: "Madden NFL 06"
Best Fighting Game: "EA Sports Fight Night Round 2"
Best Military Game: "Call of Duty 2"
Best Driving Game: (Viewer's Choice): "Burnout Revenge"
Most Addictive Game: (Viewer's Choice): "World of Warcraft"
Best PC Game: "World of Warcraft"

Continued ...

So we lost

No surprise there, but hey I had a good time. Angus McRatty met some distant relatives of his. Check it out.

I guess Alabama blew it for this year, and looking at their line up, I think it'll be a while before we have a good team again. I did watch Stealth after the game. That was a pretty good movie. If it can hold my attention for the duration, then it's worth recommending.

Iron Bowl 05

Today is the day.

One of the most watched games of the season is today (especially in the South). It's Alabama VS Auburn. I am an Alabama fan, and besides their loss to LSU last weekend and their questionable offense, the Iron Bowl is always a game that is undecided until the end. No matter how good the teams are going into this game, any team could win. I would never bet money on the Iron Bowl, but I have to give it to Auburn this year. Alabama's defense will be worked hard today and if they want to win I think the defense will have to win it for them.

So I'm getting the housework done and getting ready to head over to a friend's house to watch the game. Eat some good food, drink a few beers and have a good time, no matter the outcome.

Angus McRatty is ready for the game as well, I'm surprised he's a fan. He'll be hanging out with us this afternoon.

ROLL TIDE!

Angus McRatty

So after realizing that my new found friend was in fact Irish I decided to name him Angus McRatty.



Besides fighting over my beer, we get along pretty well. He just hangs around the house and begs for time to time for some Guinness, but I think he has embraced his Irish Heritage.