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Rock Star alter egos are growing in numbers
"You're forming a fake band -- that's what you do," says Sadri, calling the game "the best part of karaoke, adding in a drummer and guitars."
The Magpie Developer
Jeff Atwood is one of the best programmer/writers around. I love reading his stuff, some I agree wholeheartedly with, other stuff we disagree, but this post is about a dead-on as they come. This idea has been floating in my head for a long time, but it is hard for me to conceptualize it in words, Atwood does a brilliant job at it. Must read for any developer.
Andy Olmsted's Last Blog Entry.
(Warning: Pretty rough) No matter how you feel politically about the war, this reminds you that each number people throw around as statistics is a human life. This is extremely well written, and pretty rough on your soul towards the end, but something everyone should read. Its a shitty situation all around, but there is always a human face behind the statistics and I want to make sure I never forget that.
LSU scared of the prospect of some Moreno action?
Photos of Abandoned Swimming Pools
9 Things You Didn't Know About Rockband.
Drinking stories that put yours to shame
Via Keith


To preserve his body during the voyage home, the second-in-command stored Nelson's body in the ship's vat of rum and halted all liquor rations to the crew. Not a bad idea, but when the ship reached port, officials went to retrieve Nelson's body and found the vat dry.



Disregarding good taste (in every sense), the crew had been secretly drinking from it the entire way home. After that, naval rum was referred to as Nelson's Blood.
making vodka pills in 24 hours
Recently, Chef Fabian was experimenting further with the Adria/Torreblanca technique of making 'vodka pills.' I use this word to describe the process of making liquid-filled candies by pouring flavored alcohol syrups into cornstarch and letting it set until a hard outer shell forms.
Strategy Letter VI - joelonsoftware.com
As a programmer, thanks to plummeting memory prices, and CPU speeds doubling every year, you had a choice. You could spend six months rewriting your inner loops in Assembler, or take six months off to play drums in a rock and roll band, and in either case, your program would run faster. Assembler programmers don’t have groupies.

Entire Article is Dead On. A must read for anyone in the software biz.
Mystery illness strikes after meteorite hits Peruvian village




 
 
 
 


(Friday, December 23)

Top 25 Albums of 2005

Last year's top 25 list still is the most read page of all 3000+ pages of my blog, so there is no way I could pass up not creating my top 25 list of 2005. This year was actually a lot harder than last year because when I started to create my list I noticed a few things: 1.) I picked up a lot of albums in early 2005 that actually came out in late 2004, so I cannot use them (all albums except 2 came out in 2005, the other 2 came out in December of 2004) 2.) I actually had a lot more on the list this year (I had a total of 42 albums that I thought were great albums, but only 25 can make the cut. 3.) There were actually 3 albums by one artist in those 42, so I made my self shave off the latest album (worst of the three) even though I think it is still a great album. So without further ado: Cyanbane's Top 25 Albums of 2005

#25
Hold Me to This: Christopher O'Reily Plays Radiohead
I loved True Love Waits. I actually tried to get the strings arrangement at our wedding to play a few sections from it (and some Jeff Buckley), but neither happened. For those that don't know Christopher O'Reily is a GREAT pianist and does a really good job classically interpretating Radiohead on the piano. His first album, True Love Waits was a staple in my 'programming music' playlist for a long time. So When I saw that Vic Damone had been listening to this newer O'Reily CD I had to get it. Great stuff. There were a lot of honorable mentions on this years list and it was very tough picking the #20 - #25 on my list, but this record appealed to me on so many levels.
#24
Shine - Trey Anastasio
This was somewhat of a recent addition to the list. I have always enjoyed Phish although I would not call my self a huge Phish fan, not really for fear of the stigma, just that minus Rift, I really didn't have their albums continuously playing at any time. I also bought Anastacio's self titled solo album a few years back and listened to it, some it just wasn't all there for me. Shine was different, I really can say that I enjoy every song of the album, and is a very good warm-afternoon-in-the-car record.
#23
Countryman - Willie Nelson
I have always enjoyed Willie Nelson, I did not know if I was going to enjoy his fore into Reggae though. I heard a lot about this album before it came out, and I must say that it still is very Willie Nelson. Very enjoyable music. The Highlights for me are: Papa is a Worried Man and One in a Row
#22
Carencro - Marc Broussard
I get goosebumps every time I hear the opening track to this CD. Home is a great great song, and although I don't know if the rest of the album captures the same soul that Home does, the rest of the album is semi-pop goodness. Songs like Rocksteady, and Lonely Night In Georgia are proof that he isn't just an artist with a great single. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of him in the next few years. Also I have to admit the first time I heard 'Home' I pictured a much older, much larger, black guy with a steel guitar.
#21
Rokysopp - The Understanding
Not really sure how to describe this album. It is very ambient, but also not really a dance album. I first heard this duo with their first CD Melody A.M., for some reason I caught a viewing of the first single from that album, and I thought the video was pretty cool so I picked up the first CD. When this CD came out I was slow to pick it up, but as soon as I did I realized it was just as good as the first one. A lot of the songs build energy and I am starting to see a lot of popular music sounds like them also. The first single off Madonna's new album sounds a lot like something they would do at the beginning of the song. (I forget the song name, but it starts off with 'Tick Tock' or something to that nature, then the music sounds muffled, then kind bends into place).
#20
Jacksonville City Nights - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
The second CD that Ryan Adams released with The Cardinals this year, was much slower than the previous release Cold Roses. The songs seemed a lot more personal and less Honkey Tonk. I think this album sounds a lot more sad than anything that Adams has done since Whiskytown (even Heartbreaker), there are many heartfelt songs on this CD and there are multiple points when I think he sounds a lot like John Lennon. This CD also sounds more like Adams roleplaying/acting as he writes the music (as if he is writing from another person/time periods point of view). Highlights for me on this album include: The Hardest Part, Silver Bullets, and Pa.
#19
Illinois - Sufjan Stevens
Who would have thought and entire CD about a Midwestern state would get such rave ratings and be some indie lists darling CD of the year. I have to admit, this is a stellar CD. It is very theatrical, one minute you will here Stevens solo acoustic on guitar and the next you will hear orchestral arrangement with background harmonics. The neat thing is that it all fits so well together. I have always wondered if all the fans on his message boards always try to abbreviate the song titles. That being said, the highlights for me include: ASRFMTWWIBFVGR and TMOMSOH.
#18
A Change is Gonna Come - Leela James
I was really surprised by the album because I saw it advertised heavily on VH1 and the song that they played on the adverts and her single named Music was good, but I didn't know if it was worth the buying the CD, then I heard the song Ghetto on a podcast and decided I had to have the CD. The entire CD is great, and mostly certainly worth the price. The only lowpoint on the CD for me is the No Doubt Cover of Don't Speak . There is just something about the song that I don't like, and it was not made any better by James' cover. Every single other song of the CD would be a standout on most other female R & B singer's albums this year.
#17
Songs For Silverman - Ben Folds
I have been a big fan of Ben Folds since the Five's Self Titled CD. Last year Ben held the coveted #6 spot with his Three EPs that were released on iTunes and AttackedByPlastic. Songs For Silverman seems a little more darker and more sad than some of folds previous solo CDs but there are a few "happier" highlights like Jesusland and Give Judy My Notice. I think that most every album that Folds has ever done solo is very retrospective on his own life. This one seems a little more personal than then others though. Most of the songs I don't know if I would enjoy as much on Fold's live solo piano shows, but on a CD they are great, they are not your usual over the top piano pieces he is known for, but I personally think they are better lyrically. Bastard and You to Thank seem to stick out for me.
#16
Live in Paris - Seal
I have been a huge Seal fan for the last 10 years, and low and behold a week after this CD was released he was on tour here in Atlanta (first time in 10 years) and we were able to go see him at Chastain Amplitheatre. The concert was great I wrote about it here, but I have to say that I think since I bought this CD the week before that I was expected a little more. I would give the concert we attended a 10 out of 10 and the concert that this was recorded at (Paris early 2005) a 12 out of 10. The recording/mastering of this live album is great, and I think a very good representation of a male vocal performer.
#15
Back To Bedlam - James Blunt
Within about 4 weeks this album shot to the top of a bunch of British charts at the beginning of 2005. I had never heard James Blunt, so I decided to download the CD and the very first song I played was No Bravery and instantly fell in love with it. At the time I thought it might be a song about the war in Iraq that a buddy of his was in or something. I did a little reading about it, and it turns out that Blunt was actually in the British Army and was station in Bosnia (the subject matter of this song) and the song just meant a lot more to me knowing that he was there and the song was written by him. The entire CD is good, I have noticed that they have started playing You're Beautiful here in the states on some radio stations. I don't know if any of the are brave enough to play No Bravery as a single with their usual corporate swagger.
#14
The Shore - The Shore
I first heard the single Waiting for the Sun on the radio, and I really enjoyed it. I went and purchased this 9 song EP and I really love every song on it. It is really laid back (almost southern cali/Thrills) music, very easy to listen to and very good.
#13
Put The "O" Back In Country - Shooter Jennings
I listened to a lot of country music growing up, and a lot of southern rock. I have been dismayed with popular country music over the last 5 - 8 years and I really don't listen to it that much anymore except for a few exceptions (Tift Merrit, Allison Krause, etc). When I heard this CD, I immediately thought southern rock. It might have just been my first instinct from the cover. I am eager to see if this CD goes anywhere on radio. I really enjoy it. Solid Country Gold is one of my top songs of the year.
#12
Plans - Death Cab For Cutie
Ok, I bought Transatlanticism and I thought it was fair. I can't say that I found it as appealing as a lot of people. I think that was the reason that I was slow to pick up this album. I was wrong. I think that lyrically this could be the best album of the year. Every song on it has great songwriting, and the music fit very well also. Some songs take a little while to grow on the listener, but the first single Soul Meets Body IS the best song on the CD for me, followed by I will Follow You and Marching Bands of Manhattan.
#11
Tourist - Athlete
I still don't even know if you can get this CD here in the states yet. I got a copy of the import from a friend, and I fell in love with the CD instantly. It sounds a lot like Feeder's Pushing the Senses (another great album that didn't make the count down), but a little more mellow.
#10
Guero - Beck
Beck has always been an artist that I could listen to and would usually grab his albums, but I never really got into being a hardcore Beck fan. I have always thought he was uber-creative and in some ways I never really knew why mainstream radio picked up on him like they did. I think he is going to be like Prince. I think in 20 years people are going to look back on his music and think, "Damn, he was way ahead of everyone". I got the E-Pro single off iTunes where the entire 5 songs are played with 8-bit sounds that sounds like they are from the original Nintendo. It intrigued me enough to pick up this whole album and I am glad it did. Highlights for me are Scarecrow and Earthquake Weather.
#9
Frances The Mute - The Mars Volta
I discovered Deloused at the Comatorium about a month before Frances The Mute came out and my first thought upon hearing Deloused was 'What the fuck are these guys on?'. The CD takes you from one end of emotion to another, and Frances the Mute does just the same. It is not for everyone, some parts it sounds like an Opera, other times like Sunny Day Realestate hopped up on coke. I can't really describe the sound, I think it is beyond awesome, but you certainly want to sample this one before you buy it.
#8
X & Y - Coldplay
I wrote a pretty decent writeup on this album earlier in the year which I posted here. To summarize, you have to give the darlings of the UK a chance on this album. IT WILL GROW ON YOU. It has me. It really is a great album when you listen to it a few times.
#7
Get Lifted - John Legend
This was one of the only albums I added to the list that came out in 2004, it came out in the last week of 2004 and really was on of the best records of 2005. I heard the single for Used To Love U and decided I needed to hear the rest of the CD, and I can honestly say it is one of the best R & B CDs that I have heard in awhile. Tons of soul. It is smithered smatthered smothered and covered in soul. Legend writes from the heart, and can play pretty damn good piano to boot. A must have of 2005.
#6
In Between Dreams - Jack Johnson
One of the few artists in the world where I will brave a teenybopper crowd to go see live. EXCELLENT singer song writer and this CD shows why. It is his third released behind Brushfire Fairytales and One and One and every song on here is golden (along with the great cover art). I was really excited about the CD launch and it was well worth it. I am eager to hear soundtrack he has been working on for the Curious George movie coming out soon.
#5
Demon Days - Gorillaz
A few years ago my wife told me I needed to listen to the Gorillaz Self Titled CD after she heard Clint Eastwood on the radio. So I did a little research to find info on the band because I thought they sounded a lot like Blur. Low and Behold it was Damon Albran's new group... well kinda. The factious band really isn't a band at all, which makes them all the more interesting. I bought the self titled cd and fell in love with its infectious grooves at once, and went and bought the Trojan Dub mix album for Space Monkey's Vs The Gorillaz also. I was awaiting info on this album when I ran across the single for Feel Good Inc. I knew at once this was going to be a hit album, the thing I didn't know was how much of a concept album it was going to be. GREAT album, most certainly a top 5 for this year.
#4
Strange & Beautiful - Aqualung
For those that might follow my music listening habits, this might be the dark horse of the year for my top 25 list. The funny thing is that I don't really know why I can't put this album down. It is great all the way through. I just checked my itunes stats since I last cleared my stats, I have listened to the CD all the way through 27 times. It is similar to X & Y, but yet totally different at the same time. Just a great release by and artist I had never heard of, that I am amazingly impressed with.
#3
Nashville - Josh Rouse
A friend at work asked me if I had heard this album yet, I had seen it released, not a lot of people were talking about it so I decided not to get it. After hearing him rave about it I finally gave it a spin and was floored. I honestly was blown away and thought man, if this guy isn't signed or isn't big he is gonna blow up. So then I start looking into his discography and noticed he has 5 more CDs. This might be the first time I have ever gone and picked up an entire back catalog of someone. He just released another EP about 3 weeks ago that is great too, but this is certainly the album you want to get by him, followed by another purchase of 1972
#2
Mighty Rearranger - Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation
I specifically remember the exact day that I was 14 years old received the first 4 cds of one of those shitty CD clubs where you get like 4 free then buy 2 at $847.23 over the next 2 years and then get 3 more for free. Well my first 4 cds of this wonderful club were some crap cd, Homebase by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (no shit), some other crap cd and Led Zepplin's Zoso/Runes/IV. I think I must have had the Zep album playing for 6 months strait. I also was heavy into Dungeons and Dragon's and pen and paper RPGs and other cool stuff that 'cool kids' [sarcasm] did back then too, and I will always remember that Zoso/Runes/IV held this mystic quality to it that I since I have only encountered in two other Led Zepplin albums; Houses of the Holy and Led Zepplin II.

Until I got this album. This CD just feels like Zepplin it just has that mystical quality to it that makes me want to start painting pewter warhammer 40k miniatures. Great CD.
#1
Cold Roses - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Absolutely, hands down the best CD of 2005 for me. No doubt about it. Not everyone is going to agree with me (ok probably a large portion if not all of the people that read this). But both the CDs in the album have been played in my truck till they are almost already warped from only one year. I LOVE this album. It is country music (as I remember country music) at its best. I cannot really name highlights on this CD because I honestly can say that I think every song is a stand out. A lot of reviews I read for this CD trashed it, or said that it should have only been one CD and the 'Fat Trimmed' as I remember one reviewer put it. Fuck that. This CD is the greatest CD I have purchase in I don't know how long. I have not, and will not ever get tired of the songs on this CD. I put Adams 2nd album from this year Jacksonville City Nights also on the top 25, he also had a third album come out last week called 29 I have listened to it through about 6 or 7 times now and I think it is a decent CD with some bright points, but it does not compare in any manner to Cold Roses. From the beginning of Magnolia mountain to the end of Friends the ENTIRE CD is great. I have listened to Adams for a long time and I think this CD moves a little away from his previous Rock n Roll and back towards his Whiskytown days. But the pairing of him and the Cardinals on this album is amazing. The female singer from the Cardinals (sorry I don't know much about The Cardinals) compliments Adams voice in a perfect manner. Simply the best album that I heard in 2005. Period.


Brainstorm it:

Dude, as always, your top 25 list is gonna cost me money damnit. Now I'm just gonna have to go out and pick a few of these up.

Good post man. Definitely will pick some of these up, especially Cold Roses.

I own one of these. That's it.

Some quick responses

Phish � I always liked them a lot. If all you are riffing on is Rift, then you are missing some great music. I have a good concert on MP3 where they covered Pink Floyd�s Dark Side of the Moon � the entire album. Worth searching for, you can listen to it while watching the Wizard of Oz. Some random song recommendations to get you started from my IPOD � Farmhouse, Free, Character Zero, and Heavy Things.

Willie Nelson doing Reggae � I always like it when an artist gets bored with their own genre and tries something new. I hope this plays better than �Chris Gaines.� Shouldn't Nelson be forced to name his albums "IRS Money" at this point?

�Also I have to admit the first time I heard 'Home' I pictured a much older, much larger, black guy with a steel guitar.�
*giggling* I don�t know, sometimes you make things too easy for me Popps. I still remember the breathless adulation for Ryan Adams from last year�s list. *giggling*

Ben Folds: Jesusland is not happy, it is scary. Very Scary. We live there. Be afraid.

Death Cab for Cutie � This is funny on a personal level. From my group of bizarro friends, Dan is sort of the Poppy with respect to music. (He doesn�t have the same taste, but he comes with comparable passion.) We give him a hard time because all his music draws from that melodramatic teenager genre, Death Cab being a primary offender. Now every time he starts drunkenly getting into a song I yell out a request for �Jesse�s Mom� (You know, the one that �has it going on.�) Never fails to legitimately piss him off. And yes, I am aware that is not a Cutie song. Back to the review.

I really think Coldplay are overrated, which is just my way of saying I don�t get it.

Dungeons & Dragons? I don�t know what you are talking about. *cut to picture of high school Justin, wearing hospital scrubs, laughing, and throwing 20 sided dice* That�s not me!!
(a la old Adam Sandler skit. Nevermind.)

This list has inspired me, I should do a list of book recommendations that no one will read.

Also, I was pissed at myself for not bringing you the new Bain Mattox at Richie's. Let's hope I can atone at poker night.

want to say that I agree with Cold Roses being #1!!!

alot of references to The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young.

Top notch.

Also dig Ashton Allen. Kind of like a cool John Mayer. Influenced heavily by Eliott Smith

E - your top albums are usually right on the money. Again, I have to agree with your selection - at least as far as the albums you have listed and I have listed to. I do think Beck put out something good. I think it is the first time though. I have never been able to figure out how he got any attention. Until now he sounded like a 10 year old playing around.
 Your Thoughts?


(Wednesday, December 21)

Whats happening Crabman?

I know everyone loves Desperate Housewives, and I am honestly pretty sure that it is a funny show, but how on earth did Jamie Prestley get left off the nominations for best actress in a musical or comedy in the Golden Globes? There were only 4 shows that I watched on TV this last season; Lost, Scrubs, Survivor (yes I am a junkie with that show) and My Name is Earl. I have always though Jamie Presley was a B-rate actress until My Name is Earl came along. She deserves a nod, she is funny as hell as Joy in that show. Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives"; Teri Hatcher, "Desperate Housewives"; Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"; Eva Longoria, "Desperate Housewives"; Mary-Louis Parker, "Weeds."


Brainstorm it:

It's a tragedy that Desperate Housewives gets that many nominations. I wish that show would die. And with that comment, I've officially lost any chance of ever scoring with any chick ever again.

Agreed! I think she's hilarious. Maybe Hollywood doesn't think whitetrash is funny.

I googled her.
You sure you don't mean "Presley?"

ohhhhhhhh, cyanbane, you just got spelling bee served...ohhhhhh...
 Your Thoughts?


(Tuesday, December 20)

Three, your out.


New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday blasted a strike by the city�s transit workers as �selfish and illegal" and said the walkout had produced a morning commute �unlike anything this city has experienced in 25 years.�
I am not even going to pretend that I know all the details of the situation up in New York today, but since when does a Union of people not have the ability to halt what they are doing for better pay and a better salary? I know it is a total pain in the ass for the residents of New York, and if I lived there I would be bitching about it every step to work. But I don't see how what they are doing is illegal, and I also am not going to say that if I was in their shoes I would not do the same thing. Can you really call it illegal that a mass group of people are well organized enough to stand up for what they think they deserve? Also, how do you define selfish? A group of people wanting better pay or a city that decides that they group who wants better pay is operating illegally and decides to fine them, becuase that group of people really is critical to the infastructure. What happened to the good old days when it was just pilots, grocery store baggers, and high paid major league stars that went on strike? NYC mayor calls transit strike �selfish ... illegal�


Brainstorm it:

"The injunction, sought by the New York State attorney general's office, is allowed under the state's Taylor Law, which prohibits strikes by public employees. If transit employees do walk out, the Transport Workers Union, Local 100, faces millions of dollars in fines - and individual employees could be fined two days' pay for each day of work they miss. Striking workers could also be jailed."

The Taft-Hartley also prohibits strikes against the government. I'm not saying the gov't is right but technically it's been illegal to strike against the gov't since 1947.

It's illegal because there is a law that states the TWU cannot strike. It's selfish because the people striking would rather negatively impact the economy and daily goings of the city than work out an agreement civily with the city. There was a time when unions and strikes were necessary... those days are over.

The down-to-the-wire negotiations came as workers at two private bus lines in Queens walked off the job, a move meant to step up pressure on the MTA.

I am sure public workers make up the majority, but they can't touch the private companies. I guess they could sue for breach of contract (if there is one).

Re DPB:

If it is illegal it's illegal. I honestly don't know if it would hold up in court or if the penality of $1m is nothing to the Union. (My guess is when they work it out, then the fines will become minimal). I don't see how the union is being any more uncivil by striking, than the city is by saying "here is all we are gonna give, take it or leave it, you can't disagree because it is illegal and we will fine you."

cyan, to be fair, the penalty is $1 million per day (imposed by a judge - starting Tuesday). So it'll add up pretty quickly, I suppose.

Also, as I understand it, Unions have more tools available to them than striking.

I don't have a dog in this fight though...

I think a few very important distinctions should be made here. First, these people aren't getting paid while they're on strike. Now I don't know about you, but I'm not walking off the job in an act of solidarity with my co-workers unless some seriously bad shit is going down.

Second, I do not believe a union is going to walk off the job unless every bargaining resource at their disposal has been utilized. I don't think we're talking about a group that sat at the table for 30 minutes, didn't get what they wanted, then decided to strike. We're talking about a group that has struggled for months to find a middle ground, couldn't find one, and used the last weapon they could. I for one think a strike, however irritating, is a vital tool to keep corporations from screwing us.

From today's NY Times:

"Yet for all the rage and bluster that followed, this war was declared over a pension proposal that would have saved the transit authority less than $20 million over the next three years....

Indeed, not just Mr. Toussaint but some other New Yorkers are questioning whether it was worthwhile for the authority to go to war over the issue when the authority's pension demands would apparently save less over the next three years than what the New York City Police Department will spend on extra overtime during the first two days of the strike.

"What they'd be saving on pensions is a pittance," Mr. Toussaint said.

Robert Linn, a former New York City labor commissioner, questioned the transportation authority's decision - with the backing of the mayor and governor - to go to the mat over pensions with a union that can exact huge pain on the city in a year when the authority was enjoying a $1 billion surplus.

"They might have picked a union that was more willing to consider the subject," Mr. Linn said. "It not just the considerable economic power of this union, it's also the timing," just before Christmas. "It's tremendously problematic." "


Regardless of the legality of the strike, it just seems tremendously stupid for the city to force this strike at this time to save very little money. The costs incurred from the strike are already astronomically higher than any projected savings. Even if you look at the possible long-term savings of the restructured pension plan, it would have made far more sense for the city to reach a deal now and to renegotiate when the 3-year contract is up. Seems like pragmatism was sacrificed on the altar of ideology and ego.

�There was a time when unions and strikes were necessary... those days are over.�
Workers form unions so they can stand together when fighting for better pay, hours, benefits, etc. The reasoning is that solidarity makes them more secure, and gives individuals the strength to stand up for their rights. How is this obsolete?

Especially in an age when corporations are becoming even bigger, more powerful, and their ability to whipsaw labor markets against one another is increasing? (Don't like your wages? Fine, we will just build a plant in Mexico.)

Yeah, I am late to the game.

�There was a time when unions and strikes were necessary... those days are over.�
Workers form unions so they can stand together when fighting for better pay, hours, benefits, etc. The reasoning is that solidarity makes them more secure, and gives individuals the strength to stand up for their rights. How is this obsolete?
 Your Thoughts?


I'm about to cry.

I honestly don't think anyone understands how much it cracks me up that there could actually be someone in the world who describes me as "I don't know he looks kinda like a mix of Dick Cheney, Ray Liota and that red headed girl from American Pie." Pretty neat technology, I think it still might need a little work though; Check out MyHeritage. (via Mingaling/Scamcity)



(Monday, December 19)

This is a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue.


NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- In an open letter to the Time Warner Inc. (TWX) (TWX) board, investor Carl Icahn questioned the company's agreement to sell 5% of its AOL Internet unit to Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG), warning that the move may be "short sighted" and a "blatant breach of fiduciary duty." In a press release Monday, Icahn, the founder of equity group Icahn Partners LP and known as an activist investor, said, "I...question whether Google is the best partner for unlocking the value of the AOL asset." Time Warner agreed to sell a 5% stake in AOL to Google for $1 billion cash in return for an advanced partnership between the two companies.
Huh? If I were Icahn and Google I would take a note from Steve Miller: Take the Money and Run I know the Big G has money all over the place, but 5% for 1Billion (a 20 billion value on AOL)? Maybe I am missing something but a company like AOL who was built on the fact that they provided a service (internet connectivity) when it was needed. Now, it is being eroded every single day by a new generation of connectivity (that AOL has yet to offer from what I know). But then an investor doesn't like a 20 billion dollar valuation of AOL? I don't think it is worth near that personally and I think this was a waste by G. If you take Y!/MSN/G* in a 3 way chess game, this was like Google sacrificing 3 pawns for a knight. In some cases it could make sense, but in most it doesn�t. Let Y! or MSN take the knight. But hey, if you are AOL, get as much as possible.


Brainstorm it:

Too funny... in chess terms 3 pawns for a knight is considered an even trade, you don't lose or gain from that transaction. Give up two pawns for a knight and now you are losing.

*sigh* I would give up my kingdom for a knight of the Poppy order.

Too funny... in chess terms 3 pawns for a knight is considered an even trade

I have always heard it is a give or take depending on the state of the board.

Because 3 Pawns can have more value than a knight sometimes strategically. If we played a game, and I took your c,d, and e pawns off the board in exchange for one of my knights I am pretty sure I would win. Pawn structure is very important for grabbing space and defending yourself. Knights, not so much.

Likewise, if you had your king and a knight left at the end game, and I had a king and 3 pawns you would be a fool not to trade the knight for the 3 pawns if you have the chance (and take the stalemate rather than the loss)
Pawns can potentially become better pieces, knights not so much.

On the flip side, lets say I set up an exchange where I grab your queen and have to give up a bishop and 2 pawns - giving me a material advantage. If a situation arose where I could exchange a knight for 3 pawns I would take it in a second, thereby increasing my material lead by taking equivalent points off the board. (Any time I take a noticable material lead I always play for attrition because they will run out of pieces before I do.)
 Your Thoughts?


(Wednesday, December 14)

bunnyspatial.com: Bad World of Warcraft Music Video!


(Someone had the taco loco last night)
The Bunny made a pretty cool video of his character in WoW (Female Gnome, not asking why) to the music of Stereograms "Walkie Talkie Man". It is really pretty cool. He compressed it with Divx and even compressed, the Fraps recording looks stellar. I may have to play around with Fraps some. Seems like a Kick ass program for recording ingame vids. Go check out his video. Certainly worth the look.


Brainstorm it:

For safety - you might consider putting a little bit of space between yourself and the bunny. I saw him freezing an egg in his car today.

An Egg is not bad. I was glad they moved him to another building when I saw him with two cans of freon computer dust cleaner and a hen.
 Your Thoughts?


(Tuesday, December 13)

Breath of Fresh Air for Developers.

All I can say is wow. This has the potential to seriously change the whole landscape of search (at least in relation to APIs). Now any small business can harness the power of a grid of comps, for what looks to be a pretty minimal pricing structure. VERY VERY cool. If anything it is a push towards more open Search APIs from the big three. Amazon really surprised me with Mechanical Turk. This is just great. I can't wait to start playing with it. WSJ: (No Signup) Amazon Revs Its Search Engine Wired: Roll Your Own Google Om Malik: Amazon�s Alexa Commoditizes Search (I except that G Calendar will probably launch later today. The Big G can't allow Amazon to steal that spotlight too long:) )


Brainstorm it:  Your Thoughts?


(Sunday, December 4)

Thank You Bernie Marcus.

I honestly cannot remember the last time before today when I saw both kids and adults in awe at the same time. Continuously. It wasn't a good special fx movie awe, it wasn't July 4th staged firework awe, but it was wonderment at Earth�s creatures awe. For a 26 year old guy who has been to a pretty good number of places around the world, I honestly never thought I would find what could be the neatest example of captive natural marvel, in my own hometown. I have had my own reef tank for about 2 and a half years. I love saltwater fish, inverts, corals and the whole nine yards. I knew I was going to enjoy it on a hobbyist level, but the moment you are in the tunnel and you hear everyone get silent for a 2-3 seconds then just start with the �oh my�� and everyone just turns towards this massive massive fish the size of a school bus passing OVERHEAD of everyone, schools of fish swimming in it's pressure halo, you know that you are in a special place. Then another one follows right behind it (and there are at least 98,998 others within 9 acres from where you stand). I just can�t describe it. The people that brought us the Georgia Aquarium didn�t just bring Atlanta another aquarium, I have seen Monterey Bay, Charleston, Chicago, Jacksonville, and Chattanooga and it runs circles around all of them. And if you have kids, the 4D theatre/show is spot on for $5.50 (kinda cheesey but there is one part where my wife screamed). My Wife has been using her photography skills she is learning from a photography class she is taking and took tons of pics from today. Check out the set here, and some of my favs: here, here, here, and here.


Brainstorm it:  Your Thoughts?


(Thursday, December 1)

Is this Bellsouth Preping for a Googly Fight?


The concept of network neutrality holds that information carriers should be impartial regarding content when moving data across networks, but gigantic, faceless telecoms are asserting those networks belong to them. As an example, SBC's CEO Edward Whitacre believes SBC should be able to charge websites, like Google or AOL, for using 'their pipes.' Smaller sites could effectively be shut down, priced out of business by the page view. Contemplating such possibilities, one could almost embrace the position of BellSouth CEO William L. Smith. Mr. Smith doesn't want to violate network neutrality at all, rather he supports a 'pay-for-performance marketplace to develop on top of a baseline service level that all content providers would enjoy.' Really, it's no different than choosing a seat on a plane or mailing a package.
When I started reading this the first thing that came to my mind was the Record Industry and Steve Jobs and a John Mayer Trio Lyric off of 'Try!'. Let me explain. There is a song on the album called "Vultures" and there is one line that really sticks out, I am sure everyone has heard it before but it is [paraphrase] "Power isn't made, it's taken". This is precisely why the record companies did not like the fact that iTunes was getting so popular with .99cent downloads. From what I last heard I think Jobs and the Record companies came to an agreement on different price points for different songs on the iTunes network. Now, previous to this the record companies wanted staggered price points for music (if I was a record company exec I would too). Why should they continue selling songs off Billy Ocean's Greatest Hits (a record I actually just purchased) and also Rascal Flatts (Country Music version of a boy band) at the same price .99c. Why not charge 1.49 per song for the Rascal Flatts Songs (people are willing to pay it) and only .79c for "Get Out of my dreams (and into my car)"? There are very few people who might pay 99c for this song (I am one of them) but a whole slew of more people might be willing to pay .79 for it on a whim. I don't know how the iTunes pricing structure works currently and how apple gets their slice (pun intended). But to me this completely makes sense and as someone who rarely listens to people like Rascal Flats, I am actually cool with it. So how does this relate to the Bellsouth wanting to control their bandwidth issue? It isn't exactly the same, but the way I see it this is Bellsouth worrying about Google. I know some you (my readers), may think that I am just wearing a tin foil hat in thinking about how all these different business sectors and industries should be worried about Google, but THEY SHOULD, AND THEY ARE worried about Google. Investors in every industry have to worry about them now. Here is why I think this is a chess move from Bellsouth. Say GoogleNet happens (if you don't know what I am talking about read my post here) For me personally it isn�t about if GoogleNet is going to happen, but when. So lets assume Google starts at major cities and at the end of their newly not-dark-anymore fiber lines kicks in Google Wifi. They start in major cities and slowly work around other parts of the U.S. They let you browse the web free from anywhere they are covered, but they reserve the right to track you 'anonymously' and feed you nicely subject targeted geographically targeted ads. With free wifi who needs Bellsouth DSL? Maybe businesses and other critical uptime sites, but who else would need them residentially? Not avg Joe, he gets by with Google Wifi. I don't know what percent of Bellsouth DSL is residential but I would venture to say a pretty good amount. So what�s left? Bellsouth/SBC's investment in Cingular? What happens when Google and Linksys team up to bring you a voip phone? A phone that has your GoogleTalk buddy list already there, and all you have to do is voice chat with anyone for free using Google Wifi. No need for Cingular (except for critical stuff that can't be moved fro hardwire). So Now Bellsouth/SBC are out a little more. How Would regulating bandwidth traffic to certain sites help them in this Googly future? a.) They can regulate their user�s bandwidth to Google and its competitor. if Yahoo is 5 times faster than Google, that is a pretty big deal to some people. I guess all those fancy protal'like things that seem to keep sneaking up on the Google search screen might not be there anymore if bandwidth is in play. So now everyone that passes through Bellsouth might have a little more incentive to hit Yahoo or another Search Engine instead of Google. b.) Now they also have a way to profit from Google's growth, the big G will need to pay its bandwidth bill also to the telecom if they want to continue growth. Its kind of a scary situation for me as a residential user, it is kind of like watching Mothra and Godzilla battle it out. I am kind of helpless and for some reason I think some shit around me is going to get destroyed in he process and I have no control over it. Could there be a new "network" as an outcome of all this? I personally feel that as of today in 2005 there is an "Internet" and a "DarkNet". Those are the only two major areas of the Internet I see as of now. I wonder if in 2009 there will be a BusinessNet and a GoogleNet. Legislation could threaten network neutrality


Brainstorm it:

Got a question. I'll admit I haven't followed this at all - so I may be comlpetely off base on this - but if SBS could charge websites for using their pipes - couldn't all sites (not just google, aol, or ebay) be in a difficult position. WOuldn't this (or couldn't this) effectively shutdown the small players - the little web sites - who can't afford to pay additional amounts?

Song Pricing
Finding the �sweet spot� for prices of individual songs would be their best strategy, and for lovers of top 40 it would be the worst thing that could happen. The more eclectic your tastes, the better off you are.

It might take some programming savvy to pull it off. I don�t use ITunes to buy music, but I am assuming they track the sales generated by each song so it is probably just a matter of working out the details.

Service Providers
Phone companies are hurting anyway; their service has become a commodity. They don�t make much money on providing internet access. I think at some point they are going to have to radically evolve what they do.

Where is a.)?
(There is an inexplicable �b.)� in your post.)

Darknet
Define �darknet� please.

I find your google related posts strangely absorbing. Until you came along, google was just an extremely helpful search engine. I had no idea how much more to the story there was. And at the same time I am still not sure if there is anything more to the story. I don�t know how, but this makes sense to me.

@ Xest:
Exactly what scares me about that, and should scare everyone. That would be a massive amount of power to swing around (which might push people to another provider (like Google Wifi) quicker. Would suck for webmasters, period.

@Justin:

re iTunes:
I hope they do it, it is better off for me personally.

re evolve:
I think at some point they are going to have to radically evolve what they do.

They have been needing to do this for years, now Google is forcing them too.

re missing a.):
a.) has been added. Supposed to be two reasons for Bellsouth to do this. b') was the second, not sure what happened to "a."

re Darknet:
Darknet (Wiki) Not Really a single network but a collection of smaller networks. (Gnutella, small p2ps between friends, eDonkey, etc) Most people only know them from their shiny interfaces (eMule, BearShare, etc). I personally expand the definition to include some elements of IRC and newsgroups where people push and pull files.

re Not sure about