Touchscreens and Movement

One of the prevolent technologies at this year’s CES was touchscreens and new ways of movement/navigation – from phones and displays to videogames, there was a big focus on this interactive element. Take a cue from the iPhone, many of the cell phone makers at CES were eager to show off their own touch-screen models, from the Blackberry Bold to the new Palm Pre, the new standard for cell phones is touch screen. However, this touch-screen revolution isn’t just for phones, many computers, tablet PCs, and netbooks featured touch screen technology as a way to replace the mouse. Most of what we saw was pretty good, but (more…)

CES 2009

I’m getting ready to head to the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. All of the new technology toys, tools, and gadgets will be on display there – too bad Christmas is over. I’ll try and give some updates on the stuff I see and do while there. Vegas baby, Vegas.

Loving Skype

I’ve had Skype for a while now, but could never find anyone else I knew on their search tool. Finally, over the holidays my brother-in-law mentioned he had it as well. We used it to video conference with his family a few times over the holidays. It was great to be able to see them and chat face to face. Now I only wish my parents were able to get a high-speed connection out where they live… I know they’d enjoy video chatting with the kids.

Winnie the Pooh

I sat down tonight to watch Christmas movies with the kids – we’ve been enjoying ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas. Tonight we watched Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too. I never noticed it growing up, but all the characters on Winnie the Pooh sound and act like they’re 80 years old.

Quickly Produced on the Web

I’m constantly amazed at how quickly people can produce funny, sometimes high-quality, but always relevant content for the web.  Less than a couple days after the Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at President Bush, here’s just a quick sample of things that have popped up on the web…

Macy’s Parade got Rick Rolled

If you’re not familiar with being “Rick Rolled” it’s a prank that’s been going around the Internet for a little while.  Essentially someone sends you a link to a video and when you begin to view the video it looks normal… then suddenly and unexpectedly, Rick Astley’s video “Never Gonna Give You Up” from 1987 starts running – you’ve just been Rick Rolled.  Well, here’s a little video of what happened during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade today…

Oil industry full of gas

Earlier this summer, I distinctly remember seeing gas reach over the $4/gallon mark. It was everywhere on the news and suddenly every news channel was interview CEOs from companies such as Exxon/Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, etc. These CEOs attempted justify the high costs we see at the pump – along with their billions of dollars in profits. They showed how the high cost of crude oil was driving prices up. In fact, at the time we were paying a little over $4/gallon, the price of crude oil jumped to $147 a barrel. OK, I understand, gas and oil is in high demand because of growth in places like China and India so we’re all paying more. What I don’t get is that this week, crude oil has fall to below $70/barrel (a 53% drop from it’s high on July 11) and yet the price at the pump has only fallen to about $2.85/gallon – that’s only a 29% drop in prices at the pump. So what’s happening with the 24% gap in the change in prices… my guess, it’ll finally push the big 3 I mentioned above (all Fortune 5 companies) a little closer to hitting a collective 100 Billion in profits. Happy driving!

Larry Miller, not Carlin on Aging

Back in the late 1980’s I recorded a comedy bit by an up and coming comedian named Larry Miller.  Since then you’ve probably caught him in movies like Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Get Smart, etc.  The comedy bit he performed back then dealt with aging and was a hilarious take on the topic.  I recorded it on audio tape and actually borrowed it for a talent show (it brought down the house).  Today, I was forwarded an email going around that suggesting George Carlin performed it. Further online research showed me several sites crediting this bit to George Carlin.  A few sites that determine fact or fiction among these chain e-mails have correctly suggested that it was performed by Larry Miller, as well as the New York Times.  I pray I don’t get sued (I only post it here to dispel any the myth), but here is the complete bit as performed by Larry Miller…

You know we get older everyday. Do you realize that the only time in our lives we like to get old is when we’re a little kids. Do you understand that? If your less than ten years old, you’re so excited about aging. You think in fractions…I’m four and a half…You’re never 36 and a half.

But you see, your four and a half, goin’ on 5. You see, that’s the key here. See, you’re “goin’ on.” You get into your teens. Now you’re so excited that you jump to the next number. How old are you? …I’m gonna be 16…You could be 12…but, your gonna be 16.

Then comes the greatest day of your life – You become 21. But you see, even the word sounds like a ceremony. You become 21…YES!…But you TURN 30. It makes you sound like bad milk. He turned…so we had to throw him out.

Now what changes? What’s different? You become 21, you turn 30, and then…your pushing 40. Stay over there! See how its all slipping away?

You become 21, you turn 30, your pushing 40, and then…you reach REACH 50. (“Sob”) My dreams are gone!

So then you become 21, you turn 30, your pushing 40, you reach 50…and you MAKE IT to 60. “Whew”…I didn’t think I’d make it.

So…you become 21, you turn 30, your pushing 40, you reach 50, you make it to 60 and by then you built up so much speed…(smack) you hit 70.

After that, it’s pretty much day by day. After that you hit Wednesday. When you get into your 80’s you hit lunch…It turned 4:30. My grandmother won’t even by green bananas.

When you get into your 90’s, you start going backwards…I was JUST 92.

And then folks…it’s an amazing thing…if you can make it over the age of 100, you become a little kid again. I’m 104 and a half.

So watch for these warning signs of aging. They can happen to you at any time. I don’t care how young you think you are.

Number one, you know your getting older when you find yourself buying a Volvo…not because its safe, but because you like the way it looks…Its a good, sensible car.

You know your getting old when you find yourself humming to elevator music. That’s a little frightening.

Here’s one that will sneak up on you. You know your getting old, when you find yourself on your own front lawn yelling a teenagers in cars. “Slow down…PUNK!”

You now you’re getting old, when you find yourself buying records on television. Yeah, laugh now! “Quick honey get the pen, this one has everything I like. It comes with boots and a comb. This one, this is a good one.”

And then the final step in the process folks, it happens to everyone. You’ll know you old then. Can you imagine the day…you’ll be having an argument with a kid of yours…and the kid will turn to you and say, “You just don’t understand.” “Whoa”, honey, wasn’t I cool once? I was pretty hip for a while, wasn’t I? And at that very second, the phone will ring and it will be your parents saying, “HA, HA.”

NORM!

I was riding my bike to work today and took notice of a few of the political banners people are starting to put in their front yards. Of course I passed Obama and McCain signs, but one sign caught my eye – George Wendt for McLean County Board. I remembered that the actor that played Norm on Cheers was named George Wendt, and was from Illinois (Chicago). How great would that be to have him as a county board member? County board meetings could be at the bar, with a special place saved for George Wendt.

Unfortunately, as I suspected, it’s not the same George Wendt… however, the county board member looks like he could be the father of the actor. What do you think?

McLean Country Board Member

Norm from Cheers

Funny Job Posting Title

I’m not sure if this was planned before this week’s announcement that AIG was going under and the government was buying them up, but I found a job posting I had to tell you about…  The title of the posting = “FINANCIAL ADVISORS – MANAGE OUR MONEY.”  When you click on the job opening, what does it take you to?  It turns out it’s a job posting to become a financial advisor for AIG.  While I find it funny that AIG is asking for financial advisors to help them manage their money (after getting the government to buy a big chunk of them for around $83 billion), I found something that bugged me a little more.  Not to sound like an education snob, but when you look at the posting, they were looking for at least a 2-year degree.  Now if I’m looking for someone to manage my money, I think I’d want someone with a little more education.  Perhaps that’s why AIG was $75 billion in the hole, they’re advertising for less than college grads, yet have the audacity in the ad to say, “we only hire the best!”

2008 Pale Ale

This was originally posted on my personal blog in 2008…

I brewed a Pale Ale this past weekend. It might be close to an IPA, but I’m not sure. Here’s the recipe…

Steeped .5 lb of Crystal 40L for 24 hours in 5.75 gallons of hot water from the tap
Brought up to 155F and let sit at that temp for 30 min.
Brought to a boil and removed grains.
1 oz. Cascade hops A.A. 6.3%
Boiled for 30 min.
.5 oz. Cascade hops A.A. 6.3%
2 cups of corn sugar
2 cans of Alexanders Sun Country Pale Malt Extract
1 tsp Irish Moss
Boiled for 15 min.
.5 oz. Cascade hops A.A. 6.3% Boiled for 10 min.
.5 oz. Cascade hops A.A. 6.3%
Boiled for 5 min. and removed from heat
Cooled the wort and added Muntons Gold yeast at around 79F
Gravity = 1.066

I’m planning on dry hopping (my first experiment with dry hopping) with .5 oz. Cascade hops A.A. 6.3% after a week in the primary and let sit for another week in the primary before transferring over to the secondary. Again, I’ll let you know how it goes.

Television Extravaganza

I’ve got a lot of TV watching to do (and no time to do it). I’m trying to catch up on a few of the shows that have been recommended to me by friends (and I have actually gotten into – sorry Lost fans). Aside from watching the Olympics late into the night, I’ve been trying to catch up on Weeds and Mad Men. Both are already several shows into their new seasons and I’m trying to make my way through the previous seasons. Fortunately, I’ve been able to record the new seasons for future (hopefully soon) viewing. On top of all of this, I’m also anticipating the new seasons of a few shows that I’m already caught up on, including Entourage and Greek (one that I’m almost embarrassed to admit). There’s a lot of TV coming and I’ve got to find the time to watch… there’s nothing worse that listening to folks at work talk about a storyline I haven’t reached yet.