No call, new planets, nuclear beings, software, nyc lego

Ever since my hassles with PeoplePC's telemarketers, it seems like I'm getting a ton of telemarketer calls every day (like 4 or more); did it increase after I got after PeoplePC? Maybe I've just hit a point of frustration and am noticing them more. So, I finally broke down and registered myself on the National Do Not Call Registry.
But, in other news:

• As a follow up to last post's Pluto/planet story, looks like the new planet definition will open things up to more planets. Ceres, Charon, and Xena: welcome to the neighborhood.
• We've always known nuclear war would be bad. But now I am terrified to learn that it could create evil super human mutant overlords.
• I'd seen this a while ago, but it is still funny for software developers: a cartoon depicting how software development really works.
• This is cool: a New York City made of Legos.
  

Pluto status, gel ant farm, volcano tunes, game kit

Today's stories:

• Throw out your old textbooks, looks like Pluto may be reclassified as not a planet, or several other solar bodies will be classified as planets. I hope none of them contain hostile alien invaders.
• Even ants are getting more high tech, with this gel filled ant farm.
• Volcano music made by feeding seismographs into a MIDI interpreter. Of course! I would have thought of that!
• Microsoft to release cheap version of XBox 360 game development tools. You could make the next Tetris!
  

Rain, Talladega, 3d murals, human control, next gen dvd

Rain, rain, and rain. Thunderstorms last night, then rain this morning, and now it is raining as I write this. It's much better than the drought-like conditions we had earlier this summer, but now it is going a bit overboard with the water.
I saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby this weekend. It was one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. The dialogue and interactions are hilarious. If you go to the Ricky Bobby website (from the link earlier), you can generate a NASCAR nickname and banner for your site. Here's mine:


In other stuff:

• Here are some amazing pictures of the 3D illusion murals of artist Eric Grohe. Even more can be found on his site.
• Scientists have figured out how to artificially control human walking and balance. Finally! I'm tired of doing all my own walking.
• HD-DVD or Blu-ray... is it possible that both are losers?
  

Foiled plot, security patches

Links:

• Well, the obvious big news item is the foiled airline terrorist plot today. Again, I hope you are not getting your main news from my site. Good job to those that caught this horrible plot before it could happen.
• I spent a late night at work Tuesday as we applied the latest round of Microsoft security patches. There are some very critical ones in there, so make sure you run your Windows Update. (Even the Homeland Security Department wants you to.)
  

Wired home network

Hello,
I just wired some network cable through my home yesterday, replacing my wireless network. I'd been having a hard time get a good signal (something was causing interference; possibly my furnace was in the way). Also, I think one of my neighbors is starting up their own wireless network as I had a laptop and a PC try to connect into mine, and my downstairs PC could find their network, but not my own. I figured it was time to wire in for it, as it would also give me better speed. I use my XBox 360 as a Media Center Extender, so the faster speed is better for video.
It was a more challenging task that I thought, the most frustrating of which was trying to figure out how to thread the cable from my upstairs office down through my utility room. Then I wanted especially to state that if you are in the need of wire staples (little brackets to nail wires and cables up in place), I highly, highly recommend staying far away from Leviton staples, which I bought for cheap at Wal-Mart. More than half of them broke as I was nailing them in.

New touch interface, mistaken mpg, Beruit devastation

Links for today:

• Please watch this fantastic presentation by Jeff Han at the TED conference. He demonstrates a new 'interface free' touch based system that is incredible.
• Cars on average 8% more fuel than they claim. But, hey, fuel's cheap, right?
• Amazing and sad satellite photo Before and After of Beruit.
  

Branson vacation photos

16 Kansas City Zoo - Tiger
Originally uploaded by Brian Whitmarsh.

I've made some of my KC/Branson vacation photos available on my Flickr account. Feel free to browse.

The tiger pictured here was basking in the heat at the Kansas City Zoo.

Dark Place, alien coverup, light art, questionable sources, rubber artillery, website dna

Taking a moment to post as I was all set to watch Garth Merenghi's Dark Place on Sci Fi (which was listed in the guide), but they had that lame "Ghost Hunters" show on instead. I saw "Dark Place" for the first time last week, and thought it was hilarious.
But instead, I post:

• Allegations of a SETI coverup. Did they indeed receive signals from aliens?
• Some cool light animations done with webcams and light pens.
• Where did that web video spoofing Al Gore come from? Wait, the Internet was used for devious purposes?!?
• I had a rubber band gun when I was a kid, but today, you can get plans for a rubber band machine gun. When will the escalation end?
• Would you like to see your website represented as human DNA? Not sure why you would, but there's a site that will do it for you.
• And I thought about posting an endless list of links about Mel Gibson's recent issue, but decided the mainstream media is covering that very much well enough.
  

Annoying PeoplePC, science, projects, furnishings, centaur, tmnt

I just recently finished an angry email to PeoplePC because their Contact Center has telemarketted me 3 times in the last two weeks. It is obviously an offshore Indian call center (which generally I don't have issues with; just when they are really bad like this one), though they all gave "American" names. I don't like it when they do this. It is belittling to them by having to use a fake name (especially when sometimes they have trouble pronouncing it) and everyone knows that they are lying. The first agent kept up even though I said "no" seven or eight times. I try to be respectful, so I took the time to explain why my 5MB cable model is better than the dial-up he was offering. He was not understanding me and trying to stick to the script, so he responded with "So is your main concern about tying up your phone line?".
The next call was after 8PM on a Sunday (not against the law to my knowledge, but I thought general courtesy of telemarketers is to avoid this time). I told the agent I already had a call and was not interested. She proceeded to tell me I was hasty in declining and was argumentative.
The third call was relatively straightforward; the agent said OK and goodbye after I said this was the third call.
I don't see how any company expects to do business like this, but it is getting more and more common.
Anyway, here are some unrelated links for me to browse while waiting for the inevitable fourth call:

• Could you pass 8th Grade Science? online quiz. I was a bit disappointed in how easy it was.
• Tired of paying Coca-Cola for their drink? Make your own Coca-Cola.
• Bleach Spritz Clothing looks to be an easy craft project for decorating old shirts. I may give this a try.
• I think of parabolic dishes for signal reception, but not as a parabolic lamp. This is an interesting idea.
• Redoing that living room? You might want the sensor embedded carpet that can guess shoe size, age, gender, and other characteristics of the person walking on it.
• Think the two wheeled Segway is not for you? You may like the 4 wheeled Segway Centaur concept.
• What you've been waiting for: trailer for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles move. Wait... they're making a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles move?
  

Back from vacation in Branson

Well, I'm back! I visited fabulous Branson, MO, with a stop in Kansas City on the way. Today's links will be for some of the spectacular vacation fare that I experienced:

• Kansas City Zoo - Nice zoo, but not as fun when it is 105 degrees out.
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Very good museum. Got kicked out because they were closing.
• Silver Dollar City - Fun theme park. Not huge, but good variety. (On most of the rides: you will get wet!)
• Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum - full of great oddities.
• Titanic Museum - I thought it was a bit out of place in Branson, but it was very well done.
• Grand Country Square - Didn't stay at the hotel, but ate at the buffet and played the mini golf course.
• 57 Heaven (in Dick Clark's American Bandstand complex) - awesome collection of 1957 cars.
• Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede - horse show and singing, and a four course meal with no silverware.
• Hollywood Wax Museum - just creepy enough.
• The Track - go-karts and other rides.
  

Vacation

Well, I'll be heading out on a mini-vacation here soon, so no updates for a while.
See you in a bit!

Dancing around the world, open mic, clean bills, generous corps, cap magnets

So, what's new? Looks like I'm past the blistering heat here for the moment (over 100 degrees this weekend...fahrenheit, that is). Here are some links for you to read as you sit in your nice air conditioned space:

• If you haven't seen Matt Harding's Dancing Around The World videos, you really should. They are a little goofy, but also kind of touching. What a fun project to do!
• President Bush really needs to learn to be careful around open mics. Candid with some language.
• Two robbers misunderstand money laundering. I hope they used the right detergent.
• The nation's most generous corporations by charitable givings. Wal-Mart is number one? I thought they were supposed to be evil!
• Here's a simple craft project that's kind of neat: turn bottlecaps into magnets or thumbtacks.
  

Whitmarshall new look (and other stuff)

Sorry for the long stretch between updates. I've been working on a new design for the site (as you can see by now), but it took longer than I planned (and was difficult to find the time to work on it. There are still a few rough edges (like the alignment around the top), but I wanted to get it out there. I welcome any feedback on it!
In other news:

• Rare, mutant two-toned lobster caught. He's been immediately signed to be in "X-Men 4".
• RIAA loses a file sharing case. If only they would have downloaded a better legal argument.
  
• Google sends blogger aspirin after he writes a post entitled "Dear Google, You're Giving Me A Headache." Funny, but does this mean Google is reading everything on the web?
  
• This hilarious Darth Vader video on YouTube is one of the funniest things I've seen lately. The video author took Star Wars footage and dubbed in James Earl Jones lines from other movies. Genius.

And that is all the news there is for the day...err, except all that Israel/Hamas/Palestine/Lebanon/Hezbollah/Syria/Iran/North Korea/etc. stuff...

Censor, executive gift, payment pals, marios, msPod, KFed's good joke

Hello, here's some new links:

• Need to stay incognito? You need the Black bar 'censor' sunglasses.
• Nintendo sends Bush a birthday gift of a DS Lite and "Brain Age". Finally, a gift he can use. (By the way I have "Brain Age", and my brain age is currently 22!)
• eBay banning users from using Google Checkout as a form of payment. No self interest there.
• Very sweet animated gif of infinite Super Marios.
• Some new details of Microsoft's iPod killer have been released. Blue screen of death not listed.
  
• Kevin Federline insists his first song release was actually a joke all along. Yeah, we all believe that.
  

The Star Mangled Banner, annihilation, genuine spying

Hope you have a fun and safe Independence Day tomorrow. But before then, here are some links:

• With Independence Day comes the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner". Are you one of the two thirds of Americans that don't know all the lyrics to our National Anthem? I think the might change that just to Anthem. By the way, the last words are not "play ball" or "gentlemen, start your engines".
• And we can celebrate our Independence thinking about North Korea's threat of an 'annihilating strike' and 'nuclear war' in case they are pre-emptively attacked. Of course, I suppose that is only if we don't pre-emptively attack the couple nuclear bombs they have.
• I mentioned it last time, but here is another article about Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage spying on you.

New China, Genuine spyware, internets, struggling penny

Boy, it's been a while. I had much trouble at work this week, with some late nights working on issues. The last few days I've just been catching up on home stuff and trying to not do too much computery stuff. I saw Superman Returns the other day, and generally liked it. I thought it was a bit too long. This new guy does a lot in his performance that really makes you think of Christopher Reeve, and didn't really seem unnatural in any way. (Maybe I'll post a longer review later.)
In other news:

• More evidence that China discovered America. And this would be before Columbus... or it wouldn't be much of a story.
• Lawsuit says Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy software is spyware. I've noticed this thing (firewall catches it) trying to dial home several times a day. It is a bit annoying, and I've wondered exactly what it is trying to send.
• Senator Ted Stevens delivers brilliantly insane speech on why he voted as he did on the net neutrality subject.
• The penny may be on the way out due to it now costing 1.2 cents to make the 1 cent coin.
  

Long life (until the asteroid), ignoring the law, maglev frame, grill pizza, Digg

Here's some links for the day:

• We may one day live to be 1000. I don't know if I'll keep my blog up that whole time though.
• Half mile wide asteroid to pass by Earth on July 3. Bruce Willis readying his spaceship now.
• President Bush adds 'signing statements' to laws he signs to say that he can ignore them if he wants for national security purposes. Must have missed that whole "checks and balances" part in American History class.
• This magnetic levitation picture frame is pretty cool, but the $150 is a bit steep (cost when you add in the magnetic display unit).
• And this is a nifty tool: grill top pizza stone.
• I've mentioned it before, but Digg is a great social news site (the best, I think), and they've just gone live with version 3. Check it out for a good place to get top submitted stories.
  

Wireless troubles, future of Futurama, animations, the birds

I'm going to suggest avoiding D-Link routers. My Linksys burned out a few weeks back, so I went and bought a new wireless router and wireless adapter for my PC (I got the WBR-2310 router and the PCI adapter recommended to go with it. They have Rangebooster! and are supposed to get me up to 108 Mbps rates.) I'm having trouble with it.

• Firstly, my PC that is directly hooked to the router occasionally just loses internet access. A reset of the router or sometimes unplugging it or rebooting the PC is required to fix it.
  
• Secondly, my other PC (which is downstairs, probably about 30 - 40 ft away) gets a weak signal and will also lose the network.
  
• Thirdly, today some of my router settings were wiped out (including network name) so my other PC and XBox couldn't connect at all (this was possibly due to the router reseting and unplugging I've needed?).
  
• Lastly, and not really a product problem, I found out after the fact, that this router is not "certified" for the XBox 360, but I've generally been able to get it working so that may not be a big deal.

I called D-Link support today and after giving a ton of information, the guy had me make some router config changes to try and address the first issue. He didn't seem to even want to address the second and third (and I hadn't realized the settings were wiped out at the time of the call), saying we should try and fix one first. He gave me a case number and said I'll have to return the router to the place of purchase if the dropped connection issue continues (which is conveniently about 2 hrs away). I was not impressed with their tech support at all. If anyone reading has any ideas, please let me know.

In other news:

• Futurama returns! with all new episodes for Comedy Central.
• Visit this fun and clever animation of animator versus animation.
• Some other good animated shorts at Alan the Box. I haven't spent much time here yet, but found it from the "B & W Drama Theater 13" which I thought was funny.
• And while you're watching stuff, check out this amazing video of a flock of starlings crushing a tree.
  

Average cable and internet service, quote quiz, Holy Trinity renamed

Hello, all! A few links:

• Comcast service person falls asleep on customer's couch after spending an hour on hold with home office and missing three scheduled appointments. Customer videotapes this.
• AOL wants to make sure your dead loved ones have their service.
• Test your quote knowledge with the Ann Coulter or Adolf Hitler Quote Quiz.
• Some Presbyterian Churches considering renaming the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to gender inclusive options like "Mother, Child, and Womb", "Rock, Redeemer, Friend", or others. Oh, Rock, why have you forsaken me?
  

Cars, routers, web dislikes, msPod, config.shirt

Hello! How are you? I had a decent Saturday, and saw the movie "Cars", which i thought was excellent (like all Pixar movies). There's not a single human or animal in the movie (technically), yet it still conveyed a lot of emotion. Plus, it contains probably the only "Larry the Cable Guy" performance that I even found to be tolerable, which is a tremendous feat.
Today, I've been struggling with my new wireless router and PCI card for my home network (my previous router blinked its last light a week or so ago). I got this new one set up relatively easily, but I'm having problems with it dropping the network or dropping my Internet connection until I reboot. So, if you are shopping for a router, I may have a suggestion about one to avoid.
But in other news, here are some links:

• What people hate about web sites. Are your pet peeves on the list?
• Is Microsoft developing a rival to the iPod? But with...er, more reboots?
• For the customizer: a configurable t-shirt, but a rather low-tech one.
  

Dozens, vanity surprise, smart states, liquid armor, Gates steps down, light faucet

Looking for some links? Here are some:

• Theives steal 279 copies of "Cheaper By The Dozen" on DVD. Apparently it's a lot cheaper by the 3,348.
• Maybe not the 'value-add' service they were expecting, but several customers found drug 'bricks' in their Home Depot bathroom vanities.
• How does your state rank on the list of most educated states?
• Another step towards Terminator 2... liquid body armor could help protect our troops.
• Bill Gates to step down from day-to-day duties in 2008. I hope he's saving up a nice nest egg before leaving the job.
• Tired of not knowing the temperature of your water? You need the Equa Light Delight faucet that changes color with temps.
  

Rove safe, bogus assistance, interrogation methods, music sharing contained, iSweatshop

How do I pass on great stuff to you? Through links:

• Karl Rove will not be indicted in leak case. Boy, that guy must have some friends in high places.
• The GAO finds up to $1.4 Billion in bogus assistance given out for Katrina and Rita. This news is causing me mental anguish, such that perhaps some government restitution is in order.
• The Pentagon won't hide some interrogation techniques in a classified section of their manual. Or, are they just going to classify the existence of that section of the manual? Think about it.
• RIAA chief says music piracy is "contained". Whew! I have noticed the increase in quality of life already!
• Is Apple producing their iPods in overseas sweatshops? Employees working 15 hr days for $50/month... but at least they get to listen to sweet tunes while they work.
  

Symphony, body claim, fake ID, Transformers, ring stock

After a cool weekend, it is back to much warmer days again. Saturday night, the Minnesota's Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra gave a performance at our new high school's arts center. This is the first time I've been there, and I've got to say the accoustics are terrific there. The theater is very nice (maybe a bit much for a high school, but it will get a lot of community use). The performance was excellent as well.
Anyway, here are a few links for today:

• Don't want to pay for that funeral? Just don't claim the body of that family member. Sheesh.
• Your tax dollars at work: man gets into Homeland Security HQ with obviously fake ID.
• Keep an eye out for your favorite consumer electronics devices in the upcoming Transformers movie.
• Wrestling stock soars, then turns on crowd and becomes a heel, then later redeems self by surprise turn in cage match.
  

Terror leader killed, castle illusion, panel interference, magnet-sense

Who's in the mood for some Internet links? Well, here are some for you:

• Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi killed, but then if you haven't heard this already, you're probably living in a cave in Tora Bora... oh, wait, you'd probably have heard this there by now.
• Big Spanish Castle optical illusion is pretty cool.
• Sen. Specter asks Cheney to quit interfering with NSA panel. Cheney responds by inviting Specter to go quail hunting.
• Tired of plain old sight, smell, taste, etc? Get electromagnetic sense by implanting magnets in your fingers.

Vintage vandals, cave art, web 2.0, classic shed

Hello, here are some links for the day:

• The Wurst Gallery "Vintage Vandals". I thought this was a neat idea and could be a good craft project. Taking art found at a thrift store and modifying it.
• 27,000 year old cave face is oldest portrait on record, and it is a portrait of, you guessed it, Joan Rivers.
• So what is Web 2.0? Oh, it's just all that stuff.
• Need some more style for your backyard? How about a Roman garden shed?

Getaway genius, private email?, photo mosaic, free ebooks, red cells from space, more

I was holding out on filling my gas tank as prices were going down for a while here, but apparently whatever random reason for raising prices has occurred. I ended up filling up today at a higher cost than had I done it a couple days ago. Oh well, I guess constantly changing prices adds that element of risk and suspense, like playing the lotto or betting on a horse race.
Some good bets for you:

• If you are going to rob the grocery store you work for, don't return for your shift driving the same car you used for getaway.
• A third of companies read their employees' outbound email. (44% for companies over 20,000 employees.) So at least someone will read that dumb joke you forwarded to everyone you know.
• I thought this was a pretty cool time-waster: Photo mosaic that you can infinitely drill into.
• Keep your eye open for free eBooks in July, from both Project Gutenberg and World eBook Library.
• Mysterious red cells might be aliens. They are currently gathering Reese's pieces, satellite dishes and Speak N Spells in order to "phone home".
• Good article about 20 things you won't like about Windows Vista.
  
• Being challenged to consume Mentos and Diet Coke together? You might want to watch this experiment first.
  

Irancentives, hilt-hop album, ipod info, rear view, holy grilled cheese, poopsicle

Howdy all! Wow, the weather is nice now (cooled down a little bit). I am stubbornly trying to avoid using the A/C (air conditioner, not alternating current), but have turned it on a couple times since last weekend. I'm also not ready to water the lawn (in fact, without mowing, I don't need to mow as often), but have put the hose on the garden a couple times.
Anyway, here is a variety of stories for you:

• Countries putting together an incentive package for Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions. Yet if I try to build my own nuclear reactor, they send the police.
• In more disturbing news, Paris Hilton plans Reggae, Hip-Hop album. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
• Need a lot of free iPod and iTunes info? The Free iPod Book 2.0 is available (for free)!
• Tired of people sneaking up on you while deep in word processing thought? Get a Computer Rear View Mirror.
• Can't afford those mysterious holy images on food from eBay? Make your own with the Jesus Pan.
• Ever see the movie "Envy" where one guy gets rich after inventing "Va-poo-rize"? We are getting close to that in real life, with Poop-Freeze.
  

Squaremelon, money folding, justice spat, secret wars, phone phollies

Hope you are having a great Memorial Day weekend! Here's a few things to keep you busy:

• What makes those summer holidays better? Why, square watermelon, of course.
• Got so much money you don't know what to do with it? Try some money origami.
• Dept of Justice and FBI officials threatening to resign if they don't get their way in the Jefferson raid. Ministry of Love unavailable to comment.
• I ran across this video for the Secret Wars Re-Enactment Society, a spoof of war re-enacters acting out Marvel Comic's Secret Wars series. I thought it was funny, but posting it here just reinforces that I like some geeky stuff.
• A few inappropriate cell phone ringing stories. I think people should use a little more common sense with their phones; I hate it when one goes off during a movie or event. Toward the end of this article, a professor comments on the pointless conversations he hears immediately before and after classes. I couldn't agree more. I don't understand the inane calls, or why people feel they need to be in constant communication and be always connected.
  

Hicks idol, red hot album, enron conviction, da Vinci thoughts

Just a hodgepodge of thoughts and links today:

• Taylor Hicks wins 'American Idol'. I really stopped watching this show after the initial mass auditions, but remember Hicks and was glad someone less traditionally 'pop-ish' won. I'm mainly mentioning this story because I read in another article that the 63 million votes cast was "more than any president has received", which is actually pretty sad when you think about it. (However, later I realized that this is not the same as "more than total votes cast in a presidential election".)
• On the drive to Green Bay last weekend, I had a chance to really listen to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's new "Stadium Arcadium". Very good album, maybe not as good as "By the Way", but similar in its more mellow and mature Chili Pepper style.
  

• Enron's Lay and Skilling convicted finally. You know, I wonder how much this whole trial cost, and what it compares to the actual cost of the Enron collapse.
• I am currently reading "The Da Vinci Code" (I know, I know, way behind everyone else). I've been pretty aware of the controversial concepts brought forth in it, but have been pretty much blowing off the controversy because it is fiction. However, now reading it, I think I understand some of the concern. I had assumed that the controversial info (which I will not mention for the one or two people who have not read this yet) was discovered by the characters as they progressed through their quest; which should be fairly obvious as fiction to the reader. Instead, these things are stated flat out as facts by the "educated", "professorly" characters as being without a doubt, obvious, accepted fact, etc. and reinforced with a statement in the front of the book claiming this info is fact. They don't even say "some theories say...", or "some speculate..", so I can see how people might get confused what is history and what is fabrication. A ton of what is presented is extremely far from proven fact. (Didn't the guy who "discovered" the Priory of Scion evidence, Dossier Secret, later admit he created it all? Other claims about the Council of Nicaea and such are also pretty much proved otherwise. Etc.) I got to say too that I really don't think Dan Brown is a good writer. His text is flat and straightforward and not very creative writing, but the plot is pretty exciting. I think the scavenger hunt/puzzle solving aspect of it is really what saves it and makes it a kind of fun read. But, it also follows the same formula as "Angels & Demons" of find puzzle, solve it quickly, rush to next stop (or run away from someone), find puzzle, solve it quickly, rush to next stop, etc.

The runner mentality

I'm back from a visit to Green Bay, where I went to cheer my sister on in her first marathon. It was awfully chilly, but there were a ton of people there, and she did a really good job. When she finished, she asked me if it had inspired me to run a marathon. My answer: "no". I don't really get the runner mentality. Even if I was in the shape that I could run a marathon, I'm not sure why I would want to. I have a car. I don't need to run from any large predators. I don't need to urgently deliver a message to the next village. I still think it is a very impressive feat and am amazed by those that accomplish it, but it just isn't for me.

3D specs, nuclear gift, phone spying, that rabbitty thing, fan transformer

Since someone asked about where to get 3D glasses after my last post (you know who you are, Kahn), I spent minimal time doing research and found this place (Rainbow Symphony) which will send you "free" glasses for a dollar.
But in other news:

• Europe talks about giving Iran a nuclear reactor. If they accept before the end of the month, they'll get a free side of nuclear bombs.
• Verizon sued for giving phone info to the government in the NSA phone snooping program.
• and the government is also spying on the phone calls from/to the media to root out confidential sources. (Also, confirmed by the FBI.) Big Brother is watching.
• After years of waiting, looks like there will be a new Sam & Max game. Finally, gaming gets more of the sadistic, dangerous lagomorph.
• Very cool CGI screen test of a Transformer (Optimus?). Fan created, but hopefully the actual movie will be even better.
  

Fun with three dimensions

Self portrait (with 3D glasses) in 3D
Originally uploaded by Brian Whitmarsh.

I've been doing some playing around with 3D - creating anaglyphic pictures with my camera and some free software I found. It is actually pretty easy, but I haven't come up with anything that is really "Wow!" yet. If you want to see what I've got so far, they are publicly available on my Flickr account. (By the way, you'll need red/blue 3D glasses or they'll just look like boring photos.)

Souvenirs, pig personality, wii duck hunt

Holy cow! Heck of an episode of "Lost" tonight. I'm going to quickly throw some links at you, then get back to "Lost Experience" web game (new clue tonight in the Hanso Foundation commercial):

• Why do we buy dumb souvenirs? Probably because that's all we can afford with these gas prices.
• Draw a Pig personality test. I'm assuming this is highly scientific.
• All these years of progress, so what is coming to the Nintendo Wii? Duck Hunt.
  

Spears of destiny, ironic ionic, falcon tv, longer life, colorblind

More links for you!:

• Britney Spears and her husband will soon bring another child to be endangered into this world.
• Ironic ionic: ionic air purifiers may create smog. But, very clean smog.
• Here's some better reality tv: the Minnesota Power Falcon Cam.
• 15 ways to live longer. Transplanting your brain into another body surprisingly not on the list.
• How do things look to colorblind people? (Example less interesting if you truly are colorblind.)
  

La estrella spangled bandera, super reality tv, i meant not guilty, shadows and illusions

Hey, read these:

• There's been some debate about whether a Spanish version of "The Star Stangled Banner" is appropriate, but apparently the government already approved a version of this in 1919.
• Sci-Fi channel to have reality show to pick a new superhero. Wait, "reality" tv?
• Moussaoui asks to withdraw his guilty plea... now. After he is found guilty.
  
• Check out these cool oil lamp shadow projectors.
• and the neat cylinder mirror optical illusions.
  

Mobile eye strain, retaliation planning, cold shoulder for Colbert, health across the pond

Here's a bunch of stories:

• Mobile devices destroying our eyesight. Please take this into consideration when buying your...
• 4 or 8GB iPod nano that plays video. Video on a nano. Great, because I'd love a tv the size of a stamp.
• Iran says if they are attacked by the US, Israel will be their first target for retaliation, and they will attack it with their peaceful, nuclear energy program.
• Several interesting viewpoints on Stephen Colbert's somewhat scathing roast at the White House Correspondents' dinner, and the media's reaction of ignoring it.
• Americans sicker than the English even though they spend much more on health care. It's probably related to stress from viewing tiny pictures and fonts on their mobile devices.
  

Newsmagazine tv troubles, Bush's twin, laptop mods, webcam fun

Still raining, when is it going to stop? If you're cooped up indoors with the weather, here are some links to keep you busy:

• TV newsmagazines are struggling to survive, due to reality TV. Apparently people are more concerned with contrived conflict situations than with real news.
• So it's awful when Saddam Hussein has lookalikes, but funny when George W. Bush does? Actually, it is really funny. Watch the video linked with the story.
• Got an old laptop to play with? Check out these 5 laptop mods.
• I don't really do any webcam stuff, but the Logitech QuickCam Orbit looks like it has some really cool and fun features, including real-time video effects (see the video in the review).
  

Freeware, Koreiran, penny pricing, big blu-ray, wheeee!

Well, it's been raining non-stop today (which is actually probably good for my garden), and work has been horrible this week (long hours on several critical problems); I'm working today, but am taking a couple hours break where I'm not needed.
So, here's some links:

• Here is a huge list of freeware utilities; sure to be something you need on here.
• Iran gets North Korean missiles. Maybe if they just merge, we'll have only one country to consider attacking.
• It actually costs the US Mint 1.4 cents to make a penny. I'm going to go buy a ton of them since their selling them below cost.
• TDK develops a recordable Blu-ray disc that holds 200GB. Better start stocking up on content to record on it.
• Nintendo has renamed the forthcoming "Revolution" console, as the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we"). Yeah, that's almost as good.
  

Gas by county, easy police catch, new monopoly, secret Jasons, 8-bit memories

Hey, what happened! It went from beautiful this weekend, to cold, windy, and rainy today. I don't mind the rain since I just planted some items in my garden, but this is way too cold!

In other news:

• US Gas Temperature Map, which shows gas prices by county, not by temperature.
• I guess this is one way to lure the dumb criminals out: teen busted trying to steal fake drugs from a display at a police expo.
• You can have a say in the Monopoly: Here and Now edition by voting for landmarks to include.
• A secret society of scientists called the "Jasons" works for the government. Dan Brown to start a book on this once he finds out.
• Did you grow up in the 8-bit age like I did? Try this gamer test to see how well you remember the classics. I'm at 8/16 so far (but I haven't cheated yet):

I played too many games. I got 8/16 on the 8-Bit Gamer test. Take the test!

Summertime and gardening, debit theft, cheap Chinese DVDs, not cheat oil

A huge project installation has been going on all weekend at work, but thankfully, my presence hasn't been required. It's been so beautiful out this weekend, that I've enjoyed being out and getting the first lawn mowing of the season, fertilizing, getting some things planted in the garden (though most I'm still trying to start from seed indoors) , and I put some decorative edging around my garden. (and I spoke too soon, because I just was called from work as I write this.)
But here's some other news, not about me:

• Largest debit card hacking theft could cost customers $500 a piece.
• Movie companies may sell DVDs in cardboard packaging for $1.50 in China to combat piracy. And we pay $15 - 20? Who really is the pirate here?
• Gas prices really aren't that bad when oil could reach $90 a barrel later this year.
  

Googol of Google tools, word wonders, extinction of cash, sleep, robo-chair, religion, gas prices

Here are some items:

• Want to make the most of Google? Wikipedia has a good list of all Google services and tools.
• I didn't see anything too eye-opening here, but here's an article with top ten things that MS Word users should know.
• Cash is finally on the way out... in the UK at least where debit card use has overtaken cash.
• A good night's sleep boosts long term memory.
• The machines are closer to taking over: check out the video of the self-assembling robot chair. I can't imagine how useful that is.
• An interesting demographic view: US maps of religion concentration.
• You think gas prices are bad? How about going to Venezuela, where gas is $0.14/gal? Wait, that's actually much better!
• And also, a good night's sleep boosts long term memory.
  

Review: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

It's been a while since a review, so I thought I'd do another. I picked up the book Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom for cheap at a discount book store. It is a fairly short book that takes place at an undetermined, but far off point in the future.

The basic story follows Jules and his relationship with his current girlfriend and college friend. They work in Disney World as part of an "ad hocracy" that tweaks and enhances the Haunted Mansion. The story takes place at a point where essentially all needs are provided, there isn't any money, people can do pretty much anything they want, and everyone tries to earn "Whuffie" (which while it isn't defined, I take it to be credibility, respect, etc. Basically a point system where people all over rate people based on their accomplishments and behavior). Jules is murdered early on in the book, but in this society, death is no big deal. He gets restored from his last backup. People are very integrated with technology (phones, data inputs/outputs are all built into them).

There are a lot of neat ideas, but given the size of the book, maybe there is too much packed in. While some of the futuristic technologies and concepts are pretty straightforward to understand, other things are left to you to figure out, and that is a bit frustrating. (Maybe the book would be better on a second reading.)

I also thought the plot was a bit meandering, where big things would be dropped for while and weren't really resolved to a satisfying end. The main character is hard to like mainly because he gets on a very self-destructing path. The very futuristic setting also made it a bit harder to connect with the characters (I've read other sci-fi that does a lot better job of making relateable characters).

The Disney World setting is kind of fun, though it focuses almost exclusively on the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents. I did like the concept of basically gangs (teams) that take over the management of the rides and exhibits, and they focus completely on bettering the rides.

On the whole, I really can't recommend this book. You might like it if you're really into concept sci-fi or futurism. The Disney setting is fun, but pretty narrowly focused.

Big display, homemade dvr, Google calendar, mousetrap, photocakes

Wow, what a beautiful day here! I got home with enough sunshine left to go for a nice bike ride (a nice chance since I've been working long hours lately). This was my first ride of the year, and yeah, I can tell I'm a little out of shape at it. But, if the weather stays nice I should get back into regular riding form again.

Some good stuff on Make: lately:

• I've got 2 monitors hooked up to my computer (and the coolness outweighs the frivolousness), but this guy went a bit overboard with 12 30 inch monitors hooked up.
• I mentioned Windows Media Center in my last post, but if you are interested in alternatives, you can always build your own DVR.
  
• I gave Google Calendar a try yesterday. Looks like a pretty good online calendar.
• Ever play the game "Mousetrap"? Someone's built a life-size version of it.
• Finally! A way I can add photos to cupcakes and cakes.
  

New PC, leak news, races and speeders, hair art

I received my new PC (pretty quickly, though I had some trouble with UPS), and have been busily going through the frustration of getting it all set up the way I like it and getting my files and accounts moved over (actually, it has been going pretty smoothly). One frustration I hadn't been thinking about: the new PC has no parallel or serial ports, so I can't use my printer or scanner with it (so, that's something new I need to replace. The printer I have is really old, and the scanner was a very cheap one to begin with).

I got Windows XP Media Center Edition with this PC, and I have to say it is pretty slick. You can easily navigate it with the remote, and the interface is very intuitive.

In other news:

• Bush and Cheney reportedly authorized the Plame leak. So when Bush swore to find and punish those responsible, was that the equivalent of OJ searching for the real killers?
• "Malcom" jumps from acting to racing. Part of the aging child actor placement program.
• Oh, the sale is over! But you could have had a driveable replica landspeeder!
• Amazing paintings on human hair. It would cost a fortune to have all of your hairs done, though.
  

DeLay news, Iraq PM, movies online (legally), bbq bad news, classic car

Here are some stories:

• Another ex-DeLay aid pleads guilty, and then mysteriously DeLay to leave re-election race. Could they be connected?
• US and Great Britain want Iraqi Prime Minister out of office. Well, maybe we should invade?
• Major Hollywood studios to sell movie downloads online, but the popcorn will cost a fortune.
• Bad news, men, science is linking barbecue with prostrate cancer.
• Got an extra 1982 Trans Am sitting around that you don't know what to do with? You could turn it into a replica of KITT.
  

Super Mario Troubles, Brain Age, DST, big screen Simpsons

Some items:

• Playing Super Mario Bros. may cause you to face criminal charges.
• For a different type of game, "Brain Age" for the Nintendo DS is released in the US this week. Check out this article on eToyChest for a video of the author getting totally schooled by it.
• Hope you remembered to set your clocks forward for DST. Here's a brief history of Daylight Savings Time.
• The trailer is in theaters now: 'The Simpsons' are coming to the big screen.
  

New PC on the way, KH2 available

Well, I broke down and ordered a new computer today from Dell. Not the first one I customized. I really made an effort to minimize the cost this time, and one thing that helped was I found a 30% off coupon on DealCatcher. Ahh, the Internet... how did we live without you?
Given my hobbies, schooling, and job, I'm fairly literate when it comes to computer stuff (though, I've slipped a bit in my knowledge of the latest components), but I think Dell's site is getting to be very busy and cluttered. I think it could really intimidate someone trying to buy a computer.

I don't know how it slipped my attention but Kingdom Hearts 2 is available in the US now for the PS2. I don't play games nearly the way I used to, but the first Kingdom Hearts was one of my recent favorites, so I picked up the sequel today. It is a weird blend of Disney properties with Final Fantasy properties (a totally unexpected mix of two of my favorites that ends up being the digital entertainment equivalent of a Reese's peanut butter cup). Kingdom Hearts had a great story, great voice acting, and was just plain fun.

Office psas, bad science, microsoftrust, GoogleTV

Here's a few stories for you:

• NBC's "The Office" has it's April Fool's Day PSAs available on their site ("The More You Know" spoofs). Also, take a look around because they have a lot of excellent content for "The Office" fans on the site. (I found that most of the videos required IE and Windows (and site navigation seemed a bit glitchy to me)).
• So how do you know if that science is good? Apply the seven warning signs of bogus science.
• Do Consumers Trust the Microsoft Brand? You can read the article, but I'll spoil it for you: the answer is 'no'.
• More potential Google domination: Is Google TV on the way?
  

Political anti-attack ad?, Dane dialing, UMDs disappearing, fly glasses

Ah, the first thunderstorm of the year (that I remember anyway). My sump pump dreads it, but my lawn appreciates it. Here are some links wash away that last bit of snow:

• Rinck has eyes on Congress - "Our congressman is the smartest person in the district, and we might be the only place in the country that can say that," Rinck said. "But he falls somewhat short on the charisma meter. And it might take a somewhat less intelligent -- although much noisier -- person to get some things done for this district." Oooookay, interesting strategy...
• Denmark has more cel phone subscriptions than inhabitants. Because one phone number per person in your family is just not enough anymore.
• Hope you didn't buy a PSP for the movies. UMD movies might be on the way out.
• Laser used to make glasses for a housefly. Great, why are we improving their eyesight?
  

Abramoff to jail, braintwister, Google's free internet, Sam & Max

Well, it is finally starting to feel like spring here. I am going to have to go down a coat level because it has really warmed up in the last couple days. And here are a few links to keep you warm:

• Abramoff gets close to 6 years. But he's really sorry.
• Here's the way to combine two brainteasers for twice the mental building: Rubik's Sudoku.
• Google patents free wi-fi. And if you are drinking regular water and breathing regular air, you are a sucker. Google Water and Google Air is the way to go.
• I was disappointed a while back when I heard that the latest "Sam & Max" game was going to be cancelled, but received a bit of joy back when I found that Sam & Max comic strips are available at Telltale Games.
  

Some song purchases

For something different today, I thought I would post the last 10 songs I purchased from iTunes (not including the free downloads of the week; by the way, if you have iTunes, be sure to check it out at least once a week to get the one or two free song downloads and occasional free video downloads they offer. Very often the songs are good.). In reverse order:

• "Stars" by Switchfoot. I really enjoyed Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown, so I decided to try out this song from their new one, Nothing Is Sound.
• "Burn the Witch (Unkle Remix)" by Queens of the Stone Age. Good version of the same song from Lullabies to Paralyze, and it came bundled with the song's video.
• "Hush" by Deep Purple. Classic, and can be found on The Very Best of Deep Purple.
• "Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots. Can be found on Thank You. I used to pick up almost every STP album until after "Tiny Music" when I stopped paying attention to what they were doing (and I think they were disbanded for a while then).
• "E-Pro" (video) by Beck. I really should buy this whole album (Guero) as all the clips I hear of the songs sound great.
• "Trees" by Marty Casey. Yes, I bought a song by one of the Rockstar INXS contestants. (It's catchy.)
• "Vertigo" (video) by U2. Another album (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) that I should look into buying. (Even though I heard the story, "1, 2, 3, 14" still bugs me in this song.)
  
• "Under Pressure" by The Used/My Chemical Romance. This is a good remake of a good song.
• "Wires" by Athlete. This was a free download, but I'm counting it since I really like the song. It's on the album Tourist.
• "We're All To Blame" by Sum41. More social commentary than I'd expect from a Sum41 song.
  

Mr. Yuk, 3d maps, color change concrete, new iPod?, vista delay

Hello! Here's a new selection of links for you:

• Happy Birthday, Mr. Yuk! Man, can't he even smile for his birthday?
• Ah, the next obvious step: people are making 3D images from Google Earth.
• and they might have used the free Callipygian 3D software. Red and blue glasses sold separately.
• Chronos Chromos Concrete is color changing concrete. For all of your many color changing concrete needs.
• Will Apple replace the 60 GB iPod with one that is widescreen and Bluetooth enabled?
• You have more time to prepare! Windows Vista delayed til 2007.
  

Classy aircraft, a vista of Vista, the great fuga, x3, the fourth reich?

Some links for you:

• Airbus A350 with BMW interiors. Check out that awesome faux sky night ceiling.
• A short look at Windows Vista. It has some nice interface changes and additions.
• Can you beat La Fuga (The Escape)? It's a puzzle escape video game come to life.
• The trailer for X-Men 3: The Last Stand has been released and is available at Apple's site.
• Rumsfeld compares leaving Iraq now to giving postwar Germany to the Nazis. I'm sure the newly elected Iraqi officials appreciate the comparison.
  

Port sales, computer virus, top actors, arctic oil, ps3 delay

More snow in the forecast! Aren't we passed this yet? Here are some links to keep you warm:

• Is DP World really planning on selling all US port operations?
• Supercomputer builds a virus. Or that's what the Matrix wants you to believe.
• World's top 50 actors as voted by actors. Wait, Pauly Shore didn't even make the top ten?
• Democrats don't like that Republicans add Alaska oil drilling into budget bill to avoid filibuster. Oh, that sneaky Congress.
• Finally it's official, the Sony PS3 is delayed until November 2006. No word on when the next delay announcement will be released.
  

US dictatorship, beer from the sink, Chef walks, big game screen, light sleeper, and mars maps

What a dreary snowy day. I was hoping we were past all of this snow and ice. But, I will gladly take this over the devastating tornados that hit other parts of the Midwest.
Here's some stuff:

• Sandra Day O'Connor says US risks edging toward dictatorship. Then, she mysteriously disappears.
• Woman gets beer from kitchen faucet. Um, lady? You might have a problem.
• "Chef" quits 'South Park'. Isaac Hayes leaves after citing the show goes too far with religious jokes.
• Quake 3 on a 24 screen setup. I am waiting for the guy that starts playing video games in an IMAX theater.
• The Light Sleeper system is a blanket and pillow that wakes you by lighting up brighter. Works perfect if you sleep with your eyes open.
• Is Google Maps not giving you the vacation planning help you need? Now you can try out Google Mars.
  

Your own lightsaber, secrets, junior hire, font effect, solar storm

What's the deal? We had a couple days in the 50s at the end of last week, now a big blizzard today. I almost had forgotten the joys of scooping my driveway. So what's the rule if March comes in kind of like a lamb, but then turns to a lion part way through?
A few links:

• Build your own lightsaber for cheap. You know you want to.
• States steadily restricting info since 9/11. Well, that is a complete shame because... well, I can't tell you.
• Google hires a 15-year old student. And not for sweeping the halls or bussing the corporate cafeteria.
• The Secret Life of Fonts. Does the font you use influence the professor grading your paper?
• Maybe this blizzard won't be so bad. Worst solar storm in 50 years is on the way.
  

What? Iranian nuclear program? butterfly ballots, flexible seating, n to dvd, Mario returns

Sorry for days without posting. It's been another hectic work week, with long hours working on an issue. But, here are some items:

• Iranian negotiator boasts of fooling Europeans on Iran's secret nuclear program. Later, is shocked to find that Europeans read Internet news.
• Not this again. Did "Crash" win best picture due to confusing butterfly ballots? (How many in news media won't realize this is a joke?)
• The Feel seating system from Animi Causa is an interesting design. Supposedly modeled after molecules.
• "Captain N" might be coming to DVD. If you don't remember it, it was a Saturday morning cartoon (when I was a kid) filled with Nintendo based characters. Back then I remember watching to see if my favorite characters would show up, but being disappointed by the cheesiness and poor execution.
• Speaking of Nintendo, looks like there will be a return to classic Super Mario Bros. action in the updated New Super Mario Bros.. Looks old school cool.
  

Loch nessiephant, taxi cop, origami, moving money

Good stuff on the net today:

• Oh good, the mystery is solved. Loch Ness Nessie was actually a circus elephant. Thank you, Science, for ruining everything fun.
• Cop and suspect hail the same cab. Unfortunately, "COPS" wasn't there to catch it on video.
• I am amazed by the winning entries from MIT's origami contest, and that people went to that much effort folding paper.
• And speaking of Origami, are new pics and info on Microsoft's Origami project surfacing?
• Sweden's new banknotes have moving images for fraud prevention. But hey, we got quarters for each State.
  

Live action Simpsons, some worthwhile podcasts

Check out this awesome live action recreation of 'The Simpsons' show opening. It was much better than I was expecting when I first saw the link.

Thought for something different I would post links to some of the podcasts I listen to or watch. I'm lazy and just get them all from iTunes (it's so easy). Anyway, here's a few:

• Ask A Ninja - people ask a ninja questions, and he responds. I guess I didn't really need to explain that. Funny vidcast.
• Diggnation - Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht (formerly of G4-TechTV) discuss some of the top ranked stories posted to social news site Digg.com. Always interesting and often humorous. (Occasional adult language.)
  
• Channel Frederator - a collection of cartoon shorts by different artists and studios. Many are mediocre (or lame), but there are quite a few really good ones. Traditional, CGI, and sometimes music videos that have animation. (Occasional adult language or themes.)
• Geek News Central - tech stories and discussion. Appropriate for all ages.
• The Official Lost Podcast - "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse discuss the previous episode, give some hints about the upcoming episode, and answer fan questions. Occasionally, there are interviews with stars of the show.
• CIO Podcast - Information Technology and business stories.
• The Onion Radio News - news farce from the humorist site "The Onion". Often very funny. (Occasional adult language.)
  

Review: "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire

I just finished reading "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maquire. This book was excellent; one of the best I've read in a long time, and I highly recommend it to those that are familiar with the "Wizard of Oz" but have a satirical streak.

The book tells the story of Elphaba (otherwise known as the Wicked Witch of the West), from birth through the events of "Wizard of Oz". We find that she perhaps isn't the evil to the core person we are introduced to in glimpses in "Wizard". The story covers a few periods in her life from birth, then to her college experience (which I think is one of the most interesting periods in the book), and others including adulthood in the timeframe of "Wizard". The book is sort of using a gimmick (the backstory behind a famous movie villainess) but is not at all gimmicky; it is very well thought out, and makes you think. There are challenging themes of what is good and evil, what is choice, as well as fairly rich political, social, and religious debates. It is a good exercise in taking preconceived ideas (the "Wizard" movie or book) and challenging that with more information that was previously hidden. I'll let you read the book and form your own opinions about the Witch, the Wizard, and Oz.

The one minor disappointment I had was really my own misunderstanding of the book. I thought it was strictly following the "Wizard of Oz" and would just fill in the gaps. However, it actually tells a different version of some of the scenes (basically playing on the fact that the movie might be a revisionist telling of the "true" events). I was a little confused where scenes passed that happened differently in the movie, but that is a minor complaint.

So, in summary, I highly recommend this book. It was fun, well written, and surprisingly deep, plus it adds to an already great story.

Review: "Black" by Ted Dekker

Thought I would give another review; this time for "Black" by Ted Dekker. This is the first book in a trilogy, of which I have not read the last two. If you want to read this, plan to read all three since it ends with a cliffhanger.

Overall, I thought this was a decent book with a good basic premise. The main character, Thomas, is living in two worlds. When he falls asleep in one, he wakes up in the other; the big question of the book being which is real (or are they both real). One world (the "normal" one) is essentially our world in the near future, with most events taking place in the US or Bangkok.
The other world is a vastly different world of magic and strange beasts, and a child-like population. Thomas has tremendous problems trying to convince anyone in either world that the other world exists.

To make matters worse, in the second world, he gets information about the first world. He hears that in the "past" of the world a deadly virus was released that devastated the population. So, now he has to try and prevent that from happening in the first world (on the assumption that our "normal" world is the ancient past of the magical world; even that assumption comes into doubt at some point, though it is obvious there is a connection).

There is a whole lot of stuff going on in this book, and I think that is what saves it. Any of the stories on their own would be kind of flimsy, but the sheer complexity of it and the fast pace keeps it entertaining. I tended to get really caught up in what was happening and then slightly disappointed when Thomas wakes in the other world; but that is part of what keeps you reading. The magical world does seem a bit simplistic, and that made it a little harder for me to buy in that it might be the real one, but since there are effects that carry through to the other world, it is still somewhat plausible.

So, if you are a fan of alternate reality stories, or fast paced fantasy, you'll probably find this book to be OK. I was certainly intrigued enough that I'll be looking for the other two books in the trilogy.