Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Google Reader

I am in love with Google Reader.

"Here he goes again, shilling for Google", you say. "How much do they pay him?"

It's not like that my friend, Google Reader has changed my whole Internet experience.

I used to hop on the i-net and bounce blindly from one site to another on a whim. Was I in the mood for airplanes? Go to Airliners.net. What is happening in the sports world? Go to ESPN or Sports Illustrated. Local news, head over to the Seattle Times. Basically go where ever the winds blew me. This was great, it held me over for many years.

Lately I started getting into blogs. I started discovering ones that were quite interesting to me, an example being Gizmodo. Gizmodo has a ton of posts every day, so I would check it in the morning as I was finishing my coffee, at lunch, and once or twice after work. It became a part of my routine. There were particular writers that I enjoyed, like Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated. Problem is, he will sometimes write a couple columns a week, sometimes he goes a couple of weeks and writes just one. If I would check a couple time and not find any new content I wouldn't go back for quite awhile. then I would miss a few when they were published. Back and forth...

You have probably noticed this icon Feed Icon hanging around a lot of news or blog like websites. this signifies that there is a web feed. If you are using Firefox as your browser and a feed is available the icon will show up at the end of the address bar. These feeds are everywhere, I even have one available for Zactly. There is one for Michael Silver, Gizmodo, the Seattle Times, etc... On the Seattle Times site you can even get specialized feeds such as Seahawks, Sonics, Husky Football, even restaurant reviews. The possibilities around the Internet are endless!

Here is where Google Reader comes in... When you subscribe to your favorite feeds with it you only have to go one place to read them all. If I am at home, work, the parents, or anywhere with a computer connected to the Internet all I do is go to www.google.com/reader and log in. Boom, any new unread articles are right there in front of me. No more manually checking site after site, fishing for something new, GR does it for me... Every minute!

Currently I have a Michael Jordan (23, duh!) of subscriptions on my GR. If I were to read each of these sites individually every day I would burn out quick.

GR to the rescue!

I have it set up so it only shows the new articles (you can have it show all). I typically check it 4 or 5 times a day and have around 40 or so new articles. Many of these are just little quickies that you zip right through. GR give you handy keyboard shortcuts to mow these down. If you see something interesting you can star it to come back to it later. If there is something REALLY interesting, you can share it with others. This is what the box on the right side of my blog is showing... When ever I come across anything goofy, cool, or thought provoking that I share, you can read it here. (Have you tried yet? What is the holdup?)

Another cool feature is the ability to set up a Google Blog Search for a term like "Seattle Seahawks" and you will see whenever anyone posts something new about that subject.

All in all it is a great way to expand the bubble that you live in.

Never huge on reading novels, I have always craved magazine-like information. You know, enough to show you what the gist is. This is what GR does for me. With it I have created the ultimate magazine for Mike. I get articles and posts on everything from Automobile stuff to video game stuff. Seahawk stuff to gadget stuff. Political stuff to computer stuff. I don't know how I went so long without this!

Check it out if you aren't already using it or some other reader. Throw Zactly! in there... No more having to remember to check if I have written something new, GR will take care of it for you. Easy peasey!

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More Nürb Hoonage!

Another video brought to my attention by Jalopnik





Please ignore the über-annoying euro-tech music and enjoy this video...

This is a modern day version of my "The Hoons of Today Must Defend Themselves Against the Seventies" post two weeks ago. Unfortunately nobody is thrown from their car in this one.

Watch for the M3 at the 2:06 mark. That is how it is done!

Nice tripod on the golf at 2:20. I did that only once in my old GTI... Almost ended up in a ditch (cursed understeer!) I sure miss that car, it was a blast before it fell to OCS (old car syndrome). That's when I gave it to MJ!

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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Human Slingshot





Ummmm..... I am at a loss of words for this one...

Thank God nobody was hurt, but if they were, would you really feel that bad? That has to be about the most dangerous looking contraption EVER! This make the stuff that the Jackass guys do look like a pillow fight. Even before I saw how far they pulled her back I thought it was a death trap.

That thing is a natural selection machine, no doubt!

LOL, You couldn't get me on that at gun point, I'd take my chances fighting the gun out of your hands before you strapped me in there!

[Found on Gizmodo, probably my favorite site right now.]

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Monday, January 29, 2007

British Television and the Jag XKR

Please Discovery Channel, please! Bring Top Gear back to my boob tube! This car show is so far beyond any car show in the States, it isn't even funny. (Whatever the hell that means). My God, all we get around here are shots of the storage in a mini-van, and how nice is handles in the parking lot. L-A-M-E!

This is how a car show should look...



I really like that Jag. (I like like the Aston too!) If I could just dig $90k out of my couch, I'd walk over to the dealership infront of my house (you think I'm kidding?) and pick one up... You got to hand it to those Brits, not only can they pound out a great TV show, but they have built one beauty of a car there. Like JC says, how could you walk away from that thing to a BMW or Merecedes... That car is beautiful! It sounds sweet too.

After that video, the XKR has rocketed up my list of dream cars. It may even be at the top of my sub $100k list...

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OSHA Nightmare!

I'm guessing that OSHA really wouldn't take too well to this...




Geez! Check out how close the guys head comes to the ground at the beginning of his ride. Another inch lower and that arm crushes his noggin like a watermelon!

He's fine though.

Amazing how that arm flips him around like nothing. (I'm pretty sure his weight IS nothing for that thing) It makes me worry for when the robotic overlords take over.

How will we ever stop that!

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Sunny Days are Here!

Check out this 5-day forecast...



I believe that is the first time that I have seen 5 days straight without rain since early October! My goodness, where are my shorts? The sunscreen? My sunglasses?

Not that this means the end of winter, it is just a little reminder that that bright warm orb we call the sun still exists. It hasn't been swallowed by concrete gray clouds. I just need to keep the emotions in check, because I can guarantee you that it will leave again until at least mid-March.

Now that I think about it, living in Seattle is kind of like that movie, Pleasantville. In winter it is pretty much a black and white movie...the sky is gray, the trees are gray, the road is gray, everything is gray. But come springtime the colors come creeping back until Seattle is once again worthy of it's title of the Emerald City...

Ahhh, I can't wait until I can walk on my lawn without that "squish, squish" noise.

Uh oh, haiku time!

Gray sky, marshy lawn
Stick it where the sun don't shine!
Oh, I guess that's here


Not this week!

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Famous Mike

Hey look, Mike is mailing it in once again!


Seahawks vs Cardinals, September 25, 2005

I was flipping through my pictures on Picasa and came across this one... It put me on the floor laughing!

That's me in the #94 jersey behind 'Steve Largent' (#80, for those fresh on the band wagon). the picture was taken of the FOX broadcast recorded on my DVR. I had no idea that it was there until we re-watched the game the next day.

My fifteen minutes (seconds) of fame comes around and what am I doing? Chowing down on a hamburger while Carrie points to where her watch hurt her for "clapping too hard".

Nice.

Who hurts them self clapping you ask? My wife. Do you see the concern on my face?

I am proud not to have 'whored' myself out to get on camera. No goofy sign, no face pain, no wig. Just me, my wife, her watch and a hamburger.

What a difference in outerwear from the last pictures of me from a Seahawks game that I posted here. I'm wearing shorts in one (I can tell because of the khaki) and heavy weight long underwear under the Northface shell and snowboard pants in the other. Still happy though!

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Friday, January 26, 2007

The Rest of Everest

A couple of weeks ago a show on the Discovery Channel was brought to my attention. Everest: Beyond the Limit. Luckily that weekend there was a marathon of the shows and I was able to catch them all on the DVR (the greatest advance in television since color). This show was fascinating to me. It gave an interesting glance as to what is involved to reach the summit. To me it looked to be more akin to a lunar mission than a trip your typical high alpine lake in the Cascades. Humans weren't built to be at 29,000 feet, they sure hammered that home.

After finishing the series, it left me wanting for more. I got on the Internet and read a bunch of stuff about the content of the show (I'll get into that at in a future post) and other expeditions. There is quite a bit of interesting stuff out there. In my travels I came across this site, The Rest Of Everest. Jackpot, I have hit the mother lode!

Here is a summary...

An Almost Unabridged Expedition Experience.

The Rest of Everest is a video podcast conceived and created by documentary filmmaker Jon Miller of TreeLine Productions in Colorado. It is "the rest" of the footage from the groundbreaking expedition documentary "Everest: The Other Side" which engrossed thousands of viewers when it premiered on Dish Network™ Pay-Per-View in May of 2005. The film, and therefore this video podcast, documents the 2003 expedition to the Northeast Ridge route in Tibet, and coincides with the 50th anniversary climbing season. The story revolves around 23-year old climber Ben Clark and the fulfillment of his dream to become one of the youngest climbers to ever summit Everest.
As of today there are 36 episodes all around 20 minutes in length, with, I'm guessing (I've only made it to episode 14 so far) many more to come. He (Jon Miller) puts up a new episode just about every week.

While not a polished product, it is even more fascinating than the "Beyond the Limit" series to me. Why? Because it seems as if very little was left out, starting with shopping for supplies at Wal-Mart in Colorado. It is about as close as you will get to experiencing an Everest expedition without taking a month or two off work and dropping some decent coin.

As far as I am into the series, they have only been at the base camp for a couple of days. The geography that they traveled across to get there blew me away. From the city of Kathmandu and its temples through steep green valleys to the city of Zangmu on a mountain side. From there they travel on crazy roads scratched into mountains to the desert of the high Himalayans and the village of Tingri. The altitude there was as high as the peak of Mt Rainier... And they were in a valley! The road from there to the base of Everest was absolutely surreal to me, A moonscape. I don't think that trees exist there at all. All of this is shown in great detail.

Here is a link to someones pictures from this area in reverse.

Someday I hope I have the time/money to make a trip to Everest. I realize that climbing it is out of the question as I can't justify the risk and effort to make that happen. If you check out this series you will see that just the drive to base camp can be physically brutal on your body. You will never see giant tour buses just whipping westerners fresh off the airplane up there like they do to Paradise on Rainier.

Now the series is getting into the really interesting stuff. The trip to the advanced base camp (ABC) and more of the logistics of making the summit attempt happen. Expect more out of me on this as I am hooked on it like it was crack!

I highly recommend you check this out. You can either get it off the website or get it through iTunes as a podcast. And yes, it is free you cheapskates. You can give a donation to help with his costs.

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Cheap Post of the Day

HOW ANNOYING IS THIS?



Just trying out a fun new HTML tag that I discovered today!

Feel free to say hello in the comments.

I'll probably put a little more effort into something later on this evening after dinner and a dirty martini...

Note: Unfortunate for all you Microsoft IE users, you cannot be annoyed with with the <blink> tag. LAME. Get Firefox. It is what all the cool people are using!

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

2005 Seahawks, the 50th Greatest Superbowl Team Ever!

Came across this on Sando's blog this morning.

The Ultimate Super Rankings [ESPN.com]

ESPN.com's Page 2 crew (kinda rhymie, huh?) ranked the Seahawks as the 50th greatest Super Bowl team EVER!

Before you "Seattle doesn't get any respect" folks start getting wound up, realize that 40 teams have won the Super Bowl and all (except for the 1970 Baltimore Colts) are naturally ranked ahead of them. This means that they were the 11th best Super Bowl loser!

My favorite part is this...

What does it say about Seattle that it became the only team to outgain and commit fewer turnovers than its Super Bowl opponent and still lose? It means the Seahawks either (A) got screwed, or (B) easily could be ranked ahead of the Steelers.

Nice! I vote for (C) all of the above.

I will believe until my grave that the holding call on Loclear that brought back the Jerramy Stevens catch on the one was absolute bulls###! That one call completely changed the momentum of the game.

If you are wondering, no, I am not over Super Bowl XL yet... The Hawks got screwed!

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Public Service Announcement


Jeff brought this to my attention...

Don't eat the squirrels: N.J. warns residents about tainted meat [Seattle Times]

If you ever find yourself in the Ringwood area of New Jersey officials recommend that you consume no more than two squirrels per week and even less for children and pregnant women. This is because they have found squirrels in the area that have been tainted with lead, most likely from waste dumped in the 1960s and '70s by a now closed Ford plant in Mahwah. Because of this I have decided to completely cut squirrel out of my diet. I am now a non-squirrelitarian and highly recommend that you become one too.





All joking aside, this town of Ringwood, New Jersey appears to be a mess. Not only are they worried about lead levels in the squirrels, they are worried about it in other wildlife that people hunt for sustenance such as deer.

The landfill that Ford used to dump paint sludge is currently a Superfund site. (More here and here.)

On top of all that they are having problems with sinkholes opening up from old mines scattered throughout the area. Some as large as 15 feet deep and 20 feet wide.

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Kitty Wash

Here is yet another cheap post for you.

Who the hell thinks of these things?

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpKYMfOKtwx1A7epO-totT9rB0kUo2_R1pE2gimRSOufLX-M6tynmZ01rtFnD8kKO489E1kRxt4CgUiHuc6GXxCokAJs4H6c05MtB1JhW37NjhiesVa7_vzfukDtm0M0FOIL_/s320/kittywasher.jpg

Imagine how much funnier this would have been if they put a squirrel in there?

Here is an oldie but goody for you cat lovers. (sensitive people stay away!)

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Monday, January 22, 2007

Hoonage

Ah, a cheap blog entry...

I think rally cars are second only to Formula 1 cars in absolute coolness. Here is a video of Petter Solberg showing why.



I love the sound of that Subaru. "BLAAAAAAAATTT!, BLAAAAAAAAT!, POP!, POP!, BLAA-BLAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

Under Construction

Hey Folks!

Just a heads up, I am screwing around with the template for the blog. Making it more mine. I am just learning HTML and a new imaging program so be patient!

Later,
The Management

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Nürburgring Nordschleife

If you haven't figured it out yet, I am fascinated by the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This place is about at the top of my list of places to visit if Carrie and I ever have the opportunity (money) to do a European tour. Maybe when we are looking to buy a new Porsche 911 GT3, we will take European delivery of it and swing by the 'ring for a lap or two...

Anyways, here is a slick video produced by BMW that gives a good run down of what the 'ring is about and its history.

How cool are those shots from the Ring Taxi as Sabine is drifting around a corner at high speed in a M5. As much fun (and scary) as it would be to drive the green monster in your own car I would almost prefer be driven around by a skilled professional such as her. That would probably be even more of a thrill than me driving myself as there is no way I'd have the skills or knowledge of the track to drive it at such a high level. Like an roller coaster times 10 in my opinion.

Hopefully someday I will get the opportunity to experience it.


Off I go to lap the Nordschleife a few times on Gran Turismo.

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No Parking

I respect cars more than most people, but this story cracks me up!


The gist... A woman that was loaned her brothers Maserati while he was out of town parked it in a no parking after 7am construction zone for two days. Annoyed with this a construction worker picked it up with a forklift to move it. Unfortunately while it was 2 meters off the ground it slipped off the forks and onto the roof.

An Elizabeth Bay resident, Stephen Gray, said workers from SMS Construction had been moving cars with forklifts for some time while they worked on a four-storey building in the narrow street.

"They've been doing it for months now," he said.

"It's outrageous and just really arrogant."

Sure it is arrogant, but in my mind, so is parking where you aren't supposed too (if clearly marked). This is one of the areas where I believe controlled anarchy (oxymoron) would be a good system to have.

We've all seen it, the ass that whips in to the handicap spot in front of the grocery store because he is too lazy to park fifty feet farther back and walk.

"There was no one parked there" he'll say.

"I was only going to be in there a minute"

Tell it to the guy with a weelchair lift that has to circle while you pick up your 'extra hot breve latte'.

Here is where my plan comes in. Someone comes in with a Cat TL1255 Telehandler, removes the guys car from the spot and places it upside down at the back of the parking lot.

This will solve the problem of people where they shouldn't really quick. I know I'd think twice before doing it! (not that I do)

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Friday, January 19, 2007

Great Moments in Music Lyrics

From Heavy Vegetables 1994 album, The Amazing Undersea Adventures of Aqua Kitty and Friends...

The song is Head Rush...

Head...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Rush...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Head rush, head rush, head rush, head rush

Head...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Rush...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
head rush, head rush, head rush, head rush

I have a head rush
I smoke too much
Head rush

I have a head rush
I smoke too much
Head rush...
Head rush, head rush, head rush

Head...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Rush...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh

Head...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Rush...
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh

(cough)

Great song, great album. I love the sound. It got lost in my iPod but made an appearance today on shuffle. Gotta love the shuffle! (not the iPod shuffle, the shuffle on the iPod...)

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

The Hoons of Today Must Defend Themselves Against the Seventies

Note: Title was ripped from Jalopnik as I found it downright hilarious. highly recommended to play said song along with video...



Here is a fun video from the Nürburgring that demonstrates the difference between the cars of today and the cars of the past. Boy these things go over easy! Pay particular attention to the Bug at 1:50.

Seatbelt? I don't need no stinking seatbelt!

How about after seeing all the Bugs roll, a convertible one with four people comes hauling through. ...And the Squareback on two wheels. ...And the bike gassing it across the dirt after almost highsiding it! I love it!

This hands down one of the coolest videos that I have come across.

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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

American Idol

I am not generally an American Idol fan. That has mostly to do with when they get to Hollywood. It is a little too over produced and plasticy for my tastes. That out of the way, I am a huge fan of the tryouts.

Tonight was special (not really) as AI paid a visit to Seattle. I actually remember the two days they were here as Seacrest did his radio show a studio or so down from the the morning show I listen to every morning on SportsRadio KJR. They described all the women in the building swarming around Seacrests studio.

We watched hoping to see someone we knew. No such luck. I was surprised to see two fellas from the 'hood where I was raised, Bothell. (Randy pronounced it bot-hell which gave me a chuckle.) The beat-box dude made it (I think), but they guy I was most proud to be from the same city as was the guy with the big eyes that they said looked like a bush baby. Yikes, I can't believe they passed on him!

Carrie and I were fascinated by how clueless that some of these people are towards their lack of singing talent. We think we figured out what the deal was. They are surrounded by people that blow smoke up their ----- because they are afraid the truth will hurt them. Unfortunately the longer this is done, the more it hurts when the truth eventually slaps you across the face with its cold cruel hand.

I can understand being supportive of a loved one and all that, but when you sing like this guy, this gal, or this guy shouldn't their loved one or friend have informed them that they aren't really recording artist quality? Is that being un-supportive? I think you are doing them a favor. What little I have seen of the finalists performing, they are VERY talented. These examples weren't. I can understand the clowns that are there for their 15 minutes of fame, but the bad ones that lost their jobs to be there? C'mon!

I know for a fact that I can sing better than those three (and the bush baby) but I also realize that I am a horrible singer. Why? Because nobody lied to me growing up telling me that I sang like an angel.

Lemmy Kilmister maybe...

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Quote of the Day

From a Honest Tea cap...

He who throws mud
only loses ground.

- Fat Albert


Mikey like!

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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Snow Day... Again

 

Posted by Picasa


People from snowy states must be laughing at us. Another inch or two of the fluffy frozen angel dandruff and western Washington shuts down. The local kids around here haven't been to school since lat Wednesday, six days ago. This never happened when I was a student!

I'm camping out at home because there is nothing too pressing going down at the office worth risking a bent car and/or a three hour commute.

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Monday, January 15, 2007

Unhappy Mike

What a load of bull my last post was! After flipping on KJR AM (sports radio) and hearing Mitch complain about how miserable he was, I realized that I hurt bad.

The Hawks took the Bears into OT with a guy who was a loan officer a few weeks ago playing cornerback! ...And took them to OT. Gawd!!! So close!

I feel as if I have a hangover after a night of downing Manhattans (not that I know what that feels like). I'm fine hearing about other teams woes (San Diego, Baltimore, Philly) this morning, it actually makes me feel better. Hearing about what went wrong in the Hawks game is like eating the proverbial s--- sandwich. It doesn't taste good. The after-taste lingers too.

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Sunday, January 14, 2007

Happy Trails

Note: This post is best read with Pearl Jams Yellow Ledbetter playing softly. Preferably off their Live in Seattle, Nov 6th, 2000 album.

Well friends, the Seahawk's season has come to an end. Yes, I am sad, but not disappointed. After all that went down this year, I feel fortunate that they played in the divisional playoffs. With all the injuries to key players the season easily could have been much worse.

Heck, they were only a completion or two from being in range of Josh Brown's golden foot for his 5th game winning FG of the season. How cool would that have been!

While not breaking the Madden curse with Alexander missing almost half the season, the Hawks did break the Super Bowl curse. They are the first team since the 2000 Titans to lose and make the playoffs the next year and the first since the 1998 Packers to win a game in the playoffs. I don't think a team that lost the SB has made it back since the Bills did it in 1993 (for the third time in a row!)

My MVP of the season is Josh Brown. As I stated above, he won four games this year with his foot on last second kicks. If he would have missed just one of those the Hawks wouldn't have made the playoffs.

My hopes for next year are for good health, the D to play like we thought they could this year, and the O-line to start the same five guys every game. All that and no losses!

As a parting gift, here are a couple pictures taken at the December 24th Hawks game against San Diego (a team that could have used JB's foot today ...cough...). The top picture is my sister MJ, Me with my eyes closed because of quick-eyes, Kevin our seat-neighbor for the last two years and Zach his son looking dejected. The bottom picture is of MJ's boyfriend Alex and Carrie. Yes it rained, I believe it rained (or snowed) the whole last half of the season.





That is all I got for now, I'm going to go cry myself to sleep on my big pillow.

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Thursday, January 11, 2007

New Look

I thought I'd change it up a little, I think this one is a little easier on the eyes. Happier too!

Let me know yay or nay....

Note: Don't think that I have been working day and night on this change, it took me maybe 3 clicks of the mouse. Sorry to disappoint....

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Yes to Mess

Most of you that know me know that I'm not exactly the neatest person around. I have clutter. There is clutter in my bedroom, clutter in my garage, clutter in my truck, clutter on my desk. That is who I am.

The only place I don't like clutter is where stuff should be stored (drawers, closets, etc..). That drives me nuts! If you put something away, put it away right, otherwise it is best left out. But I digress...

People give me a hard time about my clutteredness, and for awhile I was ashamed. But not after reading this article in the New York Times...

Saying Yes to Mess (you need to register, it's free)

Here are some of the finer points...

But contrarian voices can be heard in the wilderness. An anti-anticlutter movement is afoot, one that says yes to mess and urges you to embrace your disorder. Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It’s a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands.

“It’s chasing an illusion to think that any organization — be it a family unit or a corporation — can be completely rid of disorder on any consistent basis,” said Jerrold Pollak, a neuropsychologist at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, N.H., whose work involves helping people tolerate the inherent disorder in their lives. “And if it could, should it be? Total organization is a futile attempt to deny and control the unpredictability of life.

More...
In their book Mr. Freedman and Mr. Abrahamson describe the properties of mess in loving terms. Mess has resonance, they write, which means it can vibrate beyond its own confines and connect to the larger world. It was the overall scumminess of Alexander Fleming’s laboratory that led to his discovery of penicillin, from a moldy bloom in a petri dish he had forgotten on his desk.

More...
To a professional organizer brandishing colored files and stackable trays, cluttered horizontal surfaces are a horror; to cognitive psychologists like Jay Brand, who works in the Ideation Group of Haworth Inc., the huge office furniture company, their peaks and valleys glow with intellectual intent and showcase a mind whirring away: sorting, linking, producing. (By extension, a clean desk can be seen as a dormant area, an indication that no thought or work is being undertaken.)

And my favorite...
Einstein’s oft-quoted remark, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

F1 odds

While cruising the inet this evening I came across the Bodog.com website which lists the betting lines on many different events.

Note: I was not placing bets on BoDog as I believe it is illegal in the great state of Washington to wager online. Thank you Olympia for saving me from ruining my life/filling the coffers of the local reservations. I am sure they paid you handsomely.

While browsing around the site after checking out the odds on whether Tiger Woods first child will be born closer to the US Open or the British, I came across the odds for who will win the 2007 Formula 1 championship.

Here they are...

Odds To Win The Formula 1 Drivers Championship 2007

The the biggest surprise for me is that rookie driver Heikki Kovalainen has the same odds to win as his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. I think Fisi could be in the running now that Alonso is gone from Renault. If in Vegas I could see dropping $20 on him at 16-1. I wonder if Kovalainen is quicker. No surprise that Kimi is the favorite. They seem to have faith in McLaren giving Alonso a good ride putting him not far behind Kimi.

BTW, Is that Nate Robinson in a photoshopped Husky uniform on the site? I find it odd that they would use him.

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New Feature!

Whoa Nellie! What is this? A new feature on the Zacly! blog?

That's right boys and girls, I have added another feature to the blog. If you look on the right side under the 'about me' section you will see a link to the Zactly! forum (the ZF). Here you can discuss what ever is on your mind.

Many of you are going to take a look at the ZF right now and say, "Lame, there are only 3 posts, I'm out here!". Yes, the forum is pretty weak at the moment, but that is where you come in. I need your help to fill it up! Please don't be shy! Register and post away.

Something irritating you? Found a funny YouTube video? Came across a good micro-brew? Saw a crappy movie?

Post it on the ZF! Then free to share it with your friends.

The more, the merrier!

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Tuesday, January 09, 2007

iPhone



The world (at least mine) is all abuzz about the new Apple iPhone. See Gizmodo. This thing looks to be the cats meow and makes my Blackberry Pearl look plain.

There are only two things keeping me from jumping on board with it.

  1. It looks like it is being released on Cingular, I have T-Mobile. The good news there is that the two use the same tech (EDGE) so it shouldn't be too long before it is available.
  2. It looks like it will cost around $600 for the 8GB model WITH a two year contract. Yikes!
From what I have read today about it (a lot), I do have a few concerns and wants.

While the touch screen looks absolutely gorgeous, I wonder how the virtual keyboard will work. How will it compare to a tactile keyboard. With my pearl, I can almost bang out an email with out looking at it because my fingers know what key they are on. The touch screen seems like it may be a bit awkward for hardcore messaging.

I would want it, especially for $600, to replace my iPod that is getting a little long in the tooth. 8GB won't cut it for me. I would like to have at least 20GB. With 20GB I would have plenty of space for my essential music (I'd still have to do some shaving) and have room for photos, movies and whatever else. they probably haven't done that yet because they would need a harddrive that would cut into battery life.

With all the internet possibilities with it I would like it to be faster than EDGE.

Imagine all the face oil that thing is going to collect. You will have to carry a polishing cloth with you at all time to clean the smudges.

All in all, they are getting pretty close to what my ideal dream phone would be. We are probably only a year or two away. I can't wait!

Check out the iPhone for yourself.

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Sunday, January 07, 2007

The Office

Did any of you watch 'The Office' this week? It was pretty emotional for a change. Pam was pretty upset over Jim and Karen's relationship. Did anyone catch the appearance by Tony Romo? Here is a screen shot...



His character was apparently pretty upset too. Poor Pam and Tony.

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New Feature

Hey faithful reader of my blog! I have added a new feature to my site that I hope you find interesting.

If you look on the right side of my blog, just under my 'about me' section you will find the 'what is mike reading?' section.

I just started using Google Reader to keep track of all the blogs that I like to read. GR allows me to tag posts that I find interesting to share. You can either go to this site to see what I am sharing (feel free to bookmark) or just swing by Zactly! and see.

You will probably find an eclectic mix of technology, sport, automobile, and political flavored posts there. I think it should be another great tool to help you figure out what is going on in the huge orb that is my cranium.

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Unbelievable!

I'll say it again, unbelievable!

That was probably the the most amazing game that I have witnessed. Going for a touch down to tie late on a 4th and goal, not getting it. Apparently getting a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown on the very next play, only to have it overturned. We get a safety instead. In my opinion, that was the best thing that could have happened, as that means we get the ball back. A quick TD with a missed two point conversion and we are up by 1 with just a few minutes left. A big defensive stand and the game is ours!

Note: You may notice my use of 'we' in regard to the Seahawks, which I don't like to do as all I do is buy a ticket and watch. 'They' do all the work. Not this game, I left my vocal cords out there on that field. I was beat up as I walked out of Qwest Field like I played.

Like has happened oh so many times this year, we can't stop them and the Cowboys push to well within FG range. Devastation! I am going to be miserable for months after this game.

But nooo-oooo, The Cowboys flubbed the snap, and Romo picks up the ball and run around the left. All this happens in slow motion for me. As he is running around, it looks like I am closer to him than any Seahawk. I don't don't know where Babineaux came from, but he got there and stopped Romo scary close to a first down.

Mayhem erupted! The 15 year old that sits next to us jumped up on his dads back (and mine), crowd surfing like Eddie Vedder circa '91 at the Paramount.

We still had a minute-something left, the ball on our 1-yard line, and Dallas had three time outs left. This thing is not over. We need a first down, and it won't be easy.

But it was, Shaun busted a twenty yard run quick and only something REALLY weird would keep us from victory. After what I had witness in the last 10 minutes, I didn't breath until the clock said "0:00".

I thought no game could surpass the drama of the Giants game last year with all the missed FG's to win by them. This one did... Easy. Unbelievable!

I need to try and sleep now, hopefully I am unwound enough to do it.

Goodnight and Godspeed!

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Woohoo!

This is why I am bored with street cars. Crank the volume!



That Renault goes like a freaking rocket ship when he gets off the pit lane limiter! As it was just an installation lap, he didn't even push the car. Check out his hands catching the car getting unbalanced and getting her in line again, amazing reflexes.

Watching this thing go compared to any street car is like watching a F-14 flyby compared to a 757.

I guess the 757 video didn't help my point much... That was almost cooler than the F-14!

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New Years Resolution

I finally came up with a resolution for 2007....

You know that little pocket over your right side pocket of blue jeans? Do you use it? I never have, so my resolution is to use it for my change. The benifits of this will be two-fold...

  1. I will stop wondering why the hell is this stupid pocket on my jeans every month or so. and...
  2. My cell phone that I keep in my front pocket shouldn't get as scratched as fast.

Which reminds me. Why in the hell do they put that fabric laberinth on the front of mens underwear? Who uses this? Is this a fossil from the days before elastic waists? Lets save some cotton and do away with it!

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Odd day

It must be a full moon...

  1. Unconsciously hit the snooze button 7 time before I realized what I was doing. 45 minutes late to work.
  2. Bumped my grande almond latte against the A-pillar of the car spraying coffee everywhere.
  3. Blew a breaker at work changing the toner in the copier. Don't ask.
  4. Find out that I'll be without my truck for another day.
  5. Booted our office offline, had to troubleshoot.

I had a feeling that it was going to be one of those days after #3. After I knocked our office offline it chilled out thank God.

[edit] It IS a full moon.... Hmmmmm...

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Mikey Sleepy

Man am I paying for last night. After staying up to around 2am on a school night screwing with the last post, I am zonked!


Recently my truck flipped 100k miles. If you don't believe me, I took a picture...


Posted by Picasa

Unlike my other high mileage vehicles (1980 Pontiac Phoenix/Babe Magnet, 1986 VW GTI, 1995 Honda Civic EX Coupe), I have put all but a hand full of the miles on this lead sled myself.

Today I took the old dog in for a service as the brakes were a bit 'lumpy' and it was due for an oil change. I told them give me a call if the bill goes over $300.... Ah, to dream... Basically it needs a brake job, and every seal on the engine replaced! Some are easy and cheap to do, many are expensive. That and it needs new ball joints (expensive again). The joys of a high mileage vehicle. We are well over my $300 limit by a hearty sized single digit multiplier.

I haven't had a payment on it forever so I can't complain too much.

Signing the papers on something new, shiny and sporty is unfortunately not an option. Carrie just got a new ride so I got to stretch this one out a while more. The thought of two new car payments in a couple months time quickly dumps a bucket of cold water over my head. I can still dream though.... Nighty night!

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

NFL Stadiums

More GE goodies for you! Here is all of the current NFL stadiums by division and team.

NFL_Stadiums.kmz

As I did with the F1 Circuits, I linked the name of the stadium to it's Wikipedia page.

I found only one game in progress, at Qwest Field of all places. Unfortunately it isn't my beloved Hawks, it is the hated WSU Cougars. The good news is that it looks as if they are punting out their own end zone.

Locating most of the stadiums wasn't too hard. I tried to find them cold war style, just looking at the satellite photos around where I thought they should be. The hardest to find was Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. I knew it wasn't close to Boston, but that was all I knew. FedExField was hard because I dint realize that the Redskins no longer played at RFK. That stadium I found easily. The find that I was most proud of was Giants Stadium in New Jersey. I pretty much went straight to it by intuition.

While I was screwing around tonight I came across this...


It is a nuclear bomb test site in the Bikini Atoll. The big crater is roughly a mile across. Scary.



Even Scarier... This is video of the bomb that created that crater. Castle Bravo, the largest device detonated by the US. It was a 15 Megaton explosion, around 1,000 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII.

I don't like the music. It glorifies something that I don't think needs to be glorified.

Wow, this post went in a different direction than I originally intended!

[edit] I couldn't get the video to play, and need to get some sleep. If you are having the same problem, you can find the video here. I took one more shot at it and discovered that the document id was missing. A little cut and paste and I can hit the sack happy! Goodnight!

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Monday, January 01, 2007

A F1/Google Earth Treat

Have I got a treat for you, my fellow Formula 1 racing fans! (you non-fans may find it interesting too so don't stop reading yet)

This weekend I caught the Google Earth bug big time! I spent many hours spinning the fantastic cyber-globe searching odd corners for anything interesting. What could I do to make this more interesting for me (and hopefully you). An idea hit me like a medicine ball in the dark... Why not link all the Formula 1 races to their tracks, giving results and other pertinent information? Bingo! So here you go...

2006_Formula_1_Season.kmz
2007_Formula_1_Season.kmz

If you have Google Earth, and there is no reason you shouldn't, you can download the previous two files and get something like this for every racetrack on the 2006 and 2007 calendar....



Each track has links to the race results and track informatin on Wikipedia.

I am also working on showing all the current NFL stadiums. I found them on GE, I just need to tweek all the information until I like it.

Another thing that I have been doing is downloading data out of my GPS and plotting it on GE. If I would just get back on my mountain bike this would be awesome for giving trail reports on the blog. I have already done it with my commute to and from work.

Yes, I know that others have already done these things, some maybe even better, but that isn't the point. I love figuring out what I can do with these things, and how to do it. Much like someone that likes to build cabinets as a hobby. The trip is as much fun as the destination.

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