Yearly Archives: 2007
When to overthrow the government
“If it ever happened that America attacked Iran because of alleged nukes, and later confirmed it had no nuclear weapons program, and we discovered that the administration knew it all along, would it be in the best interest of the citizens of the United States to overthrow their government?”
— Scott Adams blogs this hypothetical question
Snapshots
A woman/man/boy takes my picture at a crowded sidewalk cafe. I object and the woman/man/boy runs away. I give chase. The mysterious photographer dashes in front of a bus and is killed instantly. I look down and see the camera at my feet. I pick it up and walk away. A couple of blocks away I go into a bar and turn on the camera, looking for a clue to the identity of the photographer. There are just 12 images on the camera, the last one being the one just taken of me. The story unfolds as I attempt to unravel the mystery, searching for clues in the twelve photos.
To put some meat on the bones of this story, I really should come up with interesting photos. For example, let’s say one of them is crash scene of Princess Di (time stamped 5 seconds after the crash, before anyone else arrived).
And maybe one is a shot of Lee Harvey Oswald posing by the window in the book depository. (A digital image before there were digital cameras?)
If we want to take a spooky tack, the first image could be the crushed body of the photographer under the bus.
You get the idea. Would this make a better TV series than feature? You could post the images online and invite fans to help solve the mystery. Hmmm.
Comments/ideas are encouraged. And if this has already been done, please let me know.
Nike Freestyle ad
iMac before and after
Help Desk Eric installed my new iMac (24 inch) yesterday. Getting the iMac at work was one of Life’s Pleasant Little Surprises. Phil (our head IT guy) came me a few weeks ago to let me know I was up for a hardware refresh and gave me the option of an iMac. I almost said no.
Learfield COO Roger Gardner opted for an iMac and that –I suspect– paved the way for me. As far as I know, we’re the only two in the company with a Mac on the desktop.
This is an example of what a great IT department we have a Learfield. Instead of taking a we-only-do-Windows stance, they’re open to trying something new. In my case, it makes a lot of sense, because most of the stuff I do can be done a little easier/better on the Mac than the PC.
I still have Windows XP running (on VMware). This means I have to adapt to sliding back and forth between Windows and OSX. It’s gonna take some getting used to.
The iMac is a magnificent piece of hardware. Feels more like a piece of sculpture than a machine. But we won’t go there.
The Office-Cam is down for now. Maybe for good. I’ve got a PC in the office as well and once we get it back online, I might turn the Office-Cam back on.
I’m looking forward to doing some video chats with those of you who have the capability and interest. Email me and I’ll send my AIM name.
What else… Oh yeah, the new iMac keyboard. I love it. Didn’t think I would be it feels great and works well.
So there you have it. Two operating systems running on one sleek device. Best of both worlds. Stay tuned.
CBS Radio is putting “60 Minutes” on iTunes
Reply
CBS Radio News is making the entire program available as an audio podcast free on iTunes, CBSNews.com and CBS Radio News affiliate websites. An audio-only version of “60 Minutes” has been offered for radio syndication for years. And some audio and video segments have been posted online. But this is the first time the entire weekly show will be downloadable. Executive producer Jeff Fager says the show is “perfect for this kind of audio podcasting because its relied on “solid storytelling, with or without the pictures.” [Inside Radio]
Order of the Fez: And then there were six
In an elaborate (and secret) ceremony, held in an undisclosed location, the newest member of The Order of the Fez was inducted last night. John Wells became the sixth member of the recently formed order and you can read his rambling, semi-coherent application statement here.
Las Vegas pix
Got back from weekend in Las Vegas, then down to the Lake for an off-site planning retreat. Playing hell with the blogging. Barb’s are sure to be better and I’ll add them when we can find time to coordinate. She’s been busier than I. And, yes, I know I haven’t captioned or titled the flickr images. I’ll get to them eventually.
I also grabbed some video but that’s gonna have to be a weekend project. Gonna try to give the new iMovie another try. Watch this space for big announcement on Friday. I’m all tingly.
Welcome home, Marines
Just happened to be at the gate (Las Vegas) as a plane-load of U. S. Marines arrived home from Iraq. These guys were mighty glad to be back. I couldn’t help thinking to myself that these guys are acting like they’re home for good. Hope so. As they left the gate area, travelers burst into spontaneous applause. It was moving and –for a few seconds– nobody was thinking about politics.
Text Messaging Championships
Last December I introduced you to Tyne Morgan, our intern with the amazing touch-texting skills. Now that we have an entire generation of Tynes, it’s only logical there would be a Text Messaging Championship:
“When cued, Participants will place their handsets on a marking on a counter-top area. All handsets will need to be closed. Participants will need to stand with their hands behind their back. The Referee will begin the round by counting down from 3, 2, 1 and announce “Go!” When the Referee says, “Go,” participants will then open their handsets and transcribe the phrase verbatim – no abbreviations, no typos – and send it to the designated referee’s phone.”
“Pivot!! Pivot links Time Warner Cable services u enjoy @ home to ur Sprint wireless phone. w/Pivot home is where ur phone is!”
Some nice prizes, too. [Thanks, Scott]