Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thanks to the movies... Another song of old becomes a favorite.
In (500) Days of Summer Zooey Deschanel's character Summer Finn sings this at The Redwood for karaoke. The original for some reason is one of my favorites lately. Here is a recording from a television appearance by the original recording artist Nancy Sinatra.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The best portable charger is finally available. Best part? It's solar powered!
via solarjoos.com
This is one of the best products of 2010. 5400 mAh battery. Waterproof. Solar. Keep this in a laptop bag or backpack and never run out of power for the portables. This could keep your MiFi or portable broadband going all day!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Dark Tower. One of the greatest games of the '80s
I used to love this game. It was AWESOME! FYI, that is Orson Welles.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Disney Patents Interactive Cakes
via gizmodo.com
A cake that has a projection that interacts with the image. You cut a piece and the image changes to accommodate... Read the article... This is crazy!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Netflix has me watching the past.... and wondering...
Netflix has been a welcome experience for me. In catching up with TV shows and movies from over the years not many have brought up feelings of nostalgia like The Beach. Maybe it is the draw of travel, the music, or even the year it came out; definitely not the quality of story that causes this.
At the time back in 2000 I was dating someone who was one of my neighbors and working in sales at AT&T. After living in Austin for a few years in seemed that I had hit my stride. Great job, little to no worries, someone to come home to... Bill Clinton was ending his presidency. Moby. Remember that CD? We all had it. His songs were in all the commercials. WiFi wasn't really around yet. Most people had desktops not laptops. The original multi-colored iMac. Email was from companies like Excite, Hotmail, and Yahoo. AOL was still around as a network provider. Palm Pilots were the thing. Sierra Leone. Elian Gonzalez. Two way text messaging. That darn election. A lot happened that year.
Today, 10 years later, things seem similar... Job pays the bills.... Great dog to come home to.. Best friends with the girl who was that neighbor.... But the year that took us from 1999 into the "future" seemed to hold so much promise. We now have our smartphones, laptops, and iPads. Entitlement. Debt. Communication is in bursts of 140 characters or less. Photos are ALL digital. Email is for work. Some of us send one letter a year if that to the IRS if not filed electronically. We are distant even though we know where and what all of our friends are doing thanks to Facebook and Foursquare.
Watching the movie today made me think of all the people that has come and gone. So many friendships have started since then. Many friends have moved on. Right now, just like 10 years ago, sitting and typing thoughts in the same spot in the same apartment has me wondering where all that time went. However, it has been a lot of fun.
2011 is just a few days away. What will we be thinking in 10 more years? What dream will be pursued? What movie will I chose to remember this milestone of 2010 by? The journey to answer those questions gives the same excitement it did back then. Can't wait to see what happens!
Monday, December 13, 2010
My last Christmas wish and recommendation... WOWee ONE Gel Speaker
via woweeone.com
It is simply awesome. Plug it into a headset jack. Set it down. Press play. It turns the surface you set it on into a sub-woofer. The quality of sound is amazing! It has a 10 hour rechargeable battery and is small enough to travel in a pocket. Rock out the cubicle, bus, park bench.... Only online so far.. Hopefully sold in Austin soon!
Live in Austin? Don't know what to get as a gift? Alamo Drafthouse Gift Cards
via drafthouse.com
If you love movies and live in Austin this is your place to see them. Instead of all those silly gift cards that cost you $6 to load get one that can give you an extra $20 in value. Tim League and staff have made this an Austin institution with great food, drink, and film.
If you haven't played this yet you should. XBOX Kinect.
via XBOX Kinect
This is hands down my favorite thing this holiday. Of course I couldn't wait to get one until Christmas and have been playing Dance Central almost everyday since opening it. You know Microsoft hit a home run when you squeeze 15 people into a 600 sq ft apartment to play and EVERYONE is jumping in. Also gives you some voice commands for certain functions on your XBOX. "XBOX ESPN" is a daily ritual.
If you have an XBOX and you find one to put or get under the tree here are the games I recommend: (Already comes with Kinect Adventures)
Dance Central
Kinect Sports
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
Kinectimals (for kids or if you like giga-pets)
Your Christmas Cocktail. Retro Big Red and Tito's Vodka.
via shop.bigred.com
Everyone knows how much of a fan I am of Tito's Vodka. It is my spirit of choice. The revisit of retro-style real sugar sodas has had me try numerous combinations. My favorite so far is Retro Big Red. It tastes amazing!!! With Tito's and friends it makes the best Christmas cocktail.
This could get me to wear a watch again! Nano Watch!
via bestbuy.com
Apple really made a great little device with the new iPod Nano. There are a ton of cool versions of the wristband out there. Here is another to consider. The new iPod Nano and the Belkin Watch Band. Both available at Best Buy.
This could save me from that bag you all see me with all the time.
via scottevest.com
It even holds the iPad. I may get a couple different styles of these coats. You can even use your iPod/EVO/iPhone through those crazy looking inner chest pockets as it lets you interact with them. CHeck out their other products if you travel. You can save a bag or two!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Wendy's New Hand Cut Fries. Can you still dip them in your Frosty?
One of my favorite treats is going to Wendy's and getting an order of
their fries and a chocolate Frosty to dip them in. It's almost a
ritual. One of those time honored traditions that your friends will
agree or raise an eyebrow when you do it. But how will these new fries
work at dipping? First let me say they are delicious. The sea salt with the skin
still on is a welcome change. They flavor of the Wendy's French fry
was not that memorable before. These new ones are delicious.
However..... They are not good dippers. Since they are not that thick
and square fry of yesterday they tend to break. More often than not
the Frosty dipped fry broke and ended up on the table rather than my
mouth. When it did finally make the trip with help from both hands it
just wasn't the same. The answer is yes, you can dip, but truly
enjoying it like it was before is gone. So, please, to whom it may concern at Wendy's... Bring back the
classic square fry! Save the dipping ritual!
their fries and a chocolate Frosty to dip them in. It's almost a
ritual. One of those time honored traditions that your friends will
agree or raise an eyebrow when you do it. But how will these new fries
work at dipping? First let me say they are delicious. The sea salt with the skin
still on is a welcome change. They flavor of the Wendy's French fry
was not that memorable before. These new ones are delicious.
However..... They are not good dippers. Since they are not that thick
and square fry of yesterday they tend to break. More often than not
the Frosty dipped fry broke and ended up on the table rather than my
mouth. When it did finally make the trip with help from both hands it
just wasn't the same. The answer is yes, you can dip, but truly
enjoying it like it was before is gone. So, please, to whom it may concern at Wendy's... Bring back the
classic square fry! Save the dipping ritual!
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Need a laugh? Check out how bad I am at dancing on Dance Central on Kinect.
via youtube.com
I mean if you can;t laugh at yourself then what's the point right? I knew I was rhythm challenged but no idea this bad. Perhaps the right amount of Tito's has not been consumed yet. Must fix that.
This is what my scene in TRON: Legacy would be like. Yes, that is me.
Thanks to CG I'm getting slaughtered by Clu. But how cool is this?
Pretty F'n cool.
Can I tell you how excited I am for this? TRON: LEGACY!!!
via youtube.com
TRON was one of my favorite movies. I still can recall the day I saw it back in 1982. Heading to the theater in my own, watching the movie, then waiting for my parents to come pick me up at the local arcade where I was playing the video game TRON. It blew me away.. Hope this next installment does the same!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Shooting for the Sun - Magazine - The Atlantic
via theatlantic.com
Just like the Wright Brothers and countless other visionaries you can't laugh a great idea man away from his own genius. Lonnie Johnson may have changed the world.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The next big thing? The Walking Dead - AMC
via amctv.com
Is AMC the new HBO? Mad Men is one of the best television shows written in a long time. Could a zombie infested world be the next hit for AMC? We will find out this Halloween.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Monday, October 04, 2010
This might be the most creative and detailed "Will you marry me?" that is also AWESOME!
I really hope this is true. The story on this is so awesome, as is the video, that it just needs to be told by the person who made the video. Here is the text from his YouTube posting.
" Vy's been wanting me to write a song for her for a very long time. I decided to write a Top 40 / Club type song because this is the type of music she likes most. Since I'm not a great singer, I found it very convenient that auto-tune is very popular in this genre. Ha! I recorded and mixed everything in Pro Tools. No loops were used. A big thank you to my brother, Casey, for doing a great job filming all the iPhone action.
This entire project took about 4 months to complete since I could only work on it when Vy was not around. It was hard coming up with so many fake excuses why I couldn't hang out! As the project neared completion, I made phone call after phone call trying to get this played in a movie theater (with hopes of getting it played in the Carmike 20 in Oakdale which is where we had our first movie date many years ago). I lucked out when somebody got me the number to Daniel, the Carmike City Manager, who was awesome, got the OK from corporate and made it happen. I brought the DVD in so they could make sure it was suitable for showing and to do a practice run. The date was now set for Sunday, Sept. 5th at 7:35pm. It would be playing in front of the romantic comedy "Going the Distance" (which I was glad about, I was worried it might be "The Last Exorcism"!)
Wouldn't you know it, almost immediately Vy started getting invited to BBQs, house parties and other events for Sept. 5th! Now I had to come up with a plan to make Vy want to see this movie instead doing anything else so I asked our friend Justin, who lives in Hollywood and is beginning to make appearances in film and TV, to facebook a bunch of us saying he's appearing in a trailer for a movie called "Addicted To You" and that this trailer is showing in front of "Going the Distance" nationwide. I then requested our friend, Carlus, to respond on facebook saying "Let's all go see Justin in the movies on Sunday! I'll pick up tickets for everyone. Dress up and we'll go out for my birthday afterwards".
The plan worked great and Vy was excited to watch for our friend Justin in the trailers. We arrived that night, sat through a bunch of commercials and movie trailers and then my video started. Vy thought it was a real iPhone commercial. When in the video I said "So you want to write a song for your girlfriend", Vy squeezed my hand and looked at me with a smile. I thought she had figured it out at that moment but she later explained she hadn't yet firgured it out and had squeezed my hand because she wanted me to write her a song. Ha!
Once the video showed "June 17th, 2004" she figured it out and started crying immediately, which I especially enjoyed because she has never cried at the movies but I have a number of times! At the end where the video sent the text message, Vy actually received that same text message from my phone. At that moment I got down on one knee, looked at Vy and said "Vy, you're my best friend, I love you so much and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"
She said "YES!" and the theater audience (about 30 people) applauded. Our friends Thomas and Kristin then came out of hiding and gave Vy a dozen roses. We all met up with more friends and went out dancing to celebrate! "
This entire project took about 4 months to complete since I could only work on it when Vy was not around. It was hard coming up with so many fake excuses why I couldn't hang out! As the project neared completion, I made phone call after phone call trying to get this played in a movie theater (with hopes of getting it played in the Carmike 20 in Oakdale which is where we had our first movie date many years ago). I lucked out when somebody got me the number to Daniel, the Carmike City Manager, who was awesome, got the OK from corporate and made it happen. I brought the DVD in so they could make sure it was suitable for showing and to do a practice run. The date was now set for Sunday, Sept. 5th at 7:35pm. It would be playing in front of the romantic comedy "Going the Distance" (which I was glad about, I was worried it might be "The Last Exorcism"!)
Wouldn't you know it, almost immediately Vy started getting invited to BBQs, house parties and other events for Sept. 5th! Now I had to come up with a plan to make Vy want to see this movie instead doing anything else so I asked our friend Justin, who lives in Hollywood and is beginning to make appearances in film and TV, to facebook a bunch of us saying he's appearing in a trailer for a movie called "Addicted To You" and that this trailer is showing in front of "Going the Distance" nationwide. I then requested our friend, Carlus, to respond on facebook saying "Let's all go see Justin in the movies on Sunday! I'll pick up tickets for everyone. Dress up and we'll go out for my birthday afterwards".
The plan worked great and Vy was excited to watch for our friend Justin in the trailers. We arrived that night, sat through a bunch of commercials and movie trailers and then my video started. Vy thought it was a real iPhone commercial. When in the video I said "So you want to write a song for your girlfriend", Vy squeezed my hand and looked at me with a smile. I thought she had figured it out at that moment but she later explained she hadn't yet firgured it out and had squeezed my hand because she wanted me to write her a song. Ha!
Once the video showed "June 17th, 2004" she figured it out and started crying immediately, which I especially enjoyed because she has never cried at the movies but I have a number of times! At the end where the video sent the text message, Vy actually received that same text message from my phone. At that moment I got down on one knee, looked at Vy and said "Vy, you're my best friend, I love you so much and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"
She said "YES!" and the theater audience (about 30 people) applauded. Our friends Thomas and Kristin then came out of hiding and gave Vy a dozen roses. We all met up with more friends and went out dancing to celebrate! "
Here is a link to the song that will help pay for the wedding. (if it's true, which I think it is...) It's on iTunes so at least it isn't some crazy PayPal / mail in fiasco.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/addicted-to-you-iphone-proposal/id396273378?i=396273389Sent from my iPad
Friday, October 01, 2010
Ellen Degenres on bullying. It IS a serious problem.
I had retweeted a link this morning after seeing this powerful video
Ellen Degeneres made and played at the end of her show. But for those
that haven't seen it yet, you should watch this. We all can learn from
this. Sometimes we just don't think when we speak. This I admit and
will be making an effort to be part of the solution and not the
problem. It starts with us. Spread the message. It ends now! Sent from my iPad
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tony Curtis was one of the more interesting actors...
Tony curtis died today. One of my favorite movies as a kid was "The
Great Imposter" about the life of Ferdinand Waldo Demara jr played by
Tony Curtis. He also starred in Spartacus, Some like it Hot, and many
others.... Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Android Widget by State Farm responds to texts while you drive!
State Farm updated their "Pocket Agent" app for Android to include a
widget that you can set to auto-respond to texts. Very easy to use!
Also great for when you are at the movies or any other time you would
like to send out an auto-reply. "Pocket Agent" also has great other
features such as finding hotels, gas stations, and restaurants. Oh did
I mention it also is a great tool if you are a State Farm customer?
This application now has me thinking about becoming one. Cjeck it out. www.statefarm.com/android Sent from my iPad
widget that you can set to auto-respond to texts. Very easy to use!
Also great for when you are at the movies or any other time you would
like to send out an auto-reply. "Pocket Agent" also has great other
features such as finding hotels, gas stations, and restaurants. Oh did
I mention it also is a great tool if you are a State Farm customer?
This application now has me thinking about becoming one. Cjeck it out. www.statefarm.com/android Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Fastest and Funniest LEGO Star Wars story ever told
This is awesome. Anyone wanna play Legos later? Sent from my iPad
Monday, August 09, 2010
Does Austin's Code Compliance Division Practice What It Promises?
Austin's Division for Code Compliance's mission statement: "Our mission is to attain compliance with City codes regarding land use regulations and the maintenance of structures and premises through education, cooperation, enforcement and abatement to achieve a cleaner, healthier and safer City."\
But with the recent issues going back and forth with Weirdo's in North Austin do you think the city is acting in the interest for the public good or as the bully for big business?
Thoughts?
Sunday, August 01, 2010
How is social media changing the world of celebrities?
Robert Scoble captures an obvious but key point with Larry Thompson on
branding, celebrity, and social media. Sent from my iPad
branding, celebrity, and social media. Sent from my iPad
Portable Solar Charger JOOS Orange - The "new" sliced bread!
via solarjoos.com
This is probably one of the best products for the techie in most of us. Solar. 5400mAh battery. Waterproof. Charges iPad, Iphone, Blackberry, and pretty much anything else portable. Click the picture to read more.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Crazy Cleveland Fans Boo Miami Lebron Jersey at Yankees Indians Game
It's Ohio. What do you expect... Sent from my iPad
Friday, July 30, 2010
This will be my next purchase - Parrot AR.Drone : Flight Demo
All sorts of trouble this will cause. Yes. Sent from my iPad
Death wish 2010 aka Want to teach me how to drive?
At 41 years old I have never held a valid driver's license. Ever. Temporary learner's permits but not an actual license. Are you brave? Have great car insurance and loads and loads of patience? Death wish perhaps? Teach me to drive... I want to document the experience so that will be part of it too. Only serious or seriously funny inquiries or comments accepted! Oh, and this is for my Austin, Texas neighbors and crash test dummies.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
TODAY Show Interviews The BoDeans - 1988
The year is 1988. I was in my first year of college. This band is what
started my going to concerts and live music venues. The woman
interviewing seems to think talking to them is "beneath" her. Also a
little dig by her on my hometown in the end. Her demeanor is probably
why no one remembers her...
started my going to concerts and live music venues. The woman
interviewing seems to think talking to them is "beneath" her. Also a
little dig by her on my hometown in the end. Her demeanor is probably
why no one remembers her...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ridley Scott: Shooting for Life In A Day
Something we all need to remember. Just. Do. It. Wait a second..
Didn't Nike come up with that? Ha.. Sent from my iPad
Didn't Nike come up with that? Ha.. Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Only 24 hours until LIMBO!
My Wednesday is cleared. This during the day then the BoDeans at
Zilker Park. That is if the controller leaves my hand long enough to
go that night.
Zilker Park. That is if the controller leaves my hand long enough to
go that night.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Did Apple really make a mistake or was it part of a big design cover-up?
You may think this is in reference to the iPhone 4. It isn't directly. The recent update Apple released for the iPhone fixes the "algorithm" that was used to calculate signal strength. This was supposedly a new discover that had slipped by for several years. I am calling foul on this. Here is why: Apple for years talks of how their products work better, virus free, etc.... But something that all cell phones do they messed up on? Could it be for the last few years they knew their products had issues with reception? Was it purposely done to cover up the original design flaw in the iPhone? I say yes. In large groups of people the users who have the most problems with their phones are iPhone users. At conferences, festivals, and concerts where large groups gather it seems iPhone users have service issues but others using AT&T with other phones do not. (Blackberry, LG, etc...) My theory is this. They originally designed the phone and found out to late the signal issue. As you have seen the generations of the device have changed what the device was made of; They still have signal issues. Finally, with what they think is the fix for their issues (iPhone 4 antenna band) they still have problems. But with all the focus on AT&T being the culprit they finally release the correct signal strength detector. It made Apple look like the victim in the scenario but in reality they are the culprit. This may seem very conspiracy theory but in my unsubstantiated claim this is all on Apple. It may be time to have an investigation in what may be one of the biggest consumer frauds to date. But, that is, if what I say has merit. Time will tell. In the meantime, I will surf the web and write my blog posts on my iPad.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Best Wurst
My first trailer experience in Austin when I first moved here was The Best Wurst. Since my move to Texas they are the only one vendor who makes bratwurst that I consider delicious. My hometown is Milwaukee so my credentials are solid in this category.
Curry ketchup, onions, spicy mustard, sauerkraut... They have it all. Great staff and worth the long wait in line. Be a good neighbor and throw your trash in a receptacle when finished.
At $4.50 it's a deal. I want one right now.
With the issue of an on-going permit battle with Parkside for their 6th and San Jacinto location, they may have to move, so get one while you can. (The 6th and Red River location will still be there)
Monday, July 12, 2010
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