iPod or Zune?

Tom Brokaw asked Bill Gates has an iPod - he responded that he uses a Zune to listen to music.

"It's an even better way of carrying your music around," he said.

No word on if Brokaw laughed then or waited until later.

firm and strong

When we got back from Ireland, we made a decision - we needed a new mattress. Somehow sleeping on the one we currently have seems somewhat, well, wrong, particularly after the wonder bed we had at the Hilton Cardiff (Wales). And so today when I have some free time I am going to check out Coaster Company Furniture and see if we can't upgrade the whole room as long we are at it. After all, they have an amazing selection of Bedroom Furniture in addition to a selection of Living Room Furniture and all around Furniture.

If only that stimulus check was just a little bit bigger.

If you have a desire to do so, check out their pages and see what your new room or home can look like. Great looking furniture in realistic settings rally help you narrow daon the look you are looking for.

This has been a sponsored post.

[Flickr] Schmap Atlanta for the iPhone

Pictures from our Atlanta trip now available for iPhone:

:: Schmap Atlanta for the iPhone

This is just a quick note to let you know that Schmap Guides have now
been released for the iPhone and iPod
touch.

Your photos in the iPhone version of our Schmap Atlanta Guide are at:

Trader Vic's
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=atlanta&sid=restaurants_pacificrim&p=124253&i=124253_5

Margaret Mitchell House & Museum
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=atlanta&sid=sights_attractions&p=18178&i=18178_2

Underground Atlanta
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=atlanta&sid=sights_attractions&p=17533&i=17533_6

Book 'Em, Danno

[Hawaii Five-O, free, TV]

From Tiki Talk comes word that, "Hawaii Five-O, the now classic police drama set in Hawaii, can now be watched anytime for free on CBS.com."

Season 1 and 2 for now, streaming only, so grab a blender and get watching! If for nothing else the great opening montage and theme!

Taking Action for Animals

[Humane Society]

5 reasons to be at Taking Action for Animals:

• Find out the greatest threat to pets in the last decade, and what you can do about it.
• Learn the single most effective tactic for getting an elected official to listen to your views.
• See how the November election won't just choose our next president, but can also help 20 million farm animals.
• Meet Baby, the three-legged poodle who survived a grueling decade in a puppy mill.
• Enjoy a joke by comedian Carol Leifer and political satire from The Capitol Steps.

WANTED

[Kool-Aid]



I always thought he was the Kool-Aid Punch Man but Wikipedia disagrees:

Before he was officially the Kool-Aid Man in 1975, he was the “Pitcher Man”. The Pitcher Man was created in 1954 by Marvin Plotts, an art director for a New York-based advertising agency. General Foods had just purchased Kool-Aid from the drink’s creator Edwin Perkins the year before, and Plotts was charged with drafting a concept to illustrate the copy message: “A 5-cent package makes two quarts. " Working from his Chicago home on a cold day, Potts watched as his young son traced smiley face patterns on a frosty windowpane," recounts Sue Uerling, marketing and communications director for Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History. This inspired Marvin Plotts to create a beaming glass pitcher filled with flavorful drink: the Pitcher Man. From there on the joyful pitcher was on all the Kool-Aid’s advertisements.

Laugh-Out-Loud Cats #870

Laugh-Out-Loud Cats #870
Originally uploaded by Ape Lad

Cambot! Give me cartoon number 9!

the beat goes on

I always assumed TV was behind the curve in the States versus the UK but after seeing an ad in Dublin last month advertising the 'eventual transition to digital TV' I am not so sure. What did catch my ear (is that really a phrase?) was the line, 'broadcast, satellite or broadband.' Is there IPTV in large numbers 'cross the pond?

I think it would be a great idea - get the channels you want and none of the ones you don't. Want to watch the news in Gaelic? Why not. Want to see the latest rap music videos, well then you are all set. Until then you'll have to roll your own programming.

A note of caution, as most are aware some Rap Lyrics are slightly explicate - if you or your co-workers are uncomfortable with this please click with care.

This has been a sponsored post.

Troubling Changes From the TSA

From telescreen.org comes some very disturbing news of changes the TSA made over the week-end regarding those who wish to fly and don't have or do not wish to show their ID:

Beginning Saturday, June 21, 2008 passengers that willfully refuse to provide identification at security checkpoint will be denied access to the secure area of airports.

This change will apply exclusively to individuals that simply refuse to provide any identification or assist transportation security officers in ascertaining their identity.

This new procedure will not affect passengers that may have misplaced, lost or otherwise do not have ID but are cooperative with officers. Cooperative passengers without ID may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behavior detection or law enforcement officers and other measures.

So the absent-minded professor types can still make their meeting. The people who remember the 80s and the time when could mock how the USSR was so inferior to the US of A (because they required internal passports for their citizens who wanted to travel) and wish to prove a point will be escorted to the curb.

I know I'll feel safe heading to Germany next month!

Victory for Sierra Club and the Giant Sequoias!

Some good news for a Monday:


I am delighted to share with you some very exciting news about a giant victory for Sierra Club and the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Just a week ago we saw the end to the Sierra Club's three year long battle with the timber industry, preventing them - once and for all - from logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

The win came at the 11th hour, as the Sierra Club legal team prepared to appear in the Ninth Circuit court to argue the last case standing, a last-ditch appeal by the timber industry, regarding commercial logging in the Monument. But on the eve of the hearing, they abandoned and withdrew their appeal - putting the final nail in the coffin of this very drawn out case - and putting an end to the pillage of these iconic trees.

This was a major victory for the Sierra Club - and it would not have been possible without the support of our committed Members and Supporters. Thank you.

Beginning in 1901, when John Muir lobbied for the expansion of Sequoia National Park to encompass the entire range of the giant sequoia, the Sierra Club has advocated for the protection of giant sequoia ecosystems in their entirety. And, after years of fighting to keep our towering Sequoia trees safe from the timber industry's saws, we have finally won. Thanks to this hard-earned victory, our children and grandchildren will be able to stand in awe of these noble giants for generations to come.

Thank you again for your contribution to this critical victory - it never could have happened without your support.  

Sincerely,  
Carl Pope

designing men and women

I have friends who are inveterate internet shoppers. Well, to be honest they are big shopper period. Which is why I just passed along to them the link to , the site that lets you see and shop by category and by designer.

So if you are looking for Parisian Clothing or French Dresses why waste time drilling down through page after page when someone has done all the hard work for you? After all, nobody has that much time to shop so the faster you get to the good stuff the faster you can get back to work - after all, at some point you have to pay for it, right?

Be sure to check out their blog, too. That's how my friend found them and is now a total convert - "a fashion blog written by people who like and wear the stuff, not some MBA in marketing who is just copying and pasting press releases," as she put it.

Loads of designers, some you may have not of heard of but isn't the thrill of discovery why we all shop? Try it out and see what I mean.

See what a French Designer would call a little black book for getting dressed.

FedEx Survey

[FedEx]



Friends are trying to figure out why, "Scott (the busy worker), puts his arm out to the side. I have found 2 slightly edited versions of this commercial (one referring to him 'working like a farm animal') but no reference to why his arm out. I've googled but come up with nothing. Anyone know the answer or know of a sight that might tell me more?"

Any suggestions?

the eyes have it

Last night some of the neighborhood cats started a small war in what sounded like our backyard at about three in the morning. Let me tell you, nothing can wake you up faster than the sound of feline distress, even if you know it isn't yours (an indoor only cat). To make matters worse is when you fumble around looking for (and trying not to) knock your glasses off the night-stand. These are the times when I start to think that Lasik might just be a good idea. After all, if Tiger Woods can have the procedure, why not me?

I have heard some people comment that this is 'cheating,' but is it really? The US Air Force allows laser vision correction for fighter pilots to give them an edge, Special Forces too. Would you want either of these groups to have to worry about glasses? And if all it is doing is replacing glasses, where is the shame?

LaserVue Lasik doctors have performed more than 25,000 procedures so for Lasik in San Francisco why not go to someone with the experience and who's been certified by the nonprofit USAEyes.org. No money down and no interest financing is available plus you can apply online so you know if you qualify even before you make an appointment. With payments about $60 a month, how much longer do you want to wake up with the world a blur?

7 Clean Words About George Carlin

[George Carlin]



This. Morning. I. Read. He. Had. Died.

OK, one more: F**k.

halloween costume shop AKA Doctor Who Experience: Cardiff

With Halloween now exactly 180 days away, you would think there would be plenty of time to start thinking of a costume, but in reality, thinking of a clever, memorable and comfortable Halloween costume is almost a year long exercise with several idea batted (no pun intended, I assure you) around at our house and rejected as too obscure, done before or too impractical. Finding just the right adult halloween costumes can be a bit of an exercise, albeit a fun one, particularly when the stakes get higher each year. Of course it helps to have a well known party to go to - one that seems to have the lock on the distinction of being the top Google hit for such events.

And so it was after a recent trip to Cardiff (Wales) which included a atop at the 'Doctor Who Experience' - try to visualize of it as a Hard Rock Cafe for the hit BBC Science Fiction show crowd - one idea that quickly came to mind was to go as Astrid Peth (Kylie Minogue in essentially a French Maid's outfit - have to love the idea of that casting meeting!) and the Angel-Robot 'Host.'

Neither of us is of this date totally sold on this idea, besides, sometimes the last minute drives some of the best creativity! One thing I am sure of is that when it comes to costumes, one site that will be on my shopping bookmarks will be: , especially since right now they are running a special secret HAUNTED HOUSE backdoor to save save you money. Hint: Go to the homepage halfway down on the right and click on the brown comma in the line that reads “Our Store now has over 8,000 masquerade items for you to choose from!”

Halloween does not have to be expensive but it should be fun - and with the right costume and a party to go to it can be! Saving money while doing so? Well, that's just another Halloween Treat!

Spoiler Alert

[Global Warming, politics]

Found on the internets with the caveat that drivers may need to shield their child's eyes before driving beneath this sign. (You may need to click the image to read the banners on the overpass.)...anyone recognize this freeway? Too few cars to be California or Texas would be my only guess.

SPAM of the Day: Simon Labs

Oh, Excite.com - I can always count on you to keep me up to date. Reads almost like poetry, no?

Thread-Topic: Simon Labs

From: "George Miller" <sales@simonlabs.com>
Subject: Simon Labs

Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:20:44 -0700


Hi My Friend,
Can I pay you *$39 by Paypal? Turn Your *$39 into *$39,000 in just 7 Days.
Believe it or not..

Spend 13 minutes 43 seconds on this program and
you'll be earning real money online.

Engage yourself and sneak into the
intense melee shadows of the gallery
to make nefarious profits online.

It's the costliest online members area
never seen before in America.

It's the first simple, fastest, never ending,
realistic fantasy money making system.

Your success is guaranteed, where your destiny
will be dictated by you.

Kind regards,
Gary Smith

McCain Election Pandering

You've seen the headlines today - McCain, Bush, and Gingrich are organizing a push to drill for oil along our coastlines and lift a 27 year moratorium. They seem to be taking advantage of high gas prices to help their friends in big oil make even more money. Opening up our coastline to drilling will take up to 10 years before the first drop of oil would reach your local gas stations and it would last for less than 10 years - yet the devastation it will cause is hardly worth the price.

Also, would someone please explain to me how this will serve to lower the cost of gasoline - unless he plans to nationalize oil industry, I just don't see how this would work.

the long and the short of it

Looking for5.11 Tactical Shorts? Well then there is a web site that you should know about: Police Gear.com.

Maybe you are like me and do not even know what 5.11 Tactical ™ Shorts are?

5.11 Tactical ™ Shorts are special purpose-built shorts designed to carry bulky items and remain durable. Like all 5.11 Tactical ™ clothing, only the finest components are used in construction – from the 100% Cotton Tactical Canvas to the Prym® snap and YKK® zipper. The short has double fabric in the seat and thirty-six bartacks (reinforcement stitching) at stress points for superior strength.

Having just spent two weeks traveling in Europe I can tell you that there are few items that are worth the weight it takes to carry them and a well made pair of shorts would be one of them. Nothing is more annoying than cheaply made clothing that looks shabby, or worse, falls apart half way through your trip. As a bonus, the numerous pockets allow you to carry all of your gear with you - cameras, mobile phones, maps and guide books all the while in style and comfort..

For work or for leisure or for active wear, you can not go wrong with shorts and 5.11 Tactical ™ Shorts set the gold standard for short pants that will last and last.

UAL: Changes to our checked baggage policy

Updated policy and fees apply to travel on or after August 18 Before your next trip with us, we would like you to know about changes to our checked baggage policy and revised fees for excess, overweight, oversized baggage and special items, effective for travel on or after August 18, 2008. If you purchase a United Economy® ticket on or after June 13, 2008 for travel on or after August 18, 2008, a $15 service fee will apply, each way, to check your first piece of baggage. This fee applies to travel within the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. As previously announced, a $25 fee will apply to check a second bag when flying on a ticket purchased on or after February 4, 2008. Please refer to the chart below to see which checked baggage fees may apply to you. Checked baggage fees summary If you purchased tickets... and are traveling... the following fees apply to check bags First bag Second bag Before February 4, 2008 Anytime $0 $0 Between February 4, 2008 and June 12, 2008 Anytime $0 $25 On or after June 13, 2008 Between June 13, 2008 and August 17, 2008 $0 $25 On or after June 13, 2008 On or after August 18, 2008 $15 $25 We would like to remind you that additional baggage fees apply to check more than two bags, or if any bags are oversized, overweight and/or considered special items. These fees are also changing and the revised fees will apply to tickets purchased on or after June 13, 2008 for travel on or after August 18, 2008. Please visit the Oversized, overweight and excess baggage and Special items sections on united.com for details on these fees.

scope this out

The last day of school is here and if you are looking for summer fun, the web’s best destination for all hobby related products is OpticsPlanet.com. Look at their huge have selection of scopes, Binoculars, spotting scopes, Night vision gear, Telescopes, rangefinders, laser sights, Flashlights, Tripods, Radar guns, and Digital camera binoculars, all at prices that have to be seen to be believed. The site is a great place for people to explore and learn about their hobbies as well as find the best gear to suit whatever your needs. They also have a Best Price Guarantee and offer Free UPS Shipping on most orders over $29.95.

So why not give you or the father (or fathers) in your life (Father's Day is this week end, in case you have forgotten) the gift of some great optics gear and some great quality time together with something from Optics Planet.

40 Shades of Green

[Ireland]

Back from Holiday and quite the change to go from the (mostly) warm Emerald Island to the brown and occasional fire tinged California. Expect way to many pictures to follow, but wanted to say Hello and start posting at least something here again.

Cheers!