Darfur peacekeeping force approved

It seems that the UN in its great wisdom has decided to approve a peacekeeping force to be sent to Darfur. My initial response is - it's about time. My second response is the same as the question posed in this Time article, will it be enough. Given the vast amount of bureaucracy that has been built into the force, I'm sure it won't be enough. For this kind of mission to succeed the force must be a force, not simply observers. It's unfortunate that the organization that is supposed to represent the world's desire for peace is so impotent - both by the nature of how it's organized and by its own choice. The people of Darfur deserve a force that is allowed to save them. In this case all they got was a bunch of people that get to watch them die.

CRCHAIR's Wildwood Photos

Here are the photos that I took on our Wildwood vacation. Not the same quantity as Nomad, but hopefully as good quality.

Vacation Photos - The Full Set

After 38.09 miles walked on the boards, 15 animals from the claw machines, over 160,000 points earned at skeeball/videopoker/etc., and about 10 upload sessions to Flickr/YouTube, our vacation is over and we have returned to the Batcave. Tomorrow is the return to work and normality (such as it is). If you want to review where we have been and what we saw, click on the images below to see my whole photoset. CRChair's will be coming later.

Gotta love it when they combine a dinosaur joke and a word-play joke!

Biscuit, I'm looking at YOU here

Yeah, we saw this on vacation quite a bit

10.10 Miles walked today

Wildwood 2007
Originally uploaded by crchair

We walked 10.10 miles today. I very much recommend military grade blister free socks. (appox. $10 a pair) if you are making your first trip to the WIldwood Boardwalk.

Ultimate Frisbee at the shore

Ultimate Frisbee at the shore
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my iPhone)

The Simpsons Movie was good

CRChair and I saw the Simpsons movie yesterday and it was very good. Not great, in my opinion, but very good. It was like a very long episode - in mostly the good ways, since we love those episodes. It was not perfect, and yes, you do see Bart's doodle for approximately 1 second so parents may want to screen this before letting their chidren see it. I was going to write a long review, but I think this one at AICN says it about as well as I could, though he loved it a bit more than I did.

And one reason I’m glad I saw this with the crowd I did is because they were into it. They were with the film all the way through. Everyone reacted to different things. Some of the biggest moments got deservedly outsized reactions, and some lines had maybe one or two people in the whole place laughing, but it was a kick to see what people responded to with this one. It’s fun because we all love something different about THE SIMPSONS at this point. If you’re a fan of it, I’m sure you’ve got specific scenes or jokes or characters or images that define why you are a fan. A lot of what I really respect and enjoy about the show is represented in the approach they’ve taken to putting this together, and realizing that... the creeping sensation of watching someone get something exactly right... is one of this summer’s most pleasant surprises.

The other thing that is nice is the movie keeps up the tradition of respecting Ned Flanders as an honest man trying to do good, despite all peer pressure. The last few seasons the writers have played with that formula and weakened the character considerably. This time, it is front and center (except for one line) and it is a welcome return. Cynicism only really works in the presence of at least one truly sincere person.

Friday Night Fireworks

One of the new traditions in Wildwood is a fireworks show every Friday at 10:30 PM. Here is a little clip of that fireworks show from last night. The only disappointment is that they did not play "Wildwood Days this year.

Lessons from Simpsons for Guys

We saw the Simpsons Movie tonight (review probably coming tomorrow), so this article seemed strangely appropriate. It is a compendium of quote from the series with life lessons for guys. (Note, I said GUYS, not MEN. There is an important difference.)

5. Compassion for Your Fellow Man:
Homer: Well crying isn't going to help. Now, you can sit there feeling sorry for yourself or you can eat can after can of dog food until your tears smell enough like dog food until your dog comes back, or you can go out there and find your dog.
Bart: You're right.
[Gets up and leaves]
Homer: Rats. I almost had him eating dog food.
No matter how bad your buddy is feeling, you'd be remiss if you let an opportunity pass to screw with him while he's vulnerable.

7.60 Miles Walked Today

Watch the Tram Car, Please!

Watch the Tram Car, Please!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

If you've been to Wildwood, you know what this means. :-)

First win of the Day

First win of the Day
Originally uploaded by crchair

8.39 Miles Walked Yesterday

The Roar of the Waves, the Peace of the Soul

Wildwood Daze

It is amazing the sights you can see at Wildwood when you are out and about.

Nomad Creates New Sub

Meatball and Mushroom
Originally uploaded by crchair

Nomad added his own bit of flavor to the boardwalk ordering an item not on the menu. He ordered a Meatball and Mushroom sub. FIrst reports are that it was very yummy.

Nomad wins a jackpot

Nomad wins a jackpot
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Even Godzilla Loves Wildwood

Big Brother at the Beach?

About a decade ago, we went over to Ocean City, NJ instead of our usual staple of Wildwood, because it was a bit closer to home. The ambiance is different, and the crowds are a little more transitory (i.e. you don't get families there for the whole week, for the most part). And there was a charge to get off of the boardwalk and onto their beaches. The place was nice enough, but we quickly decided we'd rather drive the extra hour for Wildwood. Since then, the place has gone downhill quickly, losing both vacationers and businesses to its crumbling infrastructure.

Well, now they are planning to do an overhaul that will make Ocean City the "model for the 21st century beach resort". They are planning ubiquitous WiFi (i.e. the ability to get onto the wireless web from anywhere in the city) and to use RFID chips in wristbands to monitor the tourists in town. This comes with the good - a mother will be able to monitor where her children are via the RFID chips - and the bad - it will be far easier to enforce the beach policy and harrass those who attempt to violate it, even innocently.

It is an interesting idea. But the way it is being proposed, I could easily see it being abused very quickly.

Apple offers AppleCare for iPhone, but Nomad need not apply

Apple is now offering extended product protection for its iPhones in the form of AppleCare, which gives you 3 years of protection on your iPhone instead of the 1 year of complimentary protection. I had been on the fence about buying the protection, since there is a good chance by 1 year from original purchase the 3G iPhone will be out. But it turns out I had no need to worry. Residents of Connecticut are not eligible!

Apple is not authorized to sell the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone to residents of Alabama, Connecticut, Nevada, or Wyoming. If you are a resident of Alabama, Connecticut, Nevada, or Wyoming, please do not order the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone. If you submit an order that includes the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone, Apple will remove it from your order, notify you about the removal and process the remaining items on your order.

I know of at least one company for which this will be a deal-breaker, since they insist on AppleCare with all of the items they buy. Suddenly, there is little to no chance of them getting iPhones for their people, especially since AT&T also refuses to sell phone insurance for the device.

12 Miles!!!

WIldwood NJ 2007
Originally uploaded by crchair

Nomad and I walked exactly 12 miles today, most of it on the Wildwood boardwalk. We kept track on my pedometer. We will try to keep you all up to date each day.

Nomad gets the sign of the beast

Nomad was playing a game on the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey and got an interesting score.

First claw machine triumph

First claw machine triumph
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my iPhone)

Greetings from Wildwood

Greetings from Wildwood
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Greetings from Wildwood

Greetings from Wildwood
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

One More Techie Post for the Day

OK, I admit to being in a techie zone right now - probably the Bluetooth Headset got me back into this mood - but I wanted to share one more cool device. Zonbu is offering a $99 PC (not laptop) which offers a Linux distro that claims to be "as easy to use as a Mac", an Office suite, Multimedia applciations, and more. They offer $12.95/month service as well which automatically backs up all of your data over the internet in case of a hardware failure and will replace your unit free of charge if it fails within 3 years of purchase.

Very cool, although exceedingly lightweight. Might be useful for getting a new PC for grandma to do e-mail on, or for the computer-phobic. I could also easily see this being popular in Libraries where you want to offer internet to the masses, without paying a lot or using a lot of energy. Or if you have young children that you want to allow to surf and do homework, but want to ensure that there is NO chance of a virus slipping thru.

First look at the OpenMoko "Anti-iPhone"

If you are sick of the iPhone news, and looking for a platform looking to take it on then look no further. Wired has up an early hands-on look at the OpenMoko. It is a Linux-based smartphone built from the ground up to be OPEN. (i.e. While the iPhone allows you to install NOTHING that Apple doesn't like, OpenMoko ENCOURAGES you to install ANYTHING.) It runs Linux and has a snazzy interface. Right now, it is only out in developer quantities, but look for it around Christmas time in much larger supply. And this device allegedly will cost only $300 with no contract, and be useable on any GSM/GPRS network.

I think it is a great entrant into the field. If Apple had not released the iPhone, it probably would have been the device to replace my Sidekick III. And frankly, if competition makes for greatness, seeing the iPhone and OpenMoko competing for the "best smartphone" moniker could lead to some really exciting applications for all of us.

First iPhone Custom Ringtone Maker Released

It is for Windows only (gag), but it is a first. Efiko Software has posted the first don't-need-to-know-UNIX program for creating and posting custom ringtones to the iPhone. C'Mon, Apple! It is time to release the rumored iTunes 7.4 with this functionality built-in.

Update 11:00 AM: A more effort-intensive app has now been released for the Mac by the website ModMyiPhone.Com. But this one is free. At the same time, use at your own risk.

YouTube Debates

In case you missed it (I did), you can view the videos from the YouTube debate here and a transcript of the debate here.

iPhone Security Exploit

Wired has news of a security exploit where an attacker can gain complete access to your iPhone's SMS messages, recent Google Maps locations, etc. The exploit requires that you connect to a compromised WiFi access point.

Update: Title said it was an iTunes exploit, but it's actually an iPhone exploit

Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset

I was down in Marlton, NJ today at their Apple Store (on vacation in Mount Laurel right now), and I happened to come across the first Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset that I have seen in the wild! After a brief debate with my conscience, I picked one up for myself and after a quick cell call, picked up one for a friend as well. Click on the image to the left to see the full unboxing of the headset. The coolest feature I have found so far is that when both your iPhone and the Headset are docked together, the charging status of both shows on the iPhone screen! Oh, and the headset has a built-in Magsafe connector to hold it in place during charging.

Apologies to anyone down in NJ hoping to pick up another one. I think I got the only two shipped to this particular store. But if the headsets are like the iPhones, there will be plenty to follow up the original shipment. Of the 30+ people in the store when I was there, 29 were there to talk about the iPhone or related accessories. (The other was buying her MacBook for college.)

Update 5:55 PM: TUAW has picked up my pics on their front page.

Update 9:35 PM: Engadget and iLounge have also linked to this photoset. Too bad I could not induce any of them to link to Mod-Blog.

Update 9:41 PM: Gizmodo.Com and Digg have also picked it up.

Update 7/24 7:38 AM: The photoset hit the Digg front page! Also was posted to a German blog.

Update 7/24 11:02 AM: And it is up on MacRumors as well. My hit count for the set is well over 30K individual viewers.

A Discussion on Chipping

Wired has up an AP article that talks about putting up RFID chips in humans. I doubt that any of our regular Mod-Bloggers like the idea of an RFID chip in their body, but the article brings up some interested cases where RFID is already being used.

I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this is funny

I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this is funny
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Found on a wall in Moorestown, NJ

There is a new "Tallest Ever" Building

Congratulations to unnamed Mod-Blog reader whose company is working on the "Burj Dubai", which is now - several years before it is finished being built - the tallest building in the world. After 9/11, I do not see America building such an obvious "target" for a while, but it is a sign of the growing confidence of the Middle East in their oil-based economic dominance.

Developers of a 1,680-foot skyscraper still under construction in oil-rich Dubai claimed Saturday that it has become the world's tallest building, surpassing Taiwan's Taipei 101 which has dominated the global skyline at 1,667 feet since 2004.
The Burj Dubai is expected to be finished by the end of 2008 and its planned final height has been kept secret. The state-owned development company Emaar Properties, one of the main builders in rapidly developing Dubai, said only that the tower would stop somewhere above 2,275 feet.
When completed, the skyscraper will feature more than 160 floors, 56 elevators, luxury apartments, boutiques, swimming pools, spas, exclusive corporate suites, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani's first hotel, and a 124th floor observation platform.

I wonder how long until an American capitalist is again willing to "build big"? It will show, at that point, that the War on Terror has been won, and full confidence has been regained.

The Power of Whining

Party Loyalties

David Beckham Era Begins in USA

The David Beckham era begins today for US Soccer. He will play his first game for the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer tonight in an exhibition game vs. Chelsea from the English Premiere League. This may not have as big an impact as some are hoping, but I think it is an important step to making soccer appealing to audiences in America who are not from other place. (ie, not imemgrants who got their love of soccer in their home countries.)

This is what I saw on the way down to NJ today

This is what I saw on the way down to NJ today
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

God is truly the greatest artist, and greatest patron of beauty.

Leaving for Vacation

I am leaving on vacation today, first to stop off at Mount Laurel, NJ, and then later in the week onto Wildwood, NJ. Posts may be infrequence or irregular while I am gone, since my internet access may be unpredictable. But I am happy to have a chance to sit back and relax after a tough year at the office.

Please be praying for our safety, and that our vacation does NOT end out this way.

Colbert got an iPhone

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

A NBA Trade?

When is a trade not really a trade? How about the trade that came down between the Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns today. The Suns traded a player (Kurt Thomas) and a first round draft pick in 2008 and 2010 to the Sonics for a 9 million dollar trade exemption. Basically, the trade exemption allows a team to go over the salary cap by that amount of money. So the Suns traded a player and 2 draft picks for the right to go over the salary cap. Sounds like a great deal to me for the Super Sonics who got a useful player for this year, plus a young player in 2008 and a young player in 2010. This may serve some need for the Suns today, but I don't see how this helps them in any year after this one.

Truth in small packages

Make Yourself a Simpsons Character

Back in September of last year, Sean posted The Simpson Character Generator which, unfortunately, appears to be down. Now, Burger King has up a way to take a picture of yourself and turn it into a Simpsons' character. I haven't gotten it to work yet, but that's probably because it was mentioned on Wired and too many people are using it right now. If you create an account, it appears you can even e-mail your character to impress friends.

What Is a Pro-Life Candidate?

I've been mulling over in my head the question, "What is a pro-life candidate?" On the one hand, this may seem like an easy question, but given the current choice of candidates and what they claim versus what they've done, the issue has been made much muddier. Take, for example, Mitt Romney. Romney has been on both sides of the issue and appears to be flip-flopping, much like John Kerry did on issues last election. Can someone who has flip-flopped be a pro-life candidate? Remember, Ronald Reagan at one point was pro-choice. What about Fred Thompson? His Senate vote makes him look pro-life, but his stance is that abortion is a state issue. Therefore, it makes sense that he would vote "pro-life" in Washington. Can a candidate that votes "pro-life", but leaves the decision up to the states be a pro-life candidate? What if that same candidate is pro-choice at the state level? (To be fair, I haven't found conclusive evidence of whether Fred Thompson is pro-life or pro-choice at the state level.)

On another matter (and perhaps this is a different post), why has no candidate come out as a strong pro-life candidate? It appears that all of the candidates are either vocally pro-choice or are pro-choice and paying lip service to the pro-life movement. (i.e. "I am personally pro-life, but we have to let a woman choose.")

Want to Pay for Abortions? Vote Democrat

The 2 of the 3 major Democratic candidates have released some more details of their "Universal Health Care" plans and the include insurance that will pay for abortions for low income women. Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards both said that their plans include "contraceptive service" which include pregnancy termination. Hilary Clinton has not yet released her newest health care plan, but it is safe to assume that it will also include the same services. I could vote for someone who is pro choice, but probably couldn't vote for someone who thinks we should all pay for others to have abortions.

Nomad's Suggestions for iPhone's Next Software Update

After two weeks with the iPhone, I have come up with my own list of recommendations for the next big iPhone update.

• Google Maps Enhancement: Add a view with AT&T Wireless coverage. Useful for knowing what to expect while travelling
• Home Page: Add contacts to Home screen. It is annoying to have to open the phone application to modify the Contacts on the iPhone
• Contacts: Add the ability to Group contacts on the iPhone. Right now you can only do this on MacOS X with the Address Book
• Contacts: Add a "Map It" button to Contacts, so that you can jump straight to Google Maps.
• New Application: Use the motion sensor build into the iPhone to build a software-based pedometer. Think of it as Wii Sports for the iPhone
• Web Identity: Provide an optional service to allow websites to automatically log you in if you access them with your iPhone

What suggestions do you have to enhance the iPhone, software-wise? Put them in the comments below.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

This how I feel this week

iPhones knock out Duke Wifi?

Among the various iPhone bugs reported out there this one must be the most troubling. It appears that under some conditions, iPhones can flood a Wifi network and end up taking out wireless routers altogether. This has ONLY been reported at Duke, so far, but one must wonder how long until we see something similar.

The built-in 802.11b/g adapters on several iPhones periodically flood sections of the Durham, N.C. school’s pervasive wireless LAN with MAC address requests, temporarily knocking out anywhere from a dozen to 30 wireless access points at a time. Campus network staff are talking with Cisco, the main WLAN provider, and have opened a help desk ticket with Apple. But so far, the precise cause of the problem remains unknown.

Of course, the beauty of a software-focussed device like the iPhone is that bugs like this can usually be fixed by a software or firmware update. On a more "normal" phone, it might take a recall to repair.

The Return of Farscape?

That is the rumor Allegedly, it would be as "Webisodes" (i.e. Web-only episodes). I'll believe it when I see it.

Caffeine and Jello

Being a big soda drinker, particularly for the caffeine, I have often wished that there would be a clear soda with caffeine that would stay on the market for more than a couple of months. This way I could drink soda without the damaging effects of the dies in the soda. I still haven't found that and I'm not really sure why it hasn't taken off, but I did find a way that I could make caffeine Jello shots by buying caffeine powder, should I desire. I have no plans of actually doing this, but I did find it interesting because I could, in theory, take one of the clear sodas and add my own caffeine to it. I found the descriptions of the effects of caffeine quite interesting:

* 50mg- Mild energy rush. About equal to the caffeine in a can of cola.
* 100mg- Enough energy for 80's dance night. Equals about a 2 ounce espresso.
* 200mg- Same dose as in 2.5 cans of Red Bull.
* 300mg- Twitching starts. Jello shots begin to taste very bitter.
* 400mg- Feelings of hopelessness set in. Not recommended to go past this point.

Please remember that it *is* possible to overdose on caffeine and have it kill you. It may take quite a bit with drinking soda, but with stuff like this, it could be very easy.

Getting a pool full of Jello and squirrels (a moose will work, but squirrels work better), well, that's a different story... :)

Video Games and Child Neglect

Wired News has up a sad story of a Nevada couple who have neglected their two children (11 months old and 22 months old) because they were too busy playing video games. Like most things in life, moderation is the key. Having had to stop playing some games (or at least take a break) because I got too involved, I understand how addictive games can be. Still, we are responsible to have the self-control to stop when they get to be too much.

Transformers enter the Age of the iPod

I am not sure how many of our readers are fans of the original Transformers toys, but it was a central part of my childhood. The transforming robots were always close at hand for me, whether the others around me wanted to play GI Joe, Star Wars, Mask, or any of the other major toy lines. It was amazing how easily giant robots mesh with action figures. Anyway, it has tickled me to see that the Transformers are entering the MP3 age with a new version of Soundwave (a transformer who used to transform into a Walkman - tape player) which plays MP3! Or if you'd prefer to have an autobot on hand for your MP3s, that also offer iPod Optimus Prime!.

Sunday morning talk

I spend a good deal of time on Sunday mornings watching the various Sunday morning political talk shows. Generally I will watch Fox News Sunday, This Week with George Stephanopolis (sp?), and sometimes Meet the Press. I generally enjoy these shows, but I can usually only take two of them before I'm tired of listening to people argue about the same things. I'm curious what the readers of Mod-Blog think about the Sunday morning talkies.

My personal favorite is FNS, though they can be a tad biased on the conservative side, but overall they're pretty balanced. More than once I've seen the host go after a republican or conservative. On the other hand I watch This Week only for George Will's point of view on the round table. I don't trust George S. - he did used to work for Clinton after all.

Anyway, what are the prevailing thoughts out there.

The food chain?

Daydreams

Where did that "Big Tent" go?

This story is being given lots of play on liberal websites but deserves a turn on a moderate website like ours as well. For years, the GOP has been trying to reach out to the NAACP in an attempt to have a "Big Tent" that embraces more than the stereotypical "white guys" of the Republican Party. Candidates like J.C. Watts have given the GOP some credibility on that front, but there is still a long way to go. So what happens when the NAACP give a candidates forum for the Republican Presidential Candidates? Only Tom Tancredo shows up. Sigh.

Perspectives

Why Terrorism Doesn't Work

Wired has up a fascinating article that explains why in most cases terrorism does not achieve the ends it seeks, and oftentimes winds up causing the opposite of what the terrorist desires.

People tend to infer the motives -- and also the disposition -- of someone who performs an action based on the effects of his actions, and not on external or situational factors. If you see someone violently hitting someone else, you assume it's because he wanted to -- and is a violent person -- and not because he's play-acting... Countries believe that their civilian populations are attacked not because the terrorist group is protesting unfavorable external conditions such as territorial occupation or poverty. Rather, target countries infer the short-term consequences of terrorism -- the deaths of innocent civilians, mass fear, loss of confidence in the government to offer protection, economic contraction, and the inevitable erosion of civil liberties -- (are) the objects of the terrorist groups. In short, target countries view the negative consequences of terrorist attacks on their societies and political systems as evidence that the terrorists want them destroyed. Target countries are understandably skeptical that making concessions will placate terrorist groups believed to be motivated by these maximalist objectives.

Of course, Al Qaeda and the like are unlikely to take the advice of Western scientists and studies, so things are unlikely to change. But perhaps this will influence the next generation of Islamic thinkers to find a different model to change the world... and maybe this time it can be Christ or Gandhi who learned you can change the world without committing violence.

The Power of Women

Posted without further comment. I'll let my married friends educate me on the reality. Expressing an opinion can only exclude me from ever seeing the reality myself.

A study, which was just released, finds that wives have more power than their husbands in making decisions and dominating discussions.

"The study at least suggests that the marriage is a place where women can exert some power," said lead author David Vogel, a psychologist at Iowa State University (ISU). "Whether or not it's because of changing societal roles, we don't know.”

Lines of Summer

FREE Voice-to-E-mail Service

I found Jott.Com last night and so far am liking what I see. It is a free (public beta) service which willl let you call a toll-free number, transcribe whatever you say into it into text, and then e-mail that text to anyone (including yourself). If you spend a lot of time in the car or on the go, this could be a great way to centralize your "Notes to Self" into your e-mail inbox, and a way to send e-mail on the go.

I signed up last night, and am still experimenting. But I could see this service being very useful for a lot of people I work with andor am friends with.

Wii continue to change video gaming

There is *NO* iPod "Lightning Crisis"

There is a meme going around the web that even mainstream news sites are picking up on. It is the idea that iPods, iPhones, and similar electronic devices greatly increase your risk of being struck by lightning. This has been gleaned by anecdotes of iPod users who are struck by lightning seeing significant injuries when the shock is conducted down the earphones and wires. The Mythbusters did a piece a while back on tongue piercings and found that even fairly significant piercings did not influence lightning strikes, and those were actually in physical contact with the skin, unlike most iPods.

That being said, if a lightning storm is coming, it is wise to seek shelter indoors no matter WHAT devices you are wearing or not wearing. Lightning is rarely good for your health, and anyone who is outside during a thunderstorm has to know the risks or else face the consequeces.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Can Beckham be a 'ringer' and a teammate?

BBC Magazine is running an interesting article where the pose the question of whether or not David Beckham, who begins practicing with LA Galaxy today, can become a true teammate to his new team. This is an interesting question and I think that it spans beyond Beckham to the workplace in general. What happens when someone is brought in and is better off in multiple categories than the rest of the team. In Beck's case he's making 500% the salary of the average MLS player and he's counted among the worlds best soccer players, not to mention that he's a marketing juggernaut.

I've never been on either side of this type of a problem, but I can imagine the problems that could arise. In the case of Becks I think that he needs to make sure he works out with the team regularly and proves that he's just one member of the team. I think that he can do this - an will - because his greatness on the pitch is how he distributes the ball to the right people at the right time. He doesn't get a ton of goals, but he does get a ton of assists. Because of that, it seems like he is well placed to work out in LA. That also seems to be what any 'ringer' that is brought in needs to do - if they indeed want to be accepted by the rest of the team. We shall see if Beckham manages to do this or not.

And then there's the issue of his wife, and considering she'll be going on world tour soon that could be a whole new set of issues.

Wii Fit Coming Soon

One of the great advantages of the Nintendo Wii as a game system over the others is that it forces the gamer to be active. No more passively sitting like a lump and twiddling your fingers. Instead, you must swing your arms, twist your body, etc. to control the action on-screen. I can feel myself becoming more flexible and stronger the more I Wii. Nintendo has noted this demographic and has announced Wii Fit a new set of games that will work with a new step pad to measure fitness and encourage better health via different kinds of exercises. Very cool, and perhaps the biggest step forward for the health of Americans in a long time!

How to Protect Your Credit

One way to protect your credit is to freeze your credit score. Thirty-six states offer a way to freeze your credit, unfortunately, there are normally costs involved. Ideally, you would freeze your credit score and then lift it temporarily for individual creditors. Check to see your state's laws here.

Surgeon General nominee facing rejection because of his view of homosexuality

I had not heard about this until today. GWB has nominated a new Surgeon General, who is, according to his colleagues, quite qualified for the job but could be rejected by the senate because he wrote a paper 20 years ago saying that homosexual intercourse is unhealthy. The article goes on to question if whether dissent on homosexual behavior is now a bar to serving in public office and if that is the case does that mean that Bible believing Christians are being barred from public office because of their beliefs. I think it's an interesting question to pose. I can understand that a public official has to serve all of his/her constituents faithfully regardless of gender, color, creed or sexual orientation. But simply because a person thinks that homosexual behavior is unhealthy doesn't mean that they can't or won't faithfully defend those under them. On the other hand I can understand how homosexuals would feel that perhaps they won't get a fair shake from someone with those views. And on yet one more hand, we've been electing people with various religious beliefs for years now and the freedom of religion hasn't been damaged.

Just when I was starting to like the Pope...

The Vatican has released, and the Pope has approved, a document that states that other denominations that are not Roman Catholic are not actually churches. This is really not helpful to the ecumenical movement nor does it shed a positive light on the catholic church which, has been suffering from less than positive press as of late. Of course I think this is rediculous, primarily because they are again falling on the argument of apostolic succession to which their own claim is really thin and based primarily on hearsay. It's too bad they felt it necessary to release this document, because I was really starting to like the catholic hierarchy.

On a side note I think it's funny how the article continually says

Protestants, Lutherans and other Christian denominations

As if Lutherans aren't protestants. Well...it's funny to me at least.

Wrong on so many levels

This has happened to SO MANY people I know, it is not funny anymore

Iraqis miss all targets for progress

I still support the Iraq War. There. I have said it. And I mean it. It was a good thing to remove the madman Sadaam Hussein from power - stopping the filling of mass graves - and the only way it was going to happen was by application of military force. But it is becoming harder and harder to support the peace, as every report shows an Iraqi government unwilling or unable to make progress.

A progress report on Iraq will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.
One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.
The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15, as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said.
"The facts are not in question," the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft is still under discussion. "The real question is how the White House proceeds with a post-surge strategy in light of the report."

I have beeen thinking for some time about the best way to address this situation, since we all knew that at the very least not EVERY target would be met. Where do we go from here? After all, Sadaam Hussein slaughtered all of the best and brightest, so it is not a great shock that those who remain lack experience. But at the same time, there comes a time when you stop making excuses and start forcing accountabiliity. One wonders how different a presidential race it will be if the troops are out of Iraq by Election Day 2008.

Coolest geeks on TV

I came across this list this morning of the 7 coolest geeks on television. I tend to agree with most of them, though I'm not so sure how much the South Park guys fit into the genre - though the author makes some good points for them. Are there any omissions that you can think of?

Sheenan v. Pelosi ugh!

Cindy Sheehan has announced that she's going to run against Nancy Pelosi in her next election if Pelosi doesn't start impeachment hearings on Bush. About the only smart thing Pelosi has done since becoming speaker is to not start impeachment proceedings. I'm sure part of it is that she knows she doesn't have the votes for it and to some degree understands that it's an unreasonable thing to do. Sheehan on the other hand seems to still be under the impression that people care about her and what she has to say. I'm sure nobody in the Pelosi camp is taking this seriously, though I can imagine some republicans seeing Sheehan taking away some of Pelosi's votes and making a republican win more likely than it previously was. I doubt that Sheehan would take that many votes from Pelosi, but third party candidates with an issue can be hurtful to the main stream candidate. Honestly I don't think anything will come of this, but it is comical to see the libs get mad at each other for not being liberal enough.

AT&T/Cingular Voicemail Insecure

This post does NOT only apply to iPhones, but rather to all AT&T/Cingular customers. It turns out that anyone's voice mail can be easily hacked even if you have set up a basic password.

The AT&T/Cingular voicemail system is configured by default not to ask for a password when you check your voicemail from the handset (it asks for your voicemail password if you call your number from another cell phone and press * when your voicemail answers). Unfortunately, the AT&T/Cingular voicemail system trusts Caller ID to determine if the handset is calling it. Because Caller ID can be spoofed easily.., anyone can gain access into your voicemail by calling you and spoofing your phone number (it will appear as if you are calling yourself when your phone rings) - should you not answer the call, your voicemail will answer and allow the intruder full access to your messages.

Of course, for most of us this is not an issue. I get few voicemails, and all of them can pretty much be broadcast in Prime Time without fear of embarrassment. But still, it could be used for malicious purposes. The linked article does have a method to prevent unauthorized access, as well.

Want Paris Hilton's Phone Number? Probably Not.

What's it like to be Paris Hilton? One San Franciscan is finding out. She recently had to replace her cellphone and her provider gave her a new number. Turns out, it was Paris Hilton's phone number. Well, not her current phone number, but a recent one. The young women who now has the number gets calls and texts regularly that are meant for the Hotel heiress. She finds it amusing so she has chosen to keep the number for now.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Is this Douglas Adams's Universe?

For those wondering, consider this.

AFTER pondering the weighty question of the mass of the Milky Way galaxy, astronomers have come up with an answer: 42.

That is, our galaxy weighs three times 10 to the power of 42kg - a number written as 3 followed by 42 zeroes, which has echoes of author Douglas Adams's fictional answer to the question of life, the universe and everything in his series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It isn't quite "Life, The Universe, and Everything." But it is a sizeable portion of it. Be on the watch out for two-headed hipsters and mice on talk shows.

But, Dude, I Was, Like, Totally Saving the Environment

Reuters has up an article about Al Gore's Son, Al Gore III, being arrested for possession of marijuana and prescription drugs. Normally, I wouldn't post something about this since it's only "newsworthy" because it's the son of someone famous. The reason I'm posting it is because the article almost makes it sound like it's not that bad, since he was driving a hybrid car and his dad cares about the environment. Quite possibly one of the most "bring in my personal soapbox even though it's irrelevant to the article" pieces that I've read in some time.

Lieberman May Not Back Party

Reuters is reporting that Lieberman may not back the Democrat candidate for President, but instead will "chose whichever candidate that I think will do the best job for our country, regardless of the party affiliation of that candidate." Frankly, I think going independent was a great thing for Lieberman and I wish more politicians would vote for the best person instead of who their party tells them to vote for.

MSNBC iPhone Breaks and Apple Replaces for Free

I was reading the article on MSNBC about one of their employees who had an iPhone which stopped working after 4 days. The article is written in a way as to give you a bad impression of Apple, but if you read the article and look at the facts as presented in the article, I think you get a good impression of Apple.

The basic story is this: A guy buys and iPhone. It stops working and can't be fixed by a reset. He calls AT&T who basically says send it back to us and we'll give you a refund minus a 10% restocking fee. They say they can connect him to an Apple representative instead if he would like. He waits on hold for the Apple Rep and decides to drive to the local Apple Store. As he gets to the store the Apple Rep comes on the phone. The Apple Rep calls the store and hooks the customer up with the store manager so the customer is in contact with that store manager when he enters the store. After a few minutes the Apple store exchanges the iPhone for free with a new phone and the customer walks out with a new iPhone.

The Article then goes on to say how the guy wonders if Apple will erase his data and how if he had to send it in to Apple he would have had to pay for a loaner phone if he wanted one. Ignoring the fact that he just got a new replacement phone with little trouble once he started dealing with Apple. It is funny to see Microsoft spinning Apple as bad even in a so called news story.

Happy Birthday Nomad!!!

We love you.

WiFi Revolutionizing Cell Phones

Aside from that unnamed phone I promised I wouldn't post on again this week, there is more WifI Cell Phone news out there. T-Mobile has announced a new service called "HotSpot @Home". If you buy into the new service, you get a free wireless router in addition to your cell phone. The cell phone can then use VOIP to make calls on any Wifi network, and then roam transparently onto your cellular network, and then abck again. You also get free use of any T-Mobile Hotspot in the country (mostly found in Starbucks) for your VOIP calls. Oh, and all calls made on WiFi are free and DO NOT count against your monthly minutes.

Very cool. And perhaps a cure for Cell Phones that do not work well indoors.

Sprint Divorces from Customers Who Call Them

In the age of the internet, companies more and more hate dealing with people on the phone. It is inefficient, expensive, and requires staffing to be available 24/7. But, I find it highly ironic that a cell phone company whose whole business is selling the technology to make voice calls is cutting off customers who actually call customer service.

On June 29, 2007, Sprint sent letters notifying some customers that their service would be canceled by the end of July due to excessive calls to customer service.

"Our records indicate that over the past year, we have received frequent calls from you regarding your billing or other general account information," the letter reads. "While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs."

"Therefore after careful consideration, the decision has been made to terminate your wireless service agreement effective July 30, 2007."

The one upside to this letter is anyone who got it has no early termination fee, and their account balance is set to $0 by Sprint. I can't help wondering how many customers will use this opportunity to jump to AT&T for the iPhone. Still, it seems like shortsighted bad business, rather than being a company that puts the customer first.

What are our reader's experiences with Sprint and their customer service?

Sir, Put the Spaghetti Sauce Down

As I was going through the security screening at JFK on my recent trip home I noticed a box that of items that were apparently confiscated by TSA. In the box were TWO JARS OF SPAGHETTI SAUCE! Horrors. The person might have taken over the plane by dumping the sauce over peoples' heads. I'm guessing this was confiscated because it was over the three ounces of "gels or liquids" and not in a plastic bag. I've recently wondered if the terrorists might not be better off just coming up with ridiculous plans aimed at making our security measures even more invasive. That way they don't have to worry about losing any of their own people and can sit back and laugh at us when we have restrictive security that doesn't protect us one bit.

Free Text Messaging Possibilities

One of the downsides of AT&T/iPhone vs the T-Mobile/Sidekick is that you only get 200 text messages a month from AT&T while T-Mobile provides unlimited text messages. While most months this will be no problem, some months 200 may come awfully fast. In preparation for that possibility, I have been collecting different methods for text messaging that are 100% free (Assuming you already have an internet connection).

If you know the provider of your target, you can use these sites to text message them for free:
T-Mobile: Click here
Verizon: Click here
Sprint: Click here
Universal Sender App: Click here

To send a Text message via e-mail:
AT&T Wireless: [cellnumber]@txt.att.net
T-Mobile: [cellnumber]@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile: [cellnumber]@vmobl.com
Sprint: [cellnumber]@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: [cellnumber]@vtext.com
Nextel: [cellnumber]@messaging.nextel.com

[cellnumber] = your full phone number including area code. For example 123-456-7890 would be 1234567890@txt.att.net

MOD-BLOG REVIEW: Transformers

Movie: Transformers
MPAA Rating: [PG-13]

The Short Version: A loud, brash movie which is a lot of fun, but contains very little in the ways of plot, character, or coherence. But if you want to see giant transforming robots fighting, this is the biggest and best way to see it. Just be sure to check your brain at the door.

The Long Version: The Transformers - toys that transformed from vehicles, gadgets, or animal into humaniform robots and back again - were as much a part of my childhood as Star Wars. I met my best friend while playing with Soundwave, and shared my love for the changeable toys with most of my male friends until sometime in high school when I outgrew the toys... officially, at least. I still kept buying the toys and enjoying changing them back and forth.

Now, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg have brought these mechanical behemoths to the big screen in a live action/CGI extravaganza. The plot of the movie - such as it is - is based on the "All-Spark", the robotic source of life. This giant cube has fallen to Earth, and is being pursued by two sides in an ancient war: the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Both are capable of transforming into seemingly common devices like cars and jet planes to hide in plain site. They first trash a base in Qatar and then come to America where they destroy most of an unnamed American city.

Overall, it is a fun movie. We saw it with a large crowd that laughed, cheered, and applauded at the end of the film. Many of the big names from our childhood are back, and many of them appear to have grown up with us as Megatron is even more vicious than anything in the cartoons or comics. The only negative to this spectacle film - aside from no real attempt at characterization, plot, or logic - is the rapid-fire editing and many cuts which make it very hard to follow the action at many points. Still, if you want a classic Big Summer Movie, this is the one for you.

Reader Reactiom: Long-time reader Bowhuter also wrote in with these comments: "...the death of American soldiers, the downing of black hawk helicopters, and the crashing of planes into buildings. After seeing what my father and my friends went through emotionally on 9/11, I may forever be of the opinion that showing a plane crash into a building is, “too soon” after the event to portray on film. That being said, the movie starts in Iraq with a bunch of soldiers. Throughout the movie there are references to real life events like, “we lost that chopper in Afghanistan. I am sure, my friend was on it.” We are constantly reminded of our soldiers in the Middle East the entire movie. The worst part is that too many soldiers die in the movie in similar ways to how they actually die in the “War Against Terror”. ...I felt like I was watching “Black Hawk Down”, not some light and fun cartoon-made-movie. ...the simulated loss of life is very disturbing and too close to real life."

Happy Independence Day!

(Picture from the Shelton, CT Fireworks 2007 fired on July 3. Click on the image for all the pictures taken that night.)

OK, I'll give Ron Paul a mention

I think he showed himself to be on the fringe at the debates, and showed himself to be the next candidate that will self-destruct in the Howard Dean mold. But also in the Howard Dean mold, you have to admit his campaign is creative. Consider these two interesting ways to get his point across:

• The Liberty Dollar: a fake currency backed by copper, silver, and gold
• An iPhone Ron Paul Website: A website specifically added to be viewed on portable devices.

Here is hoping a few of the more mainsteam campaigns catch onto these innovative ideas.

Nomad's Mobile Links

Technically, this is NOT an iPhone post. It is a "mobile websites" posting. But feel free to rank on me for it anyway. I Have put together my personal collectio of mobile links (inluding Mod-Blog Lite) into a single handy-dandy website. If anyone is interested in using any of these links on their iPhone, Sidekick, Palm device, Blackberry, etc. feel free to click thru.

I will try to maintain this list, but no promises. To suggest more links or report broken links email me.

HOW TO: Contract-Free iPhone

They said it was possible, and now we have the "official" how-to on getting a contract-free iPhone using iTunes for activation. It appears to be reliable, and entirely legal. And it appears to be far safer than the other way - trying to appeal to an AT&T salesman who only gets paid by contracts.

I can't promise anything, but I will try to make this my last iPhone post for a while.

Fun With Fire

Mrs. Quizwedge showed me this and I found it quite interesting. The guy uses fire to show sound waves!

Human Nature and the Apple iPhone

It was really funny yesterday at work. Every conversation went through the same stages.

1. Nomad pulls out iPhone - Conversant says "Hey, is that an iPhone? Can I see that?"
2. Conversant takes the iPhone in their had and asks "How much was it?"
3. Nomad says "About $600"
4. Conversant says "I would never pay that much for a cell phone!"
5. Conversant plays with the iPhone, sees the internet, phone, photos, and iPhone functions.
6. Conversant says "Wow, that is SO worth $600."
7. Conversant asks "So, do you think they have any left where you bought it?"

Fair warning to all Mod-Bloggers who may want to play with it. The power of the iPhone to tempt is extreme!

Apple's Reputation Carries it Through

I was reading an article on how some people are having problems activating their iPhones and one quote stood out to me. It said "Johnson said he was happy with the iPhone and credited Apple for acknowledging the problem. But he expressed concerned about the type of service he would get from AT&T in the future". This is a good example of how Apple has built its reputation on trust that it would putout quality products and have good service. So much so that people are willing to give them credit for just acknowledging a problem while they put blame on Apple's partners instead.

For the record, Nomad and I had no problems at all activating our iPhones.

So when is a crime not a crime?

Sigh.

President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak investigation Monday, delivering a political thunderbolt in the highly charged criminal case. Bush said the sentence was just too harsh.

Bush's move came just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Libby could not delay his prison term. That meant Libby was likely to have to report soon, and it put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.

''I respect the jury's verdict,'' Bush said in a statement. ''But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.''

Honestly, I still support the War, I still support Afghanistan, I opposed the immigration bill but respected GWB's stand. But this - while predictable and the right of the president - I find completely reprehensible.

OK, now all of the Libby supporters can tell me how this is morally right, despite all of our condemnations of Bill Clinton for doing the same thing.

iPhone Sales Reach Half a Million

CNN is reporting that Apple/AT&T have sold 500,000 iPhones since 6pm Friday. While nearly all of the AT&T wireless stores are out of iPhones, many Apple Stores still have them in stock. Nomad and I found this out on Sunday and are now both proud owners of the 8GB iPhone. Thankfully, I was out of contract with my existing service provider, so I can cancel my existing service any time I want.

Yes, I am weak... But iPhone happy!

Despite my protestations to the contrary, after the news that it was possible to get an iPhone without a contract, I drove up to my local Apple Store and purchased an iPhone. So far, the thing has been great and works as advertised. There have been a few minor gotchas: (1) not every app changes orientation when you twist the iPhone, (2) my RF adapter for my car is apparently not iPhone-compatible despite using the iPod connector, and (3) it is still AT&T. But that being said, there have been lots of nice surprises too: (1) the web browser is so much better than the Sidekick or any PalmOS browser I have used, (2) the animations are so much better than expected, and (3) it reads PDF documents cleanly from the Web and e-mail.

Here are some pictures comparing the Sidekick III and the Apple iPhone, viewing Mod-Blog.

First gas price shot from my iphone

First gas price shot from my iphone
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Gas Prices holding steady

Gas Prices holding steady
Originally uploaded by crchair

You *DON'T* need a contract to buy an iPhone!

Both Apple and AT+T are advertising 2 year contracts for the iPhone. What some customers with poor credit are discovering, however, is that you can get a contract-free iPhone if you ask the right way! Suddenly, the iPhone becomes a possibility for me. Hmm...

Because to those with BAD CREDIT, WORSE CREDIT, OR NO CREDIT AT ALL!!! AT+T was offering buyers a slightly more expensive month-by-month payment plan with no strings on cancellation. To activate the iPhone, AT+T provided these customers with a special code to enter during iTunes setup, bypassing the standard subscription selection.

Very, very interesting. I was burned badly enough by Cingular in the past that I will not tether myself to them with a 2 year contract. But if I could go month-by-month, I might be willing to take the risk since I doubt there would be a problem reselling an iPhone on eBay.