Home Of The Lazy Dog
I’ve been using it all day and have found it to be quick and simple . Instapper is definitely a site that I could see using and replacing my “Checkout” del.icio.us tag which I never seem to remember to check.
The canned cheeseburger – fast food in the wilderness
I somehow don’t think it will taste the same.
The Birds via Sports Illustrated
Not only can pigeons return home from thousands of miles — a phenomenon scientists don’t totally understand but believe involves the earth’s magnetic field and know is due to years of selective breeding — but they can also do it at 55 mph (70 or more with a tailwind), and they can go for days without sleep. Their bodies are essentially O2 conversion machines, constructed with hollow bones and richly oxygenated blood, and their oversized breast muscles account for one third of their body weight. They are the Charles Barkleys of the natural world: unassuming and bottom-heavy yet surprisingly athletic. It’s no surprise that they’ve been employed as messengers by empires (Roman) and armies (the U.S. during World War II).
Interesting, I never really thought of pigeons being that athletic before.
I just thought this quote from a recent article about Starbucks ditching it’s sandwiches was funny.
Schultz said the slowdown in U.S. growth will allow the company to make better use of its time, money and staff and could reduce “cannibalization” — easing pressure some stores experience when a new one opens nearby.
I’m not a coffee snob, in fact I do really enjoy coffe all that much, and I’m not a Starbucks hater either, I love thier Caramel Apple Spice/Cider whatever they call it. But to hear Starbucks complain about too many Starbucks is pretty funny!
I have a confession to make. I think mashups are great. What is a mashup you ask? A mashup is usually the vocal track of one song mixed over the instrumentation of another. Using audio editing software, DJs and mashup artists combine different artists and musical genres to create new and unique songs. Imagine Michael Jackson rocking out with Nirvana, or Madonna singing with the Sex Pistols, or Eminem rapping with No Doubt. While some of the music and artists by themselves wouldn’t normally be “my cup of tea,” I do really enjoy the new music that is created as a result of these mashups. When handled with the right amount of style and flair, these creative combinations result in completely new works of art.
So, what’s the reason for this new found love? A friend of mine, recently introduced to the Best of Bootie collections. Each year producers Adrian & the Mysterious D select what they believe to be the best musical mash-ups created over the past year. They then mix them all together and post them online for free downloading by the masses.
I’ve already downloaded The Best of Bootie 2007 collection (as well as The Best of Bootie 2005 and 2006) and I have to say there are some excellent mixes. Some of my favorites so far… Somebody Rock Me (The Killers vs. The Clash), Crazy Logic (Gnarls Barkley vs. Supertramp vs. Rockwell), Always With You (Willie Nelson vs. U2 vs. MARRS) and Tricky Sandman (Run-DMC vs. Metallica). There are even a few match-ups I never would have imagined, like Passenger Fever (Peggy Lee vs. Iggy Pop) which is fantastic. Maybe this is exactly what I needed to help me break out of my musical bubble.
After working day after day, week after week of overtime, my mind is mush. That’s right. As you read this, my mind is literally sloshing around in my skull. So, right now, my mind isn’t good for a whole lot… especially blogging. At least, blogging anything meaningful.
With that said, consider this post as an Open Mic Night. Leave a comment, write about
whatever you want. Do you have something to rant or rave about? Write about it below. Have at it.
In the meantime, I have the fortunate opportunity to recharge my batteries this weekend at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Lodge. So, until then…
I have been a huge Tivo fan for over the last four years or so. We have (had – I’ll get to that in a moment) two of them in house. I’ve also been long time Directv subscriber, I think it was the summer of 97 when I subscribed.
With that said… I finally took the plunge. I’m not really sure what possessed me, but last Friday I went to Best Buy and bought a DIRECTV Plus HDTV Receiver with DVR. This purchase was to compliment the HDTV we bought about a year and a half ago. In order to take advantage of the HDTV, I needed to upgrade our Directv receiver to a HD receiver. This created a dilemma. One that’s had me hymning and hawing for the last year. The receiver we had was a Directv receiver with Tivo, I love Tivo, but unfortunately Tivo and Directv severed their ties a few years ago. As a result, Directv does not currently have a HD receiver with Tivo. I know, I know… This injustice keeps me up at night too. Also, I had hesitated to upgrade receivers because almost all of the feedback that I read on the current Directv HD DVR was negative. A lot of customers gave feedback about problems with the hardware and the interface. But, with really no other choice… I went ahead and bought it.
To complicate matters more, Directv has launched two new satellites in the last year to support all the additional HD channels. To access these new channels, you need a new larger satellite dish. Making the one installed last year obsolete. So, since I’m not about to change my dish in the middle of January, I only receive a fraction of the HD channels that I suppose too until I can replace it with a new one.
So far, we have not had any problems with the new receiver. I do agree with the feedback that I’ve read, the user interface isn’t nearly as polished as Tivo, but I’m trying to remain open minded and optimistic. On the other hand, Beth hasn’t quite adapted to the new receiver and she reminds me of this every time we sit down to watch TV. Then again I’ve encountered my own struggles and disappointments getting used to the new interface. I will say the picture quality is great, for the HD channels we do receive that is. Oh well, I still need to sit down and play more with the receiver before I pass anymore judgment.
