Take a break and carve your very own online pumpkin! Myabe your better with a mouse than a knife, I know I'm not. Either way it's easy and fun and this only comes around once a year, so give it a try.
While watching this weeks Pats/Skins game from the stands, I had the following observations:
- Tailgating in the RV section of the Gillette parking lots is more like camping on steroids instead of grilling near your car. It's an experience and if you have the time, you should wonder over and check out the campers, buses and monster rigs some people are bringing to the game when the Pats are home. Satellite TV is such a bonus when you are heading to a 4 pm game!
- Keith Lockhart and a select group of the Boston Symphony Orchestra played the national anthem and while I missed hearing a single voice belt out The Star Spangle Banner, the BSO brought it home quite nicely.
- The Patriots cheerleaders came out for the first half in Halloween inspired costumes. There was a nurse, construction worker, bee, farmers daughter, Red Sox player, Cinderella, girl scout, ect. When we began discussing the outfits it was very innocent but somehow by the end of the first half, they were all slutty this and slutty that. [Of course these comments were made in jest] I saw it should be Halloween each week!
- During halftime, 4 rows of national guard solders took their oath and reenlisted into the guard on the field. It was amazing to watch these men and women hold their heads high and with pride commit to this great country. They exited the stadium to a standing ovation.
- The Pats looked even better in person. The offensive line gave Brady all the time he needed to shred the Skins defence. The defence played a very solid all around game holding the Skins to so little offence they never seemed to be on the field. And when you only punt twice in a game [both inside the 20], have only 1 fumble and allow a single sack, it's a good day.
Next week's game between the 8-0 New England Patriots and the 7-0 Indianapolis Colts should be an awesome game. This game not only marks the latest into an NFL season two undefeated teams play each other these are widely considered the best 2 teams in the league. Even though this should be the best and most anticipated game of the year, it might only be a preview of the AFC championship later this year. Go Pats!
Congrats to the 2007 Red Sox on winning their second world series title in 4 years. It's been a long and winding road this year but the boys of fenway park gave it their all and have brought another championship to our fair city. When we look back on this world series, here are some of the things we will remember:
- Pitching staff going 4-0, including a 40 year old, an international rookie, and 23 year old cancer survivor.
- Rookies making huge impact all over the field - 2 pitchers, a versatile outfielder and a very solid second baseman.
- The team performed in the truest sense of the word. Everyone contributed on offence, defence and pitching.
- Series MVP, Mike Lowell quietly goes about his business as a gold glove third baseman and a productive bat in the middle of the line up.
- Fireball closer Jonathan Papelbon who looked on the verge of tears and exhaustion in the post game 4 interview wearing the emotions of an entire nation on his sleeve.
The one moment you may have missed in last nights game was just after the last pitch. Papelbon fires a 95 mile per hour fastball past Seth Smith for a strikeout and to complete the 4 game sweep. As Jason Varitek ran toward the mound, he slipped the game winning ball in his back pocket. When asked about the ball, Veritek responded by saying "I'll give it back to the team". He continues with "maybe we won't have a controversy this time", in reference to the Mientkiewicz final out ball flap of the 2004 championship. The team captain showed us one final time how to remain classy, even when you are the best team in baseball and you know it.
Back in the 1950's, the Massachusetts Department of Public Works had a brilliant idea to use cloverleaf interchanges on many of the exits/entrances for their new outer bypass of the Boston area called route 495. This design allowed for smaller and less expensive construction of the ramping system however it also creates a problem called weaving - the merging of exiting and entering traffic in the same lane. In most cases, much like my entrance ramp, the problem is exacerbated by the very short on ramp also known as the merging area.
Since the ramps are built on a 270 degree arc design, the car entering the highway system can not both watch the ramp traffic in front of them and see oncoming cars in the left hand lane at the same time. In order to enter a high speed road system, an entering car must get up to speed as quickly as possible and stopping in the merge section of the ramp is not a good idea. You might get hit from behind or the side depending on where cars are coming from.
As for the guy I "cut off" entering the road, yes I heard you beep your horn and saw you flash your lights at me. But would it have been so hard to slow down just a bit so I could have entered the road way? Also since you were not getting off the exit, did you really need to be speeding in the "slow lane" on your way to work?
If we could all be a little more courteous on the roadways, we could avoid these situations and make it a safer and more enjoyable place to be in the early morning. On the other hand we could speed up and down the highway and not give our fellow drivers an inch, of course that other driver might just step out of his car and give you a piece of his mind [or other parts of his body], so be careful out there.
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams released a new book called Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!: Cartoonist Ignores Helpful Advice last Thursday which is based on many of his very own blog entries over the past few years. In his first non-dilbert book, Adams offers more than 150 short pieces covering every slice of life beyond the workplace, such as tips on how not to dance like a dork, comic relief on the fears of terrorism, the not-so-subtle differences between men and women, embarrassing public-bathroom moments, and appropriate uses for your own clone.
In a way to web 2.0/user generated content/need to walk away from my computer promotion, Mr. Adam's Second Life persona is holding a virtual book signing on October 30th, at 9 pm EST in a place called Kula 4. His avatar will be handing out free Dilbert posters for your Second Life virtual home, office or business. Now if I could just get a Dilbert poster for my first life.
After only two airings, Viva Laughlin is the first show to get axed by a major network. Laughlin joins the CW's Online Nation and Fox's Nashville in this fall's discard pile. While early cancellations are expected, were any of these a surprise? Just take a look at the concept of each and you decide for yourself if their Final Destination was predetermined of just bad luck:
Viva Laughlin: A casino/murder thriller/mystery-drama that incorporates contemporary songs in each episode to help tell its story.
Online Nation: A show where buzzworthy clips from Internet Web sites and blogs are featured.
Nashville: A reality series tracing the paths of up-and-comers in the city's music industry and high society.
When I first saw this commercial online I thought it was a joke, like an SNL "commercial". I went to the website listed in the ad and even then I wasn't so sure this was a real product. However after checking out Patent # 5,732,914 [granted on March 31, 1998 to Mr. John Flinn of Sanger, CA] it looks like this is a real product. So for all those would-be home burglars, just remember - "As seen on TV" - many customers are buying one for each side of the bed!
The two teams with the best records in Major League Baseball, winning a combined 192 regular season games and 12 playoff games, had to play all seven games in the American League Championship Series. The game had to be tight and hard fought and it was 3 to 2 till the bottom of the 7th inning when rookie 2nd baseman [and new hometown hero] Dustin Pedroia hit a 2 run homers into the green monster seats. This being Pedroia's first full season with the big club, he hit 8 home runs this year but tonight he hit his first post season homer and it could not have had come at a better time. To add to his outstanding game, he added a 3 run double in the bottom of the 8th putting the Sox ahead 9 to 2.
It is these kinds of heroics that remind us of the magic of the 2004 season and gives us great hope for another Fenway banner. So Mr. Pedrioa, welcome to The Nation, the greatest fans in the world, the oldest and best ball park in the majors and welcome to the World Series.
As the networks continue to search for new ways to extend their shows beyond the tv set [and dvr], the show How I Met Your Mother has come up with a clever and unique way to give the weekly viewer just a little more insight [and laughs] with their recurring "out takes" called How It Really Happened. These short clips are an extended take on the already aired episode which gives the viewer a look into how a situation really went down behind the scenes of what was originally aired. Here is an example from this seasons 1st episode entitled Wait For It. In this episode Ted and Barney hook up with Amy [Mandy Moore] and her friend Lydia. On the show they just show the four of them sharing tequila and a hot tub but how did it really happen? Let's see:
What exactly is the muddy werewolf? I don't think I want to know... Anyway, the HIMYM site has a HIRH clip for each of the four episodes so far this year [besides the infamous hot tub] including how future Marshall and Lily try to make up, what DIDN'T between Barney, Marshall and Lily after he "goes for the belt", and what people ar really thinking when they get to the "but". Click on the videos section of the HIMYM website and navigate to the Bonus area to find all of the How It Really Happened clips.
According to this posting on NeverWinPoker, someone or a group of people last month played some online poker at Absolute Poker and won [and won and won] a lot of money. It was only a matter of time before some insiders or hackers got around to finding a way to cheat at a game of chance. It will be interesting to see what the Kahnawake Gaming Commission's investigation turns up. If I had to guess, I would say some head's are going to roll and much money is going to be returned to players who lost to "POTRIPPER".
This situation begs the question, can you really ever trust a online gaming company to play it straight? I mean would you play slots online and assume the house will payout per the proper odds? Or roulette and trust that a computer isn't just looking at all the bets and landing on open numbers or the least payout possible if all numbers are taken? Or how about blackjack where the dealer would always know your hand and could methodically give you cards you don't want and see to always get cards they need?
I'm not sure if house games will ever truly work online and after the Absolute Poker debacle, it maybe some time before poker is safe again.
Director Sean Penn hand-picked Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder to provide the music to the film Into The Wild, which was based on Jon Krakauer's 1996 best selling non-fiction book. [Note since the book chronicles the life of the main character from 1990 to 1992, it is most fitting that the backdrop for the movie be of the distinctive voice of that time.] This is Vedder's first solo effort and, since Penn adapted the book into a screenplay, it sounds like both men had a very specific sound they were trying to create. It is also clear that Vedder had the luxury of viewing either dailies or the entire film prior to writing these songs, which is most evident when you look at the lyrics of the song Society:
society, you're a crazy breed I hope you're not lonely without me society, crazy and deep I hope you're not lonely without me
society, have mercy on me I hope you're not angry if I disagree society, crazy and deep I hope you're not lonely without me
Vedder fills the album with mostly folk/acoustic songs, some with haunting backing vocals, which is a great fit for the film and it's lonely journey backdrop. The only downside to the album is the length - just a hair over 33 minutes and several of the songs clock in under 2 minutes. Overall I really like this album and maybe some day Vedder will release a full length version.
If Dave Roberts steal in the 9th inning of game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees was the turning point in the teams championship run, last nights failure to score in the 2nd inning could be the same kind of turning point [of course in the other direction] for this year's Red Sox. In the second inning last night, the Sox has the bases loaded [Manny on 3rd, Lowell on 2nd and Drew on 1st] and finished out the inning with a shallow flyout and a double play to end the inning. The Indians went on to score 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd and won the game 4 to 2. Let's hope next week we're not looking back on last night's 2nd inning and thinking how it could have been different if they had scored 1 or 2 runs.
The Firewinder was inspired and developed by Tom Lawton, who since childhood dreamed of being able to see the wind, which would whistle and howl outside his window as it weaved through the trees in his garden. In 2006 that dream became a reality with the introduction of Firewinder - a single, stand-alone product, which is affordable and accessible to everyone.
While the Firewinder is not yet a product that can be used for task lighting, it is an excellent start down the path of utilizing the abundant wind power that blows by us everyday and it is hopefully that others will find innovative ways to use our natural resources to solve some of our most basic needs.
Back in February of this year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs stunned the music world by calling for the end for Digital Rights Management [DRM] for downloaded mp3 files. This may have seemed like an out-of-character idea for a guy who had built a very successful music business on the backbone of electronically protected mp3 files. However it now looks like Jobs was just reading the market and knew that customers would eventually demand the end of DRM in their music.
Last month Amazon launched its long-awaited digital download service, Amazon MP3, offering 256 Kbps unprotected MP3 music files for 89 to 99 cents. They are also also is undercutting iTunes on some album prices, which range from $5.99 to $9.99, with the top 100 sellers going for $8.99 unless marked otherwise. Apple typically sells albums for $9.99.
So far, Apple have been charging $1.29 price for 256 Kbps unprotected AAC-encoded songs and only those from the EMI Music catalog. All other songs Apple sells for 99 cents are protected by Apple's FairPlay DRM and cannot be copied.
While Amazon appears to be first to market with a DRM free solution they still lack the catalog reach of iTunes, who currently have more than 5 million songs available. Amazon mp3 has only is a little more than 2 million songs from more than 180,000 artists but I'm guessing that number will rise very quickly.
So thank you Mr. Jobs for stating clearly what customers want in their music and thank you Mr. Bezos for listening.
Send your friends personalized Optimus Prime messages from the DVD website. It has several input fields to make the message personalized [although I wish they had pull downs for the names but anyway] but the best thing is when you send the message by phone it allows you to input a from phone number which masks where it is really coming from. I was able to really surprise my wife with a call from Prime because our caller ID displayed of office number on the screen. She said the call "just scared the beezesus out of me... it was a DEEP voice who knew my name. I jumped out of my skin." Perfect!
Does the modern corporation use of a formal dress code create a more productive and professional work environment? Or does the internet software ultra-casual attire allow workers to be more comfortable and therefore a harder worker? Or perhaps the middle of the road business casual is the happy medium most employees are satisfied with?
According to a 2004 CareerThink Poll the majority of respondents work in a business casual environment however they were split nearly evenly on the increased productivity due to dress code. They also split into 3 groups of nothing, looser and tighter dress code when asked if their company should adjust the dress code.
On the other hand a 2005 Career News article states that more than 80% of people polled felt a person's work attire affects his or her professional image while almost half thought wardrobe significantly impacts how someone is perceived on the job.
The other thing that is obvious, when reading a Q & A on the International Customer Management Institute website, the issue of defining a dress code is probably impossible. Even though most of the responders indicated that more comfortable work environment leads to more productive work force.
I really think a business casual environment is the happy medium for most office work environments and of course formal business attire when the situation calls for such, say at a business meeting, conference, sales pitch, ect. Now defining what "business casual" is a suit of another color.
Keith Cardoza picked up his girlfriend, Julia Stoner, put her over his shoulders in the traditional "Estonian carry" position and ran a challenging 278-yard course in 1 minute and 2 seconds to claim the 2007 North American Wife Carrying title at Sunday River this past weekend. The competition is derived from a 19th century Finnish robber baron whose men were tested by hauling heavy sacks. The men were also not averse to stealing women from nearby villages.
And what does the Cardoza and Stoner, both Northeastern Students [Go Huskies!], team get as a reward for this showing of great athletic prowess? Five times Stoner’s weight in cash, which was about $675, and her weight in Bud Light, equivalent to nine 12-packs, or 108 beers. I really love the prize money and beer are weighted either higher or lower depending on the wife.
Just in case you think carrying your loved one 278 yards isn't such a big deal, keep in mind the course has an uphill run on a dirt road, a 10-meter long waist-deep water obstacle, and two 39-inch high log hurdles. This video highlights how difficult this event really is and gives a who new meaning to "Here's mud in your eye"!
Yesterday's Chicago Marathon was halted midway through the event because of unseasonably high temperatures and humidity. At 10 am, the temperature had already reached 88 degrees, which was the hottest temperature ever recorded in the 30 year history of the race. Sadly a Michigan police officer died and 50 others required hospitalization due to the conditions. Additionally over 250 were treated on site, mostly for heat related aliments.
Of course the marathon is a grueling race but this kind of tragedy can occur at any distance. When I ran the Bay to Breakers race last spring, a 53 year old man died at the finish line only minutes before I arrived. It had been 4 years since the last death on the Bay to Breakers course and this is only a 7.46 mile race. I think Julie Deardorff of the Chicago Tribune said it best in her October 7 post "The marathon is an event that demands respect. Today's race was a good reminder for everyone."
One of the presentations at a sales kick off meeting yesterday started with this video:
"I would rather you just say thank you and went on you way otherwise may I suggest you pick up a phone and make some sales calls." Classic and I can't wait to use this for my next presentation as an ice breaker.
People don't go to a fast food restaurant for the high quality food or the outstanding wait staff, what is expected a known product served quickly. This is even more true in the drive through window when the customer doesn't even have time to get out of the car. So today on my way to class after work, I hit a McDonald's [yeah I know the food is not good for you but when you have only a few minutes to eat, you take what you can get] for a simple meal of 2 burgers, fries and a coke. Now you would think this is simplest item you can order at a place that was founded on burgers and fries but apparently that is not so.
After I paid at window 1, I pulled forward to window 2 where I was given my drink and asked to pull up because the fries were not ready. I should have known this was going to be a whole production because how is it possible for a place where fries are part of every single meal on their menu run short at 5:30 which must be a peak time for dinner? I'm not sure and I pulled forward and waited for dinner to be brought to me. After 5 minutes I went inside but they were so busy I was not able to get any one's attention so I returned to my car to wait longer. After another 5 minutes I walked to the windows and after getting a person's attention she asked what I had ordered.
After finding my order [which I am assuming was the one that had a timer next to it that said 10 minutes since order and was pretty easy to find on the screen] the window server retrieved my bag and offered it to me with 3 coupons for something without as much as an apology for forgetting about me. Since I was now running late for class [and wanted to make sure I didn't get run over since I was now standing at the drive through window] I didn't give the coupons a second look until I was back in my car driving to school. Pulling one out I found they had offered me something called a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap for my trouble. The front of the card looks like this:
Now I'm not sure if 3 Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap's are proper compensation for forgetting a customer who has already paid for his meal, running for late for school because they took the concept of fast out of fast food but what should I expect from a situation where the total cost is just of 5 bucks. However when I turned the card over, I found the icing on top of the crappy service. Here is what the back of card reads:
Notice this free offer expired on September 30th. So I guess the "sorry we forgot about you" offer is really a "sorry we forgot about you, how about some worthless coupons we couldn't get rid of last month?" As my wife would say, I am soooooo going to write a letter. Keep your eyes peeled for a McResponse.
With all due respect, and remember I'm sayin' it with all due respect, please contact the family of Army National Guard Specialist Ciara Durkin's and confirm with them the details of the needless and tragic death of the 30 year old Quincy Massachusetts native.
Durkin, the eighth of nine siblings, was born in Ireland and moved to Massachusetts at age 9. After working in information technology for a health care company, she enlisted in the Guard two years ago and was a member of the 726th Finance Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard.
All members of the US Army, especially those who voluntarily joined the guard and knowingly put themselves into harms way for my freedom and way of life, deserve more respect then conflicting reports, lack of communication and general disrespect. Hopefully the requests of the family, our Senators, Representatives and state citizens will be answered quickly, fully and with great respect for a family who have lost a child to war.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Specialist Durkin. May she rest in peace.
The band Radiohead is turning the music industry on it's ear with their October 10th release by allowing fan to choose how much they want to pay to purchase a digital download of the entire album. The influential rock band seventh studio album, entitled In Rainbows, can be pre-ordered from Radiohead's website and during the check out the user can decide how much the download is worth. [Note this is a full album with 10 new tracks] For those who are interested, Rolling Stone has but together a track-by-track preview of each of the new songs.
The band is able to try this social/economical/digital experiment because they are no longer signed to a record label and have a such an established fan base. The interesting thing about this release is the industry could gain some insight into buyers habits, preferences and true sense of the value of a digital album. I am guessing it will be much less than the 10 bucks that is would cost for a 10 track digital album download today from iTunes, Napster or MusicMatch. I hope Radiohead publishes a report on the number of downloads next week and the mean price of each purchase. Good luck to the Radiohead guys in their digital experiment.
This past weekend was the Taste Of Rhode Island which was held at the Newport Yachting Center in downtown Newport Rhode Island and it was tasty. The festival featured 27 local restaurants competing with their own unique dishes and there were several beer and wine locations to help you enjoy your food samples. Some of my personal favorites were The Blue’s Café's Pulled Pork, Johnny Angel’s Clam Cakes, and Benjamin’s Restaurant's Meatballs. Plus I had to have a Brat from the World's Largest Grill - Period. To make this a truly fall experience, Sam Adams Oktoberfest was in great supply to finish off lunch. With food and wine seminars going on through out the afternoon and non-stop musical entertainment, this was a terrific sampling of Rhode Island fare and one great way to spend a day in Newport.
Send your friends personalized Optimus Prime messages from the DVD website. It has several input fields to make the message personalized [although I wish they had pull downs for the names but anyway] but the best thing is when you send the message by phone it allows you to input a from phone number which masks where it is really coming from. I was able to really surprise my wife with a call from Prime because our caller ID displayed of office number on the screen. She said the call "just scared the beezesus out of me... it was a DEEP voice who knew my name. I jumped out of my skin." Perfect!
Durkin, the eighth of nine siblings, was born in Ireland and moved to Massachusetts at age 9. After working in information technology for a health care company, she enlisted in the Guard two years ago and was a member of the 726th Finance Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard.
The band Radiohead is turning the music industry on it's ear with their October 10th release by allowing fan to choose how much they want to pay to purchase a digital download of the entire album. The influential rock band seventh studio album, entitled In Rainbows, can be pre-ordered from Radiohead's website and during the check out the user can decide how much the download is worth. [Note this is a full album with 10 new tracks] For those who are interested, Rolling Stone has but together a track-by-track preview of each of the new songs.