In memory of a highly gifted musician and father of the “moon walk” … he inspired millions around the world.
Be at the Philippines: 1,500 Prisoners at Cebu …
… or in India: Bollywood’s unforgettable “GIRLY MAN!”
… or the Guinness Book of World Records event: William and Mary College students…
… and maybe even a surprise wedding.
We will forever miss you!
R.I.P. Michael Jackson 1958-2009
Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows 7 … everybody’s been talking about Windows 7 ever since Vista was unveiled and now that we have a pure unadulterated fully functioning officially stamped version out, it’s NOT even available.
They say “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings!” and sing she did. Well this would be in reference to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer making a big ballyhoo about the official beta release of Microsoft over at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas.
Most of the reviews on MSW7 are indeed positive but how can the masses get a taste of it if the frigging server‘s down?
“Thanks for your interest in the Windows 7 Beta. The volume has been phenomenal — we’re in the process of adding more servers to handle the demand. We’re sorry for the delay and we’ll re-post the Beta as soon as we can ensure a quality download experience.”
The sensible thing for them to do is to host Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000) as a torrent lessening the impact on their servers. Eventually, Microsoft could just limit the bandwidth on their servers making the other users handle the majority of the load. Now we’re stuck guessing which one of the available torrents are the official build and not one of those malware infested ISO files. Maybe I should stop complaining because this was made free to the public but what’s a free product if the execution isn’t done right.
EDIT 2009-01-12: The servers aren’t shut down anymore and Win7 looks meh. Better than Vista … for now.
I know it’s been a while since I last posted and this post has very little to do with tech *cough-GPS-cough* but here’s an article from Autoblog that has got my blood boiling:
Oregon ran a pilot program in 2006 and 2007 that fitted 300 cars with GPS receivers, which kept track of the cars’ mileage. The receivers also kept records of when the cars were on the road, noting whether they traveled during rush hour or not. When the drivers went to several specially-equipped gas stations, they paid a mileage tax based on how far they had driven and when they drove, rush hour being more expensive than the wee hours.
Taxing mileage — as opposed to trying to raise fuel taxes — is an idea that’s not only raising eyebrows, it’s also raising interest. Seven other states are reported to be interested in finding a publicly-palatable way to tax mileage. A panel in North Carolina even recommended that drivers be charged a quarter-cent-per-mile for their year’s driving. In such a scenario, after 15,000 miles you’d owe the state $37.50.
GPS? The hell were they thinking? I understand states are losing revenues they normally would been counting on from gas tax but going the extreme route of charging by the distance traveled is a bit too much on the big brother side. When gas prices were this low 3 years ago, how were the states making money then? If people drove less, it would mean less stress on the roads which would also mean that there would be less maintenance required. Sleazy politicians always trying to find ways to tax the citizens to bring out short-term solutions for their own work performance shortcomings.
At this rate, small towns will be affected even more so. A lot of people commute to and from work from small towns or suburbs which would lead to some of them moving into the already crowded cities to avoid the “mile tax” or “toll booths”. I hate you Lou Dobbs because all you’ve been saying the past 5 or 6 years of your CNN existence has been about “heartland” and “illegal immigration” but now it’s about time you use your clout to stuff your big head into the courtrooms about those governments and do something good for once.
You know things aren’t going the greatest when companies like Microsoft and Google put on hiring freezes, Yahoo! goes on a firing spree, electronics giant Best Buy making moves to reduce staff, folks out at Target Corp getting the chop, and every other person is out there job hunting because of this economic downturn. To make matters worse, credit card companies like American Express began lowering or freezing borrowing from their valued customers making matters worse for those looking to invest. Even my favorite blog site, The Consumerist, has fallen under hard times and is up for sale. You can tell times are bad cuz their ads are so big, they cover blog post titles.
And thereby, we can claim that the economy is just as miserable as the weather is right here in Minnesota.
Unfortunately, this trickle down effect has now hit the world of auto sports breaking the seemingly life-long bond between Subaru and the World Rally Championship. Without going into details, a statement from the parent company Fuji Heavy Industries (owned by Toyota) revealed that (Subaru) has officially pulled out of the 2009 WRC campaign. The economy could be one of the bigger reasons behind this decision but irrespective of the cause, it’s a sad day to see an icon like Subaru divest itself off of the rally championships. This from a company that made a name for itself by designing passenger vehicles from all of their testing and experience in the World Rally Championships. Truly a shocker!
All we have are memories…
It’s no big secret that Apple’s latest Mac OS X Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) will be available for purchase early next year while rumors point out that the new Microsoft OS (aptly named Windows 7) should be out late that same year to replace the Titanic-esque Windows Vista operating system.
So as the armies of darkness gather up their zombie ponies to do battle with one another, it’s time we take a pre-war analysis before plunging head-first into the chaos to get a glimpse of what’s to come.
Hilarity brought to you by The Onion. 😀
I’d forgotten all about Rick Astley and his 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” until they started playing that song after ever other track at “First Ave” club in Minneapolis last night for the Halloween party special.
Thought it was strange that his song was getting inserted between the different techno tracks like a pitbull among hockey moms. Some of the people I was with had no clue as to who the singer was and then Rick Astley himself sprang up on the stage bopping around with a youthful demeanor akin to his music videos. The crowd went wild. All of a sudden, fond memories of “rickrolling” flooded back to me.
Alright enough of that sentimental crap. Here‘s the link if you want to know about rickroll and have a Happy Halloween Weekend!!! Also, remember to pass on your knowledge about rickrolling to your uninformed peers and after they’ve seen the stuff, annouce to them – “You just got rickrolled!”
UPDATE: I just found a Rick Astley video on this cool website. It’s SFW (Safe For Work) unless there’s something badly wrong with you.
The corrupt politicians and their fake-smiling cronies are in town across the river in St Paul, Minnesota. So are a nasty bunch of anarchists and the usual assortment of hippie peace lovers. On tv, Rudy Guiliani appeared and started making small talk getting the crowd hyped up averaging around 3-5 words per sentence. The crowd cheered. More 3-5 word simple sentences with “9-11” thrown in randomly. The crowd cheered again. The pattern continued and Rudy said “USA” with a swing to get the crowd going “USA USA USA” like sheep following the movement of a mindless herd. Wish there was someone out there asking Rudy about how he refused to help out the FDNY and NYPD who were volunteering out there during 9-11 and now suffering from various respiratory diseases.
We’re all getting used to Rudy’s stories of how he fought the terrorists during 9-11 but then he came out making fun of Barack Obama’s efforts to the streets of Chicago. Seriously. Rudy? You must be going senile. And as expected, he went on to praise McCain through out the years but failed to bring out 2000 when almost every Republican out there painted him as an unpatriotic American. Didn’t matter. The crowd cheered. Something about the honorable Joe Biden (Democratic vice-presidential nominee) flip-flopping. The crowd cheered around his feet.
Then the newly nominated VP to John “I was shot down in Vietnam” McCain showed up. Sarah Palin began the speech with family values and growing up in a small town in Alaska with her “Eskimo” husband who strangely enough looked white and very un-Eskimo. I bet he was discriminated quite a bit because he was an “Eskimo.” Oh puhleez. Don’t yell out saying Obama’s pulling the race card when you’re doing it yourself, only in your case, it doesn’t work at all.
Along the way, she talked about her activities in the PTA and being a mayor of a town of a few thousand. And do note that she said it was a “tough” job unlike serving on the streets of South Chicago. If that’s tough, I’d like to know what her understanding of the role of the VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA means to her. Then something about how she liked to drive in her car. WTF does this have anything to do with being qualified for the position? Then some lies about tax breaks and how Obama would raise taxes. Lies. More lies. Some history on her efforts which she lied about. If she was a murderer, the crowd could care less because this is the crowd that refuses to look at facts. The crowd cheered.
Like “9-11 Rudy”, wife of Eskimo and the Governor of the populous State of Alaska, Sarah Palin talked about all the torture” that John McCain had to endure in Vietnam. Only, I got 2 problems with that:
About John McCain, and please I do not have anything against someone who actually went there along with the likes of Democrat John Kerry (who was bashed by Repuglicans for not being a true veteran), although I respect his service, getting shot down isn’t something to be proud of. He is still an American hero but I severely doubt he is the right person for the job. And why are the Repuglicans now embracing him when they trampled down on him back in 2000?
Since she had nothing else to say about her experience and had exhausted her vocabulary of emotional keywords, she went on with some negative jabs on Obama. The crowd cheered. Sarah Palin mocking Barack Obama? Someone who’s had it easy all her life making fun of a social worker? Very classy indeed. Literally.
Republican speeches are always very interesting because of their over-use of keywords and suggestive terms and the blatant lies tossed callously in sentences filled with emotional moments. You can be Emperor Palpitine or Darth Vader and still come out after the speech looking like good ol’ Ben Kenobi. In short, all words and no substance. But be warned. If you’re not careful, you can get swept in with their lies just like how Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader. We know Palpatine and Darth Vader are “evil” because they already look like villains and can’t afford the luxury to smile and make you comfortable unlike the Repuglicans you see on tv.
The following are some of the most popular keywords in a typical Republican speech: God, good, evil, victory, America, Americans, bless, values, faith, terrorist, protection, death tax. Nauseatingly childlike and corny but certainly very definitive and divisive words for the simple-minded. You’re either with us, or against us. Sounds familiar? You know what, the American public has had enough and can see through their lies and know that they’re going to get 4 more years of the same terrible 8 years we’ve gone through. If you want to take advantage of unsuspecting people, go do that elsewhere. My word of advice to republicans is to “Pack up your lies in your suitcases and get out of our country!”
For decades now, people around the world have been assailed by pirated wares from the most clamped down mega society in the world. As if fake Louis Vuitton handbags and Rolexes weren’t enough, reports from the Telegraph reveal a portion of the unbelievable “LIVE” video footage of fireworks during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics were inserted digitally and done over months of editing.
GOOD: Audience at the stadium and viewers around the world were able to see all of the fireworks on the giant screens.
BAD: A majority of those fireworks were digitally created.
GOOD: Fireworks resembling the ones on the screens actually took place outside.
BAD: People were made to believe the video they were seeing were real and clustered in one spot.
GOOD: The organizers had “good” intentions – safeguard the helicopter video recording crew from getting hurt by fireworks since it would be near impossible to capture them all live from the air.
BAD: Only adds fuel to fire about China’s reputation especially when conducted from the government level and designed to deceive people.
The official reason does seem plausible but my question here is since when did China care about safety? The shoddy construction of the buildings in the earthquake ravaged Sichuan / Sale of 90% of weapons in conflict zones like Darfur / their extremely unsafe cars (check youtube for videos) / lead paint poison in millions of regular everyday products / dangerous chemicals in their toothpaste / etc.
The Chinese government doesn’t even care for their own – forcefully evicting ordinary Chinese citizens from their homes, the Tibet issue, religious freedom, press freedoms and including muffling reporting on the murder of a fellow Minnesotan and entrepreneur in Beijing, etc.
Then there was the thing about how China would change for the Olympics. They went out and even granted designated spots in 3 parks for protests given that groups registered ahead of time. Only problem is they don’t hand out spots and the people who tried to register ended up getting threatened by the police. Some even went missing. Not to forget the mishandling of some Japanese journalists. Not a way to show the world that are a global player.
The world is getting tired of berating the inhumane acts of the Chinese government in this modern era. It’s time for all Chinese to rise up against this regime and bring back pride to their culture.
Didn’t mean to cut your moment of zen after that silencio I promised but couldn’t help writing how steeply biased in stupidity John McCain’s idea of a gas tax removal period between the summer days of Memorial and Labor Day. Well if it’s not stupid, it’s a down right sham mean to scam the sheep that follows the herd to the slaughterhouse. Of course we all would like lower prices … FOR EVERY GODDAMN THING and not just gas.
The Republicans are all about how the market will even things out so removing taxes will eventually hit back at the consumer if not in the summer, then maybe in the fall. This would be hard for the poor and especially students who are working 40+ hours weekly in the summer months cuz once school starts, they have to cut back their work load to accommodate classes.
But to be more clear on the matter, McCain said, “The people who drive the furthest are the lowest income Americans.” His advisor then chimed in, “We know that in the summer gas prices peak and it’s when people do a lot of traveling, so if you give them a break just from Memorial Day to Labor Day… if you could do it even just for those three months, it would give people some short-term benefit on inflation.” [source]
WTF are they smoking? He claims that it would benefit the poor but aren’t mass-transportation the way to get the economically strapped/smart people to travel? How bout a TAX FREE month for mass-transport users? That would make a far more important impact on the economy, the environment, and the future. That and tax exempt status for veterans, retired citizens, and those living on food stamps.
Unfortunately for the hypocritical John McCain, his buddy Bob Dole presented the same gas holiday idea 12 years ago when he (Dole) was up against Bill Clinton only to succumb to a painful defeat. The signs aren’t good. The implementation of stupid short-sighted ideas are what got us in the current mess in the first place. McCain needs a good plan or should just shut up for the sake of the good of this nation.
Instead of focusing on turning this nation into a smarter group of people, all they’re (GOP) trying to do is keep building a wall of people to protect the rest from the inevitable tidal waves. Getting people to slowly overcome their heavy dependence on gasoline and reward them is what the big cats in Washington should be proposing. So until then, keep throwing your bullshit John McCain. Only the clueless will bite em.
It’s been on the news lately that there’s been a lot of chaos in the capital city of Tibet, Lhasa. Shops and vehicles burned down. Ethnic Chinese beaten by angry mobs. Some deaths (4-7) have occurred also. The Chinese community in the USA are outraged at the savagery of the once peaceful Tibetans. Well at least one certain student going to Hamline University – SangJun Kim.
Well apparently students at Hamline staged a mock Olympic 1st 2nd 3rd podium with medals stating “genocide”, “oppression”, “torture” which led Kim to file an official complaint against the student-run SFT (Students for a Free Tibet) organization. Kim alleged that this protest was “against Hamline’s diversity policy.” Obviously for the poor ignoramus, the approach was too harsh for his sensitive feelings.
After all the 50+ years of suppressive rule by Communist China over a once independent nation, murders of innocent people which outnumber the infamous Holocaust of WWII, and continued destruction of a society and culture totally separate from the rest of China, why do the students at Hamline University need to tone down their message? Well if you’re a commie lover for one. Mr Kim. Take into consideration that tourists who left Tibet during the time of disturbance reported hundreds of military transport vehicles filled to the brim with Chinese soldiers headed towards Lhasa. It has been reported that there have been around 80-100 deaths at the hands of the military on the Tibetans in the past few days for the riots. Not the best way to prepare for the Olympics.
Chinese people are no strangers to oppression so they should use this moment to bring democracy to the world’s largest manufacturer of goods and the final bastion of hard-line Communism and Fascism that is a military threat to the planet. So I ask all Chinese students, professors, businessmen, politicians, activists, and illegal migrants to seize upon this opportunity to unite with the rest of the world and bring democracy to red China.
1. Can’t stand clicking on links on your Google searches with a “blocked” message?
2. Are you sick of having personal property (houses/apt/etc) taken over by the government in the name of modernization?
3. Those CCTV’s (closed-circuit television) on every street creep you out? Wait. The national tv station goes by that same name. Talk about irony.
4. Do you hate being called a commie?
5. Should your sex-life be governed by your government?
If you answer YES to all or any of the above, join the movement in bringing democracy to your “motherland” and free Tibet from the clutches of an antiquated group of elite politicians and the Chinese military. Every person counts. Hopefully the international court gets a chance to try Hu Jintao or the bigwigs out there in Communist China. Have a good night!
EDIT: By the way, a friend emailed me this picture below. Apparently the cause of the complaint. Can’t see why anyone would be offended by the truth. People are strange.
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