Ooops!

Ok, here's the video of Miss USA wiping out in her evening gown in case you missed it last night.

Where's the Originality?

Ok, in this summer of movie sequel hell I'm begging for just a small shred of originality.

A colleague and I were looking at the summer TV schedule and couldn't help but immediately identify half of the "new" shows as copies.

Let's see if you come to the same conclusion.

First the obvious ones.

Flash Gordon - new show, really old idea, circa 1934

Age of Love - Yes, they really continue to make this crap.

On the Lot - Hmmm, Project Greenlight perhaps?

Hidden Palms - Aren't there already a Gazillion teen drama shows?


Now the following are a little tougher but if you think hard enough I would bet you'll remember where you saw them before.

Traveler -
Now, hunted by the F.B.I. as domestic terrorists, the friends must rely on each other to elude capture, while trying desperately to prove their innocence by answering two questions -- Who is Will Traveler? Why did he do this to them? Jay and Tyler search for clues both in the present and the past, and slowly unravel a conspiracy that involves their friends and family members and calls into question the very nature of American democracy.

Psych -
Shawn Spencer happens to possess some uncanny powers of observation; his police officer father, Henry, taught his son to remember even the smallest details of his surroundings. So when Shawn is accused of committing a crime that he actually solved, he convinces the cops that he's a psychic -- and with the reluctant help of best friend Gus, Shawn starts solving cases for a skeptical but increasingly impressed police force.

Burn Notice -
While on assignment, agent Michael Westen gets a "Burn Notice" and becomes untouchable. Having no idea what or who triggered his demise, Michael returns to his hometown, Miami, determined to find out the reason for his sudden termination. Unable to utilize his normal contacts and needing to stay under the spy network radar, he puts his Special Ops training to use to help those who the police can't or won't, in order to fund his ongoing personal investigation.

Honorable mention for
Pirate Master & Shaq's Big Challenge, too pathetic for me to even provide links.

Ok, I understand that basic marketing is to find a good idea and stick to it, but it bores me to tears to watch this same crap over and over again.

The last two original shows I got excited about, Firefly and Invasion, were both canceled in their first seasons.

If Imitation really is the sincerest form of Flattery then a lot of people should be saying "thanks for the compliments"

Excuse me while I go watch Underworld Revolutions again. It may not be original but at least it has Kate Beckinsale in it.

Top 10 Lists -- Movies

Ok, since I now have a blog I thought I should post some Top 10 Lists, purely for conversation.

I will start with Movies since everyone seems to have at least 1 favorite.

Some of these are obviously franchises themselves but I like to think of them each as one complete "movie" since they really encompass one entire story.

10. Forrest Gump
A marvelous tale of what an innocent unselfish mind is thinking. T Hanks truly sells the character and the numerous cameos make it fun to track through time.

9. Wizard of Oz
Amazing special effects for its' time and the music is known around the world. The teamwork from the 4 main characters obviously inspired many movies to follow.

8. Holy Grail
Monty Python hit the nail on the head with this humorous look at Camelot and you can't shake a dead cat without knowing someone that can recite almost the entire dialogue.

7. The Matrix
A revolution in film making and of course introduced us to the bullet effect. What were they thinking with #2 and 3?

6. Pulp Fiction
Tarantino's masterpiece and the intertwining story lines were each alone very captivating.

5. Saving Private Ryan
To me, the best war movie of all time. How can you not feel a little patriotic after the realistic opening sequence?

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
The first movie my parents actually owned, on Beta Max no less.

3. Braveheart
Mel Gibson truly sold the idea that one person can make a difference.

2. Star Wars
Episode 4 launched a billion dollar franchise and still remains my favorite.

1. Lord of the Rings
'Nuff Said

Where do I sign up for this job?

Ok, if you haven't seen the show Deadliest Catch yet on Discovery, I recommend it.

It's basically a salute to the guys that have one of the 10 most dangerous jobs.

Here's the list of Most Dangerous Jobs from 2005

Rank	Occupation	Death rate/100,000	Total deaths
1	Logging workers	92.4	85
2	Aircraft pilots	92.4	109
3	Fishers and fishing workers	86.4	38
4	Structural iron and steel workers	47.0	31
5	Refuse and recyclable material collectors	43.2	35
6	Farmers and ranchers	37.5	307
7	Roofers	34.9	94
8	Electrical power line installers/repairers	30.0	36
9	Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	27.6	905
10	Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	24.2	67

Now, if you haven't already guessed, the most dangerous part of my job is my 140 mile commute each day or occasionally choking on some Pad Thai but neither of those are my actual job and don't really count.
So I guess paper cut might be the most dangerous part of my actual job.

Did you notice #8 on the list.

Check out this Video and tell me you wouldn't like to buy this guy a beer and say

"Thanks for letting me play Guitar Hero 24/7"

Gas Price = Fixed Rate

Ok, this morning as the gas pump was draining my wallet at $3.25/gallon I thought of something I would love to see implemented.

So, tell me why fixed rate mortgages are so prevalent and appealing?

Do they benefit the consumer? Yes. Do the mortgage companies still make a ton of cash? Yes

Why not implement the same type of buying model for gasoline?

The concept is simple, you go into your favorite Quickie Mart and buy a set volume of fuel at a set price. "I'll take 100 gallons at $2.99/gal." Slap down your credit card and walk out with your little punch card.

Then you can continue to cash in those gas credits at the set price from the same store or franchise, with the credits expiring 1 year from issue.

Now, you may be saying why in the world would the oil companies or the local gas stations be interested in this model? Well, why do the banks sell so many fixed rate mortgages?

At some point the price may dip down to $2.50/gal especially in the winter months but when it goes up to $3.50 you will feel good cashing in your tickets.

The Post Office is offering something similar now with the Forever Stamp.

This week's Google post

Welcome to Google Voice Local Search

Google Voice Local Search is Google's experimental service to make local-business search accessible over the phone.

To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone.

Using this service, you can:

• search for a local business by name or category.
  You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza".
  
  
• get connected to the business, free of charge.
  
  
• get the details by SMS if you're using a mobile phone.
  Just say "text message".
  
  

And it's free. Google doesn't charge you a thing for the call or for connecting you to the business. Regular phone charges may apply, based on your telephone service provider.

Note: Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. We’re fine-tuning the service to get better at recognizing your requests. It's currently only available in English, in the US, for US business listings.

**Credit to Motagus of Lobster Brood for this one

Woot!

Ok, for those that play any online games you have probably heard the phrase woot but did you know there actually is a woot .com website? Each day they offer some type of product but only for the day. Occasionally they even have a woot-off where several products are sold throughout the day.

The best part of the whole website is the amusing descriptions/stories of the products.

Today's deal is for a wireless PCI card and I have copied the story below, dedicated to those who commented on the previous blog poop topics.

Wireless Is More

PC: (opens eyes, looks around room) He-hello? Where

Surgeon: Take it easy, take it easy. You've been through a lot. But it appears that the wireless-enhancement surgery was a success. How are you feeling?

PC: So tired. Weak.

Surgeon: That's perfectly natural at a time like this. After all, we had to open your case to connect that Zyxel M-302 802.11b/g Extreme MIMO PCI Adapter to your motherboard. You're going to need at least ten minutes to recover. Maybe fifteen.

PC: (tries to sit up in bed) Ow! So...sore...

Surgeon: Whoa there. Just sit back and relax. I've had some ketamine added to your IV drip, so get ready for a pain-free ride through the psychedelic looking-glass.

PC: Cows are freaky when they look at you

Surgeon: Sounds like it's working already. As soon as you recover, you'll enjoy fast, reliable 802.11g wireless connectivity with channel-switching MIMO technology thanks to your new Zyxel M-302 802.11b/g Extreme MIMO PCI Adapter. The enhanced range, the WEP and WPA encryption, the easy set-up -- it'll change your life. You'll feel confident, attractive, ten years younger.

PC: That's the toughest squirrel meat I've ever eaten

Surgeon: And even though you're still recovering, it's not too soon to think about switching out that 5db antenna for something more powerful. That procedure isn't nearly as invasive.

PC: Wait, wait...what are these fleshy lumps here...? I don't remember having these...weird...

Surgeon: Oh, while you were under, I took the liberty of grafting on a pair of breasts. I just had some extra implants laying around, and I thought a set of round, full breasts would really be the finishing touch for your new look. Don't worry - -no extra charge!

PC: But...but...I'm a computer, not a woman. You turned me into some kind of grotesque monster...I'm an abomination...

Surgeon: Oh, I wouldn't say that. I think you're very appealing. You know, I've been looking for a new desktop PC with 802.11g wireless connectivity and large, heaving breasts. I hope you won't think I'm too forward, but are you owned by anyone right now?

PC: Help...me...someone, please, help meeeeee

On the Bandwagon

Ok, I know I'm late to this party but if you haven't checked outthe HBO show Entourage yet, I highly recommend it. I keep hearing about the best shows on HBO and yet I still don't have it. I think it might finally be time to break down and sign up.

I borrowed the first season from a co-worker and watched the whole thing in two sittings. Now, before you go thinking wow 24 hours of TV that's hard core, the first season is only 8 episodes and each is only 24 minutes long. Brilliant marketing strategy: Box up 192 minutes of TV, call it a full season and sell it for $30 a piece.

Anyway, the show is very much a character drama with a little humor thrown in. Probably classified as a dramadie I would imagine. And no, it's not a chic show like Grey's Anatomoy or Desparate Housewives.

Here's the description from the website

HBO presents Entourage, the hit comedy series executive produced by Mark Wahlberg that takes a look at the day-to-day life of Vincent (Vince) Chase, a hot young actor in modern-day Hollywood, and his entourage. He's brought with him from their hometown in Queens, NY: manager Eric, half-brother Drama, and friend Turtle.

I can't wait to dive into Season 2

Have you seen Google Notebook?

Ok, I couldn't let it go a week without touting some Google feature.

Presenting Google Notebook

Have you ever bookmarked a cool article or tip and by the time you got back to it the site was down?

Have you ever wanted to share a picture you found buried in some bloated website but forgot to copy or bookmark it, or didn't want the wait of loading the whole site again.

Have you ever bookmarked a news or sports article to find out later that the link was dynamic and your page now leads to some other article?

Have you ever wanted a snapshot of some stock price at a given moment to show your buddies how cool you are?

Why would I want to use Google Notebook?

With Google Notebook, you can browse, clip, and organize information from across the web in a single online location that's accessible from any computer. Planning a trip? Researching a product? Just add clippings to your notebook. You won't ever have to leave your browser window.

Click the picture above to see a larger version.

Is 800x600 Dead?

Ok, the default size of Blogger is 800px wide, but I thought to myself. "Self, does anyone still use that resolution?"

Well, I've decided to increase the default width so sorry if you have little scroll buttons.

Should Legal Driving Age Have Stricter Limits?

Inspired by this article at www.dobbz.com I propose tighter limits on US Autmobile Licensure.

Now, although the concept of "grading" people on the road is a very good idea, I think it would present a nightmare to enforce and I cringe to think about monthly visits to the DMV to pick up my new "F" plates.

So the new system would be very simple to implement.

Driving Age Minimum = 18, Driving Age Maximum = 75

Now before everyone gets up in arms about how much their 17 yr old doesn't talk on their cell phone, or how their grandma is the Fri night Bingo driver. Here are some statistics.

First the young drivers:

• In 2005, almost 7,500 15- to- 20- year– old drivers were involved in fatal crashes.
  Go to source
• Traffic crashes occur disproportionately among newly driving young adults with one in four crash fatalities in the US involving 16- to 24-year-olds. For the 16-to 20-year age group, the crash fatality rate in 2004 was nearly twice as high as other age groups.
  Go to source
• The fatality rate for drivers aged 16 to 19 years, based on mile driven, is four times that of drivers ages 25 to 69.
  Go to source
• The crash fatality rate (crash fatalities/100,000 population) is highest for 16 to 17 year olds within the first six months after licensure – and remains high through age 24.
  Go to source
• Approximately two-thirds of teen (13- to 19-years old) passenger deaths occur when other teenagers are driving.
  Go to source
• Child passengers (under age 16 years) driven by teenage (16- to 19-year-old) drivers have three times the risk of injury in a crash than children driven by adults. Overall, 9% of child fatalities occur with a driver under age 19.
  Go to source

Next the Elderly:

Statistics, based on all people injured or killed in traffic crashes, indicate that older drivers are at a disproportionate risk for becoming involved in fatal crashes. A NHTSA study of 1995 FARS (Fatal Accident Reporting System) data reports that senior citizens accounted for:

• 5% of all people injured in traffic crashes
• 13% of all traffic fatalities
• 13% of all vehicle occupant fatalities
• 18% of all pedestrian fatalities
  

• People age 70 and older have more motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people than other groups except people younger than 25.
• Per mile driven, drivers 75 years and older have higher rates of fatal motor vehicle crashes than drivers in other age groups except teenagers.
• Per licensed driver, fatal crash rates rise sharply at age 70 and older

Please stop pooping on my food!

Ok, this seems so simple, how many times did your parents teach you to wash your hands after you finish your bidness?

Yet, if you've noticed there have a been a rash of Orofecal related outbreaks in restaurants lately.

Pizza Ranch - May 3
Soulplantation - April 23
Houlihans - Jan 24
Olive Garden - Dec 18

Not to mention the big Taco John's/Taco Bell Poopy Spinach/Lettuce outbreak.

And that is just the highlights. Find the full list here.

This is certainly nothing new but it definitely seems to be worse lately.
Is any restaurant safe?
Do people just not wash their poopy hands anymore?
Anyone think it might not be such a good idea to grow nacho toppings right next to cattle fields?

Of course the lawsuits are sprouting up as fast as mosquitoes after a good rain.

And where you have lawsuits you finger pointing.
The report entitled Investigation of an Escherichia coli O157:H7 Outbreak Associated with Dole Pre-Packaged Spinach has been issued

And where you have finger pointing you have legislation.

The California Senate Agriculture Committee recently approved three bills...
"The senate wants to impose tougher safety standards that would regulate water, fertilizer and toilet use in fields; develop and implement systems to quickly trace, recall and quarantine contaminated produce; and require those who grow leafy greens to be licensed by the state."

Here's an idea just WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS.

I know how about employing those fancy French perfume sniffing people to stand outside each restaurant bathroom and smell the cook's hands as they walk out.

"sorry, still poopy, try again. Remember to sing the ABC song and use lots of soap"

Do we really need to remind people of this?

Maybe the Office Linebacker approach would work, station someone by the bathroom door and just tackle anyone that doesn't wash their hands. Obviously the little signs in the bathroom aren't working.

Review #1, Summer Sequel #1

So by now you have probably heard Spiderman 3 just came out. It's one of many "blockbusters" in a movie going summer sequelfest. My review:

Bottom Line: It was ok, not as good as #2 but better than #1. It's further proof that the big studios add plot and dialogue elements strictly to appeal to a wider audience. If you like long drawn out love stories, aka Titanic, than you may enjoy this. If you are looking for 75% action and 25% fluff this is definitely not your movie.

Were the effects worth the price? Probably. The villains are definitely the highlight of the film from an eye candy perspective but they force you through 80 scenes with Kirsten Dunst first.

A colleague of mine said it best. "She looked the best she ever has in Interview with a Vampire"

If you want to be part of movie making history I say go ahead and buy your ticket and fuel the sequel fire. Otherwise, just wait for DVD and fast forward to the payoff.

Will there be #4? My prediction would be a Marvel crossover with Spiderman joining forces in the next installment. It just seems natural after seeing this one.

Funny Parody of the PC vs Mac ads using Spiderman and Superman

Link HERE

TGIF

Ok, since it's Friday I'm going to send this picture to everyone I talk to

How much would you pay?

Bill to legalize ticket scalping on its way to governor

"A bill that would allow ticket scalping in Minnesota is on its way to Gov Pawlenty. The governor says he'll sign the bill into law. The measure lifts the current state ban on selling tickets above face value. The Minnesota House overwhelmingly passed the legislation Wednesday. Critics of the measure say it will only lead to higher ticket prices."

Ok, I have mixed feelings on this. There are some nice benefits but possible drawbacks as well.

It may very well drive resold ticket prices down with increased competition. Places like TicketKing won't have as much of a monopoly on the market. However, with increased competition also comes reduced quantity of general tickets. I'm not sure what limits are currently put on ticket brokers wanting to buy tickets but I know TicketKing always seems to have big pile of extra tickets, even when the general sales are sold out. For example, let's say brokers are allowed 500 tickets for each sporting event. Well with 1 or 2 brokers this doesn't seem excessive but with 10 legal brokers you may find yourself always paying "market value" rather than "face value"

Now, scalping is certainly nothing new. Sites like eBay and Craigslist have been doing this for years and the capitalist in me likes the idea of turning anything into a business but the sports fan in me likes to think about taking my family to the ballpark for < $100

What are your thoughts?

Move over MyYahoo make room for iGoogle

Let the branding wars continue.

In a move that proves that Apple does not exclusively own the prefix 'i', Google has officially renamed its personalized homepage service iGoogle. With Apple`s stranglehold on the `i` prefix finally broken by a major company like Google, will the floodgates now open? What's next iWindows, iSudoku, or how about a vacuum cleaner simply called iSuck?

If you've never played with Google's personalized home page, or iGoogle as it's now called, it allows you to create your own personal Google homepage by choosing “gadgets” to have instant access to information and other services that are of interest to you.

Personalization is nothing new, my.yahoo.com has been around for a while and I actually enjoyed it at first, but the email integration is flaky and unreliable and I felt like I was constantly re-authenticating myself even after a few minutes.

The new Google gadget templates include a photo gadget, a "GoogleGram" greeting card-style gadget, a YouTube video channel gadget and a Free Form gadget that can link text and images. A "Daily Me" gadget is similar to the increasingly popular Twitter, and will allow users to include daily quotes, brief descriptions of what they are doing at a certain time and other ideas that can be made available to all friends and family, Google said.

Google announced the rebranding of iGoogle and the new gadgets at the same time its executives detailed how the company plans to defend itself against Viacom's $1bn lawsuit against Google subsidiary YouTube. Google rejected claims that it enables copyright infringement on YouTube and noted that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act will be core to its defence.

You are such a Bilaterian

Ok, extreme geeky science content today so bear with me and try to follow along.

So, my son had a cold the other day and, as always, his nose was all stuffy. As he was standing there blowing his nose talking to me in the cutest little Muppet voice, I was thinking of how lucky we are to have a backup breathing airway.
For example, spiders don't have noses and breathe through trachae on the underside of their abdomen.

Which then got me to thinking about how biologically redundant we are, or at least that's what I thought. Two eyes, two ears, two arms, two cars, two kids, two mortgages, you get the idea.

Well, in my quest to discover exactly why we have all this redundancy I ran across a term I had never heard before. Bilateria

The Bilateria, having bilateral symmetry, are a subregnum (a major group) of animals, including the majority of phyla;

Interesting, the plot thickens. Obviously I'm no biologist but the article was interesting none the less and lead me to a few other fascinating things, such as the earliest known Bilaterian:

Vernanimalcula!

If I ever have a third child I'm definitely lobbying for that name. Imagine the teachers and announcers trying to pronounce that every day. "Playing out of Coral Gables, Florida, middle linebacker...Vernanimalcula."

Anyway, I digress. Finally, after exhausting my Wikipedia surfing , even I was starting to get bored and I thought, "hey isn't there a famous painting of some symmetrical dude?"

I am referring of course to the Vitruvian Man depicted above.

But to make it even more interesting did you know there's an actual science dedicated to the study of human measurements.

Anthropometry (Greek ανθρωπος, man, and μετρον, measure, literally meaning "measurement of humans"), in physical anthropology, refers to the measurement of living human individuals for the purposes of understanding human physical variation.

Today, anthropometry plays an important role in industrial design, clothing design, ergonomics, and architecture, where statistical data about the distribution of body dimensions in the population are used to optimize products.

However, changes in life styles, nutrition and ethnic composition of populations lead to changes in the distribution of body dimensions (e.g., the obesity epidemic), and require regular updating of anthropometric data collections.

Ok, that's all I have for you today, and if you read this far give yourself a Gold Star for your geekness.