Does the fun ever start ?

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Does the fun ever start ? Birthday (again)

This blog was created two years ago today. If you want to help me celebrate, go here and click the buttons to the left of my picture.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Can vegetarians eat Goldfish ?

Eric: Can vegetarians eat Goldfish ?
Kelly: haha!
Kelly: or is that a real question?
Kelly: :-)
Eric: I know vegans can't
Kelly: probably they can. You know, unless they are morally opposed to eating animal shaped food
Eric: Right, and that would be a weird rule to have.
Kelly: it seemed like a one liner joke
Eric: It was
Kelly: "No, I'm sorry, I can't eat animal crackers or Goldfish"
Kelly: "I'm a ______________" What would they be called?
Eric: Jackass
Kelly: hahah1!!!
Eric: Vegetearnium
Kelly: ooo, i like that!
Kelly: cross between vegetarian and terrarium
Eric: Exactly
Kelly: a vegeterrarium
Kelly: I'm gonna start telling people that. "Hi, my name is Kelly and I'm a vegeterrarium."
Eric: And wait for the question...
Kelly: when they say what is that, I can say "I don't eat anything shaped like an animal!"
Kelly: damn, we should be comedy writers for someone funny's show!
Eric: With your permission, the entire exchange is going on my blog.
Kelly: please do. We need to get the word out!

This is just a snippet of a chat between me and a colleague that happened today. It made me laugh.

Evolution of dance...

Inspirational Comedian Judson Laipply - The Evolution of Dance. You'll just have to watch it. For a comedian, this guy's a heck of a dancer (and mimic).

Saturday, May 06, 2006

50 Free MP3's

Start downloading your FREE MP3s today and take two weeks to decide if you like eMusic. If you're not 100% satisfied simply cancel before your trial period ends and you'll never pay a dime. Keep the 50 FREE MP3s as a gift just for checking out eMusic

Amy and I both joined emusic and downloaded a number of MP3's during our trial membership. She and I both decided to cancel our membership because there just weren't enough songs and artists that we were interested in. Try it out for yourself, and you'll at least get the 50 free songs. Actually, you aren't limited to 50 songs, be sure and look for free songs, which don't count toward the 50.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Teardrop Trailer Project

I just found Tom Swenson's Teardrop Trailer Project. He built a Teardrop style travel trailer using plans fron Kuffel Creek Press. He also mentioned an entire community support forum.

This really looks like a good way to turn some sweat and $2000 into an RV, which could be pulled behind almost any vehicle.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Apple - Get a Mac

These are pretty good. Check 'em out.Apple - Get a Mac - Watch The TV Ads

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Starlight Six Drive-In

Starlight Six Drive-In Day
Originally uploaded by anselpixel.

Here's something to look forward to. Atlanta has a drive-in theater, the Starlight Six!

Starlight is open 7 nights per week, 364 days a year!
Admission is $6 per person, with children under 10 free. Starlight accepts Cash Only- there is no credit or ATM available. You will need a working radio to hear the movies- the movie soundtrack is as good as your car stereo and you are in control of the volume!

Friday, April 28, 2006

Top-100 essential downloads of free software & freeware for Windows XP

This looks good. I saw some apps I hadn't seen before.

100-downloads.com | Top-100 essential downloads of free software & freeware for Windows XP: "Top-100 essential downloads of free software & freeware for Windows XP"

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Yahoo! Go - TV

This is a free Media Center for your PC. It supports all of the Yahoo properties especially Flickr & Launchcast. The interface is fantastic. Be sure and check it out...

Yahoo! Go - TV - Features: "Take back your TV

Now you can see all your Yahoo! stuff, such as photos, video clips and music videos, up on the big screen. Plus, your own DVR gives you the freedom to record and manage all your TV shows – no set-top boxes or monthly fees required.
Key Features of Yahoo! Go for TV

Photos
View photos from your Yahoo! Photos account or local hard drive.
View friends' and family's shared online albums.
View flicker photos from communities around the world.
Video search
Watch featured and most popular searched video content from Yahoo! on the big screen.
Find videos using Yahoo!’s industry-leading video search technology.
Movies
Watch the latest movie trailers.
Get movie info and Yahoo! recommendations and ratings.
Find listings for local theaters and show times.
Play DVD movies or video stored on your hard drive.
Music
Listen to LAUNCHcast® radio stations with all your preferences.
Watch music videos in stereo on your TV.
Listen to music stored on your local hard drive.
Play music CDs.
DVR (Digital Video Recorder)

Use your built-in DVR for recording and managing TV shows and movies.
Check integrated TV listings to find what you want to watch:
Browse by channel or time.
Customize guides to preferred channels.
Search for TV shows, movies, or sports.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Big Love: Margene's Blog

If you like Big Love, you might enjoy taking a look at Margene's Blog. She's the only character with a blog, but she does have more time to work on it. You can also check out the Episode Guide. They also have a podcast, but unfortunately, it's only available in iTunes and I use Doppler as my podcatching client of choice.

Polygamy Loves Company.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Interesting article rollup

Source: eHomeUpgrade

Source: wikiHow: How-to of the Day

Source: Read/WriteWeb

Rating the Meme Trackers - Memeorandum still tops, but Topix and TailRank up there too

Source: The Red Ferret Journal

Source: OSNews

Backups with Bacula

Source: Extremetech

Logging into Windows XP using RFID

Source: I, Cringely @ PBS.org

03/30/06: Prisoner of Redmond

Source: PC World's Techlog

ajaxWrite: Latest Browser-Based Word Processor

Source: Lost Remote

Source: Lifehacker

Source: Engadget

Source: The Gadgeteer

Source: Gadgetopia

Source: MAKE: Blog

Source: ReadyMade Blog

Source: Cool Tools

Source: Slashdot

Source: Mark's Sysinternals Blog

Running as Limited User - the Easy Way

Source: Official Google Blog

Google Reader learns to share

Source: The Furrygoat Experience

Terabyte File Server For $500

Source: Scobleizer - Microsoft Geek Blogger

Gada.be is favorite tool for watching event coverage

Quote of the day

"Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps."

Emo Phillips

Friday, April 21, 2006

It's San Jacinto Day...

Battle of San Jacinto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texas Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces. Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were killed or captured, while there were relatively few Texan casualties."

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

The Black Crowes Summer Tour

The Black Crowes announce major summer tour with special guests (Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Drive-By Truckers)

I guess we'll try to catch it in Atlanta in July...

Brothers of a Feather

Last night we went to the Cactus Cafe and saw the Robinson brothers. The show was awesome. The encore was a song called Loser which they've never played before. I think it might very well be the best gambling song I've ever heard.

Here's the setlist:
The CrowesBase: April 18, 2006: "
Soul Singing
Girl From The North Country
Welcome To The Goodtimes
My Heart's Killing Me
Answers
Like A Tumbleweed In Eden
Good Friday
Thorn In My Pride
Polly
Cold Boy Smile
Torn And Frayed
Miracle To Me
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
She Talks To Angels
Wiser Time
- encore -
Loser (First time played)

Sunday, April 16, 2006

JB and Sandy still can't park

You may remember that I mentioned JB & Sandy's inability to park last summer. Well, I've got some good news and some bad news:

The bad news is that they still can't park.
The good news is that they are only on the radio five hours a day (Last year, it was seven!)

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Official UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights Home Page

The other day, I heard of a document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so I came home and searched for it and found that it had been around for a long time and even set the Guinness World Record for Most Translated Document. It's interesting and I would urge you to take a look at it.

Official UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights Home Page: "Here you will find the most comprehensive collection of translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) (French) (Spanish) of 10 December 1948. Over 300 different language versions are available in HTML, PDF and graphical forms."

I can't drive 55...

I bought gas for my truck yesterday. Luckily, I got a three cent per gallon discount, so it was only $55. This is even worse than it was last August.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Loose Livestock

I've never seen any loose livestock, but I heard of a heifer once who was easy.

Easter and Bunnies don't mix

I used to work with a member of the House Rabbit Society who was very passionate about this. If you have children and are thinking about getting them rabbits for Easter, please click the above link before you do.

To the guy in the Corvette convertible...

I appreciate that you spent a great deal of money to try to look cool. I understand that what you are driving is the flagship of the Chevrolet brand. I just think you would look even cooler if you hadn't had your right blinker on for the past 27 miles!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is now Free!

When Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Enterprise Edition launched in September 2004, it sold for $999. Recently, Microsoft decided to give it away from Microsoft.com.

Discover the most cost-effective server virtualization technology engineered for the Windows Server System platform, now available as a free download. A key part of any server consolidation strategy, Virtual Server increases hardware utilization and enables organizations to rapidly configure and deploy new servers.

Sony paying big bucks for used Dells

Sony Trade-In "Go Pro 2" Program: "For a limited time, you can you can trade in your qualifying notebook and receive at least $300 cash back when you purchase a VAIO BX Series business notebook.

Purchase a BX Series computer and trade in any working notebook and receive a minimum $300 trade. Trade in a Dell and receive a minimum $500 trade."

Dell often sells the low-end Inspiron 1200 for $399 or $449. You could buy this notebook and then turn around and then trade it in and save $500 off a VAIO. That's crazy. I bought my working Dell notebook for $150 from www.used-pcs.com. This promotion is just Sony's way of proving that their prices are artificially high.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Lance Armstrong to drive Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car - Autoblog

Lance Armstrong to drive Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car - Autoblog: "Lance Armstrong to drive Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car"

Friday, March 31, 2006

Five Diesels from Europe that will out-eco a Prius - Autoblog

Five Diesels from Europe that will out-eco a Prius - Autoblog

Be sure and check out the Audi A2!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Make:Blog rollup

Here are the last few interesting articles from the past two months on the Make:Blog. If you're a nerd, you should subscribe to their RSS feed.

MAKE is a quarterly publication from O'Reilly for those who just can't stop tinkering, disassembling, re-creating, and inventing cool new uses for the technology in our lives. It's the first do-it-yourself magazine dedicated to the incorrigible and chronically incurable technology enthusiast in all of us. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Dan's cats

Tonight a friend of ours had us over for a dinner party. It was a magnificent meal with great friends and we loved everything. Dan has two very cool cats. The one above this text (both pictures) is named Sencha. Her sister, Pekoe, is shown below. Notice that Pekoe's front paws are pointing west and her back paws are pointing east.

Cabela's - $139,999.99 shotgun

Cabela's - $139,999.99 shotgun
Originally uploaded by eschulz.

This is a 12 gauge over/under shotgun with three barrel sets and a case. It was made by James Purdey & Sons. I assume it was a an antique. We saw it when we were at Cabela's new store in Buda.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Bob Schneider with Strings Attached

Bob Schneider with Will Taylor and Strings Attached

Last night, we went to St. David's Episcopal Church to see Will Taylor and Strings Attached. Their featured performer was Bob Schneider.

Before the show started, we preordered a CD of the concert we were attending. They had a portable CD duplication system that could make 14 CD's at a time. So, after the show, we went to the next room and stood in line for 15 minutes and Amy grabbed our copy of the CD. She then strolled over to Bob and told him that she's a fan and he autographed the CD. She was stoked.

If you don't know about Strings Attached, go check out their site.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Gene Simmons is working for who ?

I had no idea that Gene Simmons was pimping Indy. He even wrote a song called "i am INDY"

: "The Indy Racing League's partnership with Hollywood-based Simmons Abramson Marketing is highlighted by the 'i am INDY' campaign and signature song, co-authored by KISS founder Gene Simmons and BAG.

The effort is the first official theme song for a modern professional sport. With its growling affirmations and foot-stomping, 'We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions' sensibility, the 'i am INDY' song forges a resonant link between the drivers and the IndyCar Series fans."

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Looking for a house in Round Rock ?

This one looks like a deal...
Coldwell Banker United, Realtors - Property Detail

Going to the Apple Store

Amy's getting close to purchasing a notebook. We are going tonight to look at additional models that a friend suggested. She's definitely buying an Apple. Tonight, we will compare the 14" iBook and 12" Powerbooks (along with the other iBooks and Powerbooks).

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Cool Site: Lifehacker Volume 2

Here's some cool articles or posts that I've found on Lifehacker in the past couple of months. This site alway has great stuff. They describe their site this way:

Computers make us more productive. Yeah, right. Lifehacker recommends the downloads, web sites and shortcuts that actually save time. Don't live to geek; geek to live.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Another tree...

(taken with my Treo 600 smartphone)

Dynasty - A Survey

When you hear the word "dynasty", which of the following comes to mind?

Dynasty - A full size front-wheel drive sedan made by Dodge. It was the twin to the Chrysler New Yorker and was available from 1988 to 1993.
Dynasty - A studio album by the band KISS, released in 1979. It contained the hit "I was Made For Lovin' You".
Dynasty - An American primetime soap opera that aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989. The series revolved around the Carrington family.
Dynasty - A term used to refer to a team that dominates their sport for an extended period of time. The Chicago Bulls of the 1990's are an example (6 championships between 1991 and 1998)
Dynasty - A succession of rulers who are members of the same family for generations. The term is also used to refer to the period during which that family reigns.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Brothers of a feather

Yesterday, we ordered tickets for 'The Black Crowes & Brothers Of A Feather: An Acoustic Evening with Chris & Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes'. This is a very exclusive tour and it just kicked off Friday at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC. At Friday and Saturday's shows, they played for nearly three hours. It will be our first show at The Cactus Cafe.

We last saw The Black Crowes on March 8, 1999 at the Austin Music Hall. We also saw (and met) Chris with New Earth Mud at the The Mercury in Austin on November 22, 2002.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Bra Tree produces fruit (close-up)

We came home today and found that the tree in our front yard, had a bra in it. It's size ? 34A - Padded. If I had a dollar for every time I've seen a bra in this tree...

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Today is Origami announcement day

Today is the day and there is much info already available. The only availability information I've seen is "soon". The vendor websites (Sanyo and Asus) don't yet have info or press releases.

Here are the Hardware Specifications

Approximately 7” diagonal display (or smaller)
Minimum 800 x 480 resolution
Approximately 2 pounds
Integrated touch panel
WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 OS

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The Simpsons

In case you haven't seen this, it's the intro to the Simpsons using real actors and scenery. They did an outstanding job.

Monday, March 06, 2006

IX Paralympic Winter Games 10-19 March 2006

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 7, at 12, the Opening ceremony of the Paralympic Village of Sestriere will take place.

The President of COMPARTO Tiziana Nasi, the director general Dario Fabbro, the mayor of the Village Ivo Ferriani (competition manager for bobsleigh, skeleton and sledge at the Olympic Winter Games Torino 2006) and the two vice-mayors, Piero Gros and the multi medalled Paralympic cycling and athletics champion Claudio Costa will take part.

On Saturday, March 4, the two Paralympic villages of Torino and Sestriere opened their doors to athletes: in Torino there will be 300 people (athletes, technicians and accompaniers) while in Sestriere the guests will be about 1.000.

To have access to the ceremony it is necessary to be accredited for the Paralympic Winter Games."

No, thanks

I was at the dollar store and noticed that this was the only candy that NONE of the kids in front of me asked their parents for. Who would have known that people (including children) don't want to eat something that looks like a rat ? I bet the company's marketing department is still scratching their heads over that one.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Spiral

More Origami stuff

The official site says that we'll find out about Origami on March 9, 2006. I think this date only represents the announcement of the platform, followed by press releases from the various vendors about when actual products will be available. I expect that none of these devices will be available before September 2006.

Somebody unearthed the video below. It appears to be a commercial for the new Origami platform. It seems consistent with the vision and it's clearly too well produced to be a hoax.

Enjoy the video.

Microsoft Origami speculation

There's a great deal of speculation on the net about Microsoft's Origami project. I'll jump onboard the speculation train.

Features we need:

Price $500 - $1000 - At the lower end of this price scale, it's a great deal. It's going to be difficult to justify a purchase like this for more than $650
USB 2.0 Host - This is an absolute requirement. What this means is that I can plug any USB device into it (including hubs to provide more ports, digital cameras, digital media players, USB drives (hard, optical, removable or flash), keyboards and mice, printers and all other USB devices with Windows XP drivers.
Hard drive - This is an absolute requirement. Capacity should be 20GB-30GB at the lowest price point.
OS - Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Synchronization Software - ActiveSync
Wireless - 802.11G (nice to have), 802.11b (necessary), Bluetooth (necessary) and IR (no added value for 99% of users).
Ports - Serial (at least one), Parallel (not needed), USB (at least two), Video Output (VGA and some kind of consumer video output), Audio Out, and Microphone In.
Optical Drive - External only. Make it optional. Because of this requirement, It should be able to easily get the OS reinstalled, either by having it available in a safe partition on the hard drive or by having the OS embedded in ROM.
Memory card slots - Leave them out entirely. With USB host, I can either hook up my camera directly or carry a small flash card reader.
Microphone - Absolute requirement

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Not subdued

the subdudes - Austin, TX - 2006-03-03
Originally uploaded by eschulz.

Last night, I went to see the subdudes with Jason, Matthew & Al. It was the third time I've seen the band and we had a great time. If you haven't heard of them, you can download several of their songs for free at their subdudes.com.

I was hoping that Amy would be able to go, but she had to fly to Alabama for a family emergency. I did get her a cool t-shirt at the show. Be sure and keep that info under your hat.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Softick Card Export II for Palm OS

Softick Card Export - Evaluation
Originally uploaded by eschulz.

A couple of days ago, I downloaded and installed Softick Card Export II for Palm OS for my Treo 600. My SD card reader has seemed shaky over the last few days. That's how I transfer podcasts to the Treo so that was a problem.

Once Card Export II is installed, just run it and Windows 2000 and XP will recognize it as a storage device (just like a USB flash drive). From there, it's a simple matter to copy files over. The app is also available for Windows Mobile.

This is the evaluation version and is good for 30 days, I will be purchasing it in a couple of weeks. At $14.95, it's a bargain.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

LED Throwies

I'm gonna have to make some of these. I just can't think of a reason not to.

LED Throwies are an inexpensive way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. A Throwie consists of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials."

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Longhorns:80 Jayhawks: 55

Tonight we went to the Erwin Center (as did ESPN's College Gameday). We saw the Longhorns stampede the Kansas Jayhawks by 25 points. We outscored them by 9 in the first half and 16 points in the second half. There were quite a few Kansas fans, but they weren't as vocal during the second half and most of them left before the end.

AJ Abrams of Round Rock scored 12 points and was just fantastic, but we may be partial. He went to McNeil High School and is still the all-time leading scorer at McNeil. He's a freshman and tonight, the Kansas coach said "...we didn't count on him coming in and getting 12."

The cheerleaders even put on a great show.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Democracy - Internet TV Platform

Democracy - Internet TV Platform - Free and Open Source: I just downloaded Democracy for Windows XP (also available for the Mac). It's very cool.

Download and watch all the best internet TV shows and videos in one powerful application. New channels arrive daily in the built-in Channel Guide.

Stop squinting at tedious web videos-- sit back and watch big, high resolution videos one after another. It's so easy to use that you'll be watching interesting videos in moments.

Features: subscribe to video RSS feeds (including podcasts, video blogs, and BitTorrent feeds), watch fullscreen, share with friends."

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Delta Park Project

I just called Jason and Anna from the Delta Park Project and left some comments on their voice mail line. This is what I said. Actually, this is what I meant to say...

I'm calling to play the Amelie game...

Starting with dislikes:
I dislike the Olympics.
I dislike when someone asks, "What's your social?"
I dislike receiving joke emails 'cause only about 2% of 'em are actually funny.
Now for my likes:
I like it when a restaurant accidentally brings me regular soda when I've ordered diet soda because I still get credit for trying to be healthy.
I like receiving magazines and catalogs in the mail.
I like the overinflated sense of importance that I've developed since becoming a blogger.

Last "Girls Night Out".

I normally don't like 'funny' emails. Usually, they aren't 'funny' and they just fill up your inbox. This one was clearly an exception.

The other night I was invited out for a night with "the girls." I told my husband that I would be home by midnight, "I promise!" Well, the hours passed and the margaritas went down way too easy. Around 3 a.m., a bit loaded, I headed for home. Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up and cuckooed 3 times.

Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution, in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when totally smashed...3 cuckoos plus 9
cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos = MIDNIGHT!)

The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, and I told him "Midnight". He didn't seem upset at all. Whew! Got away with that one! Then he said, "We need a new cuckoo clock."

When I asked him why?, he said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, "Oh. shit.", cuckooed 4 more times, cleared it's throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the coffee table and farted."

Original video content

I have now posted my first original video to the blog. Expect video content in the future, when it's appropriate to supplement the pictures and text.

You can always see what I have listed on Google Video with this link.

Treo 600 Keyboard Demonstration Video

This is a demonstration of my new Treo 600 Keyboard. I recieved it about a week ago from TreoCentral. It was reduced to $14.95. They also have one for the Treo 650, but it is considerably more expensive. The workmanship is very impressive and it works great.

Original video content by Eric R. Schulz, directly uploaded to Google Video. Originally shot on Canon SD-450.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Cranberry Relish or Bust!

Please welcome Heidi Mac to the blogosphere. She happens to be one of our best friends and frequent posters might recognize her as the wife of Big Mac. Cranberry Relish or Bust! is the name of her new creative outlet.

Release Notes for Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview

If you've installed Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2, you're probably looking for Release Notes for Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview. This is where you can find bugs, workarounds as well as the info I needed (how to uninstall and go back to IE6).

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Dick-less

When I was researching the last story, I found that our Vice-President wasn't born a "Dick". His name is actually "Richard B. Cheney", which means that he chose to be a "Dick".

I hope I don't...

I hope I never find myself drinking in an Austin Bar with a distinguished lawyer in his 80's. This is the conversation that I'm afraid of having:

Eric: Did I ever tell you about the time I met the governor of Texas ? My dad and I were at the state Capitol and we saw a limo parked outside. I was about 7-8 and my dad talked to the limo driver and found out that he was waiting for then Governor Preston Smith. My dad asked the limo driver if he would take a picture of us with the Governor. He did. It was great and we still have the picture.

Harry Whittington: The Vice-President shot me in the face.

That's a conversation stopper. How do you top that?

Taxes are done!!

We have completed our income taxes already (a full two months in advance). Our taxes were pretty complicated this year, so we hired H&R Block and they did a great job. It was fairly expensive, but not at all stressful. Yea for us.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Jaime's Spanish Village

I've been wanting to eat at Jaime's Spanish Village for years. It's been at 802 Red River for 75 years.

Saturday, we went there with some friends and had an awesome time. The food and service were great and the atmosphere was completely unique. I'm ready to go back anytime. If you're in Austin, go ahead and try it!

Rollergirls...

Last night, we went to the Crocket Center to see the Rhinestone Cowgirls battle the Hellcats. Both teams are part of the TXRD - Lonestar Rollergirls and are featured on the A&E show, Rollergirls.

We went with a group of Amy's coworkers to see Ruby Sioux, who they work with. She did a great job, but her team, the Hellcats just couldn't hang on to their lead. The Rhinestone Cowgirls won.

We'll probably go back, it was a lot of fun.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

I can't hear "Torino" without picturing one of these.

Anaheim SoCal Galaxies 002
Originally uploaded by Morven.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Technoblogic.com - the source for technology news

Technoblogic.com - the source for technology news-One of my new favorite sites.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Tonight at Antone's

Tonight, Amy and I are going to Antone's to check out Bob Schneider's Texas Bluegrass Massacre. The project is barely mentioned on Bob's website. I was able to find the following blurb on ThisIsTexasMusic.Com:

... this year he formed Texas Bluegrass Massacre. With weekly summer gigs at Threadgill's and occasional forays beyond Austin, it remains a work in progress. But it's a fun project to watch, featuring a talented lineup with longtime collaborators Bruce Hughes on bass and Dave Robinson on drums, as well as Jeff Plankenhorn on dobro, Heather Woodruff on fiddle, Warren Hood on fiddle and mandolin, and Oliver Steck on accordion and trumpet.

Nacho Libre - Starring Jack Black

Nacho Libre Movie - Starring Jack Black - Directed by Jared Hess - Official Site: "Jack Black stars as Ignacio (friends call him Nacho), a Mexican priest who moonlights as a lucha libre wrestler to raise money for his orphanage in this comedy from the creators of 'Napoleon Dynamite' and the writer and star of 'The School of Rock.'"

This will be in theaters on June 2nd. I thought it was a joke, but I watched the trailer and it's real. Check out the trailer and see if you have any interest.

Round Rock ranked 8th safest city in U.S.

The City of Round Rock ranked the 8th safest city in the United States, according to a survey of crime rate statistics by Morgan Quitno Press. No other Texas city ranked in the top 25. The survey used crime data reported to the FBI by cities with a population of 75,000 and more.

The survey used rates for murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft for its rankings. All cities of 75,000 population or more that reported data to the FBI in 2004 for the six categories of crime measured for the survey were included.

“This report confirms what we already know – our investment in public safety and the professionalism and skill of our police officers have created a great place to live, raise a family and operate a business,” Mayor Nyle Maxwell said. “I can’t say enough good things about the excellent job our police department does to keep Round Rock safe.”"

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Super Bowl XL Commercials

Super Bowl XL Commercials on Google Video: "Super Bowl XL Commercials"

Google Video has every Super Bowl commercial on their site, or you can watch all of them back-to-back. We watched a few minutes behind realtime using the DVR. That means we flew by most of the commercials and only stopped at the ones that looked interesting.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Congratulations, Warren Moon...

Warren Moon was the quarterback for most of the years I rooted for the Houston Oilers. He was always exciting to watch. I'm pleased to see him honored and become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Another Texas quarterback made it this year as well. Former Dallas Cowboy, Troy Aikman was also honored.

The Grim Reaper

Here are some pictures that I took last night in front of The Tilted Kilt in Round Rock. It appears to me to be the Grim Reaper's chopper.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Welcome to Texas!

Our friend (and yours), Eber is arriving today to spend a long weekend with us. It should prove to be a hoot and a half.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Available

Internet Explorer 7: Beta 2 is available for testing on Windows XP. I'm currently installing it. I had to first validate that I have a legitimate copy of Windows XP. It also recommended installing the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (I assume it leaves XP intact :).

This preview is for hobbyists and professionals only. Less technically capable users should never ever run beta software.

"Evaluation of Internet Explorer 7 should start now, but the software should not be used on production systems in mission-critical environments. Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview will only run on Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) systems, but will ultimately be available for Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003."

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Herding Cats

Monday, January 30, 2006

SSIK & KISS

In August of 2000, BigMac and I went to see KISS at The Frank Erwin Center. It was the fourth time I'd seen them and it was the fourth time BigMac had seen them. The show was awesome and afterward, we went to Stubb's BBQ to see SSIK. SSIK is the loudest, most obnoxious KISS cover band I've ever seen. They play obscure early KISS tunes and they are fantastic. We keep hoping that we get another chance to see them.

By the way, it was 32 years ago today that KISS played their first gig at the Coventry in Queens, NY.

Fortune Cookie

Saturday, I met some friends at China Wall. My fortune cookie said "You will be selected for a promotion because of your accomplishments".

It's about time.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Our little church

For the next month, St George's Episcopal Church will be the featured parish website on the Episcopal Church website. This is the national church, so it's a real honor (there are 7500 Episcopal Churches in the US). Our website was designed by Bazzirk, Inc.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Four Wheel Drive Camper Van

I took this a couple of weeks ago at Springhill Restaurant in Pflugerville. I think it may be a Sportsmobile conversion.

Luby's is hiring...

I went to Luby's yesterday for lunch and noticed that they are looking for a part-time office asstainst with flexible hours. I wasn't looking for a job, but the flexible hours do sound nice. I've never seen an asstainst position before that wasn't full-time. If you're interested, please check with the Luby's at 13817 U.S. Highway 183 North in Austin.

Texas State Capital

I shot this picture from my truck, while waiting for the signal to change. I took it with my Treo 600.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Deal - 19" Dell LCD

This is the deal I've been waiting for. $261.75 for the monitor with free shipping. This monitor normally sells for $349 and shipping is $19, so this was an easy way to save $100. At the Dell Outlet, this same monitor sells for $319. I should recieve it in about a week.

Product Highlights
Sharp and brilliant images of text and graphics with a maximum resolution up to 1280x1024 pixels
8 ms response time improves image quality in high motion applications reducing ghosting, jagged edges enabling crisp, clear images
Contrast ratio of 500:1 delivers high color accuracy and color uniformity
Built-in power and cable management feature helps to keep desk clutter-free
Viewing angle can be tilted 4° forward and 21° backwards for viewing comfort
Includes a 3-Year Warranty
Dell-branded monitors undergo exhaustive testing for performance, reliability, durability and compatibility with Dell™ systems
Supported by Dell™ Technical Support when used with a Dell™ system

Monday, January 23, 2006

The Subdudes new album is here.,,

The subdudes will release their sixth studio CD on Jan. 24, 2006! The album, 'Behind the Levee' will be the second release for the 'dudes on the Back Porch label.

More importantly, they will be at The Glenn at the Backyard on March 3, 2006. It's been a few years since I've seen them (and Amy's never seen them). If you're interested in seeing a great live band, call us and we'll try to get a group together.

FreeNAS: The Free NAS Server

FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS protocols, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 16MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.

This looks like NASLITE which I discussed a long time ago and ran for about a year. This one's free (obviously) and offers many more options. It looks like it's worth checking out.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Thanks for the upgrade, Kirk !

For Christmas, my brother-in-law and his family gave me $25 to use to upgrade my Flickr account to the Pro level. This should give me some options I haven't had before, and should be good for the blog.

Now you can listen to My Station

The does the fun ever start ? Radio Show ! is available for your listening pleasure. You can check out a a description of the station. Here are the last twenty songs I heard:

Fleetwood Mac: Landslide
Wilco: Forget The Flowers
Soundgarden: Outshined
Van Halen: Right Now
Pink Floyd: Mother
Lucinda Williams: Drunken Angel
Dave Matthews Band: Ants Marching
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Honey Bee
Red Hot Chili Peppers: My Friends
Molly Hatchet: Fall Of The Peacemakers
Dionne Farris: I Know
Cinderella: Somebody Save Me
Matchbox Twenty: 3 AM
Dido: Here With Me
Beastie Boys: An Open Letter To NYC (Instrumental)
Ian Moore: Lie
Little Feat: Fat Man In The Bathtub
Grand Funk Railroad: The Loco-Motion
Adam Sandler: The Buffoon And The Valedictorian
Pantera: ________ Hostile

Saturday, January 21, 2006

The Top Ten College Pranks of All Time

The Top Ten College Pranks of All Time:

The staff at the Museum of Hoaxes studied hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of the genre of the college prank to find the ten most worthy of immortal fame. The pranks were judged according to three criteria: creativity, fame, and shock value.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Top 50 Inventions in the past half-century

Popular Mechanics: Top 50 inventions

In the past half-century, scientific and technological advances have transformed our world. PM convened a panel of 25 experts to identify innovations that have made the biggest impact, from the hospital to outer space to the kitchen. Here, then, are the breakthroughs of our time.

Commemorative National Championship Coca-Cola Cans

We bought these at Wal-Mart in Round Rock on Tuesday.

Open-Air Sports Cars

There seems to be a trend to create high-performance sports cars that leave you in the wind. These are created by small companies. A couple are trikes and one is an actual four wheeler. The performance is phenomenal because they are so light.

T-Rex

Ariel Atom 2

I can't find any evidence that any of them are currently sold in the US, although the T-Rex does have a dealer network here.

Free VMware Player & ReactOS

Free VMWare Player and ReactOS v0.2.9 Machine

A couple of days ago, I downloaded VMware Player. I have installed some Virtual Machines, including Linux and ReactOS 0.2.9. This is the way to try out ReactOS. There's no need to burn a CD, then reboot the PC. Just launch the Player, then choose the VMX file (or just double-click on the VMX file) amd you've booted to that OS in a virtual machine on your PC. The machine is only able to access those devices that you want it to.

Run virtual machines created by VMware Workstation, GSX Server or ESX Server. VMware Player also supports Microsoft virtual machines and Symantec LiveState Recovery disk formats.Easily and safely evaluate pre-built application environments, beta software, or other software that is distributed in virtual machines, without any installation or configuration hassles. Share a virtual machine with a colleague or friend."

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Best blonde joke ever!

I normally don't like these, but this one is clearly the best of the genre.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Cool Homemade Hovercraft

As seen on Break.com

Friday, January 13, 2006

Friday the 13th

If you're superstitious, you might want to stay home today.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Salad on the wrong day

I am currently working from noon to 9pm, so I generally eat lunch and dinner a little early. Yesterday, I got to Baja Fresh at 11:01 and was the 8th person in line. I thought it was odd that there were so many people eating there so early. Two people in front of me asked for burritos and the cashier had to ask which of the five burritos they wanted. I wondered why they hadn't gone over the menu while they had been standing in line, but I chalked it up to people being inconsiderate and was going to blog about how inconsiderate people can be.

I ordered a salad and went to get a drink and then sat down. I surfed the Internet on my Treo for a couple of minutes and they called my name. I noticed when I went to get my food that the dining room was filling up, but I really didn't think much about it. I continued to look at my phone while eating. I finished up about 11:20 and looked up and the restaurant was full. I got up and cleared my table off to let someone else sit down and headed outside. There was a line out the door with 30 people standing outside. I was wondering why there were so many people there.

As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I looked over the door and there was a big sign that said "Free Burrito Day - January 11, 2006"

Monday, January 09, 2006

Rose Bowl paraphernalia

This weekend (like every other Austinite) we went and bought National Championship shirts (and a hat) at Academy.

The big question: Is Vince going to be a Texan now?

Post Number 500

It's taken 602 days to reach 500 posts and 5000 users. Those are two important milestones. Thanks for your help.

In related news, I have now changed the counter to reflect page hits (rather than unique users) as it's a more realistic number.

Broke the template again

I somehow messed up the blogger template and now I think it's ugly. The advantage to this layout is that it shows more of the content (now that there's less content). This weekend, I bought a book about Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and hope to do a redesign in the next couple of weeks. This will actually be the first redesign. Until now, I've been stuck with using preconfigured Blogger templates. That is too limiting.

I'm not a very good designer, but my homepage looks the way I want it to. It looks that way, because it's been refined over the past ten years. It reflects the vision I want reflected. That has never been the case with my blog. Soon, I hope to change that.

Big Movie Weekend

We went to see three movies this weekened:

Thursday, January 05, 2006

PortableApps.com

PortableApps.com | Your Digital Life, Anywhere™: "A portable app is a computer program that you can carry around with you on a portable device and use on any Windows computer. When your USB thumbdrive, portable hard drive, iPod or other portable device is plugged in, you have access to your software and personal data just as you would on your own PC. And when you unplug, none of your personal data is left behind."

Trojans get surprised...

The University of Texas Longhorns shocked the Trojans and beat 'em at their (virtual) home field and became the National Champions. Here's a couple of quotes from USC that show the difference between being gracious and not.

Pete Carroll: "It's been wonderful doing what we've been doing, it's too bad it had to end. We just couldn't get it done."
Matt Leinert: "I still think we're a better football team, they just made the plays in the end."

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Williams Tower - Houston TX

This is a shot of the Williams Tower (formerly Transco Tower). I took this on New Year's day from a neighborhood across the 610 Loop from the Tower. Once again, the night snapshot mode of my SD450 gives me a nice photo, where my A10 would have given me a black (or mostly black) image.