Understanding lyrics...

Before you cover a song, be sure that you understand the words. I hate it when someone records a song and clearly don't 'get it'.

Example1: Turn the Page by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band from the album "Back in '72"

Original Lyric:

Most times you can't hear 'em talk
Other times you can
All the same old clichés
Is that a woman or a man ?
And you always seem outnumbered
You don't dare make a stand

Covered by Metallica on the GARAGE INC.

Most times you can't hear 'em talk
Other times you can
Oh, the same old clichés
Is it woman, is it man ?
And you always seem outnumbered
You don't dare make a stand

Notice it ? The change is subtle. "Is that a woman or a man ?" is a cliche. Every guy who had long hair in the seventies heard that sentence directed at them. "Is it woman ? Is it man ?" is just a stupid line that doesn't fit the lyric.

Interesting Article Rollup

Google Operating System

• Play And Convert Any Multimedia File

Jeremy Zawodny's blog

• The Diet Plan and The Three Habits

Instructables:

• How to Take Good Pictures of Buildings
• Automotive fuel hack
• Compact Home Bar
• DRILLING AND SANDPAPER MACHINE

MAKE: Blog

• Supa-Cheap LEDs
• Free plans for "One sheet boats"
• LED MEGA-Light
• Home-built recumbent tricycle
• Sonic Impact Eclipse Mint tin amp
• Homemade quadrifilar helicoidal antenna - (get your own weather images!)
• $200 Machine shop

Lifehacker..

• Access your home PC with a thumb drive
• How to win a prize at the claw machine
• Feed your family of 4 for $45 a week
• Geek to Live: Carry your life on a thumb drive (or iPod)

Read/WriteWeb

• Mini apps - Bitty Browser and Wampad

The Red Ferret Journal

• I want a Firefox Extension to…
• Airhitch.

Our friend, Jeff

IMG_4763
Originally uploaded by Rayisawake.

I couldn't really think of anything to say...

Deckplans.com

Deckplans.com - Deck plans for pool and custom decks: "Welcome! If you are purchasing decks, building a deck, or looking for ideas to add value and enjoyment to your backyard experience, our Deck Plans site can help. We take great pride in listening to our customers and have created this site to address your needs. Don't miss our Plans section where we have free Architectural Deck Plans to aid you in adding a deck to your home."

Hillbilly Housewife

Hillbilly Housewife: "The focus here is on low-cost, home-cooking from scratch. The recipes are all tested in a real kitchen with hungry children, stalking cats, begging puppies and a playful husband underfoot. The ingredients are affordable and readily available in most areas."

Lots of good stuff here.

06-06-06 06:06:06

For those of you that are frightened about what today may bring because of the religious connection: Keep in mind that 616 may be the Number of the Beast.

"Centre" of the Universe

IMG_4767
Originally uploaded by Rayisawake.

A friend of ours took this picture last night in Centre, Alabama. Please click on the picture to see his Flickr site. This picture is one of a series of ten taken of this wonderful sunset.

Republic of Texas Biker Rally

The Republic of Texas Biker Rally is in full swing. This weekend, the streets, freeways and parking lots in Central Texas are full of cool bikes like these. This is the twelfth annual event and 200,000 bikers were expected.

North By Northwest

NXNW
Originally uploaded by eschulz.

Last night, we went with a large group to one of our favorite restaurants in Austin, NXNW. It is definitely my favorite microbrewery. I had their seasonal brew, which was called the Cézanne 500. It was described as a hoppy hefeweizen. It was a hefeweizen, but it was not hoppy. It was the best beer I've had in years. Amy tried it and loved it (and she's not really a beer drinker). I'm guessing on the spelling of the name and the 500 indicates that it is from their 500th barrel.

NXNW is one of the places we'll miss most in Austin.

Obscenities....

Eric:
Charles: ?????????????????????????????????????
Eric: SAME TO YOU!
Charles: you sent me a blank one first.
Eric: But that was before you let loose with the Obscenities
Charles: I love that you capitalize "obscenities" as if it's a proper noun, or major crime.
Eric: I think it would make a good band name. I think that will be the name of my next band.
Charles: the line about a proper name, or major crime would also be a good line about a band.
Eric: The new album "Proper Noun or Major Crime" from the hot new band. "Obscenities"

Freeware for Palm phone and PDA's

This is a new site for Palm freeware. The search is very good and I've downloaded several apps from them.

Freeware for Palm phone and pda, PalmOS free downloads.: "Welcome to the largest Palm freeware downloads archive. More than 8,300 free software titles for your Palm OS powered Thungsten, LifeDrive or Treo phone."

Dodge Coronet 440 (Maybe 1966)

I took this picture this morning in the Travis Heights neighborhood in Austin. It's always been one of my favorite Dodges.

When I was in college, my two roommates and I worked at Sears in Huntsville, TX. Ron and Randy were (usually) the appliance delivery guys. I worked all over the store. This was during the early 80's.

Randy was looking for a car to buy (he didn't have one) and Ron and I were both Chrysler fanatics. Ron and I were working in the tire center one day and a Dodge Coronet 440 drove by and he and I took off running after the car. We finally caught up to it and asked if he wanted to sell it. He did. We got his name and number and gave it to Randy and told him that HE ABSOLUTELY HAD TO BUY THIS CAR. I'm not sure if he ever called, but since he didn't really have any money, he wasn't able to buy.

Ron and I were disappointed, because we knew that we'd probably have been allowed to drive it. We were even more disappointed when we realized we'd have to continue to chauffeur Randy around for the foreseeable future.

TripHub

TripHub is a web application which makes it easy to plan family vacations and any travel that groups of people might take. Amy's family has taken some large family vacations in the past and this might have streamlined the process. The following info is from their site.

Have you ever been the organizer for a reunion, wedding, get-away with friends, retreat, or any other group trip or event? If you have, then you are familiar with the challenges (headaches!) involved in keeping track of who’s coming, making group decisions, and coordinating plans.

Today, TripHub makes it easy to:

• Invite people to join your trip and keep track of who is coming
• Research and discuss hotel options in over 350 cities
• Share travel itineraries from any source or supplier
• Send e-mails to some or all members of the group
• Track who owes money

Pandora

I just registered for the free version of Pandora, a music streaming service. It doesn't require a standalone player. It uses Flash and plays in a browser, so it's a cross-platform solution (Windows, Mac, Linux). I heard about it on the Inside the Net podcast #6.

All of the other streaming stations base what they play on songs that you've rated. If you've rated a particular song. they look at other users who like that song and recommend songs that those people like. Pandora is a completely different service. It grew out of The Music Genome Project. They have 40 musicians who listen to music critically, and map hundreds of characteristics of each song. It then suggests other songs that are characteristically similar to the song that you give it to start.

Once music is playing, you can click on the album cover to get the menu shown here.

"Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you find and enjoy music that you'll love. It's powered by the Music Genome Project, the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken. Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the music universe."

Dell Diamond Panorama

Baseball
Originally uploaded by mzhummina.

The Dell Diamond is located in Round Rock, TX. It is the home of the Round Rock Express. This is a great panaromic image of the park I found. It was taken by Tara Hacker. Be sure and check out a larger version on Flickr.com.

My Linguistic Profile

Your Linguistic Profile::

75% General American English

20% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

0% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I was proud of my results, until I noticed that my linguistic profile only adds up to 95%. Not sure about the other 5%. I've seen others get the same 95%, so it might be a bug...

Coinstar - Free Coin Counting

visiting the coinstar
Originally uploaded by xzasporated.

I have used the big Coinstar machines several times in the past to generate folding money from a huge jar of change. Hasn't everyone? The percentage they take has always been significant, even exorbitant. I think when it started, it was about 7%. I think it's higher than that now.

However, Coinstar now offers free coin counting, if you are willing to settle for gift cards or eCertificates instead of cash.

They offer the following vendor's gift cards and eCertificates.

• Amazon.Com
• Virgin Digital
• Borders
• Linens'n Things
• iTunes Music Card
• Starbucks
• Pier 1 Imports
• Hollywood Video
  

This is not available at every Coinstar machine, but you can use their Advanced Machine Locator to find the ones that offer these extra services. If you're here in Round Rock, it looks like all the Albertson's have them.

You can also use Coinstar to donate to charity using the Coins That Count Donation Program.

You have to respect a company that can take such a mundane service and make it compelling.

Clifford Antone 1949-2006

clifford antone and kenny vaughan
Originally uploaded by charlois.

KGSR is playing nothing but the blues this morning. Yesterday, Clifford Antone died of an apparent heart attack. For those of you don't know who Clifford Antone was, he founded Antone's, the greatest blues club of our time.

Story links: Houston Chronicle Story, News 8 Austin

From the Antone's Night Club Myspace About Page: Antone's, the first club on 6th street, opened its doors in the summer of 1975 with the great Clifton Chenier. The venue, now located at the corner of 5th and Lavaca Street, was founded by legendary promoter Clifford Antone and has hosted such blues "greats" as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton and countless others. Antone's has helped launch the careers of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los Lonely Boys, Ian Moore, and Bob Schneider to name a few. Antone's stage has been graced by everyone from Bono & The Edge, to Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, to Eric Clapton, to Dwight Yoakam to Bruce Willis. The venue has won countless awards including numerous Austin Music Awards, as well as being named nightclub of the year by USA Today and the W.C. Handy Awards. The venue is all ages all the time and offers an unforgettable live music experience for everyone.

People are leaving comments at the Myspace page.

The DVD for Antone's - Home of the Blues will be out in a couple of weeks. Here's a quote from their page:

Some of the biggest blues legends in the business have stepped onto the stage at Antone's in Austin, Texas. This documentary takes a look at the history of the club.

You can also read about my favorite Antone's music experience.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

In 1969 the US Senate had a hearing on funding the newly developed Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The proposed endowment was $20 million, but President Nixon wanted it cut in half because of the spending going on in the Vietnam War. This is an video clip of the exchange between Mr. Rogers and Senator Pastore, head of the hearing. Senator Pastore starts out very abrasive and by the time Mr. Rogers is done talking, Senator Pastore's inner child has heard Mr. Rogers and agreed with him. Enjoy.

Wish her luck!

My wife is flying to Atlanta tomorrow for a job interview on Wednesday. Please leave a letter of encouragement as a comment to this entry (or email her). Thanks!

Cork'd

"Cork’d is a free service for wine aficionados. You can use Cork’d to catalog, rate and review wines you’ve tasted. You can also keep track of wines you’d like to try and buy as well as subscribe to what your buddies have reviewed. It’s a new way to discover and share wine — and we think it’s perfect for people like you."

The Oasis at Medina Lake

.
Friday, we went to a wedding at The Oasis at Medina Lake. This shot was actually taken from my chair at the wedding. It was hot and the wedding was too early, but it was a beautiful site.

Leaf

This picture is a wonderful example of what you can do with a 5 Megapixel camera. This picture was originally taken with my Canon SD450. The resolution of that image is 2592 x 1944. The picture was bad, it was very out of focus (except for the leaf). I cut out the worst parts of the image and concentrated on the leaf. Now the picture is 608 x 703 pixels and it still has enough detail to be interesting.

Ultimate Cage Match

Yesterday, Amy and I went to Petco in Round Rock and saw these kittens. Amy picked up the two that are fighting in this clip. She handed me the black one and it relaxed in my hands. Amy kept the white one and it climbed all over her and scratched her 5-6 times. If we didn't already have our limit on cats, ...

FJ Cruiser

Yesterday, I saw one of the first Toyota FJ Cruisers in Round Rock. It's a unique looking vehicle, and I was interested since the review in the April 2006 issue of Car and Driver. Here are a couple of pictures of it. Just below the pictures is a quote from Toyota.com.

Toyota.com : Vehicles : FJ Cruiser: "The all-new FJ Cruiser is the latest in a long line of celebrated off-road vehicles from Toyota. And in the tradition of the legendary Land Cruiser family, the FJ Cruiser is not only engineered to conquer anything Mother Nature has to offer, but keep coming back for more."

Spoetzl Brewery

Shiner, TX is the home of Spoetzl Brewery.
Spoetzl Brewery is the home of Shiner Beer.

Tilted Kilt - Round Rock

Tilted Kilt - Round Rock
Originally uploaded by eschulz.

• Hot Girls
• Great Food
• Cheap Beer
• Every Day
• Daily Lunch Specials

Unfettered access to fortune cookies

Today, I ate at Panda Express where one is granted unfettered access to fortune cookies. I got three and they are (in no particular order):

Keep your expectations reasonable (I'll try)

You have an ability for accomplishment (obviously)

Your charm is quite irresistable (according to the ladies...)

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.

Recent DIY articles

Instructables:

• light up any bottle
• ClosetMaid Hacking: Make A Monitor Stand, Paper Tray, Magazine Holder, DVD Rack from wire shelving

Make: Blog

• HOW TO - Make a five-cent wedding band
• Kit car and hand built vehicle blog
• Make your own backpacking gear
• Rammed earth construction
• Home bar project

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).

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.

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.

Apple - Get a Mac

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

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!

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"

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.

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.

Interesting article rollup

Source: eHomeUpgrade

• Boot Windows from a USB Drive
• Strip Out Commercials and Convert MCE Recorded TV to WMV or MPG with DVRMS Toolbox
• TabletKiosk's eo v7110 UMPC Hits the Market
• First Person Shooter in Your Web Browser

Source: wikiHow: How-to of the Day

• How to Safely Get Rid of an Old Computer
• How to Adopt a Baby from China
• How to Make Cat Jungle Gyms and Playgrounds

Source: Read/WriteWeb

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

Source: The Red Ferret Journal

• StoreGrid.
• Free games.
• Attensa online RSS reader.

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

• How to download clips from video sites
• Would you give this man a freebie?
• AOL launches classic TV showcase

Source: Lifehacker

• Hack Attack: Become a Gmail master
• Learn to play the guitar
• Price guides for building your own PC
• Stop your allergies with a Neti pot
• Megite personal newspaper
• Free iTunes Music Store music and video
• Ride the river of news with FeedBlendr
• Geek to Live: Set up your personal Wikipedia
• Download of the Day: Flickr AutoDownloadr
• HDTV Guide: The short and sweet version

Source: Engadget

• Switched On: Cheapest laptop boasts rich innovation
• HOW-TO: Map a drive to your FTP server
• Keian PSd waterproof SD/USB card
• Goobuntu: coming soon to a desktop near you?

Source: The Gadgeteer

• Wrapables Staple Free Stapler
• Aurora 1.5 Watt Nichia Jupiter LED Flashlight
• Brando One Battery Torch

Source: Gadgetopia

• Open Source CMS White Paper
• End Of The Line
• Funky Truck Arizona
• The Swirling Vortex of Doom
• Piece of History?

Source: MAKE: Blog

• HOW TO - Make a coin ring
• DIY Ring light
• $100 Sailboat
• HOW TO - Make a simple belt
• HOW TO - Logging into Windows XP using RFID
• Real-life optical illusions
• HOW TO - Make your own go kart
• Steady-ORB $425 - or make one like it for $14
• Build your own street legal kart
• Make a 9v LED lamp
• Homemade pens

Source: ReadyMade Blog

• Revitalizing Urban Development
• Growing Native

Source: Cool Tools

• Merkur Classic Razor
• Consensus Web Filters
• Toilet Lid Sink

Source: Slashdot

• Paul Allen's Microsoft Experience
• Improve Your iPod with Rockbox
• A DS In Every Pot

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

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."

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)

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!)

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.

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!

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.

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"

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!

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.

• HOW TO - Boot XP from an ordinary USB drive
• Learn about physics from Walter Lewin (videos)
• The Great Escape - and other Maker films?
• Maker Faire - Fancy Knots
• $39 GPS logger
• Low power LED PVC flashlight
• HOW TO - Kite aerial "panography"
• PVC Light box / light tent
• A real tree "house"
• Super Grip your stuff with Plasti Dip
• Chair made from 4,000 CDs
• HOW TO - Make a super simple light tent
• $16 DIY Greenscreen/Bluescreen
• Instructables is hip
• HOW TO - Backup Files to a DV Camera
• HOW TO - Fire by Friction
• Build a $19 AVR Butterfly MP3 player
• American Inventor discussion - MAKE forums
• Build a pedal powered generator
• The Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge - Top 25 Inventions of 2006
• Easy to build, easy to use, water bottle launcher!
• HOW TO - Make a flash mounted home made DIY softbox
• Plastic you can mold in your home for DIY projects
• Orange-Peel house for campers
• HOW TO - Make a plastic clone
• Open Source Hardware and Industry
• Drive bay cover mod
• Using the sun to sterilize water
• Origins of Scotch Tape
• MAKE VIDEO PODCAST - Musical Instrument Innovation and High Voltage Electricity
• Train your brain with Brain Age for Nintendo DS
• DIY Video recorder
• HOW TO - Make a Motorola RAZR phone cradle with open source software and a waterjet!
• HOW TO - LED Earrings
• Optical Illusions blog
• HOW TO - Build a plexiglass PC case
• Cheap ethernet cables & more from Home Depot

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.

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.

Bob Schneider with 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.

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."

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).

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.

• Geek to Live: Laptop tips
• Don't give out your Social Security Number
• Ten Ways to Attract More Traffic to your Website or Blog
• 12 Things You Can Get Besides News on the Web via RSS
• DIY home improvement for beginners
• Reverse dictionary search
• How to brew beer
• Hack Attack: The self-sustaining iPod
• Download of the Day: Handbrake DVD ripper
• Keep headphone wires from getting tangled
• DIY camera hacks
• Dell PC buying tips
• Pay bills online now!
• How to whistle loudly with two fingers
• Geek to Live: Extreme makeover, filing cabinet edition
• Find similar sites with Similicio.us
• How to take great digital portraits
• Download video from your favorite video sites
• South by Southwest podcasts available
• Call for help: Digital movie organizer?
• Getting to Done: Pimp your Mac Mini
• Finding Free Conference Podcasts
• How to set up reBlog - killer server side feed reader
• Be smart about your Smart Playlists

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.
  

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.

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...

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.

• Interview with Otto Berkes - Origami's Architect gives first look at Ultramobile PCs
• The Ultra-Mobile PC (at Microsoft)
• The Origami Project - Week 3
• Ultra Mobile PC (at Intel)

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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."

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.

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."

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

Anaheim SoCal Galaxies 002
Originally uploaded by Morven.

Technoblogic.com - the source for technology news

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

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.”"

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.

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.

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.

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."