A Cynic's Paradise

Silencing the "Freedoms"

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:20:00 +0000

I'm all for freedoms. Freedom of press, expression, speech; the list goes on and on. About the only thing I'm MORE for than personal freedoms is logic and sanity. Sometimes, especially today with some of the nutjobs walking this earth, sanity and logic trumps freedom. That brings us to the ongoing debate about everyone's good friend Rev. Terry Jones and his "International Burn-a-Qur'an" ~~day~~ atrocity/scam.

Not since the Westboro Baptist Church has a previously-inconsequential church from East Jabip taken the nation by storm, doing everything that anyone calling themselves a church of God shouldn't: indiscriminately spewing hatred, filth, and lies about and upon others. Yet this time, they've upped the anti. No longer are these "Christians" (and I use that term extremely loosely) simply tormenting the relatives of our heroic departed soldiers. No, no, that's child's play for this flock of 50 followers. Rev. Jones has taken it upon himself to insult an entire religion full of people, including a select few groups of which are already proven fans of killing Americans. L. Ron Hubbard couldn't make these scenarios up, I swear.

All apologies to my Muslim friends for specifically focusing on the extremist groups amongst the religion (and I suppose to my Christian friends that they should be even remotely affiliated with organizations such as the Dove World Outreach Center), but focus is needed here. Credit to the scores of world leaders and other notables who have outright condemned this Qur'an burning nonsense. But the most telling rebuke comes from General David Petraeus in Afghanistan, paraphrased but essentially in so many words:

Doing this is creating a direct elevated threat to American lives.

Petraeus refers not only to the troops overseas but also all of us on the homefront as well. There is no telling what images from such an inflammatory act will cause in response. Now of course, comes the decision point. America's valued freedoms dictate that in theory, Rev. Jones is still within his rights to hold this preposterous event. Sanity and logic dictate otherwise, naturally. Who in their right mind would willingly put others to the sword (or best case the greatly heightened risk of the sword) for the sake of ideology? We all know the answer to that: Terrorists/Extremists.

There of course are two ways to respond to this. The first is for the government to act against this terrorist threat (which you might say Rev. Jones is not, but clearly by logical argument we've just demonstrated otherwise) under any and all applicable acts currently active under United States law, the USA PATRIOT Act for example. Consider the following piece from Title VIII of the act, which encompasses:

Activities that are..."dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;" and/or are intended to "intimidate or coerce a civilian population;"

Further insight into Title VIII shows that this would be very difficult to achieve legally, simply due to the act's definition of "supporting terrorism" focusing on the harboring those involved or actual monetary support fronts rather than just incitement. But consider the earlier point:

Who in their right mind would willingly put others to the sword (or best case the greatly heightened risk of the sword) for the sake of ideology? We all know the answer to that: Terrorists/Extremists.

Surely this psychological warfare will cause United States losses, if not in casualty counts than in monetary loss from reacting to increased threat levels due to the riled extremist support in the Middle East. There have been hoards of complaints about losses of individual freedoms under the PATRIOT Act and other government actions since 9/11, but it seems to me that in this case the "freedoms" of Rev. Jones and participants have been flaunted long past the point of legal expression and speech, and revocation is justly deserved. There is a significant difference here between say, flag burning, and this act. Flag burning, while by no means commendable, simply expresses displeasure with in-house leadership. Terry Jones's actions express nothing more than indiscriminate hate and intolerance -- a neo-crusade that pits extreme ideologies against one another with the tolerant, centrist masses caught in the middle (and via violence in the wake).

A second option (and one even less likely than the first to be enacted), is to essentially suspend freedom of press for the event. Obama, Clinton, and every other world leader to exist can come out and condemn the actions, but at the end of the day it's free press for Rev. Jones. To quote a friend who commented on the issue, the Qur'an burning has got "media circus written all over it." Entirely true, of course, unless the government were to step in and demand networks give the scam the amount of coverage it deserves -- zero.

Now, the ACLU and liberal fanatics out there would likely lambaste my viewpoints, claiming that they simply "open the door for further restriction of individual freedoms." But I ask each and every one of you to once more consider the logical side of things before jumping on the freedom at all costs bandwagon. Have you been affected by the PATRIOT Act outside of increased scrutiny at airports? Have you been noticeably denied any freedoms you enjoyed prior to 9/11?
For 99.9% of us, the answer is surely "no," which is exactly how it should be, and would continue to be following any action upon Rev. Jones. Why? Because as I've stated before, this Qur'an burning classifies as terrorist activity. We the people -- the tolerant, progressive, accepting people amongst the citizens of the United States -- do not engage in such cowardly and hateful actions, therefore we are but minorly inconvenienced by stricter laws and securities in the post-9/11 world. My challenge to society therefore, is to let my post here be the last story about Rev. Jones for the rest of time.

As we head into the 9th anniversary of September 11th, we should all reflect upon the sacrifices of the victims, including those within the events, the soldiers who fought in the aftermath, and the families and friends of the above. We should celebrate our freedoms as a vital part of American life and take the utmost advantage of them. But we should also be mindful to think logically and see events as they really are.

Who in their right mind would willingly put others to the sword for the sake of ideology? There can be, and will always be only one answer.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act#Title_VIII:_Terrorism_criminal_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act,_Title_VIII

The Daily Gripe: Educational Programming and IP Licensing

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:48:00 +0000

As most of you have heard, the last butterfly was plucked from the sky yesterday as Reading Rainbow went off the air following a 26 year run on PBS. Various excuses were given for the show's shutdown, which was already in syndication for the past 3 years due to contractual and financing issues back in 2006. You can view articles on the subject at sources I'll provide at the bottom of this article. However, I'd like to focus on one point with a quote from Wikipedia.

It was announced on August 25, 2009 that the show will end its run on PBS on August 28, 2009 after 26 years; its removal from the lineup was due to WNED lacking funds to renew the rights to the books featured on the program.

In today's day of television dominating the lives of American youth, what imbecile really thinks parents are going to go out and willingly spend money to buy all of the books referenced/used in Reading Rainbow? Intellectual Property is all good and well, but does it really apply here?

I'm no marketing or sales expert, but I highly doubt that having Reading Rainbow on the air affects sales of the books it uses in any negative manner. Remember, library readership is irrelevant, because bottom lines aren't affected by kids seeing a book they love on the show and renting it from the library to re-read. I would argue that cancelling the show would actually reduce sales of the book.

Clearly though, it's not about that. The show has to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars in intellectual property rights to show these books. I ask, why the hell would you make Reading Rainbow do that, after all these years? I value intellectual property as much as the next man, but seriously: Children's book authors and corporate publishing in America, how mental are you people? The show is probably the only visibility your intellectual property even GETS in this country. Didn't you write children's books in the first place to encourage learning and the joy of reading and creativity and imagination and whatever else? But yet, you demand unreasonable sums of money to be funded by the taxpayers (doubly so if the taxpayer happens to be a "Viewer Like You" and donates to PBS as well) to continue educating the public? Shame on you, really.

As a Republican, it's very rare that I will rail on corporate America, but clearly the publishing companies have a stake in this too and are equally to blame. If I were an author of one of the books, I would step forward and give WNED of Buffalo and PBS as a whole free, infinite creative licensing to use the episode of the show containing my book. Otherwise, as someone who authored a piece of writing specifically designed to foster growth of young minds, I would be nothing short of a hypocrite. To hell with all you hypocritical children's authors out there and anyone else involved in this travesty.

Sources
Reading Rainbow - Wikipedia
NPR - Reading Rainbow Reaches Its Final Chapter

The Daily Gripe: Fair Housing Act

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:46:00 +0000

The Fair Housing Act is a joke. I will update this post with more details as I complete my research, but take my word for it.

Michael Vick to the Eagles

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:43:00 +0000

In the wake of Michael Vick's apparent signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, I felt that the team's popular fight song, which fortunately has been squelched at Citizens Bank Park thanks to the Phillies being awesome, should get a little revamp. So here it is, in all it's unabashed, politically incorrect glory:

Fly Eagles Fly, on the road to dogfighting (fight fight fight).
Fly Eagles Fly, kill some canines 1-2-3.
Bite 'em low, Bite 'em high, then watch that doggy die.
Fly Eagles Fly, on the road to dogfighting!
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

Yes, I just came up with it in two seconds. Yes, it's in cynical jest. You know someone had to do it. Embrace the political incorrectness people. Embrace it.

The Daily Gripe: Commuter Rail Power Deficiency

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:29:00 +0000

As most everyone that doesn't live under a rock knows, the majority of commuter rail in this country is powered by overhead high-voltage catenary wiring, or, for the dumbest 5% out there -- electricity. Yet even as companies like NJ Transit, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation make much needed upgrades to rail cars via new purchases, there is still a major element missing: power outlets.

Despite the relatively short distance of commuter rail service in time length, what possibly possessed these companies to continue the practice of only installing emergency plugs at either end of select cars? Surely most laptops are healthy enough to make your 2 hour at most trip to/from work on battery power, but the service would be a nice convenience, even if only in a few seats with more accessible plugs. Let provide a short recap of the current requirements for laptop power on commuter rail in the Northeast:

NJ Transit: last seat of selected coaches, right by the door, typically a cramped two seater behind a 3-person bench.

Metro-North: typically a power outlet at the ends of each coach (less of a guarantee on the newer cars), but the majority don't work and frequently plugs must be in the walkway or in a non-existent seat/space being used by the conductor which is not allowed.

ConnDoT: Same situation location wise as Metro-North, far lower successful power rate from available outlets

I understand that these are trains designed for short-range trips with minimal time length. I also understand that currently only a select few users will engage their laptops on the commute. However, if you're making a New Haven to New York run for example, that's nearly 2 hours of travel time (appx. 100 minutes). Certainly something can be accomplished in that block of time. Eventually WiFi will be the standard for all travel options (the commuter arm of the Boston T service is already demoing this option). This will only increase frequency of computer use aboard commuter rail. Why not be proactive about providing outlets?

Let me just say, Amtrak is not immune from this either. Amtrak's oower plugs are not what I can complain about, as their cars are wonderfully designed with the computer-toting traveler in mind -- a plug for every seat. For the regional service, I'm now hoping it is a short time (or no time at all if possible) for beginning installations of WiFi aboard trains, even if we must suffer the indignity of payment for the service. As long as it's not too high (read as: no more than $5 trip or $1/hr, not some of the crazy outlandish hotel price patterns of $9.99 and $12.99 a day), the majority of laptop users (which is already a near majority if not a majority of overall passengers on Amtrak trains, especially in the Northeast Corridor) will buy into the program.

WiFi-included travel is the future of travel as we know it. More and more transit options are making it easier for riders to stay connected. Greyhound is unveiling new buses with outlets and free WiFi. Boston's T is doing the same with its WiFi program. Airlines are even picking up on the trend. It will be key for Amtrak and the majority of local commuter rail to keep with the times, or ridership could suffer. That's less of a danger for commuter rail obviously, but in a world that is more and more dependent on connectivity, the least you could do is share your overhead power source.

Major League Baseball: Above the Law

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:00 +0000

After just under a week of hope for baseball fans, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has dismissed rumors that he was considering readmitting Pete Rose to the game, opening the way for his election to the Hall of Fame. Rose was banned way back in 1989 by Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds, and thus this season marks the 20th anniversary of Rose's exclusion from the game.

It is timely that such a report surfaced just now, as many parallels can be drawn to the current reinstatement efforts of one Michael Vick in the National Football League. Vick was banned from the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2007 for being involved in funding a dogfighting ring in Virginia. For the crime, Vick was ultimately sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. Yet here we are two years later, with Roger Goodell reinstating Vick to the league conditionally, following an extra 5 game suspension.

While the career situations might be different, with Vick still playing and trying to earn a livelihood from within the game vs. Rose simply looking for admission to the Hall of Fame, the point I'm trying to make here is a far more concerning one. Selig's denial to reinstate Rose simply reinforces Major League Baseball's belief that they, somehow, are above the law.

Vick Reinstatement & Goodell Actions

Roger Goodell, agree with him or not, has taken clear and definitive actions towards those that should embarrass the NFL or, worse, consider themselves above the law. Michael Vick was the highest profile of those with his 23-month sentencing, but others falling under this crusade of Goodell's include Adam "Pacman" Jones and a few Minnesota Vikings players for a rather unfortunate boating incident. The NFL has also been very adamant in policing its substance abuse policies, just ask Ricky or Jimmy Williams.

While some of these guys (Pacman) never should have faced league action in the first-place, you have to partially respect Goodell for his hard-line stance and desire to uphold a standard in the NFL that activities that embarrass the league will not be tolerated. I don't necessarily agree with the "NFL employment is a privilege not a right" mentality in placing a pro sports career on a pedestal over any other jobs, but I do understand that "conduct detrimental to the team" isn't a concept that only exists in sports. Try getting arrested and see how your employer responds.

MLB: Laughing in Law's Face

Now consider the issue of Pete Rose. For 20 years people have wondered when this man would finally be readmitted to the game. Rose himself has made two separate reinstatement requests, both ignored (first by Fay Vincent in 1992 and the latter by Selig in 1996). Most incredible is the fact that Rose has nothing to gain by reinstatement other than potentially managing again if he has such a desire, which is honestly in no way negative for baseball, and the respect of a Hall of Fame spot. Certainly, therefore, it's not a money thing.

However, now also consider baseball's soft stance, rather, lack of a stance on the steroid issue. A topic essentially brushed quietly under the rug by the league for years until Congress finally threatened action (not necessary really, but that's for anothing topic), steroids have become the hot-button issue for high-profile players in the league. It is important to point out that most steroids and designer drugs are inherently illegally obtained, or legally obtained but in supplements that are clearly defined by MLB as being outlawed. Again, however, the hyperactive banning of supplements by sports leagues/olympics/world organizations of sport is also not the issue here. Baseball has established a clear precedent in brushing steroids under the rug for so long that it does not care about the law of the land. Penalizing for steroids was never given a thought.

On the opposite side again is Rose, who remains banned from the game for gambling while managing the Reds, a violation of MLB Rule 21, "Misconduct." While there is certainly something novel, traditional, and honorable in upholding the integrity of the game at all costs ("Shoeless" Joe Jackson and those who threw the 1919 World Series still also remain on the MLB ineligible list for their gambling-related offenses), baseball's unwillingness to act on steroids negates any honor that could be maintained. What remains is the simple fact that a federal felon gets a 2nd chance in the NFL, but an insider gambler gets a lifetime ban, and certainly no more chances. The MLB puts its rules, bylaws, and interests above those of the country in doling out punishment.

Impact

One has to say that it is the fans who want to see Pete in the Hall when they visit Cooperstown currently hurting the most. Stories of his great play have to be passed down instead of being permanently enshrined in the heritage of the sport for all to see and hear. That the fans are hurt/upset most is no surprise really, given that they were also the ones alienated by MLB's handling of the steroid issue as well, though in the case of steroids the reaction was more anger than disappointment.

It is clear that in an economic downturn, the MLB will need to turn to its fans to prevent a potentially catastrophic decline in the future. 1-2% declines in attendance or renevue might not be warning signs now, but lack of attendance growth or revenue growth in subsequent seasons could be. MLB would be wise to make sure the fans are getting what they want instead of selective upholding of an integrity that was already lost when the Steroid Era began.

Firefox 4.0 - Mozilla Chrome?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:41:00 +0000

For the second time in recent iterations of the browser wars, a top competitor has gone out on a limb and redesigned their product to be, you guessed it, EXACTLY like one of their other competitors. Following in the footsteps of Internet Explorer 7's blatant ripoff of tabbed browsing (there can't be 8 ways to code it), Mozilla has now turned around and "creatively borrowed" (we'll call it) effectively the base UI of Google Chrome for it's Firefox 4.0 early screenshots. The product of internal "Brainstorming," browser companies continue to prove that the only thing they can do better than not fixing core issues is reverse engineer their competition.

(In case you haven't seen them, head on over to PC World to take a look at the early concept shots. View the PC World article here: PC World Article or Mashable's coverage: Mashable Article)

Copycatism

Given that Microsoft received nearly universal disdain for its addition of tabs, the surprise and hype and positive expectation I'm seeing buzzing across Twitter this early morning catches me off guard. Have people finally come to their senses? Obviously all of the companies involved in this battle are going to want to include features that users need, and its more the timing and development of those features that decides who has the upper-hand. One can rage about Microsoft all they wish, but the fact of the matter is had they come up with it first, Firefox would have added tabs shortly after.

Now, while "Brainstorming" Mozilla dev teamers come across new competitor Google Chrome and apparently think, "That's a nifty little UI you've got there, little buddy." A bit of code analysis and likely minor modification later, and Voila! Chromefox 4.0. I mean Firefox 4.0, Chrome Edition. I mean Firefox 4.0, right.

Worrying about the Meaningless

I've always been fascinated by people's prioritization of UI. I am fully aware that user interface simplicity is one of the most important things for attracting a large user base such as is the goal of a web browser. However, there are times when I much rather would see back-end issues be fixed, and in general this holds true despite the population. Currently, there really isn't much frustration to using a browser. Point, click, type, click/enter, view. About as simple as simple can get, I would say.

Much like internet speeds, now people want speed and reliability and security. They don't need UI notifications for these concepts, they just need the program to work successfully. Improvement of the back-end can similarly go a long way to maintaining or building your user-base, largely based on reputation. If a study were to be released tomorrow saying Firefox is 64.3% safer than Internet Explorer in terms of protecting valuable personal data, you don't think tons of people, maybe even the corporate world, would make the switch if they already haven't? You can be darn sure they won't wait for the UI to be pretty in the meantime. They're getting the secure option now.

A prime example of this issue is the major memory leak that is the predominant plague of Firefox. Leave the browser open all day, and suddenly it's hogging half a gig or more of available system memory. Thanks for that, really. When you start the thing, it pulls maybe 100K, we'll be conservative and say as high as 250 if you open a lot of tabs immediately in your starting desktop. That still leaves with a 100% memory leak over a 24 hour period. A vast improvement over say Firefox 2, which would see the same kind of plague take a couple hours at most to infect your browsing efforts. But the room for correction is there. Instead, Firefox 3.5 brings me, the stupid + button to open an up a new empty tab, because apparently 99 out of 100 users were too stupid to double click in the tab space to get a new tab that way.

Recap

I have to ask Mozilla: If you're going to rip off Google, can't you at least rip off the individual tab process functionality as a temporary fix to your asinine memory leak? We've clearly established that such a move would be fair game due to Microsoft/Mozilla's past and current maneuvers in the browser war. User Interface updates are great, but as you clearly define there are pros and cons of marginal value to every minor change you can make at this point. If you're not going to truly innovate, fix the back end and make a meaningful improvement.

The Daily Gripe: Anger for Apologies

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:03:00 +0000

In a new segment I'm dubbing "The Daily Gripe," I will present a brief exposé on some of the more annoying particulars of the world. Before I start I just want to clarify that this might be "The Daily Gripe," but there likely won't be one a day. I tend to be a cynical guy, but even I have my gripe-free days. I'm letting you know up front so that I don't get readers griping "Where's my Daily Gripe?" OK? OK.

Now the moment you've all been waiting for -- My Daily Gripe for Monday, July 27th 2009: People who get angry when you apologize for inconveniencing them. This is a very topical gripe for me as I just had this situation occur yesterday. Driving back to school after a weekend of staying with friends back in Connecticut, my grandmother and I encountered heavy downpours along River Road in Edgewater and Weehawken. We finally made it back, but the rain was still coming down pretty hard, and we had about 3 loads of boxes to take out of the car, and neither of us particularly felt like getting soaked. Thus we conveniently unloaded under the cover of my apartment building (Thanks, geniuses, for making the out gate a motion detector only instead of a garage door opener, btw!).

After unloading and bringing up one set of boxes up to my apartment, we returned to the parking area to find one of those annoying Minivan-SUV hybrids in front of us. Naturally we realized we were in someone's spot. However, this guy felt the need to get out and walk around, all annoyed and huffy, before stopping and asking "Is this your car?" Quickly verifying it was his spot, my grandmother moved towards the driver's side to move a couple spots over. She gets halfway there, being polite and saying "I'm sorry" for the presumably 5 minutes he was waiting there maximum. This awesome guy responds with "Yeah, well, I've got my daughter, come on...," (referring to the toddler sleeping in the backseat) in the most annoyed, pissed off voice. Mind you he has parked his vehicle in the driveway in front of his space.

Tell me, Mr. Asshat Hoboken Yuppie, why is it you couldn't have done what you did immediately upon parking: gotten out, brought your daughter inside to your apartment, and come back to move your car? I mean really, you act like your daughter's life was depending on those 5 minutes between sleeping in your shitty hybrid SUVan and sleeping in her bed. I bet you're the same guy that acts like a jerkoff and honks at taxis while they're parked in front of the building visibly unloading passengers, or people are trying to unload their brand new TV instead of carrying it 3 blocks from wherever they finally find a parking spot. On top of it all you have the nerve to get MORE ANNOYED by our polite gesture of apology for the unlikely coincidence that we wasted 3 minutes of your time. Get a grip.

Unfortunately, there are far too many yuppies, especially within Hoboken, with this attitude. Perhaps it's the fact that they work on Wall Street, or think they're some big shot because they still have a job, or maybe they lost their job because they were as worthless there as they are in society. Whatever the reason, don't take your frustration at lifelong failure out on my, buddy. In closing, to paraphrase a popular beer radio commercial, be sure to crack open a cold one, Mr. Denizen of Douchebagtown, without you Hoboken would be far ~~worse~~ better off.

Levi Leipheimer out of Tour de France

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:30:00 +0000

American Astana rider Levi Leipheimer thought he had escaped a 12th stage wreck with only minor cuts and tarnished pride, but news via Twitter now confirms otherwise.

Leipheimer's Broken Wrist
Linked above is the latest tweet from 7-time champion Lance Armstrong (also of Team Astana) confirming the damage. A broken wrist for Levi Leipheimer. It's a massive blow to Levi who was riding exceptionally well despite some truly bad luck through the Tour thus far.

To recap those hard times, Leipheimer was caught up in a bunch that went down at the start of the climb up Andorra Arcalis in Stage 7 before regaining the main contender pack with the help of the Astana fighters. He and Bradley Wiggins both appeared to be on the wrong end of a peloton split that cost them 15 seconds before the Tour jury ultimately reversed the situation and gave them same time, and now this where a crash has ended his run.

Of greater importance now is the fact that entering the stage to Colmar (including 5 climbs category 3 or higher, peaking in a single Cat 1 climb) Astana has had its dominant force up front weakened just that much more by the toils of the race. Levi's ousting is a blow not only to him, but to the entire team as he represents a major cog in their force up front in the peloton. It will be interesting to see Brunyeel and Co.'s strategy with a hard driver like Levi retired.

On the other side of the coin, this may be the opportunity some Yellow Jersey contenders (or pretenders perhaps, given current time differentials) were looking for, on an intermediate stage such as the Vittel->Colmar run. Will Sastre or Evans make an attack? I should think so. They may just have an easing Astana looking to get to the higher Alps and Mont Ventoux to make their final statement, given that they are in the driver's seat.

One thing is for certain... Levi's departure from Le Tour ups the stakes that much further for everyone else, as it breaks the virtual podium for Astana at the moment, given that Rinaldo Nocentini isn't considered an overall threat in the long haul. We'll all have to keep watching, especially today, to see how this latest piece of the puzzle will unfold on the road.

Sources:
http://twitter.com/LeviLeipheimer/status/2685401841
http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong/status/2685299965
http://twitter.com/LeviLeipheimer/status/2684854326

American Peloton Twitter Reactions
http://twitter.com/ghincapie/status/2685220050 (George Hincapie)
http://twitter.com/ChristianVDV/status/2685081411 (Christian Vandevelde)

TweetDeck: The Latest Revolutionary July 4th Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

So, most people that have close contact with me know that I have succumbed to the addiction that is Twitter, and today's post is another brag about the app that I use to connect myself to the world via 140 characters or less: TweetDeck.

It's very fitting that the last post on this blog was a message of "Happy 4th of July" to you readers out there in the webiverse and blogosphere, because it just so happens (honestly, people, you can't make this stuff up) that TweetDeck was created on Independence Day 2008. I picked up about 3 months ago and I've been enamored ever since, and even more so with the latest "beta" build, v0.26.4.

As I recounted just 3 short posts ago, there's nothing beta about TweetDeck in it's ability to provide the best Twitter platforming experience on your desktop. But the newest build has been nothing short of fantastic. After one connecting facebook log-in, all your commands are within 50 pixels of each other. Two icons above the New Post entry box tell you whether you're posting to Twitter, facebook, or both, replacing the annoyingly tiny checkboxes to the far right of the tweet entry zone.

In addition, all but the most chaotic among us will be pleased that URL shortening options have been relocated to the settings bar. Do you like using bit.ly, then tr.im, then tinyurl in a steady rotation? Well, the new TweetDeck is probably not for you, but honestly, your friends will thank you for stopping that ridiculousness. In addition, a "tweet shortener" has been added as a one-click option below the text box, making you look further like 14-year-old girl with "2"s, "2mrw"s and "l8r"s, but saving you those 3 precious characters every time.

I would really love some feedback on the iPhone T'Deck app... if it's even close to its desktop sister's capability, I know it would be my first choice for any tweets a la apple. (perhaps whilst tweeting about pie a la mode... ok that was a little too much wasn't it?)...

Happy Tweeting, Friends!

A Brit Said it Best

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:51:00 +0000

In the immortal words of Briton Hugh Laurie, I present to you:

America.

Parody? Perhaps... but we really do love our country and our independence. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Project Torque Revs it Up

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:31:00 +0000

So, about a year and a half ago now (can't believe it's been that long) I brought up an online racing game I thought was worth a shot, Upshift Strike Racers. I didn't really like the Twisted Metal-style game play (though you could play a format that didn't have weaponry), nor the intense rubberbanding of opponents (video gamers will be familiar with that term -- think Mario Kart, no matter how great you drive, the AI opps are always right on your tail, but oh so easy to pass).

Around the same time I demoed another game known as Project Torque. It was in its infancy, seemed a little bit too glitchy graphics-wise (as well as poorly designed, it was using upwards of 700k system memory resources) and not very expandable. Well, about a week or two ago, I decided to give it another shot, and I've been VERY impressed with what I've found. The Project Torque team has really ironed things out, and the process is down to around 500k Memory use. In addition, the game is much more advanced, with several new game modes, including single-player missions that are unlocked with every 75 miles of course driving in the game (interesting format for this), Thunder Alley (basically Daytona USA's easy tri-oval level with up to 19 opponents), Drift mode, and intensive license testing. It's free to play, though upgrades are a bit expensive in that format. You can pay for AP (vs RP which is collected for racing, as well as XP which determines your level), but why pay when you can have something for nothing. It will get a little tedious, but you'll get those higher level machines.

Until Need for Speed's MMO Racer comes out in the fall/winter (and remember how bad the last attempt was), this is the best thing going in the MMO Racing Market (along with Trackmania).

Give it a shot at http://project-torque.aeriagames.com/

Twitter Abuse and Football Manager Live!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:46:00 +0000

So, I haven't updated this in awhile, but I think it's time I should. I've recently, at the partial request and encouragement of a couple friends (most notably one F. Hyder) become addicted to twitter. At first it was like Facebook + so much more convenience, especially because I didn't have to sift through useless drunken pictures and boring links to find status messages. Then I discovered TweetDeck (thanks again Faraz), which aggregates everything on to one desktop application. If you're like me (though these days no one is) and don't have unlimited texts or data on your cellular plan, TweetDeck is the program for you. From the convenience of your desktop, you can see Facebook messages (status updates only), Tweets from all people you're following, AND you can post your own messages -- to twitter, Facebook, or BOTH! Convenient? I think so. There's even a URL shortener directly onboard. Definitely give it a shot if you're looking for a new twitter PC platform.

Another addiction of mine since the last update of this blog some months ago has been Football Manager Live. I managed to get in on the beta signups and have been playing ever since. Those readers in Europe and beyond will be more familiar than my American friends with the Championship Manager series, but this is the newest incarnation. Instead of playing against AI 100% of the time however, Football Manager LIVE! is MMO -- massively multiplayer. You build up your team, set tactics and strategy, and play against REAL HUMAN OPPONENTS trying to outhink and outsmart your team to pick up the 3 points. It's been a real joy and I've loved being a part of the beta team helping to revise and refine the game. The full game is subscription based, but Beta signups might be still open if you're looking to try out that aspect of it. Head over to www.footballmanagerlive.com for more details!

That's all for now -- I'm heading to Brooklyn in a little bit for some pick-up soccer, but I should have another post later tonight regarding some more of my recent favorites on the computer

A Referendum on overpaid CEOs, not the Republican Party

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:36:00 +0000

It is fitting in an election cycle, filled with its campaign ads of silent omission and blatant attack that the American people are blatantly attacking the wrong people -- prosecuting an ideology rather than a small subculture of American society.

We've witnessed yesterday a referendum on the Republican policies of the previous 8 years, but really a referendum on the shady behavior of CEOs. It is important to point out that the Democrats have controlled the Congress (and thus the regulatory oversight of such activities in the banking and investing realms) since 2006, which is when the economy dropped back into decline. Mind you subprime lending and profiting did not start in 2006, and perhaps Republican deregulation efforts played a part in getting the ball rolling. But let's look at the current state of the economy, and why the average American is suffering needlessly today.

Other than people putting misguided trust in an obviously inflated stock market (DOW at 14000? Come on), stocks should not be hurting the average American this much.
More realistically, they should be pleased with the resulting strong dollar and low gas prices. Mind you, the strong dollar says a number of things -- namely that the US was leading the way OUT of this weaker period economically, and that the rest of the countries of the world were more fearful. This is largely due to strong regulations in the US (thanks to the SEC) that say companies have to eventually tell their shareholders about these sorts of things.

It is very likely that banks in places like Britain and France and Germany and Japan have not done this and will shortly suffer the fallout. Obviously the real estate market is different there as well, but the fact of the matter is that we have basically corrected to healthy levels (for a downturn) given the increases of 2001-2005 coming out of the 9/11 slowdown. If people were stupid enough to keep money in mutual funds and things of that nature at a 14,000 point DOW, it's their own fault, and they shouldn't be whining that they lost half of their 401k. Become an active investor, and you could easily be rich with some research right now. The plunge to 8500 was simply an overcorrection -- the markets tend to do that with strongly negative news -- and we're seeing more stable levels now, approaching the Dow 10,000 level.

The people this really hurt are those in the financial industry, everyone else (sans Stock Market losses) is benefitting right now from strength in the dollar and leveled-off gas prices. Yet Bush and a Democratic Congress (yes, DEMOCRATIC) came together to create a bailout for those people that, to be honest, didn't need one ... the CEOs and executives of major banks, and the banks themselves.

Yet, tragically perhaps, the people decide to put out a referendum on the Republican Party -- backed by a wave of undeserved negative approval being rained down upon George W. Bush. Nevermind the useless efforts of senators like John Kerry (D-MA) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who were reelected comfortably despite holding nearly-negative or negative net approval ratings (2 of the bottom 10 senators, Lautenberg at 39% approve, 45+% disapprove). The country doesn't feel the need to call these lamebrains out on their frivolity in Washington. Suddenly, a wave of sentiment against Bush and a barnstorming Cult of Personality in Obama ride the Democrats to near totalitarian governmental control. One party in complete power (nearly filibuster-proof in this case) is never a good thing for the people, as it gives the most radical of ideas a chance on the Congressional chamber floors.

In addition, Obama is supporting Ethanol subsidies, which is going to further hurt Americans... we're not only paying our tax dollars for the government to fund a MAJOR use of a KEY staple crop (CORN), but we're going to pay at the supermarket when corn prices and future (per bushel) make the same idiotic up-runs Crude Futures did. We were already looking at numbers near $8/bushel for corn this summer. THAT is PREPOSTEROUS.

Why, America, do you switch to the party of "tax and spend" right when the economy is in prime position to rally the consumer-friendly way. Not on the backs of inflated futures, volatile crude prices, and speculation on Wall Street, but rather in the stable march of PROGRESS. True progress is on offer for the American people, and it was systemically denied in favor of giving to the less fortunate and creating a socialist state. Well, I implore Americans to recall the words of Churchill regarding that decision:

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. -- W. Churchill

I hope that the Democratic party does not lead you into sharing those miseries, and that what's left of capitalism after a rule of Obama and Pelosi can bring blessings. But, I also hope that you remember this day, and these words, and see the missed opportunity here... for real change... for PROGRESS.

FireFox 3 -- Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:49:00 +0000

What the HECK happened to Bookmarks in Firefox 3?

First off, It basically wiped out 2/3 of my bookmarks that I held in Firefox 2 when I finally decided to make the upgrade. This aggravatingly included reverting my Bookmarks Toolbar by about 6 months inexplicably. In addition, the navigation and control of the Bookmarks sidebar is absolutely asinine. I can't have a bookmark in a folder AND the toolbar at the same time? Are you kidding me? That makes no sense. I shouldn't have to create a new bookmark (which of course I have to do manually because the star is already lit up in the address bar and if I click it again it will ask me if I want to delete the bookmark), requiring an annoying copy-paste sequence that ends up being nothing but a waste of time!

It seems silly to me that since the primary goal outside of memory efficiency is UI improvement that there is such poor handling of such an important feature.

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Of course, don't get me started on Firefox 3 overall. I'm just not buying the hype. The improvements just don't work for me. Memory reduction? Puhhhhh-lease. It doesn't use up any less latent memory at all. The application is pulling around 139MB as I write this, and this is the ONLY tab I have open. It's pretty pathetic. Seems like whatever memory leaks they claimed to get rid of are still there. Oh look, it's up to 140.25MB now. Firefox 2 with 1 tab would probably be taking up around 79-85MB in the same situations. I'm just not buying this as an improvement over FireFox 2. Sorry, Mozilla, you'll have to do better next time.

Olympic Preview: What you Really Should be Watching!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:40:00 +0000

So as many of you know, especially you sports fans, the Olympics start tonight. Actually, the games started yesterday morning at 5:45 AM local time, when the first 4 football (soccer) matches kicked off. If you live in the US, your coverage is going to be on the NBC family of networks. But you don’t want to get stuck watching 10 hours of track, or US Men’s Basketball annihilating some lowly islander nations by 40+ points. This post will give you the most exciting non-major sports (to the US at least) and where you can expect to find them on the NBC broadcast family.

1. Soccer: For this year’s Games, NBC will not be primarily utilizing MSNBC. Despite the growing popularity of the sport (shown by tremendous ESPN ratings for the World Cup and Euro 2008 tournaments), NBC has taken a step back here. The medal rounds will not only not be shown on MSNBC, but on their own channel, the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. No one knows which cable companies are actually subscribing to this, one of two new Olympic-specific networks (the other being NBC Olympic Basketball Network), so check your local listings. However, if you’re willing to stay up late (or get up early) and watch live, you’ll be switching between USA/USA HD, MSNBC, and Telemundo. They’ll be covering mainly the US matches, as well as other major nations (Brazil, Argentina, Italy, etc.). NBC Olympic Soccer will have games from 5am-5pm as needed.

2. Kayaking/K2/Canoeing: Definitely one of my favorite sports from the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. K2 is basically slalom (like skiing in the Winter Olympics) on whitewater in a kayak. It is tremendously intense and each Games has provided a challenging course. Fortunately for K2 fans, NBC seems to be showing the competition on the main network, not on some low-spread sister channel. Check out your NBC affiliate this weekend in through Tuesday for some quality K2 competition.

3. Water Polo: My favorite sport of the Summer Olympics because the Olympics are basically the only opportunity to watch the sport in the US. You might have a negative view of it (similar to Americans’ opinions on soccer), but give a shot. It’s a fast-paced, challenging, intense sport that requires tremendous upper body strength. Players must keep only one hand on the ball at all times, face defense in the form of in-water body checks, and can never touch the bottom of the pool for the full match. Pool play will be shown on NBCOlympics’ online coverage, as well as MSNBC. The US women’s team (2 time defending world champions) begin their quest for Olympic Gold on NBC proper on Monday, August 11th, and the Men’s Team will play some matches on NBC proper as well.

4. Men’s field hockey: No offense ladies, but your field hockey is pretty boring compared to the men. Sure I don’t like seeing guys in field hockey uniforms, but the skill and intensity is high. You’ll see sticks flying in a much more contact-heavy version of the fast-paced artificial turf sport, with hard rocket shots coming off the sticks of players. Men’s and Women’s group play can both be seen online at NBCOlympics.com

5. Michael Phelps: Swimming is always a popular sport in the US, and Michael Phelps hype has only added to the big ticket this set of events will prove to be. Watch the US’s gold medal man go for history at the uniquely engineered “Water Cube” in Beijing.

Hopefully my tips will give you a little bit broader of a view of the Summer Games. Personally I am a fan of the Winter competitions more, but with a little searching and effort, there are enjoyable sports to watch in both seasons. You might even check out www.myp2p.eu for possible streaming links to foreign (British/Italian/French/German/Spanish) coverage of the games, which may have some more of the lesser known/lesser American-cared about sports that you might miss otherwise. Enjoy the Games, everyone!

Mike's Movie Minute: Harold and Kumar 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:32:00 +0000

So, I went to see the new Harold and Kumar movie (Escape from Guantanamo Bay), and I have say it was pure genius. Without giving too many spoilers, the movie staff did a great job of making sure it could draw in funds from people who could potentially claim racism/insensitivity with the title (it was originally supposed to be Go to Amsterdam). After all the hype, they were at Gitmo for about 5 minutes tops.

This was another classic random adventure of high friends, just like the first. Try to keep the first one fresh in your mind, as there are a lot of flashback/reference occurrences -- after all, the setting for this movie is only a week after the first, since they're following Maria.

Overall, it was a terrific comedy. It might be covered up by the success of the "average guy"/Seth Rogen series of movies, but this one is much better. I'd give SuperBad a 6 or so, but I give H&K:Escape a 9.5. There were one or two scenes I would have changed, but for the amount of randomness they have to throw in to stay consistent with the typical adventure of these two characters, the staff does a great job of keeping the storyline in focus, as well as developing inter- and intra-character relationships.

AND OF COURSE, Neil Patrick Harris returns!

If you've got a free Friday night or something or are just hanging out with friends, I definitely recommend this great comedy film!

NJ Casino Industry turns 30

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Here's an informative piece about the state of the Casino industry in New Jersey and the vision state lawmakers had for the transformation of Atlantic City upon their arrival. If anyone's been down to AC, you'll know that only a block or two away from the glitz of the Boardwalk strip, you'd think you were walking through Camden or Harlem... shootings and crime abound, and the town is still mired in poverty, corruption, and lost hope. The casinos were supposed to provide that back in 1978, and to an extent they did. But the divide remains. Quotables include Donald Trump and other casino execs, as well as NJ Governor Jon Corzine (D-Hoboken).

CNBC.com/Associated Press: Promises Kept, problems remain after 30 years of casinos

Vindication for a Positive Phillies fan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:56:00 +0000

I'd like to take a moment to recognize all of the negative Phillies fans out there on their great job calling for Pat Burrell to be traded since his 21/64/.209 batting season back in 2003. I should point out that I have been trying to get fans off his back since that weak year. To those less competent sports fans out there, I can only say "I told you so!"

To that end, let's just take a moment and analyse Pat the Bat's stats since then:

Year    HR    RBI   BB    K      AVG      OBP
2004:   24     84    78   130   .257     .365   
2005:   32    117    99   160   .281     .389
2006:   29     95    98   131   .258     .388
2007:   30     97   114   120   .256     .400
Apr08:   8     25    18    17   .355     .474

If you can't tell, those are pretty good numbers. Don't forget his heroic turn-around that helps lead the Phillies to a playoff spot in '07:
2007 - 1st Half: 11/37/.215/.378 (HR, RBI, AVG, OBP)
2007 - 2nd Half: 19/60/.295/.420

In particular, Burrell is leading the league in RBIs at the moment (25), and has broken the Phillies record for RBIs in April with that mark, and there's still 5 days left! He's an early front runner (along with Chase Utley) for NL MVP.

Fans, it's time to show Pat the love. The bat will respond. I told you so.

The City that Never Sleeps, except on Security

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:43:00 +0000

New York City, in addition to it's reputation as "The City that Never Sleeps" and all of the glitz and glamour of touristy Times Square and Broadway, is quickly picking up a new moniker: "The City with No Security." Word out of the AP today says that homeless man found confidential "Freedom Tower" blueprints in a Lower Manhattan trash can.

The plans were brought by the homeless man to the New York Post, which has given out that the 150-page schematic/blueprint included plans for each floor, thickness of concrete-core wall, and elevator/support columns/electrical systems/air duct locations.
Not only that, they were largely marked "SECURE DOCUMENT -- CONFIDENTIAL."

Needless to say, NY/NJ Port Authority spokeswoman Candace McAdams has called this a serious security lapse, with possibly the quote of the day. Mishandling the blueprints would be "cause for serious disciplinary action," she said. Good luck with that one, Port Authority. Obviously it already happened -- now you'll spend our hard earned tax dollars investigating whodoneit, right? I guess Catholics are really going to have to step up prayers for the Pope when he arrives in the Big Apple.

Source: Yahoo! News/AP

Internet 1, Mets 0: Shea Stadium Rickrolled

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:41:00 +0000

Here are some videos from the aftermath of the epic Mets 8th inning Sing-A-Long Fan Vote which saw internet users unite to Rickroll the New York Mets with over 5,000,000 joke votes. I don't understand what kind of savages Mets fans must be to boo Rick Astley -- the man is a legend. Congrats to everyone out there on the web who made this day possible.

Another ironic point is that this was played in the middle of the 8th inning, right after Aaron Heilman tanked the game allowing the Phillies to win. GO PHILLIES, GO INTERWEBS!

In this second one you can faintly hear the Mets PA announcer declaring Rick Astley the winner with 5million+ votes. You might want to turn your sound down a little bit, there's a lot of background noise.

Enjoy, Internet!

Field Hockey Fun Fact and Congrats Kansas!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Just thought I'd keep you guys amused and enlightened with a little fun fact I just found complements of random sports-related web searching:

In 6 appearances in the Olympic Games, the US Men's Field Hockey team has never finished better than dead last. Not coincidentally, I'm sure, the US team has failed to qualify for the Olympic tournament in over 50 years (1956 Melbourne) when not handed an automatic berth due to being the host nation (LA 1984, Atlanta 1996).

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Also, congrats to Kansas University on winning the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's National Basketball Championship. Props to whoever picked them to break the curse and go all the way this year (myself included). I'll be back with a more content-filled post soon, so keep those eyes peeled!

Your resident cynic,

-- Mike

Site of the Day: CentSports

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:48:00 +0000

Do you love sports? Do you like betting on sports? Do you wish betting on sports didn't take a bite out of your wallet? I bet you do, because you're here and that's what 1/3-1/2 of my articles are about - Sports! My site of the day for today is CentSports, founded this year by a few college students at Texas A&M university. It is based on the "Get Paid to..." industry prevalent on the internet. You get started with 10 cents (funded by advertising) and then you can bet on NBA, MLB, NHL, and other league games. You can even bet on the Election if you're into that sort of thing.

Anyway, pick the winners, or over/under result (lines are given on the page) and you win! In addition, you can check out a banner ad for all of 1/2 a second to get even bigger payouts - up to 100% depending on bet size/your usage level! Whatever you make in your account, you can withdraw as real, cold, hard cash!! Best of all, it won't take a hit on your wallet, because you don't have to deposit any of your own funds!

Check it out at: Centsports.com

An added bonus to the program (and yes I know I'm giving it away for myself too) is that you get 5% of any friends winnings!! Use a link code (like the one I'm using that CentSports provides) or send an invite e-mail to your friends. If they sign up under you, you get that 5% bonus! If you and your friends want to have a friendly competition, and don't have time to check out the lines in the paper or on the web all over the place, this is a great way to do it, and you can win a little extra on the side! I enjoy sports betting, but not because of the gambling of it. For me, having a little something on the game makes me more interested in what I'm watching. I'll pick up some of the subtle things I might miss if I'm going in and out or flipping channels just to see the score. It rejuvenates my interest in the game. Give CentSports a try -- I know any avid sports fans will love it!

Sports Rant: Name Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:54:00 +0000

I've always been a fan of the Devil Rays. Ever since the league expanded to Tampa, I've been behind the team, treating them as my alternate favorite team (which isn't hard when they're in the opposite league as the Phillies). They've had their struggles, yes, but I've stuck around and remained and fan, and I really believe that with the solid pitching staff they're building and some of their young players, they will soon be putting together a product competitive even in the extremely-tough AL East.

However, I was disappointed when I heard back in 2006 that the management decided to change the name. Of course, people will probably comment "You're wrong, they're the Rays now." However, though technically true, I will continue to call them the Devil Rays. Sports fans and people in general around the world can sympathize. New England theme park goers still often refer to Six Flags New England as "Riverside." A good number of Toronto fans still know the Jays' home stadium as the "Skydome" (Terrible decision by Rogers Telecomm., by the way. If you want your name in there, why not just the "Rogers Skydome?" It keeps everyone happy.) If you watch hockey, you might think about the Dallas Stars as the Minnesota North Stars, Phoenix as the Winnipeg Jets, or most importantly (yes I'm biased) the Carolina Hurricanes as the Hartford Whalers.

In all of these cases, however, there was a legitimate reason for the change. In the Devil Rays' case, there was no need. In fact, it seems downright counterintuitive. Let's be frank here, sports fans. The Devil Rays aren't going anywhere. They have a gazillion or so-year lease on Tropicana Field, and actually have plans for a glorious open-air stadium along the waterfront in St. Petersburg. Management simply wanted to give the team a "new look and a fresh start" going into the future with their young new ball club. I understand that, and that's probably a good idea. But the Devil Rays had already made a jersey change (to the White/Green combo they had prior to this season). Another move wasn't necessary, only required by the name change.

In case you don't know, the new name "Tampa Bay Rays" is supposed to reflect the warm, Florida sunshine. HOLD UP!!!! SUNSHINE? We're playing as Rays of Light now?
I admit there were times when I felt like jumping ship because management was trying to make my team sound effeminate or gay. No offense to women or homosexuals, but "Rays" and "Beautiful, warm Florida sunshine" are not supposed to be names of sports teams. We'll recap -- The Devil Rays management decided to change from the most badass team name in the league: "Our Mascot can f***ing kill Steve Irwin! That's hardcore!!!" to the most effeminate team name possibly in sports history: "Rays of sunlight." Killed Steve Irwin ... to a Madonna techno song.

I would have no problem with the Devil Rays having a new look, in fact, I encourage it. Here is my offering for what the new Devil Rays uniforms should have been:

5 Points if you guessed it -- that's the OLD (inaugural) Devil Rays jersey! I purchased this a couple years ago, because the logo is awesome. Nothing says cool team like awesome lettering, any use of teal or aqua (or both!) in the logo, and a big stingray slapped across the front. I can't believe they ever considered changing this jersey. That is the type of logo that makes 5 year old kids around the country be your fan because the logo is too cool to resist (Example: See Miami Dolphins. You know you thought the teal dolphin with a football helmet and bright orange "M" was the best logo in the league -- it still is by the way).

In my opinion, the Devil Rays management grounded into a triple play with this one. PR missed the opportunity to go retro, Marketing had a horrible name idea, and the color scheme, though not bad (blue hues, gold, white), is still not as awesome. We can't bring Steve Irwin back, but we should at least be able to bring back the Devil Rays. After all, FACT: The Yankees cannot overcome the might of the Devil Rays pitching staff. What sounds more mighty? Rays of sunlight or "The Animal that killed the universally-likeable Steve Irwin?" I thought so. Go Devil Rays!

Website of the Day: KillerStartups.com

noreply@blogger.com (Mike D.) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:20:00 +0000

First off, I want to apologize to the loyal readers out there who have had nothing to do for the past 10 days now. I'm back from my so-called "Spring Break," so hopefully we can get back to the usual 2-4 post a week clip to feed your appetite for the interesting, informative, and obscure.

That being said, we're returning today with a new segment I'll call the "Website of the Day." As the title implies, today's site of the day is KillerStartups.com. I'm an avid fan of the Internet and Web 2.0, especially programs that help me do one of three things:

1. Connect with other people -- whether it's personal friends, other people joined by an interest in a sports team, group, opinion, or cause/goal, or other reason. I enjoy connecting with people via the web.

2. Develop my blog/Improve myself/Enlarge my web presence -- I enjoy reading articles from sites that give tips and tricks on things like web development, building a better blog, or improving your life (LifeHacker, for example). I especially have been getting into building a better blog/webpresence now that I'm writing/operating both The Cynic's Paradise and Matchday LIVE! I want to be able to deliver quality content, gain readership, and maybe even get a little bit of cash for the effort one day.

3. Enjoy the Web 2.0/Expand My World -- Too many times my day's use of the internet goes something like this: Blogger, Yahoo! Mail, GMail, Travian, Facebook, rinse and repeat. Any time I can find a new site that opens my world a bit further is a huge plus.

KillerStartups.com helps me find programs that cover all 3 of these goals. They review startup companies in all categories, such as free blog widget sites, new social networks, and many other categories. I am really liking what I've seen so far, and will probably sign up for a couple of the social networks and blog widget sites. There are many more categories too, that's why I urge you to check it out. Find a category that interests you and scan the 25-50 pages worth of new sites that could become the next big thing on the web. You might not learn something new from the site, but you'll certainly have a new experience every day with this great new page!