NW JAB

Extraterrestrials? In My Near Earth Orbit?

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:47:00 +0000

The internet is alive with alien arrival rumors for tomorrow, October 14th. What started as message board rumors blossomed into mainstream media coverage today. The story first hit Britain's Daily Star nearly 15 hours ago. As of right now, Google News is now tracking 11 mainstream media outlets running with the same story.

The interesting angle this story takes on is the reported stoppage of any bets taken by British bookies over the extraterrestrial visitation. One of the largest online booking agencies, William Hill, suspended bets after a sudden marked increase on big-dollar bets. With 1000-1 odds, a satirical bet like this coming true would render bookies insolvent in short order.

There is nothing cooler than the thought of alien invasion, honestly it would be kick-ass. Unfortunately, I cannot get past the fact that this whole rumor began with one person -a psychic dismissably named Blossom Goodchild. Internet searches reveal her rumor mentioned online as early as September 16th. Curiously, bookies stopped taking bets only within the past few days. Why the sudden surge in bets now?

In any case, I am holding out some hope for an interesting news cycle tomorrow, and will even glance up at the sky every so often. As Cascadian skies usually mean slate gray, maybe a sunbreak here or there will reveal the mothership.

The New Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Accompanying my first visit to Mt. Rainier National Park recently was the grand opening of the new visitor center in Paradise. As a recently displaced soul from the nordic tundra of Minnesota, I saw this as a good omen - mighty Tahoma was welcoming me warmly, and there was no way he would erupt on opening weekend.

As we set out on the drive from Renton, it was a crisp, cloudless morning. The view of Rainier as we headed into Maple Valley was stunning - optimistic foreshadowing I hoped. Highway 18 led to more excellent shots of the mountain from Auburn. It was one of those rare days where you could see the clear delineation of the treeline sprout from the valley and slowly disintegrate as the pine earnestly strives for the glaciated heavens.

Soon after Auburn, the trip went weird. We came upon an ignominious area called South Hill. This being my first time in Puyallup, I guess I wasn't prepared. If I had to explain Puyallup based only on what I experienced, it would go something like this:

Imagine a horrifying convergence of poor urban planning, overcommercialization, and questionable land use practices. Imagine a town centered on one main avenue, choked with traffic and throttled with stoplights. As you look either to the left or right of you, what you see is an infinitely contiguous stripmall- for miles. If one were a fan of commercial signage and billboards, this would be their Louvre.

After the South Hill area, traffic loosened up again and we were on our way to Eatonville. As we entered the central business district, we came upon another strange signpost of the trip - what appeared to be a house fire. After making sure this fire wasn't Rainier Supervolcano related, we pressed on carefully. I was able to shamelessly pull over and snap a picture of the blaze, and by then the damage was total. Perhaps this was another omen from Tahoma?

After Eatonville, the drive strengthened in beauty quickly as we began the slow ascent

to 5,400 feet. The first building we saw as we reached Paradise was the old visitor center, built in 1966 and now looking forlornly upon the crowds who have indifferently moved on down the road. As we came upon the new lodge, we were greeted by a good-sized black bear. Not fifty yards from the parking lot, the bear was a star. Fortunately for myself and every one else staring with mouth agape at this mysterious visitor, the bear's omnivore guage was set to "vegetation" and not "meat."

The new lodge at first glance is very understated - simple in its design, with a narrow, longer rectangular shape and a steep-sloping roof. The interior is a two-story open space complete with movie theatre, gift shop, and (much-needed) restrooms. Built with fir and cedar complete with the fresh-cut wood aromas, the new center instantly embraces you. As this was my first time in Paradise, the view of Rainier is unforgettable.

After travelling this far, Tahoma loomed ominously, seemingly further away than ever. The mountain commands respect. I didn't need a well-timed inferno or a chance encounter with a bear to remind me I was in instant-death territory if the volcano decided to let loose. Alas, I am placing my trust in the science of volcanology and highly recommending the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. John Muir was right - truly an alpine garden to behold.

Back in Action

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:54:00 +0000

After a long hibernation, NW Jab arises from the ashes of spencerpost. I'm returning with alot of pent-up vitriol and passive-aggressiveness.

South Metro Miscellany

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:20:00 +0000

A bittersweet day in local restaurant news.

For those that live south of the river, it's well known that the opportunities for finer dining are about as rare as Sasquatch.

Adding salt to the wound, Copper Bleu in Lakeville has unfortunately closed it's doors recently. That leaves even slimmer options...namely Enjoy! and maybe Kami Steakhouse.

The reasons for Copper Bleu's closing remains a mystery. It was a favorite of mine, as well as Mrs. Spencer Post. Their food was delicious, the atmosphere was lively, and the decor was elegant without being ostentatious or overdone.

We patronized Copper Bleu often, and are sad to see it go. The place always seemed packed, but with an alleged budget of over five million dollars, maybe it just wasn't enough. Location may have been a problem, as you were basically sitting in a Cub Foods parking lot. The wall of pine trees just didn't grow tall enough in time. It's hard to give in to the ambience when you're watching people stuff groceries into their Dodge Caravans.

More info on Copper Bleu here.

On the bright side, Apple Valley has a new Chinese restaurant - none other than Eagan's House of Wing!

I made a call to Eddie Cheng's, and they answered House of Wing.

With a start, I asked "isn't this Eddie Cheng's?"

"No, House of Wing."

"Awesome!," I shouted a bit loudly.

For any longtime South Metro residents, House of Wing is legendary. It's surprising to see them move from their longtime Eagan outpost. My first apartment was in Eagan, and I lived on House of Wing. They even delivered, which was still a rarity in these parts just a decade ago. My fried rice consumption was extraordinary.

So, realizing they moved to Apple Valley and shouting "Awesome!" a couple more times over the phone, I proceeded to grill the poor clerk with a blitzkrieg of inanity. I learned that Eddie Cheng's closed to focus on their other, more profitable locations. I learned that the House of Wing's old Eagan location was being threatened by the massive redevelopment projects going on in and around that area. I learned they still deliver (Awesome!).

To all my Eagan brethren, I am sorry for your loss. You'll just have to travel a bit further for your House of Wing fix.

You can even take the Legacy Village roundabout as a special treat!

Vikings Update: McNabb in Purple?

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:53:00 +0000

After yesterday's defeat in Green Bay and a possible injury to Adrian Peterson, this fan needed a ray of hope.

Leave it to ESPN's Tom Jackson to deliver. Or maybe it was Greg Coleman on the postgame show. Well, someone said it: Donovan McNabb might be a Minnesota Viking next year!

The Vikings haven't hurt this bad at QB since the triumvirate of Wilson, Gannon, and Salisbury. McNabb would make an instant impact. An offensive nucleus of McNabb, Peterson, and Rice could be a core that the team could build around for quite some time.

More info here and here.

Amazing Picture

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:09:00 +0000

When I get a chance to, I try to spot the International Space Station as it traverses the night sky. It's really cool- just a fast moving dot that zips from horizon to horizon within seconds.

Today, I found a picture on spaceweather.com taken by Freiderich Deters in North Carolina. He was able to take a snapshot of the ISS as it flew overhead. Better yet, it was taken as the space shuttle Discovery was undocking!

Taken with an 11-inch telescope. More info here.

If you are ever interested in catching the ISS as it flies overhead, click here.

Amazing!

True 3G in Minneapolis?

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:30:00 +0000

I woke up this morning to a pleasant surprise. It appears AT&T/Cingular has finally rolled out their UMTS data network in Minneapolis!

The Twin Cities has been awaiting a true wireless high speed data network for quite awhile now. Up until now, all of those flashy features promised in commercials were out of reach for us. Especially those iPhone commercials - just a cruel tease for AT&T/Cingular folks in the Twin Cities. GSM/GPRS around here has been dial-up speed at best - often slower than that.

Lo and behold, I glanced at my PDA today, and noticed something odd. The little "G" icon on my screen representing the GPRS signal is now a "U" for UMTS.

Sensing higher speeds in my future, I popped open IE and went to slate.com, drudgereport, etc. Much faster!

I confirmed my suspicions through some old contacts at AT&T, and it's true! Speeds are now 1.8Mbps, about the average speed of DSL around these parts.

For a nice comparison, here is an example:

Old "G" Icon

New "U" Icon

Almost seven years since it was first discussed, Minneapolis AT&T customers finally have true 3G! Huzzah!

This Week in Politics - Minneapolis Edition

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:46:00 +0000

The Good Guy himself was in town yesterday stumping for Hillary. Although I was unable to make it (press pass request failed), I sensed his presence from my office a couple buildings over. He was at the Graves 101, our ultra-fancy new hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

Pres. Clinton was able to lay the smackdown on one heckler, who wisely advised us that 9/11 was an inside job. Personally, I am impressed at the heckler's ability to escape the lethargic confines of his mother's basement and show up for the fundraiser. After all, being there is half the battle.

More info here

In other news, our Governor, Tim Pawlenty, is currently in India with a US trade contingent. Similar to The Mind's trade trip to China and Cuba, Mr. Pawlenty is selling the state of Minnesota to potential trade partners across the subcontinent.

Pawlenty has already made inroads, signing a sister-state deal with the Indian state of Haryana.

What is interesting to me is the reception of Pawlenty's trade missions compared to Ventura's. Jesse's trips were constantly derided as pointless and a waste of taxpayer money.
On the other hand, Pawlenty is "getting down to business" and "timely" in his visit to India.
This just goes to show how detested Ventura was in the press, and how the media is able to spin any story in the manner they see fit.

In RNC 2008 news, the GOP are now aghast at the thought of hundreds of homeless people hogging the cameras during the convention. As it turns out, the renowned Dorothy Day Center is just across the way from the Xcel Center in St. Paul. Although the GOP has sent a welcome wagon to the homeless shelter, and even had volunteers man the soup-line, the truth is that they want the shelter closed for the duration of the convention. GOP officials deny this claim, so we shall see what fate awaits the Dorothy Day come convention time.

Calamity List

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:14:00 +0000

So many calamities, so little time!

Oil

After busting through the $90 price level yesterday, barrels of oil have eased a bit as of this writing. Still, almost ninety bucks a barrel seems ludicrously high. Remember the panic last year as oil was poised to break $60 a barrel? In 2005, this was uncharted territor y.

So what's the deal with the oil prices? The main culprit appears to be the crushing devaluation of the US dollar. As oil is priced in US dollars, Americans are paying the price, while other countries with stronger currencies are gobbling up oil as fast as possible. Combine that with the rumors of Turkey making incursions into Iraq, and we may be looking at $100 barrels very soon.

We'll see if all those alternative energy experts are right when they say $100 oil makes other sources economically viable.

Credit Crunch

No worries here folks, there is no credit crunch, the worst is over!

Despite the constant spinning by optimistic analysts, the worst is far from over. To seek the truth, it's always best to follow the money. And when times get bad, money goes into treasuries. Today, treasury notes hit their highest levels in five years.

The dreaded spillover into other industries seems to have begun. Hershey, the candy colossus, has reported a significant drop in profits due to credit vulnerabilities of their distributors and other partners.

Another rate cut seems inevitable, although this could further devalue the dollar. It's a continuous feedback loop of calamity!

WWIII

Those crazy Turks and their jingoistic rhetoric! Wait...some new information coming in. Seems our very own President Bush has upped the ante and is threatening WWIII if Turkey continues with their nuclear plans.

Which brings me to the sad disconnect Americans have in differentiating the state of Iran with the people of Iran. No other Mid-East country's citizenry is more pro-America than the Iranians, and this point is always lost among the bloviations of our pundits war hawks. We are failing miserably in the battle of hearts and minds.

Seek the truth!

Happy Blog Action Day?

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:42:00 +0000

Woohoo, Blog Action Day! I am so excited! About what, I am not sure yet, but it is definitely exciting!

I guess I am supposed to write about the environment, so I figured what better than to point out environmental hypocrisy!

Let's start with a doozy: did you know that if you are pro-environment, you are an evil liberal? It is your right to desecrate the land! God will replenish everything - nothing to worry about here, move along!

Another good one is the hypocrites that don't even know they are hypocrites. You know, like the vegetarian who wears leather shoes. Below is a picture of two activists opposing the use of plastics:

Ladies, I commend your activism, and I too deplore the frenetic disbursement of free radicals around the globe. Just think your strategy through. The gratuitous plastic handle of the shopping cart doesn't help the cause. Or is that an example of how to sensibly utilize plastic?

One problem that is hindering the cause is that we have the wrong proponents. For example, John Travolta. How can he be taken seriously when he lives here:

What the...? This guy dares to preach to me about taking care of the environment? The movement will not be taken seriously until we ditch the actors and utilize real experts.

And now for my personal favorite, environmental license plates on huge Urban Assault Vehicles!

The picture is blurred to protect the driver/operator of this urban tank, but we see it all the time. Save the environment on 8 mpg! And don't come back to me with the straw man "conservationism vs. environmentalism" argument. Both ideologies are essentially after the same solution: protecting the environment for future generations.

Bottom line is this: Be good to Mother Earth, and think your plans all the way through before espousing on how to save the environment.

Happy Blog Action Day!

New RNC 2008 Logo

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:34:00 +0000

The GOP today unveiled the new RNC logo for the 2008 convention in Minneapolis:

Oooh, aaaah.
Notice the Democrat Red used for "2008"? Dastardly!

This Week in Politics

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:18:00 +0000

Poor Fred Thompson. The media spotlight's been on him for months, breathlessly awaiting his Grand Announcement. Now, here we are post-announcement and he's getting about as much press as Brownback. The non-excitement seems palpable in Iowa, where Mr. Thompson has to coax applause from the crowd. Where did it go wrong? The GOP base has basically anointed him the next Reagan without hearing a word. Now that they are hearing Thompson, he's coming across more Bonzo than Reagan. He won't commit, cannot articulate his positions, and is not a big fan of the meet and greet. Mr. Thompson needs to get focused and start taking chances. He needs to be out there speaking his mind, grabbing headlines. It may be risky to actually talk about issues, but that's kind of what we expect from candidates for President of the United States.

But, as my Republican friends like to remind me, it's still early.

Yes, the GOP is a mess. 9/11 remains the front runner, despite the veiled threat by James Dobson to vote for a third party if he wins the nomination. Mitt Romney is raising alot of cash, but he's Mormon (not that there's anything wrong with that). As I have written before, do not count McCain out. Even though Dobson and his ilk despise the man, McCain has the broad appeal of 9/11, without all the personal baggage. I firmly believe McCain will be a strong candidate well into 2008.

Meanwhile, there is relative peace in the Democrat camp. Hillary continues to improve in national numbers, crushing Obama by a mind-boggling 33 points in the latest polls. I must admit I do like Hillary, but I like Obama even more. He's the one candidate on the Dems side that attacks issues and discusses them, whether it helps or hinders his candidacy. The bottom line is that he is confident in what he speaks of and is quite erudite. So what if he talks hypotheticals, that is what voters want to know. What would you do if___?

Plato would approve of Obama, as he is the philosopher-king of this election.

Back to Hillary for a moment. Peggy Noonan wrote today about the Bush/Clinton fatigue factor. While there is some truth to the dangers of handing the Presidential reigns over to family dynasties, I am having a hard time digging up a Noonan column on Bush's campaign in 2000. I find it convenient that this piece comes out over Hillary's efforts. When Jeb runs in 2012, I will be looking for Noonan's opinion then.

Top 4 New TV Shows of 2007

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:12:00 +0000

Another new season, more of the same. Hey, have you checked out Chuck on NBC? No, not Ed -that was the other smarmy show from a couple years ago. Oh, what about Journeyman with Scott Bakula?
Not all is Lost, however. There are some new shows this season that are actually quite entertaining, and chock full of originality!

4. Cavemen
I think I tuned in to this for the schadenfreude of seeing a television show fail at such a degree that ABC would have to shut down out of pure shame. Was I in for a surprise. The show is not that bad...even (gasp) funny. The Ikea scenes (Norskbild I think they call it) were priceless - I do hope Nick Swardson stays on. He bumps the funniness up a few notches automatically. The breakout star of this show will be Maurice, played by the same actor from the Geico commercials. Although he is not one of the three main characters, Maurice steals every scene he is in. Look for this show to grow some legs as the season goes on.

3. The Big Bang Theory

If there is one thing that a nerd like me finds annoying, it is the innacurate portrayal of nerds on television. If you have to mock us, at least get it right. The Big Bang Theory makes that attempt at realism, and for the most part succeeds. I do like the character played by Johnny Galecki, who plays a good geek. Geeks really are the new jocks, and this show is bringing that fact to the forefront.

The entire spectrum is represented within the show. One dork, two nerds and a geek. Plus the hot chick from 8 Simple Rules. Mix them up with geeky humor written by people who know science and mathematics, and that equals an entertaining 30 minutes.

Ultimately, television reflects reality to a point, and a show like this stresses the fact that geeks are the new arbiters of pop culture.

2. Bionic Woman

As geeks are the new avatars of American pop culture, television is now full of sci-fi and fantasy shows. Of all the newcomers, Bionic Woman has the best chance of sticking around. The premise was set up nicely, and the tone is alot darker than the original.

If one thing brings down this show, it's the horrid special effects that afflict all network television shows. Heroes suffers the same fate. It is hard to ignore the pure cheesiness of the special effects and enjoy the action scenes. This has been a problem since the original Star Trek, and it just doesn't seem to get any better. Nonetheless, the plot and action scenes are great otherwise, and should continue to be an interesting show.

1. Reaper

Now here is a show that you would expect on FX or Showtime. Heck, even the special effects are better than Bionic Woman. Plus, this show is on the CW - how can that be? The premise is that a twentysomething guy was sold to the devil long ago by his parents, and now must work for Satan himself as a bounty hunter. What more do you need to know? Already sounds awesome, right? Interesting premises come and go, but this show delivers the goods. If Dead Like Me and Shaun of the Dead were to mate, the offspring would look alot like this show.

One question is how did the CW land this gem?

WOW Signal Part Deux?

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:17:00 +0000

Researching data from a 2001 survey, astronomers on Thursday caught a massive burst of radio waves coming from approximately three billion light years away. Only lasting a fraction of a second, the signal came from the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Even though they were surveying the nearby galaxy, the signal came from a much more distant source. The weird thing is that the signal did not repeat as a pulsar would.

Cool stuff, definitely unprecedented. The latest theory is that the signal was the last gasp of a dying black hole.

More info here

Top 5 Internet Memes of 2007

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:02:00 +0000

There's a meme born every second. Some are funny, some are lame, and most are instantly forgettable . However, there are a few that elevate themselves above the rest, gaining the ability to stay in our collective conscience for more than a day or two. The below list represents the five most impactful and visible internet memes of 2007, for better or for worse.

5. This/QFT/Want/Do Not Want

Perhaps the most annoying of the recent memes is the continued destruction of original thought and desecration of the written word. Half of all posts on any message board or forum will contain one of these four phrases/acronyms. These one word responses are used in lieu of actual thought and/or creativity, as our ADD + caffeine-addled brains can't seem to process much more than that. At this pace, we'll be reduced to grunting and staring at pretty colors in no time.

For those new to the internet, "this" and "qft"(quoted for truth) are used as a form of agreement. For example:

Post 1: Thomas Edison himself did not invent major breakthroughs. He often took credit for the ideas and inventions of others and most of his patents were little more than improvements on already existing products

Response: QFT!!1

"Want" and "Do not want" are used in the same vein, although it usually revolves some picture of a hot chick.

4. Chocolate Rain

This unfortunate little tune went on to conquer YouTube over the summer, just another video in a long line of freaks of the week. What made this one stand out was its ability to escape the internet and hit the mainstream. Coworkers that could barely find the Start button were singing it in their cubes. People were asking how to get the CD, or what radio station was playing the song.

Tay Zonday broke free of the Promethean chains of the internet, if only for 11 days or so.

3. Chris Crocker

The latest in YouTube celebs is one Chris Crocker, whose emo-stained rant about Britney Spears has been heard on just about every talk radio program in the country. Not much more can be written about this, as I have an unrelenting urge to move off the grid every time I here about this guy. Performance art or attention whore? You decide.

2. Lolcats
It is true that lolcats have been around for a while now, but 2007 has definitely been the breakout year. So much so that I can't stand them anymore. I don't even participate in Caturday anymore.

Ok fine, I still love monorail cat.

1. Rickroll'd

Rickrolling, the new dastardly trend sweeping the nets. The idea is to trick readers into clicking a link that promises them the hottest new picture, song, news article, etc. Instead, you get a nice little Rick Astley music video circa 1987.

"Never Gonna Give You Up" was a catchy little tune for its time that sounds woefully out of place in 2007. Additionally, the video is shockingly bad and full of "wtf?" moments. I myself have been rickroll'd several times, and I can't...stop...watching.

Click here for screenshots of the next-gen iPhone

Calamity List

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:39:00 +0000

It's time for the weekly look at what is going to Bring Down America. They say that sex sells, but so does impending doom.

1. The Loonie
The Canadians are gonna take over the world! Ok, maybe not, but that was my Pavlovian response to the latest drudgereport headlines.
So, what is the real deal behind this parity with the Canadian dollar? No more cheap prescriptions for the old folks hightailing it to Thunder Bay. No more cheap Molson. More Canadian tourists at Disneyland.

On a serious note, parity doesn't mean much of anything. When looking at the currencies individually, it may be a bit unnerving to see a weaker US dollar. When looking at those dollars in a macro sense, the US dollar is light years beyond the Canadian dollar in terms of purchasing power, personal income, and over economic influence worldwide.

In addition, the Canadian dollar is inflated in value due to the decline in the US dollar, not because of exponential growth in all things Canadian. When the US dollar bounces back, the loonie will return to normal levels rather than maintain parity.

2. Ahmadinejad vs. Ground Zero
I may be missing the point about all this hoopla surrounding Ahmadinejad's desire to visit Ground Zero. There are two major memes floating around the internet that are quite disturbing. First of all, Iranians are Persian. Are they Arabian like the internets seem to believe? No. Second of all, Iran has never been complicit in the events of 9/11. The current thinking seems to be Osama=Iraq=Iran. Not only is this a major fallacy in thinking, it is a deep misunderstanding of world cultures.

However, I do have misgivings about Iran in that they are supporting terrorism in their own right. How can we rightfully allow this man to visit the most sacred memorial on American soil - a site that is a direct result of terrorism?

The answer is that we allow him to visit because we are America. Despite our tensions with Iran, we are still America. Just the thought of us allowing a diplomat from a terrorist-supporting nation to visit Ground Zero is a testament to our openness and freedoms. Are we the land of the brave or the land of the meek? By not allowing Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero, we have given in to our fears.

3. OJ Simpson
The Great American Bogeyman is back, but not with the same flare as before. I guess robbery just doesn't capture the zeitgeist as a good old-fashioned murder.

Despite the overall indifference from everyday Americans, the media is trying their best at hyping this is OJ Trial 2008.

There are just too many "wtf?" moments about this entire episode. Why did Riccio call up OJ, suggesting they go get his stuff, then turn around and stab him in the back a la TMZ.com? Setup much? What the heck is going on with that other guy that stormed the breach with OJ, pretending to be a cop? Wasn't OJ just trying to get his stuff back? All these questions and more will most assuredly be answered in the coming weeks.

Until then, as Tupac once said, "...free like OJ, all day."

We Can Read Friedman Again!

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:09:00 +0000

And I was this close to signing up for Times Select. No, seriously.

The universe is in balance once again. The New York Times has elected to dimantle their paid subscription service in order to increase ad revenue. The theory is that by giving away their stash of information gold to the masses, the increased web traffic will outstrip the subscriptions in revenue.

Hooray capitalism!

More info here

Ode to Sunday Night HBO

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:27:00 +0000

I've been a holdout, refusing to give in to conventional wisdom and concede that HBO is over. However, after last night, I've grabbed my hammer and nail. The coffin that is HBO Sunday Night is coming along quite nicely.

Tell Me You Love Me (Sun. 9pm EST.)
As with every new HBO show, I'm giving it a shot. Even though I saw the previews and caught the blatant Sopranos-inspired therapeutic theme, I figured there had to be something more to it. And there is something more to it - poorly done pseudo-porn. I'm all for sex scenes like any other red-blooded male. Sex scenes never bore me - heretofore an impossible notion. That is, until I watched Tell Me You Love Me.

The root cause behind this boredom is the fact that I loathe these characters. All of them. Every scene is a depressing look at domestic life at various stages. There is no happiness here. There are no lighthearted scenes filled with loving banter and knowing glances that help character development. Every scene is a downer filled with whiny people. Any good drama would intersperse these tension-filled moments strategically, enhancing their impact as they develop. What this show does is bludgeon you over the head with whiny, depressing situations...over and over again.

Again, I enjoy high drama when done right. There is some realism to these couples and the inner workings of real relationships. The key for the show is to juxtapose their issues with other aspects of their lives. The viewer has nothing to contrast these characters with. As it is, we're left with comparing how the couples handled one argument over the last.

Which brings me back to the sex scenes. Since we have no emotional interest in these characters and know nothing of them other than their problems, the steamy scenes feel out of place. And sure, there may be a bit more nudity, but come on, we all have the internet. Nothing new here.

Perhaps these scenes are meant to be cold and lifeless to reflect the overall health of their relationships. If so, mission accomplished. But it's leaving the viewer bored.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sun. 10pm EST.)
After two episodes into the new season, I'm already afflicated with the same concerns I had with last season: the notion that I've seen this before.

The situations may not be exactly the same, but it's hard to not to get that deja-vu feeling. That Larry, at it again! I hate to bring out the f-word here, but Curb Your Enthusiasm is feeling forced.

I remain a humble servant of all things Larry David, so I will continue to tune in. I am just hoping for more. I know the newness of the premise is long gone, but there has to be something better than getting laughs out of innuendos and misconceived ideas that lead to uproarious misunderstandings. If I wanted that, I'd fall back to the masterful duelings of Jack Tripper and Mr. Roper.

Amazing Picture

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:25:00 +0000

Below is an image of a nuclear explosion one millisecond after detonation

From the book 100 Suns, by Michael Light
More info here
Amazing!

Calamity List

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:57:00 +0000

The top three troublesome stories of the week:

1. Ebola
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston was written over twelve years ago, but it's as relevant as ever. People tend to dismiss troublesome issues like Ebola when everyone stops writing and talking about it, but unfortunately the flesh-eating disease is still around.

Link to latest AP article

The Congo region is seeing a major outbreak of the Ebola virus. From the article:

At least 167 people have died in the affected region over the last four months, and nearly 400 have fallen ill, according to Congolese health officials. But experts suspect many of the cases could be shigella, a diarrhea-like disease, or typhoid. At the early stages, both diseases have symptoms similar to Ebola.

2. West Nile
Another disease of the moment that won't step out of the limelight once the hype is over. This outbreak is a bit closer to home in Illinois.

Link to latest information from the Illinois Dept of Health

According to authorities, a victim of West Nile died in early September, bringing the total to three deaths in Illinois in 2007 due to the disease. A total of 28 people have been affected statewide this year.

3. Earthquakes
The Pacific Rim is hopping lately - especially in the Indonesian region. Four significant earthquakes in the past 24 hours - 8.4, 7.8, 7.1, 6.2.

There was even a three meter-high tsunami that came ashore, causing injuries and significant property damage.

Link to more Indonesian earthquake information

Stay safe out there!

This Week in Politics

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:46:00 +0000

Behold! The power of autumn. The playtime of summer is a fading memory. A week or so ago, we were still hitting the beaches, trying to get those last golden rays. Yesterday, I put on a sweater.

The lakeshore resorts are already empty. Morning traffic is jammed once again, the roads bloated with returning high school and college kids in cars much nicer than mine. The leaves are just turning that hue of yellow-green (green-yellow?).

People are Back to Work, and it feels good. Things get serious in September. Families get serious – back to nine months of rigorous routines and schedules. Football gets serious. The weather gets serious. And best of all, politics gets serious.

In honor of this crisp, new era that is Fall, the Spencer Post presents a new weekly round-up of the latest topics on Election 2008.

John McCain
Wow, I seriously thought this guy was down for the count. Suddenly, McCain is being talked about again. His buzz is definitely upward this week. The driver behind this sudden change in conventional wisdom appears to be McCain himself. The man is everywhere. I turn on the TV, and McCain is there. I flip the channel, McCain is there. There is a mathematical theorem somewhere dealing with the probability of McCain appearing on your TV screen within a sixty minute interval. Colbert, Leno, Stewart, Letterman, Stephanopoulos, Barnard, Harvey, Maxa - the list is honestly endless. And do not forget the repeat viewings. I honestly think McCain has been on The Daily Show every other week for the past couple months.

In any case, it appears to be working. McCain has come across more confident, more sure of himself. His strategy of supporting the war, once thought of as daft, is actually a brilliant idea. The reason is simple: McCain knows what he is talking about. Military strategy is not new to him. If Iraq isn’t neatly wrapped up in November, will voters start looking for the next War President? Do not dismiss John McCain just yet.

Fred Thompson
Mr. Thompson’s announcement this week was about as anti-climactic as Britney Spears in her new bikini. Surprisingly, Mr. Thompson did not come across like some nuvo-Gerardo like some thought he would. He’s actually seemed a bit nervous in interviews, suddenly realizing he’s in this thing for real.

So many ideals and desires have been wrought upon this man, I will be interested in what he has to say in the next few weeks. Thompson has already been given a few chances to address the issues, but so far we’re getting “I agree, that is an issue,” to “we are looking in to that.” There might be more there, we’ll see.

Link to Thompson's announcement on Leno

Democrats
Not much happening here. Everyone is far more interested in the hurly-burly of the GOP at the moment.

Crisis Averted

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:47:00 +0000

The Minnesota Vikings narrowly avoided a television blackout for Sunday's opening game. Our local Fox affiliate was gracious enough to buy the remaining tickets. I wonder what's in it for them?

Despite the last minute ticket sales, don't look for big crowds at the Dome this weekend. Aside from the 35W bridge situation, we have about a thousand road construction projects that will form the ultimate convergence of pain for anyone driving to the game. Let us review the damage:

1. 35W (left) from downtown to Highway 62 (locally known as the Crosstown), will be closed over the weekend - both northbound and southbound.

2. Streets around the Metrodome will be closed for most of the day Sunday.

3. Highway 62 (Crosstown) will be closed from Cedar Ave (Highway 77) to Lyndale Avenue - westbound only. Eastbound will remain open.

These projects present the perfect storm for anyone travelling down to the Metrodome for the game. I say good luck to all who will brave the mean streets and represent the rest of us on opening day. Have a dome dog for me.

Click here for more

Vikings Preview 2007

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:15:00 +0000

NFL season is upon us once again, and this just may be the year that the Vikings win it all. The team has all the ingredients: experienced, confident coaching, top notch defense, and a powerful QB/RB combination.

Ok, enough with Bizarro Vikings. Let's talk Reality Vikings.

Coaching
I miss Dennis Green. Honestly. I am not the only one - many Vikings faithful harbor a hidden fondness for the Green era. Say what you will about the zany quotes and unfortunate relationship with the local press, but the man won. Every year. And with what? For the most part, a bunch of no talent B-teamers. A 97-62 record in nearly ten seasons is a respectable record. And the 1998 NFC Championship? It's a little known fact that Billick made the call to take the knee - not Dennis Green. And I don't recall Green kicking field goals - local hero Gary Anderson flubbed that one. Sure, Green wrote wacky books and sued the team for ownership, but the Vikings made headlines. They were discussed. They mattered. In the end, the majority of Vikings fans will only respect a coach that reminds them of Bud Grant: stoic, ornery, and whitebread.

Which takes us to Brad Childress, the Ned Flanders of coaching. In all honesty, anyone is an improvement over Mike Tice, the Maude to Brad's Nedward. Childress is also a churlish, secretive coach that fits nicely into the staid culture we have up here in Minnesota. I secretly hope that the nebbishness of Childress is all part of the master plan - that he has a handle on the situation. It is still too early to tell, but this is definitely the make-it or break-it year for him. No more three year plans. If the Vikings underperform this season, he will be gone.

Defense
As witnessed last year, the Vikings run defense is good. Scary good. Unfortunately, teams tend to figure this stuff out, and opponents last season reverted to rinky-dink passes. Amazingly, the Vikings found themselves powerless against these schoolyard pass schemes. It was like watching a real-life version of the unstoppable Montana to Roger Craig slant pass in Tecmo Bowl. We just couldn't defend the seemingly obvious.

It does not look any better this season. There is slight hope in the return of Erasmus James and Chad Greenway. Also, the team is young. All in all, if the coaching staff has figured out how to stop 4-5 yard passes, the Vikings defense could be a sleeper success this season.

Offense
Tarvaris Jackson - the new Vick or the new Peete? Honestly, I am getting good vibes from this guy - preseason performance wasn't bad. Nothing spectacular, but the team definitely had confidence while he was on the field. The problem is our receiver corps. If there isn't anyone to pass to, will TJack be able to scramble effectively? Early word on his mobility is a cross between Babe Laufenberg and Randall (the man) Cunningham.

There is also alot of buzz around Adrian Peterson, as if he is the second coming of Dickerson. I am not convinced about this guy - once injured, terminally injured. Ok, maybe it was his hand, but it is a talisman for things to come. Chester Taylor will be the undisputed starter by midseason.

Prediction
9-7

Election 2008

waloki22@gmail.com (Matt) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:00:00 +0000

Keep in touch with spencerpost for continuous coverage of Election 2008!

We will also have local coverage of the Republican National Convention happening right here in St. Paul, MN!