Some real Apple Magic...

Well, it's been a day, and they've already figured out how to load the new Mac OS on to PC based machines -- go here. There's a whole long string of comments where Mac fan boys and Win die hards trade blows back and forth. There's also the incorrect assumption that Apple is more valuable than Microsoft because it's stock is worth 4 times as much (an assumption that would be correct only is Microsoft and Apple had the same number of shares outstanding -- anyone want to bet that Microsoft has a lot more than 4 times the number of outstanding shares than apple has?). There are some very valid questions being asked, though the tend to get lost in the sniping.

• What's the best hardware configuration? That's a really good one there -- if you're hoping to get anything working worth a darn it would have to fall within the razor thin scope of OS/X driver support. Intel processors are probably a good start, as are intel chipsets (though which one, I don't know). Most Macs used to run ATI video cards (although that may have changed some as time went on). Sound and network? got me...
• Can I dual boot with Windows? I can see the wanting too, but while Windows will frequently be a friendly dual booter, OS/X never had to and probably won't want to know. Having said that -- 2 separate hard drives in the machine, and a simple change of boot order during system start up is alwasy an effective method of dual booting.
• Why don't you post the hacked files? Ok, it's a valid, but extremely stupid question -- the answer being he doesn't want the pants sued off his butt by Apple. Duh

I can see where this would be lots of fun from a geek standpoint -- heck, I might even try it some day. But since I already have a Mac that runs and older version of OS/X and I'm not really excited at all about it, it's not exactly a priority for me.

Of course, the voice synthesizer and read function is pretty cool...

As If...

Yeah, it's another iPhone grump. This time it's the new commercials where an average, everyday person stands in front of the black backdrop and tells how his/her life is so much better now that s/he has an iPhone. For instance, the ballet dancer who can take pictures during a performance while it's happening and make posts to her blog on the spot. Yeah, been there, done that -- without the iPhone -- click on the "On the Road" blog and see how the Blueman Group concert unfolded. All done with a phone that didn't cost me anything more than a 2 year contract renewal. Then there's the guy who carried an iPod, and a digital camera, and a phone, and another phone for texting -- now he carries 1 iPhone. For the past 2 years I've carried a phone that had a camera, and an mp3 player, but it kind of sucked for texting. The new phone has an actual keyboard (as well as the mp3 player and camera) so texting is actually pretty easy. I'm almost considering adding an unlimited messaging plan and using it a lot more often. Since I didn't spend $300+ for an iPhone I could afford to do it.

I've actually seen a real iPhone -- it seemed nice enough. It looked good, and had a nice heft to it -- but it aparently doesn't take much to make it look really beat up real quick. Heaven help you if you break that big screen, but at least you don't have a flip to worry about breaking (and the double hinge flip on my phone looks as though it could be a problem point in the future). It's a nice phone, but come on -- it's not the holy grail...

Middle school pill popping...

The debate has been going on lately about the school district making birth control pills available to girls as young as 10 without the knowledge or consent of the parents. The common arguement in favor of this is "How is this different than giving away condoms to these kids?"

First off, I'm reading this on the blogs written by women -- if you gals don't know the physiological effects of the birth control pill, you probably shouldn't be taking them. Do you ever listen to the list of side effects and possible problems they list during any commercial for these pills? Do you want someone giving a medication to your child without your knowledge and consent? The only possible problem associated with a condom would come from a latex allergy.

Having said that, I decided long ago that when my daughter reached the physical age where pregnancy prevention was relevant, we would take her to a Gynocologist and discuss the pill option with her. Regular (and milder) periods and the help with acne are the kind of things any young adolescent girl would appreciate. And as a guy, I know that some boys don't understand the meaning of 'NO', and while I hope and pray my daughter never meets one of those guys -- I would at least know she wouldn't have to worry about pregnancy too...

J.C.V.D.

This is too good to pass up....

Facebook

I have both Myspace and Facebook pages -- and I've noticed something. I really am too old for Facebook.

I made the mistake of commenting on a semi-religous group and then spent the next several days explaining it. The kids are certainly earnest -- but contrary to what they believe, they don't know half of what they think they do. Sure, they're book smart -- they know a lot of facts, and have listened to a lot of teachers tell them what they should know. I'm smart too (130 IQ is still a fairly decent one supposedly) and I've spent 42 years dealing with real people, with real problems and real experiences. I've seen the science and knowledge they trust in so much change, and flex, and bend everytime someone discovers someold fact is wrong. They really can't concieve of how fast things change, and yet how much things stay the same. They're kids who've always had computers with graphical user interfaces, never seen gas prices below a dollar, never watched breathlessly as a man walked on he moon. When I was their age, I suppose I thought a lot like they did, so I guess I'll give them a break.

But I'm too old to play their games anymore...

AL a GOREical...

I've been looking at some editorial cartoons featuring Saint Albert this morning...

I would actually like to see Gore in the running this year -- simply because I dislike and distrust both Hillary and Rudy that much.

The inconveniencies can be found here. The Al Gore Science fiction link on that page will take you through an item by item rebuttal to his entire book/movie. Here's another one in the same vein...

Then there's the matter of his personal life...


Some folks have noticed the Saint Al does not always practice what he preaches....

And I thought my Ameren bill was outrageous...

Finally, there's the matter of his personal "growth"...




While the fat jokes might be heading towards that line, this next one offers an interesting perspective...

There were others that were digs at Bush and Hillary, and a few mentions of his son's proving that a Prius can go over 100 mph. I don't really support Saint Al for president, but like I said before, I'd rather have him than the leading alternatives right now...

The end of the season...

...and I don't mean baseball. The F1 series has it's last race October 21 in Brazil, and the 3 leaders are within 7 points of each other. For race fans, this is an unbelievably cool situation.

It ended up this way, thanks to rain during the last 2 races. Although Hamilton won the race in Japan, Alonzo ended up crashing out -- and earning no points in the series (although a lot of guys who hadn't done well so far made it tino the points). Kimi managed to make the podium and remain within shooting distance. At the race in China, Hamilton managed to slide into the gravel trap as he was heading into the pit for new tires taking himself out of the race, and the points, and letting Kimi win the race.

So as they head into the last race, Kimi pretty much has to hope that Alonso and Hamilton get into a heated battle for the lead and take each other out. If Hamilton finishes better than 6th (and within 3 places of Alonso) he wins it regardless of what Kimi does.

Another little bit of drama -- Fillipe Massa is Brazillian, and this is his home track. You know who the crowd will be rooting for...

Alfred Nobel is spinning in his grave...

Al Gore wins the nobel prize. For what? Did he invent a cure for some horrid disease? Did he spend vast sums of time and money helping the poor and afflicted? Or did he write, produce, and star in a long form, wide screen, party political broadcast on global warming filled with inacurate and misleading information? Global Warming is real right? Hey, you can't argue that the Earth has been gradually warming -- it has been since the '70's when it came off a gradual cooling spell. The question is, is it a natural thing for the planet to do, or is it evil man that's doing it. Main stream media has been blasting the Gore party line for years, so go here to hear (as Paul Harvey used to say) the rest of the story.

I normally wouldn't care one way or the other -- most winners are left wing darlings or intellectuals who are either eggheads, or dealing with stuff the average person couldn't even begin to understand. But in this case, it could be a very big deal -- will this be the event to push Al Gore into the presidential race? Strangely enough, I say go for it! I've said before, my biggest fear is having to decide between Hillary and Rudy, which is a bit like choosing death from firing squad or death by hanging -- the outcome either way stinks. I would vote for Rudy before Hillary, but I would rather vote for Gore than Rudy. And I bet I'm not the only one...

PS. It's hard for me to take Nobel Prize talk seriously ever since people started pushing former Illinois governor George Ryan for the prize when he emptied Illinois' death row. Soon many of those former death row inmates will be able to thank him in person -- once he finally starts serving his prison sentence for his corruption conviction.

Behold the dragon is vanquished...

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/...

MSN had an article today on how WalMart is slipping and heading down the slippery slope of market domination. I won't go into the details, just click on the link above for that. But while you're reading the article, notice how many times they point out that customers are shopping elsewhere because of the crowds of people they have to deal with when they shop at WalMart.

Then savor the irony of it all...

Stoopid Ad II

The Visa check card commercials.

Yeah, I know it's convenient. I use mine so much I have a bad habit of losing track of my check book for those things I actually write checks for. But the commercials imply that the world stops when you whip out a check book or (God Forbid) cash. But here's the reality -- not every place takes cards -- here we are getting ready to order at the spaghetti place. They don't take plastic, so I have to leave the store, drive to the cash machine, drive back and pay. How convenient is that?

They threw in some cinnamon bread -- I thought that was nice...

Stoopid Ad

From Trojan:

Evolve -- use a condom everytime.

Better yet:

Evolve -- learn how to control your sex drive rather than humping like a bunny all the time.