The first iPod commercial

I remember seeing the very first Apple iPod commercial back in 2002 and thought it was great. This was before the color "silhouette" commercials became popularm and it demonstrated the power of taking your own content with you. The iPod would go on to rule the world of digital music as millions probably started dancing in front of their PCs like the guy in this commercial spot. I still giggle watching it :-)

Buffett's predictions from 1999

This article is worth a look if you follow Warren Buffett...

Pat Green Concert, November 11, 2006

This was a great concert last Saturday night at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma that was just completed this summer. Now there's a bit of Vegas even in Oklahoma City!

Pat Green puts on one hell of a show for a Texas guy :-)

Nice Fake Mac Ad

This is the damn funniest "fake" Apple MacIntosh ad I've ever seen. Highly recommended for everyone, but especially WindowsXP fans. Heh.

Malnourished with fruits and veggies

This blog post over at Xtend-Life says it all -- we're all eating fruits and vegetables culled from overextended growing "factories" and if there were vitamins and minerals in these fresh products before, they have since disappeared in the name of corporate profits and very inferior products.

The word on warranties: Don't bother

Do you buy warranties on anything you purchase these days? I am especially wary -- and you should be too. Why? Because strangely, things rarely break these days.

Blogosphere Leaders and Losers

This is a great but simple rundown on why some bloggers matter and many don't -- even if the bad ones are quite intelligent. Call it the "monetary psychology" of the blogosphere these days.

The Death of Radio

Sometimes John Dvorak is a little snarky, but he' right on here regarding the sad state of regular radio broadcasting. Long live satellite radio and podcasting!

Although this is the second post in a few weeks about terrestrial radio, it's one thing that I have given up as of January 2006. It's gone, out of my life and not at all forgotten. That industry is in a slow demise. Poor babies.

The Demise of Radio

This blog post over at Newsome.org reminds me why I haven't listened to a lick of terrestrial radio in about nine months. Way (way) too many annoying ads, boring playlists and sappy deejays and a complete waste of my time. Buy XM or Sirius and take control of your listening. I had XM until recently but plugged in the Sirius One (I love this thing!) and will *never* go back to terrestrial, commercialized ClearChannel radio. With iPod integration, gigs of music at your fingertips and with satellite radio on the playing field, radio can't -- and will not -- survive unless they are able to stuff 51 minutes of ads per hour into the programming. I am sure that will really drive people to the radio then (chuckle). It's called "market disruption", ClearChannel -- look into it, innovate a little (HD Radio is bleh, boring -- no added value) -- then call me back.

Over and out.

Lawmaker wants to shoot Madonna into space - Sep 14, 2006

For crying out loud -- with all else happening in the world, some goofy Russians are -- well, trying to get into the news with cheap parlor tricks I guess.

National TV debut...of sorts

Well, after folks at AOL (one of the companies I contract with) telling me that Ask.com was running national television ads featuring a quote from yours truly, I finally saw that spot on TV today while chewing through an episode of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. I tried to catch the ad during the recent U.S. Open, but alas, it was hard for me to watch tennis this year with so much else going on, so I missed it on prime-time.

The full-page New York Times ad that came out at the end of July featured my quote as well alongside Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal, so it was kind of cool -- make that *very*, super-like cool -- to see my quote in a national television commercial. The link to the commercial I grabbed from my DVR is below in Windows Media format if you want to take a peek (3.9MB).

Download the Ask.com commercial

How to Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger - WikiHow

Someone who just doesn't get it...for the most part.

Remembering 9/11

Although I was safe in the Midwest the morning of 9/11/01, nobody alive at that moment in time will ever forget what transpired on that day here in the good 'ole USA. To that, please take a moment of silence today to remember those lives and those still living that were forever affected by this terrible trajedy five years ago today. Peace all.

One of those surreal moments

This was one of the weirdest cloud formations I've seen in quite some time, and was snapped while driving to my stepbrother's 40th birthday party this past Friday. The sun was coming out of the top of the cloud formation in a very neat but odd sight. Maybe it was a sign of things to come, as I would not make it home that night. Thank goodness for extra beds somewhere in the vicinity ;-)

Thursday night paradise

There's just nothing better than enjoying a Jamastran cigar, a Red Stripe Jamaican beer and then settling in to enjoy the original CSI in HD and 5.1 surround. Who said Thursday nights weren't perfect?

The Internet is a series of tubes

This is Jon Stewart at his best over at YouTube. It shows just how hopeless our government is regarding telecommunications technology that has shaped, and will continue to change, the face of the U.S.

NBC launches news vlog

NBC launches news vlog

You know when NBC and Brian Williams decide to have the top stories available as "video podcasts" -- or vlogs -- that online media is yet again changing the way Americans consume media.

New York Times to change format, revenue disappoints

New York Times to change format, revenue disappoints

Dont'cha just love when predictions come true? The New York Times, which has steadfastly refused to bow to the power of real-time Internet media and bloggers -- among other things re-shaping the world -- is changing up its operations in a huge way.

Welcome to the 21st media century, NYT.

My last travail into brick-n-mortar retail

As many of you do, I "sometimes" visit physical retail stores to sample products and just look around. Specifically, I am talking about electronics stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. Strangely, I enjoy shopping at Circuit City much more now because the stores are much, MUCH quieter (no loud hip-hop blasting over the speakers where it makes concentration hard). Yes, Circuit City has much less foot traffic than Best Buy, so this is not really a good thing for Circuit City.

Anyway, since I rarely buy anything directly from Best Buy anymore -- they are my "touchy-feely" showroom before I go online to Amazon or Buy.com and save oodles of money with no taxes and free shipping -- I occassionally wil buy something there just to try it out. Hey, they have a 30-day return policy if you're unsatisfied, and I take full advantage of it :-)

The reason I rarely shop there has a little to do with how high their prices are compared to finding the exact same product online for much cheaper (eBay, Buy.com and Amazon always toast Best Buy's prices), but it's how I'm treated when, gasp, checking out. I constantly am pitched magazine subscriptions and extended warranties just trying to buy a disposable MP3 player or USB flash key. They way the checkout clerks try to personalize this line blows my mind: "Sir, with your MP3 player purchase today, you're qualified to try any of these free magazines -- which would you like today"? That's a pretty hard direct sales pitch, with a semi-decent close line. I'd love to have been in the slightly-above-minimum-wage training session where they drone this line into checkout employees, who say it like a badly-acted, robotized stage line without emotion or even eye contact. Jeez Louise. I could be buying a loaf of bread at Best Buy and I'd get the same treatment: "Sir, because of your purchase of Wonder Bread today, ....". More Best Buy marketing genius at work. It's the exact same EVERY time I buy any item at Best Buy. You know what? Not only do I not buy anything at Best Buy any longer -- even to try out -- I don't visit its stores in person or online as well, unless there is something only they have that I need, which is rare. I don't need stupidly-pitched hard upsells when buying a $50 MP3 player, nor do I need an extended warranty on that $35 clock radio.

Recently, I went to make a deposit to one of my bank accounts through the drive-through at a Bank of America location. The clerk is friendly and all is well -- then, she sends my receipt for the deposit back through the pneumatic tube -- and tries to pitch me on something I never asked for. Folks, I understand suggestive selling -- from fast food restaurants (that I don't eat at, ever) trying to upsell everyone to "Biggie Size" or "Add a Coke" to this Bank of America ploy: "Sir, we'd love to give you two tickets to the Redhawks baseball game (local MLB farm club) this evening if you'd apply for a new Bank of America credit card". A credit app comes in the tube with my deposit receipt. Yes, the last thing I need is a credit card. I hate them. I carry one only, and it's balance is small. Yes, I'm one of the few who believe you should pay for things you have (I learned this the hard way), so I am not a credit junkie.

Not only did this credit card upsell come at me from a blind angle -- which was annoying enough -- the 1/2-page credit app was something I would see from a pawn shop in the ghetto or barrio. It was a half-page photocopy in both English and Spanish, and it was probably a tenth-generation photocopy since the entire app was off-center on the 1/2 page and it looked like an old newspaper article from the 1950s. This is the presentation Bank of America wants to give a new credit applicant -- let alone one that is a long-term customer with multiple accounts?

My point is this -- I know retail establishments are hiring these Harvard MBAs to increase sales and deposits -- but a second-grade education could give me these ideas. Not only do they annoy your customers, they drive customers to competitors as well. Like I said, Best Buy rarely gets my business, and this recent Bank of America upsell thing -- which I giggled at and politely dismissed to the teller -- grated on my nerves a little. These examples are not even close to being innovative marketing -- they are annoying "used car" sales pitches. Anyway, I'll reserve harsher bashing on Bank of America until I see this ridiculous credit card upsell a few more times, but I may switch my accounts to a more local bank who treats customers with respect and doesn't push things that customers never asked for in the first place.

Now you understand why I like to prefer online business and purchases if at all possible -- no annoying people and upsells, if they exist, are a click away from oblivion.

WWdN: In Exile: i meant every word i said

WWdN: In Exile: i meant every word i said

Another great post, Wil. I've sat on my back porch many a' time listening to XM via DirecTV with a glass f Merlot and a decent Macanudo or Hoyo stogie, so this post just kinda took me back there.

You lost that one, dude, but you really gained it all back. You know what I mean.

AOL News - Lay, Skilling Convicted in Enron Trial

AOL News - Lay, Skilling Convicted in Enron Trial

After having watched the Mark Cuban-produced "The Smartest Guys in the Room" recently, I've followed the Enron trial (for former execs Lay and Skilling) since February when it started. Well, today, the verdicts were read: both men were found guilty on almost every charge before them. Lay was grilled with a guilty verdict on all six counts while Skilling was found guilty in 19 of 28 charges against him. Sentencing was set for September.

And so passes the case against two wealthy executives that were at the helm of the business world's Titanic-esque collosal collapse, Enron. These convictions will no doubt be discussed at length all over the web this summer before the sentences are handed down.

In my opinion, both are receiving exactly what they deserve. And now, life goes on :-)

Why Your Boss Is Overpaid - Forbes.com

Why Your Boss Is Overpaid - Forbes.com

This article reminds me of why I made the jump from employee to self-employed last year. I've heard of tournament theory before, but this cleared it up a bit.

Classic SNL

This is one the the funniest SNL skits I've ever seen (for some strange reason). I think it's back from 1995 roughly, right? It's Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan doing the "head bop" that preceeded the movie "A Night at the Roxbury". If you haven't seen this, I'd like to take a vacation under the rock you've lived under.

Enjoy!

Google's secret weapon: simplicity

Google's secret weapon: simplicity

I've recently -- in the last year or so -- become a huge fan of Google and almost all the services they offer over the web. So much, in fact, that I've all but abandoned the "My Yahoo!" custom homepage I set up and am using Google's personalized homepage now. This on top of exclusively using Gmail (several accounts) for all my email needs, from a personal email address to one I use for newsletters and yet another for online shopping.

Why, you may ask? Well, if you know me, I'm a hard person to please, because I pick at everything for the mecca we all look for (but we just don't think about, we accept); that is, ease of use and simplicity. Way, way too much on the web is too complicated -- too many links, too few streamlined sites, too much fluff and not enough "give me what I need, intuitively" stuff.

By the way -- aren't those chairs Larry and Sergey are sitting on something out out of a Stanley Kubrick movie?

One of the reasons I have not had a home telephone in over seven years now is because I wanted simplicity: one number that went with me everywhere. That's also why I've always used just one email address with family and friends: I wanted a web-based email address that went with me anywhere: work, home, travel, even cellphone -- and so on. I stopped using Microsoft Outlook over a year ago precisely because I wanted an email system that was fast and presented a synced appearance anywhere I went -- all I needed was web access (from a computer, a web-enabled cellphone, etc.).

So there, I have one phone number and one email address - how's that for simplicity? Although I am the most detail-oriented person you'll ever meet -- and I go looking for complexity to find problems and solve them (being certified as a Black Belt in Six Sigma helps, heh) -- I am also the largest champion of simplicity and user interface (however you define it). It just needs to work. On that note, two companies who get it are Google and Apple. They are about the only ones I can think of right now. Ok, throw in any automatic toast maker with that group :-) This is the reason I recently bought a Motorola RAZR V3i -- I wanted a stylish cellphone with iTunes -- because I use Apple iTunes to listen to internet radio while I work (writing, editing, graphics, etc.) and I love its simplicity. You put that into a decent cellphone and you've got a customer.

This article over at Fast Company hit the nail on the head on why I've grown to love Google so much recently. I agree with almost everything written in this article, and the reasons brought up in the article comprise a large part why I chose to cover Google for BloggingStocks.com as a blogger/writer on the AOL Money & Finance network. Check Google's services out -- then you'll understand why I'm a Googleperson (yes, that's one word). Maybe you should become one also.

Blogging and editing next to paradise

This is where I've blogged recently on the weekend. This is a boat slip at Lake Texoma (Soldier Creek resort) owned by my dad. The first picture is looking back into the slip -- now that hammock looks inviting for a mid-70s day at the lake with a great breeze going by. If you look hard, you can see my truck at the top of the photo, way back there on actual land.

The second picture is on the same second level of the slip overlooking the calm waters of Lake Texoma. That "line" out in the water is the tire wake breaker. This is definitely not a bad place to be blogging and doing some freelance editing work on the laptop, which is perched on that table you see. Now, if I could only find a WiFi connection there in the boat slip!

We're all changing -- our DNA is, that is

X-Men may be closer than you think | CNET News.com

I guess this makes sense, since we're eating mostly junk, processed non-foods (at least in most Western cultures) and driving Hummers back and forth to the gas station every day (or every few hours). Where is the ozone layer when we need it? Growing holes every year, that's where.

Blogging Stocks

Blog some stocks, why dont'cha?

I'm happy to report being one of the neat and orderly chosen few to be a part of the largest blogging ambition yet for America Online since they purchased the Weblogs, Inc. network last October. Blogging Stocks is the new stock and finance blogging website that's tightly integrated into the AOL Money and Finance areas of the AOL portal. Check out money.aol.com to see what I mean!

Anywho, I'm covering Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) for this new, highly-visible blogging venture and we just launched this to the outside world today, 4-27-06. This is the first of its kind -- a professional, humerously opinionated blog hosted by some well-qualified people that's tightly integrated into one of the world's largest internet portals. Life is good! Check out my posts at goog.bloggingstocks.com and wmt.bloggingstocks.com.

Tech's New Headache: Feature Creep

Tech's New Headache: Feature Creep

I loved this article - another look at why companies keep delaying products until the last second, often at the expense of a successful, on-time launch. If they keep waiting for every possible feature to be included, they'll be waiting forever, always. Tech simply moves, and will always move, too fast for the two-year product planning and ramping schedule most companies think is appropriate. Not so - sorry, you gotta be quicker in this day and age, no matter how hard it is.

NIN

After seeing witnessing Nine Inch Nails in concert last night, I am again reminded why I like the band so much and have since about 1991. Sure, Trent is super talented as is his ability to assemble a cast of musicians - which can change but sounds the same - that put on a percussion and industrial techno show that is at times much like an acid trip, or whatever trips people wonks took in the 60s.

The theme of many of their songs is, of course, anti-establishment and anti-consumerism - to a point - and happiness is the world mindthink that so many of the middle class in this country seem to embrace without a passing thought to deeper thinking into the world's affairs at any given moment. This part of the presentation concert can be enlightening to many seasoned capitalism veterans (older than "in your early twenties") - and it is done very well.

The purely techno and percussion-drenched songs are an absolute blast live. It reminded me of why I liked the BMG (Blue Man Group) in Sin City last year - the act and the strict percussionals were nerve-popping and very invigorating - definitely exciting and gets you engaged in the concert. Even the slower ballads NIN performed - which were a nice break from the incessant and spine-tingling manic techno beats - were done nicely and still managed to engage the audience through Trent's vocal inflections and movements while the lyrics were sung performed - in addition to the way in which the songs were conveyed. In a sense, visual aids and creative lighting come in very handy in these ballads.

All in all - a great concert except for the chick from Maryland next to me that stunk of puke (too many beers) and the in-n-out olfactory drifting of Mary Jane juice wafting all around. For NIN to visit Oklahoma City is a very rare occurence and I'm glad it wasn't wasted. Great time, great music, and some great presentation of a few things to think about after you've gone home for the evening - or at least the next morning once your ears have returned to normal. NIN has staying power (has for over 15 years now) and even though their music grates on many people's nerves because of the sheer information overload (music, lyrics, energy, you name it - all at the same time), there is an invigorating and infectious quality to it and the way in which they convey their artistry is amazing. Well done.

Pushing the envelope

Although the satiric cartoon series "South Park" is at times incredibly raunchy and not fit for, well, even adults, I have to respect the way the creators of this series, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, exhibit freedom of speech and stand up against the power and influence of all they mock (most notable are high-powered Hollywood types). I don't always agree with the way they portray the issues that are deeply embedded in the cartoon (trust me, they are there), but nonetheless this is indicative of the freedom intended by the founders of this country.

So, reading about a possible high-level influence by Tom Cruise to repress a second showing of a recent South Park episode, titled "Coming out of the closet", I went to www.youtube.com and found the episode in its entirety and watched it. As usual, pretty hilarious. Ahh, the power of the internet over traditional media. Read this story about why a re-broadcast of this episode was pulled by Comedy Central and then head over to youtube.com (search for "Tom Cruise South Park") and watch the episode. It basically shreds the notion of Scientology to pieces as its main theme. Now, whether you are a Scientologist or not, the point I am making is that the freedom to air something like this is what makes this country great. You can vehemently agree or disagree with the artist's way of displaying a current sociological hot button, but at least it was created and is available for all to see - for that is pushing the envelope.

Ok -- since I know you want it, if you want to watch a short clip of this episode, click the "Play" button on the below window.

Greenland ice loss doubles

In this NASA article, it states facts about Greenland's ice loss in the last 10 years. You may not believe in global warming (and this article does not have scientific conclusions to suggest that), but soon we may all be living in Waterworld if glaciers continue melting at a rapid pace like this. If you live on a coast, get out now! Just kidding. I for one am glad to live in the midwest at this point in time.

Technology's effect on what it is to be here - wherever "here" is to you

I've been a fan of Mike Adams for a long time, starting with www.newstarget.com - probably the best source of holistic health information and "free" thinking I have found yet. I'll tell you that just following some of his suggestions have made me healthier in the last year than I ever have been. Losing 40 pounds was just the start of it. I've been off soft drinks and almost every liquid but water for years now, but the food part made a huge difference in my quality of life. So, again, thanks Mike.

This article was probably one of the best he's written. Although I think James Cameron (the movie director) has a pretty over-inflated ego, I respect his artistic choices in filmmaking because the underlying themes almost always have to do with the effect technology can have on the human civilization, usually in a negative way, because of our selfishness and stupidity in the "everquest" for money and power, which are true illusions for most that have one or both (like all those commas?). A favorite author of mine is Ray Kurzweil, who preaches the "tech" view of how humans are about to change/meld with intelligent machines, and this article by Mike is a great contrasting viewpoint to much of what Kurzweil writes about ("The Age of Intelligent Machines", "The Singularity Is Near"). It's worth a read (and a few "thinks") for anyone interested in anything deeper than the surface level most of us try to live at every day.

Relaxation redux

Ok, so I like to relax with my feet on the desk while blogging - don't we all? Thank goodness for WiFi and light laptops...

Mind-bender deluxe

There are some movies that make you just *think* real, real hard. After having just watched Primer for the first time last evening (thanks, Wil), my mind is sufficiently cranium-pretzeled and I will be watching it again a few more times (if not more) to more fully wrap my head around it. This is a really neat independent film, but be prepared - it will require you to pay attention and think (think think). Well worth your time if you are up to the challenge.

I think, therefore I blog...

Started a last week blogging for Weblogs, Inc. on "The Wireless Report". It's cool to be a part of such an awesome blog network, working with true professionals. I have seen the future - and it's in citizen journalism. Hope there is more to come with this great network.

Visit my blog at "The Wireless Report"

Why I dumped Yahoo! Mail for Gmail

Well, after six years of using Yahoo! Mail, I have switched to Google's Gmail service as of today.  Yahoo is slowly losing me as a customer (and a paid Yahoo! Mail Plus customer at $19.99/year) due to what seems to be Google's uncanny ability to understand the simplistic, fine grain of how users (customers) perform workflows with their services.  360 blogs ( 360.yahoo.com)?  Way to cumbersome - I would rather use a text-based blog address than something like "http://360.yahoo.com/blogname".  WAY to ugly for me to give anyone.  I like Blogger.com, which is why I keep my blog here.  I have recently become a big fan of Google's personalized homepage (www.google.com/ig) to replace my "My Yahoo!" startup page in Firefox 1.5, and it is SO nice not to have annoying advertisements in my face any longer.  The Yahoo! Finance and other pages (like Yahoo! News) just have way to many and HUGE ads that grate on my nerves.  I tried using "Remove It Permanently" and "AdBlock" Firefox extensions, but was only partially pleased with both. I would prefer a network that uses non-distracting ads (like Google).  I do not mind Google's ads in Gmail at all, and it seems ads are hard to find anywhere else on the Google network (except for standard search "paid ads", which again are not distracting and are fine with me).  Yahoo! Photos has been replaced by my Flickr account (of course, Yahoo! owns Flickr, dammit), and I just have no reason to use many (if not all) of Yahoo!'s services any longer.  I still have subscriptions to several Yahoo! Groups and keep a mock portfolio of equities I track at Yahoo! Finance, but for day-to-day news gathering, email, RSS and other needs, Yahoo! has just lost me.  Have you ever checked out Google News?  Holy cow what a cool service, and NOT cluttered with ads.  www.forbes.com is so incredibly annoying now (I have never seen so many distracting ads) that I just check Forbes' RSS feeds and go to their site when I want to read the full article.

Anyway, I even *tried* to use the new Yahoo! Mail Beta (a clone of Outlook 2003 really) and even though it was beta, it was UNGODLY slow and cumbersome.  Drag-n-drop foldered messages were so buggy (not a desktop experience at all), and the entire beta interface was so slow as to be unusable.  Granted, it was a large step up from the old Yahoo! Mail, but after using Gmail for my primary personal email and then several other secondary accounts (for newsletters, etc.), I got used to the "conversations" threading feature (which is awesome) and the sheer speed at which Gmail works over the web.  It is incredibly fast, which is the #1 thing that made me switch.  I don't know how Google does it (hiring Ph.D.'s in user interface and AI is a good start, hehe), but they seem to always get it right.  KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is a methodology they appear to follow very well and I love it.  It just works, it's streamlined, and the core competency of what they accomplish seems to be the top priority - they are not trying to be "everything to everyone" as so many other companies have tried (and failed ultimately), including Yahoo! I think.  I even like that the Gmail interface on my RAZR ( http://m.gmail.com) works VERY well and having mobile Gmail on my cellphone is fantastic, even though I did like Yahoo!'s mobile interface (very streamlined).


A Yahoo! Chief Marketing Officer recently made comments at the January 2006 CES tradeshow that they are "emotionally
connected to their users (source:Charlene Li's blog) by saying "people don't have an emotional connection with Google, but they have one with Yahoo!".  That used to be true.  I want a slick, streamlined, non-cluttered and FAST interface to the things I use
*every day* on the net.  Yahoo! no longer provides that (for me), but Google does.  Emotional connection or not, Google suits me now MUCH more than Yahoo! does, even though I admire Semel for what he has done with Yahoo! over the years.


I love this quote from January 24, 2006 as well, even though the blogosphere is blowing it ALL out of proportion. Yahoo! concedes defeat in search to Google.  This probably won't be the last.  I am seriously not trying to bash Yahoo!, but it seems Google is just more suited towards the workflow I want, as opposed to the social end like Yahoo! appears to be pushing (yes, their search engine is probably just fine, but who drinks both Coke and Pepsi? You pick a brand and stick with it). Now, I am off to test Google Talk and possibly see if I can cease using Yahoo! Messenger (which is feature-filled, but has turned into bloatware with verion 7 I think - need a "light" client).  So, Outlook 2003 has gone away (we need a Google Calendar!) and Yahoo! has as well for the most part - my email is now solely web-based using Gmail.  I can now understand why Microsoft is woried about Google.  I still use MS Word and MS Excel of course, but who knows - there could be compatible word processing and spreadsheet programs (for free, hehe) offered from Google one day that bits heavily into Micro$oft's valued Office franchise.  Competition is a good thing, no?

Zany Weather - 70 degrees and then snow

Ok, I like variety in weather and everything - Oklahoma has a perfect combination of the best of all seasons. We get winter nicely (not like the east coast or Minnesota, but nicely), we get a great spring, a very decent summer, and a gorgeous fall (think Virginia). But, we generally don't get the best of two seasons within a week. Well, January 2006 is turning into one of those beasts. It was 65 degrees New Year's Eve and it has been spring-like weather since then. Last night it *snowed* (gasp, it's winter!), and it is 29 degrees outside. Below is a picture of my front yard foyer area - about 2 inches of snow as you can see. Now, the weird thing - this past Saturday it was over 70 degrees and I was in shorts washing the truck and doing other summer-ish chores. Thursday (2 days from now), it will be near (or over) 70 degress again. So, within a week, we get SoCal-type weather, freezing temperatures, snow, and then back up to mild summer weather. Variety is good, but all within a week? All we need now is a tornado to finish the package. Bizarre. I am going to go watch The Day After Tomorrow again.

My house from space

A photo of my house using Google Earth on the PC - this is just too cool (although the satellite photo is over three years old I can tell).

Organized, intelligent chaos

Perhaps all the "hanging chad" voters in 2000 were onto something after all. Great blog post about the power of wisdom in crowds. Why Google's creators and others were (and are) prophetic. And, why these things are incredibly successful against the competition (GOOG: $465.23 as of 1-7-06).

Read the entry at The Long Tail