Travelling, what could be worse?

Another day of traveling across this great country. I don't so much mind the traveling, I actually enjoy it. I did not enjoy paying $25 just to have clean underwear next week. Bag fees are enough to piss of the pope. But what can we do? It's not like we could all boycott the airlines...

I think what bothers me most is the absolute lack of control you have when traveling. First is the degrading barefoot march after disrobing for the TSA. That itself is on the verge of humiliating for some folks. It's also the first step for losing control. From that moment on, your day, and your life, is squarely in the hands of other people. Nothing you do is going to bring a delayed plane in any faster. No amount of angry venting is going to un-overbook the flight. No prayer known is going to decrease the weight of the fleshy flier in the seat next to you.

I suspect this is the same feeling for most folks. When you travel by air, you're in the hands of aviation professionals who, sometimes, aren't very professional. They are entirely human however, you may want to remember that, Mr. Seat 18b. You should not have called that lady that name. Granted, she is the visible source of your frustration, but she is also just a drone who knows how to do very few things. One thing she does besides call of boarding rows is RE-BOOK FLIGHTS. So, if you're really wondering why I got on the next flight out, with a please and a "thank you ma'am", and you're still stuck at O'Hare... Go figger.

So, I guess my anxiety and frustration usually just stems from that helpless feeling you get when you become a faceless number in a crowd of "passenger 57s". Whenever you surrender that elusive feeling of control to someone else, or a bunch of someone elses, this is what happens. Maybe this is why drunks and druggies don't hate airports? They never feel "in control" anyhow.

Then there are the seats. Airplane seats are designed to dehumanize you, of this I am sure. Now, I am not a small person by any stretch, but I am also not the fleshy flier either. My arse fits quite comfortably into the seat. Alas, like most humans I was born also with shoulders. The shoulders and arms are what simply do not fit on aircraft. I usually try to have a window seat, but I still don't know what to do with that other hand. It always hangs over the seat divider. So sorry, guy who came after me, this is MY armrest, go find your own. You actually end up flying the whole time holding your arms in, and god are they sore after a 5 hour flight.

Today was a good day, all my flights were on time, the seat next to me was empty and the weather was just fine. What happens at the car rental, who knows....

And that was American airlines. Today, the far end of my trip, I fly Delta. I have a new theory. Delta sux donkey arse. I guess thats a statement and not a theory so much. On American airlines, I felt like the people listened to me and my concerns. They didn't do anything about them (drones can't make substantive changes), but they listened. On Delta it's just, shove your arse on board and let's go. Flying through their major hub in Atlanta is a guarantee of at least a one hour delay.

I love flying. I hate airlines and airports

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:35,000ft above America

Goodbye George, Thank you!

I have cursed you, I have called you every name in the book and I have thought ill of you and your family. Today, I know I will miss you and that, as a fan of (what) baseball (should be), I know you were one of the giants.

You bought my team for $10 million in 1973, today it's worth $1.6 Billion. I guess we can forego any discussion of your acumen and skill.

You fired people that I admire and even loved, you tore down people who were great, even legendary. You spent money like it was going out of style. Some people think you're the worst thing that ever happened to baseball, I think the opposite, you saved it from itself. I may not have agreed with you buying the World Series, but I damn sure loved the ride! And who am I to argue... I have exactly 0% of the pennants/series that you do.

Other owners spend money now and then, and pocketed the results, maybe a pennant here, a series there. Not you, you put the money back into the team. You demanded alot, maybe too much, and you never accepted failure.

You did it all to win. Well George, no matter what anyone says about you, you will be remembered as a winner. You did what you felt had to be done. More power to ya. I met you once and you said hi, even to a nobody like me, just a fan. You cared about your team, your brand and the people that lived up to your standards, even Billy. (Come on, admit it, you liked Billy alot!!! :)

Rest in peace, George. Maybe the field of dreams needs new management?

John Cleese - Absolutely Brilliant discussion of Football...

You don't need my words for this one... enjoy

John Cleese discusses American football...

Mimi's Cafe

Quickie Restaurant Review...  Mimi's Cafe

This is the Albuquerque location.  We were looking for somewhere to eat, having just spent time and money at Woodcraft, and we had pretty much settled on Jasmine, a really nice Thai food place.  Instead, we saw Mimi's cafe next to it and said "What the hell, we'll try it."  Normally, I'm not one for chain cafe's, I mean, how good can a chain be?

One inside, I was struck with how desperately they tried to play up the New Orleans - French connection.  This is another thing that scares me, since if you try this hard with your decor, your food must not send the right message.

Well, I was right.  While the wait staff was pleasant, the atmosphere oppressive and the food was all over the map.  The Crab Cakes were so salty I thought they may have been fresh caught from the sea... then I remembered the Rio Grande is a fresh water river.  My Chicken Crepes were, at best, uninspired and depressing.  While there was a nice mix of flavors, there was nothing that bound the dish together.  The chicken was un-marinated and just sort of there as a meat.  I didn't say they weren't good, they were just ok, they did not impress or depress.



I will be going back there, I am sure though, since Pam found a fruit and walnut salad she really liked and it looked really quite good.  So, while I'm not impressed or awed with the food, I'm also not disgusted.  Most of the food was well prepared and I think I shall have to check out their pot pies next time.  Who knows, maybe it will be better.

Newsflash! France Surrenders Again! (to itself...)

Ok, so the USA, for the first time since 1930 has won a group!  Even though they tried very hard to deny us advancement, we made it.  I am sure FIFA was looking for some way to overrule that goal too, but to no avail.  This ought to get soccer some notice in the greater scheme of things...

We have been on the receiving end of the world cup's worst officiating, and we still made it.  Bully for us.

I wonder, will we remember soccer this time next month?

And this just in from the international news desk.

France has surrendered again, in world cup soccer, to itself!

South Africa, 23 June.  After getting mad enough to hurl really bad words at it's coach, the French team has reportedly ceased practicing and played an incredibly desultory match against South Africa, which they then lost, finalizing their surrender.  From the team that was #2 in the last world cup to scoring 1 goal in three games, how the mighty have fallen.  All because Anelka made the coach sad by telling him to fornicate himself...

So, in effect, they have surrendered yet again.  When the going got rough, they gave up, as men (errr Frenchmen)  will sometimes do!

Amazing!

In defense of the ignorant (Mark Zuckerberg).

Most of you know that I very rarely defend the rights of idiots to be... well, idiotic.  The time has come for me, however, to try and put up a small defense of Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Now please understand, I have fun laughing at this tool too.  He has done some amazingly stupid things lately, and I guess he still refuses to hire someone to polish his image a bit.  His latest fiasco with the iPhone has been pulled from his Facebook page (I wonder why?)

(For those of you unaware, he bought an iPhone this weekend and then posted that he had trouble with it, needed 4 chargers and a land line or some-such and got pretty soundly beaten up for being retarded.)

Lets look at his track record, lately...

- Facebook privacy issues.  Well, this was handled about as badly as anyone could have fumbled it.  He made Adrian Peterson and Eddie George look like great ball handlers.  How do you manage to blow something that big, and then continue to blow it day in/day out for so long?

- Interviews and sweatshirts with cryptic symbols.  I won't go into it, google it of you like.  Suffice to say that looking like a lost little child in front of your peers, pundits and the whole tech twitterazzi is a foolish idea.

- Posting on facebook that you're not quite as competent to manipulate an iPhone as the average...say... 8 year old.  Really dude?  Come on, you didn't really think that the whole world would see your post, have an epiphany and move back to the Palm Pre, did you?

In his defense, however I will say these two things...

1. He is 25 for god's sake.  He's also a multi-gozillionaire and CEO of a pretty heavy-hitter of a company.  At 25 most of us were burned out from college/military life and thinking about career choices.  This guy is thinking about which Bentley to drive today... the black or the yellow private jet... hmmm.  Young people are generally ignorant and have to learn by experience.  Mr. Zuckerberg is filling up his experience bag really fast and will be the better for it.


2. He wrote a massively useful and worthwhile web app (Face Book) and made it into a huge company.  Why do we all of a sudden think that this makes him a wise and thoughtful CEO and technology mover/shaker?  He is capable of making the same, or better,  stupid mistakes as anyone.  His problem is his dumb mistakes end up on CNN while ours end up on a few friends iPhones and other picture cams...  The guy has no experience in managing security postures and concerns for millions of people and made some bad decisions.  He is trying to fix them, lighten up, people.  Warren Buffet wasn't a brilliant investor at 25 (or was he, not sure, have to Wiki that one...), Bill Gates wasn't brilliant at 25... well, he was, but he made his (huge) share of mistakes too.

So let's all lighten up a bit on poor Mark.  He is getting thrashed just because he is successful.  But do remember, that he is laughing all the way to the bank, and he who dies with the biggest bank account wins.  Mark is winning...

The future comes, in some ways, quickly...

In some ways, the world is becoming very advanced.  I have to admit to being a computer nerd/geek/pundit since I can remember.  If you want to see my history with computers, here is the story. The things that we have seen in the last few years really amaze me sometimes.  We are catching up with science fiction in so many ways, even though we seem to be earth-bound without hope of exploring space anytime soon, but that is a rant for another day.

Think about it, we have communicators from star trek, we're starting to get tri-corders and I work for the company who will one day bring you the death star :)  (I work for the DOD in the Missile Defense Agency's Directed Energy program, we just successfully tested the first Airborne Laser against a bad guy Missile.)

Well, if you're like me, you watched the movie Minority Report and saw Tom Cruise using that amazing computer interface, where he just gestured and things moved around on the screen.  I know I loved that interface, even more than Hugh Jackman's computer in Swordfish. Well, here is the news... it's real.  That interface from Minority Report was, and is real.  The guy who did the tech consulting for the movie is really a Professor who does this for a living.  He recently gave a talk at TED which I will link for you here.



John Underkoffler points to the future of UI

If you think we have a future that isn't filled with civil war, zombies or alien invasions, watch this and be impressed, then wait, like me, for this to happen :)

God I can't wait for the future... oh hell, it's here now.  my iPad is calling, gotta go.

Just when you think humans are all too evil...

You come across a story like this.

Forget the inner city vs suburban slant, this was a group of young ladies, coaches and fans that realize there is more to High School Sports than winning and losing, sometimes, it really is all about how you play the game!

I'm not going to drone on about it, read the article and you decide.  For me, I'll go to be a little more peaceful tonight!

We live in a world where Peyton Manning walks off the Super Bowl field without shaking anybody's hand. Where Tiger Woods leaves the Masters without a word of thanks to the fans or congratulations to the winner. Where NFL lineman Albert Haynesworth kicks a man's helmetless head without a thought.

So if you think sportsmanship is toast, this next story is an all-you-can-eat buffet to a starving man.

It happened at a junior varsity girls' softball game in Indianapolis this spring. After an inning and a half, Roncalli was womanhandling inner-city Marshall Community. Marshall pitchers had already walked nine Roncalli batters. The game could've been 50-0 with no problem.

Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better, not how to get humiliated.

It's no wonder. This was the first softball game in Marshall history. A middle school trying to move up to include grades 6 through 12, Marshall showed up to the game with five balls, two bats, no helmets, no sliding pads, no cleats, 16 players who'd never played before, and a coach who'd never even seen a game.

One Marshall player asked, "Which one is first base?" Another: "How do I hold this bat?" They didn't know where to stand in the batter's box. Their coaches had to be shown where the first- and third-base coaching boxes were.

That's when Roncalli did something crazy. It offered to forfeit.

Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better, not how to get humiliated.

"The Marshall players did NOT want to quit," wrote Roncalli JV coach Jeff Traylor, in recalling the incident. "They were willing to lose 100 to 0 if it meant they finished their first game." But the Marshall players finally decided if Roncalli was willing to forfeit for them, they should do it for themselves. They decided that maybe -- this one time -- losing was actually winning.

That's about when the weirdest scene broke out all over the field: Roncalli kids teaching Marshall kids the right batting stance, throwing them soft-toss in the outfield, teaching them how to play catch. They showed them how to put on catching gear, how to pitch, and how to run the bases. Even the umps stuck around to watch.

"One at a time the Marshall girls would come in to hit off of the [Roncalli] pitchers," Traylor recalled. "As they hit the ball their faces LIT UP! They were high fiving and hugging the girls from Roncalli, thanking them for teaching to them the game."

This is the kind of thing that can backfire with teenagers -- the rich kids taking pity on the inner-city kids kind of thing. Traylor was afraid of it, too.

"One wrong attitude, one babying approach from our players would shut down the Marshall team, who already were down," wrote Traylor. "But our girls made me as proud as I have ever been. ... [By the end], you could tell they were having a blast. The change from the beginning of the game to the end of the practice was amazing."

Roncalli wasn't done. Traylor asked all the parents of his players and anybody else he knew for more help for Marshall -- used bats, gloves, helmets, money for cleats, gloves, sliders, socks and team shirts. They came up with $2,500 and worked with Marshall on the best way to help the program with that money. Roncalli also connected Marshall with former Bishop Chatard coach Kim Wright, who will advise the program.

"We probably got to some things 10 years quicker than we would have had without Roncalli," says Marshall principal Michael Sullivan.

And that was just the appetizer. A rep from Reebok called Sullivan and said, "What do you need? We'll get it for you." A man who owns an indoor batting cage facility has offered free time in the winter. The Cincinnati Reds are donating good dirt for the new field Marshall will play on.

"This could've been a thing where our kids had too much pride," says Sullivan. "You know, 'I'm not going to listen to anybody.' But our kids are really thirsty to learn."

And they are. Marshall never won a game, but actually had leads in its last three games. In fact, it went so well, the players and their parents asked if they could extend the season, so they're looking to play AAU summer softball.

Just a thought: Major League Baseball is pulling hamstrings trying to figure out how to bring baseball back to the inner city. Maybe it should put the Roncalli and Marshall girls in charge?

Anyway, it's not an important story, just one that squirts apple juice right in your face. And who knows? Maybe someday, Marshall will be beating Roncalli in the final inning, realize how far it has come, and forfeit again, just as a thank you.

Rock on!

Here is the link to the ESPN Original Story...

Print is Dead, Long live the iPad!

Or how I learned to love the computer that isn’t a computer after all…

Ok, so I have lived now with my iPad (named Ruth) since the release date.   (Yes, I was an early adopter who convinced himself that he didn’t want 3G.   I still stand by that conviction.  This thing is dangerous enough with just Wi-Fi.  But read on.) Now, a while back, some of you may recall, that I blogged about how Print was dead when the Kindle came out.  I stand by that assertion even more now.  But I do intend to amend my earlier stand on the big newspapers.  The reason, the iPad may just end up saving them??  This little device is amazing!

I have learned one huge thing about the iPad in the months that I have had it.  That is, quite simply, I would be lost without it anymore.  The reason?  It truly is all things to all people.  I know, I know, that’s a pretty heady thing to generalize.  How can I make such a blanket statement?  Easy.

This device is going to change the world.

That’s right, I said it.  I feel better too.

Why will it change the world?  (please Bill, tell us why you think this.)  Ok, I’ll tell ya.

#1 It will teach people that it is ok to be a content consumer and not a content creator.  It is my belief that that too many people and companies have believed for too long that in order to be a part of the “internet society” you have to add to the miasma of stuff that is out there on them interwebs.  The sheer number of blog-o-sites that used to infect the internet has finally calmed down, the cream risen to the top (i.e. Huffpost, Boing-boing, Mashable…) and the rest have fallen away.   The iPad will demonstrate to people that it is ok to just view, consume and use the internet, you don’t always have to contribute to it. (Disregarding FaceBook, twitter and baby-blogs (like me!))

#2 It is an internet enabled application device.  Notice I did not say it was a computer.  In my view, it really isn’t a computer at all.  Oh sure you can do word processing and spreadsheets, even presentations, but is that really it’s focus?  I think not.  There is a great video on YouTube of a guy that put Velcro on his iPad and then stuck Velcro all over his LIFE.  When he was in the car, the iPad was his navigation device, on his motorcycle, it velcro’d to the tank, giving directions again.  In the kitchen, it was stuck to the cabinet letting him read recipes.  In the bedroom it was stuck to the wall to watch movies.  Although this was a funny video, it drives home my point.  It is not so much of a computer as a useful application device.

#3 It will not replace your laptop on trips, or will it?  Let’s be real for a moment here.  When you pack your laptop for the trip your taking, do you take it to do a) lots of business related spreadsheet and document creation or b) solitaire, e-mail, twitter, YouTube, CNN, more solitaire, a movie, a TV show stream etc?  I’ll bet most of us answered B.  I know I did.  Here’s why, if you’re on the plane and the spreadsheet you’re working is still not done, chances are your too late to get it done right anyhow.  I know, I know, some of us are always working and that time in the plane is perfect to get a lot of office stuff done.  (I think you’re the exception, but then again?)

#4 It will manage and consume as much of your life as you let it.  Trust me on this one.  It will handle your calendar, your to-do lists, your shopping and everything else that you download the app for.  You could conceivably run your entire digital life from it.  Or, you can just use it to make the things you enjoy a bit more enjoyable.  It’s your choice.

#5 Don’t listen to the Nay-Sayers who whine about the no flash memory slot, the lack of drives, no output connectors etc.  Computers need those, and this is not a computer.  Get over it!  It is NOT A COMPUTER. It will do a myriad of things that a computer will do,  but it is not a computer.  The Apple Haters will continue, but I don’t care, because it is immaterial to my point.

I said this device will change the world, and it will.  I have not said that it will be the first/last of its kind.  As I write this, every silicon valley company is desperately rushing a tablet to market.  In Taiwan I hear you can buy tablets by the dozen,  cheaply.  Who knows what the offerings from Micro$oft, Google and HP will be like?  They might be lame, or they might be better, but here is the deal.  One way or the other, Tablet computers are here to stay and there is now a bar to aim for.  The iPad may end up the winner or the whiner, but it certainly has changed the face of computing for everyone.  Everyone is now forced to make a competitor.  Who knows, something may come out that is way better, but we all win, no matter what happens.

Cases in point.  I just had to do an online class for business.  I did it all, almost exclusively on my iPad because it was web based.  My friend Mark and I play war-games (The board game type, not the shoot-em ups on computers).  I have been able to put most all of the rule sets we  use on the iPad for reference during the games.   It is incredibly handy as a reference during the game.  Using GoodReader to view PDFs, I can search for the terms we need to look at.  It’s a huge timesaver.

So, in summary, this pseudo-review ends by noting the last great thing this device does.  Read books.  It has completely replaced my Kindle, not in the least because Amazon made that happen.  They released their book reader software, made it completely compatible with the iPad and then made it so that all my books magically appeared from my Kindle onto my iPad.  Do you think Jeff Bezos at Amazon see’s something coming too?

I think so…  The iPad has changed the world.  The computer is personal again... Now let’s all sit back, watch and enjoy.

D-Day, 66 Years Later ... Lest we forget.

A wreath is laid on the tomb of US soldier Edward M. Withers, from Wisconsin, who died on July 12, 1944, at the Colleville US cemetary, western France, Sunday June 6, 2010, on the 66th anniversary of the D-Day. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

The message delivered from General Eisenhower just before the Invasion began

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.  But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!  Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

-- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

So that we do not forget the great debt we owe the men and women of the U.S., Britain, France, Canada, Russia and all the rest of the world that were fighting the Nazi's on this day 66 years ago...  Here are some links to sites about the Normandy Invasion

Encyclopedia Brittanica Interactive History

Wikipedia D-Day Site

Let us never forget.

Man's best friend...

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.  He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.  When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?''  This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.  'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'  The man gestured, and the gate began to open.  'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.  'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'


The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.  As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.  'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'  'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.'  They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.  The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.  'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.  'This is Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.' 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell.'  'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?' 'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Author unknown but I've been told that this story was presented in an episode of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone".

Goodbye iWeb, Hello WordPress!

Let me start by saying... Arggggghhhh.

I used to have a blog on my Apple website.  Then I realized that it wasn't updating.  In fact, I had made several updates over the last year and none of them were posted.  They exist in iWeb, but they don't seem to come out on the real web.

Needless to say, my Apple Hosted, iWeb driven blog is dead, long live my WordPress blog!

Now, to figure out how to get my old entries over to here...

Ok, now I'm in trouble...   Teacher caught me.  I'm in class and I managed to log into wordpress, make a blog, start working on it and he finally catches me.  I do love this iPad!!