iPhone 3G S

I picked up the latest iPhone 3G S this past Friday and it’s quit an upgrade from the original 2G that I’ve hade for a few years now.  It’s much much faster, the screen resolution is better, there are many more built in features:  searching the entire phone, voice control, video recording, the camera is much nicer, etc.  I think my favorite feature is the voice control which allows one to instruct the iphone, ie “Call Julie”, and it will dial her number.  There was an application for the original 2G that did something like this, but didn’t really work all the time.  Bottom line it’s a great phone and can do pretty much anything you can think of.

Cash for Clunkers

I read that the Cash for Clunkers bill passed yesterday and is now on it’s way to the President for signing.  I like the bill even though it’s full of loopholes that we will exploit.  This also fits nicely into my plan of getting a new vehicle in the next year or two.  I’ve never bought a “new” car, but now maybe I will.  I didn’t read anything about this being for American cars only either, domestic or foreign qualify!

Bottom line is that you can save up to $4500 if you buy a new car that gets more than x MPG than the one you are trading in…see the above link for details.  Pretty good deal if you ask me!

Religulous

Watched Bill Mahers Religulous last night…funny!  Clearly alot of editing to make interviews appear a bit more akward than they probably were, but it doesn’t matter.  Along with different accompanying scenes and music I think they did a grea job.  So many people telling you what they believe to be fact…and they really believe that.  My favorite scene is from the trucker chapel…a group of truckers is trying to convince Maher that Christ is the way…good stuff.  Either way…watch it…it’s good.  And if you are a creationist thats fine…just don’t tell me evolution is wrong.

New Facebook Userid

Somebody please explain to me what the big deal about Facebook userids is?!  Apparently tomorrow night at midnight they are opening the flood gates for users to register their “userids”…and people are making a huge deal out of it.  Like this is going to be an internet changing type event.  Who knows…maybe it will be similar to domain hunting where people snatch common names up and sell them later.

2nd Street Bums

I pulled up to the red light on the 2nd street bridge last night and a bum was there begging for money.  It was nice out, windows were down, and I feel bad for those guys most of the time.  I realize they are just going to buy smokes, or booze, or drugs with the money I give them, but I really don’t care.  So this biker looking guy is out there, long hair, ZZ top beard, no shirt on…couldn’t have weighed more than 150 pounds…skinny as a rail…I mean 20 day meth binge skinny.  So I hand him a couple bucks in change from the car and asked him how its going, where he’s from, what he’s doing up here, etc.  Turns out he’s from Iowa and is up here finalizing a relationship…poor bastard!  I asked him what his plans were and he said hes headed to California…”heard there’s good partying out there” he says.  I laughed and said good luck man!

Dr. George Tiller Killed

OB-GYN doctor George Tiller was killed at his curch Sunday by a pro-life activist!  A very sad but true statement of current politics in this country.  The man that killed Dr. Tiller represents the type of ultra conservative zealot that I am personally  afraid of!  These are the the type of people that believe they are right by God, and that they have license to take action.  I think the far right might be well served to read some more from their poster girl for super capitalism – Ayn Rand.  She states:

“A man who takes it upon himself to prescribe how others should dispose of their own lives – and who seeks to condemn them by law, i.e., by force, to the drudgery of an unchosen, lifelong servitude (which, more often than not, is beyond their economic means or capacity) – such a man has no right to pose as a defender of rights. A man with so little concern or respect for the rights of the individual, cannot and will not be a champion of freedom or of capitalism. (For a full discussion of the issue of birth control, see my article “Of Living Death.”)”

— Ayn Rand

What’s Been Playing

Brett Dennen

The Decemberists

Romantica

Matt Nathanson

Widespread Panic…gotta have Panic when summer is here!!!

Nick Drake

Landscaping Project

We’re planning a big landscaping project for June this year at 1159!  Decided to hold off on the master suite project since the 50 year old retaining wall in the backyard is collapsing.  I have 1 bid and am waiting on 2 more from local contractors, which should be interesteing.  I’m getting bids from 2 of the large local guys and 1 small guy…hope he gets it, but we’ll see in the end.  We’re putting in large field stone boulders, some other minor retaining walls around the side of the house, a paver patio/firepit, and some more shrubs.  Also planning to install a sprinkler system at the sametime since the yard will be torn up.  I’ll post some pictures as soon as they get started…maybe some before and afters!

Salmon Cakes

2 cans salmon (just like tuna), 1 egg, salt and pepper, diced onion, diced peppers, bread crumbs…mix it all up and form mini burgers out of them.  Fry them quickly in olive oil, then put them over greens with some light dressing.  Perfect Saturday night dinner to be followed up by Mothers Day barbeque!

Wolfram Alpha

A very cool competitor to Google is launching their site soon – Wolfram Alpha!  Check em out…I think it’ll be similar to Google, but rather than giving you other web sites as results, it’ll provide you with actual answers.  I see this as a different service than Google, but what do I know.  Seems to be Google would be the “Index”, whereas Wolfram Alpha would be the dictionary.