Hey Snoop!

About Iran...

I don't know if this is a bad idea, but this morning I woke up and my subconscious was apparently working on how to resolve issues with Iran. I know, this is definitely not my area of expertise, but I figured I'd say what I was thinking anyway. 

So if Iran wants nuclear power and we want oil, why can't we make a little deal. If Iran likes Nuclear power, cool. We'll build the facility and run it. In exchange, we get the oil that we need while rolling out our next-gen renewable energy. Then, once we have windmills and solar panels doing their thing, we'll sell the tech to the region. 

I mean, is it crazy to think that portable, renewable energy could have a very stabilizing influence? Once we figure out how to get self-sustaining electricity we can start fighting over something else (water?) 

Ahhhh!

What can I say? I was very wrong about Mirror's Edge.

I thought it would be fun, but after trying to play it three times I'm sending it back. I'm currently going through this stupid, stupid level where I'm forced to fight a swat team, but I have no weapons and I die in two shots.

Hey DICE, you took a game I was really thrilled about and made it lame, repetitive and boring. The concept of running on rooftops, pathfinding around a city was only exciting because I thought it was going to be huge, free, and open. Instead, I'm stuck on a couple paths and running through sewers. What's fun about hopping from on oddly placed sewer grate to another?

Oh, yeah. And thanks for that annoyingly loud blast of static when I die every thirty seconds.

This is why I rent instead of buy!

R.I.P. , Hippocampus Man

I just found out that Patient HM of introductory psychology textbook fame, has passed on. This just happened Dec. 2nd, but I wanted to thank him for his anonymous contribution to science.

So I'd have to say that Chrono Trigger is pretty much the best game ever. It's strange that Fable 2 can't even match this game that came out in 1995. Even Mass Effect or KOTOR can't touch this game.

This game has time travel, robots, and knights all rolled into one, wonderful game. The soundtrack is amazing too. I'm proud to own it, especially since I got a special edition first run. Yeah!

THANK YOU!

Dear Microsoft and Netflix,

Thank you, you guys rock. I'm watching movies on my TV, streaming, and in HD. It cost me no more than I pay now.

I'm tearing up a little bit.

Freerunning!

I'm pretty excited about the game "Mirrors Edge" because it looks really pretty exciting. You get to jump from ledge to ledge of a cityscape, evading an oppressive government and being a rebel.

I'm excited because it's a new take on a first person shooter, without the shooter. You can get away from people by shooting them, but there are actually awards for beating the game without shooting anyone.

The graphics have got to be pretty good too, because the game is causing motion sickness in some people. A game that drives the vestibular system could be awesome, or it could make it so my fear of heights will kick in.

Alternate worlds...

Kiss your Yahoo goodbye...

So there was going to be a big stink over Google supplying ads on Yahoo's sites, and Yahoo taking a bit of the cut. This deal was going to give a ton of money to Yahoo, who's been in really bad shape ever since they fought off Microsoft's huge buzzard talons.

In any case, people threw up antitrust complaints about the issue and Google did something I've never seen a huge tech company do before; They said, "Screw you guys, I'm going home."

Google just took back the rope that they threw to save Yahoo, and added a little bit of a knife in the back. An article on the BBC website had some great quotes, including...

"That would be like trying to drive down the road of innovation with the parking brake on," Google, on being in a legal battle over Yahoo ads.

"If somebody is building a coffin for Yahoo, they can go to Google to pick up some nails "

Sums it up exactly.

How much of my Google Reader can be freed up now? Amazing.

Hey thanks for the wonderful site.

I've got to say that I'm kind of sad the election is over because now I won't get to check fivethirtyeight.com religiously. Those guys have been a part of my daily life since January, and it's kind of sad to see them go. I don't know what they're going to do with the site in the interim, but I know I won't be as interested.

Anyway, thanks guys. See you in four years.

Obama's Victory Speech

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Live Stats

It's Election Day!

Yes we can! Yes we can!
Let's get out and vote today!

PS. I'm not telling who I voted for.

Pasta lady. Awkward.

So I like CBS comedies on Monday. "Big Bang Theory", "How I Met Your Mother", and "Worst Week" are all enjoyable parts of my Monday, however there's one really awkward part about the whole thing.

There's this lady that comes on TV during the commercials and starts talking to me about the show I'm in the middle of watching. That wouldn't be too bad, but after she tries to make small talk about the show she tries to segway into selling me some kind of pasta in a box.

The only thing that would be more awkward would be if she tried to chat you up, and then threw in something like "Have you heard the good news about Jesus?" Leave me alone, lady. This is why I have a Tivo.

PS. Hearing "Better" by Regina Spektor was perfect for "How I Met Your Mother Tonight." Gave me goosebumps.

Iron Man is awesome.

After renting the movie "Iron Man" I've got to say, it really is a pretty awesome movie. I thought it might have been possible that I just got swept away when it was in theaters, and it wouldn't actually hold up over time.

It does. It's a pretty awesome movie and it looks fantastic on my flatscreen. Maybe someday I'll be able to watch it in HD (hint hint, Netflix.)

And there's going to be an Iron Man 2, as well as an Avengers film. Sweet action.

Why is he on my TV?

So, I don't know if it's possible to sell out before you've actually made it, but Brady Quinn has managed to do it. He's not a starter, people. I'm tired of seeing his commercials. Please, someone make him go away. And please make him stop calling himself "The Mighty Quinn."

Come on. Give some energy drink contract to a guy that can manage to win a bowl game and wasn't on a completely overrated team.

EDIT: As it turns out, Brady Quinn was just announced as a starter. Let's see how this goes.

John Mellencamp shows ABC around B-ton.

It's good to see 'The Coog' in his element. This little video got caught on my Tivo because it's set to record everything with "Indiana" in the title.

Those who've spent time in Bloomington should recognize a couple landmarks. That's actually the Steak 'n Shake where I sat next to Mellencamp. Man, what a small town.

Destroyed in Seconds

I've got to say, I love the new show "Destroyed in Seconds" on the Discovery Channel.

Here's the premise. Get a former NFL player/commentator to give background information while videos of things being crushed and exploded play over and over again.

I saw a tank running over 44 cars, thousands of pounds of explosives blow up a hill, a racecar burst into flames, the Hindenburg, another blimp fall apart while taking off, and a helicopter. It's pretty amazing.

Thanks Discovery Channel. You've made my Tivo list.

Rebuttal to The Office

OK. So I'm embarrassed every time that Andy mentions Cornell on "The Office." I felt like I needed to tell the truth about the episode.

1. In the episode, Andy is pretty protective about having gone to Cornell. In actuality, that's kind of true. There are all sorts of alumni that are so proud of their degree.

2. Nathan Ford is actually Cornell's quarterback. And he's actually doing well this year. They got that right.

3. Hanging out in Comstock hall? There's no reason. I think that building houses the Biometry and Entomology. They'd actually probably be in Sage Hall.

4. Cornell guys are nice, and they will drive you home.

5. I don't think that Alumni do admissions interviews, but I hope so. That would actually be kind of fun.

6. Dale R. Corson is indeed, Cornell's eighth president. James Perkins was the seventh.

7. Dwight was correct, Dartmouth is considered better. Dartmouth was ranked 11, Cornell was 14.

So all in all, The Office was accurate 6 of 7 times. I guess I can't be too upset then, can I?

Down with Blu-ray.

Microsoft and Netflix were awesome, and here's why.

In Mid-November, for no more money than I pay now, I can watch Netflix content in HD off my XBox.

In comparison, Apple wants me to buy an Apple TV ($200), pay a dollar more for each HD movie I rent ($5/movie), and then the movie I paid for dissappears within 3 days. That sucks, I'm not doing that. (Oh yeah, Microsoft also shanked Apple by making Netflix available using Silverlight on OSX.)

Sony wants me to buy a Blu-ray player ($300), buy a $15 additional Blu-ray movie ($30), or try and rent it, which is next to impossible because the movies cost too much to make a profit. You know what, if I can get HD quality without messing with expensive equipment I will never ever buy a stupid Blu-Ray player.

In a couple beautiful chess moves Microsoft and Netflix kicked two of their enemies in the crotch. I thought Microsoft was too big and slow to do this kind of thing. Sweet.

PS: Just read that my Tivo is also going to be able to stream things from Netflix. It's like all the devices I love are getting along!

Reinventing the robotic wheel

So it looks like DARPA, the lovely armed forces research initiative, has been funding research for a "Legged Squad Support System." Basically they want a mechanical beast of burden that will carry 400 pounds of stuff and follow behind a soldier for 20 miles. This is going to require years of research and funding.

I guess I just don't really understand where the huge benefits are, with the possible exception of being able to tell an army of robot donkeys to deliver goods across the desert. Basically we're just using technology to create a far less efficient version of a donkey that runs on gas. I don't want to criticize the hand the feeds research, but I'm having trouble getting it.

Politico Gets Grounded!

I couldn't help but love reading this article from Politico about how the media bias the news. Usually it would be a real snore of a topic, but they kick it off by showing snippets of how their mothers have reprimanded them for unfavorable stories about McCain/Palin.

The whole thing sounds a little bit like they feel they have to atone for some past sins, however they manage to sound pretty sincere about why they've been reporting the way that they do. It also makes sense that Obama would be getting less negative press because he's ahead and morale is high on the good ship Hope.

Beware Ye, the Noodle Cup!

In terrifying news from Japan today, the company Nissin Foods is recalling 500,000 cups of Top Ramen noodles. Knowing that roughly half of the students in my class subsist off of these things, I was a little concerned.

What is this world coming to if you can't even trust Cup o' Noodles?

If you are a stickler for quality like me and only eat the awesome Maruchan brand, you're in the clear.

No way!

So after Sarah Palin had been slammed for having $150,000 spent on her wardrobe she countered by saying that after the campaign they'd be sold for charity. OK, that's a weak retort but I could see how a GOP fan might actually pay a healthy amount of money for Palin's gently used pantsuits.

That's not the jaw dropping part, though. Get this; the highest paid position in the McCain-Palin campaign isn't a spokesman. It also isn't a foriegn policy advisor.

The top paid person in the McCain-Palin campaign is Amy Strozzi, Palin's makeup artist. She was paid $22,800 for the first half of October. Not bad for half a month's work. Another woman, Angela Lew, was paid $10,000 for two weeks to be Palin's hairstylist.

I think the best part of all of this is that the campaign didn't actually refer to these people as being makeup artists and hairstylists, they're being billed as working in "communications consulting."

It's also amusing to read the comments on ABC's site that reported this. I've collected a couple samples below.

"The media is so biased they have destroyed our democracy."

"Zero integrity and journalistic ability, just like their Messiah has Zero experience. They're more concerned with Palin's shoes than they are with Obama's racist, terrorist and marxist friends. "

"Ah, hear that sweet sound?? That is the sound of Republicans writhing, twisting and spinning, as they continue on their death march until election day!"

"hmmm, I guess my $200 contribution to the RNC paid for lipstick on a pig."

Predictability of the news

Newsflash! The NY Times has endorsed Barack Obama. I know, it's such a controversial choice for them. Next thing we know Fox News will endorse McCain.

I think this is why most endorsements are pretty much ignored. They're usually all along predictable party lines. That's partially why I'm so surprised that the Colin Powell endorsement didn't carry as many news cycles as it did.

Personally, I think the surge in early voting is partially because we're all pretty sick and tired of this race. I'd love to stop hearing about future innovative policies from both candidates and actually have them do something.

Wake up startled...

You know you have a problem when you wake up in the middle of the night, and startled by the thought that your Matlab processes might not be running.

P.S. : They are. All is well.

Thanks, PhD Comics!

Should we spy on our citizens?

In a move destined to draw criticism, the U.S. Government is thinking about creating a new part of our bureaucracy in order to spy on domestic threats. And by domestic threats, they mean U.S. Citizens.

That's right, folks. If you see a new organization as either an analogue to Britain's MI-5 or Old-tyme Germany's Stasi, it's something to watch. I hope that the Government didn't get too used to using domestic spying from the NSA, because it's pretty much firmly unconstitutional.

Pretty much says it all.

Polling Madness!

It's hard to trust a news source when they are simultaneously writing conflicting stories. The number one and number two stories from Reuters have Obama either up 3 or up 6. I hope they didn't actually pay people to do these polls for them.

I wonder which polls the Obama and McCain campaigns are going to accept? :)

$1,600 in an economic downturn

I think it's funny. This is kind of a metaphor, having Apple to design a machine that's carved out of a brick of aluminum and forget a couple basic things. Like Copy/Paste on my iPod Touch.

Don't see it yet? Look for the letter 'B' on the keyboard. Thanks Engadget, you made my morning.

Blech...

So who paid off the officials today at Green Bay?

How many missed calls against the Colts?

How many Packer 3rd downs due to bullshit calls?

All in all, the Colts didn't really help themselves today, but what a difference a week makes.

McCain's Colin Powell Counterpunch

I think the McCain campaign, like everyone else, saw the Colin Powell hit coming. I couldn't wait to hear what the response from McCain was going to be, but it seems to be a two-pronged approach. The first is saying that Henry Kissinger and other old Republicans endorsed McCain (who really likes Kissinger?)

The second is a new allegation that the Obama campaign's choice to not take federal funding after saying he would will pretty much inevitably result in a big scandal. McCain said, "History shows us where unlimited amounts of money are in political campaigns, it leads to scandal", pretty much claiming that there is some kind of fundraising scandal in the Obama campaign.

This being the first election I've really put my heart into, I can't help but notice how bad the kitchen sink approach is. McCain keeps throwing things at Obama like 'terrorist', 'voting fraud', and now 'finance scandal' to just probe aroud the space to see if anything works. Sen. McCain, FIRE YOUR STAFF. I know changing horses in midstream is a bad idea, but if the horse is coughing up blood it may be in your best interest.

Amazon Music = Awesome

So for the first time in a long time, I actually paid for my music. When two albums I was interested in (Ingrid Michealson's 'Be OK' and Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack) weren't available through Ruckus, I actually decided that the $8 pricetag for each album was worth it. The music is at a great bitrate (256), mp3 format, and completly DRM FREE!

Some people might not know it yet, but if you've bought music from the iTunes music store (and many other places) and tried to move it to a different computer it has to be 'authorized' before you can play it. It's a Orwellian way to try and combat piracy that's annoying and ineffective. iTunes is trying to get away from DRM, but hasn't yet.

Thus concludes my happy reccomendation.

Colin Powell on Team Obama?

What a crazy road it's been with these VP picks. It was only two months ago that Colin Powell was being floated as a potential VP candidate.
Now a scant two months later, the rumor mill suggests that Colin Powell is ready to endorse Barack Steve Obama. He's got a big day tomorrow on Meet The Press, possibly capturing at least two or three news cycles.
I can't help but think that this is would really be a huge pull for independent voters. Personally, I think that if Colin Powell wasn't too smart to be President, he could give Obama a run for his money in a race. How would the McCain camp downplay the endorsement of a loved (centrist Republican) figure?

Is Android really a winner?

So I knew from the get-go that I was going to be one of the targeted folks for Android, which basically is a cellphone operating system backed by Google. The take-home message of what they're trying to do is mostly allowing people and companies to write and install their own applications on the phone, which is nerdy music to my ears. (Even the cute robot mascot is perfect.)
Apple's been doing similar work with their iPhone App store, but some of the restrictions have been ridiculous, especially the way that they won't let people have a turn-by-turn navigation program even though it's more than possible with the device.
I think it's this freedom that's attracting a ton of people to want to try out the phone. So far, T-Mobile has had 1.5 million preorders, and if AT&T had a similar option I'd be all over it this February.
Let's hope it actually takes off and Google builds up enough of a following so that we can get a application ready smartphone not caught in the grips of MSFT or Apple.