Chad Vader: Grocery Girl (music video)

Chad is back! enjoy :-)

Review - Escape Pod and Pseudopod Podcasts

Last summer I purchased my first iPod. I have always been a huge music fan and when my mp3 CD player died, I figured it was time. Once I was using iTunes, I came across Podcasts and my whole world changed. I listen to my iPod usually 8 to 9 hours a day at work so the world of podcasts was an incredible discovery. I have listened to many many podcasts in the last year. Some good, some well... lets just say less than good is being very kind ;-) I have come across a few gems and the Escape Pod is defiantly one of them.

The Escape Pod located at http://escapepod.org (released under a Creative Commons license) is a Podcast the specializes in science fiction short stories. They actually pay the authors the most they can so they get some very good submissions. In the past year I have heard stories from some of my favorite authors and have been very pleased to be exposed to many that I was not aware of. Escape Pod pulled off a huge feat this year by presenting many of this years Hugo Award nominees and winners.

Weekly, Steve Ely and his cohorts at Escape Artists Inc. put out a great show. They present present short and flash fiction about zombies, aliens, classic hard sci-fi, superhero's, horror, speculative fiction, occasionally just plain freaky stuff and a smattering of reviews of current movies and books. It's a great mix that anyone can follow or get into, not just sci-fi fans. Steve does a great job reading the stories, but sometimes it takes a special touch so he gets great guest readers like Mur Lafferty (of Geek Fu Action Grip), Mark Forman (of Getting a Leg Up Podcast), Paul Jenkins, Tee Morris, Wichita Rutherford (of 5 Minutes With Wichita) and even his wife Anna. Due to this wonderful cast of voices you never know what you will hear or experience through their talents.

Recently a spin off podcast called Pseudopod has been launched. Pseudopod specializes in short and flash horror fiction. It was launched a few weeks back with my favorite podcast novel creator Scott Siglar being the first contributor. He read his story "Bag Man" which is very different from his novels Earthcore and Infection but was a lot of fun to hear. I look forward to lots of great stories from them in the future.

Pluto demoted...... again

Poor Pluto! This just in from CNN.com

Leading astronomers have declared that Pluto is no longer a planet, approving new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. The International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930.

Ok this is the 4th(?) time in the last few years. I hope they REALLY made up there mids this time. Lordy, I can't wait for this argument when my kid is in 3rd grade.... "no, I swear it really was a planet once upon a time." sigh

Geekgasm - USB Powered Grill!

Check it out, now you REALLY never have to leave your computer to do pesky things like cook dinner. Come on isn't the net more important than food? :-D

A group of Japanese modders decided to make their own custom USB-powered BBQ using lots of USB cable, six PCI USB Adapter cards, and countless hours of hacking. Plus, the computer is fully functional. Source - http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/strange-usb-powered-bbq#more-3944

Paris's video is banned :-D Yeah!

Now if we could just get a grass roots movement together to get this horrid song banned everywhere!

Paris's Music Video Banned in India

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23, 2006 11:25AM EST

Hilton at her CD release party on Aug. 19 Photo by: Matt Baron / BEImages

Paris Hilton is too hot for Indian censors.

The country's Central Board of Film Certification has issued an "Adult" certification for her new music video "Stars Are Blind," which means it cannot be broadcast on any channel, reports Reuters.

An official at her local label, EMI Virgin India Ltd., reported that the board said the clip had sexual connotations.

"In fact, we had edited the video and sent a fresh copy, but they weren't happy with that," said Narendra Kusnur, the label's manager of international A&R (artists and repertoire).

Since the marketing campaign for Hilton's debut album Paris, released in India Tuesday (the same day it hit stores in the U.S.), has been sponsored by a shampoo company, the "Stars" video will be streamed on a promotional Web site, once details are worked out.

"To the best of our knowledge, there are no rules yet regarding censorship on the 'Net so we plan to use the online platform to generate buzz," said EMI Virgin marketing manager Kaveri Khullar.

WTF of the week - Cows 'moo with a regional accent'

UUHhhhhhh what? Sorry, WTF????? Are you kidding me? Oh come on your not serious are you?

Press Association
Wednesday August 23, 2006 6:58 AM

Cows moo with a regional accent, according to their farmers.

Dairy farmers in Somerset noticed a local twang to the sounds made by their animals, and experts confirmed that different herds made different sounds.

John Wells, Professor of Phonetics at the University of London, said: "This phenomena is well attested in birds. You find distinct chirping accents in the same species around the country.

"This could also be true of cows. In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group."

Dr Jeanine Treffers-Daller, reader in linguistics at the University of the West of England in Bristol, said the accent may be learned from relatives.

She said: "When we are learning to speak, we adopt a local variety of language spoken by our parents, so the same could be said about the variation in the West Country cow moo."

The phenomenon was noticed by members of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group, who put it down to the close bond between farmer and cow.

The group has also noted similar accent shifts in Midlands, Essex, Norfolk and Lancashire moos.

Farmer Lloyd Green of Glastonbury said: "I spend a lot of time with my ones and they definitely moo with a Somerset drawl.

"I think it works the same as with dogs - the closer a farmer's bond is with his animals, the easier it is for them to pick up his accent."

© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6032357,00.html

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager ep. 2

Here is Ep.2. If possible, this is funnier than the first one!!!!!

Bob Dylan says modern music is worthless

When the "Father of Modern Rock" says that cd's sound like garbage compared to what people "should" get, perhaps the industry should listen? I hope so! He makes a lot of good points in this short article and I have a feeling if he's upset, lots of other artists are too......

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bob Dylan says modern recordings sound "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past twenty years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in that time, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday.

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."

Reuters

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyid=2006-08-22T152139Z_01_N22476890_RTRUKOC_0_US-DYLAN.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Paris Hilton: My Album's So Good, 'I Cry'

Source - People Mag Online. people.aol.com

Paris Hilton: My Album's So Good, 'I Cry'

Yeah everytime I hear it I cry too then scream until the channel is changed!

AAHHHaaaaaaa hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Stars are blind, and obviously pretty stupid too. Oh Paris, that's a good one, LOL

What's the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork?

From ask Yahoo! at http://ask.yahoo.com/20060818.html Not sure I agree 100% but its a good starting point :-) Dear Yahoo!:

What's the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork?

Josh Michigan

Dear Josh:

We've been called all three, and to be honest, we always assumed they meant the same thing. However, according to the cool kids, there are differences. Official definitions for nerd, geek, and dork each use the words "inept" and "foolish." Nerds have the added distinction of being "unattractive." Ouch. While it's hard to argue with the dictionary, we sought out definitions from the Internet at large. According to Whatis.com, nerds are people of above-average intelligence who place little importance on their appearance. Nerds are often aware of their status, but they don't mind. In fact, many take pride in the putdown, as it means they're smart and not wrapped up in superficial worries. Geek is a more specific term. Back in the day, geeks worked at carnivals, and (according to the dictionary) "bit the heads off live chickens." Thankfully, the term now has a different connotation. Like nerds, geeks are smart, but they tend to focus more on technology. As Urban Dictionary explains, these are the people you make fun of in high school and later work for as an adult. Being called a "dork" is the biggest insult of the three. There's no way you can spin it into something positive. After all, even the dictionary writes that dorks are "stupid" people. And to make matters worse, dorks assume they're cool. Oh, and they smell, too. So, to sum things up, if someone calls you a geek or a nerd, thank them. If someone calls you a dork, consider going back to school and investing in some new deodorant.

Weekly Words of Zen Wisdom from Master Sheng Yen

As far as change is concerned, we really can't know what things will turn into. We can't clearly predict the future. But there is one principle we can be sure of: what we are related to now, we will have relationships to later.

　

　

My busted iPod and Best Buy

Well it had to happen eventually, my iPod died. Its understandable since I have been running it 9 hours a day, 5 days a week for a year and a half now. It was a given that the hard disk would give out on me. So when it happened I wasn't shocked or upset, but i was at a loss since it's my only salvation during my commute and my work day.

I dug out my receipt and sure enough the extended warranty was still good. Yeah :-) I was off to Best Buy. I got there and was directed to the Geek Squad... lol, yes they really have them there :-) Before I got there I had it all planned. It's an old model, they can't replace it so I was going to get a nice upgrade.... well, no. They took my baby away and sent it to lord knows where. The guy told me it would be back sometime between two weeks and a month. AAAhhhhhhh not good. I figured they would just give me a new one but alas no.

So, in a funk I resigned myself to crappy streaming radio at work for some time to come. Well, Best Buy came through. They called me a week later and it was back. I was shocked. They managed to replace the hard disk so no upgrade, but heck, I was thrilled to have it back! So, a big thumbs up to Best Buy and their extended warranty, it was a life saver :-)

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager ep. 1

This has got to be the funniest Star Wars parody i have seen! Its an ongoing series and I can't wait for the next installment!

Cool Meditation Software for the Mac OS

I have been using this for about two weeks and it works great. Basicly its a simple countdown timer with a few extras. The software allows you to set a delay before start, a gong or bell noise at specified intervals and the coolest feature is that you can export your settings to iTunes. That means you can drop the mp3 on your iPod and sit in a park or anywhere else with out the need to take your Mac with you :-)

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/20879

More planets?

Sigh, ok I just wish the brains could decide. First Pluto wasn't a planet, not that i ever believed em :-) Then Pluto is "back" as a planet, "whoops we really didn't mean it." Now they want to add three more. It's all a giant conspiract to make schools and us broke parents to A. buy more text books and B. to look like a bunch of fools because we don't know what we're talking about. Sigh, as if we don't have enough problems. We should start a campaign to just leave good enough alone .... If we don't F with the planets, they won't F with us .... well, uhhh something like that :-) Oh yeah and while I'm whining... "Plutons" is a bad name, it sounds like a New Wave band from the 80's.

Solar system to welcome three new planets

12.00pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Steve Connor

The nine planets of the solar system are about to be transformed into 12.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is planning to add three new members to the exclusive club of large celestial objects orbiting our Sun.

Astronomers are about to vote on an official proposal to extend the definition of a planet to include at least three more objects that are known to be big enough to warrant planetary status.

It will mean that astronomy textbooks will have to be rewritten with the names Ceres, Charon and UB313 being added to the more familiar names of the classical planets.

At one point it was thought that Pluto - the smallest and most distant of the planets - would be kicked out of the club, but now it appears that it is welcomed as the prototype of a new class of smaller planets known as "plutons".

Firefox Crop Circle

Crop Circles! One of life's great mysteries.... or are they?


This is really cool! I LOVE firefox but apparently these guys are the biggest fanboys out there :-) Go check out there site it has directions, pics and videos on how they did :-)

http://lug.oregonstate.edu/index.php/Projects/Firefox/Firefox_Circle

Miss Piggy would blush - Muppet creators go adult

By Paul Majendie

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The creators of The Muppets and Sesame Street are staging a puppet show that is strictly for adults only.

Miss Piggy would blush over the antics in "Jim Henson's Puppet Improv" which spearheads a renaissance of puppet shows for grown-ups at this year's Edinburgh Fringe arts festival.

Every afternoon at the Fringe, an anarchic troupe of puppeteers led by the late Jim Henson's son Brian do an improvisational show for kids.

Every evening the air turns blue as the show takes off into surreal flights of fancy dictated by the audience.

"It is lovely to do a show where you can go wherever your brain takes you," said Henson, after that night's audience asked the puppeteers to play half a dozen hot dog puppets auditioning to be Ricky Martin's backup singers.

But would Brian's father have approved?

"I think he would have loved it because of how outrageous I get. My Dad really believed in community and sweetness but the other side of him was incredibly naughty.

"He always said the only reason we did this was those moments where it is like laughing in church. It becomes so infectious you cannot stop laughing."

This is too cool! Too bad it will never make it into the US. The muppets are too sacred here. Bummer :-(

LOL, ok these guys have problems :-)

Group apologizes for taking three years worth of Taco Bell sauces

A group of 10 to 15 masked individuals entered Taco Bell, 3244 S. Western Ave., around 10:46 p.m. Tuesday to return a three-year stash of fire sauce packets, police say.

The group returned six 40-gallon trash bags filled with approximately, 25,000 sauce packets to the restaurant.

With the stash was a note stating that they had been accumulating the sauces over three years and kept them stored in the trunk of a vehicle, but felt guilty about keeping them and decided to return them to the restaurant.

Pluto is still a planet..... Whew, now I can sleep at night :-)

Morning Edition, August 10, 2006 · An international panel has unanimously recommended that Pluto retain its title as a planet, and it may be joined by other undersized objects that revolve around the sun.

Some astronomers had lobbied for reclassifying Pluto because it is so tiny. And at least one major museum has excluded Pluto from its planetary display. But sources tell NPR that under a proposal to be presented at a big meeting of astronomers in Prague next week for a vote, Pluto would become part of a new class of small planets. Several more objects could be granted membership.

You know, it always feels good when you remember something from school and it true. Thats just one lees thing that down the road my kids can call me a moron about :-) "Back when I was a kid, Pluto was a planet and the internet was just a series of tubes" LOL