Collectively, on a whole

The best Halloween video ever

2008-10-18T02:34:00.003-04:00

I don't know how I missed this last year, but it's probably the most ingenius Halloween video I've seen. Everyone knows the Michael Myers Halloween music, these dudes put lyrics to the theme - fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kLI2oyd6I

It's Soxtober, Twinkies b#tches!!!!

2008-09-30T22:10:00.003-04:00

Jim Thome made the Twinkies pay for their premature celebration last Thursday. Hope they have a nice flight back to Minneapolis, sorry to see you go!!!!

Watch out Twins, you've got something coming

2008-09-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

The Twins celebrated last Thursday's sweep of the White Sox like they won the World Series only to get bounced 2 of 3 by the Royals. How fitting that the Sox get them at home tomorrow with their records deadlocked. White Sox magic number is 1. There's no rollerdome turf, no weird bounces, no dome, let's see what kind of celebrating goes on tomorrow. The Twins undoubtedly have a good club, but I'm hoping their early festivities come back to haunt them.

White Sox not dead yet

2008-09-28T23:13:00.002-04:00

Ok, so the White Sox lost 3 out of 4 to Toronto, lost 3 out of 4 to New York, took 2 from Detroit, lost all three to Minnesota, and took 1 of 3 from Cleveland. If you were to tell me this 3 weeks ago I'd say the White Sox would be 3 games out at least. Instead they're 1/2 game out with a makeup game at home against Detroit. If the Sox win the take on Minnesota for a play-in game on Tuesday for the right to take on Tampa in the playoffs. They're not quite dead yet, they'll have to get by a pretty tough Detroit team with nothing to play for and an ex-Sox pitching against them in Freddy Garcia. Hoping Garcia stinks it up and we get a chance at home to play the Twins to get in, I like our chances, not so much to go anywhere in the playoffs though. We'll take it one step at a time and hope we can wave the Sox flag after Tuesday. Go Sox!

KGjr gets his first White Sox HR

2008-08-20T21:20:00.003-04:00

Ken Griffey Jr hit his first home run for the White Sox today in a 15-3 beat down of the Mariners for a 3 game sweep. The White Sox are getting hot bats in combination with absolutely red hot pitching, let's keep it up and keep the Twinkies in 2nd place!

Goodbye, Passwords. You Aren’t a Good Defense

2008-08-11T13:04:00.001-04:00

THE best password is a long, nonsensical string of letters and numbers and punctuation marks, a combination never put together before. Some admirable people actually do memorize random strings of characters for their passwords — and replace them with other random strings every couple of months.

Then there’s the rest of us, selecting the short, the familiar and the easiest to remember. And holding onto it forever.

I once felt ashamed about failing to follow best practices for password selection — but no more. Computer security experts say that choosing hard-to-guess passwords ultimately brings little security protection. Passwords won’t keep us safe from identity theft, no matter how clever we are in choosing them.

Read the full article here

[NYTimes.com]

Retaining wall finally done

2008-07-29T16:14:00.002-04:00

I've got a good sized hill between my driveway and backyard which I always wanted to do something with so I didn't have to push mow it. Finally got done with the retaining wall and subsequent 4 yards of dirt.

15 petabyte network and an atom smasher

2008-07-29T16:07:00.002-04:00

Just out of college I worked in business systems over at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (my pop has been there for 35 or so years) so I've always had an interest in high energy physics. The Large Hadron Collider at Cern is a montrous operation, thought this article was pretty amazing.

15 petabyte network and an atom smasher

Enough information to fill multiple CDs every second is flowing across the world on a network 1,000 times faster than home broadband. Terabytes of data are streaming through dedicated fiber-optic links between laboratories and universities globally in preparation for the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, being switched on in August at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Large Hadron Collider Computing Grid (LCG), a super-high-bandwidth network, will channel about 15 petabytes--15 million gigabytes--of data from the LHC to about 5,000 scientists in 500 institutions every year for at least 10 years.

CNET.com

Conan interviews Hunter S. Thompson

2008-07-18T10:03:00.003-04:00

Fear and Loathing in upstate New York. Conan O'Brien interviews Hunter S Thompson while the two of them drink hard liquor and shoot tons of guns at inanimate objects.

Milkandcookies.com

Google Gears takes Ruby on Rails offline

2008-07-18T09:54:00.001-04:00

The Gears on Rails project by Google Gears enables Ruby on Rails developers to take their applications offline, as some sharp developers put Gears to new and different uses.
Developers are putting Google Gears to some interesting uses, including offline support for Ruby on Rails and building client-side search engines.
Gears for Rails represents another boost to cloud computing in its ability to deliver offline capability and synchronization. Meanwhile, Microsoft is leading its own data synchronization charge with its Live Mesh cloud-based data synchronization system, a test build of which is now open to the public.
However, Google has pushed its way into the cloud-based development world. And the third-party Gears for Rails solution also represents another call for Google to open up its Google App Engine platform to other languages, such as Ruby. Currently, the Google App Engine development platform supports Python only.

eweek LINK

Stop Bernanke From Swiping Your Savings

2008-07-07T22:23:00.003-04:00

From MotleyFool -

No, he's not clad in black PJ's and sneaking into bank vaults. If only. Ben Bernanke is engaged in a process that's far more insidious and far more damaging to your financial well-being. He's helping to erode the buying power of your hard-earned, long-saved dollars with easy-money policies.

Hungry yet?The evidence is everywhere, even in the "core" CPI, which pretends that food and energy prices don't matter. Yet those of us who do eat shelled out 5% more in May than we did last year. Get a load of what inflation has done to the following staples:

Final pool pictures

2008-06-25T11:56:00.004-04:00

Pool is finally completed, time to clean up the yard and grow some grass

Pool construction close to completed

2008-05-25T01:02:00.008-04:00

Steps down from the driveway

Corner shot of the pool

Steps down to the pool deck

Side view of the pool

First part of the concrete pad is in

2008-05-13T18:24:00.006-04:00

Second part of the pad will be poured behind the steps into the pool

Pool construction week 3

2008-05-07T21:58:00.003-04:00

Liner is in

2008-04-22T23:16:00.002-04:00

Liner went in today

Pool construction started

2008-04-20T22:10:00.005-04:00

First 3 days of the pool going in. Digging started the afternoon of Thursday 4/17.

PeopleSoft Knowledge Browser enhanced

2007-12-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

This actually happened in late November, but I'm late. The PeopleSoft Knowledge Browser is tool that organizes all things PeopleSoft into logical buckets - what a novel idea! The nicest addition is the performance library which contains gobs of tuning, reporting, red papers, etc. all related to system health and performance. Nice job by the PeopleSoft (ok Oracle) Global Support Center team. The blurb from customer connection is below:

New Knowledge Browser Enhancements Mirror Oracle MetaLink FunctionalityNovember 27, 2007—Global Customer Support is pleased to announce the newest version of Knowledge Browser for Customer Connection. Supporting the upcoming transition of Customer Connection, this latest version of the Knowledge Browser proactively delivers many features and benefits currently offered in Oracle’s support portal, MetaLink.
What’s New?The Knowledge Browser now offers significantly more content segmented into detailed Knowledge Categories. Content enhancements will enable:
Enterprise customers to see 5X more content
EnterpriseOne and World customers to view 100 percent of Customer Support Solutions which can be searched independently via the Search by Knowledge Category area.
Input about Knowledge Gaps and Overall Satisfaction with new feedback option
More featured enhancements include but are not limited to:
New intuitive layout: helps to organize and present knowledge for easier use
Solution search: category pages now display solution ID descriptions, searchable using integrated search field.
Solution downloads: easy, efficient downloadable spreadsheets containing a full solution list, segmented into product categories for easier viewing.

Your Single Source for Support Solutions and ResourcesThe following valuable support information and resources can easily be accessed through a single interface and include:

Global Support Solution Solutions & Documents
Breaking News
Installation Guides
Advisor Webcasts
PeopleBooks
Red Papers & White Papers
And More…

Please stay tuned as the Knowledge Browser Team continues to enhance and add content to this valuable resource. Take a look and tell us what you think: Visit the Knowledge Browser at: http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/support/online_support/kb_overview.jsp or select the Knowledge Browser hyperlink in the Search box located in the left navigation of Customer Connection.

Orton to start at QB this week for the Bears

2007-12-13T22:26:00.001-05:00

Well, to his credit he did get 10 wins for the Bears in 2005 when forced into action due to Sexy Rexy's broken leg. In reality the Bears had a SOFT schedule and after looking at the stats seemed the Bears won in spite of him. Let's just hope the Jack Daniels has worn off for the Minnesota game Monday night.

+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
Passing Rushing
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
Year TM G Comp Att PCT YD Y/A TD INT Att Yards TD
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
2005 chi 15 190 368 51.6 1869 5.1 9 13 24 44 0
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
TOTAL 15 190 368 51.6 1869 5.1 9 13 24 44 0
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+

Leveraging Oracle PeopleSoft Applications Unlimited

2007-12-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

The whitepaper I've been working on with Gary Milligan (Nova Scotia Community College) and Criss Laidlaw (Williams College) finally got published by the Higher Education User Group. The paper can be accessed here: http://www.heug.org/download.php?sid=7122

Executive Summary
This paper is the latest in a series of HEUG TAG publications meant to provide advice and guidance to HEUG member institutions as they strategize around the ongoing changes in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) landscape, and in particular in the Oracle suite of administrative applications. Previous publications have dealt with preparedness for Fusion technology based applications and the related concepts of service-oriented architectures (SOA). This paper continues that theme but with a primary focus on maximizing the usefulness of the PeopleSoft architecture and applications in a prudent and knowledgeable manner. The ―Applications Unlimited‖ program clearly advances the timeline that the PeopleSoft Enterprise applications remain a viable alternative. Beyond that, it is the opinion of the TAG that Oracle will very likely deliver tool- and feature-rich releases beyond the current 9.0. Oracle‘s robust PeopleSoft organizational structure, its ongoing strong commitment to the HEUG and the Alliance conference, as well as the announcement of the Application Integration Architecture, are a few reasons why the TAG believes that the PeopleSoft applications could remain an excellent alternative for some schools for up to 10 to 15 years. The flexibility and choice that is inherent in long term PeopleSoft viability is a positive situation for many institutions. However, the TAG still feels that all HEUG member institutions will need to embrace SOA concepts and technologies, albeit at their own pace. The last TAG publication on this topic spoke to some specific Fusion readiness steps, some of which were outside the scope of the existing PeopleSoft architecture and functionality. This paper reiterates some of those points and makes a few new ones. However, the primary message is that you can continue to exploit the valuable functionality in the PeopleSoft applications while also learning about and utilizing the concepts and techniques that will be the foundation for Fusion based applications. We suggested in previous publications that HEUG member institutions continue developing their ERP strategy and their own ―roadmap‖ for their ERP applications. The roadmap would consider an institution‘s existing PeopleSoft application(s) as well as the forthcoming Fusion applications and the adoption of emerging technology according to their specific business drivers, challenges and opportunities. The creation of a roadmap coupled with a supporting business strategy is still our best advice. It is our intention that this publication provides further assistance with the development of these planning documents. It is our specific goal that those institutions that are keen to continue their use of PeopleSoft in a viable and effective manner should benefit from the information and advice in this publication. It would be ideal if there were one roadmap that could be applied to every school. Unfortunately, there are far too many factors for one plan to be so widely applied. Therefore our intention is to provide a basic framework of steps and guidelines that each institution can adapt to their particular situation. The high level steps are:

1. Understand Applications Unlimited.
This program, coupled with any future application release announcements, represents the most critical official information that schools can access about the life cycle and licensing options with respect to their PeopleSoft applications. Read the FAQ on this program and any subsequent updates that may be released. If anything is unclear, talk to your Oracle Account Executive.

2. Plan and Strategize.
An examination of your institution‘s business goals, as well as technical capabilities and direction, is critical to determining how best to proceed with your ERP roadmap. While this sounds simplistic, there are many specific questions to answer that may not be obvious, or may not always be examined in a timely fashion. Each school should be intentional about deciding which path they want to follow so their development and infrastructure teams can make appropriate decisions going forward. Institutions should consider inviting their Oracle Account Executive to plan and present a session to review their 'health check/roadmap' to Fusion with key organization executives.

3. Evaluate Possible Approaches.
Every institution has the opportunity to examine and/or implement a variety of strategies and technologies that can respect the balance between PeopleSoft longevity and Fusion readiness. One key is to have a very clear baseline understanding of the status and options around licensing, support and the applications‘ life cycle dates. This information is critical to understanding the individual timelines each institution must keep in mind for tactical planning. Also, as we have stressed before, it is important that schools learn about and leverage web service technologies. PeopleTools includes a number of capabilities to expose application functionality as web services; schools can begin leveraging these PeopleTools functionalities. Schools should also closely follow the emergence of service-oriented architectures and apply components within their institutions as appropriate. Eventually each organization should plan to develop experience with service-oriented development approaches and technologies. Institutions are likely to find that planning now for gradual adoption of service-orientation will be more cost-effective than trying to dive in at a later time.

4. Introduce incremental changes into your environment.
We are suggesting that there are a number of incremental changes that can be considered that have a potential dual benefit for many institutions. These changes certainly better prepare the institution for a possible Fusion transition at some point in the future, but beyond that they have immediate business value in many situations. PeopleTools 8.48 included substantial changes and enhancements in its support of web services and web services standards. Schools taking a long term approach to PeopleSoft now have even more opportunity to expand their SOA knowledge and usage within the PeopleSoft application itself. In addition, there are a variety of Oracle application and technology offerings that should be considered for the same potential value proposition of preparedness and immediate positive impact. Identity Management, XML Publisher, as well as the Fusion Integration Components and/or Development Tools should all be reviewed and considered for use. The appropriateness and potential timing of the use of these items will vary greatly by institution but every institution should be able to incorporate some elements of these strategies that move beyond the status quo. There is also a wealth of information and informal training opportunities available to assist in learning about, and implementing these options. Schools should take a deliberate approach to exploiting these resources. In summary, we stated in the previous publications that no institution can avoid an eventual transition in its ERP applications and that planning and strategy were key. This is certainly still the case. However, with respect to the life of the PeopleSoft application suite, we now believe that it will remain a viable option for much longer than was originally anticipated following the introduction of the Fusion applications strategy. We believe some aspects of the application suite will remain viable for more than a decade. This is a considerable length of time in the world of technology. This does not change the ongoing and increasing focus on SOA as a key element of all ERP technology and it must be planned for by all institutions in order to maximize the business value and efficiencies inherent in this technology. We believe that it is possible to make incremental progress that will support the long term transformative change while minimizing the disruption to the IT and user communities. A number of sample institutional strategies in this document are illustrated via potential roadmaps. The TAG and the HEUG expect to continue to build upon the body of knowledge for the Higher Education community, and we expect to work with Oracle to help shape the direction of applications and the technology stack. As changes in the landscape occur, the TAG will continue to talk to the HEUG community about these changes and provide advice and direction via publications and presentations.

Drinking across America

2007-12-11T22:47:00.000-05:00

This is a great list of 25 must see Microbreweries, would've liked to see Great Lakes and Anderson Valley on there but it's a rock solid list.

[airlinecreditcards.com via Sysrick.com]

This is true on so many levels

2007-12-10T23:40:00.001-05:00

I am not a pessimist at heart, but Despair.com has another winner in my book. This rings true on so many different levels.

[Despair.com via sysrick.com]

Advanced Reporting Techniques for PeopleSoft Enterprise

2007-12-07T00:26:00.000-05:00

Nice summary of the session from the blog over at Grey-Sparling by Larry Grey

Day 5 2007 OOW - Advanced Reporting Techniques for PeopleSoft Enterprise
This was the same session I gave last year at Open World. Jodi Runstadtler, the development manager for Reporting Tools gave it this year.Instead of providing a set of development tips and techniques, Jodi went through the most asked questions she saw from the support as well as other things that she felt that people should know. For those who already read my Reporting Tools Roadmap session entry, you'll see several circumstances where I deferred providing more details to this blog entry.XML Publisher Data SourcesIs there a difference between different supported data sources for XMLP?

Full post located here

20 best iPod apps

2007-12-07T00:22:00.000-05:00

With a new generation of iPods on the market this holiday season, your reliable old iPod may not seem as shiny as it once did. But with the help of third party applications and utilities, you can unlock tons of useful functionality you never knew was there and revive that aging iPod so it doesn't look quite so bad next to its successors. Whether new or old, the following 20 iPod utilities can help you get the most from your iPod.

Full article here

[Lifehacker via sysrick.com]

Sharepoint/MOSS -> PeopleSoft integration

2007-11-30T20:00:00.000-05:00

A good little red paper can be found here

Lawnmower Steve

2007-11-30T19:16:00.001-05:00

Drunk guy on a tractor gets pulled over, litters, then proceeds to urinate over the side of his tractor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNPxIibhcKY

Cylon pumpkin

2007-11-30T11:37:00.001-05:00

From the guys at Evil Mad Scientist - the cylon pumpkin!

http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/CylonOLantern

In Defense of generation Y

2007-11-29T00:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a gen x'er, haven't worked with a whole lot of the new snivellers so don't have a solid take on this, but the comments on this post are worth a read!

http://www.cio.com/article/157050/

Cisco telepresence magic

2007-11-16T23:32:00.000-05:00

This is wicked cool, telepresence demonstration at a Cisco keynote. See it here.

[Sysrick.com]

These guys have a whole lot of time on their hands

2007-11-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

A demonstration showing the explosive reaction of Diet Coke and Mentos, now I know not to combine the two!

http://www.eepybird.com/exp214.html

[Eeepbird.com via sysrick.com]

New PeopleTools blog

2007-11-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Jeff Robbins announced a new blog at the PeopleTools strategy session at OpenWorld. Should be a good resource going forward to follow along with the PeopleTools roadmap. He gave a nice demo of PeopleTools 8.50 sitting on top of the PeopleSoft portal product showing some of the new features such as partial page refreshes, modal windows for errors and messages, and enhanced menu navigation - pretty good stuff.

http://blogs.oracle.com/peopletools/

Pretty cool screen saver / clock / dance routine

2007-11-08T23:19:00.000-05:00

Don't know the whole background, but this is a pretty cool screen saver / clock rendered on the web. Seems to have a lot to do with cashmere sweaters. Check it out: UNIQLOCK

Big win by the Bears

2007-10-07T23:48:00.001-04:00

The Chicago Bears got a huge game from their cornerback Pinky Tillman who got two fumbles from Packers rookie WR James Jones and a solid game from Brian Griese. Bears win 27-20 in a tough place to win bringing them to 2-3 and keeping them in the race for the NFC North.

Rocket powered X-wing really flies

2007-10-03T21:53:00.000-04:00

A group of guys has built an 8' x-wing fighter replica that houses 4 solid fuel M class rockets. Will be launched within the week. You can read about it here.

[Milkandcookies.com]

ProFootballTalk NFL Rumormill

2007-10-03T21:47:00.000-04:00

With the NFL season firmly underway, ran across a great site with the latest NFL rumors. ProFootballTalk has all sorts of information for the NFL fanatic. They also have a pretty good area where folks PhotoShop recent NFL stories, such as the Giants renaming their stadium exits after Philadelphia's rookie left tackle Winston Gates who gave up 7 sacks on Monday night.

See it here
[Profootballtalk.com]

PeopleSoft bloggers unite

2007-10-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

Tim DiChiara of searchoracle.com posted a nice list of PeopleSoft blogs he refers to for tips and tricks

PeopleSoft DBA blog - Infrequent but high quality blog from this author and 11-year PeopleSoft veteran
Grey Sparling PeopleSoft Expert’s Corner - Team blog from this PeopleSoft consultancy, including ex-PeopleSoft employees
PeopleSoft Tipster - Somewhat sparse but useful blog from consultant Duncan Davies
PSTT0101 - Well-populated, quality blog from a PeopleSoft consultant
Jim’s PeopleSoft Journal - Nice tips and advice from this PS developer
Extra Hot - Developer tips from “Chili Joe”

Link
[http://eyeonoracle.blogs.techtarget.com]

Oracle News Aggregator

2007-10-03T15:20:00.000-04:00

Great site to read and monitor all things Oracle

SAP Facts - CNS

2007-03-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

SAP Facts - Chuck Norris Style

Most of my job deals with ERP apps, not SAP but one could easily substitute the software of your choice on these.

The original Superbowl shuffle 21 years later

2007-01-30T23:32:00.001-05:00

You gotta love it

Ever need to talk to a real person?

2007-01-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

This web site is great, provides all the instructions and toll free numbers to get a hold of a real person in customer service.

[Gethuman]

The effects of various substances on spiders

2007-01-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

An interesting and educational study on the effects of various substances such as LSD, THC, caffeine, and alcohol on our 8 legged friends. Click here.

[DevilDucky via Milkandcookies.com]

Importance of Sensitivity Training

2007-01-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

As an avid believer in sensitivity training for all employees, here is a free video documentary that can be shown to re-enforce proper office behavior. That is if you want a 260 pound monster crushing all evil-doers as only Terry Tate can. See it here

Terry Tate, Reebok, Sensitivity Training

[Milkandcookies.com]

My favorite Steve Martin SNL skit

2007-01-03T00:19:00.000-05:00

This is the classic "wish" sketch by Steve Martin, it's an oldie but a goodie!!

[milkandcookies.com]

The role of a wingman

2006-12-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

The wingman is arguably the noblest creature to ever step into a barroom.

Who else, with cavalier disregard for his personal reputation, is so willing to throw himself upon the cruel mercies of a brazen man-hater, just so his buddy can hook up with a sorority girl with big gazongas? Who else, with just a hint of a grimace, will selflessly dirty dance with a creature so hideous that no amount of hard liquor will wash the stain from his memory? Who else, especially if he’s loaded to the gills, will stand in the deepest depths of hell just so a pal can climb up his back into hook-up heaven?

Wingman

[Modern Drunkard]

Pondering a question

2006-12-12T23:08:00.000-05:00

As many of you know that actually read this as of late stagnant blog, our web site is www.theczars.com where my wife and I try to keep the rest of our remote family up to date with what's going on and dump a bunch of pictures. Last week I received an anonymous email asking why we choose to put our lifestyle/personal stuff on the web. My first reaction was, "because I can you @#$%@#". After thinking about it for a while, I came to the same conclusion. I know my family back in Illinois digs checking out the site to see what's new and we feel that it keeps everyone a little closer to us. The answer I would have sent if I hadn't of deleted the email would simply be, "because I can". The web offers a simple window into things Melissa and I would like to share, simple as that. If that doesn't quench your curiousity I can only offer you wisdom from Monty Python, "Piss Off".

Google code search

2006-11-09T01:27:00.000-05:00

Google Code Search helps you find function definitions and sample code by giving you one place to search publicly accessible source code hosted on the Internet. With Google Code Search, you can:
1. Use regular expressions to search more precisely
2. Restrict your search by language, license or filename
3. View the source file with links back to the entire package and the webpage where it came from

[Google Code Search]

Great health guide to Chinese Shar-Peis

2006-11-09T01:22:00.000-05:00

If you own a Shar-Pei or are even thinking of owning one, you need to have this guide. Dr. Vidt is an expert in the common ailments and diseases that afflict the breed. The guide is located here .

Stop motion Space Invaders

2006-07-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

Some fun with stop motion photography

Link
[Pistolwimp.com]

Chappelle Gary Coleman skit

2006-07-23T22:59:00.000-04:00

This is pretty good, from the "lost episodes" of the Dave Chappelle show. Skit on Gary Coleman (of Different Strokes fame) as a security guard.

http://www.devilducky.com/media/48512/

The Whiskey Man

2006-07-20T23:40:00.000-04:00

One of my weekly golf buddies has a neighbor affectionately called the "Whiskey Man". He has worked at Woodford Reserve for a long time and grew up in a very poor region of Eastern Kentucky. He is contemplating the idea of starting a weekly blog, and this is their first shot. It's pretty damn funny if you ask me.

http://www.thevarnish.com/whiskyman/wmpc1.mp3

S.O.A.P.

2006-04-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

Coming this summer to a theatre near you, starring Samuel F* Jackson - it's Snakes On A Plane.

Synopsis (via Rottentomatoes.com)

IN THEATERS AUGUST 18, 2006. This extremely well-titled thriller stars Samuel L. Jackson as an unlucky air traveler who finds himself trapped on a flight full of, yes, deadly snakes, which have been planted there (by the mob) to kill a crucial government witness.

Official site: Snakes On A Plane

Trailer

Images from the movie

Fan site: Snakes on a Blog

My Favorite PeopleSoft and/or Fusion Blogs

2006-04-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

Driven by PeopleSoft motivated by MicroSoft
PeopleSoft Corner - Automate Those Migrations
The Feature » Favorite Fusion Features
OracleAppsBlog - A day in the life of an Oracle Applications Consultant
PeopleSoft Corner
Parallax Calculating Technology's Future Point, Counterpoint (I Pity the Fool Redux)
Oracle PeopleSoft Fusion Information - Everything You Wanted To Know
ITtoolbox Blogs
Big Endian

And last, but certainly not least Grey Sparling

Loser misses first question on Millonaire

2006-04-11T23:09:00.000-04:00

This is terrible

Google Information for Webmasters

2006-04-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

This expands on the previous post, how to tell Google not to archive your web pages.

On each page under the section of your page enter the following tag:

Link

Deleting things from Google's cache

2006-04-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

This thread from XML-Dev discusses getting things deleted from Google’s cache. It turns out that Google will delete pages from the cache if and only if it gets a 404 from the url (I assume there must be some timeout ???). By simply removing the server from the net we did not get the file out of Google’s cache and it sat there for four months.

One other thing I found is the url to request Google to remove items from the cache urgently. This still requires that Google gets a 404 for the url and takes “3 to 5 days”. http://services.google.com:8882/urlconsole/controller

Last week we showed you how to keep Google from caching your site. That’s a very handy thing to know before Google caches your page, but this should take care of you if Google’s already cached your site and you need it removed, and fast.

Article located here on Lifehacker
[Lifehacker.com] via Sysrick

Ask a ninja

2006-04-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

The ninja (who sounds strangely like a New Yorker) gives us his insign on how to "decide like a ninja".

Link

[Askaninja.com]

Thanks to Sysrick for passing this along

The Scarlet Letter

2006-03-28T22:59:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favorite SNL skits, The Scarlet Letter!

Link: http://www.devilducky.com/media/35517/

Via milkandcookies.com

Brandmeier starts podcasting

2006-02-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

The program director of WLUP in Chicago emailed me to tell me that Johnny B now has a podcast of his show with a full webcast of the show coming. For those of you that don't know Johnny, give him a listen. Johnny is by far and away the funniest radio show host I've ever heard. Granted it's not the same now that Buzz Killman isn't with him, but it's still Johnny and I can hear him now from anywhere! Johnny's podcast page can be found here. Kudos to the Loop for getting this done!!

Many Thanks to Tim Dukes the Program Director over at the Loop. Here's the email:

Paul:
Thanks for writing recently, and please accept my apologies for not responding sooner. We get so much email, we don't always get to reply as fast as we'd like to everyone.
We still hope to have the webstream going this Spring. However, until then, we have started a Jonathon Brandmeier podcast with 3 segments from the show each week. We hope you check that out on Johnny's page at www.wlup.com and find it enjoyable until we are streaming full-time.
Thanks again, and GO CATS!! (even though they're not having a great year). I'm from the Louisville area (Shelby Co.) and have been a lifelong KY fan...
Take care,
Tim DukesProgram Director97-9 The Loop/WLUP-FM222 Merchandise MartSuite 230Chicago, IL 60654

O'Brien vs Colbert

2006-01-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

A hilarious reinactment of the O'Reilly vs Letterman interview by Conan O'brien and Stephen Colbert.

Letterman vs O'Reilly

O'Brien vs Colbert

Courtesy of DevilDucky via Milkandcookies.com

Nutty Dog

2006-01-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

I really do love dogs, but this one here needs some medical help in a bad way. While it is very natural for a dog to get defensive over a treat such as a bone, you don't typically see it mistake it's own appendage as a threat.

Crazy Dog

[Milkandcookies.com]

Cleese's Eulogy for Graham Chapman

2006-01-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

Graham Chapman was one of the members of the famous comedic tribe Monty Python, and unfortunately passed away at the very young age of 48 in 1989. Graham was always one of my favorites in the skits and was the lead actor in "The Life of Brian" and "The Holy Grail". As a final goodbye fellow Python John Cleese delivered his eulogy, it's very fitting.

John Cleese's Eulogy for Graham Chapman
[Milkandcookies.com]

HDMI switching on the cheap

2006-01-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

As more and more high definition video devices are available with HDMI (High-Definition Multi-media Interface), you will come to a crossroads in your A/V setup if your video source only has 1 HDMI input for high definition programming. Either disconnect/reconnect your HDMI cables or buy an HDMI switcher for allowing multiple inputs to go to one output. The output is selected either mechincally via a push button type switch or even electronically via a remote control depending on how much money you want to spend. I ran across the following post on the AVS forums detailing some low cost mechanical switches that just might do the trick for your home theatre.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569022

It's been a long time

2005-12-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well, my apologies, it's been a long time since my last post. I've been crazy busy with work and the latest PeopleSoft upgrade to 8.9. I finally got the Christmas lights done on the house outside, went a little crazy with the yard animals, but I had to get the Christmas moose. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours and may 2006 bring you good fortune and another White Sox title!!!

2005 World Series Championship - WHITE SOX

2005-10-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

I've never liked Jay Marriotti all that much, probably because he tends to write things about the Sox that Sox fans don't always want to hear. But here's a great excerpt from his column today:

It matters here
A nation didn't watch. Hollywood won't script it. Cubdom is cringing, and the only poet who might wax is Jimbo, behind his bar on 33rd Street. But who really cares what the rest of the world thinks? A town known for its terminal baseball woe has been healed. And the team that broke through wasn't the bloated Cubs, the romanticized franchise with the well-moneyed fans and conglomerate ownership, but the maligned, forgotten team from the other side of town. Or should I now say the cool side of town, a side that reminded us where heart, passion and grit reside? No longer must any of us dwell on the 1919 Black Sox, Disco Demolition Night, elephants, midgets, drunks on the field and decades of futility and identity crises. All of that was purged during a season-long plundering so convincing, from the chill of April to the hush of a Texas ballpark in late autumn, that it's tempting to say the 88-year wait was worth it.
"That was the first time in my life that my heart was pounding like crazy. I'm just happy for Jerry and the fans, because they've been waiting so long,'' said Ozzie Guillen, the one Sox manager who thrived when so many others failed. "This was my dream, my goal to win for this team."
So, are you coming back?
"Now I'm going to make my money,'' the Blizzard said. "We'll see what happens.''
"Do I need a new manager or not?'' shot back Ken Williams, the one Sox general manager who thrived when so many others failed.
Give Guillen a bonus, and he'll be back. He couldn't live without the fun, the buzz. In fact, the Sox were so much fun, even Cubs fans should acknowledge the brilliant feat and share a toast. Could this be a monumental moment in the blood war, a truce that would be healthy for the city's psyche after so much angst and socioeconomic-related rancor?
Is it still a Cubs town? Sure, it is, based on sheer numbers. Higher percentages of people watched the Series games in Houston than in Chicago, telling me a good share of Cubbie TVs weren't on. And when pressed, several Sox players said it's still a Cubs town, Paul Konerko and Aaron Rowand included. But here's the thing: They said it devilishly, with pride, thrilled to slay the beast.
Unlike the Cubs, the Sox didn't choke. They smoked, oozing of Ozzie and melding before our eyes in Williams' test tube. There was so much charm and symmetry for so many months, they almost seemed too good to be true, especially during a September free fall that had us all thinking the worst. Turns out the Sox were only teasing us with their slump. It toughened them mentally, allowed them to take a deep breath and empowered them to take on postseason opponents that looked better but ultimately weren't close to their caliber.

Link
[Suntimes.com]

White Sox going to the World Series!!!!

2005-10-17T00:08:00.000-04:00

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball WriterOctober 16, 2005
AP - Oct 16, 11:45 pm EDTMore PhotosANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Not since Shoeless Joe Jackson have the Chicago White Sox caused this much of a commotion.
World Series, here they come.
After nearly a half-century of ho-hum baseball, the White Sox finally made it back Sunday night. A.J. Pierzynski came out on the right side of yet another umpiring ruckus, Jose Contreras pitched Chicago's fourth straight complete game and the White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 to win the AL championship series in five games.

Even more Cowbell

2005-10-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

Here's Will Ferrel revisiting his Blue Oyster Cult SNL skit with Queens of the StoneAge. This is a classic!! Check it out here.

[Gorillamask.net]

Behind The Music: Blue Oyster Cult

2005-10-07T23:06:00.000-04:00

SNL skit, a true classic

"I'm Bruce Dickinson. Yes, THE Bruce Dickinson."
"The song is great, but it could use more cowbell."
"Guess what... I got a fever. And the only prescription, is more cowbell."

Check it out (takes a while)

[Milkandcookies.com]

Mitch Hedberg

2005-10-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

It's a shame we lost him to drugs, but man he was funny. Check out one of his bits here.

[Milkandcookies.com]

2005-10-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

The White Sox sweep the carmines, unbelievable job by Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in the sixth to quelch the bases loaded with 1 out threat. Hot damn, this is sweet! I personally would like to see the Yanks in the ALCS, we suck against the west.

Note to Ozzie Guillen, let's bring on Brandon McCarthy and dump Marte for the next series. It's just the right thing to do for us with weak hearts!!

Que the Grateful Dead music

2005-09-29T22:32:00.000-04:00

What a long strange trip it's been for the White Sox in 2005. The Sox started off the 2005 campaign on a tear ending the first half of the season a remarkable 30 games over .500. White Sox nation was salty and had dreams of the first World Series championship since 1917. After starting the second half of the season after the All Star break with a huge four game sweep of the Indians, things gently started going south. After a 15 game lead on August 1, the lead slipped down to as low as 1.5 with just two weeks to go in the season. For the first time of the year, the White Sox started getting national media attention, because they may be on the verge of the biggest collapse in MLB history. The Sox couldn't hit their way out of a wet paper bag, and the pitching wasn't nearly as strong as it had been. Looked like another typical Chicago sports story, stealing despair from glory. Thankfully the Sox righted the ship with skipper Ozzie Guillen and got their season back on track. Today the White Sox clinched the AL central with 3 games left to play in the regular season. Only 11 games to glory in the post season, let's go Sox, "Win or die trying"!

Charities are for suckers

2005-09-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

CHARITIES ARE FOR SUCKERS
By Ted Rall Tue Sep 13, 8:06 PM ET
Leave Katrina Relief Efforts to Government

NEW YORK--Hurricane Katrina has prompted Americans to donate more than $700 million to charity, reports the Chronicle of Philanthropy. So many suckers, so little foresight.
Government has been shirking its basic responsibilities since the '80s, when
Ronald Reagan sold us his belief that the sick, poor and unlucky should no longer count on "big government" to help them, but should rather live and die at the whim of contributors to private charities. The Katrina disaster, whose total damage estimate has risen from $100 to $125 billion, marks the culmination of Reagan's privatization of despair.
The American Red Cross leads the post-Katrina sweepstakes, quickly closing in on the $534 million it took in just after 9/11. But Red Cross spokeswoman Sheila Graham told the AP it needs another half billion "to provide emergency relief over the coming weeks for thousands of evacuees who have scattered among 675 of its shelters in 23 states."
Shelley Borysiewicz of Catholic Charities USA, which has raised $7 million thus far, also continues to solicit donations: "We don't want people to lose sight of the fact that this is going to take years of recovery, and we're going to be there to help the people who fall through the cracks."
What "cracks"? Why should New Orleans' dispossessed have to live in private shelters? We live in the United States, not Mali. There's only one reason flood victims aren't getting help from the government: because the government refuses to help them. The Red Cross and its cohorts are letting lazy, incompetent and corrupt politicians off the hook, and so are their donors.
It's ridiculous, but people evidently need to be reminded that the United States is not only the world's wealthiest nation but the wealthiest society that has existed anywhere, ever. The U.S. government can easily pick up the tab for people inconvenienced by bad weather--if helping them is a priority. That goes double for Katrina, a disaster caused by the government's conscious decision to eliminate the $50 million pittance needed to improve New Orleans' levees.
For our leaders the optional war against Iraqis such a priority, which the
Congressional Budget Office expects to cost $600 billion by 2010. That's four or five Katrinas right there. (That's also where the levee money went.) Because rich people are always a political priority, their taxes have been slashed by $4 trillion over a decade--the equivalent of 32 Katrinas. So worried are our public servants about the tax burden placed on the rich that they're looking out for rich dead people. This is why they've gutted the estate tax that, at a cost of $75 billion annually, will run half a Katrina a year. Trickle-down economists beginning with Milton Friedman shout "starve the beast," but while the social programs are put on a diet, the mean and powerful pig out more than ever.
Disaster relief is too important to be left to private fundraisers, with their self-sustaining fundraising expenses, administrative overhead (nine percent for the Red Cross) and their parochial, often religious, agendas. It's also way too expensive. In the final analysis, after the floodwaters have receded and the poor neighborhoods of New Orleans have been razed under eminent domain, major charities will be lucky if they've managed to raise one percent of the total cost of Katrina. Congress, recognizing the reality that only the federal government possesses the means to deal with the calamity, has already allocated $58 billion--over 70 times the amount raised by charities--to flood relief along the Gulf of Mexico. As Bush says, that's only a "down payment."
Cutting a check to the Red Cross isn't just a vote for irresponsible government. It's a drop in the bucket compared to what you'll end up paying for Katrina in increased taxes.
Granted, in terms of popularity of likelihood of success, trying to make a case against giving money to charities compares to lobbying against puppies. The impulse to donate, after all, is rooted in our best human traits. As we watched New Orleanians die of thirst, disease and anarchic violence in the face of Bush Administration disinterest and local government incompetence, millions of us did the only thing we thought we could to do to help: cut a check or click a PayPal button. Tragically, that generosity feeds into the mindset of the sinister ideologues who argue that government shouldn't help people--the very mindset that caused the levee break that turned Katrina into a holocaust and led to official unresponsiveness. And it is already setting the stage for the next avoidable disaster.
It's time to "starve the beast": private charities used by the government to justify the abdication of its duties to its citizens.

Get your war on has a take on Katrina

2005-09-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

As you can tell, this guy isn't a Bush lover. It's crude, but it's pretty dead on as well

http://www.mnftiu.cc/mnftiu.cc/k.html

[My New Fighting Technique Is Unstoppable http://www.mnftiu.cc]

Another gear review site

2005-08-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

For what it's worth, this site looks pretty good so far. We'll have to see how often they keep it updated in the future. - GEARLOG

A DJ saves the day

2005-08-23T21:43:00.000-04:00

http://www.doubleedgefilms.com/spin/player.html
[Milkandcookies.com]

Balloon boy

2005-08-16T22:41:00.000-04:00

In this award-reaping techno-marvel, benign Balloon Boy hides from vicious Vic Vinyl to escape puncture. Heavily inspired by the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs.

Click Here

[Milkandcookies.com]

One 3 min MP3 = 5'9" high stack of punchcards

2005-08-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

One 3 min MP3 = 5'9" high stack of punchcards In case you were wondering: how many punchcards it would take to store an MP3:
"Assuming a non-Hollerith encoding with eight bits per column, and an MP3 file encoded at 128kbps CBR, there would be 36,864 cards in that deck, and the card reader would need a throughput of 205 cards per second. It might be wise to include an 8-column sequence number, however, so that a misordered deck can be repaired by a card sorter; with 72 data columns per card, the total is precisely 40,960 cards (40K cards), requiring a 228 card/second throughput." The 21 boxes of cards needed would by 5 feet 9 inches tall. That such a huge leap in technology is well within living memory astonishes Y.

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/01/one_3_min_mp3_59_hig.html

[Link via sysrick.com]

The Sysadmin song

2005-07-22T23:11:00.000-04:00

"Got a virus, lost your password or you just can't print?In and hour he'll show up and crouch and squint.Fight to save your files, he might be there all day.But sometimes he just hits Caps Lock, and walks away."

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/33211/details/

[Milkandcookies.com]

Kicks to the groin from around the world

2005-07-22T23:03:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a swift kick in the groin to get the masses laughing

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/31508/

[Milkandcookies.com]

Fireworks Wars!!

2005-07-14T08:34:00.000-04:00

FIREWORKS WARS

Celebrity Jeopardy

2005-07-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

This is a classic SNL skit with Will Ferrel as Alex Trebeck. I absolutely love the Burt Reynolds impersonation!

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/32268/
[Milkandcookies.com]

All Star Break already?

2005-07-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

Some random Sox thoughts.

Here we are July 10th already, and with my birthday comes the major league baseball all star break. The White Sox are still the hottest team in baseball with a 57-29 record, but they still can't beat the @#$%# Oakland Athletics. The Sox have 3 pitchers in Garland, Buehrle, and Garcia that have carried much of the pitching load and will need to continue doing so in the second half. The trio of Jon, Mark, and Freddy are all in the top 10 for ERA in the American league which is really impressive. I think the pitching with this team is really going to determine whether or not they play in October, 'cauz they're not going to win nearly as many slug fests as in prior years with their current "speedier" lineup. The Sox lost a lot of pop when they dealt Carlos Lee to the Brewers, but Scott Podsednik has more than lived up to his end of the deal and got an invitation to Detroit for the All Star game. Scotty has 44 stolen bases and is batting a nice .293 (leads the Sox in batting average). Getting back Frank Thomas from the DL has put a nice boost into the lineup. The "Big Hurt" has 18 hits since returning from injury, 11 of which are home runs! I pray the Sox can keep this up and I pray the A's don't make the playoffs!!

You may be a Sox fan.............

2005-07-04T23:28:00.000-04:00

Posted on WhiteSoxinteractive.com

You may be a Sox Fan if...by Patrick Ferrini

If you're from Chicago, you might be a White Sox fan if...
...you spell "clue" K-L-U.
...you hate Hunter Wendlestedt
...you turn off your cell phone before a baseball game.
...you've worked a day in your life.
...you think Jon Rooney should be in the Hall-of-Fame.
...losers aren't lovable.
...Nellie Fox is the greatest second baseman of all-time.
...a home run hit barely past Torii Hunter causes you to break a sweat.
...your team has the best record in baseball.
...you think Wrigleyville should just be annexed by Iowa and Wisconsin.
...you hate sportswriters.
...you love Dan McNeil.
...you prefer a park that doesn't smell like urinal and pose a lifethreatening risk everytime you buy a ticket.
...you miss McCuddy's.
...you need only one pre-game bar and it happens to be in the bullpen.
...you prefer tailgating.
...you hate the Twins, Tigers, Indians, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Reds, Giants, Blue Jays, A's, and Cubs.
...you are skeptical about everything.
...Ozzieball/Smartball/Smallball is exactly what you've been screaming at the Sox to do for the last decade.
...you refuse to buy the Tribune out of principle.
...Steve Bartman is a personal hero.
...you still hope the Sox will bring back Robin Ventura.
...you know who Brooks Boyer is.
...you've signed a petition to have Mariotti banished from Chicago permanently.
...you love Nancy Faust.
...Carlton has nothing to do with "Fresh Prince." Fisk should be remembered as a WHITE Sock.
...you remember Falstaff.
..."Disco sucks" chants still bring chills down your spine.
...even a 10 game lead in the division makes you nervous. In fact, it makes you more so.
..."Hitmen" has nothing to do with the mob.
...you can recite the entire lyrics from "Go Go White Sox."
...you appreciate the work of "The Sodfather."
...you know who the band Steam is.
...you can remember a time when professional baseball players wore shorts and collars.
...you don't give a crap about Ron Santo.
...you miss Dave Wills. (NNNNEEEXXXTTTT BOOM!)
..."Winning Ugly" is not an insult.
...you don't bother with the All-Star game (i.e. the Red Sox & Yankees v. National League game).
...you love Ozzie's antics and hate when the media tries to play up every little quirk as the end of the Sox season.
...you think Shoeless Joe has gotten a raw deal. Hey, no one ever found him guilty!
...you still love Harold Baines.
...you know and love Beltin' Bill Melton.
...the devil wears blue.

Shatner does Seven

2005-06-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

Soon after the movie Seven came out, the MTV Movie Awards got William Shatner to do this parody.

He plays the lead roles as each of his more famous characters: Captain Kirk, TJ Hooker, and himself as the host of Rescue 911.

Includes a guest appearance by Carmen Electra as an alien.

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/22937/
[Milkandcookies.com]

Triumph at the Michael Jackson trial

2005-06-14T08:57:00.000-04:00

Triumph the insult comic dog
[Milkandcookies.com]

Tornado Violence - are tornadic pictures in the media to blame?

2005-06-14T08:48:00.000-04:00

According to Gilchrist, TV news programs only exacerbate the problem, reinforcing tornado behavior by giving them the attention they crave.

Link
[TheOnion.com]

Finally a new post

2005-06-13T20:50:00.000-04:00

No posts recently, been too busy around the damn house, workin', and out golfing. I ended up not buying the Valkyrie, and instead went the route of a Victory Vegas. I pretty much threw out all hope of having something to go touring on with this one, this is a straight up cruiser. The color is a bit loud, but it was just screaming at me on the showroom floor. It's a nice bike, not nearly as heavy as the valk, and pretty nimble steering. This isn't the actual bike, but it gives you an idea.

Motorcycles

2005-05-31T22:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been almost two years since I've had a motorcycle and I'm considering getting another one. The last one I bought was a new HD Fat Boy, but I'm not going to dole out that kind of money for something I ride for fun. Before that I had a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 and a Honda Shadow ACE 750, neither of them were bad bikes but the Honda was too small. I won't have that problem with the current bike I'm looking at. I've got my eye on a 2002 Valkyrie 6 cylinder, found one locally. There's something about that engine just hanging out the sides of the bike that draw me too it. I think I may have been a bird in a former life, I tend to be drawn to all shiny things (minus the shitting on them).

The hard part is trying to figure out what to pay for a used motorcycle nowadays. I stumbled upon a website that keeps tabs on going market rates for used motorcycles. You can check it out here. Kelly Blue book and the NADA site have values, but I don't trust either one of them as they're funded by dealers and tend to hi-ball the retail values big time and low ball trade ins.

Now this is way out there

2005-05-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

Not sure what genre of music this would be considered, but it's so stupid it's kind of catchy - Tarzan Rubberband

http://www.jewmilk.com/tarzanrubberband.htm

New Iraqi Government Infographic from The Onion

2005-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

http://www.theonion.com/infograph/index.php?issue=4119
[TheOnion.com]

Make Mine Shoebox

2005-05-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder how greeting cards are made? No? Well, this is the video for you.

It was produced for a well known greeting card corporation to screen at various corporate gatherings and events. The video is a bit sarcastic, but people took it in the spirit in which it was intended.

http://www.chrisharding.net/animation/shoebox/playmovie.html
[Milkandcookies.com]

Duffield Resurfaces

2005-05-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Seem's Dave Duffield, founder of PeopleSoft & Integral Systems, has started a new company. My guess is that a product is probably a couple years out, if nothing else it'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

http://www.davesnextmove.com/index.html

The Institute for Backup Trauma

2005-05-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

John Cleese shows us the importance of backups. The trauma of data backup can be a lifelong debilitating condition.........

The Institute for Backup Trauma

[Backuptrauma.com via Sysrick.com]

More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks

2005-05-02T09:57:00.000-04:00

From BoingBoing:

"More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks" -- MP3 interview with Bruce Schneier ITConversations is a terrific source of audio interviews with tech folks. In the latest ITC email newsletter, producer Doug Kaye said that his interview last year with security consultant and author Bruce Schneier is one of his all-time favorites.

This is the one interview I hope everyone will hear. Security guru Bruce Schneier goes beyond cryptography and network security to challenge our post-9/11 national security practices.
" * "Homeland security measures are an enormous waste of money.
" * "If the goal of security is to protect against yesterday's attacks, we're really good at it.
" * "More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks, which shows you how good we are at evaluating risk.
" * "...people make bad security trade-offs when they're scared."

Recorded a year ago, our listeners agree: This is one of our best.

LINK

[BoingBoing.net via sysrick.com]

Garrett Metal Detectors

2005-04-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

I guess metal detectors do play a role is school safety, but god-damn if this kid doesn't have some deep pockets!

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=schueler

[putfile.com]

It's April, no NHL playoffs, so here's Samuel

2005-04-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

This is a great little skit with Redwing's (Ex-Blackhawk) defenseman Chris Chelios and Samuel Jackson.

http://www.plsthx.com/disp.php?type=m&id=275

Link courtesy of Sysrick

Local Fox affiliate debuts "Terror Alert Van"

2005-04-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

MURFREESBORO, TN—Touting itself as "the only channel with a terror-alert system designed to meet the specific needs of central Tennessee," Fox News affiliate WMFB-TV Channel 11 debuted its terror-alert van Monday.

Local Fox Affiliate Debuts Terror Alert Van
[Theonion.com]

Where's the best seat on your next flight?

2005-04-06T23:06:00.000-04:00

My boss turned me onto this site when I was heading out to Vegas for the HEUG conference. All you have to do is tell it what type of plane you're flying on and wha-lah, the site shows you the best seats on the plane.

Seatguru

Chris Farley the coffee afficianado

2005-04-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

Mr. Farley didn't take kindly to the Columbian crystals substituted in his coffee

[putfile.com]

Ajax & Ruby on Rails convergence?

2005-04-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

All right, 99% of the people here won't give a crap about this posting but it could be the new front runner in database front end web apps with "smarts" on the users desktop. Ruby on Rails has been around for a while and is simply. Ruby is a free object oriented programming language and rails is a full stack framework that wraps around it. Ajax (Asynchronous Java and XML) is simply a way to move the user experience from the web server to the web browser, usually an engine buried in a javascript code on a web page. Here's the story:

You got your Ajax in my Ruby
[O'reillynet.com]

What not to do if a rat is stuck in your grill

2005-03-30T22:20:00.000-05:00

Below is the text of an email a friend/business-associate of mine sent me about his ordeal last night. Damn funny read!

Ok, this is NOT one of those internet stories that someone sent to me. This actually happened to me tonight. Most people wouldn't share this... but it's too entertaining to keep to myself.

At 1AM, I'm brushing my teeth and getting ready to go to bed. I get into bed, then remember that I didn't let the dogs out. So, I get up in my boxers, bare feet and a t-shirt and head downstairs. I let them out in the backyard, and get a drink of water. I wait a few minutes - then open the door to call them in. It's then that I notice my American Bulldog is running around the built in BBQ which is permenantly mounted to my deck. He's very excited barking and pawing at it. I go out on the deck and slowly open the grill... I see nothing. But he is still going crazy. So as any single male without a wife to yell at him for doing stupid things would do, I decide, to fire up the grill and see what I can flush out. I run the grill for a minute... but nothing. I'm disappointed. It's then, I hear something rustling in the metal post the grill is mounted on. There is a round hole in the shaft so that gas can't build up in the base and blow my grill into the neighbors yard. However, at this moment in time, my dog is trying to stick his face through the 3 inch hole to get what ever is on the other side. I'm like a 8 year old at this point... and think I can top my last stupid trick. Thinking of what I can do to flush out whatever is in my grill, I leave the dog on guard and run into the garage and find the first sprayable chemical I can find... which happens to be starting fluid (Either) - obviously highly flammable. So I run back (in my boxers, bare feet and t-shirt), pull the dog back - and spray the hole.... nothing comes out.... I'm disappointed - I am out of ideas at this point, as I scratch my head with the BBQ lighter - I get an idea (I'm 5 years old at this point) and I will soon find out It's a very bad idea... I'll torch the the invader - after alll BBQ grills are made for this type thing. Again I pull back the dog... and lower the long tipped lighter with the red handle... to the hole - click, click and ..... POOOOOF!!! then....to my surprise - out jumps a flaming RAT!!! - I jump back in fright as a 5 year old should... but this is only the beginning. The rat's on fire, and determined to make a run for it. Which means I have a flaming rat problem. The rat runs across the deck and jumps off, then runs into my neighbors yard (on fire) As he squeezes under the fence - he lights my neighbors pine straw on fire. Something I didn't plan for. I of course panic, then I look over and notice my BBQ is still on fire. I quickly grab the dogs water dish and manage to get it... now I need to tend to the fire in my neighbors yard - while the flaming rat now has run back into my yard (obviously disoriented) my dogs quickly pursue him... I run to scale the fence - in my underwear, bare feet and a t shirt... at 1AM in the morning. I make it over the fence and do a fire walker trick stopping out the flames in my bare feet. The fire is out... I look over and see both dogs surrounding the corner fence post of my yard. I see no flames thank god. But there perched on the top of the fence post is the rat - thank god he is safe... i mean, has gone out. But his ass is black from the ordeal... we looked at each other and call a truce.

I had to start laughing at this point (as I stood in my neighbors yard at 1AM in my underwear - as this was by far the most stupid thing i have ever done. I ran in the house and got my camera - I was lucky to get a picture of the rat with the burned ass... as this is another one that you need to see to believe.