Spudlets

December 27, 2002

Christmas Wrap
Some belly lint from navel gazing:
- Had a good Christmas this year. It still amazes me the feeling you have on Christmas morning, the "I can't believe I made it and it's finally over" relief/melancholy. I keep trying to focus on the reason for the season, but the material stuff still creeps in.

- Youngster had a good day. Went to bed late the night before, got up early but we were able to coax him in bed with us for about a half hour. We do some Santa gifts, and some stuff from Mom&Dad. It's always interesting to see which gift is the "big hit", usually one you would not predict.
This year it was the Spiderman WebBlaster, with the silly string "web". (WARNING: Do not let them spray that junk in the house - what a mess!) He also got his first bike, and I took him out after lunch. Got the video captured on our new digital camera. You only get 1-2 minutes blocks of video, but that was enough to show him steering his new bike in a parking lot.

- My highlight came later at night. After little sleep, playing with toys and visiting family all day, Josh sat next to me in the LazyBoy about 7 pm, curled up at my side and fell asleep. There are times that I really miss the toddler phase, so much that it hurts, but every once in a while he reminds me that he is still (and will always be) my baby. I can't think of anything that feels better than that.

- Wife took down the (fake) tree and all the decorations yesterday (WOO-HOO!) - kinda surprising, but I was glad she did it.

Obligatory Gift Description
My wife gives me a list every year, and sometimes I get stuff off of it, but I try to surprise her. This year I got her Godiva Chocolate Cigars, and she was able to make them last two days(!). The other surprise for her was the Sarah Plain and Tall trilogy on DVD. For about the price of one DVD, you get all three episodes. According to the notes on the DVD, the first two episodes were the highest rated made-for-TV movies in the 90's. They're kinda chick-flicks, but I have a soft spot for stories about adoption and families, and they are all well-done.
To offset that, she got me Blade Runner on DVD. Not much extras on it, but I'm looking forward to viewing a clean copy. It's the last great sci-fi movie to be made before CGI changed movie-making. Otherwise, the usual shirts/tools/JellyBellys and a couple of calendars (a Bears one too!). One CD that I asked for and got was "Alison Kraus and Union Station Live", which I'm listening to right now.
Excellent album by one of the best musical groups in the world. You would be hard-pressed to find a better voice in the business than Ms. Kraus, and the other artists in the group are all experienced, world-class musicians. It is not as "twangy-bluegrass" as I expected, just a double album of calm and steady songs. From what little I have been able to hear, it is a very clean live recording as well. If you enjoy acoustic master musicianship, go out and get it!

Posted by MarcV, 9:58 AM link

Will This Be the Bucs Day?
Saw these stats about the Tampa Bay Bucs, who are coming to Champaign for the Bear's season finale:

Who doesn't know that the Bucs never--in 27 seasons--have won a game in which the temperature at opening kickoff was below 40 degrees? Twenty-one chances, 21 losses. Including one at home.
But since 1997 the Bucs have been one of the NFL's steadiest and most successful franchises, the only NFC team to reach the postseason the last four years. And since '97, Tampa Bay is 0-6 at 39 degrees or less, including a costly 2000 defeat to a Bears team that won just five games.

Chandler is taking the snaps with the first team this week, but you gotta think that somewhere in the back of his mind he sees Warren Sapp landing on his head. I know that pro football players can not show fear, but they also need to be able to walk away from the game with a clear mind. We'll see ...

Posted by MarcV, 9:55 AM link

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


President Bush is spending the entire holiday week at Camp David. On Christmas Eve, the First Family was served a non-traditional dinner of tamales and tacos and enchiladas. It's just priceless whenever Republicans decide to celebrate Kwaanza.

Los Angeles was slapped with eight million dollars in federal fines Monday for violating the Clean Water Act. The city was held responsible for three hundred sewage spills. This is the downside of being the Entertainment Capital of the World.

[and here's a bonus two - go check out the rest, because there are some other funny ones also]
Bill Frist took over as Majority Leader of the Senate Monday. He will try to persuade lawmakers to cut back on their spending projects to prevent even deeper deficits. Congress is living proof that you can't trust a dog to watch your food.[That is a right-on amen brother]

Sen. Patty Murray is refusing to apologize for praising Osama bin Laden as a humanitarian builder of roads and schools. It's going to be a sentimental New Year's in Washington. Trent Lott will go out carrying a scythe and Patty Murray will come in wearing a diaper.

Posted by MarcV, 9:51 AM link

Papa Blog
I haven't visited Instapundit since I first started checking out blogs about a year ago. Everyone else seems to go there, if something "important" is posted there others comment on it. Dr. Reynolds also contributes (weekly?) to Tech Central, and he has a nice little wrap-up on the state of blogging, on how this year was the break-out year for bloggers. I'm just glad to be a speck in the blogosphere, putting in my fractions of brain-squeezins.

... weblogs offer a more personal face to events, and an opportunity to express thoughts to an audience that is at least potentially large. (And the most striking thing to me about this is that when you have a weblog you realize just how many smart people there are out there, which is very gratifying. My readers are smarter than I am - often individually, and always collectively.)

Posted by MarcV, 9:50 AM link

December 26, 2002

Prognosticators Week 16 Wrap-up
Here's the table, a little late. Heddle the Greek went out on a limb and found good fruit, stomping the rest of the prognosticators. Congratulations to a fine picker who has stuck it out and now basks in the brief glow of prognostication platitudes.

TO ALL PROGNOSTICATORS: I will be sending out the last pick sheet sometime today. If you see this post but are not able to get to your normal e-mail (because of 2 ft. of snow maybe), please list your picks and send them to me by Saturday.


WEEK 16 KEVIN SPUD BYRON JASON CAR HEDDLE AUSTIN Vegas win
MIA at MIN MIA MIN MIN MIA MIA MIA MIA MIA MIN
SF at ARI SF SF SF SF SF SF SF SF SF
PHI at DAL PHI PHI DAL PHI DAL PHI DAL PHI PHI
BUF at GB GB BUF GB GB GB GB GB GB GB
CHI at CAR CAR CHI CAR CAR CHI CAR CHI CAR CAR
DET at ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL
HOU at WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS
NO at CIN NO NO NO NO CIN NO NO NO CIN
NYG at IND IND IND IND IND IND IND IND IND NYG
SD at KC SD SD KC SD KC KC KC ? KC
TEN at JAX TEN TEN JAX TEN TEN TEN JAX TEN TEN
STL at SEA STL SEA STL SEA STL SEA STL SEA SEA
CLE at BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL CLE
DEN at OAK OAK OAK OAK DEN OAK OAK OAK OAK OAK
NYJ at NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NYJ
PIT at TB PIT TB TB TB TB PIT TB TB PIT
9-7 8-8 8-8 8-8 8-8 11-5 6-10 9-6
SEASON 0.603 0.578 0.614 0.596 0.514 0.553 0.582 0.619

Posted by MarcV, 11:51 AM link

December 24, 2002

The Best Christmas
Maybe some of you look at this time of year as something to tolerate and get over, breathing that big sigh of relief after New Years. The whole holiday season has its pressures and commitments, with the expectation of having to spend the holiday in a certain media-approved way. As Christians, we can try to block out the "worldly" aspects and focus on Jesus and the special gift that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with by His grace, but it is too easy to fall into the materialistic trap. Especially when we have been asking Santa for a certain something special, like a DLP TV.

The other part of Christmas that can be a blessing or difficult to handle is that tomorrow is National Kids Day. Having children to share the "magic" of Christmas can be particularly heartwarmng. I pray for the peace of God to be with those folks who want children but have been denied so far. This holiday in particular is difficult to get through when you have a place open in your heart that you would like filled with another tiny heart. I have been there, and I know the pain. Please keep hanging in there, because there will be a better tomorrow for you - I promise.

Four years ago I had my best Christmas, the first with Joshua. We stayed overnight at my sister's house and were sleeping in my nephew's room, with Josh in a portable crib. Waking up that morning and hearing his "baby noises" gave me such joy. With my wife up, we both picked up our baby, held each other and him in our arms, praising and thanking God for this miracle. Every other gift, every other Christmas celebration pales to that moment. All of the junk that can come with Christmas doesn't bother me, and we don't travel North this time of year anymore, so we can focus on enjoying our family Christmas.

I hope you can do that too. Holding a baby in your arms helps you to remember the real reason for the season, as well as be further amazed that God the Father let His Son go as a sacrifice for us. If not a baby, I hope that you can have a loved one to hold, and thank God for that love since He loved us first and blesses us beyond expectations. And for those who may have nobody to share the day with, people now are praying for you, as well as Jesus. The Lord wants to draw you closer to Himself, if only you will take that step and accept Him as your Savior. That is the best Christmas gift that you could ever give yourself, the one that Jesus has made available to you.

Posted by MarcV, 9:05 AM link

December 23, 2002

Bears and Circuses
Played hooky Sunday morning and went to Charlotte to see the Monsters of the Midway display their football talent - would have been better off going to church. Sat in the upper deck, halfway up and lined up with the back of the end zone, for only $30! ($7 less than face value) At least it was a nice day, sunny and upper 50's, although with the winter solstice and place we were sitting, it was difficult to see the game unless you had a ballcap shading your face.

Both teams were fairly well matched up: strong defenses with inept offenses. The Bears coughed it up several more times than the Panthers, as well as putting a 3rd string QB in after the starter was knocked out in the 2nd quarter with a concussion (again). All that added up to a ten point loss, and at least the seventh pick in the draft. It was good to see a game live to watch the whole field, but we were too high up to catch details, especially when they were on the opposite side of the field.

The punters for both teams combined for 880 yards, while the offenses combined for 440 yards total. Now that's entertainment! 21 punts in a game ... yeesh. Are you ready for some football?

Posted by MarcV, 12:00 PM link

War Q&A
Victor Davis Hanson posts them, and I link them. Today he has an excellent summation on our war on terrorism as he answers some general questions about the war. The questions are framed as if someone who is "kinda" oppposed to the war wanted to know the basics of the Middle East and why we are doing what we are doing. This quote was too good not to repeat:

A mass, crybaby adolescence has infected the Middle East. At first this pathetic, passive-aggressive view of the West intrigued Americans, then it disturbed them; but now it has become not merely tedious, but downright repellent to us. There are root causes for the spread of terror, but they are entirely self-induced.

I asked Santa for Mr. Hanson's latest book for Christmas, but maybe the piggy bank will be raided if it isn't under the tree this week.

Posted by MarcV, 10:08 AM link

Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow Warrior
I'm not a Nascar fan, but living where I do, you can't help but be innundated by Nascar nuts. An interesting item in the local paper detailed Jeff Gordon's financial "state" (which they got from a Fla. paper). He claims a net worth of nearly $50M at the tender age of 31, with a monthly income of $1.1M. Wife Brooke, who is divorcing the wonder boy, wants the $10M mansion, some of his cars, use of the $6M yacht, Jeff to keep paying for the three people who cook and maintain the mansion, and unspecified alimony. Even though they have no kids, "under Florida law assets amassed during a marriage must be split evenly."

So even though she was basically arm-candy, she will get at least $25M for the 8 years of marriage. I don't think it's fair that she would get alimony and mansion-maintenance payments after the divorce.

"They live a lavish lifestyle," said West Palm Beach attorney Jeffrey D. Fisher, who represents Brooke Gordon. "Brooke likes to live well, but this isn't just her."

Jeff Gordon also said he donates $8,900 a month to charities.

Less than one percent ... what a shame that wealth couldn't be used for helping others in need. This is the USA, thank God, and we have the freedom to choose how we spend the money God blesses us with. I can imagine the embarassment that Jeff Gordon must be feeling as his private financial book is opened up for the world.

Posted by MarcV, 10:07 AM link

December 20, 2002

NFL Prognosticator Picks Week 16
Here's the hurried version. Hope I got them right. Wish I had time to watch the Saturday games, but I better spend a little family time then in order to go to Charlotte without them on Sunday. Yes, the spud-head is going to (hopefully) see his beloved Bears live. It has been about 3 years, so it should be fun. I am planning to get cut-rate scalped tickets, so we'll see how low they go. Should be in the 50's and sunny, just right for watching the Monsters of the Midway to stomp on panther tail!


WEEK 16 KEVIN SPUD BYRON CAR HEDDLE AUSTIN pts Vegas
MIA at MIN MIA MIN MIN MIA MIA MIA 3 MIA
SF at ARI SF SF SF SF SF SF 3 SF
PHI at DAL PHI PHI DAL DAL PHI DAL 6 PHI
BUF at GB GB BUF GB GB GB GB 6 GB
CHI at CAR CAR CHI CAR CHI CAR CHI 3 CAR
DET at ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL 11 ATL
HOU at WAS WAS WAS WAS WAS WS WAS 6 WAS
NO at CIN NO NO NO CIN NO NO 7 NO
NYG at IND IND IND IND IND IND IND 5 IND
SD at KC SD SD KC KC KC KC - ?
TEN at JAX TEN TEN JAX TEN TEN JAX 3 TEN
STL at SEA STL SEA STL STL SEA STL 1 SEA
CLE at BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL 3 BAL
DEN at OAK OAK OAK OAK OAK OAK OAK 4 OAK
NYJ at NE NE NE NE NE NE NE 3 NE
PIT at TB PIT TB TB TB PIT TB 4 TB

Posted by MarcV, 3:46 PM link

Does the blogosphere seem kinda quiet? It will probably be the same on Monday too. I did see the NFL Pro-Bowl picks, and it seemed like a few guy got there on past reputations, rather than actual performance this season. I don't pore over the individual stats like some fantasy leaguers (and you know who you are!), but the names that jumped out at me as getting in on rep were: Faulk, Lynch, Moss and Rice. When Faulk is healthy he's a threat, but it seems like he has missed over half the season either staying out of games because of injuries or playing hurt. Moss and Rice may have had good years, but you would think there were other more deserving receivers.

The main omission from the list was McNair from the Titans. I think he should be considered for AFC MVP by the way he has led his team in spite of his own and other's injuries, but he doesn't even make the Pro Bowl. Maybe Gannon should start, but McNair should be in there too..

Loud cheers for Marty Booker, the first Bear receiver in 32 years to make Pro Bowl. What makes it even more amazing is the fact that he achieved this by catching balls from two old-men QB's who do not throw downfield (dink and dunk), as well as playing for a team with a running game that floundered most of the year. The Bears have a talented receiver corp, they just need to find a reliable and strong armed QB. Everyone seems to love Jim Miller, but he just does not have what is needed for the team to get to the next level (playoff W's).

Posted by MarcV, 1:32 PM link

December 19, 2002

Office Party Time
Anybody else have their office party today? I'm almost jealous of all the fun that Possumblogger had at his office party today, since mine seemed to be a rather ho-hum affair. I could have used his exotic sandwich bread, though. I made a traditional pie-mento cheese sammijes with the crusts cut off and then the sammijes cut into triangles finger food, and over half are still there. Maybe more would have been "et" if I had used exotic bread rather than cheap, generic thin white (think anybody could tell?) Oh the shame, to have this years "reject" plate. Seemed like this happened last year too ...

My wife brags about me being a good cook, but I can't seem to get the magic going for office Christmas parties. Nobody brought a tub-a-greens here, thank goodness, since my office is near the food spread. It's difficult to get into a Christmas spirit here in the salt mines.

It feels awkward just to get cards from some of my peers. I spend 40+ hours a week with them, but I don't have any desire to do the social exchanges I would make with family and friends. Part of it has to do with my "checkered" past of not staying more than 5 years at any one place. Some would say it's my loss, that you get what you put into it.

I avoid the baby showers and birthday parties if possible, and try to lay low when someone is leaving and they are having a final "send-off". The workplace is a social arena, but I only care to partake of it in small doses.

Anyhow, they invited the retirees back for some free food. I have been here over three years, and I didn't recognize most of them. Don't know if I'll make it 5 years here, if I can get off my lazy heiny and work on a project that could result in self-employment. I could probably keep this job (MIS Specialist - they call about a computer problem and I jump!) for as long as I want, but you know how green the other-side-of-the-fence grass looks!

Posted by MarcV, 4:45 PM link

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


Trent Lott was hammered Tuesday from the left by civil rights activists and from the right by old enemies in the Senate. Only a magician could escape from this death trap. His wife just gave him a bracelet inscribed What Would Clinton Do?

Al Gore's decision not to run for president in 2004 caused Democrats Tuesday to urge Hillary Clinton to run against President Bush. The other five candidates are Lieberman, Kerry, Dean, Edwards and Sharpton. If they were cards, you would fold.

Posted by MarcV, 8:21 AM link

There Yao Go
Pretty good article at ESPN on Houston's center of attention Yao Ming. I don't have real cable at home, so I have not had the chance to see him play yet. I hope he does well, because his heart seems to be in the right place.

Imagine putting yourself in his shoes (guessing size 18 2X-wides): 7 1/2 feet tall, does not speak English, never outside of China besides playing basketball. He has played pro ball, but not NBA, and the experienced players here are giving him lessons on cheap shots and physical play. He has the talent (put up 29 pts., 10 reb., 6 blocks against a good Indiana team last night) to be a franchise player if he keeps working at it.

Posted by MarcV, 8:21 AM link

December 18, 2002

DLP Is the TV for Me
Never got around to posting my Amazon wish list (that's gifts, not real Amazons - although the thought is intriguing) but here is an item that Santa can bring down the chimney for me: DLP TV.

Most HDTVs have been either pricey plasma flat panels or enormous rear-projection models. Both are susceptible to damage from static images (like network logos). Now there's an alternative: digital light-processing TVs, which use the same tech that brought Star Wars: Episode II to digital theaters.

Samsung HLM507W
Using a compact digital projector developed by Texas Instruments, Samsung’s 50-inch set is only 17.6 inches deep, so it won’t usurp valuable living space. It features DVD progressive scan input, and a picture-in-picture option that lets you watch two videos simultaneously. Hook the screen up to your computer, then step back to behold your massive new PC monitor. $4,000

I don't think a tip jar would cover this, but sometimes you just have to dream BIG. I'm trying to imagine Spudlets on a 50" screen - whoa! Want to know more about DLP? This gives a pretty good explanation with graphics or you can read on:

Q: What is DLP?
A:For a detailed explanation, see www.dlp.com. The following is a simplified explanation. The image on a Samsung HDTV monitor with DLP™ technology is produced by digitally controlling the reflection and magnification of light. The DLP™ micro-display is a mere 3/4" when measured diagonally, and its reflective property looks like a single, small mirror. However, upon closer inspection, the reflective surface is actually made up of 1,280 columns and 720 rows of tiny mirrors, for a total of 921,600 mirrors. These mirrors measure about 13.5 microns - smaller than an ant leg. The mirrors are sandwiched between a plate of glass and a semi-conductor. Each mirror pivots by +/- 12 degrees. As the mirrors pivot, they either reflect light or not. The state of on/off, or passing light or not passing light, gives the DLP™ device its digital property. As each pixel generates light through this process, the digitally processed light is magnified through a very sophisticated, high quality lens system. These tiny mirrors can switch on and off more than 15,000 times per second. Color is precisely added via a 6-segment color wheel. The system's sophisticated color wheel and its digitally controlled color sequential system ensure vivid and accurate color. Since each mirror represents a pixel of light, the DLP™ panel has a horizontal and vertical resolution of 1,280 by 720.

Q: Why does the DLP™ micro-display optical engine use a lamp and how long does it last?
A: The lamp serves as a high intensity light source that is precisely focused on the DLP™ micro-display device. This is the source of light that powers the optical engine and what you ultimately see as digital light processing images seen on the screen of the TV. DLP™ stands for digital light processing, hence this is how the images are generated and subsequently magnified to the screen sizes of 43" and 50" diagonal. In contrast, other display devices create their light source from driving electrical charges or electron beams that illuminate color phosphors on the inside of picture tubes (CRT) or tiny chambers between glass plates (Plasma). TFT-LCD type displays use a light source that travels through the LCD panel.
Samsung specs a 100-watt Ultra-High Pressure Lamp that will deliver over 8,000 hours of service. This translates to 4 years of life at 6 hours of viewing a day, or 6 years at 3.5 hours of viewing a day. Most projection TVs have a life/performance range that is approximately 5 - 7 years. Another advantage is that the aging characteristic of the lamp is relatively flat, meaning the light output is constant through its life, and then drops off dramatically only in the final hours. An on-screen message when the TV set is powered on will warn that a lamp replacement should be made.

When the lamp is replaced, the TV will operate at the full performance level it did when it was new. This is because the DLP™ display doesn't physically age. Its elements do not deteriorate. This isn't true of any other display technology, because all other display devices deteriorate in picture quality with age.

Mmph, almost makes me want to take on a second job - yeah right! Sounds like a sweet TV, and once people start finding out about these and they become more available, you can expect manufacturers of plasmas and projection TV's to slash their prices as they lose market share.

Posted by MarcV, 4:17 PM link

Ahem ... it is with great honor (buttons on shirt bulging - and not due to big pizza for lunch!) that I announce Spudlets has been chosen the number #1 returned site on alberta.com for the search term of "spud hockey"! The author has no experience using taters as pucks, and shudders at the loss of skin and eyes as taters are whacked about by hockey sticks. Please consider other garden items when the hockey bug hits you, such as beets or onions. Thank you.

Posted by MarcV, 1:32 PM link

Took the Denominational Quiz that David Heddle posted on today, and was a little surprised by the results. I don't know much about Seventh Day Adventists, but apparently they best "match" my "worship tendencies". I think what tipped the results their way is the fact that I disagreed that Sunday was a "preferred" day of worship, since every day should be. I thought I would get more Pentecostal results, but that all depends on how the quiz results are evaluated.

#1 Seventh-Day Adventist

#2 Assemblies of God

#3 Church of Christ

#4 Evangelical Lutheran Church

#5 Free Will Baptist

Posted by MarcV, 12:59 PM link

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


Bill Clinton said Sunday he warned North Korea to destroy their nuclear reactor in 1994. That's about as serious as it got. This was a more innocent time, when the dark forces out to destroy the government were just the president's hormones.

Sean Penn flew to Baghdad to denounce President Bush's policy threatening force in Iraq. His career could suffer. Jane Fonda just sent him a telegram warning him if he doesn't get behind the war, he may be forced to do exercise videos just to stay in the public eye.

Posted by MarcV, 12:58 PM link

December 17, 2002

DVD Copying
I didnt' think this was possible, but a software firm will be coming out with a program that will allow you to burn an exact copy of a commercial DVD. This article spells it out:

Missouri-based 321 Studios has released DVD X Copy, a $99 program that is the first to let users create a mirror image of an entire DVD on a second blank DVD. The copy even includes menus, special features, and enhanced audio, the company says. Robert Moore, president and founder of 321 Studios, says consumers have a fair-use right to make backup copies of DVDs they purchase.

Are the Hollywood studios saying "thanks, job well done"? Mmmm, not exactly: "MPAA spokesperson Marta Grutka declined to discuss 321 Studios and DVD X Copy. But she says that people behind products that circumvent a DVD's scrambling technology "are exposing themselves to criminal prosecution" under the DMCA."

You don't need two DVD drives for this. The program decodes and writes the files to a temporary folder on your hard drive (you need about 9.5 GB space) and then burns the DVD. During a test run of recording Black Hawk Down, the whole procedure took about an hour on an average laptop.

In the end, Moore says, the two DVDs together contain a precise copy of Black Hawk Down, including menus, special features, and enhanced audio.
During the copying process, 321 Studios takes three extra steps to appease its Hollywood critics. DVD X Copy inserts electronic controls into copied DVDs to prevent them from being duplicated further. It embeds a digital watermark that can trace the source of any file transmitted over the Internet to the software's licensed owner. And it inserts a disclaimer at the beginning of the recorded DVD, telling viewers that the disc is a backup copy intended for personal use only.

This one should be heading for the courts very soon, and will be an important case on determining the legality of DMCA. This is a difficult area to decide, balancing the needs of a studio to secure a profit for what they provide to the marketplace with the right of "fair use" once a consumer buys a copy of a particular media for their private use.

Posted by MarcV, 4:21 PM link

Francesca Watson over at YorkieBlog has another post that could tug on your heart-strings, if you're an old softy like me.

Posted by MarcV, 3:27 PM link

That's a Big Bird!
Saw this from my recently renewed Wired magazine, and thought a certain bunny who has visited the tater bed (and others) may enjoy this: a plane with a 600 ft. wingspan! Another addition for the AoD:

Boeing's latest concept plane, the Pelican Ultra Large Transport Aircraft, exploits an aerodynamic phenomenon called the ground effect, which has long enticed engineers as a way to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency. A plane skims along on a cushion of high-pressure air created by its own forward movement. The closer its wings are to the water, the greater the lift and the less drag induced. With a payload of 1.5 million pounds, the Pelican could fly 11,500 miles over water and 7,500 miles over land (where it would have to fly at 20,000 feet or higher).

Boeing says the Pelican has commercial potential, since it could deliver cargo 10 times faster than a container ship. But its colossal size is a design only the Pentagon could love. It could carry 17 M-1 main battle tanks in a single load, and it's the only plane on the drawing board that lets the US Army achieve its stated goal of deploying an entire division - up to 14,000 soldiers - in five days, anywhere in the world.

Hmmm, P.U.L.Tr.A. - isn't that the name of the big chicken monster/god in the Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius movie? I bring you sacrifice! Unlike that bunny-blogger, I do not have graphics capability here in the tater bed (I'm too cheap!!), so you will have to look at it somewhere else (the Boeing site is a royal pain in the keister).

Posted by MarcV, 3:26 PM link

Wheeee - oh, just got an early Christmas present. I was selected by "Dr. BELLO MUSA.The chief accountant of The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)" and he is letting me in on a deal for me to handle a $69 million transaction, and I will get 20%. Who says you have to live in Texas to be a filthy rich oilman!?! I'm gonna get me a big ole ranch like JR Ewing, have my whole family live with me, and then write a book which will be made into a TV show. Wonder how much tax they'll take out of $13.8 million? If it's off-shore money, then I can be like those multi-national companies and avoid paying taxes. Once this comes through I'll be able to afford Blogger Pro.

Posted by MarcV, 11:00 AM link

Prognosticators Week 14 Wrap-up
All of the prognosticators did well, but Charles Austin put on his game face and is determined to make a late surge at the leaders, capturing this week's prime prognosticator prize (cheers and whistles!). Even though his Rams, his once mighty Rams, have fallen, he continues to make a "game" effort.

Otherwise, there were a few upsets this week as well as another OT game. Did not see the games, but for the two main upsets involving the NY Jets and Atlanta, supposedly there were guys in the uniforms but the teams did not show up. The Falcons found out they have a ways to go before they can be considered legit championship contenders, but Vick gives them a wild card in every game they play. The Bears are trying to end the season on a high note, and will probably miss out on the top QB prospects in the draft. As most Bear fans will recall, a 5-11 season two years ago was followed by a 13-3 season.

Miami looked extra tough against Oakland, a much stronger effort than they showed against the Bears on MNF. A strong D and running game, with a steady passing QB and few turnovers, will take you far in the playoffs. I'm still hoping the Bears can get Philly's 3rd QB (Feeney?) for next year, because he has really impressed me with his poise and accurate downfield throwing. The price on a trade will probably be high, and the Bears do not have too many "tradeable" players.

WEEK 15 KEVIN SPUD BYRON CAR HEDDLE AUSTIN Vegas win
BAL at HOU BAL BAL HOU BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL
CAR at PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT
IND at CLE IND IND CLE CLE IND IND IND IND
JAX at CIN JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX JAX
MIN at NO NO NO NO MIN NO NO NO MIN
NYJ at CHI NYJ CHI CHI CHI NYJ CHI NYJ CHI
OAK at MIA MIA OAK MIA OAK OAK MIA MIA MIA
SD at BUF BUF SD BUF SD BUF BUF BUF BUF
SEA at ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL ATL SEA
TB at DET TB TB TB TB TB TB TB TB
WAS at PHI PHI PHI PHI WAS PHI PHI PHI PHI
KC at DEN KC DEN DEN KC KC KC DEN DEN
DAL at NYG NYG DAL NYG NYG NYG NYG NYG NYG
GB at SF SF SF SF SF SF SF SF GB
ARI at STL STL STL STL STL STL STL STL STL
NE at TEN NE TEN NE TEN TEN NE TEN TEN
WEEK 15 10-6 10-6 10-6 9-7 10-6 11-5 12-4
SEASON 0.605 0.583 0.623 0.515 0.539 0.552 0.621

Posted by MarcV, 10:04 AM link

December 16, 2002

Acacia's Thorns
An interesting patent fight has been started, initially targeting the on-line smutt peddlers, by Acacia Research Corp. They own the patents, first issued in '92, on DMT (digitial media transmission), the technology used to transmit multimedia content over a variety of media. They're going after the deep-pockets first, and then will focus on other streaming sources, such as music and in-room hotel movies.

One enterprising webmaster noted that, in nature, the sharp thorns of the acacia tree guard a psychoactive compound also known as DMT, or n-dimethyitrptamine, which is extracted from the wood to make a sort of hallucinogenic snuff. According to the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was made from shittim wood, a variety of acacia.

The companies at first dismissed the initial letters, but now are organizing a legal counter-offensive. So what is the "gouging" expected to be? "A licensee will have to pay Acacia royalties of about 2 percent of its gross annual income every 12 months, a fee Berman called fair. If a company licenses the patents, Acacia has promised to waive fees from previous years."

The smutt peddlers have decided to fight back, and are cautiously currying favor with the public.

... but noted the importance of communicating the message that the patents could be applied to a wide variety of businesses, including individuals. That, more than anything else, could help the porn industry overcome the "tar baby" tarnish attached to its image, he said.

"First they came for the Jews, and we said nothing," Koenig added.

No report of eyes rolling after that comment was initially made. Acacia's strategy is to keep the fees low enough so that they would be below the cost of a legal challenge. The opposition is hoping to get some big players involved, such as AOL Time-Warner, who would also look at Acacia as challenging their bottom line.

Personally, it sounds like the patents are too vaguely worded and were written with 10 year old computer technology in mind, which translates to about 180 human years. As a juror I would wonder why they have waited this long to go after companies that have been making huge profits for at least the last 3-4 years. It is difficult to say that enforcing this patent would stifle technology or the economy, or that people would find a different method of transmitting video over the net. With the easy availability of quality digital cameras, you will see transmission of videos over the web skyrocket over the next few years.

Finally, this seems like they are trying to patent something very basic, like patenting the transistor. I could see if they came up with a unique technology that significantly increased video transmission rates, but to patent the whole field is just too broad.

Posted by MarcV, 2:41 PM link

You know "kids rule" when the lunch choice is determined by the play area and not the food quality. Saturday lunch was at McD's, and the youngster ate 1/3 of his burger and a few fries under duress before being release for playtime. I ordered from the dollar menu: McChicken and the Big-N-Tasty. The McChicken was an adventure, because as you took a bite you could reveal part of the chicken "patty", and then try to guess what pieces part of the bird it could be. The other sandwich was neither big nor tasty, unless you liked alot of mayo and ketchup squishing out of the end of the bun.

The Golden Arches is worried about losing market share, and maybe they need to take a look at providing food that people can eat. I'll give them some free advice: try marketing "Classic Fries", where they use the old-fashioned beef-tallow based oil to cook the fries. I can still remember going to McD's just for the fries. If people are worried about their fat intake, have them go to Subway.

Posted by MarcV, 11:34 AM link

Religious Liberty
Michael Novak over at NRO has nailed it down, super-glued it and righteously sealed it, again. He expounds further on the Ten Commandments posting in Alabama, and gives an excellent review of what it means to live in the land of the free. I wish I could teach on this for Sunday school, but for now I am just another face in a crowd.

How did we get to this point - isn't this a strongly Christian nation, or are we too busy being politically correct and "struggling for the legal tender"? (don't expect anymore Jackson Browne quotes!) Mr. Novak explains:

There is a feeling widespread in the land that starting about 60 years ago, the Supreme Court took a half-truth about the meaning of "establishment" and carried it by torturous logic to conclusions quite open to ridicule. Against the whole of its prior tradition, and the tradition of American public life, the Court has come to seem radically anti-religious, particularly anti-Jewish and anti-Christian. The Court shifted its focus from the constitutional term "religious liberty" to the much more recent polemical slogan "separation of church and state."

I believe we are going to need the full armor of God for this battle, because as our ability to publicly worship God is slowly eroded away, religious liberty will be thought of as an anachronism. It is troubling that we have allowed "sensitive" people to dominate society, where they feel threatened if religious topics are brought up or used as decoration.

Posted by MarcV, 11:24 AM link

Hollywood (ex-)Prez
Saw this mentioned over at NRO's Corner, and had to see for myself:

JUST when a reconciliation seemed to be on the cards for Bruce Willis and ex-wife Demi Moore, it seems another man has suddenly swept in and stolen the lady's heart. Bruce is seething because Demi has been secretly dating ex-president Bill Clinton. The actress is said to be captivated by Bill's "mature" sex appeal, witty one liners and charming chat-up lines. "Bruce told Demi she's mad if she goes for Clinton," an aide says. "He told her: 'He uses women – don't trust him'."

Bruce met Hillary Clinton at a Planet Hollywood fundraiser when Bill was battling the former Monica Lewinsky scandal. "I got to know Hillary pretty well," Bruce says. "She's an intelligent politician and a lovely warm person. I came away feeling sorry for her. I wanted to tell her she's going nowhere staying in that marriage."

Ewww, of all the men in the world she could be "captivated" by, to fall for Slick Willie! I hope nobody is reading this who has just ate, because this could be grounds for regurgitation.

Can you imagine Bruce's reaction, when he goes to visit his teenage daughters, and Clinton is there "entertaining" them!?! Die Hard 4 - Bruce goes Berserk!


Posted by MarcV, 9:03 AM link

Take Two+2
Today's double-double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


Cardinal Law resigned as the Archbishop of Boston at the Vatican Friday. He wasn't forced out over sexual abuse by priests. The axe fell when he said the church never would have had these problems if Strom Thurmond had been elected Pope.

Trent Lott held a press conference in Mississippi on Friday to apologize for remarks he made last week that seemed to endorse racial segregation. He insisted that he is not a racist, and it's obviously true. Some of his best hair is colored.

Trent Lott insisted Friday he will remain Majority Leader. The GOP has a one-seat majority. When the Senate convenes in January, Republicans will bow their heads, close their eyes and give thanks that Strom Thurmond was not born in October.

President Bush announced Friday he will personally take the smallpox vaccine even though it carries the risk of death. He said he won't ask the troops to do anything he wouldn't do himself. To reciprocate, the troops offered to eat a pretzel.

Posted by MarcV, 8:35 AM link

Where's da Table, Dude?
My apologies to the prognosticators and others who anxiously awaited the usual appearance of the NFL picks on Friday, only to be disappointed. Between work busyness and body sickyness, I just plum forgot! I do have the results tabulated, and Spud will not win this week. If Tennessee wins tonight, there will be a 4 way tie for second, but one prognosticator has edged out the rest - you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

Posted by MarcV, 8:34 AM link

December 13, 2002

Wal-Mart has 25 percent of U.S. video-game sales. I don't know about you, but that boggles my mind!

Posted by MarcV, 3:44 PM link

University of AC Carrier
Victor Davis Hanson posts them, and I link them. Today he has a goodie on aircraft carriers and how they help keep the US #1.

Women fly planes that men service or the other way around or both. And recently graduated Naval Academy ensigns learn from tough men with tattoos and calluses who inhabit primordial places of fire and oil in the ship's bowels or who work on the flight deck where a momentary lapse in concentration can get one disemboweled or vaporized in seconds. Our universities might do better to mothball Ethnic Studies and send the entire freshman class to the [carrier John F.] Kennedy for a semester.

Makes my patriotic heart just bust out!

Posted by MarcV, 3:32 PM link

Hearty Posts
Kevin H. asked his readers if his site needed a change, and I suggested just to post from the heart. I then had to look at my own reflection in the monitor (through a mirror dimly) and ask myself if I practice what I preach. Many of us could probably let our hair down a lot more, but I'm not sure how interesting that would be, particularly if it turned into griping/crabbing (about the Bears maybe?).

What astounds me about the blogosphere is the willingness of some folks to be very forthcoming about private matters. Tony Woodlief over at Sand in the Gears posted eloquently about the loss of his daughter. Jeffrey Collins over at JoyfulChristian gave his view of how his illness had incapacitated him (has anyone heard from him lately - can Jeffrey come out to blog?). Even Dr. Byron, that solid rock of economics and political thought (and a pretty good prognosticator too) yielded some of his thoughts on marriage earlier this year.

There are some things going on in my life where I could use an "accountability partner", but for now there are no friends on the horizon, so I continue to have faith that God will provide it in His time. I thought I had one, the beginning of a beautiful friendship, but he had to move away about 14 months ago, and it's still painful to think about.

My pain is a mere trifle compared to what Craig, on the other side of the planet, at Thinking Out Loud is going through. He has been very forthcoming on his weekly posts about what he is experiencing in his marriage. He's at the point where he will be looking for an apartment for himself next week. In a way I feel guilty even mentioning this, but he has published it, so for now we can pray for him and his wife and kids, that Jesus' healing touch will minister peace and bind up broken hearts.

Should I let my hair down a little? My Mom just had surgery for breast cancer Monday, and I can't shake this feeling of ambivalence. They caught it early and there was not much there (marble size). I worry about her and have talked to her several times, but it troubles me to feel this way. I don't think it is a way of avoiding the issue of her dieing, but more along the lines of me not fearing death.

I guess we have lived apart (13 hour drive one-way) for so long that the "immediacy" is just not there. I don't think she is saved, so that is something else to stir in the pot. She asks me to pray for her since I seem to have a "more direct line", but it tends to get me frustrated, that I'm not able to tell her (nicely) to grab the "line" herself. Strange how family members can be the most difficult to witness to. Well, that's enough "hair" for one post.

Posted by MarcV, 1:43 PM link

December 12, 2002

M$ Utility
Heard some loose talk in the blogosphere about Micro$oft maybe getting out of the OS business. While they may not make much profit from it, they are still the 2000 lb. gorilla that rules the market. This article compares M$ to a utility (like old AT&T), yet makes the claim that "... whatever Microsoft gets from here on out, it will earn." We'll have to see how deep their pockets are to be able to profit in other areas.

... there's little evidence that Microsoft's dominance of the desktop will translate to dominance elsewhere. Microsoft doesn't control a single post-PC market, and in those where it has established a serious foothold, it's done so not by relying on Windows, but by doing exactly what upstart competitors typically do - target the low end with bargain prices and then win more customers as the technology improves.

I know there are some who would love to see the M$ monopoly busted, but I still believe that the marketplace will either reward or punish M$, and that computer users are better off with an accepted standard OS. That standard is being challenged, so who knows what the market will look like 5 years from now.


Posted by MarcV, 10:00 AM link

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


President Bush fired his Treasury Secretary and Chief Economic Advisor Friday just three weeks before Christmas. No one's feelings are hurt. Whenever a Republican gets fired from a government job it means he can go back to making real money again.

Pete Rose met with Commissioner Bud Selig in Milwaukee about being reinstated to baseball. The conditions are very strict. Bud Selig wants Pete Rose to admit that he bet on ballgames and Pete Rose wants a twenty million dollar line of credit.

Posted by MarcV, 9:58 AM link

Tree Blogging
The next time somebody tells you to go climb a tree after reading your blog, you can tell them that it's being done. Our tree-huuger friends are now equipping themselves to blog while tree-sitting.

EUREKA, California -- Unlike most people her age, 27-year-old "Remedy" hasn't checked her e-mail in over eight months. That's because she's been living in a 200-foot-tall redwood since March 21, when she climbed the tree to protest timber harvesting by Pacific Lumber Company.

Now, thanks to an anonymous group of tech activists, Remedy's Spartan lifestyle -- she perches 130 feet up on a 4-by-8-foot platform with just a few blankets, cooking utensils and personal items -- is about to change. For the past four weeks, the group of self-described geeks has been working on a plan to provide tree-sitters in the Headwaters Forest region of Northern California with access to an 802.11b wireless network.

I still haven't figured out how they do the "latrine thing", but I'm guessing that you would want to watch your step while walking below the tree. Does it seem paradoxical that they want to save trees, yet lug up computers and batteries out into the wilderness? Like any other political cause, you gotta be networked.

The "log blog" is going, but not without a few hitches:

The activists have also set up a weblog for Remedy. Her first two messages were posted to the site with the help of supporters on the ground who carried disks from the tree to a computer in the city. She looks forward to being online soon so she can publish on her own.

"It's going to be overwhelming to be online again," said Remedy. "People tell me my inbox is full. I'm not even sure if I remember all my account information anymore."[Whoa, dude, just dial 1-800-HUGTREE to get connected! - Ed.]

Setting up the network hasn't been easy. Because the Headwaters tree-sits take place on private property, many supporters are wary of being pressed with felony conspiracy charges or named in strategic lawsuits.

Mary Bullwinkle, a Pacific Lumber representative, acknowledged that the company had filed such a suit in 2001. "These protestors are on private property," she said. "We believe they are breaking the law."

Oh, that little pesky detail about private property and laws, when there are trees to be saved! Power to the cellulose-based organisms! Wait a minute, we burn cellulose-based organisms for power - never mind.

Posted by MarcV, 9:58 AM link

I check my referrer logs occasionally to see what a search engine's string happens to land in the Tater bed, and today I ranked 13th for a Yahoo search of "slightly sinful". I'm not sure how to take this, or for the fact that someone actually checked out my sight for this. What a curious web we weave.

Posted by MarcV, 9:57 AM link

December 11, 2002

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


The Transportation Security Administration eased restrictions on parking and gate searches at airports Monday. However, the airports remain dangerous. Three people were just injured at the United terminal when they were struck in the head by falling 401-Ks.

Trent Lott bragged Friday that Mississippi voted for Strom Thurmond for president in 1948 when he ran as a segregationist. He added that Strom's election would have improved the nation. It sounds like John Rocker finally found himself a catcher.

Posted by MarcV, 1:59 PM link

December 10, 2002

Hey Mr. Smarty Pants!
That Possumblogger is so lucky - he gets to cut out of work and attend exciting seminars on manufactured wood products! Not only are the presentations riveting, but he gets to enjoy them with colorful new friends:

... so they could grab a couple of chairs. Gosh, first bad food, and now the bracing aromas of Old Spice and Camel Unfiltereds. They were definitely Old School guys and rambled on like Statler and Waldorf on the Muppets. Except not funny. They got to talking about pens, because one of the giveaways was a wood-barreled ballpoint, and were going on about those Mount Blank [that's Blanc! - bit of anal retentiveness by Ed.] ballpoint pens that are the best in the world, and then they got on a tear about those Rolex watches that are the best in the world, and how to tell a fake Rolex from a real one (which is really an outdated bit of lore, as there are now Swiss makers knocking off Rolexes using the same sweep-second ETA 2824-2 Automatic movements Rolex uses, and they are actually pretty nice looking watches--I resisted the urge to hold forth on this, however--no one likes a smarty pants.)

Isn't that what blogging is all about - smarty pants who seize the chance to "hold forth"? I can see where blogger conventions would consist of a bunch of people sitting in front of their laptops, typing out clever comments/put-downs/quips about whoever or whatever happened to be passing by. Put a couple of bloggers in a semi-busy airport with laptops on a wireless network, and watch how much fun they have!

Posted by MarcV, 1:12 PM link

Multi-boot Systems
For you geeks out there who like to run more than one operating system (OS), or perhaps want to try a new one without wiping out your old one, I recently found a utility (Acronis OS Selector) that will allow you to have multiple OS's on one system. There is a demo version of the program that I will try out over the next few days - free (~5 MB) download, and it seems to be functional.

The utility is actually a Linux program, so obviously it would support Linux as well as Windows and other non-Windows OS's. It is not all that expensive, $30. The free/demo version is lacking the disk administrator (helps you to partition hard drives) and supposedly runs slower at boot.

If you want to have explained in detail what happens when you boot your system, the instructions and explanations (in PDF format) that are available with the free download are some of the best and easiest to understand that I have come across. You can amaze your friends as you describe each step that a computer goes through to get to the point of running an OS.

Posted by MarcV, 12:14 PM link

Prognosticators Week 14 Wrap-up
I'm trying to get motivated to comment on this week's NFL action, but after last night a deep football melancholy has seemed to envelop me (I made it up to 6 minutes left in the game). Maybe it was a little optimistic to expect that the Bears had a chance last night, but it's difficult to acknowledge that the mighty have fallen. At least we will be out of the MNF rotation next season, thank God.

I realize the Bears are struggling and were not the focus of last night's game, but it got to the point of being disrespectful to one of the founding members of the NFL. Pregame: Miami this and that, and oh yeah let's show a picture of a Bear's player getting burned. While the Bears have the ball, the two yo-ho's talk about how great the Miami coaching staff is, or reminisce about great Miami players. Towards the end of the game Michaels flat out wishes that Miami could be playing against another team. Madden squeezes his football brain and figures out that the Bears need help at QB.

MNF ratings are down, but a good part of the blame can be laid at the feet of the "entertainers/announcers" and not so much on some of the mis-matches they seem to get. Maybe Michaels can be moved to Wide World of Sports, and Madden can just retire. Yeah, there's a little sour grapes over how they have (mis)treated the Bears this year, but the low ratings are an indication that there's still trouble in the booth.

This might be the game that will cost Bear Offensive Coord. Shoop his job. Coaches are expected to determine a game plan and decide on the players that will best execute the plan, both before and during the game. Shoop is incapable of both, and Jauron is at best a defense-oriented coach who will not step on his Off. Coord. It was clear to everyone in the stadium except Shoop that Miller was hurting the Bears by staying in at QB. Once Chandler did come in, the Bears were able to advance the ball downfield.

Enough crabbing. People are starting to point at Oakland and Tampa Bay as the "dominant" teams of their conferences. While they are good, they have weaknesses that can be exploited. The AFC is still wide open, but the teams for the NFC playoffs are pretty well set.

Kevin may blame me for the Steelers loss, but he knows in his heart of hearts that the Steeler offense will need a whole lotta help from the Steeler D (as well as keeping turnovers to a minimum!). Tennessee looks extra tough, but it is difficult to tell how much longer McNair can hold up, or how hard he will be rocked during the playoffs when teams turn it up a notch.

This weeks Prognosticator plaudits go to Jason at Antioch Road, who is supposedly so busy studying that he can't hardly post, yet obviously carefully studied team trends all last week to come up with the winning picks (hurrah - cheers!). The race has gotten a little tighter, so watch out for a trick play from Byron in an attempt to keep his distance from the also-rans.

WEEK 14 KEVIN SPUD BYRON JASON CAR HEDDLE AUSTIN Vegas win
ATL at TB TB TB TB TB TB TB ATL TB TB
BUF at NE NE NE NE NE NE BUF NE NE NE
CIN at CAR CAR CIN CAR CAR CIN CAR CAR CAR CAR
CLE at JAX JAX CLE JAX CLE CLE JAX JAX JAX CLE
HOU at PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT HOU
IND at TEN TEN TEN IND TEN IND IND IND TEN TEN
NYG at WAS WAS NYG WAS NYG WAS WAS WAS WAS NYG
SF at DAL SF SF SF SF SF SF SF SF SF
STL at KC KC KC KC KC KC STL KC KC KC
DET at ARI ARI DET ARI ARI ARI DET ARI ARI ARI
NO at BAL BAL NO BAL BAL BAL NO BAL NO NO
PHI at SEA SEA PHI SEA PHI PHI SEA SEA PHI PHI
DEN at NYJ DEN NYJ DEN DEN DEN DEN NYJ DEN NYJ
OAK at SD SD SD SD OAK OAK SD SD OAK OAK
MIN at GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB
CHI at MIA MIA CHI MIA MIA MIA MIA CHI MIA MIA
WEEK 14 9-7 11-5 8-6 13-3 10-6 6-8 7-9 12-4
SEASON 0.604 0.580 0.623 0.605 0.510 0.529 0.541 0.610

Posted by MarcV, 12:13 PM link

December 09, 2002

Jason over at Antioch Road submitted a late but-still-on-time entry, and has the preliminary Prognosticator lead going into MNF. He can be tied if the Bears pull a "Miracle on Orange Bowl St." and steal one from the Fish. You never know how well QB's who have been out on the injured list perform in their first games back - just ask the Rams and the Steelers.

Posted by MarcV, 11:24 AM link

Christmas Movies
It's that time of year when the TV specials and movies are trotted out to help celebrate the season. Did anyone else see that new Charlie Brown special after they showed the original Charlie Brown Christmas Sunday night? It was so awful it was offal. Hee - yikes, it might have even been enough to cause Charles Schultz to spin in his grave.

I have not seen anyone else try a post on this, so I will humbly submit my top 5 Christmas movies. We did get to see "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" for Thanksgiving two weeks ago (best movie for that day!).


1. The Christmas Wish
Neal Patrick Harris and Debbie Reynolds star as a family seeks the reason for the recently deceased family patriarch's strange Christmas errand. After the Gospel, one of the greatest tales of forgiveness that I have ever seen - and if you can give anything for Christmas, forgiveness makes the best gift. Not available on tape - you have to check the cable stations (Hallmark, Lifetime, etc.) for showtimes.

2. White Christmas
Bing Crosby and pals live it up and help an old Army buddy. Great Christmas tale about friendship and helping others. Yeah, it's a little "shmaltzy", but this was made almost 50 years ago! One of my favorite musicals, with great Irving Berlin numbers: the theater, the theater, what has happened to the theater?

3. Scrooge
This musical version, made over thirty years ago, starred Albert Finney. My wife and son watch this throughout the year. I like this one slightly better than the '51 Alistair Sims version, although that one is pretty good too. Still no DVD version, though folks clamor for it.

4. Mary Christmas
Pax TV just showed this last night and they do not appear to have it scheduled for another showing. For most of the movie, it was your above average made-for-TV flick, about a nine year old girl that wrote to Santa asking for a mommy. Fairly entertaining throughout, but the end was a surprise (like "The Christmas Wish") and helped reinforce my gratitude for the Christmas gifts I have been blessed with. I won't divulge the ending, but if anyone who saw it wants to e-mail me to talk about it, please do.

5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Christmas officially starts for me when the Whoville people-holding-hands-in-a-circle gate opens up and the Grinch returns all of those material goodies that the Whos didn't seem to need, followed of course by the classic Seuss soliliquy while the Grinch is carving the roast beast. I have not seen the "remake" movie with Jim Carrey, and probably never will, because this is one memory/tradition I would like to stay intact.


Boom, there it is! No "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th St." or other classics, but it's my top five.

Posted by MarcV, 11:20 AM link

Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:


The International Olympic Committee announced Friday it may kick Iraq out of the 2004 Summer Games for human rights violations. This probably won't cost the country any medals. Any Iraqi who could run, jump or swim is surely in Turkey by now.

President Bush fired Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and White House Chief Economic Adviser Larry Lindsay Friday. It was their job to manage the U.S. economy. Laurel and Hardy looked better trying to push a piano up a hill.

Posted by MarcV, 11:18 AM link

December 07, 2002

In the words of my 14 yr. old nephew, "Electricity is good." Pretty profound dude, eh? After two days of no showering, following the directions of "Lather, rinse, repeat" for the shampoo is recommended. The house across the street from me still does not have power, and they had to throw out all of their formerly refrigerated food today. There are alot of downed trees/limbs, and some still hanging on power lines. We have not had this kind of storm in at least 3 years, so the pruning was severe.

Heading towards town on my street was OK, but heading the other way towards the country roads was not passable (or should that be possible?). I drove over several downed lines, then had to turn around when some lines stretched across the road 1-2 feet above the ground. We can probably forget about cable TV for at least a week if not longer. I'm curious to hear how the Direct TV dishes made it in this weather.

Driving around several neighborhoods over the last two days we only noticed one roof that had a tarp over it. I'm sure there are more damaged homes, but we didn't see them. We are due for another storm system Tues. night-Wednesday, and they are saying for now that the temperature should stay above freezing, so we'll see. A lady died the other night, but her 14 yr. old daughter survived when the mom set up and ran a gas-powered generator inside their house. Incredible.

Posted by MarcV, 6:05 PM link

December 06, 2002

Power just came back on - I'm going home for a hot PRIVATE shower! Modesty stays intact - whew.

Posted by MarcV, 2:51 PM link

Oooh We Love the Bunny
I've linked to her before, and now I would like to add the Belligerent Bunny Blog to the list. If you have a hankerin' for bunnies and things military, go visit. Be sure to leave only high-quality food, because bunnies cannot vomit (learned something new today, thanks to BBB - what more could you ask from a blog!).

Posted by MarcV, 2:48 PM link

NFL Picks Week 14
Time keeps on slipping, and we keep on picking! Everyone loves Pittsburgh over Houston, so that probably signals a death knell for the Steelers. Been awhile since Vegas has given a team a 2 TD edge, and Houston is not that bad. We'll see.

WEEK 14 KEVIN SPUD BYRON CAR HEDDLE AUSTIN pts Vegas
ATL at TB TB TB TB TB TB ATL 4 TB
BUF at NE NE NE NE NE BUF NE 5 NE
CIN at CAR CAR CIN CAR CIN CAR CAR 4 CAR
CLE at JAX JAX CLE JAX CLE JAX JAX 2 JAX
HOU at PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT 14 PIT
IND at TEN TEN TEN IND IND IND IND 2 TEN
NYG at WAS WAS NYG WAS WAS WAS WAS 3 WAS
SF at DAL SF SF SF SF SF SF 5 SF
STL at KC KC KC KC KC STL KC 6 KC
DET at ARI ARI DET ARI ARI DET ARI 1 ARI
NO at BAL BAL NO BAL BAL NO BAL 3 NO
PHI at SEA SEA PHI SEA PHI SEA SEA 3 PHI
DEN at NYJ DEN NYJ DEN DEN DEN NYJ 1 DEN
OAK at SD SD SD SD OAK SD SD 3 OAK
MIN at GB GB GB GB GB GB GB 9 GB
CHI at MIA MIA CHI MIA MIA MIA CHI 10 MIA

Posted by MarcV, 2:45 PM link

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