Sumocat got a Sumocat...

...decal, that is. Need to think about the best spot for it.

SketchMap: Costco in Chantilly

Comfortable at the computer

Homer moreso than me.

Merry Pre-Christmas

Spending the evening with many members of Tanya's extended family,
part of which will be spent around this tree. Enjoy the holiday.

Thanks for the wafers, Susan

Thought I blogged this yesterday but didn't see it so here you go now.
Merry Christmas.

Going to see Dark Knight on IMAX

On a double date tonight at the Udvar Hazy air & space museum, but
we're not looking at planes -- we've come to see the Bat.

Here I Am: Bertucci's @ Tyson's Corner

Tanya's aunt's family is in town. Staying in a big McMansion for two
weeks so we're helping them live it up with brick oven pizzas.

Pandora needs to put me on the payroll

Or at least leave a comment for me. Seriously, you implemented 2 of my
ideas. The least you could do is send me a shout-out. ;)

Inappropriate office party gift

I'm not sure if I should be glad I passed on the office party gift
exchange or upset that I missed the reaction to this gift. I think
better that I skipped and therefore cannot be accused of contributing
a CD with EXPLICIT lyrics and cover art. O_o

Waiting for harm to befall me

Enjoying too much good news and festivity today. Pretty sure something bad must happen to even it out. Hopefully it's just me biting my tongue or falling on my ass.

Here I Am: Booth Feeds

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.919136,+-77.225955

Booth Feeds carries darn near every type of animal feed you'll need,
including elephant feed.

Here I Am: Crate & Barrel

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.919136,+-77.225955

Anytown USA... if your town is tiny

Here I Am: between MD and VA

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.274600,+-77.541847

Here I Am: Dutch Country Farmers Market

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.111907,+-76.933780

Picked up some goodies, including a bit of poundcake. Will determine
it's quality soon.

Bring me the head of Optimus Prime!

Kittens like to break stuff.

Closer shot of iPod vending machine

iPod vending machine at Macy's

First dusting of the season

We have come for the one you call "Homer"

Define "uh-oh moment"

"When you have the secretary of the treasury and the chairman of the Fed say, 'If we don't act boldly, we could be in a depression greater than the Great Depression,' that's an 'uh-oh' moment," [Bush] said. -- Maybe it's just me, but if I was warned of mass unemployment and poverty, my reaction would probably not be the same as when I realize I left my wallet at home. At the very least, I  wouldn't tell everyone my reaction to people losing their jobs was "uh-oh".

In other words...

"I think I was unprepared for war," Bush told ABC News' Charlie Gibson [...] "In other words, I didn't campaign and say, 'Please vote for me, I'll be able to handle an attack,'" he said. "In other words, I didn't anticipate war." -- Yes, he is literally using other words, but technically, "in other words" should preface a clarification or simplification of a preceding statement. In other words, use it to summarize a complex message, not as a crutch while you fumble for words.

Cyber Monday: great deal on high-speed router

I may have to upgrade my router to this Gigabit 802.11n-draft Linksys model from Newegg. Quite a deep discount and no shipping charge. I can figure out how to take advantage of the increased speed later.

Here I Am: Bed Bath and Beyond

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.867172,+-77.366087
20% off everything

Here I Am: Fair Oaks Mall

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.864388,+-77.356705
Yes, we are braving a mall today, and we're actually buying gifts for
other people (and one for me).

Here I Am: Staples in Cascades

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.033351,+-77.396665
Picking up a backup battery power block. Fun.

Best Black Friday deal I've seen

Three 4 GB Extreme III SD or CF cards for $60 minus $60 mail-in
rebate. Great add-on to any camera gifts.

Here I Am: Clyde's in Ashburn

Enjoying Thanksgiving brunch at a fancy restaurant today. Happy
Thanksgiving.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.031677,+-77.516270

Interesting 3D Controller

My preoccupation with alternate input devices has led me to the SpaceNavigator, a knob controller for navigating 3D environments. Very interesting. I may have to include this on the gift list.

Entire Firefly series on my iPhone

Finally got around to converting my Firefly DVD set to iPhone format.
Sweet!

Possibly the perfect poundcake

Tanya came back from the Dutch market with a cream cheese poundcake. Way too stuffed after today's seitan feast to try it now, but a full analysis will be Scribbled. Update: analysis has been Scribbled.

That's good-smelling cheese

Smoked horseradish cheddar... Mmm...

Ending a Susan-free day

Just occurred to me my day was "Susan-free". Nothing to celebrate, just conspicuous. However, I did enjoy a banquet of seitan, stuffing, and various pies today, but that's pure coincidence. Really. :)

Letterman proves me wrong

When I called David Letterman the least forgiving man on television, I was right. Turns out I was so right that he's proved me wrong. I predicted he'd let go of his feud with John McCain (who canceled on him and lied about the reason) after McCain lost the election, but he hasn't, as evidenced by his phone call with Katie Couric last night. Lesson: don't betray Dave unless you want to hear about it every week. Canned hams for everyone!

Dell XT who?

From Christopher Null: The Working Guy: "...predicting that Apple would be adapting its multi-touch technology for a tablet PC, the first laptop with a multi-touch screen is actually coming out from a quite different company: Hewlett-Packard." -- Interesting how "The Working Guy" seems unaware that Dell already released a multi-touch notebook with their XT. But it's a forgiveable oversight given its exorbitant price and recall-worthy problems.

HP brings sexyback to tablets

Just when I was starting to lament the lack of hot new Tablet PCs, HP announces the TouchSmart tx2 with capacitive multi-touch + active digitizer pen input. This may be the one to watch in 2009. Will spill some ink about it tonight.

Make a CRT monitor more useful

Attach sticky note pads to the side to make it a dispenser/monitor.

Homer in a twist

Stress, eye strain, and bad food

Still recovering from a bad weekend that hit my system hard. Plus my entire Comcast service has been out. Hope to be back up and running soon.

change.gov

In case you were worried whether President-Elect Obama can deliver on his promises, he's posted his agenda online at change.gov so you can keep track. A politician who provides a tool that aids accountability. That's change I can believe in.

Pulled!

Here I Am: about to get my tooth pulled

Barack Obama roundup

In case you're itching to read my previous thoughts on new President-Elect Barack Obama, check out these quick searches on Scribbles and Rambles.

Election morning was great

Election morning has been great. I voted on a touchscreen machine, thus supporting both my candidate and preferred voting medium. I got a free cup of coffee from Starbucks. Attended a staff meeting at work where I got two shout-outs and a bagel with cream cheese (the two events are not related). And I scheduled a tooth removal for Thursday (upper right wisdom tooth really getting in my way now). Awesome.

Paper or digital

At my polling place, the standard voting system is paper, which is then read by an electronic reader, but touchscreen voting stations were also available. As a pen and touch input computer enthusiast, I, of course, opted for touchscreen. Who I vote for is important, but I also care about how I vote.

51 minute wait, totally worth it

Here I Am: Vote!

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.942220,+-77.371752 Just performed my civic duty at Dogwood Elementary School. Chose to go electronic over paper (no surprise there). Seemed like a long wait to check off four items, but I believe it was worth it.

Here I Am: Plow & Hearth

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.317298,+-78.315160

Back in "real" Virginia again, stopping at P&H before crossing the
mountains.

The Millionaire

What's wrong with this photo?

I took a photo of myself post-haircut in the mirror using my iPhone
(in hand) because something caught my eye. Can you figure out what?

If this isn't McCain's low point...

At a rally today, McCain called on Joe the Plumber to stand up before a crowd of 6,000. Unfortunately, Joe wasn't there, and the crowd was composed almost entirely of high schoolers included about 4,000 bussed in from other districts. I don't know what's sadder: bussing in students for a partisan event, or with less than a week to election day, McCain is holding a rally for non-voters.

Homer lost his first tooth

Didn't even realize kittens lost baby teeth (our other two were older
than Homer when we got them).

Google Earth on the iPhone rocks

That's my house and car. This could be my new favorite map app.

How can people like McDonald's coffee?

Office out of coffee until next week. Woke up late and could not brew my own, so I opted in to a McDonald's coffee run. Figured those guys who like it can't all be wrong. As it turns out, YOU ARE ALL WRONG! Must brew my own tomorrow.

Here I Am: Not Too Shabby

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.820394,+-77.057569

Second hand antiques and consignments. Quality is slightly better than
their name implies.

Here I Am: abaca imports

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.817133,+-77.040403

Abaca appears to deal primarily in east Asian goods and furniture.

Here I Am: Hummer Alley

Here I Am: Ten Thousand Villages

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.805556,+-77.049587

Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit retailer that sells fair trade
goods produced by small and independent merchants across the world.

Here I Am: on our way to commie country

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.914078,+-77.224252

Visiting some import stores this afternoon in Alexandria, the heart of
"fake" Virginia.

Homer meets Molly

We call her Molly

The office is out of coffee...

...but guess who brought his own made from freshly ground shade grown
Kona beans! Boo-yah!

Mid-day Ink 2008-10-23

Lucky rabbit feet

Here I Am: Maggie Moo's Leesburg

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.098561,+-77.526226
Maggie Moo's is the best f'n ice cream chain around for one absolutely
crucial reason: hot fudge. Other places claim to have fudge but what
they really have is chocolate sauce. For the real deal, Moo's is the
place to go.

Here I Am: Historic Leesburg

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.114751,+-77.564979

Here I Am: Robeks in Broadlands

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.026538,+-77.510004
Starting my day with a smoothie before venturing into the "real"
Virginia.

Mobile USB power set at Costco

Thought I'd share this deal I found at Costco. Only $19 for a two-pack USB hub and portable ac expander with surge protector and 2 USB charging ports. Normally around that price way more than that for each separately.

AVG say ZoneAlarm haz bad stuff

Something I'll need to check when I get home: AVG has been tagging some ZoneAlarm setup files as trojans. I run both, so this affects me, as well as other cheapskates who rely on free security software. I should probably blog about my security "suite" sometime.

Obama: good music, poor words

At a fundraising concert featuring Billy Joel (yeah!), Obama warned his supporters not to get overconfident: "Don't underestimate the capacity of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Don't underestimate our ability to screw it up. I want everybody running scared." I totally agree the race is not over, but I don't think he should have recycled GOP talking points, ironically or not, to make his point. He'll get bitten by that later.

Unspoken fear no longer unspoken

That "unspoken fear" I blogged about a couple weeks ago has been caught on video. Guess I need to reclassify it as "spoken fear".

Trig has autism?

Bush confident nation not doomed

"Bush, in a meeting with his Cabinet, said he's confident that 'in the long run, that this economy will come back.'" -- As I recall, in the long run, the economy also recovered from The Great Depression. So basically Bush is confident we're not fatally screwed. Great prediction, Nostra-dumbass.

Analysts don't know tablets

"While it would be innovative to put [a touchscreen] in a notebook, it's not really likely from any major computer makers at this point, according to Charles Smulders, Gartner's managing vice president." -- Yeah, I mean, aside from Lenovo, Dell, and HP, no one is selling notebooks with touchscreens. Apparently Gartner does not keep their VPs well informed.

Shoving 25,000 people in a 16,000 capacity building

The McCain campaign claims to have drawn a crowd in Virginia Beach of 25,000 in a building that can only hold 16,000. Such an act, aside from being physically impossible, is both unsafe and illegal. So either they're lying or they violated the fire code. Take your pick.

And here's the "after"

Let's call this "before"

More technical difficulties

There seems to be Internet access troubles in Reston today. My access has been sporadic over both wifi and 3G. Hope it clears up soon.

'Phoning it in

As can be judged by my Rambles, I've been out and about this weekend. Managed to sneak in some work on the next Build 52 inbetween. Also sharing the sights via my iPhone. Nice thing about mobile computing is that I can fill in my downtime and occasionally phone in blog posts.

The view from Chrysalis Winery

The view from Swedenburg Vineyard

Coming down from a High (Street)

Art: raw hamburger on the floor

I'm blogging about Evernote too!

Rob and Warner are playing dueling Evernote blog entries at GBM. I agree with both, largely because I don't ink in Evernote (Rob's big point) and use it as a secondary tool. I shoot notes to it via email from work, use the Evernote app on my iPhone, and access via the web from my tablet. It's a great convenience for me, but if I was using it as my one-stop note tool, I'd be more particular about it.

About those iPhone power adapters...

When you return your defective iPhone power adapter, be sure to ask Apple to re-use that sturdy, over-sized box.

Pork Barrel Asking

Among the creative uses of language employed by the McCain campaign is the accusation that Obama has voted for nearly a billion dollars in earmarks. Actually, that's the total value of all of his requests, which haven't always made it to a vote. So, by McCain's logic, if I asked you for $100 each day for a week, I've asked you for $700, regardless of whether you gave me the money or whether I would have stopped asking after you first gave me $100.

Did I mention Homer is cute?

Why aren't there new McDonald's characters?

A Lifehacker reader going by "Mayor McRib" agreed with me on a comment today. Love the name, but it makes me wonder why there isn't a Mayor McRib. McDonald's keeps updating their menu. Why not their characters?

Technical difficulties

My home broadband connection is really erratic. Lot of loading problems. The Scribbles entry I posted last night somehow got unpublished. Looks like a server error but I had a lot of trouble logging in at the time. 3G on my iPhone is working fine though. Suspect a Comcast problem.

On the prowl

Cats get along better when it's cold

Biden is on fire!

Biden/Palin debate will be awesome or boring

The VP debate is on tonight between Palin and Biden, and I hope they go into it swinging. Biden talks like he knows everything about everything. Palin talks like she knows nothing about nothing. Both say way more than they should. Could be the most f'd-up, gaffe-filled debate in history. Or if they play it safe and keep tight-lipped, it could be boring as dirt. We'll see.

The long arm of Obama

During the first Obama/McCain debate, McCain questioned how Obama can reach across the aisle when he's so far to the left. Apparently he does so by walking, which he did last night to a cold reception from McCain.

Top Ten "Things Overheard At Palin Debate Camp"

Maybe I shouldn't have made a prediction about David Letterman going after McCain forever. It's been a week, and I'm already tired of it. Oh well, here's the latest salvo.

Caged!

New iPhone app NDA

Apple has announced a new non-disclosure agreement for iPhone app developers. I'm sure it will piss off no one this time. And I'm sure it's just coincidence that it's coming shortly after the Android SDK went public.

Is it nihilism?

I've been analyzing my personal disdain for the proposed bailout, wondering how much my nihilistic leanings are shaping my view. Apparently David Brooks of the NY Times is also seeing nihilism at work against the bailout. Nice to know I'm not alone in recognizing the influence.

Letterman v. McCain rages on

Hope Dave's grudge ends soon. Specifically after Nov. 5.

Adding cheese to a crap sandwich

Okay, I admit the revised Senate bill for the bailout is more enticing with renewable energy incentives and a higher FDIC limit, but that's cheese on a crap sandwich in my opinion. Cheese does make everything taste better but it's still crap. But then again, it might be enough to turn the bailout into a cheese sandwich with crap. We'll see.

A progressive bailout

Despite what John McCain says, I'm still calling it a bailout, but that doesn't mean I'm against it. I was definitely against the particular bailout proposed by Bush, but a more intelligent package, one that recognizes the flaws that led to the problem, such as Dean Baker's approach, would earn my support.

Mysterious stuff? On Fringe? No way!

First things first

"The first thing I would do is say, 'Let's not call it a bailout. Let's call it a rescue," McCain told CNN. -- That's straight-talk, maverick-style!

McCain loves bailouts

"Senator John McCain is in favor of the bailout. He loves bailouts — he bailed out on me." -- David Letterman. Yep, still pissed.

House drops crappy bill

The House voted against a plan by President Bush to put hundreds of billions of dollars in the hands of his treasury secretary. It is impossible to gauge whether it was the wise decision, but given Bush's track record of being wrong on everything, I'd prefer we not take our chances on this bill.

Here I Am: Ledo Pizza Sterling

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.036795,+-77.408016

McCain invents time travel

Winning a debate that hasn't happened yet is pretty impressive. Congrats. Or should I say "Mission Accomplished!"