Isn’t Life Strange?

Have a look at my new photos, taken at the Vicksburg National Military Park last week.

I really have no idea if there is any message here or not. I just think it’s funny.

The last few weeks have seen quite a few interesting developments and announcements in web technology and gadgetry. Here are a few that have caught my eye.

The Palm Pre is the most significant product designed by Palm since… well, a long, long time ago. Abandoning the years-old Palm OS, Palm’s hail-Mary effort to design an exciting competitor in the smartphone category has everyone comparing it to the Apple iPhone. Is it as good as the iPhone? I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. A strong Palm Pre would be good for everyone in that competition will always drive innovation. If Palm and Apple each work hard on outdoing one another, then we’re going to have some amazing advances in smartphone technology in the near future.

Not to be outdone, Apple released the new iPhone 3GS last week. An upgraded 3G, the 3GS provides new owners with a significant improvement in speed, an upgraded camera, video recording and editing capability, the ability to understand a number of voice commands, and an on-board compass. For those iPhone owners who aren’t prepared to spend all the money on the new iPhone, Apple also introduced OS 3.0, offering all current iPhone owners a voice recorder, an all-encompassing search function, MMS functionality, tethering, and other new enhancements. It should be noted that iPhone owners in the United States cannot yet use the MMS or tethering functions until they are implemented by AT&T sometime later this summer.

Microsoft announced an interesting new gaming concept for their XBox 360 game console. Project Natal is a motion-sensing, voice-recognizing attachment that will allow gamers to interact with games and other content without the use of controllers. There is little doubt that this is a direct response to Nintendo and their groundbreaking Wii console, but Microsoft has certainly upped the ante with this concept. It will be interesting to see what kind of content Microsoft can create for Project Natal.

Web giant Google announced that they are developing a new web-based tool for collaboration that they call Wave. A “wave” is essentially a workspace in which you and others can type, post photos, video, and other materials. Communication between members in the wave is instantaneous, which means instant messaging and chat room functionality is also possible. I watched the entire 80-minute long presentation and was fascinated at how powerful and flexible Wave can be, yet I struggled to see how I might find a reason to use it. And even as I type this, I know that others will find uses that the developers haven’t even considered.

The Norwegian company, Opera introduced an exciting new product called Opera Unite. Built into the latest version of the Opera browser, Unite allows users to easily share files, host websites, host chat rooms, or even set up a media server that can be accessed online through Firefox, Internet Explorer, or any other browser. Unite users can restrict access privileges through passwords. Personally, I have questions regarding the security of personal data using this kind of technology - but it is an exciting development nonetheless.

Hoo boy! It’s getting hot out there, and I’m not just talking about the weather here in sunny Houston.

Unless you’ve been trapped in a pit, or have been either intentionally or accidentally avoiding any and all news stories, you’ve probably heard about the recent flap over comments David Letterman made last week regarding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her daughter. Now I won’t go into the gritty details here, but in case you have no idea as to what I am referring, just take a gander at this Google search and you’ll probably wish you hadn’t started reading this post.

In short, Dave said some really offensive things last week regarding a visit by Sarah Palin and her daughter, Willow, to New York City. This prompted both Sarah Palin and her husband Todd to speak out and let Letterman know that they thought he went over the line. This response by the Palins is perfectly acceptable and understandable.

It took a few days, but (I’m guessing) someone at CBS told Letterman that he should make an apology, and on last night’s show, he gave one. I’ve not seen it, but I have read the transcript and to me his apology sounds decent and genuine.

Quickly, (because I know you’re dying to know) here is my personal opinion on the matter: David Letterman went for cheap laughs, as has been the staple of his comedic efforts for several years. Calling Palin “slutty” or insinuating that (Yankee) Alex Rodriquez got her daughter - any of her daughters - pregnant, is crude and boorish. I am going to make an assumption that Letterman would not be making the same jokes about Michelle Obama or her daughters on the event of their recent European vacation - nor should he. Apparently, the Palins are fair game. Why?

I’ve seen many headlines about how people are demanding Letterman’s resignation, or demanding that CBS fire him. Things like this generally remind me of the movies that featured angry mobs marching through the streets, torches in-hand, threatening to burn down the town unless their demands were met.

If I were a person who had any influence, my message to these people would be simple. If you do not like David Letterman, you are free to turn the television off and simply not watch his show. The Palins aren’t calling for Letterman’s head. Why are you?

Grow up. Be an adult. Take responsibility for yourself. You are not entitled to silence anyone with whom you disagree or with one who may have offended you with an ill-conceived and insensitive comment.

I’m sick of this uncivilized, third-world, big bully mentality that gives people the notion that they have the right to seek a means of political revenge as a result of one man’s unfortunate exercise of free speech.

/rant off

According to Wikipedia*, The Court Jester, a 1956 film starring Danny Kaye, was the most expensive comedy ever to be produced at the time. Costing 4 million dollars to make, the film bombed at the box office.

Here’s the most famous scene, and the scene for which Danny Kaye is most remembered.

*Wikipedia is always asterisk-worthy due to its dubious articles on current events and political figures. It should never be regarded as the ultimate source of truth and objectivity, but is usually accurate enough as a source for common knowledge.

Now that Jay Leno has finished his hosting duties on the Tonight Show, it seems appropriate on this night to take a trip in the wayback machine and watch a 1986 appearance of Jay on Late Night With David Letterman.

Jay was a riot back in those years, quick-witted and energetic, and one of the better stand-up comics around. Enjoy!

My dad had an old Smothers Brothers record I used to listen to as a kid. I’ve always enjoyed this strange mix of comedy and folk singing.

Bend over America. The Looters feel empowered, or they are trying to make a point by being absurd. Either way, this should make EVERY American wake up and realize there is no limit to what they will consider as free game to fund their irresponsible spending.

Under a Senate proposal, Congress would raise the federal excise tax on beer by 145 percent to more than $3 a case.

Uncle Sam also would snatch an additional $7 on a case of wine — a staggering increase of 233 percent and an additional 20 percent on hard liquor sales.

You can read the entire article in the New York Post.

Some of you may have already been introduced to this website. I saw it the other day and after watching the video (linked in the right column at the bottom) find it fascinating.

Wolfram Alpha

If you talk to people who have visited both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, they will tell you that the attractions at one park may not be exactly the same as the attraction of the same name at the other park. An examination of ride-through videos on YouTube reveals that the attractions share most of the same scenes and elements, and determining which version is “best” is probably a matter of personal preference. Having only visited the Florida parks, I obviously can not offer an opinion.

Most of the opinions I’ve read on the Pirates of the Caribbean favor the Disneyland version. Here’s an excellent high quality video of that attraction.

We lost another comic great yesterday. Dom DeLuise passed away at age 75.

Thanks for the laughter Dom, and rest in peace.

I ran across this story about an experience David Crockett had with an unsatisfied constituent. I am not certain of the exact source but it appears that it may come from a book about Crockett, written by Edward S. Ellis.

Enjoy!

One day in the House of Representatives, a bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several beautiful speeches had been made in its support. The Speaker was just about to put the question when Crockett arose:

“Mr. Speaker — I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the suffering of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this house, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money. Some eloquent appeals have been made to us upon the ground that it is a debt due the deceased. Mr. Speaker, the deceased lived long after the close of the war; he was in office to the day of his death, and I have never heard that the government was in arrears to him.”

“Every man in this House knows it is not a debt. We cannot, without the grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt. We have not the semblance of authority to appropriate it as a charity. Mr. Speaker, I have said we have the right to give as much money of our own as we please. I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and, if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.”

He took his seat. Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and, instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as, no doubt it would but for that speech, it received but few votes and of course, was lost.

Later when asked by a friend why he had opposed the appropriation, Crockett gave this explanation:

Continue reading (external link)

This cartoon may be a bit corny from today’s perspective, but the idea of personal liberty and freedom is timeless. Enemies of liberty are as plentiful today as they were then, and the weak-minded will always be vulnerable to their seductive charms.

The more things CHANGE, the more things stay the same.

Here’s a video introduction by Cecil B. DeMille to his classic film “The Ten Commandments.” This introduction was played for moviegoers at the time of the film’s initial run.

DeMille uses this introduction to explain the purpose of the story, posing a timeless question: Are men the property of the state, or are they free souls under God? It amazes me that a story as old as that of Moses can continue to be so relevant today.