XM Pioneer Inno

I just got one of this beauties:

The unit is very small and light and is very easy to operate.  However, my wishful (and unrealistic) hope that it would have much better satellite reception indoors has not panned out.  It does seem to do better in the gar though.  Would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a portable satellite unit.  Look for sale pricing that has it at about $300.

Space Travel

Everyone seems to think that invest in space travel.  Its true that it uses a lot of money, but it does offer humanity such an enormous inspirational and unifying goal.
 

As Wikipedia reports:

"Some people also have moral objections to the huge costs of space travel, and point out that even a fraction of the space travel budget would make a huge difference in fighting disease and hunger in the world. However, space exploration itself receives a very small percentage of total government spending (nearly always under 0.5%).

Overall, the public remains largely supportive of both manned and unmanned space exploration. According to an Associated Press Poll conducted in July 2003, 71% of US citizens agreed with the statement that the space program is "a good investment," compared to 21% who did not (Pollingreport.com)."

Steven Segal

Steven Segal USA Network Marathon

I won't claim to be a big fan, but his movies do entertain me. I won't comment on his marshal arts ability since I lack the expertise, but he seems to do OK. Only thing is, the latest movies I have seen him in show he has gained a lot of weight and you can tell he is not even doing his own fighting.

Open Thread

Downloading Movies

I am not sure i get the deal on downloading movies.  Even with a fast connection it still takes quite a while and you have issues with where you can display it.  By the looks of it the industry experts must disagree with my assesment:Netflix back on track for 2006 online downloads

Ipod du Jour

Unfortunately I think Jobs is right about this.  I am getting the bug to buy one of the new (not so much any more) video iPods, even though I already have a nano and a 3rd gen iPod. 

Jobs: "you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year"

Filed under: Portable Audio

Now we know the truth. In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained why Apple comes up with new iPod models so frequently: "You keep on innovating, you keep on making better stuff," Jobs said, in response to a question from Williams about why a new iPod might seem outdated as soon as you take it out of the box. Then Jobs offered a bit of advice to consumers: "If you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year." Gee, thanks, Steve. We always thought it was the dead batteries or battered shell that kept sending us back to the Apple store. Glad you could set us straight.

Maps

Always had an interest in Maps.  Here some good info on the value of the USGS if you are into this topic:

Buying Maps

For Amusement

The Top 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time

PCWorld magazine lists the top 25 worst tech products of all time.

On the nature of my colds

For the last 5 days I have been fighting a very annoying cold.  There are repeating steps in my colds which I have never really understood and which I hear are not the same in everyone else.  I apologize in advance if this grosses out anyone, but I will kinda describe the progression of my colds in detail to see if anyone has something similar.

My colds begin in my left nostril.  They usually entail a lot of liquid clear run-off and watery eye (also the left).  During the first few days (normal time about 5-6 days total), I tend to urinate frequently - I assume to get rid of the cold virus?  After a couple of days, the runny nose and watery eye switches to the right side, leaving my right side dry.  After a couple of more days the run-off turns darker and more lumpy and eventually stops.  Then I get many times some congestion in my upper chest and possibly some coughing.  Now do other people also get this?

By the way, I have just found that Benadryl Maximum Strength Severe Allergy & Sinus Headache seems to work best to dry me up.  This is after I tried Dexroral,  Claritin and Dayquil without success.  All this time also taking Airborne.

If anyone knows more effective ways to get rid of colds, I would really like to know...

StreetWars, 24

Today I heard on the XM Radio BBC channel a story about groups of people that set up a game in different cities, where the participants 100-300 set out to "kill" designated targets (other game participants) with water guns.  Not so long ago, they had a CSI-NY episode written around such a game.  I thought it was cool, but simply a Hollywood idea...I guess it was for real.  The guy being interviewed indicated that there is an upcoming game in London.  Overall sounds like a lot of fun!  Unfortunately, I forgot what the official name of the game was...all I know is that the the guy that created the game is a lawyer in NY city.  Hey after a little research its: StreetWars: A 3 week long, 24/7, watergun assassination tournament ...

Watching the finale of 24.  I keep wondering why Jack keeps carrying that rather effeminate bag of his.  I guess it is his bag of tricks where he keeps all his weapons and tools, but it just seems very odd.

Its Tough Being Sr Gato:)

Trying out new software

I am using Elict to see how it works.

On a side note, I have just wasted my 3 day weekend thanks to 9/80 work schedule getting over a cold.  No exercise or anything else.  Oh, well.....

Watching a NBC movie tonight called 10.5. Leaving in the LA area, probably not a good thing to do before sleep... '10.5: Apocalypse' self-destructs - Los Angeles Daily News .  I wonder how many people will move out or not move into CA?  I guess there are always two sides to every story.  I realize that these movies are hoky as the following indicates:Check Your Brain at the Door If You Watch '10.5: Apocalypse' "10.5 ... - International News Service but still there is probably an element of truth in the story.  Lets see if there has ever been an earthquake....from the web I do not see anything above 9.6...Its always good to have fiction.

Can Hayden clear Senate? csmonitor.com: "Can Hayden clear Senate?
CIA nominee's career in the military and at NSA may be sticking points.
By Linda Feldmann Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON ? By the time President Bush nominated Gen. Michael Hayden Monday morning to be the next CIA director, the firestorm over the anticipated selection was already well under way.
Sunday talk shows and Monday headlines were dominated by the vocal concerns of a few congressional Republicans questioning the appropriateness, at this time in history, of putting a military man at the top of the nation's premier civilian intelligence agency. . Also at issue, particularly among Democrats, is General Hayden's role in running the president's controversial warrantless surveillance program when he headed the National Security Agency."

I don't get why the Bush administration insists on ramming their contraversial picks on everything. Goss, the predecesor, was also a controversial choice , as was the guy at the UN, etc, etc??

I am home today. Fighting a sinus thing that is really annoying me. Not sure what is going on in the world and TV programs really suck right now.

DVRs are such great things! Catching up on shows I missed due to a trip I took this week. Only thing is that I am using a Cox DVR and some times it acts funny. For e.g. this week it was supposed to tape the second half of House, but for some reason it did not.

I read a posting yesterday about Cox market researching the use of TiVo/Cox DVRs on Direct TV customers not currently using Cox cable. I would be interested in that since I have heard good things about the user friendliness of it. I have used and liked Replay TV, but like to see where this goes.

Just watching the season finale of Supernatural. Pretty good but a sign that repeat season is coming! 1 hope there are some good summer shows coming.

Weather in oc looks bad again! Want to just lay around but should work out. When is the sun coming back?

Ghost Whisperer

Watching the season finale. Interesting concept. What would it be like to handle a mass of dead people from a plane crash that no one else can see?

Fenway Park

Just came back from Boston. Amazingly, the weather was better there than home in LA. Weather hasm been rather strange at home lately. Anyway, I am not big on baseball, but had a tour of FenwayPark and later went to the game. Red Sox ended up winning 7-4 against the BlueJays. Fenway reminded me a lot of the old Tiger Stadium including being prefectly blocked by column in line with home plate.

Flying on United is getting less easy. All their flights seem packed to the gills. Hopefully, they are making more money, but a little less comfortable.

Anyway, glad to be back home!