Google to acquire Napster?

I'm a big fan of the subscription based Napster; when I saw this from Engadget, I got excited! Perhaps when downloading songs via Google Napster will yield CD covers, liner notes and lyrics embedded with the song? For .99 cents having these items would be a compelling value proposition and give iTunes much needed competition ONLY if in the acquistion there is a partner with a player such as a iPod. Maybe Sony will figure in the mix with a Walkman device...

"The New York Post (read: one of our very best sources for tech news) is claiming to have the exclusive scoop on Google's anticipated foray into digital music. Citing "sources within the music industry," the Post says that Google is "considering an extensive alliance" with the possibility of an "outright acquisition" of once-renegade Napster. Not that this would come as a surprise given the recent launch of Google's Video download service and Napster's struggle to turn a profit off its 500k or so subscribers. One thing's for sure, Napster stands a better chance of success snuggled up to the likes of Google than they ever did with those mad CD burnin' folks over at Roxio... that was just like, so Y2K."

Day 88 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 88 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

With all the hoopla about the Samuel Alito and the Enron trial, I thought that today's blog of the day should focus on law (or at least the interpretation and business of law). The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com's law blog focuses on law and business, and the business of law, plus coverage of litigation that you may have missed while asleep. I get exactly what I wanted and more via this blog !

Not everything is dry and serious - for example one post reads:

Harvard art history professor and Yale Law School grad Robin Kelsey lightheartedly debunks myths about lawyers on the WSJ.com Law Page. Among them: Most national leaders went to law school, so if you go to law school, you will probably become a national leader. Also: Being a lawyer brings with it vast wealth.

and...

The Los Angeles school board [who] unanimously decided to rename its Mt. Vernon Middle School after Johnnie Cochran, the famed defense lawyer who died last year.

and one more...

Amid the BlackBerry controversy, The Wall Street Journal's Anne Marie Squeo takes us to the frontlines of patent battles, where litigants try to invalidate patents by finding evidence that the idea behind a given patent isn't actually new. IP cognoscenti call such evidence "prior art;" according to Squeo, when it's used successfully to ward off a patent claim it's referred to as "killer art."



Need something lighter?

Corporate Abuse of American Civil Justice

The Wal-Mart Effect Interview

May I recommend the Charles Fishman/The Wal-Mart Effect Interview from 800-CEO-READ PODCASTS

_____

In this interview, [800-CEO-READ PODCASTS] talk with Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and How It's Transforming the American Economy.

Charles has been writing for Fast Company since issue number one. If you have read the magazine, you have undoubtedly read Charles Fishman.

This book started with a story in the December 2003 issue called The Wal-Mart You Don't Know. You can't have read it without remembering the story of Vlasic pickles. Charles decided to write the book after he found that there was so little available on Wal-Mart. With the effect this company now has on the American economy, he felt it important to find out more about this secretive giant.

You can read The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart in the January 2006 issue of Fast Company. It is a story adapted from the book about how Jim Weir, CEO of Simplicity, walked away from Wal-Mart.

This [podcast] runs almost an hour, but I promise you it is worth it.

____

800CEOREAD is by far, the best one stop resource for all business books and resources. Help yourself to these resources:

Daily Blog
Book Excerpts Blog
800-CEO-READ Podcasts

Visit 800CEOREAD.com



AND register to win free stuff (like me - lucky winner of a bunch of different business books) at InBubbleWrap where you can win FREE business stuff with new offers everyday.

The Steelers share a prayer

(AP)

The Steelers share a prayer and celebration folling the AFC Championship victory in Denver on January 22, 2006. view the video here

NOTE: I had the video embedded here, but it was blowing out the HTML and the right hand column...

E-music changes the world in unexpected ways

Picasso - Three Musicians

Mobile Opportunity: Removing the Middleman, Part 2: Music: Former Chief Competitive Officer and VP of Product Planning at Palm Michael Mace (spotlighted in Day 84 of 100 blogs in 100 days), explains and demystifies what is going on in the music business today - this post is a must read if you have a stake as an artist, producer or music industry mogul... check it out.

Michael asserts:

E-music changes the world in unexpected ways

--I think the biggest change happening in music distribution right now isn't piracy, it's cannibalization of CD albums by e-music singles.

--I can't believe I'm saying this, but despite all the hype, the iTunes music store is actually much more powerful than most people realize. I think it may already be too late for any competitor to stop iTunes from becoming the dominant music store in the US.

--The tipping point at which the record companies will become obsolete may arrive in about two years.



I'm interested in how these E-music channels operate, having been old school back in the eighties with my time at Warners with the rise of the cassette and later, the CD. Now in software distribution and familiarity with eBooks and mobile phone distribution - well trust me, you'll want to read the rest of the of the article. Michael does a masterful job of explaining his due diligence and research. Is the future bright for artists, record companies and/or consumers?

The Economist thinks "The internet will eventually be wonderful for music buyers, but it is still a threat to today's dominant record labels"

and...

Some say when it comes to artist's interests, "Apple calls iTunes "revolutionary" but record companies are using the service to force the same exploitive and unfair business model onto a new medium."

Double check your lottery ticket!

Courtesy: Tim Dolighan Cartoons

"When was the last time a new lottery winner unveiled a master plan to blow the winnings on something useless and frivolous? Just once, wouldn't it be nice to read about someone who insists on spending the money to "find some better-looking friends."

Why don't lottery winners just run wild?

Instant Millions Can't Halt Winners' Grim Slide

PowerBall

TNLottery

Year of the Dog (Diggy & Ally Woo)

It's the Year of The Dog!



Here's my granddog Diglet Woo... and Ally Woo



By the way, calculate your age (somewhat accurately, in Dog Years...)

and learn about Celebrating Chinese New Year

Even Google is in on it.

World's Largest Pencil

What a good looking building! - I wonder what other products can be enclosed to adorn corporate headquaters besides a logo slapped up on a non descrip building....

"This is a photograph of the World's Largest Pencil, a Castell 9000 located at Faber-Castell's facility in Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur. This pencil is nearly 65 feet tall and is housed in a glass enclosure. Completed in 2002, it is made from Malaysian lumber, fitted from small pieces tongue-and-groove fashion. Once the first half was built, a German-made polymer lead running the full length was inserted and the remainder was built, then sanded and finished. The project required over 7000 man-hours over a two year period to complete. The pencil is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest."

Courtesy of Pencil Revolution

Day 87 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 87 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... Pass the Bromo Selzer please...

Feeling hungry? Lost all zeal for that 2006 diet? Well, if that's the case, please SUPER SIZE ME!

supersizedmeals is the blog for you!

Whatever you desire... 100 all beef patties, 100 slices of cheese, six foot long subs, seven pound burgers, with a bucket of fries, you can overload your taste buds with stories and a photo gallery of restaurant supersized meals, as well as home made efforts from all over the world...

If Krystals' rectum rockets and an order of rat tails doesn't move your bowels anymore, check out these tasty recipies!

The MegaBurger
4 Tomatos, 3.5 Onions, 1 Whole Lettuce, Butter, 4.586 Kg Mince, 4 Eggs, 20 slices of Cheese, 2 Kg Bread Mix, 1.2 Kg Water (for bread), Sesame Seeds, 1 bottle MasterFoods Hamburger Spice, 250g breadcrumbs, about 200g American Mustard, about 250g Heinz Tomato Ketchup, about ~200g Praise Mayonaise, and 500g Gherkins. Now that's a burger!

January 24 was what?

I missed it - (January 24 Is the Most Depressing Day of the Year)
Guess I was too up to be down!

From The Sports Geezer

Why January 24 Is the Most Depressing Day of the Year...

Do the math:
[W + (D-d)] x TQ
M x NA
And it's really quite obvious: the most depressing day of year is January 24.

That, at least, is the calculation of British psychologist Cliff Arnall, a specialist in seasonal affective disorders at the Univeristy of Cardiff, Wales.

In Arnall's formula W=Weather, D=debt, d=monthly salary, T=time since Christmas, Q=time since failure to quit something you've resolved to quit, M=low motivational levels, and NA=need to take action. Put them all together and what do you get? A very rough day.

MSNBC reports that the equation was concocted for a good reason: business. Persuaded that people book travel to sunny places when they are most miserable, a travel company commissioned the research to learn when people were most likely to book vacations. Geezer has a few questions about the importance of the D=debt factor is such equations.

Creating Mosiacs

Here's a resource for creating mosiacs on Macs running OSx...

It's easy as 1 - 2 -3 MacOSaiX

Sushi (running Windows)

Yummy! Sushi Windows style to go...

Courtesy of gadgetblog

Usable Home

Gina Trapani, editor of LifeHacker, writes a column Geek To Live. She offers eights gems to making your home usable while Getting Things Done...

She writes: As a computer programmer in a new apartment, I've taken the same approach to setting up my home as I would developing a software application: with a focus on usability. Like any good software package, my home should be a tool that helps me get things done, a space that's a pleasure to be in and a launch pad for daily tasks as well as my life goals.

Whether the task at hand is to relax after work, phone a family member, or keep track of a dry cleaning receipt, there are lots of simple ways to create a living space that makes getting things done a breeze.

I'm no home organization expert, but here are a few tips I've gleaned over time that can help make your house a Usable Home.

Here's a gem from Gina:

Stow away stuff you don't use; put stuff you do within easy reach

Surround yourself with the things you use and either get rid of the things you don't, or stow 'em away. For instance, if you've ripped all your CDs to MP3 and only listen to them in that format, then why line your living room walls with CDs that never get touched? Box up your CD's and put 'em up on a high shelf in the closet and make room for the things in the living room that you do use often. Or, simply enjoy the extra space. In the kitchen, if you rarely make waffles but you're on a grilled cheese kick, put the waffle-maker on the top shelf and leave the Foreman grill at eye level for easy grabbing.

Seven more gems...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Kung hee fat choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous."

January 29, 2006 is the first day of the Chinese new year. This is the Year of the Dog.

People born in the Year of the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

Wikipedia - Chinese New Year

Myself? I'm a Horse... The noblest of the signs, horses are popular, quick-witted, charming, cheerful, and talented. Horses are doers and cannot bear inactivity. My year comes up in 2014.

Why I love Napster

I love Napster because I can rent all the music I care to listen to for $9.95 on three PCs.

And it's a big reason why I don't own a iPod (yet).

I sit at home working on the PC so I can fire up Napster, create playlists and listen away during the day. At night or offsite, I can work on my laptop with the headphones plugged in.

The main reason and I think where the real value comes in with the Napster service is the song lookup. I was watching an old episode of Alias and like most TV shows, there's a song that closes out the episode that ties in all the emotions. Sydney just built a baby crib and Michael, the father is gone... so the background song playing has a key word of "water" - So I fire up Napster, search for "water" and narrow the choice down to "The Water Is Wide" by Karla Bonoff

THE WATER IS WIDE

The water is wide, I can't cross over
and neither I have wings to fly
give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row - my love and I

Now love is gentle, and love is kind
the sweetest flower when first it's new
but love grows old, and waxes cold
and fades away like morning dew

There is a ship, she sails the sea
she's loaded deep as deep can be
but not as deep as the love I'm in
I know not how I sink or swim

The water is wide, I can't cross over
and neither I have wings to fly
give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row - my love and I
and both shall row - my love and I

With Napster, I can select all the titles and listen to them all (full length - not a snippet) and toss out the versions I don't care for. (I kept 64 versions of The Water is Wide).

Naspter has allowed me to expand my musical tastes - I may hear a song on Lightning100, note the title and when I get home do a search. I've discovered music by Beth Orton, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, The Sundays while catching up on some new releases from artists that I use to listen to like EmmyLou Harris. There is also a listing of Billboard songs, so Napster is a great resource for oldies, the British Invasion, progressive rock - you will find what you're looking for. For a mere $9.95 a month, the value of having access to a 1.5 million song, mother of all iPods is a good value proposition.

The bummer is that Napster is not available for the Mac...

Album art for your iTunes

Patrick Moberg has a nifty utility to grab album art for your iTunes collection:

Artie is a service that utilizes Amazon.com's public database of images to retrieve any missing cover art for your iTune's library. Just upload your easy-to-find iTunes Music Library.xml file, wait a second while it analyzes everything, and drag the artwork straight into your running iTunes program. The correct art is found more then 95 percent of the time, however.
Artie

Find my Cover is another service that works well.

Even with my new Apple Mighty Mouse, my right arm took a beating with the right to left movements of placing art into the iTunes window pane. The best method I found is to run Artie (it's a bit slow, though looking up 458 titles is quite a task) is to sort your iTunes listing by album and then do a lookup using Find My Cover for the bulk title listings. Artie comes in handy for the odd one-sies title.

However on my PC, MusicMatch is a delight as it looks up all the titles and artwork using the MusicMatch Plus feature.

Day 86 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 86 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
Meet Kyle, the ultimate day trader - no, not the ordinary day trader that sits at a PC, but one who parlay a red paper clip into a... Kyle's blog, One Red Paper Clip has brought him fame as a newmaker of the week:

THE MODERN-DAY MONTY HALL

KYLE MACDONALD had a paper clip and a plan -- trade up until he had acquired a house. Six months and eight trades later, the 26-year-old from Montreal already has a cube van. "When I first started, I'd have settled for an outhouse," laughs MacDonald, whose website -- oneredpaperclip.com -- received 150,000 hits one day. "But the way things are going, I might end up with a real house."

He recently traded a snowmobile for a ski and snowboard trip to Cranbrook, B.C., which he swapped for the van. "It's easy to trade pens and doorknobs, but it's getting a bit tougher now," says MacDonald, who hasn't spent or made any money on the project. "The ads on the site pay the rent." He plans to eventually write a book about his adventure, but still needs to find a publisher. Maybe he can trade for one.

Kyle, may all of your dreams and vision of having a house come true... even your apartment rent. Wishing you the best!

Marks of a Missional Church

Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures

I've been pondering and engaged in some deep thoughts on what "church" should look like...

This snippet "Marks of a Missional Church" is moving me along in my journey of processing where I am in my faith - me thinks I get restless especially when a new year rolls around and I'm so full of vision of making a difference in this world...

xxx

Eddie Gibbs and I [Ryan Bolger] were interviewed (on video) for an upcoming workshop "Living Missionally" in Ventura, CA on January 21, hosted by Reggie McNeal.

Here are the prep questions that were asked (and a partial summary of Ryan's answers):

1. What are the marks of churches (people) who live missionally?

They no longer see the church service as the primary connecting point with those outside the community. Connecting with those outside happens within the culture, by insiders to that culture who express the gospel through how they live.

2. What is it that keeps a church (people) from thinking missionally?

We have been raised with the idea that much of our life and our responsibilities as Christians are reflected in the weekly church service. It is how we think as Christians in Western cultures where 'going to church' has been an essential part of being a Western citizen. Our context has changed, Christendom is crumbling, but the shift to missional living is a huge shift for Western Christians. It might take the Western church fifty to a hundred years to make the shift, and many won't make the journey. In contrast, those Christians outside the west, who have never lived within 'Christendom', do not think of the church service as the connecting point. They have no illusions that those they are serving would be remotely interested in a church service. Instead, they embody the gospel through serving, both in deeds and words.

This is a big, big, shift, and it scares a lot of people.

3. When people (church) suddenly "get it", what does that mean? ... and what do you think brings the revelation?

Christian leaders are burned out. They spend an inordinate amount of hours just keeping the machine running, both in mainline and seeker/purpose driven/gen-x churches. They know no other way to do ministry, and if running the machine isn't it, then what is? When these Christians discover a more organic way of serving God, of emulating Jesus, it gives them hope. They do not need to leave the faith to find integrity or rest. Granted, this shakes up their world, and their future is anything but smooth. But they find a passion again, like a first love, and it sustains them for the tough road ahead...

4. What is/are the hardest obstacle(s) for people/church to overcome in order to being living missionally?

Early in the 21st century, the American church is trained to consume, to be recipients of ministry, to go to church to 'get needs met'. It is how we are formed in the culture, and the church does not train us to be any different. To be active, to be a producer in the faith community, to share the burden, are the birth pangs in the formation of a missional community. Facilitating this type of transformation is one of the most important tasks of leaders today...

5. What is/are the most exciting examples of a people/church who is/are living missionally?

In my book with Eddie Gibbs, I share many, many stories that reveal what missional living in the postmodern West looks like...I couldn't be more excited about these people or their journeys...

6. What was it that drew you into seeking what you found? ... what did you find?

Like many of the people I interviewed, I was on a journey. Was there a way that I could express my faith in my world that would have some integrity? That would look like Jesus? That wouldn't make Christians look unnecessarily weird? As I began to spend time with these leaders and these communities, I found hope. They were asking the same questions! They became my teachers -- and more importantly, my friends...

Day 85 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 85 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
OK, this guy is funny - Comedian Paul Scheer...
Who?
You may remember Paul in notable TV guest appearances such as:
"Grim Reaper" in episode: "Hospital" (episode # 3.3)

and in

"Upright Citizens Brigade" with roles such as:

"Throwing Star Delivery Guy" in episode: "Mogomra vs. The Fart Monster"
"Ron the Fortune Cookie Guy" in episode: "Time Machine"
"Man in Audience" in episode: "Saigon Suicide Show"
"Power Marketing Attendee" in episode: "Power Marketing"
"Toad & Elephant Man" in episode: "Story of the Toad"

Now that we're on the same page, visit his blog The Secret Recipes & Private Dreams of Paul Scheer

My favorite post? Paul's Trip to Nashville, TN!

Day 84 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 84 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... takes us to Mobile Opportunity a weblog by Michael Mace who is a highly regarded person in the tech space, notably when he was Chief Competitive Officer and VP of Product Planning at Palm. Other roles include VP of Strategic Marketing at PalmSource and Director of Mac Platform Marketing at Apple.

This weblog is a well thought out commentary on the mobile market and other subjects related to high tech.

I like his recent posting:

Which mobile device companies get it?

excerpt: "I should explain what I mean by "get it." I think that a truly effective smart mobile device must be both focused and integrated. By focused, I mean that it must first and foremost solve one particular problem for a particular type of user. Kitchen sink products that try to be everything for everyone sell to enthusiasts but no one else. The companies that get it specialize in leaving out features that aren't essential to the core product."

and...

"Convergence generally sucks.

People have been predicting converged everything for decades, but usually most products don't converge. Remember converged TV and hi-fi systems? Of course you don't, neither do I. But I've read about them.

And of course you have an all in one stereo system in your home, right? What’s that you say? You bought separate components? But the logic of convergence says you should have merged all of them long ago."

xxx

If you have a passing interest in tech stuff and where the business is going, you'll do well to sit at the feet of someone who understands clearly what is going on...

Day 83 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 83 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
takes us to a gallery and commentary of contemporary cartoons by Paul Giambarbu
Cartoons>an appreciation.
This blog features extensive critiques of artists; notables include Eldon Dedini, Hans Steger and Milton Caniff whose work have appeared in New Yorker, Playboy and Esquire. No Sunday funnies in this collection - worth a visit!

WonderDawg's iTunes

What's on your iTunes list has been popping up on blogs so I thought I give it a shot:

How many total songs?
2853 songs, equal to 10 days or 14.30 GB.

Sort by song title - first and last?
First: "Gloria" from Missa Syllabica by Arvo Part
Last: "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" - Bob Dylan

Sort by time - shortest and longest?
Shortest: "Run With The Big Dogs" (0:09) The Power And The Glory: The Original Music and Voices of NFL Films
Longest: "Alice's Restaurant" (The Massacree Revisited) (22:26) Arlo Guthrie

Sort by Album - first and last?
First: "1" by The Beatles
Last: "Youth and Young Manhood" - by Kings of Leon

Sort by Artist - first and last?
First: 4HIM
Last: The Young Rascals

Top five played songs?
"Made Me Glad" Hillsong - Featuring Darlene Zschech
"Come A Long Way" Michele Shocked
"The Heart of Worship" Passion
"The Only Thing I Need" 4HIM with Jon Anderson
"Lamb of God" Kerri-Anne Rostad

Find the following words. How many songs show up?
Sex: 4
Death: 1
Love: 214
You: 468
Home: 32
Boy: 29
Girl: 22

Save the world using a Treo 650 24 style

Colin Dunstan at MobiRead has a nice photo essay regarding how "a Palm Treo can be instrumental in saving the world. Jack Bauer, the self-righteous, revenge-seeking super hero we love so much, is back in the game to get rid of some annoyingly evil terrorists."

Technology is so cool - with my Treo650, one day I'll be in position to save the West Meade 'hood here in Nashville -

A BIG SHOUT Out Goes To...

A BIG Nashville SHOUT Out Goes To... the 56 unique readers in places that have visited the WonderDawg blog in the last couple of days...

Thanks for dropping by and if you see your location below - then feel free to comment if you want! And maybe give me a recommendation of a favorite blog that you have visited in the last 100 days that I haven't seen yet -

Poslok Ekskavatornyy, Sverdlovsk, Russian Federation
Alexandria, Virginia
Alpharetta, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Bethesda, Maryland
Brentwood, Tennessee
Bronx, New York
Brooklyn, New York
Canton, Michigan
Canton, Ohio
Centerville, Massachusetts
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Cicero, Indiana
Columbia, South Carolina
Crocheron, Maryland
De Loo, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Drexel, North Carolina
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Eelde-Paterswolde, Drenthe, Netherlands
Fareham, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Findlay, Ohio
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Haifa, Hefa, Israel
Hino, Kanagawa, Japan
Houston, Texas
Humble, Texas
Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia
Jersey City, New Jersey
Kittrell, North Carolina
Knoxville, Tennessee
Las Vegas, Nevada
Lima, Peru
Los Alamitos, California
Marina Del Rey, California
Mckinney, Texas
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Naperville, Illinois
New York, NY
Ninety Six, South Carolina
North Adams, Massachusetts
Northfield, Ohio
Omaha, Nebraska
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Regina, Saskatchewan
Ridgetop, Tennessee
Ruby, Virginia
Saint Louis, Missouri
Tampa, Florida
Victorville, California
West Covina, California
Williamsburg, Virginia
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winter Park, Florida
Woodhill, Queensland

(Note on the photo above from www.samaritans.org - The author writes: "Shout" - This picture shows one form of communication - speech. I was inspired by the excitement and urgency of my children trying to communicate to me that they were standing on the posts. The whole picture portrays how important communication is and how it can affect how we feel, act and show emotions.)

Day 82 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 82 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... Rising from Ruin

Read about the forgotten Mississippi Gulf Coast and how the two towns of Bay St. Louis and Westport are rebuilding. Compelling photos, audio, maps and daily dispatches from MSNBC.com reporters are posted here.

From a personal observation, the photos don't do justice to seeing the damage firsthand. Later in the Spring, I'll be making another trip, this time into New Orleans to do additional relief work. Doing so has change my whole theology of attending church versus doing church. More later on that topic as I'm trying to place in words the thoughts that are "emerging" out of my heart.

Visit this blog and whatever you can do, help out physically if you can. There are multitude of church groups and agencies that you can partner with. The people will thank you beyond measure - guarantee to change your life...

Day 81 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

(Getty Images)

The Journey to Torinoy blog is sponsored and managed by Visa USA. They have invited Olympic athletes, their coaches and fans; journalists covering The Torino Games, and Visa employees and representatives to contribute to "The Journey" blog.

From Wikipedia 2006 Winter Olympics:

The XX Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin, Italy from February 10 to February 26, 2006. This will be the second time that Italy has hosted the Olympic Winter Games, as it hosted the VII Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, and the third time overall that Italy will have hosted an Olympic Games, as it also hosted the Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome in 1960.

During the Games some 20,000 volunteers (selected from among over 40,000 applicants) will be employed to help the athletes, spectators and journalists, and to prepare the competition sites.

The official logo displays the name "Torino," which means "Turin" in the original Italian. Neve and Gliz are the mascots of Torino 2006. Neve is a female snowball, and Gliz is a male ice cube.

Passion06 recap

The Passion 06 Gallery is up, containing snapshots of the incredible gathering of college students here in Nashville.

If you're still searching for an answer to the "How was Passion" question, I like what one blogger wrote: "when asked by a friend, "how was it" all I could do is hug them with everything I had and tell them, that's just the first 30 seconds of the conference. imagine 4 days of that, but with God's intensity."

Oh, and I also forgot to tell you that your brain would hurt for a few days.
And that songs would thunder in your head.
And that you would find yourself drifting back into that massive crowd.
And that you would feel like you had known your Family Group forever.
And that you would wake up wanting to head to your Community Group.

- Louie Giglio 268 Generation blog entry

A small sample of what attendees are saying:

Worshiping God with over 18,000 fellow Christians, who affirm the essential doctrines of truth, was an unforgettable experience, giving one a small taste of what heaven will be like. Passion 06 faithfully fulfilled its mission of trying to set this generation on fire for Christ. Read more reflections from students

xx

I just got home from Passion06; although my body is tired, my soul is awakened. I had one prayer going into Passion06, that God would meet with us. And can I just say the Lord is faithful to hear our prayers?

xx

I still find it hard to believe that Passion is over, and I am back in my apartment awaiting the start of school and classes and homework. I can already sense that this year is going to be a big one in my life, and I am so excited to see what he does with it. I think Passion was just the catalyst for what is going to happen this year, and place in me a renewed heart and willingness to fully yield to God's will and his plan.

xx

Sid from Greer, South Carolina documents everything here at his blog starting from Day One wondering fellow blog

Jason Reid has tons of photos plus you can do a search for Passion on Flickr and see some of the photos I took as a volunteer. Great stuff and all done with excellence by the Passion Team!

Wozwear 6502 (Exclusive!)

The Wozwear 6502 is PodBrix's latest unique apparel product. It features our minifig style Woz holding an actual functioning 6502 processor chip. This is the same processor running at 1MHz that was used in the classic Apple II line of computers. The 6502 chip is attached to the Wozwear shirt with a magnetic clasp. It is easily removed so that the Wozwear shirt may be laundered.
As is standard for PodBrix products, the Wozwear 6502 is a signed limited edition of 300 units. The Wozwear shirt is available in five sizes (S, M, L, XL, XXL) and is individually screen printed to order to ensure everyone can receive the desired size without exceeding the 300 unit limited edition.

The Wozwear 6502 is available for $34.99 each and will go on sale tonight (01/17/06) at 9:00pm EST. International orders are welcome.

Please visit http://PodBrix.com at 9:00pm EST to place an order.


Does the 6502 chip attached to the Wozwear shirt do anything functional?
Tomi Responds:
No. It is purely a cosmetic design element.

Could I take the 6502 Chip off the Wozwear shirt and use it in a computer?

Tomi Responds:
Potentially yes. Each chip is in full operating condition. If you plugged it into an old Apple machine it would work properly.

How can I wash the Wozwear shirt?

Tomi Responds:
The 6502 processor is removable so you can wash the shirt. Care instructions are included with the Wozwear.

Will you ship the Wozwear internationally?

Tomi Responds:
Yes. We ship via standard Air Mail to almost any country. Shipping rates will be listed during checkout.

2006 NFL Playoff Bracket

Nice graphics from Hawkeyes via Flickr at (1023x768) for the big NFL weekend coming up!

Hat tip to rob's place

Everything you can imagine is real...

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet. - Woody Allen

here a website full of illusions and images of the impossible kind and much more...

You'll enjoy the various examples - which is the fullness of one's creative mind... or as Pablo Picasso says: Everything you can imagine is real...

Here's an example!



First look carefully at these two versions of Mona Lisa. Then click on the image to turn it upside down. Are you surprised ? Most people can't interprete facial expressions when the face is turned upside down. This is also called the Thatcher illusions because this was first demonstrated with a photo from Margaret Thatcher.

Answer below....




Stop by and blow your mind here at Planet Perplex

Purpose Driven iPod?

Whatever happened to Palm Sunday? - A new iPod theology is here...

(AP) A Houston pastor is putting a new spin on Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iPods, telling his Baptist congregation that the simple gadgets contain a religious lesson: Life can also be simple.

"The reason the outside of the iPod is so simple to use and so beautiful to look at is because of the way they designed the inside of the iPod," Metropolitan Baptist Church Pastor Sal Sberna told his congregation Sunday during his second of four sermons on "iPod Theology."

read more on Sherba's vision...

Sberna, who has two iPods, isn't shy about his vision of reaching a younger, professional audience with hopes of increasing his 4,000 member congregation to 20,000. He'd like everyone in his congregation to own an iPod with a goal of one day offering his sermons through podcasts.

Christianity resources for Palm handhelds

Day 80 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 80 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

"Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

If you want to be a student of the Bible and adher to a disciplined, yet non legalistic way of delving in God's Word, may I suggest the One Year Bible Blog. This blog is richly illustrated with commentary, photos, illustrations and of course weekly readings.

You can also receive weekly e-mails of commentary, encouragement, and questions for reflection and the cost is FREE.

"We recommend you pick up a Tyndale Publishers "One Year Bible", rather than using a traditional Bible. Simply because the Tyndale version organizes each day's readings for you: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs. You don't need to flip around all over a Bible each day finding the daily verses. Also, many people have found the New Living Translation (NLT) to be great for the One Year Bible plan. It is a very refreshing translation to read over the course of a year. However, you can most definitely join us using whichever translation you prefer - NIV, KJV, NKJV, The Message, etc. Again, you can use your own traditional Bible - you'll probably just need 4 bookmarks and it will be easy enough to follow our OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs reading format each day."

Mike puts this blog together: "I am a Christian. I am not a pastor, nor a Biblical scholar. I simply have found engaging God's Word, the Bible, each day to be absolutely life-changing in my own personal life and for so many others that I talk to. 2006 will be my 4th One Year Bible journey, so I'm learning some things about the Bible as I go."

Reach out faith this year with God's Word!

Want Strong Bones?

In cleaning out my garage, I ran across an old ad that I use to display in my cube at work... This is one of my favs from the Got Milk ad campaign...

National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board ran this paper advertisement that came from a 1999 magazine and features Curly Howard endorsing milk.

Buy the whole collection!

Day 79 of visiting 100 blogs in 10 days

Matthew Baldwin compiles some great Tricks of the Trade that his readers have sent in...

For every occupation, there is a catalog of secrets only its employees are aware of -- such as how waiters with heavy platters know to look straight ahead, and never down. Armed with a bag of reader mail, Matthew Baldwin unfurls a whole lot more true insider knowledge.

There are choice tricks scattered throughout - not only are they useful, but they certainly add fodder to conversation over dinner or even over beers with friends...

Some of my favorites include:

Ditch Digger

If you and another guy are tasked with digging a ditch, trench, or whatever, always grab the pickaxe. It looks like a lot more work, but you'll only spend about 1/5th of the time swinging the pick than the shmucks with shovels will spend cleaning dirt of out of the hole.

Forester

Never walk behind another person in the woods, because yellow jackets build their nests underground. The first person in line will disturb the nest when they walk over it, but it's the poor suckers trailing behind who catch the wrath of the stirred-up bees. You can generally tell the more experienced forester in the group because he'll be the one in the lead.

The senior forester also will be the one either driving the truck or sitting in the middle seat; it's the guy who's riding "shotgun" who has to get out to open and close every gate they encounter.

Homeowner

If you have people working on your house for a couple of days -- contractor, roofer, landscaper, whatever -- they will often got the extra mile if you buy them a lunch or two. Twenty dollars for two workers usually covers a couple of days, and you will probably get much more than that in return.

Nurse

Patients will occasionally pretend to be unconscious. A surefire way to find them out is to pick up their hand, hold it above their face, and let go. If they smack themselves, they're most likely unconscious; if not, they're faking.

So with these four tricks alone, my back catches a break, I'll never get stung; I could care less if someone always wants to ride shotgun and I'll be able to spot a fake.

Day 78 of visiting 100 blogs in 10 days

John Richardson writes a blog: Success Begins Today. An interesting concept to be sure. This blog is dedicated to all the travelers on the journey to success.

John offers up great workable concepts such as:

I have a thesis that I am working on for 2006. It goes like this. Each month of this year develop one new habit. Make it simple and doable. At the end of each month decide on a new "habit" for the next month and continue doing the existing habit. At the end of the year 12 habits will be developed. All of these habits will be written down and be simple enough that I can verify if they have been done. Experts say that most actions take at least 21 days to become "habits" so a month should be ample time for it to become routine.

Check out his Success Begins Today blog as it will be a good resource to set in motion a success path for a prosperous 2006!

The Non-Expert: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

Gals or guys - want to dump that low life loser in 2006?

The problem is all inside your head
She said to me
The answer is easy if you
Take it logically
I'd like to help you in your struggle
To be free
There must be fifty ways
To leave your lover

The Non-Expert: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
by Rosecrans Baldwin
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week Rosecrans Baldwin picks up where Paul Simon left off and offers a multitude of ways -- 45, actually -- to leave your lover in the dust.

Question: Paul Simon has a song called "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" but he only gives us three or four ("Get off the bus, Gus" "Get a new plan, Dan" "Drop off the key, Lee") which is a bit disappointing given the title. Any help? I've got some boyfriend issues to be dealing with here. Don't let me down! -- Diana R.

Answer: Diana, we feel your pain. Simon's song, from 1975's Still Crazy After All These Years, quotes some mysterious woman as saying there must be 50 ways to leave your lover, allowing lazy songwriter Simon to only offer five ways in the chorus: to "slip out the back, Jack; make a new plan, Stan; you don't need to be coy, Roy; hop on the bus, Gus; just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free."

Here's the rest of the 45 ways: WARNING: some are pretty tacky...

On the flip side, I think Maria breaks up a lot as she tries to take it logically:

I develop breaking-up routines. For example, I don't break up at night. Darkness, silence, and big empty beds are an awful combination. When possible, I do it just before a trip. The change of scenery helps. Obviously, the most effective remedy is a new love interest. That can cure you faster than anything else. However, there is a risk with dating too soon, we find ourselves talking about the past.

Rock on with Maria

How Would Like Your Eggs? and Church?

John Frye offers up a compelling metaphor that simply cause me to stop dead in my tracks and ponder his question:

Did you ever notice how people in churches seem to be like eggs in a carton?
People come and sit in nice neat rows, not touching each other in the styrofoam environment of Christian individualism and "right to spiritual privacy." The eggs might be Methodist eggs or Presbyterian or Baptist eggs or those generic eggs in the independent, non-denominational churches. It is important to know the label on the carton. No one likes "a bad egg."

Read the rest here...

Google Earth - Explore, Search and Discover

Great news for Mac users -

Google Earth - Explore, Search and Discover

Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.

Spectacular desktop mapping application Google Earth has graduated from beta for PC and is now available for Mac OS X.

Fly in from space, zoom, tilt and pan over birds-eye view photos with Google Earth.

Working Google Earth on my new G5 iMac on the 20" screen is simply spectacular!

So whether you're on a PC or Mac download Google Earth here

Day 77 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days

Day 77 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

There are times when we just wanna have some fun... so pick up the mouse and head over to Jim and Lynette's Fun Times Guide where there are all kinds of observations on life, tips, how to stuff and fun things to indulge in. Apparently they are having too much fun or too much time on their hands as they are embarking on visiting 100 web sites in 100 days. (I look foward to their wrap up some time next year... (grin).

Seriously these folks have fun with their blog and don't mind sharing the humor of it all with you - so drop in, tell them that WonderDawg sent you and by the way, I celebrate the 100 day project... I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job as your fun times guide as today they are spotlighting Google videos!

Fun Times Guide

Be a rock star...

Be a rock star. Play the Virtual Air Guitar.

The Virtual Air Guitar is a new way of experiencing music. It is an instrument literally played in the air: no strings, no keys, just you, free to perform.

Playing air guitar is like playing rock guitar, only without the guitar or any musical skills. It is a wild show, it is letting go, it is the essence of the rock attitude. But up until now, air guitarists have been limited to playing along existing music.

I must be bored...

Bored!

There's been a little chatter about BOREDOM! and 2006 is still young!

"Boredom is the root of all evil -- the despairing refusal to be one's self." -- Kierkegaard

Chuck Gallozzi writes:

Boredom may be a boring subject, but it’s an important one because it is the source of much misery. You see, it is accompanied by, or leads to, feelings of loneliness, emptiness, helplessness, inadequacy, sadness, despair, and even depression. When allowed to spin out of control, there can be serious repercussions. more here

But Mark Cuban offers a suggested end for boredom:

Portable media devices, whether Ipods, portable gaming devices, phones with all their features, or whatever have solved what has been a generations old nuisance for all of us, boredom.

We have our little devices and now we are never bored. We dont find ourselves staring off into space unoccupied, wondering what to do. We dont find ourselves muttering about how bored we are sitting on the train, or on a plane, trying to do anything to make the time go by more quickly.

Our little mobile devices are so popular because they are the ultimate, continuous distraction. They are the easiest cure for boredom.

The secret of avoiding boredom? meaningful activity. (Don't confuse activity with accomplishment!) I think with the lack of deep friendships / relationships, we are forcing ourselves into boredom. Certainly cocooning ourselves in our houses or automobiles and with iPods entranced in our ears, is it any wonder that we are at the least distancing ourselves from relationships?

more on boredom here from wikipedia

For the sake of humor, If you're REALLY REALLY BORED....

Push your eyes for interesting light show
(Amusement Potential: 1-5 minutes)
See a variety of blobs, stars and flashes. Try to make out things your subconscious is trying to send you a message? Can you control what you see by pressing different areas with different forces? Would it be possible to somehow see the same effects on TV?

Watch TV, repeat everything said in Italian accent
(Amusement Potential: 5-10 minutes)
Sort of entertaining. Include flamboyant shoulder shrugs for added impact, or go for a Marlon Brando set of grunts.

Pick up a dog so it can see things from your point of view
(Amusement Potential: 3-5 minutes)
Think about it: your dog has only seen the house from a viewpoint from 6" to 2' high (15 to 60 cm for all you metric fans). It's never seen the tops of counters, what you keep on your desk, the tops of shelves, etc. Try looking at things from its point of view, too.

MUCH MUCH MORE here!

The Relationship Driven Church

John 0'Keefe writes about The Relationship Driven Church (Warning: This Is Not A Program) which I find to be a compelling read. People I'm in conversation with are reassessing their priorities this time of the year (including spiritual matters) and they seek to find community with God in a safe place. For most that means a relationship driven church. Thus John's article gives a perspective how the institutional church can provide to make that community possible....

It seems that all churches I know are looking for that one, perfect magical program that will make it easy for church growth; some kind of special musical style that will attract people like crazy; that one charismatic pastor with great hair, perfect teeth, a winning smile, with a blond wife and two point five kids (that will work for almost nothing and be on call 26 hours aday); that all-in-one special thing that will help them grow a church that will put the mega-church to shame. Most churches are driven by their desire to reach numbers that will make other church take notice of their wonderful abilities to do a true ministry of God. Pastors of those churches wait to see if their version of someone else's program will work, so they can cut a book deal and sell their view of that program to the waiting hungry church masses that are looking to out do the next and find the same deal. It seems that all churches are looking for that magic pill, that special program, that one thing that will help them grow and because of that, they will devour all that publishers and writes place before them, as long as the magic words church growth are added to the program line.

John adds...

It is not an option for the church to be a relationship driven church and it is not something that can be moved to a later date this is more important then money, building, program, direction, board meetings, or making the elders happy. If the church does not have people developing relationships, it does not have the potential to reach past it's doors and into the world around them.

read the rest here...

Matt is the King of Roller Coasters!

View Matt's LEGO Roller Coaster here!

Day 76 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 76 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Jesus is just alright with me,
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me,
Jesus is just alright
I don't care what they may say
I don't care what they may do
I don't care what they may say
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright

(lyrics - A Reynolds / Doobie Bros.)

Boy I sure hope so... here's my blog of the day - I must say, it takes a lot of kuzpa? but the Jesus I know has a sense of humor and surely He is admiring the effort that went into this blog... Therefore, I present to you... Day 76 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

What Would Jesus Blog?

Everybody is somebody in Vegas

Las Vegas Eye Candy #7 of 7

Say you will and I'll say I do!