Dojo Info 3/6/06

1. Black and white twins
   The odds are apparently, 1 million to 1.
2. Tax change allows startup cost deduction
   Looking to start a business? While the government isn’t nearly as pro-Small Business as they should be, some new changes are helping.
3. Polio vaccine pioneers get stamps
   People today have no idea how the word “Polio” scattered fear into people’s hearts. These scientists deserve more credit.
4. Iraqi police build relationships with future generations
   A great deal of good is happening in Iraq and the American people are hearing so very little of it. You’d think more people would be looking for uplifting news?
5. AT&T to buy BellSouth for $67 billion
   The big get bigger. Less competition is bad news for the consumer. I’m thinking Vonage.

Oscar Night Tribute

I must preface this by saying that I know a great many people really get excited about Oscar night. I’m certainly not one of them. The People’s Choice Awards is far more meaningful in my opinion. But to each their own.

What I think of those that cast ballots for the Oscars is:

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Forgive me, if I’ve rained on anyone’s parade.

Update: Lowest viewer turnout since ’73, down 10% from last year. What?!? There were only two bleeps?

Free Speech Under Attack

Free speech doesn’t mean you can say whatever you desire, despite popular opinion. The classic example of yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theatre debunks that theory. But what free speech does mean, is that the citizens of our country should be allowed to voice opinions and communicate facts without worrying about whether the government “approves” of them.

Now the Lieberman-Levin Amendment is threatening that freedom. And they’re doing it with trickery by applying the definition of the lobbying (what happens in Washington D.C. and other official locations) to what is happening in the blogsphere. You can learn more by reading Susan Jones’ piece called Non-Profits Tell Senate to ‘Keep Off the Grassroots’.

This is scary stuff that all free-speech proponents should be standing up against.

Trailmaps Bring It All Back

Park City Ski Resort

You know how Disney uses the word magic to describe their theme parks? For millions, a trip to Disney World or Disneyland was their fondest memories of childhood. Not so for me. Mine was a trip to Snowmass Ski Resort in Colorado. In fact, I loved it so much, that I taped a trailmap to the underside of my top bunk so I could stare at it as I drifted off to sleep.

I believe I owe James Niehues no small amount of heartfelt thanks.

Update: I submitted the Snowmass Lovemark!

Coach Kommercial

With March Madness rapidly approaching, it’s always important to know who your enemies are.

Update: Excerpt from “To Hate Like This …” by Will Blythe.

Survivor Panama: Week 5

How stupid am I? Wait, don’t answer that. Almost inconceivable for a man as competitive as I am, for the second time in five weeks I’ve forgotten(?) to make my Fantasy Survivor picks?!? Oh how I’m slipping. Might want to head into Dr. Frankenstein’s for a cranium adjustment and spinal fluid change.

La Mina

Terry has his game face on plus he’s a nice guy. One of the leaders of this game, but needs to enter the merge on better footing. I’m always surprised that more players don’t reach out and make friendly gestures to the other tribe. Maybe they’d get ostracized but depending on how you did it, I think it would be a smart move.

For two weeks now Sally has dodged a bullet. Hanging tough but needs to try to break down one of the younger males. And by “break down” I mean “hook up.” This challenge would have rocked if they had Lydia the Fishmonger!

He had it coming out of both ends. That’s never good. Am I right? How many of you remember that last time the stomach flu hit and you spent some serious one-on-one time with the porcelein Wünderflush 5000? Beans over rice?!? Who made that call?

Nick sick like Austin, competes in the challenge anyway. He deserves not one, but two attaboys being friendly towards Sally. Could emerge at the end.

Surprisely, Dan held his own in the challenge and didn’t react badly when they went against his word by taking out Ruth Marie last week. I guess they teach more than how to make Tang in astronaut school.

Casaya

Man! Why can’t someone just reach over and smack Shane in the face? How much more abuse will they take from this first-rate cakehole? We all know it’s his fault the storm swamped their camp too. ;^)

I shouldn’t want Shane gone too badly because it’s his cocky, yet pathetic, banter that makes the Casaya camp so entertaining. Some bodily harm would be nice though. Has there ever been a more disjointed, combative tribe in the history of Survivor that at the same time did well in the challenges? I don’t think so.

Annoying.

Aras is so fed up with some of his tribe mates, he wants to be sent to Exile.

Cirie even went against her race to keep herself in this game. That doesn’t happen very often. But I don’t blame her. If someone stole my Ernst and Julio Gallo while I had to drink luke-warm, bacteria-infested rainwater, I’d be a bit miffed too.

Bruce is all over the board. One minute he’s working hard to help the tribe. The next he’s mining black onyx for his zen garden. Then, he gets wasted on cheap wine with a black man in an outhouse. I bet he didn’t see that one coming when he signed up for the show.

Voted Off

I’m surprised Bobby didn’t think they’d mind when he stole their last bottle of vino? Maybe he did and said, “So what.” But for the next couple of challenges, Casaya will wish they had Bobby back on their team. At least Bruce kept his promise and voted for Courtney instead of Bobby. If on day 1 they air dropped a ton of alcohol and let all the tribemates get thoroughly trashed, who knows what kind of “sincere” alliances might rise and fall as the participants get goofy over their cups.

Dojo Info 3/2/06

1. Private investors storm ethanol industry
   With an emphasis on other fuel sources it makes good sense. Chevy’s Live Green Go Yellow program seems to be the first to emphasize this major shift.
2. Turning nature’s design into scientific breakthrough
   It shouldn’t be surprising to find that God knows a bit about design.
3. Bryant, James, Wade among those on U.S. roster
   Olympic basketball team starts to take shape, but we know from our previous astounding failure that too many superstars does not a good team make.
4. Da Vinci’s Other Code
   Fun puzzle from the good folks at Coudal.
5. Out of Africa
   Few people I read are making more sense the the folks at Family Research Council. I highly recommend their email service. Check out this story about how one African country is making solid progress in the war on AIDS.

Civic Type R Revealed

The original Pocket Rocket is living up to its name, straight from the factory! Almost 200hp on a car that only weighs around 2800lbs means it’s faster than Apollo Anton Ohno on the short track. Getting your mits on one, now that’s a problem. For one, it’s not coming out for at least a year and then when it does, Europe could get it first.

Trailer Time

Seems like there are a good number of entertaining films coming up. (There’s currently crap to watch.) I’ve put together a list of those I’m most looking forward to. Know about any I’m missing?

16 Blocks – I love Bruce Willis. I’ve liked almost all of his movies.
Opening: March 3rd

Ultraviolet – The trailer makes this flick seem very Matrixy which can be really fun, but it would still require a compelling story and I have no idea if this one does.
Opening: March 3rd

Ice Age 2 – The first Ice Age was surprisingly good, but this one could fall prey to the sequel sophomore slump. My expectations are reasonably low.
Opening: March 31st

The Benchwarmers – For the lowbrow humor crowd, of which I’m a card carrying member.
Opening: April 7th

Over the Hedge – It’s not Pixar but Madagascar was wonderful so maybe Dreamworks is a Pixar Lite?
Opening: May 19th

Cars – It doesn’t look that promising but Pixar has been batting .1000 so we should give them the benefit of the doubt.
Opening: June 9th

Apocalypto – I love how they’re shrouding the movie in mystery. Gibson wants to continually push the envelope on what a movie can be. No cookie cutter film here.
Opening: Summer 2006

Talladega Nights – It’s Will Ferrel in the Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Should be hilarious!
Opening: August 4th

The Omen (Remake) – Creepy, creepy and more creepy. I’m not generally a fan of horror films but if they’re intelligently done, I can watch them. We’ll see if this is just a money grab or a sincere attempt to better the original, which was pretty good.
Opening: June, 6th 2006

New Mac Mini

Apple does a wonderful job of maintaining brand power. Consistently good design is the main ingredient but technology does play a vital role. And by technology I mean, well-crafted design otherwise known as ease-of-use or good usability. How people use your product is just as important as what the product actually does.

I keep wondering why I haven’t purchased an Apple product in a while, maybe it’s now time. You can view the introduction of the new Mac Mini here.